Refine
Has Fulltext
- yes (39)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (39)
Year of publication
- 2022 (39) (remove)
Document Type
- Journal article (20)
- Doctoral Thesis (18)
- Master Thesis (1)
Language
- English (39) (remove)
Keywords
Institute
- Physikalisches Institut (39) (remove)
Sonstige beteiligte Institutionen
- Wilhelm-Conrad-Röntgen-Forschungszentrum für komplexe Materialsysteme (2)
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA (1)
- Department of Cellular Therapies, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (1)
- Department of X-ray Microscopy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany (1)
- Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF Jena, Germany (1)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany (1)
- Max Planck School of Photonics Jena, Germany (1)
- National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan (1)
- Siemens Corporate Technology Munich (1)
- University of Oldenburg, Germany (1)
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China (1)
- Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat (1)
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].
Excitons in atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been established as an attractive platform to explore polaritonic physics, owing to their enormous binding energies and giant oscillator strength. Basic spectral features of exciton polaritons in TMD microcavities, thus far, were conventionally explained via two-coupled-oscillator models. This ignores, however, the impact of phonons on the polariton energy structure. Here we establish and quantify the threefold coupling between excitons, cavity photons, and phonons. For this purpose, we employ energy-momentum-resolved photoluminescence and spatially resolved coherent two-dimensional spectroscopy to investigate the spectral properties of a high-quality-factor microcavity with an embedded WSe\(_2\) van-der-Waals heterostructure at room temperature. Our approach reveals a rich multi-branch structure which thus far has not been captured in previous experiments. Simulation of the data reveals hybridized exciton-photon-phonon states, providing new physical insight into the exciton polariton system based on layered TMDs.
In this study we characterize the tautomerization of HPc on Cu(111) as a charge-carrier-induced reversible one-electron process. An analysis of the bias-dependent tautomerization rate finds an energy threshold that corresponds to the energy of the N-H stretching mode. By using the tautomerization of the molecule as a detector for charge carrier transport in the so-called molecular nanoprobe (MONA) technique, we provide evidence for an inhomogeneous coupling between the fourfold-symmetric molecule and sixfold-symmetric surface. We conclude the study by comparing the energy dependence of charge carrier transport on the Cu(111) to the Ag(111) surface. While the MONA technique is limited to the detection of hot-electron transport for Ag(111), our data reveal that the lower onset energy of the Cu surface state also allows for the detection of hot-hole transport. The influence of surface and bulk transport on the MONA technique is discussed.
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.
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.
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 odd parity nature of 4f states characterized by strong spin–orbit coupling and electronic correlations has led to a search for novel topological phases among rare earth compounds, such as Kondo systems, heavy Fermions, and homogeneous mixed-valent materials. Our target system is thulium telluride thin films whose bandgap is expected to be tuned as a function of lattice parameter. We systematically investigate the growth conditions of TmxTey thin films on SrF\(_{2}\) (111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The ratio between Te and Tm supply was precisely tuned, resulting in two different crystalline phases, which were confirmed by x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. By investigating the crystalline quality as a function of the substrate temperature, the optimal growth conditions were identified for the desired Tm1Te1 phase. Additional low energy electron diffraction and reflective high energy electron diffraction measurements confirm the epitaxial growth of TmTe layers. X-ray reflectivity measurements demonstrate that homogeneous samples with sharp interfaces can be obtained for varied thicknesses. Our results provide a reliable guidance to prepare homogeneous high-quality TmTe thin films and thus serve as a basis for further electronic investigations.
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.
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
Organic dyes offer unique properties for their application as room temperature single photon emitters. By means of photon‐correlation, the emission characteristics of macrocyclic para‐xylylene linked perylene bisimide (PBI) trimers and tetramers dispersed in polymethyl methacrylate matrices are analyzed. The optical data indicate that, despite of the strong emission enhancement of PBI trimers and tetramers according to their larger number of chromophores, the photon‐correlation statistics still obeys that of single photon emitters. Moreover, driving PBI trimers and tetramers at higher excitation powers, saturated emission behavior for monomers is found while macrocycle emission is still far‐off saturation but shows enhanced fluctuations. This observation is attributed to fast singlet–singlet annihilation, i.e., faster than the radiative lifetime of the excited S1 state, and the enlarged number of conformational arrangements of multichromophores in the polymeric host. Finally, embedding trimeric PBI macrocycles in active organic light‐emitting diode matrices, electrically driven bright fluorescence together with an indication for antibunching at room temperature can be detected. This, so far, has only been observed for phosphorescent emitters that feature much longer lifetimes of the excited states and, thus, smaller radiative recombination rates. The results are discussed in the context of possible effects on the g(2) behavior of molecular emitters.
Point-spread function engineering for single-molecule localization microscopy in brain slices
(2022)
Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is the method of choice to study biological specimens on a nanoscale level. Advantages of SMLM imply its superior specificity due to targeted molecular fluorescence labeling and its enhanced tissue preservation compared to electron microscopy, while reaching similar resolution. To reveal the molecular organization of protein structures in brain tissue, SMLM moves to the forefront: Instead of investigating brain slices with a thickness of a few µm, measurements of intact neuronal assemblies (up to 100 µm in each dimension) are required. As proteins are distributed in the whole brain volume and can move along synapses in all directions, this method is promising in revealing arrangements of neuronal protein markers. However, diffraction-limited imaging still required for the localization of the fluorophores is prevented by sample-induced distortion of emission pattern due to optical aberrations in tissue slices from non-superficial planes. In particular, the sample causes wavefront dephasing, which can be described as a summation of Zernike polynomials. To recover an optimal point spread function (PSF), active shaping can be performed by the use of adaptive optics. The aim of this thesis is to establish a setup using a deformable mirror and a wavefront sensor to actively shape the PSF to correct the wavefront phases in a super-resolution microscope setup. Therefore, fluorescence-labeled proteins expressed in different anatomical regions in brain tissue will be used as experiment specimen. Resolution independent imaging depth in slices reaching tens of micrometers is aimed.
