Strain Tuning Research Articles

Continuous Surface Strain Tuning for NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxides Using a Multi-inlet Vortex Mixer

Optimizing the microstructure of a catalyst layer is considered a breakthrough to improve the electrocatalytic performance of nanomaterials. This study reports that nickel/iron layered double hydro...

Anisotropic Strain Tuning of L10 Ternary Nanoparticles for Oxygen Reduction.

Tuning the performance of nanoparticle (NP) catalysts by controlling the NP surface strain has evolved as an important strategy to optimize NP catalysis in many energy conversion reactions. Here, we present our new study on using an eigenforce model to predict and experiments to verify the strain-induced catalysis enhancement of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the presence of L10-CoMPt NPs (M = Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Ni). The eigenforce model allowed us to predict anisotropic (that is, two-dimensional) strain levels on distorted Pt(111) surfaces. Experimentally, by preparing a series of 5 nm L10-CoMPt NPs, we could push the ORR catalytic activity of these NPs toward the optimum region of the theoretical two-dimensional volcano plot predicted for L10-CoMPt. The best ORR catalyst in the alloy NP series we studied is L10-CoNiPt, which has a mass activity of 3.1 A/mgPt and a specific activity of 9.3 mA/cm2 at room temperature with only 15.9% loss of mass activity after 30 000 cycles at 60 °C in 0.1 M HClO4.

Dynamic Mechanochromic Optics with Tunable Strain Sensitivity for Strain‐Responsive Digit Display

AbstractA facile but highly effective mechanochromism design is reported that is based on a bilayer structure consisting of a sputter‐coated metal light‐shielding layer atop a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate containing a fluorescent dye, featuring transverse and/or longitudinal microscale cracks when stretched. The crack opening width on the light‐shielding layer upon stretching/releasing allows the UV radiation to activate the fluorescent dye in the PDMS matrix to exhibit luminescent color, which can be easily tuned with choice of fluorescent dyes. The strain response of the crack opening width can be fine‐tuned by applying various degrees of prestretching strain in the preparation process, resulting in customizable mechanochromic responses. Three types of mechanochromic devices are prepared as representative examples. The fluorescence intensity of these devices can be tuned to either increase or decrease with an increasing strain, or first decrease and then increase within the operating strain range. Moreover, this system can be further modified into a dynamic strain sensor with digit display function, allowing the strain degree of the device to be directly read. This design strategy can be easily adopted by fellow researchers and is expected to open a brand‐new avenue to tune mechanochromic response for various dynamic adaptive optics.

Ab initio investigation of topological phase transitions induced by pressure in trilayer van der Waals structures: the example of h-BN/SnTe/h-BN

The combination of two-dimensional crystals through the formation of van der Waals bilayers, trilayers, and heterostructures has been considered a promising route to design new materials due to the possibility of tuning their properties through the control of the number of layers, alloying pressure, strain, and other tuning mechanisms. Here, we report a density functional theory study on the interlayer phonon coupling and electronic structure of the trilayer h-BN/SnTe/h-BN, and the effects of pressure on the encapsulation of this trilayer system. Our findings demonstrated the establishment of a type I junction in the system, with a trivial bandgap of 0.55 eV, which is 10 % lower than the free-standing SnTe one. The almost inert h-BN capping layers allow a topological phase transition at a pressure of 13.5 GPa, in which the system evolves from a trivial insulator to a topological insulator. In addition, with further increase of the pressure up to 35 GPa, the non-trivial energy bandgap increases up to 0.30 eV. This behavior is especially relevant to allow experimental access to topological properties of materials, since large non-trivial energy bandgaps are required.

Mussel-inspired adhesive and conductive hydrogel with tunable mechanical properties for wearable strain sensors

HypothesisFlexible and wearable hydrogel strain sensors have attracted significant attention for human activity monitoring and electronic skins. However, it remains a great challenge to develop an integrated hydrogel strain sensor showing intrinsic adhesive performances, tunable mechanical and high strain-sensitive properties. Marine mussels show a superior capacity to adhere to various substrates (including organic and inorganic), while polycaprolactone (PCL) can be easily modified into crosslinkers with different degrees of functionality (bi-, tri-, and quadri-functional groups) to control the crosslinking density. Therefore, the developed mussel-inspired 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine acrylamide–polycaprolactone (l-DMA–PCL) hydrogels could address these issues and serve as the potential wearable strain sensors for biomaterials and healthcare monitoring. Experimentsl-DMA monomers were successfully crosslinked by functionalized PCL (bi-, tri-, and quadri-functional) using UV light (wavelength ~ 365 nm) to prepare the l-DMA–PCL hydrogel. Adhesive behaviors, tunable mechanical properties and strain sensing performances of the l-DMA–PCL hydrogels were systematically studied. FindingsThe l-DMA–PCL hydrogel exhibited reversible adhesion to various material substrates (including steel, aluminum, ceramics, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), wood, rubber, even for polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) as well as skin. Moreover, the mechanical properties (stress: 50.2–72.4 KPa, strain: 700–1140%, Young’s modulus: 8.6–14.8 KPa, and toughness: 16.4–53.6 KJ/m3) of the hydrogels could be readily tuned by the modulation of functionality degree (bi-, tri-, and quadri-functional) of PCL. Intriguingly, the hydrogel-based wearable strain sensor showing high conductivity (0.0550 S/cm) and sensitive responses to both large (e.g., joint bending) and subtle human motions (e.g., frowning and speaking). Based on these achievements, this work provides new insights into the development of hydrogel with adhesiveness, controllable mechanical performance and high strain sensitivity as a flexible and wearable hydrogel strain sensors.

Tunable strain effects on the electronic structures and mobility properties of InP/InAs lateral heterostructure

Two-dimensional lateral heterostructures (LHSs) carry unconventional physical properties due to their excellent adjustable band-offset and sensitive interface characteristics. In this paper, we have designed two kinds of seamless LHSs with excellent stabilities, the zigzag-zigzag (Z-Z) InP/InAs LHS and the armchair-armchair (A-A) InP/InAs LHS, and the changes in lattice structures and electronic properties under different strains are studied systematically by employing first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Our results indicate that the Z-Z and A-A InP/InAs LHSs are indirect-bandgap semiconductors with a moderate bandgap. Surprisingly, it is found that the carrier mobility of holes for the Z-Z InP/InAs LHS is as high as 6.954 × 103cm2· V−1· s−1. The established Z-Z and A-A InP/InAs LHSs exhibit superior properties under uniaxial strains (a-direction and b-direction) and biaxial strain (ab-direction). It is found that the conduction bands of Z-Z and A-A InP/InAs LHSs occur with an intriguing downward (upward) transfer under compressive (tensile) strain along the b- and ab-directions, respectively. Moreover, when more than 2% of the tensile strain along the ab-direction is applied, the Z-Z and A-A InP/InAs LHS change from an indirect bandgap semiconductor to a direct bandgap semiconductor, and the Z-Z InAs/InP LHS changes into type-II heterostructure. Based on the calculated band structures, the effect of uniaxial strain on effective mass is anisotropic. Especially when tensile strain is applied, the effective mass of electrons in Z-Z and A-A InP/InAs LHSs will be reduced, which is consistent with the change in band structures under strain. The strain tunability of direct bandgap, type-II band alignment, and high carrier mobility mean Z-Z and A-A InP/InAs LHSs have potential applications in optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and flexible electronic devices.

On-Chip Integration of Energy-Tunable Quantum Dot Based Single-Photon Sources via Strain Tuning of GaAs Waveguides

Self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) contribute versatile nonclassical light sources for implementing photonic quantum technologies. The recent success of integrating self-assembled QDs with various p...

Large Magnetoelectric Coupling in the Thin Film of Multiferroic CuO.

We report observation of large magnetoelectric coupling in an epitaxial thin film of multiferroic CuO grown on the (100)MgO substrate by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The film is characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectrometry. The crystallographic structure of the film turns out to be monoclinic (space group C2/c) with [111]CuO||[100]MgO “out-of-plane” epitaxy and “in-plane” domain structure. The lattice misfit strain is found to vary within ±1–3%. The dc resistivity, magnetization, dielectric spectroscopy, and remanent ferroeletric polarization have been measured across 80–300 K. The dielectric constant is found to decrease by >20% under a moderate magnetic field of ∼18 kOe while the remanent ferroelectric polarization, emerging at the onset of magnetic transition (TN ∼ 175 K), decreases by nearly 50% under ∼18 kOe field. These results could assume importance as the strain-free bulk CuO does not exhibit magnetoelectric coupling within such magnetic field regime. The strain-induced large magnetoelectric coupling in the CuO thin film would generate new possibility of further strain tuning to observe room-temperature magnetoelectric multiferroicity suitable for scores of applications such as memories, sensors, energy-harvesting devices, generators, amplifiers, and so forth.

