Electrical switching of the vortex core in a magnetic disk

A magnetic vortex is a curling magnetic structure realized in a ferromagnetic disk, which is a promising candidate for a memory cell for future non-volatile data-storage devices. Thus, an understanding of the stability and dynamical behaviour of the magnetic vortex is a major requirement for developing magnetic data-storage technology. Since the publication of experimental proof for the existence of a nanometre-scale core with out-of-plane magnetization in a magnetic vortex, the dynamics of vortices have been investigated intensively. However, a way to electrically control the core magnetization, which is a key for constructing a vortex-core memory, has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate the electrical switching of the core magnetization by using the current-driven resonant dynamics of the vortex; the core switching is triggered by a strong dynamic field that is produced locally by a rotational core motion at a high speed of several hundred metres per second. Efficient switching of the vortex core without magnetic-field application is achieved owing to resonance. This opens up the potentiality of a simple magnetic disk as a building block for spintronic devices such as a memory cell where the bit data is stored as the direction of the nanometre-scale core magnetization.     

Image segmentation of a color-blindness plate

One way of testing color vision is with a color-blindness plate (CBP) consisting of a set of brilliant colored dots to form a pattern (a figure) and a set of other colored dots to form a background. Classification of such a type of color image into a pattern and a background with a traditional technique is difficult. Based on a self-organizing feature map and a labeling process as well as spatial distance computation, an effective approach to the segmentation of a CBP image is presented. We describe the principle of a CBP segmentation and then introduce the CBP. The proposed approach is described, and its experimental results are presented. We conclude that the method can segment the CBP image into a pattern and a background successfully.     

Fluctuational electromagnetic interaction between a moving particle and a flat surface covered with a thin adsorbed film

The effect of a thin adsorbed film on the fluctuational electromagnetic tangential force of interaction between a moving nanoparticle and a flat solid surface was theoretically studied for the first time in a nonrelativistic approximation. Particular calculations were performed for a metal film on a dielectric and for a dielectric film on a metal. In both cases, the nanoparticle is assumed to be made of a nonmagnetic metal. It is shown that, at a normal temperature, the presence of an adsorbed film may lead to an increase in the tangential friction force by one or two orders of magnitude for a certain relation between the particle distance from the surface and the film thickness. In the case of a dielectric film on a metal substrate, a decrease in the temperature is accompanied by exponential decrease in the viscous friction. For a metal film on a dielectric substrate, the tangential force exhibits a quadratic dependence on the temperature.     

A case-based reasoning approach toward developing a belief about the cost of concept

It is generally acknowledged that product development involves a sequence of decision making under uncertainty, including setting target requirements for a new product, selecting product concept, and developing conceptual and detailed design of a chosen concept. To select a product concept, engineers need to assess the uncertainty of a future market share, market size, and a cost of concept (cost of the final product developed from a concept). This paper proposes a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to model beliefs about the uncertainty of a cost of concept. The proposed CBR approach consists of storing information about various products in a knowledge-base, defining a new product concept, retrieving a cluster of products in the knowledge-base that are highly similar to the concept, and adapting the cost of the retrieved product to construct a distribution of the cost of concept. This paper illustrates the proposed approach using printers as an example.     

Formation of a Nanophase Wetting Layer and Metal Growth on a Semiconductor

Based on the data on the atomic density of a film and degree of its homogeneity during the formation of the interface between 3d transition metals (Cr, Co, Fe, or Cu) and silicon, a new concept of forming a contact between a reactive metal and a semiconductor has been justified. According to this concept, the low-temperature vapor-phase deposition of a metal onto a semiconductor is accompanied by the formation of a two-dimensional nanophase wetting layer of a metal or its mixture with silicon with a thickness of several monolayers, which significantly affects the interface formation and structure. This concept changes a perspective of forming a contact between a metal and a semiconductor substrate: it is necessary to take into account not only the formation of surface phases and clusters and/or the mixing process, but also the effect of elastic wetting of a substrate by the forming phases.     

The Variational Form of the Mathematical Model of a Thermal Explosion in a Solid Body with Temperature-Dependent Thermal Conductivity

The variational form of a mathematical model of a thermal explosion has been developed based on a variational formulation of a nonlinear problem of stationary thermal conductivity in a homogeneous solid body. The model takes the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of a solid body into account. The presented example of quantitative analysis of the model demonstrates a method for finding the combination of parameters for determining a thermal explosion in a plate with an exponential temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity. At the same time, the analysis allows one to identify the number of steadystate temperature distributions inside a body whose energy release intensifies with a temperature increase.     

Developing a product–service system through a productisation strategy: a case from the 3PL industry

A Product–Service System (PSS) is created by combing a tangible product and an intangible service into one integrated offering. Thus, a PSS can be achieved by a production company adding intangible services to a product using a servitisation strategy or by a service company adding a tangible product to a service by means of a productisation strategy. The focus of this paper is on the latter. Our work demonstrates a significant gap in the literature in this area. To address this, we adapt an existing PSS conceptual framework as a means to identify the driving and restraining forces considered by a service company as it explored the possibility of pursuing a PSS productisation strategy. The conceptual framework is applied in an exploratory case study with a 3PL service provider. Application of the framework reveals new driving and restraining forces not previously discussed in the literature. Furthermore, it allows a preliminary quantification of the driving and restraining forces using a force field analysis approach. Our work contributes towards the expansion of the empirical knowledge base in the area of PSS.     

