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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

Lattice Expansion in Hybrid Perovskites: Effect on Optoelectronic Properties and Charge Carrier Dynamics

Hybrid halide perovskites frequently undergo structural expansion which significantly affects their electronic properties and in particular charge carrier dynamics. Various stimuli such as residual strain, light illumination, compositional engineering may deform the soft lattices of these materials. It is essential to atomistically model how geometric changes modify electronic characteristics important for applications such as light harvesting or lighting. Using ab initio simulations, here we investigate the structural dynamics and optoelectronic properties of FAPbI 3 under tensile strain. The applied strain leads to elongation of the Pb-I bonds and a reduction of PbI 6 octahedra tilting, which manifests as a blue-shifts in band gaps. Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations further reveal that charge carrier recombination rates moderately slow down in these expanded lattices. Complex influences of lattice dynamics on elastic and inelastic electron-phonon scattering results in longer carrier lifetime which is advantageous for efficient solar cells. By providing detailed information on the structure-property relationships, this work emphasizes the role of controlled lattice expansion on enhancing the electronic functionalities of hybrid perovskites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Lattice dynamics and thermoelectric properties of diamondoid materials

Abstract The diamondoid compounds are a large family of important semiconductors, which possess various unique transport properties and had been widely investigated in the fields of photoelectricity and nonlinear optics. For a significantly long period of time, diamondoid materials were not given much attention in the field of thermoelectricity. However, this changed when a series of diamondoid compounds showed a thermoelectric figure of merit ( ZT ) greater than 1.0. This discovery sparked considerable interest in further exploring the thermoelectric properties of diamondoid materials. This review aims to provide a comprehensive view of our current understanding of thermal and electronic transport in diamondoid materials and stimulate their development in thermoelectric applications. We present a collection of recent discoveries concerning the lattice dynamics and electronic structure of diamondoid materials. We review the underlying physics responsible for their unique electrical and phonon transport behaviors. Moreover, we provide insights into the advancements made in the field of thermoelectricity for diamondoid materials and the corresponding strategies employed to optimize their performance. Lastly, we emphasize the challenges that lie ahead and outline potential avenues for future research in the domain of diamondoid thermoelectric materials.

Xie, Hongyao↗

Ferroelectric properties and polarization dynamics in Ba{sub 4}Sm{sub 2}Ti{sub 4}Ta{sub 6}O{sub 30} tungsten bronze ceramics

Ferroelectricity and polarization reversal dynamics in Ba{sub 4}Sm{sub 2}Ti{sub 4}Ta{sub 6}O{sub 30} tungsten bronze ceramics were investigated by measuring dielectric spectra and the evolution of hysteresis loops over a wide temperature range. With decreasing temperature, the dielectric properties and differential scanning calorimetry results showed diffuse peaks at ∼280 K with large thermal hysteresis, suggesting a first order ferroelectric transition. A dielectric relaxation was observed at low temperature that followed the Vogel–Fulcher relationship. The saturation and remanent polarizations of the Ba{sub 4}Sm{sub 2}Ti{sub 4}Ta{sub 6}O{sub 30} ceramics showed remarkable dependence on the applied field and temperature. The temperature dependence of the coercive field was divided into three linear regions and fitted to the Vopsaroiu model. Activation energies for polarization reversal of 0.73, 0.79, and 0.65 eV were determined for the following three regions: (I) the diffuse ferroelectric transition region (323.15–293.15 K), (II) the region just below the ferroelectric transition temperature (293.15–233.15 K), and (III) the low temperature relaxation region (233.15–173.15 K), respectively. The decrease of the activation energy in region III was attributed to the low temperature relaxation of Ba{sub 4}Sm{sub 2}Ti{sub 4}Ta{sub 6}O{sub 30}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamical and Radiative Properties of X-Ray Pulsar Accretion Columns: Phase-averaged Spectra

The availability of the unprecedented spectral resolution provided by modern X-ray observatories is opening up new areas for study involving the coupled formation of the continuum emission and the cyclotron absorption features in accretion-powered X-ray pulsar spectra. Previous research focusing on the dynamics and the associated formation of the observed spectra has largely been confined to the single-fluid model, in which the super-Eddington luminosity inside the column decelerates the flow to rest at the stellar surface, while the dynamical effect of gas pressure is ignored. In a companion paper, we have presented a detailed analysis of the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic structure of the accretion column obtained using a new self-consistent model that includes the effects of both gas and radiation pressures. In this paper, we explore the formation of the associated X-ray spectra using a rigorous photon transport equation that is consistent with the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic structure of the column. We use the new model to obtain phase-averaged spectra and partially occulted spectra for Her X-1, Cen X-3, and LMC X-4. We also use the new model to constrain the emission geometry, and compare the resulting parameters with those obtained using previously published models. Our model sheds new light on the structure of the column, the relationship between the ionized gas and the photons, the competition between diffusive and advective transport, and the magnitude of the energy-averaged cyclotron scattering cross-section.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Taking off the training wheels: the properties of a dynamic vegetation model without climate envelopes

We describe an implementation of the Ecosystem Demography (ED) concept in the Community Land Model. The structure of CLM(ED) and the physiological and structural modifications applied to the CLM are presented. A major motivation of this development is to allow the prediction of biome boundaries directly from plant physiological traits via their competitive interactions. Here we investigate the performance of the model for an example biome boundary in Eastern North America. We explore the sensitivity of the predicted biome boundaries and ecosystem properties to the variation of leaf properties determined by the parameter space defined by the GLOPNET global leaf trait database. Further, we investigate the impact of four sequential alterations to the structural assumptions in the model governing the relative carbon economy of deciduous and evergreen plants. The default assumption is that the costs and benefits of deciduous vs. evergreen leaf strategies, in terms of carbon assimilation and expenditure, can reproduce the geographical structure of biome boundaries and ecosystem functioning. We find some support for this assumption, but only under particular combinations of model traits and structural assumptions. Many questions remain regarding the preferred methods for deployment of plant trait information in land surface models. In some cases, plant traits might best be closely linked with each other, but we also find support for direct linkages to environmental conditions. We advocate for intensified study of the costs and benefits of plant life history strategies in different environments, and for the increased use of parametric and structural ensembles in the development and analysis of complex vegetation models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Electronic Properties and Lattice Dynamics Studies of the Nickel-Based Superconductor ThNiAsN

We perform theoretical studies of the newly discovered nickel-based pnictide ThNiAsN. The obtained large density of states may explain the normal-state Sommerfeld coefficient observed by former experiments. The obtained band structure and Fermi surfaces are rather two-dimensional with a small hole-like Fermi surface around X point and three electron-like ones around M point, which share great similarities with LaNiAsO. Meanwhile, the lattice dynamics of ThNiAsN are also studied within density functional perturbation theory (DFPT). The electron-phonon coupling constant is 0.67, suggesting that ThNiAsN is a phonon-mediated superconductor. In the end, as a prototype of nickel-based superconductor, we obtain an effective tight-binding model by means of the maximally localized Wannier function (MLWF). Based on this model, the nesting properties have been studied using Lindhard function for nominal doping and hole doping. We find the hole doping will introduce better nesting properties, making this system a potential candidate to develop magnetic and unconventional superconducting instabilities.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Photoelectric properties and charge dynamics in ZnO nanowires/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} and ZnO nanowires/In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} heterostructures

ZnO nanowires arrays were preformed in a horizontal double-tube system. Two types of heterostructures (ZnO nanowires/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} and ZnO nanowires/In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9}) and three-dimensional solar cells were fabricated with ZnO nanowires arrays as working electrode, In{sub 2}O{sub 3} as buffer layer, and Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} as inorganic dye and hole collector. It is suggested that two types of heterostructures have the similar absorption properties with single Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9}. However, the results of steady state and electric field-induced surface photovoltage indicate that ZnO nanowires/In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} exhibits the higher photovoltaic response than ZnO nanowires/Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9}. Using the transient surface photovoltage spectroscopy, we further studied the separation and transport mechanism of photogenerated charges. Furthermore, Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9}/In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO cells presents the better performance than Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9}/ZnO cells and the highest efficiencies are about 6.4% and 5.2%, respectively. It is suggested that direct paths, interface barrier, built-in electric field, and double energy level matchings between conduction bands (Cu{sub 4}Bi{sub 4}S{sub 9} and In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and ZnO) have obvious effect on the separation of photogenerated charges. Then we discussed the synthetic action on the charge dynamics from these factors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Magneto-optical properties and recombination dynamics of isoelectronic bound excitons in ZnO

Magneto-optical and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies are employed to evaluate electronic structure of a bound exciton (BX) responsible for the 3.364 eV line (labeled as I{sub 1}{sup *}) in bulk ZnO. From time-resolved PL spectroscopy, I{sub 1}{sup *} is concluded to originate from the exciton ground state. Based on performed magneto-PL studies, the g-factors of the involved electron and hole are determined as being g{sub e} = 1.98 and g{sub h}{sup ∥}(g{sub h}{sup ⊥}) = 1.2(1.62), respectively. These values are nearly identical to the reported g-factors for the I{sup *} line in ZnO (Phys. Rev. B 86, 235205 (2012)), which proves that I{sub 1}{sup *} should have a similar origin as I{sup *} and should arise from an exciton bound to an isoelectronic center with a hole-attractive potential.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Revealing the Transient Formation Dynamics and Optoelectronic Properties of 2D Ruddlesden–Popper Phases on 3D Perovskites

Using in situ photoluminescence measurements during the spin-coating and annealing steps, this study probes the formation of 2D layers on 3D triple cation perovskite films comparing phenylethylammonium and 2-thiophenemethylammonium iodide bulky cations. This study elucidates the formation mechanisms of the surface layers for both cases and reveals two regimes during 2D layer formation: a kinetic-driven and a thermodynamic-driven process. These driving forces result in different compositions of the 2D/3D interface for each treatment, namely, different ratios of pure 2D (n = 1) and quasi-2D (n > 1) structures. Further, this study shows that a higher ratio of quasi-2D phases is more beneficial for device performance, as pure-2D layers may hamper current extraction. Due to a more evenly distributed formation energy profile among 2D and quasi-2D phases, highly concentrated 2-thiophenemethylammonium iodide appears to be more suited for effective surface passivation than its phenylethylammonium analog.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Low temperature magnetic properties and spin dynamics in single crystals of Cr{sub 8}Zn antiferromagnetic molecular rings

A detailed experimental investigation of the effects giving rise to the magnetic energy level structure in the vicinity of the level crossing (LC) at low temperature is reported for the open antiferromagnetic molecular ring Cr{sub 8}Zn. The study is conducted by means of thermodynamic techniques (torque magnetometry, magnetization and specific heat measurements) and microscopic techniques (nuclear magnetic resonance line width, nuclear spin lattice, and spin-spin relaxation measurements). The experimental results are shown to be in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations based on a minimal spin model Hamiltonian, which includes a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. The first ground state level crossing at μ{sub 0}H{sub c1} = 2.15 T is found to be an almost true LC while the second LC at μ{sub 0}H{sub c2} = 6.95 T has an anti-crossing gap of Δ{sub 12} = 0.19 K. In addition, both NMR and specific heat measurements show the presence of a level anti-crossing between excited states at μ{sub 0}H = 4.5 T as predicted by the theory. In all cases, the fit of the experimental data is improved by introducing a distribution of the isotropic exchange couplings (J), i.e., using a J strain model. The peaks at the first and second LCs in the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate are dominated by inelastic scattering and a value of Γ ∼ 10{sup 10} rad/s is inferred for the life time broadening of the excited state of the open ring, due to spin phonon interaction. A loss of NMR signal (wipe-out effect) is observed for the first time at LC and is explained by the enhancement of the spin-spin relaxation rate due to the inelastic scattering.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

