Doping Dependence of Superconducting Energy Gap of NCCO Observed by Tunneling Spectroscopy

In order to clarify the electron-hole symmetry in cuprates, Nd_2–x Ce _x CuO₄ (NCCO) thin films were fabricated for various Ce concentrations and conductance spectra were measured by tunneling spectroscopy. Since the superconductivity appears even at x=0.095, thin film samples have an advantage over single crystals for studying the electronic states in underdoped region. It is shown that the amplitude of superconducting energy gap was almost 7–11 meV in the whole superconducting range. Comparing with hole-doped cases, the energy gap of NCCO is relatively insensitive to the doping concentration.     

Observation of tunneling and magneto-tunneling out of a 2D Wigner crystal

We measured the escape rates of surface state electrons from an electron layer confined at the liquid helium-vacuum interface in the temperature range of 30–450mK, and for densities 0.02–2.2×10⁸ cm ^–2. Below 200mK the escape rates were temperature independent and converged to the expected single particle tunneling rates in the zero density limit, where correlations are negligible. The single particle rates were enhanced exponentially as the density was increased up to a critical densityn _c. Atn _c the escape process becomes extremely nonlinear. As the barrier is raised so that the escape rates decrease below 5.0×10^–4sec^–1, a new very weakly density and external field dependent mechanism seems to dominate the escape. Thermally activated escape was observed above 250mK and the activation energies were in good agreement with the expected values. Upon application of a magnetic field in the plane of the electron layer, the rates become strongly temperature and field dependent even at the lowest temperaturesT40mK. At these temperatures and low densities rates are suppressed four orders of magnitude in a few kGauss magnetic fields.     

Preparation and properties of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 thin films

Anex situ process has been developed to produce thin superconducting Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ films. The properties of films grown on different substrates using different annealing regimes were studied. Critical temperatures of 103–107 K were measured on films prepared in a broad range of annealing temperatures on SrTiO₃, LaAlO₃, and Y-ZrO₂ substrates. A critical current density,J _c, of 2×10⁶ A/cm² at 77 K was measured on LaAlO₃. Film morphology was studied by SEM, AFM, and STM.     

Proton Conductivity of Cs2MnH3(P2O7)2 and Rb2MnHP2O7(H2PO4)2

Cs₂MnH₃(P₂O₇)₂ and Rb₂MnHP₂O₇(H₂PO₄)₂ are shown to have an appreciable proton conductivity: 5 × 10^–8 and 2 × 10^–5 S/cm in the Cs compound at 298 and 400 K, respectively, and 10^–7 and 4 × 10^–7 S/cm in the Rb compound. The conductivity and structural data are analyzed in relation to the mechanisms of protonic conduction in these mixed phosphates.     

Fast Li+ ion conduction in Li2O–(Al2O3 Ga22O3)–TiO2–P2O5 glass–ceramics

Fast lithium ionic conducting glass-ceramics have been obtained by heat-treatment of glasses in the systems Li₂O–M₂O₃–TiO₂–P₂O₅ (M = Al and Ga). The glass–ceramics were mainly composed of LiTi₂(PO₄)₃ in which Ti⁴⁺ ions were partially replaced by M³⁺ ions. Considerable enhancement of the conductivity with the substitution of M³⁺ ions for Ti⁴⁺ ions was observed. The maximum conductivity obtained at room temperature was 1.3 × 10^–3 S cm^–1 for the aluminium system and 9 × 10^–4 S cm^–1 for the gallium system.     

Decay of 2 - Anions in Solid Parahydrogen via Two-Stage Quantum Tunneling Diffusion Processes

Decay mechanism of H ₂ ^- anions in X()-irradiated solid para-H₂ (p-H ₂ ) has been studied using high-resolution ESR spectroscopy in the temperature range between 1.3–6.6 K. The results are summarized as follows. First,the decay rate constant of the ₂ ^- anions is not proportional to initial yields of reactive species such as cations and H atoms but proportional to the concentration of less-reactive species of HD molecules in p-H₂ . This result shows that the decay of the ₂ ^- anion is due to the reaction neither with cations nor H atoms but with HD molecules originally contained in the p-H₂ sample at natural abundance. Second,the decay rate constant of the ₂ ^- anions increases proportionally with the increase in temperature below 3 K and decreases with the increase in temperature between 3–5 K,although it increases exponentially with the increase in temperature above 5 K. This result indicates that the decay rate constant of the ₂ ^- anions is controlled by the rate constant for the diffusion of the ₂ ^- anions via one-phonon assisted quantum tunneling below 3 K,two-phonon scattered or assisted quantum tunneling between 3–5 K,and thermally-activated process above 5 K.     

