Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Charged defects”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3

The critical role of synthesis conditions on small polaron carrier concentrations in hematite—A first-principles study

Achieving highly efficient energy conversion with transition metal oxides necessitates overcoming conductivity limitations due to the formation of small polarons. Detailed understanding of the interplay among intrinsic defects, dopants, and electron polarons can help devise strategies for achieving higher carrier concentrations, therefore improving carrier conductivity. This work employs first-principles calculations to reliably predict electron polaron concentrations in a prominent polaronic oxide, hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ), by resolving interactions between charged defects and electron polarons and keeping charge neutrality condition among all charged species. This work addresses that both V O and Fe i can be primary donors in undoped hematite depending on the synthesis conditions, such as synthesis temperature and oxygen partial pressure, despite the fact that V O owns an extremely high ionization energy compared to k B T. Furthermore, from calculations of a plethora of n-type dopants (group IV and V elements), we find that Ti, Ge, Sb, and Nb are able to raise electron polaron concentrations in hematite significantly without considering dopant clustering. However, the magnitude of electron polaron concentration increase would be smaller if the dopant has a high tendency of clustering, such as Ti. Here we reveal the critical role of synthesis conditions on tuning electron polaron concentrations of both undoped and doped hematite. Our theoretical analysis provides important insights and general design principles for engineering more conductive polaronic oxides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

External charge compensation in etched gallium nitride measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Electronic states at GaN surfaces and at regrowth and heteroepitaxy interfaces inhibit electronic device performance. Understanding electronic state configuration at the GaN surface is, therefore, crucial for the development of GaN-based devices, which are currently of considerable interest in power electronic applications. GaN and other wurtzite III-nitrides possess large spontaneous polarization along the c-axis, producing a bound sheet charge at the surface, which affects the electronic state configuration through the formation of internal and external compensation charges. Defects induced by conventional plasma-based dry etching methods may inhibit the internal screening of this bound charge and thus increase the concentration of external charged states. The surface band bending of n-type Ga-face GaN (0001) was measured with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy after inductively coupled plasma etching to investigate the impact of dry etching on external charge compensation. GaN samples were etched using inductively coupled plasma with varying rf power and a novel plasma-enhanced atomic layer etching method using an oxidation, fluorination, and ligand-exchange mechanism. The band bending varied from 0.0 to 0.8 ± 0.1 eV for the samples measured.

Hatch, Kevin A. (ORCID:0000000283118623)↗

Magnetic Response of Excitons and Excitonic Complexes in Defective Hexyl Ammonium Lead Iodide Self-Assembled Quantum Wells

Correlating the magnetic behavior of low-dimensional semiconductors with the chemistry used to form these excitonic materials remains crucial to the development of devices applied to quantum technologies. In this study, we apply large magnetic fields during the collection of low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) to assess the magnetic properties of excitons in hexyl ammonium lead iodide (HA 2 PbI 4 ) self-assembled quantum wells (SAQWs) formed at liquid−liquid interfaces. The effect of incident laser power and temperature was used to assign lower energy features in these samples’ PL spectra to both excitons trapped at defect sites and trions. Measured peaks shifts allow us to estimate coupling between the applied magnetic fields and the charged defect excitons. Our conclusions are supported by density functional theory calculations on supercells of the proposed defective HA 2 PbI 4 SAQW structure. Additionally, we find an anomalous magnetic response from trion states that resembles the behavior of interacting excitonic complexes in similar, quantum-confined materials at low temperatures. These results highlight the crucial role that chemical conditions can play in the magnetic response of 2D semiconductors applied in quantum technologies.

defect chemistry↗

Mechanistic Investigation of Molybdenum Disulfide Defect Photoluminescence Quenching by Adsorbed Metallophthalocyanines

Lattice defects play an important role in determining the optical and electrical properties of monolayer semiconductors such as MoS 2 . Although the structures of various defects in monolayer MoS 2 are well studied, little is known about the nature of the fluorescent defect species and their interaction with molecular adsorbates. In this study, the quenching of the low-temperature defect photoluminescence (PL) in MoS 2 is investigated following the deposition of metallophthalocyanines (MPcs). The quenching is found to significantly depend on the identity of the phthalocyanine metal, with the quenching efficiency decreasing in the order CoPc > CuPc > ZnPc, and almost no quenching by metal-free H 2 Pc is observed. Futher, time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements corroborate the observed trend, indicating a decrease in the defect PL lifetime upon MPc adsorption, and the gate voltage-dependent PL reveals the suppression of the defect emission even at large Fermi level shifts. Density functional theory modeling argues that the MPc complexes stabilize dark negatively charged defects over luminescent neutral defects through an electrostatic local gating effect. These results demonstrate the control of defectbased excited-state decay pathways via molecular electronic structure tuning, which has broad implications for the design of mixeddimensional optoelectronic devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Physics-Based Model to Represent Membrane-Electrode Assemblies of Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells Based on Gadolinium-Doped Ceria

