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Modeling a Strain and Piezo Potentials in an InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot
We investigated the single-electron spectrum of an InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) using an effective potential model developed in previous studies. Our objective was to explore the limits of applicability of this model. We conducted numerical simulations, introducing a piezoelectric potential as a perturbation to the effective potential. The profile of this additional potential was derived from theoretical numerical studies presented in the literature. We analyzed the impact of variations in this profile within the framework of the perturbation theory. Our findings indicate that within a variation range of 25%, the effective potential model remains applicable.
Core/Shell-Like Localized Emission at Atomically Thin Semiconductor–Au Interface
Localized emission in atomically thin semiconductors has sparked significant interest as single-photon sources. Despite comprehensive studies into the correlation between localized strain and exciton emission, the impacts of charge transfer on nanobubble emission remains elusive. Here, in this paper, we report the observation of core/shell-like localized emission from monolayer WSe 2 nanobubbles at room temperature through near-field studies. By altering the electronic junction between monolayer WSe 2 and the Au substrate, one can effectively adjust the semiconductor to metal junction from a Schottky to an Ohmic junction. Through concurrent analysis of topography, potential, tip-enhanced photoluminescence, and a piezo response force microscope, we attribute the core/shell-like emissions to strong piezoelectric potential aided by induced polarity at the WSe 2 –Au Schottky interface which results in spatial confinement of the excitons. Our findings present a new approach for manipulating charge confinement and engineering localized emission within atomically thin semiconductor nanobubbles. These insights hold implications for advancing the nano and quantum photonics with low-dimensional semiconductors.
Design Requirements for Amorphous Piezoelectric Polymers
An overview of the piezoelectric activity in amorphous piezoelectric polymers is presented. The criteria required to render a polymer piezoelectric are discussed. Although piezoelectricity is a coupling between mechanical and electrical properties, most research has concentrated on the electrical properties of potentially piezoelectric polymers. In this work, we present comparative mechanical data as a function of temperature and offer a summary of polarization and electromechanical properties for each of the polymers considered.
Actuators Using Piezoelectric Stacks and Displacement Enhancers
Actuators are used to drive all active mechanisms including machines, robots, and manipulators to name a few. The actuators are responsible for moving, manipulating, displacing, pushing and executing any action that is needed by the mechanism. There are many types and principles of actuation that are responsible for these movements ranging from electromagnetic, electroactive, thermo-mechanic, piezoelectric, electrostrictive etc. Actuators are readily available from commercial producers but there is a great need for reducing their size, increasing their efficiency and reducing their weight. Studies at JPL’s Non Destructive Evaluation and Advanced Actuators (NDEAA) Laboratory have been focused on the use of piezoelectric stacks and novel designs taking advantage of piezoelectric’s potential to provide high torque/force density actuation and high electromechanical conversion efficiency. The actuators/motors that have been developed and reviewed in this paper are operated by various horn configurations as well as the use of pre-stress flexures that make them thermally stable and increases their coupling efficiency. The use of monolithic designs that pre-stress the piezoelectric stack eliminates the use of compression stress bolt. These designs enable the embedding of developed solid-state motors/actuators in any structure with the only macroscopically moving parts are the rotor or the linear translator. Finite element modeling and design tools were used to determine the requirements and operation parameters and the results were used to simulate, design and fabricate novel actuators/motors. The developed actuators and performance will be described and discussed in this paper.
Diffused morphotropic phase boundary in relaxor-PbTiO 3 crystals: High piezoelectricity with improved thermal stability
Solid solution ferroelectrics are the most widely used piezoelectric material for numerous electromechanical applications, including sensors, actuators, and transducers. A milestone in ferroelectric research is the discovery of the morphotropic phase boundary that was first reported in Pb(Zr x Ti 1–x )O 3 , which has been extensively solicited to improve the performance of various solid solution ferroelectrics, including those having the highest piezoelectricity known today. However, due to the inherent correlation between phase transition and thermodynamic imbalance, the efforts of building the phase boundary encounter the challenge that high performance materials are generally accompanied by property instability. In this paper, we report a comprehensive study on the crystalline symmetry and polar nano-regions in relaxor-PbTiO 3 crystals by synchrotron measurements and property characterizations. In contrast to the common belief that the morphotropic phase boundary is a narrow composition region, the morphotropic phase boundary in ternary Pb(In 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 -Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 is demonstrated as an extensive region covering at least 9% of the PbTiO 3 content. Such a diffused morphotropic phase boundary is associated with the intensive interaction of polar nano-regions, leading to high piezoelectricity (>1500 pC/N) with greatly improved thermal stability, where the piezoelectric variation is ~90% over the temperature range of 273–373 K, which is about a factor of 3 lower compared to its binary counterpart Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 . This work sheds light on the fundamental understanding of nanoscale inhomogeneity and macroscopic symmetry in relaxor-PbTiO 3 , and successfully interlinks the structure and properties in complex solid solutions. The existence of a diffused morphotropic phase boundary is also expected to benefit other ferroic systems beyond ferroelectrics, such as ferromagnetic and multiferroic materials.
