Anisotropic Contributions Research Articles

Comparison of the Mesomorphic Behaviour of 1:1 and 1:2 Mixtures of Charged Gay-Berne GB(4.4,20.0,1,1) and Lennard-Jones Particles

We present a Molecular Dynamics study of mixtures of charged Gay-Berne (GB) ellipsoids and spherical Lennard-Jones (LJ) particles as models of ionic liquids and ionic liquid crystals. The GB system is highly anisotropic (GB(4.4,20.0,1,1)) and we observe a rich mesomorphism, with ionic nematic and smectic phases in addition to the isotropic mixed phase and crystalline phases with honeycomb structure. The systems have been investigated by analyzing the orientational and translational order parameters, as well as radial distribution functions. We have directly compared 1:1 mixtures, where the GB and LJ particles have a charge equal in magnitude and opposite in sign, and 1:2 mixtures where the number of LJ particles is twice as large compared to the GB and their charge half in magnitude. The results highlight the role of the long-range isotropic electrostatic interaction compared to the short-range van der Waals anisotropic contribution, and the effect of the stoichiometry on the stability of ionic mesophases.

High anisotropy on epitaxial C-doped Mn5Ge3 thin films grown on Ge(001)

Epitaxial Mn5Ge3C0.6 thin films were grown on Ge(001) substrates by magnetron sputtering utilizing the reactive deposition epitaxy method at 623 K. The c-axis of the hexagonal crystalline structure of Mn5Ge3 lies in the film plane with the epitaxial relationship Ge(001)[110]∥Mn5Ge3(012)[011]. The film exhibits a large in-plane magnetic anisotropy ten times larger than that observed on Mn5Ge3C0.6 thin films grown on Ge(111) substrates attributed to the double contribution of magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropies. The magnetization M-H curves indicate that the easy magnetization axes lie in the film plane independent of the selected azimuthal, while the normal to the film plane is a hard axis. The films exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior with a Curie temperature of 425 K. Epitaxial Ge(001)/Mn5Ge3C0.6 is therefore proposed as a promising functional material for spintronic applications, which could be directly integrated into the Si technology.

Macrospin analysis of RF excitations within fully perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with second order easy-axis magnetic anisotropy contribution

The conditions of field and voltage for inducing steady state excitations in fully perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (pMTJs), adapted for memory applications, were numerically investigated by the resolution of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation in the macrospin approach. Both damping-like and the field-like spin transfer torque terms were taken into account in the simulations, as well as the contribution of the second order uniaxial anisotropy term (K2), which has been recently revealed in MgO-based pMTJs. An in-plane applied magnetic field balances the out of plane symmetry of the pMTJ and allows the signal detection. Using this model, we assessed the states of the free layer magnetization as a function of strength of K2 and polar θH angle of the applied field (varied from 90° to 60°). There are two stable states, with the magnetization in-plane or out of plane of the layer, and two dynamic states with self-sustained oscillations, called in-plane precession state (IPP) or out of plane precession state (OPP). The IPP mode, with oscillation frequencies up to 7 GHz, appears only for positive voltages if θH = 90°. However, it shows a more complex distribution when the field is slightly tilted out of plane. The OPP mode is excited only if K2 is considered and reaches a maximum oscillation frequency of 15 GHz. Large areas of dynamic states with high frequencies are obtained for strong values of the field-like torque and K2, when applying a slightly tilted external field toward the out of plane direction. The non-zero temperature does not modify the phase diagrams but reduces drastically the power spectral density peak amplitudes.

Reduced surface effects in weakly interacting ZrO2 coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles

Surface effects in zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) coated manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles have been studied by using dc and ac magnetization. The average crystallite size of MnFe2O4 and ZrO2 phase was about 9 and 4 nm, respectively as determined by Debye-Scherrer’s formula. TEM images revealed that the nanoparticles are spherical in shape with less agglomeration. Selected area electron diffraction analysis shows two different crystalline species such as nanoparticle’s core MnFe2O4 and coating ZrO2, which was in agreement with the XRD analysis. Effective anisotropy constant (Keff = 3 × 1004 erg/cm3) as deduced from simulated ZFC/FC curves is close to bulk value (Kbulk = 2.5 × 1004 erg/cm3) which is due to weak contribution of surface anisotropy. Saturation magnetization showed an increasing trend at low temperatures (more pronounced below 50 K) which is again due to reduced surface spins disorder. Temperature dependent coercivity revealed a sharp increase at 5 K, which is due to the surface spins freezing. The Arrhenius law fit to frequency shift of TB in ac susceptibility revealed weak interparticle interactions. The nanoparticles showed slow spin relaxation in ZFC protocol which signify the presence of disorder in our nanoparticles, however the value of shape parameter β lies outside the spin-glass regime. In summary, non-magnetic ZrO2 coating on these fine MnFe2O4 nanoparticles reduces their surface energy, magnetic interparticle interactions and surface effects, which are not sufficient to establish a spin-glass behaviour.

