371 research outputs found
Direct observation of magnetization dynamics generated by nano-contact spin-torque vortex oscillators
Time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy has been used to directly image the
magnetization dynamics of nano-contact (NC) spin-torque vortex oscillators
(STVOs) when phase-locked to an injected microwave (RF) current. The Kerr
images reveal free layer magnetization dynamics that extend outside the NC
footprint, where they cannot be detected electrically, but which are crucial to
phase-lock STVOs that share common magnetic layers. For a single NC, dynamics
were observed not only when the STVO frequency was fully locked to that of the
RF current, but also for a partially locked state characterized by periodic
changes in the core trajectory at the RF frequency. For a pair of NCs, images
reveal the spatial character of dynamics that electrical measurements show to
have enhanced amplitude and reduced linewidth. Insight gained from these images
may improve understanding of the conditions required for mutual phase-locking
of multiple STVOs, and hence enhanced microwave power emission.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
Band-filling-controlled magnetism from transition metal intercalation in N1/3NbS2 revealed with first-principles calculations
We present a first-principles study of the effect of 3d transition metal intercalation on the magnetic properties of the 2H-NbS2 system, using spin-resolved density functional theory calculations to investigate the electronic structure of N1/3NbS2 (N=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni). We are able to accurately determine the magnetic moments and crystal-field splitting, and find that the magnetic properties of the materials are determined by a mechanism based on filling rigid bands with electrons from the intercalant. We predict the dominant magnetic interaction of these materials by considering Fermi-surface topology, finding agreement with experiment where data are available
Supernovae as seen by off-center observers in a local void
Inhomogeneous universe models have been proposed as an alternative
explanation for the apparent acceleration of the cosmic expansion that does not
require dark energy. In the simplest class of inhomogeneous models, we live
within a large, spherically symmetric void. Several studies have shown that
such a model can be made consistent with many observations, in particular the
redshift--luminosity distance relation for type Ia supernovae, provided that
the void is of Gpc size and that we live close to the center. Such a scenario
challenges the Copernican principle that we do not occupy a special place in
the universe. We use the first-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II supernova
search data set as well as the Constitution supernova data set to put
constraints on the observer position in void models, using the fact that
off-center observers will observe an anisotropic universe. We first show that a
spherically symmetric void can give good fits to the supernova data for an
on-center observer, but that the two data sets prefer very different voids. We
then continue to show that the observer can be displaced at least fifteen
percent of the void scale radius from the center and still give an acceptable
fit to the supernova data. When combined with the observed dipole anisotropy of
the cosmic microwave background however, we find that the data compells the
observer to be located within about one percent of the void scale radius. Based
on these results, we conclude that considerable fine-tuning of our position
within the void is needed to fit the supernova data, strongly disfavouring the
model from a Copernican principle point of view.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, matches the published versio
Effect of spacer material on the magnetic surface anisotropy in ultrathin Fe70B30 multilayer films
It has been found recently that the magnetic surface anisotropy Ks in Fe70B30/Ag multilayer films decreases monotonically with magnetic layer thickness (2L) for 2L<16.5 Å. In order to determine possible effects of the spacer material on the surface anisotropy in the aforementioned system, Ag has been replaced with Al2O3 and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements have been made on these films. These Fe70B30/Al2O3 films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering and were characterized by X-ray-diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements in addition to FMR. In the region where Ks depends upon 2L, the data is insufficient to confirm the thickness dependence of Ks that was observed in Fe70B30/Ag, while in the region where Ks is independent of 2L, the values of Ks deduced for Fe70B30/Ag and Fe70B30/Al2O3 are in good agreement. The latter is particularly interesting in light of the enormous difference in conductivity between Ag and Al2O3
Crystallization of Ge2Sb2Te5 films by amplified femtosecond optical pulses
Copyright © 2012 American Institute of PhysicsThe phase transition between the amorphous and crystalline states of Ge2Sb2Te5 has been studied by exposure of thin films to series of 60 femtosecond (fs) amplified laser pulses. The analysis of microscope images of marks of tens of microns in size provide an opportunity to examine the effect of a continuous range of optical fluence. For a fixed number of pulses, the dependence of the area of the crystalline mark upon the fluence is well described by simple algebraic results that provide strong evidence that thermal transport within the sample is one-dimensional (vertical). The crystalline mark area was thus defined by the incident fs laser beam profile rather than by lateral heat diffusion, with a sharp transition between the crystalline and amorphous materials as confirmed from line scans of the microscope images. A simplified, one-dimensional model that accounts for optical absorption, thermal transport and thermally activated crystallization provides values of the optical reflectivity and mark area that are in very good quantitative agreement with the experimental data, further justifying the one-dimensional heat flow assumption. Typically, for fluences below the damage threshold, the crystalline mark has annular shape, with the fluence at the centre of the irradiated mark being sufficient to induce melting. The fluence at the centre of the mark was correlated with the melt depth from the thermal model to correctly predict the observed melt fluence thresholds and to explain the closure and persistence of the annular crystalline marks as functions of laser fluence and pulse number. A solid elliptical mark may be obtained for smaller fluences. The analysis of marks made by amplified fs pulses present a new and effective means of observing the crystallization dynamics of phase-change material at elevated temperatures near the melting point, which provided estimates of the growth velocity in the range 7-9 m/s. Furthermore, finer control over the crystallization process in phase-change media can be obtained by controlling the number of pulses which, along with the laser fluence, can be tailored to any medium stack with relaxed restrictions on the thermal properties of the layers in the stack
Avoiding selection bias in gravitational wave astronomy
When searching for gravitational waves in the data from ground-based
gravitational wave detectors it is common to use a detection threshold to
reduce the number of background events which are unlikely to be the signals of
interest. However, imposing such a threshold will also discard some real
signals with low amplitude, which can potentially bias any inferences drawn
from the population of detected signals. We show how this selection bias is
naturally avoided by using the full information from the search, considering
both the selected data and our ignorance of the data that are thrown away, and
considering all relevant signal and noise models. This approach produces
unbiased estimates of parameters even in the presence of false alarms and
incomplete data. This can be seen as an extension of previous methods into the
high false rate regime where we are able to show that the quality of parameter
inference can be optimised by lowering thresholds and increasing the false
alarm rate.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
Spin dynamics in bulk MnNiGa and Mn1.4Pt0.9Pd0.1Sn investigated by muon spin relaxation
Martin Gleghorn
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Interacting agegraphic dark energy models in phase space
Agegraphic dark energy, has been recently proposed, based on the so-called
Karolyhazy uncertainty relation, which arises from quantum mechanics together
with general relativity. In the first part of the article we study the original
agegraphic dark energy model by including the interaction between agegraphic
dark energy and pressureless (dark) matter. The phase space analysis was made
and the critical points were found, one of which is the attractor corresponding
to an accelerated expanding Universe.
Recent observations of near supernova show that the acceleration of Universe
decreases. This phenomenon is called the transient acceleration. In the second
part of Article we consider the 3-component Universe composed of a scalar
field, interacting with the dark matter on the agegraphic dark energy
background. We show that the transient acceleration appears in frame of such a
model. The obtained results agree with the observations.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 2 table
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