409 research outputs found
Ruddlesden-Popper faults in LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices
Scanning transmission electron microscopy in combination with electron
energy-loss spectroscopy is used to study LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices grown on
(La,Sr)AlO4 with varying single-layer thicknesses which are known to control
their electronic properties. The microstructure of the films is investigated on
the atomic level and the role of observed defects is discussed in the context
of the different properties. Two types of Ruddlesden-Popper faults are found
which are either two or three dimensional. The common planar Ruddlesden-Popper
fault is induced by steps on the substrate surface. In contrast, the
three-dimensionally arranged Ruddlesden-Popper fault, whose size is in the
nanometer range, is caused by the formation of local stacking faults during
film growth. Furthermore, the interfaces of the superlattices are found to show
different sharpness, but the microstructure does not depend substantially on
the single-layer thickness.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
Strain Relaxation in Graded InGaAs and InP Buffer Layers on GaAs (001)
We investigate compositionally graded Inxo≤x≤0.5Ga1-xAs and InP buffer layers which are prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on (001) GaAs substrate. The initial In content xo is equal to 0, 0.12, 0.18, 0.24, and 0.5 for the different samples. The In composition of the graded buffer increases linearly between xo and 0.5 with a fixed slope of 50% In-content per μm. The idea was to combine the advantage of surface flatness in homogeneous buffer layers and the reduced density of threading dislocations on the surface for graded buffer layers. The best compromise in terms of photoluminescence intensity and linewidth, electron mobility and crystal quality is achieved for xo = 0.18. For comparison to the InGaAs layers, we investigated also homogenous InP buffer layers on GaAs substrate. A strong photoluminescence peak with a linewidth of 5 meV is observed for 1 μm InP grown at 450°C applying a GaP decomposition source. The density of threading dislocations in the surface region is lower than in relaxed In0.5Ga0.5As layers but still by far not as low as for the graded buffer layers
Structural and chemical embrittlement of grain boundaries by impurities: a general theory and first principles calculations for copper
First principles calculations of the Sigma 5 (310)[001] symmetric tilt grain
boundary in Cu with Bi, Na, and Ag substitutional impurities provide evidence
that in the phenomenon of Bi embrittlement of Cu grain boundaries electronic
effects do not play a major role; on the contrary, the embrittlement is mostly
a structural or "size" effect. Na is predicted to be nearly as good an
embrittler as Bi, whereas Ag does not embrittle the boundary in agreement with
experiment. While we reject the prevailing view that "electronic" effects
(i.e., charge transfer) are responsible for embrittlement, we do not exclude
the role of chemistry. However numerical results show a striking equivalence
between the alkali metal Na and the semi metal Bi, small differences being
accounted for by their contrasting "size" and "softness" (defined here). In
order to separate structural and chemical effects unambiguously if not
uniquely, we model the embrittlement process by taking the system of grain
boundary and free surfaces through a sequence of precisely defined gedanken
processes; each of these representing a putative mechanism. We thereby identify
three mechanisms of embrittlement by substitutional impurities, two of which
survive in the case of embrittlement or cohesion enhancement by interstitials.
Two of the three are purely structural and the third contains both structural
and chemical elements that by their very nature cannot be further unravelled.
We are able to take the systems we study through each of these stages by
explicit computer simulations and assess the contribution of each to the nett
reduction in intergranular cohesion. The conclusion we reach is that
embrittlement by both Bi and Na is almost exclusively structural in origin;
that is, the embrittlement is a size effect.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures; Accepted in Phys. Rev.
Watching individual molecules flex within lipid membranes using SERS.
Interrogating individual molecules within bio-membranes is key to deepening our understanding of biological processes essential for life. Using Raman spectroscopy to map molecular vibrations is ideal to non-destructively 'fingerprint' biomolecules for dynamic information on their molecular structure, composition and conformation. Such tag-free tracking of molecules within lipid bio-membranes can directly connect structure and function. In this paper, stable co-assembly with gold nano-components in a 'nanoparticle-on-mirror' geometry strongly enhances the local optical field and reduces the volume probed to a few nm(3), enabling repeated measurements for many tens of minutes on the same molecules. The intense gap plasmons are assembled around model bio-membranes providing molecular identification of the diffusing lipids. Our experiments clearly evidence measurement of individual lipids flexing through telltale rapid correlated vibrational shifts and intensity fluctuations in the Raman spectrum. These track molecules that undergo bending and conformational changes within the probe volume, through their interactions with the environment. This technique allows for in situ high-speed single-molecule investigations of the molecules embedded within lipid bio-membranes. It thus offers a new way to investigate the hidden dynamics of cell membranes important to a myriad of life processes.We acknowledge financial support from EPSRC grant EP/G060649/1, EP/I012060/1, ERC
grant LINASS 320503. FB acknowledges support from the Winton Programme for the
Physics of Sustainability.This is the final published version. It's also available from Nature Publishing at http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140812/srep05940/full/srep05940.html
Acute Renal Failure on Immune Reconstitution in an HIV-Positive Patient with Miliary Tuberculosis
Immune reconstitution syndrome following HAART in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is characterized by inflammatory worsening of organ functions despite improvement in HIV surrogate markers of HIV infection. We describe a patient with miliary tuberculosis and urinary shedding of acid fast bacilli who developed acute renal failure 8 weeks after initiation of antituberculosis therapy and 6 weeks after initiation of HAART. The diagnostic workup and further course of disease implicated immune reconstitution syndrome as the cause of acute renal failur
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