Abstract: When confined between graphene layers, water behaves differently from the bulk and exhibits unusual properties such as fast water flow and ordering into a crystal. The hydrogen-bonded network is affected by the limited space and by the characteristics of the confining walls. The presence of an extraordinary number of hydronium and hydroxide ions in narrow channels has the following effects: (i) they affect water permeation through the channel, (ii) they may interact with functional groups on the graphene oxide surface and on the edges, and (iii) they change the thermochemistry of water, which are fundamentally important to understand, especially when confined water is subjected to an external electric field. Here we study the physical properties of water when confined between two graphene sheets and containing hydronium and hydroxide. We found that: (i) there is a disruption in the solvation structure of the ions, which is also affected by the layered structure of confined water, (ii) hydronium and hydroxide occupy specific regions inside the nanochannel, with a prevalence of hydronium (hydroxide) ions at the edges (interior), and (iii) ions recombine more slowly in confined systems than in bulk water, with the recombination process depending on the channel height and commensurability between the size of the molecules and the nanochannel height – a decay of 20% (40%) in the number of ions in 8 ps is observed for a channel height of h = 7 angstrom (bulk water). Our work reveals distinctive properties of water confined in a nanocapillary in the presence of additional hydronium and hydroxide ions.

Abstract: Structural symmetry breaking in two-dimensional materials can lead to superior physical properties and introduce an additional degree of piezoelectricity. In the present paper, we propose three structural phases (1H, 1T, and 1T') of Janus WXO (X = S, Se, and Te) monolayers and investigate their vibrational, thermal, elastic, piezoelectric, and electronic properties by using first-principles methods. Phonon spectra analysis reveals that while the 1H phase is dynamically stable, the 1T phase exhibits imaginary frequencies and transforms to the distorted 1T' phase. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations confirm that 1H- and 1T'-WXO monolayers are thermally stable even at high temperatures without any significant structural deformations. Different from binary systems, additional Raman active modes appear upon the formation of Janus monolayers. Although the mechanical properties of 1H-WXO are found to be isotropic, they are orientation dependent for 1T'-WXO. It is also shown that 1H-WXO monolayers are indirect band-gap semiconductors and the band gap narrows down the chalcogen group. Except 1T'-WSO, 1T'-WXO monolayers have a narrow band gap correlated with the Peierls distortion. The effect of spin-orbit coupling on the band structure is also examined for both phases and the alteration in the band gap is estimated. The versatile mechanical and electronic properties of Janus WXO monolayers together with their large piezoelectric response imply that these systems are interesting for several nanoelectronic applications.

Abstract: We have calculated analytically the spatial distribution of the electric field and current density, and obtained the Joule heat generation rate in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) subjected to a non-homogeneous magnetic field of a 'chess' configuration. The generation of the Joule heat from the 2DEG is mainly concentrated near the singular corners of each 'chess' field and tends to zero in other corners. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The influence of random pinning on the vortex dynamics in a periodic square potential under an external drive is investigated. Using numerical experiments and theoretical approach, we found several dynamical regimes of vortex motion that are different from the ones for a regular pinning potential. Vortex transfer is controlled by kinks and antikinks, which either pre-exist in the system or appear spontaneously in pairs and then propagate. When kinks and antikinks collide, they annihilate. We provide clear physical interpretations of the observed features.

Abstract: We review the transmission properties of carriers interacting with potential barriers in graphene. The tunneling of electrons and holes in quantum structures in graphene is found to display features that are in marked contrast with those of other systems. In particular, the interaction between the carriers with electrostatic potential barriers can be related to the propagation of electromagnetic waves in media with negative refraction indices, also known as metamaterials. This behavior becomes evident as one calculates the time evolution of wavepackets propagating across the barrier interface. In addition, we discuss the effect of trigonal warping on the tunneling through potential barriers.

