Tuning quantum corrections and magnetoresistance in ZnO nanowires by ion implantation

Revealing Strong Flexoelectricity and Optoelectronic Coupling in 2D Ferroelectric CuInP2S6 Via Large Strain Gradient

The interplay between flexoelectric and optoelectronic characteristics provides a paradigm for studying emerging phenomena in various 2D materials. However, an effective way to induce a large and tunable strain gradient in 2D devices remains to be exploited. Herein, we propose a strategy to induce large flexoelectric effect in 2D ferroelectric CuInP2S6 by constructing a 1D-2D mixed-dimensional heterostructure. The strong flexoelectric effect is induced by enormous strain gradient up to 4.2 × 106 m-1 resulting from the underlying ZnO nanowires, which is further confirmed by the asymmetric coercive field and the red-shift in the absorption edge. The induced flexoelectric polarization efficiently boosts the self-powered photodetection performance. In addition, the improved photoresponse has a good correlation with the induced strain gradient, showing a consistent size-dependent flexoelectric effect. The mechanism of flexoelectric and optoelectronic coupling is proposed based on the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire double-well model, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This work provides a brand-new method to induce a strong flexoelectric effect in 2D materials, which is not restricted to crystal symmetry and thus offers unprecedented opportunities for state-of-the-art 2D devices.

Recent Advances in Ferroelectric-Enhanced Low-Dimensional Optoelectronic Devices

Ferroelectric (FE) materials, including BiFeO₃ , P(VDF-TrFE), and CuInP₂ S₆ , are a type of dielectric material with a unique, spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by applying an external electric field. The combination of FE and low-dimensional materials produces synergies, sparking significant research interest in solar cells, photodetectors (PDs), nonvolatile memory, and so on. The fundamental aspects of FE materials, including the origin of FE polarization, extrinsic FE materials, and FE polarization quantification are first discussed. Next, the state-of-the-art of FE-based optoelectronic devices is focused. How FE materials affect the energy band of channel materials and how device structures influence PD performance are also summarized. Finally, the future directions of this rapidly growing field are discussed.

Ferroelectric Tuning of ZnO Ultraviolet Photodetectors

The ferroelectric field effect transistor (Fe-FET) is considered to be one of the most important low-power and high-performance devices. It is promising to combine a ferroelectric field effect with a photodetector to improve the photodetection performance. This study proposes a strategy for ZnO ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors regulated by a ferroelectric gate. The ZnO nanowire (NW) UV photodetector was tuned by a 2D CuInP₂S₆ (CIPS) ferroelectric gate, which decreased the dark current and enhanced the responsivity and detectivity to 2.40 × 10⁴ A/W and 7.17 × 10¹¹ Jones, respectively. This strategy was also applied to a ZnO film UV photodetector that was tuned by a P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric gate. Lower power consumption and higher performance can be enabled by ferroelectric tuning of ZnO ultraviolet photodetectors, providing new inspiration for the fabrication of high-performance photodetectors.

Healing Ion-Implanted Semiconductors by Hybrid Microwave Annealing: Activation of Nitrogen-Implanted TiO2

In order to recover the damaged structure of a nitrogen-implanted TiO₂ (N-I-TiO₂) photoanode, hybrid microwave annealing (HMA) is proposed as an alternative postannealing process instead of conventional thermal annealing (CTA). Compared to CTA, HMA provides distinctive advantages: (i) facile transformation of the interstitial N-N states into substitutional N-Ti states, (ii) better preservation of the ion-implanted nitrogen in TiO₂, and (iii) effective alleviation of lattice strain and reconstruction of the broken bonds. As a result, the HMA-activated photoanode improves the photocurrent density by a factor of ∼3.2 from 0.29 to 0.93 mA cm^-2 at 1.23 V_RHE and the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) from ∼2.9% to ∼10.5% at 430 nm relative to those of the as-prepared N-I-TiO₂ photoanode in photoelectrochemical water oxidation, which are much better than those of the CTA-activated photoanode (0.58 mA cm^-2 at 1.23 V_RHE and IPCE of 5.7% at 430 nm), especially in the visible light region (≥420 nm).

