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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 1,513 records · Page 84
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

A Quenched Disorder in the Quantum-Critical Superconductor CeCoIn 5

Emergent inhomogeneous electronic phases in metallic quantum systems are crucial for understanding high- T c superconductivity and other novel quantum states. In particular, spin droplets introduced by nonmagnetic dopants in quantum-critical superconductors (QCSs) can lead to a novel magnetic state in superconducting phases. However, the role of disorders caused by nonmagnetic dopants in quantum-critical regimes and their precise relation with superconductivity remain unclear. Here, the systematic evolution of a strong correlation between superconductive intertwined electronic phases and antiferromagnetism in Cd-doped CeCoIn 5 is presented by measuring current–voltage characteristics under an external pressure. In the low-pressure coexisting regime where antiferromagnetic (AFM) and superconducting (SC) orders coexist, the critical current ( I c ) is gradually suppressed by the increasing magnetic field, as in conventional type-II superconductors. At pressures higher than the critical pressure where the AFM order disappears, I c remarkably shows a sudden spike near the irreversible magnetic field. In addition, at high pressures far from the critical pressure point, the peak effect is not suppressed, but remains robust over the whole superconducting region. These results indicate that magnetic islands are protected around dopant sites despite being suppressed by the increasingly correlated effects under pressure, providing a new perspective on the role of quenched disorders in QCSs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Coupling Between Electrons and Charge Density Wave Fluctuation and its Possible Role in Superconductivity

In most charge density wave (CDW) systems of different material classes, ranging from traditional correlated systems in low-dimension to recent topological systems with Kagome lattice, superconductivity emerges when the system is driven toward the quantum critical point (QCP) of CDW via external parameters of doping and pressure. Despite this rather universal trend, the essential hinge between CDW and superconductivity has not been established yet. Here, the evidence of coupling between electron and CDW fluctuation is reported, based on a temperature- and intercalation-dependent kink in the angle-resolved photoemission spectra of 2H-Pd x TaSe 2 . Kinks are observed only when the system is in the CDW phase, regardless of whether a long- or short-range order is established. Notably, the coupling strength is enhanced upon long-range CDW suppression, albeit the coupling energy scale is reduced. Interestingly, the estimation of the superconducting critical temperature by incorporating the observed coupling characteristics into McMillan's equation yields results closely resembling the known values of the superconducting dome. The results thus highlight a compelling possibility that this new coupling mediates Cooper pairs, which provides new insights into the competing relationship not only for CDW but also for other competing orders.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Direct Observation of Vortex Liquid Droplets in the Iron Pnictide Superconductor CaKFe 4 As 4 at 0.5T c

Type-II superconductors under magnetic fields remain in a quantum-coherent, non-dissipative state as long as vortices are pinned. Dissipation emerges when vortices depin, a process often driven by thermal fluctuations and commonly associated with a melting transition from a vortex solid to a vortex liquid. Macroscopic experiments almost always observe this transition close to the superconducting critical temperature 𝑇 𝑐 . However, how the vortex solid responds to thermal fluctuations at the scale of individual vortices, far below the melting transition, remains largely unexplored. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to directly visualize vortices in the iron-based superconductor CaKFe 4 ⁢As 4 (𝑇 𝑐 ≈35 K ). We observe the formation of vortex liquid droplets—spatially localized regions where vortices exhibit strong thermal fluctuations—at temperatures as low as 0.5 𝑇 𝑐 . These results demonstrate that the onset of dissipation at the local scale occurs at temperatures significantly below 𝑇𝑐 in type-II superconductors, revealing a previously unrecognized regime of vortex dynamics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Octonary resistance states in La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /BaTiO 3 /La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 multiferroic tunnel junctions

