ESPINTRÓNICA, LA ELECTRONICA DEL ESPÍN SPINTRONICS, SPIN ELECTRONICS

KAUST Repository

Monteblanco, Elmer

2017-03-14

Current technology seeks to develop nanoscale devices capable of storing and processing information. These devices would be difficult to make in the area of electronics, which is based on the manipulation of electric charge. However, thanks to advances in experimental and theoretical physics in the field of condensed matter, these devices are already a reality, belonging to the field of what we now call spintronics, which bases its functionality on the control of the electron’s spin, a property that can only be conceived at the quantum level. In this article we review this new perspective, describing giant- and tunneling- magnetoresistance, the spin transfer torque, and their applications such as MRAM memories, nano-oscillators and lateral spin valves.

ESPINTRÓNICA, LA ELECTRONICA DEL ESPÍN SPINTRONICS, SPIN ELECTRONICS

KAUST Repository

Monteblanco, Elmer; Ortiz Pauyac, Christian; Savero, Williams; RojasSanchez, J. Carlos; Schuhl, A.

2017-01-01

Current technology seeks to develop nanoscale devices capable of storing and processing information. These devices would be difficult to make in the area of electronics, which is based on the manipulation of electric charge. However, thanks to advances in experimental and theoretical physics in the field of condensed matter, these devices are already a reality, belonging to the field of what we now call spintronics, which bases its functionality on the control of the electron’s spin, a property that can only be conceived at the quantum level. In this article we review this new perspective, describing giant- and tunneling- magnetoresistance, the spin transfer torque, and their applications such as MRAM memories, nano-oscillators and lateral spin valves.

Spintronic materials and devices based on antiferromagnetic metals

OpenAIRE

Wang, Y.Y.; Song, C.; Zhang, J.Y.; Pan, F.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we review our recent experimental developments on antiferromagnet (AFM) spintronics mainly comprising Mn-based noncollinear AFM metals. IrMn-based tunnel junctions and Hall devices have been investigated to explore the manipulation of AFM moments by magnetic fields, ferromagnetic materials and electric fields. Room-temperature tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance based on IrMn as well as FeMn has been successfully achieved, and electrical control of the AFM exchange spring i...

Hybrid Spintronic-CMOS Spiking Neural Network with On-Chip Learning: Devices, Circuits, and Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Abhronil; Banerjee, Aparajita; Roy, Kaushik

2016-12-01

Over the past decade, spiking neural networks (SNNs) have emerged as one of the popular architectures to emulate the brain. In SNNs, information is temporally encoded and communication between neurons is accomplished by means of spikes. In such networks, spike-timing-dependent plasticity mechanisms require the online programing of synapses based on the temporal information of spikes transmitted by spiking neurons. In this work, we propose a spintronic synapse with decoupled spike-transmission and programing-current paths. The spintronic synapse consists of a ferromagnet-heavy-metal heterostructure where the programing current through the heavy metal generates spin-orbit torque to modulate the device conductance. Low programing energy and fast programing times demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed device as a nanoelectronic synapse. We perform a simulation study based on an experimentally benchmarked device-simulation framework to demonstrate the interfacing of such spintronic synapses with CMOS neurons and learning circuits operating in the transistor subthreshold region to form a network of spiking neurons that can be utilized for pattern-recognition problems.

Evaluating Graphene as a Channel Material in Spintronic Logic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Anugrah, Yoska

Spintronics, a class of devices that exploit the spin properties of electrons in addition to the charge properties, promises the possibility for nonvolatile logic and memory devices that operate at low power. Graphene is a material in which the spin orientation of electrons can be conserved over a long distance, which makes it an attractive channel material in spintronics devices. In this dissertation, the properties of graphene that are interesting for spintronics applications are explored. A robust fabrication process is described for graphene spin valves using Al2O3 tunnel tunnel barriers and Co ferromagnetic contacts. Spin transport was characterized in both few-layer exfoliated and single-layer graphene, and spin diffusion lengths and spin relaxation times were extracted using the nonlocal spin valve geometry and Hanle measurements. The effect of input-output asymmetry on the spin transport was investigated. The effect of an applied drift electric field on spin transport was investigated and the spin diffusion length was found to be tunable by a factor of 8X (suppressed to 1.6 microm and enhanced to 13 microm from the intrinsic length of 4.6 microm using electric field of +/-1800 V/cm). A mechanism to induce asymmetry without excess power dissipation is also described which utilizes a double buried-gate structure to tune the Fermi levels on the input and output sides of a graphene spin logic device independently. It was found that different spin scattering mechanisms were at play in the two halves of a small graphene strip. This suggests that the spin properties of graphene are strongly affected by its local environment, e.g. impurities, surface topography, defects. Finally, two-dimensional materials beyond graphene have been explored as spin channels. One such material is phosphorene, which has low spin-orbit coupling and high mobility, and the interface properties of ferromagnets (cobalt and permalloy) with this material were explored. This work could

Spintronic materials and devices based on antiferromagnetic metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.Y. Wang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we review our recent experimental developments on antiferromagnet (AFM spintronics mainly comprising Mn-based noncollinear AFM metals. IrMn-based tunnel junctions and Hall devices have been investigated to explore the manipulation of AFM moments by magnetic fields, ferromagnetic materials and electric fields. Room-temperature tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance based on IrMn as well as FeMn has been successfully achieved, and electrical control of the AFM exchange spring is realized by adopting ionic liquid. In addition, promising spin-orbit effects in AFM as well as spin transfer via AFM spin waves reported by different groups have also been reviewed, indicating that the AFM can serve as an efficient spin current source. To explore the crucial role of AFM acting as efficient generators, transmitters, and detectors of spin currents is an emerging topic in the field of magnetism today. AFM metals are now ready to join the rapidly developing fields of basic and applied spintronics, enriching this area of solid-state physics and microelectronics.

Dynamical properties of three terminal magnetic tunnel junctions: Spintronics meets spin-orbitronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomasello, R. [Department of Computer Science, Modeling, Electronics and System Science, University of Calabria, Rende (CS) (Italy); Carpentieri, M., E-mail: m.carpentieri@poliba.it [Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Politecnico of Bari, via E. Orabona 4, I-70125 Bari (Italy); Finocchio, G. [Department of Electronic Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Engineering, University of Messina, C.da di Dio, I-98166 Messina (Italy)

2013-12-16

This Letter introduces a micromagnetic model able to characterize the magnetization dynamics in three terminal magnetic tunnel junctions, where the effects of spin-transfer torque and spin-orbit torque are taken into account. Our results predict that the possibility to separate electrically those two torque sources is very promising from a technological point of view for both next generation of nanoscale spintronic oscillators and microwave detectors. A scalable synchronization scheme based on the parallel connection of those three terminal devices is also proposed.

Dynamical properties of three terminal magnetic tunnel junctions: Spintronics meets spin-orbitronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomasello, R.; Carpentieri, M.; Finocchio, G.

2013-01-01

This Letter introduces a micromagnetic model able to characterize the magnetization dynamics in three terminal magnetic tunnel junctions, where the effects of spin-transfer torque and spin-orbit torque are taken into account. Our results predict that the possibility to separate electrically those two torque sources is very promising from a technological point of view for both next generation of nanoscale spintronic oscillators and microwave detectors. A scalable synchronization scheme based on the parallel connection of those three terminal devices is also proposed

Synthesis and characterization of transition-metal-doped zinc oxide nanocrystals for spintronics

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuefeng

Spintronics (spin transport electr onics), in which both spin and charge of carriers are utilized for information processing, is believed to challenge the current microelectronics and to become the next-generation electronics. Nanostructured spintronic materials and their synthetic methodologies are of paramount importance for manufacturing future nanoscale spintronic devices. This thesis aims at studying synthesis, characterization, and magnetism of transition-metal-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals---a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS)---for potential applications in future nano-spintronics. A simple bottom-up-based synthetic strategy named a solvothermal technique is introduced as the primary synthetic approach and its crystal growth mechanism is scrutinized. N-type cobalt-doped ZnO-based DMS nanocrystals are employed as a model system, and characterized by a broad spectrum of advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. It is found that the self-orientation growth mechanism, imperfect oriented attachment, is intimately correlated with the high-temperature ferromagnetism via defects. The influence of processing on the magnetic properties, such as compositional variations, reaction conditions, and post-growth treatment, is also studied. In this way, an in-depth understanding of processing-structure-property interrelationships and origins of magnetism in DMS nanocrystals are obtained in light of the theoretical framework of a spin-split impurity band model. In addition, a nanoscale spinodal decomposition phase model is also briefly discussed. Following the similar synthetic route, copper- and manganese-doped ZnO nanocrystals have been synthesized and characterized. They both show high-temperature ferromagnetism in line with the aforementioned theoretical model(s). Moreover, they display interesting exchange biasing phenomena at low temperatures, revealing the complexity of magnetic phases therein. The crystal growth strategy demonstrated in this work

Spintronics-based computing

CERN Document Server

Prenat, Guillaume

2015-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to spintronics-based computing for the next generation of ultra-low power/highly reliable logic, which is widely considered a promising candidate to replace conventional, pure CMOS-based logic. It will cover aspects from device to system-level, including magnetic memory cells, device modeling, hybrid circuit structure, design methodology, CAD tools, and technological integration methods. This book is accessible to a variety of readers and little or no background in magnetism and spin electronics are required to understand its content.  The multidisciplinary team of expert authors from circuits, devices, computer architecture, CAD and system design reveal to readers the potential of spintronics nanodevices to reduce power consumption, improve reliability and enable new functionality.  .

Nanoscale phase-change materials and devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Qinghui; Wang, Yuxi; Zhu, Jia

2017-01-01

Phase-change materials (PCMs) that can reversibly transit between crystalline and amorphous phases have been widely used for data-storage and other functional devices. As PCMs scale down to nanoscale, the properties and transition procedures can vary, bringing both challenges and opportunities in scalability. This article describes the physical structures, properties and applications of nanoscale phase-change materials and devices. The limitations and performance of scaling properties in phase-change materials and the recent progress and challenges in phase-change devices are presented. At the end, some emerging applications related to phase-change materials are also introduced. (topical review)

Nanoscale phase-change materials and devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Qinghui; Wang, Yuxi; Zhu, Jia

2017-06-01

Phase-change materials (PCMs) that can reversibly transit between crystalline and amorphous phases have been widely used for data-storage and other functional devices. As PCMs scale down to nanoscale, the properties and transition procedures can vary, bringing both challenges and opportunities in scalability. This article describes the physical structures, properties and applications of nanoscale phase-change materials and devices. The limitations and performance of scaling properties in phase-change materials and the recent progress and challenges in phase-change devices are presented. At the end, some emerging applications related to phase-change materials are also introduced.

Focused issue on antiferromagnetic spintronics: An overview (Part of a collection of reviews on antiferromagnetic spintronics)

KAUST Repository

Jungwirth, T.

2017-05-30

This focused issue attempts to provide a comprehensive introduction into the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics. Apart from the brief overview below, it features five review articles. The intention is to cover in a coherent and complementary way key physical aspects of the antiferromagnetic spintronics research. These range from microelectronic memory devices and optical manipulation and detection of antiferromagnetic spins, to the fundamentals of antiferromagnetic dynamics in uniform or spin-textured systems, and to the interplay of antiferromagnetic spintronics with topological phenomena. The antiferromagnetic ordering can take a number of forms including fully compensated collinear, non-collinear, and non-coplanar magnetic lattices, compensated and uncompensated ferrimagnets, or metamagnetic materials hosting an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition. Apart from the variety of distinct magnetic crystal structures, the focused issue also encompasses spintronic phenomena and devices studied in antiferromagnet/ferromagnet heterostructures and in synthetic antiferromagnets.

Focused issue on antiferromagnetic spintronics: An overview (Part of a collection of reviews on antiferromagnetic spintronics)

KAUST Repository

Jungwirth, T.; Sinova, J.; Manchon, Aurelien; Marti, X.; Wunderlich, J.; Felser, C.

2017-01-01

This focused issue attempts to provide a comprehensive introduction into the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics. Apart from the brief overview below, it features five review articles. The intention is to cover in a coherent and complementary way key physical aspects of the antiferromagnetic spintronics research. These range from microelectronic memory devices and optical manipulation and detection of antiferromagnetic spins, to the fundamentals of antiferromagnetic dynamics in uniform or spin-textured systems, and to the interplay of antiferromagnetic spintronics with topological phenomena. The antiferromagnetic ordering can take a number of forms including fully compensated collinear, non-collinear, and non-coplanar magnetic lattices, compensated and uncompensated ferrimagnets, or metamagnetic materials hosting an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition. Apart from the variety of distinct magnetic crystal structures, the focused issue also encompasses spintronic phenomena and devices studied in antiferromagnet/ferromagnet heterostructures and in synthetic antiferromagnets.

Emerging materials and devices in spintronic integrated circuits for energy-smart mobile computing and connectivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, S.H.; Lee, K.

2013-01-01

A spintronic integrated circuit (IC) is made of a combination of a semiconductor IC and a dense array of nanometer-scale magnetic tunnel junctions. This emerging field is of growing scientific and engineering interest, owing to its potential to bring disruptive device innovation to the world of electronics. This technology is currently being pursued not only for scalable non-volatile spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive random access memory, but also for various forms of non-volatile logic (Spin-Logic). This paper reviews recent advances in spintronic IC. Key discoveries and breakthroughs in materials and devices are highlighted in light of the broader perspective of their application in low-energy mobile computing and connectivity systems, which have emerged as leading drivers for the prevailing electronics ecosystem

Low intrinsic carrier density LSMO/Alq3/AlOx/Co organic spintronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Riminucci, Alberto; Graziosi, Patrizio; Calbucci, Marco; Cecchini, Raimondo; Prezioso, Mirko; Borgatti, Francesco; Bergenti, Ilaria; Dediu, Valentin Alek

2018-04-01

The understanding of spin injection and transport in organic spintronic devices is still incomplete, with some experiments showing magnetoresistance and others not detecting it. We have investigated the transport properties of a large number of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum-based organic spintronic devices with an electrical resistance greater than 5 MΩ that did not show magnetoresistance. Their transport properties could be described satisfactorily by known models for organic semiconductors. At high voltages (>2 V), the results followed the model of space charge limited current with a Poole-Frenkel mobility. At low voltages (˜0.1 V), that are those at which the spin valve behavior is usually observed, the charge transport was modelled by nearest neighbor hopping in intra-gap impurity levels, with a charge carrier density of n0 = (1.44 ± 0.21) × 1015 cm-3 at room temperature. Such a low carrier density can explain why no magnetoresistance was observed.

Fabrication of tunnel junction-based molecular electronics and spintronics devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, Pawan

2012-01-01

Tunnel junction-based molecular devices (TJMDs) are highly promising for realizing futuristic electronics and spintronics devices for advanced logic and memory operations. Under this approach, ∼2.5 nm molecular device elements bridge across the ∼2-nm thick insulator of a tunnel junction along the exposed side edge(s). This paper details the efforts and insights for producing a variety of TJMDs by resolving multiple device fabrication and characterization issues. This study specifically discusses (i) compatibility between tunnel junction test bed and molecular solutions, (ii) optimization of the exposed side edge profile and insulator thickness for enhancing the probability of molecular bridging, (iii) effect of fabrication process-induced mechanical stresses, and (iv) minimizing electrical bias-induced instability after the device fabrication. This research will benefit other researchers interested in producing TJMDs efficiently. TJMD approach offers an open platform to test virtually any combination of magnetic and nonmagnetic electrodes, and promising molecules such as single molecular magnets, porphyrin, DNA, and molecular complexes.

Dopant atoms as quantum components in silicon nanoscale devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiaosong; Han, Weihua; Wang, Hao; Ma, Liuhong; Li, Xiaoming; Zhang, Wang; Yan, Wei; Yang, Fuhua

2018-06-01

Recent progress in nanoscale fabrication allows many fundamental studies of the few dopant atoms in various semiconductor nanostructures. Since the size of nanoscale devices has touched the limit of the nature, a single dopant atom may dominate the performance of the device. Besides, the quantum computing considered as a future choice beyond Moore's law also utilizes dopant atoms as functional units. Therefore, the dopant atoms will play a significant role in the future novel nanoscale devices. This review focuses on the study of few dopant atoms as quantum components in silicon nanoscale device. The control of the number of dopant atoms and unique quantum transport characteristics induced by dopant atoms are presented. It can be predicted that the development of nanoelectronics based on dopant atoms will pave the way for new possibilities in quantum electronics. Project supported by National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2016YFA0200503).

Nanoscale MOS devices: device parameter fluctuations and low-frequency noise (Invited Paper)

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Hei; Iwai, Hiroshi; Liou, J. J.

2005-05-01

It is well-known in conventional MOS transistors that the low-frequency noise or flicker noise is mainly contributed by the trapping-detrapping events in the gate oxide and the mobility fluctuation in the surface channel. In nanoscale MOS transistors, the number of trapping-detrapping events becomes less important because of the large direct tunneling current through the ultrathin gate dielectric which reduces the probability of trapping-detrapping and the level of leakage current fluctuation. Other noise sources become more significant in nanoscale devices. The source and drain resistance noises have greater impact on the drain current noise. Significant contribution of the parasitic bipolar transistor noise in ultra-short channel and channel mobility fluctuation to the channel noise are observed. The channel mobility fluctuation in nanoscale devices could be due to the local composition fluctuation of the gate dielectric material which gives rise to the permittivity fluctuation along the channel and results in gigantic channel potential fluctuation. On the other hand, the statistical variations of the device parameters across the wafer would cause the noise measurements less accurate which will be a challenge for the applicability of analytical flicker noise model as a process or device evaluation tool for nanoscale devices. Some measures for circumventing these difficulties are proposed.

Handbook of spintronics

CERN Document Server

Awschalom, David; Nitta, Junsaku

2016-01-01

This large reference work addresses a broad range of topics covering various aspects of spintronics science and technology, ranging from fundamental physics through materials properties and processing to established and emerging device technology and applications.  It comprises a collection of chapters from a large international team of leading researchers across academia and industry, providing readers with an up-to-date and comprehensive review of this dynamic field of research.   The opening chapters focus on the fundamental physical principles of spintronics in metals and semiconductors, including the theory of giant magnetoresistance and an introduction to spin quantum computing.  Materials systems are then considered, with sections on metallic thin films and multilayers, magnetic tunnelling structures, hybrid materials including Heusler compounds, magnetic semiconductors, molecular spintronic materials, carbon nanotubes and graphene.  A separate section describes the various methods used in the char...

Optimization of Materials and Interfaces for Spintronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Billy

In recent years' Spintronic devices have drawn a significant amount of research attention. This interest comes in large part from their ability to enable interesting and new technology such as Spin Torque Transfer Random Access Memory or improve existing technology such as High Signal Read Heads for Hard Disk Drives. For the former we worked on optimizing and improving magnetic tunnel junctions by optimizing their thermal stability by using Ta insertion layers in the free layer. We further tried to simplify the design of the MTJ stack by attempting to replace the Co/Pd multilayer with CoPd alloy. In this dissertation, we detail its development and examine the switching characteristics. Lastly we look at a highly spin polarized material, Fe2MnGe, for optimizing Hard Drive Disk read heads.

Boron nitride nanotubes for spintronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhungana, Kamal B; Pati, Ranjit

2014-09-22

With the end of Moore's law in sight, researchers are in search of an alternative approach to manipulate information. Spintronics or spin-based electronics, which uses the spin state of electrons to store, process and communicate information, offers exciting opportunities to sustain the current growth in the information industry. For example, the discovery of the giant magneto resistance (GMR) effect, which provides the foundation behind modern high density data storage devices, is an important success story of spintronics; GMR-based sensors have wide applications, ranging from automotive industry to biology. In recent years, with the tremendous progress in nanotechnology, spintronics has crossed the boundary of conventional, all metallic, solid state multi-layered structures to reach a new frontier, where nanostructures provide a pathway for the spin-carriers. Different materials such as organic and inorganic nanostructures are explored for possible applications in spintronics. In this short review, we focus on the boron nitride nanotube (BNNT), which has recently been explored for possible applications in spintronics. Unlike many organic materials, BNNTs offer higher thermal stability and higher resistance to oxidation. It has been reported that the metal-free fluorinated BNNT exhibits long range ferromagnetic spin ordering, which is stable at a temperature much higher than room temperature. Due to their large band gap, BNNTs are also explored as a tunnel magneto resistance device. In addition, the F-BNNT has recently been predicted as an ideal spin-filter. The purpose of this review is to highlight these recent progresses so that a concerted effort by both experimentalists and theorists can be carried out in the future to realize the true potential of BNNT-based spintronics.

Boron Nitride Nanotubes for Spintronics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal B. Dhungana

2014-09-01

Full Text Available With the end of Moore’s law in sight, researchers are in search of an alternative approach to manipulate information. Spintronics or spin-based electronics, which uses the spin state of electrons to store, process and communicate information, offers exciting opportunities to sustain the current growth in the information industry. For example, the discovery of the giant magneto resistance (GMR effect, which provides the foundation behind modern high density data storage devices, is an important success story of spintronics; GMR-based sensors have wide applications, ranging from automotive industry to biology. In recent years, with the tremendous progress in nanotechnology, spintronics has crossed the boundary of conventional, all metallic, solid state multi-layered structures to reach a new frontier, where nanostructures provide a pathway for the spin-carriers. Different materials such as organic and inorganic nanostructures are explored for possible applications in spintronics. In this short review, we focus on the boron nitride nanotube (BNNT, which has recently been explored for possible applications in spintronics. Unlike many organic materials, BNNTs offer higher thermal stability and higher resistance to oxidation. It has been reported that the metal-free fluorinated BNNT exhibits long range ferromagnetic spin ordering, which is stable at a temperature much higher than room temperature. Due to their large band gap, BNNTs are also explored as a tunnel magneto resistance device. In addition, the F-BNNT has recently been predicted as an ideal spin-filter. The purpose of this review is to highlight these recent progresses so that a concerted effort by both experimentalists and theorists can be carried out in the future to realize the true potential of BNNT-based spintronics.

Spintronics with multiferroics

Science.gov (United States)

Béa, H.; Gajek, M.; Bibes, M.; Barthélémy, A.

2008-10-01

In this paper, we review the recent research on the functionalization of multiferroics for spintronics applications. We focus more particularly on antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric BiFeO3 and its integration in several types of architectures. For instance, when used as a tunnel barrier, BiFeO3 allows the observation of a large tunnel magnetoresistance with Co and (La,Sr)MnO3 ferromagnetic electrodes. Also, its antiferromagnetic and magnetoelectric properties have been exploited to induce an exchange coupling with a ferromagnet. The mechanisms of such an exchange coupling open ways to electrically control magnetization and possibly the logic state of spintronics devices. We also discuss recent results concerning the use of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric (La,Bi)MnO3 as an active tunnel barrier in magnetic tunnel junctions with Au and (La,Sr)MnO3 electrodes. A four-resistance-state device has been obtained, with two states arising from a spin filtering effect due to the ferromagnetic character of the barrier and two resulting from the ferroelectric behavior of the (La,Bi)MnO3 ultrathin film. These results show that the additional degree of freedom provided by the ferroelectric polarization brings novel functionalities to spintronics, either as a extra order parameter for multiple-state memory elements, or as a handle for gate-controlled magnetic memories.

Spintronics with multiferroics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bea, H; Gajek, M; Bibes, M; Barthelemy, A

2008-01-01

In this paper, we review the recent research on the functionalization of multiferroics for spintronics applications. We focus more particularly on antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric BiFeO 3 and its integration in several types of architectures. For instance, when used as a tunnel barrier, BiFeO 3 allows the observation of a large tunnel magnetoresistance with Co and (La,Sr)MnO 3 ferromagnetic electrodes. Also, its antiferromagnetic and magnetoelectric properties have been exploited to induce an exchange coupling with a ferromagnet. The mechanisms of such an exchange coupling open ways to electrically control magnetization and possibly the logic state of spintronics devices. We also discuss recent results concerning the use of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric (La,Bi)MnO 3 as an active tunnel barrier in magnetic tunnel junctions with Au and (La,Sr)MnO 3 electrodes. A four-resistance-state device has been obtained, with two states arising from a spin filtering effect due to the ferromagnetic character of the barrier and two resulting from the ferroelectric behavior of the (La,Bi)MnO 3 ultrathin film. These results show that the additional degree of freedom provided by the ferroelectric polarization brings novel functionalities to spintronics, either as a extra order parameter for multiple-state memory elements, or as a handle for gate-controlled magnetic memories.

Spintronics with multiferroics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bea, H; Gajek, M; Bibes, M; Barthelemy, A [Unite Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales, Route departementale 128, F-91767 Palaiseau (France); Universite Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay (France)], E-mail: agnes.barthelemy@thalesgroup.com

2008-10-29

In this paper, we review the recent research on the functionalization of multiferroics for spintronics applications. We focus more particularly on antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric BiFeO{sub 3} and its integration in several types of architectures. For instance, when used as a tunnel barrier, BiFeO{sub 3} allows the observation of a large tunnel magnetoresistance with Co and (La,Sr)MnO{sub 3} ferromagnetic electrodes. Also, its antiferromagnetic and magnetoelectric properties have been exploited to induce an exchange coupling with a ferromagnet. The mechanisms of such an exchange coupling open ways to electrically control magnetization and possibly the logic state of spintronics devices. We also discuss recent results concerning the use of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric (La,Bi)MnO{sub 3} as an active tunnel barrier in magnetic tunnel junctions with Au and (La,Sr)MnO{sub 3} electrodes. A four-resistance-state device has been obtained, with two states arising from a spin filtering effect due to the ferromagnetic character of the barrier and two resulting from the ferroelectric behavior of the (La,Bi)MnO{sub 3} ultrathin film. These results show that the additional degree of freedom provided by the ferroelectric polarization brings novel functionalities to spintronics, either as a extra order parameter for multiple-state memory elements, or as a handle for gate-controlled magnetic memories.

Spintronics Based on Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yabin; Wang, Kang L.

2016-10-01

Spintronics using topological insulators (TIs) as strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) materials have emerged and shown rapid progress in the past few years. Different from traditional heavy metals, TIs exhibit very strong SOC and nontrivial topological surface states that originate in the bulk band topology order, which can provide very efficient means to manipulate adjacent magnetic materials when passing a charge current through them. In this paper, we review the recent progress in the TI-based magnetic spintronics research field. In particular, we focus on the spin-orbit torque (SOT)-induced magnetization switching in the magnetic TI structures, spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) measurements in the TI/ferromagnet structures, spin pumping and spin injection effects in the TI/magnet structures, as well as the electrical detection of the surface spin-polarized current in TIs. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in the TI-based spintronics field and its potential applications in ultralow power dissipation spintronic memory and logic devices.

Nanoscale RRAM-based synaptic electronics: toward a neuromorphic computing device.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sangsu; Noh, Jinwoo; Choo, Myung-Lae; Sheri, Ahmad Muqeem; Chang, Man; Kim, Young-Bae; Kim, Chang Jung; Jeon, Moongu; Lee, Byung-Geun; Lee, Byoung Hun; Hwang, Hyunsang

2013-09-27

Efforts to develop scalable learning algorithms for implementation of networks of spiking neurons in silicon have been hindered by the considerable footprints of learning circuits, which grow as the number of synapses increases. Recent developments in nanotechnologies provide an extremely compact device with low-power consumption.In particular, nanoscale resistive switching devices (resistive random-access memory (RRAM)) are regarded as a promising solution for implementation of biological synapses due to their nanoscale dimensions, capacity to store multiple bits and the low energy required to operate distinct states. In this paper, we report the fabrication, modeling and implementation of nanoscale RRAM with multi-level storage capability for an electronic synapse device. In addition, we first experimentally demonstrate the learning capabilities and predictable performance by a neuromorphic circuit composed of a nanoscale 1 kbit RRAM cross-point array of synapses and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor neuron circuits. These developments open up possibilities for the development of ubiquitous ultra-dense, ultra-low-power cognitive computers.

Nanoscale RRAM-based synaptic electronics: toward a neuromorphic computing device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sangsu; Noh, Jinwoo; Choo, Myung-lae; Sheri, Ahmad Muqeem; Jeon, Moongu; Lee, Byung-Geun; Lee, Byoung Hun; Chang, Man; Kim, Young-Bae; Kim, Chang Jung; Hwang, Hyunsang

2013-01-01

Efforts to develop scalable learning algorithms for implementation of networks of spiking neurons in silicon have been hindered by the considerable footprints of learning circuits, which grow as the number of synapses increases. Recent developments in nanotechnologies provide an extremely compact device with low-power consumption. In particular, nanoscale resistive switching devices (resistive random-access memory (RRAM)) are regarded as a promising solution for implementation of biological synapses due to their nanoscale dimensions, capacity to store multiple bits and the low energy required to operate distinct states. In this paper, we report the fabrication, modeling and implementation of nanoscale RRAM with multi-level storage capability for an electronic synapse device. In addition, we first experimentally demonstrate the learning capabilities and predictable performance by a neuromorphic circuit composed of a nanoscale 1 kbit RRAM cross-point array of synapses and complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor neuron circuits. These developments open up possibilities for the development of ubiquitous ultra-dense, ultra-low-power cognitive computers. (paper)

Organic-based magnon spintronics

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haoliang; Zhang, Chuang; Malissa, Hans; Groesbeck, Matthew; Kavand, Marzieh; McLaughlin, Ryan; Jamali, Shirin; Hao, Jingjun; Sun, Dali; Davidson, Royce A.; Wojcik, Leonard; Miller, Joel S.; Boehme, Christoph; Vardeny, Z. Valy

2018-03-01

Magnonics concepts utilize spin-wave quanta (magnons) for information transmission, processing and storage. To convert information carried by magnons into an electric signal promises compatibility of magnonic devices with conventional electronic devices, that is, magnon spintronics1. Magnons in inorganic materials have been studied widely with respect to their generation2,3, transport4,5 and detection6. In contrast, resonant spin waves in the room-temperature organic-based ferrimagnet vanadium tetracyanoethylene (V(TCNE)x (x ≈ 2)), were detected only recently7. Herein we report room-temperature coherent magnon generation, transport and detection in films and devices based on V(TCNE)x using three different techniques, which include broadband ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and spin pumping into a Pt adjacent layer. V(TCNE)x can be grown as neat films on a large variety of substrates, and it exhibits extremely low Gilbert damping comparable to that in yttrium iron garnet. Our studies establish an alternative use for organic-based magnets, which, because of their synthetic versatility, may substantially enrich the field of magnon spintronics.

Thermoelectric efficiency of nanoscale devices in the linear regime

Science.gov (United States)

Bevilacqua, G.; Grosso, G.; Menichetti, G.; Pastori Parravicini, G.

2016-12-01

We study quantum transport through two-terminal nanoscale devices in contact with two particle reservoirs at different temperatures and chemical potentials. We discuss the general expressions controlling the electric charge current, heat currents, and the efficiency of energy transmutation in steady conditions in the linear regime. With focus in the parameter domain where the electron system acts as a power generator, we elaborate workable expressions for optimal efficiency and thermoelectric parameters of nanoscale devices. The general concepts are set at work in the paradigmatic cases of Lorentzian resonances and antiresonances, and the encompassing Fano transmission function: the treatments are fully analytic, in terms of the trigamma functions and Bernoulli numbers. From the general curves here reported describing transport through the above model transmission functions, useful guidelines for optimal efficiency and thermopower can be inferred for engineering nanoscale devices in energy regions where they show similar transmission functions.

A review on organic spintronic materials and devices: II. Magnetoresistance in organic spin valves and spin organic light emitting diodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rugang Geng

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the preceding review paper, Paper I [Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices 1 (2016 128–140], we showed the major experimental and theoretical studies on the first organic spintronic subject, namely organic magnetoresistance (OMAR in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs. The topic has recently been of renewed interest as a result of a demonstration of the magneto-conductance (MC that exceeds 1000% at room temperature using a certain type of organic compounds and device operating condition. In this report, we will review two additional organic spintronic devices, namely organic spin valves (OSVs where only spin polarized holes exist to cause magnetoresistance (MR, and spin organic light emitting diodes (spin-OLEDs where both spin polarized holes and electrons are injected into the organic emissive layer to form a magneto-electroluminescence (MEL hysteretic loop. First, we outline the major advances in OSV studies for understanding the underlying physics of the spin transport mechanism in organic semiconductors (OSCs and the spin injection/detection at the organic/ferromagnet interface (spinterface. We also highlight some of outstanding challenges in this promising research field. Second, the first successful demonstration of spin-OLEDs is reviewed. We also discuss challenges to achieve the high performance devices. Finally, we suggest an outlook on the future of organic spintronics by using organic single crystals and aligned polymers for the spin transport layer, and a self-assembled monolayer to achieve more controllability for the spinterface.

Nanoscale Device Properties of Tellurium-based Chalcogenide Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Dahal, Bishnu R.

The great progress achieved in miniaturization of microelectronic devices has now reached a distinct bottleneck, as devices are starting to approach the fundamental fabrication and performance limit. Even if a major breakthrough is made in the fabrication process, these scaled down electronic devices will not function properly since the quantum effects can no longer be neglected in the nanoscale regime. Advances in nanotechnology and new materials are driving novel technologies for future device applications. Current microelectronic devices have the smallest feature size, around 10 nm, and the industry is planning to switch away from silicon technology in the near future. The new technology will be fundamentally different. There are several leading technologies based on spintronics, tunneling transistors, and the newly discovered 2-dimensional material systems. All of these technologies are at the research level, and are far from ready for use in making devices in large volumes. This dissertation will focus on a very promising material system, Te-based chalcogenides, which have potential applications in spintronics, thermoelectricity and topological insulators that can lead to low-power-consumption electronics. Very recently it was predicted and experimentally observed that the spin-orbit interaction in certain materials can lead to a new electronic state called topological insulating phase. The topological insulator, like an ordinary insulator, has a bulk energy gap separating the highest occupied electronic band from the lowest empty band. However, the surface states in the case of a three-dimensional or edge states in a two-dimensional topological insulator allow electrons to conduct at the surface, due to the topological character of the bulk wavefunctions. These conducting states are protected by time-reversal symmetry, and cannot be eliminated by defects or chemical passivation. The edge/surface states satisfy Dirac dispersion relations, and hence the physics

Spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundler, Dirk

2003-01-01

Devices that exploit the spin of the electron promise to revolutionize microelectronics once polarized electrons can be injected efficiently into semiconductors at room temperature. Later this year physicists will be celebrating the centenary of Paul Dirac's birth. One of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, Dirac combined quantum mechanics and special relativity to explain the strange magnetic or 'spin' properties of the electron. What Dirac could not have foreseen, however, is how the spin of the electron could change the field of microelectronics. Indeed, the spin of the electron has attracted renewed interest recently because it promises a wide variety of new devices that combine logic, storage and sensor applications. Moreover, these 'Spintronics' devices might lead to quantum computers and quantum communication based on electronic solid-state devices, thus changing the perspective of information technology in the 21st century. Since the 1970s conventional electronic microprocessors have operated by shuttling packets of electronic charge along ever-smaller semiconductor channels. Although this trend will continue for the next few years, experts predict that silicon technology is beginning to approach fundamental limits. By 2008, for example, the width of the 'gate electrodes' in a silicon microprocessor will be just 45 nano metres across, which will place severe demands on the materials and manufacturing techniques used in the semiconductor industry. Indeed, the cost of implementing a new production line for such devices is predicted to reach $33bn. Although successors to silicon technology have been discussed, most of them rely on a complete set of new materials, new handling and processing techniques, and altered circuit design, among other developments. These new technologies include single-electron transistors and molecular-electronic devices based on organic materials or carbon nanotubes (see Carbon nanotubes roll on Physics World June

Simultaneous topographical, electrical and optical microscopy of optoelectronic devices at the nanoscale

KAUST Repository

Kumar, Naresh

2017-01-12

Novel optoelectronic devices rely on complex nanomaterial systems where the nanoscale morphology and local chemical composition are critical to performance. However, the lack of analytical techniques that can directly probe these structure-property relationships at the nanoscale presents a major obstacle to device development. In this work, we present a novel method for non-destructive, simultaneous mapping of the morphology, chemical composition and photoelectrical properties with <20 nm spatial resolution by combining plasmonic optical signal enhancement with electrical-mode scanning probe microscopy. We demonstrate that this combined approach offers subsurface sensitivity that can be exploited to provide molecular information with a nanoscale resolution in all three spatial dimensions. By applying the technique to an organic solar cell device, we show that the inferred surface and subsurface composition distribution correlates strongly with the local photocurrent generation and explains macroscopic device performance. For instance, the direct measurement of fullerene phase purity can distinguish between high purity aggregates that lead to poor performance and lower purity aggregates (fullerene intercalated with polymer) that result in strong photocurrent generation and collection. We show that the reliable determination of the structure-property relationship at the nanoscale can remove ambiguity from macroscopic device data and support the identification of the best routes for device optimisation. The multi-parameter measurement approach demonstrated herein is expected to play a significant role in guiding the rational design of nanomaterial-based optoelectronic devices, by opening a new realm of possibilities for advanced investigation via the combination of nanoscale optical spectroscopy with a whole range of scanning probe microscopy modes.

Bipolar spintronics: from spin injection to spin-controlled logic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zutic, Igor; Fabian, Jaroslav; Erwin, Steven C

2007-01-01

An impressive success of spintronic applications has been typically realized in metal-based structures which utilize magnetoresistive effects for substantial improvements in the performance of computer hard drives and magnetic random access memories. Correspondingly, the theoretical understanding of spin-polarized transport is usually limited to a metallic regime in a linear response, which, while providing a good description for data storage and magnetic memory devices, is not sufficient for signal processing and digital logic. In contrast, much less is known about possible applications of semiconductor-based spintronics and spin-polarized transport in related structures which could utilize strong intrinsic nonlinearities in current-voltage characteristics to implement spin-based logic. Here we discuss the challenges for realizing a particular class of structures in semiconductor spintronics: our proposal for bipolar spintronic devices in which carriers of both polarities (electrons and holes) contribute to spin-charge coupling. We formulate the theoretical framework for bipolar spin-polarized transport, and describe several novel effects in two- and three-terminal structures which arise from the interplay between nonequilibrium spin and equilibrium magnetization

Large resistance change on magnetic tunnel junction based molecular spintronics devices

Science.gov (United States)

Tyagi, Pawan; Friebe, Edward

2018-05-01

Molecular bridges covalently bonded to two ferromagnetic electrodes can transform ferromagnetic materials and produce intriguing spin transport characteristics. This paper discusses the impact of molecule induced strong coupling on the spin transport. To study molecular coupling effect the octametallic molecular cluster (OMC) was bridged between two ferromagnetic electrodes of a magnetic tunnel junction (Ta/Co/NiFe/AlOx/NiFe/Ta) along the exposed side edges. OMCs induced strong inter-ferromagnetic electrode coupling to yield drastic changes in transport properties of the magnetic tunnel junction testbed at the room temperature. These OMCs also transformed the magnetic properties of magnetic tunnel junctions. SQUID and ferromagnetic resonance studies provided insightful data to explain transport studies on the magnetic tunnel junction based molecular spintronics devices.

Humidity effects on the electronic transport properties in carbon based nanoscale device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Jun; Chen, Ke-Qiu

2012-01-01

By applying nonequilibrium Green's functions in combination with the density functional theory, we investigate the effect of humidity on the electronic transport properties in carbon based nanoscale device. The results show that different humidity may form varied localized potential barrier, which is a very important factor to affect the stability of electronic transport in the nanoscale system. A mechanism for the humidity effect is suggested. -- Highlights: ► Electronic transport in carbon based nanoscale device. ► Humidity affects the stability of electronic transport. ► Different humidity may form varied localized potential barrier.

Development of Nanoscale Graphitic Devices and The Transport Characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunasekaran, Venugopal

2011-02-01

This dissertation describes the development of graphitic based nanoscale devices with its fabrication and transport characterization results. It covers graphite nano-scale stacked-junctions fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) 3-D etching technique, a single layer graphite layer (graphene) preparation and its electrical transport characterization results and the synthesis and investigation of electrical transport behavior of graphene oxide based thin film devices. The first chapter describes the basic information about the carbon family in detail in which the electronic properties and structure of graphite, graphene and graphene oxide are discussed. In addition, the necessity of developing nanoscale graphitic devices is given. The second chapter explains the experimental techniques used in this research for fabricating nanoscale devices which includes focused ion beam 3-D fabrication procedures, mechanical exfoliation technique and photolithographic methods. In third chapter, we have reported the results on temperature dependence of graphite planar-type structures fabricated along ab-plane. In the fourth and fifth chapters, the fabrication and electrical transport characteristics of large in-plane area graphite planar-type structures (fabricated along ab-plane and c-axis) were discussed and their transport anisotropy properties were investigated briefly. In the sixth chapter, we focused the fabrication of the submicron sized graphite stacked junctions and their electrical transport characterization studies. In which, FIB was used to fabricated the submicron junctions with various in-plane area (with same stack height) are and their transport characteristics were compared. The seventh chapter reports investigation of electrical transport results of nanoscale graphite stacked-junctions in which the temperature dependent transport (R-T) studies, current-voltage measurements for the various in-plane areas and for various stack height samples were analyzed. The

Spin-filter scanning tunneling microscopy : a novel technique for the analysis of spin polarization on magnetic surfaces and spintronic devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vera Marun, I.J.

2010-01-01

This thesis deals with the development of a versatile technique to measure spin polarization with atomic resolution. A microscopy technique that can measure electronic spin polarization is relevant for characterization of magnetic nanostructures and spintronic devices. Scanning tunneling microscopy

Molecular spintronics using single-molecule magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Bogani, Lapo; Wernsdorfer, Wolfgang

2008-03-01

A revolution in electronics is in view, with the contemporary evolution of the two novel disciplines of spintronics and molecular electronics. A fundamental link between these two fields can be established using molecular magnetic materials and, in particular, single-molecule magnets. Here, we review the first progress in the resulting field, molecular spintronics, which will enable the manipulation of spin and charges in electronic devices containing one or more molecules. We discuss the advantages over more conventional materials, and the potential applications in information storage and processing. We also outline current challenges in the field, and propose convenient schemes to overcome them.

Semiconductor spintronics

CERN Document Server

Xia, Jianbai; Chang, Kai

2012-01-01

Semiconductor Spintronics, as an emerging research discipline and an important advanced field in physics, has developed quickly and obtained fruitful results in recent decades. This volume is the first monograph summarizing the physical foundation and the experimental results obtained in this field. With the culmination of the authors' extensive working experiences, this book presents the developing history of semiconductor spintronics, its basic concepts and theories, experimental results, and the prospected future development. This unique book intends to provide a systematic and modern foundation for semiconductor spintronics aimed at researchers, professors, post-doctorates, and graduate students, and to help them master the overall knowledge of spintronics.

Spintronics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

we will deal in an elementary fashion with the principles of spintronics. Introduction. Spintronics is the branch of science dealing with the ac- tive manipulation of spin degrees of freedom in solid state materials. .... polarized material can be done in many ways. The sim- plest way is to apply a transient magnetic field to a para-.

TUTORIAL: Focused-ion-beam-based rapid prototyping of nanoscale magnetic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Khizroev, S.; Litvinov, D.

2004-03-01

In this tutorial, focused-ion-beam (FIB)-based fabrication is considered from a very unconventional angle. FIB is considered not as a fabrication tool that can be used for mass production of electronic devices, similar to optical and E-beam—based lithography, but rather as a powerful tool to rapidly fabricate individual nanoscale magnetic devices for prototyping future electronic applications. Among the effects of FIB-based fabrication of magnetic devices, the influence of Ga+-ion implantation on magnetic properties is presented. With help of magnetic force microscopy (MFM), it is shown that there is a critical doze of ions that a magnetic material can be exposed to without experiencing a change in the magnetic properties. Exploiting FIB from such an unconventional perspective is especially favourable today when the future of so many novel technologies depends on the ability to rapidly fabricate prototype nanoscale magnetic devices. As one of the most illustrative examples, the multi-billion-dollar data storage industry is analysed as the technology field that strongly benefited from implementing FIB in the above-described role. The essential role of FIB in the most recent trend of the industry towards perpendicular magnetic recording is presented. Moreover, other emerging and fast-growing technologies are considered as examples of nanoscale technologies whose future could strongly depend on the implementation of FIB in the role of a nanoscale fabrication tool for rapid prototyping. Among the other described technologies are 'ballistic' magnetoresistance, patterned magnetic media, magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and magnetic force microscopy.

"Magnon Spintronics"

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Haiming; Xiao, Jiang; Pirro, Philipp

2018-03-01

We are proud to present a collection of 12 cutting-edge research articles on the emerging field "magnon spintronics" investigating the properties of spin waves or magnons towards their potential applications in low-power-consumption information technologies. Magnons (quasiparticles of spin waves) are collective excitations of magnetizations in a magnetic system. The concept for such excitations was first introduced 1930 by Felix Bloch [1] who described ferromagnetism in a lattice. The field of magnon spintronics [2] or magnonics [3] aims at utilizing magnons to realize information processing and storage. The propagation of spin waves is free of charge transport, hence a successful realization of magnonic devices can innately avoid Joule heating induced energy loss in nowadays micro- or nano-electronic devices. Magnonics has made many progresses in recent years, including the demonstration of magnonic logic devices [4]. Towards the aim to generate magnonic devices, it is an essential step to find materials suitable for conveying spin waves. One outstanding candidate is a ferromagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG). It offers an out standing low damping which allows the propagation of spin waves over relatively long distances. Experiments on such a thin YIG film with an out-of-plane magnetization have been performed by Chen et al. [5]. They excited so called forward volume mode spin waves and determined the propagating spin wave properties, such as the group velocities. Lohman et al. [6] has successfully imaged the propagating spin waves using time-resolved MOKE microscopy and show agreement with micromagnetic modellings. For very long time, YIG is the most ideal material for spin waves thanks to its ultra-low damping. However, it remains a major challenge integrate YIG on to Silicon substrate. Magnetic Heusler alloys on the other hand, can be easily grown on Si substrate and also shows reasonably good damping properties, which allow spin waves to propagate

A general circuit model for spintronic devices under electric and magnetic fields

KAUST Repository

Alawein, Meshal

2017-10-25

In this work, we present a circuit model of diffusive spintronic devices capable of capturing the effects of both electric and magnetic fields. Starting from a modified version of the well-established drift-diffusion equations, we derive general equivalent circuit models of semiconducting/metallic nonmagnets and metallic ferromagnets. In contrast to other models that are based on steady-state transport equations which might also neglect certain effects such as thermal fluctuations, spin dissipation in the ferromagnets, and spin precession under magnetic fields, our model incorporates most of the important physics and is based on a time-dependent formulation. An application of our model is shown through simulations of a nonlocal spin-valve under the presence of a magnetic field, where we reproduce experimental results of electrical measurements that demonstrate the phenomena of spin precession and dephasing (“Hanle effect”).

Molecular and nanoscale materials and devices in electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Lei; Cao, Lingchao; Liu, Yunqi; Zhu, Daoben

2004-12-13

Over the past several years, there have been many significant advances toward the realization of electronic computers integrated on the molecular scale and a much greater understanding of the types of materials that will be useful in molecular devices and their properties. It was demonstrated that individual molecules could serve as incomprehensibly tiny switch and wire one million times smaller than those on conventional silicon microchip. This has resulted very recently in the assembly and demonstration of tiny computer logic circuits built from such molecular scale devices. The purpose of this review is to provide a general introduction to molecular and nanoscale materials and devices in electronics.

Creation of Single Chain of Nanoscale Skyrmion Bubbles with Record-high Temperature Stability in a Geometrically Confined Nanostripe

KAUST Repository

Hou, Zhipeng; Zhang, Qiang; Xu, Guizhou; Gong, Chen; Ding, Bei; Wang, Yue; Li, Hang; Liu, Enke; Xu, Feng; Zhang, Hongwei; Yao, Yuan; Wu, Guangheng; Zhang, Xixiang; Wang, Wenhong

2018-01-01

Nanoscale topologically nontrivial spin textures, such as magnetic skyrmions, have been identified as promising candidates for the transport and storage of information for spintronic applications, notably magnetic racetrack memory devices. The design and realization of a single skyrmion chain at room temperature (RT) and above in the low-dimensional nanostructures are of great importance for future practical applications. Here, we report the creation of a single skyrmion bubble chain in a geometrically confined Fe3Sn2 nanostripe with a width comparable to the featured size of a skyrmion bubble. Systematic investigations on the thermal stability have revealed that the single chain of skyrmion bubbles can keep stable at temperatures varying from RT up to a record-high temperature of 630 K. This extreme stability can be ascribed to the weak temperature-dependent magnetic anisotropy and the formation of edge states at the boundaries of the nanostripes. The realization of the highly stable skyrmion bubble chain in a geometrically confined nanostructure is a very important step toward the application of skyrmion-based spintronic devices.

Creation of Single Chain of Nanoscale Skyrmion Bubbles with Record-high Temperature Stability in a Geometrically Confined Nanostripe

KAUST Repository

Hou, Zhipeng

2018-01-04

Nanoscale topologically nontrivial spin textures, such as magnetic skyrmions, have been identified as promising candidates for the transport and storage of information for spintronic applications, notably magnetic racetrack memory devices. The design and realization of a single skyrmion chain at room temperature (RT) and above in the low-dimensional nanostructures are of great importance for future practical applications. Here, we report the creation of a single skyrmion bubble chain in a geometrically confined Fe3Sn2 nanostripe with a width comparable to the featured size of a skyrmion bubble. Systematic investigations on the thermal stability have revealed that the single chain of skyrmion bubbles can keep stable at temperatures varying from RT up to a record-high temperature of 630 K. This extreme stability can be ascribed to the weak temperature-dependent magnetic anisotropy and the formation of edge states at the boundaries of the nanostripes. The realization of the highly stable skyrmion bubble chain in a geometrically confined nanostructure is a very important step toward the application of skyrmion-based spintronic devices.

Brain-like associative learning using a nanoscale non-volatile phase change synaptic device array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukru Burc Eryilmaz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Recent advances in neuroscience together with nanoscale electronic device technology have resulted in huge interests in realizing brain-like computing hardwares using emerging nanoscale memory devices as synaptic elements. Although there has been experimental work that demonstrated the operation of nanoscale synaptic element at the single device level, network level studies have been limited to simulations. In this work, we demonstrate, using experiments, array level associative learning using phase change synaptic devices connected in a grid like configuration similar to the organization of the biological brain. Implementing Hebbian learning with phase change memory cells, the synaptic grid was able to store presented patterns and recall missing patterns in an associative brain-like fashion. We found that the system is robust to device variations, and large variations in cell resistance states can be accommodated by increasing the number of training epochs. We illustrated the tradeoff between variation tolerance of the network and the overall energy consumption, and found that energy consumption is decreased significantly for lower variation tolerance.

Optical Biosensors: A Revolution Towards Quantum Nanoscale Electronics Device Fabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Dey

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The dimension of biomolecules is of few nanometers, so the biomolecular devices ought to be of that range so a better understanding about the performance of the electronic biomolecular devices can be obtained at nanoscale. Development of optical biomolecular device is a new move towards revolution of nano-bioelectronics. Optical biosensor is one of such nano-biomolecular devices that has a potential to pave a new dimension of research and device fabrication in the field of optical and biomedical fields. This paper is a very small report about optical biosensor and its development and importance in various fields.

Semiconductors put spin in spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, Dieter

2000-01-01

Electrons and holes, which carry the current in semiconductor devices, are quantum-mechanical objects characterized by a set of quantum numbers - the band index, the wave-vector (which is closely related to the electron or hole velocity) and spin. The spin, however, is one of the strangest properties of particles. In simple terms, we can think of the spin as an internal rotation of the electron, but it has no classical counterpart. The spin is connected to a quantized magnetic moment and hence acts as a microscopic magnet. Thus the electron spin can adopt one of two directions (''up'' or ''down'') in a magnetic field. The spin plays no role in conventional electronics and the current in any semiconductor device is made up of a mixture of electrons with randomly oriented spins. However, a new range of electronic devices that transport the spin of the electrons, in addition to their charge, is being developed. But the biggest obstacle to making practical ''spin electronic'' or ''spintronic'' devices so far has been finding a way of injecting spin-polarized electrons or holes into the semiconductor and then detecting them. Recently a team of physicists from the University of Wuerzburg in Germany, and also a collaboration of researchers from Tohoku University in Japan and the University of California at Santa Barbara, have found a way round these problems using either semi-magnetic or ferromagnetic semiconductors as ''spin aligners'' (R Fiederling et al. 1999 Nature 402 787; Y Ohno et al. 1999 Nature 402 790). In this article the author presents the latest breakthrough in spintronics research. (UK)

Organic spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naber, W J M; Faez, S; Wiel, W G van der

2007-01-01

We review the emerging field of organic spintronics, where organic materials are applied as a medium to transport and control spin-polarized signals. The contacts for injecting and detecting spins are formed by ferromagnetic metals, oxides, or inorganic semiconductors. First, the basic concepts of spintronics and organic electronics are addressed, and phenomena which are in particular relevant for organic spintronics are highlighted. Experiments using different organic materials, including carbon nanotubes, organic thin films, self-assembled monolayers and single molecules are then reviewed. Observed magnetoresistance points toward successful spin injection and detection, but spurious magnetoresistance effects can easily be confused with spin accumulation. A few studies report long spin relaxation times and lengths, which forms a promising basis for further research. We conclude with discussing outstanding questions and problems. (topical review)

Perspective: Ultrafast magnetism and THz spintronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walowski, Jakob; Münzenberg, Markus [Institut für Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald (Germany)

2016-10-14

This year the discovery of femtosecond demagnetization by laser pulses is 20 years old. For the first time, this milestone work by Bigot and coworkers gave insight directly into the time scales of microscopic interactions that connect the spin and electron system. While intense discussions in the field were fueled by the complexity of the processes in the past, it now became evident that it is a puzzle of many different parts. Rather than providing an overview that has been presented in previous reviews on ultrafast processes in ferromagnets, this perspective will show that with our current depth of knowledge the first applications are developed: THz spintronics and all-optical spin manipulation are becoming more and more feasible. The aim of this perspective is to point out where we can connect the different puzzle pieces of understanding gathered over 20 years to develop novel applications. Based on many observations in a large number of experiments. Differences in the theoretical models arise from the localized and delocalized nature of ferromagnetism. Transport effects are intrinsically non-local in spintronic devices and at interfaces. We review the need for multiscale modeling to address the processes starting from electronic excitation of the spin system on the picometer length scale and sub-femtosecond time scale, to spin wave generation, and towards the modeling of ultrafast phase transitions that altogether determine the response time of the ferromagnetic system. Today, our current understanding gives rise to the first usage of ultrafast spin physics for ultrafast magnetism control: THz spintronic devices. This makes the field of ultrafast spin-dynamics an emerging topic open for many researchers right now.

Perspective: Ultrafast magnetism and THz spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walowski, Jakob; Münzenberg, Markus

2016-01-01

This year the discovery of femtosecond demagnetization by laser pulses is 20 years old. For the first time, this milestone work by Bigot and coworkers gave insight directly into the time scales of microscopic interactions that connect the spin and electron system. While intense discussions in the field were fueled by the complexity of the processes in the past, it now became evident that it is a puzzle of many different parts. Rather than providing an overview that has been presented in previous reviews on ultrafast processes in ferromagnets, this perspective will show that with our current depth of knowledge the first applications are developed: THz spintronics and all-optical spin manipulation are becoming more and more feasible. The aim of this perspective is to point out where we can connect the different puzzle pieces of understanding gathered over 20 years to develop novel applications. Based on many observations in a large number of experiments. Differences in the theoretical models arise from the localized and delocalized nature of ferromagnetism. Transport effects are intrinsically non-local in spintronic devices and at interfaces. We review the need for multiscale modeling to address the processes starting from electronic excitation of the spin system on the picometer length scale and sub-femtosecond time scale, to spin wave generation, and towards the modeling of ultrafast phase transitions that altogether determine the response time of the ferromagnetic system. Today, our current understanding gives rise to the first usage of ultrafast spin physics for ultrafast magnetism control: THz spintronic devices. This makes the field of ultrafast spin-dynamics an emerging topic open for many researchers right now.

Topological insulator materials and nanostructures for future electronics, spintronics and energy conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantser, Valeriu

2011-01-01

Two fundamental electrons attributes in materials and nanostructures - charge and spin - determine their electronic properties. The processing of information in conventional electronic devices is based only on the charge of the electrons. Spin electronics, or spintronics, uses the spin of electrons, as well as their charge, to process information. Metals, semiconductors and insulators are the basic materials that constitute the components of electronic devices, and these have been transforming all aspects of society for over a century. In contrast, magnetic metals, half-metals, magnetic semiconductors, dilute magnetic semiconductors and magnetic insulators are the materials that will form the basis for spintronic devices. Materials with topological band structure attributes and having a zero-energy band gap surface states are a special class of these materials that exhibit some fascinating and superior electronic properties compared to conventional materials allowing to combine both charge and spin functionalities. This article reviews a range of topological insulator materials and nanostructures with tunable surface states, focusing on nanolayered and nanowire like structures. These materials and nanostructures all have intriguing physical properties and numerous potential practical applications in spintronics, electronics, optics and sensors.

Spintronics: The molecular way

Science.gov (United States)

Cornia, Andrea; Seneor, Pierre

2017-05-01

Molecular spintronics is an interdisciplinary field at the interface between organic spintronics, molecular magnetism, molecular electronics and quantum computing, which is advancing fast and promises large technological payoffs.

Damping constant measurement and inverse giant magnetoresistance in spintronic devices with Fe4N

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuan Li

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Fe4N is one of the attractive materials for spintronic devices due to its large spin asymmetric conductance and negative spin polarization at the Fermi level. We have successfully deposited Fe4N thin film with (001 out-of-plane orientation using a DC facing-target-sputtering system. A Fe(001/Ag(001 composite buffer layer is selected to improve the (001 orientation of the Fe4N thin film. The N2 partial pressure during sputtering is optimized to promote the formation of Fe4N phase. Moreover, we have measured the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR of the (001 oriented Fe4N thin film using coplanar waveguides and microwave excitation. The resonant fields are tested under different microwave excitation frequencies, and the experimental results match well with the Kittel formula. The Gilbert damping constant of Fe4N is determined to be α = 0.021±0.02. We have also fabricated and characterized the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP giant magnetoresistance (GMR device with Fe4N/Ag/Fe sandwich. Inverse giant magnetoresistance is observed in the CPP GMR device, which suggests that the spin polarization of Fe4N and Fe4N/Ag interface is negative.

Nanoscale device physics science and engineering fundamentals

CERN Document Server

Tiwari, Sandip

2017-01-01

Nanoscale devices are distinguishable from the larger microscale devices in their specific dependence on physical phenomena and effects that are central to their operation. The size change manifests itself through changes in importance of the phenomena and effects that become dominant and the changes in scale of underlying energetics and response. Examples of these include classical effects such as single electron effects, quantum effects such as the states accessible as well as their properties; ensemble effects ranging from consequences of the laws of numbers to changes in properties arising from different magnitudes of the inter-actions, and others. These interactions, with the limits placed on size, make not just electronic, but also magnetic, optical and mechanical behavior interesting, important and useful. Connecting these properties to the behavior of devices is the focus of this textbook. Description of the book series: This collection of four textbooks in the Electroscience series span the undergrad...

Towards nanoscale magnetic memory elements : fabrication and properties of sub - 100 nm magnetic tunnel junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fabrie, C.G.C.H.M.

2008-01-01

The rapidly growing field of spintronics has recently attracted much attention. Spintronics is electronics in which the spin degree of freedom has been added to conventional chargebased electronic devices. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is an example of a spintronic device. MTJs consist of two

Recent Advance in Organic Spintronics and Magnetic Field Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Valy Vardeny, Z.

2013-03-01

In this talk several important advances in the field of Organic Spintronics and magnetic field effect (MFE) of organic films and optoelectronic devices that have occurred during the past two years from the Utah group will be surveyed and discussed. (i) Organic Spintronics: We demonstrated spin organic light emitting diode (spin-OLED) using two FM injecting electrodes, where the electroluminescence depends on the mutual orientation of the electrode magnetization directions. This development has opened up research studies into organic spin-valves (OSV) in the space-charge limited current regime. (ii) Magnetic field effect: We demonstrated that the photoinduced absorption spectrum in organic films (where current is not involved) show pronounced MFE. This unravels the underlying mechanism of the MFE in organic devices, to be more in agreement with the field of MFE in Biochemistry. (iii) Spin effects in organic optoelectronic devices: We demonstrated that certain spin 1/2 radical additives to donor-acceptor blends substantially enhance the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells. This effect shows that studies of spin response and MFE in OPV devices are promising. In collaboration with T. Nguyen, E. Ehrenfreund, B. Gautam, Y. Zhang and T. Basel. Supported by the DOE grant 04ER46109 ; NSF Grant # DMR-1104495 and MSF-MRSEC program DMR-1121252 [2,3].

Nanoscale characterisation of electronic and spintronic nitrides and arsenides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fay, M W; Han, Y; Edmonds, K W; Wang, K; Campion, R P; Gallagher, B L; Foxon, C T; Hilton, K P; Masterton, A; Wallis, D; Balmer, R S; Uren, M J; Martin, T; Brown, P D

2006-01-01

The limits of applicability of the nanoscale spatial resolution analysis techniques of EFTEM, CBED and dark field imaging as applied to ohmic contacts to AlGaN/GaN and Mn distribution within Ga 1-x Mn x As epilayers are considered. EFTEM can be limited by acquisition times necessitating the post processing of images to compensate for sample drift. Complementary technique of assessment are required to address problems of peak overlaps in energy loss spectra or signal to noise problems for low elemental concentrations. The use of 002 dark field imaging to appraise Ga 1-x Mn x As epilayers is demonstrated

Ballistic calculation of nonequilibrium Green's function in nanoscale devices using finite element method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurniawan, O; Bai, P; Li, E

2009-01-01

A ballistic calculation of a full quantum mechanical system is presented to study 2D nanoscale devices. The simulation uses the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) approach to calculate the transport properties of the devices. While most available software uses the finite difference discretization technique, our work opts to formulate the NEGF calculation using the finite element method (FEM). In calculating a ballistic device, the FEM gives some advantages. In the FEM, the floating boundary condition for ballistic devices is satisfied naturally. This paper gives a detailed finite element formulation of the NEGF calculation applied to a double-gate MOSFET device with a channel length of 10 nm and a body thickness of 3 nm. The potential, electron density, Fermi functions integrated over the transverse energy, local density of states and the transmission coefficient of the device have been studied. We found that the transmission coefficient is significantly affected by the top of the barrier between the source and the channel, which in turn depends on the gate control. This supports the claim that ballistic devices can be modelled by the transport properties at the top of the barrier. Hence, the full quantum mechanical calculation presented here confirms the theory of ballistic transport in nanoscale devices.

Electronic structure and magnetism of new ilmenite compounds for spintronic devices: FeBO{sub 3} (B = Ti, Hf, Zr, Si, Ge, Sn)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribeiro, R.A.P. [Department of Chemistry, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. General Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil); Camilo, A. [Department of Physics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. General Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil); Lazaro, S.R. de, E-mail: srlazaro@uepg.br [Department of Chemistry, State University of Ponta Grossa, Av. General Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil)

2015-11-15

First-principles calculations were performed in the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT) within hybrid functional (B3LYP) to study the electronic structure and magnetic properties of new ilmenite FeBO{sub 3} (B=Ti, Hf, Zr, Si, Ge, Sn) materials. In particular, the magnetic exchange interaction between Fe{sup 2+} layers is dependent on the interlayer distance and it can be controlled by ionic radius of B-site cation. Thus, Fe(Ti, Si, Ge)O{sub 3} are antiferromagnetic materials, while Fe(Zr, Hf, Sn)O{sub 3} are ferromagnetic. We also argue that antiferromagnetic materials and FeZrO{sub 3} are convectional semiconductors, whereas FeHfO{sub 3} and FeSnO{sub 3} exhibit intrinsic half-metallic behavior, making them promising candidates for spintronic devices. - Highlights: • We study electronic structure and magnetism of new FeBO{sub 3} (B=Ti, Hf, Zr, Si, Ge, Sn) ilmenite materials. • We found that magnetic ordering of Fe-based ilmenite materials can be controlled by size of B-site cation. • Fe(Ti, Zr, Si, Ge)O{sub 3} are convectional semiconductors. • FeHfO{sub 3} and FeSnO{sub 3} exhibit intrinsic half-metallic behavior with potential application for spintronic devices.

Integration of spintronic interface for nanomagnetic arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Lyle

2011-12-01

Full Text Available An experimental demonstration utilizing a spintronic input/output (I/O interface for arrays of closely spaced nanomagnets is presented. The free layers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs form dipole coupled nanomagnet arrays which can be applied to different contexts including Magnetic Quantum Cellular Automata (MQCA for logic applications and self-biased devices for field sensing applications. Dipole coupled nanomagnet arrays demonstrate adaptability to a variety of contexts due to the ability for tuning of magnetic response. Spintronics allows individual nanomagnets to be manipulated with spin transfer torque and monitored with magnetoresistance. This facilitates measurement of the magnetic coupling which is important for (yet to be demonstrated data propagation reliability studies. In addition, the same magnetic coupling can be tuned to reduce coercivity for field sensing. Dipole coupled nanomagnet arrays have the potential to be thousands of times more energy efficient than CMOS technology for logic applications, and they also have the potential to form multi-axis field sensors.

Advances in graphene spintronics

Science.gov (United States)

van Wees, Bart

I will give an overview of the status of graphene spintronics, from both scientific as technological perspectives. In the introduction I will show that (single) layer graphene is the ideal host for electronic spins, allowing spin transport by diffusion over distances exceeding 20 micrometers at room temperature. I will show how by the use of carrier drift, induced by charge currents, effective spin relaxation lengths of 90 micrometer can be obtained in graphene encapsulated between boron-nitride layers. This also allows the controlled flow and guiding of spin currents, opening new avenues for spin logic devices based on lateral architectures. By preparing graphene on top of a ferromagnetic insulator (yttrium iron garnet (YIG)) we have shown that we can induce an exchange interaction in the graphene, thus effectively making the graphene magnetic. This allows for new ways to induce and control spin precession for new applications. Finally I will show how, by using two-layer BN tunnel barriers, spins can be injected from a ferromagnet into graphene with a spin polarization which can be tuned continuously from -80% to 40%, using a bias range from -0.3V to 0.3V across the barrier. These unique record values of the spin polarization are not yet understood, but they highlight the potential of Van der Waals stacking of graphene and related 2D materials for spintronics.

Nanomagnetism and spintronics

CERN Document Server

Shinjo, Teruya

2014-01-01

The concise and accessible chapters of Nanomagnetism and Spintronics, Second Edition, cover the most recent research in areas of spin-current generation, spin-calorimetric effect, voltage effects on magnetic properties, spin-injection phenomena, giant magnetoresistance (GMR), and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). Spintronics is a cutting-edge area in the field of magnetism that studies the interplay of magnetism and transport phenomena, demonstrating how electrons not only have charge but also spin. This second edition provides the background to understand this novel physical phenomeno

Antiferromagnetic spintronics

KAUST Repository

Baltz, V.

2018-02-15

Antiferromagnetic materials could represent the future of spintronic applications thanks to the numerous interesting features they combine: they are robust against perturbation due to magnetic fields, produce no stray fields, display ultrafast dynamics, and are capable of generating large magnetotransport effects. Intense research efforts over the past decade have been invested in unraveling spin transport properties in antiferromagnetic materials. Whether spin transport can be used to drive the antiferromagnetic order and how subsequent variations can be detected are some of the thrilling challenges currently being addressed. Antiferromagnetic spintronics started out with studies on spin transfer and has undergone a definite revival in the last few years with the publication of pioneering articles on the use of spin-orbit interactions in antiferromagnets. This paradigm shift offers possibilities for radically new concepts for spin manipulation in electronics. Central to these endeavors are the need for predictive models, relevant disruptive materials, and new experimental designs. This paper reviews the most prominent spintronic effects described based on theoretical and experimental analysis of antiferromagnetic materials. It also details some of the remaining bottlenecks and suggests possible avenues for future research. This review covers both spin-transfer-related effects, such as spin-transfer torque, spin penetration length, domain-wall motion, and

Antiferromagnetic spintronics

KAUST Repository

Baltz, V.; Manchon, Aurelien; Tsoi, M.; Moriyama, T.; Ono, T.; Tserkovnyak, Y.

2018-01-01

Antiferromagnetic materials could represent the future of spintronic applications thanks to the numerous interesting features they combine: they are robust against perturbation due to magnetic fields, produce no stray fields, display ultrafast dynamics, and are capable of generating large magnetotransport effects. Intense research efforts over the past decade have been invested in unraveling spin transport properties in antiferromagnetic materials. Whether spin transport can be used to drive the antiferromagnetic order and how subsequent variations can be detected are some of the thrilling challenges currently being addressed. Antiferromagnetic spintronics started out with studies on spin transfer and has undergone a definite revival in the last few years with the publication of pioneering articles on the use of spin-orbit interactions in antiferromagnets. This paradigm shift offers possibilities for radically new concepts for spin manipulation in electronics. Central to these endeavors are the need for predictive models, relevant disruptive materials, and new experimental designs. This paper reviews the most prominent spintronic effects described based on theoretical and experimental analysis of antiferromagnetic materials. It also details some of the remaining bottlenecks and suggests possible avenues for future research. This review covers both spin-transfer-related effects, such as spin-transfer torque, spin penetration length, domain-wall motion, and

Addressing the challenges of using ferromagnetic electrodes in the magnetic tunnel junction-based molecular spintronics devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, Pawan; Friebe, Edward; Baker, Collin

2015-01-01

Addressing the challenges of using high-Curie temperature ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes is critical for molecular spintronics devices (MSDs) research. Two FM electrodes simultaneously chemically bonded with a thiol-functionalized molecule can produce novel MSDs to exploring new quantum mechanical phenomenon and computer technologies. For developing a commercially viable MSD, it is crucial to developing a device fabrication scheme that carefully considers FM electrodes’ susceptibility to oxidation, chemical etching, and stress-induced deformations during fabrication and usage. This paper studies NiFe, an alloy extensively used in present-day memory devices and high-temperature engineering applications, as a candidate FM electrode for the fabrication of MSDs. Our spectroscopic reflectance studies show that NiFe oxidized aggressively after heating beyond ∼90 °C. The NiFe surfaces, aged for several months or heated for several minutes below ∼90 °C, exhibited remarkable electrochemical activity and were found suitable for chemical bonding with the thiol-functionalized molecular device elements. NiFe also demonstrated excellent etching resistance against commonly used solvents and lithography related chemicals. Additionally, NiFe mitigated the adverse effects of mechanical stress by subsiding the stress-induced deformities. A magnetic tunnel junction-based MSD approach was designed by carefully considering the merits and limitations of NiFe. The device fabrication protocol considers the safe temperature limit to avoiding irreversible surface oxidation, the effect of mechanical stresses, surface roughness, and chemical etching. This paper provides foundational experimental insights in realizing a versatile MSD allowing a wide range of transport and magnetic studies

Spin-inversion in nanoscale graphene sheets with a Rashba spin-orbit barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Somaieh Ahmadi

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Spin-inversion properties of an electron in nanoscale graphene sheets with a Rashba spin-orbit barrier is studied using transfer matrix method. It is found that for proper values of Rashba spin-orbit strength, perfect spin-inversion can occur in a wide range of electron incident angle near the normal incident. In this case, the graphene sheet with Rashba spin-orbit barrier can be considered as an electron spin-inverter. The efficiency of spin-inverter can increase up to a very high value by increasing the length of Rashba spin-orbit barrier. The effect of intrinsic spin-orbit interaction on electron spin inversion is then studied. It is shown that the efficiency of spin-inverter decreases slightly in the presence of intrinsic spin-orbit interaction. The present study can be used to design graphene-based spintronic devices.

All-polymer bistable resistive memory device based on nanoscale phase-separated PCBM-ferroelectric blends

KAUST Repository

Khan, Yasser; Bhansali, Unnat Sampatraj; Cha, Dong Kyu; Alshareef, Husam N.

2012-01-01

All polymer nonvolatile bistable memory devices are fabricated from blends of ferroelectric poly(vinylidenefluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) and n-type semiconducting [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The nanoscale phase

Multi-parameter optimization of a nanomagnetic system for spintronic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales Meza, Mishel; Zubieta Rico, Pablo F.; Horley, Paul P.; Sukhov, Alexander; Vieira, Vítor R.

2014-01-01

Magnetic properties of nano-particles feature many interesting physical phenomena that are essentially important for the creation of a new generation of spin-electronic devices. The magnetic stability of the nano-particles can be improved by formation of ordered particle arrays, which should be optimized over several parameters. Here we report successful optimization regarding inter-particle distance and applied field frequency allowing to obtain about three-times reduction of coercivity of a particle array compared to that of a single particle, which opens new perspectives for development of new spintronic devices

Multi-parameter optimization of a nanomagnetic system for spintronic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morales Meza, Mishel [Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. (CIMAV), Chihuahua/Monterrey, 120 Avenida Miguel de Cervantes, 31109 Chihuahua (Mexico); Zubieta Rico, Pablo F. [Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. (CIMAV), Chihuahua/Monterrey, 120 Avenida Miguel de Cervantes, 31109 Chihuahua (Mexico); Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Querétaro, Libramiento Norponiente 2000, Fracc. Real de Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro (Mexico); Horley, Paul P., E-mail: paul.horley@cimav.edu.mx [Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. (CIMAV), Chihuahua/Monterrey, 120 Avenida Miguel de Cervantes, 31109 Chihuahua (Mexico); Sukhov, Alexander [Institut für Physik, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); Vieira, Vítor R. [Centro de Física das Interacções Fundamentais (CFIF), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)

2014-11-15

Magnetic properties of nano-particles feature many interesting physical phenomena that are essentially important for the creation of a new generation of spin-electronic devices. The magnetic stability of the nano-particles can be improved by formation of ordered particle arrays, which should be optimized over several parameters. Here we report successful optimization regarding inter-particle distance and applied field frequency allowing to obtain about three-times reduction of coercivity of a particle array compared to that of a single particle, which opens new perspectives for development of new spintronic devices.

Perspectives of antiferromagnetic spintronics

Science.gov (United States)

Jungfleisch, Matthias B.; Zhang, Wei; Hoffmann, Axel

2018-04-01

Antiferromagnets are promising for future spintronic applications owing to their advantageous properties: They are magnetically ordered, but neighboring magnetic moments point in opposite directions, which results in zero net magnetization. This means antiferromagnets produce no stray fields and are insensitive to external magnetic field perturbations. Furthermore, they show intrinsic high frequency dynamics, exhibit considerable spin-orbit and magneto-transport effects. Over the past decade, it has been realized that antiferromagnets have more to offer than just being utilized as passive components in exchange bias applications. This development resulted in a paradigm shift, which opens the pathway to novel concepts using antiferromagnets for spin-based technologies and applications. This article gives a broad perspective on antiferromagnetic spintronics. In particular, the manipulation and detection of antiferromagnetic states by spintronics effects, as well as spin transport and dynamics in antiferromagnetic materials will be discussed. We will also outline current challenges and future research directions in this emerging field.

Perspectives of antiferromagnetic spintronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jungfleisch, Matthias B.; Zhang, Wei; Hoffmann, Axel

2018-04-01

Antiferromagnets are promising for future spintronics applications owing to their interesting properties: They are magnetically ordered, but neighboring magnetic moments point in opposite directions which results in zero net magneti- zation. This means antiferromagnets produce no stray fields and are insensitive to external magnetic field perturbations. Furthermore, they show intrinsic high frequency dynamics, exhibit considerable spin-orbit and magneto-transport effects. Over the past decade, it has been realized that antiferromagnets have more to offer than just being utilized as passive components in exchange bias applications. This development resulted in a paradigm shift, which opens the pathway to novel concepts using antiferromagnets for spin-based technologies and applications. This article gives a broad per- spective on antiferromagnetic spintronics. In particular, the manipulation and detection of anitferromagnetic states by spintronics effects, as well as spin transport and dynamics in antiferromagnetic materials will be discussed. We will also outline current challenges and future research directions in this emerging field.

Giant magnetoresistance in lateral metallic nanostructures for spintronic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahnd, G; Vila, L; Pham, V T; Marty, A; Beigné, C; Vergnaud, C; Attané, J P

2017-08-25

In this letter, we discuss the shift observed in spintronics from the current-perpendicular-to-plane geometry towards lateral geometries, illustrating the new opportunities offered by this configuration. Using CoFe-based all-metallic LSVs, we show that giant magnetoresistance variations of more than 10% can be obtained, competitive with the current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance. We then focus on the interest of being able to tailor freely the geometries. On the one hand, by tailoring the non-magnetic parts, we show that it is possible to enhance the spin signal of giant magnetoresistance structures. On the other hand, we show that tailoring the geometry of lateral structures allows creating a multilevel memory with high spin signals, by controlling the coercivity and shape anisotropy of the magnetic parts. Furthermore, we study a new device in which the magnetization direction of a nanodisk can be detected. We thus show that the ability to control the magnetic properties can be used to take advantage of all the spin degrees of freedom, which are usually occulted in current-perpendicular-to-plane devices. This flexibility of lateral structures relatively to current-perpendicular-to-plane structures is thus found to offer a new playground for the development of spintronic applications.

Antiferromagnetic spintronics

Science.gov (United States)

Baltz, V.; Manchon, A.; Tsoi, M.; Moriyama, T.; Ono, T.; Tserkovnyak, Y.

2018-01-01

Antiferromagnetic materials could represent the future of spintronic applications thanks to the numerous interesting features they combine: they are robust against perturbation due to magnetic fields, produce no stray fields, display ultrafast dynamics, and are capable of generating large magnetotransport effects. Intense research efforts over the past decade have been invested in unraveling spin transport properties in antiferromagnetic materials. Whether spin transport can be used to drive the antiferromagnetic order and how subsequent variations can be detected are some of the thrilling challenges currently being addressed. Antiferromagnetic spintronics started out with studies on spin transfer and has undergone a definite revival in the last few years with the publication of pioneering articles on the use of spin-orbit interactions in antiferromagnets. This paradigm shift offers possibilities for radically new concepts for spin manipulation in electronics. Central to these endeavors are the need for predictive models, relevant disruptive materials, and new experimental designs. This paper reviews the most prominent spintronic effects described based on theoretical and experimental analysis of antiferromagnetic materials. It also details some of the remaining bottlenecks and suggests possible avenues for future research. This review covers both spin-transfer-related effects, such as spin-transfer torque, spin penetration length, domain-wall motion, and "magnetization" dynamics, and spin-orbit related phenomena, such as (tunnel) anisotropic magnetoresistance, spin Hall, and inverse spin galvanic effects. Effects related to spin caloritronics, such as the spin Seebeck effect, are linked to the transport of magnons in antiferromagnets. The propagation of spin waves and spin superfluids in antiferromagnets is also covered.

Heterojunction metal-oxide-metal Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au single nanowire device for spintronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reddy, K. M., E-mail: mrkongara@boisestate.edu; Punnoose, Alex; Hanna, Charles [Department of Physics, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725 (United States); Padture, Nitin P. [School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)

2015-05-07

In this report, we present the synthesis of heterojunction magnetite nanowires in alumina template and describe magnetic and electrical properties from a single nanowire device for spintronics applications. Heterojunction Au-Fe-Au nanowire arrays were electrodeposited in porous aluminum oxide templates, and an extensive and controlled heat treatment process converted Fe segment to nanocrystalline cubic magnetite phase with well-defined Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} interfaces as confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy. Magnetic measurements revealed Verwey transition shoulder around 120 K and a room temperature coercive field of 90 Oe. Current–voltage (I-V) characteristics of a single Au-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au nanowire have exhibited Ohmic behavior. Anomalous positive magnetoresistance of about 0.5% is observed on a single nanowire, which is attributed to the high spin polarization in nanowire device with pure Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase and nanocontact barrier. This work demonstrates the ability to preserve the pristine Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and well defined electrode contact metal (Au)–magnetite interface, which helps in attaining high spin polarized current.

A review on organic spintronic materials and devices: I. Magnetic field effect on organic light emitting diodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rugang Geng

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Organic spintronics is an emerging and potential platform for future electronics and display due to the intriguing properties of organic semiconductors (OSCs. For the past decade, studies have focused on three types of organic spintronic phenomena: (i magnetic field effect (MFE in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs, where spin mixing between singlet and triplet polaron pairs (PP can be influenced by an external magnetic field leading to organic magnetoresistive effect (OMAR; (ii magnetoresistance (MR in organic spin valves (OSVs, where spin injection, transport, manipulation, and detection have been demonstrated; and (iii magnetoelectroluminescence (MEL bipolar OSVs or spin-OLEDs, where spin polarized electrons and holes are simultaneously injected into the OSC layer, leading to the dependence of electroluminescence intensity on relative magnetization of the electrodes. In this first of two review papers, we present major experimental results on OMAR studies and current understanding of OMAR using several spin dependent processes in organic semiconductors. During the discussion, we highlight some of the outstanding challenges in this promising research field. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future of organic spintronics.

Special Heusler compounds for spintronic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balke, B.

2007-07-01

This work emphasizes the potential of Heusler compounds in a wide range of spintronic applications. Using electronic structure calculations it is possible to design compounds for specific applications. Examples for GMR and TMR applications, for spin injection into semiconductors, and for spin torque transfer applications will be shown. After a detailed introduction about spintronics and related materials chapter 5 reports about the investigation of new half-metallic compounds where the Fermi energy is tuned in the middle of the gap to result in more stable compounds for GMR and TMR applications. The bulk properties of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co{sub 2}Mn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}Si with the Fe concentration ranging from x=0 to 1 are reported and the results suggest that the best candidate for applications may be found at an iron concentration of about 50%. Due to the effect that in the Co{sub 2}Mn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}Si series the transition metal carrying the localized moment is exchanged and this might lead to unexpected effects on the magnetic properties if the samples are not completely homogeneous chapter 6 reports about the optimization of the Heusler compounds for GMR and TMR applications. The structural and magnetic properties of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co{sub 2}FeAl{sub 1-x}Si{sub x} with varying Si concentration are reported. From the combination of experimental (better order for high Si content) and theoretical findings (robust gap at x=0.5) it is concluded that a compound with an intermediate Si concentration close to x=0.5-0.7 would be best suited for spintronic applications, especially for GMR and TMR applications. In chapter 7 the detailed investigation of compounds for spin injection into semiconductors is reported. It is shown that the diluted magnetic semiconductors based on CoTiSb with a very low lattice mismatch among each other are interesting materials for spintronics applications like Spin-LEDs or other spin injection devices. Chapter 8 refers

Multi-parameter geometrical scaledown study for energy optimization of MTJ and related spintronics nanodevices

Science.gov (United States)

Farhat, I. A. H.; Alpha, C.; Gale, E.; Atia, D. Y.; Stein, A.; Isakovic, A. F.

The scaledown of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) and related nanoscale spintronics devices poses unique challenges for energy optimization of their performance. We demonstrate the dependence of the switching current on the scaledown variable, while considering the influence of geometric parameters of MTJ, such as the free layer thickness, tfree, lateral size of the MTJ, w, and the anisotropy parameter of the MTJ. At the same time, we point out which values of the saturation magnetization, Ms, and anisotropy field, Hk, can lead to lowering the switching current and overall decrease of the energy needed to operate an MTJ. It is demonstrated that scaledown via decreasing the lateral size of the MTJ, while allowing some other parameters to be unconstrained, can improve energy performance by a measurable factor, shown to be the function of both geometric and physical parameters above. Given the complex interdependencies among both families of parameters, we developed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm that can simultaneously lower energy of operation and the switching current density. Results we obtained in scaledown study and via PSO optimization are compared to experimental results. Support by Mubadala-SRC 2012-VJ-2335 is acknowledged, as are staff at Cornell-CNF and BNL-CFN.

Spin-chemistry concepts for spintronics scientists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantin L. Ivanov

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Spin chemistry and spintronics developed independently and with different terminology. Until now, the interaction between the two fields has been very limited. In this review, we compile the two “languages” in an effort to enhance communication. We expect that knowledge of spin chemistry will accelerate progress in spintronics.

Inverse spin-valve effect in nanoscale Si-based spin-valve devices

Science.gov (United States)

Hiep, Duong Dinh; Tanaka, Masaaki; Hai, Pham Nam

2017-12-01

We investigated the spin-valve effect in nano-scale silicon (Si)-based spin-valve devices using a Fe/MgO/Ge spin injector/detector deposited on Si by molecular beam epitaxy. For a device with a 20 nm Si channel, we observed clear magnetoresistance up to 3% at low temperature when a magnetic field was applied in the film plane along the Si channel transport direction. A large spin-dependent output voltage of 20 mV was observed at a bias voltage of 0.9 V at 15 K, which is among the highest values in lateral spin-valve devices reported so far. Furthermore, we observed that the sign of the spin-valve effect is reversed at low temperatures, suggesting the possibility of a spin-blockade effect of defect states in the MgO/Ge tunneling barrier.

Nanoscale Copper and Copper Compounds for Advanced Device Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lih-Juann

2016-12-01

Copper has been in use for at least 10,000 years. Copper alloys, such as bronze and brass, have played important roles in advancing civilization in human history. Bronze artifacts date at least 6500 years. On the other hand, discovery of intriguing properties and new applications in contemporary technology for copper and its compounds, particularly on nanoscale, have continued. In this paper, examples for the applications of Cu and Cu alloys for advanced device applications will be given on Cu metallization in microelectronics devices, Cu nanobats as field emitters, Cu2S nanowire array as high-rate capability and high-capacity cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, Cu-Te nanostructures for field-effect transistor, Cu3Si nanowires as high-performance field emitters and efficient anti-reflective layers, single-crystal Cu(In,Ga)Se2 nanotip arrays for high-efficiency solar cell, multilevel Cu2S resistive memory, superlattice Cu2S-Ag2S heterojunction diodes, and facet-dependent Cu2O diode.

Antiferromagnetic spintronics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jungwirth, Tomáš; Martí, Xavier; Wadley, P.; Wunderlich, Joerg

2016-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 3 (2016), 231-241 ISSN 1748-3387 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011026; GA ČR GB14-37427G EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 268066 - 0MSPIN Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : antiferromagnets * spintronics Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 38.986, year: 2016

Large-scale fabrication of BN tunnel barriers for graphene spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Wangyang; Makk, Péter; Maurand, Romain; Bräuninger, Matthias; Schönenberger, Christian

2014-01-01

We have fabricated graphene spin-valve devices utilizing scalable materials made from chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Both the spin-transporting graphene and the tunnel barrier material are CVD-grown. The tunnel barrier is realized by Hexagonal boron nitride, used either as a monolayer or bilayer and placed over the graphene. Spin transport experiments were performed using ferromagnetic contacts deposited onto the barrier. We find that spin injection is still greatly suppressed in devices with a monolayer tunneling barrier due to resistance mismatch. This is, however, not the case for devices with bilayer barriers. For those devices, a spin relaxation time of ∼260 ps intrinsic to the CVD graphene material is deduced. This time scale is comparable to those reported for exfoliated graphene, suggesting that this CVD approach is promising for spintronic applications which require scalable materials

Materials for spintronic: Room temperature ferromagnetism in Zn-Mn-O interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quesada, A.; Garcia, M.A.; Crespo, P.; Hernando, A.

2006-01-01

In this paper we study the room temperature ferromagnetism reported on Mn-doped ZnO and ascribed to spin polarization of conduction electrons. We experimentally show that the ferromagnetic behaviour is associated to the coexistence of Mn 3+ and Mn +4 in MnO 2 grains where diffusion of Zn promotes the Mn 4+→ Mn 3+ reduction. Potential uses of this material in spintronic devices are analysed

The non-equilibrium Green's function method for nanoscale device simulation

CERN Document Server

Pourfath, Mahdi

2014-01-01

For modeling the transport of carriers in nanoscale devices, a Green-function formalism is the most accurate approach. Due to the complexity of the formalism, one should have a deep understanding of the underlying principles and use smart approximations and numerical methods for solving the kinetic equations at a reasonable computational time. In this book the required concepts from quantum and statistical mechanics and numerical methods for calculating Green functions are presented. The Green function is studied in detail for systems both under equilibrium and under nonequilibrium conditions. Because the formalism enables rigorous modeling of different scattering mechanisms in terms of self-energies, but an exact evaluation of self-energies for realistic systems is not possible, their approximation and inclusion in the quantum kinetic equations of the Green functions are elaborated. All the elements of the kinetic equations, which are the device Hamiltonian, contact self-energies, and scattering self-energie...

Advances in neuromorphic hardware exploiting emerging nanoscale devices

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book covers all major aspects of cutting-edge research in the field of neuromorphic hardware engineering involving emerging nanoscale devices. Special emphasis is given to leading works in hybrid low-power CMOS-Nanodevice design. The book offers readers a bidirectional (top-down and bottom-up) perspective on designing efficient bio-inspired hardware. At the nanodevice level, it focuses on various flavors of emerging resistive memory (RRAM) technology. At the algorithm level, it addresses optimized implementations of supervised and stochastic learning paradigms such as: spike-time-dependent plasticity (STDP), long-term potentiation (LTP), long-term depression (LTD), extreme learning machines (ELM) and early adoptions of restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM) to name a few. The contributions discuss system-level power/energy/parasitic trade-offs, and complex real-world applications. The book is suited for both advanced researchers and students interested in the field.

Nanoscale strain engineering of graphene and graphene-based devices

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

N-C Yeh; C-C Hsu; M L Teague; J-Q Wang; D A Boyd; C-C Chen

2016-01-01

Structural distortions in nano-materials can induce dramatic changes in their electronic properties. This situation is well manifested in graphene, a two-dimensional honeycomb structure of carbon atoms with only one atomic layer thickness. In particular, strained graphene can result in both charging effects and pseudo-magnetic fields, so that controlled strain on a perfect graphene lattice can be tailored to yield desirable electronic properties. Here, we describe the theoretical foundation for strain-engineering of the electronic properties of graphene, and then provide experimental evidence for strain-induced pseudo-magnetic fields and charging effects in monolayer graphene. We further demonstrate the feasibility of nano-scale strain engineering for graphene-based devices by means of theoretical simula-tions and nano-fabrication technology.

Nanoscale devices based on plasmonic coaxial waveguide resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Mahigir, A.; Dastmalchi, P.; Shin, W.; Fan, S.; Veronis, G.

2015-02-01

Waveguide-resonator systems are particularly useful for the development of several integrated photonic devices, such as tunable filters, optical switches, channel drop filters, reflectors, and impedance matching elements. In this paper, we introduce nanoscale devices based on plasmonic coaxial waveguide resonators. In particular, we investigate threedimensional nanostructures consisting of plasmonic coaxial stub resonators side-coupled to a plasmonic coaxial waveguide. We use coaxial waveguides with square cross sections, which can be fabricated using lithography-based techniques. The waveguides are placed on top of a silicon substrate, and the space between inner and outer coaxial metals is filled with silica. We use silver as the metal. We investigate structures consisting of a single plasmonic coaxial resonator, which is terminated either in a short or an open circuit, side-coupled to a coaxial waveguide. We show that the incident waveguide mode is almost completely reflected on resonance, while far from the resonance the waveguide mode is almost completely transmitted. We also show that the properties of the waveguide systems can be accurately described using a single-mode scattering matrix theory. The transmission and reflection coefficients at waveguide junctions are either calculated using the concept of the characteristic impedance or are directly numerically extracted using full-wave three-dimensional finite-difference frequency-domain simulations.

Spintronics and thermoelectrics in exfoliated and epitaxial graphene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Jan Jasper

2016-01-01

This thesis is about two subjects: graphene spintronics and graphene thermoelectrics. Spintronics is about the creation and manipulation of spin currents. These are electrical currents in which we can control the spin orientation (up or down) of the conduction electrons. The second subject,

Flexible spintronic devices on Kapton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedoya-Pinto, Amilcar; Donolato, Marco; Gobbi, Marco

2014-01-01

Magnetic tunnel junctions and nano-sized domain-wall conduits have been fabricated on the flexible substrate Kapton. Despite the delicate nature of tunneling barriers and zig-zag shaped nanowires, the devices show an outstanding integrity and robustness upon mechanical bending. High values of ben...

Ultrathin Epitaxial Ferromagneticγ-Fe2O3Layer as High Efficiency Spin Filtering Materials for Spintronics Device Based on Semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng

2016-06-01

In spintronics, identifying an effective technique for generating spin-polarized current has fundamental importance. The spin-filtering effect across a ferromagnetic insulating layer originates from unequal tunneling barrier heights for spin-up and spin-down electrons, which has shown great promise for use in different ferromagnetic materials. However, the low spin-filtering efficiency in some materials can be ascribed partially to the difficulty in fabricating high-quality thin film with high Curie temperature and/or partially to the improper model used to extract the spin-filtering efficiency. In this work, a new technique is successfully developed to fabricate high quality, ferrimagnetic insulating γ-Fe2O3 films as spin filter. To extract the spin-filtering effect of γ-Fe2O3 films more accurately, a new model is proposed based on Fowler–Nordheim tunneling and Zeeman effect to obtain the spin polarization of the tunneling currents. Spin polarization of the tunneled current can be as high as −94.3% at 2 K in γ-Fe2O3 layer with 6.5 nm thick, and the spin polarization decays monotonically with temperature. Although the spin-filter effect is not very high at room temperature, this work demonstrates that spinel ferrites are very promising materials for spin injection into semiconductors at low temperature, which is important for development of novel spintronics devices. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Cr-doped III-V nitrides: Potential candidates for spintronics

KAUST Repository

Amin, Bin

2011-02-19

Studies of Cr-doped III-V nitrides, dilute magnetic alloys in the zincblende crystal structure, are presented. The objective of the work is to investigate half-metallicity in Al 0.75Cr 0.25N, Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N, and In 0.75Cr 0.25N for their possible application in spin-based electronic devices. The calculated spin-polarized band structures, electronic properties, and magnetic properties of these compounds reveal that Al 0.75Cr 0.25N and Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N are half-metallic dilute magnetic semiconductors while In 0.75Cr 0.25N is metallic in nature. The present theoretical predictions provide evidence that some Cr-doped III-V nitrides can be used in spintronics devices. © 2011 TMS.

Cr-doped III-V nitrides: Potential candidates for spintronics

KAUST Repository

Amin, Bin; Arif, Suneela K.; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Maqbool, Muhammad; Ahmad, Roshan; Goumri-Said, Souraya; Prisbrey, Keith A.

2011-01-01

Studies of Cr-doped III-V nitrides, dilute magnetic alloys in the zincblende crystal structure, are presented. The objective of the work is to investigate half-metallicity in Al 0.75Cr 0.25N, Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N, and In 0.75Cr 0.25N for their possible application in spin-based electronic devices. The calculated spin-polarized band structures, electronic properties, and magnetic properties of these compounds reveal that Al 0.75Cr 0.25N and Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N are half-metallic dilute magnetic semiconductors while In 0.75Cr 0.25N is metallic in nature. The present theoretical predictions provide evidence that some Cr-doped III-V nitrides can be used in spintronics devices. © 2011 TMS.

Prospects of asymmetrically H-terminated zigzag germanene nanoribbons for spintronic application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Varun, E-mail: varun@iiitm.ac.in [Nanomaterials Research Group, ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Gwalior 474015 (India); Srivastava, Pankaj [Nanomaterials Research Group, ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Gwalior 474015 (India); Jaiswal, Neeraj K. [Discipline of Physics, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur, Dumna Airport Road, Jabalpur 482005 (India)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Asymmetric hydrogen termination of Zigzag Germanene Nanoribbons (ZGeNR) is presented with their plausible spintronic device application. • It is revealed that asymmetric terminations are energetically more favourable compared to symmetric terminations. • The magnetic moment analysis depicts that asymmetric ZGeNR have a magnetic ground state with a preferred ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. • Presented doped asymmetric ZGeNR exhibits a half-metallic character which makes them qualify for spin-filtering device. - Abstract: First-principles investigations have been performed to explore the spin based electronic and transport properties of asymmetrically H-terminated zigzag germanene nanoribbons (2H−H ZGeNR). Investigations reveal a significant formation energy difference (ΔE{sub F} = E{sub F(2H-H)} − E{sub F(H-H)} ∼ −0.49 eV), highlighting more energetic stability for asymmetric edge termination compared to symmetric edge termination, irrespective of the ribbon width. Further, magnetic moment analysis and total energy calculations were performed to unveil that these structures have a magnetic ground state with preferred ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. The calculated E-k structures project a unique bipolar semiconducting behaviour for 2H−H ZGeNR which is contrast to H-terminated ZGeNR. Half-metallic transformation has also been revealed via suitable p-type or n-type doping for these structures. Finally, transport calculations were performed to highlight the selective contributions of spin-down (spin-up) electrons in the I–V characteristics of the doped 2H−H ZGeNR, suggesting their vitality for spintronic device applications.

Methods and devices for fabricating three-dimensional nanoscale structures

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, John A.; Jeon, Seokwoo; Park, Jangung

2010-04-27

The present invention provides methods and devices for fabricating 3D structures and patterns of 3D structures on substrate surfaces, including symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns of 3D structures. Methods of the present invention provide a means of fabricating 3D structures having accurately selected physical dimensions, including lateral and vertical dimensions ranging from 10s of nanometers to 1000s of nanometers. In one aspect, methods are provided using a mask element comprising a conformable, elastomeric phase mask capable of establishing conformal contact with a radiation sensitive material undergoing photoprocessing. In another aspect, the temporal and/or spatial coherence of electromagnetic radiation using for photoprocessing is selected to fabricate complex structures having nanoscale features that do not extend entirely through the thickness of the structure fabricated.

Ferromagnetism in doped or undoped spintronics nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Qiang, You

2010-10-01

Much interest has been sparked by the discovery of ferromagnetism in a range of oxide doped and undoped semiconductors. The development of ferromagnetic oxide semiconductor materials with giant magnetoresistance (GMR) offers many advantages in spintronics devices for future miniaturization of computers. Among them, TM-doped ZnO is an extensively studied n-type wide-band-gap (3.36 eV) semiconductor with a tremendous interest as future mini-computer, blue light emitting, and solar cells. In this talk, Co-doped ZnO and Co-doped Cu2O semiconductor nanoclusters are successfully synthesized by a third generation sputtering-gas-aggregation cluster technique. The Co-doped nanoclusters are ferromagnetic with Curie temperature above room temperature. Both of Co-doped nanoclusters show positive magnetoresistance (PMR) at low temperature, but the amplitude of the PMRs shows an anomalous difference. For similar Co doping concentration at 5 K, PMR is greater than 800% for Co-doped ZnO but only 5% for Co-doped Cu2O nanoclusters. Giant PMR in Co-doped ZnO which is attributed to large Zeeman splitting effect has a linear dependence on applied magnetic field with very high sensitivity, which makes it convenient for the future spintronics applications. The small PMR in Co-doped Cu2O is related to its vanishing density of states at Fermi level. Undoped Zn/ZnO core-shell nanoparticle gives high ferromagnetic properties above room temperature due to the defect induced magnetization at the interface.

Nanoscale magnetic ratchets based on shape anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jizhai; Keller, Scott M.; Liang, Cheng-Yen; Carman, Gregory P.; Lynch, Christopher S.

2017-02-01

Controlling magnetization using piezoelectric strain through the magnetoelectric effect offers several orders of magnitude reduction in energy consumption for spintronic applications. However strain is a uniaxial effect and, unlike directional magnetic field or spin-polarized current, cannot induce a full 180° reorientation of the magnetization vector when acting alone. We have engineered novel ‘peanut’ and ‘cat-eye’ shaped nanomagnets on piezoelectric substrates that undergo repeated deterministic 180° magnetization rotations in response to individual electric-field-induced strain pulses by breaking the uniaxial symmetry using shape anisotropy. This behavior can be likened to a magnetic ratchet, advancing magnetization clockwise with each piezostrain trigger. The results were validated using micromagnetics implemented in a multiphysics finite elements code to simulate the engineered spatial and temporal magnetic behavior. The engineering principles start from a target device function and proceed to the identification of shapes that produce the desired function. This approach opens a broad design space for next generation magnetoelectric spintronic devices.

Surface spintronics enhanced photo-catalytic hydrogen evolution: Mechanisms, strategies, challenges and future

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenyan; Gao, Wei; Zhang, Xuqiang; Li, Zhen; Lu, Gongxuan

2018-03-01

Hydrogen is a green energy carrier with high enthalpy and zero environmental pollution emission characteristics. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (HER) is a sustainable and promising way to generate hydrogen. Despite of great achievements in photocatalytic HER research, its efficiency is still limited due to undesirable electron transfer loss, high HER over-potential and low stability of some photocatalysts, which lead to their unsatisfied performance in HER and anti-photocorrosion properties. In recent years, many spintronics works have shown their enhancing effects on photo-catalytic HER. For example, it was reported that spin polarized photo-electrons could result in higher photocurrents and HER turn-over frequency (up to 200%) in photocatalytic system. Two strategies have been developed for electron spin polarizing, which resort to heavy atom effect and magnetic induction respectively. Both theoretical and experimental studies show that controlling spin state of OHrad radicals in photocatalytic reaction can not only decrease OER over-potential (even to 0 eV) of water splitting, but improve stability and charge lifetime of photocatalysts. A convenient strategy have been developed for aligning spin state of OHrad by utilizing chiral molecules to spin filter photo-electrons. By chiral-induced spin filtering, electron polarization can approach to 74%, which is significantly larger than some traditional transition metal devices. Those achievements demonstrate bright future of spintronics in enhancing photocatalytic HER, nevertheless, there is little work systematically reviewing and analysis this topic. This review focuses on recent achievements of spintronics in photocatalytic HER study, and systematically summarizes the related mechanisms and important strategies proposed. Besides, the challenges and developing trends of spintronics enhanced photo-catalytic HER research are discussed, expecting to comprehend and explore such interdisciplinary research in

Nanoscale thermal transport: Theoretical method and application

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Yu-Jia; Liu, Yue-Yang; Zhou, Wu-Xing; Chen, Ke-Qiu

2018-03-01

With the size reduction of nanoscale electronic devices, the heat generated by the unit area in integrated circuits will be increasing exponentially, and consequently the thermal management in these devices is a very important issue. In addition, the heat generated by the electronic devices mostly diffuses to the air in the form of waste heat, which makes the thermoelectric energy conversion also an important issue for nowadays. In recent years, the thermal transport properties in nanoscale systems have attracted increasing attention in both experiments and theoretical calculations. In this review, we will discuss various theoretical simulation methods for investigating thermal transport properties and take a glance at several interesting thermal transport phenomena in nanoscale systems. Our emphasizes will lie on the advantage and limitation of calculational method, and the application of nanoscale thermal transport and thermoelectric property. Project supported by the Nation Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFB0701602) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11674092).

Micro- and nanoscale devices for the investigation of epigenetics and chromatin dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, Carlos A.; Craighead, Harold G.

2013-10-01

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint on which life is based and transmitted, but the way in which chromatin -- a dynamic complex of nucleic acids and proteins -- is packaged and behaves in the cellular nucleus has only begun to be investigated. Epigenetic modifications sit 'on top of' the genome and affect how DNA is compacted into chromatin and transcribed into ribonucleic acid (RNA). The packaging and modifications around the genome have been shown to exert significant influence on cellular behaviour and, in turn, human development and disease. However, conventional techniques for studying epigenetic or conformational modifications of chromosomes have inherent limitations and, therefore, new methods based on micro- and nanoscale devices have been sought. Here, we review the development of these devices and explore their use in the study of DNA modifications, chromatin modifications and higher-order chromatin structures.

Spintronics of antiferromagnetic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomonaj, E.V.; Loktev, V.M.

2014-01-01

Spintronics of antiferromagnetics is a new field that has developed in a fascinating research topic in physics of magnetism. Antiferromagnetics, like ferromagnetic materials experience the influence of spin-polarized current, even though they show no macroscopic magnetization. The mechanism of this phenomenon is related to spin-dependent interaction between free and localized electrons-sd-exchange. Due to the peculiarities of antiferromagnetic materials (complicated magnetic structure, essential role of the exchange interactions, lack of macroscopic magnetization) spintronics of antiferromagnets appeals to new theoretical and experimental approaches. The purpose of this review is to systemize and summarize the recent progress in this field. We start with a short introduction into the structure and dynamics of antiferromagnets and proceed with discussion of different microscopic and phenomenological theories for description of current-induced phenomena in ferro-/antiferromagnetic heterostructures. We also consider the problems of the reverse influence of antiferromagnetic ordering on current, and effectiveness of the fully antiferromagnetic spin valve. In addition, we shortly review and interpret the available experimental results.

Nanoscale thermal transport

Science.gov (United States)

Cahill, David G.; Ford, Wayne K.; Goodson, Kenneth E.; Mahan, Gerald D.; Majumdar, Arun; Maris, Humphrey J.; Merlin, Roberto; Phillpot, Simon R.

2003-01-01

Rapid progress in the synthesis and processing of materials with structure on nanometer length scales has created a demand for greater scientific understanding of thermal transport in nanoscale devices, individual nanostructures, and nanostructured materials. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation that have occurred in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces between materials become increasingly important on small length scales. The thermal conductance of many solid-solid interfaces have been studied experimentally but the range of observed interface properties is much smaller than predicted by simple theory. Classical molecular dynamics simulations are emerging as a powerful tool for calculations of thermal conductance and phonon scattering, and may provide for a lively interplay of experiment and theory in the near term. Fundamental issues remain concerning the correct definitions of temperature in nonequilibrium nanoscale systems. Modern Si microelectronics are now firmly in the nanoscale regime—experiments have demonstrated that the close proximity of interfaces and the extremely small volume of heat dissipation strongly modifies thermal transport, thereby aggravating problems of thermal management. Microelectronic devices are too large to yield to atomic-level simulation in the foreseeable future and, therefore, calculations of thermal transport must rely on solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation; microscopic phonon scattering rates needed for predictive models are, even for Si, poorly known. Low-dimensional nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes, are predicted to have novel transport properties; the first quantitative experiments of the thermal conductivity of nanotubes have recently been achieved using microfabricated measurement systems. Nanoscale porosity decreases the permittivity of amorphous dielectrics but porosity also strongly decreases the thermal conductivity. The

Analog memory and spike-timing-dependent plasticity characteristics of a nanoscale titanium oxide bilayer resistive switching device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Kyungah; Park, Sangsu; Lee, Kwanghee; Lee, Byounghun; Hwang, Hyunsang; Kim, Insung; Jung, Seungjae; Jo, Minseok; Park, Jubong; Shin, Jungho; Biju, Kuyyadi P; Kong, Jaemin

2011-01-01

We demonstrated analog memory, synaptic plasticity, and a spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) function with a nanoscale titanium oxide bilayer resistive switching device with a simple fabrication process and good yield uniformity. We confirmed the multilevel conductance and analog memory characteristics as well as the uniformity and separated states for the accuracy of conductance change. Finally, STDP and a biological triple model were analyzed to demonstrate the potential of titanium oxide bilayer resistive switching device as synapses in neuromorphic devices. By developing a simple resistive switching device that can emulate a synaptic function, the unique characteristics of synapses in the brain, e.g. combined memory and computing in one synapse and adaptation to the outside environment, were successfully demonstrated in a solid state device.

Nanoscale magnetic field mapping with a single spin scanning probe magnetometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rondin, L.; Tetienne, J.-P.; Spinicelli, P.; Roch, J.-F.; Jacques, V. [Laboratoire de Photonique Quantique et Moleculaire, Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan and CNRS UMR 8537, 94235 Cachan Cedex (France); Dal Savio, C.; Karrai, K. [Attocube systems AG, Koeniginstrasse 11A RGB, Munich 80539 (Germany); Dantelle, G. [Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Condensee, Ecole Polytechnique and CNRS UMR 7643, 91128 Palaiseau (France); Thiaville, A.; Rohart, S. [Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Universite Paris-Sud and CNRS UMR 8502, 91405 Orsay (France)

2012-04-09

We demonstrate quantitative magnetic field mapping with nanoscale resolution, by applying a lock-in technique on the electron spin resonance frequency of a single nitrogen-vacancy defect placed at the apex of an atomic force microscope tip. In addition, we report an all-optical magnetic imaging technique which is sensitive to large off-axis magnetic fields, thus extending the operation range of diamond-based magnetometry. Both techniques are illustrated by using a magnetic hard disk as a test sample. Owing to the non-perturbing and quantitative nature of the magnetic probe, this work should open up numerous perspectives in nanomagnetism and spintronics.

Halbach Effect at the Nanoscale from Chiral Spin Textures.

Science.gov (United States)

Marioni, Miguel A; Penedo, Marcos; Baćani, Mirko; Schwenk, Johannes; Hug, Hans J

2018-04-11

Mallinson's idea that some spin textures in planar magnetic structures could produce an enhancement of the magnetic flux on one side of the plane at the expense of the other gave rise to permanent magnet configurations known as Halbach magnet arrays. Applications range from wiggler magnets in particle accelerators and free electron lasers to motors and magnetic levitation trains, but exploiting Halbach arrays in micro- or nanoscale spintronics devices requires solving the problem of fabrication and field metrology below a 100 μm size. In this work, we show that a Halbach configuration of moments can be obtained over areas as small as 1 μm × 1 μm in sputtered thin films with Néel-type domain walls of unique domain wall chirality, and we measure their stray field at a controlled probe-sample distance of 12.0 ± 0.5 nm. Because here chirality is determined by the interfacial Dyzaloshinkii-Moriya interaction, the field attenuation and amplification is an intrinsic property of this film, allowing for flexibility of design based on an appropriate definition of magnetic domains. Skyrmions (magnetic fields and mapping of the spin structure shows they funnel the field toward one specific side of the film given by the sign of the Dyzaloshinkii-Moriya interaction parameter D.

Electric field-induced magnetoresistance in spin-valve/piezoelectric multiferroic laminates for low-power spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huong Giang, D.T.; Thuc, V.N.; Duc, N.H.

2012-01-01

Electric field-induced magnetic anisotropy has been realized in the spin-valve-based {Ni 80 Fe 20 /Cu/Fe 50 Co 50 /IrMn}/piezoelectric multiferroic laminates. In this system, electric-field control of magnetization is accomplished by strain mediated magnetoelectric coupling. Practically, the magnetization in the magnetostrictive FeCo layer of the spin-valve structure rotates under an effective compressive stress caused by the inverse piezoelectric effect in external electrical fields. This phenomenon is evidenced by the magnetization and magnetoresistance changes under the electrical field applied across the piezoelectric layer. The result shows great potential for advanced low-power spintronic devices. - Highlights: ► Investigate electric field-induced magnetic anisotropy in spin-valve/piezoelectric. ► Magnetization, magnetoresistance changes under electric field across piezoelectric. ► Magnetization in magnetostrictive FeCo-layer rotates under a compressive stress. ► This advance shows great implications for low-power electronics and spintronics.

Simulation of a spintronic transistor: A study of its performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pela, R.R.; Teles, L.K.

2009-01-01

We study theoretically the magnetic bipolar transistor, and compare its performance with common bipolar transistor. We present not only the simulation results for the characteristic curves, but also other relevant parameters related with its performance, such as: the current amplification factor, the open-loop gain, the hybrid parameters and the cutoff frequency. We noted that the spin-charge coupling introduces new phenomena that enrich the functionality characteristics of the magnetic bipolar transistor. Among other things, it has an adjustable band structure, which may be modified during the device operation; it exhibits the already known spin-voltaic effect. On the other hand, we observed that it is necessary a large g-factor to analyze the influence of the field B over the transistor. Nevertheless, we consider the magnetic bipolar transistor as a promising device for spintronic applications

Nanoscale Electrochemical Sensing and Processing in Microreactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Odijk, Mathieu; van den Berg, Albert

2018-01-01

In this review, we summarize recent advances in nanoscale electrochemistry, including the use of nanoparticles, carbon nanomaterials, and nanowires. Exciting developments are reported for nanoscale redox cycling devices, which can chemically amplify signal readout. We also discuss promising

Prospect for antiferromagnetic spintronics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Martí, Xavier; Fina, I.; Jungwirth, Tomáš

2015-01-01

Roč. 51, č. 4 (2015), s. 2900104 ISSN 0018-9464 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011026; GA ČR GB14-37427G EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 268066 - 0MSPIN Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : spintronics * antiferromagnets Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.277, year: 2015

The importance of Fe interface states for ferromagnet-semiconductor based spintronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Chantis, Athanasios

2009-03-01

I present our recent theoretical studies of the bias-controlled spin injection, detection sensitivity and tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in ferromagnetic-semiconductor tunnel junctions. Using first-principles electron transport methods we have shown that Fe 3d minority-spin surface (interface) states are responsible for at least two important effects for spin electronics. First, they can produce a sizable Tunneling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions with a single Fe electrode. The effect is driven by a Rashba shift of the resonant surface band when the magnetization changes direction. This can introduce a new class of spintronic devices, namely, Tunneling Magnetoresistance junctions with a single ferromagnetic electrode that can function at room temperatures. Second, in Fe/GaAs(001) magnetic tunnel junctions they produce a strong dependence of the tunneling current spin-polarization on applied electrical bias. A dramatic sign reversal within a voltage range of just a few tenths of an eV is found. This explains the observed sign reversal of spin-polarization in recent experiments of electrical spin injection in Fe/GaAs(001) and related reversal of tunneling magnetoresistcance through vertical Fe/GaAs/Fe trilayers. We also present a theoretical description of electrical spin-detection at a ferromagnet/semiconductor interface. We show that the sensitivity of the spin detector has strong bias dependence which, in the general case, is dramatically different from that of the tunneling current spin-polarization. We show that in realistic ferromagnet/semiconductor junctions this bias dependence can originate from two distinct physical mechanisms: 1) the bias dependence of tunneling current spin-polarization, which is of microscopic origin and depends on the specific properties of the interface, and 2) the macroscopic electron spin transport properties in the semiconductor. Our numerical results show that the magnitude of the voltage signal

Concepts of antiferromagnetic spintronics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gomonay, O.; Jungwirth, Tomáš; Sinova, Jairo

2017-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 4 (2017), 1-8, č. článku 1700022. ISSN 1862-6254 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LM2015087; GA ČR GB14-37427G Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : spintronics * antiferromagnets Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 3.032, year: 2016

Design exploration of emerging nano-scale non-volatile memory

CERN Document Server

Yu, Hao

2014-01-01

This book presents the latest techniques for characterization, modeling and design for nano-scale non-volatile memory (NVM) devices.  Coverage focuses on fundamental NVM device fabrication and characterization, internal state identification of memristic dynamics with physics modeling, NVM circuit design, and hybrid NVM memory system design-space optimization. The authors discuss design methodologies for nano-scale NVM devices from a circuits/systems perspective, including the general foundations for the fundamental memristic dynamics in NVM devices.  Coverage includes physical modeling, as well as the development of a platform to explore novel hybrid CMOS and NVM circuit and system design.   • Offers readers a systematic and comprehensive treatment of emerging nano-scale non-volatile memory (NVM) devices; • Focuses on the internal state of NVM memristic dynamics, novel NVM readout and memory cell circuit design, and hybrid NVM memory system optimization; • Provides both theoretical analysis and pr...

Atomic spin-chain realization of a model for quantum criticality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Toskovic, R.; van den Berg, R.; Spinelli, A.; Eliens, I.S.; van den Toorn, B.; Bryant, B.; Caux, J.-S.; Otte, A.F.

The ability to manipulate single atoms has opened up the door to constructing interesting and useful quantum structures from the ground up. On the one hand, nanoscale arrangements of magnetic atoms are at the heart of future quantum computing and spintronic devices; on the other hand, they can be

Preparation and characterization of highly L21-ordered full-Heusler alloy Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 thin films for spintronics device applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wenhong; Sukegawa, Hiroaki; Shan Rong; Furubayashi, Takao; Inomata, Koichiro

2008-01-01

We report the investigation of structure and magnetic properties of full-Heusler alloy Co 2 FeAl 0.5 Si 0.5 (CFAS) thin films grown on MgO-buffered MgO (001) substrates through magnetron sputtering. It was found that single-crystal CFAS thin films with high degree of L2 1 ordering and sufficiently flat surface could be obtained after postdeposition annealing. All the films show a distinct uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis of magnetization along the in-plane [110] direction. These results indicate that the use of the MgO buffer for CFAS is a promising approach for achieving a higher tunnel magnetoresistance ratio, and thus for spintronics device applications

Ultrathin Epitaxial Ferromagneticγ-Fe2O3Layer as High Efficiency Spin Filtering Materials for Spintronics Device Based on Semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng; Xia, Chuan; Zhu, Zhiyong; Wen, Yan; Zhang, Qiang; Alshareef, Husam N.; Zhang, Xixiang

2016-01-01

In spintronics, identifying an effective technique for generating spin-polarized current has fundamental importance. The spin-filtering effect across a ferromagnetic insulating layer originates from unequal tunneling barrier heights for spin

Graphene-based spintronic components

OpenAIRE

Zeng, Minggang; Shen, Lei; Su, Haibin; Zhou, Miao; Zhang, Chun; Feng, Yuanping

2010-01-01

A major challenge of spintronics is in generating, controlling and detecting spin-polarized current. Manipulation of spin-polarized current, in particular, is difficult. We demonstrate here, based on calculated transport properties of graphene nanoribbons, that nearly +-100% spin-polarized current can be generated in zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) and tuned by a source-drain voltage in the bipolar spin diode, in addition to magnetic configurations of the electrodes. This unusual transpor...

All-polymer bistable resistive memory device based on nanoscale phase-separated PCBM-ferroelectric blends

KAUST Repository

Khan, Yasser

2012-11-21

All polymer nonvolatile bistable memory devices are fabricated from blends of ferroelectric poly(vinylidenefluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) and n-type semiconducting [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The nanoscale phase separated films consist of PCBM domains that extend from bottom to top electrode, surrounded by a ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) matrix. Highly conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) polymer electrodes are used to engineer band offsets at the interfaces. The devices display resistive switching behavior due to modulation of this injection barrier. With careful optimization of the solvent and processing conditions, it is possible to spin cast very smooth blend films (Rrms ≈ 7.94 nm) and with good reproducibility. The devices exhibit high Ion/I off ratios (≈3 × 103), low read voltages (≈5 V), excellent dielectric response at high frequencies (Ïμr ≈ 8.3 at 1 MHz), and excellent retention characteristics up to 10 000 s. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Flexible spin-orbit torque devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, OukJae; You, Long; Jang, Jaewon; Subramanian, Vivek [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Salahuddin, Sayeef [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2015-12-21

We report on state-of-the-art spintronic devices synthesized and fabricated directly on a flexible organic substrate. Large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was achieved in ultrathin ferromagnetic heterostructures of Pt/Co/MgO sputtered on a non-rigid plastic substrate at room temperature. Subsequently, a full magnetic reversal of the Co was observed by exploiting the spin orbit coupling in Pt that leads to a spin accumulation at the Pt/Co interface when an in-plane current is applied. Quasi-static measurements show the potential for operating these devices at nano-second speeds. Importantly, the behavior of the devices remained unchanged under varying bending conditions (up to a bending radius of ≈ ±20–30 mm). Furthermore, the devices showed robust operation even after application of 10{sup 6} successive pulses, which is likely sufficient for many flexible applications. Thus, this work demonstrates the potential for integrating high performance spintronic devices on flexible substrates, which could lead to many applications ranging from flexible non-volatile magnetic memory to local magnetic resonance imaging.

Flexible spin-orbit torque devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, OukJae; You, Long; Jang, Jaewon; Subramanian, Vivek; Salahuddin, Sayeef

2015-01-01

We report on state-of-the-art spintronic devices synthesized and fabricated directly on a flexible organic substrate. Large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was achieved in ultrathin ferromagnetic heterostructures of Pt/Co/MgO sputtered on a non-rigid plastic substrate at room temperature. Subsequently, a full magnetic reversal of the Co was observed by exploiting the spin orbit coupling in Pt that leads to a spin accumulation at the Pt/Co interface when an in-plane current is applied. Quasi-static measurements show the potential for operating these devices at nano-second speeds. Importantly, the behavior of the devices remained unchanged under varying bending conditions (up to a bending radius of ≈ ±20–30 mm). Furthermore, the devices showed robust operation even after application of 10 6 successive pulses, which is likely sufficient for many flexible applications. Thus, this work demonstrates the potential for integrating high performance spintronic devices on flexible substrates, which could lead to many applications ranging from flexible non-volatile magnetic memory to local magnetic resonance imaging

An ultrafast programmable electrical tester for enabling time-resolved, sub-nanosecond switching dynamics and programming of nanoscale memory devices

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Krishna Dayal; Saxena, Nishant; Manivannan, Anbarasu

2017-12-01

Recent advancements in commercialization of high-speed non-volatile electronic memories including phase change memory (PCM) have shown potential not only for advanced data storage but also for novel computing concepts. However, an in-depth understanding on ultrafast electrical switching dynamics is a key challenge for defining the ultimate speed of nanoscale memory devices that demands for an unconventional electrical setup, specifically capable of handling extremely fast electrical pulses. In the present work, an ultrafast programmable electrical tester (PET) setup has been developed exceptionally for unravelling time-resolved electrical switching dynamics and programming characteristics of nanoscale memory devices at the picosecond (ps) time scale. This setup consists of novel high-frequency contact-boards carefully designed to capture extremely fast switching transient characteristics within 200 ± 25 ps using time-resolved current-voltage measurements. All the instruments in the system are synchronized using LabVIEW, which helps to achieve various programming characteristics such as voltage-dependent transient parameters, read/write operations, and endurance test of memory devices systematically using short voltage pulses having pulse parameters varied from 1 ns rise/fall time and 1.5 ns pulse width (full width half maximum). Furthermore, the setup has successfully demonstrated strikingly one order faster switching characteristics of Ag5In5Sb60Te30 (AIST) PCM devices within 250 ps. Hence, this novel electrical setup would be immensely helpful for realizing the ultimate speed limits of various high-speed memory technologies for future computing.

Nanoscale technology in biological systems

CERN Document Server

Greco, Ralph S; Smith, R Lane

2004-01-01

Reviewing recent accomplishments in the field of nanobiology Nanoscale Technology in Biological Systems introduces the application of nanoscale matrices to human biology. It focuses on the applications of nanotechnology fabrication to biomedical devices and discusses new physical methods for cell isolation and manipulation and intracellular communication at the molecular level. It also explores the application of nanobiology to cardiovascular diseases, oncology, transplantation, and a range of related disciplines. This book build a strong background in nanotechnology and nanobiology ideal for

Nanoscale memory devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Andy; Deen, Jamal; Lee, Jeong-Soo; Meyyappan, M

2010-01-01

This article reviews the current status and future prospects for the use of nanomaterials and devices in memory technology. First, the status and continuing scaling trends of the flash memory are discussed. Then, a detailed discussion on technologies trying to replace flash in the near-term is provided. This includes phase change random access memory, Fe random access memory and magnetic random access memory. The long-term nanotechnology prospects for memory devices include carbon-nanotube-based memory, molecular electronics and memristors based on resistive materials such as TiO 2 . (topical review)

Electrical spin injection and detection in silicon nanowires with axial doping gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Kountouriotis, Konstantinos; Barreda, Jorge L; Keiper, Timothy David; Zhang, Mei; Xiong, Peng

2018-06-13

The interest in spin transport in nanoscopic semiconductor channels is driven by both the inevitable miniaturization of spintronics devices toward nanoscale and the rich spin-dependent physics the quantum confinement engenders. For such studies, the all-important issue of the ferromagnet/semiconductor (FM/SC) interface becomes even more critical at nanoscale. Here we elucidate the effects of the FM/SC interface on electrical spin injection and detection at nanoscale dimensions, utilizing a unique type of Si nanowires (NWs) with an inherent axial doping gradient. Two-terminal and nonlocal four-terminal lateral spin-valve measurements were performed using different combinations from a series of FM contacts positioned along the same NW. The data are analyzed with a general model of spin accumulation in a normal channel under electrical spin injection from a FM, which reveals a distinct correlation of decreasing spin-valve signal with increasing injector junction resistance. The observation is attributed to the diminishing contribution of the d-electrons in the FM to the injected current spin polarization with increasing Schottky barrier width. The results demonstrate that there is a window of interface parameters for optimal spin injection efficiency and current spin polarization, which provides important design guidelines for nano-spintronic devices with quasi-1D semiconductor channels.

Nanoscale phase change memory materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Marissa A; Jeyasingh, Rakesh Gnana David; Wong, H-S Philip; Milliron, Delia J

2012-08-07

Phase change memory materials store information through their reversible transitions between crystalline and amorphous states. For typical metal chalcogenide compounds, their phase transition properties directly impact critical memory characteristics and the manipulation of these is a major focus in the field. Here, we discuss recent work that explores the tuning of such properties by scaling the materials to nanoscale dimensions, including fabrication and synthetic strategies used to produce nanoscale phase change memory materials. The trends that emerge are relevant to understanding how such memory technologies will function as they scale to ever smaller dimensions and also suggest new approaches to designing materials for phase change applications. Finally, the challenges and opportunities raised by integrating nanoscale phase change materials into switching devices are discussed.

Friction laws at the nanoscale.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Yifei; Turner, Kevin T; Szlufarska, Izabela

2009-02-26

Macroscopic laws of friction do not generally apply to nanoscale contacts. Although continuum mechanics models have been predicted to break down at the nanoscale, they continue to be applied for lack of a better theory. An understanding of how friction force depends on applied load and contact area at these scales is essential for the design of miniaturized devices with optimal mechanical performance. Here we use large-scale molecular dynamics simulations with realistic force fields to establish friction laws in dry nanoscale contacts. We show that friction force depends linearly on the number of atoms that chemically interact across the contact. By defining the contact area as being proportional to this number of interacting atoms, we show that the macroscopically observed linear relationship between friction force and contact area can be extended to the nanoscale. Our model predicts that as the adhesion between the contacting surfaces is reduced, a transition takes place from nonlinear to linear dependence of friction force on load. This transition is consistent with the results of several nanoscale friction experiments. We demonstrate that the breakdown of continuum mechanics can be understood as a result of the rough (multi-asperity) nature of the contact, and show that roughness theories of friction can be applied at the nanoscale.

On the path toward organic spintronics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moodera, J.S.; Koopmans, B.; Oppeneer, P.M.

2014-01-01

Organic materials provide a unique platform for exploiting the spin of the electron—a field dubbed organic spintronics. Originally, this was mostly motivated by the notion that because of weak spin-orbit coupling, due to the small mass elements in organics and small hyperfine field coupling, organic

A first-principles study of light non-metallic atom substituted blue phosphorene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Minglei [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Tang, Wencheng, E-mail: 101000185@seu.edu.cn [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Ren, Qingqiang [State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan (China); Wang, Sa-ke [Department of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu (China); Yu, Jin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Du, Yanhui [School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China)

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • All the impurities are covalently bonded to blue phosphorene (with a single vacancy). • All the substituted systems are semiconductors. • B-substituted system exhibits direct bandgap semiconductor behavior. • The band gaps with spin polarization are found in C and O-substituted systems. • Our works can paves a new route at nanoscale for novel functionalities of optical and spintronics devices. - Abstract: First-principles calculations are implemented to study the geometric, electronic and magnetic properties of light non-metallic atom (B, C, N, O and F) substituted blue phosphorene. All the substituted systems are highly stable. The B-substituted system is a direct bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap size about 1.5 eV. The C, O-substituted systems are promising systems to explore two-dimensional diluted magnetic semiconductors. Magnetism is observed for C and O substitution, while for the other impurities no magnetic moment is detected. Our works paves a new route at nanoscale for novel functionalities of optical and spintronics devices.

LSMO - growing opportunities by PLD and applications in spintronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cesaria, M; Caricato, A P; Maruccio, G; Martino, M, E-mail: maura.cesaria@le.infn.it [Physics Department, University of Salento, Via Arnesano, 73100, Lecce (Italy)

2011-04-01

Ferromagnetic materials exhibiting at room temperature combination of good conductivity, magnetic and opto-electronic properties are needed for the development of functional spin-devices. Mixed-valence LSMO is an optimal source of fully spin-polarized carriers and shows a rich physics of magnetic phases and transport mechanisms. Many factors, such as growth temperature, oxygen stoichiometry, temperature-dependent oxygen desorption rate, structural matching between the growing film and substrate, film thickness, and defects, influence the LSMO properties. Stabilization of ferromagnetic and conductive behaviours is linked to structural order. Therefore a growth approach allowing congruent deposition of complex materials under controlled, reproducible and tunable conditions is strongly needed. In this respect pulsed laser deposition reveals a well-suited choice. This review aims to give an overview on LSMO thin film properties, deposition and applications, especially in the emerging organic spintronics.

Common Principles of Molecular Electronics and Nanoscale Electrochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bueno, Paulo Roberto

2018-05-24

The merging of nanoscale electronics and electrochemistry can potentially modernize the way electronic devices are currently engineered or constructed. It is well known that the greatest challenges will involve not only miniaturizing and improving the performance of mobile devices, but also manufacturing reliable electrical vehicles, and engineering more efficient solar panels and energy storage systems. These are just a few examples of how technological innovation is dependent on both electrochemical and electronic elements. This paper offers a conceptual discussion of this central topic, with particular focus on the impact that uniting physical and chemical concepts at a nanoscale could have on the future development of electroanalytical devices. The specific example to which this article refers pertains to molecular diagnostics, i.e., devices that employ physical and electrochemical concepts to diagnose diseases.

Nanoscale hotspots due to nonequilibrium thermal transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, Sanjiv; Goodson, Kenneth E.

2004-01-01

Recent experimental and modeling efforts have been directed towards the issue of temperature localization and hotspot formation in the vicinity of nanoscale heat generating devices. The nonequilibrium transport conditions which develop around these nanoscale devices results in elevated temperatures near the heat source which can not be predicted by continuum diffusion theory. Efforts to determine the severity of this temperature localization phenomena in silicon devices near and above room temperature are of technological importance to the development of microelectronics and other nanotechnologies. In this work, we have developed a new modeling tool in order to explore the magnitude of the additional thermal resistance which forms around nanoscale hotspots from temperatures of 100-1000K. The models are based on a two fluid approximation in which thermal energy is transferred between ''stationary'' optical phonons and fast propagating acoustic phonon modes. The results of the model have shown excellent agreement with experimental results of localized hotspots in silicon at lower temperatures. The model predicts that the effect of added thermal resistance due to the nonequilibrium phonon distribution is greatest at lower temperatures, but is maintained out to temperatures of 1000K. The resistance predicted by the numerical code can be easily integrated with continuum models in order to predict the temperature distribution around nanoscale heat sources with improved accuracy. Additional research efforts also focused on the measurements of the thermal resistance of silicon thin films at higher temperatures, with a focus on polycrystalline silicon. This work was intended to provide much needed experimental data on the thermal transport properties for micro and nanoscale devices built with this material. Initial experiments have shown that the exposure of polycrystalline silicon to high temperatures may induce recrystallization and radically increase the thermal

Nanoscale control of stripe-ordered magnetic domain walls by vertical spin transfer torque in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 film

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Wu, Shizhe; Ma, Ji; Xie, Lishan; Wang, Chuanshou; Malik, Iftikhar Ahmed; Zhang, Yuelin; Xia, Ke; Nan, Ce-Wen; Zhang, Jinxing

2018-02-01

Stripe-ordered domains with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy have been intensively investigated due to their potential applications in high-density magnetic data-storage devices. However, the conventional control methods (e.g., epitaxial strain, local heating, magnetic field, and magnetoelectric effect) of the stripe-ordered domain walls either cannot meet the demands for miniaturization and low power consumption of spintronic devices or require high strength of the electric field due to the small value of the magnetoelectric effect at room temperature. Here, a domain-wall resistive effect of 0.1% was clarified in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films between the configurations of current in the plane and perpendicular to the plane of walls. Furthermore, a reversible nanoscale control of the domain-wall re-orientation by vertical spin transfer torque across the probe/film interface was achieved, where a probe voltage of 0.1 V was applied on a manganite-based capacitor. We also demonstrated that the stripe-ordered magnetic domain-wall re-orientation strongly depends on the AC frequency of the scanning probe voltage which was applied on the capacitor.

From Spintronics to CFD/ContractForDifferences

Science.gov (United States)

Maksoed, W. H.

2015-11-01

Involve the CFD/Computational Fluid Dynamics & HCCI/Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition - Marcine Frackowiak, dissertation, 2009, for CFD/Contract For Differences accompanied by ``One Man's Crusade to Exonerate Hydrogen for Hindenburg Disaster'' of Addison BAIN, APS News, v. 9, n.7 (July 2000) concludes ``ignition of the blaze'' are responsible to those May, 1937 Accidents. Spintronics their selves include active control & manipulation of spin degree of freedom ever denotes: the nano-obelisk of scanning electron microscopy of galliumnitride/GaN nanostructures-Yong-Hon Cho et al.:``Novel Photonic Device using core-shell nanostructures'', SPIE-newsroom,10.1117/2.1201503.005864. Herewith commercial activated carbon/C can be imaged directly using abberation-corrected transmission electron microscopy[PJF Harris et al.: ``Imaging the Atomic Structures of activated C'', J. Phys. Condens. Matt, 20 (2008) in fig b & c- images networks of hexagonal rings can be clearly be seen depicts equal etchings of 340 px Akhenaten, Nefertiti & their childrens. Incredible acknowledgments to Minister of Education & Culture RI 1998-1999 HE. Mr. Prof. Ir. WIRANTO ARISMUNANDAR, MSME.

Nanospintronics: when spintronics meets single electron physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seneor, Pierre; Bernand-Mantel, Anne; Petroff, Frederic

2007-01-01

As spintronics goes nano, new phenomena are predicted resulting from the interplay between spin dependent transport and single electron physics. The long term goal of manipulating spins one by one would open a promising path to quantum computing. Towards this end, there is an ever-growing effort to connect spin tanks (i.e. ferromagnetic leads) to smaller and smaller objects in order to study spintronics in reduced dimensions. As the dimensions are reduced, spin dependent transport is predicted to interplay with quantum and/or single electron charging effects. We review experiments and theories on the interplay between Coulomb blockade and spin properties (namely magneto-Coulomb effects) in structures where a single nano-object is connected to ferromagnetic leads. We then discuss briefly future directions in the emerging field of nanospintronics towards quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and single molecule magnets

Comment on The Rise of Semiconductor Spintronics

OpenAIRE

Korenev, Vladimir L.

2009-01-01

I argue that most of the key experiments that have born semiconductor spintronics were done and published earlier than the papers cited in the Nature Physics, 4 S20 (2008) milestone article (http://www.nature.com/milestones/spin, milestone 23).

Potential of silicon nanowires structures as nanoscale piezoresistors in mechanical sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messina, M; Njuguna, J

2012-01-01

This paper presents the design of a single square millimeter 3-axial accelerometer for bio-mechanics measurements that exploit the potential of silicon nanowires structures as nanoscale piezoresistors. The main requirements of this application are miniaturization and high measurement accuracy. Nanowires as nanoscale piezoresistive devices have been chosen as sensing element, due to their high sensitivity and miniaturization achievable. By exploiting the electro-mechanical features of nanowires as nanoscale piezoresistors, the nominal sensor sensitivity is overall boosted by more than 30 times. This approach allows significant higher accuracy and resolution with smaller sensing element in comparison with conventional devices without the need of signal amplification.

Effect of external magnetic field on locking range of spintronic feedback nano oscillator

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Hanuman; Konishi, K.; Bose, A.; Bhuktare, S.; Miwa, S.; Fukushima, A.; Yakushiji, K.; Yuasa, S.; Kubota, H.; Suzuki, Y.; Tulapurkar, A. A.

2018-05-01

In this work we have studied the effect of external applied magnetic field on the locking range of spintronic feedback nano oscillator. Injection locking of spintronic feedback nano oscillator at integer and fractional multiple of its auto oscillation frequency was demonstrated recently. Here we show that the locking range increases with increasing external magnetic field. We also show synchronization of spintronic feedback nano oscillator at integer (n=1,2,3) multiples of auto oscillation frequency and side band peaks at higher external magnetic field values. We have verified experimental results with macro-spin simulation using similar conditions as used for the experimental study.

Nanoscale heterostructures with molecular-scale single-crystal metal wires.

Science.gov (United States)

Kundu, Paromita; Halder, Aditi; Viswanath, B; Kundu, Dipan; Ramanath, Ganpati; Ravishankar, N

2010-01-13

Creating nanoscale heterostructures with molecular-scale (synthesis of nanoscale heterostructures with single-crystal molecular-scale Au nanowires attached to different nanostructure substrates. Our method involves the formation of Au nanoparticle seeds by the reduction of rocksalt AuCl nanocubes heterogeneously nucleated on the substrates and subsequent nanowire growth by oriented attachment of Au nanoparticles from the solution phase. Nanoscale heterostructures fabricated by such site-specific nucleation and growth are attractive for many applications including nanoelectronic device wiring, catalysis, and sensing.

The first radical-based spintronic memristors: Towards resistive RAMs made of organic magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Goss, Karin; Krist, Florian; Seyfferle, Simon; Hoefel, Udo; Paretzki, Alexa; Dressel, Martin; Bogani, Lapo; Institut Fuer Anorganische Chemie, University of Stuttgart Collaboration; 1. Physikalisches Institut, University of Stuttgart Team

2014-03-01

Using molecules as building blocks for electronic devices offers ample possibilities for new device functionalities due to a chemical tunability much higher than that of standard inorganic materials, and at the same time offers a decrease in the size of the electronic component down to the single-molecule level. Purely organic molecules containing no metallic centers such as organic radicals can serve as an electronic component with magnetic properties due to the unpaired electron in the radical state. Here we present memristive logic units based on organic radicals of the nitronyl-nitroxide kind. Integrating these purely molecular units as a spin coated layer into crossbar arrays, electrically induced unipolar resistive switching is observed with a change in resistance of up to 100%. We introduce a model based on filamentary reorganization of molecules of different oxidation state revealing the importance of the molecular nature for the switching properties. The major role of the oxidation state of these paramagnetic molecules introduces a magnetic field dependence to the device functionality, which goes along with magnetoresistive charactistics observed for the material. These are the first steps towards a spintronic implementation of organic radicals in electronic devices.

Effect of external magnetic field on locking range of spintronic feedback nano oscillator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanuman Singh

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this work we have studied the effect of external applied magnetic field on the locking range of spintronic feedback nano oscillator. Injection locking of spintronic feedback nano oscillator at integer and fractional multiple of its auto oscillation frequency was demonstrated recently. Here we show that the locking range increases with increasing external magnetic field. We also show synchronization of spintronic feedback nano oscillator at integer (n=1,2,3 multiples of auto oscillation frequency and side band peaks at higher external magnetic field values. We have verified experimental results with macro-spin simulation using similar conditions as used for the experimental study.

Nanoscale capacitance: A quantum tight-binding model

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Feng; Wu, Jian; Li, Yang; Lu, Jun-Qiang

2017-01-01

Landauer-Buttiker formalism with the assumption of semi-infinite electrodes as reservoirs has been the standard approach in modeling steady electron transport through nanoscale devices. However, modeling dynamic electron transport properties, especially nanoscale capacitance, is a challenging problem because of dynamic contributions from electrodes, which is neglectable in modeling macroscopic capacitance and mesoscopic conductance. We implement a self-consistent quantum tight-binding model to calculate capacitance of a nano-gap system consisting of an electrode capacitance C‧ and an effective capacitance Cd of the middle device. From the calculations on a nano-gap made of carbon nanotube with a buckyball therein, we show that when the electrode length increases, the electrode capacitance C‧ moves up while the effective capacitance Cd converges to a value which is much smaller than the electrode capacitance C‧. Our results reveal the importance of electrodes in modeling nanoscale ac circuits, and indicate that the concepts of semi-infinite electrodes and reservoirs well-accepted in the steady electron transport theory may be not applicable in modeling dynamic transport properties.

Quantum Transport Simulations of Nanoscale Materials

KAUST Repository

Obodo, Tobechukwu Joshua

2016-01-01

-performance supercomputers allow us to control and exploit their microscopic properties at the atomic scale, hence making it possible to design novel nanoscale molecular devices with interesting features (e.g switches, rectifiers, negative differential conductance, and high

Theory of quantum transport at nanoscale an introduction

CERN Document Server

Ryndyk, Dmitry A

2016-01-01

This book is an introduction to a rapidly developing field of modern theoretical physics – the theory of quantum transport at nanoscale. The theoretical methods considered in the book are in the basis of our understanding of charge, spin and heat transport in nanostructures and nanostructured materials and are widely used in nanoelectronics, molecular electronics, spin-dependent electronics (spintronics) and bio-electronics. The book is based on lectures for graduate and post-graduate students at the University of Regensburg and the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden). The first part is devoted to the basic concepts of quantum transport: Landauer-Büttiker method and matrix Green function formalism for coherent transport, Tunneling (Transfer) Hamiltonian and master equation methods for tunneling, Coulomb blockade, vibrons and polarons. The results in this part are obtained as possible without sophisticated techniques, such as nonequilibrium Green functions, which are considered in detail in the...

Molecular engineering with artificial atoms: designing a material platform for scalable quantum spintronics and photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Doty, Matthew F.; Ma, Xiangyu; Zide, Joshua M. O.; Bryant, Garnett W.

2017-09-01

Self-assembled InAs Quantum Dots (QDs) are often called "artificial atoms" and have long been of interest as components of quantum photonic and spintronic devices. Although there has been substantial progress in demonstrating optical control of both single spins confined to a single QD and entanglement between two separated QDs, the path toward scalable quantum photonic devices based on spins remains challenging. Quantum Dot Molecules, which consist of two closely-spaced InAs QDs, have unique properties that can be engineered with the solid state analog of molecular engineering in which the composition, size, and location of both the QDs and the intervening barrier are controlled during growth. Moreover, applied electric, magnetic, and optical fields can be used to modulate, in situ, both the spin and optical properties of the molecular states. We describe how the unique photonic properties of engineered Quantum Dot Molecules can be leveraged to overcome long-standing challenges to the creation of scalable quantum devices that manipulate single spins via photonics.

Charge transport in nanoscale vertical organic semiconductor pillar devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilbers, J.G.E.; Xu, B.; Bobbert, P.A.; de Jong, M.P.; van der Wiel, W.G.

2017-01-01

We report charge transport measurements in nanoscale vertical pillar structures incorporating ultrathin layers of the organic semiconductor poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT layers with thickness down to 5 nm are gently top-contacted using wedging transfer, yielding highly reproducible, robust

Direct Probing of Polarization Charge at Nanoscale Level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Owoong [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Republic of Korea). School of Advanced Materials and Engineering; Seol, Daehee [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Republic of Korea). School of Advanced Materials and Engineering; Lee, Dongkyu [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division; Han, Hee [Korea Research Inst. of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon (South Korea); Lindfors-Vrejoiu, Ionela [Univ. of Cologne (Germany). Physics Inst.; Lee, Woo [Korea Research Inst. of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon (South Korea); Jesse, Stephen [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences; Lee, Ho Nyung [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division; Kalinin, Sergei V. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences; Alexe, Marin [Univ. of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom). Dept. of Physics; Kim, Yunseok [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Republic of Korea). School of Advanced Materials and Engineering

2017-11-14

Ferroelectric materials possess spontaneous polarization that can be used for multiple applications. Owing to a long-term development of reducing the sizes of devices, the preparation of ferroelectric materials and devices is entering the nanometer-scale regime. In order to evaluate the ferroelectricity, there is a need to investigate the polarization charge at the nanoscale. Nonetheless, it is generally accepted that the detection of polarization charges using a conventional conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) without a top electrode is not feasible because the nanometer-scale radius of an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip yields a very low signal-to-noise ratio. But, the detection is unrelated to the radius of an AFM tip and, in fact, a matter of the switched area. In this work, the direct probing of the polarization charge at the nanoscale is demonstrated using the positive-up-negative-down method based on the conventional CAFM approach without additional corrections or circuits to reduce the parasitic capacitance. The polarization charge densities of 73.7 and 119.0 µC cm^-2 are successfully probed in ferroelectric nanocapacitors and thin films, respectively. The results we obtained show the feasibility of the evaluation of polarization charge at the nanoscale and provide a new guideline for evaluating the ferroelectricity at the nanoscale.

Nanoscale biomemory composed of recombinant azurin on a nanogap electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Yong-Ho; Lee, Taek; Choi, Jeong-Woo; Park, Hyung Ju; Yun, Wan Soo; Min, Junhong

2013-01-01

We fabricate a nanoscale biomemory device composed of recombinant azurin on nanogap electrodes. For this, size-controllable nanogap electrodes are fabricated by photolithography, electron beam lithography, and surface catalyzed chemical deposition. Moreover, we investigate the effect of gap distance to optimize the size of electrodes for a biomemory device and explore the mechanism of electron transfer from immobilized protein to a nanogap counter-electrode. As the distance of the nanogap electrode is decreased in the nanoscale, the absolute current intensity decreases according to the distance decrement between the electrodes due to direct electron transfer, in contrast with the diffusion phenomenon of a micro-electrode. The biomemory function is achieved on the optimized nanogap electrode. These results demonstrate that the fabricated nanodevice composed of a nanogap electrode and biomaterials provides various advantages such as quantitative control of signals and exclusion of environmental effects such as noise. The proposed bioelectronics device, which could be mass-produced easily, could be applied to construct a nanoscale bioelectronics system composed of a single biomolecule. (paper)

Extremely flexible nanoscale ultrathin body silicon integrated circuits on plastic.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahrjerdi, Davood; Bedell, Stephen W

2013-01-09

In recent years, flexible devices based on nanoscale materials and structures have begun to emerge, exploiting semiconductor nanowires, graphene, and carbon nanotubes. This is primarily to circumvent the existing shortcomings of the conventional flexible electronics based on organic and amorphous semiconductors. The aim of this new class of flexible nanoelectronics is to attain high-performance devices with increased packing density. However, highly integrated flexible circuits with nanoscale transistors have not yet been demonstrated. Here, we show nanoscale flexible circuits on 60 Å thick silicon, including functional ring oscillators and memory cells. The 100-stage ring oscillators exhibit the stage delay of ~16 ps at a power supply voltage of 0.9 V, the best reported for any flexible circuits to date. The mechanical flexibility is achieved by employing the controlled spalling technology, enabling the large-area transfer of the ultrathin body silicon devices to a plastic substrate at room temperature. These results provide a simple and cost-effective pathway to enable ultralight flexible nanoelectronics with unprecedented level of system complexity based on mainstream silicon technology.

Enhanced nanoscale friction on fluorinated graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Sangku; Ko, Jae-Hyeon; Jeon, Ki-Joon; Kim, Yong-Hyun; Park, Jeong Young

2012-12-12

Atomically thin graphene is an ideal model system for studying nanoscale friction due to its intrinsic two-dimensional (2D) anisotropy. Furthermore, modulating its tribological properties could be an important milestone for graphene-based micro- and nanomechanical devices. Here, we report unexpectedly enhanced nanoscale friction on chemically modified graphene and a relevant theoretical analysis associated with flexural phonons. Ultrahigh vacuum friction force microscopy measurements show that nanoscale friction on the graphene surface increases by a factor of 6 after fluorination of the surface, while the adhesion force is slightly reduced. Density functional theory calculations show that the out-of-plane bending stiffness of graphene increases up to 4-fold after fluorination. Thus, the less compliant F-graphene exhibits more friction. This indicates that the mechanics of tip-to-graphene nanoscale friction would be characteristically different from that of conventional solid-on-solid contact and would be dominated by the out-of-plane bending stiffness of the chemically modified graphene. We propose that damping via flexural phonons could be a main source for frictional energy dissipation in 2D systems such as graphene.

Spin-dependent transport and functional design in organic ferromagnetic devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guichao Hu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Organic ferromagnets are intriguing materials in that they combine ferromagnetic and organic properties. Although challenges in their synthesis still remain, the development of organic spintronics has triggered strong interest in high-performance organic ferromagnetic devices. This review first introduces our theory for spin-dependent electron transport through organic ferromagnetic devices, which combines an extended Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model with the Green’s function method. The effects of the intrinsic interactions in the organic ferromagnets, including strong electron–lattice interaction and spin–spin correlation between π-electrons and radicals, are highlighted. Several interesting functional designs of organic ferromagnetic devices are discussed, specifically the concepts of a spin filter, multi-state magnetoresistance, and spin-current rectification. The mechanism of each phenomenon is explained by transmission and orbital analysis. These works show that organic ferromagnets are promising components for spintronic devices that deserve to be designed and examined in future experiments.

Effects of nanoscale contacts to graphene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Franklin, A.D.; Han, S.-J.; Bol, A.A.; Haensch, W.

2011-01-01

Understanding and optimizing transport between metal contacts and graphene is one of the foremost challenges for graphene devices. In this letter, we present the first results on the effects of reducing contact dimensions to the nanoscale in single-layer graphene transistors. Using noninvasive

Spintronic microfluidic platform for biomedical and environmental applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, F. A.; Martins, V. C.; Fonseca, L. P.; Germano, J.; Sousa, L. A.; Piedade, M. S.; Freitas, P. P.

2010-09-01

Faster, more sensitive and easy to operate biosensing devices still are a need at important areas such as biomedical diagnostics, food control and environmental monitoring. Recently, spintronic-devices have emerged as a promising alternative to the existent technologies [1-3]. A number of advantages, namely high sensitivity, easy integration, miniaturization, scalability, robustness and low cost make these devices potentially capable of responding to the existent technological need. In parallel, the field of microfluidics has shown great advances [4]. Microfluidic systems allow the analysis of small sample volumes (from micro- down to pico-liters), often by automate sample processing with the ability to integrate several steps into a single device (analyte amplification, concentration, separation and/or labeling), all in a reduced assay time (minutes to hours) and affordable cost. The merging of these two technologies, magnetoresistive biochips and microfluidics, will enable the development of highly competitive devices. This work reports the integration of a magnetoresistive biochip with a microfluidic system inside a portable and autonomous electronic platform aiming for a fully integrated device. A microfluidic structure fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane with dimensions of W: 0.5mm, H: 0.1mm, L: 10mm, associated to a mechanical system to align and seal the channel by pressure is presented (Fig. 1) [5]. The goal is to perform sample loading and transportation over the chip and simultaneously control the stringency and uniformity of the wash-out process. The biochip output is acquired by an electronic microsystem incorporating the circuitry to control, address and read-out the 30 spin-valve sensors sequentially (Fig. 1) [2]. This platform is being applied to the detection of water-borne microbial pathogens (e.g. Salmonella and Escherichia coli) and genetic diseases diagnosis (e.g. cystic fibrosis) through DNA hybridization assays. Open chamber measurements were

Nano Superconducting Quantum Interference device: A powerful tool for nanoscale investigations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granata, Carmine, E-mail: carmine.granata@cnr.it; Vettoliere, Antonio

2016-02-19

The magnetic sensing at nanoscale level is a promising and interesting research topic of nanoscience. Indeed, magnetic imaging is a powerful tool for probing biological, chemical and physical systems. The study of small spin cluster, like magnetic molecules and nanoparticles, single electron, cold atom clouds, is one of the most stimulating challenges of applied and basic research of the next years. In particular, the magnetic nanoparticle investigation plays a fundamental role for the modern material science and its relative technological applications like ferrofluids, magnetic refrigeration and biomedical applications, including drug delivery, hyper-thermia cancer treatment and magnetic resonance imaging contrast-agent. Actually, one of the most ambitious goals of the high sensitivity magnetometry is the detection of elementary magnetic moment or spin. In this framework, several efforts have been devoted to the development of a high sensitivity magnetic nanosensor pushing sensing capability to the individual spin level. Among the different magnetic sensors, Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) exhibit an ultra high sensitivity and are widely employed in numerous applications. Basically, a SQUID consists of a superconducting ring (sensitive area) interrupted by two Josephson junctions. In the recent years, it has been proved that the magnetic response of nano-objects can be effectively measured by using a SQUID with a very small sensitive area (nanoSQUID). In fact, the sensor noise, expressed in terms of the elementary magnetic moment (spin or Bohr magneton), is linearly dependent on the SQUID loop side length. For this reason, SQUIDs have been progressively miniaturized in order to improve the sensitivity up to few spin per unit of bandwidth. With respect to other techniques, nanoSQUIDs offer the advantage of direct measurement of magnetization changes in small spin systems. In this review, we focus on nanoSQUIDs and its applications. In

Quest for high-Curie temperature MnxGe1-x diluted magnetic semiconductors for room-temperature spintronics applications

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Tianxiao; Tang, Jianshi; Wang, Kang L.

2015-09-01

In this paper, we report the non-equilibrium growth of various Mn-doped Ge dilute magnetic semiconductor nanostructures using molecular-beam epitaxy, including quantum dots, nanodisks and nanowires. Their detailed structural and magnetic properties are characterized. By comparing the results with those in MnxGe1-x thin films, it is affirmed that the use of nanostructures helps eliminate crystalline defects and meanwhile enhance the carrier-mediate ferromagnetism from substantial quantum confinements. Our systematic studies provide a promising platform to build nonvolatile spinFET and other novel spintronic devices based upon dilute magnetic semiconductor nanostructures.

Group IV all-semiconductor spintronics. Materials aspects and optical spin selection rules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sircar, Narayan

2012-04-03

In the scope of the present thesis various aspects for the realization of spintronic applications based on group IV semiconductors are discussed. This work comprises a refined material characterization of the magnetic semiconductor GeMn. We furthermore present efforts to utilize this material as spin injector for a Si-based optical spintronic device. Applying transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography, we are able to resolve a vertical anisotropy in the self-assembly, leading to the stacking of well-defined clusters in the growth direction. Three-dimensional atom distribution maps confirm that clusters are built from a nonstoichiometric GeMn alloy and exhibit a high-Mn-concentration core with a decreasing Mn concentration toward a shell. An amorphous nature of the cluster cores as well as the crystallinity of the shells, coherent with the surrounding Ge lattice, are revealed in scanning transmission electron microscopy. We localize a strain field surrounding each GeMn cluster by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The importance of strain to the stacking phenomenon of the clusters becomes clear in studies of Ge/GeMn superlattice structures, where a vertical spatial correlation of clusters over 30 nm-thick Ge spacer layers is observed. We present evidence that electrical transport properties of the p-type GeMn thin films fabricated on high-resistivity Ge substrates are severely influenced by parallel conduction through the substrate. It is shown that substrate conduction persists also for wellconducting degenerate p-type reference thin films, giving rise to an effective two-layer conduction scheme. GeMn thin films fabricated on these substrates exhibit only a negligible magnetoresistance effect. Before integrating GeMn in an optical spintronic device, some key aspects important for an understanding of the optical injection and detection of carrier spins in Si and Si-based heterostructures are clarified in the second part of this thesis. In

Rational Design of Two-Dimensional Metallic and Semiconducting Spintronic Materials Based on Ordered Double-Transition-Metal MXenes

KAUST Repository

Dong, Liang

2016-12-30

Two-dimensional (2D) materials that display robust ferromagnetism have been pursued intensively for nanoscale spintronic applications, but suitable candidates have not been identified. Here we present theoretical predictions on the design of ordered double-transition-metal MXene structures to achieve such a goal. On the basis of the analysis of electron filling in transition-metal cations and first-principles simulations, we demonstrate robust ferromagnetism in Ti2MnC2Tx monolayers regardless of the surface terminations (T = O, OH, and F), as well as in Hf2MnC2O2 and Hf2VC2O2 monolayers. The high magnetic moments (3–4 μB/unit cell) and high Curie temperatures (495–1133 K) of these MXenes are superior to those of existing 2D ferromagnetic materials. Furthermore, semimetal-to-semiconductor and ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic phase transitions are predicted to occur in these materials in the presence of small or moderate tensile in-plane strains (0–3%), which can be externally applied mechanically or internally induced by the choice of transition metals.

Spintronics with graphene-hexagonal boron nitride van der Waals heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamalakar, M. Venkata; Dankert, André; Bergsten, Johan; Ive, Tommy; Dash, Saroj P.

2014-01-01

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a large bandgap insulating isomorph of graphene, ideal for atomically thin tunnel barrier applications. In this letter, we demonstrate large area chemical vapor deposited (CVD) h-BN as a promising spin tunnel barrier in graphene spin transport devices. In such structures, the ferromagnetic tunnel contacts with h-BN barrier are found to show robust tunneling characteristics over a large scale with resistances in the favorable range for efficient spin injection into graphene. The non-local spin transport and precession experiments reveal spin lifetime ≈500 ps and spin diffusion length ≈1.6 μm in graphene with tunnel spin polarization ≈11% at 100 K. The electrical and spin transport measurements at different injection bias current and gate voltages confirm tunnel spin injection through h-BN barrier. These results open up possibilities for implementation of large area CVD h-BN in spintronic technologies

Spin-Valve Effect in a Ni-C60-Ni Device

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

He, Haiying; Pandey, Ravindra; Karna, Shashi P

2006-01-01

.... The magnitude of the junction magnetoresistance (JMR) is found to be significantly large for the device, which makes it a promising candidate for realistic applications in molecular spintronics...

Spintronics with metals: Current perpendicular-to-the-plane magneto-transport studies

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Amit

In this thesis, we present studies to produce new information about three topics: current perpendicular to the plane magnetoresistance (CPP-MR), spin transfer torque (STT), and antiferromagnetic spintronics. Large values of CPP-MR interface parameters---specific interface resistance (Area times resistance), 2AR*, and scattering asymmetry, gamma---are desirable for the use of CPP-MR in devices. Stimulated by a nanopillar study by the Cornell Group, we first discovered that Py/Al had an unusually large 2AR*, but a small gamma. In the hope of finding metal pairs with large values of both the interface parameters, the Py/Al studies led us to study the following interfaces: (a) F/Al with F: Py (= Ni84Fe16). Co, Fe, Co91Fe9, and (b) F/N: Py/Pd, Fe/V, Fe/Nb and Co/Pt. None of the metal pairs looks better for CPP-MR devices. The Cornell group also found that bracketing Al with thin Cu in Py/Al/Py nanopillars, gave an MR similar to Py/Al/Py rather than to Py/Cu/Py. To try to understand this result, we studied the effect of Cu/Al/Cu spacers on ADeltaR = AR(AP) - AR(P) of Py exchange biased spin valves (EBSVs). Here AR(AP) and AR(P) are the specific resistances in the anti-parallel (AP) and parallel (P) configurations of the F layers. Intriguingly, fixing the Al thickness tAl = 10 nm and varying tCu has no effect on ADeltaR, but fixing tCu = 10 nm and varying t Al significantly affected ADeltaR. These unusual behaviors are probably due to strong Al and Cu intermixing, with probable formation of some fraction of ordered alloys. Recent calculations predicted that 2AR of Al/Ag interfaces would vary substantially with orientation and with alloying. The latter is a special potential problem, because Al and Ag interdiffuse at room temperature. To compare with the calculations, we determined 2AR of sputtered Al/Ag interfaces with (111) orientation. Our estimate agrees with calculations that assume 4 monolayers of interfacial disorder, consistent with modest intermixing. To aid in

Equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloys: A material perspective for spintronic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bainsla, Lakhan, E-mail: lakhanbainsla@gmail.com, E-mail: suresh@phy.iitb.ac.in; Suresh, K. G., E-mail: lakhanbainsla@gmail.com, E-mail: suresh@phy.iitb.ac.in [Magnetic Materials Lab, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India)

2016-09-15

Half-metallic ferromagnetic (HMF) materials show high spin polarization and are therefore interesting to researchers due to their possible applications in spintronic devices. In these materials, while one spin sub band has a finite density of states at the Fermi level, the other sub band has a gap. Because of their high Curie temperature (T{sub C}) and tunable electronic structure, HMF Heusler alloys have a special importance among the HMF materials. Full Heusler alloys with the stoichiometric composition X{sub 2}YZ (where X and Y are the transition metals and Z is a sp element) have the cubic L2{sub 1} structure with four interpenetrating fcc sublattices. When each of these four fcc sublattices is occupied by different atoms (XX′YZ), a quaternary Heusler structure with different structural symmetries (space group F-43m, #216) is obtained. Recently, these equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloys (EQHAs) with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry have attracted a lot of attention due to their superior magnetic and transport properties. A special class of HMF materials identified recently is known as spin gapless semiconductors (SGS). The difference in this case, compared with HMFs, is that the density of states for one spin band is just zero at the Fermi level, while the other has a gap as in the case of HMFs. Some of the reported SGS materials belong to EQHAs family. This review is dedicated to almost all reported materials belonging to EQHAs family. The electronic structure and hence the physical properties of Heusler alloys strongly depend on the degree of structural order and distribution of the atoms in the crystal lattice. A variety of experimental techniques has been used to probe the structural parameters and degree of order in these alloys. Their magnetic properties have been investigated using the conventional methods, while the spin polarization has been probed by point contact Andreev reflection technique. The experimentally obtained values of saturation magnetization are

Quantum computing and spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantser, V.

2007-01-01

Tentative to build a computer, which can operate according to the quantum laws, has leaded to concept of quantum computing algorithms and hardware. In this review we highlight recent developments which point the way to quantum computing on the basis solid state nanostructures after some general considerations concerning quantum information science and introducing a set of basic requirements for any quantum computer proposal. One of the major direction of research on the way to quantum computing is to exploit the spin (in addition to the orbital) degree of freedom of the electron, giving birth to the field of spintronics. We address some semiconductor approach based on spin orbit coupling in semiconductor nanostructures. (authors)

Magnon spintronics in non-collinear magnetic insulator/metal heterostructures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aqeel, Aisha

2017-01-01

The research presented in this thesis focuses on the growth of complex magnetic materials with unique magnetic properties and experimental investigation of fundamental spintronics phenomena in these magnetic insulators with magnetic orders varying from collinear to noncollinear chiral spin

Novel plasmonic probes and smart superhydrophobic devices, New tools for forthcoming spectroscopies at the nanoscale

KAUST Repository

Giugni, Andrea; Torre, Bruno; Allione, Marco; Gentile, Francesco T.; Candeloro, Patrizio; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Perozziello, Gerardo; Limongi, Tania; Marini, Monica; Raimondo, Raffaella; Tirinato, Luca; Francardi, Marco; Das, Gobind; Proietti Zaccaria, Remo; Falqui, Andrea; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2014-01-01

In this work we review novel strategies and new physical effects to achieve compositional and structural recognition at single molecule level. This chapter is divided in two main parts. The first one introduces the strategies currently adopted to investigate matter at few molecules level. Exploiting the capability of surface plasmon polaritons to deliver optical excitation at nanoscale, we introduce a technique relying on a new transport phenomenon with chemical sensitivity and nanometer spatial resolution. The second part describes how micro and nanostructured superhydrofobic textures can concentrate and localize a small number of molecules into a well-defined region, even when only an extremely diluted solution is available. Several applications of these devices as micro- and nano-systems for high-resolution imaging techniques, cell cultures and tissue engineering applications are also discussed.

Novel plasmonic probes and smart superhydrophobic devices, New tools for forthcoming spectroscopies at the nanoscale

KAUST Repository

Giugni, Andrea

2014-08-11

In this work we review novel strategies and new physical effects to achieve compositional and structural recognition at single molecule level. This chapter is divided in two main parts. The first one introduces the strategies currently adopted to investigate matter at few molecules level. Exploiting the capability of surface plasmon polaritons to deliver optical excitation at nanoscale, we introduce a technique relying on a new transport phenomenon with chemical sensitivity and nanometer spatial resolution. The second part describes how micro and nanostructured superhydrofobic textures can concentrate and localize a small number of molecules into a well-defined region, even when only an extremely diluted solution is available. Several applications of these devices as micro- and nano-systems for high-resolution imaging techniques, cell cultures and tissue engineering applications are also discussed.

Investigation of Short Channel Effect on Vertical Structures in Nanoscale MOSFET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munawar A. Riyadi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The recent development of MOSFET demands innovative approach to maintain the scaling into nanoscale dimension. This paper focuses on the physical nature of vertical MOSFET in nanoscale regime. Vertical structure is one of the promising devices in further scaling, with relaxed-lithography feature in the manufacture. The comparison of vertical and lateral MOSFET performance for nanoscale channel length (Lch is demonstrated with the help of numerical tools. The evaluation of short channel effect (SCE parameters, i.e. threshold voltage roll-off, subthreshold swing (SS, drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL and leakage current shows the considerable advantages as well as its thread-off in implementing the structure, in particular for nanoscale regime.

A primary exploration to quasi-two-dimensional rare-earth ferromagnetic particles: holmium-doped MoS2 sheet as room-temperature magnetic semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Lin, Zheng-Zhe

2018-05-01

Recently, two-dimensional materials and nanoparticles with robust ferromagnetism are even of great interest to explore basic physics in nanoscale spintronics. More importantly, room-temperature magnetic semiconducting materials with high Curie temperature is essential for developing next-generation spintronic and quantum computing devices. Here, we develop a theoretical model on the basis of density functional theory calculations and the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida theory to predict the thermal stability of two-dimensional magnetic materials. Compared with other rare-earth (dysprosium (Dy) and erbium (Er)) and 3 d (copper (Cu)) impurities, holmium-doped (Ho-doped) single-layer 1H-MoS2 is proposed as promising semiconductor with robust magnetism. The calculations at the level of hybrid HSE06 functional predict a Curie temperature much higher than room temperature. Ho-doped MoS2 sheet possesses fully spin-polarized valence and conduction bands, which is a prerequisite for flexible spintronic applications.

Nanoscale shape-memory alloys for ultrahigh mechanical damping.

Science.gov (United States)

San Juan, Jose; Nó, Maria L; Schuh, Christopher A

2009-07-01

Shape memory alloys undergo reversible transformations between two distinct phases in response to changes in temperature or applied stress. The creation and motion of the internal interfaces between these phases during such transformations dissipates energy, making these alloys effective mechanical damping materials. Although it has been shown that reversible phase transformations can occur in nanoscale volumes, it is not known whether these transformations have a sample size dependence. Here, we demonstrate that the two phases responsible for shape memory in Cu-Al-Ni alloys are more stable in nanoscale pillars than they are in the bulk. As a result, the pillars show a damping figure of merit that is substantially higher than any previously reported value for a bulk material, making them attractive for damping applications in nanoscale and microscale devices.

Interplay of Peltier and Seebeck Effects in Nanoscale Nonlocal Spin Valves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, F. L.; Slachter, A.; Adam, J-P; van Wees, B. J.

2010-01-01

We have experimentally studied the role of thermoelectric effects in nanoscale nonlocal spin valve devices. A finite element thermoelectric model is developed to calculate the generated Seebeck voltages due to Peltier and Joule heating in the devices. By measuring the first, second, and third

Theory of superconducting spintronic SIsFS devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakurskiy, S.V.; Klenov, N.V.; Soloviev, I.I.; Kupriyanov, M.Yu.; Bol'ginov, V.V.; Ryazanov, V.V.; Vernik, I.V.; Mukhanov, O.A.; Golubov, A.A.

2013-01-01

Full text: Motivated by recent progress in developments of cryogenic memory compatible with single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits we have performed a theoretical study of magnetic SIsFS Josephson junctions, where 'S' is a bulk superconductor, 's' is a thin superconducting film, 'F' is a metallic ferromagnet and 'I' is an insulator. We calculate the Josephson current as a function of s and F layers thickness, temperature and exchange energy of F film. We outline several modes of operation of these junctions and demonstrate their unique ability to have high I C R N product in the π-state, comparable to that in SIS tunnel junctions commonly used in SFQ circuits. We develop a model describing switching of the Josephson critical current in these devices by external magnetic field. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data for Nb-Al/AlOx-Nb-Pd0:99Fe0:01-Nb junctions. This work is supported by RFBR No. 12-02-90010-Bel a .

Hybrid Spintronic Structures With Magnetic Oxides and Heusler Alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Y. B.; Hassan, S. S. A.; Wong, P. K. J.

2008-01-01

Hybrid spintronic structures, integrating half-metallic magnetic oxides and Heusler alloys with their predicted high spin polarization, are important for the development of second-generation spintronics with high-efficient spin injection. We have synthesized epitaxial magnetic oxide Fe3O4 on Ga......As(100) and the unit cell of the Fe3O4 was found to be rotated by 45 degrees to match the gallium arsenide GaAs. The films were found to have a bulk-like moment down to 3-4 nm and a low coercivity indicating a high-quality magnetic interface. The magnetization hysteresis loops of the ultrathin films...... are controlled by uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. The dynamic response of the sample shows a heavily damped precessional response to the applied field pulses. In the Heusler alloy system of Co-2 MnGa on GaAs, we found that the magnetic moment was reduced for thicknesses down to 10 nm, which may account...

Plant virus directed fabrication of nanoscale materials and devices

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-26

Structural features within the internal and external PVN surfaces are amenable to either chemi- cal or genetic modifications for the display of novel moieties...structures: from nanoboomerangs to tetrapods. Nanoscale 7, 344–355. Eggen, R., Verver, J., Wellink, J., De Jong, A., Goldbach, R., van Kammen, A., 1989...in planta expression and for templates for synthetic biology applica- tions. New Phytol. 200, 16–26. Saunders, K., Sainsbury, F., Lomonossoff, G.P

Quantum mechanical modeling the emission pattern and polarization of nanoscale light emitting diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rulin; Zhang, Yu; Bi, Fuzhen; Frauenheim, Thomas; Chen, GuanHua; Yam, ChiYung

2016-07-21

Understanding of the electroluminescence (EL) mechanism in optoelectronic devices is imperative for further optimization of their efficiency and effectiveness. Here, a quantum mechanical approach is formulated for modeling the EL processes in nanoscale light emitting diodes (LED). Based on non-equilibrium Green's function quantum transport equations, interactions with the electromagnetic vacuum environment are included to describe electrically driven light emission in the devices. The presented framework is illustrated by numerical simulations of a silicon nanowire LED device. EL spectra of the nanowire device under different bias voltages are obtained and, more importantly, the radiation pattern and polarization of optical emission can be determined using the current approach. This work is an important step forward towards atomistic quantum mechanical modeling of the electrically induced optical response in nanoscale systems.

Three-dimensional spin mapping of antiferromagnetic nanopyramids having spatially alternating surface anisotropy at room temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kangkang; Smith, Arthur R

2012-11-14

Antiferromagnets play a key role in modern spintronic devices owing to their ability to modify the switching behavior of adjacent ferromagnets via the exchange bias effect. Consequently, detailed measurements of the spin structure at antiferromagnetic interfaces and surfaces are highly desirable, not only for advancing technologies but also for enabling new insights into the underlying physics. Here using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy at room-temperature, we reveal in three-dimensions an orthogonal spin structure on antiferromagnetic compound nanopyramids. Contrary to expected uniaxial anisotropy based on bulk properties, the atomic terraces are found to have alternating in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic anisotropies. The observed layer-wise alternation in anisotropy could have strong influences on future nanoscale spintronic applications.

Rare earth-based quaternary Heusler compounds MCoVZ (M = Lu, Y; Z = Si, Ge with tunable band characteristics for potential spintronic applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaotian Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Magnetic Heusler compounds (MHCs have recently attracted great attention since these types of material provide novel functionalities in spintronic and magneto-electronic devices. Among the MHCs, some compounds have been predicted to be spin-filter semiconductors [also called magnetic semiconductors (MSs], spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs or half-metals (HMs. In this work, by means of first-principles calculations, it is demonstrated that rare earth-based equiatomic quaternary Heusler (EQH compounds with the formula MCoVZ (M = Lu, Y; Z = Si, Ge are new spin-filter semiconductors with total magnetic moments of 3 µB. Furthermore, under uniform strain, there are physical transitions from spin-filter semiconductor (MS → SGS → HM for EQH compounds with the formula LuCoVZ, and from HM → SGS → MS → SGS → HM for EQH compounds with the formula YCoVZ. Remarkably, for YCoVZ EQH compounds there are not only diverse physical transitions, but also different types of spin-gapless feature that can be observed with changing lattice constants. The structural stability of these four EQH compounds is also examined from the points of view of formation energy, cohesive energy and mechanical behaviour. This work is likely to inspire consideration of rare earth-based EQH compounds for application in future spintronic and magneto-electronic devices.

Magnetization Dynamics in Two Novel Current-Driven Spintronic Memory Cell Structures

KAUST Repository

Velazquez-Rizo, Martin

2017-07-01

In this work, two new spintronic memory cell structures are proposed. The first cell uses the diffusion of polarized spins into ferromagnets with perpendicular anisotropy to tilt their magnetization followed by their dipolar coupling to a fixed magnet (Bhowmik et al., 2014). The possibility of setting the magnetization to both stable magnetization states in a controlled manner using a similar concept remains unknown, but the proposed structure poses to be a solution to this difficulty. The second cell proposed takes advantage of the multiple stable magnetic states that exist in ferromagnets with configurational anisotropy and also uses spin torques to manipulate its magnetization. It utilizes a square-shaped ferromagnet whose stable magnetization has preferred directions along the diagonals of the square, giving four stable magnetic states allowing to use the structure as a multi-bit memory cell. Both devices use spin currents generated in heavy metals by the Spin Hall effect present in these materials. Among the advantages of the structures proposed are their inherent non-volatility and the fact that there is no need for applying external magnetic fields during their operation, which drastically improves the energy efficiency of the devices. Computational simulations using the Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework (OOMMF) software package were performed to study the dynamics of the magnetization process in both structures and predict their behavior. Besides, we fabricated a 4-terminal memory cell with configurational anisotropy similar to the device proposed, and found four stable resistive states on the structure, proving the feasibility of this technology for implementation of high-density, non-volatile memory cells.

Selective nanoscale growth of lattice mismatched materials

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-Chang; Brueck, Steven R. J.

2017-06-20

Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods of forming high-quality semiconductor devices using lattice-mismatched materials. In one embodiment, a composite film including one or more substantially-single-particle-thick nanoparticle layers can be deposited over a substrate as a nanoscale selective growth mask for epitaxially growing lattice-mismatched materials over the substrate.

Semiempirical model for nanoscale device simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stokbro, Kurt; Petersen, Dan Erik; Smidstrup, Søren

2010-01-01

We present a semiempirical model for calculating electron transport in atomic-scale devices. The model is an extension of the extended Hückel method with a self-consistent Hartree potential that models the effect of an external bias and corresponding charge rearrangements in the device. It is also...... possible to include the effect of external gate potentials and continuum dielectric regions in the device. The model is used to study the electron transport through an organic molecule between gold surfaces, and it is demonstrated that the results are in closer agreement with experiments than ab initio...

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in C60-based organic spintronic systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Kai; Sanderink, Johannes G.M.; Bolhuis, Thijs; van der Wiel, Wilfred Gerard; de Jong, Machiel Pieter

2014-01-01

C 60 fullerenes are interesting molecular semiconductors for spintronics since they exhibit weak spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions, which is a prerequisite for long spin lifetimes. We report spin-polarized transport in spin-valve-like structures containing ultrathin (<10 nm) C 60 layers,

Magnetic polyoxometalates: from molecular magnetism to molecular spintronics and quantum computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Clemente-Juan, Juan M; Coronado, Eugenio; Gaita-Ariño, Alejandro

2012-11-21

In this review we discuss the relevance of polyoxometalate (POM) chemistry to provide model objects in molecular magnetism. We present several potential applications in nanomagnetism, in particular, in molecular spintronics and quantum computing.

Synthesis, dynamics and photophysics of nanoscale systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mirkovic, Tihana

The emerging field of nanotechnology, which spans diverse areas such as nanoelectronics, medicine, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology and computation, focuses on the development of devices whose improved performance is based on the utilization of self-assembled nanoscale components exhibiting unique properties owing to their miniaturized dimensions. The first phase in the conception of such multifunctional devices based on integrated technologies requires the study of basic principles behind the functional mechanism of nanoscale components, which could originate from individual nanoobjects or result as a collective behaviour of miniaturized unit structures. The comprehensive studies presented in this thesis encompass the mechanical, dynamical and photophysical aspects of three nanoscale systems. A newly developed europium sulfide nanocrystalline material is introduced. Advances in synthetic methods allowed for shape control of surface-functionalized EuS nanocrystals and the fabrication of multifunctional EuS-CdSe hybrid particles, whose unique structural and optical properties hold promise as useful attributes of integrated materials in developing technologies. A comprehensive study based on a new class of multifunctional nanomaterials, derived from the basic unit of barcoded metal nanorods is presented. Their chemical composition affords them the ability to undergo autonomous motion in the presence of a suitable fuel. The nature of their chemically powered self-propulsion locomotion was investigated, and plausible mechanisms for various motility modes were presented. Furthermore functionalization of striped metallic nanorods has been realized through the incorporation of chemically controlled flexible hinges displaying bendable properties. The structural aspect of the light harvesting machinery of a photosynthetic cryptophyte alga, Rhodomonas CS24, and the mobility of the antenna protein, PE545, in vivo were investigated. Information obtained

Introduction to spintronics

CERN Document Server

Bandyopadhyay, Supriyo

2008-01-01

The Early History of Spin Spin The Bohr Planetary Model and Space Quantization The Birth of "Spin" The Stern-Gerlach Experiment The Advent of Spintronics The Quantum Mechanics of Spin Pauli Spin Matrices The Pauli Equation and Spinors More on the Pauli Equation Extending the Pauli Equation - the Dirac Equation The Time Independent Dirac Equation Appendix The Bloch Sphere The Spinor and the "Qubit" The Bloch Sphere Concept Evolution of a Spinor Spin-1/2 Particle in a Constant Magnetic Field: Larmor Precession Preparing to Derive the Rabi Formula The Rabi Formula The Density Matrix The Density Matrix Concept: Case of a Pure State Properties of the Density Matrix Pure Versus Mixed State Concept of the Bloch Ball Time Evolution of the Density Matrix: Case of Mixed State The Relaxation Times T1 and T2 and the Bloch Equations Spin Orbit Interaction Spin Orbit Interaction in a Solid Magneto-Electric Sub-Bands in Quantum Confined Structures in the Presence of Spin-Orbit Interaction Dispersion Relations of Spin Resolv...

Pseudo-One-Dimensional Magnonic Crystals for High-Frequency Nanoscale Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Chandrima; Choudhury, Samiran; Sinha, Jaivardhan; Barman, Anjan

2017-07-01

The synthetic magnonic crystals (i.e., periodic composites consisting of different magnetic materials) form one fascinating class of emerging research field, which aims to command the process and flow of information by means of spin waves, such as in magnonic waveguides. One of the intriguing features of magnonic crystals is the presence and tunability of band gaps in the spin-wave spectrum, where the high attenuation of the frequency bands can be utilized for frequency-dependent control on the spin waves. However, to find a feasible way of band tuning in terms of a realistic integrated device is still a challenge. Here, we introduce an array of asymmetric saw-tooth-shaped width-modulated nanoscale ferromagnetic waveguides forming a pseudo-one-dimensional magnonic crystal. The frequency dispersion of collective modes measured by the Brillouin light-scattering technique is compared with the band diagram obtained by numerically solving the eigenvalue problem derived from the linearized Landau-Lifshitz magnetic torque equation. We find that the magnonic band-gap width, position, and the slope of dispersion curves are controllable by changing the angle between the spin-wave propagation channel and the magnetic field. The calculated profiles of the dynamic magnetization reveal that the corrugation at the lateral boundary of the waveguide effectively engineers the edge modes, which forms the basis of the interactive control in magnonic circuits. The results represent a prospective direction towards managing the internal field distribution as well as the dispersion properties, which find potential applications in dynamic spin-wave filters and magnonic waveguides in the gigahertz frequency range.

Improving Neural Recording Technology at the Nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, John Eric

Neural recording electrodes are widely used to study normal brain function (e.g., learning, memory, and sensation) and abnormal brain function (e.g., epilepsy, addiction, and depression) and to interface with the nervous system for neuroprosthetics. With a deep understanding of the electrode interface at the nanoscale and the use of novel nanofabrication processes, neural recording electrodes can be designed that surpass previous limits and enable new applications. In this thesis, I will discuss three projects. In the first project, we created an ultralow-impedance electrode coating by controlling the nanoscale texture of electrode surfaces. In the second project, we developed a novel nanowire electrode for long-term intracellular recordings. In the third project, we created a means of wirelessly communicating with ultra-miniature, implantable neural recording devices. The techniques developed for these projects offer significant improvements in the quality of neural recordings. They can also open the door to new types of experiments and medical devices, which can lead to a better understanding of the brain and can enable novel and improved tools for clinical applications.

Systems engineering at the nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Benkoski, Jason J.; Breidenich, Jennifer L.; Wei, Michael C.; Clatterbaughi, Guy V.; Keng, Pei Yuin; Pyun, Jeffrey

2012-06-01

Nanomaterials have provided some of the greatest leaps in technology over the past twenty years, but their relatively early stage of maturity presents challenges for their incorporation into engineered systems. Perhaps even more challenging is the fact that the underlying physics at the nanoscale often run counter to our physical intuition. The current state of nanotechnology today includes nanoscale materials and devices developed to function as components of systems, as well as theoretical visions for "nanosystems," which are systems in which all components are based on nanotechnology. Although examples will be given to show that nanomaterials have indeed matured into applications in medical, space, and military systems, no complete nanosystem has yet been realized. This discussion will therefore focus on systems in which nanotechnology plays a central role. Using self-assembled magnetic artificial cilia as an example, we will discuss how systems engineering concepts apply to nanotechnology.

Simultaneous topographical, electrical and optical microscopy of optoelectronic devices at the nanoscale

KAUST Repository

Kumar, Naresh; Zoladek-Lemanczyk, Alina; Guilbert, Anne A. Y.; Su, Weitao; Tuladhar, Sachetan M.; Kirchartz, Thomas; Schroeder, Bob C.; McCulloch, Iain; Nelson, Jenny; Roy, Debdulal; Castro, Fernando A.

2017-01-01

resolution by combining plasmonic optical signal enhancement with electrical-mode scanning probe microscopy. We demonstrate that this combined approach offers subsurface sensitivity that can be exploited to provide molecular information with a nanoscale

Magnetization Dynamics in Two Novel Current-Driven Spintronic Memory Cell Structures

KAUST Repository

Velazquez-Rizo, Martin

2017-01-01

In this work, two new spintronic memory cell structures are proposed. The first cell uses the diffusion of polarized spins into ferromagnets with perpendicular anisotropy to tilt their magnetization followed by their dipolar coupling to a fixed

Highly repeatable nanoscale phase coexistence in vanadium dioxide films

Science.gov (United States)

Huffman, T. J.; Lahneman, D. J.; Wang, S. L.; Slusar, T.; Kim, Bong-Jun; Kim, Hyun-Tak; Qazilbash, M. M.

2018-02-01

It is generally believed that in first-order phase transitions in materials with imperfections, the formation of phase domains must be affected to some extent by stochastic (probabilistic) processes. The stochasticity would lead to unreliable performance in nanoscale devices that have the potential to exploit the transformation of physical properties in a phase transition. Here we show that stochasticity at nanometer length scales is completely suppressed in the thermally driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) in sputtered vanadium dioxide (V O2 ) films. The nucleation and growth of domain patterns of metallic and insulating phases occur in a strikingly reproducible way. The completely deterministic nature of domain formation and growth in films with imperfections is a fundamental and unexpected finding about the kinetics of this material. Moreover, it opens the door for realizing reliable nanoscale devices based on the MIT in V O2 and similar phase-change materials.

Light-matter interaction physics and engineering at the nanoscale

CERN Document Server

Weiner, John

2013-01-01

This book draws together the essential elements of classical electrodynamics, surface wave physics, plasmonic materials, and circuit theory of electrical engineering to provide insight into the essential physics of nanoscale light-matter interaction and to provide design methodology for practical nanoscale plasmonic devices. A chapter on classical and quantal radiation also highlights the similarities (and differences) between the classical fields of Maxwell's equations and the wave functions of Schrodinger's equation. The aim of this chapter is to provide a semiclassical picture of atomic absorption and emission of radiation, lending credence and physical plausibility to the "rules" of standard wave-mechanical calculations.

Nanoscale layer-selective readout of magnetization direction from a magnetic multilayer using a spin-torque oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suto, Hirofumi; Nagasawa, Tazumi; Kudo, Kiwamu; Mizushima, Koichi; Sato, Rie

2014-01-01

Technology for detecting the magnetization direction of nanoscale magnetic material is crucial for realizing high-density magnetic recording devices. Conventionally, a magnetoresistive device is used that changes its resistivity in accordance with the direction of the stray field from an objective magnet. However, when several magnets are near such a device, the superposition of stray fields from all the magnets acts on the sensor, preventing selective recognition of their individual magnetization directions. Here we introduce a novel readout method for detecting the magnetization direction of a nanoscale magnet by use of a spin-torque oscillator (STO). The principles behind this method are dynamic dipolar coupling between an STO and a nanoscale magnet, and detection of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) of this coupled system from the STO signal. Because the STO couples with a specific magnet by tuning the STO oscillation frequency to match its FMR frequency, this readout method can selectively determine the magnetization direction of the magnet. (papers)

Ferroelectric crystals for photonic applications including nanoscale fabrication and characterization techniques

CERN Document Server

Ferraro, Pietro; De Natale, Paolo

2015-01-01

This book details the latest achievements in ferroelectric domain engineering and characterization at micro- and nano-scale dimensions and periods. It combines basic research of magnetic materials with device and production orientation.

Spintronic effects in metallic, semiconductor, metal-oxide and metal-semiconductor heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bratkovsky, A M [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, 1501 Page Mill Road, MS 1123, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (United States)

2008-02-15

Spintronics is a rapidly growing field focusing on phenomena and related devices essentially dependent on spin transport. Some of them are already an established part of microelectronics. We review recent theoretical and experimental advances in achieving large spin injection efficiency (polarization of current) and accumulated spin polarization. These include tunnel and giant magnetoresistance, spin-torque and spin-orbit effects on electron transport in various heterostructures. We give a microscopic description of spin tunneling through oxide and modified Schottky barriers between a ferromagnet (FM) and a semiconductor (S). It is shown that in such FM-S junctions electrons with a certain spin projection can be efficiently injected into (or extracted from) S, while electrons with the opposite spin can accumulate in S near the interface. The criterion for efficient injection is opposite to a known Rashba criterion, since the barrier should be rather transparent. In degenerate semiconductors, extraction of spin can proceed at low temperatures. We mention a few novel spin-valve ultrafast devices with small dissipated power: a magnetic sensor, a spin transistor, an amplifier, a frequency multiplier, a square-law detector and a source of polarized radiation. We also discuss effects related to spin-orbital interactions, such as the spin Hall effect (SHE) and a recently predicted positive magnetoresistance accompanying SHE. Some esoteric devices such as 'spinFET', interacting spin logic and spin-based quantum computing are discussed and problems with their realization are highlighted. We demonstrate that the so-called 'ferroelectric tunnel junctions' are unlikely to provide additional functionality because in all realistic situations the ferroelectric barrier would be split into domains by the depolarizing field.

Spintronic effects in metallic, semiconductor, metal-oxide and metal-semiconductor heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bratkovsky, A M

2008-01-01

Spintronics is a rapidly growing field focusing on phenomena and related devices essentially dependent on spin transport. Some of them are already an established part of microelectronics. We review recent theoretical and experimental advances in achieving large spin injection efficiency (polarization of current) and accumulated spin polarization. These include tunnel and giant magnetoresistance, spin-torque and spin-orbit effects on electron transport in various heterostructures. We give a microscopic description of spin tunneling through oxide and modified Schottky barriers between a ferromagnet (FM) and a semiconductor (S). It is shown that in such FM-S junctions electrons with a certain spin projection can be efficiently injected into (or extracted from) S, while electrons with the opposite spin can accumulate in S near the interface. The criterion for efficient injection is opposite to a known Rashba criterion, since the barrier should be rather transparent. In degenerate semiconductors, extraction of spin can proceed at low temperatures. We mention a few novel spin-valve ultrafast devices with small dissipated power: a magnetic sensor, a spin transistor, an amplifier, a frequency multiplier, a square-law detector and a source of polarized radiation. We also discuss effects related to spin-orbital interactions, such as the spin Hall effect (SHE) and a recently predicted positive magnetoresistance accompanying SHE. Some esoteric devices such as 'spinFET', interacting spin logic and spin-based quantum computing are discussed and problems with their realization are highlighted. We demonstrate that the so-called 'ferroelectric tunnel junctions' are unlikely to provide additional functionality because in all realistic situations the ferroelectric barrier would be split into domains by the depolarizing field

Spintronic effects in metallic, semiconductor, metal oxide and metal semiconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Bratkovsky, A. M.

2008-02-01

Spintronics is a rapidly growing field focusing on phenomena and related devices essentially dependent on spin transport. Some of them are already an established part of microelectronics. We review recent theoretical and experimental advances in achieving large spin injection efficiency (polarization of current) and accumulated spin polarization. These include tunnel and giant magnetoresistance, spin-torque and spin-orbit effects on electron transport in various heterostructures. We give a microscopic description of spin tunneling through oxide and modified Schottky barriers between a ferromagnet (FM) and a semiconductor (S). It is shown that in such FM-S junctions electrons with a certain spin projection can be efficiently injected into (or extracted from) S, while electrons with the opposite spin can accumulate in S near the interface. The criterion for efficient injection is opposite to a known Rashba criterion, since the barrier should be rather transparent. In degenerate semiconductors, extraction of spin can proceed at low temperatures. We mention a few novel spin-valve ultrafast devices with small dissipated power: a magnetic sensor, a spin transistor, an amplifier, a frequency multiplier, a square-law detector and a source of polarized radiation. We also discuss effects related to spin-orbital interactions, such as the spin Hall effect (SHE) and a recently predicted positive magnetoresistance accompanying SHE. Some esoteric devices such as 'spinFET', interacting spin logic and spin-based quantum computing are discussed and problems with their realization are highlighted. We demonstrate that the so-called 'ferroelectric tunnel junctions' are unlikely to provide additional functionality because in all realistic situations the ferroelectric barrier would be split into domains by the depolarizing field.

Single atom spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, M. R.; Armstrong, J. N.; Hua, S. Z.; Chopra, H. D.

2005-01-01

Full text: Single atom spintronics (SASS) represents the ultimate physical limit in device miniaturization. SASS is characterized by ballistic electron transport, and is a fertile ground for exploring new phenomena. In addition to the 'stationary' (field independent) scattering centers that have a small and fixed contribution to total transmission probability of electron waves, domain walls constitute an additional and enhanced source of scattering in these magnetic quantum point contacts (QPCs), the latter being both field and spin-dependent. Through the measurement of complete hysteresis loops as a function of quantized conductance, we present definitive evidence of enhanced backscattering of electron waves by atomically sharp domain walls in QPCs formed between microfabricated thin films [1]. Since domain walls move in a magnetic field, the magnitude of spin-dependent scattering changes as the QPC is cycled along its hysteresis loop. For example, as shown in the inset in Fig. 1, from zero towards saturation in a given field direction, the resistance varies as the wall is being swept away, whereas the resistance is constant upon returning from saturation towards zero, since in this segment of the hysteresis loop no domain wall is present across the contact. The observed spin-valve like behavior is realized by control over wall width and shape anisotropy. This behavior also unmistakably sets itself apart from any mechanical artifacts; additionally, measurements made on single atom contacts provide an artifact-free environment [2]. Intuitively, it is simpler to organize the observed BMR data according to all possible transitions between different conductance plateaus, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 1; the solid circles show experimental data for Co, which follows the predicted scheme. Requisite elements for the observation of the effect will be discussed in detail along with a review of state of research in this field. Practically, the challenge lies in making

Real-space imaging of non-collinear antiferromagnetic order with a single-spin magnetometer

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, I.; Akhtar, W.; Garcia, V.; Martínez, L. J.; Chouaieb, S.; Garcia, K.; Carrétéro, C.; Barthélémy, A.; Appel, P.; Maletinsky, P.; Kim, J.-V.; Chauleau, J. Y.; Jaouen, N.; Viret, M.; Bibes, M.; Fusil, S.; Jacques, V.

2017-09-01

Although ferromagnets have many applications, their large magnetization and the resulting energy cost for switching magnetic moments bring into question their suitability for reliable low-power spintronic devices. Non-collinear antiferromagnetic systems do not suffer from this problem, and often have extra functionalities: non-collinear spin order may break space-inversion symmetry and thus allow electric-field control of magnetism, or may produce emergent spin-orbit effects that enable efficient spin-charge interconversion. To harness these traits for next-generation spintronics, the nanoscale control and imaging capabilities that are now routine for ferromagnets must be developed for antiferromagnetic systems. Here, using a non-invasive, scanning single-spin magnetometer based on a nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond, we demonstrate real-space visualization of non-collinear antiferromagnetic order in a magnetic thin film at room temperature. We image the spin cycloid of a multiferroic bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) thin film and extract a period of about 70 nanometres, consistent with values determined by macroscopic diffraction. In addition, we take advantage of the magnetoelectric coupling present in BiFeO3 to manipulate the cycloid propagation direction by an electric field. Besides highlighting the potential of nitrogen-vacancy magnetometry for imaging complex antiferromagnetic orders at the nanoscale, these results demonstrate how BiFeO3 can be used in the design of reconfigurable nanoscale spin textures.

Study of quantum noise in nanoscale devices via the de Broglie-Bohm formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oriols, X.

2005-01-01

Full text: The experimental current measured in quantum-based devices fluctuates around average values, even at static conditions. Such current fluctuations are a consequence of the wave-particle duality. Roughly speaking, the undulatory nature of electrons (Schroedinger equation) controls the average current, while the particle like (discrete) nature of electrons determines the fluctuations. Such randomness in the electron flux of mesoscopic systems is known as quantum noise. The de Broglie-Bohm (dBB) interpretation of the quantum theory provides an excellent framework to study quantum noise because it describes phase-coherent phenomena in terms of well-defined quantum trajectories. This theory was initiated by de Broglie in 1926 and fully clarified by Bohm in 1952. In this conference we will present our quantum transport formalism, based on the dBB theory, to study fluctuations in mesoscopic systems. First, we show the excellent agreement between our noise results and those obtained by other approaches for simple tunnelling system. In addition, we will show how our quantum noise approach can directly include the non-trivial many-particle Coulomb interaction among electrons, via the instantaneous self-consistent solution of the Poisson and the Schroedinger equations. As a test, we study standard resonant tunnelling diodes for double and triple barrier. The current fluctuations obtained with dBB theory are in complete agreement with experimental results. We will also present noise results for time-dependent scenarios driven by very high frequencies (few THz), which are comparable to the inverse of the electron transit time in nanoscale devices. Under such conditions, the tunnelling phenomenology is clearly enriched leading to experimental evidences for the dBB theory. (author)

Stray field signatures of Néel textured skyrmions in Ir/Fe/Co/Pt multilayer films

Science.gov (United States)

Yagil, A.; Almoalem, A.; Soumyanarayanan, Anjan; Tan, Anthony K. C.; Raju, M.; Panagopoulos, C.; Auslaender, O. M.

2018-05-01

Skyrmions are nanoscale spin configurations with topological properties that hold great promise for spintronic devices. Here, we establish their Néel texture, helicity, and size in Ir/Fe/Co/Pt multilayer films by constructing a multipole expansion to model their stray field signatures and applying it to magnetic force microscopy images. Furthermore, the demonstrated sensitivity to inhomogeneity in skyrmion properties, coupled with a unique capability to estimate the pinning force governing dynamics, portend broad applicability in the burgeoning field of topological spin textures.

Defect Characterization, Imaging, and Control in Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors and Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Brillson, L. J.; Foster, G. M.; Cox, J.; Ruane, W. T.; Jarjour, A. B.; Gao, H.; von Wenckstern, H.; Grundmann, M.; Wang, B.; Look, D. C.; Hyland, A.; Allen, M. W.

2018-03-01

Wide-bandgap semiconductors are now leading the way to new physical phenomena and device applications at nanoscale dimensions. The impact of defects on the electronic properties of these materials increases as their size decreases, motivating new techniques to characterize and begin to control these electronic states. Leading these advances have been the semiconductors ZnO, GaN, and related materials. This paper highlights the importance of native point defects in these semiconductors and describes how a complement of spatially localized surface science and spectroscopy techniques in three dimensions can characterize, image, and begin to control these electronic states at the nanoscale. A combination of characterization techniques including depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging can describe the nature and distribution of defects at interfaces at both bulk and nanoscale surfaces, their metal interfaces, and inside nanostructures themselves. These features as well as temperature and mechanical strain inside wide-bandgap device structures at the nanoscale can be measured even while these devices are operating. These advanced capabilities enable several new directions for describing defects at the nanoscale, showing how they contribute to device degradation, and guiding growth processes to control them.

Brillouin gain enhancement in nano-scale photonic waveguide

Science.gov (United States)

Nouri Jouybari, Soodabeh

2018-05-01

The enhancement of stimulated Brillouin scattering in nano-scale waveguides has a great contribution in the improvement of the photonic devices technology. The key factors in Brillouin gain are the electrostriction force and radiation pressure generated by optical waves in the waveguide. In this article, we have proposed a new scheme of nano-scale waveguide in which the Brillouin gain is considerably improved compared to the previously-reported schemes. The role of radiation pressure in the Brillouin gain was much higher than the role of the electrostriction force. The Brillouin gain strongly depends on the structural parameters of the waveguide and the maximum value of 12127 W-1 m-1 is obtained for the Brillouin gain.

Room-temperature spintronic effects in Alq3-based hybrid devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dediu, V.; Hueso, L.E.; Bergenti, I; Riminucci, A.; Borgatti, F.; Graziosi, P.; Newby, C.; Casoli, F.; de Jong, Machiel Pieter; Taliani, C.; Zhan, Y.

2008-01-01

We report on efficient spin polarized injection and transport in long 102 nm channels of Alq3 organic semiconductor. We employ vertical spin valve devices with a direct interface between the bottom manganite electrode and Alq3, while the top-electrode geometry consists of an insulating tunnel

Spintronic and transport properties of linear atomic strings of transition metals (Fe, Co, Ni)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tyagi, Neha, E-mail: nehatyagi.phy@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, Delhi Technological University, New Delhi (India); Jaiswal, Neeraj K. [Discipline of Physics, PDPM-Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur (India); Srivastava, Pankaj [Nanomaterials Research Group, ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, Gwalior (India)

2016-05-06

In the present work, first-principles investigations have been performed to study the spintronic and transport properties of linear atomic strings of Fe, Co and Ni. The structural stabilities of the considered strings were compared on the basis of binding energies which revealed that all the strings are energetically feasible to be achieved. Further, all the considered strings are found to be ferromagnetic and the observed magnetic moment ranges from 1.38 to 1.71 μ{sub B}. The observed transport properties and high spin polarization points towards their potential for nano interconnects and spintronic applications.

In Situ TEM Creation and Electrical Characterization of Nanowire Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallesøe, Christian; Wen, Cheng-Yen; Booth, Timothy J.

2012-01-01

bridge devices in situ and relate these to the structure. We also describe processes to modify the contact and the nanowire surface after device formation. The technique we describe allows the direct analysis of the processes taking place during device formation and use, correlating specific nanoscale......We demonstrate the observation and measurement of simple nanoscale devices over their complete lifecycle from creation to failure within a transmission electron microscope. Devices were formed by growing Si nanowires, using the vapor–liquid–solid method, to form bridges between Si cantilevers. We...... structural and electrical parameters on an individual device basis....

Enabling complex nanoscale pattern customization using directed self-assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Doerk, Gregory S; Cheng, Joy Y; Singh, Gurpreet; Rettner, Charles T; Pitera, Jed W; Balakrishnan, Srinivasan; Arellano, Noel; Sanders, Daniel P

2014-12-16

Block copolymer directed self-assembly is an attractive method to fabricate highly uniform nanoscale features for various technological applications, but the dense periodicity of block copolymer features limits the complexity of the resulting patterns and their potential utility. Therefore, customizability of nanoscale patterns has been a long-standing goal for using directed self-assembly in device fabrication. Here we show that a hybrid organic/inorganic chemical pattern serves as a guiding pattern for self-assembly as well as a self-aligned mask for pattern customization through cotransfer of aligned block copolymer features and an inorganic prepattern. As informed by a phenomenological model, deliberate process engineering is implemented to maintain global alignment of block copolymer features over arbitrarily shaped, 'masking' features incorporated into the chemical patterns. These hybrid chemical patterns with embedded customization information enable deterministic, complex two-dimensional nanoscale pattern customization through directed self-assembly.

2D Quantum Mechanical Study of Nanoscale MOSFETs

Science.gov (United States)

Svizhenko, Alexei; Anantram, M. P.; Govindan, T. R.; Biegel, B.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

With the onset of quantum confinement in the inversion layer in nanoscale MOSFETs, behavior of the resonant level inevitably determines all device characteristics. While most classical device simulators take quantization into account in some simplified manner, the important details of electrostatics are missing. Our work addresses this shortcoming and provides: (a) a framework to quantitatively explore device physics issues such as the source-drain and gate leakage currents, DIBL, and threshold voltage shift due to quantization, and b) a means of benchmarking quantum corrections to semiclassical models (such as density-gradient and quantum-corrected MEDICI). We have developed physical approximations and computer code capable of realistically simulating 2-D nanoscale transistors, using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method. This is the most accurate full quantum model yet applied to 2-D device simulation. Open boundary conditions and oxide tunneling are treated on an equal footing. Electrons in the ellipsoids of the conduction band are treated within the anisotropic effective mass approximation. We present the results of our simulations of MIT 25, 50 and 90 nm "well-tempered" MOSFETs and compare them to those of classical and quantum corrected models. The important feature of quantum model is smaller slope of Id-Vg curve and consequently higher threshold voltage. Surprisingly, the self-consistent potential profile shows lower injection barrier in the channel in quantum case. These results are qualitatively consistent with ID Schroedinger-Poisson calculations. The effect of gate length on gate-oxide leakage and subthreshold current has been studied. The shorter gate length device has an order of magnitude smaller current at zero gate bias than the longer gate length device without a significant trade-off in on-current. This should be a device design consideration.

Long Channel Carbon Nanotube as an Alternative to Nanoscale Silicon Channels in Scaled MOSFETs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Loong Peng Tan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Long channel carbon nanotube transistor (CNT can be used to overcome the high electric field effects in nanoscale length silicon channel. When maximum electric field is reduced, the gate of a field-effect transistor (FET is able to gain control of the channel at varying drain bias. The device performance of a zigzag CNTFET with the same unit area as a nanoscale silicon metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET channel is assessed qualitatively. The drain characteristic of CNTFET and MOSFET device models as well as fabricated CNTFET device are explored over a wide range of drain and gate biases. The results obtained show that long channel nanotubes can significantly reduce the drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL effects in silicon MOSFET while sustaining the same unit area at higher current density.

Writing to and reading from a nano-scale crossbar memory based on memristors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vontobel, Pascal O; Robinett, Warren; Kuekes, Philip J; Stewart, Duncan R; Straznicky, Joseph; Stanley Williams, R

2009-01-01

We present a design study for a nano-scale crossbar memory system that uses memristors with symmetrical but highly nonlinear current-voltage characteristics as memory elements. The memory is non-volatile since the memristors retain their state when un-powered. In order to address the nano-wires that make up this nano-scale crossbar, we use two coded demultiplexers implemented using mixed-scale crossbars (in which CMOS-wires cross nano-wires and in which the crosspoint junctions have one-time configurable memristors). This memory system does not utilize the kind of devices (diodes or transistors) that are normally used to isolate the memory cell being written to and read from in conventional memories. Instead, special techniques are introduced to perform the writing and the reading operation reliably by taking advantage of the nonlinearity of the type of memristors used. After discussing both writing and reading strategies for our memory system in general, we focus on a 64 x 64 memory array and present simulation results that show the feasibility of these writing and reading procedures. Besides simulating the case where all device parameters assume exactly their nominal value, we also simulate the much more realistic case where the device parameters stray around their nominal value: we observe a degradation in margins, but writing and reading is still feasible. These simulation results are based on a device model for memristors derived from measurements of fabricated devices in nano-scale crossbars using Pt and Ti nano-wires and using oxygen-depleted TiO 2 as the switching material.

Tunable all-optical plasmonic rectifier in nanoscale metal-insulator-metal waveguides.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yi; Wang, Xiaomeng; Deng, Haidong; Guo, Kangxian

2014-10-15

We propose a tunable all-optical plasmonic rectifier based on the nonlinear Fano resonance in a metal-insulator-metal plasmonic waveguide and cavities coupling system. We develop a theoretical model based on the temporal coupled-mode theory to study the device physics of the nanoscale rectifier. We further demonstrate via the finite difference time domain numerical experiment that our idea can be realized in a plasmonic system with an ultracompact size of ~120×800  nm². The tunable plasmonic rectifier could facilitate the all-optical signal processing in nanoscale.

Spin injection and transport in semiconductor and metal nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lei

In this thesis we investigate spin injection and transport in semiconductor and metal nanostructures. To overcome the limitation imposed by the low efficiency of spin injection and extraction and strict requirements for retention of spin polarization within the semiconductor, novel device structures with additional logic functionality and optimized device performance have been developed. Weak localization/antilocalization measurements and analysis are used to assess the influence of surface treatments on elastic, inelastic and spin-orbit scatterings during the electron transport within the two-dimensional electron layer at the InAs surface. Furthermore, we have used spin-valve and scanned probe microscopy measurements to investigate the influence of sulfur-based surface treatments and electrically insulating barrier layers on spin injection into, and spin transport within, the two-dimensional electron layer at the surface of p-type InAs. We also demonstrate and analyze a three-terminal, all-electrical spintronic switching device, combining charge current cancellation by appropriate device biasing and ballistic electron transport. The device yields a robust, electrically amplified spin-dependent current signal despite modest efficiency in electrical injection of spin-polarized electrons. Detailed analyses provide insight into the advantages of ballistic, as opposed to diffusive, transport in device operation, as well as scalability to smaller dimensions, and allow us to eliminate the possibility of phenomena unrelated to spin transport contributing to the observed device functionality. The influence of the device geometry on magnetoresistance of nanoscale spin-valve structures is also demonstrated and discussed. Shortcomings of the simplified one-dimensional spin diffusion model for spin valve are elucidated, with comparison of the thickness and the spin diffusion length in the nonmagnetic channel as the criterion for validity of the 1D model. Our work contributes

Using mathematical models to understand the effect of nanoscale roughness on protein adsorption for improving medical devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ercan B

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Batur Ercan,1 Dongwoo Khang,2 Joseph Carpenter,3 Thomas J Webster1 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 2School of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for PRC and RIGET, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea; 3School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Abstract: Surface roughness and energy significantly influence protein adsorption on to biomaterials, which, in turn, controls select cellular adhesion to determine the success and longevity of an implant. To understand these relationships at a fundamental level, a model was originally proposed by Khang et al to correlate nanoscale surface properties (specifically, nanoscale roughness and energy to protein adsorption, which explained the greater cellular responses on nanostructured surfaces commonly reported in the literature today. To test this model for different surfaces from what was previously used to develop that model, in this study we synthesized highly ordered poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid surfaces of identical chemistry but altered nanoscale surface roughness and energy using poly(dimethylsiloxane molds of polystyrene beads. Fibronectin and collagen type IV adsorption studies showed a linear adsorption behavior as the surface nanoroughness increased. This supported the general trends observed by Khang et al. However, when fitting such data to the mathematical model established by Khang et al, a strong correlation did not result. Thus, this study demonstrated that the equation proposed by Khang et al to predict protein adsorption should be modified to accommodate for additional nanoscale surface property contributions (ie, surface charge to make the model more accurate. In summary, results from this study provided an important step in developing future mathematical models that can correlate surface properties (such as nanoscale roughness and surface energy to initial protein adsorption events important to

A Review of Atomic Layer Deposition for Nanoscale Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edy Riyanto

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Atomic layer deposition (ALD is a thin film growth technique that utilizes alternating, self-saturation chemical reactions between gaseous precursors to achieve a deposited nanoscale layers. It has recently become a subject of great interest for ultrathin film deposition in many various applications such as microelectronics, photovoltaic, dynamic random access memory (DRAM, and microelectromechanic system (MEMS. By using ALD, the conformability and extreme uniformity of layers can be achieved in low temperature process. It facilitates to be deposited onto the surface in many variety substrates that have low melting temperature. Eventually it has advantages on the contribution to the wider nanodevices.

Prediction of novel interface-driven spintronic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharjee, Satadeep; Singh, Surendra; Bellaiche, L; Wang, D; Viret, M

2014-01-01

The recently proposed coupling between the angular momentum density and magnetic moment (Raeliarijaona et al 2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 137205) is shown here to result in the prediction of (i) novel spin currents generated by an electrical current and (ii) new electrical currents induced by a spin current in systems possessing specific interfaces between two different materials. Some of these spin (electrical) currents can be reversed near the interface by reversing the applied electrical (spin) current. Similarities and differences between these novel spintronic effects and the well-known spin Hall and inverse spin Hall effects are also discussed. (paper)

A versatile LabVIEW and field-programmable gate array-based scanning probe microscope for in operando electronic device characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Andrew J; Page, Michael R; Jacob, Jan; Young, Justin R; Lewis, Jim; Wenzel, Lothar; Bhallamudi, Vidya P; Johnston-Halperin, Ezekiel; Pelekhov, Denis V; Hammel, P Chris

2014-12-01

Understanding the complex properties of electronic and spintronic devices at the micro- and nano-scale is a topic of intense current interest as it becomes increasingly important for scientific progress and technological applications. In operando characterization of such devices by scanning probe techniques is particularly well-suited for the microscopic study of these properties. We have developed a scanning probe microscope (SPM) which is capable of both standard force imaging (atomic, magnetic, electrostatic) and simultaneous electrical transport measurements. We utilize flexible and inexpensive FPGA (field-programmable gate array) hardware and a custom software framework developed in National Instrument's LabVIEW environment to perform the various aspects of microscope operation and device measurement. The FPGA-based approach enables sensitive, real-time cantilever frequency-shift detection. Using this system, we demonstrate electrostatic force microscopy of an electrically biased graphene field-effect transistor device. The combination of SPM and electrical transport also enables imaging of the transport response to a localized perturbation provided by the scanned cantilever tip. Facilitated by the broad presence of LabVIEW in the experimental sciences and the openness of our software solution, our system permits a wide variety of combined scanning and transport measurements by providing standardized interfaces and flexible access to all aspects of a measurement (input and output signals, and processed data). Our system also enables precise control of timing (synchronization of scanning and transport operations) and implementation of sophisticated feedback protocols, and thus should be broadly interesting and useful to practitioners in the field.

System reduction for nanoscale IC design

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book describes the computational challenges posed by the progression toward nanoscale electronic devices and increasingly short design cycles in the microelectronics industry, and proposes methods of model reduction which facilitate circuit and device simulation for specific tasks in the design cycle. The goal is to develop and compare methods for system reduction in the design of high dimensional nanoelectronic ICs, and to test these methods in the practice of semiconductor development. Six chapters describe the challenges for numerical simulation of nanoelectronic circuits and suggest model reduction methods for constituting equations. These include linear and nonlinear differential equations tailored to circuit equations and drift diffusion equations for semiconductor devices. The performance of these methods is illustrated with numerical experiments using real-world data. Readers will benefit from an up-to-date overview of the latest model reduction methods in computational nanoelectronics.

Experimental Study of Electron and Phonon Dynamics in Nanoscale Materials by Ultrafast Laser Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xiaohan

With the rapid advances in the development of nanotechnology, nowadays, the sizes of elementary unit, i.e. transistor, of micro- and nanoelectronic devices are well deep into nanoscale. For the pursuit of cheaper and faster nanoscale electronic devices, the size of transistors keeps scaling down. As the miniaturization of the nanoelectronic devices, the electrical resistivity increases dramatically, resulting rapid growth in the heat generation. The heat generation and limited thermal dissipation in nanoscale materials have become a critical problem in the development of the next generation nanoelectronic devices. Copper (Cu) is widely used conducting material in nanoelectronic devices, and the electron-phonon scattering is the dominant contributor to the resistivity in Cu nanowires at room temperature. Meanwhile, phonons are the main carriers of heat in insulators, intrinsic and lightly doped semiconductors. The thermal transport is an ensemble of phonon transport, which strongly depends on the phonon frequency. In addition, the phonon transport in nanoscale materials can behave fundamentally different than in bulk materials, because of the spatial confinement. However, the size effect on electron-phonon scattering and frequency dependent phonon transport in nanoscale materials remain largely unexplored, due to the lack of suitable experimental techniques. This thesis is mainly focusing on the study of carrier dynamics and acoustic phonon transport in nanoscale materials. The weak photothermal interaction in Cu makes thermoreflectance measurement difficult, we rather measured the reflectivity change of Cu induced by absorption variation. We have developed a method to separately measure the processes of electron-electron scattering and electron-phonon scattering in epitaxial Cu films by monitoring the transient reflectivity signal using the resonant probe with particular wavelengths. The enhancement on electron-phonon scattering in epitaxial Cu films with thickness

Nanoscale displacement sensing using microfabricated variable-inductance planar coils

Science.gov (United States)

Coskun, M. Bulut; Thotahewa, Kasun; Ying, York-Sing; Yuce, Mehmet; Neild, Adrian; Alan, Tuncay

2013-09-01

Microfabricated spiral inductors were employed for nanoscale displacement detection, suitable for use in implantable pressure sensor applications. We developed a variable inductor sensor consisting of two coaxially positioned planar coils connected in series to a measurement circuit. The devices were characterized by varying the air gap between the coils hence changing the inductance, while a Colpitts oscillator readout was used to obtain corresponding frequencies. Our approach shows significant advantages over existing methodologies combining a displacement resolution of 17 nm and low hysteresis (0.15%) in a 1 × 1 mm2 device. We show that resolution could be further improved by shrinking the device's lateral dimensions.

Infochemistry Information Processing at the Nanoscale

CERN Document Server

Szacilowski, Konrad

2012-01-01

Infochemistry: Information Processing at the Nanoscale, defines a new field of science, and describes the processes, systems and devices at the interface between chemistry and information sciences. The book is devoted to the application of molecular species and nanostructures to advanced information processing. It includes the design and synthesis of suitable materials and nanostructures, their characterization, and finally applications of molecular species and nanostructures for information storage and processing purposes. Divided into twelve chapters; the first three chapters serve as an int

The Spin Torque Lego - from spin torque nano-devices to advanced computing architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Grollier, Julie

2013-03-01

Spin transfer torque (STT), predicted in 1996, and first observed around 2000, brought spintronic devices to the realm of active elements. A whole class of new devices, based on the combined effects of STT for writing and Giant Magneto-Resistance or Tunnel Magneto-Resistance for reading has emerged. The second generation of MRAMs, based on spin torque writing : the STT-RAM, is under industrial development and should be out on the market in three years. But spin torque devices are not limited to binary memories. We will rapidly present how the spin torque effect also allows to implement non-linear nano-oscillators, spin-wave emitters, controlled stochastic devices and microwave nano-detectors. What is extremely interesting is that all these functionalities can be obtained using the same materials, the exact same stack, simply by changing the device geometry and its bias conditions. So these different devices can be seen as Lego bricks, each brick with its own functionality. During this talk, I will show how spin torque can be engineered to build new bricks, such as the Spintronic Memristor, an artificial magnetic nano-synapse. I will then give hints on how to assemble these bricks in order to build novel types of computing architectures, with a special focus on neuromorphic circuits. Financial support by the European Research Council Starting Grant NanoBrain (ERC 2010 Stg 259068) is acknowledged.

Low band-to-band tunnelling and gate tunnelling current in novel nanoscale double-gate architecture: simulations and investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, Deepanjan; Ganguly, Samiran; Dasgupta, S

2007-01-01

Large band-to-band tunnelling (BTBT) and gate leakage current can limit scalability of nanoscale devices. In this paper, we have proposed a novel nanoscale parallel connected heteromaterial double gate (PCHEM-DG) architecture with triple metal gate which significantly suppress BTBT leakage, making it efficient for low power design in the sub-10 nm regime. We have also proposed a triple gate device with p + poly-n + poly-p + poly gate which has substantially low gate leakage over symmetric DG MOSFET. Simulations are performed using a 2D Poisson-Schroedinger simulator and verified with a 2D device simulator ATLAS. We conclude that, due to intrinsic body doping, negligible gate leakage, suppressed BTBT over symmetric DG devices, metal gate (MG) PCHEM-DG MOSFET is efficient for low power circuit design in the nanometre regime

The memory effect of nanoscale memristors investigated by conducting scanning probe microscopy methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César Moreno

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We report on the use of scanning force microscopy as a versatile tool for the electrical characterization of nanoscale memristors fabricated on ultrathin La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO films. Combining conventional conductive imaging and nanoscale lithography, reversible switching between low-resistive (ON and high-resistive (OFF states was locally achieved by applying voltages within the range of a few volts. Retention times of several months were tested for both ON and OFF states. Spectroscopy modes were used to investigate the I–V characteristics of the different resistive states. This permitted the correlation of device rectification (reset with the voltage employed to induce each particular state. Analytical simulations by using a nonlinear dopant drift within a memristor device explain the experimental I–V bipolar cycles.

Oxide thin films for spintronics application growth and characterization

OpenAIRE

Popovici, Nicoleta, 1973-

2009-01-01

Tese de doutoramento, Física (Física), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2009 During my PhD research I have synthesized thin films of a material known as a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. This material is envisioned to be of importance in the emerging field of spintronics where both the charge and the spin of the carriers can be combined to yield unique functionalities. It was envisaged that if spin polarized charge carri...

All-spin logic operations: Memory device and reconfigurable computing

Science.gov (United States)

Patra, Moumita; Maiti, Santanu K.

2018-02-01

Exploiting spin degree of freedom of electron a new proposal is given to characterize spin-based logical operations using a quantum interferometer that can be utilized as a programmable spin logic device (PSLD). The ON and OFF states of both inputs and outputs are described by spin state only, circumventing spin-to-charge conversion at every stage as often used in conventional devices with the inclusion of extra hardware that can eventually diminish the efficiency. All possible logic functions can be engineered from a single device without redesigning the circuit which certainly offers the opportunities of designing new generation spintronic devices. Moreover, we also discuss the utilization of the present model as a memory device and suitable computing operations with proposed experimental setups.

Investigation of graphene-based nanoscale radiation sensitive materials

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Joshua A.; Wetherington, Maxwell; Hughes, Zachary; LaBella, Michael, III; Bresnehan, Michael

2012-06-01

Current state-of-the-art nanotechnology offers multiple benefits for radiation sensing applications. These include the ability to incorporate nano-sized radiation indicators into widely used materials such as paint, corrosion-resistant coatings, and ceramics to create nano-composite materials that can be widely used in everyday life. Additionally, nanotechnology may lead to the development of ultra-low power, flexible detection systems that can be embedded in clothing or other systems. Graphene, a single layer of graphite, exhibits exceptional electronic and structural properties, and is being investigated for high-frequency devices and sensors. Previous work indicates that graphene-oxide (GO) - a derivative of graphene - exhibits luminescent properties that can be tailored based on chemistry; however, exploration of graphene-oxide's ability to provide a sufficient change in luminescent properties when exposed to gamma or neutron radiation has not been carried out. We investigate the mechanisms of radiation-induced chemical modifications and radiation damage induced shifts in luminescence in graphene-oxide materials to provide a fundamental foundation for further development of radiation sensitive detection architectures. Additionally, we investigate the integration of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) with graphene-based devices to evaluate radiation induced conductivity in nanoscale devices. Importantly, we demonstrate the sensitivity of graphene transport properties to the presence of alpha particles, and discuss the successful integration of hBN with large area graphene electrodes as a means to provide the foundation for large-area nanoscale radiation sensors.

Summer School on Spintronics

CERN Document Server

Wolf, Stuart; Idzerda, Yves

2003-01-01

Stuart Wolf This book originated as a series of lectures that were given as part of a Summer School on Spintronics in the end of August, 1998 at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. It has taken some time to get these lectures in a form suitable for this book and so the process has been an iterative one to provide current information on the topics that are covered. There are some topics that have developed in the intervening years and we have tried to at least alert the readers to them in the Introduction where a rather complete set of references is provided to the current state of the art. The field of magnetism, once thought to be dead or dying, has seen a remarkable rebirth in the last decade and promises to get even more important as we enter the new millennium. This rebirth is due to some very new insight into how the spin degree of freedom of both electrons and nucleons can play a role in a new type of electronics that utilizes the spin in addition to or in place of the charge. For this new field to mature and prosper, ...

From Lab to Fab: Developing a Nanoscale Delivery Tool for Scalable Nanomanufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Safi, Asmahan A.

The emergence of nanomaterials with unique properties at the nanoscale over the past two decades carries a capacity to impact society and transform or create new industries ranging from nanoelectronics to nanomedicine. However, a gap in nanomanufacturing technologies has prevented the translation of nanomaterial into real-world commercialized products. Bridging this gap requires a paradigm shift in methods for fabricating structured devices with a nanoscale resolution in a repeatable fashion. This thesis explores the new paradigms for fabricating nanoscale structures devices and systems for high throughput high registration applications. We present a robust and scalable nanoscale delivery platform, the Nanofountain Probe (NFP), for parallel direct-write of functional materials. The design and microfabrication of NFP is presented. The new generation addresses the challenges of throughput, resolution and ink replenishment characterizing tip-based nanomanufacturing. To achieve these goals, optimized probe geometry is integrated to the process along with channel sealing and cantilever bending. The capabilities of the newly fabricated probes are demonstrated through two type of delivery: protein nanopatterning and single cell nanoinjection. The broad applications of the NFP for single cell delivery are investigated. An external microfluidic packaging is developed to enable delivery in liquid environment. The system is integrated to a combined atomic force microscope and inverted fluorescence microscope. Intracellular delivery is demonstrated by injecting a fluorescent dextran into Hela cells in vitro while monitoring the injection forces. Such developments enable in vitro cellular delivery for single cell studies and high throughput gene expression. The nanomanufacturing capabilities of NFPs are explored. Nanofabrication of carbon nanotube-based electronics presents all the manufacturing challenges characterizing of assembling nanomaterials precisely onto devices. The

Nanoscale ferroelectrics and multiferroics key processes and characterization issues, and nanoscale effects

CERN Document Server

Alguero, Miguel

2016-01-01

This book reviews the key issues in processing and characterization of nanoscale ferroelectrics and multiferroics, and provides a comprehensive description of their properties, with an emphasis in differentiating size effects of extrinsic ones like boundary or interface effects. Recently described nanoscale novel phenomena are also addressed. Organized into three parts it addresses key issues in processing (nanostructuring), characterization (of the nanostructured materials) and nanoscale effects. Taking full advantage of the synergies between nanoscale ferroelectrics and multiferroics, it covers materials nanostructured at all levels, from ceramic technologies like ferroelectric nanopowders, bulk nanostructured ceramics and thick films, and magnetoelectric nanocomposites, to thin films, either polycrystalline layer heterostructures or epitaxial systems, and to nanoscale free standing objects with specific geometries, such as nanowires and tubes at different levels of development. The book is developed from t...

Two-dimensional Cu2Si sheet: a promising electrode material for nanoscale electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Meng Yam, Kah; Guo, Na; Zhang, Chun

2018-06-01

Building electronic devices on top of two-dimensional (2D) materials has recently become one of most interesting topics in nanoelectronics. Finding high-performance 2D electrode materials is one central issue in 2D nanoelectronics. In the current study, based on first-principles calculations, we compare the electronic and transport properties of two nanoscale devices. One device consists of two single-atom-thick planar Cu2Si electrodes, and a nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) molecule in the middle. The other device is made of often-used graphene electrodes and a NiPc molecule. Planer Cu2Si is a new type of 2D material that was recently predicted to exist and be stable under room temperature [11]. We found that at low bias voltages, the electric current through the Cu2Si–NiPc–Cu2Si junction is about three orders higher than that through graphene–NiPc–graphene. Detailed analysis shows that the surprisingly high conductivity of Cu2Si–NiPc–Cu2Si originates from the mixing of the Cu2Si state near Fermi energy and the highest occupied molecular orbital of NiPc. These results suggest that 2D Cu2Si may be an excellent candidate for electrode materials for future nanoscale devices.

Facilitation of Nanoscale Thermal Transport by Hydrogen Bonds

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Lin

2017-01-01

Thermal transport performance at the nanoscale and/or of biomaterials is essential to the success of many new technologies including nanoelectronics, biomedical devices, and various nanocomposites. Due to complicated microstructures and chemical bonding, thermal transport process in these materials has not been well understood yet. In terms of chemical bonding, it is well known that the strength of atomic bonding can significantly affect thermal transport across materials or across interfaces...

Droplet-fused microreactors for room temperature synthesis of nanoscale needle-like hydroxyapatite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Kaiying; Qin Jianhua

2013-01-01

A microfluidic device using droplet-fused microreactors is introduced for room temperature synthesis of nanoscale needle-shaped hydroxyapatite (HAp, Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ). The device is integrated with multifunctional units, e.g., T-junctions for droplet generation and fusion, winding channels for rapid mixing, and a delay line for simple visualization of the HAp formation process. The necessary conditions such as surfactant and fluid flow rate for an aqueous stream to merge with water-in-oil droplets are investigated. The nanoscale morphologies of the HAp produced by this method are also compared with HAp prepared by conventional bulk mixing. This paper shows that further reaction could be initiated by flowing additional reagent streams directly into the droplets of the initial reaction mixture, which is a novel approach for synthesizing a needle-like morphology of the HAp with a high aspect ratio under room temperature. (paper)

Heat transfer across the interface between nanoscale solids and gas.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Chun; Fan, Wen; Cao, Jinbo; Ryu, Sang-Gil; Ji, Jie; Grigoropoulos, Costas P; Wu, Junqiao

2011-12-27

When solid materials and devices scale down in size, heat transfer from the active region to the gas environment becomes increasingly significant. We show that the heat transfer coefficient across the solid-gas interface behaves very differently when the size of the solid is reduced to the nanoscale, such as that of a single nanowire. Unlike for macroscopic solids, the coefficient is strongly pressure dependent above ∼10 Torr, and at lower pressures it is much higher than predictions of the kinetic gas theory. The heat transfer coefficient was measured between a single, free-standing VO(2) nanowire and surrounding air using laser thermography, where the temperature distribution along the VO(2) nanowire was determined by imaging its domain structure of metal-insulator phase transition. The one-dimensional domain structure along the nanowire results from the balance between heat generation by the focused laser and heat dissipation to the substrate as well as to the surrounding gas, and thus serves as a nanoscale power-meter and thermometer. We quantified the heat loss rate across the nanowire-air interface, and found that it dominates over all other heat dissipation channels for small-diameter nanowires near ambient pressure. As the heat transfer across the solid-gas interface is nearly independent of the chemical identity of the solid, the results reveal a general scaling relationship for gaseous heat dissipation from nanostructures of all solid materials, which is applicable to nanoscale electronic and thermal devices exposed to gaseous environments.

Overview of nanoscale NEXAFS performed with soft X-ray microscopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Guttmann

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Today, in material science nanoscale structures are becoming more and more important. Not only for the further miniaturization of semiconductor devices like carbon nanotube based transistors, but also for newly developed efficient energy storage devices, gas sensors or catalytic systems nanoscale and functionalized materials have to be analysed. Therefore, analytical tools like near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS spectroscopy has to be applied on single nanostructures. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopes (STXM as well as full-field transmission X-ray microscopes (TXM allow the required spatial resolution to study individual nanostructures. In the soft X-ray energy range only STXM was used so far for NEXAFS studies. Due to its unique setup, the TXM operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB at the electron storage ring BESSY II is the first one in the soft X-ray range which can be used for NEXAFS spectroscopy studies which will be shown in this review. Here we will give an overview of the different microscopes used for NEXAFS studies and describe their advantages and disadvantages for different samples.

Overview of nanoscale NEXAFS performed with soft X-ray microscopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Guttmann, Peter; Bittencourt, Carla

2015-01-01

Today, in material science nanoscale structures are becoming more and more important. Not only for the further miniaturization of semiconductor devices like carbon nanotube based transistors, but also for newly developed efficient energy storage devices, gas sensors or catalytic systems nanoscale and functionalized materials have to be analysed. Therefore, analytical tools like near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy has to be applied on single nanostructures. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopes (STXM) as well as full-field transmission X-ray microscopes (TXM) allow the required spatial resolution to study individual nanostructures. In the soft X-ray energy range only STXM was used so far for NEXAFS studies. Due to its unique setup, the TXM operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) at the electron storage ring BESSY II is the first one in the soft X-ray range which can be used for NEXAFS spectroscopy studies which will be shown in this review. Here we will give an overview of the different microscopes used for NEXAFS studies and describe their advantages and disadvantages for different samples.

Low band-to-band tunnelling and gate tunnelling current in novel nanoscale double-gate architecture: simulations and investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Datta, Deepanjan [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906 (United States); Ganguly, Samiran [Department of Electronics Engineering, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad-826004 (India); Dasgupta, S [Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee-247667 (India)

2007-05-30

Large band-to-band tunnelling (BTBT) and gate leakage current can limit scalability of nanoscale devices. In this paper, we have proposed a novel nanoscale parallel connected heteromaterial double gate (PCHEM-DG) architecture with triple metal gate which significantly suppress BTBT leakage, making it efficient for low power design in the sub-10 nm regime. We have also proposed a triple gate device with p{sup +} poly-n{sup +} poly-p{sup +} poly gate which has substantially low gate leakage over symmetric DG MOSFET. Simulations are performed using a 2D Poisson-Schroedinger simulator and verified with a 2D device simulator ATLAS. We conclude that, due to intrinsic body doping, negligible gate leakage, suppressed BTBT over symmetric DG devices, metal gate (MG) PCHEM-DG MOSFET is efficient for low power circuit design in the nanometre regime.

Electron tunneling in nanoscale electrodes for battery applications

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Hidenori; Narayanan, Rajaram; Bandaru, Prabhakar R.

2018-03-01

It is shown that the electrical current that may be obtained from a nanoscale electrochemical system is sensitive to the dimensionality of the electrode and the density of states (DOS). Considering the DOS of lower dimensional systems, such as two-dimensional graphene, one-dimensional nanotubes, or zero-dimensional quantum dots, yields a distinct variation of the current-voltage characteristics. Such aspects go beyond conventional Arrhenius theory based kinetics which are often used in experimental interpretation. The obtained insights may be adapted to other devices, such as solid-state batteries. It is also indicated that electron transport in such devices may be considered through electron tunneling.

Photonic Crystals Towards Nanoscale Photonic Devices

CERN Document Server

Lourtioz, Jean-Michel; Berger, Vincent; Gérard, Jean-Michel; Maystre, Daniel; Tchelnokov, Alexei; Pagnoux, Dominique

2008-01-01

Just like the periodical crystalline potential in solid state crystals determines their properties for the conduction of electrons, the periodical structuring of photonic crystals leads to envisioning the possibility of achieving a control of the photon flux in dielectric and metallic materials. The use of photonic crystals as cages for storing, filtering or guiding light at the wavelength scale paves the way to the realization of optical and optoelectronic devices with ultimate properties and dimensions. This will contribute towards meeting the demands for greater miniaturization imposed by the processing of an ever increasing number of data. Photonic Crystals will provide students and researchers from different fields with the theoretical background required for modelling photonic crystals and their optical properties, while at the same time presenting the large variety of devices, ranging from optics to microwaves, where photonic crystals have found application. As such, it aims at building bridges between...

Photonic Crystals Towards Nanoscale Photonic Devices

CERN Document Server

Lourtioz, Jean-Michel; Berger, Vincent; Gérard, Jean-Michel; Maystre, Daniel; Tchelnokov, Alexis

2005-01-01

Just like the periodical crystalline potential in solid-state crystals determines their properties for the conduction of electrons, the periodical structuring of photonic crystals leads to envisioning the possibility of achieving a control of the photon flux in dielectric and metallic materials. The use of photonic crystals as a cage for storing, filtering or guiding light at the wavelength scale thus paves the way to the realisation of optical and optoelectronic devices with ultimate properties and dimensions. This should contribute toward meeting the demands for a greater miniaturisation that the processing of an ever increasing number of data requires. Photonic Crystals intends at providing students and researchers from different fields with the theoretical background needed for modelling photonic crystals and their optical properties, while at the same time presenting the large variety of devices, from optics to microwaves, where photonic crystals have found applications. As such, it aims at building brid...

14th International Conference on Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Saraniti, M; Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics in Semiconductors

2006-01-01

International experts gather every two years at this established conference to discuss recent developments in theory and experiment in non-equilibrium transport phenomena. These developments have been the driving force behind the spectacular advances in semiconductor physics and devices over the last few decades. Originally known as "Hot Carriers in Semiconductors," the 14th conference in the series covered a wide spectrum of traditional topics dealing with non-equilibrium phenomena, ranging from quantum transport to optical phenomena in mesoscopic and nano-scale structures. Particular attention was given this time to emerging areas of this rapidly evolving field, with many sessions covering terahertz devices, high field transport in nitride semiconductors, spintronics, molecular electronics, and bioelectronics applications.

Nanoscale piezoelectric vibration energy harvester design

Science.gov (United States)

Foruzande, Hamid Reza; Hajnayeb, Ali; Yaghootian, Amin

2017-09-01

Development of new nanoscale devices has increased the demand for new types of small-scale energy resources such as ambient vibrations energy harvesters. Among the vibration energy harvesters, piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) can be easily miniaturized and fabricated in micro and nano scales. This change in the dimensions of a PEH leads to a change in its governing equations of motion, and consequently, the predicted harvested energy comparing to a macroscale PEH. In this research, effects of small scale dimensions on the nonlinear vibration and harvested voltage of a nanoscale PEH is studied. The PEH is modeled as a cantilever piezoelectric bimorph nanobeam with a tip mass, using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory in conjunction with Hamilton's principle. A harmonic base excitation is applied as a model of the ambient vibrations. The nonlocal elasticity theory is used to consider the size effects in the developed model. The derived equations of motion are discretized using the assumed-modes method and solved using the method of multiple scales. Sensitivity analysis for the effect of different parameters of the system in addition to size effects is conducted. The results show the significance of nonlocal elasticity theory in the prediction of system dynamic nonlinear behavior. It is also observed that neglecting the size effects results in lower estimates of the PEH vibration amplitudes. The results pave the way for designing new nanoscale sensors in addition to PEHs.

Symposium GC: Nanoscale Charge Transport in Excitonic Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bommisetty, Venkat [Univ. of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD (United States)

2011-06-23

This paper provides a summary only and table of contents of the sessions. Excitonic solar cells, including all-organic, hybrid organic-inorganic and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), offer strong potential for inexpensive and large-area solar energy conversion. Unlike traditional inorganic semiconductor solar cells, where all the charge generation and collection processes are well understood, these excitonic solar cells contain extremely disordered structures with complex interfaces which results in large variations in nanoscale electronic properties and has a strong influence on carrier generation, transport, dissociation and collection. Detailed understanding of these processes is important for fabrication of highly efficient solar cells. Efforts to improve efficiency are underway at a large number of research groups throughout the world focused on inorganic and organic semiconductors, photonics, photophysics, charge transport, nanoscience, ultrafast spectroscopy, photonics, semiconductor processing, device physics, device structures, interface structure etc. Rapid progress in this multidisciplinary area requires strong synergetic efforts among researchers from diverse backgrounds. Such effort can lead to novel methods for development of new materials with improved photon harvesting and interfacial treatments for improved carrier transport, process optimization to yield ordered nanoscale morphologies with well defined electronic structures.

Quantum Transport Simulations of Nanoscale Materials

KAUST Repository

Obodo, Tobechukwu Joshua

2016-01-07

Nanoscale materials have many potential advantages because of their quantum confinement, cost and producibility by low-temperature chemical methods. Advancement of theoretical methods as well as the availability of modern high-performance supercomputers allow us to control and exploit their microscopic properties at the atomic scale, hence making it possible to design novel nanoscale molecular devices with interesting features (e.g switches, rectifiers, negative differential conductance, and high magnetoresistance). In this thesis, state-of-the-art theoretical calculations have been performed for the quantum transport properties of nano-structured materials within the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and the Nonequilibrium Green\\'s Function (NEGF) formalism. The switching behavior of a dithiolated phenylene-vinylene oligomer sandwiched between Au(111) electrodes is investigated. The molecule presents a configurational bistability, which can be exploited in constructing molecular memories, switches, and sensors. We find that protonation of the terminating thiol groups is at the origin of the change in conductance. H bonding at the thiol group weakens the S-Au bond, and thus lowers the conductance. Our results allow us to re-interpret the experimental data originally attributing the conductance reduction to H dissociation. Also examined is current-induced migration of atoms in nanoscale devices that plays an important role for device operation and breakdown. We studied the migration of adatoms and defects in graphene and carbon nanotubes under finite bias. We demonstrate that current-induced forces within DFT are non-conservative, which so far has only been shown for model systems, and can lower migration barrier heights. Further, we investigated the quantum transport behavior of an experimentally observed diblock molecule by varying the amounts of phenyl (donor) and pyrimidinyl (acceptor) rings under finite bias. We show that a tandem configuration of

Anomalous DIBL Effect in Fully Depleted SOI MOSFETs Using Nanoscale Gate-Recessed Channel Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avi Karsenty

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nanoscale Gate-Recessed Channel (GRC Fully Depleted- (FD- SOI MOSFET device with a silicon channel thickness (tSi as low as 2.2 nm was first tested at room temperature for functionality check and then tested at low temperature (77 K for I-V characterizations. In spite of its FD-SOI nanoscale thickness and long channel feature, the device has surprisingly exhibited a Drain-Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL effect at RT. However, this effect was suppressed at 77 K. If the apparition of such anomalous effect can be explained by a parasitic short channel transistor located at the edges of the channel, its suppression is explained by the decrease of the potential barrier between the drain and the channel when lowering the temperature.

Anomalous electromagnetic coupling via entanglement at the nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slepyan, Gregory; Boag, Amir; Mordachev, Vladimir; Sinkevich, Eugene; Maksimenko, Sergey; Kuzhir, Polina; Miano, Giovanni; Portnoi, Mikhail E; Maffucci, Antonio

2017-01-01

Understanding unwanted mutual interactions between devices at the nanoscale is crucial for the study of the electromagnetic compatibility in nanoelectronic and nanophotonic systems. Anomalous electromagnetic coupling (crosstalk) between nanodevices may arise from the combination of electromagnetic interaction and quantum entanglement. In this paper we study in detail the crosstalk between two identical nanodevices, each consisting of a quantum emitter (atom, quantum dot, etc), capacitively coupled to a pair of nanoelectrodes. Using the generalized susceptibility concept, the overall system is modeled as a two-port within the framework of the electrical circuit theory and it is characterized by the admittance matrix. We show that the entanglement changes dramatically the physical picture of the electromagnetic crosstalk. In particular, the excitation produced in one of the ports may be redistributed in equal parts between both the ports, in spite of the rather small electromagnetic interactions. Such an anomalous crosstalk is expected to appear at optical frequencies in lateral GaAs double quantum dots. A possible experimental set up is also discussed. The classical concepts of interference in the operation of electronic devices, which have been known since the early days of radio-communications and are associated with electromagnetic compatibility, should then be reconsidered at the nanoscale. (paper)

Scalability of voltage-controlled filamentary and nanometallic resistance memory devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yang; Lee, Jong Ho; Chen, I-Wei

2017-08-31

Much effort has been devoted to device and materials engineering to realize nanoscale resistance random access memory (RRAM) for practical applications, but a rational physical basis to be relied on to design scalable devices spanning many length scales is still lacking. In particular, there is no clear criterion for switching control in those RRAM devices in which resistance changes are limited to localized nanoscale filaments that experience concentrated heat, electric current and field. Here, we demonstrate voltage-controlled resistance switching, always at a constant characteristic critical voltage, for macro and nanodevices in both filamentary RRAM and nanometallic RRAM, and the latter switches uniformly and does not require a forming process. As a result, area-scalability can be achieved under a device-area-proportional current compliance for the low resistance state of the filamentary RRAM, and for both the low and high resistance states of the nanometallic RRAM. This finding will help design area-scalable RRAM at the nanoscale. It also establishes an analogy between RRAM and synapses, in which signal transmission is also voltage-controlled.

In Situ TEM Creation of Nanowire Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alam, Sardar Bilal

Integration of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) as active components in devices requires that desired mechanical, thermal and electrical interfaces can be established between the nanoscale geometry of the SiNW and the microscale architecture of the device. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM),...

Nanoscale structure, dynamics and power conversion efficiency correlations in small molecule and oligomer-based photovoltaic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Szarko, Jodi M.; Guo, Jianchang; Rolczynski, Brian S.; Chen, Lin X.

2011-01-01

Photovoltaic functions in organic materials are intimately connected to interfacial morphologies of molecular packing in films on the nanometer scale and molecular levels. This review will focus on current studies on correlations of nanoscale morphologies in organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials with fundamental processes relevant to photovoltaic functions, such as light harvesting, exciton splitting, exciton diffusion, and charge separation (CS) and diffusion. Small molecule photovoltaic materials will be discussed here. The donor and acceptor materials in small molecule OPV devices can be fabricated in vacuum-deposited, multilayer, crystalline thin films, or spin-coated together to form blended bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films. These two methods result in very different morphologies of the solar cell active layers. There is still a formidable debate regarding which morphology is favored for OPV optimization. The morphology of the conducting films has been systematically altered; using variations of the techniques above, the whole spectrum of film qualities can be fabricated. It is possible to form a highly crystalline material, one which is completely amorphous, or an intermediate morphology. In this review, we will summarize the past key findings that have driven organic solar cell research and the current state-of-the-art of small molecule and conducting oligomer materials. We will also discuss the merits and drawbacks of these devices. Finally, we will highlight some works that directly compare the spectra and morphology of systematically elongated oligothiophene derivatives and compare these oligomers to their polymer counterparts. We hope this review will shed some new light on the morphology differences of these two systems. PMID:22110870

Piezo Voltage Controlled Planar Hall Effect Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bao; Meng, Kang-Kang; Yang, Mei-Yin; Edmonds, K W; Zhang, Hao; Cai, Kai-Ming; Sheng, Yu; Zhang, Nan; Ji, Yang; Zhao, Jian-Hua; Zheng, Hou-Zhi; Wang, Kai-You

2016-06-22

The electrical control of the magnetization switching in ferromagnets is highly desired for future spintronic applications. Here we report on hybrid piezoelectric (PZT)/ferromagnetic (Co2FeAl) devices in which the planar Hall voltage in the ferromagnetic layer is tuned solely by piezo voltages. The change of planar Hall voltage is associated with magnetization switching through 90° in the plane under piezo voltages. Room temperature magnetic NOT and NOR gates are demonstrated based on the piezo voltage controlled Co2FeAl planar Hall effect devices without the external magnetic field. Our demonstration may lead to the realization of both information storage and processing using ferromagnetic materials.

From diffusive to ballistic transport in etched graphene constrictions and nanoribbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somanchi, Sowmya; Peiro, Julian; Staggenborg, Maximilian; Beschoten, Bernd [JARA-FIT and 2nd Institute of Physics, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Terres, Bernat; Stampfer, Christoph [JARA-FIT and 2nd Institute of Physics, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Peter Gruenberg Institute (PGI-9), Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany); Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi [National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba (Japan)

2017-11-15

Graphene nanoribbons and constrictions are envisaged as fundamental components of future carbon-based nanoelectronic and spintronic devices. At nanoscale, electronic effects in these devices depend heavily on the dimensions of the active channel and the nature of edges. Hence, controlling both these parameters is crucial to understand the physics in such systems. This review is about the recent progress in the fabrication of graphene nanoribbons and constrictions in terms of low temperature quantum transport. In particular, recent advancements using encapsulated graphene allowing for quantized conductance and future experiments towards exploring spin effects in these devices are presented. The influence of charge carrier inhomogeneity and the important length scales which play a crucial role for transport in high quality samples are also discussed. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Remote control of nanoscale devices

Science.gov (United States)

Högberg, Björn

2018-01-01

Processes that occur at the nanometer scale have a tremendous impact on our daily lives. Sophisticated evolved nanomachines operate in each of our cells; we also, as a society, increasingly rely on synthetic nanodevices for communication and computation. Scientists are still only beginning to master this scale, but, recently, DNA nanotechnology (1)—in particular, DNA origami (2)—has emerged as a powerful tool to build structures precise enough to help us do so. On page 296 of this issue, Kopperger et al. (3) show that they are now also able to control the motion of a DNA origami device from the outside by applying electric fields.

Understanding Electrically Active Interface Formation on Wide Bandgap Semiconductors through Molecular Beam Epitaxy Using Fe3O 4 for Spintronics as a Base Case

Science.gov (United States)

Hamedani Golshan, Negar

Nanoelectronics, complex heterostructures, and engineered 3D matrix materials are quickly advancing from research possibilities to manufacturing challenges for applications ranging from high-power devices to solar cells to any number of novel multifunctional sensors and controllers. Formation of an abrupt and effective interface is one of the basic requirements for integration of functional materials on different types of semiconductors (from silicon to the wide bandgaps) which can significantly impact the functionality of nanoscale electronic devices. To realize the potential of next-generation electronics, the understanding and control of those initial stages of film layer formation must be understood and translated to a process that can control the initial stages of film deposition. Thin film Fe3O4 has attracted much attention as a material for exploring the potential of spintronics in next-generation information technologies. Synthesis of highly spin-polarized material as spin sources, in combination with wide bandgap semiconductors which have a long spin relaxation time in addition to functionality in high-temperature, high-power, and high-frequency environments, would enhance the performance of today's spintronic devices. Spinel ferrite Fe3O4 has a high Curie temperature of 858 K and it is predicted to possess half-metallic properties, i.e. 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level, which can lead to ultrahigh tunneling magnetoresistance at room temperature. However, these properties have been very difficult to realize in thin film form, and device design strategies require high-quality thin films of Fe3O4. The most common reason reported in literature for the failure of the films to achieve theoretical performance is that the growth techniques used today produce films with antiphase boundaries (APB). These APBs have a strong antiferromagnetic coupling that negatively impact the magnetic and transport properties of epitaxial Fe 3O4 films. Therefore, greater

Dynamics at the nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoneham, A.M.; Gavartin, J.L.

2007-01-01

However fascinating structures may be at the nanoscale, time-dependent behaviour at the nanoscale has far greater importance. Some of the dynamics is random, with fluctuations controlling rate processes and making thermal ratchets possible. Some of the dynamics causes the transfer of energy, of signals, or of charge. Such transfers are especially efficiently controlled in biological systems. Other dynamical processes occur when we wish to control the nanoscale, e.g., to avoid local failures of gate dielectrics, or to manipulate structures by electronic excitation, to use spin manipulation in quantum information processing. Our prime purpose is to make clear the enormous range and variety of time-dependent nanoscale phenomena

Nanoelectronic device applications handbook

CERN Document Server

Morris, James E

2013-01-01

Nanoelectronic Device Applications Handbook gives a comprehensive snapshot of the state of the art in nanodevices for nanoelectronics applications. Combining breadth and depth, the book includes 68 chapters on topics that range from nano-scaled complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices through recent developments in nano capacitors and AlGaAs/GaAs devices. The contributors are world-renowned experts from academia and industry from around the globe. The handbook explores current research into potentially disruptive technologies for a post-CMOS world.These include: Nanoscale advance

Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Cahill, David G.; Braun, Paul V.; Chen, Gang; Clarke, David R.; Fan, Shanhui; Goodson, Kenneth E.; Keblinski, Pawel; King, William P.; Mahan, Gerald D.; Majumdar, Arun; Maris, Humphrey J.; Phillpot, Simon R.; Pop, Eric; Shi, Li

2014-03-01

A diverse spectrum of technology drivers such as improved thermal barriers, higher efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion, phase-change memory, heat-assisted magnetic recording, thermal management of nanoscale electronics, and nanoparticles for thermal medical therapies are motivating studies of the applied physics of thermal transport at the nanoscale. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces become increasingly important on small length scales. Research during the past decade has extended studies of interfaces between simple metals and inorganic crystals to interfaces with molecular materials and liquids with systematic control of interface chemistry and physics. At separations on the order of ˜ 1 nm , the science of radiative transport through nanoscale gaps overlaps with thermal conduction by the coupling of electronic and vibrational excitations across weakly bonded or rough interfaces between materials. Major advances in the physics of phonons include first principles calculation of the phonon lifetimes of simple crystals and application of the predicted scattering rates in parameter-free calculations of the thermal conductivity. Progress in the control of thermal transport at the nanoscale is critical to continued advances in the density of information that can be stored in phase change memory devices and new generations of magnetic storage that will use highly localized heat sources to reduce the coercivity of magnetic media. Ultralow thermal conductivity—thermal conductivity below the conventionally predicted minimum thermal conductivity—has been observed in nanolaminates and disordered crystals with strong anisotropy. Advances in metrology by time-domain thermoreflectance have made measurements of the thermal conductivity of a thin layer with micron-scale spatial resolution relatively routine. Scanning thermal microscopy and thermal

Lessons learned from nanoscale specimens tested by MEMS-based apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Elhebeary, Mohamed; Saif, M. Taher A.

2017-06-01

The last two decades were marked by the innovative synthesis of nanomaterials and devices. The success of these devices hinges on the mechanical properties of nanomaterials and an understanding of their deformation and failure mechanisms. Many novel testing techniques have been developed to test materials at small scale. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) apparatus developed to characterize materials at nanoscale, and the key insights gained on structure-property relations of materials through these characterizations. Finally, new applications of MEMS in testing living materials, such as tissues and cells, for disease diagnosis and prognosis are discussed.

Lessons learned from nanoscale specimens tested by MEMS-based apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elhebeary, Mohamed; Saif, M Taher A

2017-01-01

The last two decades were marked by the innovative synthesis of nanomaterials and devices. The success of these devices hinges on the mechanical properties of nanomaterials and an understanding of their deformation and failure mechanisms. Many novel testing techniques have been developed to test materials at small scale. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) apparatus developed to characterize materials at nanoscale, and the key insights gained on structure-property relations of materials through these characterizations. Finally, new applications of MEMS in testing living materials, such as tissues and cells, for disease diagnosis and prognosis are discussed. (topical review)

Visualizing copper assisted graphene growth in nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Rosmi, Mohamad Saufi; Yusop, Mohd Zamri; Kalita, Golap; Yaakob, Yazid; Takahashi, Chisato; Tanemura, Masaki

2014-01-01

Control synthesis of high quality large-area graphene on transition metals (TMs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most fascinating approach for practical device applications. Interaction of carbon atoms and TMs is quite critical to obtain graphene with precise layer number, crystal size and structure. Here, we reveal a solid phase reaction process to achieve Cu assisted graphene growth in nanoscale by in-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM). Significant structural transformation of amorphous carbon nanofiber (CNF) coated with Cu is observed with an applied potential in a two probe system. The coated Cu particle recrystallize and agglomerate toward the cathode with applied potential due to joule heating and large thermal gradient. Consequently, the amorphous carbon start crystallizing and forming sp2 hybridized carbon to form graphene sheet from the tip of Cu surface. We observed structural deformation and breaking of the graphene nanoribbon with a higher applied potential, attributing to saturated current flow and induced Joule heating. The observed graphene formation in nanoscale by the in-situ TEM process can be significant to understand carbon atoms and Cu interaction. PMID:25523645

Nanoscale measurement of Nernst effect in two-dimensional charge density wave material 1T-TaS2

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Stephen M.; Luican-Mayer, Adina; Bhattacharya, Anand

2017-11-01

Advances in nanoscale material characterization on two-dimensional van der Waals layered materials primarily involve their optical and electronic properties. The thermal properties of these materials are harder to access due to the difficulty of thermal measurements at the nanoscale. In this work, we create a nanoscale magnetothermal device platform to access the basic out-of-plane magnetothermal transport properties of ultrathin van der Waals materials. Specifically, the Nernst effect in the charge density wave transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS2 is examined on nano-thin flakes in a patterned device structure. It is revealed that near the commensurate charge density wave (CCDW) to nearly commensurate charge density wave (NCCDW) phase transition, the polarity of the Nernst effect changes. Since the Nernst effect is especially sensitive to changes in the Fermi surface, this suggests that large changes are occurring in the out-of-plane electronic structure of 1T-TaS2, which are otherwise unresolved in just in-plane electronic transport measurements. This may signal a coherent evolution of out-of-plane stacking in the CCDW → NCCDW transition.

Atomic layer deposition: an enabling technology for the growth of functional nanoscale semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Biyikli, Necmi; Haider, Ali

2017-09-01

In this paper, we present the progress in the growth of nanoscale semiconductors grown via atomic layer deposition (ALD). After the adoption by semiconductor chip industry, ALD became a widespread tool to grow functional films and conformal ultra-thin coatings for various applications. Based on self-limiting and ligand-exchange-based surface reactions, ALD enabled the low-temperature growth of nanoscale dielectric, metal, and semiconductor materials. Being able to deposit wafer-scale uniform semiconductor films at relatively low-temperatures, with sub-monolayer thickness control and ultimate conformality, makes ALD attractive for semiconductor device applications. Towards this end, precursors and low-temperature growth recipes are developed to deposit crystalline thin films for compound and elemental semiconductors. Conventional thermal ALD as well as plasma-assisted and radical-enhanced techniques have been exploited to achieve device-compatible film quality. Metal-oxides, III-nitrides, sulfides, and selenides are among the most popular semiconductor material families studied via ALD technology. Besides thin films, ALD can grow nanostructured semiconductors as well using either template-assisted growth methods or bottom-up controlled nucleation mechanisms. Among the demonstrated semiconductor nanostructures are nanoparticles, nano/quantum-dots, nanowires, nanotubes, nanofibers, nanopillars, hollow and core-shell versions of the afore-mentioned nanostructures, and 2D materials including transition metal dichalcogenides and graphene. ALD-grown nanoscale semiconductor materials find applications in a vast amount of applications including functional coatings, catalysis and photocatalysis, renewable energy conversion and storage, chemical sensing, opto-electronics, and flexible electronics. In this review, we give an overview of the current state-of-the-art in ALD-based nanoscale semiconductor research including the already demonstrated and future applications.

Topological Material-Based Spin Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Minhao; Wang, Xuefeng

Three-dimensional topological insulators have insulating bulk and gapless helical surface states. One of the most fascinating properties of the metallic surface states is the spin-momentum helical locking. The giant current-driven torques on the magnetic layer have been discovered in TI/ferromagnet bilayers originating from the spin-momentum helical locking, enabling the efficient magnetization switching with a low current density. We demonstrated the current-direction dependent on-off state in TIs-based spin valve devices for memory and logic applications. Further, we demonstrated the Bi2Se3 system will go from a topologically nontrivial state to a topologically trivial state when Bi atoms are replaced by lighter In atoms. Here, topologically trivial metal (BixIny)2 Se3 with high mobility also facilitates the realization of its application in multifunctional spintronic devices.

Controlled manipulation of oxygen vacancies using nanoscale flexoelectricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Saikat [Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Center for Correlated Electron Systems; Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Wang, Bo [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States).Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; Cao, Ye [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Inst. for; Rae Cho, Myung [Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Center for Correlated Electron Systems; Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Jae Shin, Yeong [Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Center for Correlated Electron Systems; Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Mo Yang, Sang [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS); Sookmyung Women' s Univ., Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics; Wang, Lingfei [Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Center for Correlated Electron Systems; Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Kim, Minu [Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Center for Correlated Electron Systems; Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Kalinin, Sergei V. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Inst. for Functional Imaging of Materials; Chen, Long-Qing [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States).Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; Noh, Tae Won [Inst. for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Center for Correlated Electron Systems; Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul (Republic of Korea). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

2017-09-20

Oxygen vacancies, especially their distribution, are directly coupled to the electromagnetic properties of oxides and related emergent functionalities that have implications for device applications. Here using a homoepitaxial strontium titanate thin film, we demonstrate a controlled manipulation of the oxygen vacancy distribution using the mechanical force from a scanning probe microscope tip. By combining Kelvin probe force microscopy imaging and phase-field simulations, we show that oxygen vacancies can move under a stress-gradient-induced depolarisation field. When tailored, this nanoscale flexoelectric effect enables a controlled spatial modulation. In motion, the scanning probe tip thereby deterministically reconfigures the spatial distribution of vacancies. Finally, the ability to locally manipulate oxygen vacancies on-demand provides a tool for the exploration of mesoscale quantum phenomena and engineering multifunctional oxide devices.

Electron-electron scattering-induced channel hot electron injection in nanoscale n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors with high-k/metal gate stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Jyun-Yu; Liu, Kuan-Ju; Lu, Ying-Hsin; Liu, Xi-Wen; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chen, Ching-En; Ho, Szu-Han; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen; Cheng, Osbert; Huang, Cheng-Tung; Lu, Ching-Sen

2014-01-01

This work investigates electron-electron scattering (EES)-induced channel hot electron (CHE) injection in nanoscale n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (n-MOSFETs) with high-k/metal gate stacks. Many groups have proposed new models (i.e., single-particle and multiple-particle process) to well explain the hot carrier degradation in nanoscale devices and all mechanisms focused on Si-H bond dissociation at the Si/SiO 2 interface. However, for high-k dielectric devices, experiment results show that the channel hot carrier trapping in the pre-existing high-k bulk defects is the main degradation mechanism. Therefore, we propose a model of EES-induced CHE injection to illustrate the trapping-dominant mechanism in nanoscale n-MOSFETs with high-k/metal gate stacks.

Negative pressure characteristics of an evaporating meniscus at nanoscale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maroo Shalabh

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study aims at understanding the characteristics of negative liquid pressures at the nanoscale using molecular dynamics simulation. A nano-meniscus is formed by placing liquid argon on a platinum wall between two nano-channels filled with the same liquid. Evaporation is simulated in the meniscus by increasing the temperature of the platinum wall for two different cases. Non-evaporating films are obtained at the center of the meniscus. The liquid film in the non-evaporating and adjacent regions is found to be under high absolute negative pressures. Cavitation cannot occur in these regions as the capillary height is smaller than the critical cavitation radius. Factors which determine the critical film thickness for rupture are discussed. Thus, high negative liquid pressures can be stable at the nanoscale, and utilized to create passive pumping devices as well as significantly enhance heat transfer rates.

Radiation induced leakage due to stochastic charge trapping in isolation layers of nanoscale MOSFETs

Science.gov (United States)

Zebrev, G. I.; Gorbunov, M. S.; Pershenkov, V. S.

2008-03-01

The sensitivity of sub-100 nm devices to microdose effects, which can be considered as intermediate case between cumulative total dose and single event errors, is investigated. A detailed study of radiation-induced leakage due to stochastic charge trapping in irradiated planar and nonplanar devices is developed. The influence of High-K insulators on nanoscale ICs reliability is discussed. Low critical values of trapped charge demonstrate a high sensitivity to single event effect.

Molecular Dynamics Studies of Nanofluidic Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zambrano Rodriguez, Harvey Alexander

of such devices. Computational nanofluidics complements experimental studies by providing detailed spatial and temporal information of the nanosystem. In this thesis, we conduct molecular dynamics simulations to study basic nanoscale devices. We focus our studies on the understanding of transport mechanism...... to drive fluids and solids at the nanoscale. Specifically, we present the results of three different research projects. Throughout the first part of this thesis, we include a comprenhensive introduction to computational nanofluidics and to molecular simulations, and describe the molecular dynamics...... in opposite direction to the imposed thermal gradient also we measure higher velocities as higher thermal gradients are imposed. Secondly, we present an atomistic analysis of a molecular linear motor fabricated of coaxial carbon nanotubes and powered by thermal gradients. The MD simulation results indicate...

Nanoscale superconducting memory based on the kinetic inductance of asymmetric nanowire loops

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Andrew; Averin, Dmitri V.; Bezryadin, Alexey

2017-06-01

The demand for low-dissipation nanoscale memory devices is as strong as ever. As Moore’s law is staggering, and the demand for a low-power-consuming supercomputer is high, the goal of making information processing circuits out of superconductors is one of the central goals of modern technology and physics. So far, digital superconducting circuits could not demonstrate their immense potential. One important reason for this is that a dense superconducting memory technology is not yet available. Miniaturization of traditional superconducting quantum interference devices is difficult below a few micrometers because their operation relies on the geometric inductance of the superconducting loop. Magnetic memories do allow nanometer-scale miniaturization, but they are not purely superconducting (Baek et al 2014 Nat. Commun. 5 3888). Our approach is to make nanometer scale memory cells based on the kinetic inductance (and not geometric inductance) of superconducting nanowire loops, which have already shown many fascinating properties (Aprili 2006 Nat. Nanotechnol. 1 15; Hopkins et al 2005 Science 308 1762). This allows much smaller devices and naturally eliminates magnetic-field cross-talk. We demonstrate that the vorticity, i.e., the winding number of the order parameter, of a closed superconducting loop can be used for realizing a nanoscale nonvolatile memory device. We demonstrate how to alter the vorticity in a controlled fashion by applying calibrated current pulses. A reliable read-out of the memory is also demonstrated. We present arguments that such memory can be developed to operate without energy dissipation.

Status and perspectives of nanoscale device modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Macucci, M.; Lannaccone, G.; Greer, J.

2001-01-01

During the meetings of the theory and modelling working group, within the MEL-ARI (Microelectronics Advanced Research Initiative) and NID-FET (Nanotechnology information Devices-Future and Emerging Technologies) initiatives of the European Commission, we have been discussing the current status...

Rocket Science at the Nanoscale.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinxing; Rozen, Isaac; Wang, Joseph

2016-06-28

Autonomous propulsion at the nanoscale represents one of the most challenging and demanding goals in nanotechnology. Over the past decade, numerous important advances in nanotechnology and material science have contributed to the creation of powerful self-propelled micro/nanomotors. In particular, micro- and nanoscale rockets (MNRs) offer impressive capabilities, including remarkable speeds, large cargo-towing forces, precise motion controls, and dynamic self-assembly, which have paved the way for designing multifunctional and intelligent nanoscale machines. These multipurpose nanoscale shuttles can propel and function in complex real-life media, actively transporting and releasing therapeutic payloads and remediation agents for diverse biomedical and environmental applications. This review discusses the challenges of designing efficient MNRs and presents an overview of their propulsion behavior, fabrication methods, potential rocket fuels, navigation strategies, practical applications, and the future prospects of rocket science and technology at the nanoscale.

Formation and Characterization of Stacked Nanoscale Layers of Polymers and Silanes on Silicon Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ochoa, Rosie; Davis, Brian; Conley, Hiram; Hurd, Katie; Linford, Matthew R.; Davis, Robert C.

2008-10-01

Chemical surface patterning at the nanoscale is a critical component of chemically directed assembly of nanoscale devices or sensitive biological molecules onto surfaces. Complete and consistent formation of nanoscale layers of silanes and polymers is a necessary first step for chemical patterning. We explored methods of silanizing silicon substrates for the purpose of functionalizing the surfaces. The chemical functionalization, stability, flatness, and repeatability of the process was characterized by use of ellipsometry, water contact angle, and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). We found that forming the highest quality functionalized surfaces was accomplished through use of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Specifically, surfaces were plasma cleaned and hydrolyzed before the silane was applied. A polymer layer less then 2 nm in thickness was electrostatically bound to the silane layer. The chemical functionalization, stability, flatness, and repeatability of the process was also characterized for the polymer layer using ellipsometry, water contact angle, and AFM.

Nanoscale Dimples for Improved Absorption in and Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goszczak, Arkadiusz Jaroslaw; Adam, Jost; Cielecki, Pawel Piotr

Organic solar cells (OSC’s) have attracted much attention in the past years due to their low costs, light weight and mechanical flexibility. A promising method for improving the power conversion efficiencies of the devices is by incorporating structured electrodes in the solar cell architecture....... That way light absorption in the active layers of the devices can be improved. A cheap and large-scale production compatible method for structuring the electrodes in OSC’s is by the use of Anodic Alumina Oxide (AAO) membranes. Here, nano-scale pores of controlled dimensions are formed through anodic...

Electrochemically-gated single-molecule electrical devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Shaoyin; Artés, Juan Manuel; Díez-Pérez, Ismael

2013-01-01

In the last decade, single-molecule electrical contacts have emerged as a new experimental platform that allows exploring charge transport phenomena in individual molecular blocks. This novel tool has evolved into an essential element within the Molecular Electronics field to understand charge transport processes in hybrid (bio)molecule/electrode interfaces at the nanoscale, and prospect the implementation of active molecular components into functional nanoscale optoelectronic devices. Within this area, three-terminal single-molecule devices have been sought, provided that they are highly desired to achieve full functionality in logic electronic circuits. Despite the latest experimental developments offer consistent methods to bridge a molecule between two electrodes (source and drain in a transistor notation), placing a third electrode (gate) close to the single-molecule electrical contact is still technically challenging. In this vein, electrochemically-gated single-molecule devices have emerged as an experimentally affordable alternative to overcome these technical limitations. In this review, the operating principle of an electrochemically-gated single-molecule device is presented together with the latest experimental methodologies to built them and characterize their charge transport characteristics. Then, an up-to-date comprehensive overview of the most prominent examples will be given, emphasizing on the relationship between the molecular structure and the final device electrical behaviour

Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003–2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cahill, David G.; Braun, Paul V.; Chen, Gang; Clarke, David R.; Fan, Shanhui; Goodson, Kenneth E.; Keblinski, Pawel; King, William P.; Mahan, Gerald D.; Majumdar, Arun; Maris, Humphrey J.; Phillpot, Simon R.; Pop, Eric; Shi, Li

2014-01-01

A diverse spectrum of technology drivers such as improved thermal barriers, higher efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion, phase-change memory, heat-assisted magnetic recording, thermal management of nanoscale electronics, and nanoparticles for thermal medical therapies are motivating studies of the applied physics of thermal transport at the nanoscale. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces become increasingly important on small length scales. Research during the past decade has extended studies of interfaces between simple metals and inorganic crystals to interfaces with molecular materials and liquids with systematic control of interface chemistry and physics. At separations on the order of ∼1 nm, the science of radiative transport through nanoscale gaps overlaps with thermal conduction by the coupling of electronic and vibrational excitations across weakly bonded or rough interfaces between materials. Major advances in the physics of phonons include first principles calculation of the phonon lifetimes of simple crystals and application of the predicted scattering rates in parameter-free calculations of the thermal conductivity. Progress in the control of thermal transport at the nanoscale is critical to continued advances in the density of information that can be stored in phase change memory devices and new generations of magnetic storage that will use highly localized heat sources to reduce the coercivity of magnetic media. Ultralow thermal conductivity—thermal conductivity below the conventionally predicted minimum thermal conductivity—has been observed in nanolaminates and disordered crystals with strong anisotropy. Advances in metrology by time-domain thermoreflectance have made measurements of the thermal conductivity of a thin layer with micron-scale spatial resolution relatively routine. Scanning thermal microscopy and

Nanoscale Ionic Liquids

Science.gov (United States)

2006-11-01

Technical Report 11 December 2005 - 30 November 2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Nanoscale Ionic Liquids 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA9550-06-1-0012...Title: Nanoscale Ionic Liquids Principal Investigator: Emmanuel P. Giannelis Address: Materials Science and Engineering, Bard Hall, Cornell University...based fluids exhibit high ionic conductivity. The NFs are typically synthesized by grafting a charged, oligomeric corona onto the nanoparticle cores

Manufacturing at Nanoscale: Top-Down, Bottom-up and System Engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiang; Sun Cheng; Fang, Nicholas

2004-01-01

The current nano-technology revolution is facing several major challenges: to manufacture nanodevices below 20 nm, to fabricate three-dimensional complex nano-structures, and to heterogeneously integrate multiple functionalities. To tackle these grand challenges, the Center for Scalable and Integrated NAno-Manufacturing (SINAM), a NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, set its goal to establish a new manufacturing paradigm that integrates an array of new nano-manufacturing technologies, including the plasmonic imaging lithography and ultramolding imprint lithography aiming toward critical resolution of 1-10 nm and the hybrid top-down and bottom-up technologies to achieve massively parallel integration of heterogeneous nanoscale components into higher-order structures and devices. Furthermore, SINAM will develop system engineering strategies to scale-up the nano-manufacturing technologies. SINAMs integrated research and education platform will shed light to a broad range of potential applications in computing, telecommunication, photonics, biotechnology, health care, and national security

Nanoscale superconducting memory based on the kinetic inductance of asymmetric nanowire loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, Andrew; Bezryadin, Alexey; Averin, Dmitri V

2017-01-01

The demand for low-dissipation nanoscale memory devices is as strong as ever. As Moore’s law is staggering, and the demand for a low-power-consuming supercomputer is high, the goal of making information processing circuits out of superconductors is one of the central goals of modern technology and physics. So far, digital superconducting circuits could not demonstrate their immense potential. One important reason for this is that a dense superconducting memory technology is not yet available. Miniaturization of traditional superconducting quantum interference devices is difficult below a few micrometers because their operation relies on the geometric inductance of the superconducting loop. Magnetic memories do allow nanometer-scale miniaturization, but they are not purely superconducting (Baek et al 2014 Nat. Commun. 5 3888). Our approach is to make nanometer scale memory cells based on the kinetic inductance (and not geometric inductance) of superconducting nanowire loops, which have already shown many fascinating properties (Aprili 2006 Nat. Nanotechnol. 1 15; Hopkins et al 2005 Science 308 1762). This allows much smaller devices and naturally eliminates magnetic-field cross-talk. We demonstrate that the vorticity, i.e., the winding number of the order parameter, of a closed superconducting loop can be used for realizing a nanoscale nonvolatile memory device. We demonstrate how to alter the vorticity in a controlled fashion by applying calibrated current pulses. A reliable read-out of the memory is also demonstrated. We present arguments that such memory can be developed to operate without energy dissipation. (paper)

Two-dimensional threshold voltage model and design considerations for gate electrode work function engineered recessed channel nanoscale MOSFET: I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaujar, Rishu; Kaur, Ravneet; Gupta, Mridula; Gupta, R S; Saxena, Manoj

2009-01-01

This paper discusses a threshold voltage model for novel device structure: gate electrode work function engineered recessed channel (GEWE-RC) nanoscale MOSFET, which combines the advantages of both RC and GEWE structures. In part I, the model accurately predicts (a) surface potential, (b) threshold voltage and (c) sub-threshold slope for single material gate recessed channel (SMG-RC) and GEWE-RC structures. Part II focuses on the development of compact analytical drain current model taking into account the transition regimes from sub-threshold to saturation. Furthermore, the drain conductance evaluation has also been obtained, reflecting relevance of the proposed device for analogue design. The analysis takes into account the effect of gate length and groove depth in order to develop a compact model suitable for device design. The analytical results predicted by the model confirm well with the simulated results. Results in part I also provide valuable design insights in the performance of nanoscale GEWE-RC MOSFET with optimum threshold voltage and negative junction depth (NJD), and hence serves as a tool to optimize important device and technological parameters for 40 nm technology

Integrated Spintronic Platforms for Biomolecular Recognition Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, V. C.; Cardoso, F. A.; Loureiro, J.; Mercier, M.; Germano, J.; Cardoso, S.; Ferreira, R.; Fonseca, L. P.; Sousa, L.; Piedade, M. S.; Freitas, P. P.

2008-06-01

This paper covers recent developments in magnetoresistive based biochip platforms fabricated at INESC-MN, and their application to the detection and quantification of pathogenic waterborn microorganisms in water samples for human consumption. Such platforms are intended to give response to the increasing concern related to microbial contaminated water sources. The presented results concern the development of biological active DNA chips and protein chips and the demonstration of the detection capability of the present platforms. Two platforms are described, one including spintronic sensors only (spin-valve based or magnetic tunnel junction based), and the other, a fully scalable platform where each probe site consists of a MTJ in series with a thin film diode (TFD). Two microfluidic systems are described, for cell separation and concentration, and finally, the read out and control integrated electronics are described, allowing the realization of bioassays with a portable point of care unit. The present platforms already allow the detection of complementary biomolecular target recognition with 1 pM concentration.

3D printing functional materials and devices (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

McAlpine, Michael C.

2017-05-01

The development of methods for interfacing high performance functional devices with biology could impact regenerative medicine, smart prosthetics, and human-machine interfaces. Indeed, the ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological and functional materials could enable the creation of devices possessing unique geometries, properties, and functionalities. Yet, most high quality functional materials are two dimensional, hard and brittle, and require high crystallization temperatures for maximal performance. These properties render the corresponding devices incompatible with biology, which is three-dimensional, soft, stretchable, and temperature sensitive. We overcome these dichotomies by: 1) using 3D printing and scanning for customized, interwoven, anatomically accurate device architectures; 2) employing nanotechnology as an enabling route for overcoming mechanical discrepancies while retaining high performance; and 3) 3D printing a range of soft and nanoscale materials to enable the integration of a diverse palette of high quality functional nanomaterials with biology. 3D printing is a multi-scale platform, allowing for the incorporation of functional nanoscale inks, the printing of microscale features, and ultimately the creation of macroscale devices. This three-dimensional blending of functional materials and `living' platforms may enable next-generation 3D printed devices.

Quantum transport in semiconductor nanostructures and nanoscale devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhen-Li, Ji.

1991-09-01

Only a decade ago the study and fabrication of electron devices whose smallest features were just under 1 micro represented the forefront of the field. Today that position has advanced an order of magnitude to 100 nanometers. Quantum effects are unavoidable in devices with dimensions smaller than 100 nanometers. A variety of quantum effects have been discovered over the years, such as tunneling, resonant tunneling, weak and strong localization, and the quantum Hall effect. Since 1985, experiments on nanostructures (dimension < 100 nm) have revealed a number of new effects such as the Aharanov-Bohm effect, conductance fluctuations, non-local effects and the quantized resistance of point contacts. For nanostructures at low temperature, these phenomena clearly show that electron transport is influenced by wave interference effects similar to those well-known in microwave and optical networks. New device concepts now being proposed and demonstrated are based on these wave properties. This thesis discusses our study of electron transport in nanostructures. All of the quantum phenomena that we address here are essentially one-electron phenomena, although many-body effects will sometimes play a more significant role in the electronic properties of small structures. Most of the experimental observations to date are particularly well explained, at least qualitatively, in terms of the simple one-particle picture. (au)

Physics of quantum rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fomin, Vladimir M.

2014-01-01

Presents the new class of materials of quantum rings. Provides an elemental basis for low-cost high-performance devices promising for electronics, optoelectronics, spintronics and quantum information processing. Explains the physical properties of quantum rings to cover a gap in scientific literature. Presents the application of most advanced nanoengineering and nanocharacterization techniques. This book deals with a new class of materials, quantum rings. Innovative recent advances in experimental and theoretical physics of quantum rings are based on the most advanced state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization techniques as well as theoretical methods. The experimental efforts allow to obtain a new class of semiconductor quantum rings formed by capping self-organized quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Novel optical and magnetic properties of quantum rings are associated with non-trivial topologies at the nanoscale. An adequate characterization of quantum rings is possible on the basis of modern characterization methods of nanostructures, such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopy. A high level of complexity is demonstrated to be needed for a dedicated theoretical model to adequately represent the specific features of quantum rings. The findings presented in this book contribute to develop low-cost high-performance electronic, spintronic, optoelectronic and information processing devices based on quantum rings.

Fabrication of spintronics device by direct synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes from ferromagnetic electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Ambri Mohamed, Nobuhito Inami, Eiji Shikoh, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Hidenobu Hori and Akihiko Fujiwara

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We describe an alternative method for realizing a carbon nanotube spin field-effect transistor device by the direct synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs on substrates by alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition. We observed hysteretic magnetoresistance (MR at low temperatures due to spin-dependent transport. In these devices, the maximum ratio in resistance variation of MR was found to be 1.8%.

A novel nanoscale SOI MOSFET by embedding undoped region for improving self-heating effect

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaffari, Majid; Orouji, Ali A.

2018-06-01

Because of the low thermal conductivity of the SiO2 (oxide), the Buried Oxide (BOX) layer in a Silicon-On-Insulator Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (SOI MOSFET) prevents heat dissipation in the silicon layer and causes increase in the device lattice temperature. In this paper, a new technique is proposed for reducing Self-Heating Effects (SHEs). The key idea in the proposed structure is using a Silicon undoped Region (SR) in the nanoscale SOI MOSFET under the drain and channel regions in order to decrease the SHE. The novel transistor is named Silicon undoped Region SOI-MOSFET (SR-SOI). Due to the embedded silicon undoped region in the suitable place, the proposed structure has decreased the device lattice temperature. The location and dimensions of the proposed region have been carefully optimized to achieve the best results. This work has explored enhancement such as decreased maximum lattice temperature, increased electron mobility, increased drain current, lower DC drain conductance and higher DC transconductance and also decreased bandgap energy variations. Also, for modeling of the structure in the SPICE tools, the main characterizations have been extracted such as thermal resistance (RTH), thermal capacitance (CTH), and SHE characteristic frequency (fTH). All parameters are extracted in relation with the AC operation indicate excellent performance of the SR-SOI device. The results show that proposed region is a suitable alternative to oxide as a part of the buried oxide layer in SOI structures and has better performance in high temperature. Using two-dimensional (2-D) and two-carrier device simulation is done comparison of the SR-SOI structure with a Conventional SOI (C-SOI). As a result, the SR-SOI device can be regarded as a useful substitution for the C-SOI device in nanoscale integrated circuits as a reliable device.

Progress in Group III nitride semiconductor electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Yue; Zhang Jinfeng; Shen Bo; Liu Xinyu

2012-01-01

Recently there has been a rapid domestic development in group III nitride semiconductor electronic materials and devices. This paper reviews the important progress in GaN-based wide bandgap microelectronic materials and devices in the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which focuses on the research of the fundamental physical mechanisms of group III nitride semiconductor electronic materials and devices with the aim to enhance the crystal quality and electric performance of GaN-based electronic materials, develop new GaN heterostructures, and eventually achieve high performance GaN microwave power devices. Some remarkable progresses achieved in the program will be introduced, including those in GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and metal—oxide—semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MOSHEMTs) with novel high-k gate insulators, and material growth, defect analysis and material properties of InAlN/GaN heterostructures and HEMT fabrication, and quantum transport and spintronic properties of GaN-based heterostructures, and high-electric-field electron transport properties of GaN material and GaN Gunn devices used in terahertz sources. (invited papers)

Room temperature electrically tunable rectification magnetoresistance in Ge-based Schottky devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qi-Kun; Yan, Yi; Zhang, Kun; Li, Huan-Huan; Kang, Shishou; Tian, Yu-Feng

2016-11-23

Electrical control of magnetotransport properties is crucial for device applications in the field of spintronics. In this work, as an extension of our previous observation of rectification magnetoresistance, an innovative technique for electrical control of rectification magnetoresistance has been developed by applying direct current and alternating current simultaneously to the Ge-based Schottky devices, where the rectification magnetoresistance could be remarkably tuned in a wide range. Moreover, the interface and bulk contribution to the magnetotransport properties has been effectively separated based on the rectification magnetoresistance effect. The state-of-the-art electrical manipulation technique could be adapt to other similar heterojunctions, where fascinating rectification magnetoresistance is worthy of expectation.

Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dascalu, Dan; Topa, Vladimir; Kleps, Irina

2001-01-01

In spite of difficult working conditions and with very low financial support, many groups from Romania are involved in emerging fields, such as the nanoscale science and technology. Until the last years, this activity was developed without a central coordination and without many interactions between these research groups. In the year 2000, some of the institutes and universities active in the nanotechnology field in Romania founded the MICRONANOTECH network. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the main activities and results of the Romanian groups working in this novel domain. Most of the groups are deal with the nanomaterial technology and only few of them have activities in nanostructure science and engineering, in new concepts and device modeling and technology. This paper describes the nanotechnology research development in two of the most significant institutes from Romania: Centre for Nanotechnologies from National Institute for Research and Development in Microtehnologies (IMT-Bucharest) and from National Institute for Research and Development in Materials Physics (INCD-FM), Magurele. The Romanian research results in nanotechnology field were presented in numerous papers presented in international conferences or published in national and international journals. They are also presented in patents, international awards and fellowships. The research effort and financial support are outlined. Some future trends of the Romanian nanoscale science and technology research are also described

Controllable nanoscale rotating actuator system based on carbon nanotube and graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jianzhang; Han, Qiang

2016-01-01

A controllable nanoscale rotating actuator system consisting of a double carbon nanotube and graphene driven by a temperature gradient is proposed, and its rotating dynamics performance and driving mechanism are investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. The outer tube exhibits stable pure rotation with certain orientation under temperature gradient and the steady rotational speed rises as the temperature gradient increases. It reveals that the driving torque is caused by the difference of atomic van der Waals potentials due to the temperature gradient and geometrical features of carbon nanotube. A theoretical model for driving torque is established based on lattice dynamics theory and its predicted results agree well with molecular dynamics simulations. Further discussion is taken according to the theoretical model. The work in this study would be a guide for design and application of controllable nanoscale rotating devices based on carbon nanotubes and graphene. (paper)

Spin transfer driven resonant expulsion of a magnetic vortex core for efficient rf detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Menshawy

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Spin transfer magnetization dynamics have led to considerable advances in Spintronics, including opportunities for new nanoscale radiofrequency devices. Among the new functionalities is the radiofrequency (rf detection using the spin diode rectification effect in spin torque nano-oscillators (STNOs. In this study, we focus on a new phenomenon, the resonant expulsion of a magnetic vortex in STNOs. This effect is observed when the excitation vortex radius, due to spin torques associated to rf currents, becomes larger than the actual radius of the STNO. This vortex expulsion is leading to a sharp variation of the voltage at the resonant frequency. Here we show that the detected frequency can be tuned by different parameters; furthermore, a simultaneous detection of different rf signals can be achieved by real time measurements with several STNOs having different diameters. This result constitutes a first proof-of-principle towards the development of a new kind of nanoscale rf threshold detector.

Nanolayers with advanced properties for superconducting nanoelectronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prepelita, A.; Zdravkov, V.; Morari, R.; Socrovisciuc, A.; Antropov, E.; Sidorenko, A.

2011-01-01

Full text: Elaborated advanced technology for superconducting spintronics - technological process, based on magnetron sputtering of the metallic films with non-metallic protective layers, yields significant improvement in superconducting properties of thin Nb films and Nb/CuNi nanostructures in comparison with common methods of films deposition. The developed advanced technological process is patented (Patent RM number 175 from 31.03.2010). First experimental observation of the double re-entrant superconductivity in superconductor/ ferromagnetic nanostructures (Nb/Cu 41 Ni 59 bilayers) in dependence on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer (Published in : A.S. Sidorenko, V.I. Zdravkov, J. Kehrle, R.Morari, E.Antropov, G. Obermeier, S. Gsell, M. Schreck, C. Muller, V.V. Ryazanov, S. Horn, R. Tidecks, L.R. Tagirov. Extinction and recovery of superconductivity by interference in superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers. In: Nanoscale Phenomena . Fundamentals and Applications,Ed. by H.Hahn, A.Sidorenko, I.Tiginyanu, Springer, 2009 p.1-10. Perspectives of applications: design of a new generation of superconducting spintronic devices - high frequency operating superconducting spin-switch for telecommunication and computers. (author)

Laser direct writing of micro- and nano-scale medical devices

Science.gov (United States)

Gittard, Shaun D; Narayan, Roger J

2010-01-01

Laser-based direct writing of materials has undergone significant development in recent years. The ability to modify a variety of materials at small length scales and using short production times provides laser direct writing with unique capabilities for fabrication of medical devices. In many laser-based rapid prototyping methods, microscale and submicroscale structuring of materials is controlled by computer-generated models. Various laser-based direct write methods, including selective laser sintering/melting, laser machining, matrix-assisted pulsed-laser evaporation direct write, stereolithography and two-photon polymerization, are described. Their use in fabrication of microstructured and nanostructured medical devices is discussed. Laser direct writing may be used for processing a wide variety of advanced medical devices, including patient-specific prostheses, drug delivery devices, biosensors, stents and tissue-engineering scaffolds. PMID:20420557

Energy Conversion at Micro and Nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gammaitoni, Luca

2014-01-01

Energy management is considered a task of strategic importance in contemporary society. It is a common fact that the most successful economies of the planet are the economies that can transform and use large quantities of energy. In this talk we will discuss the role of energy with specific attention to the processes that happens at micro and nanoscale. The description of energy conversion processes at these scales requires approaches that go way beyond the standard equilibrium termodynamics of macroscopic systems. In this talk we will address from a fundamental point of view the physics of the dissipation of energy and will focus our attention to the energy transformation processes that take place in the modern micro and nano information and communication devices

Nanoscale measurement of Nernst effect in two-dimensional charge density wave material 1T-TaS₂

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Stephen M. [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA; Luican-Mayer, Adina [Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA; Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada; Bhattacharya, Anand [Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA; Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

2017-11-27

Advances in nanoscale material characterization on two-dimensional van der Waals layered materials primarily involve their optical and electronic properties. The thermal properties of these materials are harder to access due to the difficulty of thermal measurements at the nanoscale. In this work, we create a nanoscale magnetothermal device platform to access the basic out-of-plane magnetothermal transport properties of ultrathin van der Waals materials. Specifically, the Nernst effect in the charge density wave transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS₂ is examined on nano-thin flakes in a patterned device structure. It is revealed that near the commensurate charge density wave (CCDW) to nearly commensurate charge density wave (NCCDW) phase transition, the polarity of the Nernst effect changes. Since the Nernst effect is especially sensitive to changes in the Fermi surface, this suggests that large changes are occurring in the out-of-plane electronic structure of 1T-TaS₂, which are otherwise unresolved in just in-plane electronic transport measurements. This may signal a coherent evolution of out-of-plane stacking in the CCDW! NCCDW transition.

EDITORIAL: Physical behaviour at the nanoscale: a model for fertile research Physical behaviour at the nanoscale: a model for fertile research

Science.gov (United States)

Demming, Anna

2013-06-01

increasing availability of nanomaterials provided a number of advantages for research in field emission for displays, microwave and x-ray generation, electron-beam lithography and photonic devices [5, 6]. However the results reported in these studies have often misapplied the Fowler-Nordheim theory for describing field-emission behaviour, as changes in scale alter the validity of the widely cited simplified equation. As Forbes at the University of Surrey points out, this equation over-predicts the large-area field-emission average current density by a large highly variable factor thought to usually lie between 103 and 109. In his paper he explains how to modify the Fowler-Nordheim type equations so that they can be applied to large-area field emitters with recommendations for improved practice in this area of research [7]. The unusual nuances of behaviour in electronic circuits at the nanoscale has piqued avid interest in 'the memristor', the fourth circuit element reported 'missing' by Leon Chua in 1971 [8] and 'found' by researchers at HP Labs in 2008 [9]. The past five years have seen intense research into the mechanisms governing memristor behaviour [10], as well as the potential to apply this behaviour in novel electronic devices capable of mimicking the biological synapses that implement human learning [11]. (Keep an eye out for Nanotechnology's special issue on synaptic electronics later this year.) However, as Di Ventra and Pershin point out, 'Although this whole field of research has been growing at a fast pace, there is still much confusion about the fundamental physical properties that realistic systems with memory (as opposed to ideal ones) satisfy'. In this issue they derive expressions for memristances, memcapacitances and meminductances from the Kubo response and microscopic theories and show that they are indeed simply response functions that satisfy well defined physical properties. In the midst of concrete facts, cutting edge research often exploits cracks

Evidence for thermally assisted threshold switching behavior in nanoscale phase-change memory cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Gallo, Manuel; Athmanathan, Aravinthan; Krebs, Daniel; Sebastian, Abu

2016-01-01

In spite of decades of research, the details of electrical transport in phase-change materials are still debated. In particular, the so-called threshold switching phenomenon that allows the current density to increase steeply when a sufficiently high voltage is applied is still not well understood, even though there is wide consensus that threshold switching is solely of electronic origin. However, the high thermal efficiency and fast thermal dynamics associated with nanoscale phase-change memory (PCM) devices motivate us to reassess a thermally assisted threshold switching mechanism, at least in these devices. The time/temperature dependence of the threshold switching voltage and current in doped Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 nanoscale PCM cells was measured over 6 decades in time at temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 160 °C. We observe a nearly constant threshold switching power across this wide range of operating conditions. We also measured the transient dynamics associated with threshold switching as a function of the applied voltage. By using a field- and temperature-dependent description of the electrical transport combined with a thermal feedback, quantitative agreement with experimental data of the threshold switching dynamics was obtained using realistic physical parameters

Monopole and topological electron dynamics in adiabatic spintronic and graphene systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, S.G.; Jalil, M.B.A.; Fujita, T.

2010-01-01

A unified theoretical treatment is presented to describe the physics of electron dynamics in semiconductor and graphene systems. Electron spin's fast alignment with the Zeeman magnetic field (physical or effective) is treated as a form of adiabatic spin evolution which necessarily generates a monopole in magnetic space. One could transform this monopole into the physical and intuitive topological magnetic fields in the useful momentum (K) or real spaces (R). The physics of electron dynamics related to spin Hall, torque, oscillations and other technologically useful spinor effects can be inferred from the topological magnetic fields in spintronic, graphene and other SU(2) systems.

Outlook and challenges of nano devices, sensors, and MEMS

CERN Document Server

Liu, Ziv

2017-01-01

This book provides readers with an overview of the design, fabrication, simulation, and reliability of nanoscale semiconductor devices, MEMS, and sensors, as they serve for realizing the next-generation internet of things. The authors focus on how the nanoscale structures interact with the electrical and/or optical performance, how to find optimal solutions to achieve the best outcome, how these apparatus can be designed via models and simulations, how to improve reliability, and what are the possible challenges and roadblocks moving forward.

Fabrication of hybrid molecular devices using multi-layer graphene break junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Island, J. O.; Holovchenko, A.; Koole, M.; Alkemade, P. F. A.; Menelaou, M.; Aliaga-Alcalde, N.; Burzurí, E.; van der Zant, H. S. J.

2014-11-01

We report on the fabrication of hybrid molecular devices employing multi-layer graphene (MLG) flakes which are patterned with a constriction using a helium ion microscope or an oxygen plasma etch. The patterning step allows for the localization of a few-nanometer gap, created by electroburning, that can host single molecules or molecular ensembles. By controlling the width of the sculpted constriction, we regulate the critical power at which the electroburning process begins. We estimate the flake temperature given the critical power and find that at low powers it is possible to electroburn MLG with superconducting contacts in close proximity. Finally, we demonstrate the fabrication of hybrid devices with superconducting contacts and anthracene-functionalized copper curcuminoid molecules. This method is extendable to spintronic devices with ferromagnetic contacts and a first step towards molecular integrated circuits.

Manipulating spin in organic spintronics : probing the interplay between the electronic and nuclear spins in organic semiconductors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bobbert, P.A.

2014-01-01

The growing interest in spin manipulation in the field of spin electronics, or "spintronics," is due to the wealth of exciting possibilities that it offers in areas of magnetic sensing, new types of information storage, low-power electronics, and quantum information processing. Nuclear spin

EDITORIAL: Mastering matter at the nanoscale Mastering matter at the nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Forchel, Alfred

2009-10-01

In the early 1980s, the development of scanning probe techniques gave scientists a titillating view of surfaces with nanometre resolution, igniting activity in research at the nanoscale. Images at unprecedented resolution were unveiled with the aid of various types of nanosized tips, including the scanning tunnelling (Binnig G, Rohrer H, Gerber C and Weibel E 1982 Appl. Phys. Lett. 40 178-80) the atomic force (Binnig G, Quate C F and Gerber C 1986 Phys. Rev. Lett. 56 930-3) and the near-field scanning microscopes (Dürig U, Pohl D W and Rohner F 1986 J. Appl. Phys. 59 3318-27). From the magnitude of tunnelling currents between conductive surfaces and van der Waals forces between dielectrics to the non-propagating evanescent fields at illuminated surfaces, a range of signal responses were harnessed enabling conductive, dielectric and even biological systems to be imaged. But it may be argued that it was the ability to manipulate matter at the nanoscale that really empowered nanotechnology. From the inception of the scanning probe revolution, these probes used to image nanostructures were also discovered to be remarkable tools for the manipulation of nanoparticles. Insights into the mechanism behind such processes were reported by a team of researchers at UCLA over ten years ago in 1998 (Baur C et al 1998 Nanotechnology 9 360-4). In addition, lithography and etching methods of patterning continue to evolve into ever more sophisticated techniques for exerting design over the structure of matter at the nanoscale. These so-called top-down methods, such as photolithography, electron-beam lithography and nanoimprint lithography, now provide control over features with a resolution of a few nanometres. Bottom-up fabrication techniques that exploit the self-assembly of constituents into desired structures have also stimulated extensive research. These techniques, such as the electrochemically assembled quantum-dot arrays reported by a team of US reasearchers over ten years

Effects of structural modification on reliability of nanoscale nitride HEMTs

Science.gov (United States)

Gaddipati, Vamsi Mohan

AlGaN based nanoscale high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are the next generation of transistor technology that features the unique combination of higher power, wider bandwidth, low noise, higher efficiency, and temperature/radiation hardness than conventional AlGaAs and Si based technologies. However, as evidenced by recent stress tests, reliability of these devices (characterized by a gradual decrease in the output current/power leading to failure of the device in just tens of hours of operation) remains a major concern. Although, in these tests, physical damages were clearly visible in the device, the root cause and nature of these damages have not yet been fully assessed experimentally. Therefore, a comprehensive theoretical study of the physical mechanisms responsible for degradation of AlGaN HEMTs is essential before these devices are deployed in targeted applications. The main objective of the proposed research is to computationally investigate how degradation of state-of-the-art nanoscale AlGaN HEMTs is governed by an intricate and dynamical coupling of thermo-electromechanical processes at different length (atoms-to-transistor) and time (femtosecondto- hours) scales while operating in high voltage, large mechanical, and high temperature/radiation stresses. This work centers around a novel hypotheses as follows: High voltage applied to AlGaN HEMT causes excessive internal heat dissipation, which triggers gate metal diffusion into the semiconducting barrier layer and structural modifications (defect ii formation) leading to diminished polarization induced charge density and output current. Since the dynamical system to be studied is complex, chaotic (where the evolution rule is guided by atomicity of the underlying material), and involve coupled physical processes, an in-house multiscale simulator (QuADS 3-D) has been employed and augmented, where material parameters are obtained atomistically using firstprinciples, structural relaxation and defect

Patterning high explosives at the nanoscale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nafday, Omkar A.; Pitchimani, Rajasekar; Weeks, Brandon L. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 (United States); Haaheim, Jason [NanoInk Inc., 8025 Lamon Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 (United States)

2006-10-15

For the first time, we have shown that spin coating and Dip pen nanolithography (DPN trademark) are simple methods of preparing energetic materials such as PETN and HMX on the nanoscale, requiring no heating of the energetic material. Nanoscale patterning has been demonstrated by the DPN method while continuous thin films were produced using the spin coating method. Results are presented for preparing continuous PETN thin films of nanometer thickness by the spin coating method and for controlling the architecture of arbitrary nanoscale patterns of PETN and HMX by the DPN method. These methods are simple for patterning energetic materials and can be extended beyond PETN and HMX, opening the door for fundamental studies at the nanoscale. (Abstract Copyright [2006], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Nanoscale electron manipulation in metals with intense THz electric fields

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, Jun; Yoshioka, Katsumasa; Minami, Yasuo; Katayama, Ikufumi

2018-03-01

Improved control over the electromagnetic properties of metals on a nanoscale is crucial for the development of next-generation nanoelectronics and plasmonic devices. Harnessing the terahertz (THz)-electric-field-induced nonlinearity for the motion of electrons is a promising method of manipulating the local electromagnetic properties of metals, while avoiding undesirable thermal effects and electronic transitions. In this review, we demonstrate the manipulation of electron delocalization in ultrathin gold (Au) films with nanostructures, by intense THz electric-field transients. On increasing the electric-field strength of the THz pulses, the transmittance in the THz-frequency region abruptly decreases around the percolation threshold. The observed THz-electric-field-induced nonlinearity is analysed, based on the Drude-Smith model. The results suggest that ultrafast electron delocalization occurs by electron tunnelling across the narrow insulating bridge between the Au nanostructures, without material breakdown. In order to quantitatively discuss the tunnelling process, we perform scanning tunnelling microscopy with carrier-envelope phase (CEP)-controlled single-cycle THz electric fields. By applying CEP-controlled THz electric fields to the 1 nm nanogap between a metal nanotip and graphite sample, many electrons could be coherently driven through the quantum tunnelling process, either from the nanotip to the sample or vice versa. The presented concept, namely, electron tunnelling mediated by CEP-controlled single-cycle THz electric fields, can facilitate the development of nanoscale electron manipulation, applicable to next-generation ultrafast nanoelectronics and plasmonic devices.

Spin transport and spin torque in antiferromagnetic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Železný, J.; Wadley, P.; Olejník, K.; Hoffmann, A.; Ohno, H.

2018-03-01

Ferromagnets are key materials for sensing and memory applications. In contrast, antiferromagnets, which represent the more common form of magnetically ordered materials, have found less practical application beyond their use for establishing reference magnetic orientations via exchange bias. This might change in the future due to the recent progress in materials research and discoveries of antiferromagnetic spintronic phenomena suitable for device applications. Experimental demonstration of the electrical switching and detection of the Néel order open a route towards memory devices based on antiferromagnets. Apart from the radiation and magnetic-field hardness, memory cells fabricated from antiferromagnets can be inherently multilevel, which could be used for neuromorphic computing. Switching speeds attainable in antiferromagnets far exceed those of ferromagnetic and semiconductor memory technologies. Here, we review the recent progress in electronic spin-transport and spin-torque phenomena in antiferromagnets that are dominantly of the relativistic quantum-mechanical origin. We discuss their utility in pure antiferromagnetic or hybrid ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic memory devices.

Radiation engineered multi-functional nanogels as nanoscale building blocks of useful biomedical devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dispenza, C.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Nanogels, or small particles formed by physically or chemically crosslinked polymer networks, represent a niche in the development of 'smart' nanoparticles for drug delivery and diagnostics. They offer unique advantages over other systems, including a large and flexible surface for multivalent bio-conjugation; an internal 3D aqueous environment for incorporation and protection of (bio)molecular drugs; the possibility to entrap active metal or mineral cores for imaging or phototherapeutic purposes; stimuli-responsiveness to achieve temporal and/or site control of the release function and biocompatibility. Moreover, conformability and flexibility make these nanoparticles able to penetrate through small pores and channels through shape modification. Major synthetic strategies for the preparation of nanogels belong to either micro-fabrication methodologies (photolithography, microfluidic, micromoulding) or to self-assembly approaches that exploit ionic, hydrophobic or covalent interactions. When dimensional control has been achieved through the recourse to 'soft templates', such as the internal aqueous phase droplets of inverse microemulsions, the use of surfactants, initiators and catalysts often require complex purification procedures. On the other hand, micro-fabrication methods, such as nanomoulding, are limited by the need of costly equipments. The availability of inexpensive and robust preparation methodologies is at the basis of the development of effective nanogel-based theragnostic devices. High energy radiation processing already demonstrated its potential for the production of nanogels in the late 90's, owing to the pioneeristic work of Rosiak and collaborators, but since no adequate efforts have been spent in developing a viable and robust technology to produce multi-functional nanogels for the benefit of several different nanotechnology application fields, such as sensing, medicine and multiple others. The design rules

Micro-and/or nano-scale patterned porous membranes, methods of making membranes, and methods of using membranes

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xianbin; Chen, Wei; Wang, Zhihong; Zhang, Xixiang; Yue, Weisheng; Lai, Zhiping

2015-01-01

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for materials that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane (e.g., micro- and/or nano-scale patterned), structures or devices that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane, methods of making pre-designed patterned, porous membranes, methods of separation, and the like.

Micro-and/or nano-scale patterned porous membranes, methods of making membranes, and methods of using membranes

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xianbin

2015-01-22

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for materials that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane (e.g., micro- and/or nano-scale patterned), structures or devices that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane, methods of making pre-designed patterned, porous membranes, methods of separation, and the like.

Interplay of Nanoscale, Hybrid P3HT/ZTO Interface on Optoelectronics and Photovoltaic Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Jian-Jhong; Li, Yu-Hsun; Feng, Bo-Rui; Tang, Shiow-Jing; Jian, Wen-Bin; Fu, Chuan-Min; Chen, Jiun-Tai; Wang, Xu; Lee, Pooi See

2017-09-27

Photovoltaic effects in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) have attracted much attention recently. Here, natively p-type doped P3HT nanofibers and n-type doped zinc tin oxide (ZTO) nanowires are used for making not only field-effect transistors (FETs) but also p-n nanoscale diodes. The hybrid P3HT/ZTO p-n heterojunction shows applications in many directions, and it also facilitates the investigation of photoelectrons and photovoltaic effects on the nanoscale. As for applications, the heterojunction device shows a simultaneously high on/off ratio of n- and p-type FETs, gatable p-n junction diodes, tristate buffer devices, gatable photodetectors, and gatable solar cells. On the other hand, P3HT nanofibers are taken as a photoactive layer and the role played by the p-n heterojunction in the photoelectric and photovoltaic effects is investigated. It is found that the hybrid P3HT/ZTO p-n heterojunction assists in increasing photocurrents and enhancing photovoltaic effects. Through the controllable gating of the heterojunction, we can discuss the background mechanisms of photocurrent generation and photovoltaic energy harvesting.

Nanoscale diffusive memristor crossbars as physical unclonable functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, R; Jiang, H; Wang, Z R; Lin, P; Zhuo, Y; Holcomb, D; Zhang, D H; Yang, J J; Xia, Q

2018-02-08

Physical unclonable functions have emerged as promising hardware security primitives for device authentication and key generation in the era of the Internet of Things. Herein, we report novel physical unclonable functions built upon the crossbars of nanoscale diffusive memristors that translate the stochastic distribution of Ag clusters in a SiO 2 matrix into a random binary bitmap that serves as a device fingerprint. The random dispersion of Ag led to an uneven number of clusters at each cross-point, which in turn resulted in a stochastic ability to switch in the Ag:SiO 2 diffusive memristors in an array. The randomness of the dispersion was a barrier to fingerprint cloning and the unique fingerprints of each device were persistent after fabrication. Using an optimized fabrication procedure, we maximized the randomness and achieved an inter-class Hamming distance of 50.68%. We also discovered that the bits were not flipping after over 10 4 s at 400 K, suggesting superior reliability of our physical unclonable functions. In addition, our diffusive memristor-based physical unclonable functions were easy to fabricate and did not require complicated post-processing for digitization and thus, provide new opportunities in hardware security applications.

Micro-/nanoscale multi-field coupling in nonlinear photonic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qing; Wang, Yubo; Tang, Mingwei; Xu, Pengfei; Xu, Yingke; Liu, Xu

2017-08-01

The coupling of mechanics/electronics/photonics may improve the performance of nanophotonic devices not only in the linear region but also in the nonlinear region. This review letter mainly presents the recent advances on multi-field coupling in nonlinear photonic devices. The nonlinear piezoelectric effect and piezo-phototronic effects in quantum wells and fibers show that large second-order nonlinear susceptibilities can be achieved, and second harmonic generation and electro-optic modulation can be enhanced and modulated. Strain engineering can tune the lattice structures and induce second order susceptibilities in central symmetry semiconductors. By combining the absorption-based photoacoustic effect and intensity-dependent photobleaching effect, subdiffraction imaging can be achieved. This review will also discuss possible future applications of these novel effects and the perspective of their research. The review can help us develop a deeper knowledge of the substance of photon-electron-phonon interaction in a micro-/nano- system. Moreover, it can benefit the design of nonlinear optical sensors and imaging devices with a faster response rate, higher efficiency, more sensitivity and higher spatial resolution which could be applied in environmental detection, bio-sensors, medical imaging and so on.

Nanoscale drug delivery for targeted chemotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Yong; Huang, Qian; Tang, Jian-Qin; Hou, Xiao-Yang; Zhang, Pei; Zhang, Long Zhen; Jiang, Guan

2016-08-28

Despite significant improvements in diagnostic methods and innovations in therapies for specific cancers, effective treatments for neoplastic diseases still represent major challenges. Nanotechnology as an emerging technology has been widely used in many fields and also provides a new opportunity for the targeted delivery of cancer drugs. Nanoscale delivery of chemotherapy drugs to the tumor site is highly desirable. Recent studies have shown that nanoscale drug delivery systems not only have the ability to destroy cancer cells but may also be carriers for chemotherapy drugs. Some studies have demonstrated that delivery of chemotherapy via nanoscale carriers has greater therapeutic benefit than either treatment modality alone. In this review, novel approaches to nanoscale delivery of chemotherapy are described and recent progress in this field is discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal analysis of continuous and patterned multilayer films in the presence of a nanoscale hot spot

Science.gov (United States)

Juang, Jia-Yang; Zheng, Jinglin

2016-10-01

Thermal responses of multilayer films play essential roles in state-of-the-art electronic systems, such as photo/micro-electronic devices, data storage systems, and silicon-on-insulator transistors. In this paper, we focus on the thermal aspects of multilayer films in the presence of a nanoscale hot spot induced by near field laser heating. The problem is set up in the scenario of heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), the next-generation technology to overcome the data storage density limit imposed by superparamagnetism. We characterized thermal responses of both continuous and patterned multilayer media films using transient thermal modeling. We observed that material configurations, in particular, the thermal barriers at the material layer interfaces crucially impact the temperature field hence play a key role in determining the hot spot geometry, transient response and power consumption. With a representative generic media model, we further explored the possibility of optimizing thermal performances by designing layers of heat sink and thermal barrier. The modeling approach demonstrates an effective way to characterize thermal behaviors of micro and nano-scale electronic devices with multilayer thin film structures. The insights into the thermal transport scheme will be critical for design and operations of such electronic devices.

NANOSCALE BIOSENSORS IN ECOSYSTEM EXPOSURE RESEARCH

Science.gov (United States)

This powerpoint presentation presented information on nanoscale biosensors in ecosystem exposure research. The outline of the presentation is as follows: nanomaterials environmental exposure research; US agencies involved in nanosensor research; nanoscale LEDs in biosensors; nano...

Novel spintronics devices for memory and logic: prospects and challenges for room temperature all spin computing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jian-Ping

An energy efficient memory and logic device for the post-CMOS era has been the goal of a variety of research fields. The limits of scaling, which we expect to reach by the year 2025, demand that future advances in computational power will not be realized from ever-shrinking device sizes, but rather by innovative designs and new materials and physics. Magnetoresistive based devices have been a promising candidate for future integrated magnetic computation because of its unique non-volatility and functionalities. The application of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for potential STT-RAM application was demonstrated and later has been intensively investigated by both academia and industry groups, but there is no clear path way how scaling will eventually work for both memory and logic applications. One of main reasons is that there is no demonstrated material stack candidate that could lead to a scaling scheme down to sub 10 nm. Another challenge for the usage of magnetoresistive based devices for logic application is its available switching speed and writing energy. Although a good progress has been made to demonstrate the fast switching of a thermally stable magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) down to 165 ps, it is still several times slower than its CMOS counterpart. In this talk, I will review the recent progress by my research group and my C-SPIN colleagues, then discuss the opportunities, challenges and some potential path ways for magnetoresitive based devices for memory and logic applications and their integration for room temperature all spin computing system.

Nanoscale film formation of ferritin and its application to biomemory device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang-Uk; Lee, Taek; Lee, Jin-Ho; Yagati, Ajay Kumar; Min, Junhong; Choi, Jeong-Woo

2009-01-01

A redox protein, ferritin is used as a functional constituent of the developed biomemory device. The concept of molecular device mainly depends on the solidification of biomolecules of interest and on the realization of properties of molecule immobilized on a selected substrate. Here, we immobilized the biomolecule, ferritin protein on gold substrate using an organic linker 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA). The immobilization of the protein on the gold substrate was confirmed by surface plasmon spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The basic two memory functions, reading and writing of the developed biomemory device, were investigated by open-circuit potential amperometry (OCPA) using the redox property of the biomolecule of interest. The surface topography investigation by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) shows that the robustness of the ferritin-based biomemory device was validated by the repeated electrochemical performance. These results show the developed biomemory device as a step towards the protein-based nanobiochip.

Micro and Nano-Scale Technologies for Cell Mechanics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Unal

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Cell mechanics is a multidisciplinary field that bridges cell biology, fundamental mechanics, and micro and nanotechnology, which synergize to help us better understand the intricacies and the complex nature of cells in their native environment. With recent advances in nanotechnology, microfabrication methods and micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS, we are now well situated to tap into the complex micro world of cells. The field that brings biology and MEMS together is known as Biological MEMS (BioMEMS. BioMEMS take advantage of systematic design and fabrication methods to create platforms that allow us to study cells like never before. These new technologies have been rapidly advancing the study of cell mechanics. This review article provides a succinct overview of cell mechanics and comprehensively surveys micro and nano-scale technologies that have been specifically developed for and are relevant to the mechanics of cells. Here we focus on micro and nano-scale technologies, and their applications in biology and medicine, including imaging, single cell analysis, cancer cell mechanics, organ-on-a-chip systems, pathogen detection, implantable devices, neuroscience and neurophysiology. We also provide a perspective on the future directions and challenges of technologies that relate to the mechanics of cells.

Projected phase-change memory devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Koelmans, Wabe W; Sebastian, Abu; Jonnalagadda, Vara Prasad; Krebs, Daniel; Dellmann, Laurent; Eleftheriou, Evangelos

2015-09-03

Nanoscale memory devices, whose resistance depends on the history of the electric signals applied, could become critical building blocks in new computing paradigms, such as brain-inspired computing and memcomputing. However, there are key challenges to overcome, such as the high programming power required, noise and resistance drift. Here, to address these, we present the concept of a projected memory device, whose distinguishing feature is that the physical mechanism of resistance storage is decoupled from the information-retrieval process. We designed and fabricated projected memory devices based on the phase-change storage mechanism and convincingly demonstrate the concept through detailed experimentation, supported by extensive modelling and finite-element simulations. The projected memory devices exhibit remarkably low drift and excellent noise performance. We also demonstrate active control and customization of the programming characteristics of the device that reliably realize a multitude of resistance states.

Analytical TEM investigations of nanoscale magnetic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meingast, A.

2015-01-01

element identification or, an absolute quantification is possible. Moreover, the parallel acquisition of EDXS and EELS signals allows combining the strength of each respective technique. A careful and precise sample preparation is crucial and knowledge and suitable methods had to be developed. Preparation induced modifications of the investigated material was minimized by identifying changes to the material during thinning to electron transparency. Reducing surface amorphization of TEM specimens and moreover identifying and quantifying surface oxidation was an important factor. Questions regarding the structural architecture of three diverse magnetic materials down to the atomic level have been addressed, and elemental distributions have been determined quantitatively. The first part of the results treats structural and analytical results of crystalline nanocubes. These cubes have dimensions below 30 nm, and represent a class of materials to exploit magnetic exchange coupling on a nanometer scale. Knowledge about the elemental distribution on a nanometer basis within a nanocube is necessary to tailor the magnetic properties. Analytical investigations deal with the determination of the oxidation state of iron oxide reference nanocrystals and the elemental distribution within a multi-component system. Transition metal doped gallium nitride (GaN) falling into the class of dilute magnetic semiconductors was investigated by various high resolution imaging techniques and spectroscopic methods for resolving morphologies and dopant concentrations. The doping of GaN is intended to provide additional magnetic functionalities to the semiconducting material used for future spintronic devices. Quantitative EELS measurements resolved that Mn was incorporated either in a homogeneous way or added to GaN in a pulsed way, leading to a layered doping. Iron was used as another potential dopant for GaN. Hereby specific growth procedures enabled the formation of a layer of iron

Recent Approaches to Controlling the Nanoscale Morphology of Polymer-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulra'uf Lukman Bola

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The need for clean, inexpensive and renewable energy has increasingly turned research attention towards polymer photovoltaic cells. However, the performance efficiency of these devices is still low in comparison with silicon-based devices. The recent introduction of new materials and processing techniques has resulted in a remarkable increase in power-conversion efficiency, with a value above 10%. Controlling the interpenetrating network morphology is a key factor in obtaining devices with improved performance. This review focuses on the influence of controlled nanoscale morphology on the overall performance of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ photovoltaic cells. Strategies such as the use of solvents, solvent annealing, polymer nanowires (NWs, and donor–acceptor (D–A blend ratios employed to control the active-layer morphologies are all discussed.

Coherence properties of blackbody radiation and application to energy harvesting and imaging with nanoscale rectennas

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Peter B.; Cutler, Paul H.; Miskovsky, Nicholas M.

2015-01-01

Modern technology allows the fabrication of antennas with a characteristic size comparable to the electromagnetic wavelength in the optical region. This has led to the development of new technologies using nanoscale rectifying antennas (rectennas) for solar energy conversion and sensing of terahertz, infrared, and visible radiation. For example, a rectenna array can collect incident radiation from an emitting source and the resulting conversion efficiency and operating characteristics of the device will depend on the spatial and temporal coherence properties of the absorbed radiation. For solar radiation, the intercepted radiation by a micro- or nanoscale array of devices has a relatively narrow spatial and angular distribution. Using the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem, we show that the coherence length (or radius) of solar radiation on an antenna array is, or can be, tens of times larger than the characteristic wavelength of the solar spectrum, i.e., the thermal wavelength, λT=2πℏc/(kBT), which for T=5000 K is about 3 μm. Such an effect is advantageous, making possible the rectification of solar radiation with nanoscale rectenna arrays, whose size is commensurate with the coherence length. Furthermore, we examine the blackbody radiation emitted from an array of antennas at temperature T, which can be quasicoherent and lead to a modified self-image, analogous to the Talbot-Lau self-imaging process but with thermal rather than monochromatic radiation. The self-emitted thermal radiation may be important as a nondestructive means for quality control of the array.

Injection and Scattering of Polarized Spins at Nanoscale Polymer Interfaces

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Epstein, Arthur J

2004-01-01

We made excellent progress several directions. We demonstrated that V[TCNE]̃2 is a room temperature fully spin polarized magnetic semiconductor of interest for spintronic applications, including spin valves...

Sub-picowatt/kelvin resistive thermometry for probing nanoscale thermal transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jianlin; Wingert, Matthew C; Dechaumphai, Edward; Chen, Renkun

2013-11-01

Advanced instrumentation in thermometry holds the key for experimentally probing fundamental heat transfer physics. However, instrumentation with simultaneously high thermometry resolution and low parasitic heat conduction is still not available today. Here we report a resistive thermometry scheme with ~50 μK temperature resolution and ~0.25 pW/K thermal conductance resolution, which is achieved through schemes using both modulated heating and common mode noise rejection. The suspended devices used herein have been specifically designed to possess short thermal time constants and minimal attenuation effects associated with the modulated heating current. Furthermore, we have systematically characterized the parasitic background heat conductance, which is shown to be significantly reduced using the new device design and can be effectively eliminated using a "canceling" scheme. Our results pave the way for probing fundamental nanoscale thermal transport processes using a general scheme based on resistive thermometry.

Monte Carlo simulations of spin transport in a strained nanoscale InGaAs field effect transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, B.; Kalna, K.; Langbein, F. C.; Schirmer, S.

2017-12-01

Spin-based logic devices could operate at a very high speed with a very low energy consumption and hold significant promise for quantum information processing and metrology. We develop a spintronic device simulator by combining an in-house developed, experimentally verified, ensemble self-consistent Monte Carlo device simulator with spin transport based on a Bloch equation model and a spin-orbit interaction Hamiltonian accounting for Dresselhaus and Rashba couplings. It is employed to simulate a spin field effect transistor operating under externally applied voltages on a gate and a drain. In particular, we simulate electron spin transport in a 25 nm gate length In0.7Ga0.3As metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor with a CMOS compatible architecture. We observe a non-uniform decay of the net magnetization between the source and the gate and a magnetization recovery effect due to spin refocusing induced by a high electric field between the gate and the drain. We demonstrate a coherent control of the polarization vector of the drain current via the source-drain and gate voltages, and show that the magnetization of the drain current can be increased twofold by the strain induced into the channel.

Nanoscale cryptography: opportunities and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Masoumi, Massoud; Shi, Weidong; Xu, Lei

2015-01-01

While most of the electronics industry is dependent on the ever-decreasing size of lithographic transistors, this scaling cannot continue indefinitely. To improve the performance of the integrated circuits, new emerging and paradigms are needed. In recent years, nanoelectronics has become one of the most important and exciting forefront in science and engineering. It shows a great promise for providing us in the near future with many breakthroughs that change the direction of technological advances in a wide range of applications. In this paper, we discuss the contribution that nanotechnology may offer to the evolution of cryptographic hardware and embedded systems and demonstrate how nanoscale devices can be used for constructing security primitives. Using a custom set of design automation tools, it is demonstrated that relative to a conventional 45-nm CMOS system, performance gains can be obtained up to two orders of magnitude reduction in area and up to 50 % improvement in speed.

Nano-Scale Devices for Frequency-Based Magnetic Biosensing

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-31

show the basic measurement setup (the field is applied perpendicular to the disk plane). A radiofrequency signal is injected across the disk (disks...shown in Fig. 7(a). A spectrum analyser (S.A.) (or a high frequency oscilloscope) is used to measure the radiofrequency STO output signal with Fig...crystals and, via electrical measurements , in magnetic-vortex-containing, isolated micro- and nano-devices. Via micromagnetic simulations, we have largely

Nonplanar Nanoscale Fin Field Effect Transistors on Textile, Paper, Wood, Stone, and Vinyl via Soft Material-Enabled Double-Transfer Printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas, Jhonathan P; Torres Sevilla, Galo A; Alfaraj, Nasir; Ghoneim, Mohamed T; Kutbee, Arwa T; Sridharan, Ashvitha; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2015-05-26

The ability to incorporate rigid but high-performance nanoscale nonplanar complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics with curvilinear, irregular, or asymmetric shapes and surfaces is an arduous but timely challenge in enabling the production of wearable electronics with an in situ information-processing ability in the digital world. Therefore, we are demonstrating a soft-material enabled double-transfer-based process to integrate flexible, silicon-based, nanoscale, nonplanar, fin-shaped field effect transistors (FinFETs) and planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) on various asymmetric surfaces to study their compatibility and enhanced applicability in various emerging fields. FinFET devices feature sub-20 nm dimensions and state-of-the-art, high-κ/metal gate stacks, showing no performance alteration after the transfer process. A further analysis of the transferred MOSFET devices, featuring 1 μm gate length, exhibits an ION value of nearly 70 μA/μm (VDS = 2 V, VGS = 2 V) and a low subthreshold swing of around 90 mV/dec, proving that a soft interfacial material can act both as a strong adhesion/interposing layer between devices and final substrate as well as a means to reduce strain, which ultimately helps maintain the device's performance with insignificant deterioration even at a high bending state.

Broadband spectroscopy of magnetic response in a nano-scale magnetic wire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, A.; Motoi, K.; Miyajima, H.; Utsumi, Y.

2014-01-01

We measure the broadband spectra of magnetic response in a single layered ferromagnetic nano-scale wire in order to investigate the size effect on the ferromagnetic resonance. We found that the resonance frequency difference between 300-nm- and 5-μm-wide wires was varied by about 5 GHz due to the shape anisotropy. Furthermore, we experimentally detected the magnetization precession induced by the thermal fluctuation via the rectification of a radio-frequency (rf) current by incorporating an additional direct current (dc) by using Wheatstone bridge circuit. Our investigation renders that the shape anisotropy is of great importance to control the resonance frequency and to provide thermal stability of the microwave devices. - Highlights: • We describe an experimental investigation of the magnetic response of a single layered ferromagnetic nano-scale wire. • We present the conventional broadband microwave spectroscopy with a vector network analyzer and rectifying spectroscopy obtained with a Wheatstone bridge technique. • The investigation enables us to characterize the size effect on the ferromagnetic response and also to detect the magnetization precession induced by the thermal fluctuations

Superconductors at the nanoscale. From basic research to applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woerdenweber, Roger [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Peter Gruenberg Inst.; Moshchalkov, Victor [KU Leuven (Belgium). Inst. for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry; Bending, Simon [Bath Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics; Tafuri, Francesco (ed.) [Seconda Univ. di Napoli, Aversa (Italy)

2017-07-01

By covering theory, design, and fabrication of nanostructured superconducting materials, this monograph is an invaluable resource for research and development. This book contains the following chapters: Tutorial on nanostructured superconductors; Imaging vortices in superconductors: from the atomic scale to macroscopic distances; Probing vortex dynamics on a single vortex level by scanning ac-susceptibility microscopy; STM studies of vortex cores in strongly confined nanoscale superconductors; Type-1.5 superconductivity; Direct visualization of vortex patterns in superconductors with competing vortex-vortex interactions; Vortex dynamics in nanofabricated chemical solution deposition high-temperature superconducting films; Artificial pinning sites and their applications; Vortices at microwave frequencies; Physics and operation of superconducting single-photon devices; Josephson and charging effect in mesoscopic superconducting devices; NanoSQUIDs: Basics and recent advances; Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} intrinsic Josephson junction stacks as emitters of terahertz radiation; Interference phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids; Spin-orbit interactions, spin currents, and magnetization dynamics in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids; Superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids.

The influence of the edge effect on the skyrmion generation in a magnetic nanotrack

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Ran

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Magnetic skyrmions might be used for building next-generation nanomagnetic and spintronic devices, as they have several perspective properties, such as topologically protected stability, nanoscale size, and ultra-low depinning current density. Here we study the influence of the edge effect on the current-induced generation of a magnetic skyrmion in a finite-length thin-film ferromagnetic nanotrack with interface-induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. It shows that a stable skyrmion or a bunch of skyrmions can be successfully generated as long as the distance between the current injection region and the nanotrack terminal is larger than a certain threshold. We investigate the failed skyrmion generation caused by the edge effect, which will lead to an error writing event. We also present the phase diagrams of the skyrmion generation obtained for different material and geometric parameters. Our results could be useful for designing skyrmion-based information storage devices.

Strain-controlled magnetic domain wall propagation in hybrid piezoelectric/ferromagnetic structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Na; Devolder, Thibaut; Agnus, Guillaume; Aubert, Pascal; Daniel, Laurent; Kim, Joo-Von; Zhao, Weisheng; Trypiniotis, Theodossis; Cowburn, Russell P; Chappert, Claude; Ravelosona, Dafiné; Lecoeur, Philippe

2013-01-01

The control of magnetic order in nanoscale devices underpins many proposals for integrating spintronics concepts into conventional electronics. A key challenge lies in finding an energy-efficient means of control, as power dissipation remains an important factor limiting future miniaturization of integrated circuits. One promising approach involves magnetoelectric coupling in magnetostrictive/piezoelectric systems, where induced strains can bear directly on the magnetic anisotropy. While such processes have been demonstrated in several multiferroic heterostructures, the incorporation of such complex materials into practical geometries has been lacking. Here we demonstrate the possibility of generating sizeable anisotropy changes, through induced strains driven by applied electric fields, in hybrid piezoelectric/spin-valve nanowires. By combining magneto-optical Kerr effect and magnetoresistance measurements, we show that domain wall propagation fields can be doubled under locally applied strains. These results highlight the prospect of constructing low-power domain wall gates for magnetic logic devices.

Nanoscale surface modifications to control capillary flow characteristics in PMMA microfluidic devices

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Mukhopadhyay Subhadeep

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA microfluidic devices have been fabricated using a hot embossing technique to incorporate micro-pillar features on the bottom wall of the device which when combined with either a plasma treatment or the coating of a diamond-like carbon (DLC film presents a range of surface modification profiles. Experimental results presented in detail the surface modifications in the form of distinct changes in the static water contact angle across a range from 44.3 to 81.2 when compared to pristine PMMA surfaces. Additionally, capillary flow of water (dyed to aid visualization through the microfluidic devices was recorded and analyzed to provide comparison data between filling time of a microfluidic chamber and surface modification characteristics, including the effects of surface energy and surface roughness on the microfluidic flow. We have experimentally demonstrated that fluid flow and thus filling time for the microfluidic device was significantly faster for the device with surface modifications that resulted in a lower static contact angle, and also that the incorporation of micro-pillars into a fluidic device increases the filling time when compared to comparative devices.

Exploring the effect of nanoholes on arsenene: a density functional theory study

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Mushtaq, M.; Zhou, Y. G.; Xiang, X.

2018-05-01

Effectively modulating the electronic and magnetic properties of a two-dimensional system is critical for the application of it in nanoscale devices. In this work, we explore the effect of nanohole on arsenene on the basis of density functional theory calculations. Our calculations show that, except slight distortion at the corner of nanoholes, geometries of both un-hydrogenated nanohole-embedded arsenene (As-NH) structure and hydrogenated nanohole-embedded arsenene (H-As-NH) structure are well maintained after optimization. Interestingly, the As-NH structure can be magnetized so that it can represent ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic or antiferromagnetic behavior depending on the shape of the nanoholes. Furthermore, As-NH structure with triangle nanoholes is expected to exhibit remarkable magnetism. Besides, owning to the induction of flat defect levels by the nanoholes, As-NH structure can represent a relatively small band gap. In contrast, the H-As-NH structure is shown to lack the magnetism due to the saturation of unpaired As atoms. In this case, the H-As-NH structure exhibits a relatively large band gap due to the quantum confinement effect. These results indicate an opportunity for the design of arsenene-based nanoscale devices with potential applications in spintronic and optical fields.

NASA GSFC Strategic Nanotechnology Interests: Symposium on High-Rate Nanoscale Printing for Devices and Structures

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Ericsson, Aprille J.

2014-01-01

The seminars invitees include representatives from industry, nonprofit research facility and universities. The presentation provides an overview of the NASAGSFC locations, technical capabilities and applied nanotechnology interests. Initially presented are advances by the broader technological communities on current miniaturized multiscale advanced manufacturing and 3D printing products on the micro and macro scale. Briefly assessed is the potential of moving toward the nanoscale for possible space flight applications and challenges. Lastly, highlighted are GSFCs current successes in nano-technology developments and targeted future applications.

The Role of Membrane Curvature in Nanoscale Topography-Induced Intracellular Signaling.

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Lou, Hsin-Ya; Zhao, Wenting; Zeng, Yongpeng; Cui, Bianxiao

2018-05-15

Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in developing biosensors and devices with nanoscale and vertical topography. Vertical nanostructures induce spontaneous cell engulfment, which enhances the cell-probe coupling efficiency and the sensitivity of biosensors. Although local membranes in contact with the nanostructures are found to be fully fluidic for lipid and membrane protein diffusions, cells appear to actively sense and respond to the surface topography presented by vertical nanostructures. For future development of biodevices, it is important to understand how cells interact with these nanostructures and how their presence modulates cellular function and activities. How cells recognize nanoscale surface topography has been an area of active research for two decades before the recent biosensor works. Extensive studies show that surface topographies in the range of tens to hundreds of nanometers can significantly affect cell functions, behaviors, and ultimately the cell fate. For example, titanium implants having rough surfaces are better for osteoblast attachment and host-implant integration than those with smooth surfaces. At the cellular level, nanoscale surface topography has been shown by a large number of studies to modulate cell attachment, activity, and differentiation. However, a mechanistic understanding of how cells interact and respond to nanoscale topographic features is still lacking. In this Account, we focus on some recent studies that support a new mechanism that local membrane curvature induced by nanoscale topography directly acts as a biochemical signal to induce intracellular signaling, which we refer to as the curvature hypothesis. The curvature hypothesis proposes that some intracellular proteins can recognize membrane curvatures of a certain range at the cell-to-material interface. These proteins then recruit and activate downstream components to modulate cell signaling and behavior. We discuss current technologies

Quantitative characterization of the influence of the nanoscale morphology of nanostructured surfaces on bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.

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Ajay Vikram Singh

Full Text Available Bacterial infection of implants and prosthetic devices is one of the most common causes of implant failure. The nanostructured surface of biocompatible materials strongly influences the adhesion and proliferation of mammalian cells on solid substrates. The observation of this phenomenon has led to an increased effort to develop new strategies to prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, primarily through nanoengineering the topology of the materials used in implantable devices. While several studies have demonstrated the influence of nanoscale surface morphology on prokaryotic cell attachment, none have provided a quantitative understanding of this phenomenon. Using supersonic cluster beam deposition, we produced nanostructured titania thin films with controlled and reproducible nanoscale morphology respectively. We characterized the surface morphology; composition and wettability by means of atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. We studied how protein adsorption is influenced by the physico-chemical surface parameters. Lastly, we characterized Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus adhesion on nanostructured titania surfaces. Our results show that the increase in surface pore aspect ratio and volume, related to the increase of surface roughness, improves protein adsorption, which in turn downplays bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. As roughness increases up to about 20 nm, bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation are enhanced; the further increase of roughness causes a significant decrease of bacterial adhesion and inhibits biofilm formation. We interpret the observed trend in bacterial adhesion as the combined effect of passivation and flattening effects induced by morphology-dependent protein adsorption. Our findings demonstrate that bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on nanostructured titanium oxide surfaces are significantly influenced by nanoscale morphological

Visualizing nanoscale phase morphology for understanding photovoltaic performance of PTB7: PC71BM solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Supasai, Thidarat; Amornkitbamrung, Vittaya; Thanachayanont, Chanchana; Tang, I.-Ming; Sutthibutpong, Thana; Rujisamphan, Nopporn

2017-11-01

Visualizing and controlling the phase separation of the donor and acceptor domains in organic bulk-hetero-junction (BHJ) solar devices made with poly([4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethyl-hexyl)carbon-yl]thieno[3,4-bthiophenediyl]) (PTB7) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) are needed to achieve high power conversion efficiency (PCE). Traditional bright-field (BF) imaging, especially of polymeric materials, produces images of poor contrast when done at the nanoscale level. Clear nanoscale morphologies of the PTB7:PC71BM blends prepared with different 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) concentrations were seen when using the energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The electron energy loss (EELS) spectra of the pure PTB7 and PC71BM samples are centered at 22.7 eV and 24.5 eV, respectively. Using the electrons whose energy losses are in the range of 16-30 eV, detail information of the phase morphology at the nanoscale was obtained. Correlations between the improvement in the photovoltaic performances and the increased electron mobility were seen. These correlations are discussed in terms of the changes (at the nanoscale level) in blending phase morphology when different DIO concentrations are added.

Optoelectronic Devices Advanced Simulation and Analysis

CERN Document Server

Piprek, Joachim

2005-01-01

Optoelectronic devices transform electrical signals into optical signals and vice versa by utilizing the sophisticated interaction of electrons and light within micro- and nano-scale semiconductor structures. Advanced software tools for design and analysis of such devices have been developed in recent years. However, the large variety of materials, devices, physical mechanisms, and modeling approaches often makes it difficult to select appropriate theoretical models or software packages. This book presents a review of devices and advanced simulation approaches written by leading researchers and software developers. It is intended for scientists and device engineers in optoelectronics, who are interested in using advanced software tools. Each chapter includes the theoretical background as well as practical simulation results that help to better understand internal device physics. The software packages used in the book are available to the public, on a commercial or noncommercial basis, so that the interested r...

Diameter-tailored telecom-band luminescence in InP/InAs heterostructure nanowires grown on InP (111)B substrate with continuously-modulated diameter from microscale to nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guoqiang; Tateno, Kouta; Sogawa, Tetsuomi; Gotoh, Hideki

2018-04-01

We report diameter-tailored luminescence in telecom band of InP/InAs multi-heterostructure nanowires with continuously-modulated diameter from microscale to nanoscale. By using the self-catalyzed vapor-solid-liquid approach, we tune the indium particle size, and consequently the InP/InAs nanowire diameter, during growth by modulating the flow rate of the indium source material. This technique allows a high degree of continuous tuning in a wide scale from microscale to nanoscale. Hence it offers an original way to bridge the gap between microscale-featured photolithographic and nanoscale-featured nanolithographic processes and to incorporate InAs quantum disks with tunable diameters into a single InP/InAs quantum heterostructure nanowire. We realized site-defined nanowires with nanoscale diameters initiated from site-defined microscale-diameter particles made with a conventional photolithographic process. The luminescence wavelength from InAs quantum disks is directly connected to the nanowire diameter, by which the strain in the InAs quantum disks is tailored. This work provides new opportunities in the fabrication and design of nanowire devices that extends beyond what is achievable with the current technologies and enables the nanowire shape to be engineered thus offering the potential to broaden the application range of nanowire devices.

Magnetism, structures and stabilities of cluster assembled TM@Si nanotubes (TM = Cr, Mn and Fe): a density functional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhaka, Kapil; Bandyopadhyay, Debashis

2016-08-02

The present study reports transition metal (TM = Cr, Mn and Fe) doped silicon nanotubes with tunable band structures and magnetic properties by careful selection of cluster assemblies as building blocks using the first-principles density functional theory. We found that the transition metal doping and in addition, the hydrogen termination process can stabilize the pure silicon nanoclusters or cluster assemblies and then it could be extended as magnetic nanotubes with finite magnetic moments. Study of the band structures and density of states (DOS) of different empty and TM doped nanotubes (Type 1 to Type 4) show that these nanotubes are useful as metals, semiconductors, semi-metals and half-metals. These designer magnetic materials could be useful in spintronics and magnetic devices of nanoscale order.

Osteogenic response of human mesenchymal stem cells to well-defined nanoscale topography in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Peppo GM

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Giuseppe Maria de Peppo,1–3 Hossein Agheli,2,3 Camilla Karlsson,2,3 Karin Ekström,2,3 Helena Brisby,3,4 Maria Lennerås,2,3 Stefan Gustafsson,3,5 Peter Sjövall,3,5,6 Anna Johansson,2,3 Eva Olsson,3,5 Jukka Lausmaa,3,6 Peter Thomsen,2,3 Sarunas Petronis3,6 1The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 3BIOMATCELL VINN Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, 4Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 5Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden; 6Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Borås, Sweden Background: Patterning medical devices at the nanoscale level enables the manipulation of cell behavior and tissue regeneration, with topographic features recognized as playing a significant role in the osseointegration of implantable devices. Methods: In this study, we assessed the ability of titanium-coated hemisphere-like topographic nanostructures of different sizes (approximately 50, 100, and 200 nm to influence the morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs. Results: We found that the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs was influenced by the size of the underlying structures, suggesting that size variations in topographic features at the nanoscale level, independently of chemistry, can be exploited to control hMSC behavior in a size-dependent fashion. Conclusion: Our studies demonstrate that colloidal lithography, in combination with coating technologies, can be exploited to investigate the cell response to well defined nanoscale topography and to develop next-generation surfaces that guide tissue regeneration and promote implant integration. Keywords: colloidal lithography, nanotopography, human mesenchymal stem cells, cell proliferation, osteogenic

Nanoscale decomposition of Nb-Ru-O

Science.gov (United States)

Music, Denis; Geyer, Richard W.; Chen, Yen-Ting

2016-11-01

A correlative theoretical and experimental methodology has been employed to explore the decomposition of amorphous Nb-Ru-O at elevated temperatures. Density functional theory based molecular dynamics simulations reveal that amorphous Nb-Ru-O is structurally modified within 10 ps at 800 K giving rise to an increase in the planar metal - oxygen and metal - metal population and hence formation of large clusters, which signifies atomic segregation. The driving force for this atomic segregation process is 0.5 eV/atom. This is validated by diffraction experiments and transmission electron microscopy of sputter-synthesized Nb-Ru-O thin films. Room temperature samples are amorphous, while at 800 K nanoscale rutile RuO2 grains, self-organized in an amorphous Nb-O matrix, are observed, which is consistent with our theoretical predictions. This amorphous/crystalline interplay may be of importance for next generation of thermoelectric devices.

Nanoscale investigation of AlGaN/GaN-on-Si high electron mobility transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontserè, A; Pérez-Tomás, A; Placidi, M; Llobet, J; Baron, N; Chenot, S; Cordier, Y; Moreno, J C; Jennings, M R; Gammon, P M; Fisher, C A; Iglesias, V; Porti, M; Bayerl, A; Lanza, M; Nafría, M

2012-10-05

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs are devices which are strongly influenced by surface properties such as donor states, roughness or any kind of inhomogeneity. The electron gas is only a few nanometers away from the surface and the transistor forward and reverse currents are considerably affected by any variation of surface property within the atomic scale. Consequently, we have used the technique known as conductive AFM (CAFM) to perform electrical characterization at the nanoscale. The AlGaN/GaN HEMT ohmic (drain and source) and Schottky (gate) contacts were investigated by the CAFM technique. The estimated area of these highly conductive pillars (each of them of approximately 20-50 nm radius) represents around 5% of the total contact area. Analogously, the reverse leakage of the gate Schottky contact at the nanoscale seems to correlate somehow with the topography of the narrow AlGaN barrier regions producing larger currents.

Nanoscopic Electrofocusing for Bio-Nanoelectronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshmanan, Shanmugamurthy

2015-01-01

The ability to arrange precisely designed patterns of nanoparticles into a desired spatial configuration is the key to creating novel nanoscale devices that take advantage of the unique properties of nanomaterials. While two-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles have been demonstrated successfully by various techniques, a controlled way of building ordered arrays of three-dimensional (3D) nanoparticle structures remains challenging. This book describes a new technique called the 'nanoscopic lens' which is able to produce a variety of 3D nano-structures in a controlled manner. This ebook describes the nanoscopic lens technique and how it can serve as the foundation for device development that is not limited to a variety of optical, magnetic and electronic devices, but can also create a wide range of bio-nanoelectronic devices.

Direct nanoscale imaging of evolving electric field domains in quantum structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhar, Rudra Sankar; Razavipour, Seyed Ghasem; Dupont, Emmanuel; Xu, Chao; Laframboise, Sylvain; Wasilewski, Zbig; Hu, Qing; Ban, Dayan

2014-11-28

The external performance of quantum optoelectronic devices is governed by the spatial profiles of electrons and potentials within the active regions of these devices. For example, in quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), the electric field domain (EFD) hypothesis posits that the potential distribution might be simultaneously spatially nonuniform and temporally unstable. Unfortunately, there exists no prior means of probing the inner potential profile directly. Here we report the nanoscale measured electric potential distribution inside operating QCLs by using scanning voltage microscopy at a cryogenic temperature. We prove that, per the EFD hypothesis, the multi-quantum-well active region is indeed divided into multiple sections having distinctly different electric fields. The electric field across these serially-stacked quantum cascade modules does not continuously increase in proportion to gradual increases in the applied device bias, but rather hops between discrete values that are related to tunneling resonances. We also report the evolution of EFDs, finding that an incremental change in device bias leads to a hopping-style shift in the EFD boundary--the higher electric field domain expands at least one module each step at the expense of the lower field domain within the active region.

High and tunable spin current induced by magnetic-electric fields in a single-mode spintronic device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bala Kumar, S; Jalil, M B A; Tan, S G; Liang, G-C

2009-01-01

We proposed that a viable form of spin current transistor is one to be made from a single-mode device which passes electrons through a series of magnetic-electric barriers built into the device. The barriers assume a wavy spatial profile across the conduction path due to the inevitable broadening of the magnetic fields. Field broadening results in a linearly increasing vector potential across the conduction channel, which increases spin polarization. We have identified that the important factors for generating high spin polarization and conductance modulation are the low source-drain bias, the broadened magnetic fields, and the high number of FM gates within a fixed channel length.

An atomistic methodology of energy release rate for graphene at nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhen; Lee, James D.; Wang, Xianqiao

2014-01-01

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms packed into a honeycomb architecture, serving as a fundamental building block for electric devices. Understanding the fracture mechanism of graphene under various conditions is crucial for tailoring the electrical and mechanical properties of graphene-based devices at atomic scale. Although most of the fracture mechanics concepts, such as stress intensity factors, are not applicable in molecular dynamics simulation, energy release rate still remains to be a feasible and crucial physical quantity to characterize the fracture mechanical property of materials at nanoscale. This work introduces an atomistic simulation methodology, based on the energy release rate, as a tool to unveil the fracture mechanism of graphene at nanoscale. This methodology can be easily extended to any atomistic material system. We have investigated both opening mode and mixed mode at different temperatures. Simulation results show that the critical energy release rate of graphene is independent of initial crack length at low temperature. Graphene with inclined pre-crack possesses higher fracture strength and fracture deformation but smaller critical energy release rate compared with the graphene with vertical pre-crack. Owing to its anisotropy, graphene with armchair chirality always has greater critical energy release rate than graphene with zigzag chirality. The increase of temperature leads to the reduction of fracture strength, fracture deformation, and the critical energy release rate of graphene. Also, higher temperature brings higher randomness of energy release rate of graphene under a variety of predefined crack lengths. The energy release rate is independent of the strain rate as long as the strain rate is small enough

2D MoS2 Neuromorphic Devices for Brain-Like Computational Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jie; Guo, Junjie; Wan, Xiang; Yang, Yi; Xie, Haipeng; Niu, Dongmei; Yang, Junliang; He, Jun; Gao, Yongli; Wan, Qing

2017-08-01

Hardware implementation of artificial synapses/neurons with 2D solid-state devices is of great significance for nanoscale brain-like computational systems. Here, 2D MoS 2 synaptic/neuronal transistors are fabricated by using poly(vinyl alcohol) as the laterally coupled, proton-conducting electrolytes. Fundamental synaptic functions, such as an excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, and a dynamic filter for information transmission of biological synapse, are successfully emulated. Most importantly, with multiple input gates and one modulatory gate, spiking-dependent logic operation/modulation, multiplicative neural coding, and neuronal gain modulation are also experimentally demonstrated. The results indicate that the intriguing 2D MoS 2 transistors are also very promising for the next-generation of nanoscale neuromorphic device applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanoscale Electric Characteristics and Oriented Assembly of Halobacterium salinarum Membrane Revealed by Electric Force Microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denghua Li

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Purple membranes (PM of the bacteria Halobacterium salinarum are a unique natural membrane where bacteriorhodopsin (BR can convert photon energy and pump protons. Elucidating the electronic properties of biomembranes is critical for revealing biological mechanisms and developing new devices. We report here the electric properties of PMs studied by using multi-functional electric force microscopy (EFM at the nanoscale. The topography, surface potential, and dielectric capacity of PMs were imaged and quantitatively measured in parallel. Two orientations of PMs were identified by EFM because of its high resolution in differentiating electrical characteristics. The extracellular (EC sides were more negative than the cytoplasmic (CP side by 8 mV. The direction of potential difference may facilitate movement of protons across the membrane and thus play important roles in proton pumping. Unlike the side-dependent surface potentials observed in PM, the EFM capacitive response was independent of the side and was measured to be at a dC/dz value of ~5.25 nF/m. Furthermore, by modification of PM with de novo peptides based on peptide-protein interaction, directional oriented PM assembly on silicon substrate was obtained for technical devices. This work develops a new method for studying membrane nanoelectronics and exploring the bioelectric application at the nanoscale.

Efficient spin-filtering, magnetoresistance and negative differential resistance effects of a one-dimensional single-molecule magnet Mn(dmit2-based device with graphene nanoribbon electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Liu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available We present first-principle spin-dependent quantum transport calculations in a molecular device constructed by one single-molecule magnet Mn(dmit2 and two graphene nanoribbon electrodes. Our results show that the device could generate perfect spin-filtering performance in a certain bias range both in the parallel configuration (PC and the antiparallel configuration (APC. At the same time, a magnetoresistance effect, up to a high value of 103%, can be realized. Moreover, visible negative differential resistance phenomenon is obtained for the spin-up current of the PC. These results suggest that our one-dimensional molecular device is a promising candidate for multi-functional spintronics devices.

Nanoscale effects in interdiffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erdelyi, Z.; Langer, G.A.; Beke, D.L.; Csik, A.

2007-01-01

composition profile develops highly asymmetrically but also the stress profile. Moreover, we have also seen that the stress effects usually slow down the intermixing process, and the slowing down is more pronounced in case of asymmetric diffusion. Computer simulations also have shown that on the nanoscale, for strongly composition dependent diffusion coefficients, diffuse interfaces can sharpen rather broaden in completely miscible binary systems during annealing independently of the different kind of stress effects considered. The stress effects influence only the timescale of the process. This phenomenon could provide a useful tool for the improvement of interfaces and offer a way to fabricate of e.g. better Xray or neutron mirrors, microelectronic devices or multilayers with giant magnetic resistance. These phenomena predicted by computer simulations have been proved experimentally as well

Nanoscale electron transport at the surface of a topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Sebastian; Bobisch, Christian A.

2016-04-01

The use of three-dimensional topological insulators for disruptive technologies critically depends on the dissipationless transport of electrons at the surface, because of the suppression of backscattering at defects. However, in real devices, defects are unavoidable and scattering at angles other than 180° is allowed for such materials. Until now, this has been studied indirectly by bulk measurements and by the analysis of the local density of states in close vicinity to defect sites. Here, we directly measure the nanoscale voltage drop caused by the scattering at step edges, which occurs if a lateral current flows along a three-dimensional topological insulator. The experiments were performed using scanning tunnelling potentiometry for thin Bi2Se3 films. So far, the observed voltage drops are small because of large contributions of the bulk to the electronic transport. However, for the use of ideal topological insulating thin films in devices, these contributions would play a significant role.

Creating nanoscale emulsions using condensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Guha, Ingrid F; Anand, Sushant; Varanasi, Kripa K

2017-11-08

Nanoscale emulsions are essential components in numerous products, ranging from processed foods to novel drug delivery systems. Existing emulsification methods rely either on the breakup of larger droplets or solvent exchange/inversion. Here we report a simple, scalable method of creating nanoscale water-in-oil emulsions by condensing water vapor onto a subcooled oil-surfactant solution. Our technique enables a bottom-up approach to forming small-scale emulsions. Nanoscale water droplets nucleate at the oil/air interface and spontaneously disperse within the oil, due to the spreading dynamics of oil on water. Oil-soluble surfactants stabilize the resulting emulsions. We find that the oil-surfactant concentration controls the spreading behavior of oil on water, as well as the peak size, polydispersity, and stability of the resulting emulsions. Using condensation, we form emulsions with peak radii around 100 nm and polydispersities around 10%. This emulsion formation technique may open different routes to creating emulsions, colloidal systems, and emulsion-based materials.

GaN Nanowire Devices: Fabrication and Characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Reum

The development of microelectronics in the last 25 years has been characterized by an exponential increase of the bit density in integrated circuits (ICs) with time. Scaling solid-state devices improves cost, performance, and power; as such, it is of particular interest for companies, who gain a market advantage with the latest technology. As a result, the microelectronics industry has driven transistor feature size scaling from 10 μm to ~30 nm during the past 40 years. This trend has persisted for 40 years due to optimization, new processing techniques, device structures, and materials. But when noting processor speeds from the 1970's to 2009 and then again in 2010, the implication would be that the trend has ceased. To address the challenge of shrinking the integrated circuit (IC), current research is centered on identifying new materials and devices that can supplement and/or potentially supplant it. Bottom-up methods tailor nanoscale building blocks---atoms, molecules, quantum dots, and nanowires (NWs)---to be used to overcome these limitations. The Group IIIA nitrides (InN, AlN, and GaN) possess appealing properties such as a direct band gap spanning the whole solar spectrum, high saturation velocity, and high breakdown electric field. As a result nanostructures and nanodevices made from GaN and related nitrides are suitable candidates for efficient nanoscale UV/ visible light emitters, detectors, and gas sensors. To produce devices with such small structures new fabrication methods must be implemented. Devices composed of GaN nanowires were fabricated using photolithography and electron beam lithography. The IV characteristics of these devices were noted under different illuminations and the current tripled from 4.8*10-7 A to 1.59*10 -6 A under UV light which persisted for at least 5hrs.

The significant role of plasmonic effects in femtosecond laser-induced grating fabrication on the nanoscale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Min; Zhao, Fuli [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Cheng, Ya; Xu, Zhizhan [State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 800-211, Shanghai, 201800 (China)

2013-02-15

Nowadays, plasmonics aiming at manipulating light beyond the diffraction limit has aroused great interest on account of the promise of nanoscale optical devices. Generally, the ability to break diffraction barrier is achieved via controlling surface plasmons (SPs) on artificial structures as products of human ingenuity. Here, nevertheless, it is demonstrated that in short-pulse laser ablation ultrafast active plasmonic structures spontaneously generate by virtue of plasmonic effects rather than human will. First, with the experimental results on ZnO, Si, and GaAs, explicit evidence is provided for the grating-splitting phenomenon that acts as a direct route for the formation of laser-induced deep-subwavelength gratings. The splitting mechanism can break through the diffraction limit and push laser-induced structures towards the nanoscale. Then, through comprehensive numerical studies based on the viewpoint of plasmonics, it can be confirmed that the grating-splitting phenomenon originates in the conversion of SP modes from the resonant to the nonresonant mode and further to the inphase or antiphase asymmetric mode. In short, plasmonic effects play an important role in ultrafast laser-induced grating splitting towards the nanoscale, which will provide new insights into the mechanisms of ultrafast laser-induced nanostructures. (copyright 2012 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The significant role of plasmonic effects in femtosecond laser-induced grating fabrication on the nanoscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Min; Zhao, Fuli; Cheng, Ya; Xu, Zhizhan

2013-01-01

Nowadays, plasmonics aiming at manipulating light beyond the diffraction limit has aroused great interest on account of the promise of nanoscale optical devices. Generally, the ability to break diffraction barrier is achieved via controlling surface plasmons (SPs) on artificial structures as products of human ingenuity. Here, nevertheless, it is demonstrated that in short-pulse laser ablation ultrafast active plasmonic structures spontaneously generate by virtue of plasmonic effects rather than human will. First, with the experimental results on ZnO, Si, and GaAs, explicit evidence is provided for the grating-splitting phenomenon that acts as a direct route for the formation of laser-induced deep-subwavelength gratings. The splitting mechanism can break through the diffraction limit and push laser-induced structures towards the nanoscale. Then, through comprehensive numerical studies based on the viewpoint of plasmonics, it can be confirmed that the grating-splitting phenomenon originates in the conversion of SP modes from the resonant to the nonresonant mode and further to the inphase or antiphase asymmetric mode. In short, plasmonic effects play an important role in ultrafast laser-induced grating splitting towards the nanoscale, which will provide new insights into the mechanisms of ultrafast laser-induced nanostructures. (copyright 2012 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effect of lithographically-induced strain relaxation on the magnetic domain configuration in microfabricated epitaxially grown Fe81Ga19

Science.gov (United States)

Beardsley, R. P.; Parkes, D. E.; Zemen, J.; Bowe, S.; Edmonds, K. W.; Reardon, C.; Maccherozzi, F.; Isakov, I.; Warburton, P. A.; Campion, R. P.; Gallagher, B. L.; Cavill, S. A.; Rushforth, A. W.

2017-02-01

We investigate the role of lithographically-induced strain relaxation in a micron-scaled device fabricated from epitaxial thin films of the magnetostrictive alloy Fe81Ga19. The strain relaxation due to lithographic patterning induces a magnetic anisotropy that competes with the magnetocrystalline and shape induced anisotropies to play a crucial role in stabilising a flux-closing domain pattern. We use magnetic imaging, micromagnetic calculations and linear elastic modelling to investigate a region close to the edges of an etched structure. This highly-strained edge region has a significant influence on the magnetic domain configuration due to an induced magnetic anisotropy resulting from the inverse magnetostriction effect. We investigate the competition between the strain-induced and shape-induced anisotropy energies, and the resultant stable domain configurations, as the width of the bar is reduced to the nanoscale range. Understanding this behaviour will be important when designing hybrid magneto-electric spintronic devices based on highly magnetostrictive materials.

Flexible nanoscale high-performance FinFETs

KAUST Repository

Sevilla, Galo T.

2014-10-28

With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), flexible high-performance nanoscale electronics are more desired. At the moment, FinFET is the most advanced transistor architecture used in the state-of-the-art microprocessors. Therefore, we show a soft-etch based substrate thinning process to transform silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based nanoscale FinFET into flexible FinFET and then conduct comprehensive electrical characterization under various bending conditions to understand its electrical performance. Our study shows that back-etch based substrate thinning process is gentler than traditional abrasive back-grinding process; it can attain ultraflexibility and the electrical characteristics of the flexible nanoscale FinFET show no performance degradation compared to its rigid bulk counterpart indicating its readiness to be used for flexible high-performance electronics.

Omnidirectional refractive devices for flexural waves based on graded phononic crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torrent, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.torrent@iemn.univ-lille1.fr; Pennec, Yan; Djafari-Rouhani, Bahram [Institut d' Electronique, de Microléctronique et de Nanotechnologie, UMR CNRS 8520, Université de Lille 1, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France)

2014-12-14

Different omnidirectional refractive devices for flexural waves in thin plates are proposed and numerically analyzed. Their realization is explained by means phononic crystal plates, where a previously developed homogenization theory is employed for the design of graded index refractive devices. These devices consist of a circular cluster of inclusions with a properly designed gradient in their radius. With this approach, the Luneburg and Maxwell lenses and a family of beam splitters for flexural waves are proposed and analyzed. Results show that these devices work properly in a broadband frequency region, being therefore an efficient approach for the design of refractive devices specially interesting for nano-scale applications.

Polymeric Micro- and Nanofabricatced Devices for Oral Drug Delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Cade Brylee

While oral drug administration is by far the most preferred route, it is accompanied by many barriers that limit drug uptake such as the low pH of the stomach, metabolic and proteolytic enzymes, and limited permeability of the intestinal epithelium. As a result, many drugs ranging from small molecules to biological therapeutics have limited oral bioavailability, precluding them from oral administration. To address this issue, microfabrication has been applied to create planar, asymmetric devices capable of binding to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and releasing drug at high concentrations, thereby increasing oral drug uptake. While the efficacy of these devices has been validated in vitro and in vivo, modifying their surfaces with nanoscale features has potential to refine their properties for enhanced drug delivery. This dissertation first presents an approach to fabricate polymeric microdevices coated with nanowires in a rapid, high throughput manner. The nanowires demonstrate rapid drug localization onto the surface of these devices via capillary action and increased adhesion to epithelial tissue, suggesting that this fabrication technique can be used to create devices with enhanced properties for oral drug delivery. Also presented are microdevices sealed with nanostraw membranes. The nanostraw membranes provide sustained drug release by limiting drug efflux from the devices, prevent drug degradation by limiting influx of outside biomolecules, and enhance device bioadhesion by penetrating into the mucus layer of the intestinal lining. Finally, an approach that dramatically increases the capacity and efficiency of drug loading into microdevices over previous methods is presented. A picoliter-volume printer is used to print drug directly into device reservoirs in an automated fashion. The technologies presented here expand the capabilities of microdevices for oral drug delivery by incorporating nanoscale structures that enhance device bioadhesion

Efficient Spin Injection into Semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nahid, M.A.I.

2010-06-01

Spintronic research has made tremendous progress nowadays for making future devices obtain extra advantages of low power, and faster and higher scalability compared to present electronic devices. A spintronic device is based on the transport of an electron's spin instead of charge. Efficient spin injection is one of the very important requirements for future spintronic devices. However, the effective spin injection is an exceedingly difficult task. In this paper, the importance of spin injection, basics of spin current and the essential requirements of spin injection are illustrated. The experimental technique of electrical spin injection into semiconductor is also discussed based on the experimental experience. The electrical spin injection can easily be implemented for spin injection into any semiconductor. (author)

Quantum-corrected drift-diffusion models for transport in semiconductor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Falco, Carlo; Gatti, Emilio; Lacaita, Andrea L.; Sacco, Riccardo

2005-01-01

In this paper, we propose a unified framework for Quantum-corrected drift-diffusion (QCDD) models in nanoscale semiconductor device simulation. QCDD models are presented as a suitable generalization of the classical drift-diffusion (DD) system, each particular model being identified by the constitutive relation for the quantum-correction to the electric potential. We examine two special, and relevant, examples of QCDD models; the first one is the modified DD model named Schroedinger-Poisson-drift-diffusion, and the second one is the quantum-drift-diffusion (QDD) model. For the decoupled solution of the two models, we introduce a functional iteration technique that extends the classical Gummel algorithm widely used in the iterative solution of the DD system. We discuss the finite element discretization of the various differential subsystems, with special emphasis on their stability properties, and illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms and models on the numerical simulation of nanoscale devices in two spatial dimensions

Nanoscale tissue engineering: spatial control over cell-materials interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeldon, Ian; Farhadi, Arash; Bick, Alexander G.; Jabbari, Esmaiel; Khademhosseini, Ali

2011-01-01

Cells interact with the surrounding environment by making tens to hundreds of thousands of nanoscale interactions with extracellular signals and features. The goal of nanoscale tissue engineering is to harness the interactions through nanoscale biomaterials engineering in order to study and direct cellular behaviors. Here, we review the nanoscale tissue engineering technologies for both two- and three-dimensional studies (2- and 3D), and provide a holistic overview of the field. Techniques that can control the average spacing and clustering of cell adhesion ligands are well established and have been highly successful in describing cell adhesion and migration in 2D. Extension of these engineering tools to 3D biomaterials has created many new hydrogel and nanofiber scaffolds technologies that are being used to design in vitro experiments with more physiologically relevant conditions. Researchers are beginning to study complex cell functions in 3D, however, there is a need for biomaterials systems that provide fine control over the nanoscale presentation of bioactive ligands in 3D. Additionally, there is a need for 2- and 3D techniques that can control the nanoscale presentation of multiple bioactive ligands and the temporal changes in cellular microenvironment. PMID:21451238

Nanoscale tissue engineering: spatial control over cell-materials interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeldon, Ian; Farhadi, Arash; Bick, Alexander G; Khademhosseini, Ali; Jabbari, Esmaiel

2011-01-01

Cells interact with the surrounding environment by making tens to hundreds of thousands of nanoscale interactions with extracellular signals and features. The goal of nanoscale tissue engineering is to harness these interactions through nanoscale biomaterials engineering in order to study and direct cellular behavior. Here, we review two- and three-dimensional (2- and 3D) nanoscale tissue engineering technologies, and provide a holistic overview of the field. Techniques that can control the average spacing and clustering of cell adhesion ligands are well established and have been highly successful in describing cell adhesion and migration in 2D. Extension of these engineering tools to 3D biomaterials has created many new hydrogel and nanofiber scaffold technologies that are being used to design in vitro experiments with more physiologically relevant conditions. Researchers are beginning to study complex cell functions in 3D. However, there is a need for biomaterials systems that provide fine control over the nanoscale presentation of bioactive ligands in 3D. Additionally, there is a need for 2- and 3D techniques that can control the nanoscale presentation of multiple bioactive ligands and that can control the temporal changes in the cellular microenvironment. (topical review)

Nanoscale on-chip all-optical logic parity checker in integrated plasmonic circuits in optical communication range

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feifan; Gong, Zibo; Hu, Xiaoyong; Yang, Xiaoyu; Yang, Hong; Gong, Qihuang

2016-01-01

The nanoscale chip-integrated all-optical logic parity checker is an essential core component for optical computing systems and ultrahigh-speed ultrawide-band information processing chips. Unfortunately, little experimental progress has been made in development of these devices to date because of material bottleneck limitations and a lack of effective realization mechanisms. Here, we report a simple and efficient strategy for direct realization of nanoscale chip-integrated all-optical logic parity checkers in integrated plasmonic circuits in the optical communication range. The proposed parity checker consists of two-level cascaded exclusive-OR (XOR) logic gates that are realized based on the linear interference of surface plasmon polaritons propagating in the plasmonic waveguides. The parity of the number of logic 1s in the incident four-bit logic signals is determined, and the output signal is given the logic state 0 for even parity (and 1 for odd parity). Compared with previous reports, the overall device feature size is reduced by more than two orders of magnitude, while ultralow energy consumption is maintained. This work raises the possibility of realization of large-scale integrated information processing chips based on integrated plasmonic circuits, and also provides a way to overcome the intrinsic limitations of serious surface plasmon polariton losses for on-chip integration applications. PMID:27073154

Nanoscale on-chip all-optical logic parity checker in integrated plasmonic circuits in optical communication range.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feifan; Gong, Zibo; Hu, Xiaoyong; Yang, Xiaoyu; Yang, Hong; Gong, Qihuang

2016-04-13

The nanoscale chip-integrated all-optical logic parity checker is an essential core component for optical computing systems and ultrahigh-speed ultrawide-band information processing chips. Unfortunately, little experimental progress has been made in development of these devices to date because of material bottleneck limitations and a lack of effective realization mechanisms. Here, we report a simple and efficient strategy for direct realization of nanoscale chip-integrated all-optical logic parity checkers in integrated plasmonic circuits in the optical communication range. The proposed parity checker consists of two-level cascaded exclusive-OR (XOR) logic gates that are realized based on the linear interference of surface plasmon polaritons propagating in the plasmonic waveguides. The parity of the number of logic 1s in the incident four-bit logic signals is determined, and the output signal is given the logic state 0 for even parity (and 1 for odd parity). Compared with previous reports, the overall device feature size is reduced by more than two orders of magnitude, while ultralow energy consumption is maintained. This work raises the possibility of realization of large-scale integrated information processing chips based on integrated plasmonic circuits, and also provides a way to overcome the intrinsic limitations of serious surface plasmon polariton losses for on-chip integration applications.

Nanoscale-Barrier Formation Induced by Low-Dose Electron-Beam Exposure in Ultrathin MoS2 Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsunaga, Masahiro; Higuchi, Ayaka; He, Guanchen; Yamada, Tetsushi; Krüger, Peter; Ochiai, Yuichi; Gong, Yongji; Vajtai, Robert; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Bird, Jonathan P; Aoki, Nobuyuki

2016-10-05

Utilizing an innovative combination of scanning-probe and spectroscopic techniques, supported by first-principles calculations, we demonstrate how electron-beam exposure of field-effect transistors, implemented from ultrathin molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), may cause nanoscale structural modifications that in turn significantly modify the electrical operation of these devices. Quite surprisingly, these modifications are induced by even the relatively low electron doses used in conventional electron-beam lithography, which are found to induce compressive strain in the atomically thin MoS 2 . Likely arising from sulfur-vacancy formation in the exposed regions, the strain gives rise to a local widening of the MoS 2 bandgap, an idea that is supported both by our experiment and by the results of first-principles calculations. A nanoscale potential barrier develops at the boundary between exposed and unexposed regions and may cause extrinsic variations in the resulting electrical characteristics exhibited by the transistor. The widespread use of electron-beam lithography in nanofabrication implies that the presence of such strain must be carefully considered when seeking to harness the potential of atomically thin transistors. At the same time, this work also promises the possibility of exploiting the strain as a means to achieve "bandstructure engineering" in such devices.

Interactions with nanoscale topography: adhesion quantification and signal transduction in cells of osteogenic and multipotent lineage.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, Manus J P; Richards, R Geoff; Gadegaard, Nikolaj; McMurray, Rebecca J; Affrossman, Stanley; Wilkinson, Chris D W; Oreffo, Richard O C; Dalby, Mathew J

2009-10-01

Polymeric medical devices widely used in orthopedic surgery play key roles in fracture fixation and orthopedic implant design. Topographical modification and surface micro-roughness of these devices regulate cellular adhesion, a process fundamental in the initiation of osteoinduction and osteogenesis. Advances in fabrication techniques have evolved the field of surface modification; in particular, nanotechnology has allowed the development of nanoscale substrates for the investigation into cell-nanofeature interactions. In this study human osteoblasts (HOBs) were cultured on ordered nanoscale pits and random nano "craters" and "islands". Adhesion subtypes were quantified by immunofluorescent microscopy and cell-substrate interactions investigated via immuno-scanning electron microscopy. To investigate the effects of these substrates on cellular function 1.7 k microarray analysis was used to establish gene profiles of enriched STRO-1+ progenitor cell populations cultured on these nanotopographies. Nanotopographies affected the formation of adhesions on experimental substrates. Adhesion formation was prominent on planar control substrates and reduced on nanocrater and nanoisland topographies; nanopits, however, were shown to inhibit directly the formation of large adhesions. STRO-1+ progenitor cells cultured on experimental substrates revealed significant changes in genetic expression. This study implicates nanotopographical modification as a significant modulator of osteoblast adhesion and cellular function in mesenchymal populations.

Synthesis and nanoscale thermal encoding of phase-change nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Xuhui; Yu Bin; Meyyappan, M.

2007-01-01

Low-dimensional phase-change nanostructures provide a valuable research platform for understanding the phase-transition behavior and thermal properties at nanoscale and their potential in achieving superdense data storage. Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 nanowires have been grown using a vapor-liquid-solid technique and shown to exhibit distinctive properties that may overcome the present data storage scaling barrier. Local heating of an individual nanowire with a focused electron beam was used to shape a nano-bar-code on a Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 nanowire. The data encoding on Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 nanowire may promote novel device concepts to implement ultrahigh density, low energy, high speed data storage using phase-change nanomaterials with diverse thermal-programing strategies

Nanoscale architectural tuning of parylene patch devices to control therapeutic release rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierstorff, Erik; Lam, Robert; Ho, Dean

2008-01-01

The advent of therapeutic functionalized implant coatings has significantly impacted the medical device field by enabling prolonged device functionality for enhanced patient treatment. Incorporation of drug release from a stable, biocompatible surface is instrumental in decreasing systemic application of toxic therapeutics and increasing the lifespan of implants by the incorporation of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. In this study, we have developed a parylene C-based device for controlled release of Doxorubicin, an anti-cancer chemotherapy and definitive read-out for preserved drug functionality, and further characterized the parylene deposition condition-dependent tunability of drug release. Drug release is controlled by the deposition of a layer of 20-200 nm thick parylene over the drug layer. This places a porous layer above the Doxorubicin, limiting drug elution based on drug accessibility to solvent and the solvent used. An increase in the thickness of the porous top layer prolongs the elution of active drug from the device from, in the conditions tested, the order of 10 min to the order of 2 d in water and from the order of 10 min to no elution in PBS. Thus, the controlled release of an anti-cancer therapeutic has been achieved via scalably fabricated, parylene C-encapsulated drug delivery devices.

Traceable nanoscale measurement at NML-SIRIM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahlan, Ahmad M.; Abdul Hapip, A. I.

2012-01-01

The role of national metrology institute (NMI) has always been very crucial in national technology development. One of the key activities of the NMI is to provide traceable measurement in all parameters under the International System of Units (SI). Dimensional measurement where size and shape are two important features investigated, is one of the important area covered by NMIs. To support the national technology development, particularly in manufacturing sectors and emerging technology such nanotechnology, the National Metrology Laboratory, SIRIM Berhad (NML-SIRIM), has embarked on a project to equip Malaysia with state-of-the-art nanoscale measurement facility with the aims of providing traceability of measurement at nanoscale. This paper will look into some of the results from current activities at NML-SIRIM related to measurement at nanoscale particularly on application of atomic force microscope (AFM) and laser based sensor in dimensional measurement. Step height standards of different sizes were measured using AFM and laser-based sensors. These probes are integrated into a long-range nanoscale measuring machine traceable to the international definition of the meter thus ensuring their traceability. Consistency of results obtained by these two methods will be discussed and presented. Factors affecting their measurements as well as their related uncertainty of measurements will also be presented.

Traceable nanoscale measurement at NML-SIRIM

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlan, Ahmad M.; Abdul Hapip, A. I.

2012-06-01

The role of national metrology institute (NMI) has always been very crucial in national technology development. One of the key activities of the NMI is to provide traceable measurement in all parameters under the International System of Units (SI). Dimensional measurement where size and shape are two important features investigated, is one of the important area covered by NMIs. To support the national technology development, particularly in manufacturing sectors and emerging technology such nanotechnology, the National Metrology Laboratory, SIRIM Berhad (NML-SIRIM), has embarked on a project to equip Malaysia with state-of-the-art nanoscale measurement facility with the aims of providing traceability of measurement at nanoscale. This paper will look into some of the results from current activities at NML-SIRIM related to measurement at nanoscale particularly on application of atomic force microscope (AFM) and laser based sensor in dimensional measurement. Step height standards of different sizes were measured using AFM and laser-based sensors. These probes are integrated into a long-range nanoscale measuring machine traceable to the international definition of the meter thus ensuring their traceability. Consistency of results obtained by these two methods will be discussed and presented. Factors affecting their measurements as well as their related uncertainty of measurements will also be presented.

Traceable nanoscale measurement at NML-SIRIM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dahlan, Ahmad M.; Abdul Hapip, A. I. [National Metrology Laboratory SIRIM Berhad (NML-SIRIM), Lot PT 4803, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, 43900 Sepang (Malaysia)

2012-06-29

The role of national metrology institute (NMI) has always been very crucial in national technology development. One of the key activities of the NMI is to provide traceable measurement in all parameters under the International System of Units (SI). Dimensional measurement where size and shape are two important features investigated, is one of the important area covered by NMIs. To support the national technology development, particularly in manufacturing sectors and emerging technology such nanotechnology, the National Metrology Laboratory, SIRIM Berhad (NML-SIRIM), has embarked on a project to equip Malaysia with state-of-the-art nanoscale measurement facility with the aims of providing traceability of measurement at nanoscale. This paper will look into some of the results from current activities at NML-SIRIM related to measurement at nanoscale particularly on application of atomic force microscope (AFM) and laser based sensor in dimensional measurement. Step height standards of different sizes were measured using AFM and laser-based sensors. These probes are integrated into a long-range nanoscale measuring machine traceable to the international definition of the meter thus ensuring their traceability. Consistency of results obtained by these two methods will be discussed and presented. Factors affecting their measurements as well as their related uncertainty of measurements will also be presented.

Noncontact rack-pinion-rack device as a differential vibration sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Miri, MirFaez; Nasiri, Mojtaba

2010-07-01

We study a nanoscale system composed of one corrugated cylinder (pinion) placed between two corrugated plates (racks). The pinion and racks have no mechanical contact, but are coupled via the lateral Casimir force-one of the most spectacular consequences of quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. The noncontact design of the device could help with the noteworthy wear problem in nanoscale mechanical systems. We consider the case where both racks undergo harmonic lateral motion. We assume that the amplitude, frequency, and phase of one of the racks are known. We show that probing the pinion motion, one can determine the vibration characteristics of the other rack.

Strain Imaging of Nanoscale Semiconductor Heterostructures with X-Ray Bragg Projection Ptychography

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Martin V.; Hruszkewycz, Stephan O.; Murray, Conal E.; Holt, Judson R.; Paskiewicz, Deborah M.; Fuoss, Paul H.

2014-04-01

We report the imaging of nanoscale distributions of lattice strain and rotation in complementary components of lithographically engineered epitaxial thin film semiconductor heterostructures using synchrotron x-ray Bragg projection ptychography (BPP). We introduce a new analysis method that enables lattice rotation and out-of-plane strain to be determined independently from a single BPP phase reconstruction, and we apply it to two laterally adjacent, multiaxially stressed materials in a prototype channel device. These results quantitatively agree with mechanical modeling and demonstrate the ability of BPP to map out-of-plane lattice dilatation, a parameter critical to the performance of electronic materials.

The Architectural Designs of a Nanoscale Computing Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary M. Eshaghian-Wilner

2004-08-01

Full Text Available A generic nanoscale computing model is presented in this paper. The model consists of a collection of fully interconnected nanoscale computing modules, where each module is a cube of cells made out of quantum dots, spins, or molecules. The cells dynamically switch between two states by quantum interactions among their neighbors in all three dimensions. This paper includes a brief introduction to the field of nanotechnology from a computing point of view and presents a set of preliminary architectural designs for fabricating the nanoscale model studied.

Synthesis and properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor ZnO doped with nickel ions by combustion reaction; Sintese e propriedades do semicondutor magnetico diluido ZnO dopado com ions de niquel por meio da reacao de combustao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morais, A.; Torquato, R.A.; Costa, A.C.F.M, E-mail: m.artur@hotmail.com.br [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais; Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais

2017-10-01

One of the greatest challenges for the development of the spintronics this creation of materials having semiconductivity and magnetism at above room temperatures, enabling the creation of devices with greater processing speeds. This work aims to synthesize by combustion reaction semiconductor ZnO doped with nickel ions at a concentration of 0.08 mol for applications such as diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS). The combustion reaction is quite simple and promising in obtaining single-phase materials at the nanoscale. The obtained powder was subjected to the characterizations of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The crystalline material exhibits ZnO crystalline structure and coercive field of 161,36 Oe, showing that the material exhibits the properties of an SMD. (author)

Monolithic integration of nanoscale tensile specimens and MEMS structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yilmaz, Mehmet; Kysar, Jeffrey W

2013-01-01

Nanoscale materials often have stochastic material properties due to a random distribution of material defects and an insufficient number of defects to ensure a consistent average mechanical response. Current methods to measure the mechanical properties employ MEMS-based actuators. The nanoscale specimens are typically mounted manually onto the load platform, so the boundary conditions have random variations, complicating the experimental measurement of the intrinsic stochasticity of the material properties. Here we show methods for monolithic integration of a nanoscale specimen co-fabricated with the loading platform. The nanoscale specimen is gold with dimensions of ∼40 nm thickness, 350 ± 50 nm width, and 7 μm length and the loading platform is an interdigitated electrode electrostatic actuator. The experiment is performed in a scanning electron microscope and digital image correlation is employed to measure displacements to determine stress and strain. The ultimate tensile strength of the nanocrystalline nanoscale specimen approaches 1 GPa, consistent with measurements made by other nanometer scale sample characterization methods on other material samples at the nanometer scale, as well as gold samples at the nanometer scale. The batch-compatible microfabrication method can be used to create nominally identical nanoscale specimens and boundary conditions for a broad range of materials. (paper)

Vertical Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistors with Nanoscale Gate-All-Around

Science.gov (United States)

Guerfi, Youssouf; Larrieu, Guilhem

2016-04-01

Nanowires are considered building blocks for the ultimate scaling of MOS transistors, capable of pushing devices until the most extreme boundaries of miniaturization thanks to their physical and geometrical properties. In particular, nanowires' suitability for forming a gate-all-around (GAA) configuration confers to the device an optimum electrostatic control of the gate over the conduction channel and then a better immunity against the short channel effects (SCE). In this letter, a large-scale process of GAA vertical silicon nanowire (VNW) MOSFETs is presented. A top-down approach is adopted for the realization of VNWs with an optimum reproducibility followed by thin layer engineering at nanoscale. Good overall electrical performances were obtained, with excellent electrostatic behavior (a subthreshold slope (SS) of 95 mV/dec and a drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) of 25 mV/V) for a 15-nm gate length. Finally, a first demonstration of dual integration of n-type and p-type VNW transistors for the realization of CMOS inverter is proposed.

Nanoscale rectenna for broadband rectification of light from infrared to visible

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Darin; Chen, James; Phillips, Michael; Rager, Dennis; Sinisi, Zachary; Wambold, Raymond; Weisel, Gary; Weiss, Brock; Willis, Brian; Miskovsky, Nicholas

2014-03-01

We describe a novel approach to the efficient collection and rectification of solar radiation in a device designed to operate from the infrared through the visible. Here, a nanoscale, rectenna array acts both as an absorber of incident radiation and as a rectifier. Rectification derives not from temperature or material asymmetry, as with metal-insulator-metal or silicon-based, Schottky diodes. Instead, it derives from the geometric asymmetry of the rectenna, which is composed of a pointed tip and a flat collector anode. In this arrangement, the difference between the potential barriers for forward and reverse bias results in a rectified dc current. To achieve anode-cathode gap distances within the tunneling regime, we employ selective atomic-layer deposition of copper applied to palladium rectenna arrays produced by electron-beam lithography. We present details of device fabrication and preliminary results of computer simulation, optical characterization, and electro-optical response. This work supported in part by the National Science Foundation: ECCS-1231248 and ECCS-1231313.

Room-temperature superparamagnetism due to giant magnetic anisotropy in Mo S defected single-layer MoS2

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M. A.; Leuenberger, Michael N.

2018-04-01

Room-temperature superparamagnetism due to a large magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of a single atom magnet has always been a prerequisite for nanoscale magnetic devices. Realization of two dimensional (2D) materials such as single-layer (SL) MoS2, has provided new platforms for exploring magnetic effects, which is important for both fundamental research and for industrial applications. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) to show that the antisite defect (Mo S ) in SL MoS2 is magnetic in nature with a magnetic moment μ of  ∼2 μB and, remarkably, exhibits an exceptionally large atomic scale MAE =\\varepsilon\\parallel-\\varepsilon\\perp of  ∼500 meV. Our calculations reveal that this giant anisotropy is the joint effect of strong crystal field and significant spin–orbit coupling (SOC). In addition, the magnetic moment μ can be tuned between 1 μB and 3 μB by varying the Fermi energy \\varepsilonF , which can be achieved either by changing the gate voltage or by chemical doping. We also show that MAE can be raised to  ∼1 eV with n-type doping of the MoS2:Mo S sample. Our systematic investigations deepen our understanding of spin-related phenomena in SL MoS2 and could provide a route to nanoscale spintronic devices.

Fullerene Derived Molecular Electronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Madhu; Srivastava, Deepak; Saini, Subbash

1998-01-01

The carbon Nanotube junctions have recently emerged as excellent candidates for use as the building blocks in the formation of nanoscale electronic devices. While the simple joint of two dissimilar tubes can be generated by the introduction of a pair of heptagon-pentagon defects in an otherwise perfect hexagonal grapheme sheet, more complex joints require other mechanisms. In this work we explore structural and electronic properties of complex 3-point junctions of carbon nanotubes using a generalized tight-binding molecular-dynamics scheme.

Nanoscale Cross-Point Resistive Switching Memory Comprising p-Type SnO Bilayers

KAUST Repository

Hota, Mrinal Kanti

2015-02-23

Reproducible low-voltage bipolar resistive switching is reported in bilayer structures of p-type SnO films. Specifically, a bilayer homojunction comprising SnOx (oxygen-rich) and SnOy (oxygen-deficient) in nanoscale cross-point (300 × 300 nm2) architecture with self-compliance effect is demonstrated. By using two layers of SnO film, a good memory performance is obtained as compared to the individual oxide films. The memory devices show resistance ratio of 103 between the high resistance and low resistance states, and this difference can be maintained for up to 180 cycles. The devices also show good retention characteristics, where no significant degradation is observed for more than 103 s. Different charge transport mechanisms are found in both resistance states, depending on the applied voltage range and its polarity. The resistive switching is shown to originate from the oxygen ion migration and subsequent formation/rupture of conducting filaments.

Fabrication of Single, Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes in 3D Nanoscale Architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul, Anupama B.; Megerian, Krikor G.; Von Allmen, Paul A.; Baron, Richard L.

2010-01-01

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and high-throughput manufacturing techniques for integrating single, aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into novel 3D nanoscale architectures have been developed. First, the PECVD growth technique ensures excellent alignment of the tubes, since the tubes align in the direction of the electric field in the plasma as they are growing. Second, the tubes generated with this technique are all metallic, so their chirality is predetermined, which is important for electronic applications. Third, a wafer-scale manufacturing process was developed that is high-throughput and low-cost, and yet enables the integration of just single, aligned tubes with nanoscale 3D architectures with unprecedented placement accuracy and does not rely on e-beam lithography. Such techniques should lend themselves to the integration of PECVD grown tubes for applications ranging from interconnects, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), sensors, bioprobes, or other 3D electronic devices. Chemically amplified polyhydroxystyrene-resin-based deep UV resists were used in conjunction with excimer laser-based (lambda = 248 nm) step-and-repeat lithography to form Ni catalyst dots = 300 nm in diameter that nucleated single, vertically aligned tubes with high yield using dc PECVD growth. This is the first time such chemically amplified resists have been used, resulting in the nucleation of single, vertically aligned tubes. In addition, novel 3D nanoscale architectures have been created using topdown techniques that integrate single, vertically aligned tubes. These were enabled by implementing techniques that use deep-UV chemically amplified resists for small-feature-size resolution; optical lithography units that allow unprecedented control over layer-to-layer registration; and ICP (inductively coupled plasma) etching techniques that result in near-vertical, high-aspect-ratio, 3D nanoscale architectures, in conjunction with the use of materials that are

Challenges for single molecule electronic devices with nanographene and organic molecules. Do single molecules offer potential as elements of electronic devices in the next generation?

Science.gov (United States)

Enoki, Toshiaki; Kiguchi, Manabu

2018-03-01

Interest in utilizing organic molecules to fabricate electronic materials has existed ever since organic (molecular) semiconductors were first discovered in the 1950s. Since then, scientists have devoted serious effort to the creation of various molecule-based electronic systems, such as molecular metals and molecular superconductors. Single-molecule electronics and the associated basic science have emerged over the past two decades and provided hope for the development of highly integrated molecule-based electronic devices in the future (after the Si-based technology era has ended). Here, nanographenes (nano-sized graphene) with atomically precise structures are among the most promising molecules that can be utilized for electronic/spintronic devices. To manipulate single small molecules for an electronic device, a single molecular junction has been developed. It is a powerful tool that allows even small molecules to be utilized. External electric, magnetic, chemical, and mechanical perturbations can change the physical and chemical properties of molecules in a way that is different from bulk materials. Therefore, the various functionalities of molecules, along with changes induced by external perturbations, allows us to create electronic devices that we cannot create using current top-down Si-based technology. Future challenges that involve the incorporation of condensed matter physics, quantum chemistry calculations, organic synthetic chemistry, and electronic device engineering are expected to open a new era in single-molecule device electronic technology.

Spin transport in epitaxial graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Tbd, -

2014-03-01

Spintronics is a paradigm focusing on spin as the information vector in fast and ultra-low-power non volatile devices such as the new STT-MRAM. Beyond its widely distributed application in data storage it aims at providing more complex architectures and a powerful beyond CMOS solution for information processing. The recent discovery of graphene has opened novel exciting opportunities in terms of functionalities and performances for spintronics devices. We will present experimental results allowing us to assess the potential of graphene for spintronics. We will show that unprecedented highly efficient spin information transport can occur in epitaxial graphene leading to large spin signals and macroscopic spin diffusion lengths (~ 100 microns), a key enabler for the advent of envisioned beyond-CMOS spin-based logic architectures. We will also show that how the device behavior is well explained within the framework of the Valet-Fert drift-diffusion equations. Furthermore, we will show that a thin graphene passivation layer can prevent the oxidation of a ferromagnet, enabling its use in novel humide/ambient low-cost processes for spintronics devices, while keeping its highly surface sensitive spin current polarizer/analyzer behavior and adding new enhanced spin filtering property. These different experiments unveil promising uses of graphene for spintronics.

Nanostructured materials for advanced energy conversion and storage devices

Science.gov (United States)

Aricò, Antonino Salvatore; Bruce, Peter; Scrosati, Bruno; Tarascon, Jean-Marie; van Schalkwijk, Walter

2005-05-01

New materials hold the key to fundamental advances in energy conversion and storage, both of which are vital in order to meet the challenge of global warming and the finite nature of fossil fuels. Nanomaterials in particular offer unique properties or combinations of properties as electrodes and electrolytes in a range of energy devices. This review describes some recent developments in the discovery of nanoelectrolytes and nanoelectrodes for lithium batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. The advantages and disadvantages of the nanoscale in materials design for such devices are highlighted.

Electron-Spin Filters Would Offer Spin Polarization Greater than 1

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, David Z.

2009-01-01

A proposal has been made to develop devices that would generate spin-polarized electron currents characterized by polarization ratios having magnitudes in excess of 1. Heretofore, such devices (denoted, variously, as spin injectors, spin polarizers, and spin filters) have typically offered polarization ratios having magnitudes in the approximate range of 0.01 to 0.1. The proposed devices could be useful as efficient sources of spin-polarized electron currents for research on spintronics and development of practical spintronic devices.

Hetero-oligonucleotide Nanoscale Tiles Capable of Two-Dimensional Lattice Formation as Testbeds for a Rapid, Affordable Purification Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

devices; however, DNA is not the only polymer that can take advantage of the specicity of the Watson – Crick base-pair to achieve these goals. Central to...14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: New nanoscale hetero-oligonucleotide tiles are assembled from DNA , RNA and morpholino oligos and...purified using size exclusion filtration. Homo-oligonucleotide tiles assembled from RP-cartridge processed DNA oligos are purified by nondenaturing gel

Non-Planar Nano-Scale Fin Field Effect Transistors on Textile, Paper, Wood, Stone, and Vinyl via Soft Material-Enabled Double-Transfer Printing

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Sevilla, Galo T.; Alfaraj, Nasir; Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Kutbee, Arwa T.; Sridharan, Ashvitha; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2015-01-01

The ability to incorporate rigid but high-performance nano-scale non-planar complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics with curvilinear, irregular, or asymmetric shapes and surfaces is an arduous but timely challenge in enabling the production of wearable electronics with an in-situ information-processing ability in the digital world. Therefore, we are demonstrating a soft-material enabled double-transfer-based process to integrate flexible, silicon-based, nano-scale, non-planar, fin-shaped field effect transistors (FinFETs) and planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) on various asymmetric surfaces to study their compatibility and enhanced applicability in various emerging fields. FinFET devices feature sub-20 nm dimensions and state-of-the-art, high-κ/metal gate stack, showing no performance alteration after the transfer process. A further analysis of the transferred MOSFET devices, featuring 1 μm gate length exhibits ION ~70 μA/μm (VDS = 2 V, VGS = 2 V) and a low sub-threshold swing of around 90 mV/dec, proving that a soft interfacial material can act both as a strong adhesion/interposing layer between devices and final substrate as well as a means to reduce strain, which ultimately helps maintain the device’s performance with insignificant deterioration even at a high bending state.

Non-Planar Nano-Scale Fin Field Effect Transistors on Textile, Paper, Wood, Stone, and Vinyl via Soft Material-Enabled Double-Transfer Printing

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto

2015-05-01

The ability to incorporate rigid but high-performance nano-scale non-planar complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics with curvilinear, irregular, or asymmetric shapes and surfaces is an arduous but timely challenge in enabling the production of wearable electronics with an in-situ information-processing ability in the digital world. Therefore, we are demonstrating a soft-material enabled double-transfer-based process to integrate flexible, silicon-based, nano-scale, non-planar, fin-shaped field effect transistors (FinFETs) and planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) on various asymmetric surfaces to study their compatibility and enhanced applicability in various emerging fields. FinFET devices feature sub-20 nm dimensions and state-of-the-art, high-κ/metal gate stack, showing no performance alteration after the transfer process. A further analysis of the transferred MOSFET devices, featuring 1 μm gate length exhibits ION ~70 μA/μm (VDS = 2 V, VGS = 2 V) and a low sub-threshold swing of around 90 mV/dec, proving that a soft interfacial material can act both as a strong adhesion/interposing layer between devices and final substrate as well as a means to reduce strain, which ultimately helps maintain the device’s performance with insignificant deterioration even at a high bending state.

Nanoscale Mechanical Stimulation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Nikukar

2014-05-01

We observed significant responses after 1 and 2-week stimulations in cell number, cell shapes and phenotypical markers. Microarray was performed for all groups. Cell count showed normal cell growth with stimulation. However, cell surface area, cell perimeter, and arboration after 1-week stimulation showed significant increases. Immunofluorescent studies have showed significant increase in osteocalcin production after stimulation. Conclusions: Nanoscale mechanical vibration showed significant changes in human mesenchymal stem cell behaviours. Cell morphology changed to become more polygonal and increased expression of the osteoblast markers were noted. These findings with gene regulation changes suggesting nanoscale mechanostimulation has stimulated osteoblastogenesis.  Keywords:  Mesenchymal, Nanoscale, Stem Cells.

Microelectronics to nanoelectronics materials, devices & manufacturability

CERN Document Server

Kaul, Anupama B

2012-01-01

Composed of contributions from top experts, Microelectronics to Nanoelectronics: Materials, Devices and Manufacturability offers a detailed overview of important recent scientific and technological developments in the rapidly evolving nanoelectronics arena.Under the editorial guidance and technical expertise of noted materials scientist Anupama B. Kaul of California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Lab, this book captures the ascent of microelectronics into the nanoscale realm. It addresses a wide variety of important scientific and technological issues in nanoelectronics research and

Quantum effects in ion implanted devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamieson, D.N.; Chan, V.; Hudson, F.E.; Andresen, S.E.; Yang, C.; Hopf, T.; Hearne, S.M.; Pakes, C.I.; Prawer, S.; Gauja, E.; Yang, C.; Dzurak, A.S.; Yang, C.; Clark, R.G.; Yang, C.

2005-01-01

Fabrication of nanoscale devices that exploit the rules of quantum mechanics to process information presents formidable technical challenges because it will be necessary to control quantum states at the level of individual atoms, electrons or photons. We have developed a pathway to the construction of quantum devices using ion implantation and demonstrate, using charge transport analysis, that the devices exhibit single electron effects. We construct devices that employ two P donors in Si by employing the technique of ion beam induced charge (IBIC) in which single 14 keV P ions can be implanted into ultra-pure silicon by monitoring on-substrate detector electrodes. We have used IBIC with a MeV nuclear microprobe to map and measure the charge collection efficiency in the development of the electrode structure and show that 100% charge collection efficiency can be achieved leading to the fabrication of prototype devices that display quantum effects in the transport of single charge quanta between the islands of implanted donors. (author). 9 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Spin voltage generation through optical excitation of complementary spin populations

Science.gov (United States)

Bottegoni, Federico; Celebrano, Michele; Bollani, Monica; Biagioni, Paolo; Isella, Giovanni; Ciccacci, Franco; Finazzi, Marco

2014-08-01

By exploiting the spin degree of freedom of carriers inside electronic devices, spintronics has a huge potential for quantum computation and dissipationless interconnects. Pure spin currents in spintronic devices should be driven by a spin voltage generator, able to drive the spin distribution out of equilibrium without inducing charge currents. Ideally, such a generator should operate at room temperature, be highly integrable with existing semiconductor technology, and not interfere with other spintronic building blocks that make use of ferromagnetic materials. Here we demonstrate a device that matches these requirements by realizing the spintronic equivalent of a photovoltaic generator. Whereas a photovoltaic generator spatially separates photoexcited electrons and holes, our device exploits circularly polarized light to produce two spatially well-defined electron populations with opposite in-plane spin projections. This is achieved by modulating the phase and amplitude of the light wavefronts entering a semiconductor (germanium) with a patterned metal overlayer (platinum). The resulting light diffraction pattern features a spatially modulated chirality inside the semiconductor, which locally excites spin-polarized electrons thanks to electric dipole selection rules.

Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003–2012

OpenAIRE

Cahill, David G.; Braun, Paul V.; Chen, Gang; Clarke, David R.; Fan, Shanhui; Goodson, Kenneth E.; Keblinski, Pawel; King, William P.; Mahan, Gerald D.; Majumdar, Arun; Maris, Humphrey J.; Phillpot, Simon R.; Pop, Eric; Shi, Li

2013-01-01

A diverse spectrum of technology drivers such as improved thermal barriers, higher efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion, phase-change memory, heat-assisted magnetic recording, thermal management of nanoscale electronics, and nanoparticles for thermal medical therapies are motivating studies of the applied physics of thermal transport at the nanoscale. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of th...

A versatile nanotechnology to connect individual nano-objects for the fabrication of hybrid single-electron devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernand-Mantel, A; Bouzehouane, K; Seneor, P; Fusil, S; Deranlot, C; Petroff, F; Fert, A; Brenac, A; Notin, L; Morel, R

2010-01-01

We report on the high yield connection of single nano-objects as small as a few nanometres in diameter to separately elaborated metallic electrodes, using a 'table-top' nanotechnology. Single-electron transport measurements validate that transport occurs through a single nano-object. The vertical geometry of the device natively allows an independent choice of materials for each electrode and the nano-object. In addition ferromagnetic materials can be used without encountering oxidation problems. The possibility of elaborating such hybrid nanodevices opens new routes for the democratization of spintronic studies in low dimensions.

Nanoscale mechanical switching of ferroelectric polarization via flexoelectricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, Yijia; Hong, Zijian; Britson, Jason; Chen, Long-Qing [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 (United States)

2015-01-12

Flexoelectric coefficient is a fourth-rank tensor arising from the coupling between strain gradient and electric polarization and thus exists in all crystals. It is generally ignored for macroscopic crystals due to its small magnitude. However, at the nanoscale, flexoelectric contributions may become significant and can potentially be utilized for device applications. Using the phase-field method, we study the mechanical switching of electric polarization in ferroelectric thin films by a strain gradient created via an atomic force microscope tip. Our simulation results show good agreement with existing experimental observations. We examine the competition between the piezoelectric and flexoelectric effects and provide an understanding of the role of flexoelectricity in the polarization switching. Also, by changing the pressure and film thickness, we reveal that the flexoelectric field at the film bottom can be used as a criterion to determine whether domain switching may happen under a mechanical force.

Energy Device Applications of Synthesized 1D Polymer Nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Long-Biao; Xu, Wei; Hao, Jianhua

2017-11-01

1D polymer nanomaterials as emerging materials, such as nanowires, nanotubes, and nanopillars, have attracted extensive attention in academia and industry. The distinctive, various, and tunable structures in the nanoscale of 1D polymer nanomaterials present nanointerfaces, high surface-to-volume ratio, and large surface area, which can improve the performance of energy devices. In this review, representative fabrication techniques of 1D polymer nanomaterials are summarized, including electrospinning, template-assisted, template-free, and inductively coupled plasma methods. The recent advancements of 1D polymer nanomaterials in energy device applications are demonstrated. Lastly, existing challenges and prospects of 1D polymer nanomaterials for energy device applications are presented. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Magnetoresistance Effect in NiFe/BP/NiFe Vertical Spin Valve Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leilei Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Two-dimensional (2D layered materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides are emerging candidates for spintronic applications. Here, we report magnetoresistance (MR properties of a black phosphorus (BP spin valve devices consisting of thin BP flakes contacted by NiFe ferromagnetic (FM electrodes. The spin valve effect has been observed from room temperature to 4 K, with MR magnitudes of 0.57% at 4 K and 0.23% at 300 K. In addition, the spin valve resistance is found to decrease monotonically as temperature is decreased, indicating that the BP thin film works as a conductive interlayer between the NiFe electrodes.

Dynamic structural disorder in supported nanoscale catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehr, J. J.; Vila, F. D.

2014-01-01

We investigate the origin and physical effects of “dynamic structural disorder” (DSD) in supported nano-scale catalysts. DSD refers to the intrinsic fluctuating, inhomogeneous structure of such nano-scale systems. In contrast to bulk materials, nano-scale systems exhibit substantial fluctuations in structure, charge, temperature, and other quantities, as well as large surface effects. The DSD is driven largely by the stochastic librational motion of the center of mass and fluxional bonding at the nanoparticle surface due to thermal coupling with the substrate. Our approach for calculating and understanding DSD is based on a combination of real-time density functional theory/molecular dynamics simulations, transient coupled-oscillator models, and statistical mechanics. This approach treats thermal and dynamic effects over multiple time-scales, and includes bond-stretching and -bending vibrations, and transient tethering to the substrate at longer ps time-scales. Potential effects on the catalytic properties of these clusters are briefly explored. Model calculations of molecule-cluster interactions and molecular dissociation reaction paths are presented in which the reactant molecules are adsorbed on the surface of dynamically sampled clusters. This model suggests that DSD can affect both the prefactors and distribution of energy barriers in reaction rates, and thus can significantly affect catalytic activity at the nano-scale

Dynamic structural disorder in supported nanoscale catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rehr, J. J.; Vila, F. D. [Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States)

2014-04-07

We investigate the origin and physical effects of “dynamic structural disorder” (DSD) in supported nano-scale catalysts. DSD refers to the intrinsic fluctuating, inhomogeneous structure of such nano-scale systems. In contrast to bulk materials, nano-scale systems exhibit substantial fluctuations in structure, charge, temperature, and other quantities, as well as large surface effects. The DSD is driven largely by the stochastic librational motion of the center of mass and fluxional bonding at the nanoparticle surface due to thermal coupling with the substrate. Our approach for calculating and understanding DSD is based on a combination of real-time density functional theory/molecular dynamics simulations, transient coupled-oscillator models, and statistical mechanics. This approach treats thermal and dynamic effects over multiple time-scales, and includes bond-stretching and -bending vibrations, and transient tethering to the substrate at longer ps time-scales. Potential effects on the catalytic properties of these clusters are briefly explored. Model calculations of molecule-cluster interactions and molecular dissociation reaction paths are presented in which the reactant molecules are adsorbed on the surface of dynamically sampled clusters. This model suggests that DSD can affect both the prefactors and distribution of energy barriers in reaction rates, and thus can significantly affect catalytic activity at the nano-scale.

Supercapacitors - nanostructured materials and nanoscale processes contributing to the next mobile generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahon, P.J.; Drummond, C.J.

2001-01-01

Supercapacitors, alternatively known as ultracapacitors, electrical double-layer capacitors or electrochemical capacitors, are energy storage devices that have considerably more specific capacitance than conventional capacitors. In recent years there have been major advancements in the design of low impedance (low resistance) Supercapacitors, which are ideally suited for high-power applications for mobile devices, particularly those using GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) wireless technologies. Cap-XX Pty Ltd is a global leader in supercapacitor technology. Cap-XX was established in 1997 and evolved from a collaboration that began in 1994 between Plessey Ducon Pty Ltd, a company that manufactured metallized film capacitors, and what is now CSIRO Energy Technology. In this article we outline the physical chemistry, and in particular, the colloid and surface, electro-, and polymer chemistry, elements that underpin supercapacitor performance. The emphasis is placed on high surface area, particulate-carbon-based supercapacitor technology. This is the cap-XX technology. It is a good example of nanostructured materials and nanoscale processes governing device performance. Some application areas for Supercapacitors are highlighted at the end of this article. Copyright (2001) CSIRO Australia

Mapping grain boundary heterogeneity at the nanoscale in a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity ceramic

Science.gov (United States)

Holsgrove, Kristina M.; Kepaptsoglou, Demie M.; Douglas, Alan M.; Ramasse, Quentin M.; Prestat, Eric; Haigh, Sarah J.; Ward, Michael B.; Kumar, Amit; Gregg, J. Marty; Arredondo, Miryam

2017-06-01

Despite being of wide commercial use in devices, the orders of magnitude increase in resistance that can be seen in some semiconducting BaTiO3-based ceramics, on heating through the Curie temperature (TC), is far from well understood. Current understanding of the behavior hinges on the role of grain boundary resistance that can be modified by polarization discontinuities which develop in the ferroelectric state. However, direct nanoscale resistance mapping to verify this model has rarely been attempted, and the potential approach to engineer polarization states at the grain boundaries, that could lead to optimized positive temperature coefficient (PTC) behavior, is strongly underdeveloped. Here we present direct visualization and nanoscale mapping in a commercially optimized BaTiO3-PbTiO3-CaTiO3 PTC ceramic using Kelvin probe force microscopy, which shows that, even in the low resistance ferroelectric state, the potential drop at grain boundaries is significantly greater than in grain interiors. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy reveal new evidence of Pb-rich grain boundaries symptomatic of a higher net polarization normal to the grain boundaries compared to the purer grain interiors. These results validate the critical link between optimized PTC performance and higher local polarization at grain boundaries in this specific ceramic system and suggest a novel route towards engineering devices where an interface layer of higher spontaneous polarization could lead to enhanced PTC functionality.

Mapping grain boundary heterogeneity at the nanoscale in a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity ceramic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina M. Holsgrove

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Despite being of wide commercial use in devices, the orders of magnitude increase in resistance that can be seen in some semiconducting BaTiO3-based ceramics, on heating through the Curie temperature (TC, is far from well understood. Current understanding of the behavior hinges on the role of grain boundary resistance that can be modified by polarization discontinuities which develop in the ferroelectric state. However, direct nanoscale resistance mapping to verify this model has rarely been attempted, and the potential approach to engineer polarization states at the grain boundaries, that could lead to optimized positive temperature coefficient (PTC behavior, is strongly underdeveloped. Here we present direct visualization and nanoscale mapping in a commercially optimized BaTiO3–PbTiO3–CaTiO3 PTC ceramic using Kelvin probe force microscopy, which shows that, even in the low resistance ferroelectric state, the potential drop at grain boundaries is significantly greater than in grain interiors. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy reveal new evidence of Pb-rich grain boundaries symptomatic of a higher net polarization normal to the grain boundaries compared to the purer grain interiors. These results validate the critical link between optimized PTC performance and higher local polarization at grain boundaries in this specific ceramic system and suggest a novel route towards engineering devices where an interface layer of higher spontaneous polarization could lead to enhanced PTC functionality.

Examining Wetting and Dewetting Processes in Thin-films on Crystalline Substrates at the Nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Hihath, Sahar

Controlling the wetting and dewetting of ultra-thin films on solid substrates is important for a variety of technological and fundamental research applications. These applications include film deposition for semiconductor manufacturing, the growth of nanowires through nanoparticle-based catalysis sites, to making ordered arrays of nanoscale particles for electronic and optical devices. However, despite the importance of these processes, the underlying mechanisms by which a film wets a surface or dewets from it is still often unclear and widely debated. In this dissertation we examine wetting and dewetting processes in three materials systems that are relevant for device applications with the ultimate goal of understanding what mechanisms drive the wetting (or dewetting) process in each case. First, we examine the formation of wetting layers between nanoparticle films and highly conductive GaAs substrates for spintronic applications. In this case, the formation of a wetting layer is important for nanoparticle adhesion on the substrate surface. Wetting layers can be made by annealing these systems, which causes elemental diffusion from nanoparticles into the substrate, thereby adhesion between the nanoparticles and the substrate. Here we investigate the feasibility of forming a wetting layer underneath nanoparticles post-annealing in a system of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on a (100) GaAs substrate by studying the interface structure and composition via Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS). Electron Energy-Loss fine structures of the Fe-L 3,2 and O-K absorption edges were quantitatively analyzed to gain insight about the compositional gradient of the interface between the nanoparticles and the GaAs substrate. Additionally, real-space density functional theory calculations of the dynamical form factor was performed to confirm the

3D TCAD Simulation for Semiconductor Processes, Devices and Optoelectronics

CERN Document Server

Li, Simon

2012-01-01

Technology computer-aided design, or TCAD, is critical to today’s semiconductor technology and anybody working in this industry needs to know something about TCAD.  This book is about how to use computer software to manufacture and test virtually semiconductor devices in 3D.  It brings to life the topic of semiconductor device physics, with a hands-on, tutorial approach that de-emphasizes abstract physics and equations and emphasizes real practice and extensive illustrations.  Coverage includes a comprehensive library of devices, representing the state of the art technology, such as SuperJunction LDMOS, GaN LED devices, etc. Provides a vivid, internal view of semiconductor devices, through 3D TCAD simulation; Includes comprehensive coverage of  TCAD simulations for both optic and electronic devices, from nano-scale to high-voltage high-power devices; Presents material in a hands-on, tutorial fashion so that industry practitioners will find maximum utility; Includes a comprehensive library of devices, re...

Physical IC debug ─ backside approach and nanoscale challenge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. Kerst

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Physical analysis for IC functionality in submicron technologies requires access through chip backside. Based upon typical global backside preparation with 50–100 µm moderate silicon thickness remaining, a state of the art of the analysis techniques available for this purpose is presented and evaluated for functional analysis and layout pattern resolution potential. A circuit edit technique valid for nano technology ICs, is also presented that is based upon the formation of local trenches using the bottom of Shallow Trench Isolation (STI as endpoint for Focused Ion Beam (FIB milling. As a derivative from this process, a locally ultra thin silicon device can be processed, creating a back surface as work bench for breakthrough applications of nanoscale analysis techniques to a fully functional circuit through chip backside. Several applications demonstrate the power and potential of this new approach.

Ellipsometry at the nanoscale

CERN Document Server

Hingerl, Kurt

2013-01-01

This book presents and introduces ellipsometry in nanoscience and nanotechnology making a bridge between the classical and nanoscale optical behaviour of materials. It delineates the role of the non-destructive and non-invasive optical diagnostics of ellipsometry in improving science and technology of nanomaterials and related processes by illustrating its exploitation, ranging from fundamental studies of the physics and chemistry of nanostructures to the ultimate goal of turnkey manufacturing control. This book is written for a broad readership: materials scientists, researchers, engineers, as well as students and nanotechnology operators who want to deepen their knowledge about both basics and applications of ellipsometry to nanoscale phenomena. It starts as a general introduction for people curious to enter the fields of ellipsometry and polarimetry applied to nanomaterials and progresses to articles by experts on specific fields that span from plasmonics, optics, to semiconductors and flexible electronics...

X-ray analysis of spintronic semiconductor and half metal thin film systems; Roentgenstrukturuntersuchungen an spintronischen Halbleiter- und Halbmetall-Duennschichtsystemen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahl, Andreas

2010-07-01

In this work the structural properties of spintronic semiconductor and halfmetalic thin-film systems were investigated. The layer thicknesses and interface roughnesses of the multi-layer systems were estimated by X-ray reflectivity measurements. The fits were performed using the software Fewlay which uses the Parratt formalism to calculate the reflectivities. The relaxation of the films was analyzed by reciprocal space mapping on preferably highly indexed Bragg reflexes. (orig.)

Nanotube devices based crossbar architecture: toward neuromorphic computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, W S; Gamrat, C; Agnus, G; Derycke, V; Filoramo, A; Bourgoin, J-P

2010-01-01

Nanoscale devices such as carbon nanotube and nanowires based transistors, memristors and molecular devices are expected to play an important role in the development of new computing architectures. While their size represents a decisive advantage in terms of integration density, it also raises the critical question of how to efficiently address large numbers of densely integrated nanodevices without the need for complex multi-layer interconnection topologies similar to those used in CMOS technology. Two-terminal programmable devices in crossbar geometry seem particularly attractive, but suffer from severe addressing difficulties due to cross-talk, which implies complex programming procedures. Three-terminal devices can be easily addressed individually, but with limited gain in terms of interconnect integration. We show how optically gated carbon nanotube devices enable efficient individual addressing when arranged in a crossbar geometry with shared gate electrodes. This topology is particularly well suited for parallel programming or learning in the context of neuromorphic computing architectures.

Frontier in nanoscale flows fractional calculus and analytical methods

CERN Document Server

Lewis, Roland; Liu, Hong-yan

2014-01-01

This ebook covers the basic properties of nanoscale flows, and various analytical and numerical methods for nanoscale flows and environmental flows. This ebook is a good reference not only for audience of the journal, but also for various communities in mathematics, nanotechnology and environmental science.

Fast heat flux modulation at the nanoscale

OpenAIRE

van Zwol, P. J.; Joulain, K.; Abdallah, P. Ben; Greffet, J. J.; Chevrier, J.

2011-01-01

We introduce a new concept for electrically controlled heat flux modulation. A flux contrast larger than 10 dB is expected with switching time on the order of tens of nanoseconds. Heat flux modulation is based on the interplay between radiative heat transfer at the nanoscale and phase change materials. Such large contrasts are not obtainable in solids, or in far field. As such this opens up new horizons for temperature modulation and actuation at the nanoscale.

Low-field mobility and carrier transport mechanism transition in nanoscale MOSFETs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hongwei; Wang Runsheng; Huang Ru; Zhang Xing

2010-01-01

This paper extends the flux scattering method to study the carrier transport property in nanoscale MOSFETs with special emphasis on the low-field mobility and the transport mechanism transition. A unified analytical expression for the low-field mobility is proposed, which covers the entire regime from drift-diffusion transport to quasi-ballistic transport in 1-D, 2-D and 3-D MOSFETs. Two key parameters, namely the long-channel low-field mobility (μ 0 ) and the low-field mean free path (λ 0 ), are obtained from the experimental data, and the transport mechanism transition in MOSFETs is further discussed both experimentally and theoretically. Our work shows that λ 0 is available to characterize the inherent transition of the carrier transport mechanism rather than the low-field mobility. The mobility reduces in the MOSFET with the shrinking of the channel length; however, λ 0 is nearly a constant, and λ 0 can be used as the 'entry criterion' to determine whether the device begins to operate under quasi-ballistic transport to some extent. (semiconductor devices)

Anisotropic sensor and memory device with a ferromagnetic tunnel barrier as the only magnetic element.

Science.gov (United States)

Lόpez-Mir, L; Frontera, C; Aramberri, H; Bouzehouane, K; Cisneros-Fernández, J; Bozzo, B; Balcells, L; Martínez, B

2018-01-16

Multiple spin functionalities are probed on Pt/La 2 Co 0.8 Mn 1.2 O 6 /Nb:SrTiO 3 , a device composed by a ferromagnetic insulating barrier sandwiched between non-magnetic electrodes. Uniquely, La 2 Co 0.8 Mn 1.2 O 6 thin films present strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of magnetocrystalline origin, property of major interest for spintronics. The junction has an estimated spin-filtering efficiency of 99.7% and tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) values up to 30% at low temperatures. This remarkable angular dependence of the magnetoresistance is associated with the magnetic anisotropy whose origin lies in the large spin-orbit interaction of Co 2+ which is additionally tuned by the strain of the crystal lattice. Furthermore, we found that the junction can operate as an electrically readable magnetic memory device. The findings of this work demonstrate that a single ferromagnetic insulating barrier with strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy is sufficient for realizing sensor and memory functionalities in a tunneling device based on TAMR.

Sharp Morphological Transitions from Nanoscale Mixed-Anchoring Patterns in Confined Nematic Liquid Crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armas-Pérez, Julio C. [Institute; División; Li, Xiao [Institute; Martínez-González, José A. [Institute; Smith, Coleman [Institute; Hernández-Ortiz, J. P. [Departamento; Nealey, Paul F. [Institute; Materials; de Pablo, Juan J. [Institute; Materials

2017-08-17

Liquid crystals are known to be particularly sensitive to orientational cues provided at surfaces or interfaces. In this work, we explore theoretically, computationally, and experimentally the behavior of liquid crystals on isolated nanoscale patterns with controlled anchoring characteristics at small length scales. The orientation of the liquid crystal is controlled through the use of chemically patterned polymer brushes that are tethered to a surface. This system can be engineered with remarkable precision, and the central question addressed here is whether a characteristic length scale exists at which information encoded on a surface is no longer registered by a liquid crystal. To do so, we adopt a tensorial description of the free energy of the hybrid liquidcrystal surface system, and we investigate its morphology in a systematic manner. For long and narrow surface stripes, it is found that the liquid crystal follows the instructions provided by the pattern down to 100 nm widths. This is accomplished through the creation of line defects that travel along the sides of the stripes. We show that a "sharp" morphological transition occurs from a uniform undistorted alignment to a dual uniform/splay-bend morphology. The theoretical and numerical predictions advanced here are confirmed by experimental observations. Our combined analysis suggests that nanoscale patterns can be used to manipulate the orientation of liquid crystals at a fraction of the energetic cost that is involved in traditional liquid crystal-based devices. The insights presented in this work have the potential to provide a new fabrication platform to assemble low power bistable devices, which could be reconfigured upon application of small external fields.

Electron transport in nano-scaled piezoelectronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhengping; Kuroda, Marcelo A.; Tan, Yaohua; Newns, Dennis M.; Povolotskyi, Michael; Boykin, Timothy B.; Kubis, Tillmann; Klimeck, Gerhard; Martyna, Glenn J.

2013-05-01

The Piezoelectronic Transistor (PET) has been proposed as a post-CMOS device for fast, low-power switching. In this device, the piezoresistive channel is metalized via the expansion of a relaxor piezoelectric element to turn the device on. The mixed-valence compound SmSe is a good choice of PET channel material because of its isostructural pressure-induced continuous metal insulator transition, which is well characterized in bulk single crystals. Prediction and optimization of the performance of a realistic, nano-scaled PET based on SmSe requires the understanding of quantum confinement, tunneling, and the effect of metal interface. In this work, a computationally efficient empirical tight binding (ETB) model is developed for SmSe to study quantum transport in these systems and the scaling limit of PET channel lengths. Modulation of the SmSe band gap under pressure is successfully captured by ETB, and ballistic conductance shows orders of magnitude change under hydrostatic strain, supporting operability of the PET device at nanoscale.

Multi-layer micro/nanofluid devices with bio-nanovalves

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hao; Ocola, Leonidas E.; Auciello, Orlando H.; Firestone, Millicent A.

2013-01-01

A user-friendly multi-layer micro/nanofluidic flow device and micro/nano fabrication process are provided for numerous uses. The multi-layer micro/nanofluidic flow device can comprise: a substrate, such as indium tin oxide coated glass (ITO glass); a conductive layer of ferroelectric material, preferably comprising a PZT layer of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) positioned on the substrate; electrodes connected to the conductive layer; a nanofluidics layer positioned on the conductive layer and defining nanochannels; a microfluidics layer positioned upon the nanofluidics layer and defining microchannels; and biomolecular nanovalves providing bio-nanovalves which are moveable from a closed position to an open position to control fluid flow at a nanoscale.

Trends in nanoscale mechanics mechanics of carbon nanotubes, graphene, nanocomposites and molecular dynamics

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

This book contains a collection of the state-of-the-art reviews written by the leading researchers in the areas of nanoscale mechanics, molecular dynamics, nanoscale modeling of nanocomposites and mechanics of carbon nanotubes. No other book has reviews of the recent discoveries such as a nanoscale analog of the Pauli’s principle, i.e., effect of the spatial exclusion of electrons or the SEE effect, a new Registry Matrix Analysis for the nanoscale interfacial sliding and new data on the effective viscosity of interfacial electrons in nanoscale stiction at the interfaces. This volume is also an exceptional resource on the well tested nanoscale modeling of carbon nanotubes and nanocomposites, new nanoscale effects, unique evaluations of the effective thickness of carbon nanotubes under different loads, new data on which size of carbon nanotubes is safer and many other topics. Extensive bibliography concerning all these topics is included along with the lucid short reviews. Numerous illustrations are provided...

Democratization of Nanoscale Imaging and Sensing Tools Using Photonics.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Euan; Wei, Qingshan; Ozcan, Aydogan

2015-07-07

Providing means for researchers and citizen scientists in the developing world to perform advanced measurements with nanoscale precision can help to accelerate the rate of discovery and invention as well as improve higher education and the training of the next generation of scientists and engineers worldwide. Here, we review some of the recent progress toward making optical nanoscale measurement tools more cost-effective, field-portable, and accessible to a significantly larger group of researchers and educators. We divide our review into two main sections: label-based nanoscale imaging and sensing tools, which primarily involve fluorescent approaches, and label-free nanoscale measurement tools, which include light scattering sensors, interferometric methods, photonic crystal sensors, and plasmonic sensors. For each of these areas, we have primarily focused on approaches that have either demonstrated operation outside of a traditional laboratory setting, including for example integration with mobile phones, or exhibited the potential for such operation in the near future.

High spin-polarization in ultrathin Co2MnSi/CoPd multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galanakis, I.

2015-01-01

Half-metallic Co 2 MnSi finds a broad spectrum of applications in spintronic devices either in the form of thin films or as spacer in multilayers. Using state-of-the-art ab-initio electronic structure calculations we exploit the electronic and magnetic properties of ultrathin Co 2 MnSi/CoPd multilayers. We show that these heterostructures combine high values of spin-polarization at the Co 2 MnSi spacer with the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of binary compounds such as CoPd. Thus they could find application in spintronic/magnetoelectronic devices. - Highlights: • Ab-initio study of ultrathin Co 2 MnSi/CoPd multilayers. • Large values of spin-polarization at the Fermi are retained. • Route for novel spintronic/magnetoelectronic devices

Nanoscale Analysis of a Hierarchical Hybrid Solar Cell in 3D.

Science.gov (United States)

Divitini, Giorgio; Stenzel, Ole; Ghadirzadeh, Ali; Guarnera, Simone; Russo, Valeria; Casari, Carlo S; Bassi, Andrea Li; Petrozza, Annamaria; Di Fonzo, Fabio; Schmidt, Volker; Ducati, Caterina

2014-05-01

A quantitative method for the characterization of nanoscale 3D morphology is applied to the investigation of a hybrid solar cell based on a novel hierarchical nanostructured photoanode. A cross section of the solar cell device is prepared by focused ion beam milling in a micropillar geometry, which allows a detailed 3D reconstruction of the titania photoanode by electron tomography. It is found that the hierarchical titania nanostructure facilitates polymer infiltration, thus favoring intermixing of the two semiconducting phases, essential for charge separation. The 3D nanoparticle network is analyzed with tools from stochastic geometry to extract information related to the charge transport in the hierarchical solar cell. In particular, the experimental dataset allows direct visualization of the percolation pathways that contribute to the photocurrent.

Nanoscale control of energy and matter: challenges and opportunities for plasma science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostrikov, Kostya

2013-01-01

Multidisciplinary challenges and opportunities in the ultimate ability to achieve nanoscale control of energy and matter are discussed using an example of the Plasma Nanoscience. This is an emerging multidisciplinary research field at the cutting edge of a large number of disciplines including but not limited to physics and chemistry of plasmas and gas discharges, materials science, surface science, nanoscience and nanotechnology, solid state physics, space physics and astrophysics, photonics, optics, plasmonics, spintronics, quantum information, physical chemistry, biomedical sciences and related engineering subjects. The origin, progress and future perspectives of this research field driven by the global scientific and societal challenges, is examined. The future potential of the Plasma Nanoscience to remain as a highly topical area in the global research and technological agenda in the Age of Fundamental-Level Control for a Sustainable Future is assessed using a framework of the five Grand Challenges for Basic Energy Sciences recently mapped by the US Department of Energy. It is concluded that the ongoing research is very relevant and is expected to substantially expand to competitively contribute to the solution of all of these Grand Challenges. The approach to control energy and matter at nano- and subnanoscales is based on identifying the prevailing carriers and transfer mechanisms of the energy and matter at the spatial and temporal scales that are most relevant to any particular nanofabrication process. Strong accent is made on the competitive edge of the plasma-based nanotechnology in applications related to the major socio-economic issues (energy, food, water, health and environment) that are crucial for a sustainable development of humankind. Several important emerging topics, opportunities and multidisciplinary synergies for the Plasma Nanoscience are highlighted. The main nanosafety issues are also discussed and the environment- and human health

Nanoscale-Agglomerate-Mediated Heterogeneous Nucleation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Hyeongyun; Wu, Alex; Kim, Moon-Kyung; Saigusa, Kosuke; Liu, Aihua; Miljkovic, Nenad

2017-12-13

Water vapor condensation on hydrophobic surfaces has received much attention due to its ability to rapidly shed water droplets and enhance heat transfer, anti-icing, water harvesting, energy harvesting, and self-cleaning performance. However, the mechanism of heterogeneous nucleation on hydrophobic surfaces remains poorly understood and is attributed to defects in the hydrophobic coating exposing the high surface energy substrate. Here, we observe the formation of high surface energy nanoscale agglomerates on hydrophobic coatings after condensation/evaporation cycles in ambient conditions. To investigate the deposition dynamics, we studied the nanoscale agglomerates as a function of condensation/evaporation cycles via optical and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), microgoniometric contact angle measurements, nucleation statistics, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The FESEM and EDS results indicated that the nanoscale agglomerates stem from absorption of sulfuric acid based aerosol particles inside the droplet and adsorption of volatile organic compounds such as methanethiol (CH 3 SH), dimethyl disulfide (CH 3 SSCH), and dimethyl trisulfide (CH 3 SSSCH 3 ) on the liquid-vapor interface during water vapor condensation, which act as preferential sites for heterogeneous nucleation after evaporation. The insights gained from this study elucidate fundamental aspects governing the behavior of both short- and long-term heterogeneous nucleation on hydrophobic surfaces, suggest previously unexplored microfabrication and air purification techniques, and present insights into the challenges facing the development of durable dropwise condensing surfaces.

Redox control of molecular motion in switchable artificial nanoscale devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Credi, Alberto; Semeraro, Monica; Silvi, Serena; Venturi, Margherita

2011-03-15

The design, synthesis, and operation of molecular-scale systems that exhibit controllable motions of their component parts is a topic of great interest in nanoscience and a fascinating challenge of nanotechnology. The development of this kind of species constitutes the premise to the construction of molecular machines and motors, which in a not-too-distant future could find applications in fields such as materials science, information technology, energy conversion, diagnostics, and medicine. In the past 25 years the development of supramolecular chemistry has enabled the construction of an interesting variety of artificial molecular machines. These devices operate via electronic and molecular rearrangements and, like the macroscopic counterparts, they need energy to work as well as signals to communicate with the operator. Here we outline the design principles at the basis of redox switching of molecular motion in artificial nanodevices. Redox processes, chemically, electrically, or photochemically induced, can indeed supply the energy to bring about molecular motions. Moreover, in the case of electrically and photochemically induced processes, electrochemical and photochemical techniques can be used to read the state of the system, and thus to control and monitor the operation of the device. Some selected examples are also reported to describe the most representative achievements in this research area.

Controlled heat flux measurement across a closing nanoscale gap and its comparison to theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Y.; Ghafari, A.; Budaev, B. V.; Bogy, D. B., E-mail: dbogy@berkeley.edu [Department of mechanical Engineering, Computer Mechanics Lab, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2016-05-23

We present here a controlled measurement of heat flux across a closing gap that is initially less than 10 nm wide between two solid surfaces at different temperatures. The measured heat transfer is compared with our published theoretical analyses of this phenomenon that show thermal radiation dominates the heat transfer for gaps wider than about 1–2 nm, but phonon conduction dominates between 1 and 2 nm and contact. The experiments employ a thermal actuator mounted on a rocking base block for coarse positioning that supplies Joule heating to an embedded element to cause thermal expansion of a localized region for less than 10 nm spacing control, together with an embedded near-surface resistive temperature sensor to measure its temperature change due to the heat flux across the gap. The measured results are in general agreement with the theoretical predictions, and they also agree with common sense expectations. This paper not only shows nano-scale heat transfer measurement across a closing gap, it also lends additional strong support to the validity of the referenced theoretical developments. The proposed experimental approach can provide support to design of future devices for nano-scale heat transfer measurement.

High speed friction microscopy and nanoscale friction coefficient mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosse, James L; Lee, Sungjun; Huey, Bryan D; Andersen, Andreas Sø; Sutherland, Duncan S

2014-01-01

As mechanical devices in the nano/micro length scale are increasingly employed, it is crucial to understand nanoscale friction and wear especially at technically relevant sliding velocities. Accordingly, a novel technique has been developed for friction coefficient mapping (FCM), leveraging recent advances in high speed AFM. The technique efficiently acquires friction versus force curves based on a sequence of images at a single location, each with incrementally lower loads. As a result, true maps of the coefficient of friction can be uniquely calculated for heterogeneous surfaces. These parameters are determined at a scan velocity as fast as 2 mm s −1 for microfabricated SiO 2 mesas and Au coated pits, yielding results that are identical to traditional speed measurements despite being ∼1000 times faster. To demonstrate the upper limit of sliding velocity for the custom setup, the friction properties of mica are reported from 200 µm s −1 up to 2 cm s −1 . While FCM is applicable to any AFM and scanning speed, quantitative nanotribology investigations of heterogeneous sliding or rolling components are therefore uniquely possible, even at realistic velocities for devices such as MEMS, biological implants, or data storage systems. (paper)

Characterization of molecule and particle transport through nanoscale conduits

Science.gov (United States)

Alibakhshi, Mohammad Amin

Nanofluidic devices have been of great interest due to their applications in variety of fields, including energy conversion and storage, water desalination, biological and chemical separations, and lab-on-a-chip devices. Although these applications cross the boundaries of many different disciplines, they all share the demand for understanding transport in nanoscale conduits. In this thesis, different elusive aspects of molecule and particle transport through nanofluidic conduits are investigated, including liquid and ion transport in nanochannels, diffusion- and reaction-governed enzyme transport in nanofluidic channels, and finally translocation of nanobeads through nanopores. Liquid or solvent transport through nanoconfinements is an essential yet barely characterized component of any nanofluidic systems. In the first chapter, water transport through single hydrophilic nanochannels with heights down to 7 nm is experimentally investigated using a new measurement technique. This technique has been developed based on the capillary flow and a novel hybrid nanochannel design and is capable of characterizing flow in both single nanoconduits as well as nanoporous media. The presence of a 0.7 nm thick hydration layer on hydrophilic surfaces and its effect on increasing the hydraulic resistance of the nanochannels is verified. Next, ion transport in a new class of nanofluidic rectifiers is theoretically and experimentally investigated. These so called nanofluidic diodes are nanochannels with asymmetric geometries which preferentially allow ion transport in one direction. A nondimensional number as a function of electrolyte concentration, nanochannel dimensions, and surface charge is derived that summarizes the rectification behavior of this system. In the fourth chapter, diffusion- and reaction-governed enzyme transport in nanofluidic channels is studied and the theoretical background necessary for understanding enzymatic activity in nanofluidic channels is presented. A

Quantum effects in ion implanted devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamieson, D.N.; Chan, V.; Hudson, F.E.; Andresen, S.E.; Yang, C.; Hopf, T.; Hearne, S.M.; Pakes, C.I.; Prawer, S.; Gauja, E.; Dzurak, A.S.; Clark, R.G.

2006-01-01

Fabrication of nanoscale devices that exploit the rules of quantum mechanics to process information presents formidable technical challenges because of the need to control quantum states at the level of individual atoms, electrons or photons. We have used ion implantation to fabricate devices on the scale of 10 nm that have allowed the development and test of nanocircuitry for the control of charge transport at the level of single electrons. This fabrication method is compatible with the construction of devices that employ counted P dopants in Si by employing the technique of ion beam induced charge (IBIC) in which single 14 keV P ions can be implanted into ultra-pure silicon substrates by monitoring on-substrate detector electrodes. We have used IBIC with a MeV nuclear microprobe to map and measure the charge collection efficiency in the development of the electrode structure and show that 100% charge collection efficiency can be achieved. Prototype devices fabricated by this method have been used to investigate quantum effects in the control and transport of single electrons with potential applications to solid state quantum information processing devices

Current-induced spin-orbit torques in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems

KAUST Repository

Manchon, Aurelien

2018-01-29

Spin-orbit coupling in inversion-asymmetric magnetic crystals and structures has emerged as a powerful tool to generate complex magnetic textures, interconvert charge and spin under applied current, and control magnetization dynamics. Current-induced spin-orbit torques mediate the transfer of angular momentum from the lattice to the spin system, leading to sustained magnetic oscillations or switching of ferromagnetic as well as antiferromagnetic structures. The manipulation of magnetic order, domain walls and skyrmions by spin-orbit torques provides evidence of the microscopic interactions between charge and spin in a variety of materials and opens novel strategies to design spintronic devices with potentially high impact in data storage, nonvolatile logic, and magnonic applications. This paper reviews recent progress in the field of spin-orbitronics, focusing on theoretical models, material properties, and experimental results obtained on bulk noncentrosymmetric conductors and multilayer heterostructures, including metals, semiconductors, and topological insulator systems. Relevant aspects for improving the understanding and optimizing the efficiency of nonequilibrium spin-orbit phenomena in future nanoscale devices are also discussed.

Current-induced spin-orbit torques in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems

KAUST Repository

Manchon, Aurelien; Miron, I. M.; Jungwirth, T.; Sinova, J.; Zelezný , J.; Thiaville, A.; Garello, K.; Gambardella, P.

2018-01-01

Spin-orbit coupling in inversion-asymmetric magnetic crystals and structures has emerged as a powerful tool to generate complex magnetic textures, interconvert charge and spin under applied current, and control magnetization dynamics. Current-induced spin-orbit torques mediate the transfer of angular momentum from the lattice to the spin system, leading to sustained magnetic oscillations or switching of ferromagnetic as well as antiferromagnetic structures. The manipulation of magnetic order, domain walls and skyrmions by spin-orbit torques provides evidence of the microscopic interactions between charge and spin in a variety of materials and opens novel strategies to design spintronic devices with potentially high impact in data storage, nonvolatile logic, and magnonic applications. This paper reviews recent progress in the field of spin-orbitronics, focusing on theoretical models, material properties, and experimental results obtained on bulk noncentrosymmetric conductors and multilayer heterostructures, including metals, semiconductors, and topological insulator systems. Relevant aspects for improving the understanding and optimizing the efficiency of nonequilibrium spin-orbit phenomena in future nanoscale devices are also discussed.

Magnetic Transport in Spin Antiferromagnets for Spintronics Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Azzouz

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Had magnetic monopoles been ubiquitous as electrons are, we would probably have had a different form of matter, and power plants based on currents of these magnetic charges would have been a familiar scene of modern technology. Magnetic dipoles do exist, however, and in principle one could wonder if we can use them to generate magnetic currents. In the present work, we address the issue of generating magnetic currents and magnetic thermal currents in electrically-insulating low-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets by invoking the (broken electricity-magnetism duality symmetry. The ground state of these materials is a spin-liquid state that can be described well via the Jordan–Wigner fermions, which permit an easy definition of the magnetic particle and thermal currents. The magnetic and magnetic thermal conductivities are calculated in the present work using the bond–mean field theory. The spin-liquid states in these antiferromagnets are either gapless or gapped liquids of spinless fermions whose flow defines a current just as the one defined for electrons in a Fermi liquid. The driving force for the magnetic current is a magnetic field with a gradient along the magnetic conductor. We predict the generation of a magneto-motive force and realization of magnetic circuits using low-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets. The present work is also about claiming that what the experiments in spintronics attempt to do is trying to treat the magnetic degrees of freedoms on the same footing as the electronic ones.

Atomic nanoscale technology in the nuclear industry

CERN Document Server

Woo, Taeho

2011-01-01

Developments at the nanoscale are leading to new possibilities and challenges for nuclear applications in areas ranging from medicine to international commerce to atomic power production/waste treatment. Progress in nanotech is helping the nuclear industry slash the cost of energy production. It also continues to improve application reliability and safety measures, which remain a critical concern, especially since the reactor disasters in Japan. Exploring the new wide-ranging landscape of nuclear function, Atomic Nanoscale Technology in the Nuclear Industry details the breakthroughs in nanosca

Voltage-Controlled Reconfigurable Spin-Wave Nanochannels and Logic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Rana, Bivas; Otani, YoshiChika

2018-01-01

Propagating spin waves (SWs) promise to be a potential information carrier in future spintronics devices with lower power consumption. Here, we propose reconfigurable nanochannels (NCs) generated by voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in an ultrathin ferromagnetic waveguide for SW propagation. Numerical micromagnetic simulations are performed to demonstrate the confinement of magnetostatic forward volumelike spin waves in NCs by VCMA. We demonstrate that the NCs, with a width down to a few tens of a nanometer, can be configured either into a straight or curved structure on an extended SW waveguide. The key advantage is that either a single NC or any combination of a number of NCs can be easily configured by VCMA for simultaneous propagation of SWs either with the same or different wave vectors according to our needs. Furthermore, we demonstrate the logic operation of a voltage-controlled magnonic xnor and universal nand gate and propose a voltage-controlled reconfigurable SW switch for the development of a multiplexer and demultiplexer. We find that the NCs and logic devices can even be functioning in the absence of the external-bias magnetic field. These results are a step towards the development of all-voltage-controlled magnonic devices with an ultralow power consumption.

Divergent effect of electric fields on the mechanical property of water-filled carbon nanotubes with an application as a nanoscale trigger

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Hongfei; Zheng, Yonggang; Zhou, Lili; Zhao, Junfei; Zhang, Hongwu; Chen, Zhen

2018-01-01

Polar water molecules exhibit extraordinary phenomena under nanoscale confinement. Through the application of an electric field, a water-filled carbon nanotube (CNT) that has been successfully fabricated in the laboratory is expected to have distinct responses to the external electricity. Here, we examine the effect of electric field direction on the mechanical property of water-filled CNTs. It is observed that a longitudinal electric field enhances, but the transverse electric field reduces the elastic modulus and critical buckling stress of water-filled CNTs. The divergent effect of the electric field is attributed to the competition between the axial and circumferential pressures induced by polar water molecules. Furthermore, it is notable that the transverse electric field could result in an internal pressure with elliptical distribution, which is an effective and convenient approach to apply nonuniform pressure on nanochannels. Based on pre-strained water-filled CNTs, we designed a nanoscale trigger with an evident and rapid height change initiated by switching the direction of the electric field. The reported finding provides a foundation for an electricity-controlled property of nanochannels filled with polar molecules and provides an insight into the design of nanoscale functional devices.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James; Liu, Gang Logan

2015-11-03

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James C.; Liu, Gang Logan

2014-07-22

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James C.; Liu, Gang Logan

2015-07-14

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Programmable definition of nanogap electronic devices using self-inhibited reagent depletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Brian; Zhou, Wendi; Kelley, Shana O; Sargent, Edward H

2015-04-27

Electrodes exhibiting controlled nanoscale separations are required in devices for light detection, semiconductor electronics and medical diagnostics. Here we use low-cost lithography to define micron-separated electrodes, which we downscale to create three-dimensional electrodes separated by nanoscale gaps. Only by devising a new strategy, which we term electrochemical self-inhibited reagent depletion, were we able to produce a robust self-limiting nanogap manufacturing technology. We investigate the method using experiment and simulation and find that, when electrodeposition is carried out using micron-spaced electrodes simultaneously poised at the same potential, these exhibit self-inhibited reagent depletion, leading to defined and robust nanogaps. Particularly remarkable is the formation of fractal electrodes that exhibit interpenetrating jagged elements that consistently avoid electrical contact. We showcase the new technology by fabricating photodetectors with responsivities (A/W) that are one hundred times higher than previously reported photodetectors operating at the same low (1-3 V) voltages. The new strategy adds to the nanofabrication toolkit method that unites top-down template definition with bottom-up three-dimensional nanoscale features.

Short-term memory to long-term memory transition in a nanoscale memristor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ting; Jo, Sung-Hyun; Lu, Wei

2011-09-27

"Memory" is an essential building block in learning and decision-making in biological systems. Unlike modern semiconductor memory devices, needless to say, human memory is by no means eternal. Yet, forgetfulness is not always a disadvantage since it releases memory storage for more important or more frequently accessed pieces of information and is thought to be necessary for individuals to adapt to new environments. Eventually, only memories that are of significance are transformed from short-term memory into long-term memory through repeated stimulation. In this study, we show experimentally that the retention loss in a nanoscale memristor device bears striking resemblance to memory loss in biological systems. By stimulating the memristor with repeated voltage pulses, we observe an effect analogous to memory transition in biological systems with much improved retention time accompanied by additional structural changes in the memristor. We verify that not only the shape or the total number of stimuli is influential, but also the time interval between stimulation pulses (i.e., the stimulation rate) plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the transition. The memory enhancement and transition of the memristor device was explained from the microscopic picture of impurity redistribution and can be qualitatively described by the same equations governing biological memories. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Topology optimization for nano-scale heat transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Evgrafov, Anton; Maute, Kurt; Yang, Ronggui

2009-01-01

We consider the problem of optimal design of nano-scale heat conducting systems using topology optimization techniques. At such small scales the empirical Fourier's law of heat conduction no longer captures the underlying physical phenomena because the mean-free path of the heat carriers, phonons...... in our case, becomes comparable with, or even larger than, the feature sizes of considered material distributions. A more accurate model at nano-scales is given by kinetic theory, which provides a compromise between the inaccurate Fourier's law and precise, but too computationally expensive, atomistic...

Nanomaterial Case Study: Nanoscale Silver in Disinfectant Spray (Final Report)

Science.gov (United States)

EPA announced the release of the final report, Nanomaterial Case Study: Nanoscale Silver in Disinfectant Spray. This report represents a case study of engineered nanoscale silver (nano-Ag), focusing on the specific example of nano-Ag as possibly used in disinfectant spr...

Defective aluminium nitride nanotubes: a new way for spintronics? A density functional study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simeoni, M; Santucci, S; Picozzi, S; Delley, B

2006-01-01

The structural and electronic properties (in terms of Mulliken charges, density of states and band structures) of pristine and defective (10,0) AlN nanotubes have been calculated within density functional theory. The results show that, in several defective tubes, a spontaneous spin-polarization arises, due to the presence of spin-split flat bands close to the Fermi level, with a strong localization of the corresponding electronic states and of the magnetic moments. The highest positive spin-magnetization (3 μ B per cell) is found for the vacancy in the Al site, while the other magnetic tubes (the vacancy in N, C and O substitutional for N and Al, respectively) show a magnetization of only 1 μ B per cell. The spontaneous magnetization of some defective tubes might open the way to their use for spintronic applications

High spin-polarization in ultrathin Co{sub 2}MnSi/CoPd multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galanakis, I., E-mail: galanakis@upatras.gr

2015-03-01

Half-metallic Co{sub 2}MnSi finds a broad spectrum of applications in spintronic devices either in the form of thin films or as spacer in multilayers. Using state-of-the-art ab-initio electronic structure calculations we exploit the electronic and magnetic properties of ultrathin Co{sub 2}MnSi/CoPd multilayers. We show that these heterostructures combine high values of spin-polarization at the Co{sub 2}MnSi spacer with the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of binary compounds such as CoPd. Thus they could find application in spintronic/magnetoelectronic devices. - Highlights: • Ab-initio study of ultrathin Co{sub 2}MnSi/CoPd multilayers. • Large values of spin-polarization at the Fermi are retained. • Route for novel spintronic/magnetoelectronic devices.

Rashba and Dresselhaus Couplings in Halide Perovskites: Accomplishments and Opportunities for Spintronics and Spin-Orbitronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kepenekian, Mikaël; Even, Jacky

2017-07-20

In halide hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOPs), spin-orbit coupling (SOC) presents a well-documented large influence on band structure. However, SOC may also present more exotic effects, such as Rashba and Dresselhaus couplings. In this Perspective, we start by recalling the main features of this effect and what makes HOP materials ideal candidates for the generation and tuning of spin-states. Then, we detail the main spectroscopy techniques able to characterize these effects and their application to HOPs. Finally, we discuss potential applications in spintronics and in spin-orbitronics in those nonmagnetic systems, which would complete the skill set of HOPs and perpetuate their ride on the crest of the wave of popularity started with optoelectronics and photovoltaics.

Nanoscale control of energy and matter in plasma-surface interactions: towards energy-efficient nanotech

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrikov, Kostya

2010-11-01

This presentation focuses on the plasma issues related to the solution of the grand challenge of directing energy and matter at nanoscales. This ability is critical for the renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies for sustainable future development. It will be discussed how to use environmentally and human health benign non-equilibrium plasma-solid systems and control the elementary processes of plasma-surface interactions to direct the fluxes of energy and matter at multiple temporal and spatial scales. In turn, this makes it possible to achieve the deterministic synthesis of self- organised arrays of metastable nanostructures in the size range beyond the reach of the present-day nanofabrication. Such structures have tantalising prospects to enhance performance of nanomaterials in virtually any area of human activity yet remain almost inaccessible because the Nature's energy minimisation rules allow only a small number of stable equilibrium states. By using precisely controlled and kinetically fast nanoscale transfer of energy and matter under non-equilibrium conditions and harnessing numerous plasma- specific controls of species creation, delivery to the surface, nucleation and large-scale self-organisation of nuclei and nanostructures, the arrays of metastable nanostructures can be created, arranged, stabilised, and further processed to meet the specific requirements of the envisaged applications. These approaches will eventually lead to faster, unprecedentedly- clean, human-health-friendly, and energy-efficient nanoscale synthesis and processing technologies for the next-generation renewable energy and light sources, biomedical devices, information and communication systems, as well as advanced functional materials for applications ranging from basic food, water, health and clean environment needs to national security and space missions.

Nonlinear dynamics of a rack-pinion-rack device powered by the Casimir force.

Science.gov (United States)

Miri, MirFaez; Nekouie, Vahid; Golestanian, Ramin

2010-01-01

Using the lateral Casimir force-a manifestation of the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field between objects with corrugated surfaces-as the main force transduction mechanism, a nanomechanical device with rich dynamical behaviors is proposed. The device is made of two parallel racks that are moving in the same direction and a pinion in the middle that couples with both racks via the noncontact lateral Casimir force. The built-in frustration in the device causes it to be very sensitive and react dramatically to minute changes in the geometrical parameters and initial conditions of the system. The noncontact nature of the proposed device could help with the ubiquitous wear problem in nanoscale mechanical systems.

Investigating Nanoscale Electrochemistry with Surface- and Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaleski, Stephanie; Wilson, Andrew J; Mattei, Michael; Chen, Xu; Goubert, Guillaume; Cardinal, M Fernanda; Willets, Katherine A; Van Duyne, Richard P

2016-09-20

The chemical sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) methodologies allows for the investigation of heterogeneous chemical reactions with high sensitivity. Specifically, SERS methodologies are well-suited to study electron transfer (ET) reactions, which lie at the heart of numerous fundamental processes: electrocatalysis, solar energy conversion, energy storage in batteries, and biological events such as photosynthesis. Heterogeneous ET reactions are commonly monitored by electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry, observing billions of electrochemical events per second. Since the first proof of detecting single molecules by redox cycling, there has been growing interest in examining electrochemistry at the nanoscale and single-molecule levels. Doing so unravels details that would otherwise be obscured by an ensemble experiment. The use of optical spectroscopies, such as SERS, to elucidate nanoscale electrochemical behavior is an attractive alternative to traditional approaches such as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). While techniques such as single-molecule fluorescence or electrogenerated chemiluminescence have been used to optically monitor electrochemical events, SERS methodologies, in particular, have shown great promise for exploring electrochemistry at the nanoscale. SERS is ideally suited to study nanoscale electrochemistry because the Raman-enhancing metallic, nanoscale substrate duly serves as the working electrode material. Moreover, SERS has the ability to directly probe single molecules without redox cycling and can achieve nanoscale spatial resolution in combination with super-resolution or scanning probe microscopies. This Account summarizes the latest progress from the Van Duyne and Willets groups toward understanding nanoelectrochemistry using Raman spectroscopic methodologies. The first half of this Account highlights three techniques that have been recently used to probe few- or single-molecule electrochemical

Hybrid superconducting-magnetic memory device using competing order parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Burm; Rippard, William H; Benz, Samuel P; Russek, Stephen E; Dresselhaus, Paul D

2014-05-28

In a hybrid superconducting-magnetic device, two order parameters compete, with one type of order suppressing the other. Recent interest in ultra-low-power, high-density cryogenic memories has spurred new efforts to simultaneously exploit superconducting and magnetic properties so as to create novel switching elements having these two competing orders. Here we describe a reconfigurable two-layer magnetic spin valve integrated within a Josephson junction. Our measurements separate the suppression in the superconducting coupling due to the exchange field in the magnetic layers, which causes depairing of the supercurrent, from the suppression due to the stray magnetic field. The exchange field suppression of the superconducting order parameter is a tunable and switchable behaviour that is also scalable to nanometer device dimensions. These devices demonstrate non-volatile, size-independent switching of Josephson coupling, in magnitude as well as phase, and they may enable practical nanoscale superconducting memory devices.

Ferromagnets as pure spin current generators and detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Danru; Miao, Bingfeng; Chien, Chia -Ling; Huang, Ssu -Yen

2015-09-08

Provided is a spintronics device. The spintronics can include a ferromagnetic metal layer, a positive electrode disposed on a first surface portion of the ferromagnetic metal layer, and a negative electrode disposed on a second surface portion of the ferromagnetic metal.

Transparent conductors based on microscale/nanoscale materials for high performance devices

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Tongchuan

Transparent conductors are important as the top electrode for a variety of optoelectronic devices, including solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), at panel displays, and touch screens. Doped indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films are the predominant transparent conductor material. However, ITO thin films are brittle, making them unsuitable for the emerging flexible devices, and suffer from high material and processing cost. In my thesis, we developed a variety of transparent conductors toward a performance comparable with or superior to ITO thin films, with lower cost and potential for scalable manufacturing. Metal nanomesh (NM), hierarchical graphene/metal microgrid (MG), and hierarchical metal NM/MG materials were investigated. Simulation methods were used as a powerful tool to predict the transparency and sheet resistance of the transparent conductors by solving Maxwell's equations and Poisson's equation. Affordable and scalable fabrication processes were developed thereafter. Transparent conductors with over 90% transparency and less than 10 O/square sheet resistance were successfully fabricated on both rigid and flexible substrates. Durability tests, such as bending, heating and tape tests, were carried out to evaluate the robustness of the samples. Haze factor, which characterizes how blurry a transparent conductor appears, was also studied in-depth using analytical calculation and numerical simulation. We demonstrated a tunable haze factor for metal NM transparent conductors and analyzed the principle for tuning the haze factor. Plasmonic effects, excited by some transparent conductors, can lead to enhanced performance in photovoltaic devices. We systematically studied the effect of incorporating metal NM into ultrathin film silicon solar cells using numerical simulation, with the aid of optimization algorithms to reduce the optimization time. Mechanisms contributing to the enhanced performance were then identified and analyzed. Over 72% enhancement in short

A new atomic force microscopy based technique for studying nanoscale friction at high sliding velocities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tambe, Nikhil S; Bhushan, Bharat

2005-01-01

Tribological studies on the micro/nanoscale conducted using an atomic force microscope (AFM) have been limited to low sliding velocities ( -1 ) due to inherent instrument limitations. Studies of tribological properties of materials, coatings and lubricants that find applications in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems and magnetic head-media in magnetic storage devices that operate at high sliding velocities have thus been rendered inadequate. We have developed a new technique to study nanotribological properties at high sliding velocities (up to 10 mm s -1 ) by modifying the commercial AFM set-up. A custom calibrated nanopositioning piezo stage is used for mounting samples and scanning is achieved by providing a triangular input voltage pulse. A capacitive sensor feedback control system is employed to ensure a constant velocity profile during scanning. Friction data are obtained by processing the AFM laser photo-diode signals using a high sampling rate data acquisition card. The utility of the modified set-up for nanoscale friction studies at high sliding velocities is demonstrated using results obtained from various tests performed to study the effect of scan size, rest time, acceleration and velocity on the frictional force for single crystal silicon (100) with native oxide

Nanoscale form dictates mesoscale function in plasmonic DNA–nanoparticle superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, Michael B.; Ku, Jessie C.; Vaccarezza, Victoria M.; Schatz, George C.; Mirkin , Chad A. (NWU)

2016-06-15

The nanoscale manipulation of matter allows properties to be created in a material that would be difficult or even impossible to achieve in the bulk state. Progress towards such functional nanoscale architectures requires the development of methods to precisely locate nanoscale objects in three dimensions and for the formation of rigorous structure–function relationships across multiple size regimes (beginning from the nanoscale). Here, we use DNA as a programmable ligand to show that two- and three-dimensional mesoscale superlattice crystals with precisely engineered optical properties can be assembled from the bottom up. The superlattices can transition from exhibiting the properties of the constituent plasmonic nanoparticles to adopting the photonic properties defined by the mesoscale crystal (here a rhombic dodecahedron) by controlling the spacing between the gold nanoparticle building blocks. Furthermore, we develop a generally applicable theoretical framework that illustrates how crystal habit can be a design consideration for controlling far-field extinction and light confinement in plasmonic metamaterial superlattices.

Tribology of Si/SiO2 in humid air: transition from severe chemical wear to wearless behavior at nanoscale.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lei; He, Hongtu; Wang, Xiaodong; Kim, Seong H; Qian, Linmao

2015-01-13

Wear at sliding interfaces of silicon is a main cause for material loss in nanomanufacturing and device failure in microelectromechanical system (MEMS) applications. However, a comprehensive understanding of the nanoscale wear mechanisms of silicon in ambient conditions is still lacking. Here, we report the chemical wear of single crystalline silicon, a material used for micro/nanoscale devices, in humid air under the contact pressure lower than the material hardness. A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the wear track confirmed that the wear of silicon in humid conditions originates from surface reactions without significant subsurface damages such as plastic deformation or fracture. When rubbed with a SiO2 ball, the single crystalline silicon surface exhibited transitions from severe wear in intermediate humidity to nearly wearless states at two opposite extremes: (a) low humidity and high sliding speed conditions and (b) high humidity and low speed conditions. These transitions suggested that at the sliding interfaces of Si/SiO2 at least two different tribochemical reactions play important roles. One would be the formation of a strong "hydrogen bonding bridge" between hydroxyl groups of two sliding interfaces and the other the removal of hydroxyl groups from the SiO2 surface. The experimental data indicated that the dominance of each reaction varies with the ambient humidity and sliding speed.

Scanning-SQUID investigation of spin-orbit torque acting on yttrium iron garnet devices

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Aaron J.; Jermain, Colin L.; Aradhya, Sriharsha V.; Brangham, Jack T.; Nowack, Katja C.; Kirtley, John R.; Yang, Fengyuan; Ralph, Daniel C.; Moler, Kathryn A.

Successful manipulation of electrically insulating magnets, such as yttrium iron garnet, by by current-driven spin-orbit torques could provide a highly efficient platform for spintronic memory. Compared to devices fabricated using magnetic metals, magnetic insulators have the advantage of the ultra-low magnetic damping and the elimination of shunting currents in the magnet that reduce the torque efficiency. Here, we apply current in the spin Hall metal β-Ta to manipulate the magnetic orientation of micron-sized, electrically-insulating yttrium iron garnet devices. We do not observe spin-torque switching even for applied currents well above the critical current expected in a macrospin switching model. This suggests either inefficient transfer of spin torque at our Ta/YIG interface or a breakdown of the macrospin approximation. This work is supported by FAME, one of six centers of STARnet sponsored by MARCO and DARPA. The SQUID microscope and sensors were developed with support from the NSF-sponsored Center NSF-NSEC 0830228, and from NSF IMR-MIP 0957616.

Nanoscale chemical state analysis of resistance random access memory device reacting with Ti

Science.gov (United States)

Shima, Hisashi; Nakano, Takashi; Akinaga, Hiro

2010-05-01

The thermal stability of the resistance random access memory material in the reducing atmosphere at the elevated temperature was improved by the addition of Ti. The unipolar resistance switching before and after the postdeposition annealing (PDA) process at 400 °C was confirmed in Pt/CoO/Ti(5 nm)/Pt device, while the severe degradation of the initial resistance occurs in the Pt/CoO/Pt and Pt/CoO/Ti(50 nm)/Pt devices. By investigating the chemical bonding states of Co, O, and Ti using electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with transmission electron microscopy, it was revealed that excess Ti induces the formation of metallic Co, while the thermal stability was improved by trace Ti. Moreover, it was indicated that the filamentary conduction path can be thermally induced after PDA in the oxide layer by analyzing electrical properties of the degraded devices. The adjustment of the reducing elements is quite essential in order to participate in their profits.

Nanoscale organic ferroelectric resistive switches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khikhlovskyi, V.; Wang, R.; Breemen, A.J.J.M. van; Gelinck, G.H.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Kemerink, M.

2014-01-01

Organic ferroelectric resistive switches function by grace of nanoscale phase separation in a blend of a semiconducting and a ferroelectric polymer that is sandwiched between metallic electrodes. In this work, various scanning probe techniques are combined with numerical modeling to unravel their

Bio-Conjugates for Nanoscale Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villadsen, Klaus

Bio-conjugates for Nanoscale Applications is the title of this thesis, which covers three different projects in chemical bio-conjugation research, namely synthesis and applications of: Lipidated fluorescent peptides, carbohydrate oxime-azide linkers and N-aryl O-R2 oxyamine derivatives. Lipidated...

Spin-current diode with a ferromagnetic semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Qing-Feng; Xie, X. C.

2015-01-01

Diode is a key device in electronics: the charge current can flow through the device under a forward bias, while almost no current flows under a reverse bias. Here, we propose a corresponding device in spintronics: the spin-current diode, in which the forward spin current is large but the reversed one is negligible. We show that the lead/ferromagnetic quantum dot/lead system and the lead/ferromagnetic semiconductor/lead junction can work as spin-current diodes. The spin-current diode, a low dissipation device, may have important applications in spintronics, as the conventional charge-current diode does in electronics

Scanning nanoscale multiprobes for conductivity measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøggild, Peter; Hansen, Torben Mikael; Kuhn, Oliver

2000-01-01

We report fabrication and measurements with two- and four-point probes with nanoscale dimensions, for high spatial resolution conductivity measurements on surfaces and thin films. By combination of conventional microfabrication and additive three-dimensional nanolithography, we have obtained...... electrode spacings down to 200 nm. At the tips of four silicon oxide microcantilevers, narrow carbon tips are grown in converging directions and subsequently coated with a conducting layer. The probe is placed in contact with a conducting surface, whereby the electrode resistance can be determined....... The nanoelectrodes withstand considerable contact force before breaking. The probe offers a unique possibility to position the voltage sensors, as well as the source and drain electrodes in areas of nanoscale dimensions. ©2000 American Institute of Physics....

Charge separation at nanoscale interfaces: energy-level alignment including two-quasiparticle interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huashan; Lin, Zhibin; Lusk, Mark T; Wu, Zhigang

2014-10-21

The universal and fundamental criteria for charge separation at interfaces involving nanoscale materials are investigated. In addition to the single-quasiparticle excitation, all the two-quasiparticle effects including exciton binding, Coulomb stabilization, and exciton transfer are considered, which play critical roles on nanoscale interfaces for optoelectronic applications. We propose a scheme allowing adding these two-quasiparticle interactions on top of the single-quasiparticle energy level alignment for determining and illuminating charge separation at nanoscale interfaces. Employing the many-body perturbation theory based on Green's functions, we quantitatively demonstrate that neglecting or simplifying these crucial two-quasiparticle interactions using less accurate methods is likely to predict qualitatively incorrect charge separation behaviors at nanoscale interfaces where quantum confinement dominates.

Nanoscale deformation measurements for reliability assessment of material interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Jürgen; Gollhardt, Astrid; Vogel, Dietmar; Michel, Bernd

2006-03-01

With the development and application of micro/nano electronic mechanical systems (MEMS, NEMS) for a variety of market segments new reliability issues will arise. The understanding of material interfaces is the key for a successful design for reliability of MEMS/NEMS and sensor systems. Furthermore in the field of BIOMEMS newly developed advanced materials and well known engineering materials are combined despite of fully developed reliability concepts for such devices and components. In addition the increasing interface-to volume ratio in highly integrated systems and nanoparticle filled materials are challenges for experimental reliability evaluation. New strategies for reliability assessment on the submicron scale are essential to fulfil the needs of future devices. In this paper a nanoscale resolution experimental method for the measurement of thermo-mechanical deformation at material interfaces is introduced. The determination of displacement fields is based on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) data. In-situ SPM scans of the analyzed object (i.e. material interface) are carried out at different thermo-mechanical load states. The obtained images are compared by grayscale cross correlation algorithms. This allows the tracking of local image patterns of the analyzed surface structure. The measurement results are full-field displacement fields with nanometer resolution. With the obtained data the mixed mode type of loading at material interfaces can be analyzed with highest resolution for future needs in micro system and nanotechnology.

Exploring Ultimate Water Capillary Evaporation in Nanoscale Conduits.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yinxiao; Alibakhshi, Mohammad Amin; Zhao, Yihong; Duan, Chuanhua

2017-08-09

Capillary evaporation in nanoscale conduits is an efficient heat/mass transfer strategy that has been widely utilized by both nature and mankind. Despite its broad impact, the ultimate transport limits of capillary evaporation in nanoscale conduits, governed by the evaporation/condensation kinetics at the liquid-vapor interface, have remained poorly understood. Here we report experimental study of the kinetic limits of water capillary evaporation in two dimensional nanochannels using a novel hybrid channel design. Our results show that the kinetic-limited evaporation fluxes break down the limits predicated by the classical Hertz-Knudsen equation by an order of magnitude, reaching values up to 37.5 mm/s with corresponding heat fluxes up to 8500 W/cm 2 . The measured evaporation flux increases with decreasing channel height and relative humidity but decreases as the channel temperature decreases. Our findings have implications for further understanding evaporation at the nanoscale and developing capillary evaporation-based technologies for both energy- and bio-related applications.

Half metallic ferromagnet Pr_0_._9_5Mn_0_._9_3_9O_3 for spin based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santhosh Kumar, B.; Praveen Shankar, N.; Venkateswaran, C.; Manimuthu, P.

2016-01-01

Half Metallic Ferromagnets (HMF) are excellent candidates for spintronics devices due to their unusual 3d and 4s bands. Band theory and first principles calculations strongly predict that Pr based compounds are promising HMF candidates due to their spin hybridisation. Among all Pr based HMF, Pr_0_._9_5Mn_0_._9_3_9O_3 is special because of its pervoskite structure. The different oxidation states of Mn and Pr will enhance the hybridisation of 3d and 4f bands. The present study is experimental effort on the preparation of Pr based compounds

High efficiency polymer solar cells with vertically modulated nanoscale morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Ankit; Hong Ziruo; Yang Yang; Li Gang

2009-01-01

Nanoscale morphology has been shown to be a critical parameter governing charge transport properties of polymer bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. Recent results on vertical phase separation have intensified the research on 3D morphology control. In this paper, we intend to modify the distribution of donors and acceptors in a classical BHJ polymer solar cell by making the active layer richer in donors and acceptors near the anode and cathode respectively. Here, we chose [6,6]-phenyl- C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) to be the acceptor material to be thermally deposited on top of [poly(3-hexylthiophene)] P3HT: the PCBM active layer to achieve a vertical composition gradient in the BHJ structure. Here we report on a solar cell with enhanced power conversion efficiency of 4.5% which can be directly correlated with the decrease in series resistance of the device.

Nano-Scale Positioning Design with Piezoelectric Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yung Yue Chen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectric materials naturally possess high potential to deliver nano-scale positioning resolution; hence, they are adopted in a variety of engineering applications widely. Unfortunately, unacceptable positioning errors always appear because of the natural hysteresis effect of the piezoelectric materials. This natural property must be mitigated in practical applications. For solving this drawback, a nonlinear positioning design is proposed in this article. This nonlinear positioning design of piezoelectric materials is realized by the following four steps: 1. The famous Bouc–Wen model is utilized to present the input and output behaviors of piezoelectric materials; 2. System parameters of the Bouc–Wen model that describe the characteristics of piezoelectric materials are simultaneously identified with the particle swam optimization method; 3. Stability verification for the identified Bouc–Wen model; 4. A nonlinear feedback linearization control design is derived for the nano-scale positioning design of the piezoelectric material, mathematically. One important contribution of this investigation is that the positioning error between the output displacement of the controlled piezoelectric materials and the desired trajectory in nano-scale level can be proven to converge to zero asymptotically, under the effect of the hysteresis.

Static electric field enhancement in nanoscale structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lepetit, Bruno, E-mail: bruno.lepetit@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr; Lemoine, Didier, E-mail: didier.lemoine@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr [Université de Toulouse, UPS, Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité, IRSAMC, F-31062 Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR 5589, F-31062 Toulouse (France); Márquez-Mijares, Maykel, E-mail: mmarquez@instec.cu [Université de Toulouse, UPS, Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité, IRSAMC, F-31062 Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR 5589, F-31062 Toulouse (France); Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Avenida Salvador Allende 1110, Quinta de los Molinos, La Habana (Cuba)

2016-08-28

We study the effect of local atomic- and nano-scale protrusions on field emission and, in particular, on the local field enhancement which plays a key role as known from the Fowler-Nordheim model of electronic emission. We study atomic size defects which consist of right angle steps forming an infinite length staircase on a tungsten surface. This structure is embedded in a 1 GV/m ambient electrostatic field. We perform calculations based upon density functional theory in order to characterize the total and induced electronic densities as well as the local electrostatic fields taking into account the detailed atomic structure of the metal. We show how the results must be processed to become comparable with those of a simple homogeneous tungsten sheet electrostatic model. We also describe an innovative procedure to extrapolate our results to nanoscale defects of larger sizes, which relies on the microscopic findings to guide, tune, and improve the homogeneous metal model, thus gaining predictive power. Furthermore, we evidence analytical power laws for the field enhancement characterization. The main physics-wise outcome of this analysis is that limited field enhancement is to be expected from atomic- and nano-scale defects.

Nanoscale chirality in metal and semiconductor nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Jatish; Thomas, K George; Liz-Marzán, Luis M

2016-10-18

The field of chirality has recently seen a rejuvenation due to the observation of chirality in inorganic nanomaterials. The advancements in understanding the origin of nanoscale chirality and the potential applications of chiroptical nanomaterials in the areas of optics, catalysis and biosensing, among others, have opened up new avenues toward new concepts and design of novel materials. In this article, we review the concept of nanoscale chirality in metal nanoclusters and semiconductor quantum dots, then focus on recent experimental and theoretical advances in chiral metal nanoparticles and plasmonic chirality. Selected examples of potential applications and an outlook on the research on chiral nanomaterials are additionally provided.

Nanoscale nuclei in phase change materials: Origin of different crystallization mechanisms of Ge2Sb2Te5 and AgInSbTe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Bong-Sub; Bogle, Stephanie N.; Darmawikarta, Kristof; Abelson, John R.; Shelby, Robert M.; Retter, Charles T.; Burr, Geoffrey W.; Raoux, Simone; Bishop, Stephen G.

2014-01-01

Phase change memory devices are based on the rapid and reversible amorphous-to-crystalline transformations of phase change materials, such as Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 and AgInSbTe. Since the maximum switching speed of these devices is typically limited by crystallization speed, understanding the crystallization process is of crucial importance. While Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 and AgInSbTe show very different crystallization mechanisms from their melt-quenched states, the nanostructural origin of this difference has not been clearly demonstrated. Here, we show that an amorphous state includes different sizes and number of nanoscale nuclei, after thermal treatment such as melt-quenching or furnace annealing is performed. We employ fluctuation transmission electron microscopy to detect nanoscale nuclei embedded in amorphous materials, and use a pump-probe laser technique and atomic force microscopy to study the kinetics of nucleation and growth. We confirm that melt-quenched amorphous Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 includes considerably larger and more quenched-in nuclei than its as-deposited state, while melt-quenched AgInSbTe does not, and explain this contrast by the different ratio between quenching time and nucleation time in these materials. In addition to providing insights to the crystallization process in these technologically important devices, this study presents experimental illustrations of temperature-dependence of nucleation rate and growth speed, which was predicted by theory of phase transformation but rarely demonstrated

Water soluble nano-scale transient material germanium oxide for zero toxic waste based environmentally benign nano-manufacturing

KAUST Repository

Almuslem, A. S.

2017-02-14

In the recent past, with the advent of transient electronics for mostly implantable and secured electronic applications, the whole field effect transistor structure has been dissolved in a variety of chemicals. Here, we show simple water soluble nano-scale (sub-10 nm) germanium oxide (GeO) as the dissolvable component to remove the functional structures of metal oxide semiconductor devices and then reuse the expensive germanium substrate again for functional device fabrication. This way, in addition to transiency, we also show an environmentally friendly manufacturing process for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Every year, trillions of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics are manufactured and billions are disposed, which extend the harmful impact to our environment. Therefore, this is a key study to show a pragmatic approach for water soluble high performance electronics for environmentally friendly manufacturing and bioresorbable electronic applications.

Self-Consistent Monte Carlo Study of the Coulomb Interaction under Nano-Scale Device Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, Nobuyuki

2011-03-01

It has been pointed that the Coulomb interaction between the electrons is expected to be of crucial importance to predict reliable device characteristics. In particular, the device performance is greatly degraded due to the plasmon excitation represented by dynamical potential fluctuations in high-doped source and drain regions by the channel electrons. We employ the self-consistent 3D Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, which could reproduce both the correct mobility under various electron concentrations and the collective plasma waves, to study the physical impact of dynamical potential fluctuations on device performance under the Double-gate MOSFETs. The average force experienced by an electron due to the Coulomb interaction inside the device is evaluated by performing the self-consistent MC simulations and the fixed-potential MC simulations without the Coulomb interaction. Also, the band-tailing associated with the local potential fluctuations in high-doped source region is quantitatively evaluated and it is found that the band-tailing becomes strongly dependent of position in real space even inside the uniform source region. This work was partially supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research B (No. 2160160) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan.

Nanoscale volcanoes: accretion of matter at ion-sculpted nanopores.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsui, Toshiyuki; Stein, Derek; Kim, Young-Rok; Hoogerheide, David; Golovchenko, J A

2006-01-27

We demonstrate the formation of nanoscale volcano-like structures induced by ion-beam irradiation of nanoscale pores in freestanding silicon nitride membranes. Accreted matter is delivered to the volcanoes from micrometer distances along the surface. Volcano formation accompanies nanopore shrinking and depends on geometrical factors and the presence of a conducting layer on the membrane's back surface. We argue that surface electric fields play an important role in accounting for the experimental observations.

Science and technology on the nanoscale with swift heavy ions in matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neumann, Reinhard, E-mail: r.neumann@gsi.de

2013-11-01

Swift heavy ions have stimulated developments of science and technology on the nanoscale due to the specific manner of transferring their kinetic energy in a solid successively in small portions along their trajectories. They thus create absolutely straight, almost cylindrical, and very narrow damage trails of diameter 5–10 nm. In various materials, such as polymers, a suitable etchant can transform these tracks into narrow channels of cylindrical, conical, or other desired shapes. These channels represent a starting point particularly for two major fields: they can be chemically modified to control small species and act, e.g., as sensors and transmitters of specific biomolecules. Irradiation of a sample with only one heavy ion allows the fabrication of single-nanochannel devices enabling measurements of enormous sensitivity. Filling nanochannels with a material provides nanowires. These objects of restricted dimensions exhibit finite-size and quantum behavior and give rise to a broad range of fundamental and applied research. This contribution briefly recollects microtechnological achievements with swift heavy ions that began already in the 1970s, preparing the ground for gradual size decrease down to the nanoscopic objects now under study. Various examples of material modifications on the nanoscale are presented, including recent results obtained with nanochannels and nanowires. Emerging developments are addressed, encompassing in situ recording of processes in biological cells stimulated by well-aimed ion irradiation, the fabrication of three-dimensional nanowire architectures, and plasmonic effects in nanowires.

Phototoxicity and Dosimetry of Nano-scale Titanium Dioxide in Aquatic Organisms

Science.gov (United States)

We have been testing nanoscale TiO2 (primarily Evonik P25) in acute exposures to identify and quantify its phototoxicity under solar simulated radiation (SSR), and to develop dose metrics reflective of both nano-scale properties and the photon component of its potency. Several e...

Nanoscale footprints of self-running gallium droplets on GaAs surface.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Wu

Full Text Available In this work, the nanoscale footprints of self-driven liquid gallium droplet movement on a GaAs (001 surface will be presented and analyzed. The nanoscale footprints of a primary droplet trail and ordered secondary droplets along primary droplet trails are observed on the GaAs surface. A well ordered nanoterrace from the trail is left behind by a running droplet. In addition, collision events between two running droplets are investigated. The exposed fresh surface after a collision demonstrates a superior evaporation property. Based on the observation of droplet evolution at different stages as well as nanoscale footprints, a schematic diagram of droplet evolution is outlined in an attempt to understand the phenomenon of stick-slip droplet motion on the GaAs surface. The present study adds another piece of work to obtain the physical picture of a stick-slip self-driven mechanism in nanoscale, bridging nano and micro systems.

Tuning spin-polarized transport in organic semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Mattana, Richard; Galbiati, Marta; Delprat, Sophie; Tatay, Sergio; Deranlot, Cyrile; Seneor, Pierre; Petroff, Frederic

Molecular spintronics is an emerging research field at the frontier between organic chemistry and the spintronics. Compared to traditional inorganic materials molecules are flexible and can be easily tailored by chemical synthesis. Due to their theoretically expected very long spin lifetime, they were first only seen as the ultimate media for spintronics devices. It was recently that new spintronics tailoring could arise from the chemical versatility brought by molecules. The hybridization between a ferromagnet and molecules induces a spin dependent broadening and energy shifting of the molecular orbitals leading to an induced spin polarization on the first molecular layer. This spin dependent hybridization can be used to tailor the spin dependent transport in organic spintronics devices. We have studied vertical Co/Alq3/Co organic spin valves. The negative magnetoresistance observed is the signature of different coupling strengths at the top and bottom interfaces. We have then inserted an inorganic tunnel barrier at the bottom interface in order to suppress the spin-dependent hybridization. In this case we restore a positive magnetoresistance. This demonstrates that at the bottom Co/Alq3 interface a stronger coupling occurs which induces an inversion of the spin polarization.

Nanoscale Characterization for the Classroom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, D.L.

1999-01-01

This report describes the development of a semester course in 'nano-scale characterization'. The interdisciplinary course is opened to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a standard undergraduate preparation in Materials Science, Chemistry, or Physics. The approach is formal rather than the typical 'research seminar' and has a laboratory component

The nanoscale organization of the B lymphocyte membrane☆

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Palash Chandra; Yang, Jianying; Klaesener, Kathrin; Reth, Michael

2015-01-01

The fluid mosaic model of Singer and Nicolson correctly predicted that the plasma membrane (PM) forms a lipid bi-layer containing many integral trans-membrane proteins. This model also suggested that most of these proteins were randomly dispersed and freely diffusing moieties. Initially, this view of a dynamic and rather unorganized membrane was supported by early observations of the cell surfaces using the light microscope. However, recent studies on the PM below the diffraction limit of visible light (~ 250 nm) revealed that, at nanoscale dimensions, membranes are highly organized and compartmentalized structures. Lymphocytes are particularly useful to study this nanoscale membrane organization because they grow as single cells and are not permanently engaged in cell:cell contacts within a tissue that can influence membrane organization. In this review, we describe the methods that can be used to better study the protein:protein interaction and nanoscale organization of lymphocyte membrane proteins, with a focus on the B cell antigen receptor (BCR). Furthermore, we discuss the factors that may generate and maintain these membrane structures. PMID:25450974