Universal Vectorial and Ultrasensitive Nanomechanical Force Field Sensor

Miniaturization of force probes into nanomechanical oscillators enables ultrasensitive investigations of forces on dimensions smaller than their characteristic length scale. Meanwhile it also unravels the force field vectorial character and how its topology impacts the measurement. Here we expose an ultrasensitive method to image 2D vectorial force fields by optomechanically following the bidimensional Brownian motion of a singly clamped nanowire. This novel approach relies on angular and spectral tomography of its quasi frequency-degenerated transverse mechanical polarizations: immersing the nanoresonator in a vectorial force field does not only shift its eigenfrequencies but also rotate eigenmodes orientation as a nano-compass. This universal method is employed to map a tunable electrostatic force field whose spatial gradients can even take precedence over the intrinsic nanowire properties. Enabling vectorial force fields imaging with demonstrated sensitivities of attonewton variations over the nanoprobe Brownian trajectory will have strong impact on scientific exploration at the nanoscale

Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in FePt Patterned Media Employing a CrV Seed Layer

A thin FePt film was deposited onto a CrV seed layer at 400°C and showed a high coercivity (~3,400 Oe) and high magnetization (900–1,000 emu/cm3) characteristic of L10 phase. However, the magnetic properties of patterned media fabricated from the film stack were degraded due to the Ar-ion bombardment. We employed a deposition-last process, in which FePt film deposited at room temperature underwent lift-off and post-annealing processes, to avoid the exposure of FePt to Ar plasma. A patterned medium with 100-nm nano-columns showed an out-of-plane coercivity fivefold larger than its in-plane counterpart and a remanent magnetization comparable to saturation magnetization in the out-of-plane direction, indicating a high perpendicular anisotropy. These results demonstrate the high perpendicular anisotropy in FePt patterned media using a Cr-based compound seed layer for the first time and suggest that ultra-high-density magnetic recording media can be achieved using this optimized top-down approach

The impact of HIV/SRH service integration on workload: analysis from the Integra Initiative in two African settings.

BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in integration of HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services as a way to improve the efficiency of human resources (HR) for health in low- and middle-income countries. Although this is supported by a wealth of evidence on the acceptability and clinical effectiveness of service integration, there is little evidence on whether staff in general health services can easily absorb HIV services. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive analysis of HR integration through task shifting/sharing and staff workload in the context of the Integra Initiative - a large-scale five-year evaluation of HIV/SRH integration. We describe the level, characteristics and changes in HR integration in the context of wider efforts to integrate HIV/SRH, and explore the impact of HR integration on staff workload. RESULTS: Improvements in the range of services provided by staff (HR integration) were more likely to be achieved in facilities which also improved other elements of integration. While there was no overall relationship between integration and workload at the facility level, HIV/SRH integration may be most influential on staff workload for provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling (PITC) and postnatal care (PNC) services, particularly where HIV care and treatment services are being supported with extra SRH/HIV staffing. Our findings therefore suggest that there may be potential for further efficiency gains through integration, but overall the pace of improvement is slow. CONCLUSIONS: This descriptive analysis explores the effect of HIV/SRH integration on staff workload through economies of scale and scope in high- and medium-HIV prevalence settings. We find some evidence to suggest that there is potential to improve productivity through integration, but, at the same time, significant challenges are being faced, with the pace of productivity gain slow. We recommend that efforts to implement integration are assessed in the broader context of HR planning to ensure that neither staff nor patients are negatively impacted by integration policy

Silicide formation and particle size growth in high temperature annealed, self- assembled

L1(0) FePt nanoparticle assemblies consisting of a few layers of 4-nm-diameter particles, are a potential data storage medium beyond 1 Tbit/in(2). However, annealing at temperatures &gt;500 degreesC is required to form the high anisotropy L1(0) phase. Recent studies have shown a substantial drop in magnetization for T-anneal&gt;650 degreesC. We show that this reduction in magnetization is due to silicide formation as a result of a chemical reaction with the native oxide or Si substrate. We also show that full L1(0) ordering is established only after annealing at 725 degreesC for 60 min and note that particle agglomeration occurs under these conditions. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.</p

Structural and magnetic model of self-assembled FePt nanoparticle arrays

Chemically ordered, self-assembled FePt nanoparticle arrays with high magnetic anisotropy are considered as a candidate medium for data storage beyond 1 Tbit/in2. We report comprehensive structural and magnetic studies on thin (three-layer) assemblies of polyethylenimine (PEI) and 4 nm Fe58Pt42 nanoparticles using x-ray diffraction, small angle neutron scattering, and magnetometry. We show that prior to annealing FePt nanoparticles in the PEI-FePt assembly consist of a metallic magnetic core surrounded by a weakly magnetic or nonmagnetic shell. High temperature annealing creates the desired L1(0) chemical ordering and results in high coercivity FePt nanoparticles. However, we find that the high temperatures necessary to establish full chemical ordering leads to particle sintering and agglomeration. Understanding the magnetic and physical properties of these assemblies allows future research directions to be clarified for nanoparticle arrays as data storage media. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.</p