Abstract: We have calculated the plasmon modes in graphene double layer structures at finite temperatures, taking into account the inhomogeneity of the dielectric background of the system. The effective dielectric function is obtained from the solution of the Poisson equation of a three-layer dielectric medium with graphene sheets located at the interfaces, separating the different materials. Due to the momentum dispersion of the effective dielectric function, the intra- and interlayer bare Coulomb interactions in the graphene double layer system acquires an additional momentum dependence-an effect that is of the order of the interlayer interaction itself. We show that the energies of the in-phase and out-of-phase plasmon modes are determined largely by different values of the spatially dependent effective dielectric function. The effect of the dielectric inhomogeneity increases with temperature, and even at high temperatures the energy shift induced by the dielectric inhomogeneity and temperature itself remains larger than the broadening of the plasmon energy dispersions due to the Landau damping. The obtained new features of the plasmon dispersions can be observed in frictional drag measurements and in inelastic light scattering and electron energy-loss spectroscopies.

Abstract: The strain-induced pseudomagnetic field in supported graphene deposited on top of a nanostructured substrate is investigated by using atomistic simulations. A step, an elongated trench, a one-dimensional barrier, a spherical bubble, a Gaussian bump, and a Gaussian depression are considered as support structures for graphene. From the obtained optimum configurations we found very strong induced pseudomagnetic fields which can reach up to similar to 1000 T due to the strain-induced deformations in the supported graphene. Different magnetic confinements with controllable geometries are found by tuning the pattern of the substrate. The resulting induced magnetic fields for graphene on top of a step, barrier, and trench are calculated. In contrast to the step and trench the middle part of graphene on top of a barrier has zero pseudomagnetic field. This study provides a theoretical background for designing magnetic structures in graphene by nanostructuring substrates. We found that altering the radial symmetry of the deformation changes the sixfold symmetry of the induced pseudomagnetic field.

Abstract: Nanocrystalline palladium thin films deposited by electron-beam evaporation and deformed by on-chip tensile testing reveal a surprisingly large strain hardening capacity when considering the small similar to 25 nm grain size. The as-grown films contain several coherent single and multifold twin boundaries. The coherency of the twin boundaries considerably decreases with deformation due to dislocation/twin boundary interactions. These reactions are described based on a detailed analysis of the number and the type of dislocations located at the twin boundaries using high-resolution TEM, including aberration corrected microscopy. Sessile Frank dislocations were observed at the twin/matrix interfaces, explaining the loss of the TB coherency due to the Burgers vector pointing out of the twinning plane. Grain boundary mediated processes were excluded as a mechanism dominating the plastic deformation based on the investigation of the grain size distribution as well as the crystallographic texture using Automated Crystallographic Orientation Indexation TEM. Other factors influencing the plastic deformation such as impurities and the presence of a native passivation oxide layer at the surface of the films were investigated using analytical TEM. The twin boundaries observed in the present work partly explain the high strain hardening capacity by providing both increasing resistance to dislocation motion with deformation and a source for dislocation multiplication. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We show that two-band superconductors harbor hidden criticality deep in the superconducting state, stemming from the critical temperature of the weaker band taken as an independent system. For sufficiently small interband coupling gamma the coherence length of the weaker band exhibits a remarkable deviation from the conventional monotonic increase with temperature, namely, a pronounced peak close to the hidden critical point. The magnitude of the peak scales as proportional to gamma(-mu), with the Landau critical exponent mu = 1/3, the same as found for the mean-field critical behavior with respect to the source field in ferromagnets and ferroelectrics. Here reported hidden criticality of multiband superconductors can be experimentally observed by, e.g., imaging of the variations of the vortex core in a broader temperature range. Similar effects are expected for the superconducting multilayers.

Abstract: We performed a detailed investigation of the oxidation of the technologically relevant GaAs(001)-beta 2(2x4) surface via density functional calculations. The purpose is to gain insights on the atomistic mechanisms and local bondings that underlie the degradation of the surface properties once exposed to oxygen. The study comprises the adsorption of single O atoms, through the sampling of several adsorption sites, and the subsequent formation of the O adsorbate at increasing coverage by taking into account multiple-atom adsorption. Based on the evaluation of the energetics and the structural properties of the atomistic models generated, the results here reported delineate a consistent picture of the initial stage of the surface oxidation: (i) at low coverage, in the limit of single O insertions, oxygen is incorporated on the surface forming a twofold-bridging Ga-O-As bond; (ii) at increasing coverage, as multiple O atoms are involved, this is accompanied by the formation of a threefold-coordinated bond (with two Ga and one As atoms); (iii) the latter has important implications regarding the electronic properties of the adsorbate since this O bonding may result in the formation of As dangling bonds. Moreover, a clear trend of increased energy gain for the incorporation of neighboring O atoms compared to single O insertions indicates that the formation of oxide clusters is favored over a regime of uniform oxidation. Our findings provide a detailed description of the O bonding and stress the importance of modeling the adsorption of multiple O atoms for an accurate description of the surface oxidation.

Abstract: In superconducting films under an applied dc current, we analyze experimentally and theoretically the influence of engineered pinning on the vortex velocity at which the flux-flow dissipation undergoes an abrupt transition from low to high resistance. We argue, based on a nonuniform distribution of vortex velocity in the sample, that in strongly disordered systems the mean critical vortex velocity for flux-flow instability (i) has a nonmonotonic dependence on magnetic field and (ii) decreases as the pinning strength is increased. These findings challenge the generally accepted microscopic model of Larkin and Ovchinnikov (1979 J. Low. Temp. Phys. 34 409) and all subsequent refinements of this model which ignore the presence of pinning centers.

Abstract: Nanocrystalline ZnO doped with Ag-nanoclusters has been synthesized by a salt solid state reaction. Three overlapping broad emission bands due to the Ag nanoclusters have been detected at about 570, 750 and 900 nm. These emission bands are excited by an energy transfer from the exciton state of the ZnO host when pumped in the wavelength range from 250 to 400 nm. The 900 nm emission band shows characteristic orbital splitting into three components pointing out that the anisotropic crystalline wurtzite host of ZnO is responsible for this feature. Heat-treatment and temperature dependence studies confirm the origin of these emission bands. An energy level diagram for the emission process and a model for Ag nanoclusters sites are suggested. The emission of nanocrystalline ZnO doped with Ag nanoclusters may be applied for white light generation, displays driven by UV light, down-convertors for solar cells and luminescent lamps.

Abstract: We investigate the energy levels and optical properties of a circular graphene quantum dot in the presence of an external magnetic field perpendicular to the dot. Based on the Dirac-Weyl equation and assuming zero outward current at the edge of the dot we present the results for two different types of boundary conditions, i.e. infinite-mass (IMBC) and zigzag boundary conditions. We found that the dot with zigzag edges displays a zero-energy state in the energy spectra while this is not the case for the IMBCs. For both boundary conditions, the confinement becomes dominated by the magnetic field, where the energy levels converge to the Landau levels as the magnetic field increases. The effect of boundary conditions on the electron-and hole-energy states is found to affect the interband absorption spectra, where we found larger absorption in the case of IMBCs. The selection rules for interband optical transitions are determined and discussed for both boundary conditions.

Abstract: Static and dynamic properties of superconducting vortices in a superconducting stripe with a periodic array of weakly-superconducting (or normal metal) regions are studied in the presence of external magnetic and electric fields. The time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory is used to describe the electronic transport, where the anisotropy is included through the spatially-dependent critical temperature T-c. Superconducting vortices penetrating into the weak-superconducting region with smaller T-c are more mobile than the ones in the strong superconducting regions. We observe periodic entrance and exit of vortices which reside in the weak link for some short interval. The mobility of the weakly-pinned vortices can be reduced by increasing the uniform applied magnetic field leading to distinct features in the voltage vs. magnetic field response of the system.

Abstract: The Hall (R-H) and bend (R-B) resistances of a graphene Hall bar structure containing a pn-junction are calculated when in the ballistic regime. The simulations are done using the billiard model. Introducing a pn-junction-dividing the Hall bar geometry in two regions-leads to two distinct regimes exhibiting very different physics: (1) both regions are of n-type and (2) one region is n-type and the other p-type. In regime (1), a “Hall plateau”-an enhancement of the resistance-appears for R-H. On the other hand, in regime (2), we found a negative R-H, which approaches zero for large B. The bend resistance is highly asymmetric in regime (2) and the resistance increases with increasing magnetic field B in one direction while it reduces to zero in the other direction. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4704667]

Abstract: Stearate@Cu/ZnO nanocomposite particles with molar ratios of ZnO ∶ Cu = 2 and 5 are synthesized by reduction of the metalorganic Cu precursor [Cu{(OCH(CH3)CH2N(CH3)2)}2] in the presence of stearate@ZnO nanoparticles. In the case of ZnO ∶ Cu = 5, high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) combined with electron-energy-loss-spectroscopy (EELS) as well as attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy are used to localize the small amount of Cu deposited on the surface of 35 nm sized stearate@ZnO particles. For ZnO ∶ Cu = 2, the microstructure of the nanocomposites after catalytic activity testing is characterized by HAADF-STEM techniques. This reveals the construction of large Cu nanoparticles (2050 nm) decorated by small ZnO nanoparticles (35 nm). The catalytic activity of both composites for the synthesis of methanol from syn gas is evaluated.

