ALBERT

Description: Uncertainties in calculating precipitation climatology in East Asia Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7765-7783, 2015 Author(s): J. Kim and S. K. Park This study examines the uncertainty in calculating the fundamental climatological characteristics of precipitation in the East Asia region from multiple fine-resolution gridded analysis datasets based on in-situ rain gauge observations. Five observation-based gridded precipitation datasets are used to derive the long-term means, standard deviations in lieu of interannual variability and linear trends over the 28-year period from 1980 to 2007. Both the annual and summer (June–July–August) mean precipitation is examined. The agreement amongst these precipitation datasets are examined using multiple metrics including the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) defined as the ratio between long-term means and the corresponding standard deviations, and Taylor diagrams which allows examinations of the pattern correlation, the standard deviation, and the centered root mean square error. It is found that the five gauge-based precipitation analysis datasets agree well in the long-term mean and interannual variability in most of the East Asia region including eastern China, Manchuria, South Korea, and Japan, which are densely populated and have fairly high density observation networks. The regions of large inter-dataset variations include Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, northern Indo-China, and North Korea. The regions of large uncertainties are typically lightly populated and are characterized by severe terrain and/or extreme high elevations. Unlike the long-term mean and interannual variability, agreements between datasets in the linear trend is weak, both for the annual and summer mean values. In most of the East Asia region, the SNR for the linear trend is below 0.5, i.e., the inter-dataset variability exceeds the multi-data ensemble mean. The uncertainty in the spatial distribution of long-term means among these datasets occurs both in the spatial pattern and variability, but the uncertainty for the interannual variability and time trend is much larger in the variability than in the pattern correlation. Thus, care must be taken in using long-term trends calculated from gridded precipitation analysis data for climate studies over the East Asia region.

Description: Nonlinear effects of locally heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields on regional stream–aquifer exchanges Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7727-7764, 2015 Author(s): J. Zhu, C. L. Winter, and Z. Wang Computational experiments are performed to evaluate the effects of locally heterogeneous conductivity fields on regional exchanges of water between stream and aquifer systems in the Middle Heihe River Basin (MHRB) of northwestern China. The effects are found to be nonlinear in the sense that simulated discharges from aquifers to streams are systematically lower than discharges produced by a base model parameterized with relatively coarse effective conductivity. A similar, but weaker, effect is observed for stream leakage. The study is organized around three hypotheses: (H1) small-scale spatial variations of conductivity significantly affect regional exchanges of water between streams and aquifers in river basins, (H2) aggregating small-scale heterogeneities into regional effective parameters systematically biases estimates of stream–aquifer exchanges, and (H3) the biases result from slow-paths in groundwater flow that emerge due to small-scale heterogeneities. The hypotheses are evaluated by comparing stream–aquifer fluxes produced by the base model to fluxes simulated using realizations of the MHRB characterized by local (grid-scale) heterogeneity. Levels of local heterogeneity are manipulated as control variables by adjusting coefficients of variation. All models are implemented using the MODFLOW simulation environment, and the PEST tool is used to calibrate effective conductivities defined over 16 zones within the MHRB. The effective parameters are also used as expected values to develop log-normally distributed conductivity ( K ) fields on local grid scales. Stream-aquifer exchanges are simulated with K fields at both scales and then compared. Results show that the effects of small-scale heterogeneities significantly influence exchanges with simulations based on local-scale heterogeneities always producing discharges that are less than those produced by the base model. Although aquifer heterogeneities are uncorrelated at local scales, they appear to induce coherent slow-paths in groundwater fluxes that in turn reduce aquifer–stream exchanges. Since surface water–groundwater exchanges are critical hydrologic processes in basin-scale water budgets, these results also have implications for water resources management.

Description: Near–surface air temperature and snow skin temperature comparison from CREST-SAFE station data with MODIS land surface temperature data Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7665-7687, 2015 Author(s): C. L. Pérez Díaz, T. Lakhankar, P. Romanov, J. Muñoz, R. Khanbilvardi, and Y. Yu Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a key variable (commonly studied to understand the hydrological cycle) that helps drive the energy balance and water exchange between the Earth's surface and its atmosphere. One observable constituent of much importance in the land surface water balance model is snow. Snow cover plays a critical role in the regional to global scale hydrological cycle because rain-on-snow with warm air temperatures accelerates rapid snow-melt, which is responsible for the majority of the spring floods. Accurate information on near-surface air temperature ( T -air) and snow skin temperature ( T -skin) helps us comprehend the energy and water balances in the Earth's hydrological cycle. T -skin is critical in estimating latent and sensible heat fluxes over snow covered areas because incoming and outgoing radiation fluxes from the snow mass and the air temperature above make it different from the average snowpack temperature. This study investigates the correlation between MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST data and observed T -air and T -skin data from NOAA-CREST-Snow Analysis and Field Experiment (CREST-SAFE) for the winters of 2013 and 2014. LST satellite validation is imperative because high-latitude regions are significantly affected by climate warming and there is a need to aid existing meteorological station networks with the spatially continuous measurements provided by satellites. Results indicate that near-surface air temperature correlates better than snow skin temperature with MODIS LST data. Additional findings show that there is a negative trend demonstrating that the air minus snow skin temperature difference is inversely proportional to cloud cover. To a lesser extent, it will be examined whether the surface properties at the site are representative for the LST properties within the instrument field of view.

Description: Does drought alter hydrological functions in forest soils? An infiltration experiment Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7689-7725, 2015 Author(s): K. F. Gimbel, H. Puhlmann, and M. Weiler The water cycle is expected to change in future and severely affect precipitation patterns across central Europe and in other parts of the world, leading to more frequent and severe droughts. Usually, it is assumed that system properties, like soil properties, remain stable and will not be affected by drought events. To study if this assumption is appropriate, we address the effects of drought on the infiltration behavior of forest soils using dye tracer experiments on six sites in three regions across Germany, which were forced into drought conditions. The sites cover clayey, loamy and sandy textured soils. In each region, we compared a deciduous and a coniferous forest stand to address differences between the main tree species. The results of the dye tracer experiments show clear evidence for changes in infiltration behavior at the sites. The infiltration changed at the clayey plots from regular and homogeneous flow to fast preferential flow. Similar behavior was observed at the loamy plots, where large areas in the upper layers remained dry, displaying signs of strong water repellency. This was confirmed by WDPT tests, which revealed, in all except one plot, moderate to severe water repellency. Water repellency was also accountable for the change of regular infiltration to fingered flow in the sandy soils. The results of this study suggest that the "drought-history" or generally the climatic conditions in the past of a soil are more important than the actual antecedent soil moisture status regarding hydrophobicity and infiltration behavior; and also, that drought effects on infiltration need to be considered in hydrological models to obtain realistic predictions concerning water quality and quantity in runoff and groundwater recharge.

Description: Vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 ) 1−x :(CeO 2 ) x (LSMO:CeO 2 ) thin films have been grown on SrTiO 3 (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Tunable magnetoresistance properties as well as microstructures are demonstrated in these VAN films by modulating the film composition (x = 0, 0.3, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, and 0.55). The sample of x = 0.3 shows a large low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) in a high temperature range, i.e., over 10% at the range of 280 K to 320 K under 1 T and with a peak value of ∼13.5% at 310 K. In addition, a vast enhancement of LFMR in a low temperature range of 20–150 K with peak of ≈34.3% at 45 K for 1 T could be achieved with x = 0.5. The enhanced LFMR properties can be attributed to both the phase boundary induced spin fluctuation and the magnetic tunneling effect through vertical ferromagnetic/insulator/ferromagnetic structures. The observed enhanced LFMR performance, especially at high temperatures, as well as its simple growth method, offers a great potential for LSMO:CeO 2 nanocomposites to be used in spintronic devices in a large temperature range.

Description: We present a new generalized scaling relationship accounting for relaxation processes of both the real and the imaginary parts of the complex dielectric permittivity data in a wide temperature range of dielectric media. It has been successfully used for experimental data related to various dynamics in liquid crystalline phases of: 4-bromobenzylidene-4′-pentyloxyanilin, 4-bromobenzylidene-4′-hexyloxyaniline, 4′-butyl-4-(2-methylbutoxy) azoxybenzene, and 4-ethyl-4′-octylazoxybenzene. Moreover, the scaling was checked for the theoretical data of Dissado-Hill cluster model. A comparison with earlier scaling, proposed by Nagel and Dendzik, is given.

Description: Focusing of surface phonon-polaritons propagating toward the tip of a cone and the edge of a wedge is theoretically analyzed and compared. Based on Maxwell's equations, explicit expressions for the dispersion relations in each structure are determined and solved numerically for a propagation parameter driving the surface phonon-polariton energy density. For conical and wedge structures of SiO 2 , it is found that: (1) the cone (wedge) supports the polariton focusing only for aperture angles in the interval 18 ° – 68 ° ( 21 ° – 51 ° ), and within the range of excitation frequencies from 32.1 THz (31.5 THz) to 33.9 THz (33.9 THz). In this frequency interval, the real part of the SiO 2 permittivity is negative and the presence of polaritons is significant. (2) The polariton focusing efficiency of both the cone and wedge reaches its maximum values at the critical frequency f cr = 33.6  THz and at different aperture angles of about α opt = 45 ° and α opt = 30 ° , respectively. (3) When the polaritons travel from 100 nm to 5 nm toward the tip of the cone with this optimum angle, their Poynting vector increases by a factor of 12, which is about four times larger than the corresponding one provided by the wedge and indicates that the cone is more efficient than the wedge for the focusing of surface phonon-polaritons.

Description: Surface plasmons can squeeze light into a deep-subwavelength space and generate abundant hot electrons in the nearby metallic regions, enabling a new paradigm of photoconversion by the way of hot electron collection. Unlike the visible spectral range concerned in previous literatures, we focus on the communication band and design the infrared hot-electron photodetectors with plasmonic metal-insulator-metal configuration by using full-wave finite-element method. Titanium dioxide-silver Schottky interface is employed to boost the low-energy infrared photodetection. The photodetection sensitivity is strongly improved by enhancing the plasmonic excitation from a rationally engineered metallic grating, which enables a strong unidirectional photocurrent. With a five-step electrical simulation, the optimized device exhibits an unbiased responsivity of ∼0.1 mA/W and an ultra-narrow response band (FWHM = 4.66 meV), which promises to be a candidate as the compact photodetector operating in communication band.

Description: A two-step method that combines homogeneous electron beam (EB) irradiation and thermal annealing has been developed to enhance the thermoelectric properties of nanocrystalline bismuth selenium telluride thin films. The thin films, prepared using a flash evaporation method, were treated with EB irradiation in a N 2 atmosphere at room temperature and an acceleration voltage of 0.17 MeV. Thermal annealing was performed under Ar/H 2 (5%) at 300 °C for 60 min. X-ray diffraction was used to determine that compositional phase separation between bismuth telluride and bismuth selenium telluride developed in the thin films exposed to higher EB doses and thermal annealing. We propose that the phase separation was induced by fluctuations in the distribution of selenium atoms after EB irradiation, followed by the migration of selenium atoms to more stable sites during thermal annealing. As a result, thin film crystallinity improved and mobility was significantly enhanced. This indicates that the phase separation resulting from the two-step method enhanced, rather than disturbed, the electron transport. Both the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient were improved following the two-step method. Consequently, the power factor of thin films that underwent the two-step method was enhanced to 20 times (from 0.96 to 21.0  μ W/(cm K 2 ) that of the thin films treated with EB irradiation alone.

Description: In this study, we developed a new method for in-situ pressure determination in multi-anvil, high-pressure apparatus using an acoustic travel time approach within the framework of acoustoelasticity. The ultrasonic travel times of polycrystalline Al 2 O 3 were calibrated against NaCl pressure scale up to 15 GPa and 900 °C in a Kawai-type double-stage multi-anvil apparatus in conjunction with synchrotron X-radiation, thereby providing a convenient and reliable gauge for pressure determination at ambient and high temperatures. The pressures derived from this new travel time method are in excellent agreement with those from the fixed-point methods. Application of this new pressure gauge in an offline experiment revealed a remarkable agreement of the densities of coesite with those from the previous single crystal compression studies under hydrostatic conditions, thus providing strong validation for the current travel time pressure scale. The travel time approach not only can be used for continuous in-situ pressure determination at room temperature, high temperatures, during compression and decompression, but also bears a unique capability that none of the previous scales can deliver, i.e., simultaneous pressure and temperature determination with a high accuracy (±0.16 GPa in pressure and ±17 °C in temperature). Therefore, the new in-situ Al 2 O 3 pressure gauge is expected to enable new and expanded opportunities for offline laboratory studies of solid and liquid materials under high pressure and high temperature in multi-anvil apparatus.

Description: We report a novel method of determining the average Néel relaxation time and its temperature dependence by calculating derivatives of the measured time dependence of temperature for a frozen ferrofluid exposed to an alternating magnetic field. The ferrofluid, composed of dextran-coated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (diameter 13.7 nm ± 4.7 nm), was synthesized via wet chemical precipitation and characterized by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. An alternating magnetic field of constant amplitude ( H 0 = 20 kA/m) driven at frequencies of 171 kHz, 232 kHz, and 343 kHz was used to determine the temperature dependent magnetic energy absorption rate in the temperature range from 160 K to 210 K. We found that the specific absorption rate of the ferrofluid decreased monotonically with temperature over this range at the given frequencies. From these measured data, we determined the temperature dependence of the Néel relaxation time and estimate a room-temperature magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of 40 kJ/m 3 , in agreement with previously published results.

Description: We demonstrate high precision controllability of the magnetization reversal nucleation process in [Co/Pd] 8 multilayer films consisting of two sets of bilayers with high and low perpendicular anisotropy, respectively. The anisotropy of the entire film is set by the degree of Co/Pd interfacial mixing during deposition which provides fine control of the anisotropy of an individual bilayer in the multilayer stack. The relative number of each type of bilayer is used to select the magnetisation reversal behavior such that changing one bilayer changes the properties of the entire multilayer through anisotropy averaging. A simple extension to the sputtering protocol would provide multilayer films with fully graded anisotropy, while maintaining a constant saturation magnetization opening new possibilities for the creation of highly engineered multilayer structures for spin torque devices and future magnetic recording media.

Description: Electrochemical in operando X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful method to analyze structural changes of energy storage materials while inserting/de-inserting charge carriers, such as Li- or Na-ions, into/from a host structure. The design of an XRD in operando cell is presented, which enables the use of thin (6 μ m) aluminum foil as X-ray window as a non-toxic alternative to conventional beryllium windows. Owing to the reduced thickness, diffraction patterns and their changes during cycling can be observed with excellent quality, which was demonstrated for two cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries in a half-cell set-up, P2-Na 0.7 MnO 2 and Na 2.55 V 6 O 16 ⋅ 0.6H 2 O.

Description: Does the Budyko curve reflect a maximum power state of hydrological systems? A backward analysis Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7821-7842, 2015 Author(s): M. Westhoff, E. Zehe, P. Archambeau, and B. Dewals Almost all catchments plot within a small envelope around the Budyko curve. This apparent behaviour suggests that organizing principles may play a role in the evolution of catchments. In this paper we applied the thermodynamic principle of maximum power as the organizing principle. In a top-down approach we derived mathematical formulations of the relation between relative wetness and gradients driving runoff and evaporation for a simple one-box model. We did this in such a way that when the conductances are optimized with the maximum power principle, the steady state behaviour of the model leads exactly to a point on the Budyko curve. Subsequently we derived gradients that, under constant forcing, resulted in a Budyko curve following the asymptotes closely. With these gradients we explored the sensitivity of dry spells and dynamics in actual evaporation. Despite the simplicity of the model, catchment observations compare reasonably well with the Budyko curves derived with dynamics in rainfall and evaporation. This indicates that the maximum power principle may be used (i) to derive the Budyko curve and (ii) to move away from the empiricism in free parameters present in many Budyko functions. Future work should focus on better representing the boundary conditions of real catchments and eventually adding more complexity to the model.

Description: Impacts of land use change and climate variations on annual inflow into Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7785-7819, 2015 Author(s): J. K. Zheng, G. Sun, W. H. Li, X. X. Yu, C. Zhang, Y. B. Gong, and L. H. Tu Miyun reservoir, the only surface water source for Beijing city, has experienced water supply decline in recent decades. Previous studies suggest that both land use change and climate contributes the changes of water supply in this critical watershed. However, the specific causes of the decline in Miyun reservoir are debatable in a non-stationary climate in the past four decades. The central objective of this study was to quantify the separate and collective contributions of land use change and climate variability to the decreasing inflow into Miyun reservoir during 1961–2008. Different from previous studies, this work objectively identified breakpoints by analyzing the long-term historical hydrometeorology and land cover records. To effectively study the different impacts of the climate variation and land cover change during different sub-periods, annual water balance model (AWB), climate elasticity model (CEM), and rainfall–runoff model (RRM) were employed to conduct attribution analysis synthetically. We found a significant decrease in annual streamflow ( p 〈 0.01), a significant positive trend in annual potential evapotranspiration ( p 〈 0.01), and an insignificant negative trend in annual precipitation ( p 〉 0.1) during 1961–2008. Combined with historical records, we identified two breakpoints as in 1983 and 1999 for the period 1961–2008 by the sequential Mann–Kendall Test and Double Mass Curve. Climate variability alone did not explain the decrease in inflow to Miyun reservoir. Reduction of water yield was closely related to increase in evapotranspiration rates due to the expansion of forestlands and reduction in cropland and grassland, and was likely exacerbated by increased water consumption for domestic and industrial uses in the basin. Our study found that the contribution to the observed streamflow decline from land use change fell from 64–92 % during 1984–1999 to 36–58 % during 2000–2008, whereas the contribution from climate variation climbed from 8–36 % during the 1984–1999 to 42–64 % during 2000–2008. Model uncertainty analysis further demonstrated that climate warming played a dominant role in streamflow reduction in the 2000s. We conclude that future climate change and variability will further challenge the goal of water supply of Miyun reservoir to meet water demand. A comprehensive watershed management strategy needs to consider the climate variations besides vegetation management.

Description: The effect of filler aspect ratio on the electromagnetic properties of epoxy-amine resin reinforced with carbon nanofibers is here investigated. A heat treatment at 2500 °C of carbon nanofibers seems to increase their aspect ratio with respect to as-received ones most likely due to a lowering of structural defects and the improvement of the graphene layers within the dixie cup conformation. These morphological differences revealed by Raman's spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses may be responsible for the different electrical properties of the resulting composites. The DC characterization of the nanofilled material highlights an higher electrical conductivity and a lower electrical percolation threshold for the heat-treated carbon nanofibers based composites. In fact, the electrical conductivity is about 0.107 S/m and 1.36 × 10 −3  S/m for the nanocomposites reinforced with heat-treated and as received fibers, respectively, at 1 wt. % of nanofiller loading, while the electrical percolation threshold falls in the range [0.05–0.32]wt. % for the first nanocomposites and above 0.64 wt. % for the latter. Moreover, also a different frequency response is observed since the critical frequency, which is indicative of the transition from a resistive to a capacitive-type behaviour, shifts forward of about one decade at the same filler loading. The experimental results are supported by theoretical and simulation studies focused on the role of the filler aspect ratio on the electrical properties of the nanocomposites.

Description: Analyses of the local crystal and electronic structure in the vicinity of Fe 3+ centers in perovskite KMgF 3 crystal have been carried out in a comprehensive manner. A combination of density functional theory (DFT) and a semi-empirical superposition model (SPM) is used for a complete analysis of all Fe 3+ centers in this study for the first time. Some quantitative information has been derived from the DFT calculations on both the electronic structure and the local geometry around Fe 3+ centers. All of the trigonal (K-vacancy case, K-Li substitution case, and normal trigonal Fe 3+ center case), FeF 5 O cluster, and tetragonal (Mg-vacancy and Mg-Li substitution cases) centers have been taken into account based on the previously suggested experimental and theoretical inferences. The collaboration between the experimental data and the results of both DFT and SPM calculations provides us to understand most probable structural model for Fe 3+ centers in KMgF 3 .

Description: Triple Langmuir Probe (TLP) is a widely used diagnostics for instantaneous measurement of electron temperature and density in low temperature laboratory plasmas as well as in edge region of fusion plasma devices. Presence of a moderately energetic flowing electron component, constituting only a small fraction of the bulk electrons, is also a generally observed scenario in plasma devices, where plasmas are produced by electron impact ionization of neutrals. A theoretical analysis of its effect on interpretation of the TLP data for bulk electron temperature measurement is presented here assuming electron velocity distribution is not deviating substantially from a Maxwellian. The study predicts conventional expression from standard TLP theory to give overestimated value of bulk electron temperature. Correction factor is significant and largely depends on population density, temperature, and energy of the fast component. Experimental verification of theoretical results is obtained in the magnetized plasma linear experimental device of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics where plasma is produced by an electron cyclotron resonance method and known to have a fast flowing electron component.

Description: The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods. Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p -type Pb x Sn 1− x Te alloys by tuning of Bi 2 Te 3 doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was shown that upon such doping/alloying, higher ZT s, compared to those of previously reported undoped Pb 0.5 Sn 0.5 Te alloy, were obtained at temperatures lower than 210–340 °C, depending of the exact doping/alloying level. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of ∼38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected.

Description: Magnetic, dielectric, and ac conductivity as well as room temperature structural and Raman studies are performed on double perovskite Dy 2 NiMnO 6 . The crystal structure of the compound adopts monoclinic P2 1 /n space group, where alternate Mn and Ni distorted octahedral are arranged in anti-phase a − a − b + order in Glazer notation. Magnetization studies show two magnetic transitions around 100 K and 20 K which are related to the ordering of transition and rare earth cations moment, respectively. Temperature dependent dielectric permittivity shows Havriliak-Negami type thermally activated dielectric relaxation. The ac conductivity at different temperature is found to follow Jonscher power law behavior. Time-temperature scaling of the conductivity spectra reveals that the charge transport dynamics is independent of temperature. Intriguingly, an anomaly in the dielectric constant is observed close to the order of Dy moment which indicates intrinsic magnetoelectric coupling. The hybridization between Dy and Ni/Mn is suggested to be correlated with the magnetoelectric coupling.

Description: The stable configurations and electronic and magnetic properties of nonmetal atoms (H, N, P, O, S, F, and Cl) adsorbed ReS 2 monolayers have been investigated by first-principles calculations. It is found that H, O, S, F, and Cl prefer to occupy the peak sites of S atoms, while both N and P atoms favor the valley sites of S atoms. The ReS 2 sheet exhibits a good adsorption capability to nonmetal atoms. The reconstruction of the surface is pronounced in N- and P-adsorbed ReS 2 monolayers. In H-adsorbed case, the Fermi level is pulled into the conduction band, which results in the semiconductor-metal transition. The same magnetic moment of 1 μ B is found in the N-, P-, F-, and Cl-adsorbed ReS 2 monolayers, while the mechanisms of forming magnetic moment for N (P)- and F (Cl)-adsorbed cases are different. In addition, the spatial extensions of spin density in P-, F-, and Cl-adsorbed cases are larger than that in N-adsorbed case, which is more suitable to achieve long-range magnetic coupling interaction at low defect concentrations. Our results provide insight for achieving metal-free magnetism and a tunable band gap for various electronic and spintronic devices based on ReS 2 .

Description: Three different chemical solutions are used to remove the possible contamination on GaN surface, while Ga 2 O 3 is still found at the surface. After thermal annealing at 710 °C in the ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber and activated with Cs/O, all the GaN samples are successfully activated to the effective negative electron affinity (NEA) photocathodes. Among all samples, the GaN sample with the highest content of Ga 2 O 3 after chemical cleaning obtains the highest quantum efficiency. By analyzing the property of Ga 2 O 3 , the surface processing results, and electron affinity variations during Cs and Cs/O 2 deposition on GaN of other groups, it is suggested that before the adsorption of Cs, Ga 2 O 3 is not completely removed from GaN surface in our samples, which will combine with Cs and lead to a large decrease in electron affinity. Furthermore, the effective NEA is formed for GaN photocathode, along with the surface downward band bending. Based on this assumption, a new dipole model Ga 2 O 3 -Cs is suggested, and the experimental effects are explained and discussed.

Description: The phase transitions and ferroelectricity of LiNbO 3 and LiTaO 3 have been investigated theoretically from first principles. The phonon analyses and the molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the ferroelectric phase transition is not conventional displacive type but order-disorder type with strong correlation between cation displacements. According to the evaluated potential energy surfaces around the paraelectric structures, the large difference in ferroelectricity between the two oxides results from the little difference in short-range interionic interaction between Nb-O and Ta-O. As the results of the crystal orbital overlap population analyses, the different short-range interaction originates from the difference in covalency between Nb4 d -O2 p and Ta5 d -O2 p orbitals, particularly d xz - p x / d yz - p y orbitals ( π orbitals), from the electronic point of view.

Description: Carrier-type control of spin-glass (cluster spin-glass) is studied in order to engineer basic magnetic semiconductor elements using the memory functions of spin-glass. A key of carrier-polarity control in magnetite is the valence engineering between Fe(II) and Fe(III) that is achieved by Ti(IV) substitution. Single phases of (001)-oriented Fe 3− x Ti x O 4 thin films have been obtained on spinel MgAl 2 O 4 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Thermoelectric power measurements reveal that Ti-rich films ( x  = 0.8) show p -type conduction, while Ti-poor films ( x  = 0.6–0.75) show n -type conduction. The systematic Fe(III) reduction to Fe(II) followed by Ti(IV) substitution in the octahedral sublattice is confirmed by the X-ray absorption spectra. All of the Fe 3− x Ti x O 4 films ( x  = 0.6–0.8) exhibit ferrimagnetism above room temperature. Next, the spin-glass behaviors of Ti-rich Fe 2.2 Ti 0.8 O 4 film are studied, since this magnetically diluted system is expected to exhibit the spin-glass behaviors. The DC magnetization and AC susceptibility measurements for the Ti-rich Fe 2.2 Ti 0.8 O 4 film reveal the presence of the spin glass phase. Thermal- and magnetic-field-history memory effects are observed and are attributed to the long time-decay nature of remanent magnetization. The detailed analysis of the time-dependent thermoremanent magnetization reveals the presence of the cluster spin glass state.

Description: A high-speed impedance measurement system was developed, which enables the measurement of various characteristics of CW and pulsed plasmas with time resolution of less than a microsecond. For this system, a voltage and current sensor is implemented in a printed circuit board to sense the radio frequency signals. A digital board, which has a high-speed analog to digital converter and a field-programmable gate-array, is used to calculate the impedance of the signal. The final output of impedance is measured and stored with a maximum speed of 3 Msps. This sensor system was tested in a pulsed-plasma by applying it to the point between the matching box and the plasma chamber. The experimental equipment was constructed connecting the matching box, a 13.56 MHz generator, a 2 MHz generator that produced pulsed power, and a pulse-signal generator. From the temporal behavior of the measured impedance, we were able to determine the time intervals of transient states, especially of the initial active state. This information can be used to set the pulse frequency and duty for plasma processing.

Description: The type of the Electron String Ion Sources (ESIS) is considered to be the appropriate one to produce pulsed C 4+ and C 6+ ion beams for cancer therapy accelerators. In fact, the new test ESIS Krion-6T already now provides more than 10 10 C 4+ ions per pulse and about 5 × 10 9 C 6+ ions per pulse. Such ion sources could be suitable to apply at synchrotrons. It has also been found that Krion-6T can provide more than 10 11 C 6+ ions per second at the 100 Hz repetition rate, and the repetition rate can be increased at the same or larger ion output per second. This makes ESIS applicable at cyclotrons as well. ESIS can be also a suitable type of ion source to produce the 11 C radioactive ion beams. A specialized cryogenic cell was experimentally tested at the Krion-2M ESIS for pulse injection of gaseous species into the electron string. It has been shown in experiments with stable methane that the total conversion efficiency of methane molecules to C 4+ ions reached 5%÷10%. For cancer therapy with simultaneous irradiation and precise dose control (positron emission tomography) by means of 11 C, transporting to the tumor with the primary accelerated 11 C 4+ beam, this efficiency is preliminarily considered to be large enough to produce the 11 C 4+ beam from radioactive methane and to inject this beam into synchrotrons.

Description: Recent progress in electronic and electromagnetic topological insulators has led to the demonstration of one way propagation of electron and photon edge states and the possibility of immunity to backscattering by edge defects. Unfortunately, such topologically protected propagation of waves in the bulk of a material has not been observed. We show, in the case of sound/elastic waves, that bulk waves with unidirectional backscattering-immune topological states can be observed in a time-dependent elastic superlattice. The superlattice is realized via spatial and temporal modulation of the stiffness of an elastic material. Bulk elastic waves in this superlattice are supported by a manifold in momentum space with the topology of a single twist Möbius strip. Our results demonstrate the possibility of attaining one way transport and immunity to scattering of bulk elastic waves.

Description: Amorphous silicon enables the fabrication of very high-efficiency crystalline-silicon-based solar cells due to its combination of excellent passivation of the crystalline silicon surface and permeability to electrical charges. Yet, amongst other limitations, the passivation it provides degrades upon high-temperature processes, limiting possible post-deposition fabrication possibilities (e.g., forcing the use of low-temperature silver pastes). We investigate the potential use of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers to sidestep this issue. The passivation obtained using device-relevant stacks of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide with various carbon contents and doped amorphous silicon are evaluated, and their stability upon annealing assessed, amorphous silicon carbide being shown to surpass amorphous silicon for temperatures above 300 °C. We demonstrate open-circuit voltage values over 700 mV for complete cells, and an improved temperature stability for the open-circuit voltage. Transport of electrons and holes across the hetero-interface is studied with complete cells having amorphous silicon carbide either on the hole-extracting side or on the electron-extracting side, and a better transport of holes than of electrons is shown. Also, due to slightly improved transparency, complete solar cells using an amorphous silicon carbide passivation layer on the hole-collecting side are demonstrated to show slightly better performances even prior to annealing than obtained with a standard amorphous silicon layer.

Description: The crack initiation and growth mechanisms in an 2D graphene lattice structure are studied based on molecular dynamics simulations. Crack growth in an initial edge crack model in the arm-chair and the zig-zag lattice configurations of graphene are considered. Influence of the time steps on the post yielding behaviour of graphene is studied. Based on the results, a time step of 0.1 fs is recommended for consistent and accurate simulation of crack propagation. Effect of temperature on the crack propagation in graphene is also studied, considering adiabatic and isothermal conditions. Total energy and stress fields are analyzed. A systematic study of the bond stretching and bond reorientation phenomena is performed, which shows that the crack propagates after significant bond elongation and rotation in graphene. Variation of the crack speed with the change in crack length is estimated.

Description: Semiconductor fabrication often requires the deposition of hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiN x H y ) film using SiH 4 /NH 3 /N 2 /He capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharge. As analysis of the discharge geometry is essential to understanding CCP deposition, the effect of electrode spacing on the two-dimensional distributions of electrons, ions, and metastable and radical molecules was analyzed numerically using a fluid model. The simulation shows that the spatial variations in the ionization rates near the sheath become more obvious as the electrode spacing increases. In addition, as molecule-molecule gas-phase reactions are significantly affected by the local residence time, large electrode spacings are associated with significant volumetric losses for positive ions. Consequently, an increase of the electrode spacing leads axial density profiles of ions to change from bell shaped to double humped. However, NH 4 + persistently maintains a bell-shaped axial density profile regardless of the degree of electrode spacing. We set the mole fraction of NH 3 to only 1% of the total flow at the inlet, but NH 4 + is the most abundant positive ion at the large electrode spacings. As the gas flow can transport the radicals around the space between the electrodes, we found that radical density distribution shifts toward the grounded electrode. The shift becomes pronounced as the electrode spacing increases. Finally, to validate our model, we compared the calculated deposition rate profile with the experimental data obtained along the wafer radius. According to our numerical results, the SiN x H y deposition rate decreases by approximately 16% when the electrode spacing increases from 9 to 20 mm.

Description: We have evaluated tunnel barriers formed in multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by an Ar atom beam irradiation method and applied the technique to fabricate coupled double quantum dots. The two-terminal resistance of the individual MWNTs was increased owing to local damage caused by the Ar beam irradiation. The temperature dependence of the current through a single barrier suggested two different contributions to its Arrhenius plot, i.e., formed by direct tunneling through the barrier and by thermal activation over the barrier. The height of the formed barriers was estimated. The fabrication technique was used to produce coupled double quantum dots with serially formed triple barriers on a MWNT. The current measured at 1.5 K as a function of two side-gate voltages resulted in a honeycomb-like charge stability diagram, which confirmed the formation of the double dots. The characteristic parameters of the double quantum dots were calculated, and the feasibility of the technique is discussed.

Description: Previous studies on magnetic flux expulsion as a function of cooldown procedures for elliptical superconducting radio frequency (SRF) niobium cavities showed that when the cavity beam axis is placed parallel to the helium cooling flow and sufficiently large thermal gradients are achieved, all magnetic flux could be expelled and very low residual resistance could be achieved. In this paper, we investigate flux trapping for the case of resonators positioned perpendicularly to the helium cooling flow, which is more representative of how SRF cavities are cooled in accelerators and for different directions of the applied magnetic field surrounding the resonator. We show that different field components have a different impact on the surface resistance, and several parameters have to be considered to fully understand the flux dynamics. A newly discovered phenomenon of concentration of flux lines at the cavity top leading to temperature rise at the cavity equator is presented.

Description: Detailed magnetically tunable ac electrical properties of x La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO)–(1 − x) ErMnO 3 (EMO) (x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) multiferroic nanocomposites have been studied at 300 K in presence of varying magnetic field (H appl ), applied both in parallel and perpendicular configuration with respect to the measuring electric field. AC electrical properties have exhibited significant variation with H appl for all composites, whereas for parallel configuration of H appl such effect is very feeble for x = 0.3 composite. We have attributed this anisotropic behavior to the demagnetization effect in the sample. In contrast, for x = 0.1 and 0.5 composites, no such anisotropy effect is experimentally evidenced. Impedance and real part of impedance have been found to decrease with H appl at low frequency ( f ) region. We attribute this observation to the depinning of the magnetic domain walls from the grain boundaries pinning centers and thereby enhancing the spin dependent transport in the composite. For x = 0.3 composite, Nyquist plots have been fitted considering dominant contributions of LSMO and EMO grain boundaries and the interface region between them. However, for x = 0.1 composite, it corresponds to EMO grain boundaries and grain boundary interface region. The relaxation frequency ( f R ) is observed to shift at higher/lower f region in perpendicular/parallel configuration of H appl for x = 0.3 composite. This opposite variation of f R s with H appl for perpendicular and parallel configurations has been attributed to two competing factors of H appl induced enhancement of inductive part and H appl enhanced spin dependent transport causing fast relaxation processes in the sample. For x = 0.1 composite, in both configurations of H appl , f R s is shifting towards high f region, which has been discussed in terms of dominant role of spin dependent transport.

Description: A grid image refractometer (GIR) has been implemented at the Nike krypton fluoride laser facility of the Naval Research Laboratory. This instrument simultaneously measures propagation angles and transmissions of UV probe rays ( λ = 263 nm, Δ t = 10 ps) refracted through plasma. We report results of the first Nike-GIR measurement on a CH plasma produced by the Nike laser pulse (∼1 ns FWHM) with the intensity of 1.1 × 10 15 W/cm 2 . The measured angles and transmissions were processed to construct spatial profiles of electron density ( n e ) and temperature ( T e ) in the underdense coronal region of the plasma. Using an inversion algorithm developed for the strongly refracted rays, the deployed GIR system probed electron densities up to 4 × 10 21 cm −3 with the density scale length of 120 μm along the plasma symmetry axis. The resulting n e and T e profiles are verified to be self-consistent with the measured quantities of the refracted probe light.

Description: Future changes in flash flood frequency and intensity of the Tha Di River (Thailand) based on rainfall–runoff modeling and advanced delta change scaling Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7327-7352, 2015 Author(s): S. Hilgert, A. Wagner, and S. Fuchs As a consequence of climate change, extreme and flood-causing precipitation events are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency, especially in today's high-precipitation areas. During the north-east monsoon seasons, Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand is flash-flooded every 2.22 years on average. This study investigates frequency and intensity of harmful discharges of the Tha Di River regarding the IPCC emission scenarios A2 and B2. The regional climate model (RCM) PRECIS was transformed using the advanced delta change (ADC) method. The hydrologic response model HBV-Light was calibrated to the catchment and supplied with ADC-scaled daily precipitation and temperature data for 2010–2089. Under the A2 (B2) scenario, the flood threshold exceedance frequency on average increases by 133 % (decreases by 10 %), average flood intensity increases by 3 % (decreases by 2 %) and the annual top five discharge peaks intensities increase by 46 % (decrease by 5 %). Yearly precipitation sums increase by 30 % (10 %) towards the end of the century. The A2 scenario predicts a precipitation increase during the rainy season, which intensifies flood events; while increases projected exclusively for the dry season are not expected to cause floods. Retention volume demand of past events was calculated to be up to 12 × 10 6 m 3 . Flood risks are staying at high levels under the B2 scenario or increase dramatically under the A2 scenario. Results show that the RCM scaling process is inflicted with systematic biases but is crucial to investigate small, mountainous catchments. Improvement of scaling techniques should therefore accompany the development towards high-resolution climate models.

Description: The broadband quasi-phase matching (QPM) process in a uniaxial ferroelectric crystal Ca 0.28 Ba 0.72 Nb 2 O 6 (CBN-28) was demonstrated with the second-harmonic wavelength range from 450 nm to 650 nm, and the relationship between the symmetries of CBN-28 and the second-harmonic patterns was experimentally and theoretically investigated based on the random anti-parallel domains in the crystal and QPM conditions. The dependences of frequency-doubled patterns on the wavelength and anisotropy of the nonlinear crystal were also studied, and the frequency-doubled photons were found to be trapped on circles. By analyzing the light-matter interacting Hamiltonians, the trapping force for second-harmonic photons was found to be centripetal and tunable by the fundamental lasers, and the variation tendencies of the rotational velocity of second-harmonic generation photons could also be predicated. The results indicate that the CBN-28 ferroelectric crystal is a promising nonlinear optical material for the generation of broadband frequency-doubled waves, and the analysis on centripetal force based on the interaction Hamiltonians may provide a novel recognition for the investigation of QPM process to be further studied.

Description: MgO magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensors with spin-valve-like sensing layers of Ir 22 Mn 78 (6)/Ni 80 Fe 20 ( t NiFe  = 20–70)/Ru (0.9)/Co 40 Fe 40 B 20 (3) (unit: nm) have been fabricated. A linear field dependence of magnetoresistance for these MTJ sensors was obtained by carrying out a two-step field annealing process. The sensitivity and linear field range can be tuned by varying the thickness of NiFe layer and annealing temperature, and a high sensitivity of 37%/mT has been achieved in the MTJ sensors with 70 nm NiFe at the optimum annealing temperature of 230 °C. Combining the spin-valve-like sensing structure and a soft magnetic NiFe layer, MTJ sensors with relatively wide field sensing range have been achieved and could be promising for showing high sensitivity magnetic field sensing applications.

Description: In this paper, we present the results of an experimental investigation on the magnetocaloric properties of hydrogenated La(Fe-Mn-Si) 13 -H with Mn substituting Fe to finely tune the transition temperature. We measured the specific heat under magnetic field c p ( H , T ) and the magnetic field induced isothermal entropy change Δ s ( H , T ) of a series of compounds by direct Peltier calorimetry. Results show that increasing Mn from 0.06 to 0.46 reduces the transition temperature from 339 K to 270 K whilst the total entropy change due to a 1.5 T field is depressed from 18.7 J kg −1  K −1 to 10.2 J kg −1  K −1 and the thermal hysteresis similarly is reduced from 1.5 K to zero. In the paper, we interpret the results in terms of a magnetic phase transition changing from the first to the second order with increasing Mn content, and we discuss the value of the results for magnetic cooling applications.

Description: We discuss an alternative acquisition scheme for edge illumination (EI) x-ray phase contrast imaging based on a continuous scan of the object and compare its performance to that of a previously used scheme, which involved scanning the object in discrete steps rather than continuously. By simulating signals for both continuous and discrete methods under realistic experimental conditions, the effect of the spatial sampling rate is analysed with respect to metrics such as image contrast and accuracy of the retrieved phase shift. Experimental results confirm the theoretical predictions. Despite being limited to a specific example, the results indicate that continuous schemes present advantageous features compared to discrete ones. Not only can they be used to speed up the acquisition but they also prove superior in terms of accurate phase retrieval. The theory and experimental results provided in this study will guide the design of future EI experiments through the implementation of optimized acquisition schemes and sampling rates.

Description: Thin films of cubic pyrochlore bismuth zinc niobate, bismuth zinc tantalate, and bismuth zinc niobate tantalate were fabricated using chemical solution deposition. This family of materials exhibited moderate relative permittivities between 55 ± 2 and 145 ± 5 for bismuth zinc tantalate and bismuth zinc niobate, respectively, and low loss tangents on the order of 0.0008 ± 0.0001. Increases in the concentration of the tantalum end member increased the dielectric breakdown strength. For example, at 10 kHz, the room temperature breakdown strength of bismuth zinc niobate was 5.1 MV/cm, while that of bismuth zinc tantalate was 6.1 MV/cm. This combination of a high breakdown strength and a moderate permittivity led to a high discharged energy storage density for all film compositions. For example, at a measurement frequency of 10 kHz, bismuth zinc niobate exhibited a maximum recoverable energy storage density of 60.8 ± 2.0 J/cm 3 , while bismuth zinc tantalate exhibited a recoverable energy storage density of 60.7 ± 2.0 J/cm 3 . Intermediate compositions of bismuth zinc niobate tantalate offered higher energy storage densities; at 10 mol. % tantalum, the maximum recoverable energy storage density was ∼66.9 ± 2.4 J/cm 3 .

Description: Conventional techniques for characterization of thermoelectric performance require bringing measurement equipment into direct contact with the thermoelectric device, which is increasingly error prone as device size decreases. Therefore, the novel work presented here describes a non-contact technique, capable of accurately measuring the maximum ΔT and maximum heat pumping of mini to micro sized thin film thermoelectric coolers. The non-contact characterization method eliminates the measurement errors associated with using thermocouples and traditional heat flux sensors to test small samples and large heat fluxes. Using the non-contact approach, an infrared camera, rather than thermocouples, measures the temperature of the hot and cold sides of the device to determine the device ΔT and a laser is used to heat to the cold side of the thermoelectric module to characterize its heat pumping capacity. As a demonstration of the general applicability of the non-contact characterization technique, testing of a thin film thermoelectric module is presented and the results agree well with those published in the literature.

Description: To estimate the coefficient of friction between tire and runway surface during airplane touchdowns, we designed an experimental rig to simulate such events and to record the impact and friction forces being executed. Because of noise in the measured signals, we developed a filtering method that is based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition and the bandwidth of probability density function of each intrinsic mode function to extract friction and impact force signals. We can quantify the coefficient of friction by calculating the maximum values of the filtered force signals. Signal measurements are recorded for different drop heights and tire rotational speeds, and the corresponding coefficient of friction is calculated. The result shows that the values of the coefficient of friction change only slightly. The random noise and experimental artifact are the major reason of the change.

Description: Eddy currents have an important effect on tokamak plasma equilibrium and control of magneto hydrodynamic activity. The vacuum vessel of the Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak is separated into two hemispherical sections by a toroidal insulating barrier. Consequently, the characteristics of eddy currents are more complex than those found in a standard tokamak. Thus, it is necessary to measure and analyze the eddy-current distribution. In this study, we propose an experimental method for measuring the eddy-current distribution in a vacuum vessel. By placing a flexible printed circuit board with magnetic probes onto the external surface of the vacuum vessel to measure the magnetic field parallel to the surface and then subtracting the magnetic field generated by the vertical-field coils, the magnetic field due to the eddy current can be obtained, and its distribution can be determined. We successfully applied this method to the Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak, and thus, we obtained the eddy-current distribution despite the presence of the magnetic field generated by the external coils.

Description: We demonstrate and theoretically analyze the two-dimensional spatiotemporal focusing of femtosecond pulses by utilizing a two-dimensional spectral disperser. Compared with spatiotemporal focusing with a diffraction grating, it can achieve widefield illumination with better sectioning ability for a multiphoton excitation process. By utilizing paraxial approximation, our analytical method improves the axial confinement ability and identifies that the free spectra range (FSR) of the two-dimensional spectral disperser affects the out-of-focus multiphoton excitation intensity due to the temporal self-imaging effect. Based on our numerical simulation, a FSR of 50 GHz is necessary to reduce the out-of-focus two-photon excitation by 2 orders of magnitude compared with that in a grating-based spatiotemporal focusing scheme for a 90-fs excitation laser pulse. We build a two-dimensional spatiotemporal focusing microscope using a virtually imaged phased array and achieve an axial resolution of 1.3 μ m, which outperforms the resolution of conventional spatiotemporal focusing using a grating by a factor of 1.7, and demonstrate better image contrast inside a tissue-like phantom.

Description: Multiscale evaluation of the standardized precipitation index as a groundwater drought indicator Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7405-7436, 2015 Author(s): R. Kumar, J. L. Musuuza, A. F. Van Loon, A. J. Teuling, R. Barthel, J. Ten Broek, J. Mai, L. Samaniego, and S. Attinger The lack of comprehensive groundwater observations at regional and global scales has promoted the use of alternative proxies and indices to quantify and predict groundwater droughts. Among them, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is commonly used to characterize droughts in different compartments of the hydro-meteorological system. In this study, we explore the suitability of the SPI to characterize local and regional scale groundwater droughts using observations at more than 2000 groundwater wells in geologically different areas in Germany and the Netherlands. A multiscale evaluation of the SPI is performed using the station data and their corresponding 0.5° gridded estimates to analyze the local and regional behavior of groundwater droughts, respectively. The standardized anomalies in the groundwater heads (SGI) were correlated against SPIs obtained using different accumulation periods. The accumulation periods to achieve maximum correlation exhibited high spatial variability (ranges 3 to 36 months) at both scales, leading to the conclusion that an a priori selection of the accumulation period (for computing the SPI) would result in inadequate characterization of groundwater droughts. The application of the uniform accumulation periods over the entire domain significantly reduced the correlation between SPI and SGI (≈ 21–66 %) indicating the limited applicability of SPI as a proxy for groundwater droughts even at long accumulation times. Furthermore, the low scores of the hit rate (0.3–0.6) and high false alarm ratio (0.4–0.7) at the majority of the wells and grid cells demonstrated the low reliability of groundwater drought predictions using the SPI. The findings of this study highlight the pitfalls of using the SPI as a groundwater drought indicator at both local and regional scales, and stress the need for more groundwater observations and accounting for regional hydrogeological characteristics in groundwater drought monitoring.

Description: Comparing the Ensemble and Extended Kalman Filters for in situ soil moisture assimilation with contrasting soil conditions Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7353-7403, 2015 Author(s): D. Fairbairn, A. L. Barbu, J.-F. Mahfouf, J.-C. Calvet, and E. Gelati Two data assimilation methods are compared for their ability to produce a deterministic soil moisture analysis on the Météo-France land surface model: (i) SEKF, a Simplified Extended Kalman Filter, which uses a climatological background-error covariance, (ii) EnSRF, the Ensemble Square Root Filter, which uses an ensemble background-error covariance and approximates random forcing errors stochastically. The accuracy of the deterministic analysis is measured on 12 sites with in situ observations and various soil textures in Southwest France (SMOSMANIA network). In the experiments with real observations, the two methods perform similarly and improve on the open loop. Both methods suffer from incorrect linear assumptions which are particularly degrading to the analysis during water-stressed conditions: the EnSRF by a dry bias and the SEKF by an over-sensitivity of the model Jacobian between the surface and the root zone layers. These problems are less severe for sandy soils than clay soils because sandy soils are less sensitive to perturbations in the initial conditions. A simple bias correction technique is tested on the EnSRF. Although this reduces the bias, it also suppresses the ensemble spread, which degrades the analysis performance. However, the EnSRF flow-dependent background-error covariance evidently captures seasonal variability in the soil moisture errors and should exploit planned improvements in the model physics. Synthetic experiments demonstrate that when there is only a random component in the precipitation forcing errors, the correct stochastic representation of these errors enables the EnSRF to perform better than the SEKF. But in the real experiments the same rainfall error specification does not improve the EnSRF analysis. It is likely that the actual rainfall errors are underestimated and that other sources of errors could limit the usefulness of this information. More comprehensive ways of representing the rainfall errors are suggested, which might improve the EnSRF performance.

Description: Nano-contact magnetoresistance (NCMR) spin-valves (SVs) using an AlO x nano-oxide-layer (NOL) have numerous nanocontacts in the thin AlO x oxide layer. The NCMR theoretically depends on the bulk scattering spin asymmetry ( β ) of the ferromagnetic material in the nanocontacts. To determine the relationship between NCMR and β , we investigated the dependence of NCMR on the composition of the ferromagnetic material Co 1−x Fe x . The samples were annealed at 270 °C and 380 °C to enhance the MR ratio. For both annealing temperatures, the magnetorsistance ratio in the low-resistance area product region at less than 1 Ω μ m 2 was maximized for Co 0.5 Fe 0.5 . To evaluate β exactly, we fabricated current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance SVs with Co 1−x Fe x /Cu/Co 1−x Fe x layers and used Valet and Fert's theory to solve the diffusion equation of the spin accumulation for a ferromagnetic layer/non-ferromagnetic layer of five layers with a finite diffusion length. The evaluated β for Co 1−x Fe x was also maximized for Co 0.5 Fe 0.5 . Additionally, to determine the difference between the experimental MR ratio of NCMR SVs and the theoretical MR ratio, we fabricated Co 0.5 Fe 0.5 with oxygen impurities and estimated the decrease in β with increasing oxygen impurity concentration. Our Co 0.5 Fe 0.5 nano-contacts fabricated using ion-assisted oxidation may contain oxygen impurities, and the oxygen impurities might cause a decrease in β and the MR ratio.

Description: Ferromagnetic antidot lattices are important systems for magnetic data storage and magnonic devices, and understanding their magnetization dynamics by varying their structural parameters is an important problems in magnetism. Here, we investigate the variation in spin wave spectrum in two-dimensional nanoscale Ni 80 Fe 20 antidot lattices with lattice symmetry. By varying the bias magnetic field values in a broadband ferromagnetic resonance spectrometer, we observed a stark variation in the spin wave spectrum with the variation of lattice symmetry. The simulated mode profiles showed further difference in the spatial nature of the modes between different lattices. While for square and rectangular lattices extended modes are observed in addition to standing spin wave modes, all modes in the hexagonal, honeycomb, and octagonal lattices are either localized or standing waves. In addition, the honeycomb and octagonal lattices showed two different types of modes confined within the honeycomb (octagonal) units and between two such consecutive units. Simulated internal magnetic fields confirm the origin of such a wide variation in the frequency and spatial nature of the spin wave modes. The tunability of spin waves with the variation of lattice symmetry is important for the design of future magnetic data storage and magnonic devices.

Description: The device performances of organic thin film transistors are often limited by the metal–organic interface because of the disordered molecular layers at the interface and the energy barriers against the carrier injection. It is important to study the local impedance at the interface without being affected by the interface morphology. We combined frequency modulation atomic force microscopy with scanning impedance microscopy (SIM) to sensitively measure the ac responses of the interface to an ac voltage applied across the interface and the dc potential drop at the interface. By using the frequency-modulation SIM (FM-SIM) technique, we characterized the interface impedance of a Pt electrode and a single pentacene grain as a parallel circuit of a contact resistance and a capacitance. We found that the reduction of the contact resistance was caused by the reduction of the energy level mismatch at the interface by the FM-SIM measurements, demonstrating the usefulness of the FM-SIM technique for investigation of the local interface impedance without being affected by its morphology.

Description: Strong oxides at high shock pressures have broad crossovers from elastic solids at ambient to failure by plastic deformation, to heterogeneous deformation to weak solids, to fluid-like solids that equilibrate thermally in a few ns, to melting and, at sufficiently high shock pressures and temperatures, to metallic fluid oxides. This sequence of crossovers in single-crystal cubic Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 (Gd-Ga Garnet-GGG) has been diagnosed by fast emission spectroscopy using a 16-channel optical pyrometer in the spectral range 400–800 nm with bandwidths per channel of 10 nm, a writing time of ∼1000 ns and time resolution of 3 ns. Spectra were measured at shock pressures from 40 to 290 GPa (100 GPa = 1 Mbar) with corresponding gray-body temperatures from 3000 to 8000 K. Experimental lifetimes were a few 100 ns. Below 130 GPa, emission is heterogeneous and measured temperatures are indicative of melting temperatures in grain boundary regions rather than bulk temperatures. At 130 GPa and 2200 K, GGG equilibrates thermally and homogeneously in a thin opaque shock front. This crossover has a characteristic spectral signature in going from partially transmitting shock-heated material behind the shock front to an opaque shock front. Opacity is caused by optical scattering and absorption of light generated by fast compression. GGG melts at ∼5000 K in a two-phase region at shock pressures in the range 200 GPa to 217 GPa. Hugoniot equation-of-state data were measured by a Doppler Pin SystemDPS with ps time resolution and are generally consistent with previous data. Extrapolation of previous electrical conductivity measurements indicates that GGG becomes a poor metal at a shock pressure above ∼400 GPa. Because the shock impedance of GGG is higher than that of Al 2 O 3 used previously to make metallic fluid H (MFH), the use of GGG to make MFH will achieve higher pressures and lower temperatures than use of Al 2 O 3 . However, maximum dynamic pressures at which emission temperatures of fluid hydrogen made by shock reverberation between GGG anvils could be measured remains limited to ∼130 GPa, as for Al 2 O 3 anvils.

Description: We recently developed a feasible crystal chemistry strategy to stabilize the antiferroelectricity in NaNbO 3 through a chemical substitution to decrease the tolerance factor and increase the average electronegativity of the system [Shimizu et al ., Dalton Trans. 44 , 10763 (2015) and Guo et al ., J. Appl. Phys. 117 , 214103 (2015)]. Two novel lead-free antiferroelectric (AFE) solid solutions, (1- x )NaNbO 3 - x CaZrO 3 and (1- x )NaNbO 3 - x SrZrO 3 , have been found to exhibit the double polarization hysteresis typical of a reversible AFE ↔ ferroelectric (FE) phase transition. In this study, as demonstrated by (1- x )NaNbO 3 - x CaZrO 3 system, the influence of chemical modification and electrical poling on the AFE/FE phase stability was investigated, primarily focusing on the microstructural and crystallographic evolutions. Together with the macroscopic polarization hysteresis measurements, a well-demonstrated structure-property relationship was presented. It was found that the CaZrO 3 substitution into NaNbO 3 can effectively destabilize the FE Q phase and correspondingly lead to a spontaneous reverting to AFE P phase. In contrast to the reversible AFE ↔ FE phase transition, the domain morphology evolution exhibits irreversible nature with a growing process of the orientational domains after applying electric field. Moreover, a multiple-zone axes electron diffraction map of P and Q phases has been summarized and is believed to be an efficient diagram to determine the AFE/FE nature of the NaNbO 3 -based systems.

Description: The effect of post metal deposition annealing on the effective work function in metal/Al 2 O 3 /InGaAs gate stacks was investigated. The effective work functions of different metal gates (Al, Au, and Pt) were measured. Flat band voltage shifts for these and other metals studied suggest that their Fermi levels become pinned after the post-metallization vacuum annealing. Moreover, there is a difference between the measured effective work functions of Al and Pt, and the reported vacuum work function of these metals after annealing. We propose that this phenomenon is caused by charging of indium and gallium induced traps at the annealed metal/Al 2 O 3 interface.

Description: The introduction of a TiO 2 buffer layer significantly improved the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), a measure of the sharpness of the metal–insulator transition, for films of VO 2 grown on SiO 2 /Si (100) substrates at growth temperatures below 670 K. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements revealed that polycrystalline VO 2 films were formed on the TiO 2 -buffered substrates at low temperatures below 600 K, whereas amorphous films were formed at these temperatures on SiO 2 /Si (100) substrates without a TiO 2 buffer layer. Electron microscopy studies confirmed that the TiO 2 buffer layer enhanced the grain growth of VO 2 films at low growth temperatures. The VO 2 films grown at 600 K on TiO 2 -buffered substrates showed a large TCR of more than 80%/K as a result of the improved crystallinity and grain size of the VO 2 films. Our results provide an effective approach toward the integration of VO 2 -based devices onto Si platforms at process temperatures below 670 K.

Description: The helical edge states of two-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) experience appreciable quantum mechanical scattering in narrow channels when the width changes abruptly. The interference of the geometry scattering in narrow-wide-narrow waveguide structures is shown to give rise to the strong suppression of transmission when the incident energy is barely above the propagation threshold. Periodic resonant transmission takes place in this high reflection regime while the length of the wide section is varied. The resonance condition is governed by the transverse confinement in the wide section, where the form of quantization is manifested to differ for the two orthogonal directions. The confined energy levels in TI quantum dots are derived based on this observation. In addition, the off-diagonal spin-orbit term is found to produce an anomalous resonance state, which merges with the bottom ordinary resonance state to annihilate.

Description: Morphological dynamics of an englacial channel Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7615-7664, 2015 Author(s): G. Vatne and T. D. L. Irvine-Fynn Despite an interest in the hydraulic functioning of supraglacial and englacial channels over the last four decades, the processes and forms of such ice-bounded streams have remained poorly documented. Recent glaciological research has demonstrated the potential significance of so-called "cut and closure" streams, where englacial or subglacial flowpaths are created from the long-term incision of supraglacial channels. These flowpaths are reported to exhibit step-pool morphology, comprising knickpoints and/or knickzones, albeit exaggerated in dimensions in comparison to their supraglacial channel counterparts. However, little is known of the development of such channels' morphology. Here, we examine the spatial organization of step-pools and the upstream migration of steps, many of which form knickzones, with repeated surveys over a 10 year period in an englacial conduit in cold-based Austre Brøggerbreen, Svalbard. The observations show upstream knickpoint recession to be the dominant process for channel evolution. This is paralleled by an increase in average step height and conduit gradient over time. Characteristic channel reach types and step-riser forms are consistently observed in each of the morphological surveys reported. We suggest that the formation of steps has a hydrodynamic origin, where step-pool geometry is more efficient for energy dissipation than meanders, and that the englacial channel system is one in rapid transition rather than in dynamic equilibrium. The evolution and recession of knickzones reported here result in the formation of a 37 m moulin, suggesting over time the englacial channel may evolve towards a stable end-point characterised by a singular vertical descent to the local hydraulic base level. In light of this, our observations highlight the need to further examine the adjustment processes in cut-and-closure channels to better understand their coupling to supraglacial meltwater sources and role and potential significance in cold-based glacier hydrology and ice dynamics.

Description: Infrared imaging diagnostic method for two-dimensional calorimetric diagnostics has been developed for intense pulsed electron beam (IPEB). By using a 100- μ m-thick tungsten film as the infrared heat sink for IPEB, the emitting uniformity of the electron source can be analyzed to evaluate the efficiency and stability of the diode system. Two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element method heat transfer simulation, combined with Monte Carlo calculation, was performed for error estimation and optimization of the method. The test of the method was finished with IPEB generated by explosive emission electron diode with pulse duration (FWHM) of 80 ns, electron energy up to 450 keV, and a total beam current of over 1 kA. The results showed that it is possible to measure the cross-sectional energy density distribution of IPEB with energy sensitivity of 0.1 J/cm 2 and spatial resolution of 1 mm. The technical details, such as irradiation protection of bremsstrahlung γ photons and the functional extensibility of the method were discussed in this work.

Description: Ultrathin layered films in new transistors architectures (FinFET and fully depleted SOI) require damage-free plasma etching techniques with unprecedented selectivity between materials. To assist the development of advanced processes, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to quantify modifications (plasma-induced damage, etch rate) of Si films after exposition to various Cl 2 plasma conditions, simulated by bombarding the substrate with both ion (Cl + , Cl 2 + ) and neutral (Cl, Cl 2 ) species. All simulations show the formation of a stable SiCl x reactive layer and a constant etch yield at steady state. The key plasma parameter to control the etching of ultrathin Si layers is the ion energy (E i ), which lowers significantly both the damaged layer thickness (from 1.8 nm at 100 eV to 0.8 nm at 5 eV when Γ = 100) and the etch yield when it is decreased. The neutral-to-ion flux ratio (Γ) is the second key parameter: its increase reduces the damaged layer thickness (from 1.8 nm for Γ = 100 to 1.1 nm for Γ = 1000 at 100 eV) while the etch rate grows. While maintaining Γ constant, the neutral dissociation rate and the ion composition do not influence significantly the etching process. Quantitatively, simulations suggest that plasmas with low ion energies ( 1000) should induce sub-nm thick reactive layers, confirming an interest in low-Te or pulsed plasmas (operating at low duty cycle) to achieve nanometric precision etching.

Description: We report on first-principles calculations of a Ni monolayer inserted at one interface in the epitaxial Fe/PbTiO 3 /Fe multiferroic heterostructure, focusing on the magnetoelectric coupling and the spin-dependent transport properties. The results of magnetoelectric coupling calculations reveal an attractive approach to realize cumulative magnetoelectric effects in the ferromagnetic/ferroelectric/ferromagnetic superlattices. The underlying physics is attributed to the combinations of several different magnetoelectric coupling mechanisms such as interface bonding, spin-dependent screening, and different types of magnetic interactions. We also demonstrate that inserting a Ni monolayer at one interface in the Fe/PbTiO 3 /Fe multiferroic tunnel junction is an efficient method to produce considerable tunneling electroresistance effect by modifying the tunnel potential barrier and the interfacial electronic structure. Furthermore, coexistence of tunneling magnetoresistance and tunneling electroresistance leads to the emergence of four distinct resistance states, which can be served as a multistate-storage device. The complicated influencing factors including bulk properties of the ferromagnetic electrodes, decay rates of the evanescent states in the tunnel barrier, and the specific interfacial electronic structure provide us promising opportunities to design novel multiferroic tunnel junctions with excellent performances.

Description: We report the synthesis and high thermoelectric properties of Zr 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 -Hf 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 solid solutions and Zr 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 -Zr 3 Pt 3 Sb 4 solid solutions. Ternary Zintl phases Zr 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 , Hf 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 , and Zr 3 Pt 3 Sb 4 are narrow-gap semiconductors (a bandgap E g ≃ 200   meV in the case of Zr 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 ) with low thermal conductivity (4.3 W/mK in the case of Zr 3 Ni 3 Sb 4 at 300 K). An electronic state calculation of these ternary Zintl phases indicates that the valence bands have a 6-valley or 12-valley structure, providing a high density-of-state effective mass, whereas the conduction bands have low effective mass, resulting in high mobility. Because of these electronic properties that enhance the β factor and the low thermal conductivity due to complex crystal structure and more alloying scattering, high ZT values were obtained for the p-type Zr 3 Ni 2.3 Pt 0.6 Co 0.1 Sb 4 ( ZT  = 0.65 at 760 K) and the n-type Zr 2 HfNi 2.7 Cu 0.3 Sb 4 ( ZT  = 0.56 at 670 K). We found that Pt-substitution improves the high-temperature thermoelectric performance above 600 K owing to band-gap widening and thermal conductivity reduction in alloying of the p-type Zr 3 (Ni,Pt) 2.9 Co 0.1 Sb 4 solid solutions. In the case of n-type (Zr,Hf) 3 Ni 2.7 Cu 0.3 Sb 4 solid solutions, we observed that Hf-substitution reduces κ ph without negatively affecting carrier mobility.

Description: During the deposition of polycrystalline thin films, often intrinsic compressive stresses develop, which reversibly change in tensile direction once the deposition process is interrupted. Up to date, the underlying mechanism of such reversible stress changes during growth interruptions have been controversially discussed, mainly because the correlations between the growth conditions, the developing film microstructure and the reversible stress change were still largely unclear. The present study has experimentally established the separate effects of the pre-interruption deposition rate and the average lateral film grain size on both the magnitude and the kinetics of the reversible tensile stress rise during polycrystalline film growth interruption. To this end, real-time in situ substrate-curvature measurements were performed during polycrystalline Ag growth and upon subsequent growth interruptions for well-defined and controlled adjusted microstructures. It is shown that the magnitude of the reversible tensile stress rise during growth interruption is predominantly governed by the grain-boundary density, while the rate of the tensile stress rise during growth interruption increases with increasing pre-interruption deposition rate and increasing (lateral) Ag grain size. These phenomena can be rationalized by taking deposition-rate and lateral-grain-size dependent surface morphological developments into account.

Description: Ultrafast magnetization reversal of a ferrimagnetic metallic alloy GdFeCo was investigated by time-resolved resonant magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements using a seeded free electron laser. The GdFeCo alloy was pumped by a linearly polarized optical laser pulse, and the following temporal evolution of the magnetization of Fe in GdFeCo was element-selectively traced by a probe free electron laser pulse with a photon energy tuned to the Fe M -edge. The results have been measured using rotating analyzer ellipsometry method and confirmed magnetization switching caused by ultrafast heating.

Description: In this paper, a two-step AC electrochemical etching process was investigated for the fabrication of platinum probes with controllable aspect ratio from 10 to 30, and tip apex radius less than 300 nm. Experiment results show that the shape of the obtained probes is quite sensitive to the etching time of the first step and the voltage applied in the second step. A graphite crucible was used as the counter electrode during etching. It is proved that the shape of the counter electrode also play a key role for realizing high-aspect-ratio probes. The method presented here provides a simple way in the fabrication of micro-tool for the construction of high-aspect-ratio microstructures, especially for the 3D electrochemical micromachining.

Description: Laser-accelerated ion beams can be used in many applications and, especially, to initiate nuclear reactions out of thermal equilibrium. We have experimentally studied aneutronic fusion reactions induced by protons accelerated by the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism, colliding with a boron target. Such experiments require a rigorous method to identify the reaction products (alpha particles) collected in detectors among a few other ion species such as protons or carbon ions, for example. CR-39 track detectors are widely used because they are mostly sensitive to ions and their efficiency is near 100%. We present a complete calibration of CR-39 track detector for protons, alpha particles, and carbon ions. We give measurements of their track diameters for energy ranging from hundreds of keV to a few MeV and for etching times between 1 and 8 h. We used these results to identify alpha particles in our experiments on proton-boron fusion reactions initiated by laser-accelerated protons. We show that their number clearly increases when the boron fuel is preformed in a plasma state.

Description: A nonlinear thermodynamic formalism has been proposed to calculate the physical properties of the epitaxial SrTiO 3 films containing vertical nano-pillar array on Si-substrate. The out-of-plane stress induced by the mismatch between film and nano-pillars provides an effective way to tune the physical properties of ferroelectric SrTiO 3 films. Tensile out-of-plane stress raises the phase transition temperature and increases the out-of-plane polarization, but decreases the out-of-plane dielectric constant below Curie temperature, pyroelectric coefficient, and piezoelectric coefficient. These results showed that by properly controlling the out-of-plane stress, the out-of-plane stress induced paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transformation will appear near room temperature. Excellent dielectric, pyroelectric, piezoelectric properties of these SrTiO 3 films similar to PZT and other lead-based ferroelectrics can be expected.

Description: The impact of near-surface soil moisture assimilation at subseasonal, seasonal, and inter-annual time scales Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 7971-8004, 2015 Author(s): C. Draper and R. Reichle Nine years of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) soil moisture retrievals are assimilated into the Catchment land surface model at four locations in the US. The assimilation is evaluated using the unbiased Mean Square Error (ubMSE) relative to watershed-scale in situ observations, with the ubMSE separated into contributions from the subseasonal (SM short ), mean seasonal (SM seas ) and inter-annual (SM long ) soil moisture dynamics. For near-surface soil moisture, the average ubMSE for Catchment without assimilation was (1.8 × 10 −3 m 3 m −3 ) 2 , of which 19 % was in SM long , 26 % in SM seas , and 55 % in SM short . The AMSR-E assimilation significantly reduced the total ubMSE at every site, with an average reduction of 33 %. Of this ubMSE reduction, 37 % occurred in SM long , 24 % in SM seas , and 38 % in SM short . For root-zone soil moisture, in situ observations were available at one site only, and the near-surface and root-zone results were very similar at this site. These results suggest that, in addition to the well-reported improvements in SM short , assimilating a sufficiently long soil moisture data record can also improve the model representation of important long term events, such as droughts. The improved agreement between the modeled and in situ SM seas is harder to interpret, given that mean seasonal cycle errors are systematic, and systematic errors are not typically targeted by (bias-blind) data assimilation. Finally, the use of one year subsets of the AMSR-E and Catchment soil moisture for estimating the observation-bias correction (rescaling) parameters is investigated. It is concluded that when only one year of data is available, the associated uncertainty in the rescaling parameters should not greatly reduce the average benefit gained from data assimilation, but locally and in extreme years there is a risk of increased errors.

Description: The electronic structures of short period m GaN/ n Ga y Al 1 − y N and m In y Ga 1 -y N/ n GaN superlattices grown along the wurtzite c axis have been calculated for different alloy compositions y and various small numbers m of well- and n of barrier-monolayers. The general trends in gap behavior can, to a large extent, be related to the strength of the internal electric field, E , in the GaN and InGaN quantum wells. In the GaN/GaAlN superlattices, E reaches 4 MV/cm, while in the InGaN/GaN superlattices, values as high as E  ≈ 6.5 MV/cm are found. The strong electric fields are caused by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations, the latter contribution dominating in InGaN/GaN superlattices. The influence of different arrangements of In atoms (indium clustering) on the band gap values in InGaN/GaN superlattices is examined.

Description: Dibenzoterrylene (DBT) molecules within a crystalline anthracene matrix show promise as quantum emitters for controlled, single photon production. We present the design and construction of a chamber in which we reproducibly grow doped anthracene crystals of optical quality that are several mm across and a few μ m thick. We demonstrate control of the DBT concentration over the range 6–300 parts per trillion and show that these DBT molecules are stable single-photon emitters. We interpret our data with a simple model that provides some information on the vapour pressure of DBT.

Description: BiFeO 3 (BFO) films were fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si and single crystalline LiNbO 3 (LN) substrates using metal organic decomposition method and annealed in N 2 /O 2 . Magnetizations of these films were systematically characterized. It is found that BFO films prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates exhibit stronger saturation magnetization (M S ) than those prepared on LN substrates, and their magnetizations rely more on annealing atmosphere. We consider that both oxide feature of LN substrates and in-plane compressive stress introduced by LN reduce the Fe 2+ content in the top BFO films and further stabilize the films against post-treatment. This work provides a valuable guidance for fabricating high quality magnetic oxide films.

Description: The ferroelectric properties and crystal structure of doped HfO 2 thin films were investigated for different thicknesses, electrode materials, and annealing conditions. Metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors containing Gd:HfO 2 showed no reduction of the polarization within the studied thickness range, in contrast to hafnia films with other dopants. A qualitative model describing the influence of basic process parameters on the crystal structure of HfO 2 was proposed. The influence of different structural parameters on the field cycling behavior was examined. This revealed the wake-up effect in doped HfO 2 to be dominated by interface induced effects, rather than a field induced phase transition. TaN electrodes were shown to considerably enhance the stabilization of the ferroelectric phase in HfO 2 compared to TiN electrodes, yielding a P r of up to 35  μ C/cm 2 . This effect was attributed to the interface oxidation of the electrodes during annealing, resulting in a different density of oxygen vacancies in the Gd:HfO 2 films. Ab initio simulations confirmed the influence of oxygen vacancies on the phase stability of ferroelectric HfO 2 .

Description: Thymine (2-oxy-4-oxy-5 methyl pyrimidine) is one of the four nucleobases of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In the DNA molecule, thymine binds to adenine via two hydrogen bonds, thus stabilizing the nucleic acid structure and is involved in pairing and replication. Here, we show that synthetic thymine microcrystals grown from the solution exhibit local piezoelectricity and apparent ferroelectricity, as evidenced by nanoscale electromechanical measurements via Piezoresponse Force Microscopy. Our experimental results demonstrate significant electromechanical activity and polarization switchability of thymine, thus opening a pathway for piezoelectric and ferroelectric-based applications of thymine and, perhaps, of other DNA nucleobase materials. The results are supported by molecular modeling of polarization switching under an external electric field.

Description: Origin of unexpected defect engineered room-temperature ferromagnetism observed in tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanostructures (Nanowires, Nano-combs) and nanocrystalline thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition has been investigated. It is found that the ITO nanostructures prepared under argon environment exhibit strongest ferromagnetic signature as compared to that nanocrystalline thin films grown at oxygen. The evidence of singly ionized oxygen vacancy ( V 0 + ) defects, obtained from various spectroscopic measurements, suggests that such V 0 + defects are mainly responsible for the intrinsic ferromagnetic ordering. The exchange interaction of the defects provides extensive opportunity to tune the room-temperature d 0 ferromagnetism and optical properties of ITOs.

Description: A study was conducted on the properties of molybdenum implanted with caesium as an approach to reduce the Cs consumption of negative hydrogen ion sources based on evaporated Cs. The depth profiles of the implanted Cs were simulated by SDTrimSP and experimentally determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling. In particular, one year after implantation, the depth profiles showed no signs of Cs diffusion into the molybdenum, suggesting long term stability of the implanted Cs atoms. The H − surface generation mechanisms on the implanted samples in hydrogen plasma were investigated, and the stability of the H − yield during four hours low power hydrogen plasma discharges was demonstrated. An estimation of the work function reduction (−0.8 eV) by the Cs implantation was performed, and a comparison of the relative negative ion yields between the implanted samples and highly oriented pyrolitic graphite showed that the Cs doped Mo negative ion yield was larger.

Description: A two-step glancing angle deposition method is developed to fabricate hierarchical metal nanostructures for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Nanotip arrays, which consist of a thin layer of silver on nickel nanoneedles, are deposited on silicon substrates by this method. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) is used to demonstrate the sensitivity of SERS at the near attomolar level. The scaling of Raman intensity with the concentration of R6G is related to the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm.

Description: The change of the transmission spectra of fiber Bragg gratings written in the optical fibers, whose silica cores are doped with either germanium or nitrogen, is studied experimentally under the influence of gamma-radiation. The transmission spectra in the neighborhood of the resonance (Bragg) wavelengths were regularly recorded “ in-situ ” in the course of irradiation during 24 days. For this purpose, uncoated gratings were placed in a pool near the spent fuel rods of a nuclear reactor. The fibers with the gratings written in them were in immediate contact with water. The estimated total absorbed radiation dose of the fibers is approximately 5 MGy. Molecular hydrogen, which is produced by radiolysis of water and penetrates into the core of silica fiber, is found to interact with the defects of Ge-doped silica induced by gamma-radiation, thereby causing a strong impact on the parameters of the spectrum of the Bragg gratings. On the contrary, in the case of gratings inscribed in N-doped silica fibers, the hydrogen molecules interact with defects induced in the course of laser UV exposure during the grating writing only. The possible subsequent formation of additional defects in N-doped silica under the influence of gamma-radiation has no substantial impact on the transmission spectra of Bragg gratings, which remained stable. The obtained results suggest that a small amount of molecular hydrogen resided in the fiber core is the main source of radiation instability of Ge-doped fiber Bragg grating sensors in radiation environments. These hydrogen molecules can remain in the Bragg gratings, in particular, after the inscription process in the hydrogen-loaded fibers.

Description: We report on the design and experimental characterization of a surface-electrode multipole ion trap. Individual microscopic sugar particles are confined in the trap. The trajectories of driven particle motion are compared with a theoretical model, both to verify qualitative predictions of the model and to measure the charge-to-mass ratio of the confined particle. The generation of harmonics of the driving frequency is observed as a key signature of the nonlinear nature of the trap. We remark on possible applications of our traps, including to mass spectrometry.

Description: High energy photons are measured for the first time in wire-array Z-pinch experiments on the Primary Test Stand (PTS) which delivers a current up to 8 MA with a rise time of 70 ns. A special designed detecting system composed of three types of detectors is used to measure the average energy, intensity, and pulse waveform of high energy photons. Results from Pb-TLD (thermoluminescence dosimeter) detector indicate that the average energy is 480 keV (±15%). Pulse shape of high energy photons is measured by the photodiode detector consisted of scintillator coupled with a photodiode, and it is correlated with soft x-ray power by the same timing signal. Intensity is measured by both TLD and the photodiode detector, showing good accordance with each other, and it is 10 10 cm −2 (±20%) at 2 m in the horizontal direction. Measurement results show that high energy photons are mainly produced in pinch regions due to accelerated electrons. PTS itself also produces high energy photons due to power flow electrons, which is one order smaller in amplitude than those from pinch region.

Description: This paper reports on the studies of anisotropic heat conduction phenomena in Mo/Si multilayers with individual layer thicknesses selected to be smaller than the mean free path of heat carriers. We applied the frequency-domain thermoreflectance technique to characterize the thermal conductivity tensor. While the mechanisms of the cross-plane heat conduction were studied in detail previously, here we focus on the in-plane heat conduction. To analyze the relative contribution of electron transport to the in-plane heat conduction, we applied sheet-resistance measurements. Results of Mo/Si multilayers with variable thickness of the Mo layers indicate that the net in-plane thermal conductivity depends on the microstructure of the Mo layers.

Description: We report on the observation of a radiation helicity sensitive photocurrent excited by terahertz (THz) radiation in dual-grating-gate (DGG) InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs/InP high electron mobility transistors (HEMT). For a circular polarization, the current measured between source and drain contacts changes its sign with the inversion of the radiation helicity. For elliptically polarized radiation, the total current is described by superposition of the Stokes parameters with different weights. Moreover, by variation of gate voltages applied to individual gratings, the photocurrent can be defined either by the Stokes parameter defining the radiation helicity or those for linear polarization. We show that artificial non-centrosymmetric microperiodic structures with a two-dimensional electron system excited by THz radiation exhibit a dc photocurrent caused by the combined action of a spatially periodic in-plane potential and spatially modulated light. The results provide a proof of principle for the application of DGG HEMT for all-electric detection of the radiation's polarization state.

Description: A combinatorial approach where doped bulk scintillator materials can be rapidly optimized for their properties through concurrent extrinsic doping/co-doping strategies is presented. The concept that makes use of design of experiment, rapid growth, and evaluation techniques, and multivariable regression analysis, has been successfully applied to the engineering of NaI performance, a historical but mediocre performer in scintillation detection. Using this approach, we identified a three-element doping/co-doping strategy that significantly improves the material performance. The composition was uncovered by simultaneously screening for a beneficial co-dopant ion among the alkaline earth metal family and by optimizing its concentration and that of Tl + and Eu 2+ ions. The composition with the best performance was identified as 0.1% mol Tl + , 0.1% mol Eu 2+ , and 0.2% mol Ca 2+ . This formulation shows enhancement of energy resolution and light output at 662 keV, from 6.3 to 4.9%, and from 44 000 to 52 000 ph/MeV, respectively. The method, in addition to improving NaI performance, provides a versatile framework for rapidly unveiling complex and concealed correlations between material composition and performance, and should be broadly applicable to optimization of other material properties.

Description: We study the effect of nanoscale precipitates on lattice thermal conduction in thermoelectric PbTe using a combination of ab-initio phonon calculations and molecular dynamics. We take into account the effects of mass difference and change in force constants, and find an enhanced influence of the latter with increased precipitate concentration. As a consequence, our inclusion of the change in force constants in the calculation affords a smaller predicted optimal nano-precipitate size that minimizes the thermal conductivity. These results suggest that the phonon scattering by nanoprecipitates in thermoelectric composites could be stronger than previously thought.

Description: A rainfall design method for spatial flood risk assessment: considering multiple flood sources Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 8005-8033, 2015 Author(s): X. Jiang and H. Tatano Information about the spatial distribution of flood risk is important for integrated urban flood risk management. Focusing on urban areas, spatial flood risk assessment must reflect all risk information derived from multiple flood sources: rivers, drainage, coastal flooding etc. that may affect the area. However, conventional flood risk assessment deals with each flood source independently, which leads to an underestimation of flood risk in the floodplain. Even in floodplains that have no risk from coastal flooding, flooding from river channels and inundation caused by insufficient drainage capacity should be considered simultaneously. For integrated flood risk management, it is necessary to establish a methodology to estimate flood risk distribution across a floodplain. In this paper, a rainfall design method for spatial flood risk assessment, which considers the joint effects of multiple flood sources, is proposed. The concept of critical rainfall duration determined by the concentration time of flooding is introduced to connect response characteristics of different flood sources with rainfall. A copula method is then adopted to capture the correlation of rainfall amount with different critical rainfall durations. Rainfall events are designed taking advantage of the copula structure of correlation and marginal distribution of rainfall amounts within different critical rainfall durations. A case study in the Otsu River Basin, Osaka prefecture, Japan was conducted to demonstrate this methodology.

Description: A novel type of hybrid non-symmetric flexure hinges (NSFHs) is developed for higher motion precision in this paper, then the finite beam based matrix modeling (FBMM) method is employed to describe elastic deformation behaviors, model compliance matrix, and define non-dimensional precision factors of the hybrid NSFHs. Influences of the dimensional parameters on the dominant compliances and motion accuracies of the NSFHs are analytically investigated based on the FBMM models, while an asymmetry ratio is introduced and its influences on performances of the NSFHs are well revealed. Moreover, making comparisons of the main performances between the proposed NSFHs and symmetric flexure hinges, the obtained results indicate that the hybrid NSFHs can greatly improve the motion accuracy and suppress the adverse inherent motions. Finally, performances of the NSFHs and modeling accuracies are investigated by experimental tests, and making comparison with other flexure hinges.

Description: The design considerations and eventual performance of a new, ultra-low noise optical head for dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) are presented. The head, designed specifically for the study of hydration layers and ion organization next to solid surfaces and biomolecules, displays an integrated tip-sample distance noise below 3 pm. The sensitivity of the optical beam deflection sensor, operating at frequencies up to 8.6 MHz (3 dB roll-off), is typically below 10   fm / Hz , enabling utilization of high frequency cantilevers of low thermal noise for fundamental and higher mode imaging. Exceptional signal stability and low optical noise are achieved by replacing the commonly used laser diode with a helium-neon laser. An integral photothermal excitation of the cantilever produces pure harmonic oscillations, minimizing the generation of higher cantilever modes and deleterious sound waves characterizing the commonly used excitation by a piezoelectric crystal. The optical head is designed to fit on top of the widespread Multimode ® (Bruker) piezo-tube and accommodate its commercial liquid cell. The performance of the new AFM head is demonstrated by atomic resolution imaging of a muscovite mica surface in aqueous solution.

Description: We describe the design, fabrication, and performance of a self-referenced, optically coherent frequency comb. The system robustness is derived from a combination of an optics package based on polarization-maintaining fiber, saturable absorbers for mode-locking, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) detection of the control signals, and digital feedback control for frequency stabilization. The output is phase-coherent over a 1-2 μm octave-spanning spectrum with a pulse repetition rate of ∼200 MHz and a residual pulse-to-pulse timing jitter

Description: The multiferroic solid solution of (1− x )[0.9BiFeO 3 –0.1DyFeO 3 ]– x PbTiO 3 with compositions around the morphotropic phase boundary has been synthesized in the form of ceramics and characterized by Piezoresponse Force Microscope (PFM) and Superconducting Quantum Interference Device. Both the original local polar domain structure and the domain evolution after poling have been studied by PFM. The PFM phase imaging has revealed some interesting details of poling and domain switching process: The out-of-plane phase image shows a uniform direction of polarization along the applied electric field, while the in-plane phase image indicates two kinds of domains with antiparallel polarizations. This kind of poled domain structure is explained based on the orientations of the polarization as permitted by the rhombohedral crystal symmetry in grains of different crystallographic orientations. The magnetic properties measured within the temperature range from 1.8 K to 300 K reveal an interesting sequence of magnetic transitions from a weakly ferromagnetic order (WFM 1 ) to an antiferromagnetic state (AFM), and then to another weak ferromagnetic phase (WFM 2 ), upon cooling. A preliminary magnetic phase diagram is proposed for BDF-34PT.

Description: A theory of an equilibrium shape of the domain formed in an electric field of a scanning force microscope (SFM) tip is proposed. We do not assume a priori that the domain has a fixed form. The shape of the domain is defined by the minimum of the free energy of the ferroelectric. This energy includes the energy of the depolarization field, the energy of the domain wall, and the energy of the interaction between the domain and the electric field of the SFM tip. The contributions of the apex and conical part of the tip are examined. Moreover, in the proposed approach, any narrow tip can be considered. The surface energy is determined on the basis of the Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire theory and takes into account the curvature of the domain wall. The variation of the free energy with respect to the domain shape leads to an integro-differential equation, which must be solved numerically. Model results are illustrated for lithium tantalate ceramics.

Description: BiFeO 3 (BFO) is a classical multiferroic material with both ferroelectric and magnetic ordering at room temperature. Doping of this material with rare-earth oxides was found to be an efficient way to enhance the otherwise low piezoelectric response of unmodified BFO ceramics. In this work, we studied two types of bulk Sm-modified BFO ceramics with compositions close to the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) prepared by different solid-state processing methods. In both samples, coexistence of polar R 3 c and antipolar P bam phases was detected by conventional X-ray diffraction (XRD); the non-polar P nma or P bnm phase also has potential to be present due to the compositional proximity to the polar-to-non-polar phase boundary. Two approaches to separate the phases based on the piezoresponse force microscopy measurements have been proposed. The obtained fractions of the polar and non-polar/anti-polar phases were close to those determined by quantitative XRD analysis. The results thus reveal a useful method for quantitative determination of the phase composition in multi-phase ceramic systems, including the technologically most important MPB systems.

Description: Lead-free piezoelectrics are becoming increasingly important in view of environmental problems of currently used lead-based perovskites such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT). One of the recent candidates for PZT replacement, solid solutions of BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 and Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3 TiO 3 , are investigated in this work by piezoresponse force microscopy. Coexistence of the tetragonal and rhombohedral phases in this material is observed, which probably gives rise to easy polarization switching due to multiple domain states. The period of observed domain lamella scales with the grain size obeying well-known square root dependence characteristic of BaTiO 3 ceramics. Domain switching and relaxation are investigated at the nanoscale as a function of the applied voltage and duration of the applied voltage pulses. The observed distortion of piezoresponse hysteresis loops near grain boundaries is attested to the increased concentration of defects. Nanoscale piezoelectric properties of these materials are discussed.

Description: This work is a theoretical study on third harmonic generation in the nonlinear propagation of an intense laser pulse through a periodic three-dimensional lattice of nanoparticles. Using a perturbative method, the nonlinear equations that describe the laser–nanoparticle interaction in the weakly relativistic regime are derived. Additionally, the nonlinear dispersion relation and the amplitude of the third harmonic are obtained. Finally, the effects of the nanoparticle radius and separation length, the distribution of the nanoparticle electron density, and the laser frequency upon the third harmonic efficiency are investigated. In addition to the expected resonance that occurs when the third harmonic resonates with the plasmon wave, another resonance appears when the nonlinear interaction of the fundamental mode with the third harmonic excites a longitudinal collective plasmon wave via the parametric Raman mechanism.

Description: The frequency-dependent amplitude and phase in piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) measurements are shown to be a consequence of the Euler-Bernoulli (EB) dynamics of atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever beams used to make the measurements. Changes in the cantilever mode shape as a function of changes in the boundary conditions determine the sensitivity of cantilevers to forces between the tip and the sample. Conventional PFM and AFM measurements are made with the motion of the cantilever measured at one optical beam detector (OBD) spot location. A single OBD spot location provides a limited picture of the total cantilever motion, and in fact, experimentally observed cantilever amplitude and phase are shown to be strongly dependent on the OBD spot position for many measurements. In this work, the commonly observed frequency dependence of PFM response is explained through experimental measurements and analytic theoretical EB modeling of the PFM response as a function of both frequency and OBD spot location on a periodically poled lithium niobate sample. One notable conclusion is that a common choice of OBD spot location—at or near the tip of the cantilever—is particularly vulnerable to frequency dependent amplitude and phase variations stemming from dynamics of the cantilever sensor rather than from the piezoresponse of the sample.

Description: We have measured the mean square amplitude of both in- and out-of-plane lattice vibrations for mono-layer graphene at temperatures ranging from ∼ 100 K to 1300 K. The amplitude of lattice vibrations was calculated from data extracted from selected area electron diffraction patterns recorded across a known temperature range with over 80 diffraction peaks measured per diffraction pattern. Using an analytical Debye model, we have also determined values for the maximum phonon wavelength that can be supported by a mono-layer graphene crystal and the magnitude of quantum mechanical zero point vibrations. For in-plane phonons, the quantum mechanical zero point contribution dominates the measured atomic displacement at room temperature, whereas for out-of-plane modes, thermally populated phonons must be considered. We find a value for the maximum phonon wavelength sampled that is several orders of magnitudes smaller than the physical crystallite size.

Description: Femtosecond laser ablation is used in applications which require low damage surface treatments, such as serial sectioning, spectroscopy, and micromachining. However, dislocations are generated by femtosecond laser-induced shockwaves and consequently have been studied in strontium titanate (STO) using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. The laser ablated surfaces in STO exhibit dislocation structures that are indicative of those produced by uniaxial compressive loading. TEM analyses of dislocations present just below the ablated surface confirm the presence of ⟨ 110 ⟩ dislocations that are of approximately 35° mixed character. The penetration depth of the dislocations varied with grain orientation relative to the surface normal, with a maximum depth of 1.5  μ m. Based on the critical resolved shear stress of STO crystals, the approximate shockwave pressures experienced beneath the laser irradiated surface are reported.

Description: We present the results of investigations of planar domain patterns (isolated domains and domain gratings) fabricated by irradiation of the nonpolar Y-surface of LiNbO 3 crystals by an electron beam (EB) incident normally onto the surface. The EB recorded domains were investigated using atomic force microscopy, confocal second harmonic generation microscopy, and chemical etching as an auxiliary method. The dependence of the domain characteristics on irradiation conditions (acceleration voltage U, EB current I, and irradiation time t irr ) were determined. The length L d of both isolated domains and domain gratings along the polar axis Z grows linearly with t irr (at U, I = const) with no tending to saturation. The plots L d (t irr ) obtained for U = 10 and 15 kV are practically identical, whereas the values of L d for U = 5 kV are essentially lower. The domain thickness T d along the Y-direction, i.e., the depth of the switched layer grows with acceleration voltage U. These results are discussed in terms of space-charge fields formation arising under EB irradiation of insulators. The linearity of L d (t irr ) is accounted for by the frontal domain growth via the viscous friction law. The experimental dependence of T d on U supports the suggestion that the domain thickness is determined by the penetration depth R e of primary electrons, which in turn is governed by U. The difference in L d (t irr ) plots for different U is accounted for by different electron emission σ. Indirect evidences of a defect structure modification in a thin surface layer with respect to the crystal bulk are obtained.

Description: The Green's functions for a three-dimensional semi-infinite fully anisotropic piezoelectric material are derived using the plane wave theory method. The solution gives the complete set of electromechanical fields due to an arbitrarily oriented point force and a point electric charge applied to the boundary of the half-space. The solution constitutes generalization of Boussinesq's and Cerruti's problems of elastic isotropy for the anisotropic piezoelectric materials. On the example of piezoceramics PZT-6B, the present results are compared with the previously obtained solution for the special case of transversely isotropic piezoelectric solid subjected to the same boundary condition.

Description: Magnetic rotational spectroscopy (MRS) with magnetic nanoprobes is a powerful method for in-situ characterization of minute amounts of complex fluids. In MRS, a uniformly rotating magnetic field rotates magnetic micro- or nano-probes in the liquid and one analyzes the features of the probe rotation to extract rheological parameters of liquids. Magnetic properties of nanoprobes must be well characterized and understood to make results reliable and reproducible. Ni and Co nanorods synthesized by electrochemical template synthesis in alumina membranes are discussed in applications to MRS. We employ alternating gradient field magnetometry, X-ray diffraction, and magnetic force microscopy to evaluate and compare properties of these nanorods and study their performance as the MRS probes. It is shown that nickel nanorods do not seem to violate any assumptions of the MRS rigid dipole theory, while cobalt nanorods do.

Description: Lithium-ion batteries are highly complex electrochemical systems whose performance and safety are governed by coupled nonlinear electrochemical-electrical-thermal-mechanical processes over a range of spatiotemporal scales. Gaining an understanding of the role of these processes as well as development of predictive capabilities for design of better performing batteries requires synergy between theory, modeling, and simulation, and fundamental experimental work to support the models. This paper presents the overview of the work performed by the authors aligned with both experimental and computational efforts. In this paper, we describe a new, open source computational environment for battery simulations with an initial focus on lithium-ion systems but designed to support a variety of model types and formulations. This system has been used to create a three-dimensional cell and battery pack models that explicitly simulate all the battery components (current collectors, electrodes, and separator). The models are used to predict battery performance under normal operations and to study thermal and mechanical safety aspects under adverse conditions. This paper also provides an overview of the experimental techniques to obtain crucial validation data to benchmark the simulations at various scales for performance as well as abuse. We detail some initial validation using characterization experiments such as infrared and neutron imaging and micro-Raman mapping. In addition, we identify opportunities for future integration of theory, modeling, and experiments.

Description: Transport properties of Li + mobile ions in fresh and aged LiMn 2 O 4 battery cathodes were studied at the nanoscale via electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM), time spectroscopy, and voltage spectroscopy mapping. Both Vegard and plausible non-Vegard contributions to the ESM signal were identified in electrochemical hysteresis loops obtained on fresh and aged samples. In the fresh cathodes, the Vegard contribution dominates the signal, while in the aged samples different shape of hysteresis loops indicates an additional plausible non-Vegard contribution. Non-uniform spatial distribution of the electrochemical loop opening in LiMn 2 O 4 particles studied in the aged samples indicates stronger variation of the Li diffusion coefficient at the microscale as compared to the fresh specimens. Time spectroscopy measurements revealed a suppression of the local Li diffusivity in aged samples. The mechanisms of the cathode aging are discussed in the context of observed nanoscale ESM response.