Electronic structure of early 3d-transition-metal oxides by analysis of the 2p core-level photoemission spectra

The electronic structures of a wide range of early transition-metal (TM) compounds, including Ti and V oxides with metal valences ranging from 2+ to 5+ and formal d-electron numbers ranging from 0 to 2, have been investigated by a configuration-interaction cluster model analysis of the core-level metal 2p x-ray photoemission spectra (XPS). Inelastic energy-loss backgrounds calculated from experimentally measured electron-energy-loss spectra (EELS) were subtracted from the XPS spectra to remove extrinsic loss features. Parameter values deduced for the charge-transfer energy Delta and the d-d Coulomb repulsion energy U are shown to continue the systematic trends established previously for the late TM compounds, giving support to a charge-transfer mechanism for the satellite structures. The early TM compounds are characterized by a large metal d-ligand p hybridization energy, resulting in strong covalency in these compounds. Values for Delta and U suggest that many early TM compounds should be reclassified as intermediate between the charge-transfer regime and the Mott-Hubbard regime.

meso-substituted octabromoporphyrins: Synthesis, spectroscopy, electrochemistry and electronic structure

The free-base, copper(II) and zinc(II) derivatives of 5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrin (aryl = phenyl, 4-methylphenyl or 4-chlorophenyl) and the corresponding brominated 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octabromo-5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrin derivatives have been synthesized and their spectral and redox properties compared by UV/VIS, H-1 NMR, ESR and cyclic voltammetric methods. Substitution with the electron-withdrawing bromine groups at the pyrrole carbons has a profound influence on the UV/VIS and H-1 NMR spectral features and also on the redox potentials of these systems. On the other hand, electron-withdrawing chloro or electron-donating methyl groups at the para positions of the four phenyl rings have only a marginal effect on the spectra and redox potentials of both the brominated and the non-brominated derivatives. The ESR data for the copper(II) derivatives of ail these systems reveal that substitution at either the beta-pyrrole carbons and/or the para positions of the meso-phenyl groups does not significantly affect the spin-Hamiltonian parameters that describe the metal centre in each case. Collectively, these observations suggest that the highest-occupied (HOMO) and lowest-unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO) of the octabromoporphyrins involve the porphyrin pi-ring system as is the case with the non-brominated derivatives.-Investigations have been carried out to probe the electronic structures of these systems by three different approaches involving spectral and redox potential data as well as AMI calculations. The results obtained suggest that the electron-withdrawing beta-bromine substituents stabilize the LUMOs and, to a lesser degree, the HOMOs and that the extent of these changes can be fine-tuned, in a subtle way, by substituting at the meso-aryl rings of a given porphyrin.

Electronic conduction in LaNiO3-delta: the dependence on the oxygen stoichiometry delta

We report a systematic study of the electronic transport properties of the metallic perovskite oxide LaNiO3-delta as a function of the oxygen stoichiometry delta (delta less than or equal to 0.14). The electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, susceptibility, Hall effect and thermopower have been studied, All of the transport coefficients are dependent on the value of delta. The resistivity increases almost exponentially as delta increases. We relate this increase in rho to the creation of Ni2+ with square-planar coordination. We find that there is a distinct T-1.5-contribution to the resistivity over the whole temperature range. The thermopower is negative, as expected for systems with electrons as the carrier, but the Hall coefficient is positive. We have given a qualitative and quantitative explanation for the different quantities observed and their systematic variation with the stoichiometry delta.

New La2CuO4 derivatives La(2-2x)Sr(2x)Cu(1-x)M(x)O(4) (M=Ti, Mn, Fe, or Ru): A study of linear Cu-O-M electronic interaction in two dimensions

Oxides of the general formula La2-2xSr2xCu1-xII,M(x)(IV)O(4) (M = Ti, Mn, Fe, or Ru), crystallizing in the tetragonal K,NIF, structure, have been synthesized. For M=Ti, only the x=0,5 member could be prepared, while for M=Mn and Fe, the composition range is 0 Cu(III)-O-Fe(III) valence degeneracy. Increasing the strontium content at the expense of lanthanum in La2-2xSr2xCu1-xFexO4 for x less than or equal to 0.20 renders the samples metallic but not superconducting. (C) 1997 Academic Press.

Structural evolution and electronic properties of La1+xSr2-xMn2O7

A detailed study of the layered manganite La1+xSr2-xMn2O7 has been performed, establishing that within the composition range 0.1 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.45 the phases crystallize in the I4/mmm space group. The evolution of structural parameters with x: in this composition range has been followed using a novel application of an existing program for the Rietveld analysis of powder diffraction data. The structure, a familiar intergrowth of rock-salt (La,Sr)O slabs and double perovskite (La,Sr)(2)Mn2O6 units, is characterized by a reluctance to deform the latter. This manifests as a ''pumping'' of the larger Sr-II ion into the 12-coordinate site of the structure as x is increased. We report these features of the structure as well as electrical transport and magnetic properties, in light of recent observations of giant, negative magnetoresistance in these systems.

Polymorphism in Opto-Electronic Materials with a Benzothiazole-fluorene Core: A Consequence of High Conformational Flexibility of pi-Conjugated Backbone and Alkyl Side Chains

Fluorene and its derivatives are well-known organic semiconducting materials in the field of opto-electronic devices because of their charge transport properties. Three new organic semiconducting materials, namely, 2,2'-((9,9-butyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene))bisbenzod]thiazole, C4; 2,2'-((octyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene))bisbenzod]thiazole, C8; and 2,2'-((9,9-dodecayl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene))bisbenzod]thiazole, C12 with a benzothiazole-fluorene backbone, were synthesized and characterized for their photophysical properties. A phenomenon of concomitant polymorphism has been investigated in the first two derivatives (C4 and C8) and has been analyzed systematically in terms of the packing characteristics involving pi ... pi interactions. The conformational flexibility of the pi-conjugated 2,2'-(fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis(4,1 phenylene)bisbenzod]thiazole backbone coupled with orientational freedom of the terminal alkyl chains were found to be the key factors responsible for these polymorphic modifications. Attempts to grow suitable crystals for single crystal X-ray diffraction of compound C12 were unsuccessful.

Nonneutral network and the role of bargaining power in side payments

Representatives of several Internet access providers have expressed their wish to see a substantial change in the pricing policies of the Internet. In particular, they would like to see content providers pay for use of the network, given the large amount of resources they use. This would be in clear violation of the �network neutrality� principle that had characterized the development of the wireline Internet. Our first goal in this paper is to propose and study possible ways of implementing such payments and of regulating their amount. We introduce a model that includes the internaut�s behavior, the utilities of the ISP and of the content providers, and the monetary flow that involves the internauts, the ISP and content provider, and in particular, the content provider�s revenues from advertisements. We consider various game models and study the resulting equilibrium; they are all combinations of a noncooperative game (in which the service and content providers determine how much they will charge the internauts) with a cooperative one - the content provider and the service provider bargain with each other over payments to one another. We include in our model a possible asymmetric bargaining power which is represented by a parameter (that varies between zero to one). We then extend our model to study the case of several content providers. We also provide a very brief study of the equilibria that arise when one of the content providers enters into an exclusive contract with the ISP.

A new approach to the design of electronic exchanges

Electronic Exchanges are double-sided marketplaces that allows multiple buyers to trade with multiple sellers, with aggregation of demand and supply across the bids to maximize the revenue in the market. In this paper, we propose a new design approach for an one-shot exchange that collects bids from buyers and sellers and clears the market at the end of the bidding period. The main principle of the approach is to decouple the allocation from pricing. It is well known that it is impossible for an exchange with voluntary participation to be efficient and budget-balanced. Budget-balance is a mandatory requirement for an exchange to operate in profit. Our approach is to allocate the trade to maximize the reported values of the agents. The pricing is posed as payoff determination problem that distributes the total payoff fairly to all agents with budget-balance imposed as a constraint. We devise an arbitration scheme by axiomatic approach to solve the payoff determination problem using the added-value concept of game theory.

Electronic structure of In1-xMnxAs studied by photoemission spectroscopy: Comparison with Ga1-xMnxAs

We have investigated the electronic structure of the p-type diluted magnetic semiconductor In1-xMnxAs by photoemission spectroscopy. The Mn 3d partial density of states is found to be basically similar to that of Ga1-xMnxAs. However, the impurity-band-like states near the top of the valence band have not been observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy unlike Ga1-xMnxAs. This difference would explain the difference in transport, magnetic and optical properties of In1-xMnxAs and Ga1-xMnxAs. The different electronic structures are attributed to the weaker Mn 3d-As 4p hybridization in In1-xMnxAs than in Ga1-xMnxAs.

First-principles electronic structure of the delafossites ABO(2) (A=Cu, Ag, Au; B=Al, Ga, Sc, In, Y): evolution of d(10)-d(10) interactions

While bonding between d(10) atoms and ions in molecular systems has been well studied, less attention has been paid to interactions between such seemingly closed shell species in extended inorganic solids. In this contribution, we present visualizations of the electronic structures of the delafossites ABO(2) (A = Cu, Ag, Au) with particular emphasis on the nature of d(10)-d(10) interactions in the close packed plane of the coinage metal ion. We find that on going from Cu to Ag to Au, the extent of bonding between A and A increases. However, the structures (in terms of distances) of these compounds are largely determined by the strongly ionic 13,11 0 interaction and for the larger B ions Sc, In and Y, the A atoms are sufficiently well-separated that A-A bonding is almost negligible. We also analyze some interesting differences between Ag and Au, including the larger A-O covalency of the Au. The trends in electronic structure suggest that the Ag and Au compounds are not good candidate transparent conducting oxides. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Ab initio study of disorder effects on the electronic and magnetic structure of Sr2FeMoO6

We have investigated the electronic structure of ordered and disordered Sr2FeMoO6 using ab initio bandstructure methods. The effect of disorder was simulated within supercell calculations to realize several configurations with mis-site disorders. It is found that such disorder effects destroy the half-metallic ferromagnetic state of the ordered compound. It also leads to a substantial reduction of the magnetic moments at the Fe sites in the disordered configurations. Most interestingly, it is found for the disordered configurations that the magnetic coupling within the Fe sublattice as well as that within the Mo sublattice always remain ferromagnetic, while the two sublattices couple antiferromagnetically, in close analogy to the magnetic structure of the ordered compound, but,in contrast to recent suggestions.

Electronic structure of ${\rm Ca}_{1-x}{\rm Sr}_x{\rm VO}_3$: A tale of two energy scales

We investigate the electronic structure of Ca1-xSrxVO3 using photoemission spectroscopy. Core level spectra establish an electronic phase separation at the surface, leading to a distinctly different surface electronic structure compared to the bulk. Analysis of the photoemission spectra of this system allowed us to separate the surface and bulk contributions. These results help us to understand properties related to two vastly differing energy scales, namely the low-energy scale of thermal excitations ( $\sim\!k_{\rm B}T$) and the high-energy scale related to Coulomb and other electronic interactions.

Analytical solutions for heat transfer during cyclic melting and freezing of a phase change material used in electronic or electrical packaging

In this paper we develop an analytical heat transfer model, which is capable of analyzing cyclic melting and solidification processes of a phase change material used in the context of electronics cooling systems. The model is essentially based on conduction heat transfer, with treatments for convection and radiation embedded inside. The whole solution domain is first divided into two main sub-domains, namely, the melting sub-domain and the solidification sub-domain. Each sub-domain is then analyzed for a number of temporal regimes. Accordingly, analytical solutions for temperature distribution within each subdomain are formulated either using a semi-infinity consideration, or employing a method of quasi-steady state, depending on the applicability. The solution modules are subsequently united, leading to a closed-form solution for the entire problem. The analytical solutions are then compared with experimental and numerical solutions for a benchmark problem quoted in the literature, and excellent agreements can be observed.

Mapping of local electronic properties in nanostructured CMR thin films by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Local Conductance Map (LCMAP)

We have investigated the local electronic properties and the spatially resolved magnetoresistance of a nanostructured film of a colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) material by local conductance mapping (LCMAP) using a variable temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) operating in a magnetic field. The nanostructured thin films (thickness ≈500nm) of the CMR material La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) on quartz substrates were prepared using chemical solution deposition (CSD) process. The CSD grown films were imaged by both STM and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Due to the presence of a large number of grain boundaries (GB's), these films show low field magnetoresistance (LFMR) which increases at lower temperatures. The measurement of spatially resolved electronic properties reveal the extent of variation of the density of states (DOS) at and close to the Fermi level (EF) across the grain boundaries and its role in the electrical resistance of the GB. Measurement of the local conductance maps (LCMAP) as a function of magnetic field as well as temperature reveals that the LFMR occurs at the GB. While it was known that LFMR in CMR films originates from the GB, this is the first investigation that maps the local electronic properties at a GB in a magnetic field and traces the origin of LFMR at the GB.

Optical and Electronic Properties of Conjugated Polymer -Nanocluster Semiconductor Hybrid Systems

Conjugated polymers are intensively pursued as candidate materials for emission and detection devices with the optical range of interest determined by the chemical structure. On the other hand the optical range for emission and detection can also be tuned by size selection in semiconductor nanoclusters. The mechanisms for charge generation and separation upon optical excitation, and light emission are different for these systems. Hybrid systems based on these different class of materials reveal interesting electronic and optical properties and add further insight into the individual characteristics of the different components. Multilayer structures and blends of these materials on different substrates were prepared for absorption, photocurrent (Iph), photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminscence (EL) studies. Polymers chosen were derivatives of polythiophene (PT) and polyparaphenylenevinylene (PPV) along with nanoclusters of cadmium sulphide of average size 4.4 nm (CdS-44). The photocurrent spectral response in these systems followed the absorption response around the band edges for each of the components and revealed additional features, which depended on bias voltage, thickness of the layers and interfacial effects. The current-voltage curves showed multi-component features with emission varying for different regimes of voltage. The emission spectral response revealed additive features and is discussed in terms of excitonic mechanisms.