Abstract: Nb occupancy in the austenite B2-NiTi matrix and Ti2Ni phase in NiTiNb shape memory alloys was investigated by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and precession electron diffraction. In both cases, Nb atoms were found to prefer to occupy the Ti rather than Ni sites. A projector augmented wave method within density functional theory was used to calculate the atomic and electronic structures of the austenitic B2-NiTi matrix phase and the Ti2Ni precipitates both with and without addition of Nb. The obtained formation energies and analysis of structural and electronic characteristics explain the preference for Ti sites for Nb over Ni sites.

Abstract: The effect of palladium- and ruthenium-based clusters on nanocrystalline tin dioxide interaction with oxygen was studied by temperature-programmed oxygen isotopic exchange with mass-spectrometry detection. The modification of aqueous sol-gel prepared SnO2 by palladium and, to a larger extent, by ruthenium, increases surface oxygen concentration on the materials. The revealed effects on oxygen exchange-lowering the threshold temperature, separation of surface oxygen contribution to the process, increase of heteroexchange rate and oxygen diffusion coefficient, decrease of activation energies of exchange and diffusion-were more intensive for Ru-modified SnO2 than in the case of SnO2/Pd. The superior promoting activity of ruthenium on tin dioxide interaction with oxygen was interpreted by favoring the dissociative O-2 adsorption and increasing the oxygen mobility, taking into account the structure and chemical composition of the modifier clusters.

Abstract: We study the dynamics of vortices in an asymmetric (i.e., consisting of triangular cells) ring channel driven by an external ac current I in a Corbino setup. The asymmetric potential rectifies the motion of vortices and induces a net vortex flow without any unbiased external drive, i.e., the ratchet effect. We show that the net flow of vortices strongly depends on vortex density and frequency of the driving current. Depending on the density, we distinguish a single-vortex rectification regime (for low density, when each vortex is rectified individually) determined by the potential-energy landscape inside each cell of the channel (i.e., hard and easy directions) and multi-vortex, or collective, rectification (high-density case) when the inter-vortex interaction becomes important. We analyze the average angular velocity ω of vortices as a function of I and study commensurability effects between the numbers of vortices and cells in the channel and the role of frequency of the applied ac current. We have shown that the commensurability effect results in a stepwise ω-I curve. Besides the integer steps, i.e., the large steps found in the single-vortex case, we also found fractional steps corresponding to fractional ratios between the numbers of vortices and triangular cells. We have performed preliminary measurements on a device containing a single weak-pinning circular ratchet channel in a Corbino geometry and observed a substantial asymmetric vortex response.

Abstract: Crystal structure, electronic structure, and magnetic behavior of the spin-1/2 quantum magnet Na1.5VOPO4F0.5 are reported. The disorder of Na atoms leads to a sequence of structural phase transitions revealed by synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction and electron diffraction. The high-temperature second-order α↔β transition at 500 K is of the order-disorder type, whereas the low-temperature β↔γ+γ′ transition around 250 K is of the first order and leads to a phase separation toward the polymorphs with long-range (γ) and short-range (γ′) order of Na. Despite the complex structural changes, the magnetic behavior of Na1.5VOPO4F0.5 probed by magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electron spin resonance measurements is well described by the regular frustrated square lattice model of the high-temperature α-polymorph. The averaged nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor couplings are J̅ 1≃−3.7 K and J̅ 2≃6.6 K, respectively. Nuclear magnetic resonance further reveals the long-range ordering at TN=2.6 K in low magnetic fields. Although the experimental data are consistent with the simplified square-lattice description, band structure calculations suggest that the ordering of Na atoms introduces a large number of inequivalent exchange couplings that split the square lattice into plaquettes. Additionally, the direct connection between the vanadium polyhedra induces an unusually strong interlayer coupling having effect on the transition entropy and the transition anomaly in the specific heat. Peculiar features of the low-temperature crystal structure and the relation to isostructural materials suggest Na1.5VOPO4F0.5 as a parent compound for the experimental study of tetramerized square lattices as well as frustrated square lattices with different values of spin.

Abstract: Korund-artiges ε-Mn2O3 und Perowskit-artiges ζ-Mn2O3, zwei neue Phasen von Mn2O3, wurden unter hohen Drücken bei hohen Temperaturen synthetisiert. Die Manganatome können vollständig die A- und B-Positionen der Perowskitstruktur besetzen. ζ-Mn2O3 (siehe Bild, A-Positionsordnung) enthält Mn in den drei Oxidationsstufen +II, +III und +IV.

