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“Sulfur-alloyed Cr2O3: a new p-type transparent conducting oxide host”. Dabaghmanesh S, Saniz R, Neyts E, Partoens B, RSC advances 7, 4453 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA27852C
Abstract: Doped Cr2O3 has been shown to be a p-type transparent conducting oxide (TCO). Its conductivity, however, is low. As for most p-type TCOs, the main problem is the high effective hole mass due to flat valence bands. We use first-principles methods to investigate whether one can increase the valence band dispersion (i.e. reduce the hole mass) by anion alloying with sulfur, while keeping the band gap large enough for transparency. The alloying concentrations considered are given by Cr(4)SxO(6-x), with x = 1-5. To be able to describe the electronic properties of these materials accurately, we first study Cr2O3, examining critically the accuracy of different density functionals and methods, including PBE, PBE+U, HSE06, as well as perturbative approaches within the GW approximation. Our results demonstrate that Cr4S2O4 has an optical band gap of 3.08 eV and an effective hole mass of 1.8 m(e). This suggests Cr4S2O4 as a new p-type TCO host candidate.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Impact Factor: 3.108
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1039/C6RA27852C
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“Quasi-Neutral Modeling of Gliding Arc Plasmas: Quasi-Neutral Modeling of Gliding Arc Plasmas”. Kolev S, Sun S, Trenchev G, Wang W, Wang H, Bogaerts A, Plasma processes and polymers 14, 1600110 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1002/ppap.201600110
Abstract: The modelling of a gliding arc discharge (GAD) is studied by means of the quasineutral (QN) plasma modelling approach. The model is first evaluated for reliability and proper description of a gliding arc discharge at atmospheric pressure, by comparing with a more elaborate non-quasineutral (NQN) plasma model in two different geometries – a 2D axisymmetric and a Cartesian geometry. The NQN model is considered as a reference, since it provides a continuous self-consistent plasma description, including the near electrode regions. In general, the results of the QN model agree very well with those obtained from the NQN model. The small differences between both models are attributed to the approximations in the derivation of the QN model. The use of the QN model provides a substantial reduction of the computation time compared to the NQN model, which is crucial for the development of more complex models in three dimensions or with complicated chemistries. The latter is illustrated for (i) a reverse vortex flow(RVF) GAD in argon, and (ii) a GAD in CO2. The RVF discharge is modelled in three dimensions and the effect of the turbulent heat transport on the plasma and gas characteristics is
discussed. The GAD model in CO2 is in a 1D geometry with axial symmetry and provides results for the time evolution of the electron, gas and vibrational temperature of CO2, as well as for the molar fractions of the different species.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Impact Factor: 2.846
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1002/ppap.201600110
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“Reclaiming the image of daguerreotypes: Characterization of the corroded surface before and after atmospheric plasma treatment”. Grieten E, Schalm O, Tack P, Bauters S, Storme P, Gauquelin N, Caen J, Patelli A, Vincze L, Schryvers D, Journal of cultural heritage (2017). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2017.05.008
Abstract: Technological developments such as atmospheric plasma jets for industry can be adapted for the conservation of cultural heritage. This application might offer a potential method for the removal or transformation of the corrosion on historical photographs. We focus on daguerreotypes and present an in-depth study of the induced changes by a multi-analytical approach using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, different types of transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure. The H2-He afterglow removes S from an Ag2S or Cu2S layer which results in a nano-layer of metallic Ag or Cu on top of the deteriorated microstructure. In case the corrosion layer is composed of Cu-Ag-S compounds, our proposed setup can be used to partially remove the corrosion. These alterations of the corrosion results in an improvement in the readability of the photographic image.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Art; History; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES)
Impact Factor: 1.838
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1016/j.culher.2017.05.008
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“3D porous nanostructured platinum prepared using atomic layer deposition”. Pulinthanathu Sree S, Dendooven J, Geerts L, Ramachandran RK, Javon E, Ceyssens F, Breynaert E, Kirschhock CEA, Puers R, Altantzis T, Van Tendeloo G, Bals S, Detavernier C, Martens JA, Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability 5, 19007 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1039/C7TA03257A
Abstract: A robust and easy to handle 3D porous platinum structure was created via replicating the 3D channel system
of an ordered mesoporous silica material using atomic layer deposition (ALD) over micrometer distances.
After ALD of Pt in the silica material, the host template was digested using hydrogen fluoride (HF). A fully
connected ordered Pt nanostructure was obtained with morphology and sizes corresponding to that of
the pores of the host matrix, as revealed with high-resolution scanning transmission electron
microscopy and electron tomography. The Pt nanostructure consisted of hexagonal Pt rods originating
from the straight mesopores (11 nm) of the host structure and linking features resulting from Pt
replication of the interconnecting mesopore segments (2–4 nm) present in the silica host structure.