Fabry–Perot interferometer in pulsed illumination: a new approach and capabilities

An analysis of the spectral-time characteristics of a Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) in pulsed illumination is given. Processes that occur in the transit of light pulses of different widths through a FPI are considered in detail. A relationship between the baseline of a FPI and the width of the incident light pulse is established. The time structure of a pulse that has traversed a FPI is analyzed. The theoretical difference in the transit of a light pulse through a FPI and of a regular sequence of synchronized laser pulses is found. The maximum time resolution of a FPI is determined. A model that describes the transit of a regular sequence of synchronized laser pulses through a FPI functioning in the mode of an optical filter is determined.     

六边形孔蜂窝梁和蜂窝组合梁抗剪性能分析

该文对不同参数下的正六边形孔蜂窝梁和蜂窝组合梁抗剪性能进行了试验与有限元分析研究。以试验研究为基础,基于有限元软件ABAQUS 建立非线性有限元模型,对不同开孔率、不同翼缘宽度和厚度的蜂窝梁和蜂窝组合梁进行分析比较,发现蜂窝梁和蜂窝组合梁抗剪承载力大小与翼缘厚度、开孔率和连接程度均有关。结果表明:蜂窝梁翼缘厚度变化对其抗剪承载力影响较大,而蜂窝组合梁中翼缘厚度的变化对其抗剪性能影响相对较小;混凝土板提高了蜂窝梁的抗剪极限承载能力;最后,给出蜂窝梁和蜂窝组合梁抗剪计算公式。     

Unstable resonator with reduced output coupling

The properties of a laser beam coupled out of a standard unstable laser resonator are heavily dependent on the chosen resonator magnification. A higher magnification results in a higher output coupling and a better beam quality. But in some configurations, an unstable resonator with a low output coupling in combination with a good beam quality is desirable. In order to reduce the output coupling for a particular resonator, magnification fractions of the outcoupled radiation are reflected back into the cavity. In the confocal case, the output mirror consists of a spherical inner section with a high reflectivity and a flat outer section with a partial reflectivity coating. With the application of the unstable resonator with reduced output coupling (URROC), magnification and output coupling can be adjusted independently from each other and it is possible to get a good beam quality and a high power extraction for lasers with a large low gain medium. The feasibility of this resonator design is examined numerically and experimentally with the help of a chemical oxygen iodine laser.     

Extraordinary magneto-optical effect of transmitted wave phase change in periodic diffraction structures

Based on the results of electromagnetic simulations for a dielectric structure comprising a grating over a homogeneous layer, a new magnetooptical effect is predicted according to which the phase of the transmitted zeroth order of diffraction must exhibit resonant variation during a change in the magnetization of the material. The structure is magnetized in the plane of the grating, in a direction perpendicular to its grooves. Since the magnitude of this effect is greater by several orders than that of the analogous effect for a homogeneous magnetized layer, the new effect is called extraordinary. The phenomenon is given a theoretical explanation based on a resonance excitation of an eigenmodes in the structure and the dependence of the mode frequency on the magnetization. It is shown that a large change in the phase of the transmitted order of diffraction is achieved at a certain ratio of the resonant and nonresonant diffraction processes.     

Dynamic stress intensity factors analysis of interface crack using line-spring model

In this study, a new method for calculating the dynamic stress intensity factors of a bimaterial bending specimen with an interface crack is proposed by making use of a line-spring model. A pre-cracked bending specimen is modeled by one-dimensional beam finite elements and a line-spring representing the stiffness or compliance of a cracked part. The proposed method enables the one-dimensional analysis of a two-dimensional crack problem; thus the time variations of the dynamic stress intensity factors of a bimaterial bending specimen with an interface crack can be obtained by making use of a personal computer within a few minutes. The results obtained by the proposed method agree reasonably well with those obtained by the two-dimensional finite element method, although a slight difference in period can be found. The proposed method enables rapid evaluation of dynamic stress intensity factors. So a rapid evaluation system of the dynamic fracture toughness of a bimaterial with an interface crack can be achieved by combining an instrumented impact test apparatus with a computer program based on the proposed method which runs on a personal computer.     

