Abstract: Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films were produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and doped by the addition of phosphine to the gas mixture. The characterization of the films focused on probing the incorporation and distribution of the phosphorus (P) dopants. Electron microscopy evaluated the overall film morphology and revealed the interior structure of the nanosized grains. The homogeneous films with distinct diamond grains featured a notably low sp(2):sp(3)-ratio as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. High resolution spectroscopy methods demonstrated a homogeneous P-incorporation, both in-depth and in-plane. The P concentration in the films was determined to be in the order of 10(19) cm(-3) with a significant fraction integrated at substitutional donor sites. (C) 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Abstract: Aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to solve several key questions about the surface structure, the particle morphology, and the distribution and nature of nitrogen impurities in detonation nanodiamond (DND) cleaned by a recently developed ozone treatment. All microscopy and spectroscopy measurements are performed at a lowered acceleration voltage (80/120kV), allowing prolonged and detailed experiments to be carried out while minimizing the risk of knock-on damage or surface graphitization of the nanodiamond. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) demonstrates the stability of even the smallest nanodiamonds under electron illumination at low voltage and is used to image the surface structure of pristine DND. High resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) measurements on the fine structure of the carbon K-edge of nanodiamond demonstrate that the typical * pre-peak in fact consists of three sub-peaks that arise from the presence of, amongst others, minimal fullerene-like reconstructions at the nanoparticle surfaces and deviations from perfect sp(3) coordination at defects in the nanodiamonds. Spatially resolved EELS experiments evidence the presence of nitrogen within the core of DND particles. The nitrogen is present throughout the whole diamond core, and can be enriched at defect regions. By comparing the fine structure of the experimental nitrogen K-edge with calculated energy-loss near-edge structure (ELNES) spectra from DFT, the embedded nitrogen is most likely related to small amounts of single substitutional and/or A-center nitrogen, combined with larger nitrogen clusters.

Abstract: The propagation of a short laser beam in plasma is investigated analytically Relativistic ponderomotive force and space charge effects are included, and an equation describing the evolution of the laser spot size is derived. It is shown that self-consistent electron cavitation can lead to self channelling and thus long-distance self-focusing of the laser. The condition for the latter to occur is given.

Abstract: Resistive switching heterojunctions, which are promising for nonvolatile memory applications, usually share a capacitorlike metal-oxide-metal configuration. Here, we report on the nonvolatile resistive switching in Pt/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures, where the conducting layer near the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface serves as the unconventional bottom electrode although both oxides are band insulators. Interestingly, the switching between low-resistance and high-resistance states is accompanied by reversible transitions between tunneling and Ohmic characteristics in the current transport perpendicular to the planes of the heterojunctions. We propose that the observed resistive switching is likely caused by the electric-field-induced drift of charged oxygen vacancies across the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface and the creation of defect-induced gap states within the ultrathin LaAlO3 layer. These metal-oxide-oxide heterojunctions with atomically smooth interfaces and defect-controlled transport provide a platform for the development of nonvolatile oxide nanoelectronics that integrate logic and memory devices.

Abstract: Single-file transport of water into carbon nanotubes is experimentally demonstrated for the first time through the splitting of the radial breathing mode (RBM) vibration in Raman spectra of bile salt solubilized tubes when both empty (closed) and water-filled (open-ended) tubes are present. D2O filling is observed for a wide range of diameters, d, down to very thin tubes [e.g., (5,3) tube, d=0.548  nm] for which only a single water molecule fits in the cross section of the internal nanotube channel. The shift in RBM frequency upon filling is found to display a very complex dependence on nanotube diameter and chirality, in support of a different yet well-defined ordering and orientation of water molecules at room temperature. Large shifts of the electronic transitions are also observed.

Abstract: We demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the dissipative state of superconducting samples with a periodic array of holes at high current densities consists of flux rivers resulting from a short-range attractive interaction between vortices. This dynamically induced vortex-vortex attraction results from the migration of quasiparticles out of the vortex core (kinematic vortices). We have directly visualized the formation of vortex chains by scanning Hall probe microscopy after freezing the dynamic state by a field cooling procedure at a constant bias current. Similar experiments carried out in a sample without holes show no hint of flux river formation. We shed light on this nonequilibrium phenomena modeled by time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations.

Abstract: The phase problem can be considered as one of the cornerstones of quantum mechanics intimately connected to the detection process and the uncertainty relation. The latter impose fundamental limits on the manifold phase reconstruction schemes invented to date, in particular, at small magnitudes of the quantum wave. Here, we show that a rigorous solution of the transport of intensity reconstruction (TIE) scheme in terms of a linear elliptic partial differential equation for the phase provides reconstructions even in the presence of wave zeros if particular boundary conditions are given. We furthermore discuss how partial coherence hampers phase reconstruction and show that a modified version of the TIE reconstructs the curl-free current density at arbitrary (in)coherence. Our results open the way for TIE-based phase retrieval of arbitrary wave fields, eventually containing zeros such as phase vortices.

Abstract: Diffusive properties of interacting magnetic dipoles confined in a parabolic narrow channel and in the presence of a periodic modulated (corrugated) potential along the unconfined direction are studied using Brownian dynamics simulations. We compare our simulation results with the analytical result for the effective diffusion coefficient of a single particle by Festa and d'Agliano [Physica A 90, 229 (1978)] and show the importance of interparticle interaction on the diffusion process. We present results for the diffusion of magnetic dipoles as a function of linear density, strength of the periodic modulation and commensurability factor.

Abstract: The diffusion of a system of ferromagnetic dipoles confined in a quasi-one-dimensional parabolic trap is studied using Brownian dynamics simulations. We show that the dynamics of the system is tunable by an in-plane external homogeneous magnetic field. For a strong applied magnetic field, we find that the mobility of the system, the exponent of diffusion, and the crossover time among different diffusion regimes can be tuned by the orientation of the magnetic field. For weak magnetic fields, the exponent of diffusion in the subdiffusive regime is independent of the orientation of the external field. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.87.012307

Abstract: On the basis of the momentum-balance equation derived from the Boltzmann equation in which electron interactions with impurities and acoustic and optic phonons are included, we examine the dependence of the resistivity in graphene on temperature and electron density. Simple analytical expressions for the different contributions to the resistivity are obtained. Our results reproduce recent experimental findings and we are able to understand the different temperature dependence of the resistivity for low and high density samples.

Abstract: The dissociation of 60degrees and screw dislocations in diamond is modeled in an approach combining isotropic elasticity theory with ab initio-based tight-binding total-energy calculations. Both dislocations are found to dissociate with a substantial lowering of their line energies. For the 60degrees dislocation, however, an energy barrier to dissociation is found. We investigate the core structure of a screw dislocation distinguishing “shuffle,” “mixed,” and “glide” cores. The latter is found to be the most stable undissociated screw dislocation. Further, the glide motion of 90degrees and 30degrees partials is discussed in terms of a process involving the thermal formation and subsequent migration of kinks along the dislocation line. The calculated activation barriers to dislocation motion show that the 30degrees partial is less mobile than the 90degrees partial. Finally, high-resolution electron microscopy is performed on high-temperature, high-pressure annealed natural brown diamond, allowing the core regions of 60degrees dislocations to be imaged. The majority of dislocations are found to be dissociated. However, in some cases, undissociated 60degrees dislocations were also observed.