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Whirling spins with a ferroelectric
摘要： Ferroelectric polarization enables the emergence and control of magnetic skyrmions at an oxide interface. Controlling magnetism with an electric field is a burgeoning scientific challenge with significant technological implications. The reduced power required to electrically manipulate magnetization opens up exciting prospects for functional devices with unprecedented performance. Ferroelectric materials are especially suitable because they possess spontaneous electric polarization, switchable by an applied electric field. A ferroelectric interfaced with a thin-film ferromagnet has already been shown to modify the electronic structure of the ferromagnet near the interface, allowing control of properties such as the interfacial magnetization and magnetic order via ferroelectric polarization. Now, writing in Nature Materials, Lingfei Wang and colleagues put a new spin on ferroelectric-controlled nanoscale magnetism. They demonstrate a strategy for creating and manipulating magnetic nanoscale vortices, so-called skyrmions, using intrinsic ferroelectric polarization at oxide interfaces.
关键词： oxide interface,ferroelectric polarization,skyrmions,nanoscale magnetism,Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Electron quantum metamaterials in van der Waals heterostructures
摘要： In recent decades, scientists have developed the means to engineer synthetic periodic arrays with feature sizes below the wavelength of light. When such features are appropriately structured, electromagnetic radiation can be manipulated in unusual ways, resulting in optical metamaterials whose function is directly controlled through nanoscale structure. Nature, too, has adopted such techniques—for example in the unique colouring of butterfly wings—to manipulate photons as they propagate through nanoscale periodic assemblies. In this Perspective, we highlight the intriguing potential of designer structuring of electronic matter at scales at and below the electron wavelength, which affords a new range of synthetic quantum metamaterials with unconventional responses. Driven by experimental developments in stacking atomically layered heterostructures—such as mechanical pick-up/transfer assembly—atomic-scale registrations and structures can be readily tuned over distances smaller than characteristic electronic length scales (such as the electron wavelength, screening length and electron mean free path). Yet electronic metamaterials promise far richer categories of behaviour than those found in conventional optical metamaterial technologies. This is because, unlike photons, which scarcely interact with each other, electrons in subwavelength-structured metamaterials are charged and strongly interact. As a result, an enormous variety of emergent phenomena can be expected and radically new classes of interacting quantum metamaterials designed.
关键词： van der Waals heterostructures,nanoscale structure,electronic matter,electron quantum metamaterials,optical metamaterials
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Intrinsic anion diffusivity in lead halide perovskites is facilitated by a soft lattice
摘要： Facile ionic transport in lead halide perovskites plays a critical role in device performance. Understanding the microscopic origins of high ionic conductivities has been complicated by indirect measurements and sample microstructural heterogeneities. Here, we report the direct visualization of halide anion interdiffusion in CsPbCl3–CsPbBr3 single crystalline perovskite nanowire heterojunctions using wide-field and confocal photoluminescence measurements. The combination of nanoscale imaging techniques with these single crystalline materials allows us to measure intrinsic anionic lattice diffusivities, free from complications of microscale inhomogeneity. Halide diffusivities were found to be between 10?13 and ～10?12 cm2/second at about 100 °C, which are several orders of magnitudes lower than those reported in polycrystalline thin films. Spatially resolved photoluminescence lifetimes and surface potential measurements provide evidence of the central role of halide vacancies in facilitating ionic diffusion. Vacancy formation free energies computed from molecular simulation are small due to the easily deformable perovskite lattice, accounting for the high equilibrium vacancy concentration. Furthermore, molecular simulations suggest that ionic motion is facilitated by low-frequency lattice modes, resulting in low activation barriers for vacancy-mediated transport. This work elucidates the intrinsic solid-state ion diffusion mechanisms in this class of semisoft materials and offers guidelines for engineering materials with long-term stability in functional devices.
