Abstract: When a condensate is sheared by imparting a velocity to a part of the condensate, phase singularities must appear at the interface between the region that is still at rest and the region that has acquired a velocity. For helium, Feynman argued that these phase singularies will arrange themselves in the form of a vortex row. BoseEinstein condensates of ultracold atomic gases differ from helium in that the healing length is generally much larger and is, in fact, tunable. Another difference is that multicomponent condensates can be created, where the two components forming the mixture are usually two different hyperfine states of the condensed atoms. These two components can be manipulated separately and can be interconverted. In this contribution, we investigate how these additional degrees of freedom, available in quantum gases, change what happens in sheared condensates. In particular, we consider skyrmion rows as an alternative to vortex rows, and we also consider phase slip lines filled with the second, unmoving component, in a condensate mixture. We show that depending on the ratios of the interaction strengths between the components, and depending on the shear velocity, skyrmion rows and phase slip lines can become lower in energy than vortex rows, and hence should be observable in quantum gases. Moreover, we find that the velocity field affects the stability region of the condensate with respect to phase separation.

Abstract: The electron bounce resonance heating (BRH) in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas operated in oxygen and argon has been studied by different experimental methods. In comparison with the electropositive argon discharge, the BRH in an electronegative discharge occurs at larger electrode gaps. Kinetic particle simulations reveal that in the oxygen discharge, the bulk electric field becomes quite strong and is out of phase with the sheath field. Therefore, it retards the resonant electrons when traversing the bulk, resulting in a suppressed BRH. This effect becomes more pronounced at lower high-frequency power, when the discharge mode changes from electropositive to electronegative.

Abstract: Both geometrical and electrical asymmetry effects in capacitive argon discharges are investigated using a two-dimensional particle-in-cell coupled with Monte Carlo collision model. When changing the ratio of the top and bottom electrode surface areas and the phase shift between the two applied harmonics, the induced self-bias was found to develop separately. By adjusting the ratio between the high and low harmonic amplitudes, the electrical asymmetry effect at a fixed phase shift can be substantially optimized. However, the self-bias caused by the geometrical asymmetry hardly changed. Moreover, the separate control of these two asymmetry effects can also be demonstrated from their power absorption profiles. Both the axial and radial plasma density distributions can be modulated by the electrical asymmetry effect.

Abstract: We investigate the stability of noncomposite fractional vortex states in a mesoscopic two-band superconductor within the two-component Ginzburg-Landau model. Our analysis explicitly takes into account the relationship between the model parameters and microscopic material parameters, such as partial density of states, Fermi velocities and elements of the electron-phonon coupling matrix. We have found that states with different phase winding number in each band (L-1 not equal L-2) and fractional flux can exist in many different configurations, including rather unconventional ones where the dominating band carries larger winding number and states where vertical bar L-1 – L-2 vertical bar > 1. We present a detailed analysis of the stability of the observed vortex structures with respect to changing the microscopic parameters, showing that, in the weak coupling case, fractional vortex states can be assessed in essentially the whole range of temperatures and applied magnetic fields in which both bands are active. Finally, we propose an efficient way of increasing the range of parameters for which these fractional vortex states can be stabilized. In particular, our proposal allows for observation of fractional vortex structures in materials with stronger coupling, where those states are forbidden at a homogeneous field. This is accomplished with the help of the stray fields of a suitably prepared magnetic dot placed nearby the superconducting disk.

Abstract: We investigate a promising tunnel FET configuration having a gate on the source only, which is simultaneously exhibiting a steeper subthreshold slope and a higher ON-current than the lateral tunneling configuration with a gate on the channel. Our analysis is performed based on a recently developed 2-D quantum-mechanical simulator calculating band-to-band tunneling and including quantum confinement (QC). It is shown that the two disadvantages of the structure, namely, the sensitivity to gate alignment and the physical oxide thickness, are mitigated by placing a counter-doped parallel pocket underneath the gate-source overlap. The pocket also significantly reduces the field-induced QC. The findings are illustrated with all-Si and all-Ge gate-on-source-only tunnel field-effect transistor simulations.

