Оценка степени кристаллографического упорядочения магнитоактивных ионов в Sr2FeMoO6-δ с помощью интенсивности рентгеновского пика (101)

Strontium ferromolybdate (Sr2FeMoO6-δ, SFMO) having a double Perovskite structure shows good promise as a basic material for spintronics. However SFMO has not yet found wide application due to the low reproducibility of its magnetic properties which partially originates from their strong dependence on the ordering degree of Fe and Mo ions in the B´ and B² sublattices of double perovskite A2B´B²O6. We have considered a rapid method of determining strontium ferromolybdate disorder degree. Sublattice population with Fe and Mo ions has been estimated for stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric Sr2FeMoO6-δ with a 5% Fe and Mo excess, respectively. We have calculated the intensity ratio between the superstructural ordering (101) peak and the most intense (112 + 200) peak. The calculated curves have been fitted to the analytical expression for similar cases known from literature. The calculation results obtained using this method are in agreement with the results of experimental data processing using the Rietveld method accurate to within ±25 %. Thus this method can be used instead of the Rietveld method if the exposure time set in an X-ray diffraction experiment is insufficient. We have discussed the dependence of the I(101)/I(112 + 200) peak intensity ratio on various factors including diffraction peak instrumental broadening, peak twinning due to grain size reduction, thin film lattice parameter variation due to substrate lattice mismatch and lattice parameter variation due to oxygen vacancies. The method is useful as it allows evaluating the superlattice ordering degree in Sr2FeMoO6-d without large time consumption for X-ray diffraction pattern recording and processing with the Rietveld method which may be essential when dealing with large amounts of experimental dataФерромолибдат стронция (Sr2FeMoO6-d, SFMO), обладающий структурой двойного перовскита, является многообещающим кандидатом для использования в качестве основного материала в спинтронике. Однако на данный момент SFMO не нашел широкого применения из-за низкой воспроизводимости его магнитных свойств, вызванной, в том числе, их сильной зависимостью от степени упорядочения катионов Fe и Mo в подрешетках B´ и B² двойного перовскита A2B´B²O6. Рассмотрен экспресс-метод определения степени разупорядочения ферромолибдата стронция. Степень заселения подрешеток катионами Fe и Mo определена как для стехиометрического, так и для нестехиометрического Sr2FeMoO6-δ с 5%-ным избытком Fe и Mo соответственно. Рассчитано соотношение интенсивности пикa сверхструктурного упорядочения (101) к наиболее интенсивному пику (112 + 200). Проведена подгонка расчетных кривых под известное для аналогичных случаев аналитическое выражение. Результаты расчетов предложенным авторами методом совпадают с результатами обработки экспериментальных данных методом Ритвельда в пределах ±25 %, что позволяет использовать этот метод в качестве альтернативы методу Ритвельда в том случае, когда время выдержки для рентгеноструктурного анализа установлено недостаточно большим. Обсуждено влияние таких факторов, как приборное уширение дифракционных пиков, уширение пиков вследствие уменьшения размера кристаллитов, изменение параметров решетки тонких пленок за счет их несоответствия с подложкой и изменение параметров решетки за счет появления кислородных вакансий на соотношение интенсивности пиков I(101)/I(112 + 200). Актуальность метода состоит в том, что он позволяет оценить степень сверхструктурного упорядочения Sr2FeMoO6-d не требуя больших затрат времени съемки и обработки данных дифрактограмм методом Ритвельда, что может быть полезно в случае, когда предстоит обработать большое количество результатов измерений

Материаловедческие вопросы термодинамического моделирования тонкопленочных твердотельных электрокалорических охладителей

Materials properties affecting EC device operation are discussed based on an analytically tractable model of a layered EC refrigerator. Special attention was paid to thermal and interface thermal resistances. Estimates of the average cooling power of a stacked MEMS-based EC refrigerator were made.Электрокалорическое охлаждение является экологически безопасной технологией преобразования энергии. Электрическое поле, необходимое для возбуждения цикла электрокалорического охлаждения, может быть создано значительно проще и с гораздо меньшими затратами по сравнению с магнитными полями, используемыми для магнетокалорического охлаждения. Кроме того, электрическая мощность, необходимая для электрокалорического охлаждения, может обеспечиваться стационарными или мобильными солнечными батареями, а также аккумуляторами электромобиля. Это открывает совершенно новые возможности для экологически безопасного промышленного прогресса в развивающихся странах. На основе аналитически решаемой модели многослойного электрокалорического охладителя обсуждены свойства материалов, влияющие на эксплуатационные характеристики электрокалорических приборов. Особое внимание уделено объемному термическому сопротивлению и термическому сопротивлению интерфейсов. Даны оценки средней охлаждающей мощности стека микроэлектромеханического электрокалорического охладителя

Formation of the Microcrystalline Structure in LiNbO3 Thin Films by Pulsed Light Annealing

LiNbO3 thin films with a thickness of 200 nm were deposited onto Al2O3 substrate by RF-magnetron sputtering technique without intentional substrate heating. The results demonstrate that post-growth infrared pulsed light annealing of the amorphous LiNbO3 films leads to the formation of two phases, LiNbO3 and LiNb3O8. After annealing at temperatures of 700 to 800 °C, the percentage of the nonferroelectric phase LiNb3O8 was minimal. The surface composition of the films annealed at different temperatures was examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Piezoresponse force microscopy was used to study both the vertical and the lateral polarization and to visualize the piezoelectric inactivity of LiNb3O8 grains. A comparison of the results of PFM and XPS measurements revealed that there is a correlation between the fraction of the piezoelectric phase and the film composition: At an annealing temperature higher than 850 °C, the atomic ratio of lithium to niobium decreases compared to the initial value along with a decrease of the fraction of the piezoelectric phase

Giant phonon anomalies and central peak due to charge density wave formation in YBa2_2Cu3_3O6.6_{6.6}

The electron-phonon interaction is a major factor influencing the competition between collective instabilities in correlated-electron materials, but its role in driving high-temperature superconductivity in the cuprates remains poorly understood. We have used high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering to monitor low-energy phonons in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$ (superconducting $\bf T_c = 61$ K), which is close to a charge density wave (CDW) instability. Phonons in a narrow range of momentum space around the CDW ordering vector exhibit extremely large superconductivity-induced lineshape renormalizations. These results imply that the electron-phonon interaction has sufficient strength to generate various anomalies in electronic spectra, but does not contribute significantly to Cooper pairing. In addition, a quasi-elastic "central peak" due to CDW nanodomains is observed in a wide temperature range above and below $\bf T_c$, suggesting that the gradual onset of a spatially inhomogeneous CDW domain state with decreasing temperature is a generic feature of the underdoped cuprates

Progress in Neutron Scattering Studies of Spin Excitations in High-Tc Cuprates

Neutron scattering experiments continue to improve our knowledge of spin fluctuations in layered cuprates, excitations that are symptomatic of the electronic correlations underlying high-temperature superconductivity. Time-of-flight spectrometers, together with new and varied single crystal samples, have provided a more complete characterization of the magnetic energy spectrum and its variation with carrier concentration. While the spin excitations appear anomalous in comparison with simple model systems, there is clear consistency among a variety of cuprate families. Focusing initially on hole-doped systems, we review the nature of the magnetic spectrum, and variations in magnetic spectral weight with doping. We consider connections with the phenomena of charge and spin stripe order, and the potential generality of such correlations as suggested by studies of magnetic-field and impurity induced order. We contrast the behavior of the hole-doped systems with the trends found in the electron-doped superconductors. Returning to hole-doped cuprates, studies of translation-symmetry-preserving magnetic order are discussed, along with efforts to explore new systems. We conclude with a discussion of future challenges.Comment: revised version, to be published in JPSJ, 20 pages, 21 figure

Electrocaloric Cooling - A New Application of Relaxor Ferroelectrics

Until now, relaxor ferroelectrics are considered as a class of disordered materials possessing peculiar structures and properties which are not yet generalized into a universal model explaining the significant amount of experimental data available. In this work, we demonstrate that one feature of relaxor ferroelectrics - the extraordinary dielectric response - is well-suited for application in electrocaloric refrigerators. We consider the electrocaloric effect with special attention to relaxor ferroelectrics, the dielectric response in the temperature region of interest, the efficiency and the figure of merit of relaxor ferroelectrics for electrocaloric application

Electrocaloric Cooling - A New Application of Relaxor Ferroelectrics

Until now, relaxor ferroelectrics are considered as a class of disordered materials possessing peculiar structures and properties which are not yet generalized into a universal model explaining the significant amount of experimental data available. In this work, we demonstrate that one feature of relaxor ferroelectrics - the extraordinary dielectric response - is well-suited for application in electrocaloric refrigerators. We consider the electrocaloric effect with special attention to relaxor ferroelectrics, the dielectric response in the temperature region of interest, the efficiency and the figure of merit of relaxor ferroelectrics for electrocaloric application

Characterisation of the polarisation state of embedded piezoelectric transducers by thermal waves and thermal pulses

In this work, we apply the thermal wave method and the thermal pulse method for non-destructive characterisation of the polarisation state of embedded piezoelectric transducers. Heating the sample with a square-wave modulated laser beam or a single laser pulse leads to a pyroelectric current recorded in the frequency or time domain, respectively. It carries information about the polarisation state. Analytical and numerical finite element models describe the pyroelectric response of the piezoceramic. Modelling and experimental results are compared for a simple lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT) plate, a low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC)/PZT sensor and actuator, and a macro-fibre composite (MFC) actuator