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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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

How Rh surface breaks CO 2 molecules under ambient pressure

Utilization of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) molecules leads to increased interest in the sustainable synthesis of methane (CH 4 ) or methanol (CH 3 OH). The representative reaction intermediate consisting of a carbonyl or formate group determines yields of the fuel source during catalytic reactions. However, their selective initial surface reaction processes have been assumed without a fundamental understanding at the molecular level. Here, we report direct observations of spontaneous CO 2 dissociation over the model rhodium (Rh) catalyst at 0.1 mbar CO 2 . The linear geometry of CO 2 gas molecules turns into a chemically active bent-structure at the interface, which allows non-uniform charge transfers between chemisorbed CO 2 and surface Rh atoms. By combining scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at near-ambient pressure, and computational calculations, we reveal strong evidence for chemical bond cleavage of O-CO* with ordered intermediates structure formation of (2 × 2)-CO on an atomically flat Rh(111) surface at room temperature.

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

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of ZnGeN 2 films on GaN: effects of cation stoichiometry on surface morphology and crystallinity

Novel optoelectronic device designs based on the heterostructures of III-N and II-IV-N 2 are promising to advance device performance significantly. For example, by utilizing InGaN-ZnGeN 2 quantum well (QW) structures instead of pure InGaN, the band structure engineering in the QW active region can lead to improved electron-hole wavefunction overlap, and thus enhance the radiative efficiency for photon generation. These novel heterostructures have great potential to address the current challenge of low quantum efficiency in InGaN QW based light emitting diodes emitting in green and beyond. The materials development of ZnGeN 2 is still at an early stage as compared to the much matured GaN material system. In an ideal octet rule preserving ordered structure of ZnGeN 2 , every N atom is coordinated by exactly two Zn and two Ge atoms. However, local violation of octet rule can be caused by non-ideal coordination of N by the cations. The disordered structure is thermodynamically less favorable but can still be achieved, for example, in kinetics-limited growth regime. The ordered ZnGeN 2 has a bandgap very close to that of GaN (~3.4 eV) and a lattice mismatch of <0.1% with GaN. Interestingly, the valence band of ZnGeN 2 has been predicted to be ~1 eV above that of GaN, which has inspired novel designs for high efficiency light emitters. In this work, we investigated the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of ZnGeN 2 films on GaN/c-sapphire templates. Diethylzinc (DEZn), germane (GeH4) and ammonia were used as the precursors for Zn, Ge and N, respectively. A systematic study was conducted to investigate the cation stoichiometry as a function of growth temperature (TG), total reactor pressure (P) and DEZn/GeH 4 molar flow rate ratio (RII/IV). Under the investigated growth window, the Zn/(Zn+Ge) composition in the films, determined from energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, decreased monotonically with increase in TG but increased with increase in P and RII/IV. Atom probe tomography data did not indicate the presence of any secondary phases such as Zn 3 N 2 or Ge 3 N 4 . The surface morphology and crystallinity of the grown films had strong correlation with the Zn/(Zn+Ge) composition. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that the near-stoichiometric films have planar surfaces whereas Zn-rich films had crystallites on their surface and the Zn-poor films had faceted surface. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging revealed that the Zn-rich and Zn-poor films have columnar and filament-like morphology, respectively, whereas the near-stoichiometric films have continuous film-like cross-sectional morphology. TEM nano-diffraction patterns as well as X-ray diffraction 2θ-ω scan profiles indicate that the near stoichiometric films are single crystalline. Nano-diffraction pattern of the stoichiometric films resembled that of a disordered ZnGeN 2 structure. Room temperature Raman spectra of near-stoichiometric films showed only the phonon density of states like features of a cation disordered ZnGeN 2 . Cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence spectra measured at different temperatures had similar features with peak emission wavelength at ~ 2 eV. In conclusion, the stoichiometry of ZnGeN 2 films can be widely tuned by tuning the MOCVD growth parameters. The surface morphology and the crystallinity of the films were found to have strong correlation with the Zn/(Zn+Ge) composition. The stoichiometric ZnGeN 2 films grown on GaN were demonstrated with uniform surface morphology and high crystalline quality. The results from this work will provide pathway to implement ZnGeN 2 in device structures.

Karim, Md Rezaul↗
DOE OSTI2026

Unraveling the Dynamics of Nucleosome Arrays

The organization of genomic DNA into chromatin is a fundamental determinant of genome stability, regulation, and cellular function. Nucleosomes, the basic repeating units of chromatin, assemble into higher-order structures whose organization and heterogeneity remain difficult to characterize using conventional ensemble-averaged techniques. A key need in the field is the development of experimental approaches capable of directly visualizing nucleosome assemblies and their structural variability at the single-molecule level. This LDRD Lab-Wide project focused on establishing and evaluating atomic force microscopy (AFM)–based approaches for the characterization of nucleosome assemblies. The work emphasized experimental workflows for preparing, imaging, and assessing multi-nucleosome systems, rather than isolated single nucleosomes. Through method development and exploratory measurements, the project demonstrated the feasibility of applying scanning probe microscopy to investigate chromatin-relevant assemblies and provided preliminary insight into the strengths and limitations of this approach for future quantitative studies. Results and lessons learned from this effort were disseminated to the broader scientific community through multiple national conference presentations, helping to position LLNL for continued work in chromatin and genome organization research.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Adsorption and reaction of methanol on Fe 3 O 4 (001)

The interaction of methanol with iron oxide surfaces is of interest due to its potential in hydrogen storage, and from a fundamental perspective as a chemical probe of the reactivity. We present here a study examining the adsorption and reaction of methanol on magnetite Fe 3 O 4 (001) at cryogenic temperatures using a combination of temperature programmed desorption, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. We report the methanol desorption profile from Fe 3 O 4 (001) is complex, exhibiting peaks at 145, 175, 238, and 273 K, corresponding to the desorption of intact methanol, as well as peaks at 350 and 500 K due to the reaction of methoxy intermediates. The saturation of a monolayer of methanol corresponds to ~5 molecules/unit cell (u.c.), which is slightly higher than the number of surface octahedral iron atoms of 4/u.c. We probe the kinetics and thermodynamics of the desorption of molecular methanol using inversion analysis. The deconvolution of the complex desorption profile into individual peaks allows for calculations of both the desorption energy and the prefactor of each feature. The initial 0.7 methanol/u.c. reacts to form a methoxy and hydroxy intermediates by 180 K, which remains on the surface above room temperature after intact methanol has desorbed. The methoxy species react via one of two channels, a recombination reaction with surface hydroxyls to form additional methanol at ~350 K, and a disproportionation reaction to form methanol and formaldehyde at ~500 K. Only 20% of the methoxy species undergo the disproportionation reaction, with most of them reacting via the 350 K pathway.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nm-scale electrical resistance imaging on CdTe by scanning spreading resistance microscopy

Local resistance imaging can provide information on nm-scale carrier distribution in semiconductor devices. Scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM), an atomic force microscopy-based nm-scale resistance mapping technique, has been developed for carrier delineation in Si microdevices. We report on the development and validation of SSRM on CdTe materials, by testing on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown CdTe films. The probe/CdTe contact resistance was suppressed sufficiently below sample's spreading resistance by pressing the probe into the sample with ∼mN contact force and applying a large sample/probe forward bias voltage (V s ), which was understood by analyzing current-voltage (I-V) involving a serially connected insulating top layer with underlying spreading resistance. The carrier concentration as deduced from the resistance measurement, using a single mobility value, is consistent with Hall measurement with a standard deviation of 14% based on a set of MBE films with carrier concentrations in the range of 10 15 –10 16 /cm 3 . The doping polarity was readily identified by flipping V s polarity, where the resistance with reverse V s is orders of magnitude larger than forward V s . While focusing on the SSRM technique validation, we also show an example on an As-doped Cd(Se,Te) polycrystalline thin film of a high-performance CdTe solar cell, which illustrates the local resistance nonuniformity with up to two orders of magnitude differences, indicating if local mobility is roughly constant, local carrier concentration can have significant nonuniformity.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Chemical Environment and Structural Variations in High Entropy Oxide Thin Film Probed with Electron Microscopy

For this work, we employ analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to correlate the structural and chemical environment variations within a stacked epitaxial thin film of the high entropy oxide (HEO) Mg 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Cu 0.2 Zn 0.2 O (J14), with two layers grown at different substrate temperatures (500 and 200 °C) using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Electron diffraction and atomically resolved STEM imaging reveal the difference in out-of-plane lattice parameters in the stacked thin film, which is further quantified on a larger scale using four-dimensional STEM (4D-STEM). In the layer deposited at a lower temperature, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) mapping indicates drastic changes in the oxidation states and bonding environment for Co ions, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) mapping detects more significant cation deficiency. Ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations validate that vacancies on the cation sublattice of J14 result in significant electronic and structural changes. The experimental and computational analyses indicate that low temperatures during film growth result in cation deficiency, an altered chemical environment, and reduced lattice parameters while maintaining a single phase. Our results demonstrate that the complex correlation of configurational entropy, kinetics, and thermodynamics can be utilized for accessing a range of metastable configurations in HEO materials without altering cation proportions, enabling further engineering of functional properties of HEO materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1974

Structure and properties of solid surfaces

Difficulties in experimental studies of crystalline surfaces are related to the fact that surface atoms have an intrinsic tendency to react with their environment. A second problem is connected with the effective thickness of surfaces, which ranges from one to several atom layers. The phenomenology of surface interactions with gases are considered, taking into account physical adsorption, chemisorption, and the oxidation of surfaces. Studies of the surface structure are discussed, giving attention to field emission microscopy, field-ion microscopy, electron diffraction techniques, Auger spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, ion microprobe methods, and low-energy backscattering spectroscopy. Investigations of semiconductor surfaces are also described.

Gatos, H. C.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Structure and Electronic Properties of Mesopores in Si PV Devices with PLEO Contacts

All current state-of-the-art silicon photovoltaic (PV) devices employ some flavor of passivating contact structure to minimize detrimental recombination while providing good conductivity. These properties are most often provided by a dielectric layer (SiNx, Al2O3, or SiOx) that is in contact with the crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrate. The effectiveness of these layers is heavily dependent on the nanoscale structure of both the dielectric layers and the crystalline silicon interface. As an example, the tunneling probability for charge carriers across thin SiOx layers, a process that is critical to maintain high conductivity, is extremely sensitive to the SiOx thickness. SiOx with a thickness below 2 nm readily allows charge carrier tunneling, whereas it is impeded for greater thicknesses. In the latter case it has been shown that modifications to the thermal processing schedule can induce disruptions, or pinholes, in thick SiOx layers that allow transport of charge carriers while maintaining excellent passivation. However, this requires higher temperatures processes that may inhibit widespread adoption by industry. Recently, another option has been presented that may circumvent the necessity for high temperature processing, namely metal assisted chemical etching (MACE). MACE relies on deposition of Ag nanoparticles onto the SiOx layers with subsequent electroless etching to form mesopores in the SiOx layers that are analogous to the pinholes created with high temperature processing. The size and density can be controlled based on the Ag nanoparticle deposition conditions. The resulting contact structure is known as polysilicon on locally etched oxide (PLEO) contacts. The nanoscale structure of the mesopores in PLEO contacts define the device level observables such as recombination current (Jo) and junction resistance. In this work we present atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of mesopores in PLEO contacts formed with a different processing conditions to connect provide insight into how the nanoscale structure of the SiOx layer influences PV device properties. Additionally, we have previously used electron beam induced current (EBIC) to probe local transport properties in Si PV devices with a SiOx layer containing pinholes due to high temperature processing. Using EBIC we were able to directly show the enhance charge carrier transport through the pinholes. Here we also employ EBIC to study non-uniformities in charge carrier recombination and transport associated with mesopores in PLEO contacts and compare these results with our previous work on devices with pinholes in the SiOx formed through high temperature processes. The products of this work provide critical information that is required to both further optimize performance of Si PV devices with PLEO contact and to drive future adoption of this technology by industry.

