S. V. Grigoriev

Arrays of interacting ferromagnetic nanofilaments: Small-angle neutron diffraction study

Magnetic properties of spatially ordered arrays of interacting nanofilaments have been studied by means of small-angle diffraction of polarized neutrons. Several diffraction maxima or rings that correspond to the scattering of the highly ordered structure of pores/filaments with hexagonal packing have been observed in neutron scattering intensity maps. The interference (nuclear-magnetic) and pure magnetic contributions to the scattering have been analyzed during the magnetic reversal of the nanofilament array in a field applied perpendicular to the nanofilament axis. The average magnetization and the interference contribution proportional to it increase with the field and are saturated at H = HS. The magnetic reversal process occurs almost without hysteresis. The intensity of the magnetic contribution has hysteresis behavior in the magnetic reversal process for both the positive and negative fields that form the field dependence of the intensity in a butterfly shape. It has been shown that this dependence is due to the magnetostatic interaction between the filaments in the field range of H ≤ HS. A theory for describing the magnetic properties of the arrays of interacting ferromagnetic nanofilaments in the magnetic field has been proposed.

Determination of the real structure of artificial and natural opals on the basis of three-dimensional reconstructions of reciprocal space

The distribution of the scattering intensity in the reciprocal space for natural and artificial opals has been reconstructed from a set of small-angle X-ray diffraction patterns. The resulting three-dimensional intensity maps are used to analyze the defect structure of opals. The structure of artificial opals can be satisfactorily described in the Wilson probability model with the prevalence of layers in the fcc environment. The diffraction patterns observed for a natural opal confirm the presence of sufficiently long unequally occupied fcc domains.

Revealing stacking sequences in inverse opals by microradian X-ray diffraction

We present the results of the structural analysis of inverse opal photonic crystals by microradian X-ray diffraction. Inverse opals based on different oxide materials (TiO2, SiO2 and Fe2O3) were fabricated by templating polystyrene colloidal crystal films grown by the vertical deposition technique. Our results suggest that most inverse opal films possess dominating twinned face-centered cubic structure accompanied by some fragments of hexagonal close-packed and random hexagonal close-packed structures. The studied samples possessed individual structures with different ratios of the above fragments. By fitting the results of the angular-dependent X-ray diffraction by the Wilson model we estimate the stacking probability α in the studied samples to be ~0.7–0.8. Microradian X-ray diffraction therefore provides detailed structural information on opal-based photonic crystals and can be applied to opaque inverse opals or the samples with a periodicity <300 nm, whose structure cannot be investigated by conventional optical methods.

Mesostructure of Xerogels of Hydrated Zirconium Dioxide

The fractal properties of xerogels of hydrated zirconium dioxide ZrO2, which are synthesized by precipitation from a zirconyl nitrate solution at various pH values, are studied. Small-angle neutron scattering data and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption data indicate the strong effect of the acidity of the medium on the fractal dimension of xerogels and the size of constituent monomer particles. It is shown that this effect is also characteristic of xerogels of hydrated hafnium dioxide HfO2, which is a chemical analogue of hydrated zirconium dioxide.

Effect of high intensity ultrasound on the mesostructure of hydrated zirconia

We report structural changes in amorphous hydrated zirconia caused by high intensity ultrasonic treatment studied by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was established that sonication affects the mesostructure of ZrO2×xH2O gels (i.e. decreases their homogeneity, increases surface fractal dimension and the size of monomer particles). Ultrasound induced structural changes in hydrated zirconia governs its thermal behaviour, namely decreases the rate of tetragonal to monoclinic zirconia phase transition.

Investigation of the evolution of the hydrated zirconia mesostructure at different stages of heat treatment

The mesostructure of amorphous xerogels based on hydrated zirconia ZrO2 and its evolution at different stages of heat treatment have been investigated using the small-angle neutron scattering method. A correlation function of the nuclear scattering amplitude density has been obtained from experimental neutron scattering cross sections, and the characteristic radii of ZrO2 nanoparticles and their specific surface areas have been determined. The influence of the annealing temperature on the fractal properties of the zirconia surface has been elucidated.

Analysis of the imperfection of opal-like photonic crystals synthesized on conducting substrates

The type and degree of imperfection for opal-like photonic crystals on conducting substrates have been investigated using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering with a microradian resolution. It has been demonstrated that self-assembly of poly(styrene) spheres by the vertical deposition method leads to the formation of a face-centered cubic structure on a mica/Au substrate and a random hexagonal close packing on a glass substrate with the In2O3(SnO2) conducting coating.

Specific Features of the Mesostructure of Amorphous Iron(III) Hydroxide Xerogels Synthesized in an Ultrasonic Field

The influence of high-power ultrasonic treatment on the structure of amorphous iron(III) hydroxide xerogels prepared by precipitation from iron(III) nitrate solutions of different concentrations has been investigated. An analysis of the small-angle neutron scattering data allowed us to reveal for the first time that ultrasound substantially affects the mesostructure of amorphous xerogels, including the homogeneity, the fractal dimension, and the size of constituting monomer particles.

Investigation of three-particle spin correlations during critical scattering of polarized neutrons from a nickel single crystal

The critical small-angle scattering of polarized neutrons from spin fluctuations in a nickel single crystal with a special inclined geometry of the magnetic field has been studied. The method of inclined geometry makes it possible to investigate not only two-particle spin correlations but also three-particle spin correlations that determine the polarization-dependent contribution to scattering, which is asymmetric with respect to the momentum transfer q. This contribution depends on the momentum transfer q as 1/(q2 + ξ−2)5/2, where f is the neutron scattering correlation length; it linearly increases with an increase in the magnetic field H in the low-field range and then reaches saturation. The results obtained are in good agreement with the similarity theory.