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Topological phenomena known from solid state physics have been transferred to a variety of other classical and quantum systems. Due to the equivalence of the Hamiltonian matrix describing tight binding models and the grounded circuit Laplacian describing an electrical circuit we can investigate such phenomena in circuits. By implementing different Hermitian topological models general suggestions on designing those types of circuit are worked out with the aim of minimizing unwanted coupling effects and parasitic admittances in the circuit. Here the existence and the spatial profile of topological states as well as the band structure of the model can be determined.
Due to the complex nature of electric admittance the investigations can be directly expanded to systems with broken Hermiticity. The particular advantages of the experimental investigation of non-exclusively topological phenomena by means of electric circuits come to light in the realization of non-Hermitian and non-linear models. Here we find limitation of the Hermitian bulk-boundary correspondence principle, purely real eigenvalues in non-Hermitian PT-symmetrical systems and edge localization of all eigenstates in non-Hermitian and non-reciprocal systems, which in literature is termed the non-Hermitian skin effect.
When systems obeying non-linear equations are studied, the grounded circuit Laplacian based on the Fourier-transform cannot be applied anymore. By combination of the connectivity of a topological system together with non-linear van der Pol oscillators self-activated and self-sustained topological edge oscillations can be found. These robust high frequency sinusoidal edge oscillations differ significantly from low frequency relaxation oscillations, which can be found in the bulk of the system.
This work presents a newly developed method for the epitaxial growth of the half-Heusler antiferromagnet CuMnSb. All necessary process steps, from buffer growth to the deposition of a protective layer, are presented in detail. Using structural, electrical, and magnetic characterization, the material parameters of the epitaxial CuMnSb layers are investigated.
The successful growth of CuMnSb by molecular beam epitaxy is demonstrated on InAs (001), GaSb (001), and InP (001) substrates. While CuMnSb can be grown pseudomorphically on InAs and GaSb, the significant lattice mismatch for growth on InP leads to relaxation already at low film thicknesses. Due to the lower conductivity of GaSb compared to InAs, GaSb substrates are particularly suitable for the fabrication of CuMnSb layers for lateral electrical transport experiments. However, by growing a high-resistive ZnTe interlayer below the CuMnSb layer, lateral transport experiments on CuMnSb layers grown on InAs can also be realized. Protective layers of Ru and Al2O3 have proven to be suitable for protecting the CuMnSb layers from the environment.
Structural characterization by high resolution X-ray diffraction (full width at half maximum of 7.7 ′′ of the rocking curve) and atomic force microscopy (root mean square surface roughness of 0.14 nm) reveals an outstanding crystal quality of the epitaxial CuMnSb layers. The half-Heusler crystal structure is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy and the stoichiometric material composition by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. In line with the high crystal quality, a new minimum value of the residual resistance of CuMnSb (𝜌0 = 35 μΩ ⋅ cm) could be measured utilizing basic electrical transport experiments.
An elaborate study of epitaxial CuMnSb grown on GaSb reveals a dependence of the vertical lattice parameter on the Mn/Sb flux ratio. This characteristic enables the growth of tensile, unstrained, and compressive strained CuMnSb layers on a single substrate material. Additionally, it is shown that the Néel temperature has a maximum of 62 K at stoichiometric material composition and thus can be utilized as a selection tool for stoichiometric CuMnSb samples. Mn-related defects are believed to be the driving force for these observations.
The magnetic characterization of the epitaxial CuMnSb films is performed by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. Magnetic behavior comparable to the bulk material is found, however, an additional complex magnetic phase appears in thin CuMnSb films and/or at low magnetic fields, which has not been previously reported for CuMnSb. This magnetic phase is believed to be localized at the CuMnSb surface and exhibits both superparamagnetic and spin-glass-like behavior. The exchange bias effect of CuMnSb is investigated in combination with different in- and out-of-plane ferromagnets. It is shown that the exchange bias effect can only be observed in combination with in-plane ferromagnets.
Finally, the first attempts at the growth of fully epitaxial CuMnSb/NiMnSb heterostructures are presented. Both magnetic and structural studies by secondary-ion mass spectrometry indicate the interdiffusion of Cu and Ni atoms between the two half-Heusler layers, however, an exchange bias effect can be observed for the CuMnSb/NiMnSb heterostructures. Whether this exchange bias effect originates from exchange interaction between the CuMnSb and NiMnSb layers, or from ferromagnetic inclusions in the antiferromagnetic layer can not be conclusively identified.
The fact that photovoltaics is a key technology for climate-neutral energy production can be taken as a given. The question to what extent perovskite will be used for photovoltaic technologies has not yet been fully answered. From a photophysical point of view, however, it has the potential to make a useful contribution to the energy sector. However, it remains to be seen whether perovskite-based modules will be able to compete with established technologies in terms of durability and cost efficiency. The additional aspect of ionic migration poses an additional challenge. In the present work, primarily the interaction between ionic redistribution, capacitive properties and recombination dynamics was investigated. This was done using impedance spectroscopy, OCVD and IV characteristics as well as extensive numerical drift-diffusion simulations. The combination of experimental and numerical methods proved to be very fruitful. A suitable model for the description of solar cells with respect to mobile ions was introduced in chapter 4.4. The formal mathematical description of the model was transferred by a non-dimensionalization and suitable numerically solvable form. The implementation took place in the Julia language. By intelligent use of structural properties of the sparse systems of equations, automatic differentiation and the use of efficient integration methods, the simulation tool is not only remarkably fast in finding the solution, but also scales quasi-linearly with the grid resolution. The software package was released under an open source license. In conventional semiconductor diodes, capacitance measurements are often used to determine the space charge density. In the first experimental chapter 5, it is shown that although this is also possible for the ionic migration present in perovskites, it cannot be directly understood as doping related, since the space charge distribution strongly depends on the preconditions and can be manipulated by an externally applied voltage. The exact form of this behavior depends on the perovskite composition. This shows, among other things, that experimental results can only be interpreted within the framework of conventional semiconductors to a very limited extent. Nevertheless, the built-in 99 potential of the solar cell can be determined if the experiments are carried out properly. A statement concerning the type and charge of the mobile ions is not possible without further effort, while their number can be determined. The simulations were applied to experimental data in chapter 6. Thus, it could be shown that mobile ions make a significant contribution to the OCVD of perovskite solar cells. j-V characteristics and OCVD transients measured as a function of temperature and illumination intensities could be quantitatively modeled simultaneously using a single global set of parameters. By the simulations it was further possible to derive a simple experimental procedure to determine the concentration and the diffusivity of the mobile ions. The possibility of describing different experiments in a uniform temperaturedependent manner strongly supports the model of mobile ions in perovskites. In summary, this work has made an important contribution to the elucidation of ionic contributions to the (photo)electrical properties of perovskite solar cells. Established experimental techniques for conventional semiconductors have been reinterpreted with respect to ionic mass transport and new methods have been proposed to draw conclusions on the properties for ionic transport. As a result, the published simulation tools can be used for a number of further studies.
Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Entwicklung neuer, robuster Methoden der Spin-Lock-basierten MRT. Im Fokus stand hierbei vorerst die T1ρ-Quantifizierung des Myokards im Kleintiermodell. Neben der T1ρ-Bildgebung bietet Spin-Locking jedoch zusätzlich die Möglichkeit der Detektion ultra-schwacher, magnetischer Feldoszillationen. Die Projekte und Ergebnisse, die im Rahmen dieses Promotionsvorhabens umgesetzt und erzielt wurden, decken daher ein breites Spektrum der Spin-lock basierten Bildgebung ab und können grob in drei Bereiche unterteilt werden. Im ersten Schritt wurde die grundlegende Pulssequenz des Spin-Lock-Experimentes durch die Einführung des balancierten Spin-Locks optimiert. Der zweite Schritt war die Entwicklung einer kardialen MRT-Sequenz für die robuste Quantifizierung der myokardialen T1ρ-Relaxationszeit an einem präklinischen Hochfeld-MRT. Im letzten Schritt wurden Konzepte der robusten T1ρ-Bildgebung auf die Methodik der Felddetektion mittels Spin-Locking übertragen. Hierbei wurden erste, erfolgreiche Messungen magnetischer Oszillationen im nT-Bereich, welche lokal im untersuchten Gewebe auftreten, an einem klinischen MRT-System im menschlichen Gehirn realisiert.
This PhD thesis addresses the photophysics of selected small organic molecules with the purpose of using them for efficient and even novel light sources. In particular, the studies presented focused on revealing the underlying exciton dynamics and determining the transition rates between different molecular states. It was shown how the specific properties and mechanisms of light emission in fluorescent molecules, molecules with phosphorescence or thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), biradicals, and multichromophores can be utilized to build novel light-emitting devices. The main tool employed here was the analysis of the emitters’ photon statistics, i.e. the analysis of the temporal distribution of emitted photons, during electrical or optical excitation. In the introduction of this work, the working principle of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) was introduced, while Chapter 2 provided the physical background of the relevant properties of organic molecules and their interaction with light. In particular, the occurrence of discrete energy levels in organic semiconductors and the process of spontaneous light emission were discussed. Furthermore, in this chapter a mathematical formalism was elaborated with the goal to find out what kind of information about the studied molecule can be obtained by analyzing its photon statistics. It was deduced that the intensity correlation function g (2)(t) contains information about the first two factorial moments of the photon statistics and that higher order factorial moments do not contain any additional information about the system under study if the system is always in the same state after the emission of a photon. To conclude the introductory part, Chapter 3 introduced the utilized characterization methods including confocal microscopy of single molecules, time correlated single photon counting and temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements. To provide the background necessary for an understanding of for the following result chapters, in Section 4.1 a closer look was taken at the phenomenon of blinking and photobleaching of individual molecules. For a squaraine-based fluorescent emitter rapid switching between a bright and dark state was observed during photoexcitation. Using literature transition rates between the molecular states, a consistent model was developed that is able to explain the distribution of the residence times of the molecule in the bright and dark states. In particular, an exponential and a power-law probability distribution was measured for the time the molecule resides in tis bright and dark state, respectively. This behavior as well as the change in photoluminescence intensity between the two states was conclusively explained by diffusion of residual oxygen within the sample, which had been prepared in a nitrogen-filled glovebox. For subsequent samples of this work, thin strips of atomic aluminum were deposited on the matrices to serve as oxygen getter material. This not only suppressed the efficiency of photobleaching, but also noticeably prolonged the time prior to photobleaching, which made many of the following investigations possible in the first place. For emitters used in displays, emission properties such as narrow-band luminescence and short fluorescence lifetimes are desired. These properties can be influenced not only by the emitter molecule itself, but also by the interaction with the chosen environment. Therefore, before focusing on the photophysics of individual small organic molecules, Section 4.2 highlighted the interaction of a perylene bisimide-based molecular species with its local environment in a disordered polymethyl methacrylate matrix. In a statistical approach, individual photophysical properties were measured for 32 single molecules and correlations in the variation of the properties were analyzed. This revealed how the local polarity of the molecules’ environment influences their photophysics. In particular, it was shown how an increase in local polarity leads to a red-shifted emission, narrower emission lines, broader vibronic splitting between different emission lines in combination with a smaller Huang-Rhys parameter, and a longer fluorescence lifetime. In the future, these results may help to embed individual chromophores into larger macromolecules to provide the chromophore with the optimal local environment to exhibit the desired emission properties. The next two sections focused on a novel and promising class of chromophores, namely linear coordinated copper complexes, synthesized in the group of Dr. Andreas Steffen at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Würzburg. In copper atoms, the d-orbitals are fully occupied, which prevents undesirable metal-centered d-d⋆ states, which tend to lie low in energy and recombine non-radiatively. Simultaneously, the copper atom provides a flexible coordination geometry, while complexes in their linear form are expected to exhibit the least amount of excited state distortions. Depending on the chosen ligands, these copper complexes can exhibit phosphorescence as well as temperature activated delayed fluorescence. In Section 4.3, a phosphorescent copper complex with a chlorine atom and a 1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-2-pyrrolidine-ylidene- ligand was tested for its suitability as an optically active material in an OLED. For this purpose, an OLED with a polyspirobifluorene-based copolymer matrix and the dopant at a concentration of 20 wt% was electrically excited. Deconvolution of the emission spectrum in contributions from the matrix and the dopant revealed that 60 % of the OLEDs emission was due to the copper complex. It was also shown that the shape of the emission spectrum of the copper complex remains unchanged upon incorporation into the OLED, but is red-shifted by about 233 meV. In Section 4.4, a second copper complex exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence was analyzed. This complex comprised a carbazolate as well as a 2-(2,6- diisopropyl)-phenyl-1,1-diphenyl-isoindol-2-ium-3-ide ligand and was examined in the solid state and at the single-molecule level, where single photon emission was recorded up to an intensity of 78’000 counts per second. The evaluation of the second-order autocorrelation function of the emitted light proved an efficient transition between singlet and triplet excited states on the picosecond time scale. In the solid state, the temperature- dependent fluorescence decay of the complex was analyzed after pulsed photoexcitation in the temperature range between 300 K and 5 K. From these measurements, a small singlet-triplet energy gap of only 65 meV and a triplet sublevel splitting of 3.0 meV were derived. The transition rates between molecular states could also be determined. Here, the fast singlet decay time of τS1 = 9.8ns proved the efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence process, which was demonstrated for the first time for this new class of copper(I) complexes thus. While the use of thermally activated delayed fluorescence is a potential way to harness otherwise long-living dark triplet states, radicals completely avoid dark triplet states. However, this usually comes with the huge drawback of the molecules being chemically unstable. Therefore, two chemically stable biradical species were synthesized in the framework of the DFG research training school GRK 2112 on Molecular biradicals: structure, properties and reactivity, by Yohei Hattori in the group of Prof. Dr. Christoph Lambert and Rodger Rausch in the group of Prof. Dr. Frank Würthner at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Würzburg, respectively. In Section 4.5, it was investigated how these molecules can be used in OLEDs. In the first isoindigo based biradical (6,6’-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-phenoxyl)-1,1’-bis(2- ethylhexyl)-[3,3’-biindolinyl-idene]-2,2’-dione) two tert-butyl moieties kinetically block chemical reactions at the place of the lone electrons and an electron-withdrawing core shifts the electron density into the center of the chromophore. With these properties, it was possible to realize a poly(p-phenylene vinylene) copolymer based OLED doped with the biradical and to observe luminescence during optical as well as electrical excitation. Analyzing shapes of the photo- and electroluminescence spectra at different doping concentrations, Förster resonance energy transfer was determined to be the dominant transition mechanism for excitons from the matrix to the biradical dopants. Likewise, OLEDs could be realized with the second diphenylmethylpyridine based birad- ical (4-(5-(bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl)-4,6-dichloropyridin-2-yl)-N-(4-(5-(bis(2,4,6- -trichlorophenyl)methyl)-4,6-dichloropyridin-2-yl)phenyl)-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline) as dopant. In this biradical, chlorinated diphenylmethyl groups protect the two unpaired electrons. Photo- and electroluminescence spectra showed an emission in the near in- frared spectral range between 750 nm and 1000 nm. Also, Förster resonance energy trans- fer was the dominant energy transfer mechanism with an transfer efficiency close to 100 % even at doping concentrations of only 5 wt%. In addition to demonstrating the working OLEDs based in biradicals, the detection of luminescence of the two biradical species in devices also constitutes an important step toward making use of experimental techniques such as optically detected electron spin resonance, which could provide information about the electronic states of the emitter and their spin manifold during OLED operation. Another class of emitters studied are molecules in which several chromophores are co- valently linked to form a macrocyclic system. The properties of these multichromophores were highlighted in Section 4.6. Here, it was analyzed how the photophysical behavior of the molecules is affected by the covalent linking, which determines the interaction be- tween the chromophores. The first multichromophore, 2,2’-ditetracene, was synthesized by Lena Ross in the group of Prof. Dr. Anke Krüger at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Würzburg and was analyzed in this work both at the single-molecule level and in its aggregated crystalline form. While the single crystals were purified and grown in a vertical sublimation oven, the samples for the single molecule studies were prepared in matrices of amorphous polymethyl methacrylate and crystalline anthracene. Tetracene was analyzed concurrently to evaluate the effects of covalent linking. In samples where the distance between two molecules is sufficiently large, tetracene and 2,2’-ditracene show matching emission profiles with the only difference in the Franck-Condon factors and a de- creased photoluminescence decay time constant from 14 ns for tetracene to 5 ns for 2,2’- ditracene, which can be attributed to the increased density of the vibrational modes in 2,2’-ditracene. Evaluation of the photon statistics of individual 2,2’-ditracene molecules however showed that the system does not behave as two individual chromophores but as a collective state, preserving the spectral properties of the two tetracene chromophores. Complementary calculations performed by Marian Deutsch in the group of Prof. Dr. Bernd Engels at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Würzburg helped to understand the processes in the materials and could show that the electronic and vibronic modes of 2,2’-ditracene are superpositions of the modes occurring in tetracene. In contrast, single-crystalline 2,2’-ditetracene behaves significantly different than tetracene, namely exhibiting a red shift in photoluminescence of 150 meV, caused by an altered crys- talline packing that lowers the S1-state energy level. Temperature-dependent photolu- minescence measurements revealed a rich emission pattern from 2,2’-ditetracene single crystals. The mechanisms behind this were unraveled using photoluminescence lifetime density analysis in different spectral regions of the emission spectrum and at different tem- peratures. An excimer state was identified that is located about 5 meV below the S1-state, separated by a 1 meV barrier, and which can decay to the ground state with a time constant of 9 ns. Also, as the S1-state energy level is lowered below the E(S1) ≥ 2 ×E(T1) threshold, singlet fission is suppressed in 2,2’-ditetracene in contrast to tetracene. Therefore, at low temperatures, photoluminescence is enhanced by a factor of 46, which could make 2,2’- ditetracene a useful material for future applications in devices such as OLEDs or lasers. The second multichromophore species, para-xylylene bridged perylene bisimide macrocycles, were synthesized by Peter Spenst in the group of Prof. Dr. Frank Würthner at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Würzburg, by linking three and four perylene bisimides, respectively. To reveal the exciton dynamics in these macrocycles, highly diluted monomers as well as trimers and tetramers were doped into matrices of polymethyl methacrylate to create thin films in which individual macrocycles could be analyzed. The emission spectra of the macrocycles remained identical to those of the monomers, indicating weak coupling between the chromophores. Single photon emission could be verified for monomers as well as macrocycles, as exciton-exciton annihilation processes suppress the simultaneous emission of two photons from one macrocycle. Nevertheless, the proof of the occurrence of a doubly excited state was obtained by excitation power dependent photon statistics measurements. The formalism developed in the theory part of this thesis for calculating the photon statistics of multichromophore systems was used here to find a theoretical model that matches the experimental results. The main features of this model are a doubly excited state, fast singlet-singlet annihilation, and an efficient transition from the doubly excited state to a dark triplet state. The occurrence of triplet-triplet annihilation was demonstrated in a subsequent experiment in which the macrocycles were excited at a laser intensity well above the saturation intensity of the monomer species. In contrast to the monomers, the trimers and tetramers exhibited neither a complete dark state nor saturation of photoluminescence. Both processes, efficient singlet-singlet and triplet-triplet annihilation make perylene bisimide macrocycles exceptionally bright single photon emitters. These advantages were utilized to realize a room temperature electrically driven fluorescent single photon source. For this purpose, OLEDs were fabricated using polyvinylcarbazole and 2-tert-butylphenyl-5-biphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol blends as a host material for perylene bisimide trimers. Photon antibunching could be observed in both optically and electrically driven devices, representing the first demonstration of electrically driven single photon sources using fluorescent emitters at room temperature. As expected from the previous optical experiments, the electroluminescence of the molecules was exceptionally bright, emitting about 105 photons per second, which could be seen even by eye under the microscope. Finally, in the last section 4.7 of this thesis, two additional measurement schemes were proposed as an alternative to the measurement of the second-order correlation function g (2)(t) of single molecules, which only provides information about the first two factorial moments of the molecules’ photon statistics. In the first scheme, the g (3)(t) function was measured with three photodiodes, which is a consequential extension of the Hanbury Brown and Twiss measurement with two photodiodes. It was demonstrated how measuring the g (3)(t) function is able to identify interfering emitters with non-Poisson statistics in the experiment. The second setup was designed with an electro-optic modulator that repeatedly gen- erates photoexcitation in the form of a step function. The recording of luminescence transients for different excitation intensities yields the same results as the correspond- ing g (2)-functions measured on single emitters, both in their shape and in their depen- dence on excitation power. To demonstrate this concept, the TADF emitter TXO-TPA (2- [4-(diphenylamino)phenyl]-10,10-dioxide-9H-thioxanthen-9-one) was doped at a concen- tration of 10−4 wt% in a mCP (1,3-Bis(N-carbazolyl)benzene) matrix. This concentration was low enough that TXO-TPA molecules did not interact with each other, but an ensem- ble of molecules was still present in the detection volume. The intramolecular transition rates between singlet and triplet states of TXO-TPA could be derived with an error of at most 5 %. Other experimental techniques designed to obtain this information require ei- ther lengthy measurements on single molecules, where sample preparation is also often a challenge, or temperature-dependent fluorescence lifetime measurements, which require a cryostat, which in turn places constraints on the sample design used. In future, this ap- proach could establish a powerful method to study external factors influencing molecular transition rates. Overall, this thesis has introduced new molecular materials, revealed their photophys- ical properties, and demonstrated how they can be used to fabricate efficient and even novel light sources.
