Differential Conductance Research Articles

Construction of phase change n-Octadecane microencapsulated in carbon nanotubes-modified polymer for thermal management applications of finned heat sinks

The low thermal conductivity of organic shell-based phase change microcapsules severely limits their practical applications in thermal management of high-power-density electronic components. A novel microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) was synthesized via suspension polymerization with n-Octadecane core shelled by aminated multiwalled carbon nanotubes-doped styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer (SDB/MWCNT-NH2). The chemical structure and micromorphology of the new microcapsules (MPCM/CNT) with various amounts of doped aminated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-NH2) were identified by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The thermal properties of various MPCM/CNT samples were analyzed based on the measurements of thermogravimetric analyzer, differential scanning calorimeter and thermal conductivity meter. The results indicated that the microcapsules with MWCNT-NH2 had good thermal stability, heat storage capacity and heat transfer properties. The thermal performance of the microcapsule samples in the low and medium temperature finned heat sink (FHS) was investigated and their thermal performance with that of bare FHS at four constant thermal loads of 5 W, 7 W, 10 W and 15 W was compared. The thermal performance was evaluated based on the time to setpoint temperature, heat dissipated and heat dissipation factors. Compared with the bare FHS, the FHS with the MPCM/CNT-2.5 sample (i.e., 2.5 wt% MWCNT-NH2) exhibited 17.70% longer operation time, 33.01% more heat dissipated, and 16.53% higher heat dissipation factor during heating at 10 W. This study aims to apply the phase change microcapsules modified with high thermal conductivity MWCNT-NH2 in medium and low temperature heat sinks to optimize the thermal management of high power density electronic components and improve the heat dissipation performance of heat sinks. The microcapsules with MWCNT-NH2 showed great potential for applications in thermal management of electronic components.

A model for critical current effects in point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy

It is well known that point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy provides reliable measurements of the energy gap(s) in a superconductor when the contact is in the ballistic or diffusive regime. However, especially when the mean free path of the material under study is small, obtaining ballistic contacts can be a major challenge. One of the signatures of a Maxwell contribution to the contact resistance R is the presence of “dips” in the differential conductance, associated with the sudden appearance of a Maxwell term, in turn, due to the attainment of the critical current of the material in the contact region. Here we show that using a proper model for the R(I) of the material under study, it is possible to fit the experimental curves (without the need of normalization) obtaining the correct values of the gap amplitudes even in the presence of such dips, as well as the temperature dependence of the critical current in the contact. We present a test of the procedure in the case of Andreev-reflection spectra in Mg0.85Al0.15B2 single crystals.

Nonlinear transport properties of atomic copper point contacts

We report studies on the nonlinear electronic transport properties of copper point contacts. Utilizing the mechanically controllable break junction technique, various contact sizes can be realized to study ensemble-averaged differential conductance spectra at low temperatures. We investigate signatures of phonon excitations for contact sizes down to the atomic scale, where conductance fluctuations arise superimposing the phonon signatures. Applying high bias voltages to atomic-size copper contacts reveal additional features caused by atomic rearrangements.

Magnetic Field as an Important Tool in Exploring the Strongly Correlated Fermi Systems and Their Particle–Hole and Time-Reversal Asymmetries

In this review, we consider the impact of magnetic field on the properties of strongly correlated heavy-fermion compounds such as heavy-fermion metals and frustrated insulators with quantum spin liquid. Magnetic field B can be considered a universal tool, allowing the exploration of the physics controlling the remarkable properties of heavy-fermion compounds. These vivid properties are T/B scaling, exhibited under the application of magnetic field B and at fixed temperature T, and the emergence of Landau Fermi liquid behavior under the application of magnetic field. We analyze the influence of quasiparticle–hole asymmetry on the properties of heavy-fermion (HF) compounds such as the universal scaling behavior of the thermopower S/T exhibited under the application of magnetic field B. We show that universal scaling is demonstrated by different HF compounds such as β-YbAlB4, YbRh2Si2, and strongly correlated layered cobalt oxide [BiBa0.66K0.36O2]CoO2. Analyzing YbRh2Si2, we show that the T/B scaling behavior of S/T is violated at the antiferromagnetic phase (AF) transition. The residual resistivity ρ0 and the density of states N0 experience jumps at the AF transition, causing two jumps in the thermopower and its sign reversal. Our consideration is based on the flattening of the single-particle spectrum that strongly affects ρ0 and N0 and leads to the violation of particle–hole symmetry. The particle–hole asymmetry generates the asymmetrical part Δσd(V) of tunneling differential conductivity σd(V), Δσd(V)=σd(V)−σd(−V), where V is the voltage bias. We demonstrate that in the presence of magnetic field, the quasiparticle–hole asymmetry vanishes, the LFL behavior is restored, and the asymmetry disappears. Our calculations of the mentioned properties of HF compounds, based on the fermion condensation theory, are in good agreement with the experiment and support our conclusion that the fermion condensation theory is capable of describing the properties of HF compounds, including those exhibited under the application of magnetic field.

The impact of physical exercise on the consolidation of fear extinction memories.

Based on the mechanisms of fear extinction, exposure therapy is the most common treatment for anxiety disorders. However, extinguished fear responses can reemerge even after successful treatment. Novel interventions enhancing exposure therapy efficacy are therefore critically needed. Physical exercise improves learning and memory and was also shown to enhance extinction processes. This study tested whether physical exercise following fear extinction training improves the consolidation of extinction memories. Sixty healthy men underwent a differential fearconditioning paradigm with fear acquisition training on day 1 and fear extinction training followed by an exercise or resting control intervention on day 2. On day 3, retrieval and reinstatement were tested including two additional but perceptually similar stimuli to explore the generalization of exercise effects. Exercise significantly increased heart rate, salivary alpha amylase, and cortisol, indicating successful exercise manipulation. Contrary to our expectations, exercise did not enhance but rather impaired extinction memory retrieval on the next day, evidenced by significantly stronger differential skin conductance responses (SCRs) and pupil dilation (PD). Importantly, although conditioned fear responses were successfully acquired, they did not fully extinguish, explaining why exercise might have boosted the consolidation of the original fear memory trace instead. Additionally, stronger differential SCRs and PD toward the novel stimuli suggest that the memory enhancing effects of exercise also generalized to perceptually similar stimuli. Together, these findings indicate that physical exercise can facilitate both the long-term retrievability and generalization of extinction memories, but presumably only when extinction was successful in the first place.

Conductance oscillations of antiferromagnetic layer tunnel junctions

We study conductance oscillations of antiferromagnetic layer tunnel junctions composed of antiferromagnetic topological insulators such as ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$. In the presence of an in-plane magnetic field, we find that the two terminal differential conductances across the junction oscillates as a function of field strength. Notably, the quantum interference at weak fields for the even-layer case is distinctive from the odd-layer case due to the scattering phase shift $\ensuremath{\pi}$. Consequently, the differential conductance vanishes (maximized) at integer magnetic flux quanta for even-layer (odd-layer) junctions. The conductance oscillations manifest the layer-dependent quantum interference in which symmetries and scattering phases play essential roles. In numerical calculations, we observe that the quantum interference undergoes an evolution from superconducting quantum interference device-like to Fraunhofer-like oscillations as the junction length increases.

Approximating exposure therapy in the lab: Replacing the CS+ with a similar versus a different stimulus and including additional stimuli resembling the CS+ during extinction

Recent studies have shown that extinction training including the conditional stimulus (CS+) and stimuli that are similar to the CS + enhances extinction retention and generalisation to novel stimuli. However, in a clinical setting, the CS+ is rarely available for use during exposure therapy. The aim of the present study was to determine if replacing the CS+ with a similar versus different stimulus, and including other similar stimuli during extinction, could reduce fear at test on par with extinction using the original CS+ with and without other similar stimuli. In an experiment conducted in a single session, participants completed a habituation phase followed by an acquisition phase using two dog images presented with (CS+) and without (CS-) an acoustic unconditional stimulus (US). Participants were randomly allocated to four extinction conditions: similar CS + dog with novel dog images (Similar replacement extinction condition); different CS + dog with novel dog images (Different replacement extinction condition); original CS + dog with novel dog images (Multiple extinction control condition); and original CS + without novel dog images (Standard extinction control condition). All participants completed a test phase with the original CSs followed by a generalisation test with another two novel dog images. All groups acquired, and then extinguished differential skin conductance responses (SCRs) with no differences observed between groups. Whereas the Similar replacement extinction group and the Multiple and Standard extinction control groups did not exhibit significant differential SCRs when re-exposed to the original CS + relative to the CS- at test, differential responding to the CSs was significant at test in the Different replacement extinction group. There were no significant differences between groups in SCRs to the two novel dog images during the generalisation phase and in between-phase subjective ratings. Findings suggest that replacement stimuli used during extinction should be as similar as possible to the CS + to reduce physiological arousal to the original CS+.

Using pre-treatment de novo threat conditioning outcomes to predict treatment response to DCS augmentation of exposure-based CBT

BackgroundOver a decade and a half of research has resulted in inconsistent evidence for the efficacy of d-cycloserine (DCS), a partial glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate agonist, for augmenting exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety- and fear-based disorders. These variable findings have motivated the search for moderators of DCS augmentation efficacy. MethodsIn this secondary analysis of a previous randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the value of de novo threat conditioning outcomes—degree of threat acquisition, extinction, and extinction retention—for predicting treatment response to exposure-based CBT for social anxiety disorder, applied with and without DCS augmentation in a sample of 59 outpatients. ResultsWe found that average differential skin conductance response (SCR) during extinction and extinction retention significantly moderated the prediction of clinical response to DCS: participants with poorer extinction and extinction retention showed relatively improved treatment response with DCS. No such effects were found for expectancy ratings, consistent with accounts of DCS selectively aiding lower-order but not higher-order extinction learning. ConclusionsThese findings provide support for extinction and extinction retention outcomes from threat conditioning as potential pre-treatment biomarkers for DCS augmentation benefits. Independent of DCS augmentation, the current study did not support threat conditioning outcomes as useful for predicting response to exposure-based CBT.

Observation of skyrmion bubbles in multilayer [Pt/Co/Cu]n using spin-polarized STM

Magnetic multilayers are a promising platform for storage and logic devices based on skyrmion spin textures, due to the large materials phase space for tuning properties. Epitaxial superlattice structures of [Pt/Co/Cu]n thin films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at room temperature. Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) of these samples was used to probe the connection between surface structure and skyrmion morphology with nanoscale spatial resolution. Irregular-shaped skyrmion bubbles were observed, with effective diameters from 20 to 200 nm that are much larger than the nanoscale grain structure of the surface topography. Nucleation, annihilation, and motion of skyrmion bubbles could be driven using the stray field of the ferromagnetic tip in repeated imaging, and spin-polarized current/voltage pulses. Our detailed comparison of STM topography and differential conductance images shows that there are no surface defects or inhomogeneities at length scales that could account for the range in skyrmion bubble size or shape observed in the measurements.

Advances in understanding the cooling rates and bending of needle ice: Photogrammetric and thermal observations leading to the spatial distribution of needle ice creep

AbstractThe freeze–thaw cycles are a process that dominate entire landscapes with different intensity and magnitudes that are strongly changing in the current climate change conditions. In particular, the diurnal frost heave (FH) and needle ice creep (NIC) are two poorly studied processes, especially in the field, despite their effects on the sediment transportation and vegetation colonization on Alpine slopes. In a site of the Central Alps, we applied photogrammetry, thermal imaging, manual measurements and thermistors logging to improve the knowledge of the driving parameter for the formation and accretion of needle ice, of the relations of their spatial distribution with cooling rates and the frost creep modelling change in the presence of the bending process. Among the driving factors, we demonstrate that very local conditions govern the development of the needle ice, like the air cooling rates, the deepening of the freezing front and the surficial cooling rates. Especially low cooling rates are necessary for an intense process. Also the grain size influences the development of the needle ice with higher needle ice development under fine sediment than under small clasts due to a differential thermal conductivity. Moreover, the bending of needle ice has proved to be dependent on its length, age and type of heaved sediment. Therefore, potential frost creep formulas needed to be ameliorated considering the bending angle. Subsequently, a question about the role of slope gradient in NIC is treated.

Weakly coupled Majorana wire arrays under tilted magnetic fields

An array of Rashba-coupled semiconducting nanowires lying in proximity to an s-wave superconducting substrate, with weak inter-wire coupling, in the presence of an external magnetic field shows even–odd effect in the differential conductance over a chosen parameter space. Such an effect is a direct consequence of end Majoranas in each nanowire hybridizing into bonding and anti-bonding states. In the present work, we study in detail the impact of tilting of external magnetic field on the differential conductance of an array of both uncoupled and weakly coupled wires. The phase diagram evolution with various control parameters including the tilt angle of the magnetic field has also been presented. From detailed analysis of the field-angle dependence of the odd–even effect, and the evolution of the same over a large parameter space we summarize that the results can be used to exploit magnetic-field angle in an array of Rashba-coupled semiconducting nanowires on a superconducting substrate as an important tuning parameter to investigate zero-bias conductance peak arising from Majorana edge modes vis-a-vis that arising from a non-topological origin.

