Study of Thermometry in Two-Dimensional Sb2Te3 from Temperature-Dependent Raman Spectroscopy

Probing the Temperature-Dependent Thermal Conductivity of Violet Phosphorus via Optothermal Raman Spectroscopy

The temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of violet phosphorus on a perforated SiO2/Si substrate has been investigated via optothermal Raman spectroscopy. The obtained temperature coefficients of the Tg mode and Ptub mode of the violet phosphorus sample are -0.01268 and -0.01789 cm-1 K-1, respectively. On the basis of the temperature coefficients and power coefficients, the thermal conductivity of the violet phosphorus has been calculated to be 44.642 ± 4.995 W/mK at room temperature, which is higher than that of other two-dimensional materials such as black phosphorus and MoS2 due to the effect of boundary scattering and the phonon mean free path. Additionally, the thermal conductivity of violet phosphorus decreases as a power exponential function of the temperature, which is primarily associated with the phonon mean free path and phonon group velocity. This work provides a scientific foundation for thermal management and heat dissipation in designing micro-nano devices with violet phosphorus.

Solution-derived Ge-Sb-Se-Te phase-change chalcogenide films

Ge-Sb-Se-Te chalcogenides, namely Se-substituted Ge-Sb-Te, have been developed as an alternative optical phase change material (PCM) with a high figure-of-merit. A need for the integration of such new PCMs onto a variety of photonic platforms has necessitated the development of fabrication processes compatible with diverse material compositions as well as substrates of varying material types, shapes, and sizes. This study explores the application of chemical solution deposition as a method capable of creating conformally coated layers and delves into the resulting modifications in the structural and optical properties of Ge-Sb-Se-Te PCMs. Specifically, we detail the solution-based deposition of Ge-Sb-Se-Te layers and present a comparative analysis with those deposited via thermal evaporation. We also discuss our ongoing endeavor to improve available choice of processing-material combinations and how to realize solution-derived high figure-of-merit optical PCM layers, which will enable a new era for the development of reconfigurable photonic devices.

Fast modulation of surface plasmons based on the photothermal effect of nonvolatile solid thin films

Nonvolatile phase change materials owing to their robust stability and reversibility have shown significant potential in nanophotonic switches and memory devices. However, their performances deteriorate as the thickness decreases below 10 nm due to the local deformation induced by the phase change, which makes them less compatible with plasmonic nanogaps. Here, we address this issue by photothermally modulating the refractive index of germanium antimony telluride (GST) placed in plasmonic nanogaps, which tunes plasmon resonances in the visible region below the melting point of GST, making such optical switching highly reversible at a rate of up to hundreds of ∼kHz. They are also demonstrated to modulate the waveguiding efficiency of propagating surface plasmons, which is based on the photothermal modulation of plasmons with the assistance of GST. Such hybrid nanoplasmonic system with cost-effective fabrication and efficient operation method provides a promising route towards integrated nanophotonic chips.

Ultra-Stable, Endurable, and Flexible Sb2TexSe3-x Phase Change Devices for Memory Application and Wearable Electronics

Flexible memory and wearable electronics represent an emerging technology, thanks to their reliability, compatibility, and superior performance. Here, an Sb₂Te_xSe_3-x (STSe) phase change material was grown on flexible mica, which not only exhibited superior nature in thermal stability for phase change memory application but also revealed novel function performance in wearable electronics, thanks to its excellent mechanical reliability and endurance. The thermal stability of Sb₂Te₃ was improved obviously with the crystallization temperature elevated 60 K after Se doping, for the enhanced charge localization and stronger bonding energy, which was validated by the Vienna ab initio simulation package calculations. Based on the ultra-stability of STSe, the STSe-based phase change memory shows 65 000 reversible phase change ability. Moreover, the assembled flexible device can show real-time monitoring and recoverability response in sensing human activities in different parts of the body, which proves its effective reusability and potential as wearable electronics. Most importantly, the STSe device presents remarkable working reliability, reflected by excellent endurance over 100 s and long retention over 100 h. These results paved a novel way to utilize STSe phase change materials for flexible memory and wearable electronics with extreme thermal and mechanical stability and brilliant performance.

Anharmonic phonon interactions and the Kondo effect in a FeSe/Sb2Te3/FeSe heterostructure: a proximity effect between ferromagnetic chalcogenide and di-chalcogenide

In this report, we have introduced magnetic ordering into the nontrivial system of conventional topological insulators (TIs) by creating magnetic interfaces. In this context, antimony di-chalcogenide Sb₂Te₃ sandwiched between two thin layers of FeSe was prepared using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The prepared heterostructure demonstrated good crystallinity along with homogeneous morphology displaying pyramid-shaped characteristic triangular islands. To comprehend the temperature and magnetic field modulated inter-layer properties of the prepared hetero-structure, transport, magneto-transport and magnetic properties were investigated. These properties establish the signature of the Kondo effect below 15 K, which has been attributed to the antiferromagnetic spin alignment in that temperature range. At around 150 K, longitudinal and transverse resistivity shows the metal-semiconductor transition, which was further elucidated through the anharmonic decay model in vibration phonon modes using Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, a significant local spin evolution was explored at around 475 K by studying the magnetic properties of the system. The temperature dependency of the Raman modes confirmed the spin-phonon coupling initiated by local charge ordering at the proximity of the interface in the prepared hetero-structure.

Mn2+/Mn4+ co-doped LaM1-xAl11-yO19 (M = Mg, Zn) luminescent materials: electronic structure, energy transfer and optical thermometric properties

Dual-emitting manganese ion doped LaM_1-xAl_11-yO₁₉ (M = Mg, Zn) phosphors were prepared by substituting Zn²⁺/Mg²⁺ with Mn²⁺ and replacing Al³⁺ with Mn⁴⁺. The LaM_1-xAl_11-yO₁₉:xMn²⁺,yMn⁴⁺ phosphors show a narrow green emission band of the Mn²⁺ ions at 514 nm and a red emission band of the Mn⁴⁺ ions at 677 nm. In addition, the thermal stability of luminescence shows that the response of Mn²⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ to the temperature is obviously different in LaMAl₁₁O₁₉, implying the potential of the prepared phosphors as optical thermometers. The decay lifetime of Mn⁴⁺ was changed with temperature due to the different fluorescence intensity ratios of Mn²⁺ and Mn⁴⁺, and a dual-mode optical temperature-sensing mechanism was studied in the temperature range of -50-200 °C. The maximum relative sensitivities (S_r) are calculated as 3.22 and 3.13% K^-1, respectively. The unique optical thermometric features demonstrate the application potential of LaMAl₁₁O₁₉:Mn²⁺,Mn⁴⁺ in optical thermometry.