Scientific Highlights
Giant Controllable Magnetization Changes Induced by Structural Phase Transitions in a Metamagnetic Artificial Multiferroic
The realization of a controllable metamagnetic transition from AFM to FM ordering would open the door to a plethora of new spintronics based devices that, rather than reorienting spins in a ferromagnet, harness direct control of a materials intrinsic magnetic ordering. In this study FeRh films with drastically reduced transition temperatures and a large magneto-thermal hysteresis were produced for magnetocaloric and spintronics applications.
Stratified Micellar Multilayers - Toward Nanostructured Photoreactors
Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) with stratification of the internal structure were assembled from statistical amphiphilic copolyelectrolytes of opposite charges. These polyelectrolytes organize in aqueous solutions into micellar structures with fluoroalkyl and aromatic nanodomains, respectively, that were also preserved after deposition as thin films via layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic self-assembly.
In-situ visualization of stress-dependent bulk magnetic domain formation by neutron grating interferometry
The efficiency of industrial transformers is directly influenced by the magnetic properties of high-permeability steel laminations (HPSLs). These laminations are coated by insulating layers, to reduce eddy-current losses in the transformer core. In addition, the coating induces favorable inter-granular tensile stresses that significantly influence the underlying magnetic domain structure.
Origin of the Spin-Orbital Liquid State in a Nearly J=0 Iridate Ba3ZnIr2O9
We show using detailed magnetic and thermodynamic studies and theoretical calculations that the ground state of Ba3ZnIr2O9 is a realization of a novel spin-orbital liquid state. Our results reveal that Ba3ZnIr2O9 with Ir5+ (5d4) ions and strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) arrives very close to the elusive J 1⁄4 0 state but each Ir ion still possesses a weak moment.
Textbook on XAS and XES
During the last two decades, remarkable and often spectacular progress has been made in the methodological and instrumental aspects of x–ray absorption and emission spectroscopy. This progress includes considerable technological improvements in the design and production of detectors especially with the development and expansion of large-scale synchrotron reactors All this has resulted in improved analytical performance and new applications, as well as in the perspective of a dramatic enhancement in the potential of x–ray based analysis techniques for the near future.
Quasiparticle-continuum level repulsion in a quantum magnet
When the energy eigenvalues of two coupled quantum states approach each other in a certain parameter space, their energy levels repel each other and level crossing is avoided. Such level repulsion, or avoided level crossing, is commonly used to describe the dispersion relation of quasiparticles in solids.
In situ stress observation in oxide films and how tensile stress influences oxygen ion conduction
Many properties of materials can be changed by varying the interatomic distances in the crystal lattice by applying stress. Ideal model systems for investigations are heteroepitaxial thin films where lattice distortions can be induced by the crystallographic mismatch with the substrate. Here we describe an in situ simultaneous diagnostic of growth mode and stress during pulsed laser deposition of oxide thin films.
Dramatic pressure-driven enhancement of bulk skyrmion stability
The recent discovery of magnetic skyrmion lattices initiated a surge of interest in the scientic community. Several novel phenomena have been shown to emerge from the interaction of conducting electrons with the skyrmion lattice, such as a topological Hall-effect and a spin-transfer torque at ultra-low current densities.
Installation progress of the SwissFEL Linac
The installation of the linear accelerator (Linac) progresses very well. This week, the last girder of the so-called “Linac 1” was installed in the SwissFEL tunnel. The entire C-band accelerator consists out of Linac 1, Linac 2, and Linac 3, and a total amount of 104 accelerating structures. Meanwhile, 38 accelerating structures are installed in the SwissFEL tunnel. The assembly work on the remaining Linac modules will take place until end of September of this year. By then it is planned to finish the installation of all Linac modules in the SwissFEL tunnel.
Proton Accelerator Operation Statistics 2015
For the first time in the history of the High Intensity Proton Accelerator the availability of the facility reached an outstanding value of 95% in 2015 with a record value of 99.3% in week 44. In comparison to the two previous years this corresponds to a reduction of the downtime by 50%. The user operation in 2015 was started as scheduled and already in the first week the machine was available 97% of the scheduled beam time. In addition to the smooth operation of the facility, high intensity beam experiments could regularly be performed with currents of up to 2.4 mA. nu