Review on Recent Developments in 2D Ferroelectrics: Theories and Applications

Although only a few 2D materials have been predicted to possess ferroelectricity, 2D ferroelectrics are expected to play a dominant role in the upcoming nano era as important functional materials. The ferroelectric properties of 2D ferroelectrics are significantly different than those of traditional bulk ferroelectrics owing to their intrinsic size and surface effects. To date, 2D ferroelectrics have been reported to exhibit diverse properties ranging from bulk photovoltaic and piezoelectric/pyroelectric effects to the spontaneous valley and spin polarization. These properties are either dependent on ferroelectric polarization or coupled with it for easy electric control, thus making 2D ferroelectrics applicable to multifunctional nanodevices. At present, cumulative efforts are being made to explore 2D ferroelectrics in theories, experiments, and applications. Herein, such theories and methods are briefly introduced. Subsequently, intrinsic and extrinsic origins of 2D ferroelectricity are separately summarized. In addition, invented or laboratory-validated 2D ferroelectric-based applications are listed. Finally, the existing challenges and prospects of 2D ferroelectrics are discussed.

Two-dimensional magneto-photoconductivity in non-van der Waals manganese selenide

Deficient intrinsic species and suppressed Curie temperatures (T_c) in two-dimensional (2D) magnets are major barriers for future spintronic applications. As an alternative, delaminating non-van der Waals (vdW) magnets can offset these shortcomings and involve robust bandgaps to explore 2D magneto-photoconductivity at ambient temperature. Herein, non-vdW α-MnSe₂ is first delaminated as quasi-2D nanosheets for the study of emerging semiconductor, ferromagnetism and magneto-photoconductivity behaviors. Abundant nonstoichiometric surfaces induce the renormalization of the band structure and open a bandgap of 1.2 eV. The structural optimization strengthens ferromagnetic super-exchange interactions between the nearest-neighbor Mn²⁺, which enables us to achieve a high T_c of 320 K well above room temperature. The critical fitting of magnetization and transport measurements both verify that it is of quasi-2D nature. The above observations are evidenced by multiple microscopic and macroscopic characterization tools, in line with the prediction of first-principles calculations. Profiting from the negative magnetoresistance effect, the self-powered infrared magneto-photoconductivity performance including a responsivity of 330.4 mA W^-1 and a millisecond-level response speed are further demonstrated. Such merits stem from the synergistic modulation of magnetic and light fields on photogenerated carriers. This provides a new strategy to manipulate both charge and spin in 2D non-vdW systems and displays their alluring prospects in magneto-photodetection.

Long-Range Magnetic Order in Oxide Quantum Wells Hosting Two-Dimensional Electron Gases

To incorporate spintronics functionalities into two-dimensional devices, it is strongly desired to get two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) with high spin polarization. Unfortunately, the magnetic characteristics of the typical 2DEG at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface are very weak due to the nonmagnetic character of SrTiO₃ and LaAlO₃. While most of the previous works focused on perovskite oxides, here, we extended the exploration for magnetic 2DEG beyond the scope of perovskite combinations, composing 2DEG with SrTiO₃ and NaCl-structured EuO that owns a large saturation magnetization and a fairly high Curie temperature. We obtained the 2DEGs that show long-range magnetic order and thus unusual behaviors marked by isotropic butterfly shaped magnetoresistance and remarkable anomalous Hall effect. We found evidence for the presence of more conductive domain walls than elsewhere in the oxide layer where the 2DEG resides. More than that, a relation between interfacial magnetism and carrier density is established. On this basis, the intermediate magnetic states between short-range and long-range ordered states can be achieved. The present work provides guidance for the design of high-performance magnetic 2DEGs.

A Review of Recent Applications of Ion Beam Techniques on Nanomaterial Surface Modification: Design of Nanostructures and Energy Harvesting

Nanomaterials have gained plenty of research interest because of their excellent performance, which is derived from their small size and special structure. In practical applications, to acquire nanomaterials with high performance, many methods have been used to modulate the structure and components of materials. To date, ion beam techniques have extensively been applied for modulating the performance of various nanomaterials. Energetic ion beams can modulate the surface morphology and chemical components of nanomaterials. In addition, ion beam techniques have also been used to fabricate nanomaterials, including 2D materials, nanoparticles, and nanowires. Compared with conventional methods, ion beam techniques, including ion implantation, ion irradiation, and focused ion beam, are all pure physical processes; these processes do not introduce any impurities into the target materials. In addition, ion beam techniques exhibit high controllability and repeatability. Here, recent progress in ion beam techniques for nanomaterial surface modification is systematically summarized and existing challenges and potential solutions are presented.

Magnetic orders and origin of exchange bias in Co clusters embedded oxide nanocomposite films

Magnetic nanoparticles embedded oxide semiconductors are interesting candidates for spintronics in view of combining ferromagnetic (FM) and semiconducting properties. In this work, Co-ZnO and Co-V₂O₃ nanocomposite thin films are synthesized by Co ion implantation in crystalline thin films. Magnetic orders vary with the implantation fluence in Co-ZnO, where superparamagnetic (SPM) order appears in the low-fluence films (2  ×  10¹⁶ and 4  ×  10¹⁶ ions cm^-2) and FM order co-exists with the SPM phase in high-fluence films (1  ×  10¹⁷ ions cm^-2). Exchange bias (EB) appears in the high-fluence films, with an EB field of about 100 Oe at 2 K and a blocking temperature of around 100 K. On the other hand, Co-V₂O₃ thin films with an implantation fluence of 3.5  ×  10¹⁶ ions cm^-2 exhibit a clear antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling at low temperatures without the EB effect. The different magnetic behavior of the Co-implanted films with different Co content leads us to conclude that the observed EB effect in the Co-ZnO films results from the FM/AFM coupling between sizable Co nanoparticles and their CoO/Co₃O₄ surroundings in the (Zn,Co)O matrix. On the other hand, the absence of EB effect in Co-V₂O₃ appears to be due to the small size of the FM Co nanoparticles in spite of an AFM magnetic order. Detailed studies of magnetic orders and EB effect in magnetic nanocomposite semiconductors can pave the way for their application in spintronics.

Fabrication of ZnO/Red Phosphorus Heterostructure for Effective Photocatalytic H₂ Evolution from Water Splitting

Photocatalysis is a green technique that can convert solar energy to chemical energy, especially in H₂ production from water splitting. In this study, ZnO and red phosphorus (ZnO/RP) heterostructures were fabricated through a facile calcination method for the first time, which showed the considerable photocatalytic activity of H₂ evolution. The photocatalytic activities of heterostructures with different ratios of RP have been investigated in detail. Compared to bare ZnO, ZnO/RP heterostructures exhibit a 20.8-fold enhancement for H₂ production and furthermore overcome the photocorrosion issue of ZnO. The improved photocatalytic activities highly depend on the synergistic effect of the high migration efficiency of photo-induced electron–hole pairs with the inhibited charge carrier recombination on the surface. The presented strategy can also be applied to other semiconductors for various optoelectronics applications.

Raman scattering enhancement of a single ZnO nanorod decorated with Ag nanoparticles: synergies of defects and plasmons

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of a single ZnO nanorod (NR) is demonstrated by coating with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). An enhancement factor of 1.2×10³ and 4.4×10² has been obtained for E₂ (high) mode (437  cm^-1) and A₁ (TO) mode (378  cm^-1), respectively. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements reveal an unintentional donor state in ZnO NRs. The enhancement of deep-level emission and micro-absorption mapping of a single ZnO NR further confirms the presence of the donor state. The SERS is believed to result from the charge transfer between ZnO NRs and Ag NPs, which can be enhanced by the empty donor state in ZnO. Finally, single ZnO NRs coated with Ag can be used as good SERS substrates for small molecule detection. This Letter highlights the interaction between point defects and the SERS effect down to a single semiconductor NR.

Magnetoresistance manipulation and sign reversal in Mn-doped ZnO nanowires

We report magnetoresistance (MR) manipulation and sign reversal induced by carrier concentration modulation in Mn-doped ZnO nanowires. At low temperatures positive magnetoresistance was initially observed. When the carrier concentration was increased through the application of a gate voltage, the magnetoresistance also increased and reached a maximum value. However, further increasing the carrier concentration caused the MR to decrease, and eventually an MR sign reversal from positive to negative was observed. An MR change from a maximum positive value of 25% to a minimum negative value of 7% was observed at 5 K and 50 KOe. The observed MR behavior was modeled by considering combined effects of quantum correction to carrier conductivity and bound magnetic polarons. This work could provide important insights into the mechanisms that govern magnetotransport in dilute magnetic oxides, and it also demonstrated an effective approach to manipulating magnetoresistance in these materials that have important spintronic applications.

Gate-Tunable Spin Exchange Interactions and Inversion of Magnetoresistance in Single Ferromagnetic ZnO Nanowires

Electrical control of ferromagnetism in semiconductor nanostructures offers the promise of nonvolatile functionality in future semiconductor spintronics. Here, we demonstrate a dramatic gate-induced change of ferromagnetism in ZnO nanowire (NW) field-effect transistors (FETs). Ferromagnetism in our ZnO NWs arose from oxygen vacancies, which constitute deep levels hosting unpaired electron spins. The magnetic transition temperature of the studied ZnO NWs was estimated to be well above room temperature. The in situ UV confocal photoluminescence (PL) study confirmed oxygen vacancy mediated ferromagnetism in the studied ZnO NW FET devices. Both the estimated carrier concentration and temperature-dependent conductivity reveal the studied ZnO NWs are at the crossover of the metal-insulator transition. In particular, gate-induced modulation of the carrier concentration in the ZnO NW FET significantly alters carrier-mediated exchange interactions, which causes even inversion of magnetoresistance (MR) from negative to positive values. Upon sweeping the gate bias from -40 to +50 V, the MRs estimated at 2 K and 2 T were changed from -11.3% to +4.1%. Detailed analysis on the gate-dependent MR behavior clearly showed enhanced spin splitting energy with increasing carrier concentration. Gate-voltage-dependent PL spectra of an individual NW device confirmed the localization of oxygen vacancy-induced spins, indicating that gate-tunable indirect exchange coupling between localized magnetic moments played an important role in the remarkable change of the MR.

Growth of a Novel Nanostructured ZnO Urchin: Control of Cytotoxicity and Dissolution of the ZnO Urchin

The applications of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) in implantable wireless devices, such as diagnostic nanobiosensors and nanobiogenerators, have recently attracted enormous attention due to their unique properties. However, for these implantable nanodevices, the biocompatibility and the ability to control the behaviour of cells in contact with ZnO NWs are demanded for the success of these implantable devices, but to date, only a few contrasting results from their biocompatibility can be found. There is a need for more research about the biocompatibility of ZnO nanostructures and the adhesion and viability of cells on the surface of ZnO nanostructures. Here, we introduce synthesis of a new nature-inspired nanostructured ZnO urchin, with the dimensions of the ZnO urchin's acicula being controllable. To examine the biocompatibility and behaviour of cells in contact with the ZnO urchin, the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cell line was chosen as an in vitro experimental model. The results of the viability assay indicated that, compared to control, the number of viable cells attached to the surface of the ZnO urchin and its surrounding area were reduced. The measurements of the Zn contents of cell media confirmed ZnO dissolution, which suggests that the ZnO dissolution in cell culture medium could lead to cytotoxicity. A purposeful reduction of ZnO cytotoxicity was achieved by surface coating of the ZnO urchin with poly(vinylidene fluorid-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), which changed the material matrix to slow the Zn ion release and consequently reduce the cytotoxicity of the ZnO urchin without reducing its functionality.

Co-Rich ZnCoO Nanoparticles Embedded in Wurtzite Zn1-xCoxO Thin Films: Possible Origin of Superconductivity

Co-rich ZnCoO nanoparticles embedded in wurtzite Zn0.7Co0.3O thin films are grown by pulsed laser deposition on a Si substrate. Local superconductivity with an onset Tc at 5.9 K is demonstrated in the hybrid system. The unexpected superconductivity probably results from Co3+ in the Co-rich ZnCoO nanoparticles or from the interface between the Co-rich nanoparticles and the Zn0.7Co0.3O matrix.

Electronic Band Structures and Native Point Defects of Ultrafine ZnO Nanocrystals

Ultrafine ZnO nanocrystals with a thickness down to 0.25 nm are grown by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition method. Electronic band structures and native point defects of ZnO nanocrystals are studied by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and first-principles density functional theory calculations. Below a critical thickness of ∼1 nm ZnO adopts a graphitic-like structure and exhibits a wide band gap similar to its wurtzite counterpart. The hexagonal wurtzite structure, with a well-developed band gap evident from scanning tunneling spectroscopy, is established for a thickness starting from ∼1.4 nm. With further increase of the thickness to 2 nm, VO-VZn defect pairs are easily produced in ZnO nanocrystals due to the self-compensation effect in highly doped semiconductors.

