Explore the vast range of titles available.

The redistribution of Mn atoms in Ga1-xMnxAs layer during medium-temperature annealing, 250-450 oC, by Mn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) recorded at ALBA facility, was studied. For this purpose Ga1-xMnxAs thin layer with x=0.01 was grown on AlAs buffer layer deposited on GaAs(100) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) followed by annealing. The examined layer was detached from the substrate using a \"lift-off\" procedure in order to eliminate elastic scattering in XAFS spectra. Fourier transform analysis of experimentally obtained EXAFS spectra allowed to propose a model which describes a redistribution diffusion of Mn atoms in the host matrix. Theoretical XANES spectra, simulated using multiple scattering formalism (FEFF code) with the support of density functional theory (WIEN2k code), qualitatively describe the features observed in the experimental fine structure.

The presented investigations aimed at development of inexpensive method for synthesized materials suitable for utilization of solar energy. This important issue was addressed by focusing, mainly, on electronic local structure studies with supporting x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of colloidal galena nano-particles (NPs) and quantum dots (QDs) synthesized using wet chemistry under microwave irradiation. Performed x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis revealed an evidence of quantum confinement for the sample with QDs, where the bottom of the conduction band was shifted to higher energy. The QDs were found to be passivated with oxides at the surface. Existence of sulfate/sulfite and thiosulfate species in pure PbS and QDs, respectively, was identified.

Recent studies suggests that in disordered ultrathin films superconducting (SC) state may be intrinsically inhomogeneous. Here we investigate the nature of SC state in ultrathin Nb films, of thickness \\(d\\) ranging from 1.2 nm to 20 nm, which undergo a transition from amorphous to polycrystalline structure at the thickness \\(d \\simeq 3.3\\) nm. We show that the properties of SC state are very different in polycrystalline and amorphous films. The upper critical field (\\(H_{c2}\\)) is orbitally limited in the first case, and paramagnetically limited in the latter. The magnetic field induced superconductor-metal transition is observed, with the critical field approximately constant or decreasing as a power-law with the film conductance in polycrystalline or amorphous films, respectively. The scaling analysis indicates distinct scaling exponents in these two types of films. Negative contribution of the SC fluctuations to conductivity exists above \\(H_{c2}\\), particularly pronounced in amorphous films, signaling the presence of fluctuating Cooper pairs. These observations suggest the development of local inhomogeneities in the amorphous films, in the form of proximity-coupled SC islands. An usual evolution of SC correlations on cooling is observed in amorphous films, likely related to the effect of quantum fluctuations on the proximity-induced phase coherence.

In the present work we study the growth by pulsed laser deposition of YBa\\(_2\\)Cu\\(_3\\)O\\(_{7-\\delta}\\) (YBCO) films on the r-cut sapphire substrates. To improve the matching of the lattice parameters between the substrate and the film we use CeO\\(_{2}\\) buffer layer, recrystallized prior to the deposition of YBCO. The optimal thickness and temperature of recrystallization of the buffer layer is first determined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction. Next, we use the AFM to examine the dependence of YBCO film roughness on the film thickness, and we study the homogeneity of magnetic flux penetration into the films by magneto-optical imaging. We find that the superconducting critical temperature and critical current density of these films are very similar to those of YBCO films grown on well-matched substrates. It appears that the microstructure of YBCO films is affected by structural defects in the buffer layer as well as variations in oxygen deficiency, which results in high values of critical current density suitable for application.

The dynamic and static magnetic properties of La1:85Sr0:15Cu1-yNiyO4 with Ni concentration up to y=0.63 are reported. All the features that characterize the spin-glass (SG) behavior are found: bifurcation of the dc susceptibility chi vs temperature curve, a peak in the zero-field cooling branch of this curve accompanied by a step in the imaginary part of the ac susceptibility chi_ac, frequency dependence of the peak position in the real part of chi_ac and scaling behavior. The decay of remnant magnetization is described by a stretched-exponential function. The characteristic time from the critical slowing-down formula that governs the dynamics of the system suggests the existence of the spin clusters. The strongest interactions between the fluctuating entities are at y equal to the charge carriers concentration in the system. The SG transition temperature decreases linearly with decreasing y for y<0.30 and extrapolates to 0 K at y=0 what means that Ni display a magnetic character in the surrounding Cu-O network starting from the smallest concentration y. The static critical exponents characterizing the scaling behavior of the nonlinear part of chi lie between those typical for three dimensional Ising-like and Heisenberg-like systems