Mechanisms responsible for microwave properties in high performance dielectric materials

154352-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Microwave properties of low-loss commercial dielectric materials are optimized by adding transition-metal dopants or alloying agents (i.e. Ni, Co, Mn) to tune the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) to zero. This occurs as a result of the temperature dependence

Microwave properties of low-loss commercial dielectric materials are optimized by adding transition-metal dopants or alloying agents (i.e. Ni, Co, Mn) to tune the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) to zero. This occurs as a result of the temperature dependence of dielectric constant offsetting the thermal expansion. At cryogenic temperatures, the microwave loss in these dielectric materials is dominated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) loss, which results from the spin-excitations of d-shell electron spins in exchange-coupled clusters. We show that the origin of the observed magnetically-induced shifts in the dielectric resonator frequency originates from the same mechanism, as described by the Kramers-Kronig relations. The temperature coefficient of resonator frequency, τf, is related to three material parameters according to the equation, τf = - (½ τε + ½ τµ + αL), where τε, τµ, and αL are the temperature coefficient of dielectric constant, magnetic permeability, and lattice constant, respectively. Each of these parameters for dielectric materials of interest are measured experimentally. These results, in combination with density functional simulations, developed a much improved understanding of the fundamental mechanisms responsible for τf. The same experimental methods have been used to characterize in-situ the physical nature and concentration of performance-degrading point defects in the dielectrics of superconducting planar microwave resonators.
Date Created
2016
Agent

A New Spin on Cyclooctatetraene (COT) Redox Activity: Low-Spin Iron(1) Complexes That Exhibit Antiferromagnetic Coupling to a Singly Reduced eta(4)-COT Ligand

129374-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Formally zerovalent (κ3-phosphine)Fe(η4-COT) complexes supported by either Triphos (PhP(CH2CH2PPh2)2) or Triphos* (H3CC(CH2PPh2)3) have been prepared following chelate addition to (COT)2Fe (COT = 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene) and by reduction of the respective dibromide complexes in the presence of excess COT. The solid-state structure

Formally zerovalent (κ3-phosphine)Fe(η4-COT) complexes supported by either Triphos (PhP(CH2CH2PPh2)2) or Triphos* (H3CC(CH2PPh2)3) have been prepared following chelate addition to (COT)2Fe (COT = 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene) and by reduction of the respective dibromide complexes in the presence of excess COT. The solid-state structure of each complex was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and close inspection of the metrical parameters revealed significant COT ligand reduction, independent of the coordination geometry about iron. While the neutral and dianionic forms of the redox-active COT ligand have historically received a great deal of attention, a dearth of information regarding the often-evoked radical monoanion form of this ligand prompted the full electronic structure investigation of these complexes using a range of techniques. Comparison of the Mössbauer spectroscopic data collected for both (Triphos)Fe(η4-COT) complexes with data obtained for two appropriate reference compounds indicated that they possess a low-spin Fe(I) center that is antiferromagnetically coupled to a COT radical monoanion. Further evidence for this electronic structure determination by EPR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry is presented. A comparison of the solid-state metrical parameters determined in this study to those of related first-row transition-metal complexes has provided insight into the electronic structure analysis of related organometallic complexes.

Date Created
2014-12-22
Agent