Electron tomography of partial replicas, made by incomplete infilling of Zeotile-4 material with Pt,
provided insight in the connectivity and formation mechanism of the Pt nanostructure by ALD. The Pt
replica was evaluated for its potential use as electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, one of
the half-reactions of water electrolysis, and as microelectrode for biomedical sensing. The Pt replica
showed high activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction and electrochemical characterization revealed
a large impedance improvement in comparison with reference Pt electrodes.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 8.867
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1039/C7TA03257A
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“Visualizing redox orbitals and their potentials in advanced lithium-ion battery materials using high-resolution x-ray Compton scattering”. Hafiz H, Suzuki K, Barbiellini B, Orikasa Y, Callewaert V, Kaprzyk S, Itou M, Yamamoto K, Yamada R, Uchimoto Y, Sakurai Y, Sakurai H, Bansil A, Science Advances 3, e1700971 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700971
Abstract: Reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions are the key processes that underlie the batteries powering smartphones, laptops, and electric cars. A redox process involves transfer of electrons between two species. For example, in a lithium-ion battery, current is generated when conduction electrons from the lithium anode are transferred to the redox orbitals of the cathode material. The ability to visualize or image the redox orbitals and how these orbitals evolve under lithiation and delithiation processes is thus of great fundamental and practical interest for understanding the workings of battery materials. We show that inelastic scattering spectroscopy using high-energy x-ray photons (Compton scattering) can yield faithful momentum space images of the redox orbitals by considering lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) as an exemplar cathode battery material. Our analysis reveals a new link between voltage and the localization of transition metal 3d orbitals and provides insight into the puzzling mechanism of potential shift and how it is connected to the modification of the bond between the transition metal and oxygen atoms. Our study thus opens a novel spectroscopic pathway for improving the performance of battery materials.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700971
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“Crystal growth and structure analysis of Ce-18-W-10-O-57 : a complex oxide containing tungsten in an unusual trigonal prismatic coordination environment”. Abeysinghe D, Smith MD, Yeon J, Tran TT, Sena RP, Hadermann J, Halasyamani PS, zur Loye H-C, Inorganic chemistry 56, 2566 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1021/ACS.INORGCHEM.6B02710
Abstract: The noncentrosymmetric tungstate oxide, Ce18W10O57) was synthesized for the first time as high-quality single crystals via the molten chloride flux method and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound is a structural analogue to the previously reported La18W10O57, which crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P (6) over bar 2c. The +3 oxidation state of cerium in Ce18W10O57 was achieved via the in situ reduction of Ce(IV) to Ce(III) using Zn metal. The structure consists of both isolated and face-shared WO6 octahedra and, surprisingly, isolated WO6 trigonal prisms. A careful analysis of the packing arrangement in the structure makes it possible to explain the unusual structural architecture of Ce18W10O57, which is described in detail. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility of Ce18W10O57 indicates that the cerium(III) f(1) cations do not order magnetically and exhibit simple paramagnetic behavior. The SHG efficiency of Ln(18)W(10)O(57) (Ln = La, Ce) was measured as a function of particle size, and both compounds were found to be SHG active with efficiency approximately equal to that of alpha-SiO2.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 4.857
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1021/ACS.INORGCHEM.6B02710
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“Advanced turbulence models and boundary conditions for flows around different configurations of ground-mounted buildings”. Longo R, Ferrarotti M, Garcia Sánchez C, Derudi M, Parente A, Journal of wind engineering and industrial aerodynamics 167, 160 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.JWEIA.2017.04.015
Abstract: When dealing with Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) simulations, commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) acquires a strategic resonance. Thanks to its good compromise between accuracy of results and calculation time, RANS still represents a valid alternative to more resource-demanding methods. However, focusing on the models' performances in urban studies, LES generally outmatches RANS results, even if the former is at least one order of magnitude more expensive. Consequently, the present work aims to propose a variety of approaches meant to solve some of the major problems linked to RANS simulations and to further improve its accuracy in typical urban contexts. All of these models are capable of switching from an undisturbed flux formulation to a disturbed one through a local deviation or a marker function. For undisturbed flows, a comprehensive approach is adopted, solving the issue of the erroneous stream-wise gradients affecting the turbulent profiles. Around obstacles, Non-Linear Eddy-Viscosity closures are adopted, due to their prominent capability in capturing the anisotropy of turbulence. The purpose of this work is then to propose a new Building Influence Area concept and to offer more affordable alternatives to LES simulations without sacrificing a good grade of accuracy.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 2.049
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1016/J.JWEIA.2017.04.015
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“Ti surface doping of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4−δpositive electrodes for lithium ion batteries”. Ulu Okudur F, D'Haen J, Vranken T, De Sloovere D, Verheijen M, Karakulina OM, Abakumov AM, Hadermann J, Van Bael MK, Hardy A, RSC advances 8, 7287 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1039/C7RA12932G
