Controlling the formation process and atomic structures of single pyrazine molecular junction by tuning the strength of the metal-molecule interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Satoshi; Takahashi, Ryoji; Fujii, Shintaro; Nishino, Tomoaki; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-04-12

The formation process and atomic structures were investigated for single pyrazine molecular junctions sandwiched by three different Au, Ag, and Cu electrodes using a mechanically controllable break junction technique in ultrahigh vacuum conditions at 300 K. We demonstrated that the formation process of the single-molecule junction crucially depended on the choice of the metal electrodes. While single-molecule junction showing two distinct conductance states were found for the Au electrodes, only the single conductance state was evident for the Ag electrodes, and there was no junction formation for the Cu electrodes. These results suggested that metal-molecule interaction dominates the formation process and probability of the single-molecule junction. In addition to the metal-molecule interaction, temperature affected the formation process of the single-molecule junction. The single pyrazine molecular junction formed between Au electrodes exhibited significant temperature dependence where the junction-formation probability was about 8% at 300 K, while there was no junction-formation at 100 K. Instead of the junction formation, an Au atomic wire was formed at the low temperature. This study provides insight into the tuning of the junction-forming process for single-molecule junctions, which is needed to construct device structures on a single molecule scale.

Single-site catalyst promoters accelerate metal-catalyzed nitroarene hydrogenation

KAUST Repository

Wang, Liang

2018-04-04

Atomically dispersed supported metal catalysts are drawing wide attention because of the opportunities they offer for new catalytic properties combined with efficient use of the metals. We extend this class of materials to catalysts that incorporate atomically dispersed metal atoms as promoters. The catalysts are used for the challenging nitroarene hydrogenation and found to have both high activity and selectivity. The promoters are single-site Sn on TiO2 supports that incorporate metal nanoparticle catalysts. Represented as M/Sn-TiO2 (M = Au, Ru, Pt, Ni), these catalysts decidedly outperform the unpromoted supported metals, even for hydrogenation of nitroarenes substituted with various reducible groups. The high activity and selectivity of these catalysts result from the creation of oxygen vacancies on the TiO2 surface by single-site Sn, which leads to efficient, selective activation of the nitro group coupled with a reaction involving hydrogen atoms activated on metal nanoparticles.

Single-site catalyst promoters accelerate metal-catalyzed nitroarene hydrogenation

KAUST Repository

Wang, Liang; Guan, Erjia; Zhang, Jian; Yang, Junhao; Zhu, Yihan; Han, Yu; Yang, Ming; Cen, Cheng; Fu, Gang; Gates, Bruce C.; Xiao, Feng-Shou

2018-01-01

Atomically dispersed supported metal catalysts are drawing wide attention because of the opportunities they offer for new catalytic properties combined with efficient use of the metals. We extend this class of materials to catalysts that incorporate atomically dispersed metal atoms as promoters. The catalysts are used for the challenging nitroarene hydrogenation and found to have both high activity and selectivity. The promoters are single-site Sn on TiO2 supports that incorporate metal nanoparticle catalysts. Represented as M/Sn-TiO2 (M = Au, Ru, Pt, Ni), these catalysts decidedly outperform the unpromoted supported metals, even for hydrogenation of nitroarenes substituted with various reducible groups. The high activity and selectivity of these catalysts result from the creation of oxygen vacancies on the TiO2 surface by single-site Sn, which leads to efficient, selective activation of the nitro group coupled with a reaction involving hydrogen atoms activated on metal nanoparticles.

Formation and properties of metal-oxygen atomic chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thijssen, W.H.A.; Strange, Mikkel; de Brugh, J.M.J.A.

2008-01-01

of longer atomic chains. The mechanical and electrical properties of these diatomic chains have been investigated by determining local vibration modes of the chain and by measuring the dependence of the average chain-conductance on the length of the chain. Additionally, we have performed calculations......Suspended chains consisting of single noble metal and oxygen atoms have been formed. We provide evidence that oxygen can react with and be incorporated into metallic one-dimensional atomic chains. Oxygen incorporation reinforces the linear bonds in the chain, which facilitates the creation...

Probing Single Pt Atoms in Complex Intermetallic Al13Fe4.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Tsunetomo; Kojima, Takayuki; Abe, Eiji; Kameoka, Satoshi; Murakami, Yumi; Gille, Peter; Tsai, An Pang

2018-03-21

The atomic structure of a 0.2 atom % Pt-doped complex metallic alloy, monoclinic Al 13 Fe 4 , was investigated using a single crystal prepared by the Czochralski method. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy showed that the Pt atoms were dispersed as single atoms and substituted at Fe sites in Al 13 Fe 4 . Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis revealed that the Pt atoms preferentially substitute at Fe(1). Unlike those that have been reported, Pt single atoms in the surface layers showed lower activity and selectivity than those of Al 2 Pt and bulk Pt for propyne hydrogenation, indicating that the active state of a given single-atom Pt site is strongly dominated by the bonding to surrounding Al atoms.

Atomic absorption spectrometry using tungsten and molybdenum tubes as metal atomizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneco, Satoshi; Katsumata, Hideyuki; Ohta, Kiyohisa; Suzuki, Tohru

2007-01-01

We have developed a metal tube atomizer for the electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS). Tungsten, molybdenum, platinum tube atomizers were used as the metal atomizer for ETA-AAS. The atomization characteristics of various metals using these metal tube atomizers were investigated. The effects of heating rate of atomizer, atomization temperature, pyrolysis temperature, argon purge gas flow rate and hydrogen addition on the atomic absorption signal were investigated for the evaluation of atomization characteristics. Moreover, ETA-AAS with metal tube atomizer has been combined with the slurry-sampling techniques. Ultrasonic slurry-sampling ETA-AAS with metal tube atomizer were effective for the determination of trace metal elements in biological materials, calcium drug samples, herbal medicine samples, vegetable samples and fish samples. Furthermore, a preconcentration method of trace metals involving adsorption on a metal wire has been applied to ETA-AAS with metal tube atomizer. (author)

From Single Atoms to Nanoparticles: Autocatalysis and Metal Aggregation in Atomic Layer Deposition of Pt on TiO2 Nanopowder.

Science.gov (United States)

Grillo, Fabio; Van Bui, Hao; La Zara, Damiano; Aarnink, Antonius A I; Kovalgin, Alexey Y; Kooyman, Patricia; Kreutzer, Michiel T; van Ommen, Jan Rudolf

2018-05-10

A fundamental understanding of the interplay between ligand-removal kinetics and metal aggregation during the formation of platinum nanoparticles (NPs) in atomic layer deposition of Pt on TiO 2 nanopowder using trimethyl(methylcyclo-pentadienyl)platinum(IV) as the precursor and O 2 as the coreactant is presented. The growth follows a pathway from single atoms to NPs as a function of the oxygen exposure (P O2 × time). The growth kinetics is modeled by accounting for the autocatalytic combustion of the precursor ligands via a variant of the Finke-Watzky two-step model. Even at relatively high oxygen exposures ( 120 mbar s. The deposition of more Pt leads to the formation of NPs that can be as large as 6 nm. Crucially, high P O2 (≥5 mbar) hinders metal aggregation, thus leading to narrow particle size distributions. The results show that ALD of Pt NPs is reproducible across small and large surface areas if the precursor ligands are removed at high P O2 . © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Adsorption and migration of single metal atoms on the calcite (10.4) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, H; Haapasilta, V; Lokhandwala, M; Foster, Adam S; Öberg, S

2017-01-01

Transition metal atoms are one of the key ingredients in the formation of functional 2D metal organic coordination networks. Additionally, the co-deposition of metal atoms can play an important role in anchoring the molecular structures to the surface at room temperature. To gain control of such processes requires the understanding of adsorption and diffusion properties of the different transition metals on the target surface. Here, we used density functional theory to investigate the adsorption of 3 d (Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu), 4 d (Zr, Nb, Mo, Pd, Ag) and 5 d (Hf, W, Ir, Pt, Au) transition metal adatoms on the insulating calcite (10.4) surface. We identified the most stable adsorption sites and calculated binding energies and corresponding ground state structures. We find that the preferential adsorption sites are the Ca–Ca bridge sites. Apart from the Cr, Mo, Cu, Ag and Au all the studied metals bind strongly to the calcite surface. The calculated migration barriers for the representative Ag and Fe atoms indicates that the metal adatoms are mobile on the calcite surface at room temperature. Bader analysis suggests that there is no significant charge transfer between the metal adatoms and the calcite surface. (paper)

Aspherical-atom modeling of coordination compounds by single-crystal X-ray diffraction allows the correct metal atom to be identified.

Science.gov (United States)

Dittrich, Birger; Wandtke, Claudia M; Meents, Alke; Pröpper, Kevin; Mondal, Kartik Chandra; Samuel, Prinson P; Amin Sk, Nurul; Singh, Amit Pratap; Roesky, Herbert W; Sidhu, Navdeep

2015-02-02

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) is often considered the gold standard in analytical chemistry, as it allows element identification as well as determination of atom connectivity and the solid-state structure of completely unknown samples. Element assignment is based on the number of electrons of an atom, so that a distinction of neighboring heavier elements in the periodic table by XRD is often difficult. A computationally efficient procedure for aspherical-atom least-squares refinement of conventional diffraction data of organometallic compounds is proposed. The iterative procedure is conceptually similar to Hirshfeld-atom refinement (Acta Crystallogr. Sect. A- 2008, 64, 383-393; IUCrJ. 2014, 1,61-79), but it relies on tabulated invariom scattering factors (Acta Crystallogr. Sect. B- 2013, 69, 91-104) and the Hansen/Coppens multipole model; disordered structures can be handled as well. Five linear-coordinate 3d metal complexes, for which the wrong element is found if standard independent-atom model scattering factors are relied upon, are studied, and it is shown that only aspherical-atom scattering factors allow a reliable assignment. The influence of anomalous dispersion in identifying the correct element is investigated and discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metal atom oxidation laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, R.J.; Rice, W.W.; Beattie, W.H.

1975-01-01

A chemical laser which operates by formation of metal or carbon atoms and reaction of such atoms with a gaseous oxidizer in an optical resonant cavity is described. The lasing species are diatomic or polyatomic in nature and are readily produced by exchange or other abstraction reactions between the metal or carbon atoms and the oxidizer. The lasing molecules may be metal or carbon monohalides or monoxides

Adsorption of alkali and alkaline-earth metal atoms on stanene: A first-principles study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kadioglu, Yelda; Ersan, Fatih [Department of Physics, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydın (Turkey); Gökoğlu, Gökhan [Department of Physics, Karabük University, 78050 Karabük (Turkey); Aktürk, Olcay Üzengi [Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydın (Turkey); Nanotechnology Application and Research Center, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydın (Turkey); Aktürk, Ethem, E-mail: ethem.akturk@adu.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydın (Turkey); Nanotechnology Application and Research Center, Adnan Menderes University, 09100 Aydın (Turkey)

2016-09-01

This paper presents a study on the adsorption of alkali and alkaline-earth metal atoms on single-layer stanene with different levels of coverage using first-principles plane wave calculations within spin-polarized density functional theory. The most favorable adsorption site for alkali atoms (Li, Na, K) were found to be the hollow site similar to other group IV single-layers, but the case of alkaline-earths on stanene is different from silicene and germanene. Whereas Mg and Ca are bound to stanene at hollow site, the bridge site is found to be energetically favorable for Be adatom. All adsorbed atoms are positively charged due to the charge transfer from adatom to stanene single-layer. The semimetallic bare stanene become metallic except for Be adsorption. The Beryllium adsorption give rise to non-magnetic semiconducting ground state. Our results illustrate that stanene has a reactive and functionalizable surface similar to graphene or silicene. - Highlights: • Alkali and alkaline-earth metal atoms form stronger bonds with stanene compared to other group IV monolayers. • Semi-metallic stanene becomes nonmagnetic metal for Li, Na, K, Mg, and Ca atoms adsorption. • Semi-metallic stanene becomes nonmagnetic semiconductor with 94 meV band gap for Be atom adsorption.

Phase-coherent electron transport through metallic atomic-sized contacts and organic molecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pauly, F.

2007-02-02

This work is concerned with the theoretical description of systems at the nanoscale, in particular the electric current through atomic-sized metallic contacts and organic molecules. In the first part, the characteristic peak structure in conductance histograms of different metals is analyzed within a tight-binding model. In the second part, an ab-initio method for quantum transport is developed and applied to single-atom and single-molecule contacts. (orig.)

Site-selective substitutional doping with atomic precision on stepped Al (111) surface by single-atom manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chang; Zhang, Jinhu; Dong, Guofeng; Shao, Hezhu; Ning, Bo-Yuan; Zhao, Li; Ning, Xi-Jing; Zhuang, Jun

2014-01-01

In fabrication of nano- and quantum devices, it is sometimes critical to position individual dopants at certain sites precisely to obtain the specific or enhanced functionalities. With first-principles simulations, we propose a method for substitutional doping of individual atom at a certain position on a stepped metal surface by single-atom manipulation. A selected atom at the step of Al (111) surface could be extracted vertically with an Al trimer-apex tip, and then the dopant atom will be positioned to this site. The details of the entire process including potential energy curves are given, which suggests the reliability of the proposed single-atom doping method.

Design of high-activity single-atom catalysts via n-p codoping

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaonan; Zhou, Haiyan; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Jia, Jianfeng; Wu, Haishun

2018-03-01

The large-scale synthesis of stable single-atom catalysts (SACs) in experiments remains a significant challenge due to high surface free energy of metal atom. Here, we propose a concise n-p codoping approach, and find it can not only disperse the relatively inexpensive metal, copper (Cu), onto boron (B)-doped graphene, but also result in high-activity SACs. We use CO oxidation on B/Cu codoped graphene as a prototype example, and demonstrate that: (1) a stable SAC can be formed by stronger electrostatic attraction between the metal atom (n-type Cu) and support (p-type B-doped graphene). (2) the energy barrier of the prototype CO oxidation on B/Cu codoped graphene is 0.536 eV by the Eley-Rideal mechanism. Further analysis shows that the spin selection rule can provide well theoretical insight into high activity of our suggested SAC. The concept of n-p codoping may lead to new strategy in large-scale synthesis of stable single-atom catalysts.

Single atom and-molecules chemisorption on solid surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anda, E.V.; Ure, J.E.; Majlis, N.

1981-01-01

A simplified model for the microscopic interpretation of single atom and- molecules chemisorption on metallic surfaces is presented. An appropriated hamiltonian for this problem is resolved, through the Green's function formalism. (L.C.) [pt

Single Cobalt Atoms with Precise N-Coordination as Superior Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Peiqun; Yao, Tao; Wu, Yuen; Zheng, Lirong; Lin, Yue; Liu, Wei; Ju, Huanxin; Zhu, Junfa; Hong, Xun; Deng, Zhaoxiang; Zhou, Gang; Wei, Shiqiang; Li, Yadong

2016-08-26

A new strategy for achieving stable Co single atoms (SAs) on nitrogen-doped porous carbon with high metal loading over 4 wt % is reported. The strategy is based on a pyrolysis process of predesigned bimetallic Zn/Co metal-organic frameworks, during which Co can be reduced by carbonization of the organic linker and Zn is selectively evaporated away at high temperatures above 800 °C. The spherical aberration correction electron microscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements both confirm the atomic dispersion of Co atoms stabilized by as-generated N-doped porous carbon. Surprisingly, the obtained Co-Nx single sites exhibit superior ORR performance with a half-wave potential (0.881 V) that is more positive than commercial Pt/C (0.811 V) and most reported non-precious metal catalysts. Durability tests revealed that the Co single atoms exhibit outstanding chemical stability during electrocatalysis and thermal stability that resists sintering at 900 °C. Our findings open up a new routine for general and practical synthesis of a variety of materials bearing single atoms, which could facilitate new discoveries at the atomic scale in condensed materials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Single atom oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiorkowski, P.; Walther, H.

1990-01-01

Modern methods of laser spectroscopy allow the study of single atoms or ions in an unperturbed environment. This has opened up interesting new experiments, among them the detailed study of radiation-atom coupling. In this paper, the following two experiments dealing with this problem are reviewed: the single-atom maser and the study of the resonance fluorescence of a single stored ion. The simplest and most fundamental system for studying radiation-matter coupling is a single two-level atom interacting with a single mode of an electromagnetic field in a cavity. This problem received a great deal of attention shortly after the maser was invented

Atomic structure of non-stoichiometric transition metal carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moisy-Maurice, Virginie.

1981-10-01

Different kinds of experimental studies of the atomic arrangement in non-stoichiometric transition metal carbides are proposed: the ordering of carbon vacancies and the atomic static displacements are the main subjects studied. Powder neutron diffraction on TiCsub(1-x) allowed us to determine the order-disorder transition critical temperature -Tsub(c) approximately 770 0 C- in the TiCsub(0.52-0.67) range, and to analyze at 300 K the crystal structure of long-range ordered samples. A neutron diffuse scattering quantitative study at 300 K of short-range order in TiCsub(0.76), TiCsub(0.79) and NbCsub(0.73) single crystals is presented: as in Ti 2 Csub(1+x) and Nb 6 C 5 superstructures, vacancies avoid to be on each side of a metal atom. Besides, the mean-square carbon atom displacements from their sites are small, whereas metal atoms move radially about 0.03 A away from vacancies. These results are in qualitative agreement with EXAFS measurements at titanium-K edge of TiCsub(1-x). An interpretation of ordering in term of short-range interaction pair potentials between vacancies is proposed [fr

Metal screen retention for thoron daughter free atoms and atoms attached to condensation nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cash, W.; Webb, J.; Fitts, D.; Skrable, K.W.; Chabot, G.E.

1978-01-01

Metal support screens available in a 47 mm commercial filter holder (model F3052-4, available from Scientific Products, Bedford, MA) assembly were tested for retention of thoron daughter atoms and atoms attached to condensation nuclei as a function of the flow rate of the carrier air stream. Sources of Pb-212 were generated on the surface of a metal disk by exposing the disk to thoron emanation generated from a special preparation of Th-228. This source of Pb-212, in transient equilibrium with its daughters, was placed in a flow through chamber connected in series to two of the metal screens backed by a glass fiber filter. Most of the recoil product radioactivity emitted from the Pb-212 source and collected on the screens was due to single atoms of Tl-208, which is born by alpha decay of Bi-212 with a recoil energy of 116 keV. Some free atoms of Bi-212 were also observed. Alpha autoradiographs of Filter samples placed on the downstream side of the two metal screens gave proof of the existence of Pb-212 aggregates through their alpha star images. These aggregate recoil particles were found to have a much higher penetration through the screens than free atoms of Tl-208 and Bi-212. Penetration of Tl-208 atoms and ions decreased exponentially as the inverse of the carrier air flow rate. Penetration varied from 0.047 at 0.088 cfm to 0.661 at 2.47 cfm. Atoms of Pb-212 attached to condensation nuclei were obtained by passing thoron into a reaction chamber containing naturally occurring condensation nuclei from the laboratory. The retention for these attached species varied both as a function of the flow rate and the age of the aerosol. The maximum retention varied from 0.525% at 6.38 cfm to 3.5% at 0.636 cfm for respective delay times of 120 and 30 minutes post the introduction of the thoron into the reaction chamber. A system consisting of a single screen backed by a glass fiber filter may be used to obtain the numbers of radon or thoron daughter free atoms and attached

CO2 electroreduction performance of a single transition metal atom supported on porphyrin-like graphene: a computational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhongxu; Zhao, Jingxiang; Cai, Qinghai

2017-08-30

Searching for low-cost, efficient, and stable electrocatalysts for CO 2 electroreduction (CO 2 ER) reactions is highly desirable for the reduction of CO 2 emission and its conversion into useful products, but remains a great challenge. In this work, single transition metal atoms supported on porphyrin-like graphene catalysts, i.e., TMN 4 /graphene, acting as electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction were explored by means of comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) computations. Our results revealed that these anchored TM atoms possess high stability due to their strong hybridization with the unsaturated N atoms of the substrate and function as the active sites. On the basis of the calculated adsorption strength of CO 2 ER intermediates, we have identified that single Co, Rh, and Ir atoms exhibit superior catalytic activity towards CO 2 reduction. In particular, CH 3 OH is the preferred product of CO 2 ER on the CoN 4 /graphene catalyst with an overpotential of 0.59 V, while the RhN 4 /graphene and IrN 4 /graphene catalysts prefer to reduce CO 2 to CH 2 O with an overpotential of 0.35 and 0.29 V, respectively. Our work may open a new avenue for the development of catalytic materials with high efficiency for CO 2 electroreduction.

Single d-metal atoms on F(s) and F(s+) defects of MgO(001): a theoretical study across the periodic table.

Science.gov (United States)

Neyman, Konstantin M; Inntam, Chan; Matveev, Alexei V; Nasluzov, Vladimir A; Rösch, Notker

2005-08-24

Single d-metal atoms on oxygen defects F(s) and F(s+) of the MgO(001) surface were studied theoretically. We employed an accurate density functional method combined with cluster models, embedded in an elastic polarizable environment, and we applied two gradient-corrected exchange-correlation functionals. In this way, we quantified how 17 metal atoms from groups 6-11 of the periodic table (Cu, Ag, Au; Ni, Pd, Pt; Co, Rh, Ir; Fe, Ru, Os; Mn, Re; and Cr, Mo, W) interact with terrace sites of MgO. We found bonding with F(s) and F(s+) defects to be in general stronger than that with O2- sites, except for Mn-, Re-, and Fe/F(s) complexes. In M/F(s) systems, electron density is accumulated on the metal center in a notable fashion. The binding energy on both kinds of O defects increases from 3d- to 4d- to 5d-atoms of a given group, at variance with the binding energy trend established earlier for the M/O2- complexes, 4d period, group 7 atoms are slightly destabilized compared to their group 6 congeners in both the F(s) and F(s+) complexes; for later transition elements, the binding energy increases gradually up to group 10 and finally decreases again in group 11, most strongly on the F(s) site. This trend is governed by the negative charge on the adsorbed atoms. We discuss implications for an experimental detection of metal atoms on oxide supports based on computed core-level energies.

Interactions between C and Cu atoms in single-layer graphene: direct observation and modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kano, Emi; Hashimoto, Ayako; Kaneko, Tomoaki; Tajima, Nobuo; Ohno, Takahisa; Takeguchi, Masaki

2016-01-07

Metal doping into the graphene lattice has been studied recently to develop novel nanoelectronic devices and to gain an understanding of the catalytic activities of metals in nanocarbon structures. Here we report the direct observation of interactions between Cu atoms and single-layer graphene by transmission electron microscopy. We document stable configurations of Cu atoms in the graphene sheet and unique transformations of graphene promoted by Cu atoms. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory reveal a reduction of energy barrier that caused rotation of C-C bonds near Cu atoms. We discuss two driving forces, electron irradiation and in situ heating, and conclude that the observed transformations were mainly promoted by electron irradiation. Our results suggest that individual Cu atoms can promote reconstruction of single-layer graphene.

Finite-field evaluation of the Lennard-Jones atom-wall interaction constant C3 for alkali-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, W.R.; Dzuba, V.A.; Safronova, U.I.; Safronova, M.S.

2004-01-01

A finite-field scaling method is applied to evaluate the Lennard-Jones interaction constant C 3 for alkali-metal atoms. The calculations are based on the relativistic single-double approximation in which single and double excitations of Dirac-Hartree-Fock wave functions are included to all orders in perturbation theory

Single-atom lasing induced atomic self-trapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salzburger, T.; Ritsch, H.

2004-01-01

We study atomic center of mass motion and field dynamics of a single-atom laser consisting of a single incoherently pumped free atom moving in an optical high-Q resonator. For sufficient pumping, the system starts lasing whenever the atom is close to a field antinode. If the field mode eigenfrequency is larger than the atomic transition frequency, the generated laser light attracts the atom to the field antinode and cools its motion. Using quantum Monte Carlo wave function simulations, we investigate this coupled atom-field dynamics including photon recoil and cavity decay. In the regime of strong coupling, the generated field shows strong nonclassical features like photon antibunching, and the atom is spatially confined and cooled to sub-Doppler temperatures. (author)

Conductance of single-atom platinum contacts: Voltage dependence of the conductance histogram

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, S.K.; Noat, Y.; Brandbyge, Mads

2003-01-01

The conductance of a single-atom contact is sensitive to the coupling of this contact atom to the atoms in the leads. Notably for the transition metals this gives rise to a considerable spread in the observed conductance values. The mean conductance value and spread can be obtained from the first...... peak in conductance histograms recorded from a large set of contact-breaking cycles. In contrast to the monovalent metals, this mean value for Pt depends strongly on the applied voltage bias and other experimental conditions and values ranging from about 1 G(0) to 2.5 G(0) (G(0)=2e(2)/h) have been...... reported. We find that at low bias the first peak in the conductance histogram is centered around 1.5 G(0). However, as the bias increases past 300 mV the peak shifts to 1.8 G(0). Here we show that this bias dependence is due to a geometric effect where monatomic chains are replaced by single-atom contacts...

Doping monolayer graphene with single atom substitutions

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hongtao

2012-01-11

Functionalized graphene has been extensively studied with the aim of tailoring properties for gas sensors, superconductors, supercapacitors, nanoelectronics, and spintronics. A bottleneck is the capability to control the carrier type and density by doping. We demonstrate that a two-step process is an efficient way to dope graphene: create vacancies by high-energy atom/ion bombardment and fill these vacancies with desired dopants. Different elements (Pt, Co, and In) have been successfully doped in the single-atom form. The high binding energy of the metal-vacancy complex ensures its stability and is consistent with in situ observation by an aberration-corrected and monochromated transmission electron microscope. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Single-atom catalysts for CO2 electroreduction with significant activity and selectivity improvements.

Science.gov (United States)

Back, Seoin; Lim, Juhyung; Kim, Na-Young; Kim, Yong-Hyun; Jung, Yousung

2017-02-01

A single-atom catalyst (SAC) has an electronic structure that is very different from its bulk counterparts, and has shown an unexpectedly high specific activity with a significant reduction in noble metal usage for CO oxidation, fuel cell and hydrogen evolution applications, although physical origins of such performance enhancements are still poorly understood. Herein, by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we for the first time investigate the great potential of single atom catalysts for CO 2 electroreduction applications. In particular, we study a single transition metal atom anchored on defective graphene with single or double vacancies, denoted M@sv-Gr or M@dv-Gr, where M = Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Ir, Ni, Os, Pd, Pt, Rh or Ru, as a CO 2 reduction catalyst. Many SACs are indeed shown to be highly selective for the CO 2 reduction reaction over a competitive H 2 evolution reaction due to favorable adsorption of carboxyl (*COOH) or formate (*OCHO) over hydrogen (*H) on the catalysts. On the basis of free energy profiles, we identified several promising candidate materials for different products; Ni@dv-Gr (limiting potential U L = -0.41 V) and Pt@dv-Gr (-0.27 V) for CH 3 OH production, and Os@dv-Gr (-0.52 V) and Ru@dv-Gr (-0.52 V) for CH 4 production. In particular, the Pt@dv-Gr catalyst shows remarkable reduction in the limiting potential for CH 3 OH production compared to any existing catalysts, synthesized or predicted. To understand the origin of the activity enhancement of SACs, we find that the lack of an atomic ensemble for adsorbate binding and the unique electronic structure of the single atom catalysts as well as orbital interaction play an important role, contributing to binding energies of SACs that deviate considerably from the conventional scaling relation of bulk transition metals.

Mechanism of yttrium atom formation in electrothermal atomization from metallic and metal-carbide surfaces of a heated graphite atomizer in atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahab, H.S.; Chakrabarti, C.L.

1981-01-01

Mechanism of Y atom formation from pyrocoated graphite, tantalum and tungsten metal surfaces of a graphite tube atomizer has been studied and a mechanism for the formation for Y atoms is proposed for the first time. (author)

Adsorption of alkali, alkaline-earth, simple and 3d transition metal, and nonmetal atoms on monolayer MoS2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. D. Li

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Single adsorption of different atoms on pristine two-dimensional monolayer MoS2 have been systematically investigated by using density functional calculations with van der Waals correction. The adatoms cover alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, main group metal, 3d-transition metals, coinage metal and nonmetal atoms. Depending on the adatom type, metallic, semimetallic or semiconducting behavior can be found in direct bandgap monolayer MoS2. Additionally, local or long-range magnetic moments of two-dimensional MoS2 sheet can also attained through the adsorption. The detailed atomic-scale knowledge of single adsorption on MoS2 monolayer is important not only for the sake of a theoretical understanding, but also device level deposition technological application.

Highly Dense Isolated Metal Atom Catalytic Sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Yaxin; Kasama, Takeshi; Huang, Zhiwei

2015-01-01

-ray diffraction. A combination of electron microscopy images with X-ray absorption spectra demonstrated that the silver atoms were anchored on five-fold oxygen-terminated cavities on the surface of the support to form highly dense isolated metal active sites, leading to excellent reactivity in catalytic oxidation......Atomically dispersed noble-metal catalysts with highly dense active sites are promising materials with which to maximise metal efficiency and to enhance catalytic performance; however, their fabrication remains challenging because metal atoms are prone to sintering, especially at a high metal...... loading. A dynamic process of formation of isolated metal atom catalytic sites on the surface of the support, which was achieved starting from silver nanoparticles by using a thermal surface-mediated diffusion method, was observed directly by using in situ electron microscopy and in situ synchrotron X...

Thermally stable single atom Pt/m-Al2O3 for selective hydrogenation and CO oxidation

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Zailei

2017-07-27

Single-atom metal catalysts offer a promising way to utilize precious noble metal elements more effectively, provided that they are catalytically active and sufficiently stable. Herein, we report a synthetic strategy for Pt single-atom catalysts with outstanding stability in several reactions under demanding conditions. The Pt atoms are firmly anchored in the internal surface of mesoporous Al2O3, likely stabilized by coordinatively unsaturated pentahedral Al3+ centres. The catalyst keeps its structural integrity and excellent performance for the selective hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene after exposure to a reductive atmosphere at 200 °C for 24 h. Compared to commercial Pt nanoparticle catalyst on Al2O3 and control samples, this system exhibits significantly enhanced stability and performance for n-hexane hydro-reforming at 550 °C for 48 h, although agglomeration of Pt single-atoms into clusters is observed after reaction. In CO oxidation, the Pt single-atom identity was fully maintained after 60 cycles between 100 and 400 °C over a one-month period.

Anomalous conductance oscillations and half-metallicity in atomic Ag-O chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strange, Mikkel; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer; Sethna, James P

2008-01-01

. The conductances of the chains exhibit weak even-odd oscillations around an anomalously low value of 0.1G(0) (G(0) = 2e(2)/h) which coincide with the averaged experimental conductance in the long chain limit. The unusual conductance properties are explained in terms of a resonating-chain model, which takes...... the reflection probability and phase shift of a single bulk-chain interface as the only input. The model also explains the conductance oscillations for other metallic chains.......Using spin density functional theory, we study the electronic and magnetic properties of atomically thin, suspended chains containing silver and oxygen atoms in an alternating sequence. Chains longer than 4 atoms develop a half-metallic ground state implying fully spin-polarized charge carriers...

Adsorption of alkali, alkaline-earth, simple and 3d transition metal, and nonmetal atoms on monolayer MoS{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, X. D.; Fang, Y. M.; Wu, S. Q., E-mail: zzhu@xmu.edu.cn, E-mail: wsq@xmu.edu.cn [Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Zhu, Z. Z., E-mail: zzhu@xmu.edu.cn, E-mail: wsq@xmu.edu.cn [Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Xiamen 361005 (China)

2015-05-15

Single adsorption of different atoms on pristine two-dimensional monolayer MoS{sub 2} have been systematically investigated by using density functional calculations with van der Waals correction. The adatoms cover alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, main group metal, 3d-transition metals, coinage metal and nonmetal atoms. Depending on the adatom type, metallic, semimetallic or semiconducting behavior can be found in direct bandgap monolayer MoS{sub 2}. Additionally, local or long-range magnetic moments of two-dimensional MoS{sub 2} sheet can also attained through the adsorption. The detailed atomic-scale knowledge of single adsorption on MoS{sub 2} monolayer is important not only for the sake of a theoretical understanding, but also device level deposition technological application.

Support effects on adsorption and catalytic activation of O2 in single atom iron catalysts with graphene-based substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Zheng-Yang; Yang, Wei-Jie; Ding, Xun-Lei; Lv, Gang; Yan, Wei-Ping

2018-03-07

The adsorption and catalytic activation of O 2 on single atom iron catalysts with graphene-based substrates were investigated systematically by density functional theory calculation. It is found that the support effects of graphene-based substrates have a significant influence on the stability of the single atom catalysts, the adsorption configuration, the electron transfer mechanism, the adsorption energy and the energy barrier. The differences in the stable adsorption configuration of O 2 on single atom iron catalysts with different graphene-based substrates can be well understood by the symmetrical matching principle based on frontier molecular orbital analysis. There are two different mechanisms of electron transfer, in which the Fe atom acts as the electron donor in single vacancy graphene-based substrates while the Fe atom mainly acts as the bridge for electron transfer in double vacancy graphene-based substrates. The Fermi softness and work function are good descriptors of the adsorption energy and they can well reveal the relationship between electronic structure and adsorption energy. This single atom iron catalyst with single vacancy graphene modified by three nitrogen atoms is a promising non-noble metal single atom catalyst in the adsorption and catalytic oxidation of O 2 . Furthermore, the findings can lay the foundation for the further study of graphene-based support effects and provide a guideline for the development and design of new non-noble-metal single atom catalysts.

Single-Layer Limit of Metallic Indium Overlayers on Si(111).

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jae Whan; Kang, Myung Ho

2016-09-09

Density-functional calculations are used to identify one-atom-thick metallic In phases grown on the Si(111) surface, which have long been sought in quest of the ultimate two-dimensional (2D) limit of metallic properties. We predict two metastable single-layer In phases, one sqrt[7]×sqrt[3] phase with a coverage of 1.4 monolayer (ML; here 1 ML refers to one In atom per top Si atom) and the other sqrt[7]×sqrt[7] phase with 1.43 ML, which indeed agree with experimental evidences. Both phases reveal quasi-1D arrangements of protruded In atoms, leading to 2D-metallic but anisotropic band structures and Fermi surfaces. This directional feature contrasts with the free-electron-like In-overlayer properties that are known to persist up to the double-layer thickness, implying that the ultimate 2D limit of In overlayers may have been achieved in previous studies of double-layer In phases.

Electric field imaging of single atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Shibata, Naoya; Seki, Takehito; Sánchez-Santolino, Gabriel; Findlay, Scott D.; Kohno, Yuji; Matsumoto, Takao; Ishikawa, Ryo; Ikuhara, Yuichi

2017-01-01

In scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), single atoms can be imaged by detecting electrons scattered through high angles using post-specimen, annular-type detectors. Recently, it has been shown that the atomic-scale electric field of both the positive atomic nuclei and the surrounding negative electrons within crystalline materials can be probed by atomic-resolution differential phase contrast STEM. Here we demonstrate the real-space imaging of the (projected) atomic electric field distribution inside single Au atoms, using sub-Å spatial resolution STEM combined with a high-speed segmented detector. We directly visualize that the electric field distribution (blurred by the sub-Å size electron probe) drastically changes within the single Au atom in a shape that relates to the spatial variation of total charge density within the atom. Atomic-resolution electric field mapping with single-atom sensitivity enables us to examine their detailed internal and boundary structures. PMID:28555629

Oligomeric rare-earth metal cluster complexes with endohedral transition metal atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinberg, Simon; Zimmermann, Sina; Brühmann, Matthias; Meyer, Eva; Rustige, Christian; Wolberg, Marike; Daub, Kathrin; Bell, Thomas; Meyer, Gerd, E-mail: gerd.meyer@uni-koeln.de

2014-11-15

Comproportionation reactions of rare-earth metal trihalides (RX{sub 3}) with the respective rare-earth metals (R) and transition metals (T) led to the formation of 22 oligomeric R cluster halides encapsulating T, in 19 cases for the first time. The structures of these compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and are composed of trimers ((T{sub 3}R{sub 11})X{sub 15}-type, P6{sub 3}/m), tetramers ((T{sub 4}R{sub 16})X{sub 28}(R{sub 4}) (P-43m), (T{sub 4}R{sub 16})X{sub 20} (P4{sub 2}/nnm), (T{sub 4}R{sub 16})X{sub 24}(RX{sub 3}){sub 4} (I4{sub 1}/a) and (T{sub 4}R{sub 16})X{sub 23} (C2/m) types of structure) and pentamers ((Ru{sub 5}La{sub 14}){sub 2}Br{sub 39}, Cc) of (TR{sub r}){sub n} (n=2–5) clusters. These oligomers are further enveloped by inner (X{sup i}) as well as outer (X{sup a}) halido ligands, which possess diverse functionalities and interconnect like oligomers through i–i, i–a and/or a–i bridges. The general features of the crystal structures for these new compounds are discussed and compared to literature entries as well as different structure types with oligomeric T centered R clusters. Dimers and tetramers originating from the aggregation of (TR{sub 6}) octahedra via common edges are more frequent than trimers and pentamers, in which the (TR{sub r}) clusters share common faces. - Graphical abstract: Rare earth-metal cluster complexes with endohedral transition metal atoms (TR{sub 6}) may connect via common edges or faces to form dimers, trimers, tetramers and pentamers of which the tetramers are the most prolific. Packing effects and electron counts play an important role. - Highlights: • Rare-earth metal cluster complexes encapsulate transition metal atoms. • Oligomers are built via connection of octahedral clusters via common edges or faces. • Dimers through pentamers with closed structures are known. • Tetramers including a tetrahedron of endohedral atoms are the most prolific.

Direct in situ observations of single Fe atom catalytic processes and anomalous diffusion at graphene edges

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jiong; Deng, Qingming; Avdoshenko, Stanislav M.; Fu, Lei; Eckert, Jürgen; Rümmeli, Mark H.

2014-01-01

Single-atom catalysts are of great interest because of their high efficiency. In the case of chemically deposited sp2 carbon, the implementation of a single transition metal atom for growth can provide crucial insight into the formation mechanisms of graphene and carbon nanotubes. This knowledge is particularly important if we are to overcome fabrication difficulties in these materials and fully take advantage of their distinct band structures and physical properties. In this work, we present atomically resolved transmission EM in situ investigations of single Fe atoms at graphene edges. Our in situ observations show individual iron atoms diffusing along an edge either removing or adding carbon atoms (viz., catalytic action). The experimental observations of the catalytic behavior of a single Fe atom are in excellent agreement with supporting theoretical studies. In addition, the kinetics of Fe atoms at graphene edges are shown to exhibit anomalous diffusion, which again, is in agreement with our theoretical investigations. PMID:25331874

Interaction between single gold atom and the graphene edge: A study via aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hongtao

2012-01-01

Interaction between single noble metal atoms and graphene edges has been investigated via aberration-corrected and monochromated transmission electron microscopy. A collective motion of the Au atom and the nearby carbon atoms is observed in transition between energy-favorable configurations. Most trapping and detrapping processes are assisted by the dangling carbon atoms, which are more susceptible to knock-on displacements by electron irradiation. Thermal energy is lower than the activation barriers in transition among different energy-favorable configurations, which suggests electron-beam irradiation can be an efficient way of engineering the graphene edge with metal atoms. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Spin fluctuation effects on the conductance through a single Pd atom contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, M A; Goldberg, E C; Gomez-Carrillo, S C; Bolcatto, P G

2009-01-01

A controversy about the conductance through single atoms still exists. There are many experiments where values lower than the quantum unity G 0 = 2e 2 /h have been found associated to Kondo regimes with high Kondo temperatures. Specifically in the Pd single atom contact, conductance values close to G 0 /2 at room temperature have been reported. In this work we propose a theoretical analysis of a break junction of Pd where the charge fluctuation in the single atom contact is limited to the most probable one: d 10 ↔d 9 . The projected density of states and the characteristics of the electron transport are calculated by using a realistic description of the interacting system. A Kondo regime is found where the conductance values and their dependence on temperature are in good agreement with the experimental trends observed in the conduction of single molecule transistors based on transition metal coordination complexes.

Dynamical interaction of He atoms with metal surfaces: Charge transfer processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flores, F.; Garcia Vidal, F.J.; Monreal, R.

1993-01-01

A self-consistent Kohn-Sham LCAO method is presented to calculate the charge transfer processes between a He * -atom and metal surfaces. Intra-atomic correlation effects are taken into account by considering independently each single He-orbital and by combining the different charge transfer processes into a set of dynamical rate equations for the different ion charge fractions. Our discussion reproduces qualitatively the experimental evidence and gives strong support to the method presented here. (author). 24 refs, 4 figs

Auger transitions in singly and multiply ionized atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehlhorn, W.

1978-01-01

Some recent progress in Auger and autoionizing electron spectrometry of free metal atoms and of multiply ionized atoms is reviewed. The differences which arise between the spectra of atoms in the gaseous and the solid state are due to solid state effects. This will be shown for Cd as an example. The super Coster-Kronig transitions 3p-3d 2 (hole notation) and Coster-Kronig transitions 3p-3d 4s have been measured and compared with free-atom calculations for free Zn atoms. The experimental width GAMMA(3p)=(2.1+-0.2)eV found for the free atom agrees with the value obtained for solid Zn but is considerably smaller than the theoretical value for the free atom. Autoionizing spectra of Na following an L-shell excitation or ionization by different particles are compared and discussed. The nonisotropic angular distribution of electrons from the transition 2p 5 3s 2 2 Psub(3/2)→2p 6 +e - is compared with theoretical calculations. Two examples for Auger spectrometry of multiply ionized atoms are given: (1) excitation of neon target atoms by light and heavy ions, and (2) excitation of projectile ions Be + and B + in single gas collisions with CH 4 . A strong alignment of the excited atoms has also been found here

Photoionization microscopy of hydrogen atom near a metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Hai-Feng; Wang Lei; Liu Xiao-Jun; Liu Hong-Ping

2011-01-01

We have studied the ionization of Rydberg hydrogen atom near a metal surface with a semiclassical analysis of photoionization microscopy. Interference patterns of the electron radial distribution are calculated at different scaled energies above the classical saddle point and at various atom—surface distances. We find that different types of trajectories contribute predominantly to different manifolds in a certain interference pattern. As the scaled energy increases, the structure of the interference pattern evolves smoothly and more types of trajectories emerge. As the atom approaches the metal surface closer, there are more types of trajectories contributing to the interference pattern as well. When the Rydberg atom comes very close to the metal surface or the scaled energy approaches the zero field ionization energy, the potential induced by the metal surface will make atomic system chaotic. The results also show that atoms near a metal surface exhibit similar properties like the atoms in the parallel electric and magnetic fields. (atomic and molecular physics)

Shocked plate metal atom oxidation laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Koker, J.G.; Rice, W.W. Jr.; Jensen, R.J.

1975-01-01

A method and apparatus for producing metal atom oxidation lasing wherein an explosively shocked grooved metal plate produces metal vapor jets directed through an appropriate gaseous oxidizer are described. Reaction of the metal vapor with the oxidizer produces molecular species having a population inversion therein. (U.S.)

A Single Atom Antenna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trinter, Florian; Williams, Joshua B; Weller, Miriam; Waitz, Markus; Pitzer, Martin; Voigtsberger, Jörg; Schober, Carl; Kastirke, Gregor; Müller, Christian; Goihl, Christoph; Burzynski, Phillip; Wiegandt, Florian; Wallauer, Robert; Kalinin, Anton; Schmidt, Lothar Ph H; Schöffler, Markus S; Jahnke, Till; Dörner, Reinhard; Chiang, Ying-Chih; Gokhberg, Kirill

2015-01-01

Here we demonstrate the smallest possible implementation of an antenna-receiver complex which consists of a single (helium) atom acting as the antenna and a second (neon) atom acting as a receiver. (paper)

Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters for Catalytic Application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Rongchao [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2016-11-18

The central goal of this project is to explore the catalytic application of atomically precise gold nanoclusters. By solving the total structures of ligand-protected nanoclusters, we aim to correlate the catalytic properties of metal nanoclusters with their atomic/electronic structures. Such correlation unravel some fundamental aspects of nanocatalysis, such as the nature of particle size effect, origin of catalytic selectivity, particle-support interactions, the identification of catalytically active centers, etc. The well-defined nanocluster catalysts mediate the knowledge gap between single crystal model catalysts and real-world conventional nanocatalysts. These nanoclusters also hold great promise in catalyzing certain types of reactions with extraordinarily high selectivity. These aims are in line with the overall goals of the catalytic science and technology of DOE and advance the BES mission “to support fundamental research to understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the level of electrons, atoms, and molecules”. Our group has successfully prepared different sized, robust gold nanoclusters protected by thiolates, such as Au₂₅(SR)₁₈, Au₂₈(SR)₂₀, Au₃₈(SR)₂₄, Au₉₉(SR)₄₂, Au₁₄₄(SR)₆₀, etc. Some of these nanoclusters have been crystallographically characterized through X-ray crystallography. These ultrasmall nanoclusters (< 2 nm diameter) exhibit discrete electronic structures due to quantum size effect, as opposed to quasicontinuous band structure of conventional metal nanoparticles or bulk metals. The available atomic structures (metal core plus surface ligands) of nanoclusters serve as the basis for structure-property correlations. We have investigated the unique catalytic properties of nanoclusters (i.e. not observed in conventional nanogold catalysts) and revealed the structure-selectivity relationships. Highlights of our

From Single Atoms to Nanoparticles : Autocatalysis and Metal Aggregation in Atomic Layer Deposition of Pt on TiO2 Nanopowder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grillo, Fabio; Van Bui, Hao; La Zara, Damiano; Aarnink, Antonius A.I.; Kovalgin, Alexey Y.; Kooyman, Patricia; Kreutzer, Michiel T.; van Ommen, Jan Rudolf

2018-01-01

A fundamental understanding of the interplay between ligand-removal kinetics and metal aggregation during the formation of platinum nanoparticles (NPs) in atomic layer deposition of Pt on TiO2 nanopowder using trimethyl(methylcyclo-pentadienyl)platinum(IV) as the precursor and O2 as the coreactant

Calculated Atomic Volumes of the Actinide Metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skriver, H.; Andersen, O. K.; Johansson, B.

