German Materials Science: A self-portrait

An influential and refreshingly frank report on the state of health of non-university materials research in Germany has recently been published. National Research Centers, Max Planck Institutes, and Fraunhofer Institutes are among the organizations covered. Recommendations are made on the basis of materials type, and on the performances of the individual institutes. The conclusions of this self-portrait, painted by representatives of the organizations themselves along with participants from the universities, industry, and state, will provide food for thought for both German materials scientists and those in other European countries concerned with the future development of this crucial economic sector.     

LD泵浦的声光调Q腔内倍频激光器

研制成用ＬＤ泵浦的声光调Ｑ的Ｎｄ：ＹＶＯ４－ＫＴＰ腔内倍频激光器，得到了ＴＥＭ００模、频率高达１００ｋＨｚ的稳定的５３２ｕｍ绿激光脉冲系列输出，阈值泵浦功率为２７ｍＷ；在连续５７０ｍＷ的泵浦功率下，绿激光脉冲的峰值功率达１１００Ｗ，脉宽为４．６ｕｓ；输出功率稳定，在±５℃的工作温度变化下，输出功率变化小于±２％。此种器件可望得到广泛的应用。     

Resistance measurements and vortex fluctuations in two-dimensional superconducting films

Recently theories of vortex fluctuations in two-dimensional superconducting films have been compared to the experimentally determined power law dependence of voltage on current and to the temperature-dependent resistance in small applied fields. Here an alternative interpretation of the power law and a practical difficulty of flux pinning for measurements in small fields are pointed out. To illustrate these points, experimental examples are presented for very homogeneous granular aluminum films.     

Bending and torsional fatigue of nylon 66 monofilaments

Using newly developed test equipment, the fatigue behavior of nylon 66 monofilaments was studied under two loading conditions, pure bending or simple torsion. For each mode, results are expressed in terms of the measured decay in stiffness with numbers of cycles over a range of maximum applied strain levels. Fatigue lifetimes are presented in S–N format where the log number of cycles of fatigue for a 40% decay in stiffness (N) is plotted as a function of applied strain (S). The failure mechanism for these fibers in each fatigue mode reflects the morphology of semicrystalline-oriented synthetic fibers. In torsion, many longitudinal cracks form around the perimeter of a fiber as the result of cleavage of the relatively weak interfibrillar bonds in nylon 66. In bending, cracks form within kink band boundaries and grow at an oblique angle to the fiber axis. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structural and magnetic characterization of norbornene-deuterated norbornene dicarboxylic acid diblock copolymers doped with iron oxide nanoparticles

A series of iron oxide doped norbornene (NOR)/deuterated norbornene dicarboxylic acid (NORCOOH) diblock copolymers were synthesized and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) experiments. γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were synthesized within the microdomains of diblock copolymers with volume fractions of NOR/NORCOOH 0.64/0.36, 0.50/0.50 and 0.40/0.60. A spherical nanoparticle morphology was displayed in the polymer with 0.64/0.36 volume fraction. Polymers with 0.50/0.50 and 0.40/0.60 volume fractions exhibited interconnected metal oxide nanostructures. The observed changes in the shape and peak positions of the small-angle neutron scattering profiles of polymers after metal doping were related to the scattering from the metal oxide particles and to the possible deformed morphologies due to the strong interparticle interactions between metal particles, which may influence the polymer microphase separation. The combined scattering from both polymer domains and magnetic particles was depicted in SANS profiles of metal oxide doped polymers. γ-Fe₂O₃ containing block copolymers were superparamagnetic at room temperature. An increase in the blocking temperature (T_b) of interconnected nanoparticles was observed and was related to the interparticle interactions, which depends on the average distance (d) between particles and individual particle diameter (2R). The sample with volume fraction of 0.4/0.6 have the lowest d/(2R) ratio and exhibit the highest T_b at 115 K.