Recrystallization and investigation of bismuth thin films by means of electron beam in transmission electron microscope

Thin bismuth films obtained by vacuum deposition were recrystallized under electron beam of scanning electron microscope at 5 kV and examined in a transmission electron microscope at 200 kV. In recrystallized films, various microstructures were detected: single-crystal, polycrystalline and amorphous regions, more or less faceted grains, single crystals and untransparent drop-shaped particles. In the crystallized film, a strong internal bending of the crystal lattice is detected, up to 110 deg/μm. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.Partial support of project 3.6121.2017/8.9 (The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation) and Agreement No 02.A03.21.0006 (Act 211 Government of the Russian Federation) is acknowledged

Transitions between "π\pi" and "0" states in superconductor -- ferromagnet -- superconductor junctions

Experimental and theoretical study of superconductor (S) -- ferromagnet (F) -- superconductor junctions showed that in certain range of parameters (e.g., the length of the ferromagnet $d_F$, the exchange field, $E_{\rm ex}$) the ground state of a SFS junction corresponds to superconducting phase difference $\pi$ or 0. The phase diagram of a SFS junction with the respect to $\pi$ and 0 states is investigated in this letter in $E_{\rm ex}, d_{F}, T$ space. It is shown that the phase diagram is very sensitive to the geometry of the system, in particular, to the amount of disorder.Comment: Minor changes. References adde

Derivative pricing under the possibility of long memory in the supOU stochastic volatility model

We consider the supOU stochastic volatility model which is able to exhibit long-range dependence. For this model we give conditions for the discounted stock price to be a martingale, calculate the characteristic function, give a strip where it is analytic and discuss the use of Fourier pricing techniques. Finally, we present a concrete specification with polynomially decaying autocorrelations and calibrate it to observed market prices of plain vanilla options

On Robustness of Discrete Time Optimal Filters

A new result on stability of an optimal nonlinear filter for a Markov chain with respect to small perturbations on every step is established. An exponential recurrence of the signal is assumed

Domain wall effects in ferromagnet-superconductor structures

We investigate how domain structure of the ferromagnet in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures may change their transport properties. We calculate the distribution of current in the superconductor induced by magnetic field of Bloch domain walls, find the ``lower critical'' magnetization of the ferromagnet that provides vortices in the superconductor

Centers of crystallization in antimony thin films studied by transnission electron microscopy

We performed TEM studies of 7 crystallization centers using specially evaporated Sb thin films in finite areas. Strong internal lattice bending is revealed by use of the bend contour method.Partial support of project 3.6121.2017/8.9 (RF Ministry of Education and Science) and agreement № 02.A03.21.0006 (Act 211 Government of the RF) is acknowledged

Stability of π\pi junction configurations in ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructures

We investigate the stability of possible order parameter configurations in clean layered heterostructures of the $SFS...FS$ type, where $S$ is a superconductor and $F$ a ferromagnet. We find that for most reasonable values of the geometric parameters (layer thicknesses and number) and of the material parameters (such as magnetic polarization, wavevector mismatch, and oxide barrier strength) several solutions of the {\it self consistent} microscopic equations can coexist, which differ in the arrangement of the sequence of ``0'' and ``$\pi$'' junction types (that is, with either same or opposite sign of the pair potential in adjacent $S$ layers). The number of such coexisting self consistent solutions increases with the number of layers. Studying the relative stability of these configurations requires an accurate computation of the small difference in the condensation free energies of these inhomogeneous systems. We perform these calculations, starting with numerical self consistent solutions of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. We present extensive results for the condensation free energies of the different possible configurations, obtained by using efficient and accurate numerical methods, and discuss their relative stabilities. Results for the experimentally measurable density of states are also given for different configurations and clear differences in the spectra are revealed. Comprehensive and systematic results as a function of the relevant parameters for systems consisting of three and seven layers (one or three junctions) are given, and the generalization to larger number of layers is discussed.Comment: 17 pages, including 14 Figures. Higher resolution figures available from the author

Dynamics of gravity driven three-dimensional thin films on hydrophilic-hydrophobic patterned substrates

We investigate numerically the dynamics of unstable gravity driven three-dimensional thin liquid films on hydrophilic-hydrophobic patterned substrates of longitudinal stripes and checkerboard arrangements. The thin film can be guided preferentially on hydrophilic longitudinal stripes, while fingers develop on adjacent hydrophobic stripes if their width is large enough. On checkerboard patterns, the film fingering occurs on hydrophobic domains, while lateral spreading is favoured on hydrophilic domains, providing a mechanism to tune the growth rate of the film. By means of kinematical arguments, we quantitatively predict the growth rate of the contact line on checkerboard arrangements, providing a first step towards potential techniques that control thin film growth in experimental setups.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figure

Air entrainment through free-surface cusps

In many industrial processes, such as pouring a liquid or coating a rotating cylinder, air bubbles are entrapped inside the liquid. We propose a novel mechanism for this phenomenon, based on the instability of cusp singularities that generically form on free surfaces. The air being drawn into the narrow space inside the cusp destroys its stationary shape when the walls of the cusp come too close. Instead, a sheet emanates from the cusp's tip, through which air is entrained. Our analytical theory of this instability is confirmed by experimental observation and quantitative comparison with numerical simulations of the flow equations