Reversible exchange bias in epitaxial V2O3/Ni hybrid magnetic heterostructures.

In this work we present a temperature and angular dependent study of the structural and magnetic properties in highly crystalline V2O3/Ni/Zr magnetic heterostructure films. Our investigation focuses on the coupling between the ferromagnetic Ni layer and V2O3layer which undergoes an antiferromagnetic/paramagnetic phase transition coupled to the structural phase transition of the material at around 150 K. Structural investigations using x-ray diffraction reveal highly crystalline films of a quality which has previously not been reported in the literature. The Ni layers display an absence of in-plane magnetic anisotropy owing to the highly textured (1 1 1) layering of the Ni films on the underlying V2O3(0 0 0 1) oriented layer. During the transition we observe a strain related enhancement of the coercivity and the onset of a weak exchange bias for cooling under an external magnetic field. Heating the films to above the transition temperature, the exchange bias in the Ni is removed and can be reversed upon subsequent cooling under an inverted external magnetic field. Using temperature dependent polarized neutron reflectometry we investigate the film structure at the interface, capturing the magnetic and nuclear profiles.

Tuneable exchange-spring stiffness in amorphous magnetic trilayer structures.

We investigate the magnetic properties of amorphous Sm10Co90/Co60(Al70Zr30)40/Co85(Al70Zr30)15exchange-spring magnet trilayers. The magnetically soft Co85(Al70Zr30)15layer is coupled to the magnetically hard Sm10Co90layer through the weakly magnetic low-TcCo60(Al70Zr30)40spacer layer. The strength of the coupling can be controlled with temperature and the coupling persists above the intrinsicTcof the spacer layer due to a long-range magnetic proximity effect. Polarized neutron reflectivity is used to examine the magnetic profile of the trilayers during magnetization reversal. A two-step switching occurs, with the switching angle of the soft layer strongly dependent on the strength of the coupling. In the strong coupling regime a magnetic state can be achieved where the soft layer magnetization is perpendicular to the hard layer whereas in the weak coupling regime the soft layer reverses fully.

Temperature responsive lipid liquid crystal layers with embedded nanogels.

Polymer nanogels are embedded within layers consisting of a nonlamellar liquid crystalline lipid phase to act as thermoresponsive controllers of layer compactness and hydration. As the nanogels change from the swollen to the collapsed state via a temperature trigger, they enable on-demand release of water from the mixed polymer-lipid layer while the lipid matrix remains intact. Combining stimuli-responsive polymers with responsive lipid-based mesophase systems opens up new routes in biomedical applications such as functional biomaterials, bioanalysis and drug delivery.

Temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity and electronic structure of amorphous Fe100-xZrx films and multilayers.

The electrical resistivity of amorphous Fe(100-x)Zr(x) metal alloy films and multilayers has been investigated in a wide temperature and composition range. The overall behavior of the resistivity is consistent with bulk measurements, exhibiting prominent semiconductor-like changes at low temperatures. The transition from positive (metallic) to negative temperature coefficient of resistivity behavior is accompanied by minute changes in magnetoresistance and we can therefore rule out magnetic phase changes as being the cause for the observed changes in the resistivity. Using x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies we are able to probe the unoccupied and occupied electronic densities of states. The corresponding spectra are found to significantly overlap, as expected for a metallic-like electronic structure and the absence of a band gap. Besides a broadening of the x-ray emission lines expected from an amorphous material, remarkably small differences are observed in the electronic structures when changing the amount of Zr. The resistivity data were modeled and agreement with the Mott variable range hopping model was found, indicating localized electronic states due the disordered structure of the Fe(100-x)Zr(x) alloys.

Saturated ablation in metal hydrides and acceleration of protons and deuterons to keV energies with a soft-x-ray laser.

Studies of materials under extreme conditions have relevance to a broad area of research, including planetary physics, fusion research, materials science, and structural biology with x-ray lasers. We study such extreme conditions and experimentally probe the interaction between ultrashort soft x-ray pulses and solid targets (metals and their deuterides) at the FLASH free-electron laser where power densities exceeding 10(17) W/cm(2) were reached. Time-of-flight ion spectrometry and crater analysis were used to characterize the interaction. The results show the onset of saturation in the ablation process at power densities above 10(16) W/cm(2). This effect can be linked to a transiently induced x-ray transparency in the solid by the femtosecond x-ray pulse at high power densities. The measured kinetic energies of protons and deuterons ejected from the surface reach several keV and concur with predictions from plasma-expansion models. Simulations of the interactions were performed with a nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium code with radiation transfer. These calculations return critical depths similar to the observed crater depths and capture the transient surface transparency at higher power densities.