Magnetic characterisation of large grain, bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductor-soft ferromagnetic alloy hybrid structures

Large grain, bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) high temperature superconductors (HTS) have significant potential for use in a variety of practical applications that incorporate powerful quasi-permanent magnets. In the present work, we investigate how the trapped field of such magnets can be improved by combining bulk YBCO with a soft FeNi, ferromagnetic alloy. This involves machining the alloy into components of various shapes, such as cylinders and rings, which are attached subsequently to the top surface of a solid, bulk HTS cylinder. The effect of these modifications on the magnetic hysteresis curve and trapped field of the bulk superconductor at 77 K are then studied using pick-up coil and Hall probe measurements. The experimental data are compared to finite element modelling of the magnetic flux distribution using Campbell's algorithm. Initially we establish the validity of the technique involving pick-up coils wrapped around the bulk superconductor to obtain its magnetic hysteresis curve in a non-destructive way and highlight the difference between the measured signal and the true magnetization of the sample. We then consider the properties of hybrid ferromagnet/superconductor (F/S) structures. Hall probe measurements, together with the results of the model, establish that flux lines curve outwards through the ferromagnet, which acts, effectively, like a magnetic short circuit. Magnetic hysteresis curves show that the effects of the superconductor and the ferromagnet simply add when the ferromagnet is saturated fully by the applied field. The trapped field of the hybrid structure is always larger than that of the superconductor alone below this saturation level, and especially when the applied field is removed. The results of the study show further that the beneficial effects on the trapped field are enhanced when the ferromagnet covers the entire surface of the superconductor for different ferromagnetic components of various shapes and fixed volume. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extracellular carbohydrate polymers from five desert soil algae with different cohesion in the stabilization of fine sand grain

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from four filamentous cyanobacteria Microcoleus vaginatus, Scytonema javanicum, Phormidium tenue and Nostoc sp. and a coccoid single-cell green alga Desmococcus olivaceus that had been separated from desert algal crusts of Tegger desert of China, were investigated for their chemical composition, structure,and physical properties. The EPS contained 7.5-50.3% protein (in polymers ranging from 14 to more than 200 kD, SDS-PAGE) and 16.2-46.5% carbohydrate (110-460 kD, GFC). 6-12 kinds of monosaccharides, including 2-O-methyl rhamnose, 2-O-methyl glucose, and N-acetyl glucosamine were found. The main carbohydrate chains from M. vaginatus and S. javanicum consisted mainly of equal proportion of Man, Gal and Glc, that from P. tenue consisted mainly of arabinose, glucose and rhamnose. Arabinose was present in pyranose form, mainly alpha-L 1 --> 3 linked, with branches on C4 of almost half of the units. Glucose was responsible for the terminal units, in addition of having some units as beta1 --> 3 and some as beta1 --> 4 linked. Rhamnose was mainly 1 --> 3 linked with branches on C2 on half of the units. The carbohydrate polymer from D. olivaceus was composed mainly of beta1 --> 4 linked xylose, galactose and glucose. The galactose part was present both in beta-pyranose and -furanose forms. Arabinose in alpha-L-furanose form was mainly present as 1 --> 2 and 1 --> 2, 5 linked units, rhamnose only as alpha 1 --> 3 and xylose as beta 1 --> 4. The backbone of the polysaccharide from Nostoc sp. was composed of beta-1 --> 4 linked xylose, galactose and glucose. Most of the glucose was branched on position C6, terminal glucose and 2-O-methyl glucose units are also present. The relationship between structure, physical properties and potential biological function is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnetization of two-dimensional heavy holes with boundaries in a perpendicular magnetic field

The magnetisation of heavy holes in III-V semiconductor quantum wells with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in an external perpendicular magnetic field is studied theoretically. We concentrate on the effects on the magnetisation induced by the system boundary, the Rashba SOC and the temperature. It is found that the sawtooth-like de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations of the magnetisation will change dramatically in the presence of such three factors. Especially, the effects of the edge states and Rashba SOC on the magnetisation are more evident when the magnetic field is smaller. The oscillation center will shift when the boundary effect is considered and the Rashba SOC will bring beating patterns to the dHvA oscillations. These effects on the dHvA oscillations are preferably observed at low temperatures. With increasing temperature, the dHvA oscillations turn to be blurred and eventually disappear.

