Microstructure of severely deformed metals from X-ray line profile analysis

Two essentially different materials, cubic Ti(49.8)Ni(50.2) shape memory alloy and hexagonal AZ91 Mg alloy, were deformed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). The microstructure developed as a result of severe plastic deformation was studied by X-ray line profile analysis. The correlation between the microstructure and the mechanical behavior was also investigated. Below 100 degrees C the tensile strength of the Mg alloy increased as a consequence of the increase of the dislocation density owing to ECAP. Above 200 degrees C the strength decreased and the ductility increased as a result of the breakage of the Al(12)Mg(17) precipitates due to ECAP. The analysis of the dislocation contrast factors of Ti(49.8)Ni(50.2) revealed that {110} dislocations with line vector formed during ECAP

Detection of bottom ferromagnetic electrode oxidation in magnetic tunnel junctions by magnetometry measurements

Surface oxidation of the bottom ferromagnetic (FM) electrode, one of the major detrimental factors to the performance of a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ), is difficult to avoid during the fabrication process of the MTJ's tunnel barrier. Since Co rich alloys are commonly used for the FM electrodes in MTJs, over-oxidation of the tunnel barrier results in the formation of a CoO antiferromagnetic (AF) interface layer which couples with the bottom FM electrode to form a typical AF/FM exchange bias (EB) system. In this work, surface oxidation of the CoFe and CoFeB bottom electrodes was detected via magnetometry measurements of exchange-bias characterizations including the EB field, training effect, uncompensated spin density, and coercivity. Variations of these parameters were found to be related to the surface oxidation of the bottom electrode, among them the change of coercivity is most sensitive. Annealed samples show evidence for an oxygen migration back to the MgO tunnel barrier by annealing.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figues, submitted to J. Appl. Phy

Topology in thermodynamics of regular black strings with Kaluza-Klein reduction

We study the topological defects in the thermodynamics of regular black strings (from a four-dimensional perspective) that is symmetric under the double Wick rotation and constructed in the high-dimensional spacetime with an extra dimension compactified on a circle. We observe that the thermodynamic phases of regular black strings can be topologically classified by the positive and negative winding numbers (at the defects) which correspond to the thermodynamically stable and unstable branches. This topological classification implies a phase transition due to the decay of a thermodynamically unstable regular black string to another which is thermodynamically stable. We confirm these topological properties of the thermodynamics of regular black strings by investigating their free energy, heat capacity, and Ruppeiner scalar curvature of the state space. The Ruppeiner scalar curvature of regular black strings is found to be always negative, implying that the interactions among the microstructures of regular black strings are only attractive.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Effects of selective dilution on the magnetic properties of La_{0.7}Sr_{0.3}Mn_{1-x}M'_xO_3 (M' = Al, Ti)

The magnetic lattice of mixed-valence Mn ions in La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ is selectively diluted by partial substitution of Al or Ti for Mn. The ferromagnetic transition temperature $T_\mathrm{c}$ and the saturation magnetization $M_\mathrm{s}$ both decrease with substitution. By presenting the data in terms of selective dilution, $T_\mathrm{c}$ in the low-doping region is found to follow the relation $T_\mathrm{c}=T_\mathrm{c0}(1-n_\mathrm{p})$, where $T_\mathrm{c0}$ refers to the undiluted system and $n_\mathrm{p}$ is the dilution concentration defined as $n_\mathrm{p}=x/0.7$ or $n_\mathrm{p}=x/0.3$ for $M^\prime=$ Al or Ti, respectively. The scaling behavior of $T_\mathrm{c}(n_\mathrm{p})$ can be analyzed in the framework of the molecular-field theory and still valid when Mn is substituted by both Al and Ti. The results are discussed with respect to the contributions from ferromagnetic double exchange and other possible antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions coexisting in the material.Comment: Revtex4, 4 pages, 4 figures, 2006 Halong Conference Repor

Memory and superposition in a spin glass

Non-equilibrium dynamics in a Ag(Mn) spin glass are investigated by measurements of the temperature dependence of the remanent magnetisation. Using specific cooling protocols before recording the thermo- or isothermal remanent magnetisations on re-heating, it is found that the measured curves effectively disclose non-equilibrium spin glass characteristics such as ageing and memory phenomena as well as an extended validity of the superposition principle for the relaxation. The usefulness of this "simple" dc-method is discussed, as well as its applicability to other disordered magnetic systems.Comment: REVTeX style; 8 pages, 4 figure