Disorder-induced enhancement of conductance in doped nanowires

A new mechanism is proposed to explain the enhancement of conductance in doped nanowires. It is shown that the anomalous enhancement of conductance is due to surface doping. The conductance in doped nanowires increases with dopant concentration, which is qualitatively consistent with the existing experimental results. In addition, the Ⅰ-Ⅴ curves are linear and thus suggest that the metal electrodes make ohmic contacts to the shell-doped nanowires. The electric current increases with wire diameter （D） and decreases exponentially with wire length （L）. Therefore, the doped nanowires have potential application in nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Crossover to Quantized Thermal Conductance in Nanotubes and Nanowires

Using the non-equilibrium Green’s function techniques with interatomic potentials, we study the temperature dependence and the crossover of thermal conductance from the usual behavior proportional to the cross-sectional area at room temperature to the universal quantized behavior at low temperature for carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires, and diamond nanowires. We find that this crossover of thermal conductance occurs smoothly for the quasi-one-dimensional materials and its universal behavior is well reproduced by the simplified model characterized by two parameters.

Temperature-Dependent Electrical Conductance of Bi Nanowires

The single crystal bismuth nanowire arrays grown along [0112] with the diameter of 30 nm was synthesized in the pore of anodic aluminum oxide templates through electrodeposi- tion process. The temperature dependent electric conductance of Bi nanowire arrays was measured from 78 K to 320 K. We found that the semimetal-to-semiconductor transition happened around 230 K for 30 nm Bi nanowires oriented along [0112] and the electric con- ductance of the nanowires had a strong temperature dependence.

Flexible polydimethylsiloxane pressure sensor with micro-pyramid structures and embedded silver nanowires:A novel application in urinary flow measurement

Flexible pressure sensors are lightweight and highly sensitive,making them suitable for use in small portable devices to achieve precise measurements of tiny forces.This article introduces a low-cost and easy-fabrication strategy for piezoresistive flexible pressure sensors.By embedding silver nanowires into a polydimethylsiloxane layer with micro-pyramids on its surface,a flexible pressure sensor is created that can detect low pressure (17.3 Pa) with fast response (<20 ms) and high sensitivity (69.6 mA kPa-1).Furthermore,the pressure sensor exhibits a sensitive and stable response to a small amount of water flowing on its surface.On this basis,the flexible pressure sensor is innovatively combined with a micro-rotor to fabricate a novel urinary flow-rate meter (uroflowmeter),and results from a simulated human urination experiment show that the uroflowmeter accurately captured all the essential shape characteristics that were present in the pump-simulated urination curves.Looking ahead,this research provides a new reference for using flexible pressure sensors in urinary flow-rate monitoring.

Facile Semiconductor p-n Homojunction Nanowires with Strategic p-Type Doping Engineering Combined with Surface Reconstruction for Biosensing Applications

Photosensors with versatile functionalities have emerged as a cornerstone for breakthroughs in the future optoelectronic systems across a wide range of applications.In particular,emerging photoelectrochemical(PEC)-type devices have recently attracted extensive interest in liquid-based biosensing applications due to their natural electrolyte-assisted operating characteristics.Herein,a PEC-type photosensor was carefully designed and constructed by employing gallium nitride(GaN)p-n homojunction semiconductor nanowires on silicon,with the p-GaN segment strategically doped and then decorated with cobalt-nickel oxide(CoNiO_(x)).Essentially,the p-n homojunction configuration with facile p-doping engineering improves carrier separation efficiency and facilitates carrier transfer to the nanowire surface,while CoNiO_(x)decoration further boosts PEC reaction activity and carrier dynamics at the nanowire/electrolyte interface.Consequently,the constructed photosensor achieves a high responsivity of 247.8 mA W^(-1)while simultaneously exhibiting excellent operating stability.Strikingly,based on the remarkable stability and high responsivity of the device,a glucose sensing system was established with a demonstration of glucose level determination in real human serum.This work offers a feasible and universal approach in the pursuit of high-performance bio-related sensing applications via a rational design of PEC devices in the form of nanostructured architecture with strategic doping engineering.

