12,307 research outputs found
Low work function of the (1000) Ca2N surface
Polymer diodes require cathodes that do not corrode the polymer but do have
low work function to minimize the electron injection barrier. First-principles
calculations demonstrate that the work function of the (1000) surface of the
compound Ca2N is half an eV lower than that of the elemental metal Ca (2.35 vs.
2.87 eV). Moreover its reactivity is expected to be smaller. This makes Ca2N an
interesting candidate to replace calcium as cathode material for polymer light
emitting diode devices.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, accepted by J. Appl. Phy
Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media
Almost a hundred years ago, two different expressions were proposed for the
energy--momentum tensor of an electromagnetic wave in a dielectric. Minkowski's
tensor predicted an increase in the linear momentum of the wave on entering a
dielectric medium, whereas Abraham's tensor predicted its decrease. Theoretical
arguments were advanced in favour of both sides, and experiments proved
incapable of distinguishing between the two. Yet more forms were proposed, each
with their advocates who considered the form that they were proposing to be the
one true tensor. This paper reviews the debate and its eventual conclusion:
that no electromagnetic wave energy--momentum tensor is complete on its own.
When the appropriate accompanying energy--momentum tensor for the material
medium is also considered, experimental predictions of all the various proposed
tensors will always be the same, and the preferred form is therefore
effectively a matter of personal choice.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures, RevTeX 4. Removed erroneous factor of mu/mu_0
from Eq.(44
Non-equilibrium fluctuations in a driven stochastic Lorentz gas
We study the stationary state of a one-dimensional kinetic model where a
probe particle is driven by an external field E and collides, elastically or
inelastically, with a bath of particles at temperature T. We focus on the
stationary distribution of the velocity of the particle, and of two estimates
of the total entropy production \Delta s_tot. One is the entropy production of
the medium \Delta s_m, which is equal to the energy exchanged with the
scatterers, divided by a parameter \theta, coinciding with the particle
temperature at E=0. The other is the work W done by the external field, again
rescaled by \theta. At small E, a good collapse of the two distributions is
found: in this case the two quantities also verify the Fluctuation Relation
(FR), indicating that both are good approximations of \Delta s_tot.
Differently, for large values of E, the fluctuations of W violate the FR, while
\Delta s_m still verifies it.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Kinetic cross coupling between non-conserved and conserved fields in phase field models
We present a phase field model for isothermal transformations of two
component alloys that includes Onsager kinetic cross coupling between the
non-conserved phase field and the conserved concentration field. We also
provide the reduction of the phase field model to the corresponding macroscopic
description of the free boundary problem. The reduction is given in a general
form. Additionally we use an explicit example of a phase field model and check
that the reduced macroscopic description, in the range of its applicability, is
in excellent agreement with direct phase field simulations. The relevance of
the newly introduced terms to solute trapping is also discussed
Interrelation of work function and surface stability: the case of BaAl4
The relationship between the work function (Phi) and the surface stability of
compounds is, to our knowledge, unknown, but very important for applications
such as organic light-emitting diodes. This relation is studied using
first-principles calculations on various surfaces of BaAl4. The most stable
surface [Ba terminated (001)] has the lowest Phi (1.95 eV), which is lower than
that of any elemental metal including Ba. Adding barium to this surface neither
increases its stability nor lowers its work function. BaAl4 is also strongly
bound. These results run counter to the common perception that stability and a
low Phi are incompatible. Furthermore, a large anisotropy and a stable
low-work-function surface are predicted for intermetallic compounds with polar
surfaces.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Chem. Ma
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