arXiv subjects

M. Terrones

Publications and source records attributed to M. Terrones.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Making Atomic-Level Magnetism Tunable with Light at Room Temperature

The capacity to manipulate magnetization in two-dimensional dilute magnetic semiconductors (2D-DMSs) using light, specifically in magnetically doped transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers (M-doped TX2, where M = V, Fe, Cr; T = W, Mo; X = S, Se, Te), may lead to innovative applications in spintronics, spin-caloritronics, valleytronics, and quantum computation. This Perspective paper explores the mediation of magnetization by light under ambient conditions in 2D-TMD DMSs and heterostructures. By combining magneto-LC resonance (MLCR) experiments with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we show that the magnetization can be enhanced using light in V-doped TMD monolayers (e.g., V-WS2, V-WSe2, V-MoS2). This phenomenon is attributed to excess holes in the conduction and valence bands, as well as carriers trapped in magnetic doping states, which together mediate the magnetization of the semiconducting layer. In 2D-TMD heterostructures such as VSe2/WS2 and VSe2/MoS2, we demonstrate the significance of proximity, charge-transfer, and confinement effects in amplifying light-mediated magnetism. This effect is attributed to photon absorption at the TMD layer (e.g., WS2, MoS2) that generates electron-hole pairs mediating the magnetization of the heterostructure. These findings will encourage further research in the field of 2D magnetism and establish a novel direction for designing 2D-TMDs and heterostructures with optically tunable magnetic functionalities, paving the way for next-generation magneto-optic nanodevices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Strain Modulated Superlattices in Graphene

Strain engineering of graphene takes advantage of one of the most dramatic responses of Dirac electrons enabling their manipulation via strain-induced pseudo-magnetic fields. Numerous theoretically proposed devices, such as resonant cavities and valley filters, as well as novel phenomena, such as snake states, could potentially be enabled via this effect. These proposals, however, require strong, spatially oscillating magnetic fields while to date only the generation and effects of pseudo-gauge fields which vary at a length scale much larger than the magnetic length have been reported. Here we create a periodic pseudo-gauge field profile using periodic strain that varies at the length scale comparable to the magnetic length and study its effects on Dirac electrons. A periodic strain profile is achieved by pulling on graphene with extreme (>10%) strain and forming nanoscale ripples, akin to a plastic wrap pulled taut at its edges. Combining scanning tunneling microscopy and atomistic calculations, we find that spatially oscillating strain results in a new quantization different from the familiar Landau quantization observed in previous studies. We also find that graphene ripples are characterized by large variations in carbon-carbon bond length, directly impacting the electronic coupling between atoms, which within a single ripple can be as different as in two different materials. The result is a single graphene sheet that effectively acts as an electronic superlattice. Our results thus also establish a novel approach to synthesize an effective 2D lateral heterostructure - by periodic modulation of lattice strain.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Hall and field-effect mobilities in few layered $p$-WSe$_2$ field-effect transistors

Here, we present a temperature ($T$) dependent comparison between field-effect and Hall mobilities in field-effect transistors based on few-layered WSe$_2$ exfoliated onto SiO$_2$. Without dielectric engineering and beyond a $T$-dependent threshold gate-voltage, we observe maximum hole mobilities approaching 350 cm$^2$/Vs at $T$=300 K. The hole Hall mobility reaches a maximum value of 650 cm$^2$/Vs as $T$ is lowered below $\sim$ 150 K, indicating that insofar WSe$_2$-based field-effect transistors (FETs) display the largest Hall mobilities among the transition metal dichalcogenides. The gate capacitance, as extracted from the Hall-effect, reveals the presence of spurious charges in the channel, while the two-terminal sheet resistivity displays two-dimensional variable-range hopping behavior, indicating carrier localization induced by disorder at the interface between WSe$_2$ and SiO$_2$. We argue that improvements in the fabrication protocols as, for example, the use of a substrate free of dangling bonds are likely to produce WSe$_2$-based FETs displaying higher room temperature mobilities, i.e. approaching those of $p$-doped Si, which would make it a suitable candidate for high performance opto-electronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Intrinsic carrier mobility of multi-layered MoS$_2$ field-effect transistors on SiO$_2$

By fabricating and characterizing multi-layered MoS$_2$-based field-effect transistors (FETs) in a four terminal configuration, we demonstrate that the two terminal-configurations tend to underestimate the carrier mobility $\mu$ due to the Schottky barriers at the contacts. For a back-gated two-terminal configuration we observe mobilities as high as 125 cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ which is considerably smaller than 306.5 cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ as extracted from the same device when using a four-terminal configuration. This indicates that the intrinsic mobility of MoS$_2$ on SiO$_2$ is significantly larger than the values previously reported, and provides a quantitative method to evaluate the charge transport through the contacts.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Nonlinear behavior in the Thermopower of Doped Carbon Nanotubes Due to Strong, Localized States

The temperature dependent thermoelectric power (TEP) of boron and nitrogen doped multi-walled carbon nanotube mats has been measured showing that such dopants can be used to modify the majority conduction from p-type to n-type. The TEP of boron doped nanotubes is positive, indicating hole-like carriers. In contrast, the nitrogen doped material exhibits negative TEP over the same temperature range, suggesting electron-like conduction. Therefore, the TEP distinct nonlinearites are primarily due to the formation of donor and acceptor states in the B- and N- doped materials. The sharply varying density of states used in our model can be directly correlated to the scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies of these materials.

cond-mat↗

arXiv2000

Identification of Electron Donor States in N-doped Carbon Nanotubes

Nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes have been synthesized using pyrolysis and characterized by Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The doped nanotubes are all metallic and exhibit strong electron donor states near the Fermi level. Using tight-binding and ab initio calculations, we observe that pyridine-like N structures are responsible for the metallic behavior and the prominent features near the Fermi level. These electron rich structures are the first example of n-type nanotubes, which could pave the way to real molecular hetero-junction devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