Materials for devices articles within Communications Materials

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is difficult to control electron doping in organic semiconductors because they often require dopants that are air-sensitive. Here, an ion-exchange doping method is introduced with improved ambient stability and crystallinity of the doped polymeric semiconductors compared to conventional methods.

    • Yu Yamashita
    • , Shinya Kohno
    •  & Shun Watanabe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silicon spin qubits are promising for the realisation of scalable quantum computing platforms but their coherence times in natural silicon are limited by the non-zero nuclear spin of the 29Si isotope. Here, enriched 28 Si down to 2.3 ppm residual 29Si is obtained by focused ion beam implantation.

    • Ravi Acharya
    • , Maddison Coke
    •  & Richard J. Curry

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Giant magneto-thermal resistance has been recently observed in spintronic materials and superconductors, with exciting prospects in thermal management technologies. Here, nonvolatile thermal switching by magnetic field is demonstrated in commercial Sn-Pb solders, with electron thermal conductivity retaining its value even when the field is turned off.

    • Hiroto Arima
    • , Md. Riad Kasem
    •  & Yoshikazu Mizuguchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Memory structures are key components of any functional computing device, but achieving persistent storage of information in the form of light is extremely difficult. Here, the authors demonstrate the sequential formation of multiple memory pathways in photochromic crystals via optical near-field interactions.

    • Yuji Arakawa
    • , Kazuharu Uchiyama
    •  & Hirokazu Hori

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pinning sites are extremely detrimental to the frequency tunability of nano-rectifiers based on magnetic tunnel junctions. Here, the effect of pinning defects in vortex-based magnetic tunnel junctions is thoroughly explored, revealing that an amorphous magnetic material utilized as free layer can significantly reduce the impact of pinning.

    • Alex. S. Jenkins
    • , Leandro Martins
    •  & Ricardo Ferreira

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tuning the effective g-factor of semiconductors by a perpendicular electric field is essential for designing controllable spin-based devices such as qubits and spin field-effect transistors. Here, a wide-range g-factor tunability by external electric field is demonstrated in a high-mobility 2D hole heterostructure.

    • Maksym Myronov
    • , Philip Waldron
    •  & Sergei Studenikin

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    There is great interest in commercializing perovskite solar cells, however, the presence of defects and trap states hinder their performance. Here, recent developments in characterization techniques to investigate defects and ion migration in halide perovskites are reviewed.

    • Saurabh Srivastava
    • , Sudhir Ranjan
    •  & Kanwar S. Nalwa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Modifying quantum well states is an effective approach for tuning the density of states at the Fermi level. Here, light is used to control the quantum well potential in Bi2Se3, driving a quantum well singularity below the Fermi level at ultrafast timescales and triggering a Lifshitz transition.

    • Samuel T. Ciocys
    •  & Alessandra Lanzara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Light-emitting electrochemical cells are next-generation light-emitting devices but the operation mechanism is still not well understood microscopically. Here, the operation mechanism of light-emitting electrochemical cells is microscopically investigated by operando observation of spin states.

    • Junya Katsumata
    • , Fumiya Osawa
    •  & Kazuhiro Marumoto

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vanadium dioxide is a strongly correlated material interesting for its ultra-fast resistive switching controlled by an electric-field-driven insulator-metal transition. Here, VO2 stochastic oscillator power sensors for mm-wave to sub-THz radiation are demonstrated, displaying high responsivities, low noise, and a small scalable footprint.

    • Fatemeh Qaderi
    • , Teodor Rosca
    •  & Adrian M. Ionescu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Defect engineering and doping of semiconductors by ion irradiation are essential in large-scale integration of electronic devices. Here, intense ion pulses from a laser-accelerator, with flux levels up to 1022 ions cm-2 s-1, are used to induce and optimize silicon color centers and photon emitters in the telecom band.

    • Walid Redjem
    • , Ariel J. Amsellem
    •  & Thomas Schenkel

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Scintillators are materials of great interest for versatile and fast radiation detection systems. This Review discusses recent advances and strategies to improve the light yield, decay time, and coincidence timing resolution of all-inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite scintillators.

    • Arie Wibowo
    • , Md Abdul Kuddus Sheikh
    •  & Muhammad Danang Birowosuto

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing is a key technology for processing an ever-growing amount of data. Here, an artificial synapse with dual resistance modulation mechanisms is demonstrated, achieving a dynamic range of 60, an endurance exceeding 1010 cycles, and more than 10 years of retention.

    • Mattia Halter
    • , Laura Bégon-Lours
    •  & Bert Jan Offrein

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    Lead-based relaxor ferroelectrics are known for their large piezoelectric response, but the relation between the response and the nanoscale structure of these materials is still under debate. In this Perspective, the microscopic implications of the polar nature of disordered relaxor ferroelectrics are critically reviewed.

    • Tadej Rojac

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Germanium-based oxides are wide bandgap semiconductors with the prospects of ambipolar doping. Here, a hybrid molecular beam epitaxy is demonstrated for the growth of both rutile Sn1-xGexO2 and perovskite SrSn1-xGexO3 films.

    • Fengdeng Liu
    • , Tristan K. Truttmann
    •  & Bharat Jalan

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Inverted perovskite solar cells are promising for real-world energy harvesting, but suffer from issues with environmental stability. This Review discusses current understanding of stability in these devices and recent attempts to improve stability, as well as future directions that might enable their market roll-out.

    • Bowei Li
    •  & Wei Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reconfigurable and tunable terahertz electronic devices are promising for various technological applications, for which metamaterials are receiving interest. Here, a graphene/gold bilayer metasurface enables the creation of a frequency-selective absorber with electrical tuning in the 0.1–1 THz range.

    • Andrew D. Squires
    • , Xiang Gao
    •  & Tim van der Laan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In 2D materials devices, understanding interfacial reactions in the formation of metal contacts is important for tuning their properties. Here, electron microscopy reveals the formation of an intermetallic contact layer, characterized by an efficient edge-type charge transfer, when nickel, chromium, or titanium is deposited onto black-arsenic films.

    • Subhajit Kundu
    • , Prafful Golani
    •  & K. Andre Mkhoyan

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    There is growing interest in organic semiconductor devices for light-mediated neuromodulation, such as for retinal stimulation. Here, the key working principles of these devices are discussed, as well as promising applications and outstanding challenges for the field.

    • Danashi Imani Medagoda
    •  & Diego Ghezzi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Three-dimensional magnetometers are key for detecting the motion of objects in automated electronics, but typically require multiple sensors on orthogonal planes. Here, a compact planar-type 3D magnetometer with low power consumption is realized using a topological ferromagnetic Fe-Sn heterostructure.

    • Junichi Shiogai
    • , Kohei Fujiwara
    •  & Atsushi Tsukazaki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thin-film transistors based on amorphous oxide semiconductors have promising applications, but their stability is hampered by negative bias illumination stress. Here, a systematic study of lanthanide-doped indium oxide semiconductors reveals that Pr and Tb are most efficient in improving the photostability of devices.

    • Penghui He
    • , Hua Xu
    •  & Junbiao Peng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding the connection between qubit coherence and microscopic materials properties is vital for improving device performance. Here, the relaxation times of superconducting transmon qubits are found to be directly correlated with Nb film properties such as grain size and surface oxide composition.

    • Anjali Premkumar
    • , Conan Weiland
    •  & Ignace Jarrige

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There is growing interest in flexible electronic devices, though their soft nature can make them vulnerable to damage. Here, a liquid metal-elastomer composite is shown to self-heal, can be stretched 1200% with limited change in electrical resistance, and the conductive circuit can be reconfigured.

    • Ravi Tutika
    • , A. B. M. Tahidul Haque
    •  & Michael D. Bartlett

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Shape-shifting structures are important building blocks in the design of reconfigurable materials and devices with advanced functionalities. Here, versatile metamaterials with 3D-to-3D shape-shifting behavior upon thermal activation are fabricated by adapting a 3D printer to print on curved surfaces.

    • Teunis van Manen
    • , Shahram Janbaz
    •  & Amir A. Zadpoor

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Surface acoustic waves are important in a wide range of applications such as telecommunication filters, sensors, and microfluidic devices. Here, patterning of a phononic metamaterial formed of annular hole resonators enables frequency control of the surface wave phase velocities.

    • Caroline Pouya
    •  & Geoff R. Nash

  • Article
    | Open Access

    γ-phase CsPbI3 perovskites are attractive for solar cells, but suffer from environmental degradation. Here, the addition of an ultraviolet-curable polymer network improves structural and electrical stability, retaining 90% of its electrical properties after exposure to air for 35 days.

    • Nam-Kwang Cho
    • , Hyun-Jae Na
    •  & Youn Sang Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biological cilia are extremely effective for fluid flow, due to their beating motion creating metachronal waves. Here, metachronal waves are created in micro-robotic paddles that rotate in response to a magnetic field, creating fluid flow speeds of up to 16 μm/s.

    • Matthew T. Bryan
    • , Elizabeth L. Martin
    •  & Feodor Y. Ogrin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Perovskite solar cells have seen a strong improvement in power conversion efficiency, but their intrinsic degradation is yet to be elucidated. Here, operando electron spin resonance is used to probe the number of spin states and relate its variation with the device performance under operation.

    • Takahiro Watanabe
    • , Toshihiro Yamanari
    •  & Kazuhiro Marumoto

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic skyrmions are nanosized and topologically-protected objects that exhibit well-controlled motion under applied current making them prime candidates for race-track memories. The author’s study skyrmion lattice creep that is detrimental for memory applications using ultrasound spectroscopy.

    • Yongkang Luo
    • , Shi-Zeng Lin
    •  & Boris Maiorov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Antiferroelectrics are technologically important for energy conversion and storage, but are relatively scarce. Here, first-principles calculations suggest that alkali vanadates are as yet undetected antiferroelectrics, offering routes to experimentally tune and optimize their behavior.

    • Hugo Aramberri
    •  & Jorge Íñiguez

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The polymorphism of MoTe2 can be used to realize planar metallic/semiconducting homojunctions in 2D devices, greatly reducing the contact resistance. Here, the simultaneous growth of both phases is achieved on the same substrate by single-step chemical vapor deposition and seeding layer engineering.

    • James P. Fraser
    • , Liudvika Masaityte
    •  & Alexey Y. Ganin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Two-dimensional lead halide perovskites have shown great potential as X- and γ-ray scintillators due to their high light yield, fast decay rate, and low fabrication cost. Here, their versatility is expanded by achieving, via Li-doping, α-particle/γ-ray discrimination and thermal neutron detection.

    • Aozhen Xie
    • , Chathuranga Hettiarachchi
    •  & Cuong Dang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Common issues facing perovskite solar cells are current-voltage hysteresis and degradation during illumination. Here, a self-assembled monolayer is applied to an SnO2 electron transport layer, helping to achieve hysteresis-less behavior and limited degradation after 1,000 hours of illumination.

    • Ganbaatar Tumen-Ulzii
    • , Toshinori Matsushima
    •  & Chihaya Adachi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vanadium dioxide is well known to display a metal-insulator transition, making it an attractive option for functional devices. Here, the growth of single crystal VO2 microtube arrays is achieved via a thermal oxidation process that is faster and simpler than many existing fabrication technologies.

    • Chunwang Zhao
    • , Shuxiang Ma
    •  & Yongming Xing

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The nephrons in the kidney transport ions and organic molecules, but may not work effectively in patients with kidney disease. Here, a synthetic nephron is created, based on activated wafer electrodeionization, and shown to enable the transport of several physiologically relevant ions.

    • Christa N. Hestekin
    • , Jamie A. Hestekin
    •  & Ira Kurtz

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