Evaluation of Thermal and Rheological Properties of Phase Change Material-Incorporated Asphalt Mastic with Porous Fillers

Incorporating phase change material (PCM) into paving materials can regulate the pavement temperature, improve the pavement durability, and mitigate the heat-island effects. In this research, porous fillers were used as the PCM carrier, and the thermal and rheological behaviors of the asphalt mastic with the PCM were evaluated. Two different carrier materials (diatomite and expanded perlite) and four types of PCMs were used in the study. The candidate filler, PCM, and proper blending ratios were determined based on the results of scanning electron microscope image analysis, the filter paper test, and the temperature sweep test. The thermal and rheological behaviors of the mastics with PCMs were further evaluated with different filler replacement ratios. Thermal analysis through a differential scanning calorimetry test, thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity test, and real-time temperature performance test were performed on the asphalt mastics. Rheological tests, including the complex shear modulus test, the bending beam rheometer test, and the linear amplitude sweep test, were also conducted. The modified mastics were found to have high heat capacity with the latent heat storage ability. The rheological analyses showed that with the addition of polyethylene glycol, while the low-temperature performance of the asphalt mastics was improved, the performance at intermediate and high temperatures was not adversely affected by the PCM.

Transport Characteristics of Silicon Multi-Quantum-Dot Transistor Analyzed by Means of Experimental Parametrization Based on Single-Hole Tunneling Model.

The transport characteristics of a gate-all-around Si multiple-quantum-dot (QD) transistor were studied by means of experimental parametrization using theoretical models. The device was fabricated by using the e-beam lithographically patterned Si nanowire channel, in which the ultrasmall QDs were self-created along the Si nanowire due to its volumetric undulation. Owing to the large quantum-level spacings of the self-formed ultrasmall QDs, the device clearly exhibited both Coulomb blockade oscillation (CBO) and negative differential conductance (NDC) characteristics at room temperature. Furthermore, it was also observed that both CBO and NDC could evolve along the extended blockade region within wide gate and drain bias voltage ranges. By analyzing the experimental device parameters using the simple theoretical single-hole-tunneling models, the fabricated QD transistor was confirmed as comprising the double-dot system. Consequently, based on the analytical energy-band diagram, we found that the formation of ultrasmall QDs with imbalanced energetic natures (i.e., imbalanced quantum energy states and their imbalanced capacitive-coupling strengths between the two dots) could lead to effective CBO/NDC evolution in wide bias voltage ranges.

Transport measurement of fractional charges in topological models

The static topological fractional charge (TFC) in condensed matter systems is related to the band topology and thus has potential applications in topological quantum computation. However, the experimental measurement of these TFCs in electronic systems is quite challenging. We propose an electronic transport measurement scheme in which both the charge amount and the spatial distribution of the TFC can be extracted from the differential conductance through a quantum dot coupled to the topological system being measured. For one-dimensional Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model, both the e/2 charge of the TFC and its distribution can be verified. As for the disorder effect, it is shown that the Anderson disorder, which breaks certain symmetry related to the TFC, is significant in higher-dimensional systems while having little effect on the one-dimensional SSH chain. Nonetheless, our measurement scheme can still work well for specific higher-order topological insulator materials, for instance, the 2e/3 TFC in the breathing kagome model could be confirmed even in the presence of disorder effect. These conclusions about spatial dimension and disorder effect are quite universal, which also applies to other topological systems such as topological classic wave system.

Diffusion of Magnesium in Czochralski Silicon

The diffusion of magnesium in monocrystalline dislocation‐free Czochralski silicon (Cz–Si) with an oxygen concentration of (3–4) × 1017 cm−3 is studied. Initial silicon wafers are doped with Mg by using the sandwich technique. The impurity diffusion profiles are investigated in n‐Si samples by the differential conductivity method. The diffusivity of electrically active magnesium in the temperature range of 1,100–1,250 °C is two to three orders of magnitude lower than the values observed at doping high‐purity silicon crystals grown by the float‐zone method (Fz–Si). The diffusion in Cz–Si is retarded through the trapping of diffusing Mg atoms by oxygen‐related traps. The observed high value of the activation energy of Mg diffusion in investigated samples (4.1 eV) is due—along with the migration energy of interstitial magnesium in the crystal lattice (1.83 eV) —to the significant binding energy of Mg atoms with traps (2.27 eV). A study of the temperature dependence of the Hall effect in bulk‐doped samples reveals two types of deep double donors: interstitial Mg atoms and MgO complexes.

