Multimode high-sensitivity optical YVO4:Ln3+ nanothermometers (Ln3+ = Eu3+, Dy3+, Sm3+) using charge transfer band features.

Accurate thermal sensing with good spatial resolution is currently required in a variety of scientific and technological areas. Luminescence nanothermometry has shown competitive superiority in contactless temperature sensing, especially at the nanoscale. To broaden the use of such thermometers, development of a novel sensor type with high sensitivity and resolution is highly demanded. Herein, we report single-phase Ln3+-doped YVO4 nanophosphors synthesized using a modified Pechini method as multimode optical thermometers for wide-range temperature probing (299-466 K). The observed temperature-induced red shift of the charge transfer band was utilized to provide thermal sensing. Temperature sensing was based on the luminescence intensity ratio using emission intensities obtained upon charge transfer and direct lanthanide excitation, the spectral position of the charge transfer band and its bandwidth. The suggested probing strategies provided a high relative thermal sensitivity (up to 3.09% K-1) and a precise temperature resolution (up to 0.1 K). The obtained results can be useful for the design of novel contactless luminescence thermometers.

Low-temperature quantum magnetotransport of graphene on SiC (0 0 0 1) in pulsed magnetic fields up to 30 T.

Resistivity, ρ(T), and magnetoresistance (MR) are investigated in graphene grown on SiC (0 0 0 1), at temperatures between T ~ 4-85 K in pulsed magnetic fields of B up to 30 T. According to the Raman spectroscopy and Kelvin-probe microscopy data, the material is a single-layer graphene containing ~20% double-layer islands with a submicron scale and relatively high amount of intrinsic defects. The dependence of ρ(T) exhibits a minimum at temperature T m ~ 30 K. The low-field Hall data have yielded a high electron concentration, n R ≈ 1.4 × 1013 cm-2 connected to intrinsic defects, and a mobility value of µ H ~ 300 cm2 (Vs)-1 weakly depending on T. Analysis of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations of MR, observed between B ~ 10-30 T, permitted to establish existence of the Berry phase ß ≈ 0.55 and the cyclotron mass, m c ≈ 0.07 (in units of the free electron mass) close to expected values for the single-layer graphene, respectively. MR at 4.2 K is negative up to B ~ 9 T, exhibiting a minimum near 3 T. Analysis of MR within the whole range of B = 0-10 T below the onset of the SdH effect has revealed three contributions, connected to (i) the classical MR effect, (ii) the weak localization, and (iii) the electron-electron interaction. Analysis of the ρ(T) dependence has confirmed the presence of the contributions (ii) and (iii), revealing a high importance of the electron-electron scattering. As a result, characteristic relaxation times were obtained; an important role of the spin-orbit interaction in the material has been demonstrated, too.

Chiral spin ordering of electron gas in solids with broken time reversal symmetry.

In this work we manifest that an electrostatic disorder in conducting systems with broken time reversal symmetry universally leads to a chiral ordering of the electron gas giving rise to skyrmion-like textures in spatial distribution of the electron spin density. We describe a microscopic mechanism underlying the formation of the equilibrium chiral spin textures in two-dimensional systems with spin-orbit interaction and exchange spin splitting. We have obtained analytical expressions for spin-density response functions and have analyzed both local and non-local spin response to electrostatic perturbations for systems with parabolic-like and Dirac electron spectra. With the proposed theory we come up with a concept of controlling spin chirality by electrical means.

Structural, luminescence and thermometric properties of nanocrystalline YVO4:Dy3+ temperature and concentration series.

We report systematic study of Dy3+-doped YVO4 nanophosphors synthesized via modified Pechini technique. Effect of calcination temperature and doping concentration on structure and luminescence has been investigated. XRD and Raman spectroscopy revealed preparation of single phase nanoparticles without any impurities. Synthesized nanopowders consisted of weakly agglomerated nanoparticles with average size about 50 nm. Photoluminescence spectra of YVO4:Dy3+ nanoparticles consisted of the characteristic narrow lines attributed to the intra-configurational 4f-4f transitions dominating by the hypersensitive 4F9/2-6H13/2 transition. The calcination temperature variation did not affect 4F9/2 lifetime, whereas increase of doping concentration resulted in its gradual decline. Potential application of YVO4:Dy3+ 1 at.% and 2 at.% nanopowders as ratiometric luminescence thermometers within 298-673 K temperature range was tested. The main performances of thermometer including absolute and relative thermal sensitivities and temperature uncertainty were calculated. The maximum relative thermal sensitivity was determined to be 1.8% K-1@298 K, whereas the minimum temperature uncertainty was 2 K.

