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2020-06-28
Design of a $β$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ Schottky Barrier Diode With p-type III-Nitride Guard Ring for Enhanced Breakdown
This work presents the electrostatic analysis of a novel Ga$_2$O$_3$ vertical Schottky diode with three different guard ring configurations to reduce the peak electric field at the metal edges. Highly doped p-type GaN, p-type nonpolar AlGaN and polarization doped graded p-AlGaN are simulated and analyzed as the guard ring material, which forms a heterojunction with the Ga$_2$O$_3$ drift layer. Guard ring with non-polar graded p-AlGaN with a bandgap larger than Ga$_2$O$_3$ is found to show the best performance in terms of screening the electric field at the metal edges. The proposed guard ring configuration is also compared with a reported Ga$_2$O$_3$ Schottky diode with no guard ring and a structure with a high resistive Nitrogen-doped guard ring. The optimized design is predicted to have breakdown voltage as high as 5.3 kV and a specific on-resistance of 3.55 m$\Omega$-cm$^2$ which leads to an excellent power figure of merit of 7.91 GW/cm$^2$.
2006.15645v1
2020-10-01
Impurity Band Conduction in Si-doped \b{eta}-Ga2O3 Films
By combining temperature-dependent resistivity and Hall effect measurements, we investigate donor state energy in Si-doped \b{eta}-Ga2O3 films grown using metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). High magnetic field Hall effect measurements (H = +/-90 kOe) showed non-linear Hall resistance for T < 150 K revealing two-band conduction. Further analyses revealed carrier freeze-out characteristics in both bands yielding donor state energies of ~ 33.7 and ~ 45.6 meV. The former is consistent with the donor energy of Si in \b{eta}-Ga2O3 whereas the latter suggests a residual donor state, likely associated with a DX center. This study provides a critical insight into the impurity band conduction and the defect energy states in \b{eta}-Ga2O3 using high-field magnetotransport measurements.
2010.00193v1
2021-03-31
Slip band interactions and GND latent hardening in a galling resistant stainless steel
Slip activation, slip band interactions, and GND densities in iron-base, galling resistant alloy Nitronic 60 have been characterised at the grain length scale using small-scale mechanical testing with high resolution digital image correlation and high-angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction. By correlating the two measurement techniques, new insight into slip band interactions, the generation of lattice curvature and the corresponding accumulation of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) is provided. Multiple discrete slip bands are typically active within single grains, resulting in significant slip band interactions. Crossing slip bands were found to generate accumulations of GNDs. Regions where slip bands block other slip bands were associated with the highest GND densities, in excess of three time the densities of crossing slip bands. Representative crystal plasticity modelling investigations have demonstrated that discrete slip blocking events are responsible for locally elevated GND density. This behaviour is rationalised in terms of lattice curvature associated with the differing levels of constraint provided by the crossing or blocking-type behaviours. Ferrite grains are also found to contribute to the generation of GNDs. Together, these two effects provide significant work hardening mechanisms, likely to be key to the development of future iron-base hard facing alloys.
2103.16864v1
2021-06-10
Anomalous charge transport of superconducting Cu$_{x}$PdTe$_2$ under high pressure
By means of high-pressure resistivity measurements on single crystals, we investigate the charge transport properties of Cu$_x$PdTe$_2$, notable for the combination of topological type-II Dirac semimetallic properties with superconductivity up to $T_c = 2.5$ K. In both cases of pristine ($x = 0$) and intercalated ($x=0.05$) samples, we find an unconventional $T^4$ power law behavior of the low-temperature resistivity visible up to $\sim$40 K and remarkably stable under pressure up to 8.2 GPa. This observation is explained by the low carrier density $n$, which strongly reduces the $k$-region available for electron-phonon scattering, as previously reported in other low-$n$ two-dimensional systems, such as multilayer graphene and semiconductor heterostructures. Our data analysis complemented by specific heat measurements and supported by previous quantum oscillation studies and \textit{ab initio} calculations suggests a scenario of one-band charge transport. Within this scenario, our analysis yields a large value of transport electron-phonon coupling constant $\lambda_{tr} = 1.2$ at ambient pressure that appears to be strongly enhanced by pressure assuming a constant effective mass.
2106.05613v1
2021-06-18
Coulomb Drag between a Carbon Nanotube and Monolayer Graphene
We have measured Coulomb drag between an individual single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) as a one-dimensional (1D) conductor and the two-dimensional (2D) conductor monolayer graphene, separated by a few-atom-thick boron nitride layer. The graphene carrier density is tuned across the charge neutrality point (CNP) by a gate, while the SWNT remains degenerate. At high temperatures, the drag resistance changes sign across the CNP, as expected for momentum transfer from drive to drag layer, and exhibits layer exchange Onsager reciprocity. We find that layer reciprocity is broken near the graphene CNP at low temperatures due to nonlinear drag response associated with temperature dependent drag and thermoelectric effects. The drag resistance shows power-law dependences on temperature and carrier density characteristic of 1D Fermi liquid-2D Dirac fluid drag. The 2D drag signal at high temperatures decays with distance from the 1D source slower than expected for a diffusive current distribution, suggesting additional interaction effects in the graphene in the hydrodynamic transport regime.
2106.10246v2
2021-06-25
Direct microscopic evidence of shear induced graphitization of ultrananocrystalline diamond films
The origin of ultralow friction and high wear resistance in ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films is still under active debate because of the perplexed tribochemistry at the sliding interface. Herein, we report a comparative study on surface topography and nanoscale friction of tribofilms, in wear tracks of two sets of UNCD films having different structural characteristics. Despite both the films display ultralow coefficient of friction, the UNCD films grown under Ar atmosphere (UNCDAr) exhibit a high wear resistance while the wear rate is higher for the films grown in N2 (UNCDN). Frictional force microscopic (FFM) investigations clearly reveal the manifestation of shear induced graphitization on both the films. However, the wear track of UNCDAr films have a large network of a few layer graphene (FLG) structures over the amorphous carbon tribofilms while only isolated clusters of FLG structures are present in the wear track of UNCDN films. Here, we demonstrate the direct micro-/nanoscopic evidence for the formation of large network of ~ 0.8 - 6 nm thick FLG structures, as a consequence of shear induced graphitization and discuss their decisive role in ultralow friction and wear.
2106.13778v1
2023-02-15
Metal-bonded Atomic Layers of Transition Metal Carbides (MXenes)
Although two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) have fantastic physical and chemical properties as well as wide applications, it remains challenging to produce stable MXenes due to their rapid structural degradation. Here, unique metal-bonded atomic layers of transition metal carbides with high stabilities are produced via a simple topological reaction between chlorine-terminated MXenes and selected metals, where the metals enable to not only remove Cl terminations, but also efficiently bond with adjacent atomic MXene slabs, driven by the symmetry of MAX phases. The films constructed from Al-bonded Ti$_3$C$_2$Cl$_x$ atomic layers show high oxidation resistance up to 400 degrees centigrade and low sheet resistance of 9.3 ohm per square. Coupled to the multi-layer structure, the Al-bonded Ti$_3$C$_2$Cl$_x$ film displays a significantly improved EMI shielding capability with a total shielding effectiveness value of 39 dB at a low thickness of 3.1 micron, outperforming pure Ti$_3$C$_2$Cl$_x$ film.
2302.07720v1
2023-03-22
A mixed-dimensional model for direct current simulations in presence of a thin high-resistivity liner
In this work we present a mixed-dimensional mathematical model to obtain the electric potential and current density in direct current simulations when a thin liner is included in the modelled domain. The liner is used in landfill management to prevent leakage of leachate from the waste body into the underground and is made of a highly-impermeable high-resistivity plastic material. The electrodes and the liner have diameters and thickness respectively that are much smaller than their other dimensions, thus their numerical simulation might be too costly in an equi-dimensional setting. Our approach is to approximate them as objects of lower dimension and derive the corresponding equations. The obtained mixed-dimensional model is validated against laboratory experiments of increasing complexity showing the reliability of the proposed mathematical model.
2303.12469v1
2006-02-03
Frequency quenching of microwave induced resistance oscillations in a high mobility two-dimensional electron gas
The frequency dependence of microwave-induced resistance oscillations (MIROs) has been studied experimentally in high-mobility electron GaAs/AlGaAs structures to explore the limits at which these oscillations can be observed. It is found that in dc transport experiments at frequencies above 120 GHz, MIROs start to quench, while above 230 GHz, they completely disappear. The results will need to be understood theoretically but are qualitatively discussed within a model in which forced electronic charge oscillations (plasmons) play an intermediate role in the interaction process between the radiation and the single-particle electron excitations between Landau levels.
0602079v2
2010-09-15
Controlling electron-phonon interactions in graphene at ultra high carrier densities
We report on the temperature dependent electron transport in graphene at different carrier densities $n$. Employing an electrolytic gate, we demonstrate that $n$ can be adjusted up to 4$\times10^{14}$cm$^{-2}$ for both electrons and holes. The measured sample resistivity $\rho$ increases linearly with temperature $T$ in the high temperature limit, indicating that a quasi-classical phonon distribution is responsible for the electron scattering. As $T$ decreases, the resistivity decreases more rapidly following $\rho (T) \sim T^{4}$. This low temperature behavior can be described by a Bloch-Gr\"{u}neisen model taking into account the quantum distribution of the 2-dimensional acoustic phonons in graphene. We map out the density dependence of the characteristic temperature $\Theta_{BG}$ defining the cross-over between the two distinct regimes, and show, that for all $n$, $\rho(T)$ scales as a universal function of the normalized temperature $T/\Theta_{BG}$.
1009.2988v1
2010-11-02
Chirality-dependent phonon-limited resistivity in multiple layers of graphene
We develop a theory for the temperature and density dependence of phonon-limited resistivity $\rho(T)$ in bilayer and multilayer graphene, and compare with the corresponding monolayer result. For the unscreened case, we find $\rho \approx C T$ with $C \propto v_{\rm F}^{-2}$ in the high-temperature limit, and $\rho \approx A T^4$ with $A \propto v_{\rm F}^{-2} k_{\rm F}^{-3}$ in the low-temperature Bloch-Gr\"uneisen limit, where $v_{\rm F}$ and $k_{\rm F}$ are Fermi velocity and Fermi wavevector, respectively. If screening effects are taken into account, $\rho \approx C T$ in the high-temperature limit with a renormalized $C$ which is a function of the screening length, and $\rho \approx A T^6$ in the low-temperature limit with $A \propto k_{\rm F}^{-5}$ but independent of $v_{\rm F}$. These relations hold in general with $v_{\rm F}$ and a chiral factor in $C$ determined by the specific chiral band structure for a given density.
1011.0741v2
2011-07-21
Observations of two-dimensional quantum oscillations and ambipolar transport in the topological insulator Bi2Se3 achieved by Cd doping
We present a defect-engineering strategy to optimize the transport properties of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 to show a high bulk resistivity and clear quantum oscillations. Starting with a p-type Bi2Se3 obtained by combining Cd doping and a Se-rich crystal-growth condition, we were able to observe a p-to-n-type conversion upon gradually increasing the Se vacancies by post annealing. With the optimal annealing condition where a high level of compensation is achieved, the resistivity exceeds 0.5 Ohmcm at 1.8 K and we observed two-dimensional Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations composed of multiple frequencies in magnetic fields below 14 T.
1107.4178v2
2016-04-13
Long Term Performance Studies of Large Oil-Free Bakelite Resistive Plate Chamber
Several high energy physics and neutrino physics experiments worldwide require large-size RPCs to cover wide acceptances. The muon tracking systems in the Iron calorimeter (ICAL) in the INO experiment, India and the near detector in DUNE at Fermilab are two such examples. A (240 cm $\times$ 120 cm $\times$ 0.2 cm) bakelite RPC has been built and tested at Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata, using indigenous materials procured from the local market. No additional lubricant, like oil has been used on the electrode surfaces for smoothening. The chamber is in operation for $>$ 365 days. We have tested the chamber for its long term operation. The leakage current, bulk resistivity, efficiency, noise rate and time resolution of the chamber have been found to be quite stable during the testing peroid. It showed an efficiency $>$ 95$\%$ with an average time resolution of $\sim$0.83 ns at the point of measurement at 9000 V throughout the testing period. Details of the long term performance of the chamber have been discussed.
1604.03668v2
2016-07-25
Influencia del potencial de polarización en la deposición de películas delgadas de NiO
Nickel oxide (NiO) is a binary compound with a lot of applications in the present technology. NiO thin films were deposited by reactive sputtering magnetron under several voltage biases applied in the glass substrates (0, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 V). Films were characterized by profilometry, X-ray diffraction, elemental composition and electrical resistivity at room temperature and at low temperatures. The present work showed that despite the insulating behavior of substrate the residual stress was reduced at high biases and the (111) texture was promoted. Electrical resistivity was reduced at high bias and at low temperatures thermal activation of p-type conduction was detected.
