arXiv subjects

Litao Sun

Publications and source records attributed to Litao Sun.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

MoNetV2: Enhanced Motion Network for Freehand 3D Ultrasound Reconstruction

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) aims to provide sonographers with the spatial relationships of anatomical structures, playing a crucial role in clinical diagnosis. Recently, deep-learning-based freehand 3D US has made significant advancements. It reconstructs volumes by estimating transformations between images without external tracking. However, image-only reconstruction poses difficulties in reducing cumulative drift and further improving reconstruction accuracy, particularly in scenarios involving complex motion trajectories. In this context, we propose an enhanced motion network (MoNetV2) to enhance the accuracy and generalizability of reconstruction under diverse scanning velocities and tactics. First, we propose a sensor-based temporal and multi-branch structure that fuses image and motion information from a velocity perspective to improve image-only reconstruction accuracy. Second, we devise an online multi-level consistency constraint that exploits the inherent consistency of scans to handle various scanning velocities and tactics. This constraint exploits both scan-level velocity consistency, path-level appearance consistency, and patch-level motion consistency to supervise inter-frame transformation estimation. Third, we distill an online multi-modal self-supervised strategy that leverages the correlation between network estimation and motion information to further reduce cumulative errors. Extensive experiments clearly demonstrate that MoNetV2 surpasses existing methods in both reconstruction quality and generalizability performance across three large datasets.

eess.IV↗

arXiv2021

Temperature-sensitive spatial distribution of defects in PdSe2 flakes

Defect engineering plays an important role in tailoring the electronic transport properties of van der Waals materials. However, it is usually achieved through tuning the type and concentration of defects, rather than dynamically reconfiguring their spatial distribution. Here, we report temperature-sensitive spatial redistribution of defects in PdSe2 thin flakes through scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We observe that the spatial distribution of Se vacancies in PdSe2 flakes exhibits a strong anisotropic characteristic at 80 K, and that this orientation-dependent feature is weakened when temperature is raised. Moreover, we carry out transport measurements on PdSe2 thin flakes and show that the anisotropic features of carrier mobility and phase coherent length are also sensitive to temperature. Combining with theoretical analysis, we conclude that temperature-driven defect spatial redistribution could interpret the temperature-sensitive electrical transport behaviors in PdSe2 thin flakes. Our work highlights that engineering spatial distribution of defects in the van der Waals materials, which has been overlooked before, may open up a new avenue to tailor the physical properties of materials and explore new device functionalities.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Edge-Epitaxial Growth of InSe Nanowires toward High-Performance Photodetectors

Semiconducting nanowires offer many opportunities for electronic and optoelectronic device applications due to their special geometries and unique physical properties. However, it has been challenging to synthesize semiconducting nanowires directly on SiO2/Si substrate due to lattice mismatch. Here, we developed a catalysis-free approach to achieve direct synthesis of long and straight InSe nanowires on SiO2/Si substrate through edge-homoepitaxial growth. We further achieved parallel InSe nanowires on SiO2/Si substrate through controlling growth conditions. We attributed the underlying growth mechanism to selenium self-driven vapor-liquid-solid process, which is distinct from conventional metal-catalytic vapor-liquid-solid method widely used for growing Si and III-V nanowires. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the as-grown InSe nanowire-based visible light photodetector simultaneously possesses an extraordinary photoresponsivity of 271 A/W, ultrahigh detectivity of 1.57*10^14 Jones and a fast response speed of microsecond scale. The excellent performance of the photodetector indicates that as-grown InSe nanowires are promising in future optoelectronic applications. More importantly, the proposed edge-homoepitaxial approach may open up a novel avenue for direct synthesis of semiconducting nanowire arrays on SiO2/Si substrate.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Defect Engineering for Modulating the Trap States in Two-dimensional Photoconductor

Defect induced trap states are essential in determining the performance of semiconductor photodetectors. The de-trap time of carriers from a deep trap could be prolonged by several orders of magnitude as compared to shallow trap, resulting in additional decay/response time of the device. Here, we demonstrate that the trap states in two-dimensional ReS2 could be efficiently modulated by defect engineering through molecule decoration. The deep traps that greatly prolong the response time could be mostly filled by Protoporphyrin (H2PP) molecules. At the same time, carrier recombination and shallow traps would in-turn play dominant roles in determining the decay time of the device, which can be several orders of magnitude faster than the as-prepared device. Moreover, the specific detectivity of the device is enhanced (as high as ~1.89 x 10^13 Jones) due to the significant reduction of dark current through charge transfer between ReS2 and molecules. Defect engineering of trap states therefore provides a solution to achieve photodetectors with both high responsivity and fast response.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Low-Temperature Eutectic Synthesis of PtTe2 with Weak Antilocalization and Controlled Layer Thinning

Metallic transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have exhibited various exotic physical properties and hold the promise of novel optoelectronic and topological devices applications. However, the synthesis of metallic TMDs is based on gas-phase methods and requires high temperature condition. As an alternative to the gas-phase synthetic approach, lower temperature eutectic liquid-phase synthesis presents a very promising approach with the potential for larger-scale and controllable growth of high-quality thin metallic TMDs single crystals. Herein, we report the first realization of low-temperature eutectic liquid-phase synthesis of type-II Dirac semimetal PtTe2 single crystals with thickness ranging from 2 to 200 nm. The electrical measurement of synthesized PtTe2 reveals a record-high conductivity of as high as 3.3*106 S/m at room temperature. Besides, we experimentally identify the weak antilocalization behavior in the type-II Dirac semimetal PtTe2 for the first time. Furthermore, we develop a simple and general strategy to obtain atomically-thin PtTe2 crystal by thinning as-synthesized bulk samples, which can still retain highly crystalline and exhibits excellent electric conductivity. Our results of controllable and scalable low-temperature eutectic liquid-phase synthesis and layer-by-layer thinning of high-quality thin PtTe2 single crystals offer a simple and general approach for obtaining different thickness metallic TMDs with high-melting point transition metal.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Defects as a factor limiting carrier mobility in WSe2: a spectroscopic investigation

The electrical performance of two dimensional transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is strongly influenced by the amount of structural defects inside. In this work, we provide an optical spectroscopic characterization approach to correlate the amount of structural defects and the electrical performance of WSe2 devices. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of electron beam lithography (EBL) processed WSe2 presents a clear defect-induced PL emission due to excitons bound to defects, which would strongly degrade the electrical performance. By adopting an e-beam-free transfer-electrode technique, we are able to prepare backgated WSe2 device with limited amount of defects. A maximum hole-mobility of about 200 cm2/Vs was achieved due to reduced scattering sources, which is the highest reported value among its type. This work would not only provide a versatile and nondestructive method to monitor the defects in TMDs, but also a new route to approach the room temperature phonon-limited mobility in high performance TMDs devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Shear-Exfoliated Phosphorene for Rechargeable Nanoscale Battery

Discovery of atomically thin black phosphorus (called phosphorene) holds promise to be used as an alternative two-dimensional material to graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides especially as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, at present bulk black phosphorus (BP) still suffers from rapid capacity fading that results in poor rechargeable performance. Here, for the first time, we use in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to construct nanoscale phosphorene LIBs and visualize the capacity fading mechanism in thick multilayer phosphorene by real time capturing delithiation-induced structural decomposition that reduces electrical conductivity and thus causes irreversibility of lithiated Li3P phase. We further demonstrate that few-layer phosphorene successfully circumvents the structural decomposition and holds superior structural restorability, even subjected to multi-cycle lithiation/delithiation processes and concomitant huge volume expansion. This finding affords new experimental insights into thickness-dependent lithium diffusion kinetics in phosphorene. Additionally, a scalable liquid-phase shear exfoliation route has been developed to produce high-quality ultrathin (monolayer or few-layer) phosphorene, only by a high-speed shear mixer or even a household kitchen blender with the shear rate threshold, which will pave the way for potential large-scale applications in LIBs once the rechargeable phosphorene nanoscale batteries can be transferred to industrialized enlargement in the future.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Two-dimensional nanovaristors at grain boundaries account for memristive switching in polycrystalline BiFeO3

Memristive switching in polycrystalline materials is widely attributed to the formation and rupture of conducting filaments, believed to be mediated by oxygen-vacancy redistribution. The underlying atomic-scale processes are still unknown, however, which limits device modeling and design. Here we combine experimental data with multi-scale calculations to elucidate the entire atomic-scale cycle in undoped polycrystalline BiFeO3. Conductive atomic force microscopy reveals that the grain boundaries behave like two-dimensional nanovaristors while, on the return part of the cycle, the decreasing current is through the grains. Using density-functional-theory and Monte-Carlo calculations we deduce the atomic-scale mechanism of the observed phenomena. Oxygen vacancies in non-equilibrium concentrations are initially distributed relatively uniformly, but they are swept into the grain boundaries by an increasing voltage. A critical voltage, the SET voltage, then eliminates the barrier for hopping conduction through vacancy energy levels in grain boundaries. On the return part of the cycle, the grain boundaries are again non-conductive, but the grains show nonzero conductivity by virtue of remote doping by oxygen vacancies. The RESET voltage amounts to a heat pulse that redistributes the vacancies. The realization that nanovaristors are at the heart of memristive switching in polycrystalline materials may open possibilities for novel devices and circuits.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Tuning the catalytic activity of graphene nanosheets for oxygen reduction reaction via size and thickness reduction

Currently, the fundamental factors that control the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of graphene itself, in particular the dependence of the ORR activity on the number of exposed edge sites remain elusive, mainly due to limited synthesis routes of achieving small size graphene. In this work, the synthesis of low oxygen content (< 2.5 +/-0.2 at %), few layer graphene nanosheets with lateral dimensions smaller than a few hundred nm was achieved using a combination of ionic liquid assisted grinding of high purity graphite coupled with sequential centrifugation. We show for the first time, that the graphene nanosheets possessing a plethora of edges exhibited considerably higher electron transfer numbers compared to the thicker graphene nanoplatelets. This enhanced ORR activity was accomplished by successfully exploiting the plethora of edges of the nanosized graphene as well as the efficient electron communication between the active edge sites and the electrode substrate. The graphene nanosheets were characterized by an onset potential of -0.13 V vs. Ag/AgCl and a current density of -3.85 mA/cm2 at -1 V, which represent the best ORR performance ever achieved from an undoped carbon based catalyst. This work demonstrates how low oxygen content nanosized graphene synthesized by a simple route can considerably impact the ORR catalytic activity and hence it is of significance in designing and optimizing advanced metal-free ORR electrocatalysts.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Towards Intrinsic Charge Transport in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide by Defect and Interface Engineering

Molybdenum disulfide is considered as one of the most promising two-dimensional semiconductors for electronic and optoelectronic device applications. So far, the charge transport in monolayer molybdenum disulfide is dominated by extrinsic factors such as charged impurities, structural defects and traps, leading to much lower mobility than the intrinsic limit. Here, we develop a facile low-temperature thiol chemistry to repair the sulfur vacancies and improve the interface, resulting in significant reduction of the charged impurities and traps. High mobility greater than 80cm2 V-1 s-1 is achieved in backgated monolayer molybdenum disulfide field-effect transistors at room temperature. Furthermore, we develop a theoretical model to quantitatively extract the key microscopic quantities that control the transistor performances, including the density of charged impurities, short-range defects and traps. Our combined experimental and theoretical study provides a clear path towards intrinsic charge transport in two-dimensional dichalcogenides for future high-performance device applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Synthesis and optical properties of large-scale single-crystalline two-dimensional semiconductor WS2 monolayer from chemical vapor deposition

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), especially MoS2 and WS2 recently attract extensive attentions due to their rich physics and great potential applications. Superior to graphene, MS2 (M = Mo/W) monolayers have a native direct energy gap in visible frequency range. This promises great future of MS2 for optoelectronics. To exploit properties and further develop more applications, producing large-scale single crystals of MS2 by a facile method is highly demanded. Here, we report the synthesis of large-scale triangular single crystals of WS2 monolayer from a chemical vapor deposition process and systematic optical studies of such WS2 monolayers. The observations of high yield of light emission and valley-selective circular dichroism experimentally evidence the high optical quality of the WS2 monolayers. This work paves the road to fabricate large-scale single crystalline 2D semiconductors and study their fundamentals. It must be very meaningful for exploiting great potentials of WS2 for future optoelectronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Hopping Transport through Defect-induced Localized States in Molybdenum Disulfide

Molybdenum disulfide is a novel two-dimensional semiconductor with potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the nature of charge transport in back-gated devices still remains elusive as they show much lower mobility than theoretical calculations and native n-type doping. Here we report transport study in few-layer molybdenum disulfide, together with transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory. We provide direct evidence that sulfur vacancies exist in molybdenum disulfide, introducing localized donor states inside the bandgap. Under low carrier densities, the transport exhibits nearest-neighbor hopping at high temperatures and variable-range hopping at low temperatures, which can be well explained under Mott formalism. We suggest that the low-carrier-density transport is dominated by hopping via these localized gap states. Our study reveals the important role of short-range surface defects in tailoring the properties and device applications of molybdenum disulfide.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