Chemically complex intermetallic alloys: A new frontier for innovative structural materials

Intermetallic materials are bestowed by diverse ordered superlattice structures together with many unusual properties. In particular, the advent of chemically complex intermetallic alloys (CCIMAs) has received considerable attention in recent years and offers a new paradigm to develop novel metallic materials for advanced structural applications. These newly emerged CCIMAs exhibit synergistic modulations of structural and chemical features, such as self-assembled long-range close-packed ordering, complex sublattice occupancy, and interfacial disordered nanoscale layer, potentially allowing for superb physical and mechanical properties that are unmatched in conventional metallic materials. In this paper, we critically review the historical developments and recent advances in ordered intermetallic materials from the simple binary to chemically complex alloy systems. We are focused on the unique multicomponent superlattice microstructures, nanoscale grain-boundary segregation, and disordering, as well as the various extraordinary mechanical and functional properties of these newly developed CCIMAs. Finally, perspectives on the future research orientation, challenges, and opportunities of this new frontier are provided.     

Characterizing pathological imperfections in macromolecular crystals: lattice disorders and modulations

Macromolecular crystal structure determination can be complicated or brought to a halt by crystal imperfections. These issues motivated us to write up what we affectionately call ‘The Definitive Hitchhiker’s Guide to Pathological Macromolecular Crystals: Lattice Disorders and Modulations’. Perhaps the most challenging imperfections are lattice order–disorder phenomena and positional modulations. Many of these types of crystals have been solved, and progress has been made on the more challenging forms. Diagnostic tools and how to solve many of these problem crystal structures are reviewed. New avenues are provided for approaching the solution of incommensurately modulated crystals. There are a good number of case studies in the literature of lattice order–disorder phenomena and crystallographic modulations that make it timely to write a review. This review concludes with a projected pathway for solving incommensurately modulated crystals, personal views of future directions and needs of the crystallographic community.     

超晶格雪崩光电二极管

已经提出了几种可以提高载流子离化率比的超晶格雪崩光电管:量子阱雪崩光电管、台阶型雪崩光电管和掺杂量子阱雪崩光电管.这几种器件都主要是利用异质界面带隙突变导致的电子离化几率相对于空穴离化几率的显著增大,从而可以获得低的雪崩噪声和高的增益—带宽乘积.本文概述了这几种器件的结构、工作原理以及结构参量对器件性能的影响.     

Ionic conductivity in oxide heterostructures: the role of interfaces

Abstract

Rapidly growing attention is being directed to the investigation of ionic conductivity in oxide film heterostructures. The main reason for this interest arises from interfacial phenomena in these heterostructures and their applications. Recent results revealed that heterophase interfaces have faster ionic conduction pathways than the bulk or homophase interfaces. This finding can open attractive opportunities in the field of micro-ionic devices. The influence of the interfaces on the conduction properties of heterostructures is becoming increasingly important with the miniaturization of solid-state devices, which leads to an enhanced interface density at the expense of the bulk. This review aims to describe the main evidence of interfacial phenomena in ion-conducting film heterostructures, highlighting the fundamental and technological relevance and offering guidelines to understanding the interface conduction mechanisms in these structures.     

RE-Mg-Ni系储氢合金高倍率放电性能研究现状

RE-Mg-Ni系储氢合金具有超晶格结构,其主相晶格单元是由一定比率的AB5单元和AB2单元沿c轴交替层叠排列而成。该类型合金自问世以来便以其高容量、易活化的优势受到人们的广泛关注,然而其循环稳定性及高倍率放电性能不尽人意。人们通过大量研究有效提高了其循环稳定性,使其基本满足了商业化要求。但是要将基于该负极材料的镍氢电池应用在混合动力汽车上,仍需改进其高倍率放电性能。系统分析了元素替代、多元合金化、制备工艺、化合物复合、表面处理等手段对RE-Mg-Ni系储氢合金晶体结构及高倍率放电性能的影响。其中元素替代是一种重要且有效的手段,文中分析了不同稀土元素及B侧元素的作用机制,结果表明,B侧组分采用Ni,Co,Mn,Al的储氢合金具有较好的性能。多元合金化是一种复杂的过程,不同元素间可能存在一定的协同作用,研究其作用机制也是下一步的工作重点。通过优化实验方案,综合使用多种改性手段,可以得到高倍率放电性能良好的RE-Mg-Ni系储氢合金,使其基本满足电动工具用镍氢电池的要求,并可望在以后的研究中进一步提高其高倍率放电性能,使其满足混合动力汽车用镍氢电池的要求,实现良好的经济和社会效益。     

InAs/GaSb超晶格中波焦平面材料的分子束外延技术

报道了InAs/GaSb超晶格中波材料的分子束外廷生长技术研究.通过改变GaSb衬底上分子束外延InAs/GaSb超晶格材料的衬底温度,以及界面的优化等,改善超晶格材料的表面形貌和晶格失配,获得了晶格失配△a/a=1.5×10-4,原子级平整表面的InAs/GaSb超晶格材料,材料77 K截止波长为4.87 μm.     

GaAs外延薄膜的As缺位研究

研制太赫兹量子级联激光器的核心是制备以GaAs为代表的量子阱超晶格,在制备GaAs为代表的量子阱超晶格过程中,需要解决As缺位等基础性物理问题。采用激光分子束外延技术制备了GaAs外延薄膜,研究了实验参数对GaAs薄膜性能,特别是As缺位的影响。在线RHEED测试结果表明,GaAs可以实现外延生长。原位XPS和UPS等测试研究结果表明,激光分子束外延技术制备GaAs外延薄膜过程中存在As缺位问题,激光能量对GaAs薄膜中As含量具有明显的影响,要获得理想成分比的GaAs外延薄膜,需要较高的脉冲激光能量(600 mJ)。     

混合激励与应变超晶格系统沟道运动的临界特征

从势和场的观点出发讨论了带电粒子在应变超晶格中的运动行为.在经典力学框架内和偶极近似下,引入正弦平方势,把粒子运动方程化为具有阻尼项和混合激励项的广义摆方程.利用Melnikov方法讨论了系统的临界性质与混沌行为.结果表明,系统的混沌行为与它的参数有关,适当调节参数,就可以原则上保证系统的稳定性.     

p型InGaN/GaN超晶格N面GaN基LED的光电特性

随着氮(N)面GaN材料生长技术的发展,基于N面GaN衬底的高亮度发光二极管(LED)的研究具有重要的科学意义.研究了具有高发光功率的N面GaN基蓝光LED的新型结构设计,通过在N面LED的电子阻挡层和多量子阱有源层之间插入p型InGaN/GaN超晶格来提高有源层中的载流子注入效率.为了对比N面GaN基LED优异的器件性能,同时设计了具有相同结构的Ga面LED.通过对两种LED结构的电致发光特性、有源层中能带图、电场和载流子浓度分布进行比较可以发现,N面LED在输出功率和载流子注入效率上比Ga面LED有明显的提升,从而表明N面GaN基LED具有潜在的应用前景.