Bifunctional heater-thermometer Nd3+-doped nanoparticles with multiple temperature sensing parameters.

Achieving a combination of real-time diagnosis and therapy in a single platform with sensitive thermometry and efficient heat production is a crucial step towards controllable photothermal therapy. Here, Nd3+-doped Y2O3 nanoparticles prepared using the combined Pechini-foaming technique operating in the first and second biological windows were demonstrated as thermal sensors within the wide temperature range of 123-873 K, and as heaters with a temperature increase of 100 K. Thermal sensing was performed based on various approaches: luminescence intensity ratio (electronic levels; Stark sublevels), spectral line position and line bandwidth were used as temperature-dependent parameters. The applicability of these sensing parameters, along with relative thermal sensitivity and temperature resolution, are discussed and compared. The influence of Nd3+-doping concentration on thermometer and heater efficiency was also investigated.

YVO4:Nd3+ nanophosphors as NIR-to-NIR thermal sensors in wide temperature range.

We report on the potential application of NIR-to-NIR Nd3+-doped yttrium vanadate nanoparticles with both emission and excitation operating within biological windows as thermal sensors in 123-873 K temperature range. It was demonstrated that thermal sensing could be based on three temperature dependent luminescence parameters: the luminescence intensity ratio, the spectral line position and the line bandwidth. Advantages and limitations of each sensing parameter as well as thermal sensitivity and thermal uncertainty were calculated and discussed. The influence of Nd3+ doping concentration on the sensitivity of luminescent thermometers was also studied.

A nontrivial crossover in topological Hall effect regimes.

We propose a new theory of the topological Hall effect (THE) in systems with non-collinear magnetization textures such as magnetic skyrmions. We solve the problem of electron scattering on a magnetic skyrmion exactly, for an arbitrary strength of exchange interaction and the skyrmion size. We report the existence of different regimes of THE and resolve the apparent contradiction between the adiabatic Berry phase theoretical approach and the perturbation theory for THE. We traced how the topological charge Hall effect transforms into the spin Hall effect upon varying the exchange interaction strength or the skyrmion size. This transformation has a nontrivial character: it is accompanied by an oscillating behavior of both charge and spin Hall currents. This hallmark of THE allows one to identify the chirality driven contribution to Hall response in the experiments.

Tabby graphene: Dimensional magnetic crossover in fluorinated graphite.

Tabby is a pattern of short irregular stripes, usually related to domestic cats. We have produced Tabby patterns on graphene by attaching fluorine atoms running as monoatomic chains in crystallographic directions. Separated by non-fluorinated sp 2 carbon ribbons, sp 3-hybridized carbon atoms bonded to zigzag fluorine chains produce sp 2-sp 3 interfaces and spin-polarized edge states localized on both sides of the chains. We have compared two kinds of fluorinated graphite samples C2F x , with x near to 1 and x substantially below 1. The magnetic susceptibility of C2F x (x < 1) shows a broad maximum and a thermally activated spin gap behaviour that can be understood in a two-leg spin ladder model with ferromagnetic legs and antiferromagnetic rungs; the spin gap constitutes about 450 K. Besides, stable room-temperature ferromagnetism is observed in C2F x (x < 1) samples: the crossover to a three-dimensional magnetic behaviour is due to the onset of interlayer interactions. Similarly prepared C2F x (x ≈ 1) samples demonstrate features of two-dimensional magnetism without signs of high-temperature magnetic ordering, but with transition to a superparamagnetic state below 40 K instead. The magnetism of the Tabby graphene is stable until 520 K, which is the temperature of the structural reconstruction of fluorinated graphite.

Anomalous cyclotron mass dependence on the magnetic field and Berry's phase in (Cd1-x-y Zn x Mn y )3As2 solid solutions.

Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) effect and magnetoresistance measurements of single crystals of diluted II-V magnetic semiconductors (Cd1-x-y Zn x Mn y )3As2 (x + y = 0.4, y = 0.04 and 0.08) are investigated in the temperature range T = 4.2 ÷ 300 K and in transverse magnetic field B = 0 ÷ 25 T. The values of the cyclotron mass m c, the effective g-factor g*, and the Dingle temperature T D are defined. In one of the samples (y = 0.04) a strong dependence of the cyclotron mass on the magnetic field m c(B) = m c(0) + αB is observed. The value of a phase shift close to ß = 0.5 indicates the presence of Berry phase and 3D Dirac fermions in a single crystals of (Cd1-x-y Zn x Mn y )3As2 in one of the samples (y = 0.08).