1607.07391v1
2017-01-29
Built-in Homojunction Dominated Intrinsically Rectifying-Resistive Switching in NiO Nanodots for Selection Device-Free Memory Application
The intrinsically rectifying-resistive switching (IR-RS) has been regarded as an effective way to address the crosstalk issue, due to the Schottky diodes formed at the metal/oxide interfaces in the ON states to suppress the sneak current at reverse biases. In this letter, we report for the first time another type of IR-RS that is related to the built-in homojunction. The IR-RS study was usually limited to macroscopic samples with micron-order pad-type electrodes, while this work is on NiO nanodots fabricated with ultrathin anodic-aluminum-oxide templates and acting as nanoscaled analogs of real devices. The NiO nanodots show high storage density and high uniformity, and the IR-RS behaviors are of good device performances in terms of retention, endurance, switching ratio and rectification ratio. The feasibility of the IR-RS for selection device-free memory application has been demonstrated, by calculating the maximum crossbar array size under the worst-case scenario to be 3 Mbit.
1702.05665v1
2018-02-20
Perturbation theories behind thermal mode spectroscopy for high-accuracy measurement of thermal diffusivity of solids
Thermal mode spectroscopy (TMS) has been recently proposed for accurately measuring thermal diffusivity of solids from a temperature decay rate of a specific thermal mode selected by three- dimensional (anti)nodal information [Phys. Rev. Lett., 117, 195901 (2016)]. In this paper, we find out the following advantages of TMS by use of perturbation analyses. First, TMS is applicable to the measurement of high thermal diffusivity with a small size specimen. Second, it is less affected by thermally resistive films on a specimen in the sense that the resistance at the interface does not affect the first-order correction of thermal diffusivity. Third, it can perform doubly accurate measurement of the thermal diffusivity specified at a thermal equilibrium state even if the diffusivity depends on temperature in the sense that the measurement can be performed within tiny temperature difference from the given state and that the decay rate of the slowest decaying mode is not affected by the dependence.
1802.07378v2
2020-02-28
Hydrodynamic and ballistic transport over large length scales in GaAs/AlGaAs
We study hydrodynamic and ballistic transport regimes through nonlocal resistance measurements and high-resolution kinetic simulations in a mesoscopic structure on a high-mobility two-dimensional electron system in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. We evince the existence of collective transport phenomena in both regimes and demonstrate that negative nonlocal resistances and current vortices are not exclusive to only the hydrodynamic regime. The combined experiments and simulations highlight the importance of device design, measurement schemes and one-to-one modeling of experimental devices to demarcate various transport regimes.
2002.12806v3
2019-03-07
Fe-Sn nanocrystalline films for flexible magnetic sensors with high thermal stability
The interplay of magnetism and spin-orbit coupling on an Fe kagome lattice in Fe3Sn2 crystal produces a unique band structure leading to an order of magnitude larger anomalous Hall effect than in conventional ferromagnetic metals. In this work, we demonstrate that Fe-Sn nanocrystalline films also exhibit a large anomalous Hall effect, being applicable to magnetic sensors that satisfy both high sensitivity and thermal stability. In the films prepared by a co-sputtering technique at room temperature, the partial development of crystalline lattice order appears as nanocrystals of Fe-Sn kagome layer. The tangent Hall angle, the ratio of Hall resistivity to longitudinal resistivity, is largely enhanced in the optimal alloy composition of close to Fe3Sn2, exemplifying the kagome origin even though the films are composed of nanocrystal and amorphous-like domains. These ferromagnetic Fe-Sn films possess great advantages as a Hall sensor over semiconductors in thermal stability owing to the weak temperature dependence of the anomalous Hall responses. Moreover, the room-temperature fabrication enables us to develop a mechanically flexible Hall sensor on an organic substrate. These demonstrations manifest the potential of kagome metal as an untapped reservoir for designing new functional devices.
1903.02689v1
2021-01-25
Statics and Dynamics of Space-Charge-Layers in Polarized Inorganic Solid Electrolytes
The quest for safe high-energy batteries with "5V-class" cathodes and lithium metal anodes drives research into solid electrolytes. However, reasons for the large charge transfer resistances -- the major bottleneck of all-solid-state batteries -- are still debated. In this article, we explore the processes in incompressible solid electrolytes between blocking electrodes by theory-based continuum modeling and numerical simulations. We investigate the experimentally observed wide space-charge-zones in solid electrolytes, which are a possible cause for the high interfacial resistances. On time scales relevant for battery applications, we reduce our model equations. Analytic and numeric calculations predict and study the actual structure of space-charge-layers in solid electrolytes. To illustrate these dynamics and validate our model, computational results are presented and compared with experimental observations. Analog to semiconductors, we determine the material dependent, asymmetric space-charge-layer width in the low temperature limit approximately. This allows us to make an explicit statement about the influence of defect concentrations and dielectric properties on the width of the space-charge-layers in homogeneous solid electrolytes.
2101.10294v1
2015-06-01
High-pressure study of the Weyl semimetal NbAs
We performed a series of high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and resistance measurements on the Weyl semimetal NbAs. The crystal structure remains stable up to 26 GPa according to the powder XRD data. The resistance of NbAs single crystal increases monotonically with pressure at low temperature. Up to 20 GPa, no superconducting transition is observed down to 0.3 K. These results show that the Weyl semimetal phase is robust in NbAs, and applying pressure is not a good way to get a topological superconductor from a Weyl semimetal.
1506.00374v2
2020-08-14
High-Mobility Carriers Induced by Chemical Doping in the Candidate Nodal-Line Semimetal CaAgP
We report the electronic properties of single crystals of candidate nodal-line semimetal CaAgP. The transport properties of CaAgP are understood within the framework of a hole-doped nodal-line semimetal. In contrast, Pd-doped CaAgP shows a drastic increase of magnetoresistance at low magnetic fields and a strong decrease of electrical resistivity at low temperatures probably due to weak antilocalization. Hall conductivity data indicated that the Pd-doped CaAgP has not only hole carriers induced by the Pd doping, but also high-mobility electron carriers in proximity of the Dirac point. Electrical resistivity of Pd-doped CaAgP also showed a superconducting transition with onset temperature of 1.7-1.8 K.
2008.06188v1
2020-12-19
Anomalous behavior in high-pressure carbonaceous sulfur hydride
A new experimental study by Snider et al. [Nature 586, 373-377 (2020)] reported behavior in a high-pressure carbon-sulfur-hydrogen system that has been interpreted by the authors as superconductivity at room temperature. The sudden drop of electrical resistance at a critical temperature and the change of the R vs. T behavior with an applied magnetic field point to superconductivity. This is a very exciting study in one of the most important areas of science, hence, it is crucial for the community to investigate these findings and hopefully reproduce these results. In this comment, we present calculations that expand upon the arguments put forth by Hirsch and Marsiglio [arXiv:2010.10307], and offer some speculations about physical mechanisms that might explain the observed data. In agreement with Hirsch and Marsiglio, we show that there are errors in the analysis presented in the experimental paper, and with the correct analysis, the reported R vs. T data significantly deviate from the expected behavior. In particular, the extremely sharp change in resistance at the superconducting transition is not consistent with a strongly type II superconductor.
2012.10771v3
2021-02-23
High magnetic field induced crossover from the Kondo to Fermi liquid behavior in 1$T$-VTe$_{2}$ single crystals
The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of metallic 1$T$-VTe$_{2}$ single crystals were investigated at temperatures from 1.3 to 300 K and in magnetic fields up to 35 T. Upon applying a high magnetic field, it is found that the electrical resistivity displays a crossover from the logarithmic divergence of the single-impurity Kondo effect to the Fermi liquid behavior at low temperatures. The Brillouin scale of the negative magnetoresistivity above the Kondo temperature $T_{\rm{K}}$ = 12 K indicates that the Kondo features originate from intercalated V ions, with $S$ = 1/2. Both magnetic susceptibility and Hall effect show an anomaly around $T_{\rm{K}}$. By using the modified Hamann expression we successfully describe the temperature-dependent resistivity under various magnetic fields, which shows the characteristic peak below $T_{\rm{K}}$ due to the splitting of the Kondo resonance.
2102.11444v1
2021-02-26
Crossover from itinerant to localized states in the thermoelectric oxide [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$]
The layered cobaltite [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$], often expressed as the approximate formula Ca$_3$Co$_4$O$_9$, is a promising candidate for efficient oxide thermoelectrics but an origin of its unusual thermoelectric transport is still in debate. Here we investigate \textit{in-plane} anisotropy of the transport properties in a broad temperature range to examine the detailed conduction mechanism. The in-plane anisotropy between $a$ and $b$ axes is clearly observed both in the resistivity and the thermopower, which is qualitatively understood with a simple band structure of the triangular lattice of Co ions derived from the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. On the other hand, at high temperatures, the anisotropy becomes smaller and the resistivity shows a temperature-independent behavior, both of which indicate a hopping conduction of localized carriers. Thus the present observations reveal a crossover from low-temperature itinerant to high-temperature localized states, signifying both characters for the enhanced thermopower.
2102.13250v1
2021-11-03
Devices for Thermal Conductivity Measurements of Electroplated Bi for X-ray TES Absorbers
Electroplated Bismuth (Bi) is commonly used in Transition-Edge Sensors (TESs) for X-rays because of its high stopping power and low heat capacity. Electroplated Bi is usually grown on top of another metal that acts as seed layer, typically gold (Au), making it challenging to extrapolate its thermoelectric properties. In this work, we present four-wire resistance measurement structures that allow us to measure resistance as a function of temperature of electroplated Bi independently of Au. The results show that the thermal conductivity of the Bi at 3 K is high enough to guarantee the correct thermalization of X-ray photons when used as an absorber for TESs.
2111.02503v1
2021-11-09
Absence of decoherence in the electron-wall system
Decoherence is associated with a dissipative environment as described by the Caldeira-Leggett equation. Anglin and Zurek predicted that a resistive surface could act as such a dissipative environment for a free electron wave passing close to it. We scrutinize Zurek's and other promising decoherence theoretical models by observing electrons passing by an optically excited GaAs surface and through a gold channel. The high resistivity of the GaAs surface and close proximity to the gold surface leads to strong decoherence within these decoherence models. In contradistinction, the observed contrast is high in our electron diffraction patterns. This implies lower decoherence rates than suggested by these models, making electron-matter-wave-guides and other technologies, where quantum coherence of electrons close to materials is important, a possibility
2111.05246v1
2022-06-10
Fabrication of uniformly doped graphene quantum Hall arrays with multiple quantized resistance outputs
In this work, limiting factors for developing metrologically useful arrays from epitaxial graphene on SiC are lifted with a combination of centimeter-scale, high-quality material growth and the implementation of superconducting contacts. Standard devices for metrology have been restricted to having a single quantized value output based on the $\nu$ = 2 Landau level. With the demonstrations herein of devices having multiple outputs of quantized values available simultaneously, these versatile devices can be used to disseminate the ohm globally. Such devices are designed to give access to quantized resistance values over the range of three orders of magnitude, starting as low as the standard value of approximately 12.9 k$\Omega$ and reaching as high as 1.29 M$\Omega$. Several experimental methods are used to assess the quality and versatility of the devices, including standard lock-in techniques and Raman spectroscopy.
2206.05098v1
2022-06-29
On the depletion behaviour of low-temperature covalently bonded silicon sensor diodes
Low temperature covalent direct wafer-wafer bonding allows for the fusion of multiple semiconductor wafers without any additional material at the bonding interface. In the context of particle pixel detectors this might provide an alternative to bump-bonding for joining sensors to readout chips. Previous investigations have shown that the amorphous layer formed at the interface during bonding is detrimental to charge propagation. To investigate the influence of the bonding interface on signal collection we have fabricated custom test structures by bonding high-resistivity N to high-resistivity P-type silicon wafers thus forming P-N junctions. Scanning transmission electron microscopy shows indeed the formation of ca. 3nm wide amorphous layer at the interface. Using a scanning transient current technique (TCT) setup we were able to record generated signals. Illuminating our sample with light of different wavelengths and from different sides, indicates that the P side of the bonded structures can be fully depleted, but not the N side. This indicates a strongly asymmetric depletion behaviour which we attribute to the presence of the bonding interface.
2206.14717v2
2022-07-26
Engineering Surface Oxygen Vacancies in $\mathrm{SrTiO_3}$ to Form a High Mobility and Transparent Quasi Two dimensional Electron System
Quasi-two-dimensional electron systems (q-2DES) are formed in various hetero-structures, including oxide interfaces. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) in oxides like $\mathrm{SrTiO_3}$ are known to produce electronic carriers. A novel way to produce $\mathrm{SrTiO_{3-\delta}}$ on the surface using a low-energy $\mathrm{H_2}$ plasma is shown here. It results in a q-2DES with mobility as high as $\mu \sim 20,000 \; cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$, displaying quantum oscillations in magneto-resistance. We can achieve a sharper or weaker confinement potential by adjusting the process pressure. The system with sharper confinement displays clearer quantum oscillations and Kondo-like temperature dependence of resistance. OVs close to the surface behaving like a correlated Anderson impurity is responsible for the Kondo behaviour. Quantum oscillations are less prominent in the weakly confined system. A cross-over from weak-localization to anti-localization with temperature is seen, but no Kondo behavior. The process also results in a transparent conductor amenable to lithographic patterning. This conductor's standard figure of merit is comparable to poly-crystalline ITO films in the visible regime and extends with similar performance into the $\lambda$ $\sim 1.5$ $\mu m$ telecommunication wavelength.
2207.12933v1
2022-09-05
Growth of rare-earth monopnictide DySb single crystal by novel Self-flux method
This report presents a new synthesis protocol for the single crystal growth of rare earth monopnictide DySb by self-flux technique. A detailed structural, transport and magnetic characterization have been done using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), High resolution X-Ray diffraction (HRXRD), resistivity and magnetization measurements respectively. The Rietveld refinement of powder XRD pattern confirms that the grown crystal is in single phase and crystallizes in space group Fm3m(225) of rock-salt type crystal structure. HRXRD on cleaved crystal confirms the single crystalline nature while rocking curve analysis reveals the high quality of the grown crystal. Temperature dependent resistivity and magnetization measurements show a transition at 9.7K from paramagnetic (PM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) state.
2209.01930v1
2022-10-27
Single photon detection performance of highly disordered NbTiN thin films
We experimentally investigated the detection performance of highly disordered NbxTi1-xN based superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs). The dependence on the composition of the transition temperature Tc for NbxTi1-xN films show a dome-like behavior on the Nb content, with a maximal Tc at xNb~0.65 , and the Nb0.65Ti0.35N films also combine relatively large sheet resistance and intermediate residual resistivity ratio. Moreover, 60-nm-wide and 7-nm-thick Nb0.65Ti0.35N nanowires show a switching current as high as 14.5 uA, and saturated intrinsic detection efficiency with a plateau of more than 2 uA at 2.4 K. Finally, the corresponding SNSPDs on an alternative SiO2/Ta2O5 dielectric mirror showed a system detection efficiency of approximately 92% for 1550 nm photons, and the timing jitter is around 26 ps. Our results demonstrate that the highly disordered NbxTi1-xN films are promising for fabricating SNSPDs for near- and middle-infrared single photons with high detection efficiency and low timing jitter.
2210.15215v1
2022-11-24
Development of Hybrid Resistive Plate Chambers
Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) are essential active media of large-scale experiments as part of the muon systems and (semi-)digital hadron calorimeters. Among the several outstanding issues associated with the RPCs, the loss of efficiency for the detection of particles when subjected to high particle fluxes, and the limitations associated with the common RPC gases can be listed. In order to address the latter issue, we developed novel RPC designs with special anode plates coated with high secondary electron emission yield materials such as Al$_2$O$_3$ and TiO$_2$. The proof of principle was obtained for various designs and is in progress for the rest. The idea was initiated following the achievements on the development of the novel 1-glass RPCs. Here we report on the construction of various different RPC designs, and their performance measurements in laboratory tests and with particle beams; and discuss the future test plans.
2211.13796v2
2023-09-11
Experimental realization of a high Curie temperature CoFeRuSn quaternary Heusler alloy for spintronic applications
We synthesize CoFeRuSn equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloy using arc-melt technique and investigate its structural, magnetic and transport properties. The room temperature powder X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that CoFeRuSn crystallizes in cubic crystal structure with small amount of DO3 - disorder. The field dependence of magnetization shows non-zero but small hysteresis and saturation behavior up to room temperature, indicating soft ferromagnetic nature of CoFeRuSn. The magnetic moment estimated from the magnetization data is found to be 4.15 {\mu}B / f.u., which is slightly less than the expected Slater-Pauling rule. The deviation in the value of experimentally observed moment from the theoretical value might be due to small disorder in the crystal. The low temperature fit to electrical resistivity data show absence of quadratic temperature dependence of resistivity, suggesting half-metallic behavior of CoFeRuSn. The high Curie temperature and possible half-metallic behavior of CoFeRuSn make it a highly promising candidate for room temperature spintronic applications.
2309.05493v1
2018-04-11
Extremely large magnetoresistance in topologically trivial semimetal $α$-WP$_2$
Extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) was recently discovered in many non-magnetic materials, while its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood due to the complex electronic structure of these materials. Here, we report an investigation of the $\alpha$-phase WP$_2$, a topologically trivial semimetal with monoclinic crystal structure (C2/m), which contrasts to the recently discovered robust type-II Weyl semimetal phase in $\beta$-WP$_2$. We found that $\alpha$-WP$_2$ exhibits almost all the characteristics of XMR materials: the near-quadratic field dependence of MR, a field-induced up-turn in resistivity following by a plateau at low temperature, which can be understood by the compensation effect, and high mobility of carriers confirmed by our Hall effect measurements. It was also found that the normalized MRs under different magnetic fields has the same temperature dependence in $\alpha$-WP$_2$, the Kohler scaling law can describe the MR data in a wide temperature range, and there is no obvious change in the anisotropic parameter $\gamma$ value with temperature. The resistance polar diagram has a peanut shape when field is rotated in $\textit{ac}$ plane, which can be understood by the anisotropy of Fermi surface. These results indicate that both field-induced-gap and temperature-induced Lifshitz transition are not the origin of up-turn in resistivity in the $\alpha$-WP$_2$ semimetal. Our findings establish $\alpha$-WP$_2$ as a new reference material for exploring the XMR phenomena.
1804.03879v1
2019-05-02
Robust axion insulator and Chern insulator phases in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological insulator
The intricate interplay between nontrivial topology and magnetism in two-dimensional (2D) materials has led to the emergence of many novel phenomena and functionalities. An outstanding example is the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect, which was realized in magnetically doped topological insulators (TIs) in the absence of magnetic field. Recently, the layered van der Waals compound MnBi2Te4 has been theoretically predicted and experimentally verified to be a TI with interlayer antiferromagnetic (AFM) order. It is a rare stoichiometric material with coexisting topology and magnetism, thus represents a perfect building block for complex topological-magnetic structures. Here we investigate the quantum transport behaviors of both bulk crystal and exfoliated MnBi2Te4 flakes in a field effect transistor geometry. In the 6 septuple layers (SLs) device tuned into the insulating regime, we observe a large longitudinal resistance and zero Hall plateau, which are characteristic of the axion insulator state. The robust axion insulator state occurs in zero magnetic field, over a wide magnetic field range, and at relatively high temperatures. Moreover, a moderate magnetic field drives a quantum phase transition from the axion insulator phase to a Chern insulator phase with zero longitudinal resistance and quantized Hall resistance h/e2 (h is the Plank constant and e is the elemental charge). These results pave the road for using even-number-SL MnBi2Te4 to realize the quantized topological magnetoelectric effect and axion electrodynamics in condensed matter systems.
1905.00715v2
2019-04-24
Antisymmetric magnetoresistance in van der Waals Fe3GeTe2/graphite/Fe3GeTe2 tri-layer heterostructures
Van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic materials are rapidly establishing themselves as effective building blocks for next generation spintronic devices. When layered with non-magnetic vdW materials, such as graphene and/or topological insulators, vdW heterostructures can be assembled (with no requirement for lattice matching) to provide otherwise unattainable device structures and functionalities. We report a hitherto rarely seen antisymmetric magnetoresistance (MR) effect in van der Waals heterostructured Fe3GeTe2/graphite/Fe3GeTe2 devices. Unlike conventional giant magnetoresistance (GMR) which is characterized by two resistance states, the MR in these vdW heterostructures features distinct high, intermediate and low resistance states. This unique characteristic is suggestive of underlying physical mechanisms that differ from those observed before. After theoretical calculations, the three resistance behavior was attributed to a spin momentum locking induced spin polarized current at the graphite/FGT interface. Our work reveals that ferromagnetic heterostructures assembled from vdW materials can exhibit substantially different properties to those exhibited by similar heterostructures grown in vacuum. Hence, it highlights the potential for new physics and new spintronic applications to be discovered using vdW heterostructures.
1904.10588v2
2007-03-09
Nanometer-Scale Materials Contrast Imaging with a Near-Field Microwave Microscope
We report topography-free materials contrast imaging on a nano-fabricated Boron-doped Silicon sample measured with a Near-field Scanning Microwave Microscope over a broad frequency range. The Boron doping was performed using the Focus Ion Beam technique on a Silicon wafer with nominal resistivity of 61 Ohm.cm. A topography-free doped region varies in sheet resistance from 1000Ohm/Square to about 400kOhm/Square within a lateral distance of 4 micrometer. The qualitative spatial-resolution in sheet resistance imaging contrast is no worse than 100 nm as estimated from the frequency shift signal.
0703241v1
2010-03-15
A Memadmittance Systems Model for Thin Film Memory Materials
In 1971 the memristor was originally postulated as a new non-linear circuit element relating the time integrals of current and voltage. More recently researchers at HPLabs have linked the theoretical memristor concept to resistance switching behavior of TiO(2-x) thin films. However, a variety of other thin film materials exhibiting memory resistance effects have also been found to exhibit a memory capacitance effect. This paper proposes a memadmittance (memory admittance) systems model which attempts to consolidate the memory capacitance effects with the memristor model. The model produces equations relating the cross-sectional area of conductive bridges in resistive switching films to shifts in capacitance.
1003.2842v1
2018-09-06
Estimation of the electrical and thermal contact resistances and thermoemf of thermoelectric material-metal transient contact layer due to semiconductor surface rougness
The impact of semiconductor surface roughness on the electrical and thermal contact resistances and thermoEMF of thermoelectric material (TEM)-metal transient contact layer is studied theoretically. The distribution of hollows and humps on the rough surface is simulated by the truncated Gaussian distribution. The impact of distribution parameters on the electrical contact resistance and thermoEMF of thermoelectric material-metal contact is studied.
1809.02504v1
2022-03-30
STeP-CiM: Strain-enabled Ternary Precision Computation-in-Memory based on Non-Volatile 2D Piezoelectric Transistors
We propose 2D Piezoelectric FET (PeFET) based compute-enabled non-volatile memory for ternary deep neural networks (DNNs). PeFETs consist of a material with ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties coupled with Transition Metal Dichalcogenide channel. We utilize (a) ferroelectricity to store binary bits (0/1) in the form of polarization (-P/+P) and (b) polarization dependent piezoelectricity to read the stored state by means of strain-induced bandgap change in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide channel. The unique read mechanism of PeFETs enables us to expand the traditional association of +P (-P) with low (high) resistance states to their dual high (low) resistance depending on read voltage. Specifically, we demonstrate that +P (-P) stored in PeFETs can be dynamically configured in (a) a low (high) resistance state for positive read voltages and (b) their dual high (low) resistance states for negative read voltages, without afflicting a read disturb. Such a feature, which we name as Polarization Preserved Piezoelectric Effect Reversal with Dual Voltage Polarity (PiER), is unique to PeFETs and has not been shown in hitherto explored memories. We leverage PiER to propose a Strain-enabled Ternary Precision Computation-in-Memory (STeP-CiM) cell with capabilities of computing the scalar product of the stored weight and input, both of which are represented with signed ternary precision. Further, using multi word-line assertion of STeP-CiM cells, we achieve massively parallel computation of dot products of signed ternary inputs and weights. Our array level analysis shows 91% lower delay and improvements of 15% and 91% in energy for in-memory multiply-and-accumulate operations compared to near-memory design approaches based on SRAM and PeFET respectively. STeP-CiM exhibits upto 8.91x improvement in performance and 6.07x average improvement in energy over SRAM/PeFET based near-memory design.
2203.16416v1
2013-01-28
Can high risk fungicides be used in mixtures without selecting for fungicide resistance?
Fungicide mixtures produced by the agrochemical industry often contain low-risk fungicides, to which fungal pathogens are fully sensitive, together with high-risk fungicides known to be prone to fungicide resistance. Can these mixtures provide adequate disease control while minimizing the risk for the development of resistance? We present a population dynamics model to address this question. We found that the fitness cost of resistance is a crucial parameter to determine the outcome of competition between the sensitive and resistant pathogen strains and to assess the usefulness of a mixture. If fitness costs are absent, then the use of the high-risk fungicide in a mixture selects for resistance and the fungicide eventually becomes nonfunctional. If there is a cost of resistance, then an optimal ratio of fungicides in the mixture can be found, at which selection for resistance is expected to vanish and the level of disease control can be optimized.
1301.6561v2
2005-12-15
Introduction to tensorial resistivity probability tomography
The probability tomography approach developed for the scalar resistivity method is here extended to the 2D tensorial apparent resistivity acquisition mode. The rotational invariant derived from the trace of the apparent resistivity tensor is considered, since it gives on the datum plane anomalies confined above the buried objects. Firstly, a departure function is introduced as the difference between the tensorial invariant measured over the real structure and that computed for a reference uniform structure. Secondly, a resistivity anomaly occurrence probability (RAOP) function is defined as a normalised crosscorrelation involving the experimental departure function and a scanning function derived analytically using the Frechet derivative of the electric potential for the reference uniform structure. The RAOP function can be calculated in each cell of a 3D grid filling the investigated volume, and the resulting values can then be contoured in order to obtain the 3D tomographic image. Each non-vanishing value of the RAOP function is interpreted as the probability which a resistivity departure from the reference resistivity obtain in a cell as responsible of the observed tensorial apparent resistivity dataset on the datum plane. A synthetic case shows that the highest RAOP values correctly indicate the position of the buried objects and a very high spacial resolution can be obtained even for adjacent objects with opposite resistivity contrasts with respect to the resistivity of the hosting matrix. Finally, an experimental field case dedicated to an archaeological application of the resistivity tensor method is presented as a proof of the high resolution power of the probability tomography imaging, even when the data are collected in noisy open field conditions.
0512147v1
2014-07-24
Macro- and microscopic properties of strontium doped indium oxide
Solid state synthesis and physical mechanisms of electrical conductivity variation in polycrystalline, strontium doped indium oxide In2O3:(SrO)x were investigated for materials with different doping levels at different temperatures (T=20-300 C) and ambient atmosphere content including humidity and low pressure. Gas sensing ability of these compounds as well as the sample resistance appeared to increase by 4 and 8 orders of the magnitude, respectively, with the doping level increase from zero up to x=10%. The conductance variation due to doping is explained by two mechanisms: acceptor-like electrical activity of Sr as a point defect and appearance of an additional phase of SrIn2O4. An unusual property of high level (x=10%) doped samples is a possibility of extraordinarily large and fast oxygen exchange with ambient atmosphere at not very high temperatures (100-200 C). This peculiarity is explained by friable structure of crystallite surface. Friable structure provides relatively fast transition of samples from high to low resistive state at the expense of high conductance of the near surface layer of the grains. Microscopic study of the electro-diffusion process at the surface of oxygen deficient samples allowed estimation of the diffusion coefficient of oxygen vacancies in the friable surface layer at room temperature as 3x10^(-13) cm^2/s, which is by one order of the magnitude smaller than that known for amorphous indium oxide films.
1407.6471v1
2015-03-29
Universal low-temperature Ohmic contacts for quantum transport in transition metal dichalcogenides
Low carrier mobility and high electrical contact resistance are two major obstacles prohibiting explorations of quantum transport in TMDCs. Here, we demonstrate an effective method to establish low-temperature Ohmic contacts in boron nitride encapsulated TMDC devices based on selective etching and conventional electron-beam evaporation of metal electrodes. This method works for most extensively studied TMDCs in recent years, including MoS2, MoSe2, WSe2, WS2, and 2H-MoTe2. Low electrical contact resistance is achieved at 2 K. All of the few-layer TMDC devices studied show excellent performance with remarkably improved field-effect mobilities ranging from 2300 cm2/V s to 16000 cm2/V s, as verified by the high carrier mobilities extracted from Hall effect measurements. Moreover, both high-mobility n-type and p-type TMDC channels can be realized by simply using appropriate contact metals. Prominent Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations have been observed and investigated in these high-quality TMDC devices.
1503.08427v2
2017-04-13
High-pressure phase diagram, structural transitions, and persistent non-metallicity of BaBiO$_3$: theory and experiment
BaBiO$_3$ is a mixed-valence perovskite which escapes the metallic state through a Bi valence (and Bi-O bond) disproportionation or CDW distortion, resulting in a semiconductor with a gap of 0.8 eV at zero pressure. The evolution of structural and electronic properties at high pressure is, however, largely unknown. Pressure, one might have hoped, could reduce the disproportionation, making the two Bi ions equivalent and bringing the system closer to metallicity or even to superconductivity, such as is attained at ambient pressure upon metal doping. We address the high-pressure phase diagram of pristine BaBiO$_3$ by ab initio DFT calculations based on GGA and hybrid functionals in combination with crystal structure prediction methods based on evolutionary algorithms, molecular dynamics and metadynamics. The calculated phase diagram from 0 to 50 GPa indicates that pristine BaBiO$_3$ resists metallization under pressure, undergoing instead at room temperature structural phase transitions from monoclinic \textit{I2/m} to nearly tetragonal \textit{P-1} at 7 GPa, possibly to monoclinic \textit{C2/m} at 27 GPa, and to triclinic \textit{P1} at 43 GPa. Remarkably, all these phases sustain and in fact increase the inequivalence of two Bi neighboring sites and of their Bi-O bonds and, in all cases except semimetallic \textit{C2/m}, the associated insulating character. We then present high-pressure resistivity data which generally corroborate these results, and show that the insulating character persists at least up to 80 GPa, suggesting that the \textit{C2/m} phase is probably an artifact of the small computational cell.
1704.04098v1
2019-11-18
Effect of particle contact on the electrical performance of NTC-epoxy composite thermistors
As demand rises for flexible electronics, traditionally prepared sintered ceramic sensors must be transformed into fully new sensor materials that can bend and flex in use and integration. Negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTC) ceramic thermistors are preferred temperature sensors for their high accuracy and excellent stability, yet their high stiffness and high temperature fabrication process limits their use in flexible electronics. Here, a low stiffness thermistor based on NTC ceramic particles of micron size embedded in an epoxy polymer matrix is reported. The effect of particle-to-particle contact on electrical performance is studied by arranging the NTC particles in the composite films in one of three ways: 1) Low particle contact, 2) Improved particle contact perpendicular to the electrodes and 3) dispersing high particle contact agglomerated clumps throughout the polymer. At 50 vol.\% of agglomerated NTC particles, the composite films exhibit a $\beta$-value of 2069 K and a resistivity, $\rho$, of 3.3$\cdot 10^5$ $\Omega$m, 4 orders of magnitude lower than a randomly dispersed composite at identical volume. A quantitative analysis shows that attaining a predominantly parallel connectivity of the NTC particles and polymer is a key parameter in determining the electrical performance of the composite film.
1911.07468v2
2021-03-11
Review on quasi-2D square planar nickelates
In strongly correlated materials, lattice, charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom interact with each other, leading to emergent physical properties such as superconductivity, colossal magnetic resistance and metal-insulator transition. Quasi-2D square planar nickelates, Rn+1NinO2n+2 (R=rare earth, n=2, 3...), are of significant interest and long sought for cuprate analogue due to the 3d9 electronic configuration of Ni+, the same as the active ion Cu2+ in the high-Tc superconducting cuprates. The field has attracted intense attention since 2019 due to the discovery of superconductivity in thin films of Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2, although no superconductivity has been reported in bulk polycrystalline powders. Herein, we review the synthesis of polycrystalline powders of quasi-2D square planar nickelates through topotactic reduction of parent compounds that are synthesized via solid state reaction, precursor method, high pressure floating zone method and high-pressure flux method. We emphasize single crystal preparation using the high-pressure floating zone techniques. We discuss their crystal structure and physical properties including resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity. We highlight the cuprate-like physics, including charge/spin stripes and large orbital polarization, identified in single crystals of R4Ni3O8 (R=La and Pr) combining synchrotron X-ray/neutron single crystal diffraction and density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, the challenges and possible research directions of this fast-moving field in the future are briefly discussed.
2103.06674v1
2022-05-25
Stranger than Metals
Although the resistivity in traditional metals increases with temperature, its $T$ dependence vanishes at low or high temperature, albeit for different reasons. Here, we review a class of materials, known as \lq strange' metals, that can violate both principles. In materials exhibiting such behavior, the change in slope of the resistivity as the mean free path drops below the lattice constant, or as $T \rightarrow 0$, can be imperceptible, suggesting complete continuity between the charge carriers at low and high $T$. Since particles cannot scatter at length scales shorter than the interatomic spacing, strange metallicity calls into question the relevance of locality and a particle picture of the underlying current. This review focuses on transport and spectroscopic data on candidate strange metals with an eye to isolate and identify a unifying physical principle. Special attention is paid to quantum criticality, Planckian dissipation, Mottness, and whether a new gauge principle, which has a clear experimental signature, is needed to account for the non-local transport seen in strange metals. For the cuprates, strange metallicity is shown to track the superfluid density, thereby making a theory of this state the primary hurdle in solving the riddle of high-temperature superconductivity.
2205.12979v1
2024-03-08
Experimental set-up for thermal measurements at the nanoscale using an SThM probe with niobium nitride thermometer
Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) has become an important measurement tool for characterizing the thermal properties of materials at the nanometer scale. This technique requires a SThM probe that combines an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probe and a very sensitive resistive thermometry; the thermometer being located at the apex of the probe tip allows the mapping of temperature or thermal properties of nanostructured materials with very high spatial resolution. The high interest of the SThM technique in the field of thermal nanoscience currently suffers from a low temperature sensitivity despite its high spatial resolution. To address this challenge, we developed a high vacuum-based AFM system hosting a highly sensitive niobium nitride (NbN) SThM probe to demonstrate its unique performance. As a proof of concept, we utilized this custom-built system to carry out thermal measurements using the 3$\omega$ method. By measuring the $V_{3\omega}$ voltage on the NbN resistive thermometer in vacuum conditions we were able to determine the SThM probe's thermal conductance and thermal time constant. The performance of the probe is demonstrated by doing thermal measurements in-contact with a sapphire sample.
2403.05405v2
2015-12-17
A Novel Material for In Situ Construction on Mars: Experiments and Numerical Simulations
A significant step in space exploration during the 21st century will be human settlement on Mars. Instead of transporting all the construction materials from Earth to the red planet with incredibly high cost, using Martian soil to construct a site on Mars is a superior choice. Knowing that Mars has long been considered a "sulfur-rich planet", a new construction material composed of simulated Martian soil and molten sulfur is developed. In addition to the raw material availability for producing sulfur concrete and a strength reaching similar or higher levels of conventional cementitious concrete, fast curing, low temperature sustainability, acid and salt environment resistance, 100% recyclability are appealing superior characteristics of the developed Martian Concrete. In this study, different percentages of sulfur are investigated to obtain the optimal mixing proportions. Three point bending, unconfined compression and splitting tests were conducted to determine strength development, strength variability, and failure mechanisms. The test results show that the strength of Martian Concrete doubles that of sulfur concrete utilizing regular sand. It is also shown that the particle size distribution plays an important role in the mixture's final strength. Furthermore, since Martian soil is metal rich, sulfates and, potentially, polysulfates are also formed during high temperature mixing, which might contribute to the high strength. The optimal mix developed as Martian Concrete has an unconfined compressive strength of above 50 MPa. The formulated Martian Concrete is simulated by the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM), which exhibits excellent ability in modeling the material response under various loading conditions.
1512.05461v3
1998-09-07
Metallic temperature dependence of resistivity in perchlorate doped polyacetylene
We have measured the electrical resistivity ($\rho$) and the thermoelectric power (TEP) of the perchlorate (ClO4^-) doped stretch oriented polyacetylene (PA) film. For the highly conducting samples ($\sigma_{RT} > 41000 S/cm$), the temperature dependence of the 4-probe resistivity shows positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) from T=1.5K to 300K. For the less conducting samples, the 4-probe resistivity data show the crossover of TCR with a broad minimum peak at T=T* > 200K. For samples of $\sigma_{RT}$$>$20000 S/cm, the $\rho (1.5K)/\rho (300K) <1$, i.e., the resistivity at 1.5K is lower than the room temperature resistivity value. The temperature dependence of the TEP shows diffusive linear metallic TEP becoming temperature independent below 40K. Unlike the others who used Cu(ClO_4)_2 for the ClO_4^- doping, the initial doping material we used is anhydrous Fe(ClO_4)_3 which is crucial to obtain the positive TCR from T=1.5K to 300K.
9809106v1
2006-11-20
Using Cluster Dynamics to Model Electrical Resistivity Measurements in Precipitating Al-Sc Alloys
Electrical resistivity evolution during precipitation in Al-Sc alloys is modeled using cluster dynamics. This mesoscopic modeling has already been shown to correctly predict the time evolution of the precipitate size distribution. In this work, we show that it leads too to resistivity predictions in quantitative agreement with experimental data. We only assume that all clusters contribute to the resistivity and that each cluster contribution is proportional to its area. One interesting result is that the resistivity excess observed during coarsening mainly arises from large clusters and not really from the solid solution. As a consequence, one cannot assume that resistivity asymptotic behavior obeys a simple power law as predicted by LSW theory for the solid solution supersaturation. This forbids any derivation of the precipitate interface free energy or of the solute diffusion coefficient from resistivity experimental data in a phase-separating system like Al-Sc supersaturated alloys.
0611524v1
2008-10-06
Strong resistance nonlinearity and third harmonic generation in the unipolar resistance switching of NiO thin films
We investigated third harmonic generation in NiO thin films, which exhibit unipolar resistance switching behavior. We found that the low resistance states of the films were strongly nonlinear, with variations in the resistance R as large as 60%. This strong nonlinear behavior was most likely caused by Joule heating of conducting filaments inside the films. By carefully controlling the applied dc bias, we obtained several low resistance states, whose values of the third harmonic coefficient B3f were proportional to R2+w (with w = 2.07). This suggested that the resistance changes of the NiO films were accompanied by connectivity changes of the conducting filaments, as observed in classical percolating systems.
0810.0886v1
2009-07-19
Current Driven tri-stable Resistance States in Magnetic Point Contacts
Point contacts between normal and ferromagnetic metals are investigated using magneto-resistance and transport spectroscopy measurements combined with micromagnetic simulations. Pronounced hysteresis in the point-contact resistance versus both bias current and external magnetic field are observed. It is found that such hysteretic resistance can exhibit, in addition to bi-stable resistance states found in ordinary spin valves, tri-stable resistance states with a middle resistance level. We interpret these observation in terms of surface spin-valve and spin-vortex states, originating from a substantially modified spin structure at the ferromagnetic interface in contact core. We argue that these surface spin states, subject to a weakened exchange interaction, dominate the effects of spin transfer torques on the nanometer scale.
0907.3286v1
2014-03-25
Electric-Field-Modulated Nonvolatile Resistance Switching in VO2/PMN-PT(111) Heterostructures
The electric-field-modulated resistance switching in VO2 thin films grown on piezoelectric (111)-0.68Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.32PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) substrates has been investigated. Large relative change in resistance (10.7%) was observed in VO2/PMN-PT(111) hererostructures at room temperature. For a substrate with a given polarization direction, stable resistive states of VO2 films can be realized even when the applied electric fields are removed from the heterostructures. By sweeping electric fields across the heterostructure appropriately, multiple resistive states can be achieved. These stable resistive states result from the different stable remnant strain states of substrate, which is related to the rearrangements of ferroelectric domain structures in PMN-PT(111) substrate. The resistance switching tuned by electric field in our work may have potential applications for novel electronic devices.
1403.6388v2
2015-02-23
Phonon residual resistance of pure crystals
Using the Boltzmann transport equation, we study phonon residual resistance of perfect metallic crystals of a finite thickness $d$ along which a weak constant electric field $E$ is applied. This resistance which is $\propto d^{-5}E^{-3}$, is due to scattering of electric field-heated electrons with emission of long-wave acoustic phonons. This electron-phonon interaction is caused by zero-point vibrations of the atoms in the perfect crystal lattice sites. Consideration is carried out for Cu, Ag and Au single crystals with the thickness of about 1 cm, in the fields of the order of 1 mV/cm. Following the Matthiessen rule, the resistance of the pure crystals the thicknesses of which are much larger than the electron mean free path, is represented as the sum of the impurity and phonon residual resistances. The condition on the thickness $d$ and the field $E$ is found at which the phonon scattering of the field-heated electrons dominates. Under this condition, the low-temperature resistances of pure crystals do not depend on the their purity and determine the phonon residual resistivity of the ideal crystals. The calculations are performed for Cu with a purity of at least 99.9999%.
1502.06486v2
2016-02-25
Electric fields, weighting fields, signals and charge diffusion in detectors including resistive materials
In this report we discuss static and time dependent electric fields in detector geometries with an arbitrary number of parallel layers of a given permittivity and weak conductivity. We derive the Green's functions i.e. the field of a point charge, as well as the weighting fields for readout pads and readout strips in these geometries. The effect of 'bulk' resistivity on electric fields and signals is investigated. The spreading of charge on thin resistive layers is also discussed in detail, and the conditions for allowing the effect to be described by the diffusion equation is discussed. We apply the results to derive fields and induced signals in Resistive Plate Chambers, Micromega detectors including resistive layers for charge spreading and discharge protection as well as detectors using resistive charge division readout like the MicroCAT detector. We also discuss in detail how resistive layers affect signal shapes and increase crosstalk between readout electrodes.
1602.07949v1
2016-02-26
Investigating the Temperature Effects on Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) Devices
In this paper, we report the effect of filament radius and filament resistivity on the saturated temperature of ZnO, TiO2, WO3 and HfO2 Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) devices. We resort to the thermal reaction model of RRAM for the present analysis. The results substantiate decrease in saturated temperature with increase in the radius and resistivity of filament for the investigated RRAM devices. Moreover, a sudden change in the saturated temperature at a lower value of filament radius and resistivity is observed as against the steady change at the medium and higher value of the filament radius and resistivity. Results confirm the dependence of saturated temperature on the filament size and resistivity in RRAM.
1602.08262v1
2017-11-02
Resistivity scaling model for metals with conduction band anisotropy
It is generally understood that the resistivity of metal thin films scales with film thickness mainly due to grain boundary and boundary surface scattering. Recently, several experiments and ab initio simulations have demonstrated the impact of crystal orientation on resistivity scaling. The crystal orientation cannot be captured by the commonly used resistivity scaling models and a qualitative understanding of its impact is currently lacking. In this work, we derive a resistivity scaling model that captures grain boundary and boundary surface scattering as well as the anisotropy of the band structure. The model is applied to Cu and Ru thin films, whose conduction bands are (quasi-)isotropic and anisotropic respectively. After calibrating the anisotropy with ab initio simulations, the resistivity scaling models are compared to experimental resistivity data and a renormalization of the fitted grain boundary reflection coefficient can be identified for textured Ru.
1711.00796v3
2021-02-05
Does Non-Genetic Heterogeneity Facilitate the Development of Genetic Drug Resistance?
Non-genetic forms of antimicrobial drug resistance can result from cell-to-cell variability that is not encoded in the genetic material. Data from recent studies also suggest that non-genetic mechanisms can facilitate the development of genetic drug resistance. In this Perspective article, we speculate on how the interplay between non-genetic and genetic mechanisms may affect microbial adaptation and evolution during drug treatment. We argue that cellular heterogeneity arising from fluctuations in gene expression, epigenetic modifications, as well as genetic changes contributes to drug resistance at different timescales, and that the interplay between these mechanisms may influence the evolutionary dynamics of pathogen resistance. Accordingly, developing a better understanding of non-genetic mechanisms in drug resistance and how they interact with genetic mechanisms will enhance our ability to combat antimicrobial resistance.
2102.03276v1
2023-04-10
T-square dependence of the electronic thermal resistivity in metallic strontium titanate
The temperature dependence of the phase space for electron-electron (e-e) collisions leads to a T-square contribution to electrical resistivity of metals. Umklapp scattering are identified as the origin of momentum loss due to e-e scattering in dense metals. However, in dilute metals like lightly doped strontium titanate, the origin of T-square electrical resistivity in absence of Umklapp events is yet to be pinned down. Here, by separating electron and phonon contributions to heat transport, we extract the electronic thermal resistivity in niobium-doped strontium titanate and show that it also displays a T-square temperature dependence. Its amplitude correlates with the T-square electrical resistivity. The Wiedemann-Franz law strictly holds in the zero-temperature limit, but not at finite-temperature, because the two T-square prefactors are different by a factor of $\approx 3$, like in other Fermi liquids. Recalling the case of $^3$He, we argue that T-square thermal resistivity does not require Umklapp events. The approximate recovery of the Wiedemann-Franz law in presence of disorder would account for a T-square electrical resistivity without Umklapp.
2304.04841v2
2001-07-03
Low temperature resistance minimum in non-superconducting 3R-Nb_{1+x}S_2 and 3R-Ga_xNbS_2
We report the structural and electron transport properties of 3R-Nb_{1+x}S_2 (x >= .07) and 3R-Ga_xNbS_2 (.1 <= x <= .33) prepared as polycrystalline pellets as well as single crystals grown by vapour transport. We observe a resistance minimum in these compounds between 20-60 K, with the T_min proportional to x. The resistance scales as rho/rho_min(T/T_min) between .2 < T/T_min < 2 for different phases with x <= .25 whose resistivity differs by an order of magnitude. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) also shows progressively increasing intensity of superlattice lines with cation concentration. The thermopower changes sign around the resistance minimum. The explanation of the resistance minimum and the simultaneous rapid suppression of superconductivity is sought in e-e scattering effects in the presence of cation disorder in these narrow band anisotropic materials.
0107067v1
2006-08-11
Fracture resistance via topology optimisation
The fracture resistance of structures is optimised using the level-set method. Fracture resistance is assumed to be related to the elastic energy released by a crack propagating in a normal direction from parts of the boundary which are in tension, and is calculated using the virtual crack extension technique. The shape derivative of the fracture-resistance objective function is derived. Two illustrative two-dimensional case studies are presented: a hole in a plate subjected to biaxial strain; and a bridge fixed at both ends subjected to a single load in which the compliance and fracture resistance are jointly optimised. The structures obtained have rounded corners and more material at places where they are in tension. Based on the results, we propose that fracture resistance may be modelled more easily but less directly by including a term proportional to surface area in the objective function, in conjunction with non-linear elasticity where the Young's modulus in tension is lower than in compression.
0608260v1
2016-05-19
Resistive Switching Phenomena of HfO2 Films Grown by MOCVD for Resistive Switching Memory Devices
The resistive switching phenomena of HfO2 films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was studied for the application of ReRAM devices. In the fabricated Pt/HfO2/TiN memory cells, the bipolar resistive switching characteristics were observed, and the set and reset states were measured to be as low as 7 uA and 4 uA, respectively, at VREAD = 1 V. Regarding the resistive switching performance, the stable RS performance was observed under 40 repetitive dc cycling test with the small variations of set/reset voltages and currents, and good retention characteristics over 105 s in both LRS and HRS. These results show the possibility of MOCVD grown HfO2 films as a promising resistive switching materials for ReRAM applications.
1605.06014v1
2020-02-10
Resistivity minimum in diluted metallic magnets
Resistivity minima are commonly seen in itinerant magnets and they are often attributed to the Kondo effect. However, recent experiments are revealing an increasing number of materials showing resistivity minima in the absence of indications of Kondo singlet formation. In a previous work [Z. Wang, K. Barros, G.-W. Chern, D. L. Maslov, and C. D. Batista, Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 206601 (2016)], we demonstrated that the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction can produce a classical spin liquid state at finite temperature, whose resistivity increases with decreasing temperature. The classical spin liquid exists over a relatively large temperature window because of the frustrated nature of the RKKY interaction produced by a 2D electron gas. In this work, we investigate the robustness of the RKKY-induced resistivity upturn against site dilution, which provides an alternative, and more robust, way of stabilizing the classical spin liquid state down to T=0. By using series expansions and stochastic Landau-Lifshitz dynamics simulation, we show that site dilution competes with thermal fluctuations and further stabilizes the resistivity upturn, which is accompanied by a negative magnetoresistivity due to suppression of the electron-spin scattering.
2002.03858v2
2021-10-06
Pinpointing the Dominant Component of Contact Resistance to Atomically Thin Semiconductors
Achieving good electrical contacts is one of the major challenges in realizing devices based on atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. Several studies have examined this hurdle, but a universal understanding of the contact resistance and an underlying approach to its reduction are currently lacking. In this work we expose the shortcomings of the classical contact resistance model in describing contacts to 2D materials, and offer a correction based on the addition of a lateral pseudo-junction resistance component (Rjun). We use a combination of unique contact resistance measurements to experimentally characterize Rjun for Ni contacts to monolayer MoS2. We find that Rjun is the dominating component of the contact resistance in undoped 2D devices and show that it is responsible for most of the back-gate bias and temperature dependence. Our corrected model and experimental results help understand the underlying physics of state-of-the-art contact engineering approaches in the context of minimizing Rjun.
2110.02563v1
2023-11-14
Giant Resistance Switch in Twisted Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Tunnel Junctions
Resistance switching in multilayer structures are typically based on materials possessing ferroic orders. Here we predict an extremely large resistance switching based on the relative spin-orbit splitting in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers tunnel junctions. Because of the valence band spin splitting which depends on the valley index in the Brillouin zone, the perpendicular electronic transport through the junction depends on the relative reciprocal space overlap of the spin-dependent Fermi surfaces of both layers, which can be tuned by twisting one layer. Our quantum transport calculations reveal a switching resistance of up to $10^6 \%$ when the relative alignment of TMDs goes from $0^{\circ}$ to $60^{\circ}$ and when the angle is kept fixed at $60^{\circ}$ and the Fermi level is varied. By creating vacancies, we evaluate how inter-valley scattering affects the efficiency and find that the resistance switching remains large ($10^4 \%$) for typical values of vacancy concentration. Not only this resistance switching should be observed at room temperature due to the large spin splitting, but our results show how twist angle engineering and control of van der Waals heterostructures could be used for next-generation memory and electronic applications.
