Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2) Josephson junction fabricated with a focused helium ion beam

Josephson junction plays a key role not only in studying the basic physics of unconventional iron-based superconductors but also in realizing practical application of thin-film based devices,therefore the preparation of high-quality iron pnictide Josephson junctions is of great importance.In this work,we have successfully fabricated Josephson junctions from Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2)thin films using a direct junction fabrication technique which utilizes high energy focused helium ion beam(FHIB).The electrical transport properties were investigated for junctions fabricated with various He^(+)irradiation doses.The junctions show sharp superconducting transition around 24 K with a narrow transition width of 2.5 K,and a dose correlated foot-structure resistance which corresponds to the effective tuning of junction properties by He^(+)irradiation.Significant J_c suppression by more than two orders of magnitude can be achieved by increasing the He^(+)irradiation dose,which is advantageous for the realization of low noise ion pnictide thin film devices.Clear Shapiro steps are observed under 10 GHz microwave irradiation.The above results demonstrate the successful fabrication of high quality and controllable Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2)Josephson junction with high reproducibility using the FHIB technique,laying the foundation for future investigating the mechanism of iron-based superconductors,and also the further implementation in various superconducting electronic devices.

The Electrocatalytic Performance of Rare Earth Ion Doped Co_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)-MOF-74 Catalyst for Nitrogen Reduction

We took Co_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)-MOF-74 with bimetallic synergistic effect as the basic material,and selected rare earth ions Ho,Gd,and Er with ion radii close to Co and Ni as the research objects for doping.The influence of rare earth ion doping amount and doping type on the eNRR performance of the catalyst was explored.The experimental results show that the ammonia yield rate and Faraday efficiency doped with Co_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)-MOF-0.5Ho are the highest,reaching 1.28×10^(-10)mol·s^(-1)·cm^(-2)/39.8%,which is higher than the1.12×10^(-10)mol·s^(-1)·cm^(-2)/32.2%of Co_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)-MOF-74,and is about 14.3%/23.7%higher than that without doping,respectively.And the stability of Co_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)-MOF-0.5 Ho is good(after 80 hours of continuous testing,the current density did not significantly decrease).This is mainly due to doping,which gives Co_(0.2)Ni_(0.8)-MOF-74 a larger specific surface area and catalytic active sites.The catalyst doped at the same time has more metal cation centers,which increases the electron density of the metal centers and enhances the corresponding eNRR performance.

Progress in doping and crystal deformation for polyanions cathode based lithium-ion batteries

Polyanion-based materials are considered one of the most attractive and promising cathode materials for lithiumion batteries(LIBs)due to their good stability,safety,cost-effectiveness,suitable voltages,and minimal environmental impact.However,these materials suffer from poor rate capability and low-temperature performance owing to limited electronic and ionic conductivity,which restricts their practical applicability.Recent developments,such as coating material particles with carbon or a conductive polymer,crystal deformation through the doping of foreign metal ions,and the production of nanostructured materials,have significantly enhanced the electrochemical performances of these materials.The successful applications of polyanion-based materials,especially in lithium-ion batteries,have been extensively reported.This comprehensive review discusses the current progress in crystal deformation in polyanion-based cathode materials,including phosphates,fluorophosphates,pyrophosphates,borates,silicates,sulfates,fluorosilicates,and oxalates.Therefore,this review provides detailed discussions on their synthesis strategies,electrochemical performance,and the doping of various ions.

One-step electrochemical in-situ Li doping and LiF coating enable ultra-stable cathode for sodium ion batteries

Despite of the higher energy density and inexpensive characteristics,commercialization of layered oxide cathodes for sodium ion batteries(SIBs)is limited due to the lack of structural stability at the high voltage.Herein,the one-step electrochemical in-situ Li doping and LiF coating are successfully achieved to obtain an advanced Na0.79Lix[Li_(0.13)Ni_(0.20)Mn_(0.67)]O_(2)@LiF(NaLi-LNM@LiF)cathode with superlattice structure.The results demonstrate that the Li^(+)doped into the alkali metal layer by electrochemical cycling act as"pillars"in the form of Li-Li dimers to stabilize the layered structure.The supplementation of Li to the superlattice structure inhibits the dissolution of transition metal ions and lattice mismatch.Furthermore,the in-situ LiF coating restrains side reactions,reduces surface cracks,and greatly improves the cycling stability.The electrochemical in-situ modification strategy significantly enhances the electrochemical performance of the half-cell.The NaLi-LNM@LiF exhibits high reversible specific capacity(170.6 m A h g^(-1)at 0.05 C),outstanding capacity retention(92.65%after 200 cycles at 0.5 C)and excellent rate performance(80 mA h g^(-1)at 7 C)in a wide voltage range of 1.5-4.5 V.This novel method of in-situ modification by electrochemical process will provide a guidance for the rational design of cathode materials for SIBs.

