A quantum ruler for orbital magnetism in moiré quantum matter.

For almost a century, magnetic oscillations have been a powerful "quantum ruler" for measuring Fermi surface topology. In this study, we used Landau-level spectroscopy to unravel the energy-resolved valley-contrasting orbital magnetism and large orbital magnetic susceptibility that contribute to the energies of Landau levels of twisted double-bilayer graphene. These orbital magnetism effects led to substantial deviations from the standard Onsager relation, which manifested as a breakdown in scaling of Landau-level orbits. These substantial magnetic responses emerged from the nontrivial quantum geometry of the electronic structure and the large length scale of the moiré lattice potential. Going beyond traditional measurements, Landau-level spectroscopy performed with a scanning tunneling microscope offers a complete quantum ruler that resolves the full energy dependence of orbital magnetic properties in moiré quantum matter.

Electrochemical reactivity and proton transport mechanisms in nanostructured ceria.

Electrochemical reactivity and ionic transport at the nanoscale are essential in many energy applications. In this study, time-resolved Kelvin probe force microscopy (tr-KPFM) is utilized for surface potential mapping of nanostructured ceria, in both space and time domains. The fundamental mechanisms of proton injection and transport are studied as a function of environmental conditions and the presence or absence of triple phase boundaries. Finite element modeling is used to extract physical parameters from the experimental data, allowing not only quantification of the observed processes, but also decoupling of their contributions to the measured signal. The constructed phase diagrams of the parameters demonstrate a thermally activated proton injection reaction at the triple phase boundary, and two transport processes that are responsible for the low-temperature proton conductivity of nanostructured ceria.

Bias assisted scanning probe microscopy direct write lithography enables local oxygen enrichment of lanthanum cuprates thin films.

Scanning probe bias techniques have been used as a method to locally dope thin epitaxial films of La(2)CuO(4) (LCO) fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. The local electrochemical oxidation of LCO very efficiently introduces interstitial oxygen defects in the thin film. Details on the influence of the tip voltage bias and environmental conditions on the surface morphology have been investigated. The results show that a local uptake of oxygen occurs in the oxidized films.

Band excitation in scanning probe microscopy: recognition and functional imaging.

Field confinement at the junction between a biased scanning probe microscope's tip and solid surface enables local probing of various bias-induced transformations, such as polarization switching, ionic motion, and electrochemical reactions. The nanoscale size of the biased region, smaller or comparable to that of features such as grain boundaries and dislocations, potentially allows for the study of kinetics and thermodynamics at the level of a single defect. In contrast to classical statistically averaged approaches, this approach allows one to link structure to functionality and deterministically decipher associated mesoscopic and atomistic mechanisms. Furthermore, responses measured as a function of frequency and bias can serve as a fingerprint of local material functionality, allowing for local recognition imaging of inorganic and biological systems. This article reviews current progress in multidimensional scanning probe microscopy techniques based on band excitation time and voltage spectroscopies, including discussions on data acquisition, dimensionality reduction, and visualization, along with future challenges and opportunities for the field.

Symmetry relationship and strain-induced transitions between insulating M1 and M2 and metallic R phases of vanadium dioxide.

The ability to synthesize VO2 in the form of single-crystalline nanobeams and nano- and microcrystals uncovered a number of previously unknown aspects of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in this oxide. In particular, several reports demonstrated that the MIT can proceed through competition between two monoclinic (insulating) phases M1 and M2 and the tetragonal (metallic) R phase under influence of strain. The nature of such phase behavior has been not identified. Here we show that the competition between M1 and M2 phases is purely lattice-symmetry-driven. Within the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau formalism, both M phases correspond to different directions of the same four-component structural order parameter, and as a consequence, the M2 phase can appear under a small perturbation of the M1 structure such as doping or stress. We analyze the strain-controlled phase diagram of VO2 in the vicinity of the R-M2-M1 triple point using the Ginzburg-Landau formalism and identify and experimentally verify the pathways for strain-control of the transition. These insights open the door toward more systematic approaches to synthesis of VO2 nanostructures in desired phase states and to use of external fields in the control of the VO2 phase states. Additionally, we report observation of the triclinic T phase at the heterophase domain boundaries in strained quasi-two-dimensional VO2 nanoplatelets, and theoretically predict phases that have not been previously observed.

Copper phthalocyanine quasi-1D nanostructures: growth morphologies and gas sensing properties.

The growth conditions of meso- and nanoscopic copper phthalocyanine quasi-1D structures, single crystalline whiskers and "nanowebs" were investigated on various technologically important substrates and were compared to existing literature. The synthesized morphologies were used to fabricate organic conductometric gas-sensing devices, and their sensitivity and selectivity toward NOx were investigated. The obtained results demonstrate excellent sensitivity and selectivity of these quasi-1D chemiresistors. Both the response time of the quasi-1D CuPc sensors and their overall gas sensing performance can be further enhanced by reducing the surface-to-bulk ratio of these nano- and meso-structures.