Single-particle versus pair condensation of hard-core bosons with correlated hopping

We investigate the consequences of correlated hopping on the ground state properties of hard-core bosons on a square lattice as revealed by extensive exact diagonalizations and quantum Monte Carlo simulations. While for non interacting hard-core bosons the effective attraction induced by the correlated hopping leads to phase separation at low density, we show that a modest nearest-neighbor repulsion suppresses phase separation, leading to a remarkable low-density pairing phase with no single particle Bose-Einstein condensation but long-range two-particle correlations, signaling a condensation of pairs. We also explain why the unusual properties of the pairing phase are a real challenge for standard one-worm quantum Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

High-throughput synthesis of thermoelectric Ca3_3Co4_4O9_9 films

Properties of complex oxide thin films can be tuned over a range of values as a function of mismatch, composition, orientation, and structure. Here, we report a strategy for growing structured epitaxial thermoelectric thin films leading to improved Seebeck coefficient. Instead of using single-crystal sapphire substrates to support epitaxial growth, Ca$_3$Co$_4$O$_9$ films are deposited, using the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique, onto Al$_2$O$_3$ polycrystalline substrates textured by Spark Plasma Sintering. The structural quality of the 2000 \AA thin film was investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy, while the crystallographic orientation of the grains and the epitaxial relationships were determined by Electron Back Scatter Diffraction. The use of a polycrystalline ceramic template leads to structured films that are in good local epitaxial registry. The Seebeck coefficient is about 170 $\mu$V/K at 300 K, a typical value of misfit material with low carrier density. This high-throughput process, called combinatorial substrate epitaxy, appears to facilitate the rational tuning of functional oxide films, opening a route to the epitaxial synthesis of high quality complex oxides.Comment: Submitted to Applied Physics Letters (2013

Detection of Corrosion‐Related Defects in Aluminum Using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

Near‐surface atomic‐scale defects in aluminum foils of at least 99.98% purity were characterized with positron annihilation spectroscopy measurements of the Doppler‐broadening parameter S. Profiles of S vs. positron beam energy (i.e., vs. depth into the sample) were analyzed with a model for positron diffusion and trapping in order to characterize the defect layer structure. As‐received foils were shown to possess a defect layer within 10 to 100 nm of the oxide film/metal interface. Both dissolution in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and anodic pitting corrosion in caused significant changes in the position spectra which were interpreted as increases in the defect population. On the basis of isochronal annealing, the defects were impurity‐complexed voids or vacancy clusters, or else interfacial voids at the metal/film boundary located at surface roughness features. Either case suggests a possible role for the defects as pit sites, since both near‐surface impurities and surface roughness are known to influence the number of pits on a surface. Defects found after pitting may be present in layers surrounding individual pits, and might have been produced in the process of pit initiation

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy Study of Interfacial Defects Formed by Anodic Oxidation of Aluminum

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) measurements were carried out to characterize open-volume defects associated with anodic oxidation of aluminum. The annihilation fractions with low and high momentum electrons (S and W spectral lineshape parameters, respectively) of the annihilation photopeak were determined, as a function of the positron beam energy. A subsurface defect layer, containing nanometer-scale voids in the metal near the metal/oxide film interface, was found after oxide growth, and was shown to contain new voids created by anodizing. Such interfacial voids in the metal are of interest because of their possible role as corrosion initiation sites. The Sparameter characterizing the defect-containing layer (Sd) was obtained by simulation of the S-energy profiles. On samples with two different surface conditions, Sd remained constant at its initial value during anodizing. Because Sd is related to the void volume fraction in the interfacial metallic layer containing the voids, that result suggests that formation of metallic voids, and their subsequent incorporation into the growing oxide layer, occurred repeatedly at specific favored sites. © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved

Depletion induced isotropic-isotropic phase separation in suspensions of rod-like colloids

When non-adsorbing polymers are added to an isotropic suspension of rod-like colloids, the colloids effectively attract each other via depletion forces. We performed Monte Carlo simulations to study the phase diagram of such rod-polymer mixture. The colloidal rods were modelled as hard spherocylinders; the polymers were described as spheres of the same diameter as the rods. The polymers may overlap with no energy cost, while overlap of polymers and rods is forbidden. Large amounts of depletant cause phase separation of the mixture. We estimated the phase boundaries of isotropic-isotropic coexistence both, in the bulk and in confinement. To determine the phase boundaries we applied the grand canonical ensemble using successive umbrella sampling [J. Chem. Phys. 120, 10925 (2004)], and we performed a finite-size scaling analysis to estimate the location of the critical point. The results are compared with predictions of the free volume theory developed by Lekkerkerker and Stroobants [Nuovo Cimento D 16, 949 (1994)]. We also give estimates for the interfacial tension between the coexisting isotropic phases and analyse its power-law behaviour on approach of the critical point