High piezoelectricity after field cooling AC poling in temperature stable ternary single crystals manufactured by continuous-feeding Bridgman method

After field cooling (FC) alternating current poling (ACP), we investigated the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of [001]pc-oriented 0.24Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 (PIN)-0.46Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN)-0.30PbTiO3 (PT) (PIMN-0.30PT) single crystals (SCs), which were manufactured by continuous-feeding Bridgman (CF BM) within morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region. By ACP with 4 kVrms/cm from 100 to 70 °C, the PIMN-0.30PT SC attained high dielectric permittivity (ε33T/ε0) of 8330, piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 2750 pC/N, bar mode electromechanical coupling factor k33 of 0.96 with higher phase change temperature (Tpc) of 103 °C, and high Curie temperature (TC) of 180 °C. These values are the highest ever reported as PIMN-xPT SC system with Tpc > 100 °C. The enhancement of these properties is attributed to the induced low symmetry multi-phase supported by phase analysis. This work indicates that FC ACP is a smart and promising method to enhance piezoelectric properties of relaxor-PT ferroelectric SCs including PIMN-xPT, and provides a route to a wide range of piezoelectric device applications.

Estado de vórtices en un cuadrado superconductor de dos-orbitales con condiciones de contorno mixtas

En esta contribución estudiamos el estado de vórtices en una muestra cuadrada superconductora de dos orbitales en presencia de un campo magnético externo H constante en un proceso de zero-field-cooling. La muestra está en contacto con diferentes tipos de materiales simulados a través del parámetro de extrapolación de deGennes (b) . Nuestra investigación se lleva a cabo resolviendo las ecuaciones Ginzburg-Landau dependientes del tiempo en dos dimensiones. Estudiamos la inducción magnética, densidad de electrones superconductores y la fase del parámetro de orden para diferentes valores de b sobre la superficie de la muestra. Para ello, usamos dos combinaciones de condiciones de contorno para las cuatro superficies del cuadrado. Mostramos novedosas e interesante configuración de vórtices altamente dependiente de los valores escogidos de b, temperatura, y tamaño de la muestra.

Magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles with a DMSA-modified surface

The magnetic properties of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) strongly depend on their chemical and physical parameters, which can be regulated by a controlled synthesis process. To improve the quality of the obtained nanoparticles, their surface is often modified with organic compounds (from the group of surfactants, sugars, proteins, or organic acid). In this study, we synthesized magnetite nanoparticles with a surface modified with the organic compound DMSA. Then, the nanocrystallites were characterized in terms of structure and morphology. To investigate the role of DMSA and to understand the adsorption mechanism, FTIR measurements were carried out. Using Mössbauer spectroscopy, we investigated temperature-induced changes in the magnetic properties of prepared samples. The spectra were recorded in a wide temperature range (from 4 K to 390 K) for two types of samples: powders and ferrofluids with various concentrations. In the case of powder samples, the superparamagnetic doublet appeared at room temperature. For magnetic suspensions, the spectra were more complicated. They consisted of superposition of asymmetrically broadened sextets and doublets, which was caused by the occurrence of long-range dipole-dipole interactions. These interactions affected the magnetic properties of the material and increased the blocking temperature. Additionally, the magnetic hysteresis and zero field cooling-field cooling (ZFC/FC) curves were measured with the use of a vibrating sample magnetometer.

Direct Evidence of Ice Crystallization Inhibition by Dielectric Relaxation of Hydrated Ions

In this paper, the inhibition effect of an alternative current (AC) electric field on ice crystallization in 0.9 wt % NaCl aqueous solution was confirmed thermodynamically with characterization. An innovative experimental and analytical method, combining differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) measurement with an externally applied electric field was created by implanting microelectrodes in a sample crucible. It was found that the ice crystallization, including pure ice and salty ice, was obviously inhibited after field cooling with an external AC electric field in a frequency range of 100 k–10 MHz, and the crystallization ratio was related to frequency. Compared with non-field cooling, the crystallization ratio of ice crystals was reduced to less than 20% when E = 57.8 kV/m and f = 1 MHz. The dielectric spectrum results show that this inhibition effect of an alternating electric field on ice crystal growth is closely related to the dielectric relaxation process of hydrated ions.

