Atomic-Scale Observation of Spontaneous Hole Doping and Concomitant Lattice Instabilities in Strained Nickelate Films

Thin oxide films are of vast opportunities for modern electronics and can facilitate emergent phenomena by factors absent in the bulk counterparts, such as the ubiquitous epitaxial strain and interfacial charge doping. Here, we demonstrate the twisting of intended bulk-metallic phases in 10-unit-cell LaNiO3, PrNiO3, and NdNiO3 films on (001)-oriented SrTiO3 into distinct charge-lattice entangled states by epitaxial strains. Using atomically-resolved electron microscopy and spectroscopy, the interfacial electron doping into SrTiO3 in the conventional context of band alignments are discounted. Instead, spontaneously doped holes that are localized and at the order of 1013 cm-2 are atomically unraveled across all three heterointerfaces and associated with strain mitigations by the accompanied atomic intermixing with various ionic radii. The epitaxial strains also lead to condensations of monoclinic-C2/c lattice instabilities, which are hidden to the bulk phase diagram. The group-theoretical analysis of characteristic transition pathways unveils the strain resurrection of the hidden C2/c symmetry. While this strain-induced monoclinic phase in LaNiO3 remains metallic at room temperature, those in PrNiO3 and NdNiO3 turn out to be insulating. Such strain-induced monoclinic lattice instabilities and parasitic localized holes go beyond the classical elastic deformations of films upon epitaxial strains and hint on plausible hidden orders in versatile oxide heterostructures with unexpected properties, of which the exploration is only at the infancy and full of potentials.

Tribological wear of Fe-Al coatings applied by gas detonation spraying

Comparative tests of gas detonation (GDS) coatings were carried out in order to investigate the influence of spraying parameters on abrasive wear under dry friction conditions. The tests were carried out using the pin-on-disc (PoD) method at room temperature. The microstructure of the coatings was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM / EDS) methods. The results showed that with specific GDS process parameters, the main phases in both coatings were FeAl and Fe3Al involving thin oxide films Al2O3. The tribological tests proved that the coatings sprayed with the shorter barrel of the GDS gun showed higher wear resistance. The coefficient of friction was slightly lower in the case of coatings sprayed with the longer barrel of the GDS gun. During dry friction, oxide layers form on the surface, which act as a solid lubricant. The load applied to the samples during the tests causes shear stresses, thus increasing the wear of the coatings. During friction, the surface of the coatings is subjected to alternating tensile and compressive stresses, which lead to delamination and is the main wear mechanism of the coatings.

Thin Films Deposition of Ta2O5 and ZnO by E-Gun Technology on Co-Cr Alloy Manufactured by Direct Metal Laser Sintering

In recent years in the dental field, new types of materials and techniques for the manufacturing of dental crowns and analog implants have been developed to improve the quality of these products. The objective of this article was to perform the surface characterization and determine the properties of Co-Cr alloy samples fabricated by the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process and coated by e-gun technology with thin films of Ta2O5 and ZnO. Both oxides are frequently used for dental products, in pharmacology, cosmetics, and medicine, due to their good anticorrosive, antibacterial, and photo-catalytic properties. Following the deposition of thin oxide films on the Co-Cr samples fabricated by DMLS, a very fine roughness in the order of nanometers was obtained. Thin films deposition was realized to improve the hardness and the roughness of the Co-Cr parts fabricated by the DMLS process. Surface characterization was performed using SEM-EDS, AFM, and XRD. AFM was used to determine the roughness of the samples and the nanoindentation curves were determined to establish the hardness values and modulus of elasticity.

Growth of Oxide thin Films and Nanoparticles: Methods of Fabrication

This chapter outlines the fabrication methods of oxide thin films, from the oxidation of the outer layers of bulk elemental solids to thin film deposition methodologies. The classical theories treating the thermal oxidation of metals and silicon are reviewed. A particular focus is put on the oxidation of alloy single crystal surfaces to generate ultrathin oxide films and the formation of surface oxides, the latter as precursor layers for thicker bulk-type oxide phases. The diverse deposition techniques to grow epitaxial thin oxide films are introduced, with a classification into physical and chemical methods for the ease of presentation; the benefits and disadvantages of the different methods are pointed out. The synthesis of oxide nanoparticles is discussed in the gas phase and in liquid phase environments. The fundamental concepts of nucleation and growth of thin films and nanoparticles are introduced, including the classical capillary approach and atomistic descriptions.

Controlling the interfacial reactions and environment of rare-earth ions in thin oxide films towards wafer-scalable quantum technologies

Rare earth (RE) doped oxides have demonstrated a great potential for photonic applications and have also appeared as promising candidates for quantum memories and microwave to optical transducers. Here, we...

Mesoscopic theory of defect ordering–disordering transitions in thin oxide films

Ordering of mobile defects in functional materials can give rise to fundamentally new phases possessing ferroic and multiferroic functionalities. Here we develop the Landau theory for strain induced ordering of defects (e.g. oxygen vacancies) in thin oxide films, considering both the ordering and wavelength of possible instabilities. Using derived analytical expressions for the energies of various defect-ordered states, we calculated and analyzed phase diagrams dependence on the film-substrate mismatch strain, concentration of defects, and Vegard coefficients. Obtained results open possibilities to create and control superstructures of ordered defects in thin oxide films by selecting the appropriate substrate and defect concentration.