关键词： anion diffusivity,nanoscale imaging,molecular simulation,halide perovskite nanowire,soft lattice
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Molecular Simulations of Laser Spike Annealing of Block-Copolymer Lamellar Thin-Films
摘要： We use molecular dynamic simulations to study the phase behavior of a coarse-grained lamella-forming A-b-B di-block copolymer under thin-film soft confinement for different heating cycle lengths, film thicknesses, and substrate-polymer affinities. This model describes the effect on thin-film morphology with a free surface (air-polymer interface) and a solid substrate. Our simulation results were first validated by showing that they capture changes for the order-disorder transition temperature with annealing conditions consistent with those found in laser spike annealing experiments, when the vertical lamella phase formed on neutral substrates. In addition, simulations with a substrate selective for a particular block revealed the formation of other phases including a mixed vertical-horizontal lamella and a metastable island phase having horizontal but incomplete lamella layers. The nanoscale roughness features of this island phase, and hence its surface wettability, can be tuned with suitable choices of chemistry and annealing conditions.
关键词： thin-film,nanoscale roughness,order-disorder transition,phase behavior,laser spike annealing,molecular dynamic simulations,block copolymer
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Enhancing Galvanic Replacement in Plasmonic Hollow Nanoparticles: Understanding the Role of the Speciation of Metal Ion Precursors
摘要： Hollow nanostructures offer great potential for plasmonic applications due to their strong and highly tunable localized surface plasmon resonance. The relationship between the plasmonic properties and geometry of hollow nanoparticles, such as core-shell size ratio, concentricity of the cavity and porosity of the wall, is well documented. Nanoscale galvanic replacement provides a simple, versatile and powerful route for the preparation of such hollow structures. Here we demonstrate how the efficiency of reductant-assisted galvanic replacement processes can be enhanced by controlling the degree of hydration and hydrolysis of the metal ion precursor using pH and pL as key control parameters (by analogy to pH, the letter p in the expression pL is used to indicate the decimal cologarithm associated with the concentration of the ligand L). Adjusting precursor speciation prior to the sacrificial template’s hollowing process offers a new strategy to tune the morphology and optical properties of plasmonic hollow nanostructures.
关键词： co-reduction,localized surface plasmon resonance,nanoscale galvanic replacement,hollow nanoparticle synthesis,Ag-Au, Ag-Pd and Ag-Pt alloys,aqueous metal ion speciation
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Direct nanoscale mapping of open circuit voltages at local back surface fields for PERC solar cells
摘要： The open circuit voltage (VOC) is a critical and common indicator of solar cell performance as well as degradation, for panel down to lab-scale photovoltaics. Detecting VOC at the nanoscale is much more challenging, however, due to experimental limitations on spatial resolution, voltage resolution, and/or measurement times. Accordingly, an approach based on Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy is implemented to directly detect the local VOC, notably for monocrystalline Passivated Emitter Rear Contact (PERC) cells which are the most common industrial-scale solar panel technology in production worldwide. This is demonstrated with cross-sectioned monocrystalline PERC cells around the entire circumference of a poly-aluminum-silicide via through the rear emitter. The VOC maps reveal a local back surface ?eld extending * 2 lm into the underlying p-type Si absorber due to Al in-diffusion as designed. Such high spatial resolution methods for photovoltaic performance mapping are especially promising for directly visualizing the effects of processing parameters, as well as identifying signatures of degradation for silicon and other solar cell technologies.
关键词： solar cell,nanoscale,Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy,open circuit voltage,PERC cells
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Nanoscale Light Sources for Optical Interconnects
摘要： This editorial is aimed at addressing two key aspects of nanoscale light sources: (1) low-power optical communication and (2) crystallographic defect engineering for monolithic integration with silicon. We will further discuss opportunities and challenges for nanoscale light sources for next generation, high density optical interconnect. Designing and prototyping light sources with sub light wavelength dimensions has been the topic of keen interest because of their versatility in optical communication. For example, nano light sources can operate at hundreds of GHz [1,2] which is not possible with conventional light sources [3]. In addition, power consumption in interconnects with these light sources can be reduced by omitting the modulator and using direct source modulation to encode optical data [4]. There are a number of nano light sources under investigation: (i) small photonic mode laser [5-9], (ii) plasmonic lasers [10,11] (iii) photonic-plasmonic hybrid lasers [12-15] and (iv) nanoscale LEDs [16,17]. Pros and cons of these nano light sources are discussed below.
关键词： crystallographic defect engineering,optical interconnects,low-power optical communication,Nanoscale light sources,monolithic integration
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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A transport system based on a quantum dot-modified nanotracer is genetically and developmentally stable in pregnant mice
摘要： The use of nanoscale materials (NMs) could cause problems such as cytotoxicity, genomic aberration, and effects on human health, but the impacts of NM exposure during pregnancy remain uncharacterized in the context of clinical applications. It was sought to determine whether nanomaterials pass through the maternal–fetal junction at any stage of pregnancy. Quantum dots (QDs) coated with heparinized Pluronic 127 nanogels and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were administered to pregnant mice. The biodistribution of QDs, as well as their biological impacts on maternal and fetal health, was evaluated. Encapsulation of QDs with a nanogel coating produces a petal-like nanotracer (PNt), which could serve as a nano-carrier of genes or drugs. PNts were injected through the tail vein and accumulated in the liver, kidneys, and lungs. QD accumulation in reproductive organs (uterus, placenta, and fetus) differed among phases of pregnancy. In phase I (7 days of pregnancy), the QDs did not accumulate in the placenta or fetus, but by phase III (19 days) they had accumulated at high levels in both tissues. Karyotype analysis revealed that the PNt-treated pups did not have genetic abnormalities when dams were treated at any phase of pregnancy. PNts have the potential to serve as carriers of therapeutic agents for the treatment of the mother or fetus and these results have a significant impact on the development and application of QD-based NPs in pregnancy.
关键词： biodistribution,nanoscale materials,genetic stability,pregnancy,quantum dots
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Nanoscale charge transport and local surface potential distribution to probe defect passivation in Ag doped Cu2ZnSnS4 absorbing layer
摘要： The performance of earth abundant Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) material is limited by high deficit of open circuit voltage (VOC) which is mainly due to the easy formation of CuZn antisite defects. Suppression of CuZn defects is thus inevitably required for further developments in CZTS based solar cells. We studied systematic increase of Ag doping in CZTS thin film and investigated the nanoscale electrical properties using kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and current sensing atomic force microscopy (CAFM) to probe CuZn defects. Crystallographic analysis indicated the successful partial substitution of Cu+ ions by large size Ag+ ions. The considerable decrease in grain boundary potential from 66.50 ± 5.44 mV to 13.50 ± 2.61 mV with Ag doping, suggesting the substantial decrease in CuZn defects. Consequently, CAFM measurement confirms the remarkable increment in minority carrier current with Ag doping and their local mobility in CZTS layer. Finally, the lower persistent photoconductivity (PPC) and fast decay response of photogenerated carriers for Ag doped CZTS photodetector further validate our results. This study provides a fresh approach of controlling deleterious CuZn defects in CZTS by tuning Ag content that may guide researchers to develop next generation high performance CZTS based solar cells.
关键词： nanoscale surface potential and current,CZTS solar cells,Ag doped CZTS,defects,photodetector
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01
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Tapping Mode AFM Imaging in Liquids with blueDrive Photothermal Excitation
摘要： Photothermal excitation represents a significant instrumentation advance for imaging with dynamic modes of the atomic force microscope (AFM). Using a power-modulated laser to directly drive the cantilever oscillation provides substantial benefits over conventional piezoelectric excitation. Here we discuss photothermal excitation and its implementation as blueDrive by Oxford Instruments Asylum Research. We explain its operating principles and discuss its use for a range of practical applications. The results show that blueDrive sets new standards for imaging in liquid, visualizing dynamic events, and mapping nanomechanical properties.
关键词： tapping mode,liquid imaging,photothermal excitation,atomic force microscopy,nanoscale surface characterization
更新于2025-09-23 15:21:01