Electron mobility in modulation-doped heterostructures
A model for electron mobility in a two-dimensional electron gas confined in a triangular well was developed. All major scattering processes (deformation potential and piezoelectric acoustic, polar optical, ionized impurity, and alloy disorder) were included, as well as intrasubband and intersubband scattering. The model is applied to two types of modulation-doped heterostructures, namely GaAs-GaAlAs and In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As-Al(0.52)In(0.48)As. In the former case, phonons and remote ionized impurities ultimately limit the mobility, whereas in the latter, alloy disorder is a predominant scattering process at low temperatures. The calculated mobilities are in very good agreement with recently reported experimental characteristics for both GaAs-Ga(1-x)Al(x)As and In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As-Al(0.52)In(0.48)As modulation-doped heterostructures.
Light-induced transitions of polar state and domain morphology of photoferroelectric nanoparticles
Using the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire approach, we study light-induced phase transitions, evolution of polar state and domain morphology in photo-ferroelectric nanoparticles (NPs). Light exposure increases the free carrier density near the NP surface and may in turn induce phase transitions from the nonpolar paraelectric to the polar ferroelectric phase. Using the uniaxial photo-ferroelectric Sn 2 P 2 S 6 as an example, here we show that visible light exposure induces the appearance and vanishing of striped, labyrinthine or curled domains and changes in the polarization switching hysteresis loop shape from paraelectric curves to double, pinched and single loops, as well as the shifting in the position of the tricritical point. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an ensemble of non-interacting photo-ferroelectric NPs may exhibit superparaelectric-like features at the tricritical point, such as strongly frequency-dependent giant piezoelectric and dielectric responses, which can potentially be exploited for piezoelectric applications.
Giant piezoelectricity in fluoropolymer fiber mats achieved by corona poling in water
Polymer piezoelectrics hold great potential for energy harvesting and wearable electronics. Efforts have been dedicated to enhancing piezoelectric coefficients and thermostability for several decades, but most of these have not been successful. In this report, we demonstrate a straightforward way to achieve high piezoelectric coefficients and output voltages while maintaining high thermostability at temperatures over 110 °C. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] 80/20 mol.% nanofiber mats (made by electrospinning) with extremely high crystallinity and Curie temperatures were obtained via a two-step annealing process, from which large ferroelectric domains were formed in extended-chain crystals. After corona poling using water, which is a high dielectric constant medium, giant piezoelectricity (apparent d 33 = 1045 ± 20 pC/N) and high output voltages (29.9 ± 0.5 V) were achieved. It is found that the dimensional effect induced significant polarization changes, which is the key requirement for piezoelectricity. Our finding in this work paves a way to further improve high-performance polymer piezoelectrics.
Active Chevrons for Jet Noise Reduction
Jet noise is often a dominant component of aircraft noise, particularly at takeoff. To meet the stringent noise regulations, the aircraft industry is in a pressing need of advanced noise reduction concepts. In the present study, the potential of piezoelectrically-activated chevrons for jet noise reduction was experimentally investigated. The perturbations near the nozzle exit caused by piezoelectrically-activated chevrons could be used to modify the growth rate of the mixing layer and thereby potentially reduce jet noise. These perturbations are believed to increase the production of small-scale disturbances at the expense of large-scale turbulent structures. These large-scale turbulent structures are responsible for the dominant portion of the jet mixing noise, particularly low-frequency noise. Therefore, by exciting the static chevron geometry through piezoelectric actuators, an additional acoustic benefit could possibly be achieved. To aid in the initial implementation of this concept, several flat-faced faceted nozzles (four, six, and eight facets) were investigated. Among the faceted nozzles, it was found that the eight-faceted nozzle behaves very similarly to the round nozzle. Furthermore, among the faceted nozzles with static chevrons, the four-faceted nozzle with static chevrons was found to be most effective in terms of jet noise reduction. The piezoelectrically-activated chevrons reduced jet noise up to 2 dB compared to the same nozzle geometry without excitation. This benefit was observed over a wide range of excitation frequencies by applying very low voltages to the piezoelectric actuators.
Passively Shunted Piezoelectric Damping of Centrifugally-Loaded Plates
Researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center have been investigating shunted piezoelectric circuits as potential damping treatments for turbomachinery rotor blades. This effort seeks to determine the effects of centrifugal loading on passively-shunted piezoelectric - damped plates. Passive shunt circuit parameters are optimized for the plate's third bending mode. Tests are performed both non-spinning and in the Dynamic Spin Facility to verify the analysis, and to determine the effectiveness of the damping under centrifugal loading. Results show that a resistive shunt circuit will reduce resonant vibration for this configuration. However, a tuned shunt circuit will be required to achieve the desired damping level. The analysis and testing address several issues with passive shunt circuit implementation in a rotating system, including piezoelectric material integrity under centrifugal loading, shunt circuit implementation, and tip mode damping.
Piezoelectric Instruments of High Natural Frequency Vibration Characteristics and Protection Against Interference by Mass Forces
The exploration of the processes accompanying engine combustion demands quick-responding pressure-recording instruments, among which the piezoelectric type has found widespread use because of its especially propitious properties as vibration-recording instruments for high frequencies. Lacking appropriate test methods, the potential errors of piezoelectric recorders in dynamic measurements could only be estimated up to now. In the present report a test method is described by means of which the resonance curves of the piezoelectric pickup can be determined; hence an instrumental appraisal of the vibration characteristics of piezoelectric recorders is obtainable.
High temperature sensor/microphone development for active noise control
The industrial and scientific communities have shown genuine interest in electronic systems which can operate at high temperatures, among which are sensors to monitor noise, vibration, and acoustic emissions. Acoustic sensing can be accomplished by a wide variety of commercially available devices, including: simple piezoelectric sensors, accelerometers, strain gauges, proximity sensors, and fiber optics. Of the several sensing mechanisms investigated, piezoelectrics were found to be the most prevalent, because of their simplicity of design and application and, because of their high sensitivity over broad ranges of frequencies and temperature. Numerous piezoelectric materials are used in acoustic sensors today; but maximum use temperatures are imposed by their transition temperatures (T(sub c)) and by their resistivity. Lithium niobate, in single crystal form, has the highest operating temperature of any commercially available material, 650 C; but that is not high enough for future requirements. Only two piezoelectric materials show potential for use at 1000 C; AlN thin film reported to be piezoactive at 1150 C, and perovskite layer structure (PLS) materials, which possess among the highest T(sub c) (greater than 1500 C) reported for ferroelectrics. A ceramic PLS composition was chosen. The solid solution composition, 80% strontium niobate (SN) and 20% strontium tantalate (STa), with a T(sub c) approximately 1160 C, was hot forged, a process which concurrently sinters and renders the plate-like grains into a highly oriented configuration to enhance piezo properties. Poled samples of this composition showed coupling (k33) approximately 6 and piezoelectric strain constant (d33) approximately 3. Piezoactivity was seen at 1125 C, the highest temperature measurement reported for a ferroelectric ceramic. The high temperature piezoelectric responses of this, and similar PLS materials, opens the possibility of their use in electronic devices operating at temperatures up to 1000 C. Concurrent with the materials study was an effort to define issues involved in the development of a microphone capable of operation at temperatures up to 1000 C; important since microphones capable of operation above 260 C are not generally available. The distinguishing feature of a microphone is its diaphragm which receives sound from the atmosphere: whereas, most other acoustic sensors receive sound through the solid structure on which they are installed. In order to gain an understanding of the potential problems involved in designing and testing a high temperature microphone, a prototype was constructed using a commercially available lithium niobate piezoelectric element in a stainless steel structure. The prototype showed excellent frequency response at room temperature, and responded to acoustic stimulation at 670 C, above which temperature the voltage output rapidly diminished because of decreased resistivity in the element. Samples of the PLS material were also evaluated in a simulated microphone configuration, but their voltage output was found to be a few mV compared to the 10 output of the prototype.
Compact piezoelectric resonance mass balance for sample verification and mass quantification and mixing.
There is a need for sample verification and mass quantification of rock, soil and/or ice obtained by sample acquisition mechanisms on extraterrestrial bodies. For many scientific instruments information about the mass of the sample would aid in the interpretation of the data and help prevent the portioning system from overloading instrument ports. Additionally, on a potential sample return mission it is likely that a sample confirmation or mass determination requirement would be implemented before the spacecraft would be commanded to return to Earth or Lunar orbit. In an effort to meet these potential requirements, a piezoelectric resonance balance is being developed to measure a frequency change proportional to the sample mass change. In previous work1 we developed a resonance balance which produced large non-linear frequency changes due to the addition of a large mass. In this study we have looked at a variety of resonator geometries in an effort to linearize the frequency shift with mass. In addition, we have investigated the use of oscillator/counter circuitry to track the frequency shift of the piezoelectric mass balance. In this new design the frequency shifts automatically when a mass is placed on the balance and the counter circuit calculates the frequency shift. This frequency is then converted to a mass using calibration tables determined previously. An additional feature we have implemented is the use of a high frequency thickness mode piezoelectric resonator to mix the sample and a reactant or solvent. This allows for measuring both sample and reagent prior to ingestion by the instrument. This paper will focus on the design requirements and how they are affected by the local gravity and acoustic properties of the sample. Designs which allow for easy loading and unloading of the balance will also be discussed.
Simultaneous mapping of nanoscale dielectric, electrochemical, and ferroelectric surface properties of van der Waals layered ferroelectric via advanced SPM
Ferroelectric surfaces involve a complex interplay between polarization and dielectric properties, internal and external surface charge screening, and ionic and electrochemical effects. There is currently no good way to simultaneously capture all the required information at appropriate length scales. To this end, we present an advanced scanning probe microscopy approach for simultaneously mapping surface potential, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties on the nanoscale. For quantitatively mapping electromechancial properties, we utilize interferometric displacement sensing piezoresponse force microscopy, which measures the effective piezoelectric coefficient free of background artifacts such as the cantilever body electrostatics. The dielectric and surface electrochemical properties are captured during G-mode electrostatic force microscopy/Kelvin probe force microscopy operated in the lift mode. We show the capabilities of this approach on the chemically phase separated composite sample consisting of a van der Waals layered ferroelectric CuInP 2 S 6 phase and a non-polar In 4/3 P 2 S 6 phase. Finally, we demonstrate domain structure evolution during thermally stimulated phase transition.
Relaxor ferroelectric polymer exhibits ultrahigh electromechanical coupling at low electric field
Electromechanical (EM) coupling—the conversion of energy between electric and mechanical forms—in ferroelectrics has been used for a broad range of applications. Ferroelectric polymers have weak EM coupling that severely limits their usefulness for applications. Here, we introduced a small amount of fluorinated alkyne (FA) monomers (<2 mol %) in relaxor ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE-CFE) terpolymer that markedly enhances the polarization change with strong EM coupling while suppressing other polarization changes that do not contribute to it. Under a low–dc bias field of 40 megavolts per meter, the relaxor tetrapolymer has an EM coupling factor (k 33 ) of 88% and a piezoelectric coefficient (d 33 ) >1000 picometers per volt. These values make this solution-processed polymer competitive with ceramic oxide piezoelectrics, with the potential for use in distinct applications.
Superconductivity Devices: Commercial Use of Space
The work described in this report covers various aspects of the Rainbow solid-state actuator and sensor technologies. It is presented in five parts dealing with sensor applications, nonlinear properties, stress-optic and electrooptic properties, stacks and arrays, and publications. The Rainbow actuator technology is a relatively new materials development which had its inception in 1992. It involves a new processing technique for preparing pre-stressed, high lead containing piezoelectric and electrostrictive ceramic materials. Ceramics fabricated by this method produce bending-mode actuator devices which possess several times more displacement and load bearing capacity than present-day benders. Since they can also be used in sensor applications, Rainbows are part of the family of materials known as smart ceramics. During this period, PLZT Rainbow ceramics were characterized with respect to their piezoelectric properties for potential use in stress sensor applications. Studies of the nonlinear and stress-optic/electrooptic birefringent properties were also initiated during this period. Various means for increasing the utility of stress-enhanced Rainbow actuators are presently under investigation.
Reflection Properties of Metallic Gratings on ZnO Films over GaAs Substrates
A potential application for piezoelectric film deposited on GaAs substrates is the monolithic integration of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices with GaAs electronics. Metallic gratings are basic elements required for the construction of such devices, and analyzing the reflectivity and the velocity change due to metallic gratings is often a critical design parameter. In this article, Datta and Hunsinger technique is extended to the case of a multilayered structure, and the developed technique is applied to analyze shorted and open gratings on ZnO films sputtered over (001)-cut (110)-propagating GaAs substrates. The analysis shows that zero reflectivity of shorted gratings can be obtained by a combination of the ZnO film and the metal thickness and the metalization ratio of the grating. Experiments are performed on shorted and an open gratings (with the center frequency of about 180 MHz) for three different metal thicknesses over ZnO films which are 0.8 and 2.6 micrometers thick. From the experiments, zero reflectivity at the resonant frequency of the grating is observed for a reasonable thickness (h/Alpha = 0.5%) of aluminum metalization. The velocity shift between the shorted and the open grating is also measured to be 0.18 MHz and 0.25 MHz for 0.8 and 1.6 micrometers respectively. The measured data show relatively good agreement with theoretical predictions.