Low-frequency Dispersion Research Articles

Impact of Al3+ substitution in M-type hexaferrite on structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties

Hexaferrites SrAlxFe12−xO19 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) doped by Al3+ in an account of Fe3+ were synthesized using microwave digestion. X-ray diffraction pattern analysis revealed that the compound is polycrystalline with a hexagonal M-type structure of SrAlxFe12−xO19 and P63/mmc space group is predominant for all dopants of Al3+ ion. The crystallite size of the SrAlxFe12−xO19 phase has a maximum value for the un-doped sample (94.5 nm) and then decreases for all values of Al-doping. The SEM results showed that the average grain size increased with Al-doping till x = 2 and was almost stable. The magnetic properties were investigated by vibrating sample magnetometer. The results showed a continuous decrease in both saturation (Ms), and remnant (Mr), magnetization with Al-doping. At the same time, the coercive magnetic field, Hc, increases continuously with Al-doping except for x = 4, Hc slightly decreased. These results make these compound candidates to be used in data storage and magnetic memories. Dielectric properties investigation showed low-frequency dispersion in the dielectric results due to a space-charge effect. It has been demonstrated that enhancements in conductivity, dielectric constant (ε′), and dielectric loss (ε′′) rise with an increase in the concentration of Al3+ ions, suggesting that SrAlxFe12−xO19 can be used for microwave absorption and other high-frequency applications.

Sodium-Poor, Hydroxyl-Rich, Defective Na2Ti3O7 Prepared by γ-Irradiation and Its Enhanced Proton Conductivity.

The use of γ-irradiation to tailor the physicochemical properties of materials is not widely applied to layered alkali metal oxides. Herein, we show that γ-irradiation (up to 400 kGy) of Na2Ti3O7 leads to a sodium-poor, hydroxyl-rich analogue where the layered structure, plate-like morphology, and textural properties are preserved. The deintercalation of sodium ions modifies the Ti-O bond lengths and expands the unit cell; the latter is supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. 23Na solid-state NMR suggests the transport of the symmetric, 7-fold Na2 sites to an intermediate environment, which is closer to the asymmetric, 9-fold Na1 sites. An 8 wt % mass loss (1.4 mol water/mol titanate) is observed, indicating an increased concentration of protons/hydroxyls. These hydroxyl groups (i.e., lattice protons) possess higher thermal stability than solely surface-adsorbed ones in the nonirradiated sample. At 200-400 kGy, the proton conduction (50 °C and ∼70% RH) of ∼10-6 S·cm-1 is 1 order of magnitude larger than that in the nonirradiated sample; the relaxation time decreases from 30 to 2-6 μs with γ-irradiation. The γ-dose dependence of dielectric loss is also present and analyzed using the Jonscher universal power law, indicating the low-frequency dispersion behavior characteristics of high charge densities.

Ex vivo electrical bioimpedance measurements and Cole modelling on the porcine colon and rectum

Different pathological changes in the large intestine wall, associated with the development of different chronic diseases, including colorectal cancer, could be reflected in electrical bioimpedance readings. Thickness and composition of the mucus bilayer covering it in the luminal side, abundance of bacteria of the intestinal microbiota, the permeability of the epithelium and inflammation are some of these. However, scientific literature on electrical passive properties of the large intestine is scarce. In this study, complex impedance measurements at 8 frequencies were carried out on 6 specimens of porcine colorectal tissue, within half ab hour post-mortem, obtained from a local abattoir. For 5 different distances, measured proximally from the border of the anus, 3 readings were taken at 3 different points with a tetrapolar probe. The results show 2 different dielectric dispersions in the α and β regions and it seems that there is a relationship between the values of resistivities and the thickness of the wall. Also, parameter values both for the Cole and the geometrical models are given. Another set of electrical bioimpedance readings was carried out in order to assess the effect of the mucus layer on electrical properties of the tissue. It seems that these layers are related to the low frequency dispersion. Finally, electrical passive properties of porcine colorectal tissue, reported in this work, give reference values and behaviour patterns that could be applied for further research in human medicine, based on bioimpedance measurements.

Tuning of interface quality of Al/CeO2/Si device by post-annealing of sol-gel grown high-k CeO2 layers

A comprehensive study has been done on the influence of post-deposition annealing temperature on high-k cerium oxide (CeO2) layer grown on n-type silicon (Si) substrate and its resultant interface states have been studied for Al/CeO2/Si metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices. The high-k CeO2 thin films were deposited by spin-coating and sintered at different annealing temperatures (Ta) in the range of 400–900 °C. The parameters such as fixed charge density (Qeff), dielectric constant (k) of the layers, flat-band voltage (VFB), interface defect density (Dit), etc., of the MOS device were evaluated from CV and I-V measurements. A minimum value of flat band shift (∼0.05 V) with lower Qeff (−4.81 × 1011 C/cm2) have been achieved for the Ta of 600 °C. The k and Dit were evaluated to be 22 and 1.29 × 1012 cm−2, respectively at the Ta of 600 °C. In addition, the CV measurements showed a very small hysteresis and very low frequency dispersion for the Ta of 600 °C sample. Energy distribution of defect states was evaluated and it was maximum towards the bottom of the conduction band. This shows that the 600 °C is the optimum annealing temperature, which results in high quality interface, and the electron affinity of the corresponding CeO2 layers was found to be 3.29 eV as evaluated from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Further, a maximum value of minority carrier lifetime (147 μs) has been achieved for the samples annealed at Ta of 400 °C, indicating that the post-annealing temperature plays a significant role on the properties of CeO2 films deposited by sol-gel process. Thus, the present study demonstrates the possibility of sol-gel grown high k-CeO2 layers suitable for MOS like devices.

Induced polarization of clay-rich materials — Part 3: Partially saturated mixtures of clay and pyrite

Source rocks for oil and gas are often associated with shales that are rich in pyrite and kerogen. Induced polarization is a suitable tool to characterize these formations. We develop a new experimental database of 43 laboratory experiments using mixtures of clay and pyrite under fully or partially water-saturated conditions. The liquid water saturation is in the range of 20%–100%, whereas the pyrite content is in the range of 0%–17%. Spectral-induced polarization measurements are performed in the frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 45 kHz at room temperature (approximately 25°C ± 1°C). The complex conductivity spectra are fitted with a Cole-Cole model, and the Cole-Cole parameters are determined using a stochastic procedure based on a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler. The Cole-Cole parameters associated with low-frequency dispersion are then plotted as a function of the (water) saturation and pyrite content (volume fractions). Four predictions of the model are tested against the experimental data. We find that the model is able to explain the results, including (1) the chargeability depends on the pyrite content in a predictable way, (2) the (instantaneous) conductivity depends on the saturation according to Archie’s law, (3) the Cole-Cole exponent does not depend on the saturation and pyrite content (except at very small pyrite content of <1 vol%), and (4) the relaxation time is inversely proportional to the instantaneous conductivity. We also develop a more advanced petrophysical model using a double Cole-Cole distribution, in which one distribution is associated with the clay minerals and the other is associated with the pyrite.

Analysis of relaxation processes and low frequency dispersion of soil contaminated

Analysis of relaxation processes and low frequency dispersion of soil contaminated

Sb dopant-induced modifications in CuO–ZnO nanocomposites: Optical, electrical and magneto-dielectric insights for optoelectronic applications

