The Properties of Confined Water and Fluid Flow at the Nanoscale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwegler, E; Reed, J; Lau, E

This project has been focused on the development of accurate computational tools to study fluids in confined, nanoscale geometries, and the application of these techniques to probe the structural and electronic properties of water confined between hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates, including the presence of simple ions at the interfaces. In particular, we have used a series of ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations and quantum Monte Carlo calculations to build an understanding of how hydrogen bonding and solvation are modified at the nanoscale. The properties of confined water affect a wide range of scientific and technological problems - including protein folding, cell-membranemore » flow, materials properties in confined media and nanofluidic devices.« less

Searching for Electrical Properties, Phenomena and Mechanisms in the Construction and Function of Chromosomes

PubMed Central

Kanev, Ivan; Mei, Wai-Ning; Mizuno, Akira; DeHaai, Kristi; Sanmann, Jennifer; Hess, Michelle; Starr, Lois; Grove, Jennifer; Dave, Bhavana; Sanger, Warren

2013-01-01

Our studies reveal previously unidentified electrical properties of chromosomes: (1) chromosomes are amazingly similar in construction and function to electrical transformers; (2) chromosomes possess in their construction and function, components similar to those of electric generators, conductors, condensers, switches, and other components of electrical circuits; (3) chromosomes demonstrate in nano-scale level electromagnetic interactions, resonance, fusion and other phenomena similar to those described by equations in classical physics. These electrical properties and phenomena provide a possible explanation for unclear and poorly understood mechanisms in clinical genetics including: (a) electrically based mechanisms responsible for breaks, translocations, fusions, and other chromosomal abnormalities associated with cancer, intellectual disability, infertility, pregnancy loss, Down syndrome, and other genetic disorders; (b) electrically based mechanisms involved in crossing over, non-disjunction and other events during meiosis and mitosis; (c) mechanisms demonstrating heterochromatin to be electrically active and genetically important. PMID:24688715

Optical and electrical properties of GaN-based light emitting diodes grown on micro- and nano-scale patterned Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Ching-Hsueh; Lin, Chien-Chung; Deng, Dongmei; Kuo, Hao-Chung; Lau, Kei-May

2011-10-01

We investigate the optical and electrical characteristics of the GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on Micro and Nano-scale Patterned silicon substrate (MPLEDs and NPLEDs). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal the suppression of threading dislocation density in InGaN/GaN structure on nano-pattern substrate due to nanoscale epitaxial lateral overgrowth (NELOG). The plan-view and cross-section cathodoluminescence (CL) mappings show less defective and more homogeneous active quantum well region growth on nano-porous substrates. From temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) and low temperature time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurement, NPLEDs has better carrier confinement and higher radiative recombination rate than MPLEDs. In terms of device performance, NPLEDs exhibits smaller electroluminescence (EL) peak wavelength blue shift, lower reverse leakage current and decreases efficiency droop compared with the MPLEDs. These results suggest the feasibility of using NPSi for the growth of high quality and power LEDs on Si substrates.

Nanoscale Design of Nano-Sized Particles in Shape-Memory Polymer Nanocomposites Driven by Electricity

PubMed Central

Lu, Haibao; Huang, Wei Min; Liang, Fei; Yu, Kai

2013-01-01

In the last few years, we have witnessed significant progress in developing high performance shape memory polymer (SMP) nanocomposites, in particular, for shape recovery activated by indirect heating in the presence of electricity, magnetism, light, radio frequency, microwave and radiation, etc. In this paper, we critically review recent findings in Joule heating of SMP nanocomposites incorporated with nanosized conductive electromagnetic particles by means of nanoscale control via applying an electro- and/or magnetic field. A few different nanoscale design principles to form one-/two-/three- dimensional conductive networks are discussed. PMID:28788303

The pH-dependent elastic properties of nanoscale DNA films and the resultant bending signals for microcantilever biosensors.

PubMed

Zhou, Mei-Hong; Meng, Wei-Lie; Zhang, Cheng-Yin; Li, Xiao-Bin; Wu, Jun-Zheng; Zhang, Neng-Hui

2018-04-25

The diverse mechanical properties of nanoscale DNA films on solid substrates have a close correlation with complex detection signals of micro-/nano-devices. This paper is devoted to formulating several multiscale models to study the effect of pH-dependent ionic inhomogeneity on the graded elastic properties of nanoscale DNA films and the resultant bending deflections of microcantilever biosensors. First, a modified inverse Debye length is introduced to improve the classical Poisson-Boltzmann equation for the electrical potential of DNA films to consider the inhomogeneous effect of hydrogen ions. Second, the graded characteristics of the particle distribution are taken into consideration for an improvement in Parsegian's mesoscopic potential for both attraction-dominated and repulsion-dominated films. Third, by the improved interchain interaction potential and the thought experiment about the compression of a macroscopic continuum DNA bar, we investigate the diversity of the elastic properties of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) films due to pH variations. The relevant theoretical predictions quantitatively or qualitatively agree well with the relevant DNA experiments on the electrical potential, film thickness, condensation force, elastic modulus, and microcantilever deflections. The competition between attraction and repulsion among the fixed charges and the free ions endows the DNA film with mechanical properties such as a remarkable size effect and a non-monotonic behavior, and a negative elastic modulus is first revealed in the attraction-dominated ssDNA film. There exists a transition between the pH-sensitive parameter interval and the pH-insensitive one for the bending signals of microcantilevers, which is predominated by the initial stress effect in the DNA film.

Micromagnetic modeling of the shielding properties of nanoscale ferromagnetic layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iskandarova, I. M.; Knizhnik, A. A.; Popkov, A. F.; Potapkin, B. V.; Stainer, Q.; Lombard, L.; Mackay, K.

2016-09-01

Ferromagnetic shields are widely used to concentrate magnetic fields in a target region of space. Such shields are also used in spintronic nanodevices such as magnetic random access memory and magnetic logic devices. However, the shielding properties of nanostructured shields can differ considerably from those of macroscopic samples. In this work, we investigate the shielding properties of nanostructured NiFe layers around a current line using a finite element micromagnetic model. We find that thin ferromagnetic layers demonstrate saturation of magnetization under an external magnetic field, which reduces the shielding efficiency. Moreover, we show that the shielding properties of nanoscale ferromagnetic layers strongly depend on the uniformity of the layer thickness. Magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin ferromagnetic layers can also influence their shielding efficiency. In addition, we show that domain walls in nanoscale ferromagnetic shields can induce large increases and decreases in the generated magnetic field. Therefore, ferromagnetic shields for spintronic nanodevices require careful design and precise fabrication.

The tunable mechanical property of water-filled carbon nanotubes under an electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Hongfei; Zhang, Zhongqiang; Zhang, Hongwu; Chen, Zhen; Zong, Zhi; Zheng, Yonggang

2014-03-01

The spring-induced compression of water-filled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) under an electric field is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Due to the incompressibility and polarity of water, the mechanical property of CNTs can be tuned through filling with water molecules and applying an electric field. To explore the variation of the mechanical property of water-filled CNTs, the effects of the CNT length, the filling density and the electric field intensity are examined. The simulation results indicate that the water filling and electric field can result in a slight change in the elastic property (the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio) of water-filled CNTs. However, the yield stress and average post-buckling stress exhibit a significant response to the water density and electric field intensity. As compared to hollow CNTs, the increment in yield stress of the water-filled CNTs under an electric field of 2.0 V Å-1 is up to 35.29%, which is even higher than that resulting from metal filling. The findings from this study provide a valuable theoretical basis for designing and fabricating the controlling units at the nanoscale.

Effects of External Stimuli on Microstructure-Property Relationship at the Nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Baoming

The technical contribution of this research is a unique nanofabricated experimental setup that integrates nanoscale specimens with tools for interrogating mechanical (stress-strain, fracture, and fatigue), thermal and electrical (conductivity) properties as function of external stimuli such as strain, temperature, electrical field and radiation. It addresses the shortcomings of the state of the art characterization techniques, which are yet to perform such simultaneous and multi-domain measurements. Our technique has virtually no restriction on specimen material type and thickness, which makes the setup versatile. It is demonstrated with 100 nm thick nickel, aluminum, zirconium; 25 nm thick molybdenum di-sulphide (MoS2), 10 nm hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) specimens and 100nm carbon nanofiber, all in freestanding thin film form. The technique is compatible with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In-situ TEM captures microstructural features, (defects, phases, precipitates and interfaces), diffraction patterns and chemical microanalysis in real time. 'Seeing the microstructure while measuring properties' is our unique capability. It helps identifying fundamental mechanisms behind thermo-electro-mechanical coupling and degradation, so that these mechanisms can be used to (i) explain the results obtained for mesoscale specimens of the same materials and experimental conditions and (ii) develop computational models to explain and predict properties at both nano and meso scales. The uniqueness of this contribution is therefore simultaneously quantitative and qualitative probing of length-scale dependent external stimuli effects on microstructures and physical properties of nanoscale materials. The scientific contribution of this research is the experimental validation of the fundamental hypothesis that, if the nanoscale size can cause significant deviation in a certain domain, e.g., mechanical, it can also make that domain more sensitive to external stimuli when

Electrophoretic Separation of Single Particles Using Nanoscale Thermoplastic Columns.

PubMed

Weerakoon-Ratnayake, Kumuditha M; Uba, Franklin I; Oliver-Calixte, Nyoté J; Soper, Steven A

2016-04-05

Phenomena associated with microscale electrophoresis separations cannot, in many cases, be applied to the nanoscale. Thus, understanding the electrophoretic characteristics associated with the nanoscale will help formulate relevant strategies that can optimize the performance of separations carried out on columns with at least one dimension below 150 nm. Electric double layer (EDL) overlap, diffusion, and adsorption/desorption properties and/or dielectrophoretic effects giving rise to stick/slip motion are some of the processes that can play a role in determining the efficiency of nanoscale electrophoretic separations. We investigated the performance characteristics of electrophoretic separations carried out in nanoslits fabricated in poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, devices. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were used as the model system with tracking of their transport via dark field microscopy and localized surface plasmon resonance. AgNPs capped with citrate groups and the negatively charged PMMA walls (induced by O2 plasma modification of the nanoslit walls) enabled separations that were not apparent when these particles were electrophoresed in microscale columns. The separation of AgNPs based on their size without the need for buffer additives using PMMA nanoslit devices is demonstrated herein. Operational parameters such as the electric field strength, nanoslit dimensions, and buffer composition were evaluated as to their effects on the electrophoretic performance, both in terms of efficiency (plate numbers) and resolution. Electrophoretic separations performed at high electric field strengths (>200 V/cm) resulted in higher plate numbers compared to lower fields due to the absence of stick/slip motion at the higher electric field strengths. Indeed, 60 nm AgNPs could be separated from 100 nm particles in free solution using nanoscale electrophoresis with 100 μm long columns.

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

PubMed

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

2014-11-28

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

Direct Nanoscale Imaging of Evolving Electric Field Domains in Quantum Structures

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

The external performance of quantum optoelectronic devices is governed by the spatial profiles of electrons and potentials within the active regions of these devices. For example, in quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), the electric field domain (EFD) hypothesis posits that the potential distribution might be simultaneously spatially nonuniform and temporally unstable. Unfortunately, there exists no prior means of probing the inner potential profile directly. Here we report the nanoscale measured electric potential distribution inside operating QCLs by using scanning voltage microscopy at a cryogenic temperature. We prove that, per the EFD hypothesis, the multi-quantum-well active region is indeed divided into multiple sections having distinctly different electric fields. The electric field across these serially-stacked quantum cascade modules does not continuously increase in proportion to gradual increases in the applied device bias, but rather hops between discrete values that are related to tunneling resonances. We also report the evolution of EFDs, finding that an incremental change in device bias leads to a hopping-style shift in the EFD boundary – the higher electric field domain expands at least one module each step at the expense of the lower field domain within the active region. PMID:25431158

Direct Nanoscale Imaging of Evolving Electric Field Domains in Quantum Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-11-01

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

Nanoscale Reactions In Opto-magneto-electric Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Zheng

My research is interdisciplinary in the areas of chemistry, physics and biology for better understanding of synergies between nanomaterials and opto-magneto-electric systems aimed at the practical applications in biosensor, energy (energy storage and electrocatalysis), and biomimetics, in particular, the associated electron transfer, light-matter interactions in nanoscale, such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) (nanoplasmonics), and magnetic field effect on these phenomena with targeted nanomaterials. Specific research thrusts include: (1) investigation of surface plasmon generation from a novel nanoledge structure on thin metal film. The results are used for the nanostructure optimization for a nanofluidic-nanoplasmonic platform that may function as a multiplexed biosensor for protein biomarker detection; (2) examination of magnetic field effect on uniformly deposited metal oxide on electrospun carbon nanofiber (ECNF) scaffold for efficient energy storage (supercapacitor) and electrocatalytic energy conversion (oxygen reduction reduction). (3) magnetic response of cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) in photoinduced heterogeneous electron transfer (PHET).

Nanoscale lubrication of ionic surfaces controlled via a strong electric field

DOE PAGES

Strelcov, Evgheni; Bocharova, Vera; Sumpter, Bobby G.; ...

2015-01-27

Frictional forces arise whenever objects around us are set in motion. Controlling them in a rational manner means gaining leverage over mechanical energy losses and wear. This paper presents a way of manipulating nanoscale friction by means of in situ lubrication and interfacial electrochemistry. Water lubricant is directionally condensed from the vapor phase at a moving metal-ionic crystal interface by a strong confined electric field, thereby allowing friction to be tuned up or down via an applied bias. The electric potential polarity and ionic solid solubility are shown to strongly influence friction between the atomic force microscope (AFM) tip andmore » salt surface. An increase in friction is associated with the AFM tip digging into the surface, whereas reducing friction does not influence its topography. No current flows during friction variation, which excludes Joule heating and associated electrical energy losses. Lastly, the demonstrated novel effect can be of significant technological importance for controlling friction in nano- and micro-electromechanical systems.« less

Surface electrical properties of stainless steel fibres: An AFM-based study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Jun; D'Haese, Cécile; Nysten, Bernard

2015-03-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) electrical modes were used to study the surface electrical properties of stainless steel fibres. The surface electrical conductivity was studied by current sensing AFM and I-V spectroscopy. Kelvin probe force microscopy was used to measure the surface contact potential. The oxide film, known as passivation layer, covering the fibre surface gives rise to the observation of an apparently semiconducting behaviour. The passivation layer generally exhibits a p-type semiconducting behaviour, which is attributed to the predominant formation of chromium oxide on the surface of the stainless steel fibres. At the nanoscale, different behaviours are observed from points to points, which may be attributed to local variations of the chemical composition and/or thickness of the passivation layer. I-V curves are well fitted with an electron tunnelling model, indicating that electron tunnelling may be the predominant mechanism for electron transport.

Thermophysical properties study of micro/nanoscale materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xuhui

Thermal transport in low-dimensional structure has attracted tremendous attentions because micro/nanoscale materials play crucial roles in advancing micro/nanoelectronics industry. The thermal properties are essential for understanding of the energy conversion and thermal management. To better investigate micro/nanoscale materials and characterize the thermal transport, pulse laser-assisted thermal relaxation 2 (PLTR2) and transient electrothermal (TET) are both employed to determine thermal property of various forms of materials, including thin films and nanowires. As conducting polymer, Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin film is studied to understand its thermal properties variation with P3HT weight percentage. 4 P3HT solutions of different weight percentages are compounded to fabricate thin films using spin-coating technique. Experimental results indicate that weight percentage exhibits impact on thermophysical properties. When percentage changes from 2% to 7%, thermal conductivity varies from 1.29 to 1.67 W/m·K and thermal diffusivity decreases from 10-6 to 5×10-7 m2/s. Moreover, PLTR2 technique is applied to characterize the three-dimensional anisotropic thermal properties in spin-coated P3HT thin films. Raman spectra verify that the thin films embrace partially orientated P3HT molecular chains, leading to anisotropic thermal transport. Among all three directions, lowest thermal property is observed along out-of-plane direction. For in-plane characterization, anisotropic ratio is around 2 to 3, indicating that the orientation of the molecular chains has strong impact on the thermal transport along different directions. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film is synthesized by electrospinning features porous structure composed by TiO2 nanowires with random orientations. The porous structure caused significant degradation of thermal properties. Effective thermal diffusivity, conductivity, and density of the films are 1.35˜3.52 × 10-6 m2/s, 0.06˜0.36 W/m·K, and

Current Transport Properties of Monolayer Graphene/n-Si Schottky Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, C. S.; Garg, Manjari; Singh, J. P.; Singh, R.

2018-05-01

The present work reports on the fabrication and the detailed macroscopic and nanoscale electrical characteristics of monolayer graphene/n-Si Schottky diodes. The temperature dependent electrical transport properties of monolayer graphene/n-Si Schottky diodes were investigated. Nanoscale electrical characterizations were carried out using Kelvin probe force microscopy and conducting atomic force microscopy. Most the values of ideality factor and barrier height are found to be in the range of 2.0–4.4 and 0.50–0.70 eV for monolayer graphene/n-Si nanoscale Schottky contacts. The tunneling of electrons is found to be responsible for the high value of ideality factor for nanoscale Schottky contacts.

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond: nanoscale sensors for physics and biology.

PubMed

Schirhagl, Romana; Chang, Kevin; Loretz, Michael; Degen, Christian L

2014-01-01

Crystal defects in diamond have emerged as unique objects for a variety of applications, both because they are very stable and because they have interesting optical properties. Embedded in nanocrystals, they can serve, for example, as robust single-photon sources or as fluorescent biomarkers of unlimited photostability and low cytotoxicity. The most fascinating aspect, however, is the ability of some crystal defects, most prominently the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, to locally detect and measure a number of physical quantities, such as magnetic and electric fields. This metrology capacity is based on the quantum mechanical interactions of the defect's spin state. In this review, we introduce the new and rapidly evolving field of nanoscale sensing based on single NV centers in diamond. We give a concise overview of the basic properties of diamond, from synthesis to electronic and magnetic properties of embedded NV centers. We describe in detail how single NV centers can be harnessed for nanoscale sensing, including the physical quantities that may be detected, expected sensitivities, and the most common measurement protocols. We conclude by highlighting a number of the diverse and exciting applications that may be enabled by these novel sensors, ranging from measurements of ion concentrations and membrane potentials to nanoscale thermometry and single-spin nuclear magnetic resonance.

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

PubMed

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

2017-12-01

Recent advancements in commercialization of high-speed non-volatile electronic memories including phase change memory (PCM) have shown potential not only for advanced data storage but also for novel computing concepts. However, an in-depth understanding on ultrafast electrical switching dynamics is a key challenge for defining the ultimate speed of nanoscale memory devices that demands for an unconventional electrical setup, specifically capable of handling extremely fast electrical pulses. In the present work, an ultrafast programmable electrical tester (PET) setup has been developed exceptionally for unravelling time-resolved electrical switching dynamics and programming characteristics of nanoscale memory devices at the picosecond (ps) time scale. This setup consists of novel high-frequency contact-boards carefully designed to capture extremely fast switching transient characteristics within 200 ± 25 ps using time-resolved current-voltage measurements. All the instruments in the system are synchronized using LabVIEW, which helps to achieve various programming characteristics such as voltage-dependent transient parameters, read/write operations, and endurance test of memory devices systematically using short voltage pulses having pulse parameters varied from 1 ns rise/fall time and 1.5 ns pulse width (full width half maximum). Furthermore, the setup has successfully demonstrated strikingly one order faster switching characteristics of Ag 5 In 5 Sb 60 Te 30 (AIST) PCM devices within 250 ps. Hence, this novel electrical setup would be immensely helpful for realizing the ultimate speed limits of various high-speed memory technologies for future computing.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

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

Advances in imaging and quantification of electrical properties at the nanoscale using Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Stuart; Stanke, Fred; Yang, Yongliang; Amster, Oskar

Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM) is a mode for Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) enabling imaging of unique contrast mechanisms and measurement of local permittivity and conductivity at the 10's of nm length scale. sMIM has been applied to a variety of systems including nanotubes, nanowires, 2D materials, photovoltaics and semiconductor devices. Early results were largely semi-quantitative. This talk will focus on techniques for extracting quantitative physical parameters such as permittivity, conductivity, doping concentrations and thin film properties from sMIM data. Particular attention will be paid to non-linear materials where sMIM has been used to acquire nano-scale capacitance-voltage curves. These curves can be used to identify the dopant type (n vs p) and doping level in doped semiconductors, both bulk samples and devices. Supported in part by DOE-SBIR DE-SC0009856.

Exploring Carbon Nanotubes for Nanoscale Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, Jie; Dai; Anantram; Jaffe; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are shown to promise great opportunities in nanoelectronic devices and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) because of their inherent nanoscale sizes, intrinsic electric conductivities, and seamless hexagonal network architectures. I present our collaborative work with Stanford on exploring CNTs for nanodevices in this talk. The electrical property measurements suggest that metallic tubes are quantum wires. Furthermore, two and three terminal CNT junctions have been observed experimentally. We have proposed and studied CNT-based molecular switches and logic devices for future digital electronics. We also have studied CNTs based NEMS inclusing gears, cantilevers, and scanning probe microscopy tips. We investigate both chemistry and physics based aspects of the CNT NEMS. Our results suggest that CNT have ideal stiffness, vibrational frequencies, Q-factors, geometry-dependent electric conductivities, and the highest chemical and mechanical stabilities for the NEMS. The use of CNT SPM tips for nanolithography is presented for demonstration of the advantages of the CNT NEMS.

Electrical resistivity of ultrafine-grained copper with nanoscale growth twins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X. H.; Lu, L.; Lu, K.

2007-10-01

We have investigated electrical resistivities of high-purity ultrafine-grained Cu containing different concentrations of nanoscale growth twins, but having identical grain size. The samples were synthesized by pulsed electrodeposition, wherein the density of twins was varied systematically by adjusting the processing parameters. The electrical resistivity of the Cu specimen with a twin spacing of 15nm at room temperature (RT) is 1.75μΩcm (the conductivity is about 97% IACS), which is comparable to that of coarse-grained (CG) pure Cu specimen. A reduction in twin density for the same grain size (with twin lamellar spacings of 35 and 90nm, respectively) results in an increment in electrical resistivity from 1.75to2.12μΩcm. However, the temperature coefficient of resistivity at RT for these Cu specimens is insensitive to the twin spacing and shows a consistent value of ˜3.78×10-3/K, which is slightly smaller than that of CG Cu (3.98×10-3/K). The increased electrical resistivities of the Cu samples were ascribed dominantly to the intrinsic grain boundary (GB) scattering, while the GB defects and GB energy would decrease with increasing twin density. Transmission electron microscope observations revealed the GB configuration difference from the Cu samples with various twin densities. Plastic deformation would induce an apparent increase in the resistivity. The higher of the twin density, the higher increment of RT resistivity was detected in the Cu specimens subjected to 40% rolling strain. Both the deviated twin boundaries and strained GBs may give rise to an increase in the resistivity.

The mechanical analysis of thermo-magneto-electric laminated composites in nanoscale with the consideration of surface and flexoelectric effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Shuanhu; Li, Peng; Jin, Feng

2018-01-01

A theoretical thermo-magneto-electric (TME) bilayer model is established based on the Hamilton principle, in which both surface effect and flexoelectricity are all taken into account. The governing equations are proposed with the aid of the nonlinear constitutive relations of giant magnetostrictive materials. These equations are general, which can be applied to analyze the coupled extensional, shear and bending deformations at both macroscale and nanoscale. As a specific example, the coupled extensional and bending motion of a slender beam suffering from external magnetic field and thermal variation is investigated, in which the Miller-Shenoy coefficient, magneto-electric (ME) effect, strain gradient and displacement are discussed in detail. After the necessary verification, a critical thickness of the TME model is proposed, below which the surface effect exhibits a remarkable influence on the mechanical behaviors and can not be ignored. It is revealed that the surface effect, flexoelectric effect and temperature increment are beneficial for the enhancement of the induced electric field. This study can provide theoretical basis for the design of nanoscale laminates, especially for the performance evaluation of ME composites under complex environment.

Property Control of (Perfluorinated Ionomer)/(Inorganic Oxide) Composites by Tailoring the Nanoscale Morphology

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-10

RPeport PROPERTY CONTROL OF ( PERFLUORINATED IONOMER)/(INORGANIC OXIDE) COMPOSITES BY TAILORING THE NANOSCALE MORPHOLOGY Kenneth A. Mauritz and Robert...Concept ......................................... 45 B. [Si0 2 -TiO2 (mixed)]/Nafion Nanocomposites: Sorption of Pre-Mixed Alkoxides...Nanocomposites: Sorption of Pre- Mixed Alkoxides ......................................... 49 A. Experimental Procedure ............................. 49 B

Synthesis, Microstructure and Properties of Metallic Materials with Nanoscale Growth Twins

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

2004: Wu et al, 2005) and austenitic stainless steels (Zhang et al, 2004a; Zhang et al, 2005). However, processing routes to produce nanoscale...mechanical properties (hardness, yield strength, tensile strength) of bulk austenitic stainless steel (304, 310, 316 and 330) are quite similar and...model developed for the formation of growth twins in sputter- deposited austenitic stainless steel thin films (Zhang et al, 2004b). The model predicts

Optical, electrical and elastic properties of ferroelectric domain walls in lithium niobate and lithium titanate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sungwon

Ferroelectric LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 crystals have developed, over the last 50 years as key materials for integrated and nonlinear optics due to their large electro-optic and nonlinear optical coefficients and a broad transparency range from 0.4 mum-4.5 mum wavelengths. Applications include high speed optical modulation and switching in 40GHz range, second harmonic generation, optical parametric amplification, pulse compression and so on. Ferroelectric domain microengineering has led to electro-optic scanners, dynamic focusing lenses, total internal reflection switches, and quasi-phase matched (QPM) frequency doublers. Most of these applications have so far been on non-stoichiometric compositions of these crystals. Recent breakthroughs in crystal growth have however opened up an entirely new window of opportunity from both scientific and technological viewpoint. The growth of stoichiometric composition crystals has led to the discovery of many fascinating effects arising from the presence or absence of atomic defects, such as an order of magnitude changes in coercive fields, internal fields, domain backswitching and stabilization phenomenon. On the nanoscale, unexpected features such as the presence of wide regions of optical contrast and strain have been discovered at 180° domain walls. Such strong influence of small amounts of nonstoichiometric defects on material properties has led to new device applications, particularly those involving domain patterning and shaping such as QPM devices in thick bulk crystals and improved photorefractive damage compositions. The central focus of this dissertation is to explore the role of nonstoichiometry and its precise influence on macroscale and nanoscale properties in lithium niobate and tantalate. Macroscale properties are studied using a combination of in-situ and high-speed electro-optic imaging microscopy and electrical switching experiments. Local static and dynamic strain properties at individual domain walls is studied

Nanoscale phase change memory materials.

PubMed

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

2012-08-07

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

Quantitative measurements of nanoscale permittivity and conductivity using tuning-fork-based microwave impedance microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaoyu; Hao, Zhenqi; Wu, Di; Zheng, Lu; Jiang, Zhanzhi; Ganesan, Vishal; Wang, Yayu; Lai, Keji

2018-04-01

We report quantitative measurements of nanoscale permittivity and conductivity using tuning-fork (TF) based microwave impedance microscopy (MIM). The system is operated under the driving amplitude modulation mode, which ensures satisfactory feedback stability on samples with rough surfaces. The demodulated MIM signals on a series of bulk dielectrics are in good agreement with results simulated by finite-element analysis. Using the TF-MIM, we have visualized the evolution of nanoscale conductance on back-gated MoS2 field effect transistors, and the results are consistent with the transport data. Our work suggests that quantitative analysis of mesoscopic electrical properties can be achieved by near-field microwave imaging with small distance modulation.

Nano-scale zirconia and hafnia dielectrics grown by atomic layer deposition: Crystallinity, interface structures and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyoungsub

With the continued scaling of transistors, leakage current densities across the SiO2 gate dielectric have increased enormously through direct tunneling. Presently, metal oxides having higher dielectric constants than SiO2 are being investigated to reduce the leakage current by increasing the physical thickness of the dielectric. Many possible techniques exist for depositing high-kappa gate dielectrics. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has drawn attention as a method for preparing ultrathin metal oxide layers with excellent electrical characteristics and near-perfect film conformality due to the layer-by-layer nature of the deposition mechanism. For this research, an ALD system using ZrCl4/HfCl4 and H2O was built and optimized. The microstructural and electrical properties of ALD-ZrO2 and HfO2 grown on SiO2/Si substrates were investigated and compared using various characterization tools. In particular, the crystallization kinetics of amorphous ALD-HfO2 films were studied using in-situ annealing experiments in a TEM. The effect of crystallization on the electrical properties of ALD-HfO 2 was also investigated using various in-situ and ex-situ post-deposition anneals. Our results revealed that crystallization had little effect on the magnitude of the gate leakage current or on the conduction mechanisms. Building upon the results for each metal oxide separately, more advanced investigations were made. Several nanolaminate structures using ZrO2 and HfO2 with different sequences and layer thicknesses were characterized. The effects of the starting microstructure on the microstructural evolution of nanolaminate stacks were studied. Additionally, a promising new approach for engineering the thickness of the SiO2-based interface layer between the metal oxide and silicon substrate after deposition of the metal oxide layer was suggested. Through experimental measurements and thermodynamic analysis, it is shown that a Ti overlayer, which exhibits a high oxygen solubility, can

Shielded piezoresistive cantilever probes for nanoscale topography and electrical imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongliang; Ma, Eric Yue; Cui, Yong-Tao; Haemmerli, Alexandre; Lai, Keji; Kundhikanjana, Worasom; Harjee, Nahid; Pruitt, Beth L.; Kelly, Michael; Shen, Zhi-Xun

2014-04-01

This paper presents the design and fabrication of piezoresistive cantilever probes for microwave impedance microscopy (MIM) to enable simultaneous topographic and electrical imaging. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited Si3N4 cantilevers with a shielded center conductor line and nanoscale conductive tip apex are batch fabricated on silicon-on-insulator wafers. Doped silicon piezoresistors are integrated at the root of the cantilevers to sense their deformation. The piezoresistive sensitivity is 2 nm for a bandwidth of 10 kHz, enabling topographical imaging with reasonable speed. The aluminum center conductor has a low resistance (less than 5 Ω) and small capacitance (˜1.7 pF) to ground; these parameters are critical for high sensitivity MIM imaging. High quality piezoresistive topography and MIM images are simultaneously obtained with the fabricated probes at ambient and cryogenic temperatures. These new piezoresistive probes remarkably broaden the horizon of MIM for scientific applications by operating with an integrated feedback mechanism at low temperature and for photosensitive samples.

A mobile Sn nanowire inside a β-Ga2 O3 tube: a practical nanoscale electrically/thermally driven switch.

PubMed

Zou, Rujia; Zhang, Zhenyu; Tian, Qiwei; Ma, Guanxing; Song, Guosheng; Chen, Zhigang; Hu, Junqing

2011-12-02

Nanoelectromechanical system switches are seen as key devices for fast switching in communication networks since they can be switched between transmitting and receiving states with an electrostatic command. Herein, the fabrication of practical, nanoscale electrically/thermally driven switches is reported based on a mobile Sn nanowire inside a β-Ga2 O3 tube. The melting point of Sn inside the Ga2 O3 tube is found to be as low as 58 °C-far below the value of bulk Sn (231.89 °C)-and its crystal phase (β-Sn) remains unchanged even at temperatures as low as -170 °C. Thus a miniaturization of the unique wide-temperature-range thermometer based on the linear thermal expansion of liquid Sn fillings in the Ga2 O3 tube is realized. In addition, the electrical properties of the Sn-nanowire-filled β-Ga2 O3 tubes are carefully determined: importantly, the resistance demonstrates a sudden drop (rise) when two Sn nanowires contact (separate), due to the thermally driven motion of the liquid Sn fillings inside the tube. Thus this structure can be switched between its on and off states by controlling the motion, merging or splitting, of the Sn nanowires inside the tube, either electrically, by applying a current, or thermally, at a predetermined temperature. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Voltage control of nanoscale magnetoelastic elements: theory and experiments (Presentation Recording)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carman, Gregory P.

2015-09-01

Electromagnetic devices rely on electrical currents to generate magnetic fields. While extremely useful this approach has limitations in the small-scale. To overcome the scaling problem, researchers have tried to use electric fields to manipulate a magnetic material's intrinsic magnetization (i.e. multiferroic). The strain mediated class of multiferroics offers up to 70% of energy transduction using available piezoelectric and magnetoelastic materials. While strain mediated multiferroic is promising, few studies exist on modeling/testing of nanoscale magnetic structures. This talk presents motivation, analytical models, and experimental data on electrical control of nanoscale single magnetic domain structures. This research is conducted in a NSF Engineering Research Center entitled Translational Applications for Nanoscale Multiferroics TANMS. The models combine micromagnetics (Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert) with elastodynamics using the electrostatic approximation producing eight fully coupled nonlinear partial differential equations. Qualitative and quantitative verification is achieved with direct comparison to experimental data. The modeling effort guides fabrication and testing on three elements, i.e. nanoscale rings (onion states), ellipses (single domain reorientation), and superparamagnetic elements. Experimental results demonstrate electrical and deterministic control of the magnetic states in the 5-500 nm structures as measured with Photoemission Electron Microscopy PEEM, Magnetic Force Microscopy MFM, or Lorentz Transmission Electron Microscopy TEM. These data strongly suggests efficient control of nanoscale magnetic spin states is possible with voltage.

Focused helium-ion beam irradiation effects on electrical transport properties of few-layer WSe 2: Enabling nanoscale direct write homo-junctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stanford, Michael; Noh, Joo Hyon; Koehler, Michael R.

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are currently receiving significant attention due to their promising opto-electronic properties. Tuning optical and electrical properties of mono and few-layer TMDs, such as tungsten diselenide (WSe 2), by controlling the defects, is an intriguing opportunity to synthesize next generation two dimensional material opto-electronic devices. Here, we report the effects of focused helium ion beam irradiation on the structural, optical and electrical properties of few-layer WSe 2, via high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical transport measurements. By controlling the ion irradiation dose, we selectively introduce precise defects in few-layer WSe 2more » thereby locally tuning the resistivity and transport properties of the material. Hole transport in the few layer WSe 2 is degraded more severely relative to electron transport after helium ion irradiation. Moreover, by selectively exposing material with the ion beam, we demonstrate a simple yet highly tunable method to create lateral homo-junctions in few layer WSe 2 flakes, which constitutes an important advance towards two dimensional opto-electronic devices.« less

Focused helium-ion beam irradiation effects on electrical transport properties of few-layer WSe 2: Enabling nanoscale direct write homo-junctions

DOE PAGES

Stanford, Michael; Noh, Joo Hyon; Koehler, Michael R.; ...

2016-06-06

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are currently receiving significant attention due to their promising opto-electronic properties. Tuning optical and electrical properties of mono and few-layer TMDs, such as tungsten diselenide (WSe 2), by controlling the defects, is an intriguing opportunity to synthesize next generation two dimensional material opto-electronic devices. Here, we report the effects of focused helium ion beam irradiation on the structural, optical and electrical properties of few-layer WSe 2, via high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical transport measurements. By controlling the ion irradiation dose, we selectively introduce precise defects in few-layer WSe 2more » thereby locally tuning the resistivity and transport properties of the material. Hole transport in the few layer WSe 2 is degraded more severely relative to electron transport after helium ion irradiation. Moreover, by selectively exposing material with the ion beam, we demonstrate a simple yet highly tunable method to create lateral homo-junctions in few layer WSe 2 flakes, which constitutes an important advance towards two dimensional opto-electronic devices.« less

Nanoscale thermal transport: Theoretical method and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-03-01

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

Modeling of electrical and mesoscopic circuits at quantum nanoscale from heat momentum operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Nabulsi, Rami Ahmad

2018-04-01

We develop a new method to study electrical circuits at quantum nanoscale by introducing a heat momentum operator which reproduces quantum effects similar to those obtained in Suykens's nonlocal-in-time kinetic energy approach for the case of reversible motion. The series expansion of the heat momentum operator is similar to the momentum operator obtained in the framework of minimal length phenomenologies characterized by the deformation of Heisenberg algebra. The quantization of both LC and mesoscopic circuits revealed a number of motivating features like the emergence of a generalized uncertainty relation and a minimal charge similar to those obtained in the framework of minimal length theories. Additional features were obtained and discussed accordingly.

Quantitative measurements of nanoscale permittivity and conductivity using tuning-fork-based microwave impedance microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Xiaoyu; Hao, Zhenqi; Wu, Di

Here, we report quantitative measurements of nanoscale permittivity and conductivity using tuning-fork (TF) based microwave impedance microscopy (MIM). The system is operated under the driving amplitude modulation mode, which ensures satisfactory feedback stability on samples with rough surfaces. The demodulated MIM signals on a series of bulk dielectrics are in good agreement with results simulated by finite-element analysis. Using the TF-MIM, we have visualized the evolution of nanoscale conductance on back-gated MoS 2 field effect transistors, and the results are consistent with the transport data. Our work suggests that quantitative analysis of mesoscopic electrical properties can be achieved by near-fieldmore » microwave imaging with small distance modulation.« less

Quantitative measurements of nanoscale permittivity and conductivity using tuning-fork-based microwave impedance microscopy

DOE PAGES

Wu, Xiaoyu; Hao, Zhenqi; Wu, Di; ...

2018-04-01

Here, we report quantitative measurements of nanoscale permittivity and conductivity using tuning-fork (TF) based microwave impedance microscopy (MIM). The system is operated under the driving amplitude modulation mode, which ensures satisfactory feedback stability on samples with rough surfaces. The demodulated MIM signals on a series of bulk dielectrics are in good agreement with results simulated by finite-element analysis. Using the TF-MIM, we have visualized the evolution of nanoscale conductance on back-gated MoS 2 field effect transistors, and the results are consistent with the transport data. Our work suggests that quantitative analysis of mesoscopic electrical properties can be achieved by near-fieldmore » microwave imaging with small distance modulation.« less

Nanoscale adhesion interactions in carbon nanotube based systems and experimental study of the mechanical properties of carbon and boron nitride nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Meng

Part I: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a type of 1D nanostructures, which possess extraordinary mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical properties and are promising for a number of applications. For many of their applications, CNTs will be assembled into micro or macro-scale structures (e.g. thin-films and yarns), or integrated with other bulk materials to form heterogeneous material systems and devices (e.g. nanocomposites and solid-state electronics). The interfaces formed among CNTs themselves and between the CNT and other material surfaces play crucial roles in the functioning and performance of CNT-based material systems and devices. Therefore, characterization of the interfacial interaction in CNT-based systems is a critical step to understand the nanoscale interface and tune the system and device design and manufacturing for optimal functioning and performance. In this part of dissertation, a combination of both mechanical and theoretical methods was employed to study the adhesion interactions in CNT-based systems. Part II: Both CNTs and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) possess superb mechanical properties and are promising for a great many applications. They can be used in similar applications, such as reinforcing fibers in polymer composites based on their similar mechanical and thermal properties. CNTs are promising for electronics and sensors while BNNTs can be used as electrical insulators due to the tremendous differences of the electrical property. Furthermore, BNNTs can survive in high temperature and hazardous environments because of their resistant to oxidation and harsh chemicals. In order to optimize their applications, their mechanical properties should be fully understood. In this part of the dissertation research, first, the radial elasticity of single-walled CNTs and BNNTs was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM); secondly, the engineering radial deformations in single walled CNTs and BNNTs covered by monolayer grapheme

Advances in imaging and quantification of electrical properties at the nanoscale using Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Stuart; Yang, Yongliang; Amster, Oskar

2015-03-01

Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM) is a mode for Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) enabling imaging of unique contrast mechanisms and measurement of local permittivity and conductivity at the 10's of nm length scale. Recent results will be presented illustrating high-resolution electrical features such as sub 15 nm Moire' patterns in Graphene, carbon nanotubes of various electrical states and ferro-electrics. In addition to imaging, the technique is suited to a variety of metrology applications where specific physical properties are determined quantitatively. We will present research activities on quantitative measurements using multiple techniques to determine dielectric constant (permittivity) and conductivity (e.g. dopant concentration) for a range of materials. Examples include bulk dielectrics, low-k dielectric thin films, capacitance standards and doped semiconductors. Funded in part by DOE SBIR DE-SC0009586.

Nanoscale defect architectures and their influence on material properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Branton

2006-10-01

Diffraction studies of long-range order often permit one to unambiguously determine the atomic structure of a crystalline material. Many interesting material properties, however, are dominated by nanoscale crystal defects that can't be characterized in this way. Fortunately, advances in x-ray detector technology, synchrotron x-ray source brightness, and computational power make it possible to apply new methods to old problems. Our research group uses multi-megapixel x-ray cameras to map out large contiguous volumes of reciprocal space, which can then be visually explored using graphics engines originally developed by the video-game industry. Here, I will highlight a few recent examples that include high-temperature superconductors, colossal magnetoresistors and piezoelectric materials.

Nanoscale Mechanical Properties of Nanoindented Ni48.8Mn27.2Ga24 Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Thin Film

PubMed Central

Fu, Xiaofei; Li, Xianli; Lv, Jingwei; Wang, Famei; Wang, Liying

2017-01-01

The structure and nanoscale mechanical properties of Ni48.8Mn27.2Ga24 thin film fabricated by DC magnetron sputtering are investigated systematically. The thin film has the austenite state at room temperature with the L21 Hesuler structure. During nanoindentation, stress-induced martensitic transformation occurs on the nanoscale for the film annealed at 823 K for 1 hour and the shape recovery ratio is up to 85.3%. The associated mechanism is discussed. PMID:29109812

Nanoscale effects of silica particle supports on the formation and properties of TiO2 nanocatalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Aize; Jin, Yuhui; Muggli, Darrin; Pierce, David T.; Aranwela, Hemantha; Marasinghe, Gaya K.; Knutson, Theodore; Brockman, Greg; Zhao, Julia Xiaojun

2013-06-01

Small TiO2 crystals in the anatase phase are in high demand as photocatalysts. Stable TiO2 crystals in the anatase phase were obtained using a silica nanoparticle as a support. The focus of this study was to investigate the nanoscale effect of the silica support on the formation and properties of small anatase crystals. The experiments were carried out using powder X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersion spectroscopy. The results showed that the size of the silica support played a crucial role in crystallization of TiO2 and regulation of TiO2 properties, including phase transition, crystal size, thermodynamic property and catalytic activity. A nanoscale curvature model of the spherical silica support was proposed to explain these size effects. Finally, the developed TiO2 catalysts were applied to the oxidation of methanol using a high-throughput photochemical reactor. The size effect of the silica supports on the TiO2 catalytic efficiency was demonstrated using this system.

An electrical method for the measurement of the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide nanostructures.

PubMed

Schwamb, Timo; Burg, Brian R; Schirmer, Niklas C; Poulikakos, Dimos

2009-10-07

This paper introduces an electrical four-point measurement method enabling thermal and electrical conductivity measurements of nanoscale materials. The method was applied to determine the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide flakes. The dielectrophoretically deposited samples exhibited thermal conductivities in the range of 0.14-2.87 W m(-1) K(-1) and electrical conductivities in the range of 6.2 x 10(2)-6.2 x 10(3) Omega(-1) m(-1). The measured properties of each flake were found to be dependent on the duration of the thermal reduction and are in this sense controllable.

Tunable charge transfer properties in metal-phthalocyanine heterojunctions.

PubMed

Siles, P F; Hahn, T; Salvan, G; Knupfer, M; Zhu, F; Zahn, D R T; Schmidt, O G

2016-04-28

Organic materials such as phthalocyanine-based systems present a great potential for organic device applications due to the possibility of integrating films of different organic materials to create organic heterostructures which combine the electrical capabilities of each material. This opens the possibility to precisely engineer and tune new electrical properties. In particular, similar transition metal phthalocyanines demonstrate hybridization and charge transfer properties which could lead to interesting physical phenomena. Although, when considering device dimensions, a better understanding and control of the tuning of the transport properties still remain in the focus of research. Here, by employing conductive atomic force microscopy techniques, we provide an insight about the nanoscale electrical properties and transport mechanisms of MnPc and fluorinated phthalocyanines such as F16CuPc and F16CoPc. We report a transition from typical diode-like transport mechanisms for pure MnPc thin films to space-charge-limited current transport regime (SCLC) for Pc-based heterostructures. The controlled addition of fluorinated phthalocyanine also provides highly uniform and symmetric-polarized transport characteristics with conductance enhancements up to two orders of magnitude depending on the polarization. We present a method to spatially map the mobility of the MnPc/F16CuPc structures with a nanoscale resolution and provide theoretical calculations to support our experimental findings. This well-controlled nanoscale tuning of the electrical properties for metal transition phthalocyanine junctions stands as key step for future phthalocyanine-based electronic devices, where the low dimension charge transfer, mediated by transition metal atoms could be intrinsically linked to a transfer of magnetic moment or spin.

Effect of polymer residues on the electrical properties of large-area graphene–hexagonal boron nitride planar heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Voyloy, Dimitry; Lassiter, Matthew G.; Sokolov, Alexei P.; ...

2017-06-19

Polymer residue plays an important role in the performance of 2D heterostructured materials. Herein, we study the effect of polymer residual impurities on the electrical properties of graphene–boron nitride planar heterostructures. Large-area graphene (Gr) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayers were synthesized using chemical vapor deposition techniques. Atomic van-der-Waals heterostructure layers based on varied configurations of Gr and h-BN layers were assembled. The average interlayer resistance of the heterojunctions over a 1 cm 2 area for several planar heterostructure configurations was assessed by impedance spectroscopy and modeled by equivalent electrical circuits. As a result, conductive AFM measurements showed that themore » presence of polymer residues on the surface of the Gr and h-BN monolayers resulted in significant resistance deviations over nanoscale regions.« less

Effect of polymer residues on the electrical properties of large-area graphene–hexagonal boron nitride planar heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Voyloy, Dimitry; Lassiter, Matthew G.; Sokolov, Alexei P.

Polymer residue plays an important role in the performance of 2D heterostructured materials. Herein, we study the effect of polymer residual impurities on the electrical properties of graphene–boron nitride planar heterostructures. Large-area graphene (Gr) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayers were synthesized using chemical vapor deposition techniques. Atomic van-der-Waals heterostructure layers based on varied configurations of Gr and h-BN layers were assembled. The average interlayer resistance of the heterojunctions over a 1 cm 2 area for several planar heterostructure configurations was assessed by impedance spectroscopy and modeled by equivalent electrical circuits. As a result, conductive AFM measurements showed that themore » presence of polymer residues on the surface of the Gr and h-BN monolayers resulted in significant resistance deviations over nanoscale regions.« less

Bottom-up nanoconstruction by the welding of individual metallic nanoobjects using nanoscale solder.

PubMed

Peng, Yong; Cullis, Tony; Inkson, Beverley

2009-01-01

We report that individual metallic nanowires and nanoobjects can be assembled and welded together into complex nanostructures and conductive circuits by a new nanoscale electrical welding technique using nanovolumes of metal solder. At the weld sites, nanoscale volumes of a chosen metal are deposited using a sacrificial nanowire, which ensures that the nanoobjects to be bonded retain their structural integrity. We demonstrate by welding both similar and dissimilar materials that the use of nanoscale solder is clean, controllable, and reliable and ensures both mechanically strong and electrically conductive contacts. Nanoscale weld resistances of just 20Omega are achieved by using Sn solder. Precise engineering of nanowelds by this technique, including the chemical flexibility of the nanowire solder, and high spatial resolution of the nanowelding method, should result in research applications including fabrication of nanosensors and nanoelectronics constructed from a small number of nanoobjects, and repair of interconnects and failed nanoscale electronics.

Nanoscale investigation of the piezoelectric properties of perovskite ferroelectrics and III-nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Brian Joseph

Nanoscale characterization of the piezoelectric and polarization related properties of III-Nitrides by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) resulted in the measurement of piezoelectric constants, surface charge and surface potential. Photo-electron emission microscopy (PEEM) was used to determine the local electronic band structure of a GaN-based lateral polarity heterostructure (GaN-LPH). Nanoscale characterization of the imprint and switching behavior of ferroelectric thin films by PFM resulted in the observation of domain pinning, while nanoscale characterization of the spatial variations in the imprint and switching behavior of integrated (111)-oriented PZT-based ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) capacitors by PFM have revealed a significant difference in imprint and switching behavior between the inner and outer parts of capacitors. The inner regions of the capacitors are typically negatively imprinted and consequently tend to switch back after being poled by a positive bias, while regions at the edge of the capacitors tend to exhibit more symmetric hysteresis behavior. Evidence was obtained indicating that mechanical stress conditions in the central regions of the capacitors can lead to incomplete switching. A combination of vertical and lateral piezoresponse force microscopy (VPFM and LPFM, respectively) has been used to map the out-of-plane and in-plane polarization distribution, respectively, of integrated (111)-oriented PZT-based capacitors, which revealed poled capacitors are in a polydomain state.

Manufacturing at the Nanoscale. Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshops, 2002-2004

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

positioning and assembling? • Do nanoscale properties remain once the nanostructures are integrated up to the microscale? • How do we measure...viii Manufacturing at the Nanoscale 1 1. VISION Employing the novel properties and processes that are associated with the nanoscale—in the...Theory, modeling, and simulation software are being developed to investigate nanoscale material properties and synthesis of macromolecular systems with

Visualizing nanoscale excitonic relaxation properties of disordered edges and grain boundaries in monolayer molybdenum disulfide

DOE PAGES

Bao, Wei; Borys, Nicholas J.; Ko, Changhyun; ...

2015-08-13

The ideal building blocks for atomically thin, flexible optoelectronic and catalytic devices are two-dimensional monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors. Although challenging for two-dimensional systems, sub-diffraction optical microscopy provides a nanoscale material understanding that is vital for optimizing their optoelectronic properties. We use the ‘Campanile’ nano-optical probe to spectroscopically image exciton recombination within monolayer MoS2 with sub-wavelength resolution (60 nm), at the length scale relevant to many critical optoelectronic processes. Moreover, synthetic monolayer MoS2 is found to be composed of two distinct optoelectronic regions: an interior, locally ordered but mesoscopically heterogeneous two-dimensional quantum well and an unexpected ~300-nm wide, energetically disorderedmore » edge region. Further, grain boundaries are imaged with sufficient resolution to quantify local exciton-quenching phenomena, and complimentary nano-Auger microscopy reveals that the optically defective grain boundary and edge regions are sulfur deficient. In conclusion, the nanoscale structure–property relationships established here are critical for the interpretation of edge- and boundary-related phenomena and the development of next-generation two-dimensional optoelectronic devices.« less

Modeling Self-Heating Effects in Nanoscale Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raleva, K.; Shaik, A. R.; Vasileska, D.; Goodnick, S. M.

2017-08-01

Accurate thermal modeling and the design of microelectronic devices and thin film structures at the micro- and nanoscales poses a challenge to electrical engineers who are less familiar with the basic concepts and ideas in sub-continuum heat transport. This book aims to bridge that gap. Efficient heat removal methods are necessary to increase device performance and device reliability. The authors provide readers with a combination of nanoscale experimental techniques and accurate modeling methods that must be employed in order to determine a device's temperature profile.

New directions for nanoscale thermoelectric materials research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dresselhaus, M. S.; Chen, G.; Tang, M. Y.; Yang, R. G.; Lee, H.; Wang, D. Z.; Ren, F.; Fleurial, J. P.; Gogna, P.

2005-01-01

Many of the recent advances in enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit are linked to nanoscale phenomena with both bulk samples containing nanoscale constituents and nanoscale materials exhibiting enhanced thermoelectric performance in their own right. Prior theoretical and experimental proof of principle studies on isolated quantum well and quantum wire samples have now evolved into studies on bulk samples containing nanostructured constituents. In this review, nanostructural composites are shown to exhibit nanostructures and properties that show promise for thermoelectric applications. A review of some of the results obtained to date are presented.

Nanoscale mapping of electromechanical response in ionic conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seol, Daehee; Seo, Hosung; Kim, Yunseok, E-mail: yunseokkim@skku.edu

Electromechanical (EM) response in ion conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions was spatially explored using strain-based atomic force microscopy. Since the sample is composed of two dominant phases of ionic and piezoelectric phases, it allows us to explore two different EM responses of electrically induced ionic response and piezoresponse over the same surface. Furthermore, EM response of the ionic phase, i.e., electrochemical strain, was quantitatively investigated from the comparison with that of the piezoelectric phase, i.e., piezoresponse. These results could provide additional information on the EM properties, including the electrochemical strain at nanoscale.

Nanoscale volcanoes: accretion of matter at ion-sculpted nanopores.

