National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

We investigate the role of chromium and phosphorous oxides on the growth and magnetic properties of crystallized Fe-containing borosilicate glasses as well as their evolution under different thermal processing. The glasses have the ratio between SiO2 and Fe2O3 in the range 1.49 to 2.68 and Al2O3/MgO as intermediate/modifier oxides. X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy data revealed the presence of magnetite as the major crystalline phase in all as-prepared samples but additional amounts of hematite and of Fe-rich paramagnetic phases are also visible in some samples. The magnetic response is correlated with the disorder observed in the different sites (tetrahedral and octahedral) of the magnetite.

Standard zero-field cooling (zfc) magnetization relaxation measurements over a large temperature T interval were performed for YB2Cu3O7 films with BaZrO3 nanorods parallel to the c axis having the matching field B-Phi similar to 2.3 T. A rich non-monotonous T dependence of the normalized magnetization relaxation rate S at low external magnetic fields H (oriented along the nanorods) was observed. For H = 2 kOe, for example, S(T) clearly exhibits two maxima, located around T = 30 K and T = 62 K, as well as a pronounced S(T) deep at T similar to 77 K. It is shown that the first S(T) maximum may have an extrinsic origin, related to the occurrence of thermo-magnetic instabilities in the low-T domain, the second one is due to a crossover between the non-glassy vortex creep regime involving double vortex kink formation and variable range vortex hopping, whereas the S(T) deep at high T is generated by the accommodation of nearly isolated vortices to the nanorods in the presence of the T dependent macroscopic current induced in the specimen. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A current of electrons traversing a landscape of localized spins possessing non-coplanar magnetic order gains a geometrical (Berry) phase, which can lead to a Hall voltage independent of the spin-orbit coupling within the material-a geometrical Hall effect. Here we show that the highly correlated metal UCu5 possesses an unusually large controllable geometrical Hall effect at T < 1.2 K due to its frustration-induced magnetic order. The magnitude of the Hall response exceeds 20% of the nu = 1 quantum Hall effect per atomic layer, which translates into an effective magnetic field of several hundred Tesla acting on the electrons. The existence of such a large geometric Hall response in UCu5 opens a new field of enquiry into the importance of the role of frustration in highly correlated electron materials.

Given the evolution of imaging techniques in the biomedical field is becoming more necessary to develop sensitive markers, less toxic and not least more economical. Upconverting luminescent nanocrystals doped with rare earth ions, excited in infrared and emitting in visible, are considered real concurrent to classical fluorescent markers, featuring a number of advantages in rapport with them. The aim of this study is to prepare NaYF4 nanoparticles doped with erbium and ytterbium for biological applications in bioimaging techniques. After synthesis, upconverting nano particles were coated with SiO2 for surface sealing and passivation. The nano particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, luminescence spectroscopy, electronic microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The interaction of the nanoparticles with mimicking cell membrane models was studied. NaYF4 nanoparticles showed a good size distribution and good emission efficiency. The uncoated nanoparticles increase the fluidity of the lipid monolayer, while the effect of the silica coated nanoparticles is substantially reduced.

CdS micro- and nano-structures (micro/nanotubes and nanostructured films) were obtained by ammonia-free chemical bath deposition using polymer templates (ion track-etched polycarbonate membranes and poly(styrene-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) nanosphere arrays). The semiconductor structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption, photoluminescence and electrical measurements. The diameters of CdS tubes are between 300 nm and few microns and the lengths are up to tens of micrometers. The SEM images prove that the CdS films are nanostructured due to the deposition on the polymer nanosphere arrays. For both CdS structures (tubes and films) the XRD patterns show a hexagonal phase. The optical studies reveal a band gap value of about 2.5 - 2.6 eV and a red luminescence at similar to 1.77 eV. A higher increase of conductivity is observed for illuminating the CdS nanostructured film when compared to the simple semiconductor film. This is a consequence of the periodic patterning induced by the polymer nanosphere array. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of the self-assembled 4,4'-thio-bis-benzenethiolate protected gold nanoclusters onto a p-GaAs (1 0 0) electrode were examined by AFM, XPS, SHG and EIS investigations. The AFM and XPS results revealed a well-ordered overlayer exhibiting a bi-modal highly correlated fractal behavior which, however, cannot fully protect the semiconducting surface against the oxidation in air. The EIS data pointed out the influence exerted by the gold-monolayer protected clusters (Au-MPCs) over the charging/discharging processes observed at p-GaAs (1 0 0) electrode. Although the applied potential is varied linearly, the potential drop within the semiconductor space charge region as well as that across the Au-MPCs layer undergoes stepped changes supposed to result in the discrete charging of the Au-MPCs. These effects point to an electronic equilibrium between the Au-MPCs and the semiconducting substrate. Fermi level pinning and enhancement of the SHG response in the potential range where the surface/interface states in the semiconductor band gap become electrically active bring further proof in this respect. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unconventional in situ synthesis of MgB2 undoped and doped with fullerene (C-60) was performed by using a single-mode microwave (MW) furnace. Structural properties suggested that C substitutes for B in the crystal lattice of MgB2, while the J(c) showed typical enhancement at high magnetic fields when C chemical doping occurred. This behavior was similar to published results for another field-activated unconventional method of processing, i.e., spark plasma sintering, and it was opposite to the conventional powder-in-tube method for which chemical substitution was not realized when using addition of C-60. Certain morphologically unique features such as the occurrence of needlelike grains were revealed in the MW samples. Our MW samples showed higher relative density (<= 83%) than previously reported data. Magnetic relaxation experiments suggested the presence of microscopic flux jumps in the MW samples, while macroscopic flux jumps were not observed.

We present here results on samarium oxide thin films, obtained by pulsed laser deposition and by radio frequency assisted pulsed laser deposition. Three different substrate types were used: silicon, platinum covered silicon and titanium covered silicon. The influence of the deposition parameters (oxygen pressure and laser fluence) on the structure and morphology of the thin films was studied. The substrate-thin film interface zone was investigated; the optical and electrical properties (the losses, dielectric constant and leakage currents) were also determined. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.