910 research outputs found
Attosecond tracking of light absorption and refraction in fullerenes
The collective response of matter is ubiquitous and widely exploited, e.g. in
plasmonic, optical and electronic devices. Here we trace on an attosecond time
scale the birth of collective excitations in a finite system and find distinct
new features in this regime. Combining quantum chemical computation with
quantum kinetic methods we calculate the time-dependent light absorption and
refraction in fullerene that serve as indicators for the emergence of
collective modes. We explain the numerically calculated novel transient
features by an analytical model and point out the relevance for ultra-fast
photonic and electronic applications. A scheme is proposed to measure the
predicted effects via the emergent attosecond metrology.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev.
Defect Structure of the High-Dielectric-Constant Perovskite Cacu3ti4o12
Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) we studied CaCu3Ti4O12, an
intriguing material that exhibits a huge dielectric response, up to kilohertz
frequencies, over a wide range of temperature. Neither in single crystals, nor
in polycrystalline samples, including sintered bulk- and thin-films, did we
observe the twin domains suggested in the literature. Nevertheless, in the
single crystals, we saw a very high density of dislocations with a Burger
vector of [110], as well as regions with cation disorder and planar defects
with a displacement vector 1/4[110]. In the polycrystalline samples, we
observed many grain boundaries with oxygen deficiency, in comparison with the
grain interior. The defect-related structural disorders and inhomogeneity,
serving as an internal barrier layer capacitance (IBLC) in a semiconducting
matrix, might explain the very large dielectric response of the material. Our
TEM study of the structure defects in CaCu3Ti4O12 supports a recently proposed
morphological model with percolating conducting regions and blocking regions.Comment: To be published in Physical Review B 21 pages, 8 figure
Compositional analysis of InAs-GaAs-GaSb heterostructures by low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy
As an alternative to Core-Loss Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy, Low-Loss EELS is suitable for compositional analysis of complex heterostructures, such as the InAs-GaAs-GaSb system, since in this energy range the edges corresponding to these elements are better defined than in Core-Loss. Furthermore, the analysis of the bulk plasmon peak, which is present in this energy range, also provides information about the composition. In this work, compositional information in an InAs-GaAs-GaSb heterostructure has been obtained from Low-Loss EEL spectra
Helium irradiation effects in polycrystalline Si, silica, and single crystal Si
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used to investigate the effects of room temperature 6 keV helium ion irradiation of a thin (≈55 nm thick) tri-layer consisting of polycrystalline Si, silica, and single-crystal Si. The ion irradiation was carried out in situ within the TEM under conditions where approximately 24% of the incident ions came to rest in the specimen. This paper reports on the comparative development of irradiation-induced defects (primarily helium bubbles) in the polycrystalline Si and single-crystal Si under ion irradiation and provides direct measurement of a radiation-induced increase in the width of the polycrystalline layer and shrinkage of the silica layer. Analysis using TEM and electron energy-loss spectroscopy has led to the hypothesis that these result from helium-bubble-induced swelling of the silicon and radiation-induced viscoelastic flow processes in the silica under the influence of stresses applied by the swollen Si layers. The silicon and silica layers are sputtered as a result of the helium ion irradiation; however, this is estimated to be a relatively minor effect with swelling and stress-related viscoelastic flow being the dominant mechanisms of dimensional change
Residual disorder and diffusion in thin Heusler alloy films
Co2FeSi/GaAs(110) and Co2FeSi/GaAs(111)B hybrid structures were grown by
molecular-beam epitaxy and characterized by transmission electron microscopy
(TEM) and X-ray diffraction. The films contained inhomogeneous distributions of
ordered L2_1 and B2 phases. The average stoichiometry was controlled by lattice
parameter measurements, however diffusion processes lead to inhomogeneities of
the atomic concentrations and the degradation of the interface, influencing
long-range order. An average long-range order of 30-60% was measured by
grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, i.e. the as-grown Co2FeSi films were
highly but not fully ordered. Lateral inhomogeneities of the spatial
distribution of long-range order in Co2FeSi were found using dark-field TEM
images taken with superlattice reflections
The Clumping Transition in Niche Competition: a Robust Critical Phenomenon
We show analytically and numerically that the appearance of lumps and gaps in
the distribution of n competing species along a niche axis is a robust
phenomenon whenever the finiteness of the niche space is taken into account. In
this case depending if the niche width of the species is above or
below a threshold , which for large n coincides with 2/n, there are
two different regimes. For the lumpy pattern emerges
directly from the dominant eigenvector of the competition matrix because its
corresponding eigenvalue becomes negative. For the lumpy
pattern disappears. Furthermore, this clumping transition exhibits critical
slowing down as is approached from above. We also find that the number
of lumps of species vs. displays a stair-step structure. The positions
of these steps are distributed according to a power-law. It is thus
straightforward to predict the number of groups that can be packed along a
niche axis and it coincides with field measurements for a wide range of the
model parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures;
http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-5468/2010/05/P0500
Chemically active substitutional nitrogen impurity in carbon nanotubes
We investigate the nitrogen substitutional impurity in semiconducting zigzag
and metallic armchair single-wall carbon nanotubes using ab initio density
functional theory. At low concentrations (less than 1 atomic %), the defect
state in a semiconducting tube becomes spatially localized and develops a flat
energy level in the band gap. Such a localized state makes the impurity site
chemically and electronically active. We find that if two neighboring tubes
have their impurities facing one another, an intertube covalent bond forms.
This finding opens an intriguing possibility for tunnel junctions, as well as
the functionalization of suitably doped carbon nanotubes by selectively forming
chemical bonds with ligands at the impurity site. If the intertube bond density
is high enough, a highly packed bundle of interlinked single-wall nanotubes can
form.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; major changes to the tex
Rothamsted Conference RC No 12 : The Place and Management of Sheep in Modern Farming (1932)
RESP-94
Polarity in GaN and ZnO: Theory, measurement, growth, and devices
This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Rev. 3, 041303 (2016) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4963919.The polar nature of the wurtzite crystalline structure of GaN and ZnO results in the existence of a spontaneous electric polarization within these materials and their associated alloys (Ga,Al,In)N and (Zn,Mg,Cd)O. The polarity has also important consequences on the stability of the different crystallographic surfaces, and this becomes especially important when considering epitaxial growth. Furthermore, the internal polarization fields may adversely affect the properties of optoelectronic devices but is also used as a potential advantage for advanced electronic devices. In this article, polarity-related issues in GaN and ZnO are reviewed, going from theoretical considerations to electronic and optoelectronic devices, through thin film, and nanostructure growth. The necessary theoretical background is first introduced and the stability of the cation and anion polarity surfaces is discussed. For assessing the polarity, one has to make use of specific characterization methods, which are described in detail. Subsequently, the nucleation and growth mechanisms of thin films and nanostructures, including nanowires, are presented, reviewing the specific growth conditions that allow controlling the polarity of such objects. Eventually, the demonstrated and/or expected effects of polarity on the properties and performances of optoelectronic and electronic devices are reported. The present review is intended to yield an in-depth view of some of the hot topics related to polarity in GaN and ZnO, a fast growing subject over the last decade
Spatiotemporal distribution of phycotoxins and their co-occurrence within nearshore waters
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), varying in intensity and causative species, have historically occurred throughout the Chesapeake Bay, U.S.; however, phycotoxin data are sparse. The spatiotemporal distribution of phycotoxins was investigated using solid-phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) across 12 shallow, nearshore sites within the lower Chesapeake Bay and Virginia\u27s coastal bays over one year (2017-2018). Eight toxins, azaspiracid-1 (AZA1), azaspiracid-2 (AZA2), microcystin-LR (MC-LR), domoic acid (DA), okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1), pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), and goniodomin A (GDA) were detected in SPATT extracts. Temporally, phycotoxins were always present in the region, with at least one phycotoxin group (i.e., consisting of OA and DTX1) detected at every time point. Co-occurrence of phycotoxins was also common; two or more toxin groups were observed in 76% of the samples analyzed. Toxin maximums: 0.03 ng AZA2/g resin/day, 0.25 ng DA/g resin/day, 15 ng DTX1/g resin/day, 61 ng OA/g resin/day, 72 ng PTX2/g resin/day, and 102,050 ng GDA/g resin/day were seasonal, with peaks occurring in summer and fall. Spatially, the southern tributary and coastal bay regions harbored the highest amount of total phycotoxins on SPATT over the year, and the former contained the greatest diversity of phycotoxins. The novel detection of AZAs in the region, before a causative species has been identified, supports the use of SPATT as an explorative tool in respect to emerging threats. The lack of karlotoxin in SPATT extracts, but detection of Karlodinium veneficum by microscopy, however, emphasizes that this tool should be considered complementary to, but not a replacement for, more traditional HAB management and monitoring methods
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