Engineering Physics Commons^™

Cooperative And Noncooperative Magnetization Reversal In Alnicos, Raplh Skomski, Liqin Ke, Matthew J. Kramer, Iver E. Anderson, C.Z. Wang, W.Y. Zhang, Jeff E. Shield, D. J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

It is investigated how magnetostatic interactions affect the coercivity of alnicotype magnets. Starting from exact micromagnetic relations, we analyze two limits, namely cooperative reversal processes operative on short lengths scales and noncooperative reversal processes on long length scales. In alnicos, intrawire interactions are predominantly cooperative, whereas interwire effects are typically noncooperative. However, the transition between the regimes depends on feature size and hysteresis-loop shape, and interwire cooperative effects are largest for nearly rectangular loops. Our analysis revises the common shape-anisotropy interpretation of alnicos.

Epitaxial Strain Controlled Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy In Ultrathin Ferh/Mgo Bilayers, Guohul Zheng, San-Huang Ke, Maosheng Miao, Jinwoong Kim, R, Ramesh, Nicholas Kioussis

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Using ab initio electronic structure calculations we have investigated the effect of epitazial strain on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of ultrathin FeRh/MgO heterostructures. Analysis of the energy- and k-resolved distribution of the orbital character of the band structure reveals that MCA largely arises from the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) between d_x2-y2 and d_xz/d_yz orbitlas of Fe atoms at the FeRh/MhO interface. We demonstrate that the strain has significant effects on the MCA: It not only affects the value of the MCA but also induces a switching of the magnetic easy axis from perpendicular on in-plane direction. The …

First-Principle Investigation Of Structural, Electronic And Magnetic Properties Of Co2vin And Covin Heusler Compounds, Zipporah Muthui, Rohit Pathak, Robinson Musembi, Julius Mwabora, Ralph Skomski, Arti Kashyap

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Investigation of the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of full-Heusler Co₂VIn as well as half-Heusler CoVIn Cobalt based Heusler compounds using density functional theory (DFT) leads to the general conclusion that Co₂VIn and CoVIn are half-metallic materials with a gap at the Fermi level in the minority states and majority states respectively. A Hubbard-like Coulomb correlation term U has been included in the DFT (DFT+U) for the computation of the electronic and magnetic properties of the compounds. The structural properties have been calculated for the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases, and both Co₂VIn …

Controlling The Microstructure And Associated Magnetic Properties Of Ni0.2mn3.2ga0.6 Melt-Spun Ribbons By Annealing, Mahmud Khan, Ohud Alshammari, Balamurugan Balamurugan, Bhaskar Das, David J. Sellmyer, Ahmad Us Saleheen, Shane Stadler

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Here we report on the structural and magnetic properties of Ni_0.2Mn_3.2Ga_0.6 melt- spun ribbons. The as-spun ribbons were found to exhibit mixed cubic phases that transform to non-cubic structure upon annealing. Additionally, an amorphous phase was found to co-exist in all ribbons. The SEM images show that minor grain forma- tion occurs on the as-spun ribbons. However, the formation of extensive nano-grains was observed on the surfaces of the annealed ribbons. While the as-spun ribbons exhibit predominantly paramagnetic behavior, the ribbons annealed under various thermal conditions were found to be ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature …

Effect Of Fe Substitution On The Structural, Magnetic And Electron-Transport Properties Of Half-Metallic Co2tisi, Y. Jin, J. Waybright, P. Kharel, I. Tutic, J. Herran, P. Lukashev, S. Valloppilly, D. J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

The structural, magnetic and electron-transport properties of Co₂Ti_1-xFe_xSi (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5) ribbons prepared by arc-melting and melt-spinning were investi- gated. The rapidly quenched Co₂Ti_0.5Fe_0.5Si crystallized in the cubic L2₁ structure whereas Co₂Ti_0.75Fe_0.25Si and Co₂TiFe₀Si showed various degrees of B2-type disorder. At room temperature, all the samples are ferromagnetic, and the Curie tem- perature increased from 360 K for Co₂TiSi to about 800 K for Co₂Ti_0.5Fe_0.5Si. The measured …

