89 research outputs found
Quantitative analysis and processing of surfaces and profiles from profilometry images
Surface metrology is concerned with inspecting morphological parameters of a surfaces or profiles, by using contact or non-contact profilometers. The following abstract describes the development of a software in Python environment that implements various processing methods on images from optical and stylus profilometers. In particular, the program focusses on image pre-processing and determination of dimensional parameters for 2D areas and 1D profiles. It is worth mentioning that many open and closed source programs are already distributed, but they do not provide a sufficient automatization in the image processing, often requiring the user to repeat the same steps for each image to obtain the expected results. The program has been initially developed within the framework of the EMPIR 20IND07 TracOptic project for the processing of a batch of topographies on RS-M and RS-N linear step samples, in order to compensate for the lack of automation for the calculation of height parameters. The developed program is designed to be modular and scalable for expanding the processing capabilities
c-axis transport and phenomenology of the pseudo-gap state in
We measure and analyze the resistivity of
crystals for different doping . We obtain the fraction of carrier
that do not participate to the c-axis
conductivity. All the curves collapse onto a universal curve
when plotted against a reduced temperature
. We find that at the superconducting
transition is doping independent. We also show that a magnetic field up
to 14 T does not affect the degree of localization in the (a,b) planes but
widens the temperature range of the x-scaling by suppressing the
superconducting phase coherence.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.
Evidence of anomalous dispersion of the generalized sound velocity in glasses
The dynamic structure factor, S(Q,w), of vitreous silica, has been measured
by inelastic X-ray scattering in the exchanged wavevector (Q) region Q=4-16.5
nm-1 and up to energies hw=115 meV in the Stokes side. The unprecedented
statistical accuracy in such an extended energy range allows to accurately
determine the longitudinal current spectra, and the energies of the vibrational
excitations. The simultaneous observation of two excitations in the acoustic
region, and the persistence of propagating sound waves up to Q values
comparable with the (pseudo-)Brillouin zone edge, allow to observe a positive
dispersion in the generalized sound velocity that, around Q=5 nm-1, varies from
6500 to 9000 m/s: this phenomenon was never experimentally observed in a glass.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Electron-phonon interaction in n-doped cuprates: an Inelastic X-ray Scattering study
Inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) with very high (meV) energy resolution has
become a valuable spectroscopic tool, complementing the well established
coherent inelastic neutron scattering (INS) technique for phonon dispersion
investigations. In the study of crystalline systems IXS is a viable alternative
to INS, especially in cases where only small samples are available. Using IXS,
we have measured the phonon dispersion of Nd_{1.86}Ce_{0.14}CuO_{4+\delta}
along the [x,0,0] and [x,x,0] in-plane directions. Compared to the undoped
parent compound, the two highest longitudinal optical (LO) phonon branches are
shifted to lower energies because of Coulomb-screening effects brought about by
the doped charge carriers. An additional anomalous softening of the highest
branch is observed around q=(0.2,0,0). This anomalous softening, akin to what
has been observed in other compounds, provides evidence for a strong
electron-phonon coupling in the electron-doped high-temperature
superconductors.Comment: Proceedings of the SATT11 conference, Vietri sul Mare - Italy (March
2002); accepted for publication on Int. J. Mod. Phys.
Electron localization and possible phase separation in the absence of a charge density wave in single-phase 1T-VS
We report on a systematic study of the structural, magnetic and transport
properties of high-purity 1T-VS powder samples prepared under high
pressure. The results differ notably from those previously obtained by
de-intercalating Li from LiVS. First, no Charge Density Wave (CDW) is found
by transmission electron microscopy down to 94 K. Though, \textit{ab initio}
phonon calculations unveil a latent CDW instability driven by an acoustic
phonon softening at the wave vector (0.21,0.21,0)
previously reported in de-intercalated samples. A further indication of latent
lattice instability is given by an anomalous expansion of the V-S bond distance
at low temperature. Second, infrared optical absorption and electrical
resistivity measurements give evidence of non metallic properties, consistent
with the observation of no CDW phase. On the other hand, magnetic
susceptibility and NMR data suggest the coexistence of localized moments with
metallic carriers, in agreement with \textit{ab initio} band structure
calculations. This discrepancy is reconciled by a picture of electron
localization induced by disorder or electronic correlations leading to a phase
separation of metallic and non-metallic domains in the nm scale. We conclude
that 1T-VS is at the verge of a CDW transition and suggest that residual
electronic doping in Li de-intercalated samples stabilizes a uniform CDW phase
with metallic properties.Comment: 22 pages, 10 Figures. Full resolution pictures available at
http://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.23512
Microscopic dynamics and relaxation processes in liquid Hydrogen Fluoride
Inelastic x-ray scattering and Brillouin light scattering measurements of the
dynamic structure factor of liquid hydrogen fluoride have been performed in the
temperature range. The data, analysed using a viscoelastic
model with a two timescale memory function, show a positive dispersion of the
sound velocity between the low frequency value and the high
frequency value . This finding confirms the existence of
a structural () relaxation directly related to the dynamical
organization of the hydrogen bonds network of the system. The activation energy
of the process has been extracted by the analysis of the temperature
behavior of the relaxation time that follows an Arrhenius law.
The obtained value for , when compared with that observed in another
hydrogen bond liquid as water, suggests that the main parameter governing the
-relaxation process is the number of the hydrogen bonds per molecule.Comment: 9 pages and 12 figure
Small and large polarons in nickelates, manganites, and cuprates
By comparing the optical conductivities of La_{1.67}Sr_{0.33}NiO_{4} (LSNO),
Sr_{1.5}La_{0.5}MnO_4 (SLMO), Nd_2CuO_{4-y} (NCO), and
Nd_{1.96}Ce_{0.04}CuO_{4} (NCCO), we have identified a peculiar behavior of
polarons in this cuprate family. While in LSNO and SLMO small polarons localize
into ordered structures below a transition temperature, in those cuprates the
polarons appear to be large, and at low T their binding energy decreases. This
reflects into an increase of the polaron radius, which may trigger coherent
transport.Comment: File latex, 15 p. incl. 4 Figs. epsf, to appear on the Journal of
Superconductivity - Proc. "Stripes 1996" - Roma Dec 199
Infrared signatures of charge stripes in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4)
The in-plane optical conductivity of seven La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) single crystals
with x between 0 and 0.15 has been studied from 30 to 295 K. All doped samples
exhibit strong peaks in the far-infrared, which closely resemble those observed
in Cu-O "ladders" with one-dimensional charge-ordering. The behavior with
doping and temperature of the peak energy, width, and intensity allows us to
conclude that we are observing charge stripes dynamics in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) on
the fast time scale of infrared spectroscopy.Comment: 9 pages including figs. in pdf forma
Anomalous Dispersion of Longitudinal Optical Phonons in Determined by Inelastic X-ray Scattering
The phonon dispersions of along
the direction have been determined by inelastic x-ray scattering.
Compared to the undoped parent compound, the two highest longitudinal phonon
branches, associated with the Cu-O bond-stretching and out-of-plane oxygen
vibration, are shifted to lower energies. Moreover, an anomalous softening of
the bond-stretching band is observed around . These
signatures provide evidence for strong electron-phonon coupling in this
electron-doped high-temperature superconductor.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
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