Wedge-shaped HfO_(2) buffer layer-induced field-free spin-orbit torque switching of HfO_(2)/Pt/Co structure

Field-free spin-orbit torque(SOT)switching of perpendicular magnetization is essential for future spintronic devices.This study demonstrates the field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization in an HfO_(2)/Pt/Co/TaO_(x) structure,which is facilitated by a wedge-shaped HfO_(2)buffer layer.The field-free switching ratio varies with HfO_(2)thickness,reaching optimal performance at 25 nm.This phenomenon is attributed to the lateral anisotropy gradient of the Co layer,which is induced by the wedge-shaped HfO_(2)buffer layer.The thickness gradient of HfO_(2)along the wedge creates a corresponding lateral anisotropy gradient in the Co layer,correlating with the switching ratio.These findings indicate that field-free SOT switching can be achieved through designing buffer layer,offering a novel approach to innovating spin-orbit device.

Determination of petroleum sulfonates in crude oil by column-switching anion-exchange chromatography

A column-switching anion-exchange chromatography method was described for the separation and determination of petroleum monosulfonates （PMS） and petroleum disulfonates （PDS） in crude oil that was simply diluted with the dichloromethane/methanol （60/40）. The high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） system consisted of a clean-up column and an analytical column, which were connected with two six-port switching valves. Detection of petroleum sulfonates was available and repeatable. This method has been successfully applied to determine PMS and PDS in crude oil samples from Shengli oil field.

BOUNDARY LAYER STRUCTURE IN TYPHOON SAOMAI(2006):UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF EXCHANGE COEFFICIENT

Recent studies have shown that surface fluxes and exchange coefficients are particularly important to models attempting to simulate the evolution and maintenance of hurricanes or typhoons.By using an advanced research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting(ARW)modeling system,this work aims to study the impact of modified exchange coefficient on the intensity and structures of typhoon Saomai(2006)over the western North Pacific.Numerical experiments with the modified and unmodified exchange coefficients are used to investigate the intensity and structure of the storm,especially the structures of the boundary layer within the storm.Results show that,compared to the unmodified experiment,the simulated typhoon in the modified experiment has a bigger deepening rate after 30-h and is the same as the observation in the last 12-h.The roughness is leveled off when wind speed is greater than 30 m/s.The momentum exchange coefficient(CD)and enthalpy exchange coefficient(CK)are leveled off too,and CD is decreased more than CK when wind speed is greater than 30 m/s.More sensible heat flux and less latent heat flux are produced.In the lower level,the modified experiment has slightly stronger outflow,stronger vertical gradient of equivalent potential temperature and substantially higher maximum tangential winds than the unmodified experiment has.The modified experiment generates larger wind speed and water vapor tendencies and transports more air of high equivalent potential temperature to the eyewall in the boundary layer.It induces more and strong convection in the eyewall,thereby leading to a stronger storm.

In situ grown nanoscale platinum on carbon powder as catalyst layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)

An extensive study has been conducted on the proton exchange membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） with reducing Pt loading. This is commonly achieved by developing methods to increase the utilization of the platinum in the catalyst layer of the electrodes. In this paper, a novel process of the catalyst layers was introduced and investigated. A mixture of carbon powder and Nafion solution was sprayed on the glassy carbon electrode （GCE） to form a thin carbon layer. Then Pt particles were deposited on the surface by reducing hexachloroplatinic （IV） acid hexahydrate with methanoic acid. SEM images showed a continuous Pt gradient profile among the thickness direction of the catalytic layer by the novel method. The Pt nanowires grown are in the size of 3 nm （diameter） x l0 nm （length） by high solution TEM image. The novel catalyst layer was characterized by cyclic voltammetry （CV） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） as compared with commercial Pt/C black and Pt catalyst layer obtained from sputtering. The results showed that the platinum nanoparticles deposited on the carbon powder were highly utilized as they directly faced the gas diffusion layer and offered easy access to reactants （oxygen or hydrogen）.

Ultrafast antiferromagnet rearrangement in Co/IrMn/CoGd trilayers

Antiferromagnets offer great potential for high-speed data processing applications,as they can expend spintronic devices from a static storage and gigahertz frequency range to the terahertz range.However,their zero net magnetization makes them difficult to manipulate and detect.In recent years,there has been a lot of attention given to the ultrafast manipulation of magnetic order using ultra-short single laser pulses,but it remains unknown whether a similar scenario can be observed in antiferromagnets.In this work,we demonstrate the manipulation of antiferromagnets with a single femtosecond laser pulse in perpendicular exchange-biased Co/Ir Mn/Co Gd trilayers.We study the dual exchange bias interlayer interaction in quasi-static conditions and competition in ultrafast antiferromagnet rearrangement.Our results show that,compared to conventional ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic systems,the Ir Mn antiferromagnet can be ultrafast and efficiently manipulated by the coupled Co Gd ferrimagnetic layer,which paves the way for potential energy-efficient spintronic devices.

High-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cell with ultra-low loading Pt on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes as integrated catalyst layer

Reducing a Pt loading with improved power output and durability is essential to promote the large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).To achieve this goal,constructing optimized structure of catalyst layers with efficient mass transportation channels plays a vital role.Herein,PEMFCs with order-structured cathodic electrodes were fabricated by depositing Pt nanoparticles by Ebeam onto vertically aligned carbon nanotubes(VACNTs)growth on Al foil via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.Results demonstrate that the proportion of hydrophilic Pt-deposited region along VACNTs and residual hydrophobic region of VANCTs without Pt strongly influences the cell performance,in particular at high current densities.When Pt nanoparticles deposit on the top depth of around 600 nm on VACNTs with a length of 4.6μm,the cell shows the highest performance,compared with others with various lengths of VACNTs.It delivers a maximum power output of 1.61 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/O_(2),150 k Pa)and 0.79 W cm^(-2)(H_(2)/Air,150 k Pa)at Pt loading of 50μg cm^(-2),exceeding most of previously reported PEMFCs with Pt loading of<100μg cm^(-2).Even though the Pt loading is down to 30μg cm^(-2)(1.36 W cm^(-2)),the performance is also better than 100μg cm^(-2)(1.24 W cm^(-2))of commercial Pt/C,and presents better stability.This excellent performance is critical attributed to the ordered hydrophobic region providing sufficient mass passages to facilitate the fast water drainage at high current densities.This work gives a new understanding for oxygen reduction reaction occurred in VACNTs-based ordered electrodes,demonstrating the most possibility to achieve a substantial reduction in Pt loading<100μg cm^(-2) without sacrificing in performance.

Patterned catalyst layer boosts the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells by optimizing water management

Mass transport is crucial to the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells,especially at high current densities.Generally,the oxygen and the generated water share same transmission medium but move towards opposite direction,which leads to serious mass transfer problems.Herein,a series of patterned catalyst layer were prepared with a simple one-step impressing method using nylon sieves as templates.With grooves 100μm in width and 8μm in depth on the surface of cathode catalyst layer,the maximum power density of fuel cell increases by 10%without any additional durability loss while maintaining a similar electrochemical surface area.The concentration contours calculated by finite element analysis reveal that the grooves built on the surface of catalyst layer serve to accumulate the water nearby while oxygen tends to transfer through relatively convex region,which results from capillary pressure difference caused by the pore structure difference between the two regions.The separation of oxidant gas and generated water avoids mass confliction thus boosts mass transport efficiency.

Urban Boundary-Layer Stability and Turbulent Exchange during Consecutive Episodes of Particle Air Pollution in Beijing,China

Based on measurements at the Beijing 325-m Meteorological Tower,this study reports an analysis of atmospheric stability conditions and turbulent exchange during consecutive episodes of particle air pollution in Beijing(China),primarily due to haze and dust events(15–30 April 2012).Of particular interest were relevant vertical variations within the lower urban boundary layer(UBL).First,the haze and dust events were characterized by different atmospheric conditions,as quite low wind speed and high humidity are typically observed during haze events.In addition,for the description of stability conditions,the bulk Richardson number(RiB) was calculated for three different height intervals: 8–47,47–140,and 140–280 m.The values of RiB indicated an apparent increase in the occurrence frequency of stably-stratified air layers in the upper height interval—for the 140–280-m height interval,positive values of RiB occurred for about 85% of the time.The downward turbulent exchange of sensible heat was observed at 280 m for the full diurnal cycle,which,by contrast,was rarely seen at 140 m during daytime.These results reinforce the importance of implementing high-resolution UBL profile observations and addressing issues related to stably-stratified flows.

Numerical Simulation of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Horizontal Ground Heat Exchanger in Frozen Soil Layer

A simplified numerical model of heat transfer characteristics of horizontal ground heat exchanger (GHE) in the frozen soil layer is presented and the steady-state distribution of temperature field is simulated. Numerical results show that the frozen depth mainly depends on the soil′s moisture content and ambient temperature. The heat transfer loss of horizontal GHE tends to grow with the increase of the soil′s moisture content and the decrease of ambient temperature. Backfilled materials with optimal thermal conductivity can reduce the thermal loss effectively in the frozen soil. The applicability of the Chinese national standard “Technical Code for Ground Source Heat Pump (GB 50366-2005)” is verified. For a ground source heat pump project, the feasible layout of horizontal GHE should be determined based on the integration of the soil′s structure, backfilled materials, weather data, and economic analysis.

Continuous Separation of Cesium Based on NiHCF/PTCF Electrode by Electrochemically Switched Ion Exchange

Nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) film was synthesized on porous three-dimensional carbon felt (PTCF) substrate by repetitious batch chemical depositions, and the NiHCF/PTCF electrode was used as electrochemically switched ion exchange (ESIX) electrode in a packed bed for continuous separation for cesium ions. The morphologies of the prepared electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and the effects of solution concentration on the ion-exchange capacity of the electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry technique. Cycling stability and long-term storage stability of NiHCF/PTCF electrodes were also studied. The NiHCF/PTCF electrodes with excellent ion-exchange ability were used to assemble a diaphragm-isolated ESIX reactor for cesium separation. Continuous separation of cesium and regeneration of NiHCF/PTCF electrode based on the diaphragm-isolated reactor were performed in a laboratory-scale two-electrode system.

Electrochemically switched ion exchange performances of capillary deposited nickel hexacyanoferrate thin films

Thin films of capillary deposited nickel hexacyanoferrate(NiHCF) were investigated as electrochemically switched ion exchange(ESIX) materials. The films were generated on platinum and graphite substrates based on the ternary reagent diagram. In 1 mol/L KNO3 solution, cyclic voltammetry(CV) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS) was used to determine the influence of experimental conditions on the electroactivity of the NiHCF thin film on Pt substrates. The ion selectivity, ion-exchange capacity and the regenerability of NiHCF films on Pt and graphite substrates were investigated. The experiment results show that the NiHCF thin films from Ni2+-poor growth conditions have double peaks CV curves and contain relatively larger amount of potassium; while those from Ni2+-rich growth conditions are single peak CV curves and contain relatively smaller amount of potassium. It is demonstrated that the NiHCF thin films of capillary chemical deposition have good ESIX performances.

