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At least 37 records · Page 2

Stoichiometry–Induced Ferromagnetism in Altermagnetic Candidate MnTe

The field of spintronics has seen a surge of interest in altermagnetism due to novel predictions and many possible applications. MnTe is a leading altermagnetic candidate that is of significant interest across spintronics due to its layered antiferromagnetic structure, high Neel temperature (T N ≈ 310 K) and semiconducting properties. The results on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown MnTe/InP(111) films are presented. Here, it is found that the electronic and magnetic properties are driven by the natural stoichiometry of MnTe. Electronic transport and in situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy show the films are natively metallic with the Fermi level in the valence band and the band structure is in good agreement with first-principles calculations for altermagnetic spin-splitting. Neutron diffraction confirms that the film is antiferromagnetic with planar anisotropy and polarized neutron reflectometry indicates weak ferromagnetism, which is linked to a slight Mn-richness that is intrinsic to the MBE-grown samples. Further, when combined with the anomalous Hall effect, this work shows that the electronic response is strongly affected by the ferromagnetic moment. Altogether, this highlights potential mechanisms for controlling altermagnetic ordering for diverse spintronic applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND

Electrostatic Superlattices Beyond 1:1 Stoichiometry

ABSTRACT Exotic nanoparticle superstructures can be accessed by harnessing nanoparticle softness and charge regulation, features often viewed as obstacles to structural control. Here, we show that regulated charge mismatch in polymer‐grafted nanoparticles enables the assembly of high‐stoichiometry cubic superlattices. By co‐tuning grafting density, particle size, and bulk composition, we realize ionic‐lattice analogues, such as and , as well as single‐component and superlattices without atomic counterparts. The superlattice has recently been identified theoretically as a photonic band‐gap lattice. These phases emerge from a 1:1 “parent” lattice when local charge neutrality cannot be satisfied, driving either progressive interstitial filling or reorganization into a larger basis. For instance, the systematic occupation of ZnS tetrahedral sites yields , while ligand‐swapping symmetry breaking converts CsCl into . Upon heating, the assemblies exhibit reversible lattice contraction and pronounced negative thermal expansion. Furthermore, the energetic penalty for defects increases with nanoparticle size, facilitating the scalable production of high‐quality, open superlattices for photonic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Effect of Stoichiometry on the Structure and Polarization of BaTiO 3

Barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) is a material of interest for photonic device applications due to its strong optical non-linearity. However, BaTiO 3 -based devices have not found widespread adoption, in part due to the challenges associated with synthesizing high quality thin-films. Here, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) imaging is used to investigate the atomic structure of both on- and off-stoichiometric BaTiO 3 synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Here, this investigation reveals an asymmetry in the way the BaTiO 3 atomic lattice accommodates off-stoichiometry growth and unveils features beyond what is expected from diffraction or surface characterization techniques. Excess titanium incorporates into the BaTiO 3 lattice to form pervasive defects despite titanium-rich films having a low surface roughness and high-quality appearance in diffraction. Excess barium forms a rough, water-soluble surface layer but does not significantly impact the quality of the BaTiO 3 lattice. STEM is used to map titanium atom displacement in real-space. The average displacement distance is 30–60 pm in the strained thin-films, higher than the <20 pm displacement in bulk BaTiO 3 . Additionally, the titanium atom displacement direction deviates from the c-axis of the unit cell, which may have implications for the material's electro-optic tensor and thus for electro-optic device design.

Cavanagh, Ashley E. [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA

Effect of stoichiometry and hydration level on water domain size and transport in poly(aryl piperidinium) alkaline anion-exchange membranes

Alkaline water electrolysis holds promise in decarbonizing the global economy by enabling renewable hydrogen production with non-precious group metal catalysts. Anion exchange membranes are an important component of alkaline water electrolyzers and would ideally be durable while allowing for high hydroxide conductivity. The poly(aryl piperidinium) (PAP) class of polymers has attracted recent interest due to their good mechanical robustness and high ionic conductivity. Here, in this work, we perform atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of several PAP polymers at experimentally relevant hydration levels and polymer ion exchange capacities (IECs) to gain nanoscale insight into their properties and to help elucidate the trade-offs that result from tuning the IECs through the polymer stoichiometry. Our MD-predicted macroscopic polymer properties were found to be in good agreement with experimentally available polymer swelling ratios, water-occupied volumes, X-ray scattering, and ionic conductivities. The models show that for hydration levels greater than 8H 2 O per cation a single water cluster will form that percolates through the system. The growth in water cluster size results in large polymer swelling, the creation of larger channels with widths of 7 Å or larger, and nanophase separation between the hydrophilic domains and the polymer with characteristic length scales of approximately 20–30 Å. The experimentally observed lack of a strong X-ray scattering peak at low wavevectors can be explained by a cancellation between the polymer-polymer/water-water and polymer-water correlations and not a loss in nanophase separation. The overlap in coordination environments of the hydroxide oxygen and polymer nitrogen atoms implies that vehicular diffusion between cationic groups could play a role in hydroxide transport. The polymers' hydroxide and water diffusion constants increase by approximately an order of magnitude between hydration levels of 8 and 20H 2 O per cation. However, there are diminishing returns in hydroxide diffusion constant once the IEC exceeds 2.4 meq/g.

08 HYDROGEN

Non-stoichiometry Governs the Pathway from Amorphous to Crystalline Calcium Carbonate

The controlled crystallization of calcium carbonate underlies the elaborate architectures of marine corals, the design of biomimetic materials, and the global carbon cycle. Despite its ubiquity, the chemical mechanisms that govern the crystallization of calcium carbonate from its amorphous precursor, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), remain elusive, largely due to the difficulty in resolving the structure and chemistry of this transient amorphous state. Here, we use time-lapse photography, image analysis, spatially resolved pH determination, in situ synchrotron pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to reveal pervasive compositional variability in ACC that underpins its metastability and crystallization. By evaluating the kinetics of the amorphous-to-crystalline transition across different solution chemistries, we demonstrate that ACC is non-stoichiometric and CO 3 -deficient. Counterions from the precursor (e.g., NO 3 - from Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ) substitute into the ACC network, displacing CO 3 ions and mediating both ACC stability and transformation. Crystallization proceeds through refinement of the stoichiometry toward CaCO 3 and uptake of free CO 3 2- anions. Furthermore, these findings are consistent across a wide range of concentrations and different carbonate sources, explaining the diverse behaviors observed for ACC and providing a chemical framework for controlling calcium carbonate crystallization.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

Effects of stoichiometry and epitaxial strain on the stabilization of infinite-layer nickelates

The discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates has sparked great interest due to their potential analogy with the unconventional cuprate superconductors. However, investigations of this system have been limited by the challenges in materials control and synthesis driven by substantial thermodynamic instability, making it difficult to reach an experimental consensus. Hence, establishing a robust synthetic route to highly crystalline infinite-layer nickelates is of paramount importance. Here, we present and discuss recent progress on the reproducible two-step synthesis of (Nd,Sr)NiO2 via the stabilization of high-quality perovskite nickelates and the subsequent topotactic transition to the infinite-layer phase. In particular, we discuss the important factors, such as cation stoichiometry and epitaxial strain, which significantly impact the crystallinity of both phases, accompanied by careful structural characterization. These results on robust synthesis can help accelerate the experimental investigation of the intrinsic physical properties of these complex strongly correlated materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Stoichiometry-controlled compensation in liquid encapsulated Czochralski GaAs

It is shown that the electrical compensation of undoped GaAs grown by the liquid encapsulated Czochralski technique is controlled by the melt stoichiometry. The concentration of the deep donor EL2 in the crystal depends on the As concentration in the melt, increasing from about 5 x 10 to the 15th per cu cm to 1.7 x 10 to the 16th per cu cm as the As atom fraction increases from 0.48 to 0.51. Furthermore, it is shown that the free-carrier concentration of semi-insulating GaAs is determined by the relative concentrations of EL2 and carbon acceptors. As a result, semi-insulating material can be obtained only above a critical As concentration (0.475-atom fraction in the material here) where the concentration of EL2 is sufficient to compensate residual acceptors. Below the critical As concentration the material is p type due to excess acceptors.

Holmes, D. E.

Effect of melt stoichiometry on twin formation in LEC GaAs

It is shown that the incidence of twin formation in large diameter, undoped, (100) LEC GaAs is reduced when the melt composition is slightly As-rich. Twenty GaAs crystals were grown from stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric melts. The results suggest that the barrier to twin formation is related to the stoichiometry of the solid at the solidification front.

Chen, R. T.

Rare earth chalcogenide stoichiometry determination

Rare earth chalcogenides, and particularly lanthanum sulfide, are currently explored as candidate materials for thermoelectric applications. Since the electrical properties of LaS(x) are largely determined by its stoichiometry, a simple and accurate method has been developed for determining the value of x. The procedure involves dissolving a weighted sample in acid and measuring the amount of hydrogen evolved by the lanthanum that is in excess of the 1.500 ratio of S/La. The analytical error in the determination of x in LaS(x) is about 0.001.

Lockwood, R. A.

Growth of III-V films by control of MBE growth front stoichiometry

For the growth of strain-layer materials and high quality single and multiple quantum wells, the instantaneous control of growth front stoichiometry is critical. The process of the invention adjusts the offset or phase of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) control shutters to program the instantaneous arrival or flux rate of In and As4 reactants to grow InAs. The interrupted growth of first In, then As4, is also a key feature.

Grunthaner, Frank J.

The control of stoichiometry in Epitaxial semiconductor structures. Interfacial Chemistry: Property relations. A workshop review

A workshop on the control of stoichiometry in epitaxial semiconductor structures was held on August 21-26, 1995 in the hotel Stutenhaus at Vesser in Germany. The secluded location of the workshop in the forest of Thuringia and its informal style stimulated extensive private discussions among the participants and promoted new contacts between young scientists from Eastern and Western Europe and the USA. Topics addressed by the presentations were interactions of precursors to heteroepitaxy and doping with the substrate surface, the control of interfacial properties under the conditions of heteroepitaxy for selected materials systems, methods of characterization of interfaces and native point defects in semiconductor heterostructures and an in depth evaluation of the present status of the control and characterization of the point defect chemistry for one specific semiconductor (ZnGeP2), including studies of both heterostructures and bulk single crystals. The selected examples of presentations and comments given here represent individual choices - made by the author to highlight major points of the discussions.

Bachmann, Klaus J.

Vapor-Phase Stoichiometry and Heat Treatment of CdTe Starting Material for Physical Vapor Transport

Six batches of CdTe, having total amounts of material from 99 to 203 g and gross mole fraction of Te, X(sub Te), 0.499954-0.500138, were synthesized from pure Cd and Te elements. The vapor-phase stoichiometry of the assynthesized CdTe batches was determined from the partial pressure of Te2, P(sub Te2) using an optical absorption technique. The measured vapor compositions at 870 C were Te-rich for all of the batches with partial pressure ratios of Cd to Te2, P(sub Cd)/P(sub Te2), ranging from 0.00742 to 1.92. After the heat treatment of baking under dynamic vacuum at 870 C for 8 min, the vapor-phase compositions moved toward that of the congruent sublimation, i.e. P(sub Cd)/P(sub Te2) = 2.0, with the measured P(sub Cd)/P(sub Te2) varying from 1.84 to 3.47. The partial pressure measurements on one of the heat-treated samples also showed that the sample remained close to the congruent sublimation condition over the temperature range 800-880 C.

Su, Ching-Hua

Stoichiometry of the large conductance bacterial mechanosensitive channel of E. coli. A biochemical study

MscL, a 15 kDa transmembrane protein, is the only component involved in the formation of a 3 nS channel in the inner membrane of Escherichia coli that opens in response to mechanical or osmotic stress. While previous data had suggested that the functional MscL complex might be a hexamer, a recent crystallographic study of the MscL homologue from M. tuberculosis reveals a pentameric structure. The present work further examines the stoichiometry of the E. coli MscL using a variety of biochemical approaches. Detergent-purified 6His-MscL in solution and MscL in the membrane could be chemically crosslinked with the products displaying ladderlike patterns on SDS gels. Three crosslinking agents (EDC, DMS, and DMA) used at saturating concentrations invariably generated pentamers as the largest product. DSS produced additional bands corresponding to larger complexes although the pentamer band appeared to be the predominant product at high levels of crosslinker. It is not clear whether these extra bands reflect a difference in the crosslinking chemistry of DSS or whether its spacer arm is the longest of those used, or a combination of both facts. For the detergent-solubilized 6His-MscL both sedimentation equilibrium and gel chromatography showed the presence of multiple species. Thus the longer spacer arm could permit both intra- and intercomplex linkages. Nonetheless, the patterns obtained with all agents are consistent with and strongly suggest a pentameric organization for the MscL channel. Expression of MscL as genetically engineered double or triple subunit tandems yields low numbers of functional channels as compared to expressed monomers. The double-tandem assemblies must have an even number of subunits and crosslinking in the membrane confirmed hexamerization. Gel chromatography clearly demonstrated that the channels formed from the double tandems were larger than those formed from WT MscL, consistent with the native channel being pentameric. The observation that both double and triple tandems form channels of normal conductance implies that the pentameric assembly is to some degree independent of the number of subunit repeats in the polypeptide precursor. The channel is thus a pentameric core with the 'extra' subunits left out of the functional complex. From sedimentation equilibrium and size-exclusion chromatography, we also conclude that MscL complexes are not in a dynamic equilibrium with monomers, but are pre-assembled; and thus, their gating properties must result from changes in the conformation of the entire complex induced by the mechanical stress.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology

Cryogenic Extension of NASA Species Polynomials Using Hydrogen and Oxygen at Stoichiometry

The Helmholtz free energy for a mixture has been used in many chemistry and combustion studies for mixtures. An approach is described where polynomial fits intended for a thermally perfect ideal gases can be modified and implemented into a Helmholtz free energy model, such as those used by NIST in their REFPROP program. However, the limitation of the polynomial fits must be respected and should only used in a valid temperature interval where the flow field can be treated as a thermally perfect ideal gas when these species are present. This approach can allow a CFD simulation to have cryogenic regions of a flow field where high fidelity cryogenic species models are needed and allows for the use of species in other areas at higher temperatures where combustion species do not have such a model available or is not needed. Presented in the paper are CFD 1D detonation wave and species mass fraction simulation results which have cryogenic upstream conditions of Hydrogen and Oxygen at stoichiometry.

Combustion

Growth and Characterization of Epitaxial FeWO 4 Thin Films with Controlled Oxygen Stoichiometry

Here, we report the growth of single-phase epitaxial FeWO 4 thin films, using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and investigate structural, optical, and electronic properties. The FeWO 4 films grow in (100) orientation on c-plane sapphire (0001) substrates and exhibit 3 rotational twin variants where FeWO 4 [001] is aligned to sapphire [100] equivalent in-plane directions. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the epitaxial FeWO 4 (100) structure is optimized when 80-100 W of rf power is applied to an atomic oxygen source during growth, yielding films with minimal strain and impurity phases or other orientations. In films grown with 120 W of rf power, FeWO 4 crystallites develop inhomogeneous and homogeneous strains and are potentially contaminated with Fe 3+ oxide phase impurities. In films grown with 60 W of rf power, FeWO 4 crystallites do not form fully epitaxial layers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the structural changes are correlated with the Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ oxidation state ratio increasing from 0.6-1.4 with rf power from 60-120 W. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that the Fe/W composition ratio is also increasing from 1.1-1.8 with rf power from 60-120 W. Ultraviolet and visible optical absorption spectra indicate a 1.8 ± 0.1 eV band gap with an additional interband absorption feature at 3.1 ± 0.1 eV in the 80-100 W films, with similar onsets observed in the 60 W films. In the 120 W films, the higher lying transition is shifted to 2.7 ± 0.1 eV due to the Fe 3+ enrichment. Electrical resistivity decreases over 2 orders of magnitude with oxidation from 10 4 -10 5 Ω cm in 60 W films to 120 ± 10 Ω cm in 120 W films. Thermopower measurements show p-type to n-type conductivity conversion when oxidation states shift from Fe 2+ majority in the 100 W films to Fe 3+ majority in the 120 W films. We conclude that electron polaron hopping driven by Fe 3+ is a dominant transport mechanism and a source of n-type conductivity in overoxidized FeWO 4 films.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH

Ring Size Effects on the Structures of Sandwich Compounds with a Stoichiometry of C 12 H 12 M (M = Ti–Ni)

Ring size effects on geometries and electronic structures were investigated for the (C n H n )M(C m H m ) (n = 4, 5, or 6; m = 8, 7, or 6; m + n = 12; M = Ti–Ni) systems using density functional theory. The lowest-energy C 12 H 12 M structures for the early transition metals titanium, vanadium, and chromium are the experimentally known singlet (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Ti(η 7 -C 7 H 7 ), doublet (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )V(η 7 -C 7 H 7 ), and singlet (η 6 -C 6 H 6 ) 2 Cr, respectively. The likewise experimentally known singlet (η 6 -C 6 H 6 ) 2 Ti, doublet (η 6 -C 6 H 6 ) 2 V, and singlet (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Cr(η 7 -C 7 H 7 ) are the secondlowest- energy structures with only a small energy difference between the two vanadium structures. For the later transition metals, dibenzenemetal complexes are the lowest-energy C 12 H 12 M species with two fully bonded hexahapto benzene rings in the lowest-energy manganese and iron derivatives and one hexahapto and one dihapto benzene ring in the lowest-energy cobalt and nickel derivatives. The lowest-energy (C 5 H 5 )M(C 7 H 7 ) structures for the later transition metals iron, cobalt, and nickel have partially bonded nonplanar C 7 H 7 rings with one or two uncomplexed C=C bonds. The (C 4 H 4 )M(C 8 H 8 ) (M = Ti–Ni) structures with the metal sandwiched between four- and eight-membered rings were found to be much higher in energy than their (C 5 H 5 )M(C 7 H 7 ) and (C 6 H 6 ) 2 M isomers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH