I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
Lixin
Liu
,
Han
Yan
,
Leyi
Loh
,
Kamal Kumar
Paul
,
Soumya
Sarkar
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
Tien-Lin
Lee
,
Takashi
Taniguchi
,
Kenji
Watanabe
,
Manish
Chhowalla
,
Yan
Wang
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[38012, 39914]
Open Access
Abstract: Excellent gate electrostatics in field effect transistors (FETs) based on 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (2D TMD) channels can dramatically decrease static power dissipation. Energy-efficient FETs operate in enhancement mode with a small and positive threshold voltage (Vth) for n-type devices. However, most state-of-the-art FETs based on monolayer MoS2 channel operate in depletion mode with negative Vth due to doping from the underlying dielectric substrate. In this work, we identify key properties of the semiconductor/dielectric interface (MoS2 on industrially relevant high dielectric constant (k) HfO2, ZrO2 and hBN for reference) responsible for realizing enhancement-mode operation of 2D MoS2 channel FETs. We find that hBN and ZrO2 dielectric substrates provide low defect interfaces with MoS2 that enables effective modulation of the Vth using gate metals of different work functions (WFs). We use photoluminescence (PL) and synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements to investigate doping levels in monolayer MoS2 on different dielectrics with different WF gate metals. We complement the FET and spectroscopic measurements with capacitance-voltage analysis on dielectrics with varying thicknesses, which confirms that Vth modulation in ZrO2 devices is correlated with WF of the gate metals – in contrast with HfO2 devices that exhibit signatures of Vth pinning induced by oxide/interface defect states. Finally, we demonstrate FETs using a 2D MoS2 channel and a 6 nm of ZrO2 dielectric, achieving a subthreshold swing of 87 mV dec−1 and a threshold voltage of 0.1 V. Our results offer insights into the role of dielectric/semiconductor interface in 2D MoS2 based FETs for realizing enhancement mode FETs and highlight the potential of ZrO2 as a scalable high-k dielectric.
|
Mar 2026
|
|
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
O.
Tkach
,
S.
Fragkos
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
J.
Liu
,
O.
Fedchenko
,
Y.
Lytvynenko
,
S.
Babenkov
,
D.
Zimmer
,
Q. L.
Nguyen
,
S.
Chernov
,
D.
Kutnyakhov
,
M.
Scholz
,
N.
Wind
,
A.
Gloskovskii
,
F.
Pressacco
,
J.
Dilling
,
L.
Bruckmeier
,
M.
Heber
,
L.
Wenthaus
,
G.
Brenner
,
D.
Puntel
,
P. E.
Majchrzak
,
D.
Liu
,
F.
Scholz
,
J. A.
Sobota
,
J. D.
Koralek
,
G.
Dakovski
,
A.
Mehta
,
N.
Sirica
,
M.
Hoesch
,
C.
Schlueter
,
L. V.
Odnodvorets
,
Y.
Mairesse
,
T.-L.
Lee
,
A.
Kunin
,
K.
Rossnagel
,
Z. X.
Shen
,
H. J.
Elmers
,
S.
Beaulieu
,
G.
Schönhense
Abstract: A new type of objective lens has recently been proposed for use in x-ray photoemission electron microscopes (XPEEMs) and momentum microscopes. Adding a ring electrode concentric with the extractor allows the field in the gap between the sample and the extractor to be shaped. Forming a lens field in this gap reduces the field strength at the sample by up to an order of magnitude. This mitigates the risk of field emission, particularly for cleaved samples with sharp edges. A retarding field can redirect all slow electrons, thus eliminating the primary contribution to the space-charge interaction. Here, we present the first experimental investigation of the new lens, examining its performance at photon energies ranging from the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) produced by a high-harmonic generation-based source to soft and hard x rays at two synchrotron facilities. The gap lens in a region without electrodes enables large working distances up to 23 mm. Reduced aberrations allow for larger fields of view in both k-space and real-space imaging, with resolutions comparable to those of conventional cathode lenses. However, field strengths are an order of magnitude smaller. The zero-field mode enables the study of 3D structured objects and is, therefore, beneficial for small cleaved samples as well as for operando devices involving top electrodes. The repeller mode reduces space-charge effects but results in a smaller k-field diameter. This reduction ranges from 10% at hard x-ray energies to 50% in the XUV range. The usable energy interval is also reduced by a factor of two. In time-of-flight XPEEM mode, the raw data show a resolution of 250 nm, which can be improved to better than 100 nm through data processing.
|
Mar 2026
|
|
|
|
Gesa-R.
