Abstract: We apply the exact diagonalization technique to calculate the ground and excited states of a bipolar artificial molecule composed of two vertically coupled quantum dots containing different types of carriers electrons and holes in equilibrium. In this system, the magnetic field tunes the relative role of intra-dot Coulomb interaction while the inter-dot separation sets the strength of inter-dot correlations. We find an intricate pattern of the switching of the ground-state angular momentum with increasing magnetic field and a rearrangement of approximate single-particle levels as a function of the inter-dot coupling strength.

Abstract: Merged, or giant, multi-quanta vortices (GVs) appear in very small superconductors near the superconducting transition due to strong confinement of magnetic flux. Here we present evidence for a new, pinning-related, mechanism for vortex merger. Using Bitter decoration to visualise vortices in small Nb disks, we show that confinement in combination with strong disorder causes individual vortices to merge into clusters/GVs well below Tc and Hc2, in contrast to well-defined shells of individual vortices found in the absence of pinning.

Abstract: Not much about the effect of thiocyanate addition on the sulphur ripening is known, although it is used for many applications in photographic practice. Via a combination of tracer analysis and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy the effect of thiocyanate addition on the sulphur and sulphur-plus-gold ripening could be unveiled. When thiocyanate is added prior to the sulphur addition, it appears to rearrange the silver halide surface in such way that the sulphur deposition rate is enhanced, but the supply of interstitials is limited. Addition of thiocyanate after the sulphur reaction results in the formation of thiocyanate complexes with silver, from which a silver ion is more easily deposited in a surface cell of the silver sulphide clusters thus enhancing the sensitization rate. For sulphur-plus-gold sensitized emulsions it was observed that part of the gold ions could be removed out of the Ag2-xAuxS clusters by addition of thiocyanate ions and subsequent washing. Hence, it was concluded that two different types of gold ions are present in the silver sulphide clusters; 1. gold ions which are substitutional for silver (bound between sulphur and bromide ions) 2. gold ions which bridge two or three sulphur atoms. Incorporation of gold ions into silver sulphide clusters suppresses their optical absorption in diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Since the optical absorption at 505 nm can completely be restored by addition of thiocyanate, it is assumed that the entity absorbing at this wavelength is a monomer of silver sulphide.

Abstract: Optical (atomic absorption spectroscopy, AAS; atomic emission spectroscopy, AES; atomic fluorescence spectroscopy, AFS; and optogalvanic spectroscopy) and mass spectrometric (magnetic sector, quadrupolemass analyzer, QMA; quadrupole ion trap, QIT; Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, FTICR; and time-of-flight, TOF) instrumentation are well suited for coupling to the glow discharge (GD). The GD is a relatively simple device. A potential gradient (5001500 V) is applied between an anode and a cathode. In most cases, the sample is also the cathode. A noble gas (e.g. Ar, Ne, and Xe) is introduced into the discharge region before power initiation. When a potential is applied, electrons are accelerated toward the anode. As these electrons accelerate, they collide with gas atoms. A fraction of these collisions are of sufficient energy to remove an electron from a support gas atom, forming an ion. These ions are, in turn, accelerated toward the cathode. These ions impinge on the surface of the cathode, sputtering sample atoms from the surface. Sputtered atoms that do not redeposit on the surface diffuse into the excitation/ionization regions of the plasma where they can undergo excitation and/or ionization via a number of collisional processes. GD sources offer a number of distinct advantages that make them well suited for specific types of analyses. These sources afford direct analysis of solid samples, thus minimizing the sample preparation required for analysis. The nature of the plasma also provides mutually exclusive atomization and excitation processes that help to minimize the matrix effects that plague so many other elemental techniques. Unfortunately, the GD source functions optimally in a dry environment, making analysis of solutions more difficult. These sources also suffer from difficulties associated with analyzing nonconductingsamples. In this article, first, the principles of operation of the GD plasma are reviewed, with an emphasis on how those principles relate to optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Basic applications of the GD techniques are considered next. These include bulk analysis, surface analysis, and the analysis of solution samples. The requirements necessary to obtain optical information are addressed following the analytical applications. This section focuses on the instrumentation needed to make optical measurements using the GD as an atomization/excitation source. Finally, mass spectrometric instrumentation and interfaces are addressed as they pertain to the use of a GD plasma as an ion source. GDsources provide analytically useful gas-phase species from solid samples. These sources can be interfaced with avariety of spectroscopic and spectrometric instruments for both quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Abstract: We investigate the properties of carriers in graphene-based quantum wires created by potential barriers, by means of analytical and numerical calculations. We obtain expressions for the energy spectrum as a function of barrier height, well width and linear momentum along the wire. The results demonstrate a direction-dependent resonant transmission across the potential well.

Abstract: For many years magnesium oxide (MgO) has been a topic of research as buffer layer for high-temperature superconducting copper oxides and as protective layer in plasma display panels. Since epitaxial growth of MgO is expensive, time consuming and size restricted, other techniques have been developed to grow highly oriented MgO layers for industrial processes. MgO thin films were deposited on a tilted polycrystalline substrate by reactive sputtering using an unbalanced magnetron. By varying different deposition parameters, it is possible to grow biaxially aligned MgO layers, i.e. layers with both out-of-plane and in-plane alignment. XRD measurements were performed to examine the crystallographic structure of the thin film. The preferential out-of-plane orientation is analysed by angular scans using the peak intensity of different reflections while the in-plane orientation is determined by (002) pole figures. Fully [111] out-of-plane oriented layers were grown with a strong in-plane alignment. SEM and TEM measurements were performed to reveal the topographical and cross-sectional microstructure and to investigate the texture evolution of the MgO layers. Evolutionary columnar growth and a roof-tile surface have been observed.