Transfer Partial Molar Isentropic Compressibilities of (l-Alanine/l-Glutamine/Glycylglycine) from Water to 0.512 {\mathrm{mol}}\!\cdot \!{\mathrm{kg}}^{-1} Aqueous {\mathrm{KNO}}_{3}/0.512\, {\mathrm{mol}}\!\cdot \! {\mathrm{kg}}^{-1} Aqueous {\mathrm{K}}_{2}{\mathrm{SO}}_{4} Solutions Between 298.15 K and 323.15 K

Speeds of sound of (l-alanine/l-glutamine/glycylglycine $\,+\, 0.512\, {\mathrm{mol}}\cdot {\mathrm{kg}}^{-1}$ + 0.512 mol · kg ? 1 aqueous ${\mathrm{KNO}}_{3}/0.512\, {\mathrm{mol}}\cdot {\mathrm{kg}}^{-1}$ KNO 3 / 0.512 mol · kg ? 1 aqueous ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}{\mathrm{SO}}_{4}$ K 2 SO 4 ) systems have been measured for several molal concentrations of amino acid/peptide at different temperatures: $T$ T = (298.15 to 323.15) K. Using the speed-of-sound and density data, the parameters, partial molar isentropic compressibilities $\phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ ? κ 0 and transfer partial molar isentropic compressibilities $\Delta _{\mathrm{tr}} \phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ Δ tr ? κ 0 , have been computed. The trends of variation of $\phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ ? κ 0 and $\Delta _{\mathrm{tr}} \phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ Δ tr ? κ 0 with changes in molal concentration of the solute and temperature have been discussed in terms of zwitterion–ion, zwitterion–water dipole, ion–water dipole, and ion–ion interactions operative in the systems.     

Study of Glass-Transition Kinetics of Pb-Modified Se_{80}In_{20} System by Using Non-isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Glass-transition kinetics of $\mathrm{Se}_{80}\mathrm{In}_{20-\mathrm{x}}\mathrm{Pb}_{\mathrm{x}}$ ( $x =$ 0, 5, 10, and 15) chalcogenide glasses have been carried out at different heating rates by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) under the non-isothermal condition. The glass-transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{g}}$ and peak glass-transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{pg}}$ have been determined from DSC thermograms. The reduced glass temperature $T_{\mathrm{rg}}$ , total relaxation time $\tau _{T_{g}}$ thermal-stability parameters $K^{l}$ and $S$ , the activation energy of glass transition $E_{\mathrm{g}}$ , the fragility index $F_{\mathrm{i}}$ , and the average coordination number $\langle Z\rangle $ have been calculated on the basis of the experimental results. The temperature differences $(T_{\mathrm{c}}-T_{\mathrm{g}}), K_{\mathrm{gl}}, K^{l}, S$ , and $E_{\mathrm{g}}$ are found to be maxima for $\mathrm{Se}_{80}\mathrm{In}_{10}\mathrm{Pb}_{10}$ glass. This indicates that $\mathrm{Se}_{80}\mathrm{In}_{10}\mathrm{Pb}_{10}$ glass has the highest thermal stability and glass-forming ability in the investigated compositional range. These results could be explained on the basis of modification of the chemical bond formation due to incorporation of Pb in the Se–In glassy matrix.     

Multigap Superconductivity in GdFeAsO0.88 Evidenced by SnS-Andreev Spectroscopy

Using intrinsic multiple Andreev reflection effect (IMARE) spectroscopy we studied superconducting properties of nearly optimal oxygen-deficient GdFeAsO_0.88 polycrystalline samples (bulk critical temperatures $T_{C}^{\mathrm{bulk}} = 49\mbox{--}52~\mathrm{K}$ ). Temperature dependences for two superconducting gaps Δ _L,S (T) ( $T_{C}^{\mathrm{local}} = 48\mbox{--}50~\mathrm{K}$ ) have been measured in the range from 4.2 to 50 K. The Δ _L,S (T) dependences were found to deviate from the BCS-like function; this suggests an importance of the k-space (internal) proximity effect between the two condensates.     

Surface and grain-boundary energies of cubic zirconia

Using the multiphase equilibration technique for the measurement of contact angles, the surface and grain-boundary energies of polycrystalline cubic ZrO₂ in the temperature range of 1173 to 1523 K were determined. The temperature coefficients of the linear temperature function obtained, are expressed as $$\frac{{{\text{d}}\gamma }}{{{\text{d}}T}}({\text{ZrO}}_{\text{2}} ){\text{ }} = {\text{ }} - 0.431{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ }} \pm {\text{ }}0.004{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ Jm}}^{ - {\text{2}}} {\text{ K}}^{ - {\text{1}}} $$ and $$\frac{{{\text{d}}\gamma }}{{{\text{d}}T}}({\text{ZrO}}_{\text{2}} - {\text{ZrO}}_{\text{2}} ){\text{ }} = {\text{ }} - 0.392{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ }} \pm {\text{ }}0.126{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ Jm}}^{ - {\text{2}}} {\text{ K}}^{ - {\text{1}}} $$ respectively. The surface fracture energy obtained with a Vickers microhardness indenter at room temperature is found to be γ _F=3.1 J m^?2.     

Superconductivity at 25 K under Hydrostatic Pressure for FeTe 0 . 5 Se 0 . 5 Superconductor

We report the impact of hydrostatic pressure on the superconductivity and normal-state resistivity of FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 superconductor. At the ambient pressure, the FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 compound shows the superconducting transition temperature \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\text {onset}} \) at above 13 K and \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\rho =0} \) at 11.5 K. We measure pressure-dependent resistivity from 250 to 5 K, which shows that the normal-state resistivity increases initially for the applied pressures of up to 0.55 GPa, and then the same is decreased monotonically with increasing pressure of up to 1.97 GPa. On the other hand, the superconducting transition temperatures ( \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\text {onset}} \) and \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\rho =0} )\) increase monotonically with increasing pressure. Namely the \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\text {onset}} \) increases from 13 to 25 K and \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\rho =0} \) from 11.5 to 20 K for the pressure range of 0–1.97 GPa. Our results suggest that superconductivity in this class of Fe-based compounds is very sensitive to pressure as the estimated pressure coefficient d T _c(onset)/dP is ～5.8 K/GPa. It may be suggested that the FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 superconductor is a strong electron-correlated system. The enhancement of T _c with applying pressure is mainly attributed to an increase of charge carriers at the Fermi surface.     

The theoretical calculation of the flow rate of granular matter from an inclined orifice

A theoretical calculation method for the flow rate of granular matter from an inclined orifice is discussed in this article and for the inclination angles at $\theta \le 90^{\circ }$ , a theoretical relation between the flow rate $Q$ and inclination angle $\theta $ is derived; and for the inclination angles at $\theta >90^{\circ }$ , a semi-theoretical relation is established. From the relations, we found that the ratio of the flow rate from a vertical orifice, $Q_{90}$ , to that from a horizontal orifice, $Q_{0}$ , is equal to the sine of the angle of repose $\theta _{\mathrm{r}}$ , i.e., $Q_{90} /Q_0 =\sin \theta _{\mathrm{r}} $ . The theoretical relations are tested by means of the experimental data and the results indicate that the theoretical calculating values are in good agreement with the experimental data over a wide range of the inclination angles. Therefore, the formula proposed in this article can be used for the theoretical calculation of the flow rate of granular matter from an inclined orifice. The relation $Q_{90} /Q_0 =\sin \theta _{\mathrm{r}}$ may be used as an alternative approach to obtaining $\theta _{\mathrm{r}}$ : measuring $Q_{90}$ and $Q_{0}$ , and then calculating $\theta _{\mathrm{r}} $ by using formula $\theta _{\mathrm{r}} =\arcsin (Q_{90} /Q_0 )$ .     

Distributed TES Model for Designing Low Noise Bolometers Approaching SAFARI Instrument Requirements

Transition edge sensors (TES) are the chosen detector technology for the SAFARI imaging spectrometer on the SPICA telescope. The TES are required to have an NEP of $2\mbox{--}3\times 10^{-19}~\mbox{W/}\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ to take full advantage of the cooled mirror. SRON has developed TiAu TES bolometers for the short wavelength band (30–60?μm). The TES are on SiN membranes, in which long and narrow legs act as thermal links between the TES and the bath. We present a distributed model that accounts for the heat conductance and the heat capacity in the long legs that provides a guideline for designing low noise detectors. We report our latest results that include a measured dark NEP of $4.2\times 10^{-19}~\mbox{W/}\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ and a saturation power of about 10?fW.     

The Influence of Oxygen/Argon Ratio on the Structure and Surface Morphology of GaBa2Cu3O7?δ Films Deposited by RF Magnetic Sputtering

$\mathrm{GaBa}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{7\mbox{-}\delta}$ thin films have been grown on CeO₂ cap layer by RF magnetic sputtering with different oxygen/argon partial pressure ratio from 2:1 to 1:5. The CeO₂ cap layers were fabricated by pulse laser deposition (PLD) on YSZ/CeO₂/Ni-5%W alloy substrate and had good properties in structure and surface morphology. We study the relationship between oxygen/argon ratio and the performance of the $\mathrm{GaBa}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{7\mbox{-}\delta}$ film in order to find out the optimized deposition condition. The structure and surface morphology of the $\mathrm{GaBa}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{7\mbox{-}\delta}$ thin films were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the texture and surface performance of $\mathrm{GaBa}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{7\mbox{-}\delta}$ film, such as growth orientation, grain roughness, grain size and surface morphology, are deeply affected by the oxygen/argon ratio. And the film??s performance was the best when the oxygen/argon partial pressure ratio is 1:1.     

Fabrication and characterization of iron and fluorine co-doped BST thin films for microwave applications

The effects of fluorine co-doping by means of a post-thermal annealing process of iron-doped BST thin films in a fluorine-containing atmosphere have been investigated. XPS and ToF-SIMS sputter depth profiling verified a homogeneous fluorine distribution in the thin films. By employing EPR, it was shown that singly charged ( $ {\text{Fe}}_{\text{Ti}}^{\prime } $ – $ {\text{V}}_{\text{O}}^{ \cdot \cdot } $ )^· defect complexes, as well as ‘isolated’ $ {\text{Fe}}_{\text{Ti}}^{\prime } $ centres with a distribution of $ {\text{F}}_{\text{O}}^{ \cdot } $ sites in remote coordination spheres exist in the fluorinated films. Tunability enhancement due to fluorine co-doping as well as a Q-factor enhancement due to iron doping is demonstrated.     

Thermoelectric properties of porous n-type {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.94}}} {\text{Co}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.06}}} {\text{Si}}_{\text{2}} compounds prepared by pressureless sintering

The effects of bulk porosity on the thermoelectric properties of porous n-type ${\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.94}}} {\text{Co}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.06}}} {\text{Si}}_{\text{2}} $ compounds prepared by pressureless sintering were examined. A small amount of metallic phase ?-FeSi remained after annealing at 800 °C for 100 h. As the sintering temperature increased from 1150 to 1175 °C, the phase transition to β-FeSi₂ during annealing occurred more rapidly. The porous specimen, sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h with coarse powders (<45 μm) and then annealed at 800 °C for 100 h, showed the highest Seebeck coefficient of $ - 363_{\mu } {VK}^{ - {1}} $ at 400 °C and the highest power factor of ${\text{1}}{\text{.57}} \times 10^{ - 3} {\text{Wm}}^{ - 1} {\text{K}}^{ - 2} $ at 400 °C.     

On characteristic lengths used in notch fracture mechanics

In this paper, four kinds of characteristic length parameters used in a local notch fracture criterion are presented: (1) a characteristic length ${\uprho }_{\mathrm{c}}$ generally connecting to the notch radius, (2) a characteristic distance $\hbox {X}_{\mathrm{c}}$ considered as intrinsic to material and connected to the microstructure, (3) a critical distance $\hbox {d}_{0}$ considered as intrinsic to material and connected to the fracture process zone, (4) an effective distance $\hbox {X}_{\mathrm{ef}}$ considered as a characteristic of the stress distribution. Each approach is discussed. The paper ends with the author’s opinion about the different methods.     

Reaction diffusion in the Nb-Ge system

Reaction diffusion in the Nb-Ge system was studied in the temperature range 1243 to 1723 K for diffusion couples of (pure solid Nb)-(pure liquid Ge) and (pure solid Nb)-(Ge-37.5wt % Nb liquid alloy). Growth of the NbGe₂, Nb₃Ge₂, Nb₅Ge₃ and Nb₃Ge layers was observed, and the growth rates of all except the Nb₃Ge layer were found to conform to the parabolic law. Growth of the Nb₃Ge layer was observed only along the grain boundaries in the Nb₅Ge₃ layer. Interdiffusion coefficients \(\tilde D\) in the NbGe₂, Nb₃Ge₂ and Nb₅Ge₃ phases were determined by Heumann's method, and the temperature dependence of these was expressed by the Arrhenius equations as follows: $$\tilde D_{{\text{NbGe}}_{\text{2}} } = (6.40_{ - 1.66}^{ + 2.25} \times 10^{ - 6} exp [ - (161 \pm 4) kJ mol^{ - 1} {\text{/RT] m}}^{{\text{2 }}} \sec ^{ - 1} $$ $$\tilde D_{{\text{Nb}}_{\text{3}} {\text{Ge}}_{\text{2}} } = (2.27_{ - 0.60}^{ + 0.82} \times 10^{ - 4} exp [ - (282 \pm 4) kJ mol^{ - 1} {\text{/RT] m}}^{{\text{2 }}} \sec ^{ - 1} $$ and $$\tilde D_{{\text{Nb}}_{\text{5}} {\text{Ge}}_{\text{3}} } = (6.28_{ - 1.93}^{ + 2.78} \times 10^{ - 5} exp [ - (238 \pm 5) kJ mol^{ - 1} {\text{/RT] m}}^{{\text{2 }}} \sec ^{ - 1} $$ In addition to the binary Nb-Ge system, the reaction diffusion of (pure solid Nb)-(Cu-13 wt % Ge liquid alloy) couples was also studied. In this case, only growth of the Nb₅Ge₃ layer containing negligible copper content was observed.     

Vorhersage der thermischen Strahlung großer Kohlenwasserstoff- und Peroxid-Poolfeuer mit CFD Simulation

Flame temperatures (T), surface emissive powers (SEP) and irradiances (E) of large-scale JP-4 pool fires (d=2, 8, 16, 25 m) and di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) pool fires (d=1.12 m, 3.4 m) are investigated experimentally and by CFD simulation. As experimental methods an infrared thermographic camera system with video-mixing unit is used for the determination of T, SEP and an ellipsoidal radiometer for the determination of E. The maximum frequency of time-averaged emission temperatures for JP-4 pool fire (d=16 m) are in a range of $ 793\,\mathrm{K} < \overline{T} < 1033$ and for DTBP pool fire (d=1.12 m) are a range of $ 1040\,\mathrm{K} < \overline{T} < 1480\,\mathrm{K}$ . For DTBP pool fire (d=1.12 m), the measurements result in $ \overline{\text{SEP}}\approx 130\,\mathrm{kW/m^{2}}$ which is up to a factor of ≈6 larger in comparison to hydrocarbon pool fires (d≈1 m). In a case of DTBP pool fire (d=3.4 m) with $ \overline{\text{SEP}} \approx 250\,\mathrm{kW/m^{2}}$ this factor is ≈5 compared to $ \overline{\text{SEP}} \approx 50\,\mathrm{kW/m^{2}}$ of LNG pool fire (d=4 m). By increasing the relative distance ?y/d from the pool rim, measured time averaged irradiances $ \overline{E}$ (?y/d) decrease and agree well with CFD predicted $ \overline{E}_{\text{CFD}}$ (?y/d). Also, there is a good agreement between the measured time averaged $ \overline{T}$ and $ \overline{\text{SEP}}$ of hydrocarbons and DTBP pool fires, with the predicted $ \overline{T}_{\text{CFD}}$ and $ \overline{\text{SEP}}_{\text{CFD}}$ values. The possibilities and nowadays limitations of CFD simulation of large pool fires are discussed. This study has shown that the risk potential of accidental pool fires referring to thermal radiation can be predicted much better than in the past.     

Photoacoustic Measurement of Thermal Properties of Co–Ni–Li Ferrite Nanoparticles

A simple home-made open photoacoustic cell is used for measuring some of the thermal properties of nanoparticles of $\mathrm{{Co}}_{0.5}\mathrm{{Ni}}_{0.5\text{-- }2{x}}\mathrm{{Li}}_x\text{ Fe }_{2+{x}}\mathrm{{O}}_{4}$ Co 0.5 Ni 0.5 -- 2 x Li x Fe 2 + x O 4 (with $x$ x ranging from 0.00 to 0.25 in steps of 0.05) prepared by the citrate precursor method. The influence of sintering temperatures on the thermal properties of a selected sample for $x=0.25$ x = 0.25 was also investigated. The thermal-diffusivity and thermal-effusivity measurements of the investigated samples are obtained by measuring the photoacoustic signal as a function of the modulated frequency depending on the existence of a reference sample. The thermal diffusivity of the as-prepared samples decreases as the $\mathrm{{Li}}^{1+}$ Li 1 + content increases except for the samples for $x=0.15$ x = 0.15 and $x=0.20$ x = 0.20 . These exceptions may be due to a better magnetic ordering in these samples leading to reduced phonon scattering and a higher thermal diffusivity. Finally, the thermal diffusivity of the sintered samples increases as the sintering temperature increases due to the increase in grain size.     

The Effect of Inhomogeneous Phase on the Critical Temperature of Smart Meta-superconductor MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The critical temperature (T_C) of MgB₂, one of the key factors limiting its application, is highly desired to be improved. On the basis of the meta-material structure, we prepared a smart meta-superconductor structure consisting of MgB₂ micro-particles and inhomogeneous phases by an ex situ process. The effect of inhomogeneous phase on the T_C of smart meta-superconductor MgB₂ was investigated. Results showed that the onset temperature (\(T_{\mathrm {C}}^{\text {on}}\)) of doping samples was lower than those of pure MgB₂. However, the offset temperature (\({T}_{\mathrm {C}}^{\text {off}}\)) of the sample doped with Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ nanosheets with a thickness of 2 ～ 3 nm which is much less than the coherence length of MgB₂ is 1.2 K higher than that of pure MgB₂. The effect of the applied electric field on the T_C of the sample was also studied. Results indicated that with the increase of current, \({T}_{\mathrm {C}}^{\text {on}}\) is slightly increased in the samples doping with different inhomogeneous phases. With increasing current, the \({T}_{\mathrm {C}}^{\text {off}}\) of the samples doped with nonluminous inhomogeneous phases was decreased. However, the \({T}_{\mathrm {C}}^{\text {off}}\) of the luminescent inhomogeneous phase doping samples increased and then decreased with increasing current.     

New Magnetic Phase Transitions in the Tetragonal Compounds PrBa2Cu3O6+x at Low Temperature

The anomalous magnetic properties of Pr ions in the PrBa₂Cu₃O_6+x system are investigated at low temperature. Measurements of the specific heat C _P(T) and the magnetic susceptibility χ(T) are performed on ceramic samples in the tetragonal structure with x=0.44 and x=0. Two new magnetic transitions are observed below the Néel temperature of the Pr antiferromagnetic ordering $T_{\mathrm{N}}^{\mathrm{Pr}} \sim 9\mbox{--}10~\mathrm{K}$ . The first one is observed at the low-critical temperature T _cr～4–5?K and the second one is observed at $T_{2}^{\mathrm{Pr}\text{--}\mathrm{Cu}} \sim 6\mbox{--}7~\mathrm{K}$ , respectively. Assuming that ΔC _P(T) can be used to represent the Pr contribution to the specific heat C _P(T), the data are well fitted for T<T _cr by using the development of ΔC _P(T)/T=ΔA(T ²)^?3/2 +Δγ+M(T ²) ¹ +m(T ²) ² . The values of the electronic coefficient Δγ are found much lower than all previous results obtained in compounds of the orthorhombic structure, and this is, in good agreement with the insulating character of our non-superconducting samples. The high values obtained for the coefficient M, permits us to confirm the existence of strong Pr–Pr exchange interactions. Some non-linear effects attributed to the values of the coefficient m are revealed and discussed in terms of the previous Pr–Cu coupling with a spin reorientation phase transition of both spin sublattices around $T_{2}^{\mathrm{Pr}\text{--}\mathrm{Cu}}$ . The appearance of a weak ferromagnetic tendency in the magnetic susceptibility analysis below T _cr, could be associated with the reordering of the Pr subsystem.     

Thermodynamic Properties at Saturation Derived from Experimental Two-Phase Isochoric Heat Capacity of 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide

New measurements are reported for the isochoric heat capacity of the ionic liquid substance 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([C6mim][NTf2]). These measurements extend the ranges of our earlier study (Polikhronidi et al. in Phys Chem Liq 52:657, 2014) by 5 % of the compressed liquid density and by 75 K. An adiabatic calorimeter was used to measure one-phase \((C_{\mathrm{V1}})\) liquid and two-phase \((C_{\mathrm{V2}})\) liquid + vapor isochoric heat capacities, densities \((\rho _s)\), and phase-transition temperatures \((T_s)\) of the ionic liquid (IL) substance. The combined expanded uncertainty of the density \(\rho \) and isochoric heat capacity \(C_\mathrm{V}\) measurements at the 95 % confidence level with a coverage factor of \(k = 2\) is estimated to be 0.15 % and 3 %, respectively. Measurements are concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the liquid + vapor phase-transition curve, in order to closely observe phase transitions. The present measurements and those of our earlier study are analyzed together and are presented in terms of thermodynamic properties \((T_s\), \(\rho _s\), \(C_{\mathrm{V1}}\) and \(C_{\mathrm{V2}})\) evaluated at saturation and in terms of key-derived thermodynamic properties \(C_\mathrm{P}\), \(C_\mathrm{S}\), \(W_\mathrm{S}^{{\prime }}\), \(K_{\mathrm{TS}}^{{\prime }}\), \(\left( {\partial P/\partial T} \right) _{\mathrm{V}}^{\prime }\), and \(\left( {\partial V/\partial T} \right) _\mathbf{P}^{\prime })\) on the liquid + vapor phase-transition curve. A thermodynamic relation by Yang and Yang is used to confirm the internal consistency of measured two-phase heat capacities \(C_{\mathrm{V2}} \), which are observed to fall perfectly on a line as a function of specific volume at a constant temperature. The observed linear behavior is exploited to evaluate contributions to the quantity \(C_{\mathrm{V2}} = f(V, T)\) from chemical potential \(C_{{\mathrm{V}\upmu }} =-T\frac{\mathrm{d}^{{2}}\mu }{\mathrm{d}T^{2}}\) and from vapor pressure \(C_{\mathrm{VP}} =VT\frac{\mathrm{d}^{2}P_{\mathrm{S}} }{\mathrm{d}T^{2}}\). The physical nature and specific details of the temperature and specific volume dependence of the two-phase isochoric heat capacity and some features of the other derived thermodynamic properties of IL at liquid saturation curve are considered in detail.     

Electrical and Thermal Characteristics of the Insulator–Metal Transition in Crystalline $$\hbox {V}_{2}\hbox {O}_{5}$$ Films

The electrical and thermal properties with respect to the crystallization in \(\hbox {V}_{2}\hbox {O}_{5}\) thin films were investigated by measuring the resistance at different temperatures and applied voltages. The changes in the crystal structure of the films at different temperatures were also explored using Raman measurements. The thermal diffusivity of the crystalline \(\hbox {V}_{2}\hbox {O}_{5}\) film was measured by the nanosecond thermoreflectance method. The microstructures of amorphous and crystalline \(\hbox {V}_{2}\hbox {O}_{5}\) were observed by SEM and XRD measurements. The temperature-dependent Raman spectra revealed that a structural phase transition does not occur in the crystalline film. The resistance measurements of an amorphous film indicated semiconducting behavior, whereas the resistance of the crystalline film revealed a substantial change near \(250\,{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\), and Ohmic behavior was observed above \(380\,{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\). This result was due to the metal–insulator transition induced by lattice distortion in the crystalline film, for which \(T_{\mathrm{c}}\) was \(260\,{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\). \(T_{\mathrm{c}}\) of the film decreased from 260 \({^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\) to \(230\,{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\) with increasing applied voltage from 0 V to 10 V. Furthermore, the thermal diffusivity of the crystalline film was \(1.67\times 10^{-7}\,\hbox {m}^{2}\cdot \hbox {s}^{-1}\) according to the nanosecond thermoreflectance measurements.     

Synthesis and up-conversion luminescence of Yb3 + –Ho3 + co-doped Na(Y1·5Na0·5)F6 nanorods

We present the optical up-conversion (UC) study for Yb^3?+?–Ho^3?+? co-doped Na(Y_1·5Na_0·5)F₆ nanorods synthesized by employing a facile hydrothermal method. Numbers of Ho^3?+? ion up-conversion emissions have been observed under 980 nm infrared diode laser excitation. Three UC emissions of interest, ultraviolet, violet and blue, are specially identified at 359, 387, 418 and 483 nm, corresponding to $^{5}{{G}}^{\prime}_{5}{/}^{3}\!{{H}}_{ 6}\to\ ^{ 5}\!{ {I}}_{ 8}$ , $^{ 5}\!{ {G}}_{ 4}{/}^{ 3}\!{ {K}}_{ 7}\to\ ^{ 5}\!{ {I}}_{ 8}$ , $^{ 5}{ {G}}_{ 5}\to$ $^{ 5}\!{ {I}}_{ 8}$ and $^{ 5}\!{ {F}}_{ 3}{/}^{ 5}\!{ {F}}_{ 2}{/}^{ 3}\!{ {K}}_{ 8}\to {}^{ 5}\!{ {I}}_{ 8}$ transitions, respectively. It is also found that the centre wavelength of blue UC emission shifts to 475 nm gradually as Ho^3?+? concentration decreases. Lastly, a brief analysis about UC mechanism is demonstrated according to the experimental results.     

Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Nickel–Cobalt Ferrites (\mathrm{Ni}_{1/2}{\mathrm{{Co}}}_{1/2}{\mathrm{{Fe}}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})

In this study, the nanocrystalline nickel–cobalt ferrites $(\mathrm{Ni}_{1/2}\mathrm{Co}_{1/2}\mathrm{Fe}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{4})$ were prepared via the citrate route method at $27\,^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ . The samples were calcined at $300\,^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ for 3 h. The crystalline structure and the single-phase formations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Prepared materials showed the cubic spinel structure with m3m symmetry and Fd3m space group. The analyses of XRD patterns were carried out using POWD software. It gave an estimation of lattice constant “ $a$ ” of 8.3584 Å, which was in good agreement with the results reported in JCPDS file no. 742081. The crystal size of the prepared materials calculated by Scherer’s formula was 27.6 nm and the electrical conductivity was around $10^{-5}~\mathrm{S}\,\cdot \, \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ . The permeability component variations with frequency were realized. The magnetic properties of the prepared materials were analyzed by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). It showed a saturation magnetization of $27.26\,\mathrm{emu} \cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ and the behavior of a hard magnet.