Two-step growth of β-Ga_(2)O_(3) on c-plane sapphire using MOCVD for solar-blind photodetector

In this work,a two-step metal organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD)method was applied for growingβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) film on c-plane sapphire.Optimized buffer layer growth temperature(T_(B))was found at 700℃ and theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) film with full width at half maximum(FWHM)of 0.66°was achieved.A metal−semiconductor−metal(MSM)solar-blind photodetector(PD)was fabricated based on theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) film.Ultrahigh responsivity of 1422 A/W@254 nm and photo-to-dark current ratio(PDCR)of 10^(6) at 10 V bias were obtained.The detectivity of 2.5×10^(15) Jones proved that the photodetector has outstanding performance in detecting weak signals.Moreover,the photodetector exhibited superior wavelength selectivity with rejection ratio(R_(250 nm)/R_(400 nm))of 105.These results indicate that the two-step method is a promising approach for preparation of high-qualityβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films for high-performance solar-blind photodetectors.

Enhancing multifunctional photocatalysis with acetate-assisted cesium doping and unlocking the potential of Z-scheme solar water splitting

Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))has been extensively doped with alkali metals to enlarge photocatalytic output,in which cesium(Cs)doping is predicted to be the most efficient.Nevertheless,the sluggish diffusion and doping kinetics of precursors with high melting points,along with imprecise regulation,have raised the debate on whether Cs doping could make sense.For this matter,we attempt to confirm the positive effects of Cs doping on multifunctional photocatalysis by first using cesium acetate with the character of easy manipulation.The optimized Csdoped g-C_(3)N_(4)(CCN)shows a 41.6-fold increase in visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)compared to pure g-C_(3)N_(4) and impressive degradation capability,especially with 77%refractory tetracycline and almost 100%rhodamine B degradedwithin an hour.The penetration ofCs+is demonstrated to be a mode of interlayer doping,and Cs–N bonds(especially with sp^(2) pyridine N in C═N–C),along with robust chemical interaction and electron exchange,are fabricated.This atomic configuration triggers the broadened spectral response,the improved charge migration,and the activated photocatalytic capacity.Furthermore,we evaluate the CCN/cadmium sulfide hybrid as a Z-scheme configuration,promoting the visible HER yield to 9.02 mmol g^(−1) h^(−1),which is the highest ever reported among all CCN systems.This work adds to the rapidly expanding field of manipulation strategies and supports further development of mediating served for photocatalysis.

Investigation of helicity-dependent photocurrent of surface states in(Bi_(0.7)Sb_(0.3))_(2)Te_(3)nanoplate

Helicity-dependent photocurrent(HDPC)of the surface states in a high-quality topological insulator(Bi_(0.7)Sb_(0.3))_(2)Te_(3)nanoplate grown by chemical vapor deposition(CVD)is investigated.By investigating the angle-dependent HDPC,it is found that the HDPC is mainly contributed by the circular photogalvanic effect(CPGE)current when the incident plane is perpendicular to the connection of the two contacts,whereas the circular photon drag effect(CPDE)dominates the HDPC when the incident plane is parallel to the connection of the two contacts.In addition,the CPGE of the(Bi_(0.7)Sb_(0.3))_(2)Te_(3)nanoplate is regulated by temperature,light power,excitation wavelength,the source–drain and ionic liquid top-gate voltages,and the regulation mechanisms are discussed.It is demonstrated that(Bi_(0.7)Sb_(0.3))_(2)Te_(3)nanoplates may provide a good platform for novel opto-spintronics devices.

Investigation of reflection anisotropy induced by micropipe defects on the surface of a 4H-SiC single crystal using scanning anisotropy microscopy

Optical reflection anisotropy microscopy mappings of micropipe defects on the surface of a 4H-SiC single crystal are studied by the scanning anisotropy microscopy(SAM)system.The reflection anisotropy(RA)image with a'butterfly pattern'is obtained around the micropipes by SAM.The RA image of the edge dislocations is theoretically simulated based on dislocation theory and the photoelastic principle.By comparing with the Raman spectrum,it is verified that the micropipes consist of edge dislocations.The different patterns of the RA images are due to the different orientations of the Burgers vectors.Besides,the strain distribution of the micropipes is also deduced.One can identify the dislocation type,the direction of the Burgers vector and the optical anisotropy from the RA image by using SAM.Therefore,SAM is an ideal tool to measure the optical anisotropy induced by the strain field around a defect.