Theoretical Approach To Electroresistance In Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions, Sou-Chi Chang, Azad Naeemi, Dmitri E. Nikonov, Alexei Gruverman

Alexei Gruverman Publications

In this paper, a theoretical approach comprising the nonequilibrium Green’s function method for electronic transport and the Landau-Khalatnikov equation for electric polarization dynamics is presented to describe polarization-dependent tunneling electroresistance (TER) in ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Using appropriate contact, interface, and ferroelectric parameters, the measured current-voltage characteristic curves in both inorganic (Co/BaTiO₃/La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃) and organic (Au/PVDF/W) ferroelectric tunnel junctions can be well described by the proposed approach. Furthermore, under this theoretical framework, the controversy of opposite TER signs observed experimentally by different groups in Co/BaTiO₃/La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ systems is …

Effect Of Disorder On The Magnetic And Electronic Structure Of A Prospective Spin-Gapless Semiconductor Mncrval, P. Kharel, J. Herran, P. Lukashev, Y. Jin, J. Waybright, S. Gilbert, B. Staten, P. Gray, S. Valloppilly, Y. Huh, D. J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Recent discovery of a new class of materials, spin-gapless semiconductors (SGS), has attracted considerable attention in the last few years, primarily due to potential applications in the emerging field of spin-based electronics (spintronics). Here, we investigate structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of one potential SGS compound, MnCr-VAl, using various experimental and theoretical techniques. Our calculations show that this material exhibits ≈ 0.5 eV band gap for the majority-spin states, while for the minority-spin it is nearly gapless. The calculated magnetic moment for the com- pletely ordered structure is 2.9 μ_B/f.u., which is different from our experimentally measured value …

Tunneling Magnetoresistance Sensors With Different Coupled Free Layers, Yen-Fu Liu, Xiaolu Yin, Yi Yang, Dan Ewing, Paul J. De Rego, Sy-Hwang Liou

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Large differences of magnetic coercivity (HC), exchange coupling field (HE), and tun- neling magnetoresistance ratio (TMR) in magnetic tunnel junctions with different coupled free layers are discussed. We demonstrate that the magnetization behavior of the free layer is not only dominated by the interfacial barrier layer but also affected largely by the magnetic or non-magnetic coupled free layers. All these parameters are sensitively controlled by the magnetic nanostructure, which can be tuned also by the magnetic annealing process. The optimized sensors exhibit a large field sensitivity of up to 261%/mT in the region of the reversal synthetic ferri- magnet at …

Moving Towards The Magnetoelectric Graphene Transistor, Shi Cao, Zhiyong Xiao, Chun Pui Kwan, Kai Zhang, Jonathan P. Bird, Lu Wang, Wai-Ning Mei, Xia Hong, Peter A. Dowben

Xia Hong Publications

The interfacial charge transfer between mechanically exfoliated few-layer graphene and Cr₂O₃ (0001) surfaces has been investigated. Electrostatic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy studies point to hole doping of few-layer graphene, with up to a 150 meV shift in the Fermi level, an aspect that is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations furthermore confirm the p-type nature of the graphene/chromia interface and suggest that the chromia is able to induce a significant carrier spin polarization in the graphene layer. A large magnetoelectrically controlled magneto-resistance can therefore be anticipated in transistor structures based on this …

Comment On “Electronic Structure Of Mo(1−X)Rex Alloys Studied Through Resonant Photoemission Spectroscopy”, Prescott Evans, Peter A. Dowben

