An EPR investigation of the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in SrCl2-La/2 plus/

Second-order solutions of Hamiltonian functions for EPR study of Jahn-Teller effect in SrCl2-La/2 plus

Tetragonal tungsten bronze compounds: relaxor vs mixed ferroelectric - dipole glass behavior

We demonstrate that recent experimental data (E. Castel et al J.Phys. Cond. Mat. {\bf 21} (2009), 452201) on tungsten bronze compound (TBC) Ba$_2$Pr$_x$Nd$_{1-x}$FeNb$_4$O$_{15}$ can be well explained in our model predicting a crossover from ferroelectric ($x=0$) to orientational (dipole) glass ($x=1$), rather then relaxor, behavior. We show, that since a "classical" perovskite relaxor like Pb(Mn$_{1/3}$ Nb$_{2/3}$)O$_3$ is never a ferroelectric, the presence of ferroelectric hysteresis loops in TBC shows that this substance actually transits from ferroelectric to orientational glass phase with $x$ growth. To describe the above crossover theoretically, we use the simple replica-symmetric solution for disordered Ising model.Comment: 5 two-column pages, 4 figure

Growth, Characterization, and Electrochemical Properties of Doped n-Type KTaO_3 Photoanodes

The effects of compositionally induced changes on the semiconducting properties, optical response, chemical stability, and overall performance of KTaO_3 photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells have been investigated. Single crystals of n-type Ca- and Ba-doped KTaO_3 with carrier concentrations ranging from 0.45 to 11.5×10^(19) cm^(−3) were grown and characterized as photoanodes in basic aqueous electrolyte PEC cells. The PEC properties of the crystals, including the photocurrent, photovoltage, and flatband potential in contact with 8.5 M NaOH(aq) were relatively independent of whether Ca or Ba was used to produce the semiconducting form of KTaO_3. All of the Ca- or Ba-doped KTaO_3 single-crystal photoanodes were chemically stable in the electrolyte and, based on the open-circuit potential and the band-edge positions, were capable of unassisted photochemical H_2 and O_2 evolution from H_2O. The minority-carrier diffusion lengths values were small and comparable to the depletion region width. Photoanodic currents were only observed for photoanode illumination with light above the bandgap (i.e., λ<340 nm). The maximum external quantum yield occurred at λ=255 nm (4.85 eV), and the depletion width plus the minority-carrier diffusion length ranged from 20 to 65 nm for the various KTaO_3-based photoanode materials

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of irradiation-induced amorphizaton of Gd2Ti2O7Gd2Ti2O7

The radiation-induced evolution of the microstructure of Gd2Ti2O7,Gd2Ti2O7, an important pyrochlore phase in radioactive waste disposal ceramics and a potential solid electrolyte and oxygen gas sensor, has been characterized using transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Following the irradiation of a Gd2Ti2O7Gd2Ti2O7 single crystal with 1.5 MeV Xe+Xe+ ions at a fluence of 1.7×1014 Xe+/cm2,1.7×1014Xe+/cm2, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed a 300-nm-thick amorphous layer at the specimen surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the Ti 2p2p and O 1s1s electron binding energy shifts of Gd2Ti2O7Gd2Ti2O7 before and after amorphization showed that the main results of ion-irradiation-induced disorder are a decrease in the coordination number of titanium and a transformation of the Gd–O bond. These features resemble those occurring in titanate glass formation, and they have implications for the chemical stability and electronic properties of pyrochlores subjected to displacive radiation damage. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71018/2/APPLAB-79-13-1989-1.pd

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Lead-Iron Phosphate Nuclear Waste Glasses

Experimental determinations of the properties of lead-iron phosphate glasses pertinent to their application to the problem of permanently disposing of high-level nuclear wastes have been carried out. These investigations included studies of the composition and physical properties of nuclear waste glasses (NWG), as well as the effect of preparation conditions. Lead-iron phosphate nuclear waste glasses were prepared by dissolving simulated US defense wastes or simulated commercial power reactor wastes in molten lead-iron phosphate melts at temperatures between 900 and 1050/sup 0/C. The measured physical and chemical properties of the nuclear waste glasses formed by cooling these melts and annealing included the following: (1) aqueous corrosion resistance as a function of the solution pH, solution temperature, and glass composition, (2) glass density, (3) thermal expansion coefficient, (4) glass transition temperature and softening point, (5) heat capacity, (6) critical cooling rate, (7) temperature for the maximum crystallization rate, (8) relative solubility of waste oxides in the glass melt, (9) reactions between the molten glass and the melting crucible (Pt, ZrO/sub 2/, Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/), and (10 studies of possible metal cannister materials. Experimental results for the lead-iron phosphate NWG are compared to available data for borosilicate NWG. Relative to borosilicate NWG, the lead-iron phosphate glasses have several distinct advantages which include a much lower aqueous corrosion rate, a lower preparation temperature, and the ability to immobilize many types of commercial and defense-related high-level radioactive wastes. 34 refs., 18 figs., 10 tabs

Analysis of ripple formation in single crystal spot welds

Stationary spot welds have been made at the (001) surface of Fe-l5%Ni-15%Cr single crystals using a Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA). On the top surface of the spot welds, very regular and concentric ripples were observed after solidification by differential interference color microscopy. Their height (typically 1--5 {micro}m) and spacing (typically {approximately} 60 {micro}m) decreased with the radius of the pool. These ripples were successfully accounted for in terms of capillary-wave theory using the fundamental mode frequency f{sub 0} given by the first zero of the zero-order Bessel function. The spacing d between the ripples was then equated to v{sub s}/f{sub 0}, where v{sub s} is the solidification rate. From the measured ripple spacing, the velocity of the pool was deduced as a function of the radius, and this velocity was in good agreement with the results of a heat-flow simulation

Simultaneous formation of surface ripples and metallic nanodots induced by phase decomposition and focused ion beam patterning

We report the simultaneous formation of self-assembled surface ripples in Cd2Nb2O7Cd2Nb2O7 pyrochlore caused by focused ion beam (FIB) patterning and uniformly distributed metallic nanodots induced by phase decomposition under ion bombardment. The characteristic wavelength of the surface ripples is controllable from the nm to the sub-μmsub-μm scale. High-density Cd metallic nanoparticles, ∼ 5 nm∼5nm, formed and the distribution of nanoparticles is consistent with the morphological characteristics of the ripple pattern. This approach provides a means of fabricating surface nanostructure with various patterns and a controllable particle size and distribution by combining ion beam-induced phase decomposition with high-precision FIB patterning.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87787/2/093112_1.pd