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2022-02-02
An Investigation into the Kinetics and Mechanism of Phase Transitions in Optical Phase Change Ternary Alloy $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$
Ternary alloys of Ge-Sb-Te (GST) have been extensively studied due to their unique ability display a reversible change in their phase upon stimulation by optical pulses i.e., amorphous (a-GST) to crystalline (c-GST) and vice-versa. The two phases exhibit remarkably different electrical and optical properties like conductivity, reflectivity, refractive index and optical loss, this coupled with their high phase switching speeds, low power phase switching, large measurable optical and electrical contrast, and phase stability makes GST alloys stand out from other phase change materials (PCM). GST alloys have already found extensive use in optical disks and electronic memories due to their non-volatility and zero static power consumption, but the precise mechanism of the phase change is not clearly understood. The phase change mechanism has usually been attributed to the optical pulse, usually a high power short pulse laser, heating up the c-GST alloy to above its melting temperature (Tm) after which, if it is cooled rapidly enough to below the glass transition temperature (Tg), the atoms are fixed in place due to the drastic reduction in their mobility, resulting in a phase which exhibits structure similar to a frozen liquid and lacks long range order i.e. amorphous. When heated above Tg with an intermediate power laser pulse for a significant amount of time, then this favors the shift back to the energetically favorable crystalline phase. With the growing interest in next generation data storage technology for photonic and neuromorphic computing, the research into understanding and improving the properties of GST alloys has also been rekindled. In this term paper we hope to investigate and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the kinetics and underlying atomistic mechanism of this phase transition from c-GST to a-GST and vice-versa which is only now becoming clearer.
2202.01918v2
2018-04-10
A mystery of "sluggish diffusion" in high-entropy alloys: the truth or a myth?
High entropy alloys (HEAs) are considered as a novel class of materials with a large number of components available in nearly equatomic proportions. One of the characteristic properties of HEAs was believed to be so-called "sluggish" diffusion. The faith on this myth instead of rigorous experimental analysis played such a dominant role that the first set of data on interdiffusion, in fact based on an improper analysis, were cited in hundreds of articles to state the presence of sluggishness of diffusion rates in high entropy alloys. In this review, the recent data on atomic diffusion in HEAs are critically discussed. The discussion is focused on tracer diffusion which is already measured dominantly for polycrystalline, but in some cases for single crystalline high-entropy alloys. Alternatively, a rigorous analysis of the interdiffuson experiments, which provide the diffusion rates of chemical species, too, becomes more and more sophisticated for three and more elements in an alloy and it is challenging to derive physically sound quantities from a general multicomponent diffusion experiment. Most promising in this case is the diffusion couple technique, especially the so-called pseudo-binary approach. This approach is analyzed with a focus on the applicability and the possible errors induced if up-hill diffusion appears. It is shown that atomic diffusion in HEAs cannot a priori be considered as sluggish and both atomic interactions as well as correlation effects are responsible for the observed trends. Even if estimated on the same homologous scale, the diffusion retardation induced by a "high entropy" in FCC crystals is not simply proportional to the number of alloying components and it is shown to be similar to that induced by the L12 ordering in a binary system. Furthermore, the importance of cross-correlations in diffusion of different species in HEAs is highlighted.
1804.03465v1
2021-09-05
Pseudoelastic deformation in Mo-based refractory multi-principal element alloys
Phase diagrams supported by density functional theory methods can be crucial for designing high-entropy alloys that are subset of multi-principal$-$element alloys. We present phase and property analysis of quinary (MoW)$_{x}$Zr$_{y}$(TaTi)$_{1-x-y}$ refractory high-entropy alloys from combined Calculation of Phase Diagram (CALPHAD) and density-functional theory results, supplemented by molecular dynamics simulations. Both CALPHAD and density-functional theory analysis of phase stability indicates a Mo-W-rich region of this quinary has a stable single-phase body-centered-cubic structure. We report first quinary composition from Mo$-$W$-$Ta$-$Ti$-$Zr family of alloy with pseudo-elastic behavior, i.e., hysteresis in stress$-$strain. Our analysis shows that only Mo$-$W$-$rich compositions of Mo$-$W$-$Ta$-$Ti$-$Zr, i.e., Mo$+$W$\ge$ 85 at.%, show reproducible hysteresis in stress-strain responsible for pseudo-elastic behavior. The (MoW)$_{85}$Zr$_{7.5}$(TaTi)$_{7.5}$ was down-selected based on temperature-dependent phase diagram analysis and molecular dynamics simulations predicted elastic behavior that reveals twinning assisted pseudoelastic behavior. While mostly unexplored in body-centered-cubic crystals, twinning is a fundamental deformation mechanism that competes against dislocation slip in crystalline solids. This alloy shows identical cyclic deformation characteristics during uniaxial $\lt$100$\gt$ loading, i.e., the pseudoelasticity is isotropic in loading direction. Additionally, a temperature increase from 77 to 1500 K enhances the elastic strain recovery in load-unload cycles, offering possibly control to tune the pseudoelastic behavior.
2109.02641v1
2021-09-18
Microstructural engineering of medium entropy NiCo(CrAl) alloy for enhanced room and high-temperature mechanical properties
This work demonstrates the development of a strong and ductile medium entropy alloy by employing conventional alloying and thermomechanical processing to induce partial recrystallization (PR) and precipitation strengthening in the microstructure. The combined usage of electron microscopy and atom probe tomography reveals the sequence of microstructural evolution during the process. First, the cold working of homogenized alloy resulted in a highly deformed microstructure. On annealing at 700{\deg}C, B2 ordered precipitates heterogeneously nucleate on the highly misoriented sites. These B2 promotes particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) of new recrystallized strain-free grains. The migration of recrystallized grain boundaries leads to discontinuous precipitation of L12 ordered regions in highly dense lamellae structures. Atomic-scale compositional analysis reveals a significant amount of Ni confined to the GB regions between B2 and L12 precipitates, indicating Ni as a rate-controlling element for coarsening the microstructure. On 20 hours of annealing, the alloy comprises a composite microstructure of soft recrystallized and hard non-recrystallized zones, B2 particles at the grain boundaries (GBs), and coherent L12 precipitates inside the grains. The B2 pins the GB movement during recrystallization while the latter provides high strength. The microstructure results in a 0.2% yield stress (YS) value of 1030 MPa with 32% elongation at ambient temperature and retains up to 910 MPa at 670{\deg}C. Also, it shows exceptional microstructural stability at 700 {\deg}C and resistance to deformation at high temperatures up to 770{\deg}C. Examination of deformed microstructure reveals excessive twinning, formation of stacking faults, shearing of L12 precipitates, and accumulation of dislocations at around the B2 precipitates and GBs attributed to high strain hardening of the alloy.
2109.08894v3
2021-10-22
Fully analytic valence force fields for the relaxation of group-IV semiconductor alloys: elastic properties of group-IV materials calculated from first principles
Si$_{y}$Ge$_{1-x-y}$(C,Sn,Pb)$_{x}$ alloys have attracted significant attention as a route to achieve a direct-gap group-IV semiconductor. Using density functional theory (DFT) - employing local density approximation and hybrid Heyd-Scuzeria-Ernzerhof exchange-correlation functionals - we compute the lattice parameters, relaxed and inner elastic constants, and internal strain (Kleinman) parameters for elemental (diamond) group-IV materials and zinc blende IV-IV compounds. Our DFT calculations support a little-known experimental re-evaluation of the $\alpha$-Sn elastic constants, and contradict a recent prediction of dynamic instability in selected IV-IV compounds. DFT-calculated structural and elastic properties are used in conjunction with a recently derived analytical parametrisation of a harmonic valence force field (VFF) [Phys. Rev. B 100, 094112 (2019)] to obtain a complete set of VFF potentials for Si$_{y}$Ge$_{1-x-y}$(C,Sn,Pb)$_{x}$ and Si$_{x}$Ge$_{1-x}$ alloys. The analytical parametrisation exactly reproduces the relaxed elastic constants and Kleinman parameter without recourse to numerical fitting, allowing for accurate and computationally inexpensive lattice relaxation. The accuracy of the VFF potentials is demonstrated via comparison to the results of DFT supercell relaxation for (i) ordered Si (Ge) alloy supercells containing a substitutional C, Ge (Si), Sn or Pb impurity, where comparison is also made to a model analytical VFF, and (ii) disordered Si$_{x}$Ge$_{1-x}$ alloy supercells. The VFF potentials we present enable accurate and computationally inexpensive relaxation of large-scale supercells representing bulk-like group-IV alloys or group-IV heterostructures, providing input to first principles or empirical electronic structure calculations, and enabling structural analysis and calculation of strain fields in heterostructures for device applications.
2110.11888v1
2021-12-01
Raman spectroscopy of group-IV Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ alloys: theory and experiment
Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ alloys are a promising candidate material to realise direct-gap group-IV semiconductors for applications in Si-compatible electronic and photonic devices. Here, we present a combined theoretical and experimental analysis of Raman spectroscopy in Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ alloys. We describe liquid-vapour-solid growth and structural characterisation of Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ ($x \leq 8$%) nanowires displaying high crystalline quality, and investigate the structural and vibrational properties of the nanowires using Raman spectroscopy. Our theoretical analysis is based on a fully analytic anharmonic valence force field (VFF) potential, which describes exactly - i.e. without recourse to numerical fitting - the second-order elastic constants, third-order bulk modulus, selected second- and third-order inner elastic constants and, as a consequence, the zone-centre transverse optical phonon mode frequency and its hydrostatic and axial strain dependence. We compute bulk elastic properties via density functional theory to parametrise the VFF potential for Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ alloys, and apply the VFF potential to explicitly compute the Raman spectra of realistic, disordered Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_{x}$ alloy supercells. Our atomistic theoretical calculations quantitatively capture: (i) the evolution of the measured Raman spectra with Sn composition $x$, (ii) demonstrate explicitly that the presence of short-range alloy disorder can significantly impact the shift coefficients $a$ and $b$ that respectively describe the dependence of the Raman shift on Sn composition and pseudomorphic strain, (iii) elucidate the origin of the so-called "disorder activated" mode identified in previous experimental investigations, and (iv) allow for detailed atomic-scale interpretation of measured Raman spectra. Overall, our analysis provides insight relevant to the characterisation of this emerging material system.
2112.00523v1
2023-02-21
Predicting the Early Stages of Solid-State Precipitation in Al-rich Al-Pt Alloys
The high strength of structural aluminium alloys depends strongly on the controlled precipitation of specific intermetallic phases, whose identity and crystal structure can be difficult to predict. Here, we investigate the Al-Pt system, which shows some similarity to the Al-Cu system as one of their main intermetallic phases, $Al_2Pt$, is nearly isostructural with $\theta^{\prime} (Al_2Cu)$, the metastable phase responsible for the high-strength of Al-Cu alloys. However, phases in Al-Pt alloys are complex and have not been studied in detail. Using a combination of density-functional theory (DFT) calculations and classical nucleation theory (CNT) applied to the Al-Pt system, we design a workflow to predict the thermodynamics of solid solution, intermediate phases such as GP zones, stable and metastable precipitates, and their precipitation sequence. This workflow can be applied to an arbitrary binary alloying system. We confirm the known stable phases $Al_4Pt$, $Al_{21}Pt_8$, $Al_2Pt$, $Al_3Pt_2$, $AlPt (\alpha \& \beta)$, $Al_3Pt_5$, $AlPt_2 (\alpha \& \beta)$ and $AlPt_3 (\alpha \& \beta)$. We also reveal the possible existence of two phases of chemical formulae $Al_5Pt$ and $Al_3Pt$. This large number of intermetallic phases is due to the strong bonding between Al and Pt, which also leads to significant favourable Pt solute formation energy in the Al matrix. Our findings are compared with the known precipitation characteristics of the binary Al-Cu and Al-Au systems. We find that the $\theta^{\prime}$-like $Al_2Pt$ precipitate phase has a lower coherent interfacial energy than $\theta^{\prime}$. Our calculations strongly suggest that $Al_2Pt$ will precipitate first in Al-rich Al-Pt alloys and will form bulk-like interfaces similar to $\eta (Al_2Au)$ rather than like $\theta^{\prime}(Al_2Cu)$.
2302.10399v1
2023-04-08
An Automated Fully-Computational Framework to Construct Printability Maps for Additively Manufactured Metal Alloys
In additive manufacturing, the optimal processing conditions need to be determined to fabricate porosity-free parts. For this purpose, the design space for an arbitrary alloy needs to be scoped and analyzed to identify the areas of defects for different laser power-scan speed combinations and can be visualized using a printability map. Constructing printability maps is typically a costly process due to the involvement of experiments, which restricts their application in high-throughput product design. To reduce the cost and effort of constructing printability maps, a fully computational framework is introduced in this work. The framework combines CALPHAD models and a reduced-order model to predict material properties. THen, an analytical thermal model, known as the Eagar-Tsai model, utilizes some of these materials' properties to calculate the melt pool geometry during the AM processes. In the end, printability maps are constructed using material properties, melt pool dimensions, and commonly used criteria for lack of fusion, balling, and keyholing defects. To validate the framework and its general application to laser powder-bed fusion alloys, five common additive manufacturing alloys are analyzed. Furthermore, NiTi-based alloys at three different compositions are evaluated to show the further extension of the framework to alloy systems at different compositions. The defect regions in these printability maps are validated with corresponding experimental observations to compare and benchmark the defect criteria and find the optimal criterion set with the maximum accuracy for each unique material composition. Furthermore, printability maps for NiTi that are obtained from our framework are used in conjunction with process maps resulting from a multi-model framework to guide the fabrication of defect-free additive manufactured parts with tailorable properties and performance.
2304.04113v1
2023-09-12
Investigating the "Cocoon Effect" in Niobium-Copper Alloy: Metallic Nano-Precipitate Distribution and Niobium Migration
We report the observation of the metallic niobium migration within the molten Cu-Nb alloy mass on the synthesis of nano-granular Cuxwt%Nb evolution, we prepared a series of granular samples by rapidly cooling a molten mixture of Cuxwt$%$Nb, where the niobium concentration varied (x=3,5,15,20). Our main goal in this work was not only to establish a systematic, innovative and robust method to obtaining good quality samples, but also provide a clear recipe for obtaining similar systems to the investigations of their interesting physical properties. Beyond the understanding of the "Cocoon Effect" in Niobium-Copper alloys, we include a wide complementary elsewhere investigation into the very interesting and rich superconducting properties exhibited by the Niobium-Copper alloy. By employing a robust synthesis method, we successfully obtained samples characterized by well-defined spherical nano-precipitates of niobium, featuring regular sizes and grain spacing. Our study contributes not only to our understanding of the Niobium-Copper molten phase separation, micro-structure and the Cocoon Effect in these metallic alloys, but also sheds light on the intricate and important implications for the development and optimization of good quality granular metallic alloys for various applications. From our work, we obtained very impressive micro structural results, such as: $d_{m}$ = 1.2 $\mu$m, $D_{m}$ $\le$ 2.2 $\mu$m and $\rho$ =1.785 $\mu$$m^{2}$, where $d_{m}$ is the distance between Niobium grains, $D_{m}$ is the mean diameter of Niobium grains and $\rho$ is the Niobium grain mean density in the Copper matrix.
2309.06385v2
1993-10-15
Dynamics of Ordering in Alloys with Modulated Phases
This paper presents a theoretical model for studying the dynamics of ordering in alloys which exhibit modulated phases. The model is different from the standard time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau description of the evolution of a non-conserved order parameter and resembles the Swift-Hohenberg model. The early-stage growth kinetics is analyzed and compared to the Cahn-Hilliard theory of continuous ordering. The effects of non-linearities on the growth kinetics are discussed qualitatively and it is shown that the presence of an underlying elastic lattice introduces qualitatively new effects. A lattice Hamiltonian capable of describing these effects and suitable for carrying out simulations of the growth kinetics is also constructed.
9310039v1
1993-10-26
The relationship between perturbation theory and direct calculations of rare-earth transition intensities
We use a simplified calculation to demonstrate the equivalence between three different methods for calculating transition line strengths [B.R. Judd and D. R. Pooler, J. Phys. C 15 (1982) 591; G. W. Burdick and M. F. Reid, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70 (1993) 2491; G. W. Burdick, H. J. Kooy, and M. F. Reid, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 5 (1993) L323]. These calculations demonstrate the complex interplay between spin-orbit and correlation contributions to two-photon transitions in rare-earth ions.
9310057v1
1995-03-09
Microscopic Modeling of the Growth of Order in an Alloy: Nucleated and Continuous Ordering
We study the early-stages of ordering in $Cu_3 Au$ using a model Hamiltonian derived from the effective medium theory of cohesion in metals: an approach providing a microscopic description of interatomic interactions in alloys. Our simulations show a crossover from a nucleated growth regime to a region where the ordering does not follow any simple growth laws. This mirrors the experimental observations in $Cu_3 Au$. The kinetics of growth, obtained from the simulations, is in semi-quantitative agreement with experiments. The real-space structures observed in our simulations offer some insight into the nature of early-stage kinetics
9503050v1
1996-10-01
A Model for Growth of Binary Alloys with Fast Surface Equilibration
We study a simple growth model for (d+1)-dimensional films of binary alloys in which atoms are allowed to interact and equilibrate at the surface, but are frozen in the bulk. The resulting crystal is highly anisotropic: Correlations perpendicular to the growth direction are identical to a d-dimensional two-layer system in equilibrium, while parallel correlations generally reflect the (Glauber) dynamics of such a system. For stronger in-plane interactions, the correlation volumes change from oblate to highly prolate shapes near a critical demixing or ordering transition. In d=1, the critical exponent z relating the scaling of the two correlation lengths varies continuously with the chemical interactions.
9610014v1
1997-04-26
Wetting phenomena in bcc binary alloys
We study the influence of the surface orientation on the wetting behavior of bcc binary alloys, using a semi-infinite lattice model equivalent to a nearest-neighbor Ising antiferromagnet in an external field. The salient feature of the model is the generation of an ``effective'' ordering surface field for symmetry-breaking surface orientations like (100). Such a field couples to the local order parameter at the surface and leads to the occurrence of wetting phenomena below the critical temperature T_c. Utilizing a Ginzburg-Landau continuum model which has been derived earlier from the lattice mean-field theory, the wetting phase diagram is calculated.
9704215v2
1997-08-30
Delocalization in Continuous Disordered Systems
Continuous One-dimensional models supporting extended states are studied. These delocalized statesoccur at well defined values of the energy and are consequences of simple statistical correlation rules. We explicitly study alloys of delta-barrier potentials as well as alloys and liquids of quantum well as.The divergence of the localization length is studied and a critical exponent 2/3 is found for the delta-barrier case, whereas for the quantum wells we find an exponent of 2 or 2/3 depending on the well's parameters. These results support the idea that correlations between random scattering sequences break Anderson localization. We further calculate the conductance of disordered superlattices. At the peak transmission the relative fluctuations of the transmission coefficient are vanishing.
9709003v1
1998-01-11
Origin of the anomaly in diffuse scattering from disordered Pt-V alloys
An explanation of the anomalous concentration dependence of diffuse scattering from the Pt-V alloy system (splitting of the (100) short-range order intensity peak with increasing Pt content) is proposed. The effect is attributed to the competition between the interaction and self-energy curvatures. A similar temperature behaviour is predicted.
9801090v2
1998-09-03
Fermi Surface as the Driving Mechanism for Helical Antiferromagnetic Ordering in Gd-Y Alloys
The first direct experimental evidence for the Fermi surface (FS) driving the helical antiferromagnetic ordering in a gadolinium-yttrium alloy is reported. The presence of a FS sheet capable of nesting is revealed, and the nesting vector associated with the sheet is found to be in excellent agreement with the periodicity of the helical ordering.
9809063v1
1998-09-09
Magnetic Properties Of Ni-Mo Single Crystal Alloys: Theory and Experiment
The magnetization of Ni_{1-x}Mo_{x} single crystals with x=4,6,8 and 10 % by weight have been measured at 4.2K using a vibrating sample magnetometer and a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). The magnetization of the alloy at these low concentrations and at 0 K have been theoretically determined by using the tight-binding linearized muffin-tin orbital method coupled with augmented space recursion. The theoretical data are compared with the experiment.
9809137v1
1999-06-29
Quantitative Model of Large Magnetostrain Effect in Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloys
A quantitative model describing large magnetostrain effect observed in several ferromagnetic shape memory alloys such as Ni2MnGa is briefly reported.The paper contains an exact thermodynamic consideration of the mechanical and magnetic properties for a similar type materials. As a result, the basic mechanical state equation including magnetic field effect is directly derived from a general Poisson's rule. It is shown that the magnetic field induced deformation effect is directly connected with the strain dependence of magnetization. A simple model of magnetization and its dependence on the strain is considered and applied to explain the results of experimental study of large magnetostrain effects in Ni2MnGa.
9906433v1
1999-08-03
Oscillatory Exchange Coupling across Cr$_{(1-x)}$V$_x$ Alloy spacers
We have identified the pieces of the Fermi surface responsible for the long period oscillations of magnetic coupling across Cr and Cr$_{(1-x)}$V$_x$ alloy spacers in metallic multilayers. Analysing experiments and results of KKR-CPA calculations we find that the periods are determined by the extremal wave~vectors of the hole pockets centered on the N-point in the Brillouin zone.
9908049v1
1999-09-10
Magnetic Properties of disordered CoCu alloys:A first principles approach
Crystalline Co$_{x}$Cu$_{1-x}$ alloys show interesting magnetic behavior over the entire concentration regime. We here present a fully self- consistent first principles electronic structure studies of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the system.We present results for the variation of density of states, magnetic moment,spin susceptibility and Curie temperature.
9909145v1
1999-09-13
Impurity correlations in dilute Kondo alloys
The single impurity Kondo model is often used to describe metals with dilute concentrations (n_i) of magnetic impurities. Here we examine how dilute the impurities must be for this to be valid by developing a virial expansion in impurity density. The O(n_i^2) term is determined from results on the 2-impurity Kondo problem by averaging over the RKKY coupling. The non-trivial fixed point of the 2-impurity problem could produce novel singularities in the heat capacity of dilute alloys at O(n_i^2).
9909186v1
1999-10-26
Composition Patterning in Systems Driven by Competing Dynamics
We study an alloy system where short-ranged, thermally-driven diffusion competes with externally imposed, finite-ranged, athermal atomic exchanges, as is the case in alloys under irradiation. Using a Cahn-Hilliard-type approach, we show that when the range of these exchanges exceeds a critical value, labyrinthine concentration patterns at a mesoscopic scale can be stabilized. Furthermore, these steady-state patterns appear only for a window of the frequency of forced exchanges. Our results suggest that ion beams may provide a novel route to stabilize and tune the size of nanoscale structural features in materials.
9910435v1
2000-01-19
Electron states in a one-dimensional random binary alloy
We present a model for alloys of compound semiconductors by introducing a one-dimensional binary random system where impurities are placed in one sublattice while host atoms lie on the other sublattice. The source of disorder is the stochastic fluctuation of the impurity energy from site to site. Although the system is one-dimensional and random, we demonstrate analytical and numerically the existence of extended states in the neighborhood of a given resonant energy, which match that of the host atoms.
0001266v1
2000-02-10
Order and Disorder Phenomena at Surfaces of Binary Alloys
We present recent Monte Carlo results on surfaces of bcc-structured binary alloys which undergo an order-disorder phase transformation in the bulk. In particular, we discuss surface order and surface induced disorder at the bulk transition between the ordered (DO3) phase and the disordered (A2) phase. An intricate interplay between different ordering and segregation phenomena leads to a complex surface behavior, which depends on the orientation of the surface under consideration. abstract
0002157v1
2000-04-13
Large Magnetic-Field-Induced Strains in Ni-Mn-Ga Alloys due to Redistribution of Martensite Variants
A polycrystalline and single-crystal samples of near-stoichiometric Ni2MnGa alloys have been investigated. It was confirmed that martensite short crystallographic axis (c-axis) is the easy axis of magnetization. The reversible reorientation of the easy magnetization direction of martensite samples after 5% compression is found. The same reversible reorientation of the easy magnetization direction under applied magnetic field occurs in the single-crystal samples. The field-induced reorientation of the easy magnetization direction is accompanied with more than 4% of sample's dimension change. About the same value of the field-induced strains can be obtained for polycrystalline samples after appropriate thermo-mechanical treatment.
0004211v1
2000-04-18
Kondo effect in a magnetic field and the magnetoresistivity of Kondo alloys
The effect of a magnetic field on the spectral density of a $\rm{S=1/2}$ Kondo impurity is investigated at zero and finite temperatures by using Wilson's numerical renormalization group method. A splitting of the total spectral density is found for fields larger than a critical value $H_{c}(T=0)\approx 0.5 T_{K}$, where $T_{K}$ is the Kondo scale. The splitting correlates with a peak in the magnetoresistivity of dilute magnetic alloys which we calculate and compare with the experiments on $\rm{Ce_{x}La_{1-x}Al_{2}}, x=0.0063$. The linear magnetoconductance of quantum dots exhibiting the Kondo effect is also calculated.
0004302v2
2000-05-22
CVM studies on the atomic ordering in complex perovskite alloys
The atomic ordering in complex perovskite alloys is investigated by the cluster variation method (CVM). For the 1/3\{111\}-type ordered structure, the order-disorder phase transition is the first order, and the order parameter of the 1:2 complex perovskite reaches its maximum near x=0.25. For the 1/2\{111\}-type ordered structure, the ordering transition is the second order. Phase diagrams for both ordered structures are obtained. The order-disorder line obeys the linear law.
0005341v1
2000-08-01
An elastic model for the In-In correlations in In(x)Ga(1-x)As semiconductor alloys
Deviations from randomicity in In(x)Ga(1-x) As semiconductor alloys induced by elastic effects are investigated within the Keating potential. Our model is based on Monte Carlo simulations on large (4096 atoms) supercells, performed with two types of boundary conditions: Fully periodic boundary conditions represent the bulk, while periodic boundary conditions along the x and y directions and a free surface in the z direction simulate the epitaxial growth environment. We show that In-In correlations identified in the bulk tend to be enhanced in the epitaxially grown samples.
0008020v1
2000-10-23
First order metamagnetic transition in CeFe$_2$ based pseudobinary alloys
We present results of dc magnetisation study showing that the low temperature antiferromagnetic state in various CeFe$_2$-based pseudobinary alloys can be transformed into ferromagnetic state through a magnetic field induced phase transition. We highlight the presence of hysteresis and phase coexistence across this metamagnetic transition and argue that the observed phase transition is of first order in nature.
0010341v1
2000-11-09
"Cold Melting" of Invar Alloys
An anomalously strong volume magnetostriction in Invars may lead to a situation when at low temperatures the dislocation free energy becomes negative and a multiple generation of dislocations becomes possible. This generation induces a first order phase transition from the FCC crystalline to an amorphous state, and may be called "cold melting". The possibility of the cold melting in Invars is connected with the fact that the exchange energy contribution into the dislocation self energy in Invars is strongly enhanced, as compared to conventional ferromagnetics, due to anomalously strong volume magnetostriction. The possible candidate, where this effect can be observed, is a FePt disordered Invar alloy in which the volume magnetostriction is especially large.
0011158v2
2001-10-01
Ab-initio design of perovskite alloys with predetermined properties: The case of Pb(Sc_{0.5} Nb_{0.5})O_{3}
A first-principles derived approach is combined with the inverse Monte Carlo technique to determine the atomic orderings leading to prefixed properties in Pb(Sc_{0.5}Nb_{0.5})O_{3} perovskite alloy. We find that some arrangements between Sc and Nb atoms result in drastic changes with respect to the disordered material, including ground states of new symmetries, large enhancement of electromechanical responses, and considerable shift of the Curie temperature. We discuss the microscopic mechanisms responsible for these unusual effects.
0110044v1
2002-05-17
Tight-binding parameters from the full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital method: A feasibility study on NiAl
We have examined a method of direct extraction of accurate tight-binding parameters from an ab-initio band-structure calculation. The linear muffin-tin potential method, in its full-potential implementation, has been used to provide the hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements in the momentum space. These matrix elements are Fourier transformed to real space to produce the tight-binding parameters. The feasibility of this method has been tested on the intermetallic alloy NiAl, using spd orbitals for each atom. The parameters generated for this alloy have been used as input to a real-space calculation of the local density of states using the recursion method.
0205368v1
2002-07-27
KP-approach for non-symmetric short-range defects: resonant states and alloy bandstructure
The short-range defect with reduced symmetry is studied in the framework of KP-approach taking into account a matrix structure of potential energy in the equations for envelope functions. The case of the narrow-gap semiconductor, with defects which are non-symmetric along the [001], [110], or [111] directions, is considered. Resonant state at a single defect is analyzed within the Koster-Slater approximation. The bandstructure modification of the alloy, formed by non-symmetric impurities, is discussed and a generalized virtual crystal approximation is introduced.
0207661v2
2002-09-13
Disorder induced critical phenomena in magnetically glassy Cu-Al-Mn alloys
Measurements of magnetic hysteresis loops in Cu-Al-Mn alloys of different Mn content at low temperatures are presented. The loops are smooth and continuous above a certain temperature, but exhibit a magnetization discontinuity below that temperature. Scaling analysis suggest that this system displays a disorder induced phase transition line. Measurements allow to determine the critical exponents $\beta=0.03\pm 0.01$ and $\beta \delta = 0.4 \pm 0.1$ in agreement with those reported recently [Berger et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 85}, 4176 (2000)]
0209323v1
2002-10-08
Coulomb Correlations and Magnetic Anisotropy in ordered $L1_0$ CoPt and FePt alloys
We present results of the magneto-crystalline anisotropy energy (MAE) calculations for chemically ordered $L1_0$ CoPt and FePt alloys taking into account the effects of strong electronic correlations and spin-orbit coupling. The local spin density + Hubbard U approximation (LSDA+U) is shown to provide a consistent picture of the magnetic ground state properties when intra-atomic Coulomb correlations are included for both 3$d$ and 5$d$ elements. Our results demonstrate significant and complex contribution of correlation effects to large MAE of these material.
0210157v2
2002-11-18
Study of Phase Stability in NiPt Systems
We have studied the problem of phase stability in NiPt alloy system. We have used the augmented space recursion based on the TB-LMTO as the method for studying the electronic structure of the alloys. In particular, we have used the relativistic generalization of our earlier technique. We note that, in order to predict the proper ground state structures and energetics, in addition to relativistic effects, we have to take into account charge transfer effects with precision.
0211378v3
2003-01-09
Soft X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism of c(2x2) CuMn Ordered Surface Alloy
Mn 2p soft X-ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopy excited with circularly polarized synchrotron radiation has been applied to a new class of material, c(2x2)CuMn/Cu(001) two-dimensional ordered surface alloy. A significant X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) signal has been clearly observed at T=25K, indicating the existence of the ferromagnetic state under the external magnetic field of 1.4 Tesla. The lineshape analyses of the XAS and XMCD spectra clearly show that the Mn 3d state is rather localized and has a high spin magnetic moment due to its half-filled character.
0301114v1
2003-03-04
Monte Carlo Study of Ordering and Domain Growth in a Class of fcc-Alloy Models
Ordering processes in fcc-alloys with composition A_3B (like Cu_3Au, Cu_3Pd, CoPt_3 etc.) are investigated by Monte Carlo simulation within a class of lattice models based on nearest-neighbor (NN) and second-neighbor (NNN) interactions. Using an atom-vacancy exchange algorithm, we study the growth of ordered domains following a temperature quench below the ordering spinodal. For zero NNN-interactions we observe an anomalously slow growth of the domain size L(t) \sim t^\alpha, where \alpha \sim 1/4 within our accessible timescales. With increasing NNN-interactions domain growth becomes faster and \alpha gradually approaches the value 1/2 as predicted by the conventional Lifshitz-Allen-Cahn theory.
0303052v1
2003-07-01
Magnetic Properties of Fe75Cu4Ni4Mo2B15 Alloy
The structural and magnetic properties of ball-milled Fe75Cu4Ni4Mo2B15 alloy have been investigated through powder X-ray diffraction studies, magnetization and magnetoimpedance measurements. The particle size decreased rapidly with ball-milling up to 165 hours and then remained as a constant with further hours of milling while, the lattice expanded with milling time up to 165 hours and contracted back with further milling. Saturation magnetization is found to decrease rapidly up to 165 hours of milling and then started decreasing slowly with further milling time. Magnetoimpedance studies were carried out in pellets and thin films of Fe75Cu4Ni4Mo2B15. Magnetoimpedance in pellet is observed to be ~2.5% at 5Hz whereas, in thin films, it is observed to be ~1.5% at 3 MHz.
0307019v1
2003-07-24
First-principles thermodynamics of transition metals and alloys: W, NiAl, PdTi
We apply the pseudopotential density functional perturbation theory approach along with the quasiharmonic approximation to calculate the thermal expansion of tungsten and two important metallic alloys, NiAl and PdTi. We derive the theory for anisotropic crystal structures and test the approximation that the anisotropic effects of thermal expansion are equivalent to negative pressure - this simplifies the calculation enormously for complex structures. Throughout, we find excellent agreement with experimental results.
0307621v1
2003-09-09
Relaxation under Supercooling of the Disordered Vortex State in Doped CeRu2 Alloy
Relaxation in magnetisation of metastable states is reported. The states are prepared by supercooling a Ce(Ru, 5% Nd)2 alloy sample to different extents through similar paths in the H-T space, and then by applying a field jerk of 20 Oe of either sign. Based on standard theory, a possible explanation is put forward.
0309222v1
2003-12-12
Chiral susceptibility in canonical spin glass and reentrant alloys from Hall effect measurements
The extraordinary Hall effect coefficients $R_s(T)$ of the canonical spin glass alloys ${\bf Au}Fe 8 at%$ and ${\bf Au}Mn 8 at%$ and of an archetype reentrant system ${\bf Au}Fe 18 at%$ were measured as functions of temperature. The data show a critical cusp-like term superimposed on a smooth background for the spin glasses, and change of sign with temperature for the reentrant. The results can be interpreted consistently by invoking a chiral Hall effect contribution as proposed by Kawamura.
0312311v1
2004-02-13
Order-disorder transition in the Cd-Ca cubic approximant
Recent experiments discovered an order-disorder transition occuring at low temperatures in large unit 1/1 cell cubic approximants of the stable Cd-based binary alloy quasicrystals. The transition is related to correlations among orientational degrees of freedom whose separations are around 12 \AA. We analyze the interactions between the degrees of freedom using {\em ab-initio} calculations for Cd-Ca alloys and derive an equivalent antiferromagnetic Ising model which shows a similar phase transition. However, the calculated transition temperature is higher than observed experimentally, indicating that the actual structure and its order-disorder transition are more complex than originally proposed. A side-benefit of our study is the discovery of a canonical-cell decoration model for the Cd-Ca icosahedral phase.
0402370v1
2004-02-13
Quasicrystal approximants with novel compositions and structures
We identify several new quasicrystal approximants in alloy systems in which quasicrystals have not been previously reported. Some occur in alloys with large size contrast between the constituent elements, either containing small Boron atoms, or large Ca/Eu atoms, leading to quasicrystal structures quite different from currently known systems where the size contrast is smaller. Another group of the approximants are layered Frank--Kasper structures, demonstrating competition between decagonal and dodecagonal ordering within this family of structures.
0402371v1
2004-03-18
Optical properties of random alloys : A formulation
We present here a formulation for the calculation of the configuration-averaged optical conductivity in random alloys. Our formulation is based on the augmented-space theorem introduced by one of us [A. Mookerjee, J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. 6, 1340 (1973)]. We show that disorder scattering renormalizes the electron and hole propagators as well as the transition amplitude. The corrections to the transition amplitude have been shown to be related to the self-energy of the propagators and vertex corrections.
0403456v2
2004-05-13
Precessional dynamics of elemental moments in a ferromagnetic alloy
We demonstrate an element-specific measurement of magnetization precession in a metallic ferromagnetic alloy, separating Ni and Fe moment motion in Ni81Fe19. Pump-probe X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), synchronized with short magnetic field pulses, is used to measure free magnetization oscillations up to 2.6 GHz with elemental specificity and a rotational resolution of < 2 deg. Magnetic moments residing on Ni sites and Fe sites in a Ni81Fe19(50nm) thin film are found to precess together at all frequencies, coupled in phase within instrumental resolution of 90 ps.
0405295v1
2004-08-06
Scaling Behavior of the Portevin-Le Chatelier Effect in an Al-2.5%Mg Alloy
The scaling behavior of the Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) effect was studied by deforming Al-2.5%Mg alloy for a wide range of strain rates. To reveal the exact scaling nature, the time series data of true stress vs. time, obtained during deformation, were analyzed by two complementary methods: the finite variance scaling method and the diffusion entropy analysis. From these analyses we could establish that in the entire span of strain rates, PLC effect showed Levy walk property.
0408132v3
2004-11-08
Improved Hc2 in Bulk-Form Magnesium Diboride by Mechanical Alloying With Carbon
High energy milling of MgB2 pre-reacted powder renders the material largely amorphous through extreme mechanical deformation and is suitable for mechanically alloying MgB2 with dopants including carbon. Bulk samples of milled C and MgB2 powders subjected to hot isostatic pressing and Mg vapor annealing have achieved critical fields in excess of 32T and critical current density approaching 10^6 A/cm^2.
0411199v2
2005-02-22
High-throughput ab initio analysis of the Bi-In, Bi-Mg, Bi-Sb, In-Mg, In-Sb, and Mg-Sb systems
Prediction and characterization of crystal structures of alloys are a key problem in materials research. Using high-throughput ab initio calculations we explore the low-temperature phase diagrams for the following systems: {Bi-In, Bi-Mg, Bi-Sb, In-Mg, In-Sb, and Mg-Sb}. For the experimentally observed phases in these systems we provide information about their stability at low temperatures. Keywords: Binary Alloys, Ab initio, Intermetallics, Transition Metals, Structure Prediction, Phase Stability, Magnesium, Indium, Bismuth, Antimony.
0502535v1
2005-04-04
Transition from Ferromagnetism to Antiferromagnetism in Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$N
Using density functional theory, we study the magnetic stability of the Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$N alloy system. We show that unlike Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$As, which shows only ferromagnetic (FM) phase, Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$N can be stable in either FM or antiferromagnetic phases depending on the alloy concentration. The magnetic order can also be altered by applying pressure or with charge compensation. A unified model is used to explain these behaviors.
0504083v1
2005-05-25
Sharp magnetization step across the ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition in doped-CeFe$_2$ alloys
Very sharp magnetization step is observed across the field induced antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition in various doped-CeFe$_2$ alloys, when the measurement is performed below 5K. In the higher temperature regime (T$>$5K) this transition is quite smooth in nature. Comparing with the recently observed similar behaviour in manganites showing colossal magnetoresistance and magnetocaloric material Gd$_5$Ge$_4$ we argue that such magnetization step is a generalized feature of a disorder influenced first order phase transition.
0505609v1
2005-11-07
Observation of enhanced fluctuation diamagnetism in lanthanum superconductors with dilute magnetic impurities
The fluctuation-induced diamagnetism (FD), associated with the presence of precursor Cooper pairs in the normal state, has been measured in lanthanum with dilute magnetic (Pr) and nonmagnetic (Lu) impurities. It is found that while for pure La and La-Lu alloys the FD agrees, as expected, with the theoretical predictions, it is much larger for La-Pr alloys (around a factor 5 for La-2at.%Pr). These results suggest the existence of an indirect contribution to the FD arising from the interaction between fluctuating Cooper pairs and magnetic impurities.
0511175v1
2005-12-14
Optical conductivity in disordered alloys : an approach via the augmented space recursion
We present here a calculation of the configuration averaged optical conductivity of random binary alloys CuAu and AgAu. Our formulation is based on the augmented space formalism proposed by Mookerjee [J. Phys. C : Solid State Phys. {\bf 6} 1340 (1973)] and the optical conductivity is obtained directly through a recursive procedure suggested by Viswanath and M\"uller ["The user friendly recursion method", Troisieme Cycle de la Physique, en Suisse Romande (1993)].
0512300v1
2005-12-22
Point defect concentrations in metastable Fe-C alloys
Point defect species and concentrations in metastable Fe-C alloys are determined using density functional theory and a constrained free-energy functional. Carbon interstitials dominate unless iron vacancies are in significant excess, whereas excess carbon causes greatly enhances vacancy concentration. Our predictions are amenable to experimental verification; they provide a baseline for rationalizing complex microstructures known in hardened and tempered steels, and by extension other technological materials created by or subjected to extreme environments.
0512598v2
2006-01-24
Anomalous electronic correlations in ground state momentum density of Al$_{97}$Li$_3$
We report high resolution Compton scattering measurements on an Al$_{97}$Li$_3$ disordered alloy single crystal for momentum transfer along the [100], [110] and [111] symmetry directions. The results are interpreted via corresponding KKR-CPA (Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker coherent potential approximation) first principles computations. By comparing spectra for Al$_{97}$Li$_3$ and Al, we show that the momentum density in the alloy differs significantly from the predictions of the conventional Fermi liquid picture and that the ground state of Al is modified anomalously by the addition of Li.
0601530v1
2006-01-30
Is Delta_{pi}-gap-only superconductivity possible in Mg_{1-x}Al_{x}B_{2} and Mg(B_{1-y}C_{y})_{2} alloys?