Calculating Current–Voltage Characteristics with Negative Differential Conductivity Sections of Superlattices Based on a GaAs/AlAs Compound with Different Numbers of Periods

Calculating Current–Voltage Characteristics with Negative Differential Conductivity Sections of Superlattices Based on a GaAs/AlAs Compound with Different Numbers of Periods

Effects of Coulomb Blockade on the Charge Transport through the Topological States of Finite Armchair Graphene Nanoribbons and Heterostructures.

In this study, we investigate the charge transport properties of semiconducting armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) and heterostructures through their topological states (TSs), with a specific focus on the Coulomb blockade region. Our approach employs a two-site Hubbard model that takes into account both intra- and inter-site Coulomb interactions. Using this model, we calculate the electron thermoelectric coefficients and tunneling currents of serially coupled TSs (SCTSs). In the linear response regime, we analyze the electrical conductance (Ge), Seebeck coefficient (S), and electron thermal conductance (κe) of finite AGNRs. Our results reveal that at low temperatures, the Seebeck coefficient is more sensitive to many-body spectra than electrical conductance. Furthermore, we observe that the optimized S at high temperatures is less sensitive to electron Coulomb interactions than Ge and κe. In the nonlinear response regime, we observe a tunneling current with negative differential conductance through the SCTSs of finite AGNRs. This current is generated by electron inter-site Coulomb interactions rather than intra-site Coulomb interactions. Additionally, we observe current rectification behavior in asymmetrical junction systems of SCTSs of AGNRs. Notably, we also uncover the remarkable current rectification behavior of SCTSs of 9-7-9 AGNR heterostructure in the Pauli spin blockade configuration. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the charge transport properties of TSs in finite AGNRs and heterostructures. We emphasize the importance of considering electron-electron interactions in understanding the behavior of these materials.

Application of the pseudo-Voigt function to the analysis of single-particle tunneling spectra of [formula omitted]-wave superconductors

In this study, we focused on the peak–dip–hump structure, which is a hallmark of cuprate superconductivity and is often used to explore the relationship between strong electron–phonon coupling and superconductivity. Specifically, we examined the peak–dip–hump structure and other features of cuprate tunneling spectra in d-wave superconductor–insulator–normal metal (dSC–I–N) junctions. To demonstrate the peak–dip–hump structure and other features of cuprate tunneling spectra, we applied the pseudo-Voigt function as an energy-dependent gap. We also analyzed two important experimental features of the tunneling spectra, namely the temperature and doping evolution of the differential conductance. Finally, we compared our calculation results with experimental data and found a good quantitative agreement between theory and experimental data in the considered cases.

Demonstrating the electron blocking effect of AlGaN/GaN superlattice cladding layers in GaN-based laser diodes

Electron leakage currents seriously limit the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of gallium nitride (GaN)-based laser diodes (LDs). To minimize the leakage currents, electron blocking layers are generally applied in the p-type region. However, few works have discussed the electron blocking effect of a p-cladding layer, which is found to be critical in suppressing the leakage currents of an LD. In this work, we compare the blocking performance of uniform AlGaN p-cladding layers and AlGaN/GaN superlattice (SL) p-cladding layers with the same average Al component respectively. Both light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and LDs with the same epitaxy structures are characterized by light–current (L–I) and current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The latest analytical model of leakage currents is applied to fit the L–I curves of LEDs, where smaller leakage coefficients are observed in the SL structures compared with the uniform-layer structures. Eighty LDs with varying ridge widths are studied by comparing the threshold current densities, slope efficiencies, and PCEs. The SL-based p-cladding layer shows statistically significant advantages over a uniform AlGaN layer. The blocking effects of both scattering- and bound-state electrons in SLs are investigated theoretically. Repetitive reflection and thermal relaxation are responsible for the blocking effect of scattering-state electrons. Simulation results indicate that the tunneling effect of bound-state electrons through a miniband mechanism is insignificant at a large injection level due to a negative differential conductivity by the Esaki–Tsu effect. We demonstrate a better electron blocking performance of p-cladding layers based on SLs than uniform AlGaN layers in GaN-based LDs.

Andreev Reflection in Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy of Unconventional Superconductors.

We evaluate the differential conductance measured in an STM setting at arbitrary electron transmission between STM tip and a 2D superconductor with arbitrary gap structure. Our analytical scattering theory accounts for Andreev reflections, which become prominent at larger transmissions. We show that this provides complementary information about the superconducting gap structure beyond the tunneling density of states, strongly facilitating the ability to extract the gap symmetry and its relation to the underlying crystalline lattice. We use the developed theory to discuss recent experimental results on superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene.