Model-based magnetization retrieval from holographic phase images.

The phase shift of the electron wave is a useful measure for the projected magnetic flux density of magnetic objects at the nanometer scale. More important for materials science, however, is the knowledge about the magnetization in a magnetic nano-structure. As demonstrated here, a dominating presence of stray fields prohibits a direct interpretation of the phase in terms of magnetization modulus and direction. We therefore present a model-based approach for retrieving the magnetization by considering the projected shape of the nano-structure and assuming a homogeneous magnetization therein. We apply this method to FePt nano-islands epitaxially grown on a SrTiO3 substrate, which indicates an inclination of their magnetization direction relative to the structural easy magnetic [001] axis. By means of this real-world example, we discuss prospects and limits of this approach.

Influence of chemical ordering on the thermal conductivity and electronic relaxation in FePt thin films in heat assisted magnetic recording applications.

We report on the out-of-plane thermal conductivities of tetragonal L10 FePt (001) easy-axis and cubic A1 FePt thin films via time-domain thermoreflectance over a temperature range from 133 K to 500 K. The out-of-plane thermal conductivity of the chemically ordered L10 phase with alternating Fe and Pt layers is ~23% greater than the thermal conductivity of the disordered A1 phase at room temperature and below. However, as temperature is increased above room temperature, the thermal conductivities of the two phases begin to converge. Molecular dynamics simulations on model FePt structures support our experimental findings and help shed more light into the relative vibrational thermal transport properties of the L10 and A1 phases. Furthermore, unlike the varying temperature trends in the thermal conductivities of the two phases, the electronic scattering rates in the out-of-plane direction of the two phases are similar for the temperature range studied in this work.

Heteroepitaxial Cu2O thin film solar cell on metallic substrates.

Heteroepitaxial, single-crystal-like Cu2O films on inexpensive, flexible, metallic substrates can potentially be used as absorber layers for fabrication of low-cost, high-performance, non-toxic, earth-abundant solar cells. Here, we report epitaxial growth of Cu2O films on low cost, flexible, textured metallic substrates. Cu2O films were deposited on the metallic templates via pulsed laser deposition under various processing conditions to study the influence of processing parameters on the structural and electronic properties of the films. It is found that pure, epitaxial Cu2O phase without any trace of CuO phase is only formed in a limited deposition window of P(O2) - temperature. The (00l) single-oriented, highly textured, Cu2O films deposited under optimum P(O2) - temperature conditions exhibit excellent electronic properties with carrier mobility in the range of 40-60 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and carrier concentration over 10(16) cm(-3). The power conversion efficiency of 1.65% is demonstrated from a proof-of-concept Cu2O solar cell based on epitaxial Cu2O film prepared on the textured metal substrate.

Ultra-high performance, high-temperature superconducting wires via cost-effective, scalable, co-evaporation process.

Long-length, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires capable of carrying high critical current, Ic, are required for a wide range of applications. Here, we report extremely high performance HTS wires based on 5 µm thick SmBa2Cu3O7--δ (SmBCO) single layer films on textured metallic templates. SmBCO layer wires over 20 meters long were deposited by a cost-effective, scalable co-evaporation process using a batch-type drum in a dual chamber. All deposition parameters influencing the composition, phase, and texture of the films were optimized via a unique combinatorial method that is broadly applicable for co-evaporation of other promising complex materials containing several cations. Thick SmBCO layers deposited under optimized conditions exhibit excellent cube-on-cube epitaxy. Such excellent structural epitaxy over the entire thickness results in exceptionally high Ic performance, with average Ic over 1,000 A/cm-width for the entire 22 meter long wire and maximum Ic over 1,500 A/cm-width for a short 12 cm long tape. The Ic values reported in this work are the highest values ever reported from any lengths of cuprate-based HTS wire or conductor.

Engineering nanocolumnar defect configurations for optimized vortex pinning in high temperature superconducting nanocomposite wires.

We report microstructural design via control of BaZrO3 (BZO) defect density in high temperature superconducting (HTS) wires based on epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films to achieve the highest critical current density, Jc, at different fields, H. We find the occurrence of Jc(H) cross-over between the films with 1-4 vol% BZO, indicating that optimal BZO doping is strongly field-dependent. The matching fields, Bφ, estimated by the number density of BZO nanocolumns are matched to the field ranges for which 1-4 vol% BZO-doped films exhibit the highest Jc(H). With incorporation of BZO defects with the controlled density, we fabricate 4-µm-thick single layer, YBCO + BZO nanocomposite film having the critical current (Ic) of ~1000 A cm(-1) at 77 K, self-field and the record minimum Ic, Ic(min), of 455 A cm(-1) at 65 K and 3 T for all field angles. This Ic(min) is the largest value ever reported from HTS films fabricated on metallic templates.

Strain-driven oxygen deficiency in self-assembled, nanostructured, composite oxide films.

Oxide self-assembly is a promising bottom-up approach for fabricating new composite materials at the nanometer length scale. Tailoring the properties of such systems for a wide range of electronic applications depends on the fundamental understanding of the interfaces between the constituent phases. We show that the nanoscale strain modulation in self-assembled systems made of high-T(c) superconducting films containing nanocolumns of BaZrO(3) strongly affects the oxygen composition of the superconductor. Our findings explain the observed reduction of the superconducting critical temperature.

A three-dimensional, biaxially textured oxide nanofence composed of MgO single crystal nanobelt segments.

A unique, three-dimensional (3D), biaxially textured, MgO, nanofence comprised of single crystal MgO nanobelt segments or links was synthesized via epitaxial growth on (100) SrTiO(3) substrates. Individual single crystal MgO nanobelt segments comprising the nanofence have a square cross-section with dimensions in the range of 10-20 nm and with lengths in the range from 100 nm up to 1 microm. X-ray diffraction shows that the 3D MgO nanofence has an epitaxial relation with (100) SrTiO(3) substrates with a cube-on-cube, {100}100 orientation and with values of the full width at half-maximum of the (200) omega-scan and the (110) varphi-scan at 4.5 degrees and 5.5 degrees , respectively. Such a biaxially textured oxide nanofence with single crystal segments can be used as a 3D nanotemplated substrate for epitaxial growth of wide-ranging, 3D, electronic, magnetic and electromagnetic nanodevices.