1,338 research outputs found
Frank's constant in the hexatic phase
Using video-microscopy data of a two-dimensional colloidal system the
bond-order correlation function G6 is calculated and used to determine the
temperature-dependence of both the orientational correlation length xi6 in the
isotropic liquid phase and the Frank constant F_A in the hexatic phase. F_A
takes the value 72/pi at the hexatic to isotropic liquid phase transition and
diverges at the hexatic to crystal transition as predicted by the KTHNY-theory.
This is a quantitative test of the mechanism of breaking the orientational
symmetry by disclination unbinding
Spin-dependent electrical transport in ion-beam sputter deposited Fe-Cr multilayers
The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity and
magnetoresistance of Xe-ion beam sputtered Fe-Cr multilayers has been
investigated. The electrical resistivity between 5 and 300 K in the fully
ferromagnetic state, obtained by applying a field beyond the saturation field
(H_sat) necessary for the antiferromagnetic(AF)-ferromagnetic(FM) field-induced
transition, shows evidence of spin-disorder resistivity as in crystalline Fe
and an s-d scattering contribution (as in 3d metals and alloys). The sublattice
magnetization m(T) in these multilayers has been calculated in terms of the
planar and interlayer exchange energies. The additional spin-dependent
scattering \Delta \rho (T) = \rho(T,H=0)_AF - \rho(T,H=H_sat)_FM in the AF
state over a wide range of temperature is found to be proportional to the
sublattice magnetization, both \Delta \rho(T) and m(T) reducing along with the
antiferromagnetic fraction. At intermediate fields, the spin-dependent part of
the electrical resistivity (\rho_s (T)) fits well to the power law \rho_s (T) =
b - cT^\alpha where c is a constant and b and \alpha are functions of H. At low
fields \alpha \approx 2 and the intercept b decreases with H much the same way
as the decrease of \Delta \rho (T) with T. A phase diagram (T vs. H_sat) is
obtained for the field- induced AF to FM transition. Comparisons are made
between the present investigation and similar studies using dc magnetron
sputtered and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown Fe-Cr multilayers.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Harmonic lattice behavior of two-dimensional colloidal crystals
Using positional data from video-microscopy and applying the equipartition
theorem for harmonic Hamiltonians, we determine the wave-vector-dependent
normal mode spring constants of a two-dimensional colloidal model crystal and
compare the measured band-structure to predictions of the harmonic lattice
theory. We find good agreement for both the transversal and the longitudinal
mode. For , the measured spring constants are consistent with the
elastic moduli of the crystal.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitte
Magnetic properties of Quantum Corrals from first principles calculations
We present calculations for electronic and magnetic properties of surface
states confined by a circular quantum corral built of magnetic adatoms (Fe) on
a Cu(111) surface. We show the oscillations of charge and magnetization
densities within the corral and the possibility of the appearance of
spin--polarized states. In order to classify the peaks in the calculated
density of states with orbital quantum numbers we analyzed the problem in terms
of a simple quantum mechanical circular well model. This model is also used to
estimate the behaviour of the magnetization and energy with respect to the
radius of the circular corral. The calculations are performed fully
relativistically using the embedding technique within the
Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Cond. Matt. special issue
on 'Theory and Simulation of Nanostructures
Poisson-Boltzmann Theory of Charged Colloids: Limits of the Cell Model for Salty Suspensions
Thermodynamic properties of charge-stabilised colloidal suspensions are
commonly modeled by implementing the mean-field Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) theory
within a cell model. This approach models a bulk system by a single macroion,
together with counterions and salt ions, confined to a symmetrically shaped,
electroneutral cell. While easing solution of the nonlinear PB equation, the
cell model neglects microion-induced correlations between macroions, precluding
modeling of macroion ordering phenomena. An alternative approach, avoiding
artificial constraints of cell geometry, maps a macroion-microion mixture onto
a one-component model of pseudo-macroions governed by effective interactions.
