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It has been suggested that Ba3In2O6 might be a high-Tcsuperconductor. Experimental investigation of the properties of Ba3In2O6 was long inhibited by its instability in air. Recently epitaxial Ba3In2O6 with a protective capping layer was demonstrated, which finally allows its electronic characterization. The optical bandgap of Ba3In2O6 is determined to be 2.99 eV in-the (001) plane and 2.83 eV along the c-axis direction by spectroscopic ellipsometry. First-principles calculations were carried out, yielding a result in good agreement with the experimental value. Various dopants were explored to induce (super-)conductivity in this otherwise insulating material. Neither A- nor B-site doping proved successful. The underlying reason is predominately the formation of oxygen interstitials as revealed by scanning transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. Additional efforts to induce superconductivity were investigated, including surface alkali doping, optical pumping, and hydrogen reduction. To probe liquid-ion gating, Ba3In2O6 was successfully grown epitaxially on an epitaxial SrRuO3 bottom electrode. So far none of these efforts induced superconductivity in Ba3In2O6, leaving the answer to the initial question of whether Ba3In2O6 is a high-Tcsuperconductor to be “no” thus far.

 

We demonstrate the epitaxial growth of the first two members, and the [Formula: see text] member of the homologous Ruddlesden–Popper series of [Formula: see text] of which the [Formula: see text] member was previously unknown. The films were grown by suboxide molecular-beam epitaxy where the indium is provided by a molecular beam of indium-suboxide [[Formula: see text]O (g)]. To facilitate ex situ characterization of the highly hygroscopic barium indate films, a capping layer of amorphous [Formula: see text] was deposited prior to air exposure. The structural quality of the films was assessed by x-ray diffraction, reflective high-energy electron diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. 

Utilizing the powerful combination of molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we produce and study the effect of different terminating layers on the electronic structure of the metallic delafossite PdCoO 2 . Attempts to introduce unpaired electrons and synthesize new antiferromagnetic metals akin to the isostructural compound PdCrO 2 have been made by replacing cobalt with iron in PdCoO 2 films grown by MBE. Using ARPES, we observe similar bulk bands in these PdCoO 2 films with Pd-, CoO 2 -, and FeO 2 -termination. Nevertheless, Pd- and CoO 2 -terminated films show a reduced intensity of surface states. Additionally, we are able to epitaxially stabilize PdFe x Co 1− x O 2 films that show an anomaly in the derivative of the electrical resistance with respect to temperature at 20 K, but do not display pronounced magnetic order. 

We report the use of suboxide molecular-beam epitaxy ( S-MBE) to grow β-Ga 2 O 3 at a growth rate of ∼1 µm/h with control of the silicon doping concentration from 5 × 10 16 to 10 19  cm −3 . In S-MBE, pre-oxidized gallium in the form of a molecular beam that is 99.98% Ga 2 O, i.e., gallium suboxide, is supplied. Directly supplying Ga 2 O to the growth surface bypasses the rate-limiting first step of the two-step reaction mechanism involved in the growth of β-Ga 2 O 3 by conventional MBE. As a result, a growth rate of ∼1 µm/h is readily achieved at a relatively low growth temperature ( T sub ≈ 525 °C), resulting in films with high structural perfection and smooth surfaces (rms roughness of <2 nm on ∼1 µm thick films). Silicon-containing oxide sources (SiO and SiO 2 ) producing an SiO suboxide molecular beam are used to dope the β-Ga 2 O 3 layers. Temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements on a 1 µm thick film with a mobile carrier concentration of 2.7 × 10 17  cm −3 reveal a room-temperature mobility of 124 cm 2  V −1  s −1 that increases to 627 cm 2  V −1  s −1 at 76 K; the silicon dopants are found to exhibit an activation energy of 27 meV. We also demonstrate working metal–semiconductor field-effect transistors made from these silicon-doped β-Ga 2 O 3 films grown by S-MBE at growth rates of ∼1 µm/h. 

We report the use of suboxide molecular-beam epitaxy (S-MBE) to grow β-Ga2O3 at a growth rate of ∼1 μm/h with control of the silicon doping concentration from 5 × 1016 to 1019 cm−3 . In S-MBE, pre-oxidized gallium in the form of a molecular beam that is 99.98% Ga2O, i.e., gallium suboxide, is supplied. Directly supplying Ga2O to the growth surface bypasses the rate-limiting frst step of the two-step reaction mechanism involved in the growth of β-Ga2O3 by conventional MBE. As a result, a growth rate of ∼1 μm/h is readily achieved at a relatively low growth temperature (Tsub ≈ 525 ○C), resulting in flms with high structural perfection and smooth surfaces (rms roughness of <2 nm on ∼1 μm thick flms). Silicon-containing oxide sources (SiO and SiO2) producing an SiO suboxide molecular beam are used to dope the β-Ga2O3 layers. Temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements on a 1 μm thick flm with a mobile carrier concentration of 2.7 × 1017 cm−3 reveal a room-temperature mobility of 124 cm2 V−1 s −1 that increases to 627 cm2 V −1 s−1 at 76 K; the silicon dopants are found to exhibit an activation energy of 27 meV. We also demonstrate working metal–semiconductor feld-effect transistors made from these silicon-doped β-Ga2O3 flms grown by S-MBE at growth rates of ∼1 μm/h.