Abstract: We show in the case of a superconducting Nb ladder that a mesoscopic superconductor typically exhibits magnetoresistance oscillations whose amplitude and temperature dependence are different from those stemming from the Little-Parks effect. We demonstrate that these large resistance oscillations (as well as the monotonic background on which they are superimposed) are due to current-excited moving vortices, where the applied current in competition with the oscillating Meissner currents imposes or removes the barriers for vortex motion in an increasing magnetic field. Because of the ever present current in transport measurements, this effect should be considered in parallel with the Little-Parks effect in low-critical temperature (T-c) samples, as well as with recently proposed thermal activation of dissipative vortex-antivortex pairs in high-T-c samples.

Abstract: The series Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2) (0 <= x <= 1) contains mixed-valent Mn ions (Mn2+/Mn3+) in MnO2 sheets which are separated by copper-deficient antifluorite-type Cu(2-delta)Ch(2) layers with delta similar to 0.5. The compounds crystallize in the structure type first described for Sr2Mn3Sb2O2 and are described in the I4/mmm space group at ambient temperatures. Below about 250 K, ordering between Cu+ ions and tetrahedral vacancies occurs which is long-range and close to complete in the sulfide-containing end member of the series Sr2MnO2Cu1.5S2 but which occurs over shorter length scales as the selenide content increases. The superstructure is an orthorhombic 2 root 2a x root 2a x c expansion in Ibam of the room temperature cell. For x > 0.3 there are no superstructure reflections evident in the X-ray or neutron diffraction patterns, and the I4/mmm description is valid for the average structure at all temperatures. However, in the pure selenide end member, Sr2MnO2Cu1.5Se2, diffuse scattering in electron diffractograms and modulation in high resolution lattice image profiles may arise from short-range Cu/vacancy order. All members of the series exhibit long-range magnetic order. In the sulfide-rich end member and in compounds with x < 0.1 in the formula Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2), which show well developed superstructures due to long-range Cu/vacancy order, the magnetic structure has a (1/4 1/4 0) propagation vector in which ferromagnetic zigzag chains of Mn moments in the MnO2 sheets are coupled antiferromagnetically in an arrangement described as the CE-type magnetic structure and found in many mixed-valent perovskite and Ruddlesden-Popper type oxide manganites. In these cases the magnetic cell is an a x 2b x c expansion of the low temperature Ibam structural cell. For x >= 0.2 in the formula Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2) the magnetic structure has a (0 0 0) propagation vector and is similar to the A-type structure, also commonly adopted by some perovskite-related manganites, in which the Mn moments in the MnO2 sheets are coupled ferromagnetically and long-range antiferromagnetic order results from antiferromagnetic coupling between planes. In the region of the transition between the two different structural and magnetic long-range ordering schemes (0.1 < x < 0.2) the two magnetic structures coexist in the same sample. The evolution of the competition between magnetic ordering schemes and the length scale of the structural order with composition in Sr2MnO2Cu1.5(S1-xSex)(2) suggest that the changes in magnetic and structural order are related consequences of the introduction of chemical disorder.

Abstract: A Langmuir probe and an ICCD are employed to study the discharge mode transition in Ar inductively coupled plasma. Electron density and plasma emission intensity are measured during the E (capacitive discharge) to H (inductive discharge) mode transitions at different pressures. It is found that plasma exists with a low electron density and a weak emission intensity in the E mode, while it has a high electron density and a strong emission intensity in the H mode. Meanwhile, the plasma emission intensity spatial (2D image) profile is symmetrical in the H mode, but the 2D image is an asymmetric profile in the E mode. Moreover, the electron density and emission intensity jump up discontinuously at high pressure, but increase almost continuously at the E to H mode transition under low pressure.

Abstract: In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for biomedical applications. Currently, however, there is very little fundamental knowledge regarding the relevant interaction mechanisms of plasma species with living cells. In this paper, we investigate the interaction of important plasma species, such as O3, O2 and O atoms, with bacterial peptidoglycan (or murein) by means of reactive molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we use the peptidoglycan structure to model the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus murein. Peptidoglycan is the outer protective barrier in bacteria and can therefore interact directly with plasma species. Our results demonstrate that among the species mentioned above, O3 molecules and especially O atoms can break important bonds of the peptidoglycan structure (i.e. CO, CN and CC bonds), which subsequently leads to the destruction of the bacterial cell wall. This study is important for gaining a fundamental insight into the chemical damaging mechanisms of the bacterial peptidoglycan structure on the atomic scale.

Abstract: Nanocrystalline palladium thin films deposited by electron-beam evaporation and deformed by on-chip tensile testing reveal a surprisingly large strain hardening capacity when considering the small similar to 25 nm grain size. The as-grown films contain several coherent single and multifold twin boundaries. The coherency of the twin boundaries considerably decreases with deformation due to dislocation/twin boundary interactions. These reactions are described based on a detailed analysis of the number and the type of dislocations located at the twin boundaries using high-resolution TEM, including aberration corrected microscopy. Sessile Frank dislocations were observed at the twin/matrix interfaces, explaining the loss of the TB coherency due to the Burgers vector pointing out of the twinning plane. Grain boundary mediated processes were excluded as a mechanism dominating the plastic deformation based on the investigation of the grain size distribution as well as the crystallographic texture using Automated Crystallographic Orientation Indexation TEM. Other factors influencing the plastic deformation such as impurities and the presence of a native passivation oxide layer at the surface of the films were investigated using analytical TEM. The twin boundaries observed in the present work partly explain the high strain hardening capacity by providing both increasing resistance to dislocation motion with deformation and a source for dislocation multiplication. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract: A mode converter for electron vortex beams is described. Numerical simulations, confirmed by experiment, show that the converter transforms a vortex beam with a topological charge m = +/- 1 into beams closely resembling Hermite-Gaussian HG(10) and HG(01) modes. The converter can be used as a mode discriminator or filter for electron vortex beams. Combining the converter with a phase plate turns a plane wave into modes with topological charge m = +/- 1. This combination serves as a generator of electron vortex beams of high brilliance.

Abstract: We report the direct formation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) by ultrasonication of graphite in dimethylformamide (DMF) upon addition of ferrocene aldehyde (Fc-CHO). The tubular structures appear exclusively at the edges of graphene layers and contain Fe clusters. Pc in conjunction with benzyl aldehyde, or other Fc derivatives, does not induce formation of NT. Higher amounts of Fc-CHO added to the dispersion do not increase significantly MWNT formation. Increasing the temperature reduces the amount of formation of MWNTs and shows the key role of ultrasound-induced cavitation energy. It is concluded that Fc-CHO first reduces the concentration of radical reactive species that slice graphene into small moieties, localizes itself at the edges of graphene, templates the rolling up of a sheet to form a nanoscroll, where it remains trapped, and finally accepts and donates unpaired electron to the graphene edges and converts the less stable scroll into a MWNT. This new methodology matches the long held notion that CNTs are rolled up graphene layers. The proposed mechanism is general and will lead to control the production of carbon nanostructures by simple ultrasonication treatments.

Abstract: Simultaneous measurements of ultrafine particles (UFPs) were carried out at four sampling locations situated within a 1 km(2) grid area in a Belgian city, Borgerhout (Antwerp). All sampling sites had different orientation and height of buildings and dissimilar levels of anthropogenic activities (mainly traffic volume). The aims were to investigate: (i) the spatio-temporal variation of UFP within the area, (ii) the effect of wind direction with respect to the volume of traffic on UFP levels, and (iii) the spatial representativeness of the official monitoring station situated in the study area. All sampling sites followed similar diurnal patterns of UFP variation, but effects of local traffic emissions were evident. Wind direction also had a profound influence on UFP concentrations at certain sites. The results indicated a clear influence of local weather conditions and the more dominant effect of traffic volumes. Our analysis indicated that the regional air quality monitoring station represented the other sampling sites in the study area reasonably well; temporal patterns were found to be comparable though the absolute average concentrations showed differences of up to 35%. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: RuCp2 (ruthenocene) and RuCpPy (cyclopentadienyl pyrrolyl ruthenium) complexes are used in ruthenium (Ru) atomic layer deposition (ALD) but exhibit a markedly different reactivity with respect to the substrate and co-reactant. In search of an explanation, we report here the results of a comparative study of the heterolytic and homolytic dissociation enthalpy of these two ruthenium complexes, making use of either density functional theory (DFT) or multiconfigurational perturbation theory (CASPT2). While both methods predict distinctly different absolute dissociation enthalpies, they agree on the relative values between both molecules. A reduced heterolytic dissociation enthalpy is obtained for RuCpPy compared to RuCp2, although the difference obtained from CASPT2 (19.9 kcal/mol) is slightly larger than the one obtained with any of the DFT functionals (around 17 kcal/mol). Both methods also agree on the more pronounced stability of the Cp- ligand in RuCpPy than in RuCp2 (by around 9 kcal/mol with DFT and by 6 kcal/mol with CASPT2).