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Biomedical subjects

J M Zuo

Publications and source records attributed to J M Zuo.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Lamellar phase separation and dynamic competition in La0.23Ca0.77MnO3.

We report the coexistence of lamellar charge-ordered (CO) and charge-disordered (CD) domains, and their dynamical behavior, in La0.23Ca0.77MnO3. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we show that below T(CD) approximately 170 K a CD-monoclinic phase forms within the established CO-orthorhombic matrix. The CD phase has a sheetlike morphology, perpendicular to the q vector of the CO superlattice (a axis of the Pnma structure). For temperatures between 64 and 130 K, both the TEM and resistivity experiments show a dynamic competition between the two phases: at constant T, the CD phase slowly advances over the CO one. This slow dynamics appears to be linked to the magnetic transitions occurring in this compound, suggesting important magnetoelastic effects.

Journal Article↗

Coherent nano-area electron diffraction.

We describe the new coherent nano-area electron diffraction (NED) and its application for structure determination of individual nanostructures. The study is motivated by the challenge and the general lack of analytical techniques for characterizing nanometer-sized, heterogeneous phases. We show that by focusing electrons on the focal plane of the pre-objective lens using a 3rd condenser lens and a small condense aperture, it is possible to achieve a nanometer-sized highly parallel illumination or probe. The high angular resolution of diffraction pattern from the parallel illumination allows over-sampling and consequently the solution of phase problem based on the recently developed ab initio phase retrieval technique. From this, a high-contrast and high-resolution image can be reconstructed at resolution beyond the performance limit of the image-forming objective lens. The significance of NED for nanostructure characterization will be exemplified by single-wall carbon nanotubes and small metallic clusters. Imaging from diffraction patterns, or diffractive imaging, will be demonstrated using double-wall carbon nanotubes.

Computer Simulation↗

Induced growth of asymmetric nanocantilever arrays on polar surfaces.

We report that the Zn-terminated ZnO (0001) polar surface is chemically active and the oxygen-terminated (000(-)1) polar surface is inert in the growth of nanocantilever arrays. Longer and wider "comblike" nanocantilever arrays are grown from the (0001)-Zn surface, which is suggested to be a self-catalyzed process due to the enrichment of Zn at the growth front. The chemically inactive (0001;)-O surface typically does not initiate any growth, but controlling experimental conditions could lead to the growth of shorter and narrower nanocantilevers from the intersections between (000(-)1)-O with +/- (01(-)10) surfaces.

Journal Article↗

Charge density and chemical bonding in rutile, TiO2.

The low-order structure factors of rutile (TiO(2)) have been measured with an accuracy of up to 0.09% by quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction (QCBED). This error is an order of magnitude smaller than that in conventional Bragg X-ray diffraction and equivalent to the accuracy of the X-ray Pendellösung method. It is sufficient to distinguish atomic, covalent and ionic bonding. By refinement of the combined data of low-order reflections measured by electron diffraction with high-order reflections from X-ray diffraction, accurate charge-density maps are obtained and used to understand the role of the 3d electrons in Ti-O bonding. The results are combined with electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) in a study of the electronic structure.

Journal Article↗

Size- and shape-dependent energetics of nanocrystal interfaces: experiment and simulation.

We study the interface energetics of Ag nanocrystals on a H-passivated Si(111) surface by a transmission electron microscopy experiment and molecular dynamics simulations. The annealed nanocrystals are oriented with Ag(111)||Si(111). Azimuthally, epitaxy is preferred for nanocrystals with an interface larger than a coincident-site-lattice (CSL) cell. The equilibrium orientation, or interface energy minimum, depends on the interface size and shape. For interfaces approaching a CSL cell in size ( approximately 2 nm nanocrystals), fluctuations of a single atom at an interface can lead to large variations in nanocrystal orientations.

Journal Article↗

Atomic resolution imaging of a carbon nanotube from diffraction intensities.

Atomic imaging of three-dimensional structures has required a crystal in diffraction or a lens in electron imaging. Whereas diffraction achieves very high resolution by averaging over many cells, imaging gives localized structural information, such as the position of a single dopant atom. However, lens aberrations limit electron imaging resolution to about 1 angstrom. Resolution is reduced further by low contrast from weakscattering or from the limitations on electron dose for radiation-sensitive molecules. We show that both high resolution and high contrast can be achieved by imaging from diffraction with a nanometer-sized coherent electron beam. The phase problem is solved by oversampling and iterative phase retrieval. We apply this technique to image a double-wall carbon nanotube at 1-angstrom resolution, revealing the structure of two tubes of different helicities. Because the only requirement for imaging is a diffraction pattern sampled below the Nyquist frequency, our technique has the potential to image nonperiodic nanostructures, including biological macromolecules, at diffraction intensity-limited resolutions.

Journal Article↗

Nanostructure evolution during cluster growth: Ag on H-terminated Si(111) surfaces.