High temperature magnetism and microstructure of ferromagnetic alloy Si1-x Mn x.

The results of a detailed study of magnetic properties and of the microstructure of SiMn films with a small deviation from stoichiometry are presented. The aim was to reveal the origin of the high temperature ferromagnetic ordering in such compounds. Unlike SiMn single crystals with the Curie temperature ~30 K, considered Si1-x Mn x compounds with x = 0.5 +Δx and Δx in the range of 0.01-0.02 demonstrate a ferromagnetic state above room temperature. Such a ferromagnetic state can be explained by the existence of highly defective B20 SiMn nanocrystallites. These defects are Si vacancies, which are suggested to possess magnetic moments. The nanocrystallites interact with each other through paramagnons (magnetic fluctuations) inside a weakly magnetic manganese silicide matrix giving rise to a long range ferromagnetic percolation cluster. The studied structures with a higher value of Δx ≈ 0.05 contained three different magnetic phases: (a)-the low temperature ferromagnetic phase related to SiMn; (b)-the above mentioned high temperature phase with Curie temperature in the range of 200-300 K depending on the growth history and

Hopping magnetotransport of the band-gap tuning Cu2Zn(Sn x Ge1-x )Se4 crystals.

Resistivity, ρ(T, x), of Cu2Zn(Sn x Ge1-x )Se4 (CZTGeSe) single crystals with x = 0-1, investigated at temperatures between T ~ 10-320 K, exhibits an activated character within the whole temperature range, attaining a minimum at x = 0.47. Magnetoresistance (MR) of CZTGeSe with x = 0.26, 0.47 and 0.64 is positive (pMR) in all measured fields of B up to 20 T at any T between ~40-320 K, whereas MR of samples with x = 0 and 1 contains a negative contribution (nMR). The dependence of ρ(T) at B = 0 gives evidence for a nearest-neighbor hopping (NNH) conductivity in high-temperature intervals within T ~ 200-320 K depending on x, followed by the Mott variable-range hopping (VRH) charge transfer with lowering temperature. The pMR law of lnρ(B) [Formula: see text] B (2) is observed in both hopping conductivity regimes above, provided that the nMR contribution is absent or saturated. Analysis of the ρ(T) and MR data has yielded the values of the NNH activation energy and the VRH characteristic temperature, as well as those of the acceptor band width, the acceptor concentration, the localization radii of holes and the density of the localized states (DOS) at the Fermi level. All the parameters above exhibit a systematic non-monotonous dependence on x. Their extremums, lying close to x = 0.64, correspond to the minimum of a lattice disorder along with the maximum of DOS and of the acceptor concentration, as well as a highest proximity to the metal-insulator transition.

Electron Scattering on a Magnetic Skyrmion in the Nonadiabatic Approximation.

We present a theory of electron scattering on a magnetic Skyrmion for the case when the exchange interaction is moderate so that the adiabatic approximation and the Berry phase approach are not applicable. The theory explains the appearance of a topological Hall current in the systems with magnetic Skyrmions, the special importance of which is its applicability to dilute magnetic semiconductors with a weak exchange interaction.

Edge state magnetism in zigzag-interfaced graphene via spin susceptibility measurements.

Development of graphene spintronic devices relies on transforming it into a material with a spin order. Attempts to make graphene magnetic by introducing zigzag edge states have failed due to energetically unstable structure of torn zigzag edges. Here, we report on the formation of nanoridges, i.e., stable crystallographically oriented fluorine monoatomic chains, and provide experimental evidence for strongly coupled magnetic states at the graphene-fluorographene interfaces. From the first principle calculations, the spins at the localized edge states are ferromagnetically ordered within each of the zigzag interface whereas the spin interaction across a nanoridge is antiferromagnetic. Magnetic susceptibility data agree with this physical picture and exhibit behaviour typical of quantum spin-ladder system with ferromagnetic legs and antiferromagnetic rungs. The exchange coupling constant along the rungs is measured to be 450 K. The coupling is strong enough to consider graphene with fluorine nanoridges as a candidate for a room temperature spintronics material.

Irreversible magnetic properties of nanocarbon.

