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At least 1,657 records · Page 92
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Photoelectrochemically Self Improving Si/GaN Photocathode: Figure 3e Raw Data

XPS of Si/GaN photocathode after 4 hour chronoamperometry (CA) testing. Surface chemical composition and valence band structure of GaN were obtained by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) on a Kratos Axis Ultra DLD system at a takeoff angle of 0° relative to the surface normal. An Al Kα source (hν = 1486.6 eV) was used to excite the core level electrons. Pass energy of 20 eV was used for the narrow scan of core levels and valence band spectra, and step size of 0.05 eV and 0.025 eV, respectively. The Spectral fitting was conducted using CasaXPS analysis software. The binding energy scales of all core levels were corrected to the N 1s of Ga – N bond at 397.8 eV. XPS O1s core level spectra from 4 hour CA tested Si/GaN sample, and deconvolution shows O - Ga bond, O - N - Ga bond and OH - H2O bond.

photocathode↗
DOE OSTI2023

Excitons in periodic potentials

The energy band structure of excitons is studied in periodic potentials produced by the short-range interaction between the exciton and electrons of Wigner lattices. Treating the exciton as a pointlike dipole that interacts with the periodic potential, we can solve a simple one-body problem that provides valuable information on excitons in many-body problem settings. By employing group theory, we identify the excitonic energy bands that can couple to light and then quantify their energy shifts in response to a change in the period of the potential. This approach allows us to emulate the response of optically active exciton and trion states to a change in electron density. In agreement with experimental results, the exciton (trion) state shows a relatively strong (weak) energy shift when the electron density increases. This behavior stems from the difficulty of exciton states to remain extended, whereas the trion state remains largely the same as long as its radius is smaller than the average distance between resident electrons. Here, we identify an important relation between the energy blueshift of bright excitons and the presence of a Wigner crystal, where the blueshift magnitude is proportionate to the symmetry of the electron lattice.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Cooperative effects of strain and electron correlation in epitaxial VO 2 and NbO 2

Here, we investigate the electronic structure of the epitaxial VO 2 films in the rutile phase using the density functional theory combined with the slave spin method (DFT+SS). In DFT-SS, the multiorbital Hubbard interactions are added to a DFT-fit tight-binding model, and we employ the slave-spin method to treat the electron correlation. We find that while stretching the system along the rutile c-axis results in a band structure favoring an anisotropic orbital fillings, the electron correlation favors an equal electron filling among t 2 g orbitals. These two distinct effects cooperatively induce interesting orbital-dependent redistributions of the electron occupations and the spectral weights, which pushes the strained VO 2 toward an orbital selective Mott transition (OSMT). The simulated single-particle spectral functions are directly compared to V L-edge resonant X-ray photoemission spectroscopy of epitaxial 10 nm VO 2 /TiO 2 (001) and (100) strain orientations. Excellent agreement is observed between the simulations and experimental data regarding the strain-induced evolution of the lower Hubbard band. Simulations of rutile NbO 2 under similar strain conditions as VO 2 are performed, and we predict that OSMT will not occur in rutile NbO 2 . Our results indicates that the electron correlation in VO 2 is important and can be modulated even in the rutile phase before the Peierls instability sets in.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Designing chemical analogs to PbTe with intrinsic high band degeneracy and low lattice thermal conductivity

High-efficiency thermoelectric materials require simultaneously high power factors and low thermal conductivities. Aligning band extrema to achieve high band degeneracy, as realized in PbTe, is one of the most efficient approaches to enhance power factor. However, this approach usually relies on band structure engineering, e.g., via chemical doping or strain. By employing first-principles methods with explicit computation of phonon and carrier lifetimes, here we show two full-Heusler compounds Li 2 TlBi and Li 2 InBi have exceptionally high power factors and low lattice thermal conductivities at room temperature. The expanded rock-salt sublattice of these compounds shifts the valence band maximum to the middle of the Σ line, increasing the band degeneracy by a factor of three. Meanwhile, resonant bonding in the PbTe-like sublattice and soft Tl–Bi (In–Bi) bonding interaction is responsible for intrinsic low lattice thermal conductivities. Our results present an alternative strategy of designing high performance thermoelectric materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

