The spectacular metal-to-insulator transition of V2O3 can be progressively suppressed in thin film samples. Evidence for phase separation was observed using microbridges as a mesoscopic probe of transport properties where the same film possesses domains that exhibit a metal-to-insulator transition with clear first order features or remain metallic down to low temperatures. A simple model consisting of two parallel resistors can be used to quantify a phase coexistence scenario explaining the measured macroscopic transport properties. The interaction between film and substrate is the most plausible candidate to explain this extended phase coexistence as shown by a correlation between the transport properties and the structural data.
Effective passivation of lithium metal surfaces, and prevention of battery-shorting lithium dendrite growth, are critical for implementing lithium-metal-anodes for batteries with increased power densities. Nanoscale surface heterogeneities can be "hot spots" where anode passivation breaks down. Motivated by the observation of lithium dendrites in pores and grain boundaries in all-solid batteries, we examine lithium metal surfaces covered with Li(2)O and/or LiF thin films with grain boundaries in them. Electronic structure calculations show that, at >0.25 V computed equilibrium overpotential, L…
The effect of light soaking (LS) on the properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon presents many challenging puzzles. Some of them are discussed here, along with their present status. In particular the role of the heterogeneities in LS is examined. We find that for the majority of the solved as well unsolved puzzles the long range potential fluctuations arising from the heterogeneities in the films can provide answers which look quite plausible.
We investigate the effect of external stresses on structural and mechanical properties of a strained damaged thin layer by developing a continuum phase-field mesoscale model based on the introduction of an order parameter field, the defect concentration, coupled with a displacement field. We find that even in the case of an initially uniform distribution of point defects external stresses drive the nucleation of local regions with higher concentration of vacancies or self-interstitials than their average value over the film. The effect can explain our experimental findings relating generation …
Twin boundaries play an essential role in the use of magnetic shape memory alloy Ni-Mn-Ga as active material. Only if twin boundaries can be moved by an external magnetic field, high strain values of up to 10 % can be obtained. Therefore, understanding the observed twin microstructure of thin films is crucial for future application. We exemplarily present two different microstructural pattern, type X and type Y microstructure, using the example of two Ni-Mn-Ga films with similar film thickness and composition. The analysis of microstructure and structure of the thin films shows that both, type…
Ordering of mobile defects in functional materials can give rise to fundamentally new phases possessing ferroic and multiferroic functionalities. Here we develop the Landau theory for strain induced ordering of defects (e.g. oxygen vacancies) in thin oxide films, considering both the ordering and wavelength of possible instabilities. Using derived analytical expressions for the energies of various defect-ordered states, we calculated and analyzed phase diagrams dependence on the film-substrate mismatch strain, concentration of defects, and Vegard coefficients. Obtained results open possibiliti…
We discuss the mass transport of a degenerate Fermi liquid $^3$He film over a rough surface, and the film momentum relaxation time, in the framework of theoretical predictions. In the mesoscopic régime, the anomalous temperature dependence of the relaxation time is explained in terms of the interference between elastic boundary scattering and inelastic quasiparticle-quasiparticle scattering within the film. We exploit a quasiclassical treatment of quantum size effects in the film in which the surface roughness, whose power spectrum is experimentally determined, is mapped into an effective diso…
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrene sulfonic acid (PEDOT:PSS), an optically transparent organic semi-conductor, constitutes a suspension of conducting PEDOT:PSS grains, shelled by an insulating layer of PSS. While a percolation network enhances dc conductivity, structural and electrical inhomogenity hinters electric charge flow giving rise to capacitance effects. In the present work, two distinct relaxation mechanisms are detected by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). Double polarization mechamisms are predicted by bi-phase suspension dielectric theory. Within the frame of in…
The correlation between the transport properties and structural degrees of freedom of conducting polymers is a central concern in both practical applications and scientific research. In this study, we demonstrated the existence of mesoscopic two-dimensional (2D) coherent charge transport in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film by performing structural investigations and high-field magnetoconductance (MC) measurements in magnetic fields of up to 15 T. We succeeded in observing marked positive MCs reflecting 2D electronic states in a conventional drop-cast fil…