Designing interstitial boron-doped tunnel-type vanadium dioxide cathode for enhancing zinc ion storage capability

Chemical doping is a powerful method to intrinsically tailor the electrochemical properties of electrode materials.Here,an interstitial boron-doped tunnel-type VO_(2)(B)is constructed via a facile hydrothermal method.Various analysis techniques demonstrate that boron resides in the interstitial site of VO_(2)(B)and such interstitial doping can boost the zinc storage kinetics and structural stability of VO_(2)(B)cathode during cycling.Interestingly,we found that the boron doping level has a saturation limit peculiarity as proved by the quantitative analysis.Notably,the 2 at.%boron-doped VO_(2)(B)shows enhanced zinc ion storage performance with a high storage capacity of 281.7 mAh g^(-1) at 0.1 A g^(-1),excellent rate performance of 142.2 mAh g^(-1) at 20 A g^(-1),and long cycle stability up to 1000 cycles with the capacity retention of 133.3 mAh g^(-1) at 5 A g^(-1).Additionally,the successful preparation of the boron-doped tunneltype α-MnO_(2) further indicates that the interstitial boron doping approach is a general strategy,which supplies a new chance to design other types of functional electrode materials for multivalence batteries.

Influence of rare-earth metal doping on the catalytic performance of CuO-CeO_2 for the preferential oxidation of CO in excess hydrogen

Doping of different rare-earth metals （Pr, Nd, Y and La） had an evident influence on the catalytic performance of CuO-CeO2 for the preferential oxidation （PROX） of CO in excess hydrogen. As for Pr, the doping enhanced the catalytic activity of CuO-CeO2 for PROX. For example, the CO conversion over the above catalyst for PROX was higher than 99% at 120 °C. Especially, the doping of Pr widened the temperature window by 20 °C over CuO-CeO2 with 99% CO conversion. For Nd, Y, and La, the doping depressed the catalytic activity of CuO-CeO2 for PROX. However, the doping of transition metals markedly improved the selectivity of CuO-CeO2 for PROX.

Two positive effects with one arrow:Modulating crystal and interfacial decoration towards high-potential cathode material

As the primary suppliers of cyclable sodium ions,O3-type layer-structured manganese-based oxides are recognized as highly competitive cathode candidates for sodium-ion batteries.To advance the development of high-energy sodium-ion batteries,it is crucial to explore cathode materials operating at high voltages while maintaining a stable cycling behavior.The orbital and electronic structure of the octahedral center metal element plays a crucial role in maintaining the octahedra structural integrity and improving Na^(+)ion diffusion by introducing heterogeneous chemical bonding.Inspired by the abundant configuration of extra nuclear electrons and large ion radius,we employed trace amounts of tungsten in this study.The obtained cathode material can promote the reversibility of oxygen redox reactions in the high-voltage region and inhibit the loss of lattice oxygen.Additionally,the formation of a Na_(2)WO_(4) coating on the material surface can improve the interfacial stability and interface ions diffusion.It demonstrates an initial Coulombic efficiency(ICE)of 94.6%along with 168.5 mA h g^(-1 )discharge capacity within the voltage range of 1.9-4.35 V.These findings contribute to the advancement of high-energy sodium-ion batteries by providing insights into the benefits of tungsten doping and Na_(2)WO_(4) coating on cathode materials.

Al^(3+) doped CeO_(2) for proton conducting fuel cells

Developing high ionic conducting electrolytes is crucial for applying proton-conducting fuel cell(PCFCs)practically.The cur-rent study investigates the effect of alumina on the structural,morphological,electrical,and electrochemical properties of CeO_(2).Lattice oxygen vacancies are induced in CeO_(2) by a general doping concept that enables fast ionic conduction at low-temperature ranges(300-500℃)for PCFCs.Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction(XRD)patterns established the pure cubic fluorite structure of Al-doped CeO_(2)(ADC)samples and confirmed Al ions’fruitful integration in the CeO_(2) lattice.The electronic structure of the alumina-doped ceria of the materials(10ADC,20ADC,and 30ADC)has been investigated.As a result,it was found that the best composition of 30ADC-based electrolytes induced maximum lattice oxygen vacancies.The corresponding PCFC exhibited a maximum power output of 923 mW/cm^(2)at 500℃.Moreover,the investigation proves the proton-conducting ability of alumina-doped ceria-based fuel cells by using an oxide ion-blocking layer.

Quantum light storage in rare-earth-ion-doped solids

The reversible transfer of unknown quantum states between light and matter is essential for constructing large-scale quantum networks. Over the last decade, various physical systems have been proposed to realize such quantum memory for light. The solid-state quantum memory based on rare-earth-ion-doped solids has the advantages of a reduced setup complexity and high robustness for scalable application. We describe the methods used to spectrally prepare the quantum memory and release the photonic excitation on-demand. We will review the state of the art experiments and discuss the perspective applications of this particular system in both quantum information science and fundamental tests of quantum physics.

Enhanced Laser Cooling of Rare-Earth-Ion-Doped Glass Containing Nanometer-Sized Metallic Particles

The enhanced laser cooling performance of rare-earth-ions-doped glasses containing small particles is predicted. This is achieved by the enhancement of local field around rare earth ions, owing to the surface plasmon resonance of small metallic particles. The role of energy transfer between ions and the particle is theoretical discussed. Depending on the particle size and the ion emission quantum efficiency, the enhancement of the absorption and the fluorescence is predicted. Moreover, taking Yb^3＋-doped ZBLAN as example, the cooling power and heat-light converting efficiency are calculated. It is finally concluded that the absorption and the fluorescence are greatly enhanced in these composite materials, the cooling power is increased compared to the bulk material.

Optical Fiber Torsion Sensor with Mechanically Induced Long Period Fiber Gratings in Rare-Earth Doped Fibers

In this work wavelength sensitivity in mechanically induced long period fiber gratings (MLPFG) is analyzed. This analysis is first carried out both in standard single-mode fiber SMF-28 and in Er-doped fibers. The mechanical analysis for both types of fibers under different torsion conditions is presented. In order to apply the torsion one of the fiber ends is fixed while torsion is applied on the other end. A MLPFG whose period is 503 μm is used to press the fiber after torsion is applied. This allows for micro curvatures to be formed on the fiber, which in turn generates a periodical index perturbation on it. Here, it was noted that the sensitive wavelength shift of the rejection bands is bigger for Er-doped fibers. For a torsion of 6 turns applied to 10 cm of doped fiber the wavelength peaks can be moved up to 25 nm, which is longer to what was detected on standard fibers. Therefore, by using Er-doped fibers to monitor torsion on structures will give more sensitive and accurate results than using standard fibers. These results can be employed for sensing applications, especially for small to medium size structures, which can be mechanical, civil or aeronautics.

Effect of Mn-doping on performance of Li_3V_2(PO_4)_3/C cathode material for lithium ion batteries

Li3V2-2/3xMnx（PO4）3（0≤x≤0.12） powders were synthesized by sol-gel method. The effect of Mn2＋-doping on the structure and electrochemical performances of Li3V2（PO4）3/C was characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, galvanostatic charge /discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS）. The XRD study shows that a small amount of Mn2＋-doped does not alter the structure of Li3V2（PO4）3/C materials, and all Mn2＋-doped samples are of pure single phase with a monoclinic structure （space group P21/n）. The XPS analysis indicates that valences state of V and Mn are ＋3 and ＋2 in Li3V1.94Mn0.09（PO4）3/C, respectively, and the citric acid in raw materials was decomposed into carbon during calcination, and residual carbon exists in Li3V1.94Mn0.09（PO4）/C. The results of electrochemical measurements show that Mn2＋-doping can improve the cyclic stability and rate performance of these cathode materials. The Li3V1.94Mn0.09（PO4）3/C cathode material shows the best cyclic stability and rate performance. For example, at the discharge current density of 40 mA/g, after 100 cycles, the discharge capacity of Li3V1.94Mn0.09（PO4）3/C declines from initial 158.8 mA·h/g to 120.5 mA·h/g with a capacity retention of 75.9%; however, that of the Mn-undoed sample declines from 164.2 mA·h/g to 72.6 mA·h/g with a capacity retention of 44.2%. When the discharge current is increased up to 1C, the intial discharge capacity of Li3V1.94Mn0.09（PO4）3/C still reaches 146.4 mA·h/g, and the discharge capacity maintains at 107.5 mA·h/g after 100 cycles. The EIS measurement indicates that Mn2＋-doping with a appropriate amount of Mn2＋ decreases the charge transfer resistance, which is favorable for the insertion/extraction of Li＋.

Synthesis and characterization of LiFePO_4 coating with aluminum doped zinc oxide

Aluminum doped zinc oxide （AZO）, as an electrically conductive material, was applied to coating on the surface of olivine-type LiFePO4 synthesized by solid-state method. The charge-discharge test results show that the rate performance and low-temperature performance of LiFePO4 are greatly improved by the surface treatment. Even at 20C rate, the discharge specific capacity of 100.9 mA.h/g was obtained by the AZO-coated LiFePO4 at room temperature. At -20 ℃, the discharge specific capacity at 0.2C for un-coated LiFePO4 and the coated one are 50.3 mA.h/g and 119.4 mA.h/g, respectively. It should be attributed to the electrically conductive AZO-coating which increases the electronic conductivity of LiFePO4. Furthermore, the surface-coating increases the tap-density of LiFePO4. The results indicate that the AZO-coated LiFePO4 is a good candidate of cathode material for applying in lithium power batteries.

Characterization of metal doped-titanium dioxide and behaviors on photocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen oxides

A series of nanosized ion-doped TiO2 catalysts with different ion content （between 0.1 at.% and 1.0 at.%） have been prepared by wet impregnation method and investigated with respect to their behavior for UV photocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxide. The catalytic activity was correlated with structural, electronic and surface examinations of the catalysts using X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD）, ultraviolet-visible （UV-Vis） absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, energy disperse spectrometer （EDS） and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy （HR-TEM） techniques. An enhancement of the photocatalytic activity was observed for Zn2＋ doping catalyst ranged from 0.1 at.% to 1.0 at.% which was attributed to the lengthened lifetime of electrons and holes. The improvement in photocatalytic activity could be also observed with the low doping concentration of Cr^3＋ （0.1 at.%）. However, the doping of Fe^3＋, Mo^6＋, Mn^2＋ and the high doping concentration of Cr^3＋ had no contribution to photocatalytic activity of nitric oxide.

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dual-Doped Multilayer Graphene as Universal Anode for Full Carbon-Based Lithium and Potassium Ion Capacitors

Lithium/potassium ion capacitors(LICs/PICs) have been proposed to bridge the performance gap between high-energy batteries and high-power capacitors.However,their development is hindered by the choice,electrochemical performance,and preparation technique of the battery-type anode materials.Herein,a nitrogen and phosphorus dual-doped multilayer graphene(NPG) material is designed and synthesized through an arc discharge process,using low-cost graphite and solid nitrogen and phosphorus sources.When employed as the anode material,NPG exhibits high capacity,remarkable rate capability,and stable cycling performance in both lithium and potassium ion batteries.This excellent electrochemical performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect of nitrogen and phosphorus doping,which enhances the electrochemical conductivity,provides a higher number of ion storage sites,and leads to increased interlayer spacing.Full carbon-based NPG‖LiPF6‖active carbon(AC) LICs and NPG‖KPF6‖AC PICs are assembled and show excellent electrochemical performance,with competitive energy and power densities.This work provides a route for the large-scale production of dual-doped graphene as a universal anode material for high-performance alkali ion batteries and capacitors.

Rare Earth Elements-Doped LiCoO_2 Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Some compounds of LiCo 1- x RE x O 2 (RE=rare earth elements and x =0.01～0.03) were prepared by doping rare earth elements to LiCoO 2 via solid state synthesis. The microstructure characteristics of the LiCo 1- x RE x O 2 were investigated by XRD. It was found that the lattice parameters c are increased and the lattice volumes are enlarged compared to that of LiCoO 2. Moreover, the performance of LiCo 1- x RE x O 2 as the cathode material in lithium ion battery is improved, especially LiCo 1- x Y x O 2 and LiCo 1- x La x O 2. The initial charge/discharge capacities of LiCo 0.99 Y 0.01 O 2 and LiCo 0.99 La 0.01 O 2 are 174/154 (mAh·g -1 ) and 159/149 (mAh·g -1 ) respectively, while those for LiCoO 2 working in the same way are only 139/131 (mAh·g -1 ).

Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light with Nd-doped titanium dioxide films

Microporous titanium dioxide films were prepared by the sol-gel methods on glass substrates, using tetrabutyl titanate as source material. In order to absorb the visible light and increase the photocatalytic activities, different concentrations of neodymium ions (Nd/Ti molar ratio was 0.5%, 0.7%, 0.9%, and 1.1% respectively) were added into the sol. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectros-copy (XPS), and atom force microscopy (AFM) were applied to characterize the modified films. A kind of typical textile industry pollutant (Rhodamine B) was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of the films under visible light. The results showed that the activities of the films were improved by doping Nd ions into the sol.

Ribbon-like Cu doped V6O13 as Cathode Material for High-performance Lithium Ion Batteries

Ribbon-like Cu doped V6O（13） was synthesized via a simple solvothermal approach followed by heat treatment in air.As an cathode material for lithium ion battery,the ribbon-like Cu doped V6O（13 ）electrode exhibited good capacity retention with a reversible capacity of over 313 m Ah·g^-1 for up to 50 cycles at 0.1C,as well as a high charge capacity of 306 m Ah·g^-1 at a high current rate of 1 C,in comparison to undoped V6O（13 ）electrode（267 m Ah·g^-1 at 0.1C and 273 m Ah·g^-1 at 1 C）.The high rate capability and better cycleability of the doped electrode can be attributed to the influence of the Cu ions on the mophology and the electronic conductivity of V6O（13） during the lithiation and delithiation process.

Nitrogen doping and graphitization tuning coupled hard carbon for superior potassium-ion storage

Hard carbon material is one of the most promising anode materials for potassium ion batteries(PIBs)due to its distinct disordered and non-expandable framework.However,the intrinsically disordered microarchitecture of hard carbon results in low electric conductivity and poor rate capability.Herein,nitrogendoped and partially graphitized hard carbons(NGHCs)derived from commercial coordination compound precursor-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA)disodium cobalt salt hydrate are designed and prepared as high-performance PIBs anode materials.By means of a facile annealing method,nitrogen elements and graphitic domains can be controllably introduced to NGHCs.The resulting NGHCs show structural merits of mesoporous construction,nitrogen doping and homogeneous graphitic domains,which ensures fast kinetics and electron transportation.Applying in anode for PIBs,NGHCs exhibit robust rate capability with high reversible capacity of 298.8 m Ah g^-1 at 50 m A g^-1,and stable cycle stability of 137.6 mAh g^-1 at 500 m A g^-1 after 1000 cycles.Moreover,the ex situ Raman spectra reveal a mixture"adsorption-intercalation mechanism"for potassium storage of NGHCs.More importantly,full PIBs by pairing with perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride(PTCDA)cathode demonstrate the promising potential of practical application.In terms of commercial precursor,facile synthesis and long cycle lifespan,NGHCs represent a brilliant prospect for practical large-scale applications.

Photocatalytic degradation of acid orange 7 in aqueous solution with La^(3+)-doped TiO_2 photocatalysts

Nanocrystalline La^3＋-doped TiO2 of 20-30 nm in size was prepared by a sol-gel technique. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by the degradation of harmful acid orange 7（AO7） azo-dye in aqueous solution. The effects of La^3＋ ion implantation on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 were also discussed. The results show that the La^3＋ content plays an essential role in affecting the photocatalytic activity of the La^3＋-doped TiO2 and the optimum content of La^3＋-doped is 1.0 wt.%. The photocatalytic activity of the samples with La^3＋-doped TiO2 is higher than that of pure TiO2 in the treatment of AO7 wastewater. The photodegradation effect of AO7 effluent is the best by means of La^3＋-doped TiO2 with 1.0% La^3＋.