Optical Properties of GaAs/AlGaAs Nanowires Grown on Pre-etched Si Substrates

GaAs-based nanomaterials are essential for near-infrared nano-photoelectronic devices due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties.However,as the dimensions of GaAs materials decrease,the development of GaAs nanowires(NWs)is hindered by type-Ⅱquantum well structures arising from the mixture of zinc blende(ZB)and wurtzite(WZ)phases and surface defects due to the large surface-to-volume ratio.Achieving GaAs-based NWs with high emission efficiency has become a key research focus.In this study,pre-etched silicon substrates were combined with GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell heterostructure to achieve GaAs-based NWs with good perpendicularity,excellent crystal structures,and high emission efficiency by leveraging the shadowing effect and surface passivation.The primary evidence for this includes the prominent free-exciton emission in the variable-temperature spectra and the low thermal activation energy indicated by the variable-power spectra.The findings of this study suggest that the growth method described herein can be employed to enhance the crystal structure and optical properties of otherⅢ-Ⅴlow-dimensional materials,potentially paving the way for future NW devices.

Peak structure in the interlayer conductance of Moirésuperlattices

We investigate the peak structure in the interlayer conductance of Moirésuperlattices using a tunneling theory wedeveloped previously.The theoretical results predict that,due to the resonance of two different partial waves,the doublepeakstructure can appear in the curve of the interlayer conductance versus twist angle.Furthermore,we study the influencesof the model parameters,i.e.,the chemical potential of electrodes,the thickness of Moirésuperlattice,and the strength ofinterface potential,on the peak structure of the interlayer conductance.In particular,the parameter dependence of the peakstructure is concluded via a phase diagram,and the physical meanings of the phase diagram is formulized.Finally,thepotential applications of the present work is discussed.

SIMULATION OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF C 3 PLANT LEAVES TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS BY A MODEL WHICH COMBINES STOMATAL CONDUCTANCE, PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND TRANSPIRATION

Transpiration element is included in the integrated stomatal conductance photosynthesis model by considering gaseous transfer processes, so the present model is capable to simulate the influence of boundary layer conductance. Leuning in his revised Ball's model replaced relative humidity with VPD s (the vapor pressure deficit from stomatal pore to leaf surface) and thereby made the relation with transpiration more straightforward, and made it possible for the regulation of transpiration and the influence of boundary layer conductance to be integrated into the combined model. If the differences in water vapor and CO 2 concentration between leaf and ambient air are considered, VPD s , the evaporative demand, is influenced by stomatal and boundary layer conductance. The physiological responses of photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal function, and the changes of intercellular CO 2 and water use efficiency to environmental factors, such as wind speed, photon flux density, leaf temperature and ambient CO 2, are analyzed. It is shown that if the boundary layer conductance drops to a level comparable with stomatal conductance, the results of simulation by the model presented here differ significantly from those by the previous model, and, in some cases, are more realistic than the latter.

Low Level of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Is Associated with Human Sperm Autophagy and Vitality

Low sperm motility is one of the main causes of male infertility. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR, an anion channel protein) is related to the progressive motility of sperm. CFTR disruptor CFTRinh-172 or forskolin (FSK) in this study were used to treat human sperm separately, and the rates of sperm autophagy and progressive motility, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP concentration, and the expression levels of related factors were detected to explore their relationship. It was showed that sperms treated with CFTRinh-172 or FSK reduced the levels of cAMP, CFTR and PKA, but increased sperm autophagy rate, expression levels of AMPK and LC3B. However, reactive oxygen species content had no significant difference. It was indicated that low level of CFTR performed with cAMP and its downstream effectors such as PKA and AMPK to regulate mitochondrial structure and function, leading to increased autophagy rate and reduced vitality of sperm.

Hard Superconducting Gap in Pb Te Nanowires

Semiconductor nanowires coupled to a superconductor provide a powerful testbed for quantum device physics such as Majorana zero modes and gate-tunable hybrid qubits.The performance of these quantum devices heavily relies on the quality of the induced superconducting gap.A hard gap.

Second Harmonic Generation in Nanowires

Second harmonic generation(SHG)in optical materials serves as important techniques for laser source generations in awkward spectral ranges,physical identities of materials in crystalline symmetry and interfacial configuration.Here,we present a comprehensive review on SHGs in nanowires(NWs),which have been recognized as an important element in constructing photonic and optoelectronic devices with compact footprint and high quantum yield.Relying on NW’s one-dimensional geometry,its SHG could be employed as a sophisticated spectroscopy to determine the crystal phase and orientation,as well as the internal strain.The enhancements of SHG efficiency in NWs are discussed then,which were realized by hybrid integrating them with two-dimensional materials,nanophotonic and plasmonic structures.Finally,the potential applications of NW SHGs are concluded,including the areas of optical correlators and constructions of on-chip nano-laser sources.