ENGINEERING,SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Truncated Nonlinear Interferometry for Quantum-Enhanced Atomic Force Microscopy

Nonlinear interferometers that replace beam splitters in Mach-Zehnder interferometers with nonlinear amplifiers for quantum-enhanced phase measurements have drawn increasing interest in recent years, but practical quantum sensors based on nonlinear interferometry remain an outstanding challenge. Here, we demonstrate the first practical application of nonlinear interferometry by measuring the displacement of an atomic force microscope microcantilever with quantum noise reduction of up to 3 dB below the standard quantum limit, corresponding to a quantum-enhanced measurement of beam displacement of 1.7 fm/√Hz. Further, we minimize photon backaction noise while taking advantage of quantum noise reduction by transducing the cantilever displacement signal with a weak squeezed state while using dual homodyne detection with a higher power local oscillator. This approach may enable quantum-enhanced broadband, high-speed scanning probe microscopy.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

On-demand nanoengineering of in-plane ferroelectric topologies

Hierarchical assemblies of ferroelectric nanodomains, so-called super-domains, can exhibit exotic morphologies that lead to distinct behaviours. Controlling these super-domains reliably is critical for realizing states with desired functional properties. Here we reveal the super-switching mechanism by using a biased atomic force microscopy tip, that is, the switching of the in-plane super-domains, of a model ferroelectric Pb 0.6 Sr 0.4 TiO 3 . We demonstrate that the writing process is dominated by a super-domain nucleation and stabilization process. A complex scanning-probe trajectory enables on-demand formation of intricate centre-divergent, centre-convergent and flux-closure polar structures. Correlative piezoresponse force microscopy and optical spectroscopy confirm the topological nature and tunability of the emergent structures. The precise and versatile nanolithography in a ferroic material and the stability of the generated structures, also validated by phase-field modelling, suggests potential for reliable multi-state nanodevice architectures and, thereby, an alternative route for the creation of tunable topological structures for applications in neuromorphic circuits.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantum textures of the many-body wavefunctions in magic-angle graphene

Interactions among electrons create novel many-body quantum phases of matter with wavefunctions that often reflect electronic correlation effects, broken symmetries, and novel collective excitations. A wide range of quantum phases has been discovered in MATBG, including correlated insulating, unconventional superconducting, and magnetic topological phases. The lack of microscopic information, including precise knowledge of possible broken symmetries, has thus far hampered our understanding of MATBG's correlated phases. Here we use high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy to directly probe the wavefunctions of the correlated phases in MATBG. The squares of the wavefunctions of gapped phases, including those of the correlated insulators, pseudogap, and superconducting phases, show distinct patterns of broken symmetry with a √3 x √3 super-periodicity on the graphene atomic lattice that has a complex spatial dependence on the moiré superlattice scale. We introduce a symmetry-based analysis to describe our measurements of the wavefunctions of MATBG's correlated phases with a set of complex-valued local order parameters. For the correlated insulators in MATBG, at fillings of ±2 electrons per moiré unit cell relative to charge neutrality, we compare the observed quantum textures to those expected for proposed theoretical ground states. In typical MATBG devices, the textures of correlated insulators' wavefunctions closely match those of the theoretically proposed IKS order, while in ultra-low-strain samples our data has local symmetries like those of a T-IVC phase. Here, we also study the wavefunction of MATBG's superconducting state, revealing strong signatures of intervalley coherence that can only be distinguished from those of the insulator with our phase-sensitive measurements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2006

Ultrasonication of Bismuth Telluride Nanocrystals Fabricated by Solvothermal Method

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of ultrasonication on bismuth telluride nanocrystals prepared by solvothermal method. In this study, a low dimensional nanocrystal of bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) was synthesized by a solvothermal process in an autoclave at 180 C and 200 psi. During the solvothermal reaction, organic surfactants effectively prevented unwanted aggregation of nanocrystals in a selected solvent while controlling the shape of the nanocrystal. The atomic ratio of bismuth and tellurium was determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The cavitational energy created by the ultrasonic probe was varied by the ultrasonication process time, while power amplitude remained constant. The nanocrystal size and its size distribution were measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and a dynamic light scattering system. When the ultrasonication time increased, the average size of bismuth telluride nanocrystal gradually increased due to the direct collision of nanocrystals. The polydispersity of the nanocrystals showed a minimum when the ultrasonication was applied for 5 min. Keywords: bismuth telluride, nanocrystal, low-dimensional, ultrasonication, solvothermal

Chu, Sang-Hyon↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fast Scanning Probe Microscopy via Machine Learning: Non-Rectangular Scans with Compressed Sensing and Gaussian Process Optimization

Fast scanning probe microscopy enabled via machine learning allows for a broad range of nanoscale, temporally resolved physics to be uncovered. However, such examples for functional imaging are few in number. Here, using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) as a model application, a factor of 5.8 reduction in data collection using a combination of sparse spiral scanning with compressive sensing and Gaussian process regression reconstruction is demonstrated. It is found that even extremely sparse spiral scans offer strong reconstructions with less than 6% error for Gaussian process regression reconstructions. Further, the error associated with each reconstructive technique per reconstruction iteration is analyzed, finding the error is similar past ≈15 iterations, while at initial iterations Gaussian process regression outperforms compressive sensing. Finally, this study highlights the capabilities of reconstruction techniques when applied to sparse data, particularly sparse spiral PFM scans, with broad applications in scanning probe and electron microscopies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1990

Universal aspects of adhesion and atomic force microscopy

Adhesive energies are computed for flat and atomically sharp tips as a function of the normal distance to the substrate. The dependence of binding energies on tip shape is investigated. The magnitudes of the binding energies for the atomic force microscope are found to depend sensitively on tip material, tip shape and the sample site being probed. The form of the energy-distance curve, however, is universal and independent of these variables, including tip shape.

Banerjea, Amitava↗
NASA NTRS2010

Nonlinear Dynamics of Cantilever-Sample Interactions in Atomic Force Microscopy

The interaction of the cantilever tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) with the sample surface is obtained by treating the cantilever and sample as independent systems coupled by a nonlinear force acting between the cantilever tip and a volume element of the sample surface. The volume element is subjected to a restoring force from the remainder of the sample that provides dynamical equilibrium for the combined systems. The model accounts for the positions on the cantilever of the cantilever tip, laser probe, and excitation force (if any) via a basis set of set of orthogonal functions that may be generalized to account for arbitrary cantilever shapes. The basis set is extended to include nonlinear cantilever modes. The model leads to a pair of coupled nonlinear differential equations that are solved analytically using a matrix iteration procedure. The effects of oscillatory excitation forces applied either to the cantilever or to the sample surface (or to both) are obtained from the solution set and applied to the to the assessment of phase and amplitude signals generated by various acoustic-atomic force microscope (A-AFM) modalities. The influence of bistable cantilever modes of on AFM signal generation is discussed. The effects on the cantilever-sample surface dynamics of subsurface features embedded in the sample that are perturbed by surface-generated oscillatory excitation forces and carried to the cantilever via wave propagation are accounted by the Bolef-Miller propagating wave model. Expressions pertaining to signal generation and image contrast in A-AFM are obtained and applied to amplitude modulation (intermittent contact) atomic force microscopy and resonant difference-frequency atomic force ultrasonic microscopy (RDF-AFUM). The influence of phase accumulation in A-AFM on image contrast is discussed, as is the effect of hard contact and maximum nonlinearity regimes of A-AFM operation.

