F. J. Mompean

Record Seebeck coefficient and extremely low thermal conductivity in nanostructured SnSe

SnSe has been prepared by arc-melting, as mechanically robust pellets, consisting of highly oriented polycrystals. This material has been characterized by neutron powder diffraction (NPD), scanning electron microscopy, and transport measurements. A microscopic analysis from NPD data demonstrates a quite perfect stoichiometry SnSe0.98(2) and a fair amount of anharmonicity of the chemical bonds. The Seebeck coefficient reaches a record maximum value of 668 μV K−1 at 380 K; simultaneously, this highly oriented sample exhibits an extremely low thermal conductivity lower than 0.1 W m−1 K−1 around room temperature, which are two of the main ingredients of good thermoelectric materials. These excellent features exceed the reported values for this semiconducting compound in single crystalline form in the moderate-temperatures region and highlight its possibilities as a potential thermoelectric material.

Giant Seebeck effect in Ge-doped SnSe.

Thermoelectric materials may contribute in the near future as new alternative sources of sustainable energy. Unprecedented thermoelectric properties in p-type SnSe single crystals have been recently reported, accompanied by extremely low thermal conductivity in polycrystalline samples. In order to enhance thermoelectric efficiency through proper tuning of this material we report a full structural characterization and evaluation of the thermoelectric properties of novel Ge-doped SnSe prepared by a straightforward arc-melting method, which yields nanostructured polycrystalline samples. Ge does not dope the system in the sense of donating carriers, yet the electrical properties show a semiconductor behavior with resistivity values higher than that of the parent compound, as a consequence of nanostructuration, whereas the Seebeck coefficient is higher and thermal conductivity lower, favorable to a better ZT figure of merit.

On the origin of remanence enhancement in exchange-uncoupled CoFe2O4-based composites

Abundant efforts are being devoted to the production of nanostructured composites based on ferrites where the exchange-spring mechanism yields larger energy products. However, experimental results occasionally contradict the predictions, and the origin of the phenomenology is not always thoroughly understood. Magnetic properties may eventually evolve in trends similar to that of exchange-spring magnets due to structural changes unrelated to exchange-coupling mechanisms at hard/soft interfaces. Thus, the evaluation of the possible sources of magnetic improvement is pivotal in determining and optimizing the extent of exchange-coupling in spring magnets. Here, we report the observation of remanence improvement and single-phase reversal behavior at room-temperature in CoFe2O4/FeCo composites, where the hard and soft phases are predominantly uncoupled. The results are explained in terms of the temperature evolution of the individual properties of CoFe2O4. Causes for the observation of single-phase magnetizatio...

Room temperature in-plane ⟨100⟩ magnetic easy axis for Fe3O4/SrTiO3(001):Nb grown by infrared pulsed laser deposition

We examine the magnetic easy-axis directions of stoichiometric magnetite films grown on SrTiO{sub 3}:Nb by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the individual magnetic domains are magnetized along the in-plane 〈100〉 film directions. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the maxima of the remanence and coercivity are also along in-plane 〈100〉 film directions. This easy-axis orientation differs from bulk magnetite and films prepared by other techniques, establishing that the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by film growth.We examine the magnetic easy-axis directions of stoichiometric magnetite films grown on SrTiO3:Nb by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the individual magnetic domains are magnetized along the in-plane film directions. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the maxima of the remanence and coercivity are also along in-plane film directions. This easy-axis orientation differs from bulk magnetite and films prepared by other techniques, establishing that the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by film growth.

Phase separation enhanced magneto-electric coupling in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 ultra-thin films.

We study the origin of the magnetoelectric coupling in manganite films on ferroelectric substrates. We find large magnetoelectric coupling in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 ultra-thin films in experiments based on the converse magnetoelectric effect. The magnetization changes by around 30–40% upon applying electric fields on the order of 1 kV/cm to the BaTiO3 substrate, corresponding to magnetoelectric coupling constants on the order of α = (2–5)·10−7 s/m. Magnetic anisotropy is also affected by the electric field induced strain, resulting in a considerable reduction of coercive fields. We compare the magnetoelectric effect in pre-poled and unpoled BaTiO3 substrates. Polarized neutron reflectometry reveals a two-layer behavior with a depressed magnetic layer of around 30 Å at the interface. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) shows a granular magnetic structure of the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3. The magnetic granularity of the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 film and the robust magnetoelastic coupling at the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 interface are at the origin of the large magnetoelectric coupling, which is enhanced by phase separation in the manganite.

Superconductivity and magnetism on flux-grown single crystals of NiBi3

We present resistivity, magnetization, and specific-heat measurements on flux-grown single crystals of NiBi

Magnetic field dependence of the density of states in the multiband superconductor β-Bi2Pd

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Resonant electron tunnelling assisted by charged domain walls in multiferroic tunnel junctions

. We find typical behavior of a type-II superconductor, with, however, a sizable magnetic signal in the superconducting phase. There is a hysteretic magnetization characteristic of a ferromagnetic compound. By following the magnetization as a function of temperature, we find a drop at temperatures corresponding to the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic amorphous Ni. Thus, we assign the magnetism in NiBi

Structural, magnetic, magneto-transport properties and Bean–Rodbell model simulation of disorder effects in Cr3+ substituted La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 nanocrystalline synthesized by modified Pechini method

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Magnetic Interactions in the Double Perovskites R2NiMnO6 (R = Tb, Ho, Er, Tm) Investigated by Neutron Diffraction

crystals to amorphous Ni impurities.