Development of in situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy

Ex situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)have inherent limitations,such as being prone to sample contamination and unstable surfaces during sample transfer from the MBE chamber.In recent years,the need for improved accuracy and reliability in measurement has driven the increasing adoption of in situ characterization techniques.These techniques,such as reflection high-energy electron diffraction,scanning tunneling microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,allow direct observation of film growth processes in real time without exposing the sample to air,hence offering insights into the growth mechanisms of epitaxial films with controlled properties.By combining multiple in situ characterization techniques with MBE,researchers can better understand film growth processes,realizing novel materials with customized properties and extensive applications.This review aims to overview the benefits and achievements of in situ characterization techniques in MBE and their applications for material science research.In addition,through further analysis of these techniques regarding their challenges and potential solutions,particularly highlighting the assistance of machine learning to correlate in situ characterization with other material information,we hope to provide a guideline for future efforts in the development of novel monitoring and control schemes for MBE growth processes with improved material properties.

Recent progress and future prospect of novel multi-ion storage devices

Rechargeable batteries,especially lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),have made rapid development since the 21st century,greatly facilitating people's lives[1−6].Based on considerations of cost and existing problems(such as safety issues due to LIBs stacking strategy and unsatisfactory performance for various applications),researchers have explored alternative technologies to LIBs to meet the needs for wide application scenarios[5].Among them,multi-ion storage devices such as dual-ion batteries(DIBs)and metal-ion hybrid capacitors(MIHCs)are considered promising alternative energy storage devices of LIBs due to their unique multi-ion storage mechanism.In a multi-ion storage device,cations and anions carry charges back and forth between the electrolyte and the electrodes at the same time,unlike the rocking chair mechanism of LIBs[7].Generally,the anodes of DIBs and MIHCs work in a similar mechanism to LIBs,storing charge through redox reactions.The main difference among them is the mechanism of the cathodes during charging and discharging[8].In DIBs,the battery-type cathode stores anions through the Faraday reaction.

Mode characteristics of VCSELs with different shape and size oxidation apertures

Vertical cavity surface emitting laser(VCSELs)as the ideal light source for rubidium(Rb)and cesium(Cs)atomic clocks is analyzed for its mode and polarization control.We fabricated three kinds of shapes:triangular,elliptic,and circular oxidation apertures which also have different sizes.We formed three different shape oxide apertures by wetoxidation with 36μm-39μm circular mesa.Our results show that triangular oxidized-VCSEL has the advantages of mode and polarization selection over elliptic and circular oxide apertures.When triangular oxide-confined VCSELs emit in single mode,the measured side mode suppression ratio(SMSR)is larger than 20 d B and orthogonal polarization suppression ratio achieves 10 d B.Resonant blueshift of VCSELs with triangular and elliptic apertures is observed with the decrease of aperture size.

An in-depth understanding of photophysics in organic photocatalysts

The urgent need to replace conventional fossil fuels with clean energy has stimulated a large number of research efforts on photocatalytic hydrogen evolution[1−4].Alternatively,organic semiconductors with tunable light absorption,well-positioned band edges,and excellent charge separation are highly expected[5−8].Conventionally,a semiconductor material with a wide band gap has a larger exciton binding energy,while a semiconductor material with a narrow band gap has a smaller exciton binding energy[9].Since smaller exciton binding energies are favorable for exciton separation,choosing a semiconductor with a suitable bandgap seems to be the first step toward high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.The tunable light-harvesting ability determines the advantage and potential of organic semiconductors as photocatalysts.However,the insufficient external quantum efficiency(EQE)and the un-derlying photophysical mechanism remain restricting the orientation toward industrialization[10].