Abstract: Temperature-programmed oxygen isotopic exchange study was performed on nanocrystalline tin dioxide-based materials synthesized via sol-gel route and modified by palladium. Such materials are widely used as resistive gas sensors. The experiments were carried out in a flow-reactor up to complete isotopic substitution of oxygen. Substantial rates of isotopic exchange for SnO2 were observed from about 700 K. The distribution of isotopic molecules O-16(2). (OO)-O-16-O-18 and O-18(2) corresponds to simple dioxygen heteroexchange mechanism with single lattice oxygen atom. The modification of SnO2 by Pd introduced multiple heteroexchange mechanism with preliminary O-2 dissociation on the clusters surface. Spill-over of atomic oxygen from Pd to the surface of SnO2 and fast exchange with lattice oxygen result in more than 100% increase of apparent heteroexchange rate. The exchange on SnO2/Pd was shown to be a complex process involving partial deactivation of the catalytic centers at temperature higher than 750 K. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The crystal structure of the Pb4Mn9O20 compound (previously known as Pb0.43MnO2.18) was solved from powder X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, and high resolution electron microscopy data (S.G. Pnma, a=13.8888(2) Å, b=11.2665(2) Å, c=9.9867(1) Å, RI=0.016, RP=0.047). The structure is based on a 6H (cch)2 close packing of pure oxygen h-type (O16) layers alternating with mixed c-type (Pb4O12) layers. The Mn atoms occupy octahedral interstices formed by the oxygen atoms of the close-packed layers. The MnO6 octahedra share edges within the layers, whereas the octahedra in neighboring layers are linked through corner sharing. The relationship with the closely related Pb3Mn7O15 structure is discussed. Magnetization measurements reveal a peculiar magnetic behavior with a phase transition at 52 K, a small net magnetization below the transition temperature, and a tendency towards spin freezing.

Abstract: Resistive switching heterojunctions, which are promising for nonvolatile memory applications, usually share a capacitorlike metal-oxide-metal configuration. Here, we report on the nonvolatile resistive switching in Pt/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures, where the conducting layer near the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface serves as the unconventional bottom electrode although both oxides are band insulators. Interestingly, the switching between low-resistance and high-resistance states is accompanied by reversible transitions between tunneling and Ohmic characteristics in the current transport perpendicular to the planes of the heterojunctions. We propose that the observed resistive switching is likely caused by the electric-field-induced drift of charged oxygen vacancies across the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface and the creation of defect-induced gap states within the ultrathin LaAlO3 layer. These metal-oxide-oxide heterojunctions with atomically smooth interfaces and defect-controlled transport provide a platform for the development of nonvolatile oxide nanoelectronics that integrate logic and memory devices.

Abstract: The counterions are of crucial importance in determining the mesostructure and morphology of ethanebridged PMO materials synthesized under basic conditions. By using CTABr as the surfactant, the final PMO materials show a 2-D hexagonal (p6mm) mesophase, while PMO materials with cubic (Pm (3) over barn ) mesostructure are obtained when CTACl or CTA(SO4)(1)/(2) are used. With gradually replacing CTABr by CTACl or CTA(SO4) (1)/(2) while keeping the total surfactant concentration constant, a clear p6mm to Pm (3) over barn 3n mesophase evolution process is observed. For a given gel composition, the mesophase of ethanebridged PMO materials can also be adjusted by the addition of different sodium salts. In short, the effect of the counterions on the mesophase can be attributed to the binding strength of the ions on the surfactant micelles, which follows the Hofmeister series (SO42- < Cl- < Br-< NO3- < SCN-). Furthermore, it is found that the hydrolysis and condensation rate of the organosilica precursor also plays an important role in the formation of the final mesostructure

Abstract: The structure of Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 was investigated on different length scales using a combination of electron diffraction, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. In the 80300 K temperature range, the average crystal structure of Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 is a cubic Pm3̅m perovskite with a = 3.95368(3) Å at T = 300 K. The (Pb2+, Bi3+) cations and O2 anions are randomly displaced along the 110 cubic directions, indicating the steric activity of the lone pair on the Pb2+ and Bi3+ cations and a tilting distortion of the perovskite framework. The charge imbalance induced by the heterovalent Bi3+ → Pb2+ substitution is compensated by the formation of oxygen vacancies preserving the trivalent state of the Fe cations. On a short scale, oxygen vacancies are located in anion-deficient (FeO1.25) layers that are approximately 6 perovskite unit cells apart and transform every sixth layer of the FeO6 octahedra into a layer with a 1:1 mixture of corner-sharing FeO4 tetrahedra and FeO5 tetragonal pyramids. The anion-deficient layers act as twin planes for the octahedral tilting pattern of adjacent perovskite blocks. They effectively randomize the octahedral tilting and prevent the cooperative distortion of the perovskite framework. The disorder in the anion sublattice impedes cooperative interactions of the local dipoles induced by the off-center displacements of the Pb and Bi cations. Magnetic susceptibility measurements evidence the antiferromagnetic ordering in Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 at low temperatures.