National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Silicon detectors in particle physics experiments at the new accelerators or in space missions for physics goals will be exposed to extreme radiation conditions. The principal obstacles to long-term operation in these environments are the changes in detector parameters, consequence of the modifications in material properties after irradiation. The phenomenological model developed in the present paper is able to explain quantitatively, without free parameters, the production of primary defects in silicon after particle irradiation and their evolution toward equilibrium, for a large range of generation rates of primary defects. Vacancy-interstitial annihilation, interstitial migration to sinks, divacancy and vacancy-impurity complex (VP, VO, V2O and CiOi, CiCs) formation are taken into account. The effects of different initial impurity concentrations of phosphorus, oxygen and carbon, as well as of irradiation conditions are systematically studied. The correlation between the rate of defect production, the temperature and the time evolution of defect concentrations is also investigated. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The effects of the substitution for Mn with In in the colossal magnetoresistive manganites La2/3Ca1/3Mn1-xInxO3 (x less than or equal to 0.05) have been investigated by ESR. The temperature and x dependence of the resonance linewidth have been investigated and discussed in terms of the spin-spin (exchange) interaction scenario. In the paramagnetic regime, the exchange coupling integral, J, between Mn3+ and Mn4+ spins shows a decrease with increasing x. It could arise from the weakening of the double - exchange interaction upon doping, which reduces the exchange field at the Mn sites, The high temperature limit of the ESR linewidth does not depend on the doping level.

The electrical and transport properties of GaAs crystals such as resistivity (rho), mobility (mu) and carrier concentration (n) depend on the purity and defects of a particular crystal. These parameters are normally obtained by performing a simple Hall effect analysis in a bar configuration. The technical procedure is connected with the design of appropriate contacts for Hall bar configuration. In order to ensure good ohmic contacts oil GaAs, thin metal layers of Au-Ge-Ni have been deposited in high vacuum followed by heat treatment in low vacuum. Hall effect measurement is important for checking the quality of the GaAs wafers. We analyzed various GaAs wafers with (100) and (110), orientation obtained by LEC and HB methods. The resistivity of the wafers varied from low resistivity, n-type doped crystals (n = 10(18) cm(-3)), to high resistivity crystals (n = 10(14) cm(-3)). This paper presents the data of Hall characterization of wafers cut from GaAs crystals grown by different methods (LEC, HB).

Easy axis distribution in metal particle magnetic tapes for linear digital data storage were studied by Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetometry, for comparison. Qualitative and quantitative agreement between the distribution parameters deduced at room temperature via the two different techniques was found. The proposed methodology based on the interpretation of the Mossbauer data has the advantage that it can be applied at different temperatures and for very thin films. Moreover, angular spin distribution. at low temperatures were obtained by Mossbauer spectroscopy and discussed with respect to the room temperature results. There was evidenced that the room temperature easy axis angular distribution contains both static orientation and dynamical components.

Recent Coulomb drag experiments in low-density double-layer electron systems have the power of distinguishing various many-body formulations of the effective interactions. In this work we theoretically study the correlation effects on the drag resistivity in these systems within various models. The effective inter-layer interactions are best described by the generalization to the double-layer case of the Kukkonen-Overhauser approach which differs significantly from the self-consistent field approach of Singwi et al. [Phys. Rev. 176 (1968) 589]. Following the formulation of Vignale and Singwi [Phys. Rev. B 32 (1985) 2156] we derive an expression for the effective inter-layer interaction which embodies the many-body correlations through the local-field corrections. The drag resistivity is calculated within this approach together with the Hubbard approximation for the intra-layer local-field factor and a simple model for the inter-layer correlations. Comparison with the recent measurements of Kellogg et al. [Solid State Commun. 123 (2002) 5151 yields very good agreement. Our results are also contrasted with the corresponding drag resistivities given by the Singwi et al. theory, the dynamic random-phase approximation and the Hubbard approximation. The significant differences found between these theories emphasize the strong sensitivity of the drag resistivity to the effective inter-layer interactions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The electronic mechanism responsible for the optical behavior of the mixed Fe and Sn doped polymers were studied in comparison with the correspondent single doped (Fe or Sn) ones. Optical absorption as well as Fe-57 and Sn-119 Mossbauer measurements were performed on different UV exposed films. The new data provided the role of each element from the pair on the involved electronic mechanism induced by irradiation.

AC complex susceptibility (with and without a superimposed DC field) and DC magnetization measurements on (Bi,Pb)-2223 high-temperature superconductors with various amounts of LiF are presented. The results are discussed in the frame of the critical state model. The values of the intra- and inter-granular critical current density as well as of fields for full penetration are estimated. It can be seen that, in Bi1.7Pb0.4Sr1.5Ca2.5Cu3.6Ox/(LiF)(y), various amounts of LiF change the superconducting properties of both the grains and the inter-grain matrix. The intra-granular critical current density has similar values from both AC susceptibility and DC magnetization measurements, its highest value being attained for y = 0.15. For all LiF-doped samples, a split of the peak corresponding to the dissipation in the grains was observed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Neuroglobin is a recently discovered member of the globin superfamily. Combined electron paramagnetic resonance and optical measurements show that, in Escherichia coli cell cultures with low O-2 concentration overexpressing wild-type mouse recombinant neuroglobin, the heme protein is mainly in a hexacoordinated deoxy ferrous form (F8His-Fe2+-E7His), whereby for a small fraction of the protein the endogenous protein ligand is replaced by NO. Analogous studies for mutated neuroglobin (mutation of E7-His to Leu, Val, or Gin) reveal the predominant presence of the nitrosyl ferrous form. After sonication of the cells wild-type neuroglobin oxidizes rapidly to the hexacoordinated ferric form, whereas NO ligation initially protects the mutants from oxidation. Flash photolysis studies of wild-type neuroglobin and its E7 mutants show high recombination rates (k(on)) and low dissociation rates (k(off)) for NO, indicating a high intrinsic affinity for this ligand similar to that of other hemoglobins. Since the rate-limiting step in ligand combination with the deoxy-hexacoordinated wild-type form involves the dissociation of the protein ligand, NO binding is slower than for the related mutants. Structural and kinetic characteristics of neuroglobin and its mutants are analyzed. NO production in rapidly growing E. coli cell cultures is discussed.

We calculate the orbital magnetization of single and double quantum dots coupled both by Coulomb interaction and by electron tunneling. The electronic states of the quantum dots are calculated in a tight-binding model, and the magnetization is discussed in relation to the energy spectrum and to the edge and bulk states. We identify effects of chirality of the electronic orbits and of the anticrossing of the energy levels when the magnetic field is varied. We also consider the effects of detuning the energy spectra of the quantum dots by an external gate potential. We compare our results with the recent experiments of Oosterkamp [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4951 (1998)].

Application of active technology factors (for example, the introduction of Bi2Sr2Ca2CU3Oy, (2223) phase additive) and corresponding optimization of synthesis parameters of Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCCO) ceramics have allowed reducing the time of oxide precursor sintering from 250 to 25 h. Conditions of positive influence of 2223 phase additives have been investigated. Intensification of BSCCO ceramics synthesis was the basic purpose, but the authors have deliberately conducted broader examinations of the influence of technological parameters on the properties and structure of this material. The complex of the obtained effects (similarly to the solution of an equation set with several unknowns) helps increasing the probability of exact comprehension of the system: technology-processes occurring under ceramics synthesis-phase composition and structure-properties of BSCCO. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.