Magnetic systems underlie the physics of quantum mechanics when reaching the limit of few or even single atoms. This behavior limits the minimum size of magnetic bits in data storage devices as spontaneous switching of the magnetization leads to the loss of information. On the other hand, exactly these quantum mechanic properties allow to use such systems in quantum computers. Proposals to realize qubits involve the spin states of single atoms as well as topologically protected Majorana zero modes, that emerge in coupled systems of magnetic atoms in proximity to a superconductor. In order to implement and control the proposed applications, a detailed understanding of atomic spins and their interaction with the environment is required.
In this thesis, two different systems of magnetic adatoms coupled to metallic and superconducting surfaces are studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy: Co atoms on the clean Cu(111) were among the first systems exhibiting signatures of the Kondo effect in an individual atom. Yet, a recent theoretical work proposed an alternative interpretation of these early experimental results, involving a newly described many-body state. Spin-averaged and -polarized experiments in high magnetic fields presented in this thesis confirm effects beyond the Kondo effect that determine the physics in these Co atoms and suggest a potentially even richer phenomenology than proposed by theory.
The second studied system are single and coupled Fe atoms on the superconducting Nb(110) surface. Magnetic impurities on superconducting surfaces locally induce Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states inside the superconducting gap due to their pair breaking potential. Coupled systems of such impurities exhibit YSR bands and, if the bands cross the Fermi level such that the band structure is inverted, host Majorana zero modes. Using the example of Fe atoms on Nb(110), the YSR states’ dependence on the adatom–substrate interaction as well as the interatomic YSR state coupling is investigated. In the presence of oxygen on the Nb surface, the adatom–substrate interaction is shown to be heavily modified and the YSR states are found to undergo a quantum phase transition, which can be directly linked to a modified Kondo screening.
STM tips functionalized with CO molecules allow to resolve self-assembled one-dimensional chains of Fe atoms on the clean Nb(110) surface to study the YSR states’ coupling. Mapping out the states’ wave functions reveals their symmetry, which is shown to alter as a function of the states’ energy and number of atoms in the chain. These experimental results are reproduced in a simple tight-binding model, demonstrating a straightforward possibility to describe also more complex YSR systems toward engineered, potentially topologically non-trivial states.
Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der Weiterentwicklung und Charakterisierung des XRM-II nanoCT Systems, sowie dessen Möglichkeiten zur Materialtrennung und Elementbestimmung in der nano-Computertomographie. Beim XRM-II nanoCT System handelt es sich um ein Röntgenmikroskop, welches in ein Rasterelektronenmikroskop integriert ist, und auf dem Prinzip der geometrischen Vergrößerung basiert. Neben zweidimensionalen Durchstrahlungsbildern ist dieses Mikroskop auch zur dreidimensionalen Bildgebung mittels Computertomographie fähig.
Der Ausgangspunkt für die Weiterentwicklung ist das XRM-II, mit welchem bereits Computertomographien im Nanometerbereich möglich waren. Deren Aufnahmedauer liegt zwischen 14 und 21 Tagen, was das System trotz seiner hohen Auflösung wenig praktikabel macht. Durch eine Anpassung der Blendeneinstellungen am Rasterelektronenmikroskop konnte der Strahlstrom um den Faktor 40 erhöht und damit die Aufnahmedauer auf 24 Stunden reduziert werden, wobei weiterhin eine zweidimensionale Auflösung von \(167 \pm 9\) nm erreicht wird. Durch die Trennung von Objekt- und Targetmanipulator lassen sich beide unabhängig und genauer bewegen, wodurch es möglich ist selbst 50 nm große Strukturen abzubilden.
Die Charakterisierung erfolgt sowohl für das komplette System als auch getrennt in die entscheidenden Komponenten wie Target und Detektor. Für das Röntgentarget werden Monte-Carlo Simulationen zur Brennfleckgröße, welche entscheidend für die erreichbare Auflösung ist, durchgeführt und mit Auflösungstests verglichen. Der Röntgendetektor wird hinsichtlich seiner spektralen Auflösung überprüft, welche hauptsächlich vom Charge Sharing Effekt beeinflusst wird. Die Charakterisierung des Gesamtsystems erfolgt durch den Vergleich mit einer höher auflösenden Bildgebungsmethode, der FIB Tomographie. Hierbei wird die gleiche Probe, ein Bruchstück einer CPU, mit beiden Methoden unter der Voraussetzung einer ähnlichen Aufnahmezeit (24 h) untersucht. In der nano-CT kann ein 12 mal größeres Volumen analysiert werden, was jedoch eine geringere räumliche Auflösung als die FIB Tomographie mit sich bringt.
Da die spektrale Auflösung des Detektors aufgrund des Charge Sharing begrenzt ist, lassen sich nur Materialien mit einem großen Unterschied in der Ordnungszahl mittels der Energieschwellen des Detektors trennen. Jedoch kann in Verbindung mit der geeigneten Wahl des Targetmaterials der Absorptionskontrast für leichte Materialien, wie beispielsweise \(SiO_2\) verbessert werden. Darüber hinaus ist es am XRM-II nanoCT möglich, durch das integrierte EDX-System, Elemente in der Computertomographie zu identifizieren. Dies wird anhand eines Drei-Wegekatalysators und eines NCA-Partikel gezeigt.
A plethora of novel material concepts are currently being investigated in the condensed matter research community. Some of them hold promise to shape our everyday world in a way that silicon-based semiconductor materials and the related development of semiconductor devices have done in the past. In this regard, the last decades have witnessed an explosion of studies concerned with so called ‘’quantum materials’’ with emerging novel functionalities. These could eventually lead to new generations of electronic and/or spintronic devices. One particular material class, the so called topological materials, play a central role. As far as their technological applicability is concerned, however, they are still facing outstanding challenges to date.
Predicted for the first time in 2005 and experimentally verified in 2007, two-dimensional topological insulators (2D TIs) (a.k.a. quantum spin Hall insulators) exhibit the outstanding property of hosting spin-polarized metallic states along the boundaries of the insulating 2D bulk material, which are protected from elastic single-particle backscattering and give rise to the quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE). Owing to these peculiar properties the QSHE holds promise for dissipationless charge and/or spin transport. However, also in today’s best 2D TIs the observation of the QSHE is still limited to cryogenic temperatures of maximum 100 K. Here, the discovery of bismuthene on SiC(0001) has marked a milestone towards a possible realization of the QSHE at or beyond room-temperature owing to the massively increased electronic bulk energy gap on the order of 1 eV. This thesis is devoted to and motivated by the goal of advancing its synthesis and to build a deeper understanding of its one-particle and two-particle electronic properties that goes beyond prior work.
Regarding the aspect of material synthesis, an improved growth procedure for bismuthene is elaborated that increases the domain size of the material considerably (by a factor of ≈ 3.2 - 6.5 compared to prior work). The improved film quality is an important step towards any future device application of bismuthene, but also facilitates all further basic studies of this material.
Moreover, the deposition of magnetic transition metals (Mn and Co) on bismuthene is investigated. Thereby, the formation of ordered magnetic Bi-Mn/Co alloys is realized, their structure is resolved with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and their pristine electronic properties are resolved with scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and photoemission spectroscopy (PES). It is proposed that these ordered magnetic Bi-Mn/Co-alloys offer the potential to study the interplay between magnetism and topology in bismuthene in the future.
In this thesis, a wide variety of spectroscopic techniques are employed that aim to build an understanding of the single-particle, as well as two-particle level of description of bismuthene's electronic structure. The techniques involve STS and angle-resolved PES (ARPES) on the one hand, but also optical spectroscopy and time-resolved ARPES (trARPES), on the other hand. Moreover, these experiments are accompanied by advanced numerical modelling in form of GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation calculations provided by our theoretical colleagues. Notably, by merging many experimental and theoretical techniques, this work sets a benchmark for electronic structure investigations of 2D materials in general.
Based on the STS studies, electronic quasi-particle interferences in quasi-1D line defects in bismuthene that are reminiscent of Fabry-Pérot states are discovered. It is shown that they point to a hybridization of two pairs of helical boundary modes across the line defect, which is accompanied by a (partial) lifting of their topological protection against elastic single-particle backscattering.
Optical spectroscopy is used to reveal bismuthene's two-particle elecronic structure. Despite its monolayer thickness, a strong optical (two-particle) response due to enhanced electron-hole Coulomb interactions is observed. The presented combined experimental and theoretical approach (including GW and Bethe-Salpeter equation calculations) allows to conclude that two prominent optical transitions can be associated with excitonic transitions derived from the Rashba-split valence bands of bismuthene. On a broader scope this discovery might promote further experiments to elucidate links of excitonic and topological physics.
Finally, the excited conduction band states of bismuthene are mapped in energy and momentum space employing trARPES on bismuthene for the first time. The direct and indirect band gaps are succesfully extracted and the effect of excited charge carrier induced gap-renormalization is observed. In addition, an exceptionally fast excited charge carrier relaxation is identified which is explained by the presence of a quasi-metallic density of states from coupled topological boundary states of domain boundaries.
This thesis examines the electronic properties of two materials that promise the realization and observation of novel exotic quantum phenomena. For this purpose, angle-resolved photoemission forms the experimental basis for the investigation of the electronic properties. Furthermore, the magnetic order is investigated utilizing X-ray dichroism measurements.
First, the bulk and surface electronic structure of epitaxially grown HgTe in its three-dimensional topological insulator phase is investigated. In this study, synchrotron radiation is used to address the three-dimensional band structure and orbital composition of the bulk states by employing photon-energy-dependent and polarization-dependent measurements, respectively. In addition, the topological surface state is examined on in situ grown samples using a laboratory photon source. The resulting data provide a means to experimentally localize the bulk band inversion in momentum space and to evidence the momentum-dependent change in the orbital character of the inverted bulk states.
Furthermore, a rather new series of van der Waals compounds, (MnBi\(_2\)Te\(_4\))(Bi\(_2\)Te\(_3\))\(_n\), is investigated. First, the magnetic properties of the first two members of the series, MnBi\(_2\)Te\(_4\) and MnBi\(_4\)Te\(_7\), are studied via X-ray absorption-based techniques. The topological surface state on the two terminations of MnBi\(_4\)Te\(_7\) is analyzed using circular dichroic, photon-energy-dependent, and spin-resolved photoemission. The topological state on the (MnBi\(_2\)Te\(_4\))-layer termination shows a free-standing Dirac cone with its Dirac point located in the bulk band gap. In contrast, on the (Bi\(_2\)Te\(_3\))-layer termination the surface state hybridizes with the bulk valences states, forming a spectral weight gap, and exhibits a Dirac point that is buried within the bulk continuum. Lastly, the lack of unambiguous evidence in the literature showing a temperature-dependent mass gap opening in these magnetic topological insulators is discussed through MnBi\(_2\)Te\(_4\).
Two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators are a new class of materials with properties that are
promising for potential future applications in quantum computers. For example, stanene represents
a possible candidate for a topological insulator made of Sn atoms arranged in a hexagonal
lattice. However, it has a relatively fragile low-energy spectrum and sensitive topology. Therefore,
to experimentally realize stanene in the topologically non-trivial phase, a suitable substrate
that accommodates stanene without compromising these topological properties must be found.
A heterostructure consisting of a SiC substrate with a buffer layer of adsorbed group-III elements
constitutes a possible solution for this problem. In this work, 2D adatom systems of Al and In
were grown epitaxially on SiC(0001) and then investigated structurally and spectroscopically by
scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoelectron spectroscopy.
Al films in the high coverage regime \( (\Theta_{ML}\approx2\) ML\( ) \) exhibit unusually large, triangular- and
rectangular-shaped surface unit cells. Here, the low-energy electron diffraction (LEED)
pattern is brought into accordance with the surface topography derived from STM. Another Al
reconstruction, the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) Al phase, exhibits a striped surface corrugation,
which could be the result of the strain imprinted by the overlayer-substrate lattice mismatch.
It is suggested that Al atoms in different surface areas can occupy hexagonal close-packed and
face-centered cubic lattice sites, respectively, which in turn lead to close-packed transition regions
forming the stripe-like corrugations. On the basis of the well-known herringbone reconstruction
from Au(111), a first structural model is proposed, which fits well to the structural data from
STM. Ultimately, however, thermal treatments of the sample could not generate lower coverage
phases, i.e. in particular, a buffer layer structure.
Strong metallic signatures are found for In high coverage films \( (\Theta_{ML}\approx3\) to \(2\) ML\() \) by
scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES),
which form a \( (7\times7) \), \( (6\times4\sqrt{3}) \), and \( (4\sqrt{3}\times4\sqrt{3}) \) surface reconstruction. In all these In phases
electrons follow the nearly-free electron model. Similar to the Al films, thermal treatments could
not obtain the buffer layer system.
Surprisingly, in the course of this investigation a triangular In lattice featuring a \( (1\times1) \)
periodicity is observed to host massive Dirac-like bands at \( K/K^{\prime} \) in ARPES. Based on this
strong electronic similarity with graphene at the Brillouin zone boundary, this new structure is
referred to as \textit{indenene}. An extensive theoretical analysis uncovers the emergence of an electronic
honeycomb network based on triangularly arranged In \textit{p} orbitals. Due to strong atomic spin-orbit
coupling and a comparably small substrate-induced in-plane inversion symmetry breaking this
material system is rendered topologically non-trivial. In indenene, the topology is intimately
linked to a bulk observable, i.e., the energy-dependent charge accumulation sequence within the
surface unit cell, which is experimentally exploited in STS to confirm the non-trivial topological
character. The band gap at \( K/K^{\prime} \), a signature of massive Dirac fermions, is estimated by
ARPES to approximately 125 meV. Further investigations by X-ray standing wave, STM, and
LEED confirm the structural properties of indenene. Thus, this thesis presents the growth and
characterization of the novel quantum spin Hall insulator material indenene.
After the discovery of three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs), such as tetradymite chalcogenides Bi$_2$Se$_3$, Bi$_2$Te$_3$ and Sb$_2$Te$_3$ – a new class of quantum materials characterized by their unique surface electronic properties – the solid state community got focused on topological states that are driven by strong electronic correlations and magnetism. An important material class is the magnetic TI (MTI) exhibiting the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect, i.e. a dissipationless quantized edge-state transport in the absence of external magnetic field, originating from the interplay between ferromagnetism and a topologically non-trivial band structure. The unprecedented opportunities offered by these new exotic materials open a new avenue for the development of low-dissipation electronics, spintronics, and quantum computation. However, the major concern with QAH effect is its extremely low onset temperature, limiting its practical application. To resolve this problem, a comprehensive understanding of the microscopic origin of the underlying ferromagnetism is necessary.
V- and Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)$_2$Te$_3$ are the two prototypical systems that have been widely studied as realizations of the QAH state. Finding microscopic differences between the strongly correlated V and Cr impurities would help finding a relevant model of ferromagnetic coupling and eventually provide better control of the QAH effect in these systems. Therefore, this thesis first focuses on the V- and Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)$_2$Te$_3$ systems, to better understand these differences. Exploiting the unique capabilities of x-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism (XAS/XMCD), combined with advanced modeling based on multiplet ligand-field theory (MLFT), we provide a detailed microscopic insight into the local electronic and magnetic properties of these systems and determine microscopic parameters crucial for the comparison with theoretical models, which include the $d$-shell filling, spin and orbital magnetic moments. We find a strongly covalent ground state, dominated by the superposition of one and two Te-ligand-hole configurations, with a negligible contribution from a purely ionic 3+ configuration. Our findings indicate the importance of the Te $5p$ states for the ferromagnetism in (Bi, Sb)$_2$Te$_3$ and favor magnetic coupling mechanisms involving $pd$-exchange. Using state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations in combination with XMCD and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (resPES), we reveal the important role of the $3d$ impurity states in mediating magnetic exchange coupling. Our calculations illustrate that the kind and strength of the exchange coupling varies with the impurity $3d$-shell occupation. We find a weakening of ferromagnetic properties upon the increase of doping concentration, as well as with the substitution of Bi at the Sb site. Finally, we qualitatively describe the origin of the induced magnetic moments at the Te and Sb sites in the host lattice and discuss their role in mediating a robust ferromagnetism based on a $pd$-exchange interaction scenario. Our findings reveal important clues to designing higher $T_{\text{C}}$ MTIs.
Rare-earth ions typically exhibit larger magnetic moments than transition-metal ions and thus promise the opening of a wider exchange gap in the Dirac surface states of TIs, which is favorable for the realization of the high-temperature QAH effect. Therefore, we have further focused on Eu-doped Bi$_2$Te$_3$ and scrutinized whether the conditions for formation of a substantial gap in this system are present by combining spectroscopic and bulk characterization methods with theoretical calculations. For all studied Eu doping concentrations, our atomic multiplet analysis of the $M_{4,5}$ x-ray absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectra reveals a Eu$^{2+}$ valence, unlike most other rare earth elements, and confirms a large magnetic moment. At temperatures below 10 K, bulk magnetometry indicates the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering. This is in good agreement with DFT results, which predict AFM interactions between the Eu impurities due to the direct overlap of the impurity wave functions. Our results support the notion of antiferromagnetism coexisting with topological surface states in rare-earth doped Bi$_2$Te$_3$ and corroborate the potential of such doping to result in an antiferromagnetic TI with exotic quantum properties.
The doping with impurities introduces disorder detrimental for the QAH effect, which may be avoided in stoichiometric, well-ordered magnetic compounds. In the last part of the thesis we have investigated the recently discovered intrinsic magnetic TI (IMTI) MnBi$_6$Te$_{10}$, where we have uncovered robust ferromagnetism with $T_{\text{C}} \approx 12$ K and connected its origin to the Mn/Bi intermixing. Our measurements reveal a magnetically intact surface with a large moment, and with FM properties similar to the bulk, which makes MnBi$_6$Te$_{10}$ a promising candidate for the QAH effect at elevated temperatures. Moreover, using an advanced ab initio MLFT approach we have determined the ground-state properties of Mn and revealed a predominant contribution of the $d^5$ configuration to the ground state, resulting in a $d$-shell electron occupation $n_d = 5.31$ and a large magnetic moment, in excellent agreement with our DFT calculations and the bulk magnetometry data. Our results together with first principle calculations based on the DFT-GGA$+U$, performed by our collaborators, suggest that carefully engineered intermixing plays a crucial role in achieving a robust long-range FM order and therefore could be the key for achieving enhanced QAH effect properties.
We expect our findings to aid better understanding of MTIs, which is essential to help increasing the temperature of the QAH effect, thus facilitating the realization of low-power electronics in the future.
Rotationsdriftspektroskopie
(2023)
Die wachsende Verfügbarkeit von magnetischen Nanopartikeln (MNPs) mit funktionalisierten
Partikeloberflächen eröffnet weitreichende Möglichkeiten für chemische, biologische und klinische
Analysemethoden. Durch Funktionalisierung kann eine gezielte Interaktion mit Molekülen bewirkt
werden, die im Allgemeinen auch die Beweglichkeit der MNPs verändern. Methoden zur
Charakterisierung von MNPs wie bspw. AC-Suszeptometrie, Magnetorelaxometrie (MRX) oder
Magnetic Particle Spectroscopy (MPS) können diese Änderung der Beweglichkeit bei MNPs
messen, wenn es sich um MNPs handelt, deren magnetisches Moment im Partikel fixiert ist. Damit
ist mit funktionalisierten MNPs indirekt auch die spezifische Messung von Molekülkonzentrationen
möglich. MNPs können zudem in biokompatibler Form hergestellt werden und sind dadurch auch
als in-vivo Marker einsetzbar. Das 2005 das erste Mal veröffentlichte Magnetic Particle Imaging
(MPI) kann als ein mittels Gradientenfeldern um die räumliche Kodierung erweitertes MPS
betrachtet werden. Dank biokompatibler MNPs handelt es sich dabei um eine in-vivo-taugliche,
nicht-invasive Bildgebungsmethode. Mit funktionalisierten MNPs als Marker ist damit im Prinzip
auch molekulare Bildgebung möglich, die durch Detektion der beteiligten Moleküle (Biomarker)
Stoffwechselprozesse räumlich abbilden kann. Im Vergleich zur Bildgebung von Gewebe- und
Knochenstrukturen lassen sich die diagnostischen Möglichkeiten durch molekulare Bildgebung
erheblich erweitern.
Rotationsdriftspektroskopie (Rotational Drift Spectroscopy, RDS) ist eine in dieser Arbeit
entwickelte Methode für die induktive Messung der Beweglichkeit von MNPs in flüssiger
Suspension. Es verwendet die Rotationsdrift von MNPs in rotierenden magnetischen Feldern als
Grundlage und bietet das Potential die Änderungen der Beweglichkeit von MNPs mit einer
Empfindlichkeit messen zu können, welche potentiell um mehrere Größenordnungen höher sein
kann als mit den oben erwähnten Verfahren. Die vorliegende Arbeit konzentriert sich auf die
Verwendbarkeit dieses Effekts als Spektroskopiemethode. Die Eigenschaften des RDS-Signals sind
jedoch auch als Grundlage für räumliche Kodierung vielversprechend. In weiterführenden Projekten
soll daher auch die Entwicklung von Rotationsdriftbildgebung (Rotating Drift Imaging, RDI) als ein
nicht-invasives Verfahren für molekulare Bildgebung angestrebt werden.
Der Grundgedanke von RDS entlehnt sich aus einem in 2006 veröffentlichten Sensordesign
basierend auf magnetische Mikropartikel in einem schwachen rotierenden Magnetfeld. Das
rotierende Magnetfeld ist dabei so schwach gewählt, dass sich das Partikel aufgrund der viskosen
Reibung nicht mehr synchron mit dem externen Feld drehen kann. Die Frequenz der resultierenden
asynchronen Rotationsdrift liegt unterhalb der Frequenz des externen Rotationsfelds und ist
Abhängig von der viskosen Reibung. Aufgrund dieser Abhängigkeit können Änderungen im
Reibungskoeffizienten des Partikels über Änderungen in der Rotationsdriftfrequenz gemessen
werden.
RDS zielt darauf ab, diese Rotationsdrift bei suspendierten MNPs über deren
makroskopische Magnetisierung messen zu können. Damit wird u.a. auch die nicht-invasive
Messung von MNPs innerhalb opaker biologischer Proben möglich. MNP-Suspensionen sind
großzahlige Nanopartikel-ensembles und können nicht wie ein einzelnes Mikropartikel gemessen
werden. Für die induktive Messung ist vor dem Start eine Ausrichtung aller magnetischen Momente
nötig, da sich deren makroskopische Magnetisierung andernfalls zu Null addiert. Aufgrund von
Rotationsdiffusion bleibt diese Ausrichtung nur eine begrenzte Zeit bestehen, so dass auch die
eigentliche Messung des RDS-Signals nur eine begrenzte Zeit möglich ist. Diese Ausrichtung wurde
in den ersten Experimenten durch einen kurzen Magnetfeldpuls erzeugt. In der Empfangsspule ist
die Induktion durch das Rotationsfeld typischer Weise um mehrere Größenordnungen höher als das
zu erwartende Signal und muss durch einen Tiefpass unterdrückt werden. In diesem Tiefpassfilter
ruft jedoch die Einkopplung des Anfangspulses eine Pulsantwort hervor, die ebenso mehrere
Größenordnungen des zu erwartenden Signals betragen kann und ähnlich langsam wie typische
Signale abklingt. Die Unterdrückung dieser Pulsantwort stellte in den ersten Experimenten die
größte Hürde da. Der erste Aufbau hatte eine Relaisschaltung zur Pulsunterdrückung und resultierte
in einer Totzeit von 3 ms zwischen Anfangspuls und Start der Messung. Aufgrund dieser Totzeit
waren die ersten Messungen auf größere Agglomerate und Sedimente von MNPs beschränkt, da nur
in diesem Fall eine hinreichend lange Zerfallsdauer der Probenmagnetisierung vorlag. Das
Verhalten derartiger Partikelsysteme ist jedoch aufgrund von mechanischer und magnetischer
Interpartikelwechselwirkung vergleichsweise komplex und theoretisch schwer modellierbar. Das
primäre Zielsystem für RDS hingegen, Eindomänenpartikel mit im Partikel fixierter Magnetisierung
und Punktsymmetrie bzgl. des Reibungstensors, erlaubt die Aufstellung einer parametrisierten
Funktion für den Signalverlauf. Es ermöglicht somit aufgrund der besseren Berechenbarkeit eine
solidere Auswertung des RDS-Signals. Um Eindomänenpartikel in wässriger Suspension mit
typischen Partikeldurchmessern um 100 nm messen zu können ist eine Verkürzung der Totzeit auf
mindestens 1/10 erforderlich.
Prinzipiell kann diese Problematik durch die Verwendung schneller Halbleiterschalter in
Verbindung mit einer präzise abstimmbaren induktiven Entkopplung des Spulensystems gemindert
werden. Simulationen des RDS-Signals für verschiedene RDS-Sequenzen zeigen jedoch noch zwei
weitere Möglichkeiten auf, die ohne aufwändigen Eingriffe in der Hardware auskommen. Zum
einen kann durch orthogonales Frequenzmischen mit geeignetem Frequenz- und Phasenverhältnis
eine Ausrichtung der magnetischen Momente bewirkt werden. Da die benötigten Frequenzen
vollständig im Sperrband des Tiefpassfilters liegen können, lässt sich damit die Pulsantwort bei
hinreichend „weichem“ Umschalten zwischen der Polarisierungssequenz und der RDS-Sequenz
vollständig vermeiden. Darüber hinaus zeigt sich, dass es bei Anwesenheit eines schwachen
Offsetfelds (< 10 % der Rotationsfeldamplitude) zu einer Ausrichtung der magnetischen Momente
kommt, wenn das magnetische Rotationsfeld seine Richtung ändert und diese Änderung nicht
abrupt erfolgt, sondern das Rotationsfeld übergangsweise in ein linear oszillierendes Feld übergeht.
Hingegen wird die Wirkung des Offsetfelds durch das Rotationsfeld vor und nach dem Wechsel
nahezu vollständig neutralisiert, so dass damit das Störsignale generierende Schalten eines
Offsetfelds ersetzt werden kann. Es ist auf diese Weise nicht möglich, Echosequenzen zu erzeugen,
da hier bei der für Echosequenzen benötigten Richtungsumkehr des Rotationsfelds die zuvor
aufgeprägte Phasenverteilung durch das Offsetfeld zerstört wird und somit anstelle einer
Signalechogenerierung eine neue RDS-Messung gestartet wird. Obwohl es Echosequenzen mit
Anfangspuls erlauben, mehr MNP Parameter zu messen, bietet dieser Ansatz dennoch
entscheidende Vorteile. So ergibt sich eine massive Vereinfachung der Hardware und es sind bei
gleicher Rotationsfrequenz deutlich höhere Wiederholraten möglich.
Die Vermeidung von Schaltvorgängen durch die Verwendung von Offsetfeldern ermöglicht
es, mit dem ursprünglichem Aufbau auch Partikelsysteme zu untersuchen, deren Relaxationszeit
weit unter 3 ms liegt. Hier zeigt sich, dass sich für unterschiedliche Partikelsysteme teils sehr
charakteristische Signalmuster ergeben. Diese lassen sich grob in drei Kategorien einteilen. Die
erste Kategorie sind suspendierte Eindomänenpartikel mit einer nicht vernachlässigbaren
Relaxationszeit. Hier handelt es sich um das bevorzugte Zielsystem für RDS, das durch die
Langevin-Gleichung beschrieben werden kann. Die zweite Kategorie sind Partikelsysteme, bei
denen die Relaxationsdauer vernachlässigbar ist. In diesem Fall kann der Signalverlauf mit der
Langevinfunktion beschrieben werden. Die dritte Kategorie umfasst alle übrigen Partikelsysteme,
insbesondere Suspensionen von MNP-Clustern, die u.a. aufgrund von Interpartikelwechselwirkung
komplexe Signalverläufe ergeben, die sich praktisch nicht berechnen lassen. Spektroskopische
Untersuchungen sind damit dennoch durch das Anlegen entsprechender Referenzdatenbanken
möglich (Fingerprinting). Multiparametrisches RDS, d.h. die Wiederholung der Messung für z.B.
unterschiedliche Amplituden oder unterschiedliche Viskositäten des Suspensionsmediums, erzeugt
aufgrund mehrerer nichtlinearer Abhängigkeiten massive Unterschiede im resultierenden
multidimensionalen Datensatz. Das verspricht die Erreichbarkeit hoher spektroskopischer
Trennschärfen bei geeigneter Partikel- und Sequenzoptimierung.
Die Simulationen und experimentellen Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zeigen grundsätzliche
Hürden und Möglichkeiten für das ebenfalls in dieser Arbeit eingeführte RDS auf. Es zeigt damit
grundlegende Aspekte auf, die für die Entwicklung von RDS-Hardware und die Optimierung von
MNP-Suspensionen nötig sind. Mit RDS wird in weiterführenden Arbeiten die Entwicklung von
hochempfindlichen Bioassays und die Erweiterung um die räumliche Kodierung angestrebt (RDI),
da der zugrunde liegende Effekt zugleich sehr vielversprechend als Grundlage für molekulare
Bildgebung ist.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Konzeption und Realisierung eines Computertomographen zur Materialanalyse auf Basis eines Rasterelektronenmikroskops mit einem räumlichen Auflösungsvermögen im Nanometerbereich diskutiert. Durch einen fokussierten Elektronenstrahl, der mit einer Beschleunigungsspannung von 30 kV auf eine mikrostrukturierte Wolframnadel mit einem Spitzenradius von bis zu 50 nm gezielt wird, entsteht ein kleiner Röntgenbrennfleck über den mit geometrischer Vergrößerung hochauflösende Projektionen eines zu untersuchenden Objekts erzeugt werden. Durch Rotation des Testobjekts werden Projektionen aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln aufgenommen und über einen speziellen Rekonstruktionsalgorithmus zu einem 3-dimensionalen Bild zusammengefügt.
Bei der Beurteilung der Einzelkomponenten des Geräts wird insbesondere auf Struktur, Form und den elektrochemischen Herstellungsprozess der Röntgenquelle eingegangen. Eine ausreichend genaue Positionierung von Messobjekt und Röntgenbrennfleck wird über Piezoachsen realisiert, während die Stabilität des Röntgenbrennflecks über die Elektronenoptik des Rasterelektronenmikroskops und die Form der Quellnadel optimiert wird.
Das räumliche Auflösungsvermögen wird über die Linienspreizfunktion an Materialkanten abgeschätzt. Für eine Wolfram-Block-Quelle ergibt sich dabei ein Auflösungsvermögen von 325 nm – 400 nm in 3D, während der Quellfleck einer Wolframnadel das Auflösungsvermögen der Anlage auf 65 nm – 90 nm in 2D und 170 nm – 300 nm in 3D bei Messungen an einem AlCu29-Testobjekt anhebt. Außerdem werden die Auswirkungen der Phasenkontrastcharakteristik der Röntgenquelle auf die rekonstruierten Bilder nach Anwendung eines Paganin-Filters diskutiert. Dabei zeigt sich, dass durch Anwendung des Filters ein verbessertes Signal-zu-Rausch-Verhältnis auf Kosten der räumlichen Bildauflösung erzielt werden kann.
Eine Vergleichsmessung mit einem kommerziell verfügbaren Röntgenmikroskop zeigt die Stärken des vorgestellten Systems bei Untersuchung von stark absorbierenden Messobjekten. Das kompakte Design erlaubt eine Weiterentwicklung in Richtung eines nanoCT-Moduls als Upgrade Option für Rasterelektronenmikroskope im Gegensatz zu den weitaus teureren bisher verbreiteten nanoCT-Geräten.
Einerseits besteht die einfachste Möglichkeit zum Ladungs- und Informationstransport zwischen zwei Punkten in deren direkter Verbindung durch eindimensionale Kanäle. Andererseits besitzen topologische Materialien exotische und äußerst vorteilhafte Eigenschaften, weshalb es nahe liegt, dass schon bald neue Anwendungen aus ihnen realisiert werden. Wenn diese beiden Entwicklungen zusammenkommen, dann ist ein grundlegendes Verständnis von Quanteninterferenz oder Hybridisierungseffekten in eindimensionalen, topologischen Kanälen von fundamentaler Wichtigkeit. Deshalb werden in der vorliegenden Arbeit Wechselwirkungen von eindimensionalen, topologisch geschützten Kantenzuständen, die an ungeradzahligen Stufenkanten auf der (001)–Oberfläche von Pb1−xSnxSe auftreten, untersucht. Aufgrund der lateralen Lokalisierung auf wenige Nanometer um eine Stufenkante herum und der Notwendigkeit zwischen gerad- und ungeradzahligen Stufenkantenhöhen zu unterscheiden, bieten sich die Rastertunnelmikroskopie und -spektroskopie als Methoden an. Die neu entdeckten Kopplungs- bzw. Wechselwirkungseffekte zwischen benachbarten Kantenzuständen treten auf, sobald der Stufe zu Stufe Abstand einen kritischen Wert von dkri ≈ 25nm unterschreitet. Dieses Kriterium kann durch verschiedene räumliche Anordnungen von Stufenkanten erfüllt werden. Infolgedessen werden sich kreuzende, parallel verlaufende und zusammenlaufende Stufenkanten genauer untersucht. Bei letzteren verändert sich entlang der Struktur kontinuierlich der Abstand und damit die Kopplungsstärke zwischen den beiden Randkanälen. Infolgedessen wurden drei Koppelungsregime identifiziert. (I) Ausgehend von einer schwachen Wechselwirkung zeigt der für die Kantenzustände charakteristische Peak im Spektrum zunächst eine Verbreiterung und Verminderung der Intensität. (II) Mit weiter zunehmender Wechselwirkung beginnt sich der Zustand in zwei Peaks aufzuspalten, sodass ab dkri ≈ 15nm an beiden Stufenkanten durchgehen eine Doppelpeak zu beobachten ist . Mit weiter abnehmendem Abstand erreicht die Aufspaltung Werte von einigen 10 meV, während sich die Intensität weiter reduziert. (III) Sobald zwei Stufenkanten weniger als etwa 5nm voneinander getrennt sind, konvergieren aufgrund der schwindenden Intensität und des sinkenden energetischen Abstands der beiden Peaks zu den van Hove Singularitäten die Spektren an den Stufenkanten gegen das Spektrum über einer Terrasse. i Die Aufspaltung verläuft in den Bereichen I und II asymmetrisch, d. h. ein Peak verbleibt ungefähr bei der Ausgangsenergie, während der andere mit zunehmender Kopplung immer weiter weg schiebt. Bezüglich der Asymmetrie kann kein Unterschied festgestellt werden, ob die zusammenlaufenden Stufenkanten eine Insel oder Fehlstelleninsel bilden oder ob die Stufenkanten sogar gänzlich parallel verlaufen. Es zeigt sich keine Präferenz, ob zunächst der niederenergetische oder der hochenergetische Peak schiebt. Erst im Regime starker Kopplung (III) kann beobachtet werden, dass beide Peaks die Ausgangsenergie deutlich verlassen. Im Gegensatz dazu kann bei sich kreuzenden Stufen ein erheblicher Einfluss der Geometrie, in Form des eingeschlossenen Winkels, auf das Spektrum beobachtet werden. Unabhängig vom Winkel existiert am Kreuzungspunkt selbst kein Kantenzustand mehr. Die Zustände an den vier Stufen beginnen, abhängig vom Winkel, etwa 10-15nm vor dem Kreuzungspunkt abzuklingen. Überraschenderweise zeigt sich dabei, dass im Fall rechtwinkliger Stufen gar keine Aufspaltung zu beobachten ist, während bei allen anderen Winkeln ein Doppelpeak festgestellt werden kann. Diese Entdeckung deutet auf Orthogonalität bezüglich einer Quantenzahl bei den beteiligten Kantenzustände hin. Neben einer nur theoretisch vorhergesagten Spinpolarisation kann dieser Effekt auch von dem orbitalem Charakter der beteiligten Dirac–Kegel verursacht sein. Da der topologische Schutz in Pb1−xSnxSe durch Kristallsymmetrien garantiert ist, wird als letzter intrinsischer Effekt der Einfluss von eindimensionalen Defekten auf die Kantenzustände untersucht. Berücksichtigt werden dabei ein nicht näher klassifizierbarer, oberflächennaher Defekt und Schraubversetzungen. In beiden Fällen kann ebenfalls eine Aufspaltung des Kantenzustands in einen Doppelpeak gezeigt werden. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit werden die Grundlagen für eine Wiederverwendung von (Pb,Sn)Se–Oberflächen bei zukünftige Experimenten mit (magnetischen) Adatomen geschaffen. Durch Kombination von Inoenzerstäubung und Tempern wird dabei nicht nur eine gereinigte Oberfläche erzeugt, sondern es kann auch das Ferminiveau gezielt erhöht oder gesenkt werden. Dieser Effekt beruht auf eine Modifikation der Sn– Konzentration und der von ihr kontrollierten Anzahl an Defektelektronen. Als letztes sind erste Messungen an Cu- und Fe–dotierte Proben gezeigt. Durch die Adatome tritt eine n–Dotierung auf, welche den Dirac–Punkt des Systems in Richtung des Ferminiveaus verschiebt. Sobald er dieses erreicht hat kommt es zu Wechselwirkungsphänomenen an freistehenden Stufenkanten. Dies führt zu einer Doppelpeakstruktur mit einer feinen Aufspaltung von wenigen meV. Das Phänomen ist auf ein schmales Energiefenster beschränkt, bei dem die Lage des Dirac–Punkts nur etwa 5 meV (in beide Richtungen) von der des Ferminiveaus abweichen darf.
Die Fluoreszenzmikroskopie ist eine vielseitig einsetzbare Untersuchungsmethode für biologische Proben, bei der Biomoleküle selektiv mit Fluoreszenzfarbstoffen markiert werden, um sie dann mit sehr gutem Kontrast abzubilden. Dies ist auch mit mehreren verschiedenartigen Zielmolekülen gleichzeitig möglich, wobei üblicherweise verschiedene Farbstoffe eingesetzt werden, die über ihre Spektren unterschieden werden können.
Um die Anzahl gleichzeitig verwendbarer Färbungen zu maximieren, wird in dieser Arbeit zusätzlich zur spektralen Information auch das zeitliche Abklingverhalten der Fluoreszenzfarbstoffe mittels spektral aufgelöster Fluoreszenzlebensdauer-Mikroskopie (spectrally resolved fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, sFLIM) vermessen. Dazu wird die Probe in einem Konfokalmikroskop von drei abwechselnd gepulsten Lasern mit Wellenlängen von 485 nm, 532nm und 640nm angeregt. Die Detektion des Fluoreszenzlichtes erfolgt mit einer hohen spektralen Auflösung von 32 Kanälen und gleichzeitig mit sehr hoher zeitlicher Auflösung von einigen Picosekunden. Damit wird zu jedem detektierten Fluoreszenzphoton der Anregungslaser, der spektrale Kanal und die Ankunftszeit registriert. Diese detaillierte multidimensionale Information wird von einem Pattern-Matching-Algorithmus ausgewertet, der das Fluoreszenzsignal mit zuvor erstellten Referenzpattern der einzelnen Farbstoffe vergleicht. Der Algorithmus bestimmt so für jedes Pixel die Beiträge der einzelnen Farbstoffe.
Mit dieser Technik konnten pro Anregungslaser fünf verschiedene Färbungen gleichzeitig dargestellt werden, also theoretisch insgesamt 15 Färbungen. In der Praxis konnten mit allen drei Lasern zusammen insgesamt neun Färbungen abgebildet werden, wobei die Anzahl der Farben vor allem durch die anspruchsvolle Probenvorbereitung limitiert war. In anderen Versuchen konnte die sehr hohe Sensitivität des sFLIM-Systems genutzt werden, um verschiedene Zielmoleküle voneinander zu unterscheiden, obwohl sie alle mit demselben Farbstoff markiert waren. Dies war möglich, weil sich die Fluoreszenzeigenschaften eines Farbstoffmoleküls geringfügig in Abhängigkeit von seiner Umgebung ändern. Weiterhin konnte die sFLIM-Technik mit der hochauflösenden STED-Mikroskopie (STED: stimulated emission depletion) kombiniert werden, um so hochaufgelöste zweifarbige Bilder zu erzeugen, wobei nur ein einziger gemeinsamer STED-Laser benötigt wurde.
Die gleichzeitige Erfassung von mehreren photophysikalischen Messgrößen sowie deren Auswertung durch den Pattern-Matching-Algorithmus ermöglichten somit die Entwicklung von neuen Methoden der Fluoreszenzmikroskopie für Mehrfachfärbungen.
This thesis addresses the identification and characterization of spin states in optoelectronic materials and devices using multiple spin-sensitive techniques. For this purpose, a systematic study focussing on triplet states as well as associated loss pathways and excited state kinetics was carried out. The research was based on comparing a range of donor:acceptor systems, reaching from organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) to organic photovoltaics (OPV) employing fullerene and multiple non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs). By developing new strategies, e.g., appropriate modeling, new magnetic resonance techniques and experimental frameworks, the influence of spin states in the fundamental processes of organic semiconductors has been investigated. Thereby, the combination of techniques based on the principle of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), in particular transient EPR (trEPR) and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), with all-optical methods, such as transient electroluminescence (trEL) and transient absorption (TA), has been employed. As a result, excited spin states, especially molecular and charge transfer (CT) states, were investigated in terms of kinetic behavior and associated pathways, which revealed a significant impact of triplet states on efficiency-limiting processes in both optoelectronic applications.
Novel appraches to the molecular beam epitaxy of core-shell nanowires in the group II telluride material system were explored in this work. Significant advances in growth spurred the development of a flexible and reliable platform for a charge transport characterization of the topological insulator HgTe in a tubular nanowire geometry. The transport results presented provide an important basis for the design of future studies that strive for the experimental realization of topological charge transport in the quantum wire limit.
The subject of this thesis is the investigation of the transport properties of topological and massive surface states in the three-dimensional topological insulator Hg(Mn)Te. These surface states give rise to a variety of extraordinary transport phenomena, making this material system of great interest for research and technological applications. In this connection, many physical properties of the topological insulator Hg(Mn)Te still require in-depth exploration. The overall aim of this thesis is to analyze the quantum transport of HgTe-based devices ranging from hundreds of micrometers (macroscopic) down to a few micrometers in size (microscopic) in order to extend the overall understanding of surface states and the possibilities of their manipulation.
In order to exploit the full potential of our high-quality heterostructures, it was necessary to revise and improve the existing lithographic fabrication process of macroscopic three-dimensional Hg(Mn)Te samples. A novel lithographic standard recipe for the fabrication of the HgTe-based macrostructures was developed. This recipe includes the use of an optimized Hall bar design and wet etching instead of etching with high-energy \(\mathrm{{Ar^{+}}}\)-ions, which can damage the samples. Further, a hafnium oxide insulator is applied replacing the SiO\(_{2}\)/Si\(_{3}\)N\(_{4}\) dielectric in order to reduce thermal load. Moreover, the devices are metallized under an alternating angle to avoid discontinuities of the metal layers over the mesa edges. It was revealed that the application of gate-dielectric and top-gate metals results in n-type doping of the devices. This phenomenon could be attributed to quasi-free electrons tunneling from the trap states, which form at the interface cap layer/insulator, through the cap into the active layer. This finding led to the development of a new procedure to characterize wafer materials. It was found that the optimized lithographic processing steps do not unintentionally react chemically with our heterostructures, thus avoiding a degradation of the quality of the Hg(Mn)Te layer. The implementation of new contact structures Ti/Au, In/Ti/Au, and Al/Ti/Au did not result in any improvement compared to the standard structure AuGe/Au. However, a novel sample recipe could be developed, resulting in an intermixing of the contact metals (AuGe and Au) and fingering of metal into the mesa. The extent of the quality of the ohmic contacts obtained through this process has yet to be fully established.
This thesis further deals with the lithographic realization of three-dimensional HgTe-based microstructures measuring only a few micrometer in size. Thus, these structures are in the order of the mean free path and the spin relaxation length of topological surface state electrons. A lithographic process was developed enabling the fabrication of nearly any desired microscopic device structure. In this context, two techniques suitable for etching microscopic samples were realized, namely wet etching and the newly established inductively coupled plasma etching. While wet etching was found to preserve the crystal quality of the active layer best, inductively coupled plasma etching is characterized by high reproducibility and excellent structural fidelity. Hence, the etching technique employed depends on the envisaged type of experiment.
Magneto-transport measurements were carried out on the macroscopic HgTe-based devices fabricated by means of improved lithographic processing with respect to the transport properties of topological and massive surface states. It was revealed that due to the low charge carrier density present in the leads to the ohmic contacts, these regions can exhibit an insulating behavior at high magnetic fields and extremely low temperatures. As soon as the filling factor of the lowest Landau levels dropped below a critical value (\(\nu_{\mathrm{{c}}}\approx0.8\)), the conductance of the leads decreased significantly. It was demonstrated that the carrier density in the leads can be increased by the growth of modulation doping layers, a back-gate-electrode, light-emitting diode illumination, and by the application of an overlapping top-gate layout. This overlapping top-gate and a back-gate made it possible to manipulate the carrier density of the surface states on both sides of the Hg(Mn)Te layer independently. With this setup, it was identified that topological and massive surface states contribute to transport simultaneously in 3D Hg(Mn)Te. A model could be developed allowing the charge carrier systems populated in the sample to be determined unambiguously. Based on this model, the process of the re-entrant quantum Hall effect observed for the first time in three-dimensional topological insulators could be explained by an interplay of n-type topological and p-type massive surface states. A well-pronounced \(\nu=-1\rightarrow\nu=-2\rightarrow\nu=-1\) sequence of quantum Hall plateaus was found in manganese-doped HgTe-based samples. It is postulated that this is the condensed-matter realization of the parity anomaly in three-dimensional topological insulators. The actual nature of this phenomenon can be the subject of further research. In addition, the measurements have shown that inter-scattering occurs between counter-propagating quantum Hall edge states. The good quantization of the Hall conductance despite this inter-scattering indicates that only the unpaired edge states determine the transport properties of the system as a whole. The underlying inter-scattering mechanism is the topic of a publication in preparation.
Furthermore, three-dimensional HgTe-based microstructures shaped like the capital letter "H" were investigated regarding spin transport phenomena. The non-local voltage signals occurring in the measurements could be attributed to a current-induced spin polarization of the topological surface states due to electrons obeying spin-momentum locking. It was shown that the strength of this non-local signal is directly connected to the magnitude of the spin polarization and can be manipulated by the applied top-gate voltage. It was found that in these microstructures, the massive surface and bulk states, unlike the topological surface states, cannot contribute to this spin-associated phenomenon. On the contrary, it was demonstrated that the population of massive states results in a reduction of the spin polarization, either due to the possible inter-scattering of massive and topological surface states or due to the addition of an unpolarized electron background. The evidence of spin transport controllable by a top-gate-electrode makes the three-dimensional material system mercury telluride a promising candidate for further research in the field of spintronics.
This thesis focuses on investigating magneto-transport properties of a ferromagnetic topological insulator (V,Bi,Sb)2Te3. This material is most famously known for exhibiting the quantum anomalous Hall effect, a novel quantum state of matter that has opened up possibilities for potential applications in quantum metrology as a quantum standard of resistance, as well as for academic investigations into unusual magnetic properties and axion electrodynamics. All of those aspects are investigated in the thesis.
Breaking inversion symmetry in crystalline solids enables the formation of spin-polarized electronic states by spin-orbit coupling without the need for magnetism. A variety of interesting physical phenomena related to this effect have been intensively investigated in recent years, including the Rashba effect, topological insulators and Weyl semimetals. In this work, the interplay of inversion symmetry breaking and spin-orbit coupling and, in particular their general influence on the character of electronic states, i.e., on the spin and orbital degrees of freedom, is investigated experimentally. Two different types of suitable model systems are studied: two-dimensional surface states for which the Rashba effect arises from the inherently broken inversion symmetry at the surface, and a Weyl semimetal, for which inversion symmetry is broken in the three-dimensional crystal structure. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy provides momentum-resolved access to the spin polarization and the orbital composition of electronic states by means of photoelectron spin detection and dichroism with polarized light. The experimental results shown in this work are also complemented and supported by ab-initio density functional theory calculations and simple model considerations.
Altogether, it is shown that the breaking of inversion symmetry has a decisive influence on the Bloch wave function, namely, the formation of an orbital angular momentum. This mechanism is, in turn, of fundamental importance both for the physics of the surface Rashba effect and the topology of the Weyl semimetal TaAs.
X-ray dark-field imaging allows to resolve the conflict between the demand for centimeter scaled fields of view and the spatial resolution required for the characterization of fibrous materials structured on the micrometer scale. It draws on the ability of X-ray Talbot interferometers to provide full field images of a sample's ultra small angle scattering properties, bridging a gap of multiple orders of magnitude between the imaging resolution and the contrasted structure scale. The correspondence between shape anisotropy and oriented scattering thereby allows to infer orientations within a sample's microstructure below the imaging resolution. First demonstrations have shown the general feasibility of doing so in a tomographic fashion, based on various heuristic signal models and reconstruction approaches. Here, both a verified model of the signal anisotropy and a reconstruction technique practicable for general imaging geometries and large tensor valued volumes is developed based on in-depth reviews of dark-field imaging and tomographic reconstruction techniques.
To this end, a wide interdisciplinary field of imaging and reconstruction methodologies is revisited. To begin with, a novel introduction to the mathematical description of perspective projections provides essential insights into the relations between the tangible real space properties of cone beam imaging geometries and their technically relevant description in terms of homogeneous coordinates and projection matrices. Based on these fundamentals, a novel auto-calibration approach is developed, facilitating the practical determination of perspective imaging geometries with minimal experimental constraints. A corresponding generalized formulation of the widely employed Feldkamp algorithm is given, allowing fast and flexible volume reconstructions from arbitrary tomographic imaging geometries. Iterative reconstruction techniques are likewise introduced for general projection geometries, with a particular focus on the efficient evaluation of the forward problem associated with tomographic imaging. A highly performant 3D generalization of Joseph's classic linearly interpolating ray casting algorithm is developed to this end and compared to typical alternatives. With regard to the anisotropic imaging modality required for tensor tomography, X-ray dark-field contrast is extensively reviewed. Previous literature is brought into a joint context and nomenclature and supplemented by original work completing a consistent picture of the theory of dark-field origination. Key results are explicitly validated by experimental data with a special focus on tomography as well as the properties of anisotropic fibrous scatterers. In order to address the pronounced susceptibility of interferometric images to subtle mechanical imprecisions, an efficient optimization based evaluation strategy for the raw data provided by Talbot interferometers is developed. Finally, the fitness of linear tensor models with respect to the derived anisotropy properties of dark-field contrast is evaluated, and an iterative scheme for the reconstruction of tensor valued volumes from projection images is proposed. The derived methods are efficiently implemented and applied to fiber reinforced plastic samples, imaged at the ID19 imaging beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The results represent unprecedented demonstrations of X-ray dark-field tensor tomography at a field of view of 3-4cm, revealing local fiber orientations of both complex shaped and low-contrast samples at a spatial resolution of 0.1mm in 3D. The results are confirmed by an independent micro CT based fiber analysis.
Schon heute bilden Einzelphotonenquellen einen wichtigen Baustein in der Photonik
und Quanteninformation. Der Fokus der Forschung liegt entsprechend auf dem
Finden und Charakterisieren dafür geeigneter Materialsysteme. Konkret beschäftigt
sich die vorliegende Arbeit vorwiegend mit dem Übergangsmetall-Dichalkogenid
(TMDC1 ) Wolframdiselenid und seinen Eigenschaften. Diese Wahl ist durch den
direkte Zugang zu Einzelphotonenquellen begründet, die sich in dessen Monolagen
ausbilden können. Diese Lichtquellen können über eine Modulation der Verspannung
der Monolage gezielt aktiviert werden. Durch die, verglichen mit ihrem Volumen,
riesige Kontaktfläche lassen sich Monolagen zudem mit Hilfe des Substrats, auf das
sie transferiert wurden, wesentlich beeinflussen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden
Monolagen von WSe2 in unterschiedlichen Bauteilen wie zirkulare Bragg-Gittern oder
vorstrukturierten, metallischen Oberflächen implementiert und die Photolumineszenz
des TMDCs untersucht. Diese Arbeit belegt die Möglichkeit, Einzelphotonenquellen basierend
aufWSe2 -Monolagen auf verschiedenste Weise modulieren zu können. Dank ihrer zwei-
dimensionalen Geometrie lassen sie sich einfach in bestehende Strukturen integrieren
oder auch in der Zukunft mit weiteren 2D-Materialien kombinieren.
Photoelectron spectroscopy proves as a versatile tool for investigating various aspects of the electronic structure in strongly correlated electron systems. Influencing the manifestation of strong correlation in Ce-based surface alloys is the main task of this work. It is shown, that the manifestation of the Kondo ground state is influenced by a multitude of parameters such as the choice of the metal binding partner in binary Ce compounds, the surface alloy layer thickness and accompanying variations in the lattice structure as well as the interfaces to substrate or vacuum. Gaining access to these parameters allows to directly influence essential state variables, such as the f level occupancy nf or the Kondo temperature TK.
The center of this work are the intermetallic thin films of CePt5/Pt(111) and CeAgx/Ag(111). By utilizing different excitation energies, photoemission spectroscopy provides access to characteristic features of Kondo physics in the valence band, such as the Kondo resonance and its spin-orbit partner at the Fermi level, as well as the multiplet structure of the Ce 3d core levels. In this work both approaches are applied to CePt5/Pt(111) to determine nf and TK for a variety of surface alloy layer thicknesses. A temperature dependent study of the Ce 3d core levels allows to determine the systems TK for the different layer thicknesses. This leads to TK ≈200–270K in the thin layer thickness regime and TK >280K for larger layer thicknesses. These results are confirmed by fitting the Ce 3d multiplet based on the Gunnarsson-Schönhammer formalism for core level spectroscopy and additionally by valence band photoemission spectra of the respective Kondo resonances. The influence of varying layer thickness on the manifestation of strong correlation is subsequently studied for the surface alloy CeAgx/Ag(111). Furthermore, the heavy element Bi is added, to investigate the effects of strong spin-orbit coupling on the electronic structure of the surface alloy.
Quantum point contacts (QPCs) are one-dimensional constrictions in an otherwise extended two-dimensional electron or hole system. Since their first realization in GaAs based two-dimensional electron gases, QPCs have become basic building blocks of mesoscopic physics and are used in manifold experimental contexts. A so far unrealized goal however is the implementation of QPCs in the new material class of two-dimensional topological insulators, which host the emergence of the so-called quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect. The latter is characterized by the formation of conducting one-dimensional spin-polarized states at the device edges, while the bulk is insulating. Consequently, an implemented QPC technology can be utilized to bring the QSH edge channels in close spatial proximity, thus for example enabling the study of interaction effects between the edge states. The thesis at hand describes the technological realization as well as the subsequent experimental characterization and analysis of QPCs in a QSH system for the first time.
After an introduction is given in Chapter 1, the subsequent Chapter 2 starts with discussing the peculiar band structure of HgTe. The emergence of the QSH phase for HgTe quantum wells with an inverted band structure is explained. For the band inversion to occur, the quantum wells have to exhibit a well thickness d_QW above a critical value (d_QW > d_c = 6.3 nm). Subsequently, the concept of QPCs is explicated and the corresponding transport behaviour is analytically described. Following the discussion of relevant constraints when realizing a QPC technology in a QSH system, a newly developed lithography process utilizing a multi-step wet etching technique for fabricating QPC devices based on HgTe quantum wells is presented. Transport measurements of exemplary devices show the expected conductance quantization in steps of ΔG ≈ 2e^2/h within the conduction band for a topological as well as for a trivial (d_QW < d_c) QPC. For the topological case, the residual conductance within the bulk band gap saturates at G_QSH ≈ 2e^2/h due to presence of the QSH state, while it drops to G ≈ 0 for the trivial device. Moreover, bias voltage dependent measurements of the differential conductance of an inverted sample provide explicit proof of the unperturbed coexistence of topological and trivial transport modes.
In a next step, Chapter 3 describes the emergence of a QSH interferometer state in narrow QPC devices with a quantum well thickness of d_QW = 7 nm. Presented band structure calculations reveal that the spatial extension of the QSH edge states depends on the position of the Fermi energy within the bulk band gap. As a consequence, reservoir electrons with randomized spin couple to both edge channels with the same probability under certain conditions, thus causing the formation of a QSH ring. A straightforward model capturing and specifying the occurrence of such a QSH interferometer is provided as well as substantiated by two experimental plausibility checks. After relevant quantum phases are theoretically introduced, the discussion of the obtained data reveals the accumulation of an Aharonov-Bohm phase, of a dynamical Aharonov-Casher phase as well as of a spin-orbit Berry phase of π in appropriate QPC devices. These results are consistent with analytic model considerations.
The last part of this thesis, Chapter 4, covers the observation of an unexpected conductance pattern for QPC samples fabricated from quantum wells with d_QW = 10.5 nm. In these devices, an anomalous plateau at G ≈ e^2/h = 0.5 x G_QSH emerges in addition to the QSH phase entailed residual conductance of G_QSH ≈ 2e^2/h. This so-called 0.5 anomaly occurs only for a specific interval of QPC width values, while it starts to get lost for too large sample widths. Furthermore, presented temperature and bias voltage dependent measurements insinuate that the emergence of the 0.5 anomaly is related to a gapped topological state. Additional characterization of this peculiar transport regime is provided by the realization of a novel device concept, which integrates a QPC within a standard Hall bar geometry. The results of the experimental analysis of such a sample link the occurrence of the 0.5 anomaly to a backscattered QSH channel. Thus, following a single particle perspective argumentation, it is reasoned that only one edge channel is transmitted in the context of the 0.5 anomaly. Two theoretic models possibly explaining the emergence of the 0.5 anomaly -- based on electron-electron interactions -- are discussed.
To conclude, the implementation of a working QPC technology in a QSH system represents a paramount development in the context of researching two-dimensional topological insulators and enables a multitude of future experiments. QPC devices realized in a QSH system are for example envisaged to allow for the detection of Majorana fermions and parafermions. Furthermore, the reported formation of a QSH interferometer state in appropriate QPC devices is of high interest. The observed dynamical Aharonov-Casher phase in the QSH regime enables a controllable modulation of the topological conductance, thus providing the conceptual basis for a topological transistor. Moreover, due to the resilience of geometric phases against dephasing, the presence of a spin-orbit Berry phase of π represents a promising perspective with regard to possible quantum computation concepts. Besides that, the transmission of only one QSH edge channel due to the emergence of the 0.5 anomaly is equivalent to 100 % spin polarization, which is an essential ingredient for realizing spintronic applications. Hence, the thesis at hand covers the experimental detection of three effects of fundamental importance in the context of developing new generations of logic devices -- based on QPCs fabricated from topological HgTe quantum wells.
In this work, a bridge was built between the so-far separate fields of spin defects and 2D systems: for the first time, an optically addressable spin defect (VB-) in a van der Waals material (hexagonal boron nitride) was identified and exploited. The results of this thesis are divided into three topics as follows:
1.) Identification of VB-:
In the scope of this chapter, the defect ,the negatively charged boron vacancy VB-, is identified and characterized. An initialization and readout of the spin state can be demonstrated optically at room temperature and its spin Hamiltonian contributions can be quantified.
2.) Coherent Control of VB-:
A coherent control is required for the defect to be utilized for quantum applications, which
Exziton-Polaritonen (Polaritonen), hybride Quasiteilchen, die durch die starke Kopplung von Quantenfilm-Exzitonen mit Kavitätsphotonen entstehen, stellen auf Grund ihrer vielseitigen und kontrollierbaren Eigenschaften einen vielversprechenden Kandidaten für die Entwicklung einer neuen Generation von nichtlinearen und integrierten elektrooptischen Bauteilen dar. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung und Untersuchung kompakter elektrooptischer Bauelemente auf der Basis von Exziton-Polaritonen in Halbleitermikrokavitäten.
Als erstes wird die Implementierung einer elektrisch angeregten, oberflächenemittierenden Polariton-Laserdiode vorgestellt, die ohne ein externes Magnetfeld arbeiten kann. Dafür wird der Schichtaufbau, der Q-Faktor, das Dotierprofil und die RabiAufspaltung der Polariton-Laserdiode optimiert. Der Q-Faktor des finalen Aufbaus beläuft sich auf Q ~ 16.000, während die Rabi-Aufspaltung im Bereich von ~ 11,0 meV liegt. Darauf aufbauend werden Signaturen der Polariton-Kondensation unter elektrischer Anregung, wie ein nichtlinearer Anstieg der Intensität, die Reduktion der Linienbreite und eine fortgesetzte Verschiebung der Emission zu höheren Energien oberhalb der ersten Schwelle, demonstriert. Ferner werden die Kohärenzeigenschaften des Polariton-Kondensats mittels Interferenzspektroskopie untersucht.
Basierend auf den optimierten Halbleiter-Mikroresonatoren wird eine Kontaktplattform für die elektrische Anregung ein- und zweidimensionaler Gitterstrukturen entwickelt. Dazu wird die Bandstrukturbildung eines Quadrat- und Graphen-Gitters unter elektrischer Anregung im linearen Regime untersucht und mit den Ergebnissen der optischen Charakterisierung verglichen. Die erhaltenen Dispersionen lassen sich durch das zugehörige Tight-Binding-Modell beschreiben. Ferner wird auch eine elektrisch induzierte Nichtlinearität in der Emission demonstriert. Die untersuchte Laser-Mode liegt auf der Höhe des unteren Flachbandes und an der Position der Γ-Punkte in der zweiten Brillouin-Zone. Die zugehörige Modenstruktur weist die erwartete Kagome-Symmetrie auf. Abschließend wird die Bandstrukturbildung eines SSH-Gitters mit eingebautem Defekt unter elektrischer Anregung untersucht und einige Eigenschaften des topologisch geschützten Defektzustandes gezeigt. Dazu gehört vor allem die Ausbildung der lokalisierten Defektmode in der Mitte der S-Bandlücke. Die erhaltenen Ergebnisse stellen einen wichtigen Schritt in der Realisierung eines elektrisch betriebenen topologischen Polariton-Lasers dar.
Abschließend wird ein elektrooptisches Bauteil auf der Basis von Polaritonen in einem Mikrodrahtresonator vorgestellt, in dem sich die Propagation eines PolaritonKondensats mittels eines elektrostatischen Feldes kontrollieren lässt. Das Funktionsprinzip des Polariton-Schalters beruht auf der Kombination einer elektrostatischen Potentialsenke unterhalb des Kontaktes und der damit verbundenen erhöhten ExzitonIonisationsrate. Der Schaltvorgang wird sowohl qualitativ als auch quantitativ analysiert und die Erhaltenen Ergebnisse durch die Modellierung des Systems über die GrossPitaevskii-Gleichung beschrieben. Zusätzlich wird ein negativer differentieller Widerstand und ein bistabiles Verhalten in der Strom-Spannungs-Charakteristik in Abhängigkeit von der Ladungsträgerdichte im Kontaktbereich beobachtet. Dieses Verhalten wird auf gegenseitig konkurrierende Kondensats-Zustände innerhalb der Potentialsenke und deren Besetzung und damit direkt auf den räumlichen Freiheitsgrad der PolaritonZustände zurückgeführt.
Laser spectroscopic gas sensing has been applied for decades for several applications
as atmospheric monitoring, industrial combustion gas analysis or fundamental research.
The availability of new laser sources in the mid-infrared opens the spectral fingerprint
range to the technology where multiple molecules possess their fundamental ro-vibrational
absorption features that allow very sensitive detection and accurate discrimination of
the species. The increasing maturity of quantum cascade lasers that cover this highly
interesting spectral range motivated this research to gain fundamental knowledge about
the spectra of hydrocarbon gases in pure composition and in complex mixtures as they
occur in the petro-chemical industry. The long-term target of developing accurate and fast
hydrocarbon gas analyzers, capable of real-time operation while enabling feedback-loops,
would lead to a paradigm change in this industry.
This thesis aims to contribute to a higher accuracy and more comprehensive understanding
of the sensing of hydrocarbon gas mixtures. This includes the acquisition of yet
unavailable high resolution and high accuracy reference spectra of the respective gases,
the investigation of their spectral behavior in mixtures due to collisional broadening of
their transitions and the verification of the feasibility to quantitatively discriminate the
spectra when several overlapping species are simultaneously measured in gas mixtures.
To achieve this knowledge a new laboratory environment was planned and built up to
allow for the supply of the individual gases and their arbitrary mixing. The main element
was the development of a broadly tunable external-cavity quantum cascade laser based
spectrometer to record the required spectra. This also included the development of a new
measurement method to obtain highly resolved and nearly gap-less spectral coverage as
well as a sophisticated signal post-processing that was crucial to achieve the high accuracy
of the measurements. The spectroscopic setup was used for a thorough investigation of
the spectra of the first seven alkanes as of their mixtures. Measurements were realized
that achieved a spectral resolution of 0.001 cm-1 in the range of 6-11 µm while ensuring an
accuracy of 0.001 cm-1 of the spectra and attaining a transmission sensitivity of 2.5 x 10-4
for long-time averaging of the acquired spectra.
These spectral measurements accomplish a quality that compares to state-of-the art
spectral databases and revealed so far undocumented details of several of the investigated
gases that have not been measured with this high resolution before at the chosen measurement
conditions. The results demonstrate the first laser spectroscopic discrimination of a
seven component gas mixture with absolute accuracies below 0.5 vol.% in the mid-infrared
provided that a sufficiently broad spectral range is covered in the measurements. Remaining
challenges for obtaining improved spectral models of the gases and limitations of the
measurement accuracy and technology are discussed.
Kavitäts-Exziton-Polaritonen (Polaritonen) sind hybride Quasiteilchen, die sich aufgrund starker Kopplung von Halbleiter-Exzitonen mit Kavitätsphotonen ausbilden. Diese Quasiteilchen weisen eine Reihe interessanter Eigenschaften auf, was sie einerseits für die Grundlagenforschung, andererseits auch für die Entwicklung neuartiger Bauteile sehr vielversprechend macht. Bei Erreichen einer ausreichend großen Teilchendichte geht das System in den Exziton-Polariton-Kondensationszustand über, was zur Emission von laserartigem Licht führt. Organische Halbleiter als aktives Emittermaterial zeigen in diesem Kontext großes Potential, da deren Exzitonen neben großen Oszillatorstärken auch hohe Bindungsenergien aufweisen. Deshalb ist es möglich, unter Verwendung organischer Halbleiter selbst bei Umgebungsbedingungen äußerst stabile Polaritonen zu erzeugen. Eine wichtige Voraussetzung zur Umsetzung von integrierten opto-elektronischen Bauteilen basierend auf Polaritonen ist der kontrollierte räumliche Einschluss sowie die Realisierung von frei konfigurierbaren Potentiallandschaften. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung und der Untersuchung geeigneter Plattformen zur Erzeugung von Exziton-Polaritonen und Polaritonkondensaten in hemisphärischen Mikrokavitäten, in die organische Halbleiter eingebettet sind.
Spin- and \(k\)-resolved hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) is a powerful tool to probe bulk electronic properties of complex metal oxides. Due to the low efficiency of common spin detectors of about \(10^{-4}\), such experiments have been rarely performed within the hard X-ray regime since the notoriously low photoionization cross sections further lower the performance tremendously. This thesis is about a new type of spin detector, which employs an imaging spin-filter with multichannel electron recording. This increases the efficiency by a factor of \(10^4\) and makes spin- and \(k\)-resolved photoemission at high excitation energies possible. Two different technical approaches were pursued in this thesis: One using a hemispherical deflection analyzer (HDA) and a separate external spin detector chamber, the other one resorting to a momentum- or \(k\)-space microscope with time-of-flight (TOF) energy recording and an integrated spin-filter crystal. The latter exhibits significantly higher count rates and - since it was designed for this purpose from scratch - the integrated spin-filter option found out to be more viable than the subsequent upgrade of an existing setup with an HDA. This instrumental development is followed by the investigation of the complex metal oxides (CMOs) KTaO\(_3\) by angle-resolved HAXPES (HARPES) and Fe\(_3\)O\(_4\) by spin-resolved HAXPES (spin-HAXPES), respectively.
KTaO\(_3\) (KTO) is a band insulator with a valence-electron configuration of Ta 5\(d^0\). By angle- and spin-integrated HAXPES it is shown that at the buried interface of LaAlO\(_3\)/KTO - by the generation of oxygen vacancies and hence effective electron doping - a conducting electron system forms in KTO. Further investigations using the momentum-resolution of the \(k\)-space TOF microscope show that these states are confined to the surface in KTO and intensity is only obtained from the center or the Gamma-point of each Brillouin zone (BZ). These BZs are furthermore square-like arranged reflecting the three-dimensional cubic crystal structure of KTO. However, from a comparison to calculations it is found that the band structure deviates from that of electron-doped bulk KTaO\(_3\) due to the confinement to the interface.
There is broad consensus that Fe\(_3\)O\(_4\) is a promising material for spintronics applications due to its high degree of spin polarization at the Fermi level. However, previous attempts to measure the spin polarization by spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy have been hampered by the use of low photon energies resulting in high surface sensitivity. The surfaces of magnetite, though, tend to reconstruct due to their polar nature, and thus their magnetic and electronic properties may strongly deviate from each other and from the bulk, dependent on their orientation and specific preparation. In this work, the intrinsic bulk spin polarization of magnetite at the Fermi level (\(E_F\)) by spin-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, is determined by spin-HAXPES on (111)-oriented thin films, epitaxially grown on ZnO(0001) to be \(P(E_F) = -80^{+10}_{-20}\) %.
Realization and Spectroscopy of the Quantum Spin Hall Insulator Bismuthene on Silicon Carbide
(2022)
Topological matter is one of the most vibrant research fields of contemporary solid state physics since the theoretical prediction of the quantum spin Hall effect in graphene in 2005. Quantum spin Hall insulators possess a vanishing bulk conductivity but symmetry-protected, helical edge states that give rise to dissipationless charge transport.
The experimental verification of this exotic state of matter in 2007 lead to a boost of research activity in this field, inspired by possible ground-breaking future applications.
However, the use of the quantum spin Hall materials available to date is limited to cryogenic temperatures owing to their comparably small bulk band gaps.
In this thesis, we follow a novel approach to realize a quantum spin Hall material with a large energy gap and epitaxially grow bismuthene, i.e., Bi atoms adopting a honeycomb lattice, in a \((\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3})\) reconstruction on the semiconductor SiC(0001). In this way, we profit both from the honeycomb symmetry as well as the large spin-orbit coupling of Bi, which, in combination, give rise to a topologically non-trivial band gap on the order of one electronvolt.
An in-depth theoretical analysis demonstrates that the covalent bond between the Si and Bi atoms is not only stabilizing the Bi film but is pivotal to attain the quantum spin Hall phase.
The preparation of high-quality, unreconstructed SiC(0001) substrates sets the basis for the formation of bismuthene and requires an extensive procedure in ultra-pure dry H\(_2\) gas. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements unveil the (\(1\times1\)) surface periodicity and smooth terrace planes, which are suitable for the growth of single Bi layers by means of molecular beam epitaxy. The chemical configuration of the resulting Bi film and its oxidation upon exposure to ambient atmosphere are inspected with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the excellent agreement of probed and calculated band structure. In particular, it evidences a characteristic Rashba-splitting of the valence bands at the K point. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy probes signatures of this splitting, as well, and allows to determine the full band gap with a magnitude of \(E_\text{gap}\approx0.8\,\text{eV}\).
Constant-current images and local-density-of-state maps confirm the presence of a planar honeycomb lattice, which forms several domains due to different, yet equivalent, nucleation sites of the (\(\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}\))-Bi reconstruction.
Differential conductivity measurements demonstrate that bismuthene edge states evolve at atomic steps of the SiC substrate. The probed, metallic local density of states is in agreement with the density of states expected from the edge state's energy dispersion found in density functional theory calculations - besides a pronounced dip at the Fermi level.
By means of temperature- and energy-dependent tunneling spectroscopy it is shown that the spectral properties of this suppressed density of states are successfully captured in the framework of the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid theory and most likely originate from enhanced electronic correlations in the edge channel.
The thesis at hand is concerned with improving our understanding of and our control over transport properties of the three-dimensional topological insulator HgTe. Topological insulators are characterized by an insulating bulk and symmetry-protected metallic surface states. These topological surface states hold great promise for research and technology; at the same time, many properties of experimentally accessible topological insulator materials still need to be explored thoroughly. The overall aim of this thesis was to experimentally investigate micrometer-sized HgTe transport devices to observe the ballistic transport regime as well as intercarrier scattering and possibly identify special properties of the topological surface states.
Part I of the thesis presents lithographic developments concerned with etching small HgTe devices. The aim was to replace existing processes which relied on dry etching with high-energy \(\text{Ar}^+\) ions and an organic etch mask. This etching method is known to degrade the HgTe crystal quality. In addition, the etch mask turned out to be not durable for long etching processes and difficult to remove completely after etching. First, \(\text{BaF}_2\) was introduced as a new etch mask for dry etching to replace the organic etch mask. With common surface characterization techniques like SEM and XPS it was shown that \(\text{BaF}_2\) etch masks are easy to deposit, highly durable in common dry etching processes for \(\text{Hg}_{1-x}\text{Cd}_x\text{Te}\), and easy to remove in deionized water. Transport results of HgTe devices fabricated with the new etch mask are comparable to results obtained with the old process. At the same time, the new etch mask can withstand longer etching times and does not cause problems due to incomplete removal. Second, a new inductively coupled plasma dry etching process based on \(\text{CH}_4\) and Ar was introduced. This etching process is compatible with \(\text{BaF}_2\) etch masks and yields highly reproducible results. Transport results indicate that the new etching process does not degrade the crystal quality and is suitable to produce high-quality transport devices even in the micrometer range. A comparison with wet-etched samples shows that inductively coupled plasma etching introduces a pronounced edge roughness. This - usually undesirable - property is actually beneficial for some of the experiments in this study and mostly irrelevant for others. Therefore, most samples appearing in this thesis were fabricated with the new process.
Part II of the thesis details the advancements made in identifying topological and trivial states which contribute to transport in HgTe three-dimensional topological insulators. To this end, macroscopic Hall bar samples were fabricated from high-quality tensilely strained HgTe layers by means of the improved lithographic processes. All samples were equipped with a top gate electrode, and some also with a modulation doping layer or a back gate electrode to modify the carrier density of the surface states on both sides of the HgTe layer. Due to the high sample quality, Landau levels could be well-resolved in standard transport measurements down to magnetic fields of less than 0.5T. High-resolution measurements of the Landau level dispersion with gate voltage and magnetic field allowed disentangling different transport channels. The main result here is that the upper (electron) branches of the two topological surface states contribute to transport in all experimentally relevant density regimes, while the hole branch is not accessible. Far in n-regime bulk conduction band states give a minor contribution to transport. More importantly, trivial bulk valence band holes come into play close to the charge neutrality point. Further in p-regime, the strong applied gate voltage leads to the formation of two-dimensional, massive hole states at the HgTe surface. The interplay of different states gives rise to rich physics: Top gate-back gate maps revealed that an anticrossing of Landau levels from the two topological surface states occurs at equal filling. A possible explanation for this effect is a weak hybridization of the surface states; however, future studies need to further clarify this point. Furthermore, the superposition of n-type topological and p-type trivial surface states leads to an intriguing Landau level dispersion. The good quantization of the Hall conductance in this situation indicates that the counterpropagating edge states interact with each other. The nature of this interaction will be the topic of further research.
Part III of the thesis is focused on HgTe microstructures. These "channel samples" have a typical width of 0.5 to 4µm and a typical length of 5 to 80µm. The quality of these devices benefits particularly from the improved lithographic processes. As a result, the impurity mean free path of the topological surface state electrons is on the order of the device width and transport becomes semiballistic. This was verified by measuring the channel resistance in small magnetic fields in n-regime. The deflection of carriers towards the dissipative channel walls results in a pronounced peak in the magnetoresistance, which scales in a predictable manner with the channel width. To investigate transport effects due to mutual scattering of charge carriers, the differential resistance of channel samples was measured as a function of carrier temperature. Selective heating of the charge carriers - but not the lattice - was achieved by passing a heating current through the channel. Increasing the carrier temperature has two pronounced effects when the Fermi level is situated in proximity to the bulk valence band maximum where the density of states is large. First, when both topological surface state electrons and bulk holes are present, electron-hole scattering leads to a pronounced increase in resistance with increasing carrier temperature. Second, a thermally induced increase of the electron and hole carrier densities reduces the resistance again at higher temperatures. A model considering these two effects was developed, which can well reproduce the experimental results. Current heating experiments in zero-gap HgTe quantum wells and compressively strained HgTe layers are consistent with this model. These observations raise the question as to how electron-hole scattering may affect other transport properties of HgTe-based three-dimensional topological insulators, which is briefly discussed in the outlook.
Overview of the Organolead Trihalide Perovskite Crystal Area
Studies of perovskite single crystals with high crystallographic quality is an important technological area of the perovskite research, which enables to estimate their full optoelectronic potential, and thus to boost their future applications [26]. It was therefore essential to grow high-quality single crystals with lowest structural as well as chemical defect densities and with a stoichiometry relevant for their thin-film counterparts [26]. Optoelectronic devices, e.g. solar cells, are highly complex systems in which the properties of the active layer (absorber) are strongly influenced by the adjacent layers, so it is not always easy to define the targeted properties and elaborate the design rules for the active layer. Currently, organolead trihalide perovskite (OLTP) single crystals with the structure ABX3 are one of the most studied crystalline systems. These hybrid crystals are solids composed of an organic cation such as methylammonium (A = MA+) or formamidinium (A = FA+) to form a three-dimensional periodic lattice together with the lead cation (B = Pb2+) and a halogen anion such as chloride, bromide or iodide (X = Cl-, Br- or I-) [23]. Among them are methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr3), methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3), as well as methylammonium lead trichloride (MAPbCl3) [62, 63]. Important representatives with the larger cation FA+ are formamidinium lead tribromide (FAPbBr3) and formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI3) [23, 64]. Besides the exchange of cations as well as anions, it was possible to grow crystals containing two halogens to obtain mixed crystals with different proportions of chlorine to bromine and bromine to iodine, as it is shown in Figure 70. By varying the mixing ratio of the halogens, it was therefore possible to vary the colour and thus the absorption properties of the crystals [85], as it can be done with thin polycrystalline perovskite films. In addition, since a few years it is also doable to grow complex crystals that contain several cations as well as anions [26, 80, 81]. These include the perovskites double cation – double halide formamidinium lead triiodide – methylammonium lead tribromide (FAPbI3)0.9(MAPbBr3)0.1 (FAMA) [26, 80] and formamidinium lead triiodide – methylammonium lead tribromide – caesium lead tribromide (FAPbI3)0.9(MAPbBr3)0.05(CsPbBr3)0.05 (CsFAMA) [81], which have made a significant contribution to increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in thin-film photovoltaics [47, 79, 182]. The growth of crystals to this day is performed exclusively from solution [23, 26, 56, 62]. Important preparation methods are the cooling acid-based precursor solution crystallisation [22], the inverse temperature crystallisation (ITC) [62], and the antisolvent vapour-assistant crystallisation (AVC) [137]. In the cooling crystallisation, the precursor salts AX and PbX2 are dissolved in an aqueous halogen-containing acid at high temperatures [56]. Controlled and slow cooling finally results in a supersaturated precursor solution, which leads to spontaneous nucleation of crystal nuclei, followed by subsequent crystal growth. The ITC method is based on the inverse or retrograde solubility of a dissociated perovskite in an organic solvent [23, 64]. With increasing temperature, the solubility of the perovskite decreases and mm-sized crystals can be grown within a few hours [23]. In the AVC method, the precursors are also dissolved in an organic solvent as well [137]. By slow evaporation of a so-called antisolvent [137], the solubility of the perovskite in the now present solvent mixture decreases and it finally precipitates. In addition, there are many other methods with the goal of growing high quality and large crystals in a short period of
time [60, 61, 233, 310].
The fascination of microcavity exciton-polaritons (polaritons) rests upon the combination of advanced technological control over both the III-V semiconductor material platform as well as the precise spectroscopic access to polaritonic states, which provide access to the investigation of open questions and complex phenomena due to the inherent nonlinearity and direct spectroscopic observables such as energy-resolved real and Fourier space information, pseudospin and coherence. The focus of this work was to advance the research area of polariton lattice simulators with a particular emphasis on their lasing properties. Following the brief introduction into the fundamental physics of polariton lattices in chapter 2, important aspects of the sample fabrication as well as the Fourier spectroscopy techniques used to investigate various features of these lattices were summarized in chapter 3. Here, the implementation of a spatial light modulator for advanced excitation schemes was presented.
At the foundation of this work is the capability to confine polaritons into micropillars or microtraps resulting in discrete energy levels. By arranging these pillars or traps into various lattice geometries and ensuring coupling between neighbouring sites, polaritonic band structures were engineered. In chapter 4, the formation of a band structure was visualised in detail by investigating ribbons of honeycomb lattices. Here, the transition of the discrete energy levels of a single chain of microtraps to the fully developed band structure of a honeycomb lattice was observed. This study allows to design the size of individual domains in more complicated lattice geometries such that a description using band structures becomes feasible, as it revealed that a width of just six unit cells is sufficient to reproduce all characteristic features of the S band of a honeycomb lattice. In particular in the context of potential technological applications in the realms of lasing, the laser-like, coherent emission from polariton microcavities that can be achieved through the excitation of polariton condensates is intriguing. The condensation process is significantly altered in a lattice potential environment when compared to a planar microcavity. Therefore, an investigation of the polariton condensation process in a lattice with respect to the characteristics of the excitation laser, the exciton-photon detuning as well as the reduced trap distance that represents a key design parameter for polaritonic lattices was performed. Based on the demonstration of polariton condensation into multiple bands, the preferred condensation into a desired band was achieved by selecting the appropriate detuning. Additionally, a decreased condensation threshold in confined systems compared to a planar microcavity was revealed.
In chapter 5, the influence of the peculiar feature of flatbands arising in certain lattice geometries, such as the Lieb and Kagome lattices, on polaritons and polariton condensates was investigated. Deviations from a lattice simulator described by a tight binding model that is solely based on nearest neighbour coupling cause a remaining dispersiveness of the flatbands along certain directions of the Brillouin zone. Therefore, the influence of the reduced trap distance on the dispersiveness of the flatbands was investigated and precise technological control over the flatbands was demonstrated. As next-nearest neighbour coupling is reduced drastically by increasing the distance between the corresponding traps, increasing the reduced trap distance enables to tune the S flatbands of both Lieb and Kagome lattices from dispersive bands to flatbands with a bandwidth on the order of the polariton linewidth. Additionally to technological control over the band structures, the controlled excitation of large condensates, single compact localized state (CLS) condensates as well as the resonant excitation of polaritons in a Lieb flatband were demonstrated. Furthermore, selective condensation into flatbands was realised. This combination of technological and spectroscopic control illustrates the capabilities of polariton lattice simulators and was used to study the coherence of flatband polariton condensates. Here, the ability to tune the dispersiveness from a dispersive band to an almost perfect flatband in combination with the selectivity of the excitation is particularly valuable. By exciting large flatband condensates, the increasing degree of localisation to a CLS with decreasing dispersiveness was demonstrated by measurements of first order spatial coherence. Furthermore, the first order temporal coherence of CLS condensates was increased from τ = 68 ps for a dispersive flatband, a value typically achieved in high-quality microcavity samples, to a remarkable τ = 459 ps in a flatband with a dispersiveness below the polarion linewidth. Corresponding to this drastic increase of the first order coherence time, a decrease of the second order temporal coherence function from g(2)(τ =0) = 1.062 to g(2)(0) = 1.035 was observed. Next to laser-like, coherent emission, polariton condensates can form vortex lattices. In this work, two distinct vortex lattices that can form in polariton condensates in Kagome flatbands were revealed. Furthermore, chiral, superfluid edge transport was realised by breaking the spatial symmetry through a localised excitation spot. This chirality was related to a change in the vortex orientation at the edge of the lattice and thus opens the path towards further investigations of symmetry breaking and chiral superfluid transport in Kagome lattices.
Arguably the most influential concept in solid-state physics of the recent decades is the idea of topological order that has also provided a new degree of freedom to control the propagation of light. Therefore, in chapter 6, the interplay of topologically non-trivial band structures with polaritons, polariton condensates and lasing was emphasised. Firstly, a two-dimensional exciton-polariton topological insulator based on a honeycomb lattice was realised. Here, a topologically non-trivial band gap was opened at the Dirac points through a combination of TE-TM splitting of the photonic mode and Zeeman splitting of the excitonic mode. While the band gap is too small compared to the linewidth to be observed in the linear regime, the excitation of polariton condensates allowed to observe the characteristic, topologically protected, chiral edge modes that are robust against scattering at defects as well as lattice corners. This result represents a valuable step towards the investigation of non-linear and non-Hermitian topological physics, based on the inherent gain and loss of microcavities as well as the ability of polaritons to interact with each other. Apart from fundamental interest, the field of topological photonics is driven by the search of potential technological applications, where one direction is to advance the development of lasers. In this work, the starting point towards studying topological lasing was the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, since it combines a simple and well-understood geometry with a large topological gap. The coherence properties of the topological edge defect of an SSH chain was studied in detail, revealing a promising degree of second order temporal coherence of g(2)(0) = 1.07 for a microlaser with a diameter of only d = 3.5 µm. In the context of topological lasing, the idea of using a propagating, topologically protected mode to ensure coherent coupling of laser arrays is particularly promising. Here, a topologically non-trivial interface mode between the two distinct domains of the crystalline topological insulator (CTI) was realised. After establishing selective lasing from this mode, the coherence properties were studied and coherence of a full, hexagonal interface comprised of 30 vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) was demonstrated. This result thus represents the first demonstration of a topological insulator VCSEL array, combining the compact size and convenient light collection of vertically emitting lasers with an in-plane topological protection.
Finally, in chapter 7, an approach towards engineering the band structures of Lieb and honeycomb lattices by unbalancing the eigenenergies of the sites within each unit cell was presented. For Lieb lattices, this technique opens up a path towards controlling the coupling of a flatband to dispersive bands and could enable a detailed study of the influence of this coupling on the polariton flatband states. In an unbalanced honeycomb lattice, a quantum valley Hall boundary mode between two distinct, unbalanced honeycomb domains with permuted sites in the unit cells was demonstrated. This boundary mode could serve as the foundation for the realisation of a polariton quantum valley Hall effect with a truly topologically protected spin based on vortex charges. Modifying polariton lattices by unbalancing the eigenenergies of the sites that comprise a unit cell was thus identified as an additional, promising path for the future development of polariton lattice simulators.
Thermoplastic polymers have a history of decades of safe and effective use in the clinic as implantable medical devices. In recent years additive manufacturing (AM) saw increased clinical interest for the fabrication of customizable and implantable medical devices and training models using the patients’ own radiological data. However, approval from the various regulatory bodies remains a significant hurdle. A possible solution is to fabricate the AM scaffolds using materials and techniques with a clinical safety record, e.g. melt processing of polymers. Melt Electrowriting (MEW) is a novel, high resolution AM technique which uses thermoplastic polymers. MEW produces scaffolds with microscale fibers and precise fiber placement, allowing the control of the scaffold microarchitecture. Additionally, MEW can process medical-grade thermoplastic polymers, without the use of solvents paving the way for the production of medical devices for clinical applications. This pathway is investigated in this thesis, where the layout is designed to resemble the journey of a medical device produced via MEW from conception to early in vivo experiments. To do so, first, a brief history of the development of medical implants and the regenerative capability of the human body is given in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, a review of the use of thermoplastic polymers in medicine, with a focus on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), is illustrated, as this is the polymer used in the rest of the thesis. This review is followed by a comparison of the state of the art, regarding in vivo and clinical experiments, of three polymer melt AM technologies: melt-extrusion, selective laser sintering and MEW. The first two techniques already saw successful translation to the bedside, producing patient-specific, regulatory-approved AM implants. To follow in the footsteps of these two technologies, the MEW device parameters need to be optimized. The MEW process parameters and their interplay are further discussed in Chapter 3 focusing on the importance of a steady mass flow rate of the polymer during printing. MEW reaches a balance between polymer flow, the stabilizing electric field and moving collector to produce reproducible, high-resolution scaffolds. An imbalance creates phenomena like fiber pulsing or arcing which result in defective scaffolds and potential printer damage. Chapter 4 shows the use of X-ray microtomography (µCT) as a non-destructive method to characterize the pore-related features: total porosity and the pore size distribution. MEW scaffolds are three-dimensional (3D) constructs but have long been treated in the literature as two-dimensional (2D) ones and characterized mainly by microscopy, including stereo- and scanning electron microscopy, where pore size was simply reported as the distance between the fibers in a single layer. These methods, together with the trend of producing scaffolds with symmetrical pores in the 0/90° and 0/60/120° laydown patterns, disregarded the lateral connections between pores and the potential of MEW to be used for more complex 3D structures, mimicking the extracellular matrix. Here we characterized scaffolds in the aforementioned symmetrical laydown patterns, along with the more complex 0/45/90/135° and 0/30/60/90/120/150° ones. A 2D pore size estimation was done first using stereomicroscopy, followed by and compared to µCT scanning. The scaffolds with symmetrical laydown patterns resulted in the predominance of one pore size, while those with more complex patterns had a broader distribution, which could be better shown by µCT scans. Moreover, in the symmetrical scaffolds, the size of 3D pores was not able to reach the value of the fiber spacing due to a flattening effect of the scaffold, where the thickness of the scaffold was less than the fiber spacing, further restricting the pore size distribution in such scaffolds. This method could be used for quality assurance of fabricated scaffolds prior to use in in vitro or in vivo experiments and would be important for a clinical translation. Chapter 5 illustrates a proof of principle subcutaneous implantation in vivo experiment. MEW scaffolds were already featured in small animal in vivo experiments, but to date, no analysis of the foreign body reaction (FBR) to such implants was performed. FBR is an immune reaction to implanted foreign materials, including medical devices, aimed at protecting the host from potential adverse effects and can interfere with the function of some medical implants. Medical-grade PCL was used to melt electrowrite scaffolds with 50 and 60 µm fiber spacing for the 0/90° and 0/60/120° laydown patterns, respectively. These implants were implanted subcutaneously in immunocompetent, outbred mice, with appropriate controls, and explanted after 2, 4, 7 and 14 days. A thorough characterization of the scaffolds before implantation was done, followed by a full histopathological analysis of the FBR to the implants after excision. The scaffolds, irrespective of their pore geometry, induced an extensive FBR in the form of accumulation of foreign body giant cells around the fiber walls, in a manner that almost occluded available pore spaces with little to no neovascularization. This reaction was not induced by the material itself, as the same reaction failed to develop in the PCL solid film controls. A discussion of the results was given with special regard to the literature available on flat surgical meshes, as well as other hydrogel-based porous scaffolds with similar pore sizes. Finally, a general summary of the thesis in Chapter 6 recapitulates the most important points with a focus on future directions for MEW.
This work investigates the correlations between spin states and the light emission properties of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which are based on the principle of thermally activated delayed fluorescence. The spin-spin interactions responsible for this mechanism are investigated in this work using methods based on spin-sensitive electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). In particular, this method has been applied to electrically driven OLEDs. The magnetic resonance has been detected by electroluminescence, giving this method its name: electroluminescence detected magnetic resonance (ELDMR).
Initial investigations on a novel deep blue TADF emitter were performed. Furthermore, the ELDMR method was used in this work to directly detect the spin states in the OLED. These measurements were further underlined by time-resolved experiments such as transient electro- and photoluminescence.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der volumenbildgebenden Untersuchung von mechanischen Ermüdungsprozessen in Titan-Zahnimplantaten. Im Vordergrund steht die Entwicklung einer neuen Messmethode der In-situ-Mikrotomografie am Synchrotron.
Zahnimplantate werden beim Gebrauch mechanisch wiederholt belastet (Wechsellast). Nach vielen zyklischen Belastungen können aufgrund von mikroplastische Verformungen Ermüdungsschäden auftreten. Diese können im Extremfall zum Versagen und Verlust eines Implantats führen. Die Computertomographie ist eine sehr geeignete zerstörungsfrei Prüfmethode, um Zahnimplantate zu untersuchen. Diese Arbeit erweitert die bisherige CT-Methode insofern, dass In-situ-Beobachtungen bei mechanischer Belastung möglich sind.
Die in dieser Arbeit untersuchten Zahnimplantate weisen an der Implantat-Abutment-Grenzfläche bei eintretender Ermüdung einen Mikrospalt auf. Dieser wird als Indikator für einsetzende Fatigue- Prozesse benutzt. Der in der Synchrotron CT verfügbare Inlinephasenkontrast ermöglicht eine verbesserte Bestimmung der Mikrospaltgröße. Da die schnellen Bewegungen der Ermüdungsprüfung mittels Standard-CT-Verfahren schwer zu erfassen sind, war die stroboskopische Aufnahmemethode das zielführende Messverfahren, um in-situ-Prüfung zu ermöglichen.
Die 4 kommerziellen Zahnimplantattypen werden neben der In-situ-Fatigue Prüfung auch mittels klassischer Ermüdungsprüfung untersucht und mit der Neuen Messmethode verglichen. Die hier entwickelte In-situ-Fatigue-Prüfstation kann Proben bis zu 345 N tomographisch untersuchen. Neben den experimentellen Untersuchungen wird eine statische FEM-Betrachtung durchgeführt und mit experimentellen Messdaten verglichen. Zuletzt wird mit der entwickelten Messtation Knochenrisse in der Implantat Umgebung untersucht.
The motivation for this work has been contributing a step to the advancement of technology. A next leap in technology would be the realization of a scalable quantum computer. One potential route is via topological quantum computing. A profound understanding of topological materials is thus essential. My work contributes by the investigation of the exemplary topological material HgTe. The focus lies on the understanding of the topological surface states (TSS) and new possibilities to manipulate them appropriately. Traditionally top gate electrodes are used to adjust the carrier density in such semi-conductor materials. We found that the electric field of the top gate can further alter the properties of the HgTe layer. The formation of additional massive Volkov-Pankratov states limits the accessibility of the TSS. The understanding of these states and their interplay with the TSS is necessary to appropriately design devices and to ensure their desired properties. Similarly, I observed the existence and stability of TSSs even without a bandgap in the bulk band structure in the inversion induced Dirac semi-metal phase of compressively strained HgTe. The finding of topological surface states in inversion-induced Dirac semi-metals provides a consistent and simple explanation for the observation reported for \(\text{Cd}_3\text{As}_2\).
These observations have only been possible due to the high quality of the MBE grown HgTe layers and the access of different phases of HgTe via strain engineering. As a starting point I performed Magneto-transport measurements on 67 nm thick tensilely strained HgTe layers grown on a CdTe substrate. We observed multiple transport channels in this three-dimensional topological insulator and successfully identified them. Not only do the expected topological surface states exist, but also additional massive surface states have been observed. These additional massive surface states are formed due to the electrical field applied at the top gate, which is routinely used to vary the carrier density in the HgTe layer. The additional massive surface states are called Volkov-Pankratov states after B. A. Volkov and O. A. Pankratov. They predicted the existence of similar massive surface states at the interface of materials with mutually inverted bands. We first found indications for such massive Volkov-Pankratov states in high-frequency compressibility measurements for very high electron densities in a fruitful collaboration with LPA in Paris. Magneto-transport measurements and \(k \cdot p\) calculations revealed that such Volkov-Pankratov states are also responsible for the observed whole transport. We also found indications for similar massive VPS in the electron regime, which coexist with the topological surface states. The topological surface states exist over the full investigated gate range including a regime of pure topological insulator transport. To increase the variability of the topological surface states we introduced a modulation doping layer in the buffer layer. This modulation doping layer also enabled us to separate and identify the top and bottom topological surface states.
We used the variability of the bulk band structure of HgTe with strain to engineer the band structure of choice using virtual substrates. The virtual substrates enable us to grow compressively strained HgTe layers that do not possess a bandgap, but instead linear crossing points. These layers are predicted to beDirac semi-metals. Indeed I observed also topological surface states and massive Volkov-Pankratov states in the compressively strained Dirac semi-metal phase. The observation of topological surfaces states also in the Dirac semi-metal phase has two consequences: First, it highlights that no bulk bandgap is necessary to observe topological surface states. Second, the observation of TSS also in the Dirac semi-metal phase emphasizes the importance of the underlying band inversion in this phase. I could not find any clear signatures of the predicted disjoint topological surface states, which are typically called Fermi-arcs. The presence of topological surface states and massive Volkov-Pankratov states offer a simple explanation for the observed quantum Hall effect and other two-dimensional transport phenomena in the class of inversion induced Dirac semi-metals, as \(\text{Cd}_3\text{As}_2\). This emphasizes the importance of the inherent bulk band inversion of different topological materials and provides a consistent and elegant explanation for the observed phenomena in these materials. Additionally, it offers a route to design further experiments, devices, and thus the foundation for the induction of superconductivity and thus topological quantum computing.
Another possible path towards quantum computing has been proposed based on the chiral anomaly. The chiral anomaly is an apparent transport anomaly that manifests itself as an additional magnetic field-driven current in three-dimensional topological semimetals with a linear crossing point in their bulk band structure. I observed the chiral anomaly in compressively strained HgTe samples and performed multiple control experiments to identify the observed reduction of the magnetoresistance with the chiral anomaly. First, the dependence of the so-called negative magnetoresistance on the angle and strength of the magnetic field has been shown to fit the expectation for the chiral anomaly. Second, extrinsic effects as scattering could be excluded as a source for the observed negative MR using samples with different mobilities and thus impurity concentrations. Third, the necessity of the linear crossing point has been shown by shifting the electrochemical potential away from the linear crossing points, which diminished the negative magnetoresistance. Fourth, I could not observe a negative magnetoresistance in the three-dimensional topological insulator phase of HgTe. These observations together prove the existence of the chiral anomaly and verify compressively strained HgTe as Dirac semi-metal. Surprisingly, the chiral anomaly is also present in unstrained HgTe samples, which constitute a semi-metal with a quadratic band touching point. This observation reveals the relevance of the Zeeman effect for the chiral anomaly due to the lifting of the spin-degeneracy in these samples. Additionally to the chiral anomaly, the Dirac semi-metal phase of compressively strained HgTe showed other interesting effects. For low magnetic fields, a strong weak-antilocalization has been observed. Such a strong weak-anti-localization correction in a three-dimensional layer is surprising and interesting. Additionally, non-trivial magnetic field strength and direction dependencies have been observed. These include a strong positive magnetoresistance for high magnetic fields, which could indicate a metal-insulator transition. On a more device-oriented note, the semi-metal phase of unstrained HgTe constitutes the lower limit of the by strain engineering adjustable minimal carrier density of the topological surface states and thus of very high mobility.
To sum up, topological surface states have been observed in the three-dimensional topological insulator phase and the Dirac semi-metal phase of HgTe. The existence and accessibility of topological surface states are thus independent of the existence of a bandgap in the bulk band structure. The topological surface states can be accompanied by massive Volkov-Pankratov states. These VPS are created by electric fields, which are routinely applied to adjust the carrier density in semiconductor devices. The theoretical predicted chiral anomaly has been observed in the Dirac semi-metal phase of HgTe. In contrast to theoretical predictions, no indications for the Fermi-arc called disjoint surface states have been observed, but instead the topological and massive Volkov-Pankratov surface states have been found. These states are thus expected for all inversion-induced topological materials.
Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Entwicklung und Weiterentwicklung von Laserlichtquellen basierend auf der Interbandkaskadentechnologie in einem Wellenlängenbereich von ca. 3 bis 6 µm. Der Fokus lag dabei auf der Entwicklung von Kantenemitter-Halbleiterlasern, welche bei verschiedensten Emissionswellenlängen erfolgreich hergestellt werden konnten. Dabei wurde auf jeweilige Herausforderungen eingegangen, welche entweder durch die Herstellung selbst oder der anwendungstechnischen Zielsetzung bedingt war. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden verschiedene, spektral einzelmodige Halbleiterlaser im angesprochenen Wellenlängenbereich entwickelt und hergestellt. Basierend auf dem jeweiligen Epitaxiematerial und der angestrebten Emissionswellenlänge wurden Simulationen der optischen Lasermode durchgeführt und die grundlegenden für die Herstellung notwendigen Parameter bestimmt und experimentell umgesetzt. Des Weiteren wurden die verwendeten Verfahren für den jeweiligen Herstellungsprozess angepasst und optimiert. Das umfasst die in den ersten Kapiteln beschriebenen Schritte wie optische Lithografie, Elektronenstrahllithografie, reaktives Trockenätzen und verschiedene Arten der Materialdeposition. Mit einer Emissionswellenlänge von 2,8 µm wurde beispielsweise der bislang kurzwelligste bei Raumtemperatur im Dauerstrichbetrieb betriebene einzelmodige Interbandkaskadenlaser hergestellt. Dessen Leistungsmerkmale sind mit Diodenlasern im entsprechenden Emissionsbereich vergleichbar. Somit ergänzt die Interbandkaskadentechnologie bestehende Technologien nahtlos und es ist eine lückenlose Wellenlängenabdeckung bis in den mittleren Infrarotbereich möglich. Je nach Herstellungsprozess wurde außerdem auf die verteilte Rückkopplung eingegangen und die Leistungsfähigkeit des verwendeten Metallgitterkonzeptes anhand von Messungen an spektral einzelmodigen Bauteile aufgezeigt. Es wurden aber auch die je nach Zielsetzung unterschiedlichen Herausforderungen aufgezeigt und diskutiert. Für eine Anwendung wurden spezielle Laserchips mit zwei einzelmodigen Emissionswellenlängen bei 3928 nm und 4009 nm entwickelt. Die beiden Wellenlängen sind für die Detektion von Schwefeldioxid und Schwefelwasserstoff geeignet, welche zur Überwachung und Optimierung der Schwefelgewinnung durch das Claus-Verfahren notwendig sind. Bei der Umsetzung wurden auf einzelnen Chips zwei Laseremitter in einem Abstand von 70 µm platziert und mit je einem Metallgitter versehen. Das verwendete Epitaxiematerial war so konzipiert, dass es optimal für beide Zielwellenlängen verwendet werden kann. Die geforderten Eigenschaften wurden erfüllt und die Bauteile konnten erfolgreich hergestellt werden. Die Emissionseigenschaften und das spektrale Verhalten wurde bei beiden Zielwellenlängen bestimmt. Einzeln betrachtet erfüllen beide Emitter die notwendigen Eigenschaften um für spektroskopische Anwendungen eingesetzt werden zu können. Ergänzend wurde zum einen das Abstimmverhalten der Emissionswellenlänge in Abhängigkeit der Modulationsfrequenz des Betriebsstromes untersucht und zusätzlich die thermische Abhängigkeit der Betriebsparameter beider Kanäle zueinander bestimmt. Diese Abhängigkeit ist für eine simultane Messung mit beiden Kanälen notwendig. Das Konzept mit mehreren Stegwellenleitern pro Laserchip wurde in einem weiteren Fall noch stärker ausgearbeitet. Denn je nach Komplexität eines Gasgemisches sind zur Bestimmung der einzelnen Komponenten mehr Messpunkte bzw. Wellenlängen notwendig. Im zweiten Fall ist die Analyse der Kohlenwasserstoffe Methan, Ethan, Propan, Butan, Iso-Butan, Pentan und Iso-Pentan von Interesse, welche als Hauptbestandteile von Erdgas z.B. in Erdgasaufbereitungsanlagen oder zur Bestimmung des Heizwertes analysiert werden müssen. Die genannten Kohlenwasserstoffe zeigen ein starkes Absorptionsverhalten im Wellenlängenbereich von 3,3 bis 3,5 µm. Auf dem entsprechend angepassten Interbandkaskadenmaterial wurden Bauteile mit neun Wellenleitern pro Laserchip hergestellt. Mithilfe der neun einzelmodigen Emissionskanäle konnte ein Bereich von bis zu 190 nm (21 meV, 167 cm-1) adressiert werden. Außerdem wurde der sich mit zunehmender Wellenlänge ändernde Schichtaufbau und dessen Einfluss auf die Bauteileigenschaften diskutiert. Die Leistungsdaten der langwelligsten Epitaxie waren im Vergleich deutlich schwächer. Um diesen Nachteil zu kompensieren, wurde eine spezielle Wellenleitergeometrie mit doppeltem Steg genutzt. Die Eigenschaften des Konzeptes wurden zuerst mittels Simulation untersucht und ein entsprechendes Herstellungsverfahren entwickelt. Mit der Simulation als Grundlage wurden die verschiedenen Prozessparameter über mehrere Prozessläufe iterativ optimiert und somit die Performance der Laser verbessert. Auch mit diesem Verfahren konnte ausreichende Kopplung an das Metallgitter erzielt werden. Abschließend wurden mit diesem Herstellungsverfahren einzelmodige Laser im Wellenlängenbereich von 5,9 bis über 6 Mikrometern realisiert. Diese Laser emittierten im Dauerstrichbetrieb bei einer maximalen Betriebstemperatur von -2 °C. Insgesamt wurde anhand der im Rahmen dieser Arbeit entwickelten Bauteilen und de ren Charakterisierung gezeigt, dass diese die Anforderungen von TLAS Anwendungen erfüllen. Jedoch konnte nur auf einen Teil der Möglichkeiten eingegangen werden, den die Interbandkaskadentechnologie bietet, denn die angesprochenen Einsatzgebiete stellen nur einzelne grundlegende Möglichkeiten dieser Technologie mit Schwerpunkt auf laserbasierte Lichtquellen dar. Zusammenfassend kann allerdings gesagt werden, dass sich die Interbandkaskadentechnologie etabliert hat. Gerade durch die gezeigten Leistungsdaten bei den Wellenlängen um 2,9 µm, 3,4 µm und 4,0 µm im Dauerstrichbetrieb bei Raumtemperatur wird ersichtlich, dass im Bereich der Sensorik die ICL Technologie in Bezug auf niedriger Strom- bzw. Leistungsaufnahme quasi konkurrenzlos ist. Sicherlich werden die Anwendungsgebiete in Zukunft noch vielfältiger. Denn es sind auf jeden Fall weitere Fortschritte in Richtung höherer Emissionswellenlängen, deutlich höherer Betriebstemperaturen, verbreiterte Emissionsbereiche oder gänzlich andere Bauteil Konzepte wie z.B. für Frequenzkämme bzw. Terahertz Anwendungen zu erwarten. Diese Entwicklung betrifft nicht nur den Einsatz als Lichtquelle, denn auch Interbandkaskadendetektoren bzw. Solarzellen wurden schon realisiert und werden weiterentwickelt.
Verlustarmer Ladungsträgertransport ist für die Realisierung effizienter und kleiner elektronischer Bauteile von großem Interesse. Dies hilft entstehende Wärme zu minimieren und den Energieverbrauch gleichzeitig zu reduzieren. Einzelne Streuprozesse, die den Verlust bei Ladungsträgertransport bestimmen, laufen jedoch auf Längenskalen von Nano- bis Mikrometern ab. Um diese detailliert untersuchen zu können, bedarf es Messmethoden mit hoher zeitlicher oder örtlicher Auflösung. Für Letztere gibt es wenige etablierte Experimente, häufig basierend auf der Rastertunnelmikroskopie, welche jedoch verschiedenen Einschränkungen unterliegen. Um die Möglichkeiten der Detektion von Ladungsträgertransport auf Distanzen der mittleren freien Weglänge und damit im ballistischen Regime zu verbessern, wurde im Rahmen dieser Dissertation die Molekulare Nanosonde charakterisiert und etabliert. Diese Messmethode nutzt ein einzelnes Molekül als Detektor für Ladungsträger, welche mit der Sondenspitze des Rastertunnelmikroskops (RTM) wenige Nanometer entfernt vom Molekül in das untersuchte Substrat injiziert werden. Die hohe Auflösung des RTM in Kombination mit der geringen Ausdehnung des molekularen Detektors ermöglicht dabei atomare Kontrolle von Transportpfaden über wenige Nanometer. Der erste Teil dieser Arbeit widmet sich der Charakterisierung der Molekularen Nanosonde. Hierfür werden zunächst die elektronischen Eigenschaften dreier Phthalocyanine mittels Rastertunnelspektroskpie untersucht, welche im Folgenden zur Charakterisierung des Moleküls als Detektor Anwendung finden. Die anschließende Analyse der Potentiallandschaft der Tautomerisation von H2Pc und HPc zeigt, dass die NH- Streckschwinung einem effizienten Schaltprozess zu Grunde liegt. Darauf basierend wird der Einfluss der Umgebung anhand von einzelnen Adatomen sowie des Substrats selbst auf den molekularen Schalter analysiert. In beiden Fällen zeigt sich eine signifikante Änderung der Potentiallandschaft der Tautomerisation. Anschließend wird der Einfluss geometrischer Eigenschaften des Moleküls selbst untersucht, wobei sich eine Entkopplung vom Substrat auf Grund von dreidimensionalen tert-Butyl-Substituenten ergibt. Zusätzlich zeigt sich bei dem Vergleich von Naphthalocyanin zu Phthalocyanin der Einfluss lateraler Ausdehnung auf die Detektionsfläche, was einen nicht-punktförmigen Detektor bestätigt. Im letzten Abschnitt werden zwei Anwendungen der Molekularen Nanosonde präsentiert. Zunächst wird mit Phthalocyanin auf Ag(111) demonstriert, dass die Interferenz von ballistischen Ladungsträgern auf Distanzen von wenigen Nanometern mit dieser Technik detektierbar ist. Im zweiten Teil zeigt sich, dass der ballistische Transport auf einer Pd(110)-Oberfläche durch die anisotrope Reihenstruktur auf atomarer Skala moduliert wird.
Spin-Orbit Torques and Galvanomagnetic Effects Generated by the 3D Topological Insulator HgTe
(2021)
Nature shows us only the tail of the lion. But I have no doubt that the lion belongs with it even if he cannot reveal himself all at once. Albert Einstein
In my dissertation, I addressed the question of whether the 3D topological insulator mercury telluride (3D TI HgTe) is a suitable material for spintronics applications. This question was addressed by investigating the SOTs generated by the 3D TI HgTe in an adjacent ferromagnet (Permalloy) by using the ferromagnetic resonance technique (SOT-FMR).
In the first part of the dissertation, the reader was introduced to the mathematical description of the SOTs of a hybrid system consisting of a topological insulator (TI) and a ferromagnet (FM). Furthermore, the sample preparation and the measurement setup for the SOT-FMR measurements were discussed. Our SOT-FMR measurements showed that at low temperatures (T = 4.2 K) the out-of-plane component of the torque is dominant. At room temperature, both in-plane and out-of-plane components of the torque could be observed. From the symmetry of the mixing voltage (Figs. 3.14 and 3.15) we could conclude that the 3D TI HgTe may be efficient for the generation of spin torques in the permalloy [1]. The investigations reported here showed that the SOT efficiencies generated by the 3D TI HgTe are comparable with other existent topological insulators (see Fig. 3.17). We also discussed in detail the parasitic effects (such as thermovoltages) that can contribute to the correct interpretation of the spin torque efficiencies.
Although the results reported here provide several indications that the 3D TI HgTe might be efficient in exerting spin-torques in adjacent ferromagnets [2], the reader was repeatedly made aware that parasitic effects might contaminate the correct writing and reading of the information in the ferromagnet. These effects should be taken into consideration when interpreting results in the published literature claiming high spin-orbit torque efficiencies [2–4]. The drawbacks of the SOT-FMR measurement method led to a further development of our measurement concept, in which the ferromagnet on top of the 3D TI HgTe was replaced by a
spin-valve structure. In contrast with our measurements, in this measurement setup, the current flowing through the HgTe is known and changes in the spin-valve resistance can be read via the GMR effect.
Moreover, the SOT-FMR experiments required the application of an in-plane magnetic field up to 300 mT to define the magnetization direction in the ferromagnet. Motivated by this fact, we investigated the influence of an in-plane magnetic field in the magnetoresistance of the 3D TI HgTe. The surprising results of these measurements are described in the second part of the dissertation. Although the TI studied here is non-magnetic, its transversal MR (Rxy) showed an oscillating behavior that depended on the angle between the in-plane magnetic field and the electrical current. This effect is a typical property of ferromagnetic materials and is called planar Hall effect (PHE) [5, 6]. Moreover, it was also shown that the PHE amplitude (Rxy) and the longitudinal resistance (Rxx) oscillate as a function of the in-plane magnetic field amplitude for a wide range of carrier densities of the topological insulator.
The PHE was already described in another TI material (Bi2−xSbxTe3) [7]. The authors suggested as a possible mechanism the scattering of the electron off impurities that are polarized by an in-plane magnetic field. We critically discussed this and other theoretical proposed mechanisms existent in the literature [8, 9].
In this thesis, we attempted to explain the origin of the PHE in the 3D TI HgTe by anisotropies in the band structure of this material. The k.p calculations based on 6-orbitals were able to demonstrate that an interplay between Rashba, Dresselhaus, and in-plane magnetic field deforms the Fermi contours of the camel back band of the 3D TI HgTe, which could lead to anisotropies in its conductivity. However, the magnetic fields needed to experimentally observe this effect are as
high as 40 T, i.e., one order of magnitude higher than reported in our experiments. Additionally, calculations of the DoS to assess if there is a difference in the states for Bin parallel and Bin perpendicular to the current were, so far, inconclusive. Moreover, the complicated dependence of Rashba in the p-conducting
regime of HgTe [10] makes it not straightforward the inclusion of this term in the band structure calculations.
Despite the extensive efforts to understand the origin of the galvanomagnetic effects in the 3D TI HgTe, we could not determine a clear mechanism for the origin of the PHE and the MR oscillations studied in this thesis. However, our work clarifies and excludes a few mechanisms reported in the literature as the origin of these effects in the 3D TI HgTe. The major challenge, which still needs to be overcome, is to find a model that simultaneously explains the PHE, the gate dependence, and the oscillations in the magnetoresistance of the 3D TI HgTe as a function of the in-plane magnetic field.
To conclude, the author would like to express her hope to have brought the reader closer to the complexity of the questions addressed in this thesis and to have initiated them into the art of properly conducting electrical transport measurements on topological insulators with in-plane magnetic fields.
This thesis aims to investigate the form-phase diagram of aqueous solutions of the triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 focusing on its high-temperature phases. P123 is based on polyethylene as well as polypropylene oxide blocks and shows a variety of di erent temperaturedependent micelle morphologies or even lyotropic liquid crystal phases in aqueous solutions. Besides the already well-studied spherical aggregates at intermediate temperatures, the size and internal structure of both worm-like and lamellar micelles, which appear near the cloud point, is determined using light, neutron and X-ray scattering. By combining the results of time-resolved dynamic light as well as small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering experiments, the underlying structural changes and kinetics of the sphere-to-worm transition were studied supporting the random fusion process, which is proposed in literature. For temperatures near the cloud point, it was observed that aqueous P123 solutions below the critical crystallization concentration gelate after several hours, which is linked to the presence and structure of polymeric surface layers on the sample container walls as shown by neutron re ectometry
measurements. Using a hierarchical model for the lamellar micelles including their periodicity as well as domain and overall size, it is possible to unify the existing results in literature and propose a direct connection between the near-surface and bulk properties of P123 solutions at temperatures near the cloud point.
This work consists of two parts. On the one hand, it describes simulation and
measurement of the effect of contaminations of the detector gas on the performance
of particle detectors, with special focus on Micromegas detectors. On the other
hand, it includes the setup of a production site for the finalization of drift panels
which are going to be used in the ATLAS NSW. The first part augments these
two parts to give an introduction into the theoretical foundations of gaseous particle
detectors.
This thesis focused on the influence of the underlying crystal structure and hence, of the mutual molecular orientation, on the excited states in ordered molecular aggregates. For this purpose, two model systems have been investigated. In the prototypical donor-acceptor complex pentacene-perfluoropentacene (PEN-PFP) the optical accessibility of the charge transfer state and the possibility to fabricate highly defined interfaces by means of single crystal templates enabled a deep understanding of the spatial anisotropy of the charge transfer state formation. Transferring the obtained insights to the design of prototypical donor-acceptor devices, the importance of interface control to minimize the occurrence of charge transfer traps and thereby, to improve the device performance, could be demonstrated. The use of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) allowed for the examination of the influence of molecular packing on the excited electronic states without a change in molecular species by virtue of its inherent polymorphism. Combining structural investigations, optical absorption and emission spectroscopy, as well as Franck-Condon modeling of emission spectra revealed the nature of the optical excited state emission in relation to the structural \(\alpha \) and \(\beta \) phase over a wide temperature range from 4 K to 300 K. As a results, the phase transition kinetics of the first order \(\alpha \rightarrow \beta\) phase transition were characterized in depth and applied to the fabrication of prototypical dual luminescent OLEDs.
Two-dimensional triangular lattices of group IV adatoms on semiconductor substrates provide a rich playground for the investigation of Mott-Hubbard physics. The possibility to combine various types of adatoms and substrates makes members of this material class versatile model systems to study the influence of correlation strength, band filling and spin-orbit coupling on the electronic structure - both experimentally and with dedicated many-body calculation techniques. The latter predict exotic ground states such as chiral superconductivity or spin liquid behavior for these frustrated lattices, however, experimental confirmation is still lacking. In this work, three different systems, namely the \(\alpha\)-phases of Sn/SiC(0001), Pb/Si(111), and potassium-doped Sn/Si(111) are investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy in this regard. The results are potentially relevant for spintronic applications or quantum computing.
For the novel group IV triangular lattice Sn/SiC(0001), a combined experimental and theoretical study reveals that the system features surprisingly strong electronic correlations because they are boosted by the substrate through its partly ionic character and weak screening capabilities. Interestingly, the spectral function, measured for the first time via angle-resolved photoemission, does not show any additional superstructure beyond the intrinsic \(\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3} R30^{\circ}\) reconstruction, thereby raising curiosity regarding the ground-state spin pattern.
For Pb/Si(111), preceding studies have noted a phase transition of the surface reconstruction from \(\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3} R30^{\circ}\) to \(3 \times 3\) at 86 K. In this thesis, investigations of the low-temperature phase with high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy unveil the formation of a charge-ordered ground state. It is disentangled from a concomitant structural rearrangement which is found to be 2-up/1-down, in contrast to previous predictions. Applying an extended variational cluster approach, a phase diagram of local and nonlocal Coulomb interactions is mapped out. Based on a comparison of theoretical spectral functions with scattering vectors found via quasiparticle interference, Pb/Si(111) is placed in said phase diagram and electronic correlations are found to be the driving force of the charge-ordered state.
In order to realize a doped Mott insulator in a frustrated geometry, potassium was evaporated onto the well-known correlated Sn/Si(111) system. Instead of the expected insulator-to-metal transition, scanning tunneling spectroscopy data indicates that the electronic structure of Sn/Si(111) is only affected locally around potassium atoms while a metallization is suppressed. The potassium atoms were found to be adsorbed on empty \(T_4\) sites of the substrate which eventually leads to the formation of two types of K-Sn alloys with a relative potassium content of 1/3 and 1/2, respectively. Complementary measurements of the spectral function via angle-resolved photoemission reveal that the lower Hubbard band of Sn/Si(111) gradually changes its shape upon potassium deposition. Once the tin and potassium portion on the surface are equal, this evolution is complete and the system can be described as a band insulator without the need to include Coulomb interactions.
Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) technology aims to replace dynamic RAM (DRAM) due to its significantly lower power consumption and non-volatility [Dong08]. During the last couple of years the commercial focus was set on spin-transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM) systems, where a current is pushed through a ferromagnetic (FM) free layer and a reference layer which are separated by an insulator. The free layer can be set to parallel or anti-parallel depending on the current direction [Kim11]. Unfortunately these currents have to be quite high which could lead to damages of the tunnel barrier of the magnetic tunnel junction resulting in higher power consumption as well as reliability issues. At this point a new effect, where the current is passed below the ferromagnetic layer stack, can be exploited to change the direction of the free layer magnetization. The effect is known as spin-orbit torque (SOT) and describes the transfer of angular momentum onto an adjacent magnetization either by the spin Hall effect (SHE) or inverse spin galvanic effect (iSGE) [Manchon19]. The latter describes a spin accumulation due to a current. This is similar to the process of spin accumulation in TIs, where a current corresponds to an effective spin due to spin-momentum locking [Qi11]. Thus TIs exhibit a high current-to-spin conversion rate, which makes them a promising material system for SOT experiments. Among all TIs it is HgTe, which can be reliably grown as an insulator. This thesis covers the development of a working device for SOT measurements (SOT-device) in a CdTe/CdHgTe/HgTe/CdHgTe heterostructure. It involves the development of a tunnel barrier (ZrOx) as well as the investigation of the behavior of a ferromagnetic layer stack on top of etched HgTe. The main result of this work is the successful construction and evaluation of a working SOT-device, which exhibits the up to date most efficient switching of in-plane magnetized ferromagnetic layer stacks.
In order to avoid hybridization between HgTe and the adjacent ferromagnetic atoms, which would cause a breakdown of the topological surface state, it is necessary to implement a thin tunnel barrier in between the TI and free layer [Zhang16]. Aside from hybridization a tunnel barrier avoids shunting of the current, that is pushed on the surface of the HgTe/CdHgTe interface. Thus a bigger part of the current can be used for spin accumulation and, at the same time, the resistance measurement of the ferromagnetic layer stack is not perturbed. In chapter 3 the focus is set on investigating the tunneling characteristics of ZrOx on top of dry etched HgTe. Thin barriers are used as the interaction of the current generated spin and the adjacent magnetization decreases with distance. On the other hand too small insulator thicknesses lead to leakage currents which disturb heavily the measurement of the resistance of the ferromagnetic layer stack. Thus an optimum thickness of 10 ALD cycles (\(d\approx 1.6\rm\, nm\)) is determined which yields a resistance area product of \(R\cdot A \approx 3\rm\, k\Omega\mu m^{2}\). This corresponds to a tunneling resistance of \(R_{T}\approx 20\rm\, k\Omega\) over a structure surface of \(A_{T} = 0.12\rm\, \mu m^2\). Multiple samples with different thicknesses have been produced. All samples have been examined on their tunneling behavior. The resistance area product as a function of thickness shows a linear behavior on a logarithmic scale. Furthermore all working samples show non-linear I-V curves as well as parabolic dI/dV-curves. Additionally the tunneling resistance \(R_{T}\) increases with decreasing temperature. All above mentioned properties are typical for tunnel barriers which do not include pinholes [Jonsson00]. The last part of chapter 3 deals with thermal properties of HgTe. By measuring the second harmonic of a biasing AC current in the channel below the tunnel barrier it is attempted to extract the diffusion thermopower of the heated electrons. Unfortunately the measured signal showed a far superior contribution of the first harmonic. According to electric circuit simulations a small asymmetry in the barrier (penetration and leaving point of electrons) could be responsible for this behavior.
A ferromagnetic layer stack, consisting of PY/Cu/CoFe, serves as a sensor for magnetization changes due to external fields and current induced spin accumulations. The layer stack exhibits a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) which has been measured by a resistance bridge. The biggest peculiarity in depositing a GMR stack on top of HgTe is that its easy axis forms along only one of the crystal axes (\((110)\) or \((1\overline{1}0)\)). The reason for this anisotropy is still unclear. Sources such as an influence of the terminating material, miscut, furrows during IBE or sputter ripples have been ruled out. It can be speculated that the surface states due to HgTe might have an influence on the development of this easy axis but this would need further investigation. A consequence of this unexpected anisotropy is that every CdTe/CdHgTe/HgTe/CdHgTe wafer has first to be characterized in SQUID in order to find the easy axis. A ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement confirmed this observation. The shape of the ferromagnetic layer stack is chosen to be an ellipse in order to support the easy axis direction by shape anisotropy. Over 8 million ellipses are used to generate a SQUID signal of \(m > 10^{-5}\rm\, emu\). This is sufficient to extract the main characteristics of an average nano pillar under the influence of an external magnetic field. As in the case of bigger structures the ellipse shaped structure shows a step-like behavior. A measured minor loop confirms the existence of the irreversible anti-parallel stable magnetic state. Furthermore this state persists for both directions at \(m=0\) resulting in an anti-ferromagnetic coupling between Py and CoFe.
The geometry of the SOT-device is chosen in such a way that the current induced spin aligns either parallel or anti-parallel to the effective magnetic field \(\vec{B}_{eff}=\vec{B}_{ext}+\vec{B}_{aniso}+\vec{B}_{shape}\), which acts on the pillar. Due to interaction of the spin with the adjacent magnetization of Py the magnetization direction gets changed by a torque \(\vec{T}\). In general this torque can be decomposed into two components a field-like torque \(\vec{\tau}_{FL}\) and a damping-like torque \(\vec{\tau}_{DL}\) [Manchon19]. In the case of TIs \(\vec{T}\) is additionally depending on the z-component of \(\vec{m}\) [Ndiaye17]. In our case the magnetization is lying in the sample plane (\(m_{z}=0\)) which results in \(\vec{\tau}_{DL}=0\). Thus, in the case of \(\vec{S}\parallel\left(\vec{\hat{z}}\times\vec{j}\right)\) and \(\vec{j}\parallel\vec{\hat{y}}\), the only spin dependent effective magnetic field is \(\vec{B}_{FL}=\tau_{FL}\cdot\vec{\hat{x}}\) which is lying parallel or anti-parallel to \(\vec{B}_{eff}\). The evaluation of \(\vec{B}_{FL}\) can therefore be done in the following manner. First a high \(B_{ext}\) has to be set along the easy axis of the pillar. Then \(B_{ext}\) has to be reduced just a few \(\rm\, Oe\) before the switching occurs at the magnetic field \(B_{ext,0}\). At the magnetic field \(\Delta B = B_{ext}-B_{ext,0}\approx 0.5\rm\, Oe\) the lower resistive state should be stable over a longer time range (\(10-30\rm\, min\)) in order to exclude switching due to fluctuations. Now a positive or negative current can be pushed through the channel below the pillar. For one of the two current directions the magnetization of Py switches. It is therefore not a thermal effect that drives the change of \(\vec{m}\). Current densities that are able to switch \(\vec{m}\) at small \(\Delta B\neq 0\) lie in the range of \(j\approx 10^{4}\rm\, A/cm^{2}\). In all experiments the switching efficiency \(\Delta B/j\) decreases with rising \(j\). Furthermore the efficiency as a function of \(j\) depends on the temperature as \(\Delta B/j\) values tend to be up to 20 times higher at \(T=1.8\rm\, K\) and \(j\approx 0\) than at \(T=4.2\rm\, K\). This temperature dependence suggests that switching occurs not due to Oersted fields. Furthermore the Biot-Savart fields had been calculated for four different models: an infinite long rectangular wire, two infinite planes, a full volume and two thin volume planes. Every model shows an efficiency, which is at least three times lower than the observation.