Determination of Thermal Properties of Unsmooth Si Nanowires

We estimate the thermal properties of unsmooth Si nanowires,considering key factors such as size(diameter),surface texture(roughness)and quantum size effects(phonon states)at different temperatures.For nanowires with a diameter of less than 20 nm,we highlight the importance of quantum size effects in heat capacity calculations,using dispersion relations derived from the modified frequency equation for the elasticity of a rod.The thermal conductivities of nanowires with diameters of 37,56,and 115nm are predicted using the Fuchs–Sondheimer model and Soffer’s specular parameter.Notably,the roughness parameters are chosen to reflect the technological characteristics of the real surfaces.Our findings reveal that surface texture plays a significant role in thermal conductivity,particularly in the realm of ballistic heat transfer within nanowires.This study provides practical recommendations for developing new thermal management materials.

Tuning the electronic conductance of REH_(x)(RE=Nd,Ce,Pr)by structural deformation

Hydride ion(H-)conductors have drawn much attention due to their potential applications in hydrideion-based devices.Rare earth metal hydrides(REH_(x))have fast H-conduction which,unfortunately,is accompanied by detrimental electron conduction preventing their application as ion conductors.Here,REH_(x)(RE=Nd,Ce,and Pr)with varied grain sizes,rich grain boundaries,and defects have been prepared by ball milling and subsequent sintering.The electronic conductivity of the ball-milled REH_(x)samples can be reduced by 2-4 orders of magnitude compared with the non-ball-milled samples.The relationship of electron conduction and miscrostructures in REH_(x)is studied and discussed based on experimental data and previously-proposed classical and quantum theories.The H-conductivity of all REH_(x)is about 10^(-4)to 10^(-3)S cm^(-1)at room temperature,showing promise for the development of H-conductors and their applications in clean energy storage and conversion.

Diameter-dependent ultra-high thermoelectric performance of ZnO nanowires

Zinc oxide(ZnO)shows great potential in electronics,but its large intrinsic thermal conductivity limits its thermoelectric applications.In this work,we explore the significant carrier transport capacity and diameter-dependent thermoelectric characteristics of wurtzite-ZnO(0001)nanowires based on first-principles and molecular dynamics simulations.Under the synergistic effect of band degeneracy and weak phonon-electron scattering,P-type(ZnO)_(73) nanowires achieve an ultrahigh power factor above 1500μW·cm^(-1)·K^(-2)over a wide temperature range.The lattice thermal conductivity and carrier transport properties of ZnO nanowires exhibit a strong diameter size dependence.When the ZnO nanowire diameter exceeds 12.72A,the carrier transport properties increase significantly,while the thermal conductivity shows a slight increase with the diameter size,resulting in a ZT value of up to 6.4 at 700 K for P-type(ZnO)_(73).For the first time,the size effect is also illustrated by introducing two geometrical configurations of the ZnO nanowires.This work theoretically depicts the size optimization strategy for the thermoelectric conversion of ZnO nanowires.

Fabricating AC/DC nanogenerators based on single ZnO nanowires by using a nanomanipulator in a scanning electron microscope

Single zinc oxide nanowires(ZnO NWs)are promising for nanogenerators because of their excellent semiconducting and piezoelectric properties,but characterizing the latter efficiently is challenging.As reported here,an electrical breakdown strategy was used to construct single ZnO NWs with a specific length.With the high operability of a nanomanipulator in a scanning electron microscope,ZnO-NW-based twoprobe and three-probe structures were constructed for fabricating AC/DC nanogenerators,respectively.For a ZnO NW,an AC output of between−15.31 mV and 5.82 mV was achieved,while for a DC nanogenerator,an output of24.3 mV was realized.Also,the three-probe structure’s output method was changed to verify the distribution of piezoelectric charges when a single ZnO NW is bent by a probe,and DC outputs of different amplitudes were achieved.This study provides a low-cost,highly convenient,and operational method for studying the AC/DC output characteristics of single NWs,which is beneficial for the further development of nanogenerators.