Magnetization M(T, B) of powder and glassy samples containing carbon nanoparticles, not intentionally doped and doped with Ag, Au and Co, is investigated at temperatures T between - 3-300 K in magnetic fields B up to 5T. According to atomic force microscopy data, a system of carbon particles has a broad size distribution, given by the average and the maximum radii of -60 nm and - 110 nm, respectively. In low fields of B << B(K), where B(K) - 1T is the mean anisotropy field, M(T) exhibits large irreversibility or deviation of zero-field cooled and field-cooled magnetizations, which is suppressed completely at B > B(K). The dependence of M(B) saturates above B - 2T at T - 150-300 K and contains a large paramagnetic-like response below - 50-150 K. Hysteresis is observed already at 300 K and is characterized by a power-law temperature decay of the coercive field, B(c)(T). This is described by the exponent n approximately 0.8 and by the low-temperature values of B(c) (0) increasing from -36-53 mT in the undoped sample and those doped with Ag and Au, up to 80 mT in the Co-doped material, yielding the blocking temperatures T(b) approximately 400-580 K. Analysis of the experimental magnetization data above suggests distribution of the magnetization close to the surface of the particles, yielding a thickness of the near-surface layer, h, filled with localized magnetic moments, micro1 - microB, to be close to the average distance, a, between the moments, h approximately a - 1 nm. This is consistent with the origin of magnetism in nanocarbon being presumably due to intrinsic near-surface defects.

Variable-range hopping conductivity of La(1 - x)Sr(x)Mn(1 - y)Fe(y)O3.

The temperature dependence of the resistivity, ρ, of ceramic La(1 - x)Sr(x)Mn(1 - y)Fe(y)O(3) (LSMFO) samples with x = 0.3 and y = 0.03, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 (or simply #03, #15, #20 and #25, respectively) is investigated between temperatures T ∼ 5 and 310 K in magnetic fields B up to 8 T. Metallic conductivity in #03 is changed eventually to activated in #25. In #15 and #20 the behavior of ρ(T) is more complicated, comprising of two extremes, divided by an interval of metallic behavior in #15, and two inflections of ρ(T) in #20 within similar intervals ΔT below approximately 100 K. Mott variable-range hopping (VRH) conductivity is observed in #15 above the ferromagnetic Curie temperature, T(C). In #20 the Mott VRH conductivity takes place in three different temperature intervals at T > T(C), T close to T(C) and T < T(C). In #25, the Mott VRH conductivity is observed in two different intervals, above and below T(C), divided by an intermediate interval of the Shklovskii-Efros VRH conduction regime. Analysis of the VRH conductivity yielded the values of the localization radius, α, and the dependence of α and of the density of the localized states, g, near the Fermi level, on B. Above T(C) the localization radius in all samples at B = 0 has similar values, α approximately 1.0-1.2 Å, which is enhanced to α approximately 3.3 Å (#20) and 2.0 Å (#25) below T(C). The sensitivity of α and g to B depend on y and T. The complicated behavior of the mechanisms of the hopping charge transfer, as well as of the microscopic parameters α and g, is attributable to different electronic and magnetic phases of LSMFO varying with temperature and Fe doping.

Lattice distortions, magnetoresistance and hopping conductivity in LaMnO(3+δ).

Structural and transport properties of ceramic LaMnO(3+δ) are investigated for δ = 0-0.154. According to x-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature the crystal structure of this compound varies from orthorhombic (Pbnm) for δ = 0 to rhombohedrally distorted cubic (Pm3m) for δ = 0.065-0.112 and to rhombohedral ([Formula: see text]) crystal symmetry for δ = 0.125-0.154. These structural modifications are confirmed by the Raman micro-spectroscopy measurements. The resistivity displays in the range δ = 0-0.154 an activated behaviour both above and below the paramagnetic (PM) to ferromagnetic transition temperature, T(C). In the field of 8 T the relative magnetoresistance, Δρ(B)/ρ(0), reaches at δ = 0.154 the values of -88% near T(C) and -98% at [Formula: see text] K. The resistivity of the PM phase of LaMnO(3+δ) with δ = 0.100-0.154 satisfies the Shklovskii-Efros-like variable-range hopping (VRH) conductivity law between [Formula: see text] K and the VRH onset temperature [Formula: see text] K. The resistivity is governed by a complex energy dependence of the density of the localized states near the Fermi level, comprising a soft Coulomb gap [Formula: see text] eV and a rigid gap [Formula: see text] eV, the latter being connected to formation of small polarons.