Nonlinear electronic conductivity in lithium niobate domain walls

Applying ferroelectric materials for nanoelectronic circuits opens, next to exploiting completely new functionalities, the possibility of improving resource efficiency in electronic circuits. Due to its defined and easy-to-manipulate domain structure, lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LNO) is a promising candidate to realize such circuits. As a prerequisite, a detailed understanding of the underlying conduction mechanisms is required for a future large scale application. The main field of attention of this thesis is the domain wall conductivity in lithium niobate, investigated with temperature-dependent dc conductivity measurements as well as higher-harmonic current analysis under alternating-voltage excitation. Thereby the parameters of the electric field are of special interest, comprising the static dc field and both the amplitude and the frequency of the ac excitation voltage. Prior to the analysis of the experimental results, the setups are characterized in depth and a theoretical framework to calculate higher-harmonic current contributions generated by non-ohmic conduction models is derived. In case of high static offset voltages, an ohmic-like conductance is observed, which is ascribed to the intrinsic conductivity of the domain wall. For lower static offset fields, a diode-like current-voltage characteristic is found, originating from the junction of the domain wall and the metallic contact electrode. The results are compared to measurements at an industrial Schottky diode taken under the same conditions. Based on the theory of metal-semiconductor junctions, the effective donor density within the conducting domain wall is estimated to be of the order of 1019/cm3, which agrees well with theoretical calculations in the literature. An equivalent circuit based on two diodes and two resistors is proposed to model the observed nonohmic conductance. For all experimental techniques, a good agreement between this model and the experimental data is observed, proving especially the non-ohmic conductivity to be of Schottky-type

Annual Report 2021 - Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research

The year 2021 was still overshadowed by waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the arrival of efficient vaccinations together with the experience of the preceding year gave us a certain routine in handling the situation. By now the execution of meetings in an online mode using zoom and similar video conference systems has been recognized as actually being useful in certain situations, e.g. instead of flying across Europe to attend a three-hours meeting, but also to be able to attend seminars of distinguished scientists which otherwise would not be easily accessible. The scientific productivity of the institute has remained on a very high level, counting 190 publications with an unprecedented average impact factor of 8.0. Six outstanding and representative publications are reprinted in this Annual Report. 16 new third-party projects were granted, among them 7 DFG projects, but very remarkably also an EU funded project on nonlinear magnons for reservoir computing with industrial participation of Infineon Technologies Dresden and GlobalFoundries Dresden coordinated by Kathrin Schultheiß of our Institute. The scientific success was also reflected in two HZDR prizes awarded to the members of the Institute: Dr. Katrin Schultheiß received the HZDR Forschungspreis for her work on “Nonlinear magnonics as basis for a spin based neuromorphic computing architecture”, and Dr. Toni Hache was awarded the Doktorandenpreis for his thesis entitled “Frequency control of auto-oscillations of the magnetization in spin Hall nano-oscillators”. Our highly successful theoretician Dr. Arkady Krasheninnikov was quoted as Highly Cited Researcher 2021 by Clarivate. The new 1-MV facility for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has been ordered from NEC (National Electrostatics Corporation). Design of a dedicated building to house the accelerator, the SIMS and including additional chemistry laboratories for enhanced sample preparation capabilities has started and construction is planned to be finished by mid 2023, when the majority of the AMS components are scheduled for delivery. In the course of developing a strategy for the HZDR - HZDR 2030+ Moving Research to the NEXT Level for the NEXT Gens - six research focus areas for our institute were identified. Concerning personalia, it should be mentioned that the long-time head of the spectroscopy department PD Dr. Harald Schneider went into retirement. His successor is Dr. Stephan Winnerl, who has been a key scientist in this department already for two decades. In addition, PD Dr. Sebastian Fähler was hired in the magnetism department who transferred several third-party projects with the associated PhD students to the Institute and strengthens our ties to the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, but also to the Institute of Fluid Dynamics. Finally, we would like to cordially thank all partners, friends, and organizations who supported our progress in 2021. First and foremost we thank the Executive Board of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, the Minister of Science and Arts of the Free State of Saxony, and the Ministers of Education and Research, and of Economic Affairs and Climate Action of the Federal Government of Germany. Many partners from universities, industry and research institutes all around the world contributed essentially, and play a crucial role for the further development of the institute. Last but not least, the directors would like to thank all members of our institute for their efforts in these very special times and excellent contributions in 2021

Heat and Charge Transport Properties of MgB2

A polycrystalline sample of the MgB_2 superconductor was investigated by measurements of the electrical resistivity, the thermopower and the thermal conductivity in the temperature range between 1.8K and 300K in zero magnetic field. The electrical resistivity shows a superconducting transition at T_c=38.7K and, similarly to borocarbides, a T^2.4 behaviour up to 200K. The electron diffusion thermopower and its bandstructure-derived value indicate the dominant hole character of the charge carriers. The total thermopower can be explained by the diffusion term renormalized by a significant electron-phonon interaction and a phonon drag term. In the thermal conductivity, for decreasing temperature, a significant decrease below T_c is observed resulting in a T^3 behaviour below 7K. The reduced Lorenz number exhibits values smaller than 1 and a characteristic minimum which resembles the behaviour of non-magnetic borocarbides.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; added references and minor changes; accepted for publication in Physica

Pressure control of nonferroelastic ferroelectric domains in ErMnO3

Mechanical pressure controls the structural, electric, and magnetic order in solid-state systems, allowing tailoring of their physical properties. A well-established example is ferroelastic ferroelectrics, where the coupling between pressure and the primary symmetry-breaking order parameter enables hysteretic switching of the strain state and ferroelectric domain engineering. Here, we study the pressure-driven response in a nonferroelastic ferroelectric, ErMnO3, where the classical stress–strain coupling is absent and the domain formation is governed by creation–annihilation processes of topological defects. By annealing ErMnO3 polycrystals under variable pressures in the MPa regime, we transform nonferroelastic vortex-like domains into stripe-like domains. The width of the stripe-like domains is determined by the applied pressure as we confirm by three-dimensional phase field simulations, showing that pressure leads to oriented layer-like periodic domains. Our work demonstrates the possibility to utilize mechanical pressure for domain engineering in nonferroelastic ferroelectrics, providing a lever to control their dielectric and piezoelectric responses

Optical properties and electrical transport of thin films of terbium(III) bis(phthalocyanine) on cobalt

The optical and electrical properties of terbium(III) bis(phthalocyanine) (TbPc2) films on cobalt substrates were studied using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and current sensing atomic force microscopy (cs-AFM). Thin films of TbPc2 with a thickness between 18 nm and 87 nm were prepared by organic molecular beam deposition onto a cobalt layer grown by electron beam evaporation. The molecular orientation of the molecules on the metallic film was estimated from the analysis of the spectroscopic ellipsometry data. A detailed analysis of the AFM topography shows that the TbPc2 films consist of islands which increase in size with the thickness of the organic film. Furthermore, the cs-AFM technique allows local variations of the organic film topography to be correlated with electrical transport properties. Local current mapping as well as local I–V spectroscopy shows that despite the granular structure of the films, the electrical transport is uniform through the organic films on the microscale. The AFMbased electrical measurements allow the local charge carrier mobility of the TbPc2 thin films to be quantified with nanoscale resolution

Overview: On the transport and transformation of pollutants in the outflow of major population centres – observational data from the EMeRGe European intensive operational period in summer 2017

Megacities and other major population centres (MPCs) worldwide are major sources of air pollution, both locally as well as downwind. The overall assessment and prediction of the impact of MPC pollution on tropospheric chemistry are challenging. The present work provides an overview of the highlights of a major new contribution to the understanding of this issue based on the data and analysis of the EMeRGe (Effect of Megacities on the transport and transformation of pollutants on the Regional to Global scales) international project. EMeRGe focuses on atmospheric chemistry, dynamics, and transport of local and regional pollution originating in MPCs. Airborne measurements, taking advantage of the long range capabilities of the High Altitude and LOng Range Research Aircraft (HALO, https://www.halo-spp.de, last access: 22 March 2022), are a central part of the project. The synergistic use and consistent interpretation of observational data sets of different spatial and temporal resolution (e.g. from ground-based networks, airborne campaigns, and satellite measurements) supported by modelling within EMeRGe provide unique insight to test the current understanding of MPC pollution outflows. In order to obtain an adequate set of measurements at different spatial scales, two field experiments were positioned in time and space to contrast situations when the photochemical transformation of plumes emerging from MPCs is large. These experiments were conducted in summer 2017 over Europe and in the inter-monsoon period over Asia in spring 2018. The intensive observational periods (IOPs) involved HALO airborne measurements of ozone and its precursors, volatile organic compounds, aerosol particles, and related species as well as coordinated ground-based ancillary observations at different sites. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracer releases and model forecasts supported the flight planning, the identification of pollution plumes, and the analysis of chemical transformations during transport. This paper describes the experimental deployment and scientific questions of the IOP in Europe. The MPC targets – London (United Kingdom; UK), the Benelux/Ruhr area (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany), Paris (France), Rome and the Po Valley (Italy), and Madrid and Barcelona (Spain) – were investigated during seven HALO research flights with an aircraft base in Germany for a total of 53 flight hours. An in-flight comparison of HALO with the collaborating UK-airborne platform Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) took place to assure accuracy and comparability of the instrumentation on board. Overall, EMeRGe unites measurements of near- and far-field emissions and hence deals with complex air masses of local and distant sources. Regional transport of several European MPC outflows was successfully identified and measured. Chemical processing of the MPC emissions was inferred from airborne observations of primary and secondary pollutants and the ratios between species having different chemical lifetimes. Photochemical processing of aerosol and secondary formation or organic acids was evident during the transport of MPC plumes. Urban plumes mix efficiently with natural sources as mineral dust and with biomass burning emissions from vegetation and forest fires. This confirms the importance of wildland fire emissions in Europe and indicates an important but discontinuous contribution to the European emission budget that might be of relevance in the design of efficient mitigation strategies. The present work provides an overview of the most salient results in the European context, with these being addressed in more detail within additional dedicated EMeRGe studies. The deployment and results obtained in Asia will be the subject of separate publications

Optical properties and electrical transport of thin films of terbium(III) bis(phthalocyanine) on cobalt

The optical and electrical properties of terbium(III) bis(phthalocyanine) (TbPc2) films on cobalt substrates were studied using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and current sensing atomic force microscopy (cs-AFM). Thin films of TbPc2 with a thickness between 18 nm and 87 nm were prepared by organic molecular beam deposition onto a cobalt layer grown by electron beam evaporation. The molecular orientation of the molecules on the metallic film was estimated from the analysis of the spectroscopic ellipsometry data. A detailed analysis of the AFM topography shows that the TbPc2 films consist of islands which increase in size with the thickness of the organic film. Furthermore, the cs-AFM technique allows local variations of the organic film topography to be correlated with electrical transport properties. Local current mapping as well as local I-V spectroscopy shows that despite the granular structure of the films, the electrical transport is uniform through the organic films on the microscale. The AFM-based electrical measurements allow the local charge carrier mobility of the TbPc2 thin films to be quantified with nanoscale resolution

Global patterns in endemicity and vulnerability of soil fungi

Fungi are highly diverse organisms, which provide multiple ecosystem services. However, compared with charismatic animals and plants, the distribution patterns and conservation needs of fungi have been little explored. Here, we examined endemicity patterns, global change vulnerability and conservation priority areas for functional groups of soil fungi based on six global surveys using a high-resolution, long-read metabarcoding approach. We found that the endemicity of all fungi and most functional groups peaks in tropical habitats, including Amazonia, Yucatan, West-Central Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Caledonia, with a negligible island effect compared with plants and animals. We also found that fungi are predominantly vulnerable to drought, heat and land-cover change, particularly in dry tropical regions with high human population density. Fungal conservation areas of highest priority include herbaceous wetlands, tropical forests, and woodlands. We stress that more attention should be focused on the conservation of fungi, especially root symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical regions as well as unicellular early-diverging groups and macrofungi in general. Given the low overlap between the endemicity of fungi and macroorganisms, but high conservation needs in both groups, detailed analyses on distribution and conservation requirements are warranted for other microorganisms and soil organisms

Global patterns in endemicity and vulnerability of soil fungi

Fungi are highly diverse organisms, which provide multiple ecosystem services. However, compared with charismatic animals and plants, the distribution patterns and conservation needs of fungi have been little explored. Here, we examined endemicity patterns, global change vulnerability and conservation priority areas for functional groups of soil fungi based on six global surveys using a high-resolution, long-read metabarcoding approach. We found that the endemicity of all fungi and most functional groups peaks in tropical habitats, including Amazonia, Yucatan, West-Central Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Caledonia, with a negligible island effect compared with plants and animals. We also found that fungi are predominantly vulnerable to drought, heat and land-cover change, particularly in dry tropical regions with high human population density. Fungal conservation areas of highest priority include herbaceous wetlands, tropical forests, and woodlands. We stress that more attention should be focused on the conservation of fungi, especially root symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical regions as well as unicellular early-diverging groups and macrofungi in general. Given the low overlap between the endemicity of fungi and macroorganisms, but high conservation needs in both groups, detailed analyses on distribution and conservation requirements are warranted for other microorganisms and soil organisms