Peter Dowben Publications

Further analysis of the resonant photoemission data, found within Sundar et al (2016 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 28 315502), show the intensities do not follow the elemental composition in the Mo_1−xRe_x alloy. Similar trends are observed in the published data for Gd_1−xNi_x alloy films. The analysis of the resonant photoemission intensities suggests that Mo in the Mo_1−xRe_x alloy and Gd in the Gd_1−xNi_x alloy have nearest neighbor bonds to Re and Ni respectively. This means the A–B bond is favored over the average of …

Anomalous Photovoltaic Effect In Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells, Yongbo Yuan, Tao Li, Qi Wang, Jie Xing, Alexei Gruverman, Jinsong Huang

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have been demonstrated to be highly successful photovoltaic materials yielding very-high-efficiency solar cells. We report the room temperature observation of an anomalous photovoltaic (APV) effect in lateral structure OIHP devices manifested by the device’s open-circuit voltage (V_OC) that is much larger than the bandgap of OIHPs. The persistent V_OC is proportional to the electrode spacing, resembling that of ferroelectric photovoltaic devices. However, the APV effect in OIHP devices is not caused by ferroelectricity. The APV effect can be explained by the formation of tunneling junctions randomly dispersed in the polycrystalline films, which allows …

Ch3Nh3Pbi3 Perovskites: Ferroelasticity Revealed, Evgheni Strelcov, Qingfeng Dong, Tao Li, Jungseok Chae, Yuchuan Shao, Yehao Deng, Alexei Gruverman, Jinsong Huang, Andrea Centrone

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Ferroelectricity has been proposed as a plausible mechanism to explain the high photovoltaic conversion efficiency in organic-inorganic perovskites; however, convincing experimental evidence in support of this hypothesis is still missing. Identifying and distinguishing ferroelectricity from other properties, such as piezoelectricity, ferroelasticity, etc., is typically nontrivial because these phenomena can coexist in many materials. In this work, a combination of microscopic and nanoscale techniques provides solid evidence for the existence of ferroelastic domains in both CH₃NH₃PbI₃ polycrystalline films and single crystals in the pristine state and under applied stress. Experiments show that the configuration of CH …

Model For The Electrolysis Of Water And Its Use For Optimization, Roger Lascorz, Javier E. Hasbun Dr

Georgia Journal of Science

The goal of this research was to study the optimization of the electrolysis of water both theoretically and experimentally. For accuracy, 3 hr experiments were made with measurements recorded every 15 min. The results show that a better model than the classical one is needed for water electrolysis. A new model that fits experimental data better is proposed. The results of this new model not only predict hydrogen production in electrolysis of water better, but show a way to predict gas production of any liquid as well as what voltage to use to optimize it.

Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion Of Photons Through Β-Barium Borate, Luke Horowitz

Physics

An apparatus for detecting pairs of entangled 405nm photons that have undergone Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion through β-Barium Borate is described. By using avalanche photo-diodes to detect the low-intensity converted beam and a coincidence module to register coincident photons, it is possible to create an apparatus than can be used to perform quantum information experiments under a budget appropriate for an undergraduate physics lab.

Zncdmgse As A Materials Platform For Advanced Photonic Devices: Broadband Quantum Cascade Detectors And Green Semiconductor Disk Lasers, Joel De Jesus

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ZnCdMgSe family of II-VI materials has unique and promising characteristics that may be useful in practical applications. For example they can be grown lattice matched to InP substrates with lattice matched bandgaps that span from 2.1 to 3.5 eV, they can be successfully doped n-type, have a large conduction band offset (CBO) with no intervalley scattering present when strained, they have lower average phonon energies, and the InP lattice constant lies in the middle of the ZnSe and CdSe binaries compounds giving room to experiment with tensile and compressive stress. However they have not been studied in detail for …

Electron Diffraction Study Of Cobalt-Rich Hf-Co, Xingzhong Li, Yunlong Jin, Jeffrey E. Shield, Ralph Skomski, David J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Intermetallic compounds having compositions from HfCo₄ to HfCo₈ were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. A major crystalline phase, closely related to the orthorhombic Zr₂Co₁₁ phase in structure, has been observed in the samples with the composition ranges from HfCo₆ to HfCo₈. The phase, referred to as either Hf₂Co₁₁ or HfCo₇ phase in the literature, is actually one common phase, having a broad composition range and referred to as μ-phase in the present paper. In addition to the μ-phase, we …

Phase Separation In Lufeo3 Films, Shi Cao, Xiaozhe Zhang, Kishan Sinha, Wenbin Wang, Jian Wang, Peter A. Dowben, Xiaoshan Xu

Peter Dowben Publications

The structural transition at about 1000°C, from the hexagonal to the orthorhombic phase of LuFeO₃, has been investigated in thin films of LuFeO₃. Separation of the two structural phases of LuFeO₃ occurs on a length scale of micrometer, as visualized in real space using X-ray photoemission electron microscopy. The results are consistent with X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy obtained from LuFeO₃ thin films undergoing the irreversible structural transition from the hexagonal to the orthorhombic phase of LuFeO₃, at elevated temperatures. The sharp phase boundaries between the structural phases are observed to …

Influence Of Steric Hindrance On The Molecular Packing And The Anchoring Of Quinonoid Zwitterions On Gold Surfaces, Minghui Yuan, Iori Tababe, Jean-Marie Bernard- Schaaf, Qin-Yin Shi, Vicki Schlegel, Rachel Schurhammer, Peter A. Dowben, Bernard Doudin, Lucie Routaboul, Pierre Braunstein

Peter Dowben Publications

Driven by the huge potential of engineering the molecular band offset with highly dipolar molecules for improving charge injection into organic electrics, the anchoring of various N-alkyl substituted quinonoid zwitterions of formula C₆H₂ (···NHR)₂ (···O)₂ (R = iPr, Cy, CH₂CH(Et)CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃,. . .) on gold surfaces is studied. The N–Au interactions result in an orthogonal arrangement of the zwitterions cores with respect to the surface, and stabilize adsorbed compact rows of molecules. IR spectroscopy is used as a straightforward diagnostic tool to validate the presence of …

Low-Temperature Fcc To L10 Phase Transformation In Copt(Bi) Nanoparticles, Frank M. Abel, Vasilis Tzitzios, David J. Sellmeyer, George C. Hadjipanayis

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

This work is focused on the effects of Bi substitution on the synthesis of CoPt nanoparticles with the L1₀ structure using a modified organometallic approach. The structural and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles have been studied and compared directly with those of CoPt nanoparticles synthesized by the same tech- nique but in the absence of Bi substitution. The as-synthesized particles at 330 ◦C have an average size of 11.7 nm and a partially ordered L10 phase with a coercivity of 1 kOe. The coercivity is increased to 9.3 kOe and 12.4 kOe after annealing for 1 hour at 600 …

Modification Of The G-Phonon Mode Of Graphene By Nitrogen Doping, Pavel V. Lukashev, Liuyan Zhao, Tula R. Paudel, Theanne Schiros, Noah Hurley, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Aron Pinczuk, Abhay Pasupathy, Rui He

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

The effect of nitrogen doping on the phonon spectra of graphene is analyzed. In particular, we employ first-principles calculations and scanning Raman analysis to investigate the dependence of phonon frequencies in graphene on the concentration of nitrogen dopants. We demonstrate that the G phonon frequency shows oscillatory behavior as a function of nitrogen concentration. We analyze different mechanisms which could potentially be responsible for this behavior, such as Friedel charge oscillations around the localized nitrogen impurity atom, the bond length change between nitrogen impurity and its nearest neighbor carbon atoms, and the long-range interactions of the nitrogen point defects. We …

Scaling Of Electroresistance Effect In Fully Integrated Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions, Mohammad Abuwasib, Haidong Lu, Tao Li, Pratyush Buragohain, Hyungwoo Lee, Chang-Beom Eom, Alexei Gruverman, Uttam Singisetti

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Systematic investigation of the scalability for tunneling electroresistance (TER) of integrated Co/BaTiO₃/SrRuO₃ ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) has been performed from micron to deep submicron dimensions. Pulsed measurements of the transient currents confirm the ferroelectric switching behavior of the FTJs, while the hysteresis loops measured by means of piezoresponse force microscopy verify the scalability of these structures. Fully integrated functional FTJ devices with the size of 300×300 nm² exhibiting a tunneling electroresistance (TER) effect of the order of 2.7×10⁴% have been fabricated and tested. Measured current density of 75 A/cm² for the ON state …

Domain Wall Conductivity In Semiconducting Hexagonal Ferroelectric Tbmno3 Thin Films, D. J. Kim, J. G. Connell, S. S. A. Seo, Alexei Gruverman

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Although enhanced conductivity of ferroelectric domain boundaries has been found in BiFeO₃ and Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ films as well as hexagonal rare-earth manganite single crystals, the mechanism of the domain wall conductivity is still under debate. Using conductive atomic force microscopy, we observe enhanced conductance at the electrically-neutral domain walls in semiconducting hexagonal ferroelectric TbMnO₃ thin films where the structure and polarization direction are strongly constrained along the c-axis. This result indicates that domain wall conductivity in ferroelectric rare-earth manganites is not limited to charged domain walls. We show that the observed conductivity in the TbMnO₃ films is …

Structure And Magnetism Of New Rare- Earth-Free Intermetallic Compounds: Fe3+Xco3−Xti2 (0 ≤ X ≤ 3), Balamurugan Balamurugan, Bhaskar Das, Manh Cuong Ngyuen, Xiaoshan Xu, Jie Zhang, Xiaozhe Zhang, Yaohua Liu, Ashfia Huq, Shah R. Valloppilly, Yunlong Jin, Cai-Zhuang Wang, Kai-Ming Ho, David J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

We report the fabrication of a set of new rare-earth-free magnetic compounds, which form the Fe₃Co₃Ti₂-type hexagonal structure with P-6m2 symmetry. Neutron powder diffraction shows a significant Fe/Co anti-site mixing in the Fe₃Co₃Ti₂ structure, which has a strong effect on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy as revealed by first-principle calculations. Increasing substitution of Fe atoms for Co in the Fe₃Co₃Ti₂ lattice leads to the formation of Fe₄Co₂Ti₂ , Fe₅CoTi, and Fe₆Ti₂ with significantly improved …

Beyond Conventional C-Plane Gan-Based Light Emitting Diodes: A Systematic Exploration Of Leds On Semi-Polar Orientations, Morteza Monavarian

Theses and Dissertations

Despite enormous efforts and investments, the efficiency of InGaN-based green and yellow-green light emitters remains relatively low, and that limits progress in developing full color display, laser diodes, and bright light sources for general lighting. The low efficiency of light emitting devices in the green-to-yellow spectral range, also known as the “Green Gap”, is considered a global concern in the LED industry. The polar c-plane orientation of GaN, which is the mainstay in the LED industry, suffers from polarization-induced separation of electrons and hole wavefunctions (also known as the “quantum confined Stark effect”) and low indium incorporation efficiency that …

Magnetic Force Microscopy Study Of Zr2co11-Based Nanocrystalline Materials: Effect Of Mo Addition, Lanping Yue, Yunlong Jin, Wenyong Zhang, David J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

The addition of Molybdenum was used to modify the nanostructure and enhance coercivity of rare-earth-free Zr₂Co₁₁-based nanocrystalline permanent magnets. The effect of Mo addition on magnetic domain structures of melt spun nanocrystalline Zr₁₆Co_84−xMo_x (𝑥 = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2.0) ribbons has been investigated. It was found that magnetic properties and local domain structures are strongly influenced by Mo doping. The coercivity of the samples increases with the increase in Mo content (𝑥 ≤ 1.5). The maximum energy product (𝐵𝐻)_max increases with increasing 𝑥 from 0.5 MGOe for 𝑥 …

Effect Of Strain On Ferroelectric Field Effect In Strongly Correlated Oxide Sm0.5Nd0.5Nio3, L. Zhang, X. G. Chen, H. J. Gardner, M. A. Koten, J. E. Shield, X. Hong

Xia Hong Publications

We report the effect of epitaxial strain on the magnitude and retention of the ferroelectric field effect in high quality PbZr_0.3Ti_0.7O₃ (PZT)/3.8-4.3 nm Sm_0.5Nd_0.5NiO₃ (SNNO) heterostructures grown on (001) LaAlO₃ (LAO) and SrTiO₃ (STO) substrates. For SNNO on LAO, which exhibits a first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT), switching the polarization of PZT induces a 10 K shift in the transition temperature T_MI, with a maximum resistance change between the on and off states of Δ��/��_on ~75%. In sharp contrast, only up to 5% resistance change has …

Electrostatic Charge On Flying Hummingbirds And Its Potential Role In Pollination, Marc Badger, Victor Manuel Ortega-Jimenez, Lisa Von Ribenau, Ashley Smiley, Robert Dudley, Alexei Gruverman , Editor

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Electrostatic phenomena are known to enhance both wind- and insect-mediated pollination, but have not yet been described for nectar-feeding vertebrates. Here we demonstrate that wild Anna's Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) can carry positive charges up to 800 pC while in flight (mean ± s.d.: 66 ± 129 pC). Triboelectric charging obtained by rubbing an isolated hummingbird wing against various plant structures generated charges up to 700 pC. A metal hummingbird model charged to 400 pC induced bending of floral stamens in four plants (Nicotiana, Hemerocallis, Penstemon, and Aloe spp.), and also attracted falling Lycopodium spores at distances of < 2 mm. Electrostatic forces may therefore influence pollen transfer onto nectar-feeding birds.

High Speed Control Of Atom Transfer Sequence From Magneto-Optical To Dipole Trap For Quantum Computing, Jason Garvey Schray

Physics

Two circuits were designed, built, and tested for the purpose of aiding in the transfer of 87Rb atoms from a MOT to dipole traps and for characterizing the final dipole traps. The first circuit was a current switch designed to quickly turn the magnetic fields of the MOT off. The magnetic coil switch was able to reduce the magnetic field intensity to 5 % of its initial value after 81 μs. The second circuit was an analog signal switch designed to turn the modulation signal of an AOM off. The analog switch was able to reduce the modulation signal intensity …

Atom-Based Geometrical Fingerprinting Of Conformal Two-Dimensional Materials, Mehrshad Mehboudi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The shape of two-dimensional materials plays a significant role on their chemical and physical properties. Two-dimensional materials are basic meshes that are formed by mesh points (vertices) given by atomic positions, and connecting lines (edges) between points given by chemical bonds. Therefore the study of local shape and geometry of two-dimensional materials is a fundamental prerequisite to investigate physical and chemical properties. Hereby the use of discrete geometry to discuss the shape of two-dimensional materials is initiated.

The local geometry of a surface embodied in 3D space is determined using four invariant numbers from the metric and curvature tensors which …

Environmental Testing Of Lasers For Jpl's Cold Atom Laboratory, Carey L. Baxter

STAR Program Research Presentations

NASA’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL) is a multi-user facility designed to study ultra-cold quantum gases in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). One of the main goals of CAL is to explore the unknown territory of extremely low temperatures—possibly as low as the picokelvin range!—where new and fascinating quantum phenomena can be observed. At such temperatures matter stops behaving as particles and instead becomes macroscopic matter waves. CAL will be remotely controlled to perform a multitude of experiments and is scheduled to launch in 2016. In order to anticipate problems that might occur during and post-launch, including …