Search

An exciton–polariton condensate is a hybrid light–matter state in the quantum fluid phase. The photonic component endows it with characters of spin, as represented by circular polarization. Spin-polarization can form stochastically for quasi-equilibrium exciton–polariton condensates at parallel momentum vector k|| ∼ 0 from bifurcation or deterministically for propagating condensates at k|| > 0 from the optical spin-Hall effect (OSHE). Here, we report deterministic spin-polarization in exciton–polariton condensates at k|| ∼ 0 in microcavities containing methylammonium lead bromide perovskite (CH3NH3PbBr3) single crystals under non-resonant and linearly polarized excitation. We observe two energetically split condensates with opposite circular polarizations and attribute this observation to the presence of strong birefringence, which introduces a large OSHE at k|| ∼ 0 and pins the condensates in a particular spin state. Such spin-polarized exciton–polariton condensates may serve not only as circularly polarized laser sources but also as effective alternatives to ultracold atom Bose–Einstein condensates in quantum simulators of many-body spin–orbit coupling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in magnetic thin films has attracted much attention due to its potential applications in spintronics devices. Here, we report the continuous strain-mediated PMA in epitaxial (111) CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO) thin films grown on (0001) LiTaO 3 substrates. A large variation in lattice strain (∼ 0.9 %) in a continuous way is realized in the CFO thin films by changing substrate temperature during deposition due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between CFO and LiTaO 3. As a result, the PMA of the (111) CFO thin films can be continuously mediated by the strain with uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy in the range of 0.12 - 14.69 × 10 6 erg/cm 3. Furthermore, the strain as well as the consequent PMA in the (111) CFO thin films can be maintained within the thickness of 25–205 nm, which is consistent with the scenario of the magnetoelastic effect. Our results reveal that the CFO/LiTaO 3 system can be regarded as an ideal platform to realize robust PMA and its continuous strain tuning in the (111) CFO thin films by virtue of strain-induced magnetic anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experimental results showed that an electron gas in an asymmetrical double barrier heterostructure can be effectively cooled down under resonant tunneling condition, thus leading to the realization of an electronic cooler. The cooling process is a multi-parameters phenomenon and it is desirable to handle this problem through a reasonably simple approach, in order to understand the role of each parameter. To this end, we present a rate equation modeling of the electron cooling. We model the resonant tunnel injection of the electrons in the well and their thermionic emission assisted by Longitudinal Optical (LO) phonons absorption and emission. The influence of several parameters on the electronic temperature is discussed. This simple model compares rather well to the predictions of non-equilibrium Green function approach and to the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fragmentation dynamics of two isomers of C3H6, cyclopropane and propene, induced by 4 keV/u Ar8+ are investigated employing a reaction microscope. Four two-body and two three-body dissociation channels of C 3 H 6 2 + dications are identified for each isomer, among which the channels involving CC bond breaking are found to be much more favored than H 3 + and H 2 + formation channels. The observation of the CH 3 + or H 3 + formation channels from cyclopropane are direct evidence of the proton migration within the carbon skeleton before dissociation. Obvious isomer effects are revealed by comparing the relative branching ratios of different channels of the two isomers. Moreover, it was shown that a sequential dissociation mechanism with H elimination prior to CC bond cleavage may be dominant for the two three-body dissociation channels for both isomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain high energy storage density in ferroelectric films, polarization and breakdown field Eb are two crucial factors. The inversely coupled relationship between polarization and Eb is commonly observed and it remains a challenge to realize high E b without deteriorating polarization. Selecting a suitable element doping should largely enhance the Eb since of the optimization of microstructures as well as the decrease in defects, meanwhile the doping should induce extra polarization contribution from lattice distortion. In this work, we reported that Eb can be largely enhanced via Mn doping in BaBi4Ti4O15 thin films due to grain refining, densification, and oxygen vacancy reduction. Interestingly, the polarization is not deteriorated since of the Mn doping effect induced extra polarization from the lattice distortion. Consequently, an ultrahigh energy storage density of 96 J/cm3 with a high efficiency of 76.6% was achieved in BaBi4Ti3.95Mn0.05O15 thin films with excellent stability and reliability. This work will provide a simple and effective route to improve the energy storage in dielectric capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of ultrashort high-power light sources in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) to terahertz (THz) range is of interest for applications in a number of fields, from fundamental research to biology and medicine. Besides conventional laser technology, photon deceleration in plasma wakes provides an alternative approach to the generation of ultrashort mid-IR or THz pulses. Here, we present a photon deceleration scheme for the efficient generation of ultrashort mid-IR or THz pulses by using an intense driver laser pulse with a relatively short wavelength and a signal laser pulse with a relatively long wavelength. The signal pulse trails the driver pulse with an appropriate time delay such that it sits at the front of the second wake bubble that is driven by the driver pulse. Owing to its relatively long wavelength, the signal pulse will be subjected to a large gradient of the refractive index in the plasma wake bubble. Consequently, the photon deceleration in the plasma wake becomes faster and more efficient for signal pulses with longer wavelengths. This greatly enhances the capacity and efficiency of photon deceleration in the generation of ultrashort high-power light sources in the long-wavelength IR and THz spectral ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel reaction microscope designed for ion–atom collision investigations, established at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China. Its time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer employs an innovative flight-time focusing method consisting of two acceleration regions, providing optimal time focusing conditions for charged fragments with diverse initial velocities. The TOF spectrometer's axis intentionally tilts by 12° relative to the ion beam direction, preventing potential obstructions from the TOF grid electrodes. The introduced focusing method allows for a flexible time-focusing TOF spectrometer design without restricting the length ratio of the two regions. In addition, this configuration in our case significantly suppresses noise on the recoil ion detector produced by residual gas in the ion beam trajectory, which is a considerable challenge in longitudinal spectrometers. In a test experiment on the single electron capture reaction involving 62.5 keV/u He2+ ions and a helium atomic beam, the recoil longitudinal momentum resolution achieved 0.068 atomic units. This novel configuration and successful test run show excellent precision for ion–atom collision studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical spectra of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers are dominated by excitons and trions. Here, we establish the dependence of these optical transitions on the disorder from hyperspectral imaging of h-BN encapsulated monolayer MoSe2. While both exciton and trion energies vary spatially, these two quantities are almost perfectly correlated, with spatial variation in the trion binding energy of only ∼0.18 meV. In contrast, variation in the energy splitting between the two lowest energy exciton states is one order of magnitude larger at ∼1.7 meV. Statistical analysis and theoretical modeling reveal that disorder results from dielectric and bandgap fluctuations, not electrostatic fluctuations. Our results shed light on disorder in high quality TMDC monolayers, its impact on optical transitions, and the many-body nature of excitons and trions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaBi2Nb2O9 ceramics were fabricated via the solid-state reaction method by the addition of B2O3 as a sintering aid at lower sintering temperatures than that prepared without B2O3. Ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and resistivity can be still greatly enhanced when the sintering temperature is decreased from 1075 °C for CaBi2Nb2O9 to 975 °C for CaBi2Nb2O9–0.25 wt. % B2O3. The high resistivity and weak c-axis texture ensure that the ceramics can be fully polarized in a high enough electric field. The increased spontaneous ferroelectric and remanent polarization result in a significant enhancement in the piezoelectric properties of CaBi2Nb2O9–0.25 wt. % B2O3. The sample sintered at 975 °C possesses a high piezoelectric coefficient d33 of ∼15.0 pC/N and resistivity of 1.4 × 106 Ω cm (at 600 °C) along with a high ferroelectric Curie temperature TC of ∼954 °C. This work is beneficial for the preparation of high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics with excellent electrical properties at a low sintering temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a cluster spin glass behavior, multiferroicity and magnetoelectric (ME) effects in the single crystals of 0.46 BiFeO 3 -0.54 Bi 0.5 (K 0.31 Na 0.69) 0.5 TiO 3. The crystals are found to possess a pseudo-cubic structure with a weak tetragonal distortion and show ferroelectricity at room temperature with a ferroelectric curie temperature of T C ∼ 630.1 K. The cluster spin glass state in the crystal is evidenced by detailed dc and ac magnetic experiments, including thermo-remnant magnetization, aging effect, memory effect, etc. Magnetodielectric effects, poling enhanced magnetism, and electric field induced acceleration of magnetization relaxation in the spin glass state are observed and ascribed mainly to spin-lattice coupling. These results might suggest an effective route to improve ferromagnetism and ME effects by constructing a spin glass state in BiFeO 3 -based antiferromagnetic multiferroics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high-performance optically induced voltage materials represents a significant challenge within the realm of optical detection. The constraints posed by low induced voltage and extended response times have impeded the practical applicability of optical and thermal radiation detectors. In this investigation, we propose the utilization of superconducting Bi2Sr2CuOy (Bi-2201) as a pulsed laser-induced voltage material, revealing the emergence of notable transverse voltage signals in tilted thin films. A noteworthy peak voltage of 25.12 V is attained upon exposure to ultraviolet pulsed laser (248 nm), with a rapid rise time of merely 60 ns. Furthermore, we establish an empirical equation specific to our laser detection heterostructure, serving as a benchmark for Bi-2201-based laser detection systems. These findings introduce a promising avenue for the expanded practical applications of high-temperature superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials have zero net magnetic moments due to the alignment of adjacent magnetic moments antiparallel to each other, which have drawn extensive interest in the field of next generation spintronics, thanks to the merits of negligible stray fields, fast spin dynamics, and robustness against magnetic disturbances. In the past decades, the strongly correlated vanadates of VO2, V2O3, and RVO3 have extensively been studied because of noteworthy metal–insulator transitions. Nevertheless, the magnetism (especially antiferromagnetism) in the vanadates has attracted less attention. This Perspective provides a brief overview of the strongly correlated AFM vanadates. First, an introduction to the basic concept of antiferromagnetism and vanadates is presented. Then, the antiferromagnetism in vanadates containing V4+ (VO2, NaV2O5, and Sr2VO4), V3+ (V2O3, RVO3, AV2O4, and VOCl), and V2+ (VO) with different spin moments is presented. Finally, a summary and outlook with respect to the antiferromagnetism in vanadates are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal dichalcogenide MoS2 is considered as a type of dielectric loss dominated electromagnetic wave absorbing material owing to the high specific surface area, layered structure, and lightweight. Introduction of interfaces will improve the electromagnetic wave absorbing performance. Here, the phase engineering of MoS2 is realized through W doping since of the microstrain effect, resulting in the appearance of 2H/1T MoS2 phase interface. Furthermore, MoS2/Ti3C2 MXene interface is realized through the construction of MoS2/Ti3C2 MXene heterostructure, leading to obvious improvements in electromagnetic wave absorbing. Because of the simultaneous introduction of 2H/1T MoS2 phase interface and the MoS2/Ti3C2 MXene interface, the