A Study of Some Thermophysical Parameters in Glassy \mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{20} and \mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{10}\mathrm{{M}}_{10} (Cd, In, and Sb) Alloys

The present paper reports a comparative study of some thermophysical properties (thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity, and specific heat per unit volume) for $\mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{20}$ Se 80 Te 20 and $\mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{10}\mathrm{{M}}_{10}$ Se 80 Te 10 M 10 (Cd, In, and Sb) alloys. The transient plane source technique is used for this purpose. The thermal conductivity is highest for $\mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{10}\mathrm{{In}}_{10}$ Se 80 Te 10 In 10 as compared to the other ternary alloys. This is explained in terms of the thermal conductivity of additive elements Cd, In, and Sb. The composition dependence of the thermal diffusivity and specific heat per unit volume is also discussed.     

Examining the behavior and mechanisms of structuration in sand under the \hbox {K}_{0} condition

In this paper, experimental studies were conducted using a tailor-made oedometer equipped with a bender element system and tactile pressure sensors to examine the behavior and mechanisms of structuration in sand under the $\hbox {K}_{0}$ condition. Numerical simulations based on the discrete element method (DEM) were also carried out to assist with the explanations. A clear quasi-preconsolidation pressure due to structuration effects can be observed in a relatively dense sample but not in a relatively loose sample. The development of structuration and its effects on soil samples are well captured by the $\upalpha $ and $\upbeta $ parameters of the modulus-stress relationship. As the structuration effect on soil samples is gradually erased by further loading, the sample exhibits the original modulus-stress relationship obtained under monotonic loading. The measurements from the tactile pressure sensors and DEM simulation results both reveal that structuration developed during secondary compression causes the contact normal forces among particles to be redistributed, initiated by creep occurring at particle contacts. Such force redistributions ultimately lead to the result that the percentage of weak forces in the sample decreases. This in turn strengthens the soil structure and gives rise to a continuous increase in the shear modulus during secondary compression.     

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.     

Experimental Measurements of Thermophysical Properties of \mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}– and \mathrm{TiO}_{2}–Ethylene Glycol Nanofluids

This paper presents measurements of the thermal conductivity and the dynamic viscosity of $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol (1 % to 3 % particle volume fraction) nanofluids carried out in the temperature range from $0\,^{\circ }$ 0 ° C to $50\,^{\circ }$ 50 ° C. The thermal-conductivity measurements were performed by using a transient hot-disk TPS 2500S apparatus instrumented with a 7577 probe (2.001 mm in radius) having a maximum uncertainty $(k=2)$ ( k = 2 ) lower than 5.0 % of the reading. The dynamic-viscosity measurements and the rheological analysis were carried out by a rotating disk type rheometer Haake Mars II instrumented with a single-cone probe (60 mm in diameter and $1^{\circ }$ 1 ° ) having a maximum uncertainty $(k=2)$ ( k = 2 ) lower than 5.0 % of the reading. The thermal-conductivity measurements of the tested nanofluids show a great sensitivity to particle volume fraction and a lower sensitivity to temperature: $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol nanofluids show a thermal-conductivity enhancement (with respect to pure ethylene glycol) from 1 % to 19.5 % and from 9 % to 29 %, respectively. $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol nanofluids exhibit Newtonian behavior in all the investigated temperature and particle volume fraction ranges. The relative viscosity shows a great sensitivity to the particle volume fraction and weak or no sensitivity to temperature: $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol nanofluids show a dynamic viscosity increase with respect to ethylene glycol from (4 to 5) % to 30 % and from 14 % to 50 %, respectively. Present experimental measurements were compared both with available measurements carried out by different researchers and computational models for thermophysical properties of nanofluids.     