Electronic Conduction in the Na2O ·nAl2O3–Y2O3 System

The electronic conductivity of Na₂O · nAl₂O₃–Y₂O₃ materials is found to vary from 10^–5 to 10^–1 S/m between room temperature and 800°C and to increase from 10^–5 to 10^–4 S/m as the frequency increases from 100 Hz to 200 kHz. The temperature variation of conductivity is interpreted in terms of the energy band structure.     

Thermal expansion of niobium in the range 1500–2700 K by a transient interferometric technique

The linear thermal expansion of niobium has been measured in the temperature range 1500–2700 K by means of a transient (subsecond) interferometric technique. The basic method involves rapidly heating the specimen from room temperature up to and through the temperature range of interest in less than 1 s by passing an electrical current pulse through it and simultaneously measuring the specimen temperature by means of a high-speed photoelectric pyrometer and the shift in the fringe pattern produced by a Michelson-type interferometer. The linear thermal expansion is determined from the cumulative shift corresponding to each measured temperature. The results for niobium may be expressed by the relation (l-l ₀)/l ₀=5.4424×10^–3–8.8553×10^–6 T+1.2993×10^–8 T ² –4.4002×10^–12 T ³+6.3476×10^–16T⁴ where T is in K and l ₀ is the specimen length at 20°C. The maximum error in the reported values of thermal expansion is estimated to be about 1% at 2000 K and not more than 2% at 2700 K.Paper presented at the Ninth International Thermal Expansion Symposium, December 8–10, 1986, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.     

Small polaron transport in V2O5–NiO–TeO2 glasses

Semiconducting glasses of the V₂O₅–NiO–TeO₂ system were prepared by the press-quenching method and their d.c. conductivities in the temperature range 300–450 K were measured. The d.c. conductivities at 395 K for the present glasses were determined to be 10^–7 to 10^–1 S m^–1, indicating that the conductivity increased with increasing V₂O₅ concentration. A glass of composition 67.5V₂O₅–2.5NiO–30TeO₂ (mol %) having a conductivity of 2.47×10^–2 S m^–1 at a temperature of 395 K was found to be the most conductive glass among the vanadium-tellurite glasses. From the conductivity–temperature relation, it was found that a small polaron hopping model was applicable at the temperature above _D/2 (_D: the Debye temperature); the electrical conduction at T>_D/2 was due to adiabatic small polaron hopping of electrons between vanadium ions. The polaron bandwidth ranged from 0.06 to 0.21 eV. The hopping carrier mobility varied from 1.1×10^–7 to 5.48×10^–5 cm² V^–1 s^–1 at 400 K. The carrier density is evaluated to be 1.85×10¹⁹–5.50×10¹⁹ cm^–3. The conductivity of the present glasses was primarily determined by hopping carrier mobility. In the low-temperature (below _D/2) regime, however, both Mott's variable-range hopping and Greaves intermediate range hopping models are found to be applicable.     

High-temperature thermoelectric properties of the sintered Bi2Sr2Ca1 − xYxCu2Oy (x = 0 – 1)

Electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient were measured in a temperature range of 320–1073 K for sintered samples of Bi₂Sr₂Ca_{1 – x} Y _x Cu₂O _y (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0). It has been found that the conduction behavior changes from n-type metallic to p-type semiconducting with increasing yttrium concentration. The power factors were in a range of 1.7–3.0 × 10^–5 Wm^–1 K^–2 for the sample with x = 0.8, being maximized by the optimization of the yttrium concentration. The thermal conductivity for the sample with x = 0.8 was 0.73 Wm^–1 K^–1 at 310 K, and decreased with increasing temperature. The values of thermoelectric figure of merit were estimated to be in a range of 3.4–4.8 × 10^–5 K^–1 at temperatures of 320–673 K for the sample with x = 0.8.     

