Environment of Er in a-Si:H: co-sputtering versus ion implantation

We report a comparative Extended X-Ray Fine Structure (EXAFS) study of Er in a-Si:H prepared by Er implantation in a-Si:H and by co-sputtering undergoing the same cumulative annealing processes. It was found that the Er environment in as-implanted samples is formed by Si atoms, which are replaced by oxygen under annealing. In the co-sputtered samples, the initial low coordination oxygen environment evolves under thermal treatment to an Er2O3 -like neighborhood.756759Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Possible common ground for the metal-insulator phase transition in the rare-earth nickelates <i>R</i>NiO₃ (R = Eu, Ho, Y)

We report on the infrared spectra of RNiO₃ (R = E, Ho, Y). They provide evidence of phonon and insulating gap behavior and point to the monoclinic distortion at the metal-insulator (MI) transition as a feature for all RNiO₃ (R ≠ La). We hypothesize that the intermediate paramagnetic phase (above TN and below TMI in RNiO₃ (R = Sm, Eu, Ho, Y) might be consequence of a self-doping effect, gradually triggering a phase segregation in electron-rich and electron-poor regions. This picture is concomitant to the temperature-dependent effect of octahedral tilting and distortion and self-trapped electrons in a polaronic medium.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Química Inorgánic

Short-range charge-order in RRNiO3_{3} perovskites (RR=Pr,Nd,Eu) probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The short-range organization around Ni atoms in orthorhombic $R$NiO$_{3}$ ($R$=Pr,Nd,Eu) perovskites has been studied over a wide temperature range by Ni K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that two different Ni sites, with different average Ni-O bond lengths, coexist in those orthorhombic compounds and that important modifications in the Ni nearest neighbors environment take place across the metal-insulator transition. We report evidences for the existence of short-range charge-order in the insulating state, as found in the monoclinic compounds. Moreover, our results suggest that the two different Ni sites coexists even in the metallic state. The coexistence of two different Ni sites, independently on the $R$ ion, provides a common ground to describe these compounds and shed new light in the understanding of the phonon-assisted conduction mechanism and unusual antiferromagnetism present in all $R$NiO$_{3}$ compounds.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted PRB - Brief Report Dec.200

Possible common ground for the metal-insulator phase transition in the rare-earth nickelates <i>R</i>NiO₃ (R = Eu, Ho, Y)

We report on the infrared spectra of RNiO₃ (R = E, Ho, Y). They provide evidence of phonon and insulating gap behavior and point to the monoclinic distortion at the metal-insulator (MI) transition as a feature for all RNiO₃ (R ≠ La). We hypothesize that the intermediate paramagnetic phase (above TN and below TMI in RNiO₃ (R = Sm, Eu, Ho, Y) might be consequence of a self-doping effect, gradually triggering a phase segregation in electron-rich and electron-poor regions. This picture is concomitant to the temperature-dependent effect of octahedral tilting and distortion and self-trapped electrons in a polaronic medium.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Química Inorgánic

Energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy at LNLS: Investigation on strongly correlated metal oxides

An energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline mainly dedicated to X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and material science under extreme conditions has been implemented in a bending-magnet port at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. Here the beamline technical characteristics are described, including the most important aspects of the mechanics, optical elements and detection set-up. The beamline performance is then illustrated through two case studies on strongly correlated transition metal oxides: an XMCD insight into the modifications of the magnetic properties of Cr-doped manganites and the structural deformation in nickel perovskites under high applied pressure. © 2010 International Union of Crystallography. Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved.Fil: Cezar, Julio C.. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Souza Neto, Narcizo M.. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Piamonteze, Cínthia. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Tamura, Edilson. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Garcia, Flávio. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Carvalho, Edson J.. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Neueschwander, Régis T.. Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; BrasilFil: Ramos, Aline Y.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Tolentino, Hélio C. N.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Caneiro, Alberto. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Massa, Nestor Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica "Dr. Pedro J. Aymonino". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Química Inorgánica "Dr. Pedro J. Aymonino"; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Lope, Maria Jesus. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Alonso, José Antonio. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Itié, Jean Paul. L'Orme des Merisiers. Synchrotron SOLEIL; Franci

Energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy at LNLS: investigation on strongly correlated metal oxides

An energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline mainly dedicated to X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and material science under extreme conditions has been implemented in a bending-magnet port at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. Here the beamline technical characteristics are described, including the most important aspects of the mechanics, optical elements and detection set-up. The beamline performance is then illustrated through two case studies on strongly correlated transition metal oxides: an XMCD insight into the modifications of the magnetic properties of Cr-doped manganites and the structural deformation in nickel perovskites under high applied pressure.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Química Inorgánic

Energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy at LNLS : investigation on strongly correlated metal oxides.

An energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline mainly dedicated to X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and material science under extreme conditions has been implemented in a bending-magnet port at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. Here the beamline technical characteristics are described, including the most important aspects of the mechanics, optical elements and detection set-up. The beamline performance is then illustrated through two case studies on strongly correlated transition metal oxides: an XMCD insight into the modifications of the magnetic properties of Cr-doped manganites and the structural deformation in nickel perovskites under high applied pressure

Nickel: the time-reversal symmetry consrving partner of iron on a a chalcogenide topological insulator

Máme zprávy o zhášení jednotlivých Ni adatom momentů na Te-zakončeného BI2 Te2Se a Bi2Te3 topologických izolátor povrchy. Tento efekt je známý jako chybějící x-ray magnetické cirkulární dichroismus pro rezonanční přechody L3,2 Částečně naplní do Ni 3d stavů teorie odvozené od obsazení nd = 9,2. Na základě srovnávací studie Ni a Fe pomocí řádkovací tunelový mikroskop a ab initio výpočtů jsme schopni se týkají konkrétního prvku Tvorba moment na místní kritérium Stoner. Naše teorie pořady dělal, zatímco Fe adatoms vytvářejí velké spin momenty z MS = 2.54μB s out-ofrovině anizotropie v důsledku dostatečně velkou hustotu stavů na Fermiho energie, Ni zůstává hluboko pod prahem na efektivní Stoner pro tvorbu místní moment. S úrovní Fermi setrvání v mezera bulk band po adatom depozice, nonmagnetic Ni a přednostně out-of-rovině orientované magnetické Fe s podobnými strukturálními reality na BI2 TE2 Se plochy představují ideální platformu pro studium účinků off-on time-obrácení porušení symetrie na topologické povrchových stavů.We report on the quenching of single Ni adatom moments on Te-terminated Bi2 Te2Se and Bi2Te3 topological insulator surfaces. The effect is noted as a missing x-ray magnetic circular dichroism for resonant L3,2 transitions into partially filled Ni 3d states of theory-derived occupancy nd = 9.2. On the basis of a comparative study of Ni and Fe using scanning tunneling microscopy and ab initio calculations, we are able to relate the element specific moment formation to a local Stoner criterion. Our theory shows that while Fe adatoms form large spin moments of ms = 2.54μB with out-of-plane anisotropy due to a sufficiently large density of states at the Fermi energy, Ni remains well below an effective Stoner threshold for local moment formation. With the Fermi level remaining in the bulk band gap after adatom deposition, nonmagnetic Ni and preferentially out-of-plane oriented magnetic Fe with similar structural properties on Bi2 Te2 Se surfaces constitute a perfect platform to study the off-on effects of time-reversal symmetry breaking on topological surface states