bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Broad band plasmonic nanomaterials for high performance solar cells
Authors: Sung Yun-Ming , Lai Ying-Chih , Tsai Ming-Fong , Hsieh Hsing-Hua , Yang Min-Han , Wei Philander Penn , Yeh Chen-Sheng , Hsu Fang-Chi , Chen Yang-Fang
Published: December 2015

A large enhancement in the performance of solar cells, arising from plasmonic nanomaterials with a broad band absorption spectrum, is proposed.
Affine invariant shape projection distribution for shape matching using relaxation labelling
Authors: Wang Wei , Xiong Boli , Yan Xingwei , Jiang Yongmei , Kuang Gangyao
Published: December 2015

Shape is considered to be one of the most promising tools to represent and recognise an object. In this study, an effective and rigorous shape matching algorithm is developed based on a new descriptor and relaxation labelling technique. For each contour point, the descriptor captures the distribution of all points within the shape region along the vector perpendicular to that from the centroid to the point. In addition to stable affine invariance, the descriptor is robust to noise since it makes use of all points in the shape region. The descriptor distance is used to initialise the contour point matching probability, and relaxation labelling technique is utilised to update the matching probability using a new compatibility coefficient function, which is defined based on the shape projection preserving characteristic. The experiments on synthetic and real remote sensing data are provided to test the performance of the authors’ proposed algorithm. Compared to other four state‐of‐the‐art contour‐based shape matching algorithms, their algorithm is more robust and capable of shape matching under affine transformations and noise.
Design and implementation of contactless power track system with Y‐shaped inductive pickup
Authors: Lee Jia‐You , Shen Hung‐Yu , Chang Hua‐Jing
Published: December 2015

This study investigated an inductive power transfer technique to construct a new inductive pickup for contactless power track systems. Several three‐phase symmetrical shapes of the core material were simulated for the inductive pickup. The process to design the proposed pickup including a development of the core shape is discussed in this study. A feature of the proposed pickup is its three‐phase symmetrical shape, which enables sharing the flux path and achieving low reluctance. To evaluate the coupling ability of the proposed pickup, a magnetic equivalent circuit with air gap was established. The finite element method and experiments on the contactless power track prototype were analysed to validate the proposed inductive pickup and its magnetic equivalent circuit. A complete Y‐shaped inductive pickup was implemented and tested on a 1.2 kW laboratory‐scale prototype. Fundamental experiments were carried out, and the overall system efficiency and pickup performance were subsequently demonstrated to verify the feasibility and capability of the proposed contactless power track system.
Atomistic k ⋅ p theory
Authors: Pryor Craig E. , Pistol M.-E.
Published: December 2015

Pseudopotentials, tight-binding models, and k ⋅ p theory have stood for many years as the standard techniques for computing electronic states in crystalline solids. Here, we present the first new method in decades, which we call atomistic k ⋅ p theory. In its usual formulation, k ⋅ p theory has the advantage of depending on parameters that are directly related to experimentally measured quantities, however, it is insensitive to the locations of individual atoms. We construct an atomistic k ⋅ p theory by defining envelope functions on a grid matching the crystal lattice. The model parameters are matrix elements which are obtained from experimental results or ab initio wave functions in a simple way. This is in contrast to the other atomistic approaches in which parameters are fit to reproduce a desired dispersion and are not expressible in terms of fundamental quantities. This fitting is often very difficult. We illustrate our method by constructing a four-band atomistic model for a diamond/zincblende crystal and show that it is equivalent to the sp3 tight-binding model. We can thus directly derive the parameters in the sp3 tight-binding model from experimental data. We then take the atomistic limit of the widely used eight-band Kane model and compute the band structures for all III–V semiconductors not containing nitrogen or boron using parameters fit to experimental data. Our new approach extends k ⋅ p theory to problems in which atomistic precision is required, such as impurities, alloys, polytypes, and interfaces. It also provides a new approach to multiscale modeling by allowing continuum and atomistic k ⋅ p models to be combined in the same system.
Ice friction: Role of non-uniform frictional heating and ice premelting
Authors: Persson B. N. J.
Published: December 2015

The low friction of ice is usually attributed to the formation of a thin water film due to melting of ice by frictional heating. Melting of ice is a first order phase transition where physical quantities like mass density, the elastic modulus or the shear strength changes abruptly at the transition temperature. Thus, one may expect the friction coefficient to change abruptly at some characteristic sliding speed, when the melt water film is produced. We show that taking into account that, due to non-uniform frictional heating, melting does not occur simultaneously in all the ice contact regions, the transition is not abrupt but still more rapid (as a function of sliding speed) than observed experimentally. The slower than expected drop in the friction with increasing sliding speed may be a consequence of the following paradoxical phenomena: before the melt-water film is formed, the friction of ice is high and a large frictional heating occur which may result in the melting of the ice. If a thin (nanometer) water film would form, the friction becomes low which results in small frictional heating and the freezing of the water film. This suggests a region in sliding speed where a thin (nanometer) surface layer of the ice may be in a mixed state with small ice-like and water-like domains, which fluctuate rapidly in space and time. Alternatively, and more likely, heat-softening of the ice may occur resulting in a thin, statistically homogeneous (in the lateral direction) layer of disordered ice, with a shear strength which decreases continuously as the ice surface temperature approaches the bulk melting temperature. This layer could be related to surface premelting of ice. Using a phenomenological expression for the frictional shear stress, I show that the calculated ice friction is in good agreement with experimental observations.
Insights on proximity effect and multiphoton induced luminescence from gold nanospheres in far field optical microscopy
Authors: Borglin Johan , Guldbrand Stina , Evenbratt Hanne , Kirejev Vladimir , Grönbeck Henrik , Ericson Marica B.
Published: December 2015

