Publications

A single atomic Au layer is grown epitaxially on a Ge(001) surface featured by (2 x 1) reconstruction. The low energy electron diffraction pattern of the Au/Ge(001) surface indicates the formation of a square structure with the length of crystalline domains of similar to 3 nm. Ab-initio calculations show that Au growth stabilizes the Ge surface in symmetric dimers and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal its metallic character. The modifications in the electronic properties of the Ge surface as a result of annealing are discussed and the consequences as reflected in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements are underlined. The deformation density indicates the regions with covalent Au-Ge bonds. These bonds are identified from Au 4f and Ge 3d XPS data. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sol-gel route using metal alkoxides precursor and trifluoroacetic acid as in situ fluorination reagent has been used to prepare Eu3+ -doped silicate xerogel, followed by thermal annealing to obtain oxyfluoride glass ceramic containing Eu3+ -doped BaF2 nanocrystals. We have used Eu3+ as probe ion and we analyzed its characteristic features (photoluminescence, optical absorption and magnetic circular dichroism) to get information about the local environment around the ion during thermally activated evolution of the sol to xerogel and then glass ceramic. As the drying and annealing proceeds silica network is formed accompanied by precipitation of the nanofluoride crystalline phase; Eu3+ coordination changes gradually from a random and assymetric CF3COO- one (in the sol) to a symmetric one (in the BaF2 nanocrystals) given by the fluorine ions. Glass ceramization is based on a homogenous crystallization mechanism with BaF2 nucleation centres resulted from thermal decomposition of Ba-trifluoacetate at around 300 degrees C followed by subsequent growth into BaF2 nanocrystals above 600 degrees C; Eu3+-ions are incorporated during the nanocrystals growth. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We report the deposition by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique of biomimetic nanocrystalline apatite coatings on titanium substrates, with potential application in tissue engineering. The targets were prepared from metastable, nanometric, poorly crystalline apatite powders, analogous to mineral bone, synthesized through a biomimetic approach by double decomposition process. For the deposition of thin films, a KrF* excimer laser source was used (lambda = 248 nm, tau(FWHM) <= 25 ns). The analyses revealed the existence, in synthesized powders, of labile non-apatitic mineral ions, associated with the formation of a hydrated layer at the surface of the nanocrystals. The thin film analyses showed that the structural and chemical nature of the nanocrystalline apatite was prevalently preserved. The perpetuation of the non-apatitic environments was also observed. The study indicated that MAPLE is a suitable technique for the congruent transfer of a delicate material, such as the biomimetic hydrated nanohydroxyapatite. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In order to study specific phenomena at ferromagnetic/semiconducting interfaces, of potentially high interest in spintronics and information technology, structural aspects and magnetic properties of Fe thin films grown on Si(001) substrates by RF sputtering have been investigated using Fe-57 conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and magneto-optic Keer effect (MOKE). Films of different thicknesses have been deposited either directly on crystalline Si substrates or on Cu buffer layers. An inherent Fe oxide layer is observed in all as prepared films, with a relative thickness decreasing drastically with the deposition time. The Cu buffer layer does not diminish either the interfacial diffusion or the oxidation process. An efficient method to prepare sharper oxygen- and silicon-free interfaces for an improved spin injection, via thermal treatment in hydrogen atmosphere, is proposed. Accordingly, the hydrogenation treatments are very efficient in the modification of the ferromagnetic film structure, phase composition, magnetic properties and interfacial mixing. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KrF* excimer laser pulses of 248 nm were used for the synthesis of nanometric iron oxide films with variable thickness, stoichiometry and electrical properties. Film deposition was carried out on Si and SiO2 substrates. The number of laser pulses was increased from 4000 to 6000, while ambient reactive oxygen pressure varied from 0.1 to 1.0 Pa. The film thickness depends on oxygen pressure, number of laser pulses and substrate nature. All films demonstrated semiconducting temperature behaviour with variable band gap (E-g) depending on oxygen pressure, substrate nature and temperature. Eg value was less than 1.0 eV for all deposited films. XRD analysis evidenced that films deposited on Si substrate have polycrystalline structure, while films deposited on SiO2 were amorphous. The higher oxygen pressure, the lower crystallinity of the deposited film was observed, resulting in change of thermo electromotive force coefficient (S) value. For larger substrate temperature, a better crystallization was observed in the deposited films, resulting in increased S coefficient value. The largest value of the S coefficient was about 8.7 mV/K in the range 290-295 K and it decreased to 1.0-1.6 mV/K when heating temperature changed from 240 to 330 K. The figure of merit of deposited structures was ZT = 3-6 in the range 240-330 K with a maximum of 12 at 300-304 K. We have shown that thermo-sensing characteristics of the films strongly depend on their electrical and structural properties. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) has been investigated as an alternative to the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for Eu3+-doped crystalline LiYF4 thin-films deposition. MAPLE assumes laser ablation of a frozen target made of the material of interest diluted in a solvent, rather than that of a bulk target, of either pressed powder or single crystal, used in the case of PLD. Our approach stems from the assumption that laser ablation of a frozen dilute target would result in thin films with improved morphology, as compared to PLD. Indeed, we find that roughness values of samples obtained by the MAPLE technique are four times lower than in the case of PLD. A lower transmittance was noticed for PLD obtained layers with respect to those grown by MAPLE due to strong scattering of light by the morphological defects. Photoluminescence spectra are showing characteristic Eu3+-ion luminescence bands at 578, 591, 612, 650 and 698 nm (D-5(0) -> F-7(J)); crystal field splitting of the bands indicates dopant ions incorporation in the host material during transfer by either PLD or MAPLE.

