226 research outputs found
Crystal-to-crystal transition of ultrasoft colloids under shear
Ultrasoft colloids typically do not spontaneously crystallize, but rather
vitrify, at high concentrations. Combining in-situ rheo-SANS experiments and
numerical simulations we show that shear facilitates crystallization of
colloidal star polymers in the vicinity of their glass transition. With
increasing shear rate well beyond rheological yielding, a transition is found
from an initial bcc-dominated structure to an fcc-dominated one. This
crystal-to-crystal transition is not accompanied by intermediate melting but
occurs via a sudden reorganization of the crystal structure. Our results
provide a new avenue to tailor colloidal crystallization and crystal-to-crystal
transition at molecular level by coupling softness and shear
Dynamic Response of Block Copolymer Wormlike Micelles to Shear Flow
The linear and non-linear dynamic response to an oscillatory shear flow of
giant wormlike micelles consisting of Pb-Peo block copolymers is studied by
means of Fourier transform rheology. Experiments are performed in the vicinity
of the isotropic-nematic phase transition concentration, where the location of
isotropic-nematic phase transition lines is determined independently. Strong
shear-thinning behaviour is observed due to critical slowing down of
orientational diffusion as a result of the vicinity of the isotropic- nematic
spinodal. This severe shear-thinning behaviour is shown to result in gradient
shear banding. Time-resolved Small angle neutron scattering experiments are
used to obtain insight in the microscopic phenomena that underly the observed
rheological response. An equation of motion for the order-parameter tensor and
an expression of the stress tensor in terms of the order-parameter tensor are
used to interpret the experimental data, both in the linear and non-linear
regime. Scaling of the dynamic behaviour of the orientational order parameter
and the stress is found when critical slowing down due to the vicinity of the
isotropic-nematic spinodal is accounted for.Comment: Accepted by J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, CODEF II Special Issue. 20
pages, 9 figure
Dynamic Response of Block Copolymer Wormlike Micelles to Shear Flow
The linear and non-linear dynamic response to an oscillatory shear flow of
giant wormlike micelles consisting of Pb-Peo block copolymers is studied by
means of Fourier transform rheology. Experiments are performed in the vicinity
of the isotropic-nematic phase transition concentration, where the location of
isotropic-nematic phase transition lines is determined independently. Strong
shear-thinning behaviour is observed due to critical slowing down of
orientational diffusion as a result of the vicinity of the isotropic- nematic
spinodal. This severe shear-thinning behaviour is shown to result in gradient
shear banding. Time-resolved Small angle neutron scattering experiments are
used to obtain insight in the microscopic phenomena that underly the observed
rheological response. An equation of motion for the order-parameter tensor and
an expression of the stress tensor in terms of the order-parameter tensor are
used to interpret the experimental data, both in the linear and non-linear
regime. Scaling of the dynamic behaviour of the orientational order parameter
and the stress is found when critical slowing down due to the vicinity of the
isotropic-nematic spinodal is accounted for.Comment: Accepted by J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, CODEF II Special Issue. 20
pages, 9 figure
Small angle neutron scattering observation of chain retraction after a large step deformation
The process of retraction in entangled linear chains after a fast nonlinear stretch was detected from time-resolved but quenched small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on long, well-entangled polyisoprene chains. The statically obtained SANS data cover the relevant time regime for retraction, and they provide a direct, microscopic verification of this nonlinear process as predicted by the tube model. Clear, quantitative agreement is found with recent theories of contour length fluctuations and convective constraint release, using parameters obtained mainly from linear rheology. The theory captures the full range of scattering vectors once the crossover to fluctuations on length scales below the tube diameter is accounted for
Observation of a Triangular to Square Flux Lattice Phase Transition in YBCO
We have used the technique of small-angle neutron scattering to observe
magnetic flux lines directly in an YBCO single crystal at fields higher than
previously reported. For field directions close to perpendicular to the CuO2
planes, we find that the flux lattice structure changes smoothly from a
distorted triangular co-ordination to nearly perfectly square as the magnetic
induction approaches 11 T. The orientation of the square flux lattice is as
expected from recent d-wave theories, but is 45 deg from that recently observed
in LSCO
Fermi surface and order parameter driven vortex lattice structure transitions in twin-free YBa2Cu3O7
We report on small-angle neutron scattering studies of the intrinsic vortex
lattice (VL) structure in detwinned YBa2Cu3O7 at 2 K, and in fields up to 10.8
T. Because of the suppressed pinning to twin-domain boundaries, a new distorted
hexagonal VL structure phase is stabilized at intermediate fields. It is
separated from a low-field hexagonal phase of different orientation and
distortion by a first-order transition at 2.0(2) T that is probably driven by
Fermi surface effects. We argue that another first-order transition at 6.7(2)
T, into a rhombic structure with a distortion of opposite sign, marks a
crossover from a regime where Fermi surface anisotropy is dominant, to one
where the VL structure and distortion is controlled by the order-parameter
anisotropy.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (2 color), minor change
Size-dependent reversal of grains in perpendicular magnetic recording media measured by small-angle polarized neutron scattering
Polarized small-angle neutron scattering has been used to measure the magnetic structure of a CoCrPt–SiOx thin-film data storage layer, contained within a writable perpendicular recording media, at granular (<10 nm) length scales. The magnetic contribution to the scattering is measured as the magnetization is reversed by an external field, providing unique spatial information on the switching process. A simple model of noninteracting nanomagnetic grains provides a good description of the data and an analysis of the grain-size dependent reversal provides strong evidence for an increase in magnetic anisotropy with grain diameter
Anisometric mesoscale nuclear and magnetic texture in sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets
By means of temperature and wavelength-dependent small-angle neutron
scattering (SANS) experiments on sintered isotropic and textured Nd-Fe-B
magnets we provide evidence for the existence of an anisometric structure in
the microstructure of the textured magnets. This conclusion is reached by
observing a characteristic cross-shaped angular anisotropy in the total
unpolarized SANS cross section at temperatures well above the Curie
temperature. Comparison of the experimental SANS data to a microstructural
model based on the superquadrics form factor allows us to estimate the shape
and lower bounds for the size of the structure. Subtraction of the scattering
cross section in the paramagnetic regime from data taken at room temperature
provides the magnetic SANS cross section. Surprisingly, the anisotropy of the
magnetic scattering is very similar to the nuclear SANS signal, suggesting that
the nuclear structure is decorated by the magnetic moments via spin-orbit
coupling. Based on the computation of the two-dimensional correlation function
we estimate lower bounds for the longitudinal and transversal magnetic
correlation lengths
Neutron optical beam splitter from holographically structured nanoparticle-polymer composites
We report a breakthrough in the search for versatile diffractive elements for
cold neutrons. Nanoparticles are spatially arranged by holographical means in a
photopolymer. These grating structures show remarkably efficient diffraction of
cold neutrons up to about 50% for effective thicknesses of only 200 micron.
They open up a profound perspective for next generation neutron-optical devices
with the capability to tune or modulate the neutron diffraction efficiency.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
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