Abstract: The electronic band alignment in semiconductor heterostructures is a key factor for their use in electronic applications. The alignment problem has been intensively studied for bulk systems but is less well understood for low-dimensional heterostructures. In this work we investigate the alignment in two-dimensional lateral heterostructures. First-principles calculations are used to show that the electronic band offset depends crucially on the width and thickness of the heterostructure slab. The particular heterostructures under study consist of thin hydrogenated and fluorinated diamond slabs which are laterally joined together. Two different limits for the band offset are observed. For infinitely wide heterostructures the vacuum potential above the two materials is aligned leading to a large step potential within the heterostructure. For infinitely thick heterostructure slabs, on the other hand, there is no potential step in the heterostructure bulk, but a large potential step in the vacuum region above the heterojunction is observed. The band alignment in finite systems depends on the particular dimensions of the system. These observations are shown to result from an interface dipole at the heterojunction that tends to align the band structures.

Abstract: The water-gas-shift reaction (WGSR) is an important industrial process that can be significantly enhanced at suitable catalyst surfaces. In this work, we investigate the catalytic behavior of metallic Cu(1 0 0) and bimetallic Cu–Au(1 0 0) surfaces. With density functional theory calculations, the variation in the Gibbs free energy (ΔG°), the activation barriers, and the rate constants for the WGSR are calculated. The variation in ΔG° for water dissociation shows that the process is spontaneous up to 520 K on the bimetallic surface and up to 229 K on the Cu(1 0 0) surface. The calculated rate constants for the process also show that the bimetallic surface is much more reactive than the Cu(1 0 0) surface. The calculated pressure–temperature phase diagram for water dissociation shows that the partial pressure of H2O required for water dissociation on the bimetallic surface is substantially lower than that on the Cu(1 0 0) surface at all the studied temperatures. Additionally, the calculations demonstrate that the kinetics of the water-gas-shift reaction is dominated by redox processes on both the surfaces.

Abstract: Water confined between two graphene layers with a separation of a few A forms a layered two-dimensional ice structure. Using large scale molecular dynamics simulations with the adoptable ReaxFF interatomic potential we found that flat monolayer ice with a rhombic-square structure nucleates between the graphene layers which is nonpolar and nonferroelectric. We provide different energetic considerations and H-bonding results that explain the interlayer and intralayer properties of two-dimensional ice. The controversial AA stacking found experimentally [Algara-Siller et al., Nature (London) 519, 443 (2015)] is consistent with our minimum-energy crystal structure of bilayer ice. Furthermore, we predict that an odd number of layers of ice has the same lattice structure as monolayer ice, while an even number of ice layers exhibits the square ice AA stacking of bilayer ice.

Abstract: The electron states in axially symmetric quantum wires are computed by means of the effective-mass Schrodinger equation, which is written in cylindrical coordinates phi, rho, and z. We show that a direct discretization of the Schrodinger equation by central finite differences leads to a non-symmetric Hamiltonian matrix. Because diagonalization of such matrices is more complex it is advantageous to transform it in a symmetric form. This can be done by the Liouville-like transformation proposed by Rizea et al. (2008), which replaces the wave function psi(rho) with the function F(rho) = psi(rho)root rho and transforms the Hamiltonian accordingly. Even though a symmetric Hamiltonian matrix is produced by this procedure, the computed wave functions are found to be inaccurate near the origin, and the accuracy of the energy levels is not very high. In order to improve on this, we devised a finite-difference scheme which discretizes the Schrodinger equation in the first step, and then applies the Liouville-like transformation to the difference equation. Such a procedure gives a symmetric Hamiltonian matrix, resulting in an accuracy comparable to the one obtained with the finite element method. The superior efficiency of the new finite-difference scheme (FDM) is demonstrated for a few p-dependent one-dimensional potentials which are usually employed to model the electron states in free-standing and core shell quantum wires. The new scheme is compared with the other FDM schemes for solving the effective-mass Schrodinger equation, and is found to deliver energy levels with much smaller numerical error for all the analyzed potentials. It also gives more accurate results than the scheme of Rizea et al., except for the ground state of an infinite rectangular potential in freestanding quantum wires. Moreover, the PT symmetry is invoked to explain similarities and differences between the considered FDM schemes. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Ultranarrow superconductors are in the strong quantum confinement regime with formation of multiple coherent condensates associated with the many subbands of the electronic structure. Here, we analyze the multiband BCS-BEC crossover induced by the chemical potential tuned close to a subband bottom, in correspondence of a superconducting shape resonance. The evolution of the condensate fraction and of the pair correlation length in the ground state as functions of the chemical potential demonstrates the tunability of the BCS-BEC crossover for the condensate component of the selected subband. The extension of the crossover regime increases when the pairing strength and/or the characteristic energy of the interaction get larger. Our results indicate the coexistence of large and small Cooper pairs in the crossover regime, leading to the optimal parameter configuration for high transition temperature superconductivity.

Abstract: The structural transitions of the ground state of a system of repulsively interacting particles confined in a quasi-one-dimensional channel, and the effect of the interparticle interaction as well as the functional form of the confinement potential on those transitions are investigated. Although the nonsequential ordering of transitions (non-SOT), i.e., the 1 – 2 – 4 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ... sequence of chain configurations with increasing density, is widely robust as predicted in a number of theoretical studies, the sequential ordering of transitions (SOT), i.e., the 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ... chain, is found as the ground state for long-ranged interparticle interaction and hard-wall-like confinement potentials. We found an energy barrier between every two different phases around its transition point, which plays an important role in the preference of the system to follow either a SOT or a non-SOT. However, that preferential transition requires also the stability of the phases during the transition. Additionally, we analyze the effect of a small structural disorder on the transition between the two phases around its transition point. Our results show that a small deformation of the triangular structure changes dramatically the picture of the transition between two phases, removing in a considerable region the non-SOT in the system. This feature could explain the fact that the non-SOT is, up to now, not observed in experimental systems, and suggests a more advanced experimental setup to detect the non-SOT.

Abstract: Conventional junctionless (JL) multi/gate (MuG) field-effect transistors (FETs) require extremely scaled channels to deliver high on-state current with low short-channel effect related leakage. In this letter, using ultra-thin 2D materials (e.g., monolayer MoS2), we present comparison of short-channel effects in JL, and inversion-mode (IM) FETs. We show that JL FETs exhibit better sub-threshold slope (S.S.) and drain-induced-barrier-lowering (DIBL) in comparison to IM FETs due to reduced peak electric field at the junctions. But, threshold voltage (VT) roll-off with channel length downscaling is found to be significantly higher in JL FETs than IM FETs, due to higher source/drain controlled charges (dE/dx) in the channel. Further, we show that although VT roll-off in JL FETs improves by increasing the gate control, i.e., by scaling the oxide, or channel thickness, the sensitivity of threshold voltage on structural parameters is found out to be high. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.

Abstract: Mixed magnetism (the coexistence of strong and weak magnetism in one material) is regarded as the origin of the giant magnetocaloric effect (GMCE). A good example is (Mn,Fe)(2)(Si,P), which is established as one of the best magnetocaloric materials available. Tuning the material properties are essential for optimizing its performance, and a straightforward way to do that is by doping. In this article, an ab initio electronic structure method was used to calculate the structure and magnetic properties of 3d-transition-metal-doped (Mn,Fe)(2)(Si,P) materials for magnetocaloric applications (transition metals are Cr, Co, Mn, Ni, Cu). For a steady performance, the material should be mechanically stable. A detailed analysis of the elastic constants shows that the mechanical stability of the (Mn,Fe)(2)(Si,P) system increases significantly by doping with boron without affecting the magnetic properties. Insights of the influence of doping enable future studies to understand and predict bettermagnetocaloric materials.

Abstract: Motivated by the recent synthesis of single layer TiSe2, we used state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations, to investigate the structural and electronic properties of zigzag and armchair-edged nanoribbons (NRs) of this material. Our analysis reveals that, differing from ribbons of other ultra-thin materials such as graphene, TiSe2 NRs have some distinctive properties. The electronic band gap of the NRs decreases exponentially with the width and vanishes for ribbons wider than 20 angstrom. For ultranarrow zigzag-edged NRs we find odd-even oscillations in the band gap width, although their band structures show similar features. Moreover, our detailed magnetic-ground-state analysis reveals that zigzag and armchair edged ribbons have non-magnetic ground states. Passivating the dangling bonds with hydrogen at the edges of the structures influences the band dispersion. Our results shed light on the characteristic properties of T phase NRs of similar crystal structures.

Abstract: We reveal the emergence of metallicKondo clouds in an atomistic carbon quantum dot, realized as a single-atom junction in a suitably patterned graphene nanoflake. Using density functional dynamical mean-field theory (DFDMFT) we show how correlation effects lead to striking features in the electronic structure of our device, and how those are enhanced by the electron-electron interactions when graphene is patterned at the atomistic scale. Our setup provides a well-controlled environment to understand the principles behind the orbital-selective Kondo physics and the interplay between orbital and spin degrees of freedom in carbon-based nanomaterials, which indicate new pathways for spintronics in atomically patterned graphene.

Abstract: Often real samples of graphene consist of islands of both monolayer and bilayer graphene. Bound states in such hybrid quantum dots are investigated for (i) a circular single-layer graphene quantum dot surrounded by an infinite bilayer graphene sheet and (ii) a circular bilayer graphene quantum dot surrounded by an infinite single-layer graphene. Using the continuum model and applying zigzag boundary conditions at the single-layer-bilayer graphene interface, we obtain analytical results for the energy levels and the corresponding wave spinors. Their dependence on perpendicular magnetic and electric fields are studied for both types of quantum dots. The energy levels exhibit characteristics of interface states, and we find anticrossings and closing of the energy gap in the presence of a bias potential.

Abstract: Efficient quantum mechanical simulation of tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) is indispensable to allow for an optimal configuration identification. We therefore present a full-zone 15-band quantum mechanical solver based on the envelope function formalism and employing a spectral method to reduce computational complexity and handle spurious solutions. We demonstrate the versatility of the solver by simulating a 40 nm wide In0.53Ga0.47As lineTFET and comparing it to p-n-i-n configurations with various pocket and body thicknesses. We find that the lineTFET performance is not degraded compared to semi-classical simulations. Furthermore, we show that a suitably optimized p-n-i-n TFET can obtain similar performance to the lineTFET. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Abstract: Using density functional theory, we study the electronic properties of a graphene-silicene bilayer (GSB). A single layer of silicene binds to the graphene layer with adhesion energy of about 25 meV/atom. This adhesion energy between the two layers follows accurately the well-known -1/z(2) dispersion energy as found between two infinite parallel plates. In small flakes of GSB with hydrogenated edges, negative charge is transferred from the graphene layer to the silicene layer, producing a permanent and a switchable polar bilayer, while in an infinite GSB, the negative charge is transferred from the silicene layer to the graphene layer. The graphene-silicene bilayer is a good candidate for a nanocapacitor with piezoelectric capabilities. We found that the permanent dipole of the bilayer can be tuned by an external perpendicular electric field.

Abstract: Using the tight-binding approach, we investigate confined states in two different hybrid monolayer-bilayer systems: (i) a hexagonal monolayer area surrounded by bilayer graphene in the presence of a perpendicularly applied electric field and (ii) a hexagonal bilayer graphene dot surrounded by monolayer graphene. The dependence of the energy levels on dot size and external magnetic field is calculated. We find that the energy spectrum for quantum dots with zigzag edges consists of states inside the gap which range from dot-localized states, edge states, to mixed states coexisting together, whereas for dots with armchair edges, only dot-localized states are observed.