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- ItemFlexomagnetism and vertically graded Néel temperature of antiferromagnetic Cr2O3 thin films([London] : Nature Publishing Group UK, 2022) Makushko, Pavlo; Kosub, Tobias; Pylypovskyi, Oleksandr V.; Hedrich, Natascha; Li, Jiang; Pashkin, Alexej; Avdoshenko, Stanislav; Hübner, René; Ganss, Fabian; Wolf, Daniel; Lubk, Axel; Liedke, Maciej Oskar; Butterling, Maik; Wagner, Andreas; Wagner, Kai; Shields, Brendan J.; Lehmann, Paul; Veremchuk, Igor; Fassbender, Jürgen; Maletinsky, Patrick; Makarov, DenysAntiferromagnetic insulators are a prospective materials platform for magnonics, spin superfluidity, THz spintronics, and non-volatile data storage. A magnetomechanical coupling in antiferromagnets offers vast advantages in the control and manipulation of the primary order parameter yet remains largely unexplored. Here, we discover a new member in the family of flexoeffects in thin films of Cr2O3. We demonstrate that a gradient of mechanical strain can impact the magnetic phase transition resulting in the distribution of the Néel temperature along the thickness of a 50-nm-thick film. The inhomogeneous reduction of the antiferromagnetic order parameter induces a flexomagnetic coefficient of about 15 μB nm−2. The antiferromagnetic ordering in the inhomogeneously strained films can persist up to 100 °C, rendering Cr2O3 relevant for industrial electronics applications. Strain gradient in Cr2O3 thin films enables fundamental research on magnetomechanics and thermodynamics of antiferromagnetic solitons, spin waves and artificial spin ice systems in magnetic materials with continuously graded parameters.
- ItemTwinned growth behaviour of two-dimensional materials(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2016) Zhang, Tao; Jiang, Bei; Xu, Zhen; Mendes, Rafael G.; Xiao, Yao; Chen, Linfeng; Fang, Liwen; Gemming, Thomas; Chen, Shengli; Rümmeli, Mark H.; Fu, LeiTwinned growth behaviour in the rapidly emerging area of two-dimensional nanomaterials still remains unexplored although it could be exploited to fabricate heterostructure and superlattice materials. Here we demonstrate how one can utilize the twinned growth relationship between two two-dimensional materials to construct vertically stacked heterostructures. As a demonstration, we achieve 100% overlap of the two transition metal dichalcogenide layers constituting a ReS2/WS2 vertical heterostructure. Moreover, the crystal size of the stacked structure is an order of magnitude larger than previous reports. Such twinned transition metal dichalcogenides vertical heterostructures exhibit great potential for use in optical, electronic and catalytic applications. The simplicity of the twinned growth can be utilized to expand the fabrication of other heterostructures or two-dimensional material superlattice and this strategy can be considered as an enabling technology for research in the emerging field of two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures.
- ItemWavelength-tunable entangled photons from silicon-integrated III–V quantum dots(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2016) Chen, Yan; Zhang, Jiaxiang; Zopf, Michael; Jung, Kyubong; Zhang, Yang; Keil, Robert; Ding, Fei; Schmidt, Oliver G.Many of the quantum information applications rely on indistinguishable sources of polarization-entangled photons. Semiconductor quantum dots are among the leading candidates for a deterministic entangled photon source; however, due to their random growth nature, it is impossible to find different quantum dots emitting entangled photons with identical wavelengths. The wavelength tunability has therefore become a fundamental requirement for a number of envisioned applications, for example, nesting different dots via the entanglement swapping and interfacing dots with cavities/atoms. Here we report the generation of wavelength-tunable entangled photons from on-chip integrated InAs/GaAs quantum dots. With a novel anisotropic strain engineering technique based on PMN-PT/silicon micro-electromechanical system, we can recover the quantum dot electronic symmetry at different exciton emission wavelengths. Together with a footprint of several hundred microns, our device facilitates the scalable integration of indistinguishable entangled photon sources on-chip, and therefore removes a major stumbling block to the quantum-dot-based solid-state quantum information platforms.
- ItemFreestanding few-layer sheets of a dual topological insulator(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2021) Anh, Mai Lê; Potapov, Pavel; Lubk, Axel; Doert, Thomas; Ruck, MichaelThe emergence of topological insulators (TIs) raised high expectations for their application in quantum computers and spintronics. Being bulk semiconductors, their nontrivial topology at the electronic bandgap enables dissipation-free charge and spin transport in protected metallic surface states. For application, crystalline thin films are requested in sufficient quantity. A suitable approach is the liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) of TI crystals that have layered structures. Bi2TeI is a weak 3D TI, which leads to protected edge states at the side facets of a crystal, as well as a topological crystalline insulator, which is responsible for protected states at the top and bottom faces. We developed an effective, scalable protocol for LPE of freestanding nanoflakes from Bi2TeI crystals. By heat treatment and sonication in isopropyl alcohol and poly(vinylpyrrolidone), crystalline Bi2TeI sheets with a thickness of ~50 nm were obtained and can therefore be considered for further processing toward microelectronic applications.
- ItemMechanochemical route to the synthesis of nanostructured Aluminium nitride(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2016) Rounaghi, S.A.; Eshghi, H.; Scudino, S.; Vyalikh, A.; Vanpoucke, D.E.P.; Gruner, W.; Oswald, S.; Rashid, A.R. Kiani; Khoshkhoo, M. Samadi; Scheler, U.; Eckert, J.Hexagonal Aluminium nitride (h-AlN) is an important wide-bandgap semiconductor material which is conventionally fabricated by high temperature carbothermal reduction of alumina under toxic ammonia atmosphere. Here we report a simple, low cost and potentially scalable mechanochemical procedure for the green synthesis of nanostructured h-AlN from a powder mixture of Aluminium and melamine precursors. A combination of experimental and theoretical techniques has been employed to provide comprehensive mechanistic insights on the reactivity of melamine, solid state metal-organic interactions and the structural transformation of Al to h-AlN under non-equilibrium ball milling conditions. The results reveal that melamine is adsorbed through the amine groups on the Aluminium surface due to the long-range van der Waals forces. The high energy provided by milling leads to the deammoniation of melamine at the initial stages followed by the polymerization and formation of a carbon nitride network, by the decomposition of the amine groups and, finally, by the subsequent diffusion of nitrogen into the Aluminium structure to form h-AlN.
- ItemHierarchical hollow Fe2O3@MIL-101(Fe)/C derived from metal-organic frameworks for superior sodium storage(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2016) Li, Chengping; Hu, Qian; Li, Yan; Zhou, Hang; Lv, Zhaolin; Yang, Xiangjun; Liu, Lixiang; Guo, HongA facile generic template-free strategy is employed to prepare hierarchical hollow hybrid Fe2O3@MIL-101(Fe)/C materials derived from metal-organic frameworks as anode materials for Na-ion batteries. The intrinsic hollow nanostructure can shorten the lengths for both electronic and ionic transport, enlarge the surface areas of electrodes, and improve accommodation of the volume change during Na+ insertion/extraction cycling. Therefore, The stable reversible capacity of Fe2O3@MIL-101(Fe)/C electrode is 710 mAhg−1, and can be retained at 662 mAhg−1 after 200 cycles with the retention of 93.2%. Especially, its overall rate performance data confirm again the importance of the hierarchical hollow structures and multi-elements characteristics toward high capacities in both low and high current rates. This general strategy may shed light on a new avenue for fast synthesis of hierarchic hollow functional materials for energy storage, catalyst, sensor and other new applications.
- ItemMicroscopic insight into the bilateral formation of carbon spirals from a symmetric iron core(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2013) Shiozawa, Hidetsugu; Bachmatiuk, Alicja; Stangl, Andreas; Cox, David C.; Silva, S. Ravi P.; Rümmeli, Mark; Pichler, ThomasMirrored carbon-spirals have been produced from pressured ferrocene via the bilateral extrusion of the spiral pairs from an iron core. A parametric plot of the surface geometry displays the fractal growth of the conical helix made with the logarithmic spiral. Electron microscopy studies show the core is a crystalline cementite which grows and transforms its shape from spherical to biconical as it extrudes two spiralling carbon arms. In a cross section along the arms we observe graphitic flakes arranged in a herringbone structure, normal to which defects propagate. Local-wave-pattern analysis reveals nanoscale defect patterns of two-fold symmetry around the core. The data suggest that the bilateral growth originates from a globular cementite crystal with molten surfaces and the nano-defects shape emerging hexagonal carbon into a fractal structure. Understanding and knowledge obtained provide a basis for the controlled production of advanced carbon materials with designed geometries.