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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.

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At least 829 records · Page 46
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Competing spin pumping effects in magnetic hybrid structures

Pure spin current can be detected by its conversion into charge current in nanometer thick nonmagnetic metal layer with large spin-orbit coupling by means of the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). Recently, it has been shown that the metallic ferromagnet Permalloy (Py) can also be used as spin current detector in experiments in which an ISHE voltage is created in a Py layer in contact with the insulating ferromagnet yttrium iron garnet (YIG) under a thermal gradient in the longitudinal spin Seebeck configuration. Here, we report experiments with microwave driven spin pumping in heterostructures made with single crystal YIG film and a nanometer thick Py or Pt layer that show that Py behaves differently than nonmagnetic metals as a spin current detector. The results are attributed to the competition between the spin currents generated by the dynamics of the magnetizations in YIG and in Py, which are exchange coupled at the interface.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electrical conduction in nanodomains in congruent lithium tantalate single crystal

The electrical current flow behavior was investigated for nanodomains formed in a thin congruent lithium tantalate (LiTaO{sub 3}) single-crystal plate. When the nanodomains were relatively large, with diameters of about 100 nm, current flow was detected along the domain wall. However, when they were about 40 nm or smaller, the current flowed through the entire nanodomain. Schottky-like rectifying behavior was observed. Unlike the case of LiNbO{sub 3}, optical illumination was not required for current conduction in LiTaO{sub 3}. A clear temperature dependence of the current was found indicating that the conduction mechanism for nanodomains in LiTaO{sub 3} may involve thermally activated carrier hopping.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

“Conductive” yttria-stabilized zirconia as an epitaxial template for oxide heterostructures

We report an in situ thermochemical treatment that significantly increases the macroscopic electrical conductivity of insulating yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (001) single-crystalline substrates. We demonstrate the high-quality surface crystalline structure of the resulting “conductive” cYSZ (001) by low- and high-energy electron diffraction. Soft- and hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements reveal a sizable reduction of Zr cations to a metallic state and their homogeneous distribution within the cYSZ. We discuss the correlation between the microscopic chemical processes leading to the increased macroscopic metallicity. Finally, the heteroepitaxial growth of a functional magnetic oxide model system, ultrathin EuO on cYSZ (001), was demonstrated. cYSZ (001) thereby enables both high quality oxide heteroepitaxy and the advanced sample characterization by high electron-fluence characterization techniques.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Single-crystal superconducting nanowires of NbSe{sub 2} fabricated by reactive plasma etching

We present the preparation and measurements of nanowires of single-crystal NbSe{sub 2}. These nanowires were prepared on ultrathin (≲10 nm) flakes of NbSe{sub 2} mechanically exfoliated from a bulk single crystal using a process combining electron beam lithography and reactive plasma etching. The electrical contacts to the nanowires were prepared using Ti/Au. Our technique, which overcomes several limitations of methods developed previously for fabricating superconducting nanowires, also allows for the preparation of complex superconducting nanostructures with a desired geometry. Current-voltage characteristics of individual superconducting single-crystal nanowires with widths down to 30 nm and cross-sectional areas as low as 270 nm{sup 2} were measured.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electric field induced metastable ferroelectric phase and its behavior in (Pb, La)(Zr, Sn, Ti)O{sub 3} antiferroelectric single crystal near morphotropic phase boundary

Antiferroelectric (AFE) (Pb, La)(Zr, Sn, Ti)O{sub 3} (PLZST) single crystal with composition near morphotropic phase boundary has been grown and studied. X-ray diffraction analysis and electrical properties reveal coexistence of antiferroelectric/ferroelectric (FE) phases, with the AFE phase dominated at room temperature. Temperature-dependent polarization and strain measurements indicate that the AFE phase can be induced into a metastable FE phase by electric field. The FE phase can be maintained in a wide temperature range above room temperature and recovers to AFE phase around a critical temperature of 90 °C, accompanied with remarkable change in field-induced strain. The strain at 90 °C (∼0.50%) is ten times larger than that at room temperature (∼0.04%), which makes the PLZST single crystal a promising candidate for thermal switch and actuator application.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Positive temperature variation of the bandgap energy in the single-crystalline chalcopyrite semiconductor AgInS{sub 2}

Optical absorption spectra have been measured on the single-crystalline chalcopyrite semiconductor AgInS{sub 2} using polarized light at T = 10–300 K. The bandgap energy E{sub g} of AgInS{sub 2} shows unusual temperature dependence at low temperatures. The resultant temperature coefficient ∂E{sub g}/∂T is found to be positive at T < 130 K and negative above 130 K. This result has been successfully explained by considering the effects of thermal expansion and electron–phonon interaction. The free-exciton emission of photoluminescence spectra also indicates positive temperature dependence of the peak energies at low temperatures. The exciton binding energy of AgInS{sub 2} is determined to be 26.4 meV.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

High field nuclear magnetic resonance in transition metal substituted BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}

We report high field {sup 75}As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on Co and Cu substituted BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystals displaying same structural/magnetic transition T{sub 0}≃128 K. From our anisotropy studies in the paramagnetic state, we strikingly found virtually identical quadrupolar splitting and consequently the quadrupole frequency ν{sub Q}≃2.57(1) MHz for both compounds, despite the claim that each Cu delivers 2 extra 3d electrons in BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} compared to Co substitution. These results allow us to conclude that a subtle change in the crystallographic structure, particularly in the Fe–As tetrahedra, must be the most probable tuning parameter to determine T{sub 0} in this class of superconductors rather than electronic doping. Furthermore, our NMR data around T{sub 0} suggest coexistence of tetragonal/paramagnetic and orthorhombic/antiferromagnetic phases between the structural and the spin density wave magnetic phase transitions, similarly to what was reported for K-doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} [Urbano et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 107001 (2010)].

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Lattice-engineered Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x}-buffer on Si(001) for GaP integration

We report a detailed structure and defect characterization study on gallium phosphide (GaP) layers integrated on silicon (Si) (001) via silicon-germanium (SiGe) buffer layers. The presented approach uses an almost fully relaxed SiGe buffer heterostructure of only 400 nm thickness whose in-plane lattice constant is matched to GaP—not at room but at GaP deposition temperature. Single crystalline, pseudomorphic 270 nm thick GaP is successfully grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition on a 400 nm Si{sub 0.85}Ge{sub 0.15}/Si(001) heterosystem, but carries a 0.08% tensile strain after cooling down to room temperature due to the bigger thermal expansion coefficient of GaP with respect to Si. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies confirm the absence of misfit dislocations in the pseudomorphic GaP film but growth defects (e.g., stacking faults, microtwins, etc.) especially at the GaP/SiGe interface region are detected. We interpret these growth defects as a residue of the initial 3D island coalescence phase of the GaP film on the SiGe buffer. TEM-energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy studies reveal that these defects are often correlated with stoichiometric inhomogeneities in the GaP film. Time-of-flight Secondary ion mass spectrometry detects sharp heterointerfaces between GaP and SiGe films with a minor level of Ga diffusion into the SiGe buffer.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Composition and crystallinity in electrochemically deposited magnetostrictive galfenol (FeGa)

Here, we report the first measurements of magnetostriction as a function of composition for electrodeposited iron-gallium alloys, also known as galfenol. Galfenol is an exciting material due to its large magnetostriction constant (up to 400 ppm) and robust mechanical properties. A wide range of sensors, actuators, and other transducers can be fabricated by taking advantage of galfenol's unique mix of magnetic and mechanical properties. Electrodeposition allows galfenol to be easily integrated into a variety of applications, such as toque sensors with conformal, monolithic active layers. In this work, we examine the underlying factors that influence magnetostriction in electrodeposited galfenol, including crystallinity and composition. Here, we have controlled the film composition, as measured by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, over the range of 5–25% gallium using a single plating bath by varying deposition parameters. This composition range corresponds to the region of largest expected magnetostriction for iron gallium alloys. However, our measured magnetostriction values were significantly lower than the values for single crystal galfenol from literature. The electrodeposited films in this work appeared polycrystalline when measured using x-ray diffraction. When the texture of the film is taken into account, the magnetostriction results closely matched the predicted values. These results show that it is possible to achieve magnetostrictive galfenol thin films over a wide range of compositions using electrodeposition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cascade phonon-assisted trapping of positrons by divacancies in n-FZ-Si(P) single crystals irradiated with 15 MeV protons

The trapping of positrons by the radiation defects in moderately doped oxygen-lean n-FZ-Si(P) single crystal irradiated with 15 MeV protons has been investigated in a comparative way using the positron lifetime spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements. The experiments were carried out within a wide temperature interval ranging from 25 K – 29 K to 300 K. The positron trapping rate for divacancies was reconstructed in the course of many-stage isochronal annealing. The concentration and the charged states of divacancies (V{sub 2}{sup −} and V{sub 2}{sup −−}) were estimated. The temperature dependency of the trapping cross section of positrons by the negatively charged divacancies is in a good agreement with the data of calculations based on the assumptions of the cascade phonon-assisted mechanism of exchange of the energy between the positron and acoustic long-wave phonons. Obeying ∼ T{sup −3} law, the cross-section of the trapping of positrons by divacancies changes considerably ranging from ∼1.7×10{sup −12} cm{sup 2} (66 – 100 K) to ∼2×10{sup −14} cm{sup 2} (≈ 250 K). The characteristic length of trapping of the positron by V{sub 2}{sup −−} divacancy was estimated to be l{sub 0}(V{sub 2}{sup −−})≈(3.4±0.2)×10{sup −8} cm.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Pd-vacancy complex in Ge: TDPAC and ab initio study

Low temperature metal-induced-crystallized germanium is a promising alternative for silicon in Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Palladium (Pd) is one of the metals suitable for inducing the low temperature crystallization. It is not certain, how residual Pd atoms are integrated into the Ge lattice. Therefore, time-different γ-γ perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) technique using the {sup 100}Pd(→{sup 100}Rh) nuclear probe has been applied to study the hyperfine interactions of this probe in single crystalline undoped Ge. A Pd-vacancy (Pd-V) complex with a unique interaction frequency of 8.4(2) Mrad/s has been identified. The Pd-V complex has been measured to have a maximum fraction after annealing at 350 °C. Density functional theory calculations have confirmed that the Pd-V complex may have the split-vacancy configuration in Ge, in contrast to the full-vacancy configuration observed in Si.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Reassignment of the O{sub Se}−V{sub Cd} complex in CdSe

An IR absorption study of CdSe single crystals is presented. The as-received material revealed three absorption lines at 1094.2, 1107.5, and 1126.3 cm{sup −1}, which were previously assigned to the O{sub Se}−V{sub Cd} complex [G. Chen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 195502 (2008)] We show that each of the lines is accompanied by a number of weaker satellites with intensities which match the natural abundances of sulfur isotopes. In contrast to the original identification it is suggested that these peaks are local vibrational modes of a SO{sub n} complex. The three modes correspond to different orientations of the complex in the CdSe lattice. Arguments are presented in favor of 2 oxygen atoms (n = 2) in the complex. Measurements with uniaxial stress applied to the samples revealed defect symmetries and activation energies for the defect reorientation. The complex was found to be stable up to 750 °C.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Contrasting the theoretical properties of hydrogen in SnO{sub 2}, In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and TiO{sub 2}

Stavola et al. have used IR spectroscopy to study H and D in single crystals of SnO{sub 2}, In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and TiO{sub 2}. Their work indicates that H acts as a shallow donor in SnO{sub 2} and In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, while in TiO{sub 2}, the electron becomes self-trapped at a Ti site near H. We have undertaken extensive calculations on different H-related defect structures in these materials, using the DFT code CRYSTAL06 with a hybrid Hamiltonian. These calculations have involved not only intrinsic H-related defects, but also defects containing metal impurities. The results serve to narrow the possible choices of defects observed experimentally, and in the best cases, to strongly support particular defect models.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Above room-temperature ferromagnetism of Mn delta-doped GaN nanorods

One-dimensional nitride based diluted magnetic semiconductors were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Delta-doping technique was adopted to dope GaN nanorods with Mn. The structural and magnetic properties were investigated. The GaMnN nanorods with a single crystalline structure and with Ga sites substituted by Mn atoms were verified by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering, respectively. Secondary phases were not observed by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the magnetic hysteresis curves show that the Mn delta-doped GaN nanorods are ferromagnetic above room temperature. The magnetization with magnetic field perpendicular to GaN c-axis saturates easier than the one with field parallel to GaN c-axis.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Novel ferroelectric single crystals of Bi(Zn{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-PbZrO{sub 3}-PbTiO{sub 3} ternary solid solution

Ferroelectric single crystals of a new lead-reduced Bi(Zn{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-PbZrO{sub 3}-PbTiO{sub 3} (BZT-PZ-PT) ternary solid solution system have been grown for the first time by three different methods, namely high temperature solution growth (HTSG, or flux method), top-cooled solution growth (TCSG), and top-seeded solution growth (TSSG). The chemical and thermodynamic parameters, including the flux concentration, the soaking temperature and the cooling rate, have been optimized, leading to the growth of good quality BZT-PZ-PT crystals of pseudo-cubic morphology. A large size crystal of the dimensions of 2 × 2 × 0.5 cm{sup 3} has been obtained by the TSSG technique. The crystal structure is analyzed by means of X-ray powder diffraction. The highest ferroelectric Curie temperature T{sub C} of the grown crystals is found to be 320 °C by means of dielectric measurements. A remnant polarization of 32 μC/cm{sup 2} is displayed with a coercive field of 15.4 kV/cm. The high T{sub C} and large coercive field of the BZT-PZ-PT single crystal make this material a promising candidate for applications in high power electromechanical transducers that can operate in a wider temperature range and at high fields.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Lattice distortion in single crystal rare-earth arsenide/GaAs nanocomposites

Epitaxial single crystal nanocomposites comprised of rare-earth arsenide nanoparticles embedded in GaAs (001) layers produce a larger change in lattice parameter than expected from the lattice parameters of relaxed films. Despite similar cubic structures and lattice parameters, elongation of the interfacial bond length between the two materials induces additional strain causing an expansion in the nanocomposite lattice. The interface bond length is material dependent with an average atomic layer spacing at the ErAs:GaAs interface of 1.9 Å while the spacing at the ScAs:GaAs interface is only 1.4 Å. Implications for lattice matching various single crystal epitaxial nanostructures in semiconductors are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Improved metal-insulator-transition characteristics of ultrathin VO{sub 2} epitaxial films by optimized surface preparation of rutile TiO{sub 2} substrates

Key to the growth of epitaxial, atomically thin films is the preparation of the substrates on which they are deposited. Here, we report the growth of atomically smooth, ultrathin films of VO{sub 2} (001), only ∼2 nm thick, which exhibit pronounced metal-insulator transitions, with a change in resistivity of ∼500 times, at a temperature that is close to that of films five times thicker. These films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition on single crystalline TiO{sub 2}(001) substrates that were treated by dipping in acetone, HCl and HF in successive order, followed by an anneal at 700–750 °C in flowing oxygen. This pretreatment removes surface contaminants, TiO{sub 2} defects, and provides a terraced, atomically smooth surface.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Synchrotron radiation-based Mössbauer spectra of {sup 174}Yb measured with internal conversion electrons

A detection system for synchrotron-radiation (SR)-based Mössbauer spectroscopy was developed to enhance the nuclear resonant scattering counting rate and thus increase the available nuclides. In the system, a windowless avalanche photodiode (APD) detector was combined with a vacuum cryostat to detect the internal conversion (IC) electrons and fluorescent X-rays accompanied by nuclear de-excitation. As a feasibility study, the SR-based Mössbauer spectrum using the 76.5 keV level of {sup 174}Yb was observed without {sup 174}Yb enrichment of the samples. The counting rate was five times higher than that of our previous system, and the spectrum was obtained within 10 h. This result shows that nuclear resonance events can be more efficiently detected by counting IC electrons for nuclides with high IC coefficients. Furthermore, the windowless detection system enables us to place the sample closer to the APD elements and is advantageous for nuclear resonant inelastic scattering measurements. Therefore, this detection system can not only increase the number of nuclides accessible in SR-based Mössbauer spectroscopy but also allows the nuclear resonant inelastic scattering measurements of small single crystals or enzymes with dilute probe nuclides that are difficult to measure with the previous detection system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