Background
Fast and accurate T1ρ mapping in myocardium is still a major challenge, particularly in small animal models. The complex sequence design owing to electrocardiogram and respiratory gating leads to quantification errors in in vivo experiments, due to variations of the T\(_{1p}\) relaxation pathway. In this study, we present an improved quantification method for T\(_{1p}\) using a newly derived formalism of a T\(_{1p}\)\(^{*}\) relaxation pathway.
Methods
The new signal equation was derived by solving a recursion problem for spin-lock prepared fast gradient echo readouts. Based on Bloch simulations, we compared quantification errors using the common monoexponential model and our corrected model. The method was validated in phantom experiments and tested in vivo for myocardial T\(_{1p}\) mapping in mice. Here, the impact of the breath dependent spin recovery time T\(_{rec}\) on the quantification results was examined in detail.
Results
Simulations indicate that a correction is necessary, since systematically underestimated values are measured under in vivo conditions. In the phantom study, the mean quantification error could be reduced from − 7.4% to − 0.97%. In vivo, a correlation of uncorrected T\(_{1p}\) with the respiratory cycle was observed. Using the newly derived correction method, this correlation was significantly reduced from r = 0.708 (p < 0.001) to r = 0.204 and the standard deviation of left ventricular T\(_{1p}\) values in different animals was reduced by at least 39%.
Conclusion
The suggested quantification formalism enables fast and precise myocardial T\(_{1p}\) quantification for small animals during free breathing and can improve the comparability of study results. Our new technique offers a reasonable tool for assessing myocardial diseases, since pathologies that cause a change in heart or breathing rates do not lead to systematic misinterpretations. Besides, the derived signal equation can be used for sequence optimization or for subsequent correction of prior study results.
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.
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.
Resonant tunneling diode photodetectors appear to be promising architectures with a simple design for mid-infrared sensing operations at room temperature. We fabricated resonant tunneling devices with GaInAsSb absorbers that allow operation in the 2–4 μm range with significant electrical responsivity of 0.97 A/W at 2004 nm to optical readout. This paper characterizes the photosensor response contrasting different operational regimes and offering a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the main physical ingredients that rule the sensor functionalities and affect its performance. We demonstrate how the drift, accumulation, and escape efficiencies of photogenerated carriers influence the electrostatic modulation of the sensor's electrical response and how they allow controlling the device's sensing abilities.
Optical quantum information science and technologies require the capability to generate, control, and detect single or multiple quanta of light. The need to detect individual photons has motivated the development of a variety of novel and refined single-photon detectors (SPDs) with enhanced detector performance. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are the top-performer in this field, but alternative promising and innovative devices are emerging. In this review article, we discuss the current state-of-the-art of one such alternative device capable of single-photon counting: the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) single-photon detector. Due to their peculiar photodetection mechanism and current-voltage characteristic with a region of negative differential conductance, RTD single-photon detectors provide, theoretically, several advantages over conventional SPDs, such as an inherently deadtime-free photon-number resolution at elevated temperatures, while offering low dark counts, a low timing jitter, and multiple photon detection modes. This review article brings together our previous studies and current experimental results. We focus on the current limitations of RTD-SPDs and provide detailed design and parameter variations to be potentially employed in next-generation RTD-SPD to improve the figure of merits of these alternative single-photon counting devices. The single-photon detection capability of RTDs without quantum dots is shown.
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.
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.
Masers as telecommunication amplifiers have been known for decades, yet their application is strongly limited due to extreme operating conditions requiring vacuum techniques and cryogenic temperatures. Recently, a new generation of masers has been invented based on optically pumped spin states in pentacene and diamond. In this study, we pave the way for masers based on spin S = 3/2 silicon vacancy (V\(_{Si}\)) defects in silicon carbide (SiC) to overcome the microwave generation threshold and discuss the advantages of this highly developed spin hosting material. To achieve population inversion, we optically pump the V\(_{Si}\) into their m\(_S\) = ±1/2 spin sub-states and additionally tune the Zeeman energy splitting by applying an external magnetic field. In this way, the prerequisites for stimulated emission by means of resonant microwaves in the 10 GHz range are fulfilled. On the way to realising a maser, we were able to systematically solve a series of subtasks that improved the underlying relevant physical parameters of the SiC samples. Among others, we investigated the pump efficiency as a function of the optical excitation wavelength and the angle between the magnetic field and the defect symmetry axis in order to boost the population inversion factor, a key figure of merit for the targeted microwave oscillator. Furthermore, we developed a high-Q sapphire microwave resonator (Q ≈ 10\(^4\)–10\(^5\)) with which we find superradiant stimulated microwave emission. In summary, SiC with optimized spin defect density and thus spin relaxation rates is well on its way of becoming a suitable maser gain material with wide-ranging applications.
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.