Trap Distribution Research Articles

Magnon confinement in a nanomagnonic waveguide by a magnetic Moiré superlattice

The study of moiré superlattices has revealed intriguing phenomena in electronic systems, including unconventional superconductivity and ferromagnetism observed in magic-angle bilayer graphene. This approach has recently been adapted to the field of magnonics. In this Letter, we investigate the confinement of spin waves in a nanomagnonic waveguide integrated on top of a magnetic moiré superlattice. Our numerical analysis reveals a magnonic flatband at the center of the Brillouin zone, created by a 3.5° twist in the moiré superlattice. The flatband, characterized by a high magnon density of states and a zero group velocity, allows for the confinement of magnons within the AB stacking region. The flatband results from the mode anticrossing of several different magnon bands, covering a wavevector range of nearly 40 rad/μm and a 166 nm wide spatial distribution of the magnon trapping in the waveguide. Our results pave the way for nanomagnonic devices and circuits based on spin-wave trapping in magnon waveguides.

Enhancing insulating properties of glass-fiber reinforced polymers using plasma fluorination-modified boron nitride nanosheets

The insulation failure of glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP) limits their use in high-voltage insulation fields. In this study, boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) were prepared using ball-milling and further fluorinated via dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment. The GFRP nanocomposites were fabricated using different filler types and doping concentrations. The test results indicated that fluorinated BNNS (F-BNNS) displays good dispersion and interfacial compatibility, enhances the interfacial bonding strength of the “fiber-matrix-filler” ternary system in GFRP, and reduces the internal defects of materials. In addition, the insulating properties of the composites were related to the filler concentration. Adding a trace amount of F-BNNSs increased the flashover and breakdown voltages of the GFRP by up to 28.77% and 21.62%, respectively. The results of molecular dynamics simulations and trap distribution calculations showed that plasma fluorination of BNNS increases the bandgap and deep trap energy level at the interface. The extremely strong charge-binding ability of the deep traps inhibits continuous charge injection and regulates carrier migration, which improves the insulating properties of the composites. The results of this study provide a novel, environmentally friendly, and efficient solution for improving the insulating properties of GFRP.

Excellent field–trapping properties of large ring–shaped REBCO melt–textured bulks fabricated by the single–direction melt growth (SDMG) method

Abstract Ring-shaped homogeneous YBCO and DyBCO bulks were successfully fabricated using the Single-Direction Melt Growth (SDMG) method. The bulks were directly grown from ring-shaped compacted powder using ring-shaped molds with an outer diameter of 50 mm and inner diameters of 15, 20, and 25 mm. The ring-shaped bulks exhibited high trapped fields inside the rings up to 1.2 T at 77 K. Analyses of trapped field distributions revealed uniform current density distributions along the orbital direction. Stacked ring bulks demonstrated even higher trapped fields, reaching 2.0 T at 77 K. It was confirmed for the stacked bulks that time-independent uniform trapped fields can be achieved by magnetizing at lower fields than fully magnetizing conditions. Observed paramagnetic magnetization of the SDMG-processed YBCO bulk was negligibly small below the detection limit, which is considered to be more suitable for bulk NMR/MRI applications than DyBCO. Additionally, we proposed a method to quantitatively evaluate trapped fields of superconducting bulks with various diameters and thicknesses, where the estimated average current densities from the maximum trapped fields for all the obtained ring-shaped bulks were above 104 A/cm2 at 77 K. These results indicate that SDMG is an effective method for fabricating high-quality, large-scale ring-shaped bulks with superior field-trapping properties.

