In the Fe-doped GaN phase-separated magnetic semiconductor GaFeN, the presence of embedded Ga$_y$Fe$_{4-y}$N nanocrystals determines the magnetic properties of the system. Here, through a combination of anomalous x-ray diffraction and diffraction anomalous fine structure, the local structure of Ga in self-assembled face-centered cubic (fcc) Ga$_y$Fe$_{4-y}$N nanocrystals embedded in wurtzite GaN thin layers is investigated in order to shed light onto the correlation between fabrication parameters, local structural arrangement and overall magnetic properties of the material system. It is found, that by adjusting the growth parameters and thus, the crystallographic surroundings, the Ga atoms can be induced to incorporate into 3$c$ positions at the faces of the fcc crystal lattice, reaching a maximum occupancy of 30\%. The magnetic response of the embedded nanocrystals is ferromagnetic with Curie temperature increasing from 450\,K to 500\,K with the Ga occupation. These results demonstrate the outstanding potential of the employed experimental protocol for unravelling the local structure of magnetic multi-phase systems, even when embedded in a matrix containing the same element under investigation.
Metal-organic framework (MOF) UiO-66 nanocrystals were previously believed to be piezo/ferro-electrically inactive because of their centrosymmetric lattice symmetries (Fm-3m (225)) revealed by Powder X-ray diffraction. However, via delicate dual AC resonance tracking piezoresponse force microscopy and piezoresponse force spectroscopy characterizations, our nanoscale probing for the first time demonstrate that UiO-66 nanocrystals show piezo/ferro-electric response. Our compelling experimental and theoretically analyses disclose that the structure of UiO-66 should not be the highly centrosymmetr…
Sol gel obtained YZS (Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) nanocrystals have different morphologies when they grow on an $α$-alumina substrate after thermal treatment. When the substrate has planar defects, the nanocrystals grow in height and are narrow with a crystallographic orientation [111] in the vertical direction, while when the substrate is a perfect plane at the nanometric scale, the nanocrystals are rather extended over the substrate and do not grow in height, with a crystallo- graphic orientation [100] in the vertical direction. We present here a Monte Carlo approach which computes the actio…
In the last decade, transition-metal-doped ZnO has been intensively investigated as a route to room-temperature diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs). However, the origin for the reported ferromagnetism in ZnO-based DMS remains questionable. Possible options are diluted magnetic semiconductors, spinodal decomposition, or secondary phases. In order to clarify this question, we have performed a thorough characterization of the structural and magnetic properties of Co- and Ni-implanted ZnO single crystals. Our measurements reveal that Co or Ni nanocrystals (NCs) are the major contribution of the…
Single planar arrays of Ga(x)Fe(4-x)N magnetic nanocrystals embedded in GaN have been fabricated in an epitaxial process. The phase of the nanocrystals and their epitaxial relationship with the host matrix are studied $via$ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution x-ray diffraction. By changing the growth parameters and mode, the crystallographic phase and chemical composition of the nanocrystals can be varied on demand. In view of the different magnetic properties of the various phases, applications in room-temperature ferromagnetic as well as antiferromagnetic spi…
Mechanically induced crystallographic phase transformation that reflects dynamic stress responses of intrinsically stochastic nature is a pertinent yet much less well-understood phenomenon. We focus on understanding the physical significance of stochasticity and how it can enable inference of principles underlying a crystallographic phase transformation. For interpreting the mechanical responses, a statistical approach of mapping the transformation dynamics to a probabilistic escape of crystallographic states defined on a free energy landscape is shown to reliably explain the patterns of respo…
Symmetries are so involved in crystallographic detail that it is indispensable when crystal cell or lattice is mentioned. For nanocrystals, however, many are 'systemic symmetries', meaning that the whole structures of nanocrystal particles are symmetrical from a different view. In that case, the development of the systemic symmetry is dictated by the law of symmetry breaking; that is, nanocrystallization does, to some extent, exceed current theories associated with crystallography.
Understanding the interplay between the structural, chemical and physical properties of nanomaterials is crucial for designing new devices with enhanced performance. In this regards, doping of metal oxides is a general strategy to tune size, morphology, charge, lattice, orbital and spin degrees of freedoms and has been shown to affect nanomaterials properties for photoelectrochemical water splitting, batteries, catalysis, magnetic applications and optics. Here we report the role of lattice small polaron in driving the morphological transition from nearly isotropic to nanowire crystals in Si do…
Monophasic and homogeneous Ni10Zr7 nanocrystalline alloy films were successfully grown at room temperature by co-sputtering in an indigenously developed three-gun DC/RF magnetron sputtering unit. The films could be produced with long-range crystallographic and chemical order in the alloy, thus overcoming the widely acknowledged inherent proclivity of the glass forming Ni-Zr couple towards amorphization. Crystallinity of these alloys is a desirable feature with regard to improved efficacy in applications such as hydrogen storage, catalytic activity and nuclear reactor engineering, to name a few…
A method for crystallographic mapping of an alpha-beta titanium alloy with nanometre resolution using scanning precession electron diffraction and open-source software libraries
Aspects of transmission electron goniometry are discussed. Combined with high resolution phase contrast transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atomic resolution scanning TEM (STEM) in the atomic number contrast (Z-STEM) or the phase contrast bright field mode, transmission electron goniometry offers the opportunity to develop dedicated methods for the crystallographic characterization of nanocrystals in three dimensions. The relationship between transmission electron goniometry and electron tomography for materials science applications is briefly discussed. Internet based java applets th…
The crystalline properties of silica biomorphs vary within and between morphologies
Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Med, Institut Fresnel（艾克斯马赛大学、法国国家科学研究中心、中央理工学院、费斯奈尔研究所）；University of Konstanz（康斯坦茨大学）；Department of Chemistry and INANO, Aarhus University（奥胡斯大学化学系与INANO中心）；European Synchrotron Radiation Facility（欧洲同步辐射装置）
Recently theoretical works predict that some semiconductors (e.g. ZnO) doped with magnetic ions are diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS). In DMS magnetic ions substitute cation sites of the host semiconductor and are coupled by free carriers resulting in ferromagnetism. One of the main obstacles in creating DMS materials is the formation of secondary phases because of the solid-solubility limit of magnetic ions in semiconductor host. In our study transition metal ions were implanted into ZnO single crystals with the peak concentrations of 0.5-10 at.%. We established a correlation between stru…
Mesocrystals are nanostructured materials consisting of individual nanocrystals having a preferred crystallographic orientation. On mesoscopic length scales, the properties of mesocrystals are strongly affected by structural heterogeneity. Here, we report the detailed structural characterization of a faceted mesocrystal grain self-assembled from 60 nm sized gold nanocubes. Using coherent X-ray diffraction imaging, we determined the structure of the mesocrystal with the resolution sufficient to resolve each gold nanoparticle. The reconstructed electron density of the gold mesocrystal reveals it…
A range of high quality Ga1-xMnxN layers have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy with manganese concentration 0.2 < x < 10%, having the x value tuned by changing the growth temperature (Tg) between 700 and 590 °C, respectively. We present a systematic structural and microstructure characterization by atomic force microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, powder-like and high resolution X-ray diffraction, which do not reveal any crystallographic phase separation, clusters or nanocrystals, even at the lowest Tg. Our synchrotron based X-ray absorption near-e…
