The mesoporous SnO2 nanowires composed of nanoparticles and nanopores have been successfully synthesized within the nanochannels of anodic alumina oxide templates by a facile sol-gel method. XRD, SEM, and HRTEM were used to characterize the synthesized mesoporous SnO2 nanowires. The sensing property of the mesoporous SnO2 nanowires in ethanol detection also has been studied. The as-prepared product displays excellent the high sensitivity, rapid response, and excellent repeatability to ethanol. The detection limit of the mesoporous SnO2 nanowires to ethanol reaches 1&#x2009;ppm. The sensing mechanism of the mesoporous SnO2 nanowires has been further discussed. It is expected that the mesoporous SnO2 nanowires might become a good sensing material for promising industrial applications.

Shan-Hong Li

Fang-Fang Meng

Zhong Chu

Tao Luo

Fu-Min Peng

Zhen Jin

Mesoporous SnO2 Nanowires: Synthesis and Ethanol Sensing Properties

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been considered severe risks to human health. Gas sensors for the sensitive detection of VOCs are highly required. However, the preparation of gas-sensing materials with a high gas diffusion performance remains a great challenge. Here, through a simple hydrothermal method accompanied with a subsequent thermal treatment, a special porous snowflake-shaped ZnO nanostructure was presented for sensitive detection of VOCs including diethyl ether, methylbenzene, and ethanol. The fabricated gas sensors exhibit a good sensing performance including high responses to VOCs and a short response/recovery time. The responses of the ZnO-based gas sensor to 100&#x2009;ppm ethanol, methylbenzene, and diethyl ether are about 27, 21, and 11, respectively, while the response times to diethyl ether and methylbenzene are less than 10 seconds. The gas adsorption-desorption kinetics is also investigated, which shows that the gas-sensing behaviors to different target gases are remarkably different, making it possible for target recognition in practical applications.

Tianli Han

Xuexue Li

Xiaoman Zhang

Jinyun Liu

Jinjin Li

Snowflake-Shaped ZnO Nanostructures-Based Gas Sensor for Sensitive Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds

Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films were deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrates and subsequently annealed for 30&#x2009;min at 923&#x2009;K in vacuum. It was found that the microstructure and magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films strongly depend on the NdFeB layer thickness. With NdFeB layer thickness increasing, both the grain size and the strain firstly reduce and then increase. When NdFeB layer thickness is 750&#x2009;nm, the strain reaches the minimum value. Meanwhile, both the in-plane and perpendicular coercivities firstly drastically increase and then slowly decrease with NdFeB layer thickness increasing. The highest in-plane and perpendicular coercivities can be obtained at NdFeB layer thickness of 750&#x2009;nm, which are 21.2&#x2009;kOe and 19.5&#x2009;kOe, respectively. In addition, the high remanence ratio (remanent magnetization/saturation magnetization) of 0.87 can also be achieved in Ta/Nd/NdFeB (750&#x2009;nm)/Nd/Ta film.

Wenfeng Liu

Mingang Zhang

Kewei Zhang

Yuesheng Chai

Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of NdFeB Films through Nd Surface Diffusion Process

We show that using the theory of finite periodic systems we obtain an improved approach to calculate transmission coefficients and transmission times of electromagnetic waves propagating through fiber Bragg gratings. We discuss similarities, advantages, and differences between this approach and the well known less accurate one coupled mode approximation and the pseudo-Floquet Mathieu functions approach.

Pedro Pereyra

An Improved Theoretical Approach to Study Electromagnetic Waves through Fiber Bragg Gratings

A magnetothermopower has been observed in electronically spin-polarized polycrystalline <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.4007pt" id="M1" height="12.1671pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.7664 90.2484 12.1671" width="90.2484pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g121-81" d="M409 504C401 567 396 607 392 642C354 654 312 665 266 665C137 665 60 583 60 487C60 374 161 325 225 290C300 250 355 215 355 141C355 68 311 21 235 21C131 21 86 122 71 183L41 176C48 128 61 42 68 21C78 16 93 8 118 0C142 -7 175 -15 216 -15C349 -15 438 69 438 174C438 287 344 333 265 374C186 414 138 449 138 522C138 576 172 631 249 631C336 631 363 562 380 499L409 504Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.084,0)"><path id="g121-112" d="M181 342V451C133 431 89 419 40 411V388C98 381 102 377 102 311V104C102 38 95 32 33 26V0H263V26C186 32 181 38 181 104V287C203 343 235 372 261 372C277 372 289 366 304 352C310 346 318 345 330 350C349 359 362 379 362 399C362 422 338 449 304 449C256 449 213 393 183 342H181Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,10.948,3.132)"><path id="g50-51" d="M414 144C384 79 371 75 317 75H135L276 221C367 316 408 376 408 465C408 570 327 635 237 635C179 635 131 609 100 575L42 494L67 471C94 510 138 565 205 565C277 565 321 517 321 435C321 348 258 270 195 195C146 137 88 81 33 26V0H411C423 44 433 88 446 135L414 144Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,15.38,3.132)"><path id="g54-33" d="M556 236V289H56V236H556Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,20.94,3.132)"><path id="g50-121" d="M545 403C545 425 527 451 498 451C448 451 400 404 312 286L290 341C262 412 246 451 219 451C182 451 138 404 92 345L112 323C152 368 169 378 181 378C192 378 201 359 216 321L257 214C184 115 142 69 113 69C102 69 93 73 88 79S78 89 68 89C47 89 24 61 24 40C24 8 49 -12 75 -12C125 -12 175 31 271 175L312 64C330 15 357 -12 382 -12C421 -12 475 35 515 98L496 121C466 88 439 62 420 62C402 62 384 92 363 147L325 247C349 280 374 309 397 333C422 361 446 381 462 381C471 381 481 374 488 366C493 360 499 357 505 357C521 357 545 380 545 403Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,26.672,0)"><path id="g121-74" d="M495 163C480 117 462 85 444 65C421 39 387 34 332 34C290 34 256 36 236 47C218 57 213 77 213 131V526C213 612 222 616 301 622V650H40V622C122 616 128 611 128 526V126C128 41 120 34 36 28V0H489C498 31 519 126 525 157L495 163Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,33.862,0)"><path id="g121-95" d="M433 39L423 65C413 59 399 54 387 54C370 54 352 69 352 114V299C352 352 342 392 307 422C285 440 255 449 225 449C168 437 102 399 75 379C56 365 44 353 44 339C44 315 69 296 87 296C101 296 111 303 116 319C124 349 133 371 145 385C156 397 171 404 190 404C241 404 275 364 275 291V274C253 256 180 229 120 209C65 190 39 159 39 110C39 47 88 -12 159 -12C189 -12 237 25 277 52C282 35 288 21 301 8C312 -3 333 -12 348 -12L433 39ZM275 84C256 65 221 48 195 48C164 48 124 73 124 124C124 161 146 180 185 198C206 208 254 229 275 240V84Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,39.569,3.132)"><use xlink:href="#g50-121"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,45.265,0)"><path id="g121-68" d="M493 503C489 551 484 614 483 650H43V622C120 616 128 611 128 525V126C128 40 120 34 40 28V0H312V28C221 34 213 40 213 126V307H316C407 307 412 296 424 227H453V420H424C412 355 407 346 316 346H213V584C213 613 216 616 246 616H322C398 616 419 607 436 579C449 559 455 539 464 499L493 503Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,51.894,0)"><path id="g121-99" d="M380 106C343 72 306 56 265 56C195 56 116 112 115 248C235 252 361 262 377 265C396 269 400 277 400 297C400 374 333 449 250 449H249C198 449 144 421 103 376S37 269 37 201C37 88 109 -12 232 -12C263 -12 332 6 395 84L380 106ZM225 412C281 412 315 364 314 312C314 297 308 292 290 292C232 290 176 289 120 289C135 370 180 412 225 412Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,57.419,0)"><path id="g121-75" d="M861 0V28C774 35 771 41 768 147L759 509C756 612 762 614 851 622V650H681L449 149L221 650H57V622C148 613 153 609 144 479L130 271C123 166 117 123 111 88C104 46 85 34 26 28V0H259V28C192 35 169 42 167 90C166 130 166 173 170 256L185 541H187L411 7H431L675 555H679L683 147C683 41 680 35 598 28V0H861Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,68.662,0)"><path id="g121-109" d="M257 449C165 449 37 374 37 209C37 98 119 -12 256 -12C355 -12 473 65 473 226C473 349 381 449 257 449ZM244 416C333 416 380 320 380 204C380 67 329 21 267 21C184 21 130 115 130 241C130 354 184 416 244 416Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,75.293,0)"><path id="g121-77" d="M381 665C170 665 44 498 44 318C44 125 188 -15 369 -15C552 -15 703 117 703 333C703 534 550 665 381 665ZM359 629C491 629 601 517 601 306C601 114 502 21 390 21C249 21 146 158 146 346S248 629 359 629Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,85.004,3.132)"><path id="g50-55" d="M141 347C171 480 264 541 327 570C364 587 403 599 436 605L429 641C389 634 339 622 300 609C191 570 37 458 37 239C37 86 126 -12 245 -12C367 -12 454 89 454 210C454 314 380 397 272 397C252 397 230 390 208 380L141 347ZM231 338C323 338 366 257 366 174C366 108 340 27 263 27C180 27 129 123 129 244C129 268 130 292 135 310C158 323 193 338 231 338Z"/></g></svg> and Ba2FeMoO6. The magnetothermopower is linear up to ~50 K for <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.4007pt" id="M2" height="12.1671pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.7664 90.2484 12.1671" width="90.2484pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-81"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.084,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-112"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,10.948,3.132)"><use xlink:href="#g50-51"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,15.38,3.132)"><use xlink:href="#g54-33"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,20.94,3.132)"><use xlink:href="#g50-121"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,26.672,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-74"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,33.862,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-95"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,39.569,3.132)"><use xlink:href="#g50-121"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,45.265,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-68"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,51.894,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-99"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,57.419,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-75"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,68.662,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-109"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,75.293,0)"><use xlink:href="#g121-77"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,85.004,3.132)"><use xlink:href="#g50-55"/></g></svg> and linear up to ~270 K for Ba2FeMoO6. We suggest that the magnetothermopower may arise from a spin-tunneling magnetothermopower between the grains.

G. V. M. Williams

J. Stephen

Magnetothermopower in A2&#x2212;xLaxFeMoO6 (A = Sr, Ba)

The height profile of a macrostep on a vicinal surface near equilibrium is studied numerically using a restricted solid-on-solid model with a point-contact-type step-step attraction (p-RSOS model). We calculate the surface tension of vicinal surfaces around the (001) surface inclined towards the <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-2.15067pt" id="M1" height="11.439pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 29.6681 11.439" width="29.6681pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-61" d="M360 -163L167 270L360 703H298L106 273V267L298 -163H360Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,5.369,0)"><path id="g113-50" d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.609,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-50"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,17.849,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-50"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,24.159,0)"><path id="g113-63" d="M307 267V273L115 703H53L246 270L53 -163H115L307 267Z"/></g></svg> direction using the density-matrix-renormalization group method. We also calculate the height profiles of vicinal surfaces using the Monte Carlo method and study the connection between the height profile of the macrostep near equilibrium and the discontinuous surface tension. We find that the height profile of a macrostep on a vicinal surface near equilibrium can be classified depending on the zone in the faceting diagram where the system exists. We also find finite size effects both for the height profile and for the inhibition of the macrostep motion in the relaxation process to the equilibrium state.

Noriko Akutsu

Profile of a Faceted Macrostep Caused by Anomalous Surface Tension

Vibrational dynamics of binary titanium borides is studied from first-principles. Polarized and unpolarized Raman spectra of TiB, TiB2, and Ti3B4 are reported along with the experimental spectra of commercial powder and bulk TiB2 containing less than 1&#x2009;wt.&#x25; of impurity phases. The X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, applied for phase composition examination of both bulk and powder materials, identifies only the TiB2 phase. The simulated Raman spectra together with literature data support interpretation and refinement of experimental spectra which reveal components arising from titanium dioxide (TiO2) and amorphous boron carbide (B4C) impurity phases as well as graphitic carbon. These contaminations are the by-products of synthesis, consolidation, and sintering aids employed to fabricate powder and bulk titanium diboride.

Urszula D. Wdowik

Agnieszka Twardowska

Bogus&#x142;aw Rajchel

Vibrational Spectroscopy of Binary Titanium Borides: First-Principles and Experimental Studies

About this journal

Advances in Condensed Matter Physics publishes research on the experimental and theoretical study of the physics of materials in solid, liquid, amorphous, and exotic states.

Journal profile

Meet the editorial board

Chief Editor, Professor Ulloa, is based at Ohio University and is a condensed matter theorist. His research is focussed on the electronic properties of nanostructures including quantum dots and nanowires, as well as proximity effects in 2D crystals.

Editor spotlight

Submit your proposal

Do you think there is an emerging area of research that really needs to be highlighted? Or an existing research area that has been overlooked or would benefit from deeper investigation? Raise the profile of a research area by leading a Special Issue.

Special Issues

Author guidelines

Editorial board

Databases and indexing

Advances in Condensed Matter Physics - Table of contents 2017

Advances in Condensed Matter Physics | Hindawi

title

Advances in Condensed Matter Physics publishes research on the experimental and theoretical study of the physics of materials in solid, liquid, amorphous, and exotic states.

description

https://images.hindawi.com/journals/acmp/acmp.banner.jpg

Advances in Condensed Matter Physics