Relaxor ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric coupling in ZnO-Co nanocomposite thin films: beyond multiferroic composites

ZnO-Co nanocomposite thin films are synthesized by combination of pulsed laser deposition of ZnO and Co ion implantation. Both superparamagnetism and relaxor ferroelectricity as well as magnetoelectric coupling in the nanocomposites have been demonstrated. The unexpected relaxor ferroelectricity is believed to be the result of the local lattice distortion induced by the incorporation of the Co nanoparticles. Magnetoelectric coupling can be attributed to the interaction between the electric dipole moments and the magnetic moments, which are both induced by the incorporation of Co. The introduced ZnO-Co nanocomposite thin films are different from conventional strain-mediated multiferroic composites.

The effect of dopant and optical micro-cavity on the photoluminescence of Mn-doped ZnSe nanobelts

Pure and Mn-doped ZnSe nanobelts were synthesized by a convenient thermal evaporation method. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and corresponding element mapping, and transmission electron microscope were used to examine the morphology, phase structure, crystallinity, composition, and growth direction of as-prepared nanobelts. Raman spectra were used to confirm the effective doping of Mn2+ into ZnSe nanobelts. Micro-photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to investigate the emission property of as-prepared samples. A dominant trapped-state emission band is observed in single ZnSeMn nanobelt. However, we cannot observe the transition emission of Mn ion in this ZnSeMn nanobelt, which confirm that Mn powder act as poor dopant. There are weak near-bandgap emission and strong 4T1 → 6A1 transition emission of Mn2+ in single ZnSeMnCl2 and ZnSeMn(CH3COO)2 nanobelt. More interesting, the 4T1 → 6A1 transition emission in ZnSeMn(CH3COO)2 nanobelt split into multi-bands. PL mapping of individual splitted sub-bands were carried out to explore the origin of multi-bands. These doped nanobelts with novel multi-bands emission can find application in frequency convertor and wavelength-tunable light emission devices.

Quantum-interference transport through surface layers of indium-doped ZnO nanowires

We have fabricated indium-doped ZnO (IZO) nanowires (NWs) and carried out four-probe electrical-transport measurements on two individual NWs with geometric diameters of ≈70 and ≈90 nm in a wide temperature T interval of 1-70 K. The NWs reveal overall charge conduction behavior characteristic of disordered metals. In addition to the T dependence of resistance R, we have measured the magnetoresistance (MR) in magnetic fields applied either perpendicular or parallel to the NW axis. Our R(T) and MR data in different T intervals are consistent with the theoretical predictions of the one- (1D), two- (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) weak-localization (WL) and the electron-electron interaction (EEI) effects. In particular, a few dimensionality crossovers in the two effects are observed. These crossover phenomena are consistent with the model of a 'core-shell-like structure' in individual IZO NWs, where an outer shell of thickness t (~15-17 nm) is responsible for the quantum-interference transport. In the WL effect, as the electron dephasing length Lφ gradually decreases with increasing T from the lowest measurement temperatures, a 1D-to-2D dimensionality crossover takes place around a characteristic temperature where Lφ approximately equals d, an effective NW diameter which is slightly smaller than the geometric diameter. As T further increases, a 2D-to-3D dimensionality crossover occurs around another characteristic temperature where Lφ approximately equals t (<d). In the EEI effect, a 2D-to-3D dimensionality crossover takes place when the thermal diffusion length LT progressively decreases with increasing T and approaches t. However, a crossover to the 1D EEI effect is not seen because LT < d even at T = 1 K in our IZO NWs. Furthermore, we explain the various inelastic electron scattering processes which govern Lφ. This work demonstrates the complex and rich nature of the charge conduction properties of group-III metal-doped ZnO NWs. This work also strongly indicates that the surface-related conduction processes are essential to doped semiconductor nanostructures.

Spin-polarized wide electron slabs in functionally graded polar oxide heterostructures

We report on the high mobility wide electron slabs with enhanced correlation effects by tailoring the polarization effects in a functionally graded ZnMgO/ZnO heterostructures. The characteristics of three-dimensional (3D) spreading electrons are evidenced by the capacitance-voltage profiling and the quantization of 3D Fermi surface in magneto-transport measurements. Despite the weak spin-orbit interaction, such electron slabs are spin-polarized with a large zero-field spin splitting energy, which is induced by the carrier-mediated ferromagnetism. Our results suggest that the vast majority of electrons are localized at the surface magnetic moment which does not allow spin manipulations, and only in the region visited by the itinerant carriers that the ferromagnetic exchange interactions via coupling to the surface local moments contribute to the spin transport. The host ferromagnetism is likely due to the formation of Zn cation vacancies on the surface regime induced by the stabilization mechanism and strain-relaxation in ZnMgO polar ionic surface.