PubMed

Mitsui, Toshiyuki; Stein, Derek; Kim, Young-Rok; Hoogerheide, David; Golovchenko, J A

2006-01-27

We demonstrate the formation of nanoscale volcano-like structures induced by ion-beam irradiation of nanoscale pores in freestanding silicon nitride membranes. Accreted matter is delivered to the volcanoes from micrometer distances along the surface. Volcano formation accompanies nanopore shrinking and depends on geometrical factors and the presence of a conducting layer on the membrane's back surface. We argue that surface electric fields play an important role in accounting for the experimental observations.

Electrical properties of films of zinc oxide nanoparticles and its hybrid with reduced graphene oxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Madhuri, K. Priya; Bramhaiah, K.; John, Neena S., E-mail: jsneena@cnsms.res.in

Free-standing films of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-ZnO NPs hybrid are prepared at a liquid/liquid interface. The films are characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. ZnO film consists of spherical aggregated NPs while the hybrid film contains folded sheets of rGO with embedded ZnO NPs. Electrical properties of the films and its photoresponse in presence of UV radiation are investigated using current sensing atomic force microscopy (CSAFM) at nanoscale and bulk measurements using two probe methods. Enhancement in photocurrent is observed in both cases and the current imaging reveals anmore » inhomogeneous contribution by different ZnO grains in the film.« less

Molecular Clusters: Nanoscale Building Blocks for Solid-State Materials.

PubMed

Pinkard, Andrew; Champsaur, Anouck M; Roy, Xavier

2018-04-17

spectroscopy, to ascertain features about the constituent superatomic building blocks, such as the charge of the cluster cores, by analysis of bond distances from the SCXRD data. The combination of atomic precision and intercluster interactions in these SACs produces novel collective properties, including tunable electrical transport, crystalline thermal conductivity, and ferromagnetism. In addition, we have developed a synthetic strategy to insert redox-active guests into the superstructure of SACs via single-crystal-to-single-crystal intercalation. This intercalation process allows us to tune the optical and electrical transport properties of the superatomic crystal host. These properties are explored using a host of techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, SQUID magnetometry, electrical transport measurements, electronic absorption spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and frequency-domain thermoreflectance. Superatomic crystals have proven to be both robust and tunable, representing a new method of materials design and architecture. This Account demonstrates how precisely controlling the structure and properties of nanoscale building blocks is key in developing the next generation of functional materials; several examples are discussed and detailed herein.

Optical properties of tetragonal and nanoscale BiFeO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, P.; Xu, X. S.; Musfeldt, J. L.; Santulli, A. C.; Koenigsmann, C.; Wong, S. S.; Podraza, N. J.; Melville, A.; Vlahos, E.; Gopalan, V.; Schlom, D. G.; Ramesh, R.

2010-03-01

We measured the optical properties of tetragonal thin film and nanoscale rhombohedral BiFeO3 in the range from near infrared to the near ultraviolet. The absorption spectrum in the tetragonal film is overall blue-shifted compared with that of the rhombohedral BiFeO3 film. It shows an absorption onset near 2.25 eV, a direct 3.1 eV band gap, and charge transfer excitations that are ˜0.4 eV higher than those of the rhombohedral counterpart. In the nanoparticles, the band gap decreases from 2.7 eV to ˜2.3 eV, and the well-known 3.2 and 4.5 eV charge transfer excitations split into multiplets. We discuss these results in terms of structural strain, surface strain, and local symmetry breaking.

Control of Nanoscale Materials under the Toxic Substances Control Act

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Many nanoscale materials are regarded as chemical substances, but they may have different properties than their larger counterparts. EPA is working to ensure that nanoscale materials are manufactured and used in ways that prevent risk to health.

Nanoscale characterization of 1D Sn-3.5Ag nanosolders and their application into nanowelding at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Junwei; Lan, Qianqian; Ma, Hongbin; Qu, Ke; Inkson, Beverley J.; Mellors, Nigel J.; Xue, Desheng; Peng, Yong

2014-10-01

One-dimensional Sn-3.5Ag alloy nanosolders have been successfully fabricated by a dc electrodeposition technique into nanoporous templates, and their soldering quality has been demonstrated in nanoscale electrical welding for the first time, which indicates that they can easily form remarkably reliable conductive joints. The electrical measurement shows that individual 1D Sn-3.5Ag nanosolders have a resistivity of 28.9 μΩ·cm. The morphology, crystal structure and chemistry of these nanosolders have been characterized at the nanoscale. It is found that individual 1D Sn-3.5Ag alloy nanosolders have a continuous morphology and smooth surface. XPS confirms the presence of tin and silver with a mass ratio of 96.54:3.46, and EDX elemental mappings clearly reveal that the Sn and Ag elements have a uniform distribution. Coveragent beam electron diffractions verify that the crystal phases of individual 1D Sn-3.5Ag alloy nanosolders consist of matrix β-Sn and the intermetallic compound Ag3Sn. The reflow experiments reveal that the eutectic composition of the 1D Sn-Ag alloy nanowire is shifted to the Sn rich corner. This work may contribute one of the most important tin-based alloy nanosolders for future nanoscale welding techniques, which are believed to have broad applications in nanotechnology and the future nano-industry.

Enhanced electrical properties in sub-10-nm WO3 nanoflakes prepared via a two-step sol-gel-exfoliation method

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The morphology and electrical properties of orthorhombic β-WO3 nanoflakes with thickness of ~7 to 9 nm were investigated at the nanoscale with a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), current sensing force spectroscopy atomic force microscopy (CSFS-AFM, or PeakForce TUNA™), Fourier transform infra-red absorption spectroscopy (FTIR), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and Raman spectroscopy techniques. CSFS-AFM analysis established good correlation between the topography of the developed nanostructures and various features of WO3 nanoflakes synthesized via a two-step sol-gel-exfoliation method. It was determined that β-WO3 nanoflakes annealed at 550°C possess distinguished and exceptional thickness-dependent properties in comparison with the bulk, micro and nanostructured WO3 synthesized at alternative temperatures. PMID:25221453

Nanoscale mapping of electromechanical response in ionic conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions

DOE PAGES

Seol, Daehee; Seo, Hosung; Jesse, Stephen; ...

2015-08-19

Electromechanical (EM) response in ion conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions was spatially explored using strain-based atomic force microscopy. Since the sample is composed of two dominant phases of ionic and piezoelectric phases, it allows us to explore two different EM responses of electrically induced ionic response and piezoresponse over the same surface. Furthermore, EM response of the ionic phase, i.e., electrochemical strain, was quantitatively investigated from the comparison with that of the piezoelectric phase, i.e., piezoresponse. Finally, these results could provide additional information on the EM properties, including the electrochemical strain at nanoscale.

Nanoscale mapping of electromechanical response in ionic conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seol, Daehee; Seo, Hosung; Jesse, Stephen

Electromechanical (EM) response in ion conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions was spatially explored using strain-based atomic force microscopy. Since the sample is composed of two dominant phases of ionic and piezoelectric phases, it allows us to explore two different EM responses of electrically induced ionic response and piezoresponse over the same surface. Furthermore, EM response of the ionic phase, i.e., electrochemical strain, was quantitatively investigated from the comparison with that of the piezoelectric phase, i.e., piezoresponse. Finally, these results could provide additional information on the EM properties, including the electrochemical strain at nanoscale.

Spatially resolved imaging of opto-electrical property variations

DOEpatents

Nikiforov, Maxim; Darling, Seth B; Suzer, Ozgun; Guest, Jeffrey; Roelofs, Andreas

2014-09-16

Systems and methods for opto electric properties are provided. A light source illuminates a sample. A reference detector senses light from the light source. A sample detector receives light from the sample. A positioning fixture allows for relative positioning of the sample or the light source with respect to each other. An electrical signal device measures the electrical properties of the sample. The reference detector, sample detector and electrical signal device provide information that may be processed to determine opto-electric properties of the same.

Deep-subwavelength imaging of both electric and magnetic localized optical fields by plasmonic campanile nanoantenna

DOE PAGES

Caselli, Niccolò; La China, Federico; Bao, Wei; ...

2015-06-05

Tailoring the electromagnetic field at the nanoscale has led to artificial materials exhibiting fascinating optical properties unavailable in naturally occurring substances. Besides having fundamental implications for classical and quantum optics, nanoscale metamaterials provide a platform for developing disruptive novel technologies, in which a combination of both the electric and magnetic radiation field components at optical frequencies is relevant to engineer the light-matter interaction. Thus, an experimental investigation of the spatial distribution of the photonic states at the nanoscale for both field components is of crucial importance. Here we experimentally demonstrate a concomitant deep-subwavelength near-field imaging of the electric and magneticmore » intensities of the optical modes localized in a photonic crystal nanocavity. We take advantage of the “campanile tip”, a plasmonic near-field probe that efficiently combines broadband field enhancement with strong far-field to near-field coupling. In conclusion, by exploiting the electric and magnetic polarizability components of the campanile tip along with the perturbation imaging method, we are able to map in a single measurement both the electric and magnetic localized near-field distributions.« less

Fabrication and nanoscale characterization of magnetic multilayer nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elawayeb, Mohamed

Magnetic multilayers nanowires are scientifically fascinating and have potential industrial applications in many areas of advanced nanotechnology. These applications arise due to the nanoscale dimensions of nanostructures that lead to unique physical properties. Magnetic multilayer nanowires have been successfully produced by electrodeposition into templates. Anodic Aluminium Oxide (AAO) membranes were used as templates in this process; the templates were fabricated by anodization method in acidic solutions at a fixed voltage. The fabrication method of a range of magnetic multilayer nanowires is described in this study and their structure and dimensions were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). This study is focused on the first growth of NiFe/Pt and NiFe/Fe magnetic multilayer nanowires, which were successfully fabricated by pulse electrodeposition into the channels of porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) templates, and characterized at the nanoscale. Individual nanowires have uniform structure and regular periodicity. The magnetic and nonmagnetic layers are polycrystalline, with randomly oriented fcc lattice structure crystallites. Chemical compositions of the individual nanowires were analyzed using TEM equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) and electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS). The electrical and magnetoresistance properties of individual magnetic multilayer nanowires have been measured inside a SEM using two sharp tip electrodes attached to in situ nanomanipulators and a new electromagnet technique. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect of individual magnetic multilayer nanowires was measured in the current - perpendicular to the plane (CPP) geometry using a new in situ method at variable magnetic field strength and different orientations..

Trimming the electrical properties on nanoscale YBa2Cu3O7-x constrictions by focus ion beam technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Simon K. H.; Bendavid, Avi; Du, Jia

2017-09-01

High temperature superconducting (HTS) nanostructure has a great potential in photon sensing at high frequency due to its fast recovery time. For maximising the coupling efficiency, the normal resistance of the nanostructure needs to be better matched to that of the thin-film antenna, which is typically few tens of ohm. We report on the fabrication of nanoscale high temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) constrictions using Gallium ion focus ion beam (FIB) technique. The FIB has been used to both remove the YBCO in lateral dimension and also tune its critical current and normal resistance by a combination of surface etching and implantation on the YBCO top layer. High critical current density of 2.5 MA/cm2 at 77 K can be obtained on YBCO nanobridges down to 100 nm in width. Subsequent trimming of the naobridges can lead to a normal resistance value over 50 Ω. Simulation of the Ga ion trajectory has also been performed to compare the measurement results. This method provides a simple step of fabricating nanoscale superconducting detectors such as hot electron bolometer.

Design of surface modifications for nanoscale sensor applications.

PubMed

Reimhult, Erik; Höök, Fredrik

2015-01-14

Nanoscale biosensors provide the possibility to miniaturize optic, acoustic and electric sensors to the dimensions of biomolecules. This enables approaching single-molecule detection and new sensing modalities that probe molecular conformation. Nanoscale sensors are predominantly surface-based and label-free to exploit inherent advantages of physical phenomena allowing high sensitivity without distortive labeling. There are three main criteria to be optimized in the design of surface-based and label-free biosensors: (i) the biomolecules of interest must bind with high affinity and selectively to the sensitive area; (ii) the biomolecules must be efficiently transported from the bulk solution to the sensor; and (iii) the transducer concept must be sufficiently sensitive to detect low coverage of captured biomolecules within reasonable time scales. The majority of literature on nanoscale biosensors deals with the third criterion while implicitly assuming that solutions developed for macroscale biosensors to the first two, equally important, criteria are applicable also to nanoscale sensors. We focus on providing an introduction to and perspectives on the advanced concepts for surface functionalization of biosensors with nanosized sensor elements that have been developed over the past decades (criterion (iii)). We review in detail how patterning of molecular films designed to control interactions of biomolecules with nanoscale biosensor surfaces creates new possibilities as well as new challenges.

Nanoscale rotary motors driven by electron tunneling.

PubMed

Wang, Boyang; Vuković, Lela; Král, Petr

2008-10-31

We examine by semiclassical molecular dynamics simulations the possibility of driving nanoscale rotary motors by electron tunneling. The model systems studied have a carbon nanotube shaft with covalently attached "isolating" molecular stalks ending with "conducting" blades. Periodic charging and discharging of the blades at two metallic electrodes maintains an electric dipole on the blades that is rotated by an external electric field. Our simulations demonstrate that these molecular motors can be efficient under load and in the presence of noise and defects.

Nanoscale charge distribution and energy band modification in defect-patterned graphene.

PubMed

Wang, Shengnan; Wang, Rui; Wang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Dongdong; Qiu, Xiaohui

2012-04-21

Defects were introduced precisely to exfoliated graphene (G) sheets on a SiO(2)/n(+) Si substrate to modulate the local energy band structure and the electron pathway using solution-phase oxidation followed by thermal reduction. The resulting nanoscale charge distribution and band gap modification were investigated by electrostatic force microscopy and spectroscopy. A transition phase with coexisting submicron-sized metallic and insulating regions in the moderately oxidized monolayer graphene were visualized and measured directly. It was determined that the delocalization of electrons/holes in a graphene "island" is confined by the surrounding defective C-O matrix, which acts as an energy barrier for mobile charge carriers. In contrast to the irreversible structural variations caused by the oxidation process, the electrical properties of graphene can be restored by annealing. The defect-patterned graphene and graphene oxide heterojunctions were further characterized by electrical transport measurement.

Single molecules and single nanoparticles as windows to the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldarola, Martín; Orrit, Michel

2018-05-01

Since the first optical detection of single molecules, they have been used as nanometersized optical sensors to explore the physical properties of materials and light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. Understanding nanoscale properties of materials is fundamental for the development of new technology that requires precise control of atoms and molecules when the quantum nature of matter cannot be ignored. In the following lines, we illustrate this journey into nanoscience with some experiments from our group.

Simulations of surface stress effects in nanoscale single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zadin, V.; Veske, M.; Vigonski, S.; Jansson, V.; Muszinsky, J.; Parviainen, S.; Aabloo, A.; Djurabekova, F.

2018-04-01

Onset of vacuum arcing near a metal surface is often associated with nanoscale asperities, which may dynamically appear due to different processes ongoing in the surface and subsurface layers in the presence of high electric fields. Thermally activated processes, as well as plastic deformation caused by tensile stress due to an applied electric field, are usually not accessible by atomistic simulations because of the long time needed for these processes to occur. On the other hand, finite element methods, able to describe the process of plastic deformations in materials at realistic stresses, do not include surface properties. The latter are particularly important for the problems where the surface plays crucial role in the studied process, as for instance, in the case of plastic deformations at a nanovoid. In the current study by means of molecular dynamics (MD) and finite element simulations we analyse the stress distribution in single crystal copper containing a nanovoid buried deep under the surface. We have developed a methodology to incorporate the surface effects into the solid mechanics framework by utilizing elastic properties of crystals, pre-calculated using MD simulations. The method leads to computationally efficient stress calculations and can be easily implemented in commercially available finite element software, making it an attractive analysis tool.

2D or not 2D? The impact of nanoscale roughness and substrate interactions on the tribological properties of graphene and MoS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elinski, Meagan B.; Liu, Zhuotong; Spear, Jessica C.; Batteas, James D.

2017-03-01

The use of 2D nanomaterials for controlling friction and wear at interfaces has received increased attention over the past few years due to their unique structural, thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. These materials proffer potential critical solutions to challenges in boundary lubrication across numerous platforms ranging from engines, to biomedical implants and micro- and nano-scaled machines that will play a major role in the Internet of Things. There has been significant work on a range of 2D nanomaterials, such as graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). From these studies, their frictional properties have been shown to be highly dependent on numerous factors, such as substrate structure, strain, and competing chemical interactions between the interfaces in sliding contact. Moreover, when considering real contacts in machined interfaces, these surfaces are often composed of nanoscaled asperities, whose intermittent contact dominates the tribochemical processes that result in wear. In this review we aim to capture recent work on the tribological properties of graphene and MoS2 and to discuss the impacts of surface roughness (from the atomic scale to the nanoscale) and chemical interactions at interfaces on their frictional properties, and their use in designing advanced boundary lubrication schemes.

Electrical properties of dislocations in III-Nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavalcoli, D.; Minj, A.; Pandey, S.; Cavallini, A.

2014-02-01

Research on GaN, AlN, InN (III-N) and their alloys is achieving new heights due their high potential applications in photonics and electronics. III-N semiconductors are mostly grown epitaxially on sapphire, and due to the large lattice mismatch and the differences in the thermal expansion coefficients, the structures usually contain many threading dislocations (TDs). While their structural properties have been widely investigated, their electrical characteristics and their role in the transport properties of the devices are still debated. In the present contribution we will show conductive AFM studies of TDs in GaN and Al/In GaN ternary alloys to evidence the role of strain, different surface polarity and composition on their electrical properties. Local I-V curves measured at TDs allowed us to clarify their role in the macroscopic electrical properties (leakage current, mobilities) of III-N based devices. Samples obtained by different growers (AIXTRON, III-V Lab) were studied. The comparison between the results obtained in the different alloys allowed us to understand the role of In and Al on the TDs electrical properties.

Modelling nanoscale objects in order to conduct an empirical research into their properties as part of an engineering system designed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarov, M.; Shchanikov, S.; Trantina, N.

2017-01-01

We have conducted a research into the major, in terms of their future application, properties of nanoscale objects, based on modelling these objects as free-standing physical elements beyond the structure of an engineering system designed for their integration as well as a part of a system that operates under the influence of the external environment. For the empirical research suggested within the scope of this work, we have chosen a nanoscale electronic element intended to be used while designing information processing systems with the parallel architecture - a memristor. The target function of the research was to provide the maximum fault-tolerance index of a memristor-based system when affected by all possible impacts of the internal destabilizing factors and external environment. The research results have enabled us to receive and classify all the factors predetermining the fault-tolerance index of the hardware implementation of a computing system based on the nanoscale electronic element base.

Determination of consolidation properties using electrical resistivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibria, Golam; Hossain, Sahadat; Khan, Mohammad Sadik

2018-05-01

Electrical conductivity is an indirect method used to evaluate pore-structures and their influence on macro and microscale behavior of soils. Although this method can provide useful information about the consolidation properties of soil samples, insufficient studies have been conducted to identify correlations between electrical and consolidation properties. The current study presents electrical resistivity responses of clayey samples at different consolidation stages. The consolidation properties of four soil specimens were measured in conjunction with electrical conductivity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses were performed on soil samples before and after consolidation to identify the changes in fabric morphology due to the application of loads. It was observed that the electrical conductivity of samples decreased with the increase of pressure, and the trends of variations were similar to e vs. logP curves. Although a linear correlation exists between electrical conductivity and void ratio, the relationship depends on the structural changes in clay particles. Therefore, changes in fabric structures were analyzed using SEM images, and results showed that the aspect ratio of the particles increased as much as 18.3% after consolidation. Based on the investigation, the coefficient of consolidations and one-dimensional strain were determined using electrical resistivity measurements.

Surface electrical properties experiment, part 1. [for measuring lunar surface electrical properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kupfer, W. S. (Compiler)

1973-01-01

The design evolution, hardware development, and production history of the surface electrical properties (SEP) experiment are discussed. The SEP transmitter and receiver were designed to be used on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission. The equipment was used to measure lunar surface electrical properties over traverses totalling more than 8 kilometers, for a duration of more than 100 minutes. A comprehensive outline of the techniques, is given along with a simplified detailed breakdown of equipment description and function to outline the principles of operation. A history of the design evolution with trade-off criteria and emphasis on changes caused by decisions reached in solving problems inherent in a fast-paced development program are presented from the viewpoint of overall design concept and in detail for each item of deliverable hardware. There is a brief account of lunar operations.

Design of Surface Modifications for Nanoscale Sensor Applications

PubMed Central

Reimhult, Erik; Höök, Fredrik

2015-01-01

Nanoscale biosensors provide the possibility to miniaturize optic, acoustic and electric sensors to the dimensions of biomolecules. This enables approaching single-molecule detection and new sensing modalities that probe molecular conformation. Nanoscale sensors are predominantly surface-based and label-free to exploit inherent advantages of physical phenomena allowing high sensitivity without distortive labeling. There are three main criteria to be optimized in the design of surface-based and label-free biosensors: (i) the biomolecules of interest must bind with high affinity and selectively to the sensitive area; (ii) the biomolecules must be efficiently transported from the bulk solution to the sensor; and (iii) the transducer concept must be sufficiently sensitive to detect low coverage of captured biomolecules within reasonable time scales. The majority of literature on nanoscale biosensors deals with the third criterion while implicitly assuming that solutions developed for macroscale biosensors to the first two, equally important, criteria are applicable also to nanoscale sensors. We focus on providing an introduction to and perspectives on the advanced concepts for surface functionalization of biosensors with nanosized sensor elements that have been developed over the past decades (criterion (iii)). We review in detail how patterning of molecular films designed to control interactions of biomolecules with nanoscale biosensor surfaces creates new possibilities as well as new challenges. PMID:25594599

Electrical properties of epoxies used in hybrid microelectronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stout, C. W.

1976-01-01

The electrical properties and basic characteristics of the structure of conductive epoxies were studied. The results of the experimental work performed to measure the electrical properties of epoxies are presented.

The impact of defect scattering on the quasi-ballistic transport of nanoscale conductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esqueda, I. S., E-mail: isanchez@isi.edu; Fritze, M.; Cress, C. D.

2015-02-28

Using the Landauer approach for carrier transport, we analyze the impact of defects induced by ion irradiation on the transport properties of nanoscale conductors that operate in the quasi-ballistic regime. Degradation of conductance results from a reduction of carrier mean free path due to the introduction of defects in the conducting channel. We incorporate scattering mechanisms from radiation-induced defects into calculations of the transmission coefficient and present a technique for extracting modeling parameters from near-equilibrium transport measurements. These parameters are used to describe degradation in the transport properties of nanoscale devices using a formalism that is valid under quasi-ballistic operation.more » The analysis includes the effects of bandstructure and dimensionality on the impact of defect scattering and discusses transport properties of nanoscale devices from the diffusive to the ballistic limit. We compare calculations with recently published measurements of irradiated nanoscale devices such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene, and deep-submicron Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors.« less

Phototoxicity and Dosimetry of Nano-scale Titanium Dioxide in Aquatic Organisms

EPA Science Inventory

We have been testing nanoscale TiO2 (primarily Evonik P25) in acute exposures to identify and quantify its phototoxicity under solar simulated radiation (SSR), and to develop dose metrics reflective of both nano-scale properties and the photon component of its potency. Several e...

Nanoscale Thermoelectrics: A Study of the Absolute Seebeck Coefficient of Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Sarah J.

The worlds demand for energy is ever increasing. Likewise, the environmental impact of climate change due generating that energy through combustion of fossil fuels is increasingly alarming. Due to these factors new sources of renewable energies are constantly being sought out. Thermoelectric devices have the ability to generate clean, renewable, energy out of waste heat. However promising that is, their inefficiency severely inhibits applicability and practical use. The usefulness of a thermoelectric material increases with the dimensionless quantity, ZT, which depends on the Seebeck coefficient and electrical and thermal conductivity. These characteristic material parameters have interdependent energy transport contributions that classically prohibit the optimization of one with out the detriment of another. Encouraging advancements of ZT have occurred in the past ten years due to the decoupling of the thermal and electrical conductivity. Further advancements are necessary in order to produce applicable devices. One auspicious way of decoupling or tuning energy transport properties, is through size reduction to the nanoscale. However, with reduced dimensions come complications in measuring material properties. Measurements of properties such as the Seebeck coefficient, S, are primarily contingent upon the measurement apparatus. The Seebeck coefficient is defined as the amount of voltage generated by a thermal gradient. Measuring a thermally generated voltage by traditional methods gives, the voltage measured as a linear function of the Seebeck coefficient of the leads and of the material being tested divided by the applied thermal gradient. If accurate values of the Seebeck coefficients of the leads are available, simple subtraction provides the answer. This is rarely the case in nanoscale measurement devices with leads exclusively made from thin film materials that do not have well known bulk-like thermopower values. We have developed a technique to directly

Segmented nanowires displaying locally controllable properties

DOEpatents

Sutter, Eli Anguelova; Sutter, Peter Werner

2013-03-05

Vapor-liquid-solid growth of nanowires is tailored to achieve complex one-dimensional material geometries using phase diagrams determined for nanoscale materials. Segmented one-dimensional nanowires having constant composition display locally variable electronic band structures that are determined by the diameter of the nanowires. The unique electrical and optical properties of the segmented nanowires are exploited to form electronic and optoelectronic devices. Using gold-germanium as a model system, in situ transmission electron microscopy establishes, for nanometer-sized Au--Ge alloy drops at the tips of Ge nanowires (NWs), the parts of the phase diagram that determine their temperature-dependent equilibrium composition. The nanoscale phase diagram is then used to determine the exchange of material between the NW and the drop. The phase diagram for the nanoscale drop deviates significantly from that of the bulk alloy.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-01-01

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

[Research on electricity frequency property of blood].

PubMed

Hu, Maoqing; Huang, Hua; Yuan, Zirun; Chen, Huaiqing; Den, Lihua

2006-02-01

On the basis of our previous work, the electric frequency property of human blood in different components, in physiological state and in pathological state (diabetes) are tested and analyzed in the range of 1Hz-20MHz progressively. Among the different components of blood; the lowest electrical impedance is serum; the plasma and the whole blood gradually become larger, the blood corpuscle is the largest one. Otherwise, the negative phase of serum is the largest, the plasma and the whole blood are lower, and the blood corpuscle is the lowest. Here, the question is why the effect of the electric capacity of serum and plasma is the biggest in the condition of no cell and cell membrane; diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder in which blood changes obviously, the electric frequency property of the blood of diabetic patients changes markedly; the electrical impedance of blood decreases (more obviously with low frequency), the negative phase increases (more obviously with high frequency). These indicate that the increase of electric conductivity in diabetic patients' blood is due to electric capacitance conductivity that is related to the changes of cell membrane, deformation abilities and aggregation of RBC. Related experiments demonstrate again that with the progressing of research in the electric frequency property of blood, we may use the theory and method of electricity to examine some important characters of blood in a different way, and so to corroborate other tests and analyses.

Box 6: Nanoscale Defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Eduardo; Breese, Mark

Defects affect virtually all properties of crystalline materials, and their role is magnified in nanoscale structures. In this box we describe the different type of defects with particular emphasis on point and linear defects. Above zero Kelvin all real materials have a defect population within their structure, which affects either their crystalline, electronic or optical properties. It is common to attribute a negative connotation to the presence of defects. However, a perfect silicon crystal or any other defect-free semiconductor would have a limited functionality and might even be useless.

Nanoscale integration is the next frontier for nanotechnology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Picraux, Samuel T

2009-01-01

Nanoscale integration of materials and structures is the next critical step to exploit the promise of nanomaterials. Many novel and fascinating properties have been revealed for nanostructured materials. But if nanotechnology is to live up to its promise we must incorporate these nanoscale building blocks into functional systems that connect to the micro- and macroscale world. To do this we will inevitably need to understand and exploit the resulting combined unique properties of these integrated nanosystems. Much science waits to be discovered in the process. Nanoscale integration extends from the synthesis and fabrication of individual nanoscale building blocks, to themore » assembly of these building blocks into composite structures, and finally to the formation of complex functional systems. As illustrated in Figure 1, the building blocks may be homogeneous or heterogeneous, the composite materials may be nanocomposite or patterned structures, and the functional systems will involve additional combinations of materials. Nanoscale integration involves assembling diverse nanoscale materials across length scales to design and achieve new properties and functionality. At each stage size-dependent properties, the influence of surfaces in close proximity, and a multitude of interfaces all come into play. Whether the final system involves coherent electrons in a quantum computing approach, the combined flow of phonons and electrons for a high efficiency thermoelectric micro-generator, or a molecular recognition structure for bio-sensing, the combined effects of size, surface, and interface will be critical. In essence, one wants to combine the novel functions available through nanoscale science to achieve unique multi-functionalities not available in bulk materials. Perhaps the best-known example of integration is that of combining electronic components together into very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI). The integrated circuit has revolutionized electronics

Effects of Solid Solution Treatments on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Nanoscale Precipitate-Strengthened Ferritic Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Guo, H.; Xu, S. S.; Mao, M. J.; Chen, L.; Gokhman, O.; Zhang, Z. W.

2018-05-01

Solid solution treatment (SST) and age hardening are the two main treatments used to produce nanoscale precipitation-strengthened steels. In this work, solution treatment and aging are employed to develop a nanoscale precipitation-strengthened steel displaying high degrees of strength, ductility, and toughness. The effects of SST on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the produced steel are investigated. The results show that the solution temperature strongly influences the matrix microstructure. Partial austenitization between A_{{{c}1}} and A_{{{c}3}} favors the formation of granular ferrite, while complete austenitization above A_{{{c}3}} leads to the formation of polygonal ferrite. Refined granular ferrite with a low dislocation density can effectively improve the plasticity and low-temperature toughness of steel. Precipitation strengthening is mainly related to the nature of the nano-precipitates, specifically their size and number density, independently of the matrix microstructure.

Thermoelectric efficiency of nanoscale devices in the linear regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-12-01

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

Size Effects in Nanoscale Structural Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElhinny, Kyle Matthew

The creation of nanostructures offers the opportunity to modify and tune properties in ways inaccessible in bulk materials. A key component in this development is the introduction of size effects which reduce the physical size, dimensionality, and increase the contribution of surface effects. The size effects strongly modify the structural dynamics in nanoscale systems and leads to changes in the vibrational, electrical, and optical properties. An increased level of understanding and control of nanoscale structural dynamics will enable more precise control over nanomaterial transport properties. My work has shown that 1D spatial confinement through the creation of semiconducting nanomembranes modifies the phonon population and dispersion. X ray thermal diffuse scattering distributions show an excess in intensity for nanomembranes less than 100 nm in thickness, for phonon modes with wavevectors spanning the entire Brillouin zone. This excess intensity indicates the development of new low energy phonon modes or the softening of elastic constants. Furthermore, an additional anisotropy in the phonon dispersion is observed with a symmetry matching the direction of spatial confinement. This work has also extended x ray thermal diffuse scattering for use in studying nanomaterials. In electro- and photoactive monolayers a structural reconfiguration can be produced by external optical stimuli. I have developed an electro and photoactive molecular monolayers on oxide surfaces. Using x ray reflectivity, I have evaluated the organization and reconfiguration of molecular monolayers deposited by Langmuir Blodgett technique. I have designed and probed the reconfiguration of optically reconfigurable monolayers of azobenzene donor molecules on semiconducting surfaces. These monolayers reconfigure through a cooperative switching process leading to the development of large isomeric domains. This work represents an advancement in the interpretation of x ray reflectivity from molecular

Acoustic Detection of Phase Transitions at the Nanoscale

DOE PAGES

Vasudevan, Rama K.; Khassaf, Hamidreza; Cao, Ye; ...

2016-01-25

On page 478, N. Bassiri-Gharb and co-workers demonstrate acoustic detection in nanoscale volumes by use of an atomic force microscope tip technique. Elastic changes in volume are measured by detecting changes in resonance of the cantilever. Also, the electric field in this case causes a phase transition, which is modeled by Landau theory.

Experimental analysis of electrical properties of composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiala, L.; Rovnaník, P.; Černý, R.

2017-02-01

Dry cement-based composites are electrically non-conductive materials that behave in electric field like dielectrics. However, a relatively low amount of electrically conductive admixture significantly increases the electrical conductivity which extends applicability of such materials in practice. Therefore, they can be used as self-monitoring sensors controlling development of cracks; as sensors monitoring moisture content or when treated by an external electrical voltage as heat sources used for deicing of material's surface layer. Alkali-activated aluminosilicates (AAA), as competing materials to cement-based materials, are intensively investigated in the present due to their superior durability and environmental impact. Whereas the electrical properties of AAA are similar to those cement-based, they can be enhanced in the same way. In both cases, it is crucial to find a reasonable amount of electrically conductive phase to design composites with a sufficient electrical conductivity at an affordable price. In this paper, electrical properties of composites based on AAA binder and electrically conductive admixture represented by carbon nanotubes (CNT) are investigated. Measurements of electrical properties are carried out by means of 2-probes DC technique on nine types of samples; reference sample without the conductive phase and samples with CNT admixture in amount of 0.1 % - 2.5 % by vol. A significant increase of the electrical conductivity starts from the amount of 0.5 % CNT admixture and in case of 2.5 % CNT is about three orders of magnitude higher compared to the reference sample.

Stencil Nano Lithography Based on a Nanoscale Polymer Shadow Mask: Towards Organic Nanoelectronics

PubMed Central

Yun, Hoyeol; Kim, Sangwook; Kim, Hakseong; Lee, Junghyun; McAllister, Kirstie; Kim, Junhyung; Pyo, Sengmoon; Sung Kim, Jun; Campbell, Eleanor E. B.; Hyoung Lee, Wi; Wook Lee, Sang

2015-01-01

A stencil lithography technique has been developed to fabricate organic-material-based electronic devices with sub-micron resolution. Suspended polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes were used as shadow masks for defining organic channels and top electrodes. Arrays of pentacene field effect transistors (FETs) with various channel lengths from 50 μm down to 500 nm were successfully produced from the same batch using this technique. Electrical transport measurements showed that the electrical contacts of all devices were stable and the normalized contact resistances were much lower than previously studied organic FETs. Scaling effects, originating from the bulk space charge current, were investigated by analyzing the channel-length-dependent mobility and hysteresis behaviors. This novel lithography method provides a reliable means for studying the fundamental transport properties of organic materials at the nanoscale as well as enabling potential applications requiring the fabrication of integrated organic nanoelectronic devices. PMID:25959389

Stencil nano lithography based on a nanoscale polymer shadow mask: towards organic nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Yun, Hoyeol; Kim, Sangwook; Kim, Hakseong; Lee, Junghyun; McAllister, Kirstie; Kim, Junhyung; Pyo, Sengmoon; Sung Kim, Jun; Campbell, Eleanor E B; Hyoung Lee, Wi; Wook Lee, Sang

2015-05-11

A stencil lithography technique has been developed to fabricate organic-material-based electronic devices with sub-micron resolution. Suspended polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes were used as shadow masks for defining organic channels and top electrodes. Arrays of pentacene field effect transistors (FETs) with various channel lengths from 50 μm down to 500 nm were successfully produced from the same batch using this technique. Electrical transport measurements showed that the electrical contacts of all devices were stable and the normalized contact resistances were much lower than previously studied organic FETs. Scaling effects, originating from the bulk space charge current, were investigated by analyzing the channel-length-dependent mobility and hysteresis behaviors. This novel lithography method provides a reliable means for studying the fundamental transport properties of organic materials at the nanoscale as well as enabling potential applications requiring the fabrication of integrated organic nanoelectronic devices.

Nanoscale friction properties of graphene and graphene oxide

DOE PAGES

Berman, Diana; Erdemir, Ali; Zinovev, Alexander V.; ...

2015-04-03

Achieving superlow friction and wear at the micro/nano-scales through the uses of solid and liquid lubricants may allow superior performance and long-lasting operations in a range of micromechanical system including micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS). Previous studies have indicated that conventional solid lubricants such as highly ordered pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) can only afford low friction in humid environments at micro/macro scales; but, HOPG is not suitable for practical micro-scale applications. Here, we explored the nano-scale frictional properties of multi-layered graphene films as a potential solid lubricant for such applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements have revealed that for high-purity multilayered graphenemore » (7–9 layers), the friction force is significantly lower than what can be achieved by the use of HOPG, regardless of the counterpart AFM tip material. We have demonstrated that the quality and purity of multilayered graphene plays an important role in reducing lateral forces, while oxidation of graphene results in dramatically increased friction values. Furthermore, for the first time, we demonstrated the possibility of achieving ultralow friction for CVD grown single layer graphene on silicon dioxide. This confirms that the deposition process insures a stronger adhesion to substrate and hence enables superior tribological performance than the previously reported mechanical exfoliation processes.« less

Magnetic and electrical properties of Martian particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olhoeft, G. R.

1991-01-01

The only determinations of the magnetic properties of Martian materials come from experiments on the two Viking Landers. The results suggest Martian soil containing 1 to 10 percent of a highly magnetic phase. Though the magnetic phase mineral was not conclusively identified, the predominate interpretation is that the magnetic phase is probably maghemite. The electrical properties of the surface of Mars were only measured remotely by observations with Earth based radar, microwave radiometry, and inference from radio-occultation of Mars orbiting spacecraft. No direct measurements of electrical properties on Martian materials have been performed.

A Look Inside Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials

ScienceCinema

Divan, Ralu; Rosenthal, Dan; Rose, Volker; Wai Hla

2018-05-23

At a very small, or "nano" scale, materials behave differently. The study of nanomaterials is much more than miniaturization - scientists are discovering how changes in size change a material's properties. From sunscreen to computer memory, the applications of nanoscale materials research are all around us. Researchers at Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials are creating new materials, methods and technologies to address some of the world's greatest challenges in energy security, lightweight but durable materials, high-efficiency lighting, information storage, environmental stewardship and advanced medical devices.

Controlled nanopatterning of a polymerized ionic liquid in a strong electric field

DOE PAGES

Bocharova, Vera; Agapov, Alexander L.; Tselev, Alexander; ...

2014-12-17

Nanolithography has become a driving force in advancements of the modern day's electronics, allowing for miniaturization of devices and a steady increase of the calculation, power, and storage densities. Among various nanofabrication approaches, scanning probe techniques, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), are versatile tools for creating nanoscale patterns utilizing a range of physical stimuli such as force, heat, or electric field confined to the nanoscale. In this study, the potential of using the electric field localized at the apex of an AFM tip to induce and control changes in the mechanical properties of an ion containing polymer—a polymerized ionic liquidmore » (PolyIL)—on a very localized scale is explored. In particular, it is demonstrated that by means of AFM, one can form topographical features on the surface of PolyIL-based thin films with a significantly lower electric potential and power consumption as compared to nonconductive polymer materials. Lastly,, by tuning the applied voltage and ambient air humidity, control over dimensions of the formed structures is reproducibly achieved.« less

Geometric rectification for nanoscale vibrational energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bustos-Marún, Raúl A.

2018-02-01

In this work, we present a mechanism that, based on quantum-mechanical principles, allows one to recover kinetic energy at the nanoscale. Our premise is that very small mechanical excitations, such as those arising from sound waves propagating through a nanoscale system or similar phenomena, can be quite generally converted into useful electrical work by applying the same principles behind conventional adiabatic quantum pumping. The proposal is potentially useful for nanoscale vibrational energy harvesting where it can have several advantages. The most important one is that it avoids the use of classical rectification mechanisms as it is based on what we call geometric rectification. We show that this geometric rectification results from applying appropriate but quite general initial conditions to damped harmonic systems coupled to electronic reservoirs. We analyze an analytically solvable example consisting of a wire suspended over permanent charges where we find the condition for maximizing the pumped charge. We also studied the effects of coupling the system to a capacitor including the effect of current-induced forces and analyzing the steady-state voltage of operation. Finally, we show how quantum effects can be used to boost the performance of the proposed device.

Characteristics for electrochemical machining with nanoscale voltage pulses.

PubMed

Lee, E S; Back, S Y; Lee, J T

2009-06-01

Electrochemical machining has traditionally been used in highly specialized fields, such as those of the aerospace and defense industries. It is now increasingly being applied in other industries, where parts with difficult-to-cut material, complex geometry and tribology, and devices of nanoscale and microscale are required. Electric characteristic plays a principal function role in and chemical characteristic plays an assistant function role in electrochemical machining. Therefore, essential parameters in electrochemical machining can be described current density, machining time, inter-electrode gap size, electrolyte, electrode shape etc. Electrochemical machining provides an economical and effective method for machining high strength, high tension and heat-resistant materials into complex shapes such as turbine blades of titanium and aluminum alloys. The application of nanoscale voltage pulses between a tool electrode and a workpiece in an electrochemical environment allows the three-dimensional machining of conducting materials with sub-micrometer precision. In this study, micro probe are developed by electrochemical etching and micro holes are manufactured using these micro probe as tool electrodes. Micro holes and microgroove can be accurately achieved by using nanoscale voltages pulses.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna

2013-06-01

that allow new ideas and a deepening understanding to take root. Over the last few decades nanoscale research has matured into a science with generally well understood principles, allowing technology companies to develop next-generation devices with functions that dwarf some of the most creative fancies of science fiction. Yet some of the greatest leaps of inspiration have come where observations tax the limits of what current theory can explain, forcing researchers to question and examine historic reasoning. As Di Ventra and Pershin demonstrate in this issue, current memristor research is proving very fertile ground for such questioning and examining, ultimately leading to a deepening understanding of the physical properties of these nanoscale systems. References [1] Di Ventra M and Pershin Y V 2013 On the physical properties of memristive, memcapacitive, and meminductive systems Nanotechnology 24 255201 [2] Miller R E and Shenoy V B 2000 Size-dependent elastic properties of nanosized structural elements Nanotechnology 11 139-47 [3] Buehler M J 2006 Nature designs tough collagen: explaining the nanostructure of collagen fibrils Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103 12285-90 [4] Keten S, Xu Z, Ihle B and Buehler M J 2010 Nanoconfinement controls stiffness, strength and mechanical toughness of B-sheet crystals in silk Nature Mater. 9 359-67 [5] Misewich J A, Martel R, Avouris Ph, Tsang J C, Heinze S and Tersoff J 2003 Electrically induced optical emission from a carbon nanotube FET Science 300 783-6 [6]Jiang H, Hu J, Gu F and Li C 2009 Stable field emission performance from urchin-like ZnO nanostructures Nanotechnology 20 055706 [7] Forbes R G 2012 Extraction of emission parameters for large-area field emitters, using a technically complete Fowler-Nordheim-type equation Nanotechnology 23 095706 [8] Chua L O 1971 Memristor—the missing circuit element IEEE Trans. Circuit Theory 18 507-19 [9]Strukov D B, Snider G S, Stewart D R and Williams R S 2008 The missing memristor found

Electrical properties of granite with implications for the lower crust.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olhoeft, G.R.

1981-01-01

The electrical properties of granite appear to be dominantly controlled by the amount of free water in the granite and by temperature. Minor contributions to the electrical properties are provided by hydrostatic and lithostatic pressure, structurally bound water, oxygen fugacity, and other parameters. The effect of sulphur fugacity may be important but is experimentally unconfirmed. In addition to changing the magnitude of electrical properties, the amount and chemistry of water in granite significantly changes the temperature dependence of the electrical properties. With increasing temperature, changes in water content retain large, but lessened, effects on electrical properties. Near room temperature, a monolayer of water will decrease the electrical resistivity by an order of magnitude. Several weight-percent water may decrease the electrical resistivity by as much as nine orders of magnitude and decrease the thermal activation energy by a factor of five. At elevated temperatures just below granitic melting, a few weight-percent water may still decrease the resistivity by as much as 3 orders of magnitude and the activation energy by a factor of two.-Author

Nanoelectronics Meets Biology: From Novel Nanoscale Devices for Live Cell Recording to 3D Innervated Tissues†

PubMed Central

Duan, Xiaojie; Lieber, Charles M.

2013-01-01

High spatio-temporal resolution interfacing between electrical sensors and biological systems, from single live cells to tissues, is crucial for many areas, including fundamental biophysical studies as well as medical monitoring and intervention. This focused review summarizes recent progresses in the development and application of novel nanoscale devices for intracellular electrical recordings of action potentials, and the effort of merging electronic and biological systems seamlessly in three dimension using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds. The uniqueness of these nanoscale devices for minimally invasive, large scale, high spatial resolution, and three dimensional neural activity mapping will be highlighted. PMID:23946279

Stable and metastable nanowires displaying locally controllable properties

DOEpatents

Sutter, Eli Anguelova; Sutter, Peter Werner

2014-11-18

Vapor-liquid-solid growth of nanowires is tailored to achieve complex one-dimensional material geometries using phase diagrams determined for nanoscale materials. Segmented one-dimensional nanowires having constant composition display locally variable electronic band structures that are determined by the diameter of the nanowires. The unique electrical and optical properties of the segmented nanowires are exploited to form electronic and optoelectronic devices. Using gold-germanium as a model system, in situ transmission electron microscopy establishes, for nanometer-sized Au--Ge alloy drops at the tips of Ge nanowires (NWs), the parts of the phase diagram that determine their temperature-dependent equilibrium composition. The nanoscale phase diagram is then used to determine the exchange of material between the NW and the drop. The phase diagram for the nanoscale drop deviates significantly from that of the bulk alloy.

Strong Schottky barrier reduction at Au-catalyst/GaAs-nanowire interfaces by electric dipole formation and Fermi-level unpinning.

PubMed

Suyatin, Dmitry B; Jain, Vishal; Nebol'sin, Valery A; Trägårdh, Johanna; Messing, Maria E; Wagner, Jakob B; Persson, Olof; Timm, Rainer; Mikkelsen, Anders; Maximov, Ivan; Samuelson, Lars; Pettersson, Håkan

2014-01-01

Nanoscale contacts between metals and semiconductors are critical for further downscaling of electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, realizing nanocontacts poses significant challenges since conventional approaches to achieve ohmic contacts through Schottky barrier suppression are often inadequate. Here we report the realization and characterization of low n-type Schottky barriers (~0.35 eV) formed at epitaxial contacts between Au-In alloy catalytic particles and GaAs-nanowires. In comparison to previous studies, our detailed characterization, employing selective electrical contacts defined by high-precision electron beam lithography, reveals the barrier to occur directly and solely at the abrupt interface between the catalyst and nanowire. We attribute this lowest-to-date-reported Schottky barrier to a reduced density of pinning states (~10(17) m(-2)) and the formation of an electric dipole layer at the epitaxial contacts. The insight into the physical mechanisms behind the observed low-energy Schottky barrier may guide future efforts to engineer abrupt nanoscale electrical contacts with tailored electrical properties.

Nanoscale hotspots due to nonequilibrium thermal transport.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinha, Sanjiv; Goodson, Kenneth E.

2004-01-01

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

Tip-Enhanced Raman Scattering Microscopy: A Step toward Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Molecular Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, Taka-aki; Hara, Masahiko

2018-06-01

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy, a family of scanning probe microscopy techniques, has been recognized as a powerful surface analytical technique with both single-molecule sensitivity and angstrom-scale spatial resolution. This review covers the current status of tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy in surface and material nanosciences, including a brief history, the basic principles, and applications for the nanoscale characterization of a variety of nanomaterials. The focus is on the recent trend of combining tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy with various external stimuli such as pressure, voltage, light, and temperature, which enables the local control of the molecular properties and functions and also enables chemical reactions to be induced on a nanometer scale.

Impacts of propagating, frustrated and surface modes on radiative, electrical and thermal losses in nanoscale-gap thermophotovoltaic power generators.

PubMed

Bernardi, Michael P; Dupré, Olivier; Blandre, Etienne; Chapuis, Pierre-Olivier; Vaillon, Rodolphe; Francoeur, Mathieu

2015-06-26

The impacts of radiative, electrical and thermal losses on the performances of nanoscale-gap thermophotovoltaic (nano-TPV) power generators consisting of a gallium antimonide cell paired with a broadband tungsten and a radiatively-optimized Drude radiator are analyzed. Results reveal that surface mode mediated nano-TPV power generation with the Drude radiator outperforms the tungsten radiator, dominated by frustrated modes, only for a vacuum gap thickness of 10 nm and if both electrical and thermal losses are neglected. The key limiting factors for the Drude- and tungsten-based devices are respectively the recombination of electron-hole pairs at the cell surface and thermalization of radiation with energy larger than the cell absorption bandgap. A design guideline is also proposed where a high energy cutoff above which radiation has a net negative effect on nano-TPV power output due to thermal losses is determined. It is shown that the power output of a tungsten-based device increases by 6.5% while the cell temperature decreases by 30 K when applying a high energy cutoff at 1.45 eV. This work demonstrates that design and optimization of nano-TPV devices must account for radiative, electrical and thermal losses.

Impacts of propagating, frustrated and surface modes on radiative, electrical and thermal losses in nanoscale-gap thermophotovoltaic power generators

PubMed Central

Bernardi, Michael P.; Dupré, Olivier; Blandre, Etienne; Chapuis, Pierre-Olivier; Vaillon, Rodolphe; Francoeur, Mathieu

2015-01-01

The impacts of radiative, electrical and thermal losses on the performances of nanoscale-gap thermophotovoltaic (nano-TPV) power generators consisting of a gallium antimonide cell paired with a broadband tungsten and a radiatively-optimized Drude radiator are analyzed. Results reveal that surface mode mediated nano-TPV power generation with the Drude radiator outperforms the tungsten radiator, dominated by frustrated modes, only for a vacuum gap thickness of 10 nm and if both electrical and thermal losses are neglected. The key limiting factors for the Drude- and tungsten-based devices are respectively the recombination of electron-hole pairs at the cell surface and thermalization of radiation with energy larger than the cell absorption bandgap. A design guideline is also proposed where a high energy cutoff above which radiation has a net negative effect on nano-TPV power output due to thermal losses is determined. It is shown that the power output of a tungsten-based device increases by 6.5% while the cell temperature decreases by 30 K when applying a high energy cutoff at 1.45 eV. This work demonstrates that design and optimization of nano-TPV devices must account for radiative, electrical and thermal losses. PMID:26112658

Nanoscale octahedral molecular sieves: Syntheses, characterization, and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jia

The major part of this research consists of studies on novel synthesis methods, characterization, and catalytic applications of nanoscale manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieves. The second part involves studies of new applications of bulk porous molecular sieve and layered materials (MSLM), zeolites, and inorganic powder materials for diminishing wound bleeding. Manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieves (OMS) are very important microporous materials. They have been used widely as bulk materials in catalysis, separations, chemical sensors, and batteries, due to their unique tunnel structures and useful properties. Novel methods have been developed to synthesize novel nanoscale octahedral molecular sieve manganese oxides (OMS) and metal-substituted OMS materials in order to modify their physical and chemical properties and to improve their catalytic applications. Different synthetic routes were investigated to find better, faster, and cheaper pathways to produce nanoscale or metal-substituted OMS materials. In the synthetic study of nanosize OMS materials, a combination of sol-gel synthesis and hydrothermal reaction was used to prepare pure crystalline nanofibrous todorokite-type (OMS-1) and cryptomelane-typed (OMS-2) manganese oxides using four alkali cations (Li+, K+, Na +, Rb+) and NH4+ cations. In the synthesis study of nanoscale and metal-substituted OMS materials, a combination of sol-gel synthesis and solid-state reaction was used to prepare transition metal-substituted OMS-2 nanorods, nanoneedles, and nanowires. Preparative parameters of syntheses, such as cation templates, heating temperature and time, were investigated in these syntheses of OMS-1 and OMS-2 materials. The catalytic activities of the novel synthetic nanoscale OMS materials has been evaluated on green oxidation of alcohols and toluene and were found to be much higher than their correspondent bulk materials. New applications of bulk manganese oxide molecular sieve and layered materials

Nanoscale magnetic characterization of tunneling magnetoresistance spin valve head by electron holography.

PubMed

Park, Hyun Soon; Hirata, Kei; Yanagisawa, Keiichi; Ishida, Yoichi; Matsuda, Tsuyoshi; Shindo, Daisuke; Tonomura, Akira

2012-12-07

Nanostructured magnetic materials play an important role in increasing miniaturized devices. For the studies of their magnetic properties and behaviors, nanoscale imaging of magnetic field is indispensible. Here, using electron holography, the magnetization distribution of a TMR spin valve head of commercial design is investigated without and with a magnetic field applied. Characterized is the magnetic flux distribution in complex hetero-nanostructures by averaging the phase images and separating their component magnetic vectors and electric potentials. The magnetic flux densities of the NiFe (shield and 5 nm-free layers) and the CoPt (20 nm-bias layer) are estimated to be 1.0 T and 0.9 T, respectively. The changes in the magnetization distribution of the shield, bias, and free layers are visualized in situ for an applied field of 14 kOe. This study demonstrates the promise of electron holography for characterizing the magnetic properties of hetero-interfaces, nanostructures, and catalysts. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Common Principles of Molecular Electronics and Nanoscale Electrochemistry.

