arXiv subjects

Jinjin Zhao

Publications and source records attributed to Jinjin Zhao.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Scanning Thermo-ionic Microscopy: Probing Nanoscale Electrochemistry via Thermal Stress-induced Oscillation

A universal challenge facing the development of electrochemical materials is our lack of understanding of physical and chemical processes at local length scales in 10-100 nm regime, and acquiring this understanding requires a new generation of imaging techniques. In this article, we introduce the scanning thermo-ionic microscopy (STIM) for probing local electrochemistry at the nanoscale, using for imaging the Vegard strain induced via thermal stress excitations. Since ionic oscillation is driven by the stress instead of voltage, the responses are insensitive to the electromechanical, electrostatic, and capacitive effects, and they are immune to global current perturbation, making in-operando testing possible.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Touching is believing: interrogating organometal halide perovskite solar cells at the nanoscale via scanning probe microscopy

Halide perovskite solar cells based on CH3NH3PbI3 and related materials have emerged as the most exciting development in the next generation photovoltaic technologies, yet the microscopic phenomena involving photo-carriers, ionic defects, spontaneous polarization, and molecular vibration and rotation interacting with numerous grains, grain boundaries, and interfaces are still inadequately understood. In fact, there is still need for an effective method to interrogate the local photovoltaic properties of halide perovskite solar cells that can be directly traced to their microstructures on one hand and linked to their device performance on the other hand. In this perspective, we propose that scanning probe microscopy techniques have great potential to realize such promises at the nanoscale, and highlight some of the recent progresses and challenges along this line of investigation toward local probing of photocurrent, work function, ionic activities, polarization switching, and chemical degradation. We also emphasize the importance of multi-modality imaging, in-operando scanning, big data analysis, and multidisciplinary collaboration for further studies toward fully understanding of these complex systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Photochemical Escape of Oxygen from Early Mars

Photochemical escape is an important process for oxygen escape from present Mars. In this work, a 1-D Monte-Carlo Model is developed to calculate escape rates of energetic oxygen atoms produced from O2+ dissociative recombination reactions (DR) under 1, 3, 10, and 20 times present solar XUV fluxes. We found that although the overall DR rates increase with solar XUV flux almost linearly, oxygen escape rate increases from 1 to 10 times present solar XUV conditions but decreases when increasing solar XUV flux further. Analysis shows that atomic species in the upper thermosphere of early Mars increases more rapidly than O2+ when increasing XUV fluxes. While the latter is the source of energetic O atoms, the former increases the collision probability and thus decreases the escape probability of energetic O. Our results suggest that photochemical escape be a less important escape mechanism than previously thought for the loss of water and/or CO2 from early Mars.

astro-ph.EP↗