A systematic search for step-like anomalies in the tritium \beta-decay spectrum in the Troitsk-\nu-mass experiment

The issue of step-like anomalies in the tritium \beta-decay spectrum as measured in the Troitsk-\nu-mass experiment is addressed in the context of the new analysis in a systematic fashion using efficient statistical tests specifically derived for the purpose. It is concluded that the presence of the anomaly cannot be statistically asserted with a high confidence level.Comment: 10 page

Effect of doping on performance of organic solar cells

Conventional models of planar and bulk heterojunction organic solar cells have been extended by introducing doping in the active layer. We have studied the performance of organic solar cells as a function of dopant concentration. For bulk heterojunction cells, the modeling shows that for the most studied material pair (poly-3-hexylthiophene, P3HT, and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester, PCBM) doping decreases the short-circuit current density (JSC), fill factor (FF) and efficiency. However, if bulk heterojunction cells are not optimized, namely, at low charge carrier mobilities, unbalanced mobilities or non-ohmic contacts, the efficiency can be increased by doping. For planar heterojunction cells, the modeling shows that if the acceptor layer is n doped, and the donor layer is p doped, the open-circuit voltage, JSC, FF and hence the efficiency can be increased by doping. Inversely, when the acceptor is p doped, and the donor is n doped; FF decreases rapidly with increasing dopant concentrations so that the current-voltage curve becomes S shaped. We also show that the detrimental effect of nonohmic contacts on the performance of the planar heterojunction cell can be strongly weakened by doping

Direct and Inverse Magnetocaloric effects in A-site ordered PrBaMn2O6 manganite in low magnetic fields

The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of A-site ordered PrBaMn2O6 manganite has been studied by direct methods and by the specific heat measurements. Direct measurements of the MCE in low magnetic fields were performed using recently proposed modulation technique and by classic direct method in high fields. Direct and inverse MCE are observed at Curie and Neel points correspondingly. A value of the inverse MCE in the heating run is less than in the cooling regime. This effect can be attributing to competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. Indirectly estimated and direct MCE values considerably differ in around first order AF transition.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Local A-Site Layering in Rare-Earth Orthochromite Perovskites by Solution Synthesis

Cation size effects were examined in the mixed A-site perovskites La0.5 Sm0.5 CrO3 and La0.5 Tb0.5 CrO3 prepared through both hydrothermal and solid-state methods. Atomically resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the transmission electron microscope shows that while the La and Sm cations are randomly distributed, increased cation-radius variance in La0.5 Tb0.5 CrO3 results in regions of localised La and Tb layers, an atomic arrangement exclusive to the hydrothermally prepared material. Solid-state preparation gives lower homogeneity resulting in separate nanoscale regions rich in La3+ and Tb3+ . The A-site layering in hydrothermal La0.5 Tb0.5 CrO3 is randomised upon annealing at high temperature, resulting in magnetic behaviour that is dependent on synthesis route

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of Gd1-xLaxMO3 (M= Sc, In, Ga) solid solutions

Gd1–xLaxScO3, Gd1–xLaxInO3and Gd1–xLaxGaO3solid solutions were synthesized by the ceramic method, their crystal structure and magnetic properties were investigated. It has been established that the range of solid solutions Gd1–xLaxScO3(0.0 < х ?1.0), Gd1–xLaxInO3(0.2 ? х ?1.0) and Gd1–xLaxGaO3(0.5 ? х ?1.0) with the structure of orthorhombically distorted perovskite was formed. The effective magnetic moment of the Gd 3+ ion (µef, Gd 3+) for Gd1–xLaxScO3solid solutions with x= 0.10, 0.50 is equal to 7.76 ?В, 7.61 µВ, respectively and it is slightly lower than the theoretical value ?ef. theor, Gd 3+= 7.94 µВ, and for x= 0.75, 0.90 it is practically equal to the theoretical value. For Gd1–xLaxGaO3solid solutions with x= 0.8, 0.9 the effective magnetic moment ?ef, Gd 3+ is 7.90 ?В, 7.99 ?В, respectively, and it is close to the theoretical value 7.94 ?В. For Gd1–xLaxInO3solid solutions the effective magnetic moment ?ef, Gd 3+ varies without certain dependence in the interval from 6.91 ?Вto 7.54 µВand is lower than theoretical value ?эф. теор, Gd 3+

A-site Randomness Effect on Structural and Physical Properties of Ba-based Perovskite Manganites

