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At least 595 records · Page 33

Low-loss superconducting titanium nitride grown using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Titanium nitride (TiN) is a known superconducting material that is attractive for use as passive components in superconducting circuits for both conventional and quantum information devices. In contrast to conventional synthesis techniques, here, plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is reported to produce high-quality TiN on bare silicon wafers. Using a rf-plasma source to crack the nitrogen molecules and a conventional high-temperature effusion cell for titanium, TiN growth is completed under nitrogen-rich conditions. The growth and nucleation is monitored in situ, while the structure and composition are characterized using x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The stoichiometric TiN (111) films sit on an amorphous nitride layer with low impurity concentrations. The films superconduct with Tc=5.4 K, and coplanar waveguide resonators are fabricated with a small center width of 6 μm that demonstrate single-photon quality factors approaching 1M and high-power quality factors over 5M without observing saturation.

Richardson, C. J. K. (ORCID:0000000188175347)↗

Intrinsic and extrinsic conduction contributions at nominally neutral domain walls in hexagonal manganites

Conductive and electrostatic atomic force microscopy (cAFM and EFM) are used to investigate the electric conduction at nominally neutral domain walls in hexagonal manganites. The EFM measurements reveal a propensity of mobile charge carriers to accumulate at the nominally neutral domain walls in ErMnO3, which is corroborated by cAFM scans showing locally enhanced direct current conductance. Our findings are explained based on the established segregation enthalpy profiles for oxygen vacancies and interstitials, providing a microscopic model for previous, seemingly disconnected observations ranging from insulating to conducting behavior. In addition, we observe variations in conductance between different nominally neutral walls that we attribute to deviations from the ideal charge-neutral structure within the bulk, leading to a superposition of extrinsic and intrinsic contributions. Our study clarifies the complex transport properties at nominally neutral domain walls in hexagonal manganites and establishes the possibility to tune their electronic response based on oxidation conditions, opening the door for domain-wall-based sensor technology.

Schultheiß, J. (ORCID:0000000173891295)↗

Effects of polymer grain boundary passivation on organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite field-effect transistors

Despite successful applications of solution-processed organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) such as archetypical methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) in high-performance optoelectronic devices including solar cells and light emitting diodes, their application in field-effect transistors (FETs) remains relatively limited due to the unresolved issues caused by ion migration in OIHPs, such as screening of gate electric fields, lowered device on-off ratios and field-effect mobility, and large hysteresis in the FET transfer characteristics. Here, we report improved performances of the MAPI-based FET via a polymer-additive-based grain boundary (GB) passivation approach that suppresses the ion migration. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was incorporated into the MAPI FET as a GB-passivation additive as confirmed by scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. Unlike the typical n-type behavior and large transfer hysteresis in the starting, pristine MAPI FETs, the GB passivation by PCL led to a drastically reduced hysteresis in FET transfer characteristics, while hinting at an ambipolar transport and slight improvement in mobility, indicating a reduced ion migration in the PCL-incorporated MAPI FET. The effect of PCL GB passivation in suppressing ion migration was directly confirmed by the measured, increased activation energy for ion migration in the PCL-incorporated MAPI. Here, the results not only represent the first report of the polymer-additive-based mitigation of the ion migration in the MAPI FET but also suggest potential utilities of the approach for enabling high-performance OIHP FETs and electronic devices in general.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Young’s modulus of V 3 O 5 thin films

Vanadium oxide V 3 O 5 exhibits an insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) near 430 K, which is the highest value for all vanadium oxides exhibiting IMTs. This makes it interesting for advanced electronic applications. However, the properties of V 3 O 5 have been little studied, and, in particular, there are no reports of experimentally determined mechanical properties. In this work, Young’s modulus of sputter-deposited V 3 O 5 thin films has been determined by measuring the fundamental resonant frequency of V 3 O 5 -coated silicon microcantilevers using a laser beam deflection technique. After deposition, the films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, resistivity measurements, and atomic force microscopy. The value of Young’s modulus experimentally determined for V 3 O 5 was 198 ± 14 GPa, which is slightly lower than the computationally derived values for bulk crystal V 3 O 5 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of structural defects on optical properties of In x Ga 1-x N layers and quantum wells

This review concentrates on the microstructure of In x Ga 1-x N layers and quantum wells (QWs) in relation to their optical properties. The microstructure of In x Ga 1-x N, with a constant In(x) concentration, shifts with layer thickness. Only layers below 100 nm for x = 0.1 are nearly defect-free. A photoluminescence peak is observed at 405 nm, in line with ~10% In, suggesting band-edge luminescence. Layers with greater thickness and In content present a corrugated surface with numerous structural defects, including V-defects, causing redshifts and multi-peaks in photoluminescence up to 490 nm. These defects, resembling those in GaN, lead to a corrugated sample surface. Atomic force microscopy shows a 3.7-fold larger corrugation in samples with 20 QWs compared to those with 5 QWs measured on 2 × 2 μm 2 areas. Like in GaN, dual growth on different crystallographic planes results in varied QW thicknesses, influencing optical traits of devices made from In x Ga 1-x N layers. The purpose of this review and the chosen subject is to highlight the significant contribution of Wladek Walukiewicz and his group to the current research on the properties of In x Ga 1-x N, which are crucial alloys in the field of optoelectronics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Characterization of quantum dot-like emitters in programmable arrays of nanowrinkles of 1L-WSe2

When combined with nanostructured substrates, two-dimensional semiconductors can be engineered with strain to tailor light–matter interactions on the nanoscale. Recently, room-temperature nanoscale exciton localization with controllable wrinkling in 1L-WSe2 was achieved using arrays of gold nanocones. Here, the characterization of quantum dot-like states and single-photon emitters in the 1L-WSe2/nanocone system is reported. The nanocones induce a wide range of strains, and as a result, a diverse ensemble of narrowband, potential single-photon emitters is observed. The distribution of emitter energies reveals that most reside in two spectrally isolated bands, leaving a less populated intermediate band that is spectrally isolated from the ensembles. The spectral isolation is advantageous for high-purity quantum light emitters, and anti-bunched emission from one of these states is confirmed up to 25 K. Although the spatial distribution of strain is expected to influence the orientation of the transition dipoles of the emitters, multimodal emission polarization anisotropy and atomic force microscopy reveal that the macroscopic orientation of the wrinkles is not a good predictor of dipole orientation. Finally, the emission is found to change with thermal cycling from 4 to 290 K and back to 4 K, highlighting the need to control factors such as temperature-induced strain to enhance the robustness of this quantum emitter platform. The initial characterization here shows that controlled nanowrinkles of 1L-WSe2 generate quantum light in addition to uncovering potential challenges that need to be addressed for their adoption into quantum photonic technologies.

Physics↗

Reduced thermal resistance of Al-rich AlGaN HEMTs via top-side diamond integration

We report back-end-of-line growth of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) on ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) high Al content aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) channel high electron mobility transistors for thermal management. A thin (∼15 nm) silicon nitride (SiN x ) interlayer was deposited to protect the device surface before performing a low temperature (500 °C) NCD growth process in an attempt to protect the gates on these fully fabricated devices. Notably, atomic force microscopy showed that the maximum lateral grain size exceeded 300 nm even though the film thickness was ∼250 nm. Comparing electrical (DC) performance before and after NCD growth, the gate leakage increased by ∼10 2 after NCD growth. Despite the lower NCD growth temperature, intermixing of the Ni and Au was observed in the Schottky gate metal stack; however, we believe there is another mechanism, possibly hydrogen-related, that is responsible for the measured increase in gate leakage. Regarding thermal management, the device-level thermal resistance (quantified using the average gate temperature rise measured by thermoreflectance imaging) was reduced by 29% through the incorporation of the top-side diamond film. Using time-domain thermoreflectance, the thermal conductivity of the ≈250 nm thick NCD film was measured to be 45 ± 25 W m −1 K −1 . This is expected to be at least 5× greater than the thermal conductivity of the thin disordered AlGaN alloy. There could also be a coupled electrothermal component contributing to the reduced temperature rise from electric field spreading and consequent heat spreading. This study demonstrates a promising first step toward device-level thermal management of high power UWBG Al-rich AlGaN devices.

Lundh, James Spencer [U.S. Naval Research Laborato↗

Mixed-flow design for microfluidic printing of two-component polymer semiconductor systems

The rational creation of two-component conjugated polymer systems with high levels of phase purity in each component is challenging but crucial for realizing printed soft-matter electronics. Here, we report a mixed-flow microfluidic printing (MFMP) approach for two-component π -polymer systems that significantly elevates phase purity in bulk-heterojunction solar cells and thin-film transistors. MFMP integrates laminar and extensional flows using a specially microstructured shear blade, designed with fluid flow simulation tools to tune the flow patterns and induce shear, stretch, and pushout effects. This optimizes polymer conformation and semiconducting blend order as assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), resonant soft X-ray scattering (R-SoXS), photovoltaic response, and field effect mobility. For printed all-polymer (poly[(5,6-difluoro-2-octyl-2H-benzotriazole-4,7-diyl)-2,5-thiophenediyl[4,8-bis[5-(2-hexyldecyl)-2-thienyl]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl]) [J51]:(poly{[N,N′-bis(2-octyldodecyl)naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5′-(2,2′-bithiophene)}) [N2200]) solar cells, this approach enhances short-circuit currents and fill factors, with power conversion efficiency increasing from 5.20% for conventional blade coating to 7.80% for MFMP. Moreover, the performance of mixed polymer ambipolar [poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT):N2200] and semiconducting:insulating polymer unipolar (N2200:polystyrene) transistors is similarly enhanced, underscoring versatility for two-component π -polymer systems. Mixed-flow designs offer modalities for achieving high-performance organic optoelectronics via innovative printing methodologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Amyloid-like amelogenin nanoribbons template mineralization via a low-energy interface of ion binding sites

Protein scaffolds direct the organization of amorphous precursors that transform into mineralized tissues, but the templating mechanism remains elusive. Motivated by models for the biomineralization of tooth enamel, wherein amyloid-like amelogenin nanoribbons guide the mineralization of apatite filaments, we investigated the impact of nanoribbon structure, sequence, and chemistry on amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nucleation. Using full-length human amelogenin and peptide analogs with an amyloid-like domain, films of β-sheet nanoribbons were self-assembled on graphite and characterized by in situ atomic force microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. All sequences substantially reduce nucleation barriers for ACP by creating low-energy interfaces, while phosphoserines along the length of the nanoribbons dramatically enhance kinetic factors associated with ion binding. Furthermore, the distribution of negatively charged residues along the nanoribbons presents a potential match to the Ca–Ca distances of the multi-ion complexes that constitute ACP. These findings show that amyloid-like amelogenin nanoribbons provide potent scaffolds for ACP mineralization by presenting energetically and stereochemically favorable templates of calcium phosphate ion binding and suggest enhanced surface wetting toward calcium phosphates in general.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Root angle is controlled by EGT1 in cereal crops employing an antigravitropic mechanism

Root angle in crops represents a key trait for efficient capture of soil resources. Root angle is determined by competing gravitropic versus antigravitropic offset (AGO) mechanisms. Here we report a root angle regulatory gene termed ENHANCED GRAVITROPISM1 ( EGT1 ) that encodes a putative AGO component, whose loss-of-function enhances root gravitropism. Mutations in barley and wheat EGT1 genes confer a striking root phenotype, where every root class adopts a steeper growth angle. EGT1 encodes an F-box and Tubby domain-containing protein that is highly conserved across plant species. Haplotype analysis found that natural allelic variation at the barley EGT1 locus impacts root angle. Gravitropic assays indicated that Hvegt1 roots bend more rapidly than wild-type. Transcript profiling revealed Hvegt1 roots deregulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cell wall-loosening enzymes and cofactors. ROS imaging shows that Hvegt1 root basal meristem and elongation zone tissues have reduced levels. Atomic force microscopy measurements detected elongating Hvegt1 root cortical cell walls are significantly less stiff than wild-type. In situ analysis identified HvEGT1 is expressed in elongating cortical and stele tissues, which are distinct from known root gravitropic perception and response tissues in the columella and epidermis, respectively. We propose that EGT1 controls root angle by regulating cell wall stiffness in elongating root cortical tissue, counteracting the gravitropic machinery’s known ability to bend the root via its outermost tissues. We conclude that root angle is controlled by EGT1 in cereal crops employing an antigravitropic mechanism.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Multidimensional visualization of the dynamic evolution of Li metal via in situ/operando methods

The growing demands for high-energy density electrical energy storage devices stimulate the coupling of conversion-type cathodes and lithium (Li) metal anodes. While promising, the use of these “Li-free” cathodes brings new challenges to the Li anode interface, as Li needs to be dissolved first during cell operation. In this study, we have achieved a direct visualization and comprehensive analysis of the dynamic evolution of the Li interface. The critical metrics of the interfacial resistance, Li growth, and solid electrolyte interface (SEI) distribution during the initial dissolution/deposition processes were systematically investigated by employing multidimensional analysis methods. They include three-electrode impedance tests, in situ atomic force microscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy, and cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy. The high-resolution imaging and real-time observations show that a loose, diffuse, and unevenly distributed SEI is formed during the initial dissolution process. This leads to the dramatically fast growth of Li during the subsequent deposition, deviating from Fick’s law, which exacerbates the interfacial impedance. The compactness of the interfacial structure and enrichment of electrolyte species at the surface during the initial deposition play critical roles in the long-term stability of Li anodes, as revealed by operando confocal Raman spectroscopic mapping. In conclusion, our observations relate to ion transfer, morphological and structural evolution, and Li (de)solvation at Li interfaces, revealing the underlying pathways influenced by the initial dissolution process, which promotes a reconsideration of anode investigations and effective protection strategies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Nanoscale dynamics of Dynamin 1 helices reveals squeeze-twist deformation mode critical for membrane fission

Dynamin 1 (Dyn1) GTPase, a principal driver of membrane fission during synaptic endocytosis, self-assembles into short mechanoactive helices cleaving the necks of endocytic vesicles. While structural information about Dyn1 helix is abundant, little is known about the nanoscale dynamics of the helical scaffolding at the moment of fission, complicating mechanistic understanding of Dyn1 action. To address the role of the helix dynamics in fission, we used High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy (HS-AFM) and fluorescence microscopy to track and compare the spatiotemporal characteristics of the helices formed by wild-type Dyn1 and its K44A mutant impaired in GTP hydrolysis on minimal lipid membrane templates. In the absence of nucleotide, membrane-bound WT Dyn1 and K44A Dyn1 self-assembled into tubular protein scaffolding of similar diameter encaging the lipid bilayer. In both cases, the GTP addition caused scaffold constriction coupled with formation of 20 to 30 nm nanogaps in the protein coverage. While both proteins reached scaffold diameters characteristic for membrane superconstriction causing fission, the fission was detected only with WT Dyn1. We associated the fission activity with the dynamic evolution of the nanogaps: K44A Dyn1 gaps were static, while WT Dyn1 gaps actively evolved via repetitive nonaxisymmetric constriction-bending deformations caused by localized GTP hydrolysis. Modeling of the deformations implicated filament twist as an additional deformation mode which combines with superconstriction to facilitate membrane fission. Our results thus show that the dynamics of the Dyn1 helical scaffold goes beyond radial constriction and involves nonaxisymmetric deformations, where filament twist emerges as a critical driver of membrane fission.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Spontaneous emergence of straintronics effects and striped stacking domains in untwisted three-layer epitaxial graphene

Emergent electronic phenomena, from superconductivity to ferroelectricity, magnetism, and correlated many-body band gaps, have been observed in domains created by stacking and twisting atomic layers of Van der Waals materials. In graphene, emergent properties have been observed in ABC stacking domains obtained by exfoliation followed by expert mechanical twisting and alignment with the desired orientation, a process very challenging and nonscalable. Here, conductive atomic force microscopy shows in untwisted epitaxial graphene grown on SiC the surprising presence of striped domains with dissimilar conductance, a contrast that demonstrates the presence of ABA and ABC domains since it matches exactly the conductivity difference observed in ABA/ABC domains in twisted exfoliated graphene and calculated by density functional theory. The size and geometry of the stacking domains depend on the interplay between strain, solitons crossing, and shape of the three-layer regions. Interestingly, we demonstrate the growth of three-layer regions in which the ABA/ABC stacking domains self-organize in stable stripes of a few tens of nanometers. The growth-controlled production of isolated and stripe-shaped ABA/ABC domains open the path to fabricate quantum devices on these domains. These findings on self-assembly formation of ABA/ABC epitaxial graphene stripes on SiC without the need of time-consuming and nonscalable graphene exfoliation, alignment, and twisting provide different potential applications of graphene in electronic devices.

Rejhon, Martin (ORCID:000000017775487X)↗

Dissecting neurofilament tail sequence-phosphorylation-structure relationships with multicomponent reconstituted protein brushes

Neurofilaments (NFs) are multisubunit, bottlebrush-shaped intermediate filaments abundant in the axonal cytoskeleton. Each NF subunit contains a long intrinsically disordered tail domain, which protrudes from the NF core to form a “brush” surrounding each NF. Precisely how the tails’ variable charge patterns and repetitive phosphorylation sites mediate their conformation within the brush remains an open question in axonal biology. We address this problem by grafting recombinant NF tail protein constructs NF-Light, -Medium, and -Heavy (NFL, NFM, and NFH) to surfaces, yielding protein brushes of defined stoichiometry that can be phosphorylated in vitro. Atomic force microscopy measurements reveal that brush height depends on composition monotonically but not always linearly for binary NFL:NFM or NFL:NFH systems, and that NFM-based brushes are highly extended, while brushes incorporating the much larger NFH are surprisingly compact even after multisite phosphorylation. Complementary self-consistent field theory (SCFT) predicts multilayer brush morphologies for NFM and phosphorylated NFH brushes. Further experiments and SCFT analysis with designed mutants reveal that N-terminal negative charges in the NFH tail repel phosphorylated residues to generate the multilayer morphology, while the C-terminal charge-neutral region contributes to multilayer brush morphology but not total brush height. Charge-shuffled NFM variants show that charge segregation promotes brush collapse near physiological ionic strengths. Collectively, this study supports a role for NFM in establishing a dynamic range for NF brush conformation, lending insight into previous in vitro and in vivo findings. More broadly, this work establishes a platform for dissecting contributions of disordered protein sequence to conformation at interfaces.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Effect of different crystallographic properties on the electrical conductivity of two polymorphs of a spin crossover complex

In this study, the structure and transport properties of two polymorphs, nanoparticles and nanorods, of the iron(II) triazole [Fe(Htrz) 2 (trz)](BF 4 ) spin crossover complex were compared. Conductive atomic force microscopy was used to map the electrical conductivity of individual nanoparticles and nanorods. The [Fe(Htrz) 2 (trz)](BF 4 ) nanorods showed significantly higher conductivity compared to nanoparticles. This difference in electrical conductivity is partially associated to the different Fe–N bond lengths in each of the polymorphs, with an inverse relationship between Fe–N bond length and conductivity. Transport measurements were done on the nanorods for both high spin (at 380 K) and low spin (at 320 K) states under dark and illuminated conditions. The conductance is highest for the low spin state under dark conditions. In illumination, the conductance change is much diminished.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Aging studies on chemical vapor deposition and mechanically exfoliated molybdenum disulfide flakes heated in ambient air

The structural integrity of atomically thin two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) is crucial for high-temperature applications, including nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. This study explores the structural stability and electrical performance, under extended thermal exposure in air, of MoS 2 flakes synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and mechanical exfoliation. The MoS 2 flakes, both CVD-grown and mechanically exfoliated, were subjected to heating at 200 °C with a relative humidity of 60(±5)% for a prolonged period and investigated with atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. This study shows that CVD-grown flakes developed noticeable cracks after prolonged heating, whereas mechanically exfoliated flakes mostly retained their structural integrity. Also, both types of flakes showed a decrease in layer thickness and lateral size over time, with mechanically exfoliated flakes exhibiting a comparatively smaller reduction in substrate coverage area. In addition, MoS 2 -based two-terminal devices were subjected to heating at 150 °C for approximately 1100 h, and their electrical characterization revealed a steady rise in current during constant voltage (5 V) conditions. This study enhances our understanding of MoS 2 stability and provides guidance for improving the reliability of MoS 2 -based devices in high-temperature electronic applications.

2D materials↗

Transport characterization and pinning analysis of BaFe 1.9 Ni 0.1 As 2.05 thin films

In this paper, we report on the vortex-glass transition and superconducting performance of BaFe 1.9 Ni 0.1 As 2.05 thin films with T c = 17.8 K on CaF 2 (00 l ) single crystals by pulsed laser deposition. Atomic force microscopy characterization indicates the volumes of droplets appearing on the film surface increase with thickness and Magneto-optical imaging proves slight inhomogeneities in the current flow within the ab -plane of thin film. The thin films show a transport current density J c of ~1.14 MA cm –2 in self-field, and 0.34 and 0.28 MA cm –2 for H // c and H // ab up to 9 T at 4.2 K. Pinning mechanism associated with the fluctuations in the mean free path of the charge carries is found to be dominant in the thin films. The vortex-glass (VG) to vortex-liquid phase transition is identified in terms of the plots of the logarithmic derivative of the resistivity curves under different fields, allowing us to deduce the values of the VG transition temperature T g , and the critical exponent s . The ρ – T curves are well scaled by VG theory. A phase diagram combining the VG transition temperature, irreversibility field and upper critical field is constructed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Analysis of thermal grooving effects on vortex penetration in vapor-diffused Nb 3 Sn

While Nb 3 Sn theoretically offers better superconducting radio-frequency (RF) cavity performance (Q 0 and E acc ) to Nb at any given temperature, peak RF magnetic fields consistently fall short of the ~400 mT prediction. The relatively rough topography of vapor-diffused Nb 3 Sn is widely conjectured to be one of the factors that limit the attainable performance of Nb 3 Sn-coated Nb cavities prepared via Sn vapor diffusion. Here we investigate the effect of coating duration on the topography of vapor-diffused Nb 3 Sn on Nb and calculate the associated magnetic field enhancement and superheating field suppression factors using atomic force microscopy topographies. It is shown that the thermally grooved grain boundaries are major defects which may contribute to a substantial decrease in the achievable accelerating field. Further, the severity of these grooves increases with total coating duration due to the deepening of thermal grooves during the coating process.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