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In this work fluorescence-based single molecule detection at low concetration is investigated, with an emphasis on the usage of active transport and waveguides.
Active transport allows to overcome the limits of diffusion-based systems in terms of the lowest detectable threshold of concentration.
The effect of flow in single molecule experiments is investigated and a theoretical model is derived for laminar flow.
Waveguides on the other hand promise compact detection schemes and show great potential for their possible integration into lab-on-a-chip applications. Their properties in single molecule experiments are analyzed with help of a method based on the reciprocity theorem of electromagnetic theory.
Als Wärmedämmstoffe werden üblicherweise makroporöse Stoffsysteme wie Schäume, Pul-verschüttungen, Faservliese und – wolle eingesetzt. Zusätzlich finden mikro- und mesoporöse Dämmstoffe wie Aerogele Anwendung. Um effiziente Wärmedämmstoffe entwickeln zu können, muss der Gesamtwärmetransport in porösen Materialien verstanden werden. Die ein-zelnen Wärmetransport-Mechanismen Festkörperwärmeleitung, Gaswärmeleitung und Wärme-strahlung können zuverlässig analytisch beschrieben werden. Bei manchen porösen Materialien liefert jedoch auch eine Wechselwirkung zwischen den verschiedenen Wärmetransport-Mechanismen, d.h. die Kopplung von Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitung, einen hohen Beitrag zur Gesamtwärmeleitfähigkeit. Wie hoch dieser Kopplungseffekt bei einer bestimmten Probe ausfällt, kann bisher schwer abgeschätzt werden. Um den Kopplungseffekt von Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitung besser zu verstehen, sind sowohl experimentelle als auch theoretische Untersuchungen an verschiedenen porösen Stoffsystemen erforderlich. Zusätzlich kann ein zuverlässiges theoretisches Modell dazu beitragen, die mittlere Porengröße von porösen Mate-rialien zerstörungsfrei anhand von gasdruckabhängigen Wärmeleitfähigkeitsmessungen zu bestimmen.
Als Modellsystem für die experimentellen Untersuchungen wurde der hochporöse Feststoff Aerogel verwendet, da seine strukturellen Eigenschaften wie Porengröße und Dichte während der Synthese gut eingestellt werden können. Es wurden Resorcin-Formaldehyd-Aerogele mit mittleren Porengrößen von etwa 600 nm, 1 µm und 8 µm sowie daraus mittels Pyrolyse abge-leitete Kohlenstoff-Aerogele synthetisiert und jeweils hinsichtlich ihrer Struktur und Wärme-leitfähigkeiten experimentell charakterisiert. Die Gesamtwärmeleitfähigkeiten dieser Aerogele wurden für verschiedene Gasatmosphären (Kohlenstoffdioxid, Argon, Stickstoff und Helium) in Abhängigkeit vom Gasdruck durch das Hitzdraht-Verfahren bestimmt. Hierfür wurde der Messbereich der Hitzdraht-Apparatur des ZAE Bayern mittels einer Druckzelle auf 10 MPa erweitert. Die Messergebnisse zeigen, dass bei allen Aerogel-Proben Festkörper- und Gaswär-meleitung einen deutlichen Kopplungsbeitrag liefern: Die gemessenen gasdruckabhängigen Wärmeleitfähigkeiten sind um Faktor 1,3 bis 3,3 höher als die entsprechenden reinen Gas-wärmeleitfähigkeiten. Die jeweilige Höhe hängt sowohl vom verwendeten Gas (Gaswärmeleitfähigkeit) als auch vom Aerogeltyp (Festkörperwärmeleitfähigkeit und Festkörperstruktur) ab. Ein stark vernetzter Festkörper verursacht beispielsweise einen niedrigeren Kopplungsbei-trag als ein weniger stark vernetzter Festkörper.
Andererseits wurde die gasdruckabhängige Wärmeleitfähigkeit von Melaminharzschaum – einem flexiblen, offenporigen und hochporösen Material – in einer evakuierbaren Zwei-Plattenapparatur unter Stickstoff-Atmosphäre bestimmt. Das Material zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass die Addition der Einzelwärmeleitfähigkeiten gut erfüllt ist, d.h. kein Kopplungsef-fekt auftritt. Allerdings konnte gezeigt werden, dass die gestauchte und damit unregelmäßige Struktur von Melaminharzschaum die Kopplung von Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitung deut-lich begünstigt. Je stärker die Melaminharzschaumprobe komprimiert wird, umso stärker fällt der Kopplungseffekt aus. Bei einer Kompression um 84 % ist beispielsweise die gemessene gasdruckabhängige Wärmeleitfähigkeit bei 0,1 MPa um ca. 17 % gegenüber der effektiven Wärmeleitfähigkeit von freiem Stickstoff erhöht.
Die experimentellen Untersuchungen wurden durch theoretische Betrachtungen ergänzt. Zum einen wurde die Kopplung von Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitung anhand einer Serienschal-tung der thermischen Widerstände von Festkörper- und Gasphase dargestellt, um die Abhän-gigkeit von verschiedenen Parametern zu untersuchen. Dadurch konnte gezeigt werden, dass der Kopplungsterm stets von den Verhältnissen aus Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitfähigkeit sowie aus den geometrischen Parametern beider Phasen abhängt. Des Weiteren wurden mit dem Computerprogramm HEAT2 Finite-Differenzen-Simulationen an Modellstrukturen durchgeführt, die für poröse Stoffsysteme, insbesondere Aerogel, charakteristisch sind (Stege, Hälse, Windungen und tote Enden). Die simulierten gasdruckabhängigen Wärmeleitfähigkeiten zeigen deutlich, dass die Festkörperstruktur mit der geringsten Vernetzung, d.h. das tote Ende, am meisten zur Kopplung von Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitung beiträgt. Dies korre-liert mit den experimentellen Ergebnissen. Darüber hinaus kann man erkennen, dass die Ge-samtwärmeleitfähigkeit eines schlecht vernetzten porösen Systems, wo also ein hoher Kopp-lungseffekt (Serienschaltung) auftritt, niemals größer wird als die eines gut vernetzten Sys-tems mit gleicher Porosität, wo hauptsächlich paralleler Wärmetransport durch beide Phasen stattfindet.
Schließlich wurden drei Modelle entwickelt bzw. modifiziert, um die gasdruckabhängige Wärmeleitfähigkeit von porösen Stoffsystemen theoretisch beschreiben zu können. Zunächst wurde ein für Kugelschüttungen entwickeltes Modell für Aerogel angepasst, d.h. Kopplung von Festkörper- und Gaswärmeleitung wurde nur in den Lücken zwischen zwei benachbarten Partikeln berücksichtigt. Ein Vergleich mit den Messkurven zeigt, dass der ermittelte Kopplungsterm zu gering ausfällt. Daher wurde ein bereits existierendes Aerogelmodell mit kubischer Einheitszelle, welches zusätzlich Kopplung zwischen den einzelnen Partikelsträngen beinhaltet, verbessert. Auch dieses Modell liefert keine zufriedenstellende Übereinstimmung mit den Messwerten, denn der Kopplungsbeitrag wird immer noch unterschätzt. Das liegt daran, dass die gewählte regelmäßige kubische Struktur für Aerogel zu ungenau ist. So geht bei der Berechnung des Kopplungsterms der bereits erwähnte hohe Beitrag durch tote Enden (und auch Windungen) verloren. Erfahrungsgemäß können jedoch alle für Aerogel erhaltenen gasdruckabhängigen Messkurven mit dem sogenannten Skalierungsmodell relativ gut beschrieben werden. Das entspricht dem Knudsen-Modell für reine Gaswärmeleitung, welches mit einem konstanten Faktor skaliert wird. Die Anwendung dieses einfachen Modells auf die Messdaten hat gezeigt, dass die Akkommodationskoeffizienten von Helium in Aerogel deut-lich höher sind als die Literaturwerte (ca. 0,3 auf Metalloberflächen): In den vermessenen RF- und Kohlenstoff-Aerogelen lassen sich Akkommodationskoeffizienten nahe 1 für Helium ab-leiten. Darüber hinaus ist das Skalierungsmodell gut geeignet, die mittleren Porengrößen poröser Materialien zuverlässig aus gasdruckabhängig gemessenen Wärmeleitfähigkeitskurven zu bestimmen. Dies stellt somit eine unkomplizierte und zerstörungsfreie Charakterisierungsmethode dar.
In dieser Arbeit wird die Photophysik von Einzelphotonenemittern unterschiedlicher Materialklassen, wie Fehlstellen in Diamant und Siliziumcarbid sowie organischer Moleküle bei Raumtemperatur untersucht. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein hochauflösendes konfokales Mikroskop konzipiert und konstruiert, welches die optische Detektion einzelner Quantensysteme ermöglicht. Zusätzlich werden verschiedene Methoden wie die Rotationsbeschichtung, das Inkjet-Printing und das Inkjet-Etching in Bezug auf die Reproduzierbarkeit und Strukturierbarkeit von organischen Leuchtdioden (OLEDs) verglichen. Im weiteren Verlauf werden die optoelektronischen Prozesse in dotierten OLEDs untersucht, ausgehend von hohen Dotierkonzentrationen bis hin zur Dotierung mit einzelnen Molekülen. Dadurch kann die Exzitonen-Ladungsträger Wechselwirkung auf und in der Umgebung von räumlich isolierten Molekülen analysiert werden.
In the present work, the energetic structure and coherence properties of the silicon vacancy point defect in the technologically important material silicon carbide are extensively studied by the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique in order to verify its high potential for various quantum applications. In the spin vacancy, unique attributes are arising from the C3v symmetry and the spin-3/2 state, which are not fully described by the standard Hamiltonian of the uniaxial model. Therefore, an advanced Hamiltonian, describing well the appearing phenomena is established and the relevant parameters are experimentally determined. Utilizing these new accomplishments, several quantum metrology techniques are proposed.
First, a vector magnetometry scheme, utilizing the appearance of four ODMR lines, allows for simultaneous detection of the magnetic field strength and the tilting angle of the magnetic field from the symmetry axis of the crystal.
The second magnetometry protocol utilizes the appearance of energetic level anticrossings (LAC) in the ground state (GS) energy levels. Relying only on the change in photoluminescence in the vicinity of this GSLACs, this all-optical method does not require any radio waves and hence provides a much easier operation with less error sources as for the common magnetometry schemes utilizing quantum points.
A similar all-optical method is applied for temperature sensing, utilizing the thermal shift of the zero field splitting and consequently the anticrossing in the excited state (ES). Since the GSLACs show no dependence on temperature, the all-optical magnetometry and thermometry (utilizing the ESLACs) can be conducted subsequently on the same defect.
In order to quantify the achievable sensitivity of quantum metrology, as well as to prove the potential of the Si-vacancy in SiC for quantum processing, the coherence properties are investigated by the pulsed ODMR technique. The spin-lattice relaxation time T1 and the spin-spin relaxation time T2 are thoroughly analyzed for their dependence on the external magnetic field and temperature.
For actual sensing implementations, it is crucial to obtain the best signal-to-noise ratio without loss in coherence time. Therefore, the irradiation process, by which the defects are created in the crystal, plays a decisive role in the device performance. In the present work, samples irradiated with electrons or neutrons with different fluences and energies, producing different defect densities, are analyzed in regard to their T1 and T2 times at room temperature.
Last but not least, a scheme to substantially prolong the T2 coherence time by locking the spin polarization with the dynamic decoupling Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence is applied.
Since the late 20th century, spintroncis has become a very active field of research [ŽFS04]. The prospect of spin based information technology, featuring strongly decreased energy consumption and possibly quantum-computation capabilities, has fueled this interest. Standard materials, like bulk gallium arsenide (GaAs), have experienced new attention in this context by exhibiting extraordinarily long lifetimes for nonequilibrium spin information, which is an important requirement for efficient spin based information storage and transfer. Another important factor is the lengthscale over which spin information can be transported in a given material and the role of external influences. Both aspects have been studied experimentally with innovative optical methods since the late 1990s by the groups of D. D. AWSHALOM and S. A. CROOKER et al. [KA99, CS05, CFL+05]. Although the pioneering experimental approaches presented by these authors led to a variety of insights into spin propagation, some questions were raised as well. Most prominently, the classical Einstein relation, which connects the mobility and diffusivity of a given particle species, seemed to be violated for electron spins in a bulk semiconductor. In essence, nonequilibrium spins appeared to move (diffuse) faster than the electrons that actually carry the spin. However, this contradiction was masked by the fact, that the material of interest was n-type GaAs with a doping concentration directly at the transition between metallic and insulating behavior (MIT). In this regime, the electron mobility is difficult to determine experimentally. Consequently, it was not a priori obvious that the spin diffusion rates determined by the newly introduced optical methods were in contradiction with established electrical transport data.
However, in an attempt to extend the available data of optical spin microscopy, another issue surfaced, concerning the mathematical drift-diffusion model that has been commonly used to evaluate lateral spin density measurements. Upon close investigation, this model appears to have a limited range of applicability, due to systematic discrepancies with the experimental data (chapter 4). These deviations are noticeable in original publications as well, and it is shown in the present work that they originate from the local heating of electrons in the process of optical spin pumping. Based on insights gained during the second half of the 20th century, it is recapitulated why conduction electrons are easily overheated at cryogenic temperatures. The main reason is the poor thermal coupling between electrons and the crystal lattice (chapter 3). Experiments in the present work showed that a significant thermal gradient exists in the conduction band under local optical excitation of electron–hole pairs. This information was used to develop a better mathematical model of spin diffusion, which allowed to derive the diffusivity of the undisturbed system, due to an effective consideration of electron overheating. In this way, spin diffusivities of n-GaAs were obtained as a function of temperature and doping density in the most interesting regime of the metal–insulator-transition.
