Determination of the density of states in high-Tc thin films using FET-type microstructures

A simple electronic experiment using a field-effect-transistor–type microstructure is suggested. The thin superconductor layer forms the source-drain channel of a layered structure across which an AC current is applied. It is found necessary to measure the second harmonic of the source-gate voltage, and the third harmonic of the source-drain voltage; these electronic measurements then give the logarithmic derivative of the density of states, which is an important consideration when fitting parameters of the band structure.     

Zeeman splitting of the density of states of superconducting Ga thin films

The tunneling conductance $\text{d}\text{I}\text{d}\text{V}$ of Al-Al₂O₃-Ga junctions in a parallel magnetic field reveals Zeeman splitting of the superconducting quasiparticle density of states of the Ga. The magnitude of the splitting implies an unexpectedly small spin-orbit parameter b=0.6.     

A new approach to the calculation of tight-binding surface density of states in thin films

We present a new approach to the calculation of planar electronic density of states of thin films within the tight-binding scheme. The diagonal elements of the electronic Green's function are obtained by an iteration procedure derived from the transfer-matrix approach for semi-infinite crystals. An application is made to the study of the (100) planes of a model transition metal film with a simple cubic structure.     

Correlation between density and structure. in boron nitride thin films by X-ray diffraction

* _ion=100 eV. Above E^* _ion the average density (deduced from X-ray reflectivity) shows a strong increase, indicating the sudden appearance of the cubic boron nitride phase consistent with the sp³ concentration deduced from IR absorption spectroscopy. The in-plane X-ray diffraction shows that this cubic phase consists of small nanocrystals of 70 Å linear size. Received: 26 November 1996/Accepted: 27 January 1997     

Magnetic field-induced surface electron states in thin films

Analytical expressions are derived for the energy spectrum of magnetic field-induced surface electron states in thin films. The theory is based on investigations of asymptotic solutions of the Weber equation.     

Relaxation of polarized states in thin films of BST

The possibility of the local polarization of epitaxial Ba_0.8Sr_0.2TiO₃ thin film is studied by means of piezoresponse force microscopy. The existence of a local polarized state depends on the duration of the applied pulse. The kinetics of polarized states explaining the experiment is considered in the context of phenomenological theory.     

Influence of disorder on the local density of states in high- T(c) superconducting thin films

Using a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope in the spectroscopic mode, we find that the disorder in a Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta) thin film modifies dramatically the quasiparticle local density of states. Small, but well-defined superconducting regions, coexisting with dominating semiconducting areas, show well-pronounced gap structures, similar to those observed previously in high-quality single crystals. Surprisingly, between these two regions, the detailed shape of the quasiparticle spectrum is virtually identical to the pseudogap previously observed at temperatures T>T(c), or in the vortex core, at 4.2 K. Thus, the role of the disorder in destroying the superconducting phase is comparable to that of the magnetic field or thermal fluctuations.     

Localized states in thin films with internal disturbed sublayer

A model of two layers sandwiching a thin disturbed sublayer is considered. The behaviour of the localized states and the conditions of their generation are discussed in a geometric approach to the characteristic equation. It is shown that the disturbed sublayer can generate two types of localized states.     

Size quantization of electronic states in very thin platinum films

The Quantum Size Effect (QSE) is expected to exist in metal films. It has been discussed in a number of theoretical papers. The experimental verification is difficult because of the very short Fermi wave length of the charge carriers in metals. Surface roughness of the films and diffuse scattering of the charge carriers from the film surface usually prevent the observation of QSE. We succeeded in preparing Pt-films with surface roughness below 0.3 nm, which also exhibited partly specular reflection of the electrons from the film surface. Oscillations of the conductivity with the film thickness, due to QSE, were observed in the thickness range from 0.5 nm to 2.0 nm. Band splitting was observed in the thickness range from 5 nm to 20 nm by means of tunneling spectroscopy. From the results we suggest that electrons as well as holes in closed Fermi surfaces participate in the QSE. Holes in open Fermi surfaces, despite their larger density, could not be observed. The measurements allow the determination of the Fermi energy and the effective masses of both electrons and holes in quasi amorphous films.     

Some calculations of temperature profiles in thin films with laser heating

We present some calculations of heat flow in an absorbing film deposited on a non-absorbing substrate. The energy source is a Gaussian laser beam. We analyse the effects of film thickness, thermal conductivity, spot radius and forced cooling on the temperature profile and, in a special case, the time evolution of that profile. The emphasis is on applications in optical bistability.     

微晶硅薄膜带隙态及微结构的研究

研究了氢化微晶硅薄膜费米能级以上的带隙态密度分布与薄膜微结构关系.采用拉曼谱和红外谱表征不同H稀释比制备的微晶硅薄膜的微结构.薄膜带隙态密度分布由调制光电流的相移分析技术测得.采用三相模型（非晶相、晶相和界面相）分析了薄膜带隙态密度与薄膜微结构的关系.结果表明,材料的带隙态密度随着界面相的增加而增加,当界面体积分数达到最大时,薄膜的带隙态密度也最大,即材料的带隙态密度与界面体积分数正相关. 关键词： 带隙态 界面相 微晶硅 调制光电流     

Correlation effects and the density of states in amorphous silicon

The evaluation of the density of gap states from the charge density measured in field-effect experiments is considered in terms of a model which incorporates electron correlation effects. Due to the positive Hubbard U a density of states is deduced which differs appreciably from the “field effect” densities published previously. Besides the lack of the E_x and E_y peaks the minimum density is found to be ～ 10¹⁵ ? 10¹⁶ cm^?3 eV^?1.     

Kronig-Penney-type calculations for electron tunneling through thin disordered dielectric films

Kronig-Penney-type calculations were used to evaluate the tunneling probability through a thin disordered dielectric film between two metallic electrodes. Our calculations indicate that the tunneling probability increases with increasing disorder.     

Optoacoustic study of laser-induced near-critical states of thin aluminum films

The results of the optoacoustic study of aluminum states within a temperature range of 3–14 kK and a pressure range of 0.1–4 kbar were considered. These high-energy states were achieved by heating a submicron metal film confined by a transparent dielectric via nanosecond laser pulses with a fluence of up to 11 J/cm². The dynamics of the temperature, pressure, and reflectivity of aluminum was studied at a nanosecond time resolution.     

Spin-dependent resonant tunneling through quantum-well states in magnetic metallic thin films

Quantum-well (QW) states in nonmagnetic metal films between magnetic layers are known to be important in spin-dependent transport, but QW states in magnetic films remains elusive. Here we identify the conditions for resonant tunneling through QW states in magnetic films and report first principles calculations of Fe/MgO/FeO/Fe/Cr and Co/MgO/Fe/Cr. We show that, at resonance, the current increases by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. The tunneling magnetoresistance ratio is much larger than in simple spin tunnel junctions and is positive (negative) for majority- (minority-) spin resonances, with a large asymmetry between positive and negative biases. The results can serve as a basis for novel spintronic devices.     

Quasi-one-dimensional K-O chain in PTCDA thin films: evidence from first-principles calculations

Using density functional theory calculations we have found that K atoms in a PTCDA (3,4:9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride) crystal form a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) K-O chain interacting with carboxylic oxygen of the terminal anhydride groups of PTCDA. The K-K distance in the chain (3.72 Angstrom) is commensurate to the periodicity of the organic semiconductor. We obtain that the K-O structure is stabilized by charge transfer from K to PTCDA molecules, forming prevalently ionic bonds: the electronic density of the chemistry induced gap states is essentially delocalized on the perylene core of PTCDA, while potassium appears spoiled of its charge. Band dispersion along the direction of molecular stack is evaluated to be 0.2 eV in pure PTCDA crystal and 0.5 eV in the K-doped system, confirming that the interaction occurs between different molecular planes.     

Temperature dependence of the critical current density in Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films

We present a study of the temperature dependence of the critical currentJ _c of several dc magnetron sputtered thin Y-Ba-Cu-O films on single crystalline SrTiO₃, ZrO₂ and Al₂O₃ substrates. Near the critical temperature T_c it is found thatJ _c(1–T/T_c)ⁿ withn=3 for the SrTiO₃ and ZrO₂ substrates, whilen=1·3 for the Al₂O₃ substrate. The temperature dependence in our samples approximately agrees with standard theories for weak links or with the Ambegaokar-Baratoff equation.     

Electronic structure and dynamics of quantum-well states in thin Yb metal films

Quantum-well states above the Fermi energy in thin Yb(111) metal films deposited on a W(110) single crystal were studied by low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy. These states are laterally highly localized and give rise to sharp peaks in the tunneling spectra. A quantitative analysis of the spectra yields the bulk-band dispersion in the Gamma-L direction as well as quasiparticle lifetimes. The quadratic energy dependence of the lifetimes is in quantitative agreement with Fermi-liquid theory.     

Thermal radiation and near-field energy density of thin metallic films

We study the properties of thermal radiation emitted by a thin dielectric slab, employing the framework of macroscopic fluctuational electrodynamics. Particular emphasis is given to the analytical construction of the required dyadic Green's functions. Based on these, general expressions are derived for both the system's Poynting vector, describing the intensity of propagating radiation, and its energy density, containing contributions from non-propagating modes which dominate the near-field regime. An extensive discussion is then given for thin metal films. It is shown that the radiative intensity is maximized for a certain film thickness, due to Fabry-Perot-like multiple reflections inside the film. The dependence of the near-field energy density on the distance from the film's surface is governed by an interplay of several length scales, and characterized by different exponents in different regimes. In particular, this energy density remains finite even for arbitrarily thin films. This unexpected feature is associated with the film's low-frequency surface plasmon polariton. Our results also serve as reference for current near-field experiments which search for deviations from the macroscopic approach.