Siemann
,
Davide
Curcio
,
Anders S.
Mortensen
,
Charlotte E.
Sanders
,
Yu
Zhang
,
Jennifer
Rigden
,
Paulina
Majchrzak
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
Emma
Springate
,
Ratnadwip
Singha
,
Leslie M.
Schoop
,
Philip
Hofmann
Abstract: Optical control offers a compelling route for tailoring material properties on an ultrafast time scale. Ordered states such as charge density waves (CDWs) can be transiently melted by an ultrafast light excitation. This is also the case for the rare-earth tritelluride LaTe3, a prototypical CDW compound. For this material it has recently been reported that the suppression of the primary CDW allows the transient formation of a second CDW, whose wave vector is orthogonal to the primary one. This creates the intriguing scenario where light enables switching between two distinct ordered phases of the material. While the second CDW has so far been observed by structural techniques, it remains an open question how the interplay of the two CDW phases is reflected in the material's electronic structure. We investigate this via time- and angle-resolved photoemission measurements of LaTe3. The complex Fermi contour is probed using a FeSuMa analyzer, which records the photoemission intensity of the entire Fermi contour at once. The dynamics revealed by the FeSuMa analyzer are complemented by measurements using a conventional hemispherical electron analyzer. We combine conventional data analysis with 𝑘-means clustering, an unsupervised machine learning technique, demonstrating its strong potential for disentangling large datasets. While we do not find any features that cannot be explained by the melting and reestablishment of the primary CDW, distinct dynamics and coherent oscillations are observed in the different branches of the Fermi contour.
|
Feb 2026
|
|
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
H. J.
Elmers
,
O.
Tkach
,
Y.
Lytvynenko
,
H.
Agarwal
,
D.
Biswas
,
J.
Liu
,
A.-A.
Haghighirad
,
M.
Merz
,
S.
Pakhira
,
G.
Garbarino
,
T.-L.
Lee
,
J.
Demsar
,
G.
Schönhense
,
M.
Le Tacon
,
O.
Fedchenko
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[37580]
Abstract: This study uses angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to examine the low-temperature electronic structure of Cs(V0.95Nb0.05)3Sb5, demonstrating that partially substituting V atoms with isoelectronic Nb atoms results in an increase of the bandwidth and enhanced gap opening at the Dirac-like crossings due to the resulting chemical pressure. This increases the magnetic circular dichroism signal in the angular distribution compared to CsV3Sb5, enabling detailed analysis of magnetic circular dichroism in several bands near the Fermi level. These results substantiate the predicted coupling of orbital magnetic moments to three van Hove singularities near the Fermi level at 𝑀 points. Previous studies have observed that Nb doping lowers the charge density transition temperature and increases the critical temperature for superconductivity. This article demonstrates that Nb doping concomitantly increases the magnetic circular dichroism signal attributed to orbital moments.
|
Dec 2025
|
|
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[30534]
Open Access
Abstract: A comprehensive understanding of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is crucial for ensuring long-term battery stability. This is particularly pertinent in sodium-ion batteries (NIBs), where the SEI remains poorly understood, and investigations are typically undertaken in half-cell configurations with sodium metal as the counter electrode. Na metal is known to be highly reactive with common carbonate-based electrolytes; nevertheless, its effects on SEI formation at the working electrode are largely unexplored. This work investigates the evolution of the SEI in NIBs during cycling, with an emphasis on the consequences of using a sodium metal counter electrode. Advanced analytical techniques, including hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), are used to obtain depth-resolved insights into the chemical composition and structural changes of the SEI on hard carbon anodes during cycling. The findings demonstrate that the cell configuration has a significant impact on SEI evolution and, by extension, battery performance. These findings suggest that full-cell studies are necessary to better simulate practical operating conditions, challenging traditional half-cell experiments.
|
Jun 2025
|
|
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
H. J.
Elmers
,
O.
Tkach
,
Y.
Lytvynenko
,
P.
Yogi
,
M.
Schmitt
,
D.
Biswas
,
J.
Liu
,
S. V.
Chernov
,
Quynh
Nguyen
,
M.
Hoesch
,
D.
Kutnyakhov
,
N.
Wind
,
L.
Wenthaus
,
M.
Scholz
,
K.
Rossnagel
,
A.
Gloskovskii
,
C.
Schlueter
,
A.
Winkelmann
,
A. A.
Haghighirad
,
T.-L.
Lee
,
M.
Sing
,
R.
Claessen
,
M.
Le Tacon
,
J.
Demsar
,
G.
Schönhense
,
O.
Fedchenko
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[33765]
Abstract: Using x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we study photoemission intensity changes related to changes in the geometric and electronic structure in the kagome metal CsV3Sb5 upon transition to an unconventional charge density wave (CDW) state. The XPD patterns reveal the presence of a chiral atomic structure in the CDW phase. Furthermore, using circularly polarized x-rays, we have found a pronounced nontrivial circular dichroism in the angular distribution of the valence band photoemission in the CDW phase, indicating a chirality of the electronic structure. This observation is consistent with the proposed orbital loop current order. In view of a negligible spontaneous Kerr signal in recent magneto-optical studies, the results suggest an antiferromagnetic coupling of the orbital magnetic moments along the 𝑐 axis. While the inherent structural chirality may also induce circular dichroism, the observed asymmetry values seem to be too large in the case of the weak structural distortions caused by the CDW.
|
Mar 2025
|
|
I05-ARPES
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
Brendan
Edwards
,
Darius-A.
Deaconu
,
Philip A. E.
Murgatroyd
,
Sebastian
Buchberger
,
Tommaso
Antonelli
,
Daniel
Halliday
,
Gesa-R.
Siemann
,
Andela
Zivanovic
,
Liam
Trzaska
,
Akhil
Rajan
,
Edgar
Abarca Morales
,
Daniel A.
Mayoh
,
Amelia E.
Hall
,
Rodion V.
Belosludov
,
Matthew D.
Watson
,
Timur K.
Kim
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
Tien-Lin
Lee
,
Craig M.
Polley
,
Dina
Carbone
,
Mats
Leandersson
,
Geetha
Balakrishnan
,
Mohammad Saeed
Bahramy
,
Phil D. C.
King
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[32937, 30125, 31465]
Open Access
Abstract: The addition of metal intercalants into the van der Waals gaps of transition metal dichalcogenides has shown great promise as a method for controlling their functional properties. For example, chiral helimagnetic states, current-induced magnetization switching, and a giant valley-Zeeman effect have all been demonstrated, generating significant renewed interest in this materials family. Here, we present a combined photoemission and density-functional theory study of three such compounds:
V1/3NbS2
,
Cr1/3NbS2
, and
Fe1/3NbS2
, to investigate chemical trends of the intercalant species on their bulk and surface electronic structure. Our resonant photoemission measurements indicate increased hybridization with the itinerant NbS2-derived conduction states with increasing atomic number of the intercalant, leading to pronounced mixing of the nominally localized intercalant states at the Fermi level. Using spatially and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we show how this impacts surface-termination-dependent charge transfers and leads to the formation of new dispersive states of mixed intercalant-Nb character at the Fermi level for the intercalant-terminated surfaces. This provides an explanation for the origin of anomalous states previously reported in this family of compounds and paves the way for tuning the nature of the magnetic interactions in these systems via control of the hybridization of the magnetic ions with the itinerant states.
|
Jul 2024
|
|
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
|
Christopher H.
Don
,
Thomas P.
Shalvey
,
Matthew J.
Smiles
,
Luke
Thomas
,
Laurie J.
Phillips
,
Theodore D. C.
Hobson
,
Harry
Finch
,
Leanne A. H.
Jones
,
Jack E. N.
Swallow
,
Nicole
Fleck
,
Christopher
Markwell
,
Pardeep K.
Thakur
,
Tien-Lin
Lee
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
Leon
Bowen
,
Benjamin A. D.
Williamson
,
David O.
Scanlon
,
Vinod R.
Dhanak
,
Ken
Durose
,
Tim D.
Veal
,
Jonathan D.
Major
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[32696]
Open Access
Abstract: Despite the recent success of CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction devices, cadmium toxicity, parasitic absorption from the relatively narrow CdS band gap (2.4 eV) and multiple reports of inter-diffusion at the interface forming Cd(S,Se) and Sb2(S,Se)3 phases, present significant limitations to this device architecture. Among the options for alternative partner layers in antimony chalcogenide solar cells, the wide band gap, non-toxic titanium dioxide (TiO2) has demonstrated the most promise. It is generally accepted that the anatase phase of the polymorphic TiO2 is preferred, although there is currently an absence of analysis with regard to phase influence on device performance. This work reports approaches to distinguish between TiO2 phases using both surface and bulk characterization methods. A device fabricated with a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtered rutile-TiO2 window layer (FTO/TiO2/Sb2Se3/P3HT/Au) achieved an efficiency of 6.88% and near-record short–circuit current density (Jsc) of 32.44 mA cm−2, which is comparable to established solution based TiO2 fabrication methods that produced a highly anatase-TiO2 partner layer and a 6.91% efficiency device. The sputtered method introduces reproducibility challenges via the enhancement of interfacial charge barriers in multi-phase TiO2 films with a rutile surface and anatase bulk. This is shown to introduce severe S-shaped current–voltage (J–V) distortion and a drastic fill–factor (FF reduction in these devices.
|
Jun 2023
|
|
I05-ARPES
|
Kate
Reidy
,
Paulina Ewa
Majchrzak
,
Benedikt
Haas
,
Joachim Dahl
Thomsen
,
Andrea
Konečná
,
Eugene
Park
,
Julian
Klein
,
Alfred J. H.
Jones
,
Klara
Volckaert
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
Matthew D.
Watson
,
Cephise
Cacho
,
Prineha
Narang
,
Christoph T.
Koch
,
Soeren
Ulstrup
,
Frances M.
Ross
,
Juan Carlos
Idrobo
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[25368, 29607]
Abstract: The integration of metallic contacts with two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors is routinely required for the fabrication of nanoscale devices. However, nanometer-scale variations in the 2D/metal interface can drastically alter the local optoelectronic properties. Here, we map local excitonic changes of the 2D semiconductor MoS2 in contact with Au. We utilize a suspended and epitaxially grown 2D/metal platform that allows correlated electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (nanoARPES) mapping. Spatial localization of MoS2 excitons uncovers an additional EELS peak related to the MoS2/Au interface. NanoARPES measurements indicate that Au–S hybridization decreases substantially with distance from the 2D/metal interface, suggesting that the observed EELS peak arises due to dielectric screening of the excitonic Coulomb interaction. Our results suggest that increasing the van der Waals distance could optimize excitonic spectra of mixed-dimensional 2D/3D interfaces and highlight opportunities for Coulomb engineering of exciton energies by the local dielectric environment or moiré engineering.
|
Jan 2023
|
|
|
|
Paulina
Majchrzak
,
Klara
Volckaert
,
Antonija Grubišić
Čabo
,
Deepnarayan
Biswas
,
Marco
Bianchi
,
Sanjoy K.
Mahatha
,
Maciej
Dendzik
,
Federico
Andreatta
,
Signe S.
Grønborg
,
Igor
Markovic
,
Jonathon M.
Riley
,
Jens C.
Johannsen
,
Daniel
Lizzit
,
Luca
Bignardi
,
Silvano
Lizzit
,
Cephise
Cacho
,
Oliver
Alexander
,
Dan
Matselyukh
,
Adam S.
Wyatt
,
Richard T.
Chapman
,
Emma
Springate
,
Jeppe V.
Lauritsen
,
Phil D. C.
King
,
Charlotte
Sanders
,
Jill A.
Miwa
,
Philip
Hofmann
,
Soeren
Ulstrup
Open Access
Abstract: The quasiparticle spectra of atomically thin semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and their response to an ultrafast optical excitation critically depend on interactions with the underlying substrate. Here, we present a comparative time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES) study of the transient electronic structure and ultrafast carrier dynamics in the single- and bilayer TMDCs MoS2 and WS2 on three different substrates: Au(111), Ag(111) and graphene/SiC. The photoexcited quasiparticle bandgaps are observed to vary over the range of 1.9–2.5 eV between our systems. The transient conduction band signals decay on a sub-50 fs timescale on the metals, signifying an efficient removal of photoinduced carriers into the bulk metallic states. On graphene, we instead observe a fast timescale on the order of 170 fs, followed by a slow dynamics for the conduction band decay in MoS
. These timescales are explained by Auger recombination involving MoS
and in-gap defect states. In bilayer TMDCs on metals we observe a complex redistribution of excited holes along the valence band that is substantially affected by interactions with the continuum of bulk metallic states.
|
Jul 2021
|
|
