Unconventional superconductors are those which are not described by the BCS theory, and for which no known theoretical description currently exists. The careful study of the behaviour of superconducting vortices in such systems yields crucial insights into the underlying physics of these exciting materials. This thesis describes a series of magnetometry experiments conducted on three different unconventional superconductors: Sr2RuO4, MgB2 and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+; utilising two techniques: Scanning Hall probe microscopy and magneto-optical imaging. An exotic p-wave chiral order parameter is thought to exist in Sr2RuO4 and is expected to produce several identifiable magnetic signatures. A search for these signals via scanning Hall probe measurements failed to detect any such signatures, but did capture a structural transition of the vortex lattice that is consistent with the proposed chiral order parameter. Studies of several samples also suggest that the vortex behaviour is strongly modified with even tiny amounts of disorder, a conclusion that has important consequences for interpretations of vortex patterns in Sr2RuO4. Several recent experiments have reported vortex configurations consistent with a competing short-range repulsion and long-range attraction in the intervortex interaction in MgB2 single crystals. We observe the spontaneous formation of vortex chains and labyrinths in a 160nm MgB2 thin-film that are suggestive of a non-monotonic vortex interaction, but perhaps more indicative of an intermediate-range attraction in harness with short and long-range repulsions. The suitability of seven potential mechanisms of vortex attraction in MgB2 are reviewed in light of the unusually short electronic mean-free path of our sample. Finally, magneto-optical imaging has been used to study the penetration of flux into regular polygon-shaped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ platelets with various geometries. The variation of HP with geometry qualitatively contradicts conventional estimates of demagnetisation factors based on equivalent ellipsoids using inscribed circles. This work has important implications for the estimation of appropriate effective demagnetisation factors in arbitrarily shaped superconducting bodies.

Thesis--Amsterdam. / In Periodical Room.

A cinética de fotopolimerização do monômero metacrilato de metila (MMA) foi investigada usando o fotoiniciador tioxantona (TX) e o co-iniciador trietilamina (TEA), a fim de elucidar o mecanismo de fotopolimerização. A dilatometria foi usada como técnica para a determinação das cinéticas de polimerização. Determinaram-se os rendimentos quânticos de polimerização. Os estados excitados foram estudados por fluorescência estática para determinar as constantes de supressão de fluorescência pela amina e pelo monômero. Medidas de fotólise por pulso de laser permitiram obter o espectro de absorção triplete-triplete da tioxantona, bem como a constante de supressão do estado triplete. Os resultados mostraram que a supressão ocorre por um processo colisional no estado singlete e que os radicais eficientes na fotoiniciação são originados da amina TEA. A massa molecular média dos polímeros obtidos foi determinada por medidas de cromatografia de permeação em gel (GPC). Em uma segunda etapa, foi investigada a polimerização fotoiniciada por fotoiniciadores usados em resinas dentárias, canforquinona (CQ), 1,2-fenilpropanodiona (PPD), Lucirin e Irgacure. A velocidade de polimerização foi acompanhada por dilatometria usando excitação acima de 348 nm. Obteve-se os rendimentos quânticos de polimerização e os polímeros foram caracterizados por GPC. A maior constante de velocidade de polimerização obtida foi para o Irgacure e o maior rendimento quântico de polimerização obtido foi para o Lucirin. As diferenças na eficiência da polimerização são atribuídas à formação de radicais e à capacidade de gerar radicais a partir da absorção da luz incidente. Por fim, investigou-se os espectros de absorção triplete-triplete (TTA) da TX em diferentes solventes usando a técnica de fotólise por pulso de laser. Observou-se a formação de três bandas, duas referentes ao triplete da TX (uma em 300 nm e outra em 600 nm) e em 400 nm, observou-se a formação do radical cetila da TX. A abstração de hidrogênio do solvente pela TX pode ocorrer em 340 nm em solventes com constante de abstração de hidrogênio (kabstr) alto. Esse fator pode ser observado nos solventes 2-propanol e etanol. O substituinte na TX mostrou, através do parâmetro de Hammett do substituinte que com o aumento da eletronegatividade há um deslocamento do máximo de absorção do transiente para comprimentos de onda menores. / The photopolymerization of the monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA) using thioxanthone (TX) as photoinitiator and triethylamine (TEA) as co-initiator, was investigated in order to explain the photopolymerization mechanism. Dilatometry was used to determine the kinetics of polymerization. The polymerization quantum yields were determined. The excited states were studied using static fluorescence in order to determine the fluorescence rate quenching by the amine and the monomer. The triplet-triplet absorption (TTA) spectrum of thioxanthone and the rate constant of quenching of the triplet state were obtained using flash photolysis technique. The results showed that the singlet state quenching occurs by a colisional process and the efficient radicals in the photoinitiation process are originated from the amine TEA. The molar mass of the obtained polymers was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The polymerization photoinitiated by the photoinitiators used in dental resins, Camphorquinone (CQ), 1,2- Phenylpropanodione (PPD), Lucirine and Irgacure was investigated in a second step. The rate of polymerization was studied by dilatometry with excitation above 348 nm. The polymerization quantum yields were obtained and the polymers were characterized by GPC. The larger rate constant of polymerization was found for Irgacure and the larger polymerization quantum yield was obtained for Lucirine. The differences in polymerization efficiencies can be tracked to the formation of radicals and the capability to produce the radicals after incident light absorption. Finally, the TTA of TX was studied in different solvents using the flash photolysis technique. The spectrum presented three bands, two due to the transient of TX (at 300 and 600 nm), and one at 400 nm assigned to the cetyl radical. The abstraction of a solvent hydrogen by TX is observed at 340 nm in solvents with high hydrogen abstraction constant (kabstr). This fact can be observed in 2-propanol and ethanol. An increase in the solvent polarity stabilizes the electronic pp* states and unstabilizes the np* states. The substitution in the TX molecule produced a shift to lower wavelength in the maximum absorption of transient with the increase of the electronegativity, as indicated by the dependence of the Hammett parameter.

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The photophysical properties of a series of Zn (II) porphyrins adsorbed onto a semiconductor were investigated using steady-state absorbance and emission measurements. The ability of the porphyrins to undergo triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA), a photophysical process through which photons in the red and near-infrared (NIR) regions of the optical spectrum can be converted into higher energy photons (upconversion), was explored. Aggregation capabilities were determined to verify possibility of these molecules to undergo triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA). TTA has significant potential for increasing the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by upconverting photons in the energy rich NIR region of the solar spectrum. A key requirement for efficient TTA is aggregation of the sensitizer dye, and in this thesis, we have examined the aggregation of porphyrins in TiO2-based sol-gel films. Solution phase absorption and emission studies were conducted using zinc (II) tetraphenylporphyrin and three of its functionalized derivatives, tetra(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin Zn(II), tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin Zn(II), and tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin Zn(II), to evaluate their potential as DSSC sensitizers on TiO2 thin films. Mesoporous TiO2 thin films were synthesized, using a polymer-templating sol-gel route, and characterized with tunneling electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis absorbance measurements. Spectroscopy measurements were also carried out on porphyrin-sensitized TiO2 thin films and compared to solution-based results. A simple DSSC was constructed and used to further explore the application of zinc (II) porphyrin sensitizers in photovoltaic applications.

The use of fluorescent proteins as fluorescent markers has exploded over the last decades. In particular due to the development of advanced microscopy for live cell measurements, dynamic molecular studies down to single molecule levels and for superresolution microscopy. Many variants of fluorescent proteins exist with varying properties, such as emission color, photostability and brightness. These properties enable advanced applications, like timeresolved imaging or imaging below the diffraction limit. However, the photophysics of fluorescent proteins are complex and in many aspects quite unexplored. The triplet state in particular, is a central photophysical state because it is an entrance gate to an ensamble of deleterious photochemical processes that compromise the photostability of fluorescent proteins.The Pixel team at Institute de Biologie Structurale in France, is mainly focused on developing fluorescent proteins for advanced fluorescence imaging. One of the goals is to understand the influence of photochemistry on the properties of fluorescent proteins.In this project, a method to indirectly observe the triplet state in the prototypical EGFP fluorescent protein was developed. The introduction of new hardware and software, coupled to biophysical experiments, required an interdisciplinary strategy to tackle the obstacles during the route. Experiments under different environmental conditions to test the influence on the population of the triplet state of viscosity, pH, UV and infrared light, triplet state quenchers and temperature were performed.The results show that temperature and laser power greatly influence the triplet state kinetics in EGFP. Notably, it was found that the triplet state lifetime strongly increases at cryotemperature in comparison to roomtemperature. Overall, the newly developed setup and our preliminary results on EGFP open the door to novel studies on the photophysical properties of fluorescent proteins. / Nyttjandet av fluorescerande proteiner som markörer har exploderat de senaste årtionden. Speciellt till följd av utvecklingen av avancerad mikroskopi för levande cellmätningar, dynamiska molekylära studier ned till enstaka molekylnivåer och för superupplösnings mikroskopi. Många varianter av fluorescerande proteiner förekommer med varierande egenskaper så som färg, fotostabilitet och ljusstyrka. Dessa proteiner möjliggör avancerade applikationer, som tidsupplöst bildgivning eller bildgivning med upplösning under diffraktionsgränsen. Fotofysiken bakom fluorescerande proteiner är komplex och i många aspekter ganska outforskad. Triplettillståndet är ett centralt fotofysiskt tillstånd eftersom det är en ingångsport till en rad skadliga fotokemiska processer som äventyrar fotostabiliteten hos fluorescerance proteiner.Pixelteamet på Institute de Biologie Structurale i Frankrike, fokuserar huvudsakligen på utveckling av fluorescerande proteiner för avancerad fluorescerande bildgivning. Ett av målen är att förstå hur fotokemi påverkar egenskaperna hos fluorescerande proteiner.I det här projektet har en metod för att indirekt observera triplettillståndet i det prototypiska fluorescerande proteinet EGFP utvecklats. Introduktionen av ny hårdvara och mjukvara, i kombination med biofysikaliska experiment, krävde en interdisiplinär strategi för att tackla utmaningarna under vägens gång. Experiment under olika miljömässiga förhållanden gjordes för att testa hur populationen av triplettillståndet påverkas till följd av viskositet, pH, UV och infrarött ljus, triplettillståndshämmare och temperatur.Resultaten visar att temperatur och lasereffekt har en stor påverkan på triplettillståndet och dess kinetik hos EGFP. Noterbart är att triplettillståndets livstid ökar kraftigt i kryotemperatur i jämförelse med rumstemperatur. Sammanfattningsvis så utvecklades en ny experimentel uppställning och de tidiga resultaten från EGFP har öppnat dörren för nya studier rörande de fotofysiska egenskaperna hos fluorescerande proteiner.

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