Electronic Structure of the YH3 Phase from Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

Yttrium can be loaded with hydrogen up to high concentrations causing dramatic structural and electronic changes of the host lattice. We report on angle-resolved photoemission experiments of the Y trihydride phase. Most importantly, we find the absence of metal d-bands at the Fermi level and a set of flat, H-induced bands located at much higher binding energy than predicted, indicating an increased electron affinity at H sites

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

Simultaneous measurement of the maximum oscillation amplitude and the transient decay time constant of the QCM reveals stiffness changes of the adlayer

Interpretation of adsorption kinetics measured with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) can be difficult for adlayers undergoing modification of their mechanical properties. We have studied the behavior of the oscillation amplitude, A 0, and the decay time constant, τ, of quartz during adsorption of proteins and cells, by use of a home-made QCM. We are able to measure simultaneously the frequency, f, the dissipation factor, D, the maximum amplitude, A 0, and the transient decay time constant, τ, every 300ms in liquid, gaseous, or vacuum environments. This analysis enables adsorption and modification of liquid/mass properties to be distinguished. Moreover the surface coverage and the stiffness of the adlayer can be estimated. These improvements promise to increase the appeal of QCM methodology for any applications measuring intimate contact of a dynamic material with a solid surfac

Local epitaxy of Ag on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x(001)

Thin films of Ag have been deposited onto cleaved Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x(001) surfaces at room temperature. Ag 3d x-ray photoelectron diffraction experiments show very poor local order at coverages of up to 7 Å. For higher Ag coverages, a distinct diffraction pattern is forming, indicative of local epitaxy in the form of two domains of Ag(110) patches with one diagonal of the rectangular surface unit cell aligned along the substrate a axis. Comparison with previously published scanning-tunneling-microscopy results [Y. S. Luo et al., Phys. Rev. B 46, 1114 (1992)] leads us to the conclusion that Ag epitaxy is promoted by local disruption of the substrate upon initial Ag depositio

Quasicrystalline nature of quasicrystal surfaces: A photoemission study

Differently prepared surfaces of quasicrystalline i-Al-Pd-Mn are analyzed using angle-resolved photoemission in the x-ray andultraviolet range of photon energies. Depending on the preparation, we find both surfaces with crystalline structure and metallic character, and surfaces with quasicrystalline structural fingerprints and a suppressed density of states at the Fermi level, compatible with a pseudogap

Angle-resolved photoemission experiments on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+?(001)

Core-level X-ray photoelectron-diffraction patterns have been measured from cleaved Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (001) surfaces for all elements present in this compound. The incommensurate modulation alongb ([010]) leads to a strong inequivalence ofa- andb-directions for Bi, Sr and Cu photoelectrons, while Ca and O emission show less effect. Ultraviolet-photoemission experiments recording the emission intensity at the Fermi energy over a large solid angle are also presented, providing a direct mapping of the Fermi surface. Ac(2×2) superstructure is observed on the Fermi surface suggesting antiferromagnetic correlations within the Cu−O planes. The effects of the lattice modulation are clearly observable at the Fermi energy, and they are enhanced for binding energies higher than a few tens of meV