Electronic phase separation near the superconductor-insulator transition of Nd1+xBa2−xCu3O7−δ thin films studied by an electric-field-induced doping effect

We report a detailed study of the transport properties of Nd(1+x)Ba(2-x)Cu(3)O(7-delta) thin films with doping changed by field effect. The data cover the whole superconducting to insulating transition and show remarkable Similarities with the effect of chemical doping in high critical temperature superconductors. The results suggest that the add-on of carriers is accompanied by an electronic phase separation, independent on the details of the doping mechanism

In-situ Investigation of the Early Stage of TiO2 epitaxy on (001) SrTiO3

We report on a systematic study of the growth of epitaxial TiO2 films deposited by pulsed laser deposition on Ti-terminated (001) SrTiO3 single crystals. By using in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction, low energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy, we show that the stabilization of the anatase (001) phase is preceded by the growth of a pseudomorphic Sr-Ti-O intermediate layer, with a thickness between 2 and 4 nm. The data demonstrate that the formation of this phase is related to the activation of long range Sr migration from the substrate to the film. The role of interface Gibbs energy minimization, as a driving force for Sr diffusion, is discussed. Our results enrich the phase diagram of the Sr-Ti-O system under epitaxial strain opening the roudeficient SrTiO phase.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Evolution of the charge density wave state in CuxTiSe2

We present scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy measurements of the charge-density wave state in 1T-TiSe2, Cu0.05TiSe2, and Cu0.06TiSe2 single crystals. Topography images at 4.2 K reveal that the charge density waves are present in all samples studied, although the amplitude of the charge modulation decreases with the Cu doping. Moreover, the chiral phase of the charge density wave is preserved also in Cu-doped samples. Tunneling spectroscopy shows that there is only a partial gap in the pure compound, with bands crossing the Fermi surface. In the Cu-doped samples, the system becomes more metallic due to the increase of the chemical potential

The seismic microzonation of level 3 of Sant’Agata Fossili (northern Italy) based on a multidisciplinary approach.

In this paper the results of a detailed seismic microzonation, performed at Sant’Agata Fossili (Piemonte region, northern Italy) are presented. We study the local seismic response of this small village using a level 3, that is the most accurate level following the Italian code of seismic microzonation. The activity steps consist in a gradual widening of knowledge of the different aspects of the amplification phenomena. A multidisciplinary approach has been performed to obtain the local seismic response: including a study of local geology, geophysical and geotechnical characterization of the lithologies, and numerical and experimental analyses. We finally compare the obtained elastic response spectra to the prescribed spectra of the Italian Building Code (in Italian: Norme Tecniche per le Costruzioni). Our results show the geologic and geophysical differences of the subsoil, that produce different local seismic response in terms of amplification factors and acceleration response spectra.PublishedS01893T. Pericolosità sismica e contributo alla definizione del rischio5T. Sorveglianza sismica e operatività post-terremotoJCR Journalope

Role of interband scattering in neutron irradiated MgB2_2 thin films by Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy measurements

A series of MgB$_2$ thin films systematically disordered by neutron irradiation have been studied by Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy. The c-axis orientation of the films allowed a reliable determination of local density of state of the $\pi$ band. With increasing disorder, the conductance peak moves towards higher voltages and becomes lower and broader, indicating a monotonic increase of the $\pi$ gap and of the broadening parameter. These results are discussed in the frame of two-band superconductivity.Comment: The text will be submitted in Latex format, and the corresponding pdf file should take 6 pages. There are 5 figures (eps files submitted) and 1 tabl

A teaser made simple: a didactic measurement of the spectral answer of a human-eye-calibrated lux meter

A simple didactic experiment has been designed and realized, in order to illustrate to undergraduate students in scientific faculties some basic concepts lying behind the fundamentals of geometrical optics. The spectral response of a human-eye-calibrated lux meter was measured using a very trivial experimental arrangement. The white light of a halogen lamp was decomposed into its spectral components through a diffraction grating, so that collecting the radiation at different dispersion angles allowed one to measure the intensity as a function of wavelength. The experiment can be used to effectively illustrate the concepts of spectral distribution, the radiometry versus photometry conversion and photopic response, and the famous historical experience by Herschel on the 'temperature of colours'