Magnetoelectric properties of A2A_2[FeCl5_5(H2_2O)] with A=A = K, Rb, Cs

The compounds $A_2$[FeCl$_5$(H$_2$O)] with $A=$ K, Rb, Cs are identified as new linear magnetoelectric materials. We present a detailed investigation of their linear magnetoelectric properties by measurements of pyroelectric currents, dielectric constants and magnetization. The anisotropy of the linear magnetoelectric effect of the K-based and Rb-based compound is consistent with the magnetic point group $m'm'm'$, already reported in literature. A symmetry analysis of the magnetoelectric effect of the Cs-based compound allows to determine the magnetic point group $mmm'$ and to develop a model for its magnetic structure. In addition, magnetic-field versus temperature phase diagrams are derived and compared to the closely related multiferroic (NH$_4$)$_2$[FeCl$_5$(H$_2$O)].Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures (updated to the weakly revised version that has been accepted for publication

Size-independent Young's modulus of inverted conical GaAs nanowire resonators

We explore mechanical properties of top down fabricated, singly clamped inverted conical GaAs nanowires. Combining nanowire lengths of 2-9 $\mu$m with foot diameters of 36-935 nm yields fundamental flexural eigenmodes spanning two orders of magnitude from 200 kHz to 42 MHz. We extract a size-independent value of Young's modulus of (45$\pm$3) GPa. With foot diameters down to a few tens of nanometers, the investigated nanowires are promising candidates for ultra-flexible and ultra-sensitive nanomechanical devices

Mott metal-insulator transition on compressible lattices

The critical properties of the finite temperature Mott endpoint are drastically altered by a coupling to crystal elasticity, i.e., whenever it is amenable to pressure tuning. Similar as for critical piezoelectric ferroelectrics, the Ising criticality of the electronic system is preempted by an isostructural instability, and long-range shear forces suppress microscopic fluctuations. As a result, the endpoint is governed by Landau criticality. Its hallmark is thus a breakdown of Hooke's law of elasticity with a non-linear strain-stress relation characterized by a mean-field exponent. Based on a quantitative estimate, we predict critical elasticity to dominate the temperature range DeltaT/Tc ~ 8% close to the Mott endpoint of kappa-(BEDT-TTF)2X.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

The Ideal Intersection Property for Groupoid Graded Rings

We show that if a groupoid graded ring has a certain nonzero ideal property, then the commutant of the center of the principal component of the ring has the ideal intersection property, that is it intersects nontrivially every nonzero ideal of the ring. Furthermore, we show that for skew groupoid algebras with commutative principal component, the principal component is maximal commutative if and only if it has the ideal intersection property

A Field-Induced Re-Entrant Novel Phase and A Ferroelectric-Magnetic Order Coupling in HoMnO3

A re-entrant novel phase has been observed in the hexagonal ferroelectric HoMnO3 in the presence of magnetic fields, in the temperature ranges defined by the plateau of the dielectric constant anomaly. The dielectric plateau evolves with fields from a narrow sharp dielectric peak at the Mn-spin rotation transition at 32.8 K in zero magnetic field. Such a field-induced dielectric plateau anomaly appears both in the temperature sweep at a constant field and in the field sweep at a constant temperature without detectable hysteresis. This is attributed to the indirect coupling between the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic orders, arising from an antiferromagnetic domain wall effect, where the magnetic order parameter of the Mn subsystem has to change sign across the ferroelectric domain wall in the compound, that influences the ferroelectric domains via a local magnetostrictive effect

Characterization of InGaN and InAlN epilayers by microdiffraction X-Ray reciprocal space mapping

We report a study of InGaN and InAlN epilayers grown on GaN/Sapphire substrates by microfocused three-dimensional X-ray Reciprocal Space Mapping (RSM). The analysis of the full volume of reciprocal space, while probing samples on the microscale with a focused X-ray beam, allows us to gain uniquely valuable information about the microstructure of III-N alloy epilayers. It is found that “seed” InGaN mosaic nanocrystallites are twisted with respect to the ensemble average and strain free. This indicates that the growth of InGaN epilayers follows the Volmer-Weber mechanism with nucleation of “seeds” on strain fields generated by the a-type dislocations which are responsible for the twist of underlying GaN mosaic blocks. In the case of InAlN epilayer formation of composition gradient was observed at the beginning of the epitaxial growth