Dynamic electron transport theory for multiprobe mesoscopic structures

Using the linear response theory and random phase approximation, we develop a general dynamic electron transport theory for multiprobe mesoscopic structures in an arbitrarily time-dependent external field. In this case, the responses of the dynamic current, charge and internal potential to the external fields can be determined self-consistently. Without loss of generality, charge （current） conservation and gauge invariance under a potential shift are satisfied. As an example, we employ a quantum wire with a single barrier to discuss the response of the internal potential.

Structure inversion asymmetry enhanced electronic structure and electrical transport in 2D A3SnO(A=Ca,Sr,and Ba)antiperovskite monolayers

Anti-perovskites A3SnO(A=Ca,Sr,and Ba)are an important class of materials due to the emergence of Dirac cones and tiny mass gaps in their band structures originating from an intricate interplay of crystal symmetry,spin–orbit coupling,and band overlap.This provides an exciting playground for modulating their electronic properties in the two-dimensional(2D)limit.Herein,we employ first-principles density functional theory(DFT)calculations by combining dispersion-corrected SCAN+rVV10 and mBJ functionals for a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of the structural,thermodynamic,dynamical,mechanical,electronic,and thermoelectric properties of bulk and monolayer(one unit cell thick)A3SnO anti-perovskites.Our results show that 2D monolayers derived from bulk A3SnO anti-perovskites are structurally and energetically stable.Moreover,Rashba-type splitting in the electronic structure of Ca3SnO and Sr3SnO monolayers is observed owing to strong spin–orbit coupling and inversion asymmetry.On the other hand,monolayer Ba3SnO exhibits Dirac cone at the high-symmetryΓpoint due to the domination of band overlap.Based on the predicted electronic transport properties,it is shown that inversion asymmetry plays an essential character such that the monolayers Ca3SnO and Sr3SnO outperform thermoelectric performance of their bulk counterparts.

Spatial configuration engineering of perylenediimide-based non-fullerene electron transport materials for efficient inverted perovskite solar cells

Due to their excellent photoelectron chemical properties and suitable energy level alignment with perovskite,perylene diimide(PDI)derivatives are competitive non-fullerene electron transport material(ETM)candidates for perovskite solar cells(PSCs).However,the conjugated rigid plane structure of PDI units result in PDI-based ETMs tending to form large aggregates,limiting their application and photovoltaic performance.In this study,to restrict aggregation and further enhance the photovoltaic performance of PDI-type ETMs,two PDI-based ETMs,termed PDO-PDI2(dimer)and PDO-PDI3(trimer),were constructed by introducing a phenothiazine 5,5-dioxide(PDO)core building block.The research manifests that the optoelectronic properties and film formation property of PDO-PDI2 and PDO-PDI3 were deeply affected by the molecular spatial configuration.Applied in PSCs,PDO-PDI3 with threedimensional spiral molecular structure,exhibits superior electron extraction and transport properties,further achieving the best PCE of 18.72%and maintaining 93%of its initial efficiency after a 720-h aging test under ambient conditions.

Highly soluble dendritic fullerene derivatives as electron transport material for perovskite solar cells

A series of shape-persistent polyphenylene dendritic C_(60)derivatives as the electron transport materials were designed and synthesized via a catalyst-free Diels-Alder[4+2]cycloaddition reaction.These increasing hyperbranched scaffolds could effectively enhance the solubility;notably,both first and second generation dendrimers,C_(60)-G1 and C_(60)-G2,demonstrated more than 5 times higher solubilities than pristine C_(60).Furthermore,both simulated and experimental data proved their promising solution-processabilities as electron-transporting layers(ETLs)for perovskite solar cells.As a result,the planar p-i-n structural perovskite solar cell could achieve a maximum power conversion efficiency of 14.7%with C_(60)-G2.

Electronic Structure and Transport Coefficients of the Thermoelectric Materials Bi_2Te_3 from First-principles Calculations

The electronic structures of bulk Bi_2Te_3 crystals were investigated by the first-principles calculations.The transport coefficients including Seeback coefficient and power factor were then calculated by the Boltzmann theory,and further evaluated as a function of chemical potential assuming a rigid band picture.The results suggest that p-type doping in the Bi_2Te_3 compound may be more favorable than n-type doping.From this analysis results,doping effects on a material will exhibit high ZT.Furthermore,we can also find the right doping concentration to produce more efficient materials,and present the ＂advantage filling element map＂ in detail.

Silicene nanoribbons on transition metal dichalcogenide substrates： Effects on electronic structure and ballistic transport

The idea of stacking multiple monolayers of different two-dimensional materials has become a global pursuit. In this work a silicene armchair nanoribbon of width W and van der Waals-bonded to different transition-metal dichalcogenide （TMD） bilayer substrates MoX2 and WX2, where X = S, Se, Te is considered. The orbital resolved electronic structure and ballistic transport properties of these systems are simulated by employing van der Waals-corrected density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green＇s functions. We find that the lattice mismatch with the underlying substrate determines the electronic structure, correlated with the silicene buckling distortion and ultimately with the contact resistance of the two-terminal system. The smallest lattice mismatch, obtained with the MoTe2 substrate, results in the silicene ribbon properties coming close to those of a freestanding one. With the TMD bilayer acting as a dielectric layer, the electronic structure is tunable from a direct to an indirect semiconducting layer, and subsequently to a metallic electronic dispersion layer, with a moderate applied perpendicular electric field.

Electronic Transport Properties of Spin-Crossover Magnet Fe（Ⅱ）-N4S2 Complexes

Spin-crossover （SCO） magnets can act as one of the most possible building blocks in molec- ular spintronics due to their magnetic bistability between the high-spin （HS） and low-spin （LS） states. Here, the electronic structures and transport properties through SCO magnet Fe（II）-N4S2 complexes sandwiched between gold electrodes are explored by performing exten- sive density functional theory calculations combined with non-equilibrium Green＇s function formalism. The optimized Fe-N and Fe-S distances and predicted magnetic moment of the SCO magnet Fe（II）-N4S2 complexes agree well with the experimental results. The reversed spin transition between the HS and LS states can be realized by visible light irradiation according to the estimated SCO energy barriers. Based on the obtained transport results, we observe nearly perfect spin-filtering effect in this SCO magnet Fe（II）-N4S2 junction with the HS state, and the corresponding current under small bias voltage is mainly contributed by the spin-down electrons, which is obviously larger than that of the LS case. Clearly, these theoretical findings suggest that SCO magnet Fe（II）-N4S2 complexes hold potential applications in molecular spintronies.

Regulation of electronic structure of monolayer MoS_(2) by pressure

Understanding pressure-regulated electronic properties is crucial for integrating two-dimensional semiconductors into flexible electronic devices and pressure sensors. We thoroughly explored the tunability of the electronic structure of monolayer MoS_(2) upon the application of perpendicular pressure and shear stress by using first-principles calculations. The band gap increased at low pressures and then decreased as the pressure increased.Variations in the band gap are caused by the combined interaction of the increasing and decreasing trends in the band gap. The increase in the band gap is induced by the enhancement of the p–d orbital interaction at the top of the valence band(TVB). The delocalization of charge and unstable hybridization bonding causes a reduction in the band gap. The band gap under perpendicular pressure modes is closely related to the structural variation. Shear stress can effectively reduce the band gap with minimal change to the crystal structure. The maximum point at the TVB and the minimum point at the bottom of the conduction band are different for all pressure modes, resulting in various anisotropic properties. This study provides a theoretical basis for modulating the electrical and optical properties of monolayer MoS_(2).

Electronic structures and physical properties of pure Cr,Mo and W

Using the one atom theory, the electronic structures of pure Cr, Mo and W with bcc structure were determined respectively as: [Ar] (3d c) 3.32 (3d n) 2.26 (4s c) 0.25 (4s f) 0.17 , [Kr] (4d c) 4.23 (4d n) 1.48 (5s c) 0.02 (5s f) 0.27 and [Xe](5d c) 5.16 (6s c) 0.25 (6s f) 0.59 .The electronic structures of these metals with hcp and fcc structures and liquid state were also studied. According to their electronic structures, the relationship between the electronic structure and crystalline structure was explained qualitatively and the relationship between the difference of mechanical properties and transport properties of pure Cr, Mo and W with bcc structure and their electronic structures was also explained qualitatively; the lattice constants, binding energy, potential curves, elasticities and the temperature dependence of the linear thermal expansion coefficient of bcc Cr, bcc Mo and bcc W were calculated quantitatively.

Highly efficient organic solar cells enabled by a porous ZnO/PEIE electron transport layer with enhanced light trapping

In this study,a porous inorganic/organic(ZnO/PEIE,where PEIE is polyethylenimine ethoxylated)(P-ZnO)hybrid material has been developed and adopted in the inverted organic solar cells(OSCs).The P-ZnO serving as the electron transport layer(ETL)not only presents an ameliorative work function,but also forms the cratered surface with increased ohmic contact area,revealing suppressed charge recombination and enhanced charge extraction in devices.Particularly,P-ZnO-based OSCs show improved light trapping in the active layer compared with ZnO-based ones.The universality of P-ZnO serving as ETL for efficient OSCs is verified on three photovoltaic systems of PBDB-T/DTPPSe-2 F,PM6/Y6,and PTB7-Th/PC_(71)BM.The enhancements of 8%in power conversion efficiency(PCE)can be achieved in the state-of-the-art OSCs based on PBDB-T/DTPPSe-2F,PM6/Y6,and PTB7-Th/PC_(71)BM,delivering PCEs of 14.78%,16.57%,and 9.85%,respectively.Furthermore,a promising PCE of14.13%under air-processed condition can be achieved for PZnO/PBDB-T/DTPPSe-2F-based OSC,which is among the highest efficiencies reported for air-processed OSCs in the literature.And the P-ZnO/PBDB-T/DTPPSe-2F-based device also presents superior long-term storage stability whether in nitrogen or ambient air-condition without encapsulation,which can maintain over 85%of its initial efficiency.Our results demonstrate the great potential of the porous hybrid PZnO as ETL for constructing high-performance and air-stable OSCs.

Inducing the SnO2-based electron transport layer into NiFe LDH/NF as efficient catalyst for OER and methanol oxidation reaction

In an electrocatalyst with a heterointerface structure,the different interfaces can efficiently adjust the catalyst’s conductivity and electron arrangement,thereby enhancing the activity of the electrocatalyst.Ultrathin and smaller Ni Fe LDH was successfully constructed on the surface of SnOnanosheet supported NF by layer by layer assembly,and exhibits lower overpotential of 234 mV at a current density of 10 m A cm,which only increases by 6.4%even at a high current density of 100 mA cm.The excellent OER activity of catalyst is attributed to the contribution of the semiconductor SnOelectron transport layer.Through experiments and characterization,3d structure SnOnanosheets control the growth of ultra-thin nickel-iron,the hierarchical interface between SnOand Ni Fe LDH can change the electron arrangement around the iron and nickel active centers at the interface,resulting the valence states of iron slightly increased and Nicontent increased.The result will promote the oxidation of water.Meanwhile,the SnOsemiconductor as electron transport layer is conducive to trapping electrons generated in oxidation reaction,promoting electrons transferring from the Ni Fe LDH active center to the Ni substrate more quickly,and enhance the activity of Ni Fe LDH.It also shows excellent activity in an electrolyte solution containing 0.5 M methanol and 1 M KOH,and only 1.396 V(vs.RHE)is required to drive a current density of 10 mA cm.

Electronic and thermoelectric properties of Mg2GexSn1-x(x=0.25,0.50,0.75) solid solutions by first-principles calculations

The electronic structure and thermoelectric（TE） properties of Mg2GexSn1-x（x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75） solid solutions are investigated by first-principles calculations and semi-classical Boltzmann theory. The special quasi-random structure（SQS） is used to model the solid solutions, which can produce reasonable band gaps with respect to experimental results.The n-type solid solutions have an excellent thermoelectric performance with maximum zT values exceeding 2.0, where the combination of low lattice thermal conductivity and high power factor（PF） plays an important role. These values are higher than those of pure Mg2Sn and Mg2Ge. The p-type solid solutions are inferior to the n-type ones, mainly due to the much lower PF. The maximum zT value of 0.62 is predicted for p-type Mg2Ge（0.25）Sn（0.75） at 800K. The results suggest that the n-type Mg2GexSn1-x solid solutions are promising mid-temperature TE materials.

A comparison of the transport properties of bilayer graphene,monolayer graphene,and two-dimensional electron gas

We studied and compared the transport properties of charge carriers in bilayer graphene, monolayer graphene, and the conventional semiconductors （the two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG））. It is elucidated that the normal incidence transmission in the bilayer graphene is identical to that in the 2DEG but totally different from that in the monolayer graphene. However, resonant peaks appear in the non-normal incidence transmission profile for a high barrier in the bilayer graphene, which do not occur in the 2DEG. Furthermore, there are tunneling and forbidden regions in the transmission spectrum for each material, and the division of the two regions has been given in the work. The tunneling region covers a wide range of the incident energy for the two graphene systems, but only exists under specific conditions for the 2DEG. The counterparts of the transmission in the conductance profile are also given for the three materials, which may be used as high-performance devices based on the bilayer graphene.

Electron transport properties of TiO_2 shell on Al_2O_3 core in dye-sensitized solar cells

The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells （DSSCs） is strongly affected by the properties of semiconductor nanoparticles. In this work, we used TiO2 particles prepared by TiC14 hydrolysis n times on A1203 films （A/T（n））, and investigated morphology, photoelectric, and electron transport properties of A/T（n）. The TiO2 shell was composed of 10-20 nm nanoparticles and the number of nanoparticles increased with increasing TIC14 treatment times. The highest photoelectric conversion efficiency of 3.23% was obtained as A/T（4）. IMPS results indicated that electron transport rate was high enough to conduct current, and was not the dominating effect to limit the Jsc. Jsc was mainly determined by dye loading on TiO2 and the interconnection of TiO2. These may provide a new strategy for preparing semiconductor working electrodes for DSSC.

Electron Transport Properties of Two-Dimensional Monolayer Films from Au-P-Au to Au-Si-Au Molecular Junctions

We investigate the electronic-transport properties of two-dimensional monolayer films from Au-P-Au molecular junction to Au-Si-Au molecular junction using elastic scattering Green＇s function theory. In the process of replacing the P atoms with Si atoms every other line from the middle of monolayer blue phosphorus molecular structure, the substitution of Si atoms changes the properties of Au-P-Au molecular junction significantly. Interestingly, the current value has a symmetric change as a parabolic curve with the peak appearing in Au-Si_1P_1-Au molecular junction, which provides the most stable current of 15.00 nA in a wide voltage range of 0.70-2.70 V.Moreover, the current-voltage characteristics of the structures indicate that the steps tend to disappear revealing the property similar to metal when the Si atoms dominate the molecular junction.

Dynamical study on charge injection and transport in a metal/polythiophene/metal structure

The dynamical process of charge injection from metal electrode to a nondegenerate polymer in a metal/polythiophene （PT）/metal structure has been investigated by using a nonadiabatic dynamic approach. It is found that the injected charges form wave packets due to the strong electron-lattice interaction in PT. We demonstrate that the dynamical formation of the wave packet sensitively depends on the strength of applied voltage, the electric field, and the contact between PT and electrode. At a strength of the electric field more than 3.0 × 10^4 V/cm, the carriers can be ejected from the PT into the right electrode. At an electric field more than 3.0 × 10^5 V/cm, the wave packet cannot form while it moves rapidly to the right PT/metal interface. It is shown that the ejected quantity of charge is noninteger.

掺杂单层MoS_(2)电子结构与光催化性质的第一性原理计算

为了提高MoS_(2)的光催化能力,本研究基于第一性原理平面波赝势方法,对Cr、W、Fe、Co、Ni替换单层MoS_(2)晶格中的Mo进行研究.结果表明:W的替换能为正值,Cr、Fe、Co、Ni的替换能为负值.Cr、W掺杂晶格产生畸变主要是杂质原子的共价半径引起的;Fe、Co、Ni掺杂晶格产生畸变主要是掺杂原子的自旋导致的.Cr、W、Fe、Co、Ni掺杂单层MoS_(2)带隙类型没有发生改变,仍然为直接带隙,但禁带宽度变小,吸收带红移,尤其Fe、Co、Ni掺杂,导带下方有杂质能级使费米能级向高能方向移动,可以作为捕获电子陷阱,增加电子密度,减少光激发电子-空穴对的复合,有利于提升光催化能力.

Single-cluster electronics using metallic clusters:Fabrications,regulations,and applications

Metallic clusters,ranging from 1 to 2 nm in size,have emerged as promising candidates for creating nanoelectronic devices at the single-cluster level.With the intermediate quantum properties between metals and semiconductors,these metallic clusters offer an alternative pathway to silicon-based electronics and organic molecules for miniaturized electronics with dimensions below 5 nm.Significant progress has been made in studies of single-cluster electronic devices.However,a clear guide for selecting,synthesizing,and fabricating functional single-cluster electronic devices is still required.This review article provides a comprehensive overview of single-cluster electronic devices,including the mechanisms of electron transport,the fabrication of devices,and the regulations of electron transport properties.Furthermore,we discuss the challenges and future directions for single-cluster electronic devices and their potential applications.

不同浓度Mg掺杂单层Janus WSSe的第一性原理研究

二维Janus WSSe作为一种新型过渡金属硫族化合物(TMDs)材料由于其独特的面外非对称结构及众多新颖的物理特性,在自旋电子器件中具有巨大的应用潜力.本文基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理平面波赝势方法,通过构建四种掺杂模型W_(9-x)Mg_(x)S_(9)Se_(9)(x=0、1、2、3),分别计算了不同浓度Mg掺杂单层WSSe的电子结构和光学性质.结果表明:掺杂使得WSSe由直接带隙半导体变为间接带隙半导体,并且随着掺杂浓度的增加,带隙逐渐减小,费米能级穿过价带,使得掺杂体系变成P型半导体,当x=3时,掺杂体系呈现金属性.此外,掺杂体系的静态介电常数随着掺杂浓度的增加而变大,极化程度显著增强,介电函数虚部和光吸收峰都发生了红移,说明掺杂有利于可见光的吸收.并且,静态折射率随着掺杂浓度的增加而呈现上升趋势,同时消光系数的峰值也与Mg原子的掺杂浓度呈现正相关.

基于密度泛函理论下O和Na掺杂单层h-BN的电子结构和光学性质的分析

基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法研究了O、Na单掺杂及O和Na共掺杂单层h-BN的形成能、电子结构和光学性质.结果表明:单掺杂体系中,O掺杂N位置、Na掺杂B位置时,掺杂形成能最低;共掺杂体系中,O和Na邻位掺杂,掺杂形成能最低.与单层h-BN相比,引入杂质原子后的体系禁带宽度均减小,其中O掺杂为n型掺杂,Na掺杂为p型掺杂,而O和Na共掺h-BN体系为直接带隙材料,有利于提高载流子的迁移率.在光学性质方面,Na掺杂h-BN体系与O和Na共掺h-BN的静介电常数均增大,在低能区介电虚部和光吸收峰均发生红移,其中Na掺杂体系红移最为显著,极化能力最强.因此Na单掺和O和Na共掺有望增强单层h-BN的光催化能力,可扩展其在催化材料、光电器件等领域的应用.