Abstract: We show that in presence of an applied external field the two-component order parameter superconductor falls in two categories of ground states, namely, in the traditional Abrikosov ground state or in a new ground state fitted to describe a superconducting layer with texture, that is, patched regions separated by a phase difference of pi. The existence of these two kinds of ground states follows from the sole assumption that the total supercurrent is the sum of the two individual supercurrents and is independent of any consideration about the free energy expansion. Uniquely defined relations between the current density and the superfluid density hold for these two ground states, which also determine the magnetization in terms of average values of the order parameters. Because these ground-state conditions are also Bogomolny equations we construct the free energy for the two-component superconductor which admits the Bogomolny solution at a special coupling value. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2010

Abstract: LaAMnSnO(6) (A = Sr, Ba) have been synthesized by high temperature solid-state reactions under dynamic 1% H(2)/Ar flow. Rietveld refinements on room temperature powder X-ray diffraction data indicate that LaSrMnSnO(6) crystallizes in the GdFeO(3)-structure, with space group Pnma and, combined with transmission electron microscopy, LaBaMnSnO(6) in Imma. Both space groups are common in disordered double-perovskites. The Mn(3+) and Sn(4+) ions whose valence states were confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, are completely disordered over the B-sites and the BO(6) octahedra are slightly distorted. LaAMnSnO(6) are ferromagnetic semiconductors with a T(C) = 83 K for the Sr- and 66 K for the Ba-compound. The title compounds, together with the previously reported LaCaMnSnO(6) provide an interesting example of progression from Pnma to Imma as the tolerance factor increases. An analysis of the relationship between space group and tolerance factor for the series LaAMnMO(6) (A = Ca, Sr, Ba; M = Sn, Ru) provides a better understanding of the symmetry determination for double perovskites.

Abstract: The complex oxide Ca7Mn2.14Ga5.86O17.93 was synthesized by the solid-state reaction in a sealed evacuated quartz tube at 1000 °C. Its crystal structure was determined by electron diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction. The structure can be represented as a tetrahedral framework, viz., the polyanion [(Mn0.285Ga0.715)15O29.86]19- stabilized by the incorporated cation [Ca14GaO6]19+. The polycation consists of the GaO6 octahedra surrounded by the Ca atoms, which are arranged to form a cube capped at all places. The tetrahedral framework is partially disordered due to the presence of tetrahedra with two possible orientations in the positions (0, 0, 0) and (x, x, x) with x ≈ 0.15 and 0.17. The relationship between the Ca7Mn2.14Ga5.86O17.93 structures and related ordered phases with the symmetry F23, as well as the influence of the oxygen content on the ordering in the tetrahedral framework, are discussed.

Abstract: The buckling of defected rectangular graphene nanoribbons when subjected to axial stress with supported boundary conditions is investigated using atomistic simulations. The buckling strain and mechanical stiffness of monolayer graphene decrease with the percentage of randomly distributed vacancies. The elasticity to plasticity transition in the stress-strain curve, at low percentage of vacancies, are found to be almost equal to the buckling strain thresholds and they decrease with increasing percentage of vacancies.

Abstract: Metal-catalyzed growth mechanisms of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were studied by hybrid molecular dynamics−Monte Carlo simulations using a recently developed ReaxFF reactive force field. Using this novel approach, including relaxation effects, a CNT with definable chirality is obtained, and a step-by-step atomistic description of the nucleation process is presented. Both root and tip growth mechanisms are observed. The importance of the relaxation of the network is highlighted by the observed healing of defects.

Abstract: The most efficient use of spatial volume and the lowest potential energies in the metal oxide structures are based on cubic close packing (ccp) or hexagonal close packing (hcp) of anions with cations occupying the interstices. A promising way to tune the composition of close packed oxides and design new compounds is related to fragmenting the parent structure into modules by periodically spaced planar interfaces, such as twin planes at the unit cell scale. The unique crystal chemistry properties of cations with a lone electron pair, such as Bi3+ or Pb2+, when located at interfaces, enables them to act as chemical scissors, to help relieve configurational strain. With this approach, we synthesized a new oxide, BiMnFe2O6, where fragments of the hypothetical hcp oxygen-based MO structure (the NiAs structure type), for the first time, serve as the building modules in a complex transition metal oxide. Mn3+ and Fe3+ ions are randomly distributed in two crystallographically independent sites (M1 and M2). The structure consists of quasi two-dimensional blocks of the 2H hexagonal close packed MO structure cut along the (114) crystal plane of the hcp lattice and stacked along the c axis. The blocks are related by a mirror operation that allows BiMnFe2O6 to be considered as a polysynthetically twinned 2H hcp MO structure. The transition to an AFM state with an incommensurate spin configuration at [similar] 212 K is established by 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and low temperature powder neutron diffraction.

Abstract: For the first time, the local structure and physical properties of Ru1222 based compounds (RuSr(2)Gd(1.4)Ce(0.6)Cu(2)O(10-delta) and RuSr(2)Gd(1.8-x)Y(0.2)CexCu(2)O(10) (x = 0.90-0.55)) have been investigated and analyzed together on the very same compounds. The Ru1222 superstructure was confirmed by TEM at a local scale and was suggested to have an orthorhombic symmetry with space group Aba2 and lattice parameters a(s) similar or equal to root 2a, b(s) similar or equal to root 2a and c(s) = c. This new Ru1222 superstructure distortion from tetragonal symmetry is proposed to have a positive correlation with the superconductivity variation of these compounds. The more the distortion towards orthorhombic symmetry, the higher the critical superconducting temperature these compounds can achieve. The T(c)(0) of RuSr(2)Gd(1.8-x)Y(0.2)Ce(x)Cu(2)O(10-delta) (x = 0.85-0.55) increases monotonically from 4 to 16 K when x decreases from 0.85 to 0.70, then RuSr(2)Gd(2)Cu(2)O(8) defects emerge and the T(c) decreases with decreasing x. Ru1212 defects are observed to intergrow epitaxially with the Ru1222 structure as lamellas along the c-axis in RuSr(2)Gd(1.4)Ce(0.6)Cu(2)O(10-delta). Although Ru1212 is a superconductor, the intergrowth severely restrains its superconductivity.

Abstract: After the advent of energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD) in 2006, rapid progress in theoretical understanding and in experimental performance was achieved, recently demonstrating a spatial resolution of better than 2 nm. Similar to the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism technique, EMCD is used to study atom specific magnetic moments. The latest generation of electron microscopes opens the road to the mapping of spin moments on the atomic scale with this method. Here the theoretical background to reach this challenging aim is elaborated. Numerical simulations of the L3 transition in an Fe specimen, based on a combination of the density-matrix approach for inelastic electron scattering with the propagation of the probe electron in the lattice potential indicate the feasibility of single spin mapping in the electron microscope.

Abstract: Porous titanosilicate beads with a diameter of 0.51.5 mm (TiSil-HPB-60) were synthesized from a preformed titanosilicate solution with a porous anion-exchange resin as template. The bead format of this material enables its straightforward separation from the reaction mixture in its application as a liquid-phase heterogeneous catalyst. The material displays hierarchical porosity (micro/mesopores) and incipient TS-1 structure building units. The titanium species are predominantly located in tetrahedral framework positions. TiSil-HPB-60 is a highly active catalyst for the epoxidation of cyclohexene with t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and aqueous H2O2. With both oxidants, TiSil-HPB-60 gave higher epoxide yields than Ti-MCM-41 and TS-1. The improved catalytic performance of TiSil-HPB-60 is mainly ascribed to the large mesopores favoring the diffusion of reagents and products to and from the titanium active sites. The epoxide yield and selectivity could be further improved by silylation of the titanosilicate beads. Importantly, TiSil-HPB-60 is a stable catalyst immune to titanium leaching, and can be easily recovered and reused in successive catalytic cycles without significant loss of activity. Moreover, TiSil-HPB-60 is active and selective in the epoxidation of a wide range of bulky alkenes.

Abstract: Recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements of the proximity effect in Au/La2−xSrxCuO4 and La1.55Sr0.45CuO4/La2−xSrxCuO4 bilayers showed a proximity-induced pseudogap [O. Yuli, I. Asulin, Y. Kalcheim, G. Koren, and O. Millo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 197003 (2009)]. We describe the proximity effect in mesoscopic superconductor/normal-metal bilayers by using the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations for a tight-binding Hamiltonian with competing antiferromagnetic and d-wave superconductivity orders. The temperature-dependent local density of states is calculated as a function of the distance from the interface. Bound state due to both d-wave and spin-density wave gaps are formed in the normal metal for energies less than the respective gaps. If there is a mismatch between the Fermi velocities in the two layers we observe that these states will shift in energy when spin-density wave order is present, thus inducing a minigap at finite energy. We conclude that the STM measurement in the proximity structures is able to distinguish between the two scenarios proposed for the pseudogap (competing or precursor to superconductivity).

