arXiv subjects

Danièle Fournier

Publications and source records attributed to Danièle Fournier.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Near complete laser-induced modulation of the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase fraction in FeRh films

With its huge entropy change and a strong interplay between magnetic order, structural and electrical properties, the first-order antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic phase transition is a paradigmatic example of the multicaloric effect. The unraveling of the physics underlying the phase transition needs a better understanding of the thermal hysteresis of FeRh within the AF-FM phase coexistence region. In this work, we compare the effect of two very different types of thermal cycling on the hysteresis of the magnetic order: quasi-static heating, and cooling of the entire 195 nm thick film, and a f =100 kHz modulated heating driven by a laser focused down to a spot of about ten microns squared at the film surface. Taking advantage of the reflectivity difference between both phases to probe optically their respective fraction, we show that whereas only temperature-driven reflectivity variations ($dR/dT$, thermoreflectance) are detected in the pure phases, a huge modulation of the phase-dependent reflectance at the driving frequency $f$ is detected in the phase coexistence temperature range. This is quantitatively described as resulting from a substantial modulation of the FM fraction (up to 90% with increasing laser power. A simplified rate-independent hysteresis model with return-point-memory (RPM), represented in terms of bistable units that undergo a temperature excursion corresponding to a given laser power, reproduces very well the optically measured FM phase modulation characteristics for a broad range of temperature excursions. This offers an insight into the leading role of quenched disorder in defining thermal hysteresis in FeRh under high excitation frequency, when the material is periodically driven out-of-equilibrium.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Decoupling thermoelectric coefficients of multilayer graphene by nanomeshing

Nanostructuring materials at small scales enables control over their physical properties, revealing behaviors not observed at larger dimensions. This strategy is particularly effective in two-dimensional (2D) materials, where surface effects dominate, and has been applied in the thermoelectric field. Here, we use multilayer graphene (4-6 nm thick) as a test platform to study the effect of nanomeshing on its thermoelectric properties. The nanomesh consists of a hexagonal array of holes, with a measured diameter and neck-width of ~360 nm and ~160 nm, respectively. The multilayer graphene is integrated into field-effect transistor-like devices supported by hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), allowing simultaneous electric and thermoelectric measurements, with nanomeshing applied to only part of the material. We use modulated thermoreflectance to investigate thermal transport in equivalent nanomeshed and pristine graphene flakes, extracting key parameters that affect thermoelectric performance. The nanomesh geometry suppresses thermal transport without significantly impacting charge transport, highlighting the different scattering lengths of phonons and electrons while enhancing the thermopower response. We observe a twofold improvement in the device power factor, PF = S^2 sigma (with S the Seebeck coefficient and sigma the electrical conductivity), at room temperature, along with a nearly threefold reduction in thermal conductivity k. The results show that nanomeshing can significantly improve the thermoelectric performance of multilayer graphene, paving the way for novel energy conversion strategies using 2D materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Anisotropic Thermal Transport in Tunable Self-Assembled Nanocrystal Supercrystals

Realizing tunable functional materials with built-in nanoscale heat flow directionality represents a significant challenge that could advance thermal management strategies. Here we use spatiotemporally-resolved thermoreflectance to visualize lateral thermal transport anisotropy in self-assembled supercrystals of anisotropic Au nanocrystals. Correlative electron and thermoreflectance microscopy reveal that nano- to meso-scale heat predominantly flows along the long-axis of the anisotropic nanocrystals, and does so across grain boundaries and curved assemblies while voids disrupt heat flow. We finely control the anisotropy via the aspect ratio of constituent nanorods, and it exceeds the aspect ratio for nano-bipyramid supercrystals and certain nanorod arrangements. Finite element simulations and effective medium modeling rationalize the emergent anisotropic behavior in terms of a simple series resistance model, further providing a framework for estimating thermal anisotropy as a function of material and structural parameters. Self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals promises an interesting route to direct heat flow in a wide range of applications that utilize this important class of materials.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2020

Thermal conductivity of Bi$_2$Se$_3$ from bulk to thin films: theory and experiment

We calculate the lattice-driven in-plane $(κ_{\parallel})$ and out-of-plane $(κ_{\perp})$ thermal conductivities of Bi$_2$Se$_3$ bulk, and of films of different thicknesses, using the Boltzmann equation with phonon scattering times obtained from anharmonic third order density functional perturbation theory. We compare our results for the lattice component of the thermal conductivity with published data for $κ_{\parallel}$ on bulk samples and with our room-temperature thermoreflectance measurements of $κ_{\perp}$ on films of thickness (L) ranging from 18~nm to 191~nm, where the lattice component has been extracted via the Wiedemann-Franz law. Ab-initio theoretical calculations on bulk samples, including an effective model to account for finite sample thickness and defect scattering, compare favorably both for the bulk case (from literature) and thin films (new measurements). In the low-T limit the theoretical in-plane lattice thermal conductivity of bulk Bi$_2$Se$_3$ agrees with previous measurements by assuming the occurrence of intercalated Bi$_2$ layer defects. The measured thermal conductivity monotonically decreases by reducing $L$, its value is $κ_{\perp}\approx 0.39\pm 0.08$~W/m$\cdot$K for $L=18$ nm and $κ_{\perp}=0.68\pm0.14$~W/m$\cdot$K for $L=191$ nm. We show that the decrease of room-temperature $κ_{\perp}$ in Bi$_2$Se$_3$ thin films as a function of sample thickness can be explained by the incoherent scattering of out-of-plane momentum phonons with the film surface. Our work outlines the crucial role of sample thinning in reducing the out-of-plane thermal conductivity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Straightforward measurement of thermal properties of anisotropic materials: the case of Bi2Se3 single crystal

We show that by a simple two-steps measurement protocol one can extract the thermal properties of anisotropic insulator materials. We focus on Bi2Se3 single crystal, a layered crystal with individual sheets held together by Van der Waals force, presenting strong heat diffusion anisotropy. Since the shape of the sample does not allow experiments in the perpendicular direction the challenge is to measure the in plane and out of plane thermal properties by in plane measurements. The optical properties of Bi2Se3 being known (opaque sample for the pump and probe beams), thermoreflectance microscopy experiments can be done on the bare substrate. In this case, the lateral heat diffusion is governed by the in plane thermal diffusivity. A 100 nm gold layer is then deposited on the sample. In this second experiment it is straightforward to demonstrate that the perpendicular thermal properties of the layer rule the lateral diffusivity. The good agreement of theoretical curves obtained by thermal models with experimental data permit us to evaluate the thermal conductivity coefficients of bulk Bi2Se3.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2008

Probing thermal waves on the free surface of various media: Surface Fluctuation Specular Reflection Spectroscopy

Thermal motion gives rise to fluctuations in free surfaces; the propagation of the thermally excited waves on such surfaces depends on the mechanical properties of the medium. Their measurement can therefore provide information on those properties. We have developed an optical tool to probe the thermally excited waves on free surfaces: Surface Fluctuation Specular Reflection (SFSR) spectroscopy. It consists in measuring the fluctuations in the position of a laser beam, which is specularly reflected onto the free surface of a medium, and is therefore sensitive to the roughness of that surface. We show how the measured signal is related to the medium properties. We also present measurements performed on Newtonian liquids as well as on a viscoelastic solid; we show that, in all cases, there is a very good agreement between experimental and computed spectra. SFSR thus applies to a broad range of materials. It moreover offers a very good temporal resolution and should provide a useful tool for dynamical measurements on complex fluids.

cond-mat.soft↗