Critical Current and Pinning Features of a CaKFe4As4 Polycrystalline Sample

We analyze the magnetic behavior of a CaKFe4As4 polycrystalline sample fabricated by a mechanochemically assisted synthesis route. By means of DC magnetization (M) measurements as a function of the temperature (T) and DC magnetic field (H) we study its critical parameters and pinning features. The critical temperature Tc has been evaluated by M(T) curves performed in Zero Field Cooling-Field Cooling conditions. These curves show the presence of a little magnetic background for temperatures above Tc, as also confirmed by the hysteresis loops M(H). Starting from the M(H) curves, the critical current density Jc of the sample has been calculated as a function of the field at different temperatures in the framework of the Bean critical state model. The Jc(H) values are in line with the ones reported in the literature for this typology of samples. By analyzing the temperature dependence of the critical current density Jc(T) at different magnetic fields, it has been found that the sample is characterized by a strong type pinning regime. This sample peculiarity can open perspectives for future improvement in the fabrication of this material.

Spontaneous Zero-Field Cooling Exchange Bias in Ni–Co–Mn–Sn Metamagnetic Heusler Sputtered Film

Metamagnetic off-stoichiometric Heusler alloys are actively being investigated because of their great potential as magnetocaloric materials. These properties are intimately related to the nanoscale homogeneity of their magnetic properties, mainly due to a strong influence of the nature of the exchange interactions between Mn atoms on the magnetism of the alloys. In this work, a spontaneous exchange bias phenomenon on a Ni–Co–Mn–Sn metamagnetic Heusler sputtered film is presented and studied in detail. More particularly, a series of DC magnetization curves measured as a function of the temperature demonstrates that the system exhibits canonical spin glass-like features. After a careful study of the field-cooling and zero-field-cooling curves measured on this system, the existence of magnetic inhomogeneities is inferred, as a consequence of the competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between Mn atoms. Further AC susceptibility measurements on this system demonstrate that the underlying exchange bias phenomenon can be attributed to a magnetic clusters model based on superferromagnetic-like interactions present in the film. These findings suggest that the spontaneous exchange bias exhibited by the studied system is a consequence of the formation of this superferromagnetic-like state.

YBa2Cu3O7 films grown onto SrTiO3 and YSZ substrates by chemical solution deposition of trifluoroacetates

We report the preparation and characterization of YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films grown onto SrTiO3 and YSZ substrates by the trifluoroacetates chemical solution deposition method and following sintering with oxygen atmosphere at 860 °C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals (00ℓ) – oriented crystallites indicating epitaxial growth of the films in the c-direction. Despite granular morphology and the presence of Y2BaCuO5 and CuO as minor secondary phases, the technique shows the successful formation of the superconducting YBCO and preventing the formation of the unwanted BaCO3 phase. Rocking curve measurements of the (005) reflection for the YBCO/SrTiO3 was fitted with one Gaussian function with full width at the half maximum (FWHM) of 0.44° confirming that it consists of YBCO crystallites with different texture. For the sample grown on YSZ, the rocking curve was fitted with two Gaussian functions, one corresponding to the YBCO layer (FWHM = 0.4°) and another to the substrate (FWHM = 0.3°). The magnetic measurements taken in zero field cooling and field cooling modes confirm the formation of the superconducting YBCO with critical temperatures (TC) 91.8 and 85.7 K for the samples grown onto YSZ and SrTiO3, respectively. The critical current density (JC) curves indirectly calculated by using the Bean´s model from the M(T) loops were JC ~ 109 A/cm2 for the sample deposited onto YSZ and JC ~ 107A/cm2 for the YBCO deposited onto SrTiO3. Overall, the difference in TC and JC values between both samples could be related to their difference in oxygen content, porosity, hole concentration per Cu ion and the presence of secondary phases.