Gold nanoparticles can be visualized in far-field multiphoton laser-scanning microscopy (MPM) based on the phenomena of multiphoton induced luminescence (MIL). This is of interest for biomedical applications, e.g., for cancer diagnostics, as MPM allows for working in the near-infrared (NIR) optical window of tissue. It is well known that the aggregation of particles causes a redshift of the plasmon resonance, but its implications for MIL applying far-field MPM should be further exploited. Here, we explore MIL from 10 nm gold nanospheres that are chemically deposited on glass substrates in controlled coverage gradients using MPM operating in NIR range. The substrates enable studies of MIL as a function of inter-particle distance and clustering. It was shown that MIL was only detected from areas on the substrates where the particle spacing was less than one particle diameter, or where the particles have aggregated. The results are interpreted in the context that the underlying physical phenomenon of MIL is a sequential two-photon absorption process, where the first event is driven by the plasmon resonance. It is evident that gold nanospheres in this size range have to be closely spaced or clustered to exhibit detectable MIL using far-field MPM operating in the NIR region.
Charge-transfer potentials for ionic crystals: Cauchy violation, LO-TO splitting, and the necessity of an ionic reference state
Authors: Sukhomlinov Sergey V. , Müser Martin H.
Published: December 2015

In this work, we study how including charge transfer into force fields affects the predicted elastic and vibrational Γ-point properties of ionic crystals, in particular those of rock salt. In both analytical and numerical calculations, we find that charge transfer generally leads to a negative contribution to the Cauchy pressure, PC ≡ C12 − C66, where C12 and C66 are elements of the elastic tensor. This contribution increases in magnitude with pressure for different charge-transfer approaches in agreement with results obtained with density functional theory (DFT). However, details of the charge-transfer models determine the pressure dependence of the longitudinal optical-transverse optical splitting and that for partial charges. These last two quantities increase with density as long as the chemical hardness depends at most weakly on the environment while experiments and DFT find a decrease. In order to reflect the correct trends, the charge-transfer expansion has to be made around ions and the chemical (bond) hardness has to increase roughly exponentially with inverse density or bond lengths. Finally, the adjustable force-field parameters only turn out meaningful, when the expansion is made around ions.
A molecularly based theory for electron transfer reorganization energy
Authors: Zhuang Bilin , Wang Zhen-Gang
Published: December 2015

Using field-theoretic techniques, we develop a molecularly based dipolar self-consistent-field theory (DSCFT) for charge solvation in pure solvents under equilibrium and nonequilibrium conditions and apply it to the reorganization energy of electron transfer reactions. The DSCFT uses a set of molecular parameters, such as the solvent molecule’s permanent dipole moment and polarizability, thus avoiding approximations that are inherent in treating the solvent as a linear dielectric medium. A simple, analytical expression for the free energy is obtained in terms of the equilibrium and nonequilibrium electrostatic potential profiles and electric susceptibilities, which are obtained by solving a set of self-consistent equations. With no adjustable parameters, the DSCFT predicts activation energies and reorganization energies in good agreement with previous experiments and calculations for the electron transfer between metallic ions. Because the DSCFT is able to describe the properties of the solvent in the immediate vicinity of the charges, it is unnecessary to distinguish between the inner-sphere and outer-sphere solvent molecules in the calculation of the reorganization energy as in previous work. Furthermore, examining the nonequilibrium free energy surfaces of electron transfer, we find that the nonequilibrium free energy is well approximated by a double parabola for self-exchange reactions, but the curvature of the nonequilibrium free energy surface depends on the charges of the electron-transferring species, contrary to the prediction by the linear dielectric theory.
Interface and thickness dependent domain switching and stability in Mg doped lithium niobate
Authors: Neumayer Sabine M. , Ivanov Ilia N. , Manzo Michele , Kholkin Andrei L. , Gallo Katia , Rodriguez Brian J.
Published: December 2015