In situ synthesis and properties of self-reinforced $$\hbox {Si}_{3} \hbox {N}_{4}\textendash \hbox {SiO}_{2}\textendash \hbox {Al}_{2} \hbox {O}_{3}\textendash \hbox {Y}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3} \ (\hbox {La}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$) glass–ceramic composites

In-situ-grown \(\upbeta \!\hbox {-Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}\)-reinforced \(\hbox {SiO}_{2}\textendash \hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\textendash \hbox {Y}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\) \((\hbox {La}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3})\) self-reinforced glass–ceramic composites were obtained without any \(\upbeta \!\hbox {-Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}\) seed crystal. These composites with different compositions were prepared in a nitrogen atmosphere for comparison of phase transformation and mechanical properties. The results showed that \(\hbox {SiO}_{2}\textendash \hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\textendash \hbox {Y}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\) \((\hbox {La}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3})\) glass can effectively promote \(\upalpha \)- to \(\upbeta \!\hbox {-Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}\) phase transformation. The crystallized \(\hbox {Y}_{2}\hbox {Si}_{2}\hbox {O}_{7}\textendash \hbox {La}_{4.67}\hbox {Si}_{3}\hbox {O}_{13}\) phases with a high melting point significantly benefited the high-temperature mechanical properties of the composites. The \(\hbox {Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}\textendash \hbox {SiO}_{2}\textendash \hbox {Al}_{2} \hbox {O}_{3}\textendash \hbox {Y}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\) \((\hbox {La}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3})\) glass–ceramic composites exhibit excellent mechanical properties compared with unreinforced glass–ceramic matrix, which is undoubtedly attributed to the elongated \(\upbeta \!\hbox {-Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}\) grains. These glass–ceramic \(\hbox {Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}\) composites with excellent comprehensive properties might be a promising material for high-temperature applications.     

Application of Non-Isothermal Thermogravimetric Method to Interpret the Decomposition Kinetics of \hbox {NaNO}_{3}, \hbox {KNO}_{3}, and \hbox {KClO}_{4}

The non-isothermal thermogravimetric method was used to study the thermal decomposition of \(\hbox {KClO}_{4}, \hbox {KNO}_{3}\) , and \(\hbox {NaNO}_{3}\) at heating rates of (5, 10, 15, and 20)  \(\hbox {K}\cdot \hbox {min}^{-1}\) . The activation energy of thermal decomposition reactions was computed by isoconversional methods of Ozawa–Flynn–Wall, Kissinger–Akahiro–Sunose, and Friedman equations. Also, the kinetic triplet of the thermal decomposition of salts was determined by the model-fitting method of the modified Coats–Redfern equation. The activation energies of \(\hbox {KClO}_{4}, \hbox {KNO}_{3}\) , and \(\hbox {NaNO}_{3}\) of (293 to 307, 160 to 209, and 192 to 245)  \(\hbox {kJ}\cdot \hbox {mol}^{-1}\) , respectively, are obtained by non–isothermal isoconversional methods. The modified Coats and Redfern method showed that the most probable mechanism functions \(g(\alpha )\) of \([-\hbox {ln}(1 - \alpha )]^{1/3}\) (model A3: Arami–Erofeev equation) and \((1 - \alpha )^{-1}- 1\) (model F2: second order) can be used to predict the decomposition mechanisms of \(\hbox {KClO}_{4}\) , \(\hbox {KNO}_{3}\) , and \(\hbox {NaNO}_{3}\) , respectively.     

Photoacoustic Detection of Perfluorocarbon Tracers in Air for Application to Leak Detection in Oil-Filled Cables

The underground oil-filled cable consists of a hollow copper conductor surrounded by oiled paper which acts as electrical insulation. The oil flows along the conductor and diffuses through it to the insulating paper. A lead sheath is used as the outer retaining wall. As the deterioration of this cover may cause a loss of insulation fluid, its detection is very important since this high voltage and power cable is used in cities even under sidewalks. The method of perfluorocarbon vapor tracers, based on the injection and subsequent detection of these volatile chemical substances in the vicinity of the cable, is one of the most promising methods, so far used in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. In this study, the possibility of detecting two different tracers, $\mathrm{C}_{6}\mathrm{F}_{12}$ and $\mathrm{C}_{7}\mathrm{F}_{14}$ , by means of resonant photoacoustic spectroscopy is studied. The beam from a tunable amplitude-modulated $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ laser goes through an aluminum cell with quarter wave filters at both ends of an open resonator and an electret microphone in its center, attached to the walls. The calibration of the system for either substance diluted in chromatographic air showed a higher sensitivity for $\mathrm{C}_{7}\mathrm{F}_{14}$ , so the experiment was completed checking the behavior of this substance in samples prepared with ambient air in order to analyze the application of the system to field studies.     