In practice, effective-interaction models are usually based on linear screening
approximations, which can accurately describe nonlinear screening only by
incorporating an effective (renormalized) macroion charge. Combining charge
renormalization and linearized PB theories, in both the cell model and an
effective-interaction (cell-free) model, we compute osmotic pressures of highly
charged colloids and monovalent microions over a range of concentrations. By
comparing predictions with primitive model simulation data for salt-free
suspensions, and with predictions of nonlinear PB theory for salty suspensions,
we chart the limits of both the cell model and linear-screening approximations
in modeling bulk thermodynamic properties. Up to moderately strong
electrostatic couplings, the cell model proves accurate in predicting osmotic
pressures of deionized suspensions. With increasing salt concentration,
however, the relative contribution of macroion interactions grows, leading
predictions of the cell and effective-interaction models to deviate. No
evidence is found for a liquid-vapour phase instability driven by monovalent
microions. These results may guide applications of PB theory to soft materials.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed
Matter on "Classical density functional theory methods in soft and hard
matter
Injection of photoelectrons into dense argon gas
The injection of photoelectrons in a gaseous or liquid sample is a widespread
technique to produce a cold plasma in a weakly--ionized system in order to
study the transport properties of electrons in a dense gas or liquid. We report
here the experimental results of photoelectron injection into dense argon gas
at the temperatureT=142.6 K as a function of the externally applied electric
field and gas density. We show that the experimental data can be interpreted in
terms of the so called Young-Bradbury model only if multiple scattering effects
due to the dense environment are taken into account when computing the
scattering properties and the energetics of the electrons.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, figure nr. 10 has been redrawn, to be submitted
to Plasma Sources Science and Technolog
Giant magnetic enhancement in Fe/Pd films and its influence on the magnetic interlayer coupling
The magnetic properties of thin Pd fcc(001) films with embedded monolayers of
Fe are investigated by means of first principles density functional theory. The
induced spin polarization in Pd is calculated and analyzed in terms of quantum
interference within the Fe/Pd/Fe bilayer system. An investigation of the
magnetic enhancement effects on the spin polarization is carried out and its
consequences for the magnetic interlayer coupling are discussed. In contrast to
{\it e.g.} the Co/Cu fcc(001) system we find a large effect on the magnetic
interlayer coupling due to magnetic enhancement in the spacer material. In the
case of a single embedded Fe monolayer we find aninduced Pd magnetization
decaying with distance from the magnetic layer as ~ with
. For the bilayer system we find a giant magnetic
enhancement (GME) that oscillates strongly due to interference effects. This
results in a strongly modified magnetic interlayer coupling, both in phase and
magnitude, which may not be described in the pure
Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida (RKKY) picture. No anti-ferromagnetic coupling
was found and by comparison with magnetically constrained calculations we show
that the overall ferromagnetic coupling can be understood from the strong
polarization of the Pd spacer
Testing the relevance of effective interaction potentials between highly charged colloids in suspension
Combining cell and Jellium model mean-field approaches, Monte Carlo together
with integral equation techniques, and finally more demanding many-colloid
mean-field computations, we investigate the thermodynamic behavior, pressure
and compressibility of highly charged colloidal dispersions, and at a more
microscopic level, the force distribution acting on the colloids. The
Kirkwood-Buff identity provides a useful probe to challenge the
self-consistency of an approximate effective screened Coulomb (Yukawa)
potential between colloids. Two effective parameter models are put to the test:
cell against renormalized Jellium models
Electronic Theory for the Nonlinear Magneto-Optical Response of Transition-Metals at Surfaces and Interfaces: Dependence of the Kerr-Rotation on Polarization and on the Magnetic Easy Axis
We extend our previous study of the polarization dependence of the nonlinear
optical response to the case of magnetic surfaces and buried magnetic
interfaces. We calculate for the longitudinal and polar configuration the
nonlinear magneto-optical Kerr rotation angle. In particular, we show which
tensor elements of the susceptibilities are involved in the enhancement of the
Kerr rotation in nonlinear optics for different configurations and we
demonstrate by a detailed analysis how the direction of the magnetization and
thus the easy axis at surfaces and buried interfaces can be determined from the
polarization dependence of the nonlinear magneto-optical response, since the
nonlinear Kerr rotation is sensitive to the electromagnetic field components
instead of merely the intensities. We also prove from the microscopic treatment
of spin-orbit coupling that there is an intrinsic phase difference of
90 between tensor elements which are even or odd under magnetization
reversal in contrast to linear magneto-optics. Finally, we compare our results
with several experiments on Co/Cu films and on Co/Au and Fe/Cr multilayers. We
conclude that the nonlinear magneto-optical Kerr-effect determines uniquely the
magnetic structure and in particular the magnetic easy axis in films and at
multilayer interfaces.Comment: 23 pages Revtex, preprintstyle, 2 uuencoded figure
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