Controlling ferroelectric switching in Mg doped lithium niobate (Mg:LN) is of fundamental importance for optical device and domain wall electronics applications that require precise domain patterns. Stable ferroelectric switching has been previously observed in undoped LN layers above proton exchanged (PE) phases that exhibit reduced polarization, whereas PE layers have been found to inhibit lateral domain growth. Here, Mg doping, which is known to significantly alter ferroelectric switching properties including coercive field and switching currents, is shown to inhibit domain nucleation and stability in Mg:LN above buried PE phases that allow for precise ferroelectric patterning via domain growth control. Furthermore, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and switching spectroscopy PFM reveal that the voltage at which polarization switches from the “up” to the “down” state increases with increasing thickness in pure Mg:LN, whereas the voltage required for stable back switching to the original “up” state does not exhibit this thickness dependence. This behavior is consistent with the presence of an internal frozen defect field. The inhibition of domain nucleation above PE interfaces, observed in this study, is a phenomenon that occurs in Mg:LN but not in undoped samples and is mainly ascribed to a remaining frozen polarization in the PE phase that opposes polarization reversal. This reduced frozen depolarization field in the PE phase also influences the depolarization field of the Mg:LN layer above due to the presence of uncompensated polarization charge at the PE-Mg:LN boundary. These alterations in internal electric fields within the sample cause long-range lattice distortions in Mg:LN via electromechanical coupling, which were corroborated with complimentary Raman measurements.
Transient thermal and nonthermal electron and phonon relaxation after short-pulsed laser heating of metals
Authors: Giri Ashutosh , Hopkins Patrick E.
Published: December 2015

Several dynamic thermal and nonthermal scattering processes affect ultrafast heat transfer in metals after short-pulsed laser heating. Even with decades of measurements of electron-phonon relaxation, the role of thermal vs. nonthermal electron and phonon scattering on overall electron energy transfer to the phonons remains unclear. In this work, we derive an analytical expression for the electron-phonon coupling factor in a metal that includes contributions from equilibrium and nonequilibrium distributions of electrons. While the contribution from the nonthermal electrons to electron-phonon coupling is non-negligible, the increase in the electron relaxation rates with increasing laser fluence measured by thermoreflectance techniques cannot be accounted for by only considering electron-phonon relaxations. We conclude that electron-electron scattering along with electron-phonon scattering have to be considered simultaneously to correctly predict the transient nature of electron relaxation during and after short-pulsed heating of metals at elevated electron temperatures. Furthermore, for high electron temperature perturbations achieved at high absorbed laser fluences, we show good agreement between our model, which accounts for d-band excitations, and previous experimental data. Our model can be extended to other free electron metals with the knowledge of the density of states of electrons in the metals and considering electronic excitations from non-Fermi surface states.
Heat to electricity conversion by cold carrier emissive energy harvesters
Authors: Strandberg Rune
Published: December 2015

This paper suggests a method to convert heat to electricity by the use of devices called cold carrier emissive energy harvesters (cold carrier EEHs). The working principle of such converters is explained and theoretical power densities and efficiencies are calculated for ideal devices. Cold carrier EEHs are based on the same device structure as hot carrier solar cells, but works in an opposite way. Whereas a hot carrier solar cell receives net radiation from the sun and converts some of this radiative heat flow into electricity, a cold carrier EEH sustains a net outflux of radiation to the surroundings while converting some of the energy supplied to it into electricity. It is shown that the most basic type of cold carrier EEHs have the same theoretical efficiency as the ideal emissive energy harvesters described earlier by Byrnes et al. In the present work, it is also shown that if the emission from the cold carrier EEH originates from electron transitions across an energy gap where a difference in the chemical potential of the electrons above and below the energy gap is sustained, power densities slightly higher than those given by Byrnes et al. can be achieved.
Non-Arrhenius anomalous hopping electronic transport in hydrogenated amorphous silicon and composite amorphous/nanocrystalline thin films
Authors: Bodurtha K. , Kakalios J.
Published: December 2015

The temperature dependence of the dark conductivity of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films and a-Si:H films containing germanium or silicon nanocrystalline inclusions are examined. Analysis using the reduced activation energy provides clear evidence that conduction is non-Arrhenius, and is more accurately described by an anomalous hopping expression σ(T)=σ1 exp[−(T0/T)κ] where the exponent is κ ∼ 0.75 ± 0.05. This observed temperature dependence is discussed in terms of alternative models for electronic transport in amorphous semiconductors.
Energy of the quasi-free electron in H2, D2, and O2: Probing intermolecular potentials within the local Wigner-Seitz model
Authors: Evans C. M. , Krynski Kamil , Streeter Zachary , Findley G. L.
Published: December 2015

We present for the first time the quasi-free electron energy V0(ρ) for H2, D2, and O2 from gas to liquid densities, on noncritical isotherms and on a near critical isotherm in each fluid. These data illustrate the ability of field enhanced photoemission (FEP) to determine V0(ρ) accurately in strongly absorbing fluids (e.g., O2) and fluids with extremely low critical temperatures (e.g., H2 and D2). We also show that the isotropic local Wigner-Seitz model for V0(ρ) — when coupled with thermodynamic data for the fluid — can yield optimized parameters for intermolecular potentials, as well as zero kinetic energy electron scattering lengths.
Excitation of vibrational quanta in furfural by intermediate-energy electrons
Authors: Jones D. B. , Neves R. F. C. , Lopes M. C. A. , da Costa R. F. , Varella M. T. do N. , Bettega M. H. F. , Lima M. A. P. , García G. , Blanco F. , Brunger M. J.
Published: December 2015

We report cross sections for electron-impact excitation of vibrational quanta in furfural, at intermediate incident electron energies (20, 30, and 40 eV). The present differential cross sections are measured over the scattered electron angular range 10°–90°, with corresponding integral cross sections subsequently being determined. Furfural is a viable plant-derived alternative to petrochemicals, being produced via low-temperature plasma treatment of biomass. Current yields, however, need to be significantly improved, possibly through modelling, with the present cross sections being an important component of such simulations. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other cross sections for vibrational excitation of furfural available in the literature, so the present data are valuable for this important molecule.
Higher-order Schrödinger and Hartree–Fock equations
Authors: Carles Rémi , Lucha Wolfgang , Moulay Emmanuel
Published: December 2015

The domain of validity of the higher-order Schrödinger equations is analyzed for harmonic-oscillator and Coulomb potentials as typical examples. Then, the Cauchy theory for higher-order Hartree–Fock equations with bounded and Coulomb potentials is developed. Finally, the existence of associated ground states for the odd-order equations is proved. This renders these quantum equations relevant for physics.
Existence, uniqueness, and stability of stochastic neutral functional differential equations of Sobolev-type
Authors: Yang Xuetao , Zhu Quanxin
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we are mainly concerned with a class of stochastic neutral functional differential equations of Sobolev-type with Poisson jumps. Under two different sets of conditions, we establish the existence of the mild solution by applying the Leray-Schauder alternative theory and the Sadakovskii’s fixed point theorem, respectively. Furthermore, we use the Bihari’s inequality to prove the Osgood type uniqueness. Also, the mean square exponential stability is investigated by applying the Gronwall inequality. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the theory results.
Infrared spectroscopic investigation of nuclear spin conversion in solid CH4
Authors: Sugimoto Takeru , Yamakawa Koichiro , Arakawa Ichiro
Published: December 2015

Infrared spectra of solid CH4 were studied in the ν3 and ν4 vibrational regions. The phase I crystal around 30 K showed broad absorption bands, whereas the phase II crystal at 6.9–10.3 K exhibited splitting of these bands after annealing above 20 K. The split peaks were assigned to the librating and almost freely rotating molecules in phase II on the basis of the peak spacings and time evolution of the peak intensities. From the quantitative analysis of the temporal changes of the R(0) and R(1) peak intensities, the relaxation rates of the numbers of molecules with J = 0 (I = 2) and J = 1 (I = 1) were determined in the temperature range of 6.9–10.3 K. We fitted the function resulting from a combination of direct and indirect relaxation processes mediated by phonons to the temperature dependence of these rates and obtained the activation energies of the indirect process: C ≃ 36 K. Since this value is higher than the energies of perturbed J = 2 states relative to the J = 1 state, we argue that the nuclear spin conversion through the J = 3 state also takes place.
Canard and mixed mode oscillations in an excitable glow discharge plasma in the presence of inhomogeneous magnetic field
Authors: Shaw Pankaj Kumar , Sekar Iyengar A. N. , Nurujjaman Md.
Published: December 2015

We report on the experimental observation of canard orbit and mixed mode oscillations (MMOs) in an excitable glow discharge plasma induced by an external magnetic field perturbation using a bar magnet. At a small value of magnetic field, small amplitude quasiperiodic oscillations were excited, and with the increase in the magnetic field, large amplitude oscillations were excited. Analyzing the experimental results, it seems that the magnetic field could be playing the role of noise for such nonlinear phenomena. It is observed that the noise level increases with the increase in magnetic field strength. The experimental results have also been corroborated by a numerical simulation using a FitzHugh-Nagumo like macroscopic model derived from the basic plasma equations and phenomenology, where the noise has been included to represent the internal plasma noise. This macroscopic model shows MMO in the vicinity of the canard point when an external noise is added.
Dielectric permittivity tensor and low frequency instabilities of a magnetoactive current-driven plasma with nonextensive distribution
Authors: Niknam A. R. , Rastbood E. , Khorashadizadeh S. M.
Published: December 2015

The dielectric permittivity tensor of a magnetoactive current-driven plasma is obtained by employing the kinetic theory based on the Vlasov equation and Lorentz transformation formulas with an emphasize on the q-nonextensive statistics. By deriving the q-generalized dispersion relation of the low frequency modes in this plasma system, the possibility and properties of filamentation and ion acoustic instabilities are then studied. It is shown that the occurrence and the growth rate of these instabilities depend strongly on the nonextensive parameters, external magnetic field strength, and drift velocity. It is observed that the growth rate of ion acoustic instability is affected by the magnetic field strength much more than that of the filamentation instability in the low frequency range. The external magnetic field facilitates the development of the ion-acoustic instability. It is also shown that the filamentation is the dominant instability only for the high value of drift velocity.
A spherical shell target scheme for laser-driven neutron sources
Authors: He Min-Qing , Cai Hong-Bo , Zhang Hua , Dong Quan-Li , Zhou Cang-Tao , Wu Si-Zhong , Sheng Zheng-Ming , Cao Li-Hua , Zheng Chun-Yang , Wu Jun-Feng , Chen Mo , Pei Wen-Bing , Zhu Shao-Ping , He X. T.
Published: December 2015