Giant Piezoresistive Effect and Strong Bandgap Tunability in Ultrathin InSe upon Biaxial Strain.

The ultrathin nature and dangling bonds free surface of 2D semiconductors allow for significant modifications of their bandgap through strain engineering. Here, thin InSe photodetector devices are biaxially stretched, finding, a strong bandgap tunability upon strain. The applied biaxial strain is controlled through the substrate expansion upon temperature increase and the effective strain transfer from the substrate to the thin InSe is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The bandgap change upon biaxial strain is determined through photoluminescence measurements, finding a gauge factor of up to ≈200 meV %−1. The effect of biaxial strain on the electrical properties of the InSe devices is further characterized. In the dark state, a large increase of the current is observed upon applied strain which gives a piezoresistive gauge factor value of ≈450–1000, ≈5–12 times larger than that of other 2D materials and of state‐of‐the‐art silicon strain gauges. Moreover, the biaxial strain tuning of the InSe bandgap also translates in a strain‐induced redshift of the spectral response of the InSe photodetectors with ΔE cut‐off ≈173 meV at a rate of ≈360 meV %−1 of strain, indicating a strong strain tunability of the spectral bandwidth of the photodetectors.

Morphology and strain control of hierarchical cobalt oxide nanowire electrocatalysts via solvent effect

Designing highly efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction is important for many renewable energy applications. In particular, strain engineering has been demonstrated as a powerful strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of catalysts; however, the required complex catalyst preparation process restricts the implementation of strain engineering. Herein, we report a simple self-template method to prepare hierarchical porous Co3O4 nanowires (PNWs) with tunable compressive strain via thermal-oxidation-transformation of easily prepared oxalic acid-cobalt nitrate (Co(NO3)2) composite nanowires. Based on the complementary theoretical and experimental studies, the selection of proper solvents in the catalyst preparation is not only vital for the hierarchical structural evolution of Co3O4 but also for regulating their compressive surface strain. Because of the rich surface active sites and optimized electronic Co d band centers, the PNWs exhibit the excellent activity and stability for oxygen evolution reaction, delivering a low overpotential of 319 mV at 10 mA·cm−2 in 1 M KOH with a mass loading 0.553 mg·cm−2, which is even better than the noble metal catalyst of RuO2. This work provides a cost-effective example of porous Co3O4 nanowire preparation as well as a promising method for modification of surface strain for the enhanced electrochemical performance.

Enhancing Wavelength Tunability of Photonic Crystal Nanolasers by Waveguide-Like Strain Shapers

In this report, we propose an idea of connecting 1D photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavity with novel waveguide-like strain shapers in a polydimethylsiloxane substrate. In theory, the induced film-edge strain by the strain shapers can significantly enhance the wavelength tunability of PhC nanocavity under different applied stress. By our nanofabrication process, we realize this idea in the form of a tunable nanolaser. In experiments, the nanolaser shows the enhanced wavelength tunability both under stretching and compressive stress. By investigating the effects of PhC periods and length of the strain shapers, we obtain an optimized lasing wavelength tunability of −13.9 nm under every percentage strain variation in experiments. When further taking the 2nd -order mode in the nanocavity into consideration, we observe a wide lasing wavelength tuning range over 160 nm, which takes only the applied strain $\Delta \xi _{tot}$ of ±0.05. In addition to the large wavelength response beneficial for tunable nanolasers and optical strain sensors, we also believe that this waveguide-like strain shapers can serve as the optical interconnections at the same time in the flexible photonic circuits.

Wireless Ti3C2Tx MXene Strain Sensor with Ultrahigh Sensitivity and Designated Working Windows for Soft Exoskeletons.

Emerging soft exoskeletons pose urgent needs for high-performance strain sensors with tunable linear working windows to achieve a high-precision control loop. Still, the state-of-the-art strain sensors require further advances to simultaneously satisfy multiple sensing parameters, including high sensitivity, reliable linearity, and tunable strain ranges. Besides, a wireless sensing system is highly desired to enable facile monitoring of soft exoskeleton in real time, but is rarely investigated. Herein, wireless Ti3C2Tx MXene strain sensing systems were fabricated by developing hierarchical morphologies on piezoresistive layers and incorporating regulatory resistors into circuit designs as well as integrating the sensing circuit with near-field communication (NFC) technology. The wireless MXene sensor system can simultaneously achieve an ultrahigh sensitivity (gauge factor ≥ 14,000) and reliable linearity (R2 ≈ 0.99) within multiple user-designated high-strain working windows (130% to ≥900%). Additionally, the wireless sensing system can collectively monitor the multisegment exoskeleton actuations through a single database channel, largely reducing the data processing loading. We finally integrate the wireless, battery-free MXene e-skin with various soft exoskeletons to monitor the complex actuations that assist hand/leg rehabilitation.

Strain tunable band structure of a new 2D carbon allotrope C568

Recently, C568 has emerged as a new carbon allotrope, which shows semiconducting properties with a band gap around 1 eV and has attracted much attention. In this work, the external strain effects on the electronic properties of C568 have been studied theoretically through first-principle calculations. The numerical results show that while in-plane uniaxial and biaxial strains both reduces the band gap of C568 in case of tensile strain, their effects are quite different in the case of compressive strain. With increasing compressive uniaxial strain, the band gap of C568 first increases, and then dramatically decreases. In contrast, the application of compressive biaxial strain up to –10% only leads to a slight increase of band gap. Moreover, an indirect-to-direct gap transition can be realized under both types of compressive strain. The results also show that the optical anisotropy of C568 can be induced under uniaxial strain, while biaxial strain does not cause such an effect. These results indicate good strain tunability of the band structure of C568, which could be helpful for the design and optimization of C568-based nanodevices.

Guided wave field calculation in anisotropic layered structures using normal mode expansion method

The guided wave technique is commonly used in structural health monitoring as the guided waves can propagate far in the structures without much energy loss. The guided waves are conventionally generated by the surface-mounted piezoelectric wafer active sensor (PWAS). However, there is still lack of understanding of the wave propagation in layered structures, especially in structures made of anisotropic materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. In this paper, the Rayleigh-Lamb wave strain tuning curves in a PWAS-mounted unidirectional CFRP plate are analytically derived using the normal mode expansion (NME) method. The excitation frequency spectrum is then multiplied by the tuning curves to calculate the frequency response spectrum. The corresponding time domain responses are obtained through the inverse Fourier transform. The theoretical calculations are validated through finite element analysis and an experimental study. The PWAS responses under the free, debonded and bonded CFRP conditions are investigated and compared. The results demonstrate that the amplitude and travelling time of wave packet can be used to evaluate the CFRP bonding conditions. The method can work on a baseline-free manner.

Rigid platform for applying large tunable strains to mechanically delicate samples.

Response to uniaxial stress has become a major probe of electronic materials. Tunable uniaxial stress may be applied using piezoelectric actuators, and so far two methods have been developed to couple samples to actuators. In one, actuators apply force along the length of a free, beam-like sample, allowing very large strains to be achieved. In the other, samples are affixed directly to piezoelectric actuators, allowing the study of mechanically delicate materials. Here, we describe an approach that merges the two: thin samples are affixed to a substrate, which is then pressurized uniaxially using piezoelectric actuators. Using this approach, we demonstrate the application of large elastic strains to mechanically delicate samples: the van der Waals-bonded material FeSe and a sample of CeAuSb2 that was shaped with a focused ion beam.

Understanding the role of exchange and correlations in complex oxides under strain and oxide heterostructures

The study of complex oxides and oxide heterostructures has dominated the field of experimental and theoretical condensed matter research for the better part of the last few decades. Powerful experimental techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition have made fabrication of oxide heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces possible, whereas more and more sophisticated handling of exchange and correlations within first principles methods including density functional theory (DFT) supplemented with Hubbard U corrections and hybrid functionals, and beyond DFT techniques such as dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) have made understanding of such correlated oxides and oxide interfaces easier. The emergence of the high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas with fascinating properties such as giant photoconductance, large negative magnetoresistance, superconductivity, ferromagnetism, and the mysterious coexistence of the latter two have indeed caught the attention of condensed matter community at large. Similarly, strain tuning of oxides have generated considerable interest particularly after the recent discovery of piezoelectric methods of strain generation. Theoretical understanding and prediction of the possible exotic phases emerging in such complex oxides both under strain and in heterostructures will eventually lead to better design of device applications in this new emerging field of oxide electronics, along with possible discovery of exotic physics in condensed matter systems, which may be of wider significance! In this review, we briefly look at theoretical studies of novel phenomena in oxides under strain and oxide heterostructure, and try to understand the role of exchange and particularly correlation in giving rise to such exotic electronic states. This review though primarily focuses on the theoretical aspects on understanding the different mechanism of the phenomena of emergence of exotic phases, does provide a unique overview of the experimental literature as well, accompanied by the theoretical understanding such that relevant device applications can be envisaged.

Spin orientation and strain tuning valley polarization with magneto-optic Kerr effects in ferrovalley VS2 monolayer

Recently, two-dimensional ferrovalley materials have attracted increasing interest due to their intrinsic ferromagnetism and valley polarization. The 2H VS2 monolayer is taken as an example, and our calculations indicate that the spin direction and strain can modify its valley splitting while further leading to a strong dependence of the Kerr signals. Moreover, the strain-tuned magnetocrystalline anisotropic energy and magnetostrictive coefficient provide a strong magnetostriction in the 2H VS2 monolayer. These results provide a theoretical reference for practical applications involving valley polarization and magneto-optic Kerr effects in 2D ferrovalley materials.

Two-dimensional clathrate graphene in minimum egg-tray-shape: An ab initio study

The thriving area of synthetic carbon allotropes witnesses theoretic proposals and experimental syntheses of many new two-dimensional ultrathin structures, which are often achieved by careful arrangement of non-hexagon $\mathrm{sp^2}$ defects in graphene. Here, we introduce pyramid $\mathrm{sp^3}$ hybridization into $\mathrm{sp^2}$ network and propose a new carbon polymorph with clathrate pattern and with minimum egg-tray shape (termed as clathrate graphene). Eight symmetrically equivalent $\mathrm{sp^2}$ carbon atoms and two symmetrically equivalent $\mathrm{sp^2}$ carbon atoms in its tetragonal primitive unit cell form two perpendicularly oriented rectangles and four bridging hexagons. Though deformed bond lengths and bond angles, the planar geometry of both tetrarings and hexagons are retained. High percentage and small deformation of hexagons make this metastable $\mathrm{sp^2}$-$\mathrm{sp^3}$ allotrope comparable with pure $\mathrm{sp^2}$ $T$-graphene and penta-graphene in energetics. Exhaustive \textit{ab initio} calculations confirm its dynamical and elastic stabilities, reveal its semiconducting nature with an indirect band gap of 0.90 eV for unstressed sample, and suggest a giant strain tuning effect which endows versatile electronic properties ranging from metallic to semiconducting. Furthermore, we observe multiple von Hove singularities near the Fermi energy.These salient properties may imply potential nanoelectronic applications. These findings help understand structure-property relationship for two-dimensional carbon allotropes, and help search new carbon polymorphs.

Recent Advances of First d-Block Metal-Based Perovskite Oxide Electrocatalysts for Alkaline Water Splitting

First d-block metal-based perovskite oxides (FDMPOs) have garnered significant attention in research for their utilization in the water oxidation reaction due to their low cost, earth abundance, and promising activities. Recently, FDMPOs are being applied in electrocatalysis for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and overall water splitting reaction. Numerous promising FDMPO-based water splitting electrocatalysts have been reported, along with new catalytic mechanisms. Therefore, an in-time summary of the current progress of FDMPO-based water splitting electrocatalysts is now considered imperative. However, few reviews have focused on this particular subject thus far. In this contribution, we review the most recent advances (mainly within the years 2014–2020) of FDMPO electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting, which is widely considered to be the most promising next-generation technology for future large-scale hydrogen production. This review begins with an introduction describing the fundamentals of alkaline water electrolysis and perovskite oxides. We then carefully elaborate on the various design strategies used for the preparation of FDMPO electrocatalysts applied in the alkaline water splitting reaction, including defecting engineering, strain tuning, nanostructuring, and hybridization. Finally, we discuss the current advances of various FDMPO-based water splitting electrocatalysts, including those based on Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, and other first d-block metal-based catalysts. By conveying various methods, developments, perspectives, and challenges, this review will contribute toward the understanding and development of FDMPO electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting.

Strain engineering in single-, bi- and tri-layer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2

Strain is a powerful tool to modify the optical properties of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides like MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2. In this work we provide a thorough description of the technical details to perform uniaxial strain measurements on these two-dimensional semiconductors and we provide a straightforward calibration method to determine the amount of applied strain with high accuracy. We then employ reflectance spectroscopy to analyze the strain tunability of the electronic properties of single-, bi- and tri-layer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2. Finally, we quantify the flake-to-flake variability by analyzing 15 different single-layer MoS2 flakes.