Abstract: The ground state of colloidal magnetic particles in a modulated channel are investigated as a function of the tilt angle of an applied magnetic field. The particles are confined by a parabolic potential in the transversal direction while in the axial direction a periodic substrate potential is present. By using Monte Carlo simulations, we construct a phase diagram for the different crystal structures as a function of the magnetic field orientation, strength of the modulated potential, and the commensurability factor of the system. Interestingly, we found first-and second-order phase transitions between different crystal structures, which can be manipulated by the orientation of the external magnetic field. A reentrant behavior is found between two-and four-chain configurations, with continuous second-order transitions. Novel configurations are found consisting of frozen solitons of defects. By changing the orientation and/or strength of the magnetic field and/or the strength and periodicity of the substrate potential, the system transits through different phases.

Abstract: Current-voltage analysis using different optical band pass filters has been performed on Cu2ZnSnSe4 and Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)(4) thin-film solar cells. When using red or orange light (i.e. wavelengths above 600 nm), a distortion appears in the I-V curve of the Cu2ZnSnSe4 solar cell, indicating an additional potential barrier to the current flow in the device for these conditions of illumination. This barrier is reduced when using a Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)(4) absorber. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the barrier visible under red light could be explained by a positive conduction band offset at the front interface coupled with compensating defects in the buffer layer.

Abstract: Supported carbon nanosheets and carbon nanotubes served as sacrificial templates for preparing spacious TiO2 photocatalytic thin films. Amorphous TiO2 was deposited conformally on the carbonaceous template material by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Upon calcination at 550 °C, the carbon template was oxidatively removed and the as-deposited continuous amorphous TiO2 layers transformed into interlinked anatase nanoparticles with an overall morphology commensurate to the original template structure. The effect of type of template, number of ALD cycles and gas residence time of pollutant on the photocatalytic activity, as well as the stability of the photocatalytic performance of these thin films was investigated. The TiO2 films exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity toward photocatalytic degradation of acetaldehyde in air as a model reaction for photocatalytic indoor air pollution abatement. Optimized films outperformed a reference film of commercial PC500.

Abstract: A new oxychloride Pb5Fe3TiO11Cl has been synthesized using the solid state method. Its crystal and magnetic structure was investigated in the 1.5550 K temperature range using electron diffraction, high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, atomic resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, neutron and X-ray powder diffraction. At room temperature Pb5Fe3TiO11Cl crystallizes in the P4/mmm space group with the unit cell parameters a=3.91803(3) Å and c=19.3345(2) Å. Pb5Fe3TiO11Cl is a new n=4 member of the oxychloride perovskite-based homologous series An+1BnO3n−1Cl. The structure is built of truncated Pb3Fe3TiO11 quadruple perovskite blocks separated by CsCl-type Pb2Cl slabs. The perovskite blocks consist of two layers of (Fe,Ti)O6 octahedra sandwiched between two layers of (Fe,Ti)O5 square pyramids. The Ti4+ cations are preferentially located in the octahedral layers, however, the presence of a noticeable amount of Ti4+ in a five-fold coordination environment has been undoubtedly proven using neutron powder diffraction and atomic resolution compositional mapping. Pb5Fe3TiO11Cl is antiferromagnetically ordered below 450(10) K. The ordered Fe magnetic moments at 1.5 K are 4.06(4) μB and 3.86(5) μB on the octahedral and square-pyramidal sites, respectively.

Abstract: The nonlinear Schrodinger equation is solved on an infinitesimal thin ring or circle. We obtained the exact real wave functions with their corresponding energies for the ground state and the excited states. Critical values of the circle perimeter are found at which the ground state changes its structure and additional higher excited states appear. Also, the complex wave functions that correspond to energy levels with finite angular momentum are studied.

Abstract: Galvanic replacement reactions on metal nanoparticles are often used for the preparation of hollow nanostructures with tunable porosity and chemical composition, leading to tailored optical and catalytic properties. However, the precise interplay between the three-dimensional (3D) morphology and chemical composition of nanostructures during galvanic replacement is not always well understood as the 3D chemical imaging of nanoscale materials is still challenging. It is especially far from straightforward to obtain detailed information from the inside of hollow nanostructures using electron microscopy techniques such as SEM or TEM. We demonstrate here that a combination of state-of-the-art EDX mapping with electron tomography results in the unambiguous determination of both morphology transformation and elemental composition of nanostructures in 3D, during galvanic replacement of Ag nanocubes. This work provides direct and unambiguous experimental evidence toward understanding the galvanic replacement reaction. In addition, the powerful approach presented here can be applied to a wide range of nanoscale transformation processes, which will undoubtedly guide the development of novel nanostructures.

Abstract: The origin of the ferroelectric polarization switching in orthorhombic HfO2 has been investigated by first principles calculations. The phenomenon can be regarded as being the coordinated displacement of four O ions in the orthorhombic unit cell, which can lead to a saturated polarization as high as 53 mu C/cm(2). We show the correlation between the computed polarization reversal barrier and the experimental coercive fields. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

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: Ballistic transport through nanoscale devices with time-dependent Rashba-type spin- orbit interaction (SOI) can lead to spin-polarized wavepackets that appear even for completely unpolarized input. The SOI that oscillates in a finite domain generates density and spin polarization fluctuations that leave the region as propagating waves. In particular, spin polarization has space and time dependence even in regions without SOI. Our results are based on an analytical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The relevant Floquet quasi-energies that are obtained appear in the energy spectrum of both the transmitted and the reflected waves.