High-performance porous transport layers for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers

Hydrogen is a favored alternative to fossil fuels due to the advantages of clean-liness,zero emissions,and high calorific value.Large-scale green hydrogen production can be achieved using proton exchange membrane water electrolyz-ers(PEMWEs)with utilization of renewable energy.The porous transport layer(PTL),positioned between the flow fields and catalyst layers(CLs)in PEMWEs,plays a critical role in facilitating water/gas transport,enabling electrical/thermal conduction,and mechanically supporting CLs and membranes.Superior cor-rosion resistance is essential as PTL operates in acidic media with oxygen saturation and high working potential.This paper covers the development of high-performance titanium-based PTLs for PEMWEs.The heat/electrical con-duction and mass transport mechanisms of PTLs and how they affect the overall performances are reviewed.By carefully designing and controlling substrate microstructure,protective coating,and surface modification,the performance of PTL can be regulated and optimized.The two-phase mass transport char-acteristics can be enhanced by fine-tuning the microstructure and surface wettability of PTL.The addition of a microporous top-layer can effectively improve PTL|CL contact and increase the availability of catalytic sites.The anti-corrosion coatings,which are crucial for chemical stability and conductivity of the PTL,are compared and analyzed in terms of composition,fabrication,and performance.

The influence of patterned microporous layer on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell performances

The ordered membrane electrode assembly(MEA)has gained much attention because of its potential in improving mass transfer.Here,a comprehensive study was conducted on the influence of the patterned microporous layer(MPL)on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell performances.When patterned MPL is employed,grooves are generated between the catalyst layer and the gas diffusion layer.It is found that the grooves do not increase the contact resistance,and it is beneficial for water retention.When the MEA works under low humidity scenarios,the MEA with patterned MPL illustrated higher performance,due to the reduced inner resistance caused by improved water retention,leading to increased ionic conductivity.However,when the humidity is higher than 80%or working under high current density,the generated water accumulated in the grooves and hindered the oxygen mass transport,leading to a reduced MEA performance.

Application of an Al-doped zinc oxide subcontact layer on vanadium-compensated 6H–SiC photoconductive switches

Al-doped ZnO thin film （AZO） is used as a subcontact layer in 6H-SiC photoconductive semiconductor switches （PCSSs） to reduce the on-state resistance and optimize the device structure. Our photoconductive test shows that the onstate resistance of lateral PCSS with an n＋-AZO subcontact layer is 14.7% lower than that of PCSS without an n＋-AZO subcontact layer. This occurs because a heavy-doped AZO thin film can improve Ohmic contact properties, reduce contact resistance, and alleviate Joule heating. Combined with the high transparance characteristic at 532 nm of AZO film, vertical structural PCSS devices are designed and their structural superiority is discussed. This paper provides a feasible route for fabricating high performance SiC PCSS by using conductive and transparent ZnO-based materials.

Uniform, fast, and reliable CMOS compatible resistive switching memory

Resistive switching random access memory(RRAM) is considered as one of the potential candidates for next-generation memory. However, obtaining an RRAM device with comprehensively excellent performance, such as high retention and endurance, low variations, as well as CMOS compatibility, etc., is still an open question. In this work, we introduce an insert TaO_(x) layer into HfO_(x)-based RRAM to optimize the device performance. Attributing to robust filament formed in the TaO_(x) layer by a forming operation, the local-field and thermal enhanced effect and interface modulation has been implemented simultaneously. Consequently, the RRAM device features large windows(> 10^(3)), fast switching speed(-10 ns), steady retention(> 72h), high endurance(> 10^(8) cycles), and excellent uniformity of both cycle-to-cycle and device-to-device. These results indicate that inserting the TaO_(x) layer can significantly improve HfO_(x)-based device performance, providing a constructive approach for the practical application of RRAM.

Tribological Properties of Magnesium Ion-exchanged α-Zirconium Phosphate as a Solid Lubricant Additive in Lithium Grease

Magnesium ion-exchanged a-zirconium phosphates(Mg-α-ZrP) with particle sizes of 600 and 80 nm were prepared through the sealed ion-exchange and one-step hydrothermal synthesis methods, respectively. It was found that larger particles of Mg-α-ZrP had a higher load-carrying capacity than that of smaller particles, whereas smaller Mg-α-ZrP particles had better anti-wear properties than that of larger Mg-α-ZrP particles under mild loads. The correlation between the particle size of the sample and the surface roughness of the friction pair thus seems to be a key factor influencing the performance.

Improved AODV Routing Protocol Based on Link Stability and Channel Switching

Ad hoc on-demand distance vector( AODV) routing is one of the typical reactive routing protocols of vehicular ad hoc networks( VANET). Considering link stability and channel switching can greatly improve the QoS of protocols,in this paper,we propose a novel routing protocol: optimized cross-layer AODV( CL_ AODV) designed for VANET. It utilizes the frame transmission efficiency( FTE),path bandwidth in media access control( MAC) layer and signal-to-noise ratio( SNIR) in physical( PHY) layer to improve the link stability. In other words,it can increase packet delivery ratio effectively. In addition,end-to-end delay will be decreased based on the channel switching. According to the simulation,it is shown that the packet delivery ratio of CL_AODV is almost up to 99% and the highest compared to AODV and muti-constrained QoS AODV( MQ_ AODV). The delay of CL_AODV is almost half of MQ_ AODV's and 1 /3 of AODV's.Meanwhile,CL_AODV has the highest routing overhead or energy consuming. Because of the feature of VANET,the disadvantage can be ignored.

Modeling of Air Temperature for Heat Exchange due to Vertical Turbulence and Horizontal Air Flow

In order to calculate the air temperature of the near surface layer in urban environment,the surface layer air was divided into several layers in the vertical direction,and some energy balance equations were developed for each air layer,in which the heat exchange due to vertical turbulence and horizontal air flow was taken into account.Then,the vertical temperature distribution of the surface layer air was obtained through the coupled calculation using the energy balance equations of underlying surfaces and building walls.Moreover,the measured air temperatures in a small area(with a horizontal scale of less than 500 m)and a large area(with a horizontal scale of more than 1 000 m)in Guangzhou in summer were used to validate the proposed model.The calculated results agree well with the measured ones,with a maximum relative error of 4.18%.It is thus concluded that the proposed model is a high-accuracy method to theoretically analyze the urban heat island and the thermal environment.

Characterizing the Exchange Interaction of Sm-Co/Co(and Fe_(65)Co_(35))Magnetic Films

Exchange interaction plays an important role on magnetic properties of nanocomposite magnets consisting of hard- and soft-magnetic phases. Here the exchange interaction in the Sm-Co/Co （and Fe65Co35） magnetic films was characterized by measuring static （mr（H）） and demagnetized （md（H）） remanence curves. According to conventional method： δm（H）=md（H） - [1 - 2mr（H）], the exchange interaction was evaluated. The switching fields H′p and Hp, at which static （mr（H）） and demagnetized （md（H）） remanence show the fastest change, were identified. The relative ratio η=Hp-H′p/Hp of switching fields H′p and Hp has a linear relationship with the maximum value δmmax of δm（H） curves, proposing an alternative way to characterize the exchange interaction.

Study of electronic and magnetic properties of MnS layers

Self-consistent ab initio calculations, based on the density functional theory （DFT） and using the full potential linear augmented plane wave （FLAPW） method, are performed to investigate both electronic and magnetic properties of the MnS layers. Polarized spin and spin-orbit coupling are included in the calculations within the framework of the antiferromagnetic state between two adjacent Mn layers. Magnetic moments considered to lie along axes are computed. Obtained data from ab initio calculations are used as input data for the high temperature series expansion （HTSE） calculations to compute other magnetic parameters. The zero-field high temperature static susceptibility series of the spin-4.39 nearest-neighbour Heisenberg model on centred face cubic （FCC） and lattices is thoroughly analysed by a power series coherent anomaly method （CAM）. The exchange interactions between the magnetic atoms, the N@el temperature, and the critical exponent associated with the magnetic susceptibility are obtained for the MnS layer.