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    Small-angle X-ray scattering from GaN nanowires on Si(111): facet truncation rods, facet roughness and Porod's law
    (Oxford [u.a.] : Blackwell, 2021) Kaganer, Vladimir M.; Konovalov, Oleg V.; Fernández-Garrido, Sergio
    Small-angle X-ray scattering from GaN nanowires grown on Si(111) is measured in the grazing-incidence geometry and modelled by means of a Monte Carlo simulation that takes into account the orientational distribution of the faceted nanowires and the roughness of their side facets. It is found that the scattering intensity at large wavevectors does not follow Porod's law I(q) ∝ q-4. The intensity depends on the orientation of the side facets with respect to the incident X-ray beam. It is maximum when the scattering vector is directed along a facet normal, reminiscent of surface truncation rod scattering. At large wavevectors q, the scattering intensity is reduced by surface roughness. A root-mean-square roughness of 0.9 nm, which is the height of just 3-4 atomic steps per micrometre-long facet, already gives rise to a strong intensity reduction. open access.
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    X-ray diffraction from strongly bent crystals and spectroscopy of X-ray free-electron laser pulses
    (Oxford [u.a.] : Blackwell, 2020) Kaganer, Vladimir M.; Petrov, Ilia; Samoylova, Liubov
    The use of strongly bent crystals in spectrometers for pulses of a hard X-ray free-electron laser is explored theoretically. Diffraction is calculated in both dynamical and kinematical theories. It is shown that diffraction can be treated kinematically when the bending radius is small compared with the critical radius given by the ratio of the Bragg-case extinction length for the actual reflection to the Darwin width of this reflection. As a result, the spectral resolution is limited by the crystal thickness, rather than the extinction length, and can become better than the resolution of a planar dynamically diffracting crystal. As an example, it is demonstrated that spectra of the 12 keV pulses can be resolved in the 440 reflection from a 20 µm-thick diamond crystal bent to a radius of 10 cm. open access.
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    Silane-Mediated Expansion of Domains in Si-Doped κ-Ga2O3 Epitaxy and its Impact on the In-Plane Electronic Conduction
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2022) Mazzolini, Piero; Fogarassy, Zsolt; Parisini, Antonella; Mezzadri, Francesco; Diercks, David; Bosi, Matteo; Seravalli, Luca; Sacchi, Anna; Spaggiari, Giulia; Bersani, Danilo; Bierwagen, Oliver; Janzen, Benjamin Moritz; Marggraf, Marcella Naomi; Wagner, Markus R.; Cora, Ildiko; Pécz, Béla; Tahraoui, Abbes; Bosio, Alessio; Borelli, Carmine; Leone, Stefano; Fornari, Roberto
    Unintentionally doped (001)-oriented orthorhombic κ-Ga2O3 epitaxial films on c-plane sapphire substrates are characterized by the presence of ≈ 10 nm wide columnar rotational domains that can severely inhibit in-plane electronic conduction. Comparing the in- and out-of-plane resistance on well-defined sample geometries, it is experimentally proved that the in-plane resistivity is at least ten times higher than the out-of-plane one. The introduction of silane during metal-organic vapor phase epitaxial growth not only allows for n-type Si extrinsic doping, but also results in the increase of more than one order of magnitude in the domain size (up to ≈ 300 nm) and mobility (highest µ ≈ 10 cm2V−1s−1, with corresponding lowest ρ ≈ 0.2 Ωcm). To qualitatively compare the mean domain dimension in κ-Ga2O3 epitaxial films, non-destructive experimental procedures are provided based on X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results of this study pave the way to significantly improved in-plane conduction in κ-Ga2O3 and its possible breakthrough in new generation electronics. The set of cross-linked experimental techniques and corresponding interpretation here proposed can apply to a wide range of material systems that suffer/benefit from domain-related functional properties.
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    Long-term stability of GaAs/AlAs terahertz quantum-cascade lasers
    (New York, NY : American Inst. of Physics, 2022) Schrottke, L.; Lü, X.; Biermann, K.; Gellie, P.; Grahn, H.T.
    We have investigated high-performance GaAs/AlAs terahertz (THz) quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) with respect to the long-term stability of their operating parameters. The output power of lasers that contain an additional, thick AlAs refractive-index contrast layer underneath the cascade structure decreases after three months by about 35%. The deterioration of these lasers is attributed to the oxidation processes in this contrast layer starting from the facets. However, GaAs/AlAs THz QCLs with an Al0.9Ga0.1As refractive-index contrast layer exhibit long-term stability of the operating parameters over many years even when they are exposed to atmospheric conditions. Therefore, these lasers are promising high-power radiation sources in the terahertz spectral region for commercial applications.
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    Influence of Growth Polarity Switching on the Optical and Electrical Properties of GaN/AlGaN Nanowire LEDs
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021) Reszka, Anna; Korona, Krzysztof P.; Tiagulskyi, Stanislav; Turski, Henryk; Jahn, Uwe; Kret, Slawomir; Bożek, Rafał; Sobanska, Marta; Zytkiewicz, Zbigniew R.; Kowalski, Bogdan J.
    For the development and application of GaN-based nanowire structures, it is crucial to understand their fundamental properties. In this work, we provide the nano-scale correlation of the morphological, electrical, and optical properties of GaN/AlGaN nanowire light emitting diodes (LEDs), observed using a combination of spatially and spectrally resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and imaging, electron beam-induced current microscopy, the nano-probe technique, and scanning electron microscopy. To complement the results, the photo- and electro-luminescence were also studied. The interpretation of the experimental data was supported by the results of numerical simulations of the electronic band structure. We characterized two types of nanowire LEDs grown in one process, which exhibit top facets of different shapes and, as we proved, have opposite growth polarities. We show that switching the polarity of nanowires (NWs) from the N- to Ga-face has a significant impact on their optical and electrical properties. In particular, cathodoluminescence studies revealed quantum wells emissions at about 3.5 eV, which were much brighter in Ga-polar NWs than in N-polar NWs. Moreover, the electron beam-induced current mapping proved that the p–n junctions were not active in N-polar NWs. Our results clearly indicate that intentional polarity inversion between the n- and p-type parts of NWs is a potential path towards the development of efficient nanoLED NW structures.
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    Self-Assembly of Well-Separated AlN Nanowires Directly on Sputtered Metallic TiN Films
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Azadmand, Mani; Auzelle, Thomas; Lähnemann, Jonas; Gao, Guanhui; Nicolai, Lars; Ramsteiner, Manfred; Trampert, Achim; Sanguinetti, Stefano; Brandt, Oliver; Geelhaar, Lutz
    Herein, the self-assembled formation of AlN nanowires (NWs) by molecular beam epitaxy on sputtered TiN films on sapphire is demonstrated. This choice of substrate allows growth at an exceptionally high temperature of 1180 °C. In contrast to previous reports, the NWs are well separated and do not suffer from pronounced coalescence. This achievement is explained by sufficient Al adatom diffusion on the substrate and the NW sidewalls. The high crystalline quality of the NWs is evidenced by the observation of near-band-edge emission in the cathodoluminescence spectrum. The key factor for the low NW coalescence is the TiN film, which spectroscopic ellipsometry and Raman spectroscopy indicate to be stoichiometric. Its metallic nature will be beneficial for optoelectronic devices using these NWs as the basis for (Al,Ga)N/AlN heterostructures emitting in the deep ultraviolet spectral range.
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    Impact of Electrical Current on Single GaAs Nanowire Structure
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Bahrami, Danial; AlHassan, Ali; Davtyan, Arman; Zhe, Ren; Anjum, Taseer; Herranz, Jesús; Geelhaar, Lutz; Novikov, Dmitri V.; Timm, Rainer; Pietsch, Ullrich
    The impact of electrical current on the structure of single free-standing Be-doped GaAs nanowires grown on a Si 111 substrate is investigated. Single nanowires have been structurally analyzed by X-ray nanodiffraction using synchrotron radiation before and after the application of an electrical current. The conductivity measurements on single nanowires in their as-grown geometry have been realized via W-probes installed inside a dual-beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy chamber. Comparing reciprocal space maps of the 111 Bragg reflection, extracted perpendicular to the nanowire growth axis before and after the conductivity measurement, the structural impact of the electrical current is evidenced, including deformation of the hexagonal nanowire cross section, tilting, and bending with respect to the substrate normal. For electrical current densities below 30 A mm−2, the induced changes in the reciprocal space maps are negligible. However, for a current density of 347 A mm−2, the diffraction pattern is completely distorted. The mean cross section of the illuminated nanowire volume is reconstructed from the reciprocal space maps before and after the application of electrical current. Interestingly, the elongation of two pairs of opposing side facets accompanied by shrinkage of the third pair of facets is found. The variations in the nanowire diameter, as well as their tilt and bending, are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. To explain these findings, material melting due to Joule heating during voltage/current application accompanied by anisotropic deformations induced by the W-probe is suggested.
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    Two-dimensional electron gas of the In2O3 surface: Enhanced thermopower, electrical transport properties, and reduction by adsorbates or compensating acceptor doping
    (Woodbury, NY : Inst., 2020) Papadogianni, Alexandra; Rombach, Julius; Berthold, Theresa; Polyakov, Vladimir; Krischok, Stefan; Himmerlich, Marcel; Bierwagen, Oliver
    In2O3 is an n-type transparent semiconducting oxide possessing a surface electron accumulation layer (SEAL) like several other relevant semiconductors, such as InAs, InN, SnO2, and ZnO. Even though the SEAL is within the core of the application of In2O3 in conductometric gas sensors, a consistent set of transport properties of this two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is missing in the present literature. To this end, we investigate high-quality single-crystalline as well as textured doped and undoped In2O3(111) films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy to extract transport properties of the SEAL by means of Hall effect measurements at room temperature while controlling the oxygen adsorbate coverage via illumination. The resulting sheet electron concentration and mobility of the SEAL are ≈1.5×1013cm−2 and ≈150cm2/Vs, respectively, both of which are strongly reduced by oxygen-related surface adsorbates from the ambient air. Our transport measurements further demonstrate a systematic reduction of the SEAL by doping In2O3 with the deep compensating bulk acceptors Ni or Mg. This finding is supported by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of the surface band bending and SEAL electron emission. Quantitative analyses of these XPS results using self-consistent, coupled Schrödinger-Poisson calculations indicate the simultaneous formation of compensating bulk donor defects (likely oxygen vacancies), which almost completely compensate the bulk acceptors. Finally, an enhancement of the thermopower by reduced dimensionality is demonstrated in In2O3: Seebeck coefficient measurements of the surface 2DEG with partially reduced sheet electron concentrations between 3×1012 and 7×1012cm−2 (corresponding average volume electron concentration between 1×1019 and 2.3×1019cm−3) indicate a value enhanced by ≈80% compared to that of bulk Sn-doped In2O3 with comparable volume electron concentration.
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    Evolution of Low-Frequency Vibrational Modes in Ultrathin GeSbTe Films
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Zallo, Eugenio; Dragoni, Daniele; Zaytseva, Yuliya; Cecchi, Stefano; Borgardt, Nikolai I.; Bernasconi, Marco; Calarco, Raffaella
    GeSbTe (GST) phase-change alloys feature layered crystalline structures made of lamellae separated by van der Waals (vdW) gaps. This work sheds light on the dependence of interlamellae interactions at the vdW gap on film thickness of GST alloys as probed by vibrational spectroscopy. Molecular beam epitaxy is used for designing GST layers down to a single lamella. By combining density-functional theory and Raman spectroscopy, a direct and simple method is demonstrated to identify the thickness of the GST film. The shift of the vibrational modes is studied as a function of the layer size, and the low-frequency range opens up a new route to probe the number of lamellae for different GST compositions. Comparison between experimental and theoretical Raman spectra highlights the precision growth control obtained by the epitaxial technique.
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    Electrically Driven Microcavity Exciton-Polariton Optomechanics at 20 GHz
    (College Park, Md. : APS, 2021) Kuznetsov, Alexander S.; Machado, Diego H.O.; Biermann, Klaus; Santos, Paulo V.
    Microcavity exciton polaritons enable the resonant coupling of excitons and photons to vibrations in the super-high-frequency (SHF, 3–30 GHz) domain. We introduce here a novel platform for coherent SHF optomechanics based on the coupling of polaritons and electrically driven SHF longitudinal acoustic phonons confined in a planar Bragg microcavity. The highly monochromatic phonons with tunable amplitudes are excited over a wide frequency range by piezoelectric transducers, which also act as efficient phonon detectors with a very large dynamical range. The microcavity platform exploits the long coherence time of polaritons as well as their efficient coupling to phonons. Furthermore, an intrinsic property of the platform is the backfeeding of phonons to the interaction region via reflections at the sample boundaries, which leads to quality factor × frequency products (Q×f) exceeding 1014  Hz as well as huge modulation amplitudes of the optical transition energies exceeding 8 meV. We show that the modulation is dominated by the phonon-induced energy shifts of the excitonic polariton component. Thus, the large modulation leads to a dynamical switching of light-matter nature of the particles from a mixed (i.e., polaritonic) one to photonlike and excitonlike states at frequencies up to 20 GHz. On the one hand, this work opens the way for electrically driven polariton optomechanics in the nonadiabatic, sideband-resolved regime of coherent control. Here, the bidirectionality of the transducers can be exploited for light-to-sound-to-rf conversion. On the other hand, the large phonon frequencies and Q×f products enable phonon control with optical readout down to the single-particle regime at relatively high temperatures (of 1 K).