Gadolinium-oxide nanoparticles for cryogenic magnetocaloric applications.

The series of advanced nanocomposites consisting of GdO nanoparticles (NPs) embedded into periodic porous SiO matrix have been investigated with respect to their structural and magnetocaloric properties. By means of small angle neutron scattering and transmission electron microscopy, regular nanopores organized in the cubic or hexagonal superlattice have been documented. The pores are occupied by the NPs of progressive concentration within the nanocomposite series.

Single-gap superconductivity in MoGa.

In this paper, the potential existence of two-gap superconductivity in MoGa is addressed in detail by means of thermodynamic and spectroscopic measurements. A combination of highly sensitive bulk and surface probes, specifically ac-calorimetry and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), are utilized on the same piece of crystal and reveal the presence of only one intrinsic gap in the system featuring strong electron-phonon coupling. Minute traces of additional superconducting phases detected by STS and also in the heat capacity measured in high magnetic fields on a high-quality and seemingly single-phase crystal might mimic the multigap superconductivity of MoGa suggested recently in several studies.