1979-01-01

The equilibrium atomic volume is calculated for the actinide metals. It is possible to account for the localization of the 5f electrons taking place in americium.......The equilibrium atomic volume is calculated for the actinide metals. It is possible to account for the localization of the 5f electrons taking place in americium....

Autoionic microscopy of damage regions of single atom displacement cascades in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suvorov, A.L.

1981-01-01

The defect region formation characterized by zones of depletion with atoms and interstitial halos arizing during displacement cascade development in an irradiated metal is considered. in experimental autoionmicroscopic analysis technique is used. The analysis procedure is briefly discussed: the experiment, the defect identification on autoionic image microphotos, computer data processing. The technique was applied for pure tungsten irradiated with 12 and 5.8 MeV deuterons and fission neutrons, and for tungsten-1.5% ThO 2 alloy irradiated with fast neutrons from fission fragments

Isolating and moving single atoms using silicon nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Malcolm S.

2010-09-07

A method is disclosed for isolating single atoms of an atomic species of interest by locating the atoms within silicon nanocrystals. This can be done by implanting, on the average, a single atom of the atomic species of interest into each nanocrystal, and then measuring an electrical charge distribution on the nanocrystals with scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) or electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) to identify and select those nanocrystals having exactly one atom of the atomic species of interest therein. The nanocrystals with the single atom of the atomic species of interest therein can be sorted and moved using an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. The method is useful for forming nanoscale electronic and optical devices including quantum computers and single-photon light sources.

Single-atom-resolved fluorescence imaging of an atomic Mott insulator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sherson, Jacob; Weitenberg, Christof; Andres, Manuel

2010-01-01

in situ images of a quantum fluid in which each underlying quantum particle is detected. Here we report fluorescence imaging of strongly interacting bosonic Mott insulators in an optical lattice with single-atom and single-site resolution. From our images, we fully reconstruct the atom distribution...

Long-range interactions among three alkali-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinescu, M.; Starace, A.F.

1996-01-01

The long-range asymptotic form of the interaction potential surface for three neutral alkali-metal atoms in their ground states may be expressed as an expansion in inverse powers of inter-nuclear distances. The first leading powers are proportional to the dispersion coefficients for pairwise atomic interactions. They are followed by a term responsible for a three body dipole interaction. The authors results consist in evaluation of the three body dipole interaction coefficient between three alkali-metal atoms. The generalization to long-range n atom interaction terms will be discussed qualitatively

Direct measurement and modulation of single-molecule coordinative bonding forces in a transition metal complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hao, Xian; Zhu, Nan; Gschneidtner, Tina

2013-01-01

remain a daunting challenge. Here we demonstrate an interdisciplinary and systematic approach that enables measurement and modulation of the coordinative bonding forces in a transition metal complex. Terpyridine is derived with a thiol linker, facilitating covalent attachment of this ligand on both gold...... substrate surfaces and gold-coated atomic force microscopy tips. The coordination and bond breaking between terpyridine and osmium are followed in situ by electrochemically controlled atomic force microscopy at the single-molecule level. The redox state of the central metal atom is found to have...

[Applications of atomic emission spectrum from liquid electrode discharge to metal ion detection].

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xiu-Ling; Wu, Jian; Ying, Yi-Bin

2010-02-01

The fast and precise detection of metal ion is an important research project concerning studies in diverse academic fields and different kinds of detecting technologies. In the present paper, the authors review the research on atomic emission spectrum based on liquid electrode discharge and its applications in the detection of metal ion. In the first part of this paper the principles and characteristics of the methods based on electrochemistry and spectroscopy were introduced. The methods of ion-selective electrode (ISE), anodic stripping voltammetry, atomic emission spectrum and atomic absorption spectrum were included in this part and discussed comparatively. Then the principles and characteristics of liquid electrode spectra for metal ion detection were introduced. The mechanism of the plasma production and the characteristics of the plasma spectrum as well as its advantages compared with other methods were discussed. Secondly, the authors divided the discharge system into two types and named them single liquid-electrode discharge and double-liquid electrode respectively, according to the number of the liquid electrode and the configuration of the discharge system, and the development as well as the present research status of each type was illustrated. Then the characteristics and configurations of the discharge systems including ECGD, SCGD, LS-APGD and capillary discharge were discussed in detail as examples of the two types. By taking advantage of the technology of atomic emission spectrum based on liquid electrode discharge, the detecting limit of heavy metals such as copper, mercury and argent as well as active metal ions including sodium, potass and magnesium can achieve microg x L(-1). Finally, the advantages and problems of the liquid-electrode discharge applied in detection of metal ion were discussed. And the applications of the atomic emission spectrum based on liquid electrode discharge were prospected.

Supported rhodium catalysts for ammonia-borane hydrolysis. Dependence of the catalytic activity on the highest occupied state of the single rhodium atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Liangbing; Li, Hongliang; Zhang, Wenbo; Zhao, Xiao; Qiu, Jianxiang; Li, Aowen; Zheng, Xusheng; Zeng, Jie [Hefei National Lab. for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Lab. of Strongly-Coupled Quantum Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui(China); Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Hu, Zhenpeng [School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); Si, Rui [Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

2017-04-18

Supported metal nanocrystals have exhibited remarkable catalytic performance in hydrogen generation reactions, which is influenced and even determined by their supports. Accordingly, it is of fundamental importance to determine the direct relationship between catalytic performance and metal-support interactions. Herein, we provide a quantitative profile for exploring metal-support interactions by considering the highest occupied state in single-atom catalysts. The catalyst studied consisted of isolated Rh atoms dispersed on the surface of VO{sub 2} nanorods. It was observed that the activation energy of ammonia-borane hydrolysis changed when the substrate underwent a phase transition. Mechanistic studies indicate that the catalytic performance depended directly on the highest occupied state of the single Rh atoms, which was determined by the band structure of the substrates. Other metal catalysts, even with non-noble metals, that exhibited significant catalytic activity towards NH{sub 3}BH{sub 3} hydrolysis were rationally designed by adjusting their highest occupied states. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Self-excitation of Rydberg atoms at a metal surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bordo, Vladimir

2017-01-01

The novel effect of self-excitation of an atomic beam propagating above a metal surface is predicted and a theory is developed. Its underlying mechanism is positive feedback provided by the reflective surface for the atomic polarization. Under certain conditions the atomic beam flying in the near...... field of the metal surface acts as an active device that supports sustained atomic dipole oscillations, which generate, in their turn, an electromagnetic field. This phenomenon does not exploit stimulated emission and therefore does not require population inversion in atoms. An experiment with Rydberg...... atoms in which this effect should be most pronounced is proposed and the necessary estimates are given....

Facile conversion of bulk metal surface to metal oxide single-crystalline nanostructures by microwave irradiation: Formation of pure or Cr-doped hematite nanostructure arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Seungho; Jeong, Haeyoon; Lee, Kun-Hong

2010-01-01

We report a method for converting the surfaces of bulk metal substrates (pure iron or stainless steel) to metal oxide (hematite or Cr-doped hematite) nanostructures using microwave irradiation. When microwave radiation (2.45 GHz, single-mode) was applied to a metal substrate under the flow of a gas mixture containing O 2 and Ar, metal oxide nanostructures formed and entirely covered the substrate. The nanostructures were single crystalline, and the atomic ratios of the substrate metals were preserved in the nanostructures. When a pure iron sheet was used as a substrate, hematite nanowires (1000 W microwave radiation) or nanosheets (1800 W microwave radiation) formed on the surface of the substrate. When a SUS410 sheet was used as a substrate, slightly curved rod-like nanostructures were synthesized. The oxidation states of Fe and Cr in these nanorods were Fe 3+ and Cr 3+ . Quantitative analyses revealed an average Fe/Cr atomic ratio of 9.2, nearly identical to the ratio of the metals in the SUS410 substrate.

Removal of foreign atoms from a metal surface bombarded with fast atomic particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dolotov, S.K.; Evstigneev, S.A.; Luk' yanov, S.Yu.; Martynenko, Yu.V.; Chicherov, V.M.

1976-07-01

A metal surface coated with foreign atoms was irradiated with periodically repeating ion current pulses. The energy of the ions bombarding the target was 20 to 30 keV, and inert gas ions were used. A study of the time dependences of the current of the dislodged foreign atoms showed that the rate of their removal from the target surface is determined by the sputtering coefficient of the substrate metal.

Removal of foreign atoms from a metal surface bombarded with fast atomic particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolotov, S.K.; Evstigneev, S.A.; Luk'yanov, S.Yu.; Martynenko, Yu.V.; Chicherov, V.M.

A metal surface coated with foreign atoms was irradiated with periodically repeating ion current pulses. The energy of the ions bombarding the target was 20 to 30 keV, and inert gas ions were used. A study of the time dependences of the current of the dislodged foreign atoms showed that the rate of their removal from the target surface is determined by the sputtering coefficient of the substrate metal

Spatial Distributions of Metal Atoms During Carbon SWNTs Formation: Measurements and Modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Cau, M.; Dorval, N.; Attal-Tretout, B.; Cochon, J. L.; Loiseau, A.; Farhat, S.; Hinkov, I.; Scott, C. D.

2004-01-01

Experiments and modelling have been undertaken to clarify the role of metal catalysts during single-wall carbon nanotube formation. For instance, we wonder whether the metal catalyst is active as an atom, a cluster, a liquid or solid nanoparticle [1]. A reactor has been developed for synthesis by continuous CO2-laser vaporisation of a carbon-nickel-cobalt target in laminar helium flow. The laser induced fluorescence technique [2] is applied for local probing of gaseous Ni, Co and CZ species throughout the hot carbon flow of the target heated up to 3500 K. A rapid depletion of C2 in contrast to the spatial extent of metal atoms is observed in the plume (Fig. 1). This asserts that C2 condenses earlier than Ni and Co atoms.[3, 4]. The depletion is even faster when catalysts are present. It may indicate that an interaction between metal atoms and carbon dimers takes place in the gas as soon as they are expelled from the target surface. Two methods of modelling are used: a spatially I-D calculation developed originally for the arc process [5], and a zero-D time dependent calculation, solving the chemical kinetics along the streamlines [6]. The latter includes Ni cluster formation. The peak of C2 density is calculated close to the target surface where the temperature is the highest. In the hot region, C; is dominant. As the carbon products move away from the target and mix with the ambient helium, they recombine into larger clusters, as demonstrated by the peak of C5 density around 1 mm. The profile of Ni-atom density compares fairly well with the measured one (Fig. 2). The early increase is due to the drop of temperature, and the final decrease beyond 6 mm results from Ni cluster formation at the eutectic temperature (approx.1600 K).

Analysis of a single-atom dipole trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Markus; Volz, Juergen; Saucke, Karen; Kurtsiefer, Christian; Weinfurter, Harald

2006-01-01

We describe a simple experimental technique which allows us to store a single 87 Rb atom in an optical dipole trap. Due to light-induced two-body collisions during the loading stage of the trap the maximum number of captured atoms is locked to one. This collisional blockade effect is confirmed by the observation of photon antibunching in the detected fluorescence light. The spectral properties of single photons emitted by the atom were studied with a narrow-band scanning cavity. We find that the atomic fluorescence spectrum is dominated by the spectral width of the exciting laser light field. In addition we observe a spectral broadening of the atomic fluorescence light due to the Doppler effect. This allows us to determine the mean kinetic energy of the trapped atom corresponding to a temperature of 105 μK. This simple single-atom trap is the key element for the generation of atom-photon entanglement required for future applications in quantum communication and a first loophole-free test of Bell's inequality

Atomic spectrometry based on metallic tube atomizers heated by flame: Innovative strategies from fundamentals to analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arruda, Marco Aurelio Zezzi; Figueiredo, Eduardo Costa

2009-01-01

This review describes recent developments in atomic absorption spectrometry using metallic tube atomizers heated by flames. Sample introduction in spray or gaseous form is emphasized, describing some proposed systems for this task and the fundamentals involved in each context. The latest challenges and future possibilities for use of metallic tubes in atomic/mass spectrometry are also considered.

Stability investigation of a high number density Pt1/Fe2O3 single-atom catalyst under different gas environments by HAADF-STEM

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Sibin; Wang, Rongming; Liu, Jingyue

2018-05-01

Catalysis by supported single metal atoms has demonstrated tremendous potential for practical applications due to their unique catalytic properties. Unless they are strongly anchored to the support surfaces, supported single atoms, however, are thermodynamically unstable, which poses a major obstacle for broad applications of single-atom catalysts (SACs). In order to develop strategies to improve the stability of SACs, we need to understand the intrinsic nature of the sintering processes of supported single metal atoms, especially under various gas environments that are relevant to important catalytic reactions. We report on the synthesis of high number density Pt1/Fe2O3 SACs using a facial strong adsorption method and the study of the mobility of these supported Pt single atoms at 250 °C under various gas environments that are relevant to CO oxidation, water–gas shift, and hydrogenation reactions. Under the oxidative gas environment, Fe2O3 supported Pt single atoms are stable even at high temperatures. The presence of either CO or H2 molecules in the gas environment, however, facilitates the movement of the Pt atoms. The strong interaction between CO and Pt weakens the binding between the Pt atoms and the support, facilitating the movement of the Pt single atoms. The dissociation of H2 molecules on the Pt atoms and their subsequent interaction with the oxygen species of the support surfaces dislodge the surface oxygen anchored Pt atoms, resulting in the formation of Pt clusters. The addition of H2O molecules to the CO or H2 significantly accelerates the sintering of the Fe2O3 supported Pt single atoms. An anchoring-site determined sintering mechanism is further proposed, which is related to the metal–support interaction.

Manipulating molecular quantum states with classical metal atom inputs: demonstration of a single molecule NOR logic gate.

Science.gov (United States)

Soe, We-Hyo; Manzano, Carlos; Renaud, Nicolas; de Mendoza, Paula; De Sarkar, Abir; Ample, Francisco; Hliwa, Mohamed; Echavarren, Antonio M; Chandrasekhar, Natarajan; Joachim, Christian

2011-02-22

Quantum states of a trinaphthylene molecule were manipulated by putting its naphthyl branches in contact with single Au atoms. One Au atom carries 1-bit of classical information input that is converted into quantum information throughout the molecule. The Au-trinaphthylene electronic interactions give rise to measurable energy shifts of the molecular electronic states demonstrating a NOR logic gate functionality. The NOR truth table of the single molecule logic gate was characterized by means of scanning tunnelling spectroscopy.

Ultrahigh stability of atomically thin metallic glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, C. R.; Huang, K. Q.; Zhao, N. J.; Sun, Y. T.; Bai, H. Y.; Gu, L., E-mail: l.gu@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: dzheng@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: whw@iphy.ac.cn; Zheng, D. N., E-mail: l.gu@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: dzheng@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: whw@iphy.ac.cn; Wang, W. H., E-mail: l.gu@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: dzheng@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: whw@iphy.ac.cn [Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2014-07-07

We report the fabrication and study of thermal stability of atomically thin ZrCu-based metallic glass films. The ultrathin films exhibit striking dynamic properties, ultrahigh thermal stability, and unique crystallization behavior with discrete crystalline nanoparticles sizes. The mechanisms for the remarkable high stability and crystallization behaviors are attributed to the dewetting process of the ultrathin film. We demonstrated a promising avenue for understanding some fundamental issues such as glassy structure, crystallization, deformation, and glass formation through atomic resolution imaging of the two dimensional like metallic glasses.

Single Atoms Preparation Using Light-Assisted Collisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yin Hsien Fung

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The detailed control achieved over single optically trapped neutral atoms makes them candidates for applications in quantum metrology and quantum information processing. The last few decades have seen different methods developed to optimize the preparation efficiency of single atoms in optical traps. Here we review the near-deterministic preparation of single atoms based on light-assisted collisions and describe how this method can be implemented in different trap regimes. The simplicity and versatility of the method makes it feasible to be employed in future quantum technologies such as a quantum logic device.

Metal-halide lamp design: atomic and molecular data needed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapatovich, Walter P

2009-01-01

Metal-halide lamps are a subset of high intensity discharge (HID) lamps so named because of their high radiance. These lamps are low temperature (∼0.5 eV), weakly ionized plasmas sustained in refractory but light transmissive envelopes by the passage of electric current through atomic and molecular vapors. For commercial applications, the conversion of electric power to light must occur with good efficiency and with sufficient spectral content throughout the visible (380-780 nm) to permit the light so generated to render colors comparable to natural sunlight. This is achieved by adding multiple metals to a basic mercury discharge. Because the vapor pressure of most metals is very much lower than mercury itself, metal-halide salts of the desired metals, having higher vapor pressures, are used to introduce the material into the basic discharge. The metal compounds are usually polyatomic iodides, which vaporize and subsequently dissociate as they diffuse into the bulk plasma. Metals with multiple visible transitions are necessary to achieve high photometric efficiency (efficacy) and good color. Compounds of Sc, Dy, Ho, Tm, Ce, Pr, Yb and Nd are commonly used. The electrons, atoms and radicals are in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), but not with the radiation field. Strong thermal (10 6 K m -1 ) and density gradients are sustained in the discharge. Atomic radiation produced in the high-temperature core transits through colder gas regions where it interacts with cold atoms and un-dissociated molecules before exiting the lamp. Power balance and spectral output of the lamp are directly affected by the strength of atomic transitions. Attempts to simulate the radiative output of functional metal-halide lamps have been successful only in very simple cases. More data (e.g. the atomic transition probabilities of Ce i) are necessary to improve lamp performance, to select appropriate radiators and in scaling the lamp geometry to various wattages for specific applications.

Electrocatalysis of the oxidations of some organic compounds on noble-metal electrodes by foreign-metal ad-atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, R.W.

1981-10-01

Electrochemical oxidation of formic acid was studied on Pt electrodes in acid, and that of dextrose was studied on Pt and Au in alkali. Poisoning was observed on Pt but not on Au. Several heavy-metal ad-atoms (Pb, Bi, Tl) enhance greatly the anodic currents on Pt, while transition metals (Cu, Zn) inhibit the oxidation on Pt. The enhancement effect of the metal ad-atoms is correlated with electron structure. All metal ad-atoms showed an inhibitory effect on Au. Amperometry showed that Pt electrodes are completely deactivated within 10 s during dextrose oxidation without ad-atoms, while Au retains much of its activity even after 10 min. Ad-atoms maintains the Pt activity over much more than 10 s. 50 figures, 38 tables

Ab initio theory of noble gas atoms in bcc transition metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chao; Zhang, Yongfeng; Gao, Yipeng; Gan, Jian

2018-06-18

Systematic ab initio calculations based on density functional theory have been performed to gain fundamental understanding of the interactions between noble gas atoms (He, Ne, Ar and Kr) and bcc transition metals in groups 5B (V, Nb and Ta), 6B (Cr, Mo and W) and 8B (Fe). Our charge density analysis indicates that the strong polarization of nearest-neighbor metal atoms by noble gas interstitials is the electronic origin of their high formation energies. Such polarization becomes more significant with an increasing gas atom size and interstitial charge density in the host bcc metal, which explains the similar trend followed by the unrelaxed formation energies of noble gas interstitials. Upon allowing for local relaxation, nearby metal atoms move farther away from gas interstitials in order to decrease polarization, albeit at the expense of increasing the elastic strain energy. Such atomic relaxation is found to play an important role in governing both the energetics and site preference of noble gas atoms in bcc metals. Our most notable finding is that the fully relaxed formation energies of noble gas interstitials are strongly correlated with the elastic shear modulus of the bcc metal, and the physical origin of this unexpected correlation has been elucidated by our theoretical analysis based on the effective-medium theory. The kinetic behavior of noble gas atoms and their interaction with pre-existing vacancies in bcc transition metals have also been discussed in this work.

The atomic structure of transition metal clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, S.J.

1995-01-01

Chemical reactions are used to probe the atomic (geometrical) structure of isolated clusters of transition metal atoms. The number of adsorbate molecules that saturate a cluster, and/or the binding energy of molecules to cluster surfaces, are determined as a function of cluster size. Systematics in these properties often make it possible to propose geometrical structures consistent with the experimental observations. We will describe how studies of the reactions of cobalt and nickel clusters with ammonia, water, and nitrogen provide important and otherwise unavailable structural information. Specifically, small (less than 20 atoms) clusters of cobalt and nickel atoms adopt entirely different structures, the former having packing characteristic of the bulk and the latter having pentagonal symmetry. These observations provide important input for model potentials that attempt to describe the local properties of transition metals. In particular, they point out the importance of a proper treatment of d-orbital binding in these systems, since cobalt and nickel differ so little in their d-orbital occupancy

Development of indigenous laboratory scale gas atomizer for producing metal powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, K.K.; Qasim, A.M.; Ahmed, P.

2011-01-01

Gas atomization is one of the methods for production of clean metal powders at relatively moderate cost. A laboratory scale gas atomizer was designed and fabricated indigenously to produce metal powders with a batch capacity of 500 g of copper (Cu). The design includes several features regarding fabrication and operation to provide optimum conditions for atomization. The inner diameter of atomizing chamber is 440 mm and its height is 1200 mm. The atomizing nozzle is of annular confined convergent type with an angle of 25 degree. Argon gas at desired pressure has been used for atomizing the metals to produce relatively clean powders. A provision has also been made to view the atomization process. The indigenous laboratory scale gas atomizer was used to produce tin (Sn) and copper (Cu) powders with different atomizing gas pressures ranging from 2 to 10 bar. The particle size of different powders produced ranges from 40 to 400 im. (author)

Relaxation volumes of self-interstitial-atoms and vacancies in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrhart, P.

1983-01-01

Experimental results for the relaxation volumes of self-interstitial-atoms and vacancies as obtained after low temperature irradiation of different metals are reviewed. For fcc metals the relaxation volumes of the SIA's are very similar: ΔVsup(rel) = 1.6 +- 0.3 atomic volumes. This value is valid as well for the pure fcc metals (Al, Cu, Ni) as for different alloys. Vacancy relaxation volumes are small and vary between: ΔVsup(rel) = -0.05 and -0.25 atomic volumes. For bcc metals (Fe, Mo) the relaxation volume of the SIA is significantly smaller: ΔVsup(rel) = 1.1 +- 0.2 atomic volumes. In spite of the obvious similarity of the close-packed fcc and hcp structures, the SIA parameters for hcp metals are much different: ΔVsup(rel) = 3.5 for Zn, ΔVsup(rel) = 1.5 for Co and ΔVsup(rel) = 0.6 at. vol. for Zr. Vacancy relaxation volumes seem to be small as in cubic metals. The influence of lattice nonharmonicity on the validity of an extrapolation of the values determined at 6 K to higher temperatures is discussed. (author)

Directional emission of single photons from small atomic samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miroshnychenko, Yevhen; V. Poulsen, Uffe; Mølmer, Klaus

2013-01-01

We provide a formalism to describe deterministic emission of single photons with tailored spatial and temporal profiles from a regular array of multi-level atoms. We assume that a single collective excitation is initially shared by all the atoms in a metastable atomic state, and that this state i...... is coupled by a classical laser field to an optically excited state which rapidly decays to the ground atomic state. Our model accounts for the different field polarization components via re-absorption and emission of light by the Zeeman manifold of optically excited states.......We provide a formalism to describe deterministic emission of single photons with tailored spatial and temporal profiles from a regular array of multi-level atoms. We assume that a single collective excitation is initially shared by all the atoms in a metastable atomic state, and that this state...

Water Adsorption and Dissociation on Ceria-Supported Single-Atom Catalysts: A First-Principles DFT+U Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Zhong-Kang; Gao, Yi

2016-02-01

Single-atom catalysts have attracted wide attention owing to their extremely high atom efficiency and activities. In this paper, we applied density functional theory with the inclusion of the on-site Coulomb interaction (DFT+U) to investigate water adsorption and dissociation on clean CeO 2 (111) surfaces and single transition metal atoms (STMAs) adsorbed on the CeO 2 (111) surface. It is found that the most stable water configuration is molecular adsorption on the clean CeO 2 (111) surface and dissociative adsorption on STMA/CeO 2 (111) surfaces, respectively. In addition, our results indicate that the more the electrons that transfer from STMA to the ceria substrate, the stronger the binding energies between the STMA and ceria surfaces. A linear relationship is identified between the water dissociation barriers and the d band centers of STMA, known as the generalized Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi principle. By combining the oxygen spillovers, single-atom dispersion stabilities, and water dissociation barriers, Zn, Cr, and V are identified as potential candidates for the future design of ceria-supported single-atom catalysts for reactions in which the dissociation of water plays an important role, such as the water-gas shift reaction. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of the alkali metal atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuentealba, P. (Chile Univ., Santiago (Chile). Departamento de Fisica and Centro de Mecanica Cuantica Aplicada (CMCA)); Reyes, O. (Chile Univ., Santiago (Chile). Dept. de Fisica)

1993-08-14

The electric static dipole polarizability [alpha], quadrupole polarizability C, dipole-quadrupole polarizability B, and the second dipole hyperpolarizability [gamma] have been calculated for the alkali metal atoms in the ground state. The results are based on a pseudopotential which is able to incorporate the very important core-valence correlation effect through a core polarization potential, and, in an empirical way, the main relativistic effects. The calculated properties compare very well with more elaborated calculations for the Li atom, excepting the second hyperpolarizability [gamma]. For the other atoms, there is neither theoretical nor experimental information about most of the higher polarizabilities. Hence, the results of this paper should be seen as a first attempt to give a complete account of the series expansion of the interaction energy of an alkali metal atom and a static electric field. (author).

Polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of the alkali metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentealba, P.; Reyes, O.

1993-01-01

The electric static dipole polarizability α, quadrupole polarizability C, dipole-quadrupole polarizability B, and the second dipole hyperpolarizability γ have been calculated for the alkali metal atoms in the ground state. The results are based on a pseudopotential which is able to incorporate the very important core-valence correlation effect through a core polarization potential, and, in an empirical way, the main relativistic effects. The calculated properties compare very well with more elaborated calculations for the Li atom, excepting the second hyperpolarizability γ. For the other atoms, there is neither theoretical nor experimental information about most of the higher polarizabilities. Hence, the results of this paper should be seen as a first attempt to give a complete account of the series expansion of the interaction energy of an alkali metal atom and a static electric field. (author)

Single atoms on demand for cavity QED experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dotsenko, I.

2007-01-01

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) describes electromagnetic fields in a confined space and the radiative properties of atoms in such fields. The simplest example of such system is a single atom interacting with one mode of a high-finesse resonator. Besides observation and exploration of fundamental quantum mechanical effects, this system bears a high potential for applications quantum information science such as, e.g., quantum logic gates, quantum communication and quantum teleportation. In this thesis I present an experiment on the deterministic coupling of a single neutral atom to the mode of a high-finesse optical resonator. In Chapter 1 I describe our basic techniques for trapping and observing single cesium atoms. As a source of single atoms we use a high-gradient magneto-optical trap, which captures the atoms from background gas in a vacuum chamber and cools them down to millikelvin temperatures. The atoms are then transferred without loss into a standing-wave dipole trap, which provides a conservative potential required for experiments on atomic coherence such as quantum information processing and metrology on trapped atoms. Moreover, shifting the standing-wave pattern allows us to deterministically transport the atoms (Chapter 2). In combination with nondestructive fluorescence imaging of individual trapped atoms, this enables us to control their position with submicrometer precision over several millimeters along the dipole trap. The cavity QED system can distinctly display quantum behaviour in the so-called strong coupling regime, i.e., when the coherent atom-cavity coupling rate dominates dissipation in the system. This sets the main requirements on the resonator's properties: small mode volume and high finesse. Chapter 3 is devoted to the manufacturing, assembling, and testing of an ultra-high finesse optical Fabry-Perot resonator, stabilized to the atomic transition. In Chapter 4 I present the transportation of single atoms into the cavity

Single atoms on demand for cavity QED experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dotsenko, I.

2007-09-06

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) describes electromagnetic fields in a confined space and the radiative properties of atoms in such fields. The simplest example of such system is a single atom interacting with one mode of a high-finesse resonator. Besides observation and exploration of fundamental quantum mechanical effects, this system bears a high potential for applications quantum information science such as, e.g., quantum logic gates, quantum communication and quantum teleportation. In this thesis I present an experiment on the deterministic coupling of a single neutral atom to the mode of a high-finesse optical resonator. In Chapter 1 I describe our basic techniques for trapping and observing single cesium atoms. As a source of single atoms we use a high-gradient magneto-optical trap, which captures the atoms from background gas in a vacuum chamber and cools them down to millikelvin temperatures. The atoms are then transferred without loss into a standing-wave dipole trap, which provides a conservative potential required for experiments on atomic coherence such as quantum information processing and metrology on trapped atoms. Moreover, shifting the standing-wave pattern allows us to deterministically transport the atoms (Chapter 2). In combination with nondestructive fluorescence imaging of individual trapped atoms, this enables us to control their position with submicrometer precision over several millimeters along the dipole trap. The cavity QED system can distinctly display quantum behaviour in the so-called strong coupling regime, i.e., when the coherent atom-cavity coupling rate dominates dissipation in the system. This sets the main requirements on the resonator's properties: small mode volume and high finesse. Chapter 3 is devoted to the manufacturing, assembling, and testing of an ultra-high finesse optical Fabry-Perot resonator, stabilized to the atomic transition. In Chapter 4 I present the transportation of single atoms into the

Living Colloidal Metal Particles from Solvated Metal Atoms. Clustering of Metal Atoms in Organic Media 15.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-09-23

attributed to these solutions, especially toward heart disease. And in 1618 Antoni published Panacea Aurea : Auro Potabile 4 which centered on the...probably a slow process (discussed next under the electrophoresis section ). Electrophoresis: Electrophoresis, the movement of charged particles in...electrical properties. Experimental Section Preparation of a Typical Au-Acetone Colloid The metal atom reactor has been described previo sly. 3 9 ’ 5 9 ’ 6 0

Atomic switches: atomic-movement-controlled nanodevices for new types of computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hino, Takami; Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi; Terabe, Kazuya; Tsuruoka, Tohru; Nayak, Alpana; Ohno, Takeo; Aono, Masakazu

2011-01-01

Atomic switches are nanoionic devices that control the diffusion of metal cations and their reduction/oxidation processes in the switching operation to form/annihilate a metal atomic bridge, which is a conductive path between two electrodes in the on-state. In contrast to conventional semiconductor devices, atomic switches can provide a highly conductive channel even if their size is of nanometer order. In addition to their small size and low on-resistance, their nonvolatility has enabled the development of new types of programmable devices, which may achieve all the required functions on a single chip. Three-terminal atomic switches have also been developed, in which the formation and annihilation of a metal atomic bridge between a source electrode and a drain electrode are controlled by a third (gate) electrode. Three-terminal atomic switches are expected to enhance the development of new types of logic circuits, such as nonvolatile logic. The recent development of atomic switches that use a metal oxide as the ionic conductive material has enabled the integration of atomic switches with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, which will facilitate the commercialization of atomic switches. The novel characteristics of atomic switches, such as their learning and photosensing abilities, are also introduced in the latter part of this review. (topical review)

Long-range interactions between excited helium and alkali-metal atoms

KAUST Repository

Zhang, J.-Y.

2012-12-03

The dispersion coefficients for the long-range interaction of the first four excited states of He, i.e., He(2 1,3S) and He(2 1,3P), with the low-lying states of the alkali-metal atoms Li, Na, K, and Rb are calculated by summing over the reduced matrix elements of the multipole transition operators. For the interaction between He and Li the uncertainty of the calculations is 0.1–0.5%. For interactions with other alkali-metal atoms the uncertainty is 1–3% in the coefficient C5, 1–5% in the coefficient C6, and 1–10% in the coefficients C8 and C10. The dispersion coefficients Cn for the interaction of He(2 1,3S) and He(2 1,3P) with the ground-state alkali-metal atoms and for the interaction of He(2 1,3S) with the alkali-metal atoms in their first 2P states are presented in this Brief Report. The coefficients for other pairs of atomic states are listed in the Supplemental Material.

Atomic mechanism of shear localization during indentation of a nanostructured metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sansoz, F.; Dupont, V.

2007-01-01

Shear localization is an important mode of deformation in nanocrystalline metals. However, it is very difficult to verify the existence of local shear planes in nanocrystalline metals experimentally. Sharp indentation techniques may provide novel opportunities to investigate the effect of shear localization at different length scales, but the relationship between indentation response and atomic-level shear band formation has not been fully addressed. This paper describes an effort to provide direct insight on the mechanism of shear localization during indentation of nanocrystalline metals from atomistic simulations. Molecular statics is performed with the quasi-continuum method to simulate the indentation of single crystal and nanocrystalline Al with a sharp cylindrical probe. In the nanocrystalline regime, two grain sizes are investigated, 5 nm and 10 nm. We find that the indentation of nanocrystalline metals is characterized by serrated plastic flow. This effect seems to be independent of the grain size. Serration in nanocrystalline metals is found to be associated with the formation of shear bands by sliding of aligned interfaces and intragranular slip, which results in deformation twinning

Issues involved in the atomic layer deposition of metals

Science.gov (United States)

Grubbs, Robert Kimes

Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) was used to study the nucleation and growth of tungsten on aluminum oxide surfaces. Tungsten metal was deposited using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) techniques. ALD uses sequential surface reactions to deposit material with atomic layer control. W ALD is performed using sequential exposures of WF6 and Si2H6. The step-wise nature of W ALD allows nucleation studies to be performed by analyzing the W surface concentration after each ALD reaction. Nucleation and growth regions can be identified by quantifying the AES signal intensities from both the W surface and the Al2O3 substrate. W nucleation occurred in 3 ALD reaction cycles. The AES results yielded a nucleation rate of 1.0 A/ALD cycle and a growth rate of ≈3 A/ALD cycle. AES studies also explored the nucleation and growth of Al2O3 on W. Al2O3 nucleated in 1 ALD cycle giving a nucleation rate of 3.5 A/ALD cycle and a subsequent growth rate of 1.0 A/ALD cycle. Mass spectrometry was then used to study the ALD reaction chemistry of tungsten deposition. Because of the step-wise nature of the W ALD chemistry, each W ALD reaction could be studied independently. The gaseous mass products were identified from both the WF6 and Si2H6 reactions. H2, HF and SiF4 mass products were observed for the WF6 reaction. The Si2H6 reaction displayed a room temperature reaction and a 200°C reaction. Products from the room temperature Si2H6 reaction were H2 and SiF3H. The reaction at 200°C yielded only H2 as a reaction product. H2 desorption from the surface contributes to the 200°C Si2H6 reaction. AES was used to confirm that the gas phase reaction products are correlated with a change in the surface species. Atomic hydrogen reduction of metal halides and oganometallic compounds provides another method for depositing metals with atomic layer control. The quantity of atomic hydrogen necessary to perform this chemistry is critical to the metal ALD process. A thermocouple probe was constructed to

First-principles simulations on the new hybrid phases of germanene with alkali metal atoms coverage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Jianmei [Hunan Key Laboratory for Computation and Simulation in Science and Engineering, School of Mathematics and Computational Science, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China); Tang, Chan; Zhong, Jianxin [Hunan Key Laboratory for Micro-Nano Energy Materials and Devices, School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China); Mao, Yuliang, E-mail: ylmao@xtu.edu.cn [Hunan Key Laboratory for Micro-Nano Energy Materials and Devices, School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China)

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The predicted new phase of complete lithiated germanene is more favorable to form than germanane. • Besides ionic interactions, covalent component in some extent leads the complete lithiated germanene into a semiconductor. • 2D phases of Ge{sub 2}X{sub 1} (X = Li, Na, K) are metallic with weak polarization. • Half-lithiated germanene exhibits local magnetic moments on the Ge atoms neighbored with Li adatoms. - Abstract: We present first-principles calculations of a new type hybrid phases composed by buckled germanene with saturated or half-saturated alkali metal atoms adsorption. Our energetics and electronic structure analysis suggests that adsorbed alkali metal atoms (Li, Na, K) can be used as covered adatoms to synthesize germanene-based new phases in two dimensional. The predicted new phases of Ge{sub 2}X{sub 2} and Ge{sub 2}X{sub 1} (X = Li, Na, K) relative to the single germanene sheet could exist at room temperature. The formation energy of Ge{sub 2}Li{sub 2} configuration obtained from complete lithiation is even more favorable than that of germanane. Charge transfer is significant between the alkali metal atoms and Ge, indicating the ionic interactions between them. Furthermore, our charge density analysis indicates that covalent component in some extent exists in Ge{sub 2}X{sub 2} and Ge{sub 2}X{sub 1} (X = Li, Na, K) 2D phases, which even leads the complete lithiated germanene into a semiconductor with an energy gap of 0.14 eV. We report that 2D phases of Ge{sub 2}X{sub 1} (X = Li, Na, K) are metallic with weak polarization on the Fermi level and in unoccupied states. It is found that half-lithiated germanene exhibits local magnetic moments of 0.48 μ{sub B} on the Ge atoms neighbored with Li adatoms.

Carbon nanotubes as solid-phase extraction sorbents prior to atomic spectrometric determination of metal species: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrero Latorre, C.; Álvarez Méndez, J.; Barciela García, J.; García Martín, S.; Peña Crecente, R.M.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The use of CNTs as sorbent for metal species in solid phase extraction has been described. ► Physical and chemical strategies for functionalization of carbon nanotubes have been discussed. ► Published analytical methods concerning solid phase extraction and atomic spectrometric determination have been reviewed. - Abstract: New materials have significant impact on the development of new methods and instrumentation for chemical analysis. From the discovery of carbon nanotubes in 1991, single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes – due to their high adsorption and desorption capacities – have been employed as sorption substrates in solid-phase extraction for the preconcentration of metal species from diverse matrices. Looking for successive improvements in sensitivity and selectivity, in the past few years, carbon nanotubes have been utilized as sorbents for solid phase extraction in three different ways: like as-grown, oxidized and functionalized nanotubes. In the present paper, an overview of the recent trends in the use of carbon nanotubes for solid phase extraction of metal species in environmental, biological and food samples is presented. The determination procedures involved the adsorption of metals on the nanotube surface, their quantitative desorption and subsequent measurement by means of atomic spectrometric techniques such as flame atomic absorption spectrometry, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry, among others. Synthesis, purification and types of carbon nanotubes, as well as the diverse chemical and physical strategies for their functionalization are described. Based on 140 references, the performance and general properties of the applications of solid phase extraction based on carbon nanotubes for metal species atomic spectrometric determination are discussed.

Carbon nanotubes as solid-phase extraction sorbents prior to atomic spectrometric determination of metal species: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrero Latorre, C., E-mail: carlos.herrero@usc.es [Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Dpto. Quimica Analitica, Nutricion y Bromatologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Alfonso X el Sabio s/n, 27002 Lugo (Spain); Alvarez Mendez, J.; Barciela Garcia, J.; Garcia Martin, S.; Pena Crecente, R.M. [Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Dpto. Quimica Analitica, Nutricion y Bromatologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Alfonso X el Sabio s/n, 27002 Lugo (Spain)

2012-10-24

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The use of CNTs as sorbent for metal species in solid phase extraction has been described. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Physical and chemical strategies for functionalization of carbon nanotubes have been discussed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Published analytical methods concerning solid phase extraction and atomic spectrometric determination have been reviewed. - Abstract: New materials have significant impact on the development of new methods and instrumentation for chemical analysis. From the discovery of carbon nanotubes in 1991, single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes - due to their high adsorption and desorption capacities - have been employed as sorption substrates in solid-phase extraction for the preconcentration of metal species from diverse matrices. Looking for successive improvements in sensitivity and selectivity, in the past few years, carbon nanotubes have been utilized as sorbents for solid phase extraction in three different ways: like as-grown, oxidized and functionalized nanotubes. In the present paper, an overview of the recent trends in the use of carbon nanotubes for solid phase extraction of metal species in environmental, biological and food samples is presented. The determination procedures involved the adsorption of metals on the nanotube surface, their quantitative desorption and subsequent measurement by means of atomic spectrometric techniques such as flame atomic absorption spectrometry, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry, among others. Synthesis, purification and types of carbon nanotubes, as well as the diverse chemical and physical strategies for their functionalization are described. Based on 140 references, the performance and general properties of the applications of solid phase extraction based on carbon nanotubes for metal species atomic spectrometric determination are discussed.

Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of TiN/Al2O3 stacks for metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogeland, D.; Jinesh, K.B.; Roozeboom, F.; Besling, W.F.A.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Kessels, W.M.M.

2009-01-01

By employing plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition, thin films of Al2O3 and TiN are subsequently deposited in a single reactor at a single substrate temperature with the objective of fabricating high-quality TiN/Al2O3 / p-Si metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. Transmission electron microscopy

Investigations of reactions between pure refractory metals and light gases with the field ion microscope and atom probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krautz, E.; Haiml, G.

1989-01-01

The initial stages of selected reactions of the refractory metals tungsten, niobium and tantalum with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and methane have been studied with the field ion microscope in atomic resolution whereby the composition of single net planes converages and surface zones could absolutely be analyzed with the atom probe by using field desorption under defined conditions at low temperatures. 14 refs., 9 figs. (Author)

Spin-rotation interaction of alkali-metal endash He-atom pairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, T.G.; Thywissen, J.H.; Happer, W.

1997-01-01

A treatment of the spin-rotation coupling between alkali-metal atoms and He atoms is presented. Rotational distortions are accounted for in the wave function using a Coriolis interaction in the rotating frame. The expectation value of the spin-orbit interaction gives values of the spin-rotation coupling that explain previous experimental results. For spin-exchange optical pumping, the results suggest that lighter alkali-metal atoms would be preferred spin-exchange partners, other factors being equal. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Single-Atom Gating of Quantum State Superpositions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Christopher

2010-04-28

The ultimate miniaturization of electronic devices will likely require local and coherent control of single electronic wavefunctions. Wavefunctions exist within both physical real space and an abstract state space with a simple geometric interpretation: this state space - or Hilbert space - is spanned by mutually orthogonal state vectors corresponding to the quantized degrees of freedom of the real-space system. Measurement of superpositions is akin to accessing the direction of a vector in Hilbert space, determining an angle of rotation equivalent to quantum phase. Here we show that an individual atom inside a designed quantum corral1 can control this angle, producing arbitrary coherent superpositions of spatial quantum states. Using scanning tunnelling microscopy and nanostructures assembled atom-by-atom we demonstrate how single spins and quantum mirages can be harnessed to image the superposition of two electronic states. We also present a straightforward method to determine the atom path enacting phase rotations between any desired state vectors. A single atom thus becomes a real-space handle for an abstract Hilbert space, providing a simple technique for coherent quantum state manipulation at the spatial limit of condensed matter.

Single-spin addressing in an atomic Mott insulator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weitenberg, Christof; Endres, Manuel; Sherson, Jacob

2011-01-01

directly monitored the tunnelling quantum dynamics of single atoms in the lattice prepared along a single line, and observed that our addressing scheme leaves the atoms in the motional ground state. The results should enable studies of entropy transport and the quantum dynamics of spin impurities...... and quantum spin dynamics. Here we demonstrate how such control can be implemented at the most fundamental level of a single spin at a specific site of an optical lattice. Using a tightly focused laser beam together with a microwave field, we were able to flip the spin of individual atoms in a Mott insulator...... with sub-diffraction-limited resolution, well below the lattice spacing. The Mott insulator provided us with a large two-dimensional array of perfectly arranged atoms, in which we created arbitrary spin patterns by sequentially addressing selected lattice sites after freezing out the atom distribution. We...

Fluorination of Metal Phthalocyanines: Single-Crystal Growth, Efficient N-Channel Organic Field-Effect Transistors, and Structure-Property Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hui; Ye, Jun; Hu, Peng; Wei, Fengxia; Du, Kezhao; Wang, Ning; Ba, Te; Feng, Shuanglong; Kloc, Christian

2014-01-01

The fluorination of p-type metal phthalocyanines produces n-type semiconductors, allowing the design of organic electronic circuits that contain inexpensive heterojunctions made from chemically and thermally stable p- and n-type organic semiconductors. For the evaluation of close to intrinsic transport properties, high-quality centimeter-sized single crystals of F16CuPc, F16CoPc and F16ZnPc have been grown. New crystal structures of F16CuPc, F16CoPc and F16ZnPc have been determined. Organic single-crystal field-effect transistors have been fabricated to study the effects of the central metal atom on their charge transport properties. The F16ZnPc has the highest electron mobility (~1.1 cm2 V−1 s−1). Theoretical calculations indicate that the crystal structure and electronic structure of the central metal atom determine the transport properties of fluorinated metal phthalocyanines. PMID:25524460

Lateral and vertical manipulations of single atoms on the Ag(1 1 1) surface with the copper single-atom and trimer-apex tips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Yiqun; Yang Tianxing; Ye Xiang; Huang Lei

2011-01-01

We study the lateral and vertical manipulations of single Ag and Cu atoms on the Ag(1 1 1) surface with the Cu single-atom and trimer-apex tips using molecular statics simulations. The reliability of the lateral manipulation with the Cu single-atom tip is investigated, and compared with that for the Ag tips. We find that overall the manipulation reliability (MR) increases with the decreasing tip height, and in a wide tip-height range the MR is better than those for both the Ag single-atom and trimer-apex tips. This is due to the stronger attractive force of the Cu tip and its better stability against the interactions with the Ag surface. With the Cu trimer-apex tip, the single Ag and Cu adatoms can be picked up from the flat Ag(1 1 1) surface, and moreover a reversible vertical manipulation of single Ag atoms on the stepped Ag(1 1 1) surface is possible, suggesting a method to modify two-dimensional Ag nanostructures on the Ag(1 1 1) surface with the Cu trimer-apex tip.

Inner-shell excitation of alkali-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwary, S.N.

1987-06-01

Inner-shell excitation of alkali-metal atoms, which leads to auto-ionization, is reviewed. The validity of quantum mechanical approximation is analyzed and the importance of exchange and correlation is demonstrated. Basic difficulties in making accurate calculations for inner-shell excitation process are discussed. Suggestions are made for further study of inner-shell process in atoms and ions. (author). 26 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

Three-atom clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pen'kov, F.M.

1998-01-01

The Born-Oppenheimer approximation is used to obtain an equation for the effective interaction in three atoms bound by a single electron. For low binding energies in an 'electron + atom' pair, long-range forces arise between the atoms, leading to bound states when the size of the three-atom cluster is a few tens of angstrom. A system made of alkali-metal atoms is considered as an example

A new atomization cell for trace metal determinations by tungsten coil atomic spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donati, G.L., E-mail: georgedonati@yahoo.com.br [Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109 (United States); Wildman, R.B.; Jones, B.T. [Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109 (United States)

2011-02-28

A new metallic atomization cell is used for trace metal determinations by tungsten coil atomic absorption spectrometry and tungsten coil atomic emission spectrometry. Different protecting gas mixtures are evaluated to improve atomic emission signals. Ar, N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2} and He are used as solvents, and H{sub 2} and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} as solutes. A H{sub 2}/Ar mixture provided the best results. Parameters such as protecting gas flow rate and atomization current are also optimized. The optimal conditions are used to determine the figures of merit for both methods and the results are compared with values found in the literature. The new cell provides a better control of the radiation reaching the detector and a small, more isothermal environment around the atomizer. A more concentrated atomic cloud and a smaller background signal result in lower limits of detection using both methods. Cu (324.7 nm), Cd (228.8 nm) and Sn (286.3 nm) determined by tungsten coil atomic absorption spectrometry presented limits of detection as low as 0.6, 0.1, and 2.2 {mu}g L{sup -1}, respectively. For Cr (425.4 nm), Eu (459.4 nm) and Sr (460.7 nm) determined by tungsten coil atomic emission spectrometry, limits of detection of 4.5, 2.5, and 0.1 {mu}g L{sup -1} were calculated. The method is used to determine Cu, Cd, Cr and Sr in a water standard reference material. Results for Cu, Cd and Cr presented no significant difference from reported values in a 95% confidence level. For Sr, a 113% recovery was obtained.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides as atomically thin semiconductors: opportunities and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Xidong; Wang, Chen; Pan, Anlian; Yu, Ruqin; Duan, Xiangfeng

2015-12-21

The discovery of graphene has ignited intensive interest in two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs). These 2DLMs represent a new class of nearly ideal 2D material systems for exploring fundamental chemistry and physics at the limit of single-atom thickness, and have the potential to open up totally new technological opportunities beyond the reach of existing materials. In general, there are a wide range of 2DLMs in which the atomic layers are weakly bonded together by van der Waals interactions and can be isolated into single or few-layer nanosheets. The van der Waals interactions between neighboring atomic layers could allow much more flexible integration of distinct materials to nearly arbitrarily combine and control different properties at the atomic scale. The transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) (e.g., MoS2, WSe2) represent a large family of layered materials, many of which exhibit tunable band gaps that can undergo a transition from an indirect band gap in bulk crystals to a direct band gap in monolayer nanosheets. These 2D-TMDs have thus emerged as an exciting class of atomically thin semiconductors for a new generation of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Recent studies have shown exciting potential of these atomically thin semiconductors, including the demonstration of atomically thin transistors, a new design of vertical transistors, as well as new types of optoelectronic devices such as tunable photovoltaic devices and light emitting devices. In parallel, there have also been considerable efforts in developing diverse synthetic approaches for the rational growth of various forms of 2D materials with precisely controlled chemical composition, physical dimension, and heterostructure interface. Here we review the recent efforts, progress, opportunities and challenges in exploring the layered TMDs as a new class of atomically thin semiconductors.

Atomic-scale simulations of the mechanical deformation of nanocrystalline metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøtz, Jakob; Vegge, Tejs; Di Tolla, Francesco

1999-01-01

that the main deformation mode is sliding in the grain boundaries through a large number of uncorrelated events, where a few atoms (or a few tens of atoms) slide with respect to each other. Little dislocation activity is seen in the grain interiors. The localization of the deformation to the grain boundaries......Nanocrystalline metals, i.e., metals in which the grain size is in the nanometer range, have a range of technologically interesting properties including increased hardness and yield strength. We present atomic-scale simulations of the plastic behavior of nanocrystalline copper. The simulations show...

Ballistic Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of Single-Atom Contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Schöneberg, J; Otte, F; Néel, N; Weismann, A; Mokrousov, Y; Kröger, J; Berndt, R; Heinze, S

2016-02-10

Anisotropic magnetoresistance, that is, the sensitivity of the electrical resistance of magnetic materials on the magnetization direction, is expected to be strongly enhanced in ballistic transport through nanoscale junctions. However, unambiguous experimental evidence of this effect is difficult to achieve. We utilize single-atom junctions to measure this ballistic anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR). Single Co and Ir atoms are deposited on domains and domain walls of ferromagnetic Fe layers on W(110) to control their magnetization directions. They are contacted with nonmagnetic tips in a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope to measure the junction conductances. Large changes of the magnetoresistance occur from the tunneling to the ballistic regime due to the competition of localized and delocalized d-orbitals, which are differently affected by spin-orbit coupling. This work shows that engineering the AMR at the single atom level is feasible.

Investigation on single carbon atom transporting through the single-walled carbon nanotube by MD simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Yinfeng; Zhang Zhibin; Ke Xuezhi; Zhu Zhiyuan; Zhu Dezhang; Wang Zhenxia; Xu Hongjie

2005-01-01

The single carbon atom transporting through the single-walled carbon nanotube has been studied by molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation. We got different trajectories of the carbon atom by changing the input parameters. The simulation results indicate that the single carbon atom with low energy can transport through the carbon nanotube under some input conditions and result in different trajectories being straight line or 'rosette' or circular. (authors)

Long Spin-Relaxation Times in a Transition-Metal Atom in Direct Contact to a Metal Substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermenau, Jan; Ternes, Markus; Steinbrecher, Manuel; Wiesendanger, Roland; Wiebe, Jens

2018-03-14

Long spin-relaxation times are a prerequisite for the use of spins in data storage or nanospintronics technologies. An atomic-scale solid-state realization of such a system is the spin of a transition-metal atom adsorbed on a suitable substrate. For the case of a metallic substrate, which enables the direct addressing of the spin by conduction electrons, the experimentally measured lifetimes reported to date are on the order of only hundreds of femtoseconds. Here, we show that the spin states of iron atoms adsorbed directly on a conductive platinum substrate have a surprisingly long spin-relaxation time in the nanosecond regime, which is comparable to that of a transition metal atom decoupled from the substrate electrons by a thin decoupling layer. The combination of long spin-relaxation times and strong coupling to conduction electrons implies the possibility to use flexible coupling schemes to process the spin information.

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of substitutional transition-metal atoms in GaN nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Min; Shi Jun-Jie

2014-01-01

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of the transition-metal (TM) atoms (Sc—Zn, Pt and Au) doped zigzag GaN single-walled nanotubes (NTs) are investigated using first-principles spin-polarized density functional calculations. Our results show that the bindings of all TM atoms are stable with the binding energy in the range of 6–16 eV. The Sc- and V-doped GaN NTs exhibit a nonmagnetic behavior. The GaN NTs doped with Ti, Mn, Ni, Cu and Pt are antiferromagnetic. On the contrary, the Cr-, Fe-, Co-, Zn- and Au-doped GaN NTs show the ferromagnetic characteristics. The Mn- and Co-doped GaN NTs induce the largest local moment of 4μ B among these TM atoms. The local magnetic moment is dominated by the contribution from the substitutional TM atom and the N atoms bonded with it. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Long-range interactions between excited helium and alkali-metal atoms

KAUST Repository

Zhang, J.-Y.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Shi, T.-Y.; Tang, L.-Y.; Yan, Z.-C.

2012-01-01

–5% in the coefficient C6, and 1–10% in the coefficients C8 and C10. The dispersion coefficients Cn for the interaction of He(2 1,3S) and He(2 1,3P) with the ground-state alkali-metal atoms and for the interaction of He(2 1,3S) with the alkali-metal atoms in their first

Atomic-level structures and physical properties of magnetic CoSiB metallic glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shan, Guangcun; Liang Zhang, Ji; Li, Jiong; Zhang, Shuo; Jiang, Zheng; Huang, Yuying; Shek, Chan-Hung

2014-01-01

Two CoSiB metallic glasses of low Co contents, which consist of different clusters, have recently been developed by addition of solute atoms. In this work, the atomic structure and the magnetic properties of the two CoBSi metallic glasses were elucidated by state-of-the-art extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) combining with ab initio molecular-dynamics (AIMD) computational techniques. Besides, the origin of these magnetic behaviors was discussed in view of the EXAFS results and atomic structures of the metallic glasses. - Graphical abstract: The atomic structure and the origins of the magnetic properties of two ternary CoBSi metallic glasses were elucidated by state-of-the-art extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) combining with ab initio molecular-dynamics (AIMD) techniques. - Highlights: • The atomic structure and the origins of the magnetic properties of two ternary CoBSi metallic glasses were revealed. • The atomic structures were elucidated by state-of-the-art extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) combining with ab initio molecular-dynamics (AIMD) techniques. • The experimental spectra were in good agreement with the predictions of ab initio full multiple scattering theory using the FEFF8.4 code. • The origin of these magnetic behaviors was discussed in view of the EXAFS results and atomic structures of the metallic glasses. • These two metallic glasses consist of different clusters, and hence different magnetic properties, which are dominated by short-range orders (SROs)

Trends in preconcentration procedures for metal determination using atomic spectrometry techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godoi Pereira, M. de; Arruda, M.A.Z.

2003-01-01

Methods for metal preconcentration are often described in the literature. However, purposes are often different, depending on whether the methods are applied in environmental, clinical or technological fields. The respective method needs to be efficient, give high sensitivity, and ideally also is selective which is useful when used in combination with atomic spectroscopy. This review presents the actual tendencies in metal preconcentration using techniques such as flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Procedures based on related to electrochemical, coprecipitation/precipitation, liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extraction and atom trapping mechanisms are presented. (author)

Isolated Pt Atoms Stabilized by Amorphous Tungstenic Acid for Metal-Support Synergistic Oxygen Activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Qin, Xixi; Duanmu, Fanpeng; Ji, Huiming; Shen, Zhurui; Han, Xiaopeng; Hu, Wenbin

2018-06-05

Oxygen activation plays a crucial role in many important chemical reactions such as organics oxidation and oxygen reduction. For developing highly active materials for oxygen activation, herein, we report an atomically dispersed Pt on WO3 nanoplates stabilized by in-situ formed amorphous H2WO4 out-layer and the mechanism for activating molecular oxygen. Experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that the isolated Pt atoms coordinated with oxygen atoms from [WO6] and water of H2WO4, consequently leading to optimized surface electronic configuration and strong metal support interaction (SMSI). In exemplified reactions of butanone oxidation sensing and oxygen reduction, the atomic Pt/WO3 hybrid exhibits superior activity than those of Pt nanoclusters/WO3 and bare WO3 as well as enhanced long-term durability. This work will provide insight on the origin of activity and stability for atomically dispersed materials, thus promoting the development of highly efficient and durable single atom-based catalysts. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Photoionisation detection of single 87Rb-atoms using channel electron multipliers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henkel, Florian Alexander

2011-01-01

Fast and efficient detection of single atoms is a universal requirement concerning modern experiments in atom physics, quantum optics, and precision spectroscopy. In particular for future quantum information and quantum communication technologies, the efficient readout of qubit states encoded in single atoms or ions is an elementary prerequisite. The rapid development in the field of quantum optics and atom optics in the recent years has enabled to prepare individual atoms as quantum memories or arrays of single atoms as qubit registers. With such systems, the implementation of quantum computation or quantum communication protocols seems feasible. This thesis describes a novel detection scheme which enables fast and efficient state analysis of single neutral atoms. The detection scheme is based on photoionisation and consists of two parts: the hyperfine-state selective photoionisation of single atoms and the registration of the generated photoion-electron pairs via two channel electron multipliers (CEMs). In this work, both parts were investigated in two separate experiments. For the first step, a photoionisation probability of p ion =0.991 within an ionisation time of t ion =386 ns is achieved for a single 87 Rb-atom in an optical dipole trap. For the second part, a compact detection system for the ionisation fragments was developed consisting of two opposing CEM detectors. Measurements show that single neutral atoms can be detected via their ionisation fragments with a detection efficiency of η atom =0.991 within a detection time of t det =415.5 ns. In a future combined setup, this will allow the state-selective readout of optically trapped, single neutral 87 Rb-atoms via photoionisation detection with an estimated detection efficiency η=0.982 and a detection time of t tot = 802 ns. Although initially developed for single 87 Rb-atoms, the concept of photoionisation detection is in principle generally applicable to any atomic or molecular species. As efficient

Quantum delayed-choice experiment with a single neutral atom.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gang; Zhang, Pengfei; Zhang, Tiancai

2017-10-01

We present a proposal to implement a quantum delayed-choice (QDC) experiment with a single neutral atom, such as a rubidium or cesium atom. In our proposal, a Ramsey interferometer is adopted to observe the wave-like or particle-like behaviors of a single atom depending on the existence or absence of the second π/2-rotation. A quantum-controlled π/2-rotation on target atom is realized through a Rydberg-Rydberg interaction by another ancilla atom. It shows that a heavy neutral atom can also have a morphing behavior between the particle and the wave. The realization of the QDC experiment with such heavy neutral atoms not only is significant to understand the Bohr's complementarity principle in matter-wave and matter-particle domains but also has great potential on the quantum information process with neutral atoms.

Atomic defects and diffusion in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, R.W.

1981-11-01

The tracer self-diffusion data for fcc and refractory bcc metals are briefly reviewed with respect to (i) the available monovacancy formation and migration properties and (ii) the high-temperature diffusion enhancement above that expected for mass transport via atomic exchange with monovacancies. While the atomic-defect mechanism for low-temperature self-diffusion can be reliably attributed to monovacancies, the mechanisms responsible for high-temperature mass transport are not so easily defined at this time; both divacancies and interstitials must be seriously considered. Possibilities for improving our understanding in this area are discussed. 68 references, 7 figures

Creation and recovery of a W(111) single atom gas field ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitters, Jason L.; Urban, Radovan; Wolkow, Robert A.

2012-01-01

Tungsten single atom tips have been prepared from a single crystal W(111) oriented wire using the chemical assisted field evaporation and etching method. Etching to a single atom tip occurs through a symmetric structure and leads to a predictable last atom unlike etching with polycrystalline tips. The single atom tip formation procedure is shown in an atom by atom removal process. Rebuilds of single atom tips occur on the same crystalline axis as the original tip such that ion emission emanates along a fixed direction for all tip rebuilds. This preparation method could be utilized and developed to prepare single atom tips for ion source development.

Mechanism of single atom switch on silicon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quaade, Ulrich; Stokbro, Kurt; Thirstrup, C.

1998-01-01

We demonstrate single atom switch on silicon which operates by displacement of a hydrogen atom on the silicon (100) surface at room temperature. We find two principal effects by which the switch is controlled: a pronounced maximum of the switching probability as function of sample bias...

Screened Coulomb interactions in metallic alloys. II. Screening beyond the single-site and atomic-sphere approximations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruban, Andrei; Simak, S.I.; Korzhavyi, P.A.

2002-01-01

-electron potential and energy. In the case of a random alloy such interactions can be accounted for only by lifting the atomic-sphere and single-site approximations, in order to include the polarization due to local environment effects. Nevertheless, a simple parametrization of the screened Coulomb interactions...... for the ordinary single-site methods, including the generalized perturbation method, is still possible. We obtained such a parametrization for bulk and surface NiPt alloys, which allows one to obtain quantitatively accurate effective interactions in this system....

Enhanced magnetic anisotropies of single transition-metal adatoms on a defective MoS2 monolayer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, W T; Tang, Z; Zhao, X G; Chu, J H

2015-03-23

Single magnetic atoms absorbed on an atomically thin layer represent the ultimate limit of bit miniaturization for data storage. To approach the limit, a critical step is to find an appropriate material system with high chemical stability and large magnetic anisotropic energy. Here, on the basis of first-principles calculations and the spin-orbit coupling theory, it is elucidated that the transition-metal Mn and Fe atoms absorbed on disulfur vacancies of MoS2 monolayers are very promising candidates. It is analysed that these absorption systems are of not only high chemical stabilities but also much enhanced magnetic anisotropies and particularly the easy magnetization axis is changed from the in-plane one for Mn to the out-of-plane one for Fe by a symmetry-lowering Jahn-Teller distortion. The results point out a promising direction to achieve the ultimate goal of single adatomic magnets with utilizing the defective atomically thin layers.

Experimental and theoretical studies of metal vapor atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitfield, S.B.; Wehlitz, Ralf; Martins, Michael

2004-01-01

Employing electron spectrometry in conjunction with tuneable synchrotron radiation, we will present a detailed examination of the photoionization dynamics of selected metal vapor atoms. In particular, this paper will focus on the relative partial cross sections of the atomic Li K-shell main and satellite (ionization with excitation) photoelectron lines in the region of the strong 1snln'l' autoionizing transitions, the atomic Sc 3d, 4s main and satellite photoelectron lines in the region of the 3p→3d giant resonance, and also the atomic Fe 3d, 4s main and satellite photoelectron lines in the same resonance region. Our experimental data for Sc and Fe will be compared to our state-of-the-art calculations based on the superposition of configuration method developed by Cowan (The Theory of Atomic Structure and Spectra. University of California Berkeley Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1981). Our partial cross section measurements for Li and Sc will be complemented with measurements of the angular distribution parameter, β. In addition, our Li data will also be compared with recent R-matrix calculations (Phys. Rev. 57 (1998) 1045). In the case of Fe, we will also address the term dependent behavior of the partial cross sections on resonance. These results will highlight what can be achieved with today's technology and point the way towards future endeavors in the study of the photoionization dynamics of open-shell metal vapor atoms

Enhancement of the atomic absorbance of Cr, Zn, Cd, and Pb in metal furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using absorption tubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuya Koike

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Trace amounts of Cr, Zn, Cd, and Pb were determined by metal furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using absorption tubes. Various absorption tubes were designed as roof- and tube-types, and fixed above the metal furnace in order to extend the light path length. Aqueous standards and samples were injected in the metal furnace and atomized in a metal atomizer with an absorption tube (6 cm length, 15.5 mm diameter. The used of an absorption tube resulted in an enhancement of the atomic absorbance. The ratios of absorbance values with and without the roof- and tube-type absorption tubes were 1.33 and 1.11 for Cr; 1.42 and 1.99 for Zn; 1.66 and 1.98 for Cd; and 1.31 and 1.16 for Pb, respectively. The use of an absorption tube was effective for Zn and Cd analysis, as the absorbance values for these low boiling point metals doubled. The proposed method was successfully applied in the determination of Zn in tap water.

Nanomechanical DNA origami 'single-molecule beacons' directly imaged by atomic force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzuya, Akinori; Sakai, Yusuke; Yamazaki, Takahiro; Xu, Yan; Komiyama, Makoto

2011-01-01

DNA origami involves the folding of long single-stranded DNA into designed structures with the aid of short staple strands; such structures may enable the development of useful nanomechanical DNA devices. Here we develop versatile sensing systems for a variety of chemical and biological targets at molecular resolution. We have designed functional nanomechanical DNA origami devices that can be used as 'single-molecule beacons', and function as pinching devices. Using 'DNA origami pliers' and 'DNA origami forceps', which consist of two levers ~170 nm long connected at a fulcrum, various single-molecule inorganic and organic targets ranging from metal ions to proteins can be visually detected using atomic force microscopy by a shape transition of the origami devices. Any detection mechanism suitable for the target of interest, pinching, zipping or unzipping, can be chosen and used orthogonally with differently shaped origami devices in the same mixture using a single platform. PMID:21863016

Feedback Cooling of a Single Neutral Atom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koch, Markus; Sames, Christian; Kubanek, Alexander; Apel, Matthias; Balbach, Maximilian; Ourjoumtsev, Alexei; Pinkse, Pepijn Willemszoon Harry; Rempe, Gerhard

2010-01-01

We demonstrate feedback cooling of the motion of a single rubidium atom trapped in a high-finesse optical resonator to a temperature of about 160  μK. Time-dependent transmission and intensity-correlation measurements prove the reduction of the atomic position uncertainty. The feedback increases the

Diverse and tunable electronic structures of single-layer metal phosphorus trichalcogenides for photocatalytic water splitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jian; Li, Xi-Bo; Wang, Da; Liu, Li-Min; Lau, Woon-Ming; Peng, Ping

2014-01-01

The family of bulk metal phosphorus trichalcogenides (APX 3 , A = M II , M 0.5 I M 0.5 III ; X = S, Se; M I , M II , and M III represent Group-I, Group-II, and Group-III metals, respectively) has attracted great attentions because such materials not only own magnetic and ferroelectric properties, but also exhibit excellent properties in hydrogen storage and lithium battery because of the layered structures. Many layered materials have been exfoliated into two-dimensional (2D) materials, and they show distinct electronic properties compared with their bulks. Here we present a systematical study of single-layer metal phosphorus trichalcogenides by density functional theory calculations. The results show that the single layer metal phosphorus trichalcogenides have very low formation energies, which indicates that the exfoliation of single layer APX 3 should not be difficult. The family of single layer metal phosphorus trichalcogenides exhibits a large range of band gaps from 1.77 to 3.94 eV, and the electronic structures are greatly affected by the metal or the chalcogenide atoms. The calculated band edges of metal phosphorus trichalcogenides further reveal that single-layer ZnPSe 3 , CdPSe 3 , Ag 0.5 Sc 0.5 PSe 3 , and Ag 0.5 In 0.5 PX 3 (X = S and Se) have both suitable band gaps for visible-light driving and sufficient over-potentials for water splitting. More fascinatingly, single-layer Ag 0.5 Sc 0.5 PSe 3 is a direct band gap semiconductor, and the calculated optical absorption further convinces that such materials own outstanding properties for light absorption. Such results demonstrate that the single layer metal phosphorus trichalcogenides own high stability, versatile electronic properties, and high optical absorption, thus such materials have great chances to be high efficient photocatalysts for water-splitting

Ionic Exchange of Metal-Organic Frameworks to Access Single Nickel Sites for Efficient Electroreduction of CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Changming; Dai, Xinyao; Yao, Tao; Chen, Wenxing; Wang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Jing; Yang, Jian; Wei, Shiqiang; Wu, Yuen; Li, Yadong

2017-06-21

Single-atom catalysts often exhibit unexpected catalytic activity for many important chemical reactions because of their unique electronic and geometric structures with respect to their bulk counterparts. Herein we adopt metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to assist the preparation of a catalyst containing single Ni sites for efficient electroreduction of CO 2 . The synthesis is based on ionic exchange between Zn nodes and adsorbed Ni ions within the cavities of the MOF. This single-atom catalyst exhibited an excellent turnover frequency for electroreduction of CO 2 (5273 h -1 ), with a Faradaic efficiency for CO production of over 71.9% and a current density of 10.48 mA cm -2 at an overpotential of 0.89 V. Our findings present some guidelines for the rational design and accurate modulation of nanostructured catalysts at the atomic scale.

Atomic structures and mechanical properties of single-crystal GaN nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, B.; Lu, A.J.; Pan, B.C.; Yu, Q.X.

2005-01-01

An approach is proposed to theoretically construct a realistic single-crystal GaN nanotube at atomic scale. The generated atomic structures of the single-crystal GaN nanotubes match the structural aspects from experiment very well. Our energetic calculations show that a single-crystal GaN nanotube with [100]-oriented lateral facets is more stable than that with [110]-oriented lateral facets, when they have around the same wall thickness. For a specified orientation of the lateral facets on the single-crystal GaN nanotubes, the energetic stabilities of the tubes obey a P rule, in which P is the ratio of the number of four-coordinated atoms to the number of three-coordinated atoms. Furthermore, the Young's modulus of the considered GaN nanotubes decrease with increasing the ratio of the number of bulk atoms to the number of surface atoms in each type of tube. Our calculations and analysis demonstrate that the surface effect of a single-crystal nanotube enhances its Young's modulus significantly

Reagent-Free Electrophoretic Synthesis of Few-Atom-Thick Metal Oxide Nanosheets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hou, Chengyi; Zhang, Minwei; Zhang, Lili

2017-01-01

Engineering traditional materials into the new form of atomic and free-standing two-dimensional structures is of both fundamental interest and practical significance, but it is in general facing challenges especially for metal oxide semiconductors. We herein report an ultragreen method for the cost......-effective and fast preparation of atomic metal oxide nanosheets that can be further transformed into nanofilms. The method combines top-down building block synthesis and bottom-up electrophoretic assembly in water under ambient conditions, using only bulk metal and Milli-Q water without involving any additional...

Three-dimensional rearrangement of single atoms using actively controlled optical microtraps.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Woojun; Kim, Hyosub; Ahn, Jaewook

2016-05-02

We propose and demonstrate three-dimensional rearrangements of single atoms. In experiments performed with single 87Rb atoms in optical microtraps actively controlled by a spatial light modulator, we demonstrate various dynamic rearrangements of up to N = 9 atoms including rotation, 2D vacancy filling, guiding, compactification, and 3D shuffling. With the capability of a phase-only Fourier mask to generate arbitrary shapes of the holographic microtraps, it was possible to place single atoms at arbitrary geometries of a few μm size and even continuously reconfigure them by conveying each atom. For this purpose, we loaded a series of computer-generated phase masks in the full frame rate of 60 Hz of the spatial light modulator, so the animation of phase mask transformed the holographic microtraps in real time, driving each atom along the assigned trajectory. Possible applications of this method of transformation of single atoms include preparation of scalable quantum platforms for quantum computation, quantum simulation, and quantum many-body physics.

Single-cell atomic quantum memory for light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opatrny, Tomas

2006-01-01

Recent experiments demonstrating atomic quantum memory for light [B. Julsgaard et al., Nature 432, 482 (2004)] involve two macroscopic samples of atoms, each with opposite spin polarization. It is shown here that a single atomic cell is enough for the memory function if the atoms are optically pumped with suitable linearly polarized light, and quadratic Zeeman shift and/or ac Stark shift are used to manipulate rotations of the quadratures. This should enhance the performance of our quantum memory devices since less resources are needed and losses of light in crossing different media boundaries are avoided

Self-interstitial atoms in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, W.

1978-01-01

The present state of knowledge and understanding of the properties of self-interstitial atoms (SIAs) in metals is reviewed. Special emphasis is given to a discussion of the structure of SIAs and those properties which relate to structure such as relaxation volumes, elastic polarizabilities, defect vibrations, geometry of jump processes, and elastic interactions. The present experimental status with respect to these properties is summarized, and the basic theoretical concepts for their understanding are presented as simply as possible. (Auth.)

Single atom self-diffusion on nickel surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tung, R.T.; Graham, W.R.

1980-01-01

Results of a field ion microscope study of single atom self-diffusion on Ni(311), (331), (110), (111) and (100) planes are presented, including detailed information on the self-diffusion parameters on (311), (331), and (110) surfaces, and activation energies for diffusion on the (111), and (100) surfaces. Evidence is presented for the existence of two types of adsorption site and surface site geometry for single nickel atoms on the (111) surface. The presence of adsorbed hydrogen on the (110), (311), and (331) surfaces is shown to lower the onset temperature for self-diffusion on these planes. (orig.)

Photoionisation detection of single {sup 87}Rb-atoms using channel electron multipliers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henkel, Florian Alexander

2011-09-02

Fast and efficient detection of single atoms is a universal requirement concerning modern experiments in atom physics, quantum optics, and precision spectroscopy. In particular for future quantum information and quantum communication technologies, the efficient readout of qubit states encoded in single atoms or ions is an elementary prerequisite. The rapid development in the field of quantum optics and atom optics in the recent years has enabled to prepare individual atoms as quantum memories or arrays of single atoms as qubit registers. With such systems, the implementation of quantum computation or quantum communication protocols seems feasible. This thesis describes a novel detection scheme which enables fast and efficient state analysis of single neutral atoms. The detection scheme is based on photoionisation and consists of two parts: the hyperfine-state selective photoionisation of single atoms and the registration of the generated photoion-electron pairs via two channel electron multipliers (CEMs). In this work, both parts were investigated in two separate experiments. For the first step, a photoionisation probability of p{sub ion}=0.991 within an ionisation time of t{sub ion}=386 ns is achieved for a single {sup 87}Rb-atom in an optical dipole trap. For the second part, a compact detection system for the ionisation fragments was developed consisting of two opposing CEM detectors. Measurements show that single neutral atoms can be detected via their ionisation fragments with a detection efficiency of {eta}{sub atom}=0.991 within a detection time of t{sub det}=415.5 ns. In a future combined setup, this will allow the state-selective readout of optically trapped, single neutral {sup 87}Rb-atoms via photoionisation detection with an estimated detection efficiency {eta}=0.982 and a detection time of t{sub tot} = 802 ns. Although initially developed for single {sup 87}Rb-atoms, the concept of photoionisation detection is in principle generally applicable to any

Synthesis and Doping of Ligand-Protected Atomically-Precise Metal Nanoclusters

KAUST Repository

Aljuhani, Maha A.

2016-01-01

by controlling their size, shape, and composition. Among the most thriving areas of research about nanoparticle is the synthesis and doping of the ligand-protected atomically-precise metal nanoclusters. In this thesis, we developed three different novel metal

High performance platinum single atom electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Jiao, Menggai; Lu, Lanlu; Barkholtz, Heather M.; Li, Yuping; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Luhua; Wu, Zhijian; Liu, Di-Jia; Zhuang, Lin; Ma, Chao; Zeng, Jie; Zhang, Bingsen; Su, Dangsheng; Song, Ping; Xing, Wei; Xu, Weilin; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Zheng; Sun, Gongquan

2017-07-01

For the large-scale sustainable implementation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells in vehicles, high-performance electrocatalysts with low platinum consumption are desirable for use as cathode material during the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. Here we report a carbon black-supported cost-effective, efficient and durable platinum single-atom electrocatalyst with carbon monoxide/methanol tolerance for the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction. The acidic single-cell with such a catalyst as cathode delivers high performance, with power density up to 680 mW cm-2 at 80 °C with a low platinum loading of 0.09 mgPt cm-2, corresponding to a platinum utilization of 0.13 gPt kW-1 in the fuel cell. Good fuel cell durability is also observed. Theoretical calculations reveal that the main effective sites on such platinum single-atom electrocatalysts are single-pyridinic-nitrogen-atom-anchored single-platinum-atom centres, which are tolerant to carbon monoxide/methanol, but highly active for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Vibration spectra of single atomic nanocontacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourahla, B; Khater, A; Rafil, O; Tigrine, R

2006-01-01

This paper introduces a simple model for an atomic nanocontact, where its mechanical properties are analysed by calculating numerically the local spectral properties at the contact atom and the nearby atoms. The standard methodology for calculating phonon spectral densities is extended to enable the calculation of localized contact modes and local density of states (DOS). The model system considered for the nanocontact consists of two sets of triple parallel semi-infinite atomic chains joined by a single atom in between. The matching method is used, in the harmonic approximation, to calculate the local Green's functions for the irreducible set of sites that constitute the inhomogeneous nanocontact domain. The Green's functions yield the vibration spectra and the DOS for the atomic sites. These are numerically calculated for different cases of elastic hardening and softening of the nanocontact domain. The purpose is to investigate how the local dynamics respond to local changes in the elastic environment. The analysis of the spectra and of the DOS identifies characteristic features and demonstrates the central role of a core subset of these sites for the dynamics of the nanocontact. The system models a situation which may be appropriate for contact atomic force microscopy

Momentum densities and Compton profiles of alkali-metal atoms

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. It is assumed that the dynamics of valence electrons of alkali-metal atoms can be well accounted for by a quantum-defect theoretic model while the core electrons may be supposed to move in a self-consistent field. This model is used to study the momentum properties of atoms from. 3Li to 37Rb. The numerical ...

Observation of Entanglement of a Single Photon with a Trapped Atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volz, Juergen; Weber, Markus; Schlenk, Daniel; Rosenfeld, Wenjamin; Vrana, Johannes; Saucke, Karen; Kurtsiefer, Christian; Weinfurter, Harald

2006-01-01

We report the observation of entanglement between a single trapped atom and a single photon at a wavelength suitable for low-loss communication over large distances, thereby achieving a crucial step towards long range quantum networks. To verify the entanglement, we introduce a single atom state analysis. This technique is used for full state tomography of the atom-photon qubit pair. The detection efficiency and the entanglement fidelity are high enough to allow in a next step the generation of entangled atoms at large distances, ready for a final loophole-free Bell experiment

Metal cluster compounds - chemistry and importance; clusters containing isolated main group element atoms, large metal cluster compounds, cluster fluxionality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walther, B.

1988-01-01

This part of the review on metal cluster compounds deals with clusters containing isolated main group element atoms, with high nuclearity clusters and metal cluster fluxionality. It will be obvious that main group element atoms strongly influence the geometry, stability and reactivity of the clusters. High nuclearity clusters are of interest in there own due to the diversity of the structures adopted, but their intermediate position between molecules and the metallic state makes them a fascinating research object too. These both sites of the metal cluster chemistry as well as the frequently observed ligand and core fluxionality are related to the cluster metal and surface analogy. (author)

Synthesis and Doping of Ligand-Protected Atomically-Precise Metal Nanoclusters

KAUST Repository

Aljuhani, Maha A.

2016-05-01

Rapidly expanding research in nanotechnology has led to exciting progress in a versatile array of applications from medical diagnostics to catalysis. This success resulted from the manipulation of the desired properties of nanomaterials by controlling their size, shape, and composition. Among the most thriving areas of research about nanoparticle is the synthesis and doping of the ligand-protected atomically-precise metal nanoclusters. In this thesis, we developed three different novel metal nanoclusters, such as doped Ag29 with five gold (Au) atoms leading to enhance its quantum yield with remarkable stability. We also developed half-doped (alloyed) cluster of Ni6 nanocluster with molybdenum (Mo). This enabled enhanced stability and better catalytic activity. The third metal nanocluster that we synthesized was Au28 nanocluster by using di-thiolate as the ligand stabilizer instead of mono-thiolate. The new metal clusters obtained have been characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical and crystallographic methods.

Graphene as a flexible template for controlling magnetic interactions between metal atoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sungwoo; Kim, Dongwook; Robertson, Alex W; Yoon, Euijoon; Hong, Suklyun; Ihm, Jisoon; Yu, Jaejun; Warner, Jamie H; Lee, Gun-Do

2017-03-01

Metal-doped graphene produces magnetic moments that have potential application in spintronics. Here we use density function theory computational methods to show how the magnetic interaction between metal atoms doped in graphene can be controlled by the degree of flexure in a graphene membrane. Bending graphene by flexing causes the distance between two substitutional Fe atoms covalently bonded in graphene to gradually increase and these results in the magnetic moment disappearing at a critical strain value. At the critical strain, a carbon atom can enter between the two Fe atoms and blocks the interaction between relevant orbitals of Fe atoms to quench the magnetic moment. The control of interactions between doped atoms by exploiting the mechanical flexibility of graphene is a unique approach to manipulating the magnetic properties and opens up new opportunities for mechanical-magnetic 2D device systems.

Momentum densities and Compton profiles of alkali-metal atoms

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

It is assumed that the dynamics of valence electrons of alkali-metal atoms can be well accounted for by a quantum-defect theoretic model while the core electrons may be supposed to move in a self-consistent field. This model is used to study the momentum properties of atoms from 3Li to 37Rb. The numerical results ...

Mononuclear Clusterfullerene Single-Molecule Magnet Containing Strained Fused-Pentagons Stabilized by a Nearly Linear Metal Cyanide Cluster

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Fupin; Wang, Song; Gao, Cong Li

2017-01-01

Fused-pentagons results in an increase of local steric strain according to the isolated pentagon rule (IPR), and for all reported non-IPR clusterfullerenes multiple (two or three) metals are required to stabilize the strained fused-pentagons, making it difficult to access the single-atom properti...... (SMM)....

Adsorption of metal atoms at a buckled graphene grain boundary using model potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helgee, Edit E.; Isacsson, Andreas

2016-01-01

Two model potentials have been evaluated with regard to their ability to model adsorption of single metal atoms on a buckled graphene grain boundary. One of the potentials is a Lennard-Jones potential parametrized for gold and carbon, while the other is a bond-order potential parametrized for the interaction between carbon and platinum. Metals are expected to adsorb more strongly to grain boundaries than to pristine graphene due to their enhanced adsorption at point defects resembling those that constitute the grain boundary. Of the two potentials considered here, only the bond-order potential reproduces this behavior and predicts the energy of the adsorbate to be about 0.8 eV lower at the grain boundary than on pristine graphene. The Lennard-Jones potential predicts no significant difference in energy between adsorbates at the boundary and on pristine graphene. These results indicate that the Lennard-Jones potential is not suitable for studies of metal adsorption on defects in graphene, and that bond-order potentials are preferable

Metal nanoparticles via the atom-economy green approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalidindi, Suresh Babu; Sanyal, Udishnu; Jagirdar, Balaji R

2010-05-03

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) of Cu (air-stable), Ag, and Au have been prepared using an atom-economy green approach. Simple mechanical stirring of solid mixtures (no solvent) of a metal salt and ammonia borane at 60 degrees C resulted in the formation of metal NPs. In this reaction, ammonia borane is transformed into a BNH(x) polymer, which protects the NPs formed and halts their growth. This results in the formation of the BNH(x) polymer protected monodisperse NPs. Thus, ammonia borane used in these reactions plays a dual role (reducing agent and precursor for the stabilizing agent).

Controlled Fabrication of Metallic Electrodes with Atomic Separation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morpurgo, A.; Robinson, D.; M. Marcus, C.

1998-01-01

We report a new technique for fabricating metallic electrodes on insulating substrates with separations on the 1 nm scale. The fabrication technique, which combines lithographic and electrochemical methods, provides atomic resolution without requiring sophisticated instrumentation. The process is...

Superradiance of several atoms near a metal nanosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Protsenko, I E; Uskov, A V

2015-01-01

Assuming that the number of emitters (atoms) near a spherical metal nanoparticle is large (more than a few hundred), so that their interaction with each other is strong and sufficient for the emergence of their collective states (Dicke states), it is shown that the nanoparticle accelerates the superradiance of the emitters in a similar way as it accelerates the spontaneous emission of a single emitter. In this case, part of the energy stored by the emitters is absorbed by a nanoparticle, and the rest of the energy is radiated as a superradiance pulse. For the parameters selected in this paper, the energy absorbed by the nanoparticle is approximately equal to the emitted energy. We have found the collective states of the emitters and nanoparticle and have derived expressions for the time dependence of the superradiance pulse power, pulse duration and time delay with respect to the moment of excitation of the emitters. (superradiance)

Single-atom detection on a chip: from realization to application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stibor, A; Bender, H; Kuehnhold, S; Fortagh, J; Zimmermann, C; Guenther, A, E-mail: aguenth@pit.physik.uni-tuebingen.d [CQ Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena and their Applications, Eberhard-Karls-Universitaet Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 14, D-72076 Tuebingen (Germany)

2010-06-15

In this paper, we describe the preparation and detection of ultracold atoms on a microchip with single-atom sensitivity. The detection scheme is based on multi-photon ionization of atoms and the subsequent guiding of the generated ions by ion optics to a channel electron multiplier. We resolve single atoms with a detection efficiency above 60%. The detector is suitable for real-time observations of static and dynamic processes in ultracold quantum gases. Although the ionization is destructive, sampling a small subset of the atomic distribution is sufficient for the determination of the desired information. We take full high-resolution spectra of ultracold atoms by ionizing only 5% of the atoms. Using an additional microwave near 6.8 GHz, the detection scheme becomes energy, position and state selective. This can be used for in situ determination of the energy distribution and temperature of atom clouds inside the trap and applied for future correlation measurements.

In situ single-atom array synthesis using dynamic holographic optical tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyosub; Lee, Woojun; Lee, Han-gyeol; Jo, Hanlae; Song, Yunheung; Ahn, Jaewook

2016-01-01

Establishing a reliable method to form scalable neutral-atom platforms is an essential cornerstone for quantum computation, quantum simulation and quantum many-body physics. Here we demonstrate a real-time transport of single atoms using holographic microtraps controlled by a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. For this, an analytical design approach to flicker-free microtrap movement is devised and cold rubidium atoms are simultaneously rearranged with 2N motional degrees of freedom, representing unprecedented space controllability. We also accomplish an in situ feedback control for single-atom rearrangements with the high success rate of 99% for up to 10 μm translation. We hope this proof-of-principle demonstration of high-fidelity atom-array preparations will be useful for deterministic loading of N single atoms, especially on arbitrary lattice locations, and also for real-time qubit shuttling in high-dimensional quantum computing architectures. PMID:27796372

The effect of atomic hydrogen adsorption on single-walled carbon nano tubes properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalili, S.; Majidi, R.

2007-01-01

We investigated the adsorption of hydrogen atoms on metallic single-walled carbon nano tubes using ab initio molecular dynamics method. It was found that the geometric structures and the electronic properties of hydrogenated SWNTs can be strongly changed by varying hydrogen coverage. The circular cross sections of the CNTs were changed with different hydrogen coverage. When hydrogen is chemisorbed on the surface of the carbon nano tube, the energy gap will be appeared. This is due to the degree of the Sp 3 hybridization, and the hydrogen coverage can control the band gap of the carbon nano tube

Robustness of tungsten single atom tips to thermal treatment and air exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vesa, Cristian; Urban, Radovan [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G7 (Canada); National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2M9 (Canada); Pitters, Jason L., E-mail: jason.pitters@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca [National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2M9 (Canada); Wolkow, Robert A. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G7 (Canada); National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2M9 (Canada)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • W(1 1 1) single atom tips (SATs) were exposed to air. • SATs could be regenerated by field assisted chemical etching after exposure. • Warming procedures to minimize tip contamination were developed. • Degassing temperatures for air exposed tips were established. • Tip faceting occurred when SATs and unetched tips were annealed above 1200 °C. - Abstract: Experiments aimed at assessing the robustness of nitrogen-etched, single-atom tips (SATs) prepared using W(1 1 1) single crystal wire were performed. Our experiments showed that single-atoms tips sustain minimal damage when exposed to atmospheric conditions and can be readily and quickly nitrogen-etched to single-atom tips thereafter. The SATs can be annealed at temperatures up to 1100 °C with minimal shape changes. Moreover, annealing temperatures in excess of 1200 °C resulted in an apex faceting which may prove important in further single-atom tip creation. Procedures for warming of the SATs from operating temperatures of 80 K were also evaluated to determine conditions that limit tip contamination. These results show that SATS could be fabricated in a dedicated vacuum system and subsequently transferred to other instruments where they would undergo a brief conditioning procedure to recover the single-atom apex configuration prior to being subjected to operating conditions.

Spectra of matrix isolated metal atoms and clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, B.