An environmentally stable mesoscopic thin film of Au of certain thickness has been deposited thermally on top of a Ag+ implanted oxide substrate to develop a close to room temperature superconductor. This thin film has been deposited in two different stages. Initially, a sol-gel derived ion conducting metal oxide (ICMO) thin film has been deposited by spin coating. Afterward, Ag+ has been introduced inside ICMO thin film by a chemical method. Following this, a thin layer of Au has been deposited on top of that Ag ion-implanted oxide via thermal evaporation. The temperature dependent resistivit…
We studied the influence of 30keV Ga$^+$-ions -- commonly used in focused ion beam (FIB) devices -- on the transport properties of thin crystalline graphite flake, La$_{0.7}$Ca$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ and Co thin films. The changes of the electrical resistance were measured in-situ during irradiation and also the temperature and magnetic field dependence before and after irradiation. Our results show that the transport properties of these materials strongly change at Ga$^+$ fluences much below those used for patterning and ion beam induced deposition (IBID), limiting seriously the use of FIB when the i…
Reverse and stable bipolar resistive switching effect was observed in planar NdCeCuO - NdCeO - Ag heterostructures. It was shown that the current voltage charactereriscs of the BRSE observed has a diode character. Simulations were used to consider the influence of the nonuniform distribution of an electric field at the interface of a heterojunction on the effect of bipolar resistive switching in investigated structures. The inhomogeneous distribution of the electric field near the contact edge creates regions of higher electric field strength which, in turn, stimulates motion and redistributio…
Spin excitations of magnetic thin films are the founding element for novel transport concepts in spintronics, magnonics, and magnetic devices in general. While spin dynamics have been extensively studied in bulk materials, their behaviour in mesoscopic films is less known due to experimental limitations. Here, we employ Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering to investigate the spin excitation spectrum in mesoscopic Fe films, from bulk-like down to 3 unit cells thick. In bulk-like samples, we find isotropic, dispersive ferromagnons consistent with the dispersion observed by neutron scattering in b…
When subjected to the interfacially induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, the ground state in thin ferromagnetic films with high perpendicular anisotropy is cycloidal. The period of this cycloidal state depends on the strength of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. In this work, we have studied the effect of confinement on the magnetic ground state and excited states, and we determined the phase diagram of thin strips and thin square platelets by means of micromagnetic calculations. We show that multiple cycloidal states with different periods can be stable in laterally confined films,…
Elastic and structural anisotropy in silica thin films for gravitational-wave detectors
Università di Perugia（佩鲁贾大学）；Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia（意大利国家核物理研究所佩鲁贾分部）；Università di Genova（热那亚大学）；Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova（意大利国家核物理研究所热那亚分部）；CNR - Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)（国家研究委员会光子学与纳米技术研究所）；Università di Padova（帕多瓦大学）；Université de Lyon（里昂大学）；Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1（里昂第一大学）；Università di Camerino（卡梅里诺大学）
The structure of 180-degree uncharged rotational domain wall in a multiaxial ferroelectric film is studied within the framework of analytical Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) approach. The Finite Element Modelling (FEM) is used to solve numerically the system of the coupled nonlinear Euler-Lagrange (EL) differential equations of the second order for two components of polarization. We show that the structure of the domain wall and corresponding (meta)stable phase of the film are controlled by a single master parameter, dimensionless ferroelectric anisotropy μ. We fitted the static profile of a …
Double ring formation on Co2MnSi (CMS) films is observed at electrical breakdown voltage during local anodic oxidation (LAO) using atomic force microscope (AFM). Corona effect and segregation of cobalt in the vicinity of the rings is studied using magnetic force microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Double ring forma-tion is attributed to the interaction of ablated material with the induced magnetic field during LAO. Steepness of forward bias transport characteristics from the unperturbed region of the CMS film suggest a non equilibrium spin contribution. Such mesoscopic textures in m…
The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii Moriya Interaction (DMI) in ultrathin magnetic thin film heterostructures provides a new approach for controlling spin textures on mesoscopic length scales. Here we investigate the dependence of the interfacial DMI constant D on a Pt wedge insertion layer in Ta_CoFeB_Pt(wedge)_MgO thin films by observing the asymmetric spin wave dispersion using Brillouin light scattering. Continuous tuning of D by more than a factor of three is realized by inserting less than one monolayer of Pt. The observations provide new insights for designing magnetic thin film heterostruct…
The electric coupling between surface ions and bulk ferroelectricity gives rise to a continuum of mixed states in ferroelectric thin films, exquisitely sensitive to temperature and external factors, such as applied voltage and oxygen pressure. Here we develop the comprehensive analytical description of these coupled ferroelectric and ionic ("ferroionic") states by combining the Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire description of the ferroelectric properties of the film with Langmuir adsorption model for the electrochemical reaction at the film surface. We explore the thermodynamic and kinetic characteri…
