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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Surface photovoltage spectroscopy observes junctions and carrier separation in gallium nitride nanowire arrays for overall water-splitting

Gallium nitride (GaN) nanowire arrays on silicon are able to drive the overall water-splitting reaction with up to 3.3% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency. Photochemical charge separation is key to the operation of these devices, but details are difficult to observe experimentally because of the number of components and interfaces. Here, we use surface photovoltage spectroscopy to study charge transfer in i-, n-, and p-GaN nanowire arrays on n+ -Si wafers in the presence and absence of Rh/Cr 2 O 3 co-catalysts. The effect of the space charge layer and sub-bandgap defects on majority and minority carrier transport can be clearly observed, and estimates of the built-in potential of the junctions can be made. Transient illumination of the p-GaN/n + -Si junction generates up to -1.4 V surface photovoltage by carrier separation along the GaN nanowire axis. This process is central to the overall water-splitting function of the n + -Si/p-GaN/Rh/Cr 2 O 3 nanowire array. Overall, these results improve our understanding of photochemical charge transfer and separation in group III–V semiconductor nanostructures for the conversion of solar energy into fuels.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Electrode-molecule energy level offsets in a gold-benzene diamine-gold single molecule tunnel junction

One means for describing electron transport across single molecule tunnel junctions (MTJs) is to use density functional theory (DFT) in conjunction with a nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism. This description relies on interpreting solutions to the Kohn–Sham (KS) equations used to solve the DFT problem as quasiparticle (QP) states. Many practical DFT implementations suffer from electron self-interaction errors and an inability to treat charge image potentials for molecules near metal surfaces. For MTJs, the overall effect of these errors is typically manifested as an overestimation of electronic currents. Correcting KS energies for self-interaction and image potential errors results in MTJ current–voltage characteristics in close agreement with measured currents. An alternative transport approach foregoes a QP picture and solves for a many-electron wavefunction on the MTJ subject to open system boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that this many-electron method provides similar results to the corrected QP picture for electronic current. The analysis of these two distinct approaches is related through corrections to a junction’s electronic structure beyond the KS energies for the case of a benzene diamine molecule bonded between two gold electrodes.

Szepieniec, Mark S.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Superconducting neural networks with disordered Josephson junction array synaptic networks and leaky integrate-and-fire loop neurons

Fully coupled randomly disordered recurrent superconducting networks with additional open-ended channels for inputs and outputs are considered the basis to introduce a new architecture to neuromorphic computing in this work. Various building blocks of such a network are designed around disordered array synaptic networks using superconducting devices and circuits as an example, while emphasizing that a similar architectural approach may be compatible with several other materials and devices. A multiply coupled (interconnected) disordered array of superconducting loops containing Josephson junctions [equivalent to superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs)] forms the aforementioned collective synaptic network that forms a fully recurrent network together with compatible neuron-like elements and feedback loops, enabling unsupervised learning. This approach aims to take advantage of superior power efficiency, propagation speed, and synchronizability of a small world or a random network over an ordered/regular network. Additionally, it offers a significant factor of increase in scalability. Here, a compatible leaky integrate-and-fire neuron made of superconducting loops with Josephson junctions is presented, along with circuit components for feedback loops as needed to complete the recurrent network. Several of these individual disordered array neural networks can further be coupled together in a similarly disordered way to form a hierarchical architecture of recurrent neural networks that is often suggested as similar to a biological brain.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tri-molybdenum phosphide (Mo 3 P) and multi-walled carbon nanotube junctions for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection

Detection and analysis of volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) biomarkers lead to improvement in healthcare diagnosis and other applications such as chemical threat detection and food quality control. Here, we report on tri-molybdenum phosphide (Mo3P) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) junction-based vapor quantum resistive sensors (vQRSs), which exhibit more than one order of magnitude higher sensitivity and superior selectivity for biomarkers in comparison to pristine MWCNT junctions based vQRSs. Transmission electron microscope/scanning tunneling electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies reveal the crystallinity and the presence of Mo and P elements in the network. The presence of Mo3P clearly enhanced the performance of vQRS as evidenced in sensitivity and selectivity studies. The vQRSs are stable over extended periods of time and are reproducible, making them a potential candidate for sensing related applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Detection of high energy ionizing radiation using deeply depleted graphene–oxide–semiconductor junctions

Graphene’s linear band structure and two-dimensional density of states provide an implicit advantage for sensing charge. Here, these advantages are leveraged in a deeply depleted graphene–oxide–semiconductor (D2GOS) junction detector architecture to sense carriers created by ionizing radiation. Specifically, the room temperature response of a silicon-based D2GOS junction is analyzed during irradiation with 20 MeV Si4+ ions. Detection was demonstrated for doses ranging from 12 to 1200 ions with device functionality maintained with no substantive degradation. To understand the device response, D2GOS pixels were characterized post-irradiation via a combination of electrical characterization, Raman spectroscopy, and photocurrent mapping. This combined characterization methodology underscores the lack of discernible damage caused by irradiation to the graphene while highlighting the nature of interactions between the incident ions and the silicon absorber.

Ruiz, Isaac↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observation of half-integer Shapiro steps in graphene Josephson junctions

We study quantum transport and AC Josephson effect of hexagonal boron nitride encapsulated graphene (BGB) Josephson junctions (JJs). Our experiments reveal the emergence of the half-integer Shapiro steps in the n-type regime with high electron carrier densities. We attribute this observation to the gate-tunable transmission probability of the graphene junction. Furthermore, our numerical simulations are consistent with the appearance of half-integer Shapiro steps at high transparency, which suggests a skewed current phase relationship in the graphene JJ.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Superconducting diode effect in two-dimensional topological insulator edges and Josephson junctions

The superconducting diode effect—the dependence of critical current on its direction—can arise from the simultaneous breaking of inversion and time-reversal symmetry in a superconductor and has gained interest for its potential applications in superconducting electronics. In this Letter, we study the effect in a two-dimensional topological insulator (2D TI) in both a uniform geometry as well as in a long Josephson junction. We show that in the presence of Zeeman fields, a circulating edge current enables a large non-reciprocity of the critical current. We find a maximum diode efficiency of 1 for the uniform 2D TI and (2−1)2≈0.17 for the long Josephson junction.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Giant resistance switch in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide tunnel junctions

Resistance switching in multilayer structures are typically based on materials possessing ferroic orders. Here, in this work, we predict an extremely large resistance switching based on the relative spin–orbit splitting in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers tunnel junctions. Because of the valence band spin splitting which depends on the valley index in the Brillouin zone, the perpendicular electronic transport through the junction depends on the relative reciprocal space overlap of the spin-dependent Fermi surfaces of both layers, which can be tuned by twisting one layer. Our quantum transport calculations reveal a switching resistance larger than 10 6 % when the relative alignment of TMDs goes from 0° to 60° and when the angle is kept fixed at 60° and the Fermi level is varied. By creating vacancies, we evaluate how inter-valley scattering affects the efficiency and find that the resistance switching remains large (10 4 %) for typical values of vacancy concentration. Not only should this resistance switching be observed at room temperature due to the large spin splitting, but our results also show how twist angle engineering and control of van der Waals heterostructures could be used for next-generation memory and electronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Theoretical description of atomtronic Josephson junctions in an optical lattice

Experimental realizations of “atomtronic” Josephson junctions have recently been created in annular traps in relative rotation with respect to potential barriers that generate the weak links. If these devices are additionally subjected to an optical lattice potential, then they can incorporate strong-coupling Mott physics within the design, which can modify the behavior and can allow for interesting new configurations of barriers and of superfluid flow patterns. We examine theoretically the behavior of a Bose superfluid in an optical lattice in the presence of an annular trap and a barrier across the annular region which acts as a Josephson junction. As the superfluid is rotated, circulating super-currents appear. Beyond a threshold superfluid velocity, phase slips develop, which generate vortices. We use a finite temperature strong-coupling expansion about the mean-field solution of the Bose Hubbard model to calculate various properties of such devices. Additionally, we discuss some of the rich behavior that can result when there are Mott regions within the system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Designing an exciton-condensate Josephson junction in quantum Hall heterostructures

The exciton condensate, a counterpart of superconductors realized in two-dimensional quantum Hall bilayer systems, has yet to demonstrate definitive experimental evidence of phase coherence such as the Josephson effect. This work introduces a gate-defined Josephson junction designed to exhibit the in-plane Josephson effect in van der Waals heterostructures. Unlike superconducting S-I-S junctions, the proposed device leverages a nearly layer-polarized gated region to mediate Josephson coupling via layer pseudospin variation. This coupling mechanism is tunable through gate voltages and magnetic fields, offering a high degree of experimental control. We demonstrate the feasibility of the design using realistic parameters, paving the way for direct observation of excitonic phase coherence in clean quantum Hall systems.

Wang, Tianle↗
DOE OSTI2020

Enhanced spin-triplet pairing in magnetic junctions with s -wave superconductors

A common path to superconducting spintronics, Majorana fermions, and topologically protected quantum computing relies on spin-triplet superconductivity. While naturally occurring spin-triplet pairing is elusive, and even common spin-triplet candidates, such as Sr 2 RuO 4 , support alternative explanations, proximity effects in heterostructures can overcome these limitations. It is expected that robust spin-triplet superconductivity in magnetic junctions should rely on highly spin-polarized magnets or complex magnetic multilayers. Instead, we predict that the interplay of interfacial spin-orbit coupling and the barrier strength in simple magnetic junctions, with only a small spin polarization and s -wave superconductors, can lead to nearly complete spin-triplet superconducting proximity effects. This peculiar behavior arises from an effective perfect transparency: interfacial spin-orbit coupling counteracts the native potential barrier for states of a given spin and wave vector. We demonstrate that the enhanced spin-triplet regime is characterized by a huge increase in conductance magnetoanisotropy, orders of magnitude larger than in the normal state.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Electron transport through antiferromagnetic spin textures and skyrmions in a magnetic tunnel junction

An ideal layered $\hat{x}$-polarized antiferromagnet (AFM) between two antialigned $±\hat{z}$ polarized ferromagnetic (FM) contacts transmits no current due to a π phase difference of the matrix elements coupling the spin degenerate states to the two FM contacts. Inserting a normal-metal layer or tunnel barrier layer between one FM contact and the AFM alters this phase difference, and due to the unequal weighting of the two spins at the interface, it also breaks the spin degeneracy of the two AFM states. Further, the broken symmetry of the matrix elements combined with the broken degeneracy of the AFM states results in a Fano resonance in the transmission and a turn-on of the $T_{↑,↓}$ transmission channel. Such a magnetic tunnel junction geometry with two antialigned $±\hat{z}$ FM contacts can electrically detect an AFM skyrmion. The AFM skyrmion serves as an analog of the oblique polarizer in the triple-polarizer experiment. Resistances and resistance ratios are calculated and compared for FM and AFM skyrmions in a magnetic tunnel junction.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Andreev Reflection and Klein Tunneling in High-Temperature Superconductor-Graphene Junctions

Scattering processes in quantum materials emerge as resonances in electronic transport, including confined modes, Andreev states, and Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. However, in most instances, these resonances are driven by a single scattering mechanism. Here, in this paper, we show the appearance of resonances due to the combination of two simultaneous scattering mechanisms, one from superconductivity and the other from graphene p-n junctions. These resonances stem from Andreev reflection and Klein tunneling that occur at two different interfaces of a hole-doped region of graphene formed at the boundary with superconducting graphene due to proximity effects from Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O 8+δ . The resonances persist with gating from p + -p and p-n configurations. The suppression of the oscillation amplitude above the bias energy which is comparable to the induced superconducting gap indicates the contribution from Andreev reflection. Our experimental measurements are supported by quantum transport calculations in such interfaces, leading to analogous resonances. Our results put forward a hybrid scattering mechanism in graphene–high-temperature superconductor heterojunctions of potential impact for graphene-based Josephson junctions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evidence of Buried Junctions in CdSeTe Absorbers

The introduction of selenium band gap gradients has been shown to be a promising path for improving CdTe devices. Controlling maximum selenium concentration during deposition should allow for better device performance. In this work cross-section electron beam induced current (EBIC) maps were measured for CdSeTe/CdTe devices with as-grown selenium concentration between 0 and 20 percent. Measured EBIC profiles show high collection in the middle of the absorber layer, which differs from past EBIC studies of CdSe/CdTe devices. Increasing as-deposited selenium concentrations resulted in increased collection at this mid-absorber location. Combined with a 2-dimensional numerical model, these results suggest a buried homo-junction in the absorber layer of the device. This buried junction may be associated with a number of composition dependent parameters including electron affinity and p-dopability. Understanding this collection profile and its implications for device performance may be key in optimizing CdSeTe/CdTe devices.

CdSeTe↗
DOE OSTI2023

Low-Frequency Noise and Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy in n-p-n Si Bipolar Junction Transistors Irradiated with Si Ions

The properties of defects in n-p-n Si bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) caused by 17 MeV Si ions are investigated via current-voltage, low-frequency noise, and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements. Four prominent radiation-induced defects in the base-collector junction of these transistors are identified via DLTS. At least two defect levels are observed in temperature-dependent low-frequency 1/ f noise measurements, one that is similar to a prominent defect in DLTS and another that is not. Defect microstructures are discussed. Here our results show that DLTS and 1/ f noise measurements can provide complementary information about defects in linear bipolar devices.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

A new metal transfer process for van der Waals contacts to vertical Schottky-junction transition metal dichalcogenide photovoltaics

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides are promising candidates for ultrathin optoelectronic devices due to their high absorption coefficients and intrinsically passivated surfaces. To maintain these near-perfect surfaces, recent research has focused on fabricating contacts that limit Fermi-level pinning at the metal-semiconductor interface. Here, we develop a new, simple procedure for transferring metal contacts that does not require aligned lithography. Using this technique, we fabricate vertical Schottky-junction WS 2 solar cells, with Ag and Au as asymmetric work function contacts. Under laser illumination, we observe rectifying behavior and open-circuit voltage above 500 mV in devices with transferred contacts, in contrast to resistive behavior and open-circuit voltage below 15 mV in devices with evaporated contacts. One-sun measurements and device simulation results indicate that this metal transfer process could enable high specific power vertical Schottky-junction transition metal dichalcogenide photovoltaics, and we anticipate that this technique will lead to advances for two-dimensional devices more broadly.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observation of edge supercurrent in topological antiferromagnet MnBi 2 Te 4 -based Josephson junctions

Hybridizing superconductivity with topology and magnetism attracts growing interest in condensed matter physics. Here, we present our findings on the measurement of supercurrent induced in an intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi 2 Te 4 . By constructing a MnBi 2 Te 4 proximity Josephson junction, we observed an anomalously large period of the Fraunhofer patterns, indicating a strong Josephson coupling state. As the MnBi 2 Te 4 thickness is reduced, a distinct asymmetric edge supercurrent emerges, aligning consistently with the observed oscillatory junction magnetoresistance. Leveraging this large asymmetric edge supercurrent, we have realized a nonvolatile Josephson diode device with programmable polarity, achieved through training with an out-of-plane magnetic field. Theoretical calculations substantiate that these behaviors are attributed to the interference between the highly asymmetric topological edge channel–mediated supercurrent induced in MnBi 2 Te 4 . Our study establishes this system as a promising avenue for investigating topological superconductivity, chiral Majorana edge modes, and advanced functionality device applications.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Crystal structure of an RNA/DNA strand exchange junction

Short segments of RNA displace one strand of a DNA duplex during diverse processes including transcription and CRISPR-mediated immunity and genome editing. These strand exchange events involve the intersection of two geometrically distinct helix types—an RNA:DNA hybrid (A-form) and a DNA:DNA homoduplex (B-form). Although previous evidence suggests that these two helices can stack on each other, it is unknown what local geometric adjustments could enable A-on-B stacking. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure of an RNA-5′/DNA-3′ strand exchange junction at an anisotropic resolution of 1.6 to 2.2 Å. The structure reveals that the A-to-B helical transition involves a combination of helical axis misalignment, helical axis tilting and compression of the DNA strand within the RNA:DNA helix, where nucleotides exhibit a mixture of A- and B-form geometry. These structural principles explain previous observations of conformational stability in RNA/DNA exchange junctions, enabling a nucleic acid architecture that is repeatedly populated during biological strand exchange events.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