Using density-functional-based method, we study the k-resolved sigma- and pi-band holes in Mg_{1-x}Al_{x}B_{2} and Mg(B_{1-y}C_{y})_{2} alloys. We find that the calculated profiles of the loss of sigma- and pi-band holes in these two systems as a function of impurity concentration are in qualitative agreement with experiments, as expected. We also describe its implications vis-a-vis superconductivity in Mg_{1-x}Al_{x}B_{2} and Mg(B_{1-y}C_{y})_{2}.
0601675v1
2006-03-01
Lattice dynamics of the high temperature shape memory alloy Nb-Ru
Nb-Ru is a high temperature shape memory alloy that undergoes a Martensitic transformation from a parent cubic b-phase into a tetragonal b' phase at TM 900 C. Measurements of the phonon dispersion curves show that the [110]-TA2 phonon branch, corresponding in the q=0 limit to the elastic constant C'=1/2(C11-C12) has an anomalous temperature dependence. Nearly the entire branch softens with decreasing temperature as TM is approached. The temperature dependence of the low-q phonon energies suggests that the elastic constants would approach 0 as T approaches TM, indicating a second order transition. No additional lattice modulation is observed in the cubic phase.
0603031v1
2006-07-03
First principles molecular dynamics study of amorphous Si\sub{1-x}Ge\sub{x}:H alloys
We study the structural, dynamical and electronic properties of amorphous Si\sub{1-x}Ge\sub{x}:H alloys using first principles local basis molecular dynamics simulation. The network topology and defects in the amorphous network have been analyzed. Structural changes and an increase in number of defects have been found as the Ge atomic percentage increases from x=0.1 to x=0.5. The electronic density of states exhibits a decreasing band-gap and increased mid-gap and band-tail defect states as Ge concentration increases. Investigation of the band tails of the density of states show an exponential (Urbach) behavior. The mobility gap is estimated as a function of Ge concentration.
0607058v1
2006-07-17
Density Functional Theory of Freezing and Phase Field Crystal Modeling
In this paper the relationship between the density functional theory of freezing and phase field modeling is examined. More specifically a connection is made between the correlation functions that enter density functional theory and the free energy functionals used in phase field crystal modeling and standard models of binary alloys (i.e., regular solution model). To demonstrate the properties of the phase field crystal formalism a simple model of binary alloy crystallization is derived and shown to simultaneously model solidification, phase segregation, grain growth, elastic and plastic deformations in anisotropic systems with multiple crystal orientations on diffusive time scales.
0607419v1
2006-08-30
Self - Organized Si Dots On Ge Substrates
The epitaxial growth conditions for silicon on germanium substrates were investigated as a function of growth temperature and monolayer coverage. Island formation was observed for the hole studied temperature range, although strong alloying with the substrate occurred for the highest temperatures. Carbon pre-deposition offers suitable nucleation centers for the Si island and reduction of alloying. pre-structured Ge substrates were prepared to enhance islanding and to achieve ordering.
0608660v1
2006-09-08
Magneto-optical characterization of MnxGe1-x alloys obtained by ion implantation
Magneto-optical Kerr effect hysteresis loops at various wavelengths in the visible/near-infrared range have been used to characterize the magnetic properties of alloys obtained by implanting Mn ions at fixed energy in a Ge matrix. The details of the hysteresis loops reveal the presence of multiple magnetic contributions. They may be attributed to the inhomogeneous distribution of the magnetic atoms and, in particular, to the known coexistence of diluted Mn in the Ge matrix and metallic Mn-rich nanoparticles embedded in it [Phys. Rev. B 73, 195207(2006)].
0609194v1
2006-10-08
Nonlocal spectral properties of disordered alloys
A general method is proposed for calculating a fully k-dependent, continuous, and causal spectral function A(k,E) within the recently introduced nonlocal version of the coherent-potential approximation (NLCPA). The method involves the combination of both periodic and anti-periodic solutions to the associated cluster problem and also leads to correct bulk quantities for small cluster sizes. We illustrate the method by investigating the Fermi surface of a two-dimensional alloy. Dramatically, we find a smeared electronic topological transition not predicted by the conventional CPA.
0610208v1
2006-10-11
0-pi transition in SFS junctions with strongly spin-dependent scattering
We develop theory of proximity effect in a superconductor - GMR alloy - superconductor trilayers, which takes into account strong spin dependence of electron scattering of compositional disorder in a diluted ferromagnetic alloy. We show that in such a system the critical current oscillations as the function of the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer, with the period of $v_{F}/2I$, decay exponentially with the characteristic length of the order of the mean free path.
0610299v3
2006-10-18
Ab initio Calculations of the Vibrational Modes of MnAs and Ga1-xMnxAs
In this work, we present our theoretical results for the equation of state and the phonon dispersions of MnAs, as well as the Mn concentration dependence of both the lattice parameter and the phonon frequencies of the cubic GaMnAs alloys. The results are in good agreement with the experimental results whenever this comparison is possible. Based on the obtained results, the lattice constants and the phonon frequencies of the alloys do not obey the Vegard rule.
0610493v1
2006-12-07
Lanthanum-Cerium Based Bulk Metallic Glasses with Superior Glass-Forming Ability
A quinary (La0.5Ce0.5)65Al10(Co0.6Cu0.4)25 alloy with superior glass-forming ability (GFA), identified by the formation of fully glassy rod of 32 mm in diameter by tilt-pour casting, was reported. By comparing with the GFA of quarternary (La0.5Ce0.5)65Al10TM25 and ternary Ln65Al10TM25 alloys (Ln = La or Ce; TM = Co or Cu), we suggest that the strong frustration of crystallization by utilizing the coexistence of La-Ce and Co-Cu to complicate competing crystalline phases is helpful to construct BMG component with superior GFA.
0612184v1
2006-12-19
First-principles prediction of high Curie temperature for ferromagnetic bcc-Co and bcc-FeCo alloys and its relevance to tunneling magnetoresistance
We determine from first-principles the Curie temperature Tc for bulk Co in the hcp, fcc, bcc, and tetragonalized bct phases, for FeCo alloys, and for bcc and bct Fe. For bcc-Co, Tc=1420 K is predicted. This would be the highest Curie temperature among the Co phases, suggesting that bcc-Co/MgO/bcc-Co tunnel junctions offer high magnetoresistance ratios even at room temperature. The Curie temperatures are calculated by mapping ab initio results to a Heisenberg model, which is solved by a Monte Carlo method.
0612497v1
2007-01-12
An experimental method for the in-situ observation of eutectic growth patterns in bulk samples of transparent alloys
We present an experimental method for the in-situ observation of directional-solidification fronts in bulk samples of transparent eutectic alloys. The growth front is observed obliquely in dark field through the liquid and a glass wall of the container with a long-distance microscope. We show that a focused image of the whole growth front can be obtained at a certain tilt angle of the microscope. At this tilt angle, eutectic fibers of about 3.5\mic in diameter can be clearly seen over the whole growth front in 400-\mic thick samples.
0701267v1
2007-01-29
Alloying mechanisms for epitaxial nanocrystals
The different mechanisms involved in the alloying of epitaxial nanocrystals are reported in this letter. Intermixing during growth, surface diffusion and intra-island diffusion were investigated by varying the growth conditions and annealing environments during chemical vapor deposition. The relative importance of each mechanism was evaluated in determining a particular composition profile for dome-shaped Ge:Si (001) islands. For samples grown at a faster rate, intermixing during growth was reduced. Si surface diffusion dominates during H$_2$ annealing whereas Ge surface diffusion and intra-island diffusion prevail during annealing in a PH$_3$ environment.
0701710v2
2007-02-10
Geometrical Frustration in Liquid Fe and Fe-Based Metallic Glass
We investigate short rane order in liquid and supercooled liquid Fe and Fe-based metallic glass using ab-initio simulation methods. We analyze the data to quantify the degree of local icosahedral and polytetrahedral order and to understand the role of alloying in controlling the degree of geometric frustration . Comparing elemental Fe to Cu we find that the degree of icosahedral order is greater in Fe than in Cu, possibly because icosahedral disclination line defects are more easily incorporated into BCC environments than FCC. In Fe-based metallic glass-forming alloys (FeB and FeZrB) we find that introducing small concentrations of small B atoms and large Zr atoms controls the frustration of local icosahedral order.
