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DOE OSTI2012

Oral Mucositis Prevention By Low-Level Laser Therapy in Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy: A Phase III Randomized Study

Purpose: Oral mucositis is a major complication of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in head-and-neck cancer patients. Low-level laser (LLL) therapy is a promising preventive therapy. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of LLL therapy to decrease severe oral mucositis and its effect on RT interruptions. Methods and Materials: In the present randomized, double-blind, Phase III study, patients received either gallium-aluminum-arsenide LLL therapy 2.5 J/cm{sup 2} or placebo laser, before each radiation fraction. Eligible patients had to have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma or undifferentiated carcinoma of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, or metastases to the neck with an unknown primary site. They were treated with adjuvant or definitive CRT, consisting of conventional RT 60-70 Gy (range, 1.8-2.0 Gy/d, 5 times/wk) and concurrent cisplatin. The primary endpoints were the oral mucositis severity in Weeks 2, 4, and 6 and the number of RT interruptions because of mucositis. The secondary endpoints included patient-reported pain scores. To detect a decrease in the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 oral mucositis from 80% to 50%, we planned to enroll 74 patients. Results: A total of 75 patients were included, and 37 patients received preventive LLL therapy. The mean delivered radiation dose was greater in the patients treated with LLL (69.4 vs. 67.9 Gy, p = .03). During CRT, the number of patients diagnosed with Grade 3 or 4 oral mucositis treated with LLL vs. placebo was 4 vs. 5 (Week 2, p = 1.0), 4 vs. 12 (Week 4, p = .08), and 8 vs. 9 (Week 6, p = 1.0), respectively. More of the patients treated with placebo had RT interruptions because of mucositis (6 vs. 0, p = .02). No difference was detected between the treatment arms in the incidence of severe pain. Conclusions: LLL therapy was not effective in reducing severe oral mucositis, although a marginal benefit could not be excluded. It reduced RT interruptions in these head-and-neck cancer patients, which might translate into improved CRT efficacy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2016

Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetism of A{sub 2}Co{sub 12}As{sub 7} (A=Ca, Y, Ce–Yb)

Ternary intermetallics, A{sub 2}Co{sub 12}As{sub 7} (A=Ca, Y, Ce–Yb), have been synthesized by annealing mixtures of elements in molten Bi at 1223 K. The materials obtained crystallize in the P6{sub 3}/m variant of the Zr{sub 2}Fe{sub 12}P{sub 7} structure type. The unit cell volume shows a monotonic decrease with the increasing atomic number of the rare-earth metal, with the exception of Ce-, Eu-, and Yb-containing compounds. An examination of these outliers with X-ray absorption near edge structures (XANES) spectroscopy revealed mixed valence of Ce, Eu, and Yb, with the average oxidation states of +3.20(1), +2.47(5), and +2.91(1), respectively, at room temperature. Magnetic behavior of A{sub 2}Co{sub 12}As{sub 7} is generally characterized by ferromagnetic ordering of Co 3d moments at 100–140 K, followed by low-temperature ordering of rare-earth 4f moments. The 3d-4f magnetic coupling changes from antiferromagnetic for A=Pr–Sm to ferromagnetic for A=Ce and Eu–Yb. Polarized neutron scattering experiments were performed to support the postulated ferro- and ferrimagnetic ground states for Ce{sub 2}Co{sub 12}As{sub 7} and Nd{sub 2}Co{sub 12}As{sub 7}, respectively. - Graphical abstract: Title arsenides were synthesized by Bi‐flux method. They exhibit mixed valence for A = Ce, Eu, Yb, ferrimagnetism for A = Ca, Y, Pr–Sm, and ferromagnetism for A = Eu–Tm. - Highlights: • A2Co12As7 (A=Ca, Y, Ce–Yb) were synthesized in Bi flux. • Ce, Eu, Yb exhibit mixed valence in the corresponding structures. • The character of 3d‐4f magnetic coupling changes at the half‐filled f shell. • Materials behave as ferrimagnets for A=Ca, Y, Pr–Sm and as ferromagnets for A=Eu–Yb.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2014

Optoelectronic simulation of GaAs solar cells with angularly selective filters

We discuss the influence of angularly selective filters on thin film gallium arsenide solar cells. For this reason, the detailed balance model was refined to fit our needs with respect to Auger recombination, reflection, transmission, and realistic absorption. For calculating real systems, an approach was made to include optical effects of angularly selective filters into electron-hole dynamic equations implemented in PC1D, a one dimensional solar cell calculation tool. With this approach, we find a relative V{sub oc} increase of 5% for an idealized 100 nm GaAs cell, including Auger recombination.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2016

Contributed Review: Experimental characterization of inverse piezoelectric strain in GaN HEMTs via micro-Raman spectroscopy

Micro-Raman thermography is one of the most popular techniques for measuring local temperature rise in gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors with high spatial and temporal resolution. However, accurate temperature measurements based on changes in the Stokes peak positions of the GaN epitaxial layers require properly accounting for the stress and/or strain induced by the inverse piezoelectric effect. It is common practice to use the pinched OFF state as the unpowered reference for temperature measurements because the vertical electric field in the GaN buffer that induces inverse piezoelectric stress/strain is relatively independent of the gate bias. Although this approach has yielded temperature measurements that agree with those derived from the Stokes/anti-Stokes ratio and thermal models, there has been significant difficulty in quantifying the mechanical state of the GaN buffer in the pinched OFF state from changes in the Raman spectra. In this paper, we review the experimental technique of micro-Raman thermography and derive expressions for the detailed dependence of the Raman peak positions on strain, stress, and electric field components in wurtzite GaN. We also use a combination of semiconductor device modeling and electro-mechanical modeling to predict the stress and strain induced by the inverse piezoelectric effect. Based on the insights gained from our electro-mechanical model and the best values of material properties in the literature, we analyze changes in the E{sub 2} high and A{sub 1} (LO) Raman peaks and demonstrate that there are major quantitative discrepancies between measured and modeled values of inverse piezoelectric stress and strain. We examine many of the hypotheses offered in the literature for these discrepancies but conclude that none of them satisfactorily resolves these discrepancies. Further research is needed to determine whether the electric field components could be affecting the phonon frequencies apart from the inverse piezoelectric effect in wurtzite GaN, which has been predicted theoretically in zinc blende gallium arsenide (GaAs).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2016

Direct wafer bonding of highly conductive GaSb/GaInAs and GaSb/GaInP heterojunctions prepared by argon-beam surface activation

The authors present a low-temperature wafer bonding process for the formation of electrically conductive n-GaSb/n-Ga{sub 0.79}In{sub 0.21}As and n-GaSb/n-Ga{sub 0.32}In{sub 0.68}P heterojunctions. The surfaces are deoxidized by sputter-etching with an argon-beam and bonded in ultrahigh vacuum. The sputtering behavior was investigated for each material, revealing a distinct selective sputtering characteristic for Ga{sub 0.32}In{sub 0.68}P. According to these findings, the settings for the bonding process were chosen. The mechanical and electrical properties of the wafer bonds were studied. Fully bonded 2 in. wafer pairs were found for both material combinations exhibiting high bond energies, which are comparable to the binding energies in the semiconductors. Furthermore, bond resistances below 5 mΩ cm{sup 2} could be reached, which are in the range of the lowest resistances that have been reported for wafer bonded heterojunctions. This speaks, together with the high bond energies, for a high amount of covalent bonds at the interfaces. These promising bond characteristics make the integration of antimonides with arsenides or phosphides by wafer bonding attractive for various optoelectronic applications such as multijunction solar cells.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2011

Electron microscopy of GaAs Structures with InAs and as quantum dots

An electron-microscopy study of GaAs structures, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy, containing two coupled layers of InAs semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) overgrown with a thin buffer GaAs layer and a layer of low-temperature-grown gallium arsenide has been performed. In subsequent annealing, an array of As nanoinclusions (metallic QDs) was formed in the low-temperature-grown GaAs layer. The variation in the microstructure of the samples during temperature and annealing conditions was examined. It was found that, at comparatively low annealing temperatures (400-500 Degree-Sign C), the formation of the As metallic QDs array weakly depends on whether InAs semiconductor QDs are present in the preceding layers or not. In this case, the As metallic QDs have a characteristic size of about 2-3 nm upon annealing at 400 Degree-Sign C and 4-5 nm upon annealing at 500 Degree-Sign C for 15 min. Annealing at 600 Degree-Sign C for 15 min in the growth setup leads to a coarsening of the As metallic QDs to 8-9 nm and to the formation of groups of such QDs in the area of the low-temperature-grown GaAs which is directly adjacent to the buffer layer separating the InAs semiconductor QDs. A more prolonged annealing at an elevated temperature (760 Degree-Sign C) in an atmosphere of hydrogen causes a further increase in the As metallic QDs' size to 20-25 nm and their spatial displacement into the region between the coupled InAs semiconductor QDs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2012

Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction (IMM) Cell Processing Instructions

This technical report details the processing schedule used to fabricate Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction (IMM) concentrator solar cells at The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). These devices are used as experimental test structures to support the research at NREL that is focused on increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic power conversion. They are not intended to be devicessuitable for deployment in working concentrator systems primarily because of heat sinking issues. The process schedule was developed to be compatible with small sample sizes and to afford relatively rapid turn-around times, in support of research efforts. The report describes the use of electro deposition of gold for both the back and front contacts. Electro-deposition is used because of itsrapid turn around time and because it is a benign metallization technique that is seldom responsible for damage to the semiconductors. The layer transfer technique is detailed including the use of a commercially available adhesive and the etching away of the parent gallium arsenide substrate. Photolithography is used to define front contact grids as well as the mesa area of the cell. Finally,the selective wet chemical etchant system is introduced and its use to reveal the back contact is described.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Background-limited Imaging in the Near Infrared with Warm InGaAs Sensors: Applications for Time-domain Astronomy

We describe test observations made with a customized 640 × 512 pixel indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) prototype astronomical camera on the 2.5 m DuPont telescope. This is the first test of InGaAs as a cost-effective alternative to HgCdTe for research-grade astronomical observations. The camera exhibits a background of 113 e{sup –} s{sup –1}/pixel (dark + thermal) at operating sensor temperature T = −40°C, maintained by a simple thermoelectric cooler. The optomechanical structure floats at ambient temperature with no cold stop, unlike most IR instruments which must be cooled to mitigate thermal backgrounds. Measurements of the night sky using a reimager scaled at 0.″4/pixel show that the sky flux in Y is comparable to the dark current. At J the sky exceeds dark current by a factor of four, dominating the noise budget. The read noise (∼43 e{sup −}) falls below sky + dark noise for exposures of t > 7 s in Y and 3.5 s in J. We observed several representative science targets, including two supernovae, a z = 6.3 quasar, two local galaxies monitored for IR transients, and a galaxy cluster at z = 0.87. We observe a partial transit of the hot Jupiter HATS-34b, demonstrating the photometric stability to detect a 1.2% transit. A tiling of larger-format sensors would produce an IR survey instrument with significant cost savings relative to HgCdTe-based cameras, if one is willing to forego the K band. Such a camera would be sensitive for a week or more to isotropic emission from r-process kilonova ejecta similar to that observed in GW170817, over the full 190 Mpc horizon of Advanced LIGO.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2020

Widely Tunable Optical and Thermal Properties of Dirac Semimetal Cd 3 As 2

In this paper, a detailed analysis of the temperature-dependent optical properties of epitaxially grown cadmium arsenide (Cd 3 As 2 ), a newly discovered 3D Dirac semimetal is reported. Fermi level tuning—instigated from Pauli-blocking in the linear Dirac cone—and varying Drude response, generate large variations in the mid- and far-infrared optical properties. Thermo-optic shifts larger than those of traditional III–V semiconductors are demonstrated. Electron scattering rate, plasma frequency edge, Fermi level shift, optical conductivity, and electron effective mass analysis of Cd 3 As 2 thin-films are quantified and discussed in detail. The ab initio density functional study and experimental analysis of epitaxially grown Cd 3 As 2 promise applications for nanophotonic and nanoelectronic devices, such as reconfigurable metamaterials and metasurfaces, nanoscale thermal emitters, and on-chip directional antennas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Thermal Conductivity of BAs under Pressure

Abstract The thermal conductivity of boron arsenide (BAs) is believed to be influenced by phonon scattering selection rules due to its special phonon dispersion. Compression of BAs leads to significant changes in phonon dispersion, which allows for a test of first principles theories for how phonon dispersion affects three‐ and four‐phonon scattering rates. This study reports the thermal conductivity of BAs from 0 to 30 GPa. Thermal conductivity vs. pressure of BAs is measured by time‐domain thermoreflectance with a diamond anvil cell. In stark contrast to what is typical for nonmetallic crystals, BAs is observed to have a pressure independent thermal conductivity below 30 GPa. The thermal conductivity of nonmetallic crystals typically increases upon compression. The unusual pressure independence of BAs's thermal conductivity shows the important relationship between phonon dispersion properties and three‐ and four‐phonon scattering rates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

The Doping Effect on Ferromagnetic Arrangement and Electronic Structure of Cubic AlAs with Low Concentration of 3d (V, Cr, and Mn) Impurities

The doping effect of aluminum arsenide (AlAs) with 3d (TM = V, Cr, and Mn) of transition metal impurities gives new materials called diluted magnetic semiconductors, which have interesting electronic and magnetic properties for spintronics applications. We have used the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method to calculate the electronic band structures and magnetic properties of Al{sub 1−x}TM{sub x}As at low concentration x = 0.0625 of transition metal (TM = V, Cr, and Mn) atoms. We have found that the majority-spin states of Al{sub 0.9375}TM{sub 0.0625}As compounds are metallic due to large p-d hybridization between 3d levels of TM and the 4p levels of As around Fermi level, whereas the minority-spin states have semiconductor character. These compounds exhibit a half-metallic behavior with spin polarization of 100%, where the ferromagnetism is originated from double-exchange mechanism. Therefore, Al{sub 0.9375}TM{sub 0.0625}As (TM = V, Cr, and Mn) materials seem to be good candidates for spin injection in the field of spintronics applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2018

Features of Stationary Photoconductivity of High-Ohmic Semiconductors Under Local Illumination

Photoconductivity has been thoroughly studied for a long time. However, most researchers have examined photoconductivity of semiconductors while illuminating the entire surface of samples. The present paper examines the effect of local exposure that ensures a high level of injection of free charge carriers upon the conductivity of high-ohmic cadmium telluride and semi-insulating gallium arsenide samples and upon the properties of ohmic contacts to samples. The authors found that regardless of the exposure area the value of transition resistance of ohmic contacts decreases and the concentration of the main charge carriers increases in the sample in proportion to radiation intensity. This research uncovered a number of previously unknown effects that are interesting from the physical point of view. This paper focuses on discussing these effects.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2012

Synthesis and structural characterization of the ternary Zintl phases AE{sub 3}Al{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} and AE{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} (AE=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu; Pn=P, As)

Ten new ternary phosphides and arsenides with empirical formulae AE{sub 3}Al{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} and AE{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} (AE=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu; Pn=P, As) have been synthesized using molten Ga, Al, and Pb fluxes. They have been structurally characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction to form with two different structures-Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Sr{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4}, Eu{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Eu{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4}, Ca{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Sr{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Sr{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}As{sub 4}, and Eu{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}As{sub 4} crystallize with the Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} structure type (space group C2/c, Z=4); Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} adopt the Na{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}S{sub 4} structure type (space group Pnma, Z=4). The polyanions in both structures are made up of TrPn{sub 4} tetrahedra, which share common corners and edges to form {sup 2}{sub {infinity}}[TrPn{sub 2}]{sub 3-} layers in the phases with the Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} structure, and {sup 1}{sub {infinity}}[TrPn{sub 2}]{sub 3-} chains in Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} with the Na{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}S{sub 4} structure type. The valence electron count for all of these compounds follows the Zintl-Klemm rules. Electronic band structure calculations confirm them to be semiconductors. - Graphical abstract: AE{sub 3}Al{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} and AE{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} (AE=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu; Pn=P, As) crystallize in two different structures-Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Sr{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4}, Eu{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Eu{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4}, Ca{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Sr{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}P{sub 4}, Sr{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}As{sub 4}, and Eu{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}As{sub 4}, are isotypic with the previously reported Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} (space group C2/c (No. 15)), while Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} adopt a different structure known for Na{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}S{sub 4} (space group Pnma (No. 62). The polyanions in both structures are made up of TrPn{sub 4} tetrahedra, which by sharing common corners and edges, form {sup 2}{sub {infinity}}[TrPn{sub 2}]{sub 3-}layers in the former and {sup 1}{sub {infinity}}[TrPn{sub 2}]{sub 3-} chains in Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4}. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer AE{sub 3}Ga{sub 2}Pn{sub 4} (AE=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu; Pn=P, As) are new ternary pnictides. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}P{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} adopt the Na{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}S{sub 4} structure type. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Sr- and Ca-compounds crystallize with the Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}As{sub 4} structure type. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The valence electron count for all title compounds follows the Zintl-Klemm rules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2013

Syntheses, crystal structure and physical properties of new Zintl phases Ba{sub 3}T{sub 2}As{sub 4} (T=Zn, Cd)

Through high temperature Pb-flux reactions, two new arsenide Zintl compounds, Ba{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}As{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}As{sub 4}, were successfully obtained and their structures were accurately determined with Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction. Both compounds are isotypic to Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}Sb{sub 4} and crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/m (No=12) with cell parameters of a=16.916(4)/17.089(3) A, b=4.497(1)/4.6076(7) A, c=7.225(2)/7.304(1) A and {beta}=113.147(2)/112.312(1) Degree-Sign for Ba{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}As{sub 4} and Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}As{sub 4}, respectively. Electrical resistivity measurement on Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}As{sub 4} reveals semiconducting behavior between 10 and 100 K, which results in a very small band gap of 0.01 eV. According to TG/DSC analyses, Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}As{sub 4} exhibits good thermal stability and does not decompose below 950 K. - Graphic abstract: A polyhedral view of the crystal structure for Ba{sub 3}T{sub 2}As{sub 4} (T=Zn or Cd) in which Ba and As atoms are plotted as purple and red spheres, respectively. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two new ternary Zintl compounds, Ba{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}As4 and Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}As{sub 4}, have been synthesized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Their structure features polyanionic layers constructed through [MAs{sub 4}] tetrahedra. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ba{sub 3}Cd{sub 2}As{sub 4} has a very narrow band gap of 0.01 eV and are thermally stable up to 950 K.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2019

Synthesis and structure of Sr 14 Zn 1+ x As 11 and Eu 14 Zn 1+ x As 11 (x ≤ 0.5). New members of the family of pnictides isotypic with Ca 14 AlSb 11 , exhibiting a new type of structural disorder

Systematic investigation of the ternary systems A–Zn–As (A = Sr, Eu) led to the discovery of two new ternary phases, Sr 14 Zn 1+x As 11 and Eu 14 Zn 1+x As 11 (x ≤ 0.5). Both title compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The basic structure of these new arsenides is akin to that of the numerous other pnictides adopting the tetragonal Ca 14 AlSb 11 structure type (space group I4 1 / acd (No. 142); Z = 8). The main difference is the presence of an interstitial Zn atom, located in a nearly trigonal-planar coordination environment of three As atoms. Four such fragments share common edges with the regular ZnAs 4 tetrahedron, to form an unusual new structural unit with the formula [Zn 1+x Sb 8] . The small uptake of additional zinc is needed to augment the overall valence electron count, thereby driving the system to an electronically charge-balanced state. Upon partial substitution of the nominally divalent Sr with a trivalent La, the equivalent of electron doping, the structure rids itself of the interstitial zinc, as demonstrated on the example of Sr 13.30(2) La 0.70 ZnAs 11 , which was also structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction as part of this study. In conclusion, electronic structure calculations for the idealized composition Sr 14 ZnAs 11 confirm the speculated electron-deficient assignment, and suggest intrinsic semiconducting behavior for the one-electron richer Sr 14 Zn 1+x As 11 (x = 0.5) and Sr 13 LaZnAs 11 , respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Observation of an Unexpected n -Type Semiconducting Behavior in the New Ternary Zintl Phase Eu 3 InAs 3