Tunable SnSe2/WSe2 Heterostructure Tunneling Field Effect Transistor

The burgeoning 2D semiconductors can maintain excellent device electrostatics with an ultranarrow channel length and can realize tunneling by electrostatic gating to avoid deprivation of band‐edge sharpness resulting from chemical doping, which make them perfect candidates for tunneling field effect transistors. Here this study presents SnSe₂/WSe₂ van der Waals heterostructures with SnSe₂ as the p‐layer and WSe₂ as the n‐layer. The energy band alignment changes from a staggered gap band offset (type‐II) to a broken gap (type‐III) when changing the negative back‐gate voltage to positive, resulting in the device operating as a rectifier diode (rectification ratio ~10⁴) or an n‐type tunneling field effect transistor, respectively. A steep average subthreshold swing of 80 mV dec^?1 for exceeding two decades of drain current with a minimum of 37 mV dec^?1 at room temperature is observed, and an evident trend toward negative differential resistance is also accomplished for the tunneling field effect transistor due to the high gate efficiency of 0.36 for single gate devices. The I _ON/I _OFF ratio of the transfer characteristics is >10⁶, accompanying a high ON current >10^?5 A. This work presents original phenomena of multilayer 2D van der Waals heterostructures which can be applied to low‐power consumption devices.     

Variable—Range hopping in Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-K<Subscript>2</Subscript>B<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> glasses

The dc conductivity of the glasses in the Fe₂O₃-Bi₂O₃-K₂B₄O₇ system was studied at temperatures between 223 and 393 K. At temperatures from 300 to 223 K, T^–1/4 (T is temperature) dependence of the conductivity was found, however, both Mott variable-range hopping and Greaves intermediate range hopping models are found to be applicable. Mott and Greaves parameters analysis gave the density of states at Fermi level N (E_F) = 3.13 × 10²⁰–21.01 × 10²⁰ and 1.93 × 10²¹–16.39 × 10²¹ cm^–3eV^–1 at 240 K, respectively. The variable-range hopping conduction occurred in the temperature range T = 300–223 K, since W_D was found to be large (W_D = 0.08–0.14 eV for these glasses) and dominated the conduction at T < 300 K.     

Preparation of fatigue-free SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films by r.f. magnetron sputtering and their ferroelectric properties

Fatigue-free bismuth-layered SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by r.f. magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The variation of structure and electrical properties were studied as a function of annealing temperatures from 750–850 °C. The films annealed at 800 °C had a composition ratio of Sr:Br:Ta = 0.7:2.0:2.0. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy signals of bismuth show an oxygen-deficient state within the SBT films. The films annealed at 800 °C have a thickness of 200 nm and a relatively dense microstructure. The remanent polarization (2P _r), and the coercive field (2E _c), obtained for the SIBT films, were 9.1 C cm^–2 and 85 kV cm^–1 at an applied voltage of 3 V, respectively. The films showed fatigue-free characteristics up to 10¹⁰ cycles under 5 V bipolar square pulses. The leakage current density was about 7 × 10^–7 A cm^–2 at 150 kV cm^–1. The SBT films prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering were attractive for application to non-volatile memories.     

Space-charge-limited current analysis in amorphous InSe thin films

The study of space-charge-limited currents (SCLC) in amorphous InSe thin films is presented. The temperature-dependent current–voltage (J–V) measurements were carried out for TO/a-InSe/Au sandwich structures in the range of 200–320 K. For all samples, ohmic behavior was observed up to an electric field strength of about 2×10⁵ V cm^–1. From the temperature dependence of conductivity data, the position of the thermal equilibrium Fermi level E _fo is determined as 250 meV above the valence band E _v. At higher electric field strength values in the SCLC regions, the proportionality constant of voltage changes is between 2 and 2.9 with temperature. The analysis of J–V characteristics using the SCLC method and analytical approach for the determination of density of states (DOS) in the energy range of 190–250 meV shows that DOS changes between 3.8×10¹⁷–1.7×10¹⁸ eV^–1cm^–3 with energy. The energy distribution of DOS is temperature independent indicating that the SCLC in these amorphous films is related to the bulk, not to the surface layer between the contact and the film.     

Studies of 2D Cryocrystals by STM Techniques

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of two-dimensional (2D) cryocrystals ⁴ He, Kr, Xe) physisorbed on graphite surfaces are presented. Individual helium atoms, usually thought to be invisible with STM, were recently observed on graphite surfaces at a density corresponding to the commensurate solid. Here we show that a local elastic deformation seems to be the principal mechanism responsible to render the atoms visible. Recent tight-binding calculations of the local density of states (LDOS) of graphite which predict the appearance of an energy gap support this picture. I-z curve measurements for the case of ⁴ He show a sharp drop (increase) of the tunneling current I at a certain tip-surface distance z during retraction (approach) of the tip. This drop (increase) may be associated with the tunneling of a single He adatom, opening new possibilities to study the quantum tunneling of atoms via STM.     

HighT c of liquid-quenched Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr2Ga2Cu3Ox

AlthoughT _c cannot be found for a liquid-quenched Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_x glassy sample, a highT _c is found after annealing for 24 h at 1100 K. The maximum offset temperature of the superconducting transition is 113.3 K at 2.2 × 10^–2mAmm^–2. The maximumT _{c off} is larger than that (the maximumT _{c off} is 103.4 K at 2.0 × 10^–2 mAmm^–2) of sintered specimens before liquid quenching.     

High thermal expansion KAlSiO4 ceramic

Orthorhombic kalsilite (KAlSiO₄) was prepared by solid-state reaction from K₂CO₃, Al₂O₃, and SiO₂. The axial thermal expansion coefficients of the orthorhombic kalsilite were 1.6×10^–5°C^–1 for the a-axis, 1.6×10^–5°C^–1 for the b-axis, 2.8×10^–5°C^–1 for the c-axis, and 2.0×10^–5°C^–1 for the average from room temperature to 1000°C. A high thermal expansion ceramic consisting of the orthorhombic kalsilite was prepared by sintering. The densification was promoted by adding Li₂CO₃. The KAlSiO₄ ceramic sintered at 1200°C for 2 h with 5 wt% Li₂CO₃ had a bending strength of 65 MPa and linear thermal expansion coefficient of 2.2×10^–5 °C^–1 from room temperature to 600°C.     

Structural investigations of phosphate glasses: a detailed infrared study of the x(PbO)-(1−x) P2O5 vitreous system

The results and detailed discussion of an extensive experimental study of infrared spectra of the x (PbO)-(1–x)P₂O₅ vitreous system (x=0.3–0.75) together with a brief review of infrared spectra of phosphate compounds, are presented. Theoretical models employed in the interpretation of infrared spectra of glasses have been reviewed. The frequency ranges of various infrared bands belonging to PO ₄ ^3– and P₂O ₇ ^4– , observed in different phosphate compounds, are discussed. The glassy and quenched samples were prepared from PbO and NH₄H₂PO₄ by the rapid quenching technique. The infrared spectra of the constituents of the system, PbO and P₂O₅, in their polycrystalline and glassy forms, have been discussed. The intensity and wavenumbers of the infrared bands around 1600 and 3300 cm^–1, assigned to the bending and stretching modes in H₂O trapped by the hygroscopic glasses, have been followed for different compositions with x<0.5. The changes observed in these infrared bands established the role of water as an additional glass modifier. The intensity and frequency variations of the infrared bands have been followed through all the compositions for characteristic phosphate group frequencies including P=O, P-O-P stretching and bending modes and P-O bending mode. The results clearly suggest that the x(PbO)-(1–x)P₂O₅ system undergoes gradual structural changes from metaphosphate (x=0.5), to pyrophosphate (x=0.66) and to orthophosphate (x=0.75). The continuing presence of the infrared band, in varying intensity, in the region 1200–1280 cm^–1 attributed to P=O, suggests that the glass-forming ability of the binary system is extendable at least up to x=0.66 composition, and that no complete rupture of P=O bond by Pb²⁺ takes place. The ionic character of the phosphate groups, P-O^(–), PO ₄ ^3– is well revealed by significant changes with the PbO content in the spectral features of the infrared bands around 1120 and 980 cm^–1 respectively. The maximum intensity of the P-O^(–) band at 1120 cm^–1 for 55 mol% PbO suggests a partial breakdown of the covalent vitreous network of the phosphates and formation of a crystalline phase consisting of ionic groups PO ₄ ^3– , P₂O ₆ ^2– and P₂O ₇ ^4– for PbO greater than 55 mol%. The observed pattern of variation in the intensity of the infrared bands in the 940–1080 cm^–1 region attributed to the v₃-mode in PO ₄ ^3– , suggests a gradual transformation of PO ₄ ^3– units to PO ₃ ^– groups in lead meta-phosphate glass and then their restoration to PO ₄ ^3– groups of pyro- and ortho-phosphate quenched samples. The results indicate a gradual decrease in the number of bridging oxygens and increase in the resonance behaviour of non-bridging oxygens as the mole percentage of metal oxide (PbO) increases in the glass. The infrared spectra of several binary phosphate glasses have been reviewed in the context of the study of effect of the cation on the infrared spectra. It is found that the influence of the cation on the infrared spectra of phosphate glasses does not show any striking regularity. Theoretical calculations of these band frequencies were found to agree well only in the case of pure stretching (P=O and O-H) vibrations and pure bending (P-O-P and O-H) vibrations. The disagreement in the case of P-O^(–), P-O-H and other modes of P-O-P groups, has been attributed to the mixed nature of modes occurring in glasses. The changes in the positions of the characteristic bands and their relative intensities are strongly dependent on the structural units and PbO content in the phosphate glasses and the results emphasize the role of PbO as a network modifier.     

The high-temperature thermal expansion of BiPbSrCaCuO superconductor and the oxide components (Bi2O3, PbO,CaO, CuO)

The thermal expansion of superconducting Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃Ox (BiPbSrCaCuO) and its oxide components Bi₂O₃, PbO, CaO and CuO have been studied by high-temperature dilatometric measurements (30–800°C). The thermal expansion coefficient for the BiPbSrCaCuO superconductor in the range 150–830°C is =6.4×10^–6K^–1. The temperature dependences of L/L of pressed Bi₂O₃ reveals sharp changes of length on heating (T ₁=712°C), and on cooling (T ₂=637°C and T ₃=577°C), caused by the phase transition monoclinic-cubic (T ₁) and by reverse transitions via a metastable phase (T ₂ and T ₃). By thermal expansion measurements of melted Bi₂O₃ it is shown that hysteresis in the forward and the reverse phase transitions may be partly caused by grain boundary effect in pressed Bi₂O₃. The thermal expansion of red PbO reveals a sharp decrease in L/L, on heating (T ₁=490°C), related with the phase transition of tetragonal (red, a=0.3962 nm, c=0.5025 nm)-orthorhombic (yellow, a=0.5489 nm, b=0.4756 nm, c=0.5895 nm). The possible causes of irreversibility of the phase transition in PbO are discussed. In the range 50–740°C the coefficient of thermal expansion of pressed Bi₂O₃ (_m=3.6 × 10^–6 and _c=16.6×10^–6K^–1 for monoclinic and cubic Bi₂O₃ respectively), the melted Bi₂O₃ (_m=7.6×10^–6 and _c=11.5×10^–6K^–1), PbO (_t=9.4×10⁶ and _or=3.3×10^–6K^–1 for tetragonal and orthorhombic PbO respectively), CaO (=6.1×10^–6K^–1) and CuO (=4.3×10^–6K^–1) are presented.     

Carrier-Density Dependence of Faraday Rotation and Spin Splitting in Cd1?xMnxTe

We employ spin-quantum-beat spectroscopy to investigate the carrier-density dependence of the spin-precession frequency and the magnitude of the Faraday rotation of Cd_1–x Mn _x Te samples at fixed magnetic field. We find an onset of saturation of the Faraday rotation at carrier densities as low as 4× 10¹⁶ cm^–3 and attribute it to electrons (not holes which dominate in other types of experiments). The spin splitting at fixed magnetic field remains density dependent down to 3 × 10¹⁵ cm^–3 (the lowest density accessible in our measurements) which suggests a direct influence of the carrier-density on the sp–d exchange not mediated by screening effects.