0702263v1
2007-03-06
Mean-field heat capacity of dilute magnetic alloys
Using an asymptotic solution of the M-impurity thermodynamics of a dilute s-d system, the impurity energy and impurity heat capacity DeltaC(T) are derived for dilute magnetic alloys with spin 1/2 and spin 3/2 impurities. The parameters which enter DeltaC are adjusted to fit experimental data on impurity heat capacity of CuCr and LaCeAl_2. Agreement is satisfactory for CuCr, at temperatures below 1K, and good for LaCeAl_2. The magnitude of theoretical DeltaC(T) agrees with experiment and does not require scaling as in previous s-d theories. Nonlinear dependence of DeltaC(T) on impurity concentration has been accounted for the first time.
0703146v1
2002-04-15
Existence of the density of states for one-dimensional alloy-type potentials with small support
We study spectral properties of Schr\"odinger operators with random potentials of alloy type on $L^2(\RR)$ and their restrictions to finite intervals. A Wegner estimate for non-negative single site potentials with small support is proven. It implies the existence and local uniform boundedness of the density of states. Our estimate is valid for all bounded energy intervals. Wegner estimates play a key role in an existence proof of pure point spectrum.
0204030v1
2002-04-15
Existence of the density of states for some alloy type models with single site potentials of changing sign
We study spectral properties of ergodic random Schr\"odinger operators on $L^2 (\RR^d)$. The density of states is shown to exist for a certain class of alloy type potentials with single site potentials of changing sign. The Wegner estimate we prove implies Anderson localization under certain additional assumptions. For some examples we discuss briefly some properties of the common and conditional densities of the random coupling constants used in the proof of the Wegner estimate.
0204031v1
2005-10-17
Wegner estimate and the density of states of some indefinite alloy type Schroedinger Operators
We study Schroedinger operators with a random potential of alloy type. The single site potentials are allowed to change sign. For a certain class of them we prove a Wegner estimate. This is a key ingredient in an existence proof of pure point spectrum of the considered random Schroedinger operators. Our estimate is valid for all bounded energy intervals and all space dimensions and implies the existence of the density of states.
0510062v1
2006-06-01
Similarity Solution of the 3-phase Stefan Problem for Alloys with Arbitrary Temperature Dependent Properties
In this paper a 3-phase Stefan problem solution method for 1D semi-infinity alloy is developed. The problem is first solved for full enthalpy of the system and then the thermal diffusivity has been eliminated from the divergence operator by Kirchoff transformation. Moreover, we introduce a similarity independent variable $\eta=x^{2}/\tau$ and original problem transforms to ordinary differential equations (ODE) for each phase separately. These ODEs have Dirichlet's type boundary conditions.
0606001v1
2005-05-24
Calculation of single-beam two-photon absorption transition rate of rare-earth ions using effective operator and diagrammatic representation
Effective operators needed in single-beam two-photon transition calculations have been represented with modified Goldstone diagrams similar to the type suggested by Duan and co-workers [J. Chem. Phys. 121, 5071 (2004) ]. The rules to evaluate these diagrams are different from those for effective Hamiltonian and one-photon transition operators. It is verified that the perturbation terms considered contain only connected diagrams and the evaluation rules are simplified and given explicitly.
0505162v1
2005-11-03
A small sealed Ta crucible for thermal analysis of volatile metallic samples
Differential thermal analysis on metallic alloys containing volatile elements can be highly problematic. Here we show how measurements can be performed in commercial, small-sample, equipment without modification. This is achieved by using a sealed Ta crucible, easily fabricated from Ta tubing and sealed in a standard arc furnace. The crucible performance is demonstrated by measurements on a mixture of Mg and MgB$_2$, after heating up to 1470$^{\circ}{\rm C}$. We also show data, measured on an alloy with composition Gd$_{40}$Mg$_{60}$, that clearly shows both the liquidus and a peritectic, and is consistent with published phase diagram data.
0511022v1
2007-05-31
Lowest-energy structures of 13-atom binary clusters: Do icosahedral clusters exist in binary liquid alloys?
Although the existence of 13-atom icosahedral clusters in one-component close-packed undercooled liquids was predicted more than half a century ago by Frank, the existence of such icosahedral clusters is less clear in liquid alloys. We study the lowest-energy structures of 13-atom AxB13-x Lennard-Jones binary clusters using the modified space-fixed genetic algorithm and the artificial Lennard-Jones potential designed by Kob and Andersen. Curiously, the lowest-energy structures are non-icosahedral for almost all compositions. The role played by the icosahedral cluster in a binary glass is questionable.
0705.4555v1
2007-07-10
The modulus of continuity of Wegner estimates for random Schrödinger operators on metric graphs
We consider an alloy type potential on an infinite metric graph. We assume a covering condition on the single site potentials. For random Schr\"odingers operator associated with the alloy type potential restricted to finite volume subgraphs we prove a Wegner estimate which reproduces the modulus of continuity of the single site distribution measure. The Wegner constant is independent of the energy.
0707.1486v1
2007-08-29
Relation of Curie temperature and conductivity: (Ga,Mn)As alloy as a case study
Experimental investigations of diluted magnetic semiconductors indicate a strong relation between Curie temperature and conductivity. Both quantities depend non trivially on the concentration of magnetic impurities, the carrier density, and the presence of compensating defects. We calculate both Curie temperature and conductivity of (Ga,Mn)As alloys in a selfconsistent manner based on the same first principles Hamiltonian in which the presence of compensating defects is taken into account. The effect of As-antisites and Mn-interstitials is determined separately and a good agreement between theory and experiment exists only in the case where the dominating mechanism of is due to the Mn-interstitials.
0708.3921v1
2007-09-06
The formation and ordering of local magnetic moments in Fe-Al alloys
With density functional theory, studied are the local magnetic moments in Fe-Al alloys depending on concentration and Fe nearest environment. At zero temperature, the system can be in different states: ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic and spin-spiral waves (SSW) which has a minimum energy. Both SSW and negative moment of Fe atoms with many Al atoms around them agree with experiments. Magnetization curves taken from literature are analysed. Assumption on percolation character of size distribution of magnetic clusters describes well the experimental superparamagnetic behaviour above 150 K.
0709.0793v1
2007-10-05
The Debye-Waller factor of stabilized delta-Pu
The Debye-Waller factor has been calculated for stabilized delta-phase plutonium with 5% aluminum. A quasi-harmonic Born-von Karman force model with temperature dependent phonon frequencies was used to calculate the mean-square thermal atomic displacement from absolute zero to 800 K. Implementation of the observed anomalous softening of the long wavelength phonons with increasing temperature cannot account for the softening of the measured thermal parameter at high temperatures nor for its rather high value at low temperatures. The implications for diffraction measurements on delta-phase stabilized plutonium alloys are discussed.
0710.1241v1
2007-10-15
Ferromagnetic resonance study of polycrystalline Fe_{1-x}V_x alloy thin films
Ferromagnetic resonance has been used to study the magnetic properties and magnetization dynamics of polycrystalline Fe$_{1-x}$V$_{x}$ alloy films with $0\leq x < 0.7$. Films were produced by co-sputtering from separate Fe and V targets, leading to a composition gradient across a Si substrate. FMR studies were conducted at room temperature with a broadband coplanar waveguide at frequencies up to 50 GHz using the flip-chip method. The effective demagnetization field $4 \pi M_{\mathrm{eff}}$ and the Gilbert damping parameter $\alpha$ have been determined as a function of V concentration. The results are compared to those of epitaxial FeV films.
0710.2826v2
2007-11-28
Evidence for Two Current Conduction in Iron
Measurements of resistivities of dilute iron based alloys show strong deviations from Matthiessen's rule. These deviations can be explained by a model in which spin up and spin down electrons conduct in parallel. The results are consistent with the theory of impurity shielding in these alloys. [This 1967 paper provides the first experimental demonstration of two current conduction at low temperatures in a ferromagnetic metal. One direct consequence of this property is the Giant Magnetoresistance discovered in 1988 by the groups of Albert Fert and of Peter Gr\"unberg].
0711.4478v1
2007-12-14
Theory of electronic transport in random alloys with short-range order: Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker non-local coherent potential approximation
We present an ab-initio formalism for the calculation of transport properties in compositionally disordered systems within the framework of the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker non-local coherent potential approximation. Our formalism is based upon the single-particle Kubo-Greenwood linear response and provides a natural means of incorporating the effects of short-range order upon the transport properties. We demonstrate the efficacy of the formalism by examining the effects of short-range order and clustering upon the transport properties of disordered $AgPd$ and $CuZn$ alloys.
