Dirac Cone Spin Polarization of Graphene by Magnetic Insulator Proximity Effect Probed with Outermost Surface Spin Spectroscopy

The effects of the proximity contact with magnetic insulator on the spin‐dependent electronic structure of graphene are explored for the heterostructure of single‐layer graphene (SLG) and yttrium iron garnet Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (YIG) by means of outermost surface spin spectroscopy using a spin‐polarized metastable He atom beam. In the SLG/YIG heterostructure, the Dirac cone electrons of graphene are found to be negatively spin polarized in parallel to the minority spins of YIG with a large polarization degree, without giving rise to significant changes in the π band structure. Theoretical calculations reveal the electrostatic interfacial interactions providing a strong physical adhesion and the indirect exchange interaction causing the spin polarization of SLG at the interface with YIG. The Hall device of the SLG/YIG heterostructure exhibits a nonlinear Hall resistance attributable to the anomalous Hall effect, implying the extrinsic spin–orbit interactions as another manifestation of the proximity effect.     

Annealing effects of a high-quality ZnTe substrate

The sharp photoluminescence (PL) and optical-reflection spectra in the bandedge region of the high-quality nondoped ZnTe substrate (100) were observed at 4.2 K. Free exciton, associated with lower and upper polaritons (EX^L and EX^U) at 2.382 eV and 2.381 eV, respectively, were clearly observed. This meant that this substrate was high quality. The intensity of a bound exciton peak (2.375 eV), which is caused by a Zn vacancy, of a neutral acceptor decreased with an increase of the Zn vapor pressures.     

Effects of sample orientation on nonpiloted ignition of thin poly(methyl methacrylate) sheets by a laser: 2. Experimental results

The effect of the sample orientation angle on frontside (irradiated surface) ignition and subsequent backside (nonirradiated surface) flame appearance over thin poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sheets having thicknesses of 0.2 and 0.5 mm has been experimentally investigated, using a CO₂ laser as an external radiant source in quiescent normal gravity. The sample orientation angle was varied from θ=−90° (ceiling configuration) to +90° (floor configuration) at intervals of 15° under three different laser powers of 16.0, 17.3, and 26.1 W. The shortest frontside ignition delay time was observed for the ceiling configuration (θ=−90°) and frontside ignition delay time significantly varied with increase in sample orientation angle at a laser power of 16.0 W. As the laser power was increased, frontside ignition was observed at all angles and its delay time became less dependent on the sample orientation angle. The appearance of a backside flame was achieved after the formation of an open hole (due to local consumption of the sample) by two different processes: the onset of laser induced ignition over the backside sample (backside ignition) and a flame traveling from the frontside through an open hole to the backside (backside flame). The former process was observed for a limited number of cases only around the vertical configurations (−30°?θ?30°). The delay time for the appearance of backside flame tended to be longer for sample surfaces facing downward (θ°<0) than for the sample surface facing upward (θ?0°) regardless of the laser power. When the duration of laser irradiation was shortened from 10 to 4 s, as soon as the laser was shut off, the flame on the frontside immediately shrank, moved close to the sample surface, and then traveled rapidly to the backside. Therefore, the delay time of backside flame appearance (about 6 s) became longer with longer duration of laser irradiation after the onset of a frontside flame. The size of the hole (about 4 mm diameter) was large enough for the flame to travel through it, even after 4 s of laser irradiation to sample. These results indicate that the size of the hole appears to be not a critical parameter for the appearance of the backside flame.     

研究开发适应于国际标准的SPM针尖特性表征结构

标准化是当前扫描探针显微镜领域(SPM)的一项重要工作.国际标准化组织ISO自2004年起已经将SPM标准化列入其工作框架之内,并建立了相关的分委员会、技术委员会和工作小组.本文介绍了国际上当前有关SPM标准化方面努力和主要趋势:SPM术语的标准化被认为是SPM标准化工作范围内首先需要考虑的问题,其相关标准即将发表;SPM数据管理及处理的标准化则是另一项正在进行的有利于数据访问、处理和共享的重要工作.可溯源计量型原子力显微镜(AFM)的发展解决了纳米尺度的度量问题,能够通过对标准物质进行定量分析与定标实现量值的传递.当前发展能够被计量型AFM鉴定的参考物质以及标准化仪器校正过程是实现SPM标准化之前的当务之急.为了促进SPM领域ISO标准的实现,一种新的针尖特性表征结构(tip characterizer)已经被开发出来.这种tip characterizer由超晶格组装技术实现,能够描述针尖的形状并且同时进行侧向尺度的校正.本文探讨了这种新型tip characterizer的性能.这种tip characterizer不易损坏针尖,具有很好的重复性,并能帮助实验观察分析针尖形状和结构几何特性之间的关系.     

Oxidation of Fe (II) in sulfuric acid solutions with dissolved molecular oxygen

The oxidation of Fe(II) with dissolved molecular oxygen was studied in sulfuric acid solutions containing 0.2 mol . dm^-3 FeSO₄ at temperatures ranging from 343 to 363 K. In solutions of sulfuric acid above 0.4 mol . dm^-3, the oxidation of Fe (II) was found to proceed through two parallel paths. In one path the reaction rate was proportional to both [Fe²⁺]² and po₂, exhibiting an activation energy of 51.6 . kJ mol^-1. In another path the reaction rate was proportional to [Fe²⁺]², [SO_4-], and po₂ with an activation energy of 144.6 kJ . mol^-1. A reaction mechanism in which the SO_4- ions play an important role was proposed for the oxidation of Fe(II). In dilute solutions of sulfuric acid below 0.4 mol . dm^-3, the rate of the oxidation reaction was found to be proportional to both [Fe(II)]² and Po₂, and was also affected by [H⁺] and [SO_2- ⁴]. The decrease in [H⁺] resulted in the increase of reaction rate. The discussion was further extended to the effect of Fe (III) on the oxidation reaction of Fe (II).     

Realistic image synthesis of a deformable living thing based on motion understanding

This paper describes a system that can synthesize realistic sequential images of moving goldfish based on the image understanding result of real goldfish. To analyze and synthesize images in real-time, we have constructed a hardware system that consists of 32 paralell transputers with a high-speed visual-data interface called VIT (Visual Interface for Transpputer Network). The system is very flexible and powerful for various types of image processing because it can be extended according to the required computational cost. In the understanding process, we assume that the target object, a goldfish in this case, deforms its shape pliably in 3-D space and moves only in a two-dimensional direction. A modeling, called the Bone-Structured Solid Modeler, which is suitable for representing deformable objects such as living things, plays an important role in the understanding and synthesis processes of the deformable object. Three types of constraints for motion, namely, static, dynamic, and object, are utilized to verify the estimated pose and orientation of the object. In the motion synthesis process, realistic moving images are synthesized by controlling the model employing the motion understanding result. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the system. The technology discussed in this paper is expected to play a key role in the realization of future visual human interfaces.     

Evaluation of the Parallel Conductor Theory for Measuring Human Limb Blood Flow by Electrical Admittance Plethysmography

We devised a compensation technique that measures the admittance change of a limb submerged in an electrolyte solution in a cylinder. Using this technique, we evaluated the accuracy of admittance plethysmography and the validity of the parallel-conductor model on which the theory of blood flow measurement by electrical admittance (or impedance) plethysmography is based. From a theoretical point of view, if a limb is regarded as a parallel-conductor model, the admittance change due to blood pooling following venous occlusion should disappear when the resistivity of the solution is equal to that of the blood.     

Sequestration of distasteful compounds by some pharmacophagous insects

Several pharmacophagous insects have been shown to sequester specific kairomonal substances or their derivatives in their body tissues. Turnip sawflies,Athalia rosae, visit a plant,Clerodendron trichototmum (Verbenaceae), and feed voraciously on the leaf surface. Clerodendrins were characterized as the potent phagostimulants forA. rosae adults. The insect sequesters some of the analogs and becomes extremely bitter on its body surface. Some chrysomelid leaf beetles associated with cucurbitacins were found to store high concentrations of these bitter principles in their body. South American polyphagous beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, are strongly arrested by root components from the cucurbit plant,Ceratosanthes hilariana, and selectively accumulate 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D, effectively gaining bitterness. Similarly, four species of Asian pumpkin leaf beetles belonging to the genusAulacophora were shown to sequester the same compound in body tissue as the major bitter principle. Three phenylpropanoids closely related to methyl eugenol were found to accumulate in the rectal glands of the male Oriental fruit fly,Dacus dorsalis. One of the rectal gland components, 2-allyl-4,5-dimethoxyphenol was shown to be released in the air during courtship. In all of these cases, selectively sequestered compounds strongly deterred feeding by some predators, thus serving as allomones in this context. Kairomonal and pheromonal functions linked with allomonal sequestration by pharmacophagous feeding has also been suggested.     

Toughening of Silicon Nitride Matrix Composites by the Addition of Both Silicon Carbide Whiskers and Silicon Carbide Particles

Si₃N₄ matrix composites reinforced by SiC whiskers, SiC particles, or both were fabricated using the hot-pressing technique. The mechanical properties of the composites containing various amounts of these SiC reinforcing materials and different sizes of SiC particles were investigated. Fracture toughness of the composites was significantly improved by introducing SiC whiskers and particles together, compared with that obtained by adding SiC whiskers or SiC particles alone. On increasing the size of the added SiC particles, the fracture toughness of the composites reinforced by both whiskers and particles was increased. Their fracture toughness also showed a strong dependence on the amount of SiC particles (average size 40 μm) and was a maximum at the particle content of 10 vol%. The maximum fracture toughness of these composites was 10.5 MPa·m^1/2 and the flexural strength was 550 MPa after addition of 20 vol% of SiC whiskers and 10 vol% of SiC particles having an average particle size of 40 μm. These mechanical properties were almost constant from room temperature to temperatures around 1000°C. Fracture surface observations revealed that the reinforcing mechanisms acting in these composites were crack deflection and crack branching by SiC particles and pullout of SiC whiskers.     

Radiation from a Line Source Placed in Two-dimensional Photonic Crystals

A novel formulation of radiation from a localized line source placed in two-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of layered periodic arrays of parallel circular cylinders is presented. The method employs the spectral domain approach. The spectral response of the photonic crystals to the line source excitation is calculated using the lattice sums, the T-matrix of a circular cylinder, and the generalized reflection and transmission matrices of the layered system. The far-zone radiated field is obtained using the conventional asymptotic method to the spectral response. The radiation patterns of the localized line source sandwiched by two photonic crystals are numerically studied.