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Sample records for surface electron-hole recombination

  1. Ultrafast exciton decay in PbS quantum dots through simultaneous electron and hole recombination with a surface-localized ion pair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Edme, Kedy; Bettis Homan, Stephanie; Nepomnyashchii, Alexander B.; Weiss, Emily A., E-mail: e-weiss@northwestern.edu

    2016-06-01

    Highlights: • We synthesize complexes of PbS quantum dots (QDs) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). Each PbS QD spontaneously reduces up to 17 TCNQ molecules. • The photoluminescence of the PbS QDs is quenched in the presence of the reduced TCNQ species through ultrafast non-radiative, simultaneous decay of the electron and hole. • We assign this decay to a four-carrier, concerted charge recombination mechanism with the surface localized sulfur–TCNQ{sup x−} ion pair. - Abstract: This paper describes the ultrafast decay of the band-edge exciton in PbS quantum dots (QDs) through simultaneous recombination of the excitonic hole and electron with the surface localized ion pair formed upon adsorption of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). Each PbS QD (R = 1.8 nm) spontaneously reduces up to 17 TCNQ molecules upon adsorption of the TCNQ molecule to a sulfur on the QD surface. The photoluminescence of the PbS QDs is quenched in the presence of the reduced TCNQ species through ultrafast (⩽15-ps) non-radiative decay of the exciton; the rate constant for the decay process increases approximately linearly with the number of adsorbed, reduced TCNQ molecules. Near-infrared and mid-infrared transient absorption show that this decay occurs through simultaneous transfer of the excitonic electron and hole, and is assigned to a four-carrier, concerted charge recombination mechanism based on the observations that (i) the PL of the QDs recovers when spontaneously reduced TCNQ{sup 1−} desorbs from the QD surface upon addition of salt, and (ii) the PL of the QDs is preserved when another spontaneous oxidant, ferrocinium, which cannot participate in charge transfer in its reduced state, is substituted for TCNQ.

  2. Deriving the coronal hole electron temperature: electron density dependent ionization / recombination considerations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyle, John Gerard; Perez-Suarez, David; Singh, Avninda; Chapman, Steven; Bryans, Paul; Summers, Hugh; Savin, Daniel Wolf

    2010-01-01

    Comparison of appropriate theoretically derived line ratios with observational data can yield estimates of a plasma's physical parameters, such as electron density or temperature. The usual practice in the calculation of the line ratio is the assumption of excitation by electrons/protons followed by radiative decay. Furthermore, it is normal to use the so-called coronal approximation, i.e. one only considers ionization and recombination to and from the ground-state. A more accurate treatment is to include ionization/recombination to and from metastable levels. Here, we apply this to two lines from adjacent ionization stages, Mg IX 368 A and Mg X 625 A, which has been shown to be a very useful temperature diagnostic. At densities typical of coronal hole conditions, the difference between the electron temperature derived assuming the zero density limit compared with the electron density dependent ionization/recombination is small. This, however, is not the case for flares where the electron density is orders of magnitude larger. The derived temperature for the coronal hole at solar maximum is around 1.04 MK compared to just below 0.82 MK at solar minimum.

  3. Ultrafast carrier dynamics in tetrahedral amorphous carbon: carrier trapping versus electron-hole recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carpene, E; Mancini, E; Dallera, C; Schwen, D; Ronning, C; Silvestri, S De

    2007-01-01

    We report the investigation of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon films by means of femtosecond time-resolved reflectivity. We estimated the electron-phonon relaxation time of a few hundred femtoseconds and we observed that under low optical excitation photo-generated carriers decay according to two distinct mechanisms attributed to trapping by defect states and direct electron-hole recombination. With high excitation, when photo-carrier and trap densities are comparable, a unique temporal evolution develops, as the time dependence of the trapping process becomes degenerate with the electron-hole recombination. This experimental evidence highlights the role of defects in the ultrafast electronic dynamics and is not specific to this particular form of carbon, but has general validity for amorphous and disordered semiconductors

  4. Lewis Base Passivation of Hybrid Halide Perovskites Slows Electron-Hole Recombination: Time-Domain Ab Initio Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lihong; Fang, Wei-Hai; Long, Run; Prezhdo, Oleg V

    2018-03-01

    Nonradiative electron-hole recombination plays a key role in determining photon conversion efficiencies in solar cells. Experiments demonstrate significant reduction in the recombination rate upon passivation of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite with Lewis base molecules. Using nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with time-domain density functional theory, we find that the nonradiative charge recombination is decelerated by an order of magnitude upon adsorption of the molecules. Thiophene acts by the traditional passivation mechanism, forcing electron density away from the surface. In contrast, pyridine localizes the electron at the surface while leaving it energetically near the conduction band edge. This is because pyridine creates a stronger coordinative bond with a lead atom of the perovskite and has a lower energy unoccupied orbital compared with thiophene due to the more electronegative nitrogen atom relative to thiophene's sulfur. Both molecules reduce two-fold the nonadiabatic coupling and electronic coherence time. A broad range of vibrational modes couple to the electronic subsystem, arising from inorganic and organic components. The simulations reveal the atomistic mechanisms underlying the enhancement of the excited-state lifetime achieved by the perovskite passivation, rationalize the experimental results, and advance our understanding of charge-phonon dynamics in perovskite solar cells.

  5. Phosphate Changes Effect of Humic Acids on TiO2 Photocatalysis: From Inhibition to Mitigation of Electron-Hole Recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Mingce; Brame, Jonathon; Qin, Fan; Bao, Jiming; Li, Qilin; Alvarez, Pedro J J

    2017-01-03

    A major challenge for photocatalytic water purification with TiO 2 is the strong inhibitory effect of natural organic matter (NOM), which can scavenge photogenerated holes and radicals and occlude ROS generation sites upon adsorption. This study shows that phosphate counteracts the inhibitory effect of humic acids (HA) by decreasing HA adsorption and mitigating electron-hole recombination. As a measure of the inhibitory effect of HA, the ratios of first-order reaction rate constants between photocatalytic phenol degradation in the absence versus presence of HA were calculated. This ratio was very high, up to 5.72 at 30 mg/L HA and pH 4.8 without phosphate, but was decreased to 0.76 (5 mg/L HA, pH 8.4) with 2 mM phosphate. The latter ratio indicates a surprising favorable effect of HA on TiO 2 photocatalysis. FTIR analyses suggest that this favorable effect is likely due to a change in the conformation of adsorbed HA, from a multiligand exchange arrangement to a complexation predominantly between COOH groups in HA and the TiO 2 surface in the presence of phosphate. This configuration can reduce hole consumption and facilitate electron transfer to O 2 by the adsorbed HA (indicated by linear sweep voltammetry), which mitigates electron-hole recombination and enhances contaminant degradation. A decrease in HA surface adsorption and hole scavenging (the predominant inhibitory mechanisms of HA) by phosphate (2 mM) was indicated by a 50% decrease in the photocatalytic degradation rate of HA and 80% decrease in the decay rate coefficient of interfacial-related photooxidation in photocurrent transients. These results, which were validated with other compounds (FFA and cimetidine), indicate that anchoring phosphate - or anions that exert similar effects on the TiO 2 surface - might be a feasible strategy to counteract the inhibitory effect of NOM during photocatalytic water treatment.

  6. The effects of electron-hole separation on the photoconductivity of individual metal oxide nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prades, J D; Hernandez-Ramirez, F; Jimenez-Diaz, R; Manzanares, M; Andreu, T; Cirera, A; Romano-Rodriguez, A; Morante, J R

    2008-01-01

    The responses of individual ZnO nanowires to UV light demonstrate that the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) state is directly related to the electron-hole separation near the surface. Our results demonstrate that the electrical transport in these nanomaterials is influenced by the surface in two different ways. On the one hand, the effective mobility and the density of free carriers are determined by recombination mechanisms assisted by the oxidizing molecules in air. This phenomenon can also be blocked by surface passivation. On the other hand, the surface built-in potential separates the photogenerated electron-hole pairs and accumulates holes at the surface. After illumination, the charge separation makes the electron-hole recombination difficult and originates PPC. This effect is quickly reverted after increasing either the probing current (self-heating by Joule dissipation) or the oxygen content in air (favouring the surface recombination mechanisms). The model for PPC in individual nanowires presented here illustrates the intrinsic potential of metal oxide nanowires to develop optoelectronic devices or optochemical sensors with better and new performances.

  7. Rate constant of free electrons and holes recombination in thin films CdSe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radychev, N.A.; Novikov, G.F.

    2006-01-01

    Destruction kinetics of electrons generated in thin films CdSe by laser impulse (wave length is 337 nm, period of impulse - 8 nc) is studied by the method of microwave photoconductivity (36 GHz) at 295 K. Model of the process was suggested using the analysis of kinetics of photo-responses decay, and it allowed determination of rate constant of recombination of free electrons and holes in cadmium selenide - (4-6)x10 -11 cm 3 s -1 [ru

  8. Dynamics of electrons and holes at surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chulkov, E.V.; Leonardo, A.; Sklyadneva, I.Yu.; Silkin, V.M.

    2007-01-01

    We present ab initio calculation results for electron-phonon (e-ph) contribution to hole lifetime broadening of the X-bar surface state on Al(0 0 1). We show that e-ph coupling in this state is significantly stronger than in bulk Al at the Fermi level. It makes the e-ph decay channel very important in the formation of the hole decay in the surface state at X-bar. We also present the results for e-e lifetime broadening in a quantum-well state in 1 ML K/Cu(1 1 1). We show that this contribution is not negligible and is much larger than that in a surface state on Ag(1 1 1)

  9. Neutralizing trapped electrons on the hydrogenated surface of a diamond amplifier

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    Xiangyun Chang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We discuss our investigation of electron trapping in a diamond amplifier (DA. Our previous work demonstrated that some electrons reaching the DA’s hydrogenated surface are not emitted. The state and the removal of these electrons is important for DA applications. We found that these stopped electrons are trapped, and cannot be removed by a strong reversed-polarity electric field; to neutralize this surface charge, holes must be sent to the hydrogenated surface to recombine with the trapped electrons through the Shockley-Read-Hall surface-recombination mechanism. We measured the time taken for such recombination on the hydrogenated surface, viz. the recombination time, as less than 5 ns, limited by the resolution of our test system. With this measurement, we demonstrated that DA could be operated in an rf cavity with frequency of a few hundred megahertz.

  10. Dependence of secondary electron emission on surface charging in sapphire and polycrystalline alumina: Evaluation of the effective cross sections for recombination and trapping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Said, K.; Damamme, G.; Si Ahmed, A.; Moya, G.; Kallel, A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel approach for the analysis of the secondary electron emission in connection with the surface density of trapped charges. • Experimental estimation of the effective cross section for electron–hole recombination and electron trapping in defects. • A simplified charge transport and trapping model which corroborates qualitatively the interpretation of the results. - Abstract: The evolution of the secondary electron emission from sapphire and polycrystalline alumina during electron irradiation, achieved in a scanning electron microscope at room temperature, is derived from the measurement of the induced and the secondary electron currents. The semi-logarithmic plot of the secondary electron emission yield versus the surface density of trapped charges displays a plateau followed by a linear variation. For positive charging, the slope of the linear part, whose value is of about 10 −9 cm 2 , is independent of the primary electron energy, the microstructure and the impurities. It is interpreted as an effective microscopic cross section for electron–hole recombination. For negative charging of sapphire, the slope is associated with an effective electron trapping cross section close to 10 −11 cm 2 , which can be assigned to the dominant impurity trap. These effective values reflect the multiple interactions leading to the accumulation of charges. The yield corresponding to the plateau is controlled by the initial density of impurity traps. A charge transport and trapping >model, based on simplifying assumptions, confirms qualitatively these inferences

  11. Coherent electron - hole state and femtosecond cooperative emission in bulk GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasil'ev, Petr P; Kan, H; Ohta, H; Hiruma, T

    2002-01-01

    The conditions for obtaining a collective coherent electron - hole state in semiconductors are discussed. The results of the experimental study of the regime of cooperative recombination of high-density electrons and holes (more than 3 x 10 18 cm -3 ) in bulk GaAs at room temperature are presented. It is shown that the collective pairing of electrons and holes and their condensation cause the formation of a short-living coherent electron - hole BCS-like state, which exhibits radiative recombination in the form of high-power femtosecond optical pulses. It is experimentally demonstrated that almost all of the electrons and holes available are condensed at the very bottoms of the bands and are at the cooperative state. The average lifetime of this state is measured to be of about 300 fs. The dependences of the order parameter (the energy gap of the spectrum of electrons and holes) and the Fermi energy of the coherent BCS state on the electron - hole concentration are obtained. (special issue devoted to the 80th anniversary of academician n g basov's birth)

  12. Double carriers pulse DLTS for the characterization of electron-hole recombination process in GaAsN grown by chemical beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouzazi, Boussairi; Suzuki, Hidetoshi; Kojima, Nobuaki; Ohshita, Yoshio; Yamaguchi, Masafumi

    2011-01-01

    A nitrogen-related electron trap (E1), located approximately 0.33 eV from the conduction band minimum of GaAsN grown by chemical beam epitaxy, was confirmed by investigating the dependence of its density with N concentration. This level exhibits a high capture cross section compared with that of native defects in GaAs. Its density increases significantly with N concentration, persists following post-thermal annealing, and was found to be quasi-uniformly distributed. These results indicate that E1 is a stable defect that is formed during growth to compensate for the tensile strain caused by N. Furthermore, E1 was confirmed to act as a recombination center by comparing its activation energy with that of the recombination current in the depletion region of the alloy. However, this technique cannot characterize the electron-hole (e-h) recombination process. For that, double carrier pulse deep level transient spectroscopy is used to confirm the non-radiative e-h recombination process through E1, to estimate the capture cross section of holes, and to evaluate the energy of multi-phonon emission. Furthermore, a configuration coordinate diagram is modeled based on the physical parameters of E1. -- Research Highlights: → Double carrier pulse DLTS method confirms the existence of SRH center. → The recombination center in GaAsN depends on nitrogen concentration. → Minority carrier lifetime in GaAsN is less than 1 ns. → A non-radiative recombination center exits in GaAsN.

  13. Relation between bulk compressibility and surface energy of electron-hole liquids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singwi, K.S.; Tosi, M.P.

    1979-08-01

    Attention is drawn to the existence of an empirical relation chiσ/asup(*)sub(B) approximately 1 between the compressibility, the surface energy and the excitonic radius in electron-hole liquids. (author)

  14. Columnar recombination for X-ray generated electron-holes in amorphous selenium and its significance in a-Se x-ray detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bubon, O.; Jandieri, K.; Baranovskii, S. D.; Kasap, S. O.; Reznik, A.

    2016-01-01

    Although amorphous selenium (a-Se) has a long and successful history of application in optical and X-ray imaging, some of its fundamental properties are still puzzling. In particularly, the mechanism of carrier recombination following x-ray excitation and electric field and temperature dependences of the electron-hole pair creation energy (W_e_h_p) remain unclear. Using the combination of X-ray photocurrent and pulse height spectroscopy measurements, we measure W_e_h_p in a wide range of temperatures (218–320 K) and electric fields (10–100 V/µm) and show that the conventional columnar recombination model which assumes Langevin recombination within a column (a primary electron track) fails to explain experimental results in a wide range of electric fields and temperatures. The reason for the failure of the conventional model is revealed in this work, and the theory of the columnar recombination is modified to include the saturation of the recombination rate at high electric field in order to account for the experimental results in the entire range of fields and temperatures.

  15. Impurity Deionization Effects on Surface Recombination DC Current-Voltage Characteristics in MOS Transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Zuhui; Jie Binbin; Sah Chihtang

    2010-01-01

    Impurity deionization on the direct-current current-voltage characteristics from electron-hole recombination (R-DCIV) at SiO 2 /Si interface traps in MOS transistors is analyzed using the steady-state Shockley-Read-Hall recombination kinetics and the Fermi distributions for electrons and holes. Insignificant distortion is observed over 90% of the bell-shaped R-DCIV curves centered at their peaks when impurity deionization is excluded in the theory. This is due to negligible impurity deionization because of the much lower electron and hole concentrations at the interface than the impurity concentration in the 90% range. (invited papers)

  16. Theory of magnetostriction of electron-hole drops in Ge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markiewicz, R.S.

    1978-01-01

    A large mass of electron-hole liquid (γ drop) formed in a strain-induced potential well in Ge is known to distort its shape significantly in a magnetic field B > or approx. = 1 kG. It is shown in this paper that the shape change can be understood in detail as due to a ''recombination current'' of electron-hole pairs needed to replace those pairs which recombine in the drop volume. The Lorentz force deflects this current and produces a macroscopic dipole current loop inside the drop. The drop then changes shape to minimize its total energy, including magnetic, strain, and surface energies. While the drop usually flattens along the field direction, both para- and diamagnetic effects (elongated drops) are found to be possible, depending on excitation conditions, in accord with experiment. Similar effects are predicted to occur in small drops in unstrained Ge. This paper presents a magnetohydrodynamic theory of the magnetostriction which takes into account density variations which occur in the strain well and in high magnetic fields. A simpler theory is given for the special case in which the drop may be considered incompressible (small drops and moderate fields). Effects of carrier mass anisotropy and fluid viscosity are taken into consideration

  17. Electromagnetic interactions in an electron-hole plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    Certain problems electromagnetic interactions both of external SHF radiation with an electron-hole (eh) plasma and in the plasma itself are considered. The production and properties of a non-equilibrium eh plasma in semiconductors, pinch effect in a plasma of solids, strong electric fields in a plasma of inhomogeneous semiconductors and heat effects in a semiconductor plasma are discussed. The influence of a surface, kinetics of recombination processes in the semiconductor volume and the plasma statistics the spatial distribution of carriers, current characteristics and plasma recombination radiation under the conditions of pinch effect is described. The diagnostics methods of the phenomena are presented. The behaviour of diode structures with pn transitions in strong SHF fields is discussed. Special attention is paid to collective phenomena in the plasma of semiconductor devices and the variation of carrier density in strong fields. The appearance of electromotive force in inhomogeneous diode structures placed in strong SHF fields is considered

  18. Fermi-edge superfluorescence from a quantum-degenerate electron-hole gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji-Hee; , G. Timothy Noe, II; McGill, Stephen A.; Wang, Yongrui; Wójcik, Aleksander K.; Belyanin, Alexey A.; Kono, Junichiro

    2013-11-01

    Nonequilibrium can be a source of order. This rather counterintuitive statement has been proven to be true through a variety of fluctuation-driven, self-organization behaviors exhibited by out-of-equilibrium, many-body systems in nature (physical, chemical, and biological), resulting in the spontaneous appearance of macroscopic coherence. Here, we report on the observation of spontaneous bursts of coherent radiation from a quantum-degenerate gas of nonequilibrium electron-hole pairs in semiconductor quantum wells. Unlike typical spontaneous emission from semiconductors, which occurs at the band edge, the observed emission occurs at the quasi-Fermi edge of the carrier distribution. As the carriers are consumed by recombination, the quasi-Fermi energy goes down toward the band edge, and we observe a continuously red-shifting streak. We interpret this emission as cooperative spontaneous recombination of electron-hole pairs, or superfluorescence (SF), which is enhanced by Coulomb interactions near the Fermi edge. This novel many-body enhancement allows the magnitude of the spontaneously developed macroscopic polarization to exceed the maximum value for ordinary SF, making electron-hole SF even more ``super'' than atomic SF.

  19. Cascading electron and hole transfer dynamics in a CdS/CdTe core-shell sensitized with bromo-pyrogallol red (Br-PGR): slow charge recombination in type II regime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maity, Partha; Debnath, Tushar; Chopra, Uday; Ghosh, Hirendra Nath

    2015-02-14

    Ultrafast cascading hole and electron transfer dynamics have been demonstrated in a CdS/CdTe type II core-shell sensitized with Br-PGR using transient absorption spectroscopy and the charge recombination dynamics have been compared with those of CdS/Br-PGR composite materials. Steady state optical absorption studies suggest that Br-PGR forms strong charge transfer (CT) complexes with both the CdS QD and CdS/CdTe core-shell. Hole transfer from the photo-excited QD and QD core-shell to Br-PGR was confirmed by both steady state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. Charge separation was also confirmed by detecting electrons in the conduction band of the QD and the cation radical of Br-PGR as measured from femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Charge separation in the CdS/Br-PGR composite materials was found to take place in three different pathways, by transferring the photo-excited hole of CdS to Br-PGR, electron injection from the photo-excited Br-PGR to the CdS QD, and direct electron transfer from the HOMO of Br-PGR to the conduction band of the CdS QD. However, in the CdS/CdTe/Br-PGR system hole transfer from the photo-excited CdS to Br-PGR and electron injection from the photo-excited Br-PGR to CdS take place after cascading through the CdTe shell QD. Charge separation also takes place via direct electron transfer from the Br-PGR HOMO to the conduction band of CdS/CdTe. Charge recombination (CR) dynamics between the electron in the conduction band of the CdS QD and the Br-PGR cation radical were determined by monitoring the bleach recovery kinetics. The CR dynamics were found to be much slower in the CdS/CdTe/Br-PGR system than in the CdS/Br-PGR system. The formation of the strong CT complex and the separation of charges cascading through the CdTe shell help to slow down charge recombination in the type II regime.

  20. Spin dependent surface recombination in silicon p-n junctions: the effect of irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaplan, D [Laboratoire Central de Recherches, 91 - Corbeville par Orsay (France); Pepper, M [Cambridge Univ. (UK). Cavendish Lab.

    1980-06-01

    The results are presented of an investigation of spin dependent recombination in (100) oriented, gate controlled Si diodes irradiated by 30 keV electrons. After irradiation, recombination at the Si-SiO/sub 2/ interface is increased, and saturation of the spin resonance increases the diode forward current by 5 parts in 10/sup 4/. The results cannot be described by a conventional Shockley-Read recombination model. An alternative picture is proposed involving recombination between trapped electrons and trapped holes.

  1. Interaction of non-equilibrium phonons with electron-hole plasmas in germanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirch, S.J.

    1985-01-01

    This thesis presents results of experiments on the interaction of phonons and photo-excited electron-hole plasmas in Ge at low temperature. The first two studies involved the low-temperature fluid phase known as the electron-hole liquid (EHL). The third study involved a wider range of temperatures and includes the higher temperature electron-hole plasma (EHP). In the first experiment, superconducting tunnel junctions are used to produce quasi-monochromatic phonons, which propagate through the EHL. The magnitude of the absorption of these non-equilibrium phonons gives a direct measure of the coupling constant, the deformation potential. In the second experiment, the nonequilibrium phonons are generated by laser excitation of a metal film. An unusual sample geometry allows examination of the EHL-phonon interaction near the EHL excitation surface. This coupling is examined for both cw and pulsed EHL excitation. In the third experiment, the phonons are byproducts of the photo-excited carrier thermalization. The spatial, spectral and temporal dependence of the recombination luminescence is examined. A phonon wind force is observed to dominate the transport properties of the EHL and the EHP. These carriers are never observed to move faster than the phonon velocity even during the laser pulse

  2. Magnetoresistance of tungsten thin wafer at the multichannel surface scattering of conduction electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lutsishin, P.P.; Nakhodkin, T.N.

    1982-01-01

    The magnetoresistance of tungsten thin wafer with the (110) surface was studied at the adsorption of tungsten dioxide. The method of low-energy electron diffraction was used to study the symmetry of ordered surface structures. Using the method of the magnetoresistance measurement the character of the scattering of conduction electrons was investigated. THe dependence of magnetoresistance on the surface concentration of tungsten dioxide correlated w1th the structure of the surface layer of atoms, what was explained with allowance for diffraction of conduction electrons at the metal boundary. The magnetoresistance maximum for the (2x2) structure, which characterised decrease in surface conduction under the conditions of static skin effect, was explained by multichannel mirror reflection with the recombinations of electron and ho.le sections of Fermi Surface

  3. 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

  4. Recombination kinetics of photogenerated electrons in InGaAs/InP quantum wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tito, M. A.; Pusep, Yu. A.; Gold, A.; Teodoro, M. D.; Marques, G. E.; LaPierre, R. R.

    2016-03-01

    The electron transport and recombination processes of photoexcited electron-hole pairs were studied in InGaAs/InP single quantum wells. Comprehensive transport data analysis reveals a asymmetric shape of the quantum well potential where the electron mobility was found to be dominated by interface-roughness scattering. The low-temperature time-resolved photoluminescence was employed to investigate recombination kinetics of photogenerated electrons. Remarkable modification of Auger recombination was observed with variation of the electron mobility. In high mobility quantum wells, the increasing pump power resulted in a new and unexpected phenomenon: a considerably enhanced Auger non-radiative recombination time. We propose that the distribution of the photoexcited electrons over different conduction band valleys might account for this effect. In low mobility quantum wells, disorder-induced relaxation of the momentum conservation rule causes inter-valley transitions to be insignificant; as a consequence, the non-radiative recombination time is reduced with the increase in pump power. Thus, interface-roughness scattering was found responsible for both transport properties and dynamic optical response in InGaAs/InP quantum wells.

  5. Ultrafast Interfacial Electron and Hole Transfer from CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kaifeng; Liang, Guijie; Shang, Qiongyi; Ren, Yueping; Kong, Degui; Lian, Tianquan

    2015-10-14

    Recently reported colloidal lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with tunable photoluminescence (PL) wavelengths covering the whole visible spectrum and exceptionally high PL quantum yields (QYs, 50-90%) constitute a new family of functional materials with potential applications in light-harvesting and -emitting devices. By transient absorption spectroscopy, we show that the high PL QYs (∼79%) can be attributed to negligible electron or hole trapping pathways in CsPbBr3 QDs: ∼94% of lowest excitonic states decayed with a single-exponential time constant of 4.5 ± 0.2 ns. Furthermore, excitons in CsPbBr3 QDs can be efficiently dissociated in the presence of electron or hole acceptors. The half-lives of electron transfer (ET) to benzoquinone and subsequent charge recombination are 65 ± 5 ps and 2.6 ± 0.4 ns, respectively. The half-lives for hole transfer (HT) to phenothiazine and the subsequent charge recombination are 49 ± 6 ps and 1.0 ± 0.2 ns, respectively. The lack of electron and hole traps and fast interfacial ET and HT rates are key properties that may enable the development of efficient lead halide perovskite QDs-based light-harvesting and -emitting devices.

  6. Observation of topological surface states and strong electron/hole imbalance in extreme magnetoresistance compound LaBi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, J.; Schröter, N. B. M.; Wu, S.-C.; Kumar, N.; Shekhar, C.; Peng, H.; Xu, X.; Chen, C.; Yang, H. F.; Hwang, C.-C.; Mo, S.-K.; Felser, C.; Yan, B. H.; Liu, Z. K.; Yang, L. X.; Chen, Y. L.

    2018-02-01

    The recent discovery of the extreme magnetoresistance (XMR) in the nonmagnetic rare-earth monopnictides La X (X = P, As, Sb, Bi,), a recently proposed new topological semimetal family, has inspired intensive research effort in the exploration of the correlation between the XMR and their electronic structures. In this work, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to investigate the three-dimensional band structure of LaBi, we unraveled its topologically nontrivial nature with the observation of multiple topological surface Dirac fermions, as supported by our ab initio calculations. Furthermore, we observed substantial imbalance between the volume of electron and hole pockets, which rules out the electron-hole compensation as the primary cause of the XMR in LaBi.

  7. Numerical simulation of evolution of electron-hole avalanches and streamers in silicon in a uniform electric field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyuregyan, A. S.

    2010-01-01

    Numerical simulation of origination and evolution of streamers in Si is performed for the first time. It is assumed that an external electric field E 0 is constant and uniform, the avalanche and streamer are axially symmetric, and background electrons and holes are absent. The calculations have been performed in the context of the diffusion-drift approximation with impact and tunneling ionization, Auger recombination, and electron-hole scattering taken into account. The most realistic values of the ionization and recombination rates, diffusion coefficients, and drift mobilities of electrons and holes have been used. It is shown that the features of evolution of avalanches and streamers are generally consistent with the result obtained previously for a hypothetic semiconductor with equal kinetic coefficients for electrons and holes. Asymmetry of these coefficients (mostly, the impact-ionization coefficients) manifests itself only at the initial stage of evolution. However, with time, two exponentially self-similar streamers are formed, differing only in the sign of charge of fronts and directions of their propagation. Empirical dependences of the main parameters of streamers on E 0 in the range of 0.34-0.75 MV/cm have been derived for this most important stage of evolution.

  8. Laser-induced electron--ion recombination used to study enhanced spontaneous recombination during electron cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schramm, U.; Wolf, A.; Schuess ler, T.; Habs, D.; Schwalm, D.; Uwira, O.; Linkemann, J.; Mueller, A.

    1997-01-01

    Spontaneous recombination of highly charged ions with free electrons in merged velocity matched electron and ion beams has been observed in earlier experiments to occur at rates significantly higher than predicted by theoretical estimates. To study this enhanced spontaneous recombination, laser induced recombination spectra were measured both in velocity matched beams and in beams with well defined relative velocities, corresponding to relative electron-ion detuning energies ranging from 1 meV up to 6.5 meV where the spontaneous recombination enhancement was found to be strongly reduced. Based on a comparison with simplified calculations, the development of the recombination spectra for decreasing detuning energies indicates additional contributions at matched velocities which could be related to the energy distribution of electrons causing the spontaneous recombination rate enhancement

  9. Electron-hole pair effects in methane dissociative chemisorption on Ni(111)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Xuan; Jiang, Bin, E-mail: bjiangch@ustc.edu.cn [Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Juaristi, J. Iñaki [Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC(CSIC-UPV/EHU), P. Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Donostia International Physics Center DIPC, P. Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Químicas, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Apartado 1072, 20080 San Sebastián (Spain); Alducin, Maite [Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC(CSIC-UPV/EHU), P. Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Donostia International Physics Center DIPC, P. Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 San Sebastián (Spain); Guo, Hua [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 (United States)

    2016-07-28

    The dissociative chemisorption of methane on metal surfaces has attracted much attention in recent years as a prototype of gas-surface reactions in understanding the mode specific and bond selective chemistry. In this work, we systematically investigate the influence of electron-hole pair excitations on the dissociative chemisorption of CH{sub 4}/CH{sub 3}D/CHD{sub 3} on Ni(111). The energy dissipation induced by surface electron-hole pair excitations is modeled as a friction force introduced in the generalized Langevin equation, in which the independent atomic friction coefficients are determined within the local-density friction approximation. Quasi-classical trajectory calculations for CH{sub 4}/CH{sub 3}D/CHD{sub 3} have been carried out on a recently developed twelve-dimensional potential energy surface. Comparing the dissociation probabilities obtained with and without friction, our results clearly indicate that the electron-hole pair effects are generally small, both on absolute reactivity of each vibrational state and on the mode specificity and bond selectivity. Given similar observations in both water and methane dissociation processes, we conclude that electron-hole pair excitations would not play an important role as long as the reaction is direct and the interaction time between the molecule and metal electrons is relatively short.

  10. Peripheral Hole Acceptor Moieties on an Organic Dye Improve Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Yan; Gabrielsson, Erik; Lohse, Peter William; Yang, Wenxing; Johansson, Erik M. J.; Hagfeldt, Anders

    2015-01-01

    Investigation of charge transfer dynamics in dye‐sensitized solar cells is of fundamental interest and the control of these dynamics is a key factor for developing more efficient solar cell devices. One possibility for attenuating losses through recombination between injected electrons and oxidized dye molecules is to move the positive charge further away from the metal oxide surface. For this purpose, a metal‐free dye named E6 is developed, in which the chromophore core is tethered to two external triphenylamine (TPA) units. After photoinduced electron injection into TiO2, the remaining hole is rapidly transferred to a peripheral TPA unit. Electron–hole recombination is slowed down by 30% compared to a reference dye without peripheral TPA units. Furthermore, it is found that the added TPA moieties improve the electron blocking effect of the dye, retarding recombination of electrons from TiO2 to the cobalt‐based electrolyte. PMID:27722076

  11. Electron-hole liquid in semiconductors and low-dimensional structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibeldin, N. N.

    2017-11-01

    The condensation of excitons into an electron-hole liquid (EHL) and the main EHL properties in bulk semiconductors and low-dimensional structures are considered. The EHL properties in bulk materials are discussed primarily in qualitative terms based on the experimental results obtained for germanium and silicon. Some of the experiments in which the main EHL thermodynamic parameters (density and binding energy) have been obtained are described and the basic factors that determine these parameters are considered. Topics covered include the effect of external perturbations (uniaxial strain and magnetic field) on EHL stability; phase diagrams for a nonequilibrium exciton-gas-EHL system; information on the size and concentration of electron-hole drops (EHDs) under various experimental conditions; the kinetics of exciton condensation and of recombination in the exciton-gas-EHD system; dynamic EHD properties and the motion of EHDs under the action of external forces; the properties of giant EHDs that form in potential wells produced by applying an inhomogeneous strain to the crystal; and effects associated with the drag of EHDs by nonequilibrium phonons (phonon wind), including the dynamics and formation of an anisotropic spatial structure of the EHD cloud. In discussing EHLs in low-dimensional structures, a number of studies are reviewed on the observation and experimental investigation of phenomena such as spatially indirect (dipolar) electron-hole and exciton (dielectric) liquids in GaAs/AlGaAs structures with double quantum wells (QWs), EHDs containing only a few electron-hole pairs (dropletons), EHLs in type-I silicon QWs, and spatially direct and dipolar EHLs in type-II silicon-germanium heterostructures.

  12. Observation of suppressed Auger mechanism in type-I quantum well structures with delocalized electron-hole wavefunctions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hassani Nia, Iman; Fathipour, Vala; Mohseni, Hooman, E-mail: hmohseni@ece.northwestern.edu [Bio-Inspired Sensors and Optoelectronics Laboratory (BISOL), Department of Electrical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)

    2015-08-15

    We report the first observation of non-threshold Auger mechanism for a quantum well structure with Type-I band alignment. Excitation-dependent photoluminescence measurements were used to extract the Auger recombination coefficients from 77 K up to room temperature. The results verify the role of interface mediated momentum exchange as well as suppression of Auger recombination for delocalized electron-hole wavefunctions.

  13. Use of interfacial layers to prolong hole lifetimes in hematite probed by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradzah, Alexander T.; Diale, Mmantsae; Maabong, Kelebogile; Krüger, Tjaart P. J.

    2018-04-01

    Hematite is a widely investigated material for applications in solar water oxidation due primarily to its small bandgap. However, full realization of the material continues to be hampered by fast electron-hole recombination rates among other weaknesses such as low hole mobility, short hole diffusion length and low conductivity. To address the problem of fast electron-hole recombination, researchers have resorted to growth of nano-structured hematite, doping and use of under-layers. Under-layer materials enhance the photo-current by minimising electron-hole recombination through suppressing of back electron flow from the substrate, such as fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), to hematite. We have carried out ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy on hematite in which Nb2O5 and SnO2 materials were used as interfacial layers to enhance hole lifetimes. The transient absorption data was fit with four different lifetimes ranging from a few hundred femtoseconds to a few nanoseconds. We show that the electron-hole recombination is slower in samples where interfacial layers are used than in pristine hematite. We also develop a model through target analysis to illustrate the effect of under-layers on electron-hole recombination rates in hematite thin films.

  14. Linked-cluster formulation of electron-hole interaction kernel in real-space representation without using unoccupied states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayne, Michael G; Scher, Jeremy A; Ellis, Benjamin H; Chakraborty, Arindam

    2018-05-21

    Electron-hole or quasiparticle representation plays a central role in describing electronic excitations in many-electron systems. For charge-neutral excitation, the electron-hole interaction kernel is the quantity of interest for calculating important excitation properties such as optical gap, optical spectra, electron-hole recombination and electron-hole binding energies. The electron-hole interaction kernel can be formally derived from the density-density correlation function using both Green's function and TDDFT formalism. The accurate determination of the electron-hole interaction kernel remains a significant challenge for precise calculations of optical properties in the GW+BSE formalism. From the TDDFT perspective, the electron-hole interaction kernel has been viewed as a path to systematic development of frequency-dependent exchange-correlation functionals. Traditional approaches, such as MBPT formalism, use unoccupied states (which are defined with respect to Fermi vacuum) to construct the electron-hole interaction kernel. However, the inclusion of unoccupied states has long been recognized as the leading computational bottleneck that limits the application of this approach for larger finite systems. In this work, an alternative derivation that avoids using unoccupied states to construct the electron-hole interaction kernel is presented. The central idea of this approach is to use explicitly correlated geminal functions for treating electron-electron correlation for both ground and excited state wave functions. Using this ansatz, it is derived using both diagrammatic and algebraic techniques that the electron-hole interaction kernel can be expressed only in terms of linked closed-loop diagrams. It is proved that the cancellation of unlinked diagrams is a consequence of linked-cluster theorem in real-space representation. The electron-hole interaction kernel derived in this work was used to calculate excitation energies in many-electron systems and results

  15. Optical studies of MBE-grown InN nanocolumns: Evidence of surface electron accumulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segura-Ruiz, J.; Garro, N.; Cantarero, A.; Denker, C.; Malindretos, J.; Rizzi, A.

    2009-03-01

    Vertically self-aligned InN nanocolumns have been investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Different nanocolumn morphologies corresponding to different molecular beam epitaxy growth conditions have been studied. Raman spectra revealed strain-free nanocolumns with high crystalline quality for the full set of samples studied. Longitudinal optical modes both uncoupled and coupled to an electron plasma coexist in the Raman spectra pointing to the existence of two distinctive regions in the nanocolumn: a surface layer of degenerated electrons and a nondegenerated inner core. The characteristics of the low-temperature photoluminescence and its dependence on temperature and excitation power can be explained by a model considering localized holes recombining with degenerated electrons close to the nonpolar surface. The differences observed in the optical response of different samples showing similar crystalline quality have been attributed to the variation in the electron accumulation layer with the growth conditions.

  16. Electron-phonon interaction on an Al(001) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sklyadneva, I Yu; Chulkov, E V; Echenique, P M

    2008-01-01

    We report an ab initio study of the electron-phonon (e-ph) interaction and its contribution to the lifetime broadening of excited hole (electron) surface states on Al(001). The calculations based on density-functional theory were carried out using a linear response approach in the plane-wave pseudopotential representation. The obtained results show that both the electron-phonon coupling and the linewidth experience a weak variation with the energy and momentum position of a hole (electron) surface state in the energy band. An analysis of different contributions to the e-ph coupling reveals that bulk phonon modes turn out to be more involved in the scattering processes of excited electrons and holes than surface phonon modes. It is also shown that the role of the e-ph coupling in the broadening of the Rayleigh surface phonon mode is insignificant compared to anharmonic effects

  17. Formation and Coalescence of Electron Solitary Holes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saeki, K.; Michelsen, Poul; Pécseli, H. L.

    1979-01-01

    Electron solitary holes were observed in a magnetized collisionless plasma. These holes were identified as Bernstein-Green-Kruskal equilibria, thus being purely kinetic phenomena. The electron hole does not damp even though its velocity is close to the electron thermal velocity. Two holes attract...

  18. Tail state-assisted charge injection and recombination at the electron-collecting interface of P3HT:PCBM bulk-heterojunction polymer solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, He [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Shah, Manas [Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Ganesan, Venkat [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Chabinyc, Michael L. [Materials Department, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Loo, Yueh-Lin [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

    2012-12-15

    The systematic insertion of thin films of P3HT and PCBM at the electron- and hole-collecting interfaces, respectively, in bulk-heterojunction polymer solar cells results in different extents of reduction in device characteristics, with the insertion of P3HT at the electron-collecting interface being less disruptive to the output currents compared to the insertion of PCBM at the hole-collecting interface. This asymmetry is attributed to differences in the tail state-assisted charge injection and recombination at the active layer-electrode interfaces. P3HT exhibits a higher density of tail states compared to PCBM; holes in these tail states can thus easily recombine with electrons at the electron-collection interface during device operation. This process is subsequently compensated by the injection of holes from the cathode into these tail states, which collectively enables net current flow through the polymer solar cell. The study presented herein thus provides a plausible explanation for why preferential segregation of P3HT to the cathode interface is inconsequential to device characteristics in P3HT:PCBM bulk-heterojunction solar cells. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  19. Enhancing carrier injection in the active region of a 280nm emission wavelength LED using graded hole and electron blocking layers

    KAUST Repository

    Janjua, Bilal; Ng, Tien Khee; Alyamani, Ahmed Y.; El-Desouki, Munir M.; Ooi, Boon S.

    2014-01-01

    A theoretical investigation of AlGaN UV-LED with band engineering of hole and electron blocking layers (HBL and EBL, respectively) was conducted with an aim to improve injection efficiency and reduce efficiency droop in the UV LEDs. The analysis is based on energy band diagrams, carrier distribution and recombination rates (Shockley-Reed-Hall, Auger, and radiative recombination rates) in the quantum well, under equilibrium and forward bias conditions. Electron blocking layer is based on AlaGa1-aN / Al b → cGa1-b → 1-cN / AldGa 1-dN, where a < d < b < c. A graded layer sandwiched between large bandgap AlGaN materials was found to be effective in simultaneously blocking electrons and providing polarization field enhanced carrier injection. The graded interlayer reduces polarization induced band bending and mitigates the related drawback of impediment of holes injection. Similarly on the n-side, the Alx → yGa1-x → 1-yN / AlzGa 1-zN (x < z < y) barrier acts as a hole blocking layer. The reduced carrier leakage and enhanced carrier density in the active region results in significant improvement in radiative recombination rate compared to a structure with the conventional rectangular EBL layers. The improvement in device performance comes from meticulously designing the hole and electron blocking layers to increase carrier injection efficiency. The quantum well based UV-LED was designed to emit at 280nm, which is an effective wavelength for water disinfection application.

  20. Enhancing carrier injection in the active region of a 280nm emission wavelength LED using graded hole and electron blocking layers

    KAUST Repository

    Janjua, Bilal

    2014-02-27

    A theoretical investigation of AlGaN UV-LED with band engineering of hole and electron blocking layers (HBL and EBL, respectively) was conducted with an aim to improve injection efficiency and reduce efficiency droop in the UV LEDs. The analysis is based on energy band diagrams, carrier distribution and recombination rates (Shockley-Reed-Hall, Auger, and radiative recombination rates) in the quantum well, under equilibrium and forward bias conditions. Electron blocking layer is based on AlaGa1-aN / Al b → cGa1-b → 1-cN / AldGa 1-dN, where a < d < b < c. A graded layer sandwiched between large bandgap AlGaN materials was found to be effective in simultaneously blocking electrons and providing polarization field enhanced carrier injection. The graded interlayer reduces polarization induced band bending and mitigates the related drawback of impediment of holes injection. Similarly on the n-side, the Alx → yGa1-x → 1-yN / AlzGa 1-zN (x < z < y) barrier acts as a hole blocking layer. The reduced carrier leakage and enhanced carrier density in the active region results in significant improvement in radiative recombination rate compared to a structure with the conventional rectangular EBL layers. The improvement in device performance comes from meticulously designing the hole and electron blocking layers to increase carrier injection efficiency. The quantum well based UV-LED was designed to emit at 280nm, which is an effective wavelength for water disinfection application.

  1. Charge recombination process in X-ray irradiated pyrene-doped polystyrene as studied by optically detected electron spin resonance and magnetic field dependence of the recombination fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okazaki, Masaharu; Tai, Yutaka; Toriyama, Kazumi

    1993-01-01

    The optically-detected ESR (ODESR) spectrum and magnetic field dependence on recombination fluorescence were observed for X-ray irradiated pyrene-doped polystyrene at temperatures of 242-348 K. The ODESR intensity as a function of the pyrene concentration, 0.1-8.9 wt%, showed an unusual minimum at about 1.0%. Two phases were separated in the magnetic field dependence of the fluorescence: one was sharp and saturates at fields of over 50 mT, while the other was broad with a dip at around 60-150 mT. The cause of this dip was naturally attributed to the ST -1 level crossing. The sharp magnetic field effect also showed a minimum at around a concentration of 1.0 wt%. These novel findings have been interpreted using a recombination model modified from the previous one for pyrene-doped ethylene-propylene rubber and polyethylene. The essential points of the present model are: (1) although electron hopping within the polystyrene molecule is rapid, electron transfer at the last step of recombination between the polystyrene anion and the pyrene cation proceeds at a moderate rate; (2) the hole-transfer rate in the polymer chain is moderate; (3) electron hopping between the doped pyrene molecules is very much dependent on the concentration; (4) hole hopping between the pyrenes is inhibited. (author)

  2. Electron-ion recombination in merged beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolf, A.; Habs, D.; Lampert, A.; Neumann, R.; Schramm, U.; Schuessler, T.; Schwalm, D.

    1993-01-01

    Detailed studies of recombination processes between electrons and highly charged ions have become possible by recent improvements of merged-beams experiments. We discuss in particular measurements with stored cooled ion beams at the Test Storage Ring (TSR) in Heidelberg. The cross section of dielectronic recombination was measured with high energy resolution for few-electron systems up to the nuclear charge of Cu at a relative energy up to 2.6 keV. At low energy (∼0.1 eV) total recombination rates of several ions were measured and compared with calculated radiative recombination rates. Laser-stimulated recombination of protons and of C 6+ ions was investigated as a function of the photon energy using visible radiation. Both the total recombination rates and the stimulated recombination spectra indicate that in spite of the short interaction time in merged beams, also collisional capture of electrons into weakly bound levels (related to three-body recombination) could be important

  3. Graded Recombination Layers for Multijunction Photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Koleilat, Ghada I.; Wang, Xihua; Sargent, Edward H.

    2012-01-01

    it to achieve multicolor and spectrally tunable behavior. In series-connected current-matched multijunction devices, the recombination layers must allow the hole current from one cell to recombine, with high efficiency and low voltage loss, with the electron

  4. Electronic recombination in some physics problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guzman, O.

    1988-01-01

    This work is related to calculations of electronic recombination rates, as a function of electronic density, electronic temperature, and ion nuclear charge. Recombination times can be calculated and compared to cooling time, in cooling processes of ion beans by electrons from storage rings. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

  5. Electron-ion recombination at low energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, L.H.

    1993-01-01

    The work is based on results obtained with a merged-beams experiment. A beam of electronics with a well characterized density and energy distribution was merged with a fast, monoenergetic ion beam. Results have been obtained for radiative recombination and dielectronic recombination at low relative energies (0 to ∼70eV). The obtained energy resolution was improved by about a factor of 30. High vacuum technology was used to suppress interactions with electrons from the environments. The velocity distribution of the electron beam was determined. State-selective dielectronic-recombination measurements were performable. Recombination processes were studied. The theoretical background for radiative recombination and Kramers' theory are reviewed. The quantum mechanical result and its relation to the semiclassical theory is discussed. Radiative recombination was also measured with several different non-bare ions, and the applicability of the semiclassical theory to non-bare ions was investigated. The use of an effective charge is discussed. For dielectronic recombination, the standard theoretical approach in the isolated resonance and independent-processes approximation is debated. The applicability of this method was tested. The theory was able to reproduce most of the experimental data except when the recombination process was sensitive to couplings between different electronic configurations. The influence of external perturbing electrostatic fields is discussed. (AB) (31 refs.)

  6. Plasma electron hole kinematics. I. Momentum conservation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchinson, I. H.; Zhou, C. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

    2016-08-15

    We analyse the kinematic properties of a plasma electron hole: a non-linear self-sustained localized positive electric potential perturbation, trapping electrons, which behaves as a coherent entity. When a hole accelerates or grows in depth, ion and electron plasma momentum is changed both within the hole and outside, by an energization process we call jetting. We present a comprehensive analytic calculation of the momentum changes of an isolated general one-dimensional hole. The conservation of the total momentum gives the hole's kinematics, determining its velocity evolution. Our results explain many features of the behavior of hole speed observed in numerical simulations, including self-acceleration at formation, and hole pushing and trapping by ion streams.

  7. Recombination of H(3+) and D(3+) ions with electrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnsen, R.; Gougousi, T.; Golde, M. F.

    1994-01-01

    Flowing-afterglow measurements in decaying H3(+) or D3(+) plasmas suggest that de-ionization does not occur by simple binary recombination of a single ion species. We find that vibrational excitation of the ions fails to provide an explanation for the effect, contrary to an earlier suggestion. Instead, we suggest that collisional stabilization of H3** Rydberg molecules by ambient electrons introduces an additional dependence on electron density. The proposed mechanism would permit plasma de-ionization to occur without the need for dissociative recombination by the mechanism of potential-surface crossings.

  8. Electron-ion recombination rates for merged-beams experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pajek, M.

    1994-01-01

    Energy dependence of the electron-ion recombination rates are studied for different recombination processes (radiative recombination, three-body recombination, dissociative recombination) for Maxwellian relative velocity distribution of arbitrary asymmetry. The results are discussed in context of the electron-ion merged beams experiments in cooling ion storage rings. The question of indication of a possible contribution of the three-body recombination to the measured recombination rates versus relative energy is particularly addressed. Its influence on the electron beam temperature derived from the energy dependence of recombination rate is discussed

  9. Controlling the surface photovoltage on WSe2 by surface chemical modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ro-Ya; Ozawa, Kenichi; Terashima, Naoya; Natsui, Yuto; Feng, Baojie; Ito, Suguru; Chen, Wei-Chuan; Cheng, Cheng-Maw; Yamamoto, Susumu; Kato, Hiroo; Chiang, Tai-Chang; Matsuda, Iwao

    2018-05-01

    The surface photovoltage (SPV) effect is key to the development of opto-electronic devices such as solar-cells and photo-detectors. For the prototypical transition metal dichalcogenide WSe2, core level and valence band photoemission measurements show that the surface band bending of pristine cleaved surfaces can be readily modified by adsorption with K (an electron donor) or C60 (an electron acceptor). Time-resolved pump-probe photoemission measurements reveal that the SPV for pristine cleaved surfaces is enhanced by K adsorption, but suppressed by C60 adsorption, and yet the SPV relaxation time is substantially shortened in both cases. Evidently, adsorbate-induced electronic states act as electron-hole recombination centers that shorten the carrier lifetime.

  10. Effect of burst and recombination models for Monte Carlo transport of interacting carriers in a-Se x-ray detectors on Swank noise

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, Yuan, E-mail: yuan.fang@fda.hhs.gov [Division of Imaging and Applied Mathematics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993-0002 and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Karim, Karim S. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Badano, Aldo [Division of Imaging and Applied Mathematics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993-0002 (United States)

    2014-01-15

    Purpose: The authors describe the modification to a previously developed Monte Carlo model of semiconductor direct x-ray detector required for studying the effect of burst and recombination algorithms on detector performance. This work provides insight into the effect of different charge generation models for a-Se detectors on Swank noise and recombination fraction. Methods: The proposed burst and recombination models are implemented in the Monte Carlo simulation package, ARTEMIS, developed byFang et al. [“Spatiotemporal Monte Carlo transport methods in x-ray semiconductor detectors: Application to pulse-height spectroscopy in a-Se,” Med. Phys. 39(1), 308–319 (2012)]. The burst model generates a cloud of electron-hole pairs based on electron velocity, energy deposition, and material parameters distributed within a spherical uniform volume (SUV) or on a spherical surface area (SSA). A simple first-hit (FH) and a more detailed but computationally expensive nearest-neighbor (NN) recombination algorithms are also described and compared. Results: Simulated recombination fractions for a single electron-hole pair show good agreement with Onsager model for a wide range of electric field, thermalization distance, and temperature. The recombination fraction and Swank noise exhibit a dependence on the burst model for generation of many electron-hole pairs from a single x ray. The Swank noise decreased for the SSA compared to the SUV model at 4 V/μm, while the recombination fraction decreased for SSA compared to the SUV model at 30 V/μm. The NN and FH recombination results were comparable. Conclusions: Results obtained with the ARTEMIS Monte Carlo transport model incorporating drift and diffusion are validated with the Onsager model for a single electron-hole pair as a function of electric field, thermalization distance, and temperature. For x-ray interactions, the authors demonstrate that the choice of burst model can affect the simulation results for the generation

  11. Effect of burst and recombination models for Monte Carlo transport of interacting carriers in a-Se x-ray detectors on Swank noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang, Yuan; Karim, Karim S.; Badano, Aldo

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The authors describe the modification to a previously developed Monte Carlo model of semiconductor direct x-ray detector required for studying the effect of burst and recombination algorithms on detector performance. This work provides insight into the effect of different charge generation models for a-Se detectors on Swank noise and recombination fraction. Methods: The proposed burst and recombination models are implemented in the Monte Carlo simulation package, ARTEMIS, developed byFang et al. [“Spatiotemporal Monte Carlo transport methods in x-ray semiconductor detectors: Application to pulse-height spectroscopy in a-Se,” Med. Phys. 39(1), 308–319 (2012)]. The burst model generates a cloud of electron-hole pairs based on electron velocity, energy deposition, and material parameters distributed within a spherical uniform volume (SUV) or on a spherical surface area (SSA). A simple first-hit (FH) and a more detailed but computationally expensive nearest-neighbor (NN) recombination algorithms are also described and compared. Results: Simulated recombination fractions for a single electron-hole pair show good agreement with Onsager model for a wide range of electric field, thermalization distance, and temperature. The recombination fraction and Swank noise exhibit a dependence on the burst model for generation of many electron-hole pairs from a single x ray. The Swank noise decreased for the SSA compared to the SUV model at 4 V/μm, while the recombination fraction decreased for SSA compared to the SUV model at 30 V/μm. The NN and FH recombination results were comparable. Conclusions: Results obtained with the ARTEMIS Monte Carlo transport model incorporating drift and diffusion are validated with the Onsager model for a single electron-hole pair as a function of electric field, thermalization distance, and temperature. For x-ray interactions, the authors demonstrate that the choice of burst model can affect the simulation results for the generation

  12. Bimolecular recombination in ambipolar organic field effect transistors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Charrier, D. S. H.; de Vries, T.; Mathijssen, S. G. J.; Geluk, E. -J.; Smits, E. C. P.; Kemerink, M.; Janssen, R. A. J.

    In ambipolar organic field effect transistors (OFET) the shape of the channel potential is intimately related to the recombination zone width W, and hence to the electron-hole recombination strength. Experimentally, the recombination profile can be assessed by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy

  13. Plasmon sidebands in the gain spectrum of an electron-hole plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoang Ngoc Cam; Nguyen Van Hieu; Nguyen Ai Viet.

    1987-06-01

    The theory is represented for the recombination of the electron-hole pair into the photon with and without the emission of the plasmon-phonon coupled modes. In calculating the energies of the plasmon and the plasmon-phonon coupled modes as well as the vertices of their effective interactions the quantum field theory method has been applied. The theoretical prediction agrees well with the experimental result in the main part EHP 0 and the first sideband EHP - of the gain spectrum. (author). 6 refs, 9 figs

  14. Electron - ion recombination processes - an overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahn, Yukap

    1997-01-01

    Extensive theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out for the past 20 years on electron - ion recombination processes, as they are applied to the analysis of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. We review the basic understanding gained through these efforts, with emphasis on some of the more recent progress made in recombination theory as the recombining system is affected by time-dependent electric fields and plasma particles at low temperature. Together with collisional ionization and excitation processes, recombination is important in determining ionization balance and excited-state population in non-equilibrium plasmas. The radiation emitted by plasmas is usually the principal medium with which to study the plasma condition, as it is produced mainly during the recombination and decay of excited states of ions inside the plasma. This is especially true when the plasma under study is not readily accessible by direct probes, as in astrophysical plasmas. Moreover, external probes may sometimes cause undesirable disturbances of the plasma. Electron-ion recombination proceeds in several different modes. The direct modes include three-body recombination (TBR) and one-step radiative recombination (RR), all to the ground- and singly-excited states of the target ions. By contrast, the indirect resonant mode is a two-step dielectronic recombination (DR), which proceeds first with the formation of doubly-excited states by radiationless excitation/capture. The resonant states thus formed may relax by autoionization and/or radiative cascades. For more exotic modes of recombination, we consider off-shell dielectronic recombination (radiative DR = RDR), in which an electron capture is accompanied by simultaneous radiative emission and excitation of the target ion. Some discussion on attachment of electrons to neutral atoms, resulting in the formation of negative ions, is also given. When resonance states involve one or more electrons in high Rydberg states

  15. Electron-phonon contribution to the phonon and excited electron (hole) linewidths in bulk Pd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sklyadneva, I Yu; Leonardo, A; Echenique, P M; Eremeev, S V; Chulkov, E V

    2006-01-01

    We present an ab initio study of the electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling and its contribution to the phonon linewidths and to the lifetime broadening of excited electron and hole states in bulk Pd. The calculations, based on density-functional theory, were carried out using a linear-response approach in the plane-wave pseudopotential representation. The obtained results for the Eliashberg spectral function α 2 F(ω), e-ph coupling constant λ, and the contribution to the lifetime broadening, Γ e-ph , show strong dependence on both the energy and momentum of an electron (hole) state. The calculation of phonon linewidths gives, in agreement with experimental observations, an anomalously large broadening for the transverse phonon mode T 1 in the Σ direction. In addition, this mode is found to contribute most strongly to the electron-phonon scattering processes on the Fermi surface

  16. Desorption by Femtosecond Laser Pulses : An Electron-Hole Effect?

    OpenAIRE

    D. M., NEWNS; T. F., HEINZ; J. A., MISEWICH; IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center; IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center; IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center

    1992-01-01

    Desorption of molecules from metal surfaces induced by femtosecond visible laser pulses has been reported. Since the lattice temperature rise is insufficient to explain desorption, an electronic mechanism is clearly responsible. It is shown that a theory based on direct coupling between the center-of-mass degree of freedom of the adsorbate and the electron-hole excitations of the substrate provides a satisfactory explanation of the various experimental findings.

  17. High resolution surface scanning of Thick-GEM for single photo-electron detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamar, G.; Varga, D.

    2012-01-01

    An optical system for high resolution scanning of TGEM UV photon detection systems is introduced. The structure exploits the combination of a single Au-coated TGEM under study, and an asymmetric MWPC (Close Cathode Chamber) as post-amplification stage. A pulsed UV LED source with emission down to 240 nm has been focused to a spot of 0.07 mm on the TGEM surface, and single photo-electron charge spectra has been recorded over selected two dimensional regions. This way, the TGEM gain (order of 10–100) and TGEM photo-electron detection efficiency is clearly separated, unlike in case of continuous illumination. The surface structure connected to the TGEM photon detection is well observable, including inefficiencies in the holes and at the symmetry points between holes. The detection efficiency as well as the gas gain are fluctuating from hole to hole. The gain is constant in the hexagon around any hole, pointing to the fact that the gain depends on hole geometry, and less on the position where the electron enters. The detection probability map strongly changes with the field strength above the TGEM surface, in relation to the change of the actual surface field configuration. The results can be confronted with position-dependent simulations of TGEM electron transfer and gas multiplication. -- Highlights: ► First demonstration of Thick GEM surface scanning with single photo-electrons. ► Resolution of 0.1 mm is sufficient to identify structures connected to TGEM surface field structure. ► Gain and detection efficiency and separately measurable. ► Detection efficiency is high in a ring around the holes, and gain is constant in the hexagonal collection regions.

  18. Electron cooling and recombination experiments with an adiabatically expanded electron beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pastuszka, S.; Heidelberg Univ.; Schramm, U.; Heidelberg Univ.; Grieser, M.; Heidelberg Univ.; Broude, C.; Heidelberg Univ.; Grimm, R.; Heidelberg Univ.; Habs, D.; Heidelberg Univ.; Kenntner, J.; Heidelberg Univ.; Miesner, H.J.; Heidelberg Univ.; Schuessler, T.; Heidelberg Univ.; Schwalm, D.; Heidelberg Univ.; Wolf, A.; Heidelberg Univ.

    1996-01-01

    Magnetically guided electron beams with transverse temperatures reduced with respect to the cathode temperature by a factor of more than 7 were realized in the electron cooling device of the heavy-ion storage ring TSR and the effect of the reduced transverse temperature in recombination and electron cooling experiments was studied. Measured dielectronic recombination resonances at low relative energy and spectra of laser-stimulated recombination indicate that transverse electron temperatures of about 17 meV have been obtained at cathode temperatures of about 110 meV. The temperature dependence of the spontaneous electron-ion recombination rate during electron cooling was investigated and found to follow the inverse square-root law expected from the theory of radiative recombination, although the measured absolute rates are higher than predicted. A new method based on analyzing the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted during simultaneous laser and electron cooling is used to measure the longitudinal electron cooling force in a range of relative velocities extending over two orders of magnitude (10 5 -10 7 cm/s). The results confirm the occurrence of 'magnetized electron cooling' also at the reduced transverse temperature and show that, compared to earlier measurements at the high transverse temperature, the cooling force increases by about a factor of 2; a considerably larger increase by a factor of ∼5 would be expected if 'magnetized electron cooling' would not exist. (orig.)

  19. Carrier population control and surface passivation in solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Cuevas, Andres; Wan, Yimao; Yan, Di; Samundsett, Christian; Allen, Thomas; Zhang, Xinyu; Cui, Jie; Bullock, James

    2018-01-01

    Controlling the concentration of charge carriers near the surface is essential for solar cells. It permits to form regions with selective conductivity for either electrons or holes and it also helps to reduce the rate at which they recombine

  20. The dynamics of electron and ion holes in a collisionless plasma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Eliasson

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a review of recent analytical and numerical studies of the dynamics of electron and ion holes in a collisionless plasma. The new results are based on the class of analytic solutions which were found by Schamel more than three decades ago, and which here work as initial conditions to numerical simulations of the dynamics of ion and electron holes and their interaction with radiation and the background plasma. Our analytic and numerical studies reveal that ion holes in an electron-ion plasma can trap Langmuir waves, due the local electron density depletion associated with the negative ion hole potential. Since the scale-length of the ion holes are on a relatively small Debye scale, the trapped Langmuir waves are Landau damped. We also find that colliding ion holes accelerate electron streams by the negative ion hole potentials, and that these streams of electrons excite Langmuir waves due to a streaming instability. In our Vlasov simulation of two colliding ion holes, the holes survive the collision and after the collision, the electron distribution becomes flat-topped between the two ion holes due to the ion hole potentials which work as potential barriers for low-energy electrons. Our study of the dynamics between electron holes and the ion background reveals that standing electron holes can be accelerated by the self-created ion cavity owing to the positive electron hole potential. Vlasov simulations show that electron holes are repelled by ion density minima and attracted by ion density maxima. We also present an extension of Schamel's theory to relativistically hot plasmas, where the relativistic mass increase of the accelerated electrons have a dramatic effect on the electron hole, with an increase in the electron hole potential and in the width of the electron hole. A study of the interaction between electromagnetic waves with relativistic electron holes shows that electromagnetic waves can be both linearly and nonlinearly

  1. Reactivating Catalytic Surface: Insights into the Role of Hot Holes in Plasmonic Catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Tianhuan; Miao, Junjian; Gao, Zhaoshuai; Zhang, Linjuan; Gao, Yi; Fan, Chunhai; Li, Di

    2018-03-01

    Surface plasmon resonance of coinage metal nanoparticles is extensively exploited to promote catalytic reactions via harvesting solar energy. Previous efforts on elucidating the mechanisms of enhanced catalysis are devoted to hot electron-induced photothermal conversion and direct charge transfer to the adsorbed reactants. However, little attention is paid to roles of hot holes that are generated concomitantly with hot electrons. In this work, 13 nm spherical Au nanoparticles with small absorption cross-section are employed to catalyze a well-studied glucose oxidation reaction. Density functional theory calculation and X-ray absorption spectrum analysis reveal that hot holes energetically favor transferring catalytic intermediates to product molecules and then desorbing from the surface of plasmonic catalysts, resulting in the recovery of their catalytic activities. The studies shed new light on the use of the synergy of hot holes and hot electrons for plasmon-promoted catalysis. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. High resolution surface scanning of Thick-GEM for single photo-electron detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamar, G., E-mail: hamar.gergo@wigner.mta.hu [Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest (Hungary); Varga, D., E-mail: vdezso@mail.cern.ch [Eoetvoes Lorand University, Budapest (Hungary)

    2012-12-01

    An optical system for high resolution scanning of TGEM UV photon detection systems is introduced. The structure exploits the combination of a single Au-coated TGEM under study, and an asymmetric MWPC (Close Cathode Chamber) as post-amplification stage. A pulsed UV LED source with emission down to 240 nm has been focused to a spot of 0.07 mm on the TGEM surface, and single photo-electron charge spectra has been recorded over selected two dimensional regions. This way, the TGEM gain (order of 10-100) and TGEM photo-electron detection efficiency is clearly separated, unlike in case of continuous illumination. The surface structure connected to the TGEM photon detection is well observable, including inefficiencies in the holes and at the symmetry points between holes. The detection efficiency as well as the gas gain are fluctuating from hole to hole. The gain is constant in the hexagon around any hole, pointing to the fact that the gain depends on hole geometry, and less on the position where the electron enters. The detection probability map strongly changes with the field strength above the TGEM surface, in relation to the change of the actual surface field configuration. The results can be confronted with position-dependent simulations of TGEM electron transfer and gas multiplication. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer First demonstration of Thick GEM surface scanning with single photo-electrons. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Resolution of 0.1 mm is sufficient to identify structures connected to TGEM surface field structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Gain and detection efficiency and separately measurable. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Detection efficiency is high in a ring around the holes, and gain is constant in the hexagonal collection regions.

  3. Excitons formed from spatially separated electrons and holes in Ge/Si geterostructures with Ge quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pokutnyj, S.I.

    2016-01-01

    The effect of a significant increase in the exciton binding energy of space-separated electrons and holes (hole moves in the volume of the quantum dot, and the electron is localized on a spherical surface section quantum dot-matrix) in nanosystems containing germanium quantum dots grown in a matrix of silicon by compared with the binding energy of an exciton in a silicon single crystal. It was found that in such nanosystems in the conduction band silicon matrix is first a zone of states of electron-hole pairs, which with increasing radius of the quantum dot becomes a zone of exciton states, located in the band gap of silicon matrix. It is shown that the mechanism of light absorption in nanosystems due to transitions between quantum-electron levels of the electron-hole pairs, as well as the electron transitions between quantum-exciton levels.

