120 research outputs found
Thin films of calcium phosphate and titanium dioxide by a sol-gel route: a new method for coating medical implants
Titanium is a commonly used biomaterial for dental and orthopaedic applications. To increase its ability to bond with bone, some attempts were made to coat its surface with calcium phosphate (CaP). This paper describes a new type of coating. Instead of a pure CaP layer, a mixing of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and CaP is fabricated and deposited as a coating. These layers are deposited by a sol-gel route on pure titanium substrates using various pre-treatments. The method consists of mixing a solution of tetrabutyl ortho-titanate or a sol of titanium dioxide with a solution of calcium nitrate and phosphorous esters. This composite is deposited on to commercially pure titanium plates, mechanically polished or blasted with pure crystalline aluminum oxide, using the spin-coating technique. These coatings are then fired at 650 or 850°C for various times. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction for their crystallinity, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for their surface chemical composition and scanning electron microscopy for their topography. Samples treated at 850°C present a well-pronounced crystallinity, and a high chemical purity at the surface. The topography is strongly related to the viscosity of the precursor and the substrate pre-treatment. Possibilities to structure the outermost layer are presented. © 1999 Kluwer Academic Publisher
Quantum Hall effect anomaly and collective modes in the magnetic-field-induced spin-density-wave phases of quasi-one-dimensional conductors
We study the collective modes in the magnetic-field-induced spin-density-wave
(FISDW) phases experimentally observed in organic conductors of the Bechgaard
salts family. In phases that exhibit a sign reversal of the quantum Hall effect
(Ribault anomaly), the coexistence of two spin-density waves gives rise to
additional collective modes besides the Goldstone modes due to spontaneous
translation and rotation symmetry breaking. These modes strongly affect the
charge and spin response functions. We discuss some experimental consequences
for the Bechgaard salts.Comment: Final version (LaTex, 8 pages, no figure), to be published in
Europhys. Let
Magneto-Roton Modes of the Ultra Quantum Crystal: Numerical Study
The Field Induced Spin Density Wave phases observed in quasi-one-dimensional
conductors of the Bechgaard salts family under magnetic field exhibit both Spin
Density Wave order and a Quantized Hall Effect, which may exhibit sign
reversals. The original nature of the condensed phases is evidenced by the
collective mode spectrum. Besides the Goldstone modes, a quasi periodic
structure of Magneto-Roton modes, predicted to exist for a monotonic sequence
of Hall Quantum numbers, is confirmed, and a second mode is shown to exist
within the single particle gap. We present numerical estimates of the
Magneto-Roton mode energies in a generic case of the monotonic sequence. The
mass anisotropy of the collective mode is calculated. We show how differently
the MR spectrum evolves with magnetic field at low and high fields. The
collective mode spectrum should have specific features, in the sign reversed
"Ribault Phase", as compared to modes of the majority sign phases. We
investigate numerically the collective mode in the Ribault Phase.Comment: this paper incorporates material contained in a previous cond-mat
preprint cond-mat/9709210, but cannot be described as a replaced version,
because it contains a significant amount of new material dealing with the
instability line and with the topic of Ribault Phases. It contains 13 figures
(.ps files
Sign reversals of the quantum Hall effect and helicoidal magnetic-field-induced spin-density waves in quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors
We study the effect of umklapp scattering on the magnetic-field-induced
spin-density-wave phases, which are experimentally observed in the
quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors of the Bechgaard salts family. Within
the framework of the quantized nesting model, we show that umklapp processes
may naturally explain sign reversals of the quantum Hall effect (QHE) observed
in these conductors. Moreover, umklapp scattering can change the polarization
of the spin-density wave (SDW) from linear (sinusoidal SDW) to circular
(helicoidal SDW). The QHE vanishes in the helicoidal phases, but a
magnetoelectric effect appears. These two characteristic properties may be
utilized to detect the magnetic-field-induced helicoidal SDW phases
experimentally.Comment: 4 pages, latex, 3 figure
Sign reversals of the Quantum Hall Effect in quasi-1D conductors
The sign reversals of the Quantum Hall Effect observed in
quasi-one-dimensional conductors of the Bechgaard salts family are explained
within the framework of the quantized nesting model. The sequence of reversals
is driven by slight modifications of the geometry of the Fermi surface. It is
explained why only even phases can have signign reversals and why negative
phases are less stable than positive ones.Comment: 4 LaTex pages, 3 Postscript figure
Effect of umklapp scattering on the magnetic-field-induced spin-density waves in quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors
We study the effect of umklapp scattering on the magnetic-field-induced
spin-density-wave (FISDW) phases which are experimentally observed in the
quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors of the Bechgaard salts family. Within
the framework of the quantized nesting model, we show that the transition
temperature is determined by a modified Stoner criterion which includes the
effect of umklapp scattering. We determine the SDW polarization (linear or
circular) by analyzing the Ginzburg-Landau expansion of the free energy. We
also study how umklapp processes modify the quantum Hall effect (QHE) and the
spectrum of the FISDW phases. We find that umklapp scattering stabilizes phases
which exhibit a sign reversal of the QHE, as experimentally observed in the
Bechgaard salts. These ``negative'' phases are characterized by the
simultaneous existence of two SDWs with comparable amplitudes. As the umklapp
scattering strength increases, they may become helicoidal (circularly polarized
SDWs). The QHE vanishes in the helicoidal phases, but a magnetoelectric effect
appears. These two characteristic properties may be utilized to detect the
magnetic-field-induced helicoidal SDW phases experimentally.Comment: Revtex, 27 pages, 9 figure
Fully relativistic calculation of magnetic properties of Fe, Co and Ni adclusters on Ag(100)
We present first principles calculations of the magnetic moments and magnetic
anisotropy energies of small Fe, Co and Ni clusters on top of a Ag(100) surface
as well as the exchange-coupling energy between two single adatoms of Fe or Co
on Ag(100). The calculations are performed fully relativistically using the
embedding technique within the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method. The magnetic
anisotropy and the exchange-coupling energies are calculated by means of the
force theorem. In the case of adatoms and dimers of iron and cobalt we obtain
enhanced spin moments and, especially, unusually large orbital moments, while
for nickel our calculations predict a complete absence of magnetism. For larger
clusters, the magnitudes of the local moments of the atoms in the center of the
cluster are very close to those calculated for the corresponding monolayers.
Similar to the orbital moments, the contributions of the individual atoms to
the magnetic anisotropy energy strongly depend on the position, hence, on the
local environment of a particular atom within a given cluster. We find strong
ferromagnetic coupling between two neighboring Fe or Co atoms and a rapid,
oscillatory decay of the exchange-coupling energy with increasing distance
between these two adatoms.Comment: 8 pages, ReVTeX + 4 figures (Encapsulated Postscript), submitted to
PR
Collective modes in a system with two spin-density waves: the `Ribault' phase of quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors
We study the long-wavelength collective modes in the magnetic-field-induced
spin-density-wave (FISDW) phases experimentally observed in organic conductors
of the Bechgaard salts family, focusing on phases that exhibit a sign reversal
of the quantum Hall effect (Ribault anomaly). We have recently proposed that
two SDW's coexist in the Ribault phase, as a result of Umklapp processes. When
the latter are strong enough, the two SDW's become circularly polarized
(helicoidal SDW's). In this paper, we study the collective modes which result
from the presence of two SDW's. We find two Goldstone modes, an out-of-phase
sliding mode and an in-phase spin-wave mode, and two gapped modes. The sliding
Goldstone mode carries only a fraction of the total optical spectral weight,
which is determined by the ratio of the amplitude of the two SDW's. In the
helicoidal phase, all the spectral weight is pushed up above the SDW gap. We
also point out similarities with phase modes in two-band or bilayer
superconductors. We expect our conclusions to hold for generic two-SDW systems.Comment: Revised version, 25 pages, RevTex, 7 figure
From Chalcogen Bonding to SâÏ Interactions in Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics
The stability of hybrid organicâinorganic halide perovskite semiconductors remains a significant obstacle to their application in photovoltaics. To this end, the use of lowâdimensional (LD) perovskites, which incorporate hydrophobic organic moieties, provides an effective strategy to improve their stability, yet often at the expense of their performance. To address this limitation, supramolecular engineering of noncovalent interactions between organic and inorganic components has shown potential by relying on hydrogen bonding and conventional van der Waals interactions. Here, the capacity to access novel LD perovskite structures that uniquely assemble through unorthodox Sâmediated interactions is explored by incorporating benzothiadiazoleâbased moieties. The formation of Sâmediated LD structures is demonstrated, including oneâdimensional (1D) and layered twoâdimensional (2D) perovskite phases assembled via chalcogen bonding and SâÏ interactions, through a combination of techniques, such as single crystal and thin film Xâray diffraction, as well as solidâstate NMR spectroscopy, complemented by molecular dynamics simulations, density functional theory calculations, and optoelectronic characterization, revealing superior conductivities of Sâmediated LD perovskites. The resulting materials are applied in nâiâp and pâiân perovskite solar cells, demonstrating enhancements in performance and operational stability that reveal a versatile supramolecular strategy in photovoltaics
From Chalcogen Bonding to SâÏ Interactions in Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics
The stability of hybrid organicâinorganic halide perovskite semiconductors remains a significant obstacle to their application in photovoltaics. To this end, the use of lowâdimensional (LD) perovskites, which incorporate hydrophobic organic moieties, provides an effective strategy to improve their stability, yet often at the expense of their performance. To address this limitation, supramolecular engineering of noncovalent interactions between organic and inorganic components has shown potential by relying on hydrogen bonding and conventional van der Waals interactions. Here, the capacity to access novel LD perovskite structures that uniquely assemble through unorthodox Sâmediated interactions is explored by incorporating benzothiadiazoleâbased moieties. The formation of Sâmediated LD structures is demonstrated, including oneâdimensional (1D) and layered twoâdimensional (2D) perovskite phases assembled via chalcogen bonding and SâÏ interactions, through a combination of techniques, such as single crystal and thin film Xâray diffraction, as well as solidâstate NMR spectroscopy, complemented by molecular dynamics simulations, density functional theory calculations, and optoelectronic characterization, revealing superior conductivities of Sâmediated LD perovskites. The resulting materials are applied in nâiâp and pâiân perovskite solar cells, demonstrating enhancements in performance and operational stability that reveal a versatile supramolecular strategy in photovoltaics
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