Anisotropic Energy Distribution Research Articles

Energy Distribution of Sputtered Atoms Explored by SRIM Simulations

The energy of the sputtered atoms is important to control the microstructure and physical properties of thin films. In this work, we used the SRIM program to simulate the energy of sputtered atoms. We analyzed the energy distribution functions (EDFs) and the average energies of the atoms in different spatial directions for a range of target materials and Ar ion energies. The results were compared to the analytical equations for EDFs derived by Sigmund and Thompson and with experimental data from the literature. The SRIM simulations give realistic EDFs for transition metals, but not for elements lighter than Si. All EDFs show a low-energy peak positioned close to one-half of the surface binding energy and a high-energy tail decreasing as approximately E−2. We analyzed the characteristics of EDFs, specifically, the position of low- and high-energy peaks, FWHM, and the energy tail, with respect to the ion energy and position of the element in the periodic table. The low-energy peak increases with atomic number for elements within each group in the periodic table. Similar changes were observed for FWHM. For the period 5 and 6 elements, additional broad high-energy peaks were observed at emission angles above 45° when sputtered by Ar ions with 300 eV and also in some heavier elements when bombarded by 600 eV and 1200 eV ions. The transition metals in groups 4, 5, and 6 in periods 5 and 6 have the highest average energies, while the lowest average energies have elements in group 11. The results of simulations show that the average energies of sputtered atoms were inversely proportional to the sputtering yield, i.e., the higher the sputtering yield, the lower the average energy of sputtered atoms. We established an empirical equation for transition metals to estimate the average energy of sputtered atoms from the sputtering yield. The angular distribution of the average atom energy depends on the atomic number. Transition metals with 22 < Z < 72 have an anisotropic energy distribution, with the highest average energies in the 40°–70° range. For the elements in group 11, the angular distribution of the average energies is more isotropic.

Plasma plume expansion with pulsed electron neutralization

Electrons neutralizing the ion beam from a gridded ion source are typically provided by an external cathode. This cathode emits a continuous current that ensures quasi-neutrality of the plume, and current balance of the ion source. A new type of neutralization scheme has recently been identified in the context of radio-frequency (RF) biased ion sources, where instead of a continuous electron current, the plume is neutralized by electron pulses emitted from the same plasma source as the ion beam itself. In contrast to conventional gridded ion sources, experiments have shown that pulsed neutralization produces hot electrons with a strongly anisotropic energy distribution in the plume. By making use of a two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, we analyze the pulsed neutralization and plasma expansion to understand the fundamental plume physics in these systems, and perform a direct comparison with the expansion observed in typical DC systems. Electron trapping in the near-field plume region is found to be critical for ensuring quasi-neutrality, and the plume potential is observed to be higher than the downstream acceleration grid potential to prevent excessive electron backstreaming into the plasma source. This potential difference results in the formation of high-energy electron beams that generate collective plume oscillations with frequencies above the applied RF frequency. A detailed parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of the pulse frequency, emission current, and capacitance between the source and outer surrounding boundaries. In particular, the pulse frequency and emission current have a significant effect on the resulting plume potential, and the effectiveness of the resulting ion beam neutralization.

Effect of α-Fe₂O₃ Phase on the Magnetic Interactions in Nickel Ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) Nanoparticles.

We report on the effect of α-Fe₂O₃ phase in the magnetic properties and magnetic interactions in nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄-NFO) nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation method. Structural analysis confirms the formation of the cubic inverse spinel phase without any impurities for the NFO sample annealed in air at 650 °C. When the annealing temperature is increased to 750 °C and 850 °C, α-Fe₂O₃ impurity phase is formed along with the parent NFO phase. Raman spectra recorded at room temperature (RT) confirm the presence of pure NFO phase for the sample annealed at 650 °C, and presence of α-Fe₂O₃ phase is observed in the samples annealed at 750 °C and 850 °C. Saturation magnetization values at RT for the NFO samples annealed at 650 °C, 750 °C and 850 °C are 34 emu/g, 19 emu/g and 28 emu/g respectively. Zero Field Cooled (ZFC) and Field Cooled (FC) measurement reveals the super-paramagnetic behavior along with competing magnetic interactions in all the samples. For the NFO sample annealed at 750 °C and 850 °C, a drop in ZFC magnetization and a small kink in FC magnetization observed around 245 K indicate the presence of a Morin transition (TM) from the α-Fe₂O₃ phase. Anisotropy constants were calculated for all the samples using the law of approach to saturation (LAS) method. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy distribution function for the NFO samples annealed at 750 °C and 850 °C exhibit broad peak due to the random distribution of spins associated with different particle size.