  4. Direct probing of electron and hole trapping into nano-floating-gate in organic field-effect transistor nonvolatile memories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cui, Ze-Qun; Wang, Shun; Chen, Jian-Mei; Gao, Xu; Dong, Bin, E-mail: wangsd@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: chilf@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: bdong@suda.edu.cn; Chi, Li-Feng, E-mail: wangsd@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: chilf@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: bdong@suda.edu.cn; Wang, Sui-Dong, E-mail: wangsd@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: chilf@suda.edu.cn, E-mail: bdong@suda.edu.cn [Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 (China)

    2015-03-23

    Electron and hole trapping into the nano-floating-gate of a pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor nonvolatile memory is directly probed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. The probing is straightforward and non-destructive. The measured surface potential change can quantitatively profile the charge trapping, and the surface characterization results are in good accord with the corresponding device behavior. Both electrons and holes can be trapped into the nano-floating-gate, with a preference of electron trapping than hole trapping. The trapped charge quantity has an approximately linear relation with the programming/erasing gate bias, indicating that the charge trapping in the device is a field-controlled process.

  5. Direct probing of electron and hole trapping into nano-floating-gate in organic field-effect transistor nonvolatile memories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Ze-Qun; Wang, Shun; Chen, Jian-Mei; Gao, Xu; Dong, Bin; Chi, Li-Feng; Wang, Sui-Dong

    2015-01-01

    Electron and hole trapping into the nano-floating-gate of a pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor nonvolatile memory is directly probed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. The probing is straightforward and non-destructive. The measured surface potential change can quantitatively profile the charge trapping, and the surface characterization results are in good accord with the corresponding device behavior. Both electrons and holes can be trapped into the nano-floating-gate, with a preference of electron trapping than hole trapping. The trapped charge quantity has an approximately linear relation with the programming/erasing gate bias, indicating that the charge trapping in the device is a field-controlled process

  6. Polarized recombination of acoustically transported carriers in GaAs nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, Michael; Hernández-Mínguez, Alberto; Breuer, Steffen; Pfüller, Carsten; Brandt, Oliver; de Lima, Mauricio M.; Cantarero, Andrés; Geelhaar, Lutz; Riechert, Henning; Santos, Paulo V.

    2012-05-01

    The oscillating piezoelectric field of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) is employed to transport photoexcited electrons and holes in GaAs nanowires deposited on a SAW delay line on a LiNbO3 crystal. The carriers generated in the nanowire by a focused light spot are acoustically transferred to a second location where they recombine. We show that the recombination of the transported carriers occurs in a zinc blende section on top of the predominant wurtzite nanowire. This allows contactless control of the linear polarized emission by SAWs which is governed by the crystal structure. Additional polarization-resolved photoluminescence measurements were performed to investigate spin conservation during transport.

  7. Blue and white phosphorescent organic light emitting diode performance improvement by confining electrons and holes inside double emitting layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsai, Yu-Sheng; Hong, Lin-Ann; Juang, Fuh-Shyang; Chen, Cheng-Yin

    2014-09-15

    In this research, complex emitting layers (EML) were fabricated using TCTA doping hole-transport material in the front half of a bipolar 26DCzPPy as well as PPT doping electron-transport material in the back half of 26DCzPPy. Blue dopant FIrpic was also mixed inside the complex emitting layer to produce a highly efficient blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diode (OLED). The hole and electron injection and carrier recombination rate were effectively increased. The fabricated complex emitting layers exhibited current efficiency of 42 cd/A and power efficiency of 30 lm/W when the luminance was 1000 cd/m{sup 2}, driving voltage was 4.4 V, and current density was 2.4 mA/cm{sup 2}. A white OLED component was then manufactured by doping red dopant [Os(bpftz){sub 2}(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2}] (Os) in proper locations. When the Os dopant was doped in between the complex emitting layers, excitons were effectively confined within, increasing the recombination rate and therefore reducing the color shift. The resulting Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates shifted from 4 to 10 V is (Δx=−0.04, Δy=+0.01). The component had a current efficiency of 35.7 cd/A, a power efficiency of 24 lm/W, driving voltage of 4.6 V and a CIE{sub x,y} of (0.31,0.35) at a luminance of 1000 cd/m{sup 2}, with a maximum luminance of 15,600 cd/m{sup 2} at 10 V. Attaching an outcoupling enhancement film was applied to increase the luminance efficiency to 30 lm/W. - Highlights: • Used the complex double emitting layers. • Respectively doped hole and electron transport material in the bipolar host. • Electrons and holes are effectively confined within EMLs to produce excitons.

  8. Blue and white phosphorescent organic light emitting diode performance improvement by confining electrons and holes inside double emitting layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Yu-Sheng; Hong, Lin-Ann; Juang, Fuh-Shyang; Chen, Cheng-Yin

    2014-01-01

    In this research, complex emitting layers (EML) were fabricated using TCTA doping hole-transport material in the front half of a bipolar 26DCzPPy as well as PPT doping electron-transport material in the back half of 26DCzPPy. Blue dopant FIrpic was also mixed inside the complex emitting layer to produce a highly efficient blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diode (OLED). The hole and electron injection and carrier recombination rate were effectively increased. The fabricated complex emitting layers exhibited current efficiency of 42 cd/A and power efficiency of 30 lm/W when the luminance was 1000 cd/m 2 , driving voltage was 4.4 V, and current density was 2.4 mA/cm 2 . A white OLED component was then manufactured by doping red dopant [Os(bpftz) 2 (PPh 2 Me) 2 ] (Os) in proper locations. When the Os dopant was doped in between the complex emitting layers, excitons were effectively confined within, increasing the recombination rate and therefore reducing the color shift. The resulting Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates shifted from 4 to 10 V is (Δx=−0.04, Δy=+0.01). The component had a current efficiency of 35.7 cd/A, a power efficiency of 24 lm/W, driving voltage of 4.6 V and a CIE x,y of (0.31,0.35) at a luminance of 1000 cd/m 2 , with a maximum luminance of 15,600 cd/m 2 at 10 V. Attaching an outcoupling enhancement film was applied to increase the luminance efficiency to 30 lm/W. - Highlights: • Used the complex double emitting layers. • Respectively doped hole and electron transport material in the bipolar host. • Electrons and holes are effectively confined within EMLs to produce excitons

  9. Picosecond kinetics of the electron-hole layers formation in wide-bandgap II-VI type-II heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filatov, E.V.; Zaitsev, S.V.; Tartakovskii, I.I.; Maksimov, A.A. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432 Chernogolovka, Moscow region (Russian Federation); Yakovlev, D.R. [A.F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194021 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Experimentelle Physik II, Technische Universitaet Dortmund (Germany); Waag, A. [Institute of Semiconductor Technology, Braunschweig Technical University, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany)

    2010-06-15

    Considerable slowdown of luminescence kinetics of the direct optical transition was discovered in ZnSe/BeTe type-II heterostructures under high levels of optical pumping. The effect is attributed to forming of a potential barrier for holes in the ZnSe layer due to band bending at high densities of spatially separated carriers. That results in a longer time of the photoexcited holes energy relaxation to their ground state in the BeTe layer. The decrease of overlapping of electron and hole wavefunctions in the ZnSe layer in thick ZnSe/BeTe structures at high levels of optical excitation reveals an additional important effect, that leads to sufficient retardation of radiative recombination time for photoexcited carriers (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Enhancement of tunnel conductivity by Cooper pair fluctuations in electron-hole bilayer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Efimkin, D K; Lozovik, Yu E

    2012-01-01

    Influence of Cooper pair fluctuations that are precursor of pairing of electrons and holes located on opposite surfaces of topological insulator film on tunnel conductivity between the surfaces is investigated. Due to restrictions caused by momentum and energy conservation dependence of tunnel conductivity on external bias voltage has peak that becomes more prominent with decreasing of disorder and temperature. We have shown that Cooper pair fluctuations considerably enhance tunneling and height of the peak diverges in vicinity of critical temperature with critical index ν = 2. Width of the peak tends to zero in proximity of critical temperature. Pairing of electrons and holes can be suppressed by disorder and in vicinity of quantum critical point height of the peak also diverges as function of Cooper pair damping with critical index μ = 2.

  11. Temperature dependence of acceptor-hole recombination in germanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darken, L.S.; Jellison, G.E. Jr.

    1989-01-01

    The recombination kinetics of several centers (Zn - , Cu - , B - , CuH - 2 , CuH - x , Zn = , Cu = , and CuH = x ) in high-purity Ge have been measured as a function of temperature from 8 to 160 K by transient capacitance techniques and are significantly faster than expected from cascade theory. The cascade theory also gives the wrong temperature dependence, and the wrong z dependence. Instead, the data are generally fit by the expression N v /4pτ c congruent kT/h (p and τ c are, respectively, the free-hole concentration in the sample and the experimental mean capture time for a center)

  12. Electronic collective modes and instabilities on semiconductor surfaces. I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muramatsu, A.; Hanke, W.

    1984-01-01

    A Green's-function theory of electronic collective modes is presented which leads to a practical scheme for a microscopic determination of surface elementary excitations in conducting as well as nonconducting solids. Particular emphasis is placed on semiconductor surfaces where the jellium approximation is not valid, due to the importance of density fluctuations on a microscopic scale (reflected in the local-field effects). Starting from the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the two-particle Green's function of the surface system, an equation of motion for the electron-hole pair is obtained. Its solutions determine the energy spectra, lifetimes, and amplitudes of the surface elementary excitations, i.e., surface plasmons, excitons, polaritons, and magnons. Exchange and correlation effects are taken into account through the random-phase and time-dependent Hartree-Fock (screened electron-hole attraction) approximations. The formalism is applied to the study of electronic (charge- and spin-density) instabilities at covalent semiconductor surfaces. Quantitative calculations for an eight-layer Si(111) slab display an instability of the ideal paramagnetic surface with respect to spin-density waves with wavelength nearly corresponding to (2 x 1) and (7 x 7) superstructures

  13. Effects of Bimolecular Recombination on Impedance Spectra in Organic Semiconductors: Analytical Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takata, Masashi; Takagi, Kenichiro; Nagase, Takashi; Kobayashi, Takashi; Naito, Hiroyoshi

    2016-04-01

    An analytical expression for impedance spectra in the case of double injection (both electrons and holes are injected into an organic semiconductor thin film) has been derived from the basic transport equations (the current density equation, the continuity equation and the Possion's equation). Capacitance-frequency characteristics calculated from the analytical expression have been examined at different recombination constants and different values of mobility balance defined by a ratio of electron mobility to hole mobility. Negative capacitance appears when the recombination constant is lower than the Langevin recombination constant and when the value of the mobility balance approaches unity. These results are consistent with the numerical results obtained by a device simulator (Atlas, Silvaco).

  14. Layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride for surface passivation in quantum dot solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shanmugam, Mariyappan; Jain, Nikhil; Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin; Yu, Bin; Xu, Yang

    2013-01-01

    Single crystalline, two dimensional (2D) layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), is demonstrated as an emerging material candidate for surface passivation on mesoporous TiO 2 . Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dot based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell employed h-BN passivated TiO 2 as an electron acceptor exhibits photoconversion efficiency ∼46% more than BHJ employed unpassivated TiO 2 . Dominant interfacial recombination pathways such as electron capture by TiO 2 surface states and recombination with hole at valence band of CdSe are efficiently controlled by h-BN enabled surface passivation, leading to improved photovoltaic performance. Highly crystalline, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, dangling bond-free 2D layered h-BN with self-terminated atomic planes, achieved by chemical exfoliation, enables efficient passivation on TiO 2 , allowing electronic transport at TiO 2 /h-BN/CdSe interface with much lower recombination rate compared to an unpassivated TiO 2 /CdSe interface

  15. Surface effects in black hole physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damour, T.

    1982-01-01

    This contribution reviews briefly the various analogies which have been drawn between black holes and ordinary physical objects. It is shown how, by concentrating on the properties of the surface of a black hole, it is possible to set up a sequence of tight analogies allowing one to conclude that a black hole is, qualitatively and quantitatively, similar to a fluid bubble possessing a negative surface tension and endowed with finite values of the electrical conductivity and of the shear and bulk viscosities. These analogies are valid simultaneously at the levels of electromagnetic, mechanical and thermodynamical laws. Explicit applications of this framework are worked out (eddy currents, tidal drag). The thermostatic equilibrium of a black hole electrically interacting with its surroundings is discussed, as well as the validity of a minimum entropy production principle in black hole physics. (Auth.)

  16. Energy of ground state of laminar electron-hole liquid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andryushin, E.A.

    1976-01-01

    The problem of a possible existence of metal electron-hole liquid in semiconductors is considered. The calculation has been carried out for the following model: two parallel planes are separated with the distance on one of the planes electrons moving, on the other holes doing. Transitions between the planes are forbidden. The density of particles for both planes is the same. The energy of the ground state and correlation functions for such electron-and hole system are calculated. It is shown that the state of a metal liquid is more advantageous against the exciton gas. For the mass ratio of electrons and holes, msub(e)/msub(h) → 0 a smooth rearrangement of the system into a state with ordered heavy particles is observed

  17. Stability of Sarma phases in density imbalanced electron-hole bilayer systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subasi, A. L.; Tanatar, B.; Pieri, P.; Senatore, G.

    2010-01-01

    We study excitonic condensation in an electron-hole bilayer system with unequal layer densities at zero temperature. Using mean-field theory we solve the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) gap equations numerically and investigate the effects of intralayer interactions. The electron-hole system evolves from BCS in the weak coupling limit to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in the strong coupling limit. We analyze the stability of the Sarma phase with k,-k pairing by calculating the superfluid mass density and also by checking the compressibility matrix. We find that with bare Coulomb interactions the superfluid density is always positive in the Sarma phase, due to a peculiar momentum structure of the gap function originating from the singular behavior of the Coulomb potential at zero momentum and the presence of a sharp Fermi surface. Introducing a simple model for screening, we find that the superfluid density becomes negative in some regions of the phase diagram, corresponding to an instability toward a Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov-type superfluid phase. Thus, intralayer interaction and screening together can lead to a rich phase diagram in the BCS-BEC crossover regime in electron-hole bilayer systems.

  18. Real-Space Imaging of Carrier Dynamics of Materials Surfaces by Second-Generation Four-Dimensional Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Jingya

    2015-09-14

    In the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaics, ultrafast dynamical processes, including carrier trapping and recombination on material surfaces, are among the key factors that determine the overall energy conversion efficiency. A precise knowledge of these dynamical events on the nanometer (nm) and femtosecond (fs) scales was not accessible until recently. The only way to access such fundamental processes fully is to map the surface dynamics selectively in real space and time. In this study, we establish a second generation of four-dimensional scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (4D S-UEM) and demonstrate the ability to record time-resolved images (snapshots) of material surfaces with 650 fs and ∼5 nm temporal and spatial resolutions, respectively. In this method, the surface of a specimen is excited by a clocking optical pulse and imaged using a pulsed primary electron beam as a probe pulse, generating secondary electrons (SEs), which are emitted from the surface of the specimen in a manner that is sensitive to the local electron/hole density. This method provides direct and controllable information regarding surface dynamics. We clearly demonstrate how the surface morphology, grains, defects, and nanostructured features can significantly impact the overall dynamical processes on the surface of photoactive-materials. In addition, the ability to access two regimes of dynamical probing in a single experiment and the energy loss of SEs in semiconductor-nanoscale materials will also be discussed.

  19. Effects of QD surface coverage in solid-state PbS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Roelofs, Katherine E.; Brennan, Thomas P.; Trejo, Orlando; Xu, John; Prinz, Fritz B.; Bent, Stacey F.

    2013-01-01

    Lead sulfide quantum dots (QDs) were grown in situ on nanoporous TiO 2 by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and by atomic layer deposition (ALD), to fabricate solid-state quantum-dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). With the ultimate goal of increasing QD surface coverage, this work compares the impact of these two synthetic routes on the light absorption and electrical properties of devices. A higher current density was observed in the SILAR-grown QD devices under reverse bias, as compared to ALD-grown QD devices, attributed to injection problems of the lower-band-gap QDs present in the SILAR-grown QD device. To understand the effects of QD surface coverage on device performance, particularly interfacial recombination, electron lifetimes were measured for varying QD deposition cycles. Electron lifetimes were found to decrease with increasing SILAR cycles, indicating that the expected decrease in recombination between electrons in the TiO2 and holes in the hole-transport material, due to increased QD surface coverage, is not the dominant effect of increased deposition cycles. © 2013 IEEE.

  20. Effects of QD surface coverage in solid-state PbS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Roelofs, Katherine E.

    2013-06-01

    Lead sulfide quantum dots (QDs) were grown in situ on nanoporous TiO 2 by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and by atomic layer deposition (ALD), to fabricate solid-state quantum-dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). With the ultimate goal of increasing QD surface coverage, this work compares the impact of these two synthetic routes on the light absorption and electrical properties of devices. A higher current density was observed in the SILAR-grown QD devices under reverse bias, as compared to ALD-grown QD devices, attributed to injection problems of the lower-band-gap QDs present in the SILAR-grown QD device. To understand the effects of QD surface coverage on device performance, particularly interfacial recombination, electron lifetimes were measured for varying QD deposition cycles. Electron lifetimes were found to decrease with increasing SILAR cycles, indicating that the expected decrease in recombination between electrons in the TiO2 and holes in the hole-transport material, due to increased QD surface coverage, is not the dominant effect of increased deposition cycles. © 2013 IEEE.

  1. Oxidative trends of TiO2hole trapping at anatase and rutile surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zawadzki, Pawel; Laursen, Anders B.; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel

    2012-01-01

    Understanding the nature of photogenerated carriers in a photocatalyst is central to understanding its photocatalytic performance. Based on density functional theory calculation we show that for TiO2, the most popular photo-catalyst, the electron hole self-trapping leads to band gap states which...... position is dependent on the type of surface termination. Such variations in hole state energies can lead to differences in photocatalytic activity among rutile and anatase surface facets. We find that the calculated hole state energies correlate with photo-deposition and photo-etching rates. We...

  2. Thermoelectric performance of electron and hole doped PtSb2

    KAUST Repository

    Saeed, Yasir; Singh, Nirpendra; Parker, D.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2013-01-01

    We investigate the thermoelectric properties of electron and hole doped PtSb2. Our results show that for doping of 0.04 holes per unit cell ( 1.5×1020 cm−3 ) PtSb2 shows a high Seebeck coefficient at room temperature, which can also be achieved at other temperatures by controlling the carrier concentration (both electron and hole). The electrical conductivity becomes temperature independent when the doping exceeds some 0.2 electrons/holes per unit cell. The figure of merit at 800 K in electron and hole doped PtSb2 is comparatively low at 0.13 and 0.21, respectively, but may increase significantly with As alloying due to the likely opening of a band gap and reduction of the lattice thermal conductivity.

  3. Thermoelectric performance of electron and hole doped PtSb2

    KAUST Repository

    Saeed, Yasir

    2013-04-30

    We investigate the thermoelectric properties of electron and hole doped PtSb2. Our results show that for doping of 0.04 holes per unit cell ( 1.5×1020 cm−3 ) PtSb2 shows a high Seebeck coefficient at room temperature, which can also be achieved at other temperatures by controlling the carrier concentration (both electron and hole). The electrical conductivity becomes temperature independent when the doping exceeds some 0.2 electrons/holes per unit cell. The figure of merit at 800 K in electron and hole doped PtSb2 is comparatively low at 0.13 and 0.21, respectively, but may increase significantly with As alloying due to the likely opening of a band gap and reduction of the lattice thermal conductivity.

  4. Analysis and simulation of BGK electron holes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Muschietti

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent observations from satellites crossing regions of magnetic-field-aligned electron streams reveal solitary potential structures that move at speeds much greater than the ion acoustic/thermal velocity. The structures appear as positive potential pulses rapidly drifting along the magnetic field, and are electrostatic in their rest frame. We interpret them as BGK electron holes supported by a drifting population of trapped electrons. Using Laplace transforms, we analyse the behavior of one phase-space electron hole. The resulting potential shapes and electron distribution functions are self-consistent and compatible with the field and particle data associated with the observed pulses. In particular, the spatial width increases with increasing amplitude. The stability of the analytic solution is tested by means of a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation code with open boundaries. We consider a strongly magnetized parameter regime in which the bounce frequency of the trapped electrons is much less than their gyrofrequency. Our investigation includes the influence of the ions, which in the frame of the hole appear as an incident beam, and impinge on the BGK potential with considerable energy. The nonlinear structure is remarkably resilient

  5. Localized Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Electroluminescence in OLEDs by Self-Assembly Ag Nanoparticle Film

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Wenjun; Li, Shuhong; Wang, Qingru; Zheng, Wanquan; Shi, Qiang; Liu, Yunlong

    2015-12-01

    We fabricated Ag nanoparticle (NP) film in organic light emission diodes (OLEDs), and a 23 times increase in electroluminescence (EL) at 518 nm was probed by time-resolved EL measurement. The luminance and relative external quantum efficiency (REQE) were increased by 5.4 and 3.7 times, respectively. There comes a new energy transport way that localized surface plasmons (LSPs) would absorb energy that corresponds to the electron-hole pair before recombination, promoting the formation of electron-hole pair and exciting local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The extended lifetime of Alq3 indicates the existence of strong interaction between LSPR and exciton, which decreases the nonradiative decay rate of OLEDs.

  6. Electron and hole transport in ambipolar, thin film pentacene transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saudari, Sangameshwar R.; Kagan, Cherie R.

    2015-01-01

    Solution-processed, ambipolar, thin-film pentacene field-effect transistors were employed to study both electron and hole transport simultaneously in a single, organic solid-state device. Electron and hole mobilities were extracted from the respective unipolar saturation regimes and show thermally activated behavior and gate voltage dependence. We fit the gate voltage dependent saturation mobility to a power law to extract the characteristic Meyer-Neldel (MN) energy, a measure of the width of the exponential distribution of localized states extending into the energy gap of the organic semiconductor. The MN energy is ∼78 and ∼28 meV for electrons and holes, respectively, which reflects a greater density of localized tail states for electrons than holes. This is consistent with the lower measured electron than hole mobility. For holes, the well-behaved linear regime allows for four-point probe measurement of the contact resistance independent mobility and separate characterization of the width of the localized density of states, yielding a consistent MN energy of 28 meV

  7. Electron and hole transport in ambipolar, thin film pentacene transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saudari, Sangameshwar R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Kagan, Cherie R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

    2015-01-21

    Solution-processed, ambipolar, thin-film pentacene field-effect transistors were employed to study both electron and hole transport simultaneously in a single, organic solid-state device. Electron and hole mobilities were extracted from the respective unipolar saturation regimes and show thermally activated behavior and gate voltage dependence. We fit the gate voltage dependent saturation mobility to a power law to extract the characteristic Meyer-Neldel (MN) energy, a measure of the width of the exponential distribution of localized states extending into the energy gap of the organic semiconductor. The MN energy is ∼78 and ∼28 meV for electrons and holes, respectively, which reflects a greater density of localized tail states for electrons than holes. This is consistent with the lower measured electron than hole mobility. For holes, the well-behaved linear regime allows for four-point probe measurement of the contact resistance independent mobility and separate characterization of the width of the localized density of states, yielding a consistent MN energy of 28 meV.

  8. Magnetic holes in the dipolarized magnetotail: ion and electron anisotropies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shustov, P.; Artemyev, A.; Zhang, X. J.; Yushkov, E.; Petrukovich, A. A.

    2017-12-01

    We conduct statistics on magnetic holes observed by THEMIS spacecraft in the near-Earth magnetotail. Groups of holes are detected after dipolarizations in the quiet, equatorial plasma sheet. Magnetic holes are characterized by significant magnetic field depressions (up to 50%) and strong electron currents ( 10-50 nA/m2), with spatial scales much smaller than the ion gyroradius. These magnetic holes are populated by hot (>10 keV), transversely anisotropic electrons supporting the pressure balance. We present statistical properties of these sub-ion scale magnetic holes and discuss possible mechanisms on the hole formation.

  9. Reduced Charge Transfer Exciton Recombination in Organic Semiconductor Heterojunctions by Molecular Doping

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deschler, Felix; Da Como, Enrico; Limmer, Thomas; Tautz, Raphael; Godde, Tillmann; Bayer, Manfred; von Hauff, Elizabeth; Yilmaz, Seyfullah; Allard, Sybille; Scherf, Ullrich; Feldmann, Jochen

    2011-01-01

    We investigate the effect of molecular doping on the recombination of electrons and holes localized at conjugated-polymer–fullerene interfaces. We demonstrate that a low concentration of p-type dopant molecules (<4% weight) reduces the interfacial recombination via charge transfer excitons and

  10. On the Fokker-Planck theory of electron three-body recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayasov, Yu. S.

    1977-01-01

    The Fokker-Planck theory of electron three-body recombination based on the concept of electron diffusion along the energy scale in the excited hydrogen-like atoms formed in the recombining plasmas, is extended in several respects. 1) An universal formula for population distribution of the excited atoms in strongly ionized plasmas was found under a sole assumption, that the cross-sections for the inelastic atom-electron collisions are governed by the classical impulse approximation. 2) A general Fokker-Planck theory of the recombination in a slightly ionized, two-temperature plasmas was formulated. The recombination coefficients for such plasmas were shown to possess some peculiar properties in case the electronic temperature differs appreciable from the atomic one. A few limitations of the existing schemas for calculation of the recombination kinetics are briefly discussed. (orig.) [de

  11. Carrier population control and surface passivation in solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Cuevas, Andres

    2018-05-02

    Controlling the concentration of charge carriers near the surface is essential for solar cells. It permits to form regions with selective conductivity for either electrons or holes and it also helps to reduce the rate at which they recombine. Chemical passivation of the surfaces is equally important, and it can be combined with population control to implement carrier-selective, passivating contacts for solar cells. This paper discusses different approaches to suppress surface recombination and to manipulate the concentration of carriers by means of doping, work function and charge. It also describes some of the many surface-passivating contacts that are being developed for silicon solar cells, restricted to experiments performed by the authors.

  12. Electron holes observed in the Moon Plasma Wake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, I. H.; Malaspina, D.; Zhou, C.

    2017-10-01

    Electrostatic instabilities are predicted in the magnetized wake of plasma flowing past a non-magnetic absorbing object such as a probe or the moon. Analysis of the data from the Artemis satellites, now orbiting the moon at distances ten moon radii and less, shows very clear evidence of fast-moving isolated solitary potential structures causing bipolar electric field excursions as they pass the satellite's probes. These structures have all the hallmarks of electron holes: BGK solitons typically a few Debye-lengths in size, self-sustaining by a deficit of phase-space density on trapped orbits. Electron holes are now observed to be widespread in space plasmas. They have been observed in PIC simulations of the moon wake to be the non-linear consequence of the predicted electron instabilities. Simulations document hole prevalence, speed, length, and depth; and theory can explain many of these features from kinetic analysis. The solar wind wake is certainly the cause of the overwhelming majority of the holes observed by Artemis, because we observe almost all holes to be in or very near to the wake. We compare theory and simulation of the hole generation, lifetime, and transport mechanisms with observations. Work partially supported by NASA Grant NNX16AG82G.

  13. Electrogenerated chemiluminescence induced by sequential hot electron and hole injection into aqueous electrolyte solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salminen, Kalle; Kuosmanen, Päivi; Pusa, Matti [Aalto University, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Kulmala, Oskari [University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 (Finland); Håkansson, Markus [Aalto University, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Kulmala, Sakari, E-mail: sakari.kulmala@aalto.fi [Aalto University, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland)

    2016-03-17

    Hole injection into aqueous electrolyte solution is proposed to occur when oxide-coated aluminum electrode is anodically pulse-polarized by a voltage pulse train containing sufficiently high-voltage anodic pulses. The effects of anodic pulses are studied by using an aromatic Tb(III) chelate as a probe known to produce intensive hot electron-induced electrochemiluminescence (HECL) with plain cathodic pulses and preoxidized electrodes. The presently studied system allows injection of hot electrons and holes successively into aqueous electrolyte solutions and can be utilized in detecting electrochemiluminescent labels in fully aqueous solutions, and actually, the system is suggested to be quite close to a pulse radiolysis system providing hydrated electrons and hydroxyl radicals as the primary radicals in aqueous solution without the problems and hazards of ionizing radiation. The analytical power of the present excitation waveforms are that they allow detection of electrochemiluminescent labels at very low detection limits in bioaffinity assays such as in immunoassays or DNA probe assays. The two important properties of the present waveforms are: (i) they provide in situ oxidation of the electrode surface resulting in the desired oxide film thickness and (ii) they can provide one-electron oxidants for the system by hole injection either via F- and F{sup +}-center band of the oxide or by direct hole injection to valence band of water at highly anodic pulse amplitudes. - Highlights: • Hot electrons injected into aqueous electrolyte solution. • Generation of hydrated electrons. • Hole injection into aqueous electrolyte solution. • Generation of hydroxyl radicals.

  14. Two types of fundamental luminescence of ionization-passive electrons and holes in optical dielectrics—Intraband-electron and interband-hole luminescence (theoretical calculation and comparison with experiment)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaisburd, D. I.; Kharitonova, S. V.

    1997-11-01

    A short high-power pulse of ionizing radiation creates a high concentration of nonequilibrium electrons and holes in a dielectric. They quickly lose their energy, generating a multiplicity of secondary quasiparticles: electron—hole pairs, excitons, plasmons, phonons of all types, and others. When the kinetic energy of an electron becomes less that some value EΔ≈(1.3-2)Eg it loses the ability to perform collisional ionization and electron excitations of the dielectric medium. Such an electron is said to be ionization-passive. It relaxes to the bottom of the lower conduction band by emitting phonons. Similarly a hole becomes ionization-passive when it “floats up” above some level EH and loses the ability for Auger ionization of the dielectric medium. It continues to float upward to the ceiling of the upper valance band only by emitting phonons. The concentrations of ionization-passive electrons and holes are larger by several orders of magnitude than those of the active electrons and holes and consequently make of a far larger contribution to many kinetic processes such as luminescence. Intraband and interband quantum transitions make the greatest contribution to the fundamental (independent of impurities and intrinsic defects) electromagnetic radiation of ionization-passive electrons and holes. Consequently the brightest types of purely fundamental luminescence of strongly nonequilibrium electrons and holes are intraband and interband luminescence. These forms of luminescence, discovered relatively recently, carry valuable information on the high-energy states of the electrons in the conduction band and of the holes in the valence band of a dielectric. Experimental investigations of these types of luminescence were made, mainly on alkali halide crystals which were excited by nanoseconal pulses of high-current-density electrons and by two-photon absorption of the ultraviolet harmonics of pulsed laser radiation beams of nanosecond and picosecond duration. The

  15. Laboratory Observation of Electron Phase-Space Holes during Magnetic Reconnection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, W.; Porkolab, M.; Egedal, J.; Katz, N.; Le, A.

    2008-01-01

    We report the observation of large-amplitude, nonlinear electrostatic structures, identified as electron phase-space holes, during magnetic reconnection experiments on the Versatile Toroidal Facility at MIT. The holes are positive electric potential spikes, observed on high-bandwidth (∼2 GHz) Langmuir probes. Investigations with multiple probes establish that the holes travel at or above the electron thermal speed and have a three-dimensional, approximately spherical shape, with a scale size ∼2 mm. This corresponds to a few electron gyroradii, or many tens of Debye lengths, which is large compared to holes considered in simulations and observed by satellites, whose length scale is typically only a few Debye lengths. Finally, a statistical study over many discharges confirms that the holes appear in conjunction with the large inductive electric fields and the creation of energetic electrons associated with the magnetic energy release

  16. Ion-electron recombination in merged-beams experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, H.T.

    1994-01-01

    In the present thesis, studies of recombination processes applying the technique of merged beams of fast ions and electrons are described. The main advantage of this technique is that the low relative velocity of ions and electrons necessary for these investigations can be achieved, at the same time as the velocity of the ions relative to the molecules of the residual gas is high. The high ion velocity leads to a very low reaction cross section for the leading contribution to the background signal, the capture of electrons in collisions with residual gas molecules. The experimental technique is described, emphasizing the electron beam velocity distribution and its relation to the energy resolution of the experiments. The presentation of the process of electron cooling is aimed at introducing this process as a tool for merged-beams experiments in storage rings rather than investigating the process itself. The non-resonant process of radiative recombination for non-fully stripped ions, showing evidence of incomplete screening is presented. Experimental investigation of dielectronic recombination is presented. Results of measurements of this process for He-like ions form the Aarhus single-pass experiment and the Heidelberg storage ring experiment are compared. Recombination is reduced from being the aim of the investigation to being a tool for high-precision measurements of the lifetimes of the 1s2s 3 S metastable states of HE-like ions of boron, carbon, and nitrogen, performed at the Heidelberg storage ring. The experiment is concerned with the process of dissociative recombination of molecular hydrogen ions. The discussion of this experiment emphasizes the distribution of population on the different vibrational levels of the ions in the initial state. In particular, a laser photo-dissociation technique was introduced to reduce the number of initial levels in the experiment. (EG) 24 refs

  17. Correlation induced electron-hole asymmetry in quasi- two-dimensional iridates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pärschke, Ekaterina M; Wohlfeld, Krzysztof; Foyevtsova, Kateryna; van den Brink, Jeroen

    2017-09-25

    The resemblance of crystallographic and magnetic structures of the quasi-two-dimensional iridates Ba 2 IrO 4 and Sr 2 IrO 4 to La 2 CuO 4 points at an analogy to cuprate high-Tc superconductors, even if spin-orbit coupling is very strong in iridates. Here we examine this analogy for the motion of a charge (hole or electron) added to the antiferromagnetic ground state. We show that correlation effects render the hole and electron case in iridates very different. An added electron forms a spin polaron, similar to the cuprates, but the situation of a removed electron is far more complex. Many-body 5d 4 configurations form which can be singlet and triplet states of total angular momentum that strongly affect the hole motion. This not only has ramifications for the interpretation of (inverse-)photoemission experiments but also demonstrates that correlation physics renders electron- and hole-doped iridates fundamentally different.Some iridate compounds such as Sr 2 IrO 4 have electronic and atomic structures similar to quasi-2D copper oxides, raising the prospect of high temperature superconductivity. Here, the authors show that there is significant electron-hole asymmetry in iridates, contrary to expectations from the cuprates.

  18. Interaction between Electron Holes in a Strongly Magnetized Plasma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lynov, Jens-Peter; Michelsen, Poul; Pécseli, Hans

    1980-01-01

    The interaction between electron holes in a strongly magnetized, plasma-filled waveguide is investigated by means of computer simulation. Two holes may or may not coalesce, depending on their amplitudes and velocities. The interaction between holes and Trivelpiece-Gould solitons is demonstrated...

  19. The nature of holes in carbon doped titania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabani, J.

    2009-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. It is well known that semiconductors (SC) produce conduction band electrons and valence band holes upon band gap excitation. The mobile species become quickly trapped at the surface. The most popular semiconductor is titanium dioxide, where the reactive surface holes (h T + ) have been recently identified as surface -O ·- (or - · OH depending on pH) covalently linked to Ti atoms. Most organic compounds are oxidized by the holes. These holes react similarly to · OH radicals and hence there is some resemblance between the photochemistry of TiO 2 and radiolysis, although in the case of TiO 2 the reactions take place on the surface. Titanium dioxide has many favorable properties for application as a photocatalyst for decontamination of water from organic materials, but is lacking absorption in the visible range, where photons are relatively cheap. In addition the quantum yield of reaction with solutes in water is too low under conditions required by industrial water treatment due to the competition between electron-hole recombination and localization at the surface. The discovery that doping of TiO 2 leads to extension of the photoactive region from UV to visible light has remarkably increased the interest in such doped TiO 2 , and a large number of materials have been developed on the basis of this strategy. We'll focus on carbon doped TiO 2 where the visible photoactivity is attributed to introduction of intragap localized carbon states or organic segments. Visible photolysis of aerated carbon doped TiO 2 (C-TiO 2 ) aqueous suspensions induces oxidation of the model compound used, namely methanol. The effects of absorbed light density, added hydrogen peroxide and added catalase on the rate of HCHO formation have been studied. The mechanism has been shown to involve oxidation of CH 3 OH by surface trapped holes, although these holes have lower energy than those formed upon UV photolysis of undoped TiO 2 . The C-TiO 2 electrons

  20. Electron Dynamics in a Subproton-Gyroscale Magnetic Hole

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gershman, Daniel J.; Dorelli, John C.; Vinas, Adolfo F.; Avanov, Levon A.; Gliese, Ulrik B.; Barrie, Alexander C.; Coffey, Victoria; Chandler, Michael; Dickson, Charles; MacDonald, Elizabeth A.; hide

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic holes are ubiquitous in space plasmas, occurring in the solar wind, downstream of planetary bow shocks, and inside the magnetosphere. Recently, kinetic-scale magnetic holes have been observed near Earth's central plasma sheet. The Fast Plasma Investigation on NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission enables measurement of both ions and electrons with 2 orders of magnitude increased temporal resolution over previous magnetospheric instruments. Here we present data from MMS taken in Earth's nightside plasma sheet and use high-resolution particle and magnetometer data to characterize the structure of a subproton-scale magnetic hole. Electrons with gyroradii above the thermal gyroradius but below the current layer thickness carry a current sufficient to account for a 10-20 depression in magnetic field magnitude. These observations suggest that the size and magnetic depth of kinetic-scale magnetic holes is strongly dependent on the background plasma conditions.

  1. Recombination and photosensitivity centres in boron nitride irradiated with ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabyshev, A.; Konusov, F.; Lopatin, V.

    2001-01-01

    The physical-chemical processes, taking place during the irradiation of dielectrics with ions distort the electron structure of the compounds and generate additional localise state in the forbidden zone (FZ). Consequently, the semiconductor layer with the specific surface density of σ ≥ 10 -10 S/ forms on the surface of the dielectric. In addition to his, the high concentration of the radiation-induced defects changes the optical and photoelectric properties of the materials and also the energy characteristics. Analysis of the photoelectric properties indicates that the recombination processes take part in electric transport. These processes restricted the increase of the photosensitivity and changing the kinetics of relaxation of photo conductivity (σ hv ). The practical application of the boron nitride (BN) the in the thermonuclear systems (for example, Ref. 7), stimulates research into the reasons for the deceleration of its properties under the effect of radiation of various types. The conductivity of non-irradiated boron nitride is of the electron-hole nature with a large fraction of the activation component in exchange of the charge carriers between the levels of the defects and the forbidden zones. On the basis of the correlation of the energy and kinetic parameters of luminescence and , the authors of Ref. 8 constructed a model of electron transfers accompanying the electric transport of the boron nitride. In addition to ion-thermal modification, the conductivity of boron nitride is also of the electron-hole nature and is accompanied by luminescence. Examination of the characteristics of luminescence may be useful for obtaining more information on the transport mechanism. In this work, in order to clarify the main parameters of the forbidden band, detailed investigations were carried out into the spectrum of the electronic states of radiation defects which determine the photoelectric and luminescence properties of the modified boron nitride. The

  2. Dielectronic recombination measurements using the Electron Beam Ion Trap

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knapp, D.A.

    1991-01-01

    We have used the Electron Beam Ion Trap at LLNL to study dielectronic recombination in highly charged ions. Our technique is unique because we observe the x-rays from dielectronic recombination at the same time we see x-rays from all other electron-ion interactions. We have recently taken high-resolution, state-selective data that resolves individual resonances

  3. Nonmonotonic magnetoresistance of a two-dimensional viscous electron-hole fluid in a confined geometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alekseev, P. S.; Dmitriev, A. P.; Gornyi, I. V.; Kachorovskii, V. Yu.; Narozhny, B. N.; Titov, M.

    2018-02-01

    Ultrapure conductors may exhibit hydrodynamic transport where the collective motion of charge carriers resembles the flow of a viscous fluid. In a confined geometry (e.g., in ultra-high-quality nanostructures), the electronic fluid assumes a Poiseuille-type flow. Applying an external magnetic field tends to diminish viscous effects leading to large negative magnetoresistance. In two-component systems near charge neutrality, the hydrodynamic flow of charge carriers is strongly affected by the mutual friction between the two constituents. At low fields, the magnetoresistance is negative, however, at high fields the interplay between electron-hole scattering, recombination, and viscosity results in a dramatic change of the flow profile: the magnetoresistance changes its sign and eventually becomes linear in very high fields. This nonmonotonic magnetoresistance can be used as a fingerprint to detect viscous flow in two-component conducting systems.

  4. Picosecond pulse radiolysis studies on geminate ion recombination in saturated hydrocarbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tagawa, S.; Washio, M.; Kobayashi, H.; Katsumura, Y.; Tabata, Y.

    1983-01-01

    The geminate recombination kinetics of the excess electron and the electron hole are discussed, based on time-resolved data on picosecond and nanosecond time scales. The recombination times of the excess electron and the electron hole are evaluated to be 3 ps for cyclohexane on the basis of the comparison between the experimental and the calculated results. The spin correlation decay of the geminate ion pairs and the triplet state formation before the spin correlation loss have also been discussed. The rapidly decaying species with very broad absorption spectra, which are similar to the absorption spectra of the cation radicals of saturated hydrocarbons, have been observed in neat saturated hydrocarbons in the sub-nanosecond and a few nanosecond time regions. The identification of the rapidly decaying species were not definitely made but those species are tentatively assigned to the excited states and/or the tail of the geminate cation radicals of saturated hydrocarbons. (author)

  5. Observations of electron vortex magnetic holes and related wave-particle interactions in the turbulent magnetosheath

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, S.; Sahraoui, F.; Yuan, Z.; He, J.; Zhao, J.; Du, J.; Le Contel, O.; Wang, X.; Deng, X.; Fu, H.; Zhou, M.; Shi, Q.; Breuillard, H.; Pang, Y.; Yu, X.; Wang, D.

    2017-12-01

    Magnetic hole is characterized by a magnetic depression, a density peak, a total electron temperature increase (with a parallel temperature decrease but a perpendicular temperature increase), and strong currents carried by the electrons. The current has a dip in the core region of the magnetic hole and a peak in the outer region of the magnetic hole. There is an enhancement in the perpendicular electron fluxes at 90° pitch angles inside the magnetic hole, implying that the electrons are trapped within it. The variations of the electron velocity components Vem and Ven suggest that an electron vortex is formed by trapping electrons inside the magnetic hole in the circular cross-section. These observations demonstrate the existence of a new type of coherent structures behaving as an electron vortex magnetic hole in turbulent space plasmas as predicted by recent kinetic simulations. We perform a statistically study using high time solution data from the MMS mission. The magnetic holes with short duration (i.e., < 0.5 s) have their cross section smaller than the ion gyro-radius. Superposed epoch analysis of all events reveals that an increase in the electron density and total temperature, significantly increase (resp. decrease) the electron perpendicular (resp. parallel) temperature, and an electron vortex inside the holes. Electron fluxes at 90° pitch angles with selective energies increase in the KSMHs, are trapped inside KSMHs and form the electron vortex due to their collective motion. All these features are consistent with the electron vortex magnetic holes obtained in 2D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations, indicating that the observed the magnetic holes seem to be best explained as electron vortex magnetic holes. It is furthermore shown that the magnetic holes are likely to heat and accelerate the electrons. We also investigate the coupling between whistler waves and electron vortex magnetic holes. These whistler waves can be locally generated inside electron

  6. Effect of interface roughness on Auger recombination in semiconductor quantum wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Chee-Keong; Sun, Wei; Wierer, Jonathan J.; Tansu, Nelson

    2017-03-01

    Auger recombination in a semiconductor is a three-carrier process, wherein the energy from the recombination of an electron and hole pair promotes a third carrier to a higher energy state. In semiconductor quantum wells with increased carrier densities, the Auger recombination becomes an appreciable fraction of the total recombination rate and degrades luminescence efficiency. Gaining insight into the variables that influence Auger recombination in semiconductor quantum wells could lead to further advances in optoelectronic and electronic devices. Here we demonstrate the important role that interface roughness has on Auger recombination within quantum wells. Our computational studies find that as the ratio of interface roughness to quantum well thickness is increased, Auger recombination is significantly enhanced. Specifically, when considering a realistic interface roughness for an InGaN quantum well, the enhancement in Auger recombination rate over a quantum well with perfect heterointerfaces can be approximately four orders of magnitude.

  7. Electron-beam induced current characterization of back-surface field solar cells using a chopped scanning electron microscope beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luke, K. L.; Cheng, L.-J.

    1984-01-01

    A chopped electron beam induced current (EBIC) technique for the chacterization of back-surface field (BSF) solar cells is presented. It is shown that the effective recombination velocity of the low-high junction forming the back-surface field of BSF cells, in addition to the diffusion length and the surface recombination velocity of the surface perpendicular to both the p-n and low-high junctions, can be determined from the data provided by a single EBIC scan. The method for doing so is described and illustrated. Certain experimental considerations taken to enhance the quality of the EBIC data are also discussed.

  8. Pulse-height response of silicon surface-barrier detectors to high-energy heavy ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, G.D.

    1973-01-01

    The pulse-height defect (PHD) of high-energy heavy ions in silicon surface-barrier detectors can be divided into three components: (1) energy loss in the gold-surface layer, (2) a nuclear-stopping defect, and (3) a defect due to recombination of electron-hole pairs in the plasma created by the heavy ion. The plasma recombination portion of the PHD was the subject of this study using the variation of the PHD with (1) the angle of incidence of incoming heavy ions, and (2) changes in the detector bias. The Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory was used to produce scattered beam ions ( 32 S, 35 Cl) and heavy target recoils (Ni, Cu, 98 Mo, Ag, Au) at sufficient energies to produce a significant recombination defect. The results confirm the existence of a recombination zone at the front surface of these detectors and the significance of plasma recombination as a portion of the pulse-height defect. (Diss. Abstr. Int., B)

  9. Electron holes in phase space: What they are and why they matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, I. H.

    2017-05-01

    This is a tutorial and selective review explaining the fundamental concepts and some currently open questions concerning the plasma phenomenon of the electron hole. The widespread occurrence of electron holes in numerical simulations, space-craft observations, and laboratory experiments is illustrated. The elementary underlying theory is developed of a one-dimensional electron hole as a localized potential maximum, self-consistently sustained by a deficit of trapped electron phase-space density. The spatial extent of a hole is typically a few Debye lengths; what determines the minimum and maximum possible lengths is explained, addressing the key aspects of the as yet unsettled dispute between the integral and differential approaches to hole structure. In multiple dimensions, holes tend to form less readily; they generally require a magnetic field and distribution-function anisotropy. The mechanisms by which they break up are explained, noting that this transverse instability is not fully understood. Examples are given of plasma circumstances where holes play an important role, and of recent progress on understanding their holistic kinematics and self-acceleration.

  10. Tantalum surface oxidation: Bond relaxation, energy entrapment, and electron polarization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Yongling [Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Materials and Application Technologies (Ministry of Education), Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Thin Film Materials and Devices, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China); Bo, Maolin [Yangtze Normal University, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Chongqing 408100 (China); Wang, Yan [School of Information and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Hunan 411201 (China); Liu, Yonghui [Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Materials and Application Technologies (Ministry of Education), Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Thin Film Materials and Devices, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China); Sun, Chang Q. [NOVITAS, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Huang, Yongli, E-mail: huangyongli@xtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Materials and Application Technologies (Ministry of Education), Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Thin Film Materials and Devices, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105 (China)

    2017-02-28

    Graphical abstract: The bond, electron and energy relaxation result in core level energy shift, local densification, quantum entrapment and electron polarization of bonding electrons. - Highlights: • Increasing the oxygen coverage lowers the adsorption energy associated with lattice reconstruction. • Electrons transfer from Ta surface atoms to sp-hydrated oxygen, creating dipole moment that decreases the work function. • Oxygen chemisorption modified valence density-of-state (DOS) for Ta with four excessive DOS features: O−Ta bonding, O{sup 2−} lone pairs, Ta+ electron holes, and the lone-pair polarized Ta dipoles. • The bond, electron and energy relaxation between surface undercoordinated atoms are responsible for core level energy shift, local densification, quantum entrapment and electron polarization of bonding electrons. - Abstract: A combination of photoelectron spectrometric analysis and density functional theory calculations has enabled reconciliation of the bond-energy-electron relaxation for the Ta(100, 110, 111) surfaces chemisorbed with oxygen at different coverages. Results show that increasing oxygen coverage lowers the adsorption energy associated with lattice reconstruction. Valence electrons transfer from Ta surface atoms to oxygen to create four excessive DOS features in terms of O−Ta bonding, lone pairs of oxygen, Ta{sup +} electron holes, and polarized Ta dipoles. Oxidation proceeds in the following dynamics: oxygen gets electrons from two neighboring Ta atoms left behind Ta{sup +}; the sp{sup 3}-orbital hybridization takes place with additional two electron lone pairs, the lone pairs polarize the other two Ta neighbors becoming dipoles. X-ray photoelectron spectral analysis results in the 4f binding energy of an isolated Ta atom and its shift upon bond formation and oxidation. Exercises provide not only a promising numerical approach for the quantitative information about the bond and electronic behavior but also consistent

  11. Tantalum surface oxidation: Bond relaxation, energy entrapment, and electron polarization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Yongling; Bo, Maolin; Wang, Yan; Liu, Yonghui; Sun, Chang Q.; Huang, Yongli

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The bond, electron and energy relaxation result in core level energy shift, local densification, quantum entrapment and electron polarization of bonding electrons. - Highlights: • Increasing the oxygen coverage lowers the adsorption energy associated with lattice reconstruction. • Electrons transfer from Ta surface atoms to sp-hydrated oxygen, creating dipole moment that decreases the work function. • Oxygen chemisorption modified valence density-of-state (DOS) for Ta with four excessive DOS features: O−Ta bonding, O"2"− lone pairs, Ta+ electron holes, and the lone-pair polarized Ta dipoles. • The bond, electron and energy relaxation between surface undercoordinated atoms are responsible for core level energy shift, local densification, quantum entrapment and electron polarization of bonding electrons. - Abstract: A combination of photoelectron spectrometric analysis and density functional theory calculations has enabled reconciliation of the bond-energy-electron relaxation for the Ta(100, 110, 111) surfaces chemisorbed with oxygen at different coverages. Results show that increasing oxygen coverage lowers the adsorption energy associated with lattice reconstruction. Valence electrons transfer from Ta surface atoms to oxygen to create four excessive DOS features in terms of O−Ta bonding, lone pairs of oxygen, Ta"+ electron holes, and polarized Ta dipoles. Oxidation proceeds in the following dynamics: oxygen gets electrons from two neighboring Ta atoms left behind Ta"+; the sp"3-orbital hybridization takes place with additional two electron lone pairs, the lone pairs polarize the other two Ta neighbors becoming dipoles. X-ray photoelectron spectral analysis results in the 4f binding energy of an isolated Ta atom and its shift upon bond formation and oxidation. Exercises provide not only a promising numerical approach for the quantitative information about the bond and electronic behavior but also consistent insight into the

  12. Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of Electron Vortex Magnetic Hole in the Turbulent Magnetosheath Plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, S. Y.; Yuan, Z. G.; Wang, D. D.; Yu, X. D. [School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Sahraoui, F.; Contel, O. Le [Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique-UPMC, Palaiseau (France); He, J. S. [School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing (China); Zhao, J. S. [Key Laboratory of Planetary Sciences, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing (China); Deng, X. H.; Pang, Y.; Li, H. M. [Institute of Space Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang (China); Zhou, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Fu, H. S.; Yang, J. [School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing (China); Shi, Q. Q. [Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai (China); Lavraud, B. [Institut de Recherche and Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse (UPS), Toulouse (France); Pollock, C. J.; Giles, B. L. [NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Torbert, R. B. [University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States); Russell, C. T., E-mail: shiyonghuang@whu.edu.cn [Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); and others

    2017-02-20

    We report on the observations of an electron vortex magnetic hole corresponding to a new type of coherent structure in the turbulent magnetosheath plasma using the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission data. The magnetic hole is characterized by a magnetic depression, a density peak, a total electron temperature increase (with a parallel temperature decrease but a perpendicular temperature increase), and strong currents carried by the electrons. The current has a dip in the core region and a peak in the outer region of the magnetic hole. The estimated size of the magnetic hole is about 0.23 ρ {sub i} (∼30 ρ {sub e}) in the quasi-circular cross-section perpendicular to its axis, where ρ {sub i} and ρ {sub e} are respectively the proton and electron gyroradius. There are no clear enhancements seen in high-energy electron fluxes. However, there is an enhancement in the perpendicular electron fluxes at 90° pitch angle inside the magnetic hole, implying that the electrons are trapped within it. The variations of the electron velocity components V {sub em} and V {sub en} suggest that an electron vortex is formed by trapping electrons inside the magnetic hole in the cross-section in the M – N plane. These observations demonstrate the existence of a new type of coherent structures behaving as an electron vortex magnetic hole in turbulent space plasmas as predicted by recent kinetic simulations.

  13. Charge carriers bulk recombination instead of electroplex emission after their tunneling through hole-blocking layer in OLEDs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, S. Y.; Liu, D.; Jiang, Y.; Teng, F.; Xu, Z.; Hou, Y.; Xu, X. R.

    2006-08-01

    Charge carriers bulk recombination instead of forming electroplex after their tunneling through a hole-blocking layer, i.e. 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP), in organic electroluminescence (EL) device ITO/poly-(N-vinyl-carbazole)(PVK)/BCP/tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3)/Al is reported. By changing the thickness of BCP layer, one can find that high electric fields enhance the tunneling process of holes accumulated at the PVK/BCP interface into BCP layer instead of forming “electroplex emission” as reported earlier in literatures. Our experimental data show that charge carriers bulk recombination takes place in both PVK layer and BCP layer, and even in Alq3 layer when BCP layer is thin enough. Further, it is suggested that PVK is the origin of the emission shoulder at 595 nm in the EL spectra of trilayer device ITO/PVK/BCP/Alq3/Al.

  14. High-efficient photo-electron transport channel in SiC constructed by depositing cocatalysts selectively on specific surface sites for visible-light H{sub 2} production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Da; Peng, Yuan; Wang, Qi; Pan, Nanyan; Guo, Zhongnan; Yuan, Wenxia, E-mail: wxyuanwz@163.com [Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

    2016-04-18

    Control cocatalyst location on a metal-free semiconductor to promote surface charge transfer for decreasing the electron-hole recombination is crucial for enhancing solar energy conversion. Based on the findings that some metals have an affinity for bonding with the specific atoms of polar semiconductors at a heterostructure interface, we herein control Pt deposition selectively on the Si sites of a micro-SiC photocatalyst surface via in-situ photo-depositing. The Pt-Si bond forming on the interface constructs an excellent channel, which is responsible for accelerating photo-electron transfer from SiC to Pt and then reducing water under visible-light. The hydrogen production is enhanced by two orders of magnitude higher than that of bare SiC, and 2.5 times higher than that of random-depositing nano-Pt with the same loading amount.

  15. Electron-hole pairing and anomalous properties of layered high-Tc compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Efetov, K.B.

    1991-01-01

    Band-structure pictures for layered high-T c materials available in the literature show that, besides the dispersive broad band responsible for metallic properties, there are at least two additional bands having minima and maxima near the Fermi surface. These additional bands belong to different planes (for example, CuO planes and BiO planes in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 ) or to planes and chains (in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 ). Provided the Coulomb repulsion is not very weak, pairing of electrons and holes belonging to these additional bands in different planes or planes and chains is possible. It is shown that, if this possibility is realized, a transition in the additional bands into a state of an excitonic dielectric occurs. The spin of an electron-hole pair can be both 0 and 1. Due to the fact that the electron and the hole of the pair belong to different planes, there are no charge- or spin-density waves. This excitonic insulator can serve as a polarizing substance and give a strong attraction between electrons of the metallic band even if the bare interaction is repulsive. It is also shown that some interesting gapless excitations exist. Provided there are impurities in the system that scatter from plane to plane, these excitations are coupled to the electrons of the metallic band. This effective interaction can be described in terms of an effective mode P(ω) with ImP(ω)∼-sgnω. As a result, one can obtain such properties of the normal state as a linear dependence of the resistivity on temperature, linear dependence of the density of states on energy, constant background in the Raman-scattering intensity, large nuclear relaxation rate, etc., which are very well known from experiments

  16. Study of electron recombination in liquid argon with the ICARUS TPC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amoruso, S.; Antonello, M.; Aprili, P.; Arneodo, F.; Badertscher, A.; Baiboussinov, B.; Baldo Ceolin, M.; Battistoni, G.; Bekman, B.; Benetti, P.; Bischofberger, M.; Borio di Tigliole, A.; Brunetti, R.; Bruzzese, R.; Bueno, A.; Buzzanca, M.; Calligarich, E.; Campanelli, M.; Carbonara, F.; Carpanese, C.; Cavalli, D.; Cavanna, F.; Cennini, P.; Centro, S.; Cesana, A.; Chen, C.; Chen, D.; Chen, D.B.; Chen, Y.; Cieslik, K.; Cline, D.; Cocco, A.G.; Dai, Z.; De Vecchi, C.; Dabrowska, A.; Di Cicco, A.; Dolfini, R.; Ereditato, A.; Felcini, M.; Ferrari, A.; Ferri, F.; Fiorillo, G.; Galli, S.; Ge, Y.; Gibin, D.; Gigli Berzolari, A.; Gil-Botella, I.; Graczyk, K.; Grandi, L.; Guglielmi, A.; He, K.; Holeczek, J.; Huang, X.; Juszczak, C.; Kielczewska, D.; Kisiel, J.; Kozlowski, T.; Laffranchi, M.; Lagoda, J.; Li, Z.; Lu, F.; Ma, J.; Mangano, G.; Markiewicz, M.; Martinez de la Ossa, A.; Matthey, C.; Mauri, F.; Meng, G.; Messina, M.; Montanari, C.; Muraro, S.; Navas-Concha, S.; Otwinowski, S.; Ouyang, Q.; Palamara, O.; Pascoli, D.; Periale, L.; Piano Mortari, G.B.; Piazzoli, A.; Picchi, P.; Pietropaolo, F.; Polopek, W.; Rancati, T.; Rappoldi, A.; Raselli, G.L.; Rico, J.; Rondio, E.; Rossella, M.; Rubbia, A.; Rubbia, C.; Sala, P.R.; Santorelli, R.; Scannicchio, D.; Segreto, E.; Seo, Y.; Sergiampietri, F.; Sobczyk, J.; Spinelli, N.; Stepaniak, J.; Sulej, R.; Szarska, M.; Szeptycka, M.; Terrani, M.; Velotta, R.; Ventura, S.; Vignoli, C.; Wang, H.; Wang, X.; Woo, J.; Xu, G.; Xu, Z.; Zalewska, A.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, Q.; Zhen, S.; Zipper, W.

    2004-01-01

    Electron recombination in liquid argon (LAr) is studied by means of charged particle tracks collected in various ICARUS liquid argon TPC prototypes. The dependence of the recombination on the particle stopping power has been fitted with a Birks functional dependence. The simulation of the process of electron recombination in Monte Carlo calculations is discussed. A quantitative comparison with previously published data is carried out

  17. Interlayer electron-hole pair multiplication by hot carriers in atomic layer semiconductor heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barati, Fatemeh; Grossnickle, Max; Su, Shanshan; Lake, Roger; Aji, Vivek; Gabor, Nathaniel

    Two-dimensional heterostructures composed of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides provide the opportunity to design novel devices for the study of electron-hole pair multiplication. We report on highly efficient multiplication of interlayer electron-hole pairs at the interface of a tungsten diselenide / molybdenum diselenide heterostructure. Electronic transport measurements of the interlayer current-voltage characteristics indicate that layer-indirect electron-hole pairs are generated by hot electron impact excitation. Our findings, which demonstrate an efficient energy relaxation pathway that competes with electron thermalization losses, make 2D semiconductor heterostructures viable for a new class of hot-carrier energy harvesting devices that exploit layer-indirect electron-hole excitations. SHINES, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

  18. Observation of Internal Photoinduced Electron and Hole Separation in Hybrid Two-Dimentional Perovskite Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Junxue; Leng, Jing; Wu, Kaifeng; Zhang, Jun; Jin, Shengye

    2017-02-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) organolead halide perovskites are promising for various optoelectronic applications. Here we report a unique spontaneous charge (electron/hole) separation property in multilayered (BA) 2 (MA) n-1 Pb n I 3n+1 (BA = CH 3 (CH 2 ) 3 NH 3 + , MA = CH 3 NH 3 + ) 2D perovskite films by studying the charge carrier dynamics using ultrafast transient absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Surprisingly, the 2D perovskite films, although nominally prepared as "n = 4", are found to be mixture of multiple perovskite phases, with n = 2, 3, 4 and ≈ ∞, that naturally align in the order of n along the direction perpendicular to the substrate. Driven by the band alignment between 2D perovskites phases, we observe consecutive photoinduced electron transfer from small-n to large-n phases and hole transfer in the opposite direction on hundreds of picoseconds inside the 2D film of ∼358 nm thickness. This internal charge transfer efficiently separates electrons and holes to the upper and bottom surfaces of the films, which is a unique property beneficial for applications in photovoltaics and other optoelectronics devices.

  19. Electrically induced spontaneous emission in open electronic system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Rulin; Zhang, Yu; Yam, Chiyung; Computation Algorithms Division (CSRC) Team; Theoretical; Computational Chemistry (HKU) Collaboration

    A quantum mechanical approach is formulated for simulation of electroluminescence process in open electronic system. Based on nonequilibrium Green's function quantum transport equations and combining with photon-electron interaction, this method is used to describe electrically induced spontaneous emission caused by electron-hole recombination. The accuracy and reliability of simulation depends critically on correct description of the electronic band structure and the electron occupancy in the system. In this work, instead of considering electron-hole recombination in discrete states in the previous work, we take continuous states into account to simulate the spontaneous emission in open electronic system, and discover that the polarization of emitted photon is closely related to its propagation direction. Numerical studies have been performed to silicon nanowire-based P-N junction with different bias voltage.

  20. Geminate electron--cation recombination in disordered solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berlin, Y.A.; Chekunaev, N.I.; Goldanskii, V.I.

    1990-01-01

    A theory of a geminate electron--cation recombination has been developed using the percolation approach to the description of the electron transport in disordered solids. Following this approach all trapping sites are separated into two groups. The first group forms a diffusion cluster responsible for the macroscopic charge transfer in disordered media whilethe second group consists of isolated traps playing the role of origins and sinks for mobile electrons. In the framework of such a model an equation has been derived describing the electron motion in the Coulomb field of a parent cation. The solution of this equation in the long time limit shows that the recombination rate decreases vs time as t -(1+α/2) with α being a positive constant or a very weak function of t. In the particular case of Gaussian diffusion α=1 and the kinetic law obtained reduces to that predicted by the well-known Onsager--Smoluchowski theory. However for the dispersive (non-Gaussian) transport in highly disordered systems α<1 and its value depends on the type of disorder, on the energy level structure of trapped electrons and on the specific mechanism of electron migration through the medium

  1. Stable Weyl points, trivial surface states, and particle-hole compensation in WP2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razzoli, E.; Zwartsenberg, B.; Michiardi, M.; Boschini, F.; Day, R. P.; Elfimov, I. S.; Denlinger, J. D.; Süss, V.; Felser, C.; Damascelli, A.

    2018-05-01

    A possible connection between extremely large magnetoresistance and the presence of Weyl points has garnered much attention in the study of topological semimetals. Exploration of these concepts in transition-metal diphosphides WP2 has been complicated by conflicting experimental reports. Here we combine angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to disentangle surface and bulk contributions to the ARPES intensity, the superposition of which has plagued the determination of the band structure in WP2. Our results show that while the hole- and electronlike Fermi surface sheets originating from surface states have different areas, the bulk-band structure of WP2 is electron-hole compensated in agreement with DFT. Furthermore, the ARPES band structure is compatible with the presence of at least four temperature-independent Weyl points, confirming the topological nature of WP2 and its stability against lattice distortions.

  2. Effects of density imbalance on the BCS-BEC crossover in semiconductor electron-hole bilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pieri, P.; Strinati, G. C.; Neilson, D.

    2007-01-01

    We study the occurrence of excitonic superfluidity in electron-hole bilayers at zero temperature. We not only identify the crossover in the phase diagram from the BCS limit of overlapping pairs to the BEC limit of nonoverlapping tightly bound pairs but also, by varying the electron and hole densities independently, we can analyze a number of phases that occur mainly in the crossover region. With different electron and hole effective masses, the phase diagram is asymmetric with respect to excess electron or hole densities. We propose, as the criterion for the onset of superfluidity, the jump of the electron and hole chemical potentials when their densities cross

  3. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence analysis of 1-MeV electron irradiation-induced nonradiative recombination centers in GaAs/Ge space solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiancheng, Yi; Pengfei, Xiao; Yong, Zheng; Juan, Tang; Rong, Wang, E-mail: wangr@bnu.edu.cn

    2016-03-01

    The effects of irradiation of 1-MeV electrons on p{sup +}–n GaAs/Ge solar cells have been investigated by temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements in the temperature range of 10–290 K. The temperature dependence of the PL peak energy agrees well with the Varnish relation, and the thermal quenching of the total integrated PL intensity is well explained by the thermal quenching theory. Meanwhile, the thermal quenching of temperature-dependent PL confirmed that there are two nonradiative recombination centers in the solar cells, and the thermal activation energies of these centers are determined by Arrhenius plots of the total integrated PL intensity. Furthermore, the nonradiative recombination center, as a primary defect, is identified as the H3 hole trap located at E{sub v} + 0.71 eV at room temperature and the H2 hole trap located at E{sub v} + 0.41 eV in the temperature range of 100–200 K, by comparing the thermal activation and ionization energies of the defects.

  4. Tandem colloidal quantum dot solar cells employing a graded recombination layer

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Xihua; Koleilat, Ghada I.; Tang, Jiang; Liu, Huan; Kramer, Illan J.; Debnath, Ratan; Brzozowski, Lukasz; Barkhouse, D. Aaron R.; Levina, Larissa; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Sargent, Edward H.

