Abstract: The electron bounce resonance heating (BRH) in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas operated in oxygen and argon has been studied by different experimental methods. In comparison with the electropositive argon discharge, the BRH in an electronegative discharge occurs at larger electrode gaps. Kinetic particle simulations reveal that in the oxygen discharge, the bulk electric field becomes quite strong and is out of phase with the sheath field. Therefore, it retards the resonant electrons when traversing the bulk, resulting in a suppressed BRH. This effect becomes more pronounced at lower high-frequency power, when the discharge mode changes from electropositive to electronegative.

Abstract: Epitaxial thin film heterostructures of high dielectric PbZr_1-xTi_xO₃ (PZT) and La_1-xA_xMnO₃ (A-divalent alkaline earth metals such as Sr (LSMO) and Ca (LCMO)) were grown on SrTiO₃ substrates and their structure, temperature dependence of electrical resistivity, and magnetization were investigated as a function of the thickness of the LSMO(LCMO) layer. The microstructures of the samples were analyzed by TEM. By applying an electric field across the PZT layer, we applied a ferrodistortive pressure on the manganite layer and studied the correlations between lattice distortion and electric transport and magnetic properties of the CMR materials.

Abstract: Full ab initio techniques are applied to study the electronic and dynamical properties of free standing, hydrogen-passivated Si/Ge core-shell nanowires oriented along the [110] direction. All studied wires exhibit a direct band gap and are found to be structurally stable. The different contributions of the core and shell atoms to the phonon spectra are identified. The acoustic phonon velocities and the frequencies of some typical optical modes are compared with those of pure Si and Ge nanowires. These depend either on the concentration or on the type of core material. Optical modes are hardened and longitudinal acoustic velocities are softened with decreasing wire diameter.

Abstract: We present a theoretical study of the electronic structure of a heavily Si delta-doped layer in a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs quantum barrier. In this class of structures the effect of DX centers on the electronic properties can be tuned by changing the AlxGa1-xAs barrier width and/or the Al concentration, which leads to a lowering of the DX level with respect to the Fermi energy without disturbing the wave functions much. A self-consistent approach is developed in which the effective confinement potential and the Fermi energy of the system, the energies, the wave functions, and the electron densities of the discrete subbands have been obtained as a function of both the material parameters of the samples and the experimental conditions. The effect of DX centers on such structures at nonzero temperature and under an external pressure is investigated for three different models: (1) the DX(nc)(0) model with no correlation effects, (2) the d(+)/DX(0) model, and (3) the d(+)/DX(-) model with inclusion of correlation effects. In the actual calculation, influences of the background accepters, the discontinuity of the effective mass of the electrons at the interfaces of the different materials, band nonparabolicity, and the exchange-correlation energy of the electrons have been taken into account. We have found that (1) introducing a quantum barrier into delta-doped GaAs makes it possible to control the energy gaps between different electronic; subbands; (2) the electron wave functions are mon spread out when the repellent effect of the barriers is increased as compared to those in delta-doped GaAs; (3) increasing the quantum-barrier height and/or the application of hydrostatic pressure are helpful to experimentally observe the effect of the DX centers through a decrease of the total free-electron density; and (4) the correlation effects of the charged impurities are important for the systems under study.

Abstract: Si nanowires with a ⟨111⟩ orientation, synthesized by vapor-liquid-solid process with low silane partial pressure reactant and gold as the catalyst, are known to exhibit sawtooth facets containing gold adsorbates. We report herein the study of the nanowire morphology by means of transmission electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The nanowires consist of faceted sidewalls. The number of the sidewalls changes from 12 to 6 along the growth axis, giving rise to nanowires with an irregular hexagonal cross section at their base. The sidewalls are covered with Au-rich clusters. Their facets also exhibit atomic structures that reveal the presence of gold, resulting from the diffusion of gold during the growth. Based on these observations, the tapering of the nanowire is found to be related to two contributions: the reduction in the catalyst particle size during the growth and lateral overgrowth from the direct incorporation of Si species onto the nanowire sidewalls. Because the rearrangement of atoms at surfaces and interfaces might affect the growth kinetics, the trigonal symmetry as well as the higher lateral growth rate on the widest sidewalls are explained from the existence of an interfacial atomic structure with two inequivalent parts in the unit cell. Finally, spectroscopic measurements were performed on the major facets and revealed a metallic behavior at 77 K.