Hypersensitive Transition of Nd(III) Complexes in Liquids Detected by Pulsed-Laser-Induced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Laser-induced photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy for the spectral measurements of extremely weak absorption such as a forbidden transition of lanthanide ions in liquids has been established. In spectroscopy, a pulsed Nd:YAG laser connected with a MOPO series optical parametric oscillator which emits a broad spectrum covering UV and visible regions is used as the excitation source, and the induced PA signals are detected by an optimized PA piezoelectric transducer. The absorption spectra of trivalent lanthanide ions ( $\text{ Pr}^{3+}, \text{ Ho}^{3+}$ , and $\text{ Nd}^{3+})$ in aqueous solutions have been obtained by the detection system with a detection-limit absorbance of $1.3\times 10^{-5}\,\text{ cm}^{-1}$ at room temperature. In addition, the effects of different binding environments on the band shapes and oscillator strengths of the hypersensitive transitions of $\text{ Nd}^{3+}$ ions, i.e., $\text{ Nd}(\text{ CH}_{3}\text{ COO})_{3}$ $\cdot $ $\text{ H}_{2}\text{ O}$ dissolved in $0.1\,{\text{ mol}} \cdot \text{ l}^{-1}$ acetic acid and $\text{ Nd(3-butanedione)}_{3}{\cdot } 2\text{ H}_{2} \text{ O}$ dissolved in triglycol compared with $\text{ NdCl}_{3}$ in $0.1\,{\text{ mol}}\cdot \text{ l}^{-1}$ hydrochloric acid, are observed. The results show that the chemical environment around the lanthanide ions has great impact on 4f–4f transitions, which is rationalized as the impact in terms of ligand (or solvent) special structures and coordination properties.     

Molecular beam epitaxy of semipolar AlN(11\bar{2}2) and GaN(11\bar{2}2) on m-sapphire

We report on the plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy of semipolar $\hbox{AlN}(11\bar{2}2)$ and GaN( $11\bar{2}2$ ) films on $(1\bar{1}00)$ m-plane sapphire. AlN deposited on m-sapphire settles into two main crystalline orientation domains, $\hbox{AlN}(11\bar{2}2)$ and $\hbox{AlN}(10\bar{1}0),$ whose ratio depends on the III/V ratio. Growth under moderate nitrogen-rich conditions enables to isolate the $(11\bar{2}2)$ orientation. The in-plane epitaxial relationships of $\hbox{AlN}(11\bar{2}2)$ on m-plane sapphire are $[11\bar{2}\bar{3}]_{\rm AlN} \vert \vert [0001]_{\rm sapphire}$ and $[1\bar{1}00]_{\rm AlN} \vert \vert [11\bar{2}0]_{\rm sapphire}.$ GaN deposited directly on m-sapphire results in ( $11\bar{2}2$ )-oriented layers with ( $10\bar{1}\bar{3}$ )-oriented inclusions. A ～100 nm-thick AlN( $11\bar{2}2$ ) buffer imposes the ( $11\bar{2}2$ )-orientation for the GaN layer grown on top. By studying the Ga-desorption on GaN( $11\bar{2}2$ ), we conclude that these optimal growth conditions corresponds to a Ga excess of one monolayer on the GaN( $11\bar{2}2$ ) surface.     

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.     

Evaluation of Power Heat Losses in Multidomain Iron Particles Under the Influence of AC Magnetic Field in RF Range

The magnetic properties and hyperthermia effect were studied in a magnetorheological fluid (MRF) containing iron particles of $1 \upmu \mathrm{m}\, \text{ to}\, 5 \,\upmu \mathrm{m}$ in diameter. The measurements showed that the magnetization in the saturation state reaches a value of 171 $\text{ A}\cdot \text{ m}^{2}\cdot \mathrm{kg}^{-1}$ with very small values of coercivity and remanence. They also showed the ferromagnetic behavior in the system together with a value of the magnetic susceptibility of 1.7. Theoretical and experimental results of the calorimetric effect investigation under a changeable magnetic field of high frequency ( $f = 504$ kHz) in an MRF will be presented in the article. The sample was subjected to an alternating magnetic field of different strengths ( $H = 0$ to 4 $\text{ kA}\cdot \text{ m}^{-1})$ . It results from a theoretical analysis that the heat power density (released in the MRF sample) referenced to the eddy current is proportional to the square of frequency, the magnetic field amplitude, and the iron grain diameter. Experimental results indicate that there are some reasons for the released heat energy such as: energy losses from magnetic hysteresis and eddy currents induced in the iron grains. If the magnetic field intensity amplitude grows, the participation of losses connected with magnetic hysteresis is increased. From the calorimetric measurements, the conclusion is as follows: for a magnetic field $H<1946\,\text{ A}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ , the eddy current processes dominate in the heat generation mechanism, whereas hysteresis processes for the total release of thermal energy dominate for higher magnetic fields. Both mechanisms take equal parts in heating the tested sample at a magnetic field intensity amplitude $H= 1946\,\text{ A}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ . The specific absorption rate referenced to the mass unit of the MRF sample at the amplitude of the magnetic field strength 4 $\text{ kA}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ equals 24.94 $\text{ W} \cdot \mathrm{kg}^{-1}$ at a frequency $f$ = 504 kHz.     

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.     

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.     

Effect of Previous Milling of Precursors on Magnetoelectric Effect in Multiferroic {\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}} Ceramic

$\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}$ Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 magnetoelectric (ME) ceramics have been synthesized and investigated. The ME effect can be described as an induced electric polarization under an external magnetic field or an induced magnetization under an external electric field. The materials in the ME effect are called ME materials, and they are considered to be a kind of new promising materials for sensors, processors, actuators, and memory systems. Multiferroics, the materials in which both ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity can coexist, are the prospective candidates which can potentially host the gigantic ME effect. $\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}$ Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 , an Aurivillius compound, was synthesized by sintering a mixture of $\mathrm{Bi}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}, \mathrm{Fe}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Bi 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 oxides. The precursor materials were prepared in a high-energy attritorial mill for (1, 5, and 10) h. The orthorhombic $\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}$ Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 ceramics were obtained by a solid-state reaction process at 1313 K. The ME voltage coefficient ( $\alpha _\mathrm{ME}$ α ME ) was measured using the dynamic lock-in method. The highest ME voltage coefficient ( $\alpha _\mathrm{ME} = 8.28\,\text{ mV }{\cdot }\text{ cm }^{-1}{\cdot }\text{ Oe }^{-1})$ α ME = 8.28 mV · cm ? 1 · Oe ? 1 ) is obtained for the sample milled for 1 h at $H_\mathrm{DC }= 4$ H DC = 4  Oe (1 Oe = 79.58  $\text{ A }{\cdot }\text{ m }^{-1})$ A · m ? 1 ) .     

Construction of cyclic codes over \mathbb F _2+u\mathbb F _2 for DNA computing

We construct codes over the ring $\mathbb F _2+u\mathbb F _2$ with $u^2=0$ for use in DNA computing applications. The codes obtained satisfy the reverse complement constraint, the $GC$ content constraint, and avoid the secondary structure. They are derived from cyclic reverse-complement codes over the ring $\mathbb F _2+u\mathbb F _2$ . We also construct an infinite family of BCH DNA codes.     

Reparametrizing swung surfaces over the reals

Let $\mathbb {K}\subseteq \mathbb {R}$ be a computable subfield of the real numbers (for instance, $\mathbb {Q}$ ). We present an algorithm to decide whether a given parametrization of a rational swung surface, with coefficients in $\mathbb {K}(\mathtt {i})$ , can be reparametrized over a real (i.e., embedded in $\mathbb {R}$ ) finite field extension of $\mathbb {K}$ . Swung surfaces include, in particular, surfaces of revolution.     

Study of Structural Modification and Fluctuation Induced Electrical Conductivity in \text {YBa}_{2}\text {Cu}_{3}\text {O}_{7-y}+x \text {BaSnO}_{3} Superconductor Composite

A series of \((1-x) \text {YBa}_{2}\text {Cu}_{3}\text {O}_{7-y} + x \text {BaSnO}_{3 }(x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0\,\text {wt}{\%})\) samples were prepared using the solid-state reaction method. XRD graphs confirm the orthorhombic structure in pristine as well as in composite samples. Raman spectra show the presence of all the vibration modes in pure as well as in the composite samples. In addition, some defect-induced modes have also appeared in the higher weight % BSO-added sample, and no loss of apical oxygen O(4) at 500 cm \(^{-1}\) occurs due to BaSnO \(_{3}\) (BSO) addition. Microstructural analysis reveals the unchanged grain size with the incorporation of dielectric BSO particles in the YBCO matrix. Superconducting transition temperature determined from standard four-probe method decreases with the increase of BSO wt%. Excess conductivity fluctuation analysis using Aslamazov–Larkin model fitting reveals transition of two dominant regions (2D and 3D) above \(T_\mathrm{c}\) . 2D to 3D crossover temperature i.e. Lawrence–Doniach temperature that demarcates dimensional nature of fluctuation inside the grains is influenced by BSO incorporation in YBCO matrix.     

Surface Recombination Velocity Dependence on Morphological Properties of CdTe Thin Films Prepared by Close-Spaced Sublimation

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by employing the close-spaced sublimation technique. Different source ( $T_\mathrm{sou}$ ) and substrate temperatures ( $T_\mathrm{sub}$ ) were used in order to change the structural properties of layers. The ranges chosen were: $550\,^{\circ }\hbox {C} \le T_\mathrm{sou} \le 650\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$ and $400\,^{\circ }\hbox {C} \le T_\mathrm{sub} \le 600\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$ . The environment in the growing chamber was also changed with the purpose to study its influence on the crystalline properties of the surface and volume of the material. Three different surroundings were used: vacuum, high-purity argon, and high-purity oxygen. The surface recombination velocity (SRV) was calculated from photoacoustic (PA) measurements by employing the open PA cell configuration. The behavior of the experimental results was analyzed as a function of the structural characteristics of the films: texture and grain size. Scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption, X-ray diffraction, and dark resistivity measurements were also employed to analyze the properties of the CdTe films. The minimum value for the SRV was found for $T_\mathrm{sou} = 650\,^{\circ }\hbox {C},\, T_\mathrm{sub} = 600\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$ in an oxygen ambient.     

Dislocation structure at a \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \}/ {\langle} 10\overline{1} 0 {\rangle} low-angle tilt grain boundary in LiNbO3

LiNbO₃ is a ferroelectric material with a rhombohedral R3c structure at room temperature. A LiNbO₃ bicrystal with a $ \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \}/ {\langle}10\overline{1} 0{\rangle}$ 1° low-angle tilt grain boundary was successfully fabricated by diffusion bonding. The resultant boundary was then investigated using high-resolution TEM. The boundary composed a periodic array of dislocations with $ b = { 1}/ 3{\langle} \overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0{\rangle} $ . They dissociated into two partial dislocations by climb. A crystallographic consideration suggests that the Burgers vectors of the partial dislocations should be $ 1/ 3{\langle}01\overline{1} 0{\rangle} $ and $ 1/ 3{\langle}\overline{1} 100{\rangle} $ , and a stacking fault on $ \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \} $ is formed between the two partial dislocations. From the separation distance of a partial dislocation pair, a stacking fault energy on $ \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \} $ was estimated to be 0.25?J/m² on the basis of isotropic elasticity theory.     

High-field ESR on Light-Induced Transition of Spin Multiplicity in FeCo Complex

Cyanide-bridged Fe-Co complex [Fe(Tp)(CN)₃]₂Co(bpe)?5H₂O (1?5H₂O; Tp = hydro-tris(pyrazolyl)borate; bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) shows temperature- and light- induced metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) involving spin state changes between magnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{HS}}$ (HS = high spin, LS = low spin) state and nonmagnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}$ state, while the dehydrated material 1 does not show any MMCT and holds $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{HS}}$ state. We have investigated the magnetic properties of each spin state in 1 and 1?5H₂O by means of magnetization and ESR measurement under pulsed high magnetic field. At low temperature below T _N, in both 1 and 1?5H₂O, the saturation magnetization in the induced ferromagnetic phase is well explained by S and g values derived from the magnetic susceptibility study. In the ESR of 1, we observed characteristic modes corresponding to a spin excitation in the induced ferromagnetic phase where its temperature dependence shows an evolution of spin correlation in the $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{HS}}$ state at low temperature. We further found that the similar ESR modes grow in the light-induced state of 1?5H₂O. The results strongly suggest that the light-induced magnetization in 1?5H₂O is driven by a light-induced MMCT, which involves transition of spin multiplicity from the nonmagnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}$ to the magnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{\mathrm{II}}}\mathrm{HS}}$ pair.