Abstract: This work provides values of electron scattering 002 structure factors for InxGa1-xAs as a function of the In concentration x=0 to 1. These results allow accurate compositional analysis of pseudomorphically grown InxGa1-xAs/GaAs layers by transmission electron microscopy methods relying on the chemical sensitivity of the (002) beam. The calculations go beyond the limits of the isolated atom approximation, because they take into account charge redistribution effects between atomic sites in the crystal, strain, and static atomic displacements. The computations were performed by the full potential linearized augmented plane-wave method using a generalized gradient approximation for the exchange and correlation part of the potential. The calculations of strained InxGa1-xAs correspond to the strain state in specimens with large, small, and intermediate thickness in the electron beam direction. Additionally, the effect of static atomic displacements is taken into account. All results are listed in a parameterized form. The calculated 002 structure factor vanishes at an In concentration of 16.4%. This value is in a good agreement with previously reported experimental measurements. Hence, our results are a significant improvement with respect to the isolated atom approximation which is conventionally applied in transmission electron microscopy simulations, and which predicts a value of 22.5%.

Abstract: We compare the magnetic properties of Co cluster assembled films with different degrees of oxidation. Clusters with grain size (2.3 +/- 0.7) nm are produced in a laser vaporization cluster source and soft-landed in ultrahigh vacuum conditions, forming highly porous nanogranular films. After exposure to air for different periods of time, the Co clusters oxidize and the sample may be considered as a thin antiferromagnetic Co oxide matrix containing ferromagnetic Co clusters. Magnetization measurements were performed in a temperature range from 300 down to 5 K, at applied magnetic fields up to 30 kOe. The exchange bias value at 5 K for the strongly oxidized sample is 4.8 kOe against the value of 0.75 kOe for the less oxidized sample. The mean values of the thicknesses of the Co oxide layers are estimated to be 0.6 and 0.3 nm for the more and less oxidized sample, respectively. We propose a method of measuring the exchange bias inducing temperature, i.e., the temperature at which exchange anisotropy is established. We determined the mean inducing temperatures for both samples, which are 55 and 25 K, respectively, for the more and less oxidized samples. Both temperatures are well below the bulk CoO Neel temperature of 292 K. A low value of the inducing temperature of the Co oxide layer is a consequence of its subnanometer thickness, while a large exchange bias value is a consequence of different dimensionality of Co clusters and Co oxide matrix.

Abstract: A data-acquisition and data-processing method is proposed that aims at minimizing the effect of retardation on the Kramers-Kronig analysis of valence electron energy-loss spectra. This method is applied to diamond, which, due to its high dielectric constant, is a material that shows strong retardation effects and thus is a challenging material to be studied by valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy. The results obtained show a significant improvement but still show small discrepancies with respect to optical data, which are most likely due to the residual retardation contributions and the fact that nonzero momentum transfers are measured.