Embedded high-quality ternary GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dots in GaAs nanowires by molecular-beam epitaxy

Semiconductor quantum dots are promising candidates for preparing high-performance single photon sources.A basic requirement for this application is realizing the controlled growth of high-quality semiconductor quantum dots.Here,we report the growth of embedded GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dots in GaAs nanowires by molecular-beam epitaxy.It is found that the size of the GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dot can be well-defined by the GaAs nanowire.Energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses show that the antimony content x can be up to 0.36 by tuning the growth temperature.All GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dots exhibit a pure zinc-blende phase.In addition,we have developed a new technology to grow GaAs passivation layers on the sidewalls of the GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dots.Different from the traditional growth process of the passivation layer,GaAs passivation layers can be grown simultaneously with the growth of the embedded GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dots.The spontaneous GaAs passivation layer shows a pure zinc-blende phase due to the strict epitaxial relationship between the quantum dot and the passivation layer.The successful fabrication of embedded high-quality GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x) quantum dots lays the foundation for the realization of GaAs_(1−x)Sb_(x)-based single photon sources.

Characterization of SiC nanowires prepared on C/C composite without catalyst by CVD

SiC nanowires were prepared on C/C composite surface without catalyst by chemical vapor deposition（CVD） using CH3 SiCl3 as precursor.SEM images of the CVD-product reveal that some long nanowires have grown to tens of micrometers with some gathered as a ball.Some short nanowires agglomerate like chestnut shell with many thorns accompanied by some deposited nano-particles.XRD,Raman-spectrum and FTIR patterns indicate that the product is a typical β-SiC.TEM images show that the nanowires have a wide diameter range from 10 to 100 nm,and some thin nanowires are bonded to the thick one by amorphous CVD-SiC.A SiC branch generates from an amorphous section of a thick one with an angle of 70° between them,which is consistent with the [111] axis stacking angle of the crystal.SAED and fast Fourier transform（FFT） patterns reveal that the nanowires can grow along with different axes,and the bamboo-nodes section is full of stacking faults and twin crystal.The twisted SiC lattice planes reveal that the screw dislocation growth is the main mechanism for the CVD-SiC nanowires.

Molecular dynamics study on temperature and strain rate dependences of mechanical tensile properties of ultrathin nickel nanowires

Based on the EAM potential, a molecular dynamics study on the tensile properties of ultrathin nickel nanowires in the （100〉 orientation with diameters of 3.94, 4.95 and 5.99 nm was presented at different temperatures and strain rates. The temperature and strain rate dependences of tensile properties were investigated. The simulation results show that the elastic modulus and the yield strength are gradually decreasing with the increase of temperature, while with the increase of the strain rate, the stress--strain curves fluctuate more intensely and the ultrathin nickel nanowires rupture at one smaller and smaller strain. At an ideal temperature of 0.01 K, the yield strength of the nanowires drops rapidly with the increase of strain rate, and at other temperatures the strain rate has a little influence on the elastic modulus and the yield strength. Finally, the effects of size on the tensile properties of ultrathin nickel nanowires were briefly discussed.

Bending-Induced Conductance Increase in Individual Semiconductor Nanowires and Nanobelts

Reliable ohmic contacts were established in order to study the strain sensitivity of nanowires and nanobelts.Significant conductance increases of up to 113%were observed on bending individual ZnO nanowires or CdS nanobelts.This bending strain-induced conductance enhancement was confirmed by a variety of bending measurements,such as using different manipulating tips(silicon,glass or tungsten)to bend the nanowires or nanobelts,and is explained by bending-induced effective tensile strain based on the principle of the piezoresistance effect.

Responses of leaf stomatal and mesophyll conductance to abiotic stress factors

Plant photosynthesis assimilates CO_(2)from the atmosphere,and CO_(2)diffusion efficiency is mainly constrained by stomatal and mesophyll resistance.The stomatal and mesophyll conductance of plants are sensitive to abiotic stress factors,which affect the CO_(2)concentrations at carboxylation sites to control photosynthetic rates.Early studies conducted relevant reviews on the responses of stomatal conductance to the environment and the limitations of mesophyll conductance by internal structure and biochemical factors.However,reviews on the abiotic stress factors that systematically regulate plant CO_(2)diffusion are rare.Therefore,in this review,the rapid and long-term responses of stomatal and mesophyll conductance to abiotic stress factors(such as light intensity,drought,CO_(2)concentration and temperature)and their physiological mechanisms are summarized.Finally,future research trends are also investigated.