Transmission XMCD-PEEM imaging of an engineered vertical FEBID cobalt nanowire with a domain wall

Using focused electron-beam-induced deposition, we fabricate a vertical, platinum-coated cobalt nanowire with a controlled three-dimensional structure. The latter is engineered to feature bends along the height: these are used as pinning sites for domain walls, which are obtained at remanence after saturation of the nanostructure in a horizontally applied magnetic field. The presence of domain walls is investigated using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) coupled to photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). The vertical geometry of our sample combined with the low incidence of the x-ray beam produce an extended wire shadow which we use to recover the wire''s magnetic configuration. In this transmission configuration, the whole sample volume is probed, thus circumventing the limitation of PEEM to surfaces. This article reports on the first study of magnetic nanostructures standing perpendicular to the substrate with XMCD-PEEM. The use of this technique in shadow mode enabled us to confirm the presence of a domain wall without direct imaging of the nanowire

Lu5Ir4Si10 whiskers : morphologies, structure cristalline, mosaïcité, supraconductivité et onde de densité de charge

National audienceParmi la famille très riche de composés intermétalliques R5Ir4Si10 (R=terre-rare), la phase Lu5Ir4Si10 est supraconductrice en dessous de 4K et présente une transition liée à une onde de densité de charge à 80K [1]. Des cristaux en forme d'aiguilles ou whiskers ont été obtenus. Les conditions de synthèses sont présentées ainsi qu'une observation détaillée de leur taille et morphologie, obtenue au microscope électronique à balayage [2]. Des analyses par diffraction de rayons X ont confirmé que ces aiguilles cristallisaient sous la même structure quadratique P4/mbm que les cristaux massifs. Les paramètres de mailles a = 12.484(1) Å et c = 4.190(2) Å sont comparables à ceux de la littérature [3]. A l'aide d'un diffractomètre 4-cercles, nous avons trouvé que les aiguilles poussent selon l'axe c et que les faces latérales sont orientées selon la direction [110]. La mosaïcité de ces cristaux a été mesurée à l'ESRF, ligne ID27. Elle est inférieure à 0.15° le long de l'axe c. Enfin, des mesures de résistivité électriques sont détaillées. Elles confirment l'excellente qualité de ces cristaux

Identifying physiological measures of lifetime welfare status in pigs: exploring the usefulness of haptoglobin, C-reactive protein and hair cortisol sampled at the time of slaughter

Background: Physiological measures indicative of the welfare status of animals during rearing could form part of an abattoir-based animal health and welfare assessment tool. A total of 66 pigs were used in this study, the aim of which was to assess how serum concentrations of haptoglobin (Hp) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (assessed in 51 pigs), and hair concentrations of cortisol (assessed in 65 pigs), measured at or close to slaughter, reflected welfare-related indicators recorded from the animal during its lifetime. These indicators were recorded at intervals between 7 and 21 weeks of age and included assigning scores for levels of tail and skin lesions, recording the presence or absence of certain health issues, and conducting qualitative behavioural assessments (QBA). Results: Pigs recorded as having tail lesions during their lifetime had higher hair cortisol levels than those with no tail lesions (tail lesions: 47.87 ± 3.34 pg/mg, no tail lesions: 42.20 ± 3.29 pg/mg, P = 0.023), and pigs recorded as having moderate or severe tail lesions had higher Hp levels than those with no or mild tail lesions (moderate/severe: 1.711 mg/ml ± 0.74, none/mild: 0.731 mg/ml ±0.10, P = 0.010). Pigs recorded as being lame during their lifetime tended to have higher hair cortisol levels than non-lame pigs (lame: 52.72 pg/mg ± 3.83, not lame: 43.07 pg/mg ± 2.69, P = 0.062). QBA scores were not associated with any of the physiological measures (P > 0.05). Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) analysis was also carried out to get a better understanding of the usefulness of the physiological measures in discriminating animals that had had welfare-related issues recorded during their lifetime from those that had not. Hair cortisol was determined as having ‘moderate’ accuracy in discriminating pigs that were tail bitten on-farm from unbitten pigs (AUC: 0.748) while Hp and CRP were determined to have no meaningful discriminatory ability (AUC < 0.600). Conclusion: This research should be repeated on a larger scale, but the results suggest that hair cortisol measured at slaughter could provide insight into the welfare status of pigs during their lifetime. Hp may be a useful indicator of tail lesions in pigs. However, further research utilising a greater proportion of severely bitten pigs is required before conclusions can be drawn

Vieillissement comparé de trois polymères conducteurs

Nous avons comparé la tenue au vieillissement d'échantillons de polypyrrole (PPY), polyaniline (PANI), et polyéthylène dioxythiophène (PEDT), protégés ou non par une couche de polychlorure de vinylydène (PVDC) barrière à l'oxygène, en suivant l'évolution dans le temps de leur conductivité électrique par l'intermédiaire de leur résistance. Un premier test de vieillissement de 550 heures à 100 ○C a permis de sélectionner les formulations de PVDC les plus efficaces. Les échantillons sélectionnés ont été mis à vieillir à 70 ○C. Après 1300 heures, le PEDT protégé conserve 98 % de sa conductivité initiale, le PPY 75 %, et la PANI 50 %. On retrouve les mêmes différences pour les matériaux non protégés

Sulphur corrosion effect on the electrical performance of silver films elaborated by physical vapor deposition

International audienceElectrical properties of Ag films elaborated by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process has been studied before and after corrosion exposure. We have shown that the minimum thickness of silver to resist to sulphurization atmosphere is one micron with an adherent coating. After a sulfurization time of 600 min, an electrical resistivity increase of only 10 % is obtained for a film with 2 microns in thickness. This value is about 20 % higher than the electrical resistivity of pure silver bulk material. For industrial applications of silver coatings, these results are relevant and demonstrate that PVD is an interesting process compared to the electrochemical ones for which silver thicknesses close to 5 microns are necessarily coated

Fabrication of TiO2 Nanotanks Embedded in a Nanoporous Alumina Template

The feasibility of surface nanopatterning with TiO2 nanotanks embedded in a nanoporous alumina template was investigated. Self-assembled anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) template, in conjunction with sol gel process, was used to fabricate this nanocomposite object. Through hydrolysis and condensation of the titanium alkoxide, an inorganic TiO2 gel was moulded within the nanopore cavities of the alumina template. The nanocomposite object underwent two thermal treatments to stabilize and crystallize the TiO2. The morphology of the nanocomposite object was characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The TiO2 nanotanks obtained have cylindrical shapes and are approximately 69 nm in diameter with a tank-to-tank distance of 26 nm. X-ray diffraction analyses performed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED) were used to investigate the TiO2 structure. The optical properties were studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy

475 °C Embrittlement in a duplex stainless steel UNS S31803

The susceptibility of a duplex stainless steel UNS S31803 to thermal embrittlement at 475 °C was evaluated by means of mechanical tests (impact energy and hardness), magnetic measurements (hysteresis and thermomagnetic analysis) and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the material undergoes severe embrittlement and hardening in the first 100 h. The corrosion resistance of the ferrite phase in a 10%HNO3 + 0.05%HF solution deteriorated after 500 h of ageing. The Curie temperature (Tc) was the most sensitive magnetic property to the microstructural changes that promote embrittlement. Tc increases with ageing time due to the progressive reduction of chromium in the Fe-rich matrix during spinodal decomposition

Micro-structures made with a capillary

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