Condensed Matter Physics Commons^™

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% …

Magnetic And Magnetocaloric Properties Of Pr2-Xndxfe17 Ribbons, Bishnu Dahal, Parashu Kharel, Thomas Ott, Wenyong Zhang, Shah R. Valloppilly, Ralph Skomski, David J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

The structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Fe deficient Pr_2-xNd_xFe₁₇ (x = 0.5, 0.7) alloys prepared by arc-melting and melt- spinning have been investigated. The room temperature x-ray diffraction patterns show that the samples are nearly single-phase and crystallize in the rhombohedral Th₂Zn₁₇-type crystal structure. The Curie temperatures determined from the thermomagnetic curves are 302 K and 307 K for Pr_1.5Nd_0.5Fe₁₇ and Pr_1.3Nd_0.7Fe₁₇, respectively. The peak magnetic entropy change and the relative cooling power at field change of 50 kOe …

Quantum Phase Transition And Ferromagnetism In Co1+XSn, Rabindra Pahari, Balamurugan Balasubramanian, Rohit Pathak, Manh Coung Nguyen, Shah R. Valloppilly, Ralph Skomski, Arti Kashyap, Cai-Zhuang Wang, Kai-Ming Ho, George C. Hadjipanayis, David J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

The onset of ferromagnetism in cobalt-tin alloys is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The Co₁₊xSn alloys were prepared by rapid quenching from the melt and form a modified hexagonal NiAs-type crystal structure for 0.45 ≤ x ≤ 1. The magnetic behavior is described analytically and by density-functional theory using supercells and the coherent-potential approximation. The excess of Co concentration x, which enters the interstitial 2d sites in the hypothetical NiAs-ordered parent alloy CoSn, yields a Griffiths-like phase and, above a quantum critical point (x_c ≈ 0.65), a quantum phase …

Magnetoresistance In Non-Magnetic Semimetals And Quantum Wells, Jing Xu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Magnetic field induced resistance change is conventionally termed as magnetoresistance (MR), which is usually related to magnetism and plays crucial roles in applications such as sensors and storage devices. In a single-band nonmagnetic material, the semiclassical Boltzmann equation approach gives rise to a magnetic field independent resistivity. With the recent discovery of topological materials, extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) and negative longitudinal magnetoresistance (NLMR) have been observed in a variety of materials. In this dissertation I investigated XMRs in the rare-earth monopnictides (LaSb and YSb), which are non-saturating with increasing magnetic field, accompanying with a turn-on temperature behavior of the magnetoresistivity. …

Electron Transport In One And Two Dimensional Materials, Samuel William Lagasse

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation presents theoretical and experimental studies in carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and van der Waals heterostructures. The first half of the dissertation focuses on cutting edge tight-binding-based quantum transport models which are used to study proton irradiation-induced single-event effects in carbon nanotubes [1], total ionizing dose effects in graphene [2], quantum hall effect in graded graphene p-n junctions [3], and ballistic electron focusing in graphene p-n junctions [4]. In each study, tight-binding models are developed, with heavy emphasis on tying to experimental data. Once benchmarked against experiment, properties of each system which are difficult to access in the laboratory, …

Development Of Nonlocal Green-Kubo Formalism With Applications To Coupled Heat And Mass Transport, Kevin Fernando

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Nonlocal equations for coupled heat and mass transport are developed within the Green-Kubo formalism. Nonlocal thermal transport in Lennard-Jones solids is computed to establish the existence of semi-ballistic transport. Deviations from the diffusive theory are shown by comparing the Fourier transform of the response function from the nonlocal theory to that of the diffusive one. It is shown that the deviations from the local theory correspond to acoustic phonons, whose frequency dependence gives rise to the observed deviations from the local theory.

Straintronic Nanomagnetic Devices For Non-Boolean Computing, Md Ahsanul Abeed

Theses and Dissertations

Nanomagnetic devices have been projected as an alternative to transistor-based switching devices due to their non-volatility and potentially superior energy-efficiency. The energy efficiency is enhanced by the use of straintronics which involves the application of a voltage to a piezoelectric layer to generate a strain which is ultimately transferred to an elastically coupled magnetostrictive nanomaget, causing magnetization rotation. The low energy dissipation and non-volatility characteristics make straintronic nanomagnets very attractive for both Boolean and non-Boolean computing applications. There was relatively little research on straintronic switching in devices built with real nanomagnets that invariably have defects and imperfections, or their adaptation …

New Perspectives On The Schrödinger-Pauli Theory Of Electrons: Part Ii: Application To The Triplet State Of A Quantum Dot In A Magnetic Field, Marlina Slamet, Viraht Sahni