This paper reports a physics-based model that predicts membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) performance of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 2− δ (GDC10) electrolyte membranes. The paper derives self-consistent thermodynamic and transport properties for GDC1o mobile charged defects (oxide vacancies and reduced-ceria small polarons) by fitting published measurements of oxygen non-stoichiometry and conductivity over ranges of temperature and O 2 partial pressures. The button-cell model is applied to evaluate how mixed ionic-electronic conductivity influences the performance of an SOFC MEA with a GDC10 electrolyte sandwiched between a porous, composite Ni-GDC10 anode and a porous, composite cathode of Sm 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3− δ (i.e., SSC) and GDC10. SSC properties are also derived by fitting published conductivity and oxygen non-stoichiometry measurements. Mixed conductivity of GDC10 and competing charge transfer reactions at both electrodes reduce open circuit voltages due to leakage current and buildup of defect concentrations at electrode-electrolyte interfaces. To fit polarization data, the button-cell model includes heterogeneous reaction rates for defect incorporation on the GDC10 surface along with Butler–Volmer expressions derived for competing charge transfer reaction rates from rigorous analyses assuming rate-limiting, elementary charge transfer reactions for each electrode. The calibrated MEA model can support rigorous SOFC modeling with GDC10 electrolytes over the range of conditions within a fully operating cell.

Electrochemistry↗

Defect physics in 2D monolayer I-VII semiconductor AgI

As a brand new two-dimensional (2D) material with promising electronic properties, monolayer I-VII silver iodide (AgI) has the potential for future 2D electronic devices. To advance the development of such devices, the exploration of n-type and p-type conductivities of AgI is indispensable. With first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the properties of intrinsic defects and extrinsic dopants in monolayer AgI, including atomic structural pictures, formation energies, and ionization energies to offer carriers. Considering the divergence in energies of charged defects in 2D materials when the traditional jellium scheme is used, we adopt an extrapolation approach to overcome the problem. The Ag vacancy (VAg) and Be substitution on Ag site (BeAg) are found to be the most promising p-type and n-type doping candidates, respectively. They could provide bound carriers for transport through the defect-bound band edge states, although the ionization energies are still larger than thermal energy at room temperature. Furthermore, negative-U behaviors are demonstrated in I vacancy (VI), Zn substitution on Ag site (ZnAg), and Cd substitution on Ag site (CdAg). The present work, for the first time, offers a detailed study of the defect physics in 2D I-VII monolayer semiconductor, laying the foundation for subsequent physics and device explorations based on these brand new 2D materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A substitutional quantum defect in WS2 discovered by high-throughput computational screening and fabricated by site-selective STM manipulation

Abstract Point defects in two-dimensional materials are of key interest for quantum information science. However, the parameter space of possible defects is immense, making the identification of high-performance quantum defects very challenging. Here, we perform high-throughput (HT) first-principles computational screening to search for promising quantum defects within WS 2 , which present localized levels in the band gap that can lead to bright optical transitions in the visible or telecom regime. Our computed database spans more than 700 charged defects formed through substitution on the tungsten or sulfur site. We found that sulfur substitutions enable the most promising quantum defects. We computationally identify the neutral cobalt substitution to sulfur ( $${\rm{Co}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{S}}}}}}}}}^{0}$$ Co S 0 ) and fabricate it with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The $${\rm{Co}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{S}}}}}}}}}^{0}$$ Co S 0 electronic structure measured by STM agrees with first principles and showcases an attractive quantum defect. Our work shows how HT computational screening and nanoscale synthesis routes can be combined to design promising quantum defects.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Defect Thermodynamics and Transport Properties of Proton Conducting Oxide BaZr 1–x Y x O 3–δ (x ≤ 0.1) Guided by Density Functional Theory Modeling

Density functional theory-based thermodynamic modeling was performed to determine the effect of humidity and H 2 /O 2 gas pressure on the defect chemistry and transport properties of proton conducting oxide BaZr 1-x Y x O 3-δ (x ≤ 0.1) in the temperature range of 800–1200K, relevant for solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cell applications. The first-principles charge defect analysis was carried out to obtain the defect energetic ensembles as a function of Fermi level as well as the dependence of the hydration and oxidation reaction energies on complex defect-dopant configurations. It is shown that oxygen vacancies introduced to compensate for the extra Ba vacancies may cause a slight increase in the concentration of hydroxyl and proton species upon hydration of Ba deficient BaZr 1-x Y x O 3-δ , while the overall proton diffusivity is predicted to decrease with increased proton hopping barriers upon trapping near the Ba vacancies. The developed defect model is further demonstrated to be able to describe the bulk defect chemistry and transport properties of BaZr 0.9 Y 0.1 O 3-δ under the solid oxide cell operating conditions. Finally, the theoretical framework developed in this work further allows the inclusion of configurational, energetic and electronic characteristics of the defects that can be used as a complementary tool to experimental measurements for testing various mechanistic pathways or to provide essential mechanistic data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ferroelectric Large Polarons and Defect Tolerance in Multi-Component Lead Halide Perovskites

Solvation plays a pivotal role in chemistry and biology. A solid-state analogy of solvation is polaron formation, but the magnitude of Coulomb screening is typically an order-of-magnitude weaker than that of solvation in aqueous solutions. Here the PI aims to explore a new class of polarons, the ferroelectric large polaron, which allows efficient Coulomb screening of an electron or hole by extended ordering of dipoles from symmetry-broken unit cells. This kind of local ordering is reflected in the ferroelectric-like THz dielectric responses of lead halide perovskites (LHPs) and may be partially responsible for their exceptional optoelectronic performances. A charge carrier may be localized to and/or induce the formation of nanoscale domain boundaries of locally ordered dipoles in a ferroelectric or paraelectric material, i.e., crystal structure with polar unit cells or polar fluctuations. The ability to form ferroelectric large polarons can result in the efficient screening of charge carriers from scattering with other charge carriers, with charged defects, and with longitudinal optical phonons, thus contributing to enhanced optoelectronic properties. During the past funding period, the PI has explored efficient charge carrier screening in three-dimensional (3D) LHP crystals and has developed the ferroelectric large polaron model to explain a range of carrier properties in these materials. The PI has also developed a new experimental tool, two-dimensional optical Kerr effect (2D-OKE), which is particularly powerful in probing photophysical properties with exquisite energy resolution at or near the bandgap. During the next funding periods, the PI aims to establish the applicability of the ferroelectric large polaron proposal as a general principle for the design/search of defect tolerant semiconductors in optoelectronics. Preliminary experiments on model semiconductor systems beyond LHPs have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed research.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nanoscale interplay of native point defects near Sr-deficient SrxTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 interfaces

SrTiO 3 has many applications involving interfaces with other materials, but defects that affect the properties of SrTiO 3 films can also play a significant role at its heterointerfaces and even at junctions with nonstoichiometric SrTiO 3 . Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy (DRCLS) combined with systematic cation Sr content reduction in SrxTiO 3 ultrathin films grown on SrTiO 3 showed an interplay of native point defects and electronic structure within the Sr-deficient film and how interplay extends tens of nanometers into the substrate below. Understanding how defects form and affect interface electronic structure during epitaxial growth is central to improving complex oxide devices. Controlling the balance of oxygen vacancy defects with strontium vacancies and other acceptor-like defects can improve control over free carrier densities. Likewise, control over nanoscale defect charge distributions can advance new device features such as two-dimensional hole gases and the performance of existing devices such as ferroelectric tunnel junctions. This study shows how DRCLS directly measures the relative densities and spatial distributions of multiple native defects within and extending away from nanoscale SrxTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 junctions and how their interplay varies with controlled epitaxial growth. In turn, these growth-dependent defect variations can help guide SrTiO 3 epitaxial growth with other complex oxides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

First-principles study of the Stark shift effect on the zero-phonon line of the NV center in diamond

Point defects in semiconductors are attractive candidates for quantum information science applications owing to their ability to act as spin-photon interface or single-photon emitters. However, the coupling between the change of dipole moment upon electronic excitation and stray electric fields in the vicinity of the defect, an effect known as Stark shift, can cause significant spectral diffusion in the emitted photons. In this work, using first principles computations, we revisit the methodology to compute the Stark shift of point defects up to the second order. The approach consists of applying an electric field on a defect in a slab and monitoring the changes in the computed zero-phonon line (i.e., difference in energy between the ground and excited state) obtained from constraining the orbital occupations (constrained-DFT). Here, we study the Stark shift of the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond using this slab approach. We discuss and compare two approaches to ensure a negatively charged defect in a slab and we show that converged values of the Stark shift measured by the change in dipole moment between the ground and excited states (Δ⁢μ) can be obtained. We obtain a Stark shift of Δ⁢μ = 2.68⁢D using the semilocal GGA-PBE functional and of Δ⁢μ = 2.23⁢D using the HSE hybrid functional. These values are in good agreement with experimental results. We also show that modern theory of polarization can be used on constrained-DFT to obtain Stark shifts in very good agreement with the slab computations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Visualizing broken symmetry and topological defects in a quantum Hall ferromagnet

The interaction between electrons in graphene under high magnetic fields drives the formation of a rich set of quantum Hall ferromagnetic (QHFM) phases with broken spin or valley symmetry. Visualizing atomic-scale electronic wave functions with scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), we resolved microscopic signatures of valley ordering in QHFM phases and spectral features of fractional quantum Hall phases of graphene. At charge neutrality, we observed a field-tuned continuous quantum phase transition from a valley-polarized state to an intervalley coherent state, with a Kekulé distortion of its electronic density. Mapping the valley texture extracted from STS measurements of the Kekulé phase, we could visualize valley skyrmion excitations localized near charged defects. Our techniques can be applied to examine valley-ordered phases and their topological excitations in a wide range of materials.

valley symmetry↗

Intrinsic (Trap‐Free) Transistors Based on Epitaxial Single‐Crystal Perovskites

Abstract The first experimental realization of the intrinsic (not dominated by defects) charge conduction regime in lead‐halide perovskite field‐effect transistors (FETs) is reported. The advance is enabled by: i) a new vapor‐phase epitaxy technique that results in large‐area single‐crystalline cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr 3 ) films with excellent structural and surface properties, including atomically flat surface morphology, essentially free from defects and traps at the level relevant to device operation; ii) an extensive materials analysis of these films using a variety of thin‐film and surface probes certifying the chemical and structural quality of the material; and iii) the fabrication of nearly ideal (trap‐free) FETs with characteristics superior to any reported to date. These devices allow the investigation of the intrinsic FET and (gated) Hall‐effect carrier mobilities as functions of temperature. The intrinsic mobility is found to increase on cooling from ≈30 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at room temperature to ≈250 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at 50 K, revealing a band transport limited by phonon scattering. Establishing the intrinsic (phonon‐limited) mobility provides a solid test for theoretical descriptions of carrier transport in perovskites, reveals basic limits to the technology, and points to a path for future high‐performance perovskite electronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Investigation of Defect Physics for Efficient, Durable and Ubiquitous Perovskite Solar Modules (Final Technical Report)

Organometal halide perovskite solar cells have experienced eye-catching improvements in its recent few years. It serves as one of the most promising candidates to replace the currently widely used silicon-based solar modules. To implement its final step to the real application, functional longevity becomes the dernier continent to conquer. As a polycrystalline material, defect plays critical role in the efficiency and stability of the perovskite solar cells. Thus, the investigation of the defect physics of the perovskite layer is indispensable in this research field. However, hard evidence and a consensus are still lacking in terms of the specific nature of the defects and their effects on performance and hysteresis, and perhaps even more importantly, there is absence of fundamental understanding of the correlations between the defects and long-term operational stability of the device. A more fundamental understanding of the nature of defects in perovskite materials is of paramount importance to progress their efficiency and durability. In this work we propose in-depth studies of correlations of defects with performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. Our project aimed 1) to investigate the defects physics in perovskite solar cells, and 2) to develop a comprehensive understanding and physical model of defects and its influence on performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. With the support from program manager, Peter Lobaccaro, and the Solar Energy Technologies Office of U.S. Department of Energy, the project ends with impact achievements. Our research results have systematically provided strategies to analyze the influences of constructive molecular configurations to the charged defects in the perovskite lattices and developed in-depth understanding of chemical additive approach to improve the perovskite solar cell performance and stability. As history has shown us, control over defect properties of semiconductor materials is the key to achieving high performance and low cost devices. Therefore, the potential impact of unlocking the understanding and manipulation of defects in perovskites is great, enabling this technology to realize SETO goals. The research project is highly productive with 18 published papers in three years in top-level journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Journal of American Chemistry Society, Joule, Advanced Materials, and Nano Letters. These works have drawn great attention nationwide with notable total citations over 700 times from 2020 to 2022.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Arylammonium-Assisted Reduction of the Open-Circuit Voltage Deficit in Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells: The Role of Suppressed Ion Migration