    2011-01-01

    Tuning of the electronic bandgap in colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) by changing their size enables the spectral response of CQD-based photodetectors and photovoltaic devices to be tailored. Multi-junction solar cells made from a combination of CQDs of differing sizes and thus bandgaps are a promising means by which to increase the energy harvested from the Sun's broad spectrum. Here, we report the first CQD tandem solar cells using the size-effect tuning of a single CQD material, PbS. We use a graded recombination layer to provide a progression of work functions from the hole-accepting electrode in the bottom cell to the electron-accepting electrode in the top cell, allowing matched electron and hole currents to meet and recombine. Our tandem solar cell has an open-circuit voltage of 1.06Â V, equal to the sum of the two constituent single-junction devices, and a solar power conversion efficiency of up to 4.2%. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  5. Tandem colloidal quantum dot solar cells employing a graded recombination layer

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Xihua

    2011-06-26

    Tuning of the electronic bandgap in colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) by changing their size enables the spectral response of CQD-based photodetectors and photovoltaic devices to be tailored. Multi-junction solar cells made from a combination of CQDs of differing sizes and thus bandgaps are a promising means by which to increase the energy harvested from the Sun\\'s broad spectrum. Here, we report the first CQD tandem solar cells using the size-effect tuning of a single CQD material, PbS. We use a graded recombination layer to provide a progression of work functions from the hole-accepting electrode in the bottom cell to the electron-accepting electrode in the top cell, allowing matched electron and hole currents to meet and recombine. Our tandem solar cell has an open-circuit voltage of 1.06Â V, equal to the sum of the two constituent single-junction devices, and a solar power conversion efficiency of up to 4.2%. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  6. Two-state model of excess electron relaxation and geminate recombination in water and aqueous solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fedorenko, S.G.

    2010-01-01

    Graphical abstract: After photo-induced ionization a free electron suffers a quick conversion to a solvated state, and then recombines with the parent atom or ion. However, high mobility and reactivity of a free electron can allow the electron to delocalize and recombine in the free state. The theory of two channel processes of geminate electron recombination is developed and applied to the experiment of three-pulse generation of excess electrons in water. - Abstract: After photo-induced ionization a free electron suffers a quick conversion to a solvated state, and then can recombine with the parent atom or ion. However, high mobility and reactivity of a free electron can allow the electron to delocalize and recombine in the free state. The theory of two channel processes of geminate electron recombination is developed here for the general type of the Markovian motion of reactants. A contact model is used for analytical solution of the problem of geminate recombination of neutral and charged reactants. The theory is applied to the experiment of three-pulse generation of excess electrons in water.

  7. The impact of long-range electron-hole interaction on the charge separation yield of molecular photocells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemati Aram, Tahereh; Ernzerhof, Matthias; Asgari, Asghar; Mayou, Didier

    2017-01-01

    We discuss the effects of charge carrier interaction and recombination on the operation of molecular photocells. Molecular photocells are devices where the energy conversion process takes place in a single molecular donor-acceptor complex attached to electrodes. Our investigation is based on the quantum scattering theory, in particular on the Lippmann-Schwinger equation; this minimizes the complexity of the problem while providing useful and non-trivial insight into the mechanism governing photocell operation. In this study, both exciton pair creation and dissociation are treated in the energy domain, and therefore there is access to detailed spectral information, which can be used as a framework to interpret the charge separation yield. We demonstrate that the charge carrier separation is a complex process that is affected by different parameters, such as the strength of the electron-hole interaction and the non-radiative recombination rate. Our analysis helps to optimize the charge separation process and the energy transfer in organic solar cells and in molecular photocells.

  8. Reduced recombination in a surface-sulfurized Cu(InGa)Se2 thin-film solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Shinho; Nishinaga, Jiro; Kamikawa, Yukiko; Ishizuka, Shogo; Nagai, Takehiko; Koida, Takashi; Tampo, Hitoshi; Shibata, Hajime; Matsubara, Koji; Niki, Shigeru

    2018-05-01

    This study demonstrates surface sulfurization effects on Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGSe) thin-film solar cells with a single back-graded band gap. Single back-graded CIGSe thin films were prepared via a three-stage process in a high-vacuum molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber and were subsequently annealed in a tube furnace under environmental conditions with H2S gas. After sulfurization, an ∼80- to ∼100-nm-thick CuIn(SSe)2 layer with significantly small Ga contents (CISSe:Ga) was formed on the CIGSe layer. The newly formed CISSe:Ga layer exhibited graded S contents from surface to bulk, thus resulting in a front-graded band gap. In addition, CISSe:Ga was covered with S-enriched CISSe region that was extended from the surface to a depth of a few nm and was depleted of Ga. A device with the sulfurized CIGSe showed reduced recombination at the buffer–absorber interface, in space-charge region and in bulk. Consequently, the open circuit voltage increased from 0.58 V (in the non-sulfurized case) to 0.66 V, and the conversion efficiency improved from 15.5 to 19.4%. This large improvement is caused by the front graded band gap at the surface and the hole-blocking barrier, which suppress recombination at the CdS/CISSe:Ga interface. In addition, sulfurization followed by KF post-deposition treatment (PDT) increased the efficiency to 20.1%. Compared to the untreated sulfurized device, the KF-PDT device delivered an increased carrier lifetime and reduced the recombination in bulk probably because the defects were passivated by the K, which penetrated into the bulk region.

  9. Separation of electron and hole dynamics in the semimetal LaSb

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, F.; Xu, J.; Botana, A. S.; Xiao, Z. L.; Wang, Y. L.; Yang, W. G.; Chung, D. Y.; Kanatzidis, M. G.; Norman, M. R.; Crabtree, G. W.; Kwok, W. K.

    2017-09-01

    We report investigations on the magnetotransport in LaSb, which exhibits extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR). Foremost, we demonstrate that the resistivity plateau can be explained without invoking topological protection. We then determine the Fermi surface from Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) quantum oscillation measurements and find good agreement with the bulk Fermi pockets derived from first-principles calculations. Using a semiclassical theory and the experimentally determined Fermi pocket anisotropies, we quantitatively describe the orbital magnetoresistance, including its angle dependence.We show that the origin of XMR in LaSb lies in its high mobility with diminishing Hall effect, where the high mobility leads to a strong magnetic-field dependence of the longitudinal magnetoconductance. Unlike a one-band material, when a system has two or more bands (Fermi pockets) with electron and hole carriers, the added conductance arising from the Hall effect is reduced, hence revealing the latent XMR enabled by the longitudinal magnetoconductance. With diminishing Hall effect, the magnetoresistivity is simply the inverse of the longitudinal magnetoconductivity, enabling the differentiation of the electron and hole contributions to the XMR, which varies with the strength and orientation of the magnetic field. This work demonstrates a convenient way to separate the dynamics of the charge carriers and to uncover the origin of XMR in multiband materials with anisotropic Fermi surfaces. Our approach can be readily applied to other XMR materials.

  10. Effect of electron irradiation on the surface properties of Ge-Si single crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakirov, M.Ya.; Ibragimov, N.I.

    1998-01-01

    It is established that by electron irradiation of the Ge 1-x Si x (x = 0 - 0.15) monocrystals with the dose of ≤ 10 13 cm -2 the concentration of the surface charged centers N t does not change. Some drop in the N t value with tendency to saturation is observed by increase in the dose. The speed of the surface recombination also grows with tendency to saturation. Monotonous growth of the surface recombination is identified by increase in dislocations density [ru

  11. Suppressing recombination in polymer photovoltaic devices via energy-level cascades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Zhi-Kuang; Johnson, Kerr; Vaynzof, Yana; Bakulin, Artem A; Chua, Lay-Lay; Ho, Peter K H; Friend, Richard H

    2013-08-14

    An energy cascading structure is designed in a polymer photovoltaic device to suppress recombination and improve quantum yields. By the insertion of a thin polymer interlayer with intermediate energy levels, electrons and holes can effectively shuttle away from each other while being spatially separated from recombination. An increase in open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current are observed in modified devices. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Electronic-state control of amino acids on semiconductor surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oda, Masato; Nakayama, Takashi

    2005-01-01

    Electronic structures of amino acids on the Si(1 1 1) surfaces are investigated by using ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations. It is shown that among various polar amino acids, a histidine is the only one that can be positively ionized when hole carriers are supplied in the Si substrate, by transferring the hole charge from Si substrate to an amino acid. This result indicates that the ionization of a histidine, which will activate the protein functions, can be controlled electrically by producing amino acid/Si junctions

  13. Photoionization and electron-ion recombination of Cr I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2009-01-01

    Using the unified method, the inverse processes of photoionization and electron-ion recombination are studied in detail for neutral chromium, (CrI+hν↔CrII+e), for the ground and excited states. The unified method based on close-coupling approximation and R-matrix method (i) subsumes both the radiative recombination (RR) and dielectronic recombination (DR) for the total rate and (ii) provides self-consistent sets of photoionization cross sections σ PI and recombination rates α RC . The present results show in total photoionization of the ground and excited states an enhancement in the background at the first excited threshold, 3d 4 4s 5 D state of the core. One prominent phot-excitation-of-core (PEC) resonance due to one dipole allowed transition ( 6 S- 6 P o ) in the core is found in the photoionization cross sections of most of the valence electron excited states. Structures in the total and partial photoionization, for ionization into various excited core states and ground state only, respectively, are demonstrated. Results are presented for the septet and quintet states with n≤10 and l≤9 of Cr I. These states couple to the core ground state 6 S and contribute to the recombination rates. State-specific recombination rates are also presented for these states and their features are illustrated. The total recombination rate shows two DR peaks, one at a relatively low temperature, at 630 K, and the other around 40,000 K. This can explain existence of neutral Cr in interstellar medium. Calculations were carried out in LS coupling using a close-coupling wave function expansion of 40 core states. The results illustrate the features in the radiative processes of Cr I and provide photoionization cross sections and recombination rates with good approximation for this astrophysically important ion.

  14. The effect of holes in the dispersion relation of propagative surface plasmon modes of nanoperforated semitransparent metallic films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kekesi, R.; Meneses-Rodríguez, D.; García-Pérez, F.; González, M. U.; García-Martín, A.; Cebollada, A.; Armelles, G.

    2014-01-01

    We have analysed the effect that holes have on the properties of propagative surface plasmon modes in semitransparent nanoperforated Au films. The modes have been excited in Kretschmann configuration. Contrary to continuous films, where only one mode is excited, two modes are observed in Au nanohole array. The origin of this different behavior is discussed using effective optical properties for the nanoperforated films. The presence of the holes affects the effective optical constants of the membranes in two ways: it changes the contribution of the free electrons, and it gives rise to a localized transition due to a hole induced plasmon resonance. This localized transition interacts with the propagative surface plasmon modes, originating the two detected modes.

  15. The effect of holes in the dispersion relation of propagative surface plasmon modes of nanoperforated semitransparent metallic films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kekesi, R., E-mail: renata.kekesi@csic.es; Meneses-Rodríguez, D.; García-Pérez, F.; González, M. U.; García-Martín, A.; Cebollada, A.; Armelles, G., E-mail: gaspar@imm.cnm.csic.es [IMM-Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid (CNM-CSIC), Isaac Newton 8, PTM, E-28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain)

    2014-10-07

    We have analysed the effect that holes have on the properties of propagative surface plasmon modes in semitransparent nanoperforated Au films. The modes have been excited in Kretschmann configuration. Contrary to continuous films, where only one mode is excited, two modes are observed in Au nanohole array. The origin of this different behavior is discussed using effective optical properties for the nanoperforated films. The presence of the holes affects the effective optical constants of the membranes in two ways: it changes the contribution of the free electrons, and it gives rise to a localized transition due to a hole induced plasmon resonance. This localized transition interacts with the propagative surface plasmon modes, originating the two detected modes.

  16. Fabrication of CuInS2-sensitized solar cells via an improved SILAR process and its interface electron recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xueqing; Wan, Qingcui; Luan, Chunyan; Mei, Fengjiao; Zhao, Qian; An, Ping; Liang, Zhurong; Xu, Gang; Zapien, Juan Antonio

    2013-11-13

    Tetragonal CuInS2 (CIS) has been successfully deposited onto mesoporous TiO2 films by in-sequence growth of InxS and CuyS via a successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) process and postdeposition annealing in sulfur ambiance. X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements showed that the obtained tetragonal CIS consisted of a chalcopyrite phase and Cu-Au ordering, which related with the antisite defect states. For a fixed Cu-S deposition cycle, an interface layer of β-In2S3 formed at the TiO2/CIS interface with suitable excess deposition of In-S. In the meantime, the content of the Cu-Au ordering phase decreased to a reasonable level. These facts resulted in the retardance of electron recombination in the cells, which is proposed to be dominated by electron transfer from the conduction band of TiO2 to the unoccupied defect states in CIS via exponentially distributed surface states. As a result, a relatively high efficiency of ~0.92% (V(oc) = 0.35 V, J(sc) = 8.49 mA cm(-2), and FF = 0.31) has been obtained. Last, but not least, with an overloading of the sensitizers, a decrease in the interface area between the sensitized TiO2 and electrolytes resulted in deceleration of hole extraction from CIS to the electrolytes, leading to a decrease in the fill factor of the solar cells. It is indicated that the unoccupied states in CIS with energy levels below EF0 of the TiO2 films play an important role in the interface electron recombination at low potentials and has a great influence on the fill factor of the solar cells.

  17. Emission of circularly polarized recombination radiation from p-doped GaAs and GaAs0.62P0.38 under the impact of polarized electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fromme, B.; Baum, G.; Goeckel, D.; Raith, W.

    1989-01-01

    Circularly polarized light is emitted in radiative transitions of polarized electrons from the conduction to the valence band in GaAs or GaAs 1-x P x crystals. The degree of light polarization is directly related to the polarization of the conduction-band electrons at the instant of recombination and allows conclusions about the depolarization of electrons in the conduction band. The depolarization is caused by spin-relaxation processes. The efficiency of these processes depends on crystal type, crystal temperature, degree of doping, and kinetic energy of the electrons. Highly p-doped GaAs and GaAs 0.62 P 0.38 crystals (N A >1x10 19 atoms/cm 3 ) were bombarded with polarized electrons (initial polarization 38%), and the spectral distribution and the circular polarization of the emitted recombination radiation were measured. The initial kinetic energy of the electrons in the conduction band was varied between 5 and 1000 eV. The measurements of the spectral distribution show that the electrons are thermalized before recombination occurs, independent of their initial energy. An important thermalization process in this energy range is the excitation of crystal electrons by electron-hole pair creation. The circular polarization of the recombination radiation lies below 1% in the whole energy range. It decreases with increasing electron energy but is still of measurable magnitude at 100 eV in the case of GaAs 0.62 P 0.38 . The circular polarization is smaller for GaAs than for GaAs 0.62 P 0.38 , which we attribute to more efficient spin relaxation in GaAs

  18. Electron-ion recombination study in argon at atmospheric pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kafrouni, Hanna.

    1979-01-01

    This study deals with a wall-stabilized arc burning in argon at atmospheric pressure. A transient mode is obtained using a fast thyristor connected to the electrodes, which short-circuits the discharge. By means of two wavelengths laser interferometry and spectroscopy measurements we have determined the temporal changes of the electron density, ground state atom density and excited atom density. We have shown that, when the electric field is suppressed, the electron temperature rapidly decreases to the gas temperature before changing electron and atom densities. This phenomenon is applied to determine the gas temperature and to evaluate the role played by ionization in electron density balance. The coefficients of ambipolar diffusion, ionization and recombination and an apparent recombination coefficient are determined versus electron temperature and compared with theoretical values [fr

  19. Higher-order resonant electronic recombination as a manifestation of configuration interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beilmann, C; Amaro, P; Tashenov, S; Bekker, H; Harman, Z; Crespo López-Urrutia, J R

    2013-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental investigations of higher-order electron–ion recombination resonances including inter-shell excitations are presented for L-shell ions of Kr with the aim of examining details of atomic structure calculations. The particular importance of electron–electron interaction and configuration mixing effects for these recombination processes enables their use for detailed tests of electron correlation effects. A test of the required level of considered mixing configurations is presented and further experiments involving higher-order recombination channels are motivated. (paper)

  20. Electron vortex magnetic holes: A nonlinear coherent plasma structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haynes, Christopher T., E-mail: c.t.haynes@qmul.ac.uk; Burgess, David; Sundberg, Torbjorn [School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Camporeale, Enrico [Multiscale Dynamics, Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica (CWI), Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2015-01-15

    We report the properties of a novel type of sub-proton scale magnetic hole found in two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of decaying turbulence with a guide field. The simulations were performed with a realistic value for ion to electron mass ratio. These structures, electron vortex magnetic holes (EVMHs), have circular cross-section. The magnetic field depression is associated with a diamagnetic azimuthal current provided by a population of trapped electrons in petal-like orbits. The trapped electron population provides a mean azimuthal velocity and since trapping preferentially selects high pitch angles, a perpendicular temperature anisotropy. The structures arise out of initial perturbations in the course of the turbulent evolution of the plasma, and are stable over at least 100 electron gyroperiods. We have verified the model for the EVMH by carrying out test particle and PIC simulations of isolated structures in a uniform plasma. It is found that (quasi-)stable structures can be formed provided that there is some initial perpendicular temperature anisotropy at the structure location. The properties of these structures (scale size, trapped population, etc.) are able to explain the observed properties of magnetic holes in the terrestrial plasma sheet. EVMHs may also contribute to turbulence properties, such as intermittency, at short scale lengths in other astrophysical plasmas.

  1. Measurements of electron excitation and recombination for Ne-like Ba46+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marrs, R.E.; Levine, M.A.; Knapp, D.A.; Henderson, J.R.

    1987-07-01

    A new facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has been used to obtain measurements for electron-impact excitation, dielectronic recombination and radiative recombination for the neon-like Ba 46+ ion. The experimental technique consists of trapping highly charged ions inside the space charge of an electron beam and measuring their x-ray emission spectra

  2. The shape of a hole and that of the surface-with-hole cannot be analyzed separately.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertamini, Marco; Helmy, Mai Salah

    2012-08-01

    Figure-ground organization has a central role in visual perception, since it creates the regions to which properties, such as shape descriptions, are then assigned. However, there is disagreement on how much shape analysis is independent of figure-ground. The reversal of figure-ground of a single closed region is the purest form of figure-ground organization, and the two resulting percepts are that of an object and that of a hole. Both object and hole are nonaccidental regions and can share an identical outline. We devised a test of how figure-ground and contour ownership dramatically affect how shape is processed. Observers judged the shape of a contour that could be either the same as or different from an irrelevant surrounding contour. We report that different (incongruent) inside and outside contours produce a stronger interference effect when they form a single object-with-hole, as compared with a hierarchical set of surfaces or a single hole separating different surfaces (a trench). We conclude that (1) which surface owns the contour constrains the interference between shapes and that (2) despite some recent claims, holes do not display objectlike properties.

  3. Generation of Electron Whistler Waves at the Mirror Mode Magnetic Holes: MMS Observations and PIC Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, N.; Wilder, F. D.; Usanova, M.; Ergun, R.; Argall, M. R.; Goodrich, K.; Eriksson, S.; Germaschewski, K.; Torbert, R. B.; Lindqvist, P. A.; Le Contel, O.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Strangeway, R. J.; Schwartz, S. J.; Giles, B. L.; Burch, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission observed electron whistler waves at the center and at the gradients of magnetic holes on the dayside magnetosheath. The magnetic holes are nonlinear mirror structures which are anti-correlated with particle density. We used expanding box Particle-in-cell simulations and produced the mirror instability magnetic holes. We show that the electron whistler waves can be generated at the gradients and the center of magnetic holes in our simulations which is in agreement with MMS observations. At the nonlinear regime of mirror instability, the proton and electron temperature anisotropy are anti-correlated with the magnetic hole. The plasma is unstable to electron whistler waves at the minimum of the magnetic field structures. In the saturation regime of mirror instability, when magnetic holes are dominant, electron temperature anisotropy develops at the edges of the magnetic holes and electrons become isotropic at the magnetic field minimum. We investigate the possible mechanism for enhancing the electron temperature anisotropy and analyze the electron pitch angle distributions and electron distribution functions in our simulations and compare it with MMS observations.

  4. Excitation and recombination of donor-acceptor pairs in ZnTe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakashima, S.; Yasuda, S.

    1979-01-01

    The photoluminescence spectra and its excitation spectra of the donor-acceptor pairs are observed in ZnTe crystals doped with Li and As in the region below the bandgap energy. The relaxation of electrons and holes into the first excited state of d-a pairs is studied for the three excitation processes: (1) bound-to-bound transitions, (2) bound-to-free transitions, and (3) free-to-free transitions. It is concluded that most of the electrons and holes at the excited states of each impurity level are relaxed rapidly into their ground states before the occurrence of the recombination involving the excited states. For the excitation process (2), conduction electrons are preferentially trapped by positively charged pairs. The redistribution of bound holes by hopping is suggested to explain the broad d-a emission band observed for the bound-to-free excitation for very distant pairs. (author)

  5. Observation of preformed electron-hole Cooper pairs in highly excited ZnO

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Versteegh, M.A.M.; van Lange, A.J.; Stoof, H.T.C.; Dijkhuis, J.I.

    2012-01-01

    Electrons and holes in a semiconductor form hydrogen-atom-like bound states, called excitons. At high electron-hole densities the attractive Coulomb force becomes screened and excitons can no longer exist. Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory predicts that at such high densities co-operative many-body

  6. Tailoring Charge Recombination in Photoelectrodes Using Oxide Nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iandolo, Beniamino; Wickman, Björn; Svensson, Elin

    2016-01-01

    Optimizing semiconductor devices for solar energy conversion requires an explicit control of the recombination of photogenerated electron−hole pairs. Here we show how the recombination of charge carriers can be controlled in semiconductor thin films by surface patterning with oxide nanodisks....... The control mechanism relies on the formation of dipole-like electric fields at the interface that, depending on the field direction, attract or repel minority carriers from underneath the disks. The charge recombination rate can be controlled through the choice of oxide material and the surface coverage...... of nanodisks. We provide proof-of-principle demonstration of this approach by patterning the surface of Fe2O3, one of the most studied semiconductors for light-driven water splitting, with TiO2 and Cu2O nanodisks. We expect this method to be generally applicable to a range of semiconductor-based solar energy...

  7. The fate of electron–hole pairs in polymer:fullerene blends for organic photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Causa', Martina; Jonghe-Risse, Jelissa De; Scarongella, Mariateresa; Brauer, Jan C.; Domingo, Ester; Moser, Jacques-E.; Stingelin, Natalie; Banerji, Natalie

    2016-01-01

    demonstrate that the fate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs-whether they will dissociate to free charges or geminately recombine-is determined at ultrafast times, despite the fact that their actual spatial separation can be much slower. Our insights

  8. Experimental determination of the electron-avalanche and the electron-ion recombination coefficient

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ernst, G.J.; Boer, A.G.

    1980-01-01

    The electron-ion recombination coefficient γ and the avalanche coefficient δ = (α − a) · vd, where α and a are the ionizat ion and attachment coefficients respectively and vd the drift velocity of the electrons, have been experimentally determined in a self-sustained CO2-laser system (1:1:3 mixture)

  9. Observations of electron phase-space holes driven during magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, W.; Porkolab, M.; Egedal, J.; Katz, N.; Le, A.

    2012-03-01

    This work presents detailed experimental observations of electron phase-space holes driven during magnetic reconnection events on the Versatile Toroidal Facility. The holes are observed to travel on the order of or faster than the electron thermal speed, and are of large size scale, with diameter of order 60 Debye lengths. In addition, they have 3D spheroidal structure with approximately unity aspect ratio. We estimate the direct anomalous resistivity due to ion interaction with the holes and find it to be too small to affect the reconnection rate; however, the holes may play a role in reining in a tail of accelerated electrons and they indicate the presence of other processes in the reconnection layer, such as electron energization and electron beam formation.

  10. Resonant Excitation of Terahertz Surface Plasmons in Subwavelength Metal Holes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weili Zhang

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a review of experimental studies of resonant excitation of terahertz surface plasmons in two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength metal holes. Resonant transmission efficiency higher than unity was recently achieved when normalized to the area occupied by the holes. The effects of hole shape, hole dimensions, dielectric function of metals, polarization dependence, and array film thickness on resonant terahertz transmission in metal arrays were investigated by the state-of-the-art terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. In particular, extraordinary terahertz transmission was demonstrated in arrays of subwavelength holes made even from Pb, a generally poor metal, and having thickness of only one-third of skin depth. Terahertz surface plasmons have potential applications in terahertz imaging, biosensing, interconnects, and development of integrated plasmonic components for terahertz generation and detection.

  11. Electron-hole collision limited transport in charge-neutral bilayer graphene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, Youngwoo; Ki, Dong-Keun; Soler-Delgado, David; Morpurgo, Alberto F.

    2017-12-01

    Ballistic transport occurs whenever electrons propagate without collisions deflecting their trajectory. It is normally observed in conductors with a negligible concentration of impurities, at low temperature, to avoid electron-phonon scattering. Here, we use suspended bilayer graphene devices to reveal a new regime, in which ballistic transport is not limited by scattering with phonons or impurities, but by electron-hole collisions. The phenomenon manifests itself in a negative four-terminal resistance that becomes visible when the density of holes (electrons) is suppressed by gate-shifting the Fermi level in the conduction (valence) band, above the thermal energy. For smaller densities, transport is diffusive, and the measured conductivity is reproduced quantitatively, with no fitting parameters, by including electron-hole scattering as the only process causing velocity relaxation. Experiments on a trilayer device show that the phenomenon is robust and that transport at charge neutrality is governed by the same physics. Our results provide a textbook illustration of a transport regime that had not been observed previously and clarify the nature of conduction through charge-neutral graphene under conditions in which carrier density inhomogeneity is immaterial. They also demonstrate that transport can be limited by a fully electronic mechanism, originating from the same microscopic processes that govern the physics of Dirac-like plasmas.

  12. Inhibition of charge recombination for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells and self-powered UV sensors by surface modification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chu, Liang, E-mail: chuliang@njupt.edu.cn [Advanced Energy Technology Center, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (NUPT), Nanjing 210046 (China); Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (WNLO)-School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan 430074 (China); Qin, Zhengfei; Liu, Wei [School of Materials Science and Engineering (SMSE), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (NUPT), Nanjing 210046 (China); Ma, Xin’guo, E-mail: maxg2013@sohu.com [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for High-efficiency Utilization of Solar Energy, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068 (China)

    2016-12-15

    Graphical abstract: Inhibition of charge recombination was utilized to prolong electrode lifetime in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and self-powered UV sensors based on TiO{sub 2}-modified SnO{sub 2} photoelectrodes. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open-circuit voltage decay measurements indicated that the electron lifetime was significantly prolonged in DSSCs after TiO{sub 2} modification. And in self-powered UV sensors, the sensitivity and response time were enhanced. - Highlights: • The surface modification to inhibit charge recombination was utilized in photovoltaic devices. • Inhibition of charge recombination can prolong electrode lifetime in photovoltaic devices. • Enhanced DSSCs and self-powered UV sensors based on SnO{sub 2} photoelectrodes were obtained by TiO{sub 2} modification. - Abstract: The surface modification to inhibit charge recombination was utilized in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and self-powered ultraviolet (UV) sensors based on SnO{sub 2} hierarchical microspheres by TiO{sub 2} modification. For DSSCs with SnO{sub 2} photoelectrodes modified by TiO{sub 2}, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) was improved from 1.40% to 4.15% under standard AM 1.5G illumination (100 mW/cm{sup 2}). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open-circuit voltage decay measurements indicated that the charge recombination was effectively inhibited, resulting in long electron lifetime. For UV sensors with SnO{sub 2} photoelectrodes modified by TiO{sub 2} layer, the self-powered property was more obvious, and the sensitivity and response time were enhanced from 91 to 6229 and 0.15 s to 0.055 s, respectively. The surface modification can engineer the interface energy to inhibit charge recombination, which is a desirable approach to improve the performance of photoelectric nanodevice.

  13. Photoinduced electron transfer and persistent spectral hole-burning in natural emerald.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riesen, Hans

    2011-06-02

    Wavelength-selective excited-state lifetime measurements and absorption, luminescence, and hole-burning spectra of a natural African emerald crystal are reported. The (2)E excited-state lifetime displays an extreme wavelength dependence, varying from 190 to 37 μs within 1.8 nm of the R(1)-line. Overall, the excited state is strongly quenched, in comparison to laboratory-created emerald (τ=1.3 ms), with an average quenching rate of ∼6 × 10(3) s(-1) at 2.5 K. This quenching is attributed to photoinduced electron transfer caused by a relatively high concentration of Fe(2+) ions. The forward electron-transfer rate, k(f), from the nearest possible Fe(2+) sites at around 5 Å is estimated to be ∼20 × 10(3) s(-1) at 2.5 K. The photoreductive quenching of the excited Cr(3+) ions by Fe(2+) is followed by rapid electron back-transfer in the ground state upon deactivation. The exchange interaction based quenching can be modeled by assuming a random quencher distribution within the possible Fe(2+) sites with the forward electron-transfer rate, k(f), given as a function of acceptor-donor separation R by exp[(R(f)-R)/a(f)]; R(f) and a(f) values of 13.5 and 2.7 Å are obtained at 2.5 K. The electron transfer/back-transfer reorganizes the local crystal lattice, occasionally leading to a minor variation of the short-range structure around the Cr(3+) ions. This provides a mechanism for spectral hole-burning for which a moderately high quantum efficiency of about ∼0.005% is observed. Spectral holes are subject to spontaneous hole-filling and spectral diffusion, and both effects can be quantified within the standard two-level systems for non-photochemical hole-burning. Importantly, the absorbance increases on both sides of broad spectral holes, and isosbestic points are observed, in accord with the expected distribution of the "photoproduct" in a non-photochemical hole-burning process. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  14. Nonlinear charge transport in bipolar semiconductors due to electron heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina-Valdovinos, S.; Gurevich, Yu.G.

    2016-01-01

    It is known that when strong electric field is applied to a semiconductor sample, the current voltage characteristic deviates from the linear response. In this letter, we propose a new point of view of nonlinearity in semiconductors which is associated with the electron temperature dependence on the recombination rate. The heating of the charge carriers breaks the balance between generation and recombination, giving rise to nonequilibrium charge carriers concentration and nonlinearity. - Highlights: • A new mechanism of nonlinearity of current-voltage characteristic (CVC) is proposed. • The hot electron temperature violates the equilibrium between electrons and holes. • This violation gives rise to nonequilibrium concentration of electrons and holes. • This leads to nonlinear CVC (along with the heating nonlinearity).

  15. Nonlinear charge transport in bipolar semiconductors due to electron heating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molina-Valdovinos, S., E-mail: sergiom@fisica.uaz.edu.mx [Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Académica de Física, Calzada Solidaridad esq. Paseo, La Bufa s/n, CP 98060, Zacatecas, Zac, México (Mexico); Gurevich, Yu.G. [Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Departamento de Física, Av. IPN 2508, México D.F., CP 07360, México (Mexico)

    2016-05-27

    It is known that when strong electric field is applied to a semiconductor sample, the current voltage characteristic deviates from the linear response. In this letter, we propose a new point of view of nonlinearity in semiconductors which is associated with the electron temperature dependence on the recombination rate. The heating of the charge carriers breaks the balance between generation and recombination, giving rise to nonequilibrium charge carriers concentration and nonlinearity. - Highlights: • A new mechanism of nonlinearity of current-voltage characteristic (CVC) is proposed. • The hot electron temperature violates the equilibrium between electrons and holes. • This violation gives rise to nonequilibrium concentration of electrons and holes. • This leads to nonlinear CVC (along with the heating nonlinearity).

  16. Giant electron-hole transport asymmetry in ultra-short quantum transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    McRae, A. C.; Tayari, V.; Porter, J. M.; Champagne, A. R.

    2017-01-01

    Making use of bipolar transport in single-wall carbon nanotube quantum transistors would permit a single device to operate as both a quantum dot and a ballistic conductor or as two quantum dots with different charging energies. Here we report ultra-clean 10 to 100 nm scale suspended nanotube transistors with a large electron-hole transport asymmetry. The devices consist of naked nanotube channels contacted with sections of tube under annealed gold. The annealed gold acts as an n-doping top gate, allowing coherent quantum transport, and can create nanometre-sharp barriers. These tunnel barriers define a single quantum dot whose charging energies to add an electron or a hole are vastly different (e−h charging energy asymmetry). We parameterize the e−h transport asymmetry by the ratio of the hole and electron charging energies ηe−h. This asymmetry is maximized for short channels and small band gap tubes. In a small band gap device, we demonstrate the fabrication of a dual functionality quantum device acting as a quantum dot for holes and a much longer quantum bus for electrons. In a 14 nm-long channel, ηe−h reaches up to 2.6 for a device with a band gap of 270 meV. The charging energies in this device exceed 100 meV. PMID:28561024

  17. Electronic properties of electron and hole in type-II semiconductor nano-heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahul, K. Suseel; Souparnika, C.; Salini, K.; Mathew, Vincent

    2016-05-01

    In this project, we record the orbitals of electron and hole in type-II (CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystal using effective mass approximation. In type-II the band edges of both valance and conduction band are higher than that of shell. So the electron and hole get confined in different layers of the hetero-structure. The energy eigen values and eigen functions are calculated by solving Schrodinger equation using finite difference matrix method. Based on this we investigate the effect of shell thickness and well width on energy and probability distribution of ground state (1s) and few excited states (1p,1d,etc). Our results predict that, type-II quantum dots have significant importance in photovoltaic applications.

  18. Electronic properties of electron and hole in type-II semiconductor nano-heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahul, K. Suseel [Department of Physics, Central University of Kerala, Riverside Transit Campus, Kasaragod, Kerala. India (India); Department of Physics, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkancheri, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN:680623. India (India); Souparnika, C. [Department of Physics, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkancheri, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN:680623. India (India); Salini, K.; Mathew, Vincent, E-mail: vincent@cukerala.ac.in [Department of Physics, Central University of Kerala, Riverside Transit Campus, Kasaragod, Kerala. India (India)

    2016-05-06

    In this project, we record the orbitals of electron and hole in type-II (CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystal using effective mass approximation. In type-II the band edges of both valance and conduction band are higher than that of shell. So the electron and hole get confined in different layers of the hetero-structure. The energy eigen values and eigen functions are calculated by solving Schrodinger equation using finite difference matrix method. Based on this we investigate the effect of shell thickness and well width on energy and probability distribution of ground state (1s) and few excited states (1p,1d,etc). Our results predict that, type-II quantum dots have significant importance in photovoltaic applications.

  19. Charge-carrier transport and recombination in heteroepitaxial CdTe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuciauskas, Darius; Farrell, Stuart; Dippo, Pat; Moseley, John; Moutinho, Helio; Li, Jian V.; Allende Motz, A. M.; Kanevce, Ana; Zaunbrecher, Katherine; Gessert, Timothy A.; Levi, Dean H.; Metzger, Wyatt K.; Colegrove, Eric; Sivananthan, S.

    2014-01-01

    We analyze charge-carrier dynamics using time-resolved spectroscopy and varying epitaxial CdTe thickness in undoped heteroepitaxial CdTe/ZnTe/Si. By employing one-photon and nonlinear two-photon excitation, we assess surface, interface, and bulk recombination. Two-photon excitation with a focused laser beam enables characterization of recombination velocity at the buried epilayer/substrate interface, 17.5 μm from the sample surface. Measurements with a focused two-photon excitation beam also indicate a fast diffusion component, from which we estimate an electron mobility of 650 cm 2 (Vs) −1 and diffusion coefficient D of 17 cm 2  s −1 . We find limiting recombination at the epitaxial film surface (surface recombination velocity S surface  = (2.8 ± 0.3) × 10 5  cm s −1 ) and at the heteroepitaxial interface (interface recombination velocity S interface  = (4.8 ± 0.5) × 10 5  cm s −1 ). The results demonstrate that reducing surface and interface recombination velocity is critical for photovoltaic solar cells and electronic devices that employ epitaxial CdTe.

  20. Jet impinging onto a laser drilled tapered hole: Influence of tapper location on heat transfer and skin friction at hole surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuja, S. Z.; Yilbas, B. S.

    2013-02-01

    Jet emerging from a conical nozzle and impinging onto a tapered hole in relation to laser drilling is investigated and the influence taper location on the heat transfer and skin friction at the hole wall surface is examined. The study is extended to include four different gases as working fluid. The Reynolds stress model is incorporated to account for the turbulence effect in the flow field. The hole wall surface temperature is kept at 1500 K to resemble the laser drilled hole. It is found that the location of tapering in the hole influences the heat transfer rates and skin friction at the hole wall surface. The maximum skin friction coefficient increases for taper location of 0.25 H, where H is the thickness of the workpiece, while Nusselt number is higher in the hole for taper location of 0.75 H.

  1. Photoexcited carrier trapping and recombination at Fe centers in GaN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uždavinys, T. K.; Marcinkevičius, S.; Leach, J. H.; Evans, K. R.; Look, D. C.

    2016-01-01

    Fe doped GaN was studied by time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The shape of PL transients at different temperatures and excitation powers allowed discrimination between electron and hole capture to Fe"3"+ and Fe"2"+ centers, respectively. Analysis of the internal structure of Fe ions and intra-ion relaxation rates suggests that for high repetition rates of photoexciting laser pulses the electron and hole trapping takes place in the excited state rather than the ground state of Fe ions. Hence, the estimated electron and hole capture coefficients of 5.5 × 10"−"8 cm"3/s and 1.8 × 10"−"8 cm"3/s should be attributed to excited Fe"3"+ and Fe"2"+ states. The difference in electron capture rates determined for high (MHz) and low (Hz) (Fang et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 051901 (2015)) pulse repetition rates may be assigned to the different Fe states participating in the carrier capture. A weak temperature dependence of the electron trapping rate shows that the potential barrier for the multiphonon electron capture is small. A spectral feature observed at ∼420 nm is assigned to the radiative recombination of an electron in the ground Fe"2"+ state and a bound hole.

  2. Using Three-Body Recombination to Extract Electron Temperatures of Ultracold Plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fletcher, R. S.; Zhang, X. L.; Rolston, S. L.

    2007-01-01

    Three-body recombination, an important collisional process in plasmas, increases dramatically at low electron temperatures, with an accepted scaling of T e -9/2 . We measure three-body recombination in an ultracold neutral xenon plasma by detecting recombination-created Rydberg atoms using a microwave-ionization technique. With the accepted theory (expected to be applicable for weakly coupled plasmas) and our measured rates, we extract the plasma temperatures, which are in reasonable agreement with previous measurements early in the plasma lifetime. The resulting electron temperatures indicate that the plasma continues to cool to temperatures below 1 K

  3. Effect of holes on the room temperature tensile behaviors of thin wall specimens with (210) side surface of Ni-base single crystal superalloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Z.J.; Liu, T.; Pu, S. [Superalloys Division, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 72, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016 (China); Xu, H. [Materials Fatigue and Fracture Division, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 72, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016 (China); Wang, L., E-mail: wangli@imr.ac.cn [Superalloys Division, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 72, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016 (China); Lou, L.H. [Superalloys Division, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 72, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016 (China)

    2015-10-25

    Tensile properties of Ni-base single crystal superalloy plate specimens with and without a hole at room temperature were studied in the present paper. During the testing process, an ARAMIS system based on the digital image correlation technique and in-situ scanning electron microscopy were employed to in-situ observe the strain distribution and slip traces development on the sample surfaces. It was demonstrated that the yield stress was decreased with the appearance of a hole due to the stress concentration. The results were analyzed based on the stress and strain states of specimens and the slip traces development observed on specimen surfaces. - Graphical abstract: The strain distribution for samples without and with a hole, respectively. - Highlights: • Tensile tests of plate specimens without and with a hole were performed. • Surface strain fields were in-situ observed by ARAMIS system. • Slip traces development on sample surfaces was in-situ observed by SEM. • The hole deteriorated both the tensile strength and elongation of the samples. • Tensile strength of specimens without and with a hole was discussed respectively.

  4. Enhanced defects recombination in ion irradiated SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Izzo, G.; Litrico, G.; Grassia, F.; Calcagno, L.; Foti, G.

    2010-01-01

    Point defects induced in SiC by ion irradiation show a recombination at temperatures as low as 320 K and this process is enhanced after running current density ranging from 80 to 120 A/cm 2 . Ion irradiation induces in SiC the formation of different defect levels and low-temperature annealing changes their concentration. Some levels (S 0 , S x and S 2 ) show a recombination and simultaneously a new level (S 1 ) is formed. An enhanced recombination of defects is besides observed after running current in the diode at room temperature. The carriers introduction reduces the S 2 trap concentration, while the remaining levels are not modified. The recombination is negligible up to a current density of 50 A/cm 2 and increases at higher current density. The enhanced recombination of the S 2 trap occurs at 300 K, which otherwise requires a 400 K annealing temperature. The process can be related to the electron-hole recombination at the associated defect.

  5. Negligible Electronic Interaction between Photoexcited Electron-Hole Pairs and Free Electrons in Phosphorus-Boron Co-Doped Silicon Nanocrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Limpens, Rens [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Neale, Nathan R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Fujii, Minoru [Kobe University; Gregorkiewicz, Tom [University of Amsterdam

    2018-03-05

    Phosphorus (P) and boron (B) co-doped Si nanocrystals (NCs) have raised interest in the optoelectronic industry due to their electronic tunability, optimal carrier multiplication properties, and straightforward dispersibility in polar solvents. Yet a basic understanding of the interaction of photoexcited electron-hole (e-h) pairs with new physical features that are introduced by the co-doping process (free carriers, defect states, and surface chemistry) is missing. Here, we present the first study of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in SiO2-embedded P-B co-doped Si NC ensembles using induced absorption spectroscopy through a two-step approach. First, the induced absorption data show that the large fraction of the dopants residing on the NC surface slows down carrier relaxation dynamics within the first 20 ps relative to intrinsic (undoped) Si NCs, which we interpret as enhanced surface passivation. On longer time-scales (picosecond to nanosecond regime), we observe a speeding up of the carrier relaxation dynamics and ascribe it to doping-induced trap states. This argument is deduced from the second part of the study, where we investigate multiexciton interactions. From a stochastic modeling approach we show that localized carriers, which are introduced by the P or B dopants, have minor electronic interactions with the photoexcited e-h pairs. This is understood in light of the strong localization of the introduced carriers on their original P- or B-dopant atoms, due to the strong quantum confinement regime in these relatively small NCs (<6 nm).

  6. Simple model of electron beam initiated dielectric breakdown

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beers, B.L.; Daniell, R.E.; Delmer, T.N.

    1985-01-01

    A steady state model that describes the internal charge distribution of a planar dielectric sample exposed to a uniform electron beam was developed. The model includes the effects of charge deposition and ionization of the beam, separate trap-modulated mobilities for electrons and holes, electron-hole recombination, and pair production by drifting thermal electrons. If the incident beam current is greater than a certain critical value (which depends on sample thickness as well as other sample properties), the steady state solution is non-physical

  7. The fate of electron-hole pairs in polymer:fullerene blends for organic photovoltaics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Causa', Martina; de Jonghe-Risse, Jelissa; Scarongella, Mariateresa; Brauer, Jan C.; Buchaca-Domingo, Ester; Moser, Jacques-E.; Stingelin, Natalie; Banerji, Natalie

    2016-09-01

    There has been long-standing debate on how free charges are generated in donor:acceptor blends that are used in organic solar cells, and which are generally comprised of a complex phase morphology, where intermixed and neat phases of the donor and acceptor material co-exist. Here we resolve this question, basing our conclusions on Stark effect spectroscopy data obtained in the absence and presence of externally applied electric fields. Reconciling opposing views found in literature, we unambiguously demonstrate that the fate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs--whether they will dissociate to free charges or geminately recombine--is determined at ultrafast times, despite the fact that their actual spatial separation can be much slower. Our insights are important to further develop rational approaches towards material design and processing of organic solar cells, assisting to realize their purported promise as lead-free, third-generation energy technology that can reach efficiencies over 10%.

  8. Low-temperature radiative recombination of electrons with bare nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Omidvar, K.

    1993-01-01

    Aside from empirical formulas, the radiative-recombination cross section and coefficient are usually given in tabulated forms instead of analytic formulas. Here, we give analytic expressions in the form of expansions for the recombination cross section as a function of the electron energy E for low E, and for the recombination coefficient as a function of the temperature T for low T. The expansion coefficients are combinations of confluent hypergeometric functions, and are tabulated for a large number of the final principal and angular-momentum quantum numbers n and l. It is shown that the recombination cross section for arbitrary nuclear charge number Z is independent of Z, while the recombination coefficient for T/Z 2 much-lt 1.58x10 5 K increases as Z 2 . Excellent agreement is found with the published tabulated values

  9. Direct Observation of Electron-to-Hole Energy Transfer in CdSe Quantum Dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hendry, E.; Koeberg, M.; Wang, F.; Zhang, H.; de Mello Donega, C.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.; Bonn, M.

    2006-01-01

    We independently determine the subpicosecond cooling rates for holes and electrons in CdSe quantum dots. Time-resolved luminescence and terahertz spectroscopy reveal that the rate of hole cooling, following photoexcitation of the quantum dots, depends critically on the electron excess energy. This

  10. Effects of surface motion and electron-hole pair excitations in CO2 dissociation and scattering on Ni(100)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xuan; Zhou, Xueyao; Jiang, Bin

    2018-05-01

    The energy transfer between different channels is an important aspect in chemical reactions at surfaces. We investigate here in detail the energy transfer dynamics in a prototypical system, i.e., reactive and nonreactive scattering of CO2 on Ni(100), which is related to heterogeneous catalytic processes with Ni-based catalysts for CO2 reduction. On the basis of our earlier nine-dimensional potential energy surface for CO2/Ni(100), dynamical calculations have been done using the generalized Langevin oscillator (GLO) model combined with local density friction approximation (LDFA), in which the former accounts for the surface motion and the latter accounts for the low-energy electron-hole pair (EHP) excitation. In spite of its simplicity, it is found that the GLO model yields quite satisfactory results, including the significant energy loss and product energy disposal, trapping, and steering dynamics, all of which agree well with the ab initio molecular dynamics ones where many surface atoms are explicitly involved with high computational cost. However, the GLO model fails to describe the reactivity enhancement due to the lattice motion because it intrinsically does not incorporate the variance of barrier height on the surface atom displacement. On the other hand, in LDFA, the energy transferred to EHPs is found to play a minor role and barely alter the dynamics, except for slightly reducing the dissociation probabilities. In addition, vibrational state-selected dissociative sticking probabilities are calculated and previously observed strong mode specificity is confirmed. Our work suggests that further improvement of the GLO model is needed to consider the lattice-induced barrier lowering.

  11. Balancing Hole and Electron Conduction in Ambipolar Split-Gate Thin-Film Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Hocheon; Ghittorelli, Matteo; Lee, Dong-Kyu; Smits, Edsger C P; Gelinck, Gerwin H; Ahn, Hyungju; Lee, Han-Koo; Torricelli, Fabrizio; Kim, Jae-Joon

    2017-07-10

    Complementary organic electronics is a key enabling technology for the development of new applications including smart ubiquitous sensors, wearable electronics, and healthcare devices. High-performance, high-functionality and reliable complementary circuits require n- and p-type thin-film transistors with balanced characteristics. Recent advancements in ambipolar organic transistors in terms of semiconductor and device engineering demonstrate the great potential of this route but, unfortunately, the actual development of ambipolar organic complementary electronics is currently hampered by the uneven electron (n-type) and hole (p-type) conduction in ambipolar organic transistors. Here we show ambipolar organic thin-film transistors with balanced n-type and p-type operation. By manipulating air exposure and vacuum annealing conditions, we show that well-balanced electron and hole transport properties can be easily obtained. The method is used to control hole and electron conductions in split-gate transistors based on a solution-processed donor-acceptor semiconducting polymer. Complementary logic inverters with balanced charging and discharging characteristics are demonstrated. These findings may open up new opportunities for the rational design of complementary electronics based on ambipolar organic transistors.

  12. Modulating the Electron-Hole Interaction in a Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskite with an Electric Field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leijtens, Tomas; Srimath Kandada, Ajay Ram; Eperon, Giles E; Grancini, Giulia; D'Innocenzo, Valerio; Ball, James M; Stranks, Samuel D; Snaith, Henry J; Petrozza, Annamaria

    2015-12-16

    Despite rapid developments in both photovoltaic and light-emitting device performance, the understanding of the optoelectronic properties of hybrid lead halide perovskites is still incomplete. In particular, the polarizability of the material, the presence of molecular dipoles, and their influence on the dynamics of the photoexcitations remain an open issue to be clarified. Here, we investigate the effect of an applied external electric field on the photoexcited species of CH3NH3PbI3 thin films, both at room temperature and at low temperature, by monitoring the photoluminescence (PL) yield and PL decays. At room temperature we find evidence for electric-field-induced reduction of radiative bimolecular carrier recombination together with motion of charged defects that affects the nonradiative decay rate of the photoexcited species. At low temperature (190 K), we observe a field-induced enhancement of radiative free carrier recombination rates that lasts even after the removal of the field. We assign this to field-induced alignment of the molecular dipoles, which reduces the vibrational freedom of the lattice and the associated local screening and hence results in a stronger electron-hole interaction.

  13. Plasma phase transition in dense hydrogen and electron-hole plasmas

    CERN Document Server

    Filinov, V S; Levashov, P R; Fortov, V E; Ebeling, W; Schlanges, M; Koch, S W

    2003-01-01

    Plasma phase transitions in dense hydrogen and electron-hole plasmas are investigated by direct path integral Monte Carlo methods. The phase boundary of the electron-hole liquid in germanium is calculated and is found to agree reasonably well with the known experimental results. Analogous behaviour is found for high-density hydrogen. For a temperature of T = 10 000 K it is shown that the internal energy is lowered due to droplet formation for densities between 10 sup 2 sup 3 cm sup - sup 3 and 10 sup 2 sup 4 cm sup - sup 3.

  14. A calculation of the surface recombination rate constant for hydrogen isotopes on metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baskes, M.J.

    1980-01-01

    The surface recombination rate constant for hydrogen isotopes on a metal has been calculated using a simple model whose parameters may be determined by direct experimental measurements. Using the experimental values for hydrogen diffusivity, solubility, and sticking coefficient at zero surface coverage a reasonable prediction of the surface recombination constant may be made. The calculated recombination constant is in excellent agreement with experiment for bcc iron. A heuristic argument is developed which, along with the rate constant calculation, shows that surface recombination is important in those metals in which hydrogen has an exothermic heat of solution. (orig.)

  15. Quantum simulations of small electron-hole complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, M.A.; Kalia, R.K.; Vashishta, P.D.

    1984-09-01

    The Green's Function Monte Carlo method is applied to the calculation of the binding energies of electron-hole complexes in semiconductors. The quantum simulation method allows the unambiguous determination of the ground state energy and the effects of band anisotropy on the binding energy. 22 refs., 1 fig

  16. Recombination of chlorine atoms on plasma-conditioned stainless steel surfaces in the presence of adsorbed Cl{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stafford, Luc; Poirier, Jean-Sebastien; Margot, Joelle [Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7 (Canada); Khare, Rohit; Guha, Joydeep; Donnelly, Vincent M, E-mail: luc.stafford@umontreal.c, E-mail: vmdonnelly@uh.ed [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204 (United States)

    2009-03-07

    We investigated the interactions of atomic and molecular chlorine with plasma-conditioned stainless steel surfaces through both experiments and modelling. The recombination of Cl during adsorption and desorption of Cl{sub 2} was characterized using a rotating-substrate technique in which portions of the cylindrical substrate surface are periodically exposed to an inductively coupled chlorine plasma and then to an Auger electron spectrometer in separate, differentially pumped chambers. After several hours of exposure to the Cl{sub 2} plasma, the stainless steel substrate became coated with a Si-oxychloride-based layer (Fe : Si : O : Cl {approx} 1 : 13 : 13 : 3) due to chlorine adsorption and the erosion of the silica discharge tube. Desorption of Cl{sub 2} from this surface was monitored through measurements of pressure rises in the Auger chamber as a function of substrate rotation frequency. Significant adsorption and desorption of Cl{sub 2} was observed with the plasma off, similar to that observed previously on plasma-conditioned anodized aluminium surfaces, but with much faster desorption rates that are most likely attributable to the smoother and non-porous stainless steel surface morphology. When the plasma was turned on, a much larger pressure rise was observed due to Langmuir-Hinshelwood recombination of Cl atoms. Recombination coefficients, {gamma}{sub Cl}, ranged from 0.004 to 0.03 and increased with Cl-to-Cl{sub 2} number density ratio. This behaviour was observed previously for anodized aluminium surfaces, and was explained by the blocking of Cl recombination sites by adsorbed Cl{sub 2}. Application of this variable recombination coefficient to the modelling of high-density chlorine plasmas gives a much better agreement with measured Cl{sub 2} percent dissociations compared with predictions obtained with a recombination coefficient that is independent of plasma conditions.

  17. Secondary electron emission and self-consistent charge transport in semi-insulating samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fitting, H.-J. [Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Universitaetsplatz 3, D-18051 Rostock (Germany); Touzin, M. [Unite Materiaux et Transformations, UMR CNRS 8207, Universite de Lille 1, F-59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France)

    2011-08-15

    Electron beam induced self-consistent charge transport and secondary electron emission (SEE) in insulators are described by means of an electron-hole flight-drift model (FDM) now extended by a certain intrinsic conductivity (c) and are implemented by an iterative computer simulation. Ballistic secondary electrons (SE) and holes, their attenuation to drifting charge carriers, and their recombination, trapping, and field- and temperature-dependent detrapping are included. As a main result the time dependent ''true'' secondary electron emission rate {delta}(t) released from the target material and based on ballistic electrons and the spatial distributions of currents j(x,t), charges {rho}(x,t), field F(x,t), and potential V(x,t) are obtained where V{sub 0} = V(0,t) presents the surface potential. The intrinsic electronic conductivity limits the charging process and leads to a conduction sample current to the support. In that case the steady-state total SE yield will be fixed below the unit: i.e., {sigma} {eta} + {delta} < 1.

  18. Analysis of detached recombining plasmas by collisonal-radiative model with energetic electron component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, N.; Motoyama, M.; Takamura, S.

    2001-01-01

    Investigation of plasma detachment is still one of the most important subjects in the edge plasma of magnetically confined fusion devices. It was found that volumetric plasma recombination plays an essential role on reduction of particle flux in detached plasmas. The volumetric plasma recombination process has been confirmed in several diverted tokamaks and linear simulators by observing line emission from highly excited states due to three-body recombination process and continuum emission due to radiative recombination process. Electron temperature and density in the detached plasma were also evaluated from analysis of the light emission. To determine the electron temperature, the line emission spectrum is analyzed to calculate the population densities of excited levels. The population distribution among the highly excited states follows the Saha-Boltzmann distribution very closely. This implies that those states are in local thermal equilibrium (LTE) condition with free electrons in plasma so that the electron temperature can be obtained by using method of Boltzmann plot. Another method to determine the electron temperature is to compare the observed continuum spectrum with the theoretically calculated one. In our experiments using the linear diverter simulator, however, there is a clear difference for two evaluated values. One of the possible reasons is thought to be that there is a small amount of energetic electrons existing in detached recombining region. In order to evaluate the electron temperature more preciously, we need to investigate the influence of the energetic electrons on the evaluation of bulk electron temperature in a detached plasma. Collisonal-radiative (GR) model has been utilized for analyzing the light emission intensities from plasma. However, Maxwellian electron distribution function is usually assumed in the CR model. In this paper, we report a quantitative analysis of the line emission spectrum in the detached recombining plasmas by

  19. Theory of surface recombination of spin-polarized hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christou, C.T.; Haftel, M.I.

    1989-01-01

    A theory is presented, based on the Faddeev equations, for direct two-body recombination of hydrogen atoms on a liquid helium surface. The equations developed are applicable to hydrogen or deuterium atoms in any spin state, but are applied in particular to dipolar recombination of b state hydrogen atoms. The equations yield terms corresponding to one- and two-step processes. These terms are calculated for low temperatures (T = 0.1 to 1.1 K) and high field strengths (B = 4 to 14 T). The one-step term increases slowly with B, while the two-step term is rapidly decreasing. While the overall rate is quite small (∼5 x 10 -18 cm 2 /s) compared to recombination by two-body spin-relaxation, the results have important consequences in understanding the experimentally measured three-atom dipolar surface recombination rates. In three-atom recombination, where the role of spin-relaxation and the two-atom one-step processes are repressed, the role of the underlying two-atom, two-step process is enhanced. The field dependence of the process relevant to the three-atom system is calculated and found to be in fairly good agreement with the experimental three-atom data. The role of possible liquid excitations in enhancing the contribution of the two-step processes is also discussed. 33 refs.; 1 figure; 6 tabs

  20. Effects of electron blocking and hole trapping of the red guest emitter materials on hybrid white organic light emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Lin-Ann; Vu, Hoang-Tuan; Juang, Fuh-Shyang; Lai, Yun-Jr; Yeh, Pei-Hsun; Tsai, Yu-Sheng

    2013-01-01

    Hybrid white organic light emitting diodes (HWOLEDs) with fluorescence and phosphorescence hybrid structures are studied in this work. HWOLEDs were fabricated with blue/red emitting layers: fluorescent host material doped with sky blue material, and bipolar phosphorescent host emitting material doped with red dopant material. An electron blocking layer is applied that provides hole red guest emitter hole trapping effects, increases the charge carrier injection quantity into the emitting layers and controls the recombination zone (RZ) that helps balance the device color. Spacer layers were also inserted to expand the RZ, increase efficiency and reduce energy quenching along with roll-off effects. The resulting high efficiency warm white OLED device has the lower highest occupied molecule orbital level red guest material, current efficiency of 15.9 cd/A at current density of 20 mA/cm 2 , and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.39)

  1. Effects of electron blocking and hole trapping of the red guest emitter materials on hybrid white organic light emitting diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Lin-Ann; Vu, Hoang-Tuan [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Juang, Fuh-Shyang, E-mail: fsjuang@seed.net.tw [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Lai, Yun-Jr [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Yeh, Pei-Hsun [Raystar Optronics, Inc., 5F No. 25, Keya Rd. Daya Township, Taichung County, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Yu-Sheng [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China)

    2013-10-01

    Hybrid white organic light emitting diodes (HWOLEDs) with fluorescence and phosphorescence hybrid structures are studied in this work. HWOLEDs were fabricated with blue/red emitting layers: fluorescent host material doped with sky blue material, and bipolar phosphorescent host emitting material doped with red dopant material. An electron blocking layer is applied that provides hole red guest emitter hole trapping effects, increases the charge carrier injection quantity into the emitting layers and controls the recombination zone (RZ) that helps balance the device color. Spacer layers were also inserted to expand the RZ, increase efficiency and reduce energy quenching along with roll-off effects. The resulting high efficiency warm white OLED device has the lower highest occupied molecule orbital level red guest material, current efficiency of 15.9 cd/A at current density of 20 mA/cm{sup 2}, and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.39)

  2. Surface geometry of a rotating black hole in a magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulkarni, R.; Dadhich, N.

    1986-01-01

    We study the intrinsic geometry of the surface of a rotating black hole in a uniform magnetic field, using a metric discovered by Ernst and Wild. Rotating black holes are analogous to material rotating bodies according to Smarr since black holes also tend to become more oblate on being spun up. Our study shows that the presence of a strong magnetic field ensures that a black hole actually becomes increasingly prolate on being spun up. Studying the intrinsic geometry of the black-hole surface also gives rise to an interesting embedding problem. Smarr shows that a Kerr black hole cannot be globally isometrically embedded in R 3 if its specific angular momentum a exceeds (√3 /2)mapprox.0.866. . .m. We show that in the presence of a magnetic field of strength B, satisfying 2- √3 2 m 2 3 for all values of the angular momentum

  3. A contribution to the electron-beam surface-melting process of metallic materials. Numerical simulation and experimental verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruckner, A.

    1996-08-01

    For the optimization of the surface melting process it is necessary to make many different experiments. Therefore, the simulation of the surface melting process becomes a major role for the optimization. Most of the simulations, developed for the laser surface melting process, are not usable for the electron-beam surface melting process, because of the different energy input and the possibility of high frequent movement of the electron-beam. In this thesis, a calculation model for electron-beam surface melting is presented. For this numerical simulation a variable volume source is used, which moves in axial direction with the same velocity as the vapor cavity into the material. With this calculation model also the high frequent movement of the electron-beam may be taken into account. The electron-beam diameter is measured with a method of drilling holes with short electron-beam pulses in thin foils. The diameter of the holes depends on the pulse length and reaches a maximal value, which is used for the diameter of the volume source in the calculation. The crack-formation, seen in many treated surfaces, is examined with the Acoustic-Emission Testing. The possibilities of the electron-beam surface melting process are shown with some experiments for different requirements of the treated surfaces, like increasing the hardness, reducing the porosity of a sintered material and the alloying of tin in an aluminium-silicon surface. (author)

  4. Interacting Electrons and Holes in Quasi-2D Quantum Dots in Strong Magnetic Fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawrylak, P.; Sheng, W.; Cheng, S.-J.

    2004-09-01

    Theory of optical properties of interacting electrons and holes in quasi-2D quantum dots in strong magnetic fields is discussed. In two dimensions and the lowest Landau level, hidden symmetries control the interaction of the interacting system with light. By confining electrons and holes into quantum dots hidden symmetries can be removed and the excitation spectrum of electrons and excitons can be observed. We discuss a theory electronic and of excitonic quantum Hall droplets at a filling factorν=2. For an excitonic quantum Hall droplet the characteristic emission spectra are predicted to be related to the total spin of electron and hole configurations. For the electronic droplet the excitation spectrum of the droplet can be mapped out by measuring the emission for increasing number of electrons.

  5. Interacting electrons and holes in quasi-2D quantum dots in strong magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hawrylak, P.; Sheng, W.; Cheng, S.-J.

    2004-01-01

    Theory of optical properties of interacting electrons and holes in quasi-2D quantum dots in strong magnetic fields is discussed. In two dimensions and the lowest Landau level, hidden symmetries control the interaction of the interacting system with light. By confining electrons and holes into quantum dots hidden symmetries can be removed and the excitation spectrum of electrons and excitons can be observed. We discuss a theory electronic and excitonic quantum Hall droplets at a filling factor υ = 2. For an excitonic quantum Hall droplet the characteristic emission spectra are predicted to be related to the total spin of electron and hole configurations. For the electronic droplet the excitation spectrum of the droplet can be mapped out by measuring the emission for increasing number of electrons. (author)

  6. Hole localization, migration, and the formation of peroxide anion in perovskite SrTiO3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hungru; Umezawa, Naoto

    2014-07-01

    Hybrid density functional calculations are carried out to investigate the behavior of holes in SrTiO3. As in many other oxides, it is shown that a hole tend to localize on one oxygen forming an O- anion with a concomitant lattice distortion; therefore a hole polaron. The calculated emission energy from the recombination of the localized hole and a conduction-band electron is about 2.5 eV, in good agreement with experiments. Therefore the localization of the hole or self-trapping is likely to be responsible for the green photoluminescence at low temperature, which was previously attributed to an unknown defect state. Compared to an electron, the calculated hole polaron mobility is three orders of magnitude lower at room temperature. In addition, two O- anions can bind strongly to form an O22- peroxide anion. No electronic states associated with the O22- peroxide anion are located inside the band gap or close to the band edges, indicating that it is electronically inactive. We suggest that in addition to the oxygen vacancy, the formation of the O22- peroxide anion can be an alternative to compensate acceptor doping in SrTiO3.

  7. Efficient and Air-Stable Planar Perovskite Solar Cells Formed on Graphene-Oxide-Modified PEDOT:PSS Hole Transport Layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Hui; Lin, Xuanhuai; Hou, Xian; Pan, Likun; Huang, Sumei; Chen, Xiaohong

    2017-10-01

    As a hole transport layer, PEDOT:PSS usually limits the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its hygroscopic nature and inability to block electrons. Here, a graphene-oxide (GO)-modified PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer was fabricated by spin-coating a GO solution onto the PEDOT:PSS surface. PSCs fabricated on a GO-modified PEDOT:PSS layer exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.34%, which is higher than 11.90% of PSCs with the PEDOT:PSS layer. Furthermore, the stability of the PSCs was significantly improved, with the PCE remaining at 83.5% of the initial PCE values after aging for 39 days in air. The hygroscopic PSS material at the PEDOT:PSS surface was partly removed during spin-coating with the GO solution, which improves the moisture resistance and decreases the contact barrier between the hole transport layer and perovskite layer. The scattered distribution of the GO at the PEDOT:PSS surface exhibits superior wettability, which helps to form a high-quality perovskite layer with better crystallinity and fewer pin holes. Furthermore, the hole extraction selectivity of the GO further inhibits the carrier recombination at the interface between the perovskite and PEDOT:PSS layers. Therefore, the cooperative interactions of these factors greatly improve the light absorption of the perovskite layer, the carrier transport and collection abilities of the PSCs, and especially the stability of the cells.

  8. Effect of light-hole tunnelling on the excitonic properties of GaAsP/AlGaAs near-surface quantum wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal, Suparna; Porwal, S; Sharma, T K; Oak, S M; Singh, S D; Khan, S; Jayabalan, J; Chari, Rama

    2013-01-01

    Light-hole tunnelling to the surface states is studied using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and transient reflectivity measurements in the tensile-strained GaAsP/AlGaAs near-surface quantum well (NSQW) samples by reducing the top barrier layer thickness from 275 to 5 nm. The ground state transition (e 1 –lh 1 ) remains excitonic even at room temperature (RT) for a buried quantum well sample with 275 nm thick top barrier. When the top barrier thickness is reduced to 50 nm the same transition is found to be excitonic only at low temperatures but changes to free-carrier recombination at higher temperatures. When the top barrier layer thickness is further reduced to 5 nm, the ground state transition is no longer excitonic in nature, where it shows free-carrier behaviour even at 10 K. We therefore find a clear relationship between the character of the ground state transition and the top barrier layer thickness. Light-hole excitons cannot be formed in NSQW samples when the top barrier layer thickness is kept reasonably low. This is attributed to the quantum mechanical tunnelling of free light holes to the surface states, which is found to be faster than the exciton formation process. A tunnelling time of ∼500 fs for light holes is measured by the transient reflectivity measurements for the NSQW sample with a 5 nm top barrier. On the other hand, heavy-hole-related transitions in NSQW samples are found to be of excitonic nature even at RT because of the relatively large tunnelling time. It supports the dominance of excited state feature over the ground state transition in PL measurements at temperatures higher than 150 K. (paper)

  9. Interpretation of hole-to-surface resistivity measurements at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daniels, J.J.; Scott, J.H.

    1981-01-01

    Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements at Yucca Mountain indicate the presence of many near-surface geologic inhomogeneities, with no definite indication of deep structural features. A resistive anomaly near drill hole UE25a-6 is interpreted as a thin, vertical, resistive body that nearly intersects the surface, and may be caused by a silicified, or calcified, fracture zone. A resistive anomaly near hole UE25a-7 is probably caused by a near surface, horizontal, lens-shaped body that may represent a devitrified zone in the Tiva Canyon Member. Many conductive anomalies were detected to the southwest of hole UE25a-4. However, these anomalies are interpreted to be caused by variations in the thickness of the surface alluvium

  10. Infinite volume of noncommutative black hole wrapped by finite surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Baocheng, E-mail: zhangbc.zhang@yahoo.com [School of Mathematics and Physics, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); You, Li, E-mail: lyou@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2017-02-10

    The volume of a black hole under noncommutative spacetime background is found to be infinite, in contradiction with the surface area of a black hole, or its Bekenstein–Hawking (BH) entropy, which is well-known to be finite. Our result rules out the possibility of interpreting the entropy of a black hole by counting the number of modes wrapped inside its surface if the final evaporation stage can be properly treated. It implies the statistical interpretation for the BH entropy can be independent of the volume, provided spacetime is noncommutative. The effect of radiation back reaction is found to be small and doesn't influence the above conclusion.

  11. Surface geometry of 5D black holes and black rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frolov, Valeri P.; Goswami, Rituparno

    2007-01-01

    We discuss geometrical properties of the horizon surface of five-dimensional rotating black holes and black rings. Geometrical invariants characterizing these 3D geometries are calculated. We obtain a global embedding of the 5D rotating black horizon surface into a flat space. We also describe the Kaluza-Klein reduction of the black ring solution (along the direction of its rotation) which, though it is nakedly singular, relates this solution to the 4D metric of a static black hole distorted by the presence of external scalar (dilaton) and vector ('electromagnetic') fields. The properties of the reduced black hole horizon and its embedding in E 3 are briefly discussed

  12. Doping Phosphorene with Holes and Electrons through Molecular Charge Transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishnoi, Pratap; Rajesh, S; Manjunatha, S; Bandyopadhyay, Arkamita; Barua, Manaswee; Pati, Swapan K; Rao, C N R

    2017-11-03

    An important aspect of phosphorene, the novel two-dimensional semiconductor, is whether holes and electrons can both be doped in this material. Some reports found that only electrons can be preferentially doped into phosphorene. There are some theoretical calculations showing charge-transfer interaction with both tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). We have carried out an investigation of chemical doping of phosphorene by a variety of electron donor and acceptor molecules, employing both experiment and theory, Raman scattering being a crucial aspect of the study. We find that both electron acceptors and donors interact with phosphorene by charge-transfer, with the acceptors having more marked effects. All the three Raman bands of phosphorene soften and exhibit band broadening on interaction with both donor and acceptor molecules. First-principles calculations establish the occurrence of charge-transfer between phosphorene with donors as well as acceptors. The absence of electron-hole asymmetry is noteworthy. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Correlation effects on spin-polarized electron-hole quantum bilayer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saini, L. K., E-mail: drlalitsaini75@gmail.com; Sharma, R. O., E-mail: sharmarajesh0387@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat – 395 007 (India); Nayak, Mukesh G. [Department of Physics, Silvassa College (Silvassa Institute of Higher Learning), Silvassa 396 230 (India)

    2016-05-06

    We present a numerical calculation for the intra- and interlayer pair-correlation functions, g{sub ll’}(r), of spin-polarized electron-hole quantum bilayers at zero temperature. The calculations of g{sub ll’}(r) are performed by including electron correlations within the dynamical version of the self-consistent mean-field approximation of Singwi, Tosi, Land and Sjölander (qSTLS). Our study reveals that the critical layer density decreases (increases) due to the inclusion of finite width (mass-asymmetry) effect during the phase-transition from charge-density wave to Wigner crystal ground-state by yielding the pronounced oscillatory behavior ing{sub ll}(r). The results are compared with recent findings of spin-polarized electron-hole quantum bilayers with mass-symmetry and zero width effects. To highlight the importance of dynamical character of correlations, we have also compared our results with the STLS results.

  14. Order enables efficient electron-hole separation at an organic heterojunction with a small energy loss

    KAUST Repository

    Menke, S. Matthew

    2018-01-12

    Donor–acceptor organic solar cells often show low open-circuit voltages (VOC) relative to their optical energy gap (Eg) that limit power conversion efficiencies to ~12%. This energy loss is partly attributed to the offset between Eg and that of intermolecular charge transfer (CT) states at the donor–acceptor interface. Here we study charge generation occurring in PIPCP:PC61BM, a system with a very low driving energy for initial charge separation (Eg−ECT ~ 50 meV) and a high internal quantum efficiency (ηIQE ~ 80%). We track the strength of the electric field generated between the separating electron-hole pair by following the transient electroabsorption optical response, and find that while localised CT states are formed rapidly (<100 fs) after photoexcitation, free charges are not generated until 5 ps after photogeneration. In PIPCP:PC61BM, electronic disorder is low (Urbach energy <27 meV) and we consider that free charge separation is able to outcompete trap-assisted non-radiative recombination of the CT state.

  15. Order enables efficient electron-hole separation at an organic heterojunction with a small energy loss

    KAUST Repository

    Menke, S. Matthew; Cheminal, Alexandre; Conaghan, Patrick; Ran, Niva A.; Greehnam, Neil C.; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Nguyen, Thuc-Quyen; Rao, Akshay; Friend, Richard H.

    2018-01-01

    Donor–acceptor organic solar cells often show low open-circuit voltages (VOC) relative to their optical energy gap (Eg) that limit power conversion efficiencies to ~12%. This energy loss is partly attributed to the offset between Eg and that of intermolecular charge transfer (CT) states at the donor–acceptor interface. Here we study charge generation occurring in PIPCP:PC61BM, a system with a very low driving energy for initial charge separation (Eg−ECT ~ 50 meV) and a high internal quantum efficiency (ηIQE ~ 80%). We track the strength of the electric field generated between the separating electron-hole pair by following the transient electroabsorption optical response, and find that while localised CT states are formed rapidly (<100 fs) after photoexcitation, free charges are not generated until 5 ps after photogeneration. In PIPCP:PC61BM, electronic disorder is low (Urbach energy <27 meV) and we consider that free charge separation is able to outcompete trap-assisted non-radiative recombination of the CT state.

  16. Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements at Gibson Dome (drill hole GD-1) Paradox basin, Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, J.J.

    1984-01-01

    Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements were made in a deep drill hole (GD-1), in San Juan County, Utah, which penetrated a sequence of sandstone, shale, and evaporite. These measurements were made as part of a larger investigation to study the suitability of an area centered around the Gibson Dome structure for nuclear waste disposal. The magnitude and direction of the total electric field resulting from a current source placed in a drill hole is calculated from potential difference measurements for a grid of closely-spaced stations. A contour map of these data provides a detailed map of the distribution of the electric field away from the drill hole. Computation of the apparent resistivity from the total electric field helps to interpret the data with respect to the ideal situation of a layered earth. Repeating the surface measurements for different source depths gives an indication of variations in the geoelectric section with depth. The quantitative interpretation of the field data at Gibson Dome was hindered by the pressure of a conductive borehole fluid. However, a qualitative interpretation of the field data indicates the geoelectric section around drill hole GD-1 is not perfectly layered. The geoelectric section appears to dip to the northwest, and contains anomalies in the resistivity distribution that may be representative of localized thickening or folding of the salt layers.

  17. Electron beam charging of insulators: A self-consistent flight-drift model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Touzin, M.; Goeuriot, D.; Guerret-Piecourt, C.; Juve, D.; Treheux, D.; Fitting, H.-J.

    2006-01-01

    Electron beam irradiation and the self-consistent charge transport in bulk insulating samples are described by means of a new flight-drift model and an iterative computer simulation. Ballistic secondary electron and hole transport is followed by electron and hole drifts, their possible recombination and/or trapping in shallow and deep traps. The trap capture cross sections are the Poole-Frenkel-type temperature and field dependent. As a main result the spatial distributions of currents j(x,t), charges ρ(x,t), the field F(x,t), and the potential slope V(x,t) are obtained in a self-consistent procedure as well as the time-dependent secondary electron emission rate σ(t) and the surface potential V 0 (t). For bulk insulating samples the time-dependent distributions approach the final stationary state with j(x,t)=const=0 and σ=1. Especially for low electron beam energies E 0 G of a vacuum grid in front of the target surface. For high beam energies E 0 =10, 20, and 30 keV high negative surface potentials V 0 =-4, -14, and -24 kV are obtained, respectively. Besides open nonconductive samples also positive ion-covered samples and targets with a conducting and grounded layer (metal or carbon) on the surface have been considered as used in environmental scanning electron microscopy and common SEM in order to prevent charging. Indeed, the potential distributions V(x) are considerably small in magnitude and do not affect the incident electron beam neither by retarding field effects in front of the surface nor within the bulk insulating sample. Thus the spatial scattering and excitation distributions are almost not affected

  18. Exchange electron-hole interaction of two-dimensional magnetoexcitons under the influence of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moskalenko, S.A.; Podlesny, I.V.; Lelyakov, I.A.; Novikov, B.V.; Kiselyova, E.S.; Gherciu, L.

    2011-01-01

    The Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) in the case of two-dimensional (2D) electrons and holes in a strong perpendicular magnetic field was studied. The spinor-type wave functions are characterized by different numbers of Landau levels in different spin projections. For electrons they differ by 1 as was established earlier by Rashba, whereas for holes they differ by 3. Two lowest electron states and four lowest hole states of Landau quantization give rise to eight 2D magnetoexciton states. The exchange electron-hole interaction in the frame of these states is investigated.

  19. Recombination of H3+ and D3+ ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J; Plasil, R.; Pysanenko, A.; Poterya, V.; Kudrna, P.; Zakouril, P.

    2002-01-01

    From the decaying plasma (stationary afterglow) in the mixture of He, Ar and H 2 (or D 2 ) we determined the overall recombination rate constant (α eff ) of the recombination of H 3 + and D 3 + ions with electrons at thermal energies. We observed dependence of recombination rate coefficients on partial pressure of hydrogen (and deuterium), which indicates that observed recombination is the three-body process proceeding most probably via formation of long lived intermediate state. From the obtained data we conclude that binary dissociative recombination of H 3 + and D 3 + ions with electrons is very slow with rate coefficient α DR -9 cm 3 s -1 and α DR -9 cm 3 s -1 , respectively. (author)

  20. Coulomb drag in electron-hole bilayer: Mass-asymmetry and exchange correlation effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Priya; Singh, Gurvinder; Moudgil, R. K.

    2018-04-01

    Motivated by a recent experiment by Zheng et al. [App. Phys. Lett. 108, 062102 (2016)] on coulomb drag in electron-hole and hole-hole bilayers based on GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor heterostructure, we investigate theoretically the influence of mass-asymmetry and temperature-dependence of correlations on the drag rate. The correlation effects are dealt with using the Vignale-Singwi effective inter-layer interaction model which includes correlations through local-field corrections to the bare coulomb interactions. However, in this work, we have incorporated only the intra-layer correlations using the temperature-dependent Hubbard approximation. Our results display a reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. However, it is crucial to include both the electron-hole mass-asymmetry and temperature-dependence of correlations. Mass-asymmetry and correlations are found to result in a substantial enhancement of drag resistivity.

  1. A spherical electron cloud hopping model for studying product branching ratios of dissociative recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hua-Gen

    2008-05-21

    A spherical electron cloud hopping (SECH) model is proposed to study the product branching ratios of dissociative recombination (DR) of polyatomic systems. In this model, the fast electron-captured process is treated as an instantaneous hopping of a cloud of uniform spherical fractional point charges onto a target M+q ion (or molecule). The sum of point charges (-1) simulates the incident electron. The sphere radius is determined by a critical distance (Rc eM) between the incoming electron (e-) and the target, at which the potential energy of the e(-)-M+q system is equal to that of the electron-captured molecule M+q(-1) in a symmetry-allowed electronic state with the same structure as M(+q). During the hopping procedure, the excess energies of electron association reaction are dispersed in the kinetic energies of M+q(-1) atoms to conserve total energy. The kinetic energies are adjusted by linearly adding atomic momenta in the direction of driving forces induced by the scattering electron. The nuclear dynamics of the resultant M+q(-1) molecule are studied by using a direct ab initio dynamics method on the adiabatic potential energy surface of M+q(-1), or together with extra adiabatic surface(s) of M+q(-1). For the latter case, the "fewest switches" surface hopping algorithm of Tully was adapted to deal with the nonadiabaticity in trajectory propagations. The SECH model has been applied to study the DR of both CH+ and H3O+(H2O)2. The theoretical results are consistent with the experiment. It was found that water molecules play an important role in determining the product branching ratios of the molecular cluster ion.

  2. Delayed electron relaxation in CdTe nanorods studied by spectral analysis of the ultrafast transient absorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kriegel, I.; Scotognella, F.; Soavi, G.; Brescia, R.; Rodríguez-Fernández, J.; Feldmann, J.; Lanzani, G.; Tassone, F.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We study the photophysics of CdTe nanorods by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. • We fit photobleaching and photoinduced absorption features at all time delays. • Dynamics are extracted from superpositions of bleaches (Gaussians) and derivatives. • Fast non-radiative recombination and slower hole trapping processes are extracted. • A potential approach to unveil ultrafast non-radiative recombination processes. - Abstract: In transient absorption (TA) spectra, the bleach features originating from state filling are overlapped by their energy-shifted derivatives, arising from excited state energy level shifts. This makes the direct extraction of carrier dynamics from a single-wavelength time-trace misleading. Fitting TA spectra in time, as Gaussian functions and their derivative-like shifted Gaussians, allows to individually extract the real dynamics of both photobleached transitions, and their energy shifts. In CdTe nanorods (NRs) we found a delayed heating of holes due to the release of the large excess energy in the electron relaxation process. The slow hole-trapping process is consistent with a high number of surface trap states in these model NRs. Our results show that only a correct disentanglement of bleaching and energy shift contributions provides a reliable framework to extract the underlying carrier relaxation dynamics, including trapping, non-radiative recombination, and eventually carrier multiplication.

  3. Delayed electron relaxation in CdTe nanorods studied by spectral analysis of the ultrafast transient absorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kriegel, I., E-mail: ilka.kriegel@iit.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Scotognella, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); CNST of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy); Soavi, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Brescia, R. [Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy); Rodríguez-Fernández, J.; Feldmann, J. [Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Department of Physics and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich (Germany); Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), Schellingstr. 4, 80799 Munich (Germany); Lanzani, G., E-mail: guglielmo.lanzani@iit.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); CNST of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy); Tassone, F. [CNST of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy)

    2016-06-01

    Highlights: • We study the photophysics of CdTe nanorods by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. • We fit photobleaching and photoinduced absorption features at all time delays. • Dynamics are extracted from superpositions of bleaches (Gaussians) and derivatives. • Fast non-radiative recombination and slower hole trapping processes are extracted. • A potential approach to unveil ultrafast non-radiative recombination processes. - Abstract: In transient absorption (TA) spectra, the bleach features originating from state filling are overlapped by their energy-shifted derivatives, arising from excited state energy level shifts. This makes the direct extraction of carrier dynamics from a single-wavelength time-trace misleading. Fitting TA spectra in time, as Gaussian functions and their derivative-like shifted Gaussians, allows to individually extract the real dynamics of both photobleached transitions, and their energy shifts. In CdTe nanorods (NRs) we found a delayed heating of holes due to the release of the large excess energy in the electron relaxation process. The slow hole-trapping process is consistent with a high number of surface trap states in these model NRs. Our results show that only a correct disentanglement of bleaching and energy shift contributions provides a reliable framework to extract the underlying carrier relaxation dynamics, including trapping, non-radiative recombination, and eventually carrier multiplication.

  4. Observation of hole accumulation in Ge/Si core/shell nanowires using off-axis electron holography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Luying; Smith, David J; Dailey, Eric; Madras, Prashanth; Drucker, Jeff; McCartney, Martha R

    2011-02-09

    Hole accumulation in Ge/Si core/shell nanowires (NWs) has been observed and quantified using off-axis electron holography and other electron microscopy techniques. The epitaxial [110]-oriented Ge/Si core/shell NWs were grown on Si (111) substrates by chemical vapor deposition through the vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. High-angle annular-dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images and off-axis electron holograms were obtained from specific NWs. The excess phase shifts measured by electron holography across the NWs indicated the presence of holes inside the Ge cores. Calculations based on a simplified coaxial cylindrical model gave hole densities of (0.4 ± 0.2) /nm(3) in the core regions.

  5. Quantum electrodynamic theory of recombination of an electron with a highly charged ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shabaev, V.M.

    1994-01-01

    The consequent quantum electrodynamic theory of the process of the recombination of an electron with a multicharged ion is considered. The reduction technique for the calculation of this process by perturbation theory is formulated. The process of the recombination of an electron with a very highly charged one-electron ion for the case of resonance with the doubly excited (2s,2s) 0 , (2p 1/2 ,2p 1/2 ) 0 , (2s,2p 1/2 ) 0,1 states is studied. The formulas for the cross section of the process are derived for two possible versions of the experiment. The interference between the radiative-recombination process and the dielectronic-recombination (DR) process, and the interference between the DR amplitudes for the levels with the identical quantum numbers [(2s,2s) 0 , (2p 1/2 ) 0 ] are taken into account. The deviation of the shape of the resonances from the Lorentz one, due to the interference terms, is discussed

  6. Elucidating the role of surface passivating ligand structural parameters in hole wave function delocalization in semiconductor cluster molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teunis, Meghan B; Nagaraju, Mulpuri; Dutta, Poulami; Pu, Jingzhi; Muhoberac, Barry B; Sardar, Rajesh; Agarwal, Mangilal

    2017-09-28

    This article describes the mechanisms underlying electronic interactions between surface passivating ligands and (CdSe) 34 semiconductor cluster molecules (SCMs) that facilitate band-gap engineering through the delocalization of hole wave functions without altering their inorganic core. We show here both experimentally and through density functional theory calculations that the expansion of the hole wave function beyond the SCM boundary into the ligand monolayer depends not only on the pre-binding energetic alignment of interfacial orbitals between the SCM and surface passivating ligands but is also strongly influenced by definable ligand structural parameters such as the extent of their π-conjugation [π-delocalization energy; pyrene (Py), anthracene (Anth), naphthalene (Naph), and phenyl (Ph)], binding mode [dithiocarbamate (DTC, -NH-CS 2 - ), carboxylate (-COO - ), and amine (-NH 2 )], and binding head group [-SH, -SeH, and -TeH]. We observe an unprecedentedly large ∼650 meV red-shift in the lowest energy optical absorption band of (CdSe) 34 SCMs upon passivating their surface with Py-DTC ligands and the trend is found to be Ph- wave function delocalization rather than carrier trapping and/or phonon-mediated relaxation. Taken together, knowledge of how ligands electronically interact with the SCM surface is crucial to semiconductor nanomaterial research in general because it allows the tuning of electronic properties of nanomaterials for better charge separation and enhanced charge transfer, which in turn will increase optoelectronic device and photocatalytic efficiencies.

  7. Electron-Hole Asymmetry of Spin Injection and Transport in Single-Layer Graphene

    OpenAIRE

    Han, Wei; Wang, W. H.; Pi, K.; McCreary, K. M.; Bao, W.; Li, Yan; Miao, F.; Lau, C. N.; Kawakami, R. K.

    2009-01-01

    Spin-dependent properties of single-layer graphene (SLG) have been studied by non-local spin valve measurements at room temperature. Gate voltage dependence shows that the non-local magnetoresistance (MR) is proportional to the conductivity of the SLG, which is the predicted behavior for transparent ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic contacts. While the electron and hole bands in SLG are symmetric, gate voltage and bias dependence of the non-local MR reveal an electron-hole asymmetry in which the non-...

  8. Nano-electron beam induced current and hole charge dynamics through uncapped Ge nanocrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marchand, A.; El Hdiy, A.; Troyon, M. [Laboratoire de Recherche en Nanosciences, Bat. 6, case no 15, UFR Sciences, Universite de Reims Champagne Ardenne, 51687 Reims Cedex 2 (France); Amiard, G.; Ronda, A.; Berbezier, I. [IM2NP, Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, Campus de Saint Jerome - Case 142, Avenue Escadrille Normandie Niemen, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France)

    2012-04-16

    Dynamics of hole storage in spherical Ge nanocrystals (NCs) formed by a two step dewetting/nucleation process on an oxide layer grown on an n-doped <001> silicon substrate is studied using a nano-electron beam induced current technique. Carrier generation is produced by an electron beam irradiation. The generated current is collected by an atomic force microscope--tip in contact mode at a fixed position away from the beam spot of about 0.5 {mu}m. This distance represents the effective diffusion length of holes. The time constants of holes charging are determined and the effect of the NC size is underlined.

  9. Femtosecond nonlinear spectroscopy at surfaces: Second-harmonic probing of hole burning at the Si(111)7x7 surface and Fourier-transform sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGuire, John Andrew

    2004-01-01

    The high temporal resolution and broad bandwidth of a femtosecond laser system are exploited in a pair of nonlinear optical studies of surfaces. The dephasing dynamics of resonances associated with the adatom dangling bonds of the Si(111)7 x 7 surface are explored by transient second-harmonic hole burning, a process that can be described as a fourth-order nonlinear optical process. Spectral holes produced by a 100 fs pump pulse at about 800 nm are probed by the second harmonic signal of a 100 fs pulse tunable around 800 nm. The measured spectral holes yield homogeneous dephasing times of a few tens of femtoseconds. Fits with a Lorentzian spectral hole centered at zero probe detuning show a linear dependence of the hole width on pump fluence, which suggests that charge carrier-carrier scattering dominates the dephasing dynamics at the measured excitation densities. Extrapolation of the deduced homogeneous dephasing times to zero excitation density yields an intrinsic dephasing time of ∼ 70 fs. The presence of a secondary spectral hole indicates that scattering of the surface electrons with surface optical phonons at 570 cm -1 occurs within the first 200 fs after excitation. The broad bandwidth of femtosecond IR pulses is used to perform IR-visible sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy. By implementing a Fourier-transform technique, we demonstrate the ability to obtain sub-laser-bandwidth spectral resolution. FT-SFG yields a greater signal when implemented with a stretched visible pulse than with a femtosecond visible pulse. However, when compared with multichannel spectroscopy using a femtosecond IR pulse but a narrowband visible pulse, Fourier-transform SFG is found to have an inferior signal-to-noise ratio. A mathematical analysis of the signal-to-noise ratio illustrates the constraints on the Fourier-transform approach

  10. Femtosecond nonlinear spectroscopy at surfaces: Second-harmonic probing of hole burning at the Si(111)7x7 surface and fourier-transform sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McGuire, John Andrew [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2004-11-24

    The high temporal resolution and broad bandwidth of a femtosecond laser system are exploited in a pair of nonlinear optical studies of surfaces. The dephasing dynamics of resonances associated with the adatom dangling bonds of the Si(111)7 x 7 surface are explored by transient second-harmonic hole burning, a process that can be described as a fourth-order nonlinear optical process. Spectral holes produced by a 100 fs pump pulse at about 800 nm are probed by the second harmonic signal of a 100 fs pulse tunable around 800 nm. The measured spectral holes yield homogeneous dephasing times of a few tens of femtoseconds. Fits with a Lorentzian spectral hole centered at zero probe detuning show a linear dependence of the hole width on pump fluence, which suggests that charge carrier-carrier scattering dominates the dephasing dynamics at the measured excitation densities. Extrapolation of the deduced homogeneous dephasing times to zero excitation density yields an intrinsic dephasing time of {approx} 70 fs. The presence of a secondary spectral hole indicates that scattering of the surface electrons with surface optical phonons at 570 cm-1 occurs within the first 200 fs after excitation. The broad bandwidth of femtosecond IR pulses is used to perform IR-visible sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy. By implementing a Fourier-transform technique, we demonstrate the ability to obtain sub-laser-bandwidth spectral resolution. FT-SFG yields a greater signal when implemented with a stretched visible pulse than with a femtosecond visible pulse. However, when compared with multichannel spectroscopy using a femtosecond IR pulse but a narrowband visible pulse, Fourier-transform SFG is found to have an inferior signal-to-noise ratio. A mathematical analysis of the signal-to-noise ratio illustrates the constraints on the Fourier-transform approach.

  11. On Electron Hole Evolution in Inhomogeneous Plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzichev, I.; Vasko, I.; Agapitov, O. V.; Mozer, F.; Artemyev, A.

    2017-12-01

    Electron holes (EHs) are the stationary localized non-linear structures in phase space existing due to an electron population trapped within EH electrostatic potential. EHs were found to be a common phenomenon in the Earth's magnetosphere. Such structures were observed in reconnecting current sheets, injection fronts in the outer radiation belt, and in many other situations. EHs usually propagate along magnetic field lines with velocities about electron thermal velocity, are localized on the scale of about 4-10 Debye lengths, and have the field amplitude up to hundreds of mV/m. Generation of these structures, evolution, and their role in relaxation of instabilities and energy dissipation, particle energization, supporting large-scale potential drops is under active investigation. In this report, we present the results of 1.5D gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell simulations of the EH evolution in plasmas with inhomogeneous magnetic field and inhomogeneous density. Our calculations show that the inhomogeneity has a critical effect on the EH dynamics. EHs propagating into stronger (weaker) magnetic field are decelerated (accelerated) with deceleration (acceleration) rate dependent on the magnetic field gradient. During the deceleration of EH, the potential drop (weak double layer) along EH is generated. Such a potential drop might be experimentally observable even for single EH in the reconnecting current sheets. The same holds for the propagation in the plasma with inhomogeneous density. For some parameters of the system, the deceleration results in the turning of the hole. The interesting feature of this process is that the turning point depends only on the EH parameters, being independent of the average inhomogeneity scale. Our calculations also demonstrate the significant difference between "quasi-particle" concept and real evolution of the hole. Indeed, the EH is accelerated (decelerated) faster than it follows from a quasi-particle energy conservation law. It indicates

  12. Recombination rates in heterojunction silicon solar cells analyzed by impedance spectroscopy at forward bias and under illumination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mora-Sero, Ivan; Luo, Yan; Garcia-Belmonte, Germa; Bisquert, Juan [Departament de Fisica, Universitat Jaume I, E-12071 Castello (Spain); Munoz, Delfina; Voz, Cristobal; Puigdollers, Joaquim; Alcubilla, Ramon [Departament d' Enginyeria Electronica, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, E-08034 Barcelona (Spain)

    2008-04-15

    Impedance spectroscopy (at forward bias and under illumination) of solar cells comprised thin hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films deposited on crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers was analyzed in terms of ac equivalent circuits. Shockley-Read-Hall recombination at states on the device interfaces governs the cell dynamic response. Recombination process was modeled by means of simple RC circuits which allow to determine the capture rate of electrons and holes. Carrier lifetime is found to be stated by the electron capture time {tau}{sub SRH}{approx}{tau}{sub n}, and it results in the range of 300 {mu}s. The Al-annealed back contact was regarded as the dominating recombination interface. (author)

  13. Mass formula for quasi-black holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lemos, Jose P. S.; Zaslavskii, Oleg B.

    2008-01-01

    A quasi-black hole, either nonextremal or extremal, can be broadly defined as the limiting configuration of a body when its boundary approaches the body's quasihorizon. We consider the mass contributions and the mass formula for a static quasi-black hole. The analysis involves careful scrutiny of the surface stresses when the limiting configuration is reached. It is shown that there exists a strict correspondence between the mass formulas for quasi-black holes and pure black holes. This perfect parallelism exists in spite of the difference in derivation and meaning of the formulas in both cases. For extremal quasi-black holes the finite surface stresses give zero contribution to the total mass. This leads to a very special version of Abraham-Lorentz electron in general relativity in which the total mass has pure electromagnetic origin in spite of the presence of bare stresses.

  14. Electrostatics of electron-hole interactions in van der Waals heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavalcante, L. S. R.; Chaves, A.; Van Duppen, B.; Peeters, F. M.; Reichman, D. R.

    2018-03-01

    The role of dielectric screening of electron-hole interaction in van der Waals heterostructures is theoretically investigated. A comparison between models available in the literature for describing these interactions is made and the limitations of these approaches are discussed. A simple numerical solution of Poisson's equation for a stack of dielectric slabs based on a transfer matrix method is developed, enabling the calculation of the electron-hole interaction potential at very low computational cost and with reasonable accuracy. Using different potential models, direct and indirect exciton binding energies in these systems are calculated within Wannier-Mott theory, and a comparison of theoretical results with recent experiments on excitons in two-dimensional materials is discussed.

  15. Positron study of electron momentum density and Fermi surface in titanium and zirconium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Ryoichi; Osawa, Makoto; Tanigawa, Shoichiro; Matsumoto, Makoto; Shiotani, Nobuhiro.

    1989-01-01

    The three dimensional electron-positron momentum densities have been obtained on Ti and Zr from measurements of two dimensional angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation followed by an image reconstruction technique based on direct Fourier transformation. Augmented-plane wave band structure calculations have been carried out and the results are compared with the experiments. Agreement between the experiment and the theory leads to a conclusion that both Ti and Zr have electron surface sheets which are centered at H and hole surface sheets which are running along the Γ-A axis. (author)

  16. Reduced Charge Transfer Exciton Recombination in Organic Semiconductor Heterojunctions by Molecular Doping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deschler, Felix; da Como, Enrico; Limmer, Thomas; Tautz, Raphael; Godde, Tillmann; Bayer, Manfred; von Hauff, Elizabeth; Yilmaz, Seyfullah; Allard, Sybille; Scherf, Ullrich; Feldmann, Jochen

    2011-09-01

    We investigate the effect of molecular doping on the recombination of electrons and holes localized at conjugated-polymer-fullerene interfaces. We demonstrate that a low concentration of p-type dopant molecules (<4% weight) reduces the interfacial recombination via charge transfer excitons and results in a favored formation of separated carriers. This is observed by the ultrafast quenching of photoluminescence from charge transfer excitons and the increase in photoinduced polaron density by ˜70%. The results are consistent with a reduced formation of emissive charge transfer excitons, induced by state filling of tail states.

  17. Ultralow surface recombination velocity in InP nanowires probed by terahertz spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joyce, Hannah J; Wong-Leung, Jennifer; Yong, Chaw-Keong; Docherty, Callum J; Paiman, Suriati; Gao, Qiang; Tan, H Hoe; Jagadish, Chennupati; Lloyd-Hughes, James; Herz, Laura M; Johnston, Michael B

    2012-10-10

    Using transient terahertz photoconductivity measurements, we have made noncontact, room temperature measurements of the ultrafast charge carrier dynamics in InP nanowires. InP nanowires exhibited a very long photoconductivity lifetime of over 1 ns, and carrier lifetimes were remarkably insensitive to surface states despite the large nanowire surface area-to-volume ratio. An exceptionally low surface recombination velocity (170 cm/s) was recorded at room temperature. These results suggest that InP nanowires are prime candidates for optoelectronic devices, particularly photovoltaic devices, without the need for surface passivation. We found that the carrier mobility is not limited by nanowire diameter but is strongly limited by the presence of planar crystallographic defects such as stacking faults in these predominantly wurtzite nanowires. These findings show the great potential of very narrow InP nanowires for electronic devices but indicate that improvements in the crystallographic uniformity of InP nanowires will be critical for future nanowire device engineering.

  18. Harvesting multiple electron-hole pairs generated through plasmonic excitation of Au nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Youngsoo; Smith, Jeremy G; Jain, Prashant K

    2018-05-07

    Multi-electron redox reactions, although central to artificial photosynthesis, are kinetically sluggish. Amidst the search for synthetic catalysts for such processes, plasmonic nanoparticles have been found to catalyse multi-electron reduction of CO 2 under visible light. This example motivates the need for a general, insight-driven framework for plasmonic catalysis of such multi-electron chemistry. Here, we elucidate the principles underlying the extraction of multiple redox equivalents from a plasmonic photocatalyst. We measure the kinetics of electron harvesting from a gold nanoparticle photocatalyst as a function of photon flux. Our measurements, supported by theoretical modelling, reveal a regime where two-electron transfer from the excited gold nanoparticle becomes prevalent. Multiple electron harvesting becomes possible under continuous-wave, visible-light excitation of moderate intensity due to strong interband transitions in gold and electron-hole separation accomplished using a hole scavenger. These insights will help expand the utility of plasmonic photocatalysis beyond CO 2 reduction to other challenging multi-electron, multi-proton transformations such as N 2 fixation.

  19. Ultra-violet recombination continuum electron temperature measurements in a non-equilibrium atmospheric argon plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordon, M.H.; Kruger, C.H.

    1991-01-01

    Emission measurements of temperature and electron density have been made downstream of a 50 kW induction plasma torch at temperatures and electron densities ranging between 6000 K and 8500 K and 10 to the 20th and 10 to the 21st/cu cm, respectively. Absolute and relative atomic line intensities, and absolute recombination continuum in both the visible and the UV were separately interpreted in order to characterize a recombining atmospheric argon plasma. Continuum measurements made in the UV at 270 nm were used to directly determine the kinetic electron temperature, independent of a Boltzmann equilibrium, assuming only that the electron velocity distribution is Maxwellian. The data indicate that a nonequilibrium condition exists in which the bound-excited and free electrons are nearly in mutual equilibrium down to the 4P level for electron densities as low as 2 x 10 to the 20th/cu m but that both are overpopulated with respect to the ground state due to finite recombination rates. 13 refs

  20. Relaxation processes in aqueous solutions upon X-ray exposure. Entanglement of electronic and nuclear dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unger, Isaak

    2017-07-01

    About a decade ago new types of electronic non-radiative relaxation processes, involving the environment of an electronically excited or ionized monomer, have been predicted for van der Waals clusters and these were also the first systems where such processes have been detected experimentally. These new autoionization channels encompass the recombination of an electron and a hole, and the energy transfer to a neighboring atom or molecule. Two processes can be distinguished here. In the intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) the hole created upon ionization of a monomer is filled by a valence electron of the same species, and the energy released in this electron-hole recombination is used to ionize a neighboring species. In the electron transfer mediated decay (ETMD) the initial hole is filled by an electron from a neighboring species, and the energy released by this recombination is either used to ionize the same neighbor species, or to ionize a third monomer. In more recent experiments on liquid water it has been discovered that these non- local autoionization processes are strongly coupled with ultrafast nuclear dynamics. The core ionization initiates proton motion along a hydrogen donor-bond of the electronically excited water cation. This nuclear dynamics leads to the formation of transient cationic species where a proton is shared by two neighboring water molecules. Subsequent autoionization, either via Auger decay, ICD or ETMD, then occurs from any of such structure transients. This relaxation process is termed proton transfer mediated charge separation, PTM-CS. It has been found in a number of experiments that the probability of PTM-CS to occur depends on the hydrogen-bond strength between the core-ionized molecule and solvent molecules.

  1. Study of recombination processes for 'electron-hole' pairs in germanium irradiated by {gamma} rays from {sup 60}Co using the photovoltaic effect in P-N junctions; Etude du processus de recombinaison des paires ''electron-trou'' dans le germanium irradie par les rayons {gamma} du cobalt 60 a l'aide de l'effet photovoltaique dans les jonctions P-N

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zahedi-Mochadam, A A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1964-10-01

    Using the photo-voltaic effect in p-n junctions, we have studied, during bombardment, the mechanism of the recombination of 'electron-hole' pairs in the presence of structure defects produced in germanium of the N and P types by {gamma} rays from a Co{sup 60} source. At 310 K the level of the recombination centres is situated 0.25 eV above the conduction band and the capture cross-sections of the holes and of the electrons have the respective values of: {sigma}{sub p} = 4 X 10{sup -15} cm{sup 2} and {sigma}{sub n} = 3 X 10{sup -15} cm{sup 2}. The value of {sigma}{sub n} appears to be under-estimated because the number of defects in P-type samples appears to be lower than that in N-type samples. These results lead to the conclusion that the interstitials are responsible for the recombination. At 80 K it has been found that in N-type samples, a shallow level exists at O.05 eV below the conduction band with a capture cross-section for the holes of {sigma}{sub p} {>=} 10{sup -14} cm{sup 2}. We believe that in this case the recombination of charge carriers is controlled by the neighbouring 'defect-interstitial' pairs. In P-type samples at low temperature, the life-time is practically constant during irradiation. This fact is attributed to a spontaneous annealing of defects ol purely electrical origin. In the last part of the work the study of the photo-voltaic effect applied to the problem of gamma radiation dosimetry is considered. It is shown that such dosimeters, based on this principle, make it possible to measure the intensity of gamma rays over a very wide range. (author) [French] En utilisant l'effet photovoltaique dans les jonctions p-n, nous avons etudie au cours du bombardement le mecanisme de recombinaison des paires 'electron-trou' en presence des defauts de structure introduits dans le germanium de type N et de type P par les rayons gamma d'une source de Co{sup 60}. A 310 K, le niveau des centres de recombinaison se trouve a 0,25 eV au-dessous de la bande

  2. Research Update: Relativistic origin of slow electron-hole recombination in hybrid halide perovskite solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pooya Azarhoosh

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI exhibits long minority-carrier lifetimes and diffusion lengths. We show that slow recombination originates from a spin-split indirect-gap. Large internal electric fields act on spin-orbit-coupled band extrema, shifting band-edges to inequivalent wavevectors, making the fundamental gap indirect. From a description of photoluminescence within the quasiparticle self-consistent GW approximation for MAPI, CdTe, and GaAs, we predict carrier lifetime as a function of light intensity and temperature. At operating conditions we find radiative recombination in MAPI is reduced by a factor of more than 350 compared to direct gap behavior. The indirect gap is retained with dynamic disorder.

  3. Research Update: Relativistic origin of slow electron-hole recombination in hybrid halide perovskite solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azarhoosh, Pooya; McKechnie, Scott; Frost, Jarvist M.; Walsh, Aron; van Schilfgaarde, Mark

    2016-09-01

    The hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI) exhibits long minority-carrier lifetimes and diffusion lengths. We show that slow recombination originates from a spin-split indirect-gap. Large internal electric fields act on spin-orbit-coupled band extrema, shifting band-edges to inequivalent wavevectors, making the fundamental gap indirect. From a description of photoluminescence within the quasiparticle self-consistent GW approximation for MAPI, CdTe, and GaAs, we predict carrier lifetime as a function of light intensity and temperature. At operating conditions we find radiative recombination in MAPI is reduced by a factor of more than 350 compared to direct gap behavior. The indirect gap is retained with dynamic disorder.

  4. Atomic-scale luminescence measurement and theoretical analysis unveiling electron energy dissipation at a p-type GaAs(110) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imada, Hiroshi; Miwa, Kuniyuki; Jung, Jaehoon; Shimizu, Tomoko K; Kim, Yousoo; Yamamoto, Naoki

    2015-01-01

    Luminescence of p-type GaAs was induced by electron injection from the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope into a GaAs(110) surface. Atomically-resolved photon maps revealed a significant reduction in luminescence intensity at surface electronic states localized near Ga atoms. Theoretical analysis based on first principles calculations and a rate equation approach was performed to describe the perspective of electron energy dissipation at the surface. Our study reveals that non-radiative recombination through the surface states (SS) is a dominant process for the electron energy dissipation at the surface, which is suggestive of the fast scattering of injected electrons into the SS. (paper)

  5. Auger electron emission initiated by the creation of valence-band holes in graphene by positron annihilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chirayath, V A; Callewaert, V; Fairchild, A J; Chrysler, M D; Gladen, R W; Mcdonald, A D; Imam, S K; Shastry, K; Koymen, A R; Saniz, R; Barbiellini, B; Rajeshwar, K; Partoens, B; Weiss, A H

    2017-07-13

    Auger processes involving the filling of holes in the valence band are thought to make important contributions to the low-energy photoelectron and secondary electron spectrum from many solids. However, measurements of the energy spectrum and the efficiency with which electrons are emitted in this process remain elusive due to a large unrelated background resulting from primary beam-induced secondary electrons. Here, we report the direct measurement of the energy spectra of electrons emitted from single layer graphene as a result of the decay of deep holes in the valence band. These measurements were made possible by eliminating competing backgrounds by employing low-energy positrons (holes by annihilation. Our experimental results, supported by theoretical calculations, indicate that between 80 and 100% of the deep valence-band holes in graphene are filled via an Auger transition.

  6. Asymmetric recombination and electron spin relaxation in the semiclassical theory of radical pair reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, Alan M.; Manolopoulos, David E.; Hore, P. J.

    2014-01-01

    We describe how the semiclassical theory of radical pair recombination reactions recently introduced by two of us [D. E. Manolopoulos and P. J. Hore, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 124106 (2013)] can be generalised to allow for different singlet and triplet recombination rates. This is a non-trivial generalisation because when the recombination rates are different the recombination process is dynamically coupled to the coherent electron spin dynamics of the radical pair. Furthermore, because the recombination operator is a two-electron operator, it is no longer sufficient simply to consider the two electrons as classical vectors: one has to consider the complete set of 16 two-electron spin operators as independent classical variables. The resulting semiclassical theory is first validated by comparison with exact quantum mechanical results for a model radical pair containing 12 nuclear spins. It is then used to shed light on the spin dynamics of a carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene triad containing considerably more nuclear spins which has recently been used to establish a “proof of principle” for the operation of a chemical compass [K. Maeda, K. B. Henbest, F. Cintolesi, I. Kuprov, C. T. Rodgers, P. A. Liddell, D. Gust, C. R. Timmel, and P. J. Hore, Nature (London) 453, 387 (2008)]. We find in particular that the intriguing biphasic behaviour that has been observed in the effect of an Earth-strength magnetic field on the time-dependent survival probability of the photo-excited C ·+ PF ·− radical pair arises from a delicate balance between its asymmetric recombination and the relaxation of the electron spin in the carotenoid radical

  7. Diffusive scattering of electrons by electron holes around injection fronts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasko, I. Y.; Agapitov, O. V.; Mozer, F. S.; Artemyev, A. V.; Krasnoselskikh, V. V.; Bonnell, J. W.

    2017-03-01

    Van Allen Probes have detected nonlinear electrostatic spikes around injection fronts in the outer radiation belt. These spikes include electron holes (EH), double layers, and more complicated solitary waves. We show that EHs can efficiently scatter electrons due to their substantial transverse electric fields. Although the electron scattering driven by EHs is diffusive, it cannot be evaluated via the standard quasi-linear theory. We derive analytical formulas describing local electron scattering by a single EH and verify them via test particle simulations. We show that the most efficiently scattered are gyroresonant electrons (crossing EH on a time scale comparable to the local electron gyroperiod). We compute bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients and demonstrate their dependence on the EH spatial distribution (latitudinal extent and spatial filling factor) and individual EH parameters (amplitude of electrostatic potential, velocity, and spatial scales). We show that EHs can drive pitch angle scattering of ≲5 keV electrons at rates 10-2-10-4 s-1 and, hence, can contribute to electron losses and conjugated diffuse aurora brightenings. The momentum and pitch angle scattering rates can be comparable, so that EHs can also provide efficient electron heating. The scattering rates driven by EHs at L shells L ˜ 5-8 are comparable to those due to chorus waves and may exceed those due to electron cyclotron harmonics.

  8. Variation of sigma-hole magnitude with M valence electron population in MX(n)Y(4-n) molecules (n = 1-4; M = C, Si, Ge; X, Y = F, Cl, Br).

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDowell, Sean A C; Joseph, Jerelle A

    2014-01-14

    Sigma holes are described as electron-deficient regions on atoms, particularly along the extension of covalent bonds, due to non-uniform electron density distribution on the surface of these atoms. A computational study of MX(n)Y(4-n) molecules (n = 1-4; M = C, Si, Ge; X, Y = F, Cl, Br) was undertaken and it is shown that the relative sigma hole potentials on M due to X-M and Y-M can be adequately explained in terms of the variation in the valence electron population of the central M atom. A model is proposed for the depletion of the M valence electron population which explains the trends in sigma hole strengths, especially those that cannot be accounted for solely on the basis of relative electronegativities.

  9. Ultramicroscopic observation of recombinant adenoassociated virus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ultramicroscopic observation of recombinant adenoassociated virus type 2 on the surface of formvarcarbon coated copper grids under different relative humidity and incubation time using negative stain transmission electron microscopy.

  10. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on conical holed enhancing substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Yao; Chen, Zeng-Ping; Zuo, Qi; Shi, Cai-Xia; Yu, Ru-Qin

    2015-01-01

    In this contribution, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids was reported for the first time. It combines the advantages of both dry SERS assays based on plane films deposited with silver colloids and wet SERS assays utilizing cuvettes or capillary tubes. Compared with plane glass substrates deposited with silver colloids, the conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids exhibited five-to ten-folds of increase in the rate of signal enhancement, due to the internal multiple reflections of both the excitation laser beam and the Raman scattering photons within conical holes. The application of conical holed glass substrates could also yield significantly stronger and more reproducible SERS signals than SERS assays utilizing capillary tubes to sample the mixture of silver colloids and the solution of the analyte of interest. The conical holed glass substrates in combination with the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MEM SERS ) achieved quite sensitive and precise quantification of 6-mercaptopurine in complex plasma samples with an average relative prediction error of about 4% and a limit of detection of about 0.02 μM using a portable i-Raman 785H spectrometer. It is reasonable to expect that SERS technique based on conical holed enhancing substrates in combination with MEM SERS model can be developed and extended to other application areas such as drug detection, environmental monitoring, and clinic analysis, etc. - Highlights: • A novel conical holed SERS enhancing substrate was designed and manufactured. • The optimal conical holed glass substrates can produce stronger SERS signal. • The novel substrates can overcome the shortcomings of both dry and wet methods. • The novel substrates coupled with MEM SERS can realize quantitative SERS assays

  11. Isolation of recombinant antibodies directed against surface proteins of Clostridium difficile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirvan, Ali Nazari; Aitken, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Clostridium difficile has emerged as an increasingly important nosocomial pathogen and the prime causative agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis in humans. In addition to toxins A and B, immunological studies using antisera from patients infected with C. difficile have shown that a number of other bacterial factors contribute to the pathogenesis, including surface proteins, which are responsible for adhesion, motility and other interactions with the human host. In this study, various clostridial targets, including FliC, FliD and cell wall protein 66, were expressed and purified. Phage antibody display yielded a large panel of specific recombinant antibodies, which were expressed, purified and characterised. Reactions of the recombinant antibodies with their targets were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; and Western blotting suggested that linear rather than conformational epitopes were recognised. Binding of the recombinant antibodies to surface-layer proteins and their components showed strain specificity, with good recognition of proteins from C. difficile 630. However, no reaction was observed for strain R20291-a representative of the 027 ribotype. Binding of the recombinant antibodies to C. difficile M120 extracts indicated that a component of a surface-layer protein of this strain might possess immunoglobulin-binding activities. The recombinant antibodies against FliC and FliD proteins were able to inhibit bacterial motility. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

  12. Temperature dependence of binary and ternary recombination of H3+ ions with electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J.; Plasil, R.; Korolov, I.; Kotrik, T.; Novotny, O.; Hlavenka, P.; Dohnal, P.; Varju, J.; Kokoouline, V.; Greene, Chris H.

    2009-01-01

    We study binary and the recently discovered process of ternary He-assisted recombination of H 3 + ions with electrons in a low-temperature afterglow plasma. The experiments are carried out over a broad range of pressures and temperatures of an afterglow plasma in a helium buffer gas. Binary and He-assisted ternary recombination are observed and the corresponding recombination rate coefficients are extracted for temperatures from 77 to 330 K. We describe the observed ternary recombination as a two-step mechanism: first, a rotationally excited long-lived neutral molecule H 3 * is formed in electron-H 3 + collisions. Second, the H 3 * molecule collides with a helium atom that leads to the formation of a very long-lived Rydberg state with high orbital momentum. We present calculations of the lifetimes of H 3 * and of the ternary recombination rate coefficients for para- and ortho-H 3 + . The calculations show a large difference between the ternary recombination rate coefficients of ortho- and para-H 3 + at temperatures below 300 K. The measured binary and ternary rate coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the calculated values.

  13. Temperature dependence of binary and ternary recombination of H3+ ions with electrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosík, J.; Plašil, R.; Korolov, I.; Kotrík, T.; Novotný, O.; Hlavenka, P.; Dohnal, P.; Varju, J.; Kokoouline, V.; Greene, Chris H.

    2009-05-01

    We study binary and the recently discovered process of ternary He-assisted recombination of H3+ ions with electrons in a low-temperature afterglow plasma. The experiments are carried out over a broad range of pressures and temperatures of an afterglow plasma in a helium buffer gas. Binary and He-assisted ternary recombination are observed and the corresponding recombination rate coefficients are extracted for temperatures from 77 to 330 K. We describe the observed ternary recombination as a two-step mechanism: first, a rotationally excited long-lived neutral molecule H3∗ is formed in electron- H3+ collisions. Second, the H3∗ molecule collides with a helium atom that leads to the formation of a very long-lived Rydberg state with high orbital momentum. We present calculations of the lifetimes of H3∗ and of the ternary recombination rate coefficients for para- and ortho- H3+ . The calculations show a large difference between the ternary recombination rate coefficients of ortho- and para- H3+ at temperatures below 300 K. The measured binary and ternary rate coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the calculated values.

  14. Effect of the external electric field on the kinetics of recombination of photoexcited carriers in a ZnSe/BeTe type II heterostructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filatov, E. V.; Maksimov, A. A.; Tartakovskii, I. I.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Waag, A.

    2012-02-01

    The kinetics of the radiative recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes for a spatially direct transition in a ZnSe/BeTe type II heterostructure in an external electric field has been analyzed. A strong decrease (more than two orders of magnitude) in the photoluminescence intensity, as well as a decrease in the duration of the relaxation of the direct transition, is observed when the electric field is applied. The energy levels and wavefunctions of electrons and holes in the ZnSe/BeTe heterostructure subjected to the electric field have been numerically calculated. It has been shown that the observed decrease in the photoluminescence intensity and duration of the relaxation of the direct transition is due to both an increase in the radiative recombination time and an increase in the rate of escape of photoexcited holes from the above-barrier level in the ZnSe layer to the BeTe layer.

  15. Electronically stimulated deep-center reactions in electron-irradiated InP: Comparison between experiment and recombination-enhancement theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sibille, A.

    1987-01-01

    We present a detailed study of the recombination enhancement of several defect reactions involving the main deep centers in low-temperature electron-irradiated InP. A fairly good agreement is obtained with the Weeks-Tully-Kimerling theory for the activation energies of the enhanced process. On the other hand, a thorough investigation of a thermally and electronically stimulated defect transformation shows evidence that one major approximation (local vibrational equilibrium) fails, and that the recently proposed [H. Sumi, Phys. Rev. B 29, 4616 (1984)] mechanism of coherent recombination on deep centers is responsible for altered reaction rates at high injection levels

  16. Wurtzite-Phased InP Micropillars Grown on Silicon with Low Surface Recombination Velocity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kun; Ng, Kar Wei; Tran, Thai-Truong D; Sun, Hao; Lu, Fanglu; Chang-Hasnain, Connie J

    2015-11-11

    The direct growth of III-V nanostructures on silicon has shown great promise in the integration of optoelectronics with silicon-based technologies. Our previous work showed that scaling up nanostructures to microsize while maintaining high quality heterogeneous integration opens a pathway toward a complete photonic integrated circuit and high-efficiency cost-effective solar cells. In this paper, we present a thorough material study of novel metastable InP micropillars monolithically grown on silicon, focusing on two enabling aspects of this technology-the stress relaxation mechanism at the heterogeneous interface and the microstructure surface quality. Aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy studies show that InP grows directly on silicon without any amorphous layer in between. A set of periodic dislocations was found at the heterointerface, relaxing the 8% lattice mismatch between InP and Si. Single crystalline InP therefore can grow on top of the fully relaxed template, yielding high-quality micropillars with diameters expanding beyond 1 μm. An interesting power-dependence trend of carrier recombination lifetimes was captured for these InP micropillars at room temperature, for the first time for micro/nanostructures. By simply combining internal quantum efficiency with carrier lifetime, we revealed the recombination dynamics of nonradiative and radiative portions separately. A very low surface recombination velocity of 1.1 × 10(3) cm/sec was obtained. In addition, we experimentally estimated the radiative recombination B coefficient of 2.0 × 10(-10) cm(3)/sec for pure wurtzite-phased InP. These values are comparable with those obtained from InP bulk. Exceeding the limits of conventional nanowires, our InP micropillars combine the strengths of both nanostructures and bulk materials and will provide an avenue in heterogeneous integration of III-V semiconductor materials onto silicon platforms.

  17. Recombination and dissociative recombination of H2+ and H3+ ions on surfaces with application to hydrogen negative ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiskes, J.R.; Karo, A.M.

    1988-12-01

    A four-step model for recombination and dissociative recombination of H 2 + and H 3 + ions on metal surfaces is discussed. Vibrationally excited molecules, H 2 (v''), from H 3 + recombination are produced in a broad spectrum that enhances the excited level distribution. The application of this latter process to hydrogen negative ion discharges is discussed. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  18. Surface buckling of black phosphorus: Determination, origin, and influence on electronic structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Zhongwei; Jin, Wencan; Yu, Jie-Xiang; Grady, Maxwell; Sadowski, Jerzy T.; Kim, Young Duck; Hone, James; Dadap, Jerry I.; Zang, Jiadong; Osgood, Richard M.; Pohl, Karsten

    2017-12-01

    The surface structure of black phosphorus materials is determined using surface-sensitive dynamical microspot low energy electron diffraction (μ LEED ) analysis using a high spatial resolution low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) system. Samples of (i) crystalline cleaved black phosphorus (BP) at 300 K and (ii) exfoliated few-layer phosphorene (FLP) of about 10 nm thickness which were annealed at 573 K in vacuum were studied. In both samples, a significant surface buckling of 0.22 Å and 0.30 Å, respectively, is measured, which is one order of magnitude larger than previously reported. As direct evidence for large buckling, we observe a set of (for the flat surface forbidden) diffraction spots. Using first-principles calculations, we find that the presence of surface vacancies is responsible for the surface buckling in both BP and FLP, and is related to the intrinsic hole doping of phosphoresce materials previously reported.

  19. Interpreting impedance spectra of organic photovoltaic cells—Extracting charge transit and recombination rates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mullenbach, Tyler K.; Zou, Yunlong; Holmes, Russell J., E-mail: rholmes@umn.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States); Holst, James [New Products R and D, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, 6000 N. Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53209 (United States)

    2014-09-28

    Impedance spectroscopy has been widely used to extract the electron-hole recombination rate constant in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). This technique is typically performed on OPVs held at open-circuit. Under these conditions, the analysis is simplified with recombination as the only pathway for the decay of excess charge carriers; transit provides no net change in the charge density. In this work, we generalize the application and interpretation of impedance spectroscopy for bulk heterojunction OPVs at any operating voltage. This, in conjunction with reverse bias external quantum efficiency measurements, permits the extraction of both recombination and transit rate constants. Using this approach, the transit and recombination rate constants are determined for OPVs with a variety of electron donor-acceptor pairings and compositions. It is found that neither rate constant individually is sufficient to characterize the efficiency of charge collection in an OPV. It is demonstrated that a large recombination rate constant can be accompanied by a large transit rate constant, thus fast recombination is not necessarily detrimental to OPV performance. Extracting the transit and recombination rate constants permits a detailed understanding of how OPV architecture and processing conditions impact the transient behavior of charge carriers, elucidating the origin of optimum device configurations.

  20. Collision and recombination driven instabilities in variable charged ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The dust-acoustic instability driven by recombination of electrons and ions on the surface of charged and variably-charged dust grains as well as by collisions in dusty plasmas with significant pressure of background neutrals have been theoretically investigated. The recombination driven instability is shown to be dominant ...

  1. Inhomogeneous bimolecular recombination in partially crystallised tri-methylphenyl diamine glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldie, D.M.

    2013-01-01

    The rise and fall dynamics of transient photocurrents induced by exposure to ultraviolet radiation have been analysed for a series of glassy tri-methylphenyl diamine films that have been partially crystallised by ageing under ambient conditions following vapour deposition. An inhomogeneous bimolecular recombination model that uses coupled rate equations is found to provide a consistent fit for the observed photocurrent dynamics provided the recombination rate of holes in the crystallised regions of the films is lower compared to the amorphous regions. Parameters returned by the bimolecular model are investigated as a function of the film age but are observed to be highly sensitive to the initial experimental estimates that are supplied for the effective hole recombination time. The effective hole recombination time generated by the model is found to be relatively independent of film age, however, and has a value of around 0.16 s for a carrier generation rate of 7 × 10 14 cm −3 s −1 . The effective recombination time and steady-state photoconductivity magnitudes are found to be consistent with experimental hole mobility and photo-carrier generation efficiency values that are obtained using complementary time-of-flight and charge collection experiments. - Highlights: ► Transient photocurrents in evaporated diamine films have fast and slow components. ► Transient photocurrents are modelled using inhomogeneous bimolecular recombination. ► Recombination rates differ between crystallised and amorphous film regions. ► Recombination parameters evolve with film age as the films crystallise

  2. Electron Number-Based Phase Diagram of Pr1 -xLaCex CuO4 -δ and Possible Absence of Disparity between Electron- and Hole-Doped Cuprate Phase Diagrams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Dongjoon; Han, Garam; Kyung, Wonshik; Seo, Jeongjin; Cho, Soohyun; Kim, Beom Seo; Arita, Masashi; Shimada, Kenya; Namatame, Hirofumi; Taniguchi, Masaki; Yoshida, Y.; Eisaki, H.; Park, Seung Ryong; Kim, C.

    2017-03-01

    We performed annealing and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies on electron-doped cuprate Pr1 -xLaCex CuO4 -δ (PLCCO). It is found that the optimal annealing condition is dependent on the Ce content x . The electron number (n ) is estimated from the experimentally obtained Fermi surface volume for x =0.10 , 0.15 and 0.18 samples. It clearly shows a significant and annealing dependent deviation from the nominal x . In addition, we observe that the pseudo-gap at hot spots is also closely correlated with n ; the pseudogap gradually closes as n increases. We established a new phase diagram of PLCCO as a function of n . Different from the x -based one, the new phase diagram shows similar antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases to those of hole doped ones. Our results raise a possibility for absence of disparity between the phase diagrams of electron- and hole-doped cuprates

  3. Temperature variation of non-radiative recombination rate in a-Si:H films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogihara, C. [Department of Applied Science, Yamaguchi University, Ube 755-8611 (Japan); Morigaki, K. [Department of Electrical and Digital-System Engineering, Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Miyake, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima 731-5193 (Japan); resent address: C-305, 2-12 Wakabadai, Inagi, Tokyo 206-0824 (Japan)

    2012-12-15

    Temperature variation of the recombination rates has been investigated for the electron-hole pairs responsible for defect PL in a defective a-Si:H film as grown. The results are compared with those obtained for a high-quality a-Si:H film after illumination. The results of the nonradiative recombination rate are fitted by a theoretical prediction for the case of strong electron-phonon coupling in the case of the defective a-Si:H film similarly to the case of the illuminated high-quality a-Si:H film. Difference between the frequency of the phonon associated with the non-radiative recombination process in the defective a-Si:H film and that in the illuminated highquality a-Si:H film is discussed by considering the influence of the amorphous network in the a-Si:H films affected by the preparation conditions and the nature of the native and photo-created defects. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  4. Electron Hole Plasma in Solids Induced by Ultrashort XUV Laser Pulses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rethfeld, B.; Medvedev, N.

    2013-01-01

    Irradiation of solids with ultrashort XUV laser pulses leads to an excitation of electrons from the valence band and deeper shells to the conduction band leading to a nonequilibrium highly energetic electron hole plasma. We investigate the transient electron dynamics in a solid semiconductor and metal (silicon and aluminum, respectively) under irradiation with a femtosecond VUV to XUV laser pulse as used in experiments with the Free Electron Laser FLASH at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. Applying the Asymptotical Trajectory Monte-Carlo technique, we obtain the transient energy distribution of the excited and ionized electrons within the solid. Photon absorption by electrons in different bands and secondary excitation and ionization processes are simulated event by event. The method was extended in order to take into account the electronic band structure and Pauli's principle for electrons in the conduction band. In this talk we review our results on the dynamics of the transient electron-hole plasma, in particular its transient density and energy distribution in dependence on laser and material parameters. For semiconductors we introduce the concept of an ''effective energy gap'' for collective electronic excitation, which can be applied to estimate the free electron density after high-intensity ultrashort XUV laser pulse irradiation. For aluminum we demonstrate that the electronic spectra depend on the relaxation kinetics of the excited electronic subsystem. Experimentally observed spectra of emitted photons from irradiated aluminum can be explained well with our results. (author)

  5. Helical edge states and fractional quantum Hall effect in a graphene electron-hole bilayer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Yamagishi, Javier D; Luo, Jason Y; Young, Andrea F; Hunt, Benjamin M; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Ashoori, Raymond C; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

    2017-02-01

    Helical 1D electronic systems are a promising route towards realizing circuits of topological quantum states that exhibit non-Abelian statistics. Here, we demonstrate a versatile platform to realize 1D systems made by combining quantum Hall (QH) edge states of opposite chiralities in a graphene electron-hole bilayer at moderate magnetic fields. Using this approach, we engineer helical 1D edge conductors where the counterpropagating modes are localized in separate electron and hole layers by a tunable electric field. These helical conductors exhibit strong non-local transport signals and suppressed backscattering due to the opposite spin polarizations of the counterpropagating modes. Unlike other approaches used for realizing helical states, the graphene electron-hole bilayer can be used to build new 1D systems incorporating fractional edge states. Indeed, we are able to tune the bilayer devices into a regime hosting fractional and integer edge states of opposite chiralities, paving the way towards 1D helical conductors with fractional quantum statistics.

  6. Identification of electron and hole traps in KH2PO4 crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garces, N. Y.; Stevens, K. T.; Halliburton, L. E.; Demos, S. G.; Radousky, H. B.; Zaitseva, N. P.

    2001-01-01

    Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been used to characterize a hole trap and several electron traps in single crystals of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH 2 PO 4 or KDP). The paramagnetic charge states of these centers are produced by ionizing radiation (e.g., x rays or a 266 nm beam from a pulsed Nd:YAG laser) and are stable for days and even weeks at room temperature. One center consists of a hole trapped on an oxygen ion adjacent to a silicon impurity located on a phosphorus site. This defect has a small, but easily observed, hyperfine interaction with the adjacent substitutional proton. The other centers are formed when an electron is trapped at an oxygen vacancy. These latter defects are best described as (PO 3 ) 2- molecular ions, where the primary phosphorus nucleus is responsible for a large hyperfine splitting (500--800 G in magnitude). Five EPR spectra representing variations of these oxygen vacancy centers are observed, with the differences being attributed to the relative position of a nearby cation vacancy, either a missing proton or potassium. An angular study of the EPR spectra, conducted at room temperature, provided principal values and principal directions for the g matrices and hyperfine matrices for the hole center and two of the electron centers

  7. Many-body correlation effects in the spatially separated electron and hole layers in the coupled quantum wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Babichenko, V.S. [RRC Kurchatov Institute, Kurchatov Sq., 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Polishchuk, I.Ya., E-mail: iyppolishchuk@gmail.com [RRC Kurchatov Institute, Kurchatov Sq., 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, 9, Institutskii per., Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region (Russian Federation)

    2014-11-15

    The many-body correlation effects in the spatially separated electron and hole layers in the coupled quantum wells are investigated. A special case of the many-component electron–hole system is considered. It is shown that if the hole mass is much greater than the electron mass, the negative correlation energy is mainly determined by the holes. The ground state of the system is found to be the 2D electron–hole liquid with the energy smaller than the exciton phase. It is shown that the system decays into the spatially separated neutral electron–hole drops if the initially created charge density in the layers is smaller than the certain critical value n{sub eq}.

  8. Radiative Recombination and Photoionization Data for Tungsten Ions. Electron Structure of Ions in Plasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malvina B. Trzhaskovskaya

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical studies of tungsten ions in plasmas are presented. New calculations of the radiative recombination and photoionization cross-sections, as well as radiative recombination and radiated power loss rate coefficients have been performed for 54 tungsten ions for the range W6+–W71+. The data are of importance for fusion investigations at the reactor ITER, as well as devices ASDEX Upgrade and EBIT. Calculations are fully relativistic. Electron wave functions are found by the Dirac–Fock method with proper consideration of the electron exchange. All significant multipoles of the radiative field are taken into account. The radiative recombination rates and the radiated power loss rates are determined provided the continuum electron velocity is described by the relativistic Maxwell–Jüttner distribution. The impact of the core electron polarization on the radiative recombination cross-section is estimated for the Ne-like iron ion and for highly-charged tungsten ions within an analytical approximation using the Dirac–Fock electron wave functions. The effect is shown to enhance the radiative recombination cross-sections by ≲20%. The enhancement depends on the photon energy, the principal quantum number of polarized shells and the ion charge. The influence of plasma temperature and density on the electron structure of ions in local thermodynamic equilibrium plasmas is investigated. Results for the iron and uranium ions in dense plasmas are in good agreement with previous calculations. New calculations were performed for the tungsten ion in dense plasmas on the basis of the average-atom model, as well as for the impurity tungsten ion in fusion plasmas using the non-linear self-consistent field screening model. The temperature and density dependence of the ion charge, level energies and populations are considered.

  9. σ-holes and π-holes: Similarities and differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Politzer, Peter; Murray, Jane S

    2018-04-05

    σ-Holes and π-holes are regions of molecules with electronic densities lower than their surroundings. There are often positive electrostatic potentials associated with them. Through these potentials, the molecule can interact attractively with negative sites, such as lone pairs, π electrons, and anions. Such noncovalent interactions, "σ-hole bonding" and "π-hole bonding," are increasingly recognized as being important in a number of different areas. In this article, we discuss and compare the natures and characteristics of σ-holes and π-holes, and factors that influence the strengths and locations of the resulting electrostatic potentials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Bimolecular recombination in ambipolar organic field effect transistors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Charrier, D.S.H.; Vries, T. de; Mathijssen, S.G.J.; Geluk, E.-J.; Smits, E.C.P.; Kemerink, M.; Janssen, R.A.J.

    2009-01-01

    In ambipolar organic field effect transistors (OFET) the shape of the channel potential is intimately related to the recombination zone width W, and hence to the electron–hole recombination strength. Experimentally, the recombination profile can be assessed by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy

  11. Volume versus surface-mediated recombination in anatase TiO2 nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavigli, Lucia; Bogani, Franco; Vinattieri, Anna; Faso, Valentina; Baldi, Giovanni

    2009-09-01

    We present an experimental study of the radiative recombination dynamics in size-controlled anatase TiO2 nanoparticles in the range 20-130 nm. From time-integrated photoluminescence spectra and picosecond time-resolved experiments as a function of the nanoparticle size, excitation density, and temperature, we show that photoluminescence comes out from a bulk and a surface radiative recombination. The spectral shift and the different time dynamics provide a clear distinction between them. Moreover, the intrinsic nature of the emission is also proven, providing a quantitative evaluation of volume and surface contributions.

  12. Nearly Efficiency-Droop-Free AlGaN-Based Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes with a Specifically Designed Superlattice p-Type Electron Blocking Layer for High Mg Doping Efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zi-Hui; Huang Chen, Sung-Wen; Chu, Chunshuang; Tian, Kangkai; Fang, Mengqian; Zhang, Yonghui; Bi, Wengang; Kuo, Hao-Chung

    2018-04-01

    This work reports a nearly efficiency-droop-free AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diode (DUV LED) emitting in the peak wavelength of 270 nm. The DUV LED utilizes a specifically designed superlattice p-type electron blocking layer (p-EBL). The superlattice p-EBL enables a high hole concentration in the p-EBL which correspondingly increases the hole injection efficiency into the multiple quantum wells (MQWs). The enhanced hole concentration within the MQW region can more efficiently recombine with electrons in the way of favoring the radiative recombination, leading to a reduced electron leakage current level. As a result, the external quantum efficiency for the proposed DUV LED structure is increased by 100% and the nearly efficiency-droop-free DUV LED structure is obtained experimentally.

  13. Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kesler, V.G., E-mail: kesler@isp.nsc.ru [Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Lavrentiev av., 13, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Seleznev, V.A.; Kovchavtsev, A.P.; Guzev, A.A. [Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Lavrentiev av., 13, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)

    2010-05-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 deg. C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of 'pits' and 'hillocks' on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 x 10{sup 8} cm{sup -2}, entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 deg. C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the 'pits' proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

  14. Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesler, V. G.; Seleznev, V. A.; Kovchavtsev, A. P.; Guzev, A. A.

    2010-05-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 °C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of "pits" and "hillocks" on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 × 10 8 cm -2, entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 °C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the "pits" proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

  15. Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kesler, V.G.; Seleznev, V.A.; Kovchavtsev, A.P.; Guzev, A.A.

    2010-01-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 deg. C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of 'pits' and 'hillocks' on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 x 10 8 cm -2 , entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 deg. C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the 'pits' proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

  16. Amorphous germanium as an electron or hole blocking contact on high-purity germanium detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, W.L.; Haller, E.E.

    1976-10-01

    Experiments were performed in an attempt to make thin n + contacts on high-purity germanium by the solid phase/sup 1)/ epitaxial regrowth of arsenic doped amorphous germanium. After cleaning the crystal surface with argon sputtering and trying many combinations of layers, it was not found possible to induce recrystallization below 400 0 C. However, it was found that simple thermally evaporated amorphous Ge made fairly good electron or hole blocking contacts. Excellent spectrometers have been made with amorphous Ge replacing the n + contact. As presently produced, the amorphous Ge contact diodes show a large variation in high-voltage leakage current

  17. Recombinational laser employing electron transitions of diatomic molecules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biriukov, A S; Prokhorov, A M; Shelepin, L A; Shirokov, N N

    1974-12-01

    Conditions are established for obtaining laser action in the visible and uv regions of the spectrum, using transitions between electronic states of diatomic molecules during recombination of a dissociated gas. The mechanism of population inversion was studied for the oxygen molecule, and gain estimates were obtained for laser action at a wavelength of 4881 A. The feasibility of laser action at other wavelengths was examined.

  18. Phase-space holes due to electron and ion beams accelerated by a current-driven potential ramp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. V. Goldman

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available One-dimensional open-boundary simulations have been carried out in a current-carrying plasma seeded with a neutral density depression and with no initial electric field. These simulations show the development of a variety of nonlinear localized electric field structures: double layers (unipolar localized fields, fast electron phase-space holes (bipolar fields moving in the direction of electrons accelerated by the double layer and trains of slow alternating electron and ion phase-space holes (wave-like fields moving in the direction of ions accelerated by the double layer. The principal new result in this paper is to show by means of a linear stability analysis that the slow-moving trains of electron and ion holes are likely to be the result of saturation via trapping of a kinetic-Buneman instability driven by the interaction of accelerated ions with unaccelerated electrons.

  19. Graded Recombination Layers for Multijunction Photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Koleilat, Ghada I.

    2012-06-13

    Multijunction devices consist of a stack of semiconductor junctions having bandgaps tuned across a broad spectrum. In solar cells this concept is used to increase the efficiency of photovoltaic harvesting, while light emitters and detectors use it to achieve multicolor and spectrally tunable behavior. In series-connected current-matched multijunction devices, the recombination layers must allow the hole current from one cell to recombine, with high efficiency and low voltage loss, with the electron current from the next cell. We recently reported a tandem solar cell in which the recombination layer was implemented using a progression of n-type oxides whose doping densities and work functions serve to connect, with negligible resistive loss at solar current densities, the constituent cells. Here we present the generalized conditions for design of efficient graded recombination layer solar devices. We report the number of interlayers and the requirements on work function and doping of each interlayer, to bridge an work function difference as high as 1.6 eV. We also find solutions that minimize the doping required of the interlayers in order to minimize optical absorption due to free carriers in the graded recombination layer (GRL). We demonstrate a family of new GRL designs experimentally and highlight the benefits of the progression of dopings and work functions in the interlayers. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  20. Surface-electronic-state effects in electron emission from the Be(0001) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Archubi, C. D.; Gravielle, M. S.; Silkin, V. M.

    2011-01-01

    We study the electron emission produced by swift protons impinging grazingly on a Be(0001) surface. The process is described within a collisional formalism using the band-structure-based (BSB) approximation to represent the electron-surface interaction. The BSB model provides an accurate description of the electronic band structure of the solid and the surface-induced potential. Within this approach we derive both bulk and surface electronic states, with these latter characterized by a strong localization at the crystal surface. We found that such surface electronic states play an important role in double-differential energy- and angle-resolved electron emission probabilities, producing noticeable structures in the electron emission spectra.

  1. Surface-electronic-state effects in electron emission from the Be(0001) surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Archubi, C. D. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, casilla de correo 67, sucursal 28, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Gravielle, M. S. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, casilla de correo 67, sucursal 28, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Silkin, V. M. [Donostia International Physics Center, E-20018 San Sebastian (Spain); Departamento de Fisica de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad del Pais Vasco, Apartado 1072, E-20080 San Sebastian (Spain); IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, E-48011 Bilbao (Spain)

    2011-07-15

    We study the electron emission produced by swift protons impinging grazingly on a Be(0001) surface. The process is described within a collisional formalism using the band-structure-based (BSB) approximation to represent the electron-surface interaction. The BSB model provides an accurate description of the electronic band structure of the solid and the surface-induced potential. Within this approach we derive both bulk and surface electronic states, with these latter characterized by a strong localization at the crystal surface. We found that such surface electronic states play an important role in double-differential energy- and angle-resolved electron emission probabilities, producing noticeable structures in the electron emission spectra.

  2. Dynamical effects of electron-hole correlation and giant quantum attenuation of ultrasound in semimetals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuramoto, Y.

    1982-01-01

    The giant quantum attenuation of ultrasound in bismuth and other semimetals is noticeably enhanced when certain pair of Landau subbands of electrons and holes participate simultaneously in an attenuation peak. A theoretical analysis is presented which emphasizes importance of dynamical effects of the electron-hole correlation. In the temperature range between 1K and 4K covered by most experiments, the correlation effect is found to be weak on the real part of the relevant response function which gives change in sound velocity. This implies that equilibrium properties of the system are not much influenced by the correlation effect. Nonetheless, the electron-hole correlation is shown to have a drastic consequence on the imaginary part of the response function probed by the ultrasonic attenuation. Proposal for experiment is advanced to discriminate relative importance of this exciton-like correlation from that of repulsive correlation between carriers with the same charge. (orig.)

  3. Promotion of atomic hydrogen recombination as an alternative to electron trapping for the role of metals in the photocatalytic production of H2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joo, Ji Bong; Dillon, Robert; Lee, Ilkeun; Yin, Yadong; Bardeen, Christopher J; Zaera, Francisco

    2014-06-03

    The production of hydrogen from water with semiconductor photocatalysts can be promoted by adding small amounts of metals to their surfaces. The resulting enhancement in photocatalytic activity is commonly attributed to a fast transfer of the excited electrons generated by photon absorption from the semiconductor to the metal, a step that prevents deexcitation back to the ground electronic state. Here we provide experimental evidence that suggests an alternative pathway that does not involve electron transfer to the metal but requires it to act as a catalyst for the recombination of the hydrogen atoms made via the reduction of protons on the surface of the semiconductor instead.

  4. Quantum theory of the electronic and optical properties of low-dimensional semiconductor systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Wayne Heung

    This thesis examines the electronic and optical properties of low-dimensional semiconductor systems. A theory is developed to study the electron-hole generation-recombination process of type-II semimetallic semiconductor heterojunctions based on a 3 x 3 k·p matrix Hamiltonian (three-band model) and an 8 x 8 k·p matrix Hamiltonian (eight-band model). A novel electron-hole generation and recombination process, which is called activationless generation-recombination process, is predicted. It is demonstrated that the current through the type-II semimetallic semiconductor heterojunctions is governed by the activationless electron-hole generation-recombination process at the heterointerfaces, and that the current-voltage characteristics are essentially linear. A qualitative agreement between theory and experiments is observed. The numerical results of the eight-band model are compared with those of the threeband model. Based on a lattice gas model, a theory is developed to study the influence of a random potential on the ionization equilibrium conditions for bound electron-hole pairs (excitons) in III--V semiconductor heterostructures. It is demonstrated that ionization equilibrium conditions for bound electron-hole pairs change drastically in the presence of strong disorder. It is predicted that strong disorder promotes dissociation of excitons in III--V semiconductor heterostructures. A theory of polariton (photon dressed by phonon) spontaneous emission in a III--V semiconductor doped with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) or quantum wells (QWs) is developed. For the first time, superradiant and subradiant polariton spontaneous emission phenomena in a polariton-QD (QW) coupled system are predicted when the resonance energies of the two identical QDs (QWs) lie outside the polaritonic energy gap. It is also predicted that when the resonance energies of the two identical QDs (QWs) lie inside the polaritonic energy gap, spontaneous emission of polariton in the polariton

  5. Observable Emission Features of Black Hole GRMHD Jets on Event Horizon Scales

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pu, Hung-Yi [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, ON, N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Wu, Kinwah [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); Younsi, Ziri; Mizuno, Yosuke [Institut für Theoretische Physik, Max-von-Laue-Straße 1, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Asada, Keiichi; Nakamura, Masanori, E-mail: hpu@perimeterinstitute.ca, E-mail: asada@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw, E-mail: nakamura@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw, E-mail: kinwah.wu@ucl.ac.uk, E-mail: younsi@th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de, E-mail: mizuno@th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, AS/NTU No. 1, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

    2017-08-20

    The general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamical (GRMHD) formulation for black hole-powered jets naturally gives rise to a stagnation surface, where inflows and outflows along magnetic field lines that thread the black hole event horizon originate. We derive a conservative formulation for the transport of energetic electrons, which are initially injected at the stagnation surface and subsequently transported along flow streamlines. With this formulation the energy spectra evolution of the electrons along the flow in the presence of radiative and adiabatic cooling is determined. For flows regulated by synchrotron radiative losses and adiabatic cooling, the effective radio emission region is found to be finite, and geometrically it is more extended along the jet central axis. Moreover, the emission from regions adjacent to the stagnation surface is expected to be the most luminous as this is where the freshly injected energetic electrons are concentrated. An observable stagnation surface is thus a strong prediction of the GRMHD jet model with the prescribed non-thermal electron injection. Future millimeter/submillimeter (mm/sub-mm) very-long-baseline interferometric observations of supermassive black hole candidates, such as the one at the center of M87, can verify this GRMHD jet model and its associated non-thermal electron injection mechanism.

  6. A surface-electrode quadrupole guide for electrons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoffrogge, Johannes Philipp

    2012-12-19

    This thesis reports on the design and first experimental realization of a surface-electrode quadrupole guide for free electrons. The guide is based on a miniaturized, planar electrode layout and is driven at microwave frequencies. It confines electrons in the near-field of the microwave excitation, where strong electric field gradients can be generated without resorting to resonating structures or exceptionally high drive powers. The use of chip-based electrode geometries allows the realization of versatile, microstructured potentials with the perspective of novel quantum experiments with guided electrons. I present the design, construction and operation of an experiment that demonstrates electron confinement in a planar quadrupole guide for the first time. To this end, electrons with kinetic energies from one to ten electron-volts are guided along a curved electrode geometry. The stability of electron guiding as a function of drive parameters and electron energy has been studied. A comparison with numerical particle tracking simulations yields good qualitative agreement and provides a deeper understanding of the electron dynamics in the guiding potential. Furthermore, this thesis gives a detailed description of the design of the surface-electrode layout. This includes the development of an optimized coupling structure to inject electrons into the guide with minimum transverse excitation. I also discuss the extension of the current setup to longitudinal guide dimensions that are comparable to or larger than the wavelength of the drive signal. This is possible with a modified electrode layout featuring elevated signal conductors. Electron guiding in the field of a planar, microfabricated electrode layout allows the generation of versatile and finely structured guiding potentials. One example would be the realization of junctions that split and recombine a guided electron beam. Furthermore, it should be possible to prepare electrons in low-lying quantum mechanical

  7. A surface-electrode quadrupole guide for electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffrogge, Johannes Philipp

    2012-01-01

    This thesis reports on the design and first experimental realization of a surface-electrode quadrupole guide for free electrons. The guide is based on a miniaturized, planar electrode layout and is driven at microwave frequencies. It confines electrons in the near-field of the microwave excitation, where strong electric field gradients can be generated without resorting to resonating structures or exceptionally high drive powers. The use of chip-based electrode geometries allows the realization of versatile, microstructured potentials with the perspective of novel quantum experiments with guided electrons. I present the design, construction and operation of an experiment that demonstrates electron confinement in a planar quadrupole guide for the first time. To this end, electrons with kinetic energies from one to ten electron-volts are guided along a curved electrode geometry. The stability of electron guiding as a function of drive parameters and electron energy has been studied. A comparison with numerical particle tracking simulations yields good qualitative agreement and provides a deeper understanding of the electron dynamics in the guiding potential. Furthermore, this thesis gives a detailed description of the design of the surface-electrode layout. This includes the development of an optimized coupling structure to inject electrons into the guide with minimum transverse excitation. I also discuss the extension of the current setup to longitudinal guide dimensions that are comparable to or larger than the wavelength of the drive signal. This is possible with a modified electrode layout featuring elevated signal conductors. Electron guiding in the field of a planar, microfabricated electrode layout allows the generation of versatile and finely structured guiding potentials. One example would be the realization of junctions that split and recombine a guided electron beam. Furthermore, it should be possible to prepare electrons in low-lying quantum mechanical

  8. Optimisation of electronic interface properties of a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells by wet-chemical surface pre-treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angermann, H. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Abt. Siliziumphotovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany)], E-mail: angermann@hmi.de; Korte, L.; Rappich, J.; Conrad, E.; Sieber, I.; Schmidt, M. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Abt. Siliziumphotovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Huebener, K.; Hauschild, J. [Freie Universitaet Berlin, FB Physik, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

    2008-08-30

    The relation between structural imperfections at structured silicon surfaces, energetic distribution of interface state densities, recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces and solar cell characteristics have been intensively investigated using non-destructive, surface sensitive techniques, surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of Si(111) pyramids. Special wet-chemical smoothing and oxide removal procedures for structured substrates were developed, in order to reduce the preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and density of electronically active defects. H-termination and passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological process. We achieved significantly lower micro-roughness, densities of surface states D{sub it}(E) and recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces on wafers with randomly distributed pyramids, compared to conventional pre-treatments. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H/c-Si/BSF/Al), the c-Si surface becomes part of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, whose recombination activity determines cell performance. With textured substrates, the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency.

  9. Optimisation of electronic interface properties of a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells by wet-chemical surface pre-treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angermann, H.; Korte, L.; Rappich, J.; Conrad, E.; Sieber, I.; Schmidt, M.; Huebener, K.; Hauschild, J.

    2008-01-01

    The relation between structural imperfections at structured silicon surfaces, energetic distribution of interface state densities, recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces and solar cell characteristics have been intensively investigated using non-destructive, surface sensitive techniques, surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of Si(111) pyramids. Special wet-chemical smoothing and oxide removal procedures for structured substrates were developed, in order to reduce the preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and density of electronically active defects. H-termination and passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological process. We achieved significantly lower micro-roughness, densities of surface states D it (E) and recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces on wafers with randomly distributed pyramids, compared to conventional pre-treatments. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H/c-Si/BSF/Al), the c-Si surface becomes part of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, whose recombination activity determines cell performance. With textured substrates, the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency

  10. Impact ionization coefficients for electrons and holes in In0.14Ga0.86As

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pearsall, T.P.; Nahory, R.E.; Pollack, M.A.

    1975-01-01

    We report the measurement of impact ionization rates for electrons and holes in the direct band-gap semiconductor alloy In 0 . 14 Ga 0 . 86 As. Our results show clearly that the ionization rate for holes is greater than that for electrons. The measurments were made for electric fields between 2.6times10 5 and 3.4times10 5 V cm -1 . In this range, the ionization coefficients can be expressed as α=α/sub infinity/ exp(-A/E) for electrons and β=β/sub infinity/ exp(-B/E) for holes with α/sub infinity/=1.0times10 9 cm -1 , A=3.6times10 6 V cm -1 , and β/sub infinity/=1.3times10 8 cm -1 , B=2.7times10 6 V cm -1

  11. A way for evaluating parameters of electron transport in non-polar molecular liquids derived from analysis of the trapped electron recombination kinetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lukin, L.V.

    2012-01-01

    The geminate recombination kinetics of electron-ion pairs produced by high energy radiation in liquid hydrocarbons is considered in the two state model of electron transport. The purpose of the study is to relate the trapped electron transient optical absorption, observed in the pulse radiolysis experiments, to fundamental parameters of electron transport in liquid. It is shown that measurements of the half-life time and amplitude of the trapped electron decay curve allow one to find the electron life time in a localized state. - Highlights: ► A two state electron model is applied to geminate charge recombination. ► Time dependence of trapped electrons is computed for liquid isooctane and squalane. ► Electron decay kinetics depends on electron life time in a localized state. ► Key parameters of electron transport are found from the pulse radiolysis studies.

  12. Time-dependence hole and electron trapping effects in SIMOX buried oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boesch, H.E. Jr.; Taylor, T.L.; Hite, L.R.; Bailey, W.E.

    1990-01-01

    Back-channel threshold shift associated with the buried oxide layers of separation by implanted oxygen (SIMOX) and zone-melted recrystallization (ZMR) field-effect transistors (FETs) was measured following pulsed irradiation as a function of temperature and back-gate bias using a fast time-resolved I-V measurement technique. The SIMOX FETs showed large initial negative voltage shifts at 0.2 ms after irradiation followed by temperature- and bias-dependent additional negative shifts to 800s. Analysis and modeling of the results indicate efficient deep trapping of radiation-generated holes in the bulk of the oxide, substantial initial trapping of radiation-generated electrons in the oxide, and rapid removal of the trapped electrons by a thermal detrapping process. The ZMR FETs showed evidence of substantial trapping of holes alone in the oxide bulk

  13. The surface morphology of retinal breaks and lattice retinal degeneration. A scanning electron microscopic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, M R; Streeten, B W

    1986-02-01

    In 14 of 110 eye bank eyes, lesions characteristic of peripheral retinal surface pathology were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These included operculated and flap tears, trophic round holes, lattice degeneration with holes, and paravascular retinal "pitting" degeneration. By SEM, the edges of the retinal breaks were covered by smooth cellular membranes, merging peripherally with a meshwork of vitreous fibrils. The membrane cells had poorly defined borders, a pitted surface, and variable numbers of microvilli consistent with glia. Lattice surfaces and foci of paravascular retinal degeneration were covered by similar membrane, but showed characteristic differences. It appears that breaks in the internal limiting membrane always stimulate proliferation of preretinal glial membranes. Similar cellular morphology of the membranes associated with breaks is consistent with a common cell of origin. Limited proliferation of these membranes suggests that surface gliosis is normally inhibited when the cells contact either intact basement membrane or vitreous.

  14. Monte Carlo studies of thermalization of electron-hole pairs in spin-polarized degenerate electron gas in monolayer graphene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borowik, Piotr; Thobel, Jean-Luc; Adamowicz, Leszek

    2018-02-01

    Monte Carlo method is applied to the study of relaxation of excited electron-hole (e-h) pairs in graphene. The presence of background of spin-polarized electrons, with high density imposing degeneracy conditions, is assumed. To such system, a number of e-h pairs with spin polarization parallel or antiparallel to the background is injected. Two stages of relaxation: thermalization and cooling are clearly distinguished when average particles energy and its standard deviation σ _E are examined. At the very beginning of thermalization phase, holes loose energy to electrons, and after this process is substantially completed, particle distributions reorganize to take a Fermi-Dirac shape. To describe the evolution of and σ _E during thermalization, we define characteristic times τ _ {th} and values at the end of thermalization E_ {th} and σ _ {th}. The dependence of these parameters on various conditions, such as temperature and background density, is presented. It is shown that among the considered parameters, only the standard deviation of electrons energy allows to distinguish between different cases of relative spin polarizations of background and excited electrons.

  15. Optical and magneto-optical properties of the electron-doped and hole-doped C{sub 82} crystal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rostampour, E., E-mail: el_rostampour@yahoo.com [Plasma Physics Research Center, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Koohi, A. [Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-01-15

    The optical and magnetic properties of the doped C{sub 82} crystal have been investigated by Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model, which is based on the Ewald method. When the C{sub 82} molecule is doped with one electron (or hole), a single electron is remained in the energy level that affects the optical and magnetic properties of the C{sub 82} crystal. The lattice and electronic structures of C{sub 82} changed with doping electron (or hole) in the molecule of C{sub 82}. Therefore, polarons are predicted in doped fullerenes. The obtained results showed that the dielectric tensor of the C{sub 82} crystal increased with doping electron (or hole) in the molecule of C{sub 82}. The spectral shapes of the dielectric tensor, circular dichroism and birefringence coefficient of the C{sub 82} crystal turn out to be determined mainly by the geometrical distributions of the pentagons in the fullerene structures.

  16. Enhancing Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells via Surface Passivation with Graphene Oxide Interlayer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hao; Tao, Leiming; Huang, Feihong; Sun, Qiang; Zhao, Xiaojuan; Han, Junbo; Shen, Yan; Wang, Mingkui

    2017-11-08

    Perovskite solar cells have been demonstrated as promising low-cost and highly efficient next-generation solar cells. Enhancing V OC by minimization the interfacial recombination kinetics can further improve device performance. In this work, we for the first time reported on surface passivation of perovskite layers with chemical modified graphene oxides, which act as efficient interlayer to reduce interfacial recombination and enhance hole extraction as well. Our modeling points out that the passivation effect mainly comes from the interaction between functional group (4-fluorophenyl) and under-coordinated Pb ions. The resulting perovskite solar cells achieved high efficient power conversion efficiency of 18.75% with enhanced high open circuit V OC of 1.11 V. Ultrafast spectroscopy, photovoltage/photocurrent transient decay, and electronic impedance spectroscopy characterizations reveal the effective passivation effect and the energy loss mechanism. This work sheds light on the importance of interfacial engineering on the surface of perovskite layers and provides possible ways to improve device efficiency.

  17. Monte-Carlo simulations of geminate electron-hole pair dissociation in a molecular heterojunction: a two-step dissociation mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Offermans, Ton; Meskers, Stefan C.J.; Janssen, Rene A.J.

    2005-01-01

    The Monte-Carlo simulations are used to investigate the dissociation of a Coulomb correlated charge pair at an idealized interface between an electron accepting and an electron donating molecular material. In the simulations the materials are represented by cubic lattices of sites, with site the energies spread according to Gaussian distributions. The influence of temperature, applied external fields, and the width of the Gaussian densities of states distribution for both the electron and the hole transporting material are investigated. The results show that the dissociation of geminate charge pairs is assisted by disorder and the results can be understood in terms of a two-step model. In the first step, the slow carrier in the most disordered material jumps away from the interface. In the following, second step, the reduced Coulombic attraction allows the faster carrier in the less disordered material to escape from the interface by thermally activated hopping. When the rate for geminate recombination at the interface is very low ( -1 ) the simulations predict a high yield for carrier collection, as observed experimentally. Comparison of the simulated and experimentally observed temperature dependence of the collection efficiency indicates that at low temperature dissociation of the geminate charge pairs may be one of the factors limiting the device performance

  18. Experimental assessment of film cooling performance of short cylindrical holes on a flat surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Kuldeep; Premachandran, B.; Ravi, M. R.

    2016-12-01

    The present study is an experimental investigation of film-cooling over a flat surface from the short cylindrical holes. The film cooling holes used in the combustion chamber and the afterburner liner of an aero engine has length-to-diameter (L/D) typically in the range 1-2, while the cooling holes used in turbine blades has L/D > 3. Based on the classification given in the literature, cooling holes with L/D ≤ 3 are named as short holes and cooling holes with L/D > 3 are named as long holes. Short film cooling holes cause jetting of the secondary fluid whereas the secondary fluid emerging from long holes has characteristics similar to fully developed turbulent flow in pipe. In order to understand the difference in the film cooling performance of long and short cooling holes, experimental study is carried out for five values of L/D in the range 1-5, five injection angles, α = 15°-90° and five mainstream Reynolds number 1.25 × 105-6.25 × 105 and two blowing ratios, M = 0.5-1.0. The surface temperature of the test plate is monitored using infrared thermography. The results obtained from the present study showed that the film-cooling effectiveness is higher for the longest holes (L/D = 5) investigated in the present work in comparison to that for the shorter holes. Short holes are found to give better effectiveness at the lowest investigated injection angle i.e. α = 15° in the near cooling hole region, whereas film cooling effectiveness obtained at injection angle, α = 45° is found to be better than other injection angles for longest investigated holes, i.e. L/D = 5.

  19. Electron-hole drop (EHD) stability in deformation potential well

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makarov, A.G.; Tikhodeev, S.G.

    1984-01-01

    In heterogeneously-deformed Ge the stability of electron-hole droplets (EHD) being in a potential well is considered. It is shown that the potential well effect is equivalent to the decrease of effective density of phonon EHD charge. It is pointed out that heating EHD (for example, by IR radiation), can increase the phonon droplet charge and affect its stability

  20. The precipitation behavior of titanium carbide on the surface of SUS 321 stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshihara, Kazuhiro; Nii, Kazuyoshi

    1982-01-01

    The surface composition of SUS 321 stainless steel at high temperatures was observed in vacuum with Auger electron spectroscopy. The precipitation of titanium carbide was found on the surface of SUS 321. The thickness of precipitated titanium carbide layer increased in proportion to the square root of annealing time and became about 0.05 μm after heated at 1100 K for 432 ks. The precipitated titanium carbide was not replaced by the most surface active element sulfur, and remained stable on the surface. The precipitated layer, however, was not even and had many holes about 1 μm in diameter. The bottom of a hole was SUS 321, on which phosphorus, oxygen and sulfur segregated. As the annealing time was prolonged, these segregants were replaced one by one in the order of the surface activity, and finally the most surface active element, sulfur, remained on the bottom of the hole. Moreover, sulfur diffused over the outside of the hole. The precipitation of titanium carbide on the surface occurred according to the following processes: (1) The titanium and carbon which had been dissolved in the bulk diffused onto the surface of the stainless steel. (2) The titanium carbide which had been precipitated in the bulk dissolved because the concentration of titanum and carbon fell under their solubility limits in the bulk. (3) The titanium and carbon diffused onto the surface which was exposed to vacuum. (4) The titanium and carbon recombined into titanium carbide and precipitated on the surface. The growth rate of the thickness of the precipitated layer was controlled by the diffusion of titanium and carbon in the precipitated titanium carbide. (J.P.N.)

  1. Activity coefficients of electrons and holes in semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orazem, M.E.; Newman, J.

    1984-01-01

    Dilute-solution transport equations with constant activity coefficients are commonly used to model semiconductors. These equations are consistent with a Boltzmann distribution and are invalid in regions where the species concentration is close to the respective site concentration. A more rigorous treatment of transport in a semiconductor requires activity coefficients which are functions of concentration. Expressions are presented for activity coefficients of electrons and holes in semiconductors for which conduction- and valence-band energy levels are given by the respective bandedge energy levels. These activity coefficients are functions of concentration and are thermodynamically consistent. The use of activity coefficients in macroscopic transport relationships allows a description of electron transport in a manner consistent with the Fermi-Dirac distribution

  2. An experimental result of surface roughness machining performance in deep hole drilling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Azizah

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study presents an experimental result of a deep hole drilling process for Steel material at different machining parameters which are feed rate (f, spindle speed (s, the depth of the hole (d and MQL, number of drops (m on surface roughness, Ra. The experiment was designed using two level full factorial design of experiment (DoE with centre points to collect surface roughness, Ra values. The signal to noise (S/N ratio analysis was used to discover the optimum level for each machining parameters in the experiment.

  3. A study of angle dependent surface plasmon polaritons in nano-hole array structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balakrishnan, Shankar [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada); Lawson Health Research Institute, St. Joseph' s Health Care, London, Ontario N6A 4V2 (Canada); Najiminaini, Mohamadreza; Carson, Jeffrey J. L. [Lawson Health Research Institute, St. Joseph' s Health Care, London, Ontario N6A 4V2 (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada); Singh, Mahi R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada)

    2016-07-21

    We report that the light-matter interaction in metallic nano-hole array structures possess a subwavelength hole radius and periodicity. The transmission coefficient for nano-hole array structures was measured for different angles of incidence of light. Each measured transmission spectrum had several peaks due to surface plasmon polaritons. A theory of the transmission coefficient was developed based on the quantum density matrix method. It was found that the location of the surface plasmon polariton and the heights of the spectral peaks were dependent on the angle of incidence of light. Good agreement was observed between the experimental and theoretical results. This property of these structures has opened up new possibilities for sensing applications.

  4. Electron-electron coincidence spectroscopies at surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefani, G.; Iacobucci, S.; Ruocco, A.; Gotter, R.

    2002-01-01

    In the past 20 years, a steadily increasing number of electron-electron coincidence experiments on atoms and molecules have contributed to a deeper understanding of electron-electron correlation effects. In more recent years this technique has been extended to the study of solid surfaces. This class of one photon IN two electrons OUT experiments will be discussed with an emphasis on grazing incidence geometry, that is expected to be particularly suited for studying surfaces. The crucial question of which is the dominant mechanism that leads to ejection of pairs of electron from the surface will be addressed. It will be shown that, depending on the kinematics chosen, the correlated behaviour of the pairs of electrons detected might be singled out from independent particle one

  5. Tailoring of polarization in electron blocking layer for electron confinement and hole injection in ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Yu-Hsuan; Pilkuhn, Manfred H.; Fu, Yi-Keng; Chu, Mu-Tao; Huang, Shyh-Jer; Su, Yan-Kuin; Wang, Kang L.

    2014-01-01

    The influence of the AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) with graded aluminum composition on electron confinement and hole injection in AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are investigated. The light output power of LED with graded AlGaN EBL was markedly improved, comparing to LED with conventional EBL. In experimental results, a high increment of 86.7% can be obtained in light output power. Simulation analysis shows that via proper modification of the barrier profile from the last barrier of the active region to EBL, not only the elimination of electron overflow to p-type layer can be achieved but also the hole injection into the active region can be enhanced, compared to a conventional LED structure. The dominant factor to the performance improvement is shown to be the modulation of polarization field by the graded Al composition in EBL

  6. Tailoring of polarization in electron blocking layer for electron confinement and hole injection in ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Yu-Hsuan; Pilkuhn, Manfred H. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Fu, Yi-Keng; Chu, Mu-Tao [Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan (China); Huang, Shyh-Jer, E-mail: yksu@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: totaljer48@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); Su, Yan-Kuin, E-mail: yksu@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: totaljer48@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Department of Electronic Engineering, Kun-Shan University, Tainan 71003, Taiwan (China); Wang, Kang L. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

    2014-03-21

    The influence of the AlGaN electron blocking layer (EBL) with graded aluminum composition on electron confinement and hole injection in AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are investigated. The light output power of LED with graded AlGaN EBL was markedly improved, comparing to LED with conventional EBL. In experimental results, a high increment of 86.7% can be obtained in light output power. Simulation analysis shows that via proper modification of the barrier profile from the last barrier of the active region to EBL, not only the elimination of electron overflow to p-type layer can be achieved but also the hole injection into the active region can be enhanced, compared to a conventional LED structure. The dominant factor to the performance improvement is shown to be the modulation of polarization field by the graded Al composition in EBL.

  7. Scale-invariant puddles in graphene: Geometric properties of electron-hole distribution at the Dirac point.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najafi, M N; Nezhadhaghighi, M Ghasemi

    2017-03-01

    We characterize the carrier density profile of the ground state of graphene in the presence of particle-particle interaction and random charged impurity in zero gate voltage. We provide detailed analysis on the resulting spatially inhomogeneous electron gas, taking into account the particle-particle interaction and the remote Coulomb disorder on an equal footing within the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac theory. We present some general features of the carrier density probability measure of the graphene sheet. We also show that, when viewed as a random surface, the electron-hole puddles at zero chemical potential show peculiar self-similar statistical properties. Although the disorder potential is chosen to be Gaussian, we show that the charge field is non-Gaussian with unusual Kondev relations, which can be regarded as a new class of two-dimensional random-field surfaces. Using Schramm-Loewner (SLE) evolution, we numerically demonstrate that the ungated graphene has conformal invariance and the random zero-charge density contours are SLE_{κ} with κ=1.8±0.2, consistent with c=-3 conformal field theory.

  8. Operation of a novel hot-electron vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balkan, Naci; O'Brien-Davies, Angela; Thoms, A. B.; Potter, Richard J.; Poolton, Nigel; Adams, Michael J.; Masum, J.; Bek, Alpan; Serpenguzel, Ali; Aydinli, Atilla; Roberts, John S.

    1998-07-01

    The hot Electron Light Emission and Lasing in Semiconductor Heterostructures devices (HELLISH-1) is novel surface emitter consisting of a GaAs quantum well, within the depletion region, on the n side of Ga1-xAlxAs p- n junction. It utilizes hot electron transport parallel to the layers and injection of hot electron hole pairs into the quantum well through a combination of mechanisms including tunnelling, thermionic emission and diffusion of `lucky' carriers. Super Radiant HELLISH-1 is an advanced structure incorporating a lower distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). Combined with the finite reflectivity of the upper semiconductor-air interface reflectivity it defines a quasi- resonant cavity enabling emission output from the top surface with a higher spectral purity. The output power has increased by two orders of magnitude and reduced the full width at half maximum (FWHM) to 20 nm. An upper DBR added to the structure defines HELLISH-VCSEL which is currently the first operational hot electron surface emitting laser and lases at room temperature with a 1.5 nm FWHM. In this work we demonstrate and compare the operation of UB-HELLISH-1 and HELLISH-VCSEL using experimental and theoretical reflectivity spectra over an extensive temperature range.

  9. Fast electron beam charge injection and switching in dielectrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fitting, Hans-Joachim; Schreiber, Erik [Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Universitaetsplatz 3, 18051 Rostock (Germany); Touzin, Matthieu [Laboratoire de Structure et Proprietes de l' Etat Solide, UMR CNRS 8008, Universite de Lille 1, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France)

    2011-04-15

    Basic investigations of secondary electrons (SE) relaxation and attenuation are made by means of Monte Carlo simulations using ballistic electron scattering and interactions with optical and acoustic phonons as well as impact ionization of valence band electrons. Then the electron beam induced selfconsistent charge transport and secondary electron emission in insulators are described by means of an electron-hole flight-drift model (FDM). Ballistic secondary electrons and holes, their attenuation and drift, as well as their recombination, trapping, and field- and temperature-dependent Poole-Frenkel detrapping are included. Whereas the initial switching-on of the secondary electron emission proceeds over milli-seconds due to long-lasting selfconsistent charging, the switching-off process occurs much faster, even over femto-seconds. Thus a rapid electron beam switching becomes possible with formation of ultra-short electron beam pulses offering an application in stroboscopic electron microscopy and spectroscopy. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Optically initialized robust valley-polarized holes in monolayer WSe2

    KAUST Repository

    Hsu, Wei-Ting

    2015-11-25

    A robust valley polarization is a key prerequisite for exploiting valley pseudospin to carry information in next-generation electronics and optoelectronics. Although monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides with inherent spin–valley coupling offer a unique platform to develop such valleytronic devices, the anticipated long-lived valley pseudospin has not been observed yet. Here we demonstrate that robust valley-polarized holes in monolayer WSe2 can be initialized by optical pumping. Using time-resolved Kerr rotation spectroscopy, we observe a long-lived valley polarization for positive trion with a lifetime approaching 1 ns at low temperatures, which is much longer than the trion recombination lifetime (~10–20 ps). The long-lived valley polarization arises from the transfer of valley pseudospin from photocarriers to resident holes in a specific valley. The optically initialized valley pseudospin of holes remains robust even at room temperature, which opens up the possibility to realize room-temperature valleytronics based on transition metal dichalcogenides.

  11. High surface hole concentration p-type GaN using Mg implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long Tao; Yang Zhijian; Zhang Guoyi

    2001-01-01

    Mg ions were implanted on Mg-doped GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The p-type GaN was achieved with high hole concentration (8.28 x 10 17 cm -3 ) conformed by Van derpauw Hall measurement after annealing at 800 degree C for 1 h. this is the first experimental report of Mg implantation on Mg-doped GaN and achieving p-type GaN with high surface hole concentration

  12. Low-energy rate enhancement in recombination processes of electrons into bare uranium ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Yong; Zeng Siliang; Duan Bin; Yan Jun; Wang Jianguo; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou; Dong Chenzhong; Ma Xinwen

    2007-01-01

    Based on the Dirac-Fork-Slater method combined with the multichannel quantum defect theory, the recombination processes of electrons into bare uranium ions (U 92+ ) are investigated in the relative energy range close to zero, and the x-ray spectrum emitted in the direct radiative recombination and cascades processes are simulated. Compared with the recent measurement, it is found that the rate enhancement comes from the additional populations on high Rydberg states. These additional populations may be produced by other recombination mechanisms, such as the external electric-magnetic effects and the many-body correlation effects, which still remains an open problem. (authors)

  13. Nonadiabatic effects on surfaces: Kohn anomaly, electronic damping of adsorbate vibrations, and local heating of single molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kroeger, J

    2008-01-01

    Three aspects of electron-phonon coupling at metal surfaces are reviewed. One aspect is the Kohn effect, which describes an anomalous dispersion relation of surface phonons due to quasi-one-dimensional nesting of Fermi surface contours. The combination of electron energy loss spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy allows us to unambiguously characterize Kohn anomaly systems. A second aspect is the nonadiabatic damping of adsorbate vibrations. Characteristic spectroscopic line shapes of vibrational modes allow us to estimate the amount of energy transfer between the vibrational mode and electron-hole pairs. Case studies of a Kohn anomaly and nonadiabatic damping are provided by the hydrogen- and deuterium-covered Mo(110) surface. As a third aspect of interaction between electrons and phonons, local heating of a C 60 molecule adsorbed on Cu(100) and in contact with the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope is covered

  14. Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots for Hole Extraction of Typical Planar Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei; Li, Kaiwen; Wang, Yao; Feng, Xiyuan; Liao, Zhenwu; Su, Qicong; Lin, Xinnan; He, Zhubing

    2017-02-02

    Black phosphorus, famous as two-dimensional (2D) materials, shows such excellent properties for optoelectronic devices such as tunable direct band gap, extremely high hole mobility (300-1000 cm 2 /(V s)), and so forth. In this Letter, facile processed black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) were successfully applied to enhance hole extraction at the anode side of the typical p-i-n planar hybrid perovskite solar cells, which remarkably improved the performance of devices with photon conversion efficiency ramping up from 14.10 to 16.69%. Moreover, more detailed investigations by c-AFM, SKPM, SEM, hole-only devices, and photon physics measurements discover further the hole extraction effect and work mechanism of the BPQDs, such as nucleation assistance for the growth of large grain size perovskite crystals, fast hole extraction, more efficient hole transfer, and suppression of energy-loss recombination at the anode interface. This work definitely paves the way for discovering more and more 2D materials with high electronic properties to be used in photovoltaics and optoelectronics.

  15. Microstructure, Morphology, and Nanomechanical Properties Near Fine Holes Produced by Electro-Discharge Machining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blau, P. J.; Howe, J. Y.; Coffey, D. W.; Trejo, R. M.; Kenik, E. D.; Jolly, B. C.; Yang, N.

    2012-08-01

    Fine holes in metal alloys are employed for many important technological purposes, including cooling and the precise atomization of liquids. For example, they play an important role in the metering and delivery of fuel to the combustion chambers in energy-efficient, low-emission diesel engines. Electro-discharge machining (EDM) is one process employed to produce such holes. Since the hole shape and bore morphology can affect fluid flow, and holes also represent structural discontinuities in the tips of the spray nozzles, it is important to understand the microstructures adjacent to these holes, the features of the hole walls, and the nanomechanical properties of the material that was in some manner altered by the EDM hole-making process. Several techniques were used to characterize the structure and properties of spray-holes in a commercial injector nozzle. These include scanning electron microscopy, cross sectioning and metallographic etching, bore surface roughness measurements by optical interferometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy of recast EDM layers extracted with the help of a focused ion beam.

  16. Electronic correlations in hole- and electron-doped Fe-based superconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardy, Frederic; Boehmer, Anna; Schweiss, Peter; Wolf, Thomas; Heid, Rolf; Eder, Robert; Fisher, Robert A.; Meingast, Christoph

    2015-03-01

    High-temperature superconductivity in the cuprates occurs at the crossover from a highly-correlated Mott insulating state to a weaker correlated Fermi liquid as a function of hole doping. The iron pnictides were initially thought to be fairly weakly correlated. However, we have recently shown using transport and thermodynamic measurements that KFe2As2 is strongly correlated. Both the Sommerfeld coefficient and the Pauli susceptibility are strongly enhanced with respect to their bare DFT values. These correlations are even further enhanced in RbFe2As2andCsFe2As2. The temperature dependence of both the susceptibility and the thermal expansion provides strong experimental evidence for the existence of a coherence-incoherence crossover; similar to what is found in heavy-fermion compounds. Whereas the correlations in the cuprates result from a large value of the Hubbard U, recent works have stressed the particular relevance of Hund's coupling in the pnictides. Our data may be interpreted in terms of a close proximity of KFe2As2 to an orbital-selective Mott transition. We now have good thermodynamic data covering both the hole and electron sides of the BaFe2As2 system and we will discuss how these correlations are modified by doping.

  17. Molecular origin of differences in hole and electron mobility in amorphous Alq3--a multiscale simulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuchs, Andreas; Steinbrecher, Thomas; Mommer, Mario S; Nagata, Yuki; Elstner, Marcus; Lennartz, Christian

    2012-03-28

    In order to determine the molecular origin of the difference in electron and hole mobilities of amorphous thin films of Alq(3) (meridional Alq(3) (tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium)) we performed multiscale simulations covering quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics and lattice models. The study includes realistic disordered morphologies, polarized site energies to describe diagonal disorder, quantum chemically calculated transfer integrals for the off-diagonal disorder, inner sphere reorganization energies and an approximative scheme for outer sphere reorganization energies. Intermolecular transfer rates were calculated via Marcus-theory and mobilities were simulated via kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and by a Master Equation approach. The difference in electron and hole mobility originates from the different localization of charge density in the radical anion (more delocalized) compared to the radical cation (more confined). This results in higher diagonal disorder for holes and less favourable overlap properties for the hole transfer integrals leading to an overall higher electron mobility.

  18. Photoelectric emission from negative-electron-affinity diamond (111) surfaces: Exciton breakup versus conduction-band emission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bandis, C.; Pate, B.B.

    1995-01-01

    We have recently reported that bound electron-hole pairs (Mott-Wannier excitons) are the dominant source of photoelectron emission from specially prepared [''as-polished'' C(111)-(1x1):H] negative-electron-affinity diamond surfaces for near-band-gap excitation up to 0.5 eV above threshold [C. Bandis and B. B. Pate, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 777 (1995)]. It was found that photoexcited excitons transport to the surface, break up, and emit their electron. In this paper, we extend the study of exciton-derived emission to include partial yield (constant final-state) analysis as well as angular distribution measurements of the photoelectric emission. In addition, we find that exciton-derived emission does not always dominate. Photoelectric emission properties of the in situ ''rehydrogenated'' (111)-(1x1):H diamond surface are characteristically different than emission observed from the as-polished (111)-(1x1):H surface. The rehydrogenated surface has additional downward band bending as compared to the as-polished surface. In confirmation of the assignment of photoelectric yield to exciton breakup emission, we find a significant enhancement of the total electron yield when the downward band bending of the hydrogenated surface is increased. The functional form of the observed total electron yield demonstrates that, in contrast to the as-polished surface, conduction-band electrons are a significant component of the observed photoelectric yield from the in situ hydrogenated (111)-(1x1):H surface. Furthermore, electron emission characteristics of the rehydrogenated surface confirms our assignment of a Fan phonon-cascade mechanism for thermalization of excitons

  19. Quantum beats from the coherent interaction of hole states with surface state in near-surface quantum well

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khan, Salahuddin; Jayabalan, J., E-mail: jjaya@rrcat.gov.in; Chari, Rama; Pal, Suparna [Laser Physics Applications Section, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India); Porwal, Sanjay; Sharma, Tarun Kumar; Oak, S. M. [Semiconductor Physics and Devices Lab., Solid State Laser Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013 (India)

    2014-08-18

    We report tunneling assisted beating of carriers in a near-surface single GaAsP/AlGaAs quantum well using transient reflectivity measurement. The observed damped oscillating signal has a period of 120 ± 6 fs which corresponds to the energy difference between lh1 and hh2 hole states in the quantum well. Comparing the transient reflectivity signal at different photon energies and with a buried quantum well sample, we show that the beating is caused by the coherent coupling between surface state and the hole states (lh1 and hh2) in the near-surface quantum well. The dependence of decay of coherence of these tunneling carriers on the excitation fluence is also reported. This observation on the coherent tunneling of carrier is important for future quantum device applications.

  20. Quantum beats from the coherent interaction of hole states with surface state in near-surface quantum well

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, Salahuddin; Jayabalan, J.; Chari, Rama; Pal, Suparna; Porwal, Sanjay; Sharma, Tarun Kumar; Oak, S. M.

    2014-01-01

    We report tunneling assisted beating of carriers in a near-surface single GaAsP/AlGaAs quantum well using transient reflectivity measurement. The observed damped oscillating signal has a period of 120 ± 6 fs which corresponds to the energy difference between lh1 and hh2 hole states in the quantum well. Comparing the transient reflectivity signal at different photon energies and with a buried quantum well sample, we show that the beating is caused by the coherent coupling between surface state and the hole states (lh1 and hh2) in the near-surface quantum well. The dependence of decay of coherence of these tunneling carriers on the excitation fluence is also reported. This observation on the coherent tunneling of carrier is important for future quantum device applications.

  1. Electron and hole drift mobility measurements on methylammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maynard, Brian; Long, Qi; Schiff, Eric A. [Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244 (United States); Yang, Mengjin; Zhu, Kai [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States); Kottokkaran, Ranjith; Abbas, Hisham; Dalal, Vikram L. [Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

    2016-04-25

    We report nanosecond domain time-of-flight measurements of electron and hole photocarriers in methylammonium lead iodide perovskite solar cells. The mobilities ranged from 0.06 to 1.4 cm{sup 2}/Vs at room temperature, but there is little systematic difference between the two carriers. We also find that the drift mobilities are dispersive (time-dependent). The dispersion parameters are in the range of 0.4–0.7, and they imply that terahertz domain mobilities will be much larger than nanosecond domain mobilities. The temperature-dependences of the dispersion parameters are consistent with confinement of electron and hole transport to fractal-like spatial networks within nanoseconds of their photogeneration.

  2. High-temperature electron-hole superfluidity with strong anisotropic gaps in double phosphorene monolayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saberi-Pouya, S.; Zarenia, M.; Perali, A.; Vazifehshenas, T.; Peeters, F. M.

    2018-05-01

    Excitonic superfluidity in double phosphorene monolayers is investigated using the BCS mean-field equations. Highly anisotropic superfluidity is predicted where we found that the maximum superfluid gap is in the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) regime along the armchair direction and in the BCS-BEC crossover regime along the zigzag direction. We estimate the highest Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature with maximum value up to ˜90 K with onset carrier densities as high as 4 ×1012cm-2 . This transition temperature is significantly larger than what is found in double electron-hole few-layers graphene. Our results can guide experimental research toward the realization of anisotropic condensate states in electron-hole phosphorene monolayers.

  3. Ballistic hole magnetic microscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haq, E.; Banerjee, T.; Siekman, M.H.; Lodder, J.C.; Jansen, R.

    2005-01-01

    A technique to study nanoscale spin transport of holes is presented: ballistic hole magnetic microscopy. The tip of a scanning tunneling microscope is used to inject hot electrons into a ferromagnetic heterostructure, where inelastic decay creates a distribution of electron-hole pairs.

  4. Transport Properties of an Electron-Hole Bilayer in Contact with a Superconductor Hybrid Junction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bercioux, D.; Klapwijk, T. M.; Bergeret, F. S.

    2017-08-01

    We investigate the transport properties of a junction consisting of an electron-hole bilayer in contact with normal and superconducting leads. The electron-hole bilayer is considered as a semimetal with two electronic bands. We assume that in the region between the contacts the system hosts an exciton condensate described by a BCS-like model with a gap Γ in the quasiparticle density of states. We first discuss how the subgap electronic transport through the junction is mainly governed by the interplay between two kinds of reflection processes at the interfaces: the standard Andreev reflection at the interface between the superconductor and the exciton condensate, and a coherent crossed reflection at the semimetal-exciton-condensate interface that converts electrons from one layer into the other. We show that the differential conductance of the junction shows a minimum at voltages of the order of Γ /e . Such a minimum can be seen as a direct hallmark of the existence of the gapped excitonic state.

  5. Electronic structure and electron dynamics at Si(100)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weinelt, M. [Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Lehrstuhl fuer Festkoerperphysik, Erlangen (Germany); Max-Born-Institut, Berlin (Germany); Kutschera, M.; Schmidt, R.; Orth, C.; Fauster, T. [Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Lehrstuhl fuer Festkoerperphysik, Erlangen (Germany); Rohlfing, M. [International University Bremen, School of Engineering and Science, P.O. Box 750 561, Bremen (Germany)

    2005-02-01

    The electronic structure and electron dynamics at a Si(100) surface is studied by two-photon photoemission (2PPE). At 90 K the occupied D{sub up} dangling-bond state is located 150{+-}50 meV below the valence-band maximum (VBM) at the center of the surface Brillouin zone anti {gamma} and exhibits an effective hole mass of (0.5{+-}0.15)m{sub e}. The unoccupied D{sub down} band has a local minimum at anti {gamma} at 650{+-}50 meV above the VBM and shows strong dispersion along the dimer rows of the c(4 x 2) reconstructed surface. At 300 K the D{sub down} position shifts comparable to the Si conduction-band minimum by 40 meV to lower energies but the dispersion of the dangling-bond states is independent of temperature. The surface band bending for p-doped silicon is less than 30 meV, while acceptor-type defects cause significant and preparation-dependent band bending on n-doped samples. 2PPE spectra of Si(100) are dominated by interband transitions between the occupied and unoccupied surface states and emission out of transiently and permanently charged surface defects. Including electron-hole interaction in many-body calculations of the quasi-particle band structure leads us to assign a dangling-bond split-off state to a quasi-one-dimensional surface exciton with a binding energy of 130 meV. Electrons resonantly excited to the unoccupied D{sub down} dangling-bond band with an excess energy of about 350 meV need 1.5{+-}0.2 ps to scatter via phonon emission to the band bottom at anti {gamma} and relax within 5 ps with an excited hole in the occupied surface band to form an exciton living for nanoseconds. (orig.)

  6. High surface hole concentration p-type GaN using Mg implantation

    CERN Document Server

    Long Tao; Zhang Guo Yi

    2001-01-01

    Mg ions were implanted on Mg-doped GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The p-type GaN was achieved with high hole concentration (8.28 x 10 sup 1 sup 7 cm sup - sup 3) conformed by Van derpauw Hall measurement after annealing at 800 degree C for 1 h. this is the first experimental report of Mg implantation on Mg-doped GaN and achieving p-type GaN with high surface hole concentration

  7. The Effect of Dopant-Free Hole-Transport Polymers on Charge Generation and Recombination in Cesium-Bismuth-Iodide Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Huimin; Johansson, Malin B; Johansson, Erik M J

    2018-03-22

    The photovoltaic characteristics of CsBi 3 I 10 -based solar cells with three dopant-free hole-conducting polymers are investigated. The effect on charge generation and charge recombination in the solar cells using the different polymers is studied and the results indicate that the choice of polymer strongly affects the device properties. Interestingly, for the solar cell with poly[[2,3-bis(3-octyloxyphenyl)-5,8-quinoxalinediyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl] (TQ1), the photon-to-current conversion spectrum is highly improved in the red wavelength region, suggesting that the polymer also contributes to the photocurrent generation in this case. This report provides a new direction for further optimization of Bi-halide solar cells by using dopant-free hole-transporting polymers and shows that the energy levels and the interaction between the Bi-halide and the conducting polymers are very important for solar cell performance. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Steady-state characteristics of lateral p-n junction vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryzhii, V.; Tsutsui, N.; Khmyrova, I.; Ikegami, T.; Vaccaro, P. O.; Taniyama, H.; Aida, T.

    2001-09-01

    We developed an analytical device model for lateral p-n junction vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (LJVCSELs) with a quantum well active region. The model takes into account the features of the carrier injection, transport, and recombination in LJVCSELs as well as the features of the photon propagation in the cavity. This model is used for the calculation and analysis of the LJVCSEL steady-state characteristics. It is shown that the localization of the injected electrons primarily near the p-n junction and the reabsorption of lateral propagating photons significantly effects the LJVCSELs performance, in particular, the LJVCSEL threshold current and power-current characteristics. The reincarnation of electrons and holes due to the reabsorption of lateral propagating photons can substantially decrease the threshold current.

  9. Optimization of the short-circuit current in an InP nanowire array solar cell through opto-electronic modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yang; Kivisaari, Pyry; Pistol, Mats-Erik; Anttu, Nicklas

    2016-09-23

    InP nanowire arrays with axial p-i-n junctions are promising devices for next-generation photovoltaics, with a demonstrated efficiency of 13.8%. However, the short-circuit current in such arrays does not match their absorption performance. Here, through combined optical and electrical modeling, we study how the absorption of photons and separation of the resulting photogenerated electron-hole pairs define and limit the short-circuit current in the nanowires. We identify how photogenerated minority carriers in the top n segment (i.e. holes) diffuse to the ohmic top contact where they recombine without contributing to the short-circuit current. In our modeling, such contact recombination can lead to a 60% drop in the short-circuit current. To hinder such hole diffusion, we include a gradient doping profile in the n segment to create a front surface barrier. This approach leads to a modest 5% increase in the short-circuit current, limited by Auger recombination with increased doping. A more efficient approach is to switch the n segment to a material with a higher band gap, like GaP. Then, a much smaller number of holes is photogenerated in the n segment, strongly limiting the amount that can diffuse and disappear into the top contact. For a 500 nm long top segment, the GaP approach leads to a 50% higher short-circuit current than with an InP top segment. Such a long top segment could facilitate the fabrication and contacting of nanowire array solar cells. Such design schemes for managing minority carriers could open the door to higher performance in single- and multi-junction nanowire-based solar cells.

  10. Polymer:Nonfullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells with Exceptionally Low Recombination Rates

    KAUST Repository

    Gasparini, Nicola; Salvador, Michael; Heumueller, Thomas; Richter, Moses; Classen, Andrej; Shrestha, Shreetu; Matt, Gebhard J.; Holliday, Sarah; Strohm, Sebastian; Egelhaaf, Hans-Joachim; Wadsworth, Andrew; Baran, Derya; McCulloch, Iain; Brabec, Christoph J.

    2017-01-01

    Organic semiconductors are in general known to have an inherently lower charge carrier mobility compared to their inorganic counterparts. Bimolecular recombination of holes and electrons is an important loss mechanism and can often be described by the Langevin recombination model. Here, the device physics of bulk heterojunction solar cells based on a nonfullerene acceptor (IDTBR) in combination with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are elucidated, showing an unprecedentedly low bimolecular recombination rate. The high fill factor observed (above 65%) is attributed to non-Langevin behavior with a Langevin prefactor (β/βL) of 1.9 × 10−4. The absence of parasitic recombination and high charge carrier lifetimes in P3HT:IDTBR solar cells inform an almost ideal bimolecular recombination behavior. This exceptional recombination behavior is explored to fabricate devices with layer thicknesses up to 450 nm without significant performance losses. The determination of the photoexcited carrier mobility by time-of-flight measurements reveals a long-lived and nonthermalized carrier transport as the origin for the exceptional transport physics. The crystalline microstructure arrangement of both components is suggested to be decisive for this slow recombination dynamics. Further, the thickness-independent power conversion efficiency is of utmost technological relevance for upscaling production and reiterates the importance of understanding material design in the context of low bimolecular recombination.

  11. Polymer:Nonfullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells with Exceptionally Low Recombination Rates

    KAUST Repository

    Gasparini, Nicola

    2017-09-01

    Organic semiconductors are in general known to have an inherently lower charge carrier mobility compared to their inorganic counterparts. Bimolecular recombination of holes and electrons is an important loss mechanism and can often be described by the Langevin recombination model. Here, the device physics of bulk heterojunction solar cells based on a nonfullerene acceptor (IDTBR) in combination with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are elucidated, showing an unprecedentedly low bimolecular recombination rate. The high fill factor observed (above 65%) is attributed to non-Langevin behavior with a Langevin prefactor (β/βL) of 1.9 × 10−4. The absence of parasitic recombination and high charge carrier lifetimes in P3HT:IDTBR solar cells inform an almost ideal bimolecular recombination behavior. This exceptional recombination behavior is explored to fabricate devices with layer thicknesses up to 450 nm without significant performance losses. The determination of the photoexcited carrier mobility by time-of-flight measurements reveals a long-lived and nonthermalized carrier transport as the origin for the exceptional transport physics. The crystalline microstructure arrangement of both components is suggested to be decisive for this slow recombination dynamics. Further, the thickness-independent power conversion efficiency is of utmost technological relevance for upscaling production and reiterates the importance of understanding material design in the context of low bimolecular recombination.

  12. Interwell radiative recombination in the presence of random potential fluctuations in GaAs/AlGaAs biased double quantum wells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Timofeev, V.B.; Larionov, A.V.; Ioselevich, A.S.

    1998-01-01

    narrowing with temperature increase from 4.5 to 30 K. A theoretical model is presented which explains the observed narrowing in terms of lateral thermally activated tunneling of spatially separated e-h pairs localized by random potential fluctuations in the quantum wells. (C) 1998 American Institute......The interwell radiative recombination from biased double quantum wells (DQW) in pin GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures is investigated at different temperatures and external electrical fields. The luminescence line of interwell recombination of spatially separated electron-hole pairs exhibits systematic...

  13. Spin-dependent tunneling recombination in heterostructures with a magnetic layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Denisov, K. S., E-mail: denisokonstantin@gmail.com; Rozhansky, I. V.; Averkiev, N. S. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation); Lähderanta, E. [Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland)

    2017-01-15

    We propose a mechanism for the generation of spin polarization in semiconductor heterostructures with a quantum well and a magnetic impurity layer spatially separated from it. The spin polarization of carriers in a quantum well originates from spin-dependent tunneling recombination at impurity states in the magnetic layer, which is accompanied by a fast linear increase in the degree of circular polarization of photoluminescence from the quantum well. Two situations are theoretically considered. In the first case, resonant tunneling to the spin-split sublevels of the impurity center occurs and spin polarization is caused by different populations of resonance levels in the quantum well for opposite spin projections. In the second, nonresonant case, the spin-split impurity level lies above the occupied states of electrons in the quantum well and plays the role of an intermediate state in the two-stage coherent spin-dependent recombination of an electron from the quantum well and a hole in the impurity layer. The developed theory allows us to explain both qualitatively and quantitatively the kinetics of photoexcited electrons in experiments with photoluminescence with time resolution in Mn-doped InGaAs heterostructures.

  14. MgO Nanoparticle Modified Anode for Highly Efficient SnO2-Based Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Junjie; Yang, Guang; Qin, Minchao; Zheng, Xiaolu; Lei, Hongwei; Chen, Cong; Chen, Zhiliang; Guo, Yaxiong; Han, Hongwei; Zhao, Xingzhong; Fang, Guojia

    2017-09-01

    Reducing the energy loss and retarding the carrier recombination at the interface are crucial to improve the performance of the perovskite solar cell (PSCs). However, little is known about the recombination mechanism at the interface of anode and SnO 2 electron transfer layer (ETL). In this work, an ultrathin wide bandgap dielectric MgO nanolayer is incorporated between SnO 2 :F (FTO) electrode and SnO 2 ETL of planar PSCs, realizing enhanced electron transporting and hole blocking properties. With the use of this electrode modifier, a power conversion efficiency of 18.23% is demonstrated, an 11% increment compared with that without MgO modifier. These improvements are attributed to the better properties of MgO-modified FTO/SnO 2 as compared to FTO/SnO 2 , such as smoother surface, less FTO surface defects due to MgO passivation, and suppressed electron-hole recombinations. Also, MgO nanolayer with lower valance band minimum level played a better role in hole blocking. When FTO is replaced with Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO), a higher power conversion efficiency of 18.82% is demonstrated. As a result, the device with the MgO hole-blocking layer exhibits a remarkable improvement of all J-V parameters. This work presents a new direction to improve the performance of the PSCs based on SnO 2 ETL by transparent conductive electrode surface modification.

  15. Hole energy and momentum distributions in valence bands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laan, G. van der.

    1982-01-01

    In order to understand the electrical and magnetic properties of solids, the knowledge of the density of states and the dispersion relation of the valence bands is indispensable. This thesis offers some alternative methods to obtain information about the nature of the valence band. Part A deals with the energy distribution of the photoelectrons. A simple model, which explains the core hole satellite structure in compounds with large correlation effects between the valence band holes and the created photo-hole, is outlined. CuCl, CuX 2 (X = F Cl and Br) are studied, by photoemission and Auger electron spectroscopies in determining the valence band properties. Part B deals with the simultaneous measurement of the energy and the wave vector of the emitted electrons. A practical example is given for the determination of the dispersion relation in copper. The measurements of a surface resonance band and the distribution of the secondary electrons are also reported. (Auth.)

  16. Crossover between the dense electron-hole phase and the BCS excitonic phase in quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, B.A.; Gonzalez, A.; Quiroga, L.; Capote, R.; Rodriguez, F.J.

    1999-09-01

    Second order perturbation theory and a Lipkin-Nogami scheme combined with an exact Monte Carlo projection after variation are applied to compute the ground-state energy of 6 ≤ N ≤ 210 electron-hole pairs confined in a parabolic two-dimensional quantum dot. The energy shows nice scaling properties as N or the confinement strength is varied. A crossover from the high-density electron-hole phase to the BCS excitonic phase is found at a density which is roughly four times the close-packing density of excitons. (author)

  17. Electron, hole and exciton self-trapping in germanium doped silica glass from DFT calculations with self-interaction correction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Jincheng; Rene Corrales, L.; Tsemekhman, Kiril; Bylaska, Eric J.

    2007-01-01

    Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to understand the refractive index change in germanium doped silica glasses for the trapped states of electronic excitations induced by UV irradiation. Local structure relaxation and excess electron density distribution were calculated upon self-trapping of an excess electron, hole, and exciton in germanium doped silica glass. The results show that both the trapped exciton and excess electron are highly localized on germanium ion and, to some extent, on its oxygen neighbors. Exciton self-trapping is found to lead to the formation of a Ge E' center and a non-bridging hole center. Electron trapping changes the GeO 4 tetrahedron structure into trigonal bi-pyramid with the majority of the excess electron density located along the equatorial line. The self-trapped hole is localized on bridging oxygen ions that are not coordinated to germanium atoms that lead to elongation of the Si-O bonds and change of the Si-O-Si bond angles. We carried out a comparative study of standard DFT versus DFT with a hybrid PBE0 exchange and correlation functional. The results show that the two methods give qualitatively similar relaxed structure and charge distribution for electron and exciton trapping in germanium doped silica glass; however, only the PBE0 functional produces the self-trapped hole

  18. Characterization and Effects of Fiber Pull-Outs in Hole Quality of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Composite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alizadeh Ashrafi, Sina; Miller, Peter W; Wandro, Kevin M; Kim, Dave

    2016-10-13

    Hole quality plays a crucial role in the production of close-tolerance holes utilized in aircraft assembly. Through drilling experiments of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composites (CFRP), this study investigates the impact of varying drilling feed and speed conditions on fiber pull-out geometries and resulting hole quality parameters. For this study, hole quality parameters include hole size variance, hole roundness, and surface roughness. Fiber pull-out geometries are quantified by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the mechanically-sectioned CFRP-machined holes, to measure pull-out length and depth. Fiber pull-out geometries and the hole quality parameter results are dependent on the drilling feed and spindle speed condition, which determines the forces and undeformed chip thickness during the process. Fiber pull-out geometries influence surface roughness parameters from a surface profilometer, while their effect on other hole quality parameters obtained from a coordinate measuring machine is minimal.

  19. Binary and ternary recombination of para-H3(+) and ortho-H3(+) with electrons: state selective study at 77-200 K.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, Petr; Hejduk, Michal; Varju, Jozef; Rubovič, Peter; Roučka, Štěpán; Kotrík, Tomáš; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj; Johnsen, Rainer

    2012-06-28

    Measurements in H(3)(+) afterglow plasmas with spectroscopically determined relative abundances of H(3)(+) ions in the para-nuclear and ortho-nuclear spin states provide clear evidence that at low temperatures (77-200 K) para-H(3)(+) ions recombine significantly faster with electrons than ions in the ortho state, in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction. The cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy used here provides an in situ determination of the para/ortho abundance ratio and yields additional information on the translational and rotational temperatures of the recombining ions. The results show that H(3)(+) recombination with electrons occurs by both binary recombination and third-body (helium) assisted recombination, and that both the two-body and three-body rate coefficients depend on the nuclear spin states. Electron-stabilized (collisional-radiative) recombination appears to make only a small contribution.

  20. Binary and ternary recombination of para-H3+ and ortho-H3+ with electrons: State selective study at 77-200 K

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, Petr; Hejduk, Michal; Varju, Jozef; Rubovič, Peter; Roučka, Štěpán; Kotrík, Tomáš; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj; Johnsen, Rainer

    2012-06-01

    Measurements in H_3^+ afterglow plasmas with spectroscopically determined relative abundances of H_3^+ ions in the para-nuclear and ortho-nuclear spin states provide clear evidence that at low temperatures (77-200 K) para-H_3^+ ions recombine significantly faster with electrons than ions in the ortho state, in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction. The cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy used here provides an in situ determination of the para/ortho abundance ratio and yields additional information on the translational and rotational temperatures of the recombining ions. The results show that H_3^+ recombination with electrons occurs by both binary recombination and third-body (helium) assisted recombination, and that both the two-body and three-body rate coefficients depend on the nuclear spin states. Electron-stabilized (collisional-radiative) recombination appears to make only a small contribution.

  1. Graded Heterojunction Engineering for Hole-Conductor-Free Perovskite Solar Cells with High Hole Extraction Efficiency and Conductivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bo; Zhang, Yanan; Zhang, Luyuan; Yin, Longwei

    2017-10-01

    Despite great progress in the photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) of inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the large-scale application of PSCs still faces serious challenges due to the poor-stability and high-cost of the spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer (HTL). It is of great fundamental importance to rationally address the issues of hole extraction and transfer arising from HTL-free PSCs. Herein, a brand-new PSC architecture is designed by introducing multigraded-heterojunction (GHJ) inorganic perovskite CsPbBr x I 3- x layers as an efficient HTL. The grade adjustment can be achieved by precisely tuning the halide proportion and distribution in the CsPbBr x I 3- x film to reach an optimal energy alignment of the valance and conduction band between MAPbI 3 and CsPbBr x I 3- x . The CsPbBr x I 3- x GHJ as an efficient HTL can induce an electric field where a valance/conduction band edge is leveraged to bend at the heterojunction interface, boosting the interfacial electron-hole splitting and photoelectron extraction. The GHJ architecture enhances the hole extraction and conduction efficiency from the MAPbI 3 to the counter electrode, decreases the recombination loss during the hole transfer, and benefits in increasing the open-circuit voltage. The optimized HTL-free PCS based on the GHJ architecture demonstrates an outstanding thermal stability and a significantly improved PCE of 11.33%, nearly 40% increase compared with 8.16% for pure HTL-free devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Electron-hole pairs generated in ZrO2 nanoparticle resist upon exposure to extreme ultraviolet radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozawa, Takahiro; Santillan, Julius Joseph; Itani, Toshiro

    2018-02-01

    Metal oxide nanoparticle resists have attracted much attention as the next-generation resist used for the high-volume production of semiconductor devices. However, the sensitization mechanism of the metal oxide nanoparticle resists is unknown. Understanding the sensitization mechanism is important for the efficient development of resist materials. In this study, the energy deposition in a zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticle resist was investigated. The numbers of electron-hole pairs generated in a ZrO2 core and an methacrylic acid (MAA) ligand shell upon exposure to 1 mJ cm-2 (exposure dose) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiations were theoretically estimated to be 0.16 at most and 0.04-0.17 cm2 mJ-1, respectively. By comparing the calculated distribution of electron-hole pairs with the line-and-space patterns of the ZrO2 nanoparticle resist fabricated by an EUV exposure tool, the number of electron-hole pairs required for the solubility change of the resist films was estimated to be 1.3-2.2 per NP. NP denotes a nanoparticle consisting of a metal oxide core with a ligand shell. In the material design of metal oxide nanoparticle resists, it is important to efficiently use the electron-hole pairs generated in the metal oxide core for the chemical change of ligand molecules.

  3. Mechanisms of electron transport and recombination in ZnO nanostructures for dye-sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vega-Poot, Alberto G; Macías-Montero, Manuel; Idígoras, Jesus; Borrás, Ana; Barranco, Angel; Gonzalez-Elipe, Agustín R; Lizama-Tzec, Francisco I; Oskam, Gerko; Anta, Juan A

    2014-04-14

    ZnO is an attractive material for applications in dye-sensitized solar cells and related devices. This material has excellent electron-transport properties in the bulk but its electron diffusion coefficient is much smaller in mesoporous films. In this work the electron-transport properties of two different kinds of dye-sensitized ZnO nanostructures are investigated by small-perturbation electrochemical techniques. For nanoparticulate ZnO photoanodes prepared via a wet-chemistry technique, the diffusion coefficient is found to reproduce the typical behavior predicted by the multiple-trapping and the hopping models, with an exponential increase with respect to the applied bias. In contrast, in ZnO nanostructured thin films of controlled texture and crystallinity prepared via a plasma chemical vapor deposition method, the diffusion coefficient is found to be independent of the electrochemical bias. This observation suggests a different transport mechanism not controlled by trapping and electron accumulation. In spite of the quite different transport features, the recombination kinetics, the electron-collection efficiency and the photoconversion efficiency are very similar for both kinds of photoanodes, an observation that indicates that surface properties rather than electron transport is the main efficiency-determining factor in solar cells based on ZnO nanostructured photoanodes. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Colliding holes in Riemann surfaces and quantum cluster algebras

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chekhov, Leonid; Mazzocco, Marta

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we describe a new type of surgery for non-compact Riemann surfaces that naturally appears when colliding two holes or two sides of the same hole in an orientable Riemann surface with boundary (and possibly orbifold points). As a result of this surgery, bordered cusps appear on the boundary components of the Riemann surface. In Poincaré uniformization, these bordered cusps correspond to ideal triangles in the fundamental domain. We introduce the notion of bordered cusped Teichmüller space and endow it with a Poisson structure, quantization of which is achieved with a canonical quantum ordering. We give a complete combinatorial description of the bordered cusped Teichmüller space by introducing the notion of maximal cusped lamination, a lamination consisting of geodesic arcs between bordered cusps and closed geodesics homotopic to the boundaries such that it triangulates the Riemann surface. We show that each bordered cusp carries a natural decoration, i.e. a choice of a horocycle, so that the lengths of the arcs in the maximal cusped lamination are defined as λ-lengths in Thurston-Penner terminology. We compute the Goldman bracket explicitly in terms of these λ-lengths and show that the groupoid of flip morphisms acts as a generalized cluster algebra mutation. From the physical point of view, our construction provides an explicit coordinatization of moduli spaces of open/closed string worldsheets and their quantization.

  5. Landau damping effects on collision-induced quantum interference in electron-hole plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwa-Min, Kim; Young-Dae, Jung

    2007-01-01

    The Landau damping effects on the quantum interference in electron collisions are investigated in a quantum plasma composed of electrons and holes. The Born method and the total spin states are considered to obtain the scattering cross-section by using the effective screened potential model. It is found that the Landau damping effects enhance the scattering cross-section, especially, near the scattering angle θ L = π/4. (authors)

  6. Landau damping effects on collision-induced quantum interference in electron-hole plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwa-Min, Kim [Daegu Univ. Catholic, Dept. of Electronics Engineering (Korea, Republic of); Young-Dae, Jung [Hanyang Univ., Dept. of Applied Physics, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2007-07-15

    The Landau damping effects on the quantum interference in electron collisions are investigated in a quantum plasma composed of electrons and holes. The Born method and the total spin states are considered to obtain the scattering cross-section by using the effective screened potential model. It is found that the Landau damping effects enhance the scattering cross-section, especially, near the scattering angle {theta}{sub L} = {pi}/4. (authors)

  7. Photoreactivity of ZnO nanoparticles in visible light: Effect of surface states on electron transfer reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baruah, Sunandan; Dutta, Joydeep; Sinha, Sudarson Sekhar; Ghosh, Barnali; Pal, Samir Kumar; Raychaudhuri, A. K.

    2009-01-01

    Wide band gap metal oxide semiconductors such as zinc oxide (ZnO) show visible band photolysis that has been employed, among others, to degrade harmful organic contaminants into harmless mineral acids. Metal oxides show enhanced photocatalytic activity with the increase in electronic defects in the crystallites. By introducing defects into the crystal lattice of ZnO nanoparticles, we observe a redshift in the optical absorption shifting from the ultraviolet region to the visible region (400-700 nm), which is due to the creation of intermediate defect states that inhibit the electron hole recombination process. The defects were introduced by fast nucleation and growth of the nanoparticles by rapid heating using microwave irradiation and subsequent quenching during the precipitation reaction. To elucidate the nature of the photodegradation process, picosecond resolved time correlated single photon count (TCSPC) spectroscopy was carried out to record the electronic transitions resulting from the de-excitation of the electrons to their stable states. Photodegradation and TCSPC studies showed that defect engineered ZnO nanoparticles obtained through fast crystallization during growth lead to a faster initial degradation rate of methylene blue as compared to the conventionally synthesized nanoparticles

  8. Depletion region surface effects in electron beam induced current measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haney, Paul M.; Zhitenev, Nikolai B. [Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (United States); Yoon, Heayoung P. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 (United States); Gaury, Benoit [Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (United States); Maryland NanoCenter, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)

    2016-09-07

    Electron beam induced current (EBIC) is a powerful characterization technique which offers the high spatial resolution needed to study polycrystalline solar cells. Current models of EBIC assume that excitations in the p-n junction depletion region result in perfect charge collection efficiency. However, we find that in CdTe and Si samples prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) milling, there is a reduced and nonuniform EBIC lineshape for excitations in the depletion region. Motivated by this, we present a model of the EBIC response for excitations in the depletion region which includes the effects of surface recombination from both charge-neutral and charged surfaces. For neutral surfaces, we present a simple analytical formula which describes the numerical data well, while the charged surface response depends qualitatively on the location of the surface Fermi level relative to the bulk Fermi level. We find that the experimental data on FIB-prepared Si solar cells are most consistent with a charged surface and discuss the implications for EBIC experiments on polycrystalline materials.

  9. 2D layered insulator hexagonal boron nitride enabled surface passivation in dye sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanmugam, Mariyappan; Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin; Durcan, Chris; Yu, Bin

    2013-11-21

    A two-dimensional layered insulator, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), is demonstrated as a new class of surface passivation materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to reduce interfacial carrier recombination. We observe ~57% enhancement in the photo-conversion efficiency of the DSSC utilizing h-BN coated semiconductor TiO2 as compared with the device without surface passivation. The h-BN coated TiO2 is characterized by Raman spectroscopy to confirm the presence of highly crystalline, mixed monolayer/few-layer h-BN nanoflakes on the surface of TiO2. The passivation helps to minimize electron-hole recombination at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interfaces. The DSSC with h-BN passivation exhibits significantly lower dark saturation current in the low forward bias region and higher saturation in the high forward bias region, respectively, suggesting that the interface quality is largely improved without impeding carrier transport at the material interface. The experimental results reveal that the emerging 2D layered insulator could be used for effective surface passivation in solar cell applications attributed to desirable material features such as high crystallinity and self-terminated/dangling-bond-free atomic planes as compared with high-k thin-film dielectrics.

  10. Assessment of pseudo-bilayer structures in the heterogate germanium electron-hole bilayer tunnel field-effect transistor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Padilla, J. L.; Alper, C.; Ionescu, A. M.; Medina-Bailón, C.; Gámiz, F.

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the effect of pseudo-bilayer configurations at low operating voltages (≤0.5 V) in the heterogate germanium electron-hole bilayer tunnel field-effect transistor (HG-EHBTFET) compared to the traditional bilayer structures of EHBTFETs arising from semiclassical simulations where the inversion layers for electrons and holes featured very symmetric profiles with similar concentration levels at the ON-state. Pseudo-bilayer layouts are attained by inducing a certain asymmetry between the top and the bottom gates so that even though the hole inversion layer is formed at the bottom of the channel, the top gate voltage remains below the required value to trigger the formation of the inversion layer for electrons. Resulting benefits from this setup are improved electrostatic control on the channel, enhanced gate-to-gate efficiency, and higher I ON levels. Furthermore, pseudo-bilayer configurations alleviate the difficulties derived from confining very high opposite carrier concentrations in very thin structures

  11. Assessment of pseudo-bilayer structures in the heterogate germanium electron-hole bilayer tunnel field-effect transistor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Padilla, J. L., E-mail: jose.padilladelatorre@epfl.ch; Alper, C.; Ionescu, A. M. [Nanoelectronic Devices Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015 (Switzerland); Medina-Bailón, C.; Gámiz, F. [Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de los Computadores, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada (Spain)

    2015-06-29

    We investigate the effect of pseudo-bilayer configurations at low operating voltages (≤0.5 V) in the heterogate germanium electron-hole bilayer tunnel field-effect transistor (HG-EHBTFET) compared to the traditional bilayer structures of EHBTFETs arising from semiclassical simulations where the inversion layers for electrons and holes featured very symmetric profiles with similar concentration levels at the ON-state. Pseudo-bilayer layouts are attained by inducing a certain asymmetry between the top and the bottom gates so that even though the hole inversion layer is formed at the bottom of the channel, the top gate voltage remains below the required value to trigger the formation of the inversion layer for electrons. Resulting benefits from this setup are improved electrostatic control on the channel, enhanced gate-to-gate efficiency, and higher I{sub ON} levels. Furthermore, pseudo-bilayer configurations alleviate the difficulties derived from confining very high opposite carrier concentrations in very thin structures.

  12. A Strategy to Enhance the Efficiency of Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells by Decreasing Electron Recombination with Polyoxometalate/TiO2 as the Electronic Interface Layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li; Chen, Weilin; Li, Jianping; Wang, Jiabo; Wang, Enbo

    2017-07-21

    Electron recombination occurring at the TiO 2 /quantum dot sensitizer/electrolyte interface is the key reason for hindering further efficiency improvements to quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). Polyoxometalate (POM) can act as an electron-transfer medium to decrease electron recombination in a photoelectric device owing to its excellent oxidation/reduction properties and thermostability. A POM/TiO 2 electronic interface layer prepared by a simple layer-by-layer self-assembly method was added between fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and mesoporous TiO 2 in the photoanode of QDSCs, and the effect on the photovoltaic performance was systematically investigated. Photovoltaic experimental results and the electron transmission mechanism show that the POM/TiO 2 electronic interface layer in the QDSCs can clearly suppress electron recombination, increase the electron lifetime, and result in smoother electron transmission. In summary, the best conversion efficiency of QDSCs with POM/TiO 2 electronic interface layers increases to 8.02 %, which is an improvement of 25.1 % compared with QDSCs without POM/TiO 2 . This work first builds an electron-transfer bridge between FTO and the quantum dot sensitizer and paves the way for further improved efficiency of QDSCs. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Dynamical spin susceptibility of electron-doped high-Tc cuprates. Comparison with hole-doped systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Atsuo; Mutou, Tetsuya; Tanaka, Syunsuke; Hirashima, Dai S.

    2010-01-01

    The magnetic excitation spectrum of electron-doped copper oxide superconductors is studied by calculating the dynamical spin susceptibility of the two-dimensional Hubbard model in which a d x2-y2 -wave superconducting order parameter is assumed. The spectrum of electron-doped systems is compared with that of hole-doped systems, and the relationship between the frequency at which a peak grows in the spectrum and the superconducting energy gap at a hot spot is investigated. A peak may be observed even when the magnetic resonance condition is not exactly satisfied. We find that, in the electron-doped systems, the resonance condition is less likely to be satisfied than in the hole-doped systems because of the small density of states around the hot spots, and the peak frequency is close to twice the gap magnitude at the hot spots. (author)

  14. A new method for detecting the contribution of high Rydberg states to electron-ion recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orban, I; Boehm, S; Fogle, M; Paal, A; Schuch, R

    2007-01-01

    A position sensitive detector for measuring field ionized electrons in the fringe field of a dipole magnet is presented. The detector provides a means to study, in a state selective fashion, recombination into high Rydberg states and offers a new method to investigate recombination enhancement effects. Several experimental considerations and possibilities are discussed in the text

  15. Charge generation and trapping in bisphenol-A-polycarbonate/N-isopropylcarbazole mixture: A study by electron bombardment-induced conductivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, S.; Caraballo, D.

    2007-01-01

    Electron bombardment-induced conductivity measurements were carried out on cast films of N-isopropylcarbazole (NIPC) dispersed into an amorphous matrix of bisphenol-A-polycarbonate. The charge generation was studied by estimating the hole yield (g), the fraction of charge escaping recombination, as a function of electric field and concentration of NIPC at room temperature. The hole yield, besides increasing by increasing the content of NIPC, was observed to increase with the electric field in the manner predicted by the Onsager theory of geminate recombination. Deep trapping levels were studied by filling under electron bombardment and observing transients. The deep traps were neutral in nature with a concentration on the order of 8.0x10 14 cm -3 , which was low enough not to degrade transport under normal conditions

  16. Angle resolved electron spectroscopy of spontaneous ionization processes occurring in doubly charged ion-surface collisions at grazing incidence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wouters, P.A.A.F.; Emmichoven, P.A.Z. van; Niehaus, A.

    1989-01-01

    The experimental setup used to measure electron spectra at well defined detection angles for grazing incidence doubly charged ion-surface collisions at keV-energies is described. Electron spectra are reported for the rare gas ions colliding with a Cu(110)-surface. The spectra are analyzed in terms of various spontaneous ionization processes using a newly developed model. It is found that double capture followed by atomic auto-ionization on the incoming trajectory and Auger-capture processes in which the first and second hole in the doubly charged projectiles are successively filled are the main processes contributing to the electron spectra. From a comparison of model calculations with measured spectra it is concluded that the metal electrons cannot adapt adiabatically to the sudden changes of the charge state of the projectile in front of the surface. A parameter characterizing the partly diabatic behavior is determined. The variation of spectra upon adsorption of a monolayer of oxygen on the surface is reported and discussed. (author)

  17. Many-particle correlations in quasi-two-dimensional electron-hole systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikolaev, Valentin

    2002-01-01

    This thesis reports a theoretical investigation of many-particle correlation effects in semiconductor heterostructures containing quantum wells. Particular attention is paid towards quasi-particle pair correlations. Using the Green's function technique and the ladder approximation as a basis, the generalized mass action law, which describes the redistribution of particles between correlated and uncorrelated states in quasi-two-dimensional systems for different temperatures and total densities, is derived. The expression is valid beyond the low-density limit, which allows us to investigate the transition of the system from a dilute exciton gas to a dense electron-hole plasma. A generalized Levinson theorem, which takes k-space filling into account, is formulated. Screening in quasi-two-dimensional systems is analyzed rigorously. Firstly, the qualitatively new mechanism of static local screening by indirect excitons is studied using the simple Thomas-Fermi approximation. Then, a detailed many-body description suitable for a proper account of dynamic screening by a quasi-2D electron-hole plasma, and consistent with the previously derived mass action law, is provided. The generalized Lindhard approximation and excitonic plasmon-pole approximations are also derived. The theory is applied to single and double quantum wells. A self-consistent procedure is developed for numerical investigation of the ionization degree of an electron-hole plasma at different values of temperature/exciton Rydberg ratios. This procedure accounts for screening, k-space filling (exciton bleaching), and the formation of excitons. An abrupt jump in the value of the ionization degree that happens with an increase of the carrier density or temperature (Mott transition) is found in a certain density-temperature region. It has been found that the critical density of the Mott transition for indirect excitons may be much smaller than that for direct excitons. A suggestion has been made that some of the

  18. Dissociative recombination of interstellar ions: electronic structure calculations for HCO+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraemer, W.P.; Hazi, A.U.

    1985-01-01

    The present study of the interstellar formyl ion HCO + is the first attempt to investigate dissociative recombination for a triatomic molecular ion using an entirely theoretical approach. We describe a number of fairly extensive electronic structure calculations that were performed to determine the reaction mechanism of the e-HCO + process. Similar calculations for the isoelectronic ions HOC + and HN 2 + are in progress. 60 refs

  19. Ordered conducting polymer multilayer films and its application for hole injection layers in organic light-emitting devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Jianhua; Yang Yajie; Yu Junsheng; Jiang Yadong

    2009-01-01

    We reported a controlled architecture growth of layer-ordered multilayer film of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) via a modified Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. An in situ polymerization of 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene (EDOT) monomer in multilayer LB film occurred for the formation of ordered conducting polymer embedded multilayer film. The well-distribution of conducting polymer particles was characterized by secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The conducting film consisting of ordered PEDOT ultrathin layers was investigated as a hole injection layer for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The results showed that, compared to conventional spin-coating PEDOT film and electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) film, the improved performance of OLEDs was obtained after using ordered PEDOT LB film as hole injection layer. It also indicated that well-ordered structure of hole injection layer was attributed to the improvement of OLED performance, leading to the increase of charged carrier mobility in hole injection layer and the recombination rate of electrons and holes in the electroluminescent layer.

  20. On hole spectra at YBa2Cu3O7 surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calandra, C.; Manghi, F.; Minerva, T.

    1989-01-01

    The author present a theoretical study of the modification of the one-hole spectra induced by the surface in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . Basal plane surface terminated either with Ba or CuO planes are considered. Correlation effects are included by using a Hubbard model Hamiltonian and by calculating the self-energy in the low density approximation. The results indicate that both the main bands and the satellites are sensitive to the choice of the surface

  1. Performance Enhancement of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Using Electron-Injection Materials of Metal Carbonates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Jong-Yeol; Kim, Tae Wan; Kim, Gwi-Yeol; Lee, Su-Min; Shrestha, Bhanu; Hong, Jin-Woong

    2016-05-01

    Performance of organic light-emitting diodes was investigated depending on the electron-injection materials of metal carbonates (Li2CO3 and Cs2CO3 ); and number of layers. In order to improve the device efficiency, two types of devices were manufactured by using the hole-injection material (Teflon-amorphous fluoropolymer -AF) and electron-injection materials; one is a two-layer reference device ( ITO/Teflon-AF/Alq3/Al ) and the other is a three-layer device (ITO/Teflon-AF/Alq3/metal carbonate/Al). From the results of the efficiency for the devices with hole-injection layer and electron-injection layer, it was found that the electron-injection layer affects the electrical properties of the device more than the hole-injection layer. The external-quantum efficiency for the three-layer device with Li2CO3 and Cs2CO3 layer is improved by approximately six and eight times, respectively, compared with that of the two-layer reference device. It is thought that a use of electron-injection layer increases recombination rate of charge carriers by the active injection of electrons and the blocking of holes.

  2. Influences of bulk and surface recombinations on the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie, Ziang; Sun, Shuren; Yan, Yu; Wang, Wei; Qin, Laixiang; Qin, G G

    2016-01-01

    For a novel kind of solar cell (SC) material, it is critical to estimate how far the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the SCs made of it can go. In 2010 Han and Chen proposed the equation for the ultimate efficiency of SCs without considering the carrier recombination η un . η un is capable of estimating the theoretical upper limits of the SC efficiencies and has attracted much attention. However, carrier recombination, which is one of the key factors influencing the PCEs of the SCs, is ignored in the equation for η un . In this paper, we develop a novel equation to calculate the ultimate efficiency for the SCs, η ur , which considers both the bulk and the surface carrier recombinations. The novel equation for η ur can estimate how much the bulk and the surface carrier recombinations influence the PCEs of the SCs. Moreover, with η ur we can estimate how much PCE improvement space can be gained only by reducing the influence of the carrier recombination to the least. The perovskite organometal trihalide SCs have attracted tremendous attention lately. For the planar CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 SCs, in the material depth range from 31.25–2000 nm, we apply the equation of η ur to investigate how the bulk and the surface carrier recombinations affect PCE. From a typically reported PCE of 15% for the planar CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 SC, using the equation of η ur , it is concluded that by reducing the influence of carrier recombination to the least the improvement of PCE is in the range of 17–30%. (paper)

  3. Hole transport and photoluminescence in Mg-doped InN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, N.; Ager III, J. W.; Smith III, H. M.; Mayer, M. A.; Yu, K. M.; Haller, E. E.; Walukiewicz, W.; Schaff, W. J.; Gallinat, C.; Koblmuller, G.; Speck, J. S.

    2010-03-24

    Hole conductivity and photoluminescence were studied in Mg-doped InN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Because surface electron accumulation interferes with carrier type determination by electrical measurements, the nature of the majority carriers in the bulk of the films was determined using thermopower measurements. Mg concentrations in a"window" from ca. 3 x 1017 to 1 x 1019 cm-3 produce hole-conducting, p-type films as evidenced by a positive Seebeck coecient. This conclusion is supported by electrolyte-based capacitance voltage measurements and by changes in the overall mobility observed by Hall effect, both of which are consistent with a change from surface accumulation on an n-type film to surface inversion on a p-type film. The observed Seebeck coefficients are understood in terms of a parallel conduction model with contributions from surface and bulk regions. In partially compensated films with Mg concentrations below the window region, two peaks are observed in photoluminescence at 672 meV and at 603 meV. They are attributed to band-to-band and band-to-acceptor transitions, respectively, and an acceptor binding energy of ~;;70 meV is deduced. In hole-conducting films with Mg concentrations in the window region, no photoluminescence is observed; this is attributed to electron trapping by deep states which are empty for Fermi levels close to the valence band edge.

  4. Hole and electron extraction layers based on graphene oxide derivatives for high-performance bulk heterojunction solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jun; Xue, Yuhua; Gao, Yunxiang; Yu, Dingshan; Durstock, Michael; Dai, Liming

    2012-05-02

    By charge neutralization of carboxylic acid groups in graphene oxide (GO) with Cs(2)CO(3) to afford Cesium-neutralized GO (GO-Cs), GO derivatives with appropriate modification are used as both hole- and electron-extraction layers for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The normal and inverted devices based on GO hole- and GO-Cs electron-extraction layers both outperform the corresponding standard BHJ solar cells. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Magnetometry of low-dimensional electron and hole systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Usher, A [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Elliott, M [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Queens Buildings, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom)], E-mail: a.usher@exeter.ac.uk, E-mail: elliottm@cf.ac.uk

    2009-03-11

    The high-magnetic-field, low-temperature magnetic properties of low-dimensional electron and hole systems reveal a wealth of fundamental information. Quantum oscillations of the thermodynamic equilibrium magnetization yield the total density of states, a central quantity in understanding the quantum Hall effect in 2D systems. The magnetization arising from non-equilibrium circulating currents reveals details, not accessible with traditional measurements, of the vanishingly small longitudinal resistance in the quantum Hall regime. We review how the technique of magnetometry has been applied to these systems, the most important discoveries that have been made, and their theoretical significance. (topical review)

  6. K-shell-hole production, multiple-hole production, charge transfer, and antisymmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reading, J.F.; Ford, A.L.

    1980-01-01

    In calculating K-shell-hole production when an ion collides with an atom, account must be taken of the fact that processes involving electrons other than the K-shell electron can occur. For example, after making a K-shell hole an L-shell electron may be knocked into it, or an L-shell vacancy may be produced and the K-shell electron promoted to that vacancy in the ''Fermi sea'' of the target-atom orbitals. In 1973 a theorem was proved by one of the present authors demonstrating that all these multielectron processes cancel in an independent-particle model for the target atom. In this paper it is shown that the same thing occurs for hole production by charge transfer to the ion. The authors demonstrate that multihole production does not obey this simple rule and that the probability for multihole production is not the product of independent single-electron probabilities. The correct expressions that should be used for these processes are given, together with new results for charge-transfer processes accompanied by hole production

  7. Resonant third-harmonic generation of a short-pulse laser from electron-hole plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kant, Niti [Department of Physics, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144 402 (India); Nandan Gupta, Devki [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007 (India); Suk, Hyyong [Advanced Photonics Research Institute (APRI) and Graduate Program of Photonics and Applied Physics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500 712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-01-15

    In semiconductors, free carriers are created in pairs in inter-band transitions and consist of an electron and its corresponding hole. At very high carrier densities, carrier-carrier collisions dominate over carrier-lattice collisions and carriers begin to behave collectively to form plasma. Here, we apply a short-pulse laser to generate third-harmonic radiation from a semiconductor plasma (electron-hole plasma) in the presence of a transverse wiggler magnetic-field. The process of third-harmonic generation of an intense short-pulse laser is resonantly enhanced by the magnetic wiggler, i.e., wiggler magnetic field provides the necessary momentum to third-harmonic photons. In addition, a high-power laser radiation, propagating through a semiconductor imparts an oscillatory velocity to the electrons and exerts a ponderomotive force on electrons at the third-harmonic frequency of the laser. This oscillatory velocity produces a third-harmonic longitudinal current. And due to the beating of the longitudinal electron velocity and the wiggler magnetic field, a transverse third-harmonic current is produced that drives third-harmonic electromagnetic radiation. It is finally observed that for a specific wiggler wave number value, the phase-matching conditions for the process are satisfied, leading to resonant enhancement in the energy conversion efficiency.

  8. Resonant third-harmonic generation of a short-pulse laser from electron-hole plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kant, Niti; Nandan Gupta, Devki; Suk, Hyyong

    2012-01-01

    In semiconductors, free carriers are created in pairs in inter-band transitions and consist of an electron and its corresponding hole. At very high carrier densities, carrier-carrier collisions dominate over carrier-lattice collisions and carriers begin to behave collectively to form plasma. Here, we apply a short-pulse laser to generate third-harmonic radiation from a semiconductor plasma (electron-hole plasma) in the presence of a transverse wiggler magnetic-field. The process of third-harmonic generation of an intense short-pulse laser is resonantly enhanced by the magnetic wiggler, i.e., wiggler magnetic field provides the necessary momentum to third-harmonic photons. In addition, a high-power laser radiation, propagating through a semiconductor imparts an oscillatory velocity to the electrons and exerts a ponderomotive force on electrons at the third-harmonic frequency of the laser. This oscillatory velocity produces a third-harmonic longitudinal current. And due to the beating of the longitudinal electron velocity and the wiggler magnetic field, a transverse third-harmonic current is produced that drives third-harmonic electromagnetic radiation. It is finally observed that for a specific wiggler wave number value, the phase-matching conditions for the process are satisfied, leading to resonant enhancement in the energy conversion efficiency.

  9. Ion accumulation in an electron plasma confined on magnetic surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berkery, John W.; Marksteiner, Quinn R.; Pedersen, Thomas Sunn; Kremer, Jason P.

    2007-01-01

    Accumulation of ions can alter and may destabilize the equilibrium of an electron plasma confined on magnetic surfaces. An analysis of ion sources and ion content in the Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT) [T.S. Pedersen, J.P. Kremer, R.G. Lefrancois, Q. Marksteiner, N. Pomphrey, W. Reiersen, F. Dahlgreen, and X. Sarasola, Fusion Sci. Technol. 50, 372 (2006)] is presented. In CNT ions are created preferentially at locations of high electron temperature, near the outer magnetic surfaces. A volumetric integral of n e ν iz gives an ion creation rate of 2.8x10 11 ions/s. This rate of accumulation would cause neutralization of a plasma with 10 11 electrons in about half a second. This is not observed experimentally, however, because currently in CNT ions are lost through recombination on insulated rods. From a steady-state balance between the calculated ion creation and loss rates, the equilibrium ion density in a 2x10 -8 Torr neutral pressure, 7.5x10 11 m -3 electron density plasma in CNT is calculated to be n i =6.2x10 9 m -3 , or 0.8%. The ion density is experimentally measured through the measurement of the ion saturation current on a large area probe to be about 6.0x10 9 m -3 for these plasmas, which is in good agreement with the predicted value

  10. The Effect of Slab Holes on the Surrounding Mantle Flow Field and the Surface from a Multi-Disciplinary Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portner, D. E.; Kiraly, A.; Makushkina, A.; Parks, B. H.; Ghosh, T.; Haynie, K. L.; Metcalf, K.; Manga, M.; O'Farrell, K. A.; Moresi, L. N.; Jadamec, M. A.; Stern, R. J.

    2017-12-01

    Large-scale detachment of subducting slabs can have a significant geologic footprint by altering the slab-driven mantle flow field as hot subslab mantle can flow upward through the newly developed opening in the slab. The resulting increase in heat and vertical motion in the mantle wedge may contribute to volcanism and broad surface uplift. Recent geodynamic modeling results show that smaller tears and holes are similarly likely to form in many settings, such as where oceanic ridges or continental fragments subduct. High-resolution seismic tomography models are imaging an increasing number of these gaps and tears ranging in size from tens to hundreds of km in size, many of which occur proximal to alkali volcanism. Here we investigate the role of such gaps on the subduction-induced mantle flow field and related surface response. In particular, we address the relationships between slab hole size, depth, and distance from the slab edge and the magnitude of dynamic response of the mantle using analog experiments and numerical simulations. In the laboratory models, the subduction system is simplified to a two-layered Newtonian viscous sheet model. Our setup consists of a tank filled with glucose syrup and a plate made from silicon putty to model the upper mantle and subducting lithosphere, respectively. In each experiment, we pre-cut a rectangular hole with variable width into the silicon putty plate. Additionally, we perform a series of complementary numerical models using the Underworld geophysical modeling code to calculate the more detailed instantaneous mantle flow perturbation induced by the slab hole. Together, these results imply a strong effect of hole size on mantle flow. Similarly, the depth of the slab hole influences near-surface flow, with significant surface flow alteration when the hole is near the trench and diminishing surface deformation as the hole is dragged deeper into the mantle. The inferred consequence of the dependence of vertical mantle flux

  11. Photoionization and electron-ion recombination of Fe XVII for high temperature plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2012-01-01

    Earlier studies on electron-ion recombination of Fe XVII, e+FeXVIII→FeXVII, concentrated on low temperature region. However, due to its higher abundance, recombination in the high temperature region is of great importance. Total and level-specific recombination cross sections and rates of Fe XVII are presented from the detailed study in the high temperature. The calculations were carried out using the unified method which incorporates both the radiative recombination (RR) and dielectronic recombination (DR) including the interference effects. The method also yields self-consistent set of recombination rates and photoionization cross sections. Unified method is implemented through relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) method and close coupling (CC) approximation. For the details of the high energy and high temperature features a CC wave function expansion consisting of 60 levels from n=2 and 3 complexes of the core Fe XVIII was considered. Earlier study included core excitations to n=2 levels only. It is found that the resonances due to core excitations to n=3 levels are much more extensive and stronger than those to n=2 levels and increase the recombination considerably in the high temperature region. While earlier study of 3-level calculations agree very well with the experimentally derived low temperature recombination, the high temperature rate shows a broad peak at about 5×10 6 K, near the maximum abundance of the ion, due to dominance of DR via PEC (photo-excitation-of-core) resonances of n=3 levels. Level-specific recombination rate coefficients, which include both the RR and DR, are presented for 454 levels (n≤10, l≤9, 0 ≤J≤8 with even and odd parities) of Fe XVII. This is the first large-scale BPRM calculations for recombination of a complex atomic system beyond He- and Li-like ions. The results are expected to be accurate with 10-20% uncertainty and provide accurate modelings of ultraviolet to X-ray spectra.

  12. Anisotropic surface hole-transport property of triphenylamine-derivative single crystal prepared by solution method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Umeda, Minoru, E-mail: mumeda@vos.nagaokaut.ac.jp [Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan); Katagiri, Mitsuhiko; Shironita, Sayoko [Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan); Nagayama, Norio [Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan); Ricoh Company, Ltd., Nishisawada, Numazu, Shizuoka 410-0007 (Japan)

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • A hole transport molecule was investigated based on its electrochemical redox characteristics. • The solubility and supersolubility curves of the molecule were measured in order to prepare a large crystal. • The polarization micrograph and XRD results revealed that a single crystal was obtained. • An anisotropic surface conduction, in which the long-axis direction exceeds that of the amorphous layer, was observed. • The anisotropic surface conduction was well explained by the molecular stacked structure. - Abstract: This paper reports the anisotropic hole transport at the triphenylamine-derivative single crystal surface prepared by a solution method. Triphenylamine derivatives are commonly used in a hole-transport material for organic photoconductors of laser-beam printers, in which the materials are used as an amorphous form. For developing organic photovoltaics using the photoconductor’s technology, preparation of a single crystal seems to be a specific way by realizing the high mobility of an organic semiconductor. In this study, a single crystal of 4-(2,2-diphenylethenyl)-N,N-bis(4-methylphenyl)-benzenamine (TPA) was prepared and its anisotropic hole-transport property measured. First, the hole-transport property of the TPA was investigated based on its chemical structure and electrochemical redox characteristics. Next, a large-scale single crystal formation at a high rate was developed by employing a solution method based on its solubility and supersolubility curves. The grown TPA was found to be a single crystal based on the polarization micrograph observation and crystallographic analysis. For the TPA single crystal, an anisotropic surface conduction was found, which was well explained by its molecular stack structure. The measured current in the long-axis direction is one order of magnitude greater than that of amorphous TPA.

  13. Chromium Trioxide Hole-Selective Heterocontacts for Silicon Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wenjie; Wu, Weiliang; Liu, Zongtao; Qiu, Kaifu; Cai, Lun; Yao, Zhirong; Ai, Bin; Liang, Zongcun; Shen, Hui

    2018-04-25

    A high recombination rate and high thermal budget for aluminum (Al) back surface field are found in the industrial p-type silicon solar cells. Direct metallization on lightly doped p-type silicon, however, exhibits a large Schottky barrier for the holes on the silicon surface because of Fermi-level pinning effect. As a result, low-temperature-deposited, dopant-free chromium trioxide (CrO x , x solar cell as a hole-selective contact at the rear surface. By using 4 nm CrO x between the p-type silicon and Ag, we achieve a reduction of the contact resistivity for the contact of Ag directly on p-type silicon. For further improvement, we utilize a CrO x (2 nm)/Ag (30 nm)/CrO x (2 nm) multilayer film on the contact between Ag and p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) to achieve a lower contact resistance (40 mΩ·cm 2 ). The low-resistivity Ohmic contact is attributed to the high work function of the uniform CrO x film and the depinning of the Fermi level of the SiO x layer at the silicon interface. Implementing the advanced hole-selective contacts with CrO x /Ag/CrO x on the p-type silicon solar cell results in a power conversion efficiency of 20.3%, which is 0.1% higher than that of the cell utilizing 4 nm CrO x . Compared with the commercialized p-type solar cell, the novel CrO x -based hole-selective transport material opens up a new possibility for c-Si solar cells using high-efficiency, low-temperature, and dopant-free deposition techniques.

  14. Analysis and 3D inspection system of drill holes in aeronautical surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubio, R.; Granero, L.; Sanz, M.; García, J.; Micó, V.

    2017-06-01

    In aerospace industry, the structure of the aircraft is assembled using small parts or a combination of them that are made with different materials, such as for instance aluminium, titanium, composites or even 3D printed parts. The union between these small parts is a critical point for the integrity of the aircraft. The quality of this union will decide the fatigue of adjacent components and therefore the useful life of them. For the union process the most extended method is the rivets, mainly because their low cost and easy manufacturing. For this purpose it is necessary to made drill holes in the aeronautical surface to insert the rivets. In this contribution, we present the preliminary results of a 3D inspection system [1] for drill holes analysis in aeronautical surfaces. The system, based in optical triangulation, was developed by the Group of Optoelectronic Image Processing from the University of Valencia in the framework of the Airbus Defence and Space (AD&S), MINERVA project (Manufacturing industrial - means emerging from validated automation). The capabilities of the system permits to generate a point cloud with 3D information and GD&T (geometrical dimensions and tolerances) characteristics of the drill hole. For the inner surface defects detection, the system can generate an inner image of the drill hole with a scaled axis to obtain the defect position. In addition, we present the analysis performed for the drills in the wing station of the A-400 M. In this analysis the system was tested for diameters in the range of [10 - 15.96] mm, and for Carbon Fibre.

  15. Binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions with electrons in He-D2 plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J.; Korolov, I.; Plasil, R.; Kotrik, T.; Dohnal, P.; Novotny, O.; Varju, J.; Roucka, S.; Greene, Chris H.; Kokoouline, V.

    2009-01-01

    An experimental study is reported about the recombination of D 3 + ions with electrons in a low-temperature plasma (200-300 K) consisting of He with a small admixture of D 2 . At several temperatures, the pressure dependence of the apparent binary recombination rate coefficient (α eff ) was measured over a broad range of helium pressures (200-2000 Pa). The binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients were obtained from measured pressure dependences of α eff . The binary recombination rate coefficient obtained α bin (300 K)=(2.7±0.9)x10 -8 cm 3 s -1 is in agreement with recent theory. The ternary recombination rate coefficient obtained is K He (300 K)=(1.8±0.6)x10 -25 cm 6 s -1 . In analogy with the recently described process of helium-assisted ternary recombination of H 3 + ions, it is suggested that the ternary helium-assisted recombination of D 3 + ions proceeds through the formation of a neutral long-lived highly excited Rydberg molecule D 3 followed by a collision with a He atom.

  16. Binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions with electrons in He-D2 plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosík, J.; Korolov, I.; Plašil, R.; Kotrík, T.; Dohnal, P.; Novotný, O.; Varju, J.; Roučka, Š.; Greene, Chris H.; Kokoouline, V.

    2009-10-01

    An experimental study is reported about the recombination of D3+ ions with electrons in a low-temperature plasma (200-300 K) consisting of He with a small admixture of D2 . At several temperatures, the pressure dependence of the apparent binary recombination rate coefficient (αeff) was measured over a broad range of helium pressures (200-2000 Pa). The binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients were obtained from measured pressure dependences of αeff . The binary recombination rate coefficient obtained αbin(300K)=(2.7±0.9)×10-8cm3s-1 is in agreement with recent theory. The ternary recombination rate coefficient obtained is KHe(300K)=(1.8±0.6)×10-25cm6s-1 . In analogy with the recently described process of helium-assisted ternary recombination of H3+ ions, it is suggested that the ternary helium-assisted recombination of D3+ ions proceeds through the formation of a neutral long-lived highly excited Rydberg molecule D3 followed by a collision with a He atom.

  17. Effect of dye-doped concentration on the charge carrier recombination in molecularly doped organic light-emitting devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Jiangshan; Ma Dongge [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

    2006-05-21

    The effect of the concentration of 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6- (1, 1, 7, 7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB) as dopant in tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq{sub 3}) on the charge carrier recombination was studied by transient electroluminescence (EL). The electron-hole recombination coefficient ({gamma}) was determined from the long-time component of the temporal decay of the EL intensity after a rectangular voltage pulse was turned off. It was found that the coefficient monotonically decreased with an increase in the DCJTB-doping concentration. The monotonic decrease is attributed to concentration quenching on the excitons and coincided well with the reduction of the EL efficiency.

  18. Photoionization and Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2000-01-01

    Theoretically self-consistent calculations for photoionization and (e + ion) recombination are described. The same eigenfunction expansion for the ion is employed in coupled channel calculations for both processes, thus ensuring consistency between cross sections and rates. The theoretical treatment of (e + ion) recombination subsumes both the non-resonant recombination ("radiative recombination"), and the resonant recombination ("di-electronic recombination") processes in a unified scheme. In addition to the total, unified recombination rates, level-specific recombination rates and photoionization cross sections are obtained for a large number of atomic levels. Both relativistic Breit-Pauli, and non-relativistic LS coupling, calculations are carried out in the close coupling approximation using the R-matrix method. Although the calculations are computationally intensive, they yield nearly all photoionization and recombination parameters needed for astrophysical photoionization models with higher precision than hitherto possible, estimated at about 10-20% from comparison with experimentally available data (including experimentally derived DR rates). Results are electronically available for over 40 atoms and ions. Photoionization and recombination of He-, and Li-like C and Fe are described for X-ray modeling. The unified method yields total and complete (e+ion) recombination rate coefficients, that can not otherwise be obtained theoretically or experimentally.

  19. Hole and electron extraction layers based on graphene oxide derivatives for high-performance bulk heterojunction solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jun; Gao, Yunxiang; Yu, Dingshan; Dai, Liming [Center of Advanced Science and Engineering for Carbon, Department of Macromolecular, Science and Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Xue, Yuhua [Center of Advanced Science and Engineering for Carbon, Department of Macromolecular, Science and Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Institute of Advanced Materials for Nano-Bio Applications, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College, Zhejiang 325027 (China); Durstock, Michael [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, RXBP, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433 (United States)

    2012-05-02

    By charge neutralization of carboxylic acid groups in graphene oxide (GO) with Cs{sub 2}CO{sub 3} to afford Cesium-neutralized GO (GO-Cs), GO derivatives with appropriate modification are used as both hole- and electron-extraction layers for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The normal and inverted devices based on GO hole- and GO-Cs electron-extraction layers both outperform the corresponding standard BHJ solar cells. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  20. Geometry and surface damage in micro electrical discharge machining of micro-holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekmekci, Bülent; Sayar, Atakan; Tecelli Öpöz, Tahsin; Erden, Abdulkadir

    2009-10-01

    Geometry and subsurface damage of blind micro-holes produced by micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) is investigated experimentally to explore the relational dependence with respect to pulse energy. For this purpose, micro-holes are machined with various pulse energies on plastic mold steel samples using a tungsten carbide tool electrode and a hydrocarbon-based dielectric liquid. Variations in the micro-hole geometry, micro-hole depth and over-cut in micro-hole diameter are measured. Then, unconventional etching agents are applied on the cross sections to examine micro structural alterations within the substrate. It is observed that the heat-damaged segment is composed of three distinctive layers, which have relatively high thicknesses and vary noticeably with respect to the drilling depth. Crack formation is identified on some sections of the micro-holes even by utilizing low pulse energies during machining. It is concluded that the cracking mechanism is different from cracks encountered on the surfaces when machining is performed by using the conventional EDM process. Moreover, an electrically conductive bridge between work material and debris particles is possible at the end tip during machining which leads to electric discharges between the piled segments of debris particles and the tool electrode during discharging.

  1. Geometry and surface damage in micro electrical discharge machining of micro-holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ekmekci, Bülent; Sayar, Atakan; Öpöz, Tahsin Tecelli; Erden, Abdulkadir

    2009-01-01

    Geometry and subsurface damage of blind micro-holes produced by micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) is investigated experimentally to explore the relational dependence with respect to pulse energy. For this purpose, micro-holes are machined with various pulse energies on plastic mold steel samples using a tungsten carbide tool electrode and a hydrocarbon-based dielectric liquid. Variations in the micro-hole geometry, micro-hole depth and over-cut in micro-hole diameter are measured. Then, unconventional etching agents are applied on the cross sections to examine micro structural alterations within the substrate. It is observed that the heat-damaged segment is composed of three distinctive layers, which have relatively high thicknesses and vary noticeably with respect to the drilling depth. Crack formation is identified on some sections of the micro-holes even by utilizing low pulse energies during machining. It is concluded that the cracking mechanism is different from cracks encountered on the surfaces when machining is performed by using the conventional EDM process. Moreover, an electrically conductive bridge between work material and debris particles is possible at the end tip during machining which leads to electric discharges between the piled segments of debris particles and the tool electrode during discharging

  2. Binary recombination of para- and ortho-H3+ with electrons at low temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, P; Hejduk, M; Varju, J; Rubovic, P; Roucka, S; Kotrík, T; Plasil, R; Johnsen, R; Glosík, J

    2012-11-13

    Results of an experimental study of binary recombination of para- and ortho-H(3)(+) ions with electrons are presented. Near-infrared cavity-ring-down absorption spectroscopy was used to probe the lowest rotational states of H(3)(+) ions in the temperature range of 77-200 K in an H(3)(+)-dominated afterglow plasma. By changing the para/ortho abundance ratio, we were able to obtain the binary recombination rate coefficients for pure and para-H(3)(+) and ortho-H(3)(+). The results are in good agreement with previous theoretical predictions.

  3. Electronic hole localization in rutile and anatase TiO2 - Self-interaction correction in Delta-SCF DFT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zawadzki, Pawel; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel; Rossmeisl, Jan

    2011-01-01

    We study electronic hole localization in rutile and anatase titanium dioxide by means of Δ-Self-Consistent Field Density Functional Theory. In order to compare stabilities of the localized and the delocalized hole states we introduce a simple correction to the wrong description of the localizatio...

  4. The effects of electron and hole transport layer with the electrode work function on perovskite solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Quanrong; Li, Yiqi; Chen, Lian; Wang, Shenggao; Wang, Geming; Sheng, Yonglong; Shao, Guosheng

    2016-09-01

    The effects of electron and hole transport layer with the electrode work function on perovskite solar cells with the interface defects were simulated by using analysis of microelectronic and photonic structures-one-dimensional (AMPS-1D) software. The simulation results suggest that TiO2 electron transport layer provides best device performance with conversion efficiency of 25.9% compared with ZnO and CdS. The threshold value of back electrode work function for Spiro-OMeTAD, NiO, CuI and Cu2O hole transport layer are calculated to be 4.9, 4.8, 4.7 and 4.9 eV, respectively, to reach the highest conversion efficiency. The mechanisms of device physics with various electron and hole transport materials are discussed in details. The device performance deteriorates gradually as the increased density of interface defects located at ETM/absorber or absorber/HTM. This research results can provide helpful guidance for materials and metal electrode choice for perovskite solar cells.

  5. Surface Electronic Structure of Hybrid Organo Lead Bromide Perovskite Single Crystals

    KAUST Repository

    Komesu, Takashi

    2016-08-24

    The electronic structure and band dispersion of methylammonium lead bromide, CH3NH3PbBr3, has been investigated through a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES), as well as theoretical modeling based on density functional theory. The experimental band structures are consistent with the density functional calculations. The results demonstrate the presence of a dispersive valence band in MAPbBr3 that peaks at the M point of the surface Brillouin zone. The results also indicate that the surface termination of the CH3NH3PbBr3 is the methylammonium bromide (CH3NH3Br) layer. We find our results support models that predict a heavier hole effective mass in the region of -0.23 to -0.26 me, along the Γ (surface Brillouin center) to M point of the surface Brillouin zone. The surface appears to be n-type as a result of an excess of lead in the surface region. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

  6. Selectivity control of photosensitive structures based on gallium arsenide phosphide solid solutions by changing the rate of surface recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasov, S A; Andreev, M Y; Lamkin, I A; Solomonov, A V

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate the effect of surface recombination on spectral sensitivity of structures based on gallium arsenide phosphide solid solutions. Simulation of the effect for structures based on a p-n junction and a Schottky barrier was carried out. Photodetectors with different rates of surface recombination were fabricated by using different methods of preliminary treatment of the semiconductor surface. We experimentally demonstrated the possibility to control photodetector selectivity by altering the rate of surface recombination. The full width at half maximum was reduced by almost 4 times, while a relatively small decrease in sensitivity at the maximum was observed. (paper)

  7. Decay characteristics of electronic charged states of Si quantum dots as evaluated by an AFM/Kelvin probe technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishitani, Junichiro; Makihara, Katsunori; Ikeda, Mitsuhisa; Murakami, Hideki; Higashi, Seiichiro; Miyazaki, Seiichi

    2006-01-01

    Si quantum dots (Si-QDs) with an areal dot density of 8 x 10 11 cm -2 on SiO 2 have been prepared by the thermal decomposition of monosilane to characterize charged states of Si-QDs using AFM/Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM). The temporal changes in the surface potential induced by electron charging and discharging at Si-QDs covered with a ∼ 2-nm-thick oxide layer have been measured. In electron charging and discharging at Si-QDs, a Rh-coated AFM tip was electrically biased in the range of - 5 to 5 V and scanned on the sample surface in a tapping mode. The surface potential changes on Si-QDs by electron injection and extraction were observable, while no potential change was detected elsewhere. The surface potential of charged Si-QDs decays with time at rates depending on charge injection conditions. The observed decay characteristics can be interpreted in terms of discharging of stored electrons in Si-QDs due to electron tunneling through the bottom oxide to the substrate and neutralization of stored holes due to recombination with electrons tunneling from the substrates. The defect generation in oxide is likely to be responsible for a fairly slow decay as observed in the case of electron extraction by the tip bias as high as + 4.8 V with respect to p-Si(100)

  8. Improved photovoltaic performance and stability of quantum dot sensitized solar cells using Mn-ZnSe shell structure with enhanced light absorption and recombination control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopi, Chandu V V M; Venkata-Haritha, M; Kim, Soo-Kyoung; Kim, Hee-Je

    2015-08-07

    To make quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) competitive, photovoltaic parameters comparable to those of other emerging solar cell technologies are necessary. In the present study, ZnSe was used as an alternative to ZnS, one of the most widely used passivation materials in QDSSCs. ZnSe was deposited on a TiO2-CdS-CdSe photoanode to form a core-shell structure, which was more efficient in terms of reducing the electron recombination in QDSSCs. The development of an efficient passivation layer is a requirement for preventing recombination processes in order to attain high-performance and stable QDSSCs. A layer of inorganic Mn-ZnSe was applied to a QD-sensitized photoanode to enhance the adsorption and strongly inhibit interfacial recombination processes in QDSSCs, which greatly improved the power conversion efficiency. Impedance spectroscopy revealed that the combined Mn doping with ZnSe treatment reduces interfacial recombination and increases charge collection efficiency compared with Mn-ZnS, ZnS, and ZnSe. A solar cell based on the CdS-CdSe-Mn-ZnSe photoanode yielded excellent performance with a solar power conversion efficiency of 5.67%, Voc of 0.584 V, and Jsc of 17.59 mA cm(-2). Enhanced electron transport and reduced electron recombination are responsible for the improved Jsc and Voc of the QDSSCs. The effective electron lifetime of the device with Mn-ZnSe was higher than those with Mn-ZnS, ZnSe, and ZnS, leading to more efficient electron-hole separation and slower electron recombination.

  9. Electron capture by highly charged ions from surfaces and gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, F.

    2008-01-01

    In this study highly charged ions produced in Electron Beam Ion Traps are used to investigate electron capture from surfaces and gases. The experiments with gas targets focus on spectroscopic measurements of the K-shell x-rays emitted at the end of radiative cascades following electron capture into Rydberg states of Ar 17+ and Ar 18+ ions as a function of collision energy. The ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at an energy of 2 keVu -1 , charge-selected and then decelerated down to 5 eVu -1 for interaction with an argon gas target. For decreasing collision energies a shift to electron capture into low orbital angular momentum capture states is observed. Comparative measurements of the K-shell x-ray emission following electron capture by Ar 17+ and Ar 18+ ions from background gas in the trap are made and a discrepancy in the results compared with those from the extraction experiments is found. Possible explanations are discussed. For the investigation of electron capture from surfaces, highly charged ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at energies of 2 to 3 keVu -1 , charge-selected and directed onto targets comprising arrays of nanoscale apertures in silicon nitride membranes. The highly charged ions implemented are Ar 16+ and Xe 44+ and the aperture targets are formed by focused ion beam drilling in combination with ion beam assisted thin film deposition, achieving hole diameters of 50 to 300 nm and aspect ratios of 1:5 to 3:2. After transport through the nanoscale apertures the ions pass through an electrostatic charge state analyzer and are detected. The percentage of electron capture from the aperture walls is found to be much lower than model predictions and the results are discussed in terms of a capillary guiding mechanism. (orig.)

  10. Uncorrelated electron-hole transition energy in GaN|InGaN|GaN spherical QDQW nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haddou El Ghazi; Anouar Jorio and Izeddine Zorkani

    2013-01-01

    The electron (hole) energy and uncorrelated 1S e - 1S h electron-hole transition in Core(GaN)|well(In x Ga 1-x N)|shell(GaN) spherical QDQW nanoparticles is investigated as a function of the inner and the outer radii. The calculations are performed within the framework of the effective-mass approximation and the finite parabolic potential confinement barrier in which two confined parameters are taking account. The Indium composition effect is also investigated. A critical value of the outer and the inner ratio is obtained which constitutes the turning point of two indium composition behaviors. (author)

  11. Stress intensity factors for deep cracks emanating from the corner formed by a hole intersecting a plate surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcgowan, J. J.; Smith, C. W.

    1976-01-01

    The stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the end points of flaws emanating from the corner formed by the intersection of a plate with a hole were determined using stress freezing photoelasticity and a numerical technique known as the Taylor series correction method to extract the SIF values from the photoelastic data. The geometries studied were crack depth to thickness ratios of about 0.2, 0.5, and 0.75; crack depth to crack length ratios of about 1.0 to 2.0; and crack length to hole radius ratios of about 0.5 to 2.0. The SIFs were determined at the intersection of the flaw border with the plate surface (KS) and with the edge of the hole (KH). It is shown that extension of a crack emanating from a corner of intersection of a hole with a plate under monotonically increasing load is not self-similar and that as the flaw depth increases, KH decreases and KS increases. Existing theories and design criteria significantly overestimate the SIF at both the hole and the surface except for shallow flaws at the hole and deep flaws at the surface.

  12. DNA secondary structures are associated with recombination in major Plasmodium falciparum variable surface antigen gene families

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sander, Adam F.; Lavstsen, Thomas; Rask, Thomas Salhøj

    2014-01-01

    falciparum-erythrocyte membrane protein 1 class on the infected erythrocyte surface. Recombination clearly generates var diversity, but the nature and control of the genetic exchanges involved remain unclear. By experimental and bioinformatic identification of recombination events and genome...... of recombination during DNA replication in P. falciparum sexual stages, and that these DSS-regulated genetic exchanges generate functional and diverse P. falciparum adhesion antigens. DSS-induced recombination may represent a common mechanism for optimizing the evolvability of virulence gene families in pathogens....

  13. On the theory of a dissociative recombination of electrons and molecular ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golubkov, G.V.; Drygin, S.V.; Ivanov, G.K.

    1995-01-01

    The present paper deals with a detailed description of molecular recombination of the electron and two-atom molecular ion, as well as with consideration of the this complex quantum-mechanical process. It is shown that this relationship results in a displacement of vibrational resonance levels and deformation of line contour

  14. Limits for Recombination in a Low Energy Loss Organic Heterojunction

    KAUST Repository

    Menke, S. Matthew; Sadhanala, Aditya; Nikolka, Mark; Ran, Niva A.; Ravva, Mahesh Kumar; Abdel-Azeim, Safwat; Stern, Hannah L.; Wang, Ming; Sirringhaus, Henning; Nguyen, Thuc-Quyen; Bredas, Jean-Luc; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Friend, Richard H.

    2016-01-01

    Donor-acceptor organic solar cells often show high quantum yields for charge collection, but relatively low open-circuit voltages (VOC) limit power conversion efficiencies to around 12%. We report here the behavior of a system, PIPCP:PC61BM, that exhibits very low electronic disorder (Urbach energy less than 27 meV), very high carrier mobilities in the blend (field-effect mobility for holes >10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1), and a very low driving energy for initial charge separation (50 meV). These characteristics should give excellent performance, and indeed, the VOC is high relative to the donor energy gap. However, we find the overall performance is limited by recombination, with formation of lower-lying triplet excitons on the donor accounting for 90% of the recombination. We find this is a bimolecular process that happens on time scales as short as 100 ps. Thus, although the absence of disorder and the associated high carrier mobility speeds up charge diffusion and extraction at the electrodes, which we measure as early as 1 ns, this also speeds up the recombination channel, giving overall a modest quantum yield of around 60%. We discuss strategies to remove the triplet exciton recombination channel.

  15. Limits for Recombination in a Low Energy Loss Organic Heterojunction

    KAUST Repository

    Menke, S. Matthew

    2016-11-03

    Donor-acceptor organic solar cells often show high quantum yields for charge collection, but relatively low open-circuit voltages (VOC) limit power conversion efficiencies to around 12%. We report here the behavior of a system, PIPCP:PC61BM, that exhibits very low electronic disorder (Urbach energy less than 27 meV), very high carrier mobilities in the blend (field-effect mobility for holes >10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1), and a very low driving energy for initial charge separation (50 meV). These characteristics should give excellent performance, and indeed, the VOC is high relative to the donor energy gap. However, we find the overall performance is limited by recombination, with formation of lower-lying triplet excitons on the donor accounting for 90% of the recombination. We find this is a bimolecular process that happens on time scales as short as 100 ps. Thus, although the absence of disorder and the associated high carrier mobility speeds up charge diffusion and extraction at the electrodes, which we measure as early as 1 ns, this also speeds up the recombination channel, giving overall a modest quantum yield of around 60%. We discuss strategies to remove the triplet exciton recombination channel.

  16. Charge recombination processes in minerals studied using optically stimulated luminescence and time-resolved exo-electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukamoto, Sumiko; Murray, Andrew; Ankjaergaard, Christina; Jain, Mayank; Lapp, Torben

    2010-01-01

    A time-resolved optically stimulated exo-electron (TR-OSE) measurement system has been developed using a Photon Timer attached to a gas-flow semi-proportional pancake electron detector within a Risoe TL/OSL reader. The decay rate of the exo-electron emission after the stimulation pulse depends on the probability of (1) escape of electrons into the detector gas from the conduction band by overcoming the work function of the material and (2) thermalization of electrons in the conduction band, and subsequent re-trapping/recombination. Thus, we expect the exo-electron signal to reflect the instantaneous electron concentration in the conduction band. In this study, TR-OSE and time-resolved optically stimulated luminescence (TR-OSL) were measured for the first time using quartz, K-feldspar and NaCl by stimulating the samples using pulsed blue LEDs at different temperatures between 50 and 250 0 C after beta irradiation and preheating to 280 0 C. The majority of TR-OSE signals from all the samples decayed much faster than TR-OSL signals irrespective of the stimulation temperatures. This suggests that the lifetime of OSL in these dosimeters arises mainly from the relaxation of an excited state of the recombination centre, rather than from residence time of an electron in the conduction band.

  17. Formation of electrostatic double-layers and electron-holes in a low pressure mercury plasma column

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petraconi, G; Maciel, Homero S

    2003-01-01

    Experimental studies of the formation of electrostatic double layers (DLs) and electron-holes (e-holes) are reported. The measurements were performed in the positive column of a mercury arc discharge operating in the low-pressure range of (2.0-14.0) x 10 -2 Pa with current density in the range of (3.0-8.0) x 10 3 A m -2 . Stable and unstable modes of the discharge were identified as the current was gradually increased, keeping constant the vapour pressure. The discharge remains stable until a critical current from which a slight increase of the current leads to an unstable regime characterized by high discharge impedance and strong oscillations. This mode ceased after a DL was formed in the plasma column. To induce the DL formation and to transport it smoothly along the discharge column, a low intensity B-field (7-10) x 10 -3 T produced by a movable single coil was used. The B-field locally increases the electron current density and makes the DL form at the centre of the magnetic constriction where it remained at rest. Electrostatic potential structures compatible with ordinary DLs and multiple-layers could be formed in the plasma column by dealing with the combined effects of the operational parameters of the discharge. It is noticeable that a pure e-hole, which is a symmetric triple-layer having a bell shape potential profile, could easily be formed by means of this experimental technique. A partial kinetic description, based on the space charge structure derived from an experimental e-hole, is presented in order to infer the charged particle populations that could contribute to the space charge of the e-hole. Evidence is shown that strong e-hole formation might be driven by an ion beam, therefore it could not be formed in isolation since its formation requires a nearby ion accelerating potential structure. Probe measurements of the plasma properties, at various radial positions of the stable positive column, are also presented. In the stable mode, prior to

  18. Studies of electron-hole recombination processes at deep levels in GaAs and GaP by means of transient optical absorption spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, T.; Ishikawa, Y.; Tanimura, K.; Hayashi, Y.; Itoh, N.