PubMed

Bueno, Paulo Roberto

2018-05-24

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

Biosafe Nanoscale Pharmaceutical Adjuvant Materials

PubMed Central

Jin, Shubin; Li, Shengliang; Wang, Chongxi; Liu, Juan; Yang, Xiaolong; Wang, Paul C.; Zhang, Xin; Liang, Xing-Jie

2014-01-01

Thanks to developments in the field of nanotechnology over the past decades, more and more biosafe nanoscale materials have become available for use as pharmaceutical adjuvants in medical research. Nanomaterials possess unique properties which could be employed to develop drug carriers with longer circulation time, higher loading capacity, better stability in physiological conditions, controlled drug release, and targeted drug delivery. In this review article, we will review recent progress in the application of representative organic, inorganic and hybrid biosafe nanoscale materials in pharmaceutical research, especially focusing on nanomaterial-based novel drug delivery systems. In addition, we briefly discuss the advantages and notable functions that make these nanomaterials suitable for the design of new medicines; the biosafety of each material discussed in this article is also highlighted to provide a comprehensive understanding of their adjuvant attributes. PMID:25429253

Ultra-low switching energy and scaling in electric-field-controlled nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions with high resistance-area product

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grezes, C.; Alzate, J. G.; Cai, X.

2016-01-04

We report electric-field-induced switching with write energies down to 6 fJ/bit for switching times of 0.5 ns, in nanoscale perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with high resistance-area product and diameters down to 50 nm. The ultra-low switching energy is made possible by a thick MgO barrier that ensures negligible spin-transfer torque contributions, along with a reduction of the Ohmic dissipation. We find that the switching voltage and time are insensitive to the junction diameter for high-resistance MTJs, a result accounted for by a macrospin model of purely voltage-induced switching. The measured performance enables integration with same-size CMOS transistors in compact memorymore » and logic integrated circuits.« less

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

PubMed

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

2016-07-21

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

Dynamic structural disorder in supported nanoscale catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-04-01

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

Nanoelectronics meets biology: from new nanoscale devices for live-cell recording to 3D innervated tissues.

PubMed

Duan, Xiaojie; Lieber, Charles M

2013-10-01

High spatiotemporal resolution interfaces between electrical sensors and biological systems, from single live cells to tissues, is crucial for many areas, including fundamental biophysical studies as well as medical monitoring and intervention. Herein, we summarize recent progress in the development and application of novel nanoscale devices for intracellular electrical recording of action potentials and the effort of merging electronic and biological systems seamlessly in three dimensions by using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds. The uniqueness of these nanoscale devices for minimally invasive, large-scale, high spatial resolution, and three-dimensional neural activity mapping are highlighted. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanoscale Device Properties of Tellurium-based Chalcogenide Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahal, Bishnu R.

Effect and a dissipationless transport, which facilitate the development of low-power-consumption devices using electron spins. In addition, this thesis also discusses the growth and transport properties of another Te-based chalcogenide system, CoTe with ferrimagnetic and semiconducting behavior. We have shown that the structural, electrical and magnetic properties can be tuned by controlling the amount of cobalt in the system.

Nanoscale structural and functional mapping of nacre by scanning probe microscopy techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xilong; Miao, Hongchen; Li, Faxin

2013-11-01

Nacre has received great attention due to its nanoscale hierarchical structure and extraordinary mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the nanoscale piezoelectric properties of nacre have also been investigated but the structure-function relationship has never been addressed. In this work, firstly we realized quantitative nanomechanical mapping of nacre of a green abalone using atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM). The modulus of the mineral tablets is determined to be ~80 GPa and that of the organic biopolymer no more than 23 GPa, and the organic-inorganic interface width is determined to be about 34 +/- 9 nm. Then, we conducted both AFAM and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) mapping in the same scanning area to explore the correlations between the nanomechanical and piezoelectric properties. The PFM testing shows that the organic biopolymer exhibits a significantly stronger piezoresponse than the mineral tablets, and they permeate each other, which is very difficult to reproduce in artificial materials. Finally, the phase hysteresis loops and amplitude butterfly loops were also observed using switching spectroscopy PFM, implying that nacre may also be a bio-ferroelectric material. The obtained nanoscale structural and functional properties of nacre could be very helpful in understanding its deformation mechanism and designing biomimetic materials of extraordinary properties.

Understanding the low temperature electrical properties of nanocrystalline tin oxide for gas sensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Christina Hartsell

Nanocrystalline metal/metal oxide is an important class of transparent and electronic materials due to its potential use in many applications, including gas sensors. At the nanoscale, many of the phenomena observed that give nanocrystalline semiconducting oxide enhanced performance as a gas sensor material over other conventional engineering materials is still poorly understood. This study is aimed at understanding the low temperature electrical and chemical properties of nanocrystalline SnO2 that makes it suitable for room temperature gas detectors. Studies were carried out in order to understand how various synthesis methods affect the surfaces on the nano-oxides, interactions of a target gas (in this study hydrogen) with different surface species, and changes in the electrical properties as a function of dopants and grain size. A correlation between the surface reactions and the electrical response of doped nanocrystalline metal-oxide-semiconductors exposed to a reducing gas is established using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy attached to a specially built custom designed catalytic cell. First principle calculations of oxygen vacancy concentrations from absorbance spectra are presented. FTIR is used for effectively screening of these nanostructures for gas sensing applications. The effect of processing temperature on the microstructural evolution and on the electronic properties of nanocrystalline trivalent doped-SnO 2 is also presented. This study includes the effect of dopants (In and Ce) on the growth of nano-SnO2, as well as their effects on the electronic properties and gas sensor behavior of the nanomaterial at room temperature. Band bending affects are also investigated for this system and are related to enhanced low temperature gas sensing. The role and importance of oxygen vacancies in the electronic and chemical behavior of surface modified nanocrystalline SnO2 are explored in this study. A generalized explanation for the low temperature

Nanoscale thermal imaging of VO2 via Poole-Frenkel conduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitzig, Alyson; Hoffman, Jason D.; Pivonka, Adam E.; Mickalide, Harry; Frenzel, Alex; Kim, Jeehoon; Ko, Changhyun; Zhou, You; O'Connor, Kevin; Hudson, Eric W.; Ramanathan, Shriram; Hoffman, Jennifer E.

We present a novel method for nanoscale thermal imaging of insulating thin films. We demonstrate this method on VO2, which undergoes a sharp insulator-to-metal transition at 340 K. We sweep the voltage applied to a conducting atomic force microscope tip in contact mode at room temperature and measure the resultant current through a VO2 film. The Poole-Frenkel (PF) conduction mechanism, which dominates in the insulating state of VO2, is fit to extract the local temperature of the film using fundamental constants and known film properties. We measure the local electric field and temperature immediately preceding the insulator-to-metal transition in VO2 to determine whether the transition can be triggered by an applied electric field alone. We calculate an average temperature of 334 +/- 5 K, implying that Joule heating has locally warmed the sample very close to the transition temperature. Our thermometry technique opens up the possibility to measure the local temperature of any film dominated by the PF conduction mechanism, and presents the opportunity to extend our technique to other conduction mechanisms. Canada Excellence Research Chair program and NSERC - CGSM.

Nanoscale β-nuclear magnetic resonance depth imaging of topological insulators

PubMed Central

Koumoulis, Dimitrios; Morris, Gerald D.; He, Liang; Kou, Xufeng; King, Danny; Wang, Dong; Hossain, Masrur D.; Wang, Kang L.; Fiete, Gregory A.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Bouchard, Louis-S.

2015-01-01

Considerable evidence suggests that variations in the properties of topological insulators (TIs) at the nanoscale and at interfaces can strongly affect the physics of topological materials. Therefore, a detailed understanding of surface states and interface coupling is crucial to the search for and applications of new topological phases of matter. Currently, no methods can provide depth profiling near surfaces or at interfaces of topologically inequivalent materials. Such a method could advance the study of interactions. Herein, we present a noninvasive depth-profiling technique based on β-detected NMR (β-NMR) spectroscopy of radioactive 8Li+ ions that can provide “one-dimensional imaging” in films of fixed thickness and generates nanoscale views of the electronic wavefunctions and magnetic order at topological surfaces and interfaces. By mapping the 8Li nuclear resonance near the surface and 10-nm deep into the bulk of pure and Cr-doped bismuth antimony telluride films, we provide signatures related to the TI properties and their topological nontrivial characteristics that affect the electron–nuclear hyperfine field, the metallic shift, and magnetic order. These nanoscale variations in β-NMR parameters reflect the unconventional properties of the topological materials under study, and understanding the role of heterogeneities is expected to lead to the discovery of novel phenomena involving quantum materials. PMID:26124141

Innovative pharmaceutical development based on unique properties of nanoscale delivery formulation

PubMed Central

Mozhi, Anbu; Zhang, Xu; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Xue, Xiangdong; Hao, Yanli; Zhang, Xiaoning; Wang, Paul C.; Liang, Xing-Jie

2014-01-01

The advent of nanotechnology has reignited interest in the field of pharmaceutical science for the development of nanomedicine. Nanomedicinal formulations are nanometer-sized carrier materials designed for increasing the drug tissue bioavailability, thereby improving the treatment of systemically applied chemotherapeutic drugs. Nanomedicine is a new approach to deliver the pharmaceuticals through different routes of administration with safer and more effective therapies compared to conventional methods. To date, various kinds of nanomaterials have been developed over the years to make delivery systems more effective for the treatment of various diseases. Even though nanomaterials have significant advantages due to their unique nanoscale properties, there are still significant challenges in the improvement and development of nanoformulations with composites and other materials. Here in this review, we highlight the nanomedicinal formulations aiming to improve the balance between the efficacy and the toxicity of therapeutic interventions through different routes of administration and how to design nanomedicine for safer and more effective ways to improve the treatment quality. We also emphasize the environmental and health prospects of nanomaterials for human health care. PMID:23860639

Innovative pharmaceutical development based on unique properties of nanoscale delivery formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Anil; Chen, Fei; Mozhi, Anbu; Zhang, Xu; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Xue, Xiangdong; Hao, Yanli; Zhang, Xiaoning; Wang, Paul C.; Liang, Xing-Jie

2013-08-01

The advent of nanotechnology has reignited interest in the field of pharmaceutical science for the development of nanomedicine. Nanomedicinal formulations are nanometer-sized carrier materials designed for increasing the drug tissue bioavailability, thereby improving the treatment of systemically applied chemotherapeutic drugs. Nanomedicine is a new approach to deliver the pharmaceuticals through different routes of administration with safer and more effective therapies compared to conventional methods. To date, various kinds of nanomaterials have been developed over the years to make delivery systems more effective for the treatment of various diseases. Even though nanomaterials have significant advantages due to their unique nanoscale properties, there are still significant challenges in the improvement and development of nanoformulations with composites and other materials. Here in this review, we highlight the nanomedicinal formulations aiming to improve the balance between the efficacy and the toxicity of therapeutic interventions through different routes of administration and how to design nanomedicine for safer and more effective ways to improve the treatment quality. We also emphasize the environmental and health prospects of nanomaterials for human health care.

Plasmonic Nanostructures for Nano-Scale Bio-Sensing

PubMed Central

Chung, Taerin; Lee, Seung-Yeol; Song, Eui Young; Chun, Honggu; Lee, Byoungho

2011-01-01

The optical properties of various nanostructures have been widely adopted for biological detection, from DNA sequencing to nano-scale single molecule biological function measurements. In particular, by employing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), we can expect distinguished sensing performance with high sensitivity and resolution. This indicates that nano-scale detections can be realized by using the shift of resonance wavelength of LSPR in response to the refractive index change. In this paper, we overview various plasmonic nanostructures as potential sensing components. The qualitative descriptions of plasmonic nanostructures are supported by the physical phenomena such as plasmonic hybridization and Fano resonance. We present guidelines for designing specific nanostructures with regard to wavelength range and target sensing materials. PMID:22346679

An open-source platform to study uniaxial stress effects on nanoscale devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Signorello, G.; Schraff, M.; Zellekens, P.; Drechsler, U.; Bürge, M.; Steinauer, H. R.; Heller, R.; Tschudy, M.; Riel, H.

2017-05-01

We present an automatic measurement platform that enables the characterization of nanodevices by electrical transport and optical spectroscopy as a function of the uniaxial stress. We provide insights into and detailed descriptions of the mechanical device, the substrate design and fabrication, and the instrument control software, which is provided under open-source license. The capability of the platform is demonstrated by characterizing the piezo-resistance of an InAs nanowire device using a combination of electrical transport and Raman spectroscopy. The advantages of this measurement platform are highlighted by comparison with state-of-the-art piezo-resistance measurements in InAs nanowires. We envision that the systematic application of this methodology will provide new insights into the physics of nanoscale devices and novel materials for electronics, and thus contribute to the assessment of the potential of strain as a technology booster for nanoscale electronics.

Electrically controlled lens and prism using nanoscale polymer-dispersed and polymer-networked liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yun Hsing; Ren, Hongwen; Wu, Shin Tson

2004-05-01

Inhomogeneous nanoscale polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) devices having gradient nanoscale droplet distribution were fabricated. This gradient refractive index nanoscale (GRIN) PDLC film was obtained by exposing the LC/ monomer with a uniform ultraviolet (UV) light through a patterned photomask. The monomer and LC were mixed at 70: 30 wt% ratio. The area exposed to a weaker UV intensity would produce a larger droplet size, and vice versa. Owing to the nanoscale LC droplets involved, the GRIN PDLC devices are highly transparent in the whole visible region. The gradient refractive index profile can be used as switchable prism gratings, Fresnel lens, and positive and negative lenses with tunable focal lengths. Such a GRIN PDLC device is a broadband device and independent of light polarization. The diffraction efficiency of the lens is controllable by the applied voltage. The major advantages of the GRIN PDLC devices are in simple fabrication process, polarization-independent, and fast switching speed, although the required driving voltage is higher than 100 Vrms. To lower the driving voltage, the technique of polymer-networked liquid crystal (PNLC) has been developed. The PNLC was also produced by exposing the LC/monomer mixture with a uniform UV light through a patterned photomask. However, the monomer concentration in PNLC is only around 2-5 wt%. The formed PNLC structure exhibits a gradient polymer network distribution. The LC in the regions stabilized by a higher polymer concentration exhibits a higher threshold voltage. By using this technique, prism grating, tunable electronic lens and Fresnel lens have been demonstrated. The driving voltage is around 10 Vrms. A drawback of this kind of device is polarization dependence. To overcome the polarization dependence, stacking two orthogonal homogeneous PNLC lens is considered.

Nanoscale analysis of degradation processes of cellulose fibers.

PubMed

Teodonio, Lorenzo; Missori, Mauro; Pawcenis, Dominika; Łojewska, Joanna; Valle, Francesco

2016-12-01

Mapping the morphological and nano-mechanical properties of cellulose fibers within paper sheets or textile products at the nano-scale level by using atomic force microscopy is a challenging task due to the huge surface level variation of these materials. However this task is fundamental for applications in forensic or cultural heritage sciences and for the industrial characterization of materials. In order to correlate between nano-mechanical properties and local nanometer scale morphology of different layers of cellulose fibers, a new strategy to prepare samples of isolated cellulose fibers was designed. This approach is based on immobilizing isolated fibers onto glass slides chemically pretreated so as to promote cellulose adhesion. The experiments presented here aim at the nano-scale characterization of fibers in paper samples aged under different external agents (relative humidity, temperature) in such a way as to promote hydrolysis and oxidation of polymers. The observed variability of local mechanical properties of paper fibers was related to varying degrees of cellulose polymerization induced by artificial aging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attofarad resolution potentiostat for electrochemical measurements on nanoscale biomolecular interfacial systems.

PubMed

Carminati, Marco; Ferrari, Giorgio; Sampietro, Marco

2009-12-01

We present an instrument that enables electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry, impedance tracking, and impedance spectroscopy) on submicrometric samples. The system features a frequency range from dc to 1 MHz and a current resolution of 10 fA for a measurement time of 1 s, giving a sensitivity of few attofarads in terms of measurable capacitance with an applied voltage of only 100 mV. These performances are obtained using a low-noise wide-bandwidth integrator/differentiator stage to sense the input current and a modular approach to minimize the effect of input stray capacitances. A digitally implemented lock-in filter optimally extracts the impedance of the sample, providing time tracking and spectroscopy operating modes. This computer-based and flexible instrument is well suited for characterizing and tracking the electrical properties of biomolecules kept in the physiological solution down to the nanoscale.

The electrical properties of zero-gravity processed immiscibles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lacy, L. L.; Otto, G. H.

1974-01-01

When dispersed or mixed immiscibles are solidified on earth, a large amount of separation of the constituents takes place due to differences in densities. However, when the immiscibles are dispersed and solidified in zero-gravity, density separation does not occur, and unique composite solids can be formed with many new and promising electrical properties. By measuring the electrical resistivity and superconducting critical temperature, Tc, of zero-g processed Ga-Bi samples, it has been found that the electrical properties of such materials are entirely different from the basic constituents and the ground control samples. Our results indicate that space processed immiscible materials may form an entirely new class of electronic materials.

Synthesis, dynamics and photophysics of nanoscale systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirkovic, Tihana

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

Relationships between electrical properties and petrography of El-Maghara sandstone formations, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassab, Mohamed A.; Gomaa, Mohamed M.; Lala, Amir M. S.

2017-06-01

Realization of electrical and petrography of rocks is absolutely necessary for geophysical investigations. The petrographical, petrophysical and electrical properties of sandstone rocks (El-Maghara Formation, North Sinai, Egypt) will be discussed in the present work. The goal of this paper was to highlight interrelations between electrical properties in terms of frequency (conductivity, permittivity and impedance) and petrography, as well as mineral composition. Electrical properties including (conductivity and dielectric constant) were measured at room temperature and humidity of (∼35%). The frequency range used will be from 10 Hz to 100 kHz. Slight changes between samples in electrical properties were found to result from changes in composition and texture. Electrical properties generally change with grain size, shape, sorting, mineralogy and mineral composition. The dielectric constant decreases with frequency and increases with increasing clay content. The conductivity increases with the increase in conductor channels among electrodes. Many parameters can combine together to lead to the same electrical properties. The samples are mainly composed of sand with clay and carbonate.

Relationships between chemical structure, mechanical properties and materials processing in nanopatterned organosilicate fins.

PubMed

Stan, Gheorghe; Gates, Richard S; Hu, Qichi; Kjoller, Kevin; Prater, Craig; Jit Singh, Kanwal; Mays, Ebony; King, Sean W

2017-01-01

The exploitation of nanoscale size effects to create new nanostructured materials necessitates the development of an understanding of relationships between molecular structure, physical properties and material processing at the nanoscale. Numerous metrologies capable of thermal, mechanical, and electrical characterization at the nanoscale have been demonstrated over the past two decades. However, the ability to perform nanoscale molecular/chemical structure characterization has only been recently demonstrated with the advent of atomic-force-microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and related techniques. Therefore, we have combined measurements of chemical structures with AFM-IR and of mechanical properties with contact resonance AFM (CR-AFM) to investigate the fabrication of 20-500 nm wide fin structures in a nanoporous organosilicate material. We show that by combining these two techniques, one can clearly observe variations of chemical structure and mechanical properties that correlate with the fabrication process and the feature size of the organosilicate fins. Specifically, we have observed an inverse correlation between the concentration of terminal organic groups and the stiffness of nanopatterned organosilicate fins. The selective removal of the organic component during etching results in a stiffness increase and reinsertion via chemical silylation results in a stiffness decrease. Examination of this effect as a function of fin width indicates that the loss of terminal organic groups and stiffness increase occur primarily at the exposed surfaces of the fins over a length scale of 10-20 nm. While the observed structure-property relationships are specific to organosilicates, we believe the combined demonstration of AFM-IR with CR-AFM should pave the way for a similar nanoscale characterization of other materials where the understanding of such relationships is essential.

Electrical properties of polycrystalline methane hydrate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Du Frane, W. L.; Stern, L.A.; Weitemeyer, K.A.; Constable, S.; Pinkston, J.C.; Roberts, J.J.

2011-01-01

Electromagnetic (EM) remote-sensing techniques are demonstrated to be sensitive to gas hydrate concentration and distribution and complement other resource assessment techniques, particularly seismic methods. To fully utilize EM results requires knowledge of the electrical properties of individual phases and mixing relations, yet little is known about the electrical properties of gas hydrates. We developed a pressure cell to synthesize gas hydrate while simultaneously measuring in situ frequency-dependent electrical conductivity (σ). Synthesis of methane (CH4) hydrate was verified by thermal monitoring and by post run cryogenic scanning electron microscope imaging. Impedance spectra (20 Hz to 2 MHz) were collected before and after synthesis of polycrystalline CH4 hydrate from polycrystalline ice and used to calculate σ. We determined the σ of CH4 hydrate to be 5 × 10−5 S/m at 0°C with activation energy (Ea) of 30.6 kJ/mol (−15 to 15°C). After dissociation back into ice, σ measurements of samples increased by a factor of ~4 and Ea increased by ~50%, similar to the starting ice samples.

Electrochemical kinetics and dimensional considerations, at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, H.; Bandaru, P. R.

2016-06-01

It is shown that the consideration of the density of states variation in nanoscale electrochemical systems yields modulations in the rate constant and concomitant electrical currents. The proposed models extend the utility of Marcus-Hush-Chidsey (MHC) kinetics to a larger class of materials and could be used as a test of dimensional character. The implications of the study are of much significance to an understanding and modulation of charge transfer nanostructured electrodes.

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

PubMed

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

2018-06-15

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-06-01

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

Fabrication and electric measurements of nanostructures inside transmission electron microscope.

PubMed

Chen, Qing; Peng, Lian-Mao

2011-06-01

Using manipulation holders specially designed for transmission electron microscope (TEM), nanostructures can be characterized, measured, modified and even fabricated in-situ. In-situ TEM techniques not only enable real-time study of structure-property relationships of materials at atomic scale, but also provide the ability to control and manipulate materials and structures at nanoscale. This review highlights in-situ electric measurements and in-situ fabrication and structure modification using manipulation holder inside TEM. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical Control of Metallic Heavy-Metal-Ferromagnet Interfacial States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Chong; Sun, Congli; Xu, Meng; Newhouse-Illige, Ty; Voyles, Paul M.; Wang, Weigang

2017-09-01

Voltage-control effects provide an energy-efficient means of tailoring material properties, especially in highly integrated nanoscale devices. However, only insulating and semiconducting systems can be controlled so far. In metallic systems, there is no electric field due to electron screening effects and thus no such control effect exists. Here, we demonstrate that metallic systems can also be controlled electrically through ionic rather than electronic effects. In a Pt /Co structure, the control of the metallic Pt /Co interface can lead to unprecedented control effects on the magnetic properties of the entire structure. Consequently, the magnetization and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the Co layer can be independently manipulated to any desired state, the efficient spin toques can be enhanced about 3.5 times, and the switching current can be reduced about one order of magnitude. This ability to control a metallic system may be extended to control other physical phenomena.

Shell-binary nanoparticle materials with variable electrical and electro-mechanical properties.

PubMed

Zhang, P; Bousack, H; Dai, Y; Offenhäusser, A; Mayer, D

2018-01-18

Nanoparticle (NP) materials with the capability to adjust their electrical and electro-mechanical properties facilitate applications in strain sensing technology. Traditional NP materials based on single component NPs lack a systematic and effective means of tuning their electrical and electro-mechanical properties. Here, we report on a new type of shell-binary NP material fabricated by self-assembly with either homogeneous or heterogeneous arrangements of NPs. Variable electrical and electro-mechanical properties were obtained for both materials. We show that the electrical and electro-mechanical properties of these shell-binary NP materials are highly tunable and strongly affected by the NP species as well as their corresponding volume fraction ratio. The conductivity and the gauge factor of these shell-binary NP materials can be altered by about five and two orders of magnitude, respectively. These shell-binary NP materials with different arrangements of NPs also demonstrate different volume fraction dependent electro-mechanical properties. The shell-binary NP materials with a heterogeneous arrangement of NPs exhibit a peaking of the sensitivity at medium mixing ratios, which arises from the aggregation induced local strain enhancement. Studies on the electron transport regimes and micro-morphologies of these shell-binary NP materials revealed the different mechanisms accounting for the variable electrical and electro-mechanical properties. A model based on effective medium theory is used to describe the electrical and electro-mechanical properties of such shell-binary nanomaterials and shows an excellent match with experiment data. These shell-binary NP materials possess great potential applications in high-performance strain sensing technology due to their variable electrical and electro-mechanical properties.

EXAFS and XANES analysis of oxides at the nanoscale.

PubMed

Kuzmin, Alexei; Chaboy, Jesús

2014-11-01

Worldwide research activity at the nanoscale is triggering the appearance of new, and frequently surprising, materials properties in which the increasing importance of surface and interface effects plays a fundamental role. This opens further possibilities in the development of new multifunctional materials with tuned physical properties that do not arise together at the bulk scale. Unfortunately, the standard methods currently available for solving the atomic structure of bulk crystals fail for nanomaterials due to nanoscale effects (very small crystallite sizes, large surface-to-volume ratio, near-surface relaxation, local lattice distortions etc.). As a consequence, a critical reexamination of the available local-structure characterization methods is needed. This work discusses the real possibilities and limits of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis at the nanoscale. To this end, the present state of the art for the interpretation of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) is described, including an advanced approach based on the use of classical molecular dynamics and its application to nickel oxide nanoparticles. The limits and possibilities of X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) to determine several effects associated with the nanocrystalline nature of materials are discussed in connection with the development of ZnO-based dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) and iron oxide nanoparticles.

Low-frequency electrical properties.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olhoeft, G.R.

1985-01-01

In the interpretation of induced polarization data, it is commonly assumed that metallic mineral polarization dominantly or solely causes the observed response. However, at low frequencies, there is a variety of active chemical processes which involve the movement or transfer of electrical charge. Measurements of electrical properties at low frequencies (such as induced polarization) observe such movement of charge and thus monitor many geochemical processes at a distance. Examples in which this has been done include oxidation-reduction of metallic minerals such as sulfides, cation exchange on clays, and a variety of clay-organic reactions relevant to problems in toxic waste disposal and petroleum exploration. By using both the frequency dependence and nonlinear character of the complex resistivity spectrum, these reactions may be distinguished from each other and from barren or reactionless materials.-Author

Multimode resistive switching in nanoscale hafnium oxide stack as studied by atomic force microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hou, Y., E-mail: houyi@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: lfliu@pku.edu.cn; IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Heverlee; Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Heverlee

2016-07-11

The nanoscale resistive switching in hafnium oxide stack is investigated by the conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). The initial oxide stack is insulating and electrical stress from the C-AFM tip induces nanometric conductive filaments. Multimode resistive switching can be observed in consecutive operation cycles at one spot. The different modes are interpreted in the framework of a low defect quantum point contact theory. The model implies that the optimization of the conductive filament active region is crucial for the future application of nanoscale resistive switching devices.

Nanoscale Footprints of Self-Running Gallium Droplets on GaAs Surface

PubMed Central

Wu, Jiang; Wang, Zhiming M.; Li, Alvason Z.; Benamara, Mourad; Li, Shibin; Salamo, Gregory J.

2011-01-01

In this work, the nanoscale footprints of self-driven liquid gallium droplet movement on a GaAs (001) surface will be presented and analyzed. The nanoscale footprints of a primary droplet trail and ordered secondary droplets along primary droplet trails are observed on the GaAs surface. A well ordered nanoterrace from the trail is left behind by a running droplet. In addition, collision events between two running droplets are investigated. The exposed fresh surface after a collision demonstrates a superior evaporation property. Based on the observation of droplet evolution at different stages as well as nanoscale footprints, a schematic diagram of droplet evolution is outlined in an attempt to understand the phenomenon of stick-slip droplet motion on the GaAs surface. The present study adds another piece of work to obtain the physical picture of a stick-slip self-driven mechanism in nanoscale, bridging nano and micro systems. PMID:21673965

EDITORIAL: Nanoscale metrology Nanoscale metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klapetek, P.; Koenders, L.

2011-09-01

properties of nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots and similar fascinating objects. Currently there is a high level of interest in characterization of nanoparticles since they are increasingly encountered in science, technology, life sciences and even everyday life. Quantitative characterization of nanoparticles has been the subject of many discussions and some recent work over the last couple of years, and both scanning probe microscopy and scanning or transmission electron microscopy characterization of nanoparticles are presented here. There is also a continuous need for improvement of scanning probe microscopy that is a basic tool for nanometrology. Increasing thermal stability, scanning speed and tip stability, improving traceability and reducing uncertainty are all areas being addressed. As scanning probe microscopy is essentially based on force measurements in the nano- and piconewton range, we take notice of large developments, both theoretical and experimental, in the field of traceable measurements of nanoscale forces. This will greatly increase the understanding and quantification of many basic phenomena in scanning probe microscopy. Finally, we observe that high resolution techniques for acquiring more than just morphology are slowly shifting from purely qualitative tools to well defined quantitative methods. Lack of simple and reliable chemical identification in scanning probe microscopy is compensated by many other local probing methods seen in commercial microscopes, like scanning thermal microscopy or the Kelvin probe technique. All these methods still require underpinning with theoretical and experimental work before they can become traceable analytical methods; however, the increased interest in the metrology community gives rise to optimism in this field. The production of this issue involved considerable effort from many contributors. We would like to thank all the authors for their contributions, the referees for their time spent reviewing the

Magnetic superlattices and their nanoscale phase transition effects

PubMed Central

Cheon, Jinwoo; Park, Jong-Il; Choi, Jin-sil; Jun, Young-wook; Kim, Sehun; Kim, Min Gyu; Kim, Young-Min; Kim, Youn Joong

2006-01-01

The systematic assembly of nanoscale constituents into highly ordered superlattices is of significant interest because of the potential of their multifunctionalities and the discovery of new collective properties. However, successful observations of such superlattice-associated nanoscale phenomena are still elusive. Here, we present magnetic superlattices of Co and Fe3O4 nanoparticles with multidimensional symmetry of either AB (NaCl) or AB2 (AlB2). The discovery of significant enhancement (≈25 times) of ferrimagnetism is further revealed by forming previously undescribed superlattices of magnetically soft–hard Fe3O4@CoFe2O4 through the confined geometrical effect of thermally driven intrasuperlattice phase transition between the nanoparticulate components. PMID:16492783

Electrical Transport Properties of Liquid Al-Cu Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakore, B. Y.; Khambholja, S. G.; Suthar, P. H.; Jani, A. R.

2010-06-01

Electrical transport properties viz. electrical resistivity, thermoelectric power and thermal conductivity of liquid Al-Cu alloys as a function of Cu concentration have been studied in the present paper. Ashcroft empty core model potential has been used to incorporate the ion-electron interaction. To incorporate the exchange and correlation effects, five different forms of local field correction functions viz. Hartree, Taylor, Ichimaru et al., Farid et al. and Sarkar et al. have been used. The transport properties of binary system have been studied using Faber-Ziman formulation combined with Ashcroft-Langreth (AL) partial structure factor. The computed values of electrical resistivity are compared with experimental data and for low Cu concentration, good agreement has been observed. Further, thermoelectric power and thermal conductivity have also been predicted.

iCVD Cyclic Polysiloxane and Polysilazane as Nanoscale Thin-Film Electrolyte: Synthesis and Properties.

PubMed

Chen, Nan; Reeja-Jayan, B; Liu, Andong; Lau, Jonathan; Dunn, Bruce; Gleason, Karen K

2016-03-01

A group of crosslinked cyclic siloxane (Si-O) and silazane (Si-N) polymers are synthesized via solvent-free initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Notably, this is the first report of cyclic polysilazanes synthesized via the gas-phase iCVD method. The deposited nanoscale thin films are thermally stable and chemically inert. By iCVD, they can uniformly and conformally cover nonplanar surfaces having complex geometry. Although polysiloxanes are traditionally utilized as dielectric materials and insulators, our research shows these cyclic organosilicon polymers can conduct lithium ions (Li(+) ) at room temperature. The conformal coating and the room temperature ionic conductivity make these cyclic organosilicon polymers attractive for use as thin-film electrolytes in solid-state batteries. Also, their synthesis process and properties have been systemically studied and discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Roughness evolution in dewetted Ag and Pt nanoscale films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffino, F.; Grimaldi, M. G.

2018-01-01

The surface roughness of nanoscale metal systems plays a key role in determining the systems properties and, therefore, the electrical, optical, etc. response of nanodevices based on them. In this work, we experimentally analyze the roughness evolution in dewetting Ag and Pt films deposited on SiO2 substrate. In particular, after depositing 15 nm-thick Ag or Pt films on the SiO2 substrate, standard annealing processes were performed below the melting temperatures of the metals so to induce the solid-state dewetting of the films. The surface morphology evolution of the Ag and Pt films was studied by means of Atomic Force Microscopy analysis as a function of the annealing temperature T and of the annealing time t. In particular, these analysis allowed to quantify the roughness σ of the Ag and Pt films versus the annealing temperature T and the annealing time t. The analysis of these plots allowed us to draw combined insights on the dewetting process characteristics, on the dewetting-induced roughening properties, and on the material-dependent parameters by the comparison of the results obtained for the Ag film and the Pt film. These analysis, in addition, open perspectives towards the development of a method to produce supported metal films with controlled surface roughness for designed applications.

Nanoscale electro-structural characterisation of ohmic contacts formed on p-type implanted 4H-SiC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazzetto, Alessia; Giannazzo, Filippo; Lo Nigro, Raffaella; di Franco, Salvatore; Bongiorno, Corrado; Saggio, Mario; Zanetti, Edoardo; Raineri, Vito; Roccaforte, Fabrizio

2011-12-01

This work reports a nanoscale electro-structural characterisation of Ti/Al ohmic contacts formed on p-type Al-implanted silicon carbide (4H-SiC). The morphological and the electrical properties of the Al-implanted layer, annealed at 1700°C with or without a protective capping layer, and of the ohmic contacts were studied using atomic force microscopy [AFM], transmission line model measurements and local current measurements performed with conductive AFM. The characteristics of the contacts were significantly affected by the roughness of the underlying SiC. In particular, the surface roughness of the Al-implanted SiC regions annealed at 1700°C could be strongly reduced using a protective carbon capping layer during annealing. This latter resulted in an improved surface morphology and specific contact resistance of the Ti/Al ohmic contacts formed on these regions. The microstructure of the contacts was monitored by X-ray diffraction analysis and a cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and correlated with the electrical results.

Thermal to electricity conversion using thermal magnetic properties

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B [Idaho Falls, ID; Svoboda, John [Idaho Falls, ID

2010-04-27

A system for the generation of Electricity from Thermal Energy using the thermal magnetic properties of a Ferromagnetic, Electrically Conductive Material (FECM) in one or more Magnetic Fields. A FECM is exposed to one or more Magnetic Fields. Thermal Energy is applied to a portion of the FECM heating the FECM above its Curie Point. The FECM, now partially paramagnetic, moves under the force of the one or more Magnetic Fields. The movement of the FECM induces an electrical current through the FECM, generating Electricity.

Effects of Concentration of Nanoscale Tin-Doped Indium Oxide on Electrical Breakdown of High-Resistance Liquid Crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Bau-Jy; Liu, Don-Gey; Chang, Chih-Yuan; Shie, Wun-Yi

2011-05-01

According to our previous study, a high concentration of nanoscale tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) may be beneficial for protecting liquid crystal (LC) against attacks by electrostatic discharge (ESD). In this study, the influence of high-voltage stresses in an ESD test was investigated for cells doped with different concentrations of ITO. It was found that nano-ITO with a concentration of 0.4% in weight ratio deteriorated the physical properties of LC of transparency transition and charge retention. However, our experiment showed that the capability of ESD protection for the doped LC was still improved at the ITO concentration of 0.4 wt %. This finding supports the proposed model in our previous report. The role of ITO in the LC is not always beneficial, as discussed in this paper.

Focused-ion-beam induced interfacial intermixing of magnetic bilayers for nanoscale control of magnetic properties.

PubMed

Burn, D M; Hase, T P A; Atkinson, D

2014-06-11

Modification of the magnetic properties in a thin-film ferromagnetic/non-magnetic bilayer system by low-dose focused ion-beam (FIB) induced intermixing is demonstrated. The highly localized capability of FIB may be used to locally control magnetic behaviour at the nanoscale. The magnetic, electronic and structural properties of NiFe/Au bilayers were investigated as a function of the interfacial structure that was actively modified using focused Ga(+) ion irradiation. Experimental work used MOKE, SQUID, XMCD as well as magnetoresistance measurements to determine the magnetic behavior and grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity to elucidate the interfacial structure. Interfacial intermixing, induced by low-dose irradiation, is shown to lead to complex changes in the magnetic behavior that are associated with monotonic structural evolution of the interface. This behavior may be explained by changes in the local atomic environment within the interface region resulting in a combination of processes including the loss of moment on Ni and Fe, an induced moment on Au and modifications to the spin-orbit coupling between Au and NiFe.

Synthesis and characterization of pH-responsive nanoscale hydrogels for oral delivery of hydrophobic therapeutics.

PubMed

Puranik, Amey S; Pao, Ludovic P; White, Vanessa M; Peppas, Nicholas A

2016-11-01

pH-responsive, polyanionic nanoscale hydrogels were developed for the oral delivery of hydrophobic therapeutics, such as common chemotherapeutic agents. Nanoscale hydrogels were designed to overcome physicochemical and biological barriers associated with oral delivery of hydrophobic therapeutics such as low solubility and poor permeability due to P-glycoprotein related drug efflux. Synthesis of these nanoscale materials was achieved by a robust photoemulsion polymerization method. By varying hydrophobic monomer components, four formulations were synthesized and screened for optimal physicochemical properties and in vitro biocompatibility. All of the responsive nanoscale hydrogels were capable of undergoing a pH-dependent transition in size. Depending on the selection of the hydrophobic monomer, the sizes of the nanoparticles vary widely from 120nm to about 500nm at pH 7.4. Polymer composition was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Polymer biocompatibility was assessed in vitro with an intestinal epithelial cell model. All formulations were found to have no appreciable cytotoxicity, defined as greater than 80% viability after polymer incubation. We demonstrate that these nanoscale hydrogels possess desirable physicochemical properties and exhibit agreeable in vitro biocompatibility for oral delivery applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAL: Nanoscale metrology Nanoscale metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picotto, G. B.; Koenders, L.; Wilkening, G.

2009-08-01

Instrumentation and measurement techniques at the nanoscale play a crucial role not only in extending our knowledge of the properties of matter and processes in nanosciences, but also in addressing new measurement needs in process control and quality assurance in industry. Micro- and nanotechnologies are now facing a growing demand for quantitative measurements to support the reliability, safety and competitiveness of products and services. Quantitative measurements presuppose reliable and stable instruments and measurement procedures as well as suitable calibration artefacts to ensure the quality of measurements and traceability to standards. This special issue of Measurement Science and Technology presents selected contributions from the Nanoscale 2008 seminar held at the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM), Torino, in September 2008. This was the 4th Seminar on Nanoscale Calibration Standards and Methods and the 8th Seminar on Quantitative Microscopy (the first being held in 1995). The seminar was jointly organized by the Nanometrology Group within EUROMET (The European Collaboration in Measurement Standards), the German Nanotechnology Competence Centre 'Ultraprecise Surface Figuring' (CC-UPOB), the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and INRIM. A special event during the seminar was the 'knighting' of Günter Wilkening from PTB, Braunschweig, Germany, as the 1st Knight of Dimensional Nanometrology. Günter Wilkening received the NanoKnight Award for his outstanding work in the field of dimensional nanometrology over the last 20 years. The contributions in this special issue deal with the developments and improvements of instrumentation and measurement methods for scanning force microscopy (SFM), electron and optical microscopy, high-resolution interferometry, calibration of instruments and new standards, new facilities and applications including critical dimension (CD) measurements on small and medium structures and nanoparticle

Ultra-violet absorption induced modifications in bulk and nanoscale electrical transport properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Mohit; Basu, Tanmoy; Som, Tapobrata, E-mail: tsom@iopb.res.in

Using conductive atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy, we study local electrical transport properties in aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al or AZO) thin films. Current mapping shows a spatial variation in conductivity which corroborates well with the local mapping of donor concentration (∼10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3}). In addition, a strong enhancement in the local current at grains is observed after exposing the film to ultra-violet (UV) light which is attributed to persistent photocurrent. Further, it is shown that UV absorption gives a smooth conduction in AZO film which in turn gives rise to an improvement in the bulk photoresponsivity ofmore » an n-AZO/p-Si heterojunction diode. This finding is in contrast to the belief that UV absorption in an AZO layer leads to an optical loss for the underneath absorbing layer of a heterojunction solar cell.« less

Impact of defects on the electrical transport, optical properties and failure mechanisms of GaN nanowires.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armstrong, Andrew M.; Aubry, Sylvie; Shaner, Eric Arthur

2010-09-01

We present the results of a three year LDRD project that focused on understanding the impact of defects on the electrical, optical and thermal properties of GaN-based nanowires (NWs). We describe the development and application of a host of experimental techniques to quantify and understand the physics of defects and thermal transport in GaN NWs. We also present the development of analytical models and computational studies of thermal conductivity in GaN NWs. Finally, we present an atomistic model for GaN NW electrical breakdown supported with experimental evidence. GaN-based nanowires are attractive for applications requiring compact, high-current density devices such asmore » ultraviolet laser arrays. Understanding GaN nanowire failure at high-current density is crucial to developing nanowire (NW) devices. Nanowire device failure is likely more complex than thin film due to the prominence of surface effects and enhanced interaction among point defects. Understanding the impact of surfaces and point defects on nanowire thermal and electrical transport is the first step toward rational control and mitigation of device failure mechanisms. However, investigating defects in GaN NWs is extremely challenging because conventional defect spectroscopy techniques are unsuitable for wide-bandgap nanostructures. To understand NW breakdown, the influence of pre-existing and emergent defects during high current stress on NW properties will be investigated. Acute sensitivity of NW thermal conductivity to point-defect density is expected due to the lack of threading dislocation (TD) gettering sites, and enhanced phonon-surface scattering further inhibits thermal transport. Excess defect creation during Joule heating could further degrade thermal conductivity, producing a viscous cycle culminating in catastrophic breakdown. To investigate these issues, a unique combination of electron microscopy, scanning luminescence and photoconductivity implemented at the nanoscale will be

Effect of nanoscale size and medium on metal work function in oleylamine-capped gold nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdellatif, M. H.; Ghosh, S.; Liakos, I.; Scarpellini, A.; Marras, S.; Diaspro, A.; Salerno, M.

2016-02-01

The work function is an important material property with several applications in photonics and optoelectronics. We aimed to characterize the work function of clusters resulting from gold nanocrystals capped with oleylamine surfactant and drop-casted onto gold substrate. We used scanning Kelvin probe microscopy to investigate the work function, and complemented our study mainly with X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The oleylamine works as an electron blocking layer through which the electrical conduction takes place by tunneling effect. The surface potential appears to depend on the size of the clusters, which can be ascribed to their difference in effective work function with the substrate. The charge state of gold clusters is discussed in comparison with theory, and their capacitance is calculated from a semi-analytical equation. The results suggest that at the nanoscale the work function is not an intrinsic property of a material but rather depends on the size and morphology of the clusters, including also effects of the surrounding materials.

Review on measurement techniques of transport properties of nanowires Additions and Corrections. See DOI:10.1039/C3NR03242F Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Rojo, Miguel Muñoz; Calero, Olga Caballero; Lopeandia, A. F.; Rodriguez-Viejo, J.

2013-01-01

Physical properties at the nanoscale are novel and different from those in bulk materials. Over the last few decades, there has been an ever growing interest in the fabrication of nanowire structures for a wide variety of applications including energy generation purposes. Nevertheless, the study of their transport properties, such as thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity or Seebeck coefficient, remains an experimental challenge. For instance, in the particular case of nanostructured thermoelectrics, theoretical calculations have shown that nanowires offer a promising way of enhancing the hitherto low efficiency of these materials in the conversion of temperature differences into electricity. Therefore, within the thermoelectrical community there has been a great experimental effort in the measurement of these quantities in actual nanowires. The measurements of these properties at the nanoscale are also of interest in fields other than energy, such as electrical components for microchips, field effect transistors, sensors, and other low scale devices. For all these applications, knowing the transport properties is mandatory. This review deals with the latest techniques developed to perform the measurement of these transport properties in nanowires. A thorough overview of the most important and modern techniques used for the characterization of different kinds of nanowires will be shown. PMID:24113712

Complex Nano-Scale Structures for Unprecedented Properties in Steels

DOE PAGES

Caballero, Francisca G.; Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Yen, Hung Wei; ...

2016-11-01

Processing bulk nanoscrystalline materials for structural applications still poses a rather large challenge, particularly in achieving an industrially viable process. In this context, recent work has proved that complex nanoscale steel structures can be formed by solid reaction at low temperatures. These nanocrystalline bainitic steels present the highest strength ever recorded, unprecedented ductility, fatigue on par with commercial bearing steels and exceptional rolling-sliding wear performances. In this paper, a description of the characteristics and significance of these remarkable structures in the context of the atomic mechanism of transformation is provided.

Magnetic Resonance Based Electrical Properties Tomography: A Review

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaotong; Liu, Jiaen

2014-01-01

Frequency-dependent electrical properties (EPs; conductivity and permittivity) of biological tissues provide important diagnostic information (e.g. tumor characterization), and also play an important role in quantifying radiofrequency (RF) coil induced Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) which is a major safety concern in high- and ultrahigh-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) applications. Cross-sectional imaging of EPs has been pursued for decades. Recently introduced Electrical Properties Tomography (EPT) approaches utilize the measurable RF magnetic field induced by the RF coil in an MRI system to quantitatively reconstruct the EP distribution in vivo and non-invasively with a spatial resolution of a few millimeters or less. This paper reviews the Electrical Properties Tomography approach from its basic theory in electromagnetism to the state of the art research outcomes. Emphasizing on the imaging reconstruction methods rather than experimentation techniques, we review the developed imaging algorithms, validation results in physical phantoms and biological tissues, as well as their applications in in vivo tumor detection and subject-specific SAR prediction. Challenges for future research are also discussed. PMID:24803104

Improved high modulus carbon fibers. [elimination of hazards due to electrical properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ansell, G. S.; Chen, S. H.; Diffendorf, R. J.; Kim, C. M.; Lemaistre, C. W.; Lyman, C. E.; Shen, T. H.; Wang, J. J. H.

1979-01-01

Carbon fibers which are electrically insulating but still maintain the mechanical properties of the original carbon fibers were investigated. Three approaches were taken to increase the electrical resistance of carbon fibers: (1) boron nitride (BN) coatings; (2) doping of carbon fibers to alter their electrical properties; and (3) low temperature final heat treatment. The structure of carbon fibers and its effect upon properties was also studied. Results are presented.

Anisotropic electrical transport of flexible tungsten carbide nanostructures: towards nanoscale interconnects and electron emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Bo; Sun, Yong; Wang, Chengxin

2017-11-01

Due to the coexistence of metal- and ionic-bonds in a hexagonal tungsten carbide (WC) lattice, disparate electron behaviors were found in the basal plane and along the c-axial direction, which may create an interesting anisotropic mechanical and electrical performance. To demonstrate this, low-dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires and nanosheets are suitable for investigation because they usually grow in single crystals with special orientations. Herein, we report the experimental research regarding the anisotropic conductivity of [0001] grown WC nanowires and basal plane-expanded nanosheets, which resulted in a conductivity of 7.86 × 103 Ω-1 · m-1 and 7.68 × 104 Ω-1 · m-1 respectively. This conforms to the fact that the highly localized W d state aligns along the c direction, while there is little intraplanar directional bonding in the W planes. With advanced micro-manipulation technology, the conductivity of a nanowire was tested to be approximately constant, even under a considerable bending state. Moreover, the field electron emission of WC was evaluated based on large area emission and single nanowire (nanosheet) emission. A single nanowire exhibits a stable electron emission performance, which can output emission currents >3 uA before fusing. These results provide useful references to assess low-dimensional WC nanostructures as electronic materials in flexible devices, such as nanoscale interconnects and electron emitters.

In-situ observation of switchable nanoscale topography for y-shaped binary brushes in fluids.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Hsi; Teng, Jing; Zubarev, Eugene R; Shulha, Hennady; Tsukruk, Vladimir V

2005-03-01

Direct, in-fluid observation of the surface morphology and nanomechanical properties of the mixed brushes composed of Y-shaped binary molecules PS-PAA revealed nanoscale network-like surface topography formed by coexisting stretched soluble PAA arms and collapsed insoluble PS chains in water. Placement of Y-shaped brushes in different fluids resulted in dramatic reorganization ranging from soft repellent layer covered by swollen PS arms in toluene to an adhesive, mixed layer composed of coexisting swollen PAA and collapsed PS arms in water. These binary layers with the overall nanoscale thickness can serve as adaptive nanocoatings with stimuli-responsive properties.

Observation of nanoscale magnetic fields using twisted electron beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grillo, Vincenzo; Harvey, Tyler R.; Venturi, Federico

Electron waves give an unprecedented enhancement to the field of microscopy by providing higher resolving power compared to their optical counterpart. Further information about a specimen, such as electric and magnetic features, can be revealed in electron microscopy because electrons possess both a magnetic moment and charge. In-plane magnetic structures in materials can be studied experimentally using the effect of the Lorentz force. On the other hand, full mapping of the magnetic field has hitherto remained challenging. Here we measure a nanoscale out-of-plane magnetic field by interfering a highly twisted electron vortex beam with a reference wave. We implement amore » recently developed holographic technique to manipulate the electron wavefunction, which gives free electrons an additional unbounded quantized magnetic moment along their propagation direction. Our finding demonstrates that full reconstruction of all three components of nanoscale magnetic fields is possible without tilting the specimen.« less

Observation of nanoscale magnetic fields using twisted electron beams

DOE PAGES

Grillo, Vincenzo; Harvey, Tyler R.; Venturi, Federico; ...

2017-09-25

Electron waves give an unprecedented enhancement to the field of microscopy by providing higher resolving power compared to their optical counterpart. Further information about a specimen, such as electric and magnetic features, can be revealed in electron microscopy because electrons possess both a magnetic moment and charge. In-plane magnetic structures in materials can be studied experimentally using the effect of the Lorentz force. On the other hand, full mapping of the magnetic field has hitherto remained challenging. Here we measure a nanoscale out-of-plane magnetic field by interfering a highly twisted electron vortex beam with a reference wave. We implement amore » recently developed holographic technique to manipulate the electron wavefunction, which gives free electrons an additional unbounded quantized magnetic moment along their propagation direction. Our finding demonstrates that full reconstruction of all three components of nanoscale magnetic fields is possible without tilting the specimen.« less

Nanoscale neuroelectronic interface based on open-ended nanocoax arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naughton, Jeffrey R.; Rizal, Binod; Burns, Michael J.; Yeom, Jee; Heyse, Shannon; Archibald, Michelle; Shepard, Stephen; McMahon, Gregory; Chiles, Thomas C.; Naughton, Michael J.

2012-02-01

We describe the development of a nanoscale neuroelectronic array with submicron pixelation for recording and stimulation with high spatial resolution. The device is composed of an array of nanoscale coaxial electrodes, either network- or individually-configured. As a neuroelectronic interface, it will employ noninvasive real-time capacitive coupling to the plasma membrane with potential for extracellular recording of intra- and interneural synaptic activity, with one target being precision measurement of electrical signals associated with induced and spontaneous synapse firing in pre- and post-synaptic somata. Subarrays or even individual pixels can also be actuated for precisely-localized stimulation. We report initial results from measurements using the rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cell line, which terminally differentiates in response to nerve growth factor, as well as SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in response to retinoic acid, characterizing the basic performance of the fabricated device.

Optical Properties of Nanoscale Bismuth Selenide and Its Heterocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, Anthony

Over the past 12 years since the groundbreaking work on graphene, the field of 2D layered materials has grown by leaps and bounds as more materials are theoretically predicted and experimentically verified. These materials and their unique electronic, optical, and mechanical properties have inspired the scientific community to explore and investigate novel, fundamental physical phenomena as well create and refine technological devices which leverage the host of unique benefits which these materials possess. In the past few years, this burgeoning field has heavily moved towards combining layers of various materials into novel heterostructures. These heterostructures are an exciting area of research because of the plethora of exciting possibilities and results which arise due to the large number of heterostructure combinations and configurations. Particularly, the research into the optical properties of these layered materials and their heterostructures under confinement provides another exciting avenue for developing optoelectric devices. In this dissertation, I present work on the synthesis of Bi2Se 3 nanostructures via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the study of the optical properties of these nanostructures and their heterostructures with MoS2. The bulk of the current published work on Bi2Se 3 has focused on the exotic topological properties of its surface states, both interesting fundamental physics purposes as well as for studying avenues for spintronics. In contrast, the work presented here focuses on studying the optical properties of Bi2Se3 nanostructures and how these properties evolve when subjected to confinement. Specifically, the absorbance of singlecrystal Bi2Se3 with sizes tailored down to a few nanometers in diameter and a few quintuple layers (QLs) in thickness. We find a dramatically large bandgap, Eg ≥ 2.5 eV, in the smallest particles which is much higher than that seen in 1QL measurements taken with ARPES. Additionally, utilizing

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerfi, Youssouf; Larrieu, Guilhem

2016-04-01

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

Electrical property sensing biopsy needle for prostate cancer detection.

PubMed

Mishra, V; Schned, A R; Hartov, A; Heaney, J A; Seigne, J; Halter, R J

2013-11-01

Significant electrical property differences have been demonstrated to exist between malignant and benign prostate tissues. We evaluated how well a custom designed clinically deployable electrical property sensing biopsy needle is able to discriminate between these tissue types in an ex vivo prostate model. An electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) sensing biopsy (Bx) needle was developed to record resistive (ρR) and reactive (ρX) components of electrical impedance from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. Standard twelve-core biopsy protocols were followed, in which the EIS-Bx device was used to gauge electrical properties prior to extracting tissue cores through biopsy needle firing from 36 ex vivo human prostates. Histopathological assessment of the cores was statistically compared to the impedance spectrum gauged from each core. The magnitudes of the mean resistive and reactive components were significantly higher in cancer tissues (P < 0.05). ROC curves showed that ρR at 63.09 kHz was optimal for discriminating cancer from benign tissues; this parameter had 75.4% specificity, 76.1% sensitivity, and ROC AUC of 0.779. Similarly, 251.1 kHz was optimal when using ρX to discriminate cancer from benign tissues; this parameter had a 77.9% specificity, 71.4% sensitivity, and ROC AUC of 0.79. Significant electrical property differences noted between benign and malignant prostate tissues suggest the potential efficacy an EIS-Bx device would provide for cancer detection in a clinical setting. By sensing a greater fraction of the prostate's volume in real-time, the EIS-Bx device has the potential to improve the accuracy of cancer grading and volume estimation made with current biopsy procedures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Applications for Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) and Electrical Properties of the Human Body.

PubMed

Lymperopoulos, Georgios; Lymperopoulos, Panagiotis; Alikari, Victoria; Dafogianni, Chrisoula; Zyga, Sofia; Margari, Nikoletta

2017-01-01

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a promising application that displays changes in conductivity within a body. The basic principle of the method is the repeated measurement of surface voltages of a body, which are a result of rolling injection of known and small-volume sinusoidal AC current to the body through the electrodes attached to its surface. This method finds application in biomedicine, biology and geology. The objective of this paper is to present the applications of Electrical Impedance Tomography, along with the method's capabilities and limitations due to the electrical properties of the human body. For this purpose, investigation of existing literature has been conducted, using electronic databases, PubMed, Google Scholar and IEEE Xplore. In addition, there was a secondary research phase, using paper citations found during the first research phase. It should be noted that Electrical Impedance Tomography finds use in a plethora of medical applications, as the different tissues of the body have different conductivities and dielectric constants. Main applications of EIT include imaging of lung function, diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, detection of tumors in the chest area and diagnosis and distinction of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. EIT advantages include portability, low cost and safety, which the method provide, since it is a noninvasive imaging method that does not cause damage to the body. The main disadvantage of the method, which blocks its wider spread, appears in the image composition from the voltage measurements, which are conducted by electrodes placed on the periphery of the body, because the injected currents are affected nonlinearly by the general distribution of the electrical properties of the body. Furthermore, the complex impedance of the skin-electrode interface can be modelled by using a capacitor and two resistor, as a result of skin properties. In conclusion, Electrical Impedance Tomography is a promising method for the

Polymer composites with graphene nanofillers: electrical properties and applications.

PubMed

Tjong, Sie Chin

2014-02-01

Graphene with extraordinary high elastic modulus and excellent electrical conductivity has good prospects for use as the filler material for fabricating novel polymer composites designed for electrostatic discharge and EMI shielding protection, field emission, gas sensor, and fuel cell applications. Large amounts of graphene oxide (GO) can be obtained by wet chemical oxidation of graphite into a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid, sodium nitrate and potassium permanganate. Accordingly, carbon atoms in the basal plane and edges of GO are decorated with oxygenated functional groups, forming an electrical insulator. To restore electrical conductivity, chemical reduction or thermal annealing is needed to eliminate oxygenated groups of GO. However, such treatments induce internal defects and remove oxygenated atoms of GO partially. The remnant-oxygenated groups affect electrical conductivity of graphene greatly. Nevertheless, reduced graphene oxide and thermally reduced graphene oxide are sufficiently conductive to form polymer nanocomposites at very low percolation threshold. This review provides the fundamentals and state-of-the-art developments in the fabrication methods and electrical property characterizations as well as the applications of novel graphene/polymer nanocomposites. Particular attention is paid to their processing-structural-electrical property relationships.

Rocket Science at the Nanoscale.

PubMed

Li, Jinxing; Rozen, Isaac; Wang, Joseph

2016-06-28

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

HS-SPM Mapping of Ferroelectric Domain Dynamics with Combined Nanoscale and Nanosecond Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polomoff, Nicholas Alexander

The unique properties of ferroelectric materials have been applied for a wide variety of device applications. In particular, properties such as spontaneous polarization and domain structure hysteresis at room temperature have rendered its application in nonvolatile memory devices such as FeRAMs. Along with the ever-present drive for smaller memory devices is the demand that they have increased operating speeds, longer retention times, lower power requirements and better overall reliability. It is therefore pertinent that further investigation of the dynamics, kinetics and mechanisms involved with ferroelectric domain polarization reversal at nanoscale lengths and temporal durations be conducted to optimize future ferroelectric based nonvolatile memory devices. Accordingly High Speed Piezoforce Microscopy (HSPFM) will be employed to directly investigate and observe the dynamic nucleation and growth progression of ferroelectric domain polarization reversal processes in thin epitaxial deposited PZT films. The capabilities of HSPFM will allow for in-situ direct observation of nascent dynamic domain polarization reversal events with nanoscale resolution. Correlations and characterization of the thin ferroelectric film samples will be made based on the observed polarization reversal dynamics and switching mechanism with respect to their varying strain states, compositions, and/or orientations. Electrical pulsing schemes will also be employed to enhance the HSPFM procedure to achieve nanoscale temporal resolution of nascent domain nucleation and growth events. A unique pulsing approach is also proposed, and tested, to improve power consumption during switching. Finally, artificial defects will be introduced into the PZT thin film by fabricating arrays of indentations with different shapes and loads. These controlled indents will result in the introduction of different stress states of compression and tension into the ferroelectric thin film. It is hypothesized that these

Detection and Identification: Instrumentation and Calibration for Air/Liquid/Surface-borne Nanoscale Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Tsz Yan; Zuo, Zhili; Pui, David Y. H.

2013-04-01

Nanoscale particles can be found in the air-borne, liquid-borne and surface-borne dispersed phases. Measurement techniques for nanoscale particles in all three dispersed phases are needed for the environmental, health and safety studies of nanomaterials. We present our studies on connecting the nanoparticle measurements in different phases to enhance the characterization capability. Microscopy analysis for particle morphology can be performed by depositing air-borne or liquid-borne nanoparticles on surfaces. Detection limit and measurement resolution of the liquid-borne nanoparticles can be enhanced by aerosolizing them and taking advantage of the well-developed air-borne particle analyzers. Sampling electrically classified air-borne virus particles with a gelatin filter provides higher collection efficiency than a liquid impinger.

Dynamic Control over the Optical Transmission of Nanoscale Dielectric Metasurface by Alkali Vapors.

PubMed

Bar-David, Jonathan; Stern, Liron; Levy, Uriel

2017-02-08

In recent years, dielectric and metallic nanoscale metasurfaces are attracting growing attention and are being used for variety of applications. Resulting from the ability to introduce abrupt changes in optical properties at nanoscale dimensions, metasurfaces enable unprecedented control over light's different degrees of freedom, in an essentially two-dimensional configuration. Yet, the dynamic control over metasurface properties still remains one of the ultimate goals of this field. Here, we demonstrate the optical resonant interaction between a form birefringent dielectric metasurface made of silicon and alkali atomic vapor to control and effectively tune the optical transmission pattern initially generated by the nanoscale dielectric metasurface. By doing so, we present a controllable metasurface system, the output of which may be altered by applying magnetic fields, changing input polarization, or shifting the optical frequency. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the nonlinear behavior of our system taking advantage of the saturation effect of atomic transition. The demonstrated approach paves the way for using metasurfaces in applications where dynamic tunability of the metasurface is in need, for example, for scanning systems, tunable focusing, real time displays, and more.

Investigation of graphene-based nanoscale radiation sensitive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-06-01

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

Quantification of Nanoscale Density Fluctuations in Biological Cells/Tissues: Inverse Participation Ratio (IPR) Analysis of Transmission Electron Microscopy Images and Implications for Early-Stage Cancer Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, Prabhakar; Damania, Dhwanil; Joshi, Hrushikesh; Taflove, Allen; Roy, Hemant; Dravid, Vinayak; Backman, Vadim

2010-03-01

We report a study of the nanoscale mass density fluctuations of biological cells and tissues by quantifying their nanoscale light-localization properties. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of human cells and tissues are used to construct corresponding effective disordered optical lattices. Light-localization properties are studied by statistical analysis of the inverse participation ratio (IPR) of the eigenfunctions of these optical lattices at the nanoscales. Our results indicate elevation of the nanoscale disorder strength (e.g., refractive index fluctuations) in early carcinogenesis. Importantly, our results demonstrate that the increase in the nanoscale disorder represents the earliest structural alteration in cells undergoing carcinogenesis known to-date. Potential applications of the technique for early stage cancer detection will be discussed.

International Workshop on Light Emission and Electronic Properties of Nanoscale Silicon

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

matrix elements, quantum confinement, surface effects ? CHARLOTFE STANDARD R. Tsu Comparison of Luminescence Efficiency ROLE OF NANOSCALE Si-DEVICES...confinement effects in microcrystalline silicon [2,3] may lead to revolutionary advances in speed and dramatically reduced energy consumption of silicon...Formation: A Quantum Wire Effect ," Avpl. Phys. Lett., 58, 856 (1991). 5. R. Tsu, H. Shen, and M. Dutta, "Correlation of Raman and Photoluminescence

Magnetic Resonance-Based Electrical Property Tomography (MR-EPT) for Prostate Cancer Grade Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

Award Number: W81XWH-13-1-0127 TITLE: Magnetic Resonance-Based Electrical Property Tomography (MR- EPT) for Prostate Cancer Grade Imaging...SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-13-1-0127 Magnetic Resonance-Based Electrical Property Tomography (MR- EPT) for Prostate Cancer Grade Imaging...developing Magnetic Resonance – Electrical Property Tomography (MR-EPT) specifically for prostate imaging. MR-EPT is an imaging modality that may enable

Nanoscale Ionic Liquids

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

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

Complex Electric-Field Induced Phenomena in Ferroelectric/Antiferroelectric Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herchig, Ryan Christopher

Perovskite ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics have attracted a lot of attention owing to their potential for device applications including THz sensors, solid state cooling, ultra high density computer memory, and electromechanical actuators to name a few. The discovery of ferroelectricity at the nanoscale provides not only new and exciting possibilities for device miniaturization, but also a way to study the fundamental physics of nanoscale phenomena in these materials. Ferroelectric nanowires show a rich variety of physical characteristics which are advantageous to the design of nanoscale ferroelectric devices such as exotic dipole patterns, a strong dependence of the polarization and phonon frequencies on the electrical and mechanical boundary conditions, as well as a dependence of the transition temperatures on the diameter of the nanowire. Antiferroelectricity also exists at the nanoscale and, due to the proximity in energy of the ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases, a phase transition from the ferroelectric to the antiferroelectric phase can be facilitated through the application of the appropriate mechanical and electrical boundary conditions. While much progress has been made over the past several decades to understand the nature of ferroelectricity/antiferroelectricity in nanowires, many questions remain unanswered. In particular, little is known about how the truncated dimensions affect the soft mode frequency dynamics or how various electrical and mechanical boundary conditions might change the nature of the phase transitions in these ferroelectric nanowires. Could nanowires offer a distinct advantage for solid state cooling applications? Few studies have been done to elucidate the fundamental physics of antiferroelectric nanowires. How the polarization in ferroelectric nanowires responds to a THz electric field remains relatively underexplored as well. In this work, the aim is to to develop and use computational tools that allow first

Nanoscale tailor-made membranes for precise and rapid molecular sieve separation.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Zhu, Junyong; Zhang, Yatao; Liu, Jindun; Van der Bruggen, Bart

2017-03-02

The precise and rapid separation of different molecules from aqueous, organic solutions and gas mixtures is critical to many technologies in the context of resource-saving and sustainable development. The strength of membrane-based technologies is well recognized and they are extensively applied as cost-effective, highly efficient separation techniques. Currently, empirical-based approaches, lacking an accurate nanoscale control, are used to prepare the most advanced membranes. In contrast, nanoscale control renders the membrane molecular specificity (sub-2 nm) necessary for efficient and rapid molecular separation. Therefore, as a growing trend in membrane technology, the field of nanoscale tailor-made membranes is highlighted in this review. An in-depth analysis of the latest advances in tailor-made membranes for precise and rapid molecule sieving is given, along with an outlook to future perspectives of such membranes. Special attention is paid to the established processing strategies, as well as the application of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in nanoporous membrane design. This review will provide useful guidelines for future research in the development of nanoscale tailor-made membranes with a precise and rapid molecular sieve separation property.

Dustiness of Fine and Nanoscale Powders

PubMed Central

Evans, Douglas E.; Baron, Paul A.

2013-01-01

Dustiness may be defined as the propensity of a powder to form airborne dust by a prescribed mechanical stimulus; dustiness testing is typically intended to replicate mechanisms of dust generation encountered in workplaces. A novel dustiness testing device, developed for pharmaceutical application, was evaluated in the dustiness investigation of 27 fine and nanoscale powders. The device efficiently dispersed small (mg) quantities of a wide variety of fine and nanoscale powders, into a small sampling chamber. Measurements consisted of gravimetrically determined total and respirable dustiness. The following materials were studied: single and multiwalled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and carbon blacks; fumed oxides of titanium, aluminum, silicon, and cerium; metallic nanoparticles (nickel, cobalt, manganese, and silver) silicon carbide, Arizona road dust; nanoclays; and lithium titanate. Both the total and respirable dustiness spanned two orders of magnitude (0.3–37.9% and 0.1–31.8% of the predispersed test powders, respectively). For many powders, a significant respirable dustiness was observed. For most powders studied, the respirable dustiness accounted for approximately one-third of the total dustiness. It is believed that this relationship holds for many fine and nanoscale test powders (i.e. those primarily selected for this study), but may not hold for coarse powders. Neither total nor respirable dustiness was found to be correlated with BET surface area, therefore dustiness is not determined by primary particle size. For a subset of test powders, aerodynamic particle size distributions by number were measured (with an electrical low-pressure impactor and an aerodynamic particle sizer). Particle size modes ranged from approximately 300nm to several micrometers, but no modes below 100nm, were observed. It is therefore unlikely that these materials would exhibit a substantial sub-100nm particle contribution in a workplace. PMID:23065675

Multifunctional, angle dependent antireflection, and hydrophilic properties of SiO2 inspired by nano-scale structures of cicada wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zada, Imran; Zhang, Wang; Sun, Peng; Imtiaz, Muhammad; Abbas, Waseem; Zhang, Di

2017-10-01

Inspired by the multifunctional properties of cicada wings, we have precisely replicated biomorphic SiO2 with antireflective structures (ARSs) using a simple, inexpensive, and highly effective sol-gel ultrasonic method. The biomorphic replica of SiO2 was directly achieved from a cicada template at high calcination. The biomorphic SiO2 not only inherited the ARS effectively but also exhibited the excellent angle dependent antireflective properties over a wide range of incident angles (10°-60°). The change in reflectance spectra (visible wavelength) of biomorphic SiO2 was observed from 0.3% to 3.3% with the increasing incident angles. The smooth surface of the SiO2 crystal without nanostructures showed a high reflection of 9.2% compared to the biomorphic SiO2 with ARS. These excellent antireflective properties of biomorphic SiO2 can be attributed to the nanoscale structures which introduce a gradient in the refractive index between air and the material surface via ARS. In the meantime, biomorphic SiO2 demonstrates high hydrophilic properties due to the existence of nanostructures on its surface. These multifunctional properties of biomorphic SiO2, angle dependent antireflective properties, and hydrophilicity with high thermal stability may have potential applications in solar cells and antifogging optical materials.

Friction laws at the nanoscale.

PubMed

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

2009-02-26

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

A phase field approach for the fully coupled thermo-electro-mechanical dynamics of nanoscale ferroelectric actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dan; Du, Haoyuan; Wang, Linxiang; Melnik, Roderick

2018-05-01

The fully coupled thermo-electro-mechanical properties of nanoscale ferroelectric actuators are investigated by a phase field model. Firstly, the thermal effect is incorporated into the commonly-used phase field model for ferroelectric materials in a thermodynamic consistent way and the governing equation for the temperature field is derived. Afterwards, the modified model is numerically implemented to study a selected prototype of the ferroelectric actuators, where strain associated with electric field-induced non-180° domain switching is employed. The temperature variation and energy flow in the actuation process are presented, which enhances our understanding of the working mechanism of the actuators. Furthermore, the influences of the input voltage frequency and the thermal boundary condition on the temperature variation are demonstrated and carefully discussed in the context of thermal management for real applications.

Assesment of influncing factors on mechanical and electrical properties of Al/Cu joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvaraj, R. Meby; Hynes, N. Rajesh Jesudoss

2018-05-01

Joining of dissimilar materials opens up challenging opportunities in todays technology. Al/Cu weldments are used in applications that demands corrosion resistance, thermal and electrical conducting properties. In dissimilar joining mechanical and thermal properties result in large stress gradients during heating. The Al-Cu joints are lighter, cheaper and have conductivity equal to copper alloy. The main scope of this study is to assess the influencing factors of Al/Cu joints in mechanical and electrical properties. It includes the influence of the dilution between the base metals, influence of physical properties, influence of welding parameters, influence of filler metal, influence of heat treatment, and influence of electrical properties

The Elusive Memristor: Properties of Basic Electrical Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joglekar, Yogesh N.; Wolf, Stephen J.

2009-01-01

We present an introduction to and a tutorial on the properties of the recently discovered ideal circuit element, a memristor. By definition, a memristor M relates the charge "q" and the magnetic flux [phi] in a circuit and complements a resistor R, a capacitor C and an inductor L as an ingredient of ideal electrical circuits. The properties of…

Nanoscale size effect in in situ titanium based composites with cell viability and cytocompatibility studies.

PubMed

Miklaszewski, Andrzej; Jurczyk, Mieczysława U; Kaczmarek, Mariusz; Paszel-Jaworska, Anna; Romaniuk, Aleksandra; Lipińska, Natalia; Żurawski, Jakub; Urbaniak, Paulina; Jurczyk, Mieczyslaw

2017-04-01

Novel in situ Metal Matrix Nanocomposite (MMNC) materials based on titanium and boron, revealed their new properties in the nanoscale range. In situ nanocomposites, obtained through mechanical alloying and traditional powder metallurgy compaction and sintering, show obvious differences to their microstructural analogue. A unique microstructure connected with good mechanical properties reliant on the processing conditions favour the nanoscale range of results of the Ti-TiB in situ MMNC example. The data summarised in this work, support and extend the knowledge boundaries of the nanoscale size effect that influence not only the mechanical properties but also the studies on the cell viability and cytocompatibility. Prepared in the same bulk, in situ MMNC, based on titanium and boron, could be considered as a possible candidate for dental implants and other medical applications. The observed relations and research conclusions are transferable to the in situ MMNC material group. Aside from all the discussed relations, the increasing share of these composites in the ever-growing material markets, heavily depends on the attractiveness and a possible wider application of these composites as well as their operational simplicity presented in this work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The challenges of achieving good electrical and mechanical properties when making structural supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciocanel, C.; Browder, C.; Simpson, C.; Colburn, R.

2013-04-01

The paper presents results associated with the electro-mechanical characterization of a composite material with power storage capability, identified throughout the paper as a structural supercapacitor. The structural supercapacitor uses electrodes made of carbon fiber weave, a separator made of Celgard 3501, and a solid PEG-based polymer blend electrolyte. To be a viable structural supercapacitor, the material has to have good mechanical and power storage/electrical properties. The literature in this area is inconsistent on which electrical properties are evaluated, and how those properties are assessed. In general, measurements of capacitance or specific capacitance (i.e. capacitance per unit area or per unit volume) are made, without considering other properties such as leakage resistance and equivalent series resistance of the supercapacitor. This paper highlights the significance of these additional electrical properties, discusses the fluctuation of capacitance over time, and proposes methods to improve the stability of the material's electric properties over time.

Energy-harvesting at the Nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Andrew; Sothmann, Björn; Sánchez, Rafael; Büttiker, Markus

2013-03-01

Energy harvesting is the process by which energy is taken from the environment and transformed to provide power for electronics. Specifically, the conversion of thermal energy into electrical power, or thermoelectrics, can play a crucial role in future developments of alternative sources of energy. Unfortunately, present thermoelectrics have low efficiency. Therefore, an important task in condensed matter physics is to find new ways to harvest ambient thermal energy, particularly at the smallest length scales where electronics operate. To achieve this goal, there is on one hand the miniaturizing of electrical devices, and on the other, the maximization of either efficiency or power the devices produce. We will present the theory of nano heat engines able to efficiently convert heat into electrical power. We propose a resonant tunneling quantum dot engine that can be operated either in the Carnot efficient mode, or maximal power mode. The ability to scale the power by putting many such engines in a ``Swiss cheese sandwich'' geometry gives a paradigmatic system for harvesting thermal energy at the nanoscale. This work was supported by the US NSF Grant No. DMR-0844899, the Swiss NSF, the NCCR MaNEP and QSIT, the European STREP project Nanopower, the CSIC and FSE JAE-Doc program, the Spanish MAT2011-24331 and the ITN Grant 234970 (EU)

A study of the electrical properties of carbon nanofiber polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, Paulo Jorge Magalhaes

The interest of industry on using carbon nanofibers (CNF) as a possible alternative to carbon nanotubes (CNT) to produce polymer based composites is due to their lower price, the ability to be produced in large amounts and the their usefulness as a reinforcement filler in order to improve the matrix properties such as mechanical, thermal and electrical. Polymers like epoxy resins already have good-to-excellent properties and an extensive range of applications, but the reinforcement with fillers like CNF, which has high aspect ratio (AR) and surface energy, has the potential to extend the range of applications. The Van der Waals interactions between nanofillers, such as CNF, promote the clustering effect which affects their dispersion in the polymer and may interfere with some properties of the nanocomposites. In this sense, it is very important to use appropriate dispersion methods which are able to disentangle the nanofillers to a certain degree, but avoiding the reduction of the nanofibers AR as much as possible. In fact, the methods and conditions of nanocomposites processing have also influence on the filler orientation, dispersion, distribution and aspect ratio. To the present day, there is a lack of complete information in the literature about the relation between structure and properties, in particular electrical properties, for polymer nanocomposites. The main objective of this work is to study the electrical properties of composites based on CNF and epoxy resin using production methods which can be easily implemented in industrial environments and that provide different dispersion levels, investigating therefore the relationship between dispersion level and electrical response. Some of the requirements for such methods are the adaptability to the industrial processes and facilities which allow large scale productions and provide a good relation between quality and cost of the composite materials. In this work, morphological, electrical and

Carbon nanofiber reinforced epoxy matrix composites and syntactic foams - mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poveda, Ronald Leonel

The tailorability of composite materials is crucial for use in a wide array of real-world applications, which range from heat-sensitive computer components to fuselage reinforcement on commercial aircraft. The mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of composites are highly dependent on their material composition, method of fabrication, inclusion orientation, and constituent percentages. The focus of this work is to explore carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as potential nanoscale reinforcement for hollow particle filled polymer composites referred to as syntactic foams. In the present study, polymer composites with high weight fractions of CNFs, ranging from 1-10 wt.%, are used for quasi-static and high strain rate compression analysis, as well as for evaluation and characterization of thermal and electrical properties. It is shown that during compressive characterization of vapor grown carbon nanofiber (CNF)/epoxy composites in the strain rate range of 10-4-2800 s-1, a difference in the fiber failure mechanism is identified based on the strain rate. Results from compression analyses show that the addition of fractions of CNFs and glass microballoons varies the compressive strength and elastic modulus of epoxy composites by as much as 53.6% and 39.9%. The compressive strength and modulus of the syntactic foams is also shown to generally increase by a factor of 3.41 and 2.96, respectively, with increasing strain rate when quasi-static and high strain rate testing data are compared, proving strain rate sensitivity of these reinforced composites. Exposure to moisture over a 6 month period of time is found to reduce the quasi-static and high strain rate strength and modulus, with a maximum of 7% weight gain with select grades of CNF/syntactic foam. The degradation of glass microballoons due to dealkalization is found to be the primary mechanism for reduced mechanical properties, as well as moisture diffusion and weight gain. In terms of thermal analysis results, the

Nanoscale Silicon as a Catalyst for Graphene Growth: Mechanistic Insight from in Situ Raman Spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Share, Keith; Carter, Rachel E.; Nikolaev, Pavel; ...

2016-06-08

Nanoscale carbons are typically synthesized by thermal decomposition of a hydrocarbon at the surface of a metal catalyst. Whereas the use of silicon as an alternative to metal catalysts could unlock new techniques to seamlessly couple carbon nanostructures and semiconductor materials, stable carbide formation renders bulk silicon incapable of the precipitation and growth of graphitic structures. In this article, we provide evidence supported by comprehensive in situ Raman experiments that indicates nanoscale grains of silicon in porous silicon (PSi) scaffolds act as catalysts for hydrocarbon decomposition and growth of few-layered graphene at temperatures as low as 700 K. Self-limiting growthmore » kinetics of graphene with activation energies measured between 0.32–0.37 eV elucidates the formation of highly reactive surface-bound Si radicals that aid in the decomposition of hydrocarbons. Nucleation and growth of graphitic layers on PSi exhibits striking similarity to catalytic growth on nickel surfaces, involving temperature dependent surface and subsurface diffusion of carbon. Lastly, this work elucidates how the nanoscale properties of silicon can be exploited to yield catalytic properties distinguished from bulk silicon, opening an important avenue to engineer catalytic interfaces combining the two most technologically important materials for modern applications—silicon and nanoscale carbons.« less

Preparation and electrical properties of oil-based magnetic fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartoratto, P. P. C.; Neto, A. V. S.; Lima, E. C. D.; Rodrigues de Sá, A. L. C.; Morais, P. C.

2005-05-01

This paper describes an improvement in the preparation of magnetic fluids for electrical transformers. The samples are based on surface-coated maghemite nanoparticles dispersed in transformer insulating oil. Colloidal stability at 90°C was higher for oleate-grafted maghemite-based magnetic fluid, whereas decanoate and dodecanoate-grafted samples were very unstable. Electrical properties were evaluated for samples containing 0.80%-0.0040% maghemite volume fractions. Relative permittivity varied from 8.8 to 2.1 and the minimum value of the loss factor was 12% for the most diluted sample. The resistivity falls in the range of 0.7-2.5×1010Ωm, whereas the ac dielectric strength varied from 70to79kV. These physical characteristics reveal remarkable step forward in the properties of the magnetic fluid samples and may result in better operation of electrical transformers.

Investigation of Plant Cell Wall Properties: A Study of Contributions from the Nanoscale to the Macroscale Impacting Cell Wall Recalcitrance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, Jacob Dillon

, alkaline hydrogen peroxide and liquid hot water pretreatments were shown to alter structural properties impacting nanoscale porosity in corn stover. Delignification by alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment decreased cell wall rigidity, with subsequent cell wall swelling resulting in increased nanoscale porosity and improved enzymatic hydrolysis compared to limited swelling and increased accessible surface areas observed in liquid hot water pretreated biomass. The volume accessible to a 90 A dextran probe within the cell wall was found to be positively correlated to both enzyme binding and glucose hydrolysis yields, indicating cell wall porosity is a key contributor to effective hydrolysis yields. In the third study, the effect of altered xylan content and structure was investigated in irregular xylem (irx) Arabidopsis thaliana mutants to understand the role xylan plays in secondary cell wall development and organization. Higher xylan extractability and lower cellulose crystallinity observed in irx9 and irx15 irx15-L mutants compared to wild type indicated altered xylan integration into the secondary cell wall. Nanoscale cell wall organization observed using multiple microscopy techniques was impacted to some extent in all irx mutants, with disorganized cellulose microfibril layers in sclerenchyma secondary cell walls likely resulting from irregular xylan structure and content. Irregular secondary cell wall microfibril layers showed heterogeneous nanomechanical properties compared to wild type, which translated to mechanical deficiencies observed in stem tensile tests. These results suggest nanoscale defects in cell wall strength can correspond to macroscale phenotypes.

Softened Mechanical Properties of Graphene Induced by Electric Field.

PubMed

Huang, Peng; Guo, Dan; Xie, Guoxin; Li, Jian

2017-10-11

The understanding on the mechanical properties of graphene under the applications of physical fields is highly relevant to the reliability and lifetime of graphene-based nanodevices. In this work, we demonstrate that the application of electric field could soften the mechanical properties of graphene dramatically on the basis of the conductive AFM nanoindentation method. It has been found that the Young's modulus and fracture strength of graphene nanosheets suspended on the holes almost stay the same initially and then exhibit a sharp drop when the normalized electric field strength increases to be 0.18 ± 0.03 V/nm. The threshold voltage of graphene nanosheets before the onset of fracture under the fixed applied load increases with the thickness. Supported graphene nanosheets can sustain larger electric field under the same applied load than the suspended ones. The excessively regional Joule heating caused by the high electric current under the applied load is responsible for the electromechanical failure of graphene. These findings can provide a beneficial guideline for the electromechanical applications of graphene-based nanodevices.

Colloidal Synthesis of Te-Doped Bi Nanoparticles: Low-Temperature Charge Transport and Thermoelectric Properties.

PubMed

Gu, Da Hwi; Jo, Seungki; Jeong, Hyewon; Ban, Hyeong Woo; Park, Sung Hoon; Heo, Seung Hwae; Kim, Fredrick; Jang, Jeong In; Lee, Ji Eun; Son, Jae Sung

2017-06-07

Electronically doped nanoparticles formed by incorporation of impurities have been of great interest because of their controllable electrical properties. However, the development of a strategy for n-type or p-type doping on sub-10 nm-sized nanoparticles under the quantum confinement regime is very challenging using conventional processes, owing to the difficulty in synthesis. Herein, we report the colloidal chemical synthesis of sub-10 nm-sized tellurium (Te)-doped Bismuth (Bi) nanoparticles with precisely controlled Te content from 0 to 5% and systematically investigate their low-temperature charge transport and thermoelectric properties. Microstructural characterization of nanoparticles demonstrates that Te ions are successfully incorporated into Bi nanoparticles rather than remaining on the nanoparticle surfaces. Low-temperature Hall measurement results of the hot-pressed Te-doped Bi-nanostructured materials, with grain sizes ranging from 30 to 60 nm, show that the charge transport properties are governed by the doping content and the related impurity and nanoscale grain boundary scatterings. Furthermore, the low-temperature thermoelectric properties reveal that the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient expectedly change with the Te content, whereas the thermal conductivity is significantly reduced by Te doping because of phonon scattering at the sites arising from impurities and nanoscale grain boundaries. Accordingly, the 1% Te-doped Bi sample exhibits a higher figure-of-merit ZT by ∼10% than that of the undoped sample. The synthetic strategy demonstrated in this study offers the possibility of electronic doping of various quantum-confined nanoparticles for diverse applications.

FDTD based model of ISOCT imaging for validation of nanoscale sensitivity (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eid, Aya; Zhang, Di; Yi, Ji; Backman, Vadim

2017-02-01

Many of the earliest structural changes associated with neoplasia occur on the micro and nanometer scale, and thus appear histologically normal. Our group has established Inverse Spectroscopic OCT (ISOCT), a spectral based technique to extract nanoscale sensitive metrics derived from the OCT signal. Thus, there is a need to model light transport through relatively large volumes (< 50 um^3) of media with nanoscale level resolution. Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) is an iterative approach which directly solves Maxwell's equations to robustly estimate the electric and magnetic fields propagating through a sample. The sample's refractive index for every spatial voxel and wavelength are specified upon a grid with voxel sizes on the order of λ/20, making it an ideal modelling technique for nanoscale structure analysis. Here, we utilize the FDTD technique to validate the nanoscale sensing ability of ISOCT. The use of FDTD for OCT modelling requires three components: calculating the source beam as it propagates through the optical system, computing the sample's scattered field using FDTD, and finally propagating the scattered field back through the optical system. The principles of Fourier optics are employed to focus this interference field through a 4f optical system and onto the detector. Three-dimensional numerical samples are generated from a given refractive index correlation function with known parameters, and subsequent OCT images and mass density correlation function metrics are computed. We show that while the resolvability of the OCT image remains diffraction limited, spectral analysis allows nanoscale sensitive metrics to be extracted.

Characterizing Nanoscale Transient Communication.

PubMed

Chen, Yifan; Anwar, Putri Santi; Huang, Limin; Asvial, Muhamad

2016-04-01

We consider the novel paradigm of nanoscale transient communication (NTC), where certain components of the small-scale communication link are physically transient. As such, the transmitter and the receiver may change their properties over a prescribed lifespan due to their time-varying structures. The NTC systems may find important applications in the biomedical, environmental, and military fields, where system degradability allows for benign integration into life and environment. In this paper, we analyze the NTC systems from the channel-modeling and capacity-analysis perspectives and focus on the stochastically meaningful slow transience scenario, where the coherence time of degeneration Td is much longer than the coding delay Tc. We first develop novel and parsimonious models to characterize the NTC channels, where three types of physical layers are considered: electromagnetism-based terahertz (THz) communication, diffusion-based molecular communication (DMC), and nanobots-assisted touchable communication (TouchCom). We then revisit the classical performance measure of ϵ-outage channel capacity and take a fresh look at its formulations in the NTC context. Next, we present the notion of capacity degeneration profile (CDP), which describes the reduction of channel capacity with respect to the degeneration time. Finally, we provide numerical examples to demonstrate the features of CDP. To the best of our knowledge, the current work represents a first attempt to systematically evaluate the quality of nanoscale communication systems deteriorating with time.

The electric and thermoelectric properties of Cu(II)-Schiff base nano-complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, E. M. M.; Abdel-Rahman, Laila H.; Abu-Dief, Ahmed M.; Elshafaie, A.; Hamdan, Samar Kamel; Ahmed, A. M.

2018-05-01

The physical properties, such as electric and optical properties, of metal-Schiff base complexes have been widely investigated. However, their thermoelectric (TE) properties remain unreported. This work presents Cu(II)-Schiff base complexes as promising materials for TE power generation. Therefore, three Cu(II)-Schiff base complexes (namely, [Cu(C32H22N4O2)].3/2H2O, [Cu(C23H17N4O7Br)], and [Cu(C27H22N4O8)].H2O) have been synthesized in nanosized scale. The electric and TE properties have been studied and comprehensive discussions have been presented to promote the nano-complexes (NCs) practical applications in the field of TE power generation. The electrical measurements confirm that the NCs are semiconductors and the electrical conduction process is governed by intermolecular and intramolecular transfer of the charge carriers. The TE measurements reveal that the Cu(II)-Schiff base NCs are nondegenerate P-type semiconductors. The measured Seebeck coefficient values were higher compared to the values reported in previous works for other organic materials indicating that the complexes under study are promising candidates for theremoelectric applications if the electrical conductivity could be enhanced.

Electrical Characterization of Critical Phase Change Conditions in Nanoscale Ge2Sb2Te5 Pillars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozatay, Ozhan; Stipe, Barry; Katine, Jordan; Terris, Bruce

2008-03-01

Following the original work of Ovshinsky on disordered semiconductors that exhibit ovonic threshold switching (OTS) there has been substantial interest in the electronic reversible switching properties of chalcogenides^1. The current induced phase transitions between polycrystalline and amorphous states in these materials offer orders of magnitude changes in the conductance which makes them an ideal candidate for non-volatile data storage applications. In this work we investigate the scaling of critical programming conditions required to observe such transitions between highly resistive (disordered) and highly conductive (ordered) states by constructing a resistance map with various pulse widths and amplitudes under different cooling conditions (as a function of pulse trailing edge). We study the evolution of critical phase change conditions as a function of contact size (50nm-1μm) and shape (circle-square-rectangle). We compare the resulting switching behaviour with the predictions of a finite-element model of the electro-thermal physics to analyze the nature of the switching dynamics at the nanoscale. ^1 S-H. Lee, Y. Jung, R. Agarwal, Nature Nanotechnology; doi:10:1038/nnano.2007.291

An evaluation method for nanoscale wrinkle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y. P.; Wang, C. G.; Zhang, L. M.; Tan, H. F.

2016-06-01

In this paper, a spectrum-based wrinkling analysis method via two-dimensional Fourier transformation is proposed aiming to solve the difficulty of nanoscale wrinkle evaluation. It evaluates the wrinkle characteristics including wrinkling wavelength and direction simply using a single wrinkling image. Based on this method, the evaluation results of nanoscale wrinkle characteristics show agreement with the open experimental results within an error of 6%. It is also verified to be appropriate for the macro wrinkle evaluation without scale limitations. The spectrum-based wrinkling analysis is an effective method for nanoscale evaluation, which contributes to reveal the mechanism of nanoscale wrinkling.

Low temperature electrical properties of some Pb-free solders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kisiel, Ryszard; Pekala, Marek

2006-03-01

The electronic industry is engaged in developing Pb-free technologies for more than ten years. However till now not all properties of new solders are described. The aim of the paper is to present some electrical properties of new series of Pb-free solders (eutectic SnAg, near eutectic SnAgCu with and without Bi) in low temperature ranges 10 K to 273K. The following parameters were analyzed: electrical resistivity, temperature coefficient of resistance and thermoelectric power. The electrical resistivity at temperatures above 50 K is a monotonically rising function of temperature for Pb-free solders studied. The electrical resistivity of the Bi containing alloys is higher as compared to the remaining ones. The thermoelectric power values at room temperature are about -8 μV/K to -6 μV/K for Pb-free solders studied, being higher as compared to typical values -3 μVK of SnPb solder. The relatively low absolute values as well as the smooth and weak temperature variation of electrical resistivity in lead free solders enable the possible low temperature application. The moderate values of thermoelectric power around and above the room temperature show that when applying the solders studied the temperature should be kept as uniform as possible, in order to avoid spurious or noise voltages.

Real-Time Nanoscale Open-Circuit Voltage Dynamics of Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Garrett, Joseph L; Tennyson, Elizabeth M; Hu, Miao; Huang, Jinsong; Munday, Jeremy N; Leite, Marina S

2017-04-12

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites based on methylammonium lead (MAPbI 3 ) are an emerging material with great potential for high-performance and low-cost photovoltaics. However, for perovskites to become a competitive and reliable solar cell technology their instability and spatial variation must be understood and controlled. While the macroscopic characterization of the devices as a function of time is very informative, a nanoscale identification of their real-time local optoelectronic response is still missing. Here, we implement a four-dimensional imaging method through illuminated heterodyne Kelvin probe force microscopy to spatially (<50 nm) and temporally (16 s/scan) resolve the voltage of perovskite solar cells in a low relative humidity environment. Local open-circuit voltage (V oc ) images show nanoscale sites with voltage variation >300 mV under 1-sun illumination. Surprisingly, regions of voltage that relax in seconds and after several minutes consistently coexist. Time-dependent changes of the local V oc are likely due to intragrain ion migration and are reversible at low injection level. These results show for the first time the real-time transient behavior of the V oc in perovskite solar cells at the nanoscale. Understanding and controlling the light-induced electrical changes that affect device performance are critical to the further development of stable perovskite-based solar technologies.

Exposure, Health and Ecological Effects Review of Engineered Nanoscale Cerium and Cerium Oxide Associated with its Use as a Fuel Additive

EPA Science Inventory

Advances of nanoscale science have produced nanomaterials with unique physical and chemical properties at commercial levels which are now incorporated into over 1000 products. Nanoscale cerium (di) oxide (CeO(2)) has recently gained a wide range of applications which includes coa...

Endocytosis of Nanoscale Systems for Cancer Treatments.

PubMed

Chen, Kai; Li, Xue; Zhu, Hongyan; Gong, Qiyong; Luo, Kui

2017-04-28

Advances of nanoscale systems for cancer treatment have been involved in enabling highly regulated site-specific localization to sub cellular organelles hidden beneath cell membranes. Thus far, the cellular entry of these nanoscale systems has been not fully understood. Endocytosisis a form of active transport in which cell transports elected extracellular molecules (such as proteins, viruses, micro-organisms and nanoscale systems) are allowed into cell interiors by engulfing them in an energy-dependent process. This process appears at the plasma membrane surface and contains internalization of the cell membrane as well as the membrane proteins and lipids of cell. There are multiform pathways of endocytosis for nanoscale systems. Further comprehension for the mechanisms of endocytosis is achieved with a combination of efficient genetic manipulations, cell dynamic imaging, and chemical endocytosis inhibitors. This review provides an account of various endocytic pathways, itemizes current methods to study endocytosis of nanoscale systems, discusses some factors associated with cellular uptake for nanoscale systems and introduces the trafficking behavior for nanoscale systems with active targeting. An insight into the endocytosis mechanism is urgent and significant for developing safe and efficient nanoscale systems for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Apparent isotropic electrical property for electrical brain stimulation (EBS) using magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging (MR-DWI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Mun Bae; Kwon, Oh-In

2018-04-01

Electrical brain stimulation (EBS) is an invasive electrotherapy and technique used in brain neurological disorders through direct or indirect stimulation using a small electric current. EBS has relied on computational modeling to achieve optimal stimulation effects and investigate the internal activations. Magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is commonly useful for diagnosis and investigation of tissue functions in various organs. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measures the intensity of water diffusion within biological tissues using DWI. By measuring trace ADC and magnetic flux density induced by the EBS, we propose a method to extract electrical properties including the effective extracellular ion-concentration (EEIC) and the apparent isotropic conductivity without any auxiliary additional current injection. First, the internal current density due to EBS is recovered using the measured one component of magnetic flux density. We update the EEIC by introducing a repetitive scheme called the diffusion weighting J-substitution algorithm using the recovered current density and the trace ADC. To verify the proposed method, we study an anesthetized canine brain to visualize electrical properties including electrical current density, effective extracellular ion-concentration, and effective isotropic conductivity by applying electrical stimulation of the brain.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Xiaohan

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-01-01

In spite of decades of research, the details of electrical transport in phase-change materials are still debated. In particular, the so-called threshold switching phenomenon that allows the current density to increase steeply when a sufficiently high voltage is applied is still not well understood, even though there is wide consensus that threshold switching is solely of electronic origin. However, the high thermal efficiency and fast thermal dynamics associated with nanoscale phase-change memory (PCM) devices motivate us to reassess a thermally assisted threshold switching mechanism, at least in these devices. The time/temperature dependence of the threshold switching voltage and current in doped Ge2Sb2Te5 nanoscale PCM cells was measured over 6 decades in time at temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 160 °C. We observe a nearly constant threshold switching power across this wide range of operating conditions. We also measured the transient dynamics associated with threshold switching as a function of the applied voltage. By using a field- and temperature-dependent description of the electrical transport combined with a thermal feedback, quantitative agreement with experimental data of the threshold switching dynamics was obtained using realistic physical parameters.

Electrical properties of binary mixtures of amino silicone oil and methyl iso butyl ketone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, K. N.; Rana, V. A.; Vankar, H. P.

2018-05-01

The real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function of the binary mixtures of the methyl iso butyl ketone and amino silicone oil in the frequency range 100 Hz to 2 MHz were measured using precision LCR meter at 305.15 K. The electrical properties such as electrical modulus M*(ω), electrical conductivity σ*(ω) and complex impedance Z*(ω) were calculated using the dielectric function ɛ*(ω). The ionic polarization relaxation time (Τσ) and D.C. conductivity (σdc) were also calculated using electrical properties. The ionic behavior of methyl iso butyl ketone and non-ionic behavior of amino silicone oil are also explained. The electrical parameters are used to gain information about the effect of concentration variation of components of the mixtures on the electrical properties.

Nanoscale Insight and Control of Structural and Electronic Properties of Organic Semiconductor / Metal Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maughan, Bret

Organic semiconductor interfaces are promising materials for use in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. Current models for metal-organic interfacial electronic structure and dynamics are inadequate for strongly hybridized systems. This work aims to address this issue by identifying the factors most important for understanding chemisorbed interfaces with an eye towards tuning the interfacial properties. Here, I present the results of my research on chemisorbed interfaces formed between thin-films of phthalocyanine molecules grown on monocrystalline Cu(110). Using atomically-resolved nanoscale imaging in combination with surface-sensitive photoemission techniques, I show that single-molecule level interactions control the structural and electronic properties of the interface. I then demonstrate that surface modifications aimed at controlling interfacial interactions are an effective way to tailor the physical and electronic structure of the interface. This dissertation details a systematic investigation of the effect of molecular and surface functionalization on interfacial interactions. To understand the role of molecular structure, two types of phthalocyanine (Pc) molecules are studied: non-planar, dipolar molecules (TiOPc), and planar, non-polar molecules (H2Pc and CuPc). Multiple adsorption configurations for TiOPc lead to configuration-dependent self-assembly, Kondo screening, and electronic energy-level alignment. To understand the role of surface structure, the Cu(110) surface is textured and passivated by oxygen chemisorption prior to molecular deposition, which gives control over thin-film growth and interfacial electronic structure in H2Pc and CuPc films. Overall, the work presented here demonstrates a method for understanding interfacial electronic structure of strongly hybridized interfaces, an important first step towards developing more robust models for metal-organic interfaces, and reliable, predictive tuning of interfacial

Simulations of Metallic Nanoscale Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobsen, Karsten W.

2003-03-01

Density-functional-theory calculations can be used to understand and predict materials properties based on their nanoscale composition and structure. In combination with efficient search algorithms DFT can furthermore be applied in the nanoscale design of optimized materials. The first part of the talk will focus on two different types of nanostructures with an interesting interplay between chemical activity and conducting states. MoS2 nanoclusters are known for their catalyzing effect in the hydrodesulfurization process which removes sulfur-containing molecules from oil products. MoS2 is a layered material which is insulating. However, DFT calculations indicates the exsistence of metallic states at some of the edges of MoS2 nanoclusters, and the calculations show that the conducting states are not passivated by for example the presence of hydrogen gas. The edge states may play an important role for the chemical activity of MoS_2. Metallic nanocontacts can be formed during the breaking of a piece of metal, and atomically thin structures with conductance of only a single quantum unit may be formed. Such open metallic structures are chemically very active and susceptible to restructuring through interactions with molecular gases. DFT calculations show for example that atomically thin gold wires may incorporate oxygen atoms forming a new type of metallic nanowire. Adsorbates like hydrogen may also affect the conductance. In the last part of the talk I shall discuss the possibilities for designing alloys with optimal mechanical properties based on a combination of DFT calculations with genetic search algorithms. Simulaneous optimization of several parameters (stability, price, compressibility) is addressed through the determination of Pareto optimal alloy compositions within a large database of more than 64000 alloys.

Nanoscale Chemical Processes Affecting Storage Capacities and Seals during Geologic CO2 Sequestration.

PubMed

Jun, Young-Shin; Zhang, Lijie; Min, Yujia; Li, Qingyun

2017-07-18

Geologic CO 2 sequestration (GCS) is a promising strategy to mitigate anthropogenic CO 2 emission to the atmosphere. Suitable geologic storage sites should have a porous reservoir rock zone where injected CO 2 can displace brine and be stored in pores, and an impermeable zone on top of reservoir rocks to hinder upward movement of buoyant CO 2 . The injection wells (steel casings encased in concrete) pass through these geologic zones and lead CO 2 to the desired zones. In subsurface environments, CO 2 is reactive as both a supercritical (sc) phase and aqueous (aq) species. Its nanoscale chemical reactions with geomedia and wellbores are closely related to the safety and efficiency of CO 2 storage. For example, the injection pressure is determined by the wettability and permeability of geomedia, which can be sensitive to nanoscale mineral-fluid interactions; the sealing safety of the injection sites is affected by the opening and closing of fractures in caprocks and the alteration of wellbore integrity caused by nanoscale chemical reactions; and the time scale for CO 2 mineralization is also largely dependent on the chemical reactivities of the reservoir rocks. Therefore, nanoscale chemical processes can influence the hydrogeological and mechanical properties of geomedia, such as their wettability, permeability, mechanical strength, and fracturing. This Account reviews our group's work on nanoscale chemical reactions and their qualitative impacts on seal integrity and storage capacity at GCS sites from four points of view. First, studies on dissolution of feldspar, an important reservoir rock constituent, and subsequent secondary mineral precipitation are discussed, focusing on the effects of feldspar crystallography, cations, and sulfate anions. Second, interfacial reactions between caprock and brine are introduced using model clay minerals, with focuses on the effects of water chemistries (salinity and organic ligands) and water content on mineral dissolution and

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (Program website, free access)   Currently there is no database matching your keyword search, but the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology website may be of interest. The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology enables science and industry by providing essential measurement methods, instrumentation, and standards to support all phases of nanotechnology development, from discovery to production.

Integrated nanoscale tools for interrogating living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorgolli, Marsela

The development of next-generation, nanoscale technologies that interface biological systems will pave the way towards new understanding of such complex systems. Nanowires -- one-dimensional nanoscale structures -- have shown unique potential as an ideal physical interface to biological systems. Herein, we focus on the development of nanowire-based devices that can enable a wide variety of biological studies. First, we built upon standard nanofabrication techniques to optimize nanowire devices, resulting in perfectly ordered arrays of both opaque (Silicon) and transparent (Silicon dioxide) nanowires with user defined structural profile, densities, and overall patterns, as well as high sample consistency and large scale production. The high-precision and well-controlled fabrication method in conjunction with additional technologies laid the foundation for the generation of highly specialized platforms for imaging, electrochemical interrogation, and molecular biology. Next, we utilized nanowires as the fundamental structure in the development of integrated nanoelectronic platforms to directly interrogate the electrical activity of biological systems. Initially, we generated a scalable intracellular electrode platform based on vertical nanowires that allows for parallel electrical interfacing to multiple mammalian neurons. Our prototype device consisted of 16 individually addressable stimulation/recording sites, each containing an array of 9 electrically active silicon nanowires. We showed that these vertical nanowire electrode arrays could intracellularly record and stimulate neuronal activity in dissociated cultures of rat cortical neurons similar to patch clamp electrodes. In addition, we used our intracellular electrode platform to measure multiple individual synaptic connections, which enables the reconstruction of the functional connectivity maps of neuronal circuits. In order to expand and improve the capability of this functional prototype device we designed

Nanoscale growth twins in sputtered metal films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Misra, Amit; Anderoglu, Osman; Hoagland, Richard G

2008-01-01

We review recent studies on the mechanical properties of sputtered Cu and 330 stainless steel films with {l_brace}1 1 1{r_brace} nanoscale growth twins preferentially oriented perpendicular to growth direction. The mechanisms of formation of growth twins during sputtering and the deformation mechanisms that enable usually high strengths in nanotwinned structures are highlighted. Growth twins in sputtered films possess good thermal stability at elevated temperature, providing an approach to extend the application of high strength nanostructured metals to higher temperatures.

Mechanical and electrical properties of low density polyethylene filled with carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabet, Maziyar; Soleimani, Hassan

2014-08-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reveal outstanding electrical and mechanical properties in addition to nanometer scale diameter and high aspect ratio, consequently, making it an ideal reinforcing agent for high strength polymer composites. Low density polyethylene (LDPE)/CNT composites were prepared via melt compounding. Mechanical and electrical properties of (LDPE)/CNT composites with different CNT contents were studied in this research.

Dielectric Metasurface as a Platform for Spatial Mode Conversion in Nanoscale Waveguides.

PubMed

Ohana, David; Desiatov, Boris; Mazurski, Noa; Levy, Uriel

2016-12-14

We experimentally demonstrate a nanoscale mode converter that performs coupling between the first two transverse electric-like modes of a silicon-on-insulator waveguide. The device operates by introducing a nanoscale periodic perturbation in its effective refractive index along the propagation direction and a graded effective index profile along its transverse direction. The periodic perturbation provides phase matching between the modes, while the graded index profile, which is realized by the implementation of nanoscale dielectric metasurface consisting of silicon features that are etched into the waveguide taking advantage of the effective medium concept, provides the overlap between the modes. Following the device design and numerical analysis using three-dimensional finite difference time domain simulations, we have fabricated the device and characterized it by directly measuring the modal content using optical imaging microscopy. From these measurements, the mode purity is estimated to be 95% and the transmission relative to an unperturbed strip waveguide is as high as 88%. Finally, we extend this approach to accommodate for the coupling between photonic and plasmonic modes. Specifically, we design and numerically demonstrate photonic to plasmonic mode conversion in a hybrid waveguide in which photonic and surface plasmon polariton modes can be guided in the silicon core and in the silicon/metal interface, respectively. The same method can also be used for coupling between symmetric and antisymmetric plasmonic modes in metal-insulator-metal or insulator-metal-insulator structures. On the basis of the current demonstration, we believe that such nanoscale dielectric metasurface-based mode converters can now be realized and become an important building block in future nanoscale photonic and plasmonic devices. Furthermore, the demonstrated platform can be used for the implementation of other chip scale components such as splitters, combiners couplers, and more.

Electrical Properties of an m × n Hammock Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Zhen; Tan, Zhi-Zhong; Zhou, Ling

2018-05-01

Electrical property is an important problem in the field of natural science and physics, which usually involves potential, current and resistance in the electric circuit. We investigate the electrical properties of an arbitrary hammock network, which has not been resolved before, and propose the exact potential formula of an arbitrary m × n hammock network by means of the Recursion-Transform method with current parameters (RT-I) pioneered by one of us [Z. Z. Tan, Phys. Rev. E 91 (2015) 052122], and the branch currents and equivalent resistance of the network are derived naturally. Our key technique is to setting up matrix equations and making matrix transformation, the potential formula derived is a meaningful discovery, which deduces many novel applications. The discovery of potential formula of the hammock network provides new theoretical tools and techniques for related scientific research. Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province under Grant No. BK20161278

Nanoscale Correlated Disorder in Out-of-Equilibrium Myelin Ultrastructure.

PubMed

Campi, Gaetano; Di Gioacchino, Michael; Poccia, Nicola; Ricci, Alessandro; Burghammer, Manfred; Ciasca, Gabriele; Bianconi, Antonio

2018-01-23

Ultrastructural fluctuations at nanoscale are fundamental to assess properties and functionalities of advanced out-of-equilibrium materials. We have taken myelin as a model of supramolecular assembly in out-of-equilibrium living matter. Myelin sheath is a simple stable multilamellar structure of high relevance and impact in biomedicine. Although it is known that myelin has a quasi-crystalline ultrastructure, there is no information on its fluctuations at nanoscale in different states due to limitations of the available standard techniques. To overcome these limitations, we have used scanning micro X-ray diffraction, which is a unique non-invasive probe of both reciprocal and real space to visualize statistical fluctuations of myelin order of the sciatic nerve of Xenopus laevis. The results show that the ultrastructure period of the myelin is stabilized by large anticorrelated fluctuations at nanoscale, between hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers. The ratio between the total thickness of hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers defines the conformational parameter, which describes the different states of myelin. Our key result is that myelin in its out-of-equilibrium functional state fluctuates point-to-point between different conformations showing a correlated disorder described by a Levy distribution. As the system approaches the thermodynamic equilibrium in an aged state, the disorder loses its correlation degree and the structural fluctuation distribution changes to Gaussian. In a denatured state at low pH, it changes to a completely disordered stage. Our results aim to clarify the degradation mechanism in biological systems by associating these states with ultrastructural dynamic fluctuations at nanoscale.

An effective medium approach to modelling the pressure-dependent electrical properties of porous rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Tongcheng

2018-07-01

Understanding the electrical properties of rocks under varying pressure is important for a variety of geophysical applications. This study proposes an approach to modelling the pressure-dependent electrical properties of porous rocks based on an effective medium model. The so-named Textural model uses the aspect ratios and pressure-dependent volume fractions of the pores and the aspect ratio and electrical conductivity of the matrix grains. The pores were represented by randomly oriented stiff and compliant spheroidal shapes with constant aspect ratios, and their pressure-dependent volume fractions were inverted from the measured variation of total porosity with differential pressure using a dual porosity model. The unknown constant stiff and compliant pore aspect ratios and the aspect ratio and electrical conductivity of the matrix grains were inverted by best fitting the modelled electrical formation factor to the measured data. Application of the approach to three sandstone samples covering a broad porosity range showed that the pressure-dependent electrical properties can be satisfactorily modelled by the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that the dual porosity concept is sufficient to explain the electrical properties of porous rocks under pressure through the effective medium model scheme.

Coherent Manipulation of Phonons at the Nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Shangjie; Ouyang, Min

Phonons play a key role in almost every physical process, including for example dephasing phenomena of electronic quantum states, electric and heat transports. Therefore, understanding and even manipulating phonons represent a pre-requisite for tailoring phonons-mediated physical processes. In this talk, we will first present how to employ ultrafast optical spectroscopy to probe acoustic phonon modes in colloidal metallic nanoparticles. Furthermore, we have developed various phonon manipulation schemes that can be achieved by a train of optical pulses in time domain to allow selective control of phonon modes. Our theoretical modeling and simulation demonstrates an excellent agreement with experimental results, thus providing a future guideline on more complex phononic control at the nanoscale.

Electron Microscopy and Analytical X-ray Characterization of Compositional and Nanoscale Structural Changes in Fossil Bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boatman, Elizabeth Marie

The nanoscale structure of compact bone contains several features that are direct indicators of bulk tissue mechanical properties. Fossil bone tissues represent unique opportunities to understand the compact bone structure/property relationships from a deep time perspective, offering a possible array of new insights into bone diseases, biomimicry of composite materials, and basic knowledge of bioapatite composition and nanoscale bone structure. To date, most work with fossil bone has employed microscale techniques and has counter-indicated the survival of bioapatite and other nanoscale structural features. The obvious disconnect between the use of microscale techniques and the discernment of nanoscale structure has prompted this work. The goal of this study was to characterize the nanoscale constituents of fossil compact bone by applying a suite of diffraction, microscopy, and spectrometry techniques, representing the highest levels of spatial and energy resolution available today, and capable of complementary structural and compositional characterization from the micro- to the nanoscale. Fossil dinosaur and crocodile long bone specimens, as well as modern ratite and crocodile femurs, were acquired from the UC Museum of Paleontology. Preserved physiological features of significance were documented with scanning electron microscopy back-scattered imaging. Electron microprobe wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS) revealed fossil bone compositions enriched in fluorine with a complementary loss of oxygen. X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that all specimens were composed of apatite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging revealed preserved nanocrystallinity in the fossil bones and electron diffraction studies further identified these nanocrystallites as apatite. Tomographic analyses of nanoscale elements imaged by TEM and small angle X-ray scattering were performed, with the results of each analysis further indicating that nanoscale structure is

Electrical Transport Properties of Liquid Sn-Sb Binary Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakore, B. Y.; Suthar, P. H.; Khambholja, S. G.; Jani, A. R.

2010-06-01

The study of electrical transport properties viz. electrical resistivity, thermo electrical power and thermal conductivity of liquid Sn-Sb binary alloys have been made by our well recognized single parametric model potential. In the present work, screening functions due to Hartree, Taylor, Ichimaru et al.. Farid et al.. and Sarkar et al.. have been employed to incorporate the exchange and correlation effects. The liquid alloy is studied as a function of its composition at temperature 823 K according to the Faber-Ziman model. Further, thermoelectric power and thermal conductivity have been predicted. The values of electrical resistivity of binary alloys computed with Ichimaru et al. and Farid et al.. screening function are in good agreement with the experimental data.

On the relationship between the dynamic behavior and nanoscale staggered structure of the bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qwamizadeh, Mahan; Zhang, Zuoqi; Zhou, Kun; Zhang, Yong Wei

2015-05-01

Bone, a typical load-bearing biological material, composed of ordinary base materials such as organic protein and inorganic mineral arranged in a hierarchical architecture, exhibits extraordinary mechanical properties. Up to now, most of previous studies focused on its mechanical properties under static loading. However, failure of the bone occurs often under dynamic loading. An interesting question is: Are the structural sizes and layouts of the bone related or even adapted to the functionalities demanded by its dynamic performance? In the present work, systematic finite element analysis was performed on the dynamic response of nanoscale bone structures under dynamic loading. It was found that for a fixed mineral volume fraction and unit cell area, there exists a nanoscale staggered structure at some specific feature size and layout which exhibits the fastest attenuation of stress waves. Remarkably, these specific feature sizes and layouts are in excellent agreement with those experimentally observed in the bone at the same scale, indicating that the structural size and layout of the bone at the nanoscale are evolutionarily adapted to its dynamic behavior. The present work points out the importance of dynamic effect on the biological evolution of load-bearing biological materials.

Electrical properties of undoped zinc oxide nanostructures at different annealing temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasir, M. F., E-mail: babaibaik2002@yahoo.com; Zainol, M. N., E-mail: nizarzainol@yahoo.com; Hannas, M., E-mail: mhannas@gmail.com

This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different annealing temperature which is varied 400 °C, 450 °C, 500 °C, and 550 °C.Undoped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thin films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 500 °C which itsmore » resistivity is 5.36 × 10{sup 4} Ωcm{sup −1}. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer measurement shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800 nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800 nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.« less

Quantification of nanoscale density fluctuations by electron microscopy: probing cellular alterations in early carcinogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, Prabhakar; Damania, Dhwanil; Joshi, Hrushikesh M.; Turzhitsky, Vladimir; Subramanian, Hariharan; Roy, Hemant K.; Taflove, Allen; Dravid, Vinayak P.; Backman, Vadim

2011-04-01

Most cancers are curable if they are diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Recent studies suggest that nanoarchitectural changes occur within cells during early carcinogenesis and that such changes precede microscopically evident tissue alterations. It follows that the ability to comprehensively interrogate cell nanoarchitecture (e.g., macromolecular complexes, DNA, RNA, proteins and lipid membranes) could be critical to the diagnosis of early carcinogenesis. We present a study of the nanoscale mass-density fluctuations of biological tissues by quantifying their degree of disorder at the nanoscale. Transmission electron microscopy images of human tissues are used to construct corresponding effective disordered optical lattices. The properties of nanoscale disorder are then studied by statistical analysis of the inverse participation ratio (IPR) of the spatially localized eigenfunctions of these optical lattices at the nanoscale. Our results show an increase in the disorder of human colonic epithelial cells in subjects harboring early stages of colon neoplasia. Furthermore, our findings strongly suggest that increased nanoscale disorder correlates with the degree of tumorigenicity. Therefore, the IPR technique provides a practicable tool for the detection of nanoarchitectural alterations in the earliest stages of carcinogenesis. Potential applications of the technique for early cancer screening and detection are also discussed. Originally submitted for the special focus issue on physical oncology.

Variation of the electric properties along the diaphysis of bovine femoral bone.

PubMed

De Mercato, G; García Sánchez, F J

1991-07-01

A preliminary study is presented of the variability of the electric properties, in the axial, tangential and radial directions, as a function of position in the diaphysis of a femoral bovine bone. The measurements were carried out at three frequencies: 100 Hz, 10 kHz and 1 MHz. It is shown that both the conductivity and the permittivity exhibit significant variations along the diaphysis, and increase in magnitude towards the epiphyses. From this study, the variation of the electric properties cannot be clearly and directly ascribed to the longitudinal variability of the total volumetric fluid content of the bone. The results reflect the orthotropic nature of the electric properties, at any given location, and indicate a position-dependent tendency towards axis symmetry.

Surface electrical properties experiment study phase, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The choice of an antenna for a subsurface radio sounding experiment is discussed. The radiation properties of the antennas as placed on the surface of the medium is examined. The objective of the lunar surface electrical properties experiment is described. A numerical analysis of the dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability of a subsurface domain is developed. The application of electromagnetic field measurements between one or more transmitting antennas and a roving receiving station is explained.

Composite Materials with Magnetically Aligned Carbon Nanoparticles Having Enhanced Electrical Properties and Methods of Preparation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, G.P. (Bud) (Inventor); Hong, Haiping (Inventor); Salem, David R. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

Magnetically aligned carbon nanoparticle composites have enhanced electrical properties. The composites comprise carbon nanoparticles, a host material, magnetically sensitive nanoparticles and a surfactant. In addition to enhanced electrical properties, the composites can have enhanced mechanical and thermal properties.

Modeling of Stiffness and Strength of Bone at Nanoscale.

PubMed

Abueidda, Diab W; Sabet, Fereshteh A; Jasiuk, Iwona M

2017-05-01

Two distinct geometrical models of bone at the nanoscale (collagen fibril and mineral platelets) are analyzed computationally. In the first model (model I), minerals are periodically distributed in a staggered manner in a collagen matrix while in the second model (model II), minerals form continuous layers outside the collagen fibril. Elastic modulus and strength of bone at the nanoscale, represented by these two models under longitudinal tensile loading, are studied using a finite element (FE) software abaqus. The analysis employs a traction-separation law (cohesive surface modeling) at various interfaces in the models to account for interfacial delaminations. Plane stress, plane strain, and axisymmetric versions of the two models are considered. Model II is found to have a higher stiffness than model I for all cases. For strength, the two models alternate the superiority of performance depending on the inputs and assumptions used. For model II, the axisymmetric case gives higher results than the plane stress and plane strain cases while an opposite trend is observed for model I. For axisymmetric case, model II shows greater strength and stiffness compared to model I. The collagen-mineral arrangement of bone at nanoscale forms a basic building block of bone. Thus, knowledge of its mechanical properties is of high scientific and clinical interests.

Effects of Combined Stressing on the Electrical Properties of Film and Ceramic Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Overton, Eric; Hammoud, Ahmad N.; Baumann, Eric D.; Myers, Ira T.

1994-01-01

Advanced power systems which generate, control, and distribute electrical power to many large loads are a requirement for future space exploration missions. The development of high temperature insulating materials and power components constitute a key element in systems which are lightweight, efficient, and are capable of surviving the hostile space environment. In previous work, experiments were carried out to evaluate film and ceramic capacitors for potential use in high temperature applications. The effects of thermal stressing, in air and without electrical bias, on the electrical properties of the capacitors as a function of thermal aging up to 12 weeks were determined. In this work, the combined effects of thermal aging and electrical stresses on the properties of teflon film and ceramic power capacitors were examined. The ceramic capacitors were thermally aged for 35 weeks and the teflon capacitors for 15 weeks at 200 C under full electrical bias and were characterized, on a weekly basis, in terms of their capacitance stability and electrical loss in the frequency range of 50 Hz to 100 kHz. DC leakage current measurements were also obtained. The results obtained represent the influence that short-term thermal aging and electrical bias have on the electrical properties of the power capacitors characterized.

Predicting Properties of Unidirectional-Nanofiber Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, Christos C.; Handler, Louis M.; Manderscheid, Jane

2008-01-01

A theory for predicting mechanical, thermal, electrical, and other properties of unidirectional-nanofiber/matrix composite materials is based on the prior theory of micromechanics of composite materials. In the development of the present theory, the prior theory of micromechanics was extended, through progressive substructuring, to the level of detail of a nanoscale slice of a nanofiber. All the governing equations were then formulated at this level. The substructuring and the equations have been programmed in the ICAN/JAVA computer code, which was reported in "ICAN/JAVA: Integrated Composite Analyzer Recoded in Java" (LEW-17247), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 12 (December 2002), page 36. In a demonstration, the theory as embodied in the computer code was applied to a graphite-nanofiber/epoxy laminate and used to predict 25 properties. Most of the properties were found to be distributed along the through-the-thickness direction. Matrix-dependent properties were found to have bimodal through-the-thickness distributions with discontinuous changes from mode to mode.

Nanoscale measurement of Nernst effect in two-dimensional charge density wave material 1T-TaS 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

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

Advances in nanoscale material characterization on two-dimensional van der Waals layered materials primarily involve their optical and electronic properties. The thermal properties of these materials are harder to access due to the difficulty of thermal measurements at the nanoscale. In this work, we create a nanoscale magnetothermal device platform to access the basic out-of-plane magnetothermal transport properties of ultrathin van der Waals materials. Specifically, the Nernst effect in the charge density wave transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS 2 is examined on nano-thin flakes in a patterned device structure. It is revealed that near the commensurate charge density wave (CCDW) to nearlymore » commensurate charge density wave (NCCDW) phase transition, the polarity of the Nernst effect changes. Since the Nernst effect is especially sensitive to changes in the Fermi surface, this suggests that large changes are occurring in the out-of-plane electronic structure of 1T-TaS 2, which are otherwise unresolved in just in-plane electronic transport measurements. This may signal a coherent evolution of out-of-plane stacking in the CCDW! NCCDW transition.« less

Nanoscale insight into the p-n junction of alkali-incorporated Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells

DOE PAGES

Stokes, Adam; Al-Jassim, Mowafak; Norman, Andrew; ...

2017-04-05

The effects of alkali diffusion and post-deposition treatment in three-stage processed Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells are examined by using atom probe tomography and electrical property measurements. Cells, for which the substrate was treated at 650 °C to induce alkali diffusion from the substrate prior to absorber deposition, exhibited high open-circuit voltage (758 mV) and efficiency (18.2%) and also exhibited a 50 to 100-nm-thick ordered vacancy compound layer at the metallurgical junction. Surprisingly, these high-temperature samples exhibited higher concentrations of K at the junction (1.8 at.%) than post-deposition treatment samples (0.4 at.%). A model that uses Ga/(Ga + In) and Cu/(Gamore » + In) profiles to predict bandgaps (+/-17.9 meV) of 22 Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells reported in literature was discussed and ultimately used to predict band properties at the nanoscale by using atom probe tomography data. The high-temperature samples exhibited a greater drop in the valence band maximum (200 meV) due to a lower Cu/(Ga + In) ratio than the post-deposition treatment samples. There was an anticorrelation of K concentrations and Cu/(Ga + In) ratios for all samples, regardless of processing conditions. In conclusion, changes in elemental profiles at the active junctions correlate well with the electrical behaviour of these devices.« less

Electron tunneling in nanoscale electrodes for battery applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-03-01

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

Nanoscale potentiometry.

PubMed

Bakker, Eric; Pretsch, Ernö

2008-01-01

Potentiometric sensors share unique characteristics that set them apart from other electrochemical sensors. Potentiometric nanoelectrodes have been reported and successfully used for many decades, and we review these developments. Current research chiefly focuses on nanoscale films at the outer or the inner side of the membrane, with outer layers for increasing biocompatibility, expanding the sensor response, or improving the limit of detection (LOD). Inner layers are mainly used for stabilizing the response and eliminating inner aqueous contacts or undesired nanoscale layers of water. We also discuss the ultimate detectability of ions with such sensors and the power of coupling the ultra-low LODs of ion-selective electrodes with nanoparticle labels to give attractive bioassays that can compete with state-of-the-art electrochemical detection.

Electrically insulating thermal nano-oils using 2D fillers.

PubMed

Taha-Tijerina, Jaime; Narayanan, Tharangattu N; Gao, Guanhui; Rohde, Matthew; Tsentalovich, Dmitri A; Pasquali, Matteo; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2012-02-28

Different nanoscale fillers have been used to create composite fluids for applications such as thermal management. The ever increasing thermal loads in applications now require advanced operational fluids, for example, high thermal conductivity dielectric oils in transformers. These oils require excellent filler dispersion, high thermal conduction, but also electrical insulation. Such thermal oils that conform to this thermal/electrical requirement, and yet remain in highly suspended stable state, have not yet been synthesized. We report here the synthesis and characterization of stable high thermal conductivity Newtonian nanofluids using exfoliated layers of hexagonal boron nitride in oil without compromising its electrically insulating property. Two-dimensional nanosheets of hexagonal boron nitride are liquid exfoliated in isopropyl alcohol and redispersed in mineral oil, used as standard transformer oil, forming stable nanosuspensions with high shelf life. A high electrical resistivity, even higher than that of the base oil, is maintained for the nano-oil containing small weight fraction of the filler (0.01 wt %), whereas the thermal conductivity was enhanced. The low dissipation factor and high pour point for this nano-oil suggests several applications in thermal management.

Adhesion-dependent negative friction coefficient on chemically modified graphite at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Zhao; Smolyanitsky, Alex; Li, Qunyang; Feng, Xi-Qiao; Cannara, Rachel J.

2012-12-01

From the early tribological studies of Leonardo da Vinci to Amontons’ law, friction has been shown to increase with increasing normal load. This trend continues to hold at the nanoscale, where friction can vary nonlinearly with normal load. Here we present nanoscale friction force microscopy (FFM) experiments for a nanoscale probe tip sliding on a chemically modified graphite surface in an atomic force microscope (AFM). Our results demonstrate that, when adhesion between the AFM tip and surface is enhanced relative to the exfoliation energy of graphite, friction can increase as the load decreases under tip retraction. This leads to the emergence of an effectively negative coefficient of friction in the low-load regime. We show that the magnitude of this coefficient depends on the ratio of tip-sample adhesion to the exfoliation energy of graphite. Through both atomistic- and continuum-based simulations, we attribute this unusual phenomenon to a reversible partial delamination of the topmost atomic layers, which then mimic few- to single-layer graphene. Lifting of these layers with the AFM tip leads to greater deformability of the surface with decreasing applied load. This discovery suggests that the lamellar nature of graphite yields nanoscale tribological properties outside the predictive capacity of existing continuum mechanical models.

Monitoring electrical properties for improving the lithological and hydrological characterization of landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malet, J. P.; Gance, J.; Lajaunie, M.; Gallistl, J.; Denchik, N.; Flores Orozco, A.; Ottowitz, D.; Supper, R.; Sailhac, P.; Gautier, S.; Schmutz, M.

2017-12-01

Imaging water flows in landslides is of critical importance as the distribution of pore-fluid pressures controls the dynamics (acceleration, deceleration) of the material. Detecting and imaging water is a difficult task, not only because of the complex topography and the small dimensions of the geological structures, but also because the landslide material consists of unsaturated porous and heterogeneous fractured media, leading to multi-scale water-flow properties. Further, these properties can change in time, in relation to temperature, rainfall and biological forcings. Electrical properties are relevant proxies of the sub-surface hydrological properties. In order to image water in landslide bodies, we propose to combine multi-frequency electrical and electromagnetic measurements using campaigns or permanent instruments, and surface/boreole investigations, installed on several unstable slopes in France. To evaluate the information gained from electrical properties for different geological conditions, we discuss electrical and electro-magnetic imaging results for data collected at four different landslides located in France (Super-Sauze and La Valette in the South East Alps, Lodève lin the southern border of the Massif Central Massif, and Séchilienne in the North French Alps). Time-lapse electrical DC resistivity observations, complex electrical conductivity (conduction and polarization/chargeability) measured by IP imaging methods, and controlled-source electromagnetic (CS-AMT) methods are discussed. Imaging results demonstrate an improved lithological characterization of the landslide structures (delineation of the sliding planes, identification of the fractures, discrimination of clay lenses with enhanced resolution); further, water infiltration within the soil matrix and/or the fractures is discriminated allowing better modelling of the hydrological regime of the landslides at the slope scale. This research is conducted in the frame of the project HYDROSLIDE

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Controllable Electrical Conductivity and Water Adhesion.

PubMed

Ye, Lijun; Guan, Jipeng; Li, Zhixiang; Zhao, Jingxin; Ye, Cuicui; You, Jichun; Li, Yongjin

2017-02-14

A facile and versatile strategy for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces with controllable electrical conductivity and water adhesion is reported. "Vine-on-fence"-structured and cerebral cortex-like superhydrophobic surfaces are constructed by filtering a suspension of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), using polyoxymethylene nonwovens as the filter paper. The nonwovens with micro- and nanoporous two-tier structures act as the skeleton, introducing a microscale structure. The MWCNTs act as nanoscale structures, creating hierarchical surface roughness. The surface topography and the electrical conductivity of the superhydrophobic surfaces are controlled by varying the MWCNT loading. The vine-on-fence-structured surfaces exhibit "sticky" superhydrophobicity with high water adhesion. The cerebral cortex-like surfaces exhibit self-cleaning properties with low water adhesion. The as-prepared superhydrophobic surfaces are chemically resistant to acidic and alkaline environments of pH 2-12. They therefore have potential in applications such as droplet-based microreactors and thin-film microextraction. These findings aid our understanding of the role that surface topography plays in the design and fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with different water-adhesion properties.

Variation in the electrical properties of ion beam irradiated cadmium selenate nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chauhan, R. P., E-mail: chauhanrpc@gmail.com; Narula, Chetna; Panchal, Suresh

The key feature of nanowires consists in the pronounced change in properties induced by the low dimensionality and high surface to volume ratio. The study of electrical transport properties of nanowires is important for electronic device applications. Energetic ions create changes, which may be structural or chemical, in a material along their track and these changes might alter the material’s properties. The demand of the modern technology is to understand the effect of radiation on the different properties of the material for its further applications. The present study is on the high-energy Nickel ion beam (160 MeV Ni{sup +12}) induced modificationsmore » in the electrical and structural properties of the cadmium selenate nanowires. An enhancement in the electrical conductivity of irradiated wires was observed as the ion fluence was increased especially in the forward I–V characteristics. The creation of defects by ion irradiation and the synergy of the ions during their passage in the sample with the intrinsic charge carriers may be responsible for the variation in the transport properties of the irradiated nanowires.« less

Electrical properties of double layer dielectric structures for space technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Anqing

1993-04-01

Polymeric films such as polyimide (PI) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are used in space technology as thermal blankets. Thin SiO2 and SiN coatings plasma deposited onto PI and PET surfaces were proposed to protect the blanket materials against the space environment. The electrical properties of this kind of dual layer dielectric structure were investigated to understand the mechanisms for suppressing charge accumulation and flashover. Bulk and surface electrical conductivities of thin single-layer PI and PET samples and of the dual layer SiO2 and SiN combinations with PI and PET were measured in a range of applied electrical fields. The capacitance voltage (CV) technique was used for analyzing charge transport and distribution in the structures. The electric current in the bulk of the SiO2/PI and SiN/PI samples was found to depend on the polarity of the electric field. Other samples did not exhibit any such polarity effect. The polarity dependence is attributed to charge trapping at the PI/plasma deposit interface. The CV characteristics of the Al-PI-SiO2-Si structure confirm that charges which can modify the local electric field can be trapped near the interface. A model is proposed to interpret the properties of the currents in dual layer structures. This model can semi-quantitatively explain all the observed results.

Cryogenic electrical properties of irradiated cyanate ester/epoxy insulation for fusion magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Wu, Z. X.; Li, J.; Xu, D.; Liu, H. M.; Huang, R. J.; Li, L. F.

2017-12-01

The insulation materials used in high field fusion magnets require excellent mechanical properties, high electrical breakdown strength, good thermal conductivity and high radiation tolerance. Previous investigations showed that cyanate ester/epoxy (CE/EP) insulation material, a candidate insulation for fusion magnets, can maintain good mechanical performance at cryogenic temperature after 10 MGy irradiation and has a much longer pot life than traditional epoxy insulation material. In order to quantify the electrical properties of the CE/EP insulation material at low temperature, a cryogenic electrical property testing system cooled by a G-M cryocooler was developed for this study. An insulation material with 40% cyanate ester and 60% epoxy was subjected to 60Co γ-ray irradiation in air at ambient temperature with a dose rate of 300 Gy/min, and total doses of 1 MGy, 5 MGy and 10 MGy. The electrical breakdown strength of this CE/EP insulation material was measured before and after irradiation. The results show that cryogenic temperature has a positive effect on the electrical breakdown strength of this composite, while the influence of 60Co γ-ray irradiation is not obvious at 6.1 K.

Mechanical and electrical properties of low temperature phase MnBi

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Xiujuan; Roosendaal, Timothy; Lu, Xiaochuan; ...

2016-01-21

The low temperature phase (LTP) MnBi is a promising rare-earth-free permanent magnet material due to its high intrinsic coercivity and its large positive temperature coefficient. While scientists are making progress on fabricating bulk MnBi magnets, engineers have started to consider MnBi magnet for motor applications. In addition to the magnetic properties, there are other physical properties that could significantly affect a motor design. Here, we report the results of our investigation on the mechanical and electrical properties of bulk LTP MnBi and their dependence on temperature. We found at room temperature the sintered MnBi magnet fractures when the compression stressmore » exceeds 193 MPa; and its room temperature electric resistance is about 6.85 μΩ-m.« less

Electrical and absorption properties of fresh cassava tubers and cassava starch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnsoongnoen, S.; Siritaratiwat, A.

2015-09-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the electrical and absorption properties of fresh cassava tubers and cassava starch at various frequencies using electric impedance spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy, as well as determine the classification of the electrical parameters of both materials using the principle component analysis (PCA) method. All samples were measured at room temperature. The electrical and absorption parameters consisted of dielectric constant, dissipation factor, parallel capacitance, resistance, reactance, impedance and absorbance. It was found that the electrical and absorption properties of fresh cassava tubers and cassava starch were a function of frequency, and there were significant differences between the materials. The dielectric constant, parallel capacitance, resistance and impedance of fresh cassava tubers and cassava starch had similar dramatic decreases with increasing frequency. However, the reactance of both materials increased with an increasing frequency. The electrical parameters of both materials could be classified into two groups. Moreover, the dissipation factor and phase of impedance were the parameters that could be used in the separation of both materials. According to the absorbance patterns of the fresh cassava tubers and cassava starch, there were significant differences.

Modification of electrical properties of silicon dioxide through intrinsic nano-patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majee, Subimal; Barshilia, Devesh; Banerjee, Debashree; Kumar, Sanjeev; Mishra, Prabhash; Akhtar, Jamil

2018-05-01

The inherent network of nanopores and voids in silicon dioxide (SiO2) is generally undesirable for aspects of film quality, electrical insulation and dielectric performance. However, if we view these pores as natural nano-patterns embedded in a dielectric matrix then that opens up new vistas for exploration. The nano-pattern platform can be used to tailor electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanical properties of the carrier film. In this article we report the tunable electrical properties of thermal SiO2 thin-film achieved through utilization of the metal-nanopore network where the pores are filled with metallic Titanium (Ti). Without any intentional chemical doping, we have shown that the electrical resistivity of the oxide film can be controlled through physical filling up of the intrinsic oxide nanopores with Ti. The electrical resistivity of the composite film remains constant even after complete removal of the metal from the film surface except the pores. Careful morphological, electrical and structural analyses are carried out to establish that the presence of Ti in the nanopores play a crucial role in the observed conductive nature of the nanoporous film.

Effect of the microstructure on electrical properties of high-purity germanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podkopaev, O. I.; Shimanskii, A. F.; Molotkovskaya, N. O.; Kulakovskaya, T. V.

2013-05-01

The interrelation between the electrical properties and the microstructure of high-purity germanium crystals has been revealed. The electrical conductivity of polycrystalline samples increases and the life-time of nonequilibrium charge carriers in them decreases with a decrease in the crystallite sizes.

Electrical properties of Mg doped ZnO nanostructure annealed at different temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, R., E-mail: ruziana12@gmail.com; Mamat, M. H., E-mail: hafiz-030@yahoo.com; Rusop, M., E-mail: nanouitm@gmail.com

In this work, ZincOxide (ZnO) nanostructures doped with Mg were successfully grown on the glass substrate. Magnesium (Mg) metal element was added in the ZnO host which acts as a doping agent. Different temperature in range of 250°C to 500°C was used in order to investigate the effect of annealing temperature of ZnO thin films. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to investigate the physical characteristic of ZnO thin films. FESEM results have revealed that ZnO nanorods were grown vertically aligned. The structural properties were determined by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. XRD results showed Mg doped ZnOmore » thin have highest crystalinnity at 500°C annealing temperature. The electrical properties were investigating by using Current-Voltage (I-V) measurement. I-V measurement showed the electrical properties were varied at different annealing temperature. The annealing temperature at 500°C has the highest electrical conductance properties.« less

Bio-Organic Nanotechnology: Using Proteins and Synthetic Polymers for Nanoscale Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molnar, Linda K.; Xu, Ting; Trent, Jonathan D.; Russell, Thomas P.

2003-01-01

While the ability of proteins to self-assemble makes them powerful tools in nanotechnology, in biological systems protein-based structures ultimately depend on the context in which they form. We combine the self-assembling properties of synthetic diblock copolymers and proteins to construct intricately ordered, three-dimensional polymer protein structures with the ultimate goal of forming nano-scale devices. This hybrid approach takes advantage of the capabilities of organic polymer chemistry to build ordered structures and the capabilities of genetic engineering to create proteins that are selective for inorganic or organic substrates. Here, microphase-separated block copolymers coupled with genetically engineered heat shock proteins are used to produce nano-scale patterning that maximizes the potential for both increased structural complexity and integrity.

Measuring nanoscale viscoelastic parameters of cells directly from AFM force-displacement curves.

PubMed

Efremov, Yuri M; Wang, Wen-Horng; Hardy, Shana D; Geahlen, Robert L; Raman, Arvind

2017-05-08

Force-displacement (F-Z) curves are the most commonly used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) mode to measure the local, nanoscale elastic properties of soft materials like living cells. Yet a theoretical framework has been lacking that allows the post-processing of F-Z data to extract their viscoelastic constitutive parameters. Here, we propose a new method to extract nanoscale viscoelastic properties of soft samples like living cells and hydrogels directly from conventional AFM F-Z experiments, thereby creating a common platform for the analysis of cell elastic and viscoelastic properties with arbitrary linear constitutive relations. The method based on the elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle was validated using finite element (FE) simulations and by comparison with the existed AFM techniques on living cells and hydrogels. The method also allows a discrimination of which viscoelastic relaxation model, for example, standard linear solid (SLS) or power-law rheology (PLR), best suits the experimental data. The method was used to extract the viscoelastic properties of benign and cancerous cell lines (NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, NMuMG epithelial, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells). Finally, we studied the changes in viscoelastic properties related to tumorigenesis including TGF-β induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition on NMuMG cells and Syk expression induced phenotype changes in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Highly repeatable nanoscale phase coexistence in vanadium dioxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-02-01

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

Mn valence, magnetic, and electrical properties of LaMnO3+δ nanofibers by electrospinning.

PubMed

Zhou, Xianfeng; Xue, Jiang; Zhou, Defeng; Wang, Zhongli; Bai, Yijia; Wu, Xiaojie; Liu, Xiaojuan; Meng, Jian

2010-10-01

LaMnO3+δ nanofibers have been prepared by electrospinning. The nearly 70% of Mn atoms is Mn4+, which is much higher than that in the nanoparticles. The average grain size of our fibers is approximately 20 nm, which is the critical size producing the nanoscale effect. The nanofibers exhibit a very broad magnetic transition with Tc≈255 K, and the Tc onset is around 310 K. The blocking temperature TB is 180 K. The sample shows weak ferromagnetic property above the TB and below Tc and superparamagnetic property near the Tc onset. The resistivity measurements show a metal-insulator transition near 210 K and an upturn at about 45 K.

Correlative transmission electron microscopy and electrical properties study of switchable phase-change random access memory line cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oosthoek, J. L. M.; Kooi, B. J., E-mail: B.J.Kooi@rug.nl; Voogt, F. C.

2015-02-14

Phase-change memory line cells, where the active material has a thickness of 15 nm, were prepared for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation such that they still could be switched and characterized electrically after the preparation. The result of these observations in comparison with detailed electrical characterization showed (i) normal behavior for relatively long amorphous marks, resulting in a hyperbolic dependence between SET resistance and SET current, indicating a switching mechanism based on initially long and thin nanoscale crystalline filaments which thicken gradually, and (ii) anomalous behavior, which holds for relatively short amorphous marks, where initially directly a massive crystalline filament ismore » formed that consumes most of the width of the amorphous mark only leaving minor residual amorphous regions at its edges. The present results demonstrate that even in (purposely) thick TEM samples, the TEM sample preparation hampers the probability to observe normal behavior and it can be debated whether it is possible to produce electrically switchable TEM specimen in which the memory cells behave the same as in their original bulk embedded state.« less

Correlative transmission electron microscopy and electrical properties study of switchable phase-change random access memory line cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oosthoek, J. L. M.; Voogt, F. C.; Attenborough, K.; Verheijen, M. A.; Hurkx, G. A. M.; Gravesteijn, D. J.; Kooi, B. J.

2015-02-01

Phase-change memory line cells, where the active material has a thickness of 15 nm, were prepared for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation such that they still could be switched and characterized electrically after the preparation. The result of these observations in comparison with detailed electrical characterization showed (i) normal behavior for relatively long amorphous marks, resulting in a hyperbolic dependence between SET resistance and SET current, indicating a switching mechanism based on initially long and thin nanoscale crystalline filaments which thicken gradually, and (ii) anomalous behavior, which holds for relatively short amorphous marks, where initially directly a massive crystalline filament is formed that consumes most of the width of the amorphous mark only leaving minor residual amorphous regions at its edges. The present results demonstrate that even in (purposely) thick TEM samples, the TEM sample preparation hampers the probability to observe normal behavior and it can be debated whether it is possible to produce electrically switchable TEM specimen in which the memory cells behave the same as in their original bulk embedded state.

A Review on Resistive Switching in High-k Dielectrics: A Nanoscale Point of View Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscope

PubMed Central

Lanza, Mario

2014-01-01

Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structures have raised as the most promising configuration for next generation information storage, leading to great performance and fabrication-friendly Resistive Random Access Memories (RRAM). In these cells, the memory concept is no more based on the charge storage, but on tuning the electrical resistance of the insulating layer by applying electrical stresses to reach a high resistive state (HRS or “0”) and a low resistive state (LRS or “1”), which makes the memory point. Some high-k dielectrics show this unusual property and in the last years high-k based RRAM have been extensively analyzed, especially at the device level. However, as resistance switching (in the most promising cells) is a local phenomenon that takes place in areas of ~100 nm2, the use of characterization tools with high lateral spatial resolution is necessary. In this paper the status of resistive switching in high-k materials is reviewed from a nanoscale point of view by means of conductive atomic force microscope analyses. PMID:28788561

PREFACE: Superconductivity in ultrathin films and nanoscale systems Superconductivity in ultrathin films and nanoscale systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianconi, Antonio; Bose, Sangita; Garcia-Garcia, Antonio Miguel

2012-12-01

systems. In addition, the role of thermodynamic fluctuations on superconducting properties has been extensively studied in the context of nanoparticles and nanowires both experimentally and theoretically. In the past decade, a lot of work has been initiated in the area of interface superconductivity where different techniques have been demonstrated to tune Tc. Although the progress in this field has deepened our understanding of nanoscale superconductors, there are several open and key questions which need to be addressed. Some of these are: (1) can superconductivity be enhanced and Tc increased in nanostructures with respect to the bulk limit and if so, how can it be controlled? (2) What are the theoretical and experimental limits for the enhancement and control of superconductivity? (3) Can the phenomena identified in conventional nanostructures shed light on phenomena in high Tc superconductors and vice versa? (4) How will the new fundamental physics of superconductivity at the nanoscale promote advances in nanotechnology applications and vice versa? The papers in this focus section reflect the advances made in this field, in particular in nanowires and nanofilms, but also attempt to answer some of the key open questions outlined above. The theoretical papers explore unconventional quantum phenomena such as the role of confinement in the dynamics of single Cooper pairs in isolated grains [1] and Fano resonances in superconducting gaps in multi-condensate superconductors near a 2.5 Lifshitz transition [2]. Here a new emerging class of quantum phenomena of fundamental physics appear at the Bose-BCS crossover in multi-condensate superconductors [2]. Nanosize effects can now be manipulated by controlling defects in layered oxides [3]. A new approach is provided by controlling the self-organization of oxygen interstitials in layered copper oxides that show an intrinsic nanoscale phase separation [4]. In this case a non-trivial distribution of superconducting nanograins

Electrical properties of 0.4 cm long single walled nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhen

2005-03-01

Centimeter scale aligned carbon nanotube arrays are grown from nanoparticle/metal catalyst pads[1]. We find the nanotubes grow both with and ``against the wind.'' A metal underlayer provides in-situ electrical contact to these long nanotubes with no post growth processing needed. Using the electrically contacted nanotubes, we study electrical transport of 0.4 cm long nanotubes[2]. Using this data, we are able to determine the resistance of a nanotube as a function of length quantitatively, since the contact resistance is negligible in these long nanotubes. The source drain I-V curves are quantitatively described by a classical, diffusive model. Our measurements show that the outstanding transport properties of nanotubes can be extended to the cm scale and open the door to large scale integrated nanotube circuits with macroscopic dimensions. These are the longest electrically contacted single walled nanotubes measured to date. [1] Zhen Yu, Shengdong Li, Peter J. Burke, ``Synthesis of Aligned Arrays of Millimeter Long, Straight Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes,'' Chemistry of Materials, 16(18), 3414-3416 (2004). [2] Shengdong Li, Zhen Yu, Christopher Rutherglen, Peter J. Burke, ``Electrical properties of 0.4 cm long single-walled carbon nanotubes'' Nano Letters, 4(10), 2003-2007 (2004).

Cell-specific STORM superresolution imaging reveals nanoscale organization of cannabinoid signaling

PubMed Central

Szabó, Szilárd I.; Szabadits, Eszter; Pintér, Balázs; Woodhams, Stephen G.; Henstridge, Christopher M.; Balla, Gyula Y.; Nyilas, Rita; Varga, Csaba; Lee, Sang-Hun; Matolcsi, Máté; Cervenak, Judit; Kacskovics, Imre; Watanabe, Masahiko; Sagheddu, Claudia; Melis, Miriam; Pistis, Marco; Soltesz, Ivan; Katona, István

2014-01-01

A major challenge in neuroscience is to determine the nanoscale position and quantity of signaling molecules in a cell-type-, and subcellular compartment-specific manner. We therefore developed a novel approach combining cell-specific physiological and anatomical characterization with superresolution imaging, and studied the molecular and structural parameters shaping the physiological properties of synaptic endocannabinoid signaling in the mouse hippocampus. We found that axon terminals of perisomatically-projecting GABAergic interneurons possess increased CB1 receptor number, active-zone complexity, and receptor/effector ratio compared to dendritically-projecting interneurons, in agreement with higher efficiency of cannabinoid signaling at somatic versus dendritic synapses. Furthermore, chronic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol administration, which reduces cannabinoid efficacy on GABA release, evoked dramatic CB1-downregulation in a dose-dependent manner. Full receptor recovery required several weeks after cessation of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol treatment. These findings demonstrate that cell-type-specific nanoscale analysis of endogenous protein distribution is possible in brain circuits, and identify novel molecular properties controlling endocannabinoid signaling and cannabis-induced cognitive dysfunction. PMID:25485758

Can amorphization take place in nanoscale interconnects?

PubMed

Kumar, S; Joshi, K L; van Duin, A C T; Haque, M A

2012-03-09

The trend of miniaturization has highlighted the problems of heat dissipation and electromigration in nanoelectronic device interconnects, but not amorphization. While amorphization is known to be a high pressure and/or temperature phenomenon, we argue that defect density is the key factor, while temperature and pressure are only the means. For nanoscale interconnects carrying modest current density, large vacancy concentrations may be generated without the necessity of high temperature or pressure due to the large fraction of grain boundaries and triple points. To investigate this hypothesis, we performed in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) experiments on 200 nm thick (80 nm average grain size) aluminum specimens. Electron diffraction patterns indicate partial amorphization at modest current density of about 10(5) A cm(-2), which is too low to trigger electromigration. Since amorphization results in drastic decrease in mechanical ductility as well as electrical and thermal conductivity, further increase in current density to about 7 × 10(5) A cm(-2) resulted in brittle fracture failure. Our molecular dynamics (MD) simulations predict the formation of amorphous regions in response to large mechanical stresses (due to nanoscale grain size) and excess vacancies at the cathode side of the thin films. The findings of this study suggest that amorphization can precede electromigration and thereby play a vital role in the reliability of micro/nanoelectronic devices.

NANOSCALE BIOSENSORS IN ECOSYSTEM EXPOSURE RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

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

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

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

2016-01-14

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

Simulation study on heat conduction of a nanoscale phase-change random access memory cell.

PubMed

Kim, Junho; Song, Ki-Bong

2006-11-01

We have investigated heat transfer characteristics of a nano-scale phase-change random access memory (PRAM) cell using finite element method (FEM) simulation. Our PRAM cell is based on ternary chalcogenide alloy, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), which is used as a recording layer. For contact area of 100 x 100 nm2, simulations of crystallization and amorphization processes were carried out. Physical quantities such as electric conductivity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat were treated as temperature-dependent parameters. Through many simulations, it is concluded that one can reduce set current by decreasing both electric conductivities of amorphous GST and crystalline GST, and in addition to these conditions by decreasing electric conductivity of molten GST one can also reduce reset current significantly.

Electrical properties study under radiation of the 3D-open-shell-electrode detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Manwen; Li, Zheng

2018-05-01

Since the 3D-Open-Shell-Electrode Detector (3DOSED) is proposed and the structure is optimized, it is important to study 3DOSED's electrical properties to determine the detector's working performance, especially in the heavy radiation environments, like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and it's upgrade, the High Luminosity (HL-LHC) at CERN. In this work, full 3D technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations have been done on this novel silicon detector structure. Simulated detector properties include the electric field distribution, the electric potential distribution, current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics, charge collection property, and full depletion voltage. Through the analysis of calculations and simulation results, we find that the 3DOSED's electric field and potential distributions are very uniform, even in the tiny region near the shell openings with little perturbations. The novel detector fits the designing purpose of collecting charges generated by particle/light in a good fashion with a well defined funnel shape of electric potential distribution that makes these charges drifting towards the center collection electrode. Furthermore, by analyzing the I-V, C-V, charge collection property and full depletion voltage, we can expect that the novel detector will perform well, even in the heavy radiation environments.

Self-Assembled Epitaxial Au–Oxide Vertically Aligned Nanocomposites for Nanoscale Metamaterials

DOE PAGES

Li, Leigang; Sun, Liuyang; Gomez-Diaz, Juan Sebastian; ...

2016-05-17

Metamaterials made of nanoscale inclusions or artificial unit cells exhibit exotic optical properties that do not exist in natural materials. Promising applications, such as super-resolution imaging, cloaking, hyperbolic propagation, and ultrafast phase velocities have been demonstrated based on mostly micrometer-scale metamaterials and few nanoscale metamaterials. To date, most metamaterials are created using costly and tedious fabrication techniques with limited paths toward reliable large-scale fabrication. In this work, we demonstrate the one-step direct growth of self-assembled epitaxial metal–oxide nanocomposites as a drastically different approach to fabricating large-area nanostructured metamaterials. Using pulsed laser deposition, we fabricated nanocomposite films with vertically aligned goldmore » (Au) nanopillars (~20 nm in diameter) embedded in various oxide matrices with high epitaxial quality. Strong, broad absorption features in the measured absorbance spectrum are clear signatures of plasmon resonances of Au nanopillars. By tuning their densities on selected substrates, anisotropic optical properties are demonstrated via angular dependent and polarization resolved reflectivity measurements and reproduced by full-wave simulations and effective medium theory. Our model predicts exotic properties, such as zero permittivity responses and topological transitions. In conclusion, our studies suggest that these self-assembled metal–oxide nanostructures provide an exciting new material platform to control and enhance optical response at nanometer scales.« less

Oxygen content modulation by nanoscale chemical and electrical patterning in epitaxial SrCoO3-δ (0 < δ ≤ 0.5) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, S.; Seidel, J.

2016-08-01

Fast controllable redox reactions in solid materials at room temperature are a promising strategy for enhancing the overall performance and lifetime of many energy technology materials and devices. Easy control of oxygen content is a key concept for the realisation of fast catalysis and bulk diffusion at room temperature. Here, high quality epitaxial brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 thin films have been oxidised to perovskite (P) SrCoO3 with NaClO. X-ray diffraction, scanning probe microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed to investigate the structural and electronic changes of the material. The oxidised thin films were found to exhibit distinct morphological changes from an atomically flat terrace structure to forming small nanosized islands with boundaries preferentially in [100] or [010] directions all over the surface, relaxing the in-plane strain imposed by the substrate. The conductivity, or oxygen content, of each single island is confined by these textures, which can be locally patterned even further with electric poling. The high charging level at the island boundaries indicates a magnified electric capacity of SCO thin films, which could be exploited in future device geometries. This finding represents a new way of oxygen modulation with associated self-assembled charge confinement to nanoscale boundaries, offering interesting prospects in nanotechnology applications.

Electrical properties of methane hydrate + sediment mixtures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Du Frane, Wyatt L.; Stern, Laura A.; Constable, Steven; Weitemeyer, Karen A.; Smith, Megan M; Roberts, Jeffery J.

2015-01-01

Knowledge of the electrical properties of multicomponent systems with gas hydrate, sediments, and pore water is needed to help relate electromagnetic (EM) measurements to specific gas hydrate concentration and distribution patterns in nature. Toward this goal, we built a pressure cell capable of measuring in situ electrical properties of multicomponent systems such that the effects of individual components and mixing relations can be assessed. We first established the temperature-dependent electrical conductivity (σ) of pure, single-phase methane hydrate to be ~5 orders of magnitude lower than seawater, a substantial contrast that can help differentiate hydrate deposits from significantly more conductive water-saturated sediments in EM field surveys. Here we report σ measurements of two-component systems in which methane hydrate is mixed with variable amounts of quartz sand or glass beads. Sand by itself has low σ but is found to increase the overall σ of mixtures with well-connected methane hydrate. Alternatively, the overall σ decreases when sand concentrations are high enough to cause gas hydrate to be poorly connected, indicating that hydrate grains provide the primary conduction path. Our measurements suggest that impurities from sand induce chemical interactions and/or doping effects that result in higher electrical conductivity with lower temperature dependence. These results can be used in the modeling of massive or two-phase gas-hydrate-bearing systems devoid of conductive pore water. Further experiments that include a free water phase are the necessary next steps toward developing complex models relevant to most natural systems.

Integrative Modeling of Electrical Properties of Pacemaker Cardiac Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoriev, M.; Babich, L.

2016-06-01

This work represents modeling of electrical properties of pacemaker (sinus) cardiac cells. Special attention is paid to electrical potential arising from transmembrane current of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ ions. This potential is calculated using the NaCaX model. In this respect, molar concentration of ions in the intercellular space which is calculated on the basis of the GENTEX model is essential. Combined use of two different models allows referring this approach to integrative modeling.

Model Mismatch Paradigm for Probe based Nanoscale Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, Pranav

Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPMs) are widely used for investigation of material properties and manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. These instruments are considered critical enablers of nanotechnology by providing the only technique for direct observation of dynamics at the nanoscale and affecting it with sub Angstrom resolution. Current SPMs are limited by low throughput and lack of quantitative measurements of material properties. Various applications like the high density data storage, sub-20 nm lithography, fault detection and functional probing of semiconductor circuits, direct observation of dynamical processes involved in biological samples viz. motor proteins and transport phenomena in various materials demand high throughput operation. Researchers involved in material characterization at nanoscale are interested in getting quantitative measurements of stiffness and dissipative properties of various materials in a least invasive manner. In this thesis, system theoretic concepts are used to address these limitations. The central tenet of the thesis is to model, the known information about the system and then focus on perturbations of these known dynamics or model, to sense the effects due to changes in the environment such as changes in material properties or surface topography. Thus a model mismatch paradigm for probe based nanoscale imaging is developed. The topic is developed by presenting physics based modeling of a particular mode of operation of SPMs called the dynamic mode operation. This mode is modeled as a forced Lure system where a linear time invariant system is in feedback with an unknown static memoryless nonlinearity. Tools from averaging theory are used to tame this complex nonlinear system by approximating it as a linear system with time varying parameters. Material properties are thus transformed from being parameters of unknown nonlinear functions to being unknown coefficients of a linear plant. The first contribution of this thesis

Dynamics of Bulk vs. Nanoscale WS2: Local Strain and Charging Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musfeldt, J. L.; Brown, S.; Luttrell, R. D.; Cao, J.; Rosentsveig, R.; Tenne, R.

2006-03-01

We measured the infrared vibrational properties of bulk and nanoparticle WS2 in order to investigate the structure- property relations in these novel materials. In addition to the symmetry-breaking effects of local strain, nanoparticle curvature modifies the local charging environment of the bulk material. Performing a charge analysis on the xy-polarized E1u vibrational mode, we find an approximate 1.5:1 intralayer charge difference between the layered 2H material and inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles. This effective charge difference may impact the solid-state lubrication properties of nanoscale metal dichalcogenides.

Thermal-electrical properties and resistance stability of silver coated yarns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yafang; Liu, Hao; Li, Xiaojiu

2017-03-01

Thermal-electrical properties and resistance stability of silver yarns was researched to evaluate the performance be a heating element. Three samples of silver coated yarns with different linear density and electrical resistivity, which obtained by market. Silver coated yarns were placed at the high temperature condition for ageing. The electrical resistances of yarns were increased with the ageing process. The infrared photography instrument was used to measurement the temperature variation of silver coated yarns by applied different current on. The result shows that the temperature rise with the power increases.