1977-01-01

The matrix isolation spectra of all of the 40 presently known atomic metal species show strong matrix effects. The transition energies are increased, and the bands are broad and exhibit splitting of sublevels which are degenerate in the gas phase. Several models have been proposed for splitting of levels, but basic effects are not yet understood, and spectra cannot be predicted, yet it is possible to correlate gas phase and matrix in many of the systems. Selective production of diatomics and clusters via thermal and optical annealing of atomic species can be monitored by optical spectra, but yields spectroscopically complex systems which, however, especially in the case of transition metals, can be used as precursors in novel chemical reactions. A combination of absorption, emission, ir, Raman, ESR, and other methods is now quickly yielding data which will help correlate the increasing wealth of existing data. 55 references, 6 figures

Modulating the electronic and magnetic properties of bilayer borophene via transition metal atoms intercalation: from metal to half metal and semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiuyun; Sun, Yi; Ma, Liang; Zhao, Xinli; Yao, Xiaojing

2018-07-27

Borophene, a two-dimensional monolayer made of boron atoms, has attracted wide attention due to its appealing properties. Great efforts have been devoted to fine tuning its electronic and magnetic properties for desired applications. Herein, we theoretically investigate the versatile electronic and magnetic properties of bilayer borophene (BLB) intercalated by 3d transition metal (TM) atoms, TM@BLBs (TM = Ti-Fe), using ab initio calculations. Four allotropes of AA-stacking (α 1 -, β-, β 12 - and χ 3 -) BLBs with different intercalation concentrations of TM atoms are considered. Our results show that the TM atoms are strongly bonded to the borophene layers with fairly large binding energies, around 6.31 ∼ 15.44 eV per TM atom. The BLBs with Cr and Mn intercalation have robust ferromagnetism, while for the systems decorated with Fe atoms, fruitful magnetic properties, such as nonmagnetic, ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic, are identified. In particular, the α 1 - and β-BLBs intercalated by Mn or Fe atom can be transformed into a semiconductor, half metal or graphene-like semimetal. Moreover, some heavily doped TM@BLBs expose high Curie temperatures above room temperature. The attractive properties of TM@BLBs entail an efficient way to modulate the electronic and magnetic properties of borophene sheets for advanced applications.

Engineering giant magnetic anisotropy in single-molecule magnets by dimerizing heavy transition-metal atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Jiaxing; Hu, Jun

2018-05-01

The search for single-molecule magnets with large magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) is essential for the development of molecular spintronics devices for use at room temperature. Through systematic first-principles calculations, we found that an Os–Os or Ir–Ir dimer embedded in the (5,5‧-Br2-salophen) molecule gives rise to a large MAE of 41.6 or 51.4 meV, respectively, which is large enough to hold the spin orientation at room temperature. Analysis of the electronic structures reveals that the top Os and Ir atoms play the most important part in the total spin moments and large MAEs of the molecules.

Manipulating localized molecular orbitals by single-atom contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weihua; Shi, Xingqiang; Lin, Chensheng; Zhang, Rui Qin; Minot, Christian; Van Hove, Michel A; Hong, Yuning; Tang, Ben Zhong; Lin, Nian

2010-09-17

We have fabricated atom-molecule contacts by attachment of single Cu atoms to terpyridine side groups of bis-terpyridine tetra-phenyl ethylene molecules on a Cu(111) surface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and density functional calculations, we have found that, due to the localization characteristics of molecular orbitals, the Cu-atom contact modifies the state localized at the terpyridine side group which is in contact with the Cu atom but does not affect the states localized at other parts of the molecule. These results illustrate the contact effects at individual orbitals and offer possibilities to manipulate orbital alignments within molecules.

Metal-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes and production thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, Anne C.; Heben, Michael J.; Gennett, Thomas; Parilla, Philip A.

2007-01-09

Metal-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes and production thereof. The metal-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes may be produced according to one embodiment of the invention by combining single-walled carbon nanotube precursor material and metal in a solution, and mixing the solution to incorporate at least a portion of the metal with the single-walled carbon nanotube precursor material. Other embodiments may comprise sputter deposition, evaporation, and other mixing techniques.

Single-atom reversible recording at room temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quaade, Ulrich; Stokbro, Kurt; Lin, Rong

2001-01-01

investigate two important aspects of using this single-atom switch as a memory device. First, the switching is electron stimulated, and through detailed modelling the switching probability per electron is accurately deduced. Second, we have investigated the possibilities for desorbing single hydrogen atoms...... to construct ordered arrays of switches to manufacture a memory device. Two desorption mechanisms have been considered: the well known electron-induced desorption at negative sample bias and a novel mechanism probably involving elastic deformation of the tip. For both mechanisms mechanical stability of the STM...... is of crucial importance. With our equipment it was possible to create a row of four switches in a controlled way.(Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)....

Spin valve effect in single-atom contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziegler, M; Neel, N; Berndt, R; Lazo, C; Ferriani, P; Heinze, S; Kroeger, J

2011-01-01

Magnetic single-atom contacts have been controllably fabricated with a scanning tunnelling microscope. A voltage-dependent spin valve effect with conductance variations of ∼40% is reproducibly observed from contacts comprising a Cr-covered tip and Co and Cr atoms on ferromagnetic nanoscale islands on W(110) with opposite magnetization. The spin-dependent conductances are interpreted from first-principles calculations in terms of the orbital character of the relevant electronic states of the junction.

Probing the role of metal cations on the aggregation behavior of amyloid β-peptide at a single molecule level by AFM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Yang; Wang, Jianhua; Liu, Chundong

2016-01-01

With the development of nanotechnology, understanding of intermolecular interactions on a single molecule level by atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) has played an important role in molecular biology and biomedical science. In recent years, some research suggested that the presence of metal cations is an important regulator in the processes of misfolding and aggregation of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ), which may be an important etiological factor of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the knowledge on the principle of interactions between Aβ and metal cations at the single molecule level is still poor understood. In this paper, the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) was fabricated on substrate of mixed thiol-modified gold nanoparticles using self-assembled monolayer method and the adhesion force in the longitudinal direction between metal cations and Aβ42 were investigated by AFM. The role of metal ions on Aβ aggregation is discussed from the perspective of single molecular force. The force results showed that the specific adhesion force F_i and the nonspecific force F_0 between a single Aβ–Aβ pair in control experiment were calculated as 42 ± 3 and 80 pN, respectively. However, F_i between a single Aβ–Aβ pair in the presence of Cu"2"+, Zn"2"+, Ca"2"+ and Al"3"+ increased dramatically to 84 ± 6, 89 ± 3, 73 ± 5, 95 ± 5 pN successively, which indicated that unbinding between Aβ proteins is accelerated in the presence of metal cations. What is more, the imaging results showed that substoichiometric copper cations accelerate the formation of fibrils within 3 days. The combined atomic force spectroscopy and imaging analysis indicate that metal cations play a role in promoting the aggregating behavior of Aβ42.

Probing the role of metal cations on the aggregation behavior of amyloid β-peptide at a single molecule level by AFM

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yang; Wang, Jianhua; Liu, Chundong

2016-09-01

With the development of nanotechnology, understanding of intermolecular interactions on a single molecule level by atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) has played an important role in molecular biology and biomedical science. In recent years, some research suggested that the presence of metal cations is an important regulator in the processes of misfolding and aggregation of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ), which may be an important etiological factor of Alzheimer's disease. However, the knowledge on the principle of interactions between Aβ and metal cations at the single molecule level is still poor understood. In this paper, the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) was fabricated on substrate of mixed thiol-modified gold nanoparticles using self-assembled monolayer method and the adhesion force in the longitudinal direction between metal cations and Aβ42 were investigated by AFM. The role of metal ions on Aβ aggregation is discussed from the perspective of single molecular force. The force results showed that the specific adhesion force F i and the nonspecific force F 0 between a single Aβ-Aβ pair in control experiment were calculated as 42 ± 3 and 80 pN, respectively. However, F i between a single Aβ-Aβ pair in the presence of Cu2+, Zn2+, Ca2+ and Al3+ increased dramatically to 84 ± 6, 89 ± 3, 73 ± 5, 95 ± 5 pN successively, which indicated that unbinding between Aβ proteins is accelerated in the presence of metal cations. What is more, the imaging results showed that substoichiometric copper cations accelerate the formation of fibrils within 3 days. The combined atomic force spectroscopy and imaging analysis indicate that metal cations play a role in promoting the aggregating behavior of Aβ42.

Probing the role of metal cations on the aggregation behavior of amyloid β-peptide at a single molecule level by AFM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Yang; Wang, Jianhua, E-mail: wjh@cqu.edu.cn; Liu, Chundong [Chongqing University, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering (China)

2016-09-15

With the development of nanotechnology, understanding of intermolecular interactions on a single molecule level by atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) has played an important role in molecular biology and biomedical science. In recent years, some research suggested that the presence of metal cations is an important regulator in the processes of misfolding and aggregation of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ), which may be an important etiological factor of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the knowledge on the principle of interactions between Aβ and metal cations at the single molecule level is still poor understood. In this paper, the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) was fabricated on substrate of mixed thiol-modified gold nanoparticles using self-assembled monolayer method and the adhesion force in the longitudinal direction between metal cations and Aβ42 were investigated by AFM. The role of metal ions on Aβ aggregation is discussed from the perspective of single molecular force. The force results showed that the specific adhesion force F{sub i} and the nonspecific force F{sub 0} between a single Aβ–Aβ pair in control experiment were calculated as 42 ± 3 and 80 pN, respectively. However, F{sub i} between a single Aβ–Aβ pair in the presence of Cu{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+} and Al{sup 3+} increased dramatically to 84 ± 6, 89 ± 3, 73 ± 5, 95 ± 5 pN successively, which indicated that unbinding between Aβ proteins is accelerated in the presence of metal cations. What is more, the imaging results showed that substoichiometric copper cations accelerate the formation of fibrils within 3 days. The combined atomic force spectroscopy and imaging analysis indicate that metal cations play a role in promoting the aggregating behavior of Aβ42.

Semiempirical calculation of van der Waals coefficients for alkali-metal and alkaline-earth-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitroy, J.; Bromley, M.W.J.

2003-01-01

The van der Waals coefficients, C 6 , C 8 , and C 10 for the alkali-metal (Li, Na, K, and Rb) and alkaline-earth-metal (Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr) atoms are estimated by a combination of ab initio and semiempirical methods. Polarizabilities and atom-wall coefficients are given as a diagnostic check, and the lowest order nonadiabatic dispersion coefficient, D 8 and the three-body coefficient, C 9 are also presented. The dispersion coefficients are in agreement with the available relativistic many-body perturbation theory calculations. The contribution from the core was included by using constrained sum rules involving the core polarizability and Hartree-Fock expectation values to estimate the f-value distribution

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the functionalization of carbon metal-containing nanotubes with phosphorus atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabanova, I.N.; Terebova, N.S.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Carbon metal-containing nanotubes (Me–Cu, Ni, Fe) were functionalized with chemical groups containing different concentrations of phosphorous. •The C1s and Me3s spectra were measured by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method. •The values of the atomic magnetic moment of the carbon metal-containing nanotubes were determined. -- Abstract: In the present paper, carbon metal-containing (Me: Cu, Ni, Fe) nanotubes functionalized with phosphorus atoms (ammonium polyphosphate) were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on an X-ray electron magnetic spectrometer. It is found that the functionalization leads to the change of the metal atomic magnetic moment, i.e. the value of the atomic magnetic moment in the functionalized carbon metal-containing (Cu, Ni, Fe) nanotubes increases and is higher than that in pristine nanotubes. It is shown that the covalent bond of Me and P atoms is formed. This leads to an increase in the activity of the nanostructure surface which is necessary for the modification of materials

Single atom spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, M. R.; Armstrong, J. N.; Hua, S. Z.; Chopra, H. D.

2005-01-01

Full text: Single atom spintronics (SASS) represents the ultimate physical limit in device miniaturization. SASS is characterized by ballistic electron transport, and is a fertile ground for exploring new phenomena. In addition to the 'stationary' (field independent) scattering centers that have a small and fixed contribution to total transmission probability of electron waves, domain walls constitute an additional and enhanced source of scattering in these magnetic quantum point contacts (QPCs), the latter being both field and spin-dependent. Through the measurement of complete hysteresis loops as a function of quantized conductance, we present definitive evidence of enhanced backscattering of electron waves by atomically sharp domain walls in QPCs formed between microfabricated thin films [1]. Since domain walls move in a magnetic field, the magnitude of spin-dependent scattering changes as the QPC is cycled along its hysteresis loop. For example, as shown in the inset in Fig. 1, from zero towards saturation in a given field direction, the resistance varies as the wall is being swept away, whereas the resistance is constant upon returning from saturation towards zero, since in this segment of the hysteresis loop no domain wall is present across the contact. The observed spin-valve like behavior is realized by control over wall width and shape anisotropy. This behavior also unmistakably sets itself apart from any mechanical artifacts; additionally, measurements made on single atom contacts provide an artifact-free environment [2]. Intuitively, it is simpler to organize the observed BMR data according to all possible transitions between different conductance plateaus, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 1; the solid circles show experimental data for Co, which follows the predicted scheme. Requisite elements for the observation of the effect will be discussed in detail along with a review of state of research in this field. Practically, the challenge lies in making

Single photon transport by a moving atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanasiev, A E; Melentiev, P N; Kuzin, A A; Yu Kalatskiy, A; Balykin, V I

2017-01-01

The results of investigation of photon transport through the subwavelength hole in the opaque screen by using single neutral atom are represented. The basis of the proposed and implemented method is the absorption of a photon by a neutral atom immediately before the subwavelength aperture, traveling of the atoms through the hole and emission of a photon on the other side of the screen. Realized method is the alternative approach to existing for photon transport through a subwavelength aperture: 1) self-sustained transmittance of a photon through the aperture according to the Bethe’s model; 2) extra ordinary transmission because of surface-plasmon excitation. (paper)

First-principle study of single TM atoms X (X=Fe, Ru or Os) doped monolayer WS2 systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yuan-Yan; Zhang, Jian-Min

2018-05-01

We report the structural, magnetic and electronic properties of the pristine and single TM atoms X (X = Fe, Ru or Os) doped monolayer WS2 systems based on first-principle calculations. The results show that the W-S bond shows a stronger covalent bond, but the covalency is obviously weakened after the substitution of W atom with single X atoms, especially for Ru (4d75s1) with the easily lost electronic configuration. The smaller total energies of the doped systems reveal that the spin-polarized states are energetically favorable than the non-spin-polarized states, and the smallest total energy of -373.918 eV shows the spin-polarized state of the Os doped monolayer WS2 system is most stable among three doped systems. In addition, although the pristine monolayer WS2 system is a nonmagnetic-semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.813 eV, single TM atoms Fe and Ru doped monolayer WS2 systems transfer to magnetic-HM with the total moments Mtot of 1.993 and 1.962 μB , while single TM atom Os doped monolayer WS2 systems changes to magnetic-metal with the total moments Mtot of 1.569 μB . Moreover, the impurity states with a positive spin splitting energies of 0.543, 0.276 and 0.1999 eV near the Fermi level EF are mainly contributed by X-dxy and X-dx2-y2 states hybridized with its nearest-neighbor atom W-dz2 states for Fe, Ru and Os doped monolayer WS2 system, respectively. Finally, we hope that the present study on monolayer WS2 will provide a useful theoretical guideline for exploring low-dimensional spintronic materials in future experiments.

Scattering of atomic and molecular ions from single crystal surfaces of Cu, Ag and Fe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoest, J.M. van.

1986-01-01

This thesis deals with analysis of crystal surfaces of Cu, Ag and Fe with Low Energy Ion scattering Spectroscopy (LEIS). Different atomic and molecular ions with fixed energies below 7 keV are scattered by a metal single crystal (with adsorbates). The energy and direction of the scattered particles are analysed for different selected charge states. In that way information can be obtained concerning the composition and atomic and electronic structure of the single crystal surface. Energy spectra contain information on the composition of the surface, while structural atomic information is obtained by direction measurements (photograms). In Ch.1 a description is given of the experimental equipment, in Ch.2 a characterization of the LEIS method. Ch.3 deals with the neutralization of keV-ions in surface scattering. Two different ways of data interpretation are presented. First a model is treated in which the observed directional dependence of neutralization action of the first atom layer of the surface is presented by a laterally varying thickness of the neutralizing layer. Secondly it is shown that the data can be reproduced by a more realistic, physical model based on atomic transition matrix elements. In Ch.4 the low energy hydrogen scattering is described. The study of the dissociation of H 2 + at an Ag surface r0230ted in a model based on electronic dissociation, initialized by electron capture into a repulsive (molecular) state. In Ch.5 finally the method is applied to the investigation of the surface structure of oxidized Fe. (Auth.)

Room-temperature current blockade in atomically defined single-cluster junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Lovat, Giacomo; Choi, Bonnie; Paley, Daniel W.; Steigerwald, Michael L.; Venkataraman, Latha; Roy, Xavier

2017-11-01

Fabricating nanoscopic devices capable of manipulating and processing single units of charge is an essential step towards creating functional devices where quantum effects dominate transport characteristics. The archetypal single-electron transistor comprises a small conducting or semiconducting island separated from two metallic reservoirs by insulating barriers. By enabling the transfer of a well-defined number of charge carriers between the island and the reservoirs, such a device may enable discrete single-electron operations. Here, we describe a single-molecule junction comprising a redox-active, atomically precise cobalt chalcogenide cluster wired between two nanoscopic electrodes. We observe current blockade at room temperature in thousands of single-cluster junctions. Below a threshold voltage, charge transfer across the junction is suppressed. The device is turned on when the temporary occupation of the core states by a transiting carrier is energetically enabled, resulting in a sequential tunnelling process and an increase in current by a factor of ∼600. We perform in situ and ex situ cyclic voltammetry as well as density functional theory calculations to unveil a two-step process mediated by an orbital localized on the core of the cluster in which charge carriers reside before tunnelling to the collector reservoir. As the bias window of the junction is opened wide enough to include one of the cluster frontier orbitals, the current blockade is lifted and charge carriers can tunnel sequentially across the junction.

Fe Isolated Single Atoms on S, N Codoped Carbon by Copolymer Pyrolysis Strategy for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiheng; Chen, Wenxing; Xiao, Hai; Gong, Yue; Li, Zhi; Zheng, Lirong; Zheng, Xusheng; Yan, Wensheng; Cheong, Weng-Chon; Shen, Rongan; Fu, Ninghua; Gu, Lin; Zhuang, Zhongbin; Chen, Chen; Wang, Dingsheng; Peng, Qing; Li, Jun; Li, Yadong

2018-06-01

Heteroatom-doped Fe-NC catalyst has emerged as one of the most promising candidates to replace noble metal-based catalysts for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, delicate controls over their structure parameters to optimize the catalytic efficiency and molecular-level understandings of the catalytic mechanism are still challenging. Herein, a novel pyrrole-thiophene copolymer pyrolysis strategy to synthesize Fe-isolated single atoms on sulfur and nitrogen-codoped carbon (Fe-ISA/SNC) with controllable S, N doping is rationally designed. The catalytic efficiency of Fe-ISA/SNC shows a volcano-type curve with the increase of sulfur doping. The optimized Fe-ISA/SNC exhibits a half-wave potential of 0.896 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)), which is more positive than those of Fe-isolated single atoms on nitrogen codoped carbon (Fe-ISA/NC, 0.839 V), commercial Pt/C (0.841 V), and most reported nonprecious metal catalysts. Fe-ISA/SNC is methanol tolerable and shows negligible activity decay in alkaline condition during 15 000 voltage cycles. X-ray absorption fine structure analysis and density functional theory calculations reveal that the incorporated sulfur engineers the charges on N atoms surrounding the Fe reactive center. The enriched charge facilitates the rate-limiting reductive release of OH* and therefore improved the overall ORR efficiency. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Current at Metal-Organic Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Klaus

2012-02-01

Charge transport through atomic and molecular constrictions greatly affects the operation and performance of organic electronic devices. Much of our understanding of the charge injection and extraction processes in these systems relays on our knowledge of the electronic structure at the metal-organic interface. Despite significant experimental and theoretical advances in studying charge transport in nanoscale junctions, a microscopic understanding at the single atom/molecule level is missing. In the present talk I will present our recent results to probe directly the nanocontact between single molecules and a metal electrode using scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy. The experiments provide unprecedented microscopic details of single molecule and atom junctions and open new avenues to study quantum critical and many body phenomena at the atomic scale. Implications for energy conversion devices and carbon based nanoelectronics will also be discussed.

Force-induced chemical reactions on the metal centre in a single metalloprotein molecule

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Peng; Arantes, Guilherme M.; Field, Martin J.; Li, Hongbin

2015-01-01

Metalloproteins play indispensable roles in biology owing to the versatile chemical reactivity of metal centres. However, studying their reactivity in many metalloproteins is challenging, as protein three-dimensional structure encloses labile metal centres, thus limiting their access to reactants and impeding direct measurements. Here we demonstrate the use of single-molecule atomic force microscopy to induce partial unfolding to expose metal centres in metalloproteins to aqueous solution, thus allowing for studying their chemical reactivity in aqueous solution for the first time. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate two chemical reactions for the FeS4 centre in rubredoxin: electrophilic protonation and nucleophilic ligand substitution. Our results show that protonation and ligand substitution result in mechanical destabilization of the FeS4 centre. Quantum chemical calculations corroborated experimental results and revealed detailed reaction mechanisms. We anticipate that this novel approach will provide insights into chemical reactivity of metal centres in metalloproteins under biologically more relevant conditions. PMID:26108369

Highly Durable Platinum Single-Atom Alloy Catalyst for Electrochemical Reactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Jiwhan; Roh, Chi-Woo; Sahoo, Suman Kalyan

2018-01-01

Single atomic Pt catalyst can offer efficient utilization of the expensive platinum and provide unique selectivity because it lacks ensemble sites. However, designing such a catalyst with high Pt loading and good durability is very challenging. Here, single atomic Pt catalyst supported on antimony...... functional theory calculations show that replacing Sb sites with Pt atoms in the bulk phase or at the surface of SbSn or ATO is energetically favorable. The Pt1/ATO shows superior activity and durability for formic acid oxidation reaction, compared to a commercial Pt/C catalyst. The single atomic Pt...... structure is retained even after a harsh durability test, which is performed by repeating cyclic voltammetry in the range of 0.05–1.4 V for 1800 cycles. A full cell is fabricated for direct formic acid fuel cell using the Pt1/ATO as an anode catalyst, and an order of magnitude higher cell power is obtained...

Analysis of atomic mobility in a Cu38Zr46Ag8Al8 bulk metallic glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao, J.C.; Pelletier, J.M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Atomic mobility in Cu 38 Zr 46 Ag 8 Al 8 bulk metallic glass have been investigated by DMA. ► Loss factor is directly connected to the energy lost during application of the stress. ► Structural relaxation and crystallization induces a decrease of the atomic mobility. ► The concentration of quasi-point defects links to atomic mobility in metallic glasses. - Abstract: Atomic mobility in as-cast and annealed Cu 38 Zr 46 Ag 8 Al 8 bulk metallic glass samples is analyzed by performing dynamic mechanical analysis. The loss factor is directly connected to the energy lost during application of the stress. Structural relaxation process and crystallization lead to a decrease of the atomic mobility in the bulk metallic glass. A physical model, based on the concept of quasi point defects is introduced, to describe the atomic mobility. Movements in amorphous materials are correlated. The correlation factor χ reflects the atomic mobility in bulk metallic glasses: structural relaxation and crystallization lead to a decrease of χ, implying the reduction of atomic mobility. The evolution of elastic, visco-elastic and viscoplastic components after structural relaxation and partial crystallization state during the mechanical response has been obtained. Compared with as-cast state, structural relaxation induced an increase of elastic component and a decrease of visco-elastic component in the metallic glass.

Single-atom gating and magnetic interactions in quantum corrals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngo, Anh T.; Kim, Eugene H.; Ulloa, Sergio E.

2017-04-01

Single-atom gating, achieved by manipulation of adatoms on a surface, has been shown in experiments to allow precise control over superposition of electronic states in quantum corrals. Using a Green's function approach, we demonstrate theoretically that such atom gating can also be used to control the coupling between magnetic degrees of freedom in these systems. Atomic gating enables control not only on the direct interaction between magnetic adatoms, but also over superpositions of many-body states which can then control long distance interactions. We illustrate this effect by considering the competition between direct exchange between magnetic impurities and the Kondo screening mediated by the host electrons, and how this is affected by gating. These results suggest that both magnetic and nonmagnetic single-atom gating may be used to investigate magnetic impurity systems with tailored interactions, and may allow the control of entanglement of different spin states.

Microstructure, Properties and Atomic Level Strain in Severely Deformed Rare Metal Niobium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lembit KOMMEL

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The mechanical and physical properties relationship from atomic level strain/stress causes dislocation density and electrical conductivity relationship, as well as crystallites deformation and hkl-parameter change in the severely deformed pure refractory rare metal Nb at ambient temperature and during short processing times. The above mentioned issues are discussed in this study. For ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline microstructure forming in metal the equal-channel angular pressing and hard cyclic viscoplastic deformation were used. The flat deformation and heat treatment at different parameters were conducted as follows. The focused ion beam method was used for micrometric measures samples manufacturied under nanocrystalline microstructure study by transmission electron microscope. The microstructure features of metal were studied under different orientations by X-ray diffraction scattering method, and according to the atomic level strains, dislocation density, hkl-parameters and crystallite sizes were calculated by different computation methods. According to results the evolutions of atomic level strains/stresses, induced by processing features have great influence on the microstructure and advanced properties forming in pure Nb. Due to cumulative strain increase the tensile stress and hardness were increased significantly. In this case the dislocation density of Nb varies from 5.0E+10 cm–2 to 2.0E+11 cm–2. The samples from Nb at maximal atomic level strain in the (110 and (211 directions have the maximal values of hkl-parameters, highest tensile strength and hardness but minimal electrical conductivity. The crystallite size was minimal and relative atomic level strain maximal in (211 orientation of crystal. Next, flat deformation and heat treatment increase the atomic level parameters of severely deformed metal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.4.3091

Manipulation of single neutral atoms in optical lattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chuanwei; Das Sarma, S.; Rolston, S. L.

2006-01-01

We analyze a scheme to manipulate quantum states of neutral atoms at individual sites of optical lattices using focused laser beams. Spatial distributions of focused laser intensities induce position-dependent energy shifts of hyperfine states, which, combined with microwave radiation, allow selective manipulation of quantum states of individual target atoms. We show that various errors in the manipulation process are suppressed below 10 -4 with properly chosen microwave pulse sequences and laser parameters. A similar idea is also applied to measure quantum states of single atoms in optical lattices

DFT study of Fe-Ni core-shell nanoparticles: Stability, catalytic activity, and interaction with carbon atom for single-walled carbon nanotube growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Zhimin; Wang, Qiang; Shan, Xiaoye; Zhu, Hongjun; Li, Wei-qi; Chen, Guang-hui

2015-01-01

Metal catalysts play an important role in the nucleation and growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). It is essential for probing the nucleation and growth mechanism of SWCNTs to fundamentally understand the properties of the metal catalysts and their interaction with carbon species. In this study, we systematically studied the stability of 13- and 55-atom Fe and Fe-Ni core-shell particles as well as these particles interaction with the carbon atoms using the density functional theory calculations. Icosahedral 13- and 55-atom Fe-Ni core-shell bimetallic particles have higher stability than the corresponding monometallic Fe and Ni particles. Opposite charge transfer (or distribution) in these particles leads to the Fe surface-shell displays a positive charge, while the Ni surface-shell exhibits a negative charge. The opposite charge transfer would induce different chemical activities. Compared with the monometallic Fe and Ni particles, the core-shell bimetallic particles have weaker interaction with C atoms. More importantly, C atoms only prefer staying on the surface of the bimetallic particles. In contrast, C atoms prefer locating into the subsurface of the monometallic particles, which is more likely to form stable metal carbides. The difference of the mono- and bimetallic particles on this issue may result in different nucleation and growth mechanism of SWCNTs. Our findings provide useful insights for the design of bimetallic catalysts and a better understanding nucleation and growth mechanism of SWCNTs

Angular distribution of atoms ejected by laser ablation of different metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konomi, I.; Motohiro, T.; Asaoka, T.

2009-01-01

Angular distributions of 13 different metals ejected by laser ablation using fourth harmonics (wavelength=266 nm) of neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser and a fluence close to near-threshold value (2.3 J/cm 2 ) have been investigated with a high angular resolution. The angular distribution which is characterized by the exponent n of cos n θ distribution showed very broad range of values between 3 and 24 for different metals. A simple relation that the exponent n is proportional to the square root of particle atomic weight as reported previously has not been observed. Instead, a general trend has been found that the metals with higher sublimation energy such as Ta and Zr show narrower angular distribution than those with lower sublimation energy such as Sn and In. While the sublimation energy of metals has a great influence on the angular distribution of ejected atoms, a simple consideration suggests that their thermal conductivity and specific heat have little effect on it.

A numerical study of spin-dependent organization of alkali-metal atomic clusters using density-functional method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xuan; Ito, Haruhiko; Torikai, Eiko

2012-01-01

We calculate the different geometric isomers of spin clusters composed of a small number of alkali-metal atoms using the UB3LYP density-functional method. The electron density distribution of clusters changes according to the value of total spin. Steric structures as well as planar structures arise when the number of atoms increases. The lowest spin state is the most stable and Li n , Na n , K n , Rb n , and Cs n with n = 2–8 can be formed in higher spin states. In the highest spin state, the preparation of clusters depends on the kind and the number of constituent atoms. The interaction energy between alkali-metal atoms and rare-gas atoms is smaller than the binding energy of spin clusters. Consequently, it is possible to self-organize the alkali-metal-atom clusters on a non-wetting substrate coated with rare-gas atoms.

A numerical study of spin-dependent organization of alkali-metal atomic clusters using density-functional method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Xuan, E-mail: liu.x.ad@m.titech.ac.jp; Ito, Haruhiko [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan); Torikai, Eiko [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi (Japan)

2012-08-15

We calculate the different geometric isomers of spin clusters composed of a small number of alkali-metal atoms using the UB3LYP density-functional method. The electron density distribution of clusters changes according to the value of total spin. Steric structures as well as planar structures arise when the number of atoms increases. The lowest spin state is the most stable and Li{sub n}, Na{sub n}, K{sub n}, Rb{sub n}, and Cs{sub n} with n = 2-8 can be formed in higher spin states. In the highest spin state, the preparation of clusters depends on the kind and the number of constituent atoms. The interaction energy between alkali-metal atoms and rare-gas atoms is smaller than the binding energy of spin clusters. Consequently, it is possible to self-organize the alkali-metal-atom clusters on a non-wetting substrate coated with rare-gas atoms.

Single atom spectroscopy: Decreased scattering delocalization at high energy losses, effects of atomic movement and X-ray fluorescence yield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tizei, Luiz H.G.; Iizumi, Yoko; Okazaki, Toshiya; Nakanishi, Ryo; Kitaura, Ryo; Shinohara, Hisanori; Suenaga, Kazu

2016-01-01

Single atom localization and identification is crucial in understanding effects which depend on the specific local environment of atoms. In advanced nanometer scale materials, the characteristics of individual atoms may play an important role. Here, we describe spectroscopic experiments (electron energy loss spectroscopy, EELS, and Energy Dispersed X-ray spectroscopy, EDX) using a low voltage transmission electron microscope designed towards single atom analysis. For EELS, we discuss the advantages of using lower primary electron energy (30 keV and 60 keV) and higher energy losses (above 800 eV). The effect of atomic movement is considered. Finally, we discuss the possibility of using atomically resolved EELS and EDX data to measure the fluorescence yield for X-ray emission.

Chemical reaction between single hydrogen atom and graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Atsushi; Nakamura, Hiroaki; Takayama, Arimichi

2007-04-01

We study chemical reaction between a single hydrogen atom and a graphene, which is the elemental reaction between hydrogen and graphitic carbon materials. In the present work, classical molecular dynamics simulation is used with modified Brenner's empirical bond order potential. The three reactions, that is, absorption reaction, reflection reaction and penetration reaction, are observed in our simulation. Reaction rates depend on the incident energy of the hydrogen atom and the graphene temperature. The dependence can be explained by the following mechanisms: (1) The hydrogen atom receives repulsive force by π-electrons in addition to nuclear repulsion. (2) Absorbing the hydrogen atom, the graphene transforms its structure to the 'overhand' configuration such as sp 3 state. (3) The hexagonal hole of the graphene is expanded during the penetration of the hydrogen atom. (author)

Single and multiple ionization of sulfur atoms by electron impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziegler, D.L.

1982-01-01

Laboratory measurements of the cross sections for single, double, triple, and quadruple ionization of sulfur atoms by electron impact are presented for collision energies from threshold to 500 eV. The cross sections for single ionization of sulfur are measured relative to those of several elements whose absolute cross sections for single ionization are known. Cross sections for each multiple ionization process are then measured relative to those for single ionization. The configuration and operation of the apparatus for these measurements are described. The possible effects of excited sulfur reactants are examined, and the reported cross sections are felt to be characteristic of ground state sulfur atoms

Detection of single atoms by resonance ionization spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurst, G.S.

1986-01-01

Rutherford's idea for counting individual atoms can, in principle, be implemented for nearly any type of atom, whether stable or radioactive, by using methods of resonance ionization. With the RIS technique, a laser is tuned to a wavelength which will promote a valence electron in a Z-selected atom to an excited level. Additional resonance or nonresonance photoabsorption steps are used to achieve nearly 100% ionization efficiencies. Hence, the RIS process can be saturated for the Z-selected atoms; and since detectors are available for counting either single electrons or positive ions, one-atom detection is possible. Some examples are given of one-atom detection, including that of the noble gases, in order to show complementarity with AMS methods. For instance, the detection of 81 Kr using RIS has interesting applications for solar neutrino research, ice-cap dating, and groundwater dating. 39 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs

Manipulation and analysis of a single dopant atom in GaAs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnheijmer, A.P.

2011-01-01

This thesis focuses on the manipulation and analysis of single dopant atoms in GaAs by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) at low temperatures. The observation of ionization rings is one of the key results, showing that we can control the charge state of a single dopant atom

Effects of halogens on interactions between a reduced TiO{sub 2} (110) surface and noble metal atoms: A DFT study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tada, Kohei, E-mail: k-tada@aist.go.jp [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); Research Institute of Electrochemical Energy, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31, Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka, 563-8577 (Japan); Koga, Hiroaki [Element Strategy Initiative for Catalysts and Batteries (ESICB), Kyoto University, 1-30 Goryo Ohara, Nishikyo, Kyoto, 615-8245 (Japan); Hayashi, Akihide; Kondo, Yudai; Kawakami, Takashi; Yamanaka, Shusuke [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); Okumura, Mitsutaka [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); Element Strategy Initiative for Catalysts and Batteries (ESICB), Kyoto University, 1-30 Goryo Ohara, Nishikyo, Kyoto, 615-8245 (Japan)

2017-07-31

Highlights: • We investigated the halogen effect on the interactions of noble metals with TiO{sub 2}. • Halogen atoms inhibit electron transfer from TiO{sub 2} to noble metals. • Iodine stabilizes the adsorption of noble metals especially for Ag and Cu. • Electron transfer from the TiO{sub 2} is effective in anchoring Au and Pt atoms. • Covalent interaction with the support is effective in anchoring Ag and Cu atoms. - Abstract: Using DFT calculation, we investigate the effects of halogens on the interactions between rutile TiO{sub 2} (110) and noble metal atoms (Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, and Pd). Fluorine, chlorine, and bromine atoms occupy the oxygen defect sites of TiO{sub 2}, decreasing the stability of noble metal atoms on the surface. This decrease occurs because the halogens inhibit electron transfer from TiO{sub 2} to the noble metal atoms; the electron transfer from reduced TiO{sub 2} to the noble metal atom stabilizes the noble metal atom adsorption. In contrast, iodine strengthens the interactions between TiO{sub 2} and some noble metal atoms, namely Ag and Cu. This stabilization occurs because of the covalent interaction between iodine-doped TiO{sub 2} and the noble metal atom. Therefore, the stabilization is explained well by chemical hardness. This result suggests that iodine-doping of a TiO{sub 2} surface would be an effective method for the preparation of highly stabilized noble metal clusters.

Single-Atom Catalyst of Platinum Supported on Titanium Nitride for Selective Electrochemical Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Sungeun; Kim, Jiwhan; Tak, Young Joo; Soon, Aloysius; Lee, Hyunjoo

2016-02-05

As a catalyst, single-atom platinum may provide an ideal structure for platinum minimization. Herein, a single-atom catalyst of platinum supported on titanium nitride nanoparticles were successfully prepared with the aid of chlorine ligands. Unlike platinum nanoparticles, the single-atom active sites predominantly produced hydrogen peroxide in the electrochemical oxygen reduction with the highest mass activity reported so far. The electrocatalytic oxidation of small organic molecules, such as formic acid and methanol, also exhibited unique selectivity on the single-atom platinum catalyst. A lack of platinum ensemble sites changed the reaction pathway for the oxygen-reduction reaction toward a two-electron pathway and formic acid oxidation toward direct dehydrogenation, and also induced no activity for the methanol oxidation. This work demonstrates that single-atom platinum can be an efficient electrocatalyst with high mass activity and unique selectivity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of repeated single-metal and multi-metal pollution events on soil quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Burges, Aritz; Epelde, Lur; Garbisu, Carlos

2015-02-01

Most frequently, soil metal pollution results from the occurrence of repeated single-metal and, above all, multi-metal pollution events, with concomitant adverse consequences for soil quality. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the impact of repeated single-metal and multi-metal (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) pollution events on soil quality, as reflected by the values of a variety of soil microbial parameters with potential as bioindicators of soil functioning. Specifically, parameters of microbial activity (potentially mineralizable nitrogen, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase activity) and biomass (fungal and bacterial gene abundance by RT-qPCR) were determined, in the artificially metal-polluted soil samples, at regular intervals over a period of 26 weeks. Similarly, we studied the evolution over time of CaCl2-extractable metal fractions, in order to estimate metal bioavailability in soil. Different metals showed different values of bioavailability and relative bioavailability ([metal]bio/[metal]tot) in soil throughout the experiment, under both repeated single-metal and multi-metal pollution events. Both repeated Zn-pollution and multi-metal pollution events led to a significant reduction in the values of acid phosphatase activity, and bacterial and fungal gene abundance, reflecting the negative impact of these repeated events on soil microbial activity and biomass, and, hence, soil quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of sequential and single extraction in order to estimate environmental impact of metals from fly ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tasić Aleksandra M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to simulate leaching of metals from fly ash in different environmental conditions using ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction techniques. Single-agent extraction and sequential extraction procedures were used to determine the levels of different metals leaching. The concentration of metals (Al, Fe, Mn, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, As, Be in fly ash extracts were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. Single-agent extractions of metals were conducted during sonication times of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 min. Single-agent extraction with deionized water was also undertaken by exposing samples to microwave radiation at the temperature of 50°C. The sequential extraction was undertaken according to the BCR procedure which was modified and applied to study the partitioning of metals in coal fly ash. The microwave-assisted sequential extraction was performed at different extraction temperatures: 50, 100 and 150°C. The partitioning of metals between the individual fractions was investigated and discussed. The efficiency of the extraction process for each step was examined. In addition, the results of the microwave-assisted sequential extraction are compared to the results obtained by standard ASTM method. The mobility of most elements contained in fly ash is markedly pH sensitive. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172030, br. 176006 i br. III43009

Ab Initio Study of Chemical Reactions of Cold SrF and CaF Molecules with Alkali-Metal and Alkaline-Earth-Metal Atoms: The Implications for Sympathetic Cooling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosicki, Maciej Bartosz; Kędziera, Dariusz; Żuchowski, Piotr Szymon

2017-06-01

We investigate the energetics of the atom exchange reaction in the SrF + alkali-metal atom and CaF + alkali-metal atom systems. Such reactions are possible only for collisions of SrF and CaF with the lithium atoms, while they are energetically forbidden for other alkali-metal atoms. Specifically, we focus on SrF interacting with Li, Rb, and Sr atoms and use ab initio methods to demonstrate that the SrF + Li and SrF + Sr reactions are barrierless. We present potential energy surfaces for the interaction of the SrF molecule with the Li, Rb, and Sr atoms in their energetically lowest-lying electronic spin states. The obtained potential energy surfaces are deep and exhibit profound interaction anisotropies. We predict that the collisions of SrF molecules in the rotational or Zeeman excited states most likely have a strong inelastic character. We discuss the prospects for the sympathetic cooling of SrF and CaF molecules using ultracold alkali-metal atoms.

Nano-soldering to single atomic layer

Science.gov (United States)

Girit, Caglar O [Berkeley, CA; Zettl, Alexander K [Kensington, CA

2011-10-11

A simple technique to solder submicron sized, ohmic contacts to nanostructures has been disclosed. The technique has several advantages over standard electron beam lithography methods, which are complex, costly, and can contaminate samples. To demonstrate the soldering technique graphene, a single atomic layer of carbon, has been contacted, and low- and high-field electronic transport properties have been measured.

Vibration dynamics of single atomic nanocontacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khater, A; Bourahla, B; Tigrine, R

2007-01-01

The motivation for this work is to introduce a model for an atomic nanocontact, whereby its mechanical properties can be analysed via the local spectra. The model system consists of two sets of triple parallel semi-infinite atomic chains joined by a single atom in between. We calculate the vibration spectra and the local densities of vibration states, in the harmonic approximation, for the irreducible set of sites that constitute the nanocontact domain. The nanocontact observables are numerically calculated for different cases of elastic hardening and softening, to investigate how the local dynamics can respond to changes in the microscopic environment on the domain. We have also calculated the phonon scattering and coherent conductance at the nanocontact, derived in a Landauer-Buettiker matrix approach. The analysis of the spectra, of the densities of vibration states, and of the phonon conductance, identifies characteristic features and demonstrates the central role of a core subset of sites in the nanocontact domain

Catalytic activity of Pd-doped Cu nanoparticles for hydrogenation as a single-atom-alloy catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xinrui; Fu, Qiang; Luo, Yi

2014-05-14

The single atom alloy of extended surfaces is known to provide remarkably enhanced catalytic performance toward heterogeneous hydrogenation. Here we demonstrate from first principles calculations that this approach can be extended to nanostructures, such as bimetallic nanoparticles. The catalytic properties of the single-Pd-doped Cu55 nanoparticles have been systemically examined for H2 dissociation as well as H atom adsorption and diffusion, following the concept of single atom alloy. It is found that doping a single Pd atom at the edge site of the Cu55 shell can considerably reduce the activation energy of H2 dissociation, while the single Pd atom doped at the top site or in the inner layers is much less effective. The H atom adsorption on Cu55 is slightly stronger than that on the Cu(111) surface; however, a larger nanoparticle that contains 147 atoms could effectively recover the weak binding of the H atoms. We have also investigated the H atom diffusion on the 55-atom nanoparticle and found that spillover of the produced H atoms could be a feasible process due to the low diffusion barriers. Our results have demonstrated that facile H2 dissociation and weak H atom adsorption could be combined at the nanoscale. Moreover, the effects of doping one more Pd atom on the H2 dissociation and H atom adsorption have also been investigated. We have found that both the doping Pd atoms in the most stable configuration could independently exhibit their catalytic activity, behaving as two single-atom-alloy catalysts.

Spin-dependent electronic transport properties of transition metal atoms doped α-armchair graphyne nanoribbons

Science.gov (United States)

Fotoohi, Somayeh; Haji-Nasiri, Saeed

2018-04-01

Spin-dependent electronic transport properties of single 3d transition metal (TM) atoms doped α-armchair graphyne nanoribbons (α-AGyNR) are investigated by non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method combined with density functional theory (DFT). It is found that all of the impurity atoms considered in this study (Fe, Co, Ni) prefer to occupy the sp-hybridized C atom site in α-AGyNR, and the obtained structures remain planar. The results show that highly localized impurity states are appeared around the Fermi level which correspond to the 3d orbitals of TM atoms, as can be derived from the projected density of states (PDOS). Moreover, Fe, Co, and Ni doped α-AGyNRs exhibit magnetic properties due to the strong spin splitting property of the energy levels. Also for each case, the calculated current-voltage characteristic per super-cell shows that the spin degeneracy in the system is obviously broken and the current becomes strongly spin dependent. Furthermore, a high spin-filtering effect around 90% is found under the certain bias voltages in Ni doped α-AGyNR. Additionally, the structure with Ni impurity reveals transfer characteristic that is suitable for designing a spin current switch. Our findings provide a high possibility to design the next generation spin nanodevices with novel functionalities.

First-principles study of the alkali earth metal atoms adsorption on graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Minglei; Tang, Wencheng; Ren, Qingqiang; Wang, Sake; JinYu; Du, Yanhui; Zhang, Yajun

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The adsorption of Be and Mg adatoms on graphene is physisorption. • Ca, Sr, and Ba adatoms bond ionically to graphene and the most stable adsorption site for them is hollow site. • The zero band gap semiconductor graphene becomes metallic and magnetic after the adsorption of Ca, Sr, and Ba adatoms. - Abstract: Geometries, electronic structures, and magnetic properties for alkali earth metal atoms absorbed graphene have been studied by first-principle calculations. For Be and Mg atoms, the interactions between the adatom and graphene are weak van der Waals interactions. In comparison, Ca, Sr and Ba atoms adsorption on graphene exhibits strong ionic bonding with graphene. We found that these atoms bond to graphene at the hollow site with a significant binding energy and large electron transfer. It is intriguing that these adatoms may induce important changes in both the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene. Semimetal graphene becomes metallic and magnetic due to n-type doping. Detailed analysis shows that the s orbitals of these adatoms should be responsible for the arising of the magnetic moment. We believe that our results are suitable for experimental exploration and useful for graphene-based nanoelectronic and data storage.

First-principles study of the alkali earth metal atoms adsorption on graphene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Minglei [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Tang, Wencheng, E-mail: 101000185@seu.edu.cn [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Ren, Qingqiang [State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan (China); Wang, Sake [Department of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu (China); JinYu [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Du, Yanhui [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Zhang, Yajun [Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, Zhejiang (China)

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The adsorption of Be and Mg adatoms on graphene is physisorption. • Ca, Sr, and Ba adatoms bond ionically to graphene and the most stable adsorption site for them is hollow site. • The zero band gap semiconductor graphene becomes metallic and magnetic after the adsorption of Ca, Sr, and Ba adatoms. - Abstract: Geometries, electronic structures, and magnetic properties for alkali earth metal atoms absorbed graphene have been studied by first-principle calculations. For Be and Mg atoms, the interactions between the adatom and graphene are weak van der Waals interactions. In comparison, Ca, Sr and Ba atoms adsorption on graphene exhibits strong ionic bonding with graphene. We found that these atoms bond to graphene at the hollow site with a significant binding energy and large electron transfer. It is intriguing that these adatoms may induce important changes in both the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene. Semimetal graphene becomes metallic and magnetic due to n-type doping. Detailed analysis shows that the s orbitals of these adatoms should be responsible for the arising of the magnetic moment. We believe that our results are suitable for experimental exploration and useful for graphene-based nanoelectronic and data storage.

Single OR molecule and OR atomic circuit logic gates interconnected on a Si(100)H surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ample, F; Joachim, C; Duchemin, I; Hliwa, M

2011-01-01

Electron transport calculations were carried out for three terminal OR logic gates constructed either with a single molecule or with a surface dangling bond circuit interconnected on a Si(100)H surface. The corresponding multi-electrode multi-channel scattering matrix (where the central three terminal junction OR gate is the scattering center) was calculated, taking into account the electronic structure of the supporting Si(100)H surface, the metallic interconnection nano-pads, the surface atomic wires and the molecule. Well interconnected, an optimized OR molecule can only run at a maximum of 10 nA output current intensity for a 0.5 V bias voltage. For the same voltage and with no molecule in the circuit, the output current of an OR surface atomic scale circuit can reach 4 μA.

Photoemission from valence bands of transition metal-phthalocyanines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shang, Ming-Hui; Nagaosa, Mayumi; Nagamatsu, Shin-ichi; Hosoumi, Shunsuke; Kera, Satoshi; Fujikawa, Takashi; Ueno, Nobuo

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The HOMO mainly comes from the carbon atoms of Pc rings and the central metal atoms almost have no contribution on the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO: a 1u ) distribution of CoPc as well as NiPc. → Influence by central metal atom on the photoemission intensities from the HOMO of two single molecule systems is negligible for the major. → The modification of the distribution for π-orbital upon adsorption as well as the scattering effects of the central metal on the photoemission intensities are negligible for the major. - Abstract: Angular dependencies of ultraviolet photoelectron spectrum of transition metal-phthalocyanines (TM-Pcs), NiPc and CoPc, have been studied by using multiple-scattering theory to explore the electronic structure of the organometallic complexes influenced by central metal atom. The calculated angular distributions of photoelectrons for the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO: a 1u ) from the two single systems are nearly the same and represent well the experimental results obtained for the well-ordered monolayer on the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrate. The central metal atoms almost have no contribution on the HOMO distribution, which mainly comes from the carbon atoms of Pc ring. Moreover, the modification of the distribution for π orbital upon adsorption as well as the scattering effects of the central metal on the photoemission intensities are negligible for the major.

Single atom spectroscopy: Decreased scattering delocalization at high energy losses, effects of atomic movement and X-ray fluorescence yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Tizei, Luiz H G; Iizumi, Yoko; Okazaki, Toshiya; Nakanishi, Ryo; Kitaura, Ryo; Shinohara, Hisanori; Suenaga, Kazu

2016-01-01

Single atom localization and identification is crucial in understanding effects which depend on the specific local environment of atoms. In advanced nanometer scale materials, the characteristics of individual atoms may play an important role. Here, we describe spectroscopic experiments (electron energy loss spectroscopy, EELS, and Energy Dispersed X-ray spectroscopy, EDX) using a low voltage transmission electron microscope designed towards single atom analysis. For EELS, we discuss the advantages of using lower primary electron energy (30 keV and 60 keV) and higher energy losses (above 800 eV). The effect of atomic movement is considered. Finally, we discuss the possibility of using atomically resolved EELS and EDX data to measure the fluorescence yield for X-ray emission. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive uranium thiophosphate chemistry: Framework compounds based on pseudotetrahedrally coordinated central metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuhausen, Christine; Panthoefer, Martin; Tremel, Wolfgang; Hatscher, Stephan T.; Urland, Werner

2013-01-01

The new ternary compounds UP 2 S 6 , UP 2 S 7 , U(P 2 S 6 ) 2 , and U 3 (PS 4 ) 4 were prepared from uranium metal, phosphorus pentasulfide, and sulfur at 700 C. The crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. UP 2 S 6 (I) crystallizes in the ZrP 2 S 6 structure type [tetragonal, P4 2 /m, a = 6.8058(7) Aa, c = 9.7597(14) Aa, Z = 2], which consists of central uranium(IV) atoms coordinated by P 2 S 6 4- anions (staggered conformation). The anions are two-dimensional connectors for four uranium cations arranged in one plane. The structure of UP 2 S 7 (II) [orthorhombic, Fddd, a = 8.9966(15) Aa, b = 15.2869(2) Aa, c = 30.3195(5) Aa, Z = 16] is closely related to the monoclinic ZrP 2 S 7 structure type. It consists of U 4+ cations linked by P 2 S 7 4- ligands, the resulting 3D network contains large pores (diameter approx. 3.5 x 16.7 Aa). In the previously reported compound U(P 2 S 6 ) 2 (III) [I4 1 /a, a = 12.8776(9) Aa, c = 9.8367(10) Aa, Z = 2], the metal atoms are coordinated by four bidentate P 2 S 6 2- ligands. This arrangement can be considered as a pseudotetrahedral coordination of the uranium atoms by the linear ligands. Three of the resulting diamondoid frameworks are inseparably interwoven in order to optimize space filling. U 3 (PS 4 ) 4 (IV) [I4 1 /acd, a = 10.7440(9) Aa, c = 19.0969(2) Aa, Z = 2] crystallizes in a defect variant of the PrPS 4 structure type, with 50 % of the U2 sites statistically occupied with uranium atoms. The resulting stoichiometry is U 3 (PS 4 ) 4 with tetravalent uranium atoms. The structure of U 3 (PS 4 ) 4 consists of uranium atoms connected by PS 4 3- groups, each PS 4 group linking four central uranium atoms. Vibrational spectra, which were recorded for I-III, show good agreement between the obtained results and the expected values for the anionic units, while magnetic measurements confirm the presence of tetravalent uranium. (Copyright copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGa

Electronic and optical properties of vacancy defects in single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M. A.; Erementchouk, Mikhail; Hendrickson, Joshua; Leuenberger, Michael N.

2017-06-01

A detailed first-principles study has been performed to evaluate the electronic and optical properties of single-layer (SL) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) (M X 2 ; M = transition metal such as Mo, W, and X = S, Se, Te), in the presence of vacancy defects (VDs). Defects usually play an important role in tailoring electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of semiconductors. We consider three types of VDs in SL TMDCs: (i) X vacancy, (ii) X2 vacancy, and (iii) M vacancy. We show that VDs lead to localized defect states (LDS) in the band structure, which in turn gives rise to sharp transitions in in-plane and out-of-plane optical susceptibilities, χ∥ and χ⊥. The effects of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) are also considered. We find that SOC splitting in LDS is directly related to the atomic number of the transition metal atoms. Apart from electronic and optical properties we also find magnetic signatures (local magnetic moment of ˜μB ) in MoSe2 in the presence of the Mo vacancy, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry and therefore lifts the Kramers degeneracy. We show that a simple qualitative tight-binding model (TBM), involving only the hopping between atoms surrounding the vacancy with an on-site SOC term, is sufficient to capture the essential features of LDS. In addition, the existence of the LDS can be understood from the solution of the two-dimensional Dirac Hamiltonian by employing infinite mass boundary conditions. In order to provide a clear description of the optical absorption spectra, we use group theory to derive the optical selection rules between LDS for both χ∥ and χ⊥.

Strategies for real-time position control of a single atom in cavity QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynn, T W; Birnbaum, K; Kimble, H J

2005-01-01

Recent realizations of single-atom trapping and tracking in cavity QED open the door for feedback schemes which actively stabilize the motion of a single atom in real time. We present feedback algorithms for cooling the radial component of motion for a single atom trapped by strong coupling to single-photon fields in an optical cavity. Performance of various algorithms is studied through simulations of single-atom trajectories, with full dynamical and measurement noise included. Closed loop feedback algorithms compare favourably to open loop 'switching' analogues, demonstrating the importance of applying actual position information in real time. The high optical information rate in current experiments enables real-time tracking that approaches the standard quantum limit for broadband position measurements, suggesting that realistic active feedback schemes may reach a regime where measurement backaction appreciably alters the motional dynamics

Unimolecular Logic Gate with Classical Input by Single Gold Atoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Skidin, Dmitry; Faizy, Omid; Krüger, Justus; Eisenhut, Frank; Jancarik, Andrej; Nguyen, Khanh-Hung; Cuniberti, Gianaurelio; Gourdon, Andre; Moresco, Francesca; Joachim, Christian

2018-02-27

By a combination of solution and on-surface chemistry, we synthesized an asymmetric starphene molecule with two long anthracenyl input branches and a short naphthyl output branch on the Au(111) surface. Starting from this molecule, we could demonstrate the working principle of a single molecule NAND logic gate by selectively contacting single gold atoms by atomic manipulation to the longer branches of the molecule. The logical input "1" ("0") is defined by the interaction (noninteraction) of a gold atom with one of the input branches. The output is measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy following the shift in energy of the electronic tunneling resonances at the end of the short branch of the molecule.

Probing Critical Point Energies of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: Surprising Indirect Gap of Single Layer WSe 2

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chendong; Chen, Yuxuan; Johnson, Amber; Li, Ming-yang; Li, Lain-Jong; Mende, Patrick C.; Feenstra, Randall M.; Shih, Chih Kang

2015-01-01

By using a comprehensive form of scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we have revealed detailed quasi-particle electronic structures in transition metal dichalcogenides, including the quasi-particle gaps, critical point energy locations, and their origins in the Brillouin zones. We show that single layer WSe surprisingly has an indirect quasi-particle gap with the conduction band minimum located at the Q-point (instead of K), albeit the two states are nearly degenerate. We have further observed rich quasi-particle electronic structures of transition metal dichalcogenides as a function of atomic structures and spin-orbit couplings. Such a local probe for detailed electronic structures in conduction and valence bands will be ideal to investigate how electronic structures of transition metal dichalcogenides are influenced by variations of local environment.

Probing Critical Point Energies of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: Surprising Indirect Gap of Single Layer WSe 2

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chendong

2015-09-21

By using a comprehensive form of scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we have revealed detailed quasi-particle electronic structures in transition metal dichalcogenides, including the quasi-particle gaps, critical point energy locations, and their origins in the Brillouin zones. We show that single layer WSe surprisingly has an indirect quasi-particle gap with the conduction band minimum located at the Q-point (instead of K), albeit the two states are nearly degenerate. We have further observed rich quasi-particle electronic structures of transition metal dichalcogenides as a function of atomic structures and spin-orbit couplings. Such a local probe for detailed electronic structures in conduction and valence bands will be ideal to investigate how electronic structures of transition metal dichalcogenides are influenced by variations of local environment.

Pt/Cu single-atom alloys as coke-resistant catalysts for efficient C-H activation

Science.gov (United States)

Marcinkowski, Matthew D.; Darby, Matthew T.; Liu, Jilei; Wimble, Joshua M.; Lucci, Felicia R.; Lee, Sungsik; Michaelides, Angelos; Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, Maria; Stamatakis, Michail; Sykes, E. Charles H.

2018-03-01

The recent availability of shale gas has led to a renewed interest in C-H bond activation as the first step towards the synthesis of fuels and fine chemicals. Heterogeneous catalysts based on Ni and Pt can perform this chemistry, but deactivate easily due to coke formation. Cu-based catalysts are not practical due to high C-H activation barriers, but their weaker binding to adsorbates offers resilience to coking. Using Pt/Cu single-atom alloys (SAAs), we examine C-H activation in a number of systems including methyl groups, methane and butane using a combination of simulations, surface science and catalysis studies. We find that Pt/Cu SAAs activate C-H bonds more efficiently than Cu, are stable for days under realistic operating conditions, and avoid the problem of coking typically encountered with Pt. Pt/Cu SAAs therefore offer a new approach to coke-resistant C-H activation chemistry, with the added economic benefit that the precious metal is diluted at the atomic limit.

Pt/Cu single-atom alloys as coke-resistant catalysts for efficient C–H activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcinkowski, Matthew D.; Darby, Matthew T.; Liu, Jilei; Wimble, Joshua M.; Lucci, Felicia R.; Lee, Sungsik; Michaelides, Angelos; Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, Maria; Stamatakis, Michail; Sykes, E. Charles H.

2018-01-08

The recent availability of shale gas has led to a renewed interest in C-H bond activation as the first step towards synthesis of fuels and fine chemicals. Heterogeneous catalysts based on Ni and Pt can perform this chemistry, but deactivate easily due to coke formation. Cu- based catalysts are not practical for this chemistry due to high C-H activation barriers, but their weaker binding to adsorbates offers resilience to coking. Utilizing Pt/Cu single atom alloys (SAAs) we examine C-H activation in a number of systems including methyl groups, methane, and butane using a combination of simulations, surface science, and catalysis studies. We find that Pt/Cu SAAs activate C-H bonds more efficiently than Cu, are stable for days under realistic operating conditions, and avoid the problem of coking typically encountered with Pt. Pt/Cu SAAs therefore offer a new approach to coke resistant C-H activation chemistry with the added economic benefit that the precious metal is diluted at the atomic limit.

Electronic relaxation dynamics of a metal atom deposited on argon cluster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awali, Slim

2014-01-01

This thesis is a study on the interaction between electronically excited atomic states and a non-reactive environment. We have theoretically and experimentally studied situations where a metal atom (Ba or K) is placed in a finite size environment (argon cluster). The presence of the medium affects the electronic levels of the atom. On the other side, the excitation of the atom induces a relaxation dynamics of the electronic energy through the deformation of the cluster. The experimental part of this work focuses on two aspects: the spectroscopy and the dynamics. In both cases a first laser electronically excites the metal atom and the second ionizes the excited system. The observable is the photoelectron spectrum recorded after photoionization and possibly information on the photoion which are also produced. This pump/probe technique, with also two lasers, provide the ultrafast dynamic when the lasers pulses used are of ultrashort (60 fs). The use of nanosecond lasers leads to resonance spectroscopic measurement, unresolved temporally, which give information on the position of the energy levels of the studied system. From a theoretical point-of-view, the excited states of M-Ar n were calculated at the ab initio level, using large core pseudo-potential to limit the active electrons of the metal to valence electrons. The study of alkali metals (potassium) is especially well adapted to this method since only one electron is active. The ab-initio calculation and a Monte-Carlo simulation where coupled to optimize the geometry of the KAr n (n = 1-10) cluster when K is in the ground state of the neutral and the ion, or excited in the 4p or 5s state. Calculations were also conducted in collaboration with B. Gervais (CIMAP, Caen) on KAr n clusters having several tens of argon atoms. Absorption spectra were also calculated. From an experimental point-of-view, we were able to characterize the excited states of potassium and barium perturbed by the clusters. In both cases a

Anelastic relaxation of interstitial foreign atoms and their complexes with intrinsic defects in B.C.C. metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weller, M.

1985-01-01

In body-centred cubic metals, heavy interstitial foreign atoms (IFA) O, N and C give rise to relaxations of Snoek type. For dilute alloys, relaxation parameters are summarized. In concentrated alloys (group Va metals containing O or N) Snoek relaxations are influenced by the interaction of IFA. The recent controversy is discussed as to whether this interaction is based on clustering or anticlustering. In irradiated metals complexes of IFA with intrinsic atomic defects (vacancies or self interstitial atoms) also give rise to relaxations

Cooperative single-photon subradiant states in a three-dimensional atomic array

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jen, H.H., E-mail: sappyjen@gmail.com

2016-11-15

We propose a complete superradiant and subradiant states that can be manipulated and prepared in a three-dimensional atomic array. These subradiant states can be realized by absorbing a single photon and imprinting the spatially-dependent phases on the atomic system. We find that the collective decay rates and associated cooperative Lamb shifts are highly dependent on the phases we manage to imprint, and the subradiant state of long lifetime can be found for various lattice spacings and atom numbers. We also investigate both optically thin and thick atomic arrays, which can serve for systematic studies of super- and sub-radiance. Our proposal offers an alternative scheme for quantum memory of light in a three-dimensional array of two-level atoms, which is applicable and potentially advantageous in quantum information processing. - Highlights: • Cooperative single-photon subradiant states in a three-dimensional atomic array. • Subradiant state manipulation via spatially-increasing phase imprinting. • Quantum storage of light in the subradiant state in two-level atoms.

An assessment of memristor intrinsic fluctuations: a measurement of single atomic motion

Science.gov (United States)

Borghetti, Julien; Yang, J. Joshua; Medeiros-Ribeiro, Gilberto; Williams, R. Stanley

2010-03-01

Memristors provides electrically tunable resistance for upcoming non-volatile memory and future neuromorphic computing. One of the key benefits of such a device is its scalability, which can be demonstrated from an architectural perspective as well as from a fundamental physics limit. 4D addressing schemes utilizing cross bar structures that can be stacked several layers high above the chip embodies unlimited addressing space. On the other limit, the basic operating principles of memristive devices allow one to reach storage of information in a single atom. In this report of nanoscale (sub 50nm) devices, we detect single atom fluctuations, which would then represent the ultimate limit for noise sources thus delineating the boundary conditions for circuit design. We show that electrically induced individual atom migrations do not affect the overall device atomic configuration until a critical bias where a single local fluctuation triggers a general atomic reconfiguration. This instability illustrates the robustness of the device non-volatility upon small electrical stress.

Fabrication of ruthenium metal nanosheets via topotactic metallization of exfoliated ruthenate nanosheets.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Katsutoshi; Sato, Jun; Saida, Takahiro; Sugimoto, Wataru; Ebina, Yasuo; Shibata, Tatsuo; Osada, Minoru; Sasaki, Takayoshi

2013-03-04

The metallization behavior of molecularly thin RuO2 nanosheets obtained from complete delamination of layered ruthenates was studied. Interestingly, the RuO2 nanosheets in a monolayer state topotactically transformed into a single layer of Ru atoms, i.e., ruthenium metal nanosheets, which can be regarded as a new family of nanosized metals.

Redox-active on-surface polymerization of single-site divalent cations from pure metals by a ketone-functionalized phenanthroline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skomski, Daniel; Tempas, Christopher D.; Bukowski, Gregory S.; Smith, Kevin A.; Tait, Steven L., E-mail: tait@indiana.edu [Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, Indiana 47405 (United States)

2015-03-14

Metallic iron, chromium, or platinum mixing with a ketone-functionalized phenanthroline ligand on a single crystal gold surface demonstrates redox activity to a well-defined oxidation state and assembly into thermally stable, one dimensional, polymeric chains. The diverging ligand geometry incorporates redox-active sub-units and bi-dentate binding sites. The gold surface provides a stable adsorption environment and directs growth of the polymeric chains, but is inert with regard to the redox chemistry. These systems are characterized by scanning tunnelling microscopy, non-contact atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The relative propensity of the metals to interact with the ketone group is examined, and it is found that Fe and Cr more readily complex the ligand than Pt. The formation and stabilization of well-defined transition metal single-sites at surfaces may open new routes to achieve higher selectivity in heterogeneous catalysts.

s-wave elastic scattering of antihydrogen off atomic alkali-metal targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, Prabal K.; Ghosh, A. S.

2006-01-01

We have investigated the s-wave elastic scattering of antihydrogen atoms off atomic alkali-metal targets (Li, Na, K, and Rb) at thermal energies (10 -16 -10 -4 a.u.) using an atomic orbital expansion technique. The elastic cross sections of these systems at thermal energies are found to be very high compared to H-H and H-He systems. The theoretical models employed in this study are so chosen to consider long-range forces dynamically in the calculation. The mechanism of cooling suggests that Li may be considered to be a good candidate as a buffer gas for enhanced cooling of antihydrogen atoms to ultracold temperature

The effect of atoms excited by electron beam on metal evaporation

CERN Document Server

Xie Guo Feng; Ying Chun Tong

2002-01-01

In atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS), the metal is heated to melt by electron beams. The vapor atoms may be excited by electrons when flying through the electron beam. The excited atoms may be deexcited by inelastic collision during expansion. The electronic energy transfers translational energy. In order to analyse the effect of reaction between atoms and electron beams on vapor physical parameters, such as density, velocity and temperature, direct-simulation Monte Carlo method (DSMC) is used to simulate the 2-D gadolinium evaporation from long and narrow crucible. The simulation results show that the velocity and temperature of vapor increase, and the density decreases

Confined-interface-directed synthesis of Palladium single-atom catalysts on graphene/amorphous carbon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xi, Jiangbo; Sun, Hongyu; Zhang, Zheye

2018-01-01

The maximized atomic efficiency of supported catalysts is highly desired in heterogeneous catalysis. Therefore, the design and development of active, stable, and atomic metal-based catalysts remains a formidable challenge. To tackle these problems, it is necessary to investigate the interaction b...

Developments in the application of atomic spectroscopy to trace metal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuavao, V.A.

1983-01-01

A method is described for the determination of selenium in horse blood by generation, atomization and analysis of the selenium hydride. A pooled horse blood sample which contained 8.8 μg 1 -1 of selenium exhibited a precision of analysis of 4.32% for ten replicate analyses. A study of the sensitivity of nonresonance and resonance lines of ytterbium utilizing microboat and platform atomization was investigated. Increases of at least twofold for all nonresonance lines were observed. Microboat sensitivity fell between that of the wall and the platform. Alternative surfaces of electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrophotometry (ETAAS) and the thermodynamic process for atom formation in ETAAS were investigated. Sensitivities for carbide-formation elements such as ytterbium and molybdenum and other noncarbide formation elements were determined by precoating graphite tubes and inserting collars. An improvement in analytical sensitivity and reduction in memory effect compared to commercially available pyrolytic graphite tubes were observed for all except the molybdenum analyte where a depression in analytical sensitivity resulted. The useful lifetime (analysis cycles) of all surfaces (except metal collars) were recorded at 250 to 400 cycles with acceptable and comparable precisions. A method is described for proposing the thermodynamic process in IL655 ETAAS. Appearance temperatures of analytes and free energy were studied and two major pathways were found operative: 1) thermal dissociation of the analyte oxide; 2) carbon reduction of the oxide followed by atomization of the free metal

Concept for room temperature single-spin tunneling force microscopy with atomic spatial resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Adam

A study of a force detected single-spin magnetic resonance measurement concept with atomic spatial resolution is presented. The method is based upon electrostatic force detection of spin-selection rule controlled single electron tunneling between two electrically isolated paramagnetic states. Single-spin magnetic resonance detection is possible by measuring the force detected tunneling charge noise on and off spin resonance. Simulation results of this charge noise, based upon physical models of the tunneling and spin physics, are directly compared to measured atomic force microscopy (AFM) system noise. The results show that the approach could provide single-spin measurement of electrically isolated defect states with atomic spatial resolution at room temperature.

Atomic-resolution single-spin magnetic resonance detection concept based on tunneling force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, A.; Ambal, K.; Boehme, C.; Williams, C. C.

2015-05-01

A study of a force detected single-spin magnetic resonance measurement concept with atomic spatial resolution is presented. The method is based upon electrostatic force detection of spin-selection rule controlled single-electron tunneling between two electrically isolated paramagnetic states. Single-spin magnetic resonance detection is possible by measuring the force detected tunneling charge noise on and off spin resonance. Simulation results of this charge noise, based upon physical models of the tunneling and spin physics, are directly compared to measured atomic force microscopy system noise. The results show that the approach could provide single-spin measurement of electrically isolated qubit states with atomic spatial resolution at room temperature.

Direct atomic absorption determination of silicon in metallic niobium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blinova, Eh.S.; Guzeev, I.D.; Nedler, V.V.; Khokhrin, V.M.

1984-01-01

Consideration is being given to realization of the basic advantage of non-flame atomizer-analysis of directly solid samples-for silicon determination in niobium for the content of the first one of less than 1x10 -3 mass %. Analysis technique is described. Diagrams of the dependences of atomic silicon absorption in graphite cells of usual type as well as lined by tungsten carbide and atomic silicon absorption on the value of niobium weighed amount are presented. It is shown that Si determination in metallic niobium according to aqueous reference solutions results in understatement of results 2.4 times. The optimal conditions for Si determination in niobium are the following: 2400 deg C temperature, absence of carbon and oxygen. Different niobium specimens with the known silicon content were used as reference samples

Van der Waals interaction between metal and atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, P.R.; Mukhopadhyay, G.

1984-07-01

A dielectric response approach to the Van der Waals interaction between an atom and a planar metal surface is presented. An exact formula in terms of a form factor is derived within the point dipole approximation and non-retarded limit valid for shorter separation. The interaction potential is studied via SCIB model, and a substantial modification over its classical form is found at shorter distances. (author)

Metals on graphene and carbon nanotube surfaces: From mobile atoms to atomtronics to bulk metals to clusters and catalysts

KAUST Repository

Sarkar, Santanu C.

2014-01-14

In this Perspective, we present an overview of recent fundamental studies on the nature of the interaction between individual metal atoms and metal clusters and the conjugated surfaces of graphene and carbon nanotube with a particular focus on the electronic structure and chemical bonding at the metal-graphene interface. We discuss the relevance of organometallic complexes of graphitic materials to the development of a fundamental understanding of these interactions and their application in atomtronics as atomic interconnects, high mobility organometallic transistor devices, high-frequency electronic devices, organometallic catalysis (hydrogen fuel generation by photocatalytic water splitting, fuel cells, hydrogenation), spintronics, memory devices, and the next generation energy devices. We touch on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene grown on metals, the reactivity of its surface, and its use as a template for asymmetric graphene functionalization chemistry (ultrathin Janus discs). We highlight some of the latest advances in understanding the nature of interactions between metals and graphene surfaces from the standpoint of metal overlayers deposited on graphene and SWNT thin films. Finally, we comment on the major challenges facing the field and the opportunities for technological applications. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

C-C Coupling on Single-Atom-Based Heterogeneous Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Sun, Zaicheng; Wang, Bin; Tang, Yu; Nguyen, Luan; Li, Yuting; Tao, Franklin Feng

2018-01-24

Compared to homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis allows for ready separation of products from the catalyst and thus reuse of the catalyst. C-C coupling is typically performed on a molecular catalyst which is mixed with reactants in liquid phase during catalysis. This homogeneous mixing at a molecular level in the same phase makes separation of the molecular catalyst extremely challenging and costly. Here we demonstrated that a TiO 2 -based nanoparticle catalyst anchoring singly dispersed Pd atoms (Pd 1 /TiO 2 ) is selective and highly active for more than 10 Sonogashira C-C coupling reactions (R≡CH + R'X → R≡R'; X = Br, I; R' = aryl or vinyl). The coupling between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene on Pd 1 /TiO 2 exhibits a turnover rate of 51.0 diphenylacetylene molecules per anchored Pd atom per minute at 60 °C, with a low apparent activation barrier of 28.9 kJ/mol and no cost of catalyst separation. DFT calculations suggest that the single Pd atom bonded to surface lattice oxygen atoms of TiO 2 acts as a site to dissociatively chemisorb iodobenzene to generate an intermediate phenyl, which then couples with phenylacetylenyl bound to a surface oxygen atom. This coupling of phenyl adsorbed on Pd 1 and phenylacetylenyl bound to O ad of TiO 2 forms the product molecule, diphenylacetylene.

Periodically Driven Array of Single Rydberg Atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Basak, Sagarika; Chougale, Yashwant; Nath, Rejish

2018-03-01

An array of single Rydberg atoms driven by a temporally modulated atom-field detuning is studied. The periodic modulation effectively modifies the Rabi coupling, leading to unprecedented dynamics in the presence of Rydberg-Rydberg interactions, in particular, blockade enhancement, antiblockades, and state-dependent population trapping. Interestingly, the Schrieffer-Wolf transformation reveals a fundamental process in Rydberg gases, correlated Rabi coupling, which stems from the extended nature of the Rydberg-Rydberg interactions. Also, the correlated coupling provides an alternative depiction for the Rydberg blockade, exhibiting a nontrivial behavior in the presence of periodic modulation. The dynamical localization of a many-body configuration in a driven Rydberg lattice is discussed.

Cross sections and equilibrium fractions of deuterium ions and atoms in metal vapors. Progress report, June 1, 1978-May 31, 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, T.J.

1979-01-01

The purpose of this program is to measure cross sections and equilibrium fractions of deuterium ions and atoms in metal vapors. In particular, in connection with double charge exchange D - ion sources, there is concern with D - formation in alkaline-earth vapor targets. Also, in connection with possible metal vapor contamination in the system, there is concern with cross sections for high energy D + , D 0 and D - collisions with these metal vapors. Results from this research will fill in a gap in knowledge of single and double charge transfer and multiple collision processes in alkaline-earth targets and provide a better understanding of D - formation mechanisms. A list of publications is included. 6 references

Construction of a single atom trap for quantum information protocols

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, Margaret E.; Baker, Paul M.; Gauthier, Daniel J.; Duke Physics Department Team

2016-05-01

The field of quantum information science addresses outstanding problems such as achieving fundamentally secure communication and solving computationally hard problems. Great progress has been made in the field, particularly using photons coupled to ions and super conducting qubits. Neutral atoms are also interesting for these applications and though the technology for control of neutrals lags behind that of trapped ions, they offer some key advantages: primarily coupling to optical frequencies closer to the telecom band than trapped ions or superconducting qubits. Here we report progress on constructing a single atom trap for 87 Rb. This system is a promising platform for studying the technical problems facing neutral atom quantum computing. For example, most protocols destroy the trap when reading out the neutral atom's state; we will investigate an alternative non-destructive state detection scheme. We detail the experimental systems involved and the challenges addressed in trapping a single atom. All of our hardware components are off the shelf and relatively inexpensive. Unlike many other systems, we place a high numerical aperture lens inside our vacuum system to increase photon collection efficiency. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the ARO through Grant # W911NF1520047.

Dynamics of an atomic wave packet in a standing-wave cavity field: A cavity-assisted single-atom detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chough, Young-Tak; Nha, Hyunchul; Kim, Sang Wook; An, Kyungwon; Youn, Sun-Hyun

2002-01-01

We investigate the single-atom detection system using an optical standing-wave cavity, from the viewpoint of the quantized center-of-mass motion of the atomic wave packet. We show that since the atom-field coupling strength depends upon the overlap integral of the atomic wave packet and the field mode function, the effect of the wave-packet spreading via the momentum exchange process brings about a significant effect in the detection efficiency. We find that, as a result, the detection efficiency is not sensitive to the individual atomic trajectory for reasonably slow atoms. We also address an interesting phenomenon of the atomic wave-packet splitting occurring when an atom passes through a node of the cavity field

Tunable meta-atom using liquid metal embedded in stretchable polymer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Peng; Yang, Siming; Wang, Qiugu; Jiang, Huawei; Song, Jiming; Dong, Liang, E-mail: ldong@iastate.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Jain, Aditya [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Ames Laboratory, U.S. DOE and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Koschny, Thomas; Soukoulis, Costas M. [Ames Laboratory, U.S. DOE and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

2015-07-07

Reconfigurable metamaterials have great potential to alleviate complications involved in using passive metamaterials to realize emerging electromagnetic functions, such as dynamical filtering, sensing, and cloaking. This paper presents a new type of tunable meta-atoms in the X-band frequency range (8–12 GHz) toward reconfigurable metamaterials. The meta-atom is made of all flexible materials compliant to the surface of an interaction object. It uses a liquid metal-based split-ring resonator as its core constituent embedded in a highly flexible elastomer. We demonstrate that simple mechanical stretching of the meta-atom can lead to the great flexibility in reconfiguring its resonance frequency continuously over more than 70% of the X-band frequency range. The presented meta-atom technique provides a simple approach to dynamically tune response characteristics of metamaterials over a broad frequency range.

Tunable meta-atom using liquid metal embedded in stretchable polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Peng; Yang, Siming; Wang, Qiugu; Jiang, Huawei; Song, Jiming; Dong, Liang; Jain, Aditya; Koschny, Thomas; Soukoulis, Costas M.

2015-01-01

Reconfigurable metamaterials have great potential to alleviate complications involved in using passive metamaterials to realize emerging electromagnetic functions, such as dynamical filtering, sensing, and cloaking. This paper presents a new type of tunable meta-atoms in the X-band frequency range (8–12 GHz) toward reconfigurable metamaterials. The meta-atom is made of all flexible materials compliant to the surface of an interaction object. It uses a liquid metal-based split-ring resonator as its core constituent embedded in a highly flexible elastomer. We demonstrate that simple mechanical stretching of the meta-atom can lead to the great flexibility in reconfiguring its resonance frequency continuously over more than 70% of the X-band frequency range. The presented meta-atom technique provides a simple approach to dynamically tune response characteristics of metamaterials over a broad frequency range

Application of the backscattering of an atomic beam of thermal energy to the study of the vibrational properties of metal surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapujoulade, J.; Lejay, Y.

1975-01-01

Vibrational properties of metal surfaces (surface phonons, surface Debye temperatures) are less known than bulk ones since common investigation methods (neutron, X-rays) are not sensitive to surface properties. A study of the backscattering of an atomic beam may give surface specific informations. The backscattering of noble gas (He, Ne, Ar) from a clean copper single crystal ((100) face) was experimentally studied. The experimental set-up allows to measure the space repartition well as the velocity distribution of the scattered atoms. If the collisions is purely elastic an analysis of the thermal dependence of the specular peak by means of the Debye Waller formula will give the mean square displacements of surface atoms. It is shown however that this simple case is not fulfilled with helium in ordinary beam or solid temperatures. If the collision is inelastic, but dominated by single phonon transfers (as it seems to be the case for helium) information should to get about the phonon dispersion relation of surface atoms. When many-phonon collision occur (Ne and Ar) the analysis is more difficult. A comparison of the experimental result with an approximate calculation of G. Armand is given [fr

Magnetism of a relaxed single atom vacancy in graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yunyi; Hu, Yonghong; Xue, Li; Sun, Tieyu; Wang, Yu

2018-04-01

It has been suggested in literature that defects in graphene (e.g. absorbed atoms and vacancies) may induce magnetizations due to unpaired electrons. The nature of magnetism, i.e. ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic, is dependent on a number of structural factors including locations of magnetic moments and lattice symmetry. In the present work we investigated the influence of a relaxed single atom vacancy in garphnene on magnetization which were obtained under different pinning boundary conditions, aiming to achieve a better understanding of the magnetic behaviors of graphene. Through first principles calculations, we found that major spin polarizations occur on atoms that deviate slightly from their original lattice positions, and pinning boundaries could also affect the relaxed positions of atoms and determine which atom(s) would become the main source(s) of total spin polarizations and magnetic moments. When the pinning boundary condition is free, a special non-magnetic and semi-conductive structure may be obtained, suggesting that magnetization should more readily occur under pinning boundary conditions.

Emission Channeling Studies of the Lattice Site of Oversized Alkali Atoms Implanted in Metals

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

% IS340 \\\\ \\\\ As alkali atoms have the largest atomic radius of all elements, the determination of their lattice configuration following implantation into metals forms a critical test for the various models predicting the lattice site of implanted impurity atoms. The site determination of these large atoms will especially be a crucial check for the most recent model that relates the substitutional fraction of oversized elements to their solution enthalpy. Recent exploratory $^{213}$Fr and $^{221}$Fr $\\alpha$-emission channeling experiments at ISOLDE-CERN and hyperfine interaction measurements on Fr implanted in Fe gave an indication for anomalously large substitutional fractions. To investigate further the behaviour of Fr and other alkali atoms like Cs and Rb thoroughly, more on-line emission channeling experiments are needed. We propose a number of shifts for each element, where the temperature of the implanted metals will be varied between 50$^\\circ$ and 700$^\\circ$~K. Temperature dependent measurements wi...

The properties of helium atoms and positrons as impurities in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendry, J.B.

1980-01-01

Topics covered include: (A) atoms in simple metals: (1) the highly repulsive e - /He interaction and its consequences for binding energies in simple metals; (2) binding energy calculations for jellium and their implications for validity of pair-potential He/M interactions; and (3) the need for experimental data on high negative binding energy systems: (B) low energy positrons in simple metals: (1) behaviour of the positron especially its range (< 100A); (2) consequences for experiments on voids; and (3) possibility for non-destructive depth profiling of defect concentration. (author)

Single-Atom Pt as Co-Catalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaogang; Bi, Wentuan; Zhang, Lei; Tao, Shi; Chu, Wangsheng; Zhang, Qun; Luo, Yi; Wu, Changzheng; Xie, Yi

2016-03-23

Isolated single-atom platinum (Pt) embedded in the sub-nanoporosity of 2D g-C3 N4 as a new form of co-catalyst is reported. The highly stable single-atom co-catalyst maximizes the atom efficiency and alters the surface trap states of g-C3 N4 , leading to significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, 8.6 times higher than that of Pt nanoparticles and up to 50 times that for bare g-C3 N4 . © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Incorporation of defects into the central atoms model of a metallic glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lass, Eric A.; Zhu Aiwu; Shiflet, G.J.; Joseph Poon, S.

2011-01-01

The central atoms model (CAM) of a metallic glass is extended to incorporate thermodynamically stable defects, similar to vacancies in a crystalline solid, within the amorphous structure. A bond deficiency (BD), which is the proposed defect present in all metallic glasses, is introduced into the CAM equations. Like vacancies in a crystalline solid, BDs are thermodynamically stable entities because of the increase in entropy associated with their creation, and there is an equilibrium concentration present in the glassy phase. When applied to Cu-Zr and Ni-Zr binary metallic glasses, the concentration of thermally induced BDs surrounding Zr atoms reaches a relatively constant value at the glass transition temperature, regardless of composition within a given glass system. Using this 'critical' defect concentration, the predicted temperatures at which the glass transition is expected to occur are in good agreement with the experimentally determined glass transition temperatures for both alloy systems.

The importance of atomic and molecular correlation on the bonding in transition metal compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Langhoff, Stephen R.; Walch, Stephen P.

1986-01-01

The determination of accurate spectroscopic parameters for molecular systems containing transition metal atoms is shown to require extensive data sets and a high level correlation treatment, and techniques and their limitations are considered. Extensive results reported on the transition metal atoms, hydrides, oxides, and dimers makes possible the design of a calculation to correctly describe the mixing of different atomic asymptotes, and to give a correct balance between molecular bonding and exchange interactions. Examples considered include the dipole moment of the 2Delta state of NiH, which can help determine the mixture of 3d(8)4s(2) and 3d(9)4s(1) in the NiH wavefunction, and the bonding in CrO, where an equivalent description of the relative energies associated with the Cr 3d-3d atomic exchange and the Cr-O bond is important.

New Equations for Calculating Principal and Fine-Structure Atomic Spectra for Single and Multi-Electron Atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Surdoval, Wayne A. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Berry, David A. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Shultz, Travis R. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)

2018-03-09

A set of equations are presented for calculating atomic principal spectral lines and fine-structure energy splits for single and multi-electron atoms. Calculated results are presented and compared to the National Institute of Science and Technology database demonstrating very good accuracy. The equations do not require fitted parameters. The only experimental parameter required is the Ionization energy for the electron of interest. The equations have comparable accuracy and broader applicability than the single electron Dirac equation. Three Appendices discuss the origin of the new equations and present calculated results. New insights into the special relativistic nature of the Dirac equation and its relationship to the new equations are presented.

Distinct atomic structures of the Ni-Nb metallic glasses formed by ion beam mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tai, K. P.; Wang, L. T.; Liu, B. X.

2007-01-01

Four Ni-Nb metallic glasses are obtained by ion beam mixing and their compositions are measured to be Ni 77 Nb 23 , Ni 55 Nb 45 , Ni 31 Nb 69 , and Ni 15 Nb 85 , respectively, suggesting that a composition range of 23-85 at. % of Nb is favored for metallic glass formation in the Ni-Nb system. Interestingly, diffraction analyses show that the structure of the Nb-based Ni 31 Nb 69 metallic glass is distinctly different from the structure of the Nb-based Ni 15 Nb 85 metallic glass, as the respective amorphous halos are located at 2θ≅38 and 39 deg. To explore an atomic scale description of the Ni-Nb metallic glasses, an n-body Ni-Nb potential is first constructed with an aid of the ab initio calculations and then applied to perform the molecular dynamics simulation. Simulation results determine not only the intrinsic glass forming range of the Ni-Nb system to be within 20-85 at. % of Nb, but also the exact atomic positions in the Ni-Nb metallic glasses. Through a statistical analysis of the determined atomic positions, a new dominant local packing unit is found in the Ni 15 Nb 85 metallic glass, i.e., an icositetrahedron with a coordination number to be around 14, while in Ni 31 Nb 69 metallic glasses, the dominant local packing unit is an icosahedron with a coordination number to be around 12, which has been reported for the other metallic glasses. In fact, with increasing the irradiation dose, the Ni 31 Nb 69 metallic glasses are formed through an intermediate state of face-centered-cubic-solid solution, whereas the Ni 15 Nb 85 metallic glass is through an intermediate state of body-centered-cubic-solid solution, suggesting that the structures of the constituent metals play an important role in governing the structural characteristics of the resultant metallic glasses

Continuous parametric feedback cooling of a single atom in an optical cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Sames, C.; Hamsen, C.; Chibani, H.; Altin, P. A.; Wilk, T.; Rempe, G.

2018-05-01

We demonstrate a feedback algorithm to cool a single neutral atom trapped inside a standing-wave optical cavity. The algorithm is based on parametric modulation of the confining potential at twice the natural oscillation frequency of the atom, in combination with fast and repetitive atomic position measurements. The latter serve to continuously adjust the modulation phase to a value for which parametric excitation of the atomic motion is avoided. Cooling is limited by the measurement backaction which decoheres the atomic motion after only a few oscillations. Nonetheless, applying this feedback scheme to an ˜5 -kHz oscillation mode increases the average storage time of a single atom in the cavity by a factor of 60 to more than 2 s. In contrast to previous feedback schemes, our algorithm is also capable of cooling a much faster ˜500 -kHz oscillation mode within just microseconds. This demonstrates that parametric cooling is a powerful technique that can be applied in all experiments where optical access is limited.

Stripping scattering of fast atoms on surfaces of metal-oxide crystals and ultrathin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blauth, David

2010-01-01

In the framework of the present dissertation the interactions of fast atoms with surfaces of bulk oxides, metals and thin films on metals were studied. The experiments were performed in the regime of grazing incidence of atoms with energies of some keV. The advantage of this scattering geometry is the high surface sensibility and thus the possibility to determine the crystallographic and electronic characteristics of the topmost surface layer. In addition to these experiments, the energy loss and the electron emission induced by scattered projectiles was investigated. The energy for electron emission and exciton excitation on Alumina/NiAl(110) and SiO 2 /Mo(112) are determined. By detection of the number of projectile induced emitted electrons as function of azimuthal angle for the rotation of the target surface, the geometrical structure of atoms forming the topmost layer of different adsorbate films on metal surfaces where determined via ion beam triangulation. (orig.)

High-Pressure Thermodynamic Properties of f-electron Metals, Transition Metal Oxides, and Half-Metallic Magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richard T. Scalettar; Warren E. Pickett

2005-01-01

This project involves research into the thermodynamic properties of f-electron metals, transition metal oxides, and half-metallic magnets at high pressure. These materials are ones in which the changing importance of electron-electron interactions as the distance between atoms is varied can tune the system through phase transitions from localized to delocalized electrons, from screened to unscreened magnetic moments, and from normal metal to one in which only a single spin specie can conduct. Three main thrusts are being pursued: (1) Mott transitions in transition metal oxides, (2) magnetism in half-metallic compounds, and (3) large volume-collapse transitions in f-band metals

High-Pressure Thermodynamic Properties of f-electron Metals, Transition Metal Oxides, and Half-Metallic Magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scalettar, Richard T.; Pickett, Warren E.

2004-07-01

This project involves research into the thermodynamic properties of f-electron metals, transition metal oxides, and half-metallic magnets at high pressure. These materials are ones in which the changing importance of electron-electron interactions as the distance between atoms is varied can tune the system through phase transitions from localized to delocalized electrons, from screened to unscreened magnetic moments, and from normal metal to one in which only a single spin specie can conduct. Three main thrusts are being pursued: (1) Mott transitions in transition metal oxides, (2) magnetism in half-metallic compounds, and (3) large volume-collapse transitions in f-band metals.

High-Pressure Thermodynamic Properties of f-electron Metals, Transition Metal Oxides, and Half-Metallic Magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard T. Scalettar; Warren E. Pickett

2005-08-02

This project involves research into the thermodynamic properties of f-electron metals, transition metal oxides, and half-metallic magnets at high pressure. These materials are ones in which the changing importance of electron-electron interactions as the distance between atoms is varied can tune the system through phase transitions from localized to delocalized electrons, from screened to unscreened magnetic moments, and from normal metal to one in which only a single spin specie can conduct. Three main thrusts are being pursued: (i) Mott transitions in transition metal oxides, (ii) magnetism in half-metallic compounds, and (iii) large volume-collapse transitions in f-band metals.

Fast Excitation and Photon Emission of a Single-Atom-Cavity System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bochmann, J.; Muecke, M.; Langfahl-Klabes, G.; Erbel, C.; Weber, B.; Specht, H. P.; Moehring, D. L.; Rempe, G.

2008-01-01

We report on the fast excitation of a single atom coupled to an optical cavity using laser pulses that are much shorter than all other relevant processes. The cavity frequency constitutes a control parameter that allows the creation of single photons in a superposition of two tunable frequencies. Each photon emitted from the cavity thus exhibits a pronounced amplitude modulation determined by the oscillatory energy exchange between the atom and the cavity. Our technique constitutes a versatile tool for future quantum networking experiments

Higher-order Cn dispersion coefficients for the alkali-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitroy, J.; Bromley, M.W.J.

2005-01-01

The van der Waals coefficients, from C 11 through to C 16 resulting from second-, third-, and fourth-order perturbation theory are estimated for the alkali-metal (Li, Na, K, and Rb) atoms. The dispersion coefficients are also computed for all possible combinations of the alkali-metal atoms and hydrogen. The parameters are determined from sum rules after diagonalizing a semiempirical fixed core Hamiltonian in a large basis. Comparisons of the radial dependence of the C n /r n potentials give guidance as to the radial regions in which the various higher-order terms can be neglected. It is seen that including terms up to C 10 /r 10 results in a dispersion interaction that is accurate to better than 1% whenever the inter-nuclear spacing is larger than 20a 0 . This level of accuracy is mainly achieved due to the fortuitous cancellation between the repulsive (C 11 ,C 13 ,C 15 ) and attractive (C 12 ,C 14 ,C 16 ) dispersion forces

Conduction channels at finite bias in single-atom gold contacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandbyge, Mads; Kobayashi, Nobuhiko; Tsukada, Masaru

1999-01-01

We consider the effect of a finite voltage bias on the conductance of single-atom gold contacts. We employ a nonorthogonal spn-tight-binding Hamiltonian combined with a local charge neutrality assumption. The conductance and charge distributions for finite bias are calculated using the nonequilib......We consider the effect of a finite voltage bias on the conductance of single-atom gold contacts. We employ a nonorthogonal spn-tight-binding Hamiltonian combined with a local charge neutrality assumption. The conductance and charge distributions for finite bias are calculated using...... of the eigenchannels projected onto tight-binding orbitals. We find a single almost fully transmitting channel with mainly s character for low bias while for high bias this channel becomes less transmitting and additional channels involving only d orbitals start to conduct....

A slow atomic diffusion process in high-entropy glass-forming metallic melts

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Changjiu; Wong, Kaikin; Krishnan, Rithin P.; Embs, Jan P.; Chathoth, Suresh M.

2018-04-01

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering has been used to study atomic relaxation processes in high-entropy glass-forming metallic melts with different glass-forming ability (GFA). The momentum transfer dependence of mean relaxation time shows a highly collective atomic transport process in the alloy melts with the highest and lowest GFA. However, a jump diffusion process is the long-range atomic transport process in the intermediate GFA alloy melt. Nevertheless, atomic mobility close to the melting temperature of these alloy melts is quite similar, and the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient exhibits a non-Arrhenius behavior. The atomic mobility in these high-entropy melts is much slower than that of the best glass-forming melts at their respective melting temperatures.

Probabilistic Cloning of two Single-Atom States via Thermal Cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Rui, Pin-Shu; Liu, Dao-Jun

2016-12-01

We propose a cavity QED scheme for implementing the 1 → 2 probabilistic quantum cloning (PQC) of two single-atom states. In our scheme, after the to-be-cloned atom and the assistant atom passing through the first cavity, a measurement is carried out on the assistant atom. Based on the measurement outcome we can judge whether the PQC should be continued. If the cloning fails, the other operations are omitted. This makes our scheme economical. If the PQC is continued (with the optimal probability) according to the measurement outcome, two more cavities and some unitary operations are used for achieving the PQC in a deterministic way. Our scheme is insensitive to the decays of the cavities and the atoms.

Metal-silica sol-gel materials

Science.gov (United States)

Stiegman, Albert E. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

The present invention relates to a single phase metal-silica sol-gel glass formed by the co-condensation of a transition metal with silicon atoms where the metal atoms are uniformly distributed within the sol-gel glass as individual metal centers. Any transition metal may be used in the sol-gel glasses. The present invention also relates to sensor materials where the sensor material is formed using the single phase metal-silica sol-gel glasses. The sensor materials may be in the form of a thin film or may be attached to an optical fiber. The present invention also relates to a method of sensing chemicals using the chemical sensors by monitoring the chromatic change of the metal-silica sol-gel glass when the chemical binds to the sensor. The present invention also relates to oxidation catalysts where a metal-silica sol-gel glass catalyzes the reaction. The present invention also relates to a method of performing oxidation reactions using the metal-silica sol-gel glasses. The present invention also relates to organopolymer metal-silica sol-gel composites where the pores of the metal-silica sol-gel glasses are filled with an organic polymer polymerized by the sol-gel glass.

The excitation functions of 4s-4p and 3d-4p transitions in Ni atoms sputtered from metallic targets by Ar+ ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dabrowski, P.; Gabla, L.; Pedrys, R.

1981-01-01

The intensities of spectral lines corresponding to 4s-4p and 3d-4p transitions in Ni atoms sputtered from metallic targets by Ar + ions were measured. The energy of primary ions was varied from 4 keV to 10 keV. Both single crystal and polycrystalline targets were used at various temperatures including ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases. The excitation functions calculated from experimental data can be explained only by the assumption that the promotion of the electrons occurs during energetic binary collisions of atomic particles in the solid. (orig.)

Effect of component substitution on the atomic dynamics in glass-forming binary metallic melts

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, B.; Holland-Moritz, D.; Yang, F.; Voigtmann, Th.; Evenson, Z.; Hansen, T. C.; Meyer, A.

2017-08-01

We investigate the substitution of early transition metals (Zr, Hf, and Nb) in Ni-based binary glass-forming metallic melts and the impact on structural and dynamical properties by using a combination of neutron scattering, electrostatic levitation (ESL), and isotopic substitution. The self-diffusion coefficients measured by quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) identify a sluggish diffusion as well as an increased activation energy by almost a factor of 2 for Hf35Ni65 compared to Zr36Ni64 . This finding can be explained by the locally higher packing density of Hf atoms in Hf35Ni65 compared to Zr atoms in Zr36Ni64 , which has been derived from interatomic distances by analyzing the measured partial structure factors. Furthermore, QENS measurements of liquid Hf35Ni65 prepared with 60Ni , which has a vanishing incoherent scattering cross section, have demonstrated that self-diffusion of Hf is slowed down compared to the concentration weighted self-diffusion of Hf and Ni. This implies a dynamical decoupling between larger Hf and smaller Ni atoms, which can be related to a saturation effect of unequal atomic nearest-neighbor pairs, that was observed recently for Ni-rich compositions in Zr-Ni metallic melts. In order to establish a structure-dynamics relation, measured partial structure factors have been used as an input for mode-coupling theory (MCT) of the glass transition to calculate self-diffusion coefficients for the different atomic components. Remarkably, MCT can reproduce the increased activation energy for Hf35Ni65 as well as the dynamical decoupling between Hf and Ni atoms.

Single Pd Atoms on θ-Al2O3 (010) Surface do not Catalyze NO Oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Narula, Chaitanya K; Allard, Lawrence F; Moses-DeBusk, Melanie; Stocks, G Malcom; Wu, Zili

2017-04-03

New convenient wet-chemistry synthetic routes have made it possible to explore catalytic activities of a variety of single supported atoms, however, the single supported atoms on inert substrates (e.g. alumina) are limited to adatoms and cations of Pt, Pd, and Ru. Previously, we have found that single supported Pt atoms are remarkable NO oxidation catalysts. In contrast, we report that Pd single atoms are completely inactive for NO oxidation. The diffuse reflectance infra-red spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results show the absence of nitrate formation on catalyst. To explain these results, we explored modified Langmuir-Hinshelwood type pathways that have been proposed for oxidation reactions on single supported atom. In the first pathway, we find that there is energy barrier for the release of NO 2 which prevent NO oxidation. In the second pathway, our results show that there is no driving force for the formation of O=N-O-O intermediate or nitrate on single supported Pd atoms. The decomposition of nitrate, if formed, is an endothermic event.

Beating Homogeneous Nucleation and Tuning Atomic Ordering in Glass-Forming Metals by Nanocalorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Bingge; Yang, Bin; Abyzov, Alexander S; Schmelzer, Jürn W P; Rodríguez-Viejo, Javier; Zhai, Qijie; Schick, Christoph; Gao, Yulai

2017-12-13

In this paper, the amorphous Ce 68 Al 10 Cu 20 Co 2 (atom %) alloy was in situ prepared by nanocalorimetry. The high cooling and heating rates accessible with this technique facilitate the suppression of crystallization on cooling and the identification of homogeneous nucleation. Different from the generally accepted notion that metallic glasses form just by avoiding crystallization, the role of nucleation and growth in the crystallization behavior of amorphous alloys is specified, allowing an access to the ideal metallic glass free of nuclei. Local atomic configurations are fundamentally significant to unravel the glass forming ability (GFA) and phase transitions in metallic glasses. For this reason, isothermal annealing near T g from 0.001 s to 25,000 s following quenching becomes the strategy to tune local atomic configurations and facilitate an amorphous alloy, a mixed glassy-nanocrystalline state, and a crystalline sample successively. On the basis of the evolution of crystallization enthalpy and overall latent heat on reheating, we quantify the underlying mechanism for the isothermal nucleation and crystallization of amorphous alloys. With Johnson-Mehl-Avrami method, it is demonstrated that the coexistence of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation contributes to the isothermal crystallization of glass. Heterogeneous rather than homogeneous nucleation dominates the isothermal crystallization of the undercooled liquid. For the mixed glassy-nanocrystalline structure, an extraordinary kinetic stability of the residual glass is validated, which is ascribed to the denser packed interface between amorphous phase and ordered nanocrystals. Tailoring the amorphous structure by nanocalorimetry permits new insights into unraveling GFA and the mechanism that correlates local atomic configurations and phase transitions in metallic glasses.

The method of the atomic-absorption analysis in a graphite furnace with the metallic collector-ballast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katskov, D.A.; Vasil'eva, L.A.; Grinshtejn, I.L.; Savel'eva, G.O.

1987-01-01

New method of atomic-absorption analysis in a graphite furnace with the metallic collector-ballast (tungsten were) is suggested. It enables to widen the number of analyzed objects of liquid products wetting readily graphite and metals. It is shown that application of metallic collector-ballast enables to improve sensitivity and reproducibility of analysis, increase the volume of dosed samples as well as to suppress effectively the influence of excess of mineral and organic substrate on results of atomic-absorption analysis of several elements, including Cd, Sr, In, Te

Transition metal atoms absorbed on MoS2/h-BN heterostructure: stable geometries, band structures and magnetic properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yanbing; Huang, Zongyu; Liu, Huating; He, Chaoyu; Xue, Lin; Qi, Xiang; Zhong, Jianxin

2018-06-15

We have studied the stable geometries, band structures and magnetic properties of transition-metal (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) atoms absorbed on MoS2/h-BN heterostructure systems by first-principles calculations. By comparing the adsorption energies, we find that the adsorbed transition metal (TM) atoms prefer to stay on the top of Mo atoms. The results of the band structure without spin-orbit coupling (SOC) interaction indicate that the Cr-absorbed systems behave in a similar manner to metals, and the Co-absorbed system exhibits a half-metallic state. We also deduce that the V-, Mn-, Fe-absorbed systems are semiconductors with 100% spin polarization at the HOMO level. The Ni-absorbed system is a nonmagnetic semiconductor. In contrast, the Co-absorbed system exhibits metallic state, and the bandgap of V-absorbed system decreases slightly according to the SOC calculations. In addition, the magnetic moments of all the six TM atoms absorbed on the MoS2/h-BN heterostructure systems decrease when compared with those of their free-standing states.

Single-atom trapping and transport in DMD-controlled optical tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, Dustin; Kuhn, Axel

2018-02-01

We demonstrate the trapping and manipulation of single neutral atoms in reconfigurable arrays of optical tweezers. Our approach offers unparalleled speed by using a Texas instruments digital micro-mirror device as a holographic amplitude modulator with a frame rate of 20 000 per second. We show the trapping of static arrays of up to 20 atoms, as well as transport of individually selected atoms over a distance of 25 μm with laser cooling and 4 μm without. We discuss the limitations of the technique and the scope for technical improvements.

Charge transfer between hydrogen(deuterium) ions and atoms in metal vapors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez T, I.; Cisneros G, C.

1981-01-01

The current state of the experiments on charge transfer between hydrogen (deuterium) ions and atoms in metal vapors are given. Emphasis is given to describing different experimental techniques. The results of calculations if available, are compared with existing experimental data. (author)

A library of atomically thin metal chalcogenides.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jiadong; Lin, Junhao; Huang, Xiangwei; Zhou, Yao; Chen, Yu; Xia, Juan; Wang, Hong; Xie, Yu; Yu, Huimei; Lei, Jincheng; Wu, Di; Liu, Fucai; Fu, Qundong; Zeng, Qingsheng; Hsu, Chuang-Han; Yang, Changli; Lu, Li; Yu, Ting; Shen, Zexiang; Lin, Hsin; Yakobson, Boris I; Liu, Qian; Suenaga, Kazu; Liu, Guangtong; Liu, Zheng

2018-04-01

Investigations of two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have recently revealed interesting physical phenomena, including the quantum spin Hall effect 1,2 , valley polarization 3,4 and two-dimensional superconductivity 5 , suggesting potential applications for functional devices 6-10 . However, of the numerous compounds available, only a handful, such as Mo- and W-based TMCs, have been synthesized, typically via sulfurization 11-15 , selenization 16,17 and tellurization 18 of metals and metal compounds. Many TMCs are difficult to produce because of the high melting points of their metal and metal oxide precursors. Molten-salt-assisted methods have been used to produce ceramic powders at relatively low temperature 19 and this approach 20 was recently employed to facilitate the growth of monolayer WS 2 and WSe 2 . Here we demonstrate that molten-salt-assisted chemical vapour deposition can be broadly applied for the synthesis of a wide variety of two-dimensional (atomically thin) TMCs. We synthesized 47 compounds, including 32 binary compounds (based on the transition metals Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re, Pt, Pd and Fe), 13 alloys (including 11 ternary, one quaternary and one quinary), and two heterostructured compounds. We elaborate how the salt decreases the melting point of the reactants and facilitates the formation of intermediate products, increasing the overall reaction rate. Most of the synthesized materials in our library are useful, as supported by evidence of superconductivity in our monolayer NbSe 2 and MoTe 2 samples 21,22 and of high mobilities in MoS 2 and ReS 2 . Although the quality of some of the materials still requires development, our work opens up opportunities for studying the properties and potential application of a wide variety of two-dimensional TMCs.

First row transition metal atoms embedded in multivacancies in a rippled graphene system

Science.gov (United States)

Mombrú, Dominique; Faccio, Ricardo; Mombrú, Alvaro W.

2018-03-01

Ab-initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) have been performed to study systems where a first row transition metal atom is embedded in a rippled graphene due to the existence of an 8-order multivacancy. In addition to these cases, also the inclusion of a zinc atom, with a 3d10 electron configuration, was also studied. Structural distortions and magnetic response for each system were studied. A correlation was found for the magnitude of the rippling and the distortion in the vacancy. Variation in the trends was found for Cu and Zn cases, which were explained on the basis of the filling of the 3dx2-y2 orbital. All the systems exhibit lower magnetic moment in comparison to the metal-less system. The quenching of the magnetic moment due to the carbon atoms in the vacancy is observed for Sc and Cu.

Atomically precise graphene nanoribbon heterojunctions from a single molecular precursor

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Giang D.; Tsai, Hsin-Zon; Omrani, Arash A.; Marangoni, Tomas; Wu, Meng; Rizzo, Daniel J.; Rodgers, Griffin F.; Cloke, Ryan R.; Durr, Rebecca A.; Sakai, Yuki; Liou, Franklin; Aikawa, Andrew S.; Chelikowsky, James R.; Louie, Steven G.; Fischer, Felix R.; Crommie, Michael F.

2017-11-01

The rational bottom-up synthesis of atomically defined graphene nanoribbon (GNR) heterojunctions represents an enabling technology for the design of nanoscale electronic devices. Synthetic strategies used thus far have relied on the random copolymerization of two electronically distinct molecular precursors to yield GNR heterojunctions. Here we report the fabrication and electronic characterization of atomically precise GNR heterojunctions prepared through late-stage functionalization of chevron GNRs obtained from a single precursor. Post-growth excitation of fully cyclized GNRs induces cleavage of sacrificial carbonyl groups, resulting in atomically well-defined heterojunctions within a single GNR. The GNR heterojunction structure was characterized using bond-resolved scanning tunnelling microscopy, which enables chemical bond imaging at T = 4.5 K. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveals that band alignment across the heterojunction interface yields a type II heterojunction, in agreement with first-principles calculations. GNR heterojunction band realignment proceeds over a distance less than 1 nm, leading to extremely large effective fields.

Characteristics of single-atom trapping in a magneto-optical trap with a high magnetic-field gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Seokchan; Choi, Youngwoon; Park, Sangbum; Ji, Wangxi; Lee, Jai-Hyung; An, Kyungwon

2007-01-01

A quantitative study on characteristics of a magneto-optical trap with a single or a few atoms is presented. A very small number of 85 Rb atoms were trapped in a micron-size magneto-optical trap with a high magnetic-field gradient. In order to find the optimum condition for a single-atom trap, we have investigated how the number of atoms and the size of atomic cloud change as various experimental parameters, such as a magnetic-field gradient and the trapping laser intensity and detuning. The averaged number of atoms was measured very accurately with a calibration procedure based on the single-atom saturation curve of resonance fluorescence. In addition, the number of atoms in a trap could be controlled by suppressing stochastic loading events by means of a real-time active feedback on the magnetic-field gradient

Theoretical study on the photocatalytic properties of graphene oxide with single Au atom adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Lin; Dai, Ying; Wei, Wei; Li, Mengmeng; Jin, Cui; Huang, Baibiao

2018-03-01

The photocatalytic properties of graphene oxide (GO) with single Au atom adsorption are studied via the first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory. The present study addresses the origin of enhancement in photocatalytic efficiency of GO derived from single Au atom depositing. Compared with the clean one, the work function of the single Au atom adsorbed GO is lowered due to the charge transfer from Au to GO, indicating enhanced surface activity. The Au atom plays as an electron trapping center and a mediating role in charge transfer from photon excited GO to target species. The photogenerated electron-hole pairs can be separated effectively. For the GO configuration with atomic Au dispersion, there are some states introduced in the band gap, which are predominantly composed of Au 6s states. Through the in-gap state, the photo-generated electron transfer from the valence band of clean GO to the conductive band more easily. In addition, the reduction of the gap in the system is also presented in the current work, which indicates that the single Au atom adsorption improves light absorption for the GO based photocatalyst. These theoretical results are valuable for the future applications of GO materials as photocatalyst for water splitting.

Analysis of deterministic swapping of photonic and atomic states through single-photon Raman interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblum, Serge; Borne, Adrien; Dayan, Barak

2017-03-01

The long-standing goal of deterministic quantum interactions between single photons and single atoms was recently realized in various experiments. Among these, an appealing demonstration relied on single-photon Raman interaction (SPRINT) in a three-level atom coupled to a single-mode waveguide. In essence, the interference-based process of SPRINT deterministically swaps the qubits encoded in a single photon and a single atom, without the need for additional control pulses. It can also be harnessed to construct passive entangling quantum gates, and can therefore form the basis for scalable quantum networks in which communication between the nodes is carried out only by single-photon pulses. Here we present an analytical and numerical study of SPRINT, characterizing its limitations and defining parameters for its optimal operation. Specifically, we study the effect of losses, imperfect polarization, and the presence of multiple excited states. In all cases we discuss strategies for restoring the operation of SPRINT.

THE STUDY OF HEAVY METAL FROM ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES BY ATOMIC TECHNIQUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion V. POPESCU

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXRF techniques we analyzed the contents of heavy metals ( Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Ti, Sr, Co, Bi from eight wild mushrooms and soil substrate samples (48 samples of eight fungal species and 32 underlying soil samples, collected from ten forest sites of Dambovița County Romania. It was determined that the elements, especially heavy metals, in soil were characteristic of the acidic soils of the Romanian forest lands and are influenced by industrial pollution. Analytical possibilities of AAS and EDXRF analytical techniques have been compared and the heavy metal transfer from substrate to mushrooms has been studied. The coefficient of accumulation of essential and heavy metals has been calculated as well. Heavy metal contents of all analyzed mushrooms were generally higher than previously reported in literature.

Subthermal linewidths in photoassociation spectra of cold alkaline-earth-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machholm, Mette; Julienne, Paul S.; Suominen, Kalle-Antti

2002-01-01

Narrow s-wave features with subthermal widths are predicted for the 1 Π g photoassociation spectra of cold alkaline-earth-metal atoms. The phenomenon is explained by numerical and analytical calculations. These show that only a small subthermal range of collision energies near threshold contributes to the s-wave features that are excited when the atoms are very far apart. The resonances survive thermal averaging, and may be detectable for Ca cooled near the Doppler cooling temperature of the 4 1 P 1 S laser-cooling transition

Atomic polar tensors and acid-base properties of metal-oxide building blocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferris, K.F.

1993-02-01

The sensitivity of the atomic polar tensor to compositional substituents is reported for the alkali silicate series. Rotational invariants, effective atomic charge (GAPT) and charge normalized anisotropy and dipole (α n and γ n ) are used to characterize the charge distribution and chemical environment of the atomic sites. Comparison of α n and γ n with a series of known Bronsted and Lewis acids and bases suggests that these rotational invariants may act as indicators for metal-oxide site acidities. Basis set and electron correlation particularly affect the determined effective charge, but show minimal effect on α and γ quantities

Localizing gravitational wave sources with single-baseline atom interferometers

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Peter W.; Jung, Sunghoon

2018-02-01

Localizing sources on the sky is crucial for realizing the full potential of gravitational waves for astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. We show that the midfrequency band, roughly 0.03 to 10 Hz, has significant potential for angular localization. The angular location is measured through the changing Doppler shift as the detector orbits the Sun. This band maximizes the effect since these are the highest frequencies in which sources live for several months. Atom interferometer detectors can observe in the midfrequency band, and even with just a single baseline they can exploit this effect for sensitive angular localization. The single-baseline orbits around the Earth and the Sun, causing it to reorient and change position significantly during the lifetime of the source, and making it similar to having multiple baselines/detectors. For example, atomic detectors could predict the location of upcoming black hole or neutron star merger events with sufficient accuracy to allow optical and other electromagnetic telescopes to observe these events simultaneously. Thus, midband atomic detectors are complementary to other gravitational wave detectors and will help complete the observation of a broad range of the gravitational spectrum.

Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of two-dimensional divalent metal glutarate/dipyridylamine coordination polymers, with a single crystal-to-single crystal transformation in the copper derivative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montney, Matthew R.; Supkowski, Ronald M.; Staples, Richard J.; LaDuca, Robert L.

2009-01-01

Hydrothermal reaction of divalent metal chlorides with glutaric acid and 4,4'-dipyridylamine (dpa) has afforded an isostructural family of coordination polymers with formulation [M(glu)(dpa)] n (M=Co (1), Ni (2), Cu (3); glu=glutarate). Square pyramidal coordination is seen in 1-3, with semi-ligation of a sixth donor to produce a '5+1' extended coordination sphere. Neighboring metal atoms are linked into 1D [M(glu)] n neutral chains through chelating/monodentate bridging glutarate moieties with a syn-anti binding mode, and semi-chelation of the pendant carboxylate oxygen. These chains further connect into 2D layers through dipodal dpa ligands. Neighboring layers stack into the pseudo 3D crystal structure of 1-3 through supramolecular hydrogen bonding between dpa amine units and the semi-chelated glutarate oxygen atoms. The variable temperature magnetic behavior of 1-3 was explored and modeled as infinite 1D Heisenberg chains. Notably, complex 3 undergoes a thermally induced single crystal-to-single crystal transformation between centric and acentric space groups, with a conformationally disordered unilayer structure at 293 K and an ordered bilayer structure at 173 K. All materials were further characterized via infrared spectroscopy and elemental and thermogravimetric analyses. - Graphical abstract: The coordination polymers [M(glu)(dpa)] n (M=Co (1), Ni (2), Cu (3); glu=glutarate, dpa=4,4'-dipyridylamine) exhibit 2D layer structures based on 1D [M(glu)] n chains linked through dpa tethers. Antiferromagnetic coupling is observed for 2 and 3, while ferromagnetism is predominant in 1. Compound 3 undergoes a thermally induced single crystal-to-single crystal transformation from an acentric to a centrosymmetric space group

Computer simulation of void formation in residual gas atom free metals by dual beam irradiation experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimomura, Y.; Nishiguchi, R.; La Rubia, T.D. de; Guinan, M.W.

1992-01-01

In our recent experiments (1), we found that voids nucleate at vacancy clusters which trap gas atoms such as hydrogen and helium in ion- and neutron-irradiated copper. A molecular dynamics computer simulation, which implements an empirical embedded atom method to calculate forces that act on atoms in metals, suggests that a void nucleation occurs in pure copper at six and seven vacancy clusters. The structure of six and seven vacancy clusters in copper fluctuates between a stacking fault tetrahedron and a void. When a hydrogen is trapped at voids of six and seven vacancy, a void can keep their structure for appreciably long time; that is, the void do not relax to a stacking fault tetrahedron and grows to a large void. In order to explore the detailed atomics of void formation, it is emphasized that dual-beam irradiation experiments that utilize beams of gas atoms and self-ions should be carried out with residual gas atom free metal specimens. (author)

Clustered field evaporation of metallic glasses in atom probe tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemp, J.; Gerstl, S.S.A.; Löffler, J.F.; Schönfeld, B.

2016-01-01

Field evaporation of metallic glasses is a stochastic process combined with spatially and temporally correlated events, which are referred to as clustered evaporation (CE). This phenomenon is investigated by studying the distance between consecutive detector hits. CE is found to be a strongly localized phenomenon (up to 3 nm in range) which also depends on the type of evaporating ions. While a similar effect in crystals is attributed to the evaporation of crystalline layers, CE of metallic glasses presumably has a different – as yet unknown – physical origin. The present work provides new perspectives on quantification methods for atom probe tomography of metallic glasses. - Highlights: • Field evaporation of metallic glasses is heterogeneous on a scale of up to 3 nm. • Amount of clustered evaporation depends on ion species and temperature. • Length scales of clustered evaporation and correlative evaporation are similar.

Nonlocal Response of Metallic Nanospheres Probed by Light, Electrons, and Atoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Thomas; Yan, Wei; Raza, Søren

2014-01-01

Inspired by recent measurements on individual metallic nanospheres that cannot be explained with traditional classical electrodynamics, we theoretically investigate the effects of nonlocal response by metallic nanospheres in three distinct settings: atomic spontaneous emission, electron energy loss...... blueshifted surface plasmon but also an infinite series of bulk plasmons that have no counterpart in a local-response approximation. We show that these increasingly blueshifted multipole plasmons become spectrally more prominent at shorter probe-to-surface separations and for decreasing nanosphere radii...

Single-atom catalysts for CO2 electroreduction with significant activity and selectivity improvements† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03911a Click here for additional data file.

Science.gov (United States)

Back, Seoin; Lim, Juhyung; Kim, Na-Young; Kim, Yong-Hyun

2017-01-01

A single-atom catalyst (SAC) has an electronic structure that is very different from its bulk counterparts, and has shown an unexpectedly high specific activity with a significant reduction in noble metal usage for CO oxidation, fuel cell and hydrogen evolution applications, although physical origins of such performance enhancements are still poorly understood. Herein, by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we for the first time investigate the great potential of single atom catalysts for CO2 electroreduction applications. In particular, we study a single transition metal atom anchored on defective graphene with single or double vacancies, denoted M@sv-Gr or M@dv-Gr, where M = Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Ir, Ni, Os, Pd, Pt, Rh or Ru, as a CO2 reduction catalyst. Many SACs are indeed shown to be highly selective for the CO2 reduction reaction over a competitive H2 evolution reaction due to favorable adsorption of carboxyl (*COOH) or formate (*OCHO) over hydrogen (*H) on the catalysts. On the basis of free energy profiles, we identified several promising candidate materials for different products; Ni@dv-Gr (limiting potential U L = –0.41 V) and Pt@dv-Gr (–0.27 V) for CH3OH production, and Os@dv-Gr (–0.52 V) and Ru@dv-Gr (–0.52 V) for CH4 production. In particular, the Pt@dv-Gr catalyst shows remarkable reduction in the limiting potential for CH3OH production compared to any existing catalysts, synthesized or predicted. To understand the origin of the activity enhancement of SACs, we find that the lack of an atomic ensemble for adsorbate binding and the unique electronic structure of the single atom catalysts as well as orbital interaction play an important role, contributing to binding energies of SACs that deviate considerably from the conventional scaling relation of bulk transition metals. PMID:28451248

Experimental study of single-electron loss by Ar+ ions in rare-gas atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, P. G.; Castillo, F.; Martínez, H.

2001-04-01

Absolute differential and total cross sections for single-electron loss were measured for Ar+ ions on rare-gas atoms in the laboratory energy range of 1.5 to 5.0 keV. The electron loss cross sections for all the targets studied are found to be in the order of magnitude between 10-19 and 10-22 cm2, and show a monotonically increasing behaviour as a function of the incident energy. The behaviour of the total single-electron loss cross sections with the atomic target number, Zt, shows different dependences as the collision energy increases. In all cases the present results display experimental evidence of saturation in the single-electron loss cross section as the atomic number of the target increases.

On the modification of metal/ceramic interfaces by low energy ion/atom bombardment during film growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rigsbee, J.M.; Scott, P.A.; Knipe, R.K.; Hock, V.F.

1986-01-01

Elemental Cu and Ti films have been deposited onto ceramic substrates with a plasma-aided physical vapor deposition (ion-plating) process. This paper discusses how the structure and chemistry of the metallic film and the metal/ceramic interface are modified by low energy ion and neutral atom bombardment. Emphasis is placed on determining how low energy ion/neutral atom bombardment affects the strength of the metal/ceramic interface. Analyses of the film, interface and substrate regions have employed scanning Auger microprobe, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, SEM/STEM-energy dispersive X-ray and TEM/STEM imaging and microdiffraction techniques. (Auth.)

Determination of metals in atmospheric particulates using atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alduan, F.A.; Capdevila, C.

1979-01-01

Nineteen trace metals in atmospheric samples have been determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, using a graphite furnace for most elements. Paper filters have been used to collect air samples. The sample preparation procedure involves the removal of organic matter and the conversion of the metals to soluble salts by ashing the filters in an oxygen plasma at 125 deg C for 6 h. and by subsequent dissolution in HN0 3 HCl solution. The sensitivities achieved are in the range of 2,5.10 -5 and 6,3.10 -3 μg/m 3 , for an air volume of 2000 m 3 . (author)

Parametric feedback cooling of a single atom inside on optical cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatjana Wilk

2014-01-01

An optical cavity can be used as a kind of intensifier to study radiation features of an atom, which are hard to detect in free space, like squeezing. Such experiments make use of strong coupling between atom and cavity mode, which experimentally requires the atom to be well localized in the cavity mode. This can be achieved using feedback on the atomic motion: from intensity variations of a probe beam transmitted through the cavity information about the atomic motion is gained, which is used to synchronously modulate the trapping potential holding the atom, leading to cooling and better localization. Here, we report on efficient parametric feedback cooling of a single atom held in an intra-cavity standing wave dipole trap. In contrast to previous feedback strategies, this scheme cools the fast axial oscillation of the atom as well as the slower radial motion. (author)

Digital atom interferometer with single particle control on a discretized space-time geometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Steffen, Andreas; Alberti, Andrea; Alt, Wolfgang; Belmechri, Noomen; Hild, Sebastian; Karski, Michał; Widera, Artur; Meschede, Dieter

2012-06-19

Engineering quantum particle systems, such as quantum simulators and quantum cellular automata, relies on full coherent control of quantum paths at the single particle level. Here we present an atom interferometer operating with single trapped atoms, where single particle wave packets are controlled through spin-dependent potentials. The interferometer is constructed from a sequence of discrete operations based on a set of elementary building blocks, which permit composing arbitrary interferometer geometries in a digital manner. We use this modularity to devise a space-time analogue of the well-known spin echo technique, yielding insight into decoherence mechanisms. We also demonstrate mesoscopic delocalization of single atoms with a separation-to-localization ratio exceeding 500; this result suggests their utilization beyond quantum logic applications as nano-resolution quantum probes in precision measurements, being able to measure potential gradients with precision 5 x 10(-4) in units of gravitational acceleration g.

Quantum Logic with Cavity Photons From Single Atoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Holleczek, Annemarie; Barter, Oliver; Rubenok, Allison; Dilley, Jerome; Nisbet-Jones, Peter B R; Langfahl-Klabes, Gunnar; Marshall, Graham D; Sparrow, Chris; O'Brien, Jeremy L; Poulios, Konstantinos; Kuhn, Axel; Matthews, Jonathan C F

2016-07-08

We demonstrate quantum logic using narrow linewidth photons that are produced with an a priori nonprobabilistic scheme from a single ^{87}Rb atom strongly coupled to a high-finesse cavity. We use a controlled-not gate integrated into a photonic chip to entangle these photons, and we observe nonclassical correlations between photon detection events separated by periods exceeding the travel time across the chip by 3 orders of magnitude. This enables quantum technology that will use the properties of both narrow-band single photon sources and integrated quantum photonics.

Dynamics of a Rydberg hydrogen atom near a metal surface in the electron-extraction scheme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iñarrea, Manuel [Área de Física Aplicada, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño (Spain); Lanchares, Víctor [Departamento de Matemáticas y Computación, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, La Rioja (Spain); Palacián, Jesús [Departamento de Ingeniería Matemática e Informática, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona (Spain); Pascual, Ana I. [Departamento de Matemáticas y Computación, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, La Rioja (Spain); Salas, J. Pablo, E-mail: josepablo.salas@unirioja.es [Área de Física Aplicada, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño (Spain); Yanguas, Patricia [Departamento de Ingeniería Matemática e Informática, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona (Spain)

2015-01-23

We study the classical dynamics of a Rydberg hydrogen atom near a metal surface in the presence of a constant electric field in the electron-extraction situation [1], e.g., when the field attracts the electron to the vacuum. From a dynamical point of view, this field configuration provides a dynamics richer than in the usual ion-extraction scheme, because, depending on the values of field and the atom–surface distance, the atom can be ionized only towards the metal surface, only to the vacuum or to the both sides. The evolution of the phase space structure as a function of the atom–surface distance is explored in the bound regime of the atom. In the high energy regime, the ionization mechanism is also investigated. We find that the classical results of this work are in good agreement with the results obtained in the wave-packet propagation study carried out by So et al. [1]. - Highlights: • We study a classical hydrogen atom near a metal surface plus a electric field. • We explore the phase space structure as a function of the field strength. • We find most of the electronic orbits are oriented along the field direction. • We study the ionization of the atom for several atom–surface distances. • This classical study is in good agreement with the quantum results.

Application of GRID to Foreign Atom Localization in Single Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Karmann, A; Wesch, W; Weber, B; Börner, H G; Jentschel, M

2000-01-01

The application of GRID (Gamma Ray Induced Doppler broadening) spectroscopy to the localization of foreign atoms in single crystals is demonstrated on erbium in YAP. By the investigation of the Doppler broadened secondary γ line for two crystalline directions, the Er was determined to be localized on the Y site. Conditions for the nuclear parameters of the impurity atoms used for the application of GRID spectroscopy are discussed.

Atomic-Scale Control of Electron Transport through Single Molecules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Y. F.; Kroger, J.; Berndt, R.

2010-01-01

Tin-phthalocyanine molecules adsorbed on Ag(111) were contacted with the tip of a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope. Orders-of-magnitude variations of the single-molecule junction conductance were achieved by controllably dehydrogenating the molecule and by modifying the atomic structure...

Atomic Resolution Imaging of Nanoscale Structural Ordering in a Complex Metal Oxide Catalyst

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Yihan

2012-08-28

The determination of the atomic structure of a functional material is crucial to understanding its "structure-to-property" relationship (e.g., the active sites in a catalyst), which is however challenging if the structure possesses complex inhomogeneities. Here, we report an atomic structure study of an important MoVTeO complex metal oxide catalyst that is potentially useful for the industrially relevant propane-based BP/SOHIO process. We combined aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy with synchrotron powder X-ray crystallography to explore the structure at both nanoscopic and macroscopic scales. At the nanoscopic scale, this material exhibits structural and compositional order within nanosized "domains", while the domains show disordered distribution at the macroscopic scale. We proposed that the intradomain compositional ordering and the interdomain electric dipolar interaction synergistically induce the displacement of Te atoms in the Mo-V-O channels, which determines the geometry of the multifunctional metal oxo-active sites.

Interference of Single Photons Emitted by Entangled Atoms in Free Space

Science.gov (United States)

Araneda, G.; Higginbottom, D. B.; Slodička, L.; Colombe, Y.; Blatt, R.

2018-05-01

The generation and manipulation of entanglement between isolated particles has precipitated rapid progress in quantum information processing. Entanglement is also known to play an essential role in the optical properties of atomic ensembles, but fundamental effects in the controlled emission and absorption from small, well-defined numbers of entangled emitters in free space have remained unobserved. Here we present the control of the emission rate of a single photon from a pair of distant, entangled atoms into a free-space optical mode. Changing the length of the optical path connecting the atoms modulates the single-photon emission rate in the selected mode with a visibility V =0.27 ±0.03 determined by the degree of entanglement shared between the atoms, corresponding directly to the concurrence Cρ=0.31 ±0.10 of the prepared state. This scheme, together with population measurements, provides a fully optical determination of the amount of entanglement. Furthermore, large sensitivity of the interference phase evolution points to applications of the presented scheme in high-precision gradient sensing.

Intensity-gradient induced Sisyphus cooling of a single atom in a localized hollow-beam trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Yaling; Xia, Yong; Ren, Ruimin; Du, Xiangli; Yin, Jianping

2015-01-01

In order to realize a convenient and efficient laser cooling of a single atom, we propose a simple and promising scheme to cool a single neutral atom in a blue-detuned localized hollow-beam trap by intensity-gradient induced Sisyphus cooling, and study the dynamic process of the intensity-gradient cooling of a single 87 Rb atom in the localized hollow-beam trap by using Monte-Carlo simulations. Our study shows that a single 87 Rb atom with a temperature of 120 μK from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) can be directly cooled to a final temperature of 4.64 μK in our proposed scheme. We also investigate the dependences of the cooling results on the laser detuning δ of the localized hollow-beam, the power RP 0 of the re-pumping laser beam, the sizes of both the localized hollow-beam and the re-pumping beam, and find that there is a pair of optimal cooling parameters (δ and RP 0 ) for an expected lowest temperature, and the cooling results strongly depend on the size of the re-pumping beam, but weakly depend on the size of the localized hollow-beam. Finally, we further study the cooling potential of our localized hollow-beam trap for the initial temperature of a single atom, and find that a single 87 Rb atom with an initial temperature of higher than 1 mK can also be cooled directly to about 6.6 μK. (paper)

Positron states and nanoobjects in proton-irradiated quartz single crystals: Positronium atom in quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grafutin, V. I.; Zaluzhnyi, A. G.; Timoshenkov, S. P.; Britkov, O. M.; Ilyukhina, O. V.; Myasishcheva, G. G.; Prokop'ev, E. P.; Funtikov, Yu. V.

2008-01-01

The influence of proton bombardment and metal atom impurities on the structure of quartz single crystals has been studied. The related defects have been studied using positron annihilation spectroscopy (angular correlation of positron-annihilation photons), acoustic absorption, and optical absorption measurements. It is shown that the presence of a narrow component f in the angular distribution of annihilation photons (ADAP), which is related to the formation of parapositronium, determines a high sensitivity of this method with respect to features of the crystal structure of quartz. It is established that the defectness of the structure of irradiated quartz crystals can be characterized by the ratio f/f 0 of the relative intensities of narrow components in the ADAP curves measured before (f 0 ) and after (f) irradiation. Any process leading to a decrease in the probability of positronium formation (e.g., positron loss as a result of the trapping on defects and the interaction with impurity atoms and lattice distortions) decreases the intensity of the narrow component. Based on the ADAP data, estimates of the radii and concentrations of nanodefects in quartz have been obtained and their variation upon annealing at temperatures up to T = 873 K has been studied

Tuning the electronic structure of graphene through alkali metal and halogen atom intercalation

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Sohail; Miró, Pere; Audiffred, Martha; Heine, Thomas

2018-04-01

The deposition, intercalation and co-intercalation of heavy alkali metals and light halogens atoms in graphene mono- and bilayers have been studied using first principles density-functional calculations. Both the deposition and the intercalation of alkali metals gives rise to n-type doping due to the formation of M+-C- pairs. The co-intercalation of a 1:1 ratio of alkali metals and halogens derives into the formation of ionic pairs among the intercalated species, unaltering the electronic structure of the layered material.

Wet chemical deposition of single crystalline epitaxial manganite thin films with atomically flat surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Amita; Dutta, Anirban; Samaddar, Sayanti; Gupta, Anjan K.

2013-01-01

We report the wet chemical deposition of single crystalline epitaxial thin films of the colossal magneto-resistive manganite La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 on the lattice-matched (001)-face of a La 0.3 Sr 0.7 Al 0.65 Ta 0.35 O 3 substrate. Topographic images of these films taken with a scanning tunneling microscope show atomically flat terraces separated by steps of monatomic height. The resistivity of these films shows an insulator-metal transition at 310 K, nearly coincident with the Curie temperature of 340 K, found from magnetization measurements. The films show a magnetoresistance of 7% at 300 K and 1.2 T. Their saturation magnetization value at low temperatures is consistent with that of the bulk. - Highlights: ► Wet chemical deposition of La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) on a lattice-matched substrate. ► Single crystalline epitaxial LSMO films obtained. ► Flat terraces separated by monatomic steps observed by scanning tunneling microscope

The atomic coilgun and single-photon cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Libson, Adam, E-mail: alibson@physics.utexas.edu; Bannerman, Stephen Travis; Clark, Robert J.; Mazur, Thomas R.; Raizen, Mark G. [University of Texas at Austin, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics (United States)

2012-12-15

As the simplest atom, hydrogen has a unique role as a testing ground of fundamental physics. Precision measurements of the hydrogen atomic structure provide stringent tests of current theory, while tritium is an excellent candidate for studies of {beta}-decay and possible measurement of the neutrino rest mass. Furthermore, precision measurement of antihydrogen would allow for tests of fundamental symmetries. Methods demonstrated in our lab provide an avenue by which hydrogen isotopes can be trapped and cooled to near the recoil limit. The atomic coilgun, which we have demonstrated with metastable neon and molecular oxygen, provides a general method of stopping a supersonic beam of any paramagnetic species. This tool provides a method by which hydrogen and its isotopes can be magnetically trapped at around 100 mK using a room temperature apparatus. Another tool developed in our laboratory, single-photon cooling, allows further cooling of a trapped sample to near the recoil limit. This cooling method has already been demonstrated on a trapped sample of rubidium. We report on the progress of implementing these methods to trap and cool hydrogen isotopes, and on the prospects for using cold trapped hydrogen for precision measurements.

Tensorial analysis of the long-range interaction between metastable alkaline-earth-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santra, Robin; Greene, Chris H.

2003-01-01

Alkaline-earth-metal atoms in their lowest (nsnp) 3 P 2 state are exceptionally long lived and can be trapped magnetically. The nonspherical atomic structure leads to anisotropic long-range interactions between two metastable alkaline-earth-metal atoms. The anisotropy affects the rotational motion of the diatomic system and couples states of different rotational quantum numbers. This paper develops a tensorial decomposition of the most important long-range interaction operators, and a systematic inclusion of molecular rotations, in the presence of an external magnetic field. This analysis illuminates the nature of the coupling between the various degrees of freedom. The consequences are illustrated by application to a system of practical interest: metastable 88 Sr. Using atomic parameters determined in a nearly ab initio calculation, we compute adiabatic potential-energy curves. The anisotropic interatomic interaction, in combination with the applied magnetic field, is demonstrated to induce the formation of a long-range molecular potential well. This curve correlates to two fully polarized, low-field seeking atoms in a rotational s-wave state. The coupling among molecular rotational states controls the existence of the potential well, and its properties vary as a function of magnetic-field strength, thus allowing the scattering length in this state to be tuned. The scattering length of metastable 88 Sr displays a resonance at a field of 339 G

Modeling hydrogen storage in boron-substituted graphene decorated with potassium metal atoms

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Tokarev, A

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Boron-substituted graphene decorated with potassium metal atoms was considered as a novel material for hydrogen storage. Density functional theory calculations were used to model key properties of the material, such as geometry, hydrogen packing...

Semi-classical description of Rydberg atoms in strong, single-cycle electromagnetic pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, R.V.; Sanders, M.M.

1993-01-01

Recent experimental measurements of the excitation and ionization of Rydberg atoms by single-cycle, electromagnetic pulses have revealed a variety of novel features. Because many quantum states are strongly coupled by the broadband radiation in the short pulse, the traditional methods of quantum mechanics are inadequate to account for the experimental results. We have therefore developed a semi-classical description of the interaction of both hydrogenic and non-hydrogenic atoms with single-cycle pulses of intense, electromagnetic radiation which is based on the strong correspondence theory of Percival and Richards. This theory, which was originally introduced for the description of strong atomic collisions, accounts for some of the surprising features of the experimental measurements and provides new predictions for future experimental studies

Comparison of void strengthening in fcc and bcc metals: Large-scale atomic-level modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osetsky, Yu.N.; Bacon, D.J.

2005-01-01

Strengthening due to voids can be a significant radiation effect in metals. Treatment of this by elasticity theory of dislocations is difficult when atomic structure of the obstacle and dislocation is influential. In this paper, we report results of large-scale atomic-level modelling of edge dislocation-void interaction in fcc (copper) and bcc (iron) metals. Voids of up to 5 nm diameter were studied over the temperature range from 0 to 600 K. We demonstrate that atomistic modelling is able to reveal important effects, which are beyond the continuum approach. Some arise from features of the dislocation core and crystal structure, others involve dislocation climb and temperature effects

C60 as an Atom Trap to Capture Co Adatoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Peng; Li, Dongzhe; Repain, Vincent

2015-01-01

C60 molecules were used to trap Co adatoms and clusters on a Au(111) surface using atomic/molecular manipulation with a scanning tunneling microscope. Two manipulation pathways (successive integration of single Co atoms in one molecule or direct integration of a Co cluster) were found...... to efficiently allow the formation of complexes mixing a C60 molecule with Co atoms. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals the robustness of the pi states of C60 that are preserved after Co trapping. Scanning tunneling microscopy images and density functional theory calculations reveal that dissociated Co...... clusters of up to nine atoms can be formed at the molecule-substrate interface. These results open new perspectives in the interactions between metal adatoms and molecules, for applications in metal-organic devices...

Joint Remote State Preparation of a Single-Atom Qubit State via a GHZ Entangled State

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Xiao-Qi; Yao, Fengwei; Lin, Xiaochen; Gong, Lihua

2018-04-01

We proposed a physical protocol for the joint remote preparation of a single-atom qubit state via a three-atom entangled GHZ-type state previously shared by the two senders and one receiver. Only rotation operations of single-atom, which can be achieved though the resonant interaction between the two-level atom and the classical field, are required in the scheme. It shows that the splitting way of the classical information of the secret qubit not only determines the success of reconstruction of the secret qubit, but also influences the operations of the senders.

Optical emission spectroscopy of metal-halide lamps: Radially resolved atomic state distribution functions of Dy and Hg

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nimalasuriya, T.; Flikweert, A.J.; Stoffels, W.W.; Haverlag, M.; Mullen, van der J.J.A.M.; Pupat, N.B.M.

2006-01-01

Absolute line intensity measurements are performed on a metal-halide lamp. Several transitions of atomic and ionic Dy and atomic Hg are measured at different radial positions from which we obtain absolute atomic and ionic Dy intensity profiles. From these profiles we construct the radially resolved

Laser-induced fluorescence of metal-atom impurities in a neutral beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrell, C.F.; Pyle, R.V.; Sabetimani, Z.; Schlachter, A.S.

1984-10-01

The need to limit impurities in fusion devices to low levels is well known. We have investigated, by the technique of laser-induced fluorescence, the concentration of heavy-metal atoms in a neutral beam caused by their evaporation from the hot filaments in a conventional high-current multifilament hydrogen-ion source

Two-photon Doppler cooling of alkaline-earth-metal and ytterbium atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magno, Wictor C.; Cavasso Filho, Reinaldo L.; Cruz, Flavio C.

2003-01-01

The possibility of laser cooling of alkaline-earth-metal atoms and ytterbium atoms using a two-photon transition is analyzed. We consider a 1 S 0 - 1 S 0 transition with excitation in near resonance with the 1 P 1 level. This greatly increases the two-photon transition rate, allowing an effective transfer of momentum. The experimental implementation of this technique is discussed and we show that for calcium, for example, two-photon cooling can be used to achieve a Doppler limit of 123 μK. The efficiency of this cooling scheme and the main loss mechanisms are analyzed

Electronic and magnetic properties of 1T-HfS{sub 2} by doping transition-metal atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Xu, E-mail: zhaoxu@htu.cn [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Wang, Tianxing; Wang, Guangtao [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Dai, Xianqi [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Department of Physics, Zhengzhou Normal University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450044 (China); Xia, Congxin [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Yang, Lin [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007 (China)

2016-10-15

Highlights: • Pristine 1T-HfS{sub 2} is a semiconductor with indirect gaps of 1.250 eV • Magnetism can be observed for V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Cu doping. • Strong p–d hybridization was found between TM 3d orbitals and S 3p orbitals. • V-doped 1T-HfS{sub 2} is ideal for spin injection. - Abstract: We explored the electronic and magnetic properties of 1T-HfS{sub 2} doped by transition metal (TM) atom using the first-principles calculation. We doped the transition metal atoms from the IIIB to VIB groups in nonmagnetic 1T-HfS{sub 2}. Numerical results show that the pristine 1T-HfS{sub 2} is a semiconductor with indirect gaps of 1.250 eV. Magnetism can be observed for V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Cu doping. The polarized charges mainly arise from the localized 3d electrons of the TM atom. The strong p–d hybridization was found between the 3d orbitals of TM and 3p orbitals of S. The substituted 1T-HfS{sub 2} can be a metal, semiconductor or half-metal. Analysis of the band structure and magnetic properties indicates that TM-doped HfS{sub 2} (TM = V, Fe, Cu) are promising systems to explore two-dimensional diluted magnetic semiconductors. The formation energy calculations also indicate that it is energetically favorable and relatively easier to incorporate transition metal atom into the HfS{sub 2} under S-rich experimental conditions. In contrast, V-doped HfS{sub 2} has relatively wide half-metallic gap and low formation energy. So V-doped 1T-HfS{sub 2} is ideal for spin injection, which is important for application in semiconductor spintronics.

Xenon gas field ion source from a single-atom tip

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Wei-Chiao; Lin, Chun-Yueh; Chang, Wei-Tse; Li, Po-Chang; Fu, Tsu-Yi; Chang, Chia-Seng; Tsong, T. T.; Hwang, Ing-Shouh

2017-06-01

Focused ion beam (FIB) systems have become powerful diagnostic and modification tools for nanoscience and nanotechnology. Gas field ion sources (GFISs) built from atomic-size emitters offer the highest brightness among all ion sources and thus can improve the spatial resolution of FIB systems. Here we show that the Ir/W(111) single-atom tip (SAT) can emit high-brightness Xe+ ion beams with a high current stability. The ion emission current versus extraction voltage was analyzed from 150 K up to 309 K. The optimal emitter temperature for maximum Xe+ ion emission was ˜150 K and the reduced brightness at the Xe gas pressure of 1 × 10-4 torr is two to three orders of magnitude higher than that of a Ga liquid metal ion source, and four to five orders of magnitude higher than that of a Xe inductively coupled plasma ion source. Most surprisingly, the SAT emitter remained stable even when operated at 309 K. Even though the ion current decreased with increasing temperature, the current at room temperature (RT) could still reach over 1 pA when the gas pressure was higher than 1 × 10-3 torr, indicating the feasibility of RT-Xe-GFIS for application to FIB systems. The operation temperature of Xe-SAT-GFIS is considerably higher than the cryogenic temperature required for the helium ion microscope (HIM), which offers great technical advantages because only simple or no cooling schemes can be adopted. Thus, Xe-GFIS-FIB would be easy to implement and may become a powerful tool for nanoscale milling and secondary ion mass spectroscopy.

Atomic level characterization in corrosion studies

Science.gov (United States)

Marcus, Philippe; Maurice, Vincent

2017-06-01

Atomic level characterization brings fundamental insight into the mechanisms of self-protection against corrosion of metals and alloys by oxide passive films and into how localized corrosion is initiated on passivated metal surfaces. This is illustrated in this overview with selected data obtained at the subnanometre, i.e. atomic or molecular, scale and also at the nanometre scale on single-crystal copper, nickel, chromium and stainless steel surfaces passivated in well-controlled conditions and analysed in situ and/or ex situ by scanning tunnelling microscopy/spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. A selected example of corrosion modelling by ab initio density functional theory is also presented. The discussed aspects include the surface reconstruction induced by hydroxide adsorption and formation of two-dimensional (hydr)oxide precursors, the atomic structure, orientation and surface hydroxylation of three-dimensional ultrathin oxide passive films, the effect of grain boundaries in polycrystalline passive films acting as preferential sites of passivity breakdown, the differences in local electronic properties measured at grain boundaries of passive films and the role of step edges at the exposed surface of oxide grains on the dissolution of the passive film. This article is part of the themed issue 'The challenges of hydrogen and metals'.

Understanding strong-field coherent control: Measuring single-atom versus collective dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trallero-Herrero, Carlos; Weinacht, Thomas; Spanner, Michael

2006-01-01

We compare the results of two strong field coherent control experiments: one which optimizes multi-photon population transfer in atomic sodium (from the 3s to the 4s state, measured by spontaneous emission from the 3p-3s transition) with one that optimizes stimulated emission on the 3p-3s transition in an ensemble of sodium atoms. Both experiments make use of intense, shaped ultrafast laser pulses discovered by a Genetic Algorithm inside a learning control loop. Optimization leads to improvements in the spontaneous and stimulated emission yields of about 4 and 10 4 , respectively, over an unshaped pulse. We interpret these results by modeling both the single atom dynamics as well as the stimulated emission buildup through numerical integration of Schroedinger's and Maxwell's equations. Our interpretation leads to the conclusion that modest yields for controlling single quantum systems can lead to dramatic effects whenever an ensemble of such systems acts collectively following controlled impulsive excitation

Theoretical investigation of the use of nanocages with an adsorbed halogen atom as anode materials in metal-ion batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Razavi, Razieh; Abrishamifar, Seyyed Milad; Rajaei, Gholamreza Ebrahimzadeh; Kahkha, Mohammad Reza Rezaei; Najafi, Meysam

2018-02-21

The applicability of C 44 , B 22 N 22 , Ge 44 , and Al 22 P 22 nanocages, as well as variants of those nanocages with an adsorbed halogen atom, as high-performance anode materials in Li-ion, Na-ion, and K-ion batteries was investigated theoretically via density functional theory. The results obtained indicate that, among the nanocages with no adsorbed halogen atom, Al 22 P 22 would be the best candidate for a novel anode material for use in metal-ion batteries. Calculations also suggest that K-ion batteries which utilize these nanocages as anode materials would give better performance and would yield higher cell voltages than the corresponding Li-ion and Na-ion batteries with nanocage-based anodes. Also, the results for the nanocages with an adsorbed halogen atom imply that employing them as anode materials would lead to higher cell voltages and better metal-ion battery performance than if the nanocages with no adsorbed halogen atom were to be used as anode materials instead. Results further implied that nanocages with an adsorbed F atom would give higher cell voltages and better battery performance than nanocages with an adsorbed Cl or Br atom. We were ultimately able to conclude that a K-ion battery that utilized Al 21 P 22 with an adsorbed F atom as its anode material would afford the best metal-ion battery performance; we therefore propose this as a novel highly efficient metal-ion battery. Graphical abstract The results of a theoretical investigation indicated that Al 22 P 22 is a better candidate for a high-performance anode material in metal-ion batteries than Ge 44 is. Calculations also showed that K-ion batteries with nanocage-based anodes would produce higher cell voltages and perform better than the equivalent Li-ion and Na-ion batteries with nanocage-based anodes, and that anodes based on nanocages with an adsorbed F atom would perform better than anodes based on nanocages with an adsorbed Cl or Br atom.

Stripping scattering of fast atoms on surfaces of metal-oxide crystals and ultrathin films; Streifende Streuung schneller Atome an Oberflaechen von Metalloxid-Kristallen und ultraduennen Filmen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blauth, David

2010-03-11

In the framework of the present dissertation the interactions of fast atoms with surfaces of bulk oxides, metals and thin films on metals were studied. The experiments were performed in the regime of grazing incidence of atoms with energies of some keV. The advantage of this scattering geometry is the high surface sensibility and thus the possibility to determine the crystallographic and electronic characteristics of the topmost surface layer. In addition to these experiments, the energy loss and the electron emission induced by scattered projectiles was investigated. The energy for electron emission and exciton excitation on Alumina/NiAl(110) and SiO{sub 2}/Mo(112) are determined. By detection of the number of projectile induced emitted electrons as function of azimuthal angle for the rotation of the target surface, the geometrical structure of atoms forming the topmost layer of different adsorbate films on metal surfaces where determined via ion beam triangulation. (orig.)

Giant metal sputtering yields induced by 20-5000 keV/atom gold clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, H.H.; Brunelle, A.; Della-Negra, S.; Depauw, J.; Jacquet, D.; Le Beyec, Y.

1997-01-01

Very large non-linear effects have been found in cluster-induced metal sputtering over a broad projectile energy interval for the first time. Recently available cluster beams from tandem accelerators have allowed sputtering yield measurements to be made with Au 1 to Au 5 from 20 keV/atom to 5 MeV/atom. The cluster-sputtering yield maxima were found at the same total energy but not at the same energy/atom as expected. For Au 5 a yield as high as 3000 was reached at 150 keV/atom while the Au 1 yield was only 55 at the same velocity. The Sigmund-Claussen thermal spike theory, which fits published data at low energy, cannot reproduce our extended new data set. (author)

Sinter-Resistant Platinum Catalyst Supported by Metal-Organic Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, In Soo; Li, Zhanyong; Zheng, Jian; Platero-Prats, Ana E; Mavrandonakis, Andreas; Pellizzeri, Steven; Ferrandon, Magali; Vjunov, Aleksei; Gallington, Leighanne C; Webber, Thomas E; Vermeulen, Nicolaas A; Penn, R Lee; Getman, Rachel B; Cramer, Christopher J; Chapman, Karena W; Camaioni, Donald M; Fulton, John L; Lercher, Johannes A; Farha, Omar K; Hupp, Joseph T; Martinson, Alex B F

2018-01-22

Single atoms and few-atom clusters of platinum are uniformly installed on the zirconia nodes of a metal-organic framework (MOF) NU-1000 via targeted vapor-phase synthesis. The catalytic Pt clusters, site-isolated by organic linkers, are shown to exhibit high catalytic activity for ethylene hydrogenation while exhibiting resistance to sintering up to 200 °C. In situ IR spectroscopy reveals the presence of both single atoms and few-atom clusters that depend upon synthesis conditions. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray pair distribution analyses reveal unique changes in chemical bonding environment and cluster size stability while on stream. Density functional theory calculations elucidate a favorable reaction pathway for ethylene hydrogenation with the novel catalyst. These results provide evidence that atomic layer deposition (ALD) in MOFs is a versatile approach to the rational synthesis of size-selected clusters, including noble metals, on a high surface area support. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Probing quantum coherence in single-atom electron spin resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Willke, Philip; Paul, William; Natterer, Fabian D.; Yang, Kai; Bae, Yujeong; Choi, Taeyoung; Fernández-Rossier, Joaquin; Heinrich, Andreas J.; Lutz, Christoper P.

2018-01-01

Spin resonance of individual spin centers allows applications ranging from quantum information technology to atomic-scale magnetometry. To protect the quantum properties of a spin, control over its local environment, including energy relaxation and decoherence processes, is crucial. However, in most existing architectures, the environment remains fixed by the crystal structure and electrical contacts. Recently, spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), in combination with electron spin resonance (ESR), allowed the study of single adatoms and inter-atomic coupling with an unprecedented combination of spatial and energy resolution. We elucidate and control the interplay of an Fe single spin with its atomic-scale environment by precisely tuning the phase coherence time T2 using the STM tip as a variable electrode. We find that the decoherence rate is the sum of two main contributions. The first scales linearly with tunnel current and shows that, on average, every tunneling electron causes one dephasing event. The second, effective even without current, arises from thermally activated spin-flip processes of tip spins. Understanding these interactions allows us to maximize T2 and improve the energy resolution. It also allows us to maximize the amplitude of the ESR signal, which supports measurements even at elevated temperatures as high as 4 K. Thus, ESR-STM allows control of quantum coherence in individual, electrically accessible spins. PMID:29464211

Atomic structure and formation of CuZrAl bulk metallic glasses and composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaban, I.; Jóvári, P.; Escher, B.; Tran, D.T.; Svensson, G.; Webb, M.A.; Regier, T.Z.; Kokotin, V.; Beuneu, B.; Gemming, T.; Eckert, J.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Partial radial distribution functions for Cu 47.5 Zr 47.5 Al 5 metallic glass and relevant crystal structures. - Abstract: Cu 47.5 Zr 47.5 Al 5 metallic glass is studied experimentally by high-energy X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution, electron diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The atomic structure of the glass is modeled by reverse Monte-Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. RMC modeling of seven experimental datasets enabled reliable separation of all partial pair distribution functions for Cu 47.5 Zr 47.5 Al 5 metallic glass. A peculiar structural feature of the ternary alloy is formation of the strong Al–Zr bonds, which are supposed to determine its high viscosity and enhanced bulk glass formation. Analysis of the local atomic order in Cu 47.5 Zr 47.5 Al 5 glass and Cu 10 Zr 7 , CuZr 2 and CuZr B2 crystalline structures elucidates their similarities and differences explaining the phase formation sequence by devitrification of the glass.

Dissolving, trapping and detrapping mechanisms of hydrogen in bcc and fcc transition metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Wei You

2013-01-01

Full Text Available First-principles calculations are performed to investigate the dissolving, trapping and detrapping of H in six bcc (V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W and six fcc (Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au metals. We find that the zero-point vibrations do not change the site-preference order of H at interstitial sites in these metals except Pt. One vacancy could trap a maximum of 4 H atoms in Au and Pt, 6 H atoms in V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Ni, Pd, Cu and Ag, and 12 H atoms in Mo and W. The zero-point vibrations never change the maximum number of H atoms trapped in a single vacancy in these metals. By calculating the formation energy of vacancy-H (Vac-Hn complex, the superabundant vacancy in V, Nb, Ta, Pd and Ni is demonstrated to be much more easily formed than in the other metals, which has been found in many metals including Pd, Ni and Nb experimentally. Besides, we find that it is most energetically favorable to form Vac-H1 complex in Pt, Cu, Ag and Au, Vac-H4 in Cr, Mo and W, and Vac-H6 in V, Nb, Ta, Pd and Ni. At last, we examine the detrapping behaviors of H atoms in a single vacancy and find that with the heating rate of 10 K/min a vacancy could accommodate 4, 5 and 6 H atoms in Cr, Mo and W at room temperature, respectively. The detrapping temperatures of all H atoms in a single vacancy in V, Nb, Ta, Ni, Pd, Cu and Ag are below room temperature.

Metal-Controlled Magnetoresistance at Room Temperature in Single-Molecule Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Aragonès, Albert C; Aravena, Daniel; Valverde-Muñoz, Francisco J; Real, José Antonio; Sanz, Fausto; Díez-Pérez, Ismael; Ruiz, Eliseo

2017-04-26

The appropriate choice of the transition metal complex and metal surface electronic structure opens the possibility to control the spin of the charge carriers through the resulting hybrid molecule/metal spinterface in a single-molecule electrical contact at room temperature. The single-molecule conductance of a Au/molecule/Ni junction can be switched by flipping the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic electrode. The requirements of the molecule include not just the presence of unpaired electrons: the electronic configuration of the metal center has to provide occupied or empty orbitals that strongly interact with the junction metal electrodes and that are close in energy to their Fermi levels for one of the electronic spins only. The key ingredient for the metal surface is to provide an efficient spin texture induced by the spin-orbit coupling in the topological surface states that results in an efficient spin-dependent interaction with the orbitals of the molecule. The strong magnetoresistance effect found in this kind of single-molecule wire opens a new approach for the design of room-temperature nanoscale devices based on spin-polarized currents controlled at molecular level.

Reversal of atomic contrast in scanning probe microscopy on (111) metal surfaces

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ondráček, Martin; González, C.; Jelínek, Pavel

2012-01-01

Roč. 24, 08 (2012), 084003/1-084003/7 ISSN 0953-8984 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GPP204/11/P578; GA ČR GAP204/10/0952; GA ČR GA202/09/0545; GA MŠk(CZ) ME10076 Grant - others:AVČR(CZ) M100100904 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : atomic force microscopy * metallic surfaces * atomic contrast * scanning tunneling microscopy Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.355, year: 2012 http://iopscience.iop.org/0953-8984/24/8/084003

Understanding metal homeostasis in primary cultured neurons. Studies using single neuron subcellular and quantitative metallomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Colvin, Robert A; Lai, Barry; Holmes, William R; Lee, Daewoo

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how single cell quantitative and subcellular metallomics inform us about both the spatial distribution and cellular mechanisms of metal buffering and homeostasis in primary cultured neurons from embryonic rat brain, which are often used as models of human disease involving metal dyshomeostasis. The present studies utilized synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and focused primarily on zinc and iron, two abundant metals in neurons that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Total single cell contents for calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and nickel were determined. Resting steady state zinc showed a diffuse distribution in both soma and processes, best defined by the mass profile of the neuron with an enrichment in the nucleus compared with the cytoplasm. Zinc buffering and homeostasis was studied using two modes of cellular zinc loading - transporter and ionophore (pyrithione) mediated. Single neuron zinc contents were shown to statistically significantly increase by either loading method - ionophore: 160 million to 7 billion; transporter 160 million to 280 million atoms per neuronal soma. The newly acquired and buffered zinc still showed a diffuse distribution. Soma and processes have about equal abilities to take up zinc via transporter mediated pathways. Copper levels are distributed diffusely as well, but are relatively higher in the processes relative to zinc levels. Prior studies have observed iron puncta in certain cell types, but others have not. In the present study, iron puncta were characterized in several primary neuronal types. The results show that iron puncta could be found in all neuronal types studied and can account for up to 50% of the total steady state content of iron in neuronal soma. Although other metals can be present in iron puncta, they are predominantly iron containing and do not appear to be

Coherent, atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenide superlattices with engineered strain

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Saien; Tu, Lijie; Han, Yimo; Huang, Lujie; Kang, Kibum; Lao, Ka Un; Poddar, Preeti; Park, Chibeom; Muller, David A.; DiStasio, Robert A.; Park, Jiwoong

2018-03-01

Epitaxy forms the basis of modern electronics and optoelectronics. We report coherent atomically thin superlattices in which different transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers—despite large lattice mismatches—are repeated and laterally integrated without dislocations within the monolayer plane. Grown by an omnidirectional epitaxy, these superlattices display fully matched lattice constants across heterointerfaces while maintaining an isotropic lattice structure and triangular symmetry. This strong epitaxial strain is precisely engineered via the nanoscale supercell dimensions, thereby enabling broad tuning of the optical properties and producing photoluminescence peak shifts as large as 250 millielectron volts. We present theoretical models to explain this coherent growth and the energetic interplay governing the ripple formation in these strained monolayers. Such coherent superlattices provide building blocks with targeted functionalities at the atomically thin limit.

Entangled photons from single atoms and molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Nordén, Bengt

2018-05-01

The first two-photon entanglement experiment performed 50 years ago by Kocher and Commins (KC) provided isolated pairs of entangled photons from an atomic three-state fluorescence cascade. In view of questioning of Bell's theorem, data from these experiments are re-analyzed and shown sufficiently precise to confirm quantum mechanical and dismiss semi-classical theory without need for Bell's inequalities. Polarization photon correlation anisotropy (A) is useful: A is near unity as predicted quantum mechanically and well above the semi-classic range, 0 ⩽ A ⩽ 1 / 2 . Although yet to be found, one may envisage a three-state molecule emitting entangled photon pairs, in analogy with the KC atomic system. Antibunching in fluorescence from single molecules in matrix and entangled photons from quantum dots promise it be possible. Molecules can have advantages to parametric down-conversion as the latter photon distribution is Poissonian and unsuitable for producing isolated pairs of entangled photons. Analytical molecular applications of entangled light are also envisaged.

Experimental study of single-electron loss by Ar{sup +} ions in rare-gas atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reyes, P.G. [Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Coyoacan (Mexico); Castillo, F. [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM, Coyoacan (Mexico); Martinez, H. [Centro de Ciencias Fisicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico)]. E-mail: hm@fis.unam.mx

2001-04-28

Absolute differential and total cross sections for single-electron loss were measured for Ar{sup +} ions on rare-gas atoms in the laboratory energy range of 1.5 to 5.0 keV. The electron loss cross sections for all the targets studied are found to be in the order of magnitude between 10{sup -19} and 10{sup -22} cm{sup 2}, and show a monotonically increasing behaviour as a function of the incident energy. The behaviour of the total single-electron loss cross sections with the atomic target number, Z{sub t}, shows different dependences as the collision energy increases. In all cases the present results display experimental evidence of saturation in the single-electron loss cross section as the atomic number of the target increases. (author)

In-situ environmental (scanning) transmission electron microscopy of catalysts at the atomic level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gai, P L; Boyes, E D

2014-01-01

Observing reacting single atoms on the solid catalyst surfaces under controlled reaction conditions is a key goal in understanding and controlling heterogeneous catalytic reactions. In-situ real time aberration corrected environmental (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (E(S)TEM permit the direct imaging of dynamic surface and sub-surface structures of reacting catalysts. In this paper in-situ AC ETEM and AC ESTEM studies under controlled reaction environments of oxide catalysts and supported metal nanocatalysts important in chemical industry are presented. They provide the direct evidence of dynamic processes at the oxide catalyst surface at the atomic scale and single atom dynamics in catalytic reactions. The ESTEM studies of single atom dynamics in controlled reaction environments show that nanoparticles act as reservoirs of ad-atoms. The results have important implications in catalysis and nanoparticle studies

Measurement of trace metals in vitiligo by atomic absorption spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Hamid, Abdel-Aziz M.; Amin, N.E.; Mohy El-Din, Safaa M.

1985-01-01

Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Co, Ag, Ca, and Mg were estimated in hair, fingernails and epidermis of vitiligo patients by atomic absorption spectroscopy. There has been a significant reduction in the concentration of trace metals in the studied sites. It seems that any speculation on the role of trace elements in vitiligo would have to take into account the structural defect which underlies the absence of melanin

Ab initio study of neutral (TiO2)n clusters and their interactions with water and transition metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Çakır, D; Gülseren, O

2012-01-01

We have systematically investigated the growth behavior and stability of small stoichiometric (TiO 2 ) n (n = 1-10) clusters as well as their structural, electronic and magnetic properties by using the first-principles plane wave pseudopotential method within density functional theory. In order to find out the ground state geometries, a large number of initial cluster structures for each n has been searched via total energy calculations. Generally, the ground state structures for the case of n = 1-9 clusters have at least one monovalent O atom, which only binds to a single Ti atom. However, the most stable structure of the n = 10 cluster does not have any monovalent O atom. On the other hand, Ti atoms are at least fourfold coordinated for the ground state structures for n ≥ 4 clusters. Our calculations have revealed that clusters prefer to form three-dimensional structures. Furthermore, all these stoichiometric clusters have nonmagnetic ground state. The formation energy and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap for the most stable structure of (TiO 2 ) n clusters for each n have also been calculated. The formation energy and hence the stability increases as the cluster size grows. In addition, the interactions between the ground state structure of the (TiO 2 ) n cluster and a single water molecule have been studied. The binding energy (E b ) of the H 2 O molecule exhibits an oscillatory behavior with the size of the clusters. A single water molecule preferably binds to the cluster Ti atom through its oxygen atom, resulting an average binding energy of 1.1 eV. We have also reported the interaction of the selected clusters (n = 3, 4, 10) with multiple water molecules. We have found that additional water molecules lead to a decrease in the binding energy of these molecules to the (TiO 2 ) n clusters. Finally, the adsorption of transition metal (TM) atoms (V, Co and Pt) on the n = 10 cluster has been

Novel doping alternatives for single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides

Science.gov (United States)

Onofrio, Nicolas; Guzman, David; Strachan, Alejandro

2017-11-01

Successful doping of single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) remains a formidable barrier to their incorporation into a range of technologies. We use density functional theory to study doping of molybdenum and tungsten dichalcogenides with a large fraction of the periodic table. An automated analysis of the energetics, atomic and electronic structure of thousands of calculations results in insightful trends across the periodic table and points out promising dopants to be pursued experimentally. Beyond previously studied cases, our predictions suggest promising substitutional dopants that result in p-type transport and reveal interesting physics behind the substitution of the metal site. Doping with early transition metals (TMs) leads to tensile strain and a significant reduction in the bandgap. The bandgap increases and strain is reduced as the d-states are filled into the mid TMs; these trends reverse as we move into the late TMs. Additionally, the Fermi energy increases monotonously as the d-shell is filled from the early to mid TMs and we observe few to no gap states, indicating the possibility of both p- (early TMs) and n- (mid TMs) type doping. Quite surprisingly, the simulations indicate the possibility of interstitial doping of TMDs; the energetics reveal that a significant number of dopants, increasing in number from molybdenum disulfide to diselenide and to ditelluride, favor the interstitial sites over adsorbed ones. Furthermore, calculations of the activation energy associated with capturing the dopants into the interstitial site indicate that the process is kinetically possible. This suggests that interstitial impurities in TMDs are more common than thought to date and we propose a series of potential interstitial dopants for TMDs relevant for application in nanoelectronics based on a detailed analysis of the predicted electronic structures.

Conductance of single atoms and molecules studied with a scanning tunnelling microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neel, N; Kroeger, J; Limot, L; Berndt, R

2007-01-01

The conductance of single atoms and molecules is investigated with a low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscope. In a controlled and reproducible way, clean Ag(111) surfaces, individual silver atoms on Ag(111) as well as individual C 60 molecules adsorbed on Cu(100) are contacted with the tip of the microscope. Upon contact the conductance changes discontinuously in the case of the tip-surface junction while the tip-atom and tip-molecule junctions exhibit a continuous transition from the tunnelling to the contact regime

A single-atom quantum memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Specht, Holger P; Nölleke, Christian; Reiserer, Andreas; Uphoff, Manuel; Figueroa, Eden; Ritter, Stephan; Rempe, Gerhard

2011-05-12

The faithful storage of a quantum bit (qubit) of light is essential for long-distance quantum communication, quantum networking and distributed quantum computing. The required optical quantum memory must be able to receive and recreate the photonic qubit; additionally, it must store an unknown quantum state of light better than any classical device. So far, these two requirements have been met only by ensembles of material particles that store the information in collective excitations. Recent developments, however, have paved the way for an approach in which the information exchange occurs between single quanta of light and matter. This single-particle approach allows the material qubit to be addressed, which has fundamental advantages for realistic implementations. First, it enables a heralding mechanism that signals the successful storage of a photon by means of state detection; this can be used to combat inevitable losses and finite efficiencies. Second, it allows for individual qubit manipulations, opening up avenues for in situ processing of the stored quantum information. Here we demonstrate the most fundamental implementation of such a quantum memory, by mapping arbitrary polarization states of light into and out of a single atom trapped inside an optical cavity. The memory performance is tested with weak coherent pulses and analysed using full quantum process tomography. The average fidelity is measured to be 93%, and low decoherence rates result in qubit coherence times exceeding 180  microseconds. This makes our system a versatile quantum node with excellent prospects for applications in optical quantum gates and quantum repeaters.

Single photon transport by a moving atom through sub-wavelength hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanasiev, A.E.; Melentiev, P.N.; Kuzin, A.A.; Kalatskiy, A.Yu.; Balykin, V.I.

2017-01-01

The results of investigation of photon transport through the subwavelength hole in the opaque screen by using single neutral atom are represented. The basis of the proposed and implemented method is the absorption of a photon by a neutral atom immediately before the subwavelength aperture, traveling of the atoms through the hole and emission of a photon on the other side of the screen. Realized method is the alternative approach to existing for photon transport through a subwavelength aperture: 1) self-sustained transmittance of a photon through the aperture according to the Bethe’s model; 2) extra ordinary transmission because of surface-plasmon excitation.

Collective excitations in circular atomic configurations and single-photon traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammer, Hanno

2004-01-01

Correlated excitations in a plane circular configuration of identical atoms with parallel dipole moments are investigated. The collective energy eigenstates, which are formally identical to Frenkel excitons, can be computed together with their level shifts and decay rates by decomposing the atomic state space into carrier spaces for the irreducible representations of the symmetry group Z N of the circle. It is shown that the index p of these representations can be used as a quantum number analogously to the orbital angular momentum quantum number l in hydrogenlike systems. Just as the hydrogen s states are the only electronic wave functions which can occupy the central region of the Coulomb potential, the quasiparticle corresponding to a collective excitation of the atoms in the circle can occupy the central atom only for vanishing Z N quantum number p. If a central atom is present, the p=0 state splits into two and shows level crossing at certain radii; in the regions between these radii, damped quantum beats between two 'extreme' p=0 configurations occur. The physical mechanisms behind super- and subradiance at a given radius are discussed. It is shown that, beyond a certain critical number of atoms in the circle, the lifetime of the maximally subradiant state increases exponentially with the number of atoms in the configuration, making the system a natural candidate for a single-photon trap

Single atom identification by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovejoy, T. C.; Dellby, N.; Krivanek, O. L.; Ramasse, Q. M.; Falke, M.; Kaeppel, A.; Terborg, R.; Zan, R.

2012-01-01

Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, single, isolated impurity atoms of silicon and platinum in monolayer and multilayer graphene are identified. Simultaneously acquired electron energy loss spectra confirm the elemental identification. Contamination difficulties are overcome by employing near-UHV sample conditions. Signal intensities agree within a factor of two with standardless estimates.

Single crystalline metal films as substrates for graphene growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeller, Patrick; Henss, Ann-Kathrin; Wintterlin, Joost [Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Weinl, Michael; Schreck, Matthias [Institut fuer Physik, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany); Speck, Florian; Ostler, Markus [Lehrstuhl fuer Technische Physik, Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Erlangen (Germany); Institut fuer Physik, Technische Universitaet Chemnitz (Germany); Seyller, Thomas [Institut fuer Physik, Technische Universitaet Chemnitz (Germany)

2017-11-15

Single crystalline metal films deposited on YSZ-buffered Si(111) wafers were investigated with respect to their suitability as substrates for epitaxial graphene. Graphene was grown by CVD of ethylene on Ru(0001), Ir(111), and Ni(111) films in UHV. For analysis a variety of surface science methods were used. By an initial annealing step the surface quality of the films was strongly improved. The temperature treatments of the metal films caused a pattern of slip lines, formed by thermal stress in the films, which, however, did not affect the graphene quality and even prevented wrinkle formation. Graphene was successfully grown on all three types of metal films in a quality comparable to graphene grown on bulk single crystals of the same metals. In the case of the Ni(111) films the originally obtained domain structure of rotational graphene phases could be transformed into a single domain by annealing. This healing process is based on the control of the equilibrium between graphene and dissolved carbon in the film. For the system graphene/Ni(111) the metal, after graphene growth, could be removed from underneath the epitaxial graphene layer by a pure gas phase reaction, using the reaction of CO with Ni to give gaseous Ni(CO){sub 4}. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effects of Al addition on atomic structure of Cu-Zr metallic glass

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feng; Zhang, Huajian; Liu, Xiongjun; Dong, Yuecheng; Yu, Chunyan; Lu, Zhaoping

2018-02-01

The atomic structures of Cu52Zr48 and Cu45Zr48Al7 metallic glasses (MGs) have been studied by molecular dynamic simulations. The results reveal that the molar volume of the Cu45Zr48Al7 MG is smaller than that of the Cu52Zr48 MG, although the size of the Al atom is larger than that of the Cu atom, implying an enhanced atomic packing density achieved by introducing Al into the ternary MG. Bond shortening in unlike atomic pairs Zr-Al and Cu-Al is observed in the Cu45Zr48Al7 MG, which is attributed to strong interactions between Al and (Zr, Cu) atoms. Meanwhile, the atomic packing efficiency is enhanced by the minor addition of Al. Compared with the Cu52Zr48 binary MG, the potential energy of the ternary MG decreases and the glass transition temperature increases. Structural analyses indicate that more Cu- and Al-centered full icosahedral clusters emerge in the Cu45Zr48Al7 MG as some Cu atoms are substituted by Al. Furthermore, the addition of Al leads to more icosahedral medium-range orders in the ternary MG. The increase of full icosahedral clusters and the enhancement of the packing density are responsible for the improved glass-forming ability of Cu45Zr48Al7.

Single channel double-duct liquid metal electrical generator using a magnetohydrodynamic device

Science.gov (United States)

Haaland, Carsten M.; Deeds, W. Edward

1999-01-01

A single channel double-duct liquid metal electrical generator using a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) device. The single channel device provides useful output AC electric energy. The generator includes a two-cylinder linear-piston engine which drives liquid metal in a single channel looped around one side of the MHD device to form a double-duct contra-flowing liquid metal MHD generator. A flow conduit network and drive mechanism are provided for moving liquid metal with an oscillating flow through a static magnetic field to produce useful AC electric energy at practical voltages and currents. Variable stroke is obtained by controlling the quantity of liquid metal in the channel. High efficiency is obtained over a wide range of frequency and power output.

Multiplicity dependence of matrix-induced frequency shifts for atomic transitions of the group 12 metals in rare gas solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laursen, S.L.; Cartland, H.E.

1991-01-01

Atomic resonances of the group 12 metal atoms, Hg, Cd, and Zn, undergo frequency shifts from the gas phase atomic line when trapped in rare gas matrices of Ar, Kr, and Xe at 12 K. As expected, the shifts are approximately linear in polarizability of the rare gas, but the slope of this line depends on whether the transition in question is 1 P 1 left-arrow 1 S 0 or 3 P 1 left-arrow 1 S 0 . Thus the matrix-induced frequency shift is dependent on the singlet or triplet nature of the excited state as well as on the matrix material. This dependence on multiplicity is discussed in terms of interactions between the excited-state atomic orbitals and the matrix. The results are compared to matrix studies of other metals and to related gas-phase work on diatomic van der Waals complexes of group 12 metals with rare gases

Application of wire electrodes in electric discharge machining of metal samples of reactor blocks of the operative atomic power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gozhenko, S.V.

2007-01-01

Features of application of electroerosive methods are considered during the process of direct definition of properties of metal of the equipment of power units of the atomic power station. Results of development of a complex of the equipment for wire electric discharge machining of metal templet and its use are presented at the control of the basic metal of the main circulating pipelines over blocks of the atomic power station of Ukraine over long terms of operation

Simple Atomic Quantum Memory Suitable for Semiconductor Quantum Dot Single Photons

Science.gov (United States)

Wolters, Janik; Buser, Gianni; Horsley, Andrew; Béguin, Lucas; Jöckel, Andreas; Jahn, Jan-Philipp; Warburton, Richard J.; Treutlein, Philipp

2017-08-01

Quantum memories matched to single photon sources will form an important cornerstone of future quantum network technology. We demonstrate such a memory in warm Rb vapor with on-demand storage and retrieval, based on electromagnetically induced transparency. With an acceptance bandwidth of δ f =0.66 GHz , the memory is suitable for single photons emitted by semiconductor quantum dots. In this regime, vapor cell memories offer an excellent compromise between storage efficiency, storage time, noise level, and experimental complexity, and atomic collisions have negligible influence on the optical coherences. Operation of the memory is demonstrated using attenuated laser pulses on the single photon level. For a 50 ns storage time, we measure ηe2 e 50 ns=3.4 (3 )% end-to-end efficiency of the fiber-coupled memory, with a total intrinsic efficiency ηint=17 (3 )%. Straightforward technological improvements can boost the end-to-end-efficiency to ηe 2 e≈35 %; beyond that, increasing the optical depth and exploiting the Zeeman substructure of the atoms will allow such a memory to approach near unity efficiency. In the present memory, the unconditional read-out noise level of 9 ×10-3 photons is dominated by atomic fluorescence, and for input pulses containing on average μ1=0.27 (4 ) photons, the signal to noise level would be unity.

A first-principles study of light non-metallic atom substituted blue phosphorene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Minglei [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Tang, Wencheng, E-mail: 101000185@seu.edu.cn [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Ren, Qingqiang [State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan (China); Wang, Sa-ke [Department of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu (China); Yu, Jin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Du, Yanhui [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China)

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • All the impurities are covalently bonded to blue phosphorene (with a single vacancy). • All the substituted systems are semiconductors. • B-substituted system exhibits direct bandgap semiconductor behavior. • The band gaps with spin polarization are found in C and O-substituted systems. • Our works can paves a new route at nanoscale for novel functionalities of optical and spintronics devices. - Abstract: First-principles calculations are implemented to study the geometric, electronic and magnetic properties of light non-metallic atom (B, C, N, O and F) substituted blue phosphorene. All the substituted systems are highly stable. The B-substituted system is a direct bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap size about 1.5 eV. The C, O-substituted systems are promising systems to explore two-dimensional diluted magnetic semiconductors. Magnetism is observed for C and O substitution, while for the other impurities no magnetic moment is detected. Our works paves a new route at nanoscale for novel functionalities of optical and spintronics devices.

Metal-functionalized single-walled graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes: a first-principles study on magnetic property

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shenoy Vivek

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The magnetic properties of metal-functionalized graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes were investigated based on first-principles calculations. The graphitic carbon nitride nanotube can be either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic by functionalizing with different metal atoms. The W- and Ti-functionalized nanotubes are ferromagnetic, which are attributed to carrier-mediated interactions because of the coupling between the spin-polarized d and p electrons and the formation of the impurity bands close to the band edges. However, Cr-, Mn-, Co-, and Ni-functionalized nanotubes are antiferromagnetic because of the anti-alignment of the magnetic moments between neighboring metal atoms. The functionalized nanotubes may be used in spintronics and hydrogen storage.

Single-molecule studies of DNA transcription using atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billingsley, Daniel J; Crampton, Neal; Thomson, Neil H; Bonass, William A; Kirkham, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can detect single biomacromolecules with a high signal-to-noise ratio on atomically flat biocompatible support surfaces, such as mica. Contrast arises from the innate forces and therefore AFM does not require imaging contrast agents, leading to sample preparation that is relatively straightforward. The ability of AFM to operate in hydrated environments, including humid air and aqueous buffers, allows structure and function of biological and biomolecular systems to be retained. These traits of the AFM are ensuring that it is being increasingly used to study deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) structure and DNA–protein interactions down to the secondary structure level. This report focuses in particular on reviewing the applications of AFM to the study of DNA transcription in reductionist single-molecule bottom-up approaches. The technique has allowed new insights into the interactions between ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase to be gained and enabled quantification of some aspects of the transcription process, such as promoter location, DNA wrapping and elongation. More recently, the trend is towards studying the interactions of more than one enzyme operating on a single DNA template. These methods begin to reveal the mechanics of gene expression at the single-molecule level and will enable us to gain greater understanding of how the genome is transcribed and translated into the proteome. (topical review)

Efficient atomization of cesium metal in solid helium by low energy (10 μJ) femtosecond pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Melich, M.; Dupont-Roc, J.; Jacquier, Ph.

2009-10-01

Metal atoms in solid and liquid helium-4 have attracted some interest either as a way to keep the atoms in a weakly perturbing matrix, or using them as a probe for the helium host medium. Laser sputtering with nanosecond pulsed lasers is the most often used method for atom production, resulting however in a substantial perturbation of the matrix. We show that a much weaker perturbation can be obtained by using femtosecond laser pulses with energy as low as 10 μJ. As an unexpected benefit, the atomic density produced is much higher.

Generation of dense, pulsed beams of refractory metal atoms using two-stage laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadar-Kallen, M.A.; Bonin, K.D.

1994-01-01

We report a technique for generating a dense, pulsed beam of refractory metal atoms using two-stage laser ablation. An atomic beam of uranium was produced with a peak, ground-state number density of 1x10 12 cm -3 at a distance of z=27 cm from the source. This density can be scaled as 1/z 3 to estimate the density at other distances which are also far from the source

Investigating single molecule adhesion by atomic force spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Stetter, Frank W S; Kienle, Sandra; Krysiak, Stefanie; Hugel, Thorsten

2015-02-27

Atomic force spectroscopy is an ideal tool to study molecules at surfaces and interfaces. An experimental protocol to couple a large variety of single molecules covalently onto an AFM tip is presented. At the same time the AFM tip is passivated to prevent unspecific interactions between the tip and the substrate, which is a prerequisite to study single molecules attached to the AFM tip. Analyses to determine the adhesion force, the adhesion length, and the free energy of these molecules on solid surfaces and bio-interfaces are shortly presented and external references for further reading are provided. Example molecules are the poly(amino acid) polytyrosine, the graft polymer PI-g-PS and the phospholipid POPE (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine). These molecules are desorbed from different surfaces like CH3-SAMs, hydrogen terminated diamond and supported lipid bilayers under various solvent conditions. Finally, the advantages of force spectroscopic single molecule experiments are discussed including means to decide if truly a single molecule has been studied in the experiment.

