Flexopiezoelectricity at ferroelastic domain walls in WO films.

The emergence of a domain wall property that is forbidden by symmetry in bulk can offer unforeseen opportunities for nanoscale low-dimensional functionalities in ferroic materials. Here, we report that the piezoelectric response is greatly enhanced in the ferroelastic domain walls of centrosymmetric tungsten trioxide thin films due to a large strain gradient of 10 m, which exists over a rather wide width (~20 nm) of the wall. The interrelationship between the strain gradient, electric polarity, and the electromechanical property is scrutinized by detecting of the lattice distortion using atomic scale strain analysis, and also by detecting the depolarized electric field using differential phase contrast technique.

Nanospherical solid electrolyte interface layer formation in binder-free carbon nanotube aerogel/Si nanohybrids to provide lithium-ion battery anodes with a long-cycle life and high capacity.

Silicon anodes for lithium ion batteries (LiBs) have been attracting considerable attention due to a theoretical capacity up to about 10 times higher than that of conventional graphite. However, huge volume expansion during the cycle causes cracks in the silicon, resulting in the degradation of cycling performance and eventual failure. Moreover, low electrical conductivity and an unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer resulting from repeated changes in volume still block the next step forward for the commercialization of the silicon material.

Observation of partial reduction of manganese in the lithium rich layered oxides, 0.4LiMnO-0.6LiNiCoMnO, during the first charge.

Lithium-rich layered oxides show promise as high-energy harvesting materials due to their large capacities. However, questions remain regarding the large irreversible loss in capacities for the first charge-discharge cycle due to oxygen removal in lattices related to layered LiMnO. Herein we present detailed studies on Li-rich Mn-based layered oxides of 0.

Thermal Spreading in Carbon Nanotube Coating.

Carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, have attracted significant attention as good candidates for next-generation heat-spreading materials because of their high thermal conductivity, mechanical flexibility, etc. Regarding the thermal spreading performance of carbon-based nanofilms, remarkable test results have been reported mainly from the industrial side, but their validity and the physical mechanism underlying the heat transfer enhancement are still under debate. In this study, we assess the thermal spreading performance of a multi-walled CNT film on a copper foil using a non-contact characterization method in a simple and methodical manner, and discuss the possibility of carbon nanofilms as heat spreaders based on the experimental and numerical results.

Enhancement of the anisotropic photocurrent in ferroelectric oxides by strain gradients.

The phase separation of multiple competing structural/ferroelectric phases has attracted particular attention owing to its excellent electromechanical properties. Little is known, however, about the strain-gradient-induced electronic phenomena at the interface of competing structural phases. Here, we investigate the polymorphic phase interface of bismuth ferrites using spatially resolved photocurrent measurements, present the observation of a large enhancement of the anisotropic interfacial photocurrent by two orders of magnitude, and discuss the possible mechanism on the basis of the flexoelectric effect.

Thermal Cycling Behavior of Zinc Antimonide Thin Films for High Temperature Thermoelectric Power Generation Applications.

The zinc antimonide compound ZnxSby is one of the most efficient thermoelectric materials known at high temperatures due to its exceptional low thermal conductivity. For this reason, it continues to be the focus of active research, especially regarding its glass-like atomic structure. However, before practical use in actual surroundings, such as near a vehicle manifold, it is imperative to analyze the thermal reliability of these materials.

Tensile testing of ultra-thin films on water surface.

The surface of water provides an excellent environment for gliding movement, in both nature and modern technology, from surface living animals such as the water strider, to Langmuir-Blodgett films. The high surface tension of water keeps the contacting objects afloat, and its low viscosity enables almost frictionless sliding on the surface. Here we utilize the water surface as a nearly ideal underlying support for free-standing ultra-thin films and develop a novel tensile testing method for the precise measurement of mechanical properties of the films.

Doping-free fabrication of silicon thin films for schottky solar cell.

Thin film Schottky solar cells were fabricated without doping processes, which may provide an alternative approach to the conventional thin film solar cells in the n-i-p configuration. A thin Co layer was coated on a substrate, which worked as a back contact metal and then Si film was grown above it. Deposition condition may modulate the Si film structure to be a fully amorphous Si (a-Si) or a mixing of microcrystalline Si (mc-Si) and a-Si.

Concurrent transition of ferroelectric and magnetic ordering near room temperature.

Strong spin-lattice coupling in condensed matter gives rise to intriguing physical phenomena such as colossal magnetoresistance and giant magnetoelectric effects. The phenomenological hallmark of such a strong spin-lattice coupling is the manifestation of a large anomaly in the crystal structure at the magnetic transition temperature. Here we report that the magnetic Néel temperature of the multiferroic compound BiFeO(3) is suppressed to around room temperature by heteroepitaxial misfit strain.