999 research outputs found
Initial stage of the 2D-3D transition of a strained SiGe layer on a pit-patterned Si(001) template
We investigate the initial stage of the 2D-3D transition of strained Ge
layers deposited on pit-patterned Si(001) templates. Within the pits, which
assume the shape of inverted, truncated pyramids after optimized growth of a Si
buffer layer, the Ge wetting layer develops a complex morphology consisting
exclusively of {105} and (001) facets. These results are attributed to a
strain-driven step-meandering instability on the facetted side-walls of the
pits, and a step-bunching instability at the sharp concave intersections of
these facets. Although both instabilities are strain-driven, their coexistence
becomes mainly possible by the geometrical restrictions in the pits. It is
shown that the morphological transformation of the pit surface into low-energy
facets has strong influence on the preferential nucleation of Ge islands at the
flat bottom of the pits.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure
Spin-Valley Kondo Effect in Multi-electron Silicon Quantum Dots
We study the spin-valley Kondo effect of a silicon quantum dot occupied by electrons, with up to four. We show that the Kondo
resonance appears in the Coulomb blockade regimes, but not
in the one, in contrast to the spin-1/2 Kondo effect, which
only occurs at odd. Assuming large orbital level spacings, the
energy states of the dot can be simply characterized by fourfold spin-valley
degrees of freedom. The density of states (DOS) is obtained as a function of
temperature and applied magnetic field using a finite-U equation-of-motion
approach. The structure in the DOS can be detected in transport experiments.
The Kondo resonance is split by the Zeeman splitting and valley splitting for
double- and triple-electron Si dots, in a similar fashion to single-electron
ones. The peak structure and splitting patterns are much richer for the
spin-valley Kondo effect than for the pure spin Kondo effect.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, in PRB format. This paper is a sequel to the
paper published in Phys. Rev. B 75, 195345 (2007
Giant g factor tuning of long-lived electron spins in Ge
Control of electron spin coherence via external fields is fundamental in
spintronics. Its implementation demands a host material that accommodates the
highly desirable but contrasting requirements of spin robustness to relaxation
mechanisms and sizeable coupling between spin and orbital motion of charge
carriers. Here we focus on Ge, which, by matching those criteria, is rapidly
emerging as a prominent candidate for shuttling spin quantum bits in the mature
framework of Si electronics. So far, however, the intrinsic spin-dependent
phenomena of free electrons in conventional Ge/Si heterojunctions have proved
to be elusive because of epitaxy constraints and an unfavourable band
alignment. We overcome such fundamental limitations by investigating a two
dimensional electron gas (2DEG) confined in quantum wells of pure Ge grown on
SiGe-buffered Si substrates. These epitaxial systems demonstrate exceptionally
long spin relaxation and coherence times, eventually unveiling the potential of
Ge in bridging the gap between spintronic concepts and semiconductor device
physics. In particular, by tuning spin-orbit interaction via quantum
confinement we demonstrate that the electron Land\'e g factor and its
anisotropy can be engineered in our scalable and CMOS-compatible architectures
over a range previously inaccessible for Si spintronics
Screening Breakdown on the Route toward the Metal-Insulator Transition in Modulation Doped Si/SiGe Quantum Wells
Exploiting the spin resonance of two-dimensional (2D) electrons in SiGe/Si
quantum wells we determine the carrier-density-dependence of the magnetic
susceptibility. Assuming weak interaction we evaluate the density of states at
the Fermi level D(E_F), and the screening wave vector, q_TF. Both are constant
at higher carrier densities n, as for an ideal 2D carrier gas. For n < 3e11
cm-2, they decrease and extrapolate to zero at n = 7e10 cm-2. Calculating the
mobility from q_TF yields good agreement with experimental values justifying
the approach. The decrease in D(E_F) is explained by potential fluctuations
which lead to tail states that make screening less efficient and - in a
positive feedback - cause an increase of the potential fluctuations. Even in
our high mobility samples the fluctuations exceed the electron-electron
interaction leading to the formation of puddles of mobile carriers with at
least 1 micrometer diameter.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Rashba spin-orbit coupling and spin relaxation in silicon quantum wells
Silicon is a leading candidate material for spin-based devices, and
two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) formed in silicon heterostructures have
been proposed for both spin transport and quantum dot quantum computing
applications. The key parameter for these applications is the spin relaxation
time. Here we apply the theory of D'yakonov and Perel' (DP) to calculate the
electron spin resonance linewidth of a silicon 2DEG due to structural inversion
asymmetry for arbitrary static magnetic field direction at low temperatures. We
estimate the Rashba spin-orbit coupling coefficient in silicon quantum wells
and find the and times of the spins from this mechanism as a
function of momentum scattering time, magnetic field, and device-specific
parameters. We obtain agreement with existing data for the angular dependence
of the relaxation times and show that the magnitudes are consistent with the DP
mechanism. We suggest how to increase the relaxation times by appropriate
device design.Comment: Extended derivations and info, fixed typos and refs, updated figs and
data. Worth a re-downloa
Experimental probing of exchange interactions between localized spins in the dilute magnetic insulator (Ga,Mn)N
The sign, magnitude, and range of the exchange couplings between pairs of Mn
ions is determined for (Ga,Mn)N and (Ga,Mn)N:Si with x < 3%. The samples have
been grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy and characterized by
secondary-ion mass spectroscopy; high-resolution transmission electron
microscopy with capabilities allowing for chemical analysis, including the
annular dark-field mode and electron energy loss spectroscopy; high-resolution
and synchrotron x-ray diffraction; synchrotron extended x-ray absorption
fine-structure; synchrotron x-ray absorption near-edge structure; infra-red
optics and electron spin resonance. The results of high resolution magnetic
measurements and their quantitative interpretation have allowed to verify a
series of ab initio predictions on the possibility of ferromagnetism in dilute
magnetic insulators and to demonstrate that the interaction changes from
ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic when the charge state of the Mn ions is
reduced from 3+ to 2+.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures; This version contains the detailed
characterization of the crystal structure as well as of the Mn distribution
and charge stat
Lattice dynamics reveals a local symmetry breaking in the emergent dipole phase of PbTe
Local symmetry breaking in complex materials is emerging as an important
contributor to materials properties but is inherently difficult to study. Here
we follow up an earlier structural observation of such a local symmetry broken
phase in the technologically important compound PbTe with a study of the
lattice dynamics using inelastic neutron scattering (INS). We show that the
lattice dynamics are responsive to the local symmetry broken phase, giving key
insights in the behavior of PbTe, but also revealing INS as a powerful tool for
studying local structure. The new result is the observation of the unexpected
appearance on warming of a new zone center phonon branch in PbTe. In a harmonic
solid the number of phonon branches is strictly determined by the contents and
symmetry of the unit cell. The appearance of the new mode indicates a crossover
to a dynamic lower symmetry structure with increasing temperature. No
structural transition is seen crystallographically but the appearance of the
new mode in inelastic neutron scattering coincides with the observation of
local Pb off-centering dipoles observed in the local structure. The observation
resembles relaxor ferroelectricity but since there are no inhomogeneous dopants
in pure PbTe this anomalous behavior is an intrinsic response of the system. We
call such an appearance of dipoles out of a non-dipolar ground-state
"emphanisis" meaning the appearance out of nothing. It cannot be explained
within the framework of conventional phase transition theories such as
soft-mode theory and challenges our basic understanding of the physics of
materials
- …