There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Heating efficiency in magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia

This critical review focuses on the solution deposition of transparent conductors with a particular focus on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin-films TCOs play a critical role in many current and emerging opto-electronic devices due to their unique combination of electronic conductivity and transparency in the visible region of the spectrum Atmospheric-pressure solution processing is an attractive alternative to conventional vacuum-based deposition methods due to its ease of fabrication, scalability, and potential to lower device manufacturing costs An introduction into the applications of and material criteria for TCOs will be presented first, followed by a discussion of solution routes to these systems Recent studies in the field will be reviewed according to their materials system Finally, the challenges and opportunities for further enabling research will be discussed in terms of emerging oxide systems and non-oxide based transparent conductors (341 references)

Solution processing of transparent conductors: from flask to film

We analyze the transmission and reflection data obtained through transfer matrix calculations on metamaterials of finite lengths, to determine their effective permittivity epsilon and permeability micro. Our study concerns metamaterial structures composed of periodic arrangements of wires, cut wires, split ring resonators (SRRs), closed SRRs, and both wires and SRRs. We find that the SRRs have a strong electric response, equivalent to that of cut wires, which dominates the behavior of left-handed materials (LHM). Analytical expressions for the effective parameters of the different structures are given, which can be used to explain the transmission characteristics of LHMs. Of particular relevance is the criterion introduced by our studies to identify if an experimental transmission peak is left or right handed.

Effective medium theory of left-handed materials

Recent advances in superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for in vitro and in vivo cancer nanotheranostics

Polycrystalline BaTi1−xFexO3 ceramics have been prepared by conventional solid-state reaction. Their structural, optical and magnetic properties are then studied by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering (RS) and absorption spectrometers, and a physical properties measurement system. Detailed analyses of XRD patterns and RS spectra reveal the phase separation of the tetragonal-hexagonal structure at a threshold concentration of x = 0.005. The increase in the Fe-doping content (x) leads to development of the hexagonal phase. Magnetic measurements prove that many BaTi1−xFexO3 samples exhibit the room-temperature ferromagnetic order, excepting the samples with x = 0.02–0.06. The ferromagnetism depends strongly on concentration of Fe impurities. The nature of this ferromagnetism is discussed by means of the results of structural analyses and optical absorption spectra.

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of polycrystalline BaTi1−xFexO3 ceramics

A systematic investigation of the structural, magnetic and electrical properties of a series of nanocrystalline La 0.7 Sr x Ca 0.3− x MnO 3 materials, prepared by high energy ball milling method and then annealed at 900 °C has been undertaken. The analysis of the XRD data using the Win-metric software shows an increase in the unit cell volume with increasing Sr ion concentration. The La 0.7 Sr x Ca 0.3− x MnO 3 compounds undergo a structural orthorhombic-to-monoclinic transition at x =0.15. Electric and magnetic measurements show that both the Curie temperature and the insulator-to-metal transition temperature increase from 259 K and 253 K correspondingly for La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 ( x =0) to 353 K and 282 K, respectively, for La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 ( x =0.3). It is argued that the larger radius of Sr 2+ ion than that of Ca 2+ is the reason to strengthen the double-exchange interaction and to give rise to the observed increase of transition temperatures. Using the phenomenological equation for conductivity under a percolation approach, which depends on the phase segregation of ferromagnetic metallic clusters and paramagnetic insulating regions, we fitted the resistivity versus temperature data measured in the range of 50–320 K and found that the activation barrier decreased with the raising Sr 2+ ion concentration.

Structural, magnetic and magnetotransport behavior of La0.7SrxCa0.3−xMnO3 compounds

Our work studies the influences of the Mn doping on structural characterization and optical and magnetic properties of BaTi1−xMnxO3 (x = 0.0–0.12) prepared by conventional solid-state reaction. Detailed analyses of XRD patterns and Raman scattering spectra indicate an incorporation of Mn dopants into the Ti sites of BaTiO3 host lattices, and the tetragonal-hexagonal transformation taking place at a threshold concentration of xc ≈ 0.01. An increase of Mn-doping content in BaTi1-xMnxO3 introduces more electronic levels associated with lattice defects and Mn ions to the forbidden gap and thus reduces luminescent intensity in the visible region. Magnetic data recorded at room temperature reveal that all the samples exhibit ferromagnetic order, and there is a phase separation in magnetism as varying x values. Particularly, the samples with x = 0.5–0.7 have a coexistence of two ferromagnetic phases with different coercivities, which are associated with tetragonal and hexagonal Mn-doped BaTiO3 structures. The nature of ferromagnetism is explained by means of the results of structural and optical analyses, where Mn3+ and Mn4+ ions play a crucial role.

Structural phase separation and optical and magnetic properties of BaTi1−xMnxO3 multiferroics

The paper presents results of research on preparing the magnetic fluid based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles and its potential hyperthermia application. Magnetic fluids were manufactured by dissolving superparamagnetic nanoparticles coated by suitable biocompatible starch layer during the co-precipitation processing. The coated particle size changes in range of 15÷17 nm were characterized by FESEM images. At room temperature, the samples exhibit super-paramagnetic behaviour with a saturation moment of 65 emu/g. The concentration of magnetic nanoparticles contained in carried liquid reach to 15 mg/ml. The magnetic fluid was used as a mediator for heating by an AC magnetic field with the frequency of 184 kHz and field strength of 12 kA/m. The dependence of heating on nanoparticle concentration was observed and it implied that the magnetic fluid is a suitable mediator for cancer treatment by hyperthermia application with appropriate controlling the heating temperature ranges from 45 to 50°C.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/187/1/012069/pdf

Le Van Hong

Papers

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of polycrystalline BaTi1−xFexO3 ceramics

Structural, magnetic and magnetotransport behavior of La0.7SrxCa0.3−xMnO3 compounds

Structural phase separation and optical and magnetic properties of BaTi1−xMnxO3 multiferroics

Magnetic fluid based on Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles: Preparation and hyperthermia application

Size effects and interactions in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 nanoparticles