High speed imaging of Z-pinch gas discharge in extreme ultraviolet and model-based three-dimensional reconstruction of emitting volume

We constructed a time-resolved imaging setup with 5 ns time step and 2 ns exposure to record plasma dynamics inside the electrode system of a gas discharge extreme ultraviolet source. To analyze the three-dimensional distribution of the emitting plasma, a model-based reconstruction method is implemented. It is applied to the experimentally recorded time-series images to visualize the transient dynamics of the emitting volume in the radial and otherwise inaccessible axial direction. The focus of this paper is the description of the experimental setup and the introduction of the three-dimensional image reconstruction technique for transparent axisymmetric sources. The influence of different fuel gases on plasma dynamics is discussed as an exemplary case.

Growth, characterization, and transport properties of ternary (Bi1-x Sb x )2Te3 topological insulator layers

Ternary (Bi_1-x Sb _x )₂Te₃ films with an Sb content between 0 and 100% were deposited on a Si(1 1 1) substrate by means of molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction measurements confirm single crystal growth in all cases. The Sb content is determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Consistent values of the Sb content are obtained from Raman spectroscopy. Scanning Raman spectroscopy reveals that the (Bi_1-x Sb _x )₂Te₃ layers with an intermediate Sb content show spatial composition inhomogeneities. The observed spectra broadening in angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is also attributed to this phenomena. Upon increasing the Sb content from x  =  0 to 1 the ARPES measurements show a shift of the Fermi level from the conduction band to the valence band. This shift is also confirmed by corresponding magnetotransport measurements where the conductance changes from n- to p-type. In this transition region, an increase of the resistivity is found, indicating a location of the Fermi level within the band gap region. More detailed measurements in the transition region reveals that the transport takes place in two independent channels. By means of a gate electrode the transport can be changed from n- to p-type, thus allowing a tuning of the Fermi level within the topologically protected surface states.

Adiabatic Edge Channel Transport in a Nanowire Quantum Point Contact Register

We report on a prototype device geometry where a number of quantum point contacts are connected in series in a single quasi-ballistic InAs nanowire. At finite magnetic field the backscattering length is increased up to the micron-scale and the quantum point contacts are connected adiabatically. Hence, several input gates can control the outcome of a ballistic logic operation. The absence of backscattering is explained in terms of selective population of spatially separated edge channels. Evidence is provided by regular Aharonov-Bohm-type conductance oscillations in transverse magnetic fields, in agreement with magnetoconductance calculations. The observation of the Shubnikov-de Haas effect at large magnetic fields corroborates the existence of spatially separated edge channels and provides a new means for nanowire characterization.

Ballistic Transport and Exchange Interaction in InAs Nanowire Quantum Point Contacts

One-dimensional ballistic transport is demonstrated for a high-mobility InAs nanowire device. Unlike conventional quantum point contacts (QPCs) created in a two-dimensional electron gas, the nanowire QPCs represent one-dimensional constrictions formed inside a quasi-one-dimensional conductor. For each QPC, the local subband occupation can be controlled individually between zero and up to six degenerate modes. At large out-of-plane magnetic fields Landau quantization and Zeeman splitting emerge and comprehensive voltage bias spectroscopy is performed. Confinement-induced quenching of the orbital motion gives rise to significantly modified subband-dependent Landé g factors. A pronounced g factor enhancement related to Coulomb exchange interaction is reported. Many-body effects of that kind also manifest in the observation of the 0.7·2e(2)/h conductance anomaly, commonly found in planar devices.

Study of GeSn based heterostructures: towards optimized group IV MQW LEDs

We present results on CVD growth and electro-optical characterization of Ge(0.92)Sn(0.08)/Ge p-i-n heterostructure diodes. The suitability of Ge as barriers for direct bandgap GeSn active layers in different LED geometries, such as double heterostructures and multi quantum wells is discussed based on electroluminescence data. Theoretical calculations by effective mass and 6 band k∙p method reveal low barrier heights for this specific structure. Best configurations offer only a maximum barrier height for electrons of about 40 meV at the Γ point at room temperature (e.g. 300 K), evidently insufficient for proper light emitting devices. An alternative solution using SiGeSn as barrier material is introduced, which provides appropriate band alignment for both electrons and holes resulting in efficient confinement in direct bandgap GeSn wells. Finally, epitaxial growth of such a complete SiGeSn/GeSn/SiGeSn double heterostructure including doping is shown.

SiGe quantum dot crystals with periods down to 35 nm

By combining extreme ultraviolet interference lithography with Si/Ge molecular beam epitaxy, densely packed quantum dot (QD) arrays with lateral periodicities down to 35 nm are realized. The QD arrays are featured by perfect alignment and remarkably narrow size distribution. Also, such small periodicities allow the creation of three-dimensional QD crystals by vertical stacking of Si/Ge layers using very thin Si spacer layers. Simulations show that the distances between adjacent QDs are small enough for coupling of the electron states in lateral as well as vertical directions.

Misfit dislocation free InAs/GaSb core-shell nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy

In this report, we present the growth and structural analyses of broken gap InAs/GaSb core-shell nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy using an Au-free approach. Depending on the shell growth temperature, two distinct growth regimes for the GaSb shells are identified resulting in conformal or tapered shells. Morphological analyses reveal a dodecagonal nanowire cross-section after GaSb shell growth. Detailed transmission electron microscope investigations from different zone axes confirm that the small lattice mismatch of 0.6% allows the deposition of 40 nm thick GaSb shells free of misfit dislocations. Additionally, an abrupt interface from InAs to GaSb is found. These nanowires are suitable for future devices such as TFETs.

Giant magnetoconductance oscillations in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor core/shell nanowire devices

The magnetotransport of GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires contacted by two superconducting Nb electrodes is investigated, where the InAs shell forms a tube-like conductive channel around the highly resistive GaAs core. By applying a magnetic field along the nanowire axis, regular magnetoconductance oscillations with an amplitude in the order of e(2)/h are observed. The oscillation amplitude is found to be larger by 2 orders of magnitude compared to the measurements of a reference sample with normal metal contacts. For the Nb-contacted core/shell nanowire the oscillation period corresponds to half a flux quantum Φ0/2 = h/2e in contrast to the period of Φ0 of the reference sample. The strongly enhanced magnetoconductance oscillations are explained by phase-coherent resonant Andreev reflections at the Nb-core/shell nanowire interface.

Crystallization of HfO2 in InAs/HfO2 core-shell nanowires

We report the impact of deposition parameters on the structure of HfO(2) covering InAs nanowires (NWs) being potential candidates for future field-effect transistors (FETs). Molecular beam epitaxial-grown Au-free InAs NWs were covered with HfO(2) deposited by atomic-layer deposition. The impact of the film thickness as well as the deposition temperature on the occurrence and amount of crystalline HfO(2) regions was investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction. Compared to the deposition on planar Si substrates, the formation probability of crystalline HfO(2) on InAs NWs is significantly enhanced. Here, even 3 nm thick films deposited at 250 °C are partly crystalline. Similarly, a low deposition temperature of 125 °C does not result in completely amorphous 10 nm thick HfO(2) films, they contain monoclinic as well as orthorhombic HfO(2) nanocrystals. Combining HfO(2) and Al(2)O(3) into a laminate structure is capable of suppressing the formation of crystalline HfO2 grains.

Crossover from Josephson effect to single interface Andreev reflection in asymmetric superconductor/nanowire junctions

We report on the fabrication and characterization of symmetric nanowire-based Josephson junctions, that is, Al- and Nb-based junctions, and asymmetric junctions employing superconducting Al and Nb. In the symmetric junctions, a clear and pronounced Josephson supercurrent is observed. These samples also show clear signatures of subharmonic gap structures. At zero magnetic field, a Josephson coupling is found for the asymmetric Al/InAs-nanowire/Nb junctions as well. By applying a magnetic field above the critical field of Al or by raising the temperature above the critical temperature of Al the junction can be switched to an effective single-interface superconductor/nanowire structure. In this regime, a pronounced zero-bias conductance peak due to reflectionless tunneling has been observed.

Room-temperature high-frequency transport of dirac fermions in epitaxially grown Sb2Te3- and Bi2Te3-based topological insulators

We report on the observation of photogalvanic effects in epitaxially grown Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3 three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TI). We show that asymmetric scattering of Dirac fermions driven back and forth by the terahertz electric field results in a dc electric current. Because of the "symmetry filtration" the dc current is generated by the surface electrons only and provides an optoelectronic access to probe the electron transport in TI, surface domains orientation, and details of electron scattering in 3D TI even at room temperature.

Vertically integrated (Ga, In)N nanostructures for future single photon emitters operating in the telecommunication wavelength range

Important technological steps are discussed and realized for future room-temperature operation of III-nitride single photon emitters. First, the growth technology of positioned single pyramidal InN nanostructures capped by Mg-doped GaN is presented. The optimization of their optical characteristics towards narrowband emission in the telecommunication wavelength range is demonstrated. In addition, a device concept and technology was developed so that the nanostructures became singularly addressable. It was found that the nanopyramids emit in the telecommunication wavelength range if their size is chosen appropriately. A p-GaN contacting layer was successfully produced as a cap to the InN pyramids and the top p-contact was achievable using an intrinsically conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS, allowing a 25% increase in light transmittance compared to standard Ni/Au contact technology. Single nanopyramids were successfully integrated into a high-frequency device layout. These decisive technology steps provide a promising route to electrically driven and room-temperature operating InN based single photon emitters in the telecommunication wavelength range.

Self-catalyzed VLS grown InAs nanowires with twinning superlattices

We report on the self-catalyzed growth of InAs nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates covered by a thin silicon oxide layer. Clear evidence is presented to demonstrate that, under our experimental conditions, the growth takes place by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism via an In droplet. The nanowire growth rate is controlled by the arsenic pressure while the diameter depends mainly on the In rate. The contact angle of the In droplet is smaller than that of the Ga droplet involved in the growth of GaAs nanowires, resulting in much lower growth rates. The crystal structure of the VLS grown InAs nanowires is zinc blende with regularly spaced rotational twins forming a twinning superlattice.

Gate-induced transition between metal-type and thermally activated transport in self-catalyzed MBE-grown InAs nanowires

Electronic transport properties of InAs nanowires are studied systematically. The nanowires are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a SiOx-covered GaAs wafer, without using foreign catalyst particles. Room-temperature measurements revealed relatively high resistivity and low carrier concentration values, which correlate with the low background doping obtained by our growth method. Transport parameters, such as resistivity, mobility, and carrier concentration, show a relatively large spread that is attributed to variations in surface conditions. For some nanowires the conductivity has a metal-type dependence on temperature, i.e. decreasing with decreasing temperature, while other nanowires show the opposite temperature behavior, i.e. temperature-activated characteristics. An applied gate voltage in a field-effect transistor configuration can switch between the two types of behavior. The effect is explained by the presence of barriers formed by potential fluctuations.

Nanoimprint and selective-area MOVPE for growth of GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires

We report on the technology and growth optimization of GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires. The GaAs nanowire cores were grown selectively by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (SA-MOVPE) on SiO(2) masked GaAs (111)B templates. These were structured by a complete thermal nanoimprint lithography process, which is presented in detail. The influence of the subsequent InAs shell growth temperature on the shell morphology and crystal structure was investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy in order to obtain the desired homogeneous and uniform InAs overgrowth. At the optimal growth temperature, the InAs shell adopted the morphology and crystal structure of the underlying GaAs core and was perfectly uniform.

Realization of nanoscaled tubular conductors by means of GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires

We investigated the transport properties of GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Owing to the band alignment between GaAs and InAs, electrons are accumulated in the InAs shell as long as the shell thickness exceeds 12 nm. By performing simulations using a Schrödinger-Poisson solver, it is confirmed that confined states are present in the InAs shell, which are depleted if the shell thickness is below a threshold value. The existence of a tubular-shaped conductor is proved by performing magnetoconductance measurements at low temperatures. Here, flux periodic conductance oscillations are observed which can be attributed to transport in one-dimensional channels based on angular momentum states.

Electrical spin injection into InN semiconductor nanowires

We report on the conditions necessary for the electrical injection of spin-polarized electrons into indium nitride nanowires synthesized from the bottom up by molecular beam epitaxy. The presented results mark the first unequivocal evidence of spin injection into III-V semiconductor nanowires. Utilizing a newly developed preparation scheme, we are able to surmount shadowing effects during the metal deposition. Thus, we avoid strong local anisotropies that arise if the ferromagnetic leads are wrapping around the nanowire. Using a combination of various complementary techniques, inter alia the local Hall effect, we carried out a comprehensive investigation of the coercive fields and switching behaviors of the cobalt micromagnetic spin probes. This enables the identification of a range of aspect ratios in which the mechanism of magnetization reversal is single domain switching. Lateral nanowire spin valves were prepared. The spin relaxation length is demonstrated to be about 200 nm, which provides an incentive to pursue the route toward nanowire spin logic devices.

Electronic transport with dielectric confinement in degenerate InN nanowires

In this Letter, we present the size effects on charge conduction in InN nanowires by comprehensive transport studies supported by theoretical analysis. A consistent model for highly degenerate narrow gap semiconductor nanowires is developed. In contrast to common knowledge of InN, there is no evidence of an enhanced surface conduction, however, high intrinsic doping exists. Furthermore, the room-temperature resistivity exhibits a strong increase when the lateral size becomes smaller than 80 nm and the temperature dependence changes from metallic to semiconductor-like. This effect is modeled by donor deactivation due to dielectric confinement, yielding a shift of the donor band to higher ionization energies as the size shrinks.

Electronic phase coherence in InAs nanowires

Magnetotransport measurements at low temperatures have been performed on InAs nanowires grown by In-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Information on the electron phase coherence is obtained from universal conductance fluctuations measured in a perpendicular magnetic field. By analysis of the universal conductance fluctuations pattern of a series of nanowires of different length, the phase-coherence length could be determined quantitatively. Furthermore, indications of a pronounced flux cancelation effect were found, which is attributed to the topology of the nanowire. Additionally, we present measurements in a parallel configuration between wire and magnetic field. In contrast to previous results on InN and InAs nanowires, we do not find periodic oscillations of the magnetoconductance in this configuration. An explanation of this behavior is suggested in terms of the high density of stacking faults present in our InAs wires.

Ge-Quantum Dots on SI(001) Tailored by Carbon Predeposition

The morphology of Si(001) after carbon deposition of 0.05 to 0.11 monolayers (ML) was investigated in situ by ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM). The carbon induces a c(4×4)-reconstruction of the surface. In addition, carbon increases the surface roughness compared to clean Si(001) (2×1). In a second step, the influence of the carbon induced restructuring on Ge-island nucleation was investigated. The 3D-growth sets in at considerably lower Ge coverage compared to the clean Si(001) (2×1) surface. This leads to a high density of small though irregularly shaped dots, consisting of stepped terraces, already at 2.5 ML Ge. Increasing the Ge-coverage beyond the critical thickness for facet formation, the dots show { 105 }- facets well known from Ge-clusters on bare Si(001) (2×1). However, they are flat on top with a (001)-facet showing the typical buckled Ge rows and missing dimers. This indicates that the compressive strain is not fully relaxed in these hut clusters.

Enhanced light scattering of the forbidden longitudinal optical phonon mode studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy on single InN nanowires

In the literature, there are controversies on the interpretation of the appearance in InN Raman spectra of a strong scattering peak in the energy region of the unscreened longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, although a shift caused by the phonon-plasmon interaction is expected for the high conductance observed in this material. Most measurements on light scattering are performed on ensembles of InN nanowires (NWs). However, it is important to investigate the behavior of individual nanowires and here we report on micro-Raman measurements on single nanowires. When changing the polarization direction of the incident light from parallel to perpendicular to the wire, the expected reduction of the Raman scattering was observed for transversal optical (TO) and E(2) phonon scattering modes, while a strong symmetry-forbidden LO mode was observed independently on the laser polarization direction. Single Mg- and Si-doped crystalline InN nanowires were also investigated. Magnesium doping results in a sharpening of the Raman peaks, while silicon doping leads to an asymmetric broadening of the LO peak. The results can be explained based on the influence of the high electron concentration with a strong contribution of the surface accumulation layer and the associated internal electric field.

Continuous voltage tunability of intersubband relaxation times in coupled SiGe quantum well structures using ultrafast spectroscopy

We demonstrate continuous voltage control of the nonradiative transition lifetime in semiconductor heterostructures. The results were obtained by picosecond time-resolved experiments on biased SiGe valence band quantum well structures using a free electron laser. By varying the applied voltage, the intersubband hole relaxation times for quantum well structures were varied by a factor of 2 as the wave functions and their overlaps were tuned. The range of magnitudes for the lifetime indicates a possible route to silicon-based quantum cascade lasers.