General drawbacks of current electronic/spintronic devices are high power consumption and low density storage. A multiferroic tunnel junction (MFTJ), employing a ferroelectric barrier layer sandwiched between two ferromagnetic layers, presents four resistance states in a single device and therefore provides an alternative way to achieve high density memories. Here, an MFTJ device with eight nonvolatile resistance states by further integrating the design of noncollinear magnetization alignments between the ferromagnetic layers is demonstrated. Through the angle-resolved tunneling magnetoresistance investigations on La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /BaTiO 3 /La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 junctions, it is found that, besides collinear parallel/antiparallel magnetic configurations, the MFTJ shows at least two other stable noncollinear (45° and 90°) magnetic configurations. As a result, combining the tunneling electroresistance effect caused by the ferroelectricity reversal of the BaTiO 3 barrier, an octonary memory device is obtained, representing potential applications in high density nonvolatile storage in the future.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Si Doped Hafnium Oxide-A “Fragile” Ferroelectric System

Here, silicon doped hafnium oxide was the material used in the original report of ferroelectricity in hafnia in 2011. Since then, it has been subject of many further publications including the demonstration of the world's first ferroelectric field-effect transistor in the state-of-the-art 28 nm technology. Though many studies are conducted with a strong focus on application in memory devices, a comprehensive study on structural stability in these films remains to be seen. In this work, a film thickness of about 36 nm, instead of the 10 nm used in most previous studies, is utilized to carefully probe how the concentration range impacts the evolution of phases, the dopant distribution, the field cycling effects, and their interplay in the macroscopic ferroelectric response of the films. Si:HfO2 appears to be a rather fragile system: different phases seem close in energy and the system is thus rich in competing phenomena. Nonetheless, it offers ferroelectricity or field-induced ferroelectricity for elevated annealing conditions up to 1000 °C. Similar to the measures taken for conventional ferroelectrics such as lead zirconate titanate, engineering efforts to guarantee stable interfaces and stoichiometry are mandatory to achieve stable performance in applications such as ferroelectric memories, supercapacitors, or energy harvesting devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Nanoimaging of Electronic Heterogeneity in Bi 2 Se 3 and Sb 2 Te 3 Nanocrystals

Topological insulators (TIs) are quantum materials with topologically protected surface states surrounding an insulating bulk. However, defect-induced bulk conduction often dominates transport properties in most TI materials, obscuring the Dirac surface states. In order to realize intrinsic topological insulating properties, it is thus of great significance to identify the spatial distribution of defects, understand their formation mechanism, and finally control or eliminate their influence. For this study, the electronic heterogeneity in polyol-synthesized Bi 2 Se 3 and chemical vapor deposition-grown Sb 2 Te 3 nanocrystals is systematically investigated by multimodal atomic-to-mesoscale resolution imaging. In particular, by combining the Drude response sensitivity of infrared scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy with the work-function specificity of mirror electron microscopy, characteristic mesoscopic patterns are identified, which are related to carrier concentration modulation originating from the formation of defects during the crystal growth process. This correlative imaging and modeling approach thus provides the desired guidance for optimization of growth parameters, crucial for preparing TI nanomaterials to display their intrinsic exotic Dirac properties.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Scalable Synthesis of the Transparent Conductive Oxide SrVO 3

The correlated metal SrVO 3 is an attractive earth-abundant transparent conducting oxide (TCO), a critical component of many optoelectronic and renewable energy devices. A key challenge is to synthesize films with low resistivity, due to the prevalence of defects that cause electron scattering. In addition to the material's promise as a TCO, its interesting correlated-electron physics is often obscured by a high defect concentration, which inhibits its further development into new types of devices. A route to synthesize low-defect SrVO 3 films by scalable, industry-compatible molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is demonstrated. The resulting films consistently exhibit a residual resistivity ratio in the excess of 10 and room temperature resistivity as low as 32 µΩ cm, an indication of their high quality and potential for applications. Analysis of the structural and electronic properties of SrVO 3 films provides insights that are applicable to other conductive oxides, and highlights a route for further improvement in their quality and low temperature performance. MBE is the only growth method that allows atomically abrupt epitaxial interfaces between oxides and semiconductors such as Si and GaAs. Such interfaces are essential for efficient charge transport that is at the heart of the performance of most optoelectronic and solar devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Ferroelectrics: Revealing the Effects of Trace Oxygen Vacancies on Improper Ferroelectric Manganite with In Situ Biasing (Adv. Electron. Mater. 4/2019)

