arXiv subjects

David Lederman

Publications and source records attributed to David Lederman.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Acoustic phonon dynamics in thin-films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

Transient reflectivity traces measured for nanometer-sized films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 revealed GHz-range oscillations driven within the relaxation of hot carriers photoexcited with ultrashort laser pulses of 1.51 eV photon energy. These oscillations have been suggested to result from acoustic phonon dynamics, including coherent longitudinal acoustic phonons in the form of standing acoustic waves. An increase of oscillation frequency from ~35 to ~70 GHz with decreasing film thickness from 40 to 15 nm was attributed to the interplay between two different regimes employing traveling-acoustic-waves for films thicker than 40 nm and the film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAWR) modes for films thinner than 40 nm. The amplitude of oscillations decays rapidly for films below 15 nm thick when the indirect intersurface coupling in Bi2Se3 films switches the FBAWR regime to that of the Lamb wave excitation. The frequency range of coherent longitudinal acoustic phonons is in good agreement with elastic properties of Bi2Se3.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Thickness tunable quantum interference between surface phonon and Dirac plasmon states in thin-films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

We report on a >100-fold enhancement of Raman responses from Bi2Se3 thin films if laser photon energy switches from 2.33 eV (532 nm) to 1.58 eV (785 nm), which is due to direct optical coupling to Dirac surface states (SS) at the resonance energy of ~1.5 eV (a thickness-independent enhancement) and due to nonlinearly excited Dirac plasmon (a thickness-dependent enhancement). Owing to the direct optical coupling, we observed an in-plane phonon mode of hexagonally arranged Se-atoms associated with a continuous network of Dirac SS. This mode revealed a Fano lineshape for films <15 nm thick, resulting from quantum interference between surface phonon and Dirac plasmon states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Effect of carrier recombination on ultrafast carrier dynamics in thin films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

Transient reflectivity (TR) from thin films (6 - 40 nm thick) of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 reveal ultrafast carrier dynamics, which suggest the existence of both radiative and non-radiative recombination between electrons residing in the upper cone of initially unoccupied high energy Dirac surface states (SS) and holes residing in the lower cone of occupied low energy Dirac SS. The modeling of measured TR traces allowed us to conclude that recombination is induced by the depletion of bulk electrons in films below ~20 nm thick due to the charge captured on the surface defects. We predict that such recombination processes can be observed using time-resolved photoluminescence techniques.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Phase diagram of a three-dimensional antiferromagnet with random magnetic anisotropy

Three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnets with random magnetic anisotropy (RMA) experimentally studied to date do not have random single-ion anisotropies, but rather have competing two-dimensional and three-dimensional exchange interactions which can obscure the authentic effects of RMA. The magnetic phase diagram Fe$_{x}$Ni$_{1-x}$F$_{2}$ epitaxial thin films with true random single-ion anisotropy was deduced from magnetometry and neutron scattering measurements and analyzed using mean field theory. Regions with uniaxial, oblique and easy plane anisotropies were identified. A RMA-induced glass region was discovered where a Griffiths-like breakdown of long-range spin order occurs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in thin-films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

Transient reflectivity measurements of thin films, ranging from 6 to 40 nm in thickness, of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 revealed a strong dependence of the carrier relaxation time on the film thickness. For thicker films the relaxation dynamics are similar to those of bulk Bi2Se3, where the contribution of the bulk insulating phase dominates over that of the surface metallic phase. The carrier relaxation time shortens with decreasing film thickness, reaching values comparable to those of noble metals. This effect may result from the hybridization of Dirac cone states at the opposite surfaces for the thinnest films.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

An investigation into the feasibility of myoglobin-based single-electron transistors

Myoglobin single-electron transistors were investigated using nanometer- gap platinum electrodes fabricated by electromigration at cryogenic temperatures. Apomyoglobin (myoglobin without heme group) was used as a reference. The results suggest single electron transport is mediated by resonant tunneling with the electronic and vibrational levels of the heme group in a single protein. They also represent a proof-of-principle that proteins with redox centers across nanometer-gap electrodes can be utilized to fabricate single-electron transistors. The protein orientation and conformation may significantly affect the conductance of these devices. Future improvements in device reproducibility and yield will require control of these factors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