Phase Modulation of Self-Gating in Ionic Liquid-Functionalized InSe Field-Effect Transistors

Understanding the Coulomb interactions between two-dimensional (2D) materials and adjacent ions/impurities is essential to realizing 2D material-based hybrid devices. Electrostatic gating via ionic liquids (ILs) has been employed to study the properties of 2D materials. However, the intrinsic interactions between 2D materials and ILs are rarely addressed. This work studies the intersystem Coulomb interactions in IL-functionalized InSe field-effect transistors by displacement current measurements. We uncover a strong self-gating effect that yields a 50-fold enhancement in interfacial capacitance, reaching 550 nF/cm² in the maximum. Moreover, we reveal the IL-phase-dependent transport characteristics, including the channel current, carrier mobility, and density, substantiating the self-gating at the InSe/IL interface. The dominance of self-gating in the rubber phase is attributed to the correlation between the intra- and intersystem Coulomb interactions, further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. This study provides insights into the capacitive coupling at the InSe/IL interface, paving the way to developing liquid/2D material hybrid devices.

Magnetotransport in hybrid InSe/monolayer graphene on SiC

The magnetotransport properties of a hybrid InSe/monolayer graphene in a SiC system are systematically studied. Compared to those of its bare graphene counterpart, in InSe/graphene, we can effectively modify the carrier density, mobility, effective mass, and electron-electron (e-e) interactions enhanced by weak disorder. We show that in bare graphene and hybrid InSe/graphene systems, the logarithmic temperature (lnT) dependence of the Hall slope R _H = δR _xy /δB = δρ _xy /δB can be used to probe e-e interaction effects at various temperatures even when the measured resistivity does not show a lnT dependence due to strong electron-phonon scattering. Nevertheless, one needs to be certain that the change of R _H is not caused by an increase of the carrier density by checking the magnetic field position of the longitudinal resistivity minimum at different temperatures. Given the current challenges in gating graphene on SiC with a suitable dielectric layer, our results suggest that capping a van der Waals material on graphene is an effective way to modify the electronic properties of monolayer graphene on SiC.

Engineering an Indium Selenide van der Waals Interface for Multilevel Charge Storage

As the continuous miniaturization of floating-gate transistors approaches a physical limit, new innovations in device architectures, working principles, and device materials are in high demand. This study demonstrated a nonvolatile memory structure with multilevel data storage that features a van der Waals gate architecture made up of a partially oxidized surface layer/indium selenide (InSe) van der Waals interface. The key functionality of this proof-of-concept device is provided through the generation of charge-trapping sites via an indirect oxygen plasma treatment on the InSe surface layer. In contrast to floating-gate nonvolatile memory, these sites have the ability to retain charge without the help of a gate dielectric. Together with the layered structure, the surface layer with charge-trapping sites facilitates continual electrostatic doping in the underlying InSe layers. The van der Waals gating effect is further supported by trapped charge-induced core-level energy shifts and relative work function variations obtained from operando scanning X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Kelvin probe microscopy, respectively. On modulating the amount of electric field-induced trapped electrons by the electrostatic gate potential, eight distinct storage states remained over 3000 s. Moreover, the device exhibits a high current switching ratio of 10⁶ within 11 cycles. The demonstrated characteristics suggest that the engineering of an InSe interface has potential applications for nonvolatile memory.

Unprecedented random lasing in 2D organolead halide single-crystalline perovskite microrods

Three-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites have been demonstrated as great materials for applications in optoelectronics and photonics. However, their inherent instabilities in the presence of moisture, light, and heat may hinder their commercialization. Alternatively, emerging two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have recently attracted increasing attention owing to their great environmental stability and inherent natural quantum-well structure. In this work, we have synthesized a high-quality long-chain organic diammonium spacer assisted 2D hybrid perovskite FA-(N-MPDA)PbBr₄ (FA = formamidinium and N-MPDA = N-methylpropane-1,3-diammonium) by the slow evaporation at constant temperature method. The millimeter-sized single-crystalline microrods demonstrate low threshold random lasing behavior at room temperature. The single-crystalline 2D hybrid perovskite random laser achieved a very narrow linewidth (∼0.1 nm) with a low threshold (∼0.5 μJ cm^-2) and a high quality factor (∼5350). Furthermore, the 2D hybrid microrod laser shows stable lasing emission with no measurable degradation after at least 2 h under continuous illumination, which substantially proves the stability of 2D perovskites. Our results demonstrate the promise of 2D organic-inorganic microrod-shaped perovskites and provide an important step toward the realization of high-performance optoelectronic devices.

Femtosecond time-evolution of mid-infrared spectral line shapes of Dirac fermions in topological insulators

Mid-infrared (MIR) light sources have much potential in the study of Dirac-fermions (DFs) in graphene and topological insulators (TIs) because they have a low photon energy. However, the topological surface state transitions (SSTs) in Dirac cones are veiled by the free carrier absorption (FCA) with same spectral line shape that is always seen in static MIR spectra. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish the SST from the FCA, especially in TIs. Here, we disclose the abnormal MIR spectrum feature of transient reflectivity changes (ΔR/R) for the non-equilibrium states in TIs, and further distinguish FCA and spin-momentum locked SST using time-resolved and linearly polarized ultra-broadband MIR spectroscopy with no environmental perturbation. Although both effects produce similar features in the reflection spectra, they produce completely different variations in the ΔR/R to show their intrinsic ultrafast dynamics.

Ultralow Schottky Barriers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride-Encapsulated Monolayer WSe2 Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors

To explore the potential of field-effect transistors (FETs) based on monolayers (MLs) of the two-dimensional semiconducting channel (SC) for spintronics, the two most important issues are to ensure the formation of variable low-resistive tunnel ferromagnetic contacts (FCs) and to preserve intrinsic properties of the SC during fabrication. Large Schottky barriers lead to the formation of high resistive contacts, and methods adopted to control the barriers often alter the intrinsic properties of the SC. This work aims at addressing both issues in fully encapsulated ML WSe₂ FETs using bilayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a tunnel barrier at the FC/SC interface. We investigate the electrical transport in ML WSe₂ FETs with the current-in-plane geometry that yields hole mobilities of ∼38.3 cm² V^-1 s^-1 at 240 K and on/off ratios of the order of 10⁷, limited by the contact regions. We have achieved an ultralow effective Schottky barrier (∼5.34 meV) with an encapsulated tunneling device as opposed to a nonencapsulated device in which the barrier heights are considerably higher. These observations provide an insight into the electrical behavior of the FC/h-BN/SC/h-BN heterostructures, and such control over the barrier heights opens up the possibilities for WSe₂-based spintronic devices.

Selenium nanoparticle prepared by femtosecond laser-induced plasma shock wave

A novel approach for the production of both amorphous and crystalline selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using femtosecond laser-induced plasma shock wave on the surface of Bi₂Se₃ topological insulators at room temperature and ambient pressure is demonstrated. The shape and size of SeNPs can be reliably controlled via the kinetic energy obtained from laser pulses, so these are applicable as active components in nanoscale applications. Importantly, the rapid, low-cost and eco-friendly synthesis strategy developed in this study could also be extendable to other systems.

Contrasting the Surface Phonon Dispersion of Pb_{0.7}Sn_{0.3}Se in Its Topologically Trivial and Nontrivial Phases

We report inelastic He atom scattering measurements of the (001) surface phonon dispersion of the topological crystalline insulator Pb_{0.7}Sn_{0.3}Se. This material exhibits a temperature-dependent topological transition, so we measure the surface dispersion curves in both the trivial and nontrivial phases. We identify that, peculiarly, most surface modes are resonances, rather than pure surface states. We find that a shear vertical surface resonance branch around 9.0 meV dramatically changes on going from the trivial to the topological phase. We associate this remarkable change with the emergence of surface Dirac fermions. We use the measured dispersion of this resonance branch to determine the corresponding mode-dependent electron-phonon coupling λ_{ν}(q).

Spin-charge-lattice coupling in YBaCuFeO5: Optical properties and first-principles calculations

We combined spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman scattering spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations to explore the optical properties of YBaCuFeO5 single crystals. Measuring the optical absorption spectrum of YBaCuFeO5 at room temperature revealed a direct optical band gap at approximately 1.41 eV and five bands near 1.69, 2.47, 3.16, 4.26, and 5.54 eV. Based on first-principles calculations, the observed optical excitations were appropriately assigned. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the band gap indicated anomalies in antiferromagnetic phase transition at 455 and 175 K. Additionally, a hardening in the frequency of the Eg phonon mode was observed at 175 K. The value of the spin-phonon coupling constant was 15.7 mRy/Å2. These results suggest a complex nature of spin-charge-lattice interactions in YBaCuFeO5.

High-Performance InSe Transistors with Ohmic Contact Enabled by Nonrectifying Barrier-Type Indium Electrodes

The electrical contact to two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials is decisive to the electronic performance of 2D semiconductor field-effect devices (FEDs). The presence of a Schottky barrier often leads to a large contact resistance, which seriously limits the channel conductance and carrier mobility measured in a two-terminal geometry. In contrast, Ohmic contact is desirable and can be achieved by the presence of a nonrectifying or tunneling barrier. Here, we demonstrate that a nonrectifying barrier can be realized by contacting indium (In), a low work function metal, with layered InSe because of a favorable band alignment at the In-InSe interface. The nonrectifying barrier is manifested by Ohmic contact behavior at T = 2 K and a low barrier height, Φ_B = 50 meV. This Ohmic contact enables demonstration of an on-current as large as 410 μA/μm, which is among the highest values achieved in FEDs based on layered semiconductors. A high electron mobility of 3700 and 1000 cm²/V·s is achieved with the two-terminal In-InSe FEDs at T = 2 K and room temperature, respectively, which can be attributed to enhanced quality of both conduction channel and the contacts. The improvement in the contact quality is further proven by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study, which suggests that a reduction effect occurs at the In-InSe interface. The demonstration of high-performance In-InSe FEDs indicates a viable interface engineering method for next-generation, 2D semiconductor-based electronics.