microwave reflection loss can reach −45.2 dB with broad effective absorption bandwidth (<−10 dB) of 7.1 GHz (7.8–14.9 GHz) at the same thickness of 3 mm. The results shed light on enhancing electromagnetic wave absorbing performance by phase engineering as well as construction of two dimensional material/two dimensional material heterostructures, thereby introducing multiple interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the generation of nitrogen/argon electron beam plasmas with a 0.4 μm-thick silicon nitride transmission window. The measured transmittance of the electron beam is about 92% when the incident energy of electron beam is 40 keV. The optical properties of the electron beam plasma are investigated at high pressures. The luminescence intensity distribution of nitrogen and argon electron beam plasmas shows a good similarity with changing the gas pressure, suggesting that electron beam ionization is independent of background gas. At the same gas pressure, the nitrogen plasma with conical structure has a longer length along the incident direction of the electron beam and a smaller divergence cone angle compared with the argon plasma. In the nitrogen discharge, it is found that the intensities I380.4, I399.7, and I391.4 corresponding to characteristic lines at 380.4, 399.7, and 391.4 nm decrease along the incident direction of the electron beam, which is correlated with the reduction of the electron density along the incident direction of the electron beam. There is no change in the ratio of I399.7 to I380.4, indicating the spatial uniformity of the electron temperature. When the pressure increases, the ionization process induced by primary electron is enhanced, generating more plasma electrons, which is responding to the increase in the characteristic line intensity. At the same time, the neutral particle collision processes are enhanced and the electron temperature decreases with the increase in the pressure, which is believed to contribute to the observed reduction of the I399.7/I380.4 ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrafast optical Kerr effect (OKE) is widely used to investigate the structural dynamics and interactions of liquids, solutions, and solids by observing their intrinsic nonlinear temporal responses through nearly collinear four-wave mixing. Non-degenerate mixing schemes allow for background free detection and can provide information on the interplay between a material's internal degrees of freedom. Here, we show a source of temporal dynamics in the OKE signal that is not reflective of the internal degrees of freedom but arises from a group index and momentum mismatch. It is observed in two-color experiments on condensed media with sizable spectral dispersion, a common property near an optical resonance. In particular, birefringence in crystalline solids is able to entirely change the character of the OKE signal via the off-diagonal tensor elements of the nonlinear susceptibility. We develop a detailed description of the phase-mismatched ultrafast OKE and show how to extract quantitative information on the spectrally resolved birefringence and group index from time-resolved experiments in one and two dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), combining the mutually exclusive functionalities of high electrical conductivity and high optical transparency, lie at the center of a wide range of technological applications. The current design strategy for n-type TCOs, making wide bandgap oxides conducting through degenerately doping, obtains successful achievements. However, the performances of p-type TCOs lag far behind the n-type counterparts, primarily owing to the localized nature of the O 2 p -derived valence band (VB). Modulation of the VB to reduce the localization is a key issue to explore p-type TCOs. This Perspective provides a brief overview of recent progress in the field of design strategy for p-type TCOs. First, the introduction to principle physics of TCOs is presented. Second, the design strategy for n-type TCOs is introduced. Then, the design strategy based on the concept of chemical modulation of the valence band for p-type TCOs is described. Finally, through the introduction of electron correlation in strongly correlated oxides for exploring p-type TCOs, the performance of p-type TCOs can be remarkably improved. The design strategy of electron correlation for p-type TCOs could be regarded as a promising material design approach toward the comparable performance of n-type TCOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the generation of Ar plasmas by using an electron beam passing through a diamond window. It is observed that plasma brightness varies with the electron beam energy and the duty cycle. The transmission properties of the electrons in a 5-μm-thick diamond film are investigated by both experiments and Monte Carlo simulation. The measured transmittance of the electron beam increases from 20% to 80% by increasing the incident energy of the electron beam on the diamond window from 32.5 keV to 50 keV. The diamond window was checked using a CCD camera and SEM after plasma generation experiments. It is found that the focused electron beam passes through the central region of the diamond window, from the incident plane to the exit plane, and the cross section of the diamond window gradually changes from textured morphology to a featureless structure, indicating that the main energy loss of electrons in the diamond window occurs in the later stage of the transmitting journey. The interaction between the electron and the diamond causes the structure change of the diamond. The simulated transmittances of the electron beam with respect to its incident energy are in agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistive random access memories with self-rectifying behaviors, in which the sneak-path issue in passive crossbar arrays can be alleviated without additional access devices, have been investigated recently. The applications of p-type transparent oxide semiconductors as a memory medium will pave the way for realizing all-transparent memories and integrating on the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. Here, Ag-based p-type delafossite AgCr 1 − x Mg x O 2 thin films were prepared onto n-Si wafers to investigate the resistive switching (RS) performance. Bipolar RS with self-rectifying behaviors were observed in the Au / AgCr 0.92 Mg 0.08 O 2 / n − Si sandwich structure, showing improved rectification ratio, On/Off ratio, and switching durability. The change of the oxygen vacancy concentration resulting from Mg doping plays a key role in determination of the RS. The intrinsic rectifying behavior in the low resistance state is attributed to the existence of a Schottky-like barrier in the AgCr 1 − x Mg x O 2 / n − Si p-n