The experiments presented in this work were performed on a series of n-type bulk GaAs samples, which comprised the transition between metallic conductivity and electrical insulation at low temperatures. Local electron temperature gradients were measured by a hyperspectral photoluminescence imaging technique with subsequent evaluation of the electron–acceptor (e,A$^0$) line shape. The local density of nonequilibrium conduction electron spins was deduced from scanning magneto-optic Kerr effect microscopy. Numerical evaluations were performed using the finite elements method in combination with a least-squares fitting procedure.
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to historical and recent research in the field of spintronics, as far as it is relevant for the understanding of the present work. Chapter 2 summarizes related physical concepts and experimental methods. Here, the main topics are semiconductor optics, relaxation of hot conduction electrons, and the dynamics of nonequilibrium electron spins in semiconductors.
Chapter 3 discusses optical heating effects due to local laser excitation of electron–hole pairs. Experimental evaluations of the acceptor-bound-exciton triplet lines led to the conclusion that the crystal lattice is usually not overheated even at high excitation densities. Here, the heat is efficiently dissipated to the bath, due to the good thermal conductivity of the lattice. Furthermore, the heating of the lattice is inherently limited by the weak heat transfer from the electron system, which on the other hand is also the reason why conduction electrons are easily overheated at temperatures below ≈ 30 K. Spatio-spectral imaging of the electron–acceptor-luminescence line shape allowed to trace the thermal gradient within the conduction band under focused laser excitation. A heat-diffusion model was formulated, which reproduces the experimental electron-temperature trend nicely for low-doped GaAs samples of n- and p-type. For high-doped n-type GaAs samples, it could be shown that the lateral electron-temperature profile is well approximated by a Gaussian. This facilitated easy integration of hot electron influence into the mathematical model of spin diffusion.
Chapter 4 deals with magneto-optical imaging of optically induced nonequilibrium conduction-electron spins in n-GaAs close to the MIT. First, the spectral dependence of the magneto-optic Kerr effect was examined in the vicinity of the fundamental band gap. Despite the marked differences among the investigated samples, the spectral shape of the Kerr rotation could be described in terms of a simple Lorentz-oscillator model in all cases. Based on this model, the linearity of the Kerr effect with respect to a nonequilibrium spin polarization is demonstrated, which is decisively important for further quantitative evaluations.
Furthermore, chapter 4 presents an experimental survey of spin relaxation in n-GaAs at the MIT. Here, the dependence of the spin relaxation time on bath temperature and doping density was deduced from Hanle-MOKE measurements. While all observed trends agree with established literature, the presented results extend the current portfolio by adding a coherent set of data.
Finally, diffusion of optically generated nonequilibrium conduction-electron spins was investigated by scanning MOKE microscopy. First, it is demonstrated that the standard diffusion model is inapplicable for data evaluation in certain situations. A systematic survey of the residual deviations between this model and the experimental data revealed that this situation unfortunately persisted in published works. Moreover, the temperature trend of the residual deviations suggests a close connection to the local overheating of conduction electrons. Consequently, a modified diffusion model was developed and evaluated, in order to compensate for the optical heating effect. From this model, much more reliable results were obtained, as compared to the standard diffusion model. Therefore, it was shown conclusively that the commonly reported anomalously large spin diffusivities were at least in parts caused by overheated conduction electrons.
In addition to these new insights some experimental and technological enhancements were realized in the course of this work. First, the optical resolution of scanning MOKE microscopy was improved by implementing a novel scanning mechanism, which allows the application of a larger aperture objective than in the usual scheme. Secondly, imaging photoluminescence spectroscopy was employed for spatially resolved electron-temperature measurements. Here, two different implementations were developed: One for lattice-temperature measurements by acceptor–bound exciton luminescence and a second for conduction-electron temperature measurements via the analysis of the electron–acceptor luminescence line shape.
It is shown in the present work that the originally stated anomalously high spin diffusivities were caused to a large extent by unwanted optical heating of the electron system. Although an efficient method was found to compensate for the influence of electron heating, it became also evident that the classical Einstein relation was nonetheless violated under the given experimental conditions. In this case however, it could be shown that this discrepancy did not originate from an experimental artifact, but was instead a manifestation of the fermionic nature of conduction electrons.
This thesis reports a successful fabrication and characterisation of ferromagnetic/superconductor junction (F/S) on graphene. The thesis preposes a fabrication method to produce F/S junctions on graphene which make use of ALD grown Al2O3 as the tunnel barrier for the ferromagnetic contacts. Measurements done on F/G/S/G/F suggests that by injecting spin polarised current into the superconductor, a spin imbalance is created in the quasiparticle density of states of the superconductor which then diffuses through the graphene channel. The observed characteristic curves are similar to the ones which are already reported on metallic ferromagnet/superconductor junctions where the spin imbalance is created using Zeeman splitting. Further measurements also show that the curves loose their characteristic shapes when the temperature is increased above the critical temperature (Tc) or when the external magnetic field is higher then the critical field (Hc) of the superconducting contact. But to prove conclusively and doubtlessly the existence of spin imbalance in ferromagnet/superconductor junctions on graphene, more devices have to be made and characterised preferably in a dilution refrigerator.
Die Quanteninformationstechnologie ist ein Schwerpunkt intensiver weltweiter Forschungsarbeit, da sie Lösungen für aktuelle globale Probleme verspricht. So bietet die Quantenkommunikation (QKD, engl. quantum key distribution) absolut abhörsichere Kommunikationsprotokolle und könnte, mit der Realisierung von Quantenrepeatern, auch über große Distanzen zum Einsatz kommen. Quantencomputer (engl. quantum computing) könnten von Nutzen sein, um sehr schwierige und komplexe mathematische Probleme schneller zu lösen. Ein grundlegender kritischer Baustein der gesamten halbleiterbasierten Quanteninformationsverarbeitung (QIP, engl. quantum information processing) ist die Bereitstellung von Proben, die einerseits die geforderten physikalischen Eigenschaften aufweisen und andererseits den Anforderungen der komplexen Messtechnik genügen, um die Quanteneigenschaften nachzuweisen und technologisch nutzbar machen zu können. In halbleiterbasierten Ansätzen haben sich Quantenpunkte als sehr vielversprechende Kandidaten für diese Experimente etabliert. Halbleiterquantenpunkte weisen große Ähnlichkeiten zu einzelnen Atomen auf, die sich durch diskrete Energieniveaus und diskrete Spektrallinien im Emissionsspektrum manifestieren, und zeichnen sich überdies als exzellente Emitter für einzelne und ununterscheidbare Photonen aus. Außerdem können mit Quantenpunkten zwei kritische Bausteine in der Quanteninformationstechnologie abgedeckt werden. So können stationäre Quantenbits (Qubits) in Form von Elektronenspinzuständen gespeichert werden und mittels Spin-Photon-Verschränkung weit entfernte stationäre Qubits über fliegende photonische Qubits verschränkt werden.
