Development of a low profile laser Doppler probe for monitoring perfusion at the patient – mattress interface

The clinical importance of pressure ulcers is reviewed confirming the need for continuous monitoring of skin blood perfusion at the patient – mattress interface. The design of a low profile (H≈1mm) laser Doppler probe is then described together with the experimental setup used for evaluation. The results show that the performance of the new sensor does not vary significantly from that of currently available probes over a wide range of operating parameters. The authors conclude that the sensor design provides a low cost perfusion monitoring solution with potential to significantly reduce the risk of bed sores in hospital patients

Crystal growth, structural studies and superconducting properties of beta-pyrochlore KOs2O6

Single crystals of KOs2O6 have been grown in a sealed quartz ampoule. Detailed single crystal X-ray diffraction studies at room temperature show Bragg peaks that violate Fd-3m symmetry. With a comparative structure refinement the structure is identified as non-centrosymmetric (F-43m). Compared to the ideal beta-pyrochlore lattice (Fd-3m), both Os tetrahedral and O octahedral network exhibit breathing mode like volume changes accompanied by strong anisotropic character of the K channels. The crystals show metallic conductivity and a sharp transition to the superconducting state at Tc = 9.65 K. Superconducting properties have been investigated by magnetization measurements performed in a temperature range from 2 to 12 K and in magnetic fields from 0 to 60 kOe. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field Hc2(T) has been determined and the initial slope (dHc2/dT)Tc = -33.3 kOe/K has been obtained near Tc. The upper critical field at zero temperature was estimated to be Hc2(0) \cong 230 kOe, which is a value close to the Pauli paramagnetic limiting field Hp(0)\cong 250 kOe. Then, the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) coherence length xi GL(0) \approx 3.8 nm was calculated, and the Maki parameter alpha \approx \sqrt 2 was obtained, suggesting the possibility that KOs2O6 might behave unconventionally at low temperatures and high magnetic fields

The effect of magnetic impurities in a two-band superconductor: A point-contact study of Mn-substituted MgB2 single crystals

We present the first results of directional point-contact measurements in Mg_{1-x}Mn_{x}B_2 single crystals, with x up to 0.015 and bulk T_c down to 13.3 K. The order parameters Delta_{sigma} and Delta_{pi} were obtained by fitting the conductance curves with the two-band Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) model. Both Delta_{pi} and Delta_{sigma} decrease with the critical temperature of the junctions T_c^A, but remain clearly distinct up to the highest Mn content. Once analyzed within the Eliashberg theory, the results indicate that spin-flip scattering is dominant in the sigma band, as also confirmed by first-principle band structure calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 eps figures. New theoretical results added, text and some figures changed. References adde

Strong magnetic pair breaking in Mn substituted MgB_2 single crystals

Magnetic ions (Mn) were substituted in MgB_2 single crystals resulting in a strong pair-breaking effect. The superconducting transition temperature, T_c, in Mg_{1-x}Mn_xB_2 has been found to be rapidly suppressed at an initial rate of 10 K/%Mn, leading to a complete suppression of superconductivity at about 2% Mn substitution. This reflects the strong coupling between the conduction electrons and the 3d local moments, predominantly of magnetic character, since the nonmagnetic ion substitutions, e.g. with Al or C, suppress T_c much less effectively (e.g. 0.5 K/%Al). The magnitude of the magnetic moment, derived from normal state susceptibility measurements, uniquely identifies the Mn ions to be divalent, and to be in the low-spin state (S = 1/2). This has been found also in X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. Isovalent Mn^{2+} substitution for Mg^{2+} mainly affects superconductivity through spin-flip scattering reducing T_c rapidly and lowering the upper critical field anisotropy H_{c2}^{ab}/H_{c2}^c at T = 0 from 6 to 3.3 (x = 0.88% Mn), while leaving the initial slope dH_{c2}/dT near T_c unchanged for both field orientations.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Bose-Einstein condensation of strongly correlated electrons and phonons in cuprate superconductors

The long-range Froehlich electron-phonon interaction has been identified as the most essential for pairing in high-temperature superconductors owing to poor screening, as is now confirmed by optical, isotope substitution, recent photoemission and some other measurements. I argue that low energy physics in cuprate superconductors is that of superlight small bipolarons, which are real-space hole pairs dressed by phonons in doped charge-transfer Mott insulators. They are itinerant quasiparticles existing in the Bloch states at low temperatures as also confirmed by continuous-time quantum Monte-Carlo algorithm (CTQMC) fully taking into account realistic Coulomb and long-range Froehlich interactions. Here I suggest that a parameter-free evaluation of Tc, unusual upper critical fields, the normal state Nernst effect, diamagnetism, the Hall-Lorenz numbers and giant proximity effects strongly support the three-dimensional (3D) Bose-Einstein condensation of mobile small bipolarons with zero off-diagonal order parameter above the resistive critical temperature Tc at variance with phase fluctuation scenarios of cuprates.Comment: 35 pages, 10 figures, to appear in the special volume of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Fluxiod jumps coupled high critical current density of nano-Co3O4 doped MgB2

Polycrystalline MgB2 samples with 0, 2, 4 and 6 percent added nano-Co3O4 being synthesized by vacuum (10-5 Torr) annealing at 750 0C for three hours each are found to be nearly single phase with presence of only a small quantity of Mg/MgO in pristine sample and in addition the Co2O3 in doped compounds. All the samples exhibited clear and sharp diamagnetic transitions at around 38 K, in Zero-field-cooled (ZFC) magnetic susceptibility measurements with sizeable signal. The Field cooled (FC) measurements though having sharp transitions, but showed a very small signal, indicating high level of pinning centers in these samples. Further some of the doped samples exhibited Paramagnetic-Meissner-Effect (PME) in applied field of 5 Oe. The critical current density (Jc), being estimated by invoking Bean model for the pristine compound increase by nearly an order of magnitude for 2 and 4 percent nano-Co3O4 doping and later the same decreases sharply for 6 percent sample at nearly all studied temperatures and applied fields. Further the increased Jc (~ 10^8 A/cm2) is coupled with fluxiod jumps (T = 20 K and H = 1 T). Fluxiod Jumps are not seen in relatively low Jc pristine or 6 percent sample. This means the fluxiod-jumps are intrinsic only to the high Jc samples.Comment: 14 pages including TEXT + Figs. Comments Welcome ([email protected]) OR [email protected]

МАГНЕТОСОПРОТИВЛЕНИЕ ОБЛУЧЕННЫХ ПРОТОНАМИ НИТЕВИДНЫХ КРИСТАЛЛОВ Si0,97Ge0,03

Whiskers are a new material that is characterized by high structural perfection, chemical resistance and strength which reaches the theoretically possible limit for crystals of small transverse dimensions. The test whiskers were synthesized by the method of chemical transport reactions in a closed bromide system using gold as the initiator of growth. The crystals were irradiated by protons with an energy of 6 MeV and doses of 5 · 1013, 1015 and 1 · 1017 p+/cm2 at 40 °C in a U−120 cyclotron. The effects of proton irradiation and high magnetic fields on the magnetoresistance of Si1−xGex (x = 0,03) whiskers in the 4,2—300 K temperature range has been studied. A slight decrease in the electrical resistance of the crystals in the 4,2—40 K temperature range during irradiation with small proton doses and a significant increase in their resistance in the entire investigated temperature range for a dose of 1·1017 p+/cm2 have been found. The ionization energy of the impurity atoms in different magnetic fields has been calculated. It has been revealed that the energy level of the impurity depends on the magnetic field but slightly which in turn indicates a independence of the concentration of holes on the magnetic field. It has been shown that a significant magnetoresistance at all studied temperatures was due to the magnetic field−caused decrease in the mobility of free charge carriers (holes). It has been found that the concentration of holes depends on magnetic field but a little. Conclusion has been made about a negligible expansion of the band gap in magnetic fields of up to 8 T. Нитевидные кристаллы — это новый материал, который характеризуется высоким структурным совершенством, химической стойкостью, прочностью, которая для кристаллов небольших поперечных размеров достигает теоретически возможного предела. Исследованные нитевидные кристаллы получены методом химических транспортных реакций в закрытой бромидной системе с использованием золота в качестве инициатора роста. Кристаллы облучали протонами с энергией 6 МэВ и дозами 5 · 1013, 1015 и 1 · 1017 р+/см−2 при 40 °С на циклотроне У−120. Изучено влияние протонного облучения и сильных магнитных полей на магнетосопротивление нитевидных кристаллов Si1−xGex (х = 0,03) в интервале температур 4,2—300 К. Обнаружено незначительное уменьшение электрического сопротивления кристаллов в температурной области 4,2—40 К в процессе облучения малыми дозами протонов и существенное увеличение сопротивления во всей исследуемой температурной области при облучении дозой 1 · 1017 р+/см2. Рассчитана энергия ионизации примесных атомов в разных магнитных полях. Установлено, что энергия примесного уровня практически не зависит от магнитного поля, что, в свою очередь, говорит о независимости концентрации дырок от магнитного поля. Показано, что существенное магнетосопротивление при всех исследованных температурах связано с магнитополевым уменьшением подвижности свободных носителей заряда (дырок). Установлено, что концентрация дырок практически не зависит от магнитного поля. Сделан вывод, что расширение запрещенной зоны в магнитных полях до 8 Тл незначительно.

Rattling-Induced Superconductiviy in the Beta-Pyrochlore Oxides AOs2O6

The superconducting properties of two beta-pyrochlore oxides, CsOs2O6 and RbOs2O6, are studied by thermodynamic and transport measurements using high-quality single crystals. It is shown that the character of superconductivity changes systematically from weak coupling for CsOs2O6 to moderately strong coupling for RbOs2O6, and finally to extremely strong coupling with BCS-type superconductivity for KOs2O6, with increasing Tc. Strong-coupling correction analyses of the superconducting properties reveal that a low-energy rattling mode of the alkali metal ions is responsible for the mechanism of the superconductivity in each compound. The large enhancement of Tc from Cs to K is attributed to the increase in the electron-rattler coupling with decreasing characteristic energy of the rattling and with increasing anharmonicity. The existence of weak anisotropy in the superconducting gap or in the electron-rattler interactions is found for the Cs and Rb compounds