Inhomogeneous Superconductivity Onset in FeSe Studied by Transport Properties.

Heterogeneous superconductivity onset is a common phenomenon in high-Tc superconductors of both the cuprate and iron-based families. It is manifested by a fairly wide transition from the metallic to zero-resistance states. Usually, in these strongly anisotropic materials, superconductivity (SC) first appears as isolated domains.

Phase Transformation in TiNi Nano-Wafers for Nanomechanical Devices with Shape Memory Effect.

Recently, Ti-Ni based intermetallic alloys with shape memory effect (SME) have attracted much attention as promising functional materials for the development of record small nanomechanical tools, such as nanotweezers, for 3D manipulation of the real nano-objects. The problem of the fundamental restrictions on the minimal size of the nanomechanical device with SME for manipulation is connected with size effects which are observed in small samples of Ti-Ni based intermetallic alloys with thermoplastic structural phase transition from austenitic high symmetrical phase to low symmetrical martensitic phase. In the present work, by combining density functional theory and molecular dynamics modelling, austenite has been shown to be more stable than martensite in nanometer-sized TiNi wafers.

Shape memory effect nanotools for nano-creation: examples of nanowire-based devices with charge density waves.

Nanotweezers based on the shape memory effect have been developed and tested. In combination with a commercial nanomanipulator, they allow 3D nanoscale operation controlled in a scanning electron microscope. Here we apply the tweezers for the fabrication of nanostructures based on whiskers of NbS, a quasi one-dimensional compound with room-temperature charge density wave (CDW).