Multilayer Epitaxial Heterostructures with Multi-Component III-V:Fe Magnetic Semiconductors

Three-layer structures based on various multi-component films of III-V semiconductors heavily doped with Fe were grown using the pulsed laser sputtering of InSb, GaSb, InAs, GaAs and Fe solid targets. The structures comprising these InAsSb:Fe, InGaSb:Fe and InSb:Fe layers with Fe concentrations up to 24 at. % and separated by GaAs spacers were deposited on (001) i-GaAs substrates at 200 °C. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the structures have a rather high crystalline quality and do not contain secondary-phase inclusions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations revealed a significant diffusion of Ga atoms from the GaAs regions into the InAsSb:Fe layers, which has led to the formation of an InGaAsSb:Fe compound with a Ga content up to 20 at. %. It has been found that the ferromagnetic properties of the InAsSb:Fe magnetic semiconductor improve with an increasing Sb:As ratio. It has been concluded that the indirect ferromagnetic exchange interaction between Fe atoms occurs predominantly via Sb atoms.

Effect of Er, Si, Hf and Nb Additives on the Thermal Stability of Microstructure, Electrical Resistivity and Microhardness of Fine-Grained Aluminum Alloys of Al-0.25%Zr

The conductor aluminum alloys of Al-0.25wt.%Zr alloyed additionally with X = Er, Si, Hf and Nb were the objects of our investigations. The fine-grained microstructure in the alloys was formed via equal channel angular pressing and rotary swaging. The thermal stability of the microstructure, specific electrical resistivity and microhardness of the novel conductor aluminum alloys were investigated. The mechanisms of nucleation of the Al₃(Zr, X) secondary particles during annealing the fine-grained aluminum alloys were determined using the Jones-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov equation. Using the Zener equation, the dependencies of the average secondary particle sizes on the annealing time were obtained on the base of the analysis of the data on the grain growth in the aluminum alloys. The secondary particle nucleation during long-time low-temperature annealing (300 °C, 1000 h) was shown to go preferentially at the cores of the lattice dislocations. The Al-0.25%Zr-0.25%Er-0.20%Hf-0.15%Si alloy subjected to long-time annealing at 300 °C has the optimal combination of microhardness and electrical conductivity (59.8%IACS, Hv = 480 ± 15 MPa).

Synthesis and Functional Characterization of CoxFe3-xO4-BaTiO3 Magnetoelectric Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications

Nowadays, magnetoelectric nanomaterials are on their way to finding wide applications in biomedicine for various cancer and neurological disease treatment, which is mainly restricted by their relatively high toxicity and complex synthesis. This study for the first time reports novel magnetoelectric nanocomposites of Co_xFe_3-xO₄-BaTiO₃ series with tuned magnetic phase structures, which were synthesized via a two-step chemical approach in polyol media. The magnetic Co_xFe_3-xO₄ phases with x = 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 were obtained by thermal decomposition in triethylene glycol media. The magnetoelectric nanocomposites were synthesized by the decomposition of barium titanate precursors in the presence of a magnetic phase under solvothermal conditions and subsequent annealing at 700 °C. X-ray diffraction revealed the presence of both spinel and perovskite phases after annealing with average crystallite sizes in the range of 9.0-14.5 nm. Transmission electron microscopy data showed two-phase composite nanostructures consisting of ferrites and barium titanate. The presence of interfacial connections between magnetic and ferroelectric phases was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Magnetization data showed expected ferrimagnetic behavior and σ_s decrease after the nanocomposite formation. Magnetoelectric coefficient measurements after the annealing showed non-linear change with a maximum of 89 mV/cm*Oe with x = 0.5, 74 mV/cm*Oe with x = 0, and a minimum of 50 mV/cm*Oe with x = 0.0 core composition, that corresponds with the coercive force of the nanocomposites: 240 Oe, 89 Oe and 36 Oe, respectively. The obtained nanocomposites show low toxicity in the whole studied concentration range of 25-400 μg/mL on CT-26 cancer cells. The synthesized nanocomposites show low cytotoxicity and high magnetoelectric effects, therefore they can find wide applications in biomedicine.