Preparation and investigation of structure, magnetic and dielectric properties of (BaFe11.9Al0.1O19)1-x - (BaTiO3)x bicomponent ceramics

(BaFe11.9Al0.1O19)1-x - (BaTiO3)x with x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 bicomponent ceramics has been prepared from single-phase compounds of BaFe11.9Al0.1O19 (x = 0) (BFO) and BaTiO3 (x = 1) (BTO) by a standard ceramic technique. The constituent materials have been chosen considering their perspective ferrimagnetic and ferroelectric properties, respectively for BFO and BTO. Moreover, Ba-hexaferrites are reported to exhibit ferroelectricity at room temperature as well, and the combination of two ferroelectric phases is of interest. Systematic investigations of the structural, magnetic and dielectrical properties versus chemical composition (x) have been performed. The ferrimagnetic phase transition temperature is almost independent of the BTO content, which is determined by intensity of the Fe3+-O2--Fe3+ indirect superexchange interactions in the BFO hexaferrite phase. However, the coercivity of composite samples is lower due to the contribution of the microstructure-dependent shape anisotropy to the total magnetic anisotropy energy. The permittivity vs. temperature behavior confirmed the existence of two ferroelectric phase transitions corresponding to structural phase transitions in BTO at ~ 400 K and BFO at ~ 700 K. It has been observed that the dielectrical properties of composite samples, including the temperatures of the phase transitions, critically depended on concentration x which affects the composite microstructure. This behavior has been discussed in terms of microstructure analysis and such parameters as the grain size, porosity and density.

Magnetic Anisotropy in Single Crystals: A Review

Empirical relationships between magnetic fabrics and deformation have long served as a fast and efficient way to interpret rock textures. Understanding the single crystal magnetic properties of all minerals that contribute to the magnetic anisotropy of a rock, allows for more reliable and quantitative texture interpretation. Integrating information of single crystal properties with a determination whether or not mineral and magnetic fabrics are parallel may yield additional information about the texture type. Models based on textures and single crystal anisotropies help assess how the individual minerals in a rock contribute to the rock’s anisotropy, and how the individual anisotropy contributions interfere with each other. For this, accurate and reliable single crystal data need to be available. This review paper discusses magnetic anisotropy in single crystals of the most common rock-forming minerals, silicates and carbonates, in relation to their mineralogy and chemical composition. The most important ferromagnetic minerals and their anisotropy are also discussed. This compilation and summary will hopefully lead to a deeper understanding of the sources of magnetic anisotropy in rocks, and improve the interpretation of magnetic fabrics in future structural and tectonic studies.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation of skyrmions in thin layers of cubic helimagnets

Formation of isolated chiral skyrmions by homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation has been studied in thin layers of cubic helimagnets via elongation of torons and chiral bobbers, correspondingly. Both torons and bobbers are localized in three dimensions, contain singularities, and according to the theoretical analysis within the standard phenomenological models can exist as metastable states in saturated and modulated phases of noncentrosymmetric ferromagnets. Their elongation into the defect-free skyrmion filament is facilitated by small anisotropic contributions making skyrmion cores negative with respect to the surrounding parental state. We show that isolated magnetic torons pose the same problem of compatibility with a surrounding phase as the torons in confinement-frustrated chiral nematics [I. Smalyukh et al., Nature Mater 9, 139-145 (2010)]. We underline the distinct features of magnetic and liquid-crystals torons and calculate phase diagrams indicating their stability regions.

Generation of circular polarization of CMB from the Euler–Heisenberg Lagrangian

It is known that the dominated contribution of primordial anisotropies of cosmic microwave background (CMB) are linearly polarized via Compton scattering. However, circular polarization of this anisotropy has not been observed up to now, but it has not been excluded in observational evidences. Here we show that the Euler–Heisenberg effective Lagrangian can generate circular polarization in CMB. This generation is calculated by using the quantum Boltzman equation for time evolution of the Stokes parameter. Also we estimate Faraday conversion phase on the order of 10−13 due to this Lagrangian, which gives a lower bound on circular polarization of CMB.

Room temperature biaxial magnetic anisotropy in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films on SrTiO3 buffered MgO (001) substrates for spintronic applications

Spintronics exploits the magnetoresistance effects to store or sense the magnetic information. Since the magnetoresistance strictly depends on the magnetic anisotropy of a system, it is fundamental to set a defined anisotropy to the system. Here, we investigate half-metallic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films by means of vectorial Magneto-Optical Kerr Magnetometry and found that they exhibit pure biaxial magnetic anisotropy at room temperature if grown onto a MgO (001) substrate with a thin SrTiO3 buffer. In this way, we can avoid unwanted uniaxial magnetic anisotropy contributions that may be detrimental for specific applications. The detailed study of the angular evolution of the magnetization reversal pathways and critical fields (coercivity and switching) discloses the origin of the magnetic anisotropy, which is magnetocrystalline in nature and shows fourfold symmetry at any temperature.

On the quasi-incompressible finite element analysis of anisotropic hyperelastic materials

Quasi-incompressible behavior is a desired feature in several constitutive models within the finite elasticity of solids, such as rubber-like materials and some fiber-reinforced soft biological tissues. The Q1P0 finite element formulation, derived from the three-field Hu–Washizu variational principle, has hitherto been exploited along with the augmented Lagrangian method to enforce incompressibility. This formulation typically uses the unimodular deformation gradient. However, contributions by Sansour (Eur J Mech A Solids 27:28–39, 2007) and Helfenstein et al. (Int J Solids Struct 47:2056–2061, 2010) conspicuously demonstrate an alternative concept for analyzing fiber reinforced solids, namely the use of the (unsplit) deformation gradient for the anisotropic contribution, and these authors elaborate on their proposals with analytical evidence. The present study handles the alternative concept from a purely numerical point of view, and addresses systematic comparisons with respect to the classical treatment of the Q1P0 element and its coalescence with the augmented Lagrangian method by means of representative numerical examples. The results corroborate the new concept, show its numerical efficiency and reveal a direct physical interpretation of the fiber stretches.

Oblique Klein tunneling in 8−Pmmn borophene p−n junctions

The 8-\textit{Pmmn} borophene is one kind of new elemental monolayer, which hosts anisotropic and tilted massless Dirac fermions (MDF). The planar \textit{p-n} junction (PNJ) structure as the basic component of various novel devices based on the monolayer material has attracted increasing attention. Here, we analytically study the transport properties of anisotropic and tilted MDF across 8-\textit{Pmmn} borophene PNJ. Similar to the isotropic MDF across graphene junctions, perfect transmission exists but its direction departures the normal direction of borophene PNJ induced by the anisotropy and tilt, i.e., oblique Klein tunneling. The oblique Klein tunneling does not depend on the doping levels in \textit{N} and \textit{P} regions of PNJ as the normal Klein tunneling but depends on the junction direction. Furthermore, we analytically derive the special junction direction for the maximal difference between perfect transmission direction and the normal direction of PNJ and clearly distinguish the respective contribution of anisotropy and tilt underlying the oblique Klein tunneling. In light of the rapid advances of experimental technologies, we expect the oblique Klein tunneling to be observable in the near future.

Static and Dynamic Magnetic Properties of Single‐Crystalline Yttrium Iron Garnet Films Epitaxially Grown on Three Garnet Substrates

AbstractSingle‐crystalline yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films are grown on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG), rare‐earth‐substituted GGG, and neodymium gallium garnet (NGG) substrates, and their crystalline structures, surface morphologies, magnetic and magneto‐optical properties, spin wave (SW) spectra of the forward volume (FV) mode, and damping parameters are characterized. YIG grown on NGG shows the smallest out‐of‐plane effective anisotropy field of 1080 Oe among the three samples because of its larger magnetoelastic anisotropy contribution, and its damping parameter is 1.1 × 10−3. The FV SW dispersion curve is calculated from the magnetic anisotropy and it shows good agreement with experimental data.

A Multifaceted Study of Methane Adsorption in Metal–Organic Frameworks by Using Three Complementary Techniques

Methane is a promising clean and inexpensive energy alternative to traditional fossil fuels, however, its low volumetric energy density at ambient conditions has made devising viable, efficient methane storage systems very challenging. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising candidates for methane storage. In order to improve the methane storage capacity of MOFs, a better understanding of the methane adsorption, mobility, and host-guest interactions within MOFs must be realized. In this study, methane adsorption within α-Mg3 (HCO2 )6 , α-Zn3 (HCO2 )6 , SIFSIX-3-Zn, and M-MOF-74 (M=Mg, Zn, Ni, Co) has been comprehensively examined. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) experiments and DFT calculations of the methane adsorption locations were performed for α-Mg3 (HCO2 )6 , α-Zn3 (HCO2 )6 , and SIFSIX-3-Zn. The SCXRD thermal ellipsoids indicate that methane possesses significant mobility at the adsorption sites in each system. 2 H solid-state NMR (SSNMR) experiments targeting deuterated CH3 D guests in α-Mg3 (HCO2 )6 , α-Zn3 (HCO2 )6 , SIFSIX-3-Zn, and MOF-74 yield an interesting finding: the 2 H SSNMR spectra of methane adsorbed in these MOFs are significantly influenced by the chemical shielding anisotropy in addition to the quadrupolar interaction. The chemical shielding anisotropy contribution is likely due mainly to the nuclear independent chemical shift effect on the MOF surfaces. In addition, the 2 H SSNMR results and DFT calculations strongly indicate that the methane adsorption strength is linked to the MOF pore size and that dispersive forces are responsible for the methane adsorption in these systems. This work lays a very promising foundation for future studies of methane adsorption locations and dynamics within adsorbent MOF materials.

Neutrino dispersion relation in a magnetized multi-stream matter background

We study the propagation of a neutrino in a medium that consists of two or more thermal backgrounds of electrons and nucleons moving with some relative velocity, in the presence of a static and homogeneous electromagnetic field. We calculate the neutrino self-energy and dispersion relation using the linear thermal Schwinger propagator, we give the formulas for the dispersion relation and discuss general features of the results obtained, in particular the effects of the stream contributions. As a specific example we discuss in some detail the case of a magnetized two-stream electron, i.e., two electron backgrounds with a relative velocity {mathbf {v}} in the presence of a magnetic field. For a neutrino propagating with momentum {mathbf {k}}, in the presence of the stream the neutrino dispersion relation acquires an anisotropic contribution of the form {hat{k}}cdot {mathbf {v}} in addition to the well known term {hat{k}}cdot {mathbf {B}}, as well as an additional contribution proportional to {mathbf {B}}cdot {mathbf {v}}. We consider the contribution from a nucleon stream background as an example of other possible stream backgrounds, and comment on possible generalizations to take into account the effects of inhomogeneous fields. We explain why a term of the form {hat{k}}cdot ({mathbf {v}}times {mathbf {B}}) does not appear in the dispersion relation in the constant field case, while a term of similar form can appear in the presence of an inhomogeneous field involving its gradient.

Emergence of coherent vortices from Leslie’s perturbation method in a rotating turbulent fluid

Abstract Publisher's Note: This article was withdrawn in July 2018 due to a dispute over the authorship of the work. The Coriolis force that plays a fundamental role in determining the anisotropic structure of rotating turbulent fluid, has evaded most analytical attempts in understanding the emergence of coherent columnar structures. Here we treated the Coriolis term appearing in the rotating turbulence dynamics as a perturbation acting on the isotropic Kolmogorov state and show that it generates anisotropic (angle-dependent) contribution to the spectral energy density. We find that, with increasing length scales, the turbulent energy density resides more and more predominantly in the wavevectors perpendicular to the rotation axis. This signifies the generation of coherent columnar vortices at sufficiently large scales which is consistent with experimental observations and numerical predictions in rotating turbulence.

Magnetic Study of Co-Doped Magnetosome Chains

Magnetotactic bacteria synthesize a chain of magnetic nanoparticles, called magnetosome chain, used to align and swim along the geomagnetic field lines. In particular, Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense biomineralize magnetite, Fe3O4. Growing this species in a Co-supplemented medium, Co-doped magnetite is obtained, tailoring in this way the magnetic properties of the magnetosome chain. Combining structural and magnetic techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge structure, and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, we determine that ∼1% of Co2+ substitutes Fe2+ located in octahedral places in the magnetite, thus increasing the coercive field. In the framework of the Stoner–Wohlfarth model, we have analyzed the evolution of the hysteresis loops as a function of temperature determining the different magnetic anisotropy contributions and their evolution with temperature. In contrast with the control magnetosome chains, whose effective anisot...

Structure and magnetic properties of an epitaxial Fe(110)/MgO(111)/GaN(0001) heterostructure

We present the structural and magnetic properties of fully epitaxial Fe(110)/MgO(111)/GaN(0001) tunnel barrier structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. In-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex-situ X-ray diffraction measurements indicate epitaxial Fe(110) films on top of an epitaxial 2 nm MgO(111) tunnel barrier on GaN(0001). X-ray reflectivity measurements confirm a roughness of approximately 0.3 nm and 0.7 nm for the MgO/GaN and the Fe/MgO interfaces, respectively. Results of in-situ magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements indicate that 1 nm thick Fe film shows signs of in-plane ferromagnetism at room temperature. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements determine the saturation magnetisation of the 5 nm thick film to be 1660 ± 100 emu/cm3 and show that this system has a predominant uniaxial anisotropy contribution despite the presence of cyclic twinned crystals. We estimate the values of effective uniaxial (KUeff) and cubic (K1eff) anisotropy constants to be 11700 ± 170 erg cm−3 and −3300 ± 700 erg cm−3 by fitting the angular dependence of the magnetising energy.

Isotropic/Anisotropic NMR Editing by Resolution-Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy.

Modern resolution-enhanced NMR techniques can monitor the in situ discrimination of co-existing isotropic and anisotropic contributions of small molecules dissolved in weakly aligning PMMA/CDCl3 media. The simultaneous sign-sensitive determination of accurate Δδiso-aniso (1 H), Δδiso-aniso (13 C) and/or isotropic 1 JCH and anisotropic 1 TCH coupling constants (and consequently 1 H-13 C residual dipolar couplings and 1 H/13 C residual chemical shift anisotropies) can be performed from spectral-aliased heteronuclear single-quantum correlation spectra.

Insights into the Structure of Liquid Water from Nuclear Quantum Effects on the Density and Compressibility of Ice Polymorphs.

Nuclear quantum effects lead to an anomalous shift of the volume of hexagonal ice; heavy ice has a larger volume than light ice. Furthermore, this anomaly in ice increases with temperature and persists in liquid water up to the boiling point. To gain more insight, we study nuclear quantum effects on the density and compressibility of several ice-like structures and crystalline ice phases. By calculating the anisotropic contributions to the stain tensor, we analyze how the compressibility changes along different directions in hexagonal ice, and find that hexagonal ice is softer along the x- y plane than the z-direction. Furthermore, by performing ab initio density functional theory calculations with a van der Waals functional and with the quasiharmonic approximation, we find an anomalous isotope effect in the bulk modulus of hexagonal ice: heavy ice has a smaller bulk modulus than light ice. In agreement with the experiments, we also obtain an anomalous isotope effect for clathrate hydrate structure I. For the rest of the ice polymorphs, the isotope effect is (i) anomalous for ice IX, Ih, Ic, clathrate, and low density liquid-like (LDL-like) amorphous ice; (ii) normal at T = 0 K and becomes anomalous with increasing temperature for ice IX, II, high density liquid-like (HDL-like) amorphous ices, and ice XV; and (iii) normal for ice VIII up to the melting point. There is a transition from an anomalous isotope effect to a normal isotope effect for both the volume and bulk modulus, as the density (compressibility) of the structures increases (decreases). This result can explain the anomalous isotope effect in liquid water: as the compressibility decreases from the melting point to the compressibility minimum temperature, the difference between the volumes of the heavy and light water rapidly decreases, but the effect stays anomalous up to the boiling temperature as the hydrogen bond network is never completely broken by fully filling all of the interstitial sites.

Separating azimuthal orientation dependence in polarization measurements of anisotropic media.

Polarization imaging and Mueller polarimetry provide powerful tools for probing the microstructure of complex anisotropic media, which is a core task in material science, biomedical diagnosis and many research fields. However, Mueller matrix elements and many polarization parameters are sensitive to the spatial orientation of the sample and experimental configurations, hindering the effectiveness for distinguishing different sources of anisotropies. In this paper, we propose a set of rotation invariant parameters and corresponding orientation parameters, which are explicit functions of the Mueller matrix elements. They are valid under the condition that the illumination and detection directions are collinear with the rotation axis of the sample. More detailed examinations show that these parameters have potential applications for fast analyzing different anisotropy contributions in the media, such as birefringence, dichroism, and their coexistence. The conclusions are validated with Monte Carlo simulations and the experimental results of transparent tape samples.