Analysis of mode characteristics for equilateral triangle semiconductor microlasers with imperfect boundaries

The influence of imperfect boundaries on the mode quality factor is investigated for equilateral-triangle-resonator (ETR) semiconductor microlasers by the finite difference time domain technique and the Pade approximation with Baker's algorithm. For 2-D ETR with a refractive index of 3.2 and side length of 5 mum, the confined modes can still have a quality factor of about 1000 as small triangles with side length of 1 mum are cut from the vertices of the ETR. For a deformed 5 mum ETR with round vertices and curve sides, the simulated mode quality factors are comparable to the measured results.

Atomic configurations of dislocation core and twin boundaries in 3C-SiC studied by high-resolution electron microscopy

The defects in 3C-SiC film grown on (001) plane of Si substrate were studied using a 200 kV high-resolution electron microscope with point resolution of 0.2 nm. A posterior image processing technique, the image deconvolution, was utilized in combination with the image contrast analysis to distinguish atoms of Si from C distant from each other by 0.109 nm in the [110] projected image. The principle of the image processing technique utilized and the related image contrast theory is briefly presented. The procedures of transforming an experimental image that does not reflect the crystal structure intuitively into the structure map and of identifying Si and C atoms from the map are described. The atomic configurations for a 30 degrees partial dislocation and a microtwin have been derived at atomic level. It has been determined that the 30 degrees partial dislocation terminates in C atom and the segment of microtwin is sandwiched between two 180 degrees rotation twins. The corresponding stacking sequences are derived and atomic models are constructed according to the restored structure maps for both the 30 degrees partial dislocation and microtwin. Images were simulated based on the two models to affirm the above-mentioned results.

Effects of grain size on the mosaic tilt and twist in InN films grown on GaN by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

The structural property of InN films grown on Ga-face GaN layers by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition has been studied by high-resolution x-ray diffraction. The mosaic tilt and twist are found to be strongly dependent on the surface lateral grain size. The twist decreases with increasing grain size and finally approaches to a constant level. On the other hand, the mosaic tilt increases substantially when the grain size becomes large enough and exceeds the width of step terraces on the GaN surface, showing an important mechanism for the defect generation in the InN/GaN system with large out-of-plane lattice mismatch. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

New insight into the origin of twin and grain boundary in InP

X-ray reflectivity curves show bi-crystal (twin) characteristics. Defect segregations at the twin boundary can be seen, whereas stress is relaxed at the edge of the boundary. Relaxation of the stress resulted in the formation of twins and other defects. As a result of the formation of such defects, a defect-free and stress-free zone or low defect density and small stress zone is created around the defects. Stress, chemical stoichiometry deviation and non-homogeneous distribution of impurities are the key factors that cause twins in LEC InP crystal growth. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twin and grain boundary in InP: A synchrotron radiation study

Experimentally observed X-ray reflectivity curves show bi-crystal(twin) characteristics. The study revealed that there was defect segregation at the twin boundary. Stress was relaxed at the edge of the boundary. Relaxation of the stress resulted in formation of twin and other defects. As a result of formation of such defects, a defect-free and stress-free zone or low defect density and small stress zone is created around the defects. So a twin model was proposed to explain the experimental results. Stress(mainly thermal stress), chemical stoichiometry deviation and impurities nonhomogeneous distributions are the key factors that cause twins in LEC InP crystal growth. Twins on (111) face in LEC InP crystal were studied. Experimental evidence of above mentioned twin model and suggestions on how to get twin-free LEC InP single crystals will be discussed.