The ternary arsenides Eu 3 InAs 3 and Sr 3 InAs 3 have been obtained by reactions of the elements in In flux at 1373 K. Structure elucidation by single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that Eu 3 InAs 3 and Sr 3 InAs 3 adopt the same orthorhombic structure (space group Pnma, Z = 4, Ca 3 AlAs 3 structure type) with unit cell parameters a = 12.9179(9) Å, b = 4.3990(3) Å, c = 13.9337(10) Å and a = 13.0218(11) Å, b = 4.4364(4) Å, c = 14.1339(12) Å, respectively. The structure consists of linear chains of corner-sharing InAs4 tetrahedra, [InAs 2 As 2/2 ] 6– , and Eu 2+ /Sr 2+ cations. Therefore, both Eu 3 InAs 3 and Sr 3 InAs 3 are valence-precise Zintl phases. As expected from the closed-shell electronic configurations, semiconducting behavior is confirmed by resistivity measurements on single crystals for both and by electronic band structure calculations for Sr 3 InAs 3 . The temperature dependence of resistivity and the computational work are in agreement that Eu 3 InAs 3 and Sr 3 InAs 3 are intrinsic semiconductors with narrow band gaps. Thermopower measurement on single-crystalline samples of Eu 3 InAs 3 shows that in the whole measured temperature range, from 300 to 700 K, the values for the Seebeck coefficient are negative. The observation of a negative Seebeck coefficient with very large absolute value (>400–500 μV K –1 at 700 K) is unexpected among the Zintl phases and suggestive that electrons are the majority charge carriers. Such a rare, n-type charge transport in an undoped compound such as Eu 3 InAs 3 , a material that has not been purposely optimized, could indicate native “defect” chemistry, and not extrinsic doping, as a reason for the unusual behavior. Here, a possible explanation involves a mixed-valent Eu 2+ /Eu 3+ state, which might be inferred from the measured effective paramagnetic moment of 7.2 μB per Eu atom, which is lower than the theoretically predicted value for free-ion moment of 7.9 μ B /Eu.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

Induced Superconducting Pairing in Integer Quantum Hall Edge States

Indium arsenide (InAs) near surface quantum wells (QWs) are promising for the fabrication of semiconductor–superconductor heterostructures given that they allow for a strong hybridization between the two-dimensional states in the quantum well and the ones in the superconductor. In this work, we present results for InAs QWs in the quantum Hall regime placed in proximity of superconducting NbTiN. We observe a negative downstream resistance with a corresponding reduction of Hall (upstream) resistance, consistent with a very high Andreev conversion. Further, we analyze the experimental data using the Landauer-Büttiker formalism, generalized to allow for Andreev reflection processes. We attribute the high efficiency of Andreev conversion in our devices to the large transparency of the InAs/NbTiN interface and the consequent strong hybridization of the QH edge modes with the states in the superconductor.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2015

High Performance Ultrathin GaAs Solar Cells Enabled with Heterogeneously Integrated Dielectric Periodic Nanostructures

Due to their favorable materials properties including direct bandgap and high electron mobilities, epitaxially grown III–V compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) provide unmatched performance over silicon in solar energy harvesting. Yet, their large-scale deployment in terrestrial photovoltaics remains challenging mainly due to the high cost of growing device quality epitaxial materials. In this regard, reducing the thickness of constituent active materials under appropriate light management schemes is a conceptually viable option to lower the cost of GaAs solar cells. In this work, we present a type of high efficiency, ultrathin GaAs solar cell that incorporates bifacial photon management enabled by techniques of transfer printing to maximize the absorption and photovoltaic performance without compromising the optimized electronic configuration of planar devices. Nanoimprint lithography and dry etching of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) deposited directly on the window layer of GaAs solar cells formed hexagonal arrays of nanoscale posts that serve as lossless photonic nanostructures for antireflection, diffraction, and light trapping in conjunction with a co-integrated rear-surface reflector. Systematic studies on optical and electrical properties and photovoltaic performance in experiments, as well as numerical modeling, quantitatively describe the optimal design rules for ultrathin, nanostructured GaAs solar cells and their integrated modules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