2311.08397v1
2000-10-24
Slater Transition in the Pyrochlore Cd2Os2O7
Cd2Os2O7 crystallizes in the pyrochlore structure and undergoes a metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 226 K. We have characterized the MIT in Cd2Os2O7 using X-ray diffraction, resistivity at ambient and high pressure, specific heat, magnetization, thermopower, Hall coefficient, and thermal conductivity. Both single crystals and polycrystalline material were examined. The MIT is accompanied by no change in crystal symmetry and a change in unit cell volume of less than 0.05%. The resistivity shows little temperature dependence above 226 K, but increases by 3 orders of magnitude as the sample is cooled to 4 K. The specific heat anomaly resembles a mean-field transition and shows no hysteresis or latent heat. Cd2Os2O7 orders magnetically at the MIT. The magnetization data is consistent with antiferromagnetic order, with a small parasitic ferromagnetic component. The Hall and Seebeck coefficients are consistent with a semiconducting gap opening at the Fermi energy at the MIT. We have also performed electronic structure calculations on Cd2Os2O7. These calculations indicate that Cd2Os2O7 is metallic, with a sharp peak in the density of states at the Fermi energy. We intepret the data in terms of a Slater transition. In this scenario, the MIT is produced by a doubling of the unit cell due to the establishment of antiferromagnetic order. A Slater transition-unlike a Mott transition-is predicted to be continuous, with a semiconducting energy gap opening much like a BCS gap as the material is cooled below $T_{MIT}$.
0010364v1
2004-12-17
Origin of Colossal Dielectric Response of Pr(0.6)Ca(0.4)MnO(3)
We report the detailed study of dielectric response of Pr(0.6)Ca(0.4)MnO(3) (PCMO), member of manganite family showing colossal magnetoresistance. Measurements have been performed on four polycrystalline samples and four single crystals, allowing us to compare and extract the essence of dielectric response in the material. High frequency dielectric function is found to be 30, as expected for the perovskite material. Dielectric relaxation is found in frequency window of 20Hz-1MHz at temperatures of 50-200K that yields to colossal low-frequency dielectric function, i.e. static dielectric constant. Static dielectric constant is always colossal, but varies considerably in different samples from 1000 until 100000. The measured data can be simulated very well by blocking (surface barrier) capacitance in series with sample resistance. This indicates that the large dielectric constant in PCMO arises from the Schottky barriers at electrical contacts. Measurements in magnetic field and with d.c. bias support this interpretation. Weak anomaly at the charge ordering temperature can also be attributed to interplay of sample and contact resistance. We comment our results in the framework of related studies by other groups.
0412473v3
2012-05-14
Bi2Te1.6S1.4 - a Topological Insulator in the Tetradymite Family
We describe the crystal growth, crystal structure, and basic electrical properties of Bi2Te1.6S1.4, which incorporates both S and Te in its Tetradymite quintuple layers in the motif -[Te0.8S0.2]-Bi-S-Bi-[Te0.8S0.2]-. This material differs from other Tetradymites studied as topological insulators due to the increased ionic character that arises from its significant S content. Bi2Te1.6S1.4 forms high quality crystals from the melt and is the S-rich limit of the ternary Bi-Te-S {\gamma}-Tetradymite phase at the melting point. The native material is n-type with a low resistivity; Sb substitution, with adjustment of the Te to S ratio, results in a crossover to p-type and resistive behavior at low temperatures. Angle resolved photoemission study shows that topological surface states are present, with the Dirac point more exposed than it is in Bi2Te3 and similar to that seen in Bi2Te2Se. Single crystal structure determination indicates that the S in the outer chalcogen layers is closer to the Bi than the Te, and therefore that the layers supporting the surface states are corrugated on the atomic scale.
1205.2924v1
2015-05-26
Transport, Magnetic and Vibrational Properties of Chemically Exfoliated Few Layer Graphene
We study the vibrational, magnetic and transport properties of Few Layer Graphene (FLG) using Raman and electron spin resonance spectroscopy and microwave conductivity measurements. FLG samples were produced using wet chemical exfoliation with different post-processing, namely ultrasound treatment, shear mixing, and magnetic stirring. Raman spectroscopy shows a low intensity D mode which attests a high sample quality. The G mode is present at $1580$ cm$^{-1}$ as expected for graphene. The 2D mode consists of 2 components with varying intensities among the different samples. This is assigned to the presence of single and few layer graphene in the samples. ESR spectroscopy shows a main line in all types of materials with a width of about $1$ mT and and a $g$-factor in the range of $2.005-2.010$. Paramagnetic defect centers with a uniaxial $g$-factor anisotropy are identified, which shows that these are related to the local sp$^2$ bonds of the material. All kinds of investigated FLGs have a temperature dependent resistance which is compatible with a small gap semiconductor. The difference in resistance is related to the different grain size of the samples.
1505.06857v1
2017-02-10
Highly wear-resistant and low-friction Si3N4 composites by addition of graphene nanoplatelets approaching the 2D limit
Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) have emerged as one of the most promising filler materials for improving the tribological performance of ceramic composites due to their outstanding solid lubricant properties as well as mechanical and thermal stability. Yet, the addition of GNPs has so far provided only a very limited improvement in the tribological properties of ceramics, particularly concerning the reduction of their friction coefficient. This is most likely due to the challenges of achieving a lubricating and protecting tribo-film through a high GNP coverage of the exposed surfaces. Here we show that this can be achieved by efficiently increasing the exfoliation degree of GNPs down to the few-layer (FL) range. By employing FL-GNPs as filler material, the wear resistance of Si3N4 composites can be increased by about twenty times, the friction coefficient reduced to nearly its half, while the other mechanical properties are also preserved or improved. Using confocal Raman microscopy, we were able to demonstrate the formation of a continuous FL- GNP tribo-film, already at 5wt% FL-GNP content.
1702.03153v1
2017-12-16
Stress-dependent electrical transport and its universal scaling in granular materials
We experimentally and numerically examine stress-dependent electrical transport in granular materials to elucidate the origins of their universal dielectric response. The ac responses of granular systems under varied compressive loadings consistently exhibit a transition from a resistive plateau at low frequencies to a state of nearly constant loss at high frequencies. By using characteristic frequencies corresponding to the onset of conductance dispersion and measured direct-current resistance as scaling parameters to normalize the measured impedance, results of the spectra under different stress states collapse onto a single master curve, revealing well-defined stress-independent universality. In order to model this electrical transport, a contact network is constructed on the basis of prescribed packing structures, which is then used to establish a resistor-capacitor network by considering interactions between individual particles. In this model the frequency-dependent network response meaningfully reproduces the experimentally observed master curve exhibited by granular materials under various normal stress levels indicating this universal scaling behaviour is found to be governed by i) interfacial properties between grains and ii) the network configuration. The findings suggest the necessity of considering contact morphologies and packing structures in modelling electrical responses using network-based approaches.
1712.05938v2
2020-04-06
Spin Hall magnetoresistance in antiferromagnetic insulators
Antiferromagnetic materials promise improved performance for spintronic applications, as they are robust against external magnetic field perturbations and allow for faster magnetization dynamics compared to ferromagnets. The direct observation of the antiferromagnetic state, however, is challenging due to the absence of a macroscopic magnetization. Here, we show that the spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) is a versatile tool to probe the antiferromagnetic spin structure via simple electrical transport experiments by investigating the easy-plane antiferromagnetic insulators $\alpha$-Fe2O3 (hematite) and NiO in bilayer heterostructures with a Pt heavy metal top electrode. While rotating an external magnetic field in three orthogonal planes, we record the longitudinal and the transverse resistivities of Pt and observe characteristic resistivity modulations consistent with the SMR effect. We analyze both their amplitude and phase and compare the data to the results from a prototypical collinear ferrimagnetic Y3Fe5O12/Pt bilayer. The observed magnetic field dependence is explained in a comprehensive model, based on two magnetic sublattices and taking into account magnetic field-induced modifications of the domain structure. Our results show that the SMR allows us to understand the spin configuration and to investigate magnetoelastic effects in antiferromagnetic multi-domain materials. Furthermore, in $\alpha$-Fe2O3/Pt bilayers, we find an unexpectedly large SMR amplitude of $2.5 \times 10^{-3}$, twice as high as for prototype Y3Fe5O12/Pt bilayers, making the system particularly interesting for room-temperature antiferromagnetic spintronic applications.
2004.02639v2
2017-04-11
Transfer of Vertical Graphene Nanosheets onto Flexible Substrates towards Supercapacitor Application
Vertical graphene nanosheets (VGNs) are the material of choice for next-generation electronic device applications. The growing demand for flexible devices in electronic industry brings in restriction on growth temperature of the material of interest. However, VGNs with better structural quality is usually achieved at high growth temperatures. The difficulty associated with the direct growth on flexible substrates can overcome by adopting an effective strategy of transferring the well grown VGNs onto arbitrary flexible substrates through soft chemistry route. Hence, we demonstrated a simple, inexpensive and scalable technique for the transfer of VGNs onto arbitrary substrates without disrupting its morphology and structural properties. After transfer, the morphology, chemical structure and electronic properties are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and four probe resistive methods, respectively. Associated characterization investigation indicates the retention of morphological, structural and electrical properties of transferred VGNs compared to as-grown one. Furthermore the storage capacity of the VGNs transferred onto flexible substrates is also examined. A very lower sheet resistance of 0.67 kOhm/sq. and excellent supercapacitance of 158 micro-Farrad/cm2 with 91.4% retention after 2000 cycles confirms the great prospective of this damage-free transfer approach of VGNs for flexible nanoelectronic device applications
1704.03227v1
2019-03-26
Isostructural Mott Transition in 2D honeycomb antiferromagnet V$_{0.9}$PS$_3$
We present the observation of an isostructural Mott insulator-metal transition in van-der-Waals honeycomb antiferromagnet V$_{0.9}$PS$_3$ through high-pressure x-ray diffraction and transport measurements. The MPX$_3$ family of magnetic van-der-Waals materials (M denotes a first row transition metal and X either S or Se) are currently the subject of broad and intense attention, but the vanadium compounds have until this point not been studied beyond their basic properties. We observe insulating variable-range-hopping type resistivity in V$_{0.9}$PS$_3$, with a gradual increase in effective dimensionality with increasing pressure, followed by a transition to a metallic resistivity temperature dependence between 112 and 124 kbar. The metallic state additionally shows a low-temperature upturn we tentatively attribute to the Kondo Effect. A gradual structural distortion is seen between 26-80 kbar, but no structural change at higher pressures corresponding to the insulator-metal transition. We conclude that the insulator-metal transition occurs in the absence of any distortions to the lattice - an isostructural Mott transition in a new class of two-dimensional material, and in strong contrast to the behavior of the other MPX$_3$ compounds.
1903.10971v1
2019-03-29
Substrate Mediated Synthesis of Ti-Si-N Nano-and-Micro Structures for Optoelectronic Applications
Being one of the strongest materials, ternary TiSiN exhibits a very interesting family of binary transition metal nitride and silicide systems. A novel technique to fabricate morphologically fascinating nano and micro structures of TiSiN is reported here. The referred TiSiN films, majorly constituted with cubic TiN phase, are enriched with crystalline nanoparticles, micro-flowers and faceted micro-crystals which possess attractive functionalities towards plasmon mediated optoelectronic applications. Reactivity of titanium to silicon nitride based dielectric topping on the substrate at high temperature plays the key role in nitride formation for the demonstrated protocol. The optoelectronic response for these morphologically enriched composite films indicates an influential role of photo-induced surface plasmon polaritons on their dc transport properties. A plasmonically tuned resistive switching, controlled by the surface morphology in association with the film thickness, is observed under light illumination. Using Drudes modified frequency dependent bulk electron scattering rates and surface mediated SPPs-electron scattering rates, a generic model is proposed for addressing unambiguously the increased device resistance in response to light. The featured synthesis process opens a new direction towards the growth of transition metal nitrides while the proposed model serves as a basic platform to understand photo-induced electron scattering mechanisms in metal.
1903.12376v1
2020-01-06
Controlled introduction of defects to delafossite metals by electron irradiation
The delafossite metals PdCoO$_{2}$, PtCoO$_{2}$ and PdCrO$_{2}$ are among the highest conductivity materials known, with low temperature mean free paths of tens of microns in the best as-grown single crystals. A key question is whether these very low resistive scattering rates result from strongly suppressed backscattering due to special features of the electronic structure, or are a consequence of highly unusual levels of crystalline perfection. We report the results of experiments in which high energy electron irradiation was used to introduce point disorder to the Pd and Pt layers in which the conduction occurs. We obtain the cross-section for formation of Frenkel pairs in absolute units, and cross-check our analysis with first principles calculations of the relevant atomic displacement energies. We observe an increase of resistivity that is linear in defect density with a slope consistent with scattering in the unitary limit. Our results enable us to deduce that the as-grown crystals contain extremely low levels of in-plane defects of approximately $0.001\%$. This confirms that crystalline perfection is the most important factor in realizing the long mean free paths, and highlights how unusual these delafossite metals are in comparison with the vast majority of other multi-component oxides and alloys. We discuss the implications of our findings for future materials research.
2001.01471v1
2020-01-17
Wettability and surface energy of parylene F
Parylenes are barrier materials employed as protective layers. However, many parylenes are unsuitable for applications under harsh conditions. A new material, parylene F, demonstrates considerable potential for a wide range of applications due to its high temperature and UV resistance. For the first time, the wettability and surface energy of parylene F were investigated to determine the feasibility of parylene F as an alternative to the commonly employed parylene C. The results show that parylene F has a hydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 109.63 degrees. We found that 3.5 ul probe liquid is an optimal value for the contact angle measurement of parylene F. Moreover, we found that the Owens-Wendt-Kaelble and the Lifshitz-van der Waals/acid-base approaches are unsuitable for determining the surface energy of parylene F, whereas an approach based on the limitless liquid-solid interface wetting system is compatible. Furthermore, the results show that parylene F has a surface energy of 39.05 mJ/m2. Considering the improved resistance, relatively low cost, and the desirable properties, parylene F can replace parylene C for applications under harsh conditions.
2001.06146v2
2020-01-24
Adaptive hard and tough mechanical response in single-crystal B1 VNx ceramics via control of anion vacancies
High hardness and toughness are generally considered mutually exclusive properties for single-crystal ceramics. Combining experiments and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) atomistic simulations at room temperature, we demonstrate that both the hardness and toughness of single-crystal NaCl-structure VNx/MgO(001) thin films are simultaneously enhanced through the incorporation of anion vacancies. Nanoindentation results show that VN0.8, here considered as representative understoichiometric VNx system, is ~20% harder, as well as more resistant to fracture than stoichiometric VN samples. AIMD modeling of VN and VN0.8 supercells subjected to [001] and [110] elongation reveal that the tensile strengths of the two materials are similar. Nevertheless, while the stoichiometric VN phase systematically cleaves in a brittle manner at tensile yield points, the understoichiometric compound activates transformation-toughening mechanisms that dissipate accumulated stresses. AIMD simulations also show that VN0.8 exhibits an initially greater resistance to both {110}<1-10> and {111}<1-10> shear deformation than VN. However, for progressively increasing shear strains, the VN0.8 mechanical behavior gradually evolves from harder to more ductile than VN. The transition is mediated by anion vacancies, which facilitate {110}<1-10> and {111}<1-10> lattice slip by reducing activation shear stresses by as much as 35%. Electronic-structure analyses show that the two-regime hard/tough mechanical response of VN0.8 primarily stems from its intrinsic ability to transfer d electrons between 2nd-neighbor and 4th-neighbor (i.e., across vacancy sites) V-V metallic states. Our work offers a route for electronic-structure design of hard materials in which a plastic mechanical response is triggered with loading.
2001.08933v2
2020-05-14
Gate- and Light-Tunable Negative Differential Resistance with High Peak Current Density in 1T-TaS$_2$/2H-MoS$_2$ T-Junction
Metal-based electronics is attractive for fast and radiation-hard electronic circuits and remains one of the longstanding goals for researchers. The emergence of 1T-TaS$_2$, a layered material exhibiting strong charge density wave (CDW) driven resistivity switching that can be controlled by an external stimulus such as electric field and optical pulses, has triggered a renewed interest in metal-electronics. Here we demonstrate a negative differential resistor (NDR) using electrically driven CDW phase transition in an asymmetrically designed T-junction made up of 1T-TaS$_2$/2H-MoS$_2$ van der Waals heterostructure. The principle of operation of the proposed device is governed by majority carrier transport and is distinct from usual NDR devices employing tunneling of carriers, thus avoids the bottleneck of weak tunneling efficiency in van der Waals heterojunctions. Consequently, we achieve a peak current density in excess of $10^5$ nA$\mu$m$^{-2}$, which is about two orders of magnitude higher than that obtained in typical layered material based NDR implementations. The peak current density can be effectively tuned by an external gate voltage as well as photo-gating. The device is robust against ambiance-induced degradation and the characteristics repeat in multiple measurements over a period of more than a month. The findings are attractive for the implementation of active metal-based functional circuits.
2005.07146v2
2021-05-23
Substrate-Versatile Direct-Write Printing of Carbon Nanotube-Based Flexible Conductors, Circuits, and Sensors
Printed electronics rely on the deposition of conductive liquid inks, typically onto polymeric or paper substrates. Among available conductive fillers for use in electronic inks, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have high conductivity, low density, processability at low temperatures, and intrinsic mechanical flexibility. However, the electrical conductivity of printed CNT structures has been limited by CNT quality and concentration, and by the need for nonconductive modifiers to make the ink stable and extrudable. This study introduces a polymer-free, printable aqueous CNT ink, and presents the relationships between printing resolution, ink rheology, and ink-substrate interactions. A model is constructed to predict printed feature sizes on impermeable substrates based on Wenzel wetting. Printed lines have conductivity up to 10,000 S/m. The lines are flexible, with < 5% change in DC resistance after 1,000 bending cycles, and <3% change in DC resistance with a bending radius down to 1 mm. Demonstrations focus on (i) conformality, via printing CNTs onto stickers that can be applied to curved surfaces, (ii) interactivity using a CNT-based button printed onto folded paper structure, and (iii) capacitive sensing of liquid wicking into the substrate itself. Facile integration of surface mount components on printed circuits is enabled by the intrinsic adhesion of the wet ink.
2105.10942v1
2021-10-05
Nanoscale devices with superconducting electrodes to locally channel current in 3D Weyl semimetals
We report on the fabrication of nano-devices on the \hkl[-1 0 1] surface of a Weyl semimetal, a macroscopic crystal of TaAs, and low-temperature transport measurements. We can implement electron beam lithography by peeling off and transferring the resist for nanofabrication onto the irregular crystal. We fabricate the device electrodes with superconducting Niobium nitride (NbN) to control the current flow through the intended active area of the devices. Our device structure enables the reduction of the current jetting effect, and we demonstrate the negative magnetoresistance measurement as a function of angle. The high field magnetotransport show three distinct oscillation frequencies corresponding to the three bands at the Fermi level. Resistance measured in the low magnetic field shows the usual weak anti-localization dip near the zero-field -- a signature of a Weyl material. Our method of fabricating devices with superconducting electrodes provides a way to probe the electrical properties of macroscopic single crystals at the nanoscale. As we use conventional lithographic techniques for patterning, this method can be extended to a wide gamut of electrode materials and a large class of 3D quantum materials.
2110.01793v1
2021-11-29
Doped graphene/carbon black hybrid catalyst giving enhanced oxygen reduction reaction activity with high resistance to corrosion in proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Nitrogen doping of the carbon is an important method to improve the performance and durability of catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells by platinum-nitrogen and carbon-nitrogen bonds. This study shows that p-phenyl groups and graphitic N acting bridges linking platinum and the graphene/carbon black (the ratio graphene/carbon black=2/3) hybrid support materials achieved the average size of platinum nanoparticles with (4.88 +/- 1.79) nm. It improved the performance of the lower-temperature hydrogen fuel cell up to 0.934 W cm-2 at 0.60 V, which is 1.55 times greater than that of commercial Pt/C. Doping also enhanced the interaction between Pt and the support materials, and the resistance to corrosion, thus improving the durability of the low-temperature hydrogen fuel cell with a much lower decay of 10 mV at 0.80 A cm-2 after 30k cycles of an in-situ accelerated stress test of catalyst degradation than that of 92 mV in Pt/C, which achieves the target of Department of Energy (<30 mV). Meanwhile, Pt/NrEGO2-CB3 remains 78% of initial power density at 1.5 A cm-2 after 5k cycles of in-situ accelerated stress test of carbon corrosion, which is more stable than the power density of commercial Pt/C, keeping only 54% after accelerated stress test.
2111.14648v1
2022-03-22
Traps and transport resistance: the next frontier for stable state-of-the-art non-fullerene acceptor solar cells
Stability is one of the most important challenges facing organic solar cells (OSC) on their path to commercialization. In the high-performance material system PM6:Y6 studied here, investigate degradation mechanisms of inverted photovoltaic devices. We have identified two distinct degradation pathways: one requires presence of both illumination and oxygen and features a short-circuit current reduction, the other one is induced thermally and marked by severe losses of open-circuit voltage and fill factor. We focus our investigation on the thermally accelerated degradation. Our findings show that bulk material properties and interfaces remain remarkably stable, however, aging-induced defect state formation in the active layer remains the primary cause of thermal degradation. The increased trap density leads to higher non-radiative recombination, which limits open-circuit voltage and lowers charge carrier mobility in the photoactive layer. Furthermore, we find the trap-induced transport resistance to be the major reason for the drop in fill factor. Our results suggest that device lifetimes could be significantly increased by marginally suppressing trap formation, leading to a bright future for OSC.
2203.11905v1
2022-07-05
Phonons behave like Electrons in the Thermal Hall Effect of the Cuprates
The thermal Hall effect, which arises when heat flows transverse to an applied thermal gradient, has become an important observable in the study of quantum materials. Recent experiments found a large thermal Hall conductivity $\kappa_{xy}$ in many high-temperature cuprate superconductors, including deep inside the Mott insulator, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we uncover a surprising linear temperature dependence for the inverse thermal Hall resistivity, $1/\rho_H=-\kappa_{xx}^2/\kappa_{xy}$, in the Mott insulating cuprates $\mathrm{La_2CuO_4}$ and $\mathrm{Sr_2CuO_2Cl_2}$. We also find this linear scaling in the pseudogap state of Nd-LSCO in the out-of-plane direction, highlighting the importance of phonons. On the electron-doped side, the linear inverse thermal Hall signal emerges in NCCO and PCCO at various dopings, including in the strange metal. Although such dependence arises in the simple Drude model for itinerant electrons, its origin is unclear in strongly correlated Mott insulating or pseudogap states. We perform a Boltzmann analysis for phonons that incorporates skew-scattering, and we are able to identify regimes where a linear $T$ inverse Hall resistivity appears. Finally, we suggest future experiments that would further our fundamental understanding of heat transport in the cuprates, and other quantum materials.
2207.02240v3
2022-08-28
Multiferroic Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ MXene with Tunable Ferroelectric-controlled High Performance Resistive Memory Devices
Multiferroic (MF) devices based on simultaneous ferroelectric and ferromagnetic phenomena are considered to be promising candidates for future bi-functional micro/nano-electronics. The multiferroic phenomena in two-dimensional materials is rarely reported in literature. We reported a simple approach to reveal frequency-dependent ferroelectricity and mutiferroicity in Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ MXene film at room-temperature. To study the frequency and poling effect on ferroelectricity as well as multiferroicity, we performed electric polarization vs. electric field measurement at different external frequencies measured under zero and non-zero static magnetic fields. In order to further investigate this effect, the magneto-electric (ME) coupling was also performed to confirm the multiferroic nature of our synthesized Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ MXene film. The ferroelectric hysteresis effect was attributed to the switching of electric domain walls under low frequencies that continue to respond to at much extent to the higher frequencies. The coupling between disordered electric dipoles with local spin moments could cause presence of strong magneto-electric coupling. Moreover, the bipolar resistive switching in trilayer memory devices also supports the ferroelectric behavior of HT- Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ MXene film and showed uniform repeatability in switching behavior due to minimum dielectric loss inside ferroelectric HT-Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ MXene along with improved on/off ratio in comparison to non-ferroelectric Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ MXene. The unique multiferroic behavior along with ferroelectric-tuned memristor devices reported here at room temperature will help understand the intrinsic nature of 2D materials and will establish novel data storage devices.
2208.13128v1
2023-08-05
Graphene-based RRAM devices for neural computing
Resistive random access memory (RRAM) is very well known for its potential application in in-memory and neural computing. However, they often have different types of device-to-device and cycle-to-cycle variability. This makes it harder to build highly accurate crossbar arrays.Traditional RRAM designs make use of various filament-based oxide materials for creating a channel which is sandwiched between two electrodes to form a two-terminal structure. They are often subjected to mechanical and electrical stress over repeated read-and-write cycles. The behavior of these devices often varies in practice across wafer arrays over these stress when fabricated. The use of emerging 2D materials is explored to improve electrical endurance, long retention In review time, high switching speed, and fewer power losses. This study provides an in-depth exploration of neuro-memristive computing and its potential applications, focusing specifically on the utilization of graphene and 2D materials in resistive random-access memory (RRAM) for neural computing. The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the structural and design aspects of graphene-based RRAM, along with a thorough examination of commercially available RRAM models and their fabrication techniques. Furthermore, the study investigates the diverse range of applications that can benefit from graphene-based RRAM devices.