This study involves the synthesis of CuO–ZnO nanocomposites with varying Sb doping levels (0%, 2.5%, and 5%) through a facile sol-gel process. Structural analysis via X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of ZnO's hexagonal wurtzite phase and CuO's monoclinic phase in all samples, indicating reduced crystallinity due to doping. The average crystallite size was determined using Scherrer's formula, revealing a decrease in size with doping (33 nm, 31 nm, and 30 nm for 0%, 2.5%, and 5% Sb, respectively). Morphology and chemical composition were assessed using field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The optical bandgap of the Sb-doped CuO–ZnO nanocomposites was determined using a Tauc plot, resulting in values of 2.48 eV, 2.39 eV, and 2.32 eV for dopant concentrations of 0%, 2.5%, and 5%, respectively. Dielectric permittivity and tangent loss were studied across the frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz at different temperatures ranging from 303 K to 723 K measured between 100 Hz and 1 MHz frequency, revealing Maxwell-Wagner-type interfacial polarization. The dielectric permittivity data reveal anomalous behavior near 673 K, shifting with doping, and is explained by thermal ionization and relaxation mechanisms. The ac conductivity, which varies with frequency, demonstrates low-frequency dispersion and is effectively described by Jonscher's power law aligned with the dielectric analysis. Magneto-dielectric measurements showed a positive effect for permittivity and a negative effect for tangent loss, which may be caused by the changes in dipole alignment. The magneto-dielectric effect was further explored by analyzing the impact of magnetic fields (0–1.5 T) on impedance spectroscopy. Nyquist plots obtained at various magnetic fields were fitted using parallel combinations of resistance-capacitor circuits. These plots were then employed to estimate the contributions of both grains and grain boundaries. Overall, the findings from this study provide a foundation for the development of multifunctional materials with tailored properties for a wide range of optoelectronic devices.

Study of molecular interaction in aqueous sucrose in the GHz region using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)

Dielectric relaxation of aqueous sucrose [C12H22O11] has been carried out over the temperature range of 278.15 K to 298.15 K in the frequency region of 0.01 GHz to 30 GHz using time domain reflectometry technique (TDR). Two modes of relaxation processes were observed, namely low-frequency (primary) and high-frequency (secondary) relaxation. The rotating motion of sucrose molecules is primarily responsible for the low-frequency dispersion of relaxation, whereas the reorientation of bulk water is responsible for the high-frequency dispersion of relaxation. Dielectric parameters, i.e., static dielectric constant (εj), relaxation time (τj), dipole moment (û), Kirkwood factor of low frequency relaxation (g1), and thermodynamic parameters, i.e., free energy of activation (ΔFj), enthalpy of activation (ΔHj) and entropy of activation (ΔSj) were calculated. The static dielectric constant (εj), which was detected for both relaxation processes, i.e., ε1 and ε2, was shown to be decreasing with increasing temperature and solute molecule concentration. Over the course of all the concentrations used, it was observed that the τ1 and τ2 both increased with the sucrose concentration and also towards the low temperature. The decreasing trend of correlation factor (g1) suggests a strong possibility of antiparallel alignment of dipoles between sucrose molecules towards higher concentrations. Solute-solute antiparallel correlation seems to be reduced at lower temperature. Higher values of dipole moments at lower sucrose concentrations imply reduced antiparallel alignment between sucrose molecules, while lower values of effective dipole moments (μeff) obtained using Cavell and Kirkwood-Frohlich (KF) equations increase the likelihood of antiparallel alignment of sucrose dipoles. In terms of hydration dynamics, the total water molecules that are effectively locked by the sucrose molecules (Zib) were also calculated. Finally, dielectric parameters have been corroborated by thermodynamic parameters.

Synthesis of sodium silicate and its application of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy — A report

This study aims to explain the dielectric relaxation in sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and its direct dependence on temperature across various frequencies. The study examines and elucidates the involvement of various types of polarization in the thermo-active dielectric relaxation process. Both low-frequency dielectric dispersion and complex impedance play pivotal roles in controlling the thermo-active dielectric relaxation process. Utilizing complex data plots, the study actively, and prominently illustrates the relaxation process.

Small-signal equivalent circuit model of GaN-based nanodiodes at low temperature including trap-related low frequency dispersion

The small-signal equivalent circuit of GaN-based self-switching diodes has been obtained, which apart from the intrinsic R‖C branch, generally used to describe the diode performance, needs new elements to describe the low-frequency dispersion of the impedance originated by the presence of surface and bulk traps. The proposed model allows us to reproduce not only the high-frequency results (extracted from S-parameter measurements in the 40 MHz–43.5 GHz range) at room temperature, but also the low-frequency impedance measurements (75 kHz–30 MHz) at cryogenic temperatures down to 70 K. These new elements are a self-inductance associated to the effect of surface states (typical of a device with a high surface-to-volume ratio) and an extra series R–C branch modeling the influence of the bulk traps.

On the low-frequency dispersion observed in dielectrophoresis spectra.

The foundation of dielectrophoresis (DEP) as a tool for biological investigation is the use of the Clausius-Mossotti (C-M) factor to model the observed behaviour of cells experiencing DEP across a frequency range. Nevertheless, it is also the case that at lower frequencies, the DEP spectrum deviates from predictions; there exists a rise in DEP polarisability, which varies in frequency and magnitude with different cell types and medium conductivities. In order to evaluate the origin of this effect, we have studied DEP spectra from five cell types (erythrocytes, platelets, neurons, HeLa cancer cells and monocytes) in several conditions including medium conductivity and cell treatment. Our results suggest the effect manifests as a low-pass dispersion whose cut-off frequency varies with membrane conductance and capacitance as determined using the DEP spectrum; the effect also varies as a logarithm of medium conductivity and Debye length. These together suggest that the values of membrane capacitance and conductance depend not only on the impedance of the membrane itself, but also of the surrounding double layer. The amplitude of the effect in different cell types compared to the C-M factor was found to correlate with the depolarisation factors for the cells' shapes, suggesting that this ratio may be useful as an indicator of cell shape for DEP modelling.

Enhanced dielectric, magnetic and magnetoelectric properties in 0.5BaFe12O19 - xBaTiO3 - (0.5-x)CoFe2O4 composites

(0.5)BaFe12O19 - xBaTiO3 - (0.5-x)CoFe2O4; (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 & 0.4) composite system was developed through conventional solid-state technique. XRD with Rietveld refinement confirmed pure tri-phasic composites with no impurity. The microstructure of samples has inhomogeneous grain packing with average size of grains ∼0.5 μm and typically decreased with BaTiO3 increment. The dielectric constant showed low-frequency dispersion and increased with BaTiO3 increment, hence maximum at 400 °C for composite x = 0.4 (∼2.8 × 103 at 1 kHz). Composites are ferrimagnetic in nature along with presence of firm exchange coupling among BaFe12O19/CoFe2O4 ferrite phases. The samples are multiferroic owing to typically high magnetoelectric coupling coefficient which increased with BaTiO3 increment, thus composite x = 0.4 attains highest value of 4.56 mV/cm.Oe on application of ac magnetic field (Hac = 45 Oe). The results indicate that the composites are suitable for magnetic field sensors and memory storage devices.

Investigations of the magneto-dielectric and multiferroic properties in of Bi0.90Dy0.10FeO3-BaTi0.95Hf0.05O3 composite

Sol-gel method is used to synthesize the Bi0.90Dy0.10FeO3-BaTi0.95Hf0.05O3 (BDyFO-BTHfO composite) multiferroic composite material. The structural formation was examined utilizing an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern preceded by Rietveld refinement utilizing the FULLPROF programme to confirm the presence of tetragonal and partially rhombohedral structures having space group P4mm and R3c, respectively. The dielectric characteristics of the BDyFO-BTHfO composite have been measured with respect to frequency (100 Hz to 1 MHz) and temperature (RT to 663K). Dielectric permittivity (ε) shows low-frequency dispersion which can be addressed by Maxwell-Wanger-type interfacial polarization. The synthesized composite material exhibits a negative magneto-dielectric (MD) effect when a magnetic field is operated (0.0 T to 2.0 T) and the obtained values are −9.61% and −19.68% for the ε and tanδ, respectively, at 1 kHz. The contribution of the grains, grain boundaries and electrode effects on the resistive characteristics of the samples was evaluated using comprehensive impedance spectroscopy using a Nyquist plot. The band gap (Eg ) absorption of the synthesized sample was determined using Tauc’s formula and found to be 2.05 eV. The BDyFO-BTHfO composite has improved magneto-dielectric, magneto impedance, and optical properties that support their potential usage in microelectronics, energy storage devices, and optoelectronic devices.

Flexible cementite/ferroferric oxide/silicon dioxide/carbon nanofibers composite membrane with low-frequency dispersion weakly negative permittivity

Flexible cementite/ferroferric oxide/silicon dioxide/carbon nanofibers composite membrane with low-frequency dispersion weakly negative permittivity

Flexible Copper Nanowire/Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membranous Composites with a Frequency-Independent Negative Permittivity.

With the increasing popularity of wearable devices, flexible electronics with a negative permittivity property have been widely applied to wearable devices, sensors, and energy storage. In particular, a low-frequency dispersion negative permittivity in a wide frequency range can effectively contribute to the stable working performance of devices. In this work, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was selected as the flexible matrix, and copper nanowires (CuNWs) were used as the conductive functional filler to prepare a flexible CuNWs/PVDF composite film with a low-frequency dispersion negative permittivity. As the content of CuNWs increased, the conductivity of the resulting composites increased sharply and presented a metal-like behavior. Moreover, the negative permittivity consistent with the Drude model was observed when CuNWs formed a percolative network. Meanwhile, the negative permittivity exhibited a low-frequency dispersion in the whole test frequency range, and the fluctuation of the permittivity spectra was relatively small (-760 to -584) at 20 kHz-1 MHz. The results revealed that the high electron mobility of CuNWs is reasonable for the low-frequency dispersion of negative permittivity. CuNWs/PVDF composite films with a frequency-independent negative permittivity provide a new idea for the development of flexible wearable electronic devices.

Magnetic‐Driven Broadband Epsilon‐Near‐Zero Materials at Radio Frequency

AbstractEpsilon‐near‐zero (ENZ) materials, exhibiting unique physical characteristics such as near‐zero refraction, have aroused extensive interest and exhibit great potentials in novel applications of perfect absorbers, high‐harmonic generation, and nonlinear optical response. Here, for the first time, magnetic‐driven broadband ENZ materials are designed by fabricating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Ni@carbon nanotubes (CNTs) films. Dielectric properties including real permittivity (ɛ′), imaginary permittivity (ɛ″), dielectric loss (tanδ), and impedance (Z) are investigated. When Ni@CNTs content reached 30 wt.%, negative permittivity transferred to positive permittivity at ≈11.5 MHz, and epsilon‐near‐zero (|ɛ′| < 1) is realized from ≈9 to 14 MHz, exhibiting broad ENZ bandwidth of ≈5 MHz. Theory calculations confirm that delocalized electrons are introduced from CNTs, which improve the carrier mobility and achieve low frequency dispersion behavior. Longer interfacial polarization electric fields between PVA and CNTs are also demonstrated by theory calculations, enhancing the positive permittivity response to offset negative permittivity response from Ni@CNTs. These two mechanisms result in broadband ENZ at radio frequency. This film also exhibits excellent magnetic actuation ability under magnetic field, broadening applications from ENZ materials to novel fields such as magnetically actuated robots with perfect absorption, magnetic‐driven biomimetic aircrafts with shielding ability, magnetic‐driven photodetectors, etc.

A seismic elastic moduli module for the measurements of low-frequency wave dispersion and attenuation of fluid-saturated rocks under different pressures

Knowledge about the seismic elastic modulus dispersion, and associated attenuation, in fluid-saturated rocks is essential for better interpretation of seismic observations taken as part of hydrocarbon identification and time-lapse seismic surveillance of both conventional and unconventional reservoir and overburden performances. A Seismic Elastic Moduli Module has been developed, based on the forced-oscillations method, to experimentally investigate the frequency dependence of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, as well as the inferred attenuation, of cylindrical samples under different confining pressure conditions. Calibration with three standard samples showed that the measured elastic moduli were consistent with the published data, indicating that the new apparatus can operate reliably over a wide frequency range of f∈[1–2000, 106] Hz. The Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the shale and the tight sandstone samples were measured under axial stress oscillations to assess the frequency- and pressure-dependent effects. Under dry condition, both samples appear to be nearly frequency independent, with weak pressure dependence for the shale and significant pressure dependence for the sandstone. In particular, it was found that the tight sandstone with complex pore microstructure exhibited apparent dispersion and attenuation under brine or glycerin saturation conditions, the levels of which were strongly influenced by the increased effective pressure. In addition, the measured Young's moduli results were compared with the theoretical predictions from a scaled poroelastic model with a reasonably good agreement, revealing that the combined fluid flow mechanisms at both mesoscopic and microscopic scales possibly responsible for the measured dispersion.

Features of low-frequency relaxation processes of sodium niobate ceramics in various structural phases

Comparative studies of low-frequency dispersion, analysis of the most probable relaxation time and activation energy of the low-frequency relaxation process of sodium niobate ceramics obtained under various technological conditions for the synthesis of sodium niobate material were carried out. It is shown that the temperature conditions of the synthesis of the sodium niobate material determine the nature of the low-frequency dispersion only at relatively low temperatures (structural Q or P phase) of sodium niobate samples.

From ambient vibration data analysis to 1D ground-motion prediction of the Mj 5.9 and the Mj 6.5 Kumamoto earthquakes in the Kumamoto alluvial plain, Japan

We present horizontal ground motion predictions at a soft site in the Kumamoto alluvial plain for the Mj 5.9 and Mj 6.5 Kumamoto earthquakes of April 2016, in the framework of an international blind prediction exercise. Such predictions were obtained by leveraging all available information which included: (i) analysis of earthquake ground motions; (ii) processing of ambient vibration data (AMV); and (iii) 1D ground response analysis. Spectral analysis of earthquake ground-motion data were used to obtain empirical estimates of the prediction site amplification function, with evidence of an amplification peak at about 1.2 Hz. Horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio analysis of AMV confirmed this resonance frequency and pointed out also a low-frequency resonance around 0.3 Hz at the prediction site. AMV were then processed by cross-correlation, modified spatial autocorrelation and high-resolution beamforming methods to retrieve the 1D shear-wave velocity (Vs) structure at the prediction site by joint inversion of surface-wave dispersion and ellipticity curves. The use of low frequency dispersion curve and ellipticity data allowed to retrieve a reference Vs profile down to few thousand meters depth which was then used to perform 1D equivalent-linear simulations of the M 5.9 event, and both equivalent-linear and nonlinear simulations of the M 6.5 event at the target site. Adopting quantitative goodness-of-fit metrics based on time–frequency representation of the signals, we obtained fair-to-good agreement between 1D predictions and observations for the Mj 6.5 earthquake and a poor agreement for the Mj 5.9 earthquake. In terms of acceleration response spectra, while ground-motion overpredictions were obtained for the Mj 5.9 event, simulated ground motions for the Mj 6.5 earthquake severely underestimate the observations, especially those obtained by the nonlinear approach.Graphical

Role of interface and bulk traps on the capacitance–voltage characteristics of WS2/Al2O3/Si capacitors

This paper reports the capacitance–voltage (CV) characteristics of 2D material based vertical semiconductor-oxide semiconductor (SOS) capacitors (CAPs) at different ac frequencies. The SOS structure is made of mechanically exfoliated WS2 flakes, deposited on a p-type silicon substrate covered by Al2O3 dielectric layer. The device exhibits n-type behavior as WS2 goes into accumulation at positive biases on the p-Si, with a non-intentional doping concentration of around 1017cm-3. By double sweeping the DC bias, a hysteresis cycle occurs in the CV response. On the other hand, a low frequency dispersion is observed in the depletion mode implying a low WS2/Al2O3 interface trap density. Our quantitative analysis confirms a low interface trap density of Dit∼1011cm-2eV-1. We also report our observation on a distortion in the CV characteristics, observed as the depletion width expands into the WS2 at negative voltage bias. This feature does not depend on the ac signal frequency. Based on our CV analysis, we have proposed a hypothesis with a schematic band-energy model where the CV distortion is attributed to localized bulk traps in the WS2 located within the first few nm from the WS2/Al2O3 interface.