Abstract: A one-dimensional fluid model for a dielectric barrier discharge in methane, used as a chemical reactor for gas conversion, is developed. The model describes the gas phase chemistry governing the conversion process of methane to higher hydrocarbons. The spatially averaged densities of the various plasma species as a function of time are discussed. Besides, the conversion of methane and the yields of the reaction products as a function of the residence time in the reactor are shown and compared with experimental data. Higher hydrocarbons (C2Hy and C3Hy) and hydrogen gas are typically found to be important reaction products. Furthermore, the main underlying reaction pathways are determined.

Abstract: We consider a junction between two topological insulators and calculate the properties of the interface states with an effective low-energy Hamiltonian for topological insulators with a single cone on the surface. This system bears a close resemblance to bilayer graphene, as both result from the hybridization of Dirac cones. We find gapless interface states not only when the helicity directions of the topological surface states are oppositely oriented, but they can also exist if they are equally oriented. Furthermore, we find that the existence of the interface states can be understood from the closing of the bulk gap when the helicity changes orientation. Recently superluminal tachyonic excitations were also claimed to exist at the interface between topological insulators. However, here we show that these interface states do not exist. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.115113

Abstract: A combination of infrared spectroscopy and magnetotransport is used to investigate the impurity band and the magnetic-field-induced metal-insulator transition in n-type GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs superlattices. The dropping of the Fermi level from the conduction band into the impurity band upon increasing magnetic field is observed in a sample doped to n=4n(c), where n(c) is the critical density according to the Mott criterion. The metal-insulator transition takes place while the Fermi level is in the impurity band, with no qualitative change from the metallic to the insulating side. Due to the anisotropy of the superlattice band structure, the metal-insulator transition is shifted to higher magnetic field, when the magnetic field is tilted away from the growth axis towards the layer planes.

Abstract: Magnetoreflectivity measurements of the 1s and 2s exciton energies in a CdTe/Cd1-xMnxTe superlattice have been made in magnetic fields up to 45 T, showing the resonant polaron coupling of electrons to LO phonons. Strong reflectivity features are seen for both the 1s and 2s excitons, which show a strong field-dependent spin splitting due to the dilute magnetic barriers. At B-z=0, the 2s exciton feature is observed lying 18 meV above the Is state, and is shifted upward in energy by the magnetic fields. No resonant behavior occurs when the 2s state passes through the LO-phonon energy of 21 meV, but at higher fields of around 20 T, the resonances for both spin states (sigma(+/-)) of the 2s exciton broaden and show a strong anticrossing behavior. These experiments are shown to be in excellent agreement with a theoretical treatment which includes the resonant polaron coupling of the electrons alone. Both experiment and theory demonstrate an extremely strong resonant splitting of the 2s exciton states of approximately 11 meV, which is over 50% of the LO-phonon energy. The dominance of single-particle polaron coupling is attributed to the relative sizes of the polaron (35 Angstrom A) and the exciton (50 Angstrom A) radius.

Abstract: Convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) is used in this study to investigate the stress distribution around shallow trench isolation (STI) structures. Attention is given to the influence of the different processing parameters and the width and spacing of the structures. The use of a wet or a dry pregate oxidation is found to have a strong influence on the stress behavior. Isolated lines show more stress, leading to the formation of defects in the silicon substrate if a wet pregate oxidation is used. The CBED analyses are compared with micro-Raman and bright-field transmission electron microscopy measurements. (C) 2001 The Electrochemical Society.