Effect of carbon doping on the structure of amorphous GeTe phase change material

in Applied Physics Letters (2011), 99(15), 1519063-15190631519063

Carbon-doped GeTe is a promising material for use in phase change memories since the addition of C increases the stability of the amorphous phase. By combining x-ray total scattering experiments and ab ... [more ▼]

Carbon-doped GeTe is a promising material for use in phase change memories since the addition of C increases the stability of the amorphous phase. By combining x-ray total scattering experiments and ab initio molecular dynamics, we show that carbon deeply modifies the structure of the amorphous phase through long carbon chains and tetrahedral and triangular units centered on carbon. A clear signature of these units is the appearance of an additional interatomic distance, around 3.3 Aring in the measured pair distribution function. Besides, the first Ge-Ge and Ge-Te distances are almost not affected by doping. [less ▲]

First-principles design of efficient solar cells using two-dimensional arrays of core-shell and layered SiGe nanowires

in Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (2011), 83(3), 0353176-03531760353176

Research for third generation solar cell technology has been driven by the need to overcome the efficiency and cost problems encountered by current crystalline Si- and thin-film-based solar cells. Using ... [more ▼]

Research for third generation solar cell technology has been driven by the need to overcome the efficiency and cost problems encountered by current crystalline Si- and thin-film-based solar cells. Using first-principles methods, Ge/Si and Si/Ge core/shell and Si-Ge layered nanowires are shown to possess the required qualities for an efficient use in photovoltaic applications. We investigate the details of their band structure, effective mass, absorption property, and charge-carrier localization. The strong charge separation and improved absorption in the visible spectrum indicate a remarkable quantum efficiency that, combined with new designs, compares positively with bulk Si. [less ▲]

Amorphous structure and electronic properties of the Ge1Sb2Te4 phase change material

in Solid State Sciences (2010), 12(2), 193-198198

Ge1Sb2Te4 is one of the most commonly used phase change materials, due to the large optical and electrical contrast between a metastable crystalline phase and the amorphous phase. We use ab initio ... [more ▼]

Ge1Sb2Te4 is one of the most commonly used phase change materials, due to the large optical and electrical contrast between a metastable crystalline phase and the amorphous phase. We use ab initio molecular dynamics to generate an amorphous Ge1Sb2Te4 structure. By analysing the distance distributions, we show that the structure can be analysed in terms of 21% of tetrahedrally coordinated Ge atoms and 79% of 3-fold Ge atoms. These are involved in distorted octahedral shells with bond length correlations that are similar to the a-GeTe structure as a consequence of a Peierls-distortion. The electronic properties are shown to be in reasonable agreement with the experiment with an electronic gap of 0.45 eV with. The optical conductivity curve is also in agreement with the experiment, with a maximal conductivity at an energy of ~3 eV. [All rights reserved Elsevier]. [less ▲]

DFT studies of solvation effects on the nanosize bare, thiolated and redox active ligated Au55 cluster

in Journal of Physical Chemistry C: Nanomaterials, Interfaces, and Hard Matter (2010), Protected Metallic Clusters, Quantum Wells and Metal-Nanocrystal Molecules Symposium

From bare Ge nanowire to Ge/Si core/shell nanowires: a first-principles study

in Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (2009), 80(15), 1554327-15543271554327

Germanium/Germanium-Silicon core/shell nanowires are expected to play an important role in future electronic devices. We use first-principles plane-wave calculations within density-functional theory in ... [more ▼]

Germanium/Germanium-Silicon core/shell nanowires are expected to play an important role in future electronic devices. We use first-principles plane-wave calculations within density-functional theory in the generalized gradient approximation to investigate the structural and electronic properties of bare and H-passivated Ge nanowires and core/shell Ge/Ge-Si, Ge/Si, and Si/Ge nanowires. The diameters of the nanowires considered are in the range of 0.6-2.9 nm and oriented along [110] and [111] directions. The diameter, the surface passivation, and the substitutional effects on the binding energy, band structure, and effective mass are extensively investigated considering the relative contribution of quantum confinement and surface effects. [less ▲]

Polarization vortices in germanium telluride nanoplatelets: A theoretical study

in Physical Review Letters (2009), 103

Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we study the properties of germanium telluride crystalline nanoplatelets and nanoparticles. Above a diameter of 2.7 nm, we predict ... [more ▼]

Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we study the properties of germanium telluride crystalline nanoplatelets and nanoparticles. Above a diameter of 2.7 nm, we predict the appearance of polarization vortices giving rise to an unusual ferrotoroidic ground state with a spontaneous and reversible toroidal moment of polarization. We highlight the crucial role of inhomogeneous strain in stabilizing polarization vortices. Combined with the phase-change properties of germanium telluride, the ferrotoroidic properties could be of practical interest for ternary logic applications. [less ▲]

Tetrahedral clustering in molten lithium under pressure

in Physical Review Letters (2008), 101(7), 0757034

A series of electronic and structural transitions are predicted in molten lithium from first principles. A new phase with tetrahedral local order characteristic of sp 3 bonded materials and poor ... [more ▼]

A series of electronic and structural transitions are predicted in molten lithium from first principles. A new phase with tetrahedral local order characteristic of sp 3 bonded materials and poor electrical conductivity is found at pressures above 150 GPa and temperatures as high as 1000 K. Despite the lack of covalent bonding, weakly bound tetrahedral clusters with finite lifetimes are predicted to exist. The stabilization of this phase in lithium involves a unique mechanism of strong electron localization in interstitial regions and interactions among core electrons. The calculations provide evidence for anomalous melting above 20 GPa, with a melting temperature decreasing below 300 K, and point towards the existence of novel low-symmetry crystalline phases. [less ▲]

Electronic and structural transitions in dense liquid sodium

in Nature (2007), 449(7161), 448-451451

At ambient conditions, the light alkali metals are free-electron-like crystals with a highly symmetric structure. However, they were found recently to exhibit unexpected complexity under pressure 1-6. It ... [more ▼]

At ambient conditions, the light alkali metals are free-electron-like crystals with a highly symmetric structure. However, they were found recently to exhibit unexpected complexity under pressure 1-6. It was predicted from theory 1.2 - and later confirmed by experiment 3-5 - that lithium and sodium undergo a sequence of symmetry-breaking transitions, driven by a Peierls mechanism, at high pressures. Measurements of the sodium melting curve 6 have subsequently revealed an unprecedented (and still unexplained) pressure-induced drop in melting temperature from 1,000 K at 30 GPa down to room temperature at 120 GPa. Here we report results from ab initio calculations that explain the unusual melting behaviour in dense sodium. We show that molten sodium undergoes a series of pressure-induced structural and electronic transitions, analogous to those observed in solid sodium but commencing at much lower pressure in the presence of liquid disorder. As pressure is increased, liquid sodium initially evolves by assuming a more compact local structure. However, a transition to a lower-coordinated liquid takes place at a pressure of around 65 GPa, accompanied by a threefold drop in electrical conductivity. This transition is driven by the opening of a pseudogap, at the Fermi level, in the electronic density of states - an effect that has not hitherto been observed in a liquid metal. The lower-coordinated liquid emerges at high temperatures and above the stability region of a close-packed free-electron-like metal. We predict that similar exotic behaviour is possible in other materials as well. [less ▲]

First principle study of nanodiamond optical and electronic properties

in Computer Physics Communications (2005), 169(1-3), 14-1919

Nanometer sized diamond has been found in meteorites, proto-planetary nebulae and interstellar dusts, as well as in residues of detonation and in diamond films. Remarkably, the size distribution of ... [more ▼]

Nanometer sized diamond has been found in meteorites, proto-planetary nebulae and interstellar dusts, as well as in residues of detonation and in diamond films. Remarkably, the size distribution of diamond nanoparticles appears to be peaked around 2-5 nm, and to be largely independent of preparation conditions. Using ab-initio calculations, we have shown that in this size range nanodiamond has a fullerene-like surface and, unlike silicon and germanium, exhibits very weak quantum confinement effects. We called these carbon nanoparticles bucky-diamonds: their atomic structure, predicted by simulations, is consistent with many experimental findings. In addition, we carried out calculations of the stability of nanodiamond, which provided a unifying explanation of its size distribution in extra-terrestrial samples, and in ultra-nano crystalline diamond (UNCD) films. [All rights reserved Elsevier] [less ▲]

Growth of carbon nanotubes on metal nanoparticles: a microscopic mechanism from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

in Physical Review Letters (2005), 95(9), 0961031-09610340961034

We report on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the early stages of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) growth on metal nanoparticles. Our results show that a sp2 bonded cap is formed on an ... [more ▼]

We report on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the early stages of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) growth on metal nanoparticles. Our results show that a sp2 bonded cap is formed on an iron catalyst, following the diffusion of C atoms from hydrocarbon precursors on the nanoparticle surface. The weak adhesion between the cap and iron enables the graphene sheet to "float" on the curved surface, as additional C atoms covalently bonded to the catalyst "hold" the tube walls. Hence the SWCNT grows capped. At the nanoscale, we did not observe any tendency of C atoms to penetrate inside the catalyst, consistent with total energy calculations showing that alloying of Fe and C is very unlikely for 1 nm particles. Root growth was observed on Fe but not on Au, consistent with experiment [less ▲]