0712.2388v1
2008-01-25
Ferromagnetism and Kondo Insulator Behavior in the Disordered Periodic Anderson Model
The effect of binary alloy disorder on the ferromagnetic phases of f-electron materials is studied within the periodic Anderson model. We find that disorder in the conduction band can drastically enhance the Curie temperature due to an increase of the local f-moment. The effect may be explained qualitatively and even quantitatively by a simple theoretical ansatz. The emergence of an alloy Kondo insulator at non-integer filling is also pointed out.
0801.3934v1
2008-02-20
Empirical oscillating potentials for alloys from ab-initio fits
By fitting to a database of ab-initio forces and energies, we can extract pair potentials for alloys, with a simple six-parameter analytic form including Friedel oscillations, which give a remarkably faithful account of many complex intermetallic compounds. As examples we show results for (crystal or quasicrystal) structure prediction and phonon spectrum for three systems: Fe--B, Al--Mg--Zn, and Al--Cu--Fe.
0802.2926v2
2008-03-07
Orbital magnetism in transition-metal systems: The role of local correlation effects
The influence of correlation effects on the orbital moments for transition metals and their alloys is studied by first-principle relativistic Density Functional Theory in combination with the Dynamical Mean-Field Theory. In contrast to the previous studies based on the orbital polarization corrections we obtain an improved description of the orbital moments for wide range of studied systems as bulk Fe, Co and Ni, Fe-Co disordered alloys and 3$d$ impurities in Au. The proposed scheme can give simultaneously a correct dynamical description of the spectral function as well as static magnetic properties of correlated disordered metals.
0803.1000v1
2008-03-07
First-Principles Theory of Competing Order Types, Phase Separation, and Phonon Scattering in Thermoelectric Pb-Sb-Ag-Te Alloys
Using a first-principles cluster expansion, we shed light on the solid-state phase diagram and structure of the recently discovered high-performance thermoelectrics, Pb-Ag-Sb-Te alloys. The observed nanoscale inhomogeneities are shown to be coherent precipitates of ordered (Ag)m(Sb)n(Te)m+n phases, such as AgSbTe2, all immiscible with rocksalt PbTe. The solubility is high for PbTe in AgSbTe2 and low for (Ag,Sb)Te in PbTe (8% vs. 0.6% at 850 K). The differences in the phonon spectra of PbTe and AgSbTe2 confirm that the inhomogeneities enhance the thermoelectric performance.
0803.1165v1
2008-03-09
Composition Profiles within Al3Li and Al3Sc/Al3Li Nanoscale Precipitates in Aluminum
An Al-11.3Li-0.11Sc (at. %) alloy was double-aged to induce first alpha'-Al3Sc and then delta'-Al3Li precipitates. Atom-probe tomography revealed both single-phase delta'-precipitates and core-shell alpha'/delta'-precipitates (with respective average radii of 16 and 27 nm, and respective volume fractions of 12 and 9%) conferring a high strength to the alloy. Although the delta'-shells contain little Sc (~0.027 at. %), the alpha'-cores have a high Li content, with an average composition of Al0.72(Sc0.17 Li0.11). The Li concentrations within the delta'-phase and the Li interfacial excess at the delta'/alpha'-interface both exhibit wide precipitate-to-precipitate variations.
0803.1273v1
2008-03-22
Stoichiometric growth of high Curie temperature heavily-alloyed GaMnAs
Heavily-alloyed, 100 nm Ga1-xMnxAs (x>0.1) films are obtained via low temperature molecular beam epitaxy utilizing a combinatorial technique which allows systematic control of excess arsenic during growth. Reproducible, optimized electronic, magnetic and structural properties are found in a narrow range of stoichiometric growth conditions. The Curie temperature of stoichiometric material is 150-165 K and independent of x within a large window of growth conditions while substitutional Mn content increases linearly, contradicting the prediction of the Zener Model of hole-mediated ferromagnetism.
0803.3245v1
2008-04-01
Interband Effects of Magnetic Field on Hall Effects for Dirac Electrons in Bismuth
Hall effects are investigated for three-dimensional Dirac electrons as a model of bismuth alloys. It is found that there is unconventional contributions to the Hall conductivity $\sigma_{xy}$ generated by the interband effects of a magnetic field. This phenomena is remarkable near the band-edge. The Hall coefficient exhibits two unexpected properties; a sharp peak at around the band-edges, and a drastic sign change in the band gap region. Implications of the present results to bismuth alloys are discussed.
0804.0076v1
2008-04-10
Character of the Dislocation Bands in the (A+B) regime of the Portevin-Le Chatelier effect in Al-2.5%Mg alloy
The Portevin-Le Chatelier(PLC) effect has been investigated by deforming Al-2.5%Mg alloy in the strain rate regime where simultaneously two types (type B and type A) of serrations appear in the stress strain curve. Our analysis reveal that in this strain rate regime the entire PLC dynamics for a particular strain rate experiment is governed by a single band which changes its character during the deformation.
0804.1670v1
2008-04-16
Site preference of transition-metal elements in L10-TiAl: A first-principles study
The site preference of 3d (Ti-Cu), 4d (Zr-Ag) and 5d (Hf-Au) transition-metal elements in L10 TiAl is studied using a combination of first-principles supercell calculations and the statistical mechanical Wagner-Schottky model. Our key finding is that both temperature and alloy stoichiometry can strongly affect the site occupancy behavior of ternary alloying elements in L10 TiAl. We further predict that the tendency of transition metals to occupy the Al sites in TiAl increases with increasing d-electron number along a series.
0804.2636v1
2008-05-07
Design Methodology and Manufacture of a Microinductor
Potential core materials to supersede ferrite in the 0.5-10 MHz frequency range are investigated. The performance of electrodeposited nickel-iron, cobalt-iron-copper alloys and the commercial alloy Vitrovac 6025 have been assessed through their inclusion within a custom-made solenoid microinductor. Although the present inductor, at 500 KHz, achieves 77% power efficiency for 24.7W/cm3 power density, an optimized process predicts a power efficiency of 97% for 30.83W/cm3 power density. The principle issues regarding microinductor design and performance are discussed.
0805.0859v1
2008-06-03
Wegner estimates for sign-changing single site potentials
We study Anderson and alloy type random Schr\"odinger operators on $\ell^2(\ZZ^d)$ and $L^2(\RR^d)$. Wegner estimates are bounds on the average number of eigenvalues in an energy interval of finite box restrictions of these types of operators. For a certain class of models we prove a Wegner estimate which is linear in the volume of the box and the length of the considered energy interval. The single site potential of the Anderson/alloy type model does not need to have fixed sign, but it needs be of a generalised step function form. The result implies the Lipschitz continuity of the integrated density of states.
0806.0482v1
2008-07-31
Competing jump cycles for vacancy diffusion in binary alloys
The mean-first-passage-times (MFPTs) for a vacancy that diffuses (via one- and six-jump cycles) in a two dimensional ordered binary alloy are evaluated using the properties of random walks on networks. We investigate the effect of temperature and relative barrier height on the ratio between the MFPTs of the two cycles. We find that the six-jump cycle takes shorter time than the one-jump cycle for the range of parameters considered.
0807.5034v2
2008-11-01
Signature of Martensite transformation on conductivity noise in thin films of NiTi shape memory alloys
Slow time-dependent fluctuations, or noise, in the electrical resistance of dc magnetron sputtered thin films of Nickel Titanium shape memory alloys have been measured. Even in equilibrium, the noise was several orders of magnitude larger than that of simple diffusive metallic films, and was found to be non-monotonic around the martensitic transformation regime. The results are discussed in terms of dynamics of structural defects, which also lay foundation to a new noise-based characterization scheme of martensite transformation.
0811.0101v1
2008-12-01
Study of phase stability of MnCr using the augmented space recursion based orbital peeling technique
In an earlier communication we have developed a recursion based approach to the study of phase stability and transition of binary alloys. We had combined the recursion method introduced by Haydock, Heine and Kelly and the our augmented space approach with the orbital peeling technique proposed by Burke to determine the small energy differences involved in the discussion of phase stability. We extend that methodology for the study of MnCr alloys.
0812.0216v1
2009-07-09
Anderson localization in a two-particle continuous model with an alloy-type external potential
We establish exponential localization for a two-particle Anderson model in a Euclidean space ${\mathbb R}^{d}$, $d\ge 1$, in presence of a non-trivial short-range interaction and a random external potential of the alloy type. Specifically, we prove that all eigenfunctions with eigenvalues near the lower edge of the spectrum decay exponentially in $L^2$-norm.
0907.1459v1