Crystallization in Zirconia Film Nano-Layered with Silica.

Gravitational waves are detected using resonant optical cavity interferometers. The mirror coatings' inherent thermal noise and photon scattering limit sensitivity. Crystals within the reflective coating may be responsible for either or both noise sources.

Emergence and Evolution of Crystallization in TiO Thin Films: A Structural and Morphological Study.

Among all transition metal oxides, titanium dioxide (TiO) is one of the most intensively investigated materials due to its large range of applications, both in the amorphous and crystalline forms. We have produced amorphous TiO thin films by means of room temperature ion-plasma assisted e-beam deposition, and we have heat-treated the samples to study the onset of crystallization. Herein, we have detailed the earliest stage and the evolution of crystallization, as a function of both the annealing temperature, in the range 250-1000 °C, and the TiO thickness, varying between 5 and 200 nm.

Controlled Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene on Ruthenium from Azafullerene.

The controlled synthesis of high-quality nitrogen (N) doped single layer graphene on the Ru(0001) surface has been achieved using the N-containing sole precursor azafullerence (CNH). The synthesis process and doping properties have been investigated on the atomic scale by combining scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. We find for the first time that the concentration of N-related defects on the N-doped graphene/Ru(0001) surface is tunable by adjusting the dosage of sole precursor and the number of growth cycles.