Abstract: Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations, coupled with an external circuit, are used to investigate the behavior of pulsed dual-frequency (DF) capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs). It is found that the phase shift θ between the high (or low) frequency source and the pulse modulation has a great influence on the ion density and the ionization rate. By pulsing the high frequency source, the time-averaged ion density shows a maximum when θ = 90∘. The time-averaged ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) at the driven electrode, however, keep almost unchanged, illustrating the potential of pulsed DF-CCP for independent control of ion density (and flux) and ion energy. A detailed investigation of the temporal evolution of the plasma characteristics indicates that several high frequency harmonics can be excited at the initial stage of a pulse period by tuning the phase shift θ, and this gives rise to strong sheath oscillations, and therefore high ionization rates. For comparison, the pulsing of the low frequency source is also studied. In this case, the ion density changes slightly as a function of time, and the time-averaged ion density shows the same trend as in the HF modulation for different phase shifts θ. Moreover, the time-averaged IEDFs at the driven electrode can be modulated, showing the potential to reduce the maximum ion bombardment energy.

Abstract: The phonon spectra of thin freestanding, hydrogen passivated, Ge nanowires are calculated by ab initio techniques. The effect of confinement on the phonon modes as caused by the small diameters of the wires is investigated. Confinement causes a hardening of the optical modes and a softening of the longitudinal acoustic modes. The stability of the nanowires, undoped or doped with B or P atoms, is investigated using the obtained phonon spectra. All considered wires were stable, except for highly doped, very thin nanowires.

Abstract: In-situ bright field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanomechanical tensile testing and in-situ automated crystallographic orientation mapping in TEM were combined to unravel the elementary mechanisms controlling the plasticity of ultrafine grained Aluminum freestanding thin films. The characterizations demonstrate that deformation proceeds with a transition from grain rotation to intragranular dislocation glide and starvation plasticity mechanism at about 1% deformation. The grain rotation is not affected by the character of the grain boundaries. No grain growth or twinning is detected. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Abstract: Faraday rotation has been used to investigate a series of polymer films doped with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The films have been prepared by spin-coating and melt-processing. In each case, upon varying the angle of optical incidence on the films, an in-plane magnetic anisotropy is observed. The effect of such an anisotropy on the Faraday rotation as a function of the angle of optical incidence is verified by comparison with magnetically poled films. These results demonstrate that care should be taken upon analyzing the magnetic behavior of such films on account of the sample preparation techniques themselves being able to affect the magnetization.

Abstract: In this letter we compare the effect of a radio-frequency sine, a low frequency sine, a rectangular and a pulsed dc voltage profile on the calculated electron production and power consumption in the dielectric barrier discharge. We also demonstrate using calculated potential distribution profiles of high time and space resolution how the pulsed dc discharge generates a secondary discharge pulse by deactivating the power supply.

Abstract: The magneto-Stark effect in a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) coupled quantum well (CQW) induced by an in-plane magnetic field is investigate theoretically. Unlike the usual electro-Stark effects, in a DMS CQW the Lorenz force leads to a spatially separated exciton. The in-plane magnetic field can shift the ground state of the magnetoexciton from a zero in-plane center of mass (CM)/momentum to a finite CM momentum, and render the ground state of magnetoexciton stable against radiative recombination due to momentum conservation. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract: We calculate the quasiparticle energy spectrum of SnO2 within the GW approximation, properly taking into account the contribution of core levels to the energy corrections. The calculated fundamental gap is of 3.85 eV. We propose that the difference with respect to the experimental optical gap (3.6 eV) is due to excitonic effects in the latter. We further consider the effect applied on uniaxial pressure along the c-axis. Compared to GW, the effect of pressure on the quasiparticle energies and band gap is underestimated by the local-density approximation. The quasiparticle effective masses, however, appear to be well described by the latter.

Abstract: We report bipolar resistive switching between the interfaces of manganite nanocolumns. La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films were prepared on Al2O3 substrates, where the films grow in nanocolumns from the substrate to the surface. Conductive atomic force microscopy directly detects that the resistive switching is located at the boundaries of the grains. Furthermore, mesoscopic transport measurements reveal a tunnel magnetoresistance. In combination with the resistive switching, this leads to a total of four different resistive states.

Abstract: Two-dimensional electron gas systems patterned into micrometer Hall bars can be used as Hall magnetosensors. In this way, ballistic Hall probes have already been studied and used successfully. Here, the response function of a Hall sensor is determined in the diffusive regime, which allows this device to be used as a magnetosensor for the determination of inhomogeneous magnetic field distributions. Furthermore, the influence of the geometry of the Hall bar on this response function, such as circular corners and asymmetry in the probes, is also investigated and appears to be non-negligible. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract: A study of ns-laser ablation is presented, which focuses on the transient behavior of the physical processes that act in and above a copper sample. A dimensionless multiphase collisional radiative model describes the interplay between the ablation, collisional, and radiative mechanisms. Calculations are done for a 6 ns-Nd:YAG laser pulse operating at 532 nm and fluences up to 15 J/cm2. Temporal intensity profiles as well as transmissivities are in good agreement with experimental results. It is found that volumetric ablation mechanisms and photo-processes both play an essential role in the onset of ns-laser induced breakdown.

Abstract: Shape memory alloys inherit their macroscopic properties from their mesoscale microstructure originated from the martensitic phase transformation. In a cubic to orthorhombic transition, a single variant of martensite can have a compatible (exact) interface with the austenite for some special lattice parameters in contrast to conventional austenite/twinned martensite interface with a transition layer. Experimentally, the phase compatibility results in a dramatic drop in thermal hysteresis and gives rise to very stable functional properties over cycling. Here, we investigate the microstructures observed in Ti50Ni50-xPdx alloys that undergo a cubic to orthorhombic martensitic transformation using a three-dimensional phase field approach. We will show that the simulation results are in very good agreement with transmission electron microscopy observations. However, the understanding of the drop in thermal hysteresis requires the coupling of phase transformation with plastic activity. We will discuss this point within the framework of thermoelasticity, which is a generic feature of the martensitic transformation. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4712629]