The size of small clusters has a large effect on cluster growth and structure. Using Ag clusters of sizes from approximately 1 to 10 nm grown on H-Si(111), we found that the cluster structure evolves in stages showing (1) irregular shapes at coverage <or=1 ML (monolayer), (2) mostly single crystal of faceted-hut-like shapes from 2 to 5 ML, and (3) defective disklike islands above 5 ML. We show that the rapid coalescence of small clusters drives the nanostructure transition and leads to a steplike growth of nanoclusters that is different from the predictions of scaling theory.

Journal Article↗

Orbital ordering in LaMnO3: estimates of structure factors and comparison of measurement methods.

This paper shows that the phenomenon of orbital ordering should be detectable by energy-filtered quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction (QCBED). The structure factors of LaMnO(3) crystals are calculated using a non-spherical atomic scattering model of the Mn(3+) ion. Several low-order electron structure factors showed pronounced change with orbital ordering, in which the e(g)(1) electron orders in the 3d(3z(2) - r(2)) orbital leaving the 3d(x(2) - y(2)) unoccupied. In contrast, the X-ray structure factors showed very small change. Orbital order is important in transition-metal oxides, including colossal magnetoresistive manganite oxides. The calculations show that by using QCBED it is possible to measure the subtle changes in electron structure factors due to orbital ordering of the e(g)(1) electron of the Mn(3+) ion in an LaMnO(3) crystal. A comparison of methods for structure-factor measurement is given, including Bragg X-ray and gamma-ray diffraction, X-ray Pendellösung and critical-voltage methods. New measurements by QCBED of structure factors in rutile are compared with the Bragg X-ray values. These show that QCEBD can provide an accurate extinction-free measurement of low-order structure factors, which is extremely difficult or perhaps impossible when using other methods applied to real crystals.

Journal Article↗

Electron detection characteristics of a slow-scan CCD camera, imaging plates and film, and electron image restoration.

Electron detection characteristics are summarized for the slow scan CCD (SSC) camera, imaging plates, and film. The advantage of each detector is demonstrated with the selected examples of electron diffraction and imaging. The Richardson-Lucy algorithm for image restoration is described and tested for images recorded with the SSC camera. The effectiveness of image restoration is demonstrated for the recorded high-resolution lattice image, energy-loss spectrum, and convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) pattern.

Algorithms↗

Accurate structure refinement and measurement of crystal charge distribution using convergent beam electron diffraction.

The method for accurate structure refinement from energy-filtered convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns is described with emphasis on recent progress in using imaging filters and 2-D detectors. Details are given about the underlying theoretical model and the statistical analysis of experimental data. The relationship between crystal potential and charge density is also derived for crystals at thermal equilibrium. The method is applied to the refinement of Si (111) and (222) structure factors using various goodness-of-fit (GOF) criteria. Results show that the refinement method is robust and highly accurate. The importance of the experimentally measured structure factors is illustrated through the study of the charge density in MgO. With the measured structure factors, it is possible to obtain details about the charge redistribution due to crystal bonding.

Crystallography↗

Use of quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction in materials science.

Methods for quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction are outlined and some results of our applications of convergent-beam electron diffraction are shown, with emphasis on quantitative analysis of crystal structures in materials science. Examples of thickness measurements and determination of lattice parameters are presented. Measurements of low-order structure factors to obtain information on bonding charge-density distributions are reviewed, with examples from TiAl intermetallics. For non-centrosymmetric crystals, a method to determine three-phase structure invariants is given. Determination of polarity is also discussed.

Alloys↗

FORTRAN source listing for simulating three-dimensional convergent beam patterns with absorption by the Bloch wave method.

The FORTRAN source code is given for a computer program that calculates the two-dimensional intensity distribution in convergent-beam transmission electron microdiffraction (CBED) patterns from perfect crystals. The program uses the eigenvalue or Bloch-wave method. It allows three-dimensional dynamical diffraction, and so includes all higher-order Laue zone effects without approximation. No symmetry reduction is included. The program accepts noncentrosymmetric or centrosymmetric crystal structures and allows absorption corrections to be included. It uses the "EISPACK" subroutines for the diagonalisation of a general complex matrix. Up to 100 CBED disks may be included. The code is also available via "Bitnet."

Electron Probe Microanalysis↗

Structural characterization of Ba2YCu3O7 by high resolution transmission electron microscopy.

We show that high-resolution transmission electron microscopy can be used directly to reveal the structure of the metal framework and its defects in Ba2YCu3O7. The use of dynamical effects under carefully selected and controlled conditions allows the detection of long-range order in the disposition of the oxygen vacancies, but inevitable misalignments make the quantification of the order parameter difficult. Specimen preparation methods are compared, and a wide-angle convergent-beam pattern is demonstrated.

Barium↗