Scientific Highlights
Low-Field Bi-Skyrmion Formation in a Noncentrosymmetric Chimney Ladder Ferromagnet
The real-space spin texture and the relevant magnetic parameters were investigated for an easy-axis non-centrosymmetric ferromagnet Cr11Ge19 with Nowotny chimney ladder structure. Using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy,we report the formation of bi-Skyrmions,i.e., pairs of spin vortices with opposite magnetic helicities.
For the second time on the cover of Journal of Physical Chemistry
For the second time on the cover page of Journal of Physical Chemistry.
Suppressed martensitic transformation under biaxial loading in low stacking fault energy metastable austenitic steels
In-situ neutron diffraction studies performed on metastable 201 stainless steel combined with EBSD measurements confirm that ε-martensite is a precursor for α′-martensite during uniaxial and equibiaxial deformation at the same loading rate. In both loading states, the grains that contain martensite belong to orientations for which the leading partial dislocations have higher Schmid factor than the trailing partial dislocations. The martensitic transformation is suppressed during equibiaxial loading as a consequence of the different textures formed during deformation.
UO2 fuel behavior at very high burnup
The investigation of the nuclear fuel at very high burnup is critical for evaluating the safety margin for the evaluated fuel in normal as well as in accidental conditions. PSI is one of the very few hot laboratories which possess access to irradiated UO2 fuel with very high burnup from commercial reactors. The application of relevant tools for the investigation, handling and analysis of those highly irradiated materials emphasize the necessary expertise.
New Focused Ion Beam (FIB) in the Hot Laboratory
The implementation of Focused Ion Beam instruments in material research laboratories during the last decade has not only strongly improved the preparation of very thin specimens for the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), in particular at interfaces, but also led to the development of new analysis methods inside the instrument itself. It became a powerful instrument for the analyses of highly radioactive materials, because it allows for the production and analysis of very small specimens that can be then analyzed with very sensitive detectors without strong interference from the radiation field of the specimen itself.
Johannes Ihli's article makes it into ESRF Highlights
ESRF Highlights 2017 features work of researchers from the Laboratory of Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry, the Photon Science Division at Paul Scherrer Institut and the ESRF, Grenoble, France.
Martensitic transformation under multiaxial deformation
Researchers at PSI have established a link between the martensitic transformation, microstructural evolution and the mechanical behavior under multiaxial deformation in a NiTi alloy by using a unique combination of in situ high-resolution Digital Image Correlation (DIC), in situ X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy characterization.
First Pilot Experiment at SwissFEL-Alvra on UV photo-induced charge transfer in OLED system
On the 17th of December 2017 SwissFEL saw its first pilot experiment in the Alvra experimental station of the SwissFEL ARAMIS beamline. A team of scientists from the University of Bremen, Krakow and PSI, led by Matthias Vogt (Univ. Bremen) and Chris Milne (PSI)in collaboration with J. Szlachetko, J. Czapla-Masztafiak, W. M. Kwiatek (Inst. of Nucl.Phys. PAN (Krakow), successfully did the first pilot experiment at SwissFEL-Alvra on UV photo-induced charge transfer in OLED system.
First Pilot Experiment at SwissFEL-Alvra: UV photo-induced charge transfer in OLED system
On the 17th of December 2017 SwissFEL saw its first pilot experiment in the Alvra experimental station of the SwissFEL ARAMIS beamline.
Macroscopic phase separation of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2-xSex revealed by μSR
The compound Sr0.5Ce0.5FBiS2 belongs to the intensively studied family of layered BiS2 superconductors. It attracts special attention because superconductivity at Tsc = 2.8 K was found to coexist with local-moment ferromagnetic order with a Curie temperature TC = 7.5 K. Recently it was reported that upon replacing S by Se TC drops and ferromagnetism becomes of an itinerant nature.