heterojunction. The RS behavior originates from the modification of the barrier, which is induced by the trapping/detrapping of charge carriers in oxygen vacancies at the interface. The results will provide novel RS devices based on p-type transparent delafossite thin films with a self-rectifying feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the structural, magnetic, and thermal transport properties of Co 1 − x Ni x Cr 2 O 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) to check the evolution of structural and magnetic properties upon the introduction of the Jahn–Teller active ion Ni 2 + . The x ≤ 0.95 samples can be indexed with a cubic lattice with the space group Fd3m, whereas the x = 0.98 sample undergoes a cubic-tetragonal structural transition, and the x > 0.98 samples belong to a tetragonal lattice with the space group I41-amd at room temperature. All these samples undergo a paramagnetic–ferrimagnetic transition at T C. A spiral ferrimagnetic ordering at T S is suppressed when the amount of Ni is increased, and the abnormal magnetization at T S for the x = 0.6 and 0.8 samples is not pronounced. The measurements of magnetic hysteresis reveal that the x = 0.4 and 0.6 samples possess a rather large coercivity H C compared with the x = 0 and 1 samples. Specifically, the x = 0.4 and 0.6 samples undergo a short-range antiferromagnetic transition above T C. The magnetic properties of the Ni-doped samples can be understood in terms of the magnetic structure model consisting of longitudinal and transverse magnetic sublattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of growth rate and substrate temperature on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) of LaVO 3 / SrTiO 3 interfaces has been investigated. It is found that both growth rate and substrate temperature can modulate the structural and electrical properties of the LaVO 3 / SrTiO 3 interfaces through oxygen substrate-to-film transfer. When the LaVO 3 thin films are deposited at a low substrate temperature and a high growth rate, the LaVO 3 / SrTiO 3 interfaces exhibit weak oxygen substrate-to-film transfer and resultant low density of oxygen vacancies in the SrTiO 3 substrate. As a result, the intrinsic effect (polar discontinuity and/or dielectric screening) dominates the interfacial conduction, while the oxygen vacancies play a minor role. In contrast, the oxygen substrate-to-film transfer (oxygen vacancies in the SrTiO 3 substrate) can be enhanced (increased) by depositing the LaVO 3 thin films at lower growth rates and/or higher substrate temperatures. In this case, the contribution of oxygen vacancies to the interfacial conduction would prevail over the intrinsic effect. Our results elucidate the origins of 2DEG in the LaVO 3 / SrTiO 3 interfaces and may also be important for other SrTiO 3 -based heterointerfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ferroelectric film with slim polarization-electric (P-E) hysteresis loops, showing small remanent polarization (P r) and large saturated polarization (P s), is desired to obtain high recoverable energy density (U r e ) and efficiency (η) in thin film capacitors. Here, small P r and large P m values are achieved in BaBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 thin films through modulating film grain size. A large U r e of 44.3 J / cm 3 as well as a high η of 87.1% is obtained. In addition, the derived BaBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 thin films show excellent energy storage performance in wide frequency range, thermal stability, and fatigue endurance. These results suggest that BaBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 films can be considered as a candidate for dielectric energy storage capacitors, and the route through grain size optimization is a promising strategy to improve the capacitive performance of ferroelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) exhibiting large polarization and a high Curie temperature can be considered as a promising candidate for dielectric capacitors. The large polarization switching hysteresis and low breakdown field, however, restrict the performance optimization. Herein, epitaxial NBT-based high-entropy Na0.5Bi0.5Ti0.7Hf0.1Zr0.1Sn0.1O3 (NBTHZS) films are designed and prepared by solution-based processing. Compared with the NBT film, the polarization switching hysteresis is depressed and the breakdown field is significantly improved for the NBTHZS film due to the high-entropy effects. Therefore, the NBTHZS film achieves a ∼16 times enhancement of energy density (from 5.1 J/cm3 of the NBT film to 81 J/cm3 of the NBTHZS film) and a high efficiency of 74.1% as well as an excellent performance reliability. The results shed light on enhancing dielectric energy storage properties of NBT-based films by forming high-entropy structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and realization of high-efficiency p-type thermoelectric materials with excellent performance are the demand for integrated thermoelectric components. Compared with single crystal bulk materials, thermoelectric thin films are more suitable for the miniaturization of thermoelectric devices. Here, c-axis oriented CuRh1−xMgxO2 (x = 0, 0.05, and 0.1) thin films were prepared and the thermoelectric properties are reported. The power factor of a p-type 10% Mg-doped CuRhO2 thin film shows a large value of 535.7 μW K–2 m-1 at 300 K. The results suggest that the hole-doped CuRhO2 thin films can be regarded as potential p-type thermoelectric oxide and will pave an avenue to develop Rh-based thermoelectric thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sagnac interferometry is advantageous in measuring time-reversal-symmetry breaking effects in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials as it suppresses time-reversal symmetric birefringent effects that are ubiquitous and often overwhelming in optical detection systems. When its sensitivity is limited only by the amplifier noise in the photo-detector, one needs to optimize the optical power that returns to the detector. We demonstrate an experimental scheme that maximizes the returning optical power in a Sagnac interferometry when detecting the magneto-optic effect in ultrathin films. In this scheme, the optical beam bearing the Faraday effect on a thin film is reflected at a second surface coated with a highly reflective gold film. The gold film increases the returned optical power by a factor of 4–5. For a normal-incidence Sagnac interferometer, this scheme yields an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by the same factor. For an oblique-incidence Sagnac interferometer, this scheme should yield an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of 20–25. For illustration, this scheme is used to measure magnetization curves and Kerr