Abstract: The invention is an apparatus comprising a magnet adapted to create a diamagnetic force field at all points in space at which a magnetic field-field gradient product of the magnet has a value greater than or equal to a threshold value. At or above the threshold value, the diamagnetic force field induces a diamagnetic body force within a biological specimen supported within a bioreactor chamber that is disposed within the diamagnetic force field. The apparatus may alter the magnitude of the induced diamagnetic body force and may alter the direction of the induced diamagnetic body with respect to a spatial coordinate system or with respect to the direction of a secondary body force acting upon or within the biological specimen, thereby altering the vector sum of the induced diamagnetic body force and the secondary body force acting on the biological specimen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an alloy comprising a first element A, a second element B, a third element C, and a fourth element D. In the alloy, first element A and second element B are present as a binary compound AB, and third element C and fourth element D are present as a binary compound CD. In addition, the alloy is substantially free from binary compounds AD, BC, AC, and BD. These alloys can be characterized as semiconducting, quasi-binary, single phase alloys having the formula (AB)x(CD)1−x, where x is between 0 and 1 and where A, B, C, and D are different. The present invention also relates to a method of producing an alloy. The method includes providing a first binary material AB and providing a second binary material CD. The first binary material AB and the second binary material CD are contacted under conditions effective to mix the first binary material AB and the second binary material CD without decomposing either the first binary material AB or the second binary material CD.

Abstract: An elemental or compound melt is floated on a denser encapsulent. The melt has two horizontal free surfaces (i.e., surfaces not in contact with a solid). A shaft including a seed crystal extends upwardly through the encapsulent to contact the lower free surface of the melt and then is withdrawn downwardly through the encapsulent to grow the crystal. During solidification mechanical stresses are not imposed on the crystal. The melt is heated from above so that the lower melt surface is colder than the upper melt surface which provides a strong stabilizing temperature gradient within the melt. Unsteady natural convective flows in the melt are eliminated. Steady natural convection is substantially decreased compared to the Czochralski process (CZ) and Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski process (LEC). The stoichiometric ratio in the melt is maintained by controlling the pressure of the volatile element over the upper free surface of the melt.