Shot Noise in Ballistic Graphene

We have investigated shot noise in graphene field effect devices in the temperature range of 4.2--30 K at low frequency ($f$ = 600--850 MHz). We find that for our graphene samples with large width over length ratio $W/L$, the Fano factor $\mathfrak{F}$ reaches a maximum $\mathfrak{F} \sim$ 1/3 at the Dirac point and that it decreases strongly with increasing charge density. For smaller $W/L$, the Fano factor at Dirac point is significantly lower. Our results are in good agreement with the theory describing that transport at the Dirac point in clean graphene arises from evanescent electronic states.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 196802 (2008

Large scale flood risk mapping in data scarce environments: An application for Romania

Large-scale flood risk assessment is essential in supporting national and global policies, emergency operations and land-use management. The present study proposes a cost-efficient method for the large-scale mapping of direct economic flood damage in data-scarce environments. The proposed framework consists of three main stages: (i) deriving a water depth map through a geomorphic method based on a supervised linear binary classification; (ii) generating an exposure land-use map developed from multi-spectral Landsat 8 satellite images using a machine-learning classification algorithm; and (iii) performing a flood damage assessment using a GIS tool, based on the vulnerability (depth-damage) curves method. The proposed integrated method was applied over the entire country of Romania (including minor order basins) for a 100-year return time at 30-m resolution. The results showed how the description of flood risk may especially benefit from the ability of the proposed cost-efficient model to carry out large-scale analyses in data-scarce environments. This approach may help in performing and updating risk assessments and management, taking into account the temporal and spatial changes in hazard, exposure, and vulnerability

Octahedral tilting, monoclinic phase and the phase diagram of PZT

Anelastic and dielectric spectroscopy measurements on PZT close to the morphotropic (MPB) and antiferroelectric boundaries provide new insight in some controversial aspects of its phase diagram. No evidence is found of a border separating monoclinic (M) from rhombohedral (R) phases, in agreement with recent structural studies supporting a coexistence of the two phases over a broad composition range x < 0.5, with the fraction of M increasing toward the MPB. It is also discussed why the observed maximum of elastic compliance appears to be due to a rotational instability of the polarisation and therefore cannot be explained by extrinsic softening from finely twinned R phase alone, but indicates the presence also of M phase, not necessarily homogeneous. A new diffuse transition is found within the ferroelectric phase near x ~ 0.1, at a temperature T_IT higher than the well established boundary T_T to the phase with tilted octahedra. It is proposed that around T_IT the octahedra start rotating in a disordered manner and finally become ordered below T_T. In this interpretation, the onset temperature for octahedral tilting monotonically increases up to the antiferroelectric transition of PbZrO3, and the depression of T_T(x) below x = 0.18 would be a consequence of the partial relieve of the mismatch between the cation radii with the initial stage of tilting below T_IT.Comment: submitted to J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

Large-area functionalized CVD graphene for work function matched transparent electrodes

PublishedArticleThe efficiency of flexible photovoltaic and organic light emitting devices is heavily dependent on the availability of flexible and transparent conductors with at least a similar workfunction to that of Indium Tin Oxide. Here we present the first study of the work function of large area (up to 9 cm2) FeCl3 intercalated graphene grown by chemical vapour deposition on Nickel, and demonstrate values as large as 5.1 eV. Upon intercalation, a charge density per graphene layer of 5 ⋅ 1013 ± 5 ⋅ 1012 cm−2 is attained, making this material an attractive platform for the study of plasmonic excitations in the infrared wavelength spectrum of interest to the telecommunication industry. Finally, we demonstrate the potential of this material for flexible electronics in a transparent circuit on a polyethylene naphthalate substrate.EPSRCRoyal Society international Exchanges Schem

Evidence for phase formation in potassium intercalated 1,2;8,9-dibenzopentacene

We have prepared potassium intercalated 1,2;8,9-dibenzopentacene films under vacuum conditions. The evolution of the electronic excitation spectra upon potassium addition as measured using electron energy-loss spectroscopy clearly indicate the formation of particular doped phases with compositions K$_x$dibenzopentacene ($x$ = 1,2,3). Moreover, the stability of these phases as a function of temperature has been explored. Finally, the electronic excitation spectra also give insight into the electronic ground state of the potassium doped 1,2;8,9-dibenzopentacene films.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1201.200

ZnO Nanowires Synthesized by Vapor Phase Transport Deposition on Transparent Oxide Substrates

Zinc oxide nanowires have been synthesized without using metal catalyst seed layers on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by a modified vapor phase transport deposition process using a double-tube reactor. The unique reactor configuration creates a Zn-rich vapor environment that facilitates formation and growth of zinc oxide nanoparticles and wires (20–80 nm in diameter, up to 6 μm in length, density <40 nm apart) at substrate temperatures down to 300°C. Electron microscopy and other characterization techniques show nanowires with distinct morphologies when grown under different conditions. The effect of reaction parameters including reaction time, temperature, and carrier gas flow rate on the size, morphology, crystalline structure, and density of ZnO nanowires has been investigated. The nanowires grown by this method have a diameter, length, and density appropriate for use in fabricating hybrid polymer/metal oxide nanostructure solar cells. For example, it is preferable to have nanowires no more than 40 nm apart to minimize exciton recombination in polymer solar cells

Quantum dots and spin qubits in graphene

This is a review on graphene quantum dots and their use as a host for spin qubits. We discuss the advantages but also the challenges to use graphene quantum dots for spin qubits as compared to the more standard materials like GaAs. We start with an overview of this young and fascinating field and will then discuss gate-tunable quantum dots in detail. We calculate the bound states for three different quantum dot architectures where a bulk gap allows for confinement via electrostatic fields: (i) graphene nanoribbons with armchair boundary, (ii) a disc in single-layer graphene, and (iii) a disc in bilayer graphene. In order for graphene quantum dots to be useful in the context of spin qubits, one needs to find reliable ways to break the valley-degeneracy. This is achieved here, either by a specific termination of graphene in (i) or in (ii) and (iii) by a magnetic field, without the need of a specific boundary. We further discuss how to manipulate spin in these quantum dots and explain the mechanism of spin decoherence and relaxation caused by spin-orbit interaction in combination with electron-phonon coupling, and by hyperfine interaction with the nuclear spin system.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, topical review prepared for Nanotechnolog

Multiferroic (Nd,Fe)-doped PbTiO3 ceramics with coexistent ferroelectricity and magnetism at room temperature

We report the structural, dielectric, elastic, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties of multiferroic (Nd, Fe)-doped PbTiO3 perovskite ceramics with composition (Pb 0.88 Nd 0.08 )(Ti 0.94 Fe 0.04 Mn 0.02 )O 3 , prepared by different solid state reaction methods: the first one based on a single-stage calcination (Method I) and the second based on a double-stage calcination (Method II). Structural, dielectric and anelastic measurements evidenced a double phase transition for samples prepared by Method I, which has been attributed to phase separation. This phase separation has been confirmed also by TEM and HRTEM investigations. Samples prepared by Method II showed a single phase transition from paraelectric to ferroelectric phase. We found coexistent ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties, also at room-temperature, but only for ceramics prepared by Method II. The crucial role of calcination process for avoiding phase separation and obtaining homogeneous structures with ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order is underlined