Abstract: Bilayer (BL) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is one of the most important electronic structures not only in valleytronics but also in realizing twistronic systems on the basis of the topological mosaics in moire superlattices. In this work, BL MoS2 on sapphire substrate with 2H-stacking structure is fabricated. We apply the terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) for examining the basic optoelectronic properties of this kind of BL MoS2. The optical conductivity of BL MoS2 is obtained in temperature regime from 80 K to 280 K. Through fitting the experimental data with the theoretical formula, the key sample parameters of BL MoS2 can be determined, such as the electron density, the electronic relaxation time and the electronic localization factor. The temperature dependence of these parameters is examined and analyzed. We find that, similar to monolayer (ML) MoS2, BL MoS2 with 2H-stacking can respond strongly to THz radiation field and show semiconductor-like optoelectronic features. The theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) can help us to further understand why the THz optoelectronic properties of BL MoS2 differ from those observed for ML MoS2. The results obtained from this study indicate that the THz TDS can be applied suitably to study the optoelectronic properties of BL MoS2 based twistronic systems for novel applications as optical and optoelectronic materials and devices.

Abstract: Silicon-based materials are attractive for thermoelectric applications due to their thermal stability, chemical inertness, and natural abundance of silicon. Here, using a combination of first-principles and Boltzmann transport calculations we report the thermoelectric properties of the recently synthesized compound Mg3Si2Te6. Our analysis reveals that Mg3Si2Te6 is a direct bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap of 1.6 eV. The combination of heavy and light valence bands, along with a high valley degeneracy, results in a large power factor under p-type doping. We also find that Mg is weakly bonded both within and between the layers, leading to low phonon group velocities. The vibrations of the Mg atoms are localized and make a significant contribution to phonon-phonon scattering. This high anharmonicity, coupled with low phonon group velocity, results in a low lattice thermal conductivity of & kappa;(l) = 0.5 W m(-1) K-1 at room temperature, along the cross-plane direction. Combining excellent electronic transport properties and low & kappa;(l), p-type Mg3Si2Te6 achieves figure-of-merit (zT) values greater than 1 at temperatures above 600 K. Specifically, a zT of 2.0 is found at 900 K along the cross-plane direction. Our findings highlight the importance of structural complexity and chemical bonding in electronic and phonon transport, providing guiding insights for further design of Si-based thermoelectrics.

Abstract: Recently, interlayer and intralayer excitons in transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. In spite of a growing interest, these layer-resolved excitons in the presence of external stimuli, such as strain, remain not fully understood. Here, using density-functional theory calculations with many-body effects, we explore the excitonic properties of vertically stacked MoSe2/WSe2 heterobilayer in the presence of in-plane biaxial strain of up to 5%. We calculate the strain dependence of exciton absorption spectrum, oscillator strength, wave function, and binding energy by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation on top of the standard GW approach. We identify the interlayer and intralayer excitons by analyzing their electron-hole weights and spatial wave functions. We show that with the increase in strain magnitude, the absorption spectrum of the interlayer and intralayer excitons is red-shifted and re-ordered, and the binding energies of these layer-resolved excitons decrease monotonically and almost linearly. We derive the sensitivity of exciton binding energy to the applied strain and find that the intralayer excitons are more sensitive to strain than the interlayer excitons. For instance, a sensitivity of -7.9 meV/% is derived for the intra-MoSe2-layer excitons, which is followed by -7.4 meV/% for the intra-WSe2-layer excitons, and by -4.2 meV/% for the interlayer excitons. Our results indicate that interlayer and intralayer excitons in vertically stacked MoSe2/WSe2 heterobilayer are efficiently tunable by in-plane biaxial strain.

Abstract: Ab initio density functional theory (DFT) and DFT plus coherent potential approximation (DFT + CPA) are employed to reveal, respectively, the effect of in-plane strain and site-diagonal disorder on the electronic structure of cubic boron arsenide (BAs). It is demonstrated that tensile strain and static diagonal disorder both reduce the semiconducting one-particle band gap of BAs, and a V-shaped p-band electronic state emerges – enabling advanced valleytronics based on strained and disordered semiconducting bulk crystals. At biaxial tensile strains close to 15% the valence band lineshape relevant for optoelectronics is shown to coincide with one reported for GaAs at low energies. The role played by static disorder on the As sites is to promote p-type conductivity in the unstrained BAs bulk crystal, consistent with experimental observations. These findings illuminate the intricate and interdependent changes in crystal structure and lattice disorder on the electronic degrees of freedom of semiconductors and semimetals.

Abstract: We realize a superconducting nanodevice in which vortex traps in the form of an aluminum square are integrated with a Dayem nanobridge. We perform field cooling of the traps arriving to different vortex configurations, dependent on the applied magnetic field, to demonstrate that the switching current of the bridge is highly sensitive to the presence and location of vortices in the trap. Our measurements exhibit unprecedented precision and ability to detect the first and successive vortex entries into all fabricated traps, from few hundred nm to 2 mu m in size. The experimental results are corroborated by Ginzburg-Landau simulations, which reveal the subtle yet crucial changes in the density of the superconducting condensate in the vicinity of the bridge with every additional vortex entry and relocation inside the trap. An ease of integration and simplicity make our design a convenient platform for studying dynamics of vortices in strongly confining geometries, involving a promise to manipulate vortex states electronically with simultaneous in situ control and monitoring.

Abstract: X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic analyses showed a natural galena (PbS) crystal from Freiberg in Saxony (Germany) to be a single phase specimen [rock salt (NaCl) structure type, space group Fm3m, a = 5.932(1) angstrom] with stoichiometric composition and an enhanced dislocation density (8 approximate to 1011 cm-2). The latter parameter leads to an increase of the electrical resistivity in the high-temperature regime, as well as to the appearance of phonon resonance with a characteristic frequency coPR = 3.8(1) THz. Being in the same range (i.e., 3-5.5 THz) with the sulfur optical modes of highest group velocities, it results in a drastic reduction (by similar to 75%) of thermal conductivity (K) at lower temperatures (i.e., < 100 K), as well as in the appearance of a characteristic minimum in K at T approximate to 30 K. Furthermore, the studied galena is characterized by phonon-drag behavior and by temperature dependent switch of the charge carrier scattering mechanism regime (i.e., scattering on dislocations for T < 100 K, on acoustic phonons for 100 K < T < 170 K and on both acoustic and optical phonons for 170 K < T < 300 K). The combined theoretical calculation and optical spectroscopic study confirm this mineral to be a direct gap degenerate semiconductor. The possible origins of the second-order Raman spectrum are discussed.

Abstract: We explore the influence of strain on the valley-polarized transmission of graphene by employing the wave-function matching and the non-equilibrium Green's function technique. When the transmission is along the armchair direction, we show that the valley polarization and transmission can be improved by increasing the width of the strained region and increasing (decreasing) the extensional strain in the armchair (zigzag) direction. It is noted that the shear strain does not affect transmission and valley polarization. Furthermore, when we consider the smooth strain barrier, the valley-polarized transmission can be enhanced by increasing the smoothness of the strain barrier. We hope that our finding can shed new light on constructing graphene-based valleytronic and quantum computing devices by solely employing strain.

Abstract: Electrocatalysts play a pivotal role in advancing the application of water splitting for hydrogen production. This research unveils the potential of defective biphenylenes as high-efficiency catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Using first-principles simulations, we systematically investigated the structure, stability, and catalytic performance of defective biphenylenes. Our findings unveil that defect engineering significantly enhances the electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution. Specifically, biphenylene with a double-vacancy defect exhibits an outstanding Gibbs free energy of -0.08 eV, surpassing that of Pt, accompanied by a remarkable exchange current density of -3.08 A cm(-2), also surpassing that of Pt. Furthermore, we find the preference for the Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism in the hydrogen evolution reaction, with a low energy barrier of 0.80 eV. This research provides a promising avenue for developing novel metal-free electrocatalysts for water splitting with earth-abundant carbon elements, making a significant step toward sustainable hydrogen production.

Abstract: Herein, we investigate the DDT (1-dodecanethiol) functionalization of exfoliated MoS2 by using experimental and theoretical tools. For the functionalization of MoS2, DDT treatment was incorporated into the conventional NMP (N-methyl pyrrolidone) exfoliation procedure. Afterward, it has been demonstrated that the functionalization process is successful through optical, morphological and theoretical analysis. The D, G and 2LA peaks seen in the Raman spectrum of exfoliated NMP-MoS2 particles, indicate the formation of graphitic species on MoS2 sheets. In addition, as the DDT ratio increases, the vacant sites on MoS2 sheets diminish. Moreover, at an optimized ratio of DDT-NMP, the maximum number of graphitic quantum dots (GQDs) is observed on MoS2 nanosheets. Specifically, the STEM and AFM data confirm that GQDs reside on the MoS2 nano-sheets and also that the particle size of the DDT-MoS2 is mostly fixed, while the NMP-MoS2 show many smaller and distributed sizes. The comparison of PL intensities of the NMP-MoS2 and DDT-MoS2 samples states a 10-fold increment is visible, and a 60-fold increment in NIR region photoluminescent properties. Moreover, our results lay out understanding and perceptions on the surface and edge chemistry of exfoliated MoS2 and open up more opportunities for MoS2 and GQD particles with broader applications.

Abstract: Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is considered as an ideal semiconductor material for solid-state neutron detector, owing to its large neutron scattering section because of the low atomic number of B and excellent physical properties. Here we study the influence of neutron irradiation on crystal structure and on intermediate energy state (IMES) levels induced by the presence of impurities and defects in hBN. Large-size and thick pyrolytic and hot-pressed hBN (PBN and HBN) samples, which can be directly applied for neutron detector devices, are prepared and bombarded by neutrons with different irradiation fluences. The SEM and TEM are used to observe the sample difference of PBN and HBN. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy are applied to examine the influence of neutron irradiation on lattice structures along different crystal directions of PBN and HBN samples. Photoluminescence (PL) is employed to study the effect of neutron irradiation on IMESs in these samples. We find that the neutron irradiation does not alter the in-plane lattice structures of both PBN and HBN samples, but it can release the inter-layer tensions induced by sample growth of the PBN samples. Interestingly and surprisingly, the neutron irradiation does not affect the IMES levels responsible for PL generation, where PL is attributed mainly from phonon-assisted radiative electron-hole coupling for both PBN and HBN samples. Furthermore, the results indicate that the neutron irradiation can weaken the effective carrier-phonon coupling and exciton transitions in PBN and HBN samples. Overall, both PBN and HBN samples show some degree of the resistance to neutron irradiation in terms of these basic physical properties. The interesting and important findings from this work can help us to gain an in-depth understanding of the influence of neutron irradiation on basic physical properties of hBN materials. These effects can be taken into account when designing and applying the hBN materials for neutron detectors.

Abstract: In this paper, we examined the effects of proximity-induced interactions such as Rashba spin-orbit coupling and effective Zeeman fields (EZFs) on the optical spectrum of n-type and p-type monolayer (ML)-MoS2. The optical conductivity is evaluated using the standard Kubo formula under random-phase approximation by including the effective electron-electron interaction. It has been found that there exist two absorption peaks in n-type ML-MoS2 and two knife shaped absorptions in p-type ML-MoS2, which are contributed by the inter-subband spin-flip electronic transitions within conduction and valence bands at valleys K and K ' with a lifted valley degeneracy. The optical absorptions in n-type and p-type ML-MoS 2 occur in THz and infrared radiation regimes and the position, height, and shape of them can be effectively tuned by Rashba parameter, EZF parameters, and carrier density. The interesting theoretical predictions in this study would be helpful for the experimental observation of the optical absorption in infrared to THz bandwidths contributed by inter-subband spin-flip electronic transitions in a lifted valley degeneracy monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides system. The obtained results indicate that ML-MoS2 with the platform of proximity interactions make it a promising infrared and THz material for optics and optoelectronics.

Abstract: The superconducting properties of two recently synthesized ternary silicides with unit formula X₄CoSi (X = Nb, Ta) are investigated through ab initio calculations combined with Eliashberg theory. Interestingly, their crystal structure comprises interlocking honeycomb networks of Nb/Ta atoms. Nb₄CoSi is found to harbor better conditions for phonon-mediated superconductivity, as it possesses a higher density of states at the Fermi level, fostering stronger electron-phonon coupling. The superconducting critical temperatures (T_c) follow the same trend, with Nb₄CoSi having a twice higher value than Ta₄CoSi. Furthermore, the calculated T_c values (5.9 K vs 3.1 K) agree excellently with the experimentally obtained ones, establishing superconductivity in this new materials class as mediated by the electron-phonon coupling. Furthermore, my calculations show that the superconducting properties of these compounds do not simply correlate with the parameters of their honeycomb networks, contrary to proposals raised in the literature. Rather, their complete fermiology and phonon spectrum should be taken into account in order to explain their respective superconducting properties.

Abstract: Structural and electronic properties of silicon and germanium monolayers with two different diamondoid crystal structures are detailed ab initio. Our results show that, despite Si and Ge being well-known indirect gap semiconductors in their bulk form, their adamantane and diamantane monolayers can exhibit optically active direct gap in the visible frequency range, with highly anisotropic effective masses, depending on the monolayer crystal structure. Moreover, we reveal that gaps in these materials are highly tunable with applied strain. These stable monolayer forms of Si and Ge are therefore expected to help bridging the gap between the fast growing area of opto-electronics in two-dimensional materials and the established silicon-based technologies.

Abstract: This study focuses on optimizing the composition and firing temperature of porcelain tiles using statistical analysis techniques. A full factorial design, including model adequacy checking, analysis of variance, Pareto charts, interaction plots, regression model, and response optimizer is employed. The key factors were the Seger ratios of SiO2/Al2O3, Na2O/K2O, MgO/CaO, and firing temperature. The response variables investigated were bulk density, water absorption, linear shrinkage, coefficient of thermal expansion (at 500 degrees C), and strength. The statistical analysis revealed highly significant results, which were further validated, confirming their reliability for practical use in the production of porcelain tiles. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing Seger formulas and properties of typical raw materials to accurately predict the final properties of ceramic tiles. By employing SiO2/Al2O3 = 5.2, Na2O/K2O = 1.50, MgO/CaO = 3.0, and firing temperature of 1180 degrees C, optimized properties, such as maximum strength, maximum bulk density, and minimum water absorption, was achieved with a composite desirability of 0.9821.

Abstract: The peculiar potential transition metal dichalcogenides in regard to sensor and device applications have been exhibited by both experimental and theoretical studies. The use of these materials, thermodynamically stable even at elevated temperatures, particularly in nano- and optoelectronic technology, is about to come true. On the other hand, the distinct electronic and thermal transport properties possessing unique coherency, which may result in higher thermoelectric efficiency, have also been reported. However, exploiting this potential in terms of power generation and cooling applications requires a deeper understanding of these materials in this regard. This perspective study, concentrated with this intention, summarizes thermoelectric research based on transition metal dichalcogenides from a broad perspective and also provides a general evaluation of future theoretical investigations inevitable to shed more light on the physics of electronic and thermal transport in these materials and to lead future experimental research.