ZnO micro/nanostructures with complex morphology were synthesized by a simple chemical reaction between zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine in the presence of polysaccharides. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that all obtained samples are of wurtzite structure. The reflectance and room temperature photoluminescence spectra have been used to investigate the optical properties of the ZnO structures. The scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the ZnO morphology (star, double-jellyfish, double-raspberry and edelweiss-flower) can be easily changed by varying the polysaccharides: sodium alginate, gum arabic and chitosan. The polysaccharide-assisted crystallization method could provide a facile approach to synthesize other desired compounds with controllable morphology. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fully relativistic calculations within the local spin density approximation and the generalized gradient approximation were performed to determine the local spin and orbital magnetic moments, as well as the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy of Y3Ni13B2, Y3Co13B2, and Y3Ni10Co3B2 compounds. A weak in-plane magnetic anisotropy is determined for Y3Ni13B2, under the assumption of a crystallographic-like magnetic unit cell and collinear magnetic moments. The calculations predict considerable c-axis anisotropy for Y3Co13B2 and Y3Ni10Co3B2, but smaller than that of YCo5. The values of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy correlate well with both the magnitude of the orbital magnetic moment and the orbital magnetic moment anisotropy. The mixing between Co or Ni 3d states and B 2p states, observable at the bottom of the valence band of the 3d metal having a boron atom nearest neighbor, decreases the 3d spin and especially, the 3d orbital magnetic moments. Y3Ni13B2 and Y3Ni10Co3B2 were also investigated by powder neutron diffraction experiments, at temperatures between 1.8 and 249 K. The Co and Ni site averaged magnetic moments calculated in the mixed compound are in fair agreement with the values obtained by the refinement of the magnetic contribution to the diffraction pattern. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

The FePt system has important perspectives as high-temperature corrosion-resistant magnets. In the form of rapidly solidified melt-spun ribbons, FePt-based magnets may exhibit in certain cases a two-phase hard-soft magnetic behaviour. The present paper deals with a microstructural and magnetic study of FePtAgB alloys with increasing Ag content. The aim is to identify and confirm the effect of Ag addition in decreasing the temperature of the FePt disorder-order structural phase transformation. A detailed high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study is employed, and the alternative disposal of hard and soft regions within the two-phase microstructure is observed and interpreted with respect to the X-ray diffraction results. In the as-cast Ag-containing samples, it is shown that there is an optimum of the Ag content for which best magnetic properties are obtained. Ag addition creates a nonlinear behaviour of the coercive field and the ordering parameter, similar to the RKKY interaction-induced interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) observed in magnetic layers separated by non-magnetic spacer layers. Direct formation of the L1(0) phase from the as-cast state in the FePtAgB alloys is reported with magnetic parameters compatible to other exchange spring permanent nanomagnets. These findings open novel perspectives into utilization of such alloys in applications requiring magnets operating in high-temperature industrial environments.

Lead-free piezoelectric (Bi0.5Na0.5)(0.92)Ba0.08TiO3, doped with 5 mol %BiFeO3 (BNT-BT-BFO) nanowires was prepared from its corresponding precursor sol. A polycarbonate membrane with the thickness of 30 mu m and the pore diameter of 100 nm was used as template. Nanowires with average diameter of similar to 80 nm and different lengths of a few microns were prepared from BNT-BT-BFO precursor sol with similar to 0.03 M concentration. Ferroelectric and piezoelectric characterizations of BNT-BT-BFO nanowires were performed using AFM-PFM equipment. The HR-TEM micrograph of nanocrystals, SAED patterns, and XRD pattern indicated that BNT-BT-BFO nanowires crystallized on the lattice of rhombohedral (Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3) phase. The BNT-BT-BFO nanowires showed a significant piezoelectric response, suggesting a good piezoelectric behavior. The saturation magnetization of the nanowires, measured at room temperature and at 5 kOe magnetic field, was Ms = 0.061 emu/g. A saturated ferromagnetic hysteresis loop has been also obtained.