Technobius Physics

Retraction to “M. Brewer and A. Sheriyev, “Structural analysis of NaCl and CsCl via Debye–Scherrer powder diffraction”, tbusphys, vol. 3, no. 2, p. 0031, Jun. 2025. doi: 10.54355/tbusphys/3.2.2025.0031”

Marry Brewer — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0500

Refers to: "M. Brewer, “Structural analysis of NaCl and CsCl via Debye–Scherrer powder diffraction”, tbusphys, vol. 3, no. 2, p. 0031, Jun. 2025. doi: 10.54355/tbusphys/3.2.2025.0031"

Following the publication of the article, the Editorial Board received an official complaint from Mr. Almas Sheriyev on 18 June 2025, stating that his name was listed as a co-author without his knowledge or consent. Per the journal’s Publication Ethics, we contacted the corresponding author the same day and requested a formal clarification. On 23 June 2025, we received the response from the corresponding author, who gave her full consent to proceed with the retraction.
Given the serious nature of this authorship violation and consent from the corresponding author to proceed with the retraction, the Editorial Board has decided the following:
- To retract the article.
- To correct the originally published version by removing Mr. Almas Sheriyev from the list of authors and removing the information about him from the article.
- To publish the current retraction notice in the Post-Publication Notice section of the journal’s current issue.
- To inform indexing services of both the retracted and the corrected article.
The Editorial Board regrets that this authorship violation occurred and sincerely apologizes to Mr. Almas Sheriyev and our readers for any confusion or inconvenience caused.

Spectroscopic investigation of Kα doublet splitting in iron via X-Ray diffraction

James Whiteker, Rebecca Lawson — Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 +0500

This study investigates the characteristic X-ray spectra of iron using Bragg diffraction with a LiF crystal and a goniometer setup. The primary objective was to measure the wavelengths of K-series spectral lines, resolve fine structure in higher-order diffraction, and compare experimental results with theoretical values. Using a Cu X-ray tube and Geiger-Müller detector, spectra were recorded for both first- and second-order diffraction. In the first-order diffraction, clear Kα and Kβ peaks were observed at wavelengths of 194.7 pm and 176.6 pm, respectively. In the second-order diffraction, finer resolution enabled the separation of the Kα line into Kα₁ and Kα₂ components, with a measured splitting of 0.38 pm and an intensity ratio of 1.9, closely matching theoretical expectations. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of X-ray diffraction in analyzing atomic structure and validating quantum predictions. The experiment successfully addressed the research objective and highlighted the importance of high-resolution spectral measurements in identifying atomic energy transitions. Limitations include instrumental resolution and background noise, which may affect the precision of peak detection. Future work could focus on improving spectral resolution and extending the analysis to other elements or detector types.

Structural analysis of NaCl and CsCl via Debye–Scherrer powder diffraction

Marry Brewer — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0500

Retraction Notice: This article has been retracted. The retraction statement is included at the end of the article. Referred to by: Retraction to “M. Brewer and A. Sheriyev, “Structural analysis of NaCl and CsCl via Debye–Scherrer powder diffraction”, tbusphys, vol. 3, no. 2, p. 0031, Jun. 2025. doi: 10.54355/tbusphys/3.2.2025.0031”

This study investigates the crystal structures of sodium chloride and caesium chloride through powder X-ray diffraction using the Debye-Scherrer method. The primary objective was to determine lattice types, calculate lattice constants, and estimate the number of atoms per unit cell based on experimental diffraction ring data. Powdered samples were exposed to X-rays, and the resulting ring patterns were analyzed to assign Miller indices and derive interplanar spacings. The evaluation of ring positions and intensities revealed that sodium chloride crystallizes in a face-centered cubic structure, while caesium chloride adopts a body-centered cubic arrangement. The calculated lattice constants were 562.0 pm for sodium chloride and 409.6 pm for caesium chloride, both in good agreement with standard reference values. Additionally, the number of atoms per unit cell was determined to be approximately four for sodium chloride and two for caesium chloride, consistent with their respective crystal symmetries. The study confirms the reliability of basic X-ray diffraction techniques for structural identification in ionic solids and highlights distinct diffraction trends corresponding to different cubic symmetries. These findings reinforce the effectiveness of the Debye-Scherrer approach in crystallographic education and rapid phase analysis, while also identifying opportunities for enhanced resolution through extended exposure or high-intensity sources.

Advanced characterization of atomic terraces and electronic topography of graphite using STM in constant current and constant height modes

Medet Mustafin — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0500

This study presents a high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy analysis of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, aimed at quantitatively characterizing atomic-scale surface features using both constant-current and constant-height imaging modes. Building upon previous work, the investigation focuses on step height measurements and lattice parameter evaluation across multiple scan areas. STM images captured in constant-current mode revealed clear atomic terraces and hexagonal lattice patterns, with step heights measured at approximately 332.2–333.9 pm, closely matching the theoretical monolayer thickness of graphite. Interatomic distances between nearest neighbors (140 pm) and atomic rows (245–248 pm) were also consistent with known lattice parameters. In constant-height mode, tunneling current profiles were recorded along line scans of 1.25 nm and 20.7 nm. These profiles exhibited periodic current modulations corresponding to atomic corrugation, with amplitude variations of approximately 0.2 nA. The data confirm the STM’s capacity to resolve both vertical and lateral atomic features with high precision. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining imaging modes to extract complementary structural and electronic information from layered crystalline surfaces. The results contribute a validated reference framework for STM calibration and underscore the technique’s reliability in distinguishing atomic-scale topography and local electronic contrast.

Confocal and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra of MgAl₂O₄ spinel crystals irradiated with swift heavy bismuth ions

Meruert Mamatova, Abdrash Akilbekov, Nikita Kirilkin — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0500

Laser confocal microscopy technique (60 ps laser pulse excitation at 445 nm) and a time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique have been used to study photoluminescence (PL) in 710 MeV Bi ion irradiated MgAl2O4 single crystals. It was shown that radiation defects produced by swift Bi ions give rise to luminescence with peak at 1.9 eV. Gaussian deconvolution of the PL spectrum reveals that the band consists of three components: the first with a peak at 1.8 eV, the second at 2.1 eV, and the third at 2.35 eV. For the spinel sample irradiated to a fluence of Φ = 1×10¹² ions/cm², both PL and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectra were measured as a function of depth within the irradiated layer using a confocal geometry. It was found that with increasing energy loss due to elastic collisions, the PL peak undergoes a redshift, which is more pronounced compared to surface emission measurements.