Electrical Contacts in Monolayer Arsenene Devices.

PubMed

Wang, Yangyang; Ye, Meng; Weng, Mouyi; Li, Jingzhen; Zhang, Xiuying; Zhang, Han; Guo, Ying; Pan, Yuanyuan; Xiao, Lin; Liu, Junku; Pan, Feng; Lu, Jing

2017-08-30

Arsenene, arsenic analogue of graphene, as an emerging member of two-dimensional semiconductors (2DSCs), is quite promising in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic applications. The metal electrical contacts play a vital role in the charge transport and photoresponse processes of nanoscale 2DSC devices and even can mask the intrinsic properties of 2DSCs. Here, we present a first comprehensive study of the electrical contact properties of monolayer (ML) arsenene with different electrodes by using ab initio electronic calculations and quantum transport simulations. Schottky barrier is always formed with bulk metal contacts owing to the Fermi level pinning (pinning factor S = 0.33), with electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) of 0.12, 0.21, 0.25, 0.35, and 0.50 eV for Sc, Ti, Ag, Cu, and Au contacts and hole SBH of 0.75 and 0.78 eV for Pd and Pt contacts, respectively. However, by contact with 2D graphene, the Fermi level pinning effect can be reduced due to the suppression of metal-induced gap states. Remarkably, a barrier free hole injection is realized in ML arsenene device with graphene-Pt hybrid electrode, suggestive of a high device performance in such a ML arsenene device. Our study provides a theoretical foundation for the selection of favorable electrodes in future ML arsenene devices.

Characterization of dielectric properties of nanocellulose from wood and algae for electrical insulator applications.

PubMed

Le Bras, David; Strømme, Maria; Mihranyan, Albert

2015-05-07

Cellulose is one of the oldest electrically insulating materials used in oil-filled high-power transformers and cables. However, reports on the dielectric properties of nanocellulose for electrical insulator applications are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the dielectric properties of two nanocellulose types from wood, viz., nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), and algae, viz., Cladophora cellulose, for electrical insulator applications. The cellulose materials were characterized with X-ray diffraction, nitrogen gas and moisture sorption isotherms, helium pycnometry, mechanical testing, and dielectric spectroscopy at various relative humidities. The algae nanocellulose sample was more crystalline and had a lower moisture sorption capacity at low and moderate relative humidities, compared to NFC. On the other hand, it was much more porous, which resulted in lower strength and higher dielectric loss than for NFC. It is concluded that the solid-state properties of nanocellulose may have a substantial impact on the dielectric properties of electrical insulator applications.

Electrical properties of PMMA ion-implanted with low-energy Si+ beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjichristov, G. B.; Gueorguiev, V. K.; Ivanov, Tz E.; Marinov, Y. G.; Ivanov, V. G.; Faulques, E.

2010-01-01

The electrical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) after implantation with silicon ions accelerated to an energy of 50 keV are studied under DC electric bias field. The electrical response of the formed material is examined as a function of Si+ fluence in the range 1014 - 1017 cm-2. The carbonaceous subsurface region of the Si+-implanted PMMA displays a significant DC conductivity and a sizable field effect that can be used for electronic applications.

Nanoscale chemical mapping of laser-solubilized silk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Meguya; Kobayashi, Hanae; Balčytis, Armandas; Wang, Xuewen; Vongsvivut, Jitraporn; Li, Jingliang; Urayama, Norio; Mizeikis, Vygantas; Tobin, Mark; Juodkazis, Saulius; Morikawa, Junko

2017-11-01

A water soluble amorphous form of silk was made by ultra-short laser pulse irradiation and detected by nanoscale IR mapping. An optical absorption-induced nanoscale surface expansion was probed to yield the spectral response of silk at IR molecular fingerprinting wavelengths with a high  ˜ 20 nm spatial resolution defined by the tip of the probe. Silk microtomed sections of 1-5 μm in thickness were prepared for nanoscale spectroscopy and a laser was used to induce amorphisation. Comparison of silk absorbance measurements carried out by table-top and synchrotron Fourier transform IR spectroscopy proved that chemical imaging obtained at high spatial resolution and specificity (able to discriminate between amorphous and crystalline silk) is reliably achieved by nanoscale IR. Differences in absorbance and spectral line-shapes of the bands are related to the different sensitivity of the applied methods to real and imaginary parts of permittivity. A nanoscale material characterization by combining synchrotron IR radiation and nano-IR is discussed.

Magnetization switching schemes for nanoscale three-terminal spintronics devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukami, Shunsuke; Ohno, Hideo

2017-08-01

Utilizing spintronics-based nonvolatile memories in integrated circuits offers a promising approach to realize ultralow-power and high-performance electronics. While two-terminal devices with spin-transfer torque switching have been extensively developed nowadays, there has been a growing interest in devices with a three-terminal structure. Of primary importance for applications is the efficient manipulation of magnetization, corresponding to information writing, in nanoscale devices. Here we review the studies of current-induced domain wall motion and spin-orbit torque-induced switching, which can be applied to the write operation of nanoscale three-terminal spintronics devices. For domain wall motion, the size dependence of device properties down to less than 20 nm will be shown and the underlying mechanism behind the results will be discussed. For spin-orbit torque-induced switching, factors governing the threshold current density and strategies to reduce it will be discussed. A proof-of-concept demonstration of artificial intelligence using an analog spin-orbit torque device will also be reviewed.

Porous silver nanosheets: a novel sensing material for nanoscale and microscale airflow sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzbanrad, Ehsan; Zhao, Boxin; Zhou, Norman Y.

2015-11-01

Fabrication of nanoscale and microscale machines and devices is one of the goals of nanotechnology. For this purpose, different materials, methods, and devices should be developed. Among them, various types of miniaturized sensors are required to build the nanoscale and microscale systems. In this research, we introduce a new nanoscale sensing material, silver nanosheets, for applications such as nanoscale and microscale gas flow sensors. The silver nanosheets were synthesized through the reduction of silver ions by ascorbic acid in the presence of poly(methacrylic acid) as a capping agent, followed by the growth of silver in the shape of hexagonal and triangular nanoplates, and self-assembly and nanojoining of these structural blocks. At the end of this process, the synthesized nanosheets were floated on the solution. Then, their electrical and thermal stability was demonstrated at 120 °C, and their atmospheric corrosion resistance was clarified at the same temperature range by thermogravimetric analysis. We employed the silver nanosheets in fabricating airflow sensors by scooping out the nanosheets by means of a sensor substrate, drying them at room temperature, and then annealing them at 300 °C for one hour. The fabricated sensors were tested for their ability to measure airflow in the range of 1 to 5 ml min-1, which resulted in a linear response to the airflow with a response and recovery time around 2 s. Moreover, continuous dynamic testing demonstrated that the response of the sensors was stable and hence the sensors can be used for a long time without detectable drift in their response.

Scanning probe acceleration microscopy (SPAM) in fluids: Mapping mechanical properties of surfaces at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legleiter, Justin; Park, Matthew; Cusick, Brian; Kowalewski, Tomasz

2006-03-01

One of the major thrusts in proximal probe techniques is combination of imaging capabilities with simultaneous measurements of physical properties. In tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM), the most straightforward way to accomplish this goal is to reconstruct the time-resolved force interaction between the tip and surface. These tip-sample forces can be used to detect interactions (e.g., binding sites) and map material properties with nanoscale spatial resolution. Here, we describe a previously unreported approach, which we refer to as scanning probe acceleration microscopy (SPAM), in which the TMAFM cantilever acts as an accelerometer to extract tip-sample forces during imaging. This method utilizes the second derivative of the deflection signal to recover the tip acceleration trajectory. The challenge in such an approach is that with real, noisy data, the second derivative of the signal is strongly dominated by the noise. This problem is solved by taking advantage of the fact that most of the information about the deflection trajectory is contained in the higher harmonics, making it possible to filter the signal by “comb” filtering, i.e., by taking its Fourier transform and inverting it while selectively retaining only the intensities at integer harmonic frequencies. Such a comb filtering method works particularly well in fluid TMAFM because of the highly distorted character of the deflection signal. Numerical simulations and in situ TMAFM experiments on supported lipid bilayer patches on mica are reported to demonstrate the validity of this approach.

Mechanical and electrical properties of laminates for high performance printed wiring boards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guiles, Chester L.

The physical and electrical properties of laminate boards intended for high-performance applications are reviewed with particular reference to the coefficient of thermal expansion, dielectric constant, and characteristic impedance. It is shown, in particular, that the electrical properties can be tailored to some extent by using various conbinations of basic board materials, such as copper foil, fiberglass fabric, glass fabric, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, aluminum sheet, Kevlar and quartz fabrics, copper-invar-copper, and alumina-ceramic.

A Novel SPM Probe with MOS Transistor and Nano Tip for Surface Electric Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang H.; Lim, Geunbae; Moon, Wonkyu

2007-03-01

In this paper, the novel SPM (Scanning Probe Microscope) probe with the planar MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) transistor and the FIB (Focused Ion Beam) nano tip is fabricated for the surface electric properties. Since the MOS transistor has high working frequency, the device can overcome the speed limitation of EFM (Electrostatic Force Microscope) system. The sensitivity is also high, and no bulky device such as lock-in-amplifier is required. Moreover, the nano tip with nanometer scale tip radius is fabricated with FIB system, and the resolution can be improved. Therefore, the probe can rapidly detect small localized electric properties with high sensitivity and high resolution. The MOS transistor is fabricated with the common semiconductor process, and the nano tip is grown by the FIB system. The planar structure of the MOS transistor makes the fabrication process easier, which is the advantage on the commercial production. Various electric signals are applied using the function generator, and the measured data represent the well-established electric properties of the device. It shows the promising aspect of the local surface electric property detection with high sensitivity and high resolution.

Thermophysical Properties of Liquid Te: Density, Electrical Conductivity, and Viscosity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, C.; Su, C.; Lehoczky, S. L.; Scripa, R. N.; Ban, H.; Lin, B.

2004-01-01

The thermophysical properties of liquid Te, namely, density, electrical conductivity, and viscosity, were determined using the pycnometric and transient torque methods from the melting point of Te (723 K) to approximately 1150 K. A maximum was observed in the density of liquid Te as the temperature was increased. The electrical conductivity of liquid Te increased to a constant value of 2.89 x 10(exp 5 OMEGA-1m-1) as the temperature was raised above 1000 K. The viscosity decreased rapidly upon heating the liquid to elevated temperatures. The anomalous behaviors of the measured properties are explained as caused by the structural transitions in the liquid and discussed in terms of Eyring's and Bachiskii's predicted behaviors for homogeneous liquids. The Properties were also measured as a function of time after the liquid was coded from approximately 1173 or 1123 to 823 K. No relaxation phenomena were observed in the properties after the temperature of liquid Te was decreased to 823 K, in contrast to the relaxation behavior observed for some of the Te compounds.

History-dependent ion transport through conical nanopipettes and the implications in energy conversion dynamics at nanoscale interfaces.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Wang, Dengchao; Kvetny, Maksim M; Brown, Warren; Liu, Juan; Wang, Gangli

2015-01-01

The dynamics of ion transport at nanostructured substrate-solution interfaces play vital roles in high-density energy conversion, stochastic chemical sensing and biosensing, membrane separation, nanofluidics and fundamental nanoelectrochemistry. Further advancements in these applications require a fundamental understanding of ion transport at nanoscale interfaces. The understanding of the dynamic or transient transport, and the key physical process involved, is limited, which contrasts sharply with widely studied steady-state ion transport features at atomic and nanometer scale interfaces. Here we report striking time-dependent ion transport characteristics at nanoscale interfaces in current-potential ( I - V ) measurements and theoretical analyses. First, a unique non-zero I - V cross-point and pinched I - V curves are established as signatures to characterize the dynamics of ion transport through individual conical nanopipettes. Second, ion transport against a concentration gradient is regulated by applied and surface electrical fields. The concept of ion pumping or separation is demonstrated via the selective ion transport against concentration gradients through individual nanopipettes. Third, this dynamic ion transport process under a predefined salinity gradient is discussed in the context of nanoscale energy conversion in supercapacitor type charging-discharging, as well as chemical and electrical energy conversion. The analysis of the emerging current-potential features establishes the urgently needed physical foundation for energy conversion employing ordered nanostructures. The elucidated mechanism and established methodology can be generalized into broadly-defined nanoporous materials and devices for improved energy, separation and sensing applications.

History-dependent ion transport through conical nanopipettes and the implications in energy conversion dynamics at nanoscale interfaces

DOE PAGES

Li, Yan; Wang, Dengchao; Kvetny, Maksim M.; ...

2014-08-20

The dynamics of ion transport at nanostructured substrate–solution interfaces play vital roles in high-density energy conversion, stochastic chemical sensing and biosensing, membrane separation, nanofluidics and fundamental nanoelectrochemistry. Advancements in these applications require a fundamental understanding of ion transport at nanoscale interfaces. The understanding of the dynamic or transient transport, and the key physical process involved, is limited, which contrasts sharply with widely studied steady-state ion transport features at atomic and nanometer scale interfaces. Here we report striking time-dependent ion transport characteristics at nanoscale interfaces in current–potential (I–V) measurements and theoretical analyses. First, a unique non-zero I–V cross-point and pinched I–Vmore » curves are established as signatures to characterize the dynamics of ion transport through individual conical nanopipettes. Moreoever, ion transport against a concentration gradient is regulated by applied and surface electrical fields. The concept of ion pumping or separation is demonstrated via the selective ion transport against concentration gradients through individual nanopipettes. Third, this dynamic ion transport process under a predefined salinity gradient is discussed in the context of nanoscale energy conversion in supercapacitor type charging–discharging, as well as chemical and electrical energy conversion. Our analysis of the emerging current–potential features establishes the urgently needed physical foundation for energy conversion employing ordered nanostructures. The elucidated mechanism and established methodology can be generalized into broadly-defined nanoporous materials and devices for improved energy, separation and sensing applications.« less

Tunable electronic, electrical and optical properties of graphene oxide sheets by ion irradiation.

PubMed

Jayalakshmi, G; Saravanan, K; Panigrahi, B K; Sundaravel, B; Gupta, Mukul

2018-05-04

The tunable electronic, electrical and optical properties of graphene oxide (GO) sheets were investigated using a controlled reduction by 500 keV Ar + -ion irradiation. The carbon to oxygen ratio of the GO sheets upon the ion beam reduction has been estimated using resonant Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analyses and its effect on the electrical and optical properties of GO sheets has been studied using sheet resistance measurements and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The restoration of sp 2 -hybridized carbon atoms within the sp 3 matrix is found to be increases with increasing the Ar + -ion fluences as evident from Fourier transform infrared, and x-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements. The decrease in the number of disorder-induced local density of states (LDOSs) within the π-π* gap upon the reduction causes the shifting of PL emission from near infra-red to blue region and decreases the sheet resistance. The improved electrical and optical properties of GO sheets were correlated to the decrease in the number of LDOSs within the π-π* gap. Our experimental investigations suggest ion beam irradiation is one of an effective approaches to reduce GO to RGO and to tailor its electronic, electrical and optical properties.

Tunable electronic, electrical and optical properties of graphene oxide sheets by ion irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayalakshmi, G.; Saravanan, K.; Panigrahi, B. K.; Sundaravel, B.; Gupta, Mukul

2018-05-01

The tunable electronic, electrical and optical properties of graphene oxide (GO) sheets were investigated using a controlled reduction by 500 keV Ar+-ion irradiation. The carbon to oxygen ratio of the GO sheets upon the ion beam reduction has been estimated using resonant Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analyses and its effect on the electrical and optical properties of GO sheets has been studied using sheet resistance measurements and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The restoration of sp 2-hybridized carbon atoms within the sp 3 matrix is found to be increases with increasing the Ar+-ion fluences as evident from Fourier transform infrared, and x-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements. The decrease in the number of disorder-induced local density of states (LDOSs) within the π-π* gap upon the reduction causes the shifting of PL emission from near infra-red to blue region and decreases the sheet resistance. The improved electrical and optical properties of GO sheets were correlated to the decrease in the number of LDOSs within the π-π* gap. Our experimental investigations suggest ion beam irradiation is one of an effective approaches to reduce GO to RGO and to tailor its electronic, electrical and optical properties.

Mapping and quantifying electric and magnetic dipole luminescence at the nanoscale.

PubMed

Aigouy, L; Cazé, A; Gredin, P; Mortier, M; Carminati, R

2014-08-15

We report on an experimental technique to quantify the relative importance of electric and magnetic dipole luminescence from a single nanosource in structured environments. By attaching a Eu^{3+}-doped nanocrystal to a near-field scanning optical microscope tip, we map the branching ratios associated with two electric dipole and one magnetic dipole transitions in three dimensions on a gold stripe. The relative weights of the electric and magnetic radiative local density of states can be recovered quantitatively, based on a multilevel model. This paves the way towards the full electric and magnetic characterization of nanostructures for the control of single emitter luminescence.

Studying Some of Electrical and Mechanical Properties for Kevlar Fiber Reinforced Epoxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafeeq, Sewench N.; Hussein, Samah M.

2011-12-01

As ordinary known the ability of synthesizing electrical conducting polymer composites is possible but with poor mechanical properties, for the solution of this problem, we carried out this study in order to obtain that both properties. Three methods were applied for preparing the conductive polyaniline (PANI) composites using Kevlar fiber fabric as substrate for the deposition of the PANI at one time and the prepared composite (EP/Kevlar fiber) at others. The chemical oxidative method was adopted for polymerization of the aniline and simultaneously protonated of PANI with a hydrochloric acid at concentration (1M). Two kinds of oxidation agents (FeCl3.6H2O) and ((NH4)2S2O8) were used. The electrical measurements indicate the effect of each preparation method, kind of oxidant agent and the kind of mat erial which PANI deposited on the electrical results. The conductivity results showed that the prepared composites lie within semiconductors region. Temperature—dependence of electric conductivity results showed semiconductors and conductors behavior of this material within the applied temperature ranges. The mechan ical property (tensile strength) was studied. X-ray diffraction study showed the crystalline structure for EP/Kevlar fiber/PANI composites prepared by the three methods. These results gave optimism to the synthesis of conductive polymer composites with excellent mechanical properties..

Analysis of ballistic transport in nanoscale devices by using an accelerated finite element contact block reduction approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, H.; Li, G., E-mail: gli@clemson.edu

2014-08-28

An accelerated Finite Element Contact Block Reduction (FECBR) approach is presented for computational analysis of ballistic transport in nanoscale electronic devices with arbitrary geometry and unstructured mesh. Finite element formulation is developed for the theoretical CBR/Poisson model. The FECBR approach is accelerated through eigen-pair reduction, lead mode space projection, and component mode synthesis techniques. The accelerated FECBR is applied to perform quantum mechanical ballistic transport analysis of a DG-MOSFET with taper-shaped extensions and a DG-MOSFET with Si/SiO{sub 2} interface roughness. The computed electrical transport properties of the devices obtained from the accelerated FECBR approach and associated computational cost as amore » function of system degrees of freedom are compared with those obtained from the original CBR and direct inversion methods. The performance of the accelerated FECBR in both its accuracy and efficiency is demonstrated.« less

Enhancement of Local Piezoresponse in Polymer Ferroelectrics via Nanoscale Control of Microstructure

DOE PAGES

Choi, Yoon-Young; Sharma, Pankaj; Phatak, Charudatta; ...

2015-02-01

Polymer ferroelectrics are flexible and lightweight electromechanical materials that are widely studied due to their potential application as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. However, one of the biggest challenges is their low piezoelectric coefficient. Here, we report a mechanical annealing effect based on local pressure induced by a nanoscale tip that enhances the local piezoresponse. This process can control the nanoscale material properties over a microscale area at room temperature. We attribute this improvement to the formation and growth of beta-phase extended chain crystals via sliding diffusion and crystal alignment along the scan axis under high mechanical stress. We believemore » that this technique can be useful for local enhancement of piezoresponse in ferroelectric polymer thin films.« less

Imaging thermal conductivity with nanoscale resolution using a scanning spin probe

DOE PAGES

Laraoui, Abdelghani; Aycock-Rizzo, Halley; Gao, Yang; ...

2015-11-20

The ability to probe nanoscale heat flow in a material is often limited by lack of spatial resolution. Here, we use a diamond-nanocrystal-hosted nitrogen-vacancy centre attached to the apex of a silicon thermal tip as a local temperature sensor. We apply an electrical current to heat up the tip and rely on the nitrogen vacancy to monitor the thermal changes the tip experiences as it is brought into contact with surfaces of varying thermal conductivity. By combining atomic force and confocal microscopy, we image phantom microstructures with nanoscale resolution, and attain excellent agreement between the thermal conductivity and topographic maps.more » The small mass and high thermal conductivity of the diamond host make the time response of our technique short, which we demonstrate by monitoring the tip temperature upon application of a heat pulse. Our approach promises multiple applications, from the investigation of phonon dynamics in nanostructures to the characterization of heterogeneous phase transitions and chemical reactions in various solid-state systems.« less

Variation in electrical properties of gamma irradiated cadmium selenate nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, R. P.; Rana, Pallavi; Narula, Chetna; Panchal, Suresh; Choudhary, Ritika

2016-07-01

Preparation of low-dimensional materials attracts more and more interest in the last few years, mainly due to the wide field of potential commercial applications ranging from life sciences, medicine and biotechnology to communication and electronics. One-dimensional systems are the smallest dimension structures that can be used for efficient transport of electrons and thus expected to be critical to the function and integration of nanoscale devices. Nanowires with well controlled morphology and extremely high aspect ratio can be obtained by replicating a nanoporous polymer ion-track membrane with cylindrical pores of controlled dimensions. With this technique, materials can be deposited within the pores of the membrane by electrochemical reduction of the desired ion. In the present study, cadmium selenate nanowires were synthesized potentiostatically via template method. These synthesized nanowires were then exposed to gamma rays by using a 60Co source at the Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, India. Structural, morphological, electrical and elemental characterizations were made in order to analyze the effect of gamma irradiation on the synthesized nanowires. I-V measurements of cadmium selenate nanowires, before and after irradiation were made with the help of Keithley 2400 source meter and Ecopia probe station. A significant change in the electrical conductivity of cadmium selenate nanowires was found after gamma irradiation. The crystallography of the synthesized nanowires was also studied using a Rigaku X-ray diffractrometer equipped with Cu-Kα radiation. XRD patterns of irradiated samples showed no variation in the peak positions or phase change.

Wettability of natural root mucilage studied by atomic force microscopy and contact angle: Links between nanoscale and macroscale surface properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaltenbach, Robin; Diehl, Dörte; Schaumann, Gabriele E.

2017-04-01

Organic coatings are considered as main cause of soil water repellency (SWR). This phenomenon plays a crucial role in the rhizosphere, at the interface of plant water uptake and soil hydraulics. Still, there is little knowledge about the nanoscale properties of natural soil compounds such as root-mucilage and its mechanistic effect on wettability. In this study, dried films of natural root-mucilage from Sorghum (Sorghum sp., MOENCH) on glass substrates were studied in order to explore experimental and evaluation methods that allow to link between macroscopic wettability and nano-/microscopic surface properties in this model soil system. SWR was assessed by optical contact angle (CA) measurements. The nanostructure of topography and adhesion forces of the mucilage surfaces was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements in ambient air, using PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping (PFQNM). Undiluted mucilage formed hydrophobic films on the substrate with CA > 90° and rather homogeneous nanostructure. Contact angles showed reduced water repellency of surfaces, when concentration of mucilage was decreased by dilution. AFM height and adhesion images displayed incomplete mucilage surface coverage for diluted samples. Hole-like structures in the film frequently exhibited increased adhesion forces. Spatial analysis of the AFM data via variograms enabled a numerical description of such 'adhesion holes'. The use of geostatistical approaches in AFM studies of the complex surface structure of soil compounds was considered meaningful in view of the need of comprehensive analysis of large AFM image data sets that exceed the capability of comparative visual inspection. Furthermore, force curves measured with the AFM showed increased break-free distances and pull-off forces inside the observed 'adhesion holes', indicating enhanced capillary forces due to adsorbed water films at hydrophilic domains for ambient RH (40 ± 2 %). This offers the possibility of

Cell-specific STORM super-resolution imaging reveals nanoscale organization of cannabinoid signaling.

PubMed

Dudok, Barna; Barna, László; Ledri, Marco; Szabó, Szilárd I; Szabadits, Eszter; Pintér, Balázs; Woodhams, Stephen G; Henstridge, Christopher M; Balla, Gyula Y; Nyilas, Rita; Varga, Csaba; Lee, Sang-Hun; Matolcsi, Máté; Cervenak, Judit; Kacskovics, Imre; Watanabe, Masahiko; Sagheddu, Claudia; Melis, Miriam; Pistis, Marco; Soltesz, Ivan; Katona, István

2015-01-01

A major challenge in neuroscience is to determine the nanoscale position and quantity of signaling molecules in a cell type- and subcellular compartment-specific manner. We developed a new approach to this problem by combining cell-specific physiological and anatomical characterization with super-resolution imaging and studied the molecular and structural parameters shaping the physiological properties of synaptic endocannabinoid signaling in the mouse hippocampus. We found that axon terminals of perisomatically projecting GABAergic interneurons possessed increased CB1 receptor number, active-zone complexity and receptor/effector ratio compared with dendritically projecting interneurons, consistent with higher efficiency of cannabinoid signaling at somatic versus dendritic synapses. Furthermore, chronic Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol administration, which reduces cannabinoid efficacy on GABA release, evoked marked CB1 downregulation in a dose-dependent manner. Full receptor recovery required several weeks after the cessation of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol treatment. These findings indicate that cell type-specific nanoscale analysis of endogenous protein distribution is possible in brain circuits and identify previously unknown molecular properties controlling endocannabinoid signaling and cannabis-induced cognitive dysfunction.

Azurin/CdSe-ZnS-Based Bio-Nano Hybrid Structure for Nanoscale Resistive Memory Device.

PubMed

Yagati, Ajay Kumar; Lee, Taek; Choi, Jeong-Woo

2017-07-15

In the present study, we propose a method for bio-nano hybrid formation by coupling a redox metalloprotein, Azurin, with CdSe-ZnS quantum dot for the development of a nanoscale resistive memory device. The covalent interaction between the two nanomaterials enables a strong and effective binding to form an azurin/CdSe-ZnS hybrid, and also enabled better controllability to couple with electrodes to examine the memory function properties. Morphological and optical properties were performed to confirm both hybrid formations and also their individual components. Current-Voltage (I-V) measurements on the hybrid nanostructures exhibited bistable current levels towards the memory function device, that and those characteristics were unnoticeable on individual nanomaterials. The hybrids showed good retention characteristics with high stability and durability, which is a promising feature for future nanoscale memory devices.

Exposure and Health Effects Review of Engineered Nanoscale Cerium and Cerium Dioxide Associated with its Use as a Fuel Additive - NOW IN PRINT IN THE JOURNAL

EPA Science Inventory

Advances of nanoscale science have produced nanomaterials with unique physical and chemical properties at commercial levels that are now incorporated into over 1000 products. Nanoscale cerium (di) oxide (Ce02) has recently gained a wide range of applications which includes coatin...

Thermal and ac electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid below room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Kader, M. M.; Basha, M. A. F.; Ramzy, G. H.; Aboud, A. I.

2018-06-01

In this study, we investigated the thermal and alternating current (ac) electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid. Based on data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, we detected two endothermic transitions at ≈ 213 K and ≈265.41 K. The weakening of hydrogen bonds as the temperature increased appeared to be the main cause of these phase transitions. We also recorded the melting point at about 475.5 K. Both the ac conductivity (σac) and complex dielectric constant (ε∗ = ε ' - jε ' ') were studied as functions of temperature over the frequency range from 1 kHz to 100 kHz. We observed significant variations in the thermal and electrical properties before and after the transition temperature at 265.41 K. The conduction mechanism responsible for the ac electrical properties before this transition was due to overlapping large polarons. These novel results are expected to have impacts on the application of organic semiconductors and dielectrics.

Effect of multilayer structure, stacking order and external electric field on the electrical properties of few-layer boron-phosphide.

PubMed

Chen, Xianping; Tan, Chunjian; Yang, Qun; Meng, Ruishen; Liang, Qiuhua; Jiang, Junke; Sun, Xiang; Yang, D Q; Ren, Tianling

2016-06-28

Development of nanoelectronics requires two-dimensional (2D) systems with both direct-bandgap and tunable electronic properties as they act in response to the external electric field (E-field). Here, we present a detailed theoretical investigation to predict the effect of atomic structure, stacking order and external electric field on the electrical properties of few-layer boron-phosphide (BP). We demonstrate that the splitting of bands and bandgap of BP depends on the number of layers and the stacking order. The values for the bandgap show a monotonically decreasing relationship with increasing layer number. We also show that AB-stacking BP has a direct-bandgap, while ABA-stacking BP has an indirect-bandgap when the number of layers n > 2. In addition, for a bilayer and a trilayer, the bandgap increases (decreases) as the electric field increases along the positive direction of the external electric field (E-field) (negative direction). In the case of four-layer BP, the bandgap exhibits a nonlinearly decreasing behavior as the increase in the electric field is independent of the electric field direction. The tunable mechanism of the bandgap can be attributed to a giant Stark effect. Interestingly, the investigation also shows that a semiconductor-to-metal transition may occur for the four-layer case or more layers beyond the critical electric field. Our findings may inspire more efforts in fabricating new nanoelectronics devices based on few-layer BP.

Atomistic Design and Simulations of Nanoscale Machines and Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goddard, William A., III; Cagin, Tahir; Walch, Stephen P.

2000-01-01

Over the three years of this project, we made significant progress on critical theoretical and computational issues in nanoscale science and technology, particularly in:(1) Fullerenes and nanotubes, (2) Characterization of surfaces of diamond and silicon for NEMS applications, (3) Nanoscale machine and assemblies, (4) Organic nanostructures and dendrimers, (5) Nanoscale confinement and nanotribology, (6) Dynamic response of nanoscale structures nanowires (metals, tubes, fullerenes), (7) Thermal transport in nanostructures.

Probing the nanoscale interaction forces and elastic properties of organic and inorganic materials using force-distance (F-D) spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincent, Abhilash

Due to their therapeutic applications such as radical scavenging, MRI contrast imaging, Photoluminescence imaging, drug delivery, etc., nanoparticles (NPs) have a significant importance in bio-nanotechnology. The reason that prevents the utilizing NPs for drug delivery in medical field is mostly due to their biocompatibility issues (incompatibility can lead to toxicity and cell death). Changes in the surface conditions of NPs often lead to NP cytotoxicity. Investigating the role of NP surface properties (surface charges and surface chemistry) on their interactions with biomolecules (Cells, protein and DNA) could enhance the current understanding of NP cytotoxicity. Hence, it is highly beneficial to the nanotechnology community to bring more attention towards the enhancement of surface properties of NPs to make them more biocompatible and less toxic to biological systems. Surface functionalization of NPs using specific ligand biomolecules have shown to enhance the protein adsorption and cellular uptake through more favorable interaction pathways. Cerium oxide NPs (CNPs also known as nanoceria) are potential antioxidants in cell culture models and understanding the nature of interaction between cerium oxide NPs and biological proteins and cells are important due to their therapeutic application (especially in site specific drug delivery systems). The surface charges and surface chemistry of CNPs play a major role in protein adsorption and cellular uptake. Hence, by tuning the surface charges and by selecting proper functional molecules on the surface, CNPs exhibiting strong adhesion to biological materials can be prepared. By probing the nanoscale interaction forces acting between CNPs and protein molecules using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) based force-distance (F-D) spectroscopy, the mechanism of CNP-protein adsorption and CNP cellular uptake can be understood more quantitatively. The work presented in this dissertation is based on the application of AFM in

Strain-Driven Nanoscale Phase Competition near the Antipolar-Nonpolar Phase Boundary in Bi0.7La0.3FeO3 Thin Films.

PubMed

Dedon, Liv R; Chen, Zuhuang; Gao, Ran; Qi, Yajun; Arenholz, Elke; Martin, Lane W

2018-05-02

Complex-oxide materials tuned to be near phase boundaries via chemistry/composition, temperature, pressure, etc. are known to exhibit large susceptibilities. Here, we observe a strain-driven nanoscale phase competition in epitaxially constrained Bi 0.7 La 0.3 FeO 3 thin films near the antipolar-nonpolar phase boundary and explore the evolution of the structural, dielectric, (anti)ferroelectric, and magnetic properties with strain. We find that compressive and tensile strains can stabilize an antipolar PbZrO 3 -like Pbam phase and a nonpolar Pnma orthorhombic phase, respectively. Heterostructures grown with little to no strain exhibit a self-assembled nanoscale mixture of the two orthorhombic phases, wherein the relative fraction of each phase can be modified with film thickness. Subsequent investigation of the dielectric and (anti)ferroelectric properties reveals an electric-field-driven phase transformation from the nonpolar phase to the antipolar phase. X-ray linear dichroism reveals that the antiferromagnetic-spin axes can be effectively modified by the strain-induced phase transition. This evolution of antiferromagnetic-spin axes can be leveraged in exchange coupling between the antiferromagnetic Bi 0.7 La 0.3 FeO 3 and a ferromagnetic Co 0.9 Fe 0.1 layer to tune the ferromagnetic easy axis of the Co 0.9 Fe 0.1 . These results demonstrate that besides chemical alloying, epitaxial strain is an alternative and effective way to modify subtle phase relations and tune physical properties in rare earth-alloyed BiFeO 3 . Furthermore, the observation of antiferroelectric-antiferromagnetic properties in the Pbam Bi 0.7 La 0.3 FeO 3 phase could be of significant scientific interest and great potential in magnetoelectric devices because of its dual antiferroic nature.

Dynamics of bulk versus nanoscale W S2 : Local strain and charging effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luttrell, R. D.; Brown, S.; Cao, J.; Musfeldt, J. L.; Rosentsveig, R.; Tenne, R.

2006-01-01

We measured the infrared vibrational properties of bulk and nanoparticle WS2 in order to investigate the structure-property relations in these materials. In addition to the symmetry-breaking effects of local strain, nanoparticle curvature modifies the local charging environment of the bulk material. Performing a charge analysis on the xy -polarized E1u vibrational mode, we find an approximate 1.5:1 intralayer charge difference between the layered 2H material and inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles. This effective charge difference may impact the solid-state lubrication properties of nanoscale metal dichalcogenides.

Dynamics of systems on the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korol, Andrei V.; Solov'yov, Andrey V.

2017-12-01

Various aspects of the structure formation and dynamics of animate and inanimate matter on the nanoscale is a highly interdisciplinary field of rapidly emerging research interest by both experimentalists and theorists. The International Conference on Dynamics of Systems on the Nanoscale (DySoN) is the premier forum to present cutting-edge research in this field. It was established in 2010 and the most recent conference was held in Bad Ems, Germany in October of 2016. This Topical Issue presents original research results from some of the participants, who attended this conference. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Dynamics of Systems at the Nanoscale", edited by Andrey Solov'yov and Andrei Korol.

Estimation Model for Magnetic Properties of Stamped Electrical Steel Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashiwara, Yoshiyuki; Fujimura, Hiroshi; Okamura, Kazuo; Imanishi, Kenji; Yashiki, Hiroyoshi

Less deterioration in magnetic properties of electrical steel sheets in the process of stamping out iron-core are necessary in order to maintain its performance. First, the influence of plastic strain and stress on magnetic properties was studied by test pieces, in which plastic strain was added uniformly and residual stress was not induced. Because the influence of plastic strain was expressed by equivalent plastic strain, at each equivalent plastic strain state the influence of load stress was investigated. Secondly, elastic limit was determined about 60% of macroscopic yield point (MYP), and it was found to agree with stress limit inducing irreversible deterioration in magnetic properties. Therefore simulation models, where beyond elastic limit plastic deformation begins and magnetic properties are deteriorated steeply, are proposed. Besides considered points in the deformation analysis are strain-rate sensitivity of flow stress, anisotropy under deformation, and influence of stress triaxiality on fracture. Finally, proposed models have been shown to be valid, because magnetic properties of 5mm width rectangular sheets stamped out from non-oriented electrical steel sheet (35A250 JIS grade) can be estimated with good accuracy. It is concluded that the elastic limit must be taken into account in both stamping process simulation and magnetic field calculation.

Development and application of measurement techniques for evaluating localised magnetic properties in electrical steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, N. J.; Anderson, P. I.; Gao, Y.; Robinson, F.

2018-04-01

This paper reports the development of a measurement probe which couples local flux density measurements obtained using the needle probe method with the local magnetising field attained via a Hall effect sensor. This determines the variation in magnetic properties including power loss and permeability at increasing distances from the punched edge of 2.4% and 3.2% Si non-oriented electrical steel sample. Improvements in the characterisation of the magnetic properties of electrical steels would aid in optimising the efficiency in the design of electric machines.

Two different electrical properties can improve transoceanic cable-route mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, J.; McGinnis, T.

2001-01-01

Induced polarization (IP) measurements made in the marine environment were investigated to map and remotely characterize the top 6-10 meters of the seafloor. The continuous resistivity profiling with cone-penetrometer tests, providing important information to engineers planning transoceanic cable routes, was also described. The IP effect and resistivity were identified as the two electric properties to improve transoceanic cable-route mapping. The measurement of IP and resistivity was found to depend on electrical current.

A systematic and feasible method for computing nuclear contributions to electrical properties of polyatomic molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luis, Josep M.; Duran, Miquel; Andrés, José L.

1997-08-01

An analytic method to evaluate nuclear contributions to electrical properties of polyatomic molecules is presented. Such contributions control changes induced by an electric field on equilibrium geometry (nuclear relaxation contribution) and vibrational motion (vibrational contribution) of a molecular system. Expressions to compute the nuclear contributions have been derived from a power series expansion of the potential energy. These contributions to the electrical properties are given in terms of energy derivatives with respect to normal coordinates, electric field intensity or both. Only one calculation of such derivatives at the field-free equilibrium geometry is required. To show the useful efficiency of the analytical evaluation of electrical properties (the so-called AEEP method), results for calculations on water and pyridine at the SCF/TZ2P and the MP2/TZ2P levels of theory are reported. The results obtained are compared with previous theoretical calculations and with experimental values.

Au doping effects on electrical and optical properties of vanadium dioxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, YaBin; He, Fan; Na, Jie

2012-03-01

Vanadium dioxides were fabricated on normal glass substrates using reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The oxygen flow volume and annealed temperatures as growth parameters are systematically investigated. The electrical and optical properties of VO2 and Au:VO2 thin films with different growth conditions are discussed. The semiconductor-metal phase transition temperature decreased by ˜10°C for the sample with Au doping compared to the sample without Au doping. However, the optical transmittance of Au:VO2 thin films is much lower than that of bare VO2. These results show that Au doping has a marked effect on the electrical and optical properties.

The effect of silver (Ag) addition to mechanical and electrical properties of copper alloy (Cu) casting product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felicia, Dian M.; Rochiem, R.; Laia, Standley M.

2018-04-01

Copper have good mechanical properties and good electrical conductivities. Therefore, copper usually used as electrical components. Silver have better electrical conductivities than copper. Female contact resistor is one of the electrical component used in circuit breaker. This study aims to analyze the effect of silver addition to hardness, strength, and electric conductivity properties of copper alloy. This study uses variation of 0; 0.035; 0.07; 0.1 wt. % Ag (silver) addition to determine the effect on mechanical properties and electrical properties of copper alloy through sand casting process. Modelling of thermal analysis and structural analysis was calculated to find the best design for the sand casting experiments. The result of Cu-Ag alloy as cast will be characterized by OES test, metallography test, Brinell hardness test, tensile test, and LCR meter test. The result of this study showed that the addition of silver increase mechanical properties of Cu-Ag. The maximum hardness value of this alloy is 83.1 HRB which is Cu-0.01 Ag and the lowest is 52.26 HRB which is pure Cu. The maximum strength value is 153.2 MPa which is Cu-0.07 Ag and the lowest is 94.6 MPa which is pure Cu. Silver addition decrease electrical properties of this alloy. The highest electric conductivity is 438.98 S/m which is pure Cu and the lowest is 52.61 S.m which is Cu-0.1 Ag.

Structural and electrical characterization of ultra-thin SrTiO3 tunnel barriers grown over YBa2Cu3O7 electrodes for the development of high Tc Josephson junctions.

PubMed

Félix, L Avilés; Sirena, M; Guzmán, L A Agüero; Sutter, J González; Vargas, S Pons; Steren, L B; Bernard, R; Trastoy, J; Villegas, J E; Briático, J; Bergeal, N; Lesueur, J; Faini, G

2012-12-14

The transport properties of ultra-thin SrTiO(3) (STO) layers grown over YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) electrodes were studied by conductive atomic force microscopy at the nano-scale. A very good control of the barrier thickness was achieved during the deposition process. A phenomenological approach was used to obtain critical parameters regarding the structural and electrical properties of the system. The STO layers present an energy barrier of 0.9 eV and an attenuation length of 0.23 nm, indicating very good insulating properties for the development of high-quality Josephson junctions.

[Smart drug delivery systems based on nanoscale ZnO].

PubMed

Huang, Xiao; Chen, Chun; Yi, Caixia; Zheng, Xi

2018-04-01

In view of the excellent biocompatibility as well as the low cost, nanoscale ZnO shows great potential for drug delivery application. Moreover, The charming character enable nanoscale ZnO some excellent features (e.g. dissolution in acid, ultrasonic permeability, microwave absorbing, hydrophobic/hydrophilic transition). All of that make nanoscale ZnO reasonable choices for smart drug delivery. In the recent decade, more and more studies have focused on controlling the drug release behavior via smart drug delivery systems based on nanoscale ZnO responsive to some certain stimuli. Herein, we review the recent exciting progress on the pH-responsive, ultrasound-responsive, microwave-responsive and UV-responsive nanoscale ZnO-based drug delivery systems. A brief introduction of the drug controlled release behavior and its effect of the drug delivery systems is presented. The biocompatibility of nanoscale ZnO is also discussed. Moreover, its development prospect is looked forward.

A poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate blend monolith with nanoscale porous structure

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

A stimuli-responsive poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) blend monolith with nanoscale porous (mesoporous) structure is successfully fabricated by thermally impacted non-solvent induced phase separation (TINIPS) method. The PVA/SA blend monolith with different SA contents is conveniently fabricated in an aqueous methanol without any templates. The solvent suitable for the fabrication of the present blend monolith by TINIPS is different with that of the PVA monolith. The nanostructural control of the blend monolith is readily achieved by optimizing the fabrication conditions. Brunauer Emmett Teller measurement shows that the obtained blend monolith has a large surface area. Pore size distribution plot for the blend monolith obtained by the non-local density functional theory method reveals the existence of the nanoscale porous structure. Fourier transform infrared analysis reveals the strong interactions between PVA and SA. The pH-responsive property of the blend monolith is investigated on the basis of swelling ratio in different pH solutions. The present blend monolith of biocompatible and biodegradable PVA and SA with nanoscale porous structure has large potential for applications in biomedical and environmental fields. PMID:24093494

A poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate blend monolith with nanoscale porous structure.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoxia; Uyama, Hiroshi

2013-10-04

A stimuli-responsive poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) blend monolith with nanoscale porous (mesoporous) structure is successfully fabricated by thermally impacted non-solvent induced phase separation (TINIPS) method. The PVA/SA blend monolith with different SA contents is conveniently fabricated in an aqueous methanol without any templates. The solvent suitable for the fabrication of the present blend monolith by TINIPS is different with that of the PVA monolith. The nanostructural control of the blend monolith is readily achieved by optimizing the fabrication conditions. Brunauer Emmett Teller measurement shows that the obtained blend monolith has a large surface area. Pore size distribution plot for the blend monolith obtained by the non-local density functional theory method reveals the existence of the nanoscale porous structure. Fourier transform infrared analysis reveals the strong interactions between PVA and SA. The pH-responsive property of the blend monolith is investigated on the basis of swelling ratio in different pH solutions. The present blend monolith of biocompatible and biodegradable PVA and SA with nanoscale porous structure has large potential for applications in biomedical and environmental fields.

Concentration Dependent Electrical Transport Properties of Ni-Cr Binary Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suthar, P. H.; Khambholja, S. G.; Thakore, B. Y.; Gajjar, P. N.; Jani, A. R.

2011-07-01

The concentration dependent electrical transport properties viz. electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of liquid Ni-Cr alloys are computed at 1400 K temperature. The electrical resistivity has been studied according to Faber-Ziman model in wide range of Cr concentration. In the present work, the electron-ion interaction is incorporated through our well tested local model potential with screening function due to Sarkar et al.. [S] along with the Hartree [H] dielectric function. Good agreement is achieved between the presently calculated results of resistivity as well as thermal conductivity with the experimental data found in the literature, confirming the applicability of model potential and Faber-Ziman model for such a study.

Morphological and electrical properties of epoxy-based composites reinforced with exfoliated graphite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lamberti, Patrizia; Spinelli, Giovanni, E-mail: gspinelli@unisa.it; Tucci, Vincenzo

An experimental study has been carried out to prepare and characterize epoxy/amine-based composites filled with different percentages of partially exfoliated graphite (i.e. pEG) particles having an exfoliation degree of 56% in order to analyze the effect of the filler amounts on the electrical properties of the resulting nanocomposites. Moreover, in order to fully investigate the direct relationship between the physical properties of the employed filler and the results of the electrical characterization, a structural and morphological characterization of the pEG samples is carried out by means of various type of analysis such as X-ray diffraction patterns, micro-Raman and Scanning Electronmore » Microscopy (SEM) images. The DC electrical characterization reveals a percolation thresholds (EPT) that falls in the range [2–3] wt% and an electrical conductivity of about 0.66 S/m at the highest filler loading (6.5 wt%). From the analysis of the percolative curve it is possible to derive the percolation law parameters and in particular the critical exponent t, whose value (i.e. 1.2) reflects an effective 2D organization of the percolating structure consistent with the type of filler used (2-dimensional). Finally, an extensive analysis concerning the electrical properties in the frequency domain has been carried out in order to evaluate the effectiveness of pEG-loaded composites in terms of electromagnetic interference compatibility (EMC) and their applicability as radar absorbers materials (RAMs).« less

Plasmonic mode converter for controlling optical impedance and nanoscale light-matter interaction.

PubMed

Hung, Yun-Ting; Huang, Chen-Bin; Huang, Jer-Shing

2012-08-27

To enable multiple functions of plasmonic nanocircuits, it is of key importance to control the propagation properties and the modal distribution of the guided optical modes such that their impedance matches to that of nearby quantum systems and desired light-matter interaction can be achieved. Here, we present efficient mode converters for manipulating guided modes on a plasmonic two-wire transmission line. The mode conversion is achieved through varying the path length, wire cross section and the surrounding index of refraction. Instead of pure optical interference, strong near-field coupling of surface plasmons results in great momentum splitting and modal profile variation. We theoretically demonstrate control over nanoantenna radiation and discuss the possibility to enhance nanoscale light-matter interaction. The proposed converter may find applications in surface plasmon amplification, index sensing and enhanced nanoscale spectroscopy.

Optical properties of an elliptic quantum ring: Eccentricity and electric field effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bejan, Doina; Stan, Cristina; Niculescu, Ecaterina C.

2018-04-01

We have theoretically studied the electronic and optical properties of a GaAs/AlGaAs elliptic quantum ring under in-plane electric field. The effects of an eccentric internal barrier -placed along the electric field direction, chosen as x-axis- and incident light polarization are particularly taken into account. The one-electron energy spectrum and wave functions are found using the adiabatic approximation and the finite element method within the effective-mass model. We show that it is possible to repair the structural distortion by applying an appropriate in-plane electric field, and the compensation is almost complete for all electronic states under study. For both concentric and eccentric quantum ring the intraband optical properties are very sensitive to the electric field and probe laser polarization. As expected, in the systems with eccentricity distortions the energy spectrum, as well as the optical response, strongly depends on the direction of the externally applied electric field, an effect that can be used as a signature of ring eccentricity. We demonstrated the possibility of generating second harmonic response at double resonance condition for incident light polarized along the x-axis if the electric field or/and eccentric barrier break the inversion symmetry. Also, strong third harmonic signal can be generated at triple resonance condition for a specific interval of electric field values when using y-polarized light.

Intracellular Physiology of the Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus: Electrical Properties, Neurotransmission, and Effects of Neuromodulators.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-24

Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus: Electrical Properties, Neurotransmission, and Effects of Neuromodulators 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) F. Edward Dudek 13a...intrinsic electrical properties, synaptic and non-synaptic transmission, and neuromodulation . We have studied the role of excitatory and inhibitory amino... Neuromodulation : Smithson. K.G.. MacVicar. B.A. and Hatton. G.I. (1983) The Biochemical Control of Neuronal Excitability. Oxford Polyethylene glycol

Emerging ferroelectric transistors with nanoscale channel materials: the possibilities, the limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Xia

2016-03-01

Combining the nonvolatile, locally switchable polarization field of a ferroelectric thin film with a nanoscale electronic material in a field effect transistor structure offers the opportunity to examine and control a rich variety of mesoscopic phenomena and interface coupling. It is also possible to introduce new phases and functionalities into these hybrid systems through rational design. This paper reviews two rapidly progressing branches in the field of ferroelectric transistors, which employ two distinct classes of nanoscale electronic materials as the conducting channel, the two-dimensional (2D) electron gas graphene and the strongly correlated transition metal oxide thin films. The topics covered include the basic device physics, novel phenomena emerging in the hybrid systems, critical mechanisms that control the magnitude and stability of the field effect modulation and the mobility of the channel material, potential device applications, and the performance limitations of these devices due to the complex interface interactions and challenges in achieving controlled materials properties. Possible future directions for this field are also outlined, including local ferroelectric gate control via nanoscale domain patterning and incorporating other emergent materials in this device concept, such as the simple binary ferroelectrics, layered 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, and the 4d and 5d heavy metal compounds with strong spin-orbit coupling.

Nanoscale current uniformity and injection efficiency of nanowire light emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, Brelon J.; Selcu, Camelia M.; Sarwar, A. T. M. G.; Myers, Roberto C.

2018-02-01

As an alternative to light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on thin films, nanowire based LEDs are the focus of recent development efforts in solid state lighting as they offer distinct photonic advantages and enable direct integration on a variety of different substrates. However, for practical nanowire LEDs to be realized, uniform electrical injection must be achieved through large numbers of nanowire LEDs. Here, we investigate the effect of the integration of a III-Nitride polarization engineered tunnel junction (TJ) in nanowire LEDs on Si on both the overall injection efficiency and nanoscale current uniformity. By using conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) and current-voltage (IV) analysis, we explore the link between the nanoscale nonuniformities and the ensemble devices which consist of many diodes wired in parallel. Nanometer resolved current maps reveal that the integration of a TJ on n-Si increases the amount of current a single nanowire can pass at a given applied bias by up to an order of magnitude, with the top 10% of wires passing more than ×3.5 the current of nanowires without a TJ. This manifests at the macroscopic level as a reduction in threshold voltage by more than 3 V and an increase in differential conductance as a direct consequence of the integration of the TJ. These results show the utility of cAFM to quantitatively probe the electrical inhomogeneities in as-grown nanowire ensembles without introducing uncertainty due to additional device processing steps, opening the door to more rapid development of nanowire ensemble based photonics.

Fabrication of nanoscale to macroscale nickel-multiwall carbon nanotube hybrid materials with tunable material properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdalla, Ahmed M.; Majdi, Tahereh; Ghosh, Suvojit; Puri, Ishwar K.

2016-12-01

To utilize their superior properties, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) must be manipulated and aligned end-to-end. We describe a nondestructive method to magnetize MWNTs and provide a means to remotely manipulate them through the electroless deposition of magnetic nickel nanoparticles on their surfaces. The noncovalent bonds between Ni nanoparticles and MWNTs produce a Ni-MWNT hybrid material (NiCH) that is electrically conductive and has an enhanced magnetic susceptibility and elastic modulus. Our experiments show that MWNTs can be plated with Ni for Ni:MWNT weight ratios of γ = 1, 7, 14 and 30, to control the material properties. The phase, atom-level, and morphological information from x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dark field STEM, and atomic force microscopy clarify the plating process and reveal the mechanical properties of the synthesized material. Ni metalizes at the surface of the Pd catalyst, forming a continuous wavy layer that encapsulates the MWNT surfaces. Subsequently, Ni acts as an autocatalyst, allowing the plating to continue even after the original Pd catalyst has been completely covered. Raising γ increases the coating layer thickness from 10 to 150 nm, which influences the NiCH magnetic properties and tunes its elastic modulus from 12.5 to 58.7 GPa. The NiCH was used to fabricate Ni-MWNT macrostructures and tune their morphologies by changing the direction of an applied magnetic field. Leveraging the hydrophilic Ni-MWNT outer surface, a water-based conductive ink was created and used to print a conductive path that had an electrical resistivity of 5.9 Ω m, illustrating the potential of this material for printing electronic circuits.

Nanoscale assembly of superconducting vortices with scanning tunnelling microscope tip

PubMed Central

Ge, Jun-Yi; Gladilin, Vladimir N.; Tempere, Jacques; Xue, Cun; Devreese, Jozef T.; Van de Vondel, Joris; Zhou, Youhe; Moshchalkov, Victor V.

2016-01-01

Vortices play a crucial role in determining the properties of superconductors as well as their applications. Therefore, characterization and manipulation of vortices, especially at the single-vortex level, is of great importance. Among many techniques to study single vortices, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) stands out as a powerful tool, due to its ability to detect the local electronic states and high spatial resolution. However, local control of superconductivity as well as the manipulation of individual vortices with the STM tip is still lacking. Here we report a new function of the STM, namely to control the local pinning in a superconductor through the heating effect. Such effect allows us to quench the superconducting state at nanoscale, and leads to the growth of vortex clusters whose size can be controlled by the bias voltage. We also demonstrate the use of an STM tip to assemble single-quantum vortices into desired nanoscale configurations. PMID:27934960

Effect of orientation on electrically conducting thermoplastic composite properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Genetti, W.B.; Grady, B.P.

1996-10-01

Properties of electrically conducting composites made from low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and polypropylene (PP) filled with nickel flake are being studied as a function of nickel concentration and draw ratio. The effect on electrical conduction, crystallinity, melt temperature, tensile modulus, and elongation at break are being tested. The melt temperature increases with increasing nickel concentration. The electrical conduction increases slowly with increased nickel concentration to the percolation volume fraction, then increases sharply. Orientation by uniaxial stretching of the films should allow conductive pathways to form throughout the polymer more easily by forcing particles closer together, thusmore » reducing the percolation volume fraction. This process could be caused by both alignment of the polymer chains and by stress induced crystallization that forces the particles into smaller amorphous regions.« less

Characterization of NiSi nanowires as field emitters and limitations of Fowler-Nordheim model at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belkadi, Amina B.; Gale, E.; Isakovic, A. F.

2015-03-01

Nanoscale field emitters are of technological interest because of the anticipated faster turn-on time, better sustainability and compactness. This report focuses on NiSi nanowires as field emitters for two reasons: (a) possible enhancement of field emission in nanoscale field emitters over bulk, and (b) achieving the same field emission properties as in bulk, but at a lower energy cost. To this end, we have grown, fabricated and characterized NiSi nanowires as field emitters. Depending on the geometry of the NiSi nanowires (aspect ratio, shape etc.), the relevant major field emission parameters, such as (1) the turn-on field, (2) the work function, and (3) the field enhancement factor, can be comparable or even superior to other recently explored nanoscale field emitters, such as CdS and ZnO. We also report on a comparative performance of various nanoscale field emitters and on the difficulties in the performance comparison in the light of relatively poor applicability of the standard Folwer-Nordheim model for field emission analysis for the case of the nanoscale field emitters. Proposed modifications are discussed. This work is supported through SRC-ATIC Grant 2011-KJ-2190. We also acknoweldge BNL-CFN and Cornell CNF facilities and staff.

Modification of electrical properties of topological insulators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharma, Peter Anand

Ion implantation or deposition can be used to modify the bulk electrical properties of topological insulators. More particularly, ion implantation or deposition can be used to compensate for the non-zero bulk conductivity due to extrinsic charge carriers. The direct implantation of deposition/annealing of dopants allows better control over carrier concentrations for the purposes of achieving low bulk conductivity. Ion implantation or deposition enables the fabrication of inhomogeneously doped structures, enabling new types of device designs.

Electrically Driving Donor Spin Qubits in Silicon Using Photonic Bandgap Resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigillito, A. J.; Tyryshkin, A. M.; Lyon, S. A.

In conventional experiments, donor nuclear spin qubits in silicon are driven using radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields. However, magnetic fields are difficult to confine at the nanoscale, which poses major issues for individually addressable qubits and device scalability. Ideally one could drive spin qubits using RF electric fields, which are easy to confine, but spins do not naturally have electric dipole transitions. In this talk, we present a new method for electrically controlling nuclear spin qubits in silicon by modulating the hyperfine interaction between the nuclear spin qubit and the donor-bound electron. By fabricating planar superconducting photonic bandgap resonators, we are able to use pulsed electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) techniques to selectively probe both electrically and magnetically driven transitions for 31P and 75As nuclear spin qubits. The electrically driven spin resonance mechanism allows qubits to be driven at either their transition frequency, or at one-half their transition frequency, thus reducing bandwidth requirements for future quantum devices. Moreover, this form of control allows for higher qubit densities and lower power requirements compared to magnetically driven schemes. In our proof-of-principle experiments we demonstrate electrically driven Rabi frequencies of approximately 50 kHz for widely spaced (10 μm) gates which should be extendable to MHz for nanoscale devices.

Effect of Fe-V nonstoichiometry on electrical and thermoelectric properties of Fe2VAl films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudo, Kohei; Yamada, Shinya; Chikada, Jinichiro; Shimanuki, Yuta; Nakamura, Yoshiaki; Hamaya, Kohei

2018-04-01

We study the effect of Fe-V nonstoichiometry on electrical and thermoelectric properties of Fe2VAl films. We find that temperature dependence of electrical resistivity and carrier type for Fe2- x V1+ x Al films are similar to those for bulk samples reported previously. In addition, the electrical and thermoelectric properties can be modulated by varying x. These results indicate that the electronic band structure having a pseudo gap at around the Fermi level is demonstrated even in thin-film Fe2VAl samples. This study will lead to further improvement in thermoelectric properties of the thin-film Fe2VAl.

Breaking the GaN material limits with nanoscale vertical polarisation super junction structures: A simulation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unni, Vineet; Sankara Narayanan, E. M.

2017-04-01

This is the first report on the numerical analysis of the performance of nanoscale vertical superjunction structures based on impurity doping and an innovative approach that utilizes the polarisation properties inherent in III-V nitride semiconductors. Such nanoscale vertical polarisation super junction structures can be realized by employing a combination of epitaxial growth along the non-polar crystallographic axes of Wurtzite GaN and nanolithography-based processing techniques. Detailed numerical simulations clearly highlight the limitations of a doping based approach and the advantages of the proposed solution for breaking the unipolar one-dimensional material limits of GaN by orders of magnitude.

Plasmofluidics: Merging Light and Fluids at the Micro-/Nanoscale.

PubMed

Wang, Mingsong; Zhao, Chenglong; Miao, Xiaoyu; Zhao, Yanhui; Rufo, Joseph; Liu, Yan Jun; Huang, Tony Jun; Zheng, Yuebing

2015-09-16

Plasmofluidics is the synergistic integration of plasmonics and micro/nanofluidics in devices and applications in order to enhance performance. There has been significant progress in the emerging field of plasmofluidics in recent years. By utilizing the capability of plasmonics to manipulate light at the nanoscale, combined with the unique optical properties of fluids and precise manipulation via micro/nanofluidics, plasmofluidic technologies enable innovations in lab-on-a-chip systems, reconfigurable photonic devices, optical sensing, imaging, and spectroscopy. In this review article, the most recent advances in plasmofluidics are examined and categorized into plasmon-enhanced functionalities in microfluidics and microfluidics-enhanced plasmonic devices. The former focuses on plasmonic manipulations of fluids, bubbles, particles, biological cells, and molecules at the micro/nanoscale. The latter includes technological advances that apply microfluidic principles to enable reconfigurable plasmonic devices and performance-enhanced plasmonic sensors. The article is concluded with perspectives on the upcoming challenges, opportunities, and possible future directions of the emerging field of plasmofluidics. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stabilizing the body centered cubic crystal in titanium alloys by a nano-scale concentration modulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, H. L.; Shah, S. A. A.; Hao, Y. L.

It is well-known that the body centered cubic (bcc) crystal in titanium alloys reaches its stability limit as the electron-to-atom (e/a) ratio of the alloy drops down to ~4.24. This critical value, however, is much higher than that of a multifunctional bcc type alloy (e/a = 4.15). Here we demonstrate that a nano-scale concentration modulation created by spinodal decomposition is what stabilizes the bcc crystal of the alloy. Aided by such a nano-scale concentration heterogeneity, unexpected properties from its chemically homogeneous counterpart are obtained. This provides a new strategy to design functional titanium alloys by tuning the spinodal decomposition.

Nanoscale plasmonic waveguides for filtering and demultiplexing devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akjouj, A.; Noual, A.; Pennec, Y.; Bjafari-Rouhani, B.

2010-05-01

Numerical simulations, based on a FDTD (finite-difference-time-domain) method, of infrared light propagation for add/drop filtering in two-dimensional (2D) Ag-SiO2-Ag resonators are reported to design 2D Y-bent plasmonic waveguides with possible applications in telecommunication WDM (wavelength demultiplexing). First, we study optical transmission and reflection of a nanoscale SiO2 waveguide coupled to a nanocavity of the same insulator located either inside or on the side of a linear waveguide sandwiched between Ag. According to the inside or outside positioning of the nanocavity with respect to the waveguide, the transmission spectrum displays peaks or dips, respectively, which occur at the same central frequency. A fundamental study of the possible cavity modes in the near-infrared frequency band is also given. These filtering properties are then exploited to propose a nanoscale demultiplexer based on a Y-shaped plasmonic waveguide for separation of two different wavelengths, in selection or rejection, from an input broadband signal around 1550 nm. We detail coupling of the 2D add/drop Y connector to two cavities inserted on each of its branches.

Nanoscale elasticity mappings of micro-constituents of abalone shell by band excitation-contact resonance force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tao; Zeng, Kaiyang

2014-01-01

The macroscopic mechanical properties of the abalone shell have been studied extensively in the literature, but the in situ nanoscale elasticity of various micro-constituents in the shell have not been characterized and reported yet. In this study, the nanoscale elasticity mappings including different micro-constituents in abalone shell were observed by using the Contact Resonance Force Microscopy (CR-FM) technique. CR-FM is one of the advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques that is able to quantify the local elastic moduli of various materials in a non-destructive manner. Instead of an average value, an elasticity mapping that reveals the nanoscale variations of elastic moduli with location can be extracted and correlated with the topography of the structure. Therefore in this study, by adopting the CR-FM technique that is incorporated with the band excitation technique, the elasticity variations of the abalone shell caused by different micro-constituents and crystal orientations are reported, and the elasticity values of the aragonite and calcite nanograins are quantified.The macroscopic mechanical properties of the abalone shell have been studied extensively in the literature, but the in situ nanoscale elasticity of various micro-constituents in the shell have not been characterized and reported yet. In this study, the nanoscale elasticity mappings including different micro-constituents in abalone shell were observed by using the Contact Resonance Force Microscopy (CR-FM) technique. CR-FM is one of the advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques that is able to quantify the local elastic moduli of various materials in a non-destructive manner. Instead of an average value, an elasticity mapping that reveals the nanoscale variations of elastic moduli with location can be extracted and correlated with the topography of the structure. Therefore in this study, by adopting the CR-FM technique that is incorporated with the band excitation technique, the

First evidence on phloem transport of nanoscale calcium oxide in groundnut using solution culture technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deepa, Manchala; Sudhakar, Palagiri; Nagamadhuri, Kandula Venkata; Balakrishna Reddy, Kota; Giridhara Krishna, Thimmavajjula; Prasad, Tollamadugu Naga Venkata Krishna Vara

2015-06-01

Nanoscale materials, whose size typically falls below 100 nm, exhibit novel chemical, physical and biological properties which are different from their bulk counterparts. In the present investigation, we demonstrated that nanoscale calcium oxide particles (n-CaO) could transport through phloem tissue of groundnut unlike the corresponding bulk materials. n-CaO particles are prepared using sol-gel method. The size of the as prepared n-CaO measured (69.9 nm) using transmission electron microscopic technique (TEM). Results of the hydroponics experiment using solution culture technique revealed that foliar application of n-CaO at different concentrations (10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 ppm) on groundnut plants confirmed the entry of calcium into leaves and stems through phloem compared to bulk source of calcium sprayed (CaO and CaNO3). After spraying of n-CaO, calcium content in roots, shoots and leaves significantly increased. Based on visual scoring of calcium deficiency correction and calcium content in plant parts, we may establish the fact that nanoscale calcium oxide particles (size 69.9 nm) could move through phloem tissue in groundnut. This is the first report on phloem transport of nanoscale calcium oxide particles in plants and this result points to the use of nanoscale calcium oxide particles as calcium source to the plants through foliar application, agricultural crops in particular, as bulk calcium application through foliar nutrition is restricted due to its non-mobility in phloem.

CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES: Electrical, dielectric and surface wetting properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/nylon-6 nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Yun-Ze; Li, Meng-Meng; Sui, Wan-Mei; Kong, Qing-Shan; Zhang, Lei

2009-03-01

This paper reports that the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/nylon-6 (PA6) nanocomposites with different MWCNT loadings have been prepared by a simple melt-compounding method. The electrical, dielectric, and surface wetting properties of the CNT/PA6 composites have been studied. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of the CNT/PA6 composite with 10.0 wt% CNT loading (σRT ~ 10-4 S/cm) are measured, and afterwards a charge-energy-limited tunnelling model (ln σ(T) ~ T-1/2) is found. With increasing CNT weight percentage from 0.0 to 10.0 wt%, the dielectric constant of the CNT/PA6 composites enhances and the dielectric loss tangent increases two orders of magnitude. In addition, water contact angles of the CNT/PA6 composites increase and the composites with CNT loading larger than 2.0 wt% even become hydrophobic. The obtained results indicate that the electrical and surface properties of the composites have been significantly enhanced by the embedded carbon nanotubes.

Nano-Scale Characterization of Al-Mg Nanocrystalline Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Evan; Ladani, Leila

Materials with nano-scale microstructure have become increasingly popular due to their benefit of substantially increased strengths. The increase in strength as a result of decreasing grain size is defined by the Hall-Petch equation. With increased interest in miniaturization of components, methods of mechanical characterization of small volumes of material are necessary because traditional means such as tensile testing becomes increasingly difficult with such small test specimens. This study seeks to characterize elastic-plastic properties of nanocrystalline Al-5083 through nanoindentation and related data analysis techniques. By using nanoindentation, accurate predictions of the elastic modulus and hardness of the alloy were attained. Also, the employed data analysis model provided reasonable estimates of the plastic properties (strain-hardening exponent and yield stress) lending credibility to this procedure as an accurate, full mechanical characterization method.

Rapid determination of nanowires electrical properties using a dielectrophoresis-well based system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantinou, Marios; Hoettges, Kai F.; Krylyuk, Sergiy; Katz, Michael B.; Davydov, Albert; Rigas, Grigorios-Panagiotis; Stolojan, Vlad; Hughes, Michael P.; Shkunov, Maxim

2017-03-01

The use of high quality semiconducting nanomaterials for advanced device applications has been hampered by the unavoidable growth variability of electrical properties of one-dimensional nanomaterials, such as nanowires and nanotubes, thus highlighting the need for the characterization of efficient semiconducting nanomaterials. In this study, we demonstrate a low-cost, industrially scalable dielectrophoretic (DEP) nanowire assembly method for the rapid analysis of the electrical properties of inorganic single crystalline nanowires, by identifying key features in the DEP frequency response spectrum from 1 kHz to 20 MHz in just 60 s. Nanowires dispersed in anisole were characterized using a three-dimensional DEP chip (3DEP), and the resultant spectrum demonstrated a sharp change in nanowire response to DEP signal in 1-20 MHz frequency range. The 3DEP analysis, directly confirmed by field-effect transistor data, indicates that nanowires of higher quality are collected at high DEP signal frequency range above 10 MHz, whereas lower quality nanowires, with two orders of magnitude lower current per nanowire, are collected at lower DEP signal frequencies. These results show that the 3DEP platform can be used as a very efficient characterization tool of the electrical properties of rod-shaped nanoparticles to enable dielectrophoretic selective deposition of nanomaterials with superior conductivity properties.

Electrical properties of carbon nanotubes modified GaSe glassy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Hana; Khan, Zubair M. S. H.; Islam, Shama; Rahman, Raja Saifu; Husain, M.; Zulfequar, M.

2018-05-01

In this paper we report the investigation of the effect of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) addition on the electrical properties of GaSe Glassy system. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss of GaSe glassy system are found to increase on CNT addition. The conductivity of GaSe glasy systems is also found to increase on CNT addition. This behavior is attributed to the excellent conduction properties of Carbon Nanotube.

Electric field control in DC cable test termination by nano silicone rubber composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Shu-Wei; Li, Zhongyuan; Zhao, Hong; Zhang, Peihong; Han, Baozhong; Fu, Mingli; Hou, Shuai

2017-07-01

The electric field distributions in high voltage direct current cable termination are investigated with silicone rubber nanocomposite being the electric stress control insulator. The nanocomposite is composed of silicone rubber, nanoscale carbon black and graphitic carbon. The experimental results show that the physical parameters of the nanocomposite, such as thermal activation energy and nonlinearity-relevant coefficient, can be manipulated by varying the proportion of the nanoscale fillers. The numerical simulation shows that safe electric field distribution calls for certain parametric region of the thermal activation energy and nonlinearity-relevant coefficient. Outside the safe parametric region, local maximum of electric field strength around the stress cone appears in the termination insulator, enhancing the breakdown of the cable termination. In the presence of the temperature gradient, thermal activation energy and nonlinearity-relevant coefficient work as complementary factors to produce a reasonable electric field distribution. The field maximum in the termination insulator show complicate variation in the transient processes. The stationary field distribution favors the increase of the nonlinearity-relevant coefficient; for the transient field distribution in the process of negative lighting impulse, however, an optimized value of the nonlinearity-relevant coefficient is necessary to equalize the electric field in the termination.

Nanoscale Control over the Mixing Behavior of Surface-Confined Bicomponent Supramolecular Networks Using an Oriented External Electric Field

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Strong electric fields are known to influence the properties of molecules as well as materials. Here we show that by changing the orientation of an externally applied electric field, one can locally control the mixing behavior of two molecules physisorbed on a solid surface. Whether the starting two-component network evolves into an ordered two-dimensional (2D) cocrystal, yields an amorphous network where the two components phase separate, or shows preferential adsorption of only one component depends on the solution stoichiometry. The experiments are carried out by changing the orientation of the strong electric field that exists between the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and a solid substrate. The structure of the two-component network typically changes from open porous at negative substrate bias to relatively compact when the polarity of the applied bias is reversed. The electric-field-induced mixing behavior is reversible, and the supramolecular system exhibits excellent stability and good response efficiency. When molecular guests are adsorbed in the porous networks, the field-induced switching behavior was found to be completely different. Plausible reasons behind the field-induced mixing behavior are discussed. PMID:29112378

Structural and electrical properties of cobalt-doped 4H-SrMnO_{3-δ} perovskites obtained by the hydrothermal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ben Rguiga, N.; Álvarez-Serrano, I.; López, M. L.; Chérif, W.; Alonso, J. A.

2018-02-01

A mild hydrothermal method was adapted to prepare the SrMn_{1-x}CoxO_{3-δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) compounds. They showed hexagonal-4H perovskite-type structure with space group P63/mmc, and cell parameters a ˜ 5.45 and c ˜ 9.08 Å, as deduced from X-ray and neutron diffraction data. The mean atomic concentrations indicated global stoichiometries close to the nominal ones whereas electron microscopy analyses pointed out to heterogeneity at the nanoscale. The characterization of the electrical response by means of impedance measurements, suggested a semiconductor behavior mainly ascribed to bulk contributions. Relaxation and conduction processes were analyzed. The materials showed mixed electronic-ionic conduction above ˜ 400 K, when ionic conduction between intergrains becomes favored. Microstructural homogeneity was revealed as the key factor controlling the electrical response.

Graded metascreens to enable a new degree of nanoscale light management

PubMed Central

Mohammadi Estakhri, Nasim; Argyropoulos, Christos; Alù, Andrea

2015-01-01

Optical metasurfaces, typically referred to as two-dimensional metamaterials, are arrays of engineered subwavelength inclusions suitably designed to tailor the light properties, including amplitude, phase and polarization state, over deeply subwavelength scales. By exploiting anomalous localized interactions of surface elements with optical waves, metasurfaces can go beyond the functionalities offered by conventional diffractive optical gratings. The innate simplicity of implementation and the distinct underlying physics of their wave–matter interaction distinguish metasurfaces from three-dimensional metamaterials and provide a valuable means of moulding optical waves in the desired manner. Here, we introduce a general approach based on the electromagnetic equivalence principle to develop and synthesize graded, non-periodic metasurfaces to generate arbitrarily prescribed distributions of electromagnetic waves. Graded metasurfaces are realized with a single layer of spatially modulated, electrically polarizable nanoparticles, tailoring the scattering response of the surface with nanoscale resolutions. We discuss promising applications based on the proposed local wave management technique, including the design of ultrathin optical carpet cloaks, alignment-free polarization beam splitters and a novel approach to enable broadband light absorption enhancement in thin-film solar cells. This concept opens up a practical route towards efficient planarized optical structures with potential impact on the integrated nanophotonic technology. PMID:26217059

Electrical Machines Laminations Magnetic Properties: A Virtual Instrument Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez-Roman, Javier; Perez-Cruz, Juan; Pineda-Sanchez, Manuel; Puche-Panadero, Ruben; Roger-Folch, Jose; Riera-Guasp, Martin; Sapena-Baño, Angel

2015-01-01

Undergraduate courses in electrical machines often include an introduction to their magnetic circuits and to the various magnetic materials used in their construction and their properties. The students must learn to be able to recognize and compare the permeability, saturation, and losses of these magnetic materials, relate each material to its…

Creating nanoscale emulsions using condensation.

PubMed

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

2017-11-08

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

A first-principles study of the electrically tunable band gap in few-layer penta-graphene.

PubMed

Wang, Jinjin; Wang, Zhanyu; Zhang, R J; Zheng, Y X; Chen, L Y; Wang, S Y; Tsoo, Chia-Chin; Huang, Hung-Ji; Su, Wan-Sheng

2018-06-25

The structural and electronic properties of bilayer (AA- and AB-stacked) and tri-layer (AAA-, ABA- and AAB-stacked) penta-graphene (PG) have been investigated in the framework of density functional theory. The present results demonstrate that the ground state energy in AB stacking is lower than that in AA stacking, whereas ABA stacking is found to be the most energetically favorable, followed by AAB and AAA stackings. All considered model configurations are found to be semiconducting, independent of the stacking sequence. In the presence of a perpendicular electric field, their band gaps can be significantly reduced and completely closed at a specific critical electric field strength, demonstrating a Stark effect. These findings show that few-layer PG will have tremendous opportunities to be applied in nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices owing to its tunable band gap.

Single-layer MoS2 - electrical transport properties, devices and circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kis, Andras

2013-03-01

After quantum dots, nanotubes and nanowires, two-dimensional materials in the shape of sheets with atomic-scale thickness represent the newest addition to the diverse family of nanoscale materials. Single-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) , a direct-gap semiconductor is a typical example of these new graphene-like materials that can be produced using the adhesive-tape based cleavage technique originally developed for graphene. The presence of a band gap in MoS2 allowed us to fabricate transistors that can be turned off and operate with negligible leakage currents. Furthermore, our transistors can be used to build simple integrated circuits capable of performing logic operations and amplifying small signals. I will report here on our latest 2D MoS2 transistors with improved performance due to enhanced electrostatic control, showing improved currents and transconductance as well as current saturation. We also record electrical breakdown of our devices and find that MoS2 can support very high current densities, exceeding the current carrying capacity of copper by a factor of fifty. Furthermore, I will show optoelectronic devices incorporating MoS2 with sensitivity that surpasses similar graphene devices by several orders of magnitude. Finally, I will present temperature-dependent electrical transport and mobility measurements that show clear mobility enhancement due to the suppression of the influence of charge impurities with the deposition of an HfO2 capping layer. Financially supported by grants from Swiss National Science Foundation, EU-FP7, EU-ERC and Swiss Nanoscience Institute.

Optical wireless link between a nanoscale antenna and a transducing rectenna.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Arindam; Mennemanteuil, Marie-Maxime; Buret, Mickaël; Cazier, Nicolas; Colas-des-Francs, Gérard; Bouhelier, Alexandre

2018-05-18

Initiated as a cable-replacement solution, short-range wireless power transfer has rapidly become ubiquitous in the development of modern high-data throughput networking in centimeter to meter accessibility range. Wireless technology is now penetrating a higher level of system integration for chip-to-chip and on-chip radiofrequency interconnects. However, standard CMOS integrated millimeter-wave antennas have typical size commensurable with the operating wavelength, and are thus an unrealistic solution for downsizing transmitters and receivers to the micrometer and nanometer scale. Herein, we demonstrate a light-in and electrical signal-out, on-chip wireless near-infrared link between a 220 nm optical antenna and a sub-nanometer rectifying antenna converting the transmitted optical energy into direct electrical current. The co-integration of subwavelength optical functional devices with electronic transduction offers a disruptive solution to interface photons and electrons at the nanoscale for on-chip wireless optical interconnects.

Electric field effects on the optical properties of buckled GaAs monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahuguna, Bhagwati Prasad; Saini, L. K.; Sharma, Rajesh O.

2018-04-01

Buckled GaAs monolayer has a direct band gap semiconductor with energy gap of 1.31 eV in the absence of electric field. When we applied transverse electric field, the value of band gap decreases with increasing of electric field strength. In our previous work [1], it is observed that the buckled GaAs monolayer becomes metallic at 1.3 V/Å. In the present work, we investigate the optical properties such as photon energy-dependent dielectric functions, extinction coefficient, refractive index, absorption spectrum and reflectivity of buckled GaAs monolayer in the semiconducting phase i.e. absence of external electric field and metallic phase i.e. presence of external electric field using density functional theory.

Changes in physical properties of graphene oxide with thermal reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandit, Bhishma; Jo, Chang Hee; Joo, Kwan Seon; Cho, Jaehee

2017-08-01

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has attracted significant attention as an easily fabricable twodimensional material. Depending on the oxygen-containing functional groups (OFGs) in an rGO specimen, the optical and electrical properties can vary significantly, directly affecting the performance of devices in which rGO is implemented. Here, we investigated the optical and electrical properties of GO treated with various annealing (reduction) temperatures from 350 to 950 °C in H2 ambient. Using diverse characteristic tools, we found that the transmittance, nanoscale domain size, OFGs in GO and rGO, and Schottky barrier height (SBH) measured on n-type GaN are significantly influenced by the annealing temperature. The relative intensity of the defect-induced band in Raman spectroscopy showed a minimum at the annealing temperature of approximately 350 °C, before the OFGs in rGO showed vigorous changes in relative content. When the domain size of rGO reached a minimum at the annealing temperature of 650 °C, the SBH of rGO/GaN showed the maximum value of 1.07 eV.

Surface electrical properties experiment, part 1. [flown on Apollo 17

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strangway, D. W.; Annan, A. P.; Redman, J. D.; Rossiter, J. R.; Rylaarsdam, J. A.; Watts, R. D.

1974-01-01

The work is reported which was performed on the Surface Electrical Properties Experiment Data Acquisition System. Areas discussed include: data handling and processing, installation and external signal application, operation of the equipment, and digital output. Detailed circuit descriptions are included.

Trade-off between the Mechanical Strength and Microwave Electrical Properties of Functionalized and Irradiated Carbon Nanotube Sheets.

PubMed

Williams, Tiffany S; Orloff, Nathan D; Baker, James S; Miller, Sandi G; Natarajan, Bharath; Obrzut, Jan; McCorkle, Linda S; Lebron-Colón, Marisabel; Gaier, James; Meador, Michael A; Liddle, J Alexander

2016-04-13

Carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets represent a novel implementation of CNTs that enable the tailoring of electrical and mechanical properties for applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. Small molecule functionalization and postprocessing techniques, such as irradiation with high-energy particles, are methods that can enhance the mechanical properties of CNTs. However, the effect that these modifications have on the electrical conduction mechanisms has not been extensively explored. By characterizing the mechanical and electrical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) sheets with different functional groups and irradiation doses, we can expand our insights into the extent of the trade-off that exists between mechanical strength and electrical conductivity for commercially available CNT sheets. Such insights allow for the optimization of design pathways for engineering applications that require a balance of material property enhancements.

Nanoscale elastic changes in 2D Ti 3C 2T x (MXene) pseudocapacitive electrodes

DOE PAGES

Come, Jeremy; Xie, Yu; Naguib, Michael; ...

2016-02-01

Designing sustainable electrodes for next generation energy storage devices relies on the understanding of their fundamental properties at the nanoscale, including the comprehension of ions insertion into the electrode and their interactions with the active material. One consequence of ion storage is the change in the electrode volume resulting in mechanical strain and stress that can strongly affect the cycle life. Therefore, it is important to understand the changes of dimensions and mechanical properties occurring during electrochemical reactions. While the characterization of mechanical properties via macroscopic measurements is well documented, in-situ characterization of their evolution has never been achieved atmore » the nanoscale. Two dimensional (2D) carbides, known as MXenes, are promising materials for supercapacitors and various kinds of batteries, and understating the coupling between their mechanical and electrochemical properties is therefore necessary. Here we report on in-situ imaging, combined with density functional theory of the elastic changes, of a 2D titanium carbide (Ti 3C 2T x) electrode in direction normal to the basal plane during cation intercalation. The results show a strong correlation between the Li+ ions content and the elastic modulus, whereas little effects of K+ ions are observed. Moreover, this strategy enables identifying the preferential intercalation pathways within a single particle.« less

Hybrid Perovskite Phase Transition and Its Ionic, Electrical and Optical Properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoque, Md Nadim Ferdous; Islam, Nazifah; Zhu, Kai

Hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under normal operation will reach a temperature above ~ 60 °C, across the tetragonal-cubic structural phase transition of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3). Whether the structural phase transition could result in dramatic changes of ionic, electrical and optical properties that may further impact the PSC performances should be studied. Herein, we report a structural phase transition temperature of MAPbI 3thin film at ~ 55 °C, but a striking contrast occurred at ~ 45 °C in the ionic and electrical properties of MAPbI 3due to a change of the ion activation energy from 0.7 eV tomore » 0.5 eV. The optical properties exhibited no sharp transition except for the steady increase of the bandgap with temperature. It was also observed that the activation energy for ionic migration steadily increased with increased grain sizes, and reduction of the grain boundary density reduced the ionic migration.« less

Evolution of Mechanical and Electrical Properties During Annealing of the Copper Wire Drawn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zidani, M.; Messaoudi, S.; Baudin, T.; Derfouf, C.; Boulagroun, A.; Mathon, M. H.

2011-12-01

In this work, the evolution of mechanical and electrical properties and microstructure of industrial copper wire used for electrical cabling was characterized. This work is not limited to the interpretation of the microstructural characteristics of the wire-drawn state but also after different annealing treatments. For the lowest temperatures (160 °C and 200 °C), significant changes are not observed in the microstructure (grain size) in the weak deformed wire (28.5%). Instead, variations of some properties of the metal were observed (hardness and electrical resistivity). For strong deformation (61.4% and 84.59%), annealing, leads to recrystallization with a softening material. Let us note that the resistivity increases with deformation level and becomes higher after annealing at low temperature (200 °C).

Magnetic and electrical properties of Nd7Pt3 studied on single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsutaoka, Takanori; Ueda, Koyo; Matsushita, Takuya

2018-07-01

Magnetic and electrical properties of Nd7Pt3 with the Th7Fe3 type hexagonal structure have been studied on single crystals by measuring magnetization, magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity. Nd7Pt3 possesses a ferromagnetic state below TC = 38 K; a canted antiferromagnetic state takes place at Tt2 = 34 K. Another magnetic phase transition has also been observed at Tt1 = 25 K. The magnetization curve along the a- and b-axes at 2 K shows anomalous first-order irreversible behavior. The direction of the magnetic moment in the canted state can be tilted from the c-plane. Electrical resistivity measurement results show metallic property; three anomalies were observed at Tt1, Tt2 and TC, respectively.

Enhancement of CNT/PET film adhesion by nano-scale modification for flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yu Jin; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Min-Seop; Kim, Woong

2015-11-01

We demonstrate the fabrication of high-integrity flexible supercapacitors using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, and ion gels. Although both CNTs and PET films are attractive materials for flexible electronics, they have poor adhesion properties. In this work, we significantly improve interfacial adhesion by introducing nanostructures at the interface of the CNT and PET layers. Simple reactive ion etching (RIE) of the PET substrates generates nano-scale roughness on the PET surface. RIE also induces hydrophilicity on the PET surface, which further enhances adhesive strength. The improved adhesion enables high integrity and excellent flexibility of the fabricated supercapacitors, demonstrated over hundreds of bending cycles. Furthermore, the supercapacitors show good cyclability with specific capacitance retention of 87.5% after 10,000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles. Our demonstration may be important for understanding interfacial adhesion properties in nanoscale and for producing flexible, high-integrity, high-performance energy storage systems.

Thickness dependent optical and electrical properties of CdSe thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Purohit, A., E-mail: anuradha.purohit34@gmail.com; Chander, S.; Nehra, S. P.

2016-05-06

The effect of thickness on the optical and electrical properties of CdSe thin films is investigated in this paper. The films of thickness 445 nm, 631 nm and 810 nm were deposited on glass and ITO coated glass substrates using thermal evaporation technique. The deposited thin films were thermally annealed in air atmosphere at temperature 100°C and were subjected to UV-Vis spectrophotometer and source meter for optical and electrical analysis respectively. The absorption coefficient is observed to increase with photon energy and found maximum in higher photon energy region. The extinction coefficient and refractive index are also calculated. The electrical analysis shows thatmore » the electrical resistivity is observed to be decreased with thickness.« less

Controllable deformation of salt water-filled carbon nanotubes using an electric field with application to molecular sieving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Hongfei; Zheng, Yonggang; Zhang, Zhongqiang; Zhang, Hongwu; Chen, Zhen

2016-08-01

Precisely controlling the deformation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has practical application in the development of nanoscale functional devices, although it is a challenging task. Here, we propose a novel method to guide the deformation of CNTs through filling them with salt water and applying an electric field. With the electric field along the axial direction, the height of CNTs is enlarged by the axial electric force due to the internal ions and polar water molecules. Under an electric field with two mutually orthogonal components, the transverse electric force could further induce the bending deformation of CNTs. Based on the classical rod and beam theories, two mechanical models are constructed to verify and quantitatively describe the relationships between the tension and bending deformations of CNTs and the electric field intensity. Moreover, by means of the electric field-driven tension behavior of CNTs, we design a stretchable molecular sieve to control the flow rate of mixed gas and collect a single high-purity gas. The present work opens up new avenues in the design and fabrication of nanoscale controlling units.

Controlling electrostatic charging of nanocrystalline diamond at nanoscale.

PubMed

Verveniotis, Elisseos; Kromka, Alexander; Rezek, Bohuslav

2013-06-11

Constant electrical current in the range of -1 to -200 pA is applied by an atomic force microscope (AFM) in contact mode regime to induce and study local electrostatic charging of oxygen-terminated nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films. The NCD films are deposited on silicon in 70 nm thickness and with 60% relative sp(2) phase content. Charging current is monitored by conductive AFM. Electric potential contrast induced by the current is evaluated by Kelvin force microscopy (KFM). KFM shows well-defined, homogeneous, and reproducible microscopic patterns that are not influenced by inherent tip-surface junction fluctuations during the charging process. The charged patterns are persistent for at least 72 h due to charge trapping inside the NCD film. The current-induced charging also clearly reveals field-induced detrapping at current amplitudes >-50 pA and tip instability at >-150 pA, both of which limit the achievable potential contrast. In addition, we show that the field also determines the range of electronic states that can trap the charge. We present a model and discuss implications for control of the nanoscale charging process.

Sensing at the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demming, Anna; Hierold, Christofer

2013-11-01

The merits of nanostructures in sensing may seem obvious, yet playing these attributes to their maximum advantage can be a work of genius. As fast as sensing technology is improving, expectations are growing, with demands for cheaper devices with higher sensitivities and an ever increasing range of functionalities and compatibilities. At the same time tough scientific challenges like low power operation, noise and low selectivity are keeping researchers busy. This special issue on sensing at the nanoscale with guest editor Christofer Hierold from ETH Zurich features some of the latest developments in sensing research pushing at the limits of current capabilities. Cheap and easy fabrication is a top priority. Among the most popular nanomaterials in sensing are ZnO nanowires and in this issue Dario Zappa and colleagues at Brescia University in Italy simplify an already cheap and efficient synthesis method, demonstrating ZnO nanowire fabrication directly onto silicon substrates [1]. Meanwhile Nicolae Barson and colleagues in Germany point out the advantages of flame spray pyrolysis fabrication in a topical review [2] and, maximizing on existing resources, researchers in Denmark and Taiwan report cantilever sensing using a US20 commercial DVD-ROM optical pickup unit as the readout source [3]. The sensor is designed to detect physiological concentrations of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, a protein associated with inflammation due to HIV, cancer and other infectious diseases. With their extreme properties carbon nanostructures feature prominently in the issue, including the demonstration of a versatile and flexible carbon nanotube strain sensor [4] and a graphene charge sensor with sensitivities of the order of 1.3 × 10-3 e Hz-1/2 [5]. The issue of patterning for sensing devices is also tackled by researchers in the US who demonstrate a novel approach for multicomponent pattering metal/metal oxide nanoparticles on graphene [6]. Changes in electrical

Electrical Properties of Reactive Liquid Crystal Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCulloch, Iain; Coelle, Michael; Genevicius, Kristijonas; Hamilton, Rick; Heckmeier, Michael; Heeney, Martin; Kreouzis, Theo; Shkunov, Maxim; Zhang, Weimin

2008-01-01

Fabrication of display products by low cost printing technologies such as ink jet, gravure offset lithography and flexography requires solution processable semiconductors for the backplane electronics. The products will typically be of lower performance than polysilicon transistors, but comparable to amorphous silicon. A range of prototypes are under development, including rollable electrophoretic displays, active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD's), and flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Organic semiconductors that offer both electrical performance and stability with respect to storage and operation under ambient conditions are required. This work describes the initial evaluation of reactive mesogen semiconductors, which can polymerise within mesophase temperatures, “freezing in” the order in crosslinked domains. These crosslinked domains offer mechanical stability and are inert to solvent exposure in further processing steps. Reactive mesogens containing conjugated aromatic cores, designed to facilitate charge transport and provide good oxidative stability, were prepared and their liquid crystalline properties evaluated. Both time-of-flight and field effect transistor devices were prepared and their electrical characterisation reported.

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

PubMed

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

2016-10-05

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

The electrical transport properties of liquid Rb using pseudopotential theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patel, A. B., E-mail: amit07patel@gmail.com; Bhatt, N. K., E-mail: amit07patel@gmail.com; Thakore, B. Y., E-mail: amit07patel@gmail.com

2014-04-24

Certain electric transport properties of liquid Rb are reported. The electrical resistivity is calculated by using the self-consistent approximation as suggested by Ferraz and March. The pseudopotential due to Hasegawa et al for full electron-ion interaction, which is valid for all electrons and contains the repulsive delta function due to achieve the necessary s-pseudisation was used for the calculation. Temperature dependence of structure factor is considered through temperature dependent potential parameter in the pair potential. Finally, thermo-electric power and thermal conductivity are obtained. The outcome of the present study is discussed in light of other such results, and confirms themore » applicability of pseudopotential at very high temperature via temperature dependent pair potential.« less

Nanoscale Properties of Rocks and Subduction Zone Rheology: Inferences for the Mechanisms of Deep Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel, M. R.

2007-12-01

Grain boundaries are the key for the understanding of mineral reaction kinetics. More generally, nanometer scale processes involved in breaking and establishing bonds at reaction sites determine how and at which rate bulk rock properties change in response to external tectonic forcing and possibly feed back into various geodynamic processes. A particular problem is the effects of grain-boundary energy on the kinetics of the olivine-spinel phase transformation in subducting slabs. Slab rheology is affected in many ways by this (metastable) mineral phase change. Sluggish kinetics due to metastable hindrance is likely to cause particular difficulties, because of possible strong non-linear feedback loops between strain-rate and change of creep properties during transformation. In order to get these nanoscale properties included into thermo-mechanical models, reliable kinetic data is required. The measurement of grain-boundary energies is, however, a rather difficult problem. Conventional methods of grain boundary surface tension measurement include (a) equilibrium angles at triple junction (b) rotating ball method (c) thermal groove method, and others (Gottstein & Shvindlerman, 1999). Here I suggest a new method that allows for the derivation of grain-boundary energies for an isochemical phase transformation based on experimental (in-situ) kinetic data in combination with a corresponding dynamic scaling law (Riedel and Karato, 1997). The application of this method to the olivine-spinel phase transformation in subducting slabs provides a solution to the extrapolation problem of measured kinetic data: Any kinetic phase boundary measured at the laboratory time scale can be "scaled" to the correct critical isotherm at subduction zones, under experimentelly "forbidden" conditions (Liou et al., 2000). Consequences for the metastability hypothesis that relates deep seismicity with olivine metastability are derived and discussed. References: Gottstein G, Shvindlerman LS (1999

Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Electrical Property Characterization

PubMed Central

Chen, Jian; Xue, Chengcheng; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Deyong; Wu, Min-Hsien; Wang, Junbo

2015-01-01

This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for high-throughput electrical property characterization of single cells. Four major perspectives of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell characterization are included in this review: (1) early developments of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell electrical property characterization; (2) microfluidic impedance flow cytometry with enhanced sensitivity; (3) microfluidic impedance and optical flow cytometry for single-cell analysis and (4) integrated point of care system based on microfluidic impedance flow cytometry. We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research opportunities from the perspectives of both technical innovation and clinical applications. PMID:25938973

Effect of nano-scale morphology on micro-channel wall surface and electrical characterization in lead silicate glass micro-channel plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Hua; Li, Fangjun; Xu, Yanglei; Bo, Tiezhu; Zhou, Dongzhan; Lian, Jiao; Li, Qing; Cao, Zhenbo; Xu, Tao; Wang, Caili; Liu, Hui; Li, Guoen; Jia, Jinsheng

2017-10-01

Micro-channel plate (MCP) is a two dimensional arrays of microscopic channel charge particle multiplier. Silicate composition and hydrogen reduction are keys to determine surface morphology of micro-channel wall in MCP. In this paper, lead silicate glass micro-channel plates in two different cesium contents (0at%, 0.5at%) and two different hydrogen reduction temperatures (400°C,450°C) were present. The nano-scale morphology, elements content and chemical states of microporous wall surface treated under different alkaline compositions and reduction conditions was investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Meanwhile, the electrical characterizations of MCP, including the bulk resistance, electron gain and the density of dark current, were measured in a Vacuum Photoelectron Imaging Test Facility (VPIT).The results indicated that the granular phase occurred on the surface of microporous wall and diffuses in bulk glass is an aggregate of Pb atom derived from the reduction of Pb2+. In micro-channel plate, the electron gain and bulk resistance were mainly correlated to particle size and distribution, the density of dark current (DDC) went up with the increasing root-mean-square roughness (RMS) on the microporous wall surface. Adding cesiums improved the size of Pb atomic aggregation, lowered the relative concentration of [Pb] reduced from Pb2+ and decreased the total roughness of micro-channel wall surface, leading a higher bulk resistance, a lower electron gain and a less dark current. Increasing hydrogen reduction temperature also improved the size of Pb atomic aggregation, but enhanced the relative concentration of [Pb] and enlarged the total roughness of micro-channel wall surface, leading a higher bulk resistance, a lower electron gain and a larger dark current. The reasons for the difference of electrical characteristics were discussed.

Theory of Electron, Phonon and Spin Transport in Nanoscale Quantum Devices.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Hatef

2018-06-21

At the level of fundamental science, it was recently demonstrated that molecular wires can mediate long-range phase-coherent tunnelling with remarkably low attenuation over a few nanometre even at room temperature. Furthermore, a large mean free path has been observed in graphene and other graphene-like two-dimensional materials. These create the possibility of using quantum and phonon interference to engineer electron and phonon transport for wide range of applications such as molecular switches, sensors, piezoelectricity, thermoelectricity and thermal management. To understand transport properties of such devices, it is crucial to calculate their electronic and phononic transmission coefficients. The aim of this tutorial article is to review the state-of-art theoretical and mathematical techniques to treat electron, phonon and spin transport in nanoscale molecular junctions. This helps not only to explain new phenomenon observed experimentally but also provides a vital design tool to develop novel nanoscale quantum devices. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Nanoscale tissue engineering: spatial control over cell-materials interactions

PubMed Central

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

2011-01-01

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

Multi-modality gellan gum-based tissue-mimicking phantom with targeted mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties.

PubMed

Chen, Roland K; Shih, A J

2013-08-21

This study develops a new class of gellan gum-based tissue-mimicking phantom material and a model to predict and control the elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity by adjusting the mass fractions of gellan gum, propylene glycol, and sodium chloride, respectively. One of the advantages of gellan gum is its gelling efficiency allowing highly regulable mechanical properties (elastic modulus, toughness, etc). An experiment was performed on 16 gellan gum-based tissue-mimicking phantoms and a regression model was fit to quantitatively predict three material properties (elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity) based on the phantom material's composition. Based on these material properties and the regression model developed, tissue-mimicking phantoms of porcine spinal cord and liver were formulated. These gellan gum tissue-mimicking phantoms have the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties approximately equivalent to those of the spinal cord and the liver.

Electric field control of magnetic properties in FeRh/PMN-PT heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Yali; Zhan, Qingfeng; Shang, Tian; Yang, Huali; Liu, Yiwei; Wang, Baomin; Li, Run-Wei

2018-05-01

We investigated electric control of magnetic properties in FeRh/PMN-PT heterostructures. An electric field of 1 kV/cm applied on the PMN-PT substrate could increase the coercivity of FeRh film from 60 to 161 Oe at 360 K where the FeRh antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition occurs. The electric field dependent coercive field reveals a butterfly shape, indicating a strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling across the FeRh/PMN-PT interface. However, the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of FeRh is almost unchanged with the applied electric field on the PMN-PT substrate, which suggests the change of coercivity in FeRh films is mainly due to the shift of the magnetic transition temperature under the electric field.

Diversification of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties during normal development and botulinum toxin-induced muscle paralysis in early postnatal mice.

PubMed

Nakanishi, S T; Whelan, P J

2010-05-01

During early postnatal development, between birth and postnatal days 8-11, mice start to achieve weight-bearing locomotion. In association with the progression of weight-bearing locomotion there are presumed developmental changes in the intrinsic electrical properties of spinal -motoneurons. However, these developmental changes in the properties of -motoneuron properties have not been systematically explored in mice. Here, data are presented documenting the developmental changes of selected intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties, including statistically significant changes in action potential half-width, intrinsic excitability and diversity (quantified as coefficient of variation) of rheobase current, afterhyperpolarization half-decay time, and input resistance. In various adult mammalian preparations, the maintenance of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties is dependent on activity and/or transmission-sensitive motoneuron-muscle interactions. In this study, we show that botulinum toxin-induced muscle paralysis led to statistically significant changes in the normal development of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties in the postnatal mouse. This suggests that muscle activity during early neonatal life contributes to the development of normal motoneuron electrical properties.

Impacts of doping on thermal and thermoelectric properties of nanomaterials.

PubMed

Zhang, Gang; Li, Baowen

2010-07-01

Thermal transport in nanoscale structures has attracted an increasing interest in the last two decades. On the one hand, the low dimensional nanostructured materials are platforms for testing novel phonon transport theories. On the other hand, nanomaterials are promising candidates for nanoscale on-chip coolers. This review is focused on the thermal conductance, thermoelectric property, and impacts of doping on these properties.

Local control of the resistivity of graphene through mechanically induced switching of a ferroelectric superlattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humed Yusuf, Mohammed; Gura, Anna; Du, Xu; Dawber, Matthew

2017-06-01

We exploit nanoscale mechanically induced switching of an artificially layered ferroelectric material, used as an active substrate, to achieve the local manipulation of the electrical transport properties of graphene. In Graphene Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistors (GFeFETs), the graphene channel’s charge state is controlled by an underlying ferroelectric layer. The tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) can be used to mechanically ‘write’ nanoscale regions of the graphene channel and ‘read’ off the modulation in the transport behavior. The written features associated with the switching of ferroelectric domains remain polarized until an electrical reset operation is carried out. Our result provides a method for flexible and reversible nano-scale manipulation of the transport properties of a broad class of 2D materials.

Geometric properties-dependent neural synchrony modulated by extracellular subthreshold electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xile; Si, Kaili; Yi, Guosheng; Wang, Jiang; Lu, Meili

2016-07-01

In this paper, we use a reduced two-compartment neuron model to investigate the interaction between extracellular subthreshold electric field and synchrony in small world networks. It is observed that network synchronization is closely related to the strength of electric field and geometric properties of the two-compartment model. Specifically, increasing the electric field induces a gradual improvement in network synchrony, while increasing the geometric factor results in an abrupt decrease in synchronization of network. In addition, increasing electric field can make the network become synchronous from asynchronous when the geometric parameter is set to a given value. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that network synchrony can also be affected by the firing frequency and dynamical bifurcation feature of single neuron. These results highlight the effect of weak field on network synchrony from the view of biophysical model, which may contribute to further understanding the effect of electric field on network activity.

Processing, electrical and microwave properties of sputtered Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O superconducting thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Subramanyam, G.; Kapoor, V. J.; Chorey, C. M.; Bhasin, K. B.

1993-01-01

A reproducible fabrication process has been established for TlCaBaCuO thin films on LaAlO3 substrates by RF magnetron sputtering and post-deposition processing methods. Electrical transport properties of the thin films were measured on patterned four-probe test devices. Microwave properties of the films were obtained from unloaded Q measurements of all-superconducting ring resonators. This paper describes the processing, electrical and microwave properties of Tl2Ca1Ba2Cu2O(x) 2122-plane phase thin films.

Lightning generation in Titan due to the electrical self-polarization properties of Methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintero, A.; Falcón, N.

2009-05-01

We describe an electrical charge process in Titan's thunderclouds, due to the self-polarization properties or pyroelectricity of methane, which increases the internal electric field in thunderclouds and facilitates the charge generation and separation processes. Microphysics that generates lightning flashes is associated with the physical and chemical properties of the local atmosphere, so methane could be the principal agent of the electrical activity because of its great concentration in Titan's atmosphere. Besides, Titan's electrical activity should not be very influenced by Saturn's magnetosphere because lightning occurs at very low altitude above Titan's surface, compared with the greater distance of Saturn's magnetosphere and Titan's troposphere. Using an electrostatic treatment, we calculate the internal electric field of Titan's thunderclouds due to methane's pyroelectrical properties, 7.05×10^11 Vm^-1; and using the telluric capacitor approximation for thunderclouds, we calculate the total charge obtained for a typical Titan thundercloud, 2.67×10^9 C. However, it is not right to use an electrostatic treatment because charge times are very fast due to the large methane concentration in Titan's clouds and the life time of thunderclouds is very low (around 2 hours). We consider a time dependent mechanism, employing common Earth atmospheric approaches, because of the similitude in chemical composition of both atmospheres (mainly nitrogen), so the typical charge of a thundercloud in Titan should reach between 20 C to 40 C, like on Earth. We obtain that lightning occurs with a frequency between 2 and 6 KHz. In Titan's atmosphere, methane concentration is higher than on Earth, and atmospheric electrical activity is stronger, so this model could be consistent with the observed phenomenology.

Traceable nanoscale measurement at NML-SIRIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-06-01

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

Neuromorphic computing with nanoscale spintronic oscillators.

PubMed

Torrejon, Jacob; Riou, Mathieu; Araujo, Flavio Abreu; Tsunegi, Sumito; Khalsa, Guru; Querlioz, Damien; Bortolotti, Paolo; Cros, Vincent; Yakushiji, Kay; Fukushima, Akio; Kubota, Hitoshi; Yuasa, Shinji; Stiles, Mark D; Grollier, Julie

2017-07-26

Neurons in the brain behave as nonlinear oscillators, which develop rhythmic activity and interact to process information. Taking inspiration from this behaviour to realize high-density, low-power neuromorphic computing will require very large numbers of nanoscale nonlinear oscillators. A simple estimation indicates that to fit 10 8 oscillators organized in a two-dimensional array inside a chip the size of a thumb, the lateral dimension of each oscillator must be smaller than one micrometre. However, nanoscale devices tend to be noisy and to lack the stability that is required to process data in a reliable way. For this reason, despite multiple theoretical proposals and several candidates, including memristive and superconducting oscillators, a proof of concept of neuromorphic computing using nanoscale oscillators has yet to be demonstrated. Here we show experimentally that a nanoscale spintronic oscillator (a magnetic tunnel junction) can be used to achieve spoken-digit recognition with an accuracy similar to that of state-of-the-art neural networks. We also determine the regime of magnetization dynamics that leads to the greatest performance. These results, combined with the ability of the spintronic oscillators to interact with each other, and their long lifetime and low energy consumption, open up a path to fast, parallel, on-chip computation based on networks of oscillators.

Numerical Simulation of Electrical Properties of Carbonate Reservoir Rocks Using µCT Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colgin, J.; Niu, Q.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, F.

2017-12-01

Digital rock physics involves the modern microscopic imaging of geomaterials, digitalization of the microstructure, and numerical simulation of physical properties of rocks. This physics-based approach can give important insight into understanding properties of reservoir rocks, and help reveal the link between intrinsic rock properties and macroscopic geophysical responses. The focus of this study is the simulation of the complex conductivity of carbonate reservoir rocks using reconstructed 3D rock structures from high-resolution X-ray micro computed tomography (µCT). Carbonate core samples with varying lithofacies and pore structures from the Cambro-Ordovician Arbuckle Group and the Upper Pennsylvanian Lansing-Kansas City Group in Kansas are used in this study. The wide variations in pore geometry and connectivity of these samples were imaged using µCT. A two-phase segmentation method was used to reconstruct a digital rock of solid particles and pores. We then calculate the effective electrical conductivity of the digital rock volume using a pore-scale numerical approach. The complex conductivity of geomaterials is influenced by the electrical properties and geometry of each phase, i.e., the solid and fluid phases. In addition, the electrical double layer that forms between the solid and fluid phases can also affect the effective conductivity of the material. In the numerical modeling, the influence of the electrical double layer is quantified by a complex surface conductance and converted to an apparent volumetric complex conductivity of either solid particles or pore fluid. The effective complex conductivity resulting from numerical simulations based on µCT images will be compared to results from laboratory experiments on equivalent rock samples. The imaging and digital segmentation method, assumptions in the numerical simulation, and trends as compared to laboratory results will be discussed. This study will help us understand how microscale physics affects

Bench-scale synthesis of nanoscale materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M. F.; Darab, J. G.; Matson, D. W.; Linehan, J. C.

1994-01-01

A novel flow-through hydrothermal method used to synthesize nanoscale powders is introduced by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The process, Rapid Thermal Decomposition of precursors in Solution (RTDS), uniquely combines high-pressure and high-temperature conditions to rapidly form nanoscale particles. The RTDS process was initially demonstrated on a laboratory scale and was subsequently scaled up to accommodate production rates attractive to industry. The process is able to produce a wide variety of metal oxides and oxyhydroxides. The powders are characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopic methods, surface-area measurements, and x-ray diffraction. Typical crystallite sizes are less than 20 nanometers, with BET surface areas ranging from 100 to 400 sq m/g. A description of the RTDS process is presented along with powder characterization results. In addition, data on the sintering of nanoscale ZrO2 produced by RTDS are included.

Electrical and optical transport properties of single layer WSe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahir, M.

2018-03-01

The electronic properties of single layer WSe2 are distinct from the famous graphene due to strong spin orbit coupling, a huge band gap and an anisotropic lifting of the degeneracy of the valley degree of freedom under Zeeman field. In this work, band structure of the monolayer WSe2 is evaluated in the presence of spin and valley Zeeman fields to study the electrical and optical transport properties. Using Kubo formalism, an explicit expression for the electrical Hall conductivity is examined at finite temperatures. The electrical longitudinal conductivity is also evaluated. Further, the longitudinal and Hall optical conductivities are analyzed. It is observed that the contributions of the spin-up and spin-down states to the power absorption spectrum depend on the valley index. The numerical results exhibit absorption peaks as a function of photon energy, ℏ ω, in the range ∼ 1.5 -2 eV. Also, the optical response lies in the visible frequency range in contrast to the conventional two-dimensional electron gas or graphene where the response is limited to terahertz regime. This ability to isolate carriers in spin-valley coupled structures may make WSe2 a promising candidate for future spintronics, valleytronics and optical devices.

Electrical and magnetic properties of conductive Cu-based coated conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aytug, T.; Paranthaman, M.; Thompson, J. R.; Goyal, A.; Rutter, N.; Zhai, H. Y.; Gapud, A. A.; Ijaduola, A. O.; Christen, D. K.

2003-11-01

The development of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO)-based coated conductors for electric power applications will require electrical and thermal stabilization of the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coating. In addition, nonmagnetic tape substrates are an important factor in order to reduce the ferromagnetic hysteresis energy loss in ac applications. We report progress toward a conductive buffer layer architecture on biaxially textured nonmagnetic Cu tapes to electrically couple the HTS layer to the underlying metal substrate. A protective Ni overlayer, followed by a single buffer layer of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3, was employed to avoid Cu diffusion and to improve oxidation resistance of the substrate. Property characterizations of YBCO films on short prototype samples revealed self-field critical current density (Jc) values exceeding 2×106 A/cm2 at 77 K and good electrical connectivity. Magnetic hysteretic loss due to Ni overlayer was also investigated.

Intrinsic electrical properties of LuFe2O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lafuerza, Sara; García, Joaquín; Subías, Gloria; Blasco, Javier; Conder, Kazimierz; Pomjakushina, Ekaterina

2013-08-01

We here revisit the electrical properties of LuFe2O4, compound candidate for exhibiting multiferroicity. Measurements of dc electrical resistivity as a function of temperature, electric-field polarization measurements at low temperatures with and without magnetic field, and complex impedance as a function of both frequency and temperature were carried out in a LuFe2O4 single crystal, perpendicular and parallel to the hexagonal c axis, and in several ceramic polycrystalline samples. Resistivity measurements reveal that this material is a highly anisotropic semiconductor, being about two orders of magnitude more resistive along the c axis. The temperature dependence of the resistivity indicates a change in the conduction mechanism at TCO ≈ 320 K from thermal activation above TCO to variable range hopping below TCO. The resistivity values at room temperature are relatively small and are below 5000 Ω cm for all samples but we carried out polarization measurements at sufficiently low temperatures, showing that electric-field polarization curves are a straight line as expected for a paraelectric or antiferroelectric material. Furthermore, no differences are found in the polarization curves when a magnetic field is applied either parallel or perpendicular to the electric field. The analysis of the complex impedance data corroborates that the claimed colossal dielectric constant is a spurious effect mainly derived from the capacitance of the electrical contacts. Therefore, our data unequivocally evidence that LuFe2O4 is not ferroelectric.

Reactive tunnel junctions in electrically driven plasmonic nanorod metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pan; Krasavin, Alexey V.; Nasir, Mazhar E.; Dickson, Wayne; Zayats, Anatoly V.

2018-02-01

Non-equilibrium hot carriers formed near the interfaces of semiconductors or metals play a crucial role in chemical catalysis and optoelectronic processes. In addition to optical illumination, an efficient way to generate hot carriers is by excitation with tunnelling electrons. Here, we show that the generation of hot electrons makes the nanoscale tunnel junctions highly reactive and facilitates strongly confined chemical reactions that can, in turn, modulate the tunnelling processes. We designed a device containing an array of electrically driven plasmonic nanorods with up to 1011 tunnel junctions per square centimetre, which demonstrates hot-electron activation of oxidation and reduction reactions in the junctions, induced by the presence of O2 and H2 molecules, respectively. The kinetics of the reactions can be monitored in situ following the radiative decay of tunnelling-induced surface plasmons. This electrically driven plasmonic nanorod metamaterial platform can be useful for the development of nanoscale chemical and optoelectronic devices based on electron tunnelling.

Effects of silver impurity on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of ZnO nanowires

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

1, 3, and 5 wt.% silver-doped ZnO (SZO) nanowires (NWs) are grown by hot-walled pulsed laser deposition. After silver-doping process, SZO NWs show some change behaviors, including structural, electrical, and optical properties. In case of structural property, the primary growth plane of SZO NWs is switched from (002) to (103) plane, and the electrical properties of SZO NWs are variously measured to be about 4.26 × 106, 1.34 × 106, and 3.04 × 105 Ω for 1, 3, and 5 SZO NWs, respectively. In other words, the electrical properties of SZO NWs depend on different Ag ratios resulting in controlling the carrier concentration. Finally, the optical properties of SZO NWs are investigated to confirm p-type semiconductor by observing the exciton bound to a neutral acceptor (A0X). Also, Ag presence in ZnO NWs is directly detected by both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. These results imply that Ag doping facilitates the possibility of changing the properties in ZnO NWs by the atomic substitution of Ag with Zn in the lattice. PMID:21985620

Nanoscale Reinforced, Polymer Derived Ceramic Matrix Coatings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rajendra Bordia

The goal of this project was to explore and develop a novel class of nanoscale reinforced ceramic coatings for high temperature (600-1000 C) corrosion protection of metallic components in a coal-fired environment. It was focused on developing coatings that are easy to process and low cost. The approach was to use high-yield preceramic polymers loaded with nano-size fillers. The complex interplay of the particles in the polymer, their role in controlling shrinkage and phase evolution during thermal treatment, resulting densification and microstructural evolution, mechanical properties and effectiveness as corrosion protection coatings were investigated. Fe-and Ni-based alloys currently used in coal-firedmore » environments do not possess the requisite corrosion and oxidation resistance for next generation of advanced power systems. One example of this is the power plants that use ultra supercritical steam as the working fluid. The increase in thermal efficiency of the plant and decrease in pollutant emissions are only possible by changing the properties of steam from supercritical to ultra supercritical. However, the conditions, 650 C and 34.5 MPa, are too severe and result in higher rate of corrosion due to higher metal temperatures. Coating the metallic components with ceramics that are resistant to corrosion, oxidation and erosion, is an economical and immediate solution to this problem. Good high temperature corrosion protection ceramic coatings for metallic structures must have a set of properties that are difficult to achieve using established processing techniques. The required properties include ease of coating complex shapes, low processing temperatures, thermal expansion match with metallic structures and good mechanical and chemical properties. Nanoscale reinforced composite coatings in which the matrix is derived from preceramic polymers have the potential to meet these requirements. The research was focused on developing suitable material systems and

Overcoming nanoscale friction barriers in transition metal dichalcogenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cammarata, Antonio; Polcar, Tomas

2017-08-01

We study the atomic contributions to the nanoscale friction in layered M X2 (M =Mo , W; X =S , Se, Te) transition metal dichalcogenides by combining ab initio techniques with group-theoretical analysis. Starting from stable atomic configurations, we propose a computational method, named normal-modes transition approximation (NMTA), to individuate possible sliding paths from only the analysis of the phonon modes of the stable geometry. The method provides a way to decompose the atomic displacements realizing the layer sliding in terms of phonon modes of the stable structure, so as to guide the selection and tuning of specific atomic motions promoting M X2 sheets gliding, and to adjust the corresponding energy barrier. The present results show that main contributions to the nanoscale friction are due to few low frequency phonon modes, corresponding to rigid shifts of M X2 layers. We also provide further evidences that a previously reported Ti-doped MoS2 phase is a promising candidate as new material with enhanced tribologic properties. The NMTA approach can be exploited to tune the energetic and the structural features of specific phonon modes, and, thanks to its general formulation, can also be applied to any solid state system, irrespective of the chemical composition and structural topology.

Researching the electrical properties of single A3B5 nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasiliev, A. A.; Mozharov, A. M.; Komissarenko, F. E.; Cirlin, G. E.; Bouravlev, D. A.; Mukhin, I. S.

2017-11-01

We investigate electrical characteristics of GaN, GaAs and GaP NWs which are grown with MOCVD and MBE. We developed measurement technique and it allows to determine the required properties of the structures.

Electrical properties of tin-doped zinc oxide nanostructures doped at different dopant concentrations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nasir, M. F., E-mail: babaibaik2002@yahoo.com; Zainol, M. N., E-mail: nizarzainol@yahoo.com; Hannas, M., E-mail: mhannas@gmail.com

This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Tin doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different dopant concentrations. These thin films were doped with different Sn dopant concentrations at 1 at%, 2 at%, 3 at%, 4 at% and 5 at% was selected as the parameter to optimize the thin films quality while the annealing temperature is fixed 500 °C. Sn doped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thinmore » films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 750) for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 4 at% Sn doping concentration with the value 3.08 × 10{sup 3} Ωcm{sup −1}. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800 nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800 nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.« less

Incorporation of polydimethylsiloxane with reduced graphene oxide and zinc oxide for tensile and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danial, N. S.; Ramli, Muhammad. M.; Halin, D. S. C.; Hong, H. C.; Isa, S. Salwa M.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Anhar, N. A. M.; Talip, L. F. A.; Mazlan, N. S.

2017-09-01

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an organosilicon polymer that is commonly used to incorporate with other fillers. PDMS in high viscous liquid form is mechanically stirred with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and mixed with zinc oxide (ZnO) with specific ratio, thus rendering into two types of samples. The mechanical and electrical properties of both samples are characterized. The result shows that PDMS sample with 50 mg rGO has the highest tensile strength with the value of 9.1 MPa. For electrical properties, sample with the lowest resistance is PDMS with 50 mg rGO and ZnO with the value of l.67×l05 Ω. This experiment shows the significant role of conductive fillers like rGO and ZnO incorporated in polymeric material such as PDMS to improve its electrical properties.

A review of microelectromechanical systems for nanoscale mechanical characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yong; Chang, Tzu-Hsuan

2015-09-01

A plethora of nanostructures with outstanding properties have emerged over the past decades. Measuring their mechanical properties and understanding their deformation mechanisms is of paramount importance for many of their device applications. To address this need innovative experimental techniques have been developed, among which a promising one is based upon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This article reviews the recent advances in MEMS platforms for the mechanical characterization of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures over the past decade. A large number of MEMS platforms and related nanomechanics studies are presented to demonstrate the unprecedented capabilities of MEMS for nanoscale mechanical characterization. Focusing on key design considerations, this article aims to provide useful guidelines for developing MEMS platforms. Finally, some of the challenges and future directions in the area of MEMS-enabled nanomechanical characterization are discussed.

First principle study of electronic nanoscale structure of In x Ga1- x P with variable size, shape and alloying percentage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, M. T.; Kasim, T.; Abdulsattar, M. A.

2013-11-01

In present work, we investigate electronic properties of alloying percentage of In x Ga1- x P compound with different sizes of superlattice large unit cell (LUC) method with 8, 16, 54, and 64 nanocrystals core atoms. The size and type of alloying compound are varied so that it can be tuned to a required application. To determine properties of indium gallium phosphide nanocrystals density functional theory at the generalized-gradient approximation level coupled with LUC method is used to simulate electronic structure of zinc blende indium gallium phosphide nanocrystals that have dimensions around 2-2.8 nm. The calculated properties include lattice constant, energy gap, valence band width, cohesive energy, density of states (DOS) etc. Results show that laws that are applied at microscale alloying percentage are no more applicable at the present nanoscale. Results also show that size, shape and quantum effects are strong. Many properties fluctuate at nanoscale while others converge to definite values. DOS summarizes many of the above quantities.

Treadmill Exercise Improves Fracture Toughness and Indentation Modulus without Altering the Nanoscale Morphology of Collagen in Mice.

PubMed

Hammond, Max A; Laine, Tyler J; Berman, Alycia G; Wallace, Joseph M

The specifics of how the nanoscale properties of collagen (e.g., the crosslinking profile) affect the mechanical integrity of bone at larger length scales is poorly understood despite growing evidence that collagen's nanoscale properties are altered with disease. Additionally, mass independent increases in postyield displacement due to exercise suggest loading-induced improvements in bone quality associated with collagen. To test whether disease-induced reductions in bone quality driven by alterations in collagen can be rescued or prevented via exercise-mediated changes to collagen's nanoscale morphology and mechanical properties, the effects of treadmill exercise and β-aminopropionitrile treatment were investigated. Eight week old female C57BL/6 mice were given a daily subcutaneous injection of either 164 mg/kg β-aminopropionitrile or phosphate buffered saline while experiencing either normal cage activity or 30 min of treadmill exercise for 21 consecutive days. Despite differences in D-spacing distribution (P = 0.003) and increased cortical area (tibial: P = 0.005 and femoral: P = 0.015) due to β-aminopropionitrile treatment, an overt mechanical disease state was not achieved as there were no differences in fracture toughness or 4 point bending due to β-aminopropionitrile treatment. While exercise did not alter (P = 0.058) the D-spacing distribution of collagen or prevent (P < 0.001) the β-aminopropionitrile-induced changes present in the unexercised animals, there were differential effects in the distribution of the reduced elastic modulus due to exercise between control and β-aminopropionitrile-treated animals (P < 0.001). Fracture toughness was increased (P = 0.043) as a main effect of exercise, but no significant differences due to exercise were observed using 4 point bending. Future studies should examine the potential for sex specific differences in the dose of β-aminopropionitrile required to induce mechanical effects in mice and the contributions

Static Electricity-Responsive Supramolecular Assembly.

PubMed

Jintoku, Hirokuni; Ihara, Hirotaka; Matsuzawa, Yoko; Kihara, Hideyuki

2017-12-01

Stimuli-responsive materials can convert between molecular scale and macroscopic scale phenomena. Two macroscopic static electricity-responsive phenomena based on nanoscale supramolecular assemblies of a zinc porphyrin derivative are presented. One example involves the movement of supramolecular assemblies in response to static electricity. The assembly of a pyridine (Py) complex of the above-mentioned derivative in cyclohexane is drawn to a positively charged material, whereas the assembly of a 3,5-dimethylpyridine complex is drawn to a negatively charged material. The second phenomenon involves the movement of a non-polar solvent in response to static electrical stimulation. A cyclohexane solution containing a small quantity of the Py-complexed assembly exhibited a strong movement response towards negatively charged materials. Based on spectroscopic measurements and electron microscope observations, it was revealed that the assembled formation generates the observed response to static electricity. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrostatic properties of graphene edges for electron emission under an external electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yanlin; Okada, Susumu

2018-04-01

Electronic properties of graphene edges under a lateral electric field were theoretically studied in regard to their edge shapes and terminations to provide a theoretical insight into their field emission properties. The work function and potential barrier for the electron emission from the graphene edges are sensitive to their shape and termination. We also found that the hydrogenated armchair edge shows the largest emission current among all edges studied here. The electric field outside the chiral edges is spatially modulated along the edge because of the inhomogeneous charge density at the atomic sites of the edge arising from the bond alternation.

Molecular and nanoscale materials and devices in electronics.

PubMed

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

2004-12-13

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

Tuning the Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Monolayer GaSe with a Vertical Electric Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Congming; Wu, Yaping; Guo, Guang-Yu; Lin, Wei; Wu, Zhiming; Zhou, Changjie; Kang, Junyong

2018-04-01

Inspired by two-dimensional material with their unique physical properties and innovative device applications, here we report a design framework on monolayer GaSe, an important member of the two-dimensional material family, in an effort to tune the electronic, optical, and magnetic properties through a vertical electric field. A transition from indirect to direct band gap in monolayer GaSe is found with an electric field of 0.09 V /Å . The giant Stark effect results in a reduction of the band gap with a Stark coefficient of 3.54 Å. Optical and dielectric properties of monolayer GaSe are dependent on the vertical electric field. A large regulation range for polarization E ∥c ^ is found for the static dielectric constant. The optical anisotropy with the dipole transition from E ∥c ^ to E ⊥c ^ is achieved. Induced by the spin-orbit coupling, spin-splitting energy at the valence band maximum increases linearly with the electric field. The effective mass of holes is highly susceptible to the vertical electric field. Switchable spin-polarization features in spin texture of monolayer GaSe are predicted. The tunable electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of monolayer GaSe hold great promise for applications in both the optoelectronic and spintronic devices.

Electrical Properties of the V-Defects of Epitaxial HgCdTe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novikov, V. A.; Grigoryev, D. V.; Bezrodnyy, D. A.; Voitsekhovskii, A. V.; Dvoretsky, S. A.; Mikhailov, N. N.

2017-07-01

The manufacturing process of wide-band-gap matrix photodetector devices and miniaturization of their individual pixels gave rise to increased demands on the material quality and research methods. In the present paper we propose using the methods of atomic-force microscopy to study the local distribution of electrical properties of the V-defects that form in epitaxial films of HgCdTe during their growth process via molecular beam epitaxy. We demonstrate that a complex approach to studying the electrical properties of a predefined region of a V-defect allows one to obtain more detailed information on its properties. Using scanning spreading resistance microscopy, we show that, for a V-defect when the applied bias is increased, the surface area that participates in the process of charge carrier transfer also increases almost linearly. The presence of a potential barrier on the periphery of individual crystal grains that form the V-defect interferes with the flow of current and also affects the distribution of surface potential and capacitive contrast.

Tunable terahertz optical properties of graphene in dc electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, H. M.; Huang, F.; Xu, W.

2018-03-01

We develop a simple theoretical approach to investigate terahertz (THz) optical properties of monolayer graphene in the presence of an external dc electric field. The analytical results for optical coefficients such as the absorptance and reflectivity are obtained self-consistently on the basis of a diagrammatic self-consistent field theory and a Boltzmann equilibrium equation. It is found that the optical refractive index, reflectivity and conductivity can be effectively tuned by not only a gate voltage but also a driving dc electric field. This study is relevant to the applications of graphene as advanced THz optoelectronic devices.

Aggrecan nanoscale solid-fluid interactions are a primary determinant of cartilage dynamic mechanical properties.

PubMed

Nia, Hadi Tavakoli; Han, Lin; Bozchalooi, Iman Soltani; Roughley, Peter; Youcef-Toumi, Kamal; Grodzinsky, Alan J; Ortiz, Christine

2015-03-24

Poroelastic interactions between interstitial fluid and the extracellular matrix of connective tissues are critical to biological and pathophysiological functions involving solute transport, energy dissipation, self-stiffening and lubrication. However, the molecular origins of poroelasticity at the nanoscale are largely unknown. Here, the broad-spectrum dynamic nanomechanical behavior of cartilage aggrecan monolayer is revealed for the first time, including the equilibrium and instantaneous moduli and the peak in the phase angle of the complex modulus. By performing a length scale study and comparing the experimental results to theoretical predictions, we confirm that the mechanism underlying the observed dynamic nanomechanics is due to solid-fluid interactions (poroelasticity) at the molecular scale. Utilizing finite element modeling, the molecular-scale hydraulic permeability of the aggrecan assembly was quantified (kaggrecan = (4.8 ± 2.8) × 10(-15) m(4)/N·s) and found to be similar to the nanoscale hydraulic permeability of intact normal cartilage tissue but much lower than that of early diseased tissue. The mechanisms underlying aggrecan poroelasticity were further investigated by altering electrostatic interactions between the molecule's constituent glycosaminoglycan chains: electrostatic interactions dominated steric interactions in governing molecular behavior. While the hydraulic permeability of aggrecan layers does not change across species and age, aggrecan from adult human cartilage is stiffer than the aggrecan from newborn human tissue.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forchel, Alfred

2009-10-01

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

Electrical and mechanical properties of Sn-5wt.%Sb alloy with annealing temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Said Gouda, El; Ahmed, E. M.; Saad Allah, F. A.

2009-01-01

A binary Sn-5wt.%Sb solder alloy was chosen as a potential alternative to Sn-Pb solder alloy to be subjected to many studies. It was casted from the liquid state, cold drawn into wires of 1 mm diameters. The study includes the structure, electrical resistivity, tensile strength, hardness and indentation creep behavior using XRD, four probes electrical circuit, conventional tensile testing machine, Vickers microhardness tester, respectively. These properties were carried out for the cold worked alloy and after annealing at 393 and 473 K for 60 min. It was found that annealed samples exhibit more precipitations of the intermetallic compounds SnSb, higher lattice parameters and higher crystallite size, while have lower lattice-strain induced due to the cold working process. These structural changes greatly affect the electrical resistivity and mechanical properties of this alloy.

Nanoscale biophysical properties of the cell surface galactosaminogalactan from the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaussart, Audrey; El-Kirat-Chatel, Sofiane; Fontaine, Thierry; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Dufrêne, Yves F.

2015-09-01

Many fungal pathogens produce cell surface polysaccharides that play essential roles in host-pathogen interactions. In Aspergillus fumigatus, the newly discovered polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) mediates adherence to a variety of substrates through molecular mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we use atomic force microscopy to unravel the localization and adhesion of GAG on living fungal cells. Using single-molecule imaging with tips bearing anti-GAG antibodies, we found that GAG is massively exposed on wild-type (WT) germ tubes, consistent with the notion that this glycopolymer is secreted by the mycelium of A. fumigatus, while it is lacking on WT resting conidia and on germ tubes from a mutant (Δuge3) deficient in GAG. Imaging germ tubes with tips bearing anti-β-glucan antibodies shows that exposure of β-glucan is strongly increased in the Δuge3 mutant, indicating that this polysaccharide is masked by GAG during hyphal growth. Single-cell force measurements show that expression of GAG on germ tubes promotes specific adhesion to pneumocytes and non-specific adhesion to hydrophobic substrates. These results provide a molecular foundation for the multifunctional adhesion properties of GAG, thus suggesting it could be used as a potential target in anti-adhesion therapy and immunotherapy. Our methodology represents a powerful approach for characterizing the nanoscale organization and adhesion of cell wall polysaccharides during fungal morphogenesis, thereby contributing to increase our understanding of their role in biofilm formation and immune responses.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2010-01-01

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

Imaging Electric Properties of Biological Tissues by RF Field Mapping in MRI

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaotong; Zhu, Shanan; He, Bin

2010-01-01

The electric properties (EPs) of biological tissue, i.e., the electric conductivity and permittivity, can provide important information in the diagnosis of various diseases. The EPs also play an important role in specific absorption rate (SAR) calculation, a major concern in high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), as well as in non-medical areas such as wireless-telecommunications. The high-field MRI system is accompanied by significant wave propagation effects, and the radio frequency (RF) radiation is dependent on the EPs of biological tissue. Based on the measurement of the active transverse magnetic component of the applied RF field (known as B1-mapping technique), we propose a dual-excitation algorithm, which uses two sets of measured B1 data to noninvasively reconstruct the electric properties of biological tissues. The Finite Element Method (FEM) was utilized in three-dimensional (3D) modeling and B1 field calculation. A series of computer simulations were conducted to evaluate the feasibility and performance of the proposed method on a 3D head model within a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coil and a birdcage (BC) coil. Using a TEM coil, when noise free, the reconstructed EP distribution of tissues in the brain has relative errors of 12% ∼ 28% and correlated coefficients of greater than 0.91. Compared with other B1-mapping based reconstruction algorithms, our approach provides superior performance without the need for iterative computations. The present simulation results suggest that good reconstruction of electric properties from B1 mapping can be achieved. PMID:20129847

Oxygen content modulation by nanoscale chemical and electrical patterning in epitaxial SrCoO3-δ (0 < δ ≤ 0.5) thin films.

PubMed

Hu, S; Seidel, J

2016-08-12

Fast controllable redox reactions in solid materials at room temperature are a promising strategy for enhancing the overall performance and lifetime of many energy technology materials and devices. Easy control of oxygen content is a key concept for the realisation of fast catalysis and bulk diffusion at room temperature. Here, high quality epitaxial brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 thin films have been oxidised to perovskite (P) SrCoO3 with NaClO. X-ray diffraction, scanning probe microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed to investigate the structural and electronic changes of the material. The oxidised thin films were found to exhibit distinct morphological changes from an atomically flat terrace structure to forming small nanosized islands with boundaries preferentially in [100] or [010] directions all over the surface, relaxing the in-plane strain imposed by the substrate. The conductivity, or oxygen content, of each single island is confined by these textures, which can be locally patterned even further with electric poling. The high charging level at the island boundaries indicates a magnified electric capacity of SCO thin films, which could be exploited in future device geometries. This finding represents a new way of oxygen modulation with associated self-assembled charge confinement to nanoscale boundaries, offering interesting prospects in nanotechnology applications.

Nanoscale platforms for messenger RNA delivery.

PubMed

Li, Bin; Zhang, Xinfu; Dong, Yizhou

2018-05-04

Messenger RNA (mRNA) has become a promising class of drugs for diverse therapeutic applications in the past few years. A series of clinical trials are ongoing or will be initiated in the near future for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Currently, mRNA-based therapeutics mainly focuses on ex vivo transfection and local administration in clinical studies. Efficient and safe delivery of therapeutically relevant mRNAs remains one of the major challenges for their broad applications in humans. Thus, effective delivery systems are urgently needed to overcome this limitation. In recent years, numerous nanoscale biomaterials have been constructed for mRNA delivery in order to protect mRNA from extracellular degradation and facilitate endosomal escape after cellular uptake. Nanoscale platforms have expanded the feasibility of mRNA-based therapeutics, and enabled its potential applications to protein replacement therapy, cancer immunotherapy, therapeutic vaccines, regenerative medicine, and genome editing. This review focuses on recent advances, challenges, and future directions in nanoscale platforms designed for mRNA delivery, including lipid and lipid-derived nanoparticles, polymer-based nanoparticles, protein derivatives mRNA complexes, and other types of nanomaterials. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid-Based Structures Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Nucleic Acid-Based Structures. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reversed nanoscale Kirkendall effect in Au–InAs hybrid nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Liu, Jing; Amit, Yorai; Li, Yuanyuan; ...

2016-10-10

Metal–semiconductor hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) offer interesting synergistic properties, leading to unique behaviors that have already been exploited in photocatalysis, electrical, and optoelectronic applications. A fundamental aspect in the synthesis of metal–semiconductor hybrid NPs is the possible diffusion of the metal species through the semiconductor lattice. The importance of understanding and controlling the co-diffusion of different constituents is demonstrated in the synthesis of various hollow-structured NPs via the Kirkendall effect. Here, we used a postsynthesis room-temperature reaction between AuCl 3 and InAs nanocrystals (NCs) to form metal–semiconductor core–shell hybrid NPs through the “reversed Kirkendall effect”. In the presented system, the diffusionmore » rate of the inward diffusing species (Au) is faster than that of the outward diffusing species (InAs), which results in the formation of a crystalline metallic Au core surrounded by an amorphous, oxidized InAs shell containing nanoscale voids. We used time-resolved X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to monitor the diffusion process and found that both the size of the Au core and the extent of the disorder of the InAs shell depend strongly on the Au-to-NC ratio. We have determined, based on multielement fit analysis, that Au diffuses into the NC via the kick-out mechanism, substituting for In host atoms; this compromises the structural stability of the lattice and triggers the formation of In–O bonds. These bonds were used as markers to follow the diffusion process and indicate the extent of degradation of the NC lattice. Time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to measure the changes in the crystal structures of InAs and the nanoscale Au phases. By combining the results of XAFS, XRD, and electron microscopy, we correlated the changes in the local structure around Au, As, and In atoms and the changes in the overall InAs crystal structure. This correlative

Reversed Nanoscale Kirkendall Effect in Au–InAs Hybrid Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jing; Amit, Yorai; Li, Yuanyuan

2016-11-08

Metal–semiconductor hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) offer interesting synergistic properties, leading to unique behaviors that have already been exploited in photocatalysis, electrical, and optoelectronic applications. A fundamental aspect in the synthesis of metal–semiconductor hybrid NPs is the possible diffusion of the metal species through the semiconductor lattice. The importance of understanding and controlling the co-diffusion of different constituents is demonstrated in the synthesis of various hollow-structured NPs via the Kirkendall effect. Here, we used a postsynthesis room-temperature reaction between AuCl 3 and InAs nanocrystals (NCs) to form metal–semiconductor core–shell hybrid NPs through the “reversed Kirkendall effect”. In the presented system, the diffusionmore » rate of the inward diffusing species (Au) is faster than that of the outward diffusing species (InAs), which results in the formation of a crystalline metallic Au core surrounded by an amorphous, oxidized InAs shell containing nanoscale voids. We used time-resolved X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to monitor the diffusion process and found that both the size of the Au core and the extent of the disorder of the InAs shell depend strongly on the Au-to-NC ratio. We have determined, based on multielement fit analysis, that Au diffuses into the NC via the kick-out mechanism, substituting for In host atoms; this compromises the structural stability of the lattice and triggers the formation of In–O bonds. These bonds were used as markers to follow the diffusion process and indicate the extent of degradation of the NC lattice. Time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to measure the changes in the crystal structures of InAs and the nanoscale Au phases. By combining the results of XAFS, XRD, and electron microscopy, we correlated the changes in the local structure around Au, As, and In atoms and the changes in the overall InAs crystal structure. This correlative

Enhancement of Electrical Properties of Nanostructured Polysilicon Layers Through Hydrogen Passivation.

PubMed

Zhou, D; Xu, T; Lambert, Y; Cristini-Robbe; Stiévenard, D

2015-12-01

The light absorption of polysilicon planar junctions can be improved using nanostructured top surfaces due to their enhanced light harvesting properties. Nevertheless, associated with the higher surface, the roughness caused by plasma etching and defects located at the grain boundary in polysilicon, the concentration of the recombination centers increases, leading to electrical performance deterioration. In this work, we demonstrate that wet oxidation combined with hydrogen passivation using SiN(x):H are the key technological processes to significantly decrease the surface recombination and improve the electrical properties of nanostructured n(+)-i-p junctions. Nanostructured surface is fabricated by nanosphere lithography in a low-cost and controllable approach. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the successive annealing of silicon nitride films has significant effect on the passivation quality, resulting in some improvements on the efficiency of the Si nanostructure-based solar cell device.

Electrical and mechanical characterization of nanoscale-layered cellulose-based electro-active paper.

PubMed

Yun, Gyu-Young; Yun, Ki-Ju; Kim, Joo-Hyung; Kim, Jaehwan

2011-01-01

In order to understand the electro-mechanical behavior of piezoelectric electro active paper (EAPap), the converse and direct piezoelectric characterization of cellulose EAPap was studied and compared. A delay between the electrical field and the induced strain of EAPap was observed due to the inner nano-voids or the localized amorphous regions in layer-by-layered structure to capture or hold the electrical charges and remnant ions. The linear relation between electric field and induced strain is also observed. The electro-mechanical performance of EAPap is discussed in detail in this paper.

Modifying the Interface Edge to Control the Electrical Transport Properties of Nanocontacts to Nanowires.

PubMed

Lord, Alex M; Ramasse, Quentin M; Kepaptsoglou, Despoina M; Evans, Jonathan E; Davies, Philip R; Ward, Michael B; Wilks, Steve P

2017-02-08

Selecting the electrical properties of nanomaterials is essential if their potential as manufacturable devices is to be reached. Here, we show that the addition or removal of native semiconductor material at the edge of a nanocontact can be used to determine the electrical transport properties of metal-nanowire interfaces. While the transport properties of as-grown Au nanocatalyst contacts to semiconductor nanowires are well-studied, there are few techniques that have been explored to modify the electrical behavior. In this work, we use an iterative analytical process that directly correlates multiprobe transport measurements with subsequent aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy to study the effects of chemical processes that create structural changes at the contact interface edge. A strong metal-support interaction that encapsulates the Au nanocontacts over time, adding ZnO material to the edge region, gives rise to ohmic transport behavior due to the enhanced quantum-mechanical tunneling path. Removal of the extraneous material at the Au-nanowire interface eliminates the edge-tunneling path, producing a range of transport behavior that is dependent on the final interface quality. These results demonstrate chemically driven processes that can be factored into nanowire-device design to select the final properties.

Electronic properties of BN-doped bilayer graphene and graphyne in the presence of electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidi, R.; Karami, A. R.

2013-11-01

In the present paper, we have used density functional theory to study electronic properties of bilayer graphene and graphyne doped with B and N impurities in the presence of electric field. It has been demonstrated that a band gap is opened in the band structures of the bilayer graphene and graphyne by B and N doping. We have also investigated influence of electric field on the electronic properties of BN-doped bilayer graphene and graphyne. It is found that the band gaps induced by B and N impurities are increased by applying electric field. Our results reveal that doping with B and N, and applying electric field are an effective method to open and control a band gap which is useful to design carbon-based next-generation electronic devices.

Scanning microwave microscopy technique for nanoscale characterization of magnetic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, C. H.; Sardi, G. M.; Tuca, S. S.; Gramse, G.; Lucibello, A.; Proietti, E.; Kienberger, F.; Marcelli, R.

2016-12-01

In this work, microwave characterization of magnetic materials using the scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) technique is presented. The capabilities of the SMM are employed for analyzing and imaging local magnetic properties of the materials under test at the nanoscale. The analyses are performed by acquiring both amplitude and phase of the reflected microwave signal. The changes in the reflection coefficient S11 are related to the local properties of the material under investigation, and the changes in its magnetic properties have been studied as a function of an external DC magnetic bias. Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films deposited by RF sputtering and grown by liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrates and permalloy samples have been characterized. An equivalent electromagnetic transmission line model is discussed for the quantitative analysis of the local magnetic properties. We also observed the hysteretic behavior of the reflection coefficient S11 with an external bias field. The imaging and spectroscopy analysis on the experimental results are evidently indicating the possibilities of measuring local changes in the intrinsic magnetic properties on the surface of the material.

Densification and Electrical Properties of Zinc Oxide Varistors Microwave-Sintered Under Different Oxygen Partial Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Cong; Wang, Bo; Xu, Zheng; Peng, Hu

2012-11-01

ZnO varistors were prepared by microwave sintering under different oxygen partial pressures. The temperature profile and the densification behavior in different atmospheres were investigated. It was found that the density of ZnO varistors during sintering was the key factor affecting the absorption of microwave energy. The electrical properties, including the nonlinear properties and capacitance-voltage ( C- V) characteristics, were also carefully studied. The results showed that the oxygen partial pressure has significant effects on the electrical properties of ZnO varistors by changing the concentration of defects through a series of reactions involving oxygen during sintering.

Grain engineering: How nanoscale inhomogeneities can control charge collection in solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

West, Bradley M.; Stuckelberger, Michael; Guthrey, Harvey

Statistical and correlative analysis are increasingly important in the design and study of new materials, from semiconductors to metals. Non-destructive measurement techniques, with high spatial resolution, capable of correlating composition and/or structure with device properties, are few and far between. For the case of polycrystalline and inhomogeneous materials, the added challenge is that nanoscale resolution is in general not compatible with the large sampling areas necessary to have a statistical representation of the specimen under study. For the study of grain cores and grain boundaries in polycrystalline solar absorbers this is of particular importance since their dissimilar behavior and variabilitymore » throughout the samples makes it difficult to draw conclusions and ultimately optimize the material. In this study, we present a nanoscale in-operando approach based on the multimodal utilization of synchrotron nano x-ray fluorescence and x-ray beam induced current collected for grain core and grain boundary areas and correlated pixel-by-pixel in fully operational Cu(In(1-x)Gax)Se2Cu(In(1-x)Gax)Se2 solar cells. We observe that low gallium cells have grain boundaries that over perform compared to the grain cores and high gallium cells have boundaries that under perform. These results demonstrate how nanoscale correlative X-ray microscopy can guide research pathways towards grain engineering low cost, high efficiency solar cells.« less

Grain engineering: How nanoscale inhomogeneities can control charge collection in solar cells

DOE PAGES

West, Bradley M.; Stuckelberger, Michael; Guthrey, Harvey; ...

2016-12-16

We present that statistical and correlative analysis are increasingly important in the design and study of new materials, from semiconductors to metals. Non-destructive measurement techniques, with high spatial resolution, capable of correlating composition and/or structure with device properties, are few and far between. For the case of polycrystalline and inhomogeneous materials, the added challenge is that nanoscale resolution is in general not compatible with the large sampling areas necessary to have a statistical representation of the specimen under study. For the study of grain cores and grain boundaries in polycrystalline solar absorbers this is of particular importance since their dissimilarmore » behavior and variability throughout the samples makes it difficult to draw conclusions and ultimately optimize the material. In this study, we present a nanoscale in-operando approach based on the multimodal utilization of synchrotron nano x-ray fluorescence and x-ray beam induced current collected for grain core and grain boundary areas and correlated pixel-by-pixel in fully operational Cu(In (1-x)Ga x)Se 2 solar cells. We observe that low gallium cells have grain boundaries that over perform compared to the grain cores and high gallium cells have boundaries that under perform. In conclusion, these results demonstrate how nanoscale correlative X-ray microscopy can guide research pathways towards grain engineering low cost, high efficiency solar cells.« less

Electrical properties of III-Nitride LEDs: Recombination-based injection model and theoretical limits to electrical efficiency and electroluminescent cooling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David, Aurelien, E-mail: adavid@soraa.com; Hurni, Christophe A.; Young, Nathan G.

The current-voltage characteristic and ideality factor of III-Nitride quantum well light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on bulk GaN substrates are investigated. At operating temperature, these electrical properties exhibit a simple behavior. A model in which only active-region recombinations have a contribution to the LED current is found to account for experimental results. The limit of LED electrical efficiency is discussed based on the model and on thermodynamic arguments, and implications for electroluminescent cooling are examined.

Effect of CFRC layers on the electrical properties and failure mode of RC beams strengthened with CFRC composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Sigang; Dai, Hongzhe; Wang, Wei

2007-12-01

This paper designs an innovative reinforced concrete (RC) beam strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) composites. Six groups of test beams, five with different degrees of strengthening, achieved by changing the location and the thickness of the CFRC layer, and one virgin RC beam, were tested in four-point bending over a span of 3000 mm. We investigate the effect of the CFRC layer on the flexural performance and the electrical properties of the designed beams. The test results indicate that the CFRC strengthened RC beam exhibits improved electrical properties as well as better mechanical performance. Also, the location and the thickness of the CFRC layer affect the initial electrical resistance and other electrical properties of the beam. Relationships between electrical resistance, loading, deflection and cracks show that the increase in the electrical resistance can be used to monitor the extent of damage to the designed beam. Based on this discovery, a new health monitoring technique for RC structures is produced by means of electrical resistance measurements.

Nanoscale visualization of electronic properties of AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN multiple quantum-well heterostructure by spreading resistance microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sviridov, D. E.; Kozlovsky, V. I.; Rong, X.; Chen, G.; Wang, X.; Jmerik, V. N.; Kirilenko, D. A.; Ivanov, S. V.

2017-01-01

Cross-sectional spreading resistance microscopy has been used to investigate nanoscale variations in electronic properties of an undoped Al0.75Ga0.25N/Al0.95Ga0.05N multiple quantum well (MQW) heterostructure grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on an AlN/c-sapphire template, prepared by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. It is found that a current signal from the MQWs can be detected only at a negative sample bias. Moreover, its value changes periodically from one quantum well (QW) to another. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of the contacts of a tip with the structure layers showed that periodic contrast of MQWs is the result of fluctuations of the chemical composition of the QWs and the concentration of electrons accumulated in them. Mathematical simulations indicate that this modulation is associated with the periodic fluctuations of an Al-mole fraction in the barrier layers of the structure due to counter gradients of the intensity of Al and Ga molecular fluxes across the surface of a substrate rotating slowly during growth. The nanoscale fluctuations of the current contrast observed along the QW layers are caused, most likely, by the presence of the areas of lateral carrier localization, which originate during the formation of QWs by sub-monolayer digital alloying technique.

Role of random electric fields in relaxors

PubMed Central

Phelan, Daniel; Stock, Christopher; Rodriguez-Rivera, Jose A.; Chi, Songxue; Leão, Juscelino; Long, Xifa; Xie, Yujuan; Bokov, Alexei A.; Ye, Zuo-Guang; Ganesh, Panchapakesan; Gehring, Peter M.

2014-01-01

PbZr1–xTixO3 (PZT) and Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)1–xTixO3 (PMN-xPT) are complex lead-oxide perovskites that display exceptional piezoelectric properties for pseudorhombohedral compositions near a tetragonal phase boundary. In PZT these compositions are ferroelectrics, but in PMN-xPT they are relaxors because the dielectric permittivity is frequency dependent and exhibits non-Arrhenius behavior. We show that the nanoscale structure unique to PMN-xPT and other lead-oxide perovskite relaxors is absent in PZT and correlates with a greater than 100% enhancement of the longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient in PMN-xPT relative to that in PZT. By comparing dielectric, structural, lattice dynamical, and piezoelectric measurements on PZT and PMN-xPT, two nearly identical compounds that represent weak and strong random electric field limits, we show that quenched (static) random fields establish the relaxor phase and identify the order parameter. PMID:24449912

Intracellular Physiology of the Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus: Electrical Properties, Neurotransmission, and Effects of Neuromodulators

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-10

Physiology of the Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus: Electrical Properties, Neurotransmission, and Effects of Neuromodulators . I-f 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) F...interplay between intrinsic electrophysiological properties, amino-acid-mediated synaptic transmission, and neuromodulation . We have continued to study the

Reverse micelle synthesis of nanoscale metal containing catalysts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Darab, J.G.; Fulton, J.L.; Linehan, J.C.

1993-03-01

The need for morphological control during the synthesis of catalyst precursor powders is generally accepted to be important. In the liquefaction of coal, for example, iron-bearing catalyst precursor particles containing individual crystallites with diameters in the 1-100 nanometer range are believed to achieve good dispersion through out the coal-solvent slurry during liquefaction 2 runs and to undergo chemical transformations to catalytically active iron sulfide phases. The production of the nanoscale powders described here employs the confining spherical microdomains comprising the aqueous phase of a modified reverse micelle (MRM) microemulsion system as nanoscale reaction vessels in which polymerization, electrochemical reduction andmore » precipitation of solvated salts can occur. The goal is to take advantage of the confining nature of micelles to kinetically hinder transformation processes which readily occur in bulk aqueous solution in order to control the morphology and phase of the resulting powder. We have prepared a variety of metal, alloy, and metal- and mixed metal-oxide nanoscale powders from appropriate MRM systems. Examples of nanoscale powders produced include Co, Mo-Co, Ni{sub 3}Fe, Ni, and various oxides and oxyhydroxides of iron. Here, we discuss the preparation and characterization of nickel metal (with a nickel oxide surface layer) and iron oxyhydroxide MRM nanoscale powders. We have used extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to study the chemical polymerization process in situ, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microcroscopies (SEM and TEM), elemental analysis and structural modelling to characterize the nanoscale powders produced. The catalytic activity of these powders is currently being studied.« less

Imaging of electrical response of NiO x under controlled environment with sub-25-nm resolution

DOE PAGES

Jacobs, Christopher B.; Ievlev, Anton V.; Collins, Liam F.; ...

2016-07-19

The spatially resolved electrical response of rf-sputtered polycrystalline NiO x films composed of 40 nm crystallites was investigated under different relative humidity levels (RH). The topological and electrical properties (surface potential and resistance) were characterized using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and conductive scanning probe microscopy at 0%, 50%, and 80% relative humidity with sub 25nm resolution. The surface potential of NiO x decreased by about 180 mV and resistance decreased in a nonlinear fashion by about 2 G when relative humidity was increased from 0% to 80%. The dimensionality of surface features obtained through autocorrelation analysis of topological, surfacemore » potential and resistance maps increased linearly with increased relative humidity as water was adsorbed onto the film surface. Spatially resolved surface potential and resistance of the NiO x films were found to be heterogeneous, with distinct features that grew in size from about 60 nm to 175 nm between 0% and 80% RH levels, respectively. Here, we find that the changes in the heterogeneous character of the NiO films are consistent through the topological, surface potential, and resistance measurements, suggesting that the nanoscale surface potential and resistance properties converge with the mesoscale properties as water is adsorbed onto the NiO x film.« less

A self-assembled nanoscale robotic arm controlled by electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopperger, Enzo; List, Jonathan; Madhira, Sushi; Rothfischer, Florian; Lamb, Don C.; Simmel, Friedrich C.

2018-01-01

The use of dynamic, self-assembled DNA nanostructures in the context of nanorobotics requires fast and reliable actuation mechanisms. We therefore created a 55-nanometer–by–55-nanometer DNA-based molecular platform with an integrated robotic arm of length 25 nanometers, which can be extended to more than 400 nanometers and actuated with externally applied electrical fields. Precise, computer-controlled switching of the arm between arbitrary positions on the platform can be achieved within milliseconds, as demonstrated with single-pair Förster resonance energy transfer experiments and fluorescence microscopy. The arm can be used for electrically driven transport of molecules or nanoparticles over tens of nanometers, which is useful for the control of photonic and plasmonic processes. Application of piconewton forces by the robot arm is demonstrated in force-induced DNA duplex melting experiments.

Linear arrangements of nano-scale ferromagnetic particles spontaneously formed in a copper-base Cu-Ni-Co alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakakura, Hibiki; Kim, Jun-Seop; Takeda, Mahoto

2018-03-01

We have investigated the influence of magnetic interactions on the microstructural evolution of nano-scale granular precipitates formed spontaneously in an annealed Cu-20at%Ni-5at%Co alloy and the associated changes of magnetic properties. The techniques used included transmission electron microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, magneto-thermogravimetry (MTG), and first-principles calculations based on the method of Koster-Korringa-Rostker with the coherent potential approximation. Our work has revealed that the nano-scale spherical and cubic precipitates which formed on annealing at 873 K and 973 K comprise mainly cobalt and nickel with a small amount of copper, and are arranged in the 〈1 0 0〉 direction of the copper matrix. The SQUID and MTG measurements suggest that magnetic properties such as coercivity and Curie temperature are closely correlated with the microstructure. The combination of results suggests that magnetic interactions between precipitates during annealing can explain consistently the observed precipitation phenomena.

Nature of Dielectric Properties, Electric Modulus and AC Electrical Conductivity of Nanocrystalline ZnIn2Se4 Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Nahass, M. M.; Attia, A. A.; Ali, H. A. M.; Salem, G. F.; Ismail, M. I.

2018-02-01

The structural characteristics of thermally deposited ZnIn2Se4 thin films were indexed utilizing x-ray diffraction as well as scanning electron microscopy techniques. Dielectric properties, electric modulus and AC electrical conductivity of ZnIn2Se4 thin films were examined in the frequency range from 42 Hz to 106 Hz. The capacitance, conductance and impedance were measured at different temperatures. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease with an increase in frequency. The maximum barrier height was determined from the analysis of the dielectric loss depending on the Giuntini model. The real part of the electric modulus revealed a constant maximum value at higher frequencies and the imaginary part of the electric modulus was characterized by the appearance of dielectric relaxation peaks. The AC electrical conductivity obeyed the Jonscher universal power law. Correlated barrier hopping model was the appropriate mechanism for AC conduction in ZnIn2Se4 thin films. Estimation of the density of states at the Fermi level and activation energy, for AC conduction, was carried out based on the temperature dependence of AC electrical conductivity.

Electrical percolation threshold of cementitious composites possessing self-sensing functionality incorporating different carbon-based materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Dahawi, Ali; Haroon Sarwary, Mohammad; Öztürk, Oğuzhan; Yıldırım, Gürkan; Akın, Arife; Şahmaran, Mustafa; Lachemi, Mohamed

2016-10-01

An experimental study was carried out to understand the electrical percolation thresholds of different carbon-based nano- and micro-scale materials in cementitious composites. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and carbon black (CB) were selected as the nano-scale materials, while 6 and 12 mm long carbon fibers (CF6 and CF12) were used as the micro-scale carbon-based materials. After determining the percolation thresholds of different electrical conductive materials, mechanical properties and piezoresistive properties of specimens produced with the abovementioned conductive materials at percolation threshold were investigated under uniaxial compressive loading. Results demonstrate that regardless of initial curing age, the percolation thresholds of CNT, GNP, CB and CFs in ECC mortar specimens were around 0.55%, 2.00%, 2.00% and 1.00%, respectively. Including different carbon-based conductive materials did not harm compressive strength results; on the contrary, it improved overall values. All cementitious composites produced with carbon-based materials, with the exception of the control mixtures, exhibited piezoresistive behavior under compression, which is crucial for sensing capability. It is believed that incorporating the sensing attribute into cementitious composites will enhance benefits for sustainable civil infrastructures.

Three-dimensional phase segregation of micro-porous layers for fuel cells by nano-scale X-ray computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andisheh-Tadbir, Mehdi; Orfino, Francesco P.; Kjeang, Erik

2016-04-01

Modern hydrogen powered polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) utilize a micro-porous layer (MPL) consisting of carbon nanoparticles and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to enhance the transport phenomena and performance while reducing cost. However, the underlying mechanisms are not yet completely understood due to a lack of information about the detailed MPL structure and properties. In the present work, the 3D phase segregated nanostructure of an MPL is revealed for the first time through the development of a customized, non-destructive procedure for monochromatic nano-scale X-ray computed tomography visualization. Utilizing this technique, it is discovered that PTFE is situated in conglomerated regions distributed randomly within connected domains of carbon particles; hence, it is concluded that PTFE acts as a binder for the carbon particles and provides structural support for the MPL. Exposed PTFE surfaces are also observed that will aid the desired hydrophobicity of the material. Additionally, the present approach uniquely enables phase segregated calculation of effective transport properties, as reported herein, which is particularly important for accurate estimation of electrical and thermal conductivity. Overall, the new imaging technique and associated findings may contribute to further performance improvements and cost reduction in support of fuel cell commercialization for clean energy applications.