Overview of 3D Human Pose Estimation

3D human pose estimation is a major focus area in the field of computer vision,which plays an important role in practical applications.This article summarizes the framework and research progress related to the estimation of monocular RGB images and videos.An overall perspective ofmethods integrated with deep learning is introduced.Novel image-based and video-based inputs are proposed as the analysis framework.From this viewpoint,common problems are discussed.The diversity of human postures usually leads to problems such as occlusion and ambiguity,and the lack of training datasets often results in poor generalization ability of the model.Regression methods are crucial for solving such problems.Considering image-based input,the multi-view method is commonly used to solve occlusion problems.Here,the multi-view method is analyzed comprehensively.By referring to video-based input,the human prior knowledge of restricted motion is used to predict human postures.In addition,structural constraints are widely used as prior knowledge.Furthermore,weakly supervised learningmethods are studied and discussed for these two types of inputs to improve the model generalization ability.The problem of insufficient training datasets must also be considered,especially because 3D datasets are usually biased and limited.Finally,emerging and popular datasets and evaluation indicators are discussed.The characteristics of the datasets and the relationships of the indicators are explained and highlighted.Thus,this article can be useful and instructive for researchers who are lacking in experience and find this field confusing.In addition,by providing an overview of 3D human pose estimation,this article sorts and refines recent studies on 3D human pose estimation.It describes kernel problems and common useful methods,and discusses the scope for further research.

4‑Terminal Inorganic Perovskite/Organic Tandem Solar Cells Offer 22%Efficiency

After fast developing of single-junction perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells in the past 10 years,it is becoming harder and harder to improve their power conversion efficiencies.Tandem solar cells are receiving more and more attention because they have much higher theoretical efficiency than single-junction solar cells.Good device performance has been achieved for perovskite/silicon and perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells,including 2-terminal and 4-terminal structures.However,very few studies have been done about 4-terminal inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells.In this work,semi-transparent inorganic perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells are used to fabricate 4-terminal inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells,achieving a power conversion efficiency of 21.25%for the tandem cells with spin-coated perovskite layer.By using drop-coating instead of spin-coating to make the inorganic perovskite films,4-terminal tandem cells with an efficiency of 22.34%are made.The efficiency is higher than the reported 2-terminal and 4-terminal inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells.In addition,equivalent 2-terminal tandem solar cells were fabricated by connecting the sub-cells in series.The stability of organic solar cells under continuous illumination is improved by using semi-transparent perovskite solar cells as filter.

Study of quantum well mixing induced by impurity-free vacancy in the primary epitaxial wafers of a 915 nm semiconductor laser

Output power and reliability are the most important characteristic parameters of semiconductor lasers.However,catas-trophic optical damage(COD),which usually occurs on the cavity surface,will seriously damage the further improvement of the output power and affect the reliability.To improve the anti-optical disaster ability of the cavity surface,a non-absorption window(NAW)is adopted for the 915 nm InGaAsP/GaAsP single-quantum well semiconductor laser using quantum well mix-ing(QWI)induced by impurity-free vacancy.Both the principle and the process of point defect diffusion are described in detail in this paper.We also studied the effects of annealing temperature,annealing time,and the thickness of SiO_(2) film on the quan-tum well mixing in a semiconductor laser with a primary epitaxial structure,which is distinct from the previous structures.We found that when compared with the complete epitaxial structure,the blue shift of the semiconductor laser with the primary epi-taxial structure is larger under the same conditions.To obtain the appropriate blue shift window,the primary epitaxial struc-ture can use a lower annealing temperature and shorter annealing time.In addition,the process is less expensive.We also pro-vide references for upcoming device fabrication.

Investigation of Ga_(2)O_(3)/diamond heterostructure solar-blind avalanche photodiode via TCAD simulation

A Ga_(2)O_(3)/diamond separate absorption and multiplication avalanche photodiode(SAM-APD)with mesa structure has been proposed and simulated.The simulation is based on an optimized Ga_(2)O_(3)/diamond heterostructure TCAD physical model,which is revised by repeated comparison with the experimental data from the literature.Since both Ga_(2)O_(3)and diamond are ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor materials,the Ga_(2)O_(3)/diamond SAM-APD shows good solar-blind detection ability,and the corresponding cutoff wavelength is about 263 nm.The doping distribution and the electric field distribution of the SAM-APD are discussed,and the simulation results show that the gain of the designed device can reach 5×10^(4)and the peak responsivity can reach a value as high as 78 A/W.

On the origin of carrier localization in AlInAsSb digital alloy

We compared the photoluminescence(PL)properties of Al In As Sb digital alloy samples with different periods grown on Ga Sb(001)substrates by molecular beam epitaxy.Temperature-dependent S-shape behavior is observed and explained using a thermally activated redistribution model within a Gaussian distribution of localized states.There are two different mechanisms for the origin of the PL intensity quenching for the Al In As Sb digital alloy.The high-temperature activation energy E_(1)is positively correlated with the interface thickness,whereas the low-temperature activation energy E_(2)is negatively correlated with the interface thickness.A quantitative high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM)study shows that the interface quality improves as the interface thickness increases.Our results confirm that E_(1)comes from carrier trapping at a state in the In Sb interface layer,while E_(2)originates from the exciton binding energy due to the roughness of the Al As interface layer.

Influence of Frohlich Interaction on Intersubband Transitions of InGaAs/InAlAs-Based Quantum Cascade Detector Structures Investigated by Infrared Modulated Photoluminescence

We demonstrate the use of an infrared modulated photoluminescence(PL)method based on a step-scan Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer to analyze intersubband transition(ISBT)of InGaAs/InAlAs quantum cascade detector(QCD)structures.By configuring oblique and parallel excitation geometries,high signal-to-noise ratio PL spectra in near-to-far-infrared region are measured.With support from numerical calculations based on the k·p perturbation theory,the spectra is attributed to intraband and interband transitions of InGaAs/InAlAs QCD structures.Temperature evolution results show that the k-dependent transitions caused by longitudinal optical phonon-assisted scattering(Frohlich interaction)plays an important role in the ISBT.These results suggest that this infrared modulated-PL method has great potential in characterizing QCD devices and conducting performance diagnostics.

Exploration of high-speed 3.0 THz imaging with a 65 nm CMOS process

This paper describes a promising route for the exploration and development of 3.0 THz sensing and imaging with FET-based power detectors in a standard 65 nm CMOS process.Based on the plasma-wave theory proposed by Dyakonov and Shur,we designed high-responsivity and low-noise multiple detectors for monitoring a pulse-mode 3.0 THz quantum cascade laser(QCL).Furthermore,we present a fully integrated high-speed 32×32-pixel 3.0 THz CMOS image sensor(CIS).The full CIS measures 2.81×5.39 mm^(2) and achieves a 423 V/W responsivity(Rv)and a 5.3 nW integral noise equivalent power(NEP)at room temperature.In experiments,we demonstrate a testing speed reaching 319 fps under continuous-wave(CW)illumina-tion of a 3.0 THz QCL.The results indicate that our terahertz CIS has excellent potential in cost-effective and commercial THz imaging and material detection.

A new DRIE cut-off material in SOG MEMS process

The silicon on glasses process is a common preparation method of micro-electro-mechanical system inertial devices,which can realize the processing of thick silicon structures.This paper proposes that indium tin oxides(ITO)film can serve as a deep silicon etching cut-off layer because ITO is less damaged under the attack of fluoride ions.ITO has good electrical conductivity and can absorb fluoride ions for silicon etching and reduce the reflection of fluoride ions,thus reducing the foot effect.The removal and release of ITO use an acidic solution,which does not damage the silicon structure.Therefore,the selection of the sacrificial layer has an excellent effect in maintaining the shape of the MEMS structure.This method is used in the preparation of MEMS accelerometers with a structure thickness of 100μm and a feature size of 4μm.The over-etching of the bottom of the silicon structure caused by the foot effect is negligible.The difference between the simulated value and the designed value of the device characteristic frequency is less than 5%.This indicates that ITO is an excellent deep silicon etch stopper material.

Local density of optical states calculated by the mode spectrum in stratified media

The local density of optical states(LDOS)is an important physical concept,which can characterize the spontaneous emission of microcavities.In order to calculate the LDOS,the relationship between the mode spectrum and the LDOS is established.Then,based on the transfer matrix method and the effective resonator model,the leaky loss of the leaky mode and the mode spectrum in the one-dimensional photonic bandgap crystal waveguide are calculated,results of which indicate that the mode spectrum can characterize the leaky loss of the leaky mode.At last,the density of optical states(DOS),and the LDOS in each layer are calculated.The partial DOS and the partial LDOS in the quantum well,related to the fundamental leaky mode,can be used to find out the optimal location of the quantum well in the defect layer to couple more useful photons into the lasing mode for lasers.

Lower bound on the spread of valley splitting in Si/SiGe quantum wells induced by atomic rearrangement at the interface

The achievement of universal quantum computing critically relies on scalability.However,ensuring the necessary uniformity for scalable silicon electron spin qubits poses a significant challenge due to the considerable fluctuations in valley splitting energy(E_(VS))across quantum dot arrays,which impede the initialization of qubit systems comprising multiple spins and give rise to spin–valley entanglement resulting in the loss of spin information.These E_(VS)fluctuations have been attributed to variations in the in-plane averaged alloy concentration along the confinement direction of Si/SiGe quantum wells.In this study,employing atomistic pseudopotential calculations,we unveil a significant spectrum of E_(VS)even in the absence of such concentration fluctuations.This spectrum represents the lower limit of the wide range of E_(VS)observed in numerous Si/SiGe quantum devices.By constructing simplified interface atomic step models,we analytically demonstrate that the lower bound of the E_(VS)spread originates from the in-plane random distribution of Si and Ge atoms within SiGe barriers——an inherent characteristic that has been previously overlooked.Additionally,we propose an interface engineering approach to mitigate the in-plane randomness-induced fluctuations in E_(VS)by inserting a few monolayers of pure Ge barrier at the Si/SiGe interface.Our findings provide valuable insights into the critical role of in-plane randomness in determining E_(VS)in Si/SiGe quantum devices and offer reliable methods to enhance the feasibility of scalable Si-based spin qubits.

Structural Characterization of Carbon-implanted GaSb

Ion implantation induced damage in GaSb and its removal by rapid thermal annealing(RTA)have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy.The evolution of the Raman modes as a function of implantation fluence,annealing temperature and time has been analyzed.Results indicate that a lattice quality that is close to as-grown GaSb has been obtained by annealing the implanted samples at 500℃for 45 s.However,consequent surface analyses by scanning electron microscope(SEM)and atomic force microscope(AFM)show that a heavily perturbed layer contains voids due to the outdifiusion of Sb atoms on the surface remains.Mechanism of the damage recovery and the structure of the implanted layer are discussed based on the experimental results.

Review of phonons in moiré superlattices

Moirépatterns in physics are interference fringes produced when a periodic template is stacked on another similar one with different displacement and twist angles.The phonon in two-dimensional(2D)material affected by moirépatterns in the lattice shows various novel physical phenomena,such as frequency shift,different linewidth,and mediation to the superconductivity.This review gives a brief overview of phonons in 2D moirésuperlattice.First,we introduce the theory of the moiréphonon modes based on a continuum approach using the elastic theory and discuss the effect of the moirépattern on phonons in 2D materials such as graphene and MoS_(2).Then,we discuss the electron-phonon coupling(EPC)modulated by moirépatterns,which can be detected by the spectroscopy methods.Furthermore,the phonon-mediated unconventional superconductivity in 2D moirésuperlattice is introduced.The theory of phonon-mediated superconductivity in moirésuperlattice sets up a general framework,which promises to predict the response of superconductivity to various perturbations,such as disorder,magnetic field,and electric displacement field.