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Sample records for self-assembled inas quantum

  1. Spin effects in InAs self-assembled quantum dots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brasil Maria

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We have studied the polarized resolved photoluminescence in an n-type resonant tunneling diode (RTD of GaAs/AlGaAs which incorporates a layer of InAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs in the center of a GaAs quantum well (QW. We have observed that the QD circular polarization degree depends on applied voltage and light intensity. Our results are explained in terms of the tunneling of minority carriers into the QW, carrier capture by InAs QDs and bias-controlled density of holes in the QW.

  2. Positioning of self-assembled InAs quantum dots by focused ion beam implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehta, M.

    2007-01-01

    Self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) are envisioned as building blocks for realization of novel nanoelectronic devices, for which the site-selective growth is highly desirable. This thesis presents a successful route toward selective positioning of self-assembled InAs QDs on patterned GaAs surface by combination of in situ focused ion beam (FIB) implantation and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technology. First, a buffer layer of GaAs was grown by MBE before a square array of holes with a pitch of 1-2 μm was fabricated by FIB implantation of Ga and In, ions respectively. Later, an in-situ annealing step followed by InAs deposition was performed. The InAs QDs were preferentially formed in the holes generated by FIB. The influence of ion dose, annealing parameters and InAs amount was investigated in this work. With optimized parameters, more than 50 % single dot occupancy per hole is achieved. Furthermore, the photoluminescence spectra from positioned QDs confirm their good optical quality. (orig.)

  3. The photoluminescence decay time of self-assembled InAs quantum dots covered by InGaAs layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shu, G W; Wang, C K; Wang, J S; Shen, J L; Hsiao, R S; Chou, W C; Chen, J F; Lin, T Y; Ko, C H; Lai, C M

    2006-01-01

    The temperature dependence of the time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) with InGaAs covering layers was investigated. The PL decay time increases with temperature from 50 to 170 K, and then decreases as the temperature increases further above 170 K. A model based on the phonon-assisted transition between the QD ground state and the continuum state is used to explain the temperature dependence of the PL decay time. This result suggests that the continuum states are important in the carrier capture in self-assembled InAs QDs

  4. Self-assembled InAs quantum dots formed by molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature and postgrowth annealing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhan, H.H.; Nötzel, R.; Hamhuis, G.J.; Eijkemans, T.J.; Wolter, J.H.

    2003-01-01

    Self-assembled InAs quantum dots are grown at low temperature (LT) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates. The growth is in situ monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and ex situ evaluated by atomic force microscopy for the morphological properties, and by

  5. Growth patterns of self-assembled InAs quantum dots near the two-dimensional to three-dimensional transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colocci, M.; Bogani, F.; Carraresi, L.; Mattolini, R.; Bosacchi, A.; Franchi, S.; Frigeri, P.; Rosa-Clot, M.; Taddei, S.

    1997-06-01

    Self-assembled InAs quantum dots have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy in such a way as to obtain a continuous variation of InAs coverages across the wafer. Structured photoluminescence spectra are observed after excitation of a large number of dots; deconvolution into Gaussian components yields narrow emission bands (full width at half-maximum 20-30 meV) separated in energy by an average spacing of 30-40 meV. We ascribe the individual bands of the photoluminescence spectra after low excitation to families of dots with similar shapes and with heights differing by one monolayer, as strongly supported by numerical calculations of the fundamental electronic transitions in quantum dot structures.

  6. The role of strain-driven in migration in the growth of self-assembled InAs quantum dots on InP

    CERN Document Server

    Yoon, S H; Lee, T W; Hwang, H D; Yoon, E J; Kim, Y D

    1999-01-01

    Self-assembled InAs quantum dots (SAQDs) were grown on InP by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The amount of excess InAs and the aspect ratio of the SAQD increased with temperature and V/III ratio. It is explained that the As/P exchange reaction at the surface played an important role in the kinetics of SAQD formation. Insertion of a lattice-matched InGaAs buffer layer suppressed the excess InAs formation, and lowered the aspect ratio. Moreover, the dots formed on InGaAs buffer layers were faceted, whereas those on InP were hemispherical, confirming the effect of the As/P exchange reaction. The shape of InAs quantum dots on InGaAs buffer layers was a truncated pyramid with four [136] facets and base edges parallel to directions.

  7. Growth and anisotropic transport properties of self-assembled InAs nanostructures in InP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bierwagen, O.

    2007-01-01

    Self-assembled InAs nanostructures in InP, comprising quantum wells, quantum wires, and quantum dots, are studied in terms of their formation and properties. In particular, the structural, optical, and anisotropic transport properties of the nanostructures are investigated. The focus is a comprehending exploration of the anisotropic in-plane transport in large ensembles of laterally coupled InAs nanostructures. The self-assembled Stranski-Krastanov growth of InAs nanostructures is studied by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy on both nominally oriented and vicinal InP(001). Optical polarization of the interband transitions arising from the nanostructure type is demonstrated by photoluminescence and transmission spectroscopy. The experimentally convenient four-contact van der Pauw Hall measurement of rectangularly shaped semiconductors, usually applied to isotropic systems, is extended to yield the anisotropic transport properties. Temperature dependent transport measurements are performed in large ensembles of laterally closely spaced nanostructures. The transport of quantum wire-, quantum dash- and quantum dot containing samples is highly anisotropic with the principal axes of conductivity aligned to the directions. The direction of higher mobility is [ anti 110], which is parallel to the direction of the quantum wires. In extreme cases, the anisotropies exceed 30 for electrons, and 100 for holes. The extreme anisotropy for holes is due to diffusive transport through extended states in the [ anti 110], and hopping transport through laterally localized states in the [110] direction, within the same sample. A novel 5-terminal electronic switching device based on gate-controlled transport anisotropy is proposed. The gate-control of the transport anisotropy in modulation-doped, self-organized InAs quantum wires embedded in InP is demonstrated. (orig.)

  8. Growth and anisotropic transport properties of self-assembled InAs nanostructures in InP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bierwagen, O.

    2007-12-20

    Self-assembled InAs nanostructures in InP, comprising quantum wells, quantum wires, and quantum dots, are studied in terms of their formation and properties. In particular, the structural, optical, and anisotropic transport properties of the nanostructures are investigated. The focus is a comprehending exploration of the anisotropic in-plane transport in large ensembles of laterally coupled InAs nanostructures. The self-assembled Stranski-Krastanov growth of InAs nanostructures is studied by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy on both nominally oriented and vicinal InP(001). Optical polarization of the interband transitions arising from the nanostructure type is demonstrated by photoluminescence and transmission spectroscopy. The experimentally convenient four-contact van der Pauw Hall measurement of rectangularly shaped semiconductors, usually applied to isotropic systems, is extended to yield the anisotropic transport properties. Temperature dependent transport measurements are performed in large ensembles of laterally closely spaced nanostructures. The transport of quantum wire-, quantum dash- and quantum dot containing samples is highly anisotropic with the principal axes of conductivity aligned to the <110> directions. The direction of higher mobility is [ anti 110], which is parallel to the direction of the quantum wires. In extreme cases, the anisotropies exceed 30 for electrons, and 100 for holes. The extreme anisotropy for holes is due to diffusive transport through extended states in the [ anti 110], and hopping transport through laterally localized states in the [110] direction, within the same sample. A novel 5-terminal electronic switching device based on gate-controlled transport anisotropy is proposed. The gate-control of the transport anisotropy in modulation-doped, self-organized InAs quantum wires embedded in InP is demonstrated. (orig.)

  9. Magnetic-field-induced Fermi-edge singularity in the tunneling current through an InAs self-assembled quantum dot

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanin, Yu. N.; Vdovin, E. E.; Eaves, L.; Larkin, I. A.; Patane, A.; Makarovskii, O. N.; Henini, M.

    2007-01-01

    The results of the investigation of tunneling transport through a GaAs/(AlGa)As/GaAs single-barrier heterostructure containing InAs self-assembled quantum dots at low temperatures are reported. An anomalous increase in the tunneling current through the quantum dots has been observed in the presence of a magnetic field both parallel and perpendicular to the current. This increase is a manifestation of a Fermi-edge singularity appearing in the current due to the interaction of a tunneling electron with the electron gas in an emitter

  10. Characterization of multilayer self-organized InAs quantum dot embedded waveguides at 1.3 and 1.5 μm

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akca, I.B.; Dana, A.; Aydinli, A.; Rossetti, M.; Li, L.; Fiore, A.; Dagli, N.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, we characterized the electro-optic coefficient and loss of multilayer InAs quantum dot laser structures at 1309 and 1515 nm. Quantum dot waveguides were grown by molecular beam epitaxy, where the active region is formed by three or five layers of self-assembled InAs QDs. Loss

  11. Transformation of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum dots into quantum rings without capping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sormunen, Jaakko; Riikonen, Juha; Mattila, Marco; Tiilikainen, Jouni; Sopanen, Markku; Lipsanen, Harri

    2005-08-01

    Transformation of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) on InP(100) into quantum rings (QRs) is studied. In contrast to the typical approach to III--V semiconductor QR growth, the QDs are not capped to form rings. Atomic force micrographs reveal a drastic change from InAs QDs into rings after a growth interruption in tertiarybutylphosphine ambient. Strain energy relief in the InAs QD is discussed and a mechanism for dot-to-ring transformation by As/P exchange reactions is proposed.

  12. GaAs structures with InAs and As quantum dots produced in a single molecular beam epitaxy process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nevedomskii, V. N.; Bert, N. A.; Chaldyshev, V. V.; Preobrazhenskii, V. V.; Putyato, M. A.; Semyagin, B. R.

    2009-01-01

    Epitaxial GaAs layers containing InAs semiconductor quantum dots and As metal quantum dots are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The InAs quantum dots are formed by the Stranskii-Krastanow mechanism, whereas the As quantum dots are self-assembled in the GaAs layer grown at low temperature with a large As excess. The microstructure of the samples is studied by transmission electron microscopy. It is established that the As metal quantum dots formed in the immediate vicinity of the InAs semiconductor quantum dots are larger in size than the As quantum dots formed far from the InAs quantum dots. This is apparently due to the effect of strain fields of the InAs quantum dots upon the self-assembling of As quantum dots. Another phenomenon apparently associated with local strains around the InAs quantum dots is the formation of V-like defects (stacking faults) during the overgrowth of the InAs quantum dots with the GaAs layer by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy. Such defects have a profound effect on the self-assembling of As quantum dots. Specifically, on high-temperature annealing needed for the formation of large-sized As quantum dots by Ostwald ripening, the V-like defects bring about the dissolution of the As quantum dots in the vicinity of the defects. In this case, excess arsenic most probably diffuses towards the open surface of the sample via the channels of accelerated diffusion in the planes of stacking faults.

  13. Designing spatial correlation of quantum dots: towards self-assembled three-dimensional structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bortoleto, J R R; Zelcovit, J G; Gutierrez, H R; Bettini, J; Cotta, M A

    2008-01-01

    Buried two-dimensional arrays of InP dots were used as a template for the lateral ordering of self-assembled quantum dots. The template strain field can laterally organize compressive (InAs) as well as tensile (GaP) self-assembled nanostructures in a highly ordered square lattice. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the InAs dots are vertically correlated to the InP template, while the GaP dots are vertically anti-correlated, nucleating in the position between two buried InP dots. Finite InP dot size effects are observed to originate InAs clustering but do not affect GaP dot nucleation. The possibility of bilayer formation with different vertical correlations suggests a new path for obtaining three-dimensional pseudocrystals

  14. Height control of self-assembled quantum dots by strain engineering during capping

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grossi, D.; Smereka, P.; Keizer, J.G.; Ulloa, J.M.; Koenraad, P.M.

    2014-01-01

    Strain engineering during the capping of III-V quantum dots has been explored as a means to control the height of strained self-assembled quantum dots. Results of Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are confronted with cross-sectional Scanning Tunnel Microscopy (STM) measurements performed on InAs

  15. Cathodoluminescence imaging and spectroscopy of excited states in InAs self-assembled quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khatsevich, S.; Rich, D.H.; Kim, Eui-Tae; Madhukar, A.

    2005-01-01

    We have examined state filling and thermal activation of carriers in buried InAs self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) with excitation-dependent cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and spectroscopy. The InAs SAQDs were formed during molecular-beam epitaxial growth of InAs on undoped planar GaAs (001). The intensities of the ground- and excited-state transitions were analyzed as a function of temperature and excitation density to study the thermal activation and reemission of carriers. The thermal activation energies associated with the thermal quenching of the luminescence were measured for ground- and excited-state transitions of the SAQDs, as a function of excitation density. By comparing these activation energies with the ground- and excited-state transition energies, we have considered various processes that describe the reemission of carriers. Thermal quenching of the intensity of the QD ground- and first excited-state transitions at low excitations in the ∼230-300-K temperature range is attributed to dissociation of excitons from the QD states into the InAs wetting layer. At high excitations, much lower activation energies of the ground and excited states are obtained, suggesting that thermal reemission of single holes from QD states into the GaAs matrix is responsible for the observed temperature dependence of the QD luminescence in the ∼230-300-K temperature range. The dependence of the CL intensity of the ground-and first excited-state transition on excitation density was shown to be linear at all temperatures at low-excitation density. This result can be understood by considering that carriers escape and are recaptured as excitons or correlated electron-hole pairs. At sufficiently high excitations, state-filling and spatial smearing effects are observed together with a sublinear dependence of the CL intensity on excitation. Successive filling of the ground and excited states in adjacent groups of QDs that possess different size distributions is assumed to

  16. Isolated self-assembled InAs/InP(001) quantum wires obtained by controlling the growth front evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuster, David; Alen, Benito; Gonzalez, Luisa; Gonzalez, Yolanda; Martinez-Pastor, Juan; Gonzalez, Maria Ujue; GarcIa, Jorge M

    2007-01-01

    In this work we explore the first stages of quantum wire (QWR) formation studying the evolution of the growth front for InAs coverages below the critical thickness, θ c , determined by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Our results obtained by in situ measurement of the accumulated stress evolution during InAs growth on InP(001) show that the relaxation process starts at a certain InAs coverage θ R c . At this θ R , the spontaneous formation of isolated quantum wires takes place. For θ>θ R this ensemble of isolated nanostructures progressively evolves towards QWRs that cover the whole surface for θ θ c . These results allow for a better understanding of the self-assembling process of QWRs and enable the study of the individual properties of InAs/InP self-assembled single quantum wires

  17. Atomic-scale structure and formation of self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum rings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Offermans, P.; Koenraad, P.M.; Wolter, J.H.; Granados, D.; Garcia, J.M.; Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Devreese, J.T.

    2006-01-01

    The authors present an at.-scale anal. of the In distribution of self-assembled (In,Ga)As quantum rings (QRs), which are formed from InAs quantum dots by capping with a thin layer of GaAs and subsequent annealing. The size and shape of QRs as obsd. by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy

  18. Growth of InAs Quantum Dots on Germanium Substrate Using Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tyagi Renu

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs were grown on germanium substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique. Effects of growth temperature and InAs coverage on the size, density, and height of quantum dots were investigated. Growth temperature was varied from 400 to 450 °C and InAs coverage was varied between 1.40 and 2.35 monolayers (MLs. The surface morphology and structural characteristics of the quantum dots analyzed by atomic force microscope revealed that the density of the InAs quantum dots first increased and then decreased with the amount of InAs coverage; whereas density decreased with increase in growth temperature. It was observed that the size and height of InAs quantum dots increased with increase in both temperature and InAs coverage. The density of QDs was effectively controlled by growth temperature and InAs coverage on GaAs buffer layer.

  19. Pressure dependence of photoluminescence of InAs/InP self-assembled quantum wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz-Castillo, M.; Segura, A.; Sans, J.A.; Martinez-Pastor, J.; Fuster, D.; Gonzalez, Y.; Gonzalez, L.

    2007-01-01

    This paper investigates the electronic structure of self-assembled InAs quantum wires (QWrs), grown under different conditions by molecular beam epitaxy on InP, by means of photoluminescence measurements under pressure. In samples with regularly distributed QWrs, room pressure photoluminescence spectra consist of a broad band centred at about 0.85 eV, which can be easily de-convoluted in a few Gaussian peaks. In samples with isolated QWrs, photoluminescence spectra exhibit up to four clearly resolved bands. Applying hydrostatic pressure, the whole emission band monotonously shifts towards higher photon energies with pressure coefficients ranging from 72 to 98 meV/GPa. In contrast to InAs quantum dots on GaAs, quantum wires photoluminescence is observed up to 10 GPa, indicating that InAs QWrs are metastable well above pressure at which bulk InAs undergoes a phase transition to the rock-salt phase (7 GPa). (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Atomic-scale structure of self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum rings in GaAs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Offermans, P.; Koenraad, P.M.; Wolter, J.H.; Granados, D.; Garcia, J.M.; Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Devreese, J.T.

    2005-01-01

    We present an atomic-scale analysis of the indium distribution of self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum rings (QRs) which are formed from InAs quantum dots by capping with a thin layer of GaAs and subsequent annealing. We find that the size and shape of QRs as observed by cross-sectional scanning

  1. Self-assembly of InAs and Si/Ge quantum dots on structured surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patella, F; Sgarlata, A; Arciprete, F; Nufris, S; Szkutnik, P D; Placidi, E; Fanfoni, M; Motta, N; Balzarotti, A

    2004-01-01

    We discuss the self-aggregation process of InAs and Si-Ge quantum dots (QDs) on natural and patterned GaAs(001) and Si(001) and Si(111) surfaces, with reference to our recent studies with scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy and current experimental and theoretical works. Various methods for obtaining naturally structured surfaces are briefly surveyed, as the patterning formed by the surface instability and by the strain in mismatched heteroepitaxy, and the latest methods of pre-patterning and growth at selected sites are discussed. Basic topics are also addressed that determine the final morphology of QDs, such as the wetting layer formation, the elastic strain field and the two-dimensional to three-dimensional phase transition

  2. Self-Assembled InAs Nanowires as Optical Reflectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Floris

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Subwavelength nanostructured surfaces are realized with self-assembled vertically-aligned InAs nanowires, and their functionalities as optical reflectors are investigated. In our system, polarization-resolved specular reflectance displays strong modulations as a function of incident photon energy and angle. An effective-medium model allows one to rationalize the experimental findings in the long wavelength regime, whereas numerical simulations fully reproduce the experimental outcomes in the entire frequency range. The impact of the refractive index of the medium surrounding the nanostructure assembly on the reflectance was estimated. In view of the present results, sensing schemes compatible with microfluidic technologies and routes to innovative nanowire-based optical elements are discussed.

  3. Self-assembled InAs quantum dots. Properties, modification and emission processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schramm, A.

    2007-01-01

    In this thesis, structural, optical as well as electronic properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QD) were studied by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL), capacitance spectroscopy (CV) and capacitance transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The quantum dots were grown with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and embedded in Schottky diodes for electrical characterization. In this work growth aspects as well as the electronic structures of QD were discussed. By varying the QD growth parameters it is possible to control the structural, and thus the optical and electronic properties of QD. Two methods are presented. Adjusting the QD growth temperature leads either to small QD with a high areal density or to high QDs with a low density. The structural changes of the QD are reflected in the changes of the optical and electronic properties. The second method is to introduce a growth interruption after capping the QD with thin cap layers. It was shown that capping with AlAs leads to a well-developed alternative to control the QD height and thus the ground-state energies of the QD. A post-growth method modifying the QD properties ist rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Raising the RTA temperature causes a lifting of the QD energy states with respect to the GaAs band edge energy due to In/Ga intermixing processes. A further main part of this work covers the emission processes of charge carriers in QD. Thermal emission, thermally assisted tunneling, and pure tunneling emission are studied by capacitance transient spectroscopy techniques. In DLTS experiments a strong impact of the electric field on the activation energies of electrons was found interfering the correct determination of the QD level energies. This behaviour can be explained by a thermally assisted tunneling model. A modified model taking the Coulomb interaction of occupied QD into account describes the emission rates of the electrons. In order to avoid several emission pathes in the experiments

  4. Linear electro-optic coefficient in multilayer self-organized InAs quantum dot structures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akca, I.B.; Dana, A.; Aydinli, A.; Rossetti, M.; Li, L.; Dagli, N.; Fiore, A.

    2007-01-01

    The electro-optic coefficients of self-organized InAs quantum dot layers in molecular beam epitaxy grown laser structures in reverse bias have been investigated. Enhanced electrooptic coefficients compared to bulk GaAs were observed.

  5. Size quantization patterns in self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colocci, M.; Bogani, F.; Carraresi, L.; Mattolini, R.; Bosacchi, A.; Franchi, S.; Frigeri, P.; Taddei, S.; Rosa-Clot, M.

    1997-07-01

    Molecular beam epitaxy has been used for growing self-assembled InAs quantum dots. A continuous variation of the InAs average coverage across the sample has been obtained by properly aligning the (001) GaAs substrate with respect to the molecular beam. Excitation of a large number of dots (laser spot diameter ≈ 100 μm) results in structured photoluminescence spectra; a clear quantization of the dot sizes is deduced from the distinct luminescence bands separated in energy by an average spacing of 20-30 meV. We ascribe the individual bands of the photoluminescence spectrum after low excitation to families of dots with roughly the same diameter and heights differing by one monolayer.

  6. Spin interactions in InAs quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doty, M. F.; Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Scheibner, M.; Bracker, A. S.; Gammon, D.; Ponomarev, I. V.; Reinecke, T. L.; Korenev, V. L.

    2006-03-01

    Fine structure splittings in optical spectra of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) generally arise from spin interactions between particles confined in the dots. We present experimental studies of the fine structure that arises from multiple charges confined in a single dot [1] or in molecular orbitals of coupled pairs of dots. To probe the underlying spin interactions we inject particles with a known spin orientation (by using polarized light to perform photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy experiments) or use a magnetic field to orient and/or mix the spin states. We develop a model of the spin interactions that aids in the development of quantum information processing applications based on controllable interactions between spins confined to QDs. [1] Polarized Fine Structure in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectrum of a Negatively Charged Quantum Dot, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 177403 (2005)

  7. Ultrafast gain recovery and modulation limitations in self-assembled quantum-dot devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Tommy Winther; Bischoff, Svend; Magnúsdóttir, Ingibjörg

    2001-01-01

    Measurements of ultrafast gain recovery in self-assembled InAs quantum-dot (QD) amplifiers are explained by a comprehensive numerical model. The on excited state carriers are found to act as a reservoir for the optically active ground state carriers resulting in an ultrafast gain recovery as long...... as the excited state is well populated. However, when pulses are injected into the device at high-repetition frequencies, the response of a on amplifier is found to be limited by the wetting-layer dynamics....

  8. Coherent dynamics of excitons in a stack of self-assembled InAs quantum dots at 1.5-μm waveband

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishi-Hayase, J.; Akahane, K.; Yamamoto, N.; Kujiraoka, M.; Inoue, J.; Ema, K.; Tsuchiya, M.; Sasaki, M.

    2006-01-01

    We investigate the excitonic dephasing in a stack of self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) by using a four-wave-mixing (FWM) technique performed in the optical telecomm-fiber wavelength region at 6 K. A sample used in our experiment is a 150-layer stack of InAs SAQDs embedded in InGaAlAs grown on InP(3 1 1)B substrate fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy. By using a novel strain-controlled technique, the resonant wavelength of the exciton ground state (GS) ranges from 1.25 to 1.5 μm which is much longer than that in typical In(Ga)As SAQDs. In the weak excitation region, the intrinsic dephasing time of excitons at the excitation wavelength of 1.43 μm reaches 770 ps which is much longer than that in most SAQDs with the resonant wavelength of <1 μm. We also find a strong anisotoropy of the signal intensity with respect to the crystal axis attributed to the orientation of InP(3 1 1)B substrate and the elongated shape of QDs

  9. Size dependence of the wavefunction of self-assembled InAs quantum dots from time-resolved optical measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Jeppe; Stobbe, Søren; Nikolaev, Ivan S.

    2008-01-01

    and a theoretical model, we determine the striking dependence of the overlap of the electron and hole wavefunctions on the quantum dot size. We conclude that the optical quality is best for large quantum dots, which is important in order to optimally tailor quantum dot emitters for, e.g., quantum electrodynamics......The radiative and nonradiative decay rates of InAs quantum dots are measured by controlling the local density of optical states near an interface. From time-resolved measurements, we extract the oscillator strength and the quantum efficiency and their dependence on emission energy. From our results...

  10. Statistical analysis of AFM topographic images of self-assembled quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sevriuk, V. A.; Brunkov, P. N., E-mail: brunkov@mail.ioffe.ru; Shalnev, I. V.; Gutkin, A. A.; Klimko, G. V.; Gronin, S. V.; Sorokin, S. V.; Konnikov, S. G. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute (Russian Federation)

    2013-07-15

    To obtain statistical data on quantum-dot sizes, AFM topographic images of the substrate on which the dots under study are grown are analyzed. Due to the nonideality of the substrate containing height differences on the order of the size of nanoparticles at distances of 1-10 {mu}m and the insufficient resolution of closely arranged dots due to the finite curvature radius of the AFM probe, automation of the statistical analysis of their large dot array requires special techniques for processing topographic images to eliminate the loss of a particle fraction during conventional processing. As such a technique, convolution of the initial matrix of the AFM image with a specially selected matrix is used. This makes it possible to determine the position of each nanoparticle and, using the initial matrix, to measure their geometrical parameters. The results of statistical analysis by this method of self-assembled InAs quantum dots formed on the surface of an AlGaAs epitaxial layer are presented. It is shown that their concentration, average size, and half-width of height distribution depend strongly on the In flow and total amount of deposited InAs which are varied within insignificant limits.

  11. Frequency dependence of the radiative decay rate of excitons in self-assembled quantum dots: Experiment and theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stobbe, Søren; Johansen, Jeppe; Kristensen, Philip Trøst

    2009-01-01

    We analyze time-resolved spontaneous emission from excitons confined in self-assembled InAs quantum dots placed at various distances to a semiconductor-air interface. The modification of the local density of optical states due to the proximity of the interface enables unambiguous determination...... furthermore discuss three models of quantum dot strain and compare the measured wave-function overlap to these models. The observed frequency dependence of the wave-function overlap can be understood qualitatively in terms of the different compressibility of electrons and holes originating from...

  12. Two-color single-photon emission from InAs quantum dots: toward logic information management using quantum light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivas, David; Muñoz-Matutano, Guillermo; Canet-Ferrer, Josep; García-Calzada, Raúl; Trevisi, Giovanna; Seravalli, Luca; Frigeri, Paola; Martínez-Pastor, Juan P

    2014-02-12

    In this work, we propose the use of the Hanbury-Brown and Twiss interferometric technique and a switchable two-color excitation method for evaluating the exciton and noncorrelated electron-hole dynamics associated with single photon emission from indium arsenide (InAs) self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). Using a microstate master equation model we demonstrate that our single QDs are described by nonlinear exciton dynamics. The simultaneous detection of two-color, single photon emission from InAs QDs using these nonlinear dynamics was used to design a NOT AND logic transference function. This computational functionality combines the advantages of working with light/photons as input/output device parameters (all-optical system) and that of a nanodevice (QD size of ∼ 20 nm) while also providing high optical sensitivity (ultralow optical power operational requirements). These system features represent an important and interesting step toward the development of new prototypes for the incoming quantum information technologies.

  13. Adding GaAs Monolayers to InAs Quantum-Dot Lasers on (001) InP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Yueming; Chacon, Rebecca; Uhl, David; Yang, Rui

    2005-01-01

    In a modification of the basic configuration of InAs quantum-dot semiconductor lasers on (001)lnP substrate, a thin layer (typically 1 to 2 monolayer thick) of GaAs is incorporated into the active region. This modification enhances laser performance: In particular, whereas it has been necessary to cool the unmodified devices to temperatures of about 80 K in order to obtain lasing at long wavelengths, the modified devices can lase at wavelengths of about 1.7 microns or more near room temperature. InAs quantum dots self-assemble, as a consequence of the lattice mismatch, during epitaxial deposition of InAs on ln0.53Ga0.47As/lnP. In the unmodified devices, the quantum dots as thus formed are typically nonuniform in size. Strainenergy relaxation in very large quantum dots can lead to poor laser performance, especially at wavelengths near 2 microns, for which large quantum dots are needed. In the modified devices, the thin layers of GaAs added to the active regions constitute potential-energy barriers that electrons can only penetrate by quantum tunneling and thus reduce the hot carrier effects. Also, the insertion of thin GaAs layer is shown to reduce the degree of nonuniformity of sizes of the quantum dots. In the fabrication of a batch of modified InAs quantum-dot lasers, the thin additional layer of GaAs is deposited as an interfacial layer in an InGaAs quantum well on (001) InP substrate. The device as described thus far is sandwiched between InGaAsPy waveguide layers, then further sandwiched between InP cladding layers, then further sandwiched between heavily Zn-doped (p-type) InGaAs contact layer.

  14. Strain engineering of quantum dots for long wavelength emission: Photoluminescence from self-assembled InAs quantum dots grown on GaAs(001) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimomura, K.; Kamiya, I.

    2015-01-01

    Photoluminescence (PL) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm from self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs(001) is observed at room temperature (RT) and 4 K using a bilayer structure with thin cap. The PL peak has been known to redshift with decreasing cap layer thickness, although accompanying intensity decrease and peak broadening. With our strain-controlled bilayer structure, the PL intensity can be comparable to the ordinary QDs while realizing peak emission wavelength of 1.61 μm at 4 K and 1.73 μm at RT. The key issue lies in the control of strain not only in the QDs but also in the cap layer. By combining with underlying seed QD layer, we realize strain-driven bandgap engineering through control of strain in the QD and cap layers

  15. Strain engineering of quantum dots for long wavelength emission: Photoluminescence from self-assembled InAs quantum dots grown on GaAs(001) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimomura, K., E-mail: sd12502@toyota-ti.ac.jp; Kamiya, I., E-mail: kamiya@toyota-ti.ac.jp [Toyota Technological Institute 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511 (Japan)

    2015-02-23

    Photoluminescence (PL) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm from self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs(001) is observed at room temperature (RT) and 4 K using a bilayer structure with thin cap. The PL peak has been known to redshift with decreasing cap layer thickness, although accompanying intensity decrease and peak broadening. With our strain-controlled bilayer structure, the PL intensity can be comparable to the ordinary QDs while realizing peak emission wavelength of 1.61 μm at 4 K and 1.73 μm at RT. The key issue lies in the control of strain not only in the QDs but also in the cap layer. By combining with underlying seed QD layer, we realize strain-driven bandgap engineering through control of strain in the QD and cap layers.

  16. Towards Scalable Entangled Photon Sources with Self-Assembled InAs /GaAs Quantum Dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianping; Gong, Ming; Guo, G.-C.; He, Lixin

    2015-08-01

    The biexciton cascade process in self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) provides an ideal system for realizing deterministic entangled photon-pair sources, which are essential to quantum information science. The entangled photon pairs have recently been generated in experiments after eliminating the fine-structure splitting (FSS) of excitons using a number of different methods. Thus far, however, QD-based sources of entangled photons have not been scalable because the wavelengths of QDs differ from dot to dot. Here, we propose a wavelength-tunable entangled photon emitter mounted on a three-dimensional stressor, in which the FSS and exciton energy can be tuned independently, thereby enabling photon entanglement between dissimilar QDs. We confirm these results via atomistic pseudopotential calculations. This provides a first step towards future realization of scalable entangled photon generators for quantum information applications.

  17. Shape analysis of single and stacked InAs quantum dots at the atomic level by cross-sectional STM

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bruls, D.M.; Vugs, J.W.A.M.; Koenraad, P.M.; Skolnick, M.S.; Hopkinson, M.; Wolter, J.H.; Miura, N.; Ando, T.

    2001-01-01

    We present a study of InAs self-assembled quantum dots in GaAs by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy (X-STM). Our results shows that the dots consist of an JnGaAs alloy and that the indium content increases towards the top. The analysis of the height versus base length relation obtained

  18. Deterministic self-organization: Ordered positioning of InAs quantum dots by self-organized anisotropic strain engineering on patterned GaAs(311)B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selcuk, E.; Hamhuis, G.J.; Noetzel, R.

    2009-01-01

    Laterally ordered InGaAs quantum dot (QD) arrays, InAs QD molecules, and single InAs QDs in a spot-like periodic arrangement are created by self-organized anisotropic strain engineering of InGaAs/GaAs superlattice (SL) templates on planar GaAs (311)B substrates in molecular beam epitaxy. On shallow- and deep-patterned substrates the respectively generated steps and facets guide the self-organization process during SL template formation to create more complex ordering such as periodic stripes, depending on pattern design. Here we demonstrate for patterns such as shallow- and deepetched round holes and deep-etched zigzag mesas that the self-organized periodic arrangement of QD molecules and single QDs is spatially locked to the pattern sidewalls and corners. This extends the concept of guided self-organization to deterministic self-organization. Absolute position control of the QDs is achieved without one-to-one pattern definition. This guarantees the excellent arrangement control of the ordered QD molecules and single QDs with strong photoluminescence emission up to room temperature, which is required for future quantum functional devices. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  19. Effects of InAlAs strain reducing layer on the photoluminescence properties of InAs quantum dots embedded in InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kong, Lingmin, E-mail: konglm@qq.com [School of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316000 (China); Sun, Wei [SEM School of Electromechanical Engineering, Weifang Engineering Vocational College, Qingzhou 262500 (China); Feng, Zhe Chuan, E-mail: zcfeng@nut.edu.tw [Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Center for Emerging Material and Advanced Devices, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106-17, Taiwan (China); Xie, Sheng [School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Zhou, Yunqing; Wang, Rui; Zhang, Cunxi; Zong, Zhaocun; Wang, Hongxia; Qiao, Qian [Department of Physics, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316000 (China); Wu, Zhengyun [Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 China (China)

    2014-07-01

    Two kinds of self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) embedded within InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells were grown by molecular beam epitaxy: one was capped with an InAlAs strain reducing (SR) layer, while the other was not. Their emission dynamics was investigated by time-resolved and temperature dependent (TD) photoluminescence (PL) measurements. A significant redshift can be observed in the emission peak position of InAs QDs with thin InAlAs SR cap layer, which results from SR effects. Different behaviors of the integrated PL intensity for the samples with or without InAlAs layer may be ascribed to the reduced carrier transition at higher temperature for the higher energy barrier of the InAlAs layer, and the TD mode of carrier migration. The PL decay time of quantum dots grown with InAlAs layer was much longer than that without the layer, which implies that the InAlAs layer with higher energy barrier may enhance the quantum restriction of carriers in InAs QDs. These observations are discussed from the viewpoint of strain compensation and potential barrier variation with SR layers. Our experiments also demonstrate that the main mode of carrier migration is quantum tunneling effect at lower temperature, while it is quantum transition at higher temperature. The results demonstrate the importance of InAlAs SR layer for the optical quality of InAs QDs. - Highlights: • InAs quantum dots (QDs) were grown on GaAs. • A thin InAlAs layer was grown on InAs QDs. • Temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL were carried out. • Both a redshift and a double exponential decay of PL emission were generated by the InAlAs layer.

  20. Controlled tuning of the radiative lifetime in InAs self-assembled quantum dots through vertical ordering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colocci, M.; Vinattieri, A.; Lippi, L.; Bogani, F.; Rosa-Clot, M.; Taddei, S.; Bosacchi, A.; Franchi, S.; Frigeri, P.

    1999-01-01

    Multilayer structures of InAs quantum dots have been studied by means of photoluminescence techniques. A strong increase of the radiative lifetime with increasing number of stacked dot layers has been observed at low temperatures. Moreover, a strong temperature dependence of the radiative lifetime, which is not present in the single layer samples, has been found in the multistacked structures. The observed effects are nicely explained as a consequence of the electronic coupling between electrons and holes induced by vertical ordering.

  1. Effects of growth temperature and arsenic pressure on size distribution and density of InAs quantum dots on Si (001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Z.M.; Hul'ko, O.; Kim, H.J.; Liu, J.; Shi, B.; Xie, Y.H.

    2005-01-01

    InAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) were grown on Si (001) substrates via molecular beam epitaxy. The size distribution and density of InAs QDs grown under different conditions were studied using plan-view transmission electron microscopy. Dot density was shown to strongly depend on arsenic beam equivalent pressure (BEP) ranging from 2.8x10 -5 to 1.2x10 -3 Pa. In contrast, dot density was nearly independent of substrate temperature from 295 to 410 deg. C under constant arsenic BEP, while broadening of size distribution was observed with increasing temperature. The mechanism accounting for some of the main features of the experimental observations is discussed. Finally, InAs quantum dots with optimized narrow size distribution and high density were grown at low arsenic BEP of 7.2 x10 -5 Pa and low temperature of 250 deg. C followed by annealing at arsenic BEP of 1.9 x10 -4 Pa and temperature of 410 deg. C

  2. Multi-scale ordering of self-assembled InAs/GaAs(001 quantum dots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiravittaya S

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available AbstractOrdering phenomena related to the self-assembly of InAs quantum dots (QD grown on GaAs(001 substrates are experimentally investigated on different length scales. On the shortest length-scale studied here, we examine the QD morphology and observe two types of QD shapes, i.e., pyramids and domes. Pyramids are elongated along the 12345678910 directions and are bounded by {137} facets, while domes have a multi-facetted shape. By changing the growth rates, we are able to control the size and size homogeneity of freestanding QDs. QDs grown by using low growth rate are characterized by larger sizes and a narrower size distribution. The homogeneity of buried QDs is measured by photoluminescence spectroscopy and can be improved by low temperature overgrowth. The overgrowth induces the formation of nanostructures on the surface. The fabrication of self-assembled nanoholes, which are used as a template to induce short-range positioning of QDs, is also investigated. The growth of closely spaced QDs (QD molecules containing 2–6 QDs per QD molecule is discussed. Finally, the long-range positioning of self-assembled QDs, which can be achieved by the growth on patterned substrates, is demonstrated. Lateral QD replication observed during growth of three-dimensional QD crystals is reported.

  3. Femtosecond upconverted photocurrent spectroscopy of InAs quantum nanostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamada, Yasuhiro [Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Tex, David M.; Kanemitsu, Yoshihiko, E-mail: kanemitu@scl.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Kamiya, Itaru [Toyota Technological Institute, Nagoya, Aichi 468-8511 (Japan)

    2015-07-06

    The carrier upconversion dynamics in InAs quantum nanostructures are studied for intermediate-band solar-cell applications via ultrafast photoluminescence and photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy based on femtosecond excitation correlation (FEC) techniques. Strong upconverted PC-FEC signals are observed under resonant excitation of quantum well islands (QWIs), which are a few monolayer-thick InAs quantum nanostructures. The PC-FEC signal typically decays within a few hundred picoseconds at room temperature, which corresponds to the carrier lifetime in QWIs. The photoexcited electron and hole lifetimes in InAs QWIs are evaluated as functions of temperature and laser fluence. Our results provide solid evidence for electron–hole–hole Auger process, dominating the carrier upconversion in InAs QWIs at room temperature.

  4. Carrier emission from the electronic states of self-assembled indium arsenide quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, S.W.; Song, A.M.; Missous, M.; Hawkins, I.D; Hamilton, B.; Engstroem, O.; Peaker, A.R.

    2006-01-01

    We have used the new technique of high resolution (Laplace) transient spectroscopy to examine the electronic states of ensembles of self-assembled quantum dots of InAs in a GaAs matrix. These have been produced by solid source MBE. We have monitored the s and p state occupancies as a function of time under thermal excitation over a range of temperatures after electrons have been captured by the quantum dots with different Fermi level positions. This can provide more information about the interaction of the dots with the host matrix than is possible with optical techniques and gives new fundamental insights into how such dots may operate in electronic devices such as memory and sensors. The increase in resolution of Laplace transient spectroscopy over conventional experiments reveals quite specific rates of carrier loss which we attribute to tunnelling at low temperatures and a combination of thermal emission and tunnelling as the temperature is increased

  5. Coherence and dephasing in self-assembled quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvam, Jørn Märcher; Leosson, K.; Birkedal, Dan

    2003-01-01

    We measured dephasing times in InGaAl/As self-assembled quantum dots at low temperature using degenerate four-wave mixing. At 0K, the coherence time of the quantum dots is lifetime limited, whereas at finite temperatures pure dephasing by exciton-phonon interactions governs the quantum dot...

  6. Self-assembled monolayers of alkyl-thiols on InAs: A Kelvin probe force microscopy study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szwajca, A.; Wei, J.; Schukfeh, M. I.; Tornow, M.

    2015-03-01

    We report on the preparation and characterization of self-assembled monolayers from aliphatic thiols with different chain length and termination on InAs (100) planar surfaces. This included as first step the development and investigation of a thorough chemical InAs surface preparation step using a dedicated bromine/NH4OH-based etching process. Ellipsometry, contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated the formation of smooth, surface conforming monolayers. The molecular tilt angles were obtained as 30 ± 10° with respect to the surface normal. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements in hand with Parameterized Model number 5 (PM5) calculations of the involved molecular dipoles allowed for an estimation of the molecular packing densities on the surface. We obtained values of up to n = 1014 cm- 2 for the SAMs under study. These are close to what is predicted from a simple geometrical model that would calculate a maximum density of about n = 2.7 × 1014 cm- 2. We take this as additional conformation of the substrate smoothness and quality of our InAs-SAM hybrid layer systems.

  7. Self-assembled InAs quantum dots. Properties, modification and emission processes; Selbstorganisierte InAs-Quantenpunkte. Eigenschaften, Modifizierung und Emissionsprozesse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schramm, A.

    2007-09-06

    In this thesis, structural, optical as well as electronic properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QD) were studied by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL), capacitance spectroscopy (CV) and capacitance transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The quantum dots were grown with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and embedded in Schottky diodes for electrical characterization. In this work growth aspects as well as the electronic structures of QD were discussed. By varying the QD growth parameters it is possible to control the structural, and thus the optical and electronic properties of QD. Two methods are presented. Adjusting the QD growth temperature leads either to small QD with a high areal density or to high QDs with a low density. The structural changes of the QD are reflected in the changes of the optical and electronic properties. The second method is to introduce a growth interruption after capping the QD with thin cap layers. It was shown that capping with AlAs leads to a well-developed alternative to control the QD height and thus the ground-state energies of the QD. A post-growth method modifying the QD properties ist rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Raising the RTA temperature causes a lifting of the QD energy states with respect to the GaAs band edge energy due to In/Ga intermixing processes. A further main part of this work covers the emission processes of charge carriers in QD. Thermal emission, thermally assisted tunneling, and pure tunneling emission are studied by capacitance transient spectroscopy techniques. In DLTS experiments a strong impact of the electric field on the activation energies of electrons was found interfering the correct determination of the QD level energies. This behaviour can be explained by a thermally assisted tunneling model. A modified model taking the Coulomb interaction of occupied QD into account describes the emission rates of the electrons. In order to avoid several emission pathes in the experiments

  8. Time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurements of high-density InAs quantum dots on Sb/GaAs layers and the suppression of coalescence by Sb-irradiated growth interruption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakuda, Naoki; Yamaguchi, Koichi; Kaizu, Toshiyuki; Takahasi, Masamitu; Fujikawa, Seiji

    2010-01-01

    Self-assembly of high-density InAs quantum dots (QDs) on Sb-irradiated GaAs buffer layers was observed in-situ by a time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique using a combination of XRD and molecular beam epitaxy. Evolution of dot height and lattice constant was analyzed during InAs QD growth and subsequent growth interruption (GI), and as a result, dislocated giant dots due to coalescence and coherent dots were separately evaluated. An Sb-irradiated GI (Sb-GI) method to be applied after InAs growth was attempted for the suppression of coalescence. Using this method, the XRD intensity of giant dots decreased, and the photoluminescence intensity of InAs QDs was enhanced. High-density InAs QDs without giant dots were produced by using the combination of the QD growth on the Sb-irradiated GaAs buffer layers and the Sb-GI. (author)

  9. Self-assembly of concentric quantum double rings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mano, Takaaki; Kuroda, Takashi; Sanguinetti, Stefano; Ochiai, Tetsuyuki; Tateno, Takahiro; Kim, Jongsu; Noda, Takeshi; Kawabe, Mitsuo; Sakoda, Kazuaki; Kido, Giyuu; Koguchi, Nobuyuki

    2005-03-01

    We demonstrate the self-assembled formation of concentric quantum double rings with high uniformity and excellent rotational symmetry using the droplet epitaxy technique. Varying the growth process conditions can control each ring's size. Photoluminescence spectra emitted from an individual quantum ring complex show peculiar quantized levels that are specified by the carriers' orbital trajectories.

  10. Quantum efficiency and oscillator strength of site-controlled InAs quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albert, F.; Stobbe, Søren; Schneider, C.

    2010-01-01

    We report on time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy to determine the oscillator strength (OS) and the quantum efficiency (QE) of site-controlled InAs quantum dots nucleating on patterned nanoholes. These two quantities are determined by measurements on site-controlled quantum dot (SCQD...

  11. Raman study of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum wire stacks with varying spacer thickness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelova, T.; Cros, A.; Cantarero, A.; Fuster, D.; González, Y.; González, L.

    2008-08-01

    Self-assembled InAs/InP (001) quantum wire stacks have been investigated by means of Raman scattering. The characteristics of the observed vibrational modes show clear evidence of confinement and atomic intermixing between As and P atoms from the wire and the spacer. The change in the intermixing with spacer layer thickness and growth temperature is investigated. Likewise, the effect of annealing on the exchange of As and P atoms is also studied. Resonance effects in confined and interface phonons are discussed for excitation in the vicinity of the InAs E1 critical point. Finally, the energy of the interface modes is related to the structural characteristics of the wires by comparing the experimental data with a lattice dynamic calculation based on the dielectric continuum model.

  12. Long-range energy transfer in self-assembled quantum dot-DNA cascades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Samuel M.; Siu, Albert; Singh, Vivek; Nagpal, Prashant

    2015-11-01

    The size-dependent energy bandgaps of semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) can be utilized in converting broadband incident radiation efficiently into electric current by cascade energy transfer (ET) between layers of different sized quantum dots, followed by charge dissociation and transport in the bottom layer. Self-assembling such cascade structures with angstrom-scale spatial precision is important for building realistic devices, and DNA-based QD self-assembly can provide an important alternative. Here we show long-range Dexter energy transfer in QD-DNA self-assembled single constructs and ensemble devices. Using photoluminescence, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, current-sensing AFM measurements in single QD-DNA cascade constructs, and temperature-dependent ensemble devices using TiO2 nanotubes, we show that Dexter energy transfer, likely mediated by the exciton-shelves formed in these QD-DNA self-assembled structures, can be used for efficient transport of energy across QD-DNA thin films.The size-dependent energy bandgaps of semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) can be utilized in converting broadband incident radiation efficiently into electric current by cascade energy transfer (ET) between layers of different sized quantum dots, followed by charge dissociation and transport in the bottom layer. Self-assembling such cascade structures with angstrom-scale spatial precision is important for building realistic devices, and DNA-based QD self-assembly can provide an important alternative. Here we show long-range Dexter energy transfer in QD-DNA self-assembled single constructs and ensemble devices. Using photoluminescence, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, current-sensing AFM measurements in single QD-DNA cascade constructs, and temperature-dependent ensemble devices using TiO2 nanotubes, we show that Dexter energy transfer, likely mediated by the exciton-shelves formed in these QD-DNA self-assembled structures, can be used for efficient

  13. Cross-sectional nanophotoluminescence studies of Stark effects in self-assembled quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Htoon, H.; Keto, J. W.; Baklenov, O.; Holmes, A. L. Jr.; Shih, C. K.

    2000-01-01

    By using a cross-sectional geometry, we show the capability to perform single-dot spectroscopy in self-assembled quantum dots using far-field optics. By using this method, we study the quantum-confined Stark effect in self-assembled quantum dots. For single-stack quantum dots (QDs), we find that the spectra are redshifted with an increase in electric field. For vertically coupled double-stack quantum dots, while most of the QDs are redshifted, some QDs show blueshifted spectra, which can be interpreted as an evidence of coupled QD molecules. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

  14. Self-assembling hybrid diamond–biological quantum devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albrecht, A; B Plenio, M; Koplovitz, G; Yochelis, S; Paltiel, Y; Retzker, A; Nevo, Y; Shoseyov, O; Jelezko, F; Porath, D

    2014-01-01

    The realization of scalable arrangements of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond remains a key challenge on the way towards efficient quantum information processing, quantum simulation and quantum sensing applications. Although technologies based on implanting NV-centers in bulk diamond crystals or hybrid device approaches have been developed, they are limited by the achievable spatial resolution and by the intricate technological complexities involved in achieving scalability. We propose and demonstrate a novel approach for creating an arrangement of NV-centers, based on the self-assembling capabilities of biological systems and their beneficial nanometer spatial resolution. Here, a self-assembled protein structure serves as a structural scaffold for surface functionalized nanodiamonds, in this way allowing for the controlled creation of NV-structures on the nanoscale and providing a new avenue towards bridging the bio–nano interface. One-, two- as well as three-dimensional structures are within the scope of biological structural assembling techniques. We realized experimentally the formation of regular structures by interconnecting nanodiamonds using biological protein scaffolds. Based on the achievable NV-center distances of 11 nm, we evaluate the expected dipolar coupling interaction with neighboring NV-centers as well as the expected decoherence time. Moreover, by exploiting these couplings, we provide a detailed theoretical analysis on the viability of multiqubit quantum operations, suggest the possibility of individual addressing based on the random distribution of the NV intrinsic symmetry axes and address the challenges posed by decoherence and imperfect couplings. We then demonstrate in the last part that our scheme allows for the high-fidelity creation of entanglement, cluster states and quantum simulation applications. (papers)

  15. Self-assembling hybrid diamond-biological quantum devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, A.; Koplovitz, G.; Retzker, A.; Jelezko, F.; Yochelis, S.; Porath, D.; Nevo, Y.; Shoseyov, O.; Paltiel, Y.; Plenio, M. B.

    2014-09-01

    The realization of scalable arrangements of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond remains a key challenge on the way towards efficient quantum information processing, quantum simulation and quantum sensing applications. Although technologies based on implanting NV-centers in bulk diamond crystals or hybrid device approaches have been developed, they are limited by the achievable spatial resolution and by the intricate technological complexities involved in achieving scalability. We propose and demonstrate a novel approach for creating an arrangement of NV-centers, based on the self-assembling capabilities of biological systems and their beneficial nanometer spatial resolution. Here, a self-assembled protein structure serves as a structural scaffold for surface functionalized nanodiamonds, in this way allowing for the controlled creation of NV-structures on the nanoscale and providing a new avenue towards bridging the bio-nano interface. One-, two- as well as three-dimensional structures are within the scope of biological structural assembling techniques. We realized experimentally the formation of regular structures by interconnecting nanodiamonds using biological protein scaffolds. Based on the achievable NV-center distances of 11 nm, we evaluate the expected dipolar coupling interaction with neighboring NV-centers as well as the expected decoherence time. Moreover, by exploiting these couplings, we provide a detailed theoretical analysis on the viability of multiqubit quantum operations, suggest the possibility of individual addressing based on the random distribution of the NV intrinsic symmetry axes and address the challenges posed by decoherence and imperfect couplings. We then demonstrate in the last part that our scheme allows for the high-fidelity creation of entanglement, cluster states and quantum simulation applications.

  16. The polarization response in InAs quantum dots: theoretical correlation between composition and electronic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Usman, Muhammad; O’Reilly, Eoin P; Tasco, Vittorianna; Todaro, Maria Teresa; De Giorgi, Milena; Passaseo, Adriana; Klimeck, Gerhard

    2012-01-01

    III–V growth and surface conditions strongly influence the physical structure and resulting optical properties of self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). Beyond the design of a desired active optical wavelength, the polarization response of QDs is of particular interest for optical communications and quantum information science. Previous theoretical studies based on a pure InAs QD model failed to reproduce experimentally observed polarization properties. In this work, multi-million atom simulations are performed in an effort to understand the correlation between chemical composition and polarization properties of QDs. A systematic analysis of QD structural parameters leads us to propose a two-layer composition model, mimicking In segregation and In–Ga intermixing effects. This model, consistent with mostly accepted compositional findings, allows us to accurately fit the experimental PL spectra. The detailed study of QD morphology parameters presented here serves as a tool for using growth dynamics to engineer the strain field inside and around the QD structures, allowing tuning of the polarization response. (paper)

  17. Self-assembled quantum dot structures in a hexagonal nanowire for quantum photonics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Ying; Dou, Xiu-Ming; Wei, Bin; Zha, Guo-Wei; Shang, Xiang-Jun; Wang, Li; Su, Dan; Xu, Jian-Xing; Wang, Hai-Yan; Ni, Hai-Qiao; Sun, Bao-Quan; Ji, Yuan; Han, Xiao-Dong; Niu, Zhi-Chuan

    2014-05-01

    Two types of quantum nanostructures based on self-assembled GaAs quantumdots embedded into GaAs/AlGaAs hexagonal nanowire systems are reported, opening a new avenue to the fabrication of highly efficient single-photon sources, as well as the design of novel quantum optics experiments and robust quantum optoelectronic devices operating at higher temperature, which are required for practical quantum photonics applications. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Studies on the controlled growth of InAs nanostructures on scission surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauer, J.

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this thesis was the controlled alignment of self-assembled InAs nano-structures on a {110}-oriented surface. The surface is prestructured with the atomic precision offered by molecular beam epitaxy, using the cleaved edge overgrowth-technique. On all samples grown within this work, the epitaxial template in the first growth step was deposited on a (001)GaAs substrate, while the InAs-layer forming the nanostructures during the second growth step was grown on cleaved {110}-GaAs surfaces. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) investigations demonstrate the formation of quantum dot (QD)-like nanostructures on top of the AlAs-stripes. X-ray diffraction measurements on large arrays of aligned quantum dots demonstrate that the quantum dots are formed of pure InAs. First investigations on the optical properties of these nanostructures were done using microphotoluminescence-spectroscopy with both high spatial and spectral resolution. (orig.)

  19. Wet etch methods for InAs nanowire patterning and self-aligned electrical contacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fülöp, G.; d'Hollosy, S.; Hofstetter, L.; Baumgartner, A.; Nygård, J.; Schönenberger, C.; Csonka, S.

    2016-05-01

    Advanced synthesis of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) enables their application in diverse fields, notably in chemical and electrical sensing, photovoltaics, or quantum electronic devices. In particular, indium arsenide (InAs) NWs are an ideal platform for quantum devices, e.g. they may host topological Majorana states. While the synthesis has been continously perfected, only a few techniques have been developed to tailor individual NWs after growth. Here we present three wet chemical etch methods for the post-growth morphological engineering of InAs NWs on the sub-100 nm scale. The first two methods allow the formation of self-aligned electrical contacts to etched NWs, while the third method results in conical shaped NW profiles ideal for creating smooth electrical potential gradients and shallow barriers. Low temperature experiments show that NWs with etched segments have stable transport characteristics and can serve as building blocks of quantum electronic devices. As an example we report the formation of a single electrically stable quantum dot between two etched NW segments.

  20. Temperature dependent empirical pseudopotential theory for self-assembled quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianping; Gong, Ming; Guo, Guang-Can; He, Lixin

    2012-11-28

    We develop a temperature dependent empirical pseudopotential theory to study the electronic and optical properties of self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) at finite temperature. The theory takes the effects of both lattice expansion and lattice vibration into account. We apply the theory to InAs/GaAs QDs. For the unstrained InAs/GaAs heterostructure, the conduction band offset increases whereas the valence band offset decreases with increasing temperature, and there is a type-I to type-II transition at approximately 135 K. Yet, for InAs/GaAs QDs, the holes are still localized in the QDs even at room temperature, because the large lattice mismatch between InAs and GaAs greatly enhances the valence band offset. The single-particle energy levels in the QDs show a strong temperature dependence due to the change of confinement potentials. Because of the changes of the band offsets, the electron wavefunctions confined in QDs increase by about 1-5%, whereas the hole wavefunctions decrease by about 30-40% when the temperature increases from 0 to 300 K. The calculated recombination energies of excitons, biexcitons and charged excitons show red shifts with increasing temperature which are in excellent agreement with available experimental data.

  1. Nonequilibrium carrier dynamics in self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wesseli, M.; Ruppert, C.; Trumm, S.; Betz, M.; Krenner, H.J.; Finley, J.J.

    2006-01-01

    Carrier dynamics in InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots is analyzed with highly sensitive femtosecond transmission spectroscopy. In a first step, measurements on a large ensemble of nanoislands reveal the dynamical electronic filling of quantum dots from the surrounding wetting layer. Most interestingly, we find a spin-preserving phonon mediated scattering into fully localized states within a few picoseconds. Then, individual artificial atoms are isolated with metallic shadow masks. For the first time, a single self-assembled quantum dot is addressed in an ultrafast transmission experiment. We find bleaching signals in the order of 10 -5 that arise from individual interband transitions of one quantum dot. As a result, we have developed an ultrafast optical tool for both manipulation and read-out of a single self-assembled quantum dot. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  2. Ambient temperature dependence on emission spectrum of InAs quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ngo, C.Y.; Yoon, S.F. [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Chua, S.J. [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (Singapore)

    2009-04-15

    Semiconductor superluminescent diodes (SLDs) are important broadband light source for fiber optic gyroscope and biomedical imaging. Quantum dots (QDs) have been proposed to be the best candidate for broadband light sources due to the inhomogeneous broadening of the gain spectrum as a result of the inherited size inhomogeneity of the self-assembled QD growth. In this work, the effect of ambient temperature (25-100 C) on the emission spectrum of InAs QDs with wideband emission was investigated. It was found that the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra remains more than 125 nm throughout the temperature range, and the redshift as function of temperature is approximately 0.27 meV/K. Activation energy of 270 meV is extracted from the Arrhenius plot and the PL quenching at high temperature is attributed to thermally induced carriers escaping out of the In{sub 0.15}Ga{sub 0.85}As strain-reducing layer. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  3. Long lived coherence in self-assembled quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birkedal, Dan; Leosson, Kristjan; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

    2001-01-01

    We report measurements of ultralong coherence in self-assembled quantum dots. Transient four-wave mixing experiments at 5 K show an average dephasing time of 372 ps, corresponding to a homogeneous linewidth of 3.5 mu eV, which is significantly smaller than the linewidth observed in single...

  4. Quantum-Chemical Insights into the Self-Assembly of Carbon-Based Supramolecular Complexes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joaquín Calbo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Understanding how molecular systems self-assemble to form well-organized superstructures governed by noncovalent interactions is essential in the field of supramolecular chemistry. In the nanoscience context, the self-assembly of different carbon-based nanoforms (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene with, in general, electron-donor molecular systems, has received increasing attention as a means of generating potential candidates for technological applications. In these carbon-based systems, a deep characterization of the supramolecular organization is crucial to establish an intimate relation between supramolecular structure and functionality. Detailed structural information on the self-assembly of these carbon-based nanoforms is however not always accessible from experimental techniques. In this regard, quantum chemistry has demonstrated to be key to gain a deep insight into the supramolecular organization of molecular systems of high interest. In this review, we intend to highlight the fundamental role that quantum-chemical calculations can play to understand the supramolecular self-assembly of carbon-based nanoforms through a limited selection of supramolecular assemblies involving fullerene, fullerene fragments, nanotubes and graphene with several electron-rich π-conjugated systems.

  5. Optically Driven Spin Based Quantum Dots for Quantum Computing - Research Area 6 Physics 6.3.2

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-15

    SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: This program conducted experimental and theoretical research aimed at developing an optically driven quantum dot quantum ...computer, where, the qubit is the spin of the electron trapped in a self-assembled quantum dot in InAs. Optical manipulation using the trion state...reports. In this reporting period, we discovered the nuclear spin quieting first discovered in 2008 is present in vertically coupled quantum dots but

  6. Oscillatory persistent currents in self-assembled quantum rings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleemans, N.A.J.M.; Bominaar-Silkens, I.M.A.; Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Granados, D.; Taboada, A.G.; Garcia, J.M.; Offermans, P.; Zeitler, U.; Christianen, P.C.M.; Maan, J.C.; Devreese, J.T.; Koenraad, P.M.

    2007-01-01

    We report the direct measurement of the persistent current carried by a single electron by means of magnetization experiments on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum rings. We measured the first Aharonov-Bohm oscillation at a field of 14 T, in perfect agreement with our model based on the structural

  7. Complex laterally ordered InGaAs and InAs quantum dots by guided self-organized anisotropic strain engineering on artificially patterned GaAs (3 1 1)B substrates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Selçuk, E.; Hamhuis, G.J.; Nötzel, R.

