Abstract: A methodology of general validity to prepare epitaxial nanocomposite films based on the use of colloidal solutions containing different crystalline preformed oxide nanoparticles ( ex situ nanocomposites) is reported. The trifluoroacetate (TFA) metal–organic chemical solution deposition route is used with alcoholic solvents to grow epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) films. For this reason stabilizing oxide nanoparticles in polar solvents is a challenging goal. We have used scalable nanoparticle synthetic methodologies such as thermal and microwave-assisted solvothermal techniques to prepare CeO 2 and ZrO 2 nanoparticles. We show that stable and homogeneous colloidal solutions with these nanoparticles can be reached using benzyl alcohol, triethyleneglycol, nonanoic acid, trifluoroacetic acid or decanoic acid as protecting ligands, thereby allowing subsequent mixing with alcoholic TFA solutions. An elaborate YBCO film growth analysis of these nanocomposites allows the identification of the different relevant growth phenomena, e.g. nanoparticles pushing towards the film surface, nanoparticle reactivity, coarsening and nanoparticle accumulation at the substrate interface. Upon mitigation of these effects, YBCO nanocomposite films with high self-field critical currents ( J c ∼ 3–4 MA cm −2 at 77 K) were reached, indicating no current limitation effects associated with epitaxy perturbation, while smoothed magnetic field dependences of the critical currents at high magnetic fields and decreased effective anisotropic pinning behavior confirm the effectiveness of the novel developed approach to enhance vortex pinning. In conclusion, a novel low cost solution-derived route to high current nanocomposite superconducting films and coated conductors has been developed with very promising features.

Abstract: Here, we show successful partial cation exchange reactions in Cu2-xS nanocrystals (NCs) yielding luminescent CuInS2 (CIS) NCs. Our approach of mild reaction conditions ensures slow Cu extraction rates, which results in a balance with the slow In incorporation rate. With this method, we obtain CIS NCs with photoluminescence (PL) far in the near-infrared (NIR), which cannot be directly synthesized by currently available synthesis protocols. We discuss the factors that favor partial, self-limited cation exchange from Cu2-xS to CIS NCs, rather than complete cation exchange to In2S3. The product CIS NCs have the wurtzite crystal structure, which is understood in terms of conservation of the hexagonal close packing of the anionic sublattice of the parent NCs into the product NCs. These results are an important step toward the design of CIS NCs with sizes and shapes that are not attainable by direct synthesis protocols and may thus impact a number of potential applications.

Abstract: We have investigated the magnetic depth profile of an epitaxial Fe3O4 thin film grown directly on a semiconducting ZnO substrate by soft x-ray resonant magnetic reflectometry (XRMR) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Consistent chemical profiles at the interface between ZnO and Fe3O4 are found from both methods. Valence selective EELS and XRMR reveal independently that the first monolayer of Fe at the interface between ZnO and Fe3O4 contains only Fe3+ ions. Besides this narrow 2.5 Å interface layer, Fe3O4 shows magnetic bulk properties throughout the whole film making highly efficient spin injection in this system feasible.

Abstract: SrFe0.75Mo0.25O3-delta has been recently discovered as an extremely efficient electrode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). We have performed structural and magnetic studies to fully characterize this multifunctional material. We have observed by powder neutron diffraction (PND) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that its crystal symmetry is better explained with a tetragonal symmetry (I4/mcm space group) than with the previously reported orthorhombic symmetry (Pnma space group). The temperature dependent magnetic properties indicate an exceptionally high magnetic ordering temperature (T-N similar to 750 K), well above room temperature. The ordered magnetic structure at low temperature was determined by PND to be an antiferromagnetic coupling of the Fe cations. Mossbauer spectroscopy corroborated the PND results. A detailed study, with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), in agreement with the Mossbauer results, confirmed the formal oxidation states of the cations to be mixed valence Fe3+/4+ and Mo6+.

Abstract: We investigate the possibility to laterally confine surface electrons on a liquid helium surface by inserting magnetic discs and stripes which generate nonhomogeneous magnetic field profiles. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Transverse magnetic focusing properties of graphene using a ballistic four terminal structure are investigated. The electric response is obtained using the semiclassical billiard model. The transmission exhibits pronounced peaks as a consequence of skipping orbits at the edge of the structure. When we add a pn-junction between the two probes, snake states along the pn-interface appear. Injected electrons are guided by the pn-interface to one of the leads depending on the value of the applied magnetic field. Oscillations in the resistance are found depending on the amount of particles that end up in each lead.

Abstract: The spin interaction and the effective g factor of a magnetic exciton (ME) are investigated theoretically in a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) quantum dot (QD), including the Coulomb interaction and the sp-d exchange interaction. At low magnetic field, the ME energy decreases rapidly with increasing magnetic field and saturates at high magnetic field for high Mn concentration. The ground state of the ME exhibits an interesting crossing behavior between sigma(+)-ME and sigma(-)-ME for low Mn concentration. The g(ex) factor of the ME in a DMS QD displays a monotonic decrease with increasing magnetic field and can be tuned to zero by an external magnetic field. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract: We study magnetic flux interacting with arrays of pinning sites (APSs) placed on vertices of hyperbolic tesselations (HTs). We show that, due to the gradient in the density of pinning sites, HT APSs are capable of trapping vortices for a broad range of applied magnetic fluxes. Thus, the penetration of magnetic field in HT APSs is essentially different from the usual scenario predicted by the Bean model. We demonstrate that, due to the enhanced asymmetry of the surface barrier for vortex entry and exit, this HT APS could be used as a “capacitor” to store magnetic flux.

Abstract: he properties of Dirac electrons in a magnetic superlattice (SL) on graphene consisting of very high and thin (δ-function) barriers are investigated. We obtain the energy spectrum analytically and study the transmission through a finite number of barriers. The results are contrasted with those for electrons described by the Schrödinger equation. In addition, a collimation of an incident beam of electrons is obtained along the direction perpendicular to that of the SL. We also highlight an analogy with optical media in which the refractive index varies in space.