Vector order parameter in general relativity. Covariant equations

Phase transitions with spontaneous symmetry breaking and vector order parameter are considered in multidimensional theory of general relativity. Covariant equations, describing the gravitational properties of topological defects, are derived. The topological defects are classified in accordance with the symmetry of the covariant derivative of the vector order parameter. The abilities of the derived equations are demonstrated in application to the brane world concept. New solutions of the Einstein equations with a transverse vector order parameter are presented. In the vicinity of phase transition the solutions are found analytically

Bistable nanoelectromechanical devices

A combined transmission electron microscopy-scanning tunneling microscopy (TEM-STM) technique has been used to investigate the force interactions of silicon and germanium nanowires with gold electrodes. The I(V) data obtained typically show linear behavior between the gold electrode and silicon nanowires at all contact points, whereas the linearity of I(V) curves obtained for germanium nanowires were dependent on the point of contact. Bistable silicon and germanium nanowire-based nanoelectromechanical programmable read-only memory (NEMPROM) devices were demonstrated by TEM-STM. These nonvolatile NEMPROM devices have switching potentials as low as 1 V and are highly stable making them ideal candidates for low-leakage electronic devices. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics. (DOI:10.1063/1.1751622

Towards metal chalcogenide nanowire-based colour-sensitive photodetectors

Financial support provided by Scientific Research Project for Students and Young Researchers Nr. SJZ/2016/6 realized at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia is greatly acknowledged. Authors are grateful to Reinis Ignatans for XRD measurements.In recent years, nanowires have been shown to exhibit high photosensitivities, and, therefore are of interest in a variety of optoelectronic applications, for example, colour-sensitive photodetectors. In this study, we fabricated two-terminal PbS, In2S3, CdS and ZnSe single-nanowire photoresistor devices and tested applicability of these materials under the same conditions for colour-sensitive (405 nm, 532 nm and 660 nm) light detection. Nanowires were grown via atmospheric pressure chemical vapour transport method, their structure and morphology were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and optical properties were investigated with photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Single-nanowire photoresistors were fabricated via in situ nanomanipulations inside SEM, using focused ion beam (FIB) cutting and electron-beam-assisted platinum welding; their current-voltage characteristics and photoresponse values were measured. Applicability of the tested nanowire materials for colour-sensitive light detection is discussed.ISSP UL Nr. SJZ/2016/6; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Growth and characterization of PbI2-decorated ZnO nanowires for photodetection applications

Financial support provided by Scientific Research Project for Students and Young Researchers Nr. SJZ/2017/1 realized at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia is greatly acknowledged. The authors are grateful to Liga Bikse for XRD measurements.In this study, we demonstrated for the first time the growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs) decorated with highly crystalline few-layer PbI2 and fabricated two-terminal single-nanowire photodetector devices to investigate the photoelectric properties of the hybrid nanostructures. We developed a novel two-step growth process for uniform crystalline PbI2 nanosheets via reactive magnetron deposition of a lead oxide film followed by subsequent iodination to PbI2 on a ZnO NW substrate, and we compared as-grown hybrid nanostructures with ones prepared via thermal evaporation method. ZnO–PbI2 NWs were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and photoluminescence measurements. By fabricating two-terminal single-nanowire photodetectors of the as-grown ZnO–PbI2 nanostructures, we showed that they exhibit reduced dark current and decreased photoresponse time in comparison to pure ZnO NWs and have responsivity up to 0.6 A/W. Ab initio calculations of the electronic structure of both PbI2 nanosheets and ZnO NWs have been performed, and show potential for photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production. The obtained results show the benefits of combining layered van der Waals materials with semiconducting NWs to create novel nanostructures with enhanced properties for applications in optoelectronics or X-ray detectors.ISSP UL SJZ/2017/1; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Towards Scalable Synthesis of TiSe2 and VSe2 Thin Films

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), specifically those involving V and Ti, possess fascinating material properties, making them interesting candidates for scientific studies. The existing growth methods of these materials are typically limited by scalability - either low yield or high cost. Here, we propose an alternative 2-step method valid for scalable production. In the first step, precursor films of Ti / V are deposited using magnetron sputtering, followed by the second step of selenization of these samples using elemental Se in a vacuum-sealed quartz ampoule for conversion to their respective diselenide material. Synthesized films are char-acterised using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron (XPS). The method demonstrated here can be used to increase the active surface area of TiSe2 and VSe2 for their potential catalytic and HER applications using nanostructured substrates, while also providing an opportunity for scalable synthesis of films that can be extended to synthesize other TMDs as well. © 2024 K. Kadiwala et al., published by Sciendo. This is an open-access article Kadiwala, K., et al. "Towards Scalable Synthesis of TiSe2 and VSe2 Thin Films" Latvian Journal of Physics and Technical Sciences, vol. 61, no. 2, Sciendo, 2024, pp. 13-22. https://doi.org/10.2478/lpts-2024-0009 published under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.The research has been funded by Latvian Council of Science project (No. lzp-2020/1-0261). The Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (Latvia), as the Centre of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD01-2016-2017-Teaming Phase2 under grant agreement no. 739508, project CAMART2

Temperature-dependent local structure and lattice dynamics of 1T-TiSe2 and 1T-VSe2 probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

B.P. and A.K. thank the support of the Latvian Council of Science, Latvia project No. LZP-2020/1-0261. The experiment at the PETRA III synchrotron was performed within proposal No. I-20210625 EC. The synchrotron experiment has been supported by the project CALIPSOplus under the Grant Agreement 730872 from the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020. Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2.The local atomic structure and lattice dynamics of two isostructural layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), 1T-TiSe2 and 1T-VSe2, were studied using temperature-dependent X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ti, V, and Se K-edges. Analysis of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra, employing reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations, enabled tracking of the temperature evolution of the local environment in the range of 10–300 K. The atomic coordinates derived from the final atomic configurations obtained using the RMC method were used to calculate the partial radial distribution functions (RDFs) and the mean-square relative displacement (MSRD) factors for the first ten coordination shells around the absorbing atoms. Characteristic Einstein frequencies and effective force constants were determined for Ti[sbnd]Se, Ti[sbnd]Ti, V[sbnd]Se, V[sbnd]V, and Se[sbnd]Se atom pairs from the temperature dependencies of MSRDs. The obtained results reveal differences in the temperature evolution of lattice dynamics and the strengths of intralayer and interlayer interactions in TiSe2 and VSe2. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. --//-- This is an open-access article Inga Pudza, Boris Polyakov, Kaspars Pudzs, Edmund Welter, Alexei Kuzmin, Temperature-dependent local structure and lattice dynamics of 1T-TiSe2 and 1T-VSe2 probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Physica B: Condensed Matter, Volume 685, 2024, 415995, ISSN 0921-4526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2024.415995 published under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.Latvijas Zinātnes Padome LZP-2020/1-0261, 730872; Latvian Council of Science, Latvia I-20210625 EC; European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 739508 project CAMART2

Low-temperature renormalization group study of uniformly frustrated models for type-II superconductors

We study phase transitions in uniformly frustrated SU(N)-symmetric $(2+\epsilon)$-dimensional lattice models describing type-II superconductors near the upper critical magnetic field $H_{c2}(T)$. The low-temperature renormalization-group approach is employed for calculating the beta-function $\beta(T,f)$ with $f$ an arbitrary rational magnetic frustration. The phase-boundary line $H_{c2}(T)$ is the ultraviolet-stable fixed point found from the equation $\beta(T,f)=0$, the corresponding critical exponents being identical to those of the non-frustrated continuum system. The critical properties of the SU(N)-symmetric complex Ginzburg-Landau (GL) model are then examined in $(4+\epsilon)$ dimensions. The possibility of a continuous phase transition into the mixed state in such a model is suggested.Comment: REVTeX, 12 pages, to appear in the Phys.Rev.

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO/ZnS/MoS2 core-shell nanowires

The present research was supported by the Latvian National Research Program IMIS2 . Authors are grateful for Dr. Robert Kalendarev and Martins Zubkins for assistance in magnetron sputtering, Dr. Krisjanis Smits for TEM measurements, Dr. Roberts Zabels for AFM measurements and Reinis Ignatans for XRD measurements.Hybrid nanostructures composed of layered materials have recently attracted a lot of attention due to their promising electronic and catalytic properties. In this study, we describe a novel synthesis strategy of ZnO/ZnS/MoS2 core-shell nanowire growth using a three-step route. First, ZnO nanowire array was grown on a silicon wafer. Second, the sample was immersed in ammonium molybdate solution and dried. At the third step, the sample was annealed in a sulfur atmosphere at 700 °C. Two solid state chemical reactions occur simultaneously during the annealing and result in a formation of ZnS and MoS2 phases. Produced ZnO/ZnS/MoS2 core-shell nanowires were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, whereas their chemical composition was confirmed by selected area electron diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy.Latvian National Research Program IMIS2; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Abrupt elastic-to-plastic transition in pentagonal nanowires under bending

MD modeling and calculations were supported by Russian Science Foundation project grant 18-19-00645 “Adhesion of polymer-based soft materials: from liquid to solid”; mechanical testing and FEM simulations were supported by Estonian Research Council projects PUT1689 and PUT1372.In this study, pentagonal Ag and Au nanowires (NWs) were bent in cantilever beam configuration inside a scanning electron microscope. We demonstrated an unusual, abrupt elastic-to-plastic transition, observed as a sudden change of the NW profile from smooth arc-shaped to angled knee-like during the bending in the narrow range of bending angles. In contrast to the behavior of NWs in the tensile and three-point bending tests, where extensive elastic deformation was followed by brittle fracture, in our case, after the abrupt plastic event, the NW was still far from fracture and enabled further bending without breaking. A possible explanation is that the five-fold twinned structure prevents propagation of critical defects, leading to dislocation pile up that may lead to sudden stress release, which is observed as an abrupt plastic event. Moreover, we found that if the NWs are coated with alumina, the abrupt plastic event is not observed and the NWs can withstand severe deformation in the elastic regime without fracture. The coating may possibly prevent formation of dislocations. Mechanical durability under high and inhomogeneous strain fields is an important aspect of exploiting Ag and Au NWs in applications like waveguiding or conductive networks in flexible polymer composite materials.Eesti Teadusagentuur PUT1372,PUT1689; Russian Science Foundation 18-19-00645; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Fast-Response Single-Nanowire Photodetector Based on ZnO/WS2 Core/Shell Heterostructures

This work was supported by the Latvian National Research Program IMIS2 and ISSP project for Students and Young Researchers Nr. SJZ/2016/6. S.P. is grateful to the ERA.Net RUS Plus WATERSPLIT project no. 237 for the financial support. S.V. is grateful for partial support by the Estonian Science Foundation grant PUT1689.The surface plays an exceptionally important role in nanoscale materials, exerting a strong influence on their properties. Consequently, even a very thin coating can greatly improve the optoelectronic properties of nanostructures by modifying the light absorption and spatial distribution of charge carriers. To use these advantages, 1D/1D heterostructures of ZnO/WS2 core/shell nanowires with a-few-layers-thick WS2 shell were fabricated. These heterostructures were thoroughly characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Then, a single-nanowire photoresistive device was assembled by mechanically positioning ZnO/WS2 core/shell nanowires onto gold electrodes inside a scanning electron microscope. The results show that a few layers of WS2 significantly enhance the photosensitivity in the short wavelength range and drastically (almost 2 orders of magnitude) improve the photoresponse time of pure ZnO nanowires. The fast response time of ZnO/WS2 core/shell nanowire was explained by electrons and holes sinking from ZnO nanowire into WS2 shell, which serves as a charge carrier channel in the ZnO/WS2 heterostructure. First-principles calculations suggest that the interface layer i-WS2, bridging ZnO nanowire surface and WS2 shell, might play a role of energy barrier, preventing the backward diffusion of charge carriers into ZnO nanowire.IMIS; Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Eesti Teadusfondi PUT1689; Rural Utilities Service 237; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART