Crystallization of Ge2Sb2Te5 films by amplified femtosecond optical pulses

Copyright © 2012 American Institute of PhysicsThe phase transition between the amorphous and crystalline states of Ge2Sb2Te5 has been studied by exposure of thin films to series of 60 femtosecond (fs) amplified laser pulses. The analysis of microscope images of marks of tens of microns in size provide an opportunity to examine the effect of a continuous range of optical fluence. For a fixed number of pulses, the dependence of the area of the crystalline mark upon the fluence is well described by simple algebraic results that provide strong evidence that thermal transport within the sample is one-dimensional (vertical). The crystalline mark area was thus defined by the incident fs laser beam profile rather than by lateral heat diffusion, with a sharp transition between the crystalline and amorphous materials as confirmed from line scans of the microscope images. A simplified, one-dimensional model that accounts for optical absorption, thermal transport and thermally activated crystallization provides values of the optical reflectivity and mark area that are in very good quantitative agreement with the experimental data, further justifying the one-dimensional heat flow assumption. Typically, for fluences below the damage threshold, the crystalline mark has annular shape, with the fluence at the centre of the irradiated mark being sufficient to induce melting. The fluence at the centre of the mark was correlated with the melt depth from the thermal model to correctly predict the observed melt fluence thresholds and to explain the closure and persistence of the annular crystalline marks as functions of laser fluence and pulse number. A solid elliptical mark may be obtained for smaller fluences. The analysis of marks made by amplified fs pulses present a new and effective means of observing the crystallization dynamics of phase-change material at elevated temperatures near the melting point, which provided estimates of the growth velocity in the range 7-9 m/s. Furthermore, finer control over the crystallization process in phase-change media can be obtained by controlling the number of pulses which, along with the laser fluence, can be tailored to any medium stack with relaxed restrictions on the thermal properties of the layers in the stack

Influence of the electrode nano/microstructure on the electrochemical properties of graphite in aluminum batteries

Herein we report on a detailed investigation of the irreversible capacity in the first cycle of pyrolytic graphite electrodes in aluminum batteries employing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride:aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) as electrolyte. The reaction mechanism, involving the intercalation of AlCl4- in graphite, has been fully characterized by correlating the micro/nanostructural modification to the electrochemical performance. To achieve this aim a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and computed tomography (CT) has been used. The reported results evidence that the irreversibility is caused by a very large decrease in the porosity, which consequently leads to microstructural changes resulting in the trapping of ions in the graphite. A powerful characterization methodology is established, which can also be applied more generally to carbon-based energy-related materials

Application of third generation synchrotron source to studies of noncrystalline materials : In-Se amorphous films

The local structure of vacuum evaporated In-Se amorphous films, containing 50, 60, and 66 at .% Se, was studied using differential anomalous X -ray scattering and extended X -ray absorption fine structure. Both intensity and absorption spectra were measured in the vicinity of the absorption K -edge of Se. The differential anomalous X -ray scattering data were converted to real space by the inverse Fourier transform yielding the differential radial distribution functions. The obtained results provide evidence for the presence of Se-In spatial correlations for In5 0 Se50 and Se-In and Se-Se correlations for In40 Se60 and In34 Se66 within the first coordination sphere

Sample cartridge with built in miniature molecule evaporator for in situ measurement with a photoemission electron microscope

We present a new sample holder that is compatible with Photoemission Electron Microscopes PEEMs and contains a molecule evaporator. With the integrated low cost evaporator, a local and controlled material deposition in clean ultra high vacuum conditions can be achieved minimizing the contamination of the analysis chamber. Different molecule systems can easily be studied by exchanging the sample holder. This opens up new possibilities for in situ investigation of thin film growth by means of spectromicroscopy and element selective imaging at the nanometer scale. As an example of the performances of the setup, we present a study of the hybrid inorganic organic system HIOS consisting of the organic acceptor molecule 2,2 amp; 8242; perfluoronaphthalene 2,6 diylidene dimalononitrile F6TCNNQ and ZnO, which is of great interest for novel HIOS based optoelectronic devices. Here, the ZnO surface work function modification by F6TCNNQ adsorption is investigated in situ in a spatially resolved manner. In addition, we employ PEEM to selectively probe the chemical state of F6TCNNQ molecules in contact with ZnO in the first monolayer and those molecules located in multilayers in 3D island

Kinetics of liquid-mediated crystallization of amorphous Ge from multi-frame dynamic transmission electron microscopy

The kinetics of laser-induced, liquid-mediated crystallization of amorphousGe thin films were studied using multi-frame dynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM), a nanosecond-scale photo-emission transmission electron microscopy technique. In these experiments, high temperature gradients are established in thin amorphousGe films with a 12-ns laser pulse with a Gaussian spatial profile. The hottest region at the center of the laser spot crystallizes in ∼100 ns and becomes nano-crystalline. Over the next several hundred nanoseconds crystallization continues radially outward from the nano-crystalline region forming elongated grains, some many microns long. The growth rate during the formation of these radial grains is measured with time-resolved imaging experiments. Crystal growth rates exceed 10 m/s, which are consistent with crystallization mediated by a very thin, undercooled transient liquid layer, rather than a purely solid-state transformation mechanism. The kinetics of this growth mode have been studied in detail under steady-state conditions, but here we provide a detailed study of liquid-mediatedgrowth in high temperature gradients. Unexpectedly, the propagation rate of the crystallization front was observed to remain constant during this growth mode even when passing through large local temperature gradients, in stark contrast to other similar studies that suggested the growth rate changed dramatically. The high throughput of multi-frame DTEM provides gives a more complete picture of the role of temperature and temperature gradient on laser crystallization than previous DTEM experiment

Spin Drag in Ultracold Fermi Mixtures with Repulsive Interactions

We calculate the spin-drag relaxation rate for a two-component ultracold atomic Fermi gas with positive scattering length between the two spin components. In one dimension we find that it vanishes linearly with temperature. In three dimensions the spin-drag relaxation rate vanishes quadratically with temperature for sufficiently weak interactions. This quadratic temperature dependence is present, up to logarithmic corrections, in the two-dimensional case as well. For stronger interaction the system exhibits a Stoner ferromagnetic phase transition in two and three dimensions. We show that the spin-drag relaxation rate is enhanced by spin fluctuations as the temperature approaches the critical temperature of this transition from above.Comment: Submitted to New Journal of Physics Focus Issue "Strongly Correlated Quantum Fluids: From Ultracold Quantum Gases to QCD Plasmas

Influence of the electrode nano microstructure on the electrochemical properties of graphite in aluminum batteries

Herein we report on a detailed investigation of the irreversible capacity in the first cycle of pyrolytic graphite electrodes in aluminum batteries employing 1 ethyl 3 methylimidazolium chloride aluminum trichloride EMIMCl AlCl3 as electrolyte. The reaction mechanism, involving the intercalation of AlCl4 in graphite, 3 has been fully characterized by correlating the micro nano modification to the electrochemical performance. To achieve this aim a combination of X ray diffraction XRD , small angle X ray scattering SAXS and computed tomography CT has been used. The reported results evidence that the irreversibility is caused by a very large decrease in the porosity, which consequently leads to microstructural changes resulting in the trapping of ions in the graphite. A powerful characterization methodology is established, which can also be applied more generally to carbon based energy related material

Direct Observation of the Xenon Physisorption Process in Mesopores by Combining In Situ Anomalous Small Angle X ray Scattering and X ray Absorption Spectroscopy

The morphology and structural changes of confined matter are still far from being understood. This report deals with the development of a novel in situ method based on the combination of anomalous small angle X ray scattering ASAXS and X ray absorption near edge structure XANES spectroscopy to directly probe the evolution of the xenon adsorbate phase in mesoporous silicon during gas adsorption at 165 K. The interface area and size evolution of the confined xenon phase were determined via ASAXS demonstrating that filling and emptying the pores follow two distinct mechanisms. The mass density of the confined xenon was found to decrease prior to pore emptying. XANES analyses showed that Xe exists in two different states when confined in mesopores. This combination of methods provides a smart new tool for the study of nanoconfined matter for catalysis, gas, and energy storage application