A method for simultaneously measuring resistivity and permeabilitywith a multilayer solenoid coil

A formula is given for a more accurate estimate of either the resistivity and permeability of a cylindrical magnetic material or the resistivity and penetration depth of a cylindrical superconductor, using the difference in the complex impedance between a circular multilayer solenoid coil having a conductor and a similar coil without a conductor. In comparison with the conventional method which uses a single-layer solenoid coil, it is shown experimentally that a multilayer solenoid coil is more effective for a short sample conductor because a larger difference in the complex impedance is obtained without increasing the width of the solenoid coil. The results of measurements of magnetic and superconductive materials are included     

Development and analysis of a photon-counting three-dimensional imaging laser detection and ranging (LADAR) system

In this paper, a photon-counting three-dimensional imaging laser detection and ranging (LADAR) system that uses a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GAPD) of relatively short dead time (45 ns) is described. A passively Q-switched microchip laser is used as a laser source and a compact peripheral component interconnect system, which includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC), is set up for fast signal processing. The combination of a GAPD with short dead time and a TDC with a multistop function enables the system to operate in a single-hit or a multihit mode during the acquisition of time-of-flight data. The software for the three-dimensional visualization and an algorithm for the removal of noise are developed. For the photon-counting LADAR system, we establish a theoretical model of target-detection and false-alarm probabilities in both the single-hit and multihit modes with a Poisson statistic; this model provides the prediction of the performance of the system and a technique for the acquisition of a noise image with a GAPD. Both the noise image and the three-dimensional image of a scene acquired by the photon-counting LADAR system during the day are presented.     

Reusable platforms for high-throughput on-chip temperature gradient assays

This paper describes a reusable platform that can apply a linear temperature gradient to a lab-on-a-chip device. When a planar microfluidic device with a series of microchannels is placed on top of the platform with the channels perpendicular to the gradient, each channel is held at a discrete temperature. This allows temperature-dependent data for chemical or biochemical species flowed into the device to be obtained in a concurrent fashion. As a demonstration, a melting curve for dsDNA is performed by collecting all the data simultaneously. The gradient is stable enough to easily distinguish between 30-mers where the complement strand contains a single C-A mismatch or a single T-G mismatch or is a perfect match. On the other hand, a temperature gradient can be formed parallel to the direction of flow of the microchannels. This allows the temperature in each channel to vary continuously as the liquid flows downstream. If each microchannel in the array contains a distinct pH value, ionic strength, species concentration, or chemical composition, then a high-throughput two-variable experiment can be performed. We demonstrate this mode of data collection by measuring the fluorescence yield of fluorescein dye molecules in aqueous solution simultaneously as a function of concentration and temperature.     

Mutation-periodic quivers, integrable maps and associated Poisson algebras

We consider a class of map, recently derived in the context of cluster mutation. In this paper, we start with a brief review of the quiver context, but then move onto a discussion of a related Poisson bracket, along with the Poisson algebra of a special family of functions associated with these maps. A bi-Hamiltonian structure is derived and used to construct a sequence of Poisson-commuting functions and hence show complete integrability. Canonical coordinates are derived, with the map now being a canonical transformation with a sequence of commuting invariant functions. Compatibility of a pair of these functions gives rise to Liouville's equation and the map plays the role of a B?cklund transformation.     

Pd-C高温共晶点复现装置研制

主要针对Pd-C高温共晶点复现装置的组成进行介绍,其中包括复现用高温均热炉炉体、温度控制系统、真空泵、充气保护装置、水冷系统、复现用的石墨坩埚、二等B型标准热电偶和Pt-Pd热电偶等。针对石墨坩埚的灌注和共晶点复现过程进行了描述,根据复现的试验数据进行了相应的分析。     

On the origin of oblique-incidence anisotropy in evaporated cobalt films

The main results obtained when studying a temperature dependence of the uniaxial anisotropy of oblique-incidence magnetic films of cobalt are given. It has been stated that when depositing the films onto a substratum heated to 350°C, the easy magnetization axis (EA) is perpendicular to the incidence plane of a molecular beam (a positive anisotropy). EA is in the incidence plane (a negative anisotropy) when the temperature of a substratum is 60 to 80°C. At intermediate temperatures of a substratum a positive anisotropy arises at small angles of deposition and a negative one is at great angles of deposition. Temperature dependences of the constant of the uniaxial anisotropy for samples with a positive or negative anisotropy distinguish between each other. In samples with a positive anisotropy this constant changes with the temperature as a square of magnetization; in samples with a negative anisotropy at less than room temperatures, this constant is approximately proportional to the anisotropy constant of a massive-cobalt single crystal. The obtained results have been considered from the theoretical point of view, and it has been concluded that a negative anisotropy in oblique-incidence films arises as a result of formation of very small grains stretching in the direction of the incidence plane and having a significant anisotropy of the magnetic energy in layers adjoining the boundaries (the Néel anisotropy). Observation of the typical temperature dependence of the anisotropy constant of these samples is a very convincing proof of existence of the Néel anisotropy.     

A filter for on-line estimation of spectral content

A robust filter algorithm to extract, a posteriori, the rational signal model from a noisy measurement, with little a priori information, is proposed. The spectrum and the statistics of the signal and of the corrupting noise are assumed unknown, except that the signal is assumed to have a rational spectrum. An algorithm based on system and signal theory is derived to select a set of frequencies where the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is high from a given measurement spectrum. The density of selected frequencies weights the importance of the measurement as a function of frequency, An estimate of the signal model is obtained from the best weighted least-squares fit to the measurement spectrum at the selected frequencies. The proposed filter has applications to control and signal processing, and a wide variety of applications are presented. Applications include: system identification of a dc motor and a two-link manipulator, extraction of a myo-electric signal from a noisy measurement, the assignment of a rational model to a vegetation tissue's impedance, and to the number density profile of atmospheric oxygen