Surface treatment using large alkyl/aryl ammonium cations has demonstrated reduced open-circuit voltage (V OC ) deficits in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), but the origin of the improvements has been vaguely attributed to defect passivation. Here, we combine the microscopic probing of the local electrical properties, thermal admittance spectroscopic analysis, and first principles calculations to elucidate the critical role of arylammonium interface layers on suppressing the ion migration in wide-bandgap (WBG) PSCs. Our results reveal that arylammonium surface treatment using phenethylammonium iodide increases the activation energy barrier for ion migration on the surface, which suppresses the accumulation of charge defects at surface and grain boundaries (GBs), leading to reduced dark saturation current density in WBG PSCs. Furthermore, with device optimization, our champion 1.73-eV PSC delivers a power conversion efficiency of 19.07% with a V OC of 1.25 V, achieving a V OC -deficit of 0.48 V.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Direct Observations of Field-Intensity-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown Mechanisms in TiO 2 Single Nanocrystals

One of the main challenges for next-generation electric power systems and electronics is to avoid premature dielectric breakdown in insulators and capacitors and to ensure reliable operations at higher electric fields and higher efficiencies. However, dielectric breakdown is a complex phenomenon and often involves many different processes simultaneously. Here we show distinctly different defect-related and intrinsic breakdown processes by studying individual, single crystalline TiO 2 nanoparticles using in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As the applied electric field intensity rises, rutile-to-anatase phase transition, local amorphization/melting, or ablation are identified as the corresponding breakdown processes, the field intensity thresholds of which are found to be related to the position of the intensified field and the duration of the applied bias relative to the time of charged defects accumulation. Our observations reveal an intensity-dependent dielectric response of crystalline oxides at breakdown and suggest possible routes to suppress the iniation of premature dielectric breakdown. Hence, they will aid the design and development of next generation robust and efficient solid dielectrics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Inorganic Halide Perovskitoid TlPbI 3 for Ionizing Radiation Detection

Room temperature semiconductor detector (RTSD) materials for γ-ray and X-ray radiation are in great demand for the nonproliferation of nuclear materials as well as for biomedical imaging applications. Halide perovskites have attracted great attention as emerging and promising RTSD materials. In this contribution, the material synthesis, purification, crystal growth, crystal structure, photoluminescence properties, ionizing radiation detection performance, and electronic structure of the inorganic halide perovskitoid compound TlPbI 3 are reported on. This compound crystallizes in the ABX 3 non-perovskite crystal structure with a high density of d = 6.488 g·cm –3 , has a wide bandgap of 2.25 eV, and melts congruently at a low temperature of 360 °C without phase transitions, which allows for facile growth of high quality crystals with few thermally-activated defects. High-quality TlPbI 3 single crystals of centimeter-size are grown using the vertical Bridgman method using purified raw materials. A high electrical resistivity of ≈10 12 Ω·cm is readily obtainable, and detectors made of TlPbI 3 single crystals are highly photoresponsive to Ag K α X-rays (22.4 keV), and detects 122 keV γ-rays from 57 Co radiation source. The electron mobility-lifetime product µ e τ e was estimated at 1.8 × 10 –5 cm 2 ·V –1 . A high relative static dielectric constant of 35.0 indicates strong capability in screening carrier scattering and charged defects in TlPbI 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Water-Assisted Proton Transport in Confined Nanochannels

Hydrated excess protons under hydrophobic confinement are a critical component of charge transport behavior and reactivity in nanoporous materials and biomolecular systems. In this study, excess proton confinement effects are computationally investigated for sub-2 nm hydrophobic nanopores by varying the diameters (d = 0.81, 0.95, 1.09, 1.22, 1.36, 1.63, and 1.90 nm), lengths (l ~3 and ~5 nm), curvature, and chirality of cylindrical carbon nanotube (CNT) nanopores. CNTs with a combination of different diameter segments are also explored. The spatial distribution of water molecules under confinement is diameter-dependent; however, proton solvation and transport are consistently found to occur in the water layer adjacent to the pore wall, showing an “amphiphilic” character of the hydrated excess proton hydronium-like structure. The proton transport free energy barrier also decreases significantly as the nanopore diameter increases and proton transport becomes almost barrierless in the d > 1 nm nanopores. Among the nanopores studied, the Zundel cation (H 5 O 2 + ) is populated only in the d = 0.95 nm CNT (7,7) nanopore. The presence of the hydrated excess proton and K + inside the CNT (7,7) nanopore induces a water density increase by 40 and 20%, respectively. The K + transport through CNT nanopores is also consistently higher in the free energy barrier than proton transport. Interestingly, the evolution of excess protonic charge defect distribution reveals a “frozen” single water wire configuration in the d = 0.81 nm CNT (6,6) nanopore (or segment), through which hydrated excess protons can only shuttle via the Grotthuss mechanism. Vehicular diffusion becomes relevant to proton transport in the “flat” free energy regions and in the wider nanopores, where protons do not primarily shuttle in the axial direction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