No Core CI calculations for light nuclei with chiral 2- and 3-body forces

The atomic nucleus is a self-bound system of strongly interacting nucleons. In No-Core Configuration Interaction calculations, the nuclear wavefunction is expanded in Slater determinants of single-nucleon wavefunctions (Configurations), and the many-body Schrödinger equation becomes a large sparse matrix problem. The challenge is to reach numerical convergence to within quantified numerical uncertainties for physical observables using finite truncations of the infinite-dimensional basis space. We discuss strategies for constructing and solving the resulting large sparse matrices for a set of low-lying eigenvalues and eigenvectors on current multicore computer architectures. Several of these strategies have been implemented in the code MFDn, a hybrid MPI/OpenMP Fortran code for ab initio nuclear structure calculations that scales well to over 200,000 cores. We discuss how the similarity renormalization group can be used to improve the numerical convergence. We present results for excitation energies and other selected observables for 8 Be and 12 C using realistic 2- and 3-body forces obtained from chiral perturbation theory. Finally, we demonstrate that collective phenomena such as rotational band structures can emerge from these microscopic calculations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Exchange enhancement of the electron g-factor in a two-dimensional semimetal in HgTe quantum wells

The exchange enhancement of the electron g-factor in perpendicular magnetic fields to 12 T in HgTe/CdHgTe quantum wells 20 nm wide with a semimetal band structure is studied. The electron effective mass and g-factor at the Fermi level are determined by analyzing the temperature dependence of the amplitude of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillation in weak fields and near odd Landau-level filling factors ν ≤ 9. The experimental values are compared with theoretical calculations performed in the one-electron approximation using the eight-band kp Hamiltonian. The found dependence of g-factor enhancement on the electron concentration is explained by changes in the contributions of hole- and electron-like states to exchange corrections to the Landau-level energies in the conduction band.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Photoluminescence properties of modulation-doped In{sub x}Al{sub 1–x}As/In{sub y}Ga{sub 1–y}As/In{sub x}Al{sub 1–x}As structures with strained inas and gaas nanoinserts in the quantum well

The photoluminescence spectra of modulation-doped InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructures with quantum wells containing thin strained InAs and GaAs inserts are investigated. It is established that the insertion of pair InAs layers and/ or a GaAs transition barriers with a thickness of 1 nm into a quantum well leads to a change in the form and energy position of the photoluminescence spectra as compared with a uniform In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}As quantum well. Simulation of the band structure shows that this change is caused by a variation in the energy and wave functions of holes. It is demonstrated that the use of InAs inserts leads to the localization of heavy holes near the InAs layers and reduces the energy of optical transitions, while the use of GaAs transition barriers can lead to inversion of the positions of the light- and heavy-hole subbands in the quantum well. A technique for separately controlling the light- and heavy-hole states by varying the thickness and position of the GaAs and InAs inserts in the quantum well is suggested.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Near-half-metallic state in the half-Heusler PtMnSb film on a III-V substrate

The interplay between half-metallic ferromagnetism and spin-orbit coupling within the inversion-symmetry-broken structure of half Heuslers provides an ideal platform for various spintronics functionalities. Taking advantage of good lattice matching, it is highly desired to epitaxially integrate promising Heuslers into III-V semiconductor-based devices. PtMnSb is one of the first half Heuslers predicted to be an above-room-temperature half-metal with large spin orbit coupling, however, its half-metallicity and potential as a spintronics material has remained elusive due to lack of high quality samples. Here, in this study, we demonstrate epitaxial growth of single crystal PtMnSb(001) film on GaSb(001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Direct observation of the band structure via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and many-body perturbation theory within the quasi-particle self-consistent GW approximation (QPGW) reveal that PtMnSb hosts rather a near-half-metallic state with both spin bands crossing the Fermi level and with high spin polarization over 90%. Temperature dependence of magnetization also shows an anomalous enhancement below 60 K, which can be associated with the development of such a near-half-metallic state at low temperatures. Epitaxial growth of high crystalline PtMnSb on a III-V paves the way for systematic clarification of its spin transport properties with fine-tuning of strain in heterostructure devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tuning the Radius Ratio to Enhance Thermoelectric Properties in the Zintl Compounds AM 2 Sb 2 (A = Ba, Sr; M = Zn, Cd)

Five novel Zintl phase solid solutions in the Ba 1–x Sr x Zn 2–y Cd y Sb 2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.13(1); 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.32(2)) system were successfully synthesized by the molten Pb metal-flux method, and the powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses proved that all five title compounds adopted the BaCu 2 S 2 -type phase having the orthorhombic Pnma space group (Z = 4, Pearson code oP20) with five crystallographically independent atomic sites. The previously studied BaCu 2 S 2 -type antimonides demonstrated a limited tolerance for doping in contrast to the CaAl 2 Si 2 -type antimonides. To understand the relatively narrower phase width and limited dopability of the title BaCu 2 S 2 -type phase than the CaAl 2 Si 2 -type phase in the overall Ba 1–x Sr x Zn 2–y Cd y Sb 2 system, the radius ratio of cations and anionic elements r + /r – for two structure types were thoroughly investigated. For the first time, the r + /r – ratio was identified as a critical factor for the phase selectivity: (1) r + /r – > 1 favored the BaCu 2 S 2 -type phase, and (2) r + /r – < 1 favored the CaAl 2 Si 2 -type phase. Further, we also revealed the structural transformation mechanism from the more widely observed CaAl 2 Si 2 -type phase to the title BaCu 2 S 2 -type phase as the relatively larger cationic elements were introduced to the system. A series of DFT calculations using the three hypothetical models indicated that a resonance peak near EF in the density of states curves was descended from the relatively flat band structure at several special symmetry points rationalizing the enhanced Seebeck coefficients of Ba 0.94(1) Sr 0.06 Zn 1.86(3) Cd 0.14 Sb 2 and Ba 0.96(1) Sr 0.04 Zn 1.68(2) Cd 0.32 Sb 2 . Electron localization function analysis rationalized the correlation between the polarity change of anionic Zn/Cd–Sb bonds and the charge carrier mobility on the anionic frameworks. Temperature-dependent thermoelectric properties were studied for the four title compounds, and the results proved that the Sr and Cd doping in the title Ba 1–x Sr x Zn 2–y Cd y Sb 2 system successfully enhanced the ZT values through the increased Seebeck coefficients and the reduced total thermal conductivities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Engineering two-dimensional superconductivity and Rashba spin–orbit coupling in LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 quantum wells by selective orbital occupancy

We find the discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide interfaces—involving electrons in narrow d-bands—has broken new ground, enabling the access to correlated states that are unreachable in conventional semiconductors based on s- and p- electrons. There is a growing consensus that emerging properties at these novel quantum wells—such as 2D superconductivity and magnetism—are intimately connected to specific orbital symmetries in the 2DEG sub-band structure. Here we show that crystal orientation allows selective orbital occupancy, disclosing unprecedented ways to tailor the 2DEG properties. By carrying out electrostatic gating experiments in LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 wells of different crystal orientations, we show that the spatial extension and anisotropy of the 2D superconductivity and the Rashba spin–orbit field can be largely modulated by controlling the 2DEG sub-band filling. Such an orientational tuning expands the possibilities for electronic engineering of 2DEGs at LaAI0 3 /SrTio 3 interfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Carrier dynamics and spin–valley–layer effects in bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides

Transition metal dichalcogenides are an interesting class of low dimensional materials in mono- and few-layer form with diverse applications in valleytronic, optoelectronic and quantum devices. Therefore, the general nature of the band-edges and the interplay with valley dynamics is important from a fundamental and technological standpoint. Bilayers introduce interlayer coupling effects which can have a significant impact on the valley polarization. The combined effect of spin–orbit and interlayer coupling can strongly modify the band structure, phonon interactions and overall carrier dynamics in the material. In this paper we use first-principles calculations of electron–electron and electron–phonon interactions to investigate bilayer MoS 2 and WSe 2 in both the AA' and AB stacking configurations. We find that in addition to spin–orbit coupling, interlayer interactions present in the two configurations significantly alter the near-band-edge dynamics. Scattering lifetimes and dynamic behavior are highly material-dependent, despite the similarities and typical trends in TMDCs. Additionally, we capture significant differences in dynamics for the AA' and AB stacking configurations, with lifetime values differing by up to an order of magnitude between them for MoS 2 . Further, we evaluate the valley polarization times and find that maximum lifetimes at room temperature are of the scale of 1 picosecond for WSe 2 in the AB orientation. These results present a pathway to understanding complex heterostructure configurations and ‘magic angle’ physics in TMDCs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Electronic structure of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide monolayers

Graphene oxide (GO) monolayers obtained by Langmuir Blodgett route and suitably treated to obtain reduced graphene oxide (RGO) monolayers were studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. Upon reduction of GO to form RGO C1s x-ray photoelectron spectra showed increase in graphitic carbon content, while ultraviolet photoelectron spectra showed increase in intensity corresponding to C2p-{pi} electrons ({approx}3.5 eV). X-ray excited Auger transitions C(KVV) and plasmon energy loss of C1s photoelectrons have been analyzed to elucidate the valence band structure. The effective number of ({pi}+{sigma}) electrons as obtained from energy loss spectra was found to increase by {approx}28% on reduction of GO.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optical properties analysis of Ta-doped TiO{sub 2} thin films on LaAlO{sub 3} substrates

We study optical properties of Ta-doped TiO{sub 2} thin film on LaAlO{sub 3} substrate using spectroscopy ellipsometry (SE) analysis at energy range of 0.5 – 6.5 eV. Room temperature SE data for Ψ (amplitude ratio) and Δ (phase difference) between p- and s- polarized light waves are taken with multiple incident angles at several spots on the samples. Here, absorption coefficient has been extracted from SE measurements at photon incident angle of 70° for different Ta concentration (0.01, 0.4, and 5 at. %). Multilayer modelling is performed which takes into account reflections at each interface through Fresnel coefficients to obtain reasonably well the fitting of Ψ and Δ data simultaneously. As the results, we estimate that film thickness increases by increasing Ta concentration accompanied by the formation of a new electronic structure. By increasing Ta impurities, the blueshift of absorption coefficient (α) peaks is observable. This result indicates that TiO{sub 2} thin film becomes optically resistive by introducing Ta doping. Schematic model of interband transition inTiO{sub 2}:Ta will be proposed base on obtained optical properties. This study enables us to predict the role of Ta doping on the electronic and optical band structures of TiO{sub 2} thin film.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Effects of lithium intercalation in twisted bilayer graphene

In this work, we investigate the effects of lithium intercalation in twisted bilayers of graphene, using first-principles electronic structure calculations. To model this system we employ commensurate supercells that correspond to twist angles of 7.34° and 2.45°. From the energetics of lithium absorption we demonstrate that for low Li concentration the intercalants cluster in the AA regions with double the density of a uniform distribution. The charge donated by the Li atoms to the graphene layers results in modifications to the band structure that can be qualitatively captured using a continuum model with modified interlayer couplings in a region of parameter space that has yet to be explored either experimentally or theoretically. Thus, the combination of intercalation and twisted layers simultaneously provides the means for spatial control over material properties and an additional knob with which to tune moiré physics in twisted bilayers of graphene, with potential applications ranging from energy storage and conversion to quantum information.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Crystal Growth, Structures, and Properties of the Complex Borides, LaOs 2 Al 2 B and La 2 Os 2 AlB 2

