Tailoring interface structure in highly strained YSZ/STO heterostructures

A New Low-Temperature Electrochemical Hydrocarbon and NOx Sensor

In this article, a new investigation on a low-temperature electrochemical hydrocarbon and NO_x sensor is presented. Based on the mixed-potential-based sensing scheme, the sensor is constructed using platinum and metal oxide electrodes, along with an Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)/Strontium Titanate (SrTiO₃) thin-film electrolyte. Unlike traditional mixed-potential sensors which operate at higher temperatures (>400 °C), this potentiometric sensor operates at 200 °C with dominant hydrocarbon (HC) and NO_x response in the open-circuit and biased modes, respectively. The possible low-temperature operation of the sensor is speculated to be primarily due to the enhanced oxygen ion conductivity of the electrolyte, which may be attributed to the space charge effect, epitaxial strain, and atomic reconstruction at the interface of the YSZ/STO thin film. The response and recovery time for the NO_x sensor are found to be 7 s and 8 s, respectively. The sensor exhibited stable response even after 120 days of testing, with an 11.4% decrease in HC response and a 3.3% decrease in NO_x response.

3D elemental mapping with nanometer scale depth resolution via electron optical sectioning

Electron energy loss spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope has long been used to perform elemental mapping but has not previously exhibited depth sensitivity. The key to depth resolution with optical sectioning is the transfer of sufficiently high lateral spatial frequencies. By performing spectrum imaging with atomic resolution we achieve nanometer scale depth resolution, enabling us to optically section an oxide heterostructure spectroscopically. Such 3D elemental mapping is sensitive to atomic scale changes in structure and composition and is more interpretable than Z-contrast imaging alone.

Learning from nature: binary cooperative complementary nanomaterials

In this Review, nature-inspired binary cooperative complementary nanomaterials (BCCNMs), consisting of two components with entirely opposite physiochemical properties at the nanoscale, are presented as a novel concept for the building of promising materials. Once the distance between the two nanoscopic components is comparable to the characteristic length of some physical interactions, the cooperation between these complementary building blocks becomes dominant and endows the macroscopic materials with novel and superior properties. The first implementation of the BCCNMs is the design of bio-inspired smart materials with superwettability and their reversible switching between different wetting states in response to various kinds of external stimuli. Coincidentally, recent studies on other types of functional nanomaterials contribute more examples to support the idea of BCCNMs, which suggests a potential yet comprehensive range of future applications in both materials science and engineering.

Anti-site disorder and physical properties in microwave synthesized RE2Ti2O7 (RE = Gd, Ho) pyrochlores

In this work we report on the microwave assisted synthesis of nano-sized Gd₂Ti₂O₇ (GTO) and Ho₂Ti₂O₇ (HTO) powders from the RE₂Ti₂O₇ pyrochlore family (RE = rare earth) and their physical properties.

(001) SrTiO3 | (001) MgO interface and oxygen-vacancy stability from first-principles calculations

In-depth understanding of interfacial atomistic structures is required to design heterointerfaces with controlled functionalities. Using density functional theory calculations, we investigate the interfacial structure of (001) SrTiO3 | (001) MgO, and characterize the stable interface structure. Among the four types of possible interface structures, we show that the TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 containing electrostatically attractive Mg-O and Ti-O ion-ion interactions forms the most stable interface. We also show that oxygen vacancies can be preferentially stabilized across the interface via manipulating interfacial strain. We elucidate that oxygen vacancies are most stable in the tensile-strain material, and unstable in compressive strain material. This stability is explained from equation-of-state analysis using a single crystal, where the oxygen vacancy shows a larger volume than the oxygen ion, thus explaining its stability under tensile-strained conditions.

Oxygen octahedral distortions in LaMO3/SrTiO3 superlattices

In this work we study the interfaces between the Mott insulator LaMnO3 (LMO) and the band insulator SrTiO3 (STO) in epitaxially grown superlattices with different thickness ratios and different transport and magnetic behaviors. Using atomic resolution electron energy-loss spectral imaging, we analyze simultaneously the structural and chemical properties of these interfaces. We find changes in the oxygen octahedral tilts within the LaMnO3 layers when the thickness ratio between the manganite and the titanate layers is varied. Superlattices with thick LMO and ultrathin STO layers present unexpected octahedral tilts in the STO, along with a small amount of oxygen vacancies. On the other hand, thick STO layers exhibit undistorted octahedra while the LMO layers present reduced O octahedral distortions near the interfaces. These findings are discussed in view of the transport and magnetic differences found in previous studies.

Kinetics of 90° domain wall motions and high frequency mesoscopic dielectric response in strained ferroelectrics: a phase-field simulation

The dielectric and ferroelectric behaviors of a ferroelectric are substantially determined by its domain structure and domain wall dynamics at mesoscopic level. A relationship between the domain walls and high frequency mesoscopic dielectric response is highly appreciated for high frequency applications of ferroelectrics. In this work we investigate the low electric field driven motion of 90°-domain walls and the frequency-domain spectrum of dielectric permittivity in normally strained ferroelectric lattice using the phase-field simulations. It is revealed that, the high-frequency dielectric permittivity is spatially inhomogeneous and reaches the highest value on the 90°-domain walls. A tensile strain favors the parallel domains but suppresses the kinetics of the 90° domain wall motion driven by electric field, while the compressive strain results in the opposite behaviors. The physics underlying the wall motions and thus the dielectric response is associated with the long-range elastic energy. The major contribution to the dielectric response is from the polarization fluctuations on the 90°-domain walls, which are more mobile than those inside the domains. The relevance of the simulated results wth recent experiments is discussed.

Electron doping by charge transfer at LaFeO3/Sm2CuO4 epitaxial interfaces

Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy with atomic-scale spatial resolution, experimental evidence for charge transfer at the interface between the Mott insulators Sm2 CuO4 and LaFeO3 is obtained. As a consequence of the charge transfer, the Sm2 CuO4 is doped with electrons and thus epitaxial Sm2 CuO4 /LaFeO3 heterostructures become metallic.

Substrate clamping effects on irreversible domain wall dynamics in lead zirconate titanate thin films

The role of long-range strain interactions on domain wall dynamics is explored through macroscopic and local measurements of nonlinear behavior in mechanically clamped and released polycrystalline lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) films. Released films show a dramatic change in the global dielectric nonlinearity and its frequency dependence as a function of mechanical clamping. Furthermore, we observe a transition from strong clustering of the nonlinear response for the clamped case to almost uniform nonlinearity for the released film. This behavior is ascribed to increased mobility of domain walls. These results suggest the dominant role of collective strain interactions mediated by the local and global mechanical boundary conditions on the domain wall dynamics. The work presented in this Letter demonstrates that measurements on clamped films may considerably underestimate the piezoelectric coefficients and coupling constants of released structures used in microelectromechanical systems, energy harvesting systems, and microrobots.