5,245 research outputs found
New limits on the EC and ECEC processes in Te
New limits on the double beta processes for Te have been obtained
using a 400 cm HPGe detector and a source consisting of natural Te0
powder. At a confidence level of 90% the limits are y for
the EC transition to the ground state, y for the ECEC transition to the first 2 excited
state of Sn (1171.26 keV) and y for
different ECEC() captures to the ground state of Sn.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures; v2: minor change
Neutron monitors and muon detectors for solar modulation studies: 2. time series
The level of solar modulation at different times (related to the solar
activity) is a central question of solar and galactic cosmic-ray physics. In
the first paper of this series, we have established a correspondence between
the uncertainties on ground-based detectors count rates and the parameter
(modulation level in the force-field approximation) reconstructed from
these count rates. In this second paper, we detail a procedure to obtain a
reference time series from neutron monitor data. We show that we can
have an unbiased and accurate reconstruction (). We also discuss the potential of Bonner spheres spectrometers and muon
detectors to provide time series. Two by-products of this calculation
are updated values for the cosmic-ray database and a web interface to
retrieve and plot from the 50's to today
(\url{http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/crdb}).Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. AdSR, in press. Web interface to get
modulation parameter phi(t): new tab in http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/crd
Optimization of nanostructured permalloy electrodes for a lateral hybrid spin-valve structure
Ferromagnetic electrodes of a lateral semiconductor-based spin-valve
structure are designed to provide a maximum of spin-polarized injection
current. A single-domain state in remanence is a prerequisite obtained by
nanostructuring Permalloy thin film electrodes. Three regimes of aspect ratios
are identified by room temperature magnetic force microscopy: (i)
high-aspect ratios of provide the favored remanent single-domain
magnetization states, (ii) medium-aspect ratios to yield
highly remanent states with closure domains and (iii) low-aspect ratios of lead to multi-domain structures. Lateral kinks, introduced to bridge the
gap between micro- and macroscale, disturb the uniform magnetization of
electrodes with high- and medium-aspect ratios. However, vertical flanks help
to maintain a uniformly magnetized state at the ferromagnet-semiconcuctor
contact by domain wall pinning.Comment: revised version, major structural changes, figures reorganized,6
pages, 8 figures, revte
X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy in combination with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism investigation of size effects on field-induced N\'eel-cap reversal
X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy in combination with x-ray magnetic
circular dichroism is used to investigate the influence of an applied magnetic
field on N\'eel caps (i.e., surface terminations of asymmetric Bloch walls).
Self-assembled micron-sized Fe(110) dots displaying a moderate distribution of
size and aspect ratios serve as model objects. Investigations of remanent
states after application of an applied field along the direction of N\'eel-cap
magnetization give clear evidence for the magnetization reversal of the N\'eel
caps around 120 mT, with a 20 mT dispersion. No clear correlation could be
found between the value of the reversal field and geometrical features of the
dots
Geometrically constrained magnetic wall
The structure and properties of a geometrically constrained magnetic wall in
a constriction separating two wider regions are investigated theoretically.
They are shown to differconsiderably from those of an unconstrained wall, so
that the geometrically constrained magnetic wall truly constitutes a new kind
of magnetic wall, besides the well known Bloch and Neel walls. In particular,
the width of a constrained wall cann become very small if the characteristic
length of the constriction is small, as is actually the case in an atomic point
contact. This provides a simple, natural explanation for the large
magnetoresistance observed in ferromagnetic atomic point contacts.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 4 eps figures; v2: revised version; v3: ref. adde
Spin Transfer Torque for Continuously Variable Magnetization
We report quantum and semi-classical calculations of spin current and
spin-transfer torque in a free-electron Stoner model for systems where the
magnetization varies continuously in one dimension.Analytic results are
obtained for an infinite spin spiral and numerical results are obtained for
realistic domain wall profiles. The adiabatic limit describes conduction
electron spins that follow the sum of the exchange field and an effective,
velocity-dependent field produced by the gradient of the magnetization in the
wall. Non-adiabatic effects arise for short domain walls but their magnitude
decreases exponentially as the wall width increases. Our results cast doubt on
the existence of a recently proposed non-adiabatic contribution to the
spin-transfer torque due to spin flip scattering.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure
On the scaling behaviour of cross-tie domain wall structures in patterned NiFe elements
The cross-tie domain wall structure in micrometre and sub-micrometre wide
patterned elements of NiFe, and a thickness range of 30 to 70nm, has been
studied by Lorentz microscopy. Whilst the basic geometry of the cross-tie
repeat units remains unchanged, their density increases when the cross-tie
length is constrained to be smaller than the value associated with a continuous
film. This occurs when element widths are sufficiently narrow or when the wall
is forced to move close to an edge under the action of an applied field. To a
very good approximation the cross-tie density scales with the inverse of the
distance between the main wall and the element edge. The experiments show that
in confined structures, the wall constantly modifies its form and that the need
to generate, and subsequently annihilate, extra vortex/anti-vortex pairs
constitutes an additional source of hysteresis.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Europhysics Letters
(EPL
Controlled vortex core switching in a magnetic nanodisk by a rotating field
The switching process of the vortex core in a Permalloy nanodisk affected by
a rotating magnetic field is studied theoretically. A detailed description of
magnetization dynamics is obtained by micromagnetic simulations.Comment: REVTeX, 5 pages, 5 figure
Demagnetization Borne Microscale Skyrmions
Magnetic systems are an exciting realm of study that is being explored on
smaller and smaller scales. One extremely interesting magnetic state that has
gained momentum in recent years is the skyrmionic state. It is characterized by
a vortex where the edge magnetic moments point opposite to the core. Although
skyrmions have many possible realizations, in practice, creating them in a lab
is a difficult task to accomplish. In this work, new methods for skyrmion
generation and customization are suggested. Skyrmionic behavior was numerically
observed in minimally customized simulations of spheres, hemisphere,
ellipsoids, and hemi-ellipsoids, for typ- ical Cobalt parameters, in a range
from approximately 40 nm to 120 nm in diameter simply by applying a field
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