Abstract: Quantum confinement of the perpendicular motion of electrons in single-crystalline metallic superconducting nanofilms splits the conduction band into a series of single-electron subbands. A distinctive feature of such a nanoscale multi-band superconductor is that the energetic position of each subband can vary significantly with changing nanofilm thickness, substrate material, protective cover and other details of the fabrication process. It can occur that the bottom of one of the available subbands is situated in the vicinity of the Fermi level. We demonstrate that the character of the superconducting pairing in such a subband changes dramatically and exhibits a clear molecule-like trend, which is very similar to the well-known crossover from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer regime to Bose-Einstein condensation (BCS-BEC) observed in trapped ultracold fermions. For Pb nanofilms with thicknesses of 4 and 5 monolayers (MLs) this will lead to a spectacular scenario: up to half of all the Cooper pairs nearly collapse, shrinking in the lateral size (parallel to the nanofilm) down to a few nanometers. As a result, the superconducting condensate will be a coherent mixture of almost molecule-like fermionic pairs with ordinary, extended Cooper pairs.

Abstract: Superconductivity in nanowires made of weak coupling superconductor materials is investigated using a Green function approach. We show that these are multigap systems in which the ratio Delta(T)/k(B)T(c) is to a large extent similar to what is observed in some high-T-c two-gap systems, such as MgB2 and some of the Fe-based superconductors. On the other hand, because of confinement, the superfluid density has a temperature behavior of the form n(s)(T) = 1 – (T/T-c)(3) near T-c, thus deviating from the BCS behavior for bulk superconductors.

Abstract: Oxygen deficient perovskites Sr0.75Y0.25Co1-xMnxO3-y, x=0.5 and 0.75, were prepared by using the citrate route at 1373-1573 K for 48 h. The cubic Pm-3m perovskite structure for x=0.5 was confirmed by electron diffraction study and refined using neutron powder diffraction (NPD) data. For x=0.75, the superstructure corresponding to a=root 2 x a(per), b=2 x a(per), c=root 2 x a(per) (a(0)b(-)b(-) tilt system, space group Imma) was revealed by electron diffraction. The solid solution Sr0.75-xCaxY0.25Co0.25Mn0.75O3-y, 0.1 <= x <= 0.6 and compound Ca0.75Y0.25Mn0.85Co0.15O2.92 were prepared in air at 1573 K for 48 h. The crystal structure of Ca0.75Y0.25Mn0.85Co0.15O2.92 was refined using NPD data (S.G. Pnma, a=5.36595(4), b=7.5091(6), c=5.2992(4) angstrom, R-p=0.057, R-wp=0.056, chi(2)=4.26). High-temperature thermal expansion properties of the prepared compounds were studied in air using both dilatometry and high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction data (HTXRPD). They expanding non-linearly at 298-1073 K due to the loss of oxygen at high temperatures. Calculated average thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) for Sr0.75Y0.25Co1-xMnxO3-y, x=0.5, 0.75 and Ca0.75Y0.25Mn0.85Co0.15O2.92(1) are 15.5, 15.1, and 13.8 ppm K-1, respectively. Anisotropy of the thermal expansion along different unit cell axes was observed for Sr0.15Ca0.6Y0.25Co0.25Mn0.75O3-y, and Ca0.75Y0.25Mn0.85Co0.15O2.92. Conductivity of Sr0.75Y0.25Co1-xMnxO3-y, x=0.5 and 0.75 increases with the temperature reaching 110 S/cm for x=0.5 and 44 S/cm for x=0.75 at 1173 K. Samples of Sr0.75-xCaxY0.25Co0.25Mn0.75O3-y, 0.1 <= y <= 0.6 were found to be n-type conductors at room temperature with the similar temperature dependence of the conductivity and demonstrated the increase of the sigma value from similar to 1 to similar to 50 S/cm as the temperature increases from 300 to 1173 K. Their conductivity is described in terms of the small polaron charge transport with the activation energy (E-p) increasing from 340 to 430 meV with an increase of the calcium content from x=0 to x=0.6. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.