rotation images of 4.5-unit-cell thick SrRuO3(001) grown on SrTiO3(001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional strategy for transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) follows the path of chemical design by increasing carrier concentrations in insulators through deliberate doping to coordinate the exclusive properties of electrical conductivity with optical transparency. Despite the success of n-type TCOs, the developed p-type TCOs based on chemical design exhibit much lower performance than the n-type counterparts primarily constrained by the hole doping trouble. Recently, the correlated metal of a V2O3 thin film has been reported as high-performance p-type TCOs with high hole concentration (>1022 cm−3). In this paper, we propose an alternative approach of compressive strain in V2O3 thin films toward further increasing the carrier concentration and, consequently, enhancing the performance of p-type TCOs. The compressive strain of the V2O3 thin film is realized by the lattice mismatch between V2O3 and Al2O3. Interestingly, carrier concentrations in strained V2O3 thin films can be increased by several times exceeding 1023 cm−3, which directly correlates with the increase (decrease) in a 1 g ( e g π ) orbital occupation as verified by the Raman spectrum. Meanwhile, the screened plasma energy of a strained V2O3 thin film shifts to ∼1.6 eV, which is less than 1.75 eV to assure the opening of the transparency window in the visible region. As a result, strained V2O3 thin films exhibit enhanced performance as p-type TCOs with relatively high figure of merit. These results indicate that the structural modification can open up an effective approach for increasing the carrier concentration and enhancing the performance of p-type TCOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate crystallization of Lennard-Jones liquids on substrates under dynamic compression with large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The substrates examined include single crystals and bicrystals with different crystallographic orientations, and the loading paths include shock and quasi-isentropic loading. Microstructure is characterized with simulated x-ray diffraction and orientation mapping. For shock loading, only heterogeneous nucleation occurs at the simulation scales. Quasi-isentropic loading induces less heating and larger supercooling; as a result, heterogeneous nucleation occurs at low loading strengths, and both heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation occur at high loading strengths, despite the crystalline substrates. Crystallization depends on the substrate structure (crystal orientation and grain boundary) and loading characteristics. Deformation may induce grain structure change (e.g., reorientation and twinning) of substrates and affect subsequent crystallization. Crystallization rate is anisotropic, inversely proportional to the cosine of the dihedral angle between the substrate plane and a main f111g growth plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La2Mo2O9 (LMO) thin films have been deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition and the resistive switching (RS) characteristics of the Au/LMO/Pt devices has been investigated. The Au/LMO/Pt devices show excellent unipolar RS characteristics with high resistance ratio between high resistance state and low resistance state (LRS), good endurance, and retention performances. The results of temperature dependence of resistance and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest that the observed RS characteristics can be explained by the formation and rupture of conducting filaments composed of oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the plot of the reset current (IR) as a function of the third harmonic coefficient (B0) caused by Joule heating during the reset process shows scaling behavior with a power law of IR∝ B0-δ. The IR and reset power (PR) can also be scaled to the resistance in LRS (R0), i.e., IR(PR) ∝ R0-α(β). The observed scaling behaviors indicate the importance of the Joule heating for the RS characteristics of Au/LMO/Pt devices. These results demonstrate the potential application of LMO thin film in a nonvolatile memory device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates surface impingement of monodispersed diesel drop trains using computational simulations. The three-dimensional simulations include high-speed impact of micrometer-sized fuel drops onto initially dry and wetted stainless steel substrates. The drop size and impact velocity are representative of fuel injection conditions in internal combustion engines (ICEs). The drop trains serve as a simplified representation of fuel spray. To accurately capture the film that naturally develops on initially dry substrates, a dynamic diesel-stainless steel contact angle model was developed using experiments of single drop impact under ICE representative temperature. Simulations are presented for a highly splashing case and the effects of a pre-existing film on splashing dynamics were investigated, including the temporal evolution of splashed mass and film thickness. It was concluded that for thin films, the effect of pre-existing film thickness is less significant than in single drop impingement. Secondary droplet characterization was performed on simulation results, leading to instantaneous and time-averaged distributions of secondary droplet size, velocity magnitude, and trajectory angle. It was found that for each drop impingement, approximately 58% of the splashed mass is from the impinging drop itself, while the remainder of the splashed mass is composed of film liquid. From a high resolution case, details of secondary droplet formation are observed and three distinct phases of secondary droplet formation are identified. The detailed analysis of drop train impingement under engine-relevant conditions serves as a first step toward a robust understanding of fuel impingement and the development of cleaner and more efficient ICEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a simple model was developed to predict the dynamics of a spark-induced bubble under different ambient pressures. This work helps in developing a deep-towed plasma sparker, as the model can predict the dynamics of bubbles subjected to very high ambient pressures (about 20 MPa) which normally are difficult to obtain experimentally. Experimental results indicate that the maximum bubble radius for a fixed discharge energy decreases as a power-law function of the ambient pressure up to 1.0 MPa; the bubble period also decreases quickly with increasing ambient pressure. For a constant value of the ratio of bubble energy to discharge energy, the modeling results for both maximum radius and bubble period are in good agreement with the experimental results. Both sets of results indicate that the bubble period is proportional to the maximum radius under different ambient pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I present a magneto-optic effect study of magnetic domains in a ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet crystal at different stages of a hysteresis loop. By measuring the Faraday effect in response to the out-of-plane component and Kerr effects to the in-plane components of the sample magnetization, I examined the evolution of magnetic domains during a hysteresis loop in an in-plane external magnetic field. I found that crystalline anisotropy, magneto-static energy, and the presence of movable domain walls play indispensable roles in the domain orientation, particularly when the external field is near zero, and have led to seemingly unusual appearances of hysteresis loops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the structural, magnetic, and magnetodielectric properties of DyMn0.5Cr0.5O3. The sample can be indexed with an orthorhombic phase with B site disordered space group Pbnm. The valence state of both Mn and Cr ions are suggested to be +3 based on the results of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Two thermally excited dielectric relaxation at temperatures TN23+/Cr3+ ions associated with electron hopping between them are observed. The absence of any noticeable magnetoresistance effect (MR<0.5%) demonstrates that the observed magnetodielectric effect is an intrinsic behavior. These results suggest that DyMn0.5Cr0.5O3 is a magnetodielectric compound, whose dielectric properties are dependence of the applied magnetic field, which exhibits such effects near room temperature and holds great promise for future device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared V-doped Bi6Fe2Ti3O18 thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si (100) substrates by using a chemical solution deposition route and investigated the doping effect on the microstructure, dielectric, leakage, and ferroelectric properties of Bi6Fe2Ti3O18 thin films. The Bi5.97Fe2Ti2.91V0.09O18 thin film exhibits improved dielectric properties, leakage current, and ferroelectric properties. The incorporation of vanadium resulted in a substantially enhanced remnant polarization (2Pr) over 30μC/cm2 in Bi5.97Fe2Ti2.91V0.09O18 thin film compared with 10μC/cm2 in Bi6Fe2Ti3O18 thin film. It is demonstrated that the improved properties may stem from the improvement of crystallinity of the films with the contribution of suppressed oxygen vacancies and decreased mobility of oxygen vacancies caused by the V-doping. The results will provide a guidance to optimize the ferroelectric properties in Bi6Fe2Ti3O18 thin films by chemical solution deposition, which is important to further explore single-phase multiferroics in the n=5 Aurivillius thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-phase polycrystalline SrBi5Ti4CrO18 and SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 were synthesized by a modified Pechini method. Both samples have an orthorhombic structure with the space group B2cb. The valence state of Cr is suggested to be +3 and the Co ions exist in the form of Co2+ and Co3+ based on the results of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sample SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 exhibits the paramagnetic state, whereas SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 undergoes a ferrimagnetic transition at 89K originating from the antiferromagnetic coupling of Cr-based and Co-based sublattices. In addition, SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 shows a typical spin-glass behavior below 89K with zν =6.02 and τ0=(1.75±0.33)x10-14 s as evidenced by the results of the frequency dependence of ac susceptibility and magnetic relaxation measurements. In particular, both the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 exhibit the characteristics of dielectric relaxation around 89K with the activation energy of (0.14±0.02) eV, which can be ascribed to the electron hopping of Co2+-VO-Co3+ through the bridging oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition-metal dichalcogenides provided a good platform for the investigation of superconductivity and charge-density-wave (CDW) order. A series of high quality 6R-TaS2-xSex (0≤x≤1.6) single crystals were fabricated by the chemical-vapor-transport method and systematically investigated. The CDW becomes more stable with more S being replaced by Se, which causes expansion of the lattice, and produces a negative chemical pressure in the system. The x dependence of the onset of superconductivity (Tconset) shows a dome-like shape with a maximum of Tconset=2.7K at x=0.8. The magnetic susceptibility (4πχ) of x=0.8 under the hydrostatic pressure P=1.0 GPa was also measured, which showed a small increase of Tc and superconducting volume fraction. A pronounced peak effect was observed in the isothermal hysteresis with magnetic field (H) parallel to c-axis, which may arise from the quenching inhomogeneity and/or the stacking disorder. Finally, the evolution of the electronic states tuned by Se-doping was summarized in the phase diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the structural, magnetic, dielectric properties, and scaling behaviors of Aurivillius compounds Bi6-x/3Fe2Ti3-2x(WCo)xO18 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.15). The room-temperature weak ferromagnetism is observed for the W/Co co-doped samples. The results of the dielectric constant εr, complex impedance Z", the dc conductivity σdc, and hopping frequency fH manifest that the dielectric relaxation of the x = 0 sample and the doped samples in the dielectric anomaly region (450-750 K) can be ascribed to the trap-controlled ac conduction around the doubly ionized oxygen vacancies and the localized hopping process of oxygen vacancies, respectively. The scaling behaviors reveal that the dynamic process of both electrons in the x = 0 sample and oxygen vacancies in the doped samples is temperature independent. The ferroelectric Curie-temperature Tc decreases slightly from 973K to 947K with increasing the doping level of W/Co. In addition, the dielectric loss exhibits a dielectric relaxation above 800K with the rather large activation energies (1.95 eV ⩽ Ea ⩽ 2.72 eV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuprous oxide films have been deposited on quartz substrates by a sol-gel method under various annealing temperatures. The X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman scattering show that all the films are of pure Cu2O phase. From comparison of photoluminescence with 488 and 325 nm laser excitations, the electronic transition energies and intensities present the annealing-temperature dependent