[en] The dynamics of methane trapping on CO-covered Pt(111) in low coverage, c(√3x5)rect, and c(4x2) structures was investigated using supersonic molecular beam techniques at a surface temperature of 50 K; at this temperature methane was stably adsorbed on the clean (A. F. Carlsson and R. J. Madix, to be published) surface, but not in multilayers (A. F. Carlsson and R. J. Madix, to be published), and thus trapped amidst adsorbed CO molecules. Molecular trapping was enhanced to greater degrees with increasing CO coverage, and the methane uptake decreased with increasing CO coverage, as would be expected. The trapping probability further increased as methane covered the Pt(111)-CO surface; the modified Kisliuk model [J. Chem. Phys. 92, 1397 (1990); J. Phys. Chem. 95, 2461 (1991)] describes the coverage-dependent trapping probability. Methane adsorption may occur directly on the surface, or via two entrance channels into an extrinsic precursor, where the trapping probability is higher. The angular dependence of methane trapping on the CO-covered surface suggests an increasing corrugation in the gas-surface potential as the CO coverage increases; the corrugation may also contribute to the enhancement of the overall trapping probability by facilitating interconversion of perpendicular to parallel momentum during the gas-surface collision. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

[en] From data on (Fe_1-xV_x/Cu/Co/Cu)_N multilayers, we show that Fe doped with V gains a negative spin asymmetry for bulk scattering (β<0), which, combined with the positive asymmetry of Co, accounts for the inverse current perpendicular to the plane (CPP) giant magnetoresistance (GMR) we observe. More precisely, the competition between positive and negative asymmetries for interface and bulk scatterings in FeV leads to inverse (normal) GMR for layers thicker (thinner) than a compensation thickness. The negative β of FeV is consistent with theoretical predictions and bulk alloy data. The current in the plane (CIP) GMR is not reversed, which illustrates the role of channeling in CIP. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

[en] The figure of merit for multilayer thermionic refrigeration is discussed in terms of an effective B factor, which has a similar definition as the B factor in thermoelectrics. We show that high efficiencies for cooling or power generation are only obtained with very high values of this B factor. Such high values can only be attained because of the low thermal conductivity of multilayers. The B factor for thermionics is usually less than the one for thermoelectrics. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics

[en] A spin-density wave (SDW) is shown to mediate a strongly temperature-dependent magnetic coupling between magnetic proximity layers. For parallel or antiparallel moments in the proximity layers, the order parameters of the SDW oscillate as a function of the spacer thickness with a two monolayer period. The SDW phase transition between incommensurate and commensurate phases can be controlled by flipping the magnetization of one of the proximity layers. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

[en] We show in this Letter that the magnetic coupling of a [26 Angstrom Fe/15 Angstrom Nb]x18 multilayer is changed in a continuous and reversible way by introducing hydrogen into the sample. The magnetic structure and its change during hydrogen charging (and the following decharging) is measured in situ by neutron reflectivity. The alteration of the magnetic coupling upon hydrogenation is confirmed by SQUID magnetization measurements. We attribute the change of the coupling to a change of the effective Fermi wave vector in Nb due to hydrogen uptake. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

[en] X-ray reflectivity data of polymer bilayer systems have been analyzed using a Fourier method which takes into account different limits of integration in q-space. It is demonstrated that the interfacial parameters can be determined with high accuracy although the difference in the electron density (the contrast) of the two polymers is extremely small. This method is not restricted to soft-matter thin films. It can be applied to any reflectivity data from low-contrast layer systems. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

[en] Interface stress is a surface thermodynamics quantity associated with the reversible work of elastically straining an internal solid interface. In a multilayered thin film, the combined effect of the interface stress of each interface results in an in-plane biaxial volume stress acting within the layers of the film that is inversely proportional to the bilayer thickness. We calculated the interface stress of an interface between {111} textured Ag and Ni on the basis of direct measurements of the dependence of the in-plane elastic strains on the bilayer thickness. The strains were obtained using transmission x-ray diffraction. Unlike previous studies of this type, we used freestanding films so that there was no need to correct for intrinsic stresses resulting from forces applied by the substrate that can lead to large uncertainties of the calculated interface stress value. Based on the lattice parameters of the bulk, pure elements, an interface stress of -2.02±0.26 N/m was calculated using the x-ray diffraction results from films with bilayer thicknesses greater than 5 nm. This value is somewhat smaller than previous measurements obtained from as-deposited films supported by substrates. For smaller bilayer thicknesses the apparent interface stress becomes smaller in magnitude, possibly due to a loss of layering in the specimens. (c) 1999 Materials Research Society

[en] Recursion equations for 2x2 scattering matrices have been derived to calculate resonant x-ray reflection from magnetic multilayers. The solution has been basically reduced to that found in Stepanov et al, Phys. Rev. B 57, 4829 (1998) for grazing incidence x-ray diffraction from crystalline multilayers. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

[en] We present a simple approximation for treating anisotropic scattering within the semiclassical Boltzmann equation for current in plane geometry in magnetic multilayers. This approximation can be used to qualitatively account for the forward scattering that is neglected in the lifetime approximation, and requires only one additional parameter. For the case of a bulk material its effect is a simple renormalization of the scattering rate. The simplicity of this term has allowed quick and simple solution to the Boltzmann equation for magnetic multilayers using realistic band structures. When we use the band structures for Cu|Co multilayers obtained from first-principles calculations, we find an increase in the resistance of the multilayer, compared to the solution without the scattering-in term, due to the higher scattering rates needed to fit the same bulk conductivities. The giant-magnetoresistance ratio is also changed when the vertex corrections are included. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

[en] We have fabricated the four flight gratings for a sounding rocket high-resolution spectrometer using a holographic ion-etching technique. The gratings are spherical (4000-nm radius of curvature), large (160 mmx90 mm), and have a laminar groove profile of high density (3600 grooves/mm). They have been coated with a high-reflectance multilayer of Mo/Si. Using an atomic force microscope, we examined the surface characteristics of the first grating before and after multilayer coating. The average roughness is approximately 3 Aa rms after coating. Using synchrotron radiation, we completed in efficiency calibration map over the wavelength range 225-245 Aa. At an angle of incidence of 5 degree sign and a wavelength of 232 Aa, the average efficiency in the first inside order is 10.4±0.5%, and the derived groove efficiency is 34.8±1.6%. These values exceed all previously published results for a high-density grating. (c) 1999 Optical Society of America