First Principle Estimation of Geochemically Important Transition Metal Oxide Properties: Structure and Dynamics of the Bulk, Surface and Mineral/Aqueous Fluid Interface

Reactions in the mineral surface/reservoir fluid interface control many geochemical processes such as the dissolution and growth of minerals (Yanina and Rosso 2008), heterogeneous oxidation/reduction (Hochella 1990, Brown 2001, Hochella, Lower et al. 2008, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008), and inorganic respiration (Newman 2010). Key minerals involved in these processes are the transition metal oxides and oxyhydroxides (e.g., hematite, Fe2O3, and goethite, FeOOH)(Brown, Henrich et al. 1999, Brown 2001, Hochella, Lower et al. 2008, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008). To interpret and predict these processes, it is necessary to have a high level of understanding of the interactions between the formations containing these minerals and their reservoir fluids. However, these are complicated chemical events occurring under a wide range of T, P, and X conditions and the interpretation is complicated by the highly heterogeneous nature of natural environments (Hochella 1990, Hochella, Lower et al. 2008, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008) and the electronic and structural complexity of the oxide materials involved(Cox 1992, Kotliar and Vollhardt 2004, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008). In addition, also because of the complexity of the minerals involved and the heterogeneous nature of natural systems, the direct observation of these reactions at the atomic level is experimentally extremely difficult. Theoretical simulations will provide important support for analysis of the geochemistry of the mineral surface/fluid region as well as provide essential tools to extrapolate laboratory measurements to the field environment.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗

Optical properties and carrier dynamics of GaAs/GaInAs multiple-quantum-well shell grown on GaAs nanowire by molecular beam epitaxy

GaAs/GaInAs multiple-quantum-well (MQW) shells having different GaInAs shell width formed on the surface of self-catalyzed GaAs core nanowires (NWs) are grown on (100) Si substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. The photoluminescence emission from GaAs/GaInAs MQW shells and the carrier lifetime could be varied by changing the width of GaInAs shell. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements showed that the carrier lifetime had a fast and slow decay owing to the mixing of wurtzite and zinc-blende structures of the NWs. Furthermore, strain relaxation caused the carrier lifetime to decrease beyond a certain thickness of GaInAs quantum well shells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Preparation, photoluminescent properties and luminescent dynamics of BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors

Graphical abstract: Rice-shaped BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors were synthesized via one-pot hydrothermal process. The as-prepared BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} are composed of many particles with an average diameter of 40 nm. When excited at 260 nm, the sharp line emission located at 361 nm of Eu{sup 2+} was observed. The optimum doping concentration of Eu{sup 2+} was confirmed to be 5 mol%. The strong ultraviolet emission of Eu{sup 2+} ions in BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanoparticles suggests that these nanoparticles may have potential applications for sensing, solid-state lasers and spectrometer calibration. - Highlights: • BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors were synthesized via a mild hydrothermal process. • The Van and Huang models were used to research the mechanism of concentration quenching. • The optimum doping concentration of Eu2+ was confirmed to be 5 mol%. - Abstract: Eu{sup 2+}-doped BaAlF{sub 5} nanophosphors were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The final products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. XRD results showed that the prepared samples are single-phase. The FE-SEM and TEM images indicated that the prepared BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors are composed of many rice-shaped particles with an average diameter of 40 nm. When excited at 260 nm, BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors exhibit the sharp line emissions of Eu{sup 2+} at room temperature. The optimum doping concentration of Eu{sup 2+} was confirmed to be 5 mol%. The Van and Huang models were used to study the mechanism of concentration quenching and the electric dipole–dipole interaction between Eu{sup 2+} can be deduced to be a dominant for quenching fluorescence in BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors. The strong ultraviolet emission of Eu{sup 2+} in BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors suggests that these nanoparticles may have potential applications for sensing, spectrometer calibration and solid-state lasers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