arXiv subjects

Philip X. -L. Feng

Publications and source records attributed to Philip X. -L. Feng.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Environmental Instability and Degradation of Single- and Few-Layer WTe2 Nanosheets in Ambient Conditions

Since the discovery of large, non-saturating magnetoresistance in bulk WTe2 which allows microexfoliation, single- and few-layer WTe2 crystals have attracted increasing interests. However, as it mentioned in existing studies, WTe2 flakes appear to degrade in ambient conditions. Here we report experimental observations of saturating degradation in few-layer WTe2 through Raman spectroscopy characterization and careful monitoring of the degradation of single-, bi- and tri-layer (1L, 2L & 3L) WTe2 over long time. Raman peak intensity decreases during WTe2 degradation and 1L flakes degrade faster than 2L and 3L flakes. The relatively faster degradation in 1L WTe2 could be attributed to low energy barrier of oxygen reaction with WTe2. We further investigate the degradation mechanisms of WTe2 using XPS and AES and find that oxidation of Te and W atoms is the main reason of WTe2 degradation. In addition, we observe oxidation occurs only in the depth of 0.5nm near the surface, and the oxidized WTe2 surface could help prevent inner layers from further degradation.

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arXiv2016

Interferometric Motion Detection in Atomic Layer 2D Nanostructures: Visualizing Signal Transduction Efficiency and Optimization Pathways

Atomic layer crystals are emerging building blocks for enabling new two-dimensional (2D) nanomechanical systems, whose motions can be coupled to other attractive physical properties in such 2D systems. Optical interferometry has been very effective in reading out the infinitesimal motions of these 2D structures and spatially resolving different modes. To quantitatively understand the detection efficiency and its dependence on the device parameters and interferometric conditions, here we present a systematic study of the intrinsic motion responsivity in 2D nanomechanical systems using a Fresnel-law-based model. We find that in monolayer to 14-layer structures, MoS2 offers the highest responsivity among graphene, h-BN, and MoS2 devices and for the three commonly used visible laser wavelengths (633, 532, and 405nm). We also find that the vacuum gap resulting from the widely used 300nm-oxide substrate in making 2D devices, fortunately, leads to close-to-optimal responsivity for a wide range of 2D flakes. Our results elucidate and graphically visualize the dependence of motion transduction responsivity upon 2D material type and number of layers, vacuum gap, oxide thickness, and detecting wavelength, thus providing design guidelines for constructing 2D nanomechanical systems with optimal optical motion readout.

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arXiv2016

Large-Scale Arrays of Single- and Few-Layer MoS2 Nanomechanical Resonators

We report on fabrication of large-scale arrays of suspended molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) atomic layers, as two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 nanomechanical resonators. We employ a water-assisted lift-off process to release chemical vapor deposited (CVD) MoS2 atomic layers from a donor substrate, followed by an all-dry transfer onto microtrench arrays. The resultant large arrays of suspended single- and few-layer MoS2 drumhead resonators (0.5 to 2um in diameter) offer fundamental resonances (f_0) in the very high frequency (VHF) band (up to ~120MHz) and excellent figures-of-merit up to f_0*Q ~ 3*10^10Hz. A stretched circular diaphragm model allows us to estimate low pre-tension levels of typically ~15mN/m in these devices. Compared to previous approaches, our transfer process features high yield and uniformity with minimal liquid and chemical exposure (only involving DI water), resulting in high-quality MoS2 crystals and exceptional device performance and homogeneity; and our process is readily applicable to other 2D materials.

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arXiv2016

Single- and Few-Layer WTe2 and Their Suspended Nanostructures: Raman Signatures and Nanomechanical Resonances

Single crystal tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) has recently been discovered to exhibit non-saturating extreme magnetoresistance in bulk; it has also emerged as a new layered material from which atomic layer crystals can be extracted. While atomically thin WTe2 is attractive for its unique properties, little study has been conducted on single- and few-layer WTe2. Here we report the isolation of single- and few-layer WTe2, as well as fabrication and characterization of the first WTe2 suspended nanostructures. We have observed new Raman signatures of few-layer WTe2 that have been theoretically predicted but not yet reported to date, in both on-substrate and suspended WTe2 flakes. We have further probed the nanomechanical properties of suspended WTe2 structures by measuring their flexural resonances, and obtain a Young's modulus of E_Y~80GPa for the suspended WTe2 flakes. This study paves the way for future investigations and utilization of the multiple new Raman fingerprints of single- and few-layer WTe2, and for exploring mechanical control of WTe2 atomic layers.

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arXiv2015

Environmental, Thermal, and Electrical Susceptibility of Black Phosphorus Field Effect Transistors

Atomic layers of black phosphorus (P) isolated from its layered bulk make a new two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting crystal with sizable direct bandgap, high carrier mobility, and promises for 2D electronics and optoelectronics. However, the integrity of black P crystal could be susceptible to a number of environmental variables and processes, resulting in degradation in device performance even before the device optical image suggests so. Here, we perform a systematic study of the environmental effects on black P electronic devices through continued measurements over a month under a number of controlled conditions, including ambient light, air, and humidity, and identify evolution of device performance under each condition. We further examine effects of thermal and electrical treatments on inducing morphology and, performance changes and failure modes in black P devices. The results suggest that procedures well established for nanodevices in other 2D materials may not directly apply to black P devices, and improved procedures need to be devised to attain stable device operation.

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arXiv2015

Design of Black Phosphorus 2D Nanomechanical Resonators by Exploiting the Intrinsic Mechanical Anisotropy

Black phosphorus (P), a layered material that can be isolated down to individual 2D crystalline sheets, exhibits highly anisotropic mechanical properties due to its corrugated crystal structure in each atomic layer, which are intriguing for 2D nanomechanical devices. Here we lay the framework for describing the mechanical resonant responses in free-standing black P structures, by using a combination of analytical modeling and numerical simulation. We find that thicker devices (>100nm) operating in the elastic plate regime exhibit pronounced signatures of mechanical anisotropy, and can lead to new multimode resonant characteristics in terms of mode sequences, shapes, and orientational preferences that are unavailable in nanomechanical resonators made of isotropic materials. In addition, through investigating devices with different geometries, we identify the resonant response's dependence on crystal orientation in asymmetric devices, and evaluate the effects from the degree of anisotropy. The results suggest a pathway towards harnessing the mechanical anisotropy in black P for building novel 2D nanomechanical devices and resonant transducers with engineerable multimode functions.

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arXiv2015

Black Phosphorus Nanoelectromechanical Resonators Vibrating at Very High Frequencies

We report on experimental demonstration of a new type of nanoelectromechanical resonators based on black phosphorus crystals. Facilitated by a highly efficient dry transfer technique, crystalline black phosphorus flakes are harnessed to enable drumhead resonators vibrating at high and very high frequencies (HF and VHF bands, up to ~100MHz). We investigate the resonant vibrational responses from the black phosphorus crystals by devising both electrical and optical excitation schemes, in addition to measuring the undriven thermomechanical motions in these suspended nanostructures. Flakes with thicknesses from ~200nm down to ~20nm clearly exhibit elastic characteristics transitioning from the plate to the membrane regime. Both frequency- and time-domain measurements of the nanomechanical resonances show that very thin black phosphorus crystals hold interesting promises for moveable and vibratory devices, and for semiconductor transducers where high-speed mechanical motions could be coupled to the attractive electronic and optoelectronic properties of black phosphorus.

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arXiv2013

Polytype control of spin qubits in silicon carbide

Crystal defects can confine isolated electronic spins and are promising candidates for solid-state quantum information. Alongside research focusing on nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond, an alternative strategy seeks to identify new spin systems with an expanded set of technological capabilities, a materials driven approach that could ultimately lead to "designer" spins with tailored properties. Here, we show that the 4H, 6H and 3C polytypes of SiC all host coherent and optically addressable defect spin states, including spins in all three with room-temperature quantum coherence. The prevalence of this spin coherence shows that crystal polymorphism can be a degree of freedom for engineering spin qubits. Long spin coherence times allow us to use double electron-electron resonance to measure magnetic dipole interactions between spin ensembles in inequivalent lattice sites of the same crystal. Together with the distinct optical and spin transition energies of such inequivalent spins, these interactions provide a route to dipole-coupled networks of separately addressable spins.

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