The highest efficiencies in our samples show up to 10 times higher values than in heavy-metal/ferromagnets heterostructures. In contrast to measurement procedures of most other groups our method leads to direct determination of SOT parameters like the effective magnetic field \(\vec{B}_{FL}\). Other groups make use of spin-transfer FMR (ST-FMR) where they AC bias their structure and extract SOT parameters (like \(\tau_{FL}\) and \(\tau_{DL}\)) from second harmonics by fitting theoretical models. Material systems consisting of TIs and magnetic insulators (MIs) on the other hand show 10 times higher efficiencies [Khang18,Li19]. In those cases the magnetization points out of the sample plane which is conceptually different from in-plane magnetic anisotropy geometries like in our case. The greatest benefit in-plane magnetic anisotropy systems is its easy realisation [Bhatti17]. Here only an elliptical shape has to be lithographically implemented instead of conducting research on the appropriate combination of material systems that result in perpendicular magnetic anisotropies [Apalkov16]. Despite the fact that in our case only \(\vec{\tau}_{FL}\) acts as the driving force for changing \(m\) our device still exhibits the up to date highest efficiencies in the class of in-plane magnetized anisotropies of all material classes ever recorded.
Stationäre Gasturbinen können von großer Bedeutung für die Verlangsamung des Klima-wandels und bei der Bewältigung der Energiewende sein. Für die Weiterentwicklung von Gasturbinen zu höheren Betriebstemperaturen und damit einhergehend zu höheren Wirkungs-graden werden berührungslose Messverfahren zur Ermittlung der Oberflächentemperatur von Turbinenschaufeln und der Gastemperatur der heißen Verbrennungsgase während des Be-triebs benötigt. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden daher Methoden der berührungslosen Tem-peraturmessung unter Verwendung von Infrarotstrahlung untersucht.
Die berührungslose Messung der Oberflächentemperatur moderner Turbinenschaufeln muss aufgrund derer infrarot-optischer Oberflächeneigenschaften im Wellenlängenbereich des mitt-leren Infrarots durchgeführt werden, in welchem die Turbinenbrenngase starke Absorptions-banden aufweisen. Zur Entwicklung eines adäquaten Strahlungsthermometers für diesen Zweck wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit daher durch Ermittlung von Transmissionsspektren von Kohlenstoffdioxid und Wasserdampf bei hohen Temperaturen und Drücken in einer ei-gens hierfür konstruierten Heißgas-Messzelle zunächst Wellenlängenbereiche identifiziert, in welchen die geplanten Messungen möglich sind. Anschließend wurde der Prototyp eines ent-sprechend konfigurierten Strahlungsthermometers im Zuge des Testlaufes einer vollskaligen Gasturbine erfolgreich erprobt.
Weiterhin wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit zwei mögliche Verfahren zur berührungslosen Gastemperaturmessung untersucht. Das erste untersuchte Verfahren setzt ebenfalls auf Strah-lungsthermometrie. Dieses Verfahren sieht vor, aufgrund der Temperaturabhängigkeit des spektralen Transmissionsgrades in den Randbereichen von gesättigten Absorptionsbanden von Gasen aus der in diesen Bereichen transmittierten spektralen Strahldichte auf die Gastempera-tur zu schließen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden Voruntersuchungen für dieses Tempera-turmessverfahren durchgeführt. So konnten auf der Grundlage von experimentell ermittelten Transmissionsspektren von Kohlenstoffdioxid bei Drücken zwischen 5 kPa und 600 kPa und Gastemperaturen zwischen Raumtemperatur und 1073 K für das geplante Verfahren nutzbare Wellenlängenintervalle insbesondere im Bereich der Kohlenstoffdioxid-Bande bei 4,26 µm identifiziert werden.
Das zweite im Rahmen dieser Arbeit untersuchte Verfahren zur berührungslosen Gastem-peraturmessung basiert auf der Temperaturabhängigkeit der Wellenlängenposition der Trans-missionsminima der Absorptionsbanden von infrarot-aktiven Gasen. Im Hinblick darauf wur-de dieses Phänomen anhand von experimentell bestimmten hochaufgelösten Transmissions-spektren von Kohlenstoffdioxid überprüft. Weiterhin wurden mögliche Wellenlängenbereiche identifiziert und hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung für das geplante Verfahren charakterisiert. Als am vielversprechendsten erwiesen sich hierbei Teilbanden in den Bereichen um 2,7 µm und um 9,2 µm. Unter Beimischung von Stickstoff mit Partialdrücken von bis zu 390 kPa erwies sich zudem auch die Bande bei 4,26 µm als geeignet.
Die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit experimentell ermittelten Transmissionsspektren konnten dar-über hinaus schließlich durch Vergleich mit entsprechenden HITRAN-Simulationen verifiziert werden.
Neue physikalische Erkenntnisse vervollständigen die Sicht auf die Welt und erschließen gleichzeitig Wege für Folgeexperimente und technische Anwendungen. Das letzte Jahrzehnt der Festkörperforschung war vom zunehmenden Fokus der theoretischen und experimentellen Erkundung topologischer Materialien geprägt. Eine fundamentale Eigenschaft ist ihre Resistenz gegenüber solchen Störungen, welche spezielle physikalische Symmetrien nicht verletzen. Insbesondere die Topologischen Isolatoren - Halbleiter mit isolierenden Volumen- sowie gleichzeitig leitenden und spinpolarisierten Oberflächenzuständen - sind vielversprechende Kandidaten zur Realisierung breitgefächerter spintronischer Einsatzgebiete. Bis zur Verwirklichung von Quantencomputern und anderer, heute noch exotisch anmutender Konzepte bedarf es allerdings ein umfassenderes Verständnis der grundlegenden, physikalischen Zusammenhänge. Diese kommen vor allem an Grenzflächen zum Tragen, weshalb oberflächensensitive Methoden bei der Entdeckung der Topologischen Isolatoren eine wichtige Rolle spielten.
Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden daher strukturelle, elektronische und magnetische Eigenschaften Topologischer Isolatoren mittels Tieftemperatur-Rastertunnelmikroskopie und -spektroskopie sowie begleitenden Methoden untersucht.
Die Veränderung der Element-Ausgangskonzentration während dem Wachstum des prototypischen Topologischen Isolators Bi2Te3 führt zur Realisierung eines topologischen p-n Übergangs innerhalb des Kristalls. Bei einem spezifischen Verhältnis von Bi zu Te in der Schmelze kommt es aufgrund unterschiedlicher Erstarrungstemperaturen der Komponenten zu einer Ansammlung von Bi- und Te-reichen Gegenden an den gegenüberliegenden Enden des Kristalls. In diesen bildet sich infolge des jeweiligen Elementüberschusses durch Kristallersetzungen und -fehlstellen eine Dotierung des Materials aus. Daraus resultiert die Existenz eines Übergangsbereiches, welcher durch Transportmessungen verifiziert werden kann. Mit der räumlich auflösenden Rastertunnelmikroskopie wird diese Gegend lokalisiert und strukturell sowie elektronisch untersucht. Innerhalb des Übergangsbereiches treten charakteristische Kristalldefekte beider Arten auf - eine Defektunterdrückung bleibt folglich aus. Dennoch ist dort der Beitrag der Defekte zum Stromtransport aufgrund ihres gegensätzlichen Dotiercharakters vernachlässigbar, sodass der topologische Oberflächenzustand die maßgeblichen physikalischen Eigenschaften bestimmt. Darüber hinaus tritt der Übergangsbereich in energetischen und räumlichen Größenordnungen auf, die Anwendungen bei Raumtemperatur denkbar machen.
Neben der Veränderung Topologischer Isolatoren durch den gezielten Einsatz intrinsischer Kristalldefekte bieten magnetische Störungen die Möglichkeit zur Prüfung des topologischen Oberflächenzustandes auf dessen Widerstandsfähigkeit sowie der gegenseitigen Wechselwirkungen. Die Zeitumkehrinvarianz ist ursächlich für den topologischen Schutz des Oberflächenzustandes, weshalb magnetische Oberflächen- und Volumendotierung diese Symmetrie brechen und zu neuartigem Verhalten führen kann.
Die Oberflächendotierung Topologischer Isolatoren kann zu einer starken Bandverbiegung und einer energetischen Verschiebung des Fermi-Niveaus führen. Bei einer wohldosierten Menge der Adatome auf p-dotiertem Bi2Te3 kommt die Fermi-Energie innerhalb der Volumenzustands-Bandlücke zum Liegen. Folglich wird bei Energien rund um das Fermi-Niveau lediglich der topologische Oberflächenzustand bevölkert, welcher eine Wechselwirkung zwischen den Adatomen vermitteln kann. Für Mn-Adatome kann Rückstreuung beobachtet werden, die aufgrund der Zeitumkehrinvarianz in undotierten Topologischen Isolatoren verboten ist. Die überraschenderweise starken und fokussierten Streuintensitäten über mesoskopische Distanzen hinweg resultieren aus der ferromagnetischen Kopplung nahegelegener Adsorbate, was durch theoretische Berechnungen und Röntgendichroismus-Untersuchungen bestätigt wird. Gleichwohl wird für die Proben ein superparamagnetisches Verhalten beobachtet.
Im Gegensatz dazu führt die ausreichende Volumendotierung von Sb2Te3 mit V-Atomen zu einem weitreichend ferromagnetischen Verhalten. Erstaunlicherweise kann trotz der weitläufig verbreiteten Theorie Zeitumkehrinvarianz-gebrochener Dirac-Zustände und der experimentellen Entdeckung des Anormalen Quanten-Hall-Effektes in ähnlichen Probensystemen keinerlei Anzeichen einer spektroskopischen Bandlücke beobachtet werden. Dies ist eine direkte Auswirkung der dualen Natur der magnetischen Adatome: Während sie einerseits eine magnetisch induzierte Bandlücke öffnen, besetzen sie diese durch Störstellenresonanzen wieder. Ihr stark lokaler Charakter kann durch die Aufnahme ihrer räumlichen Verteilung aufgezeichnet werden und führt zu einer Mobilitäts-Bandlücke, deren Indizien durch vergleichende Untersuchungen an undotiertem und dotiertem Sb2Te3 bestätigt werden.
Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Stabilisierung von Cadmiumsulfid CdS mit Pluronic P123, einem Polymer.
CdS ist ein Halbleiter, der zum Beispiel in der Photonik und bei optischen Anwendungen eingesetzt wird und ist deshalb äußerst interessant, da seine Bandlücke als Nanopartikel verschiebbar ist. Für die Photovoltaik ist es ein attraktives Material, da es im sichtbaren Licht absorbiert und durch die Bandlückenverschiebung effektiver absorbieren kann. Dies ist unter dem Namen Quantum Size Effekt bekannt. Als Feststoff ist CdS für einen solchen Anwendungsbereich weniger geeignet, zumal der Effekt der Bandlückenverschiebung dort nicht auftritt. Wissenschaftler bemühen sich deshalb CdS als Nanopartikeln zu stabilisieren, weil CdS in wässrigen Lösungen ein stark aggregierendes System, also stark hydrophob ist. Es wurden zwei Kriterien für die erfolgreiche Stabilisierung von CdS festgelegt. Zum einen muss das Cds homogen im Medium verteilt sein und darf nicht agglomerieren. Zum anderen, müssen die CdS Nanopartikel kleiner als 100 A sein.
In meiner Arbeit habe ich solche Partikel hergestellt und stabilisiert, d.h. verhindert, dass die Partikel weiterwachsen und gleichzeitig ihre Bandlücke verschoben wird. Die Herausforderung liegt nicht in der Herstellung, aber in der Lösung von CdS im Trägerstoff, da CdS in den meisten Flüssigkeiten nicht löslich ist und ausfällt. Die Stabilisierung in wässrigen Lösungen wurde das erste Mal durch Herrn Prof. Dr. Rempel mit Ethylendiamintetraessigsäure EDTA erfolgreich durchgeführt. Mit EDTA können jedoch nur sehr kleine Konzentrationen stabilisiert werden. Zudem können Parameter wie Größe und Geschwindigkeit der Reaktion beim Stabilisieren der CdS-Nanopartikel nicht angepasst oder beeinflusst werden. Dieses Problem ist dem, vieler medizinischer Wirkstoffe sehr ähnlich, die in hohen Konzentrationen verabreicht werden sollen, aber nicht oder nur schwer in Wasser löslich sind (Bsp. Kurkumin). Ein vielversprechender Lösungsweg ist dort, die Wirkstoffe in große Trägerpartikel (sog. Mizellen) einzuschleusen, die ihrerseits gut löslich sind. In meiner Arbeit habe ich genau diesen Ansatz für CdS verfolgt. Als Trägerpartikel/Mizelle wurde das bekannte Copolymer Pluronic P123 verwendet. Aus dieser Pluronic Produktreihe wird P123 gewählt, da es die größte Masse bei gleichzeitig höchstem Anteil von Polypropylenoxid PPO im Vergleich zur Gesamtkettenlänge hat. P123 ist ein ternäres Polyether oder Dreiblockkopolymer und wird von BASAF industriell produziert. Es besteht aus drei Böcken, dem mittlere Block Polypropylenoxid PPO und den beiden äußeren Blöcken Polyethylenoxid PEO. Der Buchstabe P steht für pastös, die ersten beiden Ziffern in P123 mit 300 multipliziert ergeben das molare Gewicht und die letzte Ziffer mit 10 multipliziert entspricht dem prozentualen Gewichtsanteil PEO. Die Bildung von Mizellen aus den P123 Molekülen kann bewusst über geringe Temperaturänderungen gesteuert werden. Bei ungefähr Raumtemperatur liegen Mizellen vor, die sich bei höheren Temperaturen von sphärischen in wurmartige Mizellen umwandeln. Oberhalb einer Konzentration von 30 Gewichtsprozent wtp bilden die Mizellen außerdem einen Flüssigkristall. Ich habe in meiner Arbeit zunächst P123 mit Hilfe von Röntgenstreuung untersucht. Anders als andere Methoden gibt Röntgenstreuung direkten Aufschluss über die Morphologie der Stoffe. Röntgenstreuung kann die Mischung von P123 mit CdS abbilden und lässt darauf schließen, ob das Ziel erreicht werden konnte, stabile CdS Nanopartikel in P123 zu binden.
Für die Stabilisierung der Nanopartikel ist es zunächst notwendig die richtigen Temperaturen für die Ausgangslösungen und gemischten Lösungen zu finden. Dazu muss P123 viel genauer untersucht werden, als der momentane Kenntnisstand in der Literatur. Zu diesem Zweck als auch für die Analyse des stabilisierten CdS habe ich ein neues Instrument am LRM entwickelt, sowie eine temperierbare Probenumgebung für Flüssigkeiten fürs Vakuum, um morphologische Eigenschaften aus Streuamplituden und -winkeln zu entschlüsseln. Diese Röntgenstreuanlage wurde konzipiert und gebaut, um auch im Labor P123 in kleinen Konzentrationen messen zu können. Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung eignet sich besonders als Messmethode, da die Probe mit einer hohen statistischen Relevanz in Flüssigkeit und in verschiedenen Konzentrationen analysiert werden kann.
Für die Konzentrationen 5, 10 und 30 wtp konnte das temperaturabhängige Verhalten von P123 präzise mit Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung SAXS gemessen und dargestellt werden. Für 5 wtp konnten die Größen der Unimere und Mizellen bestimmt werden. Trotz der nicht vorhandenen Absolutkalibration für diese Konzentration konnten dank des neu eingeführten Parameters kappa eine Dehydrierung der Mizellen mit steigender Temperatur abgeschätzt, sowie eine Hysterese zwischen dem Heizen und Abkühlen festgestellt werden. Für die Konzentration von 10 wtp wurden kleinere Temperaturschritte gewählt und die Messungen zusätzlich absolut kalibriert. Es wurden die Größen und Streulängendichten SLD der Unimere und Mizellen präzise bestimmt und ein vollständiges Form-Phasendiagramm erstellt. Auch für diese Konzentration konnte eine Hysterese eindeutig an der Größe, SLD und am Parameter kappa gezeigt werden, sowie eine Dehydrierung des Mizellenkerns. Dies beweist, dass der Parameter kappa geeignet ist, um bei nicht absolut kalibrierten Messungen, Aussagen über die Hydrierung und Hysterese komplexer Kern-Hülle Modelle zu machen. Für die Konzentration von 30 wtp konnte zwischen 23°C und 35°C eine FCC Struktur nachgewiesen werden. Dabei vergrößert sich die Gitterkonstante der FCC Struktur von 260 A auf 289 A in Abhängigkeit der Temperatur.
Durch das Mischen zweier Lösungen, zum einen CdCl2 und 30 wtp P123 und zum anderen Na2S und 30 wtp P123, konnte CdS erfolgreich stabilisiert werden. Mit einer Kamera wurde die Gelbfärbung der Lösung, und somit die Bildung des CdS, in Abhängigkeit der Zeit untersucht. Es konnte festgestellt werden, dass das Bilden der CdS Nanopartikel je nach Konzentration und Temperierprogramm zwischen 30 und 300 Sekunden dauert und einer logistischen Wachstumsfunktion folgt. Höhere Konzentrationen CdS bewirken einen schnelleren Anstieg der Wachstumsfunktion. Mittels UV-Vis Spektroskopie konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Bandlücke von CdS mit steigender Konzentration konstant bei 2,52 eV bleibt. Eine solche Verschiebung der Bandlücke von ungefähr 0,05 eV im Vergleich zum Festkörper, deutet auf einen CdS Partikeldurchmesser von 80A hin. Mit SAXS konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich die flüssigkristalline Struktur des P123 bei zwei verschiedenen Konzentrationen CdS, von 0,005 und 0,1 M, nicht ändert. Das CdS wird zwischen den Mizellen, also durch die Bildung des Flüssigkristalls, und im Kern der Mizelle aufgrund seiner Hydrophobizität stabilisiert. Die Anfangs definierten Kriterien für eine erfolgreiche Stabilisierung wurden erfüllt.
P123 ist ein hervorragend geeignetes Polymer, um hydrophobes CdS, sowohl durch die Bildung eines Flüssigkristalls, als auch im Kern der Mizelle zu stabilisieren.
In this work the creation of silicon vacancy spin defects in silicon carbide with predictable properties is demonstrated. Neutron and electron irradiation was used to create silicon vacancy ensembles and proton beam writing to create isolated vacancies at a desired position. The coherence properties of the created silicon vacancies as a function of the emitter density were investigated and a power-law function established. Sample annealing was implemented to increase the coherence properties of existing silicon vacancies. Further, spectral hole burning was used to implement absolute dc-magnetometry.
As a non-destructive testing method, X-ray imaging has proved to be suitable for the examination of a variety of objects. The measurement principle is based on the attenuation of X-rays caused by these objects. This attenuation can be recorded as shades of intensity using X-ray detectors and thus contains information about the inner structure of the investigated object. Since X-rays are electromagnetic waves, they also experience a change of phase in addition to their attenuation while penetrating an object. In general, imaging methods based on this effect are referred to as phase contrast imaging techniques. In the laboratory, the two mainly used methods are the propagation based phase contrast or in-line phase contrast and the grating interferometry.
While in-line phase contrast - under certain conditions - shows edge enhancement at interfaces due to interference, phase contrast in the grating interferometry is only indirectly measurable by the use of several gratings. In addition to phase contrast, grating interferometry provides access to the so-called dark-field imaging contrast, which measures the scattering of X-rays caused by an object.
These two imaging techniques, together with a novel concept of laboratory X-ray sources, the liquid-metal-jet, form the main part of this work. Compared to conventional X-ray sources, the liquid-metal-jet source offers higher brightness. The term brightness is defined by the number of X-ray photons per second, emitting area (area of the X-ray spot) and solid angle at which they are emitted.
On the basis of this source, a high resolution in-line phase contrast setup was partially developed in the scope of this work. Several computed tomographies show the feasibility of in-line phase contrast and the improvement of image quality by applying phase retrieval algorithms.
Moreover, the determination of optimized sample positions for in-line phase contrast imaging is treated at which the edge enhancement is maximized. Based on primitive fiber objects, this optimization has proven to be a good approximation.
With its high brightness in combination with a high spatial coherence, the liquid-metal-jet source is also interesting for grating interferometry. The development of such a setup is also part of this work. The overall concept and the characterization of the setup is presented as well as the applicability and its limits for the investigation of various objects.
Due to the very unique concept of this grating interferometer it was possible to realize a modified interferometer system by using a single grating only. Its concept and results are also presented in this work.
Furthermore, a grating interferometer based on a microfocus X-ray tube was tested regarding its performance. Thereby, parameters like the anode material, acquisition geometry and gratings were altered in order to find the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration.