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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 1,513 records · Page 84
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Resistance switching in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin films

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PDVF), one of the best electrically active polymer material & an interesting candidate to address the electrical control of its functional properties like ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity etc. In the current work, with the help of spin coater and DC magnetron sputtering techniques, semi-crystallized PVDF thin films prominent in alpha phase is prepared in capacitor like structure and their electrical characterization is emphasized. In current-voltage (I-V) and resistance-voltage (R-V) measurements, clear nonlinearity and resistance switching has been observed for films prepared using 7 wt% 2-butanone and 7 wt% Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) solvents.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Switching times of nanoscale FePt: Finite size effects on the linear reversal mechanism

The linear reversal mechanism in FePt grains ranging from 2.316 nm to 5.404 nm has been simulated using atomistic spin dynamics, parametrized from ab-initio calculations. The Curie temperature and the critical temperature (T{sup *}), at which the linear reversal mechanism occurs, are observed to decrease with system size whilst the temperature window T{sup *}<T<T{sub C} increases. The reversal paths close to the Curie temperature have been calculated, showing that for decreasing system size the reversal path becomes more elliptic at lower temperatures, consistent with the decrease in the Curie temperature arising from finite size effects. Calculations of the minimum pulse duration show faster switching in small grains and are qualitatively described by the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation with finite size atomistic parameterization, which suggests that multiscale modeling of FePt down to a grain size of ≈3.5 nm is possible.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Oxygen vacancy induced magnetization switching in Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} epitaxial ultrathin films on GaAs(100)

The magnetic and transport properties of half metallic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}, which are sensitive to the stoichiometry, are the key issue for applications in spintronics. An anomalous enlargement of the saturation magnetic moment is found in a relatively thick sample of epitaxial Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} film by post-growth oxidation method. The investigation of the thickness dependence of magnetic moment suggests that the enhanced magnetism moment may come from the existence of oxygen vacancies. First-principles calculations reveal that with oxygen vacancies in Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} crystal the spin of Fe ions in the tetrahedron site near the vacancy is much easier to switch parallel to the Fe ions in the octahedron site by temperature disturbance, supported by the temperature dependence of magnetic moment of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films in experiment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electron tunnelling through single azurin molecules can be on/off switched by voltage pulses

Redox metalloproteins are emerging as promising candidates for future bio-optoelectronic and nano-biomemory devices, and the control of their electron transfer properties through external signals is still a crucial task. Here, we show that a reversible on/off switching of the electron current tunnelling through a single protein can be achieved in azurin protein molecules adsorbed on gold surfaces, by applying appropriate voltage pulses through a scanning tunnelling microscope tip. The observed changes in the hybrid system tunnelling properties are discussed in terms of long-sustained charging of the protein milieu.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Magnetism switching and band-gap narrowing in Ni-doped PbTiO{sub 3} thin films

Ions doping-driven structural phase transition accompanied by magnetism switching and band-gap narrowing effects has been observed in PbTi{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}O{sub 3−δ} (xPTNO, x = 0.00, 0.06, and 0.33) thin films. With the increase of x, the xPTNO thin films exhibit not only a phase transition from the pseudotetragonal structure to a centrosymmetric cubic structure but also a drastic decrease of grain size. Moreover, the as-grown Ni-doped PbTiO{sub 3} (PTO) thin films show obvious room-temperature ferromagnetism and an increased saturation magnetization with increasing the Ni content, in contrast to undoped PTO, which shows diamagnetism. A bound magnetic polaron model was proposed to understand the observed ferromagnetic behavior of PTO-derived perovskite thin films. Furthermore, the 0.33PTNO thin film presents a narrowed band-gap, much smaller than that of PTO, which is attributed to new states of both the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital in an electronic structure with the presence of Ni. These findings may open up a route to explore promising perovskite oxides as candidate materials for use in multiferroics and solar-energy devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Correlation between switching to n-type conductivity and structural defects in highly Mg-doped InN

The effect of Mg doping on the microstructure of InN epitaxial films in relation to their free-charge carrier properties has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and aberration corrected scanning TEM. We observe a direct correlation between Mg concentration and the formation of stacking faults. The threading dislocation density is found to be independent of Mg concentration. The critical Mg concentration for the on-set of stacking faults formation is determined and found to correlate with the switch from p- to n-type conductivity in InN. Potential mechanisms involving stacking faults and point defect complexes are invoked in order to explain the observed conductivity reversal. Finally, the stacking faults are structurally determined and their role in the reduction of the free electron mobility in highly doped InN:Mg is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optical nonlinearities and ultrafast all-optical switching of m-plane GaN in the near-infrared

We reported a systematic investigation on the three-photon absorption (3PA) spectra and wavelength dispersion of Kerr refraction of bulk m-plane GaN crystal with both polarization E⊥c and E//c by femtosecond Z-scan technique in the near-infrared region from 760 to 1030 nm. Both 3PA spectra and Kerr refraction dispersion were in good agreement with two-band models. The calculated nonlinear figure of merit and measured ultrafast nonlinear refraction dynamics via femtosecond pump-probe with phase object method revealed that m-plane GaN would be a promising candidate for ultrafast all-optical switching and autocorrelation applications at telecommunication wavelengths.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Field induced domain switching as the origin of anomalous lattice strain along non-polar direction in rhombohedral BiScO{sub 3}-PbTiO{sub 3} close to the morphotropic phase boundary

The lattice strain and domain switching behavior of xBiScO{sub 3}–(1-x)PbTiO{sub 3} (x = 0.40) was investigated as a function of cyclic field and grain orientation by in situ X-ray diffraction during application of electric fields. The electric field induced 200 lattice strain was measured to be five times larger than the 111 lattice strain in pseudorhombohedral xBiScO{sub 3}–(1-x)PbTiO{sub 3} (x = 0.40). It is shown that the anomalous 200 lattice strain is not an intrinsic phenomenon, but arises primarily due to stress associated with the reorientation of the 111 domains in dense polycrystalline ceramic.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Water adsorption induced in-plane domain switching on BaTiO{sub 3} surface

In this study, the influences of the adsorption of water molecules on the changes in the atomic and electric structures of BaTiO{sub 3} surface were investigated using ab initio calculation. Water molecules are molecularly and dissociatively adsorbed on the BaTiO{sub 3} surface, which makes electrons transfer from water molecules to the BaTiO{sub 3} surface. The redistribution of electrons in the BaTiO{sub 3} surface layers weakens the Ba-O interactions and strengthens the Ti-O interactions, so that the Ti atom shifts in TiO{sub 2} plane, i.e., an in-plane domain switching. The adsorption of water molecules on BaTiO{sub 3} surfaces also results in a reduction in the surface rumpling.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bidirectional threshold switching in engineered multilayer (Cu{sub 2}O/Ag:Cu{sub 2}O/Cu{sub 2}O) stack for cross-point selector application

In this study, we achieved bidirectional threshold switching (TS) for selector applications in a Ag-Cu{sub 2}O-based programmable-metallization-cell device by engineering the stack wherein Ag was intentionally incorporated in the oxide (Cu{sub 2}O) layer by a simple approach comprising co-sputtering and subsequent optimized annealing. The distribution of the Ag was directly confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy line profiling. The observed TS occurred because of the spontaneous self-rupturing of the unstable Ag filament that formed in the oxide layer.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Utilizing multiple state variables to improve the dynamic range of analog switching in a memristor

Memristors and memristive systems have been extensively studied for data storage and computing applications such as neuromorphic systems. To act as synapses in neuromorphic systems, the memristor needs to exhibit analog resistive switching (RS) behavior with incremental conductance change. In this study, we show that the dynamic range of the analog RS behavior can be significantly enhanced in a tantalum-oxide-based memristor. By controlling different state variables enabled by different physical effects during the RS process, the gradual filament expansion stage can be selectively enhanced without strongly affecting the abrupt filament length growth stage. Detailed physics-based modeling further verified the observed experimental effects and revealed the roles of oxygen vacancy drift and diffusion processes, and how the diffusion process can be selectively enhanced during the filament expansion stage. These findings lead to more desirable and reliable memristor behaviors for analog computing applications. Additionally, the ability to selectively control different internal physical processes demonstrated in the current study provides guidance for continued device optimization of memristor devices in general.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optimal electron, phonon, and magnetic characteristics for low energy thermally induced magnetization switching

Using large-scale computer simulations, we thoroughly study the minimum energy required to thermally induced magnetization switching (TIMS) after the application of a femtosecond heat pulse in transition metal-rare earth ferrimagnetic alloys. We find that for an energy efficient TIMS, a low ferrimagnetic net magnetization with a strong temperature dependence is the relevant factor for the magnetic system. For the lattice and electron systems, the key physics for efficient TIMS is a large electron-phonon relaxation time. Importantly, we show that as the cooling time of the heated electrons is increased, the minimum power required to produce TIMS can be reduced by an order of magnitude. Our results show the way to low power TIMS by appropriate engineering of magnetic heterostructures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optically controlled multiple switching operations of DNA biopolymer devices

We present optically tunable operations of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biopolymer devices, where a single high-resistance state, write-once read-many-times memory state, write-read-erase memory state, and single low-resistance state can be achieved by controlling UV irradiation time. The device is a simple sandwich structure with a spin-coated DNA biopolymer layer sandwiched by two electrodes. Upon irradiation, the electrical properties of the device are adjusted owing to a phototriggered synthesis of silver nanoparticles in DNA biopolymer, giving rise to multiple switching scenarios. This technique, distinct from the strategy of doping of pre-formed nanoparticles, enables a post-film fabrication process for achieving optically controlled memory device operations, which provides a more versatile platform to fabricate organic memory and optoelectronic devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Control of magnetic relaxation by electric-field-induced ferroelectric phase transition and inhomogeneous domain switching

Electric-field modulation of magnetism in strain-mediated multiferroic heterostructures is considered a promising scheme for enabling memory and magnetic microwave devices with ultralow power consumption. However, it is not well understood how electric-field-induced strain influences magnetic relaxation, an important physical process for device applications. Here, we investigate resonant magnetization dynamics in ferromagnet/ferroelectric multiferroic heterostructures, FeGaB/PMN-PT and NiFe/PMN-PT, in two distinct strain states provided by electric-field-induced ferroelectric phase transition. The strain not only modifies magnetic anisotropy but also magnetic relaxation. In FeGaB/PMN-PT, we observe a nearly two-fold change in intrinsic Gilbert damping by electric field, which is attributed to strain-induced tuning of spin-orbit coupling. By contrast, a small but measurable change in extrinsic linewidth broadening is attributed to inhomogeneous ferroelastic domain switching during the phase transition of the PMN-PT substrate.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Magnetostatic effects on switching in small magnetic tunnel junctions

Perpendicular CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with diameters under 100 nm are investigated by conductive atomic force microscopy. Minor loops of the tunnel magnetoresistance as a function of applied magnetic field reveal the hysteresis of the soft layer and an offset due to the magnetostatic field of the hard layer. Within the hysteretic region, telegraph noise is observed in the tunnel current. Simulations show that in this range, the net magnetic field in the soft layer is spatially inhomogeneous, and that antiparallel to parallel switching tends to start near the edge, while parallel to antiparallel reversal favors nucleation in the interior of the soft layer. As the diameter of the tunnel junction is decreased, the average magnitude of the magnetostatic field increases, but the spatial inhomogeneity across the soft layer is reduced.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Roles of grain boundary and oxygen vacancies in Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} films for resistive switching device application

Oxygen vacancies are widely thought to be responsible for resistive switching (RS) effects based on polycrystalline oxides films. It is also well known that grain boundaries (GB) serve as reservoirs for accumulating oxygen vacancies. Here, Ar gas was introduced to enlarge the size of GB and increase the quantity of oxygen vacancies when the Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited by pulse laser deposition technique. The experimental results indicate that the RS properties of the device exhibits better in the Ar-introduced BST films than in the O{sub 2}-grown BST films. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images show that an amorphous region GB with large size appears between two lattice planes corresponding to oxygen vacancies defects in the Ar-introduced BST. Fourier-transform infrared reflectivity spectroscopy results also reveal highly accumulated oxygen vacancies in the Ar-introduced BST films. And we propose that the conduction transport of the cell was dominantly contributed from not ions migration of oxygen vacancies but the electrons in our case according to the value of activation energies of two kinds of films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Deterministic switching of a magnetoelastic single-domain nano-ellipse using bending

In this paper, a fully coupled analytical model between elastodynamics with micromagnetics is used to study the switching energies using voltage induced mechanical bending of a magnetoelastic bit. The bit consists of a single domain magnetoelastic nano-ellipse deposited on a thin film piezoelectric thin film (500 nm) attached to a thick substrate (0.5 mm) with patterned electrodes underneath the nano-dot. A voltage applied to the electrodes produces out of plane deformation with bending moments induced in the magnetoelastic bit modifying the magnetic anisotropy. To minimize the energy, two design stages are used. In the first stage, the geometry and bias field (H{sub b}) of the bit are optimized to minimize the strain energy required to rotate between two stable states. In the second stage, the bit's geometry is fixed, and the electrode position and control mechanism is optimized. The electrical energy input is about 200 (aJ) which is approximately two orders of magnitude lower than spin transfer torque approaches.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Gate-controlled switching between persistent and inverse persistent spin helix states

We demonstrate gate-controlled switching between persistent spin helix (PSH) state and inverse PSH state, which are detected by quantum interference effect on magneto-conductance. These special symmetric spin states showing weak localization effect give rise to a long spin coherence when the strength of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is close to that of Dresselhaus SOI. Furthermore, in the middle of two persistent spin helix states, where the Rashba SOI can be negligible, the bulk Dresselhaus SOI parameter in a modulation doped InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well is determined.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