Physics Commons^™

Samples For 3rd Harmonic Magnetometry Assessment Of Nbtin-Based Sis Structures, D.R. Beverstock, C.Z. Antoine, Jean R. Delayen, D. Manos, Iresha Harshani Senevirathne, J. K. Spradlin, A-M. Valente-Feliciano

Physics Faculty Publications

In the quest for alternative superconducting materials to bring accelerator cavity performance beyond the bulk niobium (Nb) intrinsic limits, a promising concept uses superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) thin film structures that allows magnetic flux shielding in accelerator cavities to higher fields [1]. Candidate materials for such structures are NbTiN as the superconductor and AlN as the insulator. We have demonstrated high quality NbTiN and AlN deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering (DCMS), both for individual layers and multilayers. Interface quality has been assessed for bilayer stacks with 250 nm NbTiN layers and AlN thicknesses from 30 nm down to1 nm. These SIS …

Structure And Electrophysical Properties Of A Solid Solution (Gaas1-Δbiδ)1-X-Y(Ge2)X(Znse)Y, S.Z. Zainabidinov, I.N. Karimov, Hotamjon Mansurov, Akramjon Boboev, Dilkhayotjon Pulatjon Ugli Abdurakhimov

Scientific Bulletin. Physical and Mathematical Research

This paper shows the possibility of growing a single-crystal solid solution of substitution (GaAs1-δBiδ)1-x-y(Ge2)x(ZnSe)y on GaAs substrates by liquid-phase epitaxy from a bismuthcontaining solution-melt. The grown films had a ptype of conductivity with a current carrier concentration of 1,86·1017 сm-3, a mobility of р = 300 cm2/V·s, and a resistivity of 0,13 Ohms·cm. Structural studies have shown that the epitaxial films have a sphalerite structure of the ZnS type and are monocrystalline with an orientation of (100). The crystal lattice parameter of the film was af = 0,56697 nm. Studies of current-voltage characteris-tics of n-GaAs – p-(GaAs1-δBiδ)1-x-y(Ge2)x(ZnSe)y heterostructures at different …

Electrically Reversible Magnetization At The Antiperovskite/Perovskite Interface, Ding-Fu Shao, Gautam Gurung, Tula R. Paudel, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Using density-functional calculations, we predict the emergence of electrically reversible magnetization at the interface between antiferromagnetic noncollinear antiperovskite GaNMn3 and ferroelectric perovskite BaTiO3. We find that Mn magnetic moments are enhanced and reoriented at the GaNMn3/ATiO3 (001) (A = Sr and Ba) interface, resulting in a sizable net magnetization along the [110] direction. This magnetization is reversed with ferroelectric polarization of BaTiO3 through ∼20◦ rotation of the noncollinear magnetic moments. The effect is driven by ferroelectric modulation of the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between the interfacial Mn atoms mediated by the Mn-3d orbital population. Our results open opportunities for controlling the …

Radiation Tolerance In Nano-Structured Crystalline Fe(Cr)/Amorphous Sioc Composite, Qing Su, Tianyao Wang, Lin Shao, Michael Nastasi

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

The management of irradiation defects is one of key challenges for structural materials in current and future reactor systems. To develop radiation tolerant alloys for service in extreme irradiation environments, the Fe self-ion radiation response of nanocomposites composed of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe(Cr) were examined at 10, 20, and 50 displacements per atom damage levels. Grain growth in width direction was observed to increase with increasing irradiation dose in both Fe(Cr) films and Fe(Cr) layers in the nanocomposite after irradiation at room temperature. However, compared to the Fe(Cr) film, the Fe(Cr) layers in the nanocomposite exhibited ~50% …

Computational Studies On Perovskite-Metallofullerene Interface And Magnetic Properties Of Mn-Based Mixed Olivines, Bethuel Omutiti Khamala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Methyl ammonium lead halide (MAPbX3) perovskite based solar cells have recently emerged as promising class of materials for photovoltaic applications with efficiencies reaching over 22%. Designing interfaces with strong binding is vital to developing efficient, high-performing solar cells. Fullerene-based materials are widely employed as efficient electron acceptors and can serve as electron transporting layer in perovskite based solar cells. We have studied interfaces of methyl ammonium lead iodide MAPbI3 with Sc3N@C80 fullerene and Sc3N@C80PCBM fullerene derivate within the density functional formalism. Different surface terminations and orientations of the methyl ammonium are examined for binding of the fullerene layer. Our calculated …

The Field Blocking On The Interface With Nonlinear Response Between Nonlinearfocusing Media, Sergey Savotchenko

Turkish Journal of Physics

We consider the nonlinear nonsymmetrical spatially distributed excitations near the thin layer with nonlinear properties separated with two media with Kerr-type focusing (positive) nonlinearity. We use the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonlinear potential containing two parameters to describe the new types of nonlinear stationary states. The problem is reduced to the solution of nonlinear Schrödinger equations on half spaces with the nonlinear boundary conditions at the interface plane. We obtain and analyze the two types of nonlinear excitations describing the effect of the field blocking passing through the interface into one half-space from another one. The field blocking effect is …

Effects Of Interface Scattering And Carrier Localization On Conductance Of Cu-Based Superlattices, Jiyoon Jessica Kim

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ultra-thin films and multilayer structures are widely used in modern technologies such as semiconductor logic and memory devices. As film thickness decreases to a few nanometers or smaller, classical transport theories are no longer valid. In this study, we investigate transport properties of superlattices with layer thickness reduced to ~1 nm. The superlattices are made of alternating layers of Cu and a transition metal (Ru, Mo, and Co). The layers are deposited by physical vapor deposition and resistance changes during superlattice growth are measured. The observed resistance evolution reveals the effects of carrier scattering and localization at the interfaces.

Nuclear Spin Alignment In Optically Pumped Semiconductors, Matthew M. Willmering

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has shown its ability to be a very informative analytical technique due to the ability to measure very small changes in the energy splittings due to the nuclei’s local environment. However, this ability is hindered by the low sensitivity of the experiment. Many methods have been postulated and implemented to enhance the sensitivity of NMR experiments; one of which is optically pumped NMR (OPNMR). In this dissertation, the usefulness and potential applications of OPNMR are presented. First, a doubly resonant OPNMR probe was fabricated in order to complete more advanced NMR techniques while optically pumping the …

Properties And Manipulation Of Ionic Liquid-Solid Interfaces In Complex Oxide Materials, Anthony Thomas Wong

Doctoral Dissertations

Ionic liquids are liquid salts that are bringing rapid changes to the field of solid electronic materials. The implementation of ionic liquids in conjunction with these solid materials produces interfacial effects, especially when a bias is applied across the ionic liquid, forming an electric double layer. Electric double layers in ionic liquids are unique in their formation and the interfacial charges that are orders of magnitude higher than conventional techniques they can impart, providing new techniques for device design and implementation. In chapter 1, the fundamentals of the solid state electronic and magnetic materials are introduced, along with ionic liquids, …

Artificial Quantum Many-Body States In Complex Oxide Heterostructures At Two-Dimensional Limit, Xiaoran Liu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the representative family of complex oxides, transition metal oxides, where the lattice,

charge, orbital and spin degrees of freedom are tightly coupled, have been at the forefront

of condensed matter physics for decades. With the advancement of state-of-the-art heteroepitaxial deposition techniques, it has been recognized that combining these oxides on the atomic scale, the interfacial region offers great opportunities to discover emergent phenomena and tune materials' functionality. However, there still lacks general guiding principles for experimentalists, following which one can design and fabricate artificial systems on demand. The main theme of this dissertation is to devise and propose some …

Tunneling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance In A Magnetic Tunnel Junction With Half-Metallic Electrodes, John D. Burton, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) is the difference in resistance of a magnetic tunnel junction due to a change in magnetization direction of one or both magnetic electrodes with respect to the flow of current. We present the results of first-principles density functional calculations of the TAMR effect in magnetic tunnel junctions with La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) electrodes and a SrTiO₃ (STO) tunneling barrier. We find an ∼500% difference in resistance between magnetization in the plane and out of the plane. This large TAMR effect originates from the half-metallic nature of LSMO: When magnetization is out of …

Electric Control Of Spin Injection Into A Ferroelectric Semiconductor, Xiaohui Liu, John D. Burton, M. Ye. Zhuravlev, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Electric-field control of spin-dependent properties has become one of the most attractive phenomena in modern materials research due to the promise of new device functionalities. One of the paradigms in this approach is to electrically toggle the spin polarization of carriers injected into a semiconductor using ferroelectric polarization as a control parameter. Using first-principles density-functional calculations, we explore the effect of ferroelectric polarization of electron-doped BaTiO₃ (n-BaTiO₃) on the spin-polarized transmission across the SrRuO₃/n-BaTiO₃(001) interface. Our study reveals that, in this system, the interface transmission is negatively spin polarized …

Strain Relaxation In Nm-Thick Cu And Cu-Alloy Films Bonded To A Rigid Substrate, Ashley Herrmann

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In the wide scope of modern technology, nm-thick metallic films are increasingly used as lubrication layers, optical coatings, plating seeds, diffusion barriers, adhesion layers, metal contacts, reaction catalyzers, etc. A prominent example is the use of nm-thick Cu films as electroplating seed layers in the manufacturing of integrated circuits (ICs). These high density circuits are linked by on-chip copper interconnects, which are manufactured by filling Cu into narrow trenches by electroplating. The Cu fill by electroplating requires a thin Cu seed deposited onto high-aspect-ratio trenches. In modern ICs, these trenches are approaching 10 nm or less in width, and the …

Ferroelectric Polarization Dependent Interface Effects, Xiaohui Liu

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Utilization of the switchable spontaneous polarization of nanometer scale ferroelectric materials offers a promising avenue for future nanoelectronic devices. In this dissertation, we use density-functional calculations and phenomenological modeling to explore the effects of interface termination on thin-film heterostructures, the effects of electron doping in bulk ferroelectric materials on ferroelectric stability, and the effects of ferroelectric polarization switching on the electronic and transport properties of interfaces.

For SrRuO₃/BaTiO₃/SrRuO₃ epitaxial heterostructures grown on SrTiO₃, we find that the built-in dipole at the BaO/RuO₂ terminated interface leads to a strong preference for one polarization. …

Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions With Graphene Electrodes, Haidong Lu, Alexey Lipatov, Sangjin Ryu, D. J. Kim, H. Lee, M. Ye. Zhuravlev, Chang-Beom Eom, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Alexander Sinitskii, Alexei Gruverman

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Polarization-driven resistive switching in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs)—structures composed of two electrodes separated by an ultrathin ferroelectric barrier—offers new physics and materials functionalities, as well as exciting opportunities for the next generation of non-volatile memories and logic devices. Performance of FTJs is highly sensitive to the electrical boundary conditions, which can be controlled by electrode material and/or interface engineering. Here, we demonstrate the use of graphene as electrodes in FTJs that allows control of interface properties for significant enhancement of device performance. Ferroelectric polarization stability and resistive switching are strongly affected by a molecular layer at the graphene/BaTiO₃ interface. …

Material-Independent Determination Of Anchoring Properties On Rubbed Polyimide Surfaces, Bharat R. Acharya, Jae-Hoon Kim, Satyendra Kumar

Satyendra Kumar

A material-independent method for determining liquid-crystal (LC) anchoring energy on rubbed polyimide (PI) surfaces has been devised. This method exploits the changes in the easy axis of rubbed PI film induced by exposure to linearly polarized UV (LPUV) Light. The distribution of PI chains in a rubbed film is approximated by a Gaussian function and its width determined from the measured rotation of the LC easy axis as a function of exposure time. A quasimicroscopic free energy of the LC-substrate interface is used to model LC anchoring properties. The experimental and calculated values of the azimuthal anchoring energy are in …

Finite Molecular Anchoring In The Escaped-Radial Nematic Configuration: A 2-H-Nmr Study, G. P. Crawford, David W. Allender, J. William Doane, M. Vilfan, I. Vilfan

David W Allender

The director-field configuration of a nematic liquid crystal confined to cylindrical cavities of polycarbonate Nuclepore membranes ranging from 0.3 to 0.05-mu-m in radius is determined using deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (H-2 NMR). Spectral patterns from cavities of radius 0.3-mu-m reveal the escaped-radial configuration with singular point defects, but as the cylinder size is decreased, the elastic energy imposed by the curvature of the confining walls competes with the anchoring energy to tilt the directors away from their preferred perpendicular anchoring direction, preventing the expected transition to the planar-radial configuration. A surface fitting parameter is directly determined by simulating H-2-NMR line …

Influence Of Quantum Dot Structure On The Optical Properties Of Group Iv Materials Fabricated By Ion Implantation, Eric G. Barbagiovanni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In nanostructures (NSs), to acquire a fundamental understanding of the electronic states by studying the optical properties is inherently complicated. A widely used simplification to this problem comes about by developing a model for a small scale representation of types of NSs and applying it to a hierarchy of fabrication methods. However, this methodology fails to account for structural differences incurred by the fabrication method that lead to differences in the optical properties. Proper modelling is realized by first considering the proper range of experimental parameters individually as inputs to a theoretical model and applying the correct parameters to the …

Interface Effects In Spin-Dependent Tunneling, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Kirill D. Belashchenko, Julian P. Velev, Sitaram Jaswal, Mark Van Schilfgaarde, Ivan I. Oleynik, Derek A. Stewart

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

In the past few years the phenomenon of spin dependent tunneling (SDT) in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) has aroused enormous interest and has developed into a vigorous field of research. The large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) observed in MTJs garnered much attention due to possible application in random access memories and magnetic field sensors. This led to a number of fundamental questions regarding the phenomenon of SDT. One such question is the role of interfaces in MTJs and their effect on the spin polarization of the tunneling current and TMR. In this paper we consider different models which suggest that the …

Self-Assembled Nano-Structures On The Icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn Quasicrystal, Mehmet Erbudak, Jean-Nicolas Longchamp, Yves Weisskopf

Turkish Journal of Physics

A quasicrystal is a solid with an aperiodic atomic distribution, but displaying discrete diffraction pattern. At an interface where an ordinary crystal and a quasicrystal intersect, the lack of commensurability between the structures leads to misfits on atomic scale resulting in a wealth of novelties. Here, we present experimental observations on three essentially different cases: Al, Fe, and Si ultra-thin layers grown in vacuum on the pentagonal surface of an icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal. In all three cases, the growing layer decays into nm-size islands. Al is the major alloy component of the substrate material and provides a natural tool to …

Crystalline Textures On The Al-Ni-Co Quasicrystal Surface, Mehmet Erbudak, Jean-Nicolas Longchamp, Yves Weisskopf

Turkish Journal of Physics

We have generated cubic Al alloys as commensurate single crystals on the tenfold-symmetry surface of the quasicrystalline Al-Ni-Co alloy by ion bombarding its surface. We find that the crystal-quasicrystal interface contains several alignments of mutual high-symmetry directions and planes. In order to explore the structural matching conditions at the crystal-quasicrystal interface, we have grown Al films on the decagonal surface of Al-Ni-Co by vapor deposition. The initial growth mode of Al is commensurate. As the coverage is increased, Al starts to grow in cubic textures breaking into multi-twinned, few-nanometer- large domains. The symmetry of the substrate determines thereby the orientation …

Relaxation Dynamics Of Rubbed Polystyrene Thin Films, D. M. G. Agra, A. D. Schwab, J-H. Kim, Satyendra Kumar, A. Dhinojwala

Satyendra Kumar

Optical retardation measurements were used to probe the chain relaxation dynamics in rubbed polystyrene films of varying thicknesses on glass substrates. A model based on Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts relaxation was developed and used to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the films. Results showed reductions of 15–20 K in Tg for thin films of thicknesses comparable to the radius of gyration as well as for cast films rubbed with different strengths. These results provide evidence of a faster relaxation dynamics relative to the polymer-substrate interface for thinner films and enhanced chain mobility at the polymer-air interface.

Biaxiality In A Cyclic Thermotropic Nematic Liquid-Crystal, Jian-Feng Li, V. Percec, Ch. Rosenblatt, Oleg Lavrentovich

Oleg Lavrentovich

Birefringence and textural data are presented for a ring-shaped trimeric liquid crystal. The material apparently undergoes a uniaxial-to-biaxial nematic phase transition as a function of temperature.