Nematicity and Charge Order in Superoxygenated La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4+y}

In this Letter, we report a resonant x-ray scattering measurement of stripelike charge order in the 1/8th doped component of electronically phase-separated, orthorhombic La_{2}CuO_{4+y}. This observation is coupled to the absence of any resonant (001) peak, which at different resonant energies has been identified with the presence of low-temperature-tetragonal-like structural tilt patterns or nematicity in the CuO planes. Thus, we provide evidence that structural pinning is not necessary for the formation of static charge stripes and that the relationship between charge nematicity and stripes may not be simple.

Tuning Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling in Gated Multilayer InSe

Manipulating the electron spin with the aid of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is an indispensable element of spintronics. Electrostatically gating a material with strong SOC results in an effective magnetic field which can in turn be used to govern the electron spin. In this work, we report the existence and electrostatic tunability of Rashba SOC in multilayer InSe. We observed a gate-voltage-tuned crossover from weak localization (WL) to weak antilocalization (WAL) effect in quantum transport studies of InSe, which suggests an increasing SOC strength. Quantitative analyses of magneto-transport studies and energy band diagram calculations provide strong evidence for the predominance of Rashba SOC in electrostatically gated InSe. Furthermore, we attribute the tendency of the SOC strength to saturate at high gate voltages to the increased electronic density of states-induced saturation of the electric field experienced by the electrons in the InSe layer. This explanation of nonlinear gate voltage control of Rashba SOC can be generalized to other electrostatically gated semiconductor nanomaterials in which a similar tendency of spin-orbit length saturation was observed (e.g., nanowire field effect transistors), and is thus of broad implications in spintronics. Identifying and controlling the Rashba SOC in InSe may serve pivotally in devising III-VI semiconductor-based spintronic devices in the future.

Low-Threshold Lasing from 2D Homologous Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite Single Crystals

Organic-inorganic hybrid two-dimensional (2D) perovskites have recently attracted great attention in optical and optoelectronic applications due to their inherent natural quantum-well structure. We report the growth of high-quality millimeter-sized single crystals belonging to homologous two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic-inorganic Ruddelsden-Popper perovskites (RPPs) of (BA)₂(MA) _n-1Pb _nI_{3 n+1} ( n = 1, 2, and 3) by a slow evaporation at a constant-temperature (SECT) solution-growth strategy. The as-grown 2D hybrid perovskite single crystals exhibit excellent crystallinity, phase purity, and spectral uniformity. Low-threshold lasing behaviors with different emission wavelengths at room temperature have been observed from the homologous 2D hybrid RPP single crystals. Our result demonstrates that solution-growth homologous organic-inorganic hybrid 2D perovskite single crystals open up a new window as a promising candidate for optical gain media.

Crystal growth and transport properties of Weyl semimetal TaAs

We report the single crystal growth and transport properties of a Weyl semimetal TaAs. Unsaturated large magnetoresistance of about 22 100% at 2 K and 9 T is observed. From the Hall measurement, carrier concentrations n  =  4.608  ×  10²⁴ m^-3 and p  =  3.099  ×  10²⁴ m^-3, and mobilities µ _p   =  2.502 m² V^-1 s^-1 and µ _n   =  16.785 m² V^-1 s^-1 at 2 K are extracted. The de Haas-van Alphen oscillations at 2 K and 9 T suggest the presence of a Fermi surface, and the quantum electronic parameters such as effective cyclotron mass and Dingle temperature were obtained using Lifshitz-Kosevich fitting. Temperature dependent resistivity measurements at different static magnetic fields suggest the formation of an insulating gap in the Weyl semimetal TaAs. An angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study reveals Fermi arc surface states with different shaped features such as a long elliptical contour around each [Formula: see text] point, a bowtie-shaped contour around each [Formula: see text] point, and a crescent-shaped feature near the midpoint of each [Formula: see text] line.

The dp type π-bond and chiral charge density waves in 1T-TiSe2

Based on the atomic electronic configuration and Ti–Se coordination, a valence bond model for the layered transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) 1T-TiSe₂ is proposed.

Anomalous Acoustic Plasmon Mode from Topologically Protected States

Plasmons, the collective excitations of electrons in the bulk or at the surface, play an important role in the properties of materials, and have generated the field of "plasmonics." We report the observation of a highly unusual acoustic plasmon mode on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) Bi_{2}Se_{3}, using momentum resolved inelastic electron scattering. In sharp contrast to ordinary plasmon modes, this mode exhibits almost linear dispersion into the second Brillouin zone and remains prominent with remarkably weak damping not seen in any other systems. This behavior must be associated with the inherent robustness of the electrons in the TI surface state, so that not only the surface Dirac states but also their collective excitations are topologically protected. On the other hand, this mode has much smaller energy dispersion than expected from a continuous media excitation picture, which can be attributed to the strong coupling with surface phonons.

Magnetocrystalline two-fold symmetry in CaFe2O4 single crystal

Understanding of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in CaFe₂O₄ is a matter of importance for its future applications. A high quality single crystal CaFe₂O₄ sample is studied by using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, a magnetometer and the electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. A broad feature of the susceptibility curve around room temperature is observed, indicating the development of 1D spin interactions above the on-set of antiferromagnetic transition. The angular dependency of ESR reveals an in-plane two-fold symmetry, suggesting a strong correlation between the room temperature spin structure and magnetocrystalline anisotropy. This finding opens an opportunity for the device utilizing the anisotropy field of CaFe₂O₄.