Cluster-assembled metallic films show interesting electrical properties, both in the near-to-percolation regime, when deposited clusters do not form a complete layer yet, and when the film thickness is well above the electrical percolation threshold. Correctly estimating their electrical conductivity is crucial, but, particularly for the latter regime, standard theoretical tools are not quite adequate. We therefore developed a procedure based on an atomically informed mesoscopic model in which ab-initio estimates of electronic transport at the nanoscale are used to reconstruct the conductivity…
Antiferromagnetic thin films typically exhibit a multi-domain state, and control of the antiferromagnetic Néel vector is challenging as antiferromagnetic materials are robust to magnetic perturbations. By relying on anisotropic in-plane strain engineering of epitaxial thin films of the prototypical antiferromagnetic material LaFeO3, uniaxial Néel vector control is demonstrated. Orthorhombic (011)- and (101)-oriented DyScO3, GdScO3 and NdGaO3 substrates are used to engineer different anisotropic in-plane strain states. The anisotropic in-plane strain stabilises structurally monodomain monoclini…
Understanding the dynamic behavior of the domain structure is critical to the design and application of super-elastic freestanding ferroelectric thin films. The phase-field simulation is currently a powerful tool for observing, exploring, and revealing domain switching behavior and phase transition in ferroelectric materials at the mesoscopic scale. The present review summarizes the recent progress of phase-field methods in the theoretical interpretation, mechanical response, and domain structure evolution of freestanding ferroelectric thin films, wrinkled structures, and nano-springs. Further…
We report the magnetotransport properties up to 7 T in the organic highly conducting Langmuir-Blodgett(LB) films formed by a molecular association of the electroactive donor molecule bis(ethylendioxy)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDO-TTF) and stearic acid CH$_3$(CH$_2$)$_{16}$COOH. We show the logarithmic decrease of dc conductivity and the negative transverse magnetoresistance at low temperature. They are interpreted in the weak localization of two-dimensional (2D) electronic system based on the homogeneous conducting layer with the molecular size thickness of BEDO-TTF. The electronic length with phas…
Morphological properties of strained epitaxial films are examined through a mesoscopic approach developed to incorporate both the film crystalline structure and standard continuum theory. Film surface profiles and properties, such as surface energy, liquid-solid miscibility gap and interface thickness, are determined as a function of misfit strains and film elastic modulus. We analyze the stress-driven instability of film surface morphology that leads to the formation of strained islands. We find a universal scaling relationship between the island size and misfit strain which shows a crossover…
We present a model to describe complex phases observed at mesoscopic scales in ultrathin magnetic films. The model is based on the interaction between dipolar as well as quadrupolar magnetic moments. In the special case of strong perpendicular crystal anisotropy, we show that quadrupolar degrees of freedom associated with orientation of domain walls are essential in order to correctly describe the observed phenomenology of domain formation. A nematic phase characterized by orientational order of domain walls (stripe-like) but without translational order is predicted. This isotropic-nematic tra…
New emerging disciplines such as Nanoionics and Iontronics are dealing with the exploitation of mesoscopic size effects in materials, which become visible (if not predominant) when downsizing the system to the nanoscale. Driven by the worldwide standardisation of thin film deposition techniques, the access to radically different properties than those found in the bulk macroscopic systems can be accomplished. This opens up promising approaches for the development of advanced microdevices, by taking advantage of the nanostructural deviations found in nanometre sized, interface dominated material…
Optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy is used to investigate ultrafast far-infrared conductivity dynamics during the insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in vanadium sesquioxide (V2O3). The resultant conductivity increase occurs on a tens of ps timescale, exhibiting a strong dependence on the initial temperature and fluence. We have identified a scaling of the conductivity dynamics upon renormalizing the time axis with a simple power law (alpha = 1/2) that depends solely on the initial, final, and conductivity onset temperatures. Qualitative and quantitative considerations indicate that the…
Domain phases in ultrathin Fe/Ni/W(110) films with perpendicular anisotropy have been studied using the ac magnetic susceptibility. Dynamics on time scales of minutes to hours were probed by quenching the system from high temperature to the stripe phase region, and varying the constant rate of temperature increase as the susceptibility traces were measured. The entire susceptibility peak is observed to relax slowly along the temperature axis, with the peak temperature increasing as the rate of heating is decreased. This is precisely opposite to what would happen if this slow relaxation was dri…
