Growth and properties of hybrid Au-CoNinanowires embedded in SrTiO/SrTiO(001).

We present a sequential growth scheme based on pulsed laser deposition, which yields dense arrays of ultrathin, match-shaped Au/CoNi nanopillars, vertically embedded in SrTiOthin films. Analysis of the magnetic properties of these nanocomposites reveals a pronounced out-of-plane anisotropy. We show that the latter not only results from the peculiar nanoarchitecture of the hybrid films but is further enhanced by strong magneto-structural coupling of the wires to the surrounding matrix.

Quantification of Crystalline Phases in HfZrO Thin Films through Complementary Infrared Spectroscopy and Supercell Simulations.

In the quest for thinner and more efficient ferroelectric devices, HfZrO (HZO) has emerged as a potential ultrathin and lead-free ferroelectric material. Indeed, when deposited on a TiN electrode, 1-25 nm thick HZO exhibits excellent ferroelectricity capability, allowing the prospective miniaturization of capacitors and transistor devices. To investigate the origin of ferroelectricity in HZO thin films, we conducted a far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopic study on 5 HZO films with thicknesses ranging from 10 to 52 nm, both within and out of the ferroelectric thickness range where ferroelectric properties are observed.

Sudden collective atomic rearrangements trigger the growth of defect-free silver icosahedra.

The growth of Ag clusters on amorphous carbon substrates is studied by X-ray scattering experiments, whose final outcome is imaged by electron microscopy. The real-time analysis of the growth process at room temperature shows the formation of a large majority of icosahedral structures by a shell-by-shell growth mode which produces smooth and nearly defect-free structures. Molecular dynamics simulations supported by calculations reveal that the shell-by-shell mode is possible because of the occurrence of collective displacements which involve the concerted motion of many atoms of the growing shell.

The Ground State of Epitaxial Germanene on Ag(111).

Two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattices beyond graphene, such as germanene, appear very promising due to their outstanding electronic properties, such as the quantum spin Hall effects. While there have been many claims of germanene monolayers up to now, no experimental evidence of a honeycomb structure has been provided up to now for these grown monolayers. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), surface X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and density functional theory, we have elucidated the Ge-induced reconstruction on Ag(111).