A. Gaur

National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra | NIT Kurukshetra · Department of Physics

The direction of individual B8 solar neutrinos has been reconstructed using the SNO+ liquid scintillator detector. Prompt, directional Cherenkov light was separated from the slower, isotropic scintillation light using time information, and a maximum likelihood method was used to reconstruct the direction of individual scattered electrons. A clear d...

This study aims to determine how Zn doping at the cobalt site of MnCo2O4 (MCO) affects its electrochemical properties. Synthesized MnZn0.4Co1.6O4 (0.4ZMCO) sample's electrode provides an enormous improvement in electrochemical characteristics as compared to that of MCO because of its higher BET surface area (74 m2/ g) and mesoporous distribution of...

The sintering behavior and functional properties of Ba0.95Bi0.02Ca0.02Zr0.02Ti0.976Cu0.008O3 (Abb. as BCZTCB) lead-free ceramics have been studied through appropriate techniques. The XRD technique reveals a perovskite phase with a pure tetragonal symmetry for samples sintered at 1260 ◦C & 1300 ◦C. However, it is observed to be an admixture of Tetra...

The SNO+ Collaboration reports the first evidence of reactor antineutrinos in a Cherenkov detector. The nearest nuclear reactors are located 240 km away in Ontario, Canada. This analysis uses events with energies lower than in any previous analysis with a large water Cherenkov detector. Two analytical methods are used to distinguish reactor antineu...

The need for a cost-effective and efficient energy storage system instigates researchers to develop emerging electrode materials for energy storage devices. The α-Fe2O3-based electrode material for supercapacitor application has received interest due to its good electrochemical performance, high mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, low cost,...

Nonphotocatalytic water splitting through oxygen-deficient, mesoporous metal oxide design-based hydroelectric cells (HECs) is a well-known phenomenon. To exploit more power from HECs, a metal oxide with more oxygen deficiency is desirable. In this study, oxygen-deficient mesoporous SnO2 via a sol-gel method and its composites with reduced graphene...

Polycrystalline Y-type hexagonal ferrite sample with composition Ba2−xPbxCo1.5Zn0.5Fe12O22 (0 < x < 0.4) have been prepared via sol–gel auto-combustion method with citric acid as a chelating agent. The synthesized samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometry, and P–E loop t...

This paper reports results from a search for single and multinucleon disappearance from the O16 nucleus in water within the SNO+ detector using all of the available data. These so-called “invisible” decays do not directly deposit energy within the detector but are instead detected through their subsequent nuclear deexcitation and gamma-ray emission...

This review presents a brief scenario about the development of cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes for the next generation of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors for future energy technologies. Specific capacity and power density are two prime requirements for energy storage devices, mainly decided by the microstructure and compositions of e...

Three new inorganic–organic hybrid zinc organodiphosphonate compounds, [H2TEMED][Zn3(hedp)2] (1), [H2TEPA][Zn6(Hhedp)2(hedp)2]•2H2O (2) and [H2DETA]2[Zn12(Hhedp)4(hedp)4]•3H2O (3) (H4hedp = 1-hydroxyethane 1,1-diphosphonic acid, TEMED = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, TEPA = tetraethylenepentamine and DETA = diethylenetriamine) have been synt...

In this work, Bi³⁺ doped Ba0.98-3x/2BixCa0.02Zr0.02Ti0.976Cu0.008O3 [0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03] lead free ceramics, to be employed for structural, dielectric and ferroelectric studies, have been synthesized via conventional solid state reaction method. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data evidences the existence of a pure perovskite phase wit...

The synthesis and study of nanoparticles of different materials have become an important research discipline over the past few decades. This study aims to explore the role of Al3+ ion concentration on the structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of ZnS nanoparticles. Direct co-precipitation is employed to synthesize pristine...

In this paper, a capacitive RF MEMS switch working in shunt configuration is designed and optimized using FEM software. An electrostatically actuated fixed–fixed type shunt switch is optimised for low pull-in voltage. The thickness of the membrane and the actuating gap is optimized for low pull-in voltage and high capacitance ratio. The effect of d...

This chapter is dedicated to the electrolyte that is a crucial component of any device. Electrolyte plays a dual role in the device, acts as a carpet for electrolyte ions, and also separates the electrodes to avoid short-circuiting or explosion. Initially, the characteristics parameter and selection criteria for the electrolyte will be discussed. T...

The SNO+ experiment is located 2 km underground at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Canada. A low background search for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay will be conducted using 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator loaded with 3.9 tonnes of natural tellurium, corresponding to 1.3 tonnes of 130Te. This paper provides a general overview of the SNO+ experiment, in...

