Publications

Photoluminescence studies on Si1-xGex layers exceeding the critical thickness show not only dislocation-related peaks D1,...,D4, but also in addition a broad band (T band), centered at similar to 110 meV below the strained alloy band gap. Depth profiling studies show that the T band is due to centers in the Si1-xGex. The excitation power dependence and high quantum efficiency of the T band can be explained by assuming that it is due to an isoelectronically trapped exciton. T-band line shapes were fitted by a model based on statistical fluctuations of the Ge content and their effect on the local gap energy.

In the presence of tin tetrachloride, the rate constant for the rebinding of CO to the triliganded hemoglobin, l'(4), is much increased and the number of molecules participating in the CO ligation is decreasing. The pH drops, but a proton consumption process also takes place at the same time. The heme and its environment do not seem to change much, but the tin complexing to protein is very probable. The oxidation of hemoglobin in the form of either oxy or carbonmonoxy occurs with rather high rate.

The uniform one-dimensional and square lattice hopping models are considered, where particles can be in one of two states at each site. Transport takes place by nearest neighborjumps between upper energy states. Trapping in lower energy states introduces correlations, the effect of which on the dc conductivity is estimated in the first step beyond the mean-field approximation.

Magnetic and Mossbauer experiments were performed on Fe100-xGdx thin films and on Fe80-xGdxB20 both in thin films and ribbons for x less-than-or-equal-to 20. The ferrimagnetic order is perturbed by the presence of B and Fe-interactions are.different. For small Gd content, the low anisotropy is in the film plane, while for greater Gd the anisotropy goes out of the plane giving typical features of hysteresis loops and strong decrease of Mossbauer hyperfine fields.

Laser excited site-selective spectroscopy of Nd3+ ions in Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 garnet crystals has been investigated in the F-4(3/2)-->I-4(11/2) and F-4(3/2)-->I-4(9/2) regions. Six non-equivalent sites were observed for the Nd3+ in this material. The energy levels of some relevant multiplets were obtained for each Nd3+ site. The evolution of the non-equivalent Nd3+ CryStal field sites in Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 as a function of dopant concentration has been investigated in the range up to 8 at%. The nature of the Nd3+ sites in terms of the possible charge compensating defects is discussed. The formation of Nd3+-Nd3+ pairs is suggested.

The formation of nickel oxide from Ni-Al takovite-like compounds has been investigated. Information about the stoichiometry of the NiO phase obtained by Diffuse Reflectance (DR) spectroscopy is discussed in connection with TPR and solubility data.

SiO2-Sm2O3 vitreous films 120 nm thick were obtained via the sol-gel method. Infrared, energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays, spectroscopic ellipsometry and absorption spectroscopy showed a total inclusion of samarium in the silica matrix, which remains amorphous up to 1000-degrees-C. The inclusion of the samarium ion increases the porosity. The optical properties of films were investigated by spectro-ellipsometry, and the parameters obtained were compared with those obtained by other techniques.

A class of periodic one-dimensional models with nearest-neighbor interactions is presented in which particles can hop between adjacent sites with symmetric jump rates. The dc conductivity is calculated exactly for a wide choice of the factor describing the influence of the nearest-neighbor interaction on the jump rates. By allowing the cell size to become infinite, the result is extended to several nonperiodic chains including the random ones.

The results of real-time neutron diffraction measurements during the superconducting phase formation process in the Bi(Pb)-Sr Ca-Cu-O system are reported. A Sr-Ca-Cu-O type precursor, with the same stoichiometry as the 2223 phase, was used as starting material, and the temperature range favorable to the formation of the 2223 phase was investigated. The diffraction patterns were processed by a multiphase Rietveld refinement. The formation and decomposition of the 2201 and 2212 phases were directly observed. Experimental evidence on the existence of a partially melted phase in the range 855-860-degrees-C, involved in the formation of the 2223 phase, is discussed.