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We present a benchmarking protocol that combines the characterization of boron nitride (BN) crystals and films with the evaluation of the electronic properties of graphene on these substrates. Our study includes hBN crystals grown under different conditions and scalable BN films deposited by either chemical or physical vapor deposition (CVD or PVD). We explore the complete process from boron nitride growth, over its optical characterization by time-resolved cathodoluminescence (TRCL), to the optical and electronic characterization of graphene by Raman spectroscopy after encapsulation and Hall bar processing. Within our benchmarking protocol we achieve a homogeneous electronic performance within each Hall bar device through a fast and reproducible processing routine. We find that a free exciton lifetime of 1 ns measured on as-grown hBN crystals by TRCL is sufficient to achieve high graphene room temperature charge carrier mobilities of 80,000 cm$^2$/(Vs) at a carrier density of |n| = 10$^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$, while respective exciton lifetimes around 100 ps yield mobilities up to 30,000 cm$^2$/(Vs). For scalable PVD-grown BN films, we measure carrier mobilities exceeding 10,000 cm$^2$/(Vs) which correlates with a graphene Raman 2D peak linewidth of 22 cm$^{-1}$. Our work highlights the importance of the Raman 2D linewidth of graphene as a critical metric that effectively assesses the interface quality (i.e. surface roughness) to the BN substrate, which directly affects the charge carrier mobility of graphene. Graphene 2D linewidth analysis is suitable for all BN substrates and is particularly advantageous when TRCL or BN Raman spectroscopy cannot be applied to specific BN materials such as amorphous or thin films. This underlines the superior role of spatially-resolved spectroscopy in the evaluation of BN crystals and films for the use of high-mobility graphene devices., Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures

Graphene-hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) scalable heterostructures are pivotal for the development of graphene-based high-tech applications. In this work, we demonstrate the realization of high-quality graphene-hBN heterostructures entirely obtained with scalable approaches. hBN continuous films were grown via ion beam-assisted physical vapor deposition directly on commercially available $SiO_2/Si$ and used as receiving substrates for graphene single-crystal matrixes grown by chemical vapor deposition on copper. The structural, chemical, and electronic properties of the heterostructure were investigated by atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical transport measurements. We demonstrate graphene carrier mobilities exceeding $10,000 cm^2/Vs$ in ambient conditions, 30% higher than those directly measured on $SiO_{2}/Si$. We prove the scalability of our approach by measuring more than 100 transfer length method devices over a centimeter scale, which present an average carrier mobility of $7500 \pm 850 cm^{2}/Vs$. The reported high-quality all-scalable heterostructures are of relevance for the development of graphene-based high-performing electronic and optoelectronic applications.

The orthorhombic compound AuSn4 is compositionally similar to the Dirac node arc semimetal PtSn$_4$. AuSn$_4$ is, contrary to PtSn$_4$, superconducting with a critical temperature of T$_c$ = 2.35 K. Recent measurements present indications for quasi two-dimensional superconducting behavior in AuSn$_4$. Here we present measurements of the superconducting density of states and the band structure of AuSn$_4$ through Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Angular Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES). The superconducting gap values in different portions of the Fermi surface are spread around {\Delta}0 = 0.4 meV, which is close to but somewhat larger than $\Delta =$ 1.76kBT$_c$ expected from BCS theory. We observe superconducting features in the tunneling conductance at the surface up to temperatures about 20% larger than bulk Tc. The band structure calculated with Density Functional Theory (DFT) follows well the results of ARPES. The crystal structure presents two possible stackings of Sn layers, giving two nearly degenerate polytypes. This makes AuSn$_4$ a rather unique case with a three dimensional electronic band structure but properties ressembling those of low dimensional layered compounds.

Paper has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of electronic components. In fact, paper is 10 000 times cheaper than crystalline silicon, motivating the research to integrate electronic materials on paper substrates. Among the different electronic materials, van der Waals materials are attracting the interest of the scientific community working on paper-based electronics because of the combination of high electrical performance and mechanical flexibility. Up to now, different methods have been developed to pattern conducting, semiconducting and insulating van der Waals materials on paper but the integration of superconductors remains elusive. Here, the deposition of NbSe2, an illustrative van der Waals superconductor, on standard copy paper is demonstrated. The deposited NbSe2 films on paper display superconducting properties (e.g. observation of Meissner effect and resistance drop to zero-resistance state when cooled down below its critical temperature) similar to those of bulk NbSe2., Comment: 6 figures in main text, 8 figures in Supp. Info

Laboratory astrochemistry aims at simulating in the laboratory some of the chemical and physical processes that operate in different regions of the Universe. Amongst the diverse astrochemical problems that can be addressed in the laboratory, the evolution of cosmic dust grains in the different regions of the interstellar medium (ISM) and its role in the formation of new chemical species through catalytic processes present significant interest. In particular, in the dark clouds of the ISM dust grains are coated by icy mantles and it is thought that the ice-dust interaction plays a crucial role in the development of the chemical complexity observed in space. Here, we present a new ultra-high vacuum experimental station devoted to simulate the complex conditions of the coldest regions of the ISM. The INFRA-ICE machine can be operated as a standing alone setup or incorporated in a larger experimental station called Stardust, which is dedicated to simulate the formation of cosmic dust in evolved stars. As such, INFRA-ICE expands the capabilities of Stardust allowing the simulation of the complete journey of cosmic dust in space, from its formation in asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs) to its processing and interaction with icy mantles in molecular clouds. To demonstrate some of the capabilities of INFRA-ICE, we present selected results on the UV photochemistry of undecane (C$_{11}$H$_{24}$) at 14 K. Aliphatics are part of the carbonaceous cosmic dust and, recently, aliphatics and short n-alkanes have been detected in-situ in the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

A gel consists of a network of particles or molecules formed for example using the sol-gel process, by which a solution transforms into a porous solid. Particles or molecules in a gel are mainly organized on a scaffold that makes up a porous system. Quantized vortices in type II superconductors mostly form spatially homogeneous ordered or amorphous solids. Here we present high-resolution imaging of the vortex lattice displaying dense vortex clusters separated by sparse or entirely vortex-free regions in $\beta$-Bi$_2$Pd superconductor. We find that the intervortex distance diverges upon decreasing the magnetic field and that vortex lattice images follow a multifractal behavior. These properties, characteristic of gels, establish the presence of a novel vortex distribution, distinctly different from the well-studied disordered and glassy phases observed in high-temperature and conventional superconductors. The observed behavior is caused by a scaffold of one-dimensional structural defects with enhanced stress close to the defects. The vortex gel might often occur in type-II superconductors at low magnetic fields. Such vortex distributions should allow to considerably simplify control over vortex positions and manipulation of quantum vortex states.