In the present work, we have synthesized reduced graphene oxide supported ZnCo2O4 microspheres (MSs) using a simple hydrothermal process. The porous shield consistency of rGO@ZnCo2O4 microspheres (MSs) brings a three-time increase in specific surface area (67 m²g⁻¹) for a high-performance electrode. The rGO@ZnCo2O4 MSs electrode facilitates a high...

In this work, the activated carbon (AC) is derived from the waste material of peanut shells. The obtained activated carbon has been synthesized using the chemical activation process via impregnation with NaOH at various proportions (1:2 and 1:3). The structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of obtained AC are examined by X-ray diff...

As globally, the main focus of the researchers is to develop novel electrode materials that exhibit high energy and power density for efficient performance energy storage devices. This review covers the up-to-date progress achieved in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) (e.g. MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, and WSe2) as electrode material for supercapacitors...

SNO+ is a large-scale liquid scintillator experiment with the primary goal of searching for neutrinoless double beta decay, and is located approximately 2 km underground in SNOLAB, Sudbury, Canada. The detector acquired data for two years as a pure water Cherenkov detector, starting in May 2017. During this period, the optical properties of the det...

This book presents a state-of-the-art outlines of the research and development in designing the electrode and electrolyte materials for energy storage/conversion devices (Li-ion batteries and Supercapacitors). Further, the green energy production through water splitting by an emerging device (hydroelectric cell; HEC) is also explored. Chapters are...

A liquid scintillator consisting of linear alkylbenzene as the solvent and 2,5-diphenyloxazole as the fluor was developed for the SNO+ experiment. This mixture was chosen as it is compatible with acrylic and has a competitive light yield to pre-existing liquid scintillators while conferring other advantages including longer attenuation lengths, sup...

As globally, the main focus of the researchers is to develop novel electrode materials that exhibit high energy and power density for efficient performance energy storage devices. This review covers the up-to-date progress achieved in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) (e.g. MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, and WSe2) as electrode material for supercapacitors...

(Bi1-xCdx)2Ti2O7 (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10 and 0.12) nanoparticles are synthesised using the co-precipitation method. The prepared samples show pyrochlore phase formation except for x = 0.02 and 0.08, where Bi4Ti3O12 appears as a secondary phase. The crystallite size and unit cell volume decrease while the strain and dislocation densi...

The PVDF/BaTiO3/NiO nanocomposite films of ~ 50 µm thickness are prepared via solution mixing method. The SEM images confirm the well incorporation of filler nanoparticles in the PVDF matrix with a highly porous mesh - like structure. The α → β phase transition in PVDF is observed by FTIR spectroscopic analysis. The dielectric constant of the pr...

The samples of Polyallyl diglycol Carbonate (CR-39) were implanted with 100 keV argon ions at fluences 1 × 10¹⁵, 5 × 10¹⁵ and 1 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm² to be employed for optical and structural studies. The changes in transmittance, reflectance, optical energy gap and refractive index have been studied through the UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopic technique. The en...

CdS nanoparticles are synthesized by a simple chemical coprecipitation technique using glucose as a capping/complexing agent and their structural, morphological, electrical and magnetic properties are studied. X-ray diffraction results reveal the pure phase formation of CdS nanoparticles along with a wurtzite structure. The interaction of the gluco...

Perovskite oxides are an important and exciting class of materials owing to the structural diversity with remarkable magnetic, optical and electronic behaviours. Here, a single-phase multiferroic orthoferrite, Y0.74Bi0.25FeO2.97 (YBFO), has been synthesized by a conventional solid-state method. The crystal structure was refined using the Rietveld r...

In the present work, a hydroelectric cell (HEC) is fabricated to generate the electricity through the splitting of water into H 3 O þ and OH À ions without releasing any toxic by-product. Nanoporous Fe 3 O 4 and Li-doped Fe 3 O 4 materials have been synthesized by facile chemical co-precipitation method. BET (Bru-nauereEmmetteTeller theory) results...

Swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiated PVDF and (0.8)PVDF/(0.2)BaTiO3 films (thickness ~ 0.06 μm) have been studied as a separator for supercapacitors. Samples were irradiated by O⁶⁺ and Li³⁺ ions at fluence 2 × 10¹¹ and 2 × 10¹² ions/cm², respectively. The irradiation-induced α → β phase transition in the PVDF polymer matrix, whereas complete amorphizat...

CdS nanoparticles are synthesized by a simple chemical coprecipitation technique using glucose as a capping/complexing agent and their structural, morphological, electrical and magnetic properties are studied. X-ray diffraction results reveal the pure phase formation of CdS nanoparticles along with a wurtzite structure. The interaction of the gluco...

The porous carbon is prepared utilizing the sugarcane bagasse via pre-treatment process using chemical agents like K2CO3, KOH and NaOH, followed by carbonization at 650 °C. The non-pre-treated (NPSB) and pre-treated (PSB1, PSB2, PSB3) samples were prepared. The resulting pre-treated carbon shows the increment in specific surface area from 476 to 72...

The present chapter highlights the fundamentals of supercapacitors (SCs), their classification with the main emphasis on the fabrication of hybrid SC using nanostructured transition metal oxide (TMO) based electrodes. The TMO based electrodes have grabbed attention of researchers in order to point out significant role in the enhancement of the SC d...

Two unprecedented organic amine templated silver organophosphonate hybrid solids have been synthesized hydrothermally by varying the molar ratio of the reactants. Both of the compounds consist of novel tetra- and penta-nuclear silver phosphonate basic building units. The dielectric constants are extremely large due to the charge separation of anion...

Due to the increasing demand for energy globally and the reduction of the traditional energy sources, the development of an efficient and sustainable energy source has grabbed the attention of researchers. So, supercapacitor (SC) is a crucial energy storage device that has gained attention in the energy sector. On the important part of any SC cell...

The generation of electricity by dissociating water into H3O⁺ and OH– ions through a hydroelectric cell (HEC) without liberating any toxic waste has achieved a groundbreaking feat. Nanoporous magnesium-doped SnO2 and cobalt-doped SnO2 materials have been prepared via a novel sol–gel method. The X-ray diffraction patterns of Mg-doped SnO2 and Co-dop...

This study reports a unique graphitic-C3N4 supported ZnCo2O4 composite, synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method to enhance the electrochemical performance of the electrode. The g-C3N4@ZnCo2O4 hybrid composite based electrode exhibits a significant increase in specific surface area and maximum specific capacity of 157 mAhg⁻¹ at 4 Ag⁻¹. More...

In–doped ZnS nanoparticles are synthesized via chemical co-precipitation method using different precursor solutions of zinc acetate (source of Zn2+ ions), sodium sulphide (source of S2- ions), indium sulphate (source of dopant In3+ ions), ammonium hydroxide (works as a complexing agent) and EDTA (as a capping agent). The effect of different concent...

The polyvinylidene fluoride/barium titanate (1-x)PVDF/(x)BaTiO3 nanocomposite films (x = 0.2 and 0.5) were prepared by solution mixing method. The dielectric constant (ε′) was increased by the BaTiO3 incorporation in the PVDF matrix. The pristine PVDF and nanocomposite films were uniformly irradiated with 80 MeV O⁶⁺ ion beam over an area of 1 cm² a...

Improvement in the capacitance and energy density of zinc cobalt oxides based materials is vital for creating supercapacitors with excellent electrochemical performance. We synthesised Cu doped Zinc Cobalt oxides (Zn1-xCuxCo2O4) nanostructures via a facile hydrothermal method to accomplish excellent supercapacitive performance. Significantly, the i...

BaFe12O19 thin film has been deposited on silicon (111) substrate by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The remnant polarization is found ~ 0.016 μC/cm² at room temperature measured by the PE-loop tracer. Ferromagnetic properties of the prepared film have been determined by the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) vibrating...

The Cu doped ZnCo2O4 nanostructures were synthesized by simple hydrothermal approach. Structural and morphological properties of pure and Cu-doped ZnCo2O4 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). XRD data confirm the pure phase of samples. Electron microsc...

The specific surface area and pore size of illustrative electrode material is a promising task to achieve better performance of energy storage devices. In this respect, Mg-substituted Ni1-xMgxCo2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) samples were synthesized by cost-effective and facile hydrothermal method. As-prepared samples were evaluated as the...

In the present work, olivine-layered composites, i.e., LiFePO4-Li2MnO3, are successfully synthesized in the form of a single monolithic electrode and layer arrangement. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed that the prepared compositions exhibit the peaks correspond to the layered m-Li2MnO3 (C2/m space group) and orthorhombic LiFePO4 with Pnma...

The present paper deals with the synthesis and characterization of (1−x)PVDF/(x)BaTiO3 nanocomposite films with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The samples were synthesized by simple solution mixing method followed by tape casting process. FESEM images show the homogeneous dispersion of BaTiO3 nanoparticles within the matrix of poly(vinylidene fluo...

In pursuit of high specific capacitance and high energy density; morphology, specific surface area and conductivity of electrode material are key factors. In this context, Ni1-xMgxCo2O4@C (x = 0.0, 0.5) nanostructures are synthesized via facile hydrothermal route using the cotton template. Notably; the morphology altered from flowers to rods with t...

BaFe12O19 hexaferrite thin films are deposited on Si (111) substrate by the pulse laser deposition (PLD) technique in high vacuum 10⁻⁶ Torr and low oxygen pressure (10 mTorr) at 650°C substrate temperature. The effects of high vacuum and low pressure on magnetic and optical properties are studied. These films are characterized by the x-ray diffract...

Pure and rare earth (RE = La, Pr, Sm) doped Sr2.9RE0.1Co2Fe24O41 Z-type strontium hexaferrite have been synthesized by the sol-gel auto-combustion method. The doping effect of RE element on structural, ferroelectric, magnetic and electrical properties is examined by using the X-Ray diffractometer, Polarization versus Electric Field (P-E) loop trace...

Barium hexaferrite powder samples with substitution of La⁺³ at Ba⁺² and Zn⁺² at Fe⁺³ site, according to the series formula Ba1−xLaxFe12−xZnxO19 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) have been prepared by the co-precipitation method. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, Polarization versus electric fi...

We synthesized YMnO3 and ZnFe2O4 composites, (1-x)YMnO3/x(ZnFe2O4) with x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 by high temperature sintering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate the successful formation of composites. Weak ferromagnetism is manifested below Néel temperature (TN) for pristine YMnO3, according to (M-H) study performed at 10 K. For (1-x)YM...

In this paper, we have reported the signature of multiferroicity and pyroelectricity in BaFe12O19 hexaferrite close to room temperature. The BaFe12O19 hexaferrite samples are synthesized by co-precipitation method at different sintering temperature ranging from 800 to 1200°C and study their structural, ferroelectric, magnetic, magnetoelectric and p...

The structural, optical, and dielectric properties of polycrystalline BiMn1−xTExO3 (x = 0, 0.1 and TE = Cr, Fe, Co, and Zn) samples synthesized by microwave-assisted synthesis, and sol-gel techniques have been studied. It is found from the XRD data for samples synthesized by both the methods that the lattice volume and average grain size of the pre...

Chennai (earlier called as Madras) was one of the key trading centers during the British days in India. As many as 14 tanneries out of a total of 25 were in Chennai, are from early 20th century. Later, more leather industries came into existence in and around the city and later grew phenomenally over the years the groundwater in these areas has bec...

Pb-substituted barium hexaferrite with chemical formula, Ba1-xPbxFe12O19 (x=0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) were prepared by co-precipitation method and citric acid was used as the organic precipitating agent. The samples were characterized by X-ray (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Polarization versus Electric field (P-E) loop tracers and vibrat...

La0.7Sr0.3MnO3-BaTiO3(LSMO/BTO) and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3-BaTiO3-BiFeO3 (LSMO/BTO/BFO) multilayer thin films are deposited on STO (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition. In-plane lattice mismatch induced strain is thoroughly investigated with the conclusion, that upper BTO layer of bilayer resides in high strained state, while upper BFO layer of trila...

In this work, we have performed the computational simulation to calculate the capture efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles flowing within a fluid in a tube under magnetic field. The capture efficiency is calculated by considering the dominant magnetization and fluidic drag forces acting on the magnetic particles. Further, experiments are also perfo...

Magnetic Targeted Drug Delivery System (MTDDS), based upon magnetic particles under the action of an external magnetic field, is an effective technique for drug therapy. The aim of the drug targeting is to decrease the amount of drug delivered to healthy tissue, while maintaining the therapeutic action at the desired site. In this work, a mathemati...

Epitaxial 150 nm thick LSMO/BFO bilayer is deposited on STO (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition, to study magnetoelectric effect. Unexpected low value of room temperature magnetization in bilayer indicates towards the possibility of interdiffusion. Further, sharp fall in the value of TC (53 K) also added our anxiety towards possible interdif...

The present study reports the effects of NaOH concentrations in hydrothermally grown ZnO nanostructures on structural, optical and ferroelectric properties at different selected NaOH molar concentrations (3-7 M). X-ray diffraction, Raman and photoluminescence analysis confirms the formation of pure phase of ZnO. FESEM images show that the average g...

BiMnO3 is a multiferroic material which means that it shows both the ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism. Present study deals about the study of optical and dielectric properties of BiMnO3 and doped BiMnO3. The magnetic and non magnetic ions are introduced as dopants in place of Mn sublattice, BiMn1−xAExO3 (where x=0.1 and AE= Cr, Fe, Co, and Zn)....

YMnO3 pristine and Dy–Ni co-doped Y1−xDyxMn1−xNixO3 compositions with x=0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 were synthesised by high temperature solid state route. In all synthesized samples with doping a minor phase of DyMnO3 is formed but no indication of phase transition from hexagonal to orthorhombic is observed. For 3 and 5% Dy–Ni co-doped YMnO3, a thin coerc...

This paper reports the effect of sintering temperature on the structural, optical and ferroelectric properties of vanadium (V) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study confirms the formation of a hexagonal wurtzite phase. It has been found that the increase in sintering temperature leads to very small enhancement in lattice par...

Weak ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism have been observed in Cu1-xMnxO (x=0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07) nanostructures synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that Mn substituted at Cu site in the CuO lattice and confirms the single phase formation for all samples. Polarization verses electric field (P-E) loops sho...

Pure and doped BaTiO3 (BTO) with different doping concentrations e.g. Ba0.97La0.03Ti1−xNixO3 (x = 0.03, 0.05, 0.07) were synthesized via sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the single phase formation for all samples. Polarization versus Electric field (P–E) loops for pure BTO shows non linear ferroelectric loop which tends towa...

BaTiO3 (BTO) nanoparticles were prepared via the sol-gel method by sintering at different temperatures (600-1000 degrees C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the pure phase formation of BTO for all samples. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images show that the particle size of BTO samples varies from 20 to 43 nm for the samples sinter...

Structural, morphological and optical properties of Zn1−xLixO thin films grown on Si (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition at different Li doping concentrations (x=0.0, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.09) are reported. The XRD spectra indicate the formation of single crystalline ZnO thin films preferentially grown along (002) crystallographic orientation wi...

In the present study, we report structural and optical properties of Cu1 − xLixO thin films grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates by pulsed laser deposition at different doping concentrations (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.09). The XRD spectra indicates the formation of polycrystalline CuO thin films and the crystallite size, calculated through XRD data is fo...

In the present work, the iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized by co-precipitation method using ammonia as a precipitation agent and studied their structural, optical and magnetic properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), photoluminescence, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The synthetic methodology has be...

Tunnel magnetoresistance in Sr2FeMoO6 based tri-layered structure was studied at room temperature. The Sr2FeMoO6/SrTiO3/Sr2FeMoO6 tri-layered structure was grown by pulse laser deposition on STO buffered Si(100) substrate. The X-ray diffraction and Micro Raman studies confirm the polycrystalline phase formation of SFMO thin films without any impuri...

Present article discuss synthesis, and structural characterizations of Er and Er:Yb codoped Y2Te4O11 nanocrystals and explore the effect of Aluminum (Al) doping on upconversion emission characteristics using 980 nm radiation as an excitation source. It was noticed that annealing at 950 °C temperature induces growth of Y2Te4O11 nanocrystals of size...

In the present work, we have synthesized BaTiO3 (BTO) and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) composites, (1 − x) BTO/(x) LSMO with x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show the peaks corresponding to both BTO and LSMO phase, which indicates the successful formation of composites. Polarization versus electric field (P–E) loops of sampl...

We report structural, optical, and ferroelectric behaviors of lithium-doped copper oxide (Cu1−x Li x O with x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.09) nanostructures synthesized by hydrothermal method. The XRD pattern indicates the pure phase formation of CuO without any impurity, and the crystallite size is found to be increases for x = 0–0.07 and decreases f...

In the present study, copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures have been synthesized at 140 °C for different aging periods, 1, 24, 48 and 96 hrs by hydrothermal method to investigate their effects on structural and optical properties. The X-ray diffractometer (XRD) pattern indicates the pure phase formation of CuO and the particle size, calculated from...

The present study reports structural, optical and ferroelectric behavior of lithium doped zinc oxide (Zn(1-)xLi(x)O with x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.09) nanostructures synthesized by hydrothermal method. The XRD pattern indicates the pure phase formation of ZnO without any impurity and the particle size, calculated through XRD data, is found to decre...

In this paper, we report the synthesis of pure ZnO, Li, Ni, and Mg doped (5 wt%) ZnO samples via sol–gel method and studied their structural, optical, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates the successful formation of ZnO phase. FESEM results show that the grain size of synthesized samples varies from...

We report the room temperature magnetoresistance in Sr2FeMoO6 based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). The micrometre-sized (SFMO/STO/SFMO) devices were grown by pulse laser deposition. The crystal structure and phase purity of SFMO layers were examined by X-ray diffraction, which shows the single phase formation of ordered polycrystalline SFMO thin...