Mechanism exploration of ion-implanted epoxy on surface trap distribution: An approach to augment the vacuum flashover voltages

Abstract The augmentation of the epoxy (EP) resin surface to advance flashover performance has become a pivotal point of global interest. This research introduces a novel surface modification method and its mechanism for insulation materials. The research follows an electron cyclotron resonance ion implantation system to subject the surface of EP insulation to ion beams with diverse energies, i.e., 6, 10, 20, 40, 50, and 60 keV for a consistent time of 300 s at an angle of 90°. The experimental phase includes the DC flashover examination under negative polarity. Besides, the simulation phase includes the Monte Carlo model constructed using SRIM software to examine the range and distribution of bombarded ions in the targeted insulation. Results reveal that the flashover properties are affected by the surface potential, surface conductivity, trap distribution, water contact angle, and elemental composition. Likewise, based on the outcomes and theoretical point of view, it is revealed that the bombardment of energetic ions enhances the trap depth, assisting in a reduction in surface conductivity, confining the surface charge movements, and extensively suppressing the secondary electron emission yield. Also, the enhanced trap depth induces homo-charge formation near triple junctions. Synergistically, the factors contribute to high flashover voltages.

Poole-Frenkel conduction in CdS single-layered and CdS/SnS2 heterojunction electrode system

In this communication, the prevalence of Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanism in two distinct semiconductor systems, CdS single-layered and CdS/SnS2 heterojunction electrode systems, is reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD) exhibits the formation of CdS quantum dots (QDs). A High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) shows a discrete particle distribution of SnS2, tends to assemble into nanosheets. Poole-Frenkel conduction arises due to the trap distribution of CdS dots, modified by SnS2 sheets. Furthermore, the formation of heterojunctions with SnS2 shows promising enhancement in charge transport, characterized by reduced trap density and improved conductivity compared pristine CdS. The findings provide valuable insights into the fundamental charge transport processes in CdS/SnS2 system and offer potential avenues for optimizing the performance of electronic devices.

Observation of an Extraordinary Type V Solar Radio Burst: Nonlinear Evolution of the Electron Two-Stream Instability

Solar type V radio bursts are associated with type III bursts. Several processes have been proposed to interpret the association, electron distribution, and emission. We present the observation of a unique type V event observed by e-CALLISTO on 7 May 2021. The type V radio emission follows a group of U bursts. Unlike the unpolarized U bursts, the type V burst is circularly polarized, leaving room for a different emission process. Its starting edge drifts to higher frequency four times slower than the descending branch of the associated U burst. The type V processes seem to be ruled by electrons of lower energy. The observations conform to a coherent scenario where a dense electron beam drives the two-stream instability (causing type III emission) and, in the nonlinear stage, becomes unstable to another instability, previously known as the electron firehose instability (EFI). The secondary instability scatters some beam electrons into velocities perpendicular to the magnetic field and produces, after particle loss, a trapped distribution prone to electron cyclotron masering (ECM). A reduction in beaming and the formation of an isotropic halo are predicted for electron beams continuing to interplanetary space, possibly observable by Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter.

Optically driven ultraviolet-C glowing from an in situ trapping-detrapping approach.

In recent years, the world has witnessed rapid progress in research on ultraviolet luminescent materials, ranging from high-level anticounterfeiting and solar-blind optical tagging to antibacterial applications. In particular, a background-signal free solar-blind surveillance of ultraviolet-C photons provides an opportunity in bright indoor and outdoor environments. However, ambient daylight or inevitable external photostimulation is always eliminated or underestimated in the research of persistent phosphors. Herein, an in situ trapping-detrapping experimental procedure is employed to reveal more information on the total trap energy and trap modulations after photostimulation. Our findings reveal the presence of optically active trapping defects with photostimulated detrapping and retrapping behavior. This work provides a fundamental advance in revealing the trap distribution and trap reshuffling during glowing-in-the-daylight events, offering what we believe to be new insights into manipulating traps.

High-Temperature Mechanical–Conductive Behaviors of Proton-Conducting Ceramic Electrolytes in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (P-SOFCs) are widely studied for their lower working temperatures than oxygen-ion-conducting SOFCs (O-SOFCs). Due to the elevated preparation and operation temperatures varying from 500 °C to 1500 °C, high mechanical stresses can be developed in the electrolytes of SOFCs. The stresses will in turn impact the electrical conductivities, which is often omitted in current studies. In this work, the mechanical–conductive behaviors of Y-doped BaZrO3 (BZY) electrolytes for P-SOFCs under high temperatures are studied through molecular dynamics modeling. The Young’s moduli of BZY in fully hydrated and non-hydrated states are calculated with different Y-doping concentrations and at different temperatures. It is shown that Y doping, oxygen vacancies, and protonic point defects all lead to a decrease in the Young’s moduli of BZY at 773 K. The variations in the conductivities of BZY are then investigated by calculating the diffusion rates of protons in BZY at different triaxial, biaxial, and uniaxial strains from 673 K to 873 K. In all cases, the diffusion rate present a trend of first increasing and then decreasing from compression state to tension state. The variations in elementary affecting factors of proton diffusion, including hydroxide rotation, proton transfer, proton trapping, and proton distribution, are then analyzed in detail under different strains. It is concluded that the influences of strains on these factors collectively determine the changes in proton conductivity.

Simultaneously enhanced photoluminescence and persistent luminescence in SrLaAlO4: Tb type layered perovskite via Gd3+ codoping

Gd3+ co-doping is effective to enhance the photoluminescence of rare earth activators in various host due to energy transfer, however, it is rarely reported via such strategy to regulate persistent luminescence properties. In this work, Gd3+ was co-doped into the SrLaAlO4: Tb persistent luminescence phosphors, and it is found that the photoluminescence and persistent luminescence of the products can be simultaneously improved. The results indicate that as the doping concentration of Gd3+ increases, the particle diameters increase which contributes the increased luminescence. Additionally, an energy transfer process from Gd3+ to Tb3+ ions was observed, which enhances the emission of Tb3+ ions. Furthermore, the persistent luminescence properties of the synthesized phosphors were improved. When the UV light source is turned off, the persistent luminescence of SrLaAlO4: 0.03Tb3+, xGd3+ (x = 0.00–0.97) can last for more than 2 h, which is 100 % enhanced compared to SrLaAlO4: 0.03Tb3+. The trap distribution of SrLaAlO4: 0.03Tb3+, xGd3+ (x = 0.00–0.97) phosphors was analyzed by thermoluminescence. It is found that after the substitution of La3+ with Gd3+, the trap position shifted towards higher temperatures and the trap concentration increased. The initial intensity of the persistent luminescence was also enhanced after Gd3+ co-doping. Based on the experimental findings, the luminescence and persistent luminescence mechanism of SrLaAlO4: 0.03Tb3+, xGd3+ (x = 0.00–0.97) phosphors were described and discussed.

Deep-trap ultraviolet persistent phosphor for advanced optical storage application in bright environments

Extensive research has been conducted on visible-light and longer-wavelength infrared-light storage phosphors, which are utilized as promising rewritable memory media for optical information storage applications in dark environments. However, storage phosphors emitting in the deep ultraviolet spectral region (200–300 nm) are relatively lacking. Here, we report an appealing deep-trap ultraviolet storage phosphor, ScBO3:Bi3+, which exhibits an ultra-narrowband light emission centered at 299 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.21 eV and excellent X-ray energy storage capabilities. When persistently stimulated by longer-wavelength white/NIR light or heated at elevated temperatures, ScBO3:Bi3+ phosphor exhibits intense and long-lasting ultraviolet luminescence due to the interplay between defect levels and external stimulus, while the natural decay in the dark at room temperature is extremely weak after X-ray irradiation. The impact of the spectral distribution and illuminance of ambient light and ambient temperature on ultraviolet light emission has been studied by comprehensive experimental and theoretical investigations, which elucidate that both O vacancy and Sc interstitial serve as deep electron traps for enhanced and prolonged ultraviolet luminescence upon continuous optical or thermal stimulation. Based on the unique spectral features and trap distribution in ScBO3:Bi3+ phosphor, controllable optical information read-out is demonstrated via external light or heat manipulation, highlighting the great potential of ScBO3:Bi3+ phosphor for advanced optical storage application in bright environments.

Realizing Bright-Dark Dual-Field Multimode Optical Signals in Photochromic Apatite Phosphors for Security Identification.

Regulating defect distribution in inorganic phosphors is paramount for realizing multimode dual-field optical signals for high security level identification but remains an ongoing challenge. Here, we propose a strategy of equivalent anion doping and nonequivalent cation doping to successfully regulate the trap distribution and density in Ba5(PO4)3Cl:F-,Eu2+,Ce3+ (BPCF-AG) phosphors. Due to the coexistence of shallow and deep traps for different photon processes, the BPCF-AG exhibits simultaneous photochromism in a bright field and tetramode luminescence (photoluminescence, afterglow, 980 nm photostimulated luminescence, and 650/532 nm photostimulated afterglow) in a dark field. The trap roles responsible for versatile optical behaviors are investigated by thermoluminescence curves, and a reasonable mechanism is proposed. In addition, we design a series of demonstrations for security identification and information encryption based on the dual-field multimode optical signals of BPCF-AG to illustrate its potential application scenarios.

Resolving the Trap Distribution of Chalcogenide-Based Heterojunctions via Optical Injection Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy.

Chalcogenide semiconductors have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation optoelectronics, mainly benefiting from their cost-effective processability, chemical versatility, and excellent stability. However, the device performance is limited by the complex defect characteristics, necessitating a detailed understanding of the defect density, types, and distribution. This study employs optical injection deep level transient spectroscopy to characterize the trap features of antimony bismuth sulfide-based heterojunctions. Photoexcitation offers the possibility to determine the spatial distribution of traps. It reveals distinct distributions of hole and electron traps. Short-wavelength light (570 nm) detects hole traps near the hole transport layer, while long-wavelength light (830 nm) identifies electron traps near the electron transport layer. Additional intermediate-wavelength tests (670 and 755 nm) and light field distribution simulation further elucidate the trap distribution. Transient absorption and transient photocurrent also support the non-uniform trap distribution within the chalcogenide-based photodiodes.

Identification of shallow trap centers in InSe single crystals and investigation of their distribution: A thermally stimulated current spectroscopy

Identification of trap centers in semiconductors takes great importance for improving the performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices. In the present study, we employed the thermally stimulated current (TSC) method within a temperature range of 10–280 K to explore trap centers in InSe crystal—a material with promising applications in next-generation devices. Our findings revealed the existence of two distinct hole trap centers within the InSe crystal lattice located at 0.06 and 0.14 eV. Through the leveraging the Tstop method, we offered trap distribution parameters of revealed centers. The results obtained from the experimental methodology employed to investigate the distribution of trap centers indicated that one of the peaks extended between 0.06 and 0.13 eV, while the other spanned from 0.14 to 0.31 eV. Notably, our research uncovers a remarkable variation in trap density, spanning one order of magnitude, for every 10 and 88 meV of energy variation. The results of our research present the characteristics of shallow trap centers in InSe, providing important information for the design and optimization of InSe-based optoelectronic devices.

Research and Analysis on Enhancement of Surface Flashover Performance of Epoxy Resin Based on Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Fluorination Modification.

To conquer the challenges of charge accumulation and surface flashover in epoxy resin under direct current (DC) electric fields, numerous efforts have been made to research dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatments using CF4/Ar as the medium gas, which has proven effective in improving surface flashover voltage. However, despite being an efficient plasma etching medium, SF6/Ar has remained largely unexplored. In this work, we constructed a DBD plasma device with an SF6/Ar gas medium and explored the influence of processing times and gas flow rates on the morphology and surface flashover voltage of epoxy resin. The surface morphology observed by SEM indicates that the degree of plasma etching intensifies with processing time and gas flow rate, and the quantitative characterization of AFM indicates a maximum roughness of 144 nm after 3 min of treatment. Flashover test results show that at 2 min of processing time, the surface flashover voltage reached a maximum of 19.02 kV/mm, which is 25.49% higher than that of the untreated sample and previously reported works. In addition to the effect of surface roughness, charge trap distribution shows that fluorinated groups help to deepen the trap energy levels and density. The optimal modification was achieved at a gas flow rate of 3.5 slm coupled with 2 min of processing time. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that fluorination introduces additional electron traps (0.29 eV) and hole traps (0.38 eV), enhancing the capture of charge carriers and suppressing surface flashover.

Color-Tunable CsCdCl3 Perovskite for Low-Temperature Anticounterfeiting and Information Storage Applications.

Low-temperature anticounterfeiting technologies play a crucial role in ensuring the authenticity and integrity of temperature-sensitive products such as vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and food items. In this work, a low-temperature anticounterfeiting route based on the differentiated photoluminescence (PL), PersL, and thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) behaviors of metal halide perovskite, pure CsCdCl3, and CsCdCl3:10% Te4+ is proposed. The CsCdCl3 host exhibits pronounced color shifts, encompassing PL, PersL, and TSL behaviors, ranging from blue to yellow and orange as the temperature rises from 100 K to room temperature. This color change is attributed to a change in the luminous center (from the D3d octahedron to the C3v octahedron). Conversely, the addition of Te4+ as the luminescence center inhibits the matrix emission, maintains the characteristic orange emission of Te4+, and regulates the trap distribution of the matrix at low temperature and the TL luminescence intensity. This work highlights the significant promise of CsCdCl3:10% Te4+ and CsCdCl3 phosphors as innovative low-temperature anticounterfeiting technologies, especially for cold-chain vaccine safety monitoring.

Effect of heating and bending on localized critical current in 2G HTS tapes with non-contact trapped field measurements

Current-voltage measurement (I–V curve) is a typical method to identify the critical current (Ic) of second-generation high-temperature superconducting tapes (2G HTS tapes). However, it is difficult to characterize the local Ic of 2G HTS tape on the millimeter (mm) scale due to the set spacing of the voltage electrodes (several centimeters), so non-contact trapped field distribution measurements have been used to define local defects in Y–Ba–Cu–O bulks and 2G HTS tapes, especially for the quality analysis for long lengths of 2G HTS tapes. In order to discuss the possible degradation of 2G HTS tape during heating and bending (both important parameters in joining process), this study used both trapped field measurement and I–V measurement to characterize the effect of heating (190 °C–230 °C) and bending (radius = 3.75 mm–22.35 mm) processes on the degradation of 2G HTS tape Ic. In addition, according to electromagnetic calculations, the local Ic (within a few millimeters) of the 2G HTS tape can be obtained from the flux density and distribution of the trapped magnetic field. Comparing the two sets of Ic measurements showed very good agreement. This study demonstrates the accuracy of optimized heating and bending parameters as well as spatial position and local Ic values of processed 2G HTS tape through non-contact trapped field measurements.

High performance one-step grown half-moon shaped YBCO bulk superconductors

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) undulator exploiting the high trapped field of HTS bulk superconductors enables the design of extremely short-period insertion devices for synchrotron light sources and free electron lasers. In such a promising application the trapped field performance and the uniformity of the HTS bulk superconductors are essential. In this study, the half-moon shaped YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) single-grain superconductors have been directly grown by the top-seeded melted-growth method. Half-moon shaped samples directly grown from preforms with four different type of seed crystal arrangements were compared with that cut from larger cylindrical bulk superconductors in regarding to the trapped magnetic fields and correspondingly the distribution. We found that the arrangement of seed crystals greatly affects the melt-growth process and hence the homogeneity of the samples. The one-step grown half-moon shaped samples show higher trapped field (B trap), 0.542 T for a 24 mm and 0.785 T for a 32 mm diameter sample, and better uniformity of trapped field distribution compared to that obtained from machining with B trap of 0.427 T and 0.528 T. It was found that the growth sectors would be restricted when the seed crystal was placed at the edge of a preform, and the angle of the seed crystal, parallel or 45° to the long edge would influence the melt growth as well.

Interface trap-induced radiofrequency and low-frequency noise analysis under temperature variation of a heterostacked source L-gate tunnel field effect transistor

This work offers a comprehensive analysis of the adverse impact of interface trap charge (ITC) under the influence of temperature variation on a heterostacked (HS) source L-gate tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) having a SiGe pocket. An investigation of both static and radiofrequency (RF) characteristics has been carried out. It appears that ITCs situated at the Si–oxide interface fluctuate the flat-band voltage to alter the various analog/RF parameter characteristics. Uniform ITCs are seen to be less susceptible to degradation in device characteristics. Low-frequency noise (LFN) analysis has also been carried out considering the impact of different trap distributions (uniform and Gaussian) and densities, which are compared. The temperature dependence of LFN has been studied under the influence of different distributed ITCs, and this has rarely been explored. Moreover, a comparative analysis has been made of the device behavior and LFN characteristics of HS L-gate TFET structures with and without a SiGe pocket. Structures with SiGe pockets were found not to be susceptible to noise effects.

Discrete trapping levels of localized states in amorphous silicon nitride

The spectrum of localized hole states (traps) in amorphous silicon nitride, a-Si3N4, is experimentally studied using the method of thermally stimulated depolarization. The experiment is compared with theoretical calculations using three models of the energy spectrum of traps: discrete spectrum (monoenergetic trap), continuous spectrum, and Gaussian trap distribution. The experiment is quantitatively described by a model of a discrete spectrum of traps with an energy of 1.15 eV and a width of no more than 0.01 eV. In the case of a continuous and Gaussian spectrum of traps, the contribution to depolarization is made by the deepest traps. The blurring of the trap energy level in a-Si3N4 due to the absence of long-range order (fluctuations in the Si–N bond length and fluctuations in the N–Si–N and Si–N–Si angles) does not exceed 0.01 eV.

Improvement of linearity in trap-rich substrates for radio frequency applications: Which of donor and acceptor trap is the best?

This paper investigates the effect of volume traps intentionally introduced into a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate by inserting a layer of polysilicon beneath buried oxide. In radio frequency applications, this type of substrate, referred to as trap-rich, is known to considerably reduce the generation of harmonics resulting from the parasitic non-linear charge dynamics introduced by the substrate handler under the buried oxide. This analysis focuses on a test vehicle in the form of an integrated coplanar waveguide on two types of substrates, namely, high-resistivity SOI substrates with and without a trap-rich layer. From a modeling point of view, a simulation methodology is implemented in order to convert the 3D simulation of the coplanar waveguide into a 2D treatment that takes into account the wave propagation effect associated with the distributed nature of the transmission line. As a first step, this modeling strategy is implemented to reproduce the effect of increasing substrate resistivity on 2nd and 3rd harmonic reductions, leading to an excellent agreement with experimental data. Building on this validation of the simulation method, we have opted to simulate the non-linear response of the transmission line on the SOI trap-rich substrate by simplifying the trap distribution model. To avoid the adoption of unverified and strongly process-dependent trap distributions across the bandgap, a midgap monovalent trap density has been introduced, either acceptor or donor density. A monovalent density of acceptor traps with a concentration of 1016 cm−3 and a carrier lifetime of 0.1 ns has been shown to reproduce the experimental data very accurately with a substantial reduction in 2nd and 3rd harmonics. A detailed analysis of the displacement current waveforms explains the beneficial role of acceptor traps compared with donor traps.