28 research outputs found
Periodically modulated geometric and electronic structure of graphene on Ru(0001)
We report here on a method to fabricate and characterize highly perfect,
periodically rippled graphene monolayers and islands, epitaxially grown on
single crystal metallic substrates under controlled UHV conditions. The
periodicity of the ripples is dictated by the difference in lattice parameters
of graphene and substrate, and, thus, it is adjustable. We characterize its
perfection at the atomic scale by means of STM and determine its electronic
structure in the real space by local tunnelling spectroscopy. There are
periodic variations in the geometric and electronic structure of the graphene
monolayer. We observe inhomogeneities in the charge distribution, i.e a larger
occupied Density Of States at the higher parts of the ripples. Periodically
rippled graphene might represent the physical realization of an ordered array
of coupled graphene quantum dots. The data show, however, that for rippled
graphene on Ru(0001) both the low and the high parts of the ripples are
metallic. The fabrication of periodically rippled graphene layers with
controllable characteristic length and different bonding interactions with the
substrate will allow a systematic experimental test of this fundamental
problem.Comment: 12 pages. Contribution to the topical issue on graphene of
Semiconductor Science and Technolog
Understanding the self-assembly of TCNQ on Cu(111): a combined study based on scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments and density functional theory simulations
Two polymorphic structures of TCNQ on Cu(111) can be formed by varying the deposition conditions.</p
Ripple modulated electronic structure of a 3D topological insulator
3D topological insulators, similar to the Dirac material graphene, host
linearly dispersing states with unique properties and a strong potential for
applications. A key, missing element in realizing some of the more exotic
states in topological insulators is the ability to manipulate local electronic
properties. Analogy with graphene suggests a possible avenue via a topographic
route by the formation of superlattice structures such as a moir\'e patterns or
ripples, which can induce controlled potential variations. However, while the
charge and lattice degrees of freedom are intimately coupled in graphene, it is
not clear a priori how a physical buckling or ripples might influence the
electronic structure of topological insulators. Here we use Fourier transform
scanning tunneling spectroscopy to determine the effects of a one-dimensional
periodic buckling on the electronic properties of Bi2Te3. By tracking the
spatial variations of the scattering vector of the interference patterns as
well as features associated with bulk density of states, we show that the
buckling creates a periodic potential modulation, which in turn modulates the
surface and the bulk states. The strong correlation between the topographic
ripples and electronic structure indicates that while doping alone is
insufficient to create predetermined potential landscapes, creating ripples
provides a path to controlling the potential seen by the Dirac electrons on a
local scale. Such rippled features may be engineered by strain in thin films
and may find use in future applications of topological insulators.Comment: Nature Communications (accepted
Freestanding n-Doped Graphene via Intercalation of Calcium and Magnesium into the Buffer Layer - SiC(0001) Interface
The intercalation of epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) with Ca has been studied
extensively, yet precisely where the Ca resides remains elusive. Furthermore,
the intercalation of Mg underneath epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) has not been
reported. Here, we use low energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy, secondary electron cut-off photoemission and scanning tunneling
microscopy to elucidate the physical and electronic structure of both Ca- and
Mg-intercalated epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001). We find that Ca
intercalates underneath the buffer layer and bonds to the Si-terminated SiC
surface, breaking the C-Si bonds of the buffer layer i.e. 'freestanding' the
buffer layer to form Ca-intercalated quasi-freestanding bilayer graphene
(Ca-QFSBLG). The situation is similar for the Mg-intercalation of epitaxial
graphene on SiC(0001), where an ordered Mg-terminated reconstruction at the SiC
surface and Mg bonds to the Si-terminated SiC surface are formed, resulting in
Mg-intercalated quasi-freestanding bilayer graphene (Mg-QFSBLG).
Ca-intercalation underneath the buffer layer has not been considered in
previous studies of Ca-intercalated epitaxial graphene. Furthermore, we find no
evidence that either Ca or Mg intercalates between graphene layers. However, we
do find that both Ca-QFSBLG and Mg-QFSBLG exhibit very low workfunctions of
3.68 and 3.78 eV, respectively, indicating high n-type doping. Upon exposure to
ambient conditions, we find Ca-QFSBLG degrades rapidly, whereas Mg-QFSBLG
remains remarkably stable.Comment: 58 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables. Revised text and figure
Localized resistance measurements of wrinkled reduced graphene oxide using in-situ transmission electron microscopy
The tunable electrical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) make it an ideal candidate for many applications including energy storage. However, in order to utilize the material for applications it is essential to understand the behavior of the material on the nanoscale, especially how naturally occurring phenomena like wrinkling affect the electronic transport. Here, we use a transmission electron microscope (TEM) with electrical probe in-situ holder to perform localized electrical measurements on wrinkled, supported rGO flakes. The TEM allows for observation of the local wrinkled structure of the rGO and simultaneously an electrical probe is used to perform localized resistance measurements. For these measurements, there is no correlation between the electrode distance and the measured resistance indicating that contact resistance varies and dominates the measurements. There is, however, a correlation between increasing number of wrinkles underneath the probe and decreasing resistance, indicating that the wrinkles can provide surface area for contact with the probe and thus lower the resistance. The overall resistance is on the order of single kOhm, if the contact between the probe and the rGO is optimized. These measurements give evidence that rGO with wrinkling can compete as a leading type of graphene for certain applications
Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study
Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised