National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

We use a generalized master equation (GME) formalism to describe the nonequilibrium time-dependent transport of Coulomb interacting electrons through a short quantum wire connected to semi-infinite biased leads. The contact strength between the leads and the wire is modulated by out-of-phase time-dependent potentials that simulate a turnstile device. We explore this setup by keeping the contact with one lead at a fixed location at one end of the wire, whereas the contact with the other lead is placed on various sites along the length of the wire. We study the propagation of sinusoidal and rectangular pulses. We find that the current profiles in both leads depend not only on the shape of the pulses, but also on the position of the second contact. The current reflects standing waves created by the contact potentials, like in a wind musical instrument (for example, a flute), but occurring on the background of the equilibrium charge distribution. The number of electrons in our quantum "flute" device varies between two and three. We find that for rectangular pulses the currents in the leads may flow against the bias for short time intervals, due to the higher harmonics of the charge response. The GME is solved numerically in small time steps without resorting to the traditional Markov and rotating wave approximations. The Coulomb interaction between the electrons in the sample is included via the exact diagonalization method. The system (leads plus sample wire) is described by a lattice model.

We present the scaling law of the pinning force F-P in intermediate and high temperature superconductors, the factors which influence its field and temperature dependence, the limitations imposed by the enlarged anisotropy and high operating temperatures, giant creep included. The theoretical developments which incorporate the new features of these classes of superconductors, most of them based on the Anderson-Kim theory, prove to be a useful source of information relative to the nature of the pinning and the characteristic fields. The use of models based on thermal activation integrates into scaling the tail of pinning force and also substantiates the use of the irreversibility field H-irr as scale field. Finally, the data on scaling law in the two class of superconductors are presented and discussed.

Nanoscaled alpha-FeOOH (goethite) with controlled morphology was synthesized via hydrothermal reaction at 145-155 degrees C from ferrous ions and an oxidant in the presence of a cationic surfactant. The formation of alpha-FeOOH was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mossbauer spectroscopy, FT-IR analysis and visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The morphology of the product was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particles obtained by the proposed method have a medium size of about 35 nm. The proposed growth mechanism takes into account two possible simultaneous pathways consisting of direct electrostatic interaction between FeOH groups and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and adsorption of bicarbonate ions on the alpha-FeOOH surface followed by complexation of CTAB through ammonium head groups. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High quality pulsed laser deposited lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films are obtained by pulsed laser deposition on SrRuO3(111) single crystal layers and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to determine the surface composition. It is found that a minor amount of Pb forms PbO2 at the surface and also some Pb is included into the contamination layer, in form of a Pb(CO3)2 layer of about 1?nm thickness, occupying about one quarter of the PZT surface. The stoichiometry of the outermost 45?nm layers yielded as PbZr0.25Ti0.80O2.5, which suggest the formation of an oxygen depleted, Brownmillerite-like layer at the surface, of at least 5?nm thickness.

We present the magnetic properties of magnetic glass ceramics obtained by crystallization of Fe containing borosilicate glass. Two types of nucleators have been used: Cr2O3 and P2O5. The role of the nucleators proved to be crucial in the size and morphology of the crystallites developed within glassy matrix as well in the magnetic response. The former stimulates the growth of regular single crystals uniformly dispersed within the matrix whereas the latter leads to the formation of grains made of tiny (30 nm), nanocrystals. The magnetic response depends on the amount of Fe ions left dispersed within glassy matrix as paramagnetic ions. Although P2O5 leads to the best structural magnetite, almost 42% of Fe ions are left dispersed in the matrix without magnetic interaction. In the case of Cr2O3, the paramagnetic Fe is decreased to 12% but structural deficiency in the occupancy of the Fe sites of magnetite is revealed by Mossbauer spectroscopy.

Oxyfluoride glass-ceramics in the system SiO2-Al2O3-CaF2-EuF3 containing Eu3+-doped CaF2 nanocrystals were produced by using controlled crystallization of melt-quenched glass. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy data have revealed the formation of CaF2 nanocrystals of about 50 nm size. The Eu3+-dopant ions act as the nucleating agent necessary to initiate the crystallization process. The refractive index is higher in the glass ceramics than in the initial glass and varies as the annealing time increases. Two competitive processes are responsible for this behavior, the crystallization of the CaF2 phase and the decrease of the glass ceramic mass density. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We present the preparation, structural and magnetic properties of nanosized magnetite obtained by the crystallization of a series of Fe-containing borosilicate glasses. Several compositions with the ratio Fe2O3/SiO2 spanning from 0.37 to 0.67 were investigated as a function of two nucleators Cr2O3 and P2O5, respectively, and modifiers and intermediates (Al2O3 and MgO). Mossbauer spectroscopy revealed the degree, the type and the location of disorder induced by a specific composition and nucleators. In addition to magnetite, it was also revealed the presence of large amounts of Fe-rich paramagnetic phases. The magnetic response is analysed in relation with the amount of Fe ions which remain dispersed in the glassy matrix as noninteracting (paramagnetic) ions. We discuss the role of the nucleators on the disorder in both tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the magnetite.

As quantum dots (QD) can confine a small number of carriers in localized states with discrete energies, it is questionable to neglect correlations between the carriers when describing their dynamics. We analyze the influence of carrier correlations in a single QD on Coulomb scattering processes, which are due to the contact with a quasicontinuum of wetting-layer (WL) states. Results obtained from a Boltzmann equation are compared with the fully correlated dynamics governed by a von Neumann-Lindblad equation. In a first step, we take into account correlations generated by the exact treatment of Pauli blocking due to the contributing QD carrier configurations. Subsequently, we include correlations generated by energy renormalizations due to Coulomb interaction between the QD carriers. It is shown that at low WL carrier densities, neither Pauli correlations nor Coulomb correlations can be safely neglected, if the dynamics of single-particle states in the QD are to be predicted qualitatively and quantitatively. In the high-density regime, both types of correlations play a lesser role and thus a description of carrier dynamics by a Boltzmann equation becomes reliable. Furthermore, the efficiency of WL-assisted scattering processes as well as scattering-induced dephasing rates depending on the WL carrier density are discussed.

The CoxZn1-xGa2O4 spinels (x=0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) were synthesized by a wet chemistry method-the precursor route via tartarate decomposition. The complex precursors have been characterized by IR. UV-Vis, magnetic measurements and luminescence spectroscopy. XRD, SEM, IR. UV-Vis and luminescence spectroscopy were used for the structural and morphological investigation of CoxZn1-xGa2O4 spinels; magnetic susceptibilities of the spinel were also measured. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of gallate spinet phase. CoxZn1-xGa2O4. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An array of ZnO nanorods, each nanorod being covered with a shell of porous ZnO was prepared in two steps by hydrothermal-electrochemical processes. The growth of ZnO nanorods was achieved in a zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine aqueous solution on fluorine-doped tin oxide film. The porous ZnO shell was grown from a similar solution in the presence of eosin Y as nanostructuring agent. A dye-sensitized solar cell was assembled using as photoanode an eosin Y sensitized ZnO nanorod/shell layer. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.