Abstract: We present the growth and optimization of ultralow loss Si-based Al2O3 planar waveguides, which have a high potential to boost the performance of rare-earth ion doped waveguide devices operating at visible and C-band wavelength ranges. The planar waveguide structures are grown using thermal atomic layer deposition. Systematic characterization of the obtained thin films is performed by spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, and the optimum parameters are identified. The optical loss measurements for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic polarized light at 633, 829, and 1549 nm are performed. The lowest propagation loss value of 0.04 +/- 0.02 dB/cm for the Al2O3 waveguides for TE polarization at 1549 nm is demonstrated.

Abstract: The theoretical investigation on structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of zinc-blende (ZB) AgI were carried out employing first principles density functional theory calculations. Thermoelectric properties then were predicted through semi-classical Boltzmann transport equations within the constant relaxation time approximation. Equilibrium lattice parameter, bulk modulus, elastic constants, and vibrational properties were calculated by using generalized gradient approximation. Calculated properties are in good agreement with available experimental values. Electronic and thermoelectric properties were investigated both with and without considering spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect which is found to have a strong influence on p-type Seebeck coefficient as well as the power factor of the ZB-AgI. By inclusion of SOC, a reduction of the band-gap and p-type Seebeck coefficients as well as the power factor was found which is the indication of that spin-orbit interaction cannot be ignored for p-type thermoelectric properties of the ZB-AgI. By using deformation potential theory for electronic relaxation time and experimentally predicted lattice thermal conductivity, we obtained aZTvalue 1.69 (0.89) at 400 K for n-type (p-type) carrier concentration of 1.5 x 10(18)(4.6 x10(19)) cm(-3)that makes ZB-AgI as a promising room temperature thermoelectric material.

Abstract: Predicting the mechanical and thermal properties of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalco-genides (TMDs) is an essential task necessary for their implementation in device applications. Although rigorous density-functional-theory-based calculations are able to predict mechanical and electronic properties, mostly they are limited to zero temperature. Classical molecular dynamics facilitates the investigation of temperature-dependent properties, but its performance highly depends on the potential used for defining interactions between the atoms. In this study, we calculated temperature-dependent phonon properties of single-layer TMDs, namely, MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2, by utilizing Stillinger-Weber-type potentials with optimized sets of parameters with respect to the first-principles results. The phonon lifetimes and contribution of each phonon mode in thermal conductivities in these monolayer crystals are systematically investigated by means of the spectralenergy-density method based on molecular dynamics simulations. The obtained results from this approach are in good agreement with previously available results from the Green-Kubo method. Moreover, detailed analysis of lattice thermal conductivity, including temperature-dependent mode decomposition through the entire Brillouin zone, shed more light on the thermal properties of these 2D crystals. The LA and TA acoustic branches contribute most to the lattice thermal conductivity, while ZA mode contribution is less because of the quadratic dispersion around the Brillouin zone center, particularly in MoSe2 due to the phonon anharmonicity, evident from the redshift, especially in optical modes, by increasing temperature. For all the considered 2D crystals, the phonon lifetime values are compelled by transition metal atoms, whereas the group velocity spectrum is dictated by chalcogen atoms. Overall, the lattice thermal conductivity is linearly proportional with inverse temperature.

Abstract: Various theoretical and experimental methods are utilized to investigate the thermal conductivity of nanostructured materials; this is a critical parameter to increase performance of thermoelectric devices. Among these methods, equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) is an accurate technique to predict lattice thermal conductivity. In this study, by means of systematic EMD simulations, thermal conductivity of bulk Si-Ge structures (pristine, alloy and superlattice) and their nanostructured one dimensional forms with square and circular cross-section geometries (asymmetric and symmetric) are calculated for different crystallographic directions. A comprehensive temperature analysis is evaluated for selected structures as well. The results show that one-dimensional structures are superior candidates in terms of their low lattice thermal conductivity and thermal conductivity tunability by nanostructuring, such as by diameter modulation, interface roughness, periodicity and number of interfaces. We find that thermal conductivity decreases with smaller diameters or cross section areas. Furthermore, interface roughness decreases thermal conductivity with a profound impact. Moreover, we predicted that there is a specific periodicity that gives minimum thermal conductivity in symmetric superlattice structures. The decreasing thermal conductivity is due to the reducing phonon movement in the system due to the effect of the number of interfaces that determine regimes of ballistic and wave transport phenomena. In some nanostructures, such as nanowire superlattices, thermal conductivity of the Si/Ge system can be reduced to nearly twice that of an amorphous silicon thermal conductivity. Additionally, it is found that one crystal orientation, <100>, is better than the <111> crystal orientation in one-dimensional and bulk SiGe systems. Our results clearly point out the importance of lattice thermal conductivity engineering in bulk and nanostructures to produce high-performance thermoelectric materials.

Abstract: Molybdenum carbide has various applications for which studying the material using classical molecular dynamics simulations would be valuable. Here, we develop an empirical potential within the Tersoff formalism using particle swarm optimization for the orthorhombic phase of Mo2C. The developed potential is shown to predict lattice constants, elastic properties, and equation of state results that are consistent with current and previously reported results from experiments and first principles calculations. We demonstrate the potential with simulations of indentation using multiple indenter sizes that load and unload in three different directions relative to the crystallographic lattice of orthorhombic Mo2C. Direction-dependent force-displacement trends are analyzed and explained in terms of the spatial distributions of stress and strain within the material during indentation. This study reveals the anisotropic elasticity of orthorhombic Mo2C and, more generally, provides researchers with a new empirical potential that can be used to explore the properties and behavior of the material going forward.

Abstract: We detail the effects of Cl and S functionalization on the superconducting properties of layered (bulk) and monolayer niobium carbide (Nb2C) MXene crystals, based on first-principles calculations combined with Eliashberg theory. For bulk layered Nb2CCl2, the calculated superconducting transition temperature (T-c) is in very good agreement with the recently measured value of 6 K. We show that T-c is enhanced to 10 K for monolayer Nb2CCl2, due to an increase in the density of states at the Fermi level, and the corresponding electron-phonon coupling. We further demonstrate feasible gate- and strain-induced enhancements of T-c for both bulk-layered and monolayer Nb2CCl2 crystals, resulting in T-c values of around 38 K. In the S-functionalized Nb2CCl2 crystals, our calculations reveal the importance of phonon softening in understanding their superconducting properties. Finally, we predict that Nb3C2S2 in bulk-layered and monolayer forms is also superconducting, with a T-c of around 28 K. Considering that Nb2C is not superconducting in pristine form, our findings promote functionalization as a pathway towards robust superconductivity in MXenes.

Abstract: The atomically laminated layered ternary transition-metal borides (the MAB phases) have demonstrated outstanding properties and have been applied in various fields. Understanding their thermal and mechanical properties is critical to determining their applicability in various fields such as high-temperature applications. To achieve this, we conducted first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory and the quasiharmonic approximation to determine the thermal expansion coefficients, Gruneisen parameters, bulk moduli, hardness, thermal conductivity, electron-phonon coupling parameters, and the structural and vibrational properties of MoAlB, WAlB, Cr2AlB2, and Ti2InB2. We found varying degrees of anisotropy in the thermal expansion and mechanical properties in spite of similarities in their crystal structures. MoAlB has a mild degree of anisotropy in its thermal expansion coefficient (TEC), while Cr2AlB2 and WAlB display the highest level of TEC anisotropy. We assessed various empirical models to calculate hardness and thermal conductivity, and correlated the calculated values with the material properties such as elastic moduli, Gruneisen parameter, Debye temperature, and type of bonding. Owing to their higher Gruneisen parameters, implying a greater degree of anharmonicity in lattice vibrations and lower phonon group velocities, MoAlB and WAlB have significantly lower lattice thermal conductivity values than those of Cr2AlB2 and Ti2InB2. The hardness and lattice thermal conductivity of MAB phases can be predicted with high accuracy if one utilizes an appropriate model.

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.

Abstract: Different allotropes of phosphorene are possible of which black and blue phosphorus are the most stable. While blue phosphorus has isotropic properties, black phosphorus is strongly anisotropic in its electronic and optical properties due to its anisotropic crystal structure. In this work, we systematically investigated the lattice thermal properties of black and blue phosphorene by using first-principles calculations based on the quasiharmonic approximation approach. Similar to the optoelectronic and electronic properties, we predict that black phosphorene has highly anisotropic thermal properties, in contrast to the blue phase. The linear thermal expansion coefficients along the zigzag and armchair direction differ up to 20% in black phosphorene. The armchair direction of black phosphorene is more expandable as compared to the zigzag direction and the biaxial expansion of blue phosphorene under finite temperature. Our comparative analysis reveals that the inclusion of finite-temperature effects makes the blue phase thermodynamically more stable over the black phase above 135 K.

Abstract: There is an increasing need to understand interfaces between two-dimensional materials to realize an energy efficient boundary with low contact resistance and small heat dissipation. In this respect, we investigated the impact of charge and substitutional atom doping on the electronic transport properties of the hybrid metallic-semiconducting lateral junctions, formed between metallic (1T and 1T(d)) and semiconducting (1H) phases of MoS2 by means of first-principles and non-equilibrium Green function formalism based calculations. Our results clearly revealed the strong influence of the type of interface and crystallographic orientation of the metallic phase on the transport properties of these systems. The Schottky barrier height, which is the dominant mechanism for contact resistance, was found to be as large as 0.63 eV and 1.19 eV for holes and electrons, respectively. We found that armchair interfaces are more conductive as compared to zigzag termination due to the presence of the metallic Mo zigzag chains that are directed along the transport direction. In order to manipulate these barrier heights we investigated the influence of electron doping of the metallic part (i.e. 1T(d) -MoS2). We observed that the Fermi level of the hybrid system moves towards the conduction band of semiconducting 1H-MoS2 due to filling of 4d-orbital of metallic MoS2, and thus the Schottky barrier for electrons decreases considerably. Besides electron doping, we also investigated the effect of substitutional doping of metallic MoS2 by replacing Mo atoms with either Re or Ta. Due to its valency, Re (Ta) behaves as a donor (acceptor) and reduces the Schottky barrier for electrons (holes). Since Re and Ta based transition metal dichalcogenides crystallize in either the 1T(d) or 1T phase, substitutional doping with these atom favors the stabilization of the 1T(d) phase of MoS2. Co-doping of hybrid structure results in an electronic structure, which facilities easy dissociation of excitons created in the 1H part.

Abstract: MXenes are the newest class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, and they offer great potential in a wide range of applications including electronic devices, sensors, and thermoelectric and energy storage materials. In this work, we combined the outstanding electrical conductivity, that is essential for battery applications, of graphene with MXene monolayers (M2CX2 where M = Sc, Ti, V and X = OH, O) to explore its potential in Li battery applications. Through first principles calculations, we determined the stable stacking configurations of M2CX2/graphene bilayer heterostructures and their Li atom intercalation by calculating the Li binding energy, diffusion barrier and voltage. We found that: (1) for the ground state stacking, the interlayer binding is strong, yet the interlayer friction is small; (2) Li binds more strongly to the O-terminated monolayer, bilayer and heterostructure MXene systems when compared with the OHterminated MXenes due to the H+ induced repulsion to the Li atoms. The binding energy of Li decreases as the Li concentration increases due to enhanced repulsive interaction between the positively charged Li ions; (3) Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene heterostructures exhibit large Li atom binding energies making them the most promising candidates for battery applications. When fully loaded with Li atoms, the binding energy is -1.43 eV per Li atom and -1.78 eV per Li atom for Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene, respectively. These two heterostructures exhibit a nice compromise between storage capacity and kinetics. For example, the diffusion barrier of Li in Ti2CO2/graphene is around 0.3 eV which is comparable to that of graphite. Additionally, the calculated average voltages are 1.49 V and 1.93 V for Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene structures, respectively; (4) a small change in the in-plane lattice parameters (<1%), interatomic bond lengths and interlayer distances (<0.5 angstrom) proves the stability of the heterostructures against Li intercalation, and the impending phase separation into constituent layers and capacity fading during charge-discharge cycles in real battery applications; (5) as compared to bare M2CX2 bilayers, M2CX2/graphene heterostructures have lower molecular mass, offering high storage capacity; (6) the presence of graphene ensures good electrical conductivity that is essential for battery applications. Given these advantages, Ti2CO2/graphene and V2CO2/graphene heterostructures are predicted to be promising for lithium-ion battery applications.

Abstract: The elastic constant C-11 and piezoelectric stress constant e(1),(11) of two-dimensional (2D) dielectric materials comprising h-BN, 2H-MoS2, and other transition-metal dichalcogenides and dioxides are calculated using lattice dynamical theory. The results are compared with corresponding quantities obtained with ab initio calculations. We identify the difference between clamped-ion and relaxed-ion contributions with the dependence on inner strains which are due to the relative displacements of the ions in the unit cell. Lattice dynamics allows us to express the inner-strain contributions in terms of microscopic quantities such as effective ionic charges and optoacoustical couplings, which allows us to clarify differences in the piezoelectric behavior between h-BN and MoS2. Trends in the different microscopic quantities as functions of atomic composition are discussed.

Abstract: Group II-VI semiconductor honeycomb monolayers have a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure and therefore are expected to be important for nano piezoelectric device applications. This motivated us to perform first principles calculations based on density functional theory to unveil the piezoelectric properties (i.e., piezoelectric stress (e(11)) and piezoelectric strain (d(11)) coefficients) of these monolayer materials with chemical formula MX (where M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zr, Cd and X = S, Se, Te). We found that these two-dimensional materials have peculiar piezoelectric properties with d(11) coefficients 1 order of magnitude larger than those of commercially utilized bulk materials. A clear trend in their piezoelectric properties emerges, which