Abstract: The particle surface of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4−δ (LNMO), a Li-ion battery cathode material, has been modified by Ti cation doping through a hydrolysis–condensation reaction followed by annealing in oxygen. The effect of different annealing temperatures (500–850 °C) on the Ti distribution and electrochemical performance of the surface modified LNMO was investigated. Ti cations diffuse from the preformed amorphous ‘TiOx’ layer into the LNMO surface during annealing at 500 °C. This results in a 2–4 nm thick Ti-rich spinel surface having lower Mn and Ni content compared to the core of the LNMO particles, which was observed with scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with compositional EDX mapping. An increase in the annealing temperature promotes the formation of a Ti bulk doped LiNi(0.5−w)Mn(1.5+w)−tTitO4 phase and Ti-rich LiNi0.5Mn1.5−yTiyO4 segregates above 750 °C. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry indicates increasing Ni–Mn ordering with annealing temperature, for both bare and surface modified LNMO. Ti surface modified LNMO annealed at 500 °C shows a superior cyclic stability, coulombic efficiency and rate performance compared to bare LNMO annealed at 500 °C when cycled at 3.4–4.9 V vs. Li/Li+. The improvements are probably due to suppressed Ni and Mn dissolution with Ti surface doping.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 3.108
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1039/C7RA12932G
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“Phosphatidylserine flip-flop induced by oxidation of the plasma membrane: a better insight by atomic scale modeling”. Razzokov J, Yusupov M, Vanuytsel S, Neyts EC, Bogaerts A, Plasma processes and polymers 14, 1700013 (2017). http://doi.org/10.1002/ppap.201700013
Abstract: We perform molecular dynamics simulations to study the flip-flop motion of phosphatidylserine (PS) across the plasma membrane upon increasing oxidation degree of the membrane. Our computational results show that an increase of the oxidation degree in the lipids leads to a decrease of the free energy barrier for translocation of PS through the membrane. In other words, oxidation of the lipids facilitates PS flip-flop motion across the membrane, because in native phospholipid bilayers this is only a “rare event” due to the high energy barriers for the translocation of PS. The present study provides an atomic-scale insight into the mechanisms of the PS flip-flop upon oxidation of lipids, as produced for example by cold atmospheric plasma, in living cells.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Impact Factor: 2.846
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1002/ppap.201700013
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“Asymmetric Modulation on Exchange Field in a Graphene/BiFeO3Heterostructure by External Magnetic Field”. Song H-D, Wu Y-F, Yang X, Ren Z, Ke X, Kurttepeli M, Tendeloo GV, Liu D, Wu H-C, Yan B, Wu X, Duan C-G, Han G, Liao Z-M, Yu D, Nano letters 18, 2435 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b05480
Abstract: Graphene, having all atoms on its surface, is favorable to extend the functions by introducing the spin–orbit coupling and magnetism through proximity effect. Here, we report the tunable interfacial exchange field produced by proximity coupling in graphene/BiFeO3 heterostructures. The exchange field has a notable dependence with external magnetic field, and it is much larger under negative magnetic field than that under positive magnetic field. For negative external magnetic field, interfacial exchange coupling gives rise to evident spin splitting for N ≠ 0 Landau levels and a quantum Hall metal state for N = 0 Landau level. Our findings suggest graphene/BiFeO3 heterostructures are promising for spintronics.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 12.712
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b05480
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“Interplay of interfacial layers and blend composition to reduce thermal degradation of polymer solar cells at high temperature”. Ben Dkhil S, Pfannmöller M, Schroeder RR, Alkarsifi R, Gaceur M, Koentges W, Heidari H, Bals S, Margeat O, Ackermann J, Videlot-Ackermann C, ACS applied materials and interfaces 10, 3874 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1021/ACSAMI.7B17021
Abstract: The thermal stability of printed polymer solar cells at elevated temperatures needs to be improved to achieve high-throughput fabrication including annealing steps as well as long-term stability. During device processing, thermal annealing impacts both the organic photoactive layer, and the two interfacial layers make detailed studies of degradation mechanism delicate. A recently identified thermally stable poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'-dithiopherie-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] : [6,6]-phenyl- C-71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7:PC70BM) blend as photoactive layer in combination with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate as hole extraction layer is used here to focus on the impact of electron extraction layer (EEL) on the thermal stability of solar cells. Solar cells processed with densely packed ZnO nanoparticle layers still show 92% of the initial efficiency after constant annealing during 1 day at 140 degrees C, whereas partially covering ZnO layers as well as an evaporated calcium layer leads to performance losses of up to 30%. This demonstrates that the nature and morphology of EELs highly influence the thermal stability of the device. We extend our study to thermally unstable PTB7:[6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) blends to highlight the impact of ZnO on the device degradation during annealing. Importantly, only 12% loss in photocurrent density is observed after annealing at 140 degrees C during 1 day when using closely packed ZnO. This is in stark contrast to literature and addressed here to the use of a stable double-sided confinement during thermal annealing. The underlying mechanism of the inhibition of photocurrent losses is revealed by electron microscopy imaging and spatially resolved spectroscopy. We found that the double-sided confinement suppresses extensive fullerene diffusion during the annealing step, but with still an increase in size and distance of the enriched donor and acceptor domains inside the photoactive layer by an average factor of 5. The later result in combination with comparably small photocurrent density losses indicates the existence of an efficient transport of minority charge carriers inside the donor and acceptor enriched phases in PTB7:PC60BM blends.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 7.504