Cantrell, John H.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Atomic dynamics of electrified solid–liquid interfaces in liquid-cell TEM

Electrified solid–liquid interfaces (ESLIs) play a key role in various electrochemical processes relevant to energy, biology and geochemistry. The electron and mass transport at the electrified interfaces may result in structural modifications that markedly influence the reaction pathways. For example, electrocatalyst surface restructuring during reactions can substantially affect the catalysis mechanisms and reaction products. Despite its importance, direct probing the atomic dynamics of solid–liquid interfaces under electric biasing is challenging owing to the nature of being buried in liquid electrolytes and the limited spatial resolution of current techniques for in situ imaging through liquids. Here, with our development of advanced polymer electrochemical liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we are able to directly monitor the atomic dynamics of ESLIs during copper (Cu)-catalysed CO 2 electroreduction reactions (CO 2 ERs). Our observation reveals a fluctuating liquid-like amorphous interphase. It undergoes reversible crystalline–amorphous structural transformations and flows along the electrified Cu surface, thus mediating the crystalline Cu surface restructuring and mass loss through the interphase layer. Furthermore, the combination of real-time observation and theoretical calculations unveils an amorphization-mediated restructuring mechanism resulting from charge-activated surface reactions with the electrolyte. Our results open many opportunities to explore the atomic dynamics and its impact in broad systems involving ESLIs by taking advantage of the in situ imaging capability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Revealing Phase Heterogeneity in Vertically Aligned Nanocomposites via Plan-View Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Hydrogen utilization in clean energy technologies is challenged by limited storage and transport within materials, owing to the complex hydrogen kinetics at interfaces [1]. Understanding these interfacial mechanisms at the nanoscale is crucial for developing improved materials for hydrogen applications, particularly proton-conducting fuel cells (PCFCs). Vertically aligned nanocomposites (VANs) grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) offer a unique platform for investigating the interfacial effects on hydrogen transport due to their well-defined interfaces parallel to the direction of charge transport [2-4]. To investigate hydrogen transport, the two phases within the VANs were chosen as BaZr 0.9 Y 0.1 O 3-x (BZY), a known proton conductor, and Pr 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2-x (PCO), a mixed ionic-electronic conductor [5]. This PCO-BZY VANs architecture allows the investigation of how the interface between a proton conductor and a mixed conductor influences hydrogen transport. However, because of the small size of hydrogen, it is difficult to discern the nature of its interactions with interfaces from bulk measurements at the macroscale, thus necessitating nanoscale measurements [6]. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) allows for nanometer-resolution probing of the local atomic structure and chemistry at the BZY/PCO interface. In this study, plan-view analysis of PCO-BZY VANs films was employed to characterize the structure and phase distribution of the VANs and investigate the interface between the nanostructures. The films were imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in the Hitachi S-4800 SEM, collecting secondary electron images using mixed upper and lower detectors. Then, plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) EELS were employed using a JEOL ARM300 microscope operated at 300kV with a Gatan K3 GIF Continuum detector to study the distribution of the BZY and PCO phases through the film. As a result, spectrum images were acquired at a dispersion of 0.18eV per channel and denoised afterward by principal component analysis (PCA) method.

Griffin, Elizabeth [Northwestern University, Evans↗
DOE OSTI2022

Probing charge density in materials with atomic resolution in real space

The charge distribution in materials at the nanoscale can often explain the origin of macroscopic properties such as localized conductivity or the plasmonic response and illuminate more fundamental changes in the microscopic structure such as changes in chemical bonding characteristics. Previously, direct visualization of the charge density with high spatial resolution was often a missing link in the formation of structure–property relationships, especially in heterogeneous materials systems. Furthermore, recent advancements in microscopy technology have enabled researchers to visualize the charge distribution in materials down to subatomic length scales. In this Technical Review, we discuss the developments in high-resolution real-space charge distribution imaging using diffraction techniques and electron microscopy, with a focus on the recent advancement of four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron holography, and applications to materials interfaces.

Electronic properties and materials↗