Abstract: The methodology of protecting the European stained glass windows against environmental risk (e.g. meteorological factors, air pollution, microorganisms) by means of an external glazing is not new. In spite of many scientific studies carried out in the last 20 years, some questions were still up for discussion. The European VIDRIO (20022005) project gave an answer to these questions. The research carried out by the different project partners established a new multidisciplinary approach aimed at evaluating the efficiency of the protective glazing systems and their effects on stained glass windows conservation, and finally at assessing the most appropriate strategy to preserve stained glass windows. Scientific results showed that the so-called isothermal glazing (i.e. ventilation by the air coming from the inside of the building) protected efficiently the ancient stained glass window from environmental attack (i.e. rain, pollutants, condensation, thermal shocks) with very limited secondary effects. The scientific research highlighted that its efficiency was strongly related to the technical design of the protective system. In particular, the ventilation and the size of the interspace had to be carefully considered. The research developed within the VIDRIO project was turned into general recommendations to the owners and practitioners on the best practice for the stained glass windows future conservation.

Abstract: We investigate the influence of an external perpendicular magnetic field on the lowest-energy states of an electron bound to a donor which is located near a semiconductor-metal interface. The problem is treated within the effective mass approach and the lowest-energy states are obtained through (1) the “numerically exact” finite element method, and (2) a variational approach using a trial wave function where all image charges that emerge due to the presence of the metallic gate are taken into account. The trial wave functions are constructed such that they reduce to an exponential behavior for sufficiently small magnetic fields and become Gaussian for intermediate and large magnetic fields. The average electron-donor distance can be controlled by the external magnetic field. We find that the size of the 2p(z) state depends strongly on the magnetic field when the donor is close to the interface, showing a nonmonotonic behavior, in contrast with the ground and the other excited states. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.075313

Abstract: The functionality of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO)-coated conductor technology depends on the reliability and microstructural properties of a given tape or wire architecture. Particularly, the interface to the metal tape is of interest since it determines the adhesion, mechanical stability of the film and thermal contact of the film to the substrate. A trifluoroacetate (TFA)metal organic deposition (MOD) prepared YBCO film deposited on a chemical solution-derived buffer layer architecture based on CeO2/La2Zr2O7 and grown on a flexible Ni5 at.%W substrate with a {100}⟨001⟩ biaxial texture was investigated. The YBCO film had a thickness was 440 nm and a jc of 1.02 MA cm−2 was determined at 77 K and zero external field. We present a sub-nanoscale analysis of a fully processed solution-derived YBCO-coated conductor by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). For the first time, structural and chemical analysis of the valence has been carried out on the sub-nm scale. Intermixing of Ni, La, Ce, O and Ba takes place at these interfaces and gives rise to nanometer-sized interlayers which are a by-product of the sequential annealing process. Two distinct interfacial regions were analyzed in detail: (i) the YBCO/CeO2/La2Zr2O7 region (10 nm interlayer) and (ii) the La2Zr2O7/Ni5 at.%W substrate interface region (20 nm NiO). This is of particular significance for the functionality of these YBCO-coated conductor architectures grown by chemical solution deposition.

Abstract: As-prepared and heat-treated oxyfluoride glasses, co-doped with Ag nanoclusters/nanoparticles, are prepared at 0.15 at. % Ag concentration. The as-prepared glass shows an absorption band in the UV/violet attributed to the presence of amorphous Ag nanoclusters with an average size of 1.1 nm. The luminescence spectra of the untreated glass can also be ascribed to these Ag nanoclusters. Upon heat-treatment, the clusters coalesce into Ag nanoparticles with an average size of 2.3 nm, and the glasses show an extra surface plasmon absorption band in the visible. These particles, however, cease to emit due to ascribing plasmonic properties of bulk silver.

Abstract: Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16, the complex selenite chloride of cesium and neodymium, was synthesized in the NdOCl-SeO2-CsCl system. The compound has been characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, luminescence spectroscopy, and second-harmonic-generation techniques. Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16 crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell with a = 15.911(1) angstrom, b = 15.951(1) angstrom, and c = 25.860(1) angstrom and a noncentrosymmetric space group Pna2(1) (No. 33). The crystal structure of Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16 can be represented as a stacking of Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12) lamellas and CsCl-like layers. Because of the layered nature of the Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16 structure, it features numerous planar defects originating from occasionally missing the CsCl-like layer and violating the perfect stacking of the Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16 lamellas. Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16 represents the first example of a noncentrosymmetric structure among alkaline-metal lanthanide selenite halides. Cs7Nd11(SeO3)(12)Cl-16 demonstrates luminescence emission in the near-IR region with reduced efficiency due to a high concentration of Nd3+ ions causing nonradiative cross-relaxation.

Abstract: This study comprises the first application of the Passive Flux Meter (PFM) for the measurement of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon (CAH) mass fluxes and Darcy water fluxes in groundwater at a European field site. The PFM was originally developed and applied to measurements near source zones. The focus of the PFM is extended from near source to plume zones. For this purpose, 48 PFMs of 1.4 m length were constructed and installed in eight different monitoring wells in the source and plume zone of a CAH-contaminated field site located in France. The PFMs were retrieved, sampled, and analyzed after 3 to 11 weeks of exposure time, depending on the expected contaminant flux. PFM evaluation criteria include analytical, technical, and practical aspects as well as conditions and applicability. PFM flux data were compared with so-called traditional soil and groundwater concentration data obtained using active sampling methods. The PFMs deliver reasonable results for source as well as plume zones. The limiting factor in the PFM applicability is the exposure time together with the groundwater flux. Measured groundwater velocities at the field site range from 2 to 41 cm/day. Measured contaminant flux data raise up to 13 g/m(2)/day for perchloroethylene in the plume zone. Calculated PFM flux averaged concentration data and traditional concentration data were of similar magnitude for most wells. However, both datasets need to be compared with reservation because of the different sampling nature and time. Two important issues are the PFM tracer loss during installation/extraction and the deviation of the groundwater flow field when passing the monitoring well and PFM. The demonstration of the PFM at a CAH-contaminated field site in Europe confirmed the efficiency of the flux measurement technique for source as well as plume zones. The PFM can be applied without concerns in monitoring wells with European standards. The acquired flux data are of great value for the purpose of site characterization and mass discharge modeling, and can be used in combination with traditional soil and groundwater sampling methods.

Abstract: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels were monitored simultaneously by means of Radiello passive samplers at six sites of Santa Clara city, Cuba, in the cold and the warm seasons in 2010. The dissolved ionic forms of NO2 and SO2 as nitrate and sulfite plus sulfate, respectively, were determined by means of ion chromatography. Analysis of NO2 as nitrite was also performed by UVVis spectrophotometry. For NO2, significant t tests show good agreement between the results of IC and UVVis methods. The NO2 and SO2 concentrations peaked in the cold season, while their minimum levels were experienced in the warm season. The pollutant levels do not exceed the maximum allowable limit of the Cuban Standard 39:1999, i.e., 40 μg/m3 and 50 μg/m3 for NO2 and SO2, respectively. The lowest pollutant concentrations obtained in the warm season can be attributed to an increase in their removal via precipitation (scavenging) while to the decreased traffic density and industrial emission during the summer holidays (e.g., July and August).

Abstract: The adsorption characteristics of alkali, alkaline-earth, and transition metal adatoms on silicene, a graphene-like monolayer structure of silicon are analyzed by means of first-principles calculations. In contrast to graphene, interaction between the metal atoms and the silicene surface is quite strong due to its highly reactive buckled hexagonal structure. In addition to structural properties, we also calculate the electronic band dispersion, net magnetic moment, charge transfer, work function, and dipole moment of the metal adsorbed silicene sheets. Alkali metals, Li, Na, and K, adsorb to hollow sites without any lattice distortion. As a consequence of the significant charge transfer from alkalis to silicene, metalization of silicene takes place. Trends directly related to atomic size, adsorption height, work function, and dipole moment of the silicene/alkali adatom system are also revealed. We found that the adsorption of alkaline-earth metals on silicene is entirely different from their adsorption on graphene. The adsorption of Be, Mg, and Ca turns silicene into a narrow gap semiconductor. Adsorption characteristics of eight transition metals Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Mo, and W are also investigated. As a result of their partially occupied d orbital, transition metals show diverse structural, electronic, and magnetic properties. Upon the adsorption of transition metals, depending on the adatom type and atomic radius, the system can exhibit metal, half-metal, and semiconducting behavior. For all metal adsorbates, the direction of the charge transfer is from adsorbate to silicene, because of its high surface reactivity. Our results indicate that the reactive crystal structure of silicene provides a rich playground for functionalization at nanoscale. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.085423

Abstract: We study Dirac plasmons and their damping in spatially separated N-layer graphene structures at finite doping and temperatures. The plasmon spectrum consists of one optical excitation with square-root dispersion and N – 1 acoustical excitations with linear dispersion, which are undamped at zero temperature and finite doping within a triangular energy region outside the electron-hole continuum. In the long-wavelength limit the energy and weight of the optical plasmon modes increase, respectively, as the square root and linearly with N in agreement with recent experimental findings. The energy and weight of the upper-lying acoustical branches also increase with N. This increase is strongest for the uppermost acoustical mode, and we find that its energy can exceed at some value of momentum the plasmon energy in an individual graphene sheet. Meanwhile, the energy of the low-lying acoustical branches decreases weakly with N as compared with the single acoustical mode in double-layer graphene structures. Our numerical calculations provide a detailed understanding of the overall behavior of the wave-vector dependence of the optical and acoustical multilayer plasmon modes and show how their dispersion and damping are modified as a function of temperature, interlayer spacing, and inlayer carrier density in (un)balanced graphene multilayer structures. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.085401

Abstract: Neutral excitons in strained axially symmetric In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots with a ringlike shape are investigated. Similar to experimental self-assembled quantum rings, the analyzed quantum dots have volcano-like shapes. The continuum mechanical model is employed to determine the strain distribution, and the single-band envelope function approach is adopted to compute the electron states. The hole states are determined by the axially symmetric multiband Luttinger-Kohn Hamiltonian, and the exciton states are obtained from an exact diagonalization. We found that the presence of the inner layer covering the ring opening enhances the excitonic Aharonov-Bohm (AB) oscillations. The reason is that the hole becomes mainly localized in the inner part of the quantum dot due to strain, whereas the electron resides mainly inside the ring-shaped rim. Interestingly, larger AB oscillations are found in the analyzed quantum dot than in a fully opened quantum ring of the same width. Comparison with the unstrained ringlike quantum dot shows that the amplitude of the excitonic Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are almost doubled in the presence of strain. The computed oscillations of the exciton energy levels are comparable in magnitude to the oscillations measured in recent experiments. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.085314

Abstract: Using a numerical tight-binding approach based on the Chebyshev–Bogoliubov–de Gennes method we describe Josephson junctions made of multilayer graphene contacted by top superconducting gates. Both Bernal (ABA) and rhombohedral (ABC) stacking are considered and we find that the type of stacking has a strong effect on the proximity effect and the supercurrent flow. For both cases the pair amplitude shows a polarization between dimer and nondimer atoms, being more pronounced for rhombohedral stacking. Even though the proximity effect in nondimer sites is enhanced when compared to single-layer graphene, we find that the supercurrent is suppressed. The spatial distribution of the supercurrent shows that for Bernal stacking the current flows only in the topmost layers while for rhombohedral stacking the current flows throughout the whole structure.

Abstract: We have investigated the role of the electroforming process in the establishment of resistive switching behaviour for Pt/Ti/Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3/SrRuO3 layered heterostructures (Pt/Ti/PCMO/SRO) acting as non-volatile Resistance Random Access Memories (RRAMs). Electron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the higher resistance state resulting from electroforming of as-prepared devices is strictly correlated with the oxidation of the top electrode Ti layer through field-induced electromigration of oxygen ions. Conversely, PCMO exhibits oxygen depletion and downward change of the chemical potential for both resistive states. Impedance spectroscopy analysis, supported by the detailed knowledge of these effects, provides an accurate model description of the device resistive behaviour. The main contributions to the change of resistance from the as-prepared (low resistance) to the electroformed (high resistance) states are respectively due to reduced PCMO at the boundary with the Ti electrode and to the formation of an anisotropic np junction between the Ti and the PCMO layers.

Abstract: We report the Cr3+ for Mn3+ substitution in the BiMnFe2O6 structure. The BiCrxMn1-xFe2O6 solid solution is obtained by the solution-gel synthesis technique for the x values up to 0.3. The crystal structure investigation using a combination of X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that the compounds retain the parent BiMnFe2O6 structure (for x = 0.3, a = 5.02010(6)angstrom, b = 7.06594(7)angstrom, c = 12.6174(1)angstrom, S.G. Pbcm, R-1 = 0.036, R-p = 0.011) with only a slight decrease in the cell parameters associated with the Cr3+ for Mn3+ substitution. Magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest strong similarities in the magnetic behavior of BiCrxMn1-xFe2O6 (x = 0.2; 0.3) and parent BiMnFe2O6. Only T-N slightly decreases upon Cr doping that indicates a very subtle influence of Cr3+ cations on the magnetic properties at the available substitution rates. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract: A recent theoretical study [ Phys. Rev. B 85 121411(R) (2012)] predicted a thickness limit below which ideal polar cuprates turn nonpolar driven by the associated electrostatic instability. Here we demonstrate this possibility by inducing a structural transformation from the bulk planar to chainlike structure upon reducing the SrCuO2 repeat thickness in SrCuO2/SrTiO3 superlattices with unit-cell precision. Our results, based on structural investigation by x-ray diffraction and high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, demonstrate that the oxygen sublattice can essentially be built by design. In addition, the electronic structure of the chainlike structure, as studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy, shows the signature for preferential hole occupation in the Cu 3d3z2-r2 orbital, which is different from the planar case.