Search

The interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) observed at ferromagnet/oxide interfaces presents great promise for energy-efficient spintronic technologies. The epitaxial strain induced by the lattice mismatch between films and substrates serves as an effective strategy for the tuning of the material properties. However, the current understanding of the strain effects on interfacial PMA remains insufficient. Here, we present an extensive study of the biaxial strain effects on the interfacial magnetism and interfacial magnetic anisotropy constant ( K i ) in a slab-based Fe/MgO heterostructure using first-principles density functional theory calculations. Our results reveal a strong correlation between the spin moment of interfacial Fe atoms and the Fe-O bond length in both unstrained and strained systems. The overall K i , which includes contributions from both the Fe/MgO interface and the Fe surface, increases as the compressive strain increases. This is consistent with recent experimental findings that show that the PMA energy increases when the in-plane lattice constant of Fe decreases. In contrast, the overall K i initially decreases with a small tensile strain of less than 0.4% and shows an increasing trend as the tensile strain increases from 0.4% to 2%. However, beyond 2%, the overall K i decreases again. These changes in K i can be explained by the strain-induced variations of Fe 3d orbitals near the Fermi energy. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the strain effects on magnetic anisotropy in Fe-based heterostructures, offering insights for the further optimization of interfacial magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this investigation was to assess the viability of free and encapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum probiotics in mango juice and under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Specifically, the probiotics were encapsulated using sodium alginate and alginate-soy protein isolate through the internal gelation method, and the obtained probiotics were characterized for various attributes. Both free and encapsulated probiotics were exposed to challenging conditions, including thermal stress, low temperature, and simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Additionally, both types of probiotics were incorporated into mango juice, and their survival was monitored over a 28-day storage period. Following viability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, the count of free and encapsulated probiotic cells decreased from initial levels of 9.57 log CFU/mL, 9.55 log CFU/mL, and 9.53 log CFU/mL, 9.56 log CFU/mL to final levels of 6.14 log CFU/mL, 8.31 log CFU/mL, and 6.24 log CFU/mL, 8.62 log CFU/mL, respectively. Notably, encapsulated probiotics exhibited a decrease of 1.24 log CFU and 0.94 log CFU, while free cells experienced a reduction of 3.43 log CFU and 6.24 log CFU in mango juice over the storage period. Encapsulated probiotics demonstrated higher viability in mango juice compared to free probiotics throughout the 28-day storage period. These findings suggest that mango juice can be enriched with probiotics to create a health-promoting beverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]