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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Towards low-temperature processing of efficient γ-CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells
    (London [u.a.] : RSC, 2023) Zhang, Zongbao; Ji, Ran; Hofstetter, Yvonne J.; Deconinck, Marielle; Brunner, Julius; Li, Yanxiu; An, Qingzhi; Vaynzof, Yana
    Inorganic cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted enormous attention due to their excellent thermal stability and optical bandgap (∼1.73 eV), well-suited for tandem device applications. However, achieving high-performance photovoltaic devices processed at low temperatures is still challenging. Here we reported a new method for the fabrication of high-efficiency and stable γ-CsPbI3 PSCs at lower temperatures than was previously possible by introducing the long-chain organic cation salt ethane-1,2-diammonium iodide (EDAI2) and regulating the content of lead acetate (Pb(OAc)2) in the perovskite precursor solution. We find that EDAI2 acts as an intermediate that can promote the formation of γ-CsPbI3, while excess Pb(OAc)2 can further stabilize the γ-phase of CsPbI3 perovskite. Consequently, improved crystallinity and morphology and reduced carrier recombination are observed in the CsPbI3 films fabricated by the new method. By optimizing the hole transport layer of CsPbI3 inverted architecture solar cells, we demonstrate efficiencies of up to 16.6%, surpassing previous reports examining γ-CsPbI3 in inverted PSCs. Notably, the encapsulated solar cells maintain 97% of their initial efficiency at room temperature and under dim light for 25 days, demonstrating the synergistic effect of EDAI2 and Pb(OAc)2 in stabilizing γ-CsPbI3 PSCs.
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    Scalable Functionalization of Optical Fibers Using Atomically Thin Semiconductors
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2020) Ngo G.Q.; George A.; Schock R.T.K.; Tuniz A.; Najafidehaghani E.; Gan Z.; Geib N.C.; Bucher T.; Knopf H.; Saravi S.; Neumann C.; Lühder T.; Schartner E.P.; Warren-Smith S.C.; Ebendorff-Heidepriem H.; Pertsch T.; Schmidt M.A.; Turchanin A.; Eilenberger F.
    Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides are highly promising for integrated optoelectronic and photonic systems due to their exciton-driven linear and nonlinear interactions with light. Integrating them into optical fibers yields novel opportunities in optical communication, remote sensing, and all-fiber optoelectronics. However, the scalable and reproducible deposition of high-quality monolayers on optical fibers is a challenge. Here, the chemical vapor deposition of monolayer MoS2 and WS2 crystals on the core of microstructured exposed-core optical fibers and their interaction with the fibers’ guided modes are reported. Two distinct application possibilities of 2D-functionalized waveguides to exemplify their potential are demonstrated. First, the excitonic 2D material photoluminescence is simultaneously excited and collected with the fiber modes, opening a novel route to remote sensing. Then it is shown that third-harmonic generation is modified by the highly localized nonlinear polarization of the monolayers, yielding a new avenue to tailor nonlinear optical processes in fibers. It is anticipated that the results may lead to significant advances in optical-fiber-based technologies. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
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    Sub-cycle valleytronics: control of valley polarization using few-cycle linearly polarized pulses
    (Washington, DC : OSA, 2021) Jiménez-Galán, Álvaro; Silva, Rui E. F.; Smirnova, Olga; Ivanov, Misha
    So far, it has been assumed that selective excitation of a desired valley in the Brillouin zone of a hexagonal two-dimensional material has to rely on using circularly polarized fields. We theoretically demonstrate a way to control the valley excitation in hexagonal 2D materials on a few-femtosecond timescale using a few-cycle, linearly polarized pulse with controlled carrier–envelope phase. The valley polarization is mapped onto the strength of the perpendicular harmonic signal of a weak, linearly polarized pulse, which allows to read this information all-optically without destroying the valley state and without relying on the Berry curvature, making our approach potentially applicable to inversion-symmetric materials. We show applicability of this method to hexagonal boron nitride and MoS2.
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    Giant persistent photoconductivity in monolayer MoS2 field-effect transistors
    (London : Nature Publishing Group, 2021) George, A.; Fistul, M.V.; Gruenewald, M.; Kaiser, D.; Lehnert, T.; Mupparapu, R.; Neumann, C.; Hübner, U.; Schaal, M.; Masurkar, N.; Arava, L.M.R.; Staude, I.; Kaiser, U.; Fritz, T.; Turchanin, A.
    Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have numerous potential applications in ultrathin electronics and photonics. The exposure of TMD-based devices to light generates photo-carriers resulting in an enhanced conductivity, which can be effectively used, e.g., in photodetectors. If the photo-enhanced conductivity persists after removal of the irradiation, the effect is known as persistent photoconductivity (PPC). Here we show that ultraviolet light (λ = 365 nm) exposure induces an extremely long-living giant PPC (GPPC) in monolayer MoS2 (ML-MoS2) field-effect transistors (FET) with a time constant of ~30 days. Furthermore, this effect leads to a large enhancement of the conductivity up to a factor of 107. In contrast to previous studies in which the origin of the PPC was attributed to extrinsic reasons such as trapped charges in the substrate or adsorbates, we show that the GPPC arises mainly from the intrinsic properties of ML-MoS2 such as lattice defects that induce a large number of localized states in the forbidden gap. This finding is supported by a detailed experimental and theoretical study of the electric transport in TMD based FETs as well as by characterization of ML-MoS2 with scanning tunneling spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. The obtained results provide a basis for the defect-based engineering of the electronic and optical properties of TMDs for device applications.
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    Few-cycle 65-µJ pulses at 11.4 µm for ultrafast nonlinear longwave-infrared spectroscopy
    (Washington, DC : Optical Society of America, OSA, 2022) Fuertjes, Pia; Bock, Martin; Grafenstein, Lorenz von; Ueberschaer, Dennis; Griebner, Uwe; Elsaesser, Thomas
    Low-energy excitations can provide insight into the basic ultrafast nonequilibrium dynamics of condensed matter. High-energy femtosecond pulses in the long-wavelength infrared are required to induce such processes, and can be generated in an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) system comprising three GaSe stages. A femtosecond Cr:ZnS laser serves as the front-end, providing the seed for the 2.0-µm pump and the 2.4-µm signal pulses without nonlinear conversion processes. The OPCPA system is pumped at 2.05 µm by a picosecond Ho:YLF regenerative amplifier at a 1-kHz repetition rate. The recompressed idler pulses at 11.4 µm have a duration of 185 fs and an unprecedented energy of 65 µJ, corresponding to a pump-to-idler conversion efficiency of 1.2%. Nonlinear transmission experiments in the range of the L2 infrared band of liquid water demonstrate the potential of the pulses for nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy of liquids and solids.
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    Ultrathin structures derived from interfacially modified polymeric nanocomposites to curb electromagnetic pollution
    (Cambridge : Royal Society of Chemistry, 2021) Sushmita, Kumari; Formanek, Petr; Fischer, Dieter; Pötschke, Petra; Madras, Giridhar; Bose, Suryasarathi
    The use of electronic devices and wireless networks is increasing rapidly, and electromagnetic (EM) pollution remediation remains a challenge. We employed a unique approach to fabricate two ultrathin (approx. 53 μm) multilayered assemblies to address this. By sequentially stacking thin films of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and polycarbonate (PC) nanocomposites and interfacially locking them with a mutually miscible polymer (PMMA, polymethyl methacrylate), materials with enhanced structural properties and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance can be designed. Utilizing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a template, ferrite was grown on the surface to design two different nanohybrid structures (rGO–Fe3O4 and MoS2–Fe3O4). PVDF was composited with either rGO–Fe3O4 or MoS2–Fe3O4, and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in the PC component. As PC and PVDF are immiscible, their poor interface would result in inferior structural properties, which can be challenging in designing EMI shielding materials due to cyclic thermal fatigue. Hence, PMMA is sandwiched to interfacially stitch the components (PC and PVDF) and improve interfacial adhesion. This was confirmed using SEM/EDS and Raman mapping/imaging. The mechanical stability of the multilayered assemblies was characterized using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), and the storage modulus was found to be as high as 2767 MPa at 40 °C (@constant frequency and strain amplitude), for the multilayered film with rGO–Fe3O4 in PVDF, PMMA as a sandwich layer and CNTs in PC. A typical assembly of 9 multilayers (∼480 μm) with rGO–Fe3O4 in PVDF, and CNTs in PC, and interfacially stitched with PMMA gave rise to a high EMI shield effectiveness (SET) of −26.3 dB @ 26.5 GHz. This unique arrangement of a multilayered assembly suppressed EMI primarily by absorption.
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    Nanoscale friction on MoS2/graphene heterostructures
    (Cambridge : RSC Publ., 2023) Liu, Zhao; Szczefanowicz, Bartosz; Lopes, J. Marcelo J.; Gan, Ziyang; George, Antony; Turchanin, Andrey; Bennewitz, Roland
    Stacked hetero-structures of two-dimensional materials allow for a design of interactions with corresponding electronic and mechanical properties. We report structure, work function, and frictional properties of 1 to 4 layers of MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition on epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001). Experiments were performed by atomic force microscopy in ultra-high vacuum. Friction is dominated by adhesion which is mediated by a deformation of the layers to adapt the shape of the tip apex. Friction decreases with increasing number of MoS2 layers as the bending rigidity leads to less deformation. The dependence of friction on applied load and bias voltage can be attributed to variations in the atomic potential corrugation of the interface, which is enhanced by both load and applied bias. Minimal friction is obtained when work function differences are compensated.