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1021/ACSAMI.7B17021
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“Magnetopolaron effect on shallow-impurity states in the presence of magnetic and intense terahertz laser fields in the Faraday configuration”. Wang W, Van Duppen B, Van der Donck M, Peeters FM, Physical review B 97, 064108 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.97.064108
Abstract: The magnetopolaron effect on shallow-impurity states in semiconductors is investigated when subjected simultaneously to a magnetic field and an intense terahertz laser field within the Faraday configuration. We use a time-dependent nonperturbative theory to describe electron interactions. The externally applied fields are exactly included via a laser-dressed interaction potential. Through a variational approach we evaluate the binding energy of the shallow-impurity states. We find that the interaction strength of the laser-dressed Coulomb potential can not only be enhanced but also weakened by varying the two external fields. In this way, the binding energy can be tuned by the external fields and red-or blue-shifted with respect to the static binding energy. In the nonresonant polaron region, a magnetopolaron correction that includes the effects of photon process is observed. In the resonant polaron region, moreover, the resonant magnetopolaron effect accompanied by the emission and absorption of a single photon is distinctly observed. This can be modulated to be far away from the reststrahlen band. The intriguing findings of this paper can be observed experimentally and, in turn, provide a way to measure the strength of the electron-phonon interaction.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVB.97.064108
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“Optical enhancement of a printed organic tandem solar cell using diffractive nanostructures”. Mayer JA, Offermans T, Chrapa M, Pfannmöller M, Bals S, Ferrini R, Nisato G, Optics express 26, A240 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1364/OE.26.00A240
Abstract: Solution processable organic tandem solar cells offer a promising approach to achieve cost-effective, lightweight and flexible photovoltaics. In order to further enhance the efficiency of optimized organic tandem cells, diffractive light-management nanostructures were designed for an optimal redistribution of the light as function of both wavelength and propagation angles in both sub-cells. As the fabrication of these optical structures is compatible with roll-to-roll production techniques such as hot-embossing or UV NIL imprinting, they present an optimal cost-effective solution for printed photovoltaics. Tandem cells with power conversion efficiencies of 8-10% were fabricated in the ambient atmosphere by doctor blade coating, selected to approximate the conditions during roll-to-roll manufacturing. Application of the light management structure onto an 8.7% efficient encapsulated tandem cell boosted the conversion efficiency of the cell to 9.5%. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 3.307
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1364/OE.26.00A240
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“Electron pairing: from metastable electron pair to bipolaron”. Hai G-Q, Candido L, Brito BGA, Peeters FM, Journal of physics communications 2, Unsp 035017 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1088/2399-6528/AAAEE0
Abstract: Starting from the shell structure in atoms and the significant correlation within electron pairs, we distinguish the exchange-correlation effects between two electrons of opposite spins occupying the same orbital from the average correlation among many electrons in a crystal. In the periodic potential of the crystal with lattice constant larger than the effective Bohr radius of the valence electrons, these correlated electron pairs can form a metastable energy band above the corresponding single-electron band separated by an energy gap. In order to determine if these metastable electron pairs can be stabilized, we calculate the many-electron exchange-correlation renormalization and the polaron correction to the two-band system with single electrons and electron pairs. We find that the electron-phonon interaction is essential to counterbalance the Coulomb repulsion and to stabilize the electron pairs. The interplay of the electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions, manifested in the exchange-correlation energies, polaron effects, and screening, is responsible for the formation of electron pairs (bipolarons) that are located on the Fermi surface of the single-electron band.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1088/2399-6528/AAAEE0
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“Graphene quantum blisters : a tunable system to confine charge carriers”. Abdullah HM, Van der Donck M, Bahlouli H, Peeters FM, Van Duppen B, Applied physics letters 112, 213101 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1063/1.5023896
Abstract: Due to Klein tunneling, electrostatic confinement of electrons in graphene is not possible. This hinders the use of graphene for quantum dot applications. Only through quasi-bound states with finite lifetime has one achieved to confine charge carriers. Here, we propose that bilayer graphene with a local region of decoupled graphene layers is able to generate bound states under the application of an electrostatic gate. The discrete energy levels in such a quantum blister correspond to localized electron and hole states in the top and bottom layers. We find that this layer localization and the energy spectrum itself are tunable by a global electrostatic gate and that the latter also coincides with the electronic modes in a graphene disk. Curiously, states with energy close to the continuum exist primarily in the classically forbidden region outside the domain defining the blister. The results are robust against variations in size and shape of the blister which shows that it is a versatile system to achieve tunable electrostatic confinement in graphene. Published by AIP Publishing.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.411
