644,579 research outputs found
Interplay between nanometer-scale strain variations and externally applied strain in graphene
We present a molecular modeling study analyzing nanometer-scale strain
variations in graphene as a function of externally applied tensile strain. We
consider two different mechanisms that could underlie nanometer-scale strain
variations: static perturbations from lattice imperfections of an underlying
substrate and thermal fluctuations. For both cases we observe a decrease in the
out-of-plane atomic displacements with increasing strain, which is accompanied
by an increase in the in-plane displacements. Reflecting the non-linear elastic
properties of graphene, both trends together yield a non-monotonic variation of
the total displacements with increasing tensile strain. This variation allows
to test the role of nanometer-scale strain variations in limiting the carrier
mobility of high-quality graphene samples
Isotropic-Nematic Transition in Liquid-Crystalline Elastomers
In liquid-crystalline elastomers, the nematic order parameter and the induced
strain vary smoothly across the isotropic-nematic transition, without the
expected first-order discontinuity. To investigate this smooth variation, we
measure the strain as a function of temperature over a range of applied stress,
for elastomers crosslinked in the nematic and isotropic phases, and analyze the
results using a variation on Landau theory. This analysis shows that the smooth
variation arises from quenched disorder in the elastomer, combined with the
effects of applied stress and internal stress.Comment: 4 pages, including 4 postscript figures, uses REVTeX
Reversible strain effect on the magnetization of LaCoO3 films
The magnetization of ferromagnetic LaCoO3 films grown epitaxially on
piezoelectric substrates has been found to systematically decrease with the
reduction of tensile strain. The magnetization change induced by the reversible
strain variation reveals an increase of the Co magnetic moment with tensile
strain. The biaxial strain dependence of the Curie temperature is estimated to
be below 4K/% in the as-grown tensile strain state of our films. This is in
agreement with results from statically strained films on various substrates
Nanoscale Bandgap Tuning across an Inhomogeneous Ferroelectric Interface
We report nanoscale bandgap engineering via a local strain across the
inhomogeneous ferroelectric interface, which is controlled by the
visible-light-excited probe voltage. Switchable photovolatic effects and the
spectral response of the photocurrent were explore to illustrate the reversible
bandgap variation (~0.3eV). This local-strain-engineered bandgap has been
further revealed by in situ probe-voltage-assisted valence electron energy-loss
spectroscopy (EELS). Phase-field simulations and first-principle calculations
were also employed for illustration of the large local strain and the bandgap
variation in ferroelectric perovskite oxides. This reversible bandgap tuning in
complex oxides demonstrates a framework for the understanding of the
opticallyrelated behaviors (photovoltaic, photoemission, and photocatalyst
effects) affected by order parameters such as charge, orbital, and lattice
parameters
Strain sensing with sub-micron sized Al-AlOx-Al tunnel junctions
We demonstrate a local strain sensing method for nanostructures based on
metallic Al tunnel junctions with AlOx barriers. The junctions were fabricated
on top of a thin silicon nitride membrane, which was actuated with an AFM tip
attached to a stiff cantilever. A large relative change in the tunneling
resistance in response to the applied strain (gauge factor) was observed, up to
a value 37. This facilitates local static strain variation measurements down to
~10^{-7}.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Spin lifetimes and strain-controlled spin precession of drifting electrons in zinc blende type semiconductors
We study the transport of spin polarized electrons in n-GaAs using spatially
resolved continuous wave Faraday rotation. From the measured steady state
distribution, we determine spin relaxation times under drift conditions and, in
the presence of strain, the induced spin splitting from the observed spin
precession. Controlled variation of strain along [110] allows us to deduce the
deformation potential causing this effect, while strain along [100] has no
effect. The electric field dependence of the spin lifetime is explained
quantitatively in terms of an increase of the electron temperature.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
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