Abstract: The usefulness of fullerene modified glassy carbon electrode in mediating the reduction of cefitizoxime in solubilized system has been demonstrated. Due to the unique structure and extraordinary properties, fullerene shows higher catalytic efficiency towards cefitizoxime reduction. The kinetic parameters, electron transfer coefficient (α) and rate constant (K0) across the modified electrode are 0.37 and 0.1081/s respectively. The proposed square-wave voltammetric method is linear over the concentration range 1.210.3 µg/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) is found 0.27 ng/mL. High sensitivity and selectivity together with low detection limit of the electrode response make it suitable for the determination of cefitizoxime.

Abstract: Magnetically coupled superconductorferromagnet hybrids offer advanced routes for nanoscale control of superconductivity. Magnetotransport characteristics and scanning tunneling microscopy images of vortex structures in superconductorferromagnet hybrids reveal rich superconducting phase diagrams. Focusing on a particular combination of a ferromagnet with a well-ordered periodic magnetic domain structure with alternating out-of-plane component of magnetization, and a small coherence length superconductor, we find directed nucleation of superconductivity above the domain wall boundaries. We show that near the superconductor-normal state phase boundary the superconductivity is localized in narrow mesoscopic channels. In order to explore the Abrikosov flux line ordering in F/S hybrids, we use a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and GinzburgLandau simulations. The magnetic stripe domain structure induces periodic local magnetic induction in the superconductor, creating a series of pinninganti-pinning channels for externally added magnetic flux quanta. Such laterally confined Abrikosov vortices form quasi-1D arrays (chains). The transitions between multichain states occur through propagation of kinks at the intermediate fields. At high fields we show that the system becomes nonlinear due to a change in both the number of vortices and the confining potential. In F/S/F hybrids we demonstrate the evolution of the anisotropic conductivity in the superconductor that is magnetically coupled with two adjacent ferromagnetic layers. Stripe magnetic domain structures in both F-layers are aligned under each other, resulting in a directional superconducting order parameter in the superconducting layer. The conductance anisotropy strongly depends on the period of the magnetic domains and the strength of the local magnetization. The anisotropic conductivity of up to three orders of magnitude can be achieved with a spatial critical temperature modulation of 5% of T c. Induced anisotropic properties in the F/S and F/S/F hybrids have a potential for future application in switching and nonvolatile memory elements operating at low temperatures.

Abstract: Full ab initio techniques are applied to study the electronic and dynamical properties of free standing, hydrogen-passivated Si/Ge core-shell nanowires oriented along the [110] direction. All studied wires exhibit a direct band gap and are found to be structurally stable. The different contributions of the core and shell atoms to the phonon spectra are identified. The acoustic phonon velocities and the frequencies of some typical optical modes are compared with those of pure Si and Ge nanowires. These depend either on the concentration or on the type of core material. Optical modes are hardened and longitudinal acoustic velocities are softened with decreasing wire diameter.

Abstract: We study electron tunneling through a planar magnetic and electric barrier on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator. For the double barrier structures, we find (i) a directional-dependent tunneling which is sensitive to the magnetic field configuration and the electric gate voltage, (ii) a spin rotation controlled by the magnetic field and the gate voltage, (iii) many Fabry-Pérot resonances in the transmission determined by the distance between the two barriers, and (iv) the electrostatic potential can enhance the difference in the transmission between the two magnetization configurations, and consequently lead to a giant magnetoresistance. Points (i), (iii), and (iv) are alike with that in graphene stemming from the same linear-dispersion relations.

Abstract: The control of damage to individual environmental particles by a laser beam during Raman spectroscopy carried out in ambient air is generally well understood. The nature and control of damage under vacuum conditions (e.g. in the scanning electron microscopy with energy X-ray detection combined with micro-Raman spectroscopyinterfaced SEM-EDX/MRS) are more complex and less well comprehended. The physical and chemical processes that affect the damage caused to small particles by lasers still remain somewhat unclear, but certainly the atmosphere (vacuum/air) and the beam intensity have very significant influences. Furthermore, it has been determined that some particles (e.g. haematite), although stable under an electron beam, are damaged by the laser beam, hampering their analysis. Additionally, when simultaneous analyses by SEM/EDX and MRS are considered, the correct choice of the collection surface plays a crucial role. As a result, the following collection substrates were tested to determine their influence on the laser beam damage process to the particle: silver and aluminium foils and silicon wafers. A test study was performed using artificial examples of haematite (Fe2O3) particles. Exposure of Fe2O3 particles in vacuum to 514- and 785-nm laser radiation often leads to their melting, transformation and evaporation. The dependence of the damage caused by the laser beam on the particle structure is reported here. Molecular and crystallographic changes have also been revealed. Formation of magnetite (as an effect of re-crystallisation) and Raman inactive structures was detected.