Abstract: We show that the transmission through single and double δ-function potential barriers of strength P=VWb/ℏvF in bilayer graphene is periodic in P with period π. For a certain range of P values we find states that are bound to the potential barrier and that run along the potential barrier. Similar periodic behavior is found for the conductance. The spectrum of a periodic succession of δ-function barriers (Kronig-Penney model) in bilayer graphene is periodic in P with period 2π. For P smaller than a critical value Pc, the spectrum exhibits two Dirac points while for P larger than Pc an energy gap opens. These results are extended to the case of a superlattice of δ-function barriers with P alternating in sign between successive barriers; the corresponding spectrum is periodic in P with period π.

Abstract: The electron energy spectrum in monolayer-bilayer-monolayer and in bilayer-monolayer-bilayer graphene structures is investigated and the effects of a perpendicular magnetic field and electric bias are studied. Different types of monolayer-bilayer interfaces are considered as zigzag (ZZ) or armchair (AC) junctions which modify considerably the bulk Landau levels (LLs) when the spectra are plotted as a function of the center coordinate of the cyclotron orbit. Far away from the two interfaces, one obtains the well-known LLs for extended monolayer or bilayer graphene. The LL structure changes significantly at the two interfaces or junctions where the valley degeneracy is lifted for both types of junctions, especially when the distance between them is approximately equal to the magnetic length. Varying the nonuniform bias and the width of this junction-to-junction region in either structure strongly influence the resulting spectra. Significant differences exist between ZZ and AC junctions in both structures. The densities of states (DOSs) for unbiased structures are symmetric in energy whereas those for biased structures are asymmetric. An external bias creates interface LLs in the gaps between the LLs of the unbiased system in which the DOS can be quite small. Such a pattern of LLs can be probed by scanning tunneling microscopy.

Abstract: The effect of electron-impurity and electron-electron interactions on the energy spectrum of electrons moving in graphene is investigated in the presence of a high magnetic field. We find that the width of the broadened Landau levels exhibits an approximate 1/B dependence near half filling for charged impurity scattering. The Landau-level width, the density of states, and the Fermi energy exhibit an oscillatory behavior as a function of magnetic field. Comparison with experiment shows that scattering with charged impurities cannot be the main scattering mechanism that determines the width of the Landau levels.

Abstract: Density functional theory calculations are used to study gas adsorption properties of a recently synthesized CaO monolayer, which is found to be thermodynamically stable in its buckled form. Due to its topology and strong interaction with the CO2 molecules, this material possesses a remarkably high CO2 uptake capacity (similar to 0.4 g CO2 per g adsorbent). The CaO + CO2 system shows excellent thermal stability (up to 1000 K). Moreover, the material is highly selective towards CO2 against other major greenhouse gases such as CH4 and N2O. These advantages make this material a very promising candidate for CO2 capture and storage applications.

Abstract: We show in the case of a superconducting Nb ladder that a mesoscopic superconductor typically exhibits magnetoresistance oscillations whose amplitude and temperature dependence are different from those stemming from the Little-Parks effect. We demonstrate that these large resistance oscillations (as well as the monotonic background on which they are superimposed) are due to current-excited moving vortices, where the applied current in competition with the oscillating Meissner currents imposes or removes the barriers for vortex motion in an increasing magnetic field. Because of the ever present current in transport measurements, this effect should be considered in parallel with the Little-Parks effect in low-critical temperature (T-c) samples, as well as with recently proposed thermal activation of dissipative vortex-antivortex pairs in high-T-c samples.

Abstract: Using atomistic simulations, we determine the roughness and the thermal properties of a suspended graphane sheet. As compared to graphene, we found that (i) hydrogenated graphene has a larger thermal contraction, (ii) the roughness exponent at room temperature is smaller, i.e., ≃ 1.0 versus ≃ 1.2 for graphene, (iii) the wavelengths of the induced ripples in graphane cover a wide range corresponding to length scales in the range 30125 Å at room temperature, and (iv) the heat capacity of graphane is estimated to be 29.32±0.23 J/mol K, which is 14.8% larger than that for graphene, i.e., 24.98±0.14 J/mol K. Above 1500 K, we found that graphane buckles when its edges are supported in the x-y plane.