Effect of GaAs(1 0 0) 2° surface misorientation on the formation and optical properties of MOCVD grown InAs quantum dots

The influence of GaAs(1 0 0) 2° substrate misorientation on the formation and optical properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) has been studied in compare with dots on exact GaAs(1 0 0) substrates. It is shown that, while QDs on exact substrates have only one dominant size, dots on misoriented substrates are formed in lines with a clear bimodal size distribution. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements show that QDs on misoriented substrates have narrower FWHM, longer emission wavelength and much larger PL intensity relative to those of dots on exact substrates. However, our rapid thermal annealing (RTA) experiments indicate that annealing shows a stronger effect on dots with misoriented substrates by greatly accelerating the degradation of material quality.     

Morphology and photoluminescence of ultrasmall size of Ge quantum dots directly grown on Si(0 0 1) substrate

High density and ultrasmall size of Ge quantum dots (QDs) have been achieved directly on Si(0 0 1) (2 × 1) reconstruction surface. Their detailed morphology was observed by atomic force microscope (AFM) and shows that small pyramids, small domes, huts, and multi-headed large domes coexist in the film grown at 400 °C, while small domes and multi-headed large domes formed at 450 °C. Their low temperature photoluminescence (PL) showed that a very strong non-phonon (NP) peak with a large blue shift of 0.19 eV at 14 K, which can be attributed to their very high areal density, 5.2 × 10¹¹ cm⁻², and sub-10-nm mean size, 7.6 ± 2.3 nm.     

GaAs(0 0 1) planarization after conventional oxide removal utilising self-governed InAs QD site selection

Native oxide removal on GaAs(0 0 1) wafers under conventional thermal desorption causes severe surface degradation in the form of pitting. Typical surface regeneration requires several hundred nanometres of buffer layer growth. This level of planarization is necessary to fill in the deep pits since Ehrlich-Schwoebel diffusion barriers cause a retardation of layer growth at multiple monolayer step edges. Pits are, however, attractive nucleation sites for quantum dots (QDs), and hence QDs fill the pits via a self-governing phenomenon. In this paper, we show how 1.7 ML of InAs growth on GaAs(0 0 1) immediately after thermal oxide removal aids the healing of the surface and reduces the necessity for thick buffer layer growth.     

Vanadium nanoclusters on Si(1 1 1) 7 × 7 surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

The size distribution and shape transition of self-assembled vanadium silicide clusters on Si(1 1 1) 7 × 7 have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. Nanoclusters were formed by submonolayer vanadium deposition at room temperature followed by subsequent annealing (solid phase epitaxy - SPE). At room temperature, initially V-nanoclusters are formed which occupy sites avoiding the corner hole parts of the unit cells in the Si(1 1 1) 7 × 7 surface. Upon annealing, strong metal-silicon reaction occur leading to the formation of vanadium silicide nanoclusters. As a function of temperature, both, flat (2D) and three dimensional (3D) clusters have been obtained. After annealing at temperatures around 900 K many faceted clusters are created, whereas at higher annealing temperature, around 1300 K, predominantly 3D clusters are formed. The size distribution of SPE grown clusters could be well controlled in the range of 3-10 nm. The cluster size depends on the annealing temperature as well as on the initial vanadium coverage. Based on high resolution STM images a structure model for one kind of vanadium disilicide clusters exposing atomically flat surfaces was proposed.     

Photoreflectance study of energy level structure of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots emitting at 1.3 μm

Photoreflectance and photoluminescence measurements were performed on the ensemble of self assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots designed to emit at 1.3 μm. As many as six QDs-related optical transitions were observed in PR spectra, the energies of which were confirmed by high-excitation PL results. Numerical calculations allowed estimating the average size of the dots, which is larger than for standard InAs/GaAs QDs. This result is in agreement with structural data. Additionally, the energy level structure for such QDs was derived and compared with the electronic structure of standard InAs/GaAs dots. It was shown that the energy level structure of such large dots qualifies them for the active region of a laser emitting at 1.3 μm.     

Metal-insulator transition in the In/Si(1 1 1) surface

The metal-insulator transition observed in the In/Si(1 1 1)-4 × 1 reconstruction is studied by means of ab initio calculations of a simplified model of the surface. Different surface bands are identified and classified according to their origin and their response to several structural distortions. We support the, recently proposed [C. González, J. Ortega, F. Flores, New J. Phys. 7 (2005) 100], combination of a shear and a Peierls distortions as the origin of the metal-insulator transition. Our results also seem to favor an electronic driving force for the transition.     

Water adsorption and dissociation on BeO(0 0 1) and (1 0 0) surfaces

Plateaus in water adsorption isotherms on hydroxylated BeO surfaces suggest significant differences between the hydroxylated (1 0 0) and (0 0 1) surface structures and reactivities. Density functional theory structures and energies clarify these differences. Using relaxed surface energies, a Wulff construction yields a prism crystal shape exposing long (1 0 0) sides and much smaller (0 0 1) faces. This is consistent with the BeO prisms observed when beryllium metal is oxidized. A water oxygen atom binds to a single surface beryllium ion in the preferred adsorption geometry on either surface. The water oxygen/beryllium bonding is stronger on the surface with greater beryllium atom exposure, namely the less-stable (0 0 1) surface. Water/beryllium coordination facilitates water dissociation. On the (0 0 1) surface, the dissociation products are a hydroxide bridging two beryllium ions and a metal-coordinated hydride with some surface charge depletion. On the (1 0 0) surface, water dissociates into a hydroxide ligating a Be atom and a proton coordinated to a surface oxygen but the lowest energy water state on the (1 0 0) surface is the undissociated metal-coordinated water. The (1 0 0) fully hydroxylated surface structure has a hydrogen bonding network which facilitates rapid proton shuffling within the network. The corresponding (0 0 1) hydroxylated surface is fairly open and lacks internal hydrogen bonding. This supports previous experimental interpretations of the step in water adsorption isotherms. Further, when the (1 0 0) surface is heated to 1000 K, hydroxides and protons associate and water desorbs. The more open (0 0 1) hydroxylated surface is stable at 1000 K. This is consistent with the experimental disappearance of the isotherm step when heating to 973 K.     

Synthesis of stable dispersion of ZnO quantum dots in aqueous medium showing visible emission from bluish green to yellow

Aqueous dispersion of 4-8 nm size stable ZnO quantum dots (QDs) exhibiting luminescence in the visible region have been synthesized by a simple solution growth technique at room temperature. Silica has been used as capping agent to control the particle size as well as to achieve uniform dispersion of QDs in aqueous medium. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis reveals formation phase pure ZnO particles having wurzite (hexagonal) structure. Atomic force microscope (AFM) images show that the particles are spherical in shape, having average crystalline sizes ∼4, 5.5 and 8 nm for samples prepared at pH values of 10, 12 and 14, respectively. From the optical absorption studies, the band gap energy of QDs is found to be blue shifted as compared to bulk ZnO (3.36 eV) due to the quantum confinement effect and is consistent with the band gap calculated by using effective-mass approximation model. The photoluminescence (PL) observed in these QDs has been attributed to the presence of defect centers.     

Photoreflectance spectroscopy of self-organized InAs/InP(0 0 1) quantum sticks emitting at 1.55 μm

Photoreflectance (PR) measurements are performed as a function of temperature on self-organized InAs/InP(0 0 1) quantum sticks (QSs) grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. With a very weak excitation power, three PR transition energies are arising and associated with the ground state and two excited states, respectively, in good agreement with both photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation measurements. The temperature dependence of the PR transition energies is in good agreement with the Bose-Einstein behavior.From PL analysis of these InAs/InP QSs, the ground state was assumed to be partially filled because of the residual n-type doping of the InP barrier layers. The PR spectra analysis allows us to further confirm this assumption, considering mainly the relative PR intensity of the different transitions, as well as the Franz Keldysh oscillations (FKO) above the InP bandgap.     

Femtosecond pulsed laser deposition of Ge quantum dot growth on Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1)

Ge quantum dots were grown on Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1) by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition at various substrate temperatures using a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser. In situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex situ atomic force microscopy were used to analyze the film structure and morphology. The morphology of germanium islands on silicon was studied at different coverages. The results show that femtosecond pulsed laser deposition reduces the minimum temperature for epitaxial growth of Ge quantum dots to ∼280 °C, which is 120 °C lower than previously observed in nanosecond pulsed laser deposition and more than 200 °C lower than that reported for molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition.     

Silicon quantum wires on Ag(1 1 0): Fermi surface and quantum well states

One-dimensional Si quantum wires have been grown on silver single crystals upon deposition of ∼0.25 monolayer of Si on Ag(1 1 0) surfaces. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) clearly shows parallel 1D Si chains along the [−1 1 0] Ag crystallographic direction. Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) confirms the massively parallel assembly of these selforganized Nanowires (NWs). We have characterized these nano-objects by measuring the dispersion of the NWs valence band at room temperature using Angle-Resolved PhotoEmission Spectroscopy (ARPES). Also, the Fermi Surface (FS) of the Ag(1 1 0) substrate has been mapped before and after the silicon deposition, trying to put in evidence the metallic or semiconductor character of the NWs silicon's states close to the Fermi level. Our results show the existence of well-defined quantum states associated to the silicon super-structure. Both LEED and ARUPS results confirm that the NWs have typical 1D features, however their metallic or semiconductor character could not be confirmed.     

Strongly-driven coarsening of height-selected Pb islands on Si(1 1 1)

A theoretical model is proposed to describe the rapid coarsening observed for Pb islands on a Si(1 1 1) surface where classical kinetics breaks down. In this system, quantum size effects produce mesa-like Pb islands with chemical potentials depending strongly on their heights, in addition to the usual dependence on the step curvature. Furthermore, a dense wetting layer enables fast mass transport between islands. Incorporating these features, our theoretical model predicts evolution of the island height distribution in good agreement with experiments.     

Duality in 2 + 1D quantum elasticity: superconductivity and quantum nematic order

Superfluidity and superconductivity are traditionally understood in terms of an adiabatic continuation from the Bose-gas limit. Here we demonstrate that at least in a 2 + 1D Bose system, superfluidity can arise in a strict quantum field-theoretic setting. Taking the theory of quantum elasticity (describing phonons) as a literal quantum field theory with a bosonic statistic, superfluidity and superconductivity (in the EM charged case) emerge automatically when the shear rigidity of the elastic state is destroyed by the proliferation of topological defects (quantum dislocations). Off-diagonal long range order in terms of the field operators of the constituent particles is not required. This is one of the outcomes of the broader pursuit presented in this paper. In essence, it amounts to the generalization of the well known theory of crystal melting in two dimensions by Nelson et al. [Phys. Rev. B 19 (1979) 2457; Phys. Rev. B 19 (1979) 1855], to the dynamical theory of bosonic states exhibiting quantum liquid-crystalline orders in 2 + 1 dimensions. We strongly rest on the field-theoretic formalism developed by Kleinert [Gauge fields in Condensed Matter, vol. II: Stresses and Defects, Differential Geometry, Crystal Defects, World Scientific, Singapore, 1989] for classical melting in 3D. Within this framework, the disordered states correspond to Bose condensates of the topological excitations, coupled to gauge fields describing the capacity of the elastic medium to propagate stresses. Our focus is primarily on the nematic states, corresponding with condensates of dislocations, under the topological condition that disclinations remain massive. The dislocations carry Burgers vectors as topological charges. Conventional nematic order, i.e., the breaking of space-rotations, corresponds in this field-theoretic duality framework with an ordering of the Burgers vectors. However, we also demonstrate that the Burgers vectors can quantum disorder despite the massive character of the disclinations. We identify the physical nature of the ‘Coulomb nematic’ suggested by Lammert et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 70 (1993) 1650; Phys. Rev. E 52 (1995) 1778] on gauge-theoretical grounds. The 2 + 1D quantum liquid crystals differ in fundamental regards from their 3D classical counterparts due to the presence of a dynamical constraint. This constraint is the glide principle, well known from metallurgy, which states that dislocations can only propagate in the direction of their Burgers vector. In the present framework this principle plays a central role. This constraint is necessary to decouple compression rigidity from the dislocation condensate. The shear rigidity is not protected, and as a result the shear modes acquire a Higgs mass in the dual condensate. This is the way the dictum that translational symmetry breaking goes hand in hand with shear rigidity emerges in the field theory. However, because of the glide principle compression stays massless, and the fluids are characterized by an isolated massless compression mode and are therefore superfluids. Glide also causes the shear Higgs mass to vanish at orientations perpendicular to the director in the ordered nematic, and the resulting state can be viewed as a quantum smectic of a novel kind. Our most spectacular result is a new hydrodynamical way of understanding the conventional electromagnetic Meissner state (superconducting state). Generalizing to the electromagnetically charged elastic medium (‘Wigner Crystal’) we find that the Higgs mass of the shear gauge fields, becoming finite in the nematic quantum fluids, automatically causes a Higgs mass in the electromagnetic sector by a novel mechanism.     

Fabrication of uniform Au silicide islands on the Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7) substrate

The Au silicide islands have been fabricated by additional deposition of Au on the prepared surface at 270 °C where the Si islands of magic sizes were formed on the Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7) dimer-adatom-stacking fault substrate. The surface structure on the Au silicide islands shows the Au/Si(1 1 1)-√3 × √3 reconstructed structure although the substrate remains 7 × 7 DAS structure. The size of the Au silicide islands depends on the size distribution of the preformed Si islands, because the initial size and shape of the Si islands play important roles in the formation of the Au silicide island. We have achieved the fabrication of the Au silicide islands of about the same size (∼5 nm) and the same shape by controlling the initial Si growth and the additional Au growth conditions.     

Quantum states of hydrogen (H, D, T) atoms on Cu(1 0 0) and (1 1 0) surfaces

We investigate the quantum mechanical behavior of adsorbed hydrogen (H, D, T) on Cu(1 0 0) and (1 1 0) surfaces. We construct potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the motion of the hydrogen H atom on Cu(1 0 0) and (1 1 0) surfaces within the framework of density functional theory. The potential energy takes a minimum value on the hollow site of Cu(1 0 0) and on the short bridge site of Cu(1 1 0). Moreover, we calculate the quantum states of hydrogen atom motion on these calculated PESs. The ground state wave function of the hydrogen atom motion is strongly localized around the hollow site on the Cu(1 0 0) surface. On the other hand, the ground state wave function of the hydrogen atom motion on Cu(1 1 0) is distributed from the short bridge site to two neighboring pseudo-threefold sites. We finally show isotope effects on the quantum states of the motion of hydrogen on both surfaces.     

The Lamb-dip spectrum of the J = 1 ← 0 transition of DF: Crossing resonances and hyperfine components

The Lamb-dip technique has been applied to the observation of the J = 1 ← 0 transition of DF: for the first time, the hyperfine structure due to D and F have been resolved by using microwave spectroscopy. The high accuracy of this technique allows us to provide hyperfine parameters that are in very good agreement with those obtained from molecular beam experiment. In addition, our frequencies together with the unresolved ones up to J″ value of 47 allow us to provide the most accurate ground state rotational constants of DF known at the moment. Furthermore, due to the presence of a relevant number of strong crossing resonances, the J = 1 ← 0 transition of DF can be considered an illustrative case to show how they modify the shape of Lamb-dip spectra.     

Optical anisotropy of the In/Si(1 1 1)(4 × 1)/(8 × 2) nanowire array

Ab initio calculations of the reflectance anisotropy of Si(1 1 1)-In surfaces are presented. A very pronounced optical anisotropy around 2 eV is found that is related to In-chain states. The distortion of the indium chains characteristic for the (4 × 1) → (8 × 2) phase transition results in a splitting of the 2 eV peak, as observed experimentally. The splitting occurs irrespective wether the phase transition occurs according to the trimer or hexamer model.