Publications

Y123 thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on YSZ (001) substrate. Prior to the film deposition, a discontinuous layer of Ag was deposited on the substrate, also using PLD, in the form of separate islands. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigation of the Ag layer showed that its morphology consisted of self-assembled islands of nanometre size, randomly distributed on the surface of the substrate, called nano-dots. The Y123 superconducting films grown on such a surface were characterized using AFM, x-ray diffraction, secondary electron microscopy, ac susceptibility and dc magnetization. The results show that there is no significant difference in surface morphology, crystallographic orientation, phase composition or superconducting transition temperature between the Y123 films grown on YSZ (001) with an Ag nano-dots layer and a control Y123 film grown on a virgin YSZ (001) surface. On the other hand, at 77 K, the magnetic critical current density (J(c)(m)) was three times higher for the Y123 film grown on YSZ with the modified (001) surface than for the film grown on YSZ with a virgin (001) surface. At 5 K the enhancement of J(c)(m) was approximately seven times, at both low and high fields. This suggests an increase in pinning, caused presumably by point defects formed in the Y123 film above the Ag islands.

We investigate transport in nanotransistors in the Landauer-Buttiker formalism. A systematic linearization of the general expression for the current response yields the quantum version of the small signal equivalent circuit. This equivalent circuit can be compared with classical schemes so that explicit quantum mechanical expressions for the circuit elements can be extracted. Reducing our analysis to an effective Y-parameter description of the equivalent circuit we find the multi-terminal Buttiker formula except for one extra term. We show that this extra term is essential for the operation of transistors. An application of our theory to a simple transistor model yields a description of mismatch oscillations in the source-drain current experimentally observed in nano-transistors. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

We review some aspects concerning the disorder effects on the spectral properties of 2D electronic systems with relevance for the transport and orbital magnetism in perpendicular magnetic field. The lattice model and random Anderson disorder are used. The discussion is carried out separately for periodic and hard wall boundary conditions. The degree of localization is evidenced by the calculation of the inverse participation number of the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian and a striking asymmetry of the localization effect of states in the Landau band is reported. (C) 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In U4O9, most of the atoms are in general 48-fold [48(e)] sites of the space group I (4) over bar 3d and yet the hkl reflections obey the extinction rules for atoms occupying special 12-fold [12(b)] sites. An explanation is given for this effect, which can be generalized to any space group.

Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox, whiskers have been grown by a modified airtight two-crucible method, employing radial and vertical thermal gradients resulting from the relative position of the crucibles. A heating profile with a constant heating rate applied from 842 to 846degreesC allows formation of whiskers up to 2 cm in length for a certain level of Al impurity in the glass. A cation-rich atmosphere is found to be a key intrinsic parameter. Our data confirm the importance of the thermal gradients, but this parameter is a somewhat extrinsic one and from a practical point of view should be correlated to other intrinsic parameters that influence growth atmosphere (i.e. to total and partial pressures). As-grown whiskers have composition Bi:Sr:Ca:Cu = (2.9-3.5):2:(1.7-2.05):(2.4-3.0) (normalized to SrA zero-resistance critical temperature T-c(R=0) = 76-98 K and maximum transport critical current density above J(c) = 10(4) A cm(-2) at 77 K in self-field.

Composites were prepared from an aerosil and 4-n-alkyl-4'cyanobiphenyls with five to eight carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. Their high silica density of similar to7 g aerosil in 1 cm(3) of liquid crystal (LC) allows the observation of the behaviour of a thin cyanobiphenyl layer (having nearly a monolayer structure) on the silica particles. The systems are investigated by dielectric spectroscopy (10(-2)-10(9) Hz) in a large temperature range (220-370 K). All the composites show a (main) relaxation process at frequencies much lower than the processes observed for the bulk LC that was assigned to the dynamics of the molecules in the surface layer. The temperature dependence of its characteristic frequencies obeys the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law, which is found to be typical for glass-forming liquids. The quasi two-dimensional character of the glass transition in the surface layer is discussed for the first time. At the nematic-to-isotropic transition temperature of the bulk, the composites show a continuous decrease of the characteristic frequencies as a function of the alkyl chain length, while the bulk LCs show the well known odd-even behaviour. The magnitude and temperature dependence of the slow relaxation process in the composites (molecules on an outer surface) agree with those of the same molecules confined to the nanopores of molecular sieves (internal surface).

The axially symmetric Fe+(II) center observed in SrCl2:Fe2+ crystals has been studied by the electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) technique in the microwave X and Q bands. This center is produced only in crystals grown in chlorine atmosphere and x-ray irradiated at low temperature (below 100 K). The analysis of the ENDOR spectra unambiguously confirms the structural model earlier suggested by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study, as a Fe+ ion strongly displaced off center along an axis, almost in the center of the square determined by the four nearest Cl- ligands. The unpaired spin densities f(3s) and f(3p) in the 3s and 3p chlorine orbitals have been determined from the resulting ENDOR parameters.

Lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) thin films with Zr/Ti ratio of 92/8 were deposited by sol-gel on Pt coated silicon and single crystal MgO(100) substrates. In case of the films deposited on Pt the perovskite structure is established only after oxygen annealing, while for the films deposited on MgO annealing in air is enough. The films are polycrystalline with preferred orientation that is substrate dependent ((110) on Pt and (100)/(200) on MgO). Average values of 2.10 muC/cm(2) and 78 kV/cm were obtained for remnant polarization and coercive field, respectively. The I-V characteristic at low-to-intermediate electric fields is controlled by thermionic emission, but the Schottky representation is Ln(current)-(voltage)(1/4), implying that the film behaves like a semiconductor and not like an insulator. From transmission-reflectance measurements a value of 3.85 +/- 0.05 eV was estimated for the band gap, while the refraction index in the transparency region was found to be 2.6. A pyroelectric signal was detected on as grown films, making them attractive for infrared detection. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigations on barium neodymium titanate (BNT) prepared by solid state reaction techniques are presented in this paper. The samples were sintered at temperatures, T-s, in a range 1200-1300degreesC. High density values and adequate microwave parameters were obtained by adding 0.5 mol PbO substitutional for BaO. A decrease of the Curie temperature with the increase of the Nd2O3 concentration was confirmed. For the sample with 28 wt.% Nd2O3, 0.5 mol PbO pyroelectric data indicate Curie temperature around 75 K, therefore, at room temperatures, the materials are in paraelectric phase. BNT ceramics with high Nd2O3 concentration (28 wt.%), sintered at 1250degreesC for 2 h appear to be suitable for dielectric resonators for frequencies up to 3 GHz (epsilon(r)=80-90 and Q = 2000). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3 (PZT) thin films with Zr/Ti ratio of 92/8 and doped with up to 4 at.% Nb were deposited by sol-gel on Pt coated Si substrates. The scope was to investigate the influence of Nb additive on the structural, optical and electrical properties of Zr-rich PZT phase. it was found that a residual pyrochlore phase stabilizes with increasing the Nb content. The remnant polarization, the coercive field, and the dielectric losses increase with increasing Nb content. The presence of the pyroelectric effect was also evidenced on as-deposited layers. The films have potential for light detection in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum (pyroelectric effect). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.