A scheme for neutron production is investigated in which an ultra-intense laser is irradiated into a two-layer (deuterium and aurum) spherical shell target through the cone shaped entrance hole. It is found that the energy conversion efficiency from laser to target can reach as high as 71%, and deuterium ions are heated to a maximum energy of several MeV from the inner layer surface. These ions are accelerated towards the center of the cavity and accumulated finally with a high density up to tens of critical density in several picoseconds. Two different mechanisms account for the efficient yield of the neutrons in the cavity: (1) At the early stage, the neutrons are generated by the high energy deuterium ions based on the “beam-target” approach. (2) At the later stage, the neutrons are generated by the thermonuclear fusion when the most of the deuterium ions reach equilibrium in the cavity. It is also found that a large number of deuterium ions accelerated inward can pass through the target center and the outer Au layer and finally stopped in the CD2 layer. This also causes efficient yield of neutrons inside the CD2 layer due to “beam-target” approach. A postprocessor has been designed to evaluate the neutron yield and the neutron spectrum is obtained.
Features and regularities in behavior of thermoelectric properties of rare-earth, transition, and other metals under high pressure up to 20 GPa
Authors: Morozova Natalia V. , Shchennikov Vladimir V. , Ovsyannikov Sergey V.
Published: December 2015

We report results of systematic investigations of the thermoelectric properties of a number of rare-earth metals, transition metals, and other metals under high pressure up to 20 GPa at room temperature. We studied an effect of applied pressure on the Seebeck effect of scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), europium (Eu), ytterbium (Yb), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), tin (Sn), and CeNi alloy. We found that the high-pressure behavior of the thermopower of three rare-earth metals, namely, Sc, Y, and La, follows a general trend that has been established earlier in lanthanides, and addressed to a s → d electron transfer. Europium and ytterbium, on the contrary, showed a peculiar high-pressure behavior of the thermopower with peaks at near 0.7–1 GPa for Eu and 1.7–2.5 GPa for Yb. Chromium, manganese, and tin demonstrated a gradual and pronounced lowering of the absolute value of the thermopower with pressure. Above 9–11 GPa, the Seebeck coefficients of Mn and Sn were inverted, from n- to p-type for Mn and from p- to n-type for Sn. The Seebeck effect in iron was rather high as ∼16 μV/K and weakly varied with pressure up to ∼11 GPa. Above ∼11 GPa, it started to drop dramatically with pressure to highest pressure achieved 18 GPa. Upon decompression cycle the thermopower of iron returned to the original high values but demonstrated a wide hysteresis loop. We related this behavior in iron to the known bcc (α-Fe) → hcp (ε-Fe) phase transition, and proposed that the thermoelectricity of the α-Fe phase is mainly contributed by the spin Seebeck effect, likewise, the thermoelectricity of the ε-Fe phase—by the conventional diffusion thermopower. We compare the pressure dependencies of the thermopower for different groups of metals and figure out some general trends in the thermoelectricity of metals under applied stress.
Terahertz radiation-induced sub-cycle field electron emission across a split-gap dipole antenna
Authors: Zhang Jingdi , Zhao Xiaoguang , Fan Kebin , Wang Xiaoning , Zhang Gu-Feng , Geng Kun , Zhang Xin , Averitt Richard D.
Published: December 2015

We use intense terahertz pulses to excite the resonant mode (0.6 THz) of a micro-fabricated dipole antenna with a vacuum gap. The dipole antenna structure enhances the peak amplitude of the in-gap THz electric field by a factor of ∼170. Above an in-gap E-field threshold amplitude of ∼10 MV/cm−1, THz-induced field electron emission is observed as indicated by the field-induced electric current across the dipole antenna gap. Field emission occurs within a fraction of the driving THz period. Our analysis of the current (I) and incident electric field (E) is in agreement with a Millikan-Lauritsen analysis where log (I) exhibits a linear dependence on 1/E. Numerical estimates indicate that the electrons are accelerated to a value of approximately one tenth of the speed of light.
Ceramic micro-injection molded nozzles for serial femtosecond crystallography sample delivery
Authors: Beyerlein K. R. , Adriano L. , Heymann M. , Kirian R. , Knoška J. , Wilde F. , Chapman H. N. , Bajt S.
Published: December 2015

Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) using X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs) allows for room temperature protein structure determination without evidence of conventional radiation damage. In this method, a liquid suspension of protein microcrystals can be delivered to the X-ray beam in vacuum as a micro-jet, which replenishes the crystals at a rate that exceeds the current XFEL pulse repetition rate. Gas dynamic virtual nozzles produce the required micrometer-sized streams by the focusing action of a coaxial sheath gas and have been shown to be effective for SFX experiments. Here, we describe the design and characterization of such nozzles assembled from ceramic micro-injection molded outer gas-focusing capillaries. Trends of the emitted jet diameter and jet length as a function of supplied liquid and gas flow rates are measured by a fast imaging system. The observed trends are explained by derived relationships considering choked gas flow and liquid flow conservation. Finally, the performance of these nozzles in a SFX experiment is presented, including an analysis of the observed background.
Emissivity of freestanding membranes with thin metal coatings
Authors: van Zwol P. J. , Vles D. F. , Voorthuijzen W. P. , Péter M. , Vermeulen H. , van der Zande W. J. , Sturm J. M. , van de Kruijs R. W. E. , Bijkerk F.
Published: December 2015

Freestanding silicon nitride membranes with thicknesses down to a few tens of nanometers find use as TEM windows or soft X-ray spectral purity filters. As the thickness of a membrane decreases, emissivity vanishes, which limits radiative heat emission and resistance to heat loads. We show that thin metal layers with thicknesses in the order of 1 nm enhance the emissivity of thin membranes by two to three orders of magnitude close to the theoretical limit of 0.5. This considerably increases thermal load capacity of membranes in vacuum environments. Our experimental results are in line with classical theory in which we adapt thickness dependent scattering terms in the Drude and Lorentz oscillators.
The effect of oxide precipitates on minority carrier lifetime in n-type silicon
Authors: Murphy J. D. , Al-Amin M. , Bothe K. , Olmo M. , Voronkov V. V. , Falster R. J.
Published: December 2015

Supersaturated levels of interstitial oxygen in Czochralski silicon can lead to the formation of oxide precipitates. Although beneficial from an internal gettering perspective, oxygen-related extended defects give rise to recombination which reduces minority carrier lifetime. The highest efficiency silicon solar cells are made from n-type substrates in which oxide precipitates can have a detrimental impact on cell efficiency. In order to quantify and to understand the mechanism of recombination in such materials, we correlate injection level-dependent minority carrier lifetime data measured with silicon nitride surface passivation with interstitial oxygen loss and precipitate concentration measurements in samples processed under substantially different conditions. We account for surface recombination, doping level, and precipitate morphology to present a generalised parameterisation of lifetime. The lifetime data are analysed in terms of recombination activity which is dependent on precipitate density or on the surface area of different morphologies of precipitates. Correlation of the lifetime data with interstitial oxygen loss data shows that the recombination activity is likely to be dependent on the precipitate surface area. We generalise our findings to estimate the impact of oxide precipitates with a given surface area on lifetime in both n-type and p-type silicon.
Simple method to measure and analyze the fluctuations of a small particle in biopolymer solutions
Authors: Kuroda Masafumi , Murayama Yoshihiro
Published: December 2015

We developed a simple method to investigate the motion of a small particle in biopolymer solutions. Using optical tweezers with low stiffness, a trapped probe particle fluctuates widely for a long time along the light axis, which reflects the rheological properties of the surrounding environment. We present a convenient technique for three-dimensional position tracking and the analysis focused on the distribution of particle positions and its variance in a given time interval. It allows us to obtain useful information about the dynamics of a small particle in a wide range from a free diffusive motion to a constrained motion with statistical significance. We applied this method to investigate the dynamics in collagen and DNA solutions; it was found that a collagen solution behaves as a simple viscous liquid and a DNA solution has apparent elasticity due to the slow relaxation of the configuration of molecules.
High breakdown single-crystal GaN p-n diodes by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Qi Meng , Nomoto Kazuki , Zhu Mingda , Hu Zongyang , Zhao Yuning , Protasenko Vladimir , Song Bo , Yan Xiaodong , Li Guowang , Verma Jai , Bader Samuel , Fay Patrick , Xing Huili Grace , Jena Debdeep
Published: December 2015

Molecular beam epitaxy grown GaN p-n vertical diodes are demonstrated on single-crystal GaN substrates. A low leakage current <3 nA/cm2 is obtained with reverse bias voltage up to −20 V. With a 400 nm thick n-drift region, an on-resistance of 0.23 mΩ cm2 is achieved, with a breakdown voltage corresponding to a peak electric field of ∼3.1 MV/cm in GaN. Single-crystal GaN substrates with very low dislocation densities enable the low leakage current and the high breakdown field in the diodes, showing significant potential for MBE growth to attain near-intrinsic performance when the density of dislocations is low.
Laser-driven high-energy-density deuterium and tritium ions for neutron production in a double-cone configuration
Authors: Hu Li-Xiang , Yu Tong-Pu , Shao Fu-Qiu , Zhu Qing-Jun , Yin Yan , Ma Yan-Yun
Published: December 2015

By using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we investigate laser-driven ion acceleration and compression from a thin DT foil in a double-cone configuration. By using two counterpropagating laser pulses, it is shown that a double-cone structure can effectively guide, focus, and strengthen the incident laser pulses, resulting in the enhanced acceleration and compression of D+ and T+. Due to the ion Coulomb repulsion and the effective screening from the external laser electric fields, the transverse diffusion of ions is significantly suppressed. Finally, the peak energy density of the compressed ions exceeds 2.73 × 1016 J/m3, which is about five orders of magnitude higher than the threshold for high energy density physics, 1011 J/m3. Under this condition, DT fusion reactions are initiated and the neutron production rate per volume is estimated to be as high as 7.473 × 1035/m3 s according to Monte Carlo simulations. It is much higher than that of the traditional large neutron sources, which may facilitate many potential applications.
Observation and elimination of broken symmetry in L1 FePt nanostructures
Authors: Quarterman P. , Wang Hao , Qiu Jiao-Ming , Guo Honghua , Ma Bin , Liu Xiaoqi , Wang Jian-Ping
Published: December 2015