Die Herstellung und Charakterisierung von quantenpunktbasierten Halbleiterproben, die sich durch definierte Eigenschaften für Experimente in der QIP auszeichnen, steht im Mittelpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit. Die Basis für das Probenwachstum bildet dabei das Materialsystem von selbstorganisierten In(Ga)As-Quantenpunkten auf GaAs-Substraten. Die Herstellung der Quantenpunktproben mittels Molekularstrahlepitaxie ermöglicht höchste kristalline Qualitäten und bietet die Möglichkeit, die Quantenemitter in photonische Resonatoren zu integrieren. Dadurch kann die Lichtauskoppeleffizienz stark erhöht und die Emission durch Effekte der Licht-Materie-Wechselwirkung verstärkt werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurden in der vorliegenden Arbeit verschiedene In(Ga)As-Quantenpunktproben mit definierten Anforderungen mittels Molekularstrahlepitaxie hergestellt und deren morphologische und optische Eigenschaften untersucht. Für die Charakterisierung der Morphologie kamen Rasterelektronen- und Rasterkraftmikroskopie zum Einsatz. Die optischen Eigenschaften wurden mit Hilfe der Reflektions-, Photolumineszenz- und Resonanzfluoreszenz-Spektroskopie sowie Autokorrelationsmessungen zweiter Ordnung ermittelt. Der Experimentalteil der Arbeit ist in drei Kapitel unterteilt, deren Kerninhalte im Folgenden kurz wiedergegeben werden.
Quasi-Planare Einzelphotonenquelle mit hoher Extraktionseffizienz:
Planare quantenpunktbasierte Einzelphotonenquellen mit hoher Extraktionseffizienz sind für Experimente zur Spinmanipulation von herausragender Bedeutung. Elektronen- und Lochspins haben sich als gute Kandidaten erwiesen, um gezielt einzelne Elektronenspins zu initialisieren, manipulieren und zu messen. Ein einzelner Quantenpunkt muss einfach geladen sein, damit er im Voigt-Magnetfeld ein λ-System bilden kann, welches die grundlegende Konfiguration für Experimente dieser Art darstellt. Wichtig sind hier einerseits eine stabile Spinkonfiguration mit langer Kohärenzzeit und andererseits hohe Lichtauskoppeleffizienzen. Quantenpunkte in planaren Mikrokavitäten weisen größere Werte für die Spindephasierungszeit auf als Mikro- und Nanotürmchenresonatoren, dagegen ist bei planaren Proben die Lichtauskoppeleffizienz geringer.
In diesem Kapitel wird eine quasi-planare quantenpunktbasierte Quelle für einzelne (g(2)(0)=0,023) und ununterscheidbare Photonen (g(2)indist (0)=0,17) mit hoher Reinheit vorgestellt. Die Quantenpunktemission weist eine sehr hohe Intensität und optische Qualität mit Halbwertsbreiten nahe der natürlichen Linienbreite auf. Die Auskoppeleffizienz wurde zu 42% für reine Einzelphotonenemission bestimmt und übersteigt damit die, für eine planare Resonatorstruktur erwartete, Extraktionseffizienz (33%) deutlich. Als Grund hierfür konnte die Kopplung der Photonenemission an Gallium-induzierte, Gauß-artige Defektstrukturen ausgemacht werden. Mithilfe morphologischer Untersuchungen und Simulationen wurde gezeigt, dass diese Defektkavitäten einerseits als Nukleationszentren für das Quantenpunktwachstum dienen und andererseits die Extraktion des emittierten Lichts der darunterliegenden Quantenpunkte durch Lichtbündelung verbessern.
In weiterführenden Arbeiten konnte an dieser spezifischen Probe der fundamentale Effekt der Verschränkung von Elektronenspin und Photon nachgewiesen werden, der einen kritischen Baustein für halbleiterbasierte Quantenrepeater darstellt. Im Rahmen dieses Experiments war es möglich, die komplette Tomographie eines verschränkten Spin-Photon-Paares an einer halbleiterbasierten Spin-Photon Schnittstelle zu messen. Überdies konnte Zweiphotoneninterferenz und Ununterscheidbarkeit von Photonen aus zwei räumlich getrennten Quantenpunkten auf diesem Wafer gemessen werden, was ebenfalls einen kritischen Baustein für Quantenrepeater darstellt.
Gekoppeltes Quantenfilm-Quantenpunkt System:
Weitere Herausforderungen für optisch kontrollierte halbleiterbasierte Spin-Qubit-Systeme sind das schnelle und zerstörungsfreie Auslesen der Spin-Information sowie die Implementierung eines skalierbaren Ein-Qubit- und Zwei-Qubit-Gatters. Ein kürzlich veröffentlichtes theoretisches Konzept könnte hierzu einen eleganten Weg eröffnen: Hierbei wird die spinabhängige Austauschwechselwirkung zwischen einem Elektron-Spin in einem Quantenpunkt und einem Exziton-Polariton-Gas, welches in einem nahegelegenen Quantenfilm eingebettet ist, ausgenützt. So könnte die Spin-Information zerstörungsfrei ausgelesen werden und eine skalierbare Wechselwirkung zwischen zwei Qubits über größere Distanzen ermöglicht werden, da sich die Wellenfunktion von Exziton-Polaritonen, abhängig von der Güte des Mikroresonators, über mehrere μm ausdehnen kann. Dies und weitere mögliche Anwendungen machen das gekoppelte Quantenfilm-Quantenpunkt System sehr interessant, weshalb eine grundlegende experimentelle Untersuchung dieses Systems wünschenswert ist.
In Zusammenarbeit mit der Arbeitsgruppe um Yoshihisa Yamamoto an der Universität Stanford, wurde hierzu ein konkretes Probendesign entwickelt und im Rahmen dieser Arbeit technologisch verwirklicht. Durch systematische epitaktische Optimierung ist es gelungen, ein gekoppeltes Quantenfilm-Quantenpunkt System erfolgreich in einen Mikroresonator zu implementierten. Das Exziton-Polariton-Gas konnte mittels eines Quantenfilms in starker Kopplung in einer Mikrokavität mit einer Rabi-Aufspaltung von VR=2,5 meV verwirklicht werden. Zudem konnten einfach geladene Quantenpunkte mit hoher optischer Qualität und klarem Einzelphotonencharakter (g(2)(0)=0,24) in unmittelbarer Nähe zum Quantenfilm gemessen werden.
Positionierte Quantenpunkte:
Für die Herstellung quantenpunktbasierter Einzelphotonenquellen mit hoher optischer Qualität ist eine skalierbare technologische Produktionsplattform wünschenswert. Dazu müssen einzelne Quantenpunkte positionierbar und somit deterministisch und skalierbar in Bauteile integriert werden können. Basierend auf zweidimensionalen, regelmäßig angeordneten und dadurch adressierbaren Quantenpunkten gibt es zudem ein Konzept, um ein skalierbares, optisch kontrolliertes Zwei-Qubit-Gatter zu realisieren. Das hier verfolgte Prinzip für die Positionierung von Quantenpunkten beruht auf der Verwendung von vorstrukturierten Substraten mit geätzten Nanolöchern, welche als Nukleationszentren für das Quantenpunktwachstum dienen. Durch eine optimierte Schichtstruktur und eine erhöhte Lichtauskopplung unter Verwendung eines dielektrischen Spiegels konnte erstmals Resonanzfluoreszenz an einem positionierten Quantenpunkt gemessen werden. In einem weiteren Optimierungsansatz konnte außerdem Emission von positionierten InGaAs Quantenpunkten auf GaAs Substrat bei 1,3 μm Telekommunikationswellenlänge erreicht werden.
Spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is the prime method to investigate
spin polarized electronic states at solid state surfaces. In how far the spin polarization
of an emitted photoelectron reflects the intrinsic spin character of an electronic state is
the main question in the work at hand. It turns out that the measured spin polarization
is strongly influenced by experimental conditions, namely by the polarization of the
incoming radiation and the excitation energy. The photoemission process thus plays a
non-negligible role in a spin-sensitive measurement. This work is dedicated to unravel
the relation between the result of a spin-resolved measurement and the spin character
in the ground state and, therefore, to gain a deep understanding of the spin-dependent
photoemission process.
Materials that exhibit significant spin-splittings in their electronic structure,
owing to a strong spin-orbit coupling, serve as model systems for the investigations in
this work. Therefore, systems with large Rashba-type spin-splittings as BiTeI(0001)
and the surface alloys BiAg2/Ag(111) and PbAg2/Ag(111) are investigated. Likewise,
the surface electronic structure of the topological insulators Bi2Te2Se(0001) and
Bi2Te3(0001) are analyzed.
Light polarization dependent photoemission experiments serve as a probe of the
orbital composition of electronic states. The knowledge of the orbital structure helps
to disentangle the spin-orbital texture inherent to the different surface states, when
in addition the spin-polarization is probed. It turns out that the topological surface
state of Bi2Te2Se(0001) as well as the Rashba-type surface state of BiTeI(0001) exhibit
chiral spin-textures associated with the p-like in-plane orbitals. In particular, opposite
chiralities are coupled to either tangentially or radially aligned p-like orbitals,
respectively. The results presented here are thus evidence that a coupling between
spin- and orbital part of the wave function occurs under the influence of spin-orbit
coupling, independent of the materials topology.
Systematic photon energy dependent measurements of the out-of-plane spin polarization
of the topological surface state of Bi2Te3(0001) reveal a strong dependence and
even a reversal of the sign of the photoelectron spin polarization with photon energy.
Similarly, the measured spin component perpendicular to the wave vector of the surface
state of BiAg2/Ag(111) shows strong modulations and sign reversals when the photon energy is changed. In BiAg2/Ag(111) the variations in the photoelectron spin
polarization are accompanied by significant changes and even a complete suppression
of the photoemission intensity from the surface state, indicating that the variations of
the spin polarization are strongly related to the photoemission cross section.
This relation is finally analyzed in detail by employing a simple model, which is
based on an evaluation of the transition matrix elements that describe the presented
experiments. The model shows that the underlying cause for the observed photoelectron
spin reversals can be found in the coupling of the spin structure to the spatial part
of the initial state wave function, revealing the crucial role of spin-orbit interaction
in the initial state wave function. The model is supported by ab initio photoemission
calculations, which show strong agreement with the experimental results.
The subject of this thesis is the control of strain in HgTe thin-film crystals. Such systems are members of the new class of topological insulator materials and therefore of special research interest. A major task was the experimental control of the strain in the HgTe films. This was achieved by a new epitaxial approach and confirmed by cristallographic analysis and magneto-transport measurements.
In this work, strain was induced in thin films by means of coherent epitaxy on substrate crystals. This means that the film adopts the lattice constant of the substrate in the plane of the substrate-epilayer interface. The level of strain is determined by the difference between the strain-free lattice constants of the substrate and epilayer material (the so-called lattice mismatch). The film responds to an in-plane strain with a change of its lattice constant perpendicular to the interface. This relationship is crucial for both the correct interpretation of high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) measurements, and the precise determination of the band dispersion. The lattice constant of HgTe is smaller than the lattice constant of CdTe. Therefore, strain in HgTe is tensile if it is grown on a CdTe substrate. In principle, compressive strain can be achieved by using an appropriate \(\text{Cd}_{1-x}\text{Zn}_{x}\text{Te}\) substrate. This concept was modified and applied in this work.
Epilayers have been fabricated by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). The growth of thick buffer layers of CdTe on GaAs:Si was established as an alternative to commercial CdTe and \(text{Cd}_{0.96}\text{Zn}_{0.04}\text{Te}\) substrates. The growth conditions have been optimized by an analysis of atomic force microscopy and HRXRD studies. HRXRD measurements reveal a power-law increase of the crystal quality with increasing thickness. Residual strain was found in the buffer layers, and was attributed to a combination of finite layer thickness and mismatch of the thermal expansion coefficients of CdTe and GaAs. In order to control the strain in HgTe epilayers, we have developed a new type of substrate with freely adjustable lattice constant.
CdTe-\(\text{Cd}_{0.5}\text{Zn}_{0.5}\text{Te}\) strained-layer-superlattices have been grown by a combination of MBE and atomic-layer epitaxy (ALE), and have been analyzed by HRXRD. ALE of the \(\text{Cd}_{0.5}\text{Zn}_{0.5}\text{Te}\) layer is self-limiting to one monolayer, and the effective lattice constant can be controlled reproducibly and straightforward by adjusting the CdTe layer thickness. The crystal quality has been found to degrade with increasing Zn-fraction. However, the effect is less drastic compared to single layer \(\text{Cd}_{1-x}\text{Zn}_{x}\text{Te}\) solid solutions. HgTe quantum wells (QWs) sandwiched in between CdHgTe barriers have been fabricated in a similar fashion on superlattices and conventional CdTe and \(\text{Cd}_{0.96}\text{Zn}_{0.04}\text{Te}\) substrates. The lower critical thickness of the CdHgTe barrier material grown on superlattice substrates had to be considered regarding the sample design. The electronic properties of the QWs depend on the strain and thickness of the QW. We have determined the QW thickness with an accuracy of \(\pm\)0.5 nm by an analysis of the beating patterns in the thickness fringes of HRXRD measurements and X-ray reflectometry measurements. We have, for the first time, induced compressive strain in HgTe QWs by an epitaxial technique (i.e. the effective lattice constant of the superlattice is lower compared to the lattice constant of HgTe). The problem of the lattice mismatch between superlattice and barriers has been circumvented by using CdHgTe-ZnHgTe superlattices instead of CdHgTe as a barrier material. Furthermore, the growth of compressively strained HgTe bulk layers (with a thickness of at least 50 nm) was demonstrated as well.
The control of the state of strain adds a new degree of freedom to the design of HgTe epilayers, which has a major influence on the band structure of QWs and bulk layers. Strain in bulk layers lifts the degeneracy of the \(\Gamma_8\) bands at \(\mathbf{k}=0\). Tensile strain opens an energy gap, compressive strain shifts the touching points of the valence- and conduction band to positions in the Brillouin zone with finite \(\mathbf{k}\). Such a situation has been realized for the first time in the course of this work. For QWs in the inverted regime, it is demonstrated that compressive strain can be used to significantly enhance the thermal energy gap of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). In addition, semi-metallic and semiconducting behavior is expected in wide QWs, depending on the state of strain. An examination of the temperature dependence of the subband ordering in QWs revealed that the band gap is only temperature-stable for appropriate sample parameters and temperature regimes. The band inversion is always lifted for sufficiently high temperatures.
A large number of models investigate the influence of the band gap on the stability of the quantum-spin-Hall (QSH) effect. An enhancement of the stability of QSH edge state conductance is expected for enlarged band gaps. Furthermore, experimental studies on the temperature dependence of the QSH conductance are in contradiction to theoretical predictions. Systematic studies of these aspects have become feasible based on the new flexibility of the sample design.
Detailed low-temperature magnetotransport studies have been carried out on QWs and bulk layers. For this purpose, devices have been fabricated lithographically, which consist of two Hall-bar geometries with different dimensions. This allows to discriminate between conductance at the plane of the 2DEG and the edge of the sample. The Fermi energy in the 2DEG has been adjusted by means of a top gate electrode. The strain-induced transition from semi-metallic to semiconducting characteristics in wide QWs was shown. The magnitude of the semi-metallic overlap of valence- and conduction band was determined by an analysis of the two-carrier conductance and is in agreement with band structure calculations. The band gap of the semiconducting sample was determined by measurements of the temperature dependence of the conductance at the charge-neutrality point. Agreement with the value expected from theory has been achieved for the first time in this work. The influence of the band gap on the stability of QSH edge state conductance has been investigated on a set of six samples. The band gap of the set spans a range of 10 to 55 meV. The latter value has been achieved in a highly compressively strained QW, has been confirmed by temperature-dependent conductance measurements, and is the highest ever reported in the inverted regime. Studies of the carrier mobility reveal a degradation of the sample quality with increasing Zn-fraction in the superlattice, in agreement with HRXRD observations. The enhanced band gap does not suppress scattering mechanisms in QSH edge channels, but lowers the conductance in the plane of the 2DEG. Hence, edge state conductance is the dominant conducting process even at elevated temperatures. An increase in conductance with increasing temperature has been found, in agreement with reports from other groups. The increase follows a power-law dependency, the underlying physical mechanism remains open. A cause for the lack of an increase of the QSH edge state conductance with increasing energy gap has been discussed. Possibly, the sample remains insulating even at finite carrier densities, due to localization effects. The measurement does not probe the QSH edge state conductance at the situation where the Fermi energy is located in the center of the energy gap, but in the regime of maximized puddle-driven scattering. In a first set of measurements, it has been shown that the QSH edge state conductance can be influenced by hysteretic charging effects of trapped states in the insulating dielectric. A maximized conductance of \(1.6\ \text{e}^2/\text{h}\) was obtained in a \(58\ \mu\text{m}\) edge channel. Finally, measurements on three dimensional samples have been discussed. Recent theoretical works assign compressively strained HgTe bulk layers to the Weyl semi-metal class of materials. Such layers have been synthesized and studied in magnetotransport experiments for the first time. Pronounced quantum-Hall- and Shubnikov-de-Haas features in the Hall- and longitudinal resistance indicate two-dimensional conductance on the sample surface. However, this conductance cannot be assigned definitely to Weyl surface states, due to the inversion of \(\Gamma_6\) and \(\Gamma_8\) bands. If a magnetic field is aligned parallel to the current in the device, a decrease in the longitudinal resistance is observed with increasing magnetic field. This is a signature of the chiral anomaly, which is expected in Weyl semi-metals.
The Micromegas technology is one of the most successful modern gaseous detector concepts and widely utilized in nuclear and particle physics experiments. Twenty years of R & D rendered the technology sufficiently mature to be selected as precision tracking detector for the New Small Wheel (NSW) upgrade of the ATLAS Muon spectrometer. This will be the first large scale application of Micromegas in one of the major LHC experiments. However, many of the fundamental microscopic processes in these gaseous detectors are still not fully understood and studies on several detector aspects, like the micromesh geometry, have never been addressed systematically.
The studies on signal formation in Micromegas, presented in the first part of this thesis, focuses on the microscopic signal electron loss mechanisms and the amplification processes in electron gas interaction. Based on a detailed model of detector parameter dependencies, these processes are scrutinized in an iterating comparison between exper- imental results, theory prediction of the macroscopic observables and process simulation on the microscopic level. Utilizing the specialized detectors developed in the scope of this thesis as well as refined simulation algorithms, an unprecedented level of accuracy in the description of the microscopic processes is reached, deepening the understanding of the fundamental process in gaseous detectors.
The second part is dedicated to the challenges arising with the large scale Micro- megas production for the ATLAS NSW. A selection of technological choices, partially influenced or determined by the herein presented studies, are discussed alongside a final report on two production related tasks addressing the detectors’ core components: For the industrial production of resistive anode PCBs a detailed quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) scheme as well as the therefore required testing tools have been developed. In parallel the study on micromesh parameter optimization and production feasibility resulted in the selection of the proposed mesh by the NSW community and its full scale industrial manufacturing. The successful completion of both tasks were im- portant milestones towards the construction of large size Micromegas detectors clearing the path for NSW series production.
This thesis aimed at the coherent investigation of the electrical and thermal transport properties of the low-dimensional organic conductor (DCNQI)2M (DCNQI: dicyanoquinonediimine; M: metallic counterion). These radical anion salts present a promising, new material class for thermoelectric applications and hence, a consistent characterization of the key parameters is required to evaluate and to optimize their performance. For this purpose, a novel experimental measurement setup enabling the determination of the electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient and the thermal conductivity on a single crystalline specimen has been designed and implemented in this work. The novel measurement setup brought to operation within this thesis enabled a thorough investigation of the thermal transport properties in the (DCNQI)2M system. The thermal conductivity of (DCNQI-h8)2Cu at RT was determined to κ=1.73 W m^(-1) K^(-1). By reducing of the copper content in isostructural, crystalline (DMe-DCNQI)2CuxLi1-x alloys, the electrical conductivity has been lowered by one order of magnitude and the correlated changes in the thermal conductivity allowed for a verification of the Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law at RT. A room temperature Lorenz number of L=(2.48±0.45)⋅〖10〗^(-8) WΩK^(-2) was obtained in agreement with the standard Lorenz number L_0=2,44⋅〖10〗^(-8) WΩK^(-2) for 3D bulk metals. This value appears to be significantly reduced upon cooling below RT, even far above the Debye temperature of θ_D≈82 K, below which a breakdown of the WF law is caused by different relaxation times in response to thermal and to electric field perturbations. The experimental data enabled the first consistent evaluation of the thermoelectric performance of (DCNQI)$_2$Cu. The RT power factor of 110 μWm^(-1) K^(-2) is comparable to values obtained on PEDOT-based thermoelectric polymers. The RT figure of merit amounts to zT=0.02 which falls short by a factor of ten compared to the best values of zT=0.42 claimed for conducting polymers. It originates from the larger thermal conductivity in the organic crystals of about 1.73 W m^(-1) K^(-1) in (DCNQI)2Cu. Yet, more elaborate studies on the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity in PEDOT polymers assume their figure of merit to be zT=0.15 at most, recently. Therefore, (DCNQI)2Cu can be regarded as thermoelectric material of similar performance to polymer-based ones. Moreover, it represents one of the best organic n-type thermoelectric materials to date and as such, may also become important in hybrid thermoelectrics in combination with conducting polymers. Upon cooling below room temperature, (DCNQI)2Cu reveals its full potential attaining power factors of 50 mW K^(-2) m^(-1) and exceeding values of zT>0.15 below 40 K. These values represent the best thermoelectric performance in this low-temperature regime for organic as well as inorganic compounds and thus, low-dimensional organic conductors might pave the way toward new applications in cryogenic thermoelectrics. Further improvements may be expected from optimizing the charge carrier concentration by taking control over the CT process via the counterion stack of the crystal lattice. The concept has also been demonstrated in this work. Moreover, the thermoelectric performance in the vicinity of the CDW transition in (MeBr-DCNQI)2Cu was found to be increased by a factor of 5. Accordingly, the diversity of electronic ground states accessible in organic conductors provides scope for further improvements. Finally, the prototype of an all-organic thermoelectric generator has been built in combination with the p-type organic metal TTT2I3. While it only converts about 0.02% of the provided heat into electrical energy, the specific power output per active area attains values of up to 5 mW cm^(-2). This power output, defining the cost-limiting factor in the recovery of waste heat, is three orders of magnitude larger than in conducting polymer devices and as such, unrivaled in organic thermoelectrics. While the thermoelectric key parameters of (DCNQI)2Cu still lack behind conventional thermoelectrics made of e.g. Bi2Te3, the promising performance together with its potential for improvements make this novel material class an interesting candidate for further exploration. Particularly, the low-cost and energy-efficient synthesis routes of organic materials highlight their relevance for technological applications.
Um die Natur der Transportdynamik von Ladungsträgern auch auf mikroskopischen Längenskalen nicht-invasiv untersuchen zu können, wurde im ersten Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit das PL- (Photolumineszenz-) Quenching (engl.: to quench: löschen; hier: strahlungslose Rekombination von Exzitonen) in einer organischen Dünnschicht durch die injizierten und akkumulierten Löcher in einer Transistorgeometrie analysiert. Diese Zusammenführung zweier Methoden - der elektrischen Charakterisierung von Dünnschichttransistoren und der Photolumineszenzspektroskopie - erfasst die Änderung des strahlenden Zerfalls von Exzitonen infolge der Wechselwirkung mit Ladungsträgern. Dadurch werden räumlich aufgelöste Informationen über die Ladungsverteilung und deren Spannungsabhängigkeit im Transistorkanal zugänglich. Durch den Vergleich mit den makroskopischen elektrischen Kenngrößen wie der Schwell- oder der Turn-On-Spannung kann die Funktionsweise der Transistoren damit detaillierter beschrieben werden, als es die Kenngrößen alleine ermöglichen. Außerdem wird die Quantifizierung dieser mikroskopischen Interaktionen möglich, welche beispielsweise als Verlustkanal in organischen Photovoltaikzellen und organicshen Leuchtdioden auftreten können. Die Abgrenzung zu anderen dissipativen Prozessen, wie beispielsweise der Exziton-Exziton Annihilation, Ladungsträgerrekombination, Triplett-Übergänge oder Rekombination an Störstellen oder metallischen Grenzflächen, erlaubt die detaillierte Analyse der Wechselwirkung von optisch angeregten Zuständen mit Elektronen und Löchern.
Im zweiten Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit werden die Transporteigenschaften des Naphthalindiimids Cl2-NDI betrachtet, bei dem der molekulare Überlapp sowie die Reorganisationsenergie in derselben Größenordnung von etwa 0,1 eV liegen. Um experimentell auf den mikroskopischen Transport zu schließen, werden nach der Optimierung des Kristallwachstums Einkristalltransistoren hergestellt, mit Hilfe derer die Beweglichkeit entlang verschiedener kristallographischer Richtungen als Funktion der Temperatur gemessen werden kann. Die einkristalline Natur der Proben und die spezielle Transistorgeometrie ermöglichen die Analyse der räumlichen Anisotropie des Stromflusses. Der gemessene Beweglichkeitstensor wird daraufhin mit simulierten Tensoren auf der Basis von Levich-Jortner Raten verglichen, um auf den zentralen Ladungstransfermechanismus zu schließen.
Optical antennas work similar to antennas for the radio-frequency regime and convert electromagnetic radiation into oscillating electrical currents. Charge density accumulations form at the antenna surface leading to strong and localized near-fields. Since most optical antennas have dimensions of a few hundred nanometers, their near-fields allow the focusing of electromagnetic fields to volumes much smaller than the diffraction limit, with intensities several orders of magnitude larger than achievable with classical diffractive and refractive optical elements. The task to maximize the emission of a quantum emitter, a point-like entity capable of reception and emission of single photons, is identical to the task to maximize the field intensity at the position of the quantum emitter. Therefore it is desirable to optimize the capabilities of focusing optical antennas.
Radio-frequency-antenna designs scaled to optical dimensions of several hundred nanometers show already a decent performance. However, optical frequencies lie near the plasma frequency of the metals used for optical antennas and the mass of electrons cannot be neglected anymore. This leads to new physical phenomena. Light can couple to charge density oscillations, yielding a so-called Plasmon. Effects emerge which have no equivalent in the very advanced field of radio-frequency-technology, e.g.~volume currents and shortened effective wavelengths. Additionally the conductivity is not infinite anymore, leading to thermal losses. Therefore, the question for the optimal geometry of a focusing optical antenna is not easy to answer. However, up to now there was no evidence that there exist better alternatives for optical antennas than down-scaled radio-frequency designs.
In this work the optimization of focusing optical antennas is based on an approach, which often proved successful for radio-frequency-antennas in complex applications (e.g.~broadband and isotropic reception): evolutionary algorithms. The first implementation introduced here allows a large freedom regarding particle shape and count, as it arranges cubic voxels on a planar, square grid. The geometries are encoded in a binary matrix, which works as a genome and enables the methods of mutation and crossing as mechanism of improvement. Antenna geometries optimized in this way surpass a comparable dipolar geometry by a factor of 2. Moreover, a new working principle can be deduced from the optimized antennas: a magnetic split-ring resonance can be coupled conductively to dipolar antennas, to form novel and more effective split-ring-antennas, as their currents add up constructively near the focal point.
In a next step, the evolutionary algorithm is adapted so that the binary matrices describe geometries with realistic fabrication constraints. In addition a 'printer driver' is developed which converts the binary matrices into commands for focused ion-beam milling in mono-crystalline gold flakes. It is shown by means of confocal two-photon photo-luminescence microscopy that antennas with differing efficiency can be fabricated reliably directly from the evolutionary algorithm. Besides, the concept of the split-ring antenna is further improved by adding this time two split-rings to the dipole-like resonance.
The best geometry from the second evolutionary algorithm inspires a fundamentally new formalism to determine the power transfer between an antenna and a point dipole, best termed 'three-dimensional mode-matching'. Therewith, for the first time intuitive design rules for the geometry of an focusing optical antenna can be deduced. The validity of the theory is proven analytically at the case of a point dipole in from of a metallic nano sphere.
The full problem of focusing light by means of an optical antenna can, thus, be reduced to two simultaneous mode-matching conditions -- on the one hand with the fields of a point dipole, on the other hand with a plane wave. Therefore, two types of ideal focusing optical antenna mode patterns are identified, being fundamentally different from the established dipolar antenna mode. This allows not only to explain the functionality of the evolutionary antennas and the split-ring antenna, but also helps to design novel plamonic cavity antennas, which lead to an enhanced focusing of light. This is proven numerically in direct comparison to a classical dipole antenna design.
The focus of the work concerned the development of a series of MRI techniques that were specifically designed and optimized to obtain quantitative and spatially resolved information about characteristic parameters of the lung. Three image acquisition techniques were developed. Each of them allows to quantify a different parameter of relevant diagnostic interest for the lung, as further described below:
1) The blood volume fraction, which represents the amount of lung water in the intravascular compartment expressed as a fraction of the total lung water. This parameter is related to lung perfusion.
2) The magnetization relaxation time T\(_2\) und T*\(_2\)
, which represents the component of T\(_2\) associated with the diffusion of water molecules through the internal magnetic field gradients of the lung. Because the amplitude of these internal gradients is related to the alveolar size, T\(_2\) und T*\(_2\) can be used to obtain information about the microstructure of the lung.
3) The broadening of the NMR spectral line of the lung. This parameter depends on lung inflation and on the concentration of oxygen in the alveoli. For this reason, the spectral line broadening can be regarded as a fingerprint for lung inflation; furthermore, in combination with oxygen enhancement, it provides a measure for lung ventilation.
Soft x-ray spectroscopic study of methanol and glycine peptides in different physical environments
(2017)
Ion-specific effects occur in a huge variety of aqueous solutions of electrolytes and larger molecules like peptides, altering properties such as viscosity, enzyme activity, protein stability, and salting-in and salting-out behavior of proteins. Typically, these type of effects are rationalized in terms of the Hofmeister series, which originally orders cations and anions according to their ability to enhance or suppress the solubility of proteins in water. This empirical order, however, is still not understood yet. Quite some effort was made to gain a molecular level understanding of this phenomenon, yet no consensus has been found about the underlying mechanisms and the determination and localization of the interaction sites.
Resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS) combines x-ray emission (XES) and absorption spectroscopies (XAS), probing the partial local density of states of both occupied and unoccupied electronic states and is thus a promising candidate to shed more light onto the issue. The studies presented in this work are directed towards an improved understanding of the interaction between salts and peptides. In order to address this topic, the impact of different physical environments on the electronic structure of small molecules (i.e., methanol and glycine derived peptides) is investigated systematically using soft x-ray spectroscopic methods, corroborated with density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
In a first step, molecules without any interactions to the surrounding are investigated, using gas-phase methanol as a model system. Thereby, the local and element specific character of RIXS is demonstrated and used to separately probe the local electronic structure of methanol’s hydroxyl and methyl group, respectively. The attribution of the observed emission features to distinct molecular orbitals is confirmed by DFT calculations, which also quantitatively explain the different relative intensities of the emission features. For resonant excitation of the O K pre-edge absorption resonance, strong isotope effects are found that are explained by dynamical processes at the hydroxyl group. This serves as an excellent example for possible consequences of a local change in the geometric structure or symmetry of a molecule on its electronic structure.
In the following, the sample system is expanded to the amino acid glycine and its smallest derived peptides diglycine and triglycine. As a first step, they are studied in their crystalline form in solid state. Again, a comprehensive picture of the electronic structure is developed by measuring RIXS maps at the oxygen and nitrogen K absorption edge, corroborated by DFT calculations. Similar to the case of methanol, dynamic processes at the protonated amino group of the molecules after exciting the nitrogen atom have a strong influence on the emission spectra. Furthermore, it is shown that RIXS can be used to selectively excite the peptide nitrogen to probe the electronic structure around it. A simple building block approach for XES spectra is applied to separate the contribution of the emission attributed to transitions into core holes at the peptide and the amino nitrogen, respectively.
In the aqueous solution, the surrounding water molecules slightly change the electronic structure, probably via interactions with the charged functional groups. The effects on the x-ray emission spectra, however, are rather small. Much bigger changes are observed when manipulating the protonation state of the functional groups by adjusting the pH value of the solution. A protonation of the carboxyl group at low pH values, as well as a deprotonation of the amino group at high pH values lead to striking changes in the shape of the RIXS maps. In a comprehensive study of glycine’s XES spectra at varying pH values, changes in the local electronic structure are not only observed in the immediate surrounding of the manipulated functional groups but also in more distant moieties of the molecule.
Finally, the study is extended to mixed aqueous solutions of diglycine and a variety of different salts as examples for systems where Hofmeister effects are observed. To investigate the influence of different cations and anions on the electronic structure of diglycine, two series of chlorine and potassium salts are used. Ion-specific effects are identified for both cases. Some of the changes in the x-ray emission spectra of diglycine in the mixed solutions qualitatively follow the Hofmeister series as a function of the used salt. The observed trends thereby indicate an increased interaction between the electron density around the peptide oxygen with the cations, whereas anions seem to interact with the amino group of the peptide.