Single crystals of two novel quaternary metal borides, LaOs2Al2B and La2Os2AlB2, have been grown from La/Ni eutectic fluxes. LaOs2Al2B crystallizes in tetragonal space group P4/mmm with the CeCr2Si2C-type structure, and lattice parameters a = 4.2075(6) angstrom and c = 5.634(1) angstrom. La2Os2AlB2 exhibits a new crystal structure in monoclinic space group C2/c with lattice parameters a = 16.629(3) angstrom, b = 6.048(1) angstrom, c = 10.393(2) angstrom, and beta = 113.96(3)degrees. Both structures are three-dimensional frameworks with unusual coordination (for solid-state compounds) of the boron atoms by transition metal atoms. The boron atom is square planar in LaOs2Al2B, whereas it exhibits linear and T-shaped geometries in La2Os2AlB2. Electrical resistivity measurements reveal poor metal behavior (rho(30)0 (K) similar to 900 mu Omega cm) for La2Os2AlB2, consistent with the electronic band structure calculations, which also predict a metallic character for LaOs2Al2B.

Bugaris, Daniel E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

MnSi 2 Te 4 : A van der Waals Antiferromagnetic Semiconductor with Large Negative Magnetoresistance

Magnetism in van der Waals semiconductors offers significant potential for fundamental research on low-dimensional magnetism and the development of high-performance two-dimensional spintronic devices. Here, we report the growth, physical properties, and first-principles calculations of a new dual-octahedral transition metal chalcogenide (DTMC) MnSi 2 Te 4 . MnSi 2 Te 4 features a layered structure with an intralayer heterostructure, where the metal octahedra and nonmetal dimeric octahedra form zigzag chains alternately. Property characterization reveals that MnSi 2 Te 4 is a collinear G-type antiferromagnetic semiconductor, with a Néel temperature T N of 18.6 K and a significant unsaturated negative magnetoresistance (NMR) reaching −42.5% at 9 T and 100 K. First-principles calculations on the electronic band structure demonstrate that the large NMR primarily originates from the spin splitting due to parity-time symmetry breaking. This study not only discovers a new member of DTMCs with a unique crystal structure and large NMR, but also establishes a promising platform for investigating next-generation spintronic devices.

Liao, Ke [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beiji↗
DOE OSTI2011

Role of iron in the incorporation of uranium in ferric garnet matrices

The structural relaxations and electronic structure of U-containing Ca₃(Ti,Zr,Hf,Sn)₂(Fe₂Si)O₁₂ garnet systems have been investigated using ab initio methods within density functional theory (DFT) in the generalized gradient approximation with a Hubbard correction U (GCA + U). The calculations provide a fundamental understanding of the role of Fe in the incorporation and stability of U in the garnet structure. The atomic relaxations around U are controlled by a delicate balance between the Coulomb interactions among the ions and the size effect of the large U atom. The relaxation pattern indicates that when U occupies the A site, a charge transfer occurs from U to its nearest-neighbor (NN) Fe atom. This is further verified by the detailed analysis of the electronic band structures and charge density distribution. The double exchange coupling of the U f and the NN Fe d shells via the transfer of electrons lowers the energy of the system when the spins of the f and d shells are antiparallel. The incorporation energy of U at the A site (substituting Ca) increases dramatically with the decrease in the number of Fe atoms in the neighboring tetrahedral sites. The presence of Fe is crucial, since it accommodates the extra valence electrons introduced by U and the electron transfer allows the lowering of the total energy of the structure. Comparing the incorporation energies at the A and B site (octahedral site), U clearly prefers the A site, provided that there are sufficient Fe atoms in its vicinity to facilitate the charge transfer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Magnetic property and possible half-metal behavior in Co-doped graphene

The magnetic property and band structures of Co-monolayer doped graphene were examined on the basis of density-functional theory. The magnetic moment of the system is closely related to the interfacial spacing. Magnetic-nonmagnetic transition would be produced by decreasing the layer distance. Although the magnetic moment can also be reduced by increasing the lattice constant, the ground states are magnetic states under tension. Besides, the increase of lattice constant greatly enlarges the direct and indirect gaps of spin-down bands near the Fermi level. With a little increase of the Fermi level or the electron density, half-metal behavior would be expectable in the Co-doped graphene under tension.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