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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 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Superior Current Carrying Capacity of Boron Nitride Encapsulated Carbon Nanotubes with Zero-Dimensional Contacts

We report fabrication and characterization of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)-encapsulated carbon nanotube (CNT) field effect transistors, which are coupled to electrical leads via zero-dimensional contacts. Device quality is attested by the ohmic contacts and observation of Coulomb blockade with a single periodicity in small bandgap semiconducing nanotubes. Surprisingly, hBN-encapsulated CNT devices demonstrate significantly enhanced current carrying capacity; a single-walled CNT can sustain >180 μA current or, equivalently, a current density of ~2 × 10 10 A/cm 2 , which is a factor of 6–7 higher than devices supported on SiO 2 substrates. Such dramatic enhancement of current carrying capacity arises from the high thermal conductivity of hBN and lower hBN-CNT interfacial thermal resistance and has implications for carbon electronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Room-Temperature Creation and Spin–Orbit Torque Manipulation of Skyrmions in Thin Films with Engineered Asymmetry

Magnetic skyrmions, which are topologically protected spin textures, are promising candidates for ultralow-energy and ultrahigh-density magnetic data storage and computing applications. To date, most experiments on skyrmions have been carried out at low temperatures. The choice of available materials is limited, and there is a lack of electrical means to control skyrmions in devices. In this work, we demonstrate a new method for creating a stable skyrmion bubble phase in the CoFeB–MgO material system at room temperature, by engineering the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the ferromagnetic layer. Importantly, we also demonstrate that artificially engineered symmetry breaking gives rise to a force acting on the skyrmions, in addition to the current-induced spin–orbit torque, which can be used to drive their motion. This room-temperature creation and manipulation of skyrmions offers new possibilities to engineer skyrmionic devices. The results bring skyrmionic memory and logic concepts closer to realization in industrially relevant and manufacturable thin film material systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Coherent and Incoherent Coupling Dynamics between Neutral and Charged Excitons in Monolayer MoSe 2

The optical properties of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides are dominated by both neutral excitons (electron–hole pairs) and charged excitons (trions) that are stable even at room temperature. While trions directly influence charge transport properties in optoelectronic devices, excitons may be relevant through exciton–trion coupling and conversion phenomena. Here in this work, we reveal the coherent and incoherent nature of exciton–trion coupling and the relevant time scales in monolayer MoSe 2 using optical two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy. Coherent interaction between excitons and trions is definitively identified as quantum beating of cross peaks in the spectra that persists for a few hundred femtoseconds. For longer times up to 10 ps, surprisingly, the relative intensity of the cross peaks increases, which is attributed to incoherent energy transfer likely due to phonon-assisted up-conversion and down-conversion processes that are efficient even at cryogenic temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Natural Regulation of Energy Flow in a Green Quantum Photocell

Manipulating the flow of energy in nanoscale and molecular photonic devices is of both fundamental interest and central importance for applications in light energy harvesting optoelectronics. Under erratic solar irradiance conditions, unregulated power fluctuations in a light-harvesting photocell lead to inefficient energy storage in conventional solar cells and potentially fatal oxidative damage in photosynthesis. In this work, we compare the theoretical minimum energy fluctuations in nanoscale quantum heat engine photocells that incorporate one or two photon-absorbing channels and show that fluctuations are naturally suppressed in the two-channel photocell. This intrinsic suppression acts as a passive regulation mechanism that enables the efficient conversion of varying incident solar power into a steady output for absorption over a broad range of the solar spectrum on Earth. Remarkably, absorption in the green portion of the spectrum provides no inherent regulatory benefit, indicating that green light should be rejected in a photocell whose primary role is the regulation of energy flow.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Engineering Topological Surface States of Cr-Doped Bi 2 Se 3 Films by Spin Reorientation and Electric Field

The tailoring of topological surface states in topological insulators is essential for device applications and for exploring new topological phase. In this paper, we propose a practical way to induce the quantum anomalous Hall phase and unusual metal–insulator transitions in Cr-doped Bi 2 Se 3 films based on the model Hamiltonian and first-principles calculations. Using the combination of in-plane and plane-normal components of the spin along with external electric fields, we demonstrate that the topological state and band structures of topological insulating films exhibit rich features such as the shift of Dirac cones and the opening of nontrivial band gaps. We also show that the in-plane magnetization leads to significant suppression of inter-TSS scattering in Cr-doped Bi 2 Se 3 . Our work provides new strategies to obtain the desired electronic structures for the device, complementary to the efforts of an extensive material search.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Spatial Separation of Carrier Spin by the Valley Hall Effect in Monolayer WSe 2 Transistors

We investigate the valley Hall effect (VHE) in monolayer WSe 2 field-effect transistors using optical Kerr rotation measurements at 20 K. While studies of the VHE have so far focused on n-doped MoS 2 , we observe the VHE in WSe 2 in both the n- and p-doping regimes. Hole doping enables access to the large spin-splitting of the valence band of this material. The Kerr rotation measurements probe the spatial distribution of the valley carrier imbalance induced by the VHE. Under current flow, we observe distinct spin-valley polarization along the edges of the transistor channel. From analysis of the magnitude of the Kerr rotation, we infer a spin-valley density of 44 spins/μm, integrated over the edge region in the p-doped regime. As a result, assuming a spin diffusion length less than 0.1 μm, this corresponds to a spin-valley polarization of the holes exceeding 1%.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spin Reorientation in Antiferromagnetic Layered FePt 5 P

FePt 5 P, a substitutional variant of the anti-CeCoIn 5 structure type in the space group P4/mmm, was synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state method and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. FePt 5 P contains layers of FePt 12 clusters formed by magnetically active Fe and heavy Pt with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC); the layers are separated by P atoms. The various Fe–Pt distances in FePt 12 clusters generate complex magnetic orders in FePt 5 P. According to temperature-dependent magnetic and specific heat measurements, FePt 5 P shows a stripe-type antiferromagnetic order at T N ≈ 90 K, which is also confirmed by resistivity measurements. Furthermore, a spin reorientation occurs at ~74 and ~68 K in and out of the ab plane based on the specific heat measurements. The temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction patterns demonstrate the antiferromagnetic order in FePt 5 P, and the spins orientate up to 58.4° with respect to the c axis at 10 K. First-principles calculations of FePt 5 P show the band splitting at the Fermi level by strong SOC and the s–d hybridization between P and Fe/Pt electrons enhances the structural stability and affects the magnetic ordering.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Non-Altermagnetic Origin of Exchange Bias Behaviors in Incoherent RuO 2 /Fe Bilayer Heterostructures

Initially identified as a promising altermagnetic (AM) candidate, rutile RuO 2 has since become embroiled in controversy due to contradictory findings of modeling and measurements of the magnetic properties of bulk crystals and thin films. For example, despite observations of a bulk nonmagnetic state using density functional theory, neutron scattering, and muon spin resonance measurements, patterned RuO 2 Hall bars and film heterostructures display magnetotransport signatures of magnetic ordering. Among the characteristics routinely cited as evidence for AM is the observation of exchange bias (EB) in an intimately contacted Fe-based ferromagnetic (FM) layer, which can arise due to interfacial coupling with a compensated antiferromagnet. Here, within this work, the origins of this EB coupling in Ru-capped RuO 2 /Fe bilayers are investigated using polarized neutron diffraction, polarized neutron reflectometry, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and super conducting quantum interference device measurements. These experiments reveal that the EB behavior is driven by the formation of an iron oxide interlayer containing Fe 3 O 4 that undergoes a magnetic transition and pins interfacial moments within Fe at low temperature. These findings are confirmed by comparable measurements of Ni-based heterostructures, which do not display EB coupling, as well as magnetometry of additional Fe/Ru bilayers that display oxide-driven EB coupling despite the absence of the epitaxial RuO 2 layer. While these results do not directly refute the possibility of AM ordering in RuO 2 thin films, they reveal that EB, and related magnetotransport phenomena, cannot alone be considered evidence of this characteristic in the rutile structure due to interfacial chemical disorder.

RuO2↗
DOE OSTI2017

Visible-Blind UV Photodetector Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin Film/ZnO Vertical Heterostructures

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors based on heterojunctions of conventional (Ge, Si, and GaAs) and wide bandgap semiconductors have been recently demonstrated, but achieving high UV sensitivity and visible-blind photodetection still remains a challenge. Here in this work, we utilized a semitransparent film of p-type semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SC-SWNTs) with an energy gap of 0.68 ± 0.07 eV in combination with a molecular beam epitaxy grown n-ZnO layer to build a vertical p-SC-SWNT/n-ZnO heterojunction-based UV photodetector. The resulting device shows a current rectification ratio of 10 3 , a current photoresponsivity up to 400 A/W in the UV spectral range from 370 to 230 nm, and a low dark current. The detector is practically visible-blind with the UV-to-visible photoresponsivity ratio of 10 5 due to extremely short photocarrier lifetimes in the one-dimensional SWNTs because of strong electron–phonon interactions leading to exciton formation. Finallyl, in this vertical configuration, UV radiation penetrates the top semitransparent SC-SWNT layer with low losses (10–20%) and excites photocarriers within the n-ZnO layer in close proximity to the p-SC-SWNT/n-ZnO interface, where electron–hole pairs are efficiently separated by a high built-in electric field associated with the heterojunction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Vertical Strain-Driven Antiferromagnetic to Ferromagnetic Phase Transition in EuTiO 3 Nanocomposite Thin Films

Three-dimensional (3D) strain induced in self-assembled vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) epitaxial films provides an unrivaled method to induce very large strains in thin films. Here, by growing VAN films of EuTiO 3 (ETO)–Eu 2 O 3 (EO) with different EO fractions, the vertical strain was systematically increased in ETO, up to 3.15%, and the Eu–Ti–Eu bond angle along $\langle$111$\rangle$ decreased by up to 1°, leading to a weakening of the antiferromagnetic interactions and switching from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior. Our work has shown for the first time that Eu–Ti–Eu superexchange interactions play a key role in determining the magnetic ground state of ETO. Broadly, our work serves as an exemplar to show that multifunctionalities in strong spin–lattice coupling perovskite oxides can be uniquely tuned at the atomic scale using simple VAN structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Giant Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in Few-Layer α-RuCl 3 Tunnel Junctions

The spin–orbit-assisted Mott insulator α-RuCl 3 is proximate to the coveted quantum spin liquid (QSL) predicted by the Kitaev model. In the search for the pure Kitaev QSL, reducing the dimensionality of this frustrated magnet by exfoliation has been proposed as a way to enhance magnetic fluctuations and Kitaev interactions. Here, in this work, we perform angle-dependent tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) measurements on ultrathin α-RuCl 3 crystals with various layer numbers to probe their magnetic, electronic, and crystal structures. We observe a giant change in resistance, as large as ~2500%, when the magnetic field rotates either within or out of the α-RuCl 3 plane, a manifestation of the strongly anisotropic spin interactions in this material. In combination with scanning transmission electron microscopy, this tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) reveals that few-layer α-RuCl 3 crystals remain in the high-temperature monoclinic phase at low temperatures. It also shows the presence of a zigzag antiferromagnetic order below the critical temperature T N ≃ 14 K, which is twice the one typically observed in bulk samples with rhombohedral stacking. Our work offers valuable insights into the relation between the stacking order and magnetic properties of this material, which helps lay the groundwork for creating and electrically probing exotic magnetic phases such as QSLs via van der Waals engineering.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Proximity-Induced Magnetic Order in a Transferred Topological Insulator Thin Film on a Magnetic Insulator

Breaking the time reversal symmetry (TRS) in a topological insulator (TI) by introducing a magnetic order gives rise to exotic quantum phenomena. One of the promising routes to inducing a magnetic order in a TI is utilizing magnetic proximity effect between a TI and a strong magnetic insulator (MI). Here, we demonstrate a TI/MI heterostructure prepared through transferring a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown Bi 2 Se 3 film onto a yttrium iron garnet (YIG) substrate via wet transfer. The transferred Bi 2 Se 3 exhibits excellent quality over a large scale. Moreover, through wet transfer we are able to engineer the interface and perform a comparative study to probe the proximity coupling between Bi 2 Se 3 and YIG under different interface conditions. A detailed investigation of both the anomalous Hall effect and quantum corrections to the conductivity in magnetotransport measurements reveals an induced magnetic order as well as TRS breaking in the transferred Bi 2 Se 3 film on YIG. In contrast, a thin layer of AlO x at the interface obstructs the proximity coupling and preserves the TRS, indicating the critical role of the interface in mediating magnetic proximity effect.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Spin Selectivity in Photoinduced Charge-Transfer Mediated by Chiral Molecules

Optical control and readout of electron spin and spin currents in thin films andnanostructures haveremained attractive yet challenging goalsfor emerging technologiesdesigned forapplications ininformation processing and storage. Current advances in room-temperature spin polarization using chiral molecular assemblies suggest that chemically modified surfaces or interfaces canbe used for optical spin conversion by exploiting photoinduced charge separation and injection fromwell-coupled organic chromophores or quantum dots. Using light to drive photoexcited charge-transfer processes mediated by chiral molecule linkers enables indirect measurements of spin polarization attributed to the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, and of the efficiency of spin-dependent electron transfer relative to competitive radiative relaxation pathways. Herein, we highlightrecent approaches used to detect and to analyze spin selectivity in photoinduced charge transfer including spin-transfer torque for local magnetization, nanoscale charge separation and polarization, and substrate magnetization-and chirality-dependentphotoluminescence. Building upon these techniques through systematic investigation of molecular and environmental parameters that influence spin filtering shouldelucidate means to manipulate electron spins and photoexcited states for room-temperature optoelectronic and photospintronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Shaping nanoscale magnetic domain memory in exchange-coupled ferromagnets by field cooling

The advance of magnetic nanotechnologies relies on detailed understanding of nanoscale magnetic mechanisms in materials. Magnetic domain memory (MDM), that is, the tendency for magnetic domains to repeat the same pattern during field cycling, is important for magnetic recording technologies. Here we demonstrate MDM in [Co/Pd]/IrMn films, using coherent X-ray scattering. Under illumination, the magnetic domains in [Co/Pd] produce a speckle pattern, a unique fingerprint of their nanoscale configuration. We measure MDM by cross-correlating speckle patterns throughout magnetization processes. When cooled below its blocking temperature, the film exhibits up to 100% MDM, induced by exchange-coupling with the underlying IrMn layer. The degree of MDM drastically depends on cooling conditions. If the film is cooled under moderate fields, MDM is high throughout the entire magnetization loop. Lastly, if the film is cooled under nearly saturating field, MDM vanishes, except at nucleation and saturation. Our findings show how to fully control the occurrence of MDM by field cooling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Spin-orbit-driven magnetic structure and excitation in the 5d pyrochlore Cd 2 Os 2 O 7

Here, much consideration has been given to the role of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in 5d oxides, particularly on the formation of novel electronic states and manifested metal-insulator transitions (MITs). SOC plays a dominant role in 5d 5 iridates (Ir 4+ ), undergoing MITs both concurrent (pyrochlores) and separated (perovskites) from the onset of magnetic order. However, the role of SOC for other 5d configurations is less clear. For example, 5d 3 (Os 5+ ) systems are expected to have an orbital singlet with reduced effective SOC. The pyrochlore Cd 2 Os 2 O 7 nonetheless exhibits a MIT entwined with magnetic order phenomenologically similar to pyrochlore iridates. Here, we resolve the magnetic structure in Cd 2 Os 2 O 7 with neutron diffraction and then via resonant inelastic X-ray scattering determine the salient electronic and magnetic energy scales controlling the MIT. In particular, SOC plays a subtle role in creating the electronic ground state but drives the magnetic order and emergence of a multiple spin-flip magnetic excitation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