Time profile of harmonics generated by a single atom in a strong electromagnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoine, P.; Piraux, B.; Maquet, A.

1995-01-01

We show that the time profile of the harmonics emitted by a single atom exposed to a strong electromagnetic field may be obtained through a wavelet or a Gabor analysis of the acceleration of the atomic dipole. This analysis is extremely sensitive to the details of the dynamics and sheds some light on the competition between the atomic excitation or ionization processes and photon emission. For illustration we study the interaction of atomic hydrogen with an intense laser pulse

Determination of the neutral oxygen atom density in a plasma reactor loaded with metal samples

Science.gov (United States)

Mozetic, Miran; Cvelbar, Uros

2009-08-01

The density of neutral oxygen atoms was determined during processing of metal samples in a plasma reactor. The reactor was a Pyrex tube with an inner diameter of 11 cm and a length of 30 cm. Plasma was created by an inductively coupled radiofrequency generator operating at a frequency of 27.12 MHz and output power up to 500 W. The O density was measured at the edge of the glass tube with a copper fiber optics catalytic probe. The O atom density in the empty tube depended on pressure and was between 4 and 7 × 1021 m-3. The maximum O density was at a pressure of about 150 Pa, while the dissociation fraction of O2 molecules was maximal at the lowest pressure and decreased with increasing pressure. At about 300 Pa it dropped below 10%. The measurements were repeated in the chamber loaded with different metallic samples. In these cases, the density of oxygen atoms was lower than that in the empty chamber. The results were explained by a drain of O atoms caused by heterogeneous recombination on the samples.

Visualising reacting single atoms under controlled conditions: Advances in atomic resolution in situ Environmental (Scanning) Transmission Electron Microscopy (E(S)TEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Boyes, Edward D.; Gai, Pratibha L.

2014-02-01

Advances in atomic resolution Environmental (Scanning) Transmission Electron Microscopy (E(S)TEM) for probing gas-solid catalyst reactions in situ at the atomic level under controlled reaction conditions of gas environment and temperature are described. The recent development of the ESTEM extends the capability of the ETEM by providing the direct visualisation of single atoms and the atomic structure of selected solid state heterogeneous catalysts in their working states in real-time. Atomic resolution E(S)TEM provides a deeper understanding of the dynamic atomic processes at the surface of solids and their mechanisms of operation. The benefits of atomic resolution-E(S)TEM to science and technology include new knowledge leading to improved technological processes with substantial economic benefits, improved healthcare, reductions in energy needs and the management of environmental waste generation. xml:lang="fr"

Single Electron Tunneling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruggiero, Steven T.

2005-01-01

verified that clusters of down to one, two, and three metal atoms can be identified with single-electron techniques. We have also, extended the regime of single-electron phenomenology through the observation of single-electron effects in metal droplets in the high-conductance regime

Carbon nanotubes as electromechanical resonators : Single-electron tunneling, nonlinearity, and high-bandwidth readout

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meerwaldt, H.B.

2013-01-01

A carbon nanotube (CNT) is a remarkable material and can be thought of as a single-atom thick cylinder of carbon atoms capped of with a semisphere. This is called a single-walled CNT and, depending on how the cylinder is rolled up, CNTs are either semiconducting or metallic. A CNT is made into a

Coherent excitation of a single atom to a Rydberg state

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miroshnychenko, Yevhen; Gaëtan, Alpha; Evellin, Charles

2010-01-01

We present the coherent excitation of a single Rubidium atom to the Rydberg state 58d3/2 using a two-photon transition. The experimental setup is described in detail, as are experimental techniques and procedures. The coherence of the excitation is revealed by observing Rabi oscillations between...

Atomization process for metal powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagutkin, Stanislav; Achelis, Lydia; Sheikhaliev, Sheikhali; Uhlenwinkel, Volker; Srivastava, Vikas

2004-01-01

A new atomization process has been developed, which combines pressure and gas atomization. The melt leaves the pressure nozzle as a hollow thin film cone. After the pre-filming step, the melt is atomized by a gas stream delivered by a ring nozzle. The objectives of this investigation are to achieve a narrow size distribution and low specific gas consumption compared to conventional gas atomization techniques. Both lead to a higher efficiency and low costs. Tin and some alloys have been atomized successfully with this technique. The mass median diameters from different experiments are between 20 and 100 μm. Sieving analysis of the tin powder shows close particle size distributions

Preparation of a single atom in an optical microtrap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpentier, Alicia V; Fung, Yin H; Sompet, Pimonpan; Hilliard, Andrew J; Andersen, Mikkel F; Walker, Thad G

2013-01-01

We investigate the use of light assisted collisions for the deterministic preparation of individual atoms in a microtrap. Blue detuned light is used in order to ensure that only one of the collision partners is lost from the trap. We obtain a 91% loading efficiency of single 85 Rb atoms. This can be achieved within a total preparation time of 542 ms. A numerical model of the process quantitatively agrees with the experiment giving an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the process and allowing us to identify the factors that still limit the loading efficiency. The fast loading time in combination with the high efficiency may be sufficient for loading quantum registers at the size required for competitive quantum computing. (letter)

Dispersion coefficients for H and He interactions with alkali-metal and alkaline-earth-metal atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitroy, J.; Bromley, M.W.J.

2003-01-01

The van der Waals coefficients C 6 , C 8 , and C 10 for H and He interactions with the alkali-metal (Li, Na, K, and Rb) and alkaline-earth-metal (Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr) atoms are determined from oscillator strength sum rules. The oscillator strengths were computed using a combination of ab initio and semiempirical methods. The dispersion parameters generally agree with close to exact variational calculations for Li-H and Li-He at the 0.1% level of accuracy. For larger systems, there is agreement with relativistic many-body perturbation theory estimates of C 6 at the 1% level. These validations for selected systems attest to the reliability of the present dispersion parameters. About half the present parameters lie within the recommended bounds of the Standard and Certain compilation [J. Chem. Phys. 83, 3002 (1985)

He atom surface spectroscopy: Surface lattice dynamics of insulators, metals and metal overlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

During the first three years of this grant (1985--1988) the effort was devoted to the construction of a state-of-the-art He atom scattering (HAS) instrument which would be capable of determining the structure and dynamics of metallic, semiconductor or insulator crystal surfaces. The second three year grant period (1988--1991) has been dedicated to measurements. The construction of the instrument went better than proposed; it was within budget, finished in the proposed time and of better sensitivity and resolution than originally planned. The same success has been carried over to the measurement phase where the concentration has been on studies of insulator surfaces, as discussed in this paper. The experiments of the past three years have focused primarily on the alkali halides with a more recent shift to metal oxide crystal surfaces. Both elastic and inelastic scattering experiments were carried out on LiF, NaI, NaCl, RbCl, KBr, RbBr, RbI, CsF, CsI and with some preliminary work on NiO and MgO

Metal-Insulator Transition Revisited for Cold Atoms in Non-Abelian Gauge Potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satija, Indubala I.; Dakin, Daniel C.; Clark, Charles W.

2006-01-01

We discuss the possibility of realizing metal-insulator transitions with ultracold atoms in two-dimensional optical lattices in the presence of artificial gauge potentials. For Abelian gauges, such transitions occur when the magnetic flux penetrating the lattice plaquette is an irrational multiple of the magnetic flux quantum. Here we present the first study of these transitions for non-Abelian U(2) gauge fields. In contrast to the Abelian case, the spectrum and localization transition in the non-Abelian case is strongly influenced by atomic momenta. In addition to determining the localization boundary, the momentum fragments the spectrum. Other key characteristics of the non-Abelian case include the absence of localization for certain states and satellite fringes around the Bragg peaks in the momentum distribution and an interesting possibility that the transition can be tuned by the atomic momenta

Single-magnet rotary flowmeter for liquid metals

OpenAIRE

Priede, Jānis; Buchenau, Dominique; Gerbeth, Gunter

2010-01-01

We present a theory of single-magnet flowmeter for liquid metals and compare it with experimental results. The flowmeter consists of a freely rotating permanent magnet, which is magnetized perpendicularly to the axle it is mounted on. When such a magnet is placed close to a tube carrying liquid metal flow, it rotates so that the driving torque due to the eddy currents induced by the flow is balanced by the braking torque induced by the rotation itself. The equilibrium rotation rate, which var...

Adsorption of 3d transition metal atoms on graphene-like gallium nitride monolayer: A first-principles study

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guo-Xiang; Li, Han-Fei; Yang, Xu; Wen, Jun-Qing; Pang, Qing; Zhang, Jian-Min

2018-03-01

We study the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of 3d transition metal (TM) atoms (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) adsorbed GaN monolayer (GaN-ML) using first-principles calculations. The results show that, for 6 different TM adatoms, the most stable adsorption sites are the same. The adsorption of TM atoms results in significant lattice distortions. A covalent chemical bonding character between TM adatom and GaN-ML is found in TM adsorbed systems. Except for Ni adsorbed system, all TM adsorbed systems show spin polarization implying that the adsorption of TM induces magnetization. The magnetic moments of the adsorbed systems are concentrated on the TM adatoms and the nearest-neighbor N atoms of the adsorption site contributed slightly. Our analysis shows that the GaN-ML properties can be effectively modulated by TM adsorption, and exhibit various electronic and magnetic properties, such as magnetic metals (Fe adsorption), half-metal (Co adsorption), and spin gapless semiconductor (Cu adsorption). These present properties of TM adsorbed GaN-ML may be of value in electronics and spintronics applications.

Metal surface corrosion grade estimation from single image

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yijun; Qi, Lin; Sun, Huyuan; Fan, Hao; Dong, Junyu

2018-04-01

Metal corrosion can cause many problems, how to quickly and effectively assess the grade of metal corrosion and timely remediation is a very important issue. Typically, this is done by trained surveyors at great cost. Assisting them in the inspection process by computer vision and artificial intelligence would decrease the inspection cost. In this paper, we propose a dataset of metal surface correction used for computer vision detection and present a comparison between standard computer vision techniques by using OpenCV and deep learning method for automatic metal surface corrosion grade estimation from single image on this dataset. The test has been performed by classifying images and calculating the accuracy for the two different approaches.

Atomic-scale structure of single-layer MoS2 nanoclusters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helveg, S.; Lauritsen, J. V.; Lægsgaard, E.

2000-01-01

We have studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) the atomic-scale realm of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoclusters, which are of interest as a model system in hydrodesulfurization catalysis. The STM gives the first real space images of the shape and edge structure of single-layer MoS2...

Chiral Gold Nanoclusters: Atomic Level Origins of Chirality.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Chenjie; Jin, Rongchao

2017-08-04

Chiral nanomaterials have received wide interest in many areas, but the exact origin of chirality at the atomic level remains elusive in many cases. With recent significant progress in atomically precise gold nanoclusters (e.g., thiolate-protected Au n (SR) m ), several origins of chirality have been unveiled based upon atomic structures determined by using single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The reported chiral Au n (SR) m structures explicitly reveal a predominant origin of chirality that arises from the Au-S chiral patterns at the metal-ligand interface, as opposed to the chiral arrangement of metal atoms in the inner core (i.e. kernel). In addition, chirality can also be introduced by a chiral ligand, manifested in the circular dichroism response from metal-based electronic transitions other than the ligand's own transition(s). Lastly, the chiral arrangement of carbon tails of the ligands has also been discovered in a very recent work on chiral Au 133 (SR) 52 and Au 246 (SR) 80 nanoclusters. Overall, the origins of chirality discovered in Au n (SR) m nanoclusters may provide models for the understanding of chirality origins in other types of nanomaterials and also constitute the basis for the development of various applications of chiral nanoparticles. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Atomic theory of viscoelastic response and memory effects in metallic glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Bingyu; Yang, Jie; Qiao, Jichao; Jiang, Minqiang; Dai, Lanhong; Wang, Yun-Jiang; Zaccone, Alessio

2017-09-01

An atomic-scale theory of the viscoelastic response of metallic glasses is derived from first principles, using a Zwanzig-Caldeira-Leggett system-bath Hamiltonian as a starting point within the framework of nonaffine linear response to mechanical deformation. This approach provides a generalized Langevin equation (GLE) as the average equation of motion for an atom or ion in the material, from which non-Markovian nonaffine viscoelastic moduli are extracted. These can be evaluated using the vibrational density of states (DOS) as input, where the boson peak plays a prominent role in the mechanics. To compare with experimental data for binary ZrCu alloys, a numerical DOS was obtained from simulations of this system, which also take electronic degrees of freedom into account via the embedded-atom method for the interatomic potential. It is shown that the viscoelastic α -relaxation, including the α -wing asymmetry in the loss modulus, can be very well described by the theory if the memory kernel (the non-Markovian friction) in the GLE is taken to be a stretched-exponential decaying function of time. This finding directly implies strong memory effects in the atomic-scale dynamics and suggests that the α -relaxation time is related to the characteristic time scale over which atoms retain memory of their previous collision history. This memory time grows dramatically below the glass transition.

Pt Single Atoms Embedded in the Surface of Ni Nanocrystals as Highly Active Catalysts for Selective Hydrogenation of Nitro Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yuhan; Geng, Zhigang; Zhao, Songtao; Wang, Liangbing; Li, Hongliang; Wang, Xu; Zheng, Xusheng; Zhu, Junfa; Li, Zhenyu; Si, Rui; Zeng, Jie

2018-06-13

Single-atom catalysts exhibit high selectivity in hydrogenation due to their isolated active sites, which ensure uniform adsorption configurations of substrate molecules. Compared with the achievement in catalytic selectivity, there is still a long way to go in exploiting the catalytic activity of single-atom catalysts. Herein, we developed highly active and selective catalysts in selective hydrogenation by embedding Pt single atoms in the surface of Ni nanocrystals (denoted as Pt 1 /Ni nanocrystals). During the hydrogenation of 3-nitrostyrene, the TOF numbers based on surface Pt atoms of Pt 1 /Ni nanocrystals reached ∼1800 h -1 under 3 atm of H 2 at 40 °C, much higher than that of Pt single atoms supported on active carbon, TiO 2 , SiO 2 , and ZSM-5. Mechanistic studies reveal that the remarkable activity of Pt 1 /Ni nanocrystals derived from sufficient hydrogen supply because of spontaneous dissociation of H 2 on both Pt and Ni atoms as well as facile diffusion of H atoms on Pt 1 /Ni nanocrystals. Moreover, the ensemble composed of the Pt single atom and nearby Ni atoms in Pt 1 /Ni nanocrystals leads to the adsorption configuration of 3-nitrostyrene favorable for the activation of nitro groups, accounting for the high selectivity for 3-vinylaniline.

Atomic scale mass delivery driven by bend kink in single walled carbon nanotube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kan Biao; Ding Jianning; Ling Zhiyong; Yuan Ningyi; Cheng Guanggui

2010-01-01

The possibility of atomic scale mass delivery by bend kink in single walled carbon nanotube was investigated with the aid of molecular dynamics simulation. By keeping the bending angle while moving the tube end, the encapsulated atomic scale mass such as atom, molecule and atom group were successfully delivered through the nanotube. The van der Waals interaction between the encapsulated mass and the tube wall provided the driving force for the delivery. There were no dramatic changes in the van der Waals interaction, and a smooth and steady delivery was achieved when constant loading rate was applied. The influence of temperature on the atom group delivery was also analyzed. It is found raising temperature is harmful to the smooth movement of the atom group. However, the delivery rate can be promoted under higher temperature when the atom group is situated before the kink during the delivery.

Flameless atomic absorption determination of noble metals after extraction by mixture of di-2-ethylhexyldithiophosphoric acid and n-octylaniline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yukhin, Yu.M.; Udalova, T.A.; Tsimbalist, V.G.; AN SSSR, Novosibirsk. Inst. Geologii i Geofiziki)

1985-01-01

A possibility of using the mixture of di-2-ethylhexyl dithiophosphoric acid (D2EHDTPA) and p-octylaniline (OA) (extractants of acid and basic character) for extraction atomic absorption determination of noble metals is studied. The mixture of D2EHDTPA with OA is shown to extract noble metals from hydrochloric acid solutions with distribution factors > 10 3 . An extraction atomic absorption method for determination of noble metals in copperbearing materials is suggested. The minimum determined contents of noble metals at the initial sample equal to 100 for gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium make up (g/t) 0.0005, 0.0001, 0.015, 0.005, 0.002 and 0.015 respectively. Relative standard deviation constitutes Ssub(r)<0.2

[Exposure to metal compounds in occupational galvanic processes].

Science.gov (United States)

Surgiewicz, Jolanta; Domański, Wojciech

2006-01-01

Occupational galvanic processes are provided in more than 600 small and medium enterprises in Poland. Workers who deal with galvanic coating are exposed to heavy metal compounds: tin, silver, copper and zinc. Some of them are carcinogenic, for example, hexavalent chromium compounds, nickel and cadmium compounds. Research covered several tens of workstations involved in chrome, nickel, zinc, tin, silver, copper and cadmium plating. Compounds of metals present in the air were determined: Cr, Ni, Cd, Sn, Ag--by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization (ET-AAS) and Zn--by atomic absorption spectrometry with flame atomization (F-AAS). The biggest metal concentrations--of silver and copper--were found at workstations of copper, brass, cadmium, nickel and chrome plating, conducted at the same time. Significant concentrations of copper were found at workstations of maintenance bathing and neutralizing of sewage. The concentrations of metals did not exceed Polish MAC values. MAC values were not exceeded for carcinogenic chromium(VI), nickel or cadmium, either. In galvanic processes there was no hazard related to single metals or their compounds, even carcinogenic ones. Combined exposure indicators for metals at each workstation did not exceed 1, either. However, if there are even small quantities of carcinogenic agents, health results should always be taken into consideration.

Propensity rules for orientation in singly-charged ion-atom collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, S.E.; Dubois, A.; Hansen, J.P.

1990-01-01

Orientation effects for electron capture and excitation in singly-charged ion-atom collisions are analysed using the atomic basis impact parameter method with full inclusion of electron translational factors. We find that the orientation preferences previously predicted for excitation in terms of propensity rules may still be observed when capture is present in ion-atom collisions. Furthermore, in spite of intricate behaviour of the direct capture couplings during the collision, we draw some parallel conclusions for the orientation of the capture states. We illustrate these perturbative predictions by close-coupling calculations for H + -Na(3s) collisions where clear propensity for orientation of the H(2p) capture state is demonstrated in impact parameter and velocity dependences. Finally we predict pronounced orientation effects for H(2s) and H(2p) capture in collisions of H + with initially oriented Na(3p) states. (author)

Atomic contributions to the valence band photoelectron spectra of metal-free, iron and manganese phthalocyanines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bidermane, I., E-mail: ieva.bidermane@physics.uu.se [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box-516, 75120 Uppsala (Sweden); Institut des Nanosciences de Paris, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7588, F-75005 Paris (France); Brumboiu, I.E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box-516, 75120 Uppsala (Sweden); Totani, R. [Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito, I-67010 L’Aquila (Italy); Grazioli, C. [CNR-IOM, Laboratorio TASC, ss. 14 km. 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste (Italy); Departement of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste (Italy); Shariati-Nilsson, M.N.; Herper, H.C.; Eriksson, O.; Sanyal, B. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box-516, 75120 Uppsala (Sweden); Ressel, B. [University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska Cesta 11c, 5270 Ajdovščina (Slovenia); Simone, M. de [CNR-IOM, Laboratorio TASC, ss. 14 km. 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste (Italy); Lozzi, L. [Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito, I-67010 L’Aquila (Italy); Brena, B.; Puglia, C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box-516, 75120 Uppsala (Sweden)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • In detail comparison between the valence band structure of H{sub 2}Pc, FePc and MnPc. • Comparison between the gas phase samples and thin evaporated films on Au (1 1 1). • Detailed analysis of the atomic orbital contributions to the valence band features. • DFT/HSE06 study of the valence band electronic structure of H{sub 2}Pc, FePc and MnPc. - Abstract: The present work reports a photoelectron spectroscopy study of the low-energy region of the valence band of metal-free phthalocyanine (H{sub 2}Pc) compared with those of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) and manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc). We have analysed in detail the atomic orbital composition of the valence band both experimentally, by making use of the variation in photoionization cross-sections with photon energy, and theoretically, by means of density functional theory. The atomic character of the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO), reflected on the outermost valence band binding energy region, is different for MnPc as compared to the other two molecules. The peaks related to the C 2p contributions, result in the HOMO for H{sub 2}Pc and FePc and in the HOMO-1 for MnPc as described by the theoretical predictions, in very good agreement with the experimental results. The DFT simulations, discerning the atomic contribution to the density of states, indicate how the central metal atom interacts with the C and N atoms of the molecule, giving rise to different partial and total density of states for these three Pc molecules.

Computational evaluation of sub-nanometer cluster activity of singly exposed copper atom with various coordinative environment in catalytic CO2 transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Shanmugam, Ramasamy; Thamaraichelvan, Arunachalam; Ganesan, Tharumeya Kuppusamy; Viswanathan, Balasubramanian

2017-02-01

Metal cluster, at sub-nanometer level has a unique property in the activation of small molecules, in contrast to that of bulk surface. In the present work, singly exposed active site of copper metal cluster at sub-nanometer level was designed to arrive at the energy minimised configurations, binding energy, electrostatic potential map, frontier molecular orbitals and partial density of states. The ab initio molecular dynamics was carried out to probe the catalytic nature of the cluster. Further, the stability of the metal cluster and its catalytic activity in the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO were evaluated by means of computational hydrogen electrode via calculation of the free energy profile using DFT/B3LYP level of theory in vacuum. The activity of the cluster is ascertained from the fact that the copper atom, present in a two coordinative environment, performs a more selective conversion of CO2 to CO at an applied potential of -0.35 V which is comparatively lower than that of higher coordinative sites. The present study helps to design any sub-nano level metal catalyst for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to various value added chemicals.

[Novel Hyphenated Techniques of Atomic Spectrometry for Metal Species Interaction with Biomolecules].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yan; Yan, Xiu-ping

2015-09-01

Trace metals may be adopted by biological systems to assist in the syntheses and metabolic functions of genes (DNA and RNA) and proteins in the environment. These metals may be beneficial or may pose a risk to humans and other life forms. Novel hybrid techniques are required for studies on the interaction between different metal species and biomolecules, which is significant for biology, biochemistry, nutrition, agriculture, medicine, pharmacy, and environmental science. In recent years, our group dwells on new hyphenated techniques based on capillary electrophoresis (CE), electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), and their application for different metal species interaction with biomolecules such as DNA, HSA, and GSH. The CE-ETAAS assay and CE-ICP-MS assay allow sensitively probing the level of biomolecules such as DNA damage by different metal species and extracting the kinetic and thermodynamic information on the interactions of different metal species with biomolecules, provides direct evidences for the formation of different metal species--biomolecule adducts. In addition, the consequent structural information were extracted from circular dichroism (CD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The present works represent the most complete and extensive study to date on the interactions between different metal species with biomolecules, and also provide new evidences for and insights into the interactions of different metal species with biomolecules for further understanding of the toxicological effects of metal species.

Toxic metals distribution in different components of Pakistani and imported cigarettes by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazi, T.G.; Jalbani, N.; Arain, M.B.; Jamali, M.K.; Afridi, H.I.; Sarfraz, R.A.; Shah, A.Q.

2009-01-01

It was extensively investigated that a significant flux of toxic metals, along with other toxins, reaches the lungs through smoking. In present study toxic metals (TMs) (Al, Cd, Ni and Pb) were determined in different components of Pakistani local branded and imported cigarettes, including filler tobacco (FT), filter (before and after normal smoking by a single volunteer) and ash by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer (ETAAS). Microwave-assisted digestion method was employed. The validity and accuracy of methodology were checked by using certified sample of Virginia tobacco leaves (ICHTJ-cta-VTL-2). The percentages (%) of TMs in different components of cigarette were calculated with respect to their total contents in FT of all branded cigarettes before smoking, while smoke concentration has been calculated by subtracting the filter and ash contents from the filler tobacco content of each branded cigarette. The highest percentage (%) of Al was observed in ash of all cigarettes, with range 97.3-99.0%, while in the case of Cd, a reverse behaviour was observed, as a range of 15.0-31.3% of total contents were left in the ash of all branded cigarettes understudy

A laboratory manual for the determination of metals in water and wastewater by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R.

1983-01-01

This guide presents, in addition to a brief discussion of the basic principles and practical aspects of atomic absorption spectrophotometry, a scheme of analysis for the determination of 19 metals in water and wastewater, 16 by flame atomic absorption and 3 by vapour generation techniques. Simplicity, speed and accuracy were the main criteria considered in the selection of the various methods

Selective alkane activation with single-site atoms on amorphous support

Science.gov (United States)

Hock, Adam S.; Schweitzer, Neil M.; Miller, Jeffrey T.; Hu, Bo

2015-11-24

The present invention relates generally to catalysts and methods for use in olefin production. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel amorphously supported single-center, Lewis acid metal ions and use of the same as catalysts.

Efficient atomization of cesium metal in solid helium by low energy (10 $\\mu$J) femtosecond pulses

OpenAIRE

Melich, Mathieu; Dupont-Roc, Jacques; Jacquier, Philippe

2009-01-01

International audience; Metal atoms in solid and liquid helium-4 have attracted some interest either as a way to keep the atoms in a weakly perturbing matrix, or using them as a probe for the helium host medium. Laser sputtering with nanosecond pulsed lasers is the most often used method for atom production, resulting however in a substantial perturbation of the matrix. We show that a much weaker perturbation can be obtained by using femtosecond laser pulses with energy as low as 10 µJ. As an...

Relaxation and final-state structure in XPS of atoms, molecules, and metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirley, D.A.; Martin, R.L.; McFeely, F.R.; Kowalczyk, S.P.; Ley, L.

1975-03-01

Photoemission from a many-electron system is a many-electron process, even though the transition operator may affect only one electron directly. Relaxation and ''shake-up'' structure are related by a sum rule. When one is present, the other must be also. Shake-up structure is shown to be accurately predictable in atomic neon and molecular HF if the CI calculations are done carefully. In metals the sum rule also applies but final-state effects usually appear as relaxation energy, which is large even for valence electrons. Finally, in rare-earth metals discrete shake-up structure is observable in the 4p region. (7 figs, 30 refs) (auth)

Site preference of metal atoms in Gd_5_-_xM_xTt_4 (M = Zr, Hf; Tt = Si, Ge)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Jinlei; Mozharivskyj, Yurij

2011-01-01

Zirconium and hafnium were incorporated into the Gd_5Ge_4 and Gd_5Si_4 parent compounds in order to study the metal-site occupation in the M_5X_4 magnetocaloric phases (M = metals; X = p elements) family. The Gd_5_-_xZr_xGe_4 phases adopt the orthorhombic Sm_5Ge_4-type (space group Pnma) structure for x ≤ 1.49 and the tetragonal Zr_5Si_4-type (P4_12_12) structure for x ≥ 1.77. The Gd_5_-_xHf_xSi_4 compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic Gd_5Si_4-type (Pnma) structure for x ≤ 0.41 and the Zr_5Si_4-type structure for x ≥ 0.7. In both systems, single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that the Zr/Hf atoms preferentially occupy the slab-surface M2 and slab-center M3 sites, both of which have a significantly larger Zr/Hf population than the slab-surface M1 site. The metal-site preference, i.e. the coloring problem on the three metal sites, is discussed considering geometric and electronic effects of the local coordination environments. The analysis of the metal-site occupation in Gd_5_-_xZr_xGe_4 and Gd_5_-_xHf_xSi_4 as well as other metal-substituted M_5X_4 systems suggests that both geometric and electronic effects can be used to explain the metal-site occupation. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Controlling magnetism of MoS2 sheets by embedding transition-metal atoms and applying strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yungang; Su, Qiulei; Wang, Zhiguo; Deng, Huiqiu; Zu, Xiaotao

2013-11-14

Prompted by recent experimental achievement of transition metal (TM) atoms substituted in MoS2 nanostructures during growth or saturating existing vacancies (Sun et al., ACS Nano, 2013, 7, 3506; Deepak et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2007, 129, 12549), we explored, via density functional theory, the magnetic properties of a series of 3d TM atoms substituted in a MoS2 sheet, and found that Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn substitutions can induce magnetism in the MoS2 sheet. The localizing unpaired 3d electrons of TM atoms respond to the introduction of a magnetic moment. Depending on the species of TM atoms, the substituted MoS2 sheet can be a metal, semiconductor or half-metal. Remarkably, the applied elastic strain can be used to control the strength of the spin-splitting of TM-3d orbitals, leading to an effective manipulation of the magnetism of the TM-substituted MoS2 sheet. We found that the magnetic moment of the Mn- and Fe-substituted MoS2 sheets can monotonously increase with the increase of tensile strain, while the magnetic moment of Co-, Ni-, Cu- and Zn-substituted MoS2 sheets initially increases and then decreases with the increase of tensile strain. An instructive mechanism was proposed to qualitatively explain the variation of magnetism with elastic strain. The finding of the magnetoelastic effect here is technologically important for the fabrication of strain-driven spin devices on MoS2 nanostructures, which allows us to go beyond the current scope limited to the spin devices within graphene and BN-based nanostructures.

Novel metal ion surface modification technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Godechot, X.; Yu, K.M.

1990-10-01

We describe a method for applying metal ions to the near-surface region of solid materials. The added species can be energetically implanted below the surface or built up as a surface film with an atomically mixed interface with the substrate; the metal ion species can be the same as the substrate species or different from it, and more than one kind of metal species can be applied, either simultaneously or sequentially. Surface structures can be fabricated, including coatings and thin films of single metals, tailored alloys, or metallic multilayers, and they can be implanted or added onto the surface and ion beam mixed. We report two simple demonstrations of the method: implantation of yttrium into a silicon substrate at a mean energy of 70 keV and a dose of 1 x 10 16 atoms/cm 2 , and the formation of a titanium-yttrium multilayer structure with ion beam mixing to the substrate. 17 refs., 3 figs

Directed Atom-by-Atom Assembly of Dopants in Silicon.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudak, Bethany M; Song, Jiaming; Sims, Hunter; Troparevsky, M Claudia; Humble, Travis S; Pantelides, Sokrates T; Snijders, Paul C; Lupini, Andrew R

2018-05-17

The ability to controllably position single atoms inside materials is key for the ultimate fabrication of devices with functionalities governed by atomic-scale properties. Single bismuth dopant atoms in silicon provide an ideal case study in view of proposals for single-dopant quantum bits. However, bismuth is the least soluble pnictogen in silicon, meaning that the dopant atoms tend to migrate out of position during sample growth. Here, we demonstrate epitaxial growth of thin silicon films doped with bismuth. We use atomic-resolution aberration-corrected imaging to view the as-grown dopant distribution and then to controllably position single dopants inside the film. Atomic-scale quantum-mechanical calculations corroborate the experimental findings. These results indicate that the scanning transmission electron microscope is of particular interest for assembling functional materials atom-by-atom because it offers both real-time monitoring and atom manipulation. We envision electron-beam manipulation of atoms inside materials as an achievable route to controllable assembly of structures of individual dopants.

One dimensional metallic edges in atomically thin WSe2 induced by air exposure

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Addou, Rafik; Smyth, Christopher M.; Noh, Ji-Young; Lin, Yu-Chuan; Pan, Yi; Eichfeld, Sarah M.; Fölsch, Stefan; Robinson, Joshua A.; Cho, Kyeongjae; Feenstra, Randall M.; Wallace, Robert M.

2018-04-01

Transition metal dichalcogenides are a unique class of layered two-dimensional (2D) crystals with extensive promising applications. Tuning the electronic properties of low-dimensional materials is vital for engineering new functionalities. Surface oxidation is of particular interest because it is a relatively simple method of functionalization. By means of scanning probe microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we report the observation of metallic edges in atomically thin WSe2 monolayers grown by chemical vapor deposition on epitaxial graphene. Scanning tunneling microscopy shows structural details of WSe2 edges and scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals the metallic nature of the oxidized edges. Photoemission demonstrates that the formation of metallic sub-stoichiometric tungsten oxide (WO2.7) is responsible for the high conductivity measured along the edges. Ab initio calculations validate the susceptibility of WSe2 nanoribbon edges to oxidation. The zigzag terminated edge exhibits metallic behavior prior the air-exposure and remains metallic after oxidation. Comprehending and exploiting this property opens a new opportunity for application in advanced electronic devices.

Density functional theory study of elemental mercury adsorption on boron doped graphene surface decorated by transition metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jungsuttiwong, Siriporn, E-mail: siriporn.j@ubu.ac.th [Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani 34190 (Thailand); Wongnongwa, Yutthana [Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani 34190 (Thailand); Namuangruk, Supawadee [National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120 (Thailand); Kungwan, Nawee [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Promarak, Vinich [Department of Material Science and Engineering, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong 21210 (Thailand); Kunaseth, Manaschai, E-mail: manaschai@nanotec.or.th [National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120 (Thailand)

2016-01-30

Graphical abstract: Decoration of Pd{sub 4}-A (square planar) on B-doped graphene significantly promotes Hg{sup 0} adsorption, a single site of Pd{sub 4} cluster on BDG could strongly adsorb up to six Hg atoms. - Highlights: • Transition metal atom and cluster binds strongly on B-doped graphene surface. • Decoration of transition metal on B-doped graphene significantly promotes Hg{sup 0} adsorption. • Adsorption strength of Hg{sup 0} atom on metal decorated B-doped graphene: Pd > Pt > Ru > W > Cu. • One site decorated Pd4 cluster adsorbed Hg{sup 0} strongly up to six atoms.

Metal Halide Perovskite Single Crystals: From Growth Process to Application

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Shuigen Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available As a strong competitor in the field of optoelectronic applications, organic-inorganic metal hybrid perovskites have been paid much attention because of their superior characteristics, which include broad absorption from visible to near-infrared region, tunable optical and electronic properties, high charge mobility, long exciton diffusion length and carrier recombination lifetime, etc. It is noted that perovskite single crystals show remarkably low trap-state densities and long carrier diffusion lengths, which are even comparable with the best photovoltaic-quality silicon, and thus are expected to provide better optoelectronic performance. This paper reviews the recent development of crystal growth in single-, mixed-organic-cation and fully inorganic halide perovskite single crystals, in particular the solution approach. Furthermore, the application of metal hybrid perovskite single crystals and future perspectives are also highlighted.

Mechanical instability in non-uniform atomic structure: Application to amorphous metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umeno, Yoshitaka; Kitamura, Takayuki; Tagawa, Motoki

2007-01-01

It is important to reveal the deformation of amorphous metal in the atomistic scale level as materials with non-crystal structure have been attracting attention with their prominent functions. In this paper atomistic simulations of tensile deformation of an amorphous model are conducted and local mechanical instability is analyzed to clarify the deformation mechanism of the amorphous structure. Instability causing sharp stress drop is associated with unstable motion of atoms within local region. The size of the region where the unstable atomic motion occurs corresponds to the magnitude of total stress decrease. At instability with large stress decrease the deformation at the onset of the instability propagates to surrounding region, which gives rise to a hysteresis loop in the stress-strain relation. This manifests the microscopic mechanism of the plasticity of amorphous structure

Formation of molecules in interstellar clouds from singly and multiply ionized atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langer, W.D.; and NASA, Institute for Space Studies, Goddard Space Flight Center, New York)

1978-01-01

Soft X-ray and cosmic rays produce multiply ionized atoms which may initiate molecule production in interstellar clouds. This molecule production can occur via ion-molecule reactions with H 2 , either directly from the multiply ionized atom (e.g.,C ++ + H 2 →CH + + H + ), or indirectly from the singly ionized atoms (e.g., N + + H 2 →NH + + H) that are formed from the recombination or charge transfer of the highly ionized atom (e.g., N ++ + e→N + + hv). We investigate the contribution of these reactions to the abundances of carbon-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-bearing molecules in isobaric models of diffuse clouds. In the presence of the average flux estimated for the diffuse soft X-ray background, multiply ionized atoms contribute only minimally (a few percent) to carbon-bearing molecules such as CH. In the neighborhood of diffuse structures or discrete sources, however, where the X-ray flux is enhanced, multiple ionization is considerably more important for molecule production

Piezoelectricity enhancement and bandstructure modification of atomic defect-mediated MoS2 monolayer.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Sheng; Rice, Quinton; Neupane, Tikaram; Tabibi, Bagher; Li, Qiliang; Seo, Felix Jaetae

2017-09-13

Piezoelectricity appears in the inversion asymmetric crystal that converts mechanical deformation to electricity. Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcolgenide (TMDC) monolayers exhibit the piezoelectric effect due to inversion asymmetry. The intrinsic piezoelectric coefficient (e 11 ) of MoS 2 is ∼298 pC m -1 . For the single atomic shift of Mo of 20% along the armchair direction, the piezoelectric coefficient (e 11 ) of MoS 2 with 5 × 5 unit cells was enhanced up to 18%, and significantly modified the band structure. The single atomic shift in the MoS 2 monolayer also induced new energy levels inside the forbidden bandgap. The defect-induced energy levels for a Mo atom shift along the armchair direction are relatively deeper than that for a S atom shift along the same direction. This indicates that the piezoelectricity and band structure of MoS 2 can be engineered by a single atomic shift in the monolayer with multi unit cells for piezo- and opto-electric applications.

Metal powder production by gas atomization

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, E. Y.; Grant, N. J.

1986-01-01

The confined liquid, gas-atomization process was investigated. Results from a two-dimensional water model showed the importance of atomization pressure, as well as delivery tube and atomizer design. The atomization process at the tip of the delivery tube was photographed. Results from the atomization of a modified 7075 aluminum alloy yielded up to 60 wt pct. powders that were finer than 45 microns in diameter. Two different atomizer designs were evaluated. The amount of fine powders produced was correlated to a calculated gas-power term. An optimal gas-power value existed for maximized fine powder production. Atomization at gas-power greater than or less than this optimal value produced coarser powders.

Surface modification of nanodiamond through metal free atom transfer radical polymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Guangjian; Liu, Meiying; Shi, Kexin; Heng, Chunning; Mao, Liucheng; Wan, Qing; Huang, Hongye; Deng, Fengjie; Zhang, Xiaoyong; Wei, Yen

2016-12-01

Surface modification of nanodiamond (ND) with poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) [poly(MPC)] has been achieved by using metal free surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). The ATRP initiator was first immobilized on the surface of ND through direct esterification reaction between hydroxyl group of ND and 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide. The initiator could be employed to obtain ND-poly(MPC) nanocomposites through SI-ATRP using an organic catalyst. The final functional materials were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermo gravimetric analysis in detailed. All of these characterization results demonstrated that ND-poly(MPC) have been successfully obtained via metal free photo-initiated SI-ATRP. The ND-poly(MPC) nanocomposites shown enhanced dispersibility in various solvents as well as excellent biocompatibility. As compared with traditional ATRP, the metal free ATRP is rather simple and effective. More importantly, this preparation method avoided the negative influence of metal catalysts. Therefore, the method described in this work should be a promising strategy for fabrication of polymeric nanocomposites with great potential for different applications especially in biomedical fields.

Gas atomization of Cu-modified AB5 metal hydride alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, K.; Ouchi, T.; Banik, A.; Koch, J.; Fetcenko, M.A.; Bendersky, L.A.; Wang, K.; Vaudin, M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The gas atomization process together with a hydrogen annealing process was demonstrated on AB5 alloys. → The method was found to be effective in restoring the original cycle life sacrificed by the incorporation of copper in the alloy formula as a means of improving the low temperature performance of AB 5 alloys. → The new process also improves high rate, low temperature, and charge retention performances for both Cu-free and Cu-containing AB 5 alloys. - Abstract: Gas atomization together with a hydrogen annealing process has been proposed as a method to achieve improved low-temperature performance of AB 5 alloy electrodes in Ni/MH batteries and restore the original cycle life which was sacrificed by the incorporation of copper in the alloy formula. While the gas atomization process reduces the lattice constant aspect ratio c/a of the Cu-containing alloys, the addition of a hydrogen annealing step recovers this property, although it is still inferior to the conventionally prepared annealed Cu-free alloy. This observation correlates very well with the cycle life performance. In addition to extending the cycle life of the Cu-containing metal hydride electrode, processing by gas atomization with additional hydrogen annealing improves high-rate, low-temperature, and charge retention performances for both Cu-free and Cu-containing AB 5 alloys. The degradation mechanisms of alloys made by different processes through cycling are also discussed.

Welding and joining of single crystals of BCC refractory metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraoka, Yutaka; Fujii, Tadayuki

1989-01-01

Welding and joining is one of key technologies for the wider utilizations of a material. In the present work, the applicability of welding and joining for a single crystal of BCC refractory metal was investigated. Electron-beam welding and tungsten-inert-gas welding by a melt-run technique, and high-temperature brazing by using brazing metals such as Mo-40%Ru alloy, vanadium or platinum were conducted for molybdenum single crystal which had been prepared by means of secondary recrystallization. 12 refs.,12 figs., 2 tabs. (Author)

Ab initio effective core potentials for molecular calculations. Potentials for the transition metal atoms Sc to Hg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hay, P.J.; Wadt, W.R.

1985-01-01

Ab initio effective core potentials (ECP's) have been generated to replace the Coulomb, exchange, and core-orthogonality effects of the chemically inert core electron in the transition metal atoms Sc to Hg. For the second and third transition series relative ECP's have been generated which also incorporate the mass--velocity and Darwin relativistic effects into the potential. The ab initio ECP's should facilitate valence electron calculations on molecules containing transition-metal atoms with accuracies approaching all-electron calculations at a fraction of the computational cost. Analytic fits to the potentials are presented for use in multicenter integral evaluation. Gaussian orbital valence basis sets are developed for the (3d,4s,4p), (4d,5s,5p), and (5d,6s,6p) orbitals of the first, second, and third transition series atoms, respectively. All-electron and valence-electron atomic excitation energies are also compared for the low-lying states of Sc--Hg, and the valence-electron calculations are found to reproduce the all-electron excitation energies (typically within a few tenths of an eV)

Supramolecular Rotor and Translator at Work: On-Surface Movement of Single Atoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohmann, Robin; Meyer, Jörg; Nickel, Anja; Echeverria, Jorge; Grisolia, Maricarmen; Joachim, Christian; Moresco, Francesca; Cuniberti, Gianaurelio

2015-08-25

A supramolecular nanostructure composed of four 4-acetylbiphenyl molecules and self-assembled on Au (111) was loaded with single Au adatoms and studied by scanning tunneling microscopy at low temperature. By applying voltage pulses to the supramolecular structure, the loaded Au atoms can be rotated and translated in a controlled manner. The manipulation of the gold adatoms is driven neither by mechanical interaction nor by direct electronic excitation. At the electronic resonance and driven by the tunneling current intensity, the supramolecular nanostructure performs a small amount of work of about 8 × 10(-21) J, while transporting the single Au atom from one adsorption site to the next. Using the measured average excitation time necessary to induce the movement, we determine the mechanical motive power of the device, yielding about 3 × 10(-21) W.

Deformation in Metallic Glass: Connecting Atoms to Continua

Science.gov (United States)

Hinkle, Adam R.; Falk, Michael L.; Rycroft, Chris H.; Shields, Michael D.

Metallic glasses like other amorphous solids experience strain localization as the primary mode of failure. However, the development of continuum constitutive laws which provide a quantitative description of disorder and mechanical deformation remains an open challenge. Recent progress has shown the necessity of accurately capturing fluctuations in material structure, in particular the statistical changes in potential energy of the atomic constituents during the non-equilibrium process of applied shear. Here we directly cross-compare molecular dynamics shear simulations of a ZrCu glass with continuum shear transformation zone (STZ) theory representations. We present preliminary results for a methodology to coarse-grain detailed molecular dynamics data with the goal of initializing a continuum representation in the STZ theory. NSF Grants Awards 1107838, 1408685, and 0801471.

Realization of Arbitrary Positive-Operator-Value Measurement of Single Atomic Qubit via Cavity QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Han; Wei, Wu; Chun-Wang, Wu; Hong-Yi, Dai; Cheng-Zu, Li

2008-01-01

Positive-operator-value measurement (POVM) is the most general class of quantum measurement. We propose a scheme to deterministically implement arbitrary POVMs of single atomic qubit via cavity QED catalysed by only one ancilla atomic qubit. By appropriately entangling two atomic qubits and sequentially measuring the ancilla qubit, any POVM can be implemented step by step. As an application of our scheme, the realization of a specific POVM for optimal unambiguous discrimination (OUD) between two nonorthogonal states is given

Realization of Arbitrary Positive-Operator-Value Measurement of Single Atomic Qubit via Cavity QED

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yang; Wu, Wei; Wu, Chun-Wang; Dai, Hong-Yi; Li, Cheng-Zu