Search results for "defect"
showing 10 items of 879 documents
Lesion load may predict long-term cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis patients
2015
Background: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques provided evidences into the understanding of cognitive impairment (CIm) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Objectives: To investigate the role of white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in predicting long-term CIm in a cohort of MS patients. Methods: 303 out of 597 patients participating in a previous multicenter clinical-MRI study were enrolled (49.4% were lost at follow-up). The following MRI parameters, expressed as fraction (f) of intracranial volume, were evaluated: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF-f), WM-f, GM-f and abnormal WM (AWM-f), a measure of lesion load. Nine years later, cognitive status was assessed in 241 patients using the Symbol Dig…
Crystal Structure and Local Dynamics in Tetrahedral Proton-Conducting La1-xBa1+xGaO4
2010
La1-xBa1+xGaO4-0 (LBG) compounds, based on unconnected GaO4 moieties, were recently proposed as proton conductors. Protonic defects in the lattice are inserted through self-doping with Ba2+, to create oxygen vacancies subsequently filled by hydroxyl ions. We present a combined structural analysis on self-doped LBG using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption (EXAFS): these results unravel the finer structural details on the short-range and long-range scales, and they are correlated with the dynamical properties of protonic conduction coming from vibrational spectroscopy. The structure of the GaO4 groups is independent of the oxide composition. On hydration, an array of short intertetr…
The electronic properties of an oxygen vacancy at ZrO2-terminated (001) surfaces of a cubic PbZrO3: computer simulations from the first principles
2008
Combining B3PW hybrid exchange-correlation functional within the density functional theory (DFT) and a supercell model, we calculated from the first principles the electronic structure of both ideal PbZrO(3) (001) surface (with ZrO(2)- and PbO-terminations) and a neutral oxygen vacancy also called the F center. The atomic relaxation and electronic density redistributions are discussed. Thermodynamic analysis of pure surfaces indicates that ZrO(2) termination is energetically more favorable than PbO-termination. The O vacancy on the ZrO(2)-surface attracts approximately 0.3 e (0.7 e in the bulk PbZrO(3)), while the remaining electron density from the missing O(2-) ion is localized mostly on …
Modelling of silver adhesion on MgO(100) surface with defects
1999
We show how surface defects (especially Fs 0 and Vs 0 centres) can play a major role in the adhesion of Ag (at 1:4 and 1:1 coverages) on the MgO(100) surface. Our calculations use a periodic (slab) model and an ab initio Hartree-Fock approach with a posteriori electron correlation corrections. We are able to analyse the interatomic bond populations, effective charges and multipole moments of ions, in combination with the interface binding energy and the equilibrium distances. Both surface defects cause strong redistributions of the electron density which increase the binding energy of metal atoms by more than an order of magnitude. This implies radiation-induced strengthening of metal adhes…
Effect of Vacancies on Positron Annihilation and Hyperfine Interactions in Fe-Al Alloys - <i>Ab Initio</i> Study
2012
Vacancies occupying different sub-lattices of D03 structure of Fe3Al alloy were investigated by the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method. The calculations basing on the super-cell approach have been performed for the vacancy concentrations of 1.6 and 3 at.%. For both concentrations the sub-lattice preference for vacancy location was determined. The dependence of vacancy formation energy on magnetic state of structure has been found. The positron lifetimes for the annihilation in the bulk (Fe3Al) and in vacancies have been investigated basing on the ab initio results for the electron density. The effect of vacancies on spin magnetic moment and hy-perfine parameters of Fe ato…
Ab InitioModeling of Metal Adhesion on Oxide Surfaces with Defects
2000
Our ab initio studies show that surface defects cause redistribution of the electron density which can increase substantially the binding energy of metal atoms to oxide surfaces. The results for electron $({F}_{s}^{0})$ and hole $({V}_{s}^{0})$ centers in the adhesion of Ag atoms (at 1:4 and 1:1 coverages) to a MgO(100) surface, combined with previous studies for charged defects, support earlier ideas of the mechanism of radiation-enhanced adhesion of nonreactive metals on oxide substrates. The results suggest that some optical control of adhesion energies is possible through charge transfer.
Influence of Compensating Defect Formation on the Doping Efficiency and Thermoelectric Properties of Cu2-ySe1–xBrx
2015
The superionic conductor Cu_(2−δ)Se has been shown to be a promising thermoelectric at higher temperatures because of very low lattice thermal conductivities, attributed to the liquid-like mobility of copper ions in the superionic phase. In this work, we present the potential of copper selenide to achieve a high figure of merit at room temperature, if the intrinsically high hole carrier concentration can be reduced. Using bromine as a dopant, we show that reducing the charge carrier concentration in Cu_(2−δ)Se is in fact possible. Furthermore, we provide profound insight into the complex defect chemistry of bromine doped Cu_(2−δ)Se via various analytical methods and investigate the conseque…
Photosensitivity of SiO2–Al and SiO2–Na glasses under ArF (193 nm) laser
2009
Abstract Photosensitivity of SiO 2 –Al and SiO 2 –Na glass samples was probed by means of the induced optical absorption and luminescence as well as by electron spin-resonance (ESR) after irradiation with excimer-laser photons (ArF, 193 nm). Permanent visible darkening in the case of SiO 2 –Al and transient, life time about one hour, visible darkening in the case of SiO 2 –Na was found under irradiation at 290 K. No darkening was observed at 80 K for either kind of material. This investigation is dedicated to revealing the electronic processes responsible for photosensitivity at 290 and 80 K. The photosensitivity of both materials is related to impurity defects excited directly in the case …
Investigation on the microscopic structure of E' center in amorphous silicon dioxide by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy
2006
The E′δ center is one of the most important paramagnetic point defects in amorphous silicon dioxide ( a-SiO 2) primarily for applications in the field of electronics. In fact, its appearance in the gate oxide of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures seriously affects the proper work of many devices and, often, causes their definitive failure. In spite of its relevance, until now a definitive microscopic model of this point defect has not been established. In the present work we review our experimental investigation by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) on the E′δ center induced in γ-ray irradiated a-SiO 2. This study has driven us to the determination of the intensity ratio between…
EPR on Radiation-Induced Defects in SiO2
2014
Continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has been the technique of choice for the studies of radiation-induced defects in silica (SiO2) for 60 years, and has recently been expanded to include more sophisticated techniques such as high-frequency EPR, pulse electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), and pulse electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy. Structural models of radiation-induced defects obtained from single-crystal EPR analyses of crystalline SiO2 (alfa-quartz) are often applicable to their respective analogues in amorphous silica (a-SiO2), although significant differences are common.