behavior. The electronic band structures of the Cu2O film annealed at 800 °C, especially for the contribution of exciton series and high energy transitions, have been investigated by temperature dependent transmittance. The extracted refraction index and the high frequency dielectric constant both abruptly decrease until the temperature rises up to 100 K. Six transitions can be clearly identified and the red shift trend of Eo3-Eo5 transition energies with increasing the temperature can be found. Moreover, the anomalous behavior takes place at about 200K from the Eo6 transition. The singularities indicate that the change in the crystalline and electronic band structure occurs as the temperature near 100K and 200K for the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have successfully synthesized the Aurivillius compounds SrBi5Ti4MnO18 and SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5 Co0.5O18 using a modified Pechini method. Both samples have an orthorhombic structure with the space group B2cb. The valence state of Mn is suggested to be +3 and the doped Co ions exist in the form of Co2+ and Co3+ based on the results of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sample SrBi5Ti4MnO18 exhibits a dominant paramagnetic state with the existence of superparamagnetic state as evidenced by the electron paramagnetic resonance results, whereas SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 undergoes a ferrimagnetic transition at 161K originating from the antiferromagnetic coupling of Co-based and Mn-based sublattices, and a ferromagnetic transition at 45K arising from the Mn3+-O-Co3+ (low spin) interaction. The sample SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 exhibits two dielectric anomalies. One corresponds to a relaxor-like dielectric relaxation which follows the Vogel-Fulcher function and the other dielectric relaxation obeys the Arrhenius law arising from the collective motion of oxygen vacancies. In addition, the sample SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 exhibits a magnetodielectric effect caused by the Maxwell-Wagner effect because of the conductivity of the sample. This is demonstrated by the fact that the activation energy in dielectric loss process is close to that for dc conductivity and the magnetodielectric effect is sensitive to the measured frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the magnetic, dielectric, and magnetodielectric properties of rare-earth-substituted Aurivillius phase Bi6Fe1.4Co0.6Ti3O18. The room-temperature ferromagnetic behavior is observed in all samples, and the rare-earth-substituted samples exhibit an enhanced magnetization. The weak ferromagnetism can be ascribed to the spin canting of the antiferromagnetic coupling of the Fe-based and Co-based sublattices via Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction. The dielectric loss of all samples exhibits two dielectric relaxation peaks corresponding to two different relaxation mechanisms. One relaxation process with Ea = 0.5 eV is related to the hoping process of oxygen vacancies and the other one with Ea = 1.6 eV can be ascribed to the intrinsic conduction. The Gd-doped sample exhibits a remarkable magnetodielectric effect (9.4%) at RT implying this Aurivillius phase may be the potential candidate for magnetodielectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the Ti-doping effect on the charge density wave (CDW) of 1T-TaS2 by combining scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and first-principle calculations. Although the Ti-doping induced phase evolution seems regular with an increase of the doping concentration (x), an unexpected chiral CDW phase is observed in the sample with x = 0.08, in which Ti atoms almost fully occupy the central Ta atoms in the CDW clusters. The emergence of the chiral CDW is proposed to be from the doping-enhanced orbital order. Only when x = 0.08, the possible long-range orbital order can trigger the chiral CDW phase. Compared with other 3d-elements doped 1T-TaS2, the Ti-doping retains the electronic flatband and the corresponding CDW phase, which is a prerequisite for the emergence of chirality. We expect that introducing elements with a strong orbital character may induce a chiral charge order in a broad class of CDW systems. The present results open up another avenue for further exploring the chiral CDW materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-quality (111)-oriented pyrochlore oxide thin films Y2(Hf1-xIrx)2O7 (YHIO) were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The bandgap values of Ir-substituted YHIO thin films for x = 0–0.5 range from 4.6 to 1.9 eV. Taking account of spin orbital coupling and correlation effect (U), the first-principles calculations based on density functional theory were used to intercept this variation. The theoretical results illustrate that the variation is attributed to the lower Ir 5d orbital in energy and stronger orbital hybridization between the oxygen 2p orbital and the Ir 5d orbital near the Fermi surface. These results suggest that we can widely modulate the bandgap through B-site chemical substitution based on the Y2Hf2O7 thin film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an oblique-incidence zero-area Sagnac interferometric microscope for studying spatial and temperature dependence of magneto-optic (MO) effects in samples under cryogenic conditions. The microscope is capable of independently measuring Kerr effects from three Cartesian components of a magnetization and thus can be used to map out the magnetization vector across the sample. For illustration, we present MO Kerr effect images of magnetic domains at 77 K of a LaCrGe3 crystal terminated with an a–c plane (the plane that contains the lattice a-axis and c-axis). We further present measurements of magnetization in these domains from 90 to 77 K during zero-field cooling and field cooling in an external magnetic field from 20 to 150 Oe. The inherently high sensitivity and the capability of detecting a magnetization without external modulation makes such a Sagnac interferometric microscope particularly useful for studying magnetic effects in novel materials at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental and modeling investigations of high βp scenarios on DIII-D and EAST tokamaks show advantages in high energy confinement, avoidance of n = 1 MHD, and core-edge integration with reduced heat flux, making this scenario an attractive option for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor steady-state operation. Experiments show that plasmas with high confinement and high density can be achieved with neutral beam injection on DIII-D (βp ∼ 2.2, βN ∼ 3.5, fBS ∼ 50%, fGw ∼ 1.0, and H98y2 ∼ 1.5) and pure RF power on EAST (βP ∼ 2.0, βN ∼ 1.6, fBS ∼ 50%, fGw ∼ 0.8, and H98y2 > 1.3). By tailoring the current density profile, a q-profile with local (off-axis) negative shear is achieved, which yields improved confinement and MHD stability. Transport analysis and simulation suggest that the combination of a high density gradient and high Shafranov shift allows turbulence stabilization and higher confinement. Using on-axis Electron Cyclotron Heating injection, tungsten accumulation is avoided on EAST, and this is reproduced in modeling. Reduced heat flux (by > 40%) and maintenance of high core confinement is achieved with active feedback control of the radiated divertor, an important result for long pulse operation in tokamaks. The improved physics understanding and validated modeling tools are used to design a 1 GW steady-state scenario for CFETR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I report experimental methods for measuring real and imaginary parts of the linear electric quadrupole susceptibility tensor of nonlinear optical crystals that lack inversion centers. The third-ranked tensor is related to the corresponding second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor. For opaque materials such as GaAs, the methods involve normal-incidence reflectivity difference detection schemes. For transparent materials, quadrupole susceptibility tensor elements may be measured with similarly construed transmission difference detection schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous experimental work has shown that a phase transition in C60 multifragmentation induced by nanosecond laser occurs at almost constant temperature covering a wide range of laser fluency. Here the relative yields of ionic fragments (IFs) Cn+ (n = 1-20) resulting from the multifragmentation are measured within the phase transition region. By excluding two small IFs and magic IFs due to their abnormal behavior, the data for residual IFs are used to estimate the size distributions of primary intermediate-mass IFs in the multifragmentation regime. The distributions are found to obey power laws n- T . Furthermore, the exponent T values have sensitive dependence on lower laser fluency and converge to a constant of about 2.4 ± 0.2 for larger fluencies. These observations are in good agreement with an explanation based on the Fisher droplet model, offering the tantalizing possibility of a liquid-to-gas phase transition in C60 systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin glass behavior and exchange bias effect have been observed in antiferromagnetic SrMn3O6-x nanoribbons synthesized via a self-sacrificing template process. The magnetic field dependence of thermoremanent magnetization and isothermal remanent magnetization shows that the sample is good correspondence to spin glass and diluted antiferromagnetic system for the applied field H<2 T and H>2 T, respectively. By detailed analysis of training effect using Binek's model, we argue that the observed exchange bias effect in SrMn3O6-x nanoribbons arises entirely from an interface exchange coupling between the antiferromagnetic core and spin glass shell. The present study is useful for understanding the nature of shell layer and the origin of exchange bias effect in other antiferromagnetic nanosystems as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the structural, magnetic, and electrical properties of charge-spin co-doped Ba1-x-yLax+yTi1-xMxO3 (M = Cr, Fe, and Co). For Ba1-x-yLax+yTi1-xCrxO3, carrier doping induces short-range ferromagnetism, and we find a large negative magnetoresistance in these compounds. However, for Ba1-x-yLax+yTi1-xMxO3 (M = Fe and Co), the magnetism does not seem to couple with the charge carriers. The transport properties of Ba1-x-yLax+yTi1-xCrxO3 can be described by a three-dimensional variable-range-hopping model that implies itinerant charge carriers, whereas almost all the samples of Ba1-x-yLax+yTi1-xMxO3 (M = Fe and Co) exhibit high resistivity. It is known that only the itinerant charge carriers can enhance the coupling of two isolated magnetic ions. Therefore, there is almost no long-range ferromagnetism in the studied system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a quantum paraelectric (QP) to dipolar glass (DG) phase transition induced by Sc substitution in ferrimagnetic hexaferrite BaFe 12 − x Sc x O 19 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2.4) single crystals. The DG behavior is revealed via anisotropic dielectric spectroscopy, polarization, and specific heat measurements. The phase evolution from QP to DG (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1.2) and finally to the nonpolar state (x ≥ 2.4) with increasing x is found to be due to the competition between the enhanced polar instability by lattice volume expansion and disordered/frustrated dipole-dipole interaction induced by the partial replacement of Sc 3 + for Fe 3 + in the bipyramids. Our results suggest further experimental clues to realize possible multiferroicity with strong displacive ferroelectricity in BaFe 12 O 19 and other magnetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 and BiFe0.93Mn0.07O3/Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 heterostructure thin-film capacitors were deposited onto LaNiO3 buffered fluorophlogopite mica substrates using a cost-effective all-solution chemical solution deposition method. The Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 film showed a high recoverable energy storage density (Ure) of 41.2 J/cm3 and efficiency (η) of 79.1%. The BiFe0.93Mn0.07O3/Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 film showed improved energy storage properties with an ultrahigh Ure of 52.6 J/cm3 and η of 75.9% due to its enhanced breakdown field strength and polarization. Meanwhile, both films showed good mechanical flexibility, excellent fatigue endurance up to 5 × 108 cycles, and excellent thermal stability over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 160 °C. These results indicate that the lead-free, flexible Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 and BiFe0.93Mn0.07O3/Ba2Bi4Ti5O18 heterostructure thin film capacitors show promise in the field of flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial BaSnO3 (BSO) thin films doped with different rare-earth elements (La, Pr, and Nd) were prepared by a simple solution deposition method. Grain size engineering through processing was achieved to tune both lateral and vertical grain sizes, resulting in obvious increments in carrier mobility. Improved performance with the room-temperature mobility exceeding 35 cm2 V−1 s−1 and resistivity as low as 0.55 mΩ cm was realized. The results will open a low-cost route for preparation of large-area BSO thin films with improved optoelectronic properties through the solution method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]