Exciton-driven change of phonon modes causes strong temperature dependent bandgap shift in nanoclusters

The fundamental bandgap E-g of a semiconductor-often determined by means of optical spectroscopy-represents its characteristic fingerprint and changes distinctively with temperature. Here, we demonstrate that in magic sized II-VI clusters containing only 26 atoms, a pronounced weakening of the bonds occurs upon optical excitation, which results in a strong exciton-driven shift of the phonon spectrum. As a consequence, a drastic increase of dE(g)/dT (up to a factor of 2) with respect to bulk material or nanocrystals of typical size is found. We are able to describe our experimental data with excellent quantitative agreement from first principles deriving the bandgap shift with temperature as the vibrational entropy contribution to the free energy difference between the ground and optically excited states. Our work demonstrates how in small nanoparticles, photons as the probe medium affect the bandgap-a fundamental semiconductor property. The bandgap of nanostructures usually follows the bulk value upon temperature change. Here, the authors find that in small nanocrystals a weakening of the bonds due to optical excitation causes a pronounced phonon shift, leading to a drastic enhancement of the bandgap's temperature dependence.

Kinetic Control of Morphology and Composition in Ge/GeSn Core/Shell Nanowires

The growth of Sn-rich group-IV semiconductors at the nanoscale provides new paths for understanding the fundamental properties of metastable GeSn alloys. Here, we demonstrate the effect of the growth conditions on the morphology and composition of Ge/GeSn core/shell nanowires by correlating the experimental observations with a theoretical interpretation based on a multi-scale approach. We show that the cross-sectional morphology of Ge/GeSn core/shell nanowires changes from hexagonal to dodecagonal upon increasing the supply of the Sn precursor. This transformation strongly influences the Sn distribution as a higher Sn content is measured under the {112} growth front. Ab-initio DFT calculations provide an atomic-scale explanation by showing that Sn incorporation is favored at the {112} surfaces, where the Ge bonds are tensile-strained. A phase-field continuum model was developed to reproduce the morphological transformation and the Sn distribution within the wire, shedding light on the complex growth mechanism and unveiling the relation between segregation and faceting. The tunability of the photoluminescence emission with the change in composition and morphology of the GeSn shell highlights the potential of the core/shell nanowire system for opto-electronic devices operating at mid-infrared wavelengths

Unveiling Planar Defects in Hexagonal Group IV Materials

Recently synthesized hexagonal group IV materials are a promising platform to realize efficient light emission that is closely integrated with electronics. A high crystal quality is essential to assess the intrinsic electronic and optical properties of these materials unaffected by structural defects. Here, we identify a previously unknown partial planar defect in materials with a type I 3 basal stacking fault and investigate its structural and electronic properties. Electron microscopy and atomistic modeling are used to reconstruct and visualize this stacking fault and its terminating dislocations in the crystal. From band structure calculations coupled to photoluminescence measurements, we conclude that the I 3 defect does not create states within the hex-Ge and hex-Si band gap. Therefore, the defect is not detrimental to the optoelectronic properties of the hex-SiGe materials family. Finally, highlighting the properties of this defect can be of great interest to the community of hex-III-Ns, where this defect is also present

Predicting 2D silicon allotropes on SnS2

© 2016, Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. A first principles study on the stability and structural and electronic properties of two-dimensional silicon allotropes on a semiconducting layered metal-chalcogenide compound, namely SnS2, is performed. The interactions between the two-dimensional silicon layer, commonly known as silicene, and the layered SnS2 template are investigated by analyzing different configurations of silicene. The calculated thermodynamic phase diagram suggests that the most stable configuration of silicene on SnS2 belongs to a family of structures with Si atoms placed on three different planes; so-called dumbbell silicene. This particular dumbbell silicene structure preserves its atomic configuration on SnS2 even at a temperature of 500 K or as a “flake” layer (i.e., a silicene cluster terminated by H atoms), thanks to the weak interactions between the silicene and the SnS2 layers. Remarkably, an electric field can be used to tune the band gap of the silicene layer on SnS2, eventually changing its electronic behavior from semiconducting to (semi)metallic. The stability of silicene on SnS2 is very promising for the integration of silicene onto semiconducting or insulating substrates. The tunable electronic behavior of the silicene/SnS2 van der Walls heterostructure is very important not only for its use in future nanoelectronic devices, but also as a successful approach to engineering the bang-gap of layered SnS2, paving the way for the use of this layered compound in energy harvesting applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]status: publishe

Silicene on non-metallic substrates: Recent theoretical and experimental advances

© 2018, Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Silicene, the silicon counterpart of graphene, has been successfully grown on metallic substrates such as Ag(111), ZrB2(0001), and Ir(111) surfaces. However, characterization of its electronic structure is hampered by the metallic substrate. In addition, potential applications of silicene in nanoelectronic devices will require its growth on or integration with semiconducting and insulating substrates. We herein present a review of recent theoretical works regarding the interaction of silicene with non-metallic templates, distinguishing between the weak van-der-Waals-like interactions of silicene with, for example, layered metal (di)chalcogenides, and the stronger covalent bonding between silicene and, for example, ZnS surfaces. We then present a methodology to effectively compare the stability of diverse silicene structures using thermodynamics and molecular dynamics density functional theory calculations. Recent experimental results on the growth of silicene on MoS2 are also reported and compared to the theoretical predictions. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].status: publishe