Publications and Research

The Schrödinger-Pauli (SP) theory of electrons in the presence of a static electromagnetic field can be described from the perspective of the individual electron via its equation of motion or 'Quantal Newtonian' first law. The law is in terms of 'classical' fields whose sources are quantum-mechanical expectation values of Hermitian operators taken with respect to the wave function. The law states that the sum of the external and internal fields experienced by each electron vanishes. The external field is the sum of the binding electrostatic and Lorentz fields. The internal field is the sum of fields representative of properties of …

Application Of Global Search Methods To Materials Prediction And Design, Adam J. Payne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to increased availability and power of computational resources over the past few decades, prediction and design of novel materials using computational methods has become feasible. Simulation of material systems has become vital to the further realization of novel material systems. In order to ascertain physical properties, accurate determination and identification of stable crystalline structures is necessary. Additionally, further identification of novel properties, such as magnetic moments or orbital occupation, is necessary to further realize this goal. Global search methods provide a path to accurate prediction of these properties. In this dissertation, the Firefly algorithm and minima hopping methods are …

Novel Computational Methods For Catalytic Applications, Gihan Uthpala Panapitiya

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Thiolate protected nanoclusters gold nanoparticles are gaining interest of many researchers due to their promising applications in a variety of fields the development of synthesizing techniques capable of producing atomically precise nanoclusters with high purity. Au₂₅(SR)₁₈ is one of the widely studied nanoclsuters due its remarkable stability. In this first part of this study, we explore the structural, electronic and catalytic properties of bimetallic Au_25−xAg_x(SR)₁₈ (for x = 6, 7, 8). Due to the combinatorial enormity of the total number of possible alloyed isomers, we choose a randomly selected subset corresponding to …

Limitations Of Zt As A Figure Of Merit For Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials, Xufeng Wang, Mark Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Thermoelectric properties of nanocomposites are numerically studied as a function of average grain size or nanoparticle density by simulating the measurements as they would be done experimentally. In accordance with previous theoretical and experimental results, we find that the Seebeck coefficient, power factor and figure of merit, zT, can be increased by nanostructuring when energy barriers exist around the grain boundaries or embedded nanoparticles. When we simulate the performance of a thermoelectric cooler with the same material, however, we find that the maximum temperature difference is much less than expected from the given zT. This occurs because the …

Modelling Potential Fluctuations In Double Layer Graphene Systems As A Periodic Oscillation In Electron Density & Its Effect On Coulomb Drag, Ryan Bogucki

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

An expression for the drag transresistivity in a graphene double layer system exhibiting potential fluctuations modelled as a periodic oscillation in electron density is derived. Our model starts from the Coulombic interaction and we derive the correlation between a sinusoidal fluctuation in electron density in the first layer and the induced electron density in the second layer. Previous models in the literature have employed an arbitrary correlation between each layer’s electron density, and the model presented is the first attempt in the literature to explicitly derive this correlation. Recent experiments have found that the drag transresistivity in graphene double layers …

Noncollinear Spin Structure In Fe3+Xco3−Xti2 (X = 0, 2, 3) From Neutron Diffraction, Haohan Wang, Balamurugan Balamurugan, Rabindra Pahari, Ralph Skomski, Yaohua Liu, Ashfia Huq, D. J. Sellmyer, Xiaoshan Xu

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

Neutron powder diffraction has been used to investigate the spin structure of the hard-magnetic alloy Fe_3+xCo_3−xTi₂ (x = 0, 2, 3). The materials are produced by rapid quenching from the melt, they possess a hexagonal crystal structure, and they are nanocrystalline with crystallite sizes D of the order of 40 nm. Projections of the magnetic moment onto both the crystalline c axis and the basal plane were observed. The corresponding misalignment angle exhibits a nonlinear decrease with x, which we explain as a micromagnetic effect caused by Fe-Co site disorder. The underlying physics is a …

Crystal Structure, Magnetism And Magnetocaloric Properties Of Mn2−XSn0.5Ga0.5 (X=0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8) Alloys, H. Qian, Rabindra Pahari, K. Schroeder, Shah R. Valloppilly, Y. Huh, Pavel V. Lukashev, J. Hu, Parashu Kharel, David J. Sellmyer

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Magnetic refrigeration based on the magnetocaloric effect has attracted recent attention due to advantages such as high efficiency and environmental friendliness. We have investigated the structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Mn_2−xSn_0.5Ga_0.5 (x=0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8) alloys prepared using arc-melting and meltspinning techniques with prospects for magnetic refrigeration. The Mn_2−xSn_0.5Ga_0.5 alloys, except for Mn_1.2Sn_0.5Ga_0.5, have a single-phase hexagonal crystal structure. The Mn_1.2Sn_0.5Ga_0.5 alloy also contains a small amount of MnSn₂ impurity phase. The Curie temperature and high-field (30 kOe) …

Using Fundamental Properties Of Light To Investigate Photonic Effects In Condensed Matter And Biological Tissues, Laura A. Sordillo

Dissertations and Theses

Light possesses characteristics such as polarization, wavelength and coherence. The interaction of light and matter, whether in a semiconductor or in a biological sample, can reveal important information about the internal properties of a system. My thesis focuses on two areas: photocarriers in gallium arsenide and biomedical optics. Varying the excitation wavelength can be used to study both biological tissue and condensed matter. I altered the excitation wavelengths to be in the longer near-infrared (NIR) optical windows, in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) range, a wavelength region previously thought to be unusable for medical imaging. With this method, I acquired high …

Two-Dimensional Bloch Electrons In Electric And Magnetic Fields, Edward Aris Diaz Fajardo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Due to their extraordinary mechanical, and fascinating electronic properties, atomically flat two-dimensional materials are attractive avenues in the search for new and interesting physical phenomena. Symmetry is a powerful tool in studying the dynamics of Bloch electrons in these crystalline solids. Here, using a tight binding description, a systematic scheme is developed to derive the symmetry labels, called irreducible representations (IRs), characterizing the Bloch eigenstates in a crystal, including an extensive discussion on the possibility that these IRs are not always unique. This theory is illustrated using monolayer MoS$_2$ and few-layer graphene as examples. Using this symmetry analysis in conjunction …

Dimensionality Of Magnetism In Trirutile Cota2o6 And Its Derivatives, Raju Baral

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we addressed the question of low dimensionality of trirutile compound CoTa2O6 and studied how the low dimensionality evolved with doping of Mg on Co-site. In order to study low dimensionality in CoTa2O6 and its derivative compounds Co1-xMgxTa2O6 (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1), we used different techniques: X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat and elastic neutron diffraction. We have addressed the question of low dimensional magnetism of CoTa2O6 by preparing phase-pure samples of the compound. In CoTa2O6 a broad feature is observed in magnetic susceptibility at 10 K and an antiferromagnetic phase transition is …

A Study Of Solvent Effects On The Ground And Excited States Of Endohedral Tri-Scandium Nitride C80 Fullerene Coupled With Zinc Phthalocyanine And Metal-Free Phthalocyanine Using Dft-Pcm Method, Timilsina Prasad Timlsina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The photovoltaic active materials composed of endohedral metafullerene and phthalocyanine derivatives are known as excellent electron donor-acceptor pairs. The tri-metallic nitride endohedral C80 fullerene exhibits high absorption coefficients in the visible region of the spectrum and has similar electron-accepting abilities as that of C60 fullerene, which can allow for higher efficiencies in OPV devices. In this study, we examine the effect of solvent on the charge transfer excitation energies of Sc3N@C80-ZnPc and Sc3N@C80-H2Pc donor-acceptor molecular complexes. Three different solvents with different polarity - water, toluene, and acetone are used. The solvent is modeled as a polarizable continuum as implemented in …

Scanning Probe Microscopy Measurements On 2d Materials And Iridates, Armin Ansary

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

In the past two decades, there has been a quest to understand and utilize novel materials such as iridates and two-dimensional (2D) materials. These classes of materials show a lot of interesting properties both in theoretical predictions as well as experimental results. Physical properties of some of these materials have been investigated using scanning probe measurements, along with other techniques.

One-dimensional (1D) catalytic etching was investigated in few-layer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) films. Etching of hBN was shown to share several similarities with that of graphitic films. As in graphitic films, etch tracks in hBN commenced at film edges and …

Effect Of Hydrogen Exposure On The Electronic And Optical Properties Of Insulating Titanates, John G. Connell

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

Hydrogen exposure of insulating d⁰-titanates, such as SrTiO₃ (STO), has displayed the formation of intriguing conducting states. These conducting states form through the use of forming gas (N₂/H₂) annealing or hydrogen plasma exposure, where hydrogen gas is exposed to high energy microwaves. The exposure of STO to hydrogen causes metallic conductivity due to the introduction of hydrogen cations on some of the oxygen sites. However, the optical properties of this hydrogen-exposed STO have not been well-studied. Further, Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ (BST), an insulating dielectric, also shows changes in its conductivity …