An unexplained surface anisotropy effect was observed and confirmed in the magnetization reversal process of both L10 phase FePt nanoparticles with octahedral shape and (001) textured L10 FePt thin films with island nanostructures. We suggest that the nature of the observed surface effect is caused by broken symmetry on the FePt surface, which results in weakened exchange coupling for surface atoms. Furthermore, we propose, and experimentally demonstrate, a method to repair the broken symmetry by capping the FePt islands with a Pt layer, which could prove invaluable in understanding fundamental limitations of magnetic nanostructures.
Observation by resonant angle-resolved photoemission of a critical thickness for 2-dimensional electron gas formation in SrTiO3 embedded in GdTiO3
Authors: Nemšák S. , Conti G. , Palsson G. K. , Conlon C. , Cho S. , Rault J. E. , Avila J. , Asensio M.-C. , Jackson C. A. , Moetakef P. , Janotti A. , Bjaalie L. , Himmetoglu B. , Van de Walle C. G. , Balents L. , Schneider C. M. , Stemmer S. , Fadley C. S.
Published: December 2015

For certain conditions of layer thickness, the interface between GdTiO3 (GTO) and SrTiO3 (STO) in multilayer samples has been found to form a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with very interesting properties including high mobilities and ferromagnetism. We have here studied two trilayer samples of the form [2 nm GTO/1.0 or 1.5 unit cells STO/10 nm GTO] as grown on (001) (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2AlTaO6)0.7, with the STO layer thicknesses being at what has been suggested is the critical thickness for 2DEG formation. We have studied these with Ti-resonant angle-resolved and angle-integrated photoemission and find that the spectral feature in the spectra associated with the 2DEG is present in the 1.5 unit cell sample, but not in the 1.0 unit cell sample. We also observe through core-level spectra additional states in Ti and Sr, with the strength of a low-binding-energy state for Sr being associated with the appearance of the 2DEG, and we suggest it to have an origin in final-state core-hole screening.
Measurements and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium modeling of mid-Z plasma emission
Authors: Jacquet L. , Primout M. , Kaiser P. , Clouët J. F. , Girard F. , Villette B. , Reverdin C. , Oudot G.
Published: December 2015

The x-ray yields from laser-irradiated thin foils of iron, copper, zinc, and germanium have been measured in the soft and multi-keV x-ray ranges at the OMEGA laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. The incident laser power had a pre-pulse to enhance the x-ray emission of a 1 ns flat-top main pulse. The experimental results have been compared with post-shot simulations performed with the two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics code FCI2. A new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium model, NOO-RAD, have been incorporated into FCI2. In this approach, the plasma ionization state is in-line calculated by the atomic physics NOHEL package. In the soft x-ray bands, both simulations using RADIOM [M. Busquet, Phys. Fluids B 5, 4191 (1993)] and NOO-RAD clearly over-predict the powers and energies measured by a broad-band spectrometer. In one case (the iron foil), the discrepancy between the measured and simulated x-ray output is nevertheless significantly reduced when NOO-RAD is used in the simulations. In the multi-keV x-ray bands, the simulations display a strong sensitivity to the coupling between the electron thermal conductivity and the NLTE models, and for some particular combinations of these, provide a close match to the measured emission. The comparison between the measured and simulated H-like to He-like line-intensity ratios deduced from high-resolution spectra indicates higher experimental electron temperatures were achieved, compared to the simulated ones. Measurements of the plasma conditions have been achieved using the Thomson-scattering diagnostic. The electron temperatures are found to range from 3 to 5 keV at the end of the laser pulse and are greater than predicted by the simulations. The measured flow velocities are in reasonable agreement with the calculated ones. This last finding gives us confidence in our numerical predictions for the plasma parameters, which are over that time mainly determined by hydrodynamics, such as the mass densities and the ion temperatures.
Large four-fold magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional modulated Ni80Fe20 films
Authors: Kakazei G. N. , Liu X. M. , Ding J. , Golub V. O. , Salyuk O. Y. , Verba R. V. , Bunyaev S. A. , Adeyeye A. O.
Published: December 2015

2-D modulated structures consisting of square arrays of 60 nm thick Ni80Fe20 circular dots underneath a continuous Ni80Fe20 film were fabricated using deep ultraviolet lithography. The array pitch for all the samples was fixed at 620 nm, while the dot diameter varied from 300 nm to 550 nm. Four-fold in-plane magnetic anisotropy (FFA) was detected in the samples using ferromagnetic resonance technique. It was found that the deposition of continuous film on top of the array drastically increases the FFA of the system, with a maximum anisotropy field of 120 Oe being observed for the sample with intermediate diameter. This increase is due to the appearance of a field well in the film underneath the dots with a shape that is dependent on magnetic field orientation and to the coupling of magnetization oscillations in dots and film.
Towards monomaterial p-n junctions: Single-step fabrication of tin oxide films and their non-destructive characterisation by angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Krzywiecki Maciej , Sarfraz Adnan , Erbe Andreas
Published: December 2015

The application of a non-destructive method for characterization of electronic structure of an ultra-thin SnO1<x<2 layer synthesized by spin coating on Si wafers was demonstrated. Utilizing angle dependent XPS, we quantified stoichiometry changes inside the SnO1<x<2 layers of thickness comparable with the electron attenuation length. The O/Sn concentration varied from 1.25 near the SnOx surface to 1.10 near the substrate/overlayer interface. Deviations from ideal stoichiometry are caused by defects, and defect levels affect the band structure of the SnOx layers. By investigation of the valence band region, followed by main core level position tracking, changes of electronic parameters like energy levels shift were identified. The results indicated a downward energy levels shift by 0.45 eV in SnOx layers at the SiO2/SnOx interface. In combination with the detected upward energy levels shift in the substrate's electronic structure, these results suggest a negative charge displacement across the SiO2 layer. As a consequence, there is a significant carrier concentration gradient in the layer, from a nearly insulating oxide at the SnOx surface to a semiconducting one at the bottom of the SnOx film. The results showed that the application of a simple and cost-effective method allows tuning the materials' properties towards the one-step fabrication of materials with ambipolar doping.
Using an energized oxygen micro-jet for improved graphene etching by focused electron beam
Authors: Kim Songkil , Henry Mathias , Fedorov Andrei G.
Published: December 2015

We report on an improved Focused Electron Beam Induced Etching (FEBIE) process, which exploits heated oxygen delivery via a continuous supersonic micro-jet resulting in faster graphene patterning and better etch feature definition. Positioning a micro-jet in close proximity to a graphene surface with minimal jet spreading due to a continuous regime of gas flow at the exit of the 10 μm inner diameter capillary allows for focused exposure of the surface to reactive oxygen at high mass flux and impingement energy of a supersonic gas stream localized to a small etching area exposed to electron beam. These unique benefits of focused supersonic oxygen delivery to the surface enable a dramatic increase in the etch rate of graphene with no parasitic carbon “halo” deposition due to secondary electrons from backscattered electrons (BSE) in the area surrounding the etched regions. Increase of jet temperature via local nozzle heating provides means for enhancing kinetic energy of impinging oxygen molecules, which further speed up the etch, thus minimizing the beam exposure time and required electron dose, before parasitic carbon film deposition due to BSE mediated decomposition of adsorbed hydrocarbon contaminants has a measurable impact on quality of graphene etched features. Interplay of different physical mechanisms underlying an oxygen micro-jet assisted FEBIE process is discussed with support from experimental observations.
A transmission line method for evaluation of vertical InAs nanowire contacts
Authors: Berg M. , Svensson J. , Lind E. , Wernersson L.-E.
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we present a method for metal contact characterization to vertical semiconductor nanowires using the transmission line method (TLM) on a cylindrical geometry. InAs nanowire resistors are fabricated on Si substrates using a hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) spacer between the bottom and top contact. The thickness of the HSQ is defined by the dose of an electron beam lithography step, and by varying the separation thickness for a group of resistors, a TLM series is fabricated. Using this method, the resistivity and specific contact resistance are determined for InAs nanowires with different doping and annealing conditions. The contacts are shown to improve with annealing at temperatures up to 300 °C for 1 min, with specific contact resistance values reaching down to below 1 Ω µm2.
The stability of steady motion of magnetic domain wall: Role of higher-order spin-orbit torques
Authors: He Peng-Bin , Yan Han , Cai Meng-Qiu , Li Zai-Dong
Published: December 2015

The steady motion of magnetic domain wall driven by spin-orbit torques is investigated analytically in the heavy/ferromagnetic metal nanowires for three cases with a current transverse to the in-plane and perpendicular easy axis, and along the in-plane easy axis. By the stability analysis of Walker wall profile, we find that if including the higher-order spin-orbit torques, the Walker breakdown can be avoided in some parameter regions of spin-orbit torques with a current transverse to or along the in-plane easy axis. However, in the case of perpendicular anisotropy, even considering the higher-order spin-orbit torques, the velocity of domain wall cannot be efficiently enhanced by the current. Furthermore, the direction of wall motion is dependent on the configuration and chirality of domain wall with a current along the in-plane easy axis or transverse to the perpendicular one. Especially, the direction of motion can be controlled by the initial chirality of domain wall. So, if only involving the spin-orbit mechanism, it is preferable to adopt the scheme of a current along the in-plane easy axis for enhancing the velocity and controlling the direction of domain wall.
Effect of atomic-arrangement matching on La2O3/Ge heterostructures for epitaxial high-k-gate-stacks
Authors: Kanashima T. , Nohira H. , Zenitaka M. , Kajihara Y. , Yamada S. , Hamaya K.
Published: December 2015

We demonstrate a high-quality La2O3 layer on germanium (Ge) as an epitaxial high-k-gate-insulator, where there is an atomic-arrangement matching condition between La2O3(001) and Ge(111). Structural analyses reveal that (001)-oriented La2O3 layers were grown epitaxially only when we used Ge(111) despite low growth temperatures less than 300 °C. The permittivity (k) of the La2O3 layer is roughly estimated to be ∼19 from capacitance-voltage (C-V) analyses in Au/La2O3/Ge structures after post-metallization-annealing treatments, although the C-V curve indicates the presence of carrier traps near the interface. By using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, we find that only Ge–O–La bonds are formed at the interface, and the thickness of the equivalent interfacial Ge oxide layer is much smaller than that of GeO2 monolayer. We discuss a model of the interfacial structure between La2O3 and Ge(111) and comment on the C-V characteristics.