Topological Quantum Phase Transition and Superconductivity Induced by Pressure in the Bismuth Tellurohalide BiTeI

A pressure-induced topological quantum phase transition has been theoretically predicted for the semiconductor bismuth tellurohalide BiTeI with giant Rashba spin splitting. In this work, evolution of the electrical transport properties in BiTeI and BiTeBr is investigated under high pressure. The pressure-dependent resistivity in a wide temperature range passes through a minimum at around 3 GPa, indicating the predicted topological quantum phase transition in BiTeI. Superconductivity is observed in both BiTeI and BiTeBr, while resistivity at higher temperatures still exhibits semiconducting behavior. Theoretical calculations suggest that superconductivity may develop from the multivalley semiconductor phase. The superconducting transition temperature, T_c , increases with applied pressure and reaches a maximum value of 5.2 K at 23.5 GPa for BiTeI (4.8 K at 31.7 GPa for BiTeBr), followed by a slow decrease. The results demonstrate that BiTeX (X = I, Br) compounds with nontrivial topology of electronic states display new ground states upon compression.

Anisotropic superconducting property studies of single crystal PbTaSe2

The anisotropic superconducting properties of PbTaSe₂ single crystal is reported. Superconductivity with T _c  =  3.83  ±  0.02 K has been characterized fully with electrical resistivity ρ(T), magnetic susceptibility χ(T), and specific heat C _p (T) measurements using single crystal samples. The superconductivity is type-II with lower critical field H _c1 and upper critical field H _c2 of 65 and 450 Oe (H⊥  to the ab-plane), 140 and 1500 Oe (H|| to the ab-plane), respectively. These results indicate that the superconductivity of PbTaSe₂ is anisotropic. The superconducting anisotropy, electron-phonon coupling λ _ep, superconducting energy gap Δ₀, and the specific heat jump ΔC/γT _c at T _c confirms that PbTaSe₂ can be categorized as a bulk superconductor.

Screening limited switching performance of multilayer 2D semiconductor FETs: the case for SnS

Gate tunable p-type multilayer tin mono-sulfide (SnS) field-effect transistor (FET) devices with SnS thickness between 50 and 100 nm were fabricated and studied to understand their performance. The devices showed anisotropic inplane conductance and room temperature field effect mobilities ∼5-10 cm² V^-1 s^-1. However, the devices showed an ON-OFF ratio ∼10 at room temperature due to appreciable OFF state conductance. The weak gate tuning behavior and finite OFF state conductance in the depletion regime of SnS devices are explained by the finite carrier screening length effect which causes the existence of a conductive surface layer from defect induced holes in SnS. Through etching and n-type surface doping by Cs₂CO₃ to reduce/compensate the not-gatable holes near the SnS flake's top surface, the devices exhibited an order of magnitude improvement in the ON-OFF ratio, and a hole Hall mobility of ∼100 cm² V^-1 s^-1 at room temperature is observed. This work suggests that in order to obtain effective switching and low OFF state power consumption, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor based depletion mode FETs should limit their thickness to within the Debye screening length of the carriers in the semiconductor.

Quasiparticle Scattering in the Rashba Semiconductor BiTeBr: The Roles of Spin and Defect Lattice Site

Observations of quasiparticle interference have been used in recent years to examine exotic carrier behavior at the surfaces of emergent materials, connecting carrier dispersion and scattering dynamics to real-space features with atomic resolution. We observe quasiparticle interference in the strongly Rashba split 2DEG-like surface band found at the tellurium termination of BiTeBr and examine two mechanisms governing quasiparticle scattering: We confirm the suppression of spin-flip scattering by comparing measured quasiparticle interference with a spin-dependent elastic scattering model applied to the calculated spectral function. We also use atomically resolved STM maps to identify point defect lattice sites and spectro-microscopy imaging to discern their varying scattering strengths, which we understand in terms of the calculated orbital characteristics of the surface band. Defects on the Bi sublattice cause the strongest scattering of the predominantly Bi 6p derived surface band, with other defects causing nearly no scattering near the conduction band minimum.

X-ray multi-beam resonant diffraction analysis of crystal symmetry for layered perovskite YBaCuFeO5

The open question of crystal symmetry for YBaCuFeO5, still under debate, is resolved by using diffraction anomalous fine structure and resonant multi-beam X-ray diffraction at the Fe and Cu K edges. The different asymmetric intensity distributions observed at 7, 7.1305 and 8.9945 keV give direct evidence that the space group of YBaCuFeO5 should be P4/mmm with the distance between Cu and apical O atoms longer than that between Fe and O atoms. This approach provides a direct way to resolve detailed structural symmetry which is indeterminate in conventional Bragg diffraction.

Large transverse Hall-like signal in topological Dirac semimetal Cd3As2

Cadmium arsenide (Cd₃As₂) is known for its inverted band structure and ultra-high electron mobility. It has been theoretically predicted and also confirmed by ARPES experiments to exhibit a 3D Dirac semimetal phase containing degenerate Weyl nodes. From magneto-transport measurements in high quality single crystals of Cd₃As₂, a small effective mass m^* ≈ 0.05 m_e is determined from the Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations. In certain field orientations, we find a splitting of the SdH oscillation frequency in the FFT spectrum suggesting a possible lifting of the double degeneracy in accord with the helical spin texture at outer and inner Fermi surfaces with opposite chirality predicted by our ab initio calculations. Strikingly, a large antisymmetric magnetoresistance with respect to the applied magnetic fields is uncovered over a wide temperature range in needle crystal of Cd₃As₂ with its long axis along [112] crystal direction. It reveals a possible contribution of intrinsic anomalous velocity term in the transport equation resulting from a unique 3D Rashba-like spin splitted bands that can be obtained from band calculations with the inclusion of Cd antisite defects.

Spin Liquid State in the 3D Frustrated Antiferromagnet PbCuTe_{2}O_{6}: NMR and Muon Spin Relaxation Studies

PbCuTe_{2}O_{6} is a rare example of a spin liquid candidate featuring a three-dimensional magnetic lattice. Strong geometric frustration arises from the dominant antiferromagnetic interaction that generates a hyperkagome network of Cu^{2+} ions although additional interactions enhance the magnetic lattice connectivity. Through a combination of magnetization measurements and local probe investigations by NMR and muon spin relaxation down to 20 mK, we provide robust evidence for the absence of magnetic freezing in the ground state. The local spin susceptibility probed by the NMR shift hardly deviates from the macroscopic one down to 1 K pointing to a homogeneous magnetic system with a low defect concentration. The saturation of the NMR shift and the sublinear power law temperature (T) evolution of the 1/T_{1} NMR relaxation rate at low T point to a nonsinglet ground state favoring a gapless fermionic description of the magnetic excitations. Below 1 K a pronounced slowing down of the spin dynamics is witnessed, which may signal a reconstruction of spinon Fermi surface. Nonetheless, the compound remains in a fluctuating spin liquid state down to the lowest temperature of the present investigation.

Mn vacancy defects, grain boundaries, and A-phase stability of helimagnet MnSi

Mn vacancy defect and grain size are shown to modify the magnetic phase diagram of MnSi significantly, especially near the critical regime of A-phase (skyrmion lattice) formation and the helimagnetic phase transition. Crystals grown using controlled nonstoichiometric initial precursors creates both grain boundaries and intrinsic Mn vacancy defect of various levels in MnSi. The results of combined transport, specific heat, and AC spin susceptibility measurements are compared for MnSi single crystal samples of various manganese deficiency levels and grain sizes. The finite-size effect and Mn vacancy level dependent helical phase transition temperature T(c) have been identified and verified. The stability of A-phase in H-T phase space has been examined through AC spin susceptibility data analysis.

Successive spin orderings of tungstate-bridged Li2Ni(WO4)2 of spin 1

Magnetic, thermodynamic, and dielectric properties of Li2Ni(WO4)2 of S  =  1 system have been studied using magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and dielectric constant measurements. The magnetic orderings can be identified in three stages, including a short range magnetic ordering indicated by the rounded χ(T) peak with maximum at  ∼20 K, and signatures of two successful antiferromagnetic long range orderings near T(N1) ~ 18 K and T(N2) ~ 13 K revealed by the d(χ(T)) /d(T) peaks. The successive long range magnetic orderings are related to the quasi triangular symmetry breaking in the ac- and bc-planes and to the change of the dielectric constant, suggesting the presence of spin-phonon coupling. The specific heat and magnetic entropy analysis for Li2Ni(WO4)2 shows the existence of a significant low dimensional magnetic correlations at high temperature and confirms the long range three-dimensional (3D) behavior of magnetic orderings below T(N1) and T(N2).

Observation of S = 1/2 quasi-1D magnetic and magneto-dielectric behavior in a cubic SrCuTe2O6

We investigate the magnetic, thermal, and dielectric properties of SrCuTe2O6, which is isostructural to PbCuTe2O6, a recently found, Cu-based 3D frustrated magnet with a corner-sharing triangular spin network having dominant first and second nearest neighbor (nn) couplings (Koteswararao et al 2014 Phys. Rev. B 90 035141). Although SrCuTe2O6 has a structurally similar spin network, the magnetic data exhibit the characteristic features of a typical quasi-1D magnet, which mainly resulted from the magnetically dominant third nn coupling, uniform chains. The magnetic properties of this system are studied via magnetization (M), heat capacity (C p ), dielectric constant ([Formula: see text]), and measurements along with ab initio band structure calculations. The magnetic susceptibility [Formula: see text] data show a broad maximum at 32 K and the system orders at low temperatures [Formula: see text] K and [Formula: see text] K, respectively. The analysis of the [Formula: see text] data gives an intra-chain coupling, [Formula: see text], to be about  ≈  -  42 K with non-negligible frustrated inter-chain couplings ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]). The hopping parameters obtained from the LDA band structure calculations also suggest the presence of coupled uniform chains. The observation of simultaneous anomalies in [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] suggests the presence of a magneto-dielectric effect in SrCuTe2O6. A magnetic phase diagram is also built based on the M, C p , and [Formula: see text] results.

Organic Monolayer Protected Topological Surface State

Perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA)/Bi2Se3 and Fe/PTCDA/Bi2Se3 heterointerfaces are investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The close-packed self-assembled PTCDA monolayer possesses big molecular band gap and weak molecule-substrate interactions, which leaves the Bi2Se3 topological surface state intact under PTCDA. Formation of Fe-PTCDA hybrids removes interactions between the Fe dopant and the Bi2Se3 surface, such as doping effects and Coulomb scattering. Our findings reveal the functionality of PTCDA to prevent dopant disturbances in the TSS and provide an effective alternative for interface designs of realistic TI devices.

Intrinsic Electron Mobility Exceeding 10³ cm²/(V s) in Multilayer InSe FETs

Graphene-like two-dimensional (2D) materials not only are interesting for their exotic electronic structure and fundamental electronic transport or optical properties but also hold promises for device miniaturization down to atomic thickness. As one material belonging to this category, InSe, a III-VI semiconductor, not only is a promising candidate for optoelectronic devices but also has potential for ultrathin field effect transistor (FET) with high mobility transport. In this work, various substrates such as PMMA, bare silicon oxide, passivated silicon oxide, and silicon nitride were used to fabricate multilayer InSe FET devices. Through back gating and Hall measurement in four-probe configuration, the device's field effect mobility and intrinsic Hall mobility were extracted at various temperatures to study the material's intrinsic transport behavior and the effect of dielectric substrate. The sample's field effect and Hall mobilities over the range of 20-300 K fall in the range of 0.1-2.0 × 10(3) cm(2)/(V s), which are comparable or better than the state of the art FETs made of widely studied 2D transition metal dichalcogenides.

Magnetic Orderings in Li2Cu(WO4)2 with Tungstate-Bridged Quasi-1D Spin-1/2 Chains

By both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations, we investigated the magnetic and electronic properties of Li2Cu(WO4)2 as a tungstate-bridged quasi-one-dimensional (1D) copper spin-(1/2) chain system. Interestingly, magnetic susceptibility χ(T) and specific heat measurements show that the system undergoes a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic (AF)-like ordering at TN ≈ 3.7 K, below a broad χ(T) maximum at ∼8.9 K indicating a low-dimensional short-range AF spin correlation. Bonner-Fisher model fitting of χ(T) leads to an AF intrachain exchange constant of J/kB = 15.8 ± 0.1 K, and mean-field theory estimation gives an interchain coupling constant of J⊥/kB = 1.6 K, which supports the quasi-1D nature of this spin system. Theoretical evaluation of exchange coupling constants within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) plus on-site Coulomb interaction (U) shows that the dominant AF exchange interaction is of ∼13.9 K along the a-axis with weak interchain coupling, in agreement with the experimental result of a quasi-1D spin-(1/2) chain system. The GGA+U calculations also predict that Li2Cu(WO4)2 is a charge transfer-type AF semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.5 eV.

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of GeTe-rich germanium antimony tellurides through the control of composition and structure

Enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of GeTe-rich germanium antimony telluride (GeSbTe or GST) is demonstrated through marginal changes in composition and subsequent quenching of crystal structure.

Observation of Fermi arc surface states in a topological metal

The topology of the electronic structure of a crystal is manifested in its surface states. Recently, a distinct topological state has been proposed in metals or semimetals whose spin-orbit band structure features three-dimensional Dirac quasiparticles. We used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to experimentally observe a pair of spin-polarized Fermi arc surface states on the surface of the Dirac semimetal Na3Bi at its native chemical potential. Our systematic results collectively identify a topological phase in a gapless material. The observed Fermi arc surface states open research frontiers in fundamental physics and possibly in spintronics.

Mapping polarization induced surface band bending on the Rashba semiconductor BiTeI

Surfaces of semiconductors with strong spin-orbit coupling are of great interest for use in spintronic devices exploiting the Rashba effect. BiTeI features large Rashba-type spin splitting in both valence and conduction bands. Either can be shifted towards the Fermi level by surface band bending induced by the two possible polar terminations, making Rashba spin-split electron or hole bands electronically accessible. Here we demonstrate the first real-space microscopic identification of each termination with a multi-technique experimental approach. Using spatially resolved tunnelling spectroscopy across the lateral boundary between the two terminations, a previously speculated on p-n junction-like discontinuity in electronic structure at the lateral boundary is confirmed experimentally. These findings realize an important step towards the exploitation of the unique behaviour of the Rashba semiconductor BiTeI for new device concepts in spintronics.

Measurement of unique magnetic and superconducting phases in oxygen-doped high-temperature superconductors La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4+y)

We present a combined magnetic neutron scattering and muon spin rotation study of the nature of the magnetic and superconducting phases in electronically phase separated La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4+y), x=0.04, 0.065, 0.09. For all samples, we find long-range modulated magnetic order below T(N) is approximately equal to Tc=39 K. In sharp contrast to oxygen-stoichiometric La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4), we find that the magnetic propagation vector as well as the ordered magnetic moment is independent of Sr content and consistent with that of the "striped" cuprates. Our study provides direct proof that superoxygenation in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4+y) allows the spin stripe ordered phase to emerge and phase separate from superconducting regions with the hallmarks of optimally doped oxygen-stoichiometric La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4).

Snapshots of Dirac fermions near the Dirac point in topological insulators

The recent focus on topological insulators is due to the scientific interest in the new state of quantum matter as well as the technology potential for a new generation of THz optoelectronics, spintronics and quantum computations. It is important to elucidate the dynamics of the Dirac fermions in the topologically protected surface state. Hence we utilized a novel ultrafast optical pump mid-infrared probe to explore the dynamics of Dirac fermions near the Dirac point. The femtosecond snapshots of the relaxation process were revealed by the ultrafast optics. Specifically, the Dirac fermion-phonon coupling strength in the Dirac cone was found to increase from 0.08 to 0.19 while Dirac fermions were away from the Dirac point into higher energy states. Further, the energy-resolved transient reflectivity spectra disclosed the energy loss rate of Dirac fermions at room temperature was about 1 meV/ps. These results are crucial to the design of Dirac fermion devices.

PbCu3TeO7: an S = 1/2 staircase kagome lattice with significant intra-plane and inter-plane couplings

We have synthesized polycrystalline and single-crystal samples of PbCu3TeO7 and studied its properties via magnetic susceptibility, χ(T), and heat-capacity, Cp(T), measurements and also electronic structure calculations. Whereas the crystal structure is suggestive of the presence of a quasi-2D network of Cu(2+) (S = 1/2) buckled staircase kagome layers, the χ(T) data show magnetic anisotropy and three magnetic anomalies at temperatures TN1 ∼ 36 K, TN2 ∼ 25 K, and TN3 ∼ 17 K. The χ(T) data follow the Curie-Weiss law above 200 K and a Curie-Weiss temperature θCW ∼- 150 K is obtained. The data deviate from the simple Curie-Weiss law below 200 K, which is well above TN1, suggesting the presence of competing magnetic interactions. The magnetic anomaly at TN3 appears to be of first order from magnetization measurements, although our Cp(T) results do not display any anomaly at TN3. The hopping integrals obtained from our electronic structure calculations suggest the presence of significant intra-kagome (next-nearest neighbor and diagonal) and inter-kagome couplings. These couplings take the PbCu3TeO7 system away from a disordered ground state and lead to long-range order, in contrast to what might be expected for an ideal (isotropic) 2D kagome system.

Evidence for dimer crystal melting in the frustrated spin-ladder system BiCu2PO6

In the spin ladder compound BiCu(2)PO(6), there exists a decisive dynamics of spin excitations that we classify and characterize using inelastic light scattering. We observe an interladder singlet bound mode at 24  cm(-1) and two intraladder bound states at 62 and 108  cm(-1) in the leg (bb) and the rung (cc) polarization as well as a broad triplon continuum extending from 36  cm(-1) to 700  cm(-1). Though isolated spin ladder physics can roughly account for the observed excitations at high energies, frustration and interladder interactions need to be considered to fully describe the spectral distribution and scattering selection rules at low and intermediate energies. In addition, we attribute the rich spectrum of singlet bound modes to a melting of a dimer crystal. Our study provides evidence for a Z(2) quantum phase transition from a dimer to a resonating valence bond state driven by singlet fluctuations.

Site occupancy and magnetic properties of pyrochlore-structured AgOs2O6

AgOs(2)O(6) prepared from ion-exchanged superconducting β-pyrochlore KOs(2)O(6) has been shown to be non-superconducting. Synchrotron x-ray structure refinement suggests that AgOs(2)O(6) has the Ag ion mostly occupying the low-symmetry 32e site in the [Formula: see text] space group of proper occupancy, which is different from the original major occupancy at the high-symmetry 8b site for KOs(2)O(6), and similar to non-superconducting Na(1.4)Os(2)O(6)·H(2)O. Magnetic susceptibility measurements found no magnetic ordering down to ~1.7 K. The trace amount of isolated spins suggests that the Ag could be neutral and lead to a pure Os(6+) valence state of zero spin in the newly prepared AgOs(2)O(6).

Spin, charge and lattice couplings in Cu-deficient oxysulphide BiOCu0.94S

The electrical and magnetic properties of slightly Cu-deficient BiOCu(0.94)S are investigated using neutron diffraction, ac magnetic susceptibility, magnetization and electrical resistivity measurements. The Cu spins order in a ferromagnetic arrangement below T(C) = 250 K. An antiferromagnetic component develops below 180 K when the crystalline unit cell experiences a sharp thermal contraction upon cooling, resulting in a canted ferromagnetic spin arrangement at low temperatures. In the magnetically ordered state the electrical transport can be described using three-dimensional variable range hopping conduction. An applied magnetic field can effectively reduce the hopping barrier. Spin-charge couplings are clearly revealed when the resistivity departs from the hopping conduction and begins to increase with increasing temperatures above 250 K where the Cu spins become disordered.

Electron-phonon coupling on the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 determined from surface-phonon dispersion measurements

In this Letter, we report measurements of the coupling between Dirac fermion quasiparticles (DFQs) and phonons on the (001) surface of the strong topological insulator Bi2Se3. While most contemporary investigations of this coupling have involved examining the temperature dependence of the DFQ self-energy via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements, we employ inelastic helium-atom scattering to explore, for the first time, this coupling from the phonon perspective. Using a Hilbert transform, we are able to obtain the imaginary part of the phonon self-energy associated with a dispersive surface-phonon branch identified in our previous work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 186102 (2011)] as having strong interactions with the DFQs. From this imaginary part of the self-energy we obtain a branch-specific electron-phonon coupling constant of 0.43, which is stronger than the values reported from the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements.

Interaction of phonons and dirac fermions on the surface of Bi2Se3: a strong Kohn anomaly

We report the first measurements of phonon dispersion curves on the (001) surface of the strong three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3. The surface phonon measurements were carried out with the aid of coherent helium beam surface scattering techniques. The results reveal a prominent signature of the exotic metallic Dirac fermion quasiparticles, including a strong Kohn anomaly. The signature is manifest in a low energy isotropic convex dispersive surface phonon branch with a frequency maximum of 1.8 THz and having a V-shaped minimum at approximately 2kF that defines the Kohn anomaly. Theoretical analysis attributes this dispersive profile to the renormalization of the surface phonon excitations by the surface Dirac fermions. The contribution of the Dirac fermions to this renormalization is derived in terms of a Coulomb-type perturbation model.

Singlet-triplet excitations in the unconventional spin-Peierls TiOBr compound

We have performed time-of-flight neutron scattering measurements on powder samples of the unconventional spin-Peierls compound TiOBr using the fine-resolution Fermi chopper spectrometer (SEQUOIA) at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These measurements reveal two branches of magnetic excitations within the commensurate and incommensurate spin-Peierls phases, which we associate with n=1 and n=2 triplet excitations out of the singlet ground state. These results represent the first direct measurement of the singlet-triplet energy gap in TiOBr, which has a value of E(g)=21.2±1.0  meV.

Transgenic expression of haem oxygenase-1 in pancreatic beta cells protects non-obese mice used as a model of diabetes from autoimmune destruction and prolongs graft survival following islet transplantation

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Haem oxygenase 1 (HO-1) has strong anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects that help protect cells against various forms of immune attack. We investigated whether transgenic expression of Ho-1 (also known as Hmox1) in pancreatic beta cells would protect NOD mice from autoimmune damage and prolong graft survival following islet transplantation.

METHODS

To evaluate the protective effect of beta cell-specific HO-1 in autoimmune diabetes, we used an insulin promoter-driven murine Ho-1 construct (pIns-mHo-1) to generate a transgenic NOD mouse. Transgene expression, insulitis and the incidence of diabetes in mice were characterised. Lymphocyte composition, the development of T helper (Th)1, Th2 and T regulatory (Treg) cells, T cell proliferation and lymphocyte-mediated disease transfer were analysed. The potential effects of transgenic islets and islet transplantation on apoptosis, inflammation and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) were evaluated.

RESULTS

Transgenic mice showed less severe insulitis and a lower incidence of diabetes than non-transgenic control littermates. Lymphocyte composition and functions were not affected. Islets from transgenic mice expressed lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines, proapoptotic gene expression and amounts of ROS/RNS, and were more resistant to TNF-α- and IFN-γ-induced apoptosis. Islet grafts from transgenic mice also survived longer in diabetic recipients than control islets.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Transgenic overexpression of Ho-1 in beta cells protected NOD mice from diabetes and delayed the autoimmune destruction of islet grafts, providing valuable insight into the development of better strategies for clinical islet transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy using selective high-order laue zones: three-dimensional atomic ordering in sodium cobaltate

A new scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging technique using high-order Laue zones (named HOLZ-STEM), a diffraction contrast which has been strenuously avoided or minimized in traditional STEM imaging, can be used to obtain the additional 1D periodic information along the electron propagation axis without sacrificing atomic resolution in the lateral (2D) dimension. HOLZ-STEM has been demonstrated to resolve the 3D long-range Na ordering of Na0.71CoO2. Direct evidence of spiral-like Na-trimer chains twisting along the c axis is unambiguously established in real space.

Sodium ion ordering and vacancy cluster formation in NaxCoO2 (x=0.71 and 0.84) single crystals by synchrotron X-Ray diffraction

In the rich phase diagram of NaxCoO2, x=0.71 enjoys special stability and is called the Curie-Weiss metal due to its anomalous properties. Similarly, x=0.84 prepared from high temperature melt is a special end point beyond which the system phase separates. Using synchrotron x-ray diffraction on single crystals, we discovered sqrt[12]a and sqrt[13]a superlattice structures which we interpret as the ordering of Na (vacancy) clusters. These results lead to a picture of coexisting local moments and itinerant carriers and form the first step towards understanding the many anomalous properties of cobaltates.

Magnetic ground state and transition of a quantum multiferroic LiCu2O2

Based on resonant soft x-ray magnetic scattering, we report that LiCu2O2 exhibits a large interchain coupling which suppresses quantum fluctuations along spin chains, and a quasi-2D short-range magnetic order prevails at temperatures above the magnetic transition. These observations unravel the fact that the ground state of LiCu2O2 possesses long-range 2D-like incommensurate magnetic order rather than being a gapped spin liquid as expected from the nature of quantum spin-1/2 chains. In addition, the spin coupling along the c axis is found to be essential for inducing electric polarization.