The discovery of novel structural and physical properties in the $A$-site ordered manganite $R$BaMn$_{2}$O$_{6}$ ($R$ = Y and rare earth elements) has demanded new comprehension about perovskite manganese oxides. In the present study, the $A$-site disordered form, $R_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$, has been investigated and compared with both $R$BaMn$_{2}$O$_{6}$ and $R_{0.5}A_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$ ($A$: Sr, Ca) in the structures and electromagnetic properties. $R_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$ has a primitive cubic perovskite cell in the structure and magnetic glassy states are dominant as its ground state, in contrast to the ordinary disordered $R_{0.5}A_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$ ($A$: Sr, Ca). In Pr-compounds with various degrees of Pr/Ba randomness at the $A$-sites, the $A$-site disorder gradually suppresses both ferromagnetic and A-type antiferromagnetic transitions and finally leads to a magnetic glassy state in Pr$_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$. A peculiar behavior, multi-step magnetization and resistivity change, has been observed in Pr$_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$. These properties could be closely related to any spatial heterogeneity caused by the random distribution of Ba$^{2 +}$ and $R^{3 +}$ with much different ionic radius.Comment: 9 pages, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 73 Aug. (2004

Van Hove Singularity and Superconductivity in Disordered Hubbard Model

We apply the Coherent Potential Approximation (CPA) to a simple extended Hubbard model with a nearest and next nearest neighbour hopping for disordered superconductors with s-, d- and p-wave pairing. We show how the Van Hove singularities in the electron density of states enhance the transition temperature Tc for exotic superconductors in a clean and weakly disordered system. The Anderson theorem and pair-breaking effects in presence of Van Hove singularity caused by non-magnetic disorder are also discussed.Comment: REVTEX 40 pages, 8 figures, (accepted by Physica Status Solidi b

Magnetic properties of solid solutions of BiFeO3– SmCoO3 system

Solid solutions of BiFeO3– SmCoO3were synthesized by a solid-state method. Peculiarities of the influence of isovalent substitution of Bi 3+ and Fe 3+ ions in BiFeO3by Sm 3+ , Co 3+ ions on the crystal structure and magnetic properties of Bi1–xSmxFe1–xCoxO3solid solutions are found. It is shown that the substitution 3-25% of the Bi 3+ , Fe 3+ ions in BiFe0O3by Sm 3+ , Co 3+ ions results in the gradual destruction of the antiferromagnetic and conception of ferromagnetic ordering. In this case replacing up to 10% of Sm 3+ and Co 3+ ions in SmCoO3by Bi 3+ and Fe 3+ ions leads to the stabilization of Co 3+ ions in a diamagnetic state

Manganite charge and orbitally ordered and disordered states probed by Fe substitution into Mn site in LnBaMn1.96Fe0.04O5, LnBaMn1.96Fe0.04O6 and LnBaMn1.96Fe0.04O5.5 (Ln=Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, Pr, La)

The layered manganese oxides LnBaMn1.96Fe0.04Oy (Ln=Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, Pr, La) have been synthesized for y=5, 5.5 and 6. In the oxygen-saturated state (y=6) they exhibit the charge and orbital order at ambient temperature for Ln=Y, Gd, Sm, but unordered eg-electronic system for Ln=La,Pr,Nd. Fourfold increase of quadrupole splitting was observed owing to the charge and orbital ordering. This is in agreement with the jumplike increase in distortion of the reduced perovskite-like cell for the charge and orbitally ordered manganites compared to the unordered ones. Substitution of 2 percents of Mn by Fe suppresses the temperatures of structural and magnetic transitions by 20 to 50 K. Parameters of the crystal lattices and the room-temperature M\"{o}ssbauer spectra were studied on forty samples whose structures were refined within five symmetry groups: P4/mmm, P4/nmm, Pm-3m, Icma and P2/m. Overwhelming majority of the Fe species are undifferentiated in the M\"{o}ssbauer spectra for most of the samples. Such the single-component spectra in the two-site structures are explained by the preference of Fe towards the site of Mn(III) and by the segmentation of the charge and orbitally ordered domains.Comment: 8 figures; figures 2 and 3 were revise

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of highly-coercive Sr[1–x]Gd[x]Fe[12–x]Zn[x]O[19] ferrites

High-coercivity ferrite samples Sr[1–x]Gd[x]Fe[12–x]Zn[x]O]19] (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) with magnetoplumbite structure were prepared from oxides Fe[2]O[3], Gd[2]O[3], ZnO and carbonate SrCO[3] by solid-state ceramic method, the dependence of the unit cell parameters aand con the value of xwas determined. XRD showed that the samples with x >0.1 were not single-phase, and the samples with x > 0.2 contained not only bases phase with the structure of magnetplumbite, but also the a-Fe[2]O[3] and Gd[3]Fe[5]O[12] phases. It was found that increase of the xvalue leads to a slight decrease in the Curie temperature (from 727 K for the basic ferrite SrFe[12]O[19] to 714 K for Sr[1–x]Gd[x]Fe[12–x]Zn[x]O[19] solid solution with x = 0.5). It has been found that at 300 K values of spontaneous magnetization (no) and coercive force (?Hc) of solid solution Sr[0.9]Gd[0.1]Fe[11.9]Zn[0.1]O[19] are respectively 1.3 and 2.3% higher than for the base ferrite SrFe[12]O[19], and values of samples with x > 0.1 of these magnetic properties decreases gradually