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1063/1.5023896
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“Local probing of the enhanced field electron emission of vertically aligned nitrogen-doped diamond nanorods and their plasma illumination properties”. Deshmukh S, Sankaran KJ, Srinivasu K, Korneychuk S, Banerjee D, Barman A, Bhattacharya G, Phase DM, Gupta M, Verbeeck J, Leou KC, Lin IN, Haenen K, Roy SS, Diamond and related materials 83, 118 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.DIAMOND.2018.02.005
Abstract: A detailed conductive atomic force microscopic investigation is carried out to directly image the electron emission behavior for nitrogen-doped diamond nanorods (N-DNRs). Localized emission measurements illustrate uniform distribution of high-density electron emission sites from N-DNRs. Emission sites coupled to nano graphitic phases at the grain boundaries facilitate electron transport and thereby enhance field electron emission from N-DNRs, resulting in a device operation at low turn-on fields of 6.23 V/mu m, a high current density of 1.94 mA/cm(2) (at an applied field of 11.8 V/mu m) and a large field enhancement factor of 3320 with a long lifetime stability of 980 min. Moreover, using N-DNRs as cathodes, a microplasma device that can ignite a plasma at a low threshold field of 390 V/mm achieving a high plasma illumination current density of 3.95 mA/cm2 at an applied voltage of 550 V and a plasma life-time stability for a duration of 433 min was demonstrated.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 2.561
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1016/J.DIAMOND.2018.02.005
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“Pushing the limits of applicability of REBCO coated conductor films through fine chemical tuning and nanoengineering of inclusions”. Rizzo F, Augieri A, Kursumovic A, Bianchetti M, Opherden L, Sieger M, Huehne R, Haenisch J, Meledin A, Van Tendeloo G, MacManus-Driscoll JL, Celentano G, Nanoscale 10, 8187 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1039/C7NR09428K
Abstract: An outstanding current carrying performance (namely critical current density, J(c)) over a broad temperature range of 10-77 K for magnetic fields up to 12 T is reported for films of YBa2Cu3O7-x with Ba2Y(Nb,Ta)O-6 inclusion pinning centres (YBCO-BYNTO) and thicknesses in the range of 220-500 nm. J(c) values of 10 MA cm(-2) were measured at 30 K – 5 T and 10 K – 9 T with a corresponding maximum of the pinning force density at 10 K close to 1 TN m(-3). The system is very flexible regarding properties and microstructure tuning, and the growth window for achieving a particular microstructure is wide, which is very important for industrial processing. Hence, the dependence of J(c) on the magnetic field angle was readily controlled by fine tuning the pinning microstructure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis highlighted that higher growth rates induce more splayed and denser BYNTO nanocolumns with a matching field as high as 5.2 T. Correspondingly, a strong peak at the B||c-axis is noticed when the density of vortices is lower than the nanocolumn density. YBCO-BYNTO is a very robust and reproducible composite system for high-current coated conductors over an extended range of magnetic fields and temperatures.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 7.367
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1039/C7NR09428K
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“Veselago focusing of anisotropic massless Dirac fermions”. Zhang S-H, Yang W, Peeters FM, Physical review B 97, 205437 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.97.205437
Abstract: Massless Dirac fermions (MDFs) emerge as quasiparticles in various novel materials such as graphene and topological insulators, and they exhibit several intriguing properties, of which Veselago focusing is an outstanding example with a lot of possible applications. However, up to now Veselago focusing merely occurred in p-n junction devices based on the isotropic MDF, which lacks the tunability needed for realistic applications. Here, motivated by the emergence of novel Dirac materials, we investigate the propagation behaviors of anisotropic MDFs in such a p-n junction structure. By projecting the Hamiltonian of the anisotropic MDF to that of the isotropic MDF and deriving an exact analytical expression for the propagator, precise Veselago focusing is demonstrated without the need for mirror symmetry of the electron source and its focusing image. We show a tunable focusing position that can be used in a device to probe masked atom-scale defects. This study provides an innovative concept to realize Veselago focusing relevant for potential applications, and it paves the way for the design of novel electron optics devices by exploiting the anisotropic MDF.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVB.97.205437
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“Dislocation driven nanosample plasticity: new insights from quantitative in-situ TEM tensile testing”. Samaee V, Gatti R, Devincre B, Pardoen T, Schryvers D, Idrissi H, Scientific Reports 8, 12012 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30639-8
Abstract: Intrinsic dislocation mechanisms in the vicinity of free surfaces of an almost FIB damage-free single crystal Ni sample have been quantitatively investigated owing to a novel sample preparation method combining twin-jet electro-polishing, in-situ TEM heating and FIB. The results reveal that the small-scale plasticity is mainly controlled by the conversion of few tangled dislocations, still present after heating, into stable single arm sources (SASs) as well as by the successive operation of these sources. Strain hardening resulting from the operation of an individual SAS is reported and attributed to the decrease of the length of the source. Moreover, the impact of the shortening of the dislocation source on the intermittent plastic flow, characteristic of SASs, is discussed. These findings provide essential information for the understanding of the regime of ‘dislocation source’ controlled plasticity and the related mechanical size effect.
Keywords: A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;
Impact Factor: 4.259
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30639-8
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“Influence of artificial pinning centers on structural and superconducting properties of thick YBCO films on ABAD-YSZ templates”. Pahlke P, Sieger M, Ottolinger R, Lao M, Eisterer M, Meledin A, Van Tendeloo G, Haenisch J, Holzapfel B, Schultz L, Nielsch K, Huehne R, Superconductor science and technology 31, 044007 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6668/AAAFBE
Abstract: Recent efforts in the development of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) coated conductors are devoted to the increase of the critical current I-c in magnetic fields. This is typically realized by growing thicker YBCO layers as well as by the incorporation of artificial pinning centers. We studied the growth of doped YBCO layers with a thickness of up to 7 mu m using pulsed laser deposition with a growth rate of about 1.2 nm s(-1). Industrially fabricated ion-beam textured YSZ templates based on metal tapes were used as substrates for this study. The incorporation of BaHfO3 (BHO) or Ba2Y(Nb0.5Ta0.5)O-6 (BYNTO) secondary phase additions leads to a denser microstructure compared to undoped films. A purely c-axis-oriented YBCO growth is preserved up to a thickness of about 4 mu m, whereas misoriented texture components were observed in thicker films. The critical temperature is slightly reduced compared to undoped films and independent of film thickness. The critical current density J(c) of the BHO- and BYNTO-doped YBCO layers is lower at 77 K and self-field compared to pure YBCO layers; however, I-c increases up to a thickness of 5 mu m. A comparison between films with a thickness of 1.3 mu m revealed that the anisotropy of the critical current density J(c)(theta) strongly depends on the incorporated pinning centers. Whereas BHO nanorods lead to a strong B vertical bar vertical bar c-axis peak, the overall anisotropy is significantly reduced by the incorporation of BYNTO forming a mixture of short c-axis-oriented nanorods and small (a-b)-oriented platelets. As a result, the J(c) values of the doped films outperform the undoped samples at higher fields and lower temperatures for most magnetic field directions.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 2.878
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6668/AAAFBE
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“Effect of boundary-induced chirality on magnetic textures in thin films”. Mulkers J, Hals KMD, Leliaert J, Milošević, MV, Van Waeyenberge B, Everschor-Sitte K, Physical review B 98, 064429 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.98.064429
Abstract: In the quest for miniaturizing magnetic devices, the effects of boundaries and surfaces become increasingly important. Here we show how the recently predicted boundary-induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) affects the magnetization of ferromagnetic films with a C-infinity v symmetry and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. For an otherwise uniformly magnetized film, we find a surface twist when the magnetization in the bulk is canted by an in-plane external field. This twist at the surfaces caused by the boundary-induced DMI differs from the common canting caused by internal DMI observed at the edges of a chiral magnet. Furthermore, we find that the surface twist due to the boundary-induced DMI strongly affects the width of the domain wall at the surfaces. We also find that the skyrmion radius increases in the depth of the film, with the average size of the skyrmion increasing with boundary-induced DMI. This increase suggests that the boundary-induced DMI contributes to the stability of the skyrmion.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVB.98.064429
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“Nanoscale investigation by TEM and STEM-EELS of the laser induced yellowing”. Godet M, Vergès-Belmin V, Gauquelin N, Saheb M, Monnier J, Leroy E, Bourgon J, Verbeeck J, Andraud C, Micron 115, 25 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2018.08.006
Abstract: Nd-YAG QS laser cleaning of soiled stone at 1064 nm can sometimes result in a more yellow appearance compared to other cleaning techniques. Especially in France, this yellowing effect is still considered as a major aesthetic issue by the architects and conservators. One explanation states that the yellowing is linked to the formation of iron-rich nanophase(s) through the laser beam interaction with black crusts that would re-deposit on the cleaned substrate after irradiation. To characterize these nanophases, a model crust containing hematite was elaborated and laser irradiated using a Nd-YAG QS laser. The color of the sample shifted instantaneously from red to a bright yellow and numerous particles were ablated in a visible smoke. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to examine the morphology and the crystallinity of the neo-formed compounds, both on the surface of the samples and in the ablated materials. In addition, an investigation of the chemical and structural properties of the nanophases was conducted by X-ray dispersive energy (EDX) and electron energy loss (EELS) spectroscopies. It was found that both the surface of the sample and the ablated materials are covered by crystallized nano-spheres and nano-residues, all containing iron and oxygen, sometimes along with calcium and sulfur. In particular an interfacial area containing the four elements was evidenced between some nanostructures and the substrate. Magnetite Fe3O4 was also identified at the nanoscale. This study demonstrates that the laser yellowing of a model crust is linked to the presence of iron-rich nanophases including CaxFeySzOδ nanostructures and magnetite Fe3O4 at the surface after irradiation.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Impact Factor: 1.98
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2018.08.006
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“Strain fields in graphene induced by nanopillar mesh”. Milovanović, SP, Covaci L, Peeters FM, Journal of applied physics 125, 082534 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1063/1.5074182
Abstract: The mechanical and electronic properties of a graphene membrane placed on top of a triangular superlattice of nanopillars are investigated. We use molecular dynamics simulations to access the deformation fields and the tight-binding approaches to calculate the electronic properties. Ripples form in the graphene layer that span across the unit cell, connecting neighboring pillars, in agreement with recent experiments. We find that the resulting pseudo-magnetic field (PMF) varies strongly across the unit cell. We investigate the dependence of PMF on unit cell boundary conditions, height of the pillars, and the strength of the van der Waals interaction between graphene and the substrate. We find direct correspondence with typical experiments on pillars, showing intrinsic “slack” in the graphene membrane. PMF values are confirmed by the local density of states calculations performed at different positions of the unit cell showing pseudo-Landau levels with varying spacings. Our findings regarding the relaxed membrane configuration and the induced strains are transferable to other flexible 2D membranes.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 2.068
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1063/1.5074182
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“Vibrational properties of germanane and fluorinated germanene in the chair, boat, and zigzag-line configurations”. Rivera-Julio J, Gonzalez-Garcia A, Gonzalez-Hernandez R, Lopez-Perez W, Peeters FM, Hernandez-Nieves AD, Journal of physics : condensed matter 31, 075301 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/AAF45F
Abstract: The electronic and vibrational properties of germanane and fluorinated germanene are studied within density functional theory (DFT) and density functional perturbation theory frameworks. Different structural configurations of germanane and fluorinated germanene are investigated. The energy difference between the different configurations are consistently smaller than the energy of thermal fluctuations for all the analyzed DFT functionals LDA, GGA, and hybrid functionals, which implies that, in principle, it is possible to find these different configurations in different regions of the sample as minority phases or local defects. We calculate the Raman and infrared spectra for these configurations by using ab initio calculations and compare it with available experimental spectra for germanane. Our results show the presence of minority phases compatible with the configurations analyzed in this work. As these low energy configurations are metastable the present work shows that the synthesis of these energy competing phases is feasible by selectively changing the synthesis conditions, which is an opportunity to expand in this way the availability of new two-dimensional compounds.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 2.649
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/AAF45F
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“Influence of Cell Type and Culture Medium on Determining Cancer Selectivity of Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment”. Biscop, Lin, Boxem, Loenhout, Backer, Deben, Dewilde, Smits, Bogaerts, Cancers 11, 1287 (2019). http://doi.org/10.3390/cancers11091287
Abstract: Increasing the selectivity of cancer treatments is attractive, as it has the potential to reduce side-effects of therapy. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel cancer treatment that disrupts the intracellular oxidative balance. Several reports claim CAP treatment to be selective, but retrospective analysis of these studies revealed discrepancies in several biological factors and culturing methods. Before CAP can be conclusively stated as a selective cancer treatment, the importance of these factors must be investigated. In this study, we evaluated the influence of the cell type, cancer type, and cell culture medium on direct and indirect CAP treatment. Comparison of cancerous cells with their non-cancerous counterparts was performed under standardized conditions to determine selectivity of treatment. Analysis of seven human cell lines (cancerous: A549, U87, A375, and Malme-3M; non-cancerous: BEAS-2B, HA, and HEMa) and five different cell culture media (DMEM, RPMI1640, AM, BEGM, and DCBM) revealed that the tested parameters strongly influence indirect CAP treatment, while direct treatment was less affected. Taken together, the results of our study demonstrate that cell type, cancer type, and culturing medium must be taken into account before selectivity of CAP treatment can be claimed and overlooking these parameters can easily result in inaccurate conclusions of selectivity.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Center for Oncological Research (CORE)
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091287
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“In situ study of the \alpha-Sn to \beta-Sn phase transition in low-dimensional systems : phonon behavior and thermodynamic properties”. Houben K, Jochum JK, Lozano DP, Bisht M, Menendez E, Merkel DG, Ruffer R, Chumakov A I, Roelants S, Partoens B, Milošević, MV, Peeters FM, Couet S, Vantomme A, Temst K, Van Bael MJ, Physical review B 100, 075408 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.100.075408
Abstract: The densities of phonon states of thin Sn films on InSb substrates are determined during different stages of the alpha-Sn to beta-Sn phase transition using nuclear inelastic x-ray scattering. The vibrational entropy and internal energy per atom as a function of temperature are obtained by numerical integration of the phonon density of states. The free energy as a function of temperature for the nanoscale samples is compared to the free energy obtained from ab initio calculations of bulk tin in the alpha-Sn and beta-Sn phase. In thin films this phase transition is governed by the interplay between the vibrational behavior of the film (the phase transition is driven by the vibrational entropy) and the stabilizing influence of the substrate (which depends on the film thickness). This brings a deeper understanding of the role of lattice vibrations in the phase transition of nanoscale Sn.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVB.100.075408
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“Monolayer fluoro-InSe : formation of a thin monolayer via fluorination of InSe”. Yagmurcukardes M, Physical review B 100, 024108 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.100.024108
Abstract: By performing density functional theory-based first-principles calculations, the formation of a thin monolayer structure, namely InSeF, via fluorination of monolayer InSe is predicted. It is shown that strong interaction of F and In atoms leads to the detachment of In-Se layers in monolayer InSe and 1T-like monolayer InSeF structure is formed. Monolayer InSeF is found to be dynamically stable in terms of its phonon band dispersions. In addition, its Raman spectrum is shown to exhibit totally distinctive features as compared to monolayer InSe. The electronic band dispersions reveal that monolayer InSeF is a direct gap semiconductor whose valence and conduction band edges reside at the Gamma point. Moreover, the orientation-dependent linear elastic properties of monolayer InSeF are investigated in terms of the in-plane stiffness and Poisson ratio. It is found that monolayer InSeF displays strong in-plane anisotropy in elastic constants and it is slightly softer material as compared to monolayer InSe. Overall, it is proposed that a thin, direct gap semiconducting monolayer InSeF can be formed by full fluorination of monolayer InSe as a new member of the two-dimensional family.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Impact Factor: 3.836
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVB.100.024108
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“A graphene/gelatin composite material for the entrapment of hemoglobin for bioelectrochemical sensing applications”. Thirumalraj alamurugan, Palanisamy S, Chen S-M, De Wael K, Journal of the electrochemical society 163, 265 (2016). http://doi.org/10.1149/2.0341607JES
Abstract: In the present work, a novel graphene (GN) and gelatin (GTN) composite was prepared and used as an immobilization matrix for hemoglobin (Hb). Compared with Hb immobilized on a bare, GN or GTN modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE), a stable and pair of well-defined quasi redox couple was observed at an Hb modified GN/GTN composite GCE at a formal potential of −0.306 V versus Ag|AgCl. The direct electrochemical behavior of Hb was greatly enhanced by the presence of both GTN and GN. A heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (Ks) was calculated as 3.82 s−1 for Hb immobilized at GN/GTN modified GCE, which indicates the fast direct electron transfer of Hb toward the electrode surface. The biosensor shows a stable and wide linear response for H2O2 in the linear response range from 0.1 μM to 786.6 μM with an analytical sensitivity and limit of detection of 0.48 μAμM−1 cm−2 and 0.04 μM, respectively. The fabricated biosensor holds its high selectivity in the presence of potentially active interfering species and metal ions. The biosensor shows its satisfactory practical ability in the commercial contact lens solution and human serum samples.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Impact Factor: 3.259
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1149/2.0341607JES
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“Polymer platforms for selective detection of cocaine in street samples adulterated with levamisole”. Florea A, Cowen T, Piletsky S, De Wael K, Talanta : the international journal of pure and applied analytical chemistry 186, 362 (2018). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.TALANTA.2018.04.061
Abstract: Accurate drug detection is of utmost importance for fighting against drug abuse. With a high number of cutting agents and adulterants being added to cut or mask drugs in street powders the number of false results is increasing. We demonstrate for the first time the usefulness of employing polymers readily synthesized by electrodeposition to selectively detect cocaine in the presence of the commonly used adulterant levamisole. The polymers were selected by computational modelling to exhibit high binding affinity towards cocaine and deposited directly on the surface of graphene-modified electrodes via electropolymerization. The resulting platforms allowed a distinct electrochemical signal for cocaine, which is otherwise suppressed by levamisole. Square wave voltammetry was used to quantify cocaine alone and in the presence of levamisole. The usefulness of the platforms was demonstrated in the screening of real street samples.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Impact Factor: 4.162
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1016/J.TALANTA.2018.04.061
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“PXRF, \mu-XRF, vacuum \mu-XRF, and EPMA analysis of Email Champlevé, objects present in Belgian museums”. van der Linden V, Meesdom E, Devos A, van Dooren R, Nieuwdorp H, Janssen E, Balace S, Vekemans B, Vincze L, Janssens K, Microscopy and microanalysis 17, 674 (2011). http://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927611011950
Abstract: The enamel of 20 Email Champlevé objects dating between the 12th and 19th centuries was investigated by means of microscopic and portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (μ-XRF and PXRF). Seven of these objects were microsampled and the fragments were analyzed with electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and vacuum μ-XRF to obtain quantitative data about the composition of the glass used to produce these enameled objects. As a result of the evolution of the raw materials employed to produce the base glass, three different compositional groups could be discriminated. The first group consisted of soda-lime-silica glass with a sodium source of mineral origin (with low K content) that was opacified by addition of calcium antimonate crystals. This type of glass was only used in objects made in the 12th century. Email Champlevé objects from the beginning of the 13th century onward were enameled with soda-lime-silica glass with a sodium source of vegetal origin. This type of glass, which has a higher potassium content, was opacified with SnO2 crystals. The glass used for 19th century Email Champlevé artifacts was produced with synthetic and purified components resulting in a different chemical composition compared to the other groups. Although the four analytical techniques employed in this study have their own specific characteristics, they were all found to be suitable for classifying the objects into the different chronological categories.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Impact Factor: 1.891
Times cited: 9
DOI: 10.1017/S1431927611011950
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