Giant piezoresistance effects in silicon nanowires and microwires

The giant piezoresistance (PZR) previously reported in silicon nanowires is experimentally investigated in a large number of depleted silicon nano- and microstructures. The resistance is shown to vary strongly with time due to electron and hole trapping at the sample surfaces independent of the applied stress. Importantly, this time-varying resistance manifests itself as an apparent giant PZR identical to that reported elsewhere. By modulating the applied stress in time, the true PZR of the structures is found to be comparable with that of bulk silicon.     

Synthesis and room-temperature NO_2 gas sensing properties of a WO_3 nanowires/porous silicon hybrid structure

We report on the fabrication and performance of a room-temperature NO2 gas sensor based on a WO3 nanowires/porous silicon hybrid structure. The W18O49 nanowires are synthesized directly from a sputtered tungsten film on a porous silicon （PS） layer under heating in an argon atmosphere. After a carefully controlled annealing treatment, WO3 nanowires are obtained on the PS layer without losing the morphology. The morphology, phase structure, and crystallinity of the nanowires are investigated by using field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, X-ray diffractometer （XRD）, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. Comparative gas sensing results indicate that the sensor based on the WO3 nanowires exhibits a much higher sensitivity than that based on the PS and pure WO3 nanowires in detecting NO2 gas at room temperature. The mechanism of the WO3 nanowires/PS hybrid structure in the NO2 sensing is explained in detail.     

Nonlinear piezoresistance in p-type silicon

An investigation was made of the longitudinal and transverse piezoresistance and electrical conductivity of p-type silicon under conditions of uniaxial compression, x [111], in the temperature range 77–300°K and hole concentration range 2.10¹⁵–5.10¹⁸ cm^–3. The transverse component of the electrical conductivity tensor, [11¯2], was found to depend nonmonotonically on the degree of compression. Compression decreases ₄₄ and increases the combination ₁₁ + 2₁₂. The nonlinearity oi the longitudinal piezoresistance increases with increasing hole concentration and T = 77°K. The results are explained by the rearrangement of the valence band under the deformation and the formation near the top of this band of a section of the spectrum described in the approximation of low energies of Pikus-Bir theory.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 3–7, October, 1980.     

Giant piezoelectric anisotropy in sodium niobate with a composite-like structure

On the basis of X-ray diffraction and electrophysical data for stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric sodium niobate, it is concluded that a mechanism responsible for the infinite ratio of the electromechanical coupling factors for the thickness and plane modes may be related to the composite-like structure of the material. It is shown that such a structure may result from the presence of ordered extended voids (arising at the joints between perfect structure blocks), which behave as microcracks. Stresses generated at the joints may modify the domain structure and lead to the anisotropic distribution of polarized clusters in the ferroelectric phase. This also may enhance the piezoelectric anisotropy.     

Giant magnetoresistance effect in hybrid ferromagnetic/semiconductor nanosystems

We theoretically investigate the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect in general magnetically modulated semiconductor nanosystems, which can be realized experimentally by depositing two parallel ferromagnetic strips on the top of a heterostructure. Here the exact magnetic profiles and arbitrary magnetization direction of ferromagnetic strips are emphasized. It is shown that a considerable GMR effect can be achieved in such nanosystems due to the significant transmission difference for electrons tunneling through parallel and antiparallel magnetization configurations. It is also shown that the magnetoresistance ratio is strongly influenced by the magnetization direction of ferromagnetic strips in nanosystems, thus possibly leading to tunable GMR devices.     

Giant magnetoresistance effect in hybrid ferromagnetic-Schottky-metal and semiconductor nanosystem

We report on a theoretical investigation of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect in hybrid ferromagnetic-Schottky-metal and semiconductor nanosystem. Experimentally, this GMR device can be realized by the deposition of two ferromagnetic (FM) stripes and one Schottky normal metal (NM) in parallel way on the top of a semiconductor GaAs heterostructure. The GMR effect emanates from the significant transmission difference for electrons tunneling through parallel and antiparallel magnetization configurations of the device, and its magnetoresistance ratio (MR) can reach the order of ¹⁰⁶%. Furthermore, it is also shown that the MR of the device depends strongly on the relative location of the Schottky NM stripe between two FM stripes.     

Phase nucleation and stability in irradiated metal-silicon systems

Amorphization, or crystalline structure development in metal-silicon systems undergoing ion mixing, or ion implantation are interpreted by an atomistic model. Energy spike formation and evolution within the irradiated target provide the conditions necessary to develop composition variations at the spike-lattice interface, where one component preferentially migrates. As a consequence of local non-equilibrium compositional conditions, interatomic interactions, schematized via charge transfer events, occur, and give rise to formation of glassy, or crystalline nuclei. Qualitative differences are found between the surface behaviour of amorphous and respectively crystalline silicides.     

Giant gyrotropy due to electromagnetic-field coupling in a bilayered chiral structure

We report experimental evidence that electromagnetic coupling between physically separated planar metal patterns located in parallel planes provides for extremely strong polarization rotatory power if one pattern is twisted with respect to the other, creating a chiral object. In terms of a rotary power per sample thickness equal to one wavelength, the bilayered structure rotates 5 orders of magnitude stronger than a gyrotropic crystal of quartz in the visible spectrum.     

Power flow analysis in a hybrid phononic crystal structure

To reveal the energy transmission through a hybrid phononic crystal structure, power flow analysis is carried out in this paper. Hysteretic damping having significant relationship with power flow is added and corresponding theoretical formulas of the dispersion relation are derived. Besides, the power flow in the hybrid structure is calculated by using the finite element method. The results show that as the damping increases, the boundaries of the band gaps become smoother and dimmer, i.e., broader width. With the increase of damping, the power flow is lowered at the resonance frequencies,while slightly increases near the resonance frequencies. The power flow maps manifest energy distribution in the hybrid structure within and out of the band gaps, which can be exploited in the optimization of the structure design.     

Giant magnetoresistance and hysteretic effects in hybrid semiconductor/ferromagnet devices

We have investigated ballistic magnetoresistance effects in a two dimensional electron gas subjected to a periodic magnetic field that alternates in sign. The magnetic field was produced by a submicron ferromagnetic grating, made of either nickel or cobalt stripes, which was fabricated at the surface of the heterostructure. We observe giant magnetoresistance effects due to the channelling of electrons along lines of zero magnetic field orientated perpendicular to the current. Our semiclassical model accounts in great detail for all features in the magnetoresistance.     

Phononic band structure in a two-dimensional hybrid triangular graphite lattice

The propagation of acoustic wave in a two-dimensional phononic crystal of a hybrid triangular graphite array is investigated by the plane wave expansion (PWE) method. Our numerical results show that the location and width of the band gaps can be tuned by altering the radii of scatters at different positions.     

Spontaneous polarization buildup in a room-temperature polariton laser

We observe the buildup of strong (approximately 50%) spontaneous vector polarization in emission from a GaN-based polariton laser excited by short optical pulses at room temperature. The Stokes vector of emitted light changes its orientation randomly from one excitation pulse to another, so that the time-integrated polarization remains zero. This behavior is completely different from any previous laser. We interpret this observation in terms of the spontaneous symmetry breaking in a Bose-Einstein condensate of exciton polaritons.     

Squeezed quantum hybrid system: Giant enhancement of magnon-phonon-spin interactions

<正>Quantum magnonics has recently attracted considerable interest not only in fundamental physics but also in applications, ranging from quantum information processing to quantum metrology [1]. A unique merit of magnons, the quasiparticles or quantized unit of magnetic excitations in solids,is their ability to be effectively coupled with almost all different quantum information carriers, such as optical photons,mechanical phonons, superconducting qubits, and solid-state spins, which are ot...     

金属-电介质复合结构实现荧光远场增强

本文提出一种大尺度的金属-电介质复合微纳结构(银-硅结构),用于提高荧光生物检测的灵敏度及解决荧光物质距离结构远场范围时荧光增强的近场局限。这种大尺度的金属-电介质复合微纳结构与之前的金属-电介质复合微纳结构不同,其通过光的散射和干涉实现了荧光物质距离结构远场范围时的荧光增强。在本文中,通过采用时域有限差分法,主要从荧光激发和荧光发射两个过程研究银-硅结构。结果表明,在激发过程中,银-硅结构的荧光强度高于玻璃结构且位于银-硅结构两柱之间的狭缝中的电场分布比金属结构(银结构)更均匀,因此在银-硅结构中可以实现荧光增强,而且分子运动行为的检测更准确。在发射过程中,当荧光纳米粒子距离结构远场范围内时,与玻璃相比,银-硅结构可以实现更好的荧光增强效果。利用银-硅结构实现荧光增强的机理是光的散射和干涉,荧光被银膜向上散射,同时,结构两侧的银/硅柱也散射一部分荧光,荧光相互干涉传播至远场实现荧光增强。此外,银-硅结构易于制备和集成。因此,其可以很好地应用于生物传感领域。     

Intrinsic room-temperature electrophosphorescence from a pi-conjugated polymer

Electrically induced phosphorescence from a poly(para-phenylene) ladder-type polymer is observed for the first time and characterized using time resolved spectroscopy. Short-lived phosphorescence is also observed in gated fluorescence spectra and is found to be quenched reversibly by oxygen. Thermally activated triplet diffusion to covalently bound palladium sites, which are formed at a concentration of about 80 ppm in a side reaction during polymer synthesis, is believed to be the cause of this novel effect, which suggests a new approach to the design of efficient electroluminescent materials.     

Optical image correlator realized with a hybrid liquid-crystal-photoconducting polymer structure

A joint Fourier-transform optical correlator for image recognition based on a novel hybrid photoconducting polymer-nematic liquid-crystal structure is described. The optically addressed active element that we have designed is capable of performing real-time image processing 20 times/s, at light-intensity levels of 10mW/cm(2) with dc operating voltage of the order of 10 V. We present the results of correlation of simple objects as well as complicated photographs. The sensitivity, durability, and reliability of the presented system open possibilities for many applications.     

Spin dynamics of semiconductor electrons in a hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor structure

We analyze the recent experimental study by R.J. Epstein et al. [Phys. Rev. B 65, 121202 (2002)] on the spin dynamics of semiconductor electrons in a hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor structure by using a simple model based on the Bloch equations. A comparison between the model calculations and the experimental observations shows that the spin relaxation rate is strongly anisotropic. We interpret this anisotropy as a manifestation of the exchange interaction between metallic and semiconductor electrons at the ferromagnet/semiconductor interface.