    1989-01-01

    Studies of recombination processes by means of transient optical absorption (TOA) spectroscopy in GaAs and GaP are reviewed. It is pointed out that the technique can reveal production of excited states having long lifetimes and of non-luminescent metastable states. Two distinct recombination processes in GaAs containing EL2 defects are discussed: one is at the metastable EL2 defects, accompanied with transformation to the EL2 defects and the other is at deep acceptors through pair recombination. (author) 11 refs., 2 figs

  19. Piezo-Phototronic Effect on Selective Electron or Hole Transport through Depletion Region of Vis-NIR Broadband Photodiode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Haiyang; Li, Xiaogan; Peng, Wenbo; Wu, Wenzhuo; Yu, Ruomeng; Wu, Changsheng; Ding, Wenbo; Hu, Fei; Liu, Ruiyuan; Zi, Yunlong; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2017-08-01

    Silicon underpins nearly all microelectronics today and will continue to do so for some decades to come. However, for silicon photonics, the indirect band gap of silicon and lack of adjustability severely limit its use in applications such as broadband photodiodes. Here, a high-performance p-Si/n-ZnO broadband photodiode working in a wide wavelength range from visible to near-infrared light with high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability is reported. The absorption of near-infrared wavelength light is significantly enhanced due to the nanostructured/textured top surface. The general performance of the broadband photodiodes can be further improved by the piezo-phototronic effect. The enhancement of responsivity can reach a maximum of 78% to 442 nm illumination, the linearity and saturation limit to 1060 nm light are also significantly increased by applying external strains. The photodiode is illuminated with different wavelength lights to selectively choose the photogenerated charge carriers (either electrons or holes) passing through the depletion region, to investigate the piezo-phototronic effect on electron or hole transport separately for the first time. This is essential for studying the basic principles in order to develop a full understanding about piezotronics and it also enables the development of the better performance of optoelectronics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Spatial separation of electrons and holes for enhancing the gas-sensing property of a semiconductor: ZnO/ZnSnO3 nanorod arrays prepared by a hetero-epitaxial growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; Gao, Peng; Sha, Linna; Chi, Qianqian; Yang, Lei; Zhang, Jianjiao; Chen, Yujin; Zhang, Milin

    2018-04-01

    The construction of semiconductor composites is known as a powerful method used to realize the spatial separation of electrons and the holes in them, which can result in more electrons or holes and increase the dispersion of oxygen ions ({{{{O}}}2}- and O - ) (one of the most critical factors for their gas-sensing properties) on the surface of the semiconductor gas sensor. In this work, using 1D ZnO/ZnSnO3 nanoarrays as an example, which are prepared through a hetero-epitaxial growing process to construct a chemically bonded interface, the above strategy to attain a better semiconductor gas-sensing property has been realized. Compared with single ZnSnO3 nanotubes and no-matching ZnO/ZnSnO3 nanoarrays gas sensors, it has been proven by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectrum examination that the as-obtained ZnO/ZnSnO3 sensor showed a greatly increased quantity of active surface electrons with exceptional responses to trace target gases and much lower optimum working temperatures (less than about 170 °C). For example, the as-obtained ZnO/ZnSnO3 sensor exhibited an obvious response and short response/recovery time (less than 10 s) towards trace H2S gas (a detection limit down to 700 ppb). The high responses and dynamic repeatability observed in these sensors reveal that the strategy based on the as-presented electron and hole separation is reliable for improving the gas-sensing properties of semiconductors.

  1. Luminescence of high density electron-hole plasma in CdS and CdSe in a wide temperature range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshida, H.; Shionoya, S.

    1983-01-01

    Time-resolved spectra of the spontaneous luminescence of the high density electron-hole plasma (EHP) in CdS and CdSe are observed in a wide range of temperature which is surely higher than the calculated critical temperature for electron-hole liquid formation, in order to carry forward discussion on dynamic nature of the EHP previously observed in 4.2 K experiments. Spectra in the late stage are analyzed, and obtained values of the reduced bandgap energy and chemical potential are compared with those theoretically calculated for higher temperatures. The aspects of the change of the spectral shape in the late stage are hard to understand. Unfortunately no clear conclusion is drawn on the nature of the EHP produced at 4.2 K. The only thing one can say is that the condensed electron-hole liquid state, which is in equilibrium with the exciton state, is not realized. (author)

  2. Above-cutoff impedance measurements of pumping holes for the Collider Liner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walling, L.; Barts, T.; Ruiz, E.; Turner, W.; Spayd, N.

    1994-04-01

    A holed liner was considered for the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) Collider Ring because of vacuum problems caused by photon-induced desorption. The liner would serve to shield the cold surface of the beam tube from the synchrotron radiation and the holes (or slots) would allow distributed pumping by gas-absorption material that could be placed between the liner and the beam tube. The impedance of holes and slots in a liner were studied by means of simulations using both MAFIA and HFSS, analytical modelling, wire measurements and electron beam measurements

  3. Optical emission from low-energy ion-surface collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, C.W.; Thomas, E.W.; Van der Weg, W.F.; Tolk, N.H.

    1977-01-01

    Impact of energetic heavy particles on surfaces gives rise to emission of optical radiation from reflected particles, sputtered particles and also from excited states of the solid. The present status of research in this area is reviewed with emphasis on understanding the basic mechanisms which give rise to formation of excited states. The spectral line shape from ejected atoms may be analyzed to provide information on the distribution of speeds and directions of the excited species; the line intensity provides a measure of the probability for creating the state. Formation of excited species is related both to the collision processes within the solid and also to the interaction of the recoiling ejected species with the target surface. Most ejected species are atomic but important examples of ejected molecules are also discussed. Luminescence induced in the solid itself is related to recombination of electron hole pairs and is related significantly to the presence of defects

  4. Hydrogen collisions with transition metal surfaces: Universal electronically nonadiabatic adsorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorenkamp, Yvonne; Jiang, Hongyan; Köckert, Hansjochen; Hertl, Nils; Kammler, Marvin; Janke, Svenja M.; Kandratsenka, Alexander; Wodtke, Alec M.; Bünermann, Oliver

    2018-01-01

    Inelastic scattering of H and D atoms from the (111) surfaces of six fcc transition metals (Au, Pt, Ag, Pd, Cu, and Ni) was investigated, and in each case, excitation of electron-hole pairs dominates the inelasticity. The results are very similar for all six metals. Differences in the average kinetic energy losses between metals can mainly be attributed to different efficiencies in the coupling to phonons due to the different masses of the metal atoms. The experimental observations can be reproduced by molecular dynamics simulations based on full-dimensional potential energy surfaces and including electronic excitations by using electronic friction in the local density friction approximation. The determining factors for the energy loss are the electron density at the surface, which is similar for all six metals, and the mass ratio between the impinging atoms and the surface atoms. Details of the electronic structure of the metal do not play a significant role. The experimentally validated simulations are used to explore sticking over a wide range of incidence conditions. We find that the sticking probability increases for H and D collisions near normal incidence—consistent with a previously reported penetration-resurfacing mechanism. The sticking probability for H or D on any of these metals may be represented as a simple function of the incidence energy, Ein, metal atom mass, M, and incidence angle, 𝜗i n. S =(S0+a ṡEi n+b ṡM ) *(1 -h (𝜗i n-c ) (1 -cos(𝜗 i n-c ) d ṡh (Ei n-e ) (Ei n-e ) ) ) , where h is the Heaviside step function and for H, S0 = 1.081, a = -0.125 eV-1, b =-8.40 ṡ1 0-4 u-1, c = 28.88°, d = 1.166 eV-1, and e = 0.442 eV; whereas for D, S0 = 1.120, a = -0.124 eV-1, b =-1.20 ṡ1 0-3 u-1, c = 28.62°, d = 1.196 eV-1, and e = 0.474 eV.

  5. Adsorption and diffusion of Ga and N adatoms on GaN surfaces: Comparing the effects of Ga coverage and electronic excitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeuchi, Noboru; Selloni, Annabella; Myers, T. H.; Doolittle, A.

    2005-09-01

    We present density-functional-theory calculations of the binding and diffusion of Ga and N adatoms on GaN (0001) and (000-1) surfaces under different conditions, including stoichiometric and Ga-rich surfaces, as well as in the presence of electron-hole (e-h) pairs induced by light- or electron-beam irradiation. We find that both Ga-rich conditions and electronic excitations cause a significant reduction of the adatom diffusion barriers, as required to improve the quality of the material. However, the two effects are nonadditive, as the influence of e-h pairs are found to be less important for the more metallic situations.

  6. Observation of a hidden hole-like band approaching the fermi level in K-doped iron selenide superconductor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sunagawa, Masanori; Terashima, Kensei; Hamada, Takahiro

    2016-01-01

    One of the ultimate goals of the study of iron-based superconductors is to identify the common feature that produces the high critical temperature (T c ). In the early days, based on a weak-coupling viewpoint, the nesting between hole- and electron-like Fermi surfaces (FSs) leading to the so-called s± state was considered to be one such key feature. However, this theory has faced a serious challenge ever since the discovery of alkali-metal-doped FeSe (AFS) superconductors, in which only electron-like FSs with a nodeless superconducting gap are observed. Several theories have been proposed, but a consistent understanding is yet to be achieved. Here we show experimentally that a hole-like band exists in K x Fe 2-y Se 2 , which presumably forms a hole-like Fermi surface. The present study suggests that AFS can be categorized in the same group as iron arsenides with both hole- and electron-like FSs present. This result provides a foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the superconductivity in iron-based superconductors. (author)

  7. Recombination zone in white organic light emitting diodes with blue and orange emitting layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuboi, Taiju; Kishimoto, Tadashi; Wako, Kazuhiro; Matsuda, Kuniharu; Iguchi, Hirofumi

    2012-10-01

    White fluorescent OLED devices with a 10 nm thick blue-emitting layer and a 31 nm thick orange-emitting layer have been fabricated, where the blue-emitting layer is stacked on a hole transport layer. An interlayer was inserted between the two emitting layers. The thickness of the interlayer was changed among 0.3, 0.4, and 1.0 nm. White emission with CIE coordinates close to (0.33, 0.33) was observed from all the OLEDs. OLED with 0.3 nm thick interlayer gives the highest maximum luminous efficiency (11 cd/A), power efficiency (9 lm/W), and external quantum efficiency (5.02%). The external quantum efficiency becomes low with increasing the interlayer thickness from 0 nm to 1.0 nm. When the location of the blue- and orange-emitting layers is reversed, white emission was not obtained because of too weak blue emission. It is suggested that the electron-hole recombination zone decreases nearly exponentially with a distance from the hole transport layer.

  8. Ultrafast optical control of terahertz surface plasmons in subwavelength hole-arrays at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azad, Abul Kalam [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Chen, Hou - Tong [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Taylor, Antoinette [Los Alamos National Laboratory; O' Hara, John [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2010-12-10

    Extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength metallic hole-arrays has been an active research area since its first demonstration. The frequency selective resonance properties of subwavelength metallic hole arrays, generally known as surface plasmon polaritons, have potential use in functional plasmonic devices such as filters, modulators, switches, etc. Such plasmonic devices are also very promising for future terahertz applications. Ultrafast switching or modulation of the resonant behavior of the 2-D metallic arrays in terahertz frequencies is of particular interest for high speed communication and sensing applications. In this paper, we demonstrate optical control of surface plasmon enhanced resonant terahertz transmission in two-dimensional subwavelength metallic hole arrays fabricated on gallium arsenide based substrates. Optically pumping the arrays creates a conductive layer in the substrate reducing the terahertz transmission amplitude of both the resonant mode and the direct transmission. Under low optical fluence, the terahertz transmission is more greatly affected by resonance damping than by propagation loss in the substrate. An ErAs:GaAs nanoisland superlattice substrate is shown to allow ultrafast control with a switching recovery time of {approx}10 ps. We also present resonant terahertz transmission in a hybrid plasmonic film comprised of an integrated array of subwavelength metallic islands and semiconductor holes. A large dynamic transition between a dipolar localized surface plasmon mode and a surface plasmon resonance near 0.8 THz is observed under near infrared optical excitation. The reversal in transmission amplitude from a stopband to a passband and up to {pi}/2 phase shift achieved in the hybrid plasmonic film make it promising in large dynamic phase modulation, optical changeover switching, and active terahertz plasmonics.

  9. Bifurcation from stable holes to replicating holes in vibrated dense suspensions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebata, H; Sano, M

    2013-11-01

    In vertically vibrated starch suspensions, we observe bifurcations from stable holes to replicating holes. Above a certain acceleration, finite-amplitude deformations of the vibrated surface continue to grow until void penetrates fluid layers, and a hole forms. We studied experimentally and theoretically the parameter dependence of the holes and their stabilities. In suspensions of small dispersed particles, the circular shapes of the holes are stable. However, we find that larger particles or lower surface tension of water destabilize the circular shapes; this indicates the importance of capillary forces acting on the dispersed particles. Around the critical acceleration for bifurcation, holes show intermittent large deformations as a precursor to hole replication. We applied a phenomenological model for deformable domains, which is used in reaction-diffusion systems. The model can explain the basic dynamics of the holes, such as intermittent behavior, probability distribution functions of deformation, and time intervals of replication. Results from the phenomenological model match the linear growth rate below criticality that was estimated from experimental data.

  10. Measurement of surface recombination velocity on heavily doped indium phosphide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jenkins, P.; Ghalla-Goradia, M.; Faur, M.; Bailey, S.

    1990-01-01

    The controversy surrounding the published low values of surface recombination velocity (SRV) in n-InP, solidified in recent years when modeling of existing n/p InP solar cells revealed that the front surface SRV had to be higher than 1 x 10 6 cm/sec in order to justify the poor blue response that is characteristic of all n/p InP solar cells. In this paper, SRV on heavily doped (>10 18 cm -3 )n-type and p-type InP is measured as a function of surface treatment. For the limited range of substrates and surface treatments studied, SRV and surface stability depend strongly on the surface treatment. SRVs of ∼10 5 cm/sec in both p-type and n-type InP are obtainable, but in n-type the low SRV surfaces were unstable, and the only stable surfaces on n-type had SRVs of >10 6 cm/sec

  11. Broadband Cooling Spectra of Hot Electrons and Holes in PbSe Quantum Dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spoor, F.C.M.; Tomić, Stanko; Houtepen, A.J.; Siebbeles, L.D.A.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding cooling of hot charge carriers in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is of fundamental interest and useful to enhance the performance of QDs in photovoltaics. We study electron and hole cooling dynamics in PbSe QDs up to high energies where carrier multiplication occurs. We

  12. Dynamic study of a compressed electron layer during the hole-boring stage in a sharp-front laser interaction region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. P. Wang

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the dynamics of a compressed electron layer (CEL when a circularly polarized laser pulse with a sharp front irradiates a high-density foil. A time-dependent model for CEL motion during the hole-boring stage is proposed to describe details of the interaction for any shape of laser pulse. The opacity case, where the laser pulse is totally reflected, is investigated using this model. The results obtained are consistent with the results from particle-in-cell (PIC simulations. A relaxation distance determined by the laser-front steepness is necessary to build a stable CEL state before ions rejoin into the CEL. For the transparent case, the laser-front steepness is important for the formation of the stable CEL state at the back surface of the target. Considering the motion of ions, both the CEL and ion dynamics are important to rebalance the laser pressure and electrostatic charge-separation force as the hole-boring stage changes to the light-sail stage.

  13. Charge separation at disordered semiconductor heterojunctions from random walk numerical simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandujano-Ramírez, Humberto J; González-Vázquez, José P; Oskam, Gerko; Dittrich, Thomas; Garcia-Belmonte, Germa; Mora-Seró, Iván; Bisquert, Juan; Anta, Juan A

    2014-03-07

    Many recent advances in novel solar cell technologies are based on charge separation in disordered semiconductor heterojunctions. In this work we use the Random Walk Numerical Simulation (RWNS) method to model the dynamics of electrons and holes in two disordered semiconductors in contact. Miller-Abrahams hopping rates and a tunnelling distance-dependent electron-hole annihilation mechanism are used to model transport and recombination, respectively. To test the validity of the model, three numerical "experiments" have been devised: (1) in the absence of constant illumination, charge separation has been quantified by computing surface photovoltage (SPV) transients. (2) By applying a continuous generation of electron-hole pairs, the model can be used to simulate a solar cell under steady-state conditions. This has been exploited to calculate open-circuit voltages and recombination currents for an archetypical bulk heterojunction solar cell (BHJ). (3) The calculations have been extended to nanostructured solar cells with inorganic sensitizers to study, specifically, non-ideality in the recombination rate. The RWNS model in combination with exponential disorder and an activated tunnelling mechanism for transport and recombination is shown to reproduce correctly charge separation parameters in these three "experiments". This provides a theoretical basis to study relevant features of novel solar cell technologies.

  14. Tuning Confinement in Colloidal Silicon Nanocrystals with Saturated Surface Ligands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neale, Nathan R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Carroll, Gerard [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Limpens, Rens [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2018-04-16

    The optical properties of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) are a subject of intense study and continued debate. In particular, Si NC photoluminescence (PL) properties are known to depend strongly on the surface chemistry, resulting in electron-hole recombination pathways derived from the Si NC band-edge, surface-state defects, or combined NC-conjugated ligand hybrid states. In this Letter, we perform a comparison of three different saturated surface functional groups - alkyls, amides, and alkoxides - on nonthermal plasma-synthesized Si NCs. We find a systematic and size-dependent high-energy (blue) shift in the PL spectrum of Si NCs with amide and alkoxy functionalization relative to alkyl. Time-resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopies reveal no change in the excited-state dynamics between Si NCs functionalized with alkyl, amide, or alkoxide ligands, showing for the first time that saturated ligands - not only surface-derived charge-transfer states or hybridization between NC and low-lying ligand orbitals - are responsible for tuning the Si NC optical properties. To explain these PL shifts we propose that the atom bound to the Si NC surface strongly interacts with the Si NC electronic wave function and modulates the Si NC quantum confinement. These results reveal a potentially broadly applicable correlation between the optoelectronic properties of Si NCs and related quantum-confined structures based on the interaction between NC surfaces and the ligand binding group.

  15. Tuning Confinement in Colloidal Silicon Nanocrystals with Saturated Surface Ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Gerard M; Limpens, Rens; Neale, Nathan R

    2018-05-09

    The optical properties of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) are a subject of intense study and continued debate. In particular, Si NC photoluminescence (PL) properties are known to depend strongly on the surface chemistry, resulting in electron-hole recombination pathways derived from the Si NC band-edge, surface-state defects, or combined NC-conjugated ligand hybrid states. In this Letter, we perform a comparison of three different saturated surface functional groups-alkyls, amides, and alkoxides-on nonthermal plasma-synthesized Si NCs. We find a systematic and size-dependent high-energy (blue) shift in the PL spectrum of Si NCs with amide and alkoxy functionalization relative to alkyl. Time-resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopies reveal no change in the excited-state dynamics between Si NCs functionalized with alkyl, amide, or alkoxide ligands, showing for the first time that saturated ligands-not only surface-derived charge-transfer states or hybridization between NC and low-lying ligand orbitals-are responsible for tuning the Si NC optical properties. To explain these PL shifts we propose that the atom bound to the Si NC surface strongly interacts with the Si NC electronic wave function and modulates the Si NC quantum confinement. These results reveal a potentially broadly applicable correlation between the optoelectronic properties of Si NCs and related quantum-confined structures based on the interaction between NC surfaces and the ligand binding group.

  16. Electron spectroscopy of nanodiamond surface states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belobrov, P.I.; Bursill, L.A.; Maslakov, K.I.; Dementjev, A.P

    2003-06-15

    Electronic states of nanodiamond (ND) were investigated by PEELS, XPS and CKVV Auger spectra. Parallel electron energy loss spectra (PEELS) show that the electrons inside of ND particles are sp{sup 3} hybridized but there is a surface layer containing distinct hybridized states. The CKVV Auger spectra imply that the HOMO of the ND surface has a shift of 2.5 eV from natural diamond levels of {sigma}{sub p} up to the Fermi level. Hydrogen (H) treatment of natural diamond surface produces a chemical state indistinguishable from that of ND surfaces using CKVV. The ND electronic structure forms {sigma}{sub s}{sup 1}{sigma}{sub p}{sup 2}{pi}{sup 1} surface states without overlapping of {pi}-levels. Surface electronic states, including surface plasmons, as well as phonon-related electronic states of the ND surface are also interesting and may also be important for field emission mechanisms from the nanostructured diamond surface.

  17. Correlated electron—hole transitions in wurtzite GaN quantum dots: the effects of strain and hydrostatic pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Dongmei; Wang Zongchi; Xiao Boqi

    2012-01-01

    Within the effective-mass and finite-height potential barrier approximation, a theoretical study of the effects of strain and hydrostatic pressure on the exciton emission wavelength and electron—hole recombination rate in wurtzite cylindrical GaN/Al x Ga 1−x N quantum dots (QDs) is performed using a variational approach. Numerical results show that the emission wavelength with strain effect is higher than that without strain effect when the QD height is large (> 3.8 nm), but the status is opposite when the QD height is small (< 3.8 nm). The height of GaN QDs must be less than 5.5 nm for an efficient electron—hole recombination process due to the strain effect. The emission wavelength decreases linearly and the electron—hole recombination rate increases almost linearly with applied hydrostatic pressure. The hydrostatic pressure has a remarkable influence on the emission wavelength for large QDs, and has a significant influence on the electron—hole recombination rate for small QDs. Furthermore, the present numerical outcomes are in qualitative agreement with previous experimental findings under zero pressure. (semiconductor physics)

  18. Enhancing Photovoltaic Performance of Inverted Planar Perovskite Solar Cells by Cobalt-Doped Nickel Oxide Hole Transport Layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Yulin; Lu, Kai; Duan, Jiashun; Jiang, Youyu; Hu, Lin; Liu, Tiefeng; Zhou, Yinhua; Hu, Bin

    2018-04-25

    Electron and hole transport layers have critical impacts on the overall performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, for the first time, a solution-processed cobalt (Co)-doped NiO X film was fabricated as the hole transport layer in inverted planar PSCs, and the solar cells exhibit 18.6% power conversion efficiency. It has been found that an appropriate Co-doping can significantly adjust the work function and enhance electrical conductivity of the NiO X film. Capacitance-voltage ( C- V) spectra and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra indicate clearly that the charge accumulation becomes more pronounced in the Co-doped NiO X -based photovoltaic devices; it, as a consequence, prevents the nonradiative recombination at the interface between the Co-doped NiO X and the photoactive perovskite layers. Moreover, field-dependent photoluminescence measurements indicate that Co-doped NiO X -based devices can also effectively inhibit the radiative recombination process in the perovskite layer and finally facilitate the generation of photocurrent. Our work indicates that Co-doped NiO X film is an excellent candidate for high-performance inverted planar PSCs.

  19. 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

  20. The inversion layer of electric fields and electron phase-space-hole structure during two-dimensional collisionless magnetic reconnection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Lijen; Lefebvre, Bertrand; Torbert, Roy B.; Daughton, William S.

    2011-01-01

    Based on two-dimensional fully kinetic simulations that resolve the electron diffusion layer in undriven collisionless magnetic reconnection with zero guide field, this paper reports the existence and evolution of an inversion layer of bipolar electric fields, its corresponding phase-space structure (an electron-hole layer), and the implication to collisionless dissipation. The inversion electric field layer is embedded in the layer of bipolar Hall electric field and extends throughout the entire length of the electron diffusion layer. The electron phase-space hole structure spontaneously arises during the explosive growth phase when there exist significant inflows into the reconnection layer, and electrons perform meandering orbits across the layer while being cyclotron-turned toward the outflow directions. The cyclotron turning of meandering electrons by the magnetic field normal to the reconnection layer is shown to be a primary factor limiting the current density in the region where the reconnection electric field is balanced by the gradient (along the current sheet normal) of the off-diagonal electron pressure-tensor.

  1. Investigation on the Effect of a Pre-Center Drill Hole and Tool Material on Thrust Force, Surface Roughness, and Cylindricity in the Drilling of Al7075.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghasemi, Amir Hossein; Khorasani, Amir Mahyar; Gibson, Ian

    2018-01-16

    Drilling is one of the most useful metal cutting processes and is used in various applications, such as aerospace, electronics, and automotive. In traditional drilling methods, the thrust force, torque, tolerance, and tribology (surface roughness) are related to the cutting condition and tool geometry. In this paper, the effects of a pre-center drill hole, tool material, and drilling strategy (including continuous and non-continuous feed) on thrust force, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy (cylindricity) have been investigated. The results show that using pre-center drill holes leads to a reduction of the engagement force and an improvement in the surface quality and cylindricity. Non-continuous drilling reduces the average thrust force and cylindricity value, and High Speed Steels HSS-Mo (high steel speed + 5-8% Mo) reduces the maximum quantity of cutting forces. Moreover, cylindricity is directly related to cutting temperature and is improved by using a non-continuous drilling strategy.

  2. Investigation on the Effect of a Pre-Center Drill Hole and Tool Material on Thrust Force, Surface Roughness, and Cylindricity in the Drilling of Al7075

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Hossein Ghasemi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Drilling is one of the most useful metal cutting processes and is used in various applications, such as aerospace, electronics, and automotive. In traditional drilling methods, the thrust force, torque, tolerance, and tribology (surface roughness are related to the cutting condition and tool geometry. In this paper, the effects of a pre-center drill hole, tool material, and drilling strategy (including continuous and non-continuous feed on thrust force, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy (cylindricity have been investigated. The results show that using pre-center drill holes leads to a reduction of the engagement force and an improvement in the surface quality and cylindricity. Non-continuous drilling reduces the average thrust force and cylindricity value, and High Speed Steels HSS-Mo (high steel speed + 5–8% Mo reduces the maximum quantity of cutting forces. Moreover, cylindricity is directly related to cutting temperature and is improved by using a non-continuous drilling strategy.

  3. Extraordinary mid-infrared transmission of subwavelength holes in gold films

    KAUST Repository

    Yue, Weisheng

    2014-04-01

    Gold (Au) nanoholes are fabricated with electron-beam lithography and used for the investigation of extraordinary transmission in mid-infrared regime. Transmission properties of the nanoholes are studied as the dependence on hole-size. Transmittance spectra are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and enhanced transmittance through the subwavelength holes is observed. The transmission spectra exhibit well-defined maximum and minimum of which the position are determined by the lattice of the hole array. The hole-size primarily influence the transmission intensity and bandwidth of the resonance peak. With an increase of hole-size, while keep lattice constant fixed, the intensity of the resonance peak and the bandwidth increases, which are due to the localized surface plasmons. Numerical simulation for the transmission through the subwavelength holes is performed and the simulated results agree with the experimental observations. Copyright © 2014 American Scientific Publishers.

  4. Extraordinary mid-infrared transmission of subwavelength holes in gold films

    KAUST Repository

    Yue, Weisheng; Wang, Zhihong; Yang, Yang; Chen, Longqing; Syed, Ahad A.; Wang, Xianbin

    2014-01-01

    Gold (Au) nanoholes are fabricated with electron-beam lithography and used for the investigation of extraordinary transmission in mid-infrared regime. Transmission properties of the nanoholes are studied as the dependence on hole-size. Transmittance spectra are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and enhanced transmittance through the subwavelength holes is observed. The transmission spectra exhibit well-defined maximum and minimum of which the position are determined by the lattice of the hole array. The hole-size primarily influence the transmission intensity and bandwidth of the resonance peak. With an increase of hole-size, while keep lattice constant fixed, the intensity of the resonance peak and the bandwidth increases, which are due to the localized surface plasmons. Numerical simulation for the transmission through the subwavelength holes is performed and the simulated results agree with the experimental observations. Copyright © 2014 American Scientific Publishers.

  5. Electron and hole photoemission detection for band offset determination of tunnel field-effect transistor heterojunctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Wei; Zhang, Qin; Kirillov, Oleg A.; Levin, Igor; Richter, Curt A.; Gundlach, David J.; Nguyen, N. V.; Bijesh, R.; Datta, S.; Liang, Yiran; Peng, Lian-Mao; Liang, Xuelei

    2014-01-01

    We report experimental methods to ascertain a complete energy band alignment of a broken-gap tunnel field-effect transistor based on an InAs/GaSb hetero-junction. By using graphene as an optically transparent electrode, both the electron and hole barrier heights at the InAs/GaSb interface can be quantified. For a Al 2 O 3 /InAs/GaSb layer structure, the barrier height from the top of the InAs and GaSb valence bands to the bottom of the Al 2 O 3 conduction band is inferred from electron emission whereas hole emissions reveal the barrier height from the top of the Al 2 O 3 valence band to the bottom of the InAs and GaSb conduction bands. Subsequently, the offset parameter at the broken gap InAs/GaSb interface is extracted and thus can be used to facilitate the development of predicted models of electron quantum tunneling efficiency and transistor performance

  6. The importance of dye chemistry and TiCl4 surface treatment in the behavior of Al2O3 recombination barrier layers deposited by atomic layer deposition in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Brennan, Thomas P.; Bakke, Jonathan R.; Ding, I-Kang; Hardin, Brian E.; Nguyen, William H.; Mondal, Rajib; Bailie, Colin D.; Margulis, George Y.; Hoke, Eric T.; Sellinger, Alan; McGehee, Michael D.; Bent, Stacey F.

    2012-01-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to fabricate Al 2O 3 recombination barriers in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ss-DSSCs) employing an organic hole transport material (HTM) for the first time. Al 2O 3 recombination barriers of varying

  7. Electron microscopy of surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venables, J.A.

    1981-01-01

    Electron beam techniques used to study clean surfaces and surface processes on a microscopic scale are reviewed. Recent experimental examples and possible future developments are discussed. Special emphasis is given to (i) transmission diffraction and microscopy techniques, including atomic imaging; (ii) Auger microscopy on bulk and thin film samples; (iii) secondary electron microscopy, especially low energy secondaries for work-function imaging and photoelectron imaging; and (iv) reflection electron microscopy and diffraction. (orig.)

  8. Entropy of quasiblack holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lemos, Jose P. S.; Zaslavskii, Oleg B.

    2010-01-01

    We trace the origin of the black hole entropy S, replacing a black hole by a quasiblack hole. Let the boundary of a static body approach its own gravitational radius, in such a way that a quasihorizon forms. We show that if the body is thermal with the temperature taking the Hawking value at the quasihorizon limit, it follows, in the nonextremal case, from the first law of thermodynamics that the entropy approaches the Bekenstein-Hawking value S=A/4. In this setup, the key role is played by the surface stresses on the quasihorizon and one finds that the entropy comes from the quasihorizon surface. Any distribution of matter inside the surface leads to the same universal value for the entropy in the quasihorizon limit. This can be of some help in the understanding of black hole entropy. Other similarities between black holes and quasiblack holes such as the mass formulas for both objects had been found previously. We also discuss the entropy for extremal quasiblack holes, a more subtle issue.

  9. Theory of Weak Bipolar Fields and Electron Holes with Applications to Space Plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldman, Martin V.; Newman, David L.; Mangeney, Andre

    2007-01-01

    A theoretical model of weak electron phase-space holes is used to interpret bipolar field structures observed in space. In the limit eφ max /T e max sech 4 (x/α), where φ max depends on the derivative of the trapped distribution at the separatrix, while α depends only on a screening integral over the untrapped distribution. Idealized trapped and passing electron distributions are inferred from the speed, amplitude, and shape of satellite waveform measurements of weak bipolar field structures

  10. Electron and hole doping effects in Sr{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} double perovskites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, D. E-mail: diana.sanchez@icmm.csic.es; Alonso, J.A.; Garcia-Hernandez, M.; Martinez-Lope, M.J.; Casais, M.T.; Martinez, J.L.; Fernandez-Diaz, M.T

    2004-05-01

    Electron and hole doping effects in the ferromagnetic and structural properties of the double perovskite Sr{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} are studied along the series Sr{sub 2-x}La{sub x}FeMoO{sub 6} (0{<=}x{<=}1) and Sr{sub 2-x}FeMoO{sub 6} (0{<=}x{<=}0.4) from neutron powder diffraction and magnetization data. Sr-deficient samples (hole doped) show moderate changes in the structure and both T{sub c} and M{sub s} rapidly decrease with x. On the contrary, a change from tetragonal to monoclinic symmetry and a non monotonic behaviour in T{sub c} is found in the La-substituted series (electron doped)

  11. Correlated proton-electron hole dynamics in protonated water clusters upon extreme ultraviolet photoionization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheng Li

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The ultrafast nuclear and electronic dynamics of protonated water clusters H+(H2On after extreme ultraviolet photoionization is investigated. In particular, we focus on cluster cations with n = 3, 6, and 21. Upon ionization, two positive charges are present in the cluster related to the excess proton and the missing electron, respectively. A correlation is found between the cluster's geometrical conformation and initial electronic energy with the size of the final fragments produced. For situations in which the electron hole and proton are initially spatially close, the two entities become correlated and separate in a time-scale of 20 to 40 fs driven by strong non-adiabatic effects.

  12. Correlated proton-electron hole dynamics in protonated water clusters upon extreme ultraviolet photoionization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zheng; Vendrell, Oriol

    2016-01-01

    The ultrafast nuclear and electronic dynamics of protonated water clusters H+(H2O)n after extreme ultraviolet photoionization is investigated. In particular, we focus on cluster cations with n = 3, 6, and 21. Upon ionization, two positive charges are present in the cluster related to the excess proton and the missing electron, respectively. A correlation is found between the cluster's geometrical conformation and initial electronic energy with the size of the final fragments produced. For situations in which the electron hole and proton are initially spatially close, the two entities become correlated and separate in a time-scale of 20 to 40 fs driven by strong non-adiabatic effects. PMID:26798842

  13. Femtosecond-laser induced dynamics of CO on Ru(0001): Deep insights from a hot-electron friction model including surface motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholz, Robert; Floß, Gereon; Saalfrank, Peter; Füchsel, Gernot; Lončarić, Ivor; Juaristi, J. I.

    2016-10-01

    A Langevin model accounting for all six molecular degrees of freedom is applied to femtosecond-laser induced, hot-electron driven dynamics of Ru(0001)(2 ×2 ):CO. In our molecular dynamics with electronic friction approach, a recently developed potential energy surface based on gradient-corrected density functional theory accounting for van der Waals interactions is adopted. Electronic friction due to the coupling of molecular degrees of freedom to electron-hole pairs in the metal are included via a local density friction approximation, and surface phonons by a generalized Langevin oscillator model. The action of ultrashort laser pulses enters through a substrate-mediated, hot-electron mechanism via a time-dependent electronic temperature (derived from a two-temperature model), causing random forces acting on the molecule. The model is applied to laser induced lateral diffusion of CO on the surface, "hot adsorbate" formation, and laser induced desorption. Reaction probabilities are strongly enhanced compared to purely thermal processes, both for diffusion and desorption. Reaction yields depend in a characteristic (nonlinear) fashion on the applied laser fluence, as well as branching ratios for various reaction channels. Computed two-pulse correlation traces for desorption and other indicators suggest that aside from electron-hole pairs, phonons play a non-negligible role for laser induced dynamics in this system, acting on a surprisingly short time scale. Our simulations on precomputed potentials allow for good statistics and the treatment of long-time dynamics (300 ps), giving insight into this system which hitherto has not been reached. We find generally good agreement with experimental data where available and make predictions in addition. A recently proposed laser induced population of physisorbed precursor states could not be observed with the present low-coverage model.

  14. On the relict recombination lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bershtejn, I.N.; Bernshtejn, D.N.; Dubrovich, V.K.

    1977-01-01

    Accurate numerical calculation of intensities and profiles of hydrogen recombination lines of cosmological origin is made. Relie radiation distortions stipulated by recombination quantum release at the irrevocable recombination are investigated. Mean number calculation is given for guantums educing for one irrevocably-lost electron. The account is taken of the educed quantums interraction with matter. The main quantum-matter interrraction mechanisms are considered: electronic blow broadening; free-free, free-bound, bound-bound absorptions Recombination dynamics is investigated depending on hydrogen density and total density of all the matter kinds in the Universe

  15. Numerical simulation of quantum efficiency and surface recombination in HgCdTe IR photon-trapping structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuster, Jonathan; Bellotti, Enrico

    2013-06-01

    We have investigated the quantum effiency in HgCdTe photovoltaic pixel arrays employing a photon-trapping structure realized with a periodic array of pillars intended to provide broadband operation. We have found that the quantum efficiency depends heavily on the passivation of the pillar surface. Pillars passivated with anodicoxide have a large fixed positive charge on the pillar surface. We use our three-dimensional numerical simulation model to study the effect of surface charge and surface recombination velocity on the exterior of the pillars. We then evaluate the quantum efficiency of this structure subject to different surface conditions. We have found that by themselves, the surface charge and surface recombination are detrimental to the quantum efficiency but the quantum efficiency is recovered when both phenomena are present. We will discuss the effects of these phenomena and the trade offs that exist between the two.

  16. Silicon as a virtual plasmonic material: Acquisition of its transient optical constants and the ultrafast surface plasmon-polariton excitation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Danilov, P. A.; Ionin, A. A.; Kudryashov, S. I., E-mail: sikudr@sci.lebedev.ru; Makarov, S. V.; Rudenko, A. A. [Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation); Saltuganov, P. N. [Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) (Russian Federation); Seleznev, L. V.; Yurovskikh, V. I.; Zayarny, D. A. [Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation); Apostolova, T. [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energetics (Bulgaria)

    2015-06-15

    Ultrafast intense photoexcitation of a silicon surface is complementarily studied experimentally and theoretically, with its prompt optical dielectric function obtained by means of time-resolved optical reflection microscopy and the underlying electron-hole plasma dynamics modeled numerically, using a quantum kinetic approach. The corresponding transient surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) dispersion curves of the photo-excited material were simulated as a function of the electron-hole plasma density, using the derived optical dielectric function model, and directly mapped at several laser photon energies, measuring spatial periods of the corresponding SPP-mediated surface relief nanogratings. The unusual spectral dynamics of the surface plasmon resonance, initially increasing with the increase in the electron-hole plasma density but damped at high interband absorption losses induced by the high-density electron-hole plasma through instantaneous bandgap renormalization, was envisioned through the multi-color mapping.

  17. Electron-phonon coupling at metal surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hellsing, B.; Eiguren, A.; Chulkov, E.V.

    2002-01-01

    Chemical reactions at metal surfaces are influenced by inherent dissipative processes which involve energy transfer between the conduction electrons and the nuclear motion. We shall discuss how it is possible to model this electron-phonon coupling in order to estimate its importance. A relevant quantity for this investigation is the lifetime of surface-localized electron states. A surface state, quantum well state or surface image state is located in a surface-projected bandgap and becomes relatively sharp in energy. This makes a comparison between calculations and experimental data most attractive, with a possibility of resolving the origin of the lifetime broadening of electron states. To achieve more than an order of magnitude estimate we point out the importance of taking into account the phonon spectrum, electron surface state wavefunctions and screening of the electron-ion potential. (author)

  18. Effects of irradiation and isochronal anneal temperature on hole and electron trapping in MOS devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fleetwood, D.M.; Winokur, P.S.; Shaneyfelt, M.R.; Riewe, L.C.; Flament, O.; Paillet, P.; Leray, J.L.

    1998-02-01

    Capacitance-voltage and thermally-stimulated-current techniques are used to estimate trapped hole and electron densities in MOS oxides as functions of irradiation and isochronal anneal temperature. Trapped-charge annealing and compensation effects are discussed

  19. Influence of Cutting Parameters on the Surface Roughness and Hole Diameter of Drilling Making Parts of Alluminium Alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrius Stasiūnas

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The article researches the drilling process of an aluminium alloy. The paper is aimed at analyzing the influence of cutting speed, feed and hole depth considering hole diameter and hole surface roughness of aluminum alloy 6082 in the dry drilling process and at making empirical formulas for cutting parameters. The article also describes experimental techniques and equipment, tools and measuring devices. Experimental studies have been carried out using different cutting parameters. The obtained results have been analyzed using computer software. According to the existing techniques for measuring, surface roughness and hole diameters have been measured, empirical models have been created and the results of the conducted experiments have been inspected. The findings and recommendations are presented at the end of the work.Artcile in Lithuanian

  20. Large electron capture-cross-section of the major nonradiative recombination centers in Mg-doped GaN epilayers grown on a GaN substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chichibu, S. F.; Shima, K.; Kojima, K.; Takashima, S.; Edo, M.; Ueno, K.; Ishibashi, S.; Uedono, A.

    2018-05-01

    Complementary time-resolved photoluminescence and positron annihilation measurements were carried out at room temperature on Mg-doped p-type GaN homoepitaxial films for identifying the origin and estimating the electron capture-cross-section ( σ n ) of the major nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs). To eliminate any influence by threading dislocations, free-standing GaN substrates were used. In Mg-doped p-type GaN, defect complexes composed of a Ga-vacancy (VGa) and multiple N-vacancies (VNs), namely, VGa(VN)2 [or even VGa(VN)3], are identified as the major intrinsic NRCs. Different from the case of 4H-SiC, atomic structures of intrinsic NRCs in p-type and n-type GaN are different: VGaVN divacancies are the major NRCs in n-type GaN. The σ n value approximately the middle of 10-13 cm2 is obtained for VGa(VN)n, which is larger than the hole capture-cross-section (σp = 7 × 10-14 cm2) of VGaVN in n-type GaN. Combined with larger thermal velocity of an electron, minority carrier lifetime in Mg-doped GaN becomes much shorter than that of n-type GaN.

  1. Electron capture by highly charged ions from surfaces and gases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allen, F.

    2008-01-11

    In this study highly charged ions produced in Electron Beam Ion Traps are used to investigate electron capture from surfaces and gases. The experiments with gas targets focus on spectroscopic measurements of the K-shell x-rays emitted at the end of radiative cascades following electron capture into Rydberg states of Ar{sup 17+} and Ar{sup 18+} ions as a function of collision energy. The ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at an energy of 2 keVu{sup -1}, charge-selected and then decelerated down to 5 eVu{sup -1} for interaction with an argon gas target. For decreasing collision energies a shift to electron capture into low orbital angular momentum capture states is observed. Comparative measurements of the K-shell x-ray emission following electron capture by Ar{sup 17+} and Ar{sup 18+} ions from background gas in the trap are made and a discrepancy in the results compared with those from the extraction experiments is found. Possible explanations are discussed. For the investigation of electron capture from surfaces, highly charged ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at energies of 2 to 3 keVu{sup -1}, charge-selected and directed onto targets comprising arrays of nanoscale apertures in silicon nitride membranes. The highly charged ions implemented are Ar{sup 16+} and Xe{sup 44+} and the aperture targets are formed by focused ion beam drilling in combination with ion beam assisted thin film deposition, achieving hole diameters of 50 to 300 nm and aspect ratios of 1:5 to 3:2. After transport through the nanoscale apertures the ions pass through an electrostatic charge state analyzer and are detected. The percentage of electron capture from the aperture walls is found to be much lower than model predictions and the results are discussed in terms of a capillary guiding mechanism. (orig.)

  2. Breakdown of the one-electron picture in XPS, XES and AES spectra involving 4s and 4p holes in Pd to Xe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, M.; Wendin, G.

    1981-01-01

    Certain XES spectra of Pd to Xe have been calculated using diagrammatic many-body theory within the framework of a free atom calculation. Both XPS an XES spectra demonstrate breakdown of the one-electron picture of a 4p hole due to strong dynamical grant-Coster Kronig (gCK) fluctuation and decay processes. For a 4s hole, there is a large energy shift due to gCK fluctuation, but an effective one-electron model of the 4s hole is valid. For elements Cd to Te, gCK fluctuation and decay lead to broad continuance spectrum and breakdown of the 4p model. Breakdown of the one-electron, or even quasi-particle, model must occur when 4s and 4p holes are part of multiple vacancies

  3. Non-radiative recombination process in BGaAs/GaAs alloys: Two layer photothermal deflection model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ilahi, S., E-mail: ilehi_soufiene@yahoo.fr [Université de Carthage, Unité de Recherche de caractérisation photothermique et modélisation, Institut Préparatoire aux Etudes d’Ingénieurs de Nabeul (IPEIN), 8000 Merazka, Nabeul (Tunisia); Baira, M.; Saidi, F. [Université de Monastir, Laboratoire de Micro-Optoélectronique et Nanostructures, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir. Avenue de l’Environnement, Monastir 5019 (Tunisia); Yacoubi, N. [Université de Carthage, Unité de Recherche de caractérisation photothermique et modélisation, Institut Préparatoire aux Etudes d’Ingénieurs de Nabeul (IPEIN), 8000 Merazka, Nabeul (Tunisia); Auvray, L. [Laboratoire Multimateriaux et Interfaces, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 43, Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Maaref, H. [Université de Monastir, Laboratoire de Micro-Optoélectronique et Nanostructures, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir. Avenue de l’Environnement, Monastir 5019 (Tunisia)

    2013-12-25

    Highlights: •We have developed a two layer photothermal deflection model. •We have determined the electronic properties of BGaAs/GaAs alloys. •We have studied the boron effect in the electronic parameters. -- Abstract: Photo-thermal deflection technique PTD is used to study the nonradiative recombination process in BGaAs/GaAs alloy with boron composition of 3% and 8% grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A two layer theoretical model has been developed taking into account both thermal and electronic contribution in the photothermal signal allowing to extract the electronic parameters namely electronic diffusivity, surface and interface recombination. It is found that the increase of boron composition alters the BGaAs epilayers transport properties.

  4. High dose-per-pulse electron beam dosimetry - A model to correct for the ion recombination in the Advanced Markus ionization chamber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersson, Kristoffer; Jaccard, Maud; Germond, Jean-François; Buchillier, Thierry; Bochud, François; Bourhis, Jean; Vozenin, Marie-Catherine; Bailat, Claude

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this work was to establish an empirical model of the ion recombination in the Advanced Markus ionization chamber for measurements in high dose rate/dose-per-pulse electron beams. In addition, we compared the observed ion recombination to calculations using the standard Boag two-voltage-analysis method, the more general theoretical Boag models, and the semiempirical general equation presented by Burns and McEwen. Two independent methods were used to investigate the ion recombination: (a) Varying the grid tension of the linear accelerator (linac) gun (controls the linac output) and measuring the relative effect the grid tension has on the chamber response at different source-to-surface distances (SSD). (b) Performing simultaneous dose measurements and comparing the dose-response, in beams with varying dose rate/dose-per-pulse, with the chamber together with dose rate/dose-per-pulse independent Gafchromic™ EBT3 film. Three individual Advanced Markus chambers were used for the measurements with both methods. All measurements were performed in electron beams with varying mean dose rate, dose rate within pulse, and dose-per-pulse (10 -2  ≤ mean dose rate ≤ 10 3 Gy/s, 10 2  ≤ mean dose rate within pulse ≤ 10 7  Gy/s, 10 -4  ≤ dose-per-pulse ≤ 10 1  Gy), which was achieved by independently varying the linac gun grid tension, and the SSD. The results demonstrate how the ion collection efficiency of the chamber decreased as the dose-per-pulse increased, and that the ion recombination was dependent on the dose-per-pulse rather than the dose rate, a behavior predicted by Boag theory. The general theoretical Boag models agreed well with the data over the entire investigated dose-per-pulse range, but only for a low polarizing chamber voltage (50 V). However, the two-voltage-analysis method and the Burns & McEwen equation only agreed with the data at low dose-per-pulse values (≤ 10 -2 and ≤ 10 -1  Gy, respectively). An empirical

  5. Electron-positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruffini, Remo; Vereshchagin, Gregory; Xue, She-Sheng

    2010-02-01

    Due to the interaction of physics and astrophysics we are witnessing in these years a splendid synthesis of theoretical, experimental and observational results originating from three fundamental physical processes. They were originally proposed by Dirac, by Breit and Wheeler and by Sauter, Heisenberg, Euler and Schwinger. For almost seventy years they have all three been followed by a continued effort of experimental verification on Earth-based experiments. The Dirac process, e+e-→2γ, has been by far the most successful. It has obtained extremely accurate experimental verification and has led as well to an enormous number of new physics in possibly one of the most fruitful experimental avenues by introduction of storage rings in Frascati and followed by the largest accelerators worldwide: DESY, SLAC etc. The Breit-Wheeler process, 2γ→e+e-, although conceptually simple, being the inverse process of the Dirac one, has been by far one of the most difficult to be verified experimentally. Only recently, through the technology based on free electron X-ray laser and its numerous applications in Earth-based experiments, some first indications of its possible verification have been reached. The vacuum polarization process in strong electromagnetic field, pioneered by Sauter, Heisenberg, Euler and Schwinger, introduced the concept of critical electric field Ec=me2c3/(eħ). It has been searched without success for more than forty years by heavy-ion collisions in many of the leading particle accelerators worldwide. The novel situation today is that these same processes can be studied on a much more grandiose scale during the gravitational collapse leading to the formation of a black hole being observed in Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). This report is dedicated to the scientific race. The theoretical and experimental work developed in Earth-based laboratories is confronted with the theoretical interpretation of space-based observations of phenomena originating on cosmological

  6. Optical conductivity calculation of a k.p model semiconductor GaAs incorporating first-order electron-hole vertex correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurhuda, Maryam; Aziz Majidi, Muhammad

    2018-04-01

    The role of excitons in semiconducting materials carries potential applications. Experimental results show that excitonic signals also appear in optical absorption spectra of semiconductor system with narrow gap, such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). While on the theoretical side, calculation of optical spectra based purely on Density Functional Theory (DFT) without taking electron-hole (e-h) interactions into account does not lead to the appearance of any excitonic signal. Meanwhile, existing DFT-based algorithms that include a full vertex correction through Bethe-Salpeter equation may reveal an excitonic signal, but the algorithm has not provided a way to analyze the excitonic signal further. Motivated to provide a way to isolate the excitonic effect in the optical response theoretically, we develop a method of calculation for the optical conductivity of a narrow band-gap semiconductor GaAs within the 8-band k.p model that includes electron-hole interactions through first-order electron-hole vertex correction. Our calculation confirms that the first-order e-h vertex correction reveals excitonic signal around 1.5 eV (the band gap edge), consistent with the experimental data.

  7. Atomistic Tight-Binding Theory of Electron-Hole Exchange Interaction in Morphological Evolution of CdSe/ZnS Core/Shell Nanodisk to CdSe/ZnS Core/Shell Nanorod

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Worasak Sukkabot

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on the atomistic tight-binding theory (TB and a configuration interaction (CI description, the electron-hole exchange interaction in the morphological transformation of CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanodisk to CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanorod is described with the aim of understanding the impact of the structural shapes on the change of the electron-hole exchange interaction. Normally, the ground hole states confined in typical CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals are of heavy hole-like character. However, the atomistic tight-binding theory shows that a transition of the ground hole states from heavy hole-like to light hole-like contribution with the increasing aspect ratios of the CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanostructures is recognized. According to the change in the ground-state hole characters, the electron-hole exchange interaction is also significantly altered. To do so, optical band gaps, ground-state electron character, ground-state hole character, oscillation strengths, ground-state coulomb energies, ground-state exchange energies, and dark-bright (DB excitonic splitting (stoke shift are numerically demonstrated. These atomistic computations obviously show the sensitivity with the aspect ratios. Finally, the alteration in the hole character has a prominent effect on dark-bright (DB excitonic splitting.

  8. La modified TiO{sub 2} photoanode and its effect on DSSC performance: A comparative study of doping and surface treatment on deep and surface charge trapping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ako, Rajour Tanyi [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam); Ekanayake, Piyasiri, E-mail: piyasiri.ekanayake@ubd.edu.bn [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam); Centre for Advanced Material and Energy Sciences (CAMES), Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam); Tan, Ai Ling [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam); Young, David James [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam); Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558 (Australia); Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research - A*STAR, #08-03, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, 138634 (Singapore)

    2016-04-01

    The effect of Lanthanum ions (La{sup 3+}) on charge trapping in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) photoanodes has been investigated with doped and surface-treated TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles. Doped nanoparticles consisting of 0.5 mol.% Mg and La co-doped TiO{sub 2}, 0.5 mol.% Mg doped TiO{sub 2} and pure TiO{sub 2} were synthesized by the sol gel method. Surface-treated nanoparticles of Mg doped TiO{sub 2} and pure TiO{sub 2} were prepared by ball milling in 0.05 M aqueous La{sup 3+} solution. All materials were analyzed by XRD, XPS and UV–Vis DRS. Cell performance, surface free energy state changes and electron injection efficiency of DSSCs based on these nanoparticles were evaluated using current –voltage measurements, EIS and Incident photon to current conversion efficiency. Doped materials had La and Mg ions incorporated into the TiO{sub 2} lattice, while no lattice changes were observed for the surface-treated materials. Less visible light was absorbed by treated oxides compared with doped oxide samples. The overall power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of DSSC photoanodes based on doped materials were twice those of photoanodes fabricated from treated nanoparticles. Doping establishes deep traps that reduce the recombination of electron–hole (e–h) pairs. Conversely, the presence of absorbed oxygen in treated materials enhances e–h recombination with electrolyte at surface trap sites. - Highlights: • DSSC performance is investigated using photoanodes of doped and La{sup 3+} surface treated TiO{sub 2}. • TiO{sub 2} and Mg–TiO{sub 2} treated with La{sup 3+} absorbed less visible light. • A high concentration of absorbed oxygen on surface treated oxides reduced band bending. • Increased surface free energy in the modified DSSC anodes is caused more by Mg{sup 2+} at Ti{sup 4+} than by La{sup 3+} at the surfaces. • Near surface charge traps due to La{sup 3+} treatment promotes e–h recombination.

  9. Impact of Relativistic Electron Beam on Hole Acoustic Instability in Quantum Semiconductor Plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siddique, M.; Jamil, M.; Rasheed, A.; Areeb, F.; Javed, Asif; Sumera, P.

    2018-01-01

    We studied the influence of the classical relativistic beam of electrons on the hole acoustic wave (HAW) instability exciting in the semiconductor quantum plasmas. We conducted this study by using the quantum-hydrodynamic model of dense plasmas, incorporating the quantum effects of semiconductor plasma species which include degeneracy pressure, exchange-correlation potential and Bohm potential. Analysis of the quantum characteristics of semiconductor plasma species along with relativistic effect of beam electrons on the dispersion relation of the HAW is given in detail qualitatively and quantitatively by plotting them numerically. It is worth mentioning that the relativistic electron beam (REB) stabilises the HAWs exciting in semiconductor (GaAs) degenerate plasma.

  10. Real-space Mapping of Surface Trap States in CIGSe Nanocrystals using 4D Electron Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Bose, Riya

    2016-05-26

    Surface trap states in semiconductor copper indium gallium selenide nanocrystals (NCs) which serve as undesirable channels for non-radiative carrier recombination, remain a great challenge impeding the development of solar and optoelectronics devices based on these NCs. In order to design efficient passivation techniques to minimize these trap states, a precise knowledge about the charge carrier dynamics on the NCs surface is essential. However, selective mapping of surface traps requires capabilities beyond the reach of conventional laser spectroscopy and static electron microscopy; it can only be accessed by using a one-of-a-kind, second-generation four-dimensional scanning ultrafast electron microscope (4D S-UEM) with sub-picosecond temporal and nanometer spatial resolutions. Here, we precisely map the surface charge carrier dynamics of copper indium gallium selenide NCs before and after surface passivation in real space and time using S-UEM. The time-resolved snapshots clearly demonstrate that the density of the trap states is significantly reduced after zinc sulfide (ZnS) shelling. Furthermore, removal of trap states and elongation of carrier lifetime are confirmed by the increased photocurrent of the self-biased photodetector fabricated using the shelled NCs.

  11. Real-space Mapping of Surface Trap States in CIGSe Nanocrystals using 4D Electron Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Bose, Riya; Bera, Ashok; Parida, Manas R.; Adhikari, Aniruddha; Shaheen, Basamat; Alarousu, Erkki; Sun, Jingya; Wu, Tao; Bakr, Osman; Mohammed, Omar F.

    2016-01-01

    Surface trap states in semiconductor copper indium gallium selenide nanocrystals (NCs) which serve as undesirable channels for non-radiative carrier recombination, remain a great challenge impeding the development of solar and optoelectronics devices based on these NCs. In order to design efficient passivation techniques to minimize these trap states, a precise knowledge about the charge carrier dynamics on the NCs surface is essential. However, selective mapping of surface traps requires capabilities beyond the reach of conventional laser spectroscopy and static electron microscopy; it can only be accessed by using a one-of-a-kind, second-generation four-dimensional scanning ultrafast electron microscope (4D S-UEM) with sub-picosecond temporal and nanometer spatial resolutions. Here, we precisely map the surface charge carrier dynamics of copper indium gallium selenide NCs before and after surface passivation in real space and time using S-UEM. The time-resolved snapshots clearly demonstrate that the density of the trap states is significantly reduced after zinc sulfide (ZnS) shelling. Furthermore, removal of trap states and elongation of carrier lifetime are confirmed by the increased photocurrent of the self-biased photodetector fabricated using the shelled NCs.

  12. Solution-processable ambipolar diketopyrrolopyrrole-selenophene polymer with unprecedentedly high hole and electron mobilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Junghoon; Han, A-Reum; Kim, Jonggi; Kim, Yiho; Oh, Joon Hak; Yang, Changduk

    2012-12-26

    There is a fast-growing demand for polymer-based ambipolar thin-film transistors (TFTs), in which both n-type and p-type transistor operations are realized in a single layer, while maintaining simplicity in processing. Research progress toward this end is essentially fueled by molecular engineering of the conjugated backbones of the polymers and the development of process architectures for device fabrication, which has recently led to hole and electron mobilities of more than 1.0 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). However, ambipolar polymers with even higher performance are still required. By taking into account both the conjugated backbone and side chains of the polymer component, we have developed a dithienyl-diketopyrrolopyrrole (TDPP) and selenophene containing polymer with hybrid siloxane-solubilizing groups (PTDPPSe-Si). A synergistic combination of rational polymer backbone design, side-chain dynamics, and solution processing affords an enormous boost in ambipolar TFT performance, resulting in unprecedentedly high hole and electron mobilities of 3.97 and 2.20 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively.

  13. High reduction of interfacial charge recombination in colloidal quantum dot solar cells by metal oxide surface passivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jin; Kuga, Yuki; Mora-Seró, Iván; Toyoda, Taro; Ogomi, Yuhei; Hayase, Shuzi; Bisquert, Juan; Shen, Qing

    2015-03-12

    Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells based on colloidal QDs and metal oxide nanowires (NWs) possess unique and outstanding advantages in enhancing light harvesting and charge collection in comparison to planar architectures. However, the high surface area of the NW structure often brings about a large amount of recombination (especially interfacial recombination) and limits the open-circuit voltage in BHJ solar cells. This problem is solved here by passivating the surface of the metal oxide component in PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs). By coating thin TiO2 layers onto ZnO-NW surfaces, the open-circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency have been improved by over 40% in PbS CQDSCs. Characterization by transient photovoltage decay and impedance spectroscopy indicated that the interfacial recombination was significantly reduced by the surface passivation strategy. An efficiency as high as 6.13% was achieved through the passivation approach and optimization for the length of the ZnO-NW arrays (device active area: 16 mm2). All solar cells were tested in air, and exhibited excellent air storage stability (without any performance decline over more than 130 days). This work highlights the significance of metal oxide passivation in achieving high performance BHJ solar cells. The charge recombination mechanism uncovered in this work could shed light on the further improvement of PbS CQDSCs and/or other types of solar cells.

  14. Prediction and Observation of Electron Instabilities and Phase Space Holes Concentrated in the Lunar Plasma Wake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, Ian H.; Malaspina, David M.

    2018-05-01

    Recent theory and numerical simulation predicts that the wake of the solar wind flow past the Moon should be the site of electrostatic instabilities that give rise to electron holes. These play an important role in the eventual merging of the wake with the background solar wind. Analysis of measurements from the ARTEMIS satellites, orbiting the Moon at distances from 1.2 to 11 RM, detects holes highly concentrated in the wake, in agreement with prediction. The theory also predicts that the hole flux density observed should be hollow, peaking away from the wake axis. Observation statistics qualitatively confirm this hollowness, lending extra supporting evidence for the identification of their generation mechanism.

  15. Polarization effects in radiative recombination of an electron with a highly charged ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klasnikov, A.E.; Shabaev, V.M.; Artemyev, A.N.; Kovtun, A.V.; Stoehlker, T.

    2005-01-01

    The radiative recombination of an unpolarized electron with a polarized highly charged H-like ion in its ground state is studied. The absolute and relative values of the electron spin-flip contribution to the cross section of the process for various scattering angles and photon polarizations are calculated. It is shown that, in addition to the forward and backward directions, there are some other scattering angles of the emitted photon, where, at a fixed linear photon polarization, the spin-flip transition gives a dominant contribution to the differential cross section

  16. G-factors and diamagnetic coefficients of electrons, holes, and excitons in InAs/InP quantum dots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bree, van J.; Silov, A.Yu.; Koenraad, P.M.; Flatté, M.E.; Pryor, C.E.

    2012-01-01

    The electron, hole, and exciton g factors and diamagnetic coefficients have been calculated using envelope-function theory for cylindrical InAs/InP quantum dots in the presence of a magnetic field parallel to the dot symmetry axis. A clear connection is established between the electron g factor and

  17. Improved efficiency of NiOx-based p-i-n perovskite solar cells by using PTEG-1 as electron transport layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groeneveld, Bart G. H. M.; Najafi, Mehrdad; Steensma, Bauke; Adjokatse, Sampson; Fang, Hong-Hua; Jahani, Fatemeh; Qiu, Li; ten Brink, Gert H.; Hummelen, Jan C.; Loi, Maria Antonietta

    2017-07-01

    We present efficient p-i-n type perovskite solar cells using NiOx as the hole transport layer and a fulleropyrrolidine with a triethylene glycol monoethyl ether side chain (PTEG-1) as electron transport layer. This electron transport layer leads to higher power conversion efficiencies compared to perovskite solar cells with PCBM (phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester). The improved performance of PTEG-1 devices is attributed to the reduced trap-assisted recombination and improved charge extraction in these solar cells, as determined by light intensity dependence and photoluminescence measurements. Through optimization of the hole and electron transport layers, the power conversion efficiency of the NiOx/perovskite/PTEG-1 solar cells was increased up to 16.1%.

  18. Kink effect and noise performance in isolated-gate InAs/AlSb high electron mobility transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasallo, B G; González, T; Mateos, J; Rodilla, H; Moschetti, G; Grahn, J

    2012-01-01

    The kink effect can spoil the otherwise excellent low noise performance of InAs/AlSb high electron mobility transistors. It has its origin in the pile-up of holes (generated by impact ionization) taking place mainly at the drain side of the buffer, which leads to a reduction of the gate-induced channel depletion and results in a drain current enhancement. Our results indicate that the generation of holes by impact ionization and their further recombination lead to fluctuations in the charge of the hole pile-up, which provoke an important increase in the drain current noise, even when the kink effect is hardly perceptible in the output characteristics. (paper)

  19. Analysis of direct immobilized recombinant protein G on a gold surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyunhee; Kang, Da-Yeon; Goh, Hyun-Jeong; Oh, Byung-Keun; Singh, Ravindra P.; Oh, Soo-Min; Choi, Jeong-Woo

    2008-01-01

    Abstact: For the immobilization of IgG, various techniques such as chemical linker, thiolated protein G methods, and fragmentation of antibodies have been reported [Y.M. Bae, B.K. Oh, W. Lee, W.H. Lee, J.W. Choi, Biosensors Bioelectron. 21 (2005) 103; W. Lee, B.K. Oh, W.H. Lee, J.W. Choi, Colloids Surf. B-Biointerfaces, 40 (2005) 143; A.A. Karyakin, G.V. Presnova, M.Y. Rubtsova, A.M. Egorov, Anal. Chem. 72 (2000) 3805]. Here, we modified the immunoglobulin Fc-binding B-domain of protein G to contain two cysteine residues at its C-terminus by a genetic engineering technique. The resulting recombinant protein, RPGcys, retained IgG-binding activity in the same manner as native protein G. RPGcys was immobilized on a gold surface by strong affinity between thiol of cysteine and gold. The orientations of both IgG layers immobilized on the base recombinant protein Gs were analyzed by fluorescence microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Our data revealed that IgG-binding activity of RPGcys on gold surface significantly increased in comparison to wild type of protein G (RPGwild), which was physically adsorbed due to absence of cysteine residue. Immobilization of highly oriented antibodies based on cysteine-modified protein G could be useful for the fabrication of immunosensor systems

  20. Carrier dynamics and surface vibration-assisted Auger recombination in porous silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakar, Ammar; Wu, Rihan; Chekulaev, Dimitri; Zerova, Vera; He, Wei; Canham, Leigh; Kaplan, Andrey

    2018-04-01

    Excitation and recombination dynamics of the photoexcited charge carriers in porous silicon membranes were studied using a femtosecond pump-probe technique. Near-infrared pulses (800 nm, 60 fs) were used for the pump while, for the probe, we employed different wavelengths in the range between 3.4 and 5 μ m covering the medium wavelength infrared range. The data acquired in these experiments consist of simultaneous measurements of the transmittance and reflectance as a function of the delay time between the pump and probe for different pump fluences and probe wavelengths. To evaluate the results, we developed an optical model based on the two-dimensional Maxwell-Garnett formula, incorporating the free-carrier Drude contribution and nonuniformity of the excitation by the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin model. This model allowed the retrieval of information about the carrier density as a function of the pump fluence, time, and wavelength. The carrier density data were analyzed to reveal that the recombination dynamics is governed by Shockley-Read-Hall and Auger processes, whereas the diffusion has an insignificant contribution. We show that, in porous silicon samples, the Auger recombination process is greatly enhanced at the wavelength corresponding to the infrared-active vibrational modes of the molecular impurities on the surface of the pores. This observation of surface-vibration-assisted Auger recombination is not only for porous silicon in particular, but for low-dimension and bulk semiconductors in general. We estimate the time constants of Shockley-Read-Hall and Auger processes, and demonstrate their wavelength dependence for the excited carrier density in the range of 1018-10191 /cm3 . We demonstrate that both processes are enhanced by up to three orders of magnitude with respect to the bulk counterpart. In addition, we provide a plethora of the physical parameters evaluated from the experimental data, such as the dielectric function and its dependence on the

  1. Jeans instability of inhomogeneous dusty plasma with polarization force, ionization and recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, Shweta; Sharma, Prerana; Chhajlani, R K

    2017-01-01

    The self-gravitational Jeans instability has been studied in dusty plasma containing significant background of neutral pressure and recombination of ions and electrons on the dust surface. The full dynamics of charged dust grains, ions and neutral species are employed considering the electrons as Maxwellian. We have derived the general dispersion relation for collisional dusty plasma with ionization, recombination and polarization force. The general dispersion relation describes the effects of considered parameters which are solved in different dusty plasma situations. Further, the dispersion relation is solved numerically. The present work is applicable to understand the structure formation of interstellar molecular clouds in astrophysical plasma. (paper)

  2. Jeans instability of inhomogeneous dusty plasma with polarization force, ionization and recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Shweta; Sharma, Prerana; Chhajlani, R. K.

    2017-05-01

    The self-gravitational Jeans instability has been studied in dusty plasma containing significant background of neutral pressure and recombination of ions and electrons on the dust surface. The full dynamics of charged dust grains, ions and neutral species are employed considering the electrons as Maxwellian. We have derived the general dispersion relation for collisional dusty plasma with ionization, recombination and polarization force. The general dispersion relation describes the effects of considered parameters which are solved in different dusty plasma situations. Further, the dispersion relation is solved numerically. The present work is applicable to understand the structure formation of interstellar molecular clouds in astrophysical plasma.

  3. Secondary electron emission from textured surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huerta, C. E.; Patino, M. I.; Wirz, R. E.

    2018-04-01

    In this work, a Monte Carlo model is used to investigate electron induced secondary electron emission for varying effects of complex surfaces by using simple geometric constructs. Geometries used in the model include: vertical fibers for velvet-like surfaces, tapered pillars for carpet-like surfaces, and a cage-like configuration of interlaced horizontal and vertical fibers for nano-structured fuzz. The model accurately captures the secondary electron emission yield dependence on incidence angle. The model shows that unlike other structured surfaces previously studied, tungsten fuzz exhibits secondary electron emission yield that is independent of primary electron incidence angle, due to the prevalence of horizontally-oriented fibers in the fuzz geometry. This is confirmed with new data presented herein of the secondary electron emission yield of tungsten fuzz at incidence angles from 0-60°.

  4. Simultaneous effects of electron-hole correlation, hydrostatic pressure, and temperature on the third harmonic generation in parabolic GaAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duque, C. M.; Mora-Ramos, M. E.; Duque, C. A.

    2011-01-01

    The combined effects of electron-hole correlation, hydrostatic pressure, and temperature on the third harmonic generation in disk-shaped parabolic GaAs quantum dots are studied under the density matrix formalism and the effective mass approximation. Two well-defined regimes are discussed: (1) the strong-confinement regime, where the Coulomb interaction between the electron and hole is neglected and (2) the weak-confinement regime where the parabolic confinement term is neglected and the system reaches the limit of a hydrogenic problem. The results show that the third harmonic-generation coefficient is strongly dependent on the localization of the electron-hole pair. Also, that by using external perturbations like hydrostatic pressure or by considering the temperature effects it is possible to induce a blue-shift and/or red-shift on the resonant peaks of the third harmonic generation coefficient.

  5. Effect of strong correlations on the high energy anomaly in hole- and electron-doped high-Tc superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moritz, B; Johnston, S; Greven, M; Shen, Z-X; Devereaux, T P; Schmitt, F; Meevasana, W; Motoyama, E M; Lu, D H; Kim, C; Scalettar, R T

    2009-01-01

    Recently, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has been used to highlight an anomalously large band renormalization at high binding energies in cuprate superconductors: the high energy 'waterfall' or high energy anomaly (HEA). This paper demonstrates, using a combination of new ARPES measurements and quantum Monte Carlo simulations, that the HEA is not simply the by-product of matrix element effects, but rather represents a cross-over from a quasi-particle band at low binding energies near the Fermi level to valence bands at higher binding energy, assumed to be of strong oxygen character, in both hole- and electron-doped cuprates. While photoemission matrix elements clearly play a role in changing the aesthetic appearance of the band dispersion, i.e. the 'waterfall'-like behavior, they provide an inadequate description for the physics that underlies the strong band renormalization giving rise to the HEA. Model calculations of the single-band Hubbard Hamiltonian showcase the role played by correlations in the formation of the HEA and uncover significant differences in the HEA energy scale for hole- and electron-doped cuprates. In addition, this approach properly captures the transfer of spectral weight accompanying both hole and electron doping in a correlated material and provides a unifying description of the HEA across both sides of the cuprate phase diagram.

  6. Vlasov simulations of electron hole dynamics in inhomogeneous magnetic field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzichev, Ilya; Vasko, Ivan; Agapitov, Oleksiy; Mozer, Forrest; Artemyev, Anton

    2017-04-01

    Electron holes (EHs) or phase space vortices are solitary electrostatic waves existing due to electrons trapped within EH electrostatic potential. Since the first direct observation [1], EHs have been widely observed in the Earth's magnetosphere: in reconnecting current sheets [2], injection fronts [3], auroral region [4], and many other space plasma systems. EHs have typical spatial scales up to tens of Debye lengths, electric field amplitudes up to hundreds of mV/m and propagate along magnetic field lines with velocities of about electron thermal velocity [5]. The role of EHs in energy dissipation and supporting of large-scale potential drops is under active investigation. The accurate interpretation of spacecraft observations requires understanding of EH evolution in inhomogeneous plasma. The critical role of plasma density gradients in EH evolution was demonstrated in [6] using PIC simulations. Interestingly, up to date no studies have addressed a role of magnetic field gradients in EH evolution. In this report, we use 1.5D gyrokinetic Vlasov code to demonstrate the critical role of magnetic field gradients in EH dynamics. We show that EHs propagating into stronger (weaker) magnetic field are decelerated (accelerated) with deceleration (acceleration) rate dependent on the magnetic field gradient. Remarkably, the reflection points of decelerating EHs are independent of the average magnetic field gradient in the system and depend only on the EH parameters. EHs are decelerated (accelerated) faster than would follow from the "quasi-particle" concept assuming that EH is decelerated (accelerated) entirely due to the mirror force acting on electrons trapped within EH. We demonstrate that EH propagation in inhomogeneous magnetic fields results in development of a net potential drop along an EH, which depends on the magnetic field gradient. The revealed features will be helpful for interpreting spacecraft observations and results of advanced particle simulations. In

  7. The importance of dye chemistry and TiCl4 surface treatment in the behavior of Al2O3 recombination barrier layers deposited by atomic layer deposition in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Brennan, Thomas P.

    2012-01-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to fabricate Al 2O 3 recombination barriers in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ss-DSSCs) employing an organic hole transport material (HTM) for the first time. Al 2O 3 recombination barriers of varying thickness were incorporated into efficient ss-DSSCs utilizing the Z907 dye adsorbed onto a 2 μm-thick nanoporous TiO 2 active layer and the HTM spiro-OMeTAD. The impact of Al 2O 3 barriers was also studied in devices employing different dyes, with increased active layer thicknesses, and with substrates that did not undergo the TiCl 4 surface treatment. In all instances, electron lifetimes (as determined by transient photovoltage measurements) increased and dark current was suppressed after Al 2O 3 deposition. However, only when the TiCl 4 treatment was eliminated did device efficiency increase; in all other instances efficiency decreased due to a drop in short-circuit current. These results are attributed in the former case to the similar effects of Al 2O 3 ALD and the TiCl 4 surface treatment whereas the insulating properties of Al 2O 3 hinder charge injection and lead to current loss in TiCl 4-treated devices. The impact of Al 2O 3 barrier layers was unaffected by doubling the active layer thickness or using an alternative ruthenium dye, but a metal-free donor-π-acceptor dye exhibited a much smaller decrease in current due to its higher excited state energy. We develop a model employing prior research on Al 2O 3 growth and dye kinetics that successfully predicts the reduction in device current as a function of ALD cycles and is extendable to different dye-barrier systems. © This journal is the Owner Societies 2012.

  8. Spin polarized and density modulated phases in symmetric electron-electron and electron-hole bilayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Krishan; Moudgil, R K

    2012-10-17

    We have studied symmetric electron-electron and electron-hole bilayers to explore the stable homogeneous spin phase and the feasibility of inhomogeneous charge-/spin-density ground states. The former is resolved by comparing the ground-state energies in states of different spin polarizations, while the latter is resolved by searching for a divergence in the wavevector-dependent static charge/spin susceptibility. For this endeavour, we have used the dielectric approach within the self-consistent mean-field theory of Singwi et al. We find that the inter-layer interactions tend to change an abrupt spin-polarization transition of an isolated layer into a nearly gradual one, even though the partially spin-polarized phases are not clearly stable within the accuracy of our calculation. The transition density is seen to decrease with a reduction in layer spacing, implying a suppression of spin polarization by inter-layer interactions. Indeed, the suppression shows up distinctly in the spin susceptibility computed from the spin-polarization dependence of the ground-state energy. However, below a critical layer spacing, the unpolarized liquid becomes unstable against a charge-density-wave (CDW) ground state at a density preceding full spin polarization, with the transition density for the CDW state increasing on further reduction in the layer spacing. Due to attractive e-h correlations, the CDW state is found to be more pronounced in the e-h bilayer. On the other hand, the static spin susceptibility diverges only in the long-wavelength limit, which simply represents a transition to the homogeneous spin-polarized phase.

  9. [Inelastic electron scattering from surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    This program uses ab-initio and multiple scattering to study surface dynamical processes; high-resolution electron-energy loss spectroscopy is used in particular. Off-specular excitation cross sections are much larger if electron energies are in the LEED range (50--300 eV). The analyses have been extended to surfaces of ordered alloys. Phonon eigenvectors and eigenfrequencies were used as inputs to electron-energy-loss multiple scattering cross section calculations. Work on low-energy electron and positron holography is mentioned

  10. Disappearance of electron-hole asymmetry in nanoparticles of Nd1−xCaxMnO3(x=0.6,0.4): magnetization and electron paramagnetic resonance evidence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhagyashree, K. S.; Bhat, S. V.

    2015-01-01

    We study and compare magnetic and electron paramagnetic resonance behaviors of bulk and nanoparticles of Nd 1−x Ca x MnO 3 in hole doped (x=0.4;NCMOH) and electron doped (x=0.6;NCMOE) samples. NCMOH in bulk form shows a complex temperature dependence of magnetization M(T), with a charge ordering transition at ∼250 K, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at ∼150 K, and a transition to a canted AFM phase/mixed phase at ∼80 K. Bulk NCMOE behaves quite differently with just a charge ordering transition at ∼280 K, thus providing a striking example of the so called electron-hole asymmetry. While our magnetization data on bulk samples are consistent with the earlier reports, the new results on the nanoparticles bring out drastic effects of size reduction. They show that M(T) behaviors of the two nanosamples are essentially similar in addition to the absence of the charge order in them thus providing strong evidence for vanishing of the electron-hole asymmetry in nanomanganites. This conclusion is further corroborated by electron paramagnetic resonance studies which show that the large difference in the “g” values and their temperature dependences found for the two bulk samples disappears as they approach a common behavior in the corresponding nanosamples

  11. Mechanism of charge recombination in meso-structured organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells: A macroscopic perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Wenchao; Yao, Yao, E-mail: yaoyao@fudan.edu.cn; Wu, Chang-Qin, E-mail: cqw@fudan.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

    2015-04-21

    In the currently popular organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells, the slowness of the charge recombination processes is found to be a key factor for contributing to their high efficiencies and high open circuit voltages, but the underlying recombination mechanism remains unclear. In this work, we investigate the bimolecular recombination (BR) and the trap-assisted monomolecular recombination (MR) in meso-structured perovskite solar cells under steady state working condition, and try to reveal their roles on determining the device performance. Some interfacial effects such as the injection barriers at the selective contacts are examined as well. Based on the macroscopic device modeling, the recombination resistance-voltage (R{sub rec}−V) and the current density-voltage (J–V) curves are calculated to characterize the recombination mechanism and describe the device performance, respectively. Through comparison with the impedance spectroscopy extracted R{sub rec} data, it is found that under the typical BR reduction factor and deep trap densities observed in experiments, the MR dominates the charge recombination in the low voltage regime, while the BR dominates in the high voltage regime. The short circuit current and the fill factor could be reduced by the significant MR but the open circuit voltage is generally determined by the BR. The different electron injection barriers at the contact can change the BR rate and induce different patterns for the R{sub rec}–V characteristics. For the perovskites of increased band gaps, the R{sub rec}'s are significantly enhanced, corresponding to the high open circuit voltages. Finally, it is revealed that the reduced effective charge mobility due to the transport in electron and hole transporting material makes the R{sub rec} decrease slowly with the increasing voltage, which leads to increased open circuit voltage.

  12. Diamond surface: atomic and electronic structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pate, B.B.

    1984-01-01

    Experimental studies of the diamond surface (with primary emphasis on the (111) surface) are presented. Aspects of the diamond surface which are addressed include (1) the electronic structure, (2) the atomic structure, and (3) the effect of termination of the lattice by foreign atoms. Limited studies of graphite are discussed for comparison with the diamond results. Experimental results from valence band and core level photoemission spectroscopy (PES), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and carbon 1s near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy (both the total electron yield (TEY) and Auger electron yield (AEY) techniques) are used to study and characterize both the clean and hydrogenated surface. In addition, the interaction of hydrogen with the diamond surface is examined using results from vibrational high resolution low energy electron loss spectroscopy (in collaboration with Waclawski, Pierce, Swanson, and Celotta at the National Bureau of Standards) and photon stimulated ion desorption (PSID) yield at photon energies near the carbon k-edge (hv greater than or equal to 280 eV). Both EELS and PSID verify that the mechanically polished 1 x 1 surface is hydrogen terminated and also that the reconstructed surface is hydrogen free. The (111) 2 x 2/2 x 1 reconstructed surface is obtained from the hydrogenated (111) 1 x 1:H surface by annealing to approx. = 1000 0 C. We observe occupied intrinsic surface states and a surface chemical shift (0.95 +- 0.1 eV) to lower binding energy of the carbon 1s level on the hydrogen-free reconstructed surface. Atomic hydrogen is found to be reactive with the reconstructed surface, while molecular hydrogen is relatively inert. Exposure of the reconstructed surface to atomic hydrogen results in chemisorption of hydrogen and removal of the intrinsic surface state emission in and near the band gap region

  13. Improved organic light-emitting device with tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium inserted between hole-injection layer and hole-transporting layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Divayana, Y [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore (Singapore); Sun, X W [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore (Singapore); Chen, B J [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore (Singapore); Sarma, K R [Aerospace Electronic Systems, Honeywell, 21111 N 19th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85027 (United States)

    2007-01-07

    A layer of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq{sub 3}), which is normally used as an electron-transporting and emissive layer, was incorporated between the hole-transporting layer and the hole-injection layer to balance the electron-hole injection. The Alq{sub 3} layer performed to block the hole current which is a majority carrier in a typical organic light-emitting device. An increase in current efficiency by almost 30%, from 3.1 to 4.0 cd A{sup -1}, with a minimum voltage shift was achieved with a 2 nm Alq{sub 3} layer as a hole-blocking layer. A reduction in HTL thickness was observed to reduce the efficiency due to electron leakage to the HIL, whereby an inefficient exciplex emission was observed.

  14. Value and Anisotropy of the Electron and Hole Mass in Pure Wurtzite InP Nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tedeschi, D; De Luca, M; Granados Del Águila, A; Gao, Q; Ambrosio, G; Capizzi, M; Tan, H H; Christianen, P C M; Jagadish, C; Polimeni, A

    2016-10-12

    The effective mass of electrons and holes in semiconductors is pivotal in determining the dynamics of carriers and their confinement energy in nanostructured materials. Surprisingly, this quantity is still unknown in wurtzite (WZ) nanowires (NWs) made of III-V compounds (e.g., GaAs, InAs, GaP, InP), where the WZ phase has no bulk counterpart. Here, we investigate the magneto-optical properties of InP WZ NWs grown by selective-area epitaxy that provides perfectly ordered NWs featuring high-crystalline quality. The combined analysis of the energy of free exciton states and impurity levels under magnetic field (B up to 29 T) allows us to disentangle the dynamics of oppositely charged carriers from the Coulomb interaction and thus to determine the values of the electron and hole effective mass. By application of B⃗ along different crystallographic directions, we also assess the dependence of the transport properties with respect to the NW growth axis (namely, the WZ ĉ axis). The effective mass of electrons along ĉ is m e ∥ = (0.078 ± 0.002) m 0 (m 0 is the electron mass in vacuum) and perpendicular to ĉ is m e ⊥ = (0.093 ± 0.001) m 0 , resulting in a 20% mass anisotropy. Holes exhibit a much larger (∼320%) and opposite mass anisotropy with their effective mass along and perpendicular to ĉ equal to m h ∥ = (0.81 ± 0.18) m 0 and m h ⊥ = (0.250 ± 0.016) m 0 , respectively. While no full consensus is found with current theoretical results on WZ InP, our findings show trends remarkably similar to the experimental data available in WZ bulk materials, such as InN, GaN, and ZnO.

  15. Mapping Carrier Dynamics on Material Surfaces in Space and Time using Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Jingya; Adhikari, Aniruddha; Shaheen, Basamat; Yang, Haoze; Mohammed, Omar F.

    2016-01-01

    Selectively capturing the ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers on materials surfaces and at interfaces is crucial to the design of solar cells and optoelectronic devices. Despite extensive research efforts over the past few decades, information and understanding about surface-dynamical processes, including carrier trapping and recombination remains extremely limited. A key challenge is to selectively map such dynamic processes, a capability that is hitherto impractical by time-resolved laser techniques, which are limited by the laser’s relatively large penetration depth and consequently they record mainly bulk information. Such surface dynamics can only be mapped in real space and time by applying four-dimensional (4D) scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (S-UEM), which records snapshots of materials surfaces with nanometer spatial and sub-picosecond temporal resolutions. In this method, the secondary electron (SE) signal emitted from the sample’s surface is extremely sensitive to the surface dynamics and is detected in real time. In several unique applications, we spatially and temporally visualize the SE energy gain and loss, the charge carrier dynamics on the surface of InGaN nanowires and CdSe single crystals and its powder film. We also provide the mechanisms for the observed dynamics, which will be the foundation for future potential applications of S-UEM to a wide range of studies on material surfaces and device interfaces.

  16. Mapping Carrier Dynamics on Material Surfaces in Space and Time using Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Jingya

    2016-02-25

    Selectively capturing the ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers on materials surfaces and at interfaces is crucial to the design of solar cells and optoelectronic devices. Despite extensive research efforts over the past few decades, information and understanding about surface-dynamical processes, including carrier trapping and recombination remains extremely limited. A key challenge is to selectively map such dynamic processes, a capability that is hitherto impractical by time-resolved laser techniques, which are limited by the laser’s relatively large penetration depth and consequently they record mainly bulk information. Such surface dynamics can only be mapped in real space and time by applying four-dimensional (4D) scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (S-UEM), which records snapshots of materials surfaces with nanometer spatial and sub-picosecond temporal resolutions. In this method, the secondary electron (SE) signal emitted from the sample’s surface is extremely sensitive to the surface dynamics and is detected in real time. In several unique applications, we spatially and temporally visualize the SE energy gain and loss, the charge carrier dynamics on the surface of InGaN nanowires and CdSe single crystals and its powder film. We also provide the mechanisms for the observed dynamics, which will be the foundation for future potential applications of S-UEM to a wide range of studies on material surfaces and device interfaces.

  17. Electronic properties of semiconductor surfaces and metal/semiconductor interfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tallarida, M.

    2005-05-15

    This thesis reports investigations of the electronic properties of a semiconductor surface (silicon carbide), a reactive metal/semiconductor interface (manganese/silicon) and a non-reactive metal/semiconductor interface (aluminum-magnesium alloy/silicon). The (2 x 1) reconstruction of the 6H-SiC(0001) surface has been obtained by cleaving the sample along the (0001) direction. This reconstruction has not been observed up to now for this compound, and has been compared with those of similar elemental semiconductors of the fourth group of the periodic table. This comparison has been carried out by making use of photoemission spectroscopy, analyzing the core level shifts of both Si 2p and C 1s core levels in terms of charge transfer between atoms of both elements and in different chemical environments. From this comparison, a difference between the reconstruction on the Si-terminated and the C-terminated surface was established, due to the ionic nature of the Si-C bond. The growth of manganese films on Si(111) in the 1-5 ML thickness range has been studied by means of LEED, STM and photoemission spectroscopy. By the complementary use of these surface science techniques, two different phases have been observed for two thickness regimes (<1 ML and >1 ML), which exhibit a different electronic character. The two reconstructions, the (1 x 1)-phase and the ({radical}3 x {radical}3)R30 -phase, are due to silicide formation, as observed in core level spectroscopy. The growth proceeds via island formation in the monolayer regime, while the thicker films show flat layers interrupted by deep holes. On the basis of STM investigations, this growth mode has been attributed to strain due to lattice mismatch between the substrate and the silicide. Co-deposition of Al and Mg onto a Si(111) substrate at low temperature (100K) resulted in the formation of thin alloy films. By varying the relative content of both elements, the thin films exhibited different electronic properties

  18. BEC-BCS-laser crossover in Coulomb-correlated electron-hole-photon systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, M; Kamide, K; Ogawa, T; Yamamoto, Y

    2012-01-01

    Many-body features caused by Coulomb correlations are of great importance for understanding phenomena pertaining to polariton systems in semiconductor microcavities, i.e. electron-hole-photon systems. Remarkable many-body effects are shown to exist in both thermal-equilibrium phases and non-equilibrium lasing states. We then show a unified framework for connecting the thermal-equilibrium and the non-equilibrium steady states based on a non-equilibrium Green's function approach. Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC)-Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-laser crossovers are investigated by using this approach. (paper)

  19. Mechanism of formation of a zone without vacancy pores along a surface under electron irradiation of a metal in the high-volt electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golubov, S.I.; Konobeev, Yu.V.; Ryabov, V.A.

    1981-01-01

    Formation mechanism of zones free of vacancy pores near the vacant surface of a metal preliminary irradiated at a high neutron dose when irradiating with electrons in a high-voltage electron microscope has been suggested. It was assumed to explain experimentally observed values of width and time of such zone formation that interstitial atoms are reflected from foil surface while boundary serves as an ideal sink for the vacancies. The carried out calculation of stationary equations of vacancy and interstitial diffusion with the mentioned boundary condition has shown that determination of a stable zone width is possible only in assumption on a variable in a depth of dislocation density. Theoretical evaluations of a zone width being in good agreement with an experiment and with the results of numerical calculations have been obtained in negligence of recombination of point defects as well as for the case of total reflection of interstitials. Discussed are different mechanisms of weak capture of proper interstitial atoms diffusing to it with the metal surface [ru

  20. Effect of alkyl chain length of imidazolium cations on the electron transport and recombination kinetics in ionic gel electrolytes based quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huo, Zhipeng; Tao, Li; Wang, Lu; Zhu, Jun; Chen, Shuanghong; Zhang, Changneng; Dai, Songyuan; Zhang, Bing

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: •A series of novel IGEs based on 12-hydroxystearicacid as LMOG were prepared. •The QS-DSSCs exhibit excellent stability during the accelerated aging tests. •The influence of Im + alkyl chain length on the electron kinetic process is investigated. -- Abstract: A series of stable quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QS-DSSCs) are prepared by the 12-hydroxystearicacid as low molecular mass organogelator (LMOG) to gelate the ionic liquid with different alkyl chain lengths (3, 4, and 7). The influence of alkyl chain length of imidazolium cations (Im + ) on the kinetic processes of electron transport and recombination are investigated by Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy/intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS). It is found that the ionic gel electrolytes (IGEs) with different alkyl chain lengths of Im + can influence the competitive adsorption effects of imidazolium cations (Im + ) and Li + , and further affect the charge diffusion, the electron recombination/transport processes, the shift of TiO 2 conduction band edge and surface states distribution. The IGE with longer alkyl chain length of Im + can prolong the electron recombination lifetime, promote the incidental photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) and the short circuit photocurrent density (J sc ). An excellent QS-DSSC based on the IGE with the longer alkyl chain of Im + gives the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency. Moreover, all the QS-DSSCs based on IGEs exhibit excellent durability without losing their photovoltaic performances during the accelerated thermal and light–soaking test. These results are very important to the researches on the electrochemical mechanism and application of QS-DSSCs based on IGEs

  1. Suppression of Magnetoresistance in Thin WTe2 Flakes by Surface Oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woods, John M; Shen, Jie; Kumaravadivel, Piranavan; Pang, Yuan; Xie, Yujun; Pan, Grace A; Li, Min; Altman, Eric I; Lu, Li; Cha, Judy J

    2017-07-12

    Recent renewed interest in layered transition metal dichalcogenides stems from the exotic electronic phases predicted and observed in the single- and few-layer limit. Realizing these electronic phases requires preserving the desired transport properties down to a monolayer, which is challenging. Surface oxides are known to impart Fermi level pinning or degrade the mobility on a number of different systems, including transition metal dichalcogenides and black phosphorus. Semimetallic WTe 2 exhibits large magnetoresistance due to electron-hole compensation; thus, Fermi level pinning in thin WTe 2 flakes could break the electron-hole balance and suppress the large magnetoresistance. We show that WTe 2 develops an ∼2 nm thick amorphous surface oxide, which shifts the Fermi level by ∼300 meV at the WTe 2 surface. We also observe a dramatic suppression of the magnetoresistance for thin flakes. However, due to the semimetallic nature of WTe 2 , the effects of Fermi level pinning are well screened and are not the dominant cause for the suppression of magnetoresistance, supported by fitting a two-band model to the transport data, which showed the electron and hole carrier densities are balanced down to ∼13 nm. However, the fitting shows a significant decrease of the mobilities of both electrons and holes. We attribute this to the disorder introduced by the amorphous surface oxide layer. Thus, the decrease of mobility is the dominant factor in the suppression of magnetoresistance for thin WTe 2 flakes. Our study highlights the critical need to investigate often unanticipated and sometimes unavoidable extrinsic surface effects on the transport properties of layered dichalcogenides and other 2D materials.

  2. Complementary roles of benzylpiperazine and iodine 'vapor' in the strong enhancement of orange photoluminescence from CuI(1 1 1) thin film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawal, Takat B; Turkowski, Volodymyr; Rahman, Talat S

    2014-05-07

    We have employed density functional theory, corrected by the on-site electron-electron repulsion energy U, to clarify the mechanism behind the enhanced orange photoluminescence (PL) of a CuI(1 1 1) thin film conjugated with a benzylpiperazine (BZP) molecule in the presence of an iodine 'vapor' atom. Our results demonstrated that the adsorbed molecule and the 'vapor' atom play complementary roles in producing the PL. The latter, in attaching to the film surface, creates a hole-trapping surface state located ~0.25 eV above the valence band-edge of the film, in good agreement with ~0.2 eV reported in experiments. Upon photo-excitation of the BZP/CuI(1 1 1) system in the presence of surface iodine 'vapor' atoms, excited electrons are transferred into the conduction band of CuI, and holes are trapped by the 'vapor' atoms. These holes, in turn, quickly relax into the HOMO state of the BZP molecule, owing to the fact that the molecule adsorbs on the film surface in the immediate vicinity of a 'vapor' atom. Relaxed holes subsequently recombine with excited electrons in the conduction band of the CuI film, thereby producing a luminescence peak at ~2.1 eV, in qualitative agreement with experimental findings.

  3. Low resistivity ZnO-GO electron transport layer based CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Imran Ahmed

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Perovskite based solar cells have demonstrated impressive performances. Controlled environment synthesis and expensive hole transport material impede their potential commercialization. We report ambient air synthesis of hole transport layer free devices using ZnO-GO as electron selective contacts. Solar cells fabricated with hole transport layer free architecture under ambient air conditions with ZnO as electron selective contact achieved an efficiency of 3.02%. We have demonstrated that by incorporating GO in ZnO matrix, low resistivity electron selective contacts, critical to improve the performance, can be achieved. We could achieve max efficiency of 4.52% with our completed devices for ZnO: GO composite. Impedance spectroscopy confirmed the decrease in series resistance and an increase in recombination resistance with inclusion of GO in ZnO matrix. Effect of temperature on completed devices was investigated by recording impedance spectra at 40 and 60 oC, providing indirect evidence of the performance of solar cells at elevated temperatures.

  4. Three-particle recombination at low temperature: QED approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhattacharyya, S.; Roy, A.

    2001-01-01

    A theoretical study of three-body recombination of proton in presence of a spectator electron with electronic beam at near-zero temperature is presented using field theory and invariant Lorentz gauge. Contributions from the Feynman diagrams of different orders give an insight into the physics of the phenomena. Recombination rate coefficient is obtained for low lying principal quantum number n = 1 to 10. At a fixed ion beam temperature (300 K) recombination rate coefficient is found to increase in general with n, having a flat and a sharp peak at quantum states 3 to 5, respectively. In absence of any theoretical and experimental results for low temperature formation of H-atom by three-body recombination at low lying quantum states, we have presented the theoretical results of Stevefelt and group for three-body recombination of deuteron with electron along with the present results. Three-body recombination of antihydrogen in antiproton-positron plasma is expected to yield similar result as that for three-body recombination of hydrogen formation in proton-electron plasma. The necessity for experimental investigation of low temperature three-body recombination at low quantum states is stressed. (author)

  5. Electrons on the surface of liquid helium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, D.K.

    1979-05-01

    Spectroscopic techniques were used to study transitions of electrons between bound states in the potential well near a helium surface. The charge density distribution of electrons on the surface was independently obtained from electrical measurements. From the measurements, information was obtained both about the interaction of the bound state electrons with the surface of liquid helium and about local disorder in the positions of electrons on the surface

  6. Surface tension, hydrophobicity, and black holes: The entropic connection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Callaway, D.J.

    1996-01-01

    The geometric entropy arising from partitioning space in a fluid open-quote open-quote field theory close-quote close-quote is shown to be linearly proportional to the area of an excluded region. The coefficient of proportionality is related to surface tension by a thermodynamic argument. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained for a number of fluids. The calculation employs a density-matrix formalism developed previously for studying the origin of black hole entropy. This approach may lead to a practical technique for the evaluation of thermodynamic quantities with important entropic components. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  7. Nanolayer surface passivation schemes for silicon solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dingemans, G.

    2011-01-01

    This thesis is concerned with nanolayer surface passivation schemes and corresponding deposition processes, for envisaged applications in crystalline silicon solar cells. Surface passivation, i.e. the reduction of electronic recombination processes at semiconductor surfaces, is essential for

  8. Interaction at the silicon/transition metal oxide heterojunction interface and its effect on the photovoltaic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Zhimin; Su, Mingze; Zhou, Yangyang; Gong, Li; Zhao, Chuanxi; Chen, Keqiu; Xie, Fangyan; Zhang, Weihong; Chen, Jian; Liu, Pengyi; Xie, Weiguang

    2015-11-07

    The interfacial reaction and energy level alignment at the Si/transition metal oxide (TMO, including MoO3-x, V2O5-x, WO3-x) heterojunction are systematically investigated. We confirm that the interfacial reaction appears during the thermal deposition of TMO, with the reaction extent increasing from MoO3-x, to V2O5-x, and to WO3-x. The reaction causes the surface oxidation of silicon for faster electron/hole recombination, and the reduction of TMO for effective hole collection. The photovoltaic performance of the Si/TMO heterojunction devices is affected by the interface reaction. MoO3-x are the best hole selecting materials that induce least surface oxidation but strongest reduction. Compared with H-passivation, methyl group passivation is an effective way to reduce the interface reaction and improve the interfacial energy level alignment for better electron and hole collection.

  9. Electron and Hole Transport Layers: Their Use in Inverted Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandro Lattante

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (BHJ PSCs are very promising organic-based devices for low-cost solar energy conversion, compatible with roll-to-roll or general printing methods for mass production. Nevertheless, to date, many issues should still be addressed, one of these being the poor stability in ambient conditions. One elegant way to overcome such an issue is the so-called “inverted” BHJ PSC, a device geometry in which the charge collection is reverted in comparison with the standard geometry device, i.e., the electrons are collected by the bottom electrode and the holes by the top electrode (in contact with air. This reverted geometry allows one to use a high work function top metal electrode, like silver or gold (thus avoiding its fast oxidation and degradation, and eliminates the need of a polymeric hole transport layer, typically of an acidic nature, on top of the transparent metal oxide bottom electrode. Moreover, this geometry is fully compatible with standard roll-to-roll manufacturing in air and is less demanding for a good post-production encapsulation process. To date, the external power conversion efficiencies of the inverted devices are generally comparable to their standard analogues, once both the electron transport layer and the hole transport layer are fully optimized for the particular device. Here, the most recent results on this particular optimization process will be reviewed, and a general outlook regarding the inverted BHJ PSC will be depicted.

  10. Chemical information from Auger electron spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madden, H.H.

    1981-01-01

    The nature of chemical information in Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) data is reviewed with special emphasis on data from solid surface systems. Two strategies are most frequently used to extract this information: (i) measuring and analyzing energy (chemical) shifts in Auger peaks; and (ii) making use of the shapes of Auger signals to determine the chemical environment at the site of the initial core hole. Chemical shift data are primarily illustrated by highlighting the interaction of oxygen with solids; and analyses of these data based on core-level binding-energy shifts, relaxation, and hole--hole interactions are outlined and discussed. Auger transitions that involve valence electrons are usually those for which lineshapes are taken as indications of the local chemistry at the initial core-hole site. Attempts at extracting valence band density-of-states information from lineshapes are proving successful and this approach to the surface chemical information in AES is illustrated with the aid of examples dealing with the interaction of silicon with hydrogen and with oxygen. The use of the AES lineshapes simply as ''fingerprints'' of the core-hole-site chemistry is examined and illustrated by examples which include studies of silicon nitride properties, of solid surface properties related to catalytic reactions, and of passive films on iron. Auger decay activated desorption processes are briefly examined and found to promise new and unique chemical information when combined with conventional AES. Some gas phase AES studies are also briefly reviewed

  11. The impact of alkali metal halide electron donor complexes in the photocatalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khuzwayo, Z., E-mail: zack.khuzwayo@up.ac.za; Chirwa, E.M.N

    2017-01-05

    Highlights: • Facilitation of photocatalysis using simple metal-halides as VB hole scavengers. • Recombination prevention by coupled valence and conduction band approaches. • Determination of anions critical levels beyond which process retardation occurs. • Determination of the photocatalytic process rate of reaction kinetics. - Abstract: The performance of photocatalytic oxidation of chemical pollutants is subjected to the presence of anion complexes in natural waters. This study investigated the influence of alkali metal (Na{sup +} (sodium), K{sup +} (potassium)) halides (Cl{sup −} (chloride), Br{sup −} (bromide), F{sup −} (fluoride)) as inorganic ion sources in the photocatalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in batch systems. It was found that the exclusive presence of halides in the absence of an electron acceptor adequately facilitated the photocatalyst process below critical levels of anion populations, where beyond the critical point the process was significantly hindered. Below the determined critical point, the performance in some cases near matches that of the facilitation of the photocatalytic process by exclusive oxygen, acting as an electron scavenger. The coupling of halide ions and oxygenation presented significantly improved photo-oxidation of PCP, this was confirmed by the inclusion of formic acid as a comparative electron donor. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic expression was used to calculate the performance rate kinetics. The probable impact of the halide anions was discussed with regards to the process of electron hole pair recombination prevention.

  12. Binary and ternary recombination of [image omitted] and [image omitted] ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosík, J.; Plašil, R.; Kotrík, T.; Dohnal, P.; Varju, J.; Hejduk, M.; Korolov, I.; Roučka, Š.; Kokoouline, V.

    2010-09-01

    Measurements of recombination rate coefficients of binary and ternary recombination of ? and ? ions with electrons in a low temperature plasma are described. The experiments were carried out in the afterglow plasma in helium with a small admixture of Ar and parent gas (H2 or D2). For both ions a linear increase of measured apparent binary recombination rate coefficients (αeff) with increasing helium density was observed: αeff = αBIN + K He[He]. From the measured dependencies, we have obtained for both ions the binary (αBIN) and the ternary (K He) rate coefficients and their temperature dependence. For the description of observed ternary recombination a mechanism with two subsequent rate determining steps is proposed. In the first step, in ? + e- (or ? + e-) collision, a rotationally excited long-lived Rydberg molecule ? (or ? ) is formed. In the following step ? (or ? ) collides with a He atom of the buffer gas and this collision prevents autoionization of ? (or ? ). Lifetimes of the formed ? (or ? ) and corresponding ternary recombination rate coefficients have been calculated. The theoretical and measured binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients obtained for ? and ? ions are in good agreement.

  13. Effective Stringy Description of Schwarzschild Black Holes

    OpenAIRE

    Krasnov , Kirill; Solodukhin , Sergey N.

    2004-01-01

    We start by pointing out that certain Riemann surfaces appear rather naturally in the context of wave equations in the black hole background. For a given black hole there are two closely related surfaces. One is the Riemann surface of complexified ``tortoise'' coordinate. The other Riemann surface appears when the radial wave equation is interpreted as the Fuchsian differential equation. We study these surfaces in detail for the BTZ and Schwarzschild black holes in four and higher dimensions....

  14. Deployment and evaluation of a dual-sensor autofocusing method for on-machine measurement of patterns of small holes on freeform surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaomei; Longstaff, Andrew; Fletcher, Simon; Myers, Alan

    2014-04-01

    This paper presents and evaluates an active dual-sensor autofocusing system that combines an optical vision sensor and a tactile probe for autofocusing on arrays of small holes on freeform surfaces. The system has been tested on a two-axis test rig and then integrated onto a three-axis computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine, where the aim is to rapidly and controllably measure the hole position errors while the part is still on the machine. The principle of operation is for the tactile probe to locate the nominal positions of holes, and the optical vision sensor follows to focus and capture the images of the holes. The images are then processed to provide hole position measurement. In this paper, the autofocusing deviations are analyzed. First, the deviations caused by the geometric errors of the axes on which the dual-sensor unit is deployed are estimated to be 11 μm when deployed on a test rig and 7 μm on the CNC machine tool. Subsequently, the autofocusing deviations caused by the interaction of the tactile probe, surface, and small hole are mathematically analyzed and evaluated. The deviations are a result of the tactile probe radius, the curvatures at the positions where small holes are drilled on the freeform surface, and the effect of the position error of the hole on focusing. An example case study is provided for the measurement of a pattern of small holes on an elliptical cylinder on the two machines. The absolute sum of the autofocusing deviations is 118 μm on the test rig and 144 μm on the machine tool. This is much less than the 500 μm depth of field of the optical microscope. Therefore, the method is capable of capturing a group of clear images of the small holes on this workpiece for either implementation.

  15. Surfaces electrons at dielectric plasma walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinisch, Rafael Leslie

    2013-01-01

    The concept of the electron surface layer introduced in this thesis provides a framework for the description of the microphysics of the surplus electrons immediately at the wall and thereby complements the modelling of the plasma sheath. In this work we have considered from a surface physics perspective the distribution and build-up of an electron adsorbate on the wall as well as the effect of the negative charge on the scattering of light by a spherical particle immersed in a plasma. In our electron surface layer model we treat the wall-bound electrons as a wall-thermalised electron distribution minimising the grand canonical potential and satisfying Poisson's equation. The boundary between the electron surface layer and the plasma sheath is determined by a force balance between the attractive image potential and the repulsive sheath potential and lies in front of the crystallographic interface. Depending on the electron affinity χ, that is the offset of the conduction band minimum to the potential in front of the surface, two scenarios for the wall-bound electrons are realised. For χ 0 electrons penetrate into the conduction band where they form an extended space charge. These different scenarios are also reflected in the electron kinetics at the wall which control the sticking coefficient and the desorption time. If χ -3 . For χ>0 electron physisorption takes place in the conduction band. For this case sticking coefficients and desorption times have not been calculated yet but in view of the more efficient scattering with bulk phonons, responsible for electron energy relaxation in this case, we expect them to be larger than for the case of χ 0 the electrons in the bulk of the particle modify the refractive index through their bulk electrical conductivity. In both cases the conductivity is limited by scattering with surface or bulk phonons. Surplus electrons lead to an increase of absorption at low frequencies and, most notably, to a blue-shift of an

  16. On the surface recombination current of metal-insulator semiconductor inversion layer solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Otto M.

    1981-01-01

    voltages Voc were found to be lower than for ~ cells. The measured differences in Voc were higher than expected from the dark characteristics which is explained as a difference in the surface recombination current due to a higher interface state density Nss of ~ cells. Journal of Applied Physics...

  17. Photography: enhancing sensitivity by silver-halide crystal doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belloni, Jacqueline

    2003-01-01

    The physical chemistry of the silver photography processes, exposure, development and fixing, is briefly summarized. The mechanism of the autocatalytic development by the developer of the clusters produced in silver bromide crystals during the exposure which is controlled by the critical nuclearity of these clusters was understood from pulse radiolysis studies. The effective quantum yield PHI eff of photoinduced silver cluster formation in silver halide microcrystals is usually much lower than the photoionization theoretical limit PHI theor =1 electron-hole pair per photon absorbed, owing to a subsequent very fast intra-crystal recombination of a part of the electron-hole pairs. In order to inhibit this recombination and favor the silver reduction by photo-electrons, the AgX crystals were doped with the formate HCO 2 - as a specific hole scavenger. First, the dopant scavenges the photoinduced hole, thus enhancing the electron escape from the pair recombination. Second, the CO 2 ·- radical so formed transfers an electron to another silver cation, so that the PHI eff limit may be of 2Ag 0 per photon. This Photoinduced Bielectronic Transfer mechanism is strictly proportional to the light quanta absorbed and induces an exceptional efficiency for enhancing the radio- or photographic sensitivity insofar as it totally suppresses the electron-hole recombination

  18. DFT +U Modeling of Hole Polarons in Organic Lead Halide Perovskites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Eric; Erhart, Paul; Scolfaro, Luisa; Zakhidov, Alex

    Due to the ever present drive towards improved efficiencies in solar cell technology, new and improved materials are emerging rapidly. Organic halide perovskites are a promising prospect, yet a fundamental understanding of the organic perovskite structure and electronic properties is missing. Particularly, explanations of certain physical phenomena, specifically a low recombination rate and high mobility of charge carriers still remain controversial. We theoretically investigate possible formation of hole polarons adopting methodology used for oxide perovskites. The perovskite studied here is the ABX3structure, with A being an organic cation, B lead and C a halogen; the combinations studied allow for A1,xA2 , 1 - xBX1,xX2 , 3 - xwhere the alloy convention is used to show mixtures of the organic cations and/or the halogens. Two organic cations, methylammonium and formamidinium, and three halogens, iodine, chlorine and bromine are studied. Electronic structures and polaron behavior is studied through first principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP). Local density approximation (LDA) pseudopotentials are used and a +U Hubbard correction of 8 eV is added; this method was shown to work with oxide perovskites. It is shown that a localized state is realized with the Hubbard correction in systems with an electron removed, residing in the band gap of each different structure. Thus, hole polarons are expected to be seen in these perovskites.

  19. Effects of specialized drill bits on hole defects of CFRP laminates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chao; Xu, Jinyang; Chen, Ming

    2018-05-01

    Drilling is a conventional machining process widely applied to carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for the riveting and fastening purposes in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, the machining mechanism of CFRP composites differ significantly from that of homogeneous metal alloys owing to their prominent anisotropy and heterogeneity. Serious hole defects such as fiber pullout, matrix debonding and delamination are generally produced during the hole-making process, resulting in the poor machined surface quality, low fatigue durability or even the part rejections. In order to minimize the defects especially the delamination damage in composites drilling, specialized drill bits are often a primary choice being widely adopted in a real production. This paper aims to study the effects of two drills differing in geometrical characteristics during the drilling of CFRP laminates. A number of drilling experiments were carried out with the aim to evaluate the drilling performance of different drill bits. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the drilled surfaces to study the surface roughness. A high frequency scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) was applied to characterize the drilled hole morphologies with a particular focus on the delamination damage occurring in the CFRP laminates. The obtained results indicate that the fiber orientation relative to the cutting direction is a key factor affecting hole morphology and hole wall defects can be reduced by utilizing specialized drill geometries. Moreover, the dagger drill was confirmed outperforming the brad spur drill from the aspect of reducing drilling-induced delamination.

  20. Spin polarized electrons in surface science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegmann, H.C.

    1983-01-01

    The potentialities of spin-polarised electron beams as a probe of surface magnetic properties are outlined. Elastic as well as inelastic scattering of electrons from solid surfaces are considered. (G.Q.)

  1. Effects of model approximations for electron, hole, and photon transport in swift heavy ion tracks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rymzhanov, R.A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Medvedev, N.A., E-mail: nikita.medvedev@fzu.cz [Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Laser Plasma Department, Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Za Slovankou 3, 182 00 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Volkov, A.E. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’, Kurchatov Sq. 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskij pr., 53,119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); National University of Science and Technology MISiS, Leninskij pr., 4, 119049 Moscow (Russian Federation); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Kashirskoye sh., 31, 115409 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2016-12-01

    The event-by-event Monte Carlo code, TREKIS, was recently developed to describe excitation of the electron subsystems of solids in the nanometric vicinity of a trajectory of a nonrelativistic swift heavy ion (SHI) decelerated in the electronic stopping regime. The complex dielectric function (CDF) formalism was applied in the used cross sections to account for collective response of a matter to excitation. Using this model we investigate effects of the basic assumptions on the modeled kinetics of the electronic subsystem which ultimately determine parameters of an excited material in an SHI track. In particular, (a) effects of different momentum dependencies of the CDF on scattering of projectiles on the electron subsystem are investigated. The ‘effective one-band’ approximation for target electrons produces good coincidence of the calculated electron mean free paths with those obtained in experiments in metals. (b) Effects of collective response of a lattice appeared to dominate in randomization of electron motion. We study how sensitive these effects are to the target temperature. We also compare results of applications of different model forms of (quasi-) elastic cross sections in simulations of the ion track kinetics, e.g. those calculated taking into account optical phonons in the CDF form vs. Mott’s atomic cross sections. (c) It is demonstrated that the kinetics of valence holes significantly affects redistribution of the excess electronic energy in the vicinity of an SHI trajectory as well as its conversion into lattice excitation in dielectrics and semiconductors. (d) It is also shown that induced transport of photons originated from radiative decay of core holes brings the excess energy faster and farther away from the track core, however, the amount of this energy is relatively small.

  2. Minimizing energy losses in perovskite solar cells using plasma-treated transparent conducting layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dao, Van-Duong [Department of Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Larina, Liudmila L. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Solar Photovoltaics, Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow (Russian Federation); Choi, Ho-Suk, E-mail: hchoi@cnu.ac.kr [Department of Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-30

    This study reports for increasing the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by modifying the surface of a fluorine-doped indium tin oxide (FTO) substrate using an atmospheric pressure plasma treatment. Surface modification of the FTO film involved several challenges, such as control of the blocking layer uniformity, removal of pinholes, and deposition of a dense layer. This strategy allows the suppression of charge recombination at the interface between the FTO substrate and hole conductor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis showed that the plasma treatment increased the charge transfer resistance between the FTO and hole conductor from 95.1 to 351.1 Ω, indicating enhanced resistance to the electron back reaction. Analyses of the open-circuit photovoltage decay revealed that modification of the surface of the FTO substrate by plasma treatment increased time constant from 6.44 ms to 13.15 ms. The effect is ascribed to suppression of the electron recombination rate. PSCs based on the newly developed electrode had 39% higher efficiency than reference devices. The obtained results provide direct evidence in favor of the developed strategy. - Highlights: • Plasma treatment of FTO glass effectively increases the efficiency of PSCs. • The surface becomes superhydrophilic after plasma treatment. • The superhydrophilic surface provides uniform and pinhole-free coverage of TiO{sub 2} BL. • The transmittance of the plasma-treated FTO/BL is higher than the pristine FTO/BL. • The electron recombination is reduced due to its high quality of TiO{sub 2} BL.

  3. Improvement of the photovoltaic parameters of perovskite solar cells using a reduced-graphene-oxide-modified titania layer and soluble copper phthalocyanine as a hole transporter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouri, Esmaiel; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Xu, Zong-Xiang; Dracopoulos, Vassilios; Lianos, Panagiotis

    2018-01-24

    Functional perovskite solar cells can be made by using a simple, inexpensive and stable soluble tetra-n-butyl-substituted copper phthalocyanine (CuBuPc) as a hole transporter. In the present study, TiO 2 /reduced graphene oxide (T/RGO) hybrids were synthesized via an in situ solvothermal process and used as electron acceptor/transport mediators in mesoscopic perovskite solar cells based on soluble CuBuPc as a hole transporter and on graphene oxide (GO) as a buffer layer. The impact of the RGO content on the optoelectronic properties of T/RGO hybrids and on the solar cell performance was studied, suggesting improved electron transport characteristics and photovoltaic parameters. An enhanced electron lifetime and recombination resistance led to an increase in the short circuit current density, open circuit voltage and fill factor. The device based on a T/RGO mesoporous layer with an optimal RGO content of 0.2 wt% showed 22% higher photoconversion efficiency and higher stability compared with pristine TiO 2 -based devices.

  4. Investigation of the extraction of short diffusion lengths from simulated electron-beam induced current

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wee, D.; Parish, G.; Nener, B. [Microelectronics Research Group, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley (Perth) (Australia)

    2010-10-15

    This paper reports on the investigations via 2-D simulation into the accuracy of diffusion length extraction from scanning electron-beam induced current measurements when the diffusion length, L is very short. L is extracted by using the direct method proposed by Chan et al.[1] and later refined by Kurniawan and Ong[2] to take finite junction depth into account. The 2-D simulations were undertaken using Synopsys {sup registered} Sentaurus TCAD and a realistic electron-hole pair generation volume was created using CASINO v2.42[3], a Monte Carlo Scanning Electron Microscope interaction simulation software, and imported into Sentaurus. The voltage and diameter of the electron beam and diffusion length and surface recombination velocity of the semiconductor materials were varied in the simulations to determine the errors in the diffusion length extracted from the EBIC signals as a function of these parameters. The results of the simulation show that the accuracy of the method proposed in[1] is reasonably accurate and that the beam voltage and spot size do not have significant effects on the accuracy (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  5. Investigation of the extraction of short diffusion lengths from simulated electron-beam induced current

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wee, D.; Parish, G.; Nener, B.

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports on the investigations via 2-D simulation into the accuracy of diffusion length extraction from scanning electron-beam induced current measurements when the diffusion length, L is very short. L is extracted by using the direct method proposed by Chan et al.[1] and later refined by Kurniawan and Ong[2] to take finite junction depth into account. The 2-D simulations were undertaken using Synopsys registered Sentaurus TCAD and a realistic electron-hole pair generation volume was created using CASINO v2.42[3], a Monte Carlo Scanning Electron Microscope interaction simulation software, and imported into Sentaurus. The voltage and diameter of the electron beam and diffusion length and surface recombination velocity of the semiconductor materials were varied in the simulations to determine the errors in the diffusion length extracted from the EBIC signals as a function of these parameters. The results of the simulation show that the accuracy of the method proposed in[1] is reasonably accurate and that the beam voltage and spot size do not have significant effects on the accuracy (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  6. Combined UMC- DFT prediction of electron-hole coupling in unit cells of pentacene crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leal, Luciano Almeida; de Souza Júnior, Rafael Timóteo; de Almeida Fonseca, Antonio Luciano; Ribeiro Junior, Luiz Antonio; Blawid, Stefan; da Silva Filho, Demetrio Antonio; da Cunha, Wiliam Ferreira

    2017-05-01

    Pentacene is an organic semiconductor that draws special attention from the scientific community due to the high mobility of its charge carriers. As electron-hole interactions are important aspects in the regard of such property, a computationally inexpensive method to predict the coupling between these quasi-particles is highly desired. In this work, we propose a hybrid methodology of combining Uncoupled Monte Carlo Simulations (UMC) and Density functional Theory (DFT) methodologies to obtain a good compromise between computational feasibility and accuracy. As a first step in considering a Pentacene crystal, we describe its unit cell: the Pentacene Dimer. Because many conformations can be encountered for the dimer and considering the complexity of the system, we make use of UMC in order to find the most probable structures and relative orientations for the Pentacene-Pentacene complex. Following, we carry out electronic structure calculations in the scope of DFT with the goal of describing the electron-hole coupling on the most probable configurations obtained by UMC. The comparison of our results with previously reported data on the literature suggests that the methodology is well suited for describing transfer integrals of organic semiconductors. The observed accuracy together with the smaller computational cost required by our approach allows us to conclude that such methodology might be an important tool towards the description of systems with higher complexity.

  7. 30 CFR 57.7055 - Intersecting holes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Intersecting holes. 57.7055 Section 57.7055... Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7055 Intersecting holes. Holes shall not be drilled where there is a danger of intersecting a misfired hole or a hole containing explosives, blasting agents...

  8. Electron-hole transition in spherical QD-QW nanoparticles based on GaN∣(In,Ga)N∣GaN under hydrostatic pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El Ghazi, Haddou; Jorio, Anouar

    2013-01-01

    Within the framework of effective-mass approximation and finite parabolic potential confinement barrier in which two confinement parameters are taking account, the electron (hole) energy and the ground-state electron-hole (e−h) transition in Core∣well∣shell (GaN|In x Ga 1−x N|GaN) spherical QD-QW nanoparticles are investigated as a function of the inner and the outer radii under externally applied hydrostatic pressure. The pressure dependencies of the effective-mass and the QD radius are taking into account. The results we obtained are in quite good agreement with the theoretical and the experimental findings

  9. Electron-hole transition in spherical QD-QW nanoparticles based on GaN∣(In,Ga)N∣GaN under hydrostatic pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El Ghazi, Haddou, E-mail: hadghazi@gmail.com [LPS, Faculty of Science, Dhar EL Mehrez, BP 1796 Fes-Atlas (Morocco); Special Mathematics, CPGE Kénitra, Chakib Arsalane Street (Morocco); Jorio, Anouar [LPS, Faculty of Science, Dhar EL Mehrez, BP 1796 Fes-Atlas (Morocco)

    2013-11-15

    Within the framework of effective-mass approximation and finite parabolic potential confinement barrier in which two confinement parameters are taking account, the electron (hole) energy and the ground-state electron-hole (e−h) transition in Core∣well∣shell (GaN|In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N|GaN) spherical QD-QW nanoparticles are investigated as a function of the inner and the outer radii under externally applied hydrostatic pressure. The pressure dependencies of the effective-mass and the QD radius are taking into account. The results we obtained are in quite good agreement with the theoretical and the experimental findings.

  10. The effect of electron and hole doping on the thermoelectric properties of shandite-type Co3Sn2S2

    OpenAIRE

    Mangelis, Panagiotis; Vaqueiro, Paz; Jumas, Jean-Claude; da Silva, Ivan; Smith, Ronald I; Powell, Anthony V

    2017-01-01

    Electron and hole doping in Co3Sn2S2, through chemical substitution of cobalt by the neighbouring elements, nickel and iron, affects both the structure and thermoelectric properties. Electron doping to form Co3-xNixSn2S2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 3) results in an expansion of the kagome layer and materials become increasingly metallic as cobalt is substituted. Conversely, hole doping in Co3-xFexSn2S2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) leads to a transition from metallic to n-type semiconducting behaviour at x = 0.5. Iron substitu...

  11. Surface Passivation for Reliable Measurement of Bulk Electronic Properties of Heterojunction Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bissig, Benjamin; Guerra-Nunez, Carlos; Carron, Romain; Nishiwaki, Shiro; La Mattina, Fabio; Pianezzi, Fabian; Losio, Paolo A; Avancini, Enrico; Reinhard, Patrick; Haass, Stefan G; Lingg, Martina; Feurer, Thomas; Utke, Ivo; Buecheler, Stephan; Tiwari, Ayodhya N

    2016-10-01

    Quantum efficiency measurements of state of the art Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells reveal current losses in the near infrared spectral region. These losses can be ascribed to inadequate optical absorption or poor collection of photogenerated charge carriers. Insight on the limiting mechanism is crucial for the development of more efficient devices. The electron beam induced current measurement technique applied on device cross-sections promises an experimental access to depth resolved information about the charge carrier collection probability. Here, this technique is used to show that charge carrier collection in CIGS deposited by multistage co-evaporation at low temperature is efficient over the optically active region and collection losses are minor as compared to the optical ones. Implications on the favorable absorber design are discussed. Furthermore, it is observed that the measurement is strongly affected by cross-section surface recombination and an accurate determination of the collection efficiency is not possible. Therefore it is proposed and shown that the use of an Al 2 O 3 layer deposited onto the cleaved cross-section significantly improves the accuracy of the measurement by reducing the surface recombination. A model for the passivation mechanism is presented and the passivation concept is extended to other solar cell technologies such as CdTe and Cu 2 (Zn,Sn)(S,Se) 4 . © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Behavior of water jet horizontally discharged from a small circular hole set on a circular pipe-surface into air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuyuki, Koji; Igarashi, Saburo; Sudo, Seiichi; Yamabe, Masahiro; Kikuchi, Akira; Oba, Risaburo

    2001-01-01

    In order to clarify the behavior of the water jet horizontally discharged from a small circular hole set on a circular pipe surface into air, in this paper, for the first step, we systematically observed the jet aspects, the efflux angle, the discharge coefficient and so on, when the hole diameter d is much smaller than the pipe diameter D. Since the upstream kinetic energy from the hole is somewhat higher than the downstream counterpart, the upstream partial jet with higher efflux angle crashes into the downstream partial jet and drives out the latter into up- and down-side, resulting in a marked pair of vortices, so that resulting in a three-dimensional spiral flow accompanying with marked surface waves. (author)

  13. Auger electron spectroscopy of alloy surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Overbury, S.H.; Somorjai, G.A.

    1975-03-01

    Regular solution models are used to predict surface segregation of the constituent of lowest surface free energy in homogeneous multicomponent systems. Analysis of the Auger electron emission intensities from alloys yield the surface composition and the depth distribution of the composition near the surface. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) studies of the surface composition of the Ag--Au and Pb--In systems have been carried out as a function of bulk composition and temperature. Although these alloys have very different regular solution parameters their surface compositions are predictable by the regular solution models. (U.S.)

  14. Observation of a hole-size-dependent energy shift of the surface-plasmon resonance in Ni antidot thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, H.; Akinoglu, E. M.; Fumagalli, P., E-mail: paul.fumagalli@fu-berlin.de [Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Caballero, B.; García-Martín, A. [IMM-Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid (CNM-CSIC), Isaac Newton 8, PTM, Tres Cantos, E-28760 Madrid (Spain); Papaioannou, E. Th. [Fachbereich Physik and Landesforschungszentrum OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern (Germany); Cuevas, J. C. [Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Giersig, M. [Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Institute of Nanoarchitectures for Energy Conversion, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

    2015-04-13

    A combined experimental and theoretical study of the magneto-optic properties of a series of nickel antidot thin films is presented. The hole diameter varies from 869 down to 636 nm, while the lattice periodicity is fixed at 920 nm. This results in an overall increase of the polar Kerr rotation with decreasing hole diameter due to the increasing surface coverage with nickel. In addition, at photon energies of 2.7 and 3.3 eV, where surface-plasmon excitations are expected, we observe distinct features in the polar Kerr rotation not present in continuous nickel films. The spectral position of the peaks exhibits a red shift with decreasing hole size. This is explained within the context of an effective medium theory by a change in the effective dielectric function of the Ni thin films.

  15. Low resistivity ZnO-GO electron transport layer based CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, Muhammad Imran, E-mail: imranrahbar@scme.nust.edu.pk, E-mail: amirhabib@scme.nust.edu.pk; Hussain, Zakir; Mujahid, Mohammad; Khan, Ahmed Nawaz [School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000 (Pakistan); Javaid, Syed Saad [College of Aeronautical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000 (Pakistan); Habib, Amir, E-mail: imranrahbar@scme.nust.edu.pk, E-mail: amirhabib@scme.nust.edu.pk [School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000 (Pakistan); The Department of Physics, College of Sciences, University of Hafar Al Batin, P.O. Box 1803, Hafar Al Batin 31991 Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia)

    2016-06-15

    Perovskite based solar cells have demonstrated impressive performances. Controlled environment synthesis and expensive hole transport material impede their potential commercialization. We report ambient air synthesis of hole transport layer free devices using ZnO-GO as electron selective contacts. Solar cells fabricated with hole transport layer free architecture under ambient air conditions with ZnO as electron selective contact achieved an efficiency of 3.02%. We have demonstrated that by incorporating GO in ZnO matrix, low resistivity electron selective contacts, critical to improve the performance, can be achieved. We could achieve max efficiency of 4.52% with our completed devices for ZnO: GO composite. Impedance spectroscopy confirmed the decrease in series resistance and an increase in recombination resistance with inclusion of GO in ZnO matrix. Effect of temperature on completed devices was investigated by recording impedance spectra at 40 and 60 {sup o}C, providing indirect evidence of the performance of solar cells at elevated temperatures.

  16. Analysis of thermal detrapping of holes created by electron irradiation in high purity amorphous SiO_2 using the induced and secondary current measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Said, K.; Moya, G.; Si Ahmed, A.; Damamme, G.; Kallel, A.

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Positive charging of high purity amorphous SiO_2 achieved by electron irradiation in a specially equipped scanning electron microscope. • Quantity of detrapped holes evaluated via measurements of induced and secondary electron currents. • Study of isothermal detrapping for different temperatures (300–663 K). • Analysis of the hole detrapping via a first order kinetics. • Evaluation of the hole detrapping parameters (activation energy and frequency factor). - Abstract: Isothermal detrapping of holes after electron irradiation (using a SEM) in high purity amorphous SiO_2 is evaluated at different temperatures (in the range 300–663 K) by means of the induced and secondary current measurements. In order to single out the hole detrapping, the specific charging conditions (1 keV defocused electron beam of low density) leading to positive charging are adopted. The thermal detrapping, which stems from a single trap, begins at 523 K and is completed at 663 K. After annealing in air at 973 K during 48 h, two detrapping stages are revealed: the former is connected with an additional shallow trap, while the latter requires temperatures above 663 K for a complete detrapping. The first order kinetics describes reasonably well the detrapping process. The frequency factors (near 10"1"0 s"−"1) and the activation energies (about 1.6 eV) deduced from this analysis could be assigned, respectively, to the relaxation connected to detrapping and to the trap energy level of the charged oxygen vacancy.

  17. Terahertz properties of Dirac electrons and holes in HgTe films with critical thickness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dziom, Uladzislau; Shuvaev, Alexey; Pimenov, Andrei [Institute of Solid State Physics, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna (Austria); Mikhailov, Nikolai; Kvon, Ze Don [Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)

    2016-07-01

    We present and discuss properties of mercury telluride (HgTe) films with critical thickness in far-infrared (THz) spectral range. Density of charge carriers is controlled, using contact-free optical gating by visible light. Transmission measurements in applied magnetic field demonstrate switching from hole to electron-like behavior, as illumination time increases. The cyclotron mass of the electrons, extracted from the data, shows a square root dependence upon the charge concentration in a broad range of parameters. This can be interpreted as a clear proof of a linear dispersion relations, i.e. Dirac-type charge carriers.

  18. Thermodynamic Relations for Kiselev and Dilaton Black Hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamil, Mubasher; Pradhan, Parthapratim; Majeed, Bushra

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the thermodynamics and phase transition for Kiselev black hole and dilaton black hole. Specifically we consider Reissner-Nordström black hole surrounded by radiation and dust and Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by quintessence, as special cases of Kiselev solution. We have calculated the products relating the surface gravities, surface temperatures, Komar energies, areas, entropies, horizon radii, and the irreducible masses at the Cauchy and the event horizons. It is observed that the product of surface gravities, product of surface temperature, and product of Komar energies at the horizons are not universal quantities for the Kiselev solutions while products of areas and entropies at both the horizons are independent of mass of the above-mentioned black holes (except for Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by quintessence). For charged dilaton black hole, all the products vanish. The first law of thermodynamics is also verified for Kiselev solutions. Heat capacities are calculated and phase transitions are observed, under certain conditions

  19. Atomic interactions at the (100) diamond surface and the impact of surface and interface changes on the electronic transport properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deferme, Wim

    Centuries and centuries already, diamond is a material that speaks to ones imagination. Till the 18th century it was only mined in India, after it was also found in Brazil and South-Africa. But along the fascinating properties of diamond, it is also a very interesting material for industry. After the discovery at the end of the 18th century that diamond consists of carbon, it took until the 50's of the previous century before research groups from Russia, Japan and the USA were able to reproduce the growth process of diamond. In 1989 it was discovered that the surface of intrinsic, insulation diamond can be made conductive by hydrogenating the surface. It was clear that not only hydrogen at the surface but also the so called "adsorbates" were responsible for this conductivity. It was still not completely clear what was the influence of other species (like oxygen) on the mechanism of surface conductivity and therefore in this thesis the influence of oxygen on the electronic transport properties of atomically flat diamond are researched. Besides the growth of atomically flat diamond with the use of CVD (chemical vapour deposition) en the study of the grown surfaces with characterising techniques such as AFM (atomic force microscopy) and STM (scanning tunnelling microscopy), the study of the surface treatment with plasma techniques is the main topic of this thesis. The influence of oxygen on the surface conductivity is studied and with the ToF (Time-of-Flight) technique the transport properties of the freestanding diamond are examined. With a short laserflash, electrons and holes are created at the diamond/aluminium interface and due to an electric field (up to 500V) the charge carriers are translated to the back contact. In this way the influence of the surface and the changes at the aluminum contacts is studied leading to very interesting results.

  20. Non-thermal recombination - a neglected source of flare hard X-rays and fast electron diagnostics (Corrigendum)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, J. C.; Mallik, P. C. V.; Badnell, N. R.

    2010-06-01

    Brown and Mallik (BM) recently claimed that non-thermal recombination (NTR) can be a dominant source of flare hard X-rays (HXRs) from hot coronal and chromospheric sources. However, major discrepancies between the thermal continua predicted by BM and by the Chianti database as well as RHESSI flare data, led us to discover substantial errors in the heuristic expression used by BM to extend the Kramers expressions beyond the hydrogenic case. Here we present the relevant corrected expressions and show the key modified results. We conclude that, in most cases, NTR emission was overestimated by a factor of 1-8 by BM but is typically still large enough (as much as 20-30% of the total emission) to be very important for electron spectral inference and detection of electron spectral features such as low energy cut-offs since the recombination spectra contain sharp edges. For extreme temperature regimes and/or if the Fe abundance were as high as some values claimed, NTR could even be the dominant source of flare HXRs, reducing the electron number and energy budget, problems such as in the extreme coronal HXR source cases reported by e.g. Krucker et al.