Abstract: We present the design, construction, and performance of a low-temperature scanning Hall probe microscope with submicron lateral resolution and a large scanning range. The detachable microscope head is mounted on the cold flange of a commercial 3He-refrigerator (Oxford Instruments, Heliox VT-50) and operates between room temperature and 300 mK. It is fitted with a three-axis slip-stick nanopositioner that enables precise in situ adjustment of the probe location within a 6×6×7 mm3 space. The local magnetic induction at the sample surface is mapped with an easily changeable microfabricated Hall probe [typically GsAs/AlGaAs or AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs Hall sensors with integrated scanning tunnel microscopy (STM) tunneling tips] and can achieve minimum detectable fields 10 mG/Hz1/2. The Hall probe is brought into very close proximity to the sample surface by sensing and controlling tunnel currents at the integrated STM tip. The instrument is capable of simultaneous tunneling and Hall signal acquisition in surface-tracking mode. We illustrate the potential of the system with images of superconducting vortices at the surface of a Nb thin film down to 372 mK, and also of labyrinth magnetic-domain patterns of an yttrium iron garnet film captured at room temperature.

Abstract: The interaction of a wave packet (and in particular the wave front) with a mass barrier is investigated in one dimension. We discuss the main features of the wave packet that are inherent to two-dimensional wave packets, such as compression during reflection, penetration in the case when the energy is lower than the height of the barrier, waving tails, precursors, and the retardation of the reflected and penetrated wave packets. These features depend on the wave-packet envelope function which we demonstrate by considering the case of a rectangular wave packet with sharp front and trailing edges and a smooth Gaussian wave packet. The method of Fourier integral for obtaining the nonstationary solutions is used.

Abstract: The scattering of two-dimensional (2D) massless electrons as presented in graphene in the presence of a random array of circular magnetic flux tubes is investigated. The momentum relaxation time and the Hall factor are obtained using optical theorem techniques for scattering. Electrons with energy close to those of the Landau levels of the flux tubes exhibit resonant scattering and have a long life-time to reside inside the magnetic flux tube. These resonances appear as sharp structures in the Hall factor and the magneto-resistance.

Abstract: We propose a scheme to generate the entangled state of two Lambda-type three-level atoms trapped in a cavity. The atoms are initially prepared in their excited state and the cavity in vacuum state. Each atom has two possibilities to deexcite to one of the ground states. If two different polarized photons are detected subsequently, it is sure that both atoms are in different ground states. But which atom is in which ground state cannot be determined, the atoms are thus prepared in a superposition of two ground states, i.e., an entangled state. In comparison with the proposal of Hong and Lee [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 237901 (2002)], the requirement of a single polarized photon source can be avoided in our scheme.

Abstract: Antagonistic symmetries of superconducting polygons and their induced multivortex states in a homogeneous magnetic field may lead to the appearance of antivortices in the vicinity of the superconducting/normal-state boundary (where mesoscopic confinement is particularly strong). Resulting vortex-antivortex (V-Av) molecules match the sample symmetry but are extremely sensitive to defects and fluctuations and remain undetected experimentally. Here we show that V-Av states can reappear deep in the superconducting state due to an array of perforations in a polygonal setting, surrounding a central hole. Such states are no longer caused by the symmetry of the sample but rather by pinning itself, which prevents the vortex-antivortex annihilation. As a result, even micron size, clearly spaced V-Av molecules can be stabilized in large mesoscopic samples.

Abstract: Time-of-flight static secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-S-SIMS) was used to characterize thin layers of oxy- and thiocarbocyanine dyes on Ag and Si. Apart from adduct ions a variety of structural fragment ions were detected for which a fragmentation pattern is proposed. Peak assignments were confirmed by comparing spectra of dyes with very similar structures. All secondary ions were assigned with a mass accuracy better than 50 ppm. The intensity of molecular ions as well as fragment ions has been studied as a function of the type of organic dye, the substrate, the layer thickness and the type of primary ion. A large yield difference of two orders of magnitude was observed between the precursor ions of cationic carbocyanine dyes and the protonated molecules of the anionic dyes. Fragment ions, on the other hand, yielded similar intensities for both types of dye. As the dye layers deposited on an Ag substrate yielded higher secondary ion intensities than those deposited on a Si substrate, the Ag metal clearly acts as a promoting agent for secondary ion formation. The effect was more pronounced for precursor signals than for fragment ions. The promoting effect decreased as the deposited layer thickness of the organic dye layer was increased. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Abstract: Site selective doping of aligned carbon nanostructures represents a promising approach for their implementation in actual devices. In the present work we report on alkali metals decoration on low density vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, disclosing the possibility of engineering site selective depositions of potassium atoms on the carbon systems. Photoemission measurements were combined with microscopy demonstrating the effective spatial control of alkali deposition. The changes of electronic structures of locally doped carbon regions were studied by exploiting the ability of the scanning photoemission microscopy technique. From the analysis of experimental data supported by theoretical calculations, we show the tuning of the charge transfer from potassium to carbon atoms belonging to neighboring nanotubes or along the same tube structure.

Abstract: Valorization of lignin is essential for the economics of future lignocellulosic biorefineries. Lignin is converted into novel polymer building blocks through four steps: catalytic hydroprocessing of softwood to form 4-alkylguaiacols, their conversion into 4-alkylcyclohexanols, followed by dehydrogenation to form cyclohexanones, and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to give caprolactones. The formation of alkylated cyclohexanols is one of the most difficult steps in the series. A liquid-phase process in the presence of nickel on CeO2 or ZrO2 catalysts is demonstrated herein to give the highest cyclohexanol yields. The catalytic reaction with 4-alkylguaiacols follows two parallel pathways with comparable rates: 1) ring hydrogenation with the formation of the corresponding alkylated 2-methoxycyclohexanol, and 2) demethoxylation to form 4-alkylphenol. Although subsequent phenol to cyclohexanol conversion is fast, the rate is limited for the removal of the methoxy group from 2-methoxycyclohexanol. Overall, this last reaction is the rate-limiting step and requires a sufficient temperature (> 250 degrees C) to overcome the energy barrier. Substrate reactivity (with respect to the type of alkyl chain) and details of the catalyst properties (nickel loading and nickel particle size) on the reaction rates are reported in detail for the Ni/CeO2 catalyst. The best Ni/CeO2 catalyst reaches 4-alkylcyclohexanol yields over 80 %, is even able to convert real softwood-derived guaiacol mixtures and can be reused in subsequent experiments. A proof of principle of the projected cascade conversion of lignocellulose feedstock entirely into caprolactone is demonstrated by using Cu/ZrO2 for the dehydrogenation step to produce the resultant cyclohexanones (approximate to 80%) and tin-containing beta zeolite to form 4-alkyl-e-caprolactones in high yields, according to a Baeyer-Villiger-type oxidation with H2O2.

Abstract: We study single- and two-electron parabolic quantum dots in the presence of linear Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit interactions. Contributions of both types of spin-orbit coupling are investigated in the context of the spin polarization of the system at high magnetic fields. We demonstrate that for negative Landé factors the effect of the Dresselhaus coupling is suppressed at high magnetic field, which for structures without inversion asymmetry leads to a completely spin-polarized system and a strict antisymmetry of the wave functions with respect to the interchange of spatial-electron coordinates. For negative Landé factor the Rashba coupling is preserved at high field and consequently the spin polarization of the systems as well as the spatial antisymmetry of the two-electron wave function remain approximate.