Visible Multiphoton Dissociation of Chromophore-Tagged Peptides

The visible photodissociation mechanisms of QSY7-tagged peptides of increasing size have been investigated by coupling a mass spectrometer and an optical parametric oscillator laser beam. The experiments herein consist of energy resolved collision- and laser-induced dissociation measurements on the chromophore-tagged peptides. The results show that fragmentation occurs by similar channels in both activation methods, but that the branching ratios are vastly different. Observation of a size-dependent minimum laser pulse energy required to induce fragmentation, and collisional cooling rates in time resolved experiments show that laser-induced dissociation occurs through the absorption of multiple photons by the chromophore and the subsequent heating through vibrational energy redistribution. The differences in branching ratio between collision- and laser-induced dissociation can then be understood by the highly anisotropic energy distribution following absorption of a photon.Graphical ᅟ

Effect of the magnetic anisotropy energy distribution of MnSb clusters on spontaneous magnetization reversal of GaMnSb thin films

Temperature m(T) and time m(t) dependences of the magnetic moment of GaMnSb thin films with MnSb clusters have been measured. The m(t) dependences are straightened in semilogarithmic coordinates m(lnt). The temperature dependences of magnetic viscosity S(T) corresponding to the slope of straight lines m(lnt) have been studied. It have been demonstrated that the behavior of dependences S(T) is governed by the lognormal distribution of the magnetic anisotropy energy of MnSb clusters. It have been found that the behavior of dependences m(T) measured after the films were cooled in zero magnetic field and in magnetic field H = 10 kOe is also governed by the lognormal distribution of the magnetic anisotropy energy of MnSb clusters.

Parametric cooling of a degenerate Fermi gas in an optical trap

We demonstrate a novel technique for cooling a degenerate Fermi gas in a crossed-beam optical dipole trap, where high-energy atoms can be selectively removed from the trap by modulating the stiffness of the trapping potential with anharmonic trapping frequencies. We measure the dependence of the cooling effect on the frequency and amplitude of the parametric modulations. It is found that the large anharmonicity along the axial trapping potential allows to generate a degenerate Fermi gas with anisotropic energy distribution, in which the cloud energy in the axial direction can be reduced to the ground state value.

Consequences of an interface-concentrated perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin CoFeB films used in magnetic tunnel junctions

We examine the consequences of a strongly interface-concentrated perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) energy in CoFeB thin films currently in wide use in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) for spin-torque-related memory applications. The direct consequence of such an anisotropy energy distribution, in combination with a moderate exchange coupling of the interface moment to the rest of the film, is a phenomenological appearance of a fourth-order anisotropy term as the film is viewed by ferromagnetic resonance. The presence of a fourth-order anisotropy also affects the apparent thermal activation energy of a patterned nanomagnet with such thin films, and it could lead to an apparent increase in the spin-torque switching efficiency as represented by the ratio of the thermal activation energy and the threshold switching current. However, for interface-sensitive quantities such as tunnel magnetoresistance's hard-axis behavior, as well as for spin-torque excitation processes, the specifics of such separation of interface versus film-interior moment rotation could become important.

Effect of particle size distribution on the structure, hyperfine, and magnetic properties of Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanopowders

Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nano powders were synthesized by an auto combustion method and then heat treated at different temperatures in air for a fixed time. As a consequence, a distribution in particle size and strain was incorporated within the specimens, as estimated from the Rietveld refinement analysis of the powder x-ray diffraction data. The changes in the microstructure and crystal structure parameters were carefully extracted through the refinement analysis. Thermal annealing causes increment in the dispersion and mean of the size distribution. Reallocation of cations in the lattice sites occur as a consequence of the heat treatment which was manifested in their altered unit cell length (a), r.m.s. strain (⟨ε2⟩1/2), oxygen positional parameter (u), metal-oxygen bond lengths (ROA and ROB), and the band positions (ν1and ν2) in the vibrational spectroscopy. We also investigate the hyperfine and magnetic properties of the samples using different instrumental techniques (with different operating time scales) like Mössbauer spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. Results show that the effect of particle size distribution was manifested in their hyperfine field distribution profile, paramagnetic resonance spectra, and magnetic anisotropy energy distribution profile. Co-existence of superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic phase was recorded at room temperature in the samples when annealed at lower temperature. However, with increase in annealing temperature, the nature of the size distribution changes and ferrimagnetic ordering predominates for the larger size nanoparticles. Thus, the effect of particle size distribution on the structural, hyperfine, and magnetic properties of various Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles was investigated herein which hitherto has not been discussed in the literature.

Optimized Detector Angular Configuration Increases the Sensitivity of X-ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography (XFCT).

In this work, we demonstrated that an optimized detector angular configuration based on the anisotropic energy distribution of background scattered X-rays improves X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) detection sensitivity. We built an XFCT imaging system composed of a bench-top fluoroscopy X-ray source, a CdTe X-ray detector, and a phantom motion stage. We imaged a 6.4-cm-diameter phantom containing different concentrations of gold solution and investigated the effect of detector angular configuration on XFCT image quality. Based on our previous theoretical study, three detector angles were considered. The X-ray fluorescence detector was first placed at 145 (°) (approximating back-scatter) to minimize scatter X-rays. XFCT image quality was compared to images acquired with the detector at 60 (°) (forward-scatter) and 90 (°) (side-scatter). The datasets for the three different detector positions were also combined to approximate an isotropically arranged detector. The sensitivity was optimized with detector in the 145 (°) back-scatter configuration counting the 78-keV gold Kβ1 X-rays. The improvement arose from the reduced energy of scattered X-ray at the 145 (°) position and the large energy separation from gold K β1 X-rays. The lowest detected concentration in this configuration was 2.5 mgAu/mL (or 0.25% Au with SNR = 4.3). This concentration could not be detected with the 60 (°) , 90 (°) , or isotropic configurations (SNRs = 1.3, 0, 2.3, respectively). XFCT imaging dose of 14 mGy was in the range of typical clinical X-ray CT imaging doses. To our knowledge, the sensitivity achieved in this experiment is the highest in any XFCT experiment using an ordinary bench-top X-ray source in a phantom larger than a mouse ( > 3 cm).

Magnetization reversal mechanism of ramified and compact Co islands on Pt(111)

We report on the magnetization reversal mechanism of Co islands on Pt(111) as a function of their size and shape. We measure the zero-field susceptibility chi(T) and low-temperature magnetization curves M(H) with in situ magneto-optical Kerr effect. Together with the island morphology deduced from scanning tunneling microscopy, this creates sufficient information to determine both the magnetization reversal mechanism and the distribution of anisotropy energies between perimeter and surface atoms. We find a transition from quasicoherent rotation to domain wall nucleation and propagation with a critical size of 350 atoms for ramified, and of 600 atoms for compact islands.

Third-order statistics and the dynamics of strongly anisotropic turbulent flows

Anisotropy is induced by body forces and/or mean large-scale gradients in turbulent flows. For flows without energy production, the dynamics of second-order velocity or second-order vorticity statistics are essentially governed by triple correlations, which are at the origin of the anisotropy that penetrates towards the inertial range, deeply altering the cascade and the eventual dissipation process, with a series of consequences on the evolution of homogeneous turbulence statistics: in the case of rotating turbulence, the anisotropic spectral transfer slaves the multiscale anisotropic energy distribution; nonlinear dynamics are responsible for the linear growth in terms of Ωt of axial integral length-scales; third-order structure functions, derived from velocity triple correlations, exhibit a significant departure from the 4/5 Kolmogorov law. We describe all these implications in detail, starting from the dynamical equations of velocity statistics in Fourier space, which yield third-order correlations at three points (triads) and allow the explicit removal of pressure fluctuations. We first extend the formalism to anisotropic rotating turbulence with ‘production’, in the presence of mean velocity gradients in the rotating frame. Second, we compare the spectral approach at three points to the two-point approach directly performed in physical space, in which we consider the transport of the scalar second-order structure function ⟨(δq)2⟩. This calls into play componental third-order correlations ⟨(δq)2δu⟩(r) in axisymmetric turbulence. This permits to discuss inhomogeneous anisotropic effects from spatial decay, shear, or production, as in the central region of a rotating round jet. We show that the above-mentioned important statistical quantities can be estimated from experimental planar particle image velocimetry, and that explicit passage relations systematically exist between one- and two-point statistics in physical and spectral space for second-order tensors, but also sometimes for third-order tensors that are involved in the dynamics.

Two-Axis Magnetisation Analysis of Epitaxial Cobalt Films

Cobalt films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on CaF2 buffer layers on silicon. Due to unique properties of CaF2/Si(100) interface, the surface of CaF2 has grooves along [110] direction. Cobalt grown on it has in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with easy axis along the grooves. The dependence of remanence magnetisation and coercivity on azimuth angle (between the grooves and field) follows single domain model in the range from 0 to 80 degrees. For hysteresis loops of both parallel and perpendicular components of magnetisation, quantitative agreement was achieved within the model of coherent rotation with certain distribution of anisotropy energy over regions of the sample. Between 80 degrees and 90 degrees, the film splits into multiple domains.

Synthesis and magnetic properties of size-selected CoPt nanoparticles

CoPt nanoparticles are widely studied, in particular for their potentially very high magnetic anisotropy. However, their magnetic properties can differ from the bulk ones and they are expected to vary with the particle size. In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of well-defined CoPt nanoparticle samples produced in ultrahigh vacuum conditions following a physical route: the mass-selected low energy cluster beam deposition technique. This approach relies on an electrostatic deviation of ionized clusters which allows us to easily adjust the particle size, independently from the deposited equivalent thickness (i.e. the surface or volume particle density in a sample). Diluted samples made of CoPt particles, with different diameters, embedded in amorphous carbon are studied by transmission electron microscopy and superconducting interference device magnetometry, which gives access to the magnetic anisotropy energy distribution. We then compare the magnetic properties of two different particle sizes. The results are found to be consistent with an anisotropy constant (including its distribution) which does not evolve with the particle size in the range considered.

Magnetic susceptibility curves of a nanoparticle assembly II. Simulation and analysis of ZFC/FC curves in the case of a magnetic anisotropy energy distribution

Starting from the theoretical results established in Tournus and Bonet (2010 [1]) to describe ZFC/FC (zero-field cooled/field cooled) susceptibility curves, we examine the limitations of the widely used two states model (or abrupt transition model) where the magnetic particles are supposed to be either fully blocked or fully superparamagnetic. This crude model appears to be an excellent approximation in most practical cases, i.e. for particle assembly with broad enough size distributions. We improve the usual model by taking into account the temperature sweep existing in experimental measurements. We also discuss a common error made in the use of the two states model. We then investigate the relation between the ZFC peak temperature and the particle anisotropy constant, and underline the strong impact of the size dispersion. Other useful properties of ZFC/FC curves are discussed, such as invariance properties, the reversibility of the FC curve and the link between the susceptibility curves and the magnetic anisotropy distribution. All these considerations lay solid bases for an accurate analysis of experimental magnetic measurements.

Dispersion of magnetic anisotropy in size-selected CoPt clusters

The magnetic anisotropy energy distribution of a diluted assembly of CoPt nanoparticles, size-selected around a diameter of 3 nm, is characterized by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. By comparison with unselected CoPt clusters and size-selected Co clusters, we show experimental evidence of a significant anisotropy constant dispersion, which is a nanoalloy specificity.

HgTe: A potential thermoelectric material in the cinnabar phase

We present the calculations of the electronic structure and transport properties on the zinc-blende (ZB) and cinnabar phases of HgTe using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method and the semiclassical Boltzmann theory. Our results show that n-doped cinnabar HgTe has a significant larger Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity along the z axis than those of the n-doped ZB phase. This is mainly attributed to the large structural anisotropy originated from its chainlike bonding characters along the z axis, resulting in the anisotropic energy distribution in the lowest conduction band of cinnabar structure. The resulting ZT values along the z axis of the n-doped cinnabar HgTe are predicted to reach very high values of 0.61 at room temperature and 1.74 at 600 K. Therefore, the current theory suggests that the cinnabar structure of HgTe could be a good thermoelectric material. Future experiments are thus demanded to explore its thermoelectric performance by making use of the high ZT.

Anisotropy energy distribution determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy in a metallic glass

The distribution of frozen-in magnetic anisotropy in as-quenched Fe 73.5Si 13.5Cu 1Nb 3B 9 amorphous melt-spun ribbons was studied by Mössbauer effect spectroscopy, using the temperature-dependent magnetoelastic effect produced on the metallic glass by 1 μm Al coatings. Al coatings were deposited by RF sputtering at T≈350 K on both sides of the amorphous ribbons. Estimated magnetic anisotropy values were below 1 kJ/m 3, with preeminence of anisotropy energy densities lower than 300 J/m 3.

Anisotropic energy distribution of sputtered atoms induced by low energy heavy ion bombardment

The theory of anisotropic sputtering published in Phys. Rev. B 71(2), 026101 (2005) and Radiat. Effects Defects Solids 159(5), 301 (2004) has been modified and used to calculate the sputtering yield energy distributions for copper, tungsten, and aluminum targets bombarded by low-energy argon ion. As usual, the electronic stopping is ignored in the analysis. The present theory (modified Sigmund’s theory) has been shown to fit the corresponding experimental results of sputtering yield energy distributions well, except for the cases where the larger ion incident angle and larger sputtering emission angles were considered. The larger discrepancy between the present theory and the experimental result in the latter cases is probably due to the influence of direct recoil atoms on the energy spectrum. Compared with Falcone’s analytical theory, the present theory can reproduce much better experimental results of sputtering phenomena. The fact clearly demonstrates the intrinsic relation between the ion–energy dependence of the total sputtering yield and the sputtering yield energy distribution and suggests the great importance of momentum deposited on the target surface in the physical sputtering

Experimental study on energy distribution of the hot electrons generated by femtosecond laser interacting with solid targets

This paper reports the results of the experiment of hot electron energy distribution during the femtosecond laser-solid target interaction. The hot electrons formed an anisotropic energy distribution. In the direction of the target normal, the energy spectrum of the hot electron was a Maxwellian-like distribution with an effective temperature of 206keV, which was due to the resonance absorption. In the direction of the specular reflection of laser, there appeared a local plateau of hot electron energy spectrum at the beginning and then it was decreased gradually, which maybe produced by several acceleration mechanisms. The effective temperature and the yield of hot electrons in the direction of the target normal is larger than those in the direction of the specular reflection of laser, which proves that the resonance absorption mechanism is more effective than others.

Magnetostatic interactions of single-domain nanopillars in quasistatic magnetization states

The magnetostatic interactions and the disorder in an array of cylindrical Ni particles have been quantified. Room-temperature magnetic force microscopy data were used to determine the dipolar energy/particle for first, second, etc., nearest neighbor particles with external magnetic fields applied along the cylinder axes. An Ising-type model, which includes a distribution of anisotropy energies, accurately replicates the experimental dipolar energy/particle data and the observed hysteresis loops. The technique provides a method to quantify the magnetic properties of a magnetic particle system.