One-dimensional Crystal Structure Research Articles

(Invited) High-Performance 2D Tellurium Transistors Towards CMOS Logic Applications

The thirst for novel two-dimensional (2D) materials for ultra-scaled electronics keeps growing during the last decade as the downsizing trend of silicon-based conventional semiconductors is approaching its physical limit. An ideal paradigm of 2D materials suitable for logic device applications should possess high carrier mobility for both type of carriers, good air-stability, controllable doping scheme and a reasonable bandgap. Recently reported hydrothermal growth technique of 2D tellurium (Te) thin films, which meet all the above criteria, offers a new option for 2D material-based CMOS applications. Tellurium is a narrow bandgap p-type semiconductor (0.35 eV) with nearly symmetric mobilities for both electrons and holes of around 700 cm2/Vs at room temperature. It has one-dimensional chiral crystal structure and can be grown into 2D films under right conditions. Just like other 2D materials, these 2D facets of Te also contain no dangling bonds and therefore the 2D films can preserve the material properties and have great potential for miniaturizing device geometry in principle. Here we first report systematic investigation of 2D Te p-type transistor performance approaching atomic-thin limit. The device key parameters, such as field-effect mobility, on/off ratio and stability were thoroughly studied as a function of film thickness. The device performance was then optimized through contact and dielectric engineering, and large drive current over 1 A/mm was achieved. We further employed photo-current mapping method to show that rare accumulation-type ohmic contacts were formed using high work function metal (palladium). Finally, we present an atomic layer deposited (ALD) dielectric doping technique to effectively dope the intrinsically p-type channel into n-type with almost symmetric operations for both NMOS and PMOS. Prototypical inverters based on Te CMOS demonstrate great potential of constructing Te-based high-speed CMOS logic circuits. Our work not only established a comprehensive guideline for designing and optimizing 2D Te based CMOS devices, but also provided a device platform to explore versatility of 2D Te from many other perspectives, such as condensed matter physics and thermoelectronics.

Copper(I)-Based Highly Emissive All-Inorganic Rare-Earth Halide Clusters

Summary The development of new environmentally friendly luminescent materials is crucial for future solid-state lighting, sensor, and display applications. Here, a Cu(I)-based all-inorganic rare-earth halide material, Rb 8 CuSc 3 Cl 18 , has been synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. In this compound, two Cu(I) ions are connected to three rare-earth halide octahedra to form a paddle-wheel-like cluster. The Cu(I) coordinated rare-earth halide clusters contribute to a strong blue photoluminescence emission. This Cu(I)-regulated emission can be extended to other isostructural compounds, such as Rb 8 CuY 3 Cl 18 . Moreover, the crucial role of Cu(I) has been illustrated by the isostructural non-emissive Rb 8 AgSc 3 Cl 18 . On the basis of comprehensive spectroscopy studies and density functional theory calculations, we found that Cu(I) photo-oxidation and correct orbital-energy-level alignment are crucial for the observed bright-blue emission through a proposed metal (Cu)-to-octahedra ([ScCl 6 ] 3− ) charge-transfer mechanism. The discovery of Cu(I)-based all-inorganic rare-earth halide clusters establishes a new strategy for constructing promising emissive halide materials.

9.2%-efficient core-shell structured antimony selenide nanorod array solar cells

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) has a one-dimensional (1D) crystal structure comprising of covalently bonded (Sb4Se6)n ribbons stacking together through van der Waals force. This special structure results in anisotropic optical and electrical properties. Currently, the photovoltaic device performance is dominated by the grain orientation in the Sb2Se3 thin film absorbers. Effective approaches to enhance the carrier collection and overall power-conversion efficiency are urgently required. Here, we report the construction of Sb2Se3 solar cells with high-quality Sb2Se3 nanorod arrays absorber along the [001] direction, which is beneficial for sun-light absorption and charge carrier extraction. An efficiency of 9.2%, which is the highest value reported so far for this type of solar cells, is achieved by junction interface engineering. Our cell design provides an approach to further improve the efficiency of Sb2Se3-based solar cells.

Sodium titanium oxide bronze nanoparticles synthesized via concurrent reduction and Na+-doping into TiO2(B).

A mixed valence compound, sodium titanium oxide bronze (NaxTiO2-B), combines intriguing properties of high electric conductivity and good chemical stability together with a unique one-dimensional tunnel crystal structure available for cation storage. However, this compound has not been studied for a long period because of the strongly reductive condition at high temperature required for its preparation, which limits the morphological control such as the preparation of nanocrystals. For the first time in this paper, the topotactic synthesis of nano-sized NaxTiO2-B with high specific surface area (>130 m2 g-1) from TiO2(B) nanoparticles has been demonstrated. The reaction of metastable TiO2(B) with NaBH4 allows carrier electrons to be doped simultaneously with incorporation of Na+ ions into the interstitial sites of the host Ti-O lattice at relatively low temperature. An electrochemical investigation of Li+- and Na+-ion storage behaviors suggests that the incorporated Na+ ions are mainly placed in the 6-fold coordination sites of bronze. In addition, optical measurements including time-resolved transient spectroscopy revealed that the doped electrons in the NaxTiO2-B nanoparticles are predominantly in the Ti3+ state and behave as a small polaron. The pelletized NaxTiO2-B nanoparticles shows a good electronic conductivity of 1.4 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 30 °C with an activation energy of 0.17 eV, which is attributable to the thermal barrier for the polaron hopping.

Nature of the magnetic interactions in Sr3NiIrO6

Iridates abound with interesting magnetic behaviours because of their strong spin-orbit coupling. Sr$_3$NiIrO$_6$ brings together the spin-orbital entanglement of the Ir$^{4+}$ ion with a 3$d$ Ni cation and a one-dimensional crystal structure. It has a ferrimagnetic ground state with a 55 T coercive field. We perform a theoretical study of the magnetic interactions in this compound, and elucidate the role of anisotropic symmetric exchange as the source of its strong magnetic anisotropy. Our first-principles calculations reproduce the magnon spectra of this compound and predict a signature in the cross sections that can differentiate the anisotropic exchange from single-ion anisotopy.

Efficiency Improvement of Sb2Se3 Solar Cells via Grain Boundary Inversion

Sb2Se3 is a promising low-cost and low-toxicity photovoltaic material. Recent research revealed that recombination losses in the absorber limited the efficiency of Sb2Se3 solar cells. Herein we demonstrated a strategy of grain boundary (GB) inversion to alleviate such recombination loss. Owning to its one-dimensional crystal structure, we successfully inverted the GBs of Sb2Se3 films by introducing n-type Cu interstitial doping at GBs via low-temperature CuCl2 treatment. A built-in electric field is established between p-type grain interiors and n-type GBs, which spatially separates phototogerated carriers, suppresses recombination, and enhances carrier collection. Finally, we obtained an efficiency of 7.04%, which is the highest efficiency of Sb2Se3 solar cells based on rapid thermal evaporation technology. We envision that this GB inversion strategy is generally applicable to Sb2Se3 solar cells with different device configuration or produced from other methods and is extendable to other emerging low-dim...

Structure of One-Dimensional Rubidium and Silver Iodide Crystals in the Channels of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

The structures of one-dimensional (1D) RbI, AgI, and RbAg4I5 crystals inside single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) channels of 1D crystal@SWCNT nanocomposites formed by the capillary technique have been studied by high-resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy and computer modeling. 1D RbI crystals form a cubic lattice in a limited space, while 1D AgI crystals form a hexagonal lattice, as in their ternary compounds. The 1D RbAg4I5 structure differs from known bulk analogs and can be described by a distorted cubic lattice formed in two different directions.

Self-powered, high-speed Sb2Se3/Si heterojunction photodetector with close spaced sublimation processed Sb2Se3 layer

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) has received great attention recently due to its excellent carrier transport capacity and special one-dimensional crystal structure. The Sb2Se3-based bulk heterojunctions have been applied for photovoltaic with great success, but its potential application to photodetector has not been explored yet. In this work, a self-powered, high-speed Sb2Se3/Si heterojunction photodetector is fabricated and investigated, where the Sb2Se3 layer is deposited through close spaced sublimation (CSS) technique. The photodetector exhibits detection performance with a responsivity of 0.34 A/W at zero bias voltage and a broad spectral range from 300 to 1100 nm. Ultrafast response rise and fall times of 86 and 96 μs, respectively, are obtained, which is significantly better than previous reports of Sb2Se3-based photodetectors. The high crystallographic quality of the CSS-processed Sb2Se3 thin films and the built-in field at the Sb2Se3/Si interface is responsible to the high response speed of Sb2Se3/Si heterostructural photodetectors. The high-speed and broadband response properties make the Sb2Se3/Si heterojunction photodetector have potential applications for next-generation optoelectric devices.

Urchin-Like Ni1/3Co2/3(CO3)1/2(OH)·0.11H2O for Ultrahigh-Rate Electrochemical Supercapacitors: Structural Evolution from Solid to Hollow.

Portable electronics and electric or hybrid electric vehicles are developing in the trend of fast charge and long electric mileage, which ask us to design a novel electrode with sufficient electronic and ionic transport channels at the same time. Herein, we fabricate a uniform hollow-urchin-like Ni1/3Co2/3(CO3)1/2(OH)·0.11H2O electrode material through an easy self-generated and resacrificial template method. The one-dimensional chain-like crystal structure unit containing the metallic bonding and the intercalated OH- and H2O endow this electrode material with abundant electronic and ionic transport channels. The hollow-urchin-like structure built by nanorods contributes to the large electrode-electrolyte contact area ensuring the supply of ions at high current. CNTs are employed to transport electrons between electrode material and current collector. The as-assembled NC-CNT-2//AC supercapacitor device exhibits a high specific capacitance of 108.3 F g-1 at 20 A g-1, a capacitance retention ratio of 96.2% from 0.2 to 20 A g-1, and long cycle life. Comprehensive investigations unambiguously highlight that the unique hollow-urchin-like Ni1/3Co2/3(CO3)1/2(OH)·0.11H2O electrode material would be the right candidate for advanced next-generation supercapacitors.

The Effect of Incident Angle and Filling Factor on Dispersion Properties of Different Structures of One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

In this paper, we applied the transfer matrix method in conjunction with the Bloch theorem to study the dispersion properties of one-dimensional photonic crystals made by TiO2/ GaAs and TiO2/ MgF2. The effects of filling factor and incident angle on photonic gap map are investigated for both TE and TM polarizations. It is found that location, number, and width of the photonic gap are affected significantly by the filling factor and incident angle of the structure. Results are compared with published data and are found to be in good agreement.

Buried homojunction in CdS/Sb2Se3 thin film photovoltaics generated by interfacial diffusion

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) emerges as a very promising non-toxic absorber material for thin film photovoltaics, and most of the devices, either in the superstrate or substrate configuration, employed CdS as the buffer layer. Due to the peculiar one-dimensional crystal structure of Sb2Se3, severe interfacial diffusion would be expected. In this letter, the interfacial diffusion in CdS/Sb2Se3 photovoltaics was carefully characterized from a combined material and device physics characterization. The results indicated that a buried homojunction located deep inside the Sb2Se3 absorber layer due to Cd diffusion, instead of the apparent CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction, dictated charge separation and device performance in Sb2Se3 thin film solar cells. Cd diffusion converted p-type Sb2Se3 into n-type by introducing a donor level with an activation energy of 0.22 eV. Our studies deepen the understanding of Sb2Se3 photovoltaics and shed light on their further performance optimization.

Structural and Photophysical Properties of a Cd(II) Coordination Polymer Based on Mixed Aromatic Ligands: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

A novel one-dimensional Cd(II) coordination polymer (CP) based on mixed aromatic ligands was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and spectroscopic analyses. Fingerprint plots in Hirshfeld surface analysis illustrate that the one-dimensional crystal structure of the CP is stabilized by C–H···O, π···π, C–H···π, and H···H intermolecular interactions. The structural and photophysical properties of the CP were then investigated by time-dependent density functional theory methods, and computational results well reproduced the experimental data. The combined investigations found a ligand-to-ligand charge transfer character during the electrons relax from the first singlet excited1 state of the CP. The weak fluorescence of CP could be resulted from the energy interlacing of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of aromatic ligands and the fulfilled d10 configuration of Cd(II). Herein, this CP exhibits as a potential tunable luminescent sensor by adjusting the energy levels of the FMOs of aromatic ligands.

Design of Si–SiO2 phoxonic crystal having defect layer for simultaneous sensing of biodiesel in a binary mixture of diesel through optical and acoustic waves

The potentiality of a phoxonic crystal for sensing of biodiesel in a binary mixture of diesel and biodiesel is theoretically investigated. Using the transfer matrix method, the transmission of acoustic and optical waves through a periodic one-dimensional crystal of Si–SiO2 layers is studied. A pass band is created in the band gap region by introducing a cavity in the considered one-dimensional crystal structure. This pass band can also be considered as a defect mode, and it is found that its position is highly dependent on mole concentration of binary mixture of biodiesel and diesel present in the cavity. The sensitivity of the sensor for a binary mixture of biodiesel and diesel in the cavity with various mole concentrations is estimated. Simulated results provide a valuable guidance for designing a phoxonic crystal sensor consisting of a defect layer.

Photoluminescent-dielectric duple switch in a perovskite-type high-temperature phase transition compound: [(CH3)3PCH2OCH3][PbBr3

A bistable optical-electrical duple switch belongs to a class of highly satisfying intelligent materials that can transform optical and electrical responses simultaneously in one device. A perovskite-type high-temperature phase transition compound with one-dimensional chain-like crystal structure, ([(CH3)3PCH2OCH3][PbBr3], 1), displays remarkable bistable photoluminescent-dielectric duple switching behaviors. The noteworthy order-disorder transition of the phosphonium cation and the motions of anions contribute to the phase transition, leading to the space group P21/c at a low temperature phase to C2/c at a high temperature phase. 1 exhibits a prominent step-like dielectric anomaly at 401.0 K and demonstrates novel optical properties with a band gap of 3.54 eV. The photoluminescence intensity suddenly declines from 398 K to 408 K, which may be attributed to the occurrence of phase transition. The electron cloud distributions of the frontier orbital in compound 1 have been calculated using a DFT program.

Sb2Se3 thin film solar cells in substrate configuration and the back contact selenization

In this work, antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) thin films were prepared by co-evaporation of Sb2Se3 and selenium (Se) sources on molybdenum (Mo)-coated soda lime glass. Solar cells were fabricated in the substrate configuration of Ag/ITO/ZnO/CdS/Sb2Se3/Mo/Glass. The [hk1] preferred orientation grain was found to be beneficial to higher performance solar cells because of its special one-dimensional crystal structure. Furthermore, a Mo selenization process prior to the Sb2Se3 deposition was introduced to improve the Sb2Se3/Mo interface. Material characterization and device physics analysis revealed that the formation of MoSe2 due to the Mo selenization enhanced the [221] orientation preference of the following Sb2Se3 and improved the quality of heterojunction, leading to a significant increase in open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF). The champion solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of 4.25% with a VOC of 427mV and a FF of 58.15%.

Coalescence of exceptional points and phase diagrams for one-dimensionalPT-symmetric photonic crystals

Non-Hermitian systems with parity-time (PT) symmetric complex potentials can exhibit a phase transition when the degree of non-Hermiticity is increased. Two eigenstates coalesce at a transition point, which is known as the exceptional point (EP) for a discrete spectrum and spectral singularity for a continuous spectrum. The existence of an EP is known to give rise to a great variety of novel behaviors in various fields of physics. In this work, we study the complex band structures of one-dimensional photonic crystals with PT symmetric complex potentials by setting up a Hamiltonian using the Bloch states of the photonic crystal without loss or gain as a basis. As a function of the degree of non-Hermiticity, two types of PT symmetry transitions are found. One is that a PT-broken phase can re-enter into a PT-exact phase at a higher degree of non-Hermiticity. The other is that two spectral singularities, one originating from the Brillouin zone center and the other from the Brillouin zone boundary, can coalesce at some k-point in the interior of the Brillouin zone and create a singularity of higher order. Furthermore, we can induce a band inversion by tuning the filling ratio of the photonic crystal, and we find that the geometric phases of the bands before and after the inversion are independent of the amount of non-Hermiticity as long as the PT-exact phase is not broken. The standard concept of topological transition can hence be extended to non-Hermitian systems.

Synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties of quasi-one-dimensional ACr3As3(A = Rb, Cs)

Recently, new Cr-based superconductors, A2Cr3As3 (A = K, Rb, Cs), have gained intense interest because of their one-dimensional crystal structures and electron correlations. Here we report the crystal structure and physical properties of two related materials ACr3As3 (A = Rb, Cs) which are synthesized via a soft-chemical A+ deintercalation in A2Cr3As3. The new compounds remain one-dimensional (Cr3As3)∞ linear chains, and the interchain distance can be tuned by the incorporation of the alkali-metal cations with different sizes. The physical property measurements indicate a local-moment behavior at high temperatures, and the moments freeze into a cluster spin-glass state below 5–6 K. No superconductivity was observed in both materials. We also found that, with increasing the interchain distance, the Cr effective moments increase monotonically, accompanied with the enhancement of semi-conductivity. Our results shed light on the understanding of occurrence of superconductivity in A2Cr3As3.

Thin-film Sb2Se3 photovoltaics with oriented one-dimensional ribbons and benign grain boundaries

Solar cells based on inorganic absorbers, such as Si, GaAs, CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se2, permit a high device efficiency and stability. The crystals’ three-dimensional structure means that dangling bonds inevitably exist at the grain boundaries (GBs), which significantly degrades the device performance via recombination losses. Thus, the growth of single-crystalline materials or the passivation of defects at the GBs is required to address this problem, which introduces an added processing complexity and cost. Here we report that antimony selenide (Sb2Se3)—a simple, non-toxic and low-cost material with an optimal solar bandgap of ∼1.1 eV—exhibits intrinsically benign GBs because of its one-dimensional crystal structure. Using a simple and fast (∼1 μm min–1) rapid thermal evaporation process, we oriented crystal growth perpendicular to the substrate, and produced Sb2Se3 thin-film solar cells with a certified device efficiency of 5.6%. Our results suggest that the family of one-dimensional crystals, including Sb2Se3, SbSeI and Bi2S3, show promise in photovoltaic applications. Materials with a one-dimensional crystal structure, such as antimony selenide, show considerable potential for making efficient thin-film solar cells.

Photonic band structures in one-dimensional photonic crystals containing Dirac materials

We have investigated the band structures of one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) composed of Dirac materials and ordinary dielectric media. It is found that there exist an omnidirectional passing band and a kind of special band, which result from the interaction of the evanescent and propagating waves. Due to the interface effect and strong dispersion, the electromagnetic fields inside the special bands are strongly enhanced. It is also shown that the properties of these bands are invariant upon the lattice constant but sensitive to the resonant conditions.

Vibration Properties of a Steel-PMMA Composite Beam

A steel-polymethyl methacrylate (steel-PMMA) beam was fabricated to investigate the vibration properties of a one-dimensional phononic crystal structure. The experimental system included an excitation system, a signal acquisition system, and a data analysis and processing system. When an excitation signal was exerted on one end of the beam, the signals of six response points were collected with acceleration sensors. Subsequent signal analysis showed that the beam was attenuated in certain frequency ranges. The lumped mass method was then used to calculate the bandgap of the phononic crystal beam to analyze the vibration properties of a beam made of two different materials. The finite element method was also employed to simulate the vibration of the phononic crystal beam, and the simulation results were consistent with theoretical calculations. The existence of the bandgap was confirmed experimentally and theoretically, which allows for the potential applications of phononic crystals, including wave guiding and filtering, in integrated structures.