    2009-01-01

    Self-organized anisotropic strain engineering is combined with growth on artificially patterned GaAs (3 1 1)B substrates to realize complex lateral ordering of InGaAs and InAs quantum dots (QDs) guided by steps and facets generated along the pattern sidewalls. Depending on the pattern design, size,

  8. Competition between the In/Ga intermixing and the electronic coupling effects in self-assembled InAs/GaAs double-quantum-dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pocas, Luiz Carlos; Sawata, Marcella Ferraz [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Apucarana, PR (Brazil); Lourenco, Sidney Alves [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Londrina, PR (Brazil); Laureto, Edson; Duarte, Jose Leonil; Dias, Ivan Frederico Lupiano [Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), PR (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Quivy, A.A. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IF/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica

    2012-07-01

    technique with GaAs spacer layers having different thickness, using photoluminescence technique (PL). PL spectra as a function of the intensity of the excitation laser allowed identifying in a reference sample containing a single layer of QDs, the formation characteristics of self-assembled InAs QDs with bimodal size distribution. The PL results from the samples with stacked InAs/GaAs double-quantum-dots can be explained by a competition between the In/Ga intermixing, which emerge during the growth process, and the electronic coupling dependent on the spacer layer thickness. (author)

  9. Mn-doped Ge self-assembled quantum dots via dewetting of thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aouassa, Mansour, E-mail: mansour.aouassa@yahoo.fr [LMON, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement Monastir 5019 (Tunisia); Jadli, Imen [LMON, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement Monastir 5019 (Tunisia); Bandyopadhyay, Anup [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Kim, Sung Kyu [Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Yuseong-daero 1689-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Karaman, Ibrahim [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Lee, Jeong Yong [Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Yuseong-daero 1689-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-01

    Highlights: • We report the new fabrication approach for producing a self- assembled Mn dpoed Ge quantum dots (QDs) on SiO{sub 2} thin film with a Curie temperature above room temperature. These magnetic QDs are crystalline, monodisperse and have a well-defined shape and a controlled size. The investigation opens new routes for elaboration of self-assembled magnetic nanocrystals - Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate an original elaboration route for producing a Mn-doped Ge self-assembled quantum dots on SiO{sub 2} thin layer for MOS structure. These magnetic quantum dots are elaborated using dewetting phenomenon at solid state by Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) annealing at high temperature of an amorphous Ge:Mn (Mn: 40%) nanolayer deposed at very low temperature by high-precision Solid Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy on SiO{sub 2} thin film. The size of quantum dots is controlled with nanometer scale precision by varying the nominal thickness of amorphous film initially deposed. The magnetic properties of the quantum-dots layer have been investigated by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the nanostructure of these materials. Obtained results indicate that GeMn QDs are crystalline, monodisperse and exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior with a Curie temperature (TC) above room temperature. They could be integrated into spintronic technology.

  10. Electron microscopy of GaAs-based structures with InAs and As quantum dots separated by an AlAs barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nevedomskiy, V. N.; Bert, N. A.; Chaldyshev, V. V.; Preobrazhenskiy, V. V.; Putyato, M. A.; Semyagin, B. R.

    2013-01-01

    Electron microscopy studies of GaAs-based structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy and containing arrays of semiconductor InAs quantum dots and metal As quantum dots are performed. The array of InAs quantum dots is formed by the Stranski-Krastanov mechanism and consists of vertically coupled pairs of quantum dots separated by a GaAs spacer 10 nm thick. To separate the arrays of semiconductor and metal quantum dots and to prevent diffusion-induced mixing, the array of InAs quantum dots is overgrown with an AlAs barrier layer 5 or 10 nm thick, after which a GaAs layer is grown at a comparatively low temperature (180°C). The array of As quantum dots is formed in an As-enriched layer of the low-temperature GaAs by means of post-growth annealing at 400–760°C for 15 min. It is established that the AlAs barrier layer has a surface profile corresponding to that of a subbarrier layer with InAs quantum dots. The presence of such a profile causes the formation of V-shaped structural defects upon subsequent overgrowth with the GaAs layer. Besides, it was obtained that AlAs layer is thinned over the InAs quantum dots tops. It is shown that the AlAs barrier layer in the regions between the InAs quantum dots effectively prevents the starting diffusion of excess As at annealing temperatures up to 600°C. However, the concentration of mechanical stresses and the reduced thickness of the AlAs barrier layer near the tops of the InAs quantum dots lead to local barrier breakthroughs and the diffusion of As quantum dots into the region of coupled pairs of InAs quantum dots at higher annealing temperatures

  11. InAs quantum dots as charge storing elements for applications in flash memory devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Islam, Sk Masiul; Biswas, Pranab [Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 (India); Banerji, P., E-mail: pallab@matsc.iitkgp.ernet.in [Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 (India); Chakraborty, S. [Applied Materials Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Sector-I, Kolkata 700 064 (India)

    2015-08-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Catalyst-free growth of InAs quantum dots was carried out on high-k ZrO{sub 2}. • Memory device with InAs quantum dots as charge storage nodes are fabricated. • Superior memory window, low leakage and reasonably good retention were observed. • Carrier transport phenomena are explained in both program and erase operations. - Abstract: InAs quantum dots (QDs) were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique to use them as charge storage nodes. Uniform QDs were formed with average diameter 5 nm and height 5–10 nm with a density of 2 × 10{sup 11} cm{sup −2}. The QDs were grown on high-k dielectric layer (ZrO{sub 2}), which was deposited onto ultra-thin GaP passivated p-GaAs (1 0 0) substrate. A charge storage device with the structure Metal/ZrO{sub 2}/InAs QDs/ZrO{sub 2}/(GaP)GaAs/Metal was fabricated. The devices containing InAs QDs exhibit superior memory window, low leakage current density along with reasonably good charge retention. A suitable electronic band diagram corresponding to programming and erasing operations was proposed to explain the operation.

  12. High uniformity of self-organized InAs quantum wires on InAlAs buffers grown on misoriented InP(001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yuanli; Jin, P.; Ye, X.L.; Zhang, C.L.; Shi, G.X.; Li, R.Y.; Chen, Y.H.; Wang, Z.G.

    2006-01-01

    Highly uniform InAs quantum wires (QWRs) have been obtained on the In 0.5 Al 0.5 As buffer layer grown on the InP substrate 8 (convolutionsign) off (001) towards (111) by molecular-beam epitaxy. The quasi-periodic composition modulation was spontaneously formed in the In 0.5 Al 0.5 As buffer layer on this misoriented InP (001). The width and period of the In-rich bands are about 10 and 40 nm, respectively. The periodic In-rich bands play a major role in the sequent InAs QWRs growth and the InAs QWRs are well positioned atop In-rich bands. The photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed a significant reduction in full width at half maximum and enhanced PL efficiency for InAs QWRs on misoriented InP(001) as compared to that on normal InP(001)

  13. Increasing the quantum efficiency of GaAs solar cells by embedding InAs quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salii, R. A.; Mintairov, S. A.; Nadtochiy, A. M.; Payusov, A. S.; Brunkov, P. N.; Shvarts, M. Z.; Kalyuzhnyy, N. A.

    2016-11-01

    Development of Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) technology of InAs quantum dots (QDs) in GaAs for photovoltaic applications is presented. The growth peculiarities in InAs-GaAs lattice-mismatched system were considered. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity dependences on different growth parameters were obtained. The multimodal distribution of QDs by sizes was found using AFM and PL methods. GaAs solar cell nanoheterostructures with imbedded QD arrays were designed and obtained. Ones have been demonstrated a significant increase of quantum efficiency and photogenerated current of QD solar cells due to photo effect in InAs QD array (0.59 mA/cm2 for AM1.5D and 82 mA/cm2 for AM0).

  14. Growth and characterization of InAs quantum dots on silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, L.; Ankudinov, A.; Bensing, F.; Wagner, J.; Wagner, V.; Geurts, J. [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Experimentelle Physik 3; Ade, G.; Hinze, P. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany); Waag, A. [Ulm Univ. (Germany). Abt. Halbleiterphysik

    2001-03-08

    We present a comprehensive investigation of molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) grown InAs quantum dots (QD) on silicon (001) and (111) by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and Raman spectroscopy in UHV environment and ex-situ by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two different ways were developed to prepare up to 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2} InAs QDs on Si(001). One is the conventional mode by exceeding a critical thickness of deposition at which 2D growth changes towards a 3D growth mode. A second way is a dewetting transition, induced by cooling an approximately 1 ML thin 2D InAs layer from growth temperature below a critical temperature at which RHEED indicates the formation of nanoislands. Samples grown in both manners show significant differences in morphology and shape though RHEED, TEM and Raman studies correspondingly indicate strain relaxation. On Si(111) InAs grows in the common temperature range for InAs growth ({proportional_to}400 C) in flat clusters separated by deep trenches. A previous passivation of the Si(111) surface with arsenic at {proportional_to}700 C on the other hand leads to the formation of large InAs nanocrystals. (orig.)

  15. Probing long-lived dark excitons in self-assembled quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Jeppe; Julsgaard, Brian; Stobbe, Søren

    2010-01-01

    Long-lived dark exciton states are formed in self-assembled quantum dots due to the combination of the angular momentum of electrons and holes. The lifetime of dark excitons are determined by spin-flip processes that transfer dark excitons into radiative bright excitons. We employ time......-resolved spontaneous emission measurements in a modified local density of optical states to unambiguously record the spin-flip rate. Pronounced variations in the spin-flip rate with the quantum dot emission energy are observed demonstrating that the exciton storage time can be extended by controlling the quantum dot......, which illustrates the important role of interfaces for quantum dot based nanophotonic structures....

  16. Single-photon generation with InAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santori, Charles; Fattal, David; Vuckovic, Jelena; Solomon, Glenn S; Yamamoto, Yoshihisa

    2004-01-01

    Single-photon generation using InAs quantum dots in pillar microcavities is described. The effects on performance of the excitation wavelength and polarization, and the collection bandwidth and polarization, are studied in detail. The efficiency and photon state purity of these devices have been measured, and issues affecting these parameters are discussed. Prospects for improved devices are also discussed

  17. Stress evolution during growth of bilayer self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaadt, D.M.; Krauss, S.; Koch, R.; Ploog, K.H.

    2006-01-01

    We investigated the stress evolution during molecular-beam epitaxy of bilayer InAs/GaAs(001) quantum dot (QD) structures in real time and with sub-monolayer precision using an in-situ cantilever beam setup. During growth of the InAs at 470 C a stress of 5.1 GPa develops in the wetting layer, in good agreement with the theoretical misfit stress. At a critical thickness of 1.5 monolayers the strain is relieved by the QD formation. In the case of InAs/GaAs bilayer structures, the second InAs layer grows identical to the first for GaAs spacer thicknesses exceeding ∝13 nm. For thinner spacers the critical thickness for the 2D/3D transition in the second layer decreases. The stress of the second InAs layer does not reach the value of the first, indicating that InAs QDs grow on partially strained areas due to the strain field of the previous InAs layer. (orig.)

  18. Steering of quantum waves: Demonstration of Y-junction transistors using InAs quantum wires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Gregory M.; Qin, Jie; Yang, Chia-Hung; Yang, Ming-Jey

    2005-06-01

    In this paper we demonstrate using an InAs quantum wire Y-branch switch that the electron wave can be switched to exit from the two drains by a lateral gate bias. The gating modifies the electron wave functions as well as their interference pattern, causing the anti-correlated, oscillatory transconductances. Our result suggests a new transistor function in a multiple-lead ballistic quantum wire system.

  19. Simulation of quantum dots size and spacing effect for intermediate band solar cell application based on InAs quantum dots arrangement in GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendra, P. I. B., E-mail: ib.hendra@gmail.com; Rahayu, F., E-mail: ib.hendra@gmail.com; Darma, Y., E-mail: ib.hendra@gmail.com [Physical Vapor Deposition Laboratory, Physics of Material Electronics Research, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

    2014-03-24

    Intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) has become a promising technology in increasing solar cell efficiency. In this work we compare absorption coefficient profile between InAs quantum dots with GaAs bulk. We calculate the efficiency of GaAs bulk and GaAs doped with 2, 5, and 10 nm InAs quantum dot. Effective distances in quantum dot arrangement based on electron tunneling consideration were also calculated. We presented a simple calculation method with low computing power demand. Results showed that arrangement of quantum dot InAs in GaAs can increase solar cell efficiency from 23.9 % initially up to 60.4%. The effective distance between two quantum dots was found 2 nm in order to give adequate distance to prevent electron tunneling and wave functions overlap.

  20. Effect of multicomponent InAsSbP matrix surface on formation of InSb quantum dots at MOVPE growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romanov, V. V.; Dement’ev, P. A.; Moiseev, K. D.

    2016-01-01

    Indium-antimonide quantum dots (7–9 × 10"9 cm"2) are produced on an InAs(001) substrate by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy at a temperature of T = 440°C. Epitaxial deposition occurred simultaneously onto an InAs binary matrix and an InAsSbP quaternary alloy matrix layer lattice-matched to the InAs substrate in terms of the lattice parameter. Transformation of the quantum-dot shape and size is studied in relation to the chemical composition of the working matrix surface, onto which the quantum dots are deposited. The use of a multicomponent layer makes it possible to control the lattice parameter of the matrix and the strains produced in the system during the formation of self-assembled quantum dots.

  1. Carrier dynamics in InAs quantum dots embedded in InGaAs/GaAs multi quantum well structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Espinola, J L Casas; Dybic, M; Ostapenko, S; Torchynska, T V; Polupan, G

    2007-01-01

    Ground and multi excited state photoluminescence, as well as its temperature dependence, in InAs quantum dots embedded in symmetric In x Ga 1-x As/GaAs (x = 0.15) quantum wells (DWELL) have been investigated. The solution of the set of rate equations for exciton dynamics (relaxation into QWs or QDs and thermal escape) solved by us earlier is used for analysis the variety of thermal activation energies of photoluminescence thermal quenching for ground and multi excited states of InAs QDs. The obtained solutions were used at the discussion of the variety of activation energies of PL thermal quenching in InAs QDs. It is revealed three different regimes of thermally activated quenching of the QD PL intensity. These three regimes were attributed to thermal escape of excitons: i) from the high energy excited states of InAs QDs into the WL with follows exciton re-localization; ii) from the In x Ga 1-x As QWs into the GaAs barrier and iii) from the WL into the GaAs barrier with their subsequent nonradiative recombination in GaAs barrier

  2. Spin-flip transitions in self-assembled quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stavrou, V. N.

    2017-12-01

    Detailed realistic calculations of the spin-flip time (T 1) for an electron in a self-assembled quantum dot (SAQD) due to emission of an acoustic phonon, using only bulk properties with no fitting parameters, are presented. Ellipsoidal lens shaped Inx Ga1-x As quantum dots, with electronic states calculated using 8-band strain dependent {k \\cdot p} theory, are considered. The phonons are treated as bulk acoustic phonons coupled to the electron by both deformation potential and piezoelectric interactions. The dependence of T 1 on the geometry of SAQD, on the applied external magnetic field and on the lattice temperature is highlighted. The theoretical results are close to the experimental measurements on the spin-flip times for a single electron in QD.

  3. Elimination of Bimodal Size in InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots for Preparation of 1.3-μm Quantum Dot Lasers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Xiang-Bin; Ding, Ying; Ma, Ben; Zhang, Ke-Lu; Chen, Ze-Sheng; Li, Jing-Lun; Cui, Xiao-Ran; Xu, Ying-Qiang; Ni, Hai-Qiao; Niu, Zhi-Chuan

    2018-02-21

    The device characteristics of semiconductor quantum dot lasers have been improved with progress in active layer structures. Self-assembly formed InAs quantum dots grown on GaAs had been intensively promoted in order to achieve quantum dot lasers with superior device performances. In the process of growing high-density InAs/GaAs quantum dots, bimodal size occurs due to large mismatch and other factors. The bimodal size in the InAs/GaAs quantum dot system is eliminated by the method of high-temperature annealing and optimized the in situ annealing temperature. The annealing temperature is taken as the key optimization parameters, and the optimal annealing temperature of 680 °C was obtained. In this process, quantum dot growth temperature, InAs deposition, and arsenic (As) pressure are optimized to improve quantum dot quality and emission wavelength. A 1.3-μm high-performance F-P quantum dot laser with a threshold current density of 110 A/cm 2 was demonstrated.

  4. Grazing incidence diffraction anomalous fine structure of self-assembled semiconductor nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grenier, S.; Letoublon, A.; Proietti, M.G.; Renevier, H.; Gonzalez, L.; Garcia, J.M.; Priester, C.; Garcia, J.

    2003-01-01

    We have studied self-organized quantum wires of InAs, grown by molecular beam epitaxy onto a InP(0 0 1) substrate, by means of grazing incidence diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS). The equivalent quantum wires thickness is 2.5 monolayers. We measured the (4 4 0) and (4 2 0) GIDAFS spectra, at the As K-edge, keeping the incidence and exit angles close to the InP critical angle. The analysis of both the smooth and oscillatory contributions of the DAFS spectrum, provide valuable information about composition and strain inside the quantum wires and close to the interface. We also show preliminary results on InAs wires encapsulated by a 40 A thick InP capping layer, suggesting the DAFS capability of probing different iso-strain regions of the wires

  5. Solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics using quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerard, J.M.; Gayral, B.; Moreau, E.; Robert, I.; Abram, I.

    2001-01-01

    We review the recent development of solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics using single self-assembled InAs quantum dots and three-dimensional semiconductor microcavities. We discuss first prospects for observing a strong coupling regime for single quantum dots. We then demonstrate that the strong Purcell effect observed for single quantum dots in the weak coupling regime allows us to prepare emitted photons in a given state (the same spatial mode, the same polarization). We present finally the first single-mode solid-state source of single photons, based on an isolated quantum dot in a pillar microcavity. This optoelectronic device, the first ever to rely on a cavity quantum electrodynamics effect, exploits both Coulomb interaction between trapped carriers in a single quantum dot and single mode photon tunneling in the microcavity. (author)

  6. Self-organized lattice of ordered quantum dot molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lippen, T. von; Noetzel, R.; Hamhuis, G.J.; Wolter, J.H.

    2004-01-01

    Ordered groups of InAs quantum dots (QDs), lateral QD molecules, are created by self-organized anisotropic strain engineering of a (In,Ga)As/GaAs superlattice (SL) template on GaAs (311)B in molecular-beam epitaxy. During stacking, the SL template self-organizes into a two-dimensionally ordered strain modulated network on a mesoscopic length scale. InAs QDs preferentially grow on top of the nodes of the network due to local strain recognition. The QDs form a lattice of separated groups of closely spaced ordered QDs whose number can be controlled by the GaAs separation layer thickness on top of the SL template. The QD groups exhibit excellent optical properties up to room temperature

  7. Studies on the controlled growth of InAs nanostructures on scission surfaces; Untersuchungen zum kontrollierten Wachstum von InAs-Nanostrukturen auf Spaltflaechen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bauer, J.

    2006-01-15

    The aim of this thesis was the controlled alignment of self-assembled InAs nano-structures on a {l_brace}110{r_brace}-oriented surface. The surface is prestructured with the atomic precision offered by molecular beam epitaxy, using the cleaved edge overgrowth-technique. On all samples grown within this work, the epitaxial template in the first growth step was deposited on a (001)GaAs substrate, while the InAs-layer forming the nanostructures during the second growth step was grown on cleaved {l_brace}110{r_brace}-GaAs surfaces. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) investigations demonstrate the formation of quantum dot (QD)-like nanostructures on top of the AlAs-stripes. X-ray diffraction measurements on large arrays of aligned quantum dots demonstrate that the quantum dots are formed of pure InAs. First investigations on the optical properties of these nanostructures were done using microphotoluminescence-spectroscopy with both high spatial and spectral resolution. (orig.)

  8. Oscillatory persistent currents in self-assembled quantum rings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleemans, N A J M; Bominaar-Silkens, I M A; Fomin, V M; Gladilin, V N; Granados, D; Taboada, A G; García, J M; Offermans, P; Zeitler, U; Christianen, P C M; Maan, J C; Devreese, J T; Koenraad, P M

    2007-10-05

    We report the direct measurement of the persistent current carried by a single electron by means of magnetization experiments on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum rings. We measured the first Aharonov-Bohm oscillation at a field of 14 T, in perfect agreement with our model based on the structural properties determined by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. The observed oscillation magnitude of the magnetic moment per electron is remarkably large for the topology of our nanostructures, which are singly connected and exhibit a pronounced shape asymmetry.

  9. Growth-interruption-induced low-density InAs quantum dots on GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, L. H.; Alloing, B.; Chauvin, N.; Fiore, A.; Patriarche, G.

    2008-01-01

    We investigate the use of growth interruption to obtain low-density InAs quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs. The process was realized by Ostwald-type ripening of a thin InAs layer. It was found that the optical properties of the QDs as a function of growth interruption strongly depend on InAs growth rate. By using this approach, a low density of QDs (4 dots/μm 2 ) with uniform size distribution was achieved. As compared to QDs grown without growth interruption, a larger energy separation between the QD confined levels was observed, suggesting a situation closer to the ideal zero-dimensional system. Combining with an InGaAs capping layer such as In-rich QDs enable 1.3 μm emission at 4 K

  10. Strain and spin-orbit effects in self-assembled quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zielinski, M.; Jaskolski, W.; Aizpurua, J.; Bryant, G.W.

    2005-01-01

    The Effects of strain and spin-orbit interaction in self-assembled lien-shaped InAs/GaAs quantum dots are investigated. Calculations are performed with empirical tight-binding theory supplemented by the valence force field method to account for effects of strain caused by lattice mismatch at the InAs-GaAs interface. It is shown that both effects influence strongly the electron and hole energy structure: splitting of the energy levels, the number of bound states, density distributions, and transition rates. We show that piezoelectric effects are almost negligible in quantum dots of the size investigated. (author)

  11. Determination of anisotropic dipole moments in self-assembled quantum dots using Rabi oscillations

    OpenAIRE

    Muller, A.; Wang, Q. Q.; Bianucci, P.; Xue, Q. K.; Shih, C. K.

    2004-01-01

    By investigating the polarization-dependent Rabi oscillations using photoluminescence spectroscopy, we determined the respective transition dipole moments of the two excited excitonic states |Ex> and |Ey> of a single self-assembled quantum dot that are nondegenerate due to shape anisotropy. We find that the ratio of the two dipole moments is close to the physical elongation ratio of the quantum dot.

  12. Electronic structure of GaAs with InAs (001) monolayer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tit, N.; Peressi, M.

    1995-04-01

    The effect on the electronic structure of an InAs monomolecular plane inserted in bulk GaAs is investigated theoretically. The (InAs) 1 (GaAs) n (001) strained superlattice is studied via ab-initio self-consistent pseudopotential calculations. Both electrons and holes are localized nearby the inserted InAs monolayer, which therefore acts as a quantum well for all the charge carriers. The small thickness of the inserted InAs slab is responsible of high confinement energies for the charge carriers, and therefore the interband electron-heavy-hole transition energy is close to the energy gap of the bulk GaAs, in agreement with recent experimental data. (author). 18 refs, 4 figs

  13. Influence of the growth conditions on the optical and structural properties of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots for low As/In ratio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozdemir, Samet; Suyolcu, Y. Eren [Advanced Technologies Research Unit: Nanotechnology, Graduate School of Sciences, Anadolu University, Yunusemre Campus, 26470 Eskisehir (Turkey); Turan, Servet [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Anadolu University, Iki Eylul Campus, 26555 Eskisehir (Turkey); Aslan, Bulent, E-mail: bulentaslan@anadolu.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Anadolu University, Yunusemre Campus, 26470 Eskisehir (Turkey)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Effects of systematically changed growth conditions on InAs/GaAs QDs were studied. • Growths were optimized for low As/In flux ratio to obtain well-resolved PL spectra. • XRD rocking curve signal fitting was used to analyze the samples. • XRD analysis reflects the overall tendency of the QD density and WL behavior. - Abstract: We report on the growth and characterization of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs). The influence of the systematically changed growth conditions on the opto-electronic and structural properties of the QDs were investigated. Combination of the amount of the deposited InAs, growth temperature and growth rate were optimized for low As/In flux ratio to obtain well-resolved ground and excited states in the low temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra. SEM and TEM techniques were also used for the characterization of QDs. The results were evaluated simply through the conservation of mass approximation and the x-ray diffraction measurements with fitted curves. The extracted InAs and wetting layer thicknesses were brought out that the XRD analysis reflects the overall tendency of the QD density change and WL behaviors in response to the changes in growth conditions.

  14. On-Chip Single-Plasmon Nanocircuit Driven by a Self-Assembled Quantum Dot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiaofei; Jiang, Ping; Razinskas, Gary; Huo, Yongheng; Zhang, Hongyi; Kamp, Martin; Rastelli, Armando; Schmidt, Oliver G; Hecht, Bert; Lindfors, Klas; Lippitz, Markus

    2017-07-12

    Quantum photonics holds great promise for future technologies such as secure communication, quantum computation, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. An outstanding challenge for quantum photonics is to develop scalable miniature circuits that integrate single-photon sources, linear optical components, and detectors on a chip. Plasmonic nanocircuits will play essential roles in such developments. However, for quantum plasmonic circuits, integration of stable, bright, and narrow-band single photon sources in the structure has so far not been reported. Here we present a plasmonic nanocircuit driven by a self-assembled GaAs quantum dot. Through a planar dielectric-plasmonic hybrid waveguide, the quantum dot efficiently excites narrow-band single plasmons that are guided in a two-wire transmission line until they are converted into single photons by an optical antenna. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of fully on-chip plasmonic nanocircuits for quantum optical applications.

  15. Photoluminescence characteristics of InAs quantum dots grown by STM/MBE site-control technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nishikawa, S.; Kohmoto, S.; Nakamura, H.; Ishikawa, T.; Asakawa, K.; Wada, O. [Femtosecond Technology Research Association, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan). FESTA Lab.

    2001-03-08

    This paper describes micro-photoluminescence (PL) analysis of site-controlled QDs (SCQDs) grown using a novel in-situ MBE growth technique in which sites of self-assembled InAs QDs are controlled by forming nanometer deposits using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) probe. We found from the temperature dependence of PL that the carrier collection at QDs at low temperature is limited by carrier diffusion in the wetting layer. The analysis of PL data considering this effect has indicated that individual QDs grown have high crystalline quality in spite of the addition of an artificial STM process during growth. (orig.)

  16. High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Gi-Hwan

    2015-11-11

    © 2015 American Chemical Society. The optoelectronic tunability offered by colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is attractive for photovoltaic applications but demands proper band alignment at electrodes for efficient charge extraction at minimal cost to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high quality CQD solids. We report robust self-assembled monolayers (R-SAMs) that enable us to increase the efficiency of CQD photovoltaics. Only by developing a process for secure anchoring of aromatic SAMs, aided by deposition of the SAMs in a water-free deposition environment, were we able to provide an interface modification that was robust against the ensuing chemical treatments needed in the fabrication of CQD solids. The energy alignment at the rectifying interface was tailored by tuning the R-SAM for optimal alignment relative to the CQD quantum-confined electron energy levels. This resulted in a CQD PV record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.7% with enhanced reproducibility relative to controls.

  17. New self-limiting assembly model for Si quantum rings on Si(100).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, L W; Chen, K J; Song, J; Xu, J; Li, W; Li, X F; Wang, J M; Huang, X F

    2007-04-20

    We propose a new self-limiting assembly model for Si quantum rings on Si(100) where the ring's formation and evolution are driven by a growth-etching competition mechanism. The as-grown ring structure in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system has excellent rotational symmetry and superior morphology with a typical diameter, edge width, and height of 150-300, 10, and 5 nm, respectively. Based on this model, the size and morphology can be controlled well by simply tuning the timing procedure. We suggest that this growth model is not limited to certain material system, but provides a general scheme to control and tailor the self-assembly nanostructures into the desired size, shape, and complexity.

  18. A modified gradient approach for the growth of low-density InAs quantum dot molecules by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Nandlal; Reuter, Dirk

    2017-11-01

    Two vertically stacked quantum dots that are electronically coupled, so called quantum dot molecules, are of great interest for the realization of solid state building blocks for quantum communication networks. We present a modified gradient approach to realize InAs quantum dot molecules with a low areal density so that single quantum dot molecules can be optically addressed. The individual quantum dot layers were prepared by solid source molecular beam epitaxy depositing InAs on GaAs(100). The bottom quantum dot layer has been grown without substrate rotation resulting in an In-gradient across the surface, which translated into a density gradient with low quantum dot density in a certain region of the wafer. For the top quantum dot layer, separated from the bottom quantum dot layer by a 6 nm thick GaAs barrier, various InAs amounts were deposited without an In-gradient. In spite of the absence of an In-gradient, a pronounced density gradient is observed for the top quantum dots. Even for an In-amount slightly below the critical thickness for a single dot layer, a density gradient in the top quantum dot layer, which seems to reproduce the density gradient in the bottom layer, is observed. For more or less In, respectively, deviations from this behavior occur. We suggest that the obvious influence of the bottom quantum dot layer on the growth of the top quantum dots is due to the strain field induced by the buried dots.

  19. Wavelength tuning of InAs quantum dots grown on InP (100) by chemical-beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong, Q.; Noetzel, R.; Veldhoven, P.J. van; Eijkemans, T.J.; Wolter, J.H.

    2004-01-01

    We report on an effective way to continuously tune the emission wavelength of InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on InP (100) by chemical-beam epitaxy. The InAs QD layer is embedded in a GaInAsP layer lattice matched to InP. With an ultrathin GaAs layer inserted between the InAs QD layer and the GaInAsP buffer, the peak wavelength from the InAs QDs can be continuously tuned from above 1.6 μm down to 1.5 μm at room temperature. The major role of the thin GaAs layer is to greatly suppress the As/P exchange during the deposition of InAs and subsequent growth interruption under arsenic flux, as well as to consume the segregated surface In layer floating on the GaInAsP buffer layer

  20. Growth and optical characteristics of InAs quantum dot structures with tunnel injection quantum wells for 1.55 μ m high-speed lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Sven; Sichkovskyi, Vitalii; Reithmaier, Johann Peter

    2018-06-01

    InP based lattice matched tunnel injection structures consisting of a InGaAs quantum well, InAlGaAs barrier and InAs quantum dots designed to emit at 1.55 μ m were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The strong influence of quantum well and barrier thicknesses on the samples emission properties at low and room temperatures was investigated. The phenomenon of a decreased photoluminescence linewidth of tunnel injection structures compared to a reference InAs quantum dots sample could be explained by the selection of the emitting dots through the tunneling process. Morphological investigations have not revealed any effect of the injector well on the dot formation and their size distribution. The optimum TI structure design could be defined.

  1. Contactless electroreflectance and photoluminescence of InAs quantum dots with GaInNAs barriers grown on GaAs substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motyka, M.; Kudrawiec, R.; Misiewicz, J.; Pucicki, D.; Tlaczala, M.; Fischer, M.; Marquardt, B.; Forchel, A.

    2007-01-01

    InAs quantum dots (QDs) with GaInNAs barriers grown on (001) GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy have been studied by contactless electroreflectance (CER) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. It has been observed that the overgrowth of self-organized InAs QDs with GaInNAs layers effectively tunes the QD emission to the 1.3 μm spectral region. In case of PL spectra only one peak related to QD emission has been observed. In the case of CER spectra, in addition to a CER feature corresponding to the QD ground state, a rich spectrum of CER resonances related to optical transitions in InAs/GaInNAs/GaAs QW has been observed. It has been concluded that the application of GaInNAs instead InGaAs leads to better control of emission wavelength from InAs QDs since strains in GaInNAs can be tuned from compressive to tensile. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  2. Determination of anisotropic dipole moments in self-assembled quantum dots using Rabi oscillations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, Andreas; Wang, Qu-Quan; Bianucci, Pablo; Xue, Qi-Kun; Shih, Chih-Kang

    2004-03-01

    By investigating the polarization-dependent Rabi oscillations using photoluminescence spectroscopy, we determined the respective transition dipole moments of the two excited excitonic states |Ex> and |Ey> of a single self-assembled quantum dot that are nondegenerate due to shape anisotropy. We find that the ratio of the two dipole moments is close to the physical elongation ratio of the quantum dot. We also measured the ground state radiative lifetimes of several quantum dots. The dipole moments calculated from the latter are in reasonable agreement with the dipole moments determined from the periodicity of the Rabi oscillations.

  3. In-capillary self-assembly and proteolytic cleavage of polyhistidine peptide capped quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jianhao; Li, Jingyan; Li, Jinchen; Liu, Feifei [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); Zhou, Xiang; Yao, Yi [Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co. Ltd, Changzhou 213164, Jiangsu (China); Wang, Cheli [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); Qiu, Lin, E-mail: linqiupjj@gmail.com [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); Jiang, Pengju, E-mail: pengju.jiang@gmail.com [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China)

    2015-10-01

    A new method using fluorescence coupled capillary electrophoresis (CE-FL) for monitoring self-assembly and proteolytic cleavage of hexahistidine peptide capped quantum dots (QDs) inside a capillary has been developed in this report. QDs and the ATTO 590-labeled hexahistidine peptide (H6-ATTO) were injected into a capillary, sequentially. Their self-assembly inside the capillary was driven by a metal-affinity force which yielded a new fluorescence signal due to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The highly efficient separation of fluorescent complexes and the FRET process were analyzed using CE-FL. The self-assembly of QDs and biomolecules was found to effectively take place inside the capillary. The kinetics of the assembly was monitored by CE-FL, and the approach was extended to the study of proteolytic cleavage of surface conjugated peptides. Being the first in-depth analysis of in-capillary nanoparticle–biomolecule assembly, the novel approach reported here provides inspiration to the development of QD-based FRET probes for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • We examined the self-assembly QDs with H6-ATTO inside a capillary. • We prove CE-FL to be a powerful method to resolve QDs-H6-ATTO complex. • We achieve chromatographic separation of QDs-H6-ATTO complex. • We discovered a novel strategy for the online detection of thrombin. • This technique integrated “injection, mixing, reaction, separation and detection”.

  4. Direct self-assembling and patterning of semiconductor quantum dots on transferable elastomer layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coppola, Sara [Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent System- CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, 80078 (Italy); Vespini, Veronica, E-mail: v.vespini@isasi.cnr.it [Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent System- CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, 80078 (Italy); Olivieri, Federico [Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent System- CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, 80078 (Italy); University of Naples Federico II, Department of Chemical Materials and Production Engineering, Piazzale Tecchio 80, Naples 80125 (Italy); Nasti, Giuseppe; Todino, Michele; Mandracchia, Biagio; Pagliarulo, Vito; Ferraro, Pietro [Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent System- CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, 80078 (Italy)

    2017-03-31

    Highlights: • A quantum dots self-patterning on micrometrical polymeric array is proposed. • The effect of a quantum dots mix on the array is evaluated. • A PDMS membrane is exploited to transfer the pattern on it. - Abstract: Functionalization of thin and stretchable polymer layers by nano- and micro-patterning of nanoparticles is a very promising field of research that can lead to many different applications in biology and nanotechnology. In this work, we present a new procedure to self-assemble semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) nanoparticles by a simple fabrication process on a freestanding flexible PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS) membrane. We used a Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) crystal to imprint a micrometrical pattern on the PDMS membrane that drives the QDs self-structuring on its surface. This process allows patterning QDs with different wavelength emissions in a single step in order to tune the overall emission spectrum of the composite, tuning the QDs mixing ratio.

  5. Self-assembly and photoluminescence evolution of hydrophilic and hydrophobic quantum dots in sol–gel processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Ping, E-mail: mse_yangp@ujn.edu.cn [School of Material Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China); Matras-Postolek, Katarzyna [Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Krakow 31-155 (Poland); Song, Xueling; Zheng, Yan; Liu, Yumeng; Ding, Kun; Nie, Shijie [School of Material Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China)

    2015-10-15

    Graphical abstract: Highly luminescent quantum dots (QDs) with tunable photoluminescence (PL) wavelength were assembled into various morphologies including chain, hollow spheres, fibers, and ring structures through sol–gel processes. The PL properties during assembly as investigated. - Highlights: • Highly luminescent quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized from several ligands. • The evolution of PL in self-assembly via sol–gel processes was investigated. • CdTe QDs were assembled into a chain by controlling hydrolysis and condensation reactions. • Hollow spheres, fibers, and ring structures were created via CdSe/ZnS QDs in sol–gel processes. - Abstract: Highly luminescent quantum dots (QDs) with tunable photoluminescence (PL) wavelength were synthesized from several ligands to investigate the PL evolution in QD self-assembly via sol–gel processes. After ligand exchange, CdTe QDs were assembled into a chain by controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane. The chain was then coated with a SiO{sub 2} shell from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Hollow spheres, fibers, and ring structures were created from CdSe/ZnS QDs via various sol–gel processes. CdTe QDs revealed red-shifted and narrowed PL spectrum after assembly compared with their initial one. In contrast, the red-shift of PL spectra of CdSe/ZnS QDs is small. By optimizing experimental conditions, SiO{sub 2} spheres with multiple CdSe/ZnS QDs were fabricated using TEOS and MPS. The QDs in these SiO{sub 2} spheres retained their initial PL properties. This result is useful for application because of their high stability and high PL efficiency of 33%.

  6. Space charge spectroscopy of self assembled Ge quantum dots in Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asperger, T.; Miesner, C.; Brunner, K.; Abstreiter, G. [Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Walter-Schottky-Inst. fuer Physikalische Grundlagen der Halbleiterelektronik

    2001-03-01

    Admittance spectroscopy was used to investigate the density of states in self assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) of different size embedded in Si Schottky diodes. From the admittance results, activation energies of hole in the QDs have been determined as a function of the external bias which shifts the Fermi level with respect to the energy states in the QDs. The activation energy of a quantum well sample remains constant up to 6 V bias voltage. Large Ge dots (70 nm diameter) show a continuum of activation energies and a low continuous averaged density of states. In small Ge dots (20 nm diameter) a discrete energy level structure with level separations of 40 to 4 meV are observed. They are attributed to strongly quantum confined hole states with significant Coulomb blockade energies. (orig.)

  7. The spectral analysis and threshold limits of quasi-supercontinuum self-assembled quantum dot interband lasers

    KAUST Repository

    Tan, Cheeloon; Wang, Yang; Djie, Hery Susanto; Ooi, Boon S.

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a theoretical model to explain the quasi-supercontinuum interband emission from InGaAs/GaAs self-assembled semiconductor quantum dot lasers by accounting for both inhomogeneous and homogeneous optical gain broadening

  8. Intermediate band solar cell simulation use InAs quantum dot in GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hendra P, I. B.; Rahayu, F.; Sahdan, M. F.; Darma, Y.

    2015-01-01

    Intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) has become a new approach in increasing solar cell efficiency significantly. One way to create intermediate band is by proposing quantum dots (QD) technology. One of the important aspects in utilizing IBSC is the absorption of light. In this work we simulated the influence of QD arrangement in order to increase absorption coefficient and solar cell efficiency. We also simulated the influence of QD size to capture a wider light spectrum. We present a simple calculation method with low computing power demand. Results show that the increasing in quantum dot size can increase in capturing wider spectrum of light. Arrangement InAs QD in bulk material GaAs can capture wider spectrum of light and increase the absorption coefficient. The arrangement InAs QD 2 nm in GaAs bulk can increase solar cell efficiency up to 49.68%

  9. Self-assembly of single "square" quantum rings in gold-free GaAs nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zha, Guowei; Shang, Xiangjun; Su, Dan; Yu, Ying; Wei, Bin; Wang, Li; Li, Mifeng; Wang, Lijuan; Xu, Jianxing; Ni, Haiqiao; Ji, Yuan; Sun, Baoquan; Niu, Zhichuan

    2014-03-21

    Single nanostructures embedded within nanowires (NWs) represent one of the most promising technologies for applications in quantum photonics. However, fabrication imperfections and etching-induced defects are inevitable for top-down fabrications, whereas self-assembly bottom-up approaches cannot avoid the difficulties of its stochastic nature and are limited to restricted heterogeneous material systems. Here we demonstrate the versatile self-assembly of single "square" quantum rings (QR) on the sidewalls of gold-free GaAs NWs for the first time. By tuning the deposition temperature, As overpressure and amount of gallium-droplets, we were able to control the density and morphology of the structure, yielding novel single quantum dots, QR, coupled QRs, and nano-antidots. A proposed model based on a strain-driven, transport-dependent nucleation of gallium droplets at high temperature accounts for the formation mechanism of these structures. We achieved a single-QR-in-NW structure, of which the optical properties were analyzed using micro-photoluminescence at 10 K and a spatially resolved cathodoluminescence technique at 77 K. The spectra show sharp discrete peaks; of these peaks, the narrowest linewidth (separation) was 578 μeV (1-3 meV), reflecting the quantized nature of the ring-type electronic states.

  10. Self-assembled colloidal PbS quantum dots on GaAs substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lue, Wei; Yamada, Fumihiko; Kamiya, Itaru

    2010-01-01

    We report the fabrication and analysis of self-assembled monolayer and bilayer films of colloidal PbS quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs (001) substrates. 1,6-hexanedithiol is used as link molecule between QDs and GaAs substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements confirm the formation of PbS QD film on GaAs. For the monolayer PbS QD film, the temperature-dependent PL shows a feature typical of close-packed film. For the bilayer PbS QD film fabricated from two different mean-sized PbS QDs, we find that the stacking sequence of QDs with different size affects the quantum yield and emission wavelength of the film.

  11. Photoreflectance study of InAs ultrathin layer embedded in Si-delta-doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dhifallah, I., E-mail: ines.dhifallah@gmail.co [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, des Semiconducteurs et des Nanostructures, Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' energie, BP 95 Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Daoudi, M.; Bardaoui, A. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, des Semiconducteurs et des Nanostructures, Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' energie, BP 95 Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Eljani, B. [Unite de recherche sur les Hetero-Epitaxie et Applications, Faculte des Sciences de Monastir (Tunisia); Ouerghi, A. [Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures, CNRS Route de Nozay 91 46a0, Marcoussis (France); Chtourou, R. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, des Semiconducteurs et des Nanostructures, Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' energie, BP 95 Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia)

    2011-05-15

    Photoreflectance and photoluminescence studies were performed to characterize InAs ultrathin layer embedded in Si-delta-doped GaAs/AlGaAs high electron mobility transistors. These structures were grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on (1 0 0) oriented GaAs substrates with different silicon-delta-doped layer densities. Interband energy transitions in the InAs ultrathin layer quantum well were observed below the GaAs band gap in the photoreflectance spectra, and assigned to electron-heavy-hole (E{sub e-hh}) and electron-light-hole (E{sub e-lh}) fundamental transitions. These transitions were shifted to lower energy with increasing silicon-{delta}-doping density. This effect is in good agreement with our theoretical results based on a self-consistent solution of the coupled Schroedinger and Poisson equations and was explained by increased escape of photogenerated carriers and enhanced Quantum Confined Stark Effect in the Si-delta-doped InAs/GaAs QW. In the photoreflectance spectra, not only the channel well interband energy transitions were observed, but also features associated with the GaAs and AlGaAs bulk layers located at about 1.427 and 1.8 eV, respectively. By analyzing the Franz-Keldysh Oscillations observed in the spectral characteristics of Si-{delta}-doped samples, we have determined the internal electric field introduced by ionized Si-{delta}-doped centers. We have observed an increase in the electric field in the InAs ultrathin layer with increasing silicon content. The results are explained in terms of doping dependent ionized impurities densities and surface charges. - Research highlights: {yields} Studying HEMTs structures with different silicon doping content. {yields} An increase of the electric field in the InAs layer with increasing Si content. {yields} The interband energy transitions in the HEMTs structures have been obtained from PR. {yields} Experimental and theoretical values of transitions energies were in good agreement.

  12. Photoreflectance study of InAs ultrathin layer embedded in Si-delta-doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhifallah, I.; Daoudi, M.; Bardaoui, A.; Eljani, B.; Ouerghi, A.; Chtourou, R.

    2011-01-01

    Photoreflectance and photoluminescence studies were performed to characterize InAs ultrathin layer embedded in Si-delta-doped GaAs/AlGaAs high electron mobility transistors. These structures were grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on (1 0 0) oriented GaAs substrates with different silicon-delta-doped layer densities. Interband energy transitions in the InAs ultrathin layer quantum well were observed below the GaAs band gap in the photoreflectance spectra, and assigned to electron-heavy-hole (E e-hh ) and electron-light-hole (E e-lh ) fundamental transitions. These transitions were shifted to lower energy with increasing silicon-δ-doping density. This effect is in good agreement with our theoretical results based on a self-consistent solution of the coupled Schroedinger and Poisson equations and was explained by increased escape of photogenerated carriers and enhanced Quantum Confined Stark Effect in the Si-delta-doped InAs/GaAs QW. In the photoreflectance spectra, not only the channel well interband energy transitions were observed, but also features associated with the GaAs and AlGaAs bulk layers located at about 1.427 and 1.8 eV, respectively. By analyzing the Franz-Keldysh Oscillations observed in the spectral characteristics of Si-δ-doped samples, we have determined the internal electric field introduced by ionized Si-δ-doped centers. We have observed an increase in the electric field in the InAs ultrathin layer with increasing silicon content. The results are explained in terms of doping dependent ionized impurities densities and surface charges. - Research highlights: → Studying HEMTs structures with different silicon doping content. → An increase of the electric field in the InAs layer with increasing Si content. → The interband energy transitions in the HEMTs structures have been obtained from PR. → Experimental and theoretical values of transitions energies were in good agreement.

  13. Structural and electrooptical characteristics of quantum dots emitting at 1.3 μm on gallium arsenide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fiore, A.; Oesterle, U.; Stanley, R.P.

    2001-01-01

    We present a comprehensive study of the structural and emission properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots emitting at 1.3 mum. The dots are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on gallium arsenide substrates. Room-temperature emission at 1.3 mum is obtained by embedding the dots in an InGaAs layer...

  14. Direct Identification of Atomic-Like Electronic Levels in InAs Nano crystal Quantum Dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millo, O.; Katz, D.

    1999-01-01

    The size dependent level structure of InAs nano crystals in the range 2-7 nm in diameter is investigated using both tunneling and optical spectroscopies. The tunneling measurements are performed using a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope on individual nano crystals that, are attached to a gold substrate via dithiol molecules. The tunneling I-V characteristics manifest an interplay between single electron charging and quantum size effects. We are able to directly identify quantum confined states of isolated InAs nano crystals having s and p symmetries. These states are observed in the I-V curves as two and six-fold single electron charging multiplets. Excellent agreement is found between the strongly allowed optical transitions [1] and the spacing of levels detected in the tunneling experiment. This correlation provides new information on the quantum-dot level structure, from which we conclude that the top-most valence band state has both s and p characteristics. The interplay between level structure singles electron charging of the nano crystals obeys an atomic-like Aufbau sequential electron level occupation

  15. 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.

  16. Room-Temperature Dephasing in InAs Quantum Dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borri, Paola; Langbein, Wolfgang; Mørk, Jesper

    2000-01-01

    The room temperature dephasing in InAs/InGaAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots, embedded in a waveguide for laser applications, is measured using two independent methods: spectral hole burning and four-wave mixing. Without the application of bias current for electrical carrier injection......, a dephasing time of ~260 fs, weakly dependent on the optical excitation density, is found and attributed to phonon interaction. The application of bias current, leading to population inversion in the dot ground state and optical gain, strongly decreases the dephasing time to less than 50 fs, likely due...

  17. Optical Properties of GaAs Quantum Dots Fabricated by Filling of Self-Assembled Nanoholes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heyn Ch

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Experimental results of the local droplet etching technique for the self-assembled formation of nanoholes and quantum rings on semiconductor surfaces are discussed. Dependent on the sample design and the process parameters, filling of nanoholes in AlGaAs generates strain-free GaAs quantum dots with either broadband optical emission or sharp photoluminescence (PL lines. Broadband emission is found for samples with completely filled flat holes, which have a very broad depth distribution. On the other hand, partly filling of deep holes yield highly uniform quantum dots with very sharp PL lines.

  18. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy as tools to investigate the heteroepitaxial capping of self-assembled quantum dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keizer, J.G.; Koenraad, P.M.; Smereka, P.; Ulloa, J.M.; Guzman, A.; Hierro, A.

    2012-01-01

    In the last decade, an ever increasing understanding of heteroepitaxial growth has paved the way for the fabrication of a multitude of self-assembled nanostructures. Nowadays, nanostructures such as quantum rings,1 quantum wires,2 quantum dashes,3 quantum rods,4 and quantum dots (QDs)5 can be grown

  19. Direct-Bandgap InAs Quantum-Dots Have Long-Range Electron--Hole Exchange Whereas Indirect Gap Si Dots Have Short-Range Exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juo, J.W.; Franceschetti, A.; Zunger, A.

    2009-01-01

    Excitons in quantum dots manifest a lower-energy spin-forbidden 'dark' state below a spin-allowed 'bright' state; this splitting originates from electron-hole (e-h) exchange interactions, which are strongly enhanced by quantum confinement. The e-h exchange interaction may have both a short-range and a long-range component. Calculating numerically the e-h exchange energies from atomistic pseudopotential wave functions, we show here that in direct-gap quantum dots (such as InAs) the e-h exchange interaction is dominated by the long-range component, whereas in indirect-gap quantum dots (such as Si) only the short-range component survives. As a result, the exciton dark/bright splitting scales as 1/R 2 in InAs dots and 1/R 3 in Si dots, where R is the quantum-dot radius.

  20. Self-assembling peptide semiconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Kai; Makam, Pandeeswar; Aizen, Ruth; Gazit, Ehud

    2017-01-01

    Semiconductors are central to the modern electronics and optics industries. Conventional semiconductive materials bear inherent limitations, especially in emerging fields such as interfacing with biological systems and bottom-up fabrication. A promising candidate for bioinspired and durable nanoscale semiconductors is the family of self-assembled nanostructures comprising short peptides. The highly ordered and directional intermolecular π-π interactions and hydrogen-bonding network allow the formation of quantum confined structures within the peptide self-assemblies, thus decreasing the band gaps of the superstructures into semiconductor regions. As a result of the diverse architectures and ease of modification of peptide self-assemblies, their semiconductivity can be readily tuned, doped, and functionalized. Therefore, this family of electroactive supramolecular materials may bridge the gap between the inorganic semiconductor world and biological systems. PMID:29146781

  1. Narrow optical linewidths and spin pumping on charge-tunable close-to-surface self-assembled quantum dots in an ultrathin diode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Löbl, Matthias C.; Söllner, Immo; Javadi, Alisa; Pregnolato, Tommaso; Schott, Rüdiger; Midolo, Leonardo; Kuhlmann, Andreas V.; Stobbe, Søren; Wieck, Andreas D.; Lodahl, Peter; Ludwig, Arne; Warburton, Richard J.

    2017-10-01

    We demonstrate full charge control, narrow optical linewidths, and optical spin pumping on single self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots embedded in a 162.5 -nm -thin diode structure. The quantum dots are just 88 nm from the top GaAs surface. We design and realize a p -i -n -i -n diode that allows single-electron charging of the quantum dots at close-to-zero applied bias. In operation, the current flow through the device is extremely small resulting in low noise. In resonance fluorescence, we measure optical linewidths below 2 μ eV , just a factor of 2 above the transform limit. Clear optical spin pumping is observed in a magnetic field of 0.5 T in the Faraday geometry. We present this design as ideal for securing the advantages of self-assembled quantum dots—highly coherent single-photon generation, ultrafast optical spin manipulation—in the thin diodes required in quantum nanophotonics and nanophononics applications.

  2. Heterostructures on the basis of GaAs with quantum points of InAs for photo-electric transformers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maronchuk I. E.

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Heterostructures based on GaAs with InAs quantum dots obtained in the process of liquid-phase epitaxy by the method of pulse cooling of saturated solution in indium or heterostructures containing quantum dots in the area of the p–n-junction were much worse than control solar cells manufactured on the same structures but without quantum dots. Solar cells containing quantum dots in the p-region were slightly better than control solar cells.

  3. Towards quantitative three-dimensional characterisation of buried InAs quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kadkhodazadeh, Shima; Semenova, Elizaveta; Schubert, Martin

    2011-01-01

    InAs quantum dots grown on InP or InGaAsP are used for optical communication applications operating in the 1.3 – 1.55 μm wavelength range. It is generally understood that the optical properties of such dots are highly dependent on their structural and chemical profiles. However, morphological...... and compositional measurements of quantum dots using transmission electron microscopy can be ambiguous because the recorded signal is usually a projection through the thickness of the specimen. Here, we discuss the application of scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography to the morphological and chemical...... characterisation of surface and buried quantum dots. We highlight some of the challenges involved and introduce a new specimen preparation method for creating needle-shaped specimens that each contain multiple dots and are suitable for both scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography and atom probe...

  4. Towards quantitative three-dimensional characterisation of buried InAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadkhodazadeh, S; Dunin-Borkowski, R E; Semenova, E S; Schubert, M; Yvind, K; Thuvander, M; Stiller, K M

    2011-01-01

    InAs quantum dots grown on InP or InGaAsP are used for optical communication applications operating in the 1.3 – 1.55 μm wavelength range. It is generally understood that the optical properties of such dots are highly dependent on their structural and chemical profiles. However, morphological and compositional measurements of quantum dots using transmission electron microscopy can be ambiguous because the recorded signal is usually a projection through the thickness of the specimen. Here, we discuss the application of scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography to the morphological and chemical characterisation of surface and buried quantum dots. We highlight some of the challenges involved and introduce a new specimen preparation method for creating needle-shaped specimens that each contain multiple dots and are suitable for both scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography and atom probe tomography.

  5. Influence of nitrogen on the growth and the properties of InAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schumann, O.

    2004-01-01

    This work investigates the influence of nitrogen incorporation on the growth and the optical properties of InAs quantum dots on GaAs(001) substrates. On the basis of systematic growth interruptions it was shown that the large quantum dots nucleate at dislocations, which are already formed during the growth of the wetting layer. After solving the growth problems, the influence of different combinations of matrix layers on the structural and optical properties of the quantum dots was investigated in the second part of this work. The strain and bandgap of these layers were varied systematically. (orig.)

  6. Absorption coefficients for interband optical transitions in a strained InAs1−xPx/InP quantum wire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saravanan, S.; John Peter, A.; Lee, Chang Woo

    2014-01-01

    Excitons confined in an InAs 1−x P x /InP (x=0.2) quantum well wire are studied in the presence of magnetic field strength. Numerical calculations are carried out using variational approach within the single band effective mass approximation. The compressive strain contribution to the confinement potential is included throughout the calculations. The energy difference of the ground and the first excited state is investigated in the influence of magnetic field strength taking into account the geometrical confinement effect. The magnetic field induced optical band as a function of wire radius is investigated in the InAs 0.8 P 0.2 /InP quantum well wire. The valence-band anisotropy is included in our theoretical model by employing different hole masses in different spatial directions. The optical gain as a function of incident photon energy is computed in the presence of magnetic field strength. The corresponding 1.55 μm wavelength is achieved for 40 Å InAs 0.8 P 0.2 /InP quantum well wire. We hope that the results could be used for the potential applications in fiber optic communications. -- Highlights: • Magnetic field induced excitons confined in a InAs 1−x P x /InP (x=0.2) quantum well wire are studied. • The compressive strain is included throughout the calculations. • The energy difference of the ground and the first excited state is investigated in the presence of magnetic field strength. • The magnetic field induced optical band with the geometrical confinement is studied. • The optical gain with the photon energy is computed in the presence of magnetic field strength

  7. Shape, strain, and ordering of lateral InAs quantum dot molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krause, B.; Metzger, T.H.; Rastelli, A.; Songmuang, R.; Kiravittaya, S.; Schmidt, O. G.

    2005-01-01

    The results of an x-ray study on freestanding, self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy are presented. The studied samples cover the range from statistically distributed single quantum dots to quantum dot bimolecules, and finally to quantum dot quadmolecules. The x-ray diffraction data of the single quantum dots and the bimolecules, obtained in grazing incidence geometry, have been analyzed using the isostrain model. An extended version of the isostrain model has been developed, including the lateral arrangement of the quantum dots within a quantum dot molecule and the superposition of the scattering from different parts of the dots. This model has been applied to the scattering maps of all three samples. Quantitative information about the positions of the dots, the shape, and the lattice parameter distribution of their crystalline core has been obtained. For the single dot and the bimolecule, a strong similarity of the shape and lattice parameter distribution has been found, in agreement with the similarity of their photoluminescence spectra

  8. Electron Spin Polarization and Detection in InAs Quantum Dots Through p-Shell Trions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-08

    optical control of spin states in quantum dots. II. EXPERIMENT The QD sample consists of 20 layers of InAs QDs, grown by molecular -beam epitaxy through...anisotropic 2D harmonic poten- tials. The electrons and holes are described by Fock- Darwin states harmonic oscillators with lateral sizes ax and ay in this

  9. Formation of self assembled PbTe quantum dots in CdTe on Si(111)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felder, F.; Fognini, A.; Rahim, M.; Fill, M.; Müller, E.; Zogg, H.

    2010-01-01

    We describe the growth and formation of self assembled PbTe quantum dots in a CdTe host on a silicon (111) substrate. Annealing yields different photoluminescence spectra depending on initial PbTe layer thickness, thickness of the CdTe cap layer and annealing temperature. Generally two distinct emission peaks at ˜0.3 eV and ˜0.45 eV are visible. Model calculations explaining their temperature dependence are performed. The dot size corresponds well with the estimated sizes from electron microscopy images. The quantum dots may be used as absorber within a mid-infrared detector.

  10. Influence of wetting-layer wave functions on phonon-mediated carrier capture into self-assembled quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Markussen, Troels; Kristensen, Philip Trøst; Tromborg, Bjarne

    2006-01-01

    Models of carrier dynamics in quantum dots rely strongly on adequate descriptions of the carrier wave functions. In this work we numerically solve the one-band effective mass Schrodinger equation to calculate the capture times of phonon-mediated carrier capture into self-assembled quantum dots. C....... Comparing with results obtained using approximate carrier wave functions, we demonstrate that the capture times are strongly influenced by properties of the wetting layer wave functions not accounted for by earlier theoretical analyses....

  11. Electronic structure and self-assembly of cross-linked semiconductor nanocrystal arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steiner, Dov; Azulay, Doron; Aharoni, Assaf; Salant, Assaf; Banin, Uri; Millo, Oded

    2008-01-01

    We studied the electronic level structure of assemblies of InAs quantum dots and CdSe nanorods cross-linked by 1,4-phenylenediamine molecules using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We found that the bandgap in these arrays is reduced with respect to the corresponding ligand-capped nanocrystal arrays. In addition, a pronounced sub-gap spectral structure commonly appeared which can be attributed to unpassivated nanocrystal surface states or associated with linker-molecule-related levels. The exchange of the ligands by the linker molecules also affected the structural array properties. Most significantly, clusters of close-packed standing CdSe nanorods were formed

  12. Anomalous X-ray diffraction from self-assembled PbSe/PbEuTe quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holy, V.; Schuelli, T.U.; Lechner, R.T.; Springholz, G.; Bauer, G.

    2005-01-01

    Anomalous X-ray scattering from self-assembled PbSe quantum dots embedded in Pb 1-x Eu x Te was used for the study of their structure. The measured reciprocal-space distributions of diffracted intensity were compared with simulations based on kinematical scattering theory and continuum elasticity. From the comparison, the mean chemical composition of the dots and their aspect ratio (height/width) were estimated

  13. Large size self-assembled quantum rings: quantum size effect and modulation on the surface diffusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Cunzhu; Yoon, Soon Fatt; Wang, Lijun

    2012-09-24

    We demonstrate experimentally the submicron size self-assembled (SA) GaAs quantum rings (QRs) by quantum size effect (QSE). An ultrathin In0.1 Ga0.9As layer with different thickness is deposited on the GaAs to modulate the surface nucleus diffusion barrier, and then the SA QRs are grown. It is found that the density of QRs is affected significantly by the thickness of inserted In0.1 Ga0.9As, and the diffusion barrier modulation reflects mainly on the first five monolayer . The physical mechanism behind is discussed. The further analysis shows that about 160 meV decrease in diffusion barrier can be achieved, which allows the SA QRs with density of as low as one QR per 6 μm2. Finally, the QRs with diameters of 438 nm and outer diameters of 736 nm are fabricated using QSE.

  14. Templated self-assembly of SiGe quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dais, Christian

    2009-08-19

    This PhD thesis reports on the fabrication and characterization of exact aligned SiGe quantum dot structures. In general, SiGe quantum dots which nucleate via the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode exhibit broad size dispersion and nucleate randomly on the surface. However, to tap the full potential of SiGe quantum dots it is necessary to control the positioning and size of the dots on a nanometer length, e.g. for electronically addressing of individual dots. This can be realized by so-called templated self-assembly, which combines top-down lithography with bottom-up selfassembly. In this process the lithographically defined pits serve as pre-defined nucleation points for the epitaxially grown quantum dots. In this thesis, extreme ultraviolet interference lithography at a wavelength of e=13.4 nm is employed for prepatterning of the Si substrates. This technique allows the precise and fast fabrication of high-resolution templates with a high degree of reproducibility. The subsequent epitaxial deposition is either performed by molecular beam epitaxy or low-pressure chemical vapour deposition. It is shown that the dot nucleation on pre-patterned substrates depends strongly on the lithography parameters, e.g. size and periodicity of the pits, as well as on the epitaxy parameters, e.g. growth temperature or material coverage. The interrelations are carefully analyzed by means of scanning force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Provided that correct template and overgrowth parameters are chosen, perfectly aligned and uniform SiGe quantum dot arrays of different period, size as well as symmetry are created. In particular, the quantum dot arrays with the so far smallest period (35 nm) and smallest size dispersion are fabricated in this thesis. Furthermore, the strain fields of the underlying quantum dots allow the fabrication of vertically aligned quantum dot stacks. Combining lateral and vertical dot alignment results in three

  15. Effects of crossed states on photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of InAs quantum dots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Chien-Hung

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this report, the influence of the intrinsic transitions between bound-to-delocalized states (crossed states or quasicontinuous density of electron-hole states on photoluminescence excitation (PLE spectra of InAs quantum dots (QDs was investigated. The InAs QDs were different in size, shape, and number of bound states. Results from the PLE spectroscopy at low temperature and under a high magnetic field (up to 14 T were compared. Our findings show that the profile of the PLE resonances associated with the bound transitions disintegrated and broadened. This was attributed to the coupling of the localized QD excited states to the crossed states and scattering of longitudinal acoustical (LA phonons. The degree of spectral linewidth broadening was larger for the excited state in smaller QDs because of the higher crossed joint density of states and scattering rate.

  16. The influence of post-growth annealing on the optical properties of InAs quantum dot chains grown on pre-patterned GaAs(100)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakkarainen, T V; Polojärvi, V; Schramm, A; Tommila, J; Guina, M

    2012-01-01

    We report on the effect of post-growth thermal annealing of [011]-, [01 1-bar ]-, and [010]-oriented quantum dot chains grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(100) substrates patterned by UV-nanoimprint lithography. We show that the quantum dot chains experience a blueshift of the photoluminescence energy, spectral narrowing, and a reduction of the intersubband energy separation during annealing. The photoluminescence blueshift is more rapid for the quantum dot chains than for self-assembled quantum dots that were used as a reference. Furthermore, we studied polarization resolved photoluminescence and observed that annealing reduces the intrinsic optical anisotropy of the quantum dot chains and the self-assembled quantum dots. (paper)

  17. Spin injection in self-assembled quantum dots coupled with a diluted magnetic quantum well

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murayama, A.; Asahina, T.; Souma, I.; Koyama, T.; Hyomi, K.; Nishibayashi, K.; Oka, Y.

    2007-01-01

    Spin injection is studied in self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) of CdSe coupled with a diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum well (DMS-QW) of Zn 1- x - y Cd x Mn y Se, by means of time-resolved circularly polarized photoluminescence (PL). Excitonic PL from the CdSe QDs shows σ - -circular polarization in magnetic fields, mainly due to negative g-values of individual dots, when the energy difference of excitons between the QDs and DMS-QW is large as 300 meV. However, when such energy difference is comparable with LO-phonon energy in the QD, we observe an additional PL peak with the long lifetime as 3.5 ns and σ + -polarization in magnetic fields. It can be attributed to a type-II transition between the down-spin electron injected from the DMS-QW into the QDs, via LO-phonon-assisted resonant tunneling, and the down-spin heavy hole in the DMS-QW. In addition, the electron spin-injection is also evidenced by σ + -polarized PL with the fast rise-time of 20 ps in the QDs

  18. Optical characterization of InAs quantum wells and dots grown radially on wurtzite InP nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, David; Kawaguchi, Kenichi; Heurlin, Magnus; Borgström, Magnus T; Pistol, Mats-Erik; Samuelson, Lars; Gustafsson, Anders

    2013-01-01

    Correlated micro-photoluminescence (μPL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements are reported for single core–shell InP–InAs wurtzite nanowires grown using metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy. Samples covering a radial InAs shell thickness of 1–12 ML were investigated. The effective masses for the wurtzite material were determined from the transition energy dependence of the InAs shell thickness, using a model based on linear deformation potential theory. InP cores with segments of mixed zincblende and wurtzite, on which quantum dots nucleated selectively, were also investigated. Narrow peaks were observed by μPL and the spatial origin of the emission was identified with CL imaging. (paper)

  19. Optical Rabi Oscillations in a Quantum Dot Ensemble

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kujiraoka, Mamiko; Ishi-Hayase, Junko; Akahane, Kouichi; Yamamoto, Naokatsu; Ema, Kazuhiro; Sasaki, Masahide

    2010-09-01

    We have investigated Rabi oscillations of exciton polarization in a self-assembled InAs quantum dot ensemble. The four-wave mixing signals measured as a function of the average of the pulse area showed the large in-plane anisotropy and nonharmonic oscillations. The experimental results can be well reproduced by a two-level model calculation including three types of inhomogeneities without any fitting parameter. The large anisotropy can be well explained by the anisotropic dipole moments. We also find that the nonharmonic behaviors partly originate from the polarization interference.

  20. InAs quantum dot growth on AlxGa1−xAs by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy for intermediate band solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jakomin, R.; Kawabata, R. M. S.; Souza, P. L.; Mourão, R. T.; Pires, M. P.; Micha, D. N.; Xie, H.; Fischer, A. M.; Ponce, F. A.

    2014-01-01

    InAs quantum dot multilayers have been grown using Al x Ga 1−x As spacers with dimensions and compositions near the theoretical values for optimized efficiencies in intermediate band photovoltaic cells. Using an aluminium composition of x = 0.3 and InAs dot vertical dimensions of 5 nm, transitions to an intermediate band with energy close to the ideal theoretical value have been obtained. Optimum size uniformity and density have been achieved by capping the quantum dots with GaAs following the indium-flush method. This approach has also resulted in minimization of crystalline defects in the epilayer structure

  1. Wave function analysis of type-II self-assembled quantum dot structures using magneto-optics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godoy, Marcio Peron Franco de; Nakaema, Marcelo K.K.; Gomes, Paulo F.; Iikawa, Fernando; Brasil, Maria Jose S.P.; Bortoleto, Jose Roberto R.; Cotta, Monica A.; Ribeiro, Evaldo; Medeiros-Ribeiro, Gilberto; Marques, Gilmar E.; Bittencourt, A.C.R.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: Recently, self-assembled quantum dots have attracted considerable attention for their potential for device applications. Type II interface, in particular, present interesting properties due to the space separation of the carriers. One of the carriers is confined at the lower band gap layer and the other remains at the barrier layers and is only localized by the Coulomb attraction. An essential information for using type II quantum wells and quantum dots on technological applications is the localization of the carrier wave function, which is an experimentally difficult parameter to be measured. Some techniques have been proposed to map the wave functions in quantum dots such as magneto-tunneling spectroscopy and near- field scanning optical microscopy. These techniques involve however a very complex experimental apparatus and sample processing. The magneto-exciton transition can be used as an alternative tool to investigate the exciton wave function distribution, since this distribution has a strong influence on the diamagnetic shift and Zeeman splitting. In this work, we present magneto-optical studies of In P/GaAs type II self-assembled quantum dots, where the electron is strongly confined at the In P, while the hole is weakly localized at the GaAs barrier due to the Coulombic attraction from the electrons. This scenery is very distinct from type I systems. The weaker hole confinement should alter the valence band mixing resulting in a different valence band contribution on the Zeeman splitting as compared to type I systems. Based on the results of the magneto-exciton emission from the wetting layer and from the individual dots, we obtained interesting results concerning the wave function distribution in our system. We discuss the localization of the hole wave function along the growth direction based on the measured Zeeman splitting and the in-plane wave function distribution, based on the observed diamagnetic shift. A remarkable result is that the

  2. Electronic structure properties of the In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dot–quantum well tunnel-injection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sęk, Grzegorz; Andrzejewski, Janusz; Ryczko, Krzysztof; Poloczek, Przemysław; Misiewicz, Jan; Semenova, Elizaveta S; Lemaitre, Aristide; Patriarche, Gilles; Ramdane, Aberrahim

    2009-01-01

    We report on the electronic properties of GaAs-substrate-based structures designed as a tunnel-injection system composed of self-assembled InAs quantum dots and an In 0.3 Ga 0.7 As quantum well separated by a GaAs barrier. We have performed photoluminescence and photoreflectance measurements which have allowed the determination of the optical transitions in the QW–QD tunnel structure and its respective references with just quantum dots or a quantum well. The effective mass calculations of the band structure dependence on the tunnelling barrier thickness have shown that in spite of an expected significant tunnelling between both parts of the system, its strong asymmetry and the strain distribution cause that the quantum-mechanical-coupling-induced energy shift of the optical transitions is almost negligible for the lowest energy states and weakly sensitive to the width of the barrier, which finds confirmation in the existing experimental data

  3. In-plane nuclear field formation investigated in single self-assembled quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, S.; Matsusaki, R.; Kaji, R.; Adachi, S.

    2018-02-01

    We studied the formation mechanism of the in-plane nuclear field in single self-assembled In0.75Al0.25As /Al0.3Ga0.7As quantum dots. The Hanle curves with an anomalously large width and hysteretic behavior at the critical transverse magnetic field were observed in many single quantum dots grown in the same sample. In order to explain the anomalies in the Hanle curve indicating the formation of a large nuclear field perpendicular to the photo-injected electron spin polarization, we propose a new model based on the current phenomenological model for dynamic nuclear spin polarization. The model includes the effects of the nuclear quadrupole interaction and the sign inversion between in-plane and out-of-plane components of nuclear g factors, and the model calculations reproduce successfully the characteristics of the observed anomalies in the Hanle curves.

  4. INFLUENCE OF LOW-ENERGY AR-SPUTTERING ON THE ELECTRONIC-PROPERTIES OF INAS-BASED QUANTUM-WELL STRUCTURES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Magnee, P.H.C.; den Hartog, S.G.; Wees, B.J.van; Klapwijk, T.M; van de Graaf, W.; Borghs, G.

    1995-01-01

    The influence of low energy (80-500 eV) Ar-ion milling cleaning techniques on InAs based quantum well structures is investigated. It is found that both etching with a Kaufmann source and sputter-etching with a rf-plasma enhances the electron density and reduces the mobility. An anneal at 180 degrees

  5. Self-assembling complexes of quantum dots and scFv antibodies for cancer cell targeting and imaging.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana A Zdobnova

    Full Text Available Semiconductor quantum dots represent a novel class of fluorophores with unique physical and chemical properties which could enable a remarkable broadening of the current applications of fluorescent imaging and optical diagnostics. Complexes of quantum dots and antibodies are promising visualising agents for fluorescent detection of selective biomarkers overexpressed in tumor tissues. Here we describe the construction of self-assembling fluorescent complexes of quantum dots and anti-HER1 or anti-HER2/neu scFv antibodies and their interactions with cultured tumor cells. A binding strategy based on a very specific non-covalent interaction between two proteins, barnase and barstar, was used to connect quantum dots and the targeting antibodies. Such a strategy allows combining the targeting and visualization functions simply by varying the corresponding modules of the fluorescent complex.

  6. Changes of photoluminescence of electron beam irradiated self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maliya; Aierken, Abuduwayiti; Li, Yudong; Zhou, Dong; Zhao, Xiaofan; Guo, Qi; Liu, Chaoming

    2018-03-01

    We investigate the effects of 1.0MeV electron beam irradiation on the photoluminescence of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots. After irradiation doses up to 1×1016e-/cm2 , photoluminescence of all samples was degraded dramatically and some additional radiation-induced changes in photo-carrier recombination from QDs, which include a slight increase in PL emission with low electron doses under different photo-injection condition in two samples, are also noticed. Different energy shift was observed in two samples with different Quantum Dot sizes. We attribute this remarkable phenomenon to combination of stress relaxation induced red-shift and In-Ga intermixing caused blue-shift.

  7. Thermal conductivity of InAs quantum dot stacks using AlAs strain compensating layers on InP substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salman, S.; Folliot, H.; Le Pouliquen, J.; Chevalier, N.; Rohel, T.; Paranthoën, C.; Bertru, N.; Labbé, C.; Letoublon, A.; Le Corre, A.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The thermal conductivity of InAs on InP (1 1 3)B quantum dots stacks is measured. ► The growth of a close stack of 100 layers of InAs using AlAs strain compensating layers is presented. ► New data on the thermal conductivity of InP n-doped susbtrate are given. - Abstract: The growth and thermal conductivity of InAs quantum dot (QD) stacks embedded in GaInAs matrix with AlAs compensating layers deposited on (1 1 3)B InP substrate are presented. The effect of the strain compensating AlAs layer is demonstrated through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction structural analysis. The thermal conductivity (2.7 W/m K at 300 K) measured by the 3ω method reveals to be clearly reduced in comparison with a bulk InGaAs layer (5 W/m K). In addition, the thermal conductivity measurements of S doped InP substrates and the SiN insulating layer used in the 3ω method in the 20–200 °C range are also presented. An empirical law is proposed for the S doped InP substrate, which slightly differs from previously presented results.

  8. Singlet and triplet polaron relaxation in doubly charged self-assembled quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grange, T; Zibik, E A; Ferreira, R; Bastard, G; Carpenter, B A; Phillips, P J; Stehr, D; Winnerl, S; Helm, M; Steer, M J; Hopkinson, M; Cockburn, J W; Skolnick, M S; Wilson, L R

    2007-01-01

    Polaron relaxation in self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dot samples containing 2 electrons per dot is studied using far-infrared, time-resolved pump-probe measurements for transitions between the s-like ground and p-like first excited conduction band states. Spin-flip transitions between singlet and triplet states are observed experimentally in the decay of the absorption bleaching, which shows a clear biexponential dependence. The initial fast decay (∼30 ps) is associated with the singlet polaron decay, while the decay component with the longer time constant (∼5 ns) corresponds to the excited state triplet lifetime. The results are explained by considering the intrinsic Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction, which induces spin-flip transitions by acoustic phonon emission or phonon anharmonicity. We have calculated the spin-flip decay times, and good agreement is obtained between the experiment and the simulation of the pump-probe signal. Our results demonstrate the importance of spin-mixing effects for intraband energy relaxation in InAs/GaAs quantum dots

  9. Electric-Field-Induced Energy Tuning of On-Demand Entangled-Photon Emission from Self-Assembled Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiaxiang; Zallo, Eugenio; Höfer, Bianca; Chen, Yan; Keil, Robert; Zopf, Michael; Böttner, Stefan; Ding, Fei; Schmidt, Oliver G

    2017-01-11

    We explore a method to achieve electrical control over the energy of on-demand entangled-photon emission from self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). The device used in our work consists of an electrically tunable diode-like membrane integrated onto a piezoactuator, which is capable of exerting a uniaxial stress on QDs. We theoretically reveal that, through application of the quantum-confined Stark effect to QDs by a vertical electric field, the critical uniaxial stress used to eliminate the fine structure splitting of QDs can be linearly tuned. This feature allows experimental realization of a triggered source of energy-tunable entangled-photon emission. Our demonstration represents an important step toward realization of a solid-state quantum repeater using indistinguishable entangled photons in Bell state measurements.

  10. Quantum Dots obtained by LPE from under-saturated In-As liquid phases on GaAs substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ortiz F E; Mishurnyi V; Gorbatchev A; De Anda F [Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Instituto de Investigacion en Comunicacion Optica, Av. Karacorum 1470, Col. Lomas 4a Sec., CP 78210San Luis PotosI (Mexico); Prutskij T, E-mail: fcoe_ov@prodigy.net.mx, E-mail: andre@cactus.iico.uaslp.mx [BUAP, Instituto de Ciencias, Apartado Postal 207, 72000, Puebla (Mexico)

    2011-01-01

    In this work we inform about quantum dots (QD) obtained by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) on GaAs substrates from under-saturated In-As liquid phases. In our processes, we have prepared saturated In-rich liquid phases by dissolving an InAs wafer at one of the temperatures interval from 450 to 414 C for 60 minutes. The contact between In-As liquid phase and the GaAs substrate was always done at a constant temperature of 444 C for 5 seconds. Thus, the growth temperature for most of the samples was higher than the liquidus temperature. We think that the growth driving force is related to a transient process that occurs when the system is trying to reach equilibrium. Under the atom force microscope (AFM) we have observed nano-islands on the surfaces of the samples obtained from under-saturated liquid phases prepared at 438, 432 and 426 C. The 25 K photoluminescence spectrum shows a peak at a 1.33 eV, in addition to the GaAs related line.

  11. Specific features of electroluminescence in heterostructures with InSb quantum dots in an InAs matrix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parkhomenko, Ya. A.; Ivanov, E. V.; Moiseev, K. D., E-mail: mkd@iropt2.ioffe.rssi.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute (Russian Federation)

    2013-11-15

    The electrical and electroluminescence properties of a single narrow-gap heterostructure based on a p-n junction in indium arsenide, containing a single layer of InSb quantum dots in the InAs matrix, are studied. The presence of quantum dots has a significant effect on the shape of the reverse branch of the current-voltage characteristic of the heterostructure. Under reverse bias, the room-temperature electroluminescence spectra of the heterostructure with quantum dots, in addition to a negative-luminescence band with a maximum at the wavelength {lambda} = 3.5 {mu}m, contained a positive-luminescence emission band at 3.8 {mu}m, caused by radiative transitions involving localized states of quantum dots at the type-II InSb/InAs heterointerface.

  12. Enhanced carrier collection efficiency and reduced quantum state absorption by electron doping in self-assembled quantum dot solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Tian, E-mail: tianlee@umd.edu, E-mail: dage@ece.umd.edu; Dagenais, Mario, E-mail: tianlee@umd.edu, E-mail: dage@ece.umd.edu [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); Lu, Haofeng; Fu, Lan; Tan, Hark Hoe; Jagadish, Chennupati [Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200 (Australia)

    2015-02-02

    Reduced quantum dot (QD) absorption due to state filling effects and enhanced electron transport in doped QDs are demonstrated to play a key role in solar energy conversion. Reduced QD state absorption with increased n-doping is observed in the self-assembled In{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}As/GaAs QDs from high resolution below-bandgap external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurement, which is a direct consequence of the Pauli exclusion principle. We also show that besides partial filling of the quantum states, electron-doping produces negatively charged QDs that exert a repulsive Coulomb force on the mobile electrons, thus altering the electron trajectory and reducing the probability of electron capture, leading to an improved collection efficiency of photo-generated carriers, as indicated by an absolute above-bandgap EQE measurement. The resulting redistribution of the mobile electron in the planar direction is further validated by the observed photoluminescence intensity dependence on doping.

  13. Influencing factors on the size uniformity of self-assembled SiGe quantum rings grown by molecular beam epitaxy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, J; Lv, Y; Yang, X J; Fan, Y L; Zhong, Z; Jiang, Z M

    2011-03-25

    The size uniformity of self-assembled SiGe quantum rings, which are formed by capping SiGe quantum dots with a thin Si layer, is found to be greatly influenced by the growth temperature and the areal density of SiGe quantum dots. Higher growth temperature benefits the size uniformity of quantum dots, but results in low Ge concentration as well as asymmetric Ge distribution in the dots, which induces the subsequently formed quantum rings to be asymmetric in shape or even broken somewhere in the ridge of rings. Low growth temperature degrades the size uniformity of quantum dots, and thus that of quantum rings. A high areal density results in the expansion and coalescence of neighboring quantum dots to form a chain, rather than quantum rings. Uniform quantum rings with a size dispersion of 4.6% and an areal density of 7.8×10(8) cm(-2) are obtained at the optimized growth temperature of 640°C.

  14. Light emitting diodes with InAs/GaAsSb self-assembled quantum dot layer embedded in GaAs

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hazdra, P.; Oswald, Jiří; Hospodková, Alice; Hulicius, Eduard; Pangrác, Jiří

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 543, Sept (2013), 83-87 ISSN 0040-6090 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP102/10/1201; GA ČR GA202/09/0676 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : quantum dots * electroluminescence * metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy * InAs * GaAsSb * light emitting diodes Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.867, year: 2013

  15. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF 3D SELF-ASSEMBLED PHOTONIC CRYSTALS AND COLLOIDAL CORE-SHELL SEMICONDUCTOR QUANTUM DOTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pham Thu Nga

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this contribution we present an experimental study of 3D opal photonic crystals. The samples are opals constituted by colloidal silica spheres, realized with self-assembly technique. The sphere diameter is selected in order to obtain coupling of the photonic band gap with the emission from CdSe/ZnS colloidal quantum dots. The quantum dots infiltrated in the opals is expected to be enhanced or suppressed depending on the detection angle from the photonic crystal. The structural and optical characterization of the SiO2 opal photonic crystals are performed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and reflectivity spectroscopy. Measurements performed on samples permits to put into evidence the influence of the different preparation methods on the optical properties. Study of self-activated luminescence of the pure opals is also presented. It is shown that the luminescence of the sample with QDs have original QD emission and not due to the photonic crystal structure. The optical properties of colloidal core-shell semiconductor quantum dots of CdSe/ZnS which are prepared in our lab will be mention.

  16. Quantum Computers and Quantum Computer Languages: Quantum Assembly Language and Quantum C

    OpenAIRE

    Blaha, Stephen

    2002-01-01

    We show a representation of Quantum Computers defines Quantum Turing Machines with associated Quantum Grammars. We then create examples of Quantum Grammars. Lastly we develop an algebraic approach to high level Quantum Languages using Quantum Assembly language and Quantum C language as examples.

  17. Fabrication and optical properties of multishell InAs quantum dots on GaAs nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, Xin; Zhang, Xia, E-mail: xzhang@bupt.edu.cn; Li, Junshuai; Cui, Jiangong; Ren, Xiaomin [State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China)

    2015-02-07

    Hybrid nanostructures combining nanowires with quantum dots promote the development of nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices with integrated functionalities. In this work, we present a complex nanostructure with multishell quantum dots grown on nanowires. 1–4 shells of Stranski-Krastanov InAs quantum dots are grown on the sidewalls of GaAs nanowires by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Different dot shells are separated by 8 nm GaAs spacer shells. With increasing the number of shells, the quantum dots become sparser and tend to align in one array, which is caused by the shrinkage of facets on which dots prefer to grow as well as the strain fields produced by the lower set of dots which influences the migration of In adatoms. The size of quantum dots increases with the increase of shell number due to enhanced strain fields coupling. The spectra of multishell dots exhibit multiwavelength emission, and each peak corresponds to a dot shell. This hybrid structure may serve as a promising element in nanowire intermediate band solar cells, infrared nanolasers, and photodetectors.

  18. Unique self-assembly properties of a bridge-shaped protein dimer with quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jianhao; Jiang, Pengju; Gao, Liqian; Yu, Yongsheng; Lu, Yao; Qiu, Lin; Wang, Cheli; Xia, Jiang

    2013-01-01

    How protein–protein interaction affects protein–nanoparticle self-assembly is the key to the understanding of biomolecular coating of nanoparticle in biological fluids. However, the relationship between protein shape and its interaction with nanoparticles is still under-exploited because of lack of a well-conceived binding system and a method to detect the subtle change in the protein–nanoparticle assemblies. Noticing this unresolved need, we cloned and expressed a His-tagged SpeA protein that adopts a bridge-shaped dimer structure, and utilized a high-resolution capillary electrophoresis method to monitor assembly formation between the protein and quantum dots (QDs, 5 nm in diameter). We observed that the bridge-shaped structure rendered a low SpeA:QD stoichiometry at saturation. Also, close monitoring of imidazole (Im) displacement of surface-bound protein revealed a unique two-step process. High-concentration Im could displace surface-bound SpeA protein and form a transient QD–protein intermediate, through a kinetically controlled displacement process. An affinity-driven equilibrium step then followed, resulting in re-assembling of the QD–protein complex in about 1 h. Through a temporarily formed intermediate, Im causes a rearrangement of His-tagged proteins on the surface. Thus, our work showcases that the synergistic interplay between QD–His-tag interaction and protein–protein interaction can result in unique properties of protein–nanoparticle assembly for the first time

  19. Unique self-assembly properties of a bridge-shaped protein dimer with quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianhao; Jiang, Pengju; Gao, Liqian; Yu, Yongsheng; Lu, Yao; Qiu, Lin; Wang, Cheli; Xia, Jiang

    2013-09-01

    How protein-protein interaction affects protein-nanoparticle self-assembly is the key to the understanding of biomolecular coating of nanoparticle in biological fluids. However, the relationship between protein shape and its interaction with nanoparticles is still under-exploited because of lack of a well-conceived binding system and a method to detect the subtle change in the protein-nanoparticle assemblies. Noticing this unresolved need, we cloned and expressed a His-tagged SpeA protein that adopts a bridge-shaped dimer structure, and utilized a high-resolution capillary electrophoresis method to monitor assembly formation between the protein and quantum dots (QDs, 5 nm in diameter). We observed that the bridge-shaped structure rendered a low SpeA:QD stoichiometry at saturation. Also, close monitoring of imidazole (Im) displacement of surface-bound protein revealed a unique two-step process. High-concentration Im could displace surface-bound SpeA protein and form a transient QD-protein intermediate, through a kinetically controlled displacement process. An affinity-driven equilibrium step then followed, resulting in re-assembling of the QD-protein complex in about 1 h. Through a temporarily formed intermediate, Im causes a rearrangement of His-tagged proteins on the surface. Thus, our work showcases that the synergistic interplay between QD-His-tag interaction and protein-protein interaction can result in unique properties of protein-nanoparticle assembly for the first time.

  20. Understanding the self-assembly of proteins onto gold nanoparticles and quantum dots driven by metal-histidine coordination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldeek, Fadi; Safi, Malak; Zhan, Naiqian; Palui, Goutam; Mattoussi, Hedi

    2013-11-26

    Coupling of polyhistidine-appended biomolecules to inorganic nanocrystals driven by metal-affinity interactions is a greatly promising strategy to form hybrid bioconjugates. It is simple to implement and can take advantage of the fact that polyhistidine-appended proteins and peptides are routinely prepared using well established molecular engineering techniques. A few groups have shown its effectiveness for coupling proteins onto Zn- or Cd-rich semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Expanding this conjugation scheme to other metal-rich nanoparticles (NPs) such as AuNPs would be of great interest to researchers actively seeking effective means for interfacing nanostructured materials with biology. In this report, we investigated the metal-affinity driven self-assembly between AuNPs and two engineered proteins, a His7-appended maltose binding protein (MBP-His) and a fluorescent His6-terminated mCherry protein. In particular, we investigated the influence of the capping ligand affinity to the nanoparticle surface, its density, and its lateral extension on the AuNP-protein self-assembly. Affinity gel chromatography was used to test the AuNP-MPB-His7 self-assembly, while NP-to-mCherry-His6 binding was evaluated using fluorescence measurements. We also assessed the kinetics of the self-assembly between AuNPs and proteins in solution, using time-dependent changes in the energy transfer quenching of mCherry fluorescent proteins as they immobilize onto the AuNP surface. This allowed determination of the dissociation rate constant, Kd(-1) ∼ 1-5 nM. Furthermore, a close comparison of the protein self-assembly onto AuNPs or QDs provided additional insights into which parameters control the interactions between imidazoles and metal ions in these systems.

  1. Quantum Computers and Quantum Computer Languages: Quantum Assembly Language and Quantum C Language

    OpenAIRE

    Blaha, Stephen

    2002-01-01

    We show a representation of Quantum Computers defines Quantum Turing Machines with associated Quantum Grammars. We then create examples of Quantum Grammars. Lastly we develop an algebraic approach to high level Quantum Languages using Quantum Assembly language and Quantum C language as examples.

  2. Electrical characterization of InAs/InP self-assembled quantum dots with InGaAs strain-relief layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J. S.; Kim, E. K.; Hwang, H.; Park, K.; Yoon, E.; Park, I. W.; Park, Y. J.

    2004-01-01

    We have investigated the energy levels of InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in various barrier layers such as InP, InGaAs and GaAs by using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurement. The apparent activation energy of 0.56 eV below the conduction band edge of barrier layers in the InAs/InP QD system was higher than 0.32 eV in the InAs/In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As QD system or 0.29 eV in the InAs/GaAs/In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As QD system, which was inserted in 10 mono-layers (MLs) GaAs between InAs QDs and the InGaAs barrier. The capture barrier heights of InAs QDs in the InAs/InP system was measured at more than about 0.18 eV, showing the existence of strain between QDs and barrier layers. The InAs/GaAs(10 MLs)/InGaAs system also showed about 0.12 eV capture barrier, but the InAs/InGaAs system has a very small barrier. This result might originate from the strain-relief effect due to InGaAs layers.

  3. Tunable self-assembled spin chains of strongly interacting cold atoms for demonstration of reliable quantum state transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Loft, N. J. S.; Marchukov, O. V.; Petrosyan, D.

    2016-01-01

    We have developed an efficient computational method to treat long, one-dimensional systems of strongly-interacting atoms forming self-assembled spin chains. Such systems can be used to realize many spin chain model Hamiltonians tunable by the external confining potential. As a concrete...... demonstration, we consider quantum state transfer in a Heisenberg spin chain and we show how to determine the confining potential in order to obtain nearly-perfect state transfer....

  4. InAs quantum dot growth on Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}As by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy for intermediate band solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jakomin, R., E-mail: robertojakomin@xerem.ufrj.br [Campus de Xerém, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Duque de Caxias-RJ (Brazil); Campus de Xerém, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Duque de Caxias-RJ (Brazil); Kawabata, R. M. S.; Souza, P. L. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutoires–DISSE–PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Marques de São Vicente 225, Rio de Janeiro, 22452-900 RJ (Brazil); Mourão, R. T.; Pires, M. P. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutoires–DISSE–PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro-RJ (Brazil); Micha, D. N. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutoires–DISSE–PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro-RJ (Brazil); Coordenação de Licenciatura em Física, CEFET/RJ, Petrópolis-RJ (Brazil); Xie, H.; Fischer, A. M.; Ponce, F. A. [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States)

    2014-09-07

    InAs quantum dot multilayers have been grown using Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}As spacers with dimensions and compositions near the theoretical values for optimized efficiencies in intermediate band photovoltaic cells. Using an aluminium composition of x = 0.3 and InAs dot vertical dimensions of 5 nm, transitions to an intermediate band with energy close to the ideal theoretical value have been obtained. Optimum size uniformity and density have been achieved by capping the quantum dots with GaAs following the indium-flush method. This approach has also resulted in minimization of crystalline defects in the epilayer structure.

  5. Templated self-assembly of quantum dots from aqueous solution using protein scaffolds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blum, Amy Szuchmacher [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Soto, Carissa M [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Wilson, Charmaine D [Geo-Centers, Incorporated, Newton, MA 02459 (United States); Whitley, Jessica L [Geo-Centers, Incorporated, Newton, MA 02459 (United States); Moore, Martin H [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Sapsford, Kim E [George Mason University, 10910 University Boulevard, Manassas, VA 20110 (United States); Lin, Tianwei [Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 (United States); Chatterji, Anju [Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 (United States); Johnson, John E [Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 (United States); Ratna, Banahalli R [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

    2006-10-28

    Short, histidine-containing peptides can be conjugated to lysine-containing protein scaffolds to controllably attach quantum dots (QDs) to the scaffold, allowing for generic attachment of quantum dots to any protein without the use of specially engineered domains. This technique was used to bind quantum dots from aqueous solution to both chicken IgG and cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), a 30 nm viral particle. These quantum dot-protein assemblies were studied in detail. The IgG-QD complexes were shown to retain binding specificity to their antigen after modification. The CPMV-QD complexes have a local concentration of quantum dots greater than 3000 nmol ml{sup -1}, and show a 15% increase in fluorescence quantum yield over free quantum dots in solution.

  6. Quantum optics with quantum dots in photonic nanowires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    We will review recent studies performed on InAs quantum dots embedded in GaAs photonic wires, which highlight the strong interest of the photonic wire geometry for quantum optics experiments and quantum optoelectronic devices.......We will review recent studies performed on InAs quantum dots embedded in GaAs photonic wires, which highlight the strong interest of the photonic wire geometry for quantum optics experiments and quantum optoelectronic devices....

  7. Seeded growth of InP and InAs quantum rods using indium acetate and myristic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shweky, Itzhak; Aharoni, Assaf; Mokari, Taleb; Rothenberg, Eli; Nadler, Moshe; Popov, Inna; Banin, Uri

    2006-01-01

    A synthesis of soluble III-V semiconductor quantum rods using gold nanoparticles to direct and catalyze one-dimensional growth is developed. The growth takes place via the solution-liquid-solid (SLS) mechanism where proper precursors are injected into a coordinating solvent. We report the synthesis of InP nanorods using indium acetate and myristic acid with gold nanoparticles as the catalysts in the SLS growth mode. A similar route was successfully developed for the growth of InAs nanorods. We find that the amount of Au catalyst in the reaction is an important parameter to achieve shape control. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of InP and InAs nanocrystals revealed that the crystals are mostly rod-shaped, and provide strong evidence for Au presence in one edge. The rods were characterized structurally using X-ray diffraction and high-resolution TEM and optically by absorption and photoluminescence

  8. The spectral analysis and threshold limits of quasi-supercontinuum self-assembled quantum dot interband lasers

    KAUST Repository

    Tan, Cheeloon

    2009-09-01

    This paper presents a theoretical model to explain the quasi-supercontinuum interband emission from InGaAs/GaAs self-assembled semiconductor quantum dot lasers by accounting for both inhomogeneous and homogeneous optical gain broadening. The experimental and theoretical agreement of a room temperature (293 K) broadband laser emission confirms the presence of multiple-state lasing actions in highly inhomogeneous dot ensembles. The corresponding full-width half-maximum of the photoluminescence is 76 meV as opposed to those wideband lasing coverage at only low temperature (∼60 K) from typical quantum dot lasers. A newly proposed change of homogeneous broadening with injection that occurs only in highly inhomogeneous quantum dot system is critical to account for the continuous wideband lasing but not the conventional ideas of carrier dynamics in semiconductor lasers. In addition, the analysis of threshold conditions reveals that broadband lasing only occurs when the energy spacing between quantized energy states is comparable to the inhomogeneous broadening of quantum-dot nanostructures. The study is important in providing a picture of this novel device and realization of broad lasing coverage for diverse applications, especially in the research field of short-pulse generation and ultra-fast phenomena in semiconductor quantum-dot laser. © 2009 IEEE.

  9. Plasmon-enhanced terahertz emission in self-assembled quantum dots by femtosecond pulses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carreño, F., E-mail: ferpo@fis.ucm.es; Antón, M. A., E-mail: antonm@fis.ucm.es; Melle, Sonia, E-mail: smelle@fis.ucm.es; Calderón, Oscar G., E-mail: oscargc@fis.ucm.es; Cabrera-Granado, E., E-mail: ecabrera@fis.ucm.es [Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/ Arcos de Jalón 118, 28037 Madrid (Spain); Cox, Joel, E-mail: jcox27@uwo.ca; Singh, Mahi R., E-mail: msingh@uwo.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London N6A 3K7 (Canada); Egatz-Gómez, A., E-mail: Ana.Egatz-Gomez.1@nd.edu [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana 46556 (United States)

    2014-02-14

    A scheme for terahertz (THz) generation from intraband transition in a self-assembled quantum dot (QD) molecule coupled to a metallic nanoparticle (MNP) is analyzed. The QD structure is described as a three-level atom-like system using the density matrix formalism. The MNP with spherical geometry is considered in the quasistatic approximation. A femtosecond laser pulse creates a coherent superposition of two subbands in the quantum dots and produces localized surface plasmons in the nanoparticle which act back upon the QD molecule via dipole-dipole interaction. As a result, coherent THz radiation with a frequency corresponding to the interlevel spacing can be obtained, which is strongly modified by the presence of the MNP. The peak value of the terahertz signal is analyzed as a function of nanoparticle's size, the MNP to QD distance, and the area of the applied laser field. In addition, we theoretically demonstrate that the terahertz pulse generation can be effectively controlled by making use of a train of femtosecond laser pulses. We show that by a proper choice of the parameters characterizing the pulse train a huge enhancement of the terahertz signal is obtained.

  10. Fabrication of GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well nanostructures on (100) si substrate using a 1-nm InAs relief layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, H J; Park, S J; Lim, J Y; Cho, N K; Song, J D; Lee, W; Lee, Y J; Myoung, J M; Choi, W J

    2014-04-01

    Nanometer scale thin InAs layer has been incorporated between Si (100) substrate and GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well (MQW) nanostructure in order to reduce the defects generation during the growth of GaAs buffer layer on Si substrate. Observations based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggest that initiation and propagation of defect at the Si/GaAs interface could be suppressed by incorporating thin (1 nm in thickness) InAs layer. Consequently, the microstructure and resulting optical properties improved as compared to the MQW structure formed directly on Si substrate without the InAs layer. It was also observed that there exists some limit to the desirable thickness of the InAs layer since the MQW structure having thicker InAs layer (4 nm-thick) showed deteriorated properties.

  11. Growth and characterization of InAs columnar quantum dots on GaAs substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, L. H.; Patriarche, G.; Rossetti, M.; Fiore, A.

    2007-01-01

    The growth of InAs columnar quantum dots (CQDs) on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy was investigated. The CQDs were formed by depositing a 1.8 monolayer (ML) InAs seed dot layer and a short period GaAs/InAs superlattice (SL). It was found that the growth of the CQDs is very sensitive to growth interruption (GI) and growth temperature. Both longer GI and higher growth temperature impact the size dispersion of the CQDs, which causes the broadening of photoluminescence (PL) spectrum and the presence of the additional PL peak tails. By properly choosing the GI and the growth temperature, CQDs including GaAs (3 ML)/InAs (0.62 ML) SL with period number up to 35 without plastic relaxation were grown. The corresponding equivalent thickness of the SL is 41 nm which is two times higher than the theoretical critical thickness of the strained InGaAs layer with the same average In composition of 16%. The increase of the critical thickness is partially associated with the formation of the CQDs. Based on a five-stack CQD active region, laser diodes emitting around 1120 nm at room temperature were demonstrated, indicating a high material quality. CQDs with nearly isotropic cross section (20 nmx20 nm dimensions) were formed by depositing a 16-period GaAs (3 ML)/InAs (0.62 ML) SL on an InAs seed dot layer, indicating the feasibility of artificial shape engineering of QDs. Such a structure is expected to be very promising for polarization insensitive device applications, such as semiconductor optical amplifiers

  12. Numerical simulation of electronic properties of coupled quantum dots on wetting layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betcke, M M; Voss, H

    2008-01-01

    Self-assembled quantum dots are grown on wetting layers and frequently in an array-like assembly of many similar but not exactly equal dots. Nevertheless, most simulations disregard these structural conditions and restrict themselves to simulating a pure single quantum dot. For reasons of numerical efficiency we advocate the effective one-band Hamiltonian with energy- and position-dependent effective mass approximation and a finite height hard-wall 3D confinement potential for computation of the energy levels of the electrons in the conduction band. Within this model we investigate the geometrical effects mentioned above on the electronic structure of a pyramidal InAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs matrix. We find that the presence of a wetting layer may affect the electronic structure noticeably. Furthermore, we establish that, in spite of the large bandgap of the InAs/GaAs heterostructure, if the dots in a vertically aligned array are sufficiently close stacked there is considerable interaction between their eigenfunctions. Moreover, the eigenfunctions of such an array are quite sensitive to certain structural perturbations

  13. High-performance ambipolar self-assembled Au/Ag nanowire based vertical quantum dot field effect transistor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Xiaoxian; Zhang, Yating; Zhang, Haiting; Yu, Yu; Cao, Mingxuan; Che, Yongli; Wang, Jianlong; Dai, Haitao; Yang, Junbo; Ding, Xin; Yao, Jianquan

    2016-10-07

    Most lateral PbSe quantum dot field effect transistors (QD FETs) show a low on current/off current (I on/I off) ratio in charge transport measurements. A new strategy to provide generally better performance is to design PbSe QD FETs with vertical architecture, in which the structure parameters can be tuned flexibly. Here, we fabricated a novel room-temperature operated vertical quantum dot field effect transistor with a channel of 580 nm, where self-assembled Au/Ag nanowires served as source transparent electrodes and PbSe quantum dots as active channels. Through investigating the electrical characterization, the ambipolar device exhibited excellent characteristics with a high I on/I off current ratio of about 1 × 10(5) and a low sub-threshold slope (0.26 V/decade) in the p-type regime. The all-solution processing vertical architecture provides a convenient way for low cost, large-area integration of the device.

  14. Theory of electron energy spectrum and Aharonov-Bohm effect in self-assembled Inx Ga1-x As quantum rings in GaAs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fomin, V.M.; Gladilin, V.N.; Klimin, S.N.; Devreese, J.T.; Kleemans, N.A.J.M.; Koenraad, P.M.

    2007-01-01

    We analyze theoretically the electron energy spectrum and the magnetization of an electron in a strained Inx Ga1-x As GaAs self-assembled quantum ring (SAQR) with realistic parameters, determined from the cross-sectional scanning-tunneling microscopy characterization of that nanostructure. The SAQRs

  15. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of three-dimensional self-assembled quantum dot islands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Xin; Feng Hao; Liu Yu-Min; Yu Zhong-Yuan; Yin Hao-Zhi

    2014-01-01

    By three-dimensional kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, the effects of the temperature, the flux rate, the total coverage and the interruption time on the distribution and the number of self-assembled InAs/GaAs (001) quantum dot (QD) islands are studied, which shows that a higher temperature, a lower flux rate and a longer growth time correspond to a better island distribution. The relations between the number of islands and the temperature and the flux rate are also successfully simulated. It is observed that for the total coverage lower than 0.5 ML, the number of islands decreases with the temperature increasing and other growth parameters fixed and the number of islands increases with the flux rate increasing when the deposition is lower than 0.6 ML and the other parameters are fixed. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

  16. Combined atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence imaging to select single InAs/GaAs quantum dots for quantum photonic devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sapienza, Luca; Liu, Jin; Song, Jin Dong; Fält, Stefan; Wegscheider, Werner; Badolato, Antonio; Srinivasan, Kartik

    2017-07-24

    We report on a combined photoluminescence imaging and atomic force microscopy study of single, isolated self-assembled InAs quantum dots. The motivation of this work is to determine an approach that allows to assess single quantum dots as candidates for quantum nanophotonic devices. By combining optical and scanning probe characterization techniques, we find that single quantum dots often appear in the vicinity of comparatively large topographic features. Despite this, the quantum dots generally do not exhibit significant differences in their non-resonantly pumped emission spectra in comparison to quantum dots appearing in defect-free regions, and this behavior is observed across multiple wafers produced in different growth chambers. Such large surface features are nevertheless a detriment to applications in which single quantum dots are embedded within nanofabricated photonic devices: they are likely to cause large spectral shifts in the wavelength of cavity modes designed to resonantly enhance the quantum dot emission, thereby resulting in a nominally perfectly-fabricated single quantum dot device failing to behave in accordance with design. We anticipate that the approach of screening quantum dots not only based on their optical properties, but also their surrounding surface topographies, will be necessary to improve the yield of single quantum dot nanophotonic devices.

  17. Effect of GaAs interlayer thickness variations on the optical properties of multiple InAs QD structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, C.Y.; Park, K.W.; Kim, J.M.; Lee, Y.T.

    2009-01-01

    Multiple InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) with vertically stacked structure are grown by molecular beam epitaxy and the effects of GaAs interlayer thickness variation on optical properties are studied. The growth conditions are optimized by in-situ RHEED, AFM, and PL measurement. The five InAs QD layers are embedded in GaAs and Al0.3Ga0.7As layer. The PL intensity is increased with increasing GaAs interlayer thickness. The thin GaAs interlayer has strain field, the strain-induced intermixing of indium atoms in the InAs QDs (blue-shift) can overcompensate for the effect on the increased QD size (red-shift) (H. Heidemeyer et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 1544 (2002); T. Nakaoka et al. J. Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 150 (2004)[1, 2], respectively). For the interlayer thickness larger than about 7 nm, the blue-shifts are correlated to the dominant high-energy excited state transitions due to the successive state filling of the ground and higher excited states in the QDs. The energy separation of double PL peaks, originated from two different excited states, was kept at around 50 meV at room temperature. A possible mechanism concerning this phenomenon is also discussed. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  18. Zero-phonon-line emission of single molecules for applications in quantum information processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiraz, Alper; Ehrl, M.; Mustecaplioglu, O. E.; Hellerer, T.; Brauchle, C.; Zumbusch, A.

    2005-07-01

    A single photon source which generates transform limited single photons is highly desirable for applications in quantum optics. Transform limited emission guarantees the indistinguishability of the emitted single photons. This, in turn brings groundbreaking applications in linear optics quantum information processing within an experimental reach. Recently, self-assembled InAs quantum dots and trapped atoms have successfully been demonstrated as such sources for highly indistinguishable single photons. Here, we demonstrate that nearly transform limited zero-phonon-line (ZPL) emission from single molecules can be obtained by using vibronic excitation. Furthermore we report the results of coincidence detection experiments at the output of a Michelson-type interferometer. These experiments reveal Hong-Ou-Mandel correlations as a proof of the indistinguishability of the single photons emitted consecutively from a single molecule. Therefore, single molecules constitute an attractive alternative to single InAs quantum dots and trapped atoms for applications in linear optics quantum information processing. Experiments were performed with a home-built confocal microscope keeping the sample in a superfluid liquid Helium bath at 1.4K. We investigated terrylenediimide (TDI) molecules highly diluted in hexadecane (Shpol'skii matrix). A continuous wave single mode dye laser was used for excitation of vibronic transitions of individual molecules. From the integral fluorescence, the ZPL of single molecules was selected with a spectrally narrow interference filter. The ZPL emission was then sent to a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer for linewidth measurements or a Michelson-type interferometer for coincidence detection.

  19. Controlling the size of InAs quantum dots on Si1-xGex/Si(0 0 1) by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawaguchi, Kenichi; Ebe, Hiroji; Ekawa, Mitsuru; Sugama, Akio; Arakawa, Yasuhiko

    2009-01-01

    The formation of III-V InAs quantum dots (QDs) on group-IV Si 1-x Ge x /Si(0 0 1) was investigated by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy. Two types of QDs, round-shaped QDs and giant QDs elongated in the [1 1 0] or [1,-1,0] direction, were observed in a growth condition of low V/III ratios. An increase in the V/III ratio and AsH 3 preflow during the cooling process was found to suppress the formation of giant QDs. It was considered that replacing the H-stabilized SiGe surface with the As-stabilized surface was necessary for increasing the QD nucleation. The size and density of InAs QDs on SiGe were controllable as well as that on III-V semiconductor buffer layers, and InAs QDs with a density as high as 5 x 10 10 cm -2 were obtained.

  20. Optical spectroscopy of single, planar, self-assembled InAs/InP quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, D.; Williams, R.L.; Lefebvre, J.; Lapointe, J.; Reimer, M.E.; Mckee, J.; Poole, P.J.

    2006-01-01

    We present optical spectra from numerous, single, self-assembled InAs/InP quantum dots. More than 50 individual dots are studied that emit in the 1.1-1.6 mm wavelength range. The dots are of high optical quality as judged by the clean, single exciton emission line at low power, the resolution limited linewidth, and the brightness. Each dot exhibits similar trends in the power evolution spectra, despite large variations in height and diameter. The level splittings in the p -shell increase with decreasing height, which we interpret to be from dot elongation along the [01 anti 1] direction. The evolution of the spectra with increasing power agrees well with predictions from effective bond orbital calculations. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  1. Combined vertically correlated InAs and GaAsSb quantum dots separated by triangular GaAsSb barrier

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hospodková, Alice; Oswald, Jiří; Pangrác, Jiří; Zíková, Markéta; Kubištová, Jana; Komninou, Ph.; Kioseoglou, J.; Kuldová, Karla; Hulicius, Eduard

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 114, č. 17 (2013), "174305-1"-"174305-5" ISSN 0021-8979 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-15286S; GA MŠk 7AMB12GR034; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011026 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : quantum dots * metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy * InAs * GaAs * GaAsSb Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.185, year: 2013

  2. Characterization of highly stacked InAs quantum dot layers on InP substrate for a planar saturable absorber at 1.5 μm band

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Jun; Akahane, Kouichi; Yamamoto, Naokatsu; Isu, Toshiro; Tsuchiya, Masahiro

    2006-01-01

    We examined the absorption saturation properties in the 1.5 μm band of novel highly stacked InAs quantum dot layers. The transmission change at vertical incidence based on the saturable absorption of the quantum dots was more than 1%. This value is as large as the reflection changes of previously reported 1-μm-band quantum dot saturable absorber with interference enhancement. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  3. Measurements of the spin-orbit interaction and Landé g factor in a pure-phase InAs nanowire double quantum dot in the Pauli spin-blockade regime

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jiyin; Huang, Shaoyun, E-mail: hqxu@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: syhuang@pku.edu.cn; Lei, Zijin [Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices and Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Pan, Dong; Zhao, Jianhua [State Key Laboratory of Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Xu, H. Q., E-mail: hqxu@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: syhuang@pku.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices and Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Division of Solid State Physics, Lund University, Box 118, S-22100 Lund (Sweden)

    2016-08-01

    We demonstrate direct measurements of the spin-orbit interaction and Landé g factors in a semiconductor nanowire double quantum dot. The device is made from a single-crystal pure-phase InAs nanowire on top of an array of finger gates on a Si/SiO{sub 2} substrate and the measurements are performed in the Pauli spin-blockade regime. It is found that the double quantum dot exhibits a large singlet-triplet energy splitting of Δ{sub ST} ∼ 2.3 meV, a strong spin-orbit interaction of Δ{sub SO} ∼ 140 μeV, and a large and strongly level-dependent Landé g factor of ∼12.5. These results imply that single-crystal pure-phase InAs nanowires are desired semiconductor nanostructures for applications in quantum information technologies.

  4. The convergence of quantum-dot-mediated fluorescence resonance energy transfer and microfluidics for monitoring DNA polyplex self-assembly in real time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ho Yiping; Wang, T-H; Chen, Hunter H; Leong, Kam W

    2009-01-01

    We present a novel convergence of quantum-dot-mediated fluorescence resonance energy transfer (QD-FRET) and microfluidics, through which molecular interactions were precisely controlled and monitored using highly sensitive quantum-dot-mediated FRET. We demonstrate its potential in studying the kinetics of self-assembly of DNA polyplexes under laminar flow in real time with millisecond resolution. The integration of nanophotonics and microfluidics offers a powerful tool for elucidating the formation of polyelectrolyte polyplexes, which is expected to provide better control and synthesis of uniform and customizable polyplexes for future nucleic acid-based therapeutics.

  5. Phosphonate self-assembled monolayers as organic linkers in solid-state quantum dot sensetized solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ardalan, Pendar

    2010-06-01

    We have employed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, water contact angle (WCA) measurements, ellipsometry, and electrical measurements to study the effects of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with phosphonic acid headgroups on the bonding and performance of cadmium sulfide (CdS) solid-state quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). ∼2 to ∼6 nm size CdS quantum dots (QDs) were grown on the SAM-passivated TiO2 surfaces by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Our results show differences in the bonding of the CdS QDs at the TiO2 surfaces with a SAM linker. Moreover, our data indicate that presence of a SAM increases the CdS uptake on TiO2 as well as the performance of the resulting devices. Importantly, we observe ∼2 times higher power conversion efficiencies in the devices with a SAM compared to those that lack a SAM. © 2010 IEEE.

  6. Excited state dynamics in In0.5Al0.04Ga0.46As/Al0.08Ga0.92As self-assembled quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, L.M.; Leosson, Kristjan; Østergaard, John Erland

    2001-01-01

    We use time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy to probe the relaxation of excited states in In0.5Al0.04Ga0.40As/Al0.08Ga0.92As self-assembled quantum dots. The relaxation rate of excitons confined to the quantum dots increases by nearly an order of magnitude as the energy of the states...... approaches the top of the quantum dot potential. This dramatic change in the dynamics of these states reflects the increasing complexity of the states localized near the top of the quantum dots....

  7. Multiphonon capture processes in self-assembled quantum dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magnúsdóttir, Ingibjörg; Uskov, A.; Bischoff, Svend

    2001-01-01

    We investigate capture of carriers from states in the continuous part of the energy spectrum into the discrete states of self-assembled InAs/GaAs QDs via emission of one or two phonons. We are not aware of any other investigations of two-phonon mediated capture processes in QDs, but we show...

  8. Strain, size and composition of InAs quantum sticks, embedded in InP, determined via X-ray anomalous diffraction and diffraction anomalous fine structure in grazing incidence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Letoublon, A.; Favre-Nicolin, V.; Renevier, H.; Proietti, M.G.; Monat, C.; Gendry, M.; Marty, O.; Priester, C.

    2005-01-01

    We report on the study of strain, size and composition of small-size encapsulated semiconductor nanostructures. We show that the partial structure factor of As atoms in InAs stick-like nanostructures (quantum sticks), embedded in InP, can be directly extracted from grazing incidence anomalous X-ray diffraction maps at the As K-edge. We have recovered the average height and strain of the islands and determined their composition. The average height of the quantum sticks (QSs), as deduced from the width of the structure factor profile is 2.54 nm. The InAs out of plane deformation, relative to InP, is equal to 6.1%. Fixed-Q anomalous diffraction spectra, measured at the As K-edge, in grazing incidence provide clear evidence of pure InAs QSs. This is confirmed by the analysis of the diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS) that also gives a direct way to recover the strain accomodation inside the quantum sticks. Finite difference method calculations reproduce well the diffraction data. Chemical mixing at interfaces is at most 1 ML. This paper shows that ultimate application of anomalous diffraction and DAFS together with reciprocal space maps is a powerful method to sudy the structural properties of nanostructures

  9. Self-assembled fluorescent organic nanoparticles for live cell imaging

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fischer, I.; Petkau, K.; Dorland, Y.L.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.; Brunsveld, L.

    2013-01-01

    Fluorescent, cell-permeable, organic nanoparticles based on self-assembled p-conjugated oligomers with high absorption cross-sections and high quantum yields have been developed. The nanoparticles are generated with a tuneable density of amino groups for charge-mediated cellular uptake by a

  10. Self-assembly of self-assembled molecular triangles

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    While the solution state structure of 1 can be best described as a trinuclear complex, in the solidstate well-fashioned intermolecular - and CH- interactions are observed. Thus, in the solid-state further self-assembly of already self-assembled molecular triangle is witnessed. The triangular panels are arranged in a linear ...

  11. Sub-monolayer Deposited InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Heterostructures and Lasers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Zhangcheng

    2004-01-01

    deposition, the deposition of a short-period InAs/GaAs superlattice on GaAs (100) surface with an InAs effective thickness of less than 1 monolayer (ML), results in the formatioin of nanometer scale (In,Ga)As QDs of a non-SK class.In this thesis, the SML InGaAs/GaAs QDs are formed by 10 cycles of alternate......The fabrication, characterization and exploitation of self-assembled quantum dot (QD) heterostructures have attracted much attention not only in basic research, but also by the promising device applications such as QD lasers. The Stranski-Krastanow (SK) growth and the submonolayer (SML) deposition...... deposition of 0.5 ML InAs and 2.5 MLGaAs. The growth, structure, and optical properties of SML InGaAs/GaAs QD heterostructures are investigated in detail. SML InGaAs/GaAs QD lasers lasing even at room temperature have been successfully realized. The gain properties of SML InGaAs QD lasers are studied...

  12. Tuning of Rashba/Dresselhaus Spin Splittings by Inserting Ultra-Thin InAs Layers at Interfaces in Insulating GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Wells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jinling; Zeng, Xiaolin; Cheng, Shuying; Chen, Yonghai; Liu, Yu; Lai, Yunfeng; Zheng, Qiao; Ren, Jun

    2016-12-01

    The ratio of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin splittings of the (001)-grown GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs), investigated by the spin photocurrent spectra induced by circular photogalvanic effect (CPGE) at inter-band excitation, has been effectively tuned by changing the well width of QWs and by inserting a one-monolayer-thick InAs layer at interfaces of GaAs/AlGaAs QWs. Reflectance difference spectroscopy (RDS) is also employed to study the interface asymmetry of the QWs, whose results are in good agreement with that obtained by CPGE measurements. It is demonstrated that the inserted ultra-thin InAs layers will not only introduce structure inversion asymmetry (SIA), but also result in additional interface inversion asymmetry (IIA), whose effect is much stronger in QWs with smaller well width. It is also found that the inserted InAs layer brings in larger SIA than IIA. The origins of the additional SIA and IIA introduced by the inserted ultra-thin InAs layer have been discussed.

  13. Polarization spectroscopy of positive and negative trions in an InAs quantum dot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ware, Morgan E.; Bracker, Allan S.; Stinaff, Eric; Gammon, Daniel; Gershoni, David; Korenev, Vladimir L.

    2005-02-01

    Using polarization-sensitive photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, we study single InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots. The dots were embedded in an n-type, Schottky diode structure allowing for control of the charge state. We present here the exciton, singly charged exciton (positive and negative trions), and the twice negatively charged exciton. For non-resonant excitation below the wetting layer, we observed a large degree of polarization memory from the radiative recombination of both the positive and negative trions. In excitation spectra, through the p-shell, we have found several sharp resonances in the emission from the s-shell recombination of the dot in all charged states. Some of these excitation resonances exhibit strong coulomb shifts upon addition of charges into the quantum dot. One particular resonance of the negatively charged trion was found to exhibit a fine structure doublet under circular polarization. This observation is explained in terms of resonant absorption into the triplet states of the negative trion.

  14. Optical orientation in self assembled quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens, Gregory C.

    2002-01-01

    We examined Zeeman splitting in a series of ln x Ga (1-x) As/GaAs self assembled quantum dots (SAQD's) with different pump polarisations. All these measurements were made in very low external magnetic fields where direct determination of the Zeeman splitting energy is impossible due to its small value in comparison to the photoluminescence linewidths. The use of a technique developed by M. J. Snelling allowed us to obtain the Zeeman splitting and hence the excitonic g-factors indirectly. We observed a linear low field splitting, becoming increasingly non-linear at higher fields. We attribute this non-linearity to field induced level mixing. It is believed these are the first low field measurements in these structures. A number of apparent nuclear effects in the Zeeman splitting measurements led us onto the examination of nuclear effects in these structures. The transverse and oblique Hanie effects then allowed us to obtain the sign of the electronic g-factors in two of our samples, for one sample, a (311) grown In 0.5 Ga 0.5 As/GaAs SAQD sample, we were able to ascertain the spin relaxation time, the maximum value of the nuclear field, and provide evidence of the existence of nuclear spin freezing in at least one of our samples. We have then used a novel technique investigated by D. J. Guerrier, to examine optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance in our samples. We believe this is the first such study on these structures. We could not ascertain the dipolar indium resonance signal, even though all other isotopes were seen. We have therefore suggested a number of possible mechanisms that may be responsible for the lack of an indium resonance signal. (author)

  15. Imaging surface plasmon polaritons using proximal self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bracher, Gregor; Schraml, Konrad; Blauth, Mäx; Wierzbowski, Jakob; López, Nicolás Coca; Bichler, Max; Müller, Kai; Finley, Jonathan J.; Kaniber, Michael, E-mail: Michael.Kaniber@wsi.tum.de [Walter Schottky Institut and Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Am Coulombwall 4, 85748 Garching, Germany and Nanosystems Initiative Munich, Schellingstraße 4, 80799 München (Germany)

    2014-07-21

    We present optical investigations of hybrid plasmonic nanosystems consisting of lithographically defined plasmonic Au-waveguides or beamsplitters on GaAs substrates coupled to proximal self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots. We designed a sample structure that enabled us to precisely tune the distance between quantum dots and the sample surface during nano-fabrication and demonstrated that non-radiative processes do not play a major role for separations down to ∼10 nm. A polarized laser beam focused on one end of the plasmonic nanostructure generates propagating surface plasmon polaritons that, in turn, create electron-hole pairs in the GaAs substrate during propagation. These free carriers are subsequently captured by the quantum dots ∼25 nm below the surface, giving rise to luminescence. The intensity of the spectrally integrated quantum dot luminescence is used to image the propagating plasmon modes. As the waveguide width reduces from 5 μm to 1 μm, we clearly observe different plasmonic modes at the remote waveguide end, enabling their direct imaging in real space. This imaging technique is applied to a plasmonic beamsplitter facilitating the determination of the splitting ratio between the two beamsplitter output ports as the interaction length L{sub i} is varied. A splitting ratio of 50:50 is observed for L{sub i}∼9±1 μm and 1 μm wide waveguides for excitation energies close to the GaAs band edge. Our experimental findings are in good agreement with mode profile and finite difference time domain simulations for both waveguides and beamsplitters.

  16. Effect of the nitrogen incorporation and fast carrier dynamics in (In,Ga)AsN/GaP self-assembled quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gauthier, J.-P.; Almosni, S.; Léger, Y.; Perrin, M.; Even, J.; Cornet, C., E-mail: charles.cornet@insa-rennes.fr; Durand, O. [UMR FOTON, CNRS, INSA-Rennes, F-35708 Rennes (France); Robert, C. [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Cork (Ireland); Balocchi, A.; Carrère, H.; Marie, X. [Université de Toulouse, INSA-CNRS-UPS, LPCNO, F-31077 Toulouse (France)

    2014-12-15

    We report on the structural and optical properties of (In,Ga)AsN self-assembled quantum dots grown on GaP (001) substrate. A comparison with nitrogen free (In,Ga)As system is presented, showing a clear modification of growth mechanisms and a significant shift of the photoluminescence spectrum. Low temperature carrier recombination dynamics is studied by time-resolved photoluminescence, highlighting a drastic reduction of the characteristic decay-time when nitrogen is incorporated in the quantum dots. Room temperature photoluminescence is observed at 840 nm. These results reveal the potential of (In,Ga)AsN as an efficient active medium monolithically integrated on Si for laser applications.

  17. Temperature Dependence of Emission Properties of Self-Assembled InGaN Quantum Dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Wan-Ru; Zhang Jiang-Yong; Zhang Bao-Ping; Weng Guo-En; Liang Ming-Ming; Li Zeng-Cheng; Liu Jian-Ping

    2014-01-01

    Emission properties of self-assembled green-emitting InGaN quantum dots (QDs) grown on sapphire substrates by using metal organic chemical vapor deposition are studied by temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements. As temperature increases (15–300 K), the PL peak energy shows an anomalous V-shaped (redshift—blueshift) variation instead of an S-shaped (redshift—blueshift—redshift) variation, as observed typically in green-emitting InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs). The PL full width at half maximum (FWHM) also shows a V-shaped (decrease—increase) variation. The temperature dependence of the PL peak energy and FWHM of QDs are well explained by a model similar to MQWs, in which carriers transferring in localized states play an important role, while the confinement energy of localized states in the QDs is significantly larger than that in MQWs. By analyzing the integrated PL intensity, the larger confinement energy of localized states in the QDs is estimated to be 105.9 meV, which is well explained by taking into account the band-gap shrinkage and carrier thermalization with temperature. It is also found that the nonradiative combination centers in QD samples are much less than those in QW samples with the same In content

  18. Studying the InAs quantum points on the vicinal surface of a GaAs crystal by the atomic force microscopy

    CERN Document Server

    Evtikhiev, V P; Kotelnikov, E Y; Matveentsev, A V; Titkov, A N; Shkolnik, A S

    2002-01-01

    The methodology for processing the images, obtained through the atomic force microscopy, is proposed. It is shown by the concrete example, how the parameters of the InAs clusters on the vicinal surface of the GaAs crystal are determined. This makes it possible to calculate the energy levels of the electrons and holes in the quantum point with application of the previously developed cluster spherical model

  19. Effects of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Solid-State CdS Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ardalan, Pendar; Brennan, Thomas P.; Lee, Han-Bo-Ram; Bakke, Jonathan R.; Ding, I-Kang; McGehee, Michael D.; Bent, Stacey F.

    2011-01-01

    Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) are of interest for solar energy conversion because of their tunable band gap and promise of stable, low-cost performance. We have investigated the effects of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with phosphonic acid headgroups on the bonding and performance of cadmium sulfide (CdS) solid-state QDSSCs. CdS quantum dots ∼2 to ∼6 nm in diameter were grown on SAM-passivated planar or nanostructured TiO 2 surfaces by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), and photovoltaic devices were fabricated with spiro-OMeTAD as the solid-state hole conductor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, water contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and electrical measurements were employed to characterize the materials and the resulting device performance. The data indicate that the nature of the SAM tailgroup does not significantly affect the uptake of CdS quantum dots on TiO2 nor their optical properties, but the presence of the SAM does have a significant effect on the photovoltaic device performance. Interestingly, we observe up to ∼3 times higher power conversion efficiencies in devices with a SAM compared to those without the SAM. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

  20. Effects of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Solid-State CdS Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ardalan, Pendar

    2011-02-22

    Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) are of interest for solar energy conversion because of their tunable band gap and promise of stable, low-cost performance. We have investigated the effects of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with phosphonic acid headgroups on the bonding and performance of cadmium sulfide (CdS) solid-state QDSSCs. CdS quantum dots ∼2 to ∼6 nm in diameter were grown on SAM-passivated planar or nanostructured TiO 2 surfaces by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), and photovoltaic devices were fabricated with spiro-OMeTAD as the solid-state hole conductor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, water contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and electrical measurements were employed to characterize the materials and the resulting device performance. The data indicate that the nature of the SAM tailgroup does not significantly affect the uptake of CdS quantum dots on TiO2 nor their optical properties, but the presence of the SAM does have a significant effect on the photovoltaic device performance. Interestingly, we observe up to ∼3 times higher power conversion efficiencies in devices with a SAM compared to those without the SAM. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

  1. Electronic structure of self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots bounded by {136} facets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Weidong; Lee, Hao; Johnson, Thomas J.; Sercel, Peter C.; Norman, A. G.

    2000-01-01

    Recent experiments indicate that the shape of self-organized InAs quantum dots grown on GaAs [001] is an elongated pyramid with bounding facets corresponding to a family of four {136} planes. This structure, which possesses C 2v symmetry, is quite different from square-base pyramidal or lens geometries, which have been assumed in previous electronic structure calculations for this system. In this paper, we consider theoretically the influence of the {136} shape on the electronic structure and optical properties of the quantum dots. We present a valence force-field calculation of the inhomogeneous strain and incorporate the results into an eight band k(vector sign)·p(vector sign) electronic structure calculation. The size dependence of the electronic structure is calculated and compared to experimental photoluminescence spectra. The effects of perturbations on the {136} shape are also considered. Calculations based on the {136} shape give good agreement with the observed level structure and optical polarization properties of self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  2. Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots Exfoliated From Carbon Fibers by Microwave Irradiation: Two Photoluminescence Centers and Self-Assembly Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Jian-Min; Zhao, Rui; Wu, Zhen-Jun; Li, Wei; Yang, Xin-Guo

    2018-04-17

    Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) attract great attention for their unique properties and promising application potential. The difficulty in the formation of a confined structure, and the numerous and diverse oxygen-containing functional groups results in a low emission yield to GOQDs. Here, GOQDs with a size of about 5 nm, exfoliated from carbon fibers by microwave irradiation, are detected and analyzed. The exfoliated GOQDs are deeply oxidized and induce large numbers of epoxy groups and ether bonds, but only a small amount of carbonyl groups and hydroxyl groups. The subdomains of sp 2 clusters, involving epoxy groups and ether bonds, are responsible for the two strong photoluminescence emissions of GOQDs under different excitation wavelengths. Moreover, GOQDs tend to self-assemble at the edges of their planes to form self-assembly films (SAFs) with the evaporation of water. SAFs can further assemble into different 3D patterns with unique microstructures such as sponge bulk, sponge ball, microsheet, sisal, and schistose coral, which are what applications such as supercapacitors, cells, catalysts, and electrochemical sensors need. This method for preparation of GOQDs is easy, quick, and environmentally friendly, and this work may open up new research interests about GOQDs. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Single-dot Spectroscopy of GaAs Quantum Dots Fabricated by Filling of Self-assembled Nanoholes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heyn Ch

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We study the optical emission of single GaAs quantum dots (QDs. The QDs are fabricated by filling of nanoholes in AlGaAs and AlAs which are generated in a self-assembled fashion by local droplet etching with Al droplets. Using suitable process parameters, we create either uniform QDs in partially filled deep holes or QDs with very broad size distribution in completely filled shallow holes. Micro photoluminescence measurements of single QDs of both types establish sharp excitonic peaks. We measure a fine-structure splitting in the range of 22–40μeV and no dependence on QD size. Furthermore, we find a decrease in exciton–biexciton splitting with increasing QD size.

  4. Intrinsic quantum dots in InAs nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weis, Karl Martin Darius

    2013-01-01

    This work deals with InAs nanowire field effect transistors in back gate configuration. In such devices, quantum dots can form at low temperatures in the order of magnitude of a few Kelvin. These dots are henceforth referred to as intrinsic as they are not intentionally defined by electrodes. For the interpretation of their stability diagrams, a thorough knowledge of the structure and transport properties of the nanowires is required. Therefore, first of all, the influence of growth method and doping on the transport properties is studied at room temperature. The wires are grown by two types of metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy: a selective-area (SA-MOVPE) and an Au-catalyzed vapour-liquid-solid method (VLS-MOVPE). Transport data shows that the background doping of VLS-MOVPE wires is higher than for SA-MOVPE wires, but the variability of the transport properties is lower. The polytypism of the SA-MOVPE wires (they are composed of wurtzite and zinc blende segments) is a possible explanation for the second observation. Furthermore, it is shown that the measured transport properties significantly depend on the dielectric environment of the nanowires and on the way the electrical measurements are done (two- or four-terminal configuration). The conductivity is tunable via doping and the gate voltage. Conductivity measurements in the temperature range from 10 K to 300 K show that different transport regimes can occur (partially metallic behaviour for sufficiently high conductivity, otherwise purely semiconducting behaviour). This is attributed to different positions of the Fermi level and thus, a different effect of potential fluctuations. If conductivity and temperature are sufficiently low, the onset of Coulomb blockade is observed for semiconducting samples. It is even possible to tune the very same sample to different regimes via the gate voltage. The semiconducting behaviour observed in many samples contradicts the Thomas-Fermi theory. This is attributed to the

  5. Optical emission of InAs nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Möller, M; De Lima Jr, M M; Cantarero, A; Chiaramonte, T; Cotta, M A; Iikawa, F

    2012-01-01

    Wurtzite InAs nanowire samples grown by chemical beam epitaxy have been analyzed by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The nanowires exhibit two main optical emission bands at low temperatures. They are attributed to the recombination of carriers in quantum well structures, formed by zincblende–wurtzite alternating layers, and to the donor–acceptor pair. The blue-shift observed in the former emission band when the excitation power is increased is in good agreement with the type-II band alignment between the wurtzite and zincblende sections predicted by previous theoretical works. When increasing the temperature and the excitation power successively, an additional band attributed to the band-to-band recombination from wurtzite InAs appears. We estimated a lower bound for the wurtzite band gap energy of approximately 0.46 eV at low temperature. (paper)

  6. Optical emission of InAs nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, M.; de Lima, M. M., Jr.; Cantarero, A.; Chiaramonte, T.; Cotta, M. A.; Iikawa, F.

    2012-09-01

    Wurtzite InAs nanowire samples grown by chemical beam epitaxy have been analyzed by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The nanowires exhibit two main optical emission bands at low temperatures. They are attributed to the recombination of carriers in quantum well structures, formed by zincblende-wurtzite alternating layers, and to the donor-acceptor pair. The blue-shift observed in the former emission band when the excitation power is increased is in good agreement with the type-II band alignment between the wurtzite and zincblende sections predicted by previous theoretical works. When increasing the temperature and the excitation power successively, an additional band attributed to the band-to-band recombination from wurtzite InAs appears. We estimated a lower bound for the wurtzite band gap energy of approximately 0.46 eV at low temperature.

  7. Investigation of the fabrication mechanism of self-assembled GaAs quantum rings grown by droplet epitaxy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, C Z; Yoon, S F

    2008-09-10

    We have directly imaged the formation of a GaAs quantum ring (QR) using droplet epitaxy followed by annealing in arsenic ambient. Based on the atomic force micrograph measurement and the analysis of surface energy, we determine that the formation of self-assembled GaAs QRs is due to the gallium atom's diffusion and crystallization driven by the gradient of surface energy. The phenomenon that GaAs is etched by the gallium droplets is reported and analyzed. It has been demonstrated that the epitaxy layers, such as AlAs and InGaP, can be used as the etching stop layer and hence can be used to control the shape and height of the QRs.

  8. Stress evolution during growth of InAs on GaAs measured by an in-situ cantilever beam setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu Dongzhi

    2007-02-13

    The influence of stress on the growth of InAs on GaAs(001) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated in this thesis. Film force curves were measured for InAs deposition under As-rich as well as In-rich growth conditions. The growth under As-rich conditions proceeds in the Stranski- Krastanov growth mode, meaning that quantum dots are formed after the initial growth of a wetting layer. During subsequent growth interruptions or intentional annealing at the growth temperature, the quantum dots undergo ripening. This growth mode of InAs films and the subsequent annealing behavior were studied in detail in this thesis. To understand the influence of strain on the growth mechanisms, the film force curves were analyzed and correlated to the morphological evolution of the InAs films during deposition and especially during annealing. Models were developed to fit and explain the relaxation of the film force measured during the annealing of InAs quantum dots. At temperatures lower than 470 C, quantum dots undergo standard Ostwald ripening. Different mechanisms, such as kinetic and diffusion limited, determine the ripening process. Fits of models based on these mechanisms to the film force relaxation curves, show, that although the relaxation curve for annealing at 440 C can be fitted reasonably well with all the models, the model describing ripening limited by the diffusion along dot boundaries yields a slightly better fit. The relaxation curves obtained at 455 C and 470 C can be fitted very well only with the model in which the ripening is controlled by the attachment/detachment of atoms on the dot surface. Annealing of quantum dots at temperatures higher than 500 C shows a very different behavior. Atomic force microscopy images reveal that the quantum dots ripen first and then dissolve after 450 s-600 s annealing. (orig.)

  9. Stress evolution during growth of InAs on GaAs measured by an in-situ cantilever beam setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Dongzhi

    2007-01-01

    The influence of stress on the growth of InAs on GaAs(001) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated in this thesis. Film force curves were measured for InAs deposition under As-rich as well as In-rich growth conditions. The growth under As-rich conditions proceeds in the Stranski- Krastanov growth mode, meaning that quantum dots are formed after the initial growth of a wetting layer. During subsequent growth interruptions or intentional annealing at the growth temperature, the quantum dots undergo ripening. This growth mode of InAs films and the subsequent annealing behavior were studied in detail in this thesis. To understand the influence of strain on the growth mechanisms, the film force curves were analyzed and correlated to the morphological evolution of the InAs films during deposition and especially during annealing. Models were developed to fit and explain the relaxation of the film force measured during the annealing of InAs quantum dots. At temperatures lower than 470 C, quantum dots undergo standard Ostwald ripening. Different mechanisms, such as kinetic and diffusion limited, determine the ripening process. Fits of models based on these mechanisms to the film force relaxation curves, show, that although the relaxation curve for annealing at 440 C can be fitted reasonably well with all the models, the model describing ripening limited by the diffusion along dot boundaries yields a slightly better fit. The relaxation curves obtained at 455 C and 470 C can be fitted very well only with the model in which the ripening is controlled by the attachment/detachment of atoms on the dot surface. Annealing of quantum dots at temperatures higher than 500 C shows a very different behavior. Atomic force microscopy images reveal that the quantum dots ripen first and then dissolve after 450 s-600 s annealing. (orig.)

  10. Formation of InAs/GaAs quantum dots from a subcritical InAs wetting layer: A reflection high-energy electron diffraction and theoretical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, H. Z.; Usuki, T.; Nakata, Y.; Yokoyama, N.; Sasakura, H.; Muto, S.

    2006-01-01

    InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QD's) are formed by postgrowth annealing of an InAs wetting layer thinner than the critical thickness for the transition from two- (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) growth mode. Reflection high energy electron diffraction is used to monitor the QD formation. Based on a mean-field theory [Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 897 (1997)], the time evolution of total QD's volume, first increasing and finally saturating, is well explained by precursors forming during wetting layer growth and converting into nucleated QD's after growth stop. Both the saturation QD's volume and the QD nucleation rate depend exponentially on the InAs coverage. These behaviors and their temperature and InAs growth rate dependences are essentially understandable in the frame of the mean-field theory. Similar analysis to conventional QD growth suggests that the often observed significant mass transport from wetting layer to QD's can be ascribed to the precursors existing before 2D-3D growth mode transition

  11. 2D optical photon echo spectroscopy of a self-assembled quantum dot

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fingerhut, Benjamin P.; Mukamel, Shaul; Richter, Marten; Luo, Jun-Wei; Zunger, Alex

    2013-01-01

    Simulations of two dimensional coherent photon echo (2D-PE) spectra of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QD) in different charged states are presented revealing the coupling between the individual mono-exciton X q transitions and contributions of bi-excitons XX q . The information about the XX q states is crucial for various application scenarios of QDs, like e.g. highly efficient solar cells. The simulations rely on a microscopic description of the electronic structure by high-level atomistic many-body pseudopotential calculations. It is shown that asymmetric diagonal peak shapes and double cross-peaks are the result of XX q state contributions to the PE signal by analyzing the contributions of the individual pathways excited state emission, ground state bleach and excited state absorption. The results show that from the detuned X q and XX q contributions the bi-exciton binding energies of the XX q manifold are revealed in 2D-PE signals. (copyright 2012 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  12. GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor based non-volatile flash memory devices with InAs quantum dots as charge storage nodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Islam, Sk Masiul, E-mail: masiulelt@gmail.com; Chowdhury, Sisir; Sarkar, Krishnendu; Nagabhushan, B.; Banerji, P. [Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 (India); Chakraborty, S. [Applied Materials Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Sector-I, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Mukherjee, Rabibrata [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

    2015-06-24

    Ultra-thin InP passivated GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor based non-volatile flash memory devices were fabricated using InAs quantum dots (QDs) as charge storing elements by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique to study the efficacy of the QDs as charge storage elements. The grown QDs were embedded between two high-k dielectric such as HfO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}, which were used for tunneling and control oxide layers, respectively. The size and density of the QDs were found to be 5 nm and 1.8×10{sup 11} cm{sup −2}, respectively. The device with a structure Metal/ZrO{sub 2}/InAs QDs/HfO{sub 2}/GaAs/Metal shows maximum memory window equivalent to 6.87 V. The device also exhibits low leakage current density of the order of 10{sup −6} A/cm{sup 2} and reasonably good charge retention characteristics. The low value of leakage current in the fabricated memory device is attributed to the Coulomb blockade effect influenced by quantum confinement as well as reduction of interface trap states by ultra-thin InP passivation on GaAs prior to HfO{sub 2} deposition.

  13. Mobility in excess of 106 cm2/V s in InAs quantum wells grown on lattice mismatched InP substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatke, A. T.; Wang, T.; Thomas, C.; Gardner, G. C.; Manfra, M. J.

    2017-10-01

    We investigate the transport properties of a two-dimensional electron gas residing in strained composite quantum wells of In0.75Ga0.25As/InAs/In0.75Ga0.25As cladded with In0.75Al0.25As barriers grown metamorphically on insulating InP substrates. By optimizing the widths of the In0.75Ga0.25As layers, the In0.75Al0.25As barrier, and the InAs quantum well, we demonstrate mobility in excess of 1 ×106 cm2/V s. Mobility vs. density data indicate that scattering is dominated by a residual three dimensional distribution of charged impurities. We extract the effective Rashba parameter and spin-orbit length for these composite quantum wells.

  14. "Cloud" assemblies: quantum dots form electrostatically bound dynamic nebulae around large gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilly, G Daniel; Lee, Jaebeom; Kotov, Nicholas A

    2010-10-14

    Dynamic self-assembled structures of nanoparticles can be produced using predominantly electrostatic interactions. Such assemblies were made from large, positively charged Au metal nanoparticles surrounded by an electrostatically bound cloud of smaller, negatively charged CdSe/ZnS or CdTe quantum dots. At low concentrations they are topologically similar to double electric layers of ions and corona-like assemblies linked by polymer chains. They can also be compared to the topological arrangement of some planetary systems in space. The great advantages of the cloud assemblies are (1) their highly dynamic nature compared to more rigid covalently bound assemblies, (2) simplicity of preparation, and (3) exceptional versatility in components and resulting optical properties. Photoluminescence intensity enhancement originating from quantum resonance between excitons and plasmons was observed for CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, although CdTe dots displayed emission quenching. To evaluate more attentively their dynamic behavior, emission data were collected for the cloud-assemblies with different ratios of the components and ionic strengths of the media. The emission of the system passes through a maximum for 80 QDs ∶ 1 Au NP as determined by the structure of the assemblies and light absorption conditions. Ionic strength dependence of luminescence intensity contradicts the predictions based on the Gouy-Chapman theory and osmotic pressure at high ionic strengths due to formation of larger chaotic colloidally stable assemblies. "Cloud" assemblies made from different nanoscale components can be used both for elucidation of most fundamental aspects of nanoparticle interactions, as well as for practical purposes in sensing and biology.

  15. Real-Time Observation of Exciton-Phonon Coupling Dynamics in Self-Assembled Hybrid Perovskite Quantum Wells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Limeng; Huynh, Uyen; Cheminal, Alexandre; Thomas, Tudor H; Shivanna, Ravichandran; Hinrichsen, Ture F; Ahmad, Shahab; Sadhanala, Aditya; Rao, Akshay

    2017-11-28

    Self-assembled hybrid perovskite quantum wells have attracted attention due to their tunable emission properties, ease of fabrication, and device integration. However, the dynamics of excitons in these materials, especially how they couple to phonons, remains an open question. Here, we investigate two widely used materials, namely, butylammonium lead iodide (CH 3 (CH 2 ) 3 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 4 and hexylammonium lead iodide (CH 3 (CH 2 ) 5 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 4 , both of which exhibit broad photoluminescence tails at room temperature. We performed femtosecond vibrational spectroscopy to obtain a real-time picture of the exciton-phonon interaction and directly identified the vibrational modes that couple to excitons. We show that the choice of the organic cation controls which vibrational modes the exciton couples to. In butylammonium lead iodide, excitons dominantly couple to a 100 cm -1 phonon mode, whereas in hexylammonium lead iodide, excitons interact with phonons with frequencies of 88 and 137 cm -1 . Using the determined optical phonon energies, we analyzed photoluminescence broadening mechanisms. At low temperatures (photoluminescence line shape observed in hybrid perovskite quantum wells and provide insights into the mechanism of exciton-phonon coupling in these materials.

  16. Self-Assembled PbSe Nanowire:Perovskite Hybrids

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Zhenyu

    2015-12-02

    © 2015 American Chemical Society. Inorganic semiconductor nanowires are of interest in nano- and microscale photonic and electronic applications. Here we report the formation of PbSe nanowires based on directional quantum dot alignment and fusion regulated by hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite surface ligands. All material synthesis is carried out at mild temperatures. Passivation of PbSe quantum dots was achieved via a new perovskite ligand exchange. Subsequent in situ ammonium/amine substitution by butylamine enables quantum dots to be capped by butylammonium lead iodide, and this further drives the formation of a PbSe nanowire superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) perovskite matrix. The average spacing between two adjacent nanowires agrees well with the thickness of single atomic layer of 2D perovskite, consistent with the formation of a new self-assembled semiconductor nanowire:perovskite heterocrystal hybrid.

  17. Self-Assembled PbSe Nanowire:Perovskite Hybrids

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Zhenyu; Yassitepe, Emre; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Janmohamed, Alyf; Lan, Xinzheng; Levina, Larissa; Comin, Riccardo; Sargent, Edward H.

    2015-01-01

    © 2015 American Chemical Society. Inorganic semiconductor nanowires are of interest in nano- and microscale photonic and electronic applications. Here we report the formation of PbSe nanowires based on directional quantum dot alignment and fusion regulated by hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite surface ligands. All material synthesis is carried out at mild temperatures. Passivation of PbSe quantum dots was achieved via a new perovskite ligand exchange. Subsequent in situ ammonium/amine substitution by butylamine enables quantum dots to be capped by butylammonium lead iodide, and this further drives the formation of a PbSe nanowire superlattice in a two-dimensional (2D) perovskite matrix. The average spacing between two adjacent nanowires agrees well with the thickness of single atomic layer of 2D perovskite, consistent with the formation of a new self-assembled semiconductor nanowire:perovskite heterocrystal hybrid.

  18. New process for high optical quality InAs quantum dots grown on patterned GaAs(001) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alonso-Gonzalez, Pablo; Gonzalez, Luisa; Gonzalez, Yolanda; Fuster, David; Fernandez-Martinez, Ivan; Martin-Sanchez, Javier; Abelmann, Leon

    2007-01-01

    This work presents a selective ultraviolet (UV)-ozone oxidation-chemical etching process that has been used, in combination with laser interference lithography (LIL), for the preparation of GaAs patterned substrates. Further molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of InAs results in ordered InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) arrays with high optical quality from the first layer of QDs formed on the patterned substrate. The main result is the development of a patterning technology that allows the engineering of customized geometrical displays of QDs with the same optical quality as those formed spontaneously on flat non-patterned substrates

  19. Self-assembled nanostructures

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Jin Z; Liu, Jun; Chen, Shaowei; Liu, Gang-yu

    2003-01-01

    Nanostructures refer to materials that have relevant dimensions on the nanometer length scales and reside in the mesoscopic regime between isolated atoms and molecules in bulk matter. These materials have unique physical properties that are distinctly different from bulk materials. Self-Assembled Nanostructures provides systematic coverage of basic nanomaterials science including materials assembly and synthesis, characterization, and application. Suitable for both beginners and experts, it balances the chemistry aspects of nanomaterials with physical principles. It also highlights nanomaterial-based architectures including assembled or self-assembled systems. Filled with in-depth discussion of important applications of nano-architectures as well as potential applications ranging from physical to chemical and biological systems, Self-Assembled Nanostructures is the essential reference or text for scientists involved with nanostructures.

  20. Spectroscopy of size dependent many-particle effects in single self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dal Savio, C.

    2006-02-20

    Single InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown with the Stranski-Krastanov method in a In{sub 0.12}Ga{sub 0.88}As quantum well embedded in GaAs and emitting in the near infrared have been optically investigated. To perform QD spectroscopy at low temperatures a very stable micro-photoluminescence ({mu}-PL) microscope set-up fully integrated in a liquid helium (LHe) cryostate has been successfully developed. The system is based on the cold finger technique and a Fourier Transform (FT) spectrometer combined with a nitrogen cooled Ge detector. Photoluminescence of the QDs was excited non resonantly with a He-Ne laser and single dot spectroscopy was carried out at temperatures below 60 K. The experimental set-up allows mapping of the optical emission by recording spectra for every point of a scan grid. This mapping mode is used to acquire optical images and to locate a particular dot for investigation. Series of measurement on a single QD were normally performed over a long time (from a few days to a week), with the need of daily adjustment in the sub-micrometer range. At low excitation power a single sharp line (E{sub x}) arising from recombination of a single exciton in the dot is observed. Varying the excitation density the spectra become more complex, with appearance of the biexciton emission line (E{sub xx}) on the lower energies side of the E{sub x} line, followed by emission from excitons occupying higher shells in the dot. Measured biexciton binding energies and power dependence are in good agreement with values reported in the literature. The temperature dependence of the optical emission was investigated. The energy shows the characteristic decrease related to the shrinking of the semiconductor band gap, while the linewidth evolution is compatible with broadening due to coupling with acoustic and optical phonons. A statistics of biexciton binding energies over a dozen of dots was acquired and the results compared with single QD spectroscopy data available in the

  1. Self-Assembly, Pattern Formation and Growth Phenomena in Nano-Systems

    CERN Document Server

    Nepomnyashchy, Alexander A

    2006-01-01

    Nano-science and nano-technology are rapidly developing scientific and technological areas that deal with physical, chemical and biological processes that occur on nano-meter scale – one millionth of a millimeter. Self-organization and pattern formation play crucial role on nano-scales and promise new, effective routes to control various nano-scales processes. This book contains lecture notes written by the lecturers of the NATO Advanced Study Institute "Self-Assembly, Pattern Formation and Growth Phenomena in Nano-Systems" that took place in St Etienne de Tinee, France, in the fall 2004. They give examples of self-organization phenomena on micro- and nano-scale as well as examples of the interplay between phenomena on nano- and macro-scales leading to complex behavior in various physical, chemical and biological systems. They discuss such fascinating nano-scale self-organization phenomena as self-assembly of quantum dots in thin solid films, pattern formation in liquid crystals caused by light, self-organi...

  2. Characterization of iron surface modified by 2-mercaptobenzothiazole self-assembled monolayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng Yuanyuan [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Chen Shenhao [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China) and State Key Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection, Shenyang 110016 (China)]. E-mail: shchen@sdu.edu.cn; Zhang Honglin [Department of Chemistry, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165 (China); Li Ping [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Wu Ling [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Guo Wenjuan [Department of Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

    2006-12-30

    A self-assembled monolayer of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) adsorbed on the iron surface was prepared. The films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Besides, the microcalorimetry method was utilized to study the self-assembled process on iron surface and the adsorption mechanism was discussed from the power-time curve. The results indicated that MBT was able to form a film spontaneously on iron surface and the presence of it could protect iron from corrosion effectively. However, the assembling time and the concentration influence the protection efficiency. Quantum chemical calculations, according to which adsorption mechanism was discussed, could explain the experimental results to some extent.

  3. InAs0.45P0.55/InP strained multiple quantum wells intermixed by inductively coupled plasma etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, Meng; Wu, Hui-Zhen; Lao, Yan-Feng; Cao, Chun-Fang; Liu, Cheng

    2009-01-01

    The intermixing effect on InAs 0.45 P 0.55 /InP strained multiple quantum wells (SMQWs) by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is investigated. Experiments show that the process of ICP etching followed RTA induces the blue shift of low temperature photoluminescence (PL) peaks of QWs. With increasing etching depth, the PL intensities are firstly enhanced and then diminished. This phenomenon is attributed to the variation of surface roughness and microstructure transformation inside the QW structure during ICP processing.

  4. Self-assembled monolayer of ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on copper detected using electrochemical methods, surface enhanced Raman scattering and quantum chemistry calculations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liao, Q.-Q., E-mail: liaoqq1971@yahoo.com.cn [Key Lab of Shanghai Colleges and Universities for Electric Power Corrosion Control and Applied Electrochemistry, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Energy-Saving in Heat Exchange Systems, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai 200090 (China); Yue, Z.-W.; Yang, D. [Key Lab of Shanghai Colleges and Universities for Electric Power Corrosion Control and Applied Electrochemistry, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Energy-Saving in Heat Exchange Systems, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai 200090 (China); Wang, Z.-H. [Department of Chemistry, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Li, Z.-H. [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Ge, H.-H. [Key Lab of Shanghai Colleges and Universities for Electric Power Corrosion Control and Applied Electrochemistry, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Energy-Saving in Heat Exchange Systems, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai 200090 (China); Li, Y.-J. [Department of Chemistry, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China)

    2011-07-29

    Ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDTC) monolayer was self-assembled on fresh copper surface obtained after oxidation-reduction cycle treatment in 0.1 mol L{sup -1} potassium chloride solution at ambient temperature. The APDTC self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on copper surface was investigated by surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy and the results show that APDTC SAM is chemisorbed on copper surface by its sulfur atoms with perpendicular orientation. The optimum immersing period for SAM formation is 4 h at 0.01 mol L{sup -1} concentration of APDTC. The impedance results indicate that APDTC SAM has good corrosion inhibition effects for copper in 0.5 mol L{sup -1} hydrochloric acid solution and its maximum inhibition efficiency could reach 95%. Quantum chemical calculations show that APDTC has relatively small {Delta}E between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and large negative charge in its two sulfur atoms, which facilitate formation of an insulating Cu/APDTC film on copper surface.

  5. Systematic investigation of the temperature behavior of InAs/InP quantum nanostructure passively mode-locked lasers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klaime, K.; Piron, R.; Grillot, F.

    2013-01-01

    This paper aims to investigate the effects of the temperature on the mode-locking capability of two section InAs/InP quantum nanostructure (QN) passively mode locked lasers. Devices are made with multi-layers of self-assembled InAs QN either grown on InP(100) (5 quantum dashes (QDashes) layers......) or on InP (311)B (6 quantum dots (QDs) layers). Using an analytical model, the mode-locking stability map is extracted for the two types of QN as a function of optical absorption, cavity length, current density and temperature. We believe that this study is of first importance since it reports...... for the first time a systematic investigation of the temperature-dependence on the mode-locking properties of InAs/InP QN devices. Beside, a rigorous comparison between QDashes and QDs temperature dependence is proposed through a proper analysis of the mode-locking stability maps. Experimental results also show...

  6. Impact of capping layer type on emission of InAs quantum dots embedded in InGaAs/In{sub x}Al{sub y}Ga{sub z}As/GaAs quantum wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torchynska, T. V., E-mail: ttorch@esfm.ipn.mx; Casas Espinola, J. L. [ESFM–Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México D. F. 07738, México (Mexico); Stintz, A. [Center of High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 (United States)

    2014-01-07

    The optical and structural properties of In{sub 0.15}Ga{sub 0.85}As/In{sub x}Al{sub y}Ga{sub z}As/GaAs quantum wells with embedded InAs quantum dots (QDs) were investigated by the photoluminescence (PL), its temperature dependence, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high resolution (HR-XRD) methods in dependence on the composition of capping In{sub x}Al{sub y}Ga{sub z}As layers. Three types of capping layers (Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As, Al{sub 0.10}Ga{sub 0.75}In{sub 0.15}As, and Al{sub 0.40}Ga{sub 0.45}In{sub 0.15}As) have been used and their impact on PL parameters has been compared. Temperature dependences of PL peak positions in QDs have been analyzed in the range of 10–500 K and to compare with the temperature shrinkage of band gap in the bulk InAs crystal. This permits to investigate the QD material composition and the efficiency of Ga(Al)/In inter diffusion in dependence on the type of In{sub x}Al{sub y}Ga{sub z}As capping layers. XRD and HR-XRD used to control the composition of quantum well layers. It is shown that QD material composition is closer to InAs in the structure with the Al{sub 0.40}Ga{sub 0.45}In{sub 0.15}As capping layer and for this structure the emission 1.3 μm is detected at 300 K. The thermal decay of the integrated PL intensity has been studied as well. It is revealed the fast 10{sup 2}-fold thermal decay of the integrated PL intensity in the structure with the Al{sub 0.10}Ga{sub 0.75}In{sub 0.15}As capping layer in comparison with 10-fold decay in other structures. Finally, the reasons of PL spectrum transformation and the mechanism of PL thermal decay for different capping layers have been analyzed and discussed.

  7. The electronic properties of semiconductor quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barker, J.A.

    2000-10-01

    This work is an investigation into the electronic behaviour of semiconductor quantum dots, particularly self-assembled quantum dot arrays. Processor-efficient models are developed to describe the electronic structure of dots, deriving analytic formulae for the strain tensor, piezoelectric distribution and diffusion- induced evolution of the confinement potential, for dots of arbitrary initial shape and composition profile. These models are then applied to experimental data. Transitions due to individual quantum dots have a narrow linewidth as a result of their discrete density of states. By contrast, quantum dot arrays exhibit inhomogeneous broadening which is generally attributed to size variations between the individual dots in the ensemble. Interpreting the results of double resonance spectroscopy, it is seen that variation in the indium composition of the nominally InAs dots is also present. This result also explains the otherwise confusing relationship between the spread in the ground-state and excited-state transition energies. Careful analysis shows that, in addition to the variations in size and composition, some other as yet unidentified broadening mechanism must also be present. The influence of rapid thermal annealing on dot electronic structure is also considered, finding that the experimentally observed blue-shift and narrowing of the photoluminescence linewidth may both be explained in terms of normal In/Ga interdiffusion. InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots are commonly assumed to have a pyramidal geometry, so that we would expect the energy separation of the ground-state electron and hole levels in the dot to be largest at a positive applied field. This should also be the case for any dot of uniform composition whose shape tapers inwards from base to top, counter to the results of experimental Stark-shift spectroscopy which show a peak transition energy at a negative applied field. It is demonstrated that this inversion of the ground state

  8. Tuning of the hole spin relaxation time in single self-assembled In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}As/GaAs quantum dots by electric field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Hai; Guo, Guang-Can; He, Lixin, E-mail: helx@ustc.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

    2014-11-28

    We investigate the electric field tuning of the phonon-assisted hole spin relaxation in single self-assembled In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs), using an atomistic empirical pseudopotential method. We find that the electric field along the growth direction can tune the hole spin relaxation time for more than one order of magnitude. The electric field can prolong or shorten the hole spin lifetime and the tuning shows an asymmetry in terms of the field direction. The asymmetry is more pronounced for the taller dot. The results show that the electric field is an effective way to tune the hole spin-relaxation in self-assembled QDs.

  9. From self-organization to self-assembly: a new materialism?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Bernadette Bensaude

    2016-09-01

    While self-organization has been an integral part of academic discussions about the distinctive features of living organisms, at least since Immanuel Kant's Critique of Judgement, the term 'self-assembly' has only been used for a few decades as it became a hot research topic with the emergence of nanotechnology. Could it be considered as an attempt at reducing vital organization to a sort of assembly line of molecules? Considering the context of research on self-assembly I argue that the shift of attention from self-organization to self-assembly does not really challenge the boundary between chemistry and biology. Self-assembly was first and foremost investigated in an engineering context as a strategy for manufacturing without human intervention and did not raise new perspectives on the emergence of vital organization itself. However self-assembly implies metaphysical assumptions that this paper tries to disentangle. It first describes the emergence of self-assembly as a research field in the context of materials science and nanotechnology. The second section outlines the metaphysical implications and will emphasize a sharp contrast between the ontology underlying two practices of self-assembly developed under the umbrella of synthetic biology. And unexpectedly, we shall see that chemists are less on the reductionist side than most synthetic biologists. Finally, the third section ventures some reflections on the kind of design involved in self-assembly practices.

  10. Influence of nitrogen on the growth and the properties of InAs quantum dots; Einfluss von Stickstoff auf das Wachstum und die Eigenschaften von InAs-Quantenpunkten

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schumann, O.

    2004-11-01

    This work investigates the influence of nitrogen incorporation on the growth and the optical properties of InAs quantum dots on GaAs(001) substrates. On the basis of systematic growth interruptions it was shown that the large quantum dots nucleate at dislocations, which are already formed during the growth of the wetting layer. After solving the growth problems, the influence of different combinations of matrix layers on the structural and optical properties of the quantum dots was investigated in the second part of this work. The strain and bandgap of these layers were varied systematically. (orig.)

  11. High-Efficiency Colloidal Quantum Dot Photovoltaics via Robust Self-Assembled Monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Gi-Hwan; Garcí a de Arquer, F. Pelayo; Yoon, Yung Jin; Lan, Xinzheng; Liu, Mengxia; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Yang, Zhenyu; Fan, Fengjia; Ip, Alexander H.; Kanjanaboos, Pongsakorn; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Kim, Jin Young; Sargent, Edward H.

    2015-01-01

    to voltage. With this goal in mind, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used to modify interface energy levels locally. However, to be effective SAMs must be made robust to treatment using the various solvents and ligands required for to fabricate high

  12. Electronic Structures of Strained InAs x P1-x by Density Functional Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung Mi; Kim, Min-Young; Kim, Young Heon

    2018-09-01

    We investigated the effects of strain on the electronic structures of InAsxP1-x using quantum mechanical density functional theory calculations. The electronic band gap and electron effective mass decreased with the increase of the uniaxial tensile strain along the [0001] direction of wurtzite InAs0.75P0.25. Therefore, faster electron movements are expected. These theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of InAs0.75P0.25 nanowire.

  13. Effects of As/P exchange on InAs/lnP (100) quantum dots formation by metalorganic chemical vapor Deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barik, S; Tan, H H; Jagadish, C [The Australian National University, ACT (Australia). Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering

    2005-07-01

    Full text: Self-assembled InAs/lnP quantum dots (QDs) are very promising active materials for QD lasers and semiconductor amplifiers for optical fiber communications (1.3-1.55 mm). However the main challenge associated with this material system is the As/P exchange reaction which degrades the structural and optical properties of the QDs. In this talk, we will show the effect of growing a thin spacer layer of GaAs or InGaAs prior to the deposition of the InAs QDs by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Not only the effect of As/P exchange is suppressed or minimized but the bandgap of the QDs could be tuned too. Copyright (2005) Australian Institute of Physics.

  14. Improved optical properties of InAs quantum dots for intermediate band solar cells by suppression of misfit strain relaxation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, H. [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States); School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-6106 (United States); Prioli, R. [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States); Departamento de Física, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Marques de São Vicente 225, Rio de Janeiro 22452-900 RJ (Brazil); Fischer, A. M.; Ponce, F. A., E-mail: ponce@asu.edu [Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States); Kawabata, R. M. S.; Pinto, L. D.; Souza, P. L. [LabSem, CETUC, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Marques de São Vicente 225, Rio de Janeiro 22452-900 RJ (Brazil); Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutores – DISSE – PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Jakomin, R. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutores – DISSE – PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Campus de Xerem, UFRJ, Duque de Caxias-RJ (Brazil); Pires, M. P. [Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos Semicondutores – DISSE – PUC-Rio, RJ (Brazil); Instituto de Física, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro-RJ (Brazil)

    2016-07-21

    The properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) have been studied for application in intermediate band solar cells. It is found that suppression of plastic relaxation in the QDs has a significant effect on the optoelectronic properties. Partial capping plus annealing is shown to be effective in controlling the height of the QDs and in suppressing plastic relaxation. A force balancing model is used to explain the relationship between plastic relaxation and QD height. A strong luminescence has been observed from strained QDs, indicating the presence of localized states in the desired energy range. No luminescence has been observed from plastically relaxed QDs.

  15. Quantum dot-induced viral capsid assembling in dissociation buffer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gao D

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Ding Gao,1,2 Zhi-Ping Zhang,1 Feng Li,3 Dong Men,1 Jiao-Yu Deng,1 Hong-Ping Wei,1 Xian-En Zhang,1 Zong-Qiang Cui1 1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 2Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 3Division of Nanobiomedicine and i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, People's Republic of China Abstract: Viruses encapsulating inorganic nanoparticles are a novel type of nanostructure with applications in biomedicine and biosensors. However, the encapsulation and assembly mechanisms of these hybridized virus-based nanoparticles (VNPs are still unknown. In this article, it was found that quantum dots (QDs can induce simian virus 40 (SV40 capsid assembly in dissociation buffer, where viral capsids should be disassembled. The analysis of the transmission electron microscope, dynamic light scattering, sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and cryo-electron microscopy single particle reconstruction experimental results showed that the SV40 major capsid protein 1 (VP1 can be assembled into ≈25 nm capsids in the dissociation buffer when QDs are present and that the QDs are encapsulated in the SV40 capsids. Moreover, it was determined that there is a strong affinity between QDs and the SV40 VP1 proteins (KD = 2.19E-10 M, which should play an important role in QD encapsulation in the SV40 viral capsids. This study provides a new understanding of the assembly mechanism of SV40 virus-based nanoparticles with QDs, which may help in the design and construction of other similar virus-based nanoparticles. Keywords: quantum dots, simian virus 40, self-assembly, encapsulation, virus-based nanoparticles

  16. Chemical reactions directed Peptide self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasale, Dnyaneshwar B; Das, Apurba K

    2015-05-13

    Fabrication of self-assembled nanostructures is one of the important aspects in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The study of self-assembled soft materials remains an area of interest due to their potential applications in biomedicine. The versatile properties of soft materials can be tuned using a bottom up approach of small molecules. Peptide based self-assembly has significant impact in biology because of its unique features such as biocompatibility, straight peptide chain and the presence of different side chain functionality. These unique features explore peptides in various self-assembly process. In this review, we briefly introduce chemical reaction-mediated peptide self-assembly. Herein, we have emphasised enzymes, native chemical ligation and photochemical reactions in the exploration of peptide self-assembly.

  17. Physical properties of metal–insulator–semiconductor structures based on n-GaAs with InAs quantum dots deposited onto the surface of an n-GaAs layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tikhov, S. V.; Gorshkov, O. N.; Koryazhkina, M. N., E-mail: mahavenok@mail.ru; Kasatkin, A. P.; Antonov, I. N.; Vihrova, O. V.; Morozov, A. I. [Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (NNSU) (Russian Federation)

    2016-12-15

    The properties of metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structures based on n-GaAs in which silicon oxide and yttria-stabilized zirconia and hafnia are used as the insulator containing InAs quantum dots, which are embedded at the insulator/n-GaAs interface, are investigated. The structures manifest the resistive switching and synaptic behavior.

  18. Enhancement of optical properties of InAs quantum dots grown by using periodic arsine interruption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jungsub; Yang, Changjae; Sim, Uk; Lee, Jaeyel; Yoon, Euijoon; Lee, Youngsoo

    2009-01-01

    We investigated the morphological and optical properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by using periodic arsine interruption (PAI) and compared them with QDs grown conventionally. In the conventional growth, the formation of large islands was observed, which suppresses the nucleation and growth of QDs. Furthermore, the growth of capping layers was significantly degraded by these large islands. On the other hand, in the PAI growth, the formation of large islands was completely suppressed, resulting in the increase of the density and aspect ratio of QDs and the uniform growth of capping layers. As a result of photoluminescence (PL) measurements, we found that the emission efficiency was enhanced and the full-width-half-maximum was reduced to 32 meV. The temperature dependence of these optical properties also revealed the enhancement of the uniformity of QDs grown by the PAI method.

  19. Self-Assembly of Infinite Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott M. Summers

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available We review some recent results related to the self-assembly of infinite structures in the Tile Assembly Model. These results include impossibility results, as well as novel tile assembly systems in which shapes and patterns that represent various notions of computation self-assemble. Several open questions are also presented and motivated.

  20. Directed Self-Assembly of Nanodispersions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furst, Eric M [University of Delaware

    2013-11-15

    Directed self-assembly promises to be the technologically and economically optimal approach to industrial-scale nanotechnology, and will enable the realization of inexpensive, reproducible and active nanostructured materials with tailored photonic, transport and mechanical properties. These new nanomaterials will play a critical role in meeting the 21st century grand challenges of the US, including energy diversity and sustainability, national security and economic competitiveness. The goal of this work was to develop and fundamentally validate methods of directed selfassembly of nanomaterials and nanodispersion processing. The specific aims were: 1. Nanocolloid self-assembly and interactions in AC electric fields. In an effort to reduce the particle sizes used in AC electric field self-assembly to lengthscales, we propose detailed characterizations of field-driven structures and studies of the fundamental underlying particle interactions. We will utilize microscopy and light scattering to assess order-disorder transitions and self-assembled structures under a variety of field and physicochemical conditions. Optical trapping will be used to measure particle interactions. These experiments will be synergetic with calculations of the particle polarizability, enabling us to both validate interactions and predict the order-disorder transition for nanocolloids. 2. Assembly of anisotropic nanocolloids. Particle shape has profound effects on structure and flow behavior of dispersions, and greatly complicates their processing and self-assembly. The methods developed to study the self-assembled structures and underlying particle interactions for dispersions of isotropic nanocolloids will be extended to systems composed of anisotropic particles. This report reviews several key advances that have been made during this project, including, (1) advances in the measurement of particle polarization mechanisms underlying field-directed self-assembly, and (2) progress in the

  1. Mechanical Self-Assembly Science and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    2013-01-01

    Mechanical Self-Assembly: Science and Applications introduces a novel category of self-assembly driven by mechanical forces. This book discusses self-assembly in various types of small material structures including thin films, surfaces, and micro- and nano-wires, as well as the practice's potential application in micro and nanoelectronics, MEMS/NEMS, and biomedical engineering. The mechanical self-assembly process is inherently quick, simple, and cost-effective, as well as accessible to a large number of materials, such as curved surfaces for forming three-dimensional small structures. Mechanical self-assembly is complementary to, and sometimes offer advantages over, the traditional micro- and nano-fabrication. This book also: Presents a highly original aspect of the science of self-assembly Describes the novel methods of mechanical assembly used to fabricate a variety of new three-dimensional material structures in simple and cost-effective ways Provides simple insights to a number of biological systems and ...

  2. An efficient atomistic quantum mechanical simulation on InAs band-to-band tunneling field-effect transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhi [State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083 (China); Jiang, Xiang-Wei; Li, Shu-Shen [State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083 (China); Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Wang, Lin-Wang, E-mail: lwwang@lbl.gov [Material Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

    2014-03-24

    We have presented a fully atomistic quantum mechanical simulation method on band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) field-effect transistors (FETs). Our simulation approach is based on the linear combination of bulk band method with empirical pseudopotentials, which is an atomist method beyond the effective-mass approximation or k.p perturbation method, and can be used to simulate real-size devices (∼10{sup 5} atoms) efficiently (∼5 h on a few computational cores). Using this approach, we studied the InAs dual-gate BTBT FETs. The I-V characteristics from our approach agree very well with the tight-binding non-equilibrium Green's function results, yet our method costs much less computationally. In addition, we have studied ways to increase the tunneling current and analyzed the effects of different mechanisms for that purpose.

  3. An efficient atomistic quantum mechanical simulation on InAs band-to-band tunneling field-effect transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Zhi; Jiang, Xiang-Wei; Li, Shu-Shen; Wang, Lin-Wang

    2014-01-01

    We have presented a fully atomistic quantum mechanical simulation method on band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) field-effect transistors (FETs). Our simulation approach is based on the linear combination of bulk band method with empirical pseudopotentials, which is an atomist method beyond the effective-mass approximation or k.p perturbation method, and can be used to simulate real-size devices (∼10 5 atoms) efficiently (∼5 h on a few computational cores). Using this approach, we studied the InAs dual-gate BTBT FETs. The I-V characteristics from our approach agree very well with the tight-binding non-equilibrium Green's function results, yet our method costs much less computationally. In addition, we have studied ways to increase the tunneling current and analyzed the effects of different mechanisms for that purpose

  4. Stepwise Assembly and Characterization of DNA Linked Two-Color Quantum Dot Clusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coopersmith, Kaitlin; Han, Hyunjoo; Maye, Mathew M

    2015-07-14

    The DNA-mediated self-assembly of multicolor quantum dot (QD) clusters via a stepwise approach is described. The CdSe/ZnS QDs were synthesized and functionalized with an amphiphilic copolymer, followed by ssDNA conjugation. At each functionalization step, the QDs were purified via gradient ultracentrifugation, which was found to remove excess polymer and QD aggregates, allowing for improved conjugation yields and assembly reactivity. The QDs were then assembled and disassembled in a stepwise manner at a ssDNA functionalized magnetic colloid, which provided a convenient way to remove unreacted QDs and ssDNA impurities. After assembly/disassembly, the clusters' optical characteristics were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy and the assembly morphology and stoichiometry was imaged via electron microscopy. The results indicate that a significant amount of QD-to-QD energy transfer occurred in the clusters, which was studied as a function of increasing acceptor-to-donor ratios, resulting in increased QD acceptor emission intensities compared to controls.

  5. Self-assembled nanomaterials for photoacoustic imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Yang, Pei-Pei; Zhao, Xiao-Xiao; Wang, Hao

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, extensive endeavors have been paid to construct functional self-assembled nanomaterials for various applications such as catalysis, separation, energy and biomedicines. To date, different strategies have been developed for preparing nanomaterials with diversified structures and functionalities via fine tuning of self-assembled building blocks. In terms of biomedical applications, bioimaging technologies are urgently calling for high-efficient probes/contrast agents for high-performance bioimaging. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging whole-body imaging modality offering high spatial resolution, deep penetration and high contrast in vivo. The self-assembled nanomaterials show high stability in vivo, specific tolerance to sterilization and prolonged half-life stability and desirable targeting properties, which is a kind of promising PA contrast agents for biomedical imaging. Herein, we focus on summarizing recent advances in smart self-assembled nanomaterials with NIR absorption as PA contrast agents for biomedical imaging. According to the preparation strategy of the contrast agents, the self-assembled nanomaterials are categorized into two groups, i.e., the ex situ and in situ self-assembled nanomaterials. The driving forces, assembly modes and regulation of PA properties of self-assembled nanomaterials and their applications for long-term imaging, enzyme activity detection and aggregation-induced retention (AIR) effect for diagnosis and therapy are emphasized. Finally, we conclude with an outlook towards future developments of self-assembled nanomaterials for PA imaging.

  6. Self-assembled nanomaterials for photoacoustic imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Yang, Pei-Pei; Zhao, Xiao-Xiao; Wang, Hao

    2016-02-07

    In recent years, extensive endeavors have been paid to construct functional self-assembled nanomaterials for various applications such as catalysis, separation, energy and biomedicines. To date, different strategies have been developed for preparing nanomaterials with diversified structures and functionalities via fine tuning of self-assembled building blocks. In terms of biomedical applications, bioimaging technologies are urgently calling for high-efficient probes/contrast agents for high-performance bioimaging. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging whole-body imaging modality offering high spatial resolution, deep penetration and high contrast in vivo. The self-assembled nanomaterials show high stability in vivo, specific tolerance to sterilization and prolonged half-life stability and desirable targeting properties, which is a kind of promising PA contrast agents for biomedical imaging. Herein, we focus on summarizing recent advances in smart self-assembled nanomaterials with NIR absorption as PA contrast agents for biomedical imaging. According to the preparation strategy of the contrast agents, the self-assembled nanomaterials are categorized into two groups, i.e., the ex situ and in situ self-assembled nanomaterials. The driving forces, assembly modes and regulation of PA properties of self-assembled nanomaterials and their applications for long-term imaging, enzyme activity detection and aggregation-induced retention (AIR) effect for diagnosis and therapy are emphasized. Finally, we conclude with an outlook towards future developments of self-assembled nanomaterials for PA imaging.

  7. 3D Programmable Micro Self Assembly

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bohringer, Karl F; Parviz, Babak A; Klavins, Eric

    2005-01-01

    .... We have developed a "self assembly tool box" consisting of a range of methods for micro-scale self-assembly in 2D and 3D We have shown physical demonstrations of simple 3D self-assemblies which lead...

  8. Molecular self-assembly advances and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Dequan, Alex Li

    2012-01-01

    In the past several decades, molecular self-assembly has emerged as one of the main themes in chemistry, biology, and materials science. This book compiles and details cutting-edge research in molecular assemblies ranging from self-organized peptide nanostructures and DNA-chromophore foldamers to supramolecular systems and metal-directed assemblies, even to nanocrystal superparticles and self-assembled microdevices

  9. Self-assembled GaInNAs/GaAsN quantum dot lasers: solid source molecular beam epitaxy growth and high-temperature operation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon SF

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available AbstractSelf-assembled GaInNAs quantum dots (QDs were grown on GaAs (001 substrate using solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy (SSMBE equipped with a radio-frequency nitrogen plasma source. The GaInNAs QD growth characteristics were extensively investigated using atomic-force microscopy (AFM, photoluminescence (PL, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM measurements. Self-assembled GaInNAs/GaAsN single layer QD lasers grown using SSMBE have been fabricated and characterized. The laser worked under continuous wave (CW operation at room temperature (RT with emission wavelength of 1175.86 nm. Temperature-dependent measurements have been carried out on the GaInNAs QD lasers. The lowest obtained threshold current density in this work is ∼1.05 kA/cm2from a GaInNAs QD laser (50 × 1,700 µm2 at 10 °C. High-temperature operation up to 65 °C was demonstrated from an unbonded GaInNAs QD laser (50 × 1,060 µm2, with high characteristic temperature of 79.4 K in the temperature range of 10–60 °C.

  10. Internal quantum efficiency enhancement of GaInN/GaN quantum-well structures using Ag nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iida, Daisuke; Fadil, Ahmed; Chen, Yuntian

    2015-01-01

    We report internal quantum efficiency enhancement of thin p-GaN green quantumwell structure using self-assembled Ag nanoparticles. Temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements are conducted to determine the internal quantum efficiency. The impact of excitation power density on the enhance......We report internal quantum efficiency enhancement of thin p-GaN green quantumwell structure using self-assembled Ag nanoparticles. Temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements are conducted to determine the internal quantum efficiency. The impact of excitation power density...

  11. Light effects in asymmetric vertically coupled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stavrou, V.N., E-mail: vstavrou@newton.physics.uiowa.edu

    2015-12-15

    In this paper, the dependence of circular light polarization on the size asymmetry of self-assembled coupled quantum dots (SACQDs) has been studied. The heterostructure consists of ellipsoidal shaped QDs made with InAs which are embedded in a wetting layer and are surrounded by GaAs. By considering fully spin-polarized carriers within the QD structure, the light polarization has been estimated along the plane of spin polarized electrons (or holes). Circularly polarized light strongly depends on the ratio related to the different QD volumes. In the case of elongated QDs, small interdot distance and large volume ratio, the light polarization observed along the plane (110) receives the largest value (∼90%). On the other hand, the polarization efficiency of the emitted light decreases as the QD elongation decreases and finally vanishes for axially symmetric QD caps.

  12. Synthesis of nanocrystals and nanocrystal self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhuoying

    compared with other less polar solvents) in order to determine optimized conditions for self-assembly, for which relatively large (> 1 mum2) areas of superlattices could be routinely formed. Depending on appropriate selection of the radius ratio, AuCu or CaCu 5 binary superlattices of CdSe-Au nanoparticles were generated. Chapter 4. The preparation of binary nanoparticle superlattices obtained by self-assembly of two different semiconductor quantum dots is presented. Such a system is a means to include two discretized, quantum-confined, and complimentary semiconductor units in close proximity, which might exhibit interesting charge transport properties for applications such as solar cells. From a range of possible structures predicted, we observe an exclusive preference for the formation of Cuboctahedral AB13 (Cuboctahedral modification of NaZn13) and AB5 (isostructural with CaCu5) structures in the system of 8.1 nm CdTe and 4.4 nm CdSe nanoparticles. To understand further the principles of superlattice formation, space-filling curves for binary component hard spheres over the full range of radius ratio are constructed. In addition, the pair interaction energies due to core-core and ligand-ligand van der Waals forces are estimated. The real structures are believed to form under a major influence of entropic driving forces (following the hard-sphere space filling principle) and combined with other influence from the surface (as nanoparticle deviates from hard spheres). Chapter 5. A nanoparticle radius ratio dependent study of the formation of binary nanoparticle superlattices (BNSLs) of CdTe and CdSe quantum dots is reported. While keeping all other parameters identical in the system, the effective nanoparticle radius ratio, gammaeff, was tuned to allow the formation of five different BNSL structures, AlB 2, cub-NaZn13, ico-NaZn 13, CaCu5, and MgZn2. For each structure, gamma eff is located close to a local maximum of its space-filling factor, based on a model following the

  13. Development of Highly Ordered Heterostructured Semiconductor Nanowire Arrays for Sub-Wavelength Optical Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-06-01

    properties of nanowires" J. Appl. Phys 98, 094306 (2005) 9. Harry E. Ruda and Alexander Shik, "Polarization-sensitive optical properties of metallic and...34Biexcitons in parabolic quantum dots", Phys. Rev. B. 73, 125321 (2006). 11. M. Blumin, H.E. Ruda, I. Savelyev , A Shik and H. Wang, "Self-assembled InAs

  14. Optimization of InAs/GaAs quantum-dot structures and application to 1.3-μm mode-locked laser diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Mi-Feng; Ni Hai-Qiao; Niu Zhi-Chuan; Ding Ying; David Bajek; Liang Kong; Ana Cataluna Maria

    2014-01-01

    The self-assembled growth of InAs/GaAs quantum dots by molecular beam epitaxy is conducted by optimizing several growth parameters, using a one-step interruption method after island formation. The dependence of photoluminescence on areal quantum-dot density is systematically investigated as a function of InAs deposition, growth temperature and arsenic pressure. The results of this investigation along with time-resolved photoluminescence measurements show that the combination of a growth temperature of 490 °C, with a deposition rate of 0.02 ML/s, under an arsenic pressure of 1 × 10 −6 Torr (1 Torr = 1.33322 × 10 2 Pa), provides the best compromise between high density and the photoluminescence of quantum dot structure, with a radiative lifetime of 780 ps. The applicability of this 5-layer quantum dot structure to high-repetition-rate pulsed lasers is demonstrated with the fabrication and characterization of a monolithic InAs/GaAs quantum-dot passively mode-locked laser operating at nearly 1300 nm. Picosecond pulse generation is achieved from a two-section laser, with a ∼ 19.7-GHz repetition rate. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  15. Inverse Problem in Self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tkachenko, Alexei

    2012-02-01

    By decorating colloids and nanoparticles with DNA, one can introduce highly selective key-lock interactions between them. This leads to a new class of systems and problems in soft condensed matter physics. In particular, this opens a possibility to solve inverse problem in self-assembly: how to build an arbitrary desired structure with the bottom-up approach? I will present a theoretical and computational analysis of the hierarchical strategy in attacking this problem. It involves self-assembly of particular building blocks (``octopus particles''), that in turn would assemble into the target structure. On a conceptual level, our approach combines elements of three different brands of programmable self assembly: DNA nanotechnology, nanoparticle-DNA assemblies and patchy colloids. I will discuss the general design principles, theoretical and practical limitations of this approach, and illustrate them with our simulation results. Our crucial result is that not only it is possible to design a system that has a given nanostructure as a ground state, but one can also program and optimize the kinetic pathway for its self-assembly.

  16. Bola-amphiphile self-assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svaneborg, Carsten

    2012-01-01

    Bola-amphiphiles are rod-like molecules where both ends of the molecule likes contact with water, while the central part of the molecule dislikes contact with water. What do such molecules do when they are dissolved in water? They self-assemble into micelles. This is a Dissipartive particle...... dynamics simulation of this self-assembly behaviour....

  17. Probing into hybrid organic-molecule and InAs quantum-dots nanosystem with multistacked dots-in-a-well units

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Miaoxiang; Kobashi, Kazufumi

    2012-09-01

    Hybridizing air-stable organic-molecules with advanced III-V semiconductor quantum-dots (QDs) structures can be utilized to create a new generation of biochemical sensing devices. In order to enhance their optical performances, the active regions in these QDs structures commonly consist of multistacked dots-in-a-well (DWELL) units. The effects of grafted molecules on the performances of the QDs structures with multistacked DWELLs, however, still remain unclear. Here, we show the significant improvements in the optical properties of InAs QDs in a hybrid nanosystem obtained by grafting biocompatible diazonium salt compound (amine donor) atop InAs QDs structure. Since its interface between the QDs structure and molecular monolayer retains an uncontaminated and non-oxidized condition, the nanosystem is an ideal platform to study the intrinsic properties of charge-carrier transport inside the system. Because of the complexity of the energy-levels in the QDs structure due to the existing surface QDs and DWELLs, selective excitation wavelengths (400, 633, and 885 nm, respectively) with different photo-energies are used to exactly analyze the complete charging mechanism in these QDs. A clear view of charge-carrier transfer inside the nanosystem is revealed by employing photoluminescence technique under selective-wavelength excitations. The present work provides new quantitative evidences for exploiting inorganic QDs applications in complex biological systems.

  18. Probing into hybrid organic-molecule and InAs quantum-dots nanosystem with multistacked dots-in-a-well units

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Miaoxiang [Department of Micro- and Nano technology, Technical University of Denmark, Orsteds Plads, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Kobashi, Kazufumi [Nanotube Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan)

    2012-09-15

    Hybridizing air-stable organic-molecules with advanced III-V semiconductor quantum-dots (QDs) structures can be utilized to create a new generation of biochemical sensing devices. In order to enhance their optical performances, the active regions in these QDs structures commonly consist of multistacked dots-in-a-well (DWELL) units. The effects of grafted molecules on the performances of the QDs structures with multistacked DWELLs, however, still remain unclear. Here, we show the significant improvements in the optical properties of InAs QDs in a hybrid nanosystem obtained by grafting biocompatible diazonium salt compound (amine donor) atop InAs QDs structure. Since its interface between the QDs structure and molecular monolayer retains an uncontaminated and non-oxidized condition, the nanosystem is an ideal platform to study the intrinsic properties of charge-carrier transport inside the system. Because of the complexity of the energy-levels in the QDs structure due to the existing surface QDs and DWELLs, selective excitation wavelengths (400, 633, and 885 nm, respectively) with different photo-energies are used to exactly analyze the complete charging mechanism in these QDs. A clear view of charge-carrier transfer inside the nanosystem is revealed by employing photoluminescence technique under selective-wavelength excitations. The present work provides new quantitative evidences for exploiting inorganic QDs applications in complex biological systems.

  19. Electronic properties of assemblies of zno quantum dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roest, Aarnoud Laurens

    2003-01-01

    Electron transport in an assembly of ZnO quantum dots has been studied using an electrochemically gated transistor. The electron mobility shows a step-wise increase as a function of the electron occupation per quantum dot. When the occupation number is below two, transport occurs by tunnelling

  20. Self-correcting quantum computers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bombin, H; Chhajlany, R W; Horodecki, M; Martin-Delgado, M A

    2013-01-01

    Is the notion of a quantum computer (QC) resilient to thermal noise unphysical? We address this question from a constructive perspective and show that local quantum Hamiltonian models provide self-correcting QCs. To this end, we first give a sufficient condition on the connectedness of excitations for a stabilizer code model to be a self-correcting quantum memory. We then study the two main examples of topological stabilizer codes in arbitrary dimensions and establish their self-correcting capabilities. Also, we address the transversality properties of topological color codes, showing that six-dimensional color codes provide a self-correcting model that allows the transversal and local implementation of a universal set of operations in seven spatial dimensions. Finally, we give a procedure for initializing such quantum memories at finite temperature. (paper)

  1. Growth of self-assembled (Ga)InAs/GaAs quantum dots and realization of high quality microcavities for experiments in the field of strong exciton photon coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loeffler, Andreas

    2008-01-01

    At the beginning, we improved the three dimensional optical confinement of the micropillars. The quality factor of the pillars could be increased by the use of higher reflectivity mirrors and a matched V/III ratio for the different epitaxial layers. Hence, a record quality factor of about 90000 was achieved for an active micropillar with 26 (30) mirror pairs in the top (bottom) DBR and a diameter of 4 μm. In parallel to this, we made studies on the growth of self-assembled GaInAs quantum dots on GaAs substrates. Here, the nucleation of three dimensional islands as well as their optical properties were object of the investigation. The morphological properties of the dots were analyzed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and the optical properties were investigated by photoluminescence and photoreflectance measurements. The optical and particularly the morphological properties of the self-assembled GaInAs quantum dots were essentially improved. Due to a low strain nucleation layer with an indium content of 30 %, the dot density could be reduced to 6-9 x 10 9 cm -2 and their geometric dimensions were increased to typical lengths between 50 and 100 nm and widths of about 30 nm. The lattice mismatch between the quantum dots and the surrounding matrix is decreased due to the reduced indium content. The minimized strain during the dot growth leads to an enhanced migration length of the deposited atoms on the surface. Finally, the obtained findings of the MBE growth of microcavities, their fabrication and the self-assembled island growth of GaInAs on GaAs were used for the realization of further samples. Low strain GaInAs quantum dots were embedded into the microresonators. These structures allowed for the first time the observation of strong coupling between light and matter in a semiconductor. In case of the low strain quantum dots with enlarged dimensions in the strong coupling regime, a vacuum Rabi-splitting of about 140 μeV between the cavity mode and

  2. Self-assembled biomimetic nanoreactors I: Polymeric template

    Science.gov (United States)

    McTaggart, Matt; Malardier-Jugroot, Cecile; Jugroot, Manish

    2015-09-01

    The variety of nanoarchitectures made feasible by the self-assembly of alternating copolymers opens new avenues for biomimicry. Indeed, self-assembled structures allow the development of nanoreactors which combine the efficiency of high surface area metal active centres to the effect of confinement due to the very small cavities generated by the self-assembly process. A novel self-assembly of high molecular weight alternating copolymers is characterized in the present study. The self-assembly is shown to organize into nanosheets, providing a 2 nm hydrophobic cavity with a 1D confinement.

  3. Multivalent protein assembly using monovalent self-assembling building blocks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Petkau - Milroy, K.; Sonntag, M.H.; Colditz, A.; Brunsveld, L.

    2013-01-01

    Discotic molecules, which self-assemble in water into columnar supramolecular polymers, emerged as an alternative platform for the organization of proteins. Here, a monovalent discotic decorated with one single biotin was synthesized to study the self-assembling multivalency of this system in regard

  4. Growth and electrical characterization of Zn-doped InAs and InAs1-xSbx

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venter, A.; Shamba, P.; Botha, L.; Botha, J.R.

    2009-01-01

    The electrical properties of Zn doped InAs and InAsSb layers grown on semi-insulating GaAs by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy, using dimethyl zinc as the p-type dopant source, have been studied. The influence of dopant flow rate, V/III ratio and substrate orientation on the electrical properties of these InAs and InAs 1-x Sb x layers have been studied at a few appropriate growth temperatures. A promising group V source, tertiary butyl arsenic was used as an alternative to arsenic hydride in the case of InAs growth. The electrical properties of the InAs and InAs 1-x Sb x epitaxial layers were mainly studied by the Hall effect. However, surface accumulation in these materials results in deceptive Hall results being extracted. A two layer model (assuming the layer to consist of two parallel conducting paths viz. surface and bulk) has therefore been used to extract sensible transport properties. In addition, conventional Hall measurements ignores the high electron to hole mobility ratio in InAs and InAsSb leading to erroneous transport properties.

  5. Ballistic One-Dimensional InAs Nanowire Cross-Junction Interconnects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gooth, Johannes; Borg, Mattias; Schmid, Heinz; Schaller, Vanessa; Wirths, Stephan; Moselund, Kirsten; Luisier, Mathieu; Karg, Siegfried; Riel, Heike

    2017-04-12

    Coherent interconnection of quantum bits remains an ongoing challenge in quantum information technology. Envisioned hardware to achieve this goal is based on semiconductor nanowire (NW) circuits, comprising individual NW devices that are linked through ballistic interconnects. However, maintaining the sensitive ballistic conduction and confinement conditions across NW intersections is a nontrivial problem. Here, we go beyond the characterization of a single NW device and demonstrate ballistic one-dimensional (1D) quantum transport in InAs NW cross-junctions, monolithically integrated on Si. Characteristic 1D conductance plateaus are resolved in field-effect measurements across up to four NW-junctions in series. The 1D ballistic transport and sub-band splitting is preserved for both crossing-directions. We show that the 1D modes of a single injection terminal can be distributed into multiple NW branches. We believe that NW cross-junctions are well-suited as cross-directional communication links for the reliable transfer of quantum information as required for quantum computational systems.

  6. The effect of Au amount on size uniformity of self-assembled Au nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, S-H; Wang, D-C; Chen, G-Y; Chen, K-Y [Graduate School of Engineering Science and Technology, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan (China)

    2008-03-15

    The self-assembled fabrication of nanostructure, a dreaming approach in the area of fabrication engineering, is the ultimate goal of this research. A finding was proved through previous research that the size of the self-assembled gold nanoparticles could be controlled with the mole ratio between AuCl{sub 4}{sup -} and thiol. In this study, the moles of Au were fixed, only the moles of thiol were adjusted. Five different mole ratios of Au/S with their effect on size uniformity were investigated. The mole ratios were 1:1/16, 1:1/8, 1:1, 1:8, 1:16, respectively. The size distributions of the gold nanoparticles were analyzed by Mac-View analysis software. HR-TEM was used to derive images of self-assembled gold nanoparticles. The result reached was also the higher the mole ratio between AuCl{sub 4}{sup -} and thiol the bigger the self-assembled gold nanoparticles. Under the condition of moles of Au fixed, the most homogeneous nanoparticles in size distribution derived with the mole ratio of 1:1/8 between AuCl{sub 4}{sup -} and thiol. The obtained nanoparticles could be used, for example, in uniform surface nanofabrication, leading to the fabrication of ordered array of quantum dots.

  7. Longer than 1.9 μm photoluminescence emission from InAs quantum structure on GaAs (001) substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Ke; Ma, Wenquan, E-mail: wqma@semi.ac.cn; Huang, Jianliang; Zhang, Yanhua; Cao, Yulian; Huang, Wenjun; Luo, Shuai; Yang, Tao [Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghua East Road A 35, Beijing 100083 (China)

    2015-07-27

    We report on photoluminescence (PL) emission with long wavelength for quantum structure by the sub-monolayer (SML) growth technique on GaAs (001) substrate. It is found that the PL emission wavelength can be controlled by controlling the SML InAs deposition amount. At 12 K, the PL peak position of the grown samples changes from about 1.66 to 1.78 μm. At 120 K, the PL emission of a sample reaches 1.91 μm. The physical mechanism responsible for the measured long wavelength PL emission may be related to strong In segregation and intermixing effects occurred in the structure grown by SML growth technique.

  8. Hot exciton relaxation in multiple layers CdSe/ZnSe self-assembled quantum dots separated by thick ZnSe barriers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eremenko, M; Budkin, G; Reznitsky, A

    2015-01-01

    We have studied PL and PLE spectra of two samples (A and B) of MBE grown CdSe/ZnSe asymmetric double quantum wells with different amount of deposited CdSe layers separated by 14 nm ZnSe barrier. It has been found that PLE spectra of the states forming short wavelength side of the PL spectra of both deep and shallow QWs of the sample A as well as that of deep QW of the sample B demonstrate oscillating structure in the spectral ranges corresponding to exciton states of self-assembled quantum dots only. Meanwhile PLE spectra of the short wavelength states of shallow QW the sample B revealed pronounced oscillating structure with energy period of ZnSe LO phonon under excitation with photons in a wide energy range both in the regions of quantum-dot states and in that of free states in the ZnSe barrier. In these spectra creating of excitons with kinetic energies more than 0.3 eV was observed which considerably exceed the exciton binding energy as well as LO phonon energy (both appr. 0.03 eV). It has been concluded that oscillating structure of the PLE spectra arises due to cascade relaxation of hot excitons. We discuss the model which explains these experimental findings. (paper)

  9. Hot exciton relaxation in multiple layers CdSe/ZnSe self-assembled quantum dots separated by thick ZnSe barriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eremenko, M.; Budkin, G.; Reznitsky, A.

    2015-11-01

    We have studied PL and PLE spectra of two samples (A and B) of MBE grown CdSe/ZnSe asymmetric double quantum wells with different amount of deposited CdSe layers separated by 14 nm ZnSe barrier. It has been found that PLE spectra of the states forming short wavelength side of the PL spectra of both deep and shallow QWs of the sample A as well as that of deep QW of the sample B demonstrate oscillating structure in the spectral ranges corresponding to exciton states of self-assembled quantum dots only. Meanwhile PLE spectra of the short wavelength states of shallow QW the sample B revealed pronounced oscillating structure with energy period of ZnSe LO phonon under excitation with photons in a wide energy range both in the regions of quantum-dot states and in that of free states in the ZnSe barrier. In these spectra creating of excitons with kinetic energies more than 0.3 eV was observed which considerably exceed the exciton binding energy as well as LO phonon energy (both appr. 0.03 eV). It has been concluded that oscillating structure of the PLE spectra arises due to cascade relaxation of hot excitons. We discuss the model which explains these experimental findings.

  10. Effect of antimony incorporation on the density, shape, and luminescence of InAs quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J. F.; Chiang, C. H.; Wu, Y. H.; Chang, L.; Chi, J. Y.

    2008-07-01

    This work investigates the surfactant effect on exposed and buried InAs quantum dots (QDs) by incorporating Sb into the QD layers with various Sb beam equivalent pressures (BEPs). Secondary ion mass spectroscopy shows the presence of Sb in the exposed and buried QD layers with the Sb intensity in the exposed layer substantially exceeding that in the buried layer. Incorporating Sb can reduce the density of the exposed QDs by more than two orders of magnitude. However, a high Sb BEP yields a surface morphology with a regular periodic structure of ellipsoid terraces. A good room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) at ˜1600 nm from the exposed QDs is observed, suggesting that the Sb incorporation probably improves the emission efficiency by reducing the surface recombination velocity at the surface of the exposed QDs. Increasing Sb BEP causes a blueshift of the emission from the exposed QDs due to a reduction in the dot height as suggested by atomic force microscopy. Increasing Sb BEP can also blueshift the ˜1300 nm emission from the buried QDs by decreasing the dot height. However, a high Sb BEP yields a quantum well-like PL feature formed by the clustering of the buried QDs into an undulated planar layer. These results indicate a marked Sb surfactant effect that can be used to control the density, shape, and luminescence of the exposed and buried QDs.

  11. Different regimes of electronic coupling and their influence on exciton recombination in vertically stacked InAs/InP quantum wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuster, David; Martinez-Pastor, Juan; Gonzalez, Luisa; Gonzalez, Yolanda

    2006-01-01

    In the present work we study the influence of stacking self-assembled InAs quantum wires (QWRs) on the emission wavelength and the excitonic recombination dynamics. The reduction in the InP spacer layer thickness, d(InP), produces both a size filtering effect towards large wire ensembles and an increase in the vertical coupling for electrons and holes along the stack direction. The different vertical coupling for electrons and holes induces a different behaviour in the exciton recombination dynamics, depending on the InP spacer layer thickness: weak electron coupling and negligible hole coupling for d(InP) > 10 nm, intermediate electron coupling and weak hole coupling for 5 nm ≤ d(InP) ≤ 10 nm and strong electron coupling and moderate hole coupling for d(InP) < 5 nm. Such exciton dynamics have been established by comparing the experimental time decay results with a multi-quantum well model accounting for the vertical carrier coupling

  12. Structural characterization of GaAs self-assembled quantum dots grown by Droplet Epitaxy on Ge virtual substrates on Si

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frigeri, C.; Bietti, S.; Isella, G.; Sanguinetti, S.

    2013-01-01

    The structure of self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) grown by Droplet Epitaxy on Ge virtual substrates has been investigated by TEM. The QDs have a pyramidal shape with base and height of 50 nm. By (0 0 2) dark field TEM it was seen that the pyramid top is Ga poor and Al rich most likely because of the higher mobility of Ga along the pyramid sides down to the base. The investigated QDs contain defects identified as As precipitates by Moirè fringes. The smallest ones (3–5 nm) are coherent with the GaAs lattice suggesting that they could be a cubic phase of As precipitation. It seems to be a metastable phase since the hexagonal phase is recovered as the precipitate size increases above ∼5 nm.

  13. Electrical characterization of InAs/GaAs (110) nanostructures by conductive atomic force microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beinik, Igor; Teichert, Christian [Institute of Physics, Montanuniversitaet Leoben (Austria); Diez-Merino, Laura; Tejedor, Paloma [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (Spain). CSIC

    2009-07-01

    Self-assembled InAs quantum dots and wires have been studied over many years and still they are of great interest for application in nanoelectronics, high-speed spintronic devices, etc. Samples for our investigation were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on misoriented (110) GaAs substrates. Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (C-AFM) technique was used to study the surface topography and conductivity simultaneously. Comparison of the corresponding cross-section profiles indicated that InAs nucleation takes place on the[1-10]-oriented step bunches, forming 3 nm-high and up to 70 nm-wide wires of variable length. On the other hand,[1-12]-type steps very rarely appeared to be decorated by InAs, also in agreement with previous TEM studies. The presented results prove that C-AFM technique might be successfully applied as a tool for investigation of electrical properties in III-V quantum dots and wires on the nanometer scale.

  14. Equilibrium polymerization models of re-entrant self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudowicz, Jacek; Douglas, Jack F.; Freed, Karl F.

    2009-04-01

    As is well known, liquid-liquid phase separation can occur either upon heating or cooling, corresponding to lower and upper critical solution phase boundaries, respectively. Likewise, self-assembly transitions from a monomeric state to an organized polymeric state can proceed either upon increasing or decreasing temperature, and the concentration dependent ordering temperature is correspondingly called the "floor" or "ceiling" temperature. Motivated by the fact that some phase separating systems exhibit closed loop phase boundaries with two critical points, the present paper analyzes self-assembly analogs of re-entrant phase separation, i.e., re-entrant self-assembly. In particular, re-entrant self-assembly transitions are demonstrated to arise in thermally activated equilibrium self-assembling systems, when thermal activation is more favorable than chain propagation, and in equilibrium self-assembly near an adsorbing boundary where strong competition exists between adsorption and self-assembly. Apparently, the competition between interactions or equilibria generally underlies re-entrant behavior in both liquid-liquid phase separation and self-assembly transitions.

  15. DNA origami: a quantum leap for self-assembly of complex structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tørring, Thomas; Voigt, Niels Vinther; Nangreave, Jeanette

    2011-01-01

    The spatially controlled positioning of functional materials by self-assembly is one of the fundamental visions of nanotechnology. Major steps towards this goal have been achieved using DNA as a programmable building block. This tutorial review will focus on one of the most promising methods: DNA...... origami. The basic design principles, organization of a variety of functional materials and recent implementation of DNA robotics are discussed together with future challenges and opportunities....

  16. Onset of self-assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chitanvis, S.M.

    1998-01-01

    We have formulated a theory of self-assembly based on the notion of local gauge invariance at the mesoscale. Local gauge invariance at the mesoscale generates the required long-range entropic forces responsible for self-assembly in binary systems. Our theory was applied to study the onset of mesostructure formation above a critical temperature in estane, a diblock copolymer. We used diagrammatic methods to transcend the Gaussian approximation and obtain a correlation length ξ∼(c-c * ) -γ , where c * is the minimum concentration below which self-assembly is impossible, c is the current concentration, and γ was found numerically to be fairly close to 2/3. The renormalized diffusion constant vanishes as the critical concentration is approached, indicating the occurrence of critical slowing down, while the correlation function remains finite at the transition point. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

  17. Self-assembled DNA Structures for Nanoconstruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Hao; Yin, Peng; Park, Sung Ha; Li, Hanying; Feng, Liping; Guan, Xiaoju; Liu, Dage; Reif, John H.; LaBean, Thomas H.

    2004-09-01

    In recent years, a number of research groups have begun developing nanofabrication methods based on DNA self-assembly. Here we review our recent experimental progress to utilize novel DNA nanostructures for self-assembly as well as for templates in the fabrication of functional nano-patterned materials. We have prototyped a new DNA nanostructure known as a cross structure. This nanostructure has a 4-fold symmetry which promotes its self-assembly into tetragonal 2D lattices. We have utilized the tetragonal 2D lattices as templates for highly conductive metallic nanowires and periodic 2D protein nano-arrays. We have constructed and characterized a DNA nanotube, a new self-assembling superstructure composed of DNA tiles. We have also demonstrated an aperiodic DNA lattice composed of DNA tiles assembled around a long scaffold strand; the system translates information encoded in the scaffold strand into a specific and reprogrammable barcode pattern. We have achieved metallic nanoparticle linear arrays templated on self-assembled 1D DNA arrays. We have designed and demonstrated a 2-state DNA lattice, which displays expand/contract motion switched by DNA nanoactuators. We have also achieved an autonomous DNA motor executing unidirectional motion along a linear DNA track.

  18. Carrier diffusion in low-dimensional semiconductors. a comparison of quantum wells, disordered quantum wells, and quantum dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fiore, A.; Rossetti, M.; Alloing, B.; Paranthoën, C.; Chen, J.X.; Geelhaar, L.; Riechert, H.

    2004-01-01

    We present a comparative study of carrier diffusion in semiconductor heterostructures with different dimensionality [InGaAs quantum wells (QWs), InAs quantum dots (QDs), and disordered InGaNAs QWs (DQWs)]. In order to evaluate the diffusion length in the active region of device structures, we

  19. Morphological evolution of InAs/InP quantum wires through aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sales, D L; Molina, S I [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I. M. y Q. I., Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Varela, M; Pennycook, S J [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Galindo, P L [Departamento de Lenguajes y Sistemas Informaticos, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Gonzalez, L; Gonzalez, Y [Instituto de Microelectronica de Madrid (CNM, CSIC), Isaac Newton 8, E-28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain); Fuster, D, E-mail: david.sales@uca.es [UMDO - Unidad Asociada al CSIC-IMM, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad de Valencia, PO Box 22085, 4607 Valencia (Spain)

    2010-08-13

    Evolution of the size, shape and composition of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum wires through the Stranski-Krastanov transition has been determined by aberration-corrected Z-contrast imaging. High resolution compositional maps of the wires in the initial, intermediate and final formation stages are presented. (001) is the main facet at their very initial stage of formation, which is gradually reduced in favour of {l_brace}114{r_brace} or {l_brace}118{r_brace}, ending with the formation of mature quantum wires with {l_brace}114{r_brace} facets. Significant changes in wire dimensions are measured when varying slightly the amount of InAs deposited. These results are used as input parameters to build three-dimensional models that allow calculation of the strain energy during the quantum wire formation process. The observed morphological evolution is explained in terms of the calculated elastic energy changes at the growth front. Regions of the wetting layer close to the nanostructure perimeters have higher strain energy, causing migration of As atoms towards the quantum wire terraces, where the structure is partially relaxed; the thickness of the wetting layer is reduced in these zones and the island height increases until the (001) facet is removed.

  20. Self assembly of rectangular shapes on concentration programming and probabilistic tile assembly models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kundeti, Vamsi; Rajasekaran, Sanguthevar

    2012-06-01

    Efficient tile sets for self assembling rectilinear shapes is of critical importance in algorithmic self assembly. A lower bound on the tile complexity of any deterministic self assembly system for an n × n square is [Formula: see text] (inferred from the Kolmogrov complexity). Deterministic self assembly systems with an optimal tile complexity have been designed for squares and related shapes in the past. However designing [Formula: see text] unique tiles specific to a shape is still an intensive task in the laboratory. On the other hand copies of a tile can be made rapidly using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) experiments. This led to the study of self assembly on tile concentration programming models. We present two major results in this paper on the concentration programming model. First we show how to self assemble rectangles with a fixed aspect ratio ( α:β ), with high probability, using Θ( α + β ) tiles. This result is much stronger than the existing results by Kao et al. (Randomized self-assembly for approximate shapes, LNCS, vol 5125. Springer, Heidelberg, 2008) and Doty (Randomized self-assembly for exact shapes. In: proceedings of the 50th annual IEEE symposium on foundations of computer science (FOCS), IEEE, Atlanta. pp 85-94, 2009)-which can only self assembly squares and rely on tiles which perform binary arithmetic. On the other hand, our result is based on a technique called staircase sampling . This technique eliminates the need for sub-tiles which perform binary arithmetic, reduces the constant in the asymptotic bound, and eliminates the need for approximate frames (Kao et al. Randomized self-assembly for approximate shapes, LNCS, vol 5125. Springer, Heidelberg, 2008). Our second result applies staircase sampling on the equimolar concentration programming model (The tile complexity of linear assemblies. In: proceedings of the 36th international colloquium automata, languages and programming: Part I on ICALP '09, Springer-Verlag, pp 235

  1. Self-assembling membranes and related methods thereof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capito, Ramille M; Azevedo, Helena S; Stupp, Samuel L

    2013-08-20

    The present invention relates to self-assembling membranes. In particular, the present invention provides self-assembling membranes configured for securing and/or delivering bioactive agents. In some embodiments, the self-assembling membranes are used in the treatment of diseases, and related methods (e.g., diagnostic methods, research methods, drug screening).

  2. Large branched self-assembled DNA complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tosch, Paul; Waelti, Christoph; Middelberg, Anton P J; Davies, A Giles

    2007-01-01

    Many biological molecules have been demonstrated to self-assemble into complex structures and networks by using their very efficient and selective molecular recognition processes. The use of biological molecules as scaffolds for the construction of functional devices by self-assembling nanoscale complexes onto the scaffolds has recently attracted significant attention and many different applications in this field have emerged. In particular DNA, owing to its inherent sophisticated self-organization and molecular recognition properties, has served widely as a scaffold for various nanotechnological self-assembly applications, with metallic and semiconducting nanoparticles, proteins, macromolecular complexes, inter alia, being assembled onto designed DNA scaffolds. Such scaffolds may typically contain multiple branch-points and comprise a number of DNA molecules selfassembled into the desired configuration. Previously, several studies have used synthetic methods to produce the constituent DNA of the scaffolds, but this typically constrains the size of the complexes. For applications that require larger self-assembling DNA complexes, several tens of nanometers or more, other techniques need to be employed. In this article, we discuss a generic technique to generate large branched DNA macromolecular complexes

  3. Ordered quantum-ring chains grown on a quantum-dot superlattice template

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Jiang; Wang, Zhiming M.; Holmes, Kyland; Marega, Euclydes; Mazur, Yuriy I.; Salamo, Gregory J.

    2012-01-01

    One-dimensional ordered quantum-ring chains are fabricated on a quantum-dot superlattice template by molecular beam epitaxy. The quantum-dot superlattice template is prepared by stacking multiple quantum-dot layers and quantum-ring chains are formed by partially capping quantum dots. Partially capping InAs quantum dots with a thin layer of GaAs introduces a morphological change from quantum dots to quantum rings. The lateral ordering is introduced by engineering the strain field of a multi-layer InGaAs quantum-dot superlattice.

  4. High Performance InAs/In0.53Ga0.23Al0.24As/InP Quantum Dot 1.55 um Tunnel Injection Laser

    KAUST Repository

    Bhowmick, Sishir; Baten, Md Zunaid; Bhattacharya, Pallab K.; Frost, Thomas; Ooi, Boon S.

    2014-01-01

    The characteristics of 1.55 ? InAs self-organized quantum-dot lasers, grown on (001) InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, have been investigated. Modulation doping of the dots with holes and tunnel injection of electrons have been incorporated

  5. Self-Organization and the Self-Assembling Process in Tissue Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eswaramoorthy, Rajalakshmanan; Hadidi, Pasha; Hu, Jerry C.

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, the tissue engineering paradigm has shifted to include a new and growing subfield of scaffoldless techniques which generate self-organizing and self-assembling tissues. This review aims to provide a cogent description of this relatively new research area, with special emphasis on applications toward clinical use and research models. Particular emphasis is placed on providing clear definitions of self-organization and the self-assembling process, as delineated from other scaffoldless techniques in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Significantly, during formation, self-organizing and self-assembling tissues display biological processes similar to those that occur in vivo. These help lead to the recapitulation of native tissue morphological structure and organization. Notably, functional properties of these tissues also approach native tissue values; some of these engineered tissues are already in clinical trials. This review aims to provide a cohesive summary of work in this field, and to highlight the potential of self-organization and the self-assembling process to provide cogent solutions to current intractable problems in tissue engineering. PMID:23701238

  6. Cleaved-edge overgrowth of aligned quantum dots on strained layers of InGaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wasserman, D.; Lyon, S.A.

    2004-01-01

    Strain aligned InAs quantum dots were grown on the cleaved edges of first growth samples containing strained In x Ga (1-x) As layers of varying thickness and indium fraction. The formation of the cleaved-edge quantum dots was observed by means of atomic force microscopy. 100% linear alignment of InAs quantum dots over the InGaAs strain layers of the first growth sample is demonstrated. Linear density of the aligned dots was found to depend on the properties of the underlying InGaAs strain layers. Vertical alignment of an additional InAs quantum dot layer over the buried, linearly aligned, initial dot layer was observed for thin GaAs spacer layers

  7. Nonvolatile Memories Using Quantum Dot (QD) Floating Gates Assembled on II-VI Tunnel Insulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suarez, E.; Gogna, M.; Al-Amoody, F.; Karmakar, S.; Ayers, J.; Heller, E.; Jain, F.

    2010-07-01

    This paper presents preliminary data on quantum dot gate nonvolatile memories using nearly lattice-matched ZnS/Zn0.95Mg0.05S/ZnS tunnel insulators. The GeO x -cladded Ge and SiO x -cladded Si quantum dots (QDs) are self-assembled site-specifically on the II-VI insulator grown epitaxially over the Si channel (formed between the source and drain region). The pseudomorphic II-VI stack serves both as a tunnel insulator and a high- κ dielectric. The effect of Mg incorporation in ZnMgS is also investigated. For the control gate insulator, we have used Si3N4 and SiO2 layers grown by plasma- enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

  8. Physical principles for DNA tile self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Constantine G; Winfree, Erik

    2017-06-19

    DNA tiles provide a promising technique for assembling structures with nanoscale resolution through self-assembly by basic interactions rather than top-down assembly of individual structures. Tile systems can be programmed to grow based on logical rules, allowing for a small number of tile types to assemble large, complex assemblies that can retain nanoscale resolution. Such algorithmic systems can even assemble different structures using the same tiles, based on inputs that seed the growth. While programming and theoretical analysis of tile self-assembly often makes use of abstract logical models of growth, experimentally implemented systems are governed by nanoscale physical processes that can lead to very different behavior, more accurately modeled by taking into account the thermodynamics and kinetics of tile attachment and detachment in solution. This review discusses the relationships between more abstract and more physically realistic tile assembly models. A central concern is how consideration of model differences enables the design of tile systems that robustly exhibit the desired abstract behavior in realistic physical models and in experimental implementations. Conversely, we identify situations where self-assembly in abstract models can not be well-approximated by physically realistic models, putting constraints on physical relevance of the abstract models. To facilitate the discussion, we introduce a unified model of tile self-assembly that clarifies the relationships between several well-studied models in the literature. Throughout, we highlight open questions regarding the physical principles for DNA tile self-assembly.

  9. High-temperature operation of self-assembled GaInNAs/GaAsN quantum-dot lasers grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, C.Y.; Yoon, S.F.; Sun, Z.Z.; Yew, K.C.

    2006-01-01

    Self-assembled GaInNAs/GaAsN single layer quantum-dot (QD) lasers grown using solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy have been fabricated and characterized. Temperature-dependent measurements have been carried out on the GaInNAs QD lasers. The lowest obtained threshold current density in this work is ∼1.05 kA/cm 2 from a GaInNAs QD laser (50x1700 μm 2 ) at 10 deg. C. High-temperature operation up to 65 deg. C was also demonstrated from an unbonded GaInNAs QD laser (50x1060 μm 2 ), with high characteristic temperature of 79.4 K in the temperature range of 10-60 deg. C

  10. Biomedical Applications of Self-Assembling Peptides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Radmalekshahi, Mazda; Lempsink, Ludwijn; Amidi, Maryam; Hennink, Wim E.; Mastrobattista, Enrico

    2016-01-01

    Self-assembling peptides have gained increasing attention as versatile molecules to generate diverse supramolecular structures with tunable functionality. Because of the possibility to integrate a wide range of functional domains into self-assembling peptides including cell attachment sequences,

  11. Spin Qubits in GaAs Heterostructures and Gating of InAs Nanowires for Lowtemperature Measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nissen, Peter Dahl

    of the contenders in the race to build a large-scale quantum computer, is such a component, and research aiming to build, manipulate and couple spin qubits is looking at many materials systems to nd one where the requirements for fast control and long coherence time can be combined with ecient coupling between...... distant qubits. This thesis presents electric measurement on two of the materials systems currently at the forefront of the spin qubit race, namely InAs nanowires and GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. For the InAs nanowires we investigate dierent gating geometries towards the goal of dening stable quantum...... electrodes induces tunable barriers of up to 0:25 eV. From the temperature dependence of the conductance, the barrier height is extracted and mapped as a function of gate voltage. Top and bottom gates are similar to each other in terms of electrostatic couplings (lever arms 0:10:2 eV=V) and threshold...

  12. Highly Efficient Spontaneous Emission from Self-Assembled Quantum Dots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Jeppe; Lund-Hansen, Toke; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

    2006-01-01

    We present time resolved measurements of spontaneous emission (SE) from InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs). The measurements are interpreted using Fermi's Golden Rule and from this analysis we establish the parameters for high quantum efficiency.......We present time resolved measurements of spontaneous emission (SE) from InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs). The measurements are interpreted using Fermi's Golden Rule and from this analysis we establish the parameters for high quantum efficiency....

  13. Emission and elastic strain in InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells with embedded InAs quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vega-Macotela, L.G.; Polupan, G. [ESIME - Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico D.F. 07738 (Mexico); Shcherbyna, Ye. [National Technical University-' ' KPI' ' , Kiev 03057 (Ukraine)

    2012-07-15

    Photoluminescence (PL) spectra have been studied in the symmetric GaAs/In{sub 0.15}Ga{sub 0.85}As/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with embedded InAs quantum dots (QDs), grown at different temperatures from the range 470-535 C. The increase of QD growth temperature is accompanied by decreasing the QD surface density and the enlargement of QD lateral diameters. Simultaneously the variation of the PL intensity and PL peak positions none monotonously have been detected. To understand the reason of the variation of PL intensity and peak positions the PL temperature dependences and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) at low angles (1.75-1.92 ) have been studied. The fitting procedure is applied to analysis the temperature shift of PL peak positions. Fitting has been done on the base of empirical expression for the band gap shrinkage that uses the Einstein temperature parameter. The character non monotonous for the Ga/In inter diffusion versus QD growth temperatures has been revealed. The XRD study has detected the high intensity peaks that corresponds to the diffraction of X-ray beam from the (311) crystal planes in GaAs QWs. The position of XRD peaks in the structures with QD grown at 490-510 C is very close to the angles related to the diffraction from (311) planes in the bulk GaAs. In QD structures with QD grown at 470 and 525-535 C the (311) XRD peaks shift to the higher diffraction angles that testifies on the essential compressive strains in these structures. The reason of the variation non monotonously of elastic strain versus QD densities has been discussed (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  14. Transport and performance of a gate all around InAs nanowire transistor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, Khairul

    2009-01-01

    The transport physics and performance metrics of a gate all around an InAs nanowire transistor are studied using a three-dimensional quantum simulation. The transistor action of an InAs nanowire transistor occurs by modulating the transmission coefficient of the device. This action is different from a conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor, where the transistor action occurs by modulating the charge in the channel. The device has 82% tunneling current in the off-state and 81% thermal current in the on-state. The two current components become equal at a gate bias at which an approximate source-channel flat-band condition is achieved. Prior to this gate bias, the tunneling current dominates and the thermal current dominates beyond it. The device has an on/off current ratio of 7.84 × 10 5 and an inverse subthreshold slope of 63 mV dec −1 . The transistor operates in the quantum capacitance limit with a normalized transconductance value of 14.43 mS µm −1 , an intrinsic switching delay of 90.1675 fs, and an intrinsic unity current gain frequency of 6.8697 THz

  15. Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Qingxin; Tong, Yanhong; Jain, Titoo; Hassenkam, Tue; Wan, Qing; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjørnholm, Thomas

    2009-06-17

    A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during self-assembly and the gap length was determined by the molecule length. The gold nanorods and gold nanoparticles, respectively covalently bonded at the two ends of the molecule, had very small dimensions, e.g. a width of approximately 20 nm, and hence were expected to minimize the screening effect. The ultra-long conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires provided the bridge to connect one of the electrodes of the molecular device (gold nanoparticle) to the external circuit. The tip of the atomic force microscope (AFM) was contacted onto the other electrode (gold nanorod) for the electrical measurement of the OPV device. The conductance measurement confirmed that the self-assembly of the molecules and the subsequent self-assembly of the gold nanorods was a feasible method for the fabrication of the nanogap of the molecular devices.

  16. Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Qingxin; Tong Yanhong; Jain, Titoo; Hassenkam, Tue; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjoernholm, Thomas; Wan Qing

    2009-01-01

    A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO 2 :Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during self-assembly and the gap length was determined by the molecule length. The gold nanorods and gold nanoparticles, respectively covalently bonded at the two ends of the molecule, had very small dimensions, e.g. a width of ∼20 nm, and hence were expected to minimize the screening effect. The ultra-long conducting SnO 2 :Sb nanowires provided the bridge to connect one of the electrodes of the molecular device (gold nanoparticle) to the external circuit. The tip of the atomic force microscope (AFM) was contacted onto the other electrode (gold nanorod) for the electrical measurement of the OPV device. The conductance measurement confirmed that the self-assembly of the molecules and the subsequent self-assembly of the gold nanorods was a feasible method for the fabrication of the nanogap of the molecular devices.

  17. Synthetic Self-Assembled Materials in Biological Environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Versluis, F.; van Esch, J.H.; Eelkema, R.

    2016-01-01

    Synthetic self-assembly has long been recognized as an excellent approach for the formation of ordered structures on the nanoscale. Although the development of synthetic self-assembling materials has often been inspired by principles observed in nature (e.g., the assembly of lipids, DNA,

  18. Self-organized strain engineering on GaAs (311)B : template formation for quantum dot nucleation control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gong, Q.; Nötzel, R.; Hamhuis, G.J.; Eijkemans, T.J.; Wolter, J.H.

    2002-01-01

    A matrix of closely packed cells develops during molecular-beam epitaxy of In/sub 0.35/Ga/sub 0.65/As on GaAs (311)B, due to strain-driven growth instability. The established lateral strain distribution generates a unique template that controls the nucleation and growth of InAs quantum dots (QDs).

  19. InaSAFE applications in disaster preparedness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pranantyo, Ignatius Ryan; Fadmastuti, Mahardika; Chandra, Fredy

    2015-04-01

    Disaster preparedness activities aim to reduce the impact of disasters by being better prepared to respond when a disaster occurs. In order to better anticipate requirements during a disaster, contingency planning activities can be undertaken prior to a disaster based on a realistic disaster scenario. InaSAFE is a tool that can inform this process. InaSAFE is a free and open source software that estimates the impact to people and infrastructure from potential hazard scenarios. By using InaSAFE, disaster managers can develop scenarios of disaster impacts (people and infrastructures affected) to inform their contingency plan and emergency response operation plan. While InaSAFE provides the software framework exposure data and hazard data are needed as inputs to run this software. Then InaSAFE can be used to forecast the impact of the hazard scenario to the exposure data. InaSAFE outputs include estimates of the number of people, buildings and roads are affected, list of minimum needs (rice and clean water), and response checklist. InaSAFE is developed by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Australian Government, through the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR), in partnership with the World Bank - Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). This software has been used in many parts of Indonesia, including Padang, Maumere, Jakarta, and Slamet Mountain for emergency response and contingency planning.

  20. Self-assembly of cyclodextrins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fülöp, Z.; Kurkov, S.V.; Nielsen, T.T.

    2012-01-01

    The design of functional cyclodextrin (CD) nanoparticles is a developing area in the field of nanomedicine. CDs can not only help in the formation of drug carriers but also increase the local concentration of drugs at the site of action. CD monomers form aggregates by self-assembly, a tendency...... that increases upon formation of inclusion complexes with lipophilic drugs. However, the stability of such aggregates is not sufficient for parenteral administration. In this review CD polymers and CD containing nanoparticles are categorized, with focus on self-assembled CD nanoparticles. It is described how...

  1. Tuning peptide self-assembly by an in-tether chiral center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Kuan; Xiong, Wei; Li, Hu; Zhang, Pei-Yu; Yin, Feng; Zhang, Qianling; Jiang, Fan; Li, Zigang

    2018-01-01

    The self-assembly of peptides into ordered nanostructures is important for understanding both peptide molecular interactions and nanotechnological applications. However, because of the complexity and various self-assembling pathways of peptide molecules, design of self-assembling helical peptides with high controllability and tunability is challenging. We report a new self-assembling mode that uses in-tether chiral center-induced helical peptides as a platform for tunable peptide self-assembly with good controllability. It was found that self-assembling behavior was governed by in-tether substitutional groups, where chirality determined the formation of helical structures and aromaticity provided the driving force for self-assembly. Both factors were essential for peptide self-assembly to occur. Experiments and theoretical calculations indicate long-range crystal-like packing in the self-assembly, which was stabilized by a synergy of interpeptide π-π and π-sulfur interactions and hydrogen bond networks. In addition, the self-assembled peptide nanomaterials were demonstrated to be promising candidate materials for applications in biocompatible electrochemical supercapacitors.

  2. Building polyhedra by self-assembly: theory and experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Ryan; Klobušický, Joseph; Pandey, Shivendra; Gracias, David H; Menon, Govind

    2014-01-01

    We investigate the utility of a mathematical framework based on discrete geometry to model biological and synthetic self-assembly. Our primary biological example is the self-assembly of icosahedral viruses; our synthetic example is surface-tension-driven self-folding polyhedra. In both instances, the process of self-assembly is modeled by decomposing the polyhedron into a set of partially formed intermediate states. The set of all intermediates is called the configuration space, pathways of assembly are modeled as paths in the configuration space, and the kinetics and yield of assembly are modeled by rate equations, Markov chains, or cost functions on the configuration space. We review an interesting interplay between biological function and mathematical structure in viruses in light of this framework. We discuss in particular: (i) tiling theory as a coarse-grained description of all-atom models; (ii) the building game-a growth model for the formation of polyhedra; and (iii) the application of these models to the self-assembly of the bacteriophage MS2. We then use a similar framework to model self-folding polyhedra. We use a discrete folding algorithm to compute a configuration space that idealizes surface-tension-driven self-folding and analyze pathways of assembly and dominant intermediates. These computations are then compared with experimental observations of a self-folding dodecahedron with side 300 μm. In both models, despite a combinatorial explosion in the size of the configuration space, a few pathways and intermediates dominate self-assembly. For self-folding polyhedra, the dominant intermediates have fewer degrees of freedom than comparable intermediates, and are thus more rigid. The concentration of assembly pathways on a few intermediates with distinguished geometric properties is biologically and physically important, and suggests deeper mathematical structure.

  3. Two-Dimensional Fluidization of Nanomaterials via Biomimetic Membranes towards Assisted Self Assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Kathleen

    Materials that take advantage of the exceptional properties of nano-meter sized aggregates of atoms are poised to play an important role in future technologies. Prime examples for such nano-materials that have an extremely large surface to volume ratio and thus are physically determined by surface related effects are quantum dots (qdots) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The production of such manmade nano-objects has by now become routine and even commercialized. However, the controlled assembly of individual nano-sized building blocks into larger structures of higher geometric and functional complexity has proven to be much more challenging. Yet, this is exactly what is required for many applications that have transformative potential for new technologies. If the tedious procedure to sequentially position individual nano-objects is to be forgone, the assembly of such objects into larger structures needs to be implicitly encoded and many ways to bestow such self-assembly abilities onto nano objects are being developed. Yet, as overall size and complexity of such self-assembled structures increases, kinetic and geometric frustration begin to prevent the system to achieve the desired configuration. In nature, this problem is solved by relying on guided or forced variants of the self-assembly approach. To translate such concepts into the realm of man-made nano-technology, ways to dynamically manipulate nano-materials need to be devised. Thus, in the first part of this work, I provide a proof of concept that supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) that exhibit free lateral diffusion of their constituents can be utilized as a two-dimensional platform for active nano-material manipulation. We used streptavidin coated quantum dots (Q-dots) as a model nano-building-block. Q-dots are 0-dimensional nanomaterials engineered to be fluorescent based solely on their diameter making visualization convenient. Biotinylated lipids were used to tether Q-dots to a SLB and we observed that the 2

  4. Direct generation of linearly polarized single photons with a deterministic axis in quantum dots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Tong

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available We report the direct generation of linearly polarized single photons with a deterministic polarization axis in self-assembled quantum dots (QDs, achieved by the use of non-polar InGaN without complex device geometry engineering. Here, we present a comprehensive investigation of the polarization properties of these QDs and their origin with statistically significant experimental data and rigorous k·p modeling. The experimental study of 180 individual QDs allows us to compute an average polarization degree of 0.90, with a standard deviation of only 0.08. When coupled with theoretical insights, we show that these QDs are highly insensitive to size differences, shape anisotropies, and material content variations. Furthermore, 91% of the studied QDs exhibit a polarization axis along the crystal [1–100] axis, with the other 9% polarized orthogonal to this direction. These features give non-polar InGaN QDs unique advantages in polarization control over other materials, such as conventional polar nitride, InAs, or CdSe QDs. Hence, the ability to generate single photons with polarization control makes non-polar InGaN QDs highly attractive for quantum cryptography protocols.

  5. Direct generation of linearly polarized single photons with a deterministic axis in quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tong; Puchtler, Tim J.; Patra, Saroj K.; Zhu, Tongtong; Ali, Muhammad; Badcock, Tom J.; Ding, Tao; Oliver, Rachel A.; Schulz, Stefan; Taylor, Robert A.

    2017-07-01

    We report the direct generation of linearly polarized single photons with a deterministic polarization axis in self-assembled quantum dots (QDs), achieved by the use of non-polar InGaN without complex device geometry engineering. Here, we present a comprehensive investigation of the polarization properties of these QDs and their origin with statistically significant experimental data and rigorous k·p modeling. The experimental study of 180 individual QDs allows us to compute an average polarization degree of 0.90, with a standard deviation of only 0.08. When coupled with theoretical insights, we show that these QDs are highly insensitive to size differences, shape anisotropies, and material content variations. Furthermore, 91% of the studied QDs exhibit a polarization axis along the crystal [1-100] axis, with the other 9% polarized orthogonal to this direction. These features give non-polar InGaN QDs unique advantages in polarization control over other materials, such as conventional polar nitride, InAs, or CdSe QDs. Hence, the ability to generate single photons with polarization control makes non-polar InGaN QDs highly attractive for quantum cryptography protocols.

  6. Coherent Transport in a Linear Triple Quantum Dot Made from a Pure-Phase InAs Nanowire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ji-Yin; Huang, Shaoyun; Huang, Guang-Yao; Pan, Dong; Zhao, Jianhua; Xu, H Q

    2017-07-12

    A highly tunable linear triple quantum dot (TQD) device is realized in a single-crystalline pure-phase InAs nanowire using a local finger gate technique. The electrical measurements show that the charge stability diagram of the TQD can be represented by three kinds of current lines of different slopes and a simulation performed based on a capacitance matrix model confirms the experiment. We show that each current line observable in the charge stability diagram is associated with a case where a QD is on resonance with the Fermi level of the source and drain reservoirs. At a triple point where two current lines of different slopes move together but show anticrossing, two QDs are on resonance with the Fermi level of the reservoirs. We demonstrate that an energetically degenerated quadruple point at which all three QDs are on resonance with the Fermi level of the reservoirs can be built by moving two separated triple points together via sophistically tuning of energy levels in the three QDs. We also demonstrate the achievement of direct coherent electron transfer between the two remote QDs in the TQD, realizing a long-distance coherent quantum bus operation. Such a long-distance coherent coupling could be used to investigate coherent spin teleportation and superexchange effects and to construct a spin qubit with an improved long coherent time and with spin state detection solely by sensing the charge states.

  7. Design strategies for self-assembly of discrete targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madge, Jim; Miller, Mark A.

    2015-01-01

    Both biological and artificial self-assembly processes can take place by a range of different schemes, from the successive addition of identical building blocks to hierarchical sequences of intermediates, all the way to the fully addressable limit in which each component is unique. In this paper, we introduce an idealized model of cubic particles with patterned faces that allows self-assembly strategies to be compared and tested. We consider a simple octameric target, starting with the minimal requirements for successful self-assembly and comparing the benefits and limitations of more sophisticated hierarchical and addressable schemes. Simulations are performed using a hybrid dynamical Monte Carlo protocol that allows self-assembling clusters to rearrange internally while still providing Stokes-Einstein-like diffusion of aggregates of different sizes. Our simulations explicitly capture the thermodynamic, dynamic, and steric challenges typically faced by self-assembly processes, including competition between multiple partially completed structures. Self-assembly pathways are extracted from the simulation trajectories by a fully extendable scheme for identifying structural fragments, which are then assembled into history diagrams for successfully completed target structures. For the simple target, a one-component assembly scheme is most efficient and robust overall, but hierarchical and addressable strategies can have an advantage under some conditions if high yield is a priority

  8. The Self-Assembly of Nanogold for Optical Metamaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nidetz, Robert A.

    2011-12-01

    Optical metamaterials are an emerging field that enables manipulation of light like never before. Producing optical metamaterials requires sub-wavelength building blocks. The focus here was to develop methods to produce building blocks for metamaterials from nanogold. Electron-beam lithography was used to define an aminosilane patterned chemical template in order to electrostatically self-assemble citrate-capped gold nanoparticles. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in 20 minutes by immersing chemical templates into gold nanoparticle solutions. The number of nanoparticles that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of the dots and nanoparticles. Adding salt to the nanoparticle solution enabled the nanoparticles to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the nanoparticle solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration which led to aggregation of the nanoparticles and non-specific deposition. Gold nanorods were also electrostatically self-assembled. Polyelectrolyte-coated gold nanorods were patterned with limited success. A polyelectrolyte chemical template also patterned gold nanorods, but the gold nanorods preferred to pattern on the edges of the pattern. Ligand-exchanged gold nanorods displayed the best self-assembly, but suffered from slow kinetics. Self-assembled gold nanoparticles were cross-linked with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride). The poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) allowed additional nanoparticles to pattern on top of the already patterned nanoparticles. Cross-linked nanoparticles were lifted-off of the substrate by sonication in a sodium hydroxide solution. The presence of van der Waals forces and/or amine bonding prevent the nanogold from lifting-off without sonication. A good-solvent evaporation process was used to self-assemble poly(styrene) coated gold nanoparticles into spherical microbead assemblies. The use of larger

  9. Quantum Dots: Theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vukmirovic, Nenad; Wang, Lin-Wang

    2009-11-10

    This review covers the description of the methodologies typically used for the calculation of the electronic structure of self-assembled and colloidal quantum dots. These are illustrated by the results of their application to a selected set of physical effects in quantum dots.

  10. Transmission electron microscopy study of vertical quantum dots molecules grown by droplet epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez-Maldonado, D., E-mail: david.hernandez@uca.es [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I.M. y Q.I., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Herrera, M.; Sales, D.L. [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I.M. y Q.I., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Alonso-Gonzalez, P.; Gonzalez, Y.; Gonzalez, L. [Instituto de Microelectronica de Madrid (CNM-CSIC), Isaac Newton 8 (PTM), 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain); Pizarro, J.; Galindo, P.L. [Departamento de Lenguajes y Sistemas Informaticos, CASEM, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Molina, S.I. [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I.M. y Q.I., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain)

    2010-07-01

    The compositional distribution of InAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs capped InAs quantum dots has been studied in this work. Upper quantum dots are nucleated preferentially on top of the quantum dots underneath, which have been nucleated by droplet epitaxy. The growth process of these nanostructures, which are usually called as quantum dots molecules, has been explained. In order to understand this growth process, the analysis of the strain has been carried out from a 3D model of the nanostructure built from transmission electron microscopy images sensitive to the composition.

  11. Transmission electron microscopy study of vertical quantum dots molecules grown by droplet epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Maldonado, D.; Herrera, M.; Sales, D.L.; Alonso-Gonzalez, P.; Gonzalez, Y.; Gonzalez, L.; Pizarro, J.; Galindo, P.L.; Molina, S.I.

    2010-01-01

    The compositional distribution of InAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs capped InAs quantum dots has been studied in this work. Upper quantum dots are nucleated preferentially on top of the quantum dots underneath, which have been nucleated by droplet epitaxy. The growth process of these nanostructures, which are usually called as quantum dots molecules, has been explained. In order to understand this growth process, the analysis of the strain has been carried out from a 3D model of the nanostructure built from transmission electron microscopy images sensitive to the composition.

  12. Polymorphism of lipid self-assembly systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Hiroshi

    2002-01-01

    When lipid molecules are dispersed into an aqueous medium, various self-organized structures are formed, depending on conditions (temperature, concentration, etc), in consequence of the amphipathic nature of the molecules. In addition, lipid self-assembly systems exhibit polymorphic phase transition behavior. Since lipids are one of main components of biomembranes, studies on the structure and thermodynamic properties of lipid self-assembly systems are fundamentally important for the consideration of the stability of biomembranes. (author)

  13. Magnetoresistance engineering and singlet/triplet switching in InAs nanowire quantum dots with ferromagnetic sidegates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fábián, G.; Makk, P.; Madsen, M. H.; Nygârd, J.; Schönenberger, C.; Baumgartner, A.

    2016-11-01

    We present magnetoresistance (MR) experiments on an InAs nanowire quantum dot device with two ferromagnetic sidegates (FSGs) in a split-gate geometry. The wire segment can be electrically tuned to a single dot or to a double dot regime using the FSGs and a backgate. In both regimes we find a strong MR and a sharp MR switching of up to 25% at the field at which the magnetizations of the FSGs are inverted by the external field. The sign and amplitude of the MR and the MR switching can both be tuned electrically by the FSGs. In a double dot regime close to pinch-off we find two sharp transitions in the conductance, reminiscent of tunneling MR (TMR) between two ferromagnetic contacts, with one transition near zero and one at the FSG switching fields. These surprisingly rich characteristics we explain in several simple resonant tunneling models. For example, the TMR-like MR can be understood as a stray-field controlled transitions between singlet and triplet double dot states. Such local magnetic fields are the key elements in various proposals to engineer novel states of matter and may be used for testing electron spin based Bell inequalities.

  14. Quantum optics with quantum dots in photonic nanowires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Claudon, Julien; Munsch, Matthieu; Bleuse, Joel

    2012-01-01

    Besides microcavities and photonic crystals, photonic nanowires have recently emerged as a novel resource for solidstate quantum optics. We will review recent studies which demonstrate an excellent control over the spontaneous emission of InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in single-mode Ga...... quantum optoelectronic devices. Quite amazingly, this approach has for instance permitted (unlike microcavity-based approaches) to combine for the first time a record-high efficiency (72%) and a negligible g(2) in a QD single photon source....

  15. Toward a molecular programming language for algorithmic self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patitz, Matthew John

    Self-assembly is the process whereby relatively simple components autonomously combine to form more complex objects. Nature exhibits self-assembly to form everything from microscopic crystals to living cells to galaxies. With a desire to both form increasingly sophisticated products and to understand the basic components of living systems, scientists have developed and studied artificial self-assembling systems. One such framework is the Tile Assembly Model introduced by Erik Winfree in 1998. In this model, simple two-dimensional square 'tiles' are designed so that they self-assemble into desired shapes. The work in this thesis consists of a series of results which build toward the future goal of designing an abstracted, high-level programming language for designing the molecular components of self-assembling systems which can perform powerful computations and form into intricate structures. The first two sets of results demonstrate self-assembling systems which perform infinite series of computations that characterize computably enumerable and decidable languages, and exhibit tools for algorithmically generating the necessary sets of tiles. In the next chapter, methods for generating tile sets which self-assemble into complicated shapes, namely a class of discrete self-similar fractal structures, are presented. Next, a software package for graphically designing tile sets, simulating their self-assembly, and debugging designed systems is discussed. Finally, a high-level programming language which abstracts much of the complexity and tedium of designing such systems, while preventing many of the common errors, is presented. The summation of this body of work presents a broad coverage of the spectrum of desired outputs from artificial self-assembling systems and a progression in the sophistication of tools used to design them. By creating a broader and deeper set of modular tools for designing self-assembling systems, we hope to increase the complexity which is

  16. A CE-FL based method for real-time detection of in-capillary self-assembly of the nanoconjugates of polycysteine ligand and quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianhao; Zhu, Zhilan; Qiu, Lin; Wang, Jianpeng; Wang, Xiang; Xiao, Qicai; Xia, Jiang; Liu, Li; Liu, Xiaoqian; Feng, Wei; Wang, Jinmei; Miao, Peng; Gao, Liqian

    2018-07-06

    Small molecules with free thiol groups always show high binding affinity to quantum dots (QDs). However, it is still highly challenging to detect the binding capacity between thiol-containing molecules and QDs inside a capillary. To conquer this limitation, a capillary electrophoresis with fluorescence detection (CE-FL) based assay was proposed and established to investigate the binding capacity between QDs and a poly-thiolated peptide (ATTO 590-DDSSGGCCPGCC, ATTO-C4). Interestingly, the results showed that interval time had a great influence on QDs and ATTO-C4 self-assembly, which can be attributed to longer interval time benefitting the binding of QDs to ATTO-C4. The stability assays on ATTO-C4-QD assembly indicated that high concentration of imidazole or GSH had a high capability of competing with the bound ATTO-C4, evidenced by dramatically dropping of S 625 /S 565 ratio from 0.78 to 0.30 or 0.29. Therefore, all these results above suggested that this novel CE-FL based detection assay could be successfully applied to the binding studies between QDs and thiol-containing biomolecules.

  17. Equation of State for Phospholipid Self-Assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marsh, Derek

    2016-01-01

    Phospholipid self-assembly is the basis of biomembrane stability. The entropy of transfer from water to self-assembled micelles of lysophosphatidylcholines and diacyl phosphatidylcholines with different chain lengths converges to a common value at a temperature of 44°C. The corresponding enthalpies...... of transfer converge at ∼-18°C. An equation of state for the free energy of self-assembly formulated from this thermodynamic data depends on the heat capacity of transfer as the sole parameter needed to specify a particular lipid. For lipids lacking calorimetric data, measurement of the critical micelle...

  18. Hierarchical self-assembly of a bow-shaped molecule bearing self-complementary hydrogen bonding sites into extended supramolecular assemblies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Masato; Nobori, Tadahito; Schmutz, Marc; Lehn, Jean-Marie

    2005-01-07

    The bow-shaped molecule 1 bearing a self-complementary DAAD-ADDA (D=donor A=acceptor) hydrogen-bonding array generates, in hydrocarbon solvents, highly ordered supramolecular sheet aggregates that subsequently give rise to gels by formation of an entangled network. The process of hierarchical self-assembly of compound 1 was investigated by the concentration and temperature dependence of UV-visible and (1)H NMR spectra, fluorescence spectra, and electron microscopy data. The temperature dependence of the UV-visible spectra indicates a highly cooperative process for the self-assembly of compound 1 in decaline. The electron micrograph of the decaline solution of compound 1 (1.0 mM) revealed supramolecular sheet aggregates forming an entangled network. The selected area electronic diffraction patterns of the supramolecular sheet aggregates were typical for single crystals, indicative of a highly ordered assembly. The results exemplify the generation, by hierarchical self-assembly, of highly organized supramolecular materials presenting novel collective properties at each level of organization.

  19. Electrical characterization of InAs thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Botha, L.; Shamba, P.; Botha, J.R. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa)

    2008-07-01

    It is known that parallel conduction as a result of surface and /or interface charge accumulation significantly shields the bulk electrical properties of InAs thin films when characterized using Hall measurements. This parallel conduction in InAs can be modeled by using the two-layer model of Nedoluha and Koch [Zeitschrift fuer Physik 132, 608 (1952)]; where an InAs epilayer is treated as consisting of two conductors connected in parallel viz. a bulk and a surface layer. Here, this two-layer model is used to simulate Hall coefficient and conductivity data of InAs thin films ranging from strongly n-doped (n=10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}) to strongly p-doped (p{proportional_to}10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}) material. Conventional Hall approximations, i.e. those that assume uniform conduction from a single band, are then used to predict the apparent carrier concentration and mobility that will be determined from conventional Hall measurements, with the aim of illustrating the error of such a simplified analysis of InAs Hall data. Results show that, in addition to ignoring parallel conduction, the approximations of conventional Hall data analysis have a further inadequacy for p-type InAs, in that the high electron to hole mobility ratio in InAs is not taken into account. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Electrical characterization of InAs thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Botha, L.; Shamba, P.; Botha, J.R.

    2008-01-01

    It is known that parallel conduction as a result of surface and /or interface charge accumulation significantly shields the bulk electrical properties of InAs thin films when characterized using Hall measurements. This parallel conduction in InAs can be modeled by using the two-layer model of Nedoluha and Koch [Zeitschrift fuer Physik 132, 608 (1952)]; where an InAs epilayer is treated as consisting of two conductors connected in parallel viz. a bulk and a surface layer. Here, this two-layer model is used to simulate Hall coefficient and conductivity data of InAs thin films ranging from strongly n-doped (n=10 18 cm -3 ) to strongly p-doped (p∝10 19 cm -3 ) material. Conventional Hall approximations, i.e. those that assume uniform conduction from a single band, are then used to predict the apparent carrier concentration and mobility that will be determined from conventional Hall measurements, with the aim of illustrating the error of such a simplified analysis of InAs Hall data. Results show that, in addition to ignoring parallel conduction, the approximations of conventional Hall data analysis have a further inadequacy for p-type InAs, in that the high electron to hole mobility ratio in InAs is not taken into account. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  1. Hydrazine-mediated construction of nanocrystal self-assembly materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ding; Liu, Min; Lin, Min; Bu, Xinyuan; Luo, Xintao; Zhang, Hao; Yang, Bai

    2014-10-28

    Self-assembly is the basic feature of supramolecular chemistry, which permits to integrate and enhance the functionalities of nano-objects. However, the conversion of self-assembled structures to practical materials is still laborious. In this work, on the basis of studying one-pot synthesis, spontaneous assembly, and in situ polymerization of aqueous semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), NC self-assembly materials are produced and applied to design high performance white light-emitting diode (WLED). In producing self-assembly materials, the additive hydrazine (N2H4) is curial, which acts as the promoter to achieve room-temperature synthesis of aqueous NCs by favoring a reaction-controlled growth, as the polyelectrolyte to weaken inter-NC electrostatic repulsion and therewith facilitate the one-dimensional self-assembly, and in particular as the bifunctional monomers to polymerize with mercapto carboxylic acid-modified NCs via in situ amidation reaction. This strategy is versatile for mercapto carboxylic acid-modified aqueous NCs, for example CdS, CdSe, CdTe, CdSe(x)Te(1-x), and Cd(y)Hg(1-y)Te. Because of the multisite modification with carboxyl, the NCs act as macromonomers, thus producing cross-linked self-assembly materials with excellent thermal, solvent, and photostability. The assembled NCs preserve strong luminescence and avoid unpredictable fluorescent resonance energy transfer, the main problem in design WLED from multiple NC components. These advantages allow the fabrication of NC-based WLED with high color rendering index (86), high luminous efficacy (41 lm/W), and controllable color temperature.

  2. Colloidal Self-Assembly Driven by Deformability & Near-Critical Phenomena

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Evers, C.H.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/338775188

    2016-01-01

    Self-assembly is the spontaneous formation of patterns or structures without human intervention. This thesis aims to increase our understanding of self-assembly. In self-assembly of proteins, the building blocks are very small and complex. Consequently, grasping the basic principles that drive the

  3. Photovoltaic Performance of a Nanowire/Quantum Dot Hybrid Nanostructure Array Solar Cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yao; Yan, Xin; Zhang, Xia; Ren, Xiaomin

    2018-02-23

    An innovative solar cell based on a nanowire/quantum dot hybrid nanostructure array is designed and analyzed. By growing multilayer InAs quantum dots on the sidewalls of GaAs nanowires, not only the absorption spectrum of GaAs nanowires is extended by quantum dots but also the light absorption of quantum dots is dramatically enhanced due to the light-trapping effect of the nanowire array. By incorporating five layers of InAs quantum dots into a 500-nm high-GaAs nanowire array, the power conversion efficiency enhancement induced by the quantum dots is six times higher than the power conversion efficiency enhancement in thin-film solar cells which contain the same amount of quantum dots, indicating that the nanowire array structure can benefit the photovoltaic performance of quantum dot solar cells.

  4. Effect of ligand self-assembly on nanostructure and carrier transport behaviour in CdSe quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Kuiying, E-mail: kuiyingli@ysu.edu.cn; Xue, Zhenjie

    2014-11-14

    Adjustment of the nanostructure and carrier behaviour of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) by varying the ligands used during QD synthesis enables the design of specific quantum devices via a self-assembly process of the QD core–shell structure without additional technologies. Surface photovoltaic (SPV) technology supplemented by X-ray diffractometry and infrared absorption spectroscopy were used to probe the characteristics of these QDs. Our study reveals that while CdSe QDs synthesized in the presence of and capped by thioglycolic acid, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, mercaptoethanol or α-thioglycerol ligands display zinc blende nanocrystalline structures, CdSe QDs modified by L-cysteine possess wurtzite nanocrystalline structures, because different end groups in these ligands induce distinctive nucleation and growth mechanisms. Carboxyl end groups in the ligand served to increase the SPV response of the QDs, when illuminated by hν ≥ E{sub g,nano-CdSe}. Increased length of the alkyl chains and side-chain radicals in the ligands partially inhibit photo-generated free charge carrier (FCC) transfer transitions of CdSe QDs illuminated by photon energy of 4.13 to 2.14 eV. The terminal hydroxyl group might better accommodate energy released in the non-radiative de-excitation process of photo-generated FCCs in the ligand's lowest unoccupied molecular orbital in the 300–580 nm wavelength region, when compared with other ligand end groups. - Highlights: • CdSe QDs modified by L-cysteine possess wurtzite nanocrystalline structures. • Carboxyl end groups in the ligand serve to increase the SPV response of CdSe QDs. • Terminal hydroxyl group in the ligand might accommodate non-radiative de-excitation process in CdSe QDs. • Increased length of the alkyl chains and side-chain radicals in the ligands partially inhibit carriers transport of CdSe QDs.

  5. Opto-electronic and quantum transport properties of semiconductor nanostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sabathil, M.

    2005-01-01

    In this work a novel and efficient method for the calculation of the ballistic transport properties of open semiconductor nanostructures connected to external reservoirs is presented. It is based on the Green's function formalism and reduces the effort to obtain the transmission and the carrier density to a single solution of a hermitian eigenvalue problem with dimensions proportional to the size of the decoupled device and the multiple inversion of a small matrix with dimensions proportional to the size of the contacts to the leads. Using this method, the 4-band GaAs hole transport through a 2-dimensional three-terminal T-junction device, and the resonant tunneling current through a 3-dimensional InAs quantum dot molecule embedded into an InP heterostructure have been calculated. The further extension of the method into a charge self-consistent scheme enables the efficient prediction of the IV-characteristics of highly doped nanoscale field effect transistors in the ballistic regime, including the influence of quasi bound states and the exchange-correlation interaction. Buettiker probes are used to emulate the effect of inelastic scattering on the current for simple 1D devices, systematically analyzing the dependence of the density of states and the resulting self-consistent potential on the scattering strength. The second major topic of this work is the modeling of the optical response of quantum confined neutral and charged excitons in single and coupled self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots. For this purpose the existing device simulator nextnano{sup 3} has been extended to incorporate particle-particle interactions within the means of density functional theory in local density approximation. In this way the exciton transition energies for neutral and charged excitons as a function of an externally applied electric field have been calculated, revealing a systematic reduction of the intrinsic dipole with the addition of extra holes to the exciton, a finding

  6. Quantifying quality in DNA self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagenbauer, Klaus F.; Wachauf, Christian H.; Dietz, Hendrik

    2014-01-01

    Molecular self-assembly with DNA is an attractive route for building nanoscale devices. The development of sophisticated and precise objects with this technique requires detailed experimental feedback on the structure and composition of assembled objects. Here we report a sensitive assay for the quality of assembly. The method relies on measuring the content of unpaired DNA bases in self-assembled DNA objects using a fluorescent de-Bruijn probe for three-base ‘codons’, which enables a comparison with the designed content of unpaired DNA. We use the assay to measure the quality of assembly of several multilayer DNA origami objects and illustrate the use of the assay for the rational refinement of assembly protocols. Our data suggests that large and complex objects like multilayer DNA origami can be made with high strand integration quality up to 99%. Beyond DNA nanotechnology, we speculate that the ability to discriminate unpaired from paired nucleic acids in the same macromolecule may also be useful for analysing cellular nucleic acids. PMID:24751596

  7. Self assembly of organic nanostructures and dielectrophoretic assembly of inorganic nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dholakia, Geetha; Kuo, Steven; Allen, E. L.

    2007-03-01

    Self assembly techniques enable the organization of organic molecules into nanostructures. Currently engineering strategies for efficient assembly and routine integration of inorganic nanoscale objects into functional devices is very limited. AC Dielectrophoresis is an efficient technique to manipulate inorganic nanomaterials into higher dimensional structures. We used an alumina template based sol-gel synthesis method for the growth of various metal oxide nanowires with typical diameters of 100-150 nm, ranging in length from 3-10 μm. Here we report the dielectrophoretic assembly of TiO2 nanowires, an important material for photocatalysis and photovoltaics, onto interdigitated devices. Self assembly in organic nanostructures and its dependence on structure and stereochemistry of the molecule and dielectrophoretic field dependence in the assembly of inorganic nanowires will be compared and contrasted. Tunneling spectroscopy and DOS of these nanoscale systems will also be discussed.

  8. Centrioles: Some Self-Assembly Required

    OpenAIRE

    Song, Mi Hye; Miliaras, Nicholas B.; Peel, Nina; O'Connell, Kevin F.

    2008-01-01

    Centrioles play an important role in organizing microtubules and are precisely duplicated once per cell cycle. New (daughter) centrioles typically arise in association with existing (mother) centrioles (canonical assembly), suggesting that mother centrioles direct the formation of daughter centrioles. However, under certain circumstances, centrioles can also self-assemble free of an existing centriole (de novo assembly). Recent work indicates that the canonical and de novo pathways utilize a ...

  9. Self-assembly of active amphiphilic Janus particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallory, S. A.; Alarcon, F.; Cacciuto, A.; Valeriani, C.

    2017-12-01

    In this article, we study the phenomenology of a two dimensional dilute suspension of active amphiphilic Janus particles. We analyze how the morphology of the aggregates emerging from their self-assembly depends on the strength and the direction of the active forces. We systematically explore and contrast the phenomenologies resulting from particles with a range of attractive patch coverages. Finally, we illustrate how the geometry of the colloids and the directionality of their interactions can be used to control the physical properties of the assembled active aggregates and suggest possible strategies to exploit self-propulsion as a tunable driving force for self-assembly.

  10. Quantum Theories of Self-Localization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernstein, Lisa Joan

    In the classical dynamics of coupled oscillator systems, nonlinearity leads to the existence of stable solutions in which energy remains localized for all time. Here the quantum-mechanical counterpart of classical self-localization is investigated in the context of two model systems. For these quantum models, the terms corresponding to classical nonlinearities modify a subset of the stationary quantum states to be particularly suited to the creation of nonstationary wavepackets that localize energy for long times. The first model considered here is the Quantized Discrete Self-Trapping model (QDST), a system of anharmonic oscillators with linear dispersive coupling used to model local modes of vibration in polyatomic molecules. A simple formula is derived for a particular symmetry class of QDST systems which gives an analytic connection between quantum self-localization and classical local modes. This formula is also shown to be useful in the interpretation of the vibrational spectra of some molecules. The second model studied is the Frohlich/Einstein Dimer (FED), a two-site system of anharmonically coupled oscillators based on the Frohlich Hamiltonian and motivated by the theory of Davydov solitons in biological protein. The Born-Oppenheimer perturbation method is used to obtain approximate stationary state wavefunctions with error estimates for the FED at the first excited level. A second approach is used to reduce the first excited level FED eigenvalue problem to a system of ordinary differential equations. A simple theory of low-energy self-localization in the FED is discussed. The quantum theories of self-localization in the intrinsic QDST model and the extrinsic FED model are compared.

  11. The self-assembly of monodisperse nanospheres within microtubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Yuebing; Juluri, Bala Krishna; Huang, Tony Jun

    2007-01-01

    Self-assembled monodisperse nanospheres within microtubes have been fabricated and characterized. In comparison with colloidal crystals formed on planar substrates, colloidal nanocrystals self-assembled in microtubes demonstrate high spatial symmetry in their optical transmission and reflection properties. The dynamic self-assembly process inside microtubes is investigated by combining temporal- and spatial-spectrophotometric measurements. The understanding of this process is achieved through both experimentally recorded reflection spectra and finite difference time domain (FDTD)-based simulation results

  12. Short-range order structures of self-assembled Ge quantum dots probed by multiple-scattering extended x-ray absorption fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Zhihu; Wei Shiqiang; Kolobov, A.V.; Oyanagi, H.; Brunner, K.

    2005-01-01

    Multiple-scattering extended x-ray absorption fine structure (MS-EXAFS) has been used to investigate the local structures around Ge atoms in self-assembled Ge-Si quantum dots (QDs) grown on Si(001) substrate. The MS effect of Ge QDs is dominated by the scattering path Ge 0 →B 1 →B 2 →Ge 0 (DS2), which contributes a signal destructively interfering with that of the second shell single-scattering path (SS2). MS-EXAFS analysis reveals that the degree of Ge-Si intermixing for Ge-Si QDs strongly depends on the temperature at which the silicon cap layer is overgrown. It is found that the interatomic distances (R Ge-Ge and R Ge-Si ) within the third nearest-neighbor shells in Ge-Si QDs indicate the compressively strained nature of QDs. The present study demonstrates that the MS-EXAFS provides detailed information on the QDs strain and the Ge-Si mixing beyond the nearest neighbors

  13. Quantitative computational models of molecular self-assembly in systems biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marcus; Schwartz, Russell

    2017-05-23

    Molecular self-assembly is the dominant form of chemical reaction in living systems, yet efforts at systems biology modeling are only beginning to appreciate the need for and challenges to accurate quantitative modeling of self-assembly. Self-assembly reactions are essential to nearly every important process in cell and molecular biology and handling them is thus a necessary step in building comprehensive models of complex cellular systems. They present exceptional challenges, however, to standard methods for simulating complex systems. While the general systems biology world is just beginning to deal with these challenges, there is an extensive literature dealing with them for more specialized self-assembly modeling. This review will examine the challenges of self-assembly modeling, nascent efforts to deal with these challenges in the systems modeling community, and some of the solutions offered in prior work on self-assembly specifically. The review concludes with some consideration of the likely role of self-assembly in the future of complex biological system models more generally.

  14. Gain-dependent linewidth enhancement factor in the quantum dot structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kyoung Chan; Han, Il Ki; Lee, Jung Il [Nano Device Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: hikoel@kist.re.kr, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.kr [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-04-02

    We measured the linewidth enhancement factor ({alpha} factor) of InAs quantum dot (QD) laser diodes (LDs) with two different QD structures. One is a normal QD LD with the same energy bandgap for each active QD layer, while the other is chirped with different energy bandgaps. The differential gain of the chirped InAs QD LDs is found to be about five times smaller than that of normal InAs QD LDs, whereas no overall wavelength shift with injection currents is observed in both QD LDs. The {alpha} factor is approximately five times higher in the chirped InAs QD LDs than in the normal InAs QD LDs. This relatively large {alpha} factor in the chirped InAs QD LDs is attributed to the asymmetrical, wide inhomogeneous gain profile.

  15. Centrioles: some self-assembly required.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Mi Hye; Miliaras, Nicholas B; Peel, Nina; O'Connell, Kevin F

    2008-12-01

    Centrioles play an important role in organizing microtubules and are precisely duplicated once per cell cycle. New (daughter) centrioles typically arise in association with existing (mother) centrioles (canonical assembly), suggesting that mother centrioles direct the formation of daughter centrioles. However, under certain circumstances, centrioles can also selfassemble free of an existing centriole (de novo assembly). Recent work indicates that the canonical and de novo pathways utilize a common mechanism and that a mother centriole spatially constrains the self-assembly process to occur within its immediate vicinity. Other recently identified mechanisms further regulate canonical assembly so that during each cell cycle, one and only one daughter centriole is assembled per mother centriole.

  16. DNAzyme-Based Logic Gate-Mediated DNA Self-Assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cheng; Yang, Jing; Jiang, Shuoxing; Liu, Yan; Yan, Hao

    2016-01-13

    Controlling DNA self-assembly processes using rationally designed logic gates is a major goal of DNA-based nanotechnology and programming. Such controls could facilitate the hierarchical engineering of complex nanopatterns responding to various molecular triggers or inputs. Here, we demonstrate the use of a series of DNAzyme-based logic gates to control DNA tile self-assembly onto a prescribed DNA origami frame. Logic systems such as "YES," "OR," "AND," and "logic switch" are implemented based on DNAzyme-mediated tile recognition with the DNA origami frame. DNAzyme is designed to play two roles: (1) as an intermediate messenger to motivate downstream reactions and (2) as a final trigger to report fluorescent signals, enabling information relay between the DNA origami-framed tile assembly and fluorescent signaling. The results of this study demonstrate the plausibility of DNAzyme-mediated hierarchical self-assembly and provide new tools for generating dynamic and responsive self-assembly systems.

  17. Freezing-induced self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albouy, P. A.; Deville, S.; Fulkar, A.; Hakouk, K.; Impéror-Clerc, M.; Klotz, M.; Liu, Q.; Marcellini, M.; Perez, J.

    The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules usually takes place in a liquid phase, near room temperature. Here, using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments performed in real time, we show that freezing of aqueous solutions of copolymer amphiphilic molecules can induce self-assembly below 0{\\deg}C.

  18. Quantum Nanostructures by Droplet Epitaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Somsak Panyakeow

    2009-01-01

    Droplet epitaxy is an alternative growth technique for several quantum nanostructures. Indium droplets are distributed randomly on GaAs substrates at low temperatures (120-350'C). Under background pressure of group V elements, Arsenic and Phosphorous, InAs and InP nanostructures are created. Quantum rings with isotropic shape are obtained at low temperature range. When the growth thickness is increased, quantum rings are transformed to quantum dot rings. At high temperature range, anisotropic...

  19. Oxide nanostructures through self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, S.; Ogale, S. B.; Ganpule, C. S.; Shinde, S. R.; Novikov, V. A.; Monga, A. P.; Burr, M. R.; Ramesh, R.; Ballarotto, V.; Williams, E. D.

    2001-03-01

    A prominent theme in inorganic materials research is the creation of uniformly flat thin films and heterostructures over large wafers, which can subsequently be lithographically processed into functional devices. This letter proposes an approach that will lead to thin film topographies that are directly counter to the above-mentioned philosophy. Recent years have witnessed considerable research activity in the area of self-assembly of materials, stimulated by observations of self-organized behavior in biological systems. We have fabricated uniform arrays of nonplanar surface features by a spontaneous assembly process involving the oxidation of simple metals, especially under constrained conditions on a variety of substrates, including glass and Si. In this letter we demonstrate the pervasiveness of this process through examples involving the oxidation of Pd, Cu, Fe, and In. The feature sizes can be controlled through the grain size and thickness of the starting metal thin film. Finally, we demonstrate how such submicron scale arrays can serve as templates for the design and development of self-assembled, nanoelectronic devices.

  20. Dynamics of self-assembled cytosine nucleobases on graphene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saikia, Nabanita; Johnson, Floyd; Waters, Kevin; Pandey, Ravindra

    2018-05-01

    Molecular self-assembly of cytosine (C n ) bases on graphene was investigated using molecular dynamics methods. For free-standing C n bases, simulation conditions (gas versus aqueous) determine the nature of self-assembly; the bases prefer to aggregate in the gas phase and are stabilized by intermolecular H-bonds, while in the aqueous phase, the water molecules disrupt base-base interactions, which facilitate the formation of π-stacked domains. The substrate-induced effects, on the other hand, find the polarity and donor-acceptor sites of the bases to govern the assembly process. For example, in the gas phase, the assembly of C n bases on graphene displays short-range ordered linear arrays stabilized by the intermolecular H-bonds. In the aqueous phase, however, there are two distinct configurations for the C n bases assembly on graphene. For the first case corresponding to low surface coverage, the bases are dispersed on graphene and are isolated. The second configuration archetype is disordered linear arrays assembled with medium and high surface coverage. The simulation results establish the role of H-bonding, vdW π-stacking, and the influence of graphene surface towards the self-assembly. The ability to regulate the assembly into well-defined patterns can aid in the design of self-assembled nanostructures for the next-generation DNA based biosensors and nanoelectronic devices.

  1. Self-Assembly in the Ferritin Nano-Cage Protein Superfamily

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Zhang

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Protein self-assembly, through specific, high affinity, and geometrically constraining protein-protein interactions, can control and lead to complex cellular nano-structures. Establishing an understanding of the underlying principles that govern protein self-assembly is not only essential to appreciate the fundamental biological functions of these structures, but could also provide a basis for their enhancement for nano-material applications. The ferritins are a superfamily of well studied proteins that self-assemble into hollow cage-like structures which are ubiquitously found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Structural studies have revealed that many members of the ferritin family can self-assemble into nano-cages of two types. Maxi-ferritins form hollow spheres with octahedral symmetry composed of twenty-four monomers. Mini-ferritins, on the other hand, are tetrahedrally symmetric, hollow assemblies composed of twelve monomers. This review will focus on the structure of members of the ferritin superfamily, the mechanism of ferritin self-assembly and the structure-function relations of these proteins.

  2. Ultrafine luminescent structures through nanoparticle self-assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prabhakaran, K; Goetzinger, S; Shafi, K V P M; Mazzei, A; Schietinger, S; Benson, O

    2006-01-01

    We report the fabrication of ultrafine structures consisting of regular arrays of nanoemitters through the self-assembly of luminescent nanoparticles on a silicon wafer. Nanoparticles of yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) doped with Eu 3+ ions were synthesized by a sonochemical technique. These particles, suspended in ethanol, are introduced onto a pre-patterned silicon wafer, covered with a thin oxide layer. On annealing the sample in an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber, the nanoparticles self-assemble along the pattern. We demonstrate this 'chemical lithography' by assembling the nanoparticles along a variety of patterns. We believe that such self-organized nanopatterning of functional structures is important for the realization of nanodevices

  3. Regulating DNA Self-assembly by DNA-Surface Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Longfei; Li, Yulin; Wang, Yong; Zheng, Jianwei; Mao, Chengde

    2017-12-14

    DNA self-assembly provides a powerful approach for preparation of nanostructures. It is often studied in bulk solution and involves only DNA-DNA interactions. When confined to surfaces, DNA-surface interactions become an additional, important factor to DNA self-assembly. However, the way in which DNA-surface interactions influence DNA self-assembly is not well studied. In this study, we showed that weak DNA-DNA interactions could be stabilized by DNA-surface interactions to allow large DNA nanostructures to form. In addition, the assembly can be conducted isothermally at room temperature in as little as 5 seconds. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. The quantum Hall effect in quantum dot systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beltukov, Y M; Greshnov, A A

    2014-01-01

    It is proposed to use quantum dots in order to increase the temperatures suitable for observation of the integer quantum Hall effect. A simple estimation using Fock-Darwin spectrum of a quantum dot shows that good part of carriers localized in quantum dots generate the intervals of plateaus robust against elevated temperatures. Numerical calculations employing local trigonometric basis and highly efficient kernel polynomial method adopted for computing the Hall conductivity reveal that quantum dots may enhance peak temperature for the effect by an order of magnitude, possibly above 77 K. Requirements to potentials, quality and arrangement of the quantum dots essential for practical realization of such enhancement are indicated. Comparison of our theoretical results with the quantum Hall measurements in InAs quantum dot systems from two experimental groups is also given

  5. Quantum Dot Photonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinnischtzke, Laura A.

    We report on several experiments using single excitons confined to single semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Electric and magnetic fields have previously been used as experimental knobs to understand and control individual excitons in single quantum dots. We realize new ways of electric field control by changing materials and device geometry in the first two experiments with strain-based InAs QDs. A standard Schottky diode heterostructure is demonstrated with graphene as the Schottky gate material, and its performance is bench-marked against a diode with a standard gate material, semi-transparent nickel-chromium (NiCr). This change of materials increases the photon collection rate by eliminating absorption in the metallic NiCr layer. A second set of experiments investigates the electric field response of QDs as a possible metrology source. A linear voltage potential drop in a plane near the QDs is used to describe how the spatially varying voltage profile is also imparted on the QDs. We demonstrate a procedure to map this voltage profile as a preliminary route towards a full quantum sensor array. Lastly, InAs QDs are explored as potential spin-photon interfaces. We describe how a magnetic field is used to realize a reversible exchange of information between light and matter, including a discussion of the polarization-dependence of the photoluminesence, and how that can be linked to the spin of a resident electron or hole. We present evidence of this in two wavelength regimes for InAs quantum dots, and discuss how an external magnetic field informs the spin physics of these 2-level systems. This thesis concludes with the discovery of a new class of quantum dots. As-yet unidentified defect states in single layer tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) are shown to host quantum light emission. We explore the spatial extent of electron confinement and tentatively identify a radiative lifetime of 1 ns for these single photon emitters.

  6. Preparation and self-assembly of amphiphilic polylysine dendrons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mirsharghi, Sahar; Knudsen, Kenneth D.; Bagherifam, Shahla

    2016-01-01

    Polylysine dendrons with lipid tails prepared by divergent solid-phase synthesis showed self-assembling properties in aqueous solutions., Herein, we present the synthesis of new amphiphilic polylysine dendrons with variable alkyl chain lengths (C1–C18) at the C-terminal. The dendrons were...... synthesized in moderate to quantitative yields by divergent solid-phase synthesis (SPS) employing an aldehyde linker. The self-assembling properties of the dendrons in aqueous solutions were studied by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The self-assembling properties...... were influenced by the length of the alkyl chain and the generation number (Gn). Increasing the temperature and concentration did not have significant impact on the hydrodynamic diameter, but the self-assembling properties were influenced by the pH value. This demonstrated the need for positively...

  7. Self-assembly of coiled coil peptides into nanoparticles vs 2-d plates: effects of assembly pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyunghee; Pochan, Darrin

    Molecular solution assembly, or self-assembly, is a process by which ordered nanostructures or patterns are formed by non-covalent interactions during assembly. Biomimicry, the use of bioinspired molecules or biologically relevant materials, is an important area of self-assembly research with peptides serving a critical role as molecular tools. The morphology of peptide assemblies can be controlled by adjusting solution conditions such as the concentration of peptides, the temperature, and pH. Herein, spherical nanostructures, which have potential for creating an encapsulation system, are formed by self-assembly when coiled coil peptides are combined in solution. These peptides are homotrimeric and heterodimeric coiled-coil bundles and the homotrimer is connected with each of heterodimer through their external surfaces via disulfide bonds. The resultant covalent constructs could co-assemble into complementary trimeric hubs, respectively. The two peptide constructs are directly mixed and assembled in solution in order to produce either spherical particles or 2-d plates depending on the solution conditions and kinetic pathway of assembly. In particular, structural changes of the self-assembled peptides are explored by control of the thermal history of the assembly solution.

  8. Cooperative effects of fibronectin matrix assembly and initial cell-substrate adhesion strength in cellular self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, James R; Hocking, Denise C

    2016-03-01

    The cell-dependent polymerization of intercellular fibronectin fibrils can stimulate cells to self-assemble into multicellular structures. The local physical cues that support fibronectin-mediated cellular self-assembly are largely unknown. Here, fibronectin matrix analogs were used as synthetic adhesive substrates to model cell-matrix fibronectin fibrils having different integrin-binding specificity, affinity, and/or density. We utilized this model to quantitatively assess the relationship between adhesive forces derived from cell-substrate interactions and the ability of fibronectin fibril assembly to induce cellular self-assembly. Results indicate that the strength of initial, rather than mature, cell-substrate attachments correlates with the ability of substrates to support fibronectin-mediated cellular self-assembly. The cellular response to soluble fibronectin was bimodal and independent of the integrin-binding specificity of the substrate; increasing soluble fibronectin levels above a critical threshold increased aggregate cohesion on permissive substrates. Once aggregates formed, continuous fibronectin polymerization was necessary to maintain cohesion. During self-assembly, soluble fibronectin decreased cell-substrate adhesion strength and induced aggregate cohesion via a Rho-dependent mechanism, suggesting that the balance of contractile forces derived from fibronectin fibrils within cell-cell versus cell-substrate adhesions controls self-assembly and aggregate cohesion. Thus, initial cell-substrate attachment strength may provide a quantitative basis with which to build predictive models of fibronectin-mediated microtissue fabrication on a variety of substrates. Cellular self-assembly is a process by which cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins spontaneously organize into three-dimensional (3D) tissues in the absence of external forces. Cellular self-assembly can be initiated in vitro, and represents a potential tool for tissue engineers to

  9. The quantum self-eraser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez-Linares, Jesus; Vargas-Medina, Julio

    2004-01-01

    A scheme for an atomic beam quantum self-eraser is presented. The proposal is based on time reversal invariance on a quantum optical Ramsey fringe experiment, where a realization of complementarity for atomic coherence can be achieved. It consists of two high-finesse resonators that are pumped and probed by the same atom. This property relates quantum erasing to time reversal symmetry, allowing for a full quantum erasing of the which-way information stored in the cavity fields. The outlined scheme also prepares and observes a non-local state in the fields of the resonators: a coherent superposition between correlated states of macroscopically separated quantum systems. The proposed scheme emphasizes the role of entanglement swapping in delayed-choice experiments

  10. Self-assembling segmented coiled tubing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raymond, David W.

    2016-09-27

    Self-assembling segmented coiled tubing is a concept that allows the strength of thick-wall rigid pipe, and the flexibility of thin-wall tubing, to be realized in a single design. The primary use is for a drillstring tubular, but it has potential for other applications requiring transmission of mechanical loads (forces and torques) through an initially coiled tubular. The concept uses a spring-loaded spherical `ball-and-socket` type joint to interconnect two or more short, rigid segments of pipe. Use of an optional snap ring allows the joint to be permanently made, in a `self-assembling` manner.

  11. A quantum CISC compiler and scalable assembler for quantum computing on large systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulte-Herbrueggen, Thomas; Spoerl, Andreas; Glaser, Steffen [Dept. Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85747 Garching (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Using the cutting edge high-speed parallel cluster HLRB-II (with a total LINPACK performance of 63.3 TFlops/s) we present a quantum CISC compiler into time-optimised or decoherence-protected complex instruction sets. They comprise effective multi-qubit interactions with up to 10 qubits. We show how to assemble these medium-sized CISC-modules in a scalable way for quantum computation on large systems. Extending the toolbox of universal gates by optimised complex multi-qubit instruction sets paves the way to fight decoherence in realistic Markovian and non-Markovian settings. The advantage of quantum CISC compilation over standard RISC compilations into one- and two-qubit universal gates is demonstrated inter alia for the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) and for multiply-controlled NOT gates. The speed-up is up to factor of six thus giving significantly better performance under decoherence. - Implications for upper limits to time complexities are also derived.

  12. Periodic Scarred States in Open Quantum Dots as Evidence of Quantum Darwinism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, A. M.; Akis, R.; Day, T. E.; Speyer, Gil; Ferry, D. K.; Bennett, B. R.

    2010-04-01

    Scanning gate microscopy (SGM) is used to image scar structures in an open quantum dot, which is created in an InAs quantum well by electron-beam lithography and wet etching. The scanned images demonstrate periodicities in magnetic field that correlate to those found in the conductance fluctuations. Simulations have shown that these magnetic transform images bear a strong resemblance to actual scars found in the dot that replicate through the modes in direct agreement with quantum Darwinism.

  13. Quantum self-organization and nuclear collectivities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otsuka, T.; Tsunoda, Y.; Togashi, T.; Shimizu, N.; Abe, T.

    2018-02-01

    The quantum self-organization is introduced as one of the major underlying mechanisms of the quantum many-body systems. In the case of atomic nuclei as an example, two types of the motion of nucleons, single-particle states and collective modes, dominate the structure of the nucleus. The outcome of the collective mode is determined basically by the balance between the effect of the mode-driving force (e.g., quadrupole force for the ellipsoidal deformation) and the resistance power against it. The single-particle energies are one of the sources to produce such resistance power: a coherent collective motion is more hindered by larger gaps between relevant single particle states. Thus, the single-particle state and the collective mode are “enemies” each other. However, the nuclear forces are demonstrated to be rich enough so as to enhance relevant collective mode by reducing the resistance power by changing singleparticle energies for each eigenstate through monopole interactions. This will be verified with the concrete example taken from Zr isotopes. Thus, when the quantum self-organization occurs, single-particle energies can be self-organized, being enhanced by (i) two quantum liquids, e.g., protons and neutrons, (ii) two major force components, e.g., quadrupole interaction (to drive collective mode) and monopole interaction (to control resistance). In other words, atomic nuclei are not necessarily like simple rigid vases containing almost free nucleons, in contrast to the naïve Fermi liquid picture. Type II shell evolution is considered to be a simple visible case involving excitations across a (sub)magic gap. The quantum self-organization becomes more important in heavier nuclei where the number of active orbits and the number of active nucleons are larger. The quantum self-organization is a general phenomenon, and is expected to be found in other quantum systems.

  14. Deep levels in metamorphic InAs/InGaAs quantum dot structures with different composition of the embedding layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golovynskyi, S.; Datsenko, O.; Seravalli, L.; Kozak, O.; Trevisi, G.; Frigeri, P.; Babichuk, I. S.; Golovynska, I.; Qu, Junle

    2017-12-01

    Deep levels in metamorphic InAs/In x Ga1-x As quantum dot (QD) structures are studied with deep level thermally stimulated conductivity (TSC), photoconductivity (PC) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and compared with data from pseudomorphic InGaAs/GaAs QDs investigated previously by the same techniques. We have found that for a low content of indium (x = 0.15) the trap density in the plane of self-assembled QDs is comparable or less than the one for InGaAs/GaAs QDs. However, the trap density increases with x, resulting in a rise of the defect photoresponse in PC and TSC spectra as well as a reduction of the QD PL intensity. The activation energies of the deep levels and some traps correspond to known defect complexes EL2, EL6, EL7, EL9, and EL10 inherent in GaAs, and three traps are attributed to the extended defects, located in InGaAs embedding layers. The rest of them have been found as concentrated mainly close to QDs, as their density in the deeper InGaAs buffers is much lower. This an important result for the development of light-emitting and light-sensitive devices based on metamorphic InAs QDs, as it is a strong indication that the defect density is not higher than in pseudomorphic InAs QDs.

  15. Electron and hole spectrum in InAs quantum dot renormalized by InAs/GaAs heterostructure deformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dan'kiv, O.O.; Peleshchak, R.M.

    2005-01-01

    Analytical expressions describing the energy spectrum of electrons and holes are obtained for a quantum dot occurring in a self-consistent strain field created by an array of coherently stressed quantum dots. A method of taking into account the lattice mismatch at the quantum dot-matrix interface is proposed that allows for the dependence of the mismatch parameter on the quantum dot size and the matrix layer thickness. It is shown that the internal elastic strain arising at the quantum dot-matrix interface influences the energy spectrum of electrons more significantly than the spectrum of holes [ru

  16. Magnetic self-assembly of small parts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetye, Sheetal B.

    Modern society's propensity for miniaturized end-user products is compelling electronic manufacturers to assemble and package different micro-scale, multi-technology components in more efficient and cost-effective manners. As the size of the components gets smaller, issues such as part sticking and alignment precision create challenges that slow the throughput of conventional robotic pick-n-place systems. As an alternative, various self-assembly approaches have been proposed to manipulate micro to millimeter scale components in a parallel fashion without human or robotic intervention. In this dissertation, magnetic self-assembly (MSA) is demonstrated as a highly efficient, completely parallel process for assembly of millimeter scale components. MSA is achieved by integrating permanent micromagnets onto component bonding surfaces using wafer-level microfabrication processes. Embedded bonded powder methods are used for fabrication of the magnets. The magnets are then magnetized using pulse magnetization methods, and the wafers are then singulated to form individual components. When the components are randomly mixed together, self-assembly occurs when the intermagnetic forces overcome the mixing forces. Analytical and finite element methods (FEM) are used to study the force interactions between the micromagnets. The multifunctional aspects of MSA are presented through demonstration of part-to-part and part-to-substrate assembly of 1 mm x 1mm x 0.5 mm silicon components. Part-to-part assembly is demonstrated by batch assembly of free-floating parts in a liquid environment with the assembly yield of different magnetic patterns varying from 88% to 90% in 20 s. Part-to-substrate assembly is demonstrated by assembling an ordered array onto a fixed substrate in a dry environment with the assembly yield varying from 86% to 99%. In both cases, diverse magnetic shapes/patterns are used to control the alignment and angular orientation of the components. A mathematical model is

  17. Self-assembled software and method of overriding software execution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouchard, Ann M.; Osbourn, Gordon C.

    2013-01-08

    A computer-implemented software self-assembled system and method for providing an external override and monitoring capability to dynamically self-assembling software containing machines that self-assemble execution sequences and data structures. The method provides an external override machine that can be introduced into a system of self-assembling machines while the machines are executing such that the functionality of the executing software can be changed or paused without stopping the code execution and modifying the existing code. Additionally, a monitoring machine can be introduced without stopping code execution that can monitor specified code execution functions by designated machines and communicate the status to an output device.

  18. Understanding emergent functions in self-assembled fibrous networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinko, Robert; Keten, Sinan

    2015-09-01

    Understanding self-assembly processes of nanoscale building blocks and characterizing their properties are both imperative for designing new hierarchical, network materials for a wide range of structural, optoelectrical, and transport applications. Although the characterization and choices of these material building blocks have been well studied, our understanding of how to precisely program a specific morphology through self-assembly still must be significantly advanced. In the recent study by Xie et al (2015 Nanotechnology 26 205602), the self-assembly of end-functionalized nanofibres is investigated using a coarse-grained molecular model and offers fundamental insight into how to control the structural morphology of nanofibrous networks. Varying nanoscale networks are observed when the molecular interaction strength is changed and the findings suggest that self-assembly through the tuning of molecular interactions is a key strategy for designing nanostructured networks with specific topologies.

  19. Wetting layer states in low density InAs/InGaAs quantum dots from sub-critical InAs coverages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seravalli, L; Trevisi, G; Frigeri, P; Rossi, F; Buffagni, E; Ferrari, C

    2013-01-01

    In this work we study the properties of wetting layers in InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) structures suitable for single photon emission; the mandatory low density of QDs is obtained by an molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) approach based on the deposition of sub-critical InAs coverages followed by post-growth annealing. Such a growth regime is fundamentally different from the Stranski–Krastanow (SK) one commonly used for the deposition of QDs. By fitting x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, ten-steps composition profiles were derived and used as inputs of model calculations of the two-dimensional quantum energy system: model results were validated by comparison with photoluminescence spectra. A strong reduction of In molar fraction in wetting layers in comparison with SK structures was found, causing a larger wavefunction delocalization for carriers that populate the wetting layer energy levels. Moreover, by considering the limits for strain relaxation when In x Ga 1−x As capping layers are used, we grew structures with the highest possible values of x to study the modifications of the energy system. When x = 0.20 the electron–heavy hole overlap is almost halved and the carriers' probability of being in the first nanometre of the wetting layer is reduced by 60%. These results will be useful for advanced design of QD nanostructures for single photon sources. (paper)

  20. Elucidating dominant pathways of the nano-particle self-assembly process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Xiangze; Li, Bin; Qiao, Qin; Zhu, Lizhe; Lu, Zhong-Yuan; Huang, Xuhui

    2016-09-14

    Self-assembly processes play a key role in the fabrication of functional nano-structures with widespread application in drug delivery and micro-reactors. In addition to the thermodynamics, the kinetics of the self-assembled nano-structures also play an important role in determining the formed structures. However, as the self-assembly process is often highly heterogeneous, systematic elucidation of the dominant kinetic pathways of self-assembly is challenging. Here, based on mass flow, we developed a new method for the construction of kinetic network models and applied it to identify the dominant kinetic pathways for the self-assembly of star-like block copolymers. We found that the dominant pathways are controlled by two competing kinetic parameters: the encounter time Te, characterizing the frequency of collision and the transition time Tt for the aggregate morphology change from rod to sphere. Interestingly, two distinct self-assembly mechanisms, diffusion of an individual copolymer into the aggregate core and membrane closure, both appear at different stages (with different values of Tt) of a single self-assembly process. In particular, the diffusion mechanism dominates the middle-sized semi-vesicle formation stage (with large Tt), while the membrane closure mechanism dominates the large-sized vesicle formation stage (with small Tt). Through the rational design of the hydrophibicity of the copolymer, we successfully tuned the transition time Tt and altered the dominant self-assembly pathways.

  1. Characterization of free-standing InAs quantum membranes by standing wave hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conti, G.; Nemšák, S.; Kuo, C.-T.; Gehlmann, M.; Conlon, C.; Keqi, A.; Rattanachata, A.; Karslıoǧlu, O.; Mueller, J.; Sethian, J.; Bluhm, H.; Rault, J. E.; Rueff, J. P.; Fang, H.; Javey, A.; Fadley, C. S.

    2018-05-01

    Free-standing nanoribbons of InAs quantum membranes (QMs) transferred onto a (Si/Mo) multilayer mirror substrate are characterized by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HXPS) and by standing-wave HXPS (SW-HXPS). Information on the chemical composition and on the chemical states of the elements within the nanoribbons was obtained by HXPS and on the quantitative depth profiles by SW-HXPS. By comparing the experimental SW-HXPS rocking curves to x-ray optical calculations, the chemical depth profile of the InAs(QM) and its interfaces were quantitatively derived with ångström precision. We determined that (i) the exposure to air induced the formation of an InAsO4 layer on top of the stoichiometric InAs(QM); (ii) the top interface between the air-side InAsO4 and the InAs(QM) is not sharp, indicating that interdiffusion occurs between these two layers; (iii) the bottom interface between the InAs(QM) and the native oxide SiO2 on top of the (Si/Mo) substrate is abrupt. In addition, the valence band offset (VBO) between the InAs(QM) and the SiO2/(Si/Mo) substrate was determined by HXPS. The value of VBO = 0.2 ± 0.04 eV is in good agreement with literature results obtained by electrical characterization, giving a clear indication of the formation of a well-defined and abrupt InAs/SiO2 heterojunction. We have demonstrated that HXPS and SW-HXPS are non-destructive, powerful methods for characterizing interfaces and for providing chemical depth profiles of nanostructures, quantum membranes, and 2D layered materials.

  2. Characterization of free-standing InAs quantum membranes by standing wave hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Conti

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Free-standing nanoribbons of InAs quantum membranes (QMs transferred onto a (Si/Mo multilayer mirror substrate are characterized by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HXPS and by standing-wave HXPS (SW-HXPS. Information on the chemical composition and on the chemical states of the elements within the nanoribbons was obtained by HXPS and on the quantitative depth profiles by SW-HXPS. By comparing the experimental SW-HXPS rocking curves to x-ray optical calculations, the chemical depth profile of the InAs(QM and its interfaces were quantitatively derived with ångström precision. We determined that (i the exposure to air induced the formation of an InAsO4 layer on top of the stoichiometric InAs(QM; (ii the top interface between the air-side InAsO4 and the InAs(QM is not sharp, indicating that interdiffusion occurs between these two layers; (iii the bottom interface between the InAs(QM and the native oxide SiO2 on top of the (Si/Mo substrate is abrupt. In addition, the valence band offset (VBO between the InAs(QM and the SiO2/(Si/Mo substrate was determined by HXPS. The value of VBO = 0.2 ± 0.04 eV is in good agreement with literature results obtained by electrical characterization, giving a clear indication of the formation of a well-defined and abrupt InAs/SiO2 heterojunction. We have demonstrated that HXPS and SW-HXPS are non-destructive, powerful methods for characterizing interfaces and for providing chemical depth profiles of nanostructures, quantum membranes, and 2D layered materials.

  3. Generic concept to program the time domain of self-assemblies with a self-regulation mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heuser, Thomas; Steppert, Ann-Kathrin; Lopez, Catalina Molano; Zhu, Baolei; Walther, Andreas

    2015-04-08

    Nature regulates complex structures in space and time via feedback loops, kinetically controlled transformations, and under energy dissipation to allow non-equilibrium processes. Although man-made static self-assemblies realize excellent control over hierarchical structures via molecular programming, managing their temporal destiny by self-regulation is a largely unsolved challenge. Herein, we introduce a generic concept to control the time domain by programming the lifetimes of switchable self-assemblies in closed systems. We conceive dormant deactivators that, in combination with fast promoters, enable a unique kinetic balance to establish an autonomously self-regulating, transient pH-state, whose duration can be programmed over orders of magnitude-from minutes to days. Coupling this non-equilibrium state to pH-switchable self-assemblies allows predicting their assembly/disassembly fate in time, similar to a precise self-destruction mechanism. We demonstrate a platform approach by programming self-assembly lifetimes of block copolymers, nanoparticles, and peptides, enabling dynamic materials with a self-regulation functionality.

  4. Three-Dimensional Self-Assembled Photonic Crystal Waveguide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Kang-Hyun

    Photonic crystals (PCs), two- or three-dimensionally periodic, artificial, and dielectric structures, have a specific forbidden band for electromagnetic waves, referred to as photonic bandgap (PBG). The PBG is analogous to the electronic bandgap in natural crystal structures with periodic atomic arrangement. A well-defined and embedded planar, line, or point defect within the PCs causes a break in its structural periodicity, and introduces a state in the PBG for light localization. It offers various applications in integrated optics and photonics including optical filters, sharp bending light guides and very low threshold lasers. Using nanofabrication processes, PCs of the 2-D slab-type and 3-D layer-by-layer structures have been investigated widely. Alternatively, simple and low-cost self-assembled PCs with full 3-D PBG, inverse opals, have been suggested. A template with face centered cubic closed packed structure, opal, may initially be built by self-assembly of colloidal spheres, and is selectively removed after infiltrating high refractive index materials into the interstitials of spheres. In this dissertation, the optical waveguides utilizing the 3-D self-assembled PCs are discussed. The waveguides were fabricated by microfabrication technology. For high-quality colloidal silica spheres and PCs, reliable synthesis, self-assembly, and characterization techniques were developed. Its theoretical and experimental demonstrations are provided and correlated. They suggest that the self-assembled PCs with PBG are feasible for the applications in integrated optics and photonics.

  5. Designing and building nanowires: directed nanocrystal self-assembly into radically branched and zigzag PbS nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Fan; Ma Xin; Gerlein, L Felipe; Cloutier, Sylvain G

    2011-01-01

    Lead sulfide nanowires with controllable optoelectronic properties would be promising building blocks for various applications. Here, we report the hot colloidal synthesis of radically branched and zigzag nanowires through self-attachment of star-shaped and octahedral nanocrystals in the presence of multiple surfactants. We obtained high-quality single-crystal nanowires with uniform diameter along the entire length, and the size of the nanowire can be tuned by tailoring the reaction parameters. This slow oriented attachment provides a better understanding of the intricacies of this complex nanocrystal assembly process. Meanwhile, these self-assembled nanowire structures have appealing lateral conformations with narrow side arms or highly faceted edges, where strong quantum confinement can occur. Consequently, the single-crystal nanowire structures exhibit strong photoluminescence in the near-infrared region with a large blue-shift compared to the bulk material.

  6. Interaction and Cooperative Nucleation of InAsSbP Quantum Dots and Pits on InAs(100 Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gambaryan Karen

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract An example of InAsSbP quaternary quantum dots (QDs, pits and dots–pits cooperative structures’ growth on InAs(100 substrates by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE is reported. The interaction and surface morphology of the dots–pits combinations are investigated by the high-resolution scanning electron microscope. Bimodal growth mechanism for the both QDs and pits nucleation is observed. Cooperative structures consist of the QDs banded by pits, as well as the “large” pits banded by the quantum wires are detected. The composition of the islands and the pits edges is found to be quaternary, enriched by antimony and phosphorus, respectively. This repartition is caused by dissociation of the wetting layer, followed by migration (surface diffusion of the Sb and P atoms in opposite directions. The “small” QDs average density ranges from 0.8 to 2 × 109 cm−2, with heights and widths dimensions from 2 to 20 nm and 5 to 45 nm, respectively. The average density of the “small” pits is equal to (6–10 × 109 cm−2 with dimensions of 5–40 nm in width and depth. Lifshits–Slezov-like distribution for the amount and surface density of both “small” QDs and pits versus their average diameter is experimentally detected. A displacement of the absorption edge toward the long wavelength region and enlargement toward the short wavelength region is detected by the Fourier transform infrared spectrometry.

  7. Self-assembly and optical properties of patterned ZnO nanodot arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Yijian; Zheng Maojun; Ma Li

    2007-01-01

    Patterned ZnO nanodot (ND) arrays and a ND-cavity microstructure were realized on an anodic alumina membrane (AAM) surface through a spin-coating sol-gel process, which benefits from the morphology and localized negative charge surface of AAM as well as the optimized sol concentration. The growth mechanism is believed to be a self-assembly process. This provides a simple approach to fabricate semiconductor quantum dot (QD) arrays and a QD-cavity system with its advantage in low cost and mass production. Strong ultra-violet emission, a multi-phonon process, and its special structure-related properties were observed in the patterned ZnO ND arrays

  8. Stereochemistry in subcomponent self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castilla, Ana M; Ramsay, William J; Nitschke, Jonathan R

    2014-07-15

    CONSPECTUS: As Pasteur noted more than 150 years ago, asymmetry exists in matter at all organization levels. Biopolymers such as proteins or DNA adopt one-handed conformations, as a result of the chirality of their constituent building blocks. Even at the level of elementary particles, asymmetry exists due to parity violation in the weak nuclear force. While the origin of homochirality in living systems remains obscure, as does the possibility of its connection with broken symmetries at larger or smaller length scales, its centrality to biomolecular structure is clear: the single-handed forms of bio(macro)molecules interlock in ways that depend upon their handednesses. Dynamic artificial systems, such as helical polymers and other supramolecular structures, have provided a means to study the mechanisms of transmission and amplification of stereochemical information, which are key processes to understand in the context of the origins and functions of biological homochirality. Control over stereochemical information transfer in self-assembled systems will also be crucial for the development of new applications in chiral recognition and separation, asymmetric catalysis, and molecular devices. In this Account, we explore different aspects of stereochemistry encountered during the use of subcomponent self-assembly, whereby complex structures are prepared through the simultaneous formation of dynamic coordinative (N → metal) and covalent (N═C) bonds. This technique provides a useful method to study stereochemical information transfer processes within metal-organic assemblies, which may contain different combinations of fixed (carbon) and labile (metal) stereocenters. We start by discussing how simple subcomponents with fixed stereogenic centers can be incorporated in the organic ligands of mononuclear coordination complexes and communicate stereochemical information to the metal center, resulting in diastereomeric enrichment. Enantiopure subcomponents were then

  9. Revealing energy level structure of individual quantum dots by tunneling rate measured by single-electron sensitive electrostatic force spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy-Gobeil, Antoine; Miyahara, Yoichi; Grutter, Peter

    2015-04-08

    We present theoretical and experimental studies of the effect of the density of states of a quantum dot (QD) on the rate of single-electron tunneling that can be directly measured by electrostatic force microscopy (e-EFM) experiments. In e-EFM, the motion of a biased atomic force microscope cantilever tip modulates the charge state of a QD in the Coulomb blockade regime. The charge dynamics of the dot, which is detected through its back-action on the capacitavely coupled cantilever, depends on the tunneling rate of the QD to a back-electrode. The density of states of the QD can therefore be measured through its effect on the energy dependence of tunneling rate. We present experimental data on individual 5 nm colloidal gold nanoparticles that exhibit a near continuous density of state at 77 K. In contrast, our analysis of already published data on self-assembled InAs QDs at 4 K clearly reveals discrete degenerate energy levels.

  10. Ultra-Low Power Optical Transistor Using a Single Quantum Dot Embedded in a Photonic Wire

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguyen, H.A.; Grange, T.; Malik, N.S.

    2017-01-01

    Using a single InAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs photonic wire, we realize a giant non-linearity between two optical modes to experimentally demonstrate an all-optical transistor triggered by 10 photons.......Using a single InAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs photonic wire, we realize a giant non-linearity between two optical modes to experimentally demonstrate an all-optical transistor triggered by 10 photons....

  11. Experimental determination of the electron effective masses and mobilities in each dimensionally-quantized subband in an InxGa1−xAs quantum well with InAs inserts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulbachinskii, V. A.; Oveshnikov, L. N.; Lunin, R. A.; Yuzeeva, N. A.; Galiev, G. B.; Klimov, E. A.; Maltsev, P. P.

    2015-01-01

    HEMT structures with In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As quantum well are synthesized using molecular-beam epitaxy on InP substrates. The structures are double-side Si δ-doped so that two dimensionally-quantized subbands are occupied. The effect of the central InAs nanoinsert in the quantum well on the electron effective masses m* and mobilities in each subband is studied. For experimental determination of m*, the quantum μ q and transport μ t mobilities of the two-dimensional electron gas in each dimensionally-quantized subband, the Shubnikov-de Haas effect is measured at two temperatures of 4.2 and 8.4 K. The electron effective masses are determined by the temperature dependence of the oscillation amplitudes, separating the oscillations of each dimensionally-quantized subband. The Fourier spectra of oscillations are used to determine the electron mobilities μ q and μ t in each dimensionally-quantized subband. It is shown that m* decreases as the InAs-nanoinsert thickness d in the In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As quantum well and electron mobilities increase. The maximum electron mobility is observed at the insert thickness d = 3.4 nm

  12. Energy Band Structure Studies Of Zinc-Blende GaAs and InAs ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A self-consistent calculation of the structural and electronic properties of zinc blende GaAs and InAs has been carried out. The calculations were done using the full potential-linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method within the density functional theory (DFT). The exchange-correlation energy used is the ...

  13. Bioinspired synthesis and self-assembly of hybrid organic–inorganic nanomaterials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Honghu [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2016-12-17

    Nature is replete with complex organic–inorganic hierarchical materials of diverse yet specific functions. These materials are intricately designed under physiological conditions through biomineralization and biological self-assembly processes. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to investigating mechanisms of such biomineralization and biological self-assembly processes as well as gaining inspiration to develop biomimetic methods for synthesis and self-assembly of functional nanomaterials. In this work, we focus on the bioinspired synthesis and self-assembly of functional inorganic nanomaterials templated by specialized macromolecules including proteins, DNA and polymers. The in vitro biomineralization process of the magnetite biomineralizing protein Mms6 has been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering. Templated by Mms6, complex magnetic nanomaterials can be synthesized on surfaces and in the bulk. DNA and synthetic polymers have been exploited to construct macroscopic two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) superlattices of gold nanocrystals. Employing X-ray scattering and spectroscopy techniques, the self-assembled structures and the self-assembly mechanisms have been studied, and theoretical models have been developed. Our results show that specialized macromolecules including proteins, DNA and polymers act as effective templates for synthesis and self-assembly of nanomaterials. These bottom-up approaches provide promising routes to fabricate hybrid organic–inorganic nanomaterials with rationally designed hierarchical structures, targeting specific functions.

  14. Electronic transient processes and optical spectra in quantum dots for quantum computing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Král, Karel; Zdeněk, Petr; Khás, Zdeněk

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 3, č. 1 (2004), s. 17-25 ISSN 1536-125X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1010113 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : depopulation * electronic relaxation * optical spectra * quantum dots * self-assembled quantum dots * upconversion Subject RIV: BE - Theoretical Physics Impact factor: 3.176, year: 2004

  15. Prodrugs as self-assembled hydrogels: a new paradigm for biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vemula, Praveen Kumar; Wiradharma, Nikken; Ankrum, James A; Miranda, Oscar R; John, George; Karp, Jeffrey M

    2013-12-01

    Prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels represent a new class of active biomaterials that can be harnessed for medical applications, in particular the design of stimuli responsive drug delivery devices. In this approach, a promoiety is chemically conjugated to a known-drug to generate an amphiphilic prodrug that is capable of forming self-assembled hydrogels. Prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels are advantageous as they alter the solubility of the drug, enhance drug loading, and eliminate the use of harmful excipients. In addition, self-assembled prodrug hydrogels can be designed to undergo controlled drug release or tailored degradation in response to biological cues. Herein we review the development of prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels as an emerging class of biomaterials that overcome several common limitations encountered in conventional drug delivery. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Live visualizations of single isolated tubulin protein self-assembly via tunneling current: effect of electromagnetic pumping during spontaneous growth of microtubule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahu, Satyajit; Ghosh, Subrata; Fujita, Daisuke; Bandyopadhyay, Anirban

    2014-12-03

    As we bring tubulin protein molecules one by one into the vicinity, they self-assemble and entire event we capture live via quantum tunneling. We observe how these molecules form a linear chain and then chains self-assemble into 2D sheet, an essential for microtubule, --fundamental nano-tube in a cellular life form. Even without using GTP, or any chemical reaction, but applying particular ac signal using specially designed antenna around atomic sharp tip we could carry out the self-assembly, however, if there is no electromagnetic pumping, no self-assembly is observed. In order to verify this atomic scale observation, we have built an artificial cell-like environment with nano-scale engineering and repeated spontaneous growth of tubulin protein to its complex with and without electromagnetic signal. We used 64 combinations of plant, animal and fungi tubulins and several doping molecules used as drug, and repeatedly observed that the long reported common frequency region where protein folds mechanically and its structures vibrate electromagnetically. Under pumping, the growth process exhibits a unique organized behavior unprecedented otherwise. Thus, "common frequency point" is proposed as a tool to regulate protein complex related diseases in the future.

  17. Self field electromagnetism and quantum phenomena

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schatten, Kenneth H.

    1994-07-01

    Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has been extremely successful inits predictive capability for atomic phenomena. Thus the greatest hope for any alternative view is solely to mimic the predictive capability of quantum mechanics (QM), and perhaps its usefulness will lie in gaining a better understanding of microscopic phenomena. Many ?paradoxes? and problematic situations emerge in QED. To combat the QED problems, the field of Stochastics Electrodynamics (SE) emerged, wherein a random ?zero point radiation? is assumed to fill all of space in an attmept to explain quantum phenomena, without some of the paradoxical concerns. SE, however, has greater failings. One is that the electromagnetic field energy must be infinit eto work. We have examined a deterministic side branch of SE, ?self field? electrodynamics, which may overcome the probelms of SE. Self field electrodynamics (SFE) utilizes the chaotic nature of electromagnetic emissions, as charges lose energy near atomic dimensions, to try to understand and mimic quantum phenomena. These fields and charges can ?interact with themselves? in a non-linear fashion, and may thereby explain many quantum phenomena from a semi-classical viewpoint. Referred to as self fields, they have gone by other names in the literature: ?evanesccent radiation?, ?virtual photons?, and ?vacuum fluctuations?. Using self fields, we discuss the uncertainty principles, the Casimir effects, and the black-body radiation spectrum, diffraction and interference effects, Schrodinger's equation, Planck's constant, and the nature of the electron and how they might be understood in the present framework. No new theory could ever replace QED. The self field view (if correct) would, at best, only serve to provide some understanding of the processes by which strange quantum phenomena occur at the atomic level. We discuss possible areas where experiments might be employed to test SFE, and areas where future work may lie.

  18. Self-assembly of silica microparticles in magnetic multiphase flows: Experiment and simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiang; Niu, Xiao-Dong; Li, You; Chen, Mu-Feng

    2018-04-01

    Dynamic self-assembly, especially self-assembly under magnetic field, is vital not only for its marvelous phenomenon but also for its mechanisms. Revealing the underlying mechanisms is crucial for a deeper understanding of self-assembly. In this paper, several magnetic induced self-assembly experiments by using the mixed magnetic multiphase fluids comprised of silica microspheres were carried out. The relations of the strength of external magnetic field, the inverse magnetorheological effect, and the structures of self-assembled particles were investigated. In addition, a momentum-exchanged immersed boundary-based lattice Boltzmann method (MEIB-LBM) for modeling multi-physical coupling multiphase flows was employed to numerically study the magnetic induced self-assembly process in detail. The present work showed that the external magnetic field can be used to control the form of self-assembly of nonmagnetic microparticles in a chain-like structure, and the self-assembly process can be classified into four stages with magnetic hysteresis, magnetization of nonmagnetic microparticles, self-assembly in chain-like structures, and the stable chain state. The combination of experimental and numerical results could offer a method to control the self-assembled nonmagnetic microparticles, which can provide the technical and theoretical support for the design and fabrication of micro/nanomaterials.

  19. Self-assembling electroactive hydrogels for flexible display technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, Scott L; Wong, Kok Hou; Ladouceur, Francois [School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052 (Australia); Thordarson, Pall, E-mail: f.ladouceur@unsw.edu.a [School of Chemistry, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052 (Australia)

    2010-12-15

    We have assessed the potential of self-assembling hydrogels for use in conformal displays. The self-assembling process can be used to alter the transparency of the material to all visible light due to scattering by fibres. The reversible transition is shown to be of low energy by differential scanning calorimetry. For use in technology it is imperative that this transition is controlled electrically. We have thus synthesized novel self-assembling hydrogelator molecules which contain an electroactive group. The well-known redox couple of anthraquinone/anthrahydroquinone has been used as the hydrophobic component for a series of small molecule gelators. They are further functionalized with peptide combinations of L-phenylalanine and glycine to provide the hydrophilic group to complete 'head-tail' models of self-assembling gels. The gelation and electroactive characteristics of the series were assessed. Cyclic voltammetry shows the reversible redox cycle to be only superficially altered by functionalization. Additionally, spectroelectrochemical measurements show a reversible transparency and colour change induced by the redox process.

  20. Self-assembling electroactive hydrogels for flexible display technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, Scott L; Wong, Kok Hou; Ladouceur, Francois; Thordarson, Pall

    2010-01-01

    We have assessed the potential of self-assembling hydrogels for use in conformal displays. The self-assembling process can be used to alter the transparency of the material to all visible light due to scattering by fibres. The reversible transition is shown to be of low energy by differential scanning calorimetry. For use in technology it is imperative that this transition is controlled electrically. We have thus synthesized novel self-assembling hydrogelator molecules which contain an electroactive group. The well-known redox couple of anthraquinone/anthrahydroquinone has been used as the hydrophobic component for a series of small molecule gelators. They are further functionalized with peptide combinations of L-phenylalanine and glycine to provide the hydrophilic group to complete 'head-tail' models of self-assembling gels. The gelation and electroactive characteristics of the series were assessed. Cyclic voltammetry shows the reversible redox cycle to be only superficially altered by functionalization. Additionally, spectroelectrochemical measurements show a reversible transparency and colour change induced by the redox process.

  1. Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Qingxin; Tong, Yanhong; Jain, Titoo

    2009-01-01

    A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during se...

  2. DNA-Based Self-Assembly of Fluorescent Nanodiamonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tao; Neumann, Andre; Lindlau, Jessica; Wu, Yuzhou; Pramanik, Goutam; Naydenov, Boris; Jelezko, Fedor; Schüder, Florian; Huber, Sebastian; Huber, Marinus; Stehr, Florian; Högele, Alexander; Weil, Tanja; Liedl, Tim

    2015-08-12

    As a step toward deterministic and scalable assembly of ordered spin arrays we here demonstrate a bottom-up approach to position fluorescent nanodiamonds (NDs) with nanometer precision on DNA origami structures. We have realized a reliable and broadly applicable surface modification strategy that results in DNA-functionalized and perfectly dispersed NDs that were then self-assembled in predefined geometries. With optical studies we show that the fluorescence properties of the nitrogen-vacancy color centers in NDs are preserved during surface modification and DNA assembly. As this method allows the nanoscale arrangement of fluorescent NDs together with other optically active components in complex geometries, applications based on self-assembled spin lattices or plasmon-enhanced spin sensors as well as improved fluorescent labeling for bioimaging could be envisioned.

  3. Column-by-column compositional mapping by Z-contrast imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molina, S.I. [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I.M. y Q.I., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain)], E-mail: sergio.molina@uca.es; Sales, D.L. [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I.M. y Q.I., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Galindo, P.L. [Departamento de Lenguajes y Sistemas Informaticos, CASEM, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Fuster, D.; Gonzalez, Y.; Alen, B.; Gonzalez, L. [Instituto de Microelectronica de Madrid (CNM, CSIC), Isaac Newton 8, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain); Varela, M.; Pennycook, S.J. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

    2009-01-15

    A phenomenological method is developed to determine the composition of materials, with atomic column resolution, by analysis of integrated intensities of aberration-corrected Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy images. The method is exemplified for InAs{sub x}P{sub 1-x} alloys using epitaxial thin films with calibrated compositions as standards. Using this approach we have determined the composition of the two-dimensional wetting layer formed between self-assembled InAs quantum wires on InP(0 0 1) substrates.

  4. Self-assembly from milli- to nanoscales: methods and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mastrangeli, M; Celis, J-P; Abbasi, S; Varel, C; Böhringer, K F; Van Hoof, C

    2009-01-01

    The design and fabrication techniques for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanodevices are progressing rapidly. However, due to material and process flow incompatibilities in the fabrication of sensors, actuators and electronic circuitry, a final packaging step is often necessary to integrate all components of a heterogeneous microsystem on a common substrate. Robotic pick-and-place, although accurate and reliable at larger scales, is a serial process that downscales unfavorably due to stiction problems, fragility and sheer number of components. Self-assembly, on the other hand, is parallel and can be used for device sizes ranging from millimeters to nanometers. In this review, the state-of-the-art in methods and applications for self-assembly is reviewed. Methods for assembling three-dimensional (3D) MEMS structures out of two-dimensional (2D) ones are described. The use of capillary forces for folding 2D plates into 3D structures, as well as assembling parts onto a common substrate or aggregating parts to each other into 2D or 3D structures, is discussed. Shape matching and guided assembly by magnetic forces and electric fields are also reviewed. Finally, colloidal self-assembly and DNA-based self-assembly, mainly used at the nanoscale, are surveyed, and aspects of theoretical modeling of stochastic assembly processes are discussed. (topical review)

  5. Ternary self-assemblies in water

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hill, Leila R.; Blackburn, Octavia A.; Jones, Michael W.

    2013-01-01

    The self-assembly of higher order structures in water is realised by using the association of 1,3-biscarboxylates to binuclear meta-xylyl bridged DO3A complexes. Two dinicotinate binding sites are placed at a right-angle in a rhenium complex, which is shown to form a 1 : 2 complex with α,α'-bis(E......The self-assembly of higher order structures in water is realised by using the association of 1,3-biscarboxylates to binuclear meta-xylyl bridged DO3A complexes. Two dinicotinate binding sites are placed at a right-angle in a rhenium complex, which is shown to form a 1 : 2 complex with α...

  6. Self-recognition in the coordination driven self-assembly of 2-D polygons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Addicott, Chris; Das, Neeladri; Stang, Peter J

    2004-08-23

    Self-recognition in the transition-metal-mediated self-assembly of some 2-D polygons is presented. Prolonged heating of two or three organoplatinum reagents with 4,4'-dipyridyl in aqueous acetone results in the predominant formation of a rectangle, triangle, and/or square. All mixtures are characterized with NMR and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS). Despite the potential for ill-defined oligomeric products, these mixed ligand systems prefer to self-assemble into discrete species.

  7. Self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles: Ab ovo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotov, Nicholas A.

    2017-09-01

    There are numerous remarkable studies related to the self-organization of polymers, coordination compounds, microscale particles, biomolecules, macroscale particles, surfactants, and reactive molecules on surfaces. The focus of this paper is on the self-organization of nanoscale inorganic particles or simply nanoparticles (NPs). Although there are fascinating and profound discoveries made with other self-assembling structures, the ones involving NPs deserve particular attention because they (a) are omnipresent in Nature; (b) have relevance to numerous disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, Earth sciences, and others); (c) embrace most of the features, geometries, and intricacies observed for the self-organization of other chemical species; (d) offer new tools for studies of self-organization phenomena; and (e) have a large economic impact, extending from energy and construction industries, to optoelectronics, biomedical technologies, and food safety. Despite the overall success of the field it is necessary to step back from its multiple ongoing research venues and consider two questions: What is self-assembly of nanoparticles? and Why do we need to study it? The reason to bring them up is to achieve greater scientific depth in the understanding of these omnipresent phenomena and, perhaps, deepen their multifaceted impact. Contribution to the Focus Issue Self-assemblies of Inorganic and Organic Nanomaterials edited by Marie-Paule Pileni.

  8. 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.

  9. Terahertz tunable detection in self-switching diodes based on high mobility semiconductors: InGaAs, InAs and InSb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iniguez-de-la-Torre, I; Rodilla, H; Mateos, J; Pardo, D; Gonzalez, T; Song, A M

    2009-01-01

    In this work we report on the use of high mobility materials in the channel of self-switching diodes as potential candidates for terahertz operation. By means of Monte Carlo simulations we envisage the feasibility of tuneable-by-geometry detection in the terahertz range. The low effective mass of InAs and InSb in relation to InGaAs enhances ballistic transport inside the diode, thus improving the amplitude and quality factor of the resonance found in the detection spectra of self-switching diodes. The frequency of the resonant peak is also increased with the use of these narrow band gap semiconductors. The analysis of the noise spectra provides useful information about the origin of the resonance. By decreasing temperature below 300 K, a clear improvement in detection sensitivity is also achieved.

  10. Terahertz tunable detection in self-switching diodes based on high mobility semiconductors: InGaAs, InAs and InSb

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iniguez-de-la-Torre, I; Rodilla, H; Mateos, J; Pardo, D; Gonzalez, T [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de la Merced s/n, 37008 Salamanca (Spain); Song, A M, E-mail: indy@usal.e [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester M60 1QD (United Kingdom)

    2009-11-15

    In this work we report on the use of high mobility materials in the channel of self-switching diodes as potential candidates for terahertz operation. By means of Monte Carlo simulations we envisage the feasibility of tuneable-by-geometry detection in the terahertz range. The low effective mass of InAs and InSb in relation to InGaAs enhances ballistic transport inside the diode, thus improving the amplitude and quality factor of the resonance found in the detection spectra of self-switching diodes. The frequency of the resonant peak is also increased with the use of these narrow band gap semiconductors. The analysis of the noise spectra provides useful information about the origin of the resonance. By decreasing temperature below 300 K, a clear improvement in detection sensitivity is also achieved.

  11. Self-assembled Nanomaterials for Chemotherapeutic Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shieh, Aileen

    The self-assembly of short designed peptides into functional nanostructures is becoming a growing interest in a wide range of fields from optoelectronic devices to nanobiotechnology. In the medical field, self-assembled peptides have especially attracted attention with several of its attractive features for applications in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, biological engineering as well as cosmetic industry and also the antibiotics field. We here describe the self-assembly of peptide conjugated with organic chromophore to successfully deliver sequence independent micro RNAs into human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. The nanofiber used as the delivery vehicle is completely non-toxic and biodegradable, and exhibit enhanced permeability effect for targeting malignant tumors. The transfection efficiency with nanofiber as the delivery vehicle is comparable to that of the commercially available RNAiMAX lipofectamine while the toxicity is significantly lower. We also conjugated the peptide sequence with camptothecin (CPT) and observed the self-assembly of nanotubes for chemotherapeutic applications. The peptide scaffold is non-toxic and biodegradable, and drug loading of CPT is high, which minimizes the issue of systemic toxicity caused by extensive burden from the elimination of drug carriers. In addition, the peptide assembly drastically increases the solubility and stability of CPT under physiological conditions in vitro, while active CPT is gradually released from the peptide chain under the slight acidic tumor cell environment. Cytotoxicity results on human colorectal cancer cells and non-small cell lung cancer cell lines display promising anti-cancer properties compared to the parental CPT drug, which cannot be used clinically due to its poor solubility and lack of stability in physiological conditions. Moreover, the peptide sequence conjugated with 5-fluorouracil formed a hydrogel with promising topical chemotherapeutic applications that also display

  12. Nanomaterial processing using self-assembly-bottom-up chemical and biological approaches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thiruvengadathan, Rajagopalan; Gangopadhyay, Keshab; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra; Korampally, Venumadhav; Ghosh, Arkasubhra; Chanda, Nripen

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology is touted as the next logical sequence in technological evolution. This has led to a substantial surge in research activities pertaining to the development and fundamental understanding of processes and assembly at the nanoscale. Both top-down and bottom-up fabrication approaches may be used to realize a range of well-defined nanostructured materials with desirable physical and chemical attributes. Among these, the bottom-up self-assembly process offers the most realistic solution toward the fabrication of next-generation functional materials and devices. Here, we present a comprehensive review on the physical basis behind self-assembly and the processes reported in recent years to direct the assembly of nanoscale functional blocks into hierarchically ordered structures. This paper emphasizes assembly in the synthetic domain as well in the biological domain, underscoring the importance of biomimetic approaches toward novel materials. In particular, two important classes of directed self-assembly, namely, (i) self-assembly among nanoparticle–polymer systems and (ii) external field-guided assembly are highlighted. The spontaneous self-assembling behavior observed in nature that leads to complex, multifunctional, hierarchical structures within biological systems is also discussed in this review. Recent research undertaken to synthesize hierarchically assembled functional materials have underscored the need as well as the benefits harvested in synergistically combining top-down fabrication methods with bottom-up self-assembly. (review article)

  13. Origin of localized states in zinc-blende ZnCdSe thin films and the influence on carrier relaxation of self-assembled ZnTe/ZnCdSe quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Ling; Dai, Yue-Ru; Yang, Chu-Shou; Fan, Wen-Chung; Chou, Wu-Ching

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The localized emission in zinc-blende ZnCdSe is induced by excess selenium. • An optimized growth is demonstrated as the VI/II ratio approaches unity. • Size-independent lifetimes are observed in ZnTe/ZnCdSe quantum dots. • Localized electrons in the capping layer dominate size-independent lifetimes. - Abstract: This study discovered the origin of deep level emission in zinc-blende ZnCdSe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy, in which a localization behavior was noticed. Pronounced deep level emission observed in films grown under a VI/II ratio of 1.74 (Se-accumulated regime) could be suppressed by a lower VI/II ratio of 1.04 (intermediate regime) and 0.74 (metal-rich regime). Hence the localized states could be correlated to excess selenium accumulated at the growth surface. The localized states also influence the carrier relaxation process of self-assembled ZnTe quantum dots embedded in a ZnCdSe matrix. Once quantum dots surmount the wetting layer, localized electrons in the capping layer dominate the type-II transition and exhibit size-independent lifetimes

  14. Confined-but-Connected Quantum Solids via Controlled Ligand Displacement

    KAUST Repository

    Baumgardner, William J.

    2013-07-10

    Confined-but-connected quantum dot solids (QDS) combine the advantages of tunable, quantum-confined energy levels with efficient charge transport through enhanced electronic interdot coupling. We report the fabrication of QDS by treating self-assembled films of colloidal PbSe quantum dots with polar nonsolvents. Treatment with dimethylformamide balances the rates of self-assembly and ligand displacement to yield confined-but-connected QDS structures with cubic ordering and quasi-epitaxial interdot connections through facets of neighboring dots. The QDS structure was analyzed by a combination of transmission electron microscopy and wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering. Excitonic absorption signatures in optical spectroscopy confirm that quantum confinement is preserved. Transport measurements show significantly enhanced conductivity in treated films. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  15. In situ intercalation strategies for device-quality hybrid inorganic-organic self-assembled quantum wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradeesh, K.; Baumberg, J. J.; Prakash, G. Vijaya

    2009-07-01

    Thin films of self-organized quantum wells of inorganic-organic hybrid perovskites of (C6H9C2H4NH3)2PbI4 are formed from a simple intercalation strategy to yield well-ordered uniform films over centimeter-size scales. These films compare favorably with traditional solution-chemistry-synthesized thin films. The hybrid films show strong room-temperature exciton-related absorption and photoluminescence, which shift with fabrication protocol. We demonstrate the potential of this method for electronic and photonic device applications.

  16. Morphology and Pattern Control of Diphenylalanine Self-Assembly via Evaporative Dewetting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiarui; Qin, Shuyu; Wu, Xinglong; Chu, And Paul K

    2016-01-26

    Self-assembled peptide nanostructures have unique physical and biological properties and promising applications in electrical devices and functional molecular recognition. Although solution-based peptide molecules can self-assemble into different morphologies, it is challenging to control the self-assembly process. Herein, controllable self-assembly of diphenylalanine (FF) in an evaporative dewetting solution is reported. The fluid mechanical dimensionless numbers, namely Rayleigh, Marangoni, and capillary numbers, are introduced to control the interaction between the solution and FF molecules in the self-assembly process. The difference in the film thickness reflects the effects of Rayleigh and Marangoni convection, and the water vapor flow rate reveals the role of viscous fingering in the emergence of aligned FF flakes. By employing dewetting, various FF self-assembled patterns, like concentric and spokelike, and morphologies, like strips and hexagonal tubes/rods, can be produced, and there are no significant lattice structural changes in the FF nanostructures.

  17. Self-Assembled Local Artificial Substrates of GaAs on Si Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frigeri C

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We propose a self-assembling procedure for the fabrication of GaAs islands by Droplet Epitaxy on silicon substrate. Controlling substrate temperature and amount of supplied gallium is possible to tune the base size of the islands from 70 up to 250 nm and the density from 107 to 109 cm−2. The islands show a standard deviation of base size distribution below 10% and their shape evolves changing the aspect ratio from 0.3 to 0.5 as size increases. Due to their characteristics, these islands are suitable to be used as local artificial substrates for the integration of III–V quantum nanostructures directly on silicon substrate.

  18. Fabrication of a complex InAs ring-and-dot structure by droplet epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noda, Takeshi; Mano, Takaaki

    2008-01-01

    An InAs ring structure accompanying the formation of quantum dots (QDs) was fabricated on (1 0 0)GaAs using droplet epitaxy. The QDs were located in the vicinity of the ring, due to the diffusion of In atoms from the In droplets. In addition, the dots were found to have distributed elliptically and preferentially along the [0 1 1] direction, implying that In itself prefers to diffuse along the [0 1 1] direction, which is the opposite of the favorable diffusion orientation of group III atoms on (1 0 0)GaAs under a commonly used As-stabilized growth condition. This is the first observation of a ring structure accompanying the formation of quantum dots in droplet epitaxy

  19. Construction of Supramolecular Architectures via Self-assembly

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Takeharu; Haino

    2007-01-01

    1 Results In this paper we report supramolecular polymeric nano networks formed by the molecular-recognition-directed self-assembly between a calix[5]arene and C60[1]. Covalently-linked double-calix[5]arenes take up C60 into their cavities[2]. This complementary interaction creates a strong non-covalent bonding; thus,the iterative self-assembly between dumbbell fullerene 1 and ditopic host 2 can produce the supramolecular polymer networks (See Fig.1).

  20. Competitive growth mechanisms of InAs quantum dots on InxGa1-xAs layer during post growth interruption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Changjae; Kim, Jungsub; Sim, Uk; Lee, Jaeyel; Choi, Won Jun; Yoon, Euijoon

    2010-01-01

    We investigated the effect of the post growth interruption (GI) on InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on In x Ga 1-x As strained buffer layers (SBL). When QDs were grown on the 5 and 10% In content SBLs by using post GI, the size of QDs increased as its density decreased. Based on the 50 meV red-shift of PL in these cases, the transport of materials between QDs leads to the increase of QD size with maintaining its composition during the post GI. On the other hand, when using SBLs with the 15 and 20% In contents, the size of QDs increased, but its density was a little reduced. In addition, PL results were observed blue-shifted by about 20 meV and 2 meV, respectively. Considering the interruption of source gases during the post GI, these observations are strong evidence of the Ga incorporation from 15 and 20% In content SBLs. Therefore, these results imply that the dominant mechanism which increases the size of QDs during the post GI depends on the growth condition of SBL.

  1. Quantitative self-assembly prediction yields targeted nanomedicines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamay, Yosi; Shah, Janki; Işık, Mehtap; Mizrachi, Aviram; Leibold, Josef; Tschaharganeh, Darjus F.; Roxbury, Daniel; Budhathoki-Uprety, Januka; Nawaly, Karla; Sugarman, James L.; Baut, Emily; Neiman, Michelle R.; Dacek, Megan; Ganesh, Kripa S.; Johnson, Darren C.; Sridharan, Ramya; Chu, Karen L.; Rajasekhar, Vinagolu K.; Lowe, Scott W.; Chodera, John D.; Heller, Daniel A.

    2018-02-01

    Development of targeted nanoparticle drug carriers often requires complex synthetic schemes involving both supramolecular self-assembly and chemical modification. These processes are generally difficult to predict, execute, and control. We describe herein a targeted drug delivery system that is accurately and quantitatively predicted to self-assemble into nanoparticles based on the molecular structures of precursor molecules, which are the drugs themselves. The drugs assemble with the aid of sulfated indocyanines into particles with ultrahigh drug loadings of up to 90%. We devised quantitative structure-nanoparticle assembly prediction (QSNAP) models to identify and validate electrotopological molecular descriptors as highly predictive indicators of nano-assembly and nanoparticle size. The resulting nanoparticles selectively targeted kinase inhibitors to caveolin-1-expressing human colon cancer and autochthonous liver cancer models to yield striking therapeutic effects while avoiding pERK inhibition in healthy skin. This finding enables the computational design of nanomedicines based on quantitative models for drug payload selection.

  2. Structural Polymorphism in a Self-Assembled Tri-Aromatic Peptide System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Noam; Lei, Jiangtao; Zhan, Chendi; Shimon, Linda J W; Adler-Abramovich, Lihi; Wei, Guanghong; Gazit, Ehud

    2018-04-24

    Self-assembly is a process of key importance in natural systems and in nanotechnology. Peptides are attractive building blocks due to their relative facile synthesis, biocompatibility, and other unique properties. Diphenylalanine (FF) and its derivatives are known to form nanostructures of various architectures and interesting and varied characteristics. The larger triphenylalanine peptide (FFF) was found to self-assemble as efficiently as FF, forming related but distinct architectures of plate-like and spherical nanostructures. Here, to understand the effect of triaromatic systems on the self-assembly process, we examined carboxybenzyl-protected diphenylalanine (z-FF) as a minimal model for such an arrangement. We explored different self-assembly conditions by changing solvent compositions and peptide concentrations, generating a phase diagram for the assemblies. We discovered that z-FF can form a variety of structures, including nanowires, fibers, nanospheres, and nanotoroids, the latter were previously observed only in considerably larger or co-assembly systems. Secondary structure analysis revealed that all assemblies possessed a β-sheet conformation. Additionally, in solvent combinations with high water ratios, z-FF formed rigid and self-healing hydrogels. X-ray crystallography revealed a "wishbone" structure, in which z-FF dimers are linked by hydrogen bonds mediated by methanol molecules, with a 2-fold screw symmetry along the c-axis. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed conformations similar to the crystal structure. Coarse-grained MD simulated the assembly of the peptide into either fibers or spheres in different solvent systems, consistent with the experimental results. This work thus expands the building block library for the fabrication of nanostructures by peptide self-assembly.

  3. Macroscopic magnetic Self assembly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Löthman, Per Arvid

    2018-01-01

    Exploring the macroscopic scale's similarities to the microscale is part and parcel of this thesis as reflected in the research question: what can we learn about the microscopic scale by studying the macroscale? Investigations of the environment in which the self-assembly takes place, and the

  4. Quantum Nanostructures by Droplet Epitaxy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somsak Panyakeow

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Droplet epitaxy is an alternative growth technique for several quantum nanostructures. Indium droplets are distributed randomly on GaAs substrates at low temperatures (120-350'C. Under background pressure of group V elements, Arsenic and Phosphorous, InAs and InP nanostructures are created. Quantum rings with isotropic shape are obtained at low temperature range. When the growth thickness is increased, quantum rings are transformed to quantum dot rings. At high temperature range, anisotropic strain gives rise to quantum rings with square holes and non-uniform ring stripe. Regrowth of quantum dots on these anisotropic quantum rings, Quadra-Quantum Dots (QQDs could be realized. Potential applications of these quantum nanostructures are also discussed.

  5. Three dimensional atom probe imaging of GaAsSb quantum rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beltran, A.M.; Marquis, E.A.; Taboada, A.G.; Ripalda, J.M.; Garcia, J.M.; Molina, S.I.

    2011-01-01

    Unambiguous evidence of ring-shaped self-assembled GaSb nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy is presented on the basis of atom-probe tomography reconstructions and dark field transmission electron microscopy imaging. The GaAs capping process causes a strong segregation of Sb out of the center of GaSb quantum dots, leading to the self-assembled GaAs x Sb 1-x quantum rings of 20-30 nm in diameter with x∼0.33. -- Highlights: → Atom-probe tomography resolves QR morphology of GaSb self-assembled GaSb buried nanostructures. → From atom-probe tomography compositional distribution has been obtained. → Strong segregation and morphological changes are observed with respect to uncapped QR.

  6. Spatially correlated two-dimensional arrays of semiconductor and metal quantum dots in GaAs-based heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nevedomskiy, V. N.; Bert, N. A.; Chaldyshev, V. V.; Preobrazhernskiy, V. V.; Putyato, M. A.; Semyagin, B. R.

    2015-01-01

    A single molecular-beam epitaxy process is used to produce GaAs-based heterostructures containing two-dimensional arrays of InAs semiconductor quantum dots and AsSb metal quantum dots. The twodimensional array of AsSb metal quantum dots is formed by low-temperature epitaxy which provides a large excess of arsenic in the epitaxial GaAs layer. During the growth of subsequent layers at a higher temperature, excess arsenic forms nanoinclusions, i.e., metal quantum dots in the GaAs matrix. The two-dimensional array of such metal quantum dots is created by the δ doping of a low-temperature GaAs layer with antimony which serves as a precursor for the heterogeneous nucleation of metal quantum dots and accumulates in them with the formation of AsSb metal alloy. The two-dimensional array of InAs semiconductor quantum dots is formed via the Stranski–Krastanov mechanism at the GaAs surface. Between the arrays of metal and semiconductor quantum dots, a 3-nm-thick AlAs barrier layer is grown. The total spacing between the arrays of metal and semiconductor quantum dots is 10 nm. Electron microscopy of the structure shows that the arrangement of metal quantum dots and semiconductor quantum dots in the two-dimensional arrays is spatially correlated. The spatial correlation is apparently caused by elastic strain and stress fields produced by both AsSb metal and InAs semiconductor quantum dots in the GaAs matrix

  7. Quantum Sensing of Mechanical Motion with a Single InAs Quantum Dot

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    Wenner, J. M. Martinis, and A. N. Cleland, “ Quantum ground state and single- phonon control of a mechanical resonator.,” Nature, vol. 464, no...G. Nogues, S. Seidelin, J. Poizat, O. Arcizet, and M. Richard, “Strain-mediated coupling in a quantum dot- mechanical oscillator hybrid system...Pos 4 Dep 5 School of N upling quantu ctive for funda dded a semico nical resonat vances in thi es large ch ell as the spin for quantum s antum Dots

  8. Self-assembly behaviour of conjugated terthiophene surfactants in water

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rijn, Patrick; Janeliunas, Dainius; Brizard, Aurelie M.; Stuart, Marc C. A.; Koper, Ger J. M.; Eelkema, Rienk; van Esch, Jan H.

    2011-01-01

    Conjugated self-assembled systems in water are of great interest because of their potential application in biocompatible supramolecular electronics, but so far their supramolecular chemistry remains almost unexplored. Here we present amphiphilic terthiophenes as a general self-assembling platform

  9. Manipulating surface diffusion and elastic interactions to obtain quantum dot multilayer arrangements over different length scales

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Placidi, E., E-mail: ernesto.placidi@ism.cnr.it; Arciprete, F. [Istituto di Struttura della Materia, CNR, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome (Italy); Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Dipartimento di Fisica, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome (Italy); Latini, V.; Latini, S.; Patella, F. [Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Dipartimento di Fisica, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome (Italy); Magri, R. [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Informatiche e Matematiche (FIM), Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, and Centro S3 CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, Via Campi 213/A, 4100 Modena (Italy); Scuderi, M.; Nicotra, G. [CNR-IMM, Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania (Italy)

    2014-09-15

    An innovative multilayer growth of InAs quantum dots on GaAs(100) is demonstrated to lead to self-aggregation of correlated quantum dot chains over mesoscopic distances. The fundamental idea is that at critical growth conditions is possible to drive the dot nucleation only at precise locations corresponding to the local minima of the Indium chemical potential. Differently from the known dot multilayers, where nucleation of new dots on top of the buried ones is driven by the surface strain originating from the dots below, here the spatial correlations and nucleation of additional dots are mostly dictated by a self-engineering of the surface occurring during the growth, close to the critical conditions for dot formation under the fixed oblique direction of the incoming As flux, that drives the In surface diffusion.

  10. Amphiphilic building blocks for self-assembly: from amphiphiles to supra-amphiphiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Wang, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Xi

    2012-04-17

    The process of self-assembly spontaneously creates well-defined structures from various chemical building blocks. Self-assembly can include different levels of complexity: it can be as simple as the dimerization of two small building blocks driven by hydrogen bonding or as complicated as a cell membrane, a remarkable supramolecular architecture created by a bilayer of phospholipids embedded with functional proteins. The study of self-assembly in simple systems provides a fundamental understanding of the driving forces and cooperativity behind these processes. Once the rules are understood, these guidelines can facilitate the research of highly complex self-assembly processes. Among the various components for self-assembly, an amphiphilic molecule, which contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, forms one of the most powerful building blocks. When amphiphiles are dispersed in water, the hydrophilic component of the amphiphile preferentially interacts with the aqueous phase while the hydrophobic portion tends to reside in the air or in the nonpolar solvent. Therefore, the amphiphiles aggregate to form different molecular assemblies based on the repelling and coordinating forces between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts of the component molecules and the surrounding medium. In contrast to conventional amphiphiles, supra-amphiphiles are constructed on the basis of noncovalent interactions or dynamic covalent bonds. In supra-amphiphiles, the functional groups can be attached to the amphiphiles by noncovalent synthesis, greatly speeding their construction. The building blocks for supra-amphiphiles can be either small organic molecules or polymers. Advances in the development of supra-amphiphiles will not only enrich the family of conventional amphiphiles that are based on covalent bonds but will also provide a new kind of building block for the preparation of complex self-assemblies. When polymers are used to construct supra-amphiphiles, the resulting

  11. Quantum plasmon and Rashba-like spin splitting in self-assembled Co x C60 composites with enhanced Co content (x > 15)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavrentiev, Vasily; Chvostova, Dagmar; Stupakov, Alexandr; Lavrentieva, Inna; Vacik, Jiri; Motylenko, Mykhaylo; Barchuk, Mykhailo; Rafaja, David; Dejneka, Alexandr

    2018-04-01

    Driving by interplay between plasmonic and magnetic effects in organic composite semiconductors is a challenging task with a huge potential for practical applications. Here, we present evidence of a quantum plasmon excited in the self-assembled Co x C60 nanocomposite films with x > 15 (interval of the Co cluster coalescence) and analyse it using the optical absorption (OA) spectra. In the case of Co x C60 film with x = 16 (LF sample), the quantum plasmon generated by the Co/CoO clusters is found as the 1.5 eV-centred OA peak. This finding is supported by the establishment of four specific C60-related OA lines detected at the photon energies E p > 2.5 eV. Increase of the Co content up to x = 29 (HF sample) leads to pronounced enhancement of OA intensity in the energy range of E p > 2.5 eV and to plasmonic peak downshift of 0.2 eV with respect to the peak position in the LF spectrum. Four pairs of the OA peaks evaluated in the HF spectrum at E p > 2.5 eV reflect splitting of the C60-related lines, suggesting great change in the microscopic conditions with increasing x. Analysis of the film nanostructure and the plasmon-induced conditions allows us to propose a Rashba-like spin splitting effect that suggests valuable sources for spin polarization.

  12. Mesoscopic Self-Assembly: A Shift to Complexity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Massimo eMastrangeli

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available By focusing on the construction of thermodynamically stable structures, the self-assembly of mesoscopic systems has proven capable of formidable achievements in the bottom-up engineering of micro- and nanosystems. Yet, inspired by an analogous evolution in supramolecular chemistry, synthetic mesoscopic self-assembly may have a lot more ahead, within reach of a shift toward fully three-dimensional architectures, collective interactions of building blocks and kinetic control. All over these challenging fronts, complexity holds the key.

  13. Self-assembling peptide-based building blocks in medical applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Acar, Handan; Srivastava, Samanvaya; Chung, Eun Ji; Schnorenberg, Mathew R.; Barrett, John C.; LaBelle, James L.; Tirrell, Matthew

    2017-02-01

    Peptides and peptide-conjugates, comprising natural and synthetic building blocks, are an increasingly popular class of biomaterials. Self-assembled nanostructures based on peptides and peptide-conjugates offer advantages such as precise selectivity and multifunctionality that can address challenges and limitations in the clinic. In this review article, we discuss recent developments in the design and self-assembly of various nanomaterials based on peptides and peptide-conjugates for medical applications, and categorize them into two themes based on the driving forces of molecular self-assembly. First, we present the self-assembled nanostructures driven by the supramolecular interactions between the peptides, with or without the presence of conjugates. The studies where nanoassembly is driven by the interactions between the conjugates of peptide-conjugates are then presented. Particular emphasis is given to in vivo studies focusing on therapeutics, diagnostics, immune modulation and regenerative medicine. Finally, challenges and future perspectives are presented.

  14. Watching Nanoscale Self-Assembly Kinetics of Gold Prisms in Liquids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Juyeong; Ou, Zihao; Jones, Matthew R.; Chen, Qian

    We use liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to watch self-assembly of gold triangular prisms into polymer-like structures. The in situ dynamics monitoring enabled by liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, single nanoparticle tracking, and the marked conceptual similarity between molecular reactions and nanoparticle self-assembly combined elucidate the following mechanistic understanding: a step-growth polymerization based assembly statistics, kinetic pathways sampling particle curvature dependent energy minima and their interconversions, and directed assembly into polymorphs (linear or cyclic chains) through in situ modulation of the prism bonding geometry. Our study bridges the constituent kinetics on the molecular and nanoparticle length scales, which enriches the design rules in directed self-assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles.

  15. Opal-like Multicolor Appearance of Self-Assembled Photonic Array.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnon, Zohar A; Pinotsi, Dorothea; Schmidt, Matthias; Gilead, Sharon; Guterman, Tom; Sadhanala, Aditya; Ahmad, Shahab; Levin, Aviad; Walther, Paul; Kaminski, Clemens F; Fändrich, Marcus; Kaminski Schierle, Gabriele S; Adler-Abramovich, Lihi; Shimon, Linda J W; Gazit, Ehud

    2018-06-20

    Molecular self-assembly of short peptide building blocks leads to the formation of various material architectures that may possess unique physical properties. Recent studies had confirmed the key role of biaromaticity in peptide self-assembly, with the diphenylalanine (FF) structural family as an archetypal model. Another significant direction in the molecular engineering of peptide building blocks is the use of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) modification, which promotes the assembly process and may result in nanostructures with distinctive features and macroscopic hydrogel with supramolecular features and nanoscale order. Here, we explored the self-assembly of the protected, noncoded fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-β,β-diphenyl-Ala-OH (Fmoc-Dip) amino acid. This process results in the formation of elongated needle-like crystals with notable aromatic continuity. By altering the assembly conditions, arrays of spherical particles were formed that exhibit strong light scattering. These arrays display vivid coloration, strongly resembling the appearance of opal gemstones. However, unlike the Rayleigh scattering effect produced by the arrangement of opal, the described optical phenomenon is attributed to Mie scattering. Moreover, by controlling the solution evaporation rate, i.e., the assembly kinetics, we were able to manipulate the resulting coloration. This work demonstrates a bottom-up approach, utilizing self-assembly of a protected amino acid minimal building block, to create arrays of organic, light-scattering colorful surfaces.

  16. Recent progress in self-assembled quantum-dot optical devices for optical telecommunication: temperature-insensitive 10 Gb s-1 directly modulated lasers and 40 Gb s-1 signal-regenerative amplifiers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugawara, M; Hatori, N; Ishida, M; Ebe, H; Arakawa, Y; Akiyama, T; Otsubo, K; Yamamoto, T; Nakata, Y

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents recent progress in the field of semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers with InAs-based self-assembled quantum dots in the active region for optical telecommunication. Based on our design in terms of the maximum bandwidth for high-speed modulation and p-type doping in quantum dots for high temperature stability, we realized temperature-insensitive 10 Gb s -1 laser diodes on a GaAs substrate at 1.3 μm. The output waveform at 10 Gb s -1 maintained a clear eye opening, average output power and extinction ratio without current adjustments from 20 deg. C to 70 deg. C. We developed ultrawide-band high-power amplifiers in the 1.5 μm wavelength region on an InP substrate. The amplifier showed ultrafast gain response under gain saturation, and enabled signal regeneration at 40 Gb s -1 by suppressing the '1'-level noise due to the beating between the signal and amplified spontaneous emission. We present our amplifier module with polarization diversity to enable a stable polarization-insensitive performance, and also, discuss prospects for polarization-insensitive quantum dots by the close stacking technique

  17. Construction of energy transfer pathways self-assembled from DNA-templated stacks of anthracene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwaura, Rika; Yui, Hiroharu; Someya, Yuu; Ohnishi-Kameyama, Mayumi

    2014-01-05

    We describe optical properties of anthracene stacks formed from single-component self-assembly of thymidylic acid-appended anthracene 2,6-bis[5-(3'-thymidylic acid)pentyloxy] anthracene (TACT) and the binary self-assembly of TACT and complementary 20-meric oligoadenylic acid (TACT/dA20) in an aqueous buffer. UV-Vis and emission spectra for the single-component self-assembly of TACT and the binary self-assembly of TACT/dA20 were very consistent with stacked acene moieties in both self-assemblies. Interestingly, time-resolved fluorescence spectra from anthracene stacks exhibited very different features of the single-component and binary self-assemblies. In the single-component self-assembly of TACT, a dynamic Stokes shift (DSS) and relatively short fluorescence lifetime (τ=0.35ns) observed at around 450nm suggested that the anthracene moieties were flexible. Moreover, a broad emission at 530nm suggested the formation of an excited dimer (excimer). In the binary self-assembly of TACT/dA20, we detected a broad, red-shifted emission component at 534nm with a lifetime (τ=0.4ns) shorter than that observed in the TACT single-component self-assembly. Combining these results with the emission spectrum of the binary self-assembly of TACT/5'-HEX dA20, we concluded that the energy transfer pathway was constructed by columnar anthracene stacks formed from the DNA-templated self-assembly of TACT. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Controlling Self-Assembly in Al(110) Homoepitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwary, Yogesh; Fichthorn, Kristen

    2010-03-01

    Homoepitaxial growth on Al(110) exhibits nanoscale self-assembly into huts with well-defined (100) and (111) facets [1]. Although some of the diffusion mechanisms underlying this kinetic self-assembly were identified and incorporated into a two-dimensional model [2], we used density-functional theory (DFT) to identify many other mechanisms that are needed to describe the three-dimensional assembly seen experimentally [3]. We developed a three-dimensional kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model of Al(110) homoepitaxy. The inputs to the model were obtained from DFT [3,4]. Our model is in agreement with experimentally observed trends for this system. We used KMC to predict self-assembly under various growth conditions. To achieve precise placement of Al nanohuts, we simulated thermal-field-directed assembly [5]. Our results indicate that this technique can be used to create uniform arrays of nanostructures. [1] F. Buatier de Mongeot, W. Zhu, A. Molle, R. Buzio, C. Boragno, U. Valbusa, E. Wang, and Z. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 016102 (2003). [2] W. Zhu, F. Buatier de Mongeot, U. Valbusa, E. G. Wang, and Z. Y. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 106102 (2004). [3] Y. Tiwary and K. A. Fichthorn, submitted to Phys. Rev. B. [4] Y. Tiwary and K. A. Fichthorn, Phys. Rev. B 78, 205418 (2008). [5] C. Zhang and R. Kalyanaraman, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4827 (2003).

  19. Electrodynamic tailoring of self-assembled three-dimensional electrospun constructs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Tiago C.; Correia, Ilídio J.; Aguiar-Ricardo, Ana

    2013-07-01

    The rational design of three-dimensional electrospun constructs (3DECs) can lead to striking topographies and tailored shapes of electrospun materials. This new generation of materials is suppressing some of the current limitations of the usual 2D non-woven electrospun fiber mats, such as small pore sizes or only flat shaped constructs. Herein, we pursued an explanation for the self-assembly of 3DECs based on electrodynamic simulations and experimental validation. We concluded that the self-assembly process is driven by the establishment of attractive electrostatic forces between the positively charged aerial fibers and the already collected ones, which tend to acquire a negatively charged network oriented towards the nozzle. The in situ polarization degree is strengthened by higher amounts of clustered fibers, and therefore the initial high density fibrous regions are the preliminary motifs for the self-assembly mechanism. As such regions increase their in situ polarization electrostatic repulsive forces will appear, favoring a competitive growth of these self-assembled fibrous clusters. Highly polarized regions will evidence higher distances between consecutive micro-assembled fibers (MAFs). Different processing parameters - deposition time, electric field intensity, concentration of polymer solution, environmental temperature and relative humidity - were evaluated in an attempt to control material's design.The rational design of three-dimensional electrospun constructs (3DECs) can lead to striking topographies and tailored shapes of electrospun materials. This new generation of materials is suppressing some of the current limitations of the usual 2D non-woven electrospun fiber mats, such as small pore sizes or only flat shaped constructs. Herein, we pursued an explanation for the self-assembly of 3DECs based on electrodynamic simulations and experimental validation. We concluded that the self-assembly process is driven by the establishment of attractive

  20. Three-dimensional loop quantum gravity: towards a self-gravitating quantum field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noui, Karim

    2007-01-01

    In a companion paper, we have emphasized the role of the Drinfeld double DSU(2) in the context of three-dimensional Riemannian loop quantum gravity coupled to massive spinless point particles. We make use of this result to propose a model for a self-gravitating quantum field theory (massive spinless non-causal scalar field) in three-dimensional Riemannian space. We start by constructing the Fock space of the free self-gravitating field: the vacuum is the unique DSU(2) invariant state, one-particle states correspond to DSU(2) unitary irreducible simple representations and any multi-particles states are obtained as the symmetrized tensor product between simple representations. The associated quantum field is defined by the usual requirement of covariance under DSU(2). Then, we introduce a DSU(2)-invariant self-interacting potential (the obtained model is a group field theory) and explicitly compute the lowest order terms (in the self-interaction coupling constant λ) of the propagator and of the three-point function. Finally, we compute the lowest order quantum gravity corrections (in the Newton constant G) to the propagator and to the three-point function

  1. On the evolution of InAs thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the GaAs(001) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grabowski, Jan

    2010-01-01

    Semiconductor nanostructures are currently of high interest for a wide variety of electronic and optoelectronic applications. A large number of devices, in particular for the optical data transmission in the long-wavelength range, essential in modern communication, are based on InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) structures. Though the properties of the InAs/GaAs QDs have been extensively studied, only little is known about the formation and structure of the wetting layer (WL) yet. In the present work, the pathway of the InAs WL evolution is studied in detail. For this purpose, InAs thin films in the range of one monolayer (ML) are deposited on the GaAs(001) surface by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and studied by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and in particular by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The InAs thin films are grown in both typical growth regimes, on the GaAs-c(4 x 4) and the GaAs-β2(2 x 4) reconstructed surface, in a variety of thicknesses starting from submonolayers with 0.09 ML of InAs up to 1.65 ML of InAs exceeding the critical thickness for QD growth. In principle, three growth stages are found. At low InAs coverages, the indium adsorbs in agglomerations of typically eight In atoms at energetically preferable surface sites. In the STM images, the signatures of these In agglomerations appear with a clear bright contrast. A structural model for the initial formation of these signatures is presented, and its electronic and strain related properties are discussed. At an InAs coverage of about 0.67ML the initial surface transforms into a (4 x 3) reconstructed In 2/3 Ga 1/3 As ML and the detailed structure and strain properties of this surface are unraveled. On top of the InGaAs ML further deposited InAs forms a second layer, characterized by a typical zig-zag alignment of (2 x 4) reconstructed unit cells, with an alternating α2/α2-m configuration. In contrast to the previous surface reconstructions, where structural strain is

  2. On the evolution of InAs thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the GaAs(001) surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grabowski, Jan

    2010-12-14

    Semiconductor nanostructures are currently of high interest for a wide variety of electronic and optoelectronic applications. A large number of devices, in particular for the optical data transmission in the long-wavelength range, essential in modern communication, are based on InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) structures. Though the properties of the InAs/GaAs QDs have been extensively studied, only little is known about the formation and structure of the wetting layer (WL) yet. In the present work, the pathway of the InAs WL evolution is studied in detail. For this purpose, InAs thin films in the range of one monolayer (ML) are deposited on the GaAs(001) surface by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and studied by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and in particular by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The InAs thin films are grown in both typical growth regimes, on the GaAs-c(4 x 4) and the GaAs-{beta}2(2 x 4) reconstructed surface, in a variety of thicknesses starting from submonolayers with 0.09 ML of InAs up to 1.65 ML of InAs exceeding the critical thickness for QD growth. In principle, three growth stages are found. At low InAs coverages, the indium adsorbs in agglomerations of typically eight In atoms at energetically preferable surface sites. In the STM images, the signatures of these In agglomerations appear with a clear bright contrast. A structural model for the initial formation of these signatures is presented, and its electronic and strain related properties are discussed. At an InAs coverage of about 0.67ML the initial surface transforms into a (4 x 3) reconstructed In{sub 2/3}Ga{sub 1/3}As ML and the detailed structure and strain properties of this surface are unraveled. On top of the InGaAs ML further deposited InAs forms a second layer, characterized by a typical zig-zag alignment of (2 x 4) reconstructed unit cells, with an alternating {alpha}2/{alpha}2-m configuration. In contrast to the previous surface reconstructions, where

  3. Integrating DNA strand-displacement circuitry with DNA tile self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, David Yu; Hariadi, Rizal F.; Choi, Harry M.T.; Winfree, Erik

    2013-01-01

    DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a reliable and programmable way of controlling matter at the nanoscale through the specificity of Watson–Crick base pairing, allowing both complex self-assembled structures with nanometer precision and complex reaction networks implementing digital and analog behaviors. Here we show how two well-developed frameworks, DNA tile self-assembly and DNA strand-displacement circuits, can be systematically integrated to provide programmable kinetic control of self-assembly. We demonstrate the triggered and catalytic isothermal self-assembly of DNA nanotubes over 10 μm long from precursor DNA double-crossover tiles activated by an upstream DNA catalyst network. Integrating more sophisticated control circuits and tile systems could enable precise spatial and temporal organization of dynamic molecular structures. PMID:23756381

  4. Self-Assembly of Colloidal Particles

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    is self-assembly where one engineers interaction between nanoscopic building blocks so ..... big question in the field how this microscopic chirality of the virus gets translated ... shape emerges due to a competition between the surface tension.

  5. Balancing the intermolecular forces in peptide amphiphiles for controlling self-assembly transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buettner, C J; Wallace, A J; Ok, S; Manos, A A; Nicholl, M J; Ghosh, A; Tweedle, M F; Goldberger, J E

    2017-06-21

    While the influence of alkyl chain length and headgroup size on self-assembly behaviour has been well-established for simple surfactants, the rational control over the pH- and concentration-dependent self-assembly behaviour in stimuli responsive peptides remains an elusive goal. Here, we show that different amphiphilic peptides can have similar self-assembly phase diagrams, providing the relative strengths of the attractive and repulsive forces are balanced. Using palmitoyl-YYAAEEEEK(DO3A:Gd)-NH 2 and palmitoyl-YAAEEEEK(DO3A:Gd)-NH 2 as controls, we show that reducing hydrophobic attractive forces through fewer methylene groups in the alkyl chain will lead to a similar self-assembly phase diagram as increasing the electrostatic repulsive forces via the addition of a glutamic acid residue. These changes allow creation of self-assembled MRI vehicles with slightly different micelle and nanofiber diameters but with minimal changes in the spin-lattice T 1 relaxivity. These findings reveal a powerful strategy to design self-assembled vehicles with different sizes but with similar self-assembly profiles.

  6. Self-assembled domain structures: From micro- to nanoscale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Shur

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The recent achievements in studying the self-assembled evolution of micro- and nanoscale domain structures in uniaxial single crystalline ferroelectrics lithium niobate and lithium tantalate have been reviewed. The results obtained by visualization of static domain patterns and kinetics of the domain structure by different methods from common optical microscopy to more sophisticated scanning probe microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and confocal Raman microscopy, have been discussed. The kinetic approach based on various nucleation processes similar to the first-order phase transition was used for explanation of the domain structure evolution scenarios. The main mechanisms of self-assembling for nonequilibrium switching conditions caused by screening ineffectiveness including correlated nucleation, domain growth anisotropy, and domain–domain interaction have been considered. The formation of variety of self-assembled domain patterns such as fractal-type, finger and web structures, broad domain boundaries, and dendrites have been revealed at each of all five stages of domain structure evolution during polarization reversal. The possible applications of self-assembling for micro- and nanodomain engineering were reviewed briefly. The review covers mostly the results published by our research group.

  7. Polarized and resonant Raman spectroscopy on single InAs nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, M.; de Lima, M. M., Jr.; Cantarero, A.; Dacal, L. C. O.; Madureira, J. R.; Iikawa, F.; Chiaramonte, T.; Cotta, M. A.

    2011-08-01

    We report polarized Raman scattering and resonant Raman scattering studies on single InAs nanowires. Polarized Raman experiments show that the highest scattering intensity is obtained when both the incident and analyzed light polarizations are perpendicular to the nanowire axis. InAs wurtzite optical modes are observed. The obtained wurtzite modes are consistent with the selection rules and also with the results of calculations using an extended rigid-ion model. Additional resonant Raman scattering experiments reveal a redshifted E1 transition for InAs nanowires compared to the bulk zinc-blende InAs transition due to the dominance of the wurtzite phase in the nanowires. Ab initio calculations of the electronic band structure for wurtzite and zinc-blende InAs phases corroborate the observed values for the E1 transitions.

  8. Self-assembly of silver nanoparticles and bacteriophage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santi Scibilia

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Biohybrid nanostructured materials, composed of both inorganic nanoparticles and biomolecules, offer prospects for many new applications in extremely diverse fields such as chemistry, physics, engineering, medicine and nanobiotechnology. In the recent years, Phage display technique has been extensively used to generate phage clones displaying surface peptides with functionality towards organic materials. Screening and selection of phage displayed material binding peptides has attracted great interest because of their use for development of hybrid materials with multiple functionalities. Here, we present a self-assembly approach for the construction of hybrid nanostructured networks consisting of M13 P9b phage clone, specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, selected by Phage display technology, directly assembled with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, previously prepared by pulsed laser ablation. These networks are characterized by UV–vis optical spectroscopy, scanning/transmission electron microscopies and Raman spectroscopy. We investigated the influence of different ions and medium pH on self-assembly by evaluating different phage suspension buffers. The assembly of these networks is controlled by electrostatic interactions between the phage pVIII major capsid proteins and the AgNPs. The formation of the AgNPs-phage networks was obtained only in two types of tested buffers at a pH value near the isoelectric point of each pVIII proteins displayed on the surface of the clone. This systematic study allowed to optimize the synthesis procedure to assembly AgNPs and bacteriophage. Such networks find application in the biomedical field of advanced biosensing and targeted gene and drug delivery. Keywords: Phage display, Silver nanoparticles, Self-assembly, Hybrid architecture, Raman spectroscopy

  9. Driven self-assembly of hard nanoplates on soft elastic shells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yao-Yang; Hua Yun-Feng; Deng Zhen-Yu

    2015-01-01

    The driven self-assembly behaviors of hard nanoplates on soft elastic shells are investigated by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method, and the driven self-assembly structures of adsorbed hard nanoplates depend on the shape of hard nanoplates and the bending energy of soft elastic shells. Three main structures for adsorbed hard nanoplates, including the ordered aggregation structures of hard nanoplates for elastic shells with a moderate bending energy, the collapsed structures for elastic shells with a low bending energy, and the disordered aggregation structures for hard shells, are observed. The self-assembly process of adsorbed hard nanoplates is driven by the surface tension of the elastic shell, and the shape of driven self-assembly structures is determined on the basis of the minimization of the second moment of mass distribution. Meanwhile, the deformations of elastic shells can be controlled by the number of adsorbed rods as well as the length of adsorbed rods. This investigation can help us understand the complexity of the driven self-assembly of hard nanoplates on elastic shells. (paper)

  10. Micellar Self-Assembly of Recombinant Resilin-/Elastin-Like Block Copolypeptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weitzhandler, Isaac; Dzuricky, Michael; Hoffmann, Ingo; Garcia Quiroz, Felipe; Gradzielski, Michael; Chilkoti, Ashutosh

    2017-08-14

    Reported here is the synthesis of perfectly sequence defined, monodisperse diblock copolypeptides of hydrophilic elastin-like and hydrophobic resilin-like polypeptide blocks and characterization of their self-assembly as a function of structural parameters by light scattering, cryo-TEM, and small-angle neutron scattering. A subset of these diblock copolypeptides exhibit lower critical solution temperature and upper critical solution temperature phase behavior and self-assemble into spherical or cylindrical micelles. Their morphologies are dictated by their chain length, degree of hydrophilicity, and hydrophilic weight fraction of the ELP block. We find that (1) independent of the length of the corona-forming ELP block there is a minimum threshold in the length of the RLP block below which self-assembly does not occur, but that once that threshold is crossed, (2) the RLP block length is a unique molecular parameter to independently tune self-assembly and (3) increasing the hydrophobicity of the corona-forming ELP drives a transition from spherical to cylindrical morphology. Unlike the self-assembly of purely ELP-based block copolymers, the self-assembly of RLP-ELPs can be understood by simple principles of polymer physics relating hydrophilic weight fraction and polymer-polymer and polymer-solvent interactions to micellar morphology, which is important as it provides a route for the de novo design of desired nanoscale morphologies from first principles.

  11. Multicomponent and Dissipative Self-Assembly Approaches : Towards functional materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boekhoven, J.

    2012-01-01

    The use of self-assembly has proven to be a powerful approach to create smart and functional materials and has led to a vast variety of successful examples. However, the full potential of self-assembly has not been reached. Despite the number of successful artificial materials based on

  12. Quantum of optical absorption in two-dimensional semiconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Hui; Bechtel, Hans A; Plis, Elena; Martin, Michael C; Krishna, Sanjay; Yablonovitch, Eli; Javey, Ali

    2013-07-16

    The optical absorption properties of free-standing InAs nanomembranes of thicknesses ranging from 3 nm to 19 nm are investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Stepwise absorption at room temperature is observed, arising from the interband transitions between the subbands of 2D InAs nanomembranes. Interestingly, the absorptance associated with each step is measured to be ∼1.6%, independent of thickness of the membranes. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretically predicted absorptance quantum, AQ = πα/nc for each set of interband transitions in a 2D semiconductor, where α is the fine structure constant and nc is an optical local field correction factor. Absorptance quantization appears to be universal in 2D systems including III-V quantum wells and graphene.

  13. Programmed Nanomaterial Assemblies in Large Scales: Applications of Synthetic and Genetically- Engineered Peptides to Bridge Nano-Assemblies and Macro-Assemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsui, Hiroshi

    2014-09-09

    Work is reported in these areas: Large-scale & reconfigurable 3D structures of precise nanoparticle assemblies in self-assembled collagen peptide grids; Binary QD-Au NP 3D superlattices assembled with collagen-like peptides and energy transfer between QD and Au NP in 3D peptide frameworks; Catalytic peptides discovered by new hydrogel-based combinatorial phage display approach and their enzyme-mimicking 2D assembly; New autonomous motors of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) powered by reorganization of self-assembled peptides at interfaces; Biomimetic assembly of proteins into microcapsules on oil-in-water droplets with structural reinforcement via biomolecular recognition-based cross-linking of surface peptides; and Biomimetic fabrication of strong freestanding genetically-engineered collagen peptide films reinforced by quantum dot joints. We gained the broad knowledge about biomimetic material assembly from nanoscale to microscale ranges by coassembling peptides and NPs via biomolecular recognition. We discovered: Genetically-engineered collagen-like peptides can be self-assembled with Au NPs to generate 3D superlattices in large volumes (> μm{sup 3}); The assembly of the 3D peptide-Au NP superstructures is dynamic and the interparticle distance changes with assembly time as the reconfiguration of structure is triggered by pH change; QDs/NPs can be assembled with the peptide frameworks to generate 3D superlattices and these QDs/NPs can be electronically coupled for the efficient energy transfer; The controlled assembly of catalytic peptides mimicking the catalytic pocket of enzymes can catalyze chemical reactions with high selectivity; and, For the bacteria-mimicking swimmer fabrication, peptide-MOF superlattices can power translational and propellant motions by the reconfiguration of peptide assembly at the MOF-liquid interface.

  14. A Theoretical and Experimental Study of DNA Self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandran, Harish

    The control of matter and phenomena at the nanoscale is fast becoming one of the most important challenges of the 21st century with wide-ranging applications from energy and health care to computing and material science. Conventional top-down approaches to nanotechnology, having served us well for long, are reaching their inherent limitations. Meanwhile, bottom-up methods such as self-assembly are emerging as viable alternatives for nanoscale fabrication and manipulation. A particularly successful bottom up technique is DNA self-assembly where a set of carefully designed DNA strands form a nanoscale object as a consequence of specific, local interactions among the different components, without external direction. The final product of the self-assembly process might be a static nanostructure or a dynamic nanodevice that performs a specific function. Over the past two decades, DNA self-assembly has produced stunning nanoscale objects such as 2D and 3D lattices, polyhedra and addressable arbitrary shaped substrates, and a myriad of nanoscale devices such as molecular tweezers, computational circuits, biosensors and molecular assembly lines. In this dissertation we study multiple problems in the theory, simulations and experiments of DNA self-assembly. We extend the Turing-universal mathematical framework of self-assembly known as the Tile Assembly Model by incorporating randomization during the assembly process. This allows us to reduce the tile complexity of linear assemblies. We develop multiple techniques to build linear assemblies of expected length N using far fewer tile types than previously possible. We abstract the fundamental properties of DNA and develop a biochemical system, which we call meta-DNA, based entirely on strands of DNA as the only component molecule. We further develop various enzyme-free protocols to manipulate meta-DNA systems and provide strand level details along with abstract notations for these mechanisms. We simulate DNA circuits by

  15. Observation of infrared absorption of InAs quantum dot structures in AlGaAs matrix toward high-efficiency solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshikawa, Hirofumi; Watanabe, Katsuyuki; Kotani, Teruhisa; Izumi, Makoto; Iwamoto, Satoshi; Arakawa, Yasuhiko

    2018-06-01

    In accordance with the detailed balance limit model of single-intermediate-band solar cells (IBSCs), the optimum matrix bandgap and IB–conduction band (CB) energy gap are ∼1.9 and 0.7 eV, respectively. We present the room-temperature polarized infrared absorption of 20 stacked InAs quantum dot (QD) structures in the Al0.32Ga0.68As matrix with a bandgap of ∼1.9 eV for the design of high-efficiency IBSCs by using a multipass waveguide geometry. We find that the IB–CB absorption is almost independent of the light polarization, and estimate the magnitude of the absorption per QD layer to be ∼0.01%. We also find that the IB–CB absorption edge of QD structures with a wide-gap matrix is ∼0.41 eV. These results indicate that both the significant increase in the magnitude of IB–CB absorption and the lower energy of the IB state for the higher IB–CB energy gap are necessary toward the realization of high-efficiency IBSCs.

  16. Homochiral Evolution in Self-Assembled Chiral Polymers and Block Copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Tao; Wang, Hsiao-Fang; Li, Ming-Chia; Ho, Rong-Ming

    2017-04-18

    The significance of chirality transfer is not only involved in biological systems, such as the origin of homochiral structures in life but also in man-made chemicals and materials. How the chiral bias transfers from molecular level (molecular chirality) to helical chain (conformational chirality) and then to helical superstructure or phase (hierarchical chirality) from self-assembly is vital for the chemical and biological processes in nature, such as communication, replication, and enzyme catalysis. In this Account, we summarize the methodologies for the examination of homochiral evolution at different length scales based on our recent studies with respect to the self-assembly of chiral polymers and chiral block copolymers (BCPs*). A helical (H*) phase to distinguish its P622 symmetry from that of normal hexagonally packed cylinder phase was discovered in the self-assembly of BCPs* due to the chirality effect on BCP self-assembly. Enantiomeric polylactide-containing BCPs*, polystyrene-b-poly(l-lactide) (PS-PLLA) and polystyrene-b-poly(d-lactide) (PS-PDLA), were synthesized for the examination of homochiral evolution. The optical activity (molecular chirality) of constituted chiral repeating unit in the chiral polylactide is detected by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) whereas the conformational chirality of helical polylactide chain can be explicitly determined by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). The H* phases of the self-assembled polylactide-containing BCPs* can be directly visualized by 3D transmission electron microscopy (3D TEM) technique at which the handedness (hierarchical chirality) of the helical nanostructure is thus determined. The results from the ECD, VCD, and 3D TEM for the investigated chirality at different length scales suggest the homochiral evolution in the self-assembly of the BCPs*. For chiral polylactides, twisted lamellae in crystalline banded spherulite can be formed by dense packing scheme and effective interactions upon helical

  17. Functional self-assembled lipidic systems derived from renewable resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silverman, Julian R; Samateh, Malick; John, George

    2016-01-01

    Self-assembled lipidic amphiphile systems can create a variety of multi-functional soft materials with value-added properties. When employing natural reagents and following biocatalytic syntheses, self-assembling monomers may be inherently designed for degradation, making them potential alternatives to conventional and persistent polymers. By using non-covalent forces, self-assembled amphiphiles can form nanotubes, fibers, and other stimuli responsive architectures prime for further applied research and incorporation into commercial products. By viewing these lipid derivatives under a lens of green principles, there is the hope that in developing a structure-function relationship and functional smart materials that research may remain safe, economic, and efficient.

  18. Self-assembled three-dimensional chiral colloidal architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Zion, Matan Yah; He, Xiaojin; Maass, Corinna C.; Sha, Ruojie; Seeman, Nadrian C.; Chaikin, Paul M.

    2017-11-01

    Although stereochemistry has been a central focus of the molecular sciences since Pasteur, its province has previously been restricted to the nanometric scale. We have programmed the self-assembly of micron-sized colloidal clusters with structural information stemming from a nanometric arrangement. This was done by combining DNA nanotechnology with colloidal science. Using the functional flexibility of DNA origami in conjunction with the structural rigidity of colloidal particles, we demonstrate the parallel self-assembly of three-dimensional microconstructs, evincing highly specific geometry that includes control over position, dihedral angles, and cluster chirality.

  19. INA-Rxiv: The Missing Puzzle in Indonesia’s Scientific Publishing Workflow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, R.; Irawan, D. E.; Zulfikar, A.; Hardi, R.; Arliman S, L.; Gultom, E. R.; Ginting, G.; Wahyuni, S. S.; Mesran, M.; Mahjudin, M.; Saputra, I.; Waruwu, F. T.; Suginam, S.; Buulolo, E.; Abraham, J.

    2018-04-01

    INA-Rxiv is the first Indonesia preprint server marking the new development initiated by the open science community. This study aimed at describing the development of INA-Rxiv and its conversations. It usedanalyzer of Inarxiv.id, WhatsApp Group Analyzer, and Twitter Analytics as the tools for data analysis complemented with observation.The results showed that INA-Rxiv users are growing because of the numerous discussions in social media, e.g.WhatsApp,as well as some other positive response of writers who have been using INA- Rxiv. The perspective of growth mindset and the implication of INA-Rxiv movement for filling up the gap in accelerating scientific dissemination process are presented at the end of this article.

  20. Loop quantum cosmology with self-dual variables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson-Ewing, Edward

    2015-12-01

    Using the complex-valued self-dual connection variables, the loop quantum cosmology of a closed Friedmann space-time coupled to a massless scalar field is studied. It is shown how the reality conditions can be imposed in the quantum theory by choosing a particular inner product for the kinematical Hilbert space. While holonomies of the self-dual Ashtekar connection are not well defined in the kinematical Hilbert space, it is possible to introduce a family of generalized holonomylike operators of which some are well defined; these operators in turn are used in the definition of the Hamiltonian constraint operator where the scalar field can be used as a relational clock. The resulting quantum theory is closely related, although not identical, to standard loop quantum cosmology constructed from the Ashtekar-Barbero variables with a real Immirzi parameter. Effective Friedmann equations are derived which provide a good approximation to the full quantum dynamics for sharply peaked states whose volume remains much larger than the Planck volume, and they show that for these states quantum gravity effects resolve the big-bang and big-crunch singularities and replace them by a nonsingular bounce. Finally, the loop quantization in self-dual variables of a flat Friedmann space-time is recovered in the limit of zero spatial curvature and is identical to the standard loop quantization in terms of the real-valued Ashtekar-Barbero variables.

  1. 22 CFR 40.68 - Aliens subject to INA 222(g).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Aliens subject to INA 222(g). 40.68 Section 40... § 40.68 Aliens subject to INA 222(g). An alien who, under the provisions of INA 222(g), has voided a... new nonimmigrant visa unless the alien complies with the requirements in 22 CFR 41.101 (b) or (c...

  2. Three dimensional atom probe imaging of GaAsSb quantum rings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beltrán, A M; Marquis, E A; Taboada, A G; Ripalda, J M; García, J M; Molina, S I

    2011-07-01

    Unambiguous evidence of ring-shaped self-assembled GaSb nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy is presented on the basis of atom-probe tomography reconstructions and dark field transmission electron microscopy imaging. The GaAs capping process causes a strong segregation of Sb out of the center of GaSb quantum dots, leading to the self-assembled GaAs(x)Sb(1-x) quantum rings of 20-30 nm in diameter with x ∼ 0.33. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Towards self-correcting quantum memories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michnicki, Kamil

    This thesis presents a model of self-correcting quantum memories where quantum states are encoded using topological stabilizer codes and error correction is done using local measurements and local dynamics. Quantum noise poses a practical barrier to developing quantum memories. This thesis explores two types of models for suppressing noise. One model suppresses thermalizing noise energetically by engineering a Hamiltonian with a high energy barrier between code states. Thermalizing dynamics are modeled phenomenologically as a Markovian quantum master equation with only local generators. The second model suppresses stochastic noise with a cellular automaton that performs error correction using syndrome measurements and a local update rule. Several ways of visualizing and thinking about stabilizer codes are presented in order to design ones that have a high energy barrier: the non-local Ising model, the quasi-particle graph and the theory of welded stabilizer codes. I develop the theory of welded stabilizer codes and use it to construct a code with the highest known energy barrier in 3-d for spin Hamiltonians: the welded solid code. Although the welded solid code is not fully self correcting, it has some self correcting properties. It has an increased memory lifetime for an increased system size up to a temperature dependent maximum. One strategy for increasing the energy barrier is by mediating an interaction with an external system. I prove a no-go theorem for a class of Hamiltonians where the interaction terms are local, of bounded strength and commute with the stabilizer group. Under these conditions the energy barrier can only be increased by a multiplicative constant. I develop cellular automaton to do error correction on a state encoded using the toric code. The numerical evidence indicates that while there is no threshold, the model can extend the memory lifetime significantly. While of less theoretical importance, this could be practical for real

  4. Self-guaranteed measurement-based quantum computation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Masahito; Hajdušek, Michal

    2018-05-01

    In order to guarantee the output of a quantum computation, we usually assume that the component devices are trusted. However, when the total computation process is large, it is not easy to guarantee the whole system when we have scaling effects, unexpected noise, or unaccounted for correlations between several subsystems. If we do not trust the measurement basis or the prepared entangled state, we do need to be worried about such uncertainties. To this end, we propose a self-guaranteed protocol for verification of quantum computation under the scheme of measurement-based quantum computation where no prior-trusted devices (measurement basis or entangled state) are needed. The approach we present enables the implementation of verifiable quantum computation using the measurement-based model in the context of a particular instance of delegated quantum computation where the server prepares the initial computational resource and sends it to the client, who drives the computation by single-qubit measurements. Applying self-testing procedures, we are able to verify the initial resource as well as the operation of the quantum devices and hence the computation itself. The overhead of our protocol scales with the size of the initial resource state to the power of 4 times the natural logarithm of the initial state's size.

  5. A Precisely Assembled Carbon Source to Synthesize Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots for Sensing Probes and Bioimaging Agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Yiqiang; Luo, Dan; Yu, Min; Zhang, Ting; Cao, Xuanping; Zhou, Yanheng; Liu, Yan

    2018-02-09

    A broad range of carbon sources have been used to fabricate varieties of carbon quantum dots (CQDs). However, the majority of these studies concern the influence of primary structures and chemical compositions of precursors on the CQDs; it is still unclear whether or not the superstructures of carbon sources have effects on the physiochemical properties of the synthetic CQDs. In this work, the concept of molecular assembly is first introduced into the design of a new carbon source. Compared with the tropocollagen molecules, the hierarchically assembled collagen scaffolds, as a new carbon source, immobilize functional groups of the precursors through hydrogen bonds, electrostatic attraction, and hydrophobic forces. Moreover, the accumulation of functional groups in collagen self-assembly further promotes the covalent bond formation in the obtained CQDs through a hydrothermal process. Both of these two chemical superiorities give rise to high quality CQDs with enhanced emission. The assembled collagen scaffold-based CQDs with heteroatom doping exhibit superior stability, and could be further applied as effective fluorescent probes for Fe 3+ detection and cellular cytosol imaging. These findings open a wealth of possibilities to explore more nanocarbons from precursors with assembled superstructures. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Identification of Factors Promoting HBV Capsid Self-Assembly by Assembly-Promoting Antivirals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rath, Soumya Lipsa; Liu, Huihui; Okazaki, Susumu; Shinoda, Wataru

    2018-02-26

    Around 270 million individuals currently live with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Heteroaryldihydropyrimidines (HAPs) are a family of antivirals that target the HBV capsid protein and induce aberrant self-assembly. The capsids formed resemble the native capsid structure but are unable to propagate the virus progeny because of a lack of RNA/DNA. Under normal conditions, self-assembly is initiated by the viral genome. The mode of action of HAPs, however, remains largely unknown. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations, we attempted to understand the action of HAP by comparing the dynamics of capsid proteins with and without HAPs. We found that the inhibitor is more stable in higher oligomers. It retains its stability in the hexamer throughout 1 μs of simulation. Our results also show that the inhibitor might help in stabilizing the C-terminus, the HBc 149-183 arginine-rich domain of the capsid protein. The C-termini of dimers interact with each other, assisted by the HAP inhibitor. During capsid assembly, the termini are supposed to directly interact with the viral genome, thereby suggesting that the viral genome might work in a similar way to stabilize the capsid protein. Our results may help in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of HBV capsid self-assembly, which should be crucial for exploring new drug targets and structure-based drug design.

  7. Site-Control of InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots with Indium-Assisted Deoxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajid Hussain

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Site-controlled epitaxial growth of InAs quantum dots on GaAs substrates patterned with periodic nanohole arrays relies on the deterministic nucleation of dots into the holes. In the ideal situation, each hole should be occupied exactly by one single dot, with no nucleation onto planar areas. However, the single-dot occupancy per hole is often made difficult by the fact that lithographically-defined holes are generally much larger than the dots, thus providing several nucleation sites per hole. In addition, deposition of a thin GaAs buffer before the dots tends to further widen the holes in the [110] direction. We have explored a method of native surface oxide removal by using indium beams, which effectively prevents hole elongation along [110] and greatly helps single-dot occupancy per hole. Furthermore, as compared to Ga-assisted deoxidation, In-assisted deoxidation is efficient in completely removing surface contaminants, and any excess In can be easily re-desorbed thermally, thus leaving a clean, smooth GaAs surface. Low temperature photoluminescence showed that inhomogeneous broadening is substantially reduced for QDs grown on In-deoxidized patterns, with respect to planar self-assembled dots.

  8. Lab-in-a-drop: controlled self-assembly of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and quantum rods into polycrystalline nanostructures with desired optical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sukhanova, Alyona; Volkov, Yuri; Rogach, Andrey L; Baranov, Alexander V; Susha, Andrei S; Klinov, Dmitriy; Oleinikov, Vladimir; Cohen, Jacques H M; Nabiev, Igor

    2007-01-01

    Among the different nanometre-scale building blocks, colloidal nanocrystals are of special interest in construction of ordered assemblies to be used in optoelectronics, photonics and biosensing. It is important that the nanocrystal properties essential to allow the arrangement process, including their size, shape, surface protection, stabilization and charge, can be controlled along with the electronic structure of each nanocrystal. Here, we describe an operation of the 'lab-in-a-drop', droplets of the aqueous solutions of the water-solubilized CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystal quantum dots and quantum rods, in which a variety of nanostructures with desired properties may be produced. We show that, upon incubation and controlled evaporation of the solvent from the aqueous droplets of nanocrystals, one may produce either nanowires or polycrystalline dendrites of different morphologies and dimensions, depending on the nanocrystal shape and on the very narrow concentration and temperature specific ranges. Hence, the operation of this 'lab-in-a-drop' is controlled by external parameters providing the fluorescent nanostructures of desired size and morphology. Although a majority of the results presented here were obtained with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and rods, similar polycrystalline patterns may be produced in the aqueous suspensions of other nanocrystals

  9. A Novel Strategy for Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticle Self Assemblies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verma, Jyoti; Lal, Sumit; van Veen, Henk A.; van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.

    2014-01-01

    Gold nanoparticle self assemblies are one-dimensional structures of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticle self assemblies exhibit unique physical properties and find applications in the development of biosensors. Methodologies currently available for lab-scale and commercial synthesis of gold

  10. Spin Injection, Manipulation, and Detection, in InAs Nanodevices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, G. M.; Jonker, B. T.; Bennett, B. R.; Meyer, J. R.; Twigg, M. E.; Reinecke, T. L.; Park, D.; Pereverzev, S. V.; Badescu, C. S.; Li, C. H.; Hanbicki, A. T.; van'terve, O.; Vurgaftman, I.

    2008-03-01

    In this talk the authors will discuss their progress using InAs heterostructures to produce spin-polarized injection and detection, as well as manipulation of coherent spin-polarized electrons for a spin-based FET (SpinFET). High-quality n-type InAs heterostructures demonstrate many favorable characteristics necessary to the study of spin dynamics, including 2DEG's with small effective mass (m* = 0.023) and large g-factor (g = -15). Previously, high-mobility InAs heterostructures have been demonstrated in which electrons pass ballistically over hundreds of nanometers up to room temperature. Our devices seek to exploit the strong Spin-Orbit effect present in InAs to manipulate coherent spin-polarized electrons during transport, by producing perpendicular electric field using isolated top-gates fabricated over the electron transport region.

  11. Crystal-Structure-Guided Design of Self-Assembling RNA Nanotriangles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boerneke, Mark A; Dibrov, Sergey M; Hermann, Thomas

    2016-03-14

    RNA nanotechnology uses RNA structural motifs to build nanosized architectures that assemble through selective base-pair interactions. Herein, we report the crystal-structure-guided design of highly stable RNA nanotriangles that self-assemble cooperatively from short oligonucleotides. The crystal structure of an 81 nucleotide nanotriangle determined at 2.6 Å resolution reveals the so-far smallest circularly closed nanoobject made entirely of double-stranded RNA. The assembly of the nanotriangle architecture involved RNA corner motifs that were derived from ligand-responsive RNA switches, which offer the opportunity to control self-assembly and dissociation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Micro-‘‘factory’’ for self-assembled peptide nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Castillo, Jaime; Rodriguez-Trujíllo, Romén; Gauthier, Sébastian

    2011-01-01

    This study describes an integrated micro ‘‘factory’’ for the preparation of biological self-assembled peptide nanotubes and nanoparticles on a polymer chip, yielding controlled growth conditions. Self-assembled peptides constitute attractive building blocks for the fabrication of biological...... nanostructures due to the mild conditions of their synthesis process. This biological material can form nanostructures in a rapid way and the synthesis method is less expensive as compared to that of carbon nanotubes or silicon nanowires. The present article thus reports on the on-chip fabrication of self-assembled...

  13. Supramolecular ribbons from amphiphilic trisamides self-assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García, Fátima; Buendía, Julia; Sánchez, Luis

    2011-08-05

    Two amphiphilic C(3)-symmetric OPE-based trisamides have been synthesized and their self-assembling features investigated in solution and on surface. Variable-temperature UV-vis experiments demonstrate the cooperative supramolecular polymerization of these trisamides that self-assemble by the operation of triple C═O···H-N H-bonding arrays between the amide functional groups and π-π stacking between the aromatic units. The helical organization of the aggregates has been demonstrated by circular dichroism at a concentration as low as 1 × 10(-4) M in acetonitrile. In the reported trisamides, the large hydrophobic aromatic core acts as a solvophobic module impeding the interaction between the polar TEG chains and the amide H-bonds. This strategy makes unnecessary the separation of the amide functional groups to the polar tri(ethylene glycol) chains by paraffinic fragments. Achiral trisamide 1 self-assembles into flat ribbon-like structures that experience an amplification of chirality by the addition of a small amount of chiral 2 that generates twisted stripes.

  14. Self-Assembled Monolayers of CdSe Nanocrystals on Doped GaAs Substrates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marx, E.; Ginger, D.S.; Walzer, Karsten

    2002-01-01

    This letter reports the self-assembly and analysis of CdSe nanocrystal monolayers on both p- and a-doped GaAs substrates. The self-assembly was performed using a 1,6-hexanedithiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to link CdSe nanocrystals to GaAs substrates. Attenuated total reflection Fourier tran...

  15. Combing and self-assembly phenomena in dry films of Taxol-stabilized microtubules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rose Franck

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available AbstractMicrotubules are filamentous proteins that act as a substrate for the translocation of motor proteins. As such, they may be envisioned as a scaffold for the self-assembly of functional materials and devices. Physisorption, self-assembly and combing are here investigated as a potential prelude to microtubule-templated self-assembly. Dense films of self-assembled microtubules were successfully produced, as well as patterns of both dendritic and non-dendritic bundles of microtubules. They are presented in the present paper and the mechanism of their formation is discussed.

  16. Self-assembly of subwavelength nanostructures with symmetry breaking in solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Xiang-Dong; Chen, Shu; Zhang, Yue-Jiao; Dong, Jin-Chao; Panneerselvam, Rajapandiyan; Zhang, Yun; Yang, Zhi-Lin; Li, Jian-Feng; Tian, Zhong-Qun

    2016-01-01

    Nanostructures with symmetry breaking can allow the coupling between dark and bright plasmon modes to induce strong Fano resonance. However, it is still a daunting challenge to prepare bottom-up self-assembled subwavelength asymmetric nanostructures with appropriate gaps between the nanostructures especially below 5 nm in solution. Here we present a viable self-assembly method to prepare symmetry-breaking nanostructures consisting of Ag nanocubes and Au nanospheres both with tunable size (90-250 nm for Au nanospheres; 100-160 nm for Ag nanocubes) and meanwhile control the nanogaps through ultrathin silica shells of 1-5 nm thickness. The Raman tag of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) assists the self-assembly process and endows the subwavelength asymmetric nanostructures with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. Moreover, thick silica shells (above 50 nm thickness) can be coated on the self-assembled nanostructures in situ to stabilize the whole nanostructures, paving the way toward bioapplications. Single particle scattering spectroscopy with a 360° polarization resolution is performed on individual Ag nanocube and Au nanosphere dimers, correlated with high-resolution TEM characterization. The asymmetric dimers exhibit strong configuration and polarization dependence Fano resonance properties. Overall, the solution-based self-assembly method reported here is opening up new opportunities to prepare diverse multicomponent nanomaterials with optimal performance.Nanostructures with symmetry breaking can allow the coupling between dark and bright plasmon modes to induce strong Fano resonance. However, it is still a daunting challenge to prepare bottom-up self-assembled subwavelength asymmetric nanostructures with appropriate gaps between the nanostructures especially below 5 nm in solution. Here we present a viable self-assembly method to prepare symmetry-breaking nanostructures consisting of Ag nanocubes and Au nanospheres both with tunable size (90-250 nm

  17. Supramolecular domains in mixed peptide self-assembled monolayers on gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duchesne, Laurence; Wells, Geoff; Fernig, David G; Harris, Sarah A; Lévy, Raphaël

    2008-09-01

    Self-organization in mixed self-assembled monolayers of small molecules provides a route towards nanoparticles with complex molecular structures. Inspired by structural biology, a strategy based on chemical cross-linking is introduced to probe proximity between functional peptides embedded in a mixed self-assembled monolayer at the surface of a nanoparticle. The physical basis of the proximity measurement is a transition from intramolecular to intermolecular cross-linking as the functional peptides get closer. Experimental investigations of a binary peptide self-assembled monolayer show that this transition happens at an extremely low molar ratio of the functional versus matrix peptide. Molecular dynamics simulations of the peptide self-assembled monolayer are used to calculate the volume explored by the reactive groups. Comparison of the experimental results with a probabilistic model demonstrates that the peptides are not randomly distributed at the surface of the nanoparticle, but rather self-organize into supramolecular domains.

  18. Enhanced phonon-assisted photoluminescence in InAs/GaAs parallelepiped quantum dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Klimin, S.N.; Devreese, J.T.; Koenraad, P.M.; Wolter, J.H.

    2000-01-01

    We analyze the phonon-assisted photoluminescence due to the intraband transitions of an electron between the size-quantized states in rectangular parallelepiped InAs quantum dots ("quantum bricks") embedded into GaAs. The phonon-assisted photoluminescence is strongly enhanced by two processes.

  19. Women Fellows of INAE | Women in Science | Initiatives | Indian ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Women Fellows of INAE. INAE - Indian National Academy of Engineering. Ms. Alpa Sheth Civil Engineering. Prof. Bharathi Bhat Electronics & Communication Engineering. Prof. Dipanwita Roy Chowdhury Computer Engineering and Information Technology. Prof. Kamala Krithivasan Computer Engineering and Information ...

  20. Superconducting detectors for semiconductor quantum photonics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reithmaier, Guenther M.

    2015-01-01

    In this thesis we present the first successful on-chip detection of quantum light, thereby demonstrating the monolithic integration of superconducting single photon detectors with individually addressable semiconductor quantum dots in a prototypical quantum photonic circuit. Therefore, we optimized both the deposition of high quality superconducting NbN thin films on GaAs substrates and the fabrication of superconducting detectors and successfully integrated these novel devices with GaAs/AlGaAs ridge waveguides loaded with self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots.

  1. Quantum bus of metal nanoring with surface plasmon polaritons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Zhirong; Guo Guoping; Tu Tao; Li Haiou; Zou Changling; Ren Xifeng; Guo Guangcan; Chen Junxue; Lu Yonghua

    2010-01-01

    We develop an architecture for distributed quantum computation using quantum bus of plasmonic circuits and spin qubits in self-assembled quantum dots. Deterministic quantum gates between two distant spin qubits can be reached by using an adiabatic approach in which quantum dots couple with highly detuned plasmon modes in a metallic nanoring. Plasmonic quantum bus offers a robust and scalable platform for quantum optics experiments and the development of on-chip quantum networks composed of various quantum nodes, such as quantum dots, molecules, and nanoparticles.

  2. Spin interactions in InAs quantum dots and molecules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doty, M.F.; Ware, M.E.; Stinaff, E.A.; Scheibner, M.; Bracker, A.S.; Ponomarev, I.V.; Badescu, S.C.; Reinecke, T.L.; Gammon, D. [Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Korenev, V.L. [A.F. Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, St. Petersburg 194021 (Russian Federation)

    2006-12-15

    Spin interactions between particles in quantum dots or quantum dot molecules appear as fine structure in the photoluminescence spectra. Using the understanding of exchange interactions that has been developed from single dot spectra, we analyze the spin signatures of coupled quantum dots separated by a wide barrier such that inter-dot interactions are negligible. We find that electron-hole exchange splitting is directly evident. In dots charged with an excess hole, an effective hole-hole interaction can be turned on through tunnel coupling. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  3. Coupled quantum dot-ring structures by droplet epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Somaschini, C; Bietti, S; Koguchi, N; Sanguinetti, S

    2011-01-01

    The fabrication, by pure self-assembly, of GaAs/AlGaAs dot-ring quantum nanostructures is presented. The growth is performed via droplet epitaxy, which allows for the fine control, through As flux and substrate temperature, of the crystallization kinetics of nanometer scale metallic Ga reservoirs deposited on the surface. Such a procedure permits the combination of quantum dots and quantum rings into a single, multi-functional, complex quantum nanostructure.

  4. Self-assembled peptide-based nanostructures: Smart nanomaterials toward targeted drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habibi, Neda; Kamaly, Nazila; Memic, Adnan; Shafiee, Hadi

    2016-02-01

    Self-assembly of peptides can yield an array of well-defined nanostructures that are highly attractive nanomaterials for many biomedical applications such as drug delivery. Some of the advantages of self-assembled peptide nanostructures over other delivery platforms include their chemical diversity, biocompatibility, high loading capacity for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, and their ability to target molecular recognition sites. Furthermore, these self-assembled nanostructures could be designed with novel peptide motifs, making them stimuli-responsive and achieving triggered drug delivery at disease sites. The goal of this work is to present a comprehensive review of the most recent studies on self-assembled peptides with a focus on their "smart" activity for formation of targeted and responsive drug-delivery carriers.

  5. New process for high optical quality InAs quantum dots grown on patterned GaAs(001) substrates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alonso-González, Pablo; González, Luisa; González, Yolanda; Fuster, David; Fernández-Martinez, Ivan; Martin-Sánchez, Javier; Abelmann, Leon

    2007-01-01

    This work presents a selective ultraviolet (UV)-ozone oxidation-chemical etching process that has been used, in combination with laser interference lithography (LIL), for the preparation of GaAs patterned substrates. Further molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of InAs results in ordered InAs/GaAs

  6. Optical Signatures of Coupled Quantum Dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stinaff, E. A.; Scheibner, M.; Bracker, A. S.; Ponomarev, I. V.; Korenev, V. L.; Ware, M. E.; Doty, M. F.; Reinecke, T. L.; Gammon, D.

    2006-02-01

    An asymmetric pair of coupled InAs quantum dots is tuned into resonance by applying an electric field so that a single hole forms a coherent molecular wave function. The optical spectrum shows a rich pattern of level anticrossings and crossings that can be understood as a superposition of charge and spin configurations of the two dots. Coulomb interactions shift the molecular resonance of the optically excited state (charged exciton) with respect to the ground state (single charge), enabling light-induced coupling of the quantum dots. This result demonstrates the possibility of optically coupling quantum dots for application in quantum information processing.

  7. Proteins evolve on the edge of supramolecular self-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Seisdedos, Hector; Empereur-Mot, Charly; Elad, Nadav; Levy, Emmanuel D.

    2017-08-01

    The self-association of proteins into symmetric complexes is ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life. Symmetric complexes possess unique geometric and functional properties, but their internal symmetry can pose a risk. In sickle-cell disease, the symmetry of haemoglobin exacerbates the effect of a mutation, triggering assembly into harmful fibrils. Here we examine the universality of this mechanism and its relation to protein structure geometry. We introduced point mutations solely designed to increase surface hydrophobicity among 12 distinct symmetric complexes from Escherichia coli. Notably, all responded by forming supramolecular assemblies in vitro, as well as in vivo upon heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Remarkably, in four cases, micrometre-long fibrils formed in vivo in response to a single point mutation. Biophysical measurements and electron microscopy revealed that mutants self-assembled in their folded states and so were not amyloid-like. Structural examination of 73 mutants identified supramolecular assembly hot spots predictable by geometry. A subsequent structural analysis of 7,471 symmetric complexes showed that geometric hot spots were buffered chemically by hydrophilic residues, suggesting a mechanism preventing mis-assembly of these regions. Thus, point mutations can frequently trigger folded proteins to self-assemble into higher-order structures. This potential is counterbalanced by negative selection and can be exploited to design nanomaterials in living cells.

  8. Komunikační mix Svatebního salonu INA

    OpenAIRE

    Rybníčková, Michala

    2015-01-01

    Rybníčková, M. Marketing mix for Wedding Boutique INA. Bachelor thesis, Brno: Mendel university in Brno, 2015 This Bechelor thesis focuses on the marketing mix for the company Wedding Boutique INA. Survey results are used to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing tools currently used by INA. Furthermore, the results are used to recommend improvements to the marketing mix. Thesis also includes calculation of costs and scheduling for the year 2015.

  9. A self-assembled monolayer-assisted surface microfabrication and release technique

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kim, B.J.; Liebau, M.; Huskens, Jurriaan; Reinhoudt, David; Brugger, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes a method of thin film and MEMS processing which uses self-assembled monolayers as ultra-thin organic surface coating to enable a simple removal of microfabricated devices off the surface without wet chemical etching. A 1.5-nm thick self-assembled monolayer of

  10. Effects of High Pressure on Internally Self-Assembled Lipid Nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kulkarni, Chandrashekhar V; Yaghmur, Anan; Steinhart, Milos

    2016-01-01

    We present the first report on the effects of hydrostatic pressure on colloidally stabilized lipid nanoparticles enveloping inverse nonlamellar self-assemblies in their interiors. These internal self-assemblies were systematically tuned into bicontinuous cubic (Pn3m and Im3m), micellar cubic (Fd3...... the tolerance of lipid nanoparticles [cubosomes, hexosomes, micellar cubosomes, and emulsified microemulsions (EMEs)] for high pressures, confirming their robustness for various technological applications.......We present the first report on the effects of hydrostatic pressure on colloidally stabilized lipid nanoparticles enveloping inverse nonlamellar self-assemblies in their interiors. These internal self-assemblies were systematically tuned into bicontinuous cubic (Pn3m and Im3m), micellar cubic (Fd3m......), hexagonal (H2), and inverse micellar (L2) phases by regulating the lipid/oil ratio as the hydrostatic pressure was varied from atmospheric pressure to 1200 bar and back to atmospheric pressure. The effects of pressure on these lipid nanoparticles were compared with those on their equilibrium bulk...

  11. Location deterministic biosensing from quantum-dot-nanowire assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Chao; Kim, Kwanoh; Fan, D. L.

    2014-01-01

    Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) with high fluorescent brightness, stability, and tunable sizes, have received considerable interest for imaging, sensing, and delivery of biomolecules. In this research, we demonstrate location deterministic biochemical detection from arrays of QD-nanowire hybrid assemblies. QDs with diameters less than 10 nm are manipulated and precisely positioned on the tips of the assembled Gold (Au) nanowires. The manipulation mechanisms are quantitatively understood as the synergetic effects of dielectrophoretic (DEP) and alternating current electroosmosis (ACEO) due to AC electric fields. The QD-nanowire hybrid sensors operate uniquely by concentrating bioanalytes to QDs on the tips of nanowires before detection, offering much enhanced efficiency and sensitivity, in addition to the position-predictable rationality. This research could result in advances in QD-based biomedical detection and inspires an innovative approach for fabricating various QD-based nanodevices.

  12. Anisotropic Self-Assembly of Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Microtoroids

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Rehili, Safa’a

    2016-10-24

    Toroidal structures based on self-assembly of predesigned building blocks are well-established in the literature, but spontaneous self-organization to prepare such structures has not been reported to date. Here, organic–inorganic hybrid microtoroids synthesized by simultaneous coordination-driven assembly of amphiphilic molecules and hydrophilic polymers are reported. Mixing amphiphilic molecules with iron(III) chloride and hydrophilic polymers in water leads, within minutes, to the formation of starlike nanostructures. A spontaneous self-organization of these nanostructures is then triggered to form stable hybrid microtoroids. Interestingly, the toroids exhibit anisotropic hierarchical growth, giving rise to a layered toroidal framework. These microstructures are mechanically robust and can act as templates to host metallic nanoparticles such as gold and silver. Understanding the nature of spontaneous assembly driven by coordination multiple non-covalent interactions can help explain the well-ordered complexity of many biological organisms in addition to expanding the available tools to mimic such structures at a molecular level.

  13. Self-assembly strategies for the synthesis of functional nanostructured materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perego, M.; Seguini, G.

    2016-06-01

    Self-assembly is the autonomous organization of components into patterns or structures without human intervention. This is the approach followed by nature to generate living cells and represents one of the practical strategies to fabricate ensembles of nanostructures. In static self-assembly the formation of ordered structures could require energy but once formed the structures are stable. The introduction of additional regular features in the environment could be used to template the self-assembly guiding the organization of the components and determining the final structure they form. In this regard self-assembly of block copolymers represents a potent platform for fundamental studies at the nanoscale and for application-driven investigation as a tool to fabricate functional nanostructured materials. Block copolymers can hierarchically assemble into chemically distinct domains with size and periodicity on the order of 10nm or below, offering a potentially inexpensive route to generate large-area nanostructured materials. The final structure characteristics of these materials are dictated by the properties of the elementary block copolymers, like chain length, volume fraction or degree of block incompatibility. Modern synthetic chemistry offers the possibility to design these macromolecules with very specific length scales and geometries, directly embodying in the block copolymers the code that drives their self- assembling process. The understanding of the kinetics and thermodynamics of the block copolymer self-assembly process in the bulk phase as well as in thin films represents a fundamental prerequisite toward the exploitation of these materials. Incorporating block copolymer into device fabrication procedures or directly into devices, as active elements, will lead to the development of a new generation of devices fabricated using the fundamental law of nature to our advantage in order to minimize cost and power consumption in the fabrication process

  14. Molecular Motions in Functional Self-Assembled Nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Marc Saiter

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The construction of “smart” materials able to perform specific functions at the molecular scale through the application of various stimuli is highly attractive but still challenging. The most recent applications indicate that the outstanding flexibility of self-assembled architectures can be employed as a powerful tool for the development of innovative molecular devices, functional surfaces and smart nanomaterials. Structural flexibility of these materials is known to be conferred by weak intermolecular forces involved in self-assembly strategies. However, some fundamental mechanisms responsible for conformational lability remain unexplored. Furthermore, the role played by stronger bonds, such as coordination, ionic and covalent bonding, is sometimes neglected while they can be employed readily to produce mechanically robust but also chemically reversible structures. In this review, recent applications of structural flexibility and molecular motions in self-assembled nanostructures are discussed. Special focus is given to advanced materials exhibiting significant performance changes after an external stimulus is applied, such as light exposure, pH variation, heat treatment or electromagnetic field. The crucial role played by strong intra- and weak intermolecular interactions on structural lability and responsiveness is highlighted.

  15. Direct observation of strain in InAs quantum dots and cap layer during molecular beam epitaxial growth using in situ X-ray diffraction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimomura, Kenichi; Ohshita, Yoshio; Kamiya, Itaru, E-mail: kamiya@toyota-ti.ac.jp [Toyota Technological Institute, 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511 (Japan); Suzuki, Hidetoshi [Faculty of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192 (Japan); Sasaki, Takuo; Takahasi, Masamitu [Quantum Beam Science Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Koto 1-1-1, Sayo-cho, Hyogo 679-5148 (Japan)

    2015-11-14

    Direct measurements on the growth of InAs quantum dots (QDs) and various cap layers during molecular beam epitaxy are performed by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). The evolution of strain induced both in the QDs and cap layers during capping is discussed based on the XRD intensity transients obtained at various lattice constants. Transients with different features are observed from those obtained during InGaAs and GaAs capping. The difference observed is attributed to In-Ga intermixing between the QDs and the cap layer under limited supply of In. Photoluminescence (PL) wavelength can be tuned by controlling the intermixing, which affects both the strain induced in the QDs and the barrier heights. The PL wavelength also varies with the cap layer thickness. A large redshift occurs by reducing the cap thickness. The in situ XRD observation reveals that this is a result of reduced strain. We demonstrate how such information about strain can be applied for designing and preparing novel device structures.

  16. Direct observation of strain in InAs quantum dots and cap layer during molecular beam epitaxial growth using in situ X-ray diffraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimomura, Kenichi; Ohshita, Yoshio; Kamiya, Itaru; Suzuki, Hidetoshi; Sasaki, Takuo; Takahasi, Masamitu

    2015-01-01

    Direct measurements on the growth of InAs quantum dots (QDs) and various cap layers during molecular beam epitaxy are performed by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). The evolution of strain induced both in the QDs and cap layers during capping is discussed based on the XRD intensity transients obtained at various lattice constants. Transients with different features are observed from those obtained during InGaAs and GaAs capping. The difference observed is attributed to In-Ga intermixing between the QDs and the cap layer under limited supply of In. Photoluminescence (PL) wavelength can be tuned by controlling the intermixing, which affects both the strain induced in the QDs and the barrier heights. The PL wavelength also varies with the cap layer thickness. A large redshift occurs by reducing the cap thickness. The in situ XRD observation reveals that this is a result of reduced strain. We demonstrate how such information about strain can be applied for designing and preparing novel device structures

  17. Progress in low light-level InAs detectors- towards Geiger-mode detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Chee Hing; Ng, Jo Shien; Zhou, Xinxin; David, John; Zhang, Shiyong; Krysa, Andrey

    2017-05-01

    InAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) can be designed such that only electrons are allowed to initiate impact ionization, leading to the lowest possible excess noise factor. Optimization of wet chemical etching and surface passivation produced mesa APDs with bulk dominated dark current and responsivity that are comparable and higher, respectively, than a commercial InAs detector. Our InAs electron-APDs also show high stability with fluctuation of 0.1% when operated at a gain of 11.2 over 60 s. These InAs APDs can detect very weak signal down to 35 photons per pulse. Fabrication of planar InAs by Be implantation produced planar APDs with bulk dominated dark current. Annealing at 550 °C was necessary to remove implantation damage and to activate Be dopants. Due to minimal diffusion of Be, thick depletion of 8 μm was achieved. Since the avalanche gain increases exponentially with the thickness of avalanche region, our planar APD achieved high gain > 300 at 200 K. Our work suggest that both mesa and planar InAs APDs can exhibit high gain. When combined with a suitable preamplifier, single photon detection using InAs electron-APDs could be achieved.

  18. Power density and temperature dependent multi-excited states in InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouzaïene, L.; Sfaxi, L.; Baira, M.; Maaref, H.; Bru-Chevallier, C.

    2011-01-01

    Self-assembled InAs/GaAs (001) quantum dots (QDs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy using ultra low-growth rate. A typical dot diameter of around 28 ± 2 nm and a typical height of 5 ± 1 nm are observed based on atomic force microscopy image. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra, their power and temperature dependences have been studied for ground (GS) and three excited states (1–3ES) in InAs QDs. By changing the excitation power density, we can significantly influence the distribution of excitons within the QD ensemble. The PL peak energy positions of GS and ES emissions bands depend on an excitation light power. With increasing excitation power, the GS emission energy was red-shifted, while the 1–3ES emission energies were blue-shifted. It is found that the full width at half maximum of the PL spectra has unusual relationship with increasing temperature from 9 to 300 K. The temperature dependence of QD PL spectra shown the existence of two stages of PL thermal quenching and two distinct activation energies corresponding to the temperature ranges I (9–100 K) and II (100–300 K).

  19. Self-organized quantum rings : Physical characterization and theoretical modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fomin, V.M.; Gladilin, V.N.; Devreese, J.T.; Koenraad, P.M.; Fomin, V.M.

    2014-01-01

    An adequate modeling of the self-organized quantum rings is possible only on the basis of the modern characterization of those nanostructures.We discuss an atomic-scale analysis of the indium distribution of self-organized InGaAs quantum rings (QRs). The analysis of the shape, size and composition

  20. Self-assembled patches in PtSi/n-Si (111) diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afandiyeva, I. M.; Altιndal, Ş.; Abdullayeva, L. K.; Bayramova, A. İ.

    2018-05-01

    Using the effect of the temperature on the capacitance–voltage (C–V) and conductance–voltage (G/ω–V) characteristics of PtSi/n-Si (111) Schottky diodes the profile of apparent doping concentration (N Dapp), the potential difference between the Fermi energy level and the bottom of the conduction band (V n), apparent barrier height (Φ Bapp), series resistance (R s) and the interface state density N ss have been investigated. From the temperature dependence of (C–V) it was found that these parameters are non-uniformly changed with increasing temperature in a wide temperature range of 79–360 K. The voltage and temperature dependences of apparent carrier distribution we attributed to the existence of self-assembled patches similar the quantum wells, which formed due to the process of PtSi formation on semiconductor and the presence of hexagonal voids of Si (111).

  1. The magneto-elastica: from self-buckling to self-assembly

    KAUST Repository

    Vella, D.; du Pontavice, E.; Hall, C. L.; Goriely, A.

    2013-01-01

    Spherical neodymium-iron-boron magnets are permanent magnets that can be assembled into a variety of structures owing to their high magnetic strength. A one-dimensional chain of these magnets responds to mechanical loadings in a manner reminiscent of an elastic rod. We investigate the macroscopic mechanical properties of assemblies of ferromagnetic spheres by considering chains, rings and chiral cylinders of magnets. Based on energy estimates and simple experiments, we introduce an effective magnetic bending stiffness for a chain of magnets and show that, used in conjunction with classic results for elastic rods, it provides excellent estimates for the buckling and vibration dynamics of magnetic chains. We then use this estimate to understand the dynamic self-assembly of a cylinder from an initially straight chain of magnets.

  2. The magneto-elastica: from self-buckling to self-assembly

    KAUST Repository

    Vella, D.

    2013-12-04

    Spherical neodymium-iron-boron magnets are permanent magnets that can be assembled into a variety of structures owing to their high magnetic strength. A one-dimensional chain of these magnets responds to mechanical loadings in a manner reminiscent of an elastic rod. We investigate the macroscopic mechanical properties of assemblies of ferromagnetic spheres by considering chains, rings and chiral cylinders of magnets. Based on energy estimates and simple experiments, we introduce an effective magnetic bending stiffness for a chain of magnets and show that, used in conjunction with classic results for elastic rods, it provides excellent estimates for the buckling and vibration dynamics of magnetic chains. We then use this estimate to understand the dynamic self-assembly of a cylinder from an initially straight chain of magnets.

  3. Defect- and dopant-controlled carbon nanotubes fabricated by self-assembly of graphene nanoribbons

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Cun Zhang and Shaohua Chen

    2015-01-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations showed that a basal carbon nanotube can activate and guide the fabrication of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on its internal surface by self-assembly of edge-unpassivated graphene nanoribbons with defects. Furthermore, the distribution of defects on self-assembled CNTs is controllable. The system temperature and defect fraction are two main factors that influence the success of self-assembly. Due to possible joint flaws formed at the boundaries under a relatively high constant temperature, a technique based on increasing the temperature is adopted. Self-assembly is always successful for graphene nanoribbons with relatively small defect fractions, while it will fail in cases with relatively large ones. Similar to the self-assembly of graphene nanoribbons with defects, graphene nanoribbons with different types of dopants can also be self-assembled into carbon nanotubes. The finding provides a possible fabrication technique not only for carbon nanotubes with metallic or semi-con- ductive properties but also for carbon nanotubes with electromagnetic induction characteristics.

  4. Quantum effects in amplitude death of coupled anharmonic self-oscillators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amitai, Ehud; Koppenhöfer, Martin; Lörch, Niels; Bruder, Christoph

    2018-05-01

    Coupling two or more self-oscillating systems may stabilize their zero-amplitude rest state, therefore quenching their oscillation. This phenomenon is termed "amplitude death." Well known and studied in classical self-oscillators, amplitude death was only recently investigated in quantum self-oscillators [Ishibashi and Kanamoto, Phys. Rev. E 96, 052210 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevE.96.052210]. Quantitative differences between the classical and quantum descriptions were found. Here, we demonstrate that for quantum self-oscillators with anharmonicity in their energy spectrum, multiple resonances in the mean phonon number can be observed. This is a result of the discrete energy spectrum of these oscillators, and is not present in the corresponding classical model. Experiments can be realized with current technology and would demonstrate these genuine quantum effects in the amplitude death phenomenon.

  5. Self-assembled containers based on extended tetrathiafulvalene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bivaud, Sébastien; Goeb, Sébastien; Croué, Vincent; Dron, Paul I; Allain, Magali; Sallé, Marc

    2013-07-10

    Two original self-assembled containers constituted each by six electroactive subunits are described. They are synthesized from a concave tetratopic π-extended tetrathiafulvalene ligand bearing four pyridyl units and cis-M(dppf)(OTf)2 (M = Pd or Pt; dppf = 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene; OTf = trifluoromethane-sulfonate) complexes. Both fully characterized assemblies present an oblate spheroidal cavity that can incorporate one perylene molecule.

  6. Self-Assembled Hydrogel Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Gama

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogel nanoparticles—also referred to as polymeric nanogels or macromolecular micelles—are emerging as promising drug carriers for therapeutic applications. These nanostructures hold versatility and properties suitable for the delivery of bioactive molecules, namely of biopharmaceuticals. This article reviews the latest developments in the use of self-assembled polymeric nanogels for drug delivery applications, including small molecular weight drugs, proteins, peptides, oligosaccharides, vaccines and nucleic acids. The materials and techniques used in the development of self-assembling nanogels are also described.

  7. Formation of mixed and patterned self-assembled films of alkylphosphonates on commercially pure titanium surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rudzka, Katarzyna; Sanchez Treviño, Alda Y.; Rodríguez-Valverde, Miguel A., E-mail: marodri@ugr.es; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, Miguel A.

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Chemically-tailored titanium surfaces were prepared by self-assembly of alkylphosphonates. • Mixed self-assembled films were prepared with aqueous mixtures of two alkylphosphonates. • Single self-assembled films were altered by laser abrasion. • Mixed and patterned self-assembled films on titanium may guide the bone-like formation. - Abstract: Titanium is extensively employed in biomedical devices, in particular as implant. The self-assembly of alkylphosphonates on titanium surfaces enable the specific adsorption of biomolecules to adapt the implant response against external stimuli. In this work, chemically-tailored cpTi surfaces were prepared by self-assembly of alkylphosphonate molecules. By bringing together attributes of two grafting molecules, aqueous mixtures of two alkylphosphonates were used to obtain mixed self-assembled films. Single self-assembled films were also altered by laser abrasion to produce chemically patterned cpTi surfaces. Both mixed and patterned self-assembled films were confirmed by AFM, ESEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Water contact angle measurements also revealed the composition of the self-assembly films. Chemical functionalization with two grafting phosphonate molecules and laser surface engineering may be combined to guide the bone-like formation on cpTi, and the future biological response in the host.

  8. Homo- and heteroepitaxial growth behavior of upright InAs nanowires on InAs and GaAs substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bauer, Jens; Gottschalch, Volker; Paetzelt, Hendrik [Institut fuer Anorganische Chemie, Universitaet Leipzig, Johannesallee 29, D-04103 Leipzig (Germany); Wagner, Gerald [Institut fuer Kristallographie und Mineralogie, Universitaet Leipzig, Linnestr. 5, D-04103 Leipzig (Germany); Pietsch, Ulrich [Festkoerperphysik, Universitaet Siegen, D-57068 Siegen (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Semiconductor nanowires (NW) acquire recently attraction because of promising new application fields in electronics and optoelectronic. We applied the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism with gold seeds in combination with low-pressure metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (LP-MOVPE) to achieve replicable InAs NW growth with high growth rates. Since the initial alloying of the gold seeds with the substrate material plays a deciding role for the inceptive NW growth, InAs free standing nanowires were grown on GaAs(111)B substrate as well as on InAs/GaAs(111)B quasi-substrate. The influence of the MOVPE parameters will be discussed with respect to NW morphology and real-structure. A special focus will be set on the heteroepitaxial InAs NW growth on GaAs substrates. Gracing-incidence X-ray studies and transmission electron microscopy investigations revealed the existence of a thin Ga{sub x}In{sub 1-x}As graduated alloy layer with embedded crystalline gold alloy particles at the NW substrate interface. The effect of droplet composition on the VLS growth will be presented in a thermodynamic model.

  9. Self-Assembly of Colloidal Spheres into One, Two, and Three Dimensional Structures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guo, Y.

    2017-01-01

    The main goal of this thesis is to increase our understanding of colloidal self-assembly processes and develop new strategies to assemble colloidal building blocks into more sophisticated and well-defined super-structures. Self-assembly is a spontaneous process in which a disordered system of

  10. Identification of Ina proteins from Fusarium acuminatum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheel, Jan Frederik; Kunert, Anna Theresa; Pöschl, Ulrich; Fröhlich-Nowoisky, Janine

    2015-04-01

    Freezing of water above -36° C is based on ice nucleation activity (INA) mediated by ice nucleators (IN) which can be of various origins. Beside mineral IN, biological particles are a potentially important source of atmospheric IN. The best-known biological IN are common plant-associated bacteria. The IN activity of these bacteria is induced by a surface protein on the outer cell membrane, which is fully characterized. In contrast, much less is known about the nature of fungal IN. The fungal genus Fusarium is widely spread throughout the earth. It belongs to the Ascomycota and is one of the most severe fungal pathogens. It can affect a variety of organisms from plants to animals including humans. INA of Fusarium was already described about 30 years ago and INA of Fusarium as well as other fungal genera is assumed to be mediated by proteins or at least to contain a proteinaceous compound. Although many efforts were made the precise INA machinery of Fusarium and other fungal species including the proteins and their corresponding genes remain unidentified. In this study preparations from living fungal samples of F. acuminatum were fractionated by liquid chromatography and IN active fractions were identified by freezing assays. SDS-page and de novo sequencing by mass spectrometry were used to identify the primary structure of the protein. Preliminary results show that the INA protein of F. acuminatum is contained in the early size exclusion chromatography fractions indicating a high molecular size. Moreover we could identify a single protein band from IN active fractions at 130-145 kDa corresponding to sizes of IN proteins from bacterial species. To our knowledge this is for the first time an isolation of a single protein from in vivo samples, which can be assigned as IN active from Fusarium.

  11. Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Triangulenium Salts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shi, Dong

    in influencing the assembling process and morphology of the assembled nanostructures. Tailoring the ATOTA+ system with alkyl chains of different length showed large effect on the final morphology of assembled supramolecular structures. The first two chapters give a brief introduction to molecular self....... Addition of soft counter ion into the nanosheets solution could induce gluing of the nanosheets. The solid thin film formed from the formed nanosheets after water evaporation showed crystalline patterning order as revealed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Chpater 5 reports the counter ion effect...

  12. Self-assembly of Ge quantum dots on periodically corrugated Si surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buljan, M.; Jerčinović, M.; Radić, N.; Facsko, S.; Baehtz, C.; Muecklich, A.; Grenzer, J.; Delač Marion, I.; Mikšić Trontl, V.; Kralj, M.; Holý, V.

    2015-01-01

    The fabrication of regularly ordered Ge quantum dot arrays on Si surfaces usually requires extensive preparation processing, ensuring clean and atomically ordered substrates, while the ordering parameters are quite limited by the surface properties of the substrate. Here, we demonstrate a simple method for fabrication of ordered Ge quantum dots with highly tunable ordering parameters on rippled Si surfaces. The ordering is achieved by magnetron sputter deposition, followed by an annealing in high vacuum. We show that the type of ordering and lattice vector parameters of the formed Ge quantum dot lattice are determined by the crystallographic properties of the ripples, i.e., by their shape and orientation. Moreover, the ordering is achieved regardless the initial amorphisation of the ripples surface and the presence of a thin oxide layer

  13. Nuclear magnetic resonance on a single quantum dot and a quantum dot in a nanowire system: quantum photonics and opto-mechanical coupling

    OpenAIRE

    Wüst, Gunter Johannes

    2015-01-01

    Self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots (QD) are excellent single photon sources and possible hosts for electron spin qubits, which can be initialized, manipulated and read-out optically. The nuclear spins in nano-structured semiconductors play a central role in quantum applications. The nuclear spins represent a useful resource for generating local magnetic fields but nuclear spin noise represents a major source of dephasing for spin qubits. Controlling the nuclear spins enhances the resou...

  14. Impact of cationic surfactant on the self-assembly of sodium caseinate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinceković, Marko; Curlin, Marija; Jurašin, Darija

    2014-08-27

    The impact of a cationic surfactant, dodecylammonium chloride (DDACl), on the self-assembly of sodium caseinate (SC) has been investigated by light scattering, zeta potential, and rheological measurements as well as by microscopy (transmission electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy). In SC dilute solutions concentration-dependent self-assembly proceeds through the formation of spherical associates and their aggregation into elongated structures composed of connected spheres. DDACl interacts with SC via its hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups, inducing changes in SC self-assembled structures. These changes strongly depend on the surfactant aggregation states (monomeric or micellar) as well as concentration ratio of both components, leading to the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes of nano- to microdimensions. DDACl monomers interact with SC self-assembled entities in a different way compared to their micelles. Surfactant monomers form soluble complexes (similar to surfactant mixed micelles) at lower SC concentration but insoluble gelatinous complexes at higher SC concentration. At surfactant micellar concentration soluble complexes with casein chains wrapped around surfactant micelles are formed. This study suggests that the use of proper cationic surfactant concentration will allow modification and control of structural changes of SC self-assembled entities.

  15. Directed self-assembly of nanogold using a chemically modified nanopatterned surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nidetz, Robert; Kim, Jinsang

    2012-02-01

    Electron-beam lithography (EBL) was used to define an aminosilane nanopatterned surface in order to electrostatically self-assemble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The chemically modified nanopatterned surfaces were immersed into a Au NP solution to allow the Au NPs to self-assemble. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in only 20 min. The number of Au NPs that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of both the Au NPs and the dots. Adding salt to the Au NP solution enabled the Au NPs to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the Au NP solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration. These spikes led to aggregation of the Au NPs and non-specific deposition of Au NPs on the substrate. The Au NP patterned surfaces were immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution in order to lift-off the patterned Au NPs, but no lift-off was observed without adequate physical agitation. The van der Waals forces are too strong to allow for lift-off despite the absence of electrostatic forces.

  16. Directed self-assembly of nanogold using a chemically modified nanopatterned surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nidetz, Robert; Kim, Jinsang

    2012-01-01

    Electron-beam lithography (EBL) was used to define an aminosilane nanopatterned surface in order to electrostatically self-assemble gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The chemically modified nanopatterned surfaces were immersed into a Au NP solution to allow the Au NPs to self-assemble. Equilibrium self-assembly was achieved in only 20 min. The number of Au NPs that self-assembled on an aminosilane dot was controlled by manipulating the diameters of both the Au NPs and the dots. Adding salt to the Au NP solution enabled the Au NPs to self-assemble in greater numbers on the same sized dot. However, the preparation of the Au NP solution containing salt was sensitive to spikes in the salt concentration. These spikes led to aggregation of the Au NPs and non-specific deposition of Au NPs on the substrate. The Au NP patterned surfaces were immersed in a sodium hydroxide solution in order to lift-off the patterned Au NPs, but no lift-off was observed without adequate physical agitation. The van der Waals forces are too strong to allow for lift-off despite the absence of electrostatic forces. (paper)

  17. The precise self-assembly of individual carbon nanotubes using magnetic capturing and fluidic alignment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shim, Joon S; Rust, Michael J; Do, Jaephil; Ahn, Chong H [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Microsystems and BioMEMS Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221 (United States); Yun, Yeo-Heung; Schulz, Mark J [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 45221 (United States); Shanov, Vesselin, E-mail: chong.ahn@uc.ed [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 45221 (United States)

    2009-08-12

    A new method for the self-assembly of a carbon nanotube (CNT) using magnetic capturing and fluidic alignment has been developed and characterized in this work. In this new method, the residual iron (Fe) catalyst positioned at one end of the CNT was utilized as a self-assembly driver to attract and position the CNT, while the assembled CNT was aligned by the shear force induced from the fluid flow through the assembly channel. The self-assembly procedures were successfully developed and the electrical properties of the assembled multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) were fully characterized. The new assembly method developed in this work shows its feasibility for the precise self-assembly of parallel CNTs for electronic devices and nanobiosensors.

  18. Light-assisted, templated self-assembly using a photonic-crystal slab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaquay, Eric; Martínez, Luis Javier; Mejia, Camilo A; Povinelli, Michelle L

    2013-05-08

    We experimentally demonstrate the technique of light-assisted, templated self-assembly (LATS). We excite a guided-resonance mode of a photonic-crystal slab with 1.55 μm laser light to create an array of optical traps. We demonstrate assembly of a square lattice of 520 nm diameter polystyrene particles spaced by 860 nm. Our results demonstrate how LATS can be used to fabricate reconfigurable structures with symmetries different from traditional colloidal self-assembly, which is limited by free energetic constraints.

  19. Narcissistic self-sorting in self-assembled cages of rare Earth metals and rigid ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Amber M; Wiley, Calvin A; Young, Michael C; Zhang, Xing; Lyon, Yana; Julian, Ryan R; Hooley, Richard J

    2015-05-04

    Highly selective, narcissistic self-sorting can be achieved in the formation of self-assembled cages of rare earth metals with multianionic salicylhydrazone ligands. The assembly process is highly sensitive to the length of the ligand and the coordination geometry. Most surprisingly, high-fidelity sorting is possible between ligands of identical coordination angle and geometry, differing only in a single functional group on the ligand core, which is not involved in the coordination. Supramolecular effects allow discrimination between pendant functions as similar as carbonyl or methylene groups in a complex assembly process. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Sambot II: A self-assembly modular swarm robot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuchao; Wei, Hongxing; Yang, Bo; Jiang, Cancan

    2018-04-01

    The new generation of self-assembly modular swarm robot Sambot II, based on the original generation of self-assembly modular swarm robot Sambot, adopting laser and camera module for information collecting, is introduced in this manuscript. The visual control algorithm of Sambot II is detailed and feasibility of the algorithm is verified by the laser and camera experiments. At the end of this manuscript, autonomous docking experiments of two Sambot II robots are presented. The results of experiments are showed and analyzed to verify the feasibility of whole scheme of Sambot II.