In article number 1800827, Shaobo Cheng, Yimei Zhu and the co-workers observe a novel ferroelectric switching dynamic behavior in the single-phase multiferroic material YMnO 3 . In situ observations and corresponding numerical calculations reveal that defect chemistry plays an important role in domain switching and can be utilized as an additional parameter for controlling the electricfield distribution within multiferroic materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

2D Mg-Cu Intermetallic Compounds with Nontrivial Band Topology and Dirac Nodal Lines

Synthesis of vertical heterostructures that include atomically thin layers of materials with topologically nontrivial energy bands is desirable for exploring exotic quantum states. In this study, the authors report on atomic-layer-by-layer deposition of magnesium on copper(111) surface by molecular beam epitaxy, monitored in situ by low-energy electron microscopy and diffraction, and modeled by ab initio theory. It is found that a 2D MgCu 2 intermetallic compound forms during initial Mg deposition and persists till a full monolayer of Mg is formed. Deposition of additional Mg triggers a phase transition from the commensurate MgCu 2 to an incommensurate Mg 2 Cu layer and enables growth of the second layer of Mg. Ab initio calculations indicate non-trivial topology of the electron bands in the interfacial Mg 2 Cu layer and the existence of Dirac nodal lines near the Fermi level. The new 2D Mg 2 Cu material emerges as a promising platform to study new topological states of matter.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spontaneous Symmetry–Breaking of Nonequilibrium Steady–States Caused by Nonlinear Electrical Transport

Negative differential resistance (NDR) in certain materials has been attributed to spontaneous emergence of symmetry-breaking electrical current density localization from a previously homogeneous distribution, which is postulated to occur due to the nonequilibrium thermodynamic force of minimization of entropy production. However, this phenomenon has not been quantitatively predicted based on intrinsic material properties and an applied electrical stimulus. Herein an instability criterion is derived for localization of current density and temperature from a thermal fluctuation in a parallel conductor model of a thin film that is subject to Newton's law of cooling. The conditions for steady–state electro-thermal localization is predicted, verifying a decrease in entropy production upon localization. Electro-thermal localization accompanied by a decrease of entropy production is confirmed in a multiphysics simulation of current flow in a thin film. The instability criterion predicts conditions for spontaneous current density localization, relating symmetry breaking fundamentally to dynamical instability via Local Activity theory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Understanding and Tuning Magnetism in Layered Ising‐Type Antiferromagnet FePSe 3 for Potential 2D Magnet

Abstract Recent developments in 2D magnetic materials have motivated the search for new van der Waals magnetic materials, especially Ising‐type magnets with strong magnetic anisotropy. Fe‐based M P X 3 ( M = transition metal, X = chalcogen) compounds such as FePS 3 and FePSe 3 both exhibit an Ising‐type magnetic order, but FePSe 3 receives much less attention compared to FePS 3 . This work focuses on establishing the strategy to engineer magnetic anisotropy and exchange interactions in this less‐explored compound. Through chalcogen and metal substitutions, the magnetic anisotropy is found to be immune against S substitution for Se whereas tunable only with heavy Mn substitution for Fe. In particular, Mn substitution leads to a continuous rotation of magnetic moments from the out‐of‐plane direction toward the in‐plane. Furthermore, the magnetic ordering temperature displays non‐monotonic doping dependence for both chalcogen and metal substitutions but due to different mechanisms. These findings provide deeper insight into the Ising‐type magnetism in this important van der Waals material, shedding light on the study of other Ising‐type magnetic systems as well as discovering novel 2D magnets for potential applications in spintronics.

2D magnet↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evolution of Dissipative Regimes in Atomically Thin Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 + x Superconductor

Thermoelectric transport is widely used to study Abrikosov vortex dynamics in unconventional superconductors. However, only a few thermoelectric studies have been conducted near the dimensional crossover that occurs when the vortex-vortex interaction length scale becomes comparable to the sample size. Here, the effects of finite size on the dissipation mechanisms of the Nernst effect in the optimally doped Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 + x high-temperature superconductor are reported, down to the atomic length limit. To access this regime, a new generation of thermoelectric chips based on silicon nitride microprinted circuit boards is developed. These chips ensure optimized signals while preventing sample deterioration. The results demonstrate that lateral confinement at the nanoscale can effectively reduce vortex dissipation. Investigating vortex dissipation at the micro- and nano-scale is essential for creating stable, miniaturized superconducting circuits.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Direct‐Write Printed Contacts to Layered and 2D Materials

Advancements in fabrication methods have shaped new computing device technologies. Among these methods, depositing electrical contacts to the channel material is fundamental to device characterization. Novel layered and 2D materials are promising for next-generation computing electronic channel materials. Direct-write printing of conductive inks is introduced as a surprisingly effective, significantly faster, and cleaner method to contact different classes of layered materials, including graphene (semi-metal), MoS 2 (semiconductor), Bi-2212 (superconductor), and Fe 5 GeTe 2 (metallic ferromagnet). Based on the electrical response, the quality of the printed contacts is comparable to what is achievable with resist-based lithography techniques. These devices are tested by sweeping gate voltage, temperature, and magnetic field to show that the materials remain pristine post-processing. This work demonstrates that direct-write printing is an agile method for prototyping and characterizing the electrical properties of novel layered materials.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2017

Engineering the Thermoelectric Transport in Half-Heusler Materials through a Bottom-Up Nanostructure Synthesis

Half-Heusler (HH) alloys are among the best promising thermoelectric (TE) materials applicable for the middle-to-high temperature power generation. Despite of the large thermoelectric power factor and decent figure-of-merit ZT (≈1), their broad applications and enhancement on TE performance are limited by the high intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity (κ L ) due to insufficiencies of phonon scattering mechanisms, and the fewer powerful strategies associated with the microstructural engineering for HH materials. This study reports a bottom-up nanostructure synthesis approach for these HH materials based on the displacement reaction between metal chlorides/bromides and magnesium (or lithium), followed by vacuum-assisted spark plasma sintering process. The samples are featured with dense dislocation arrays at the grain boundaries, leading to a minimum κ L of ≈1 W m -1 K -1 at 900 K and one of the highest ZT (≈1) and predicted η (≈11%) for n-type Hf 0.25 Zr 0.75 NiSn 0.97 Sb 0.03 . Further manipulation on the dislocation defects at the grain boundaries of p-type Nb 0.8 Ti 0.2 FeSb leads to enhanced maximum power factor of 47 × 10 -4 W m -1 K -2 and the predicted η of ≈7.5%. Moreover, vanadium substitution in FeNb 0.56 V 0.24 Ti 0.2 Sb significantly promotes the η to ≈11%. This strategy can be extended to a broad range of advanced alloys and compounds for improved properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Direct Observation of Alternating Octahedral and Prismatic Sodium Layers in O3-Type Transition Metal Oxides

The oxygen stacking of O3-type layered sodium transition metal oxides (O3-NaTMO 2 ) changes dynamically upon topotactic Na extraction and reinsertion. While the phase transition from octahedral to prismatic Na coordination that occurs at intermediate desodiation by transition metal slab gliding is well understood, the structural evolution at high desodiation, crucial to achieve high reversible capacity, remains mostly uncharted. In this work, the phase transitions of O3-type layered NaTMO 2 at high voltage are investigated by combining experimental and computational approaches. An OP2-type phase that consists of alternating octahedral and prismatic Na layers is directly observed by in situ X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The origin of this peculiar phase is explained by atomic interactions involving Jahn–Teller active Fe 4+ and distortion tolerant Ti 4+ that stabilize the local Na environment. Finally, the path-dependent desodiation and resodiation pathways are also rationalized in this material through the different kinetics of the prismatic and octahedral layers, presenting a comprehensive picture about the structural stability of the layered materials upon Na intercalation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