2308.02767v1
2023-08-06
Mechanically exfoliated low-layered [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$]: A single-crystalline p-type transparent conducting oxide
Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are essential components of optoelectronic devices and various materials have been explored for highly efficient TCOs having a combination of high transmittance and low sheet resistance. Here, we focus on a misfit thermoelectric oxide [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$] and fabricate the transparent low-layered crystals by a mechanical tape-peeling method using the single-crystalline samples. From the transmittance measurement, we find that the thickness of low-layered samples is several orders of hundred nanometers, which is comparable with the estimation from the scanning electron microscopy images. Compared to the previous results on the polycrystalline and $c$-axis oriented transparent films, the electrical resistivity is reduced owing to the single-crystalline nature. The figure of merit for the transparent conducting materials in the present low-layered samples is then evaluated to be higher than the values in the previous reports. The present results on the low-layered single-crystalline [Ca$_2$CoO$_3$]$_{0.62}$[CoO$_2$] may offer a unique class of multi-functional transparent thermoelectric oxides.
2308.03221v1
2023-09-06
Robust Sandwiched B/TM/B Structures by Metal Intercalating into Bilayer Borophene Leading to Excellent Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Bilayer borophene, very recently synthesized on Ag and Cu, possesses extremely flat large surface and excellent conductivity. Besides, the van der Waals gap of bilayer borophene can be intercalated by metal atoms, thereby tailoring the properties of bilayer borophene. Herein, we propose that sandwiched B/TM/B (TM=Co, Ni, Cu, Pd) could be a new 2D formation by transiton metal atoms intercalated into bilayer borophene network, it is quiet robust with both energetic, structural and thermal stability, and exhibits heat resistance of at least 1300 K. Besides, it is novel platform for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The interecalation metal atom serves as single-atomic catalyst, which acting the nonmetal boron layers. Beyond that, the transtion metal is protected by outside boron layers from being corroded by acidic/alkaline solution. B/Cux/B, B/Pdx/B and B/Alx/B with different metal coverage exhibit defect-independent extremely low HER free energy in the range of -0.162 ~ 0.179 eV, -0.134 ~ 0.183 eV and -0.082 ~ 0.086 eV which are comparable to noble metal Pt. Combining excellent conduction, high structural and thermal stability, low resistance to intercalated behaviour, effortless water splitting process, excellent defect-independent catalytic performance, cheapness and abundance of raw materials, free of corrodation, 2D sandwiched B/TM/B (TM=Co, Ni, Cu, Pd) is believed to promising for electrocatalytic HER applications.
2309.02963v1
2023-11-22
Rashba-splitting-induced topological flat band detected by anomalous resistance oscillations beyond the quantum limit in ZrTe$_5$
Topological flat band, on which the kinetic energy of topological electrons is quenched, represents a platform for investigating the topological properties of correlated systems. Recent experimental studies on flattened electronic bands have mainly concentrated on 2-dimensional materials created by van der Waals heterostructure-based engineering. Here, we report the observation of a topological flat band formed by polar-distortion-assisted Rashba splitting in a 3-dimensional Dirac material ZrTe$_5$. The polar distortion and resulting Rashba splitting on the band are directly detected by torque magnetometry and the anomalous Hall effect, respectively. The local symmetry breaking further flattens the band, on which we observe resistance oscillations beyond the quantum limit. These oscillations follow the temperature dependence of the Lifshitz-Kosevich formula but are evenly distributed in B instead of 1/B in high magnetic fields. Furthermore, the cyclotron mass anomalously gets enhanced about 10$^2$ times at field ~20 T. These anomalous properties of oscillations originate from a topological flat band with quenched kinetic energy. The topological flat band, realized by polar-distortion-assisted Rashba splitting in the 3-dimensional Dirac system ZrTe$_5$, signifies an intrinsic platform without invoking moir\'e or order-stacking engineering, and also opens the door for studying topologically correlated phenomena beyond the dimensionality of two.
2311.13346v2
2024-04-19
Machine Learning-guided accelerated discovery of structure-property correlations in lean magnesium alloys for biomedical applications
Magnesium alloys are emerging as promising alternatives to traditional orthopedic implant materials thanks to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and impressive mechanical characteristics. However, their rapid in-vivo degradation presents challenges, notably in upholding mechanical integrity over time. This study investigates the impact of high-temperature thermal processing on the mechanical and degradation attributes of a lean Mg-Zn-Ca-Mn alloy, ZX10. Utilizing rapid, cost-efficient characterization methods like X-ray diffraction and optical, we swiftly examine microstructural changes post-thermal treatment. Employing Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, we unveil the relationship between microstructural properties and critical targets (properties): hardness and corrosion resistance. Additionally, leveraging the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), we pinpoint the dominant microstructural factors among closely correlated variables. Our findings underscore the significant role of grain size refinement in strengthening and the predominance of the ternary Ca2Mg6Zn3 phase in corrosion behavior. This suggests that achieving an optimal blend of strength and corrosion resistance is attainable through fine grains and reduced concentration of ternary phases. This thorough investigation furnishes valuable insights into the intricate interplay of processing, structure, and properties in magnesium alloys, thereby advancing the development of superior biodegradable implant materials.
2404.13022v1
2010-02-08
Processing and Characterization of Multiferroic Bi-relaxors
We compare chemical solution deposition (CSD), and pulsed-laser-deposition (PLD), specimens of the new room-temperature, single-phase, multiferroic magnetoelectric, [PbFe2/3W1/3O3]x[PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3]1-x (PZTFWx ~ 0.40<x<0.20) with polarization, loss (<1%), and resistivity (typically 108 ohm.cm) equal to or superior to BiFeO3. Single phase polycrystalline multiferroics PZTFWx thin films were fabricated on platinized silicon substrate by CSD and as epitaxial single-crystal films on MgO substrate by PLD. High dielectric constants (1200- 3000), high polarization (30 - 60 micro C/cm2), weak saturation magnetization (0.48 - 4.53 emu/cm3), a broad dielectric temperature peak, high-frequency dispersion, low dielectric loss and low leakage current were observed in these materials, suggesting the family as candidates for room-temperature multiferroic devices. The ferroelectric switching in these materials can be suppressed or quenched with applied magnetic field.
1002.1637v1
2012-08-20
Topological insulator Bi2Te3 films synthesized by metal organic chemical vapor deposition
Topological insulator (TI) materials such as Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 have attracted strong recent interests. Large scale, high quality TI thin films are important for developing TI-based device applications. In this work, structural and electronic properties of Bi2Te3 thin films deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on GaAs (001) substrates were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and electronic transport measurements. The characteristic topological surface states (SS) with a single Dirac cone have been clearly revealed in the electronic band structure measured by ARPES, confirming the TI nature of the MOCVD Bi2Te3 films. Resistivity and Hall effect measurements have demonstrated relatively high bulk carrier mobility of ~350 cm^2/Vs at 300K and ~7,400 cm^2/Vs at 15 K. We have also measured the Seebeck coefficient of the films. Our demonstration of high quality topological insulator films grown by a simple and scalable method is of interests for both fundamental research and practical applications of thermoelectric and TI materials.
1208.4071v1
2017-10-03
Large thermoelectric figure of merit in graphene layered devices at low temperature
Nanostructured materials have emerged as an alternative to enhance the figure of merit (ZT) of thermoelectric (TE) devices. Graphene exhibits a high electrical conductivity (in-plane) that is necessary for a high ZT; however, this effect is countered by its impressive thermal conductivity. In this work TE layered devices composed of electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEG) and a phonon blocking material such as poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), polyaniline (PANI) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the interface were prepared. The figure of merit, ZT, of each device was measured in the cross-plane direction using the Transient Harman Method (THM) and complemented with AFM-based measurements. The results show remarkable high ZT values (0.81 < ZT < 2.45) that are directly related with the topography, surface potential, capacitance gradient and resistance of the devices at the nanoscale.
1710.01152v1
2014-08-07
A broadband silicon quarter-wave retarder for far-infrared spectroscopic circular dichroism
The high brightness, broad spectral coverage and pulsed characteristics of infrared synchrotron radiation enable time-resolved spectroscopy under throughput-limited optical systems, as can occur with the high-field magnet cryostat systems used to study electron dynamics and cyclotron resonance by far-infrared techniques. A natural extension for magnetospectroscopy is to sense circular dichroism, i.e. the difference in a material's optical response for left and right circularly polarized light. A key component for spectroscopic circular dichroism is an achromatic 1/4 wave retarder functioning over the spectral range of interest. We report here the development of an in-line retarder using total internal reflection in high-resistivity silicon. We demonstrate its performance by distinguishing electronic excitations of different handednesses for GaAs in a magnetic field. This 1/4 wave retarder is expected to be useful for far-infrared spectroscopy of circular dichroism in many materials.
1408.1650v1
2018-09-05
Improving the performance of Ge$_2$Sb$_2$Te$_5$ materials via nickel doping: Towards RF-compatible phase-change devices
High-speed electrical switching of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) remains a challenging task due to the large impedance mismatch between the low-conductivity amorphous state and the high-conductivity crystalline state. In this letter, we demonstrate an effective doping scheme using nickel to reduce the resistivity contrast between the amorphous and crystalline states by nearly three orders of magnitude. Most importantly, our results show that doping produces the desired electrical performance without adversely affecting the film's optical properties. The nickel doping level is approximately 2% and the lattice structure remains nearly unchanged when compared with undoped-GST. The refractive indices at amorphous and crystalline states were obtained using ellipsometry which echoes the results from XRD. The material's thermal transport properties are measured using time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR), showing no change upon doping. The advantages of this doping system will open up new opportunities for designing electrically reconfigurable high speed optical elements in the near-infrared spectrum.
1810.01964v1
2012-01-04
Graphene -- Based Nanocomposites as Highly Efficient Thermal Interface Materials
We found that an optimized mixture of graphene and multilayer graphene - produced by the high-yield inexpensive liquid-phase-exfoliation technique - can lead to an extremely strong enhancement of the cross-plane thermal conductivity K of the composite. The "laser flash" measurements revealed a record-high enhancement of K by 2300 % in the graphene-based polymer at the filler loading fraction f =10 vol. %. It was determined that a relatively high concentration of single-layer and bilayer graphene flakes (~10-15%) present simultaneously with thicker multilayers of large lateral size (~ 1 micrometer) were essential for the observed unusual K enhancement. The thermal conductivity of a commercial thermal grease was increased from an initial value of ~5.8 W/mK to K=14 W/mK at the small loading f=2%, which preserved all mechanical properties of the hybrid. Our modeling results suggest that graphene - multilayer graphene nanocomposite used as the thermal interface material outperforms those with carbon nanotubes or metal nanoparticles owing to graphene's aspect ratio and lower Kapitza resistance at the graphene - matrix interface.
1201.0796v1
2016-03-07
High-pressure melt growth and transport properties of SiP, SiAs, GeP, and GeAs 2D layered semiconductors
Silicon and Germanium monopnictides SiP, SiAs, GeP and GeAs form a family of 2D layered semiconductors. We have succeeded in growing bulk single crystals of these compounds by melt-growth under high pressure (0.5-1 GPa) in a cubic anvil hot press. Large (mm-size), shiny, micaceous crystals of GeP, GeAs and SiAs were obtained, and could be exfoliated into 2D flakes. Small and brittle crystals of SiP were yielded by this method. High-pressure sintered polycrystalline SiP and GeAs have also been successfully used as a precursor in the Chemical Vapor Transport growth of these crystals in the presence of I$_{2}$ as a transport agent. All compounds are found to crystallize in the expected layered structure and do not undergo any structural transition at low temperature, as shown by Raman spectroscopy down to T=5K. All materials exhibit a semiconducting behavior. The electrical resistivity of GeP, GeAs and SiAs is found to depend on temperature following a 2D-Variable Range Hopping conduction mechanism. The availability of bulk crystals of these compounds opens new perspectives in the field of 2D semiconducting materials for device applications.
1603.02134v1
2017-05-01
High pressure floating-zone growth of perovskite nickelate LaNiO3 single crystals
We report the first single crystal growth of the correlated metal LaNiO3 using a high-pressure optical-image floating zone furnace. The crystals were studied using single crystal/powder x-ray diffraction, resistivity, specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility. The availability of bulk LaNiO3 crystals will (i) promote deep understanding in this correlated material, including the mechanism of enhanced paramagnetic susceptibility, and (ii) provide rich opportunities as a substrate for thin film growth such as important ferroelectric and/or multiferroic materials. This study demonstrates the power of high pO2 single crystal growth of nickelate perovskites and correlated electron oxides more generally.
1705.00570v1