Thomas Kehagias

Rapid magnetic heating treatment by highly charged maghemite nanoparticles on Wistar rats exocranial glioma tumors at microliter volume

One of the most significant challenges implementing colloidal magnetic nanoparticles in medicine is the efficient heating of microliter quantities by applying a low frequency alternating magnetic field. The ultimate goal is to accomplish nonsurgically the treatment of millimeter size tumors. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis, characterization, and the in vitro as well as in vivo efficiency of a dextran coated maghemite (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) ferrofluid with an exceptional response to magnetic heating. The difference to previous synthetic attempts is the high charge of the dextran coating, which according to our study maintains the colloidal stability and good dispersion of the ferrofluid during the magnetic heating stage. Specifically, in vitro 2 mul of the ferrofluid gives an outstanding temperature rise of 33 degrees C within 10 min, while in vivo treatment, by infusing 150 mul of the ferrofluid in animal model (rat) glioma tumors, causes an impressive cancer tissue dissolution.

Morphology and strain of self-assembled semipolar GaN quantum dots in (112¯2) AlN

GaN quantum dots (QDs) grown in semipolar (112¯2) AlN by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. The embedded (112¯2)-grown QDs exhibited pyramidal or truncated-pyramidal morphology consistent with the symmetry of the nucleating plane, and were delimited by nonpolar and semipolar nanofacets. It was also found that, in addition to the (112¯2) surface, QDs nucleated at depressions comprising {101¯1} facets. This was justified by ab initio density functional theory calculations showing that such GaN/AlN facets are of lower energy compared to (112¯2). Based on quantitative high-resolution TEM strain measurements, the three-dimensional QD strain state was analyzed using finite-element simulations. The internal electrostatic field was then estimated, showing small potential drop along the growth direction, and limited localization at most QD interfaces.

Heterojunction oxide thin-film transistors with unprecedented electron mobility grown from solution

Engineering of solution-grown metal oxide heterointerfaces presents an alternative strategy for thin-film transistor development. Thin-film transistors made of solution-processed metal oxide semiconductors hold great promise for application in the emerging sector of large-area electronics. However, further advancement of the technology is hindered by limitations associated with the extrinsic electron transport properties of the often defect-prone oxides. We overcome this limitation by replacing the single-layer semiconductor channel with a low-dimensional, solution-grown In2O3/ZnO heterojunction. We find that In2O3/ZnO transistors exhibit band-like electron transport, with mobility values significantly higher than single-layer In2O3 and ZnO devices by a factor of 2 to 100. This marked improvement is shown to originate from the presence of free electrons confined on the plane of the atomically sharp heterointerface induced by the large conduction band offset between In2O3 and ZnO. Our finding underscores engineering of solution-grown metal oxide heterointerfaces as an alternative strategy to thin-film transistor development and has the potential for widespread technological applications.

Stranski-Krastanow growth of "112 ¯ 2…-oriented GaN/AlN quantum dots

Semipolar GaN(112¯2) deposited on AlN(112¯2) by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy can follow the Frank–Van der Merwe or the Stranski–Krastanow growth mode as a function of the Ga/N ratio. N-rich grown GaN relaxes elastically at a critical thickness but the resulting GaN islands present multiple crystallographic orientations. In contrast, after deposition of a few two-dimensional GaN monolayers under Ga-rich conditions, a growth interruption in vacuum induces (112¯2)-oriented islanding. Applying this latter procedure, we have synthesized GaN/AlN quantum dot superlattices with reduced internal electric field.

Microstructure of GaN Films Grown by RF-Plasma Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The influence of the variation of the Ga/N flux ratio during deposition and of the different substrate nitridation temperatures on the microstructure of 2H-GaN films grown on (0001) sapphire, by RF plasma MBE, is investigated by conventional and high resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM-HREM). The different growth rates of the inverse polarity domains in Ga-rich and N-rich specimens result in film surfaces of different roughness, whereas the stacking fault (SF) content is significantly higher in samples grown under N-rich conditions. Low temperature nitridation of the substrate results in a low density of defects in GaN film. Cubic GaN “pockets”, near the substrate/GaN interface that are present in low temperature nitridated samples are not observed in high temperature nitridated samples.

Spin-pumping through a varying-thickness MgO interlayer in Fe/Pt system

The spin-pumping mechanism is probed through a tunnelling MgO interlayer in Fe/Pt bilayers. We show by ferromagnetic resonance technique and spin-pumping experiments that spin currents can tunnel through the MgO interlayer for thicknesses up to 2 nm and can produce significant voltages in the Pt layer. The electrical detection of spin-pumping furthermore reveals the critical role of rectification and shunting effects on the generated voltages. The non-zero spin current transport through a few monolayers of an insulating interlayer might initiate further studies on the role of very thin oxides in spin-pumping experiments.

Interaction Between Basal Stacking Faults and Prismatic Inversion Domain Boundaries in GaN

The interaction of growth intrinsic stacking faults with inversion domain boundaries in GaN epitaxial layers is studied by high resolution electron microscopy. It is observed that stacking faults may mediate a structural transformation of inversion domain boundaries, from the low energy types, known as IDB boundaries, to the high energy ones, known as Holt-type boundaries. Such interactions may be attributed to the different growth rates of adjacent domains of inverse polarity.

Pyramidal slip in electron beam heated deformed Titanium

The incidence of perfect glide dislocations, moving on parallel pyramidal slip bands on a particular grain boundary of deformed Titanium is studied by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy. Static experiments, performed by using the electron beam as a heating source, proved that slip propagation across the interface is possible when the angle of intersections between the activated slip planes of the incoming and the outgoing dislocations with the boundary plane is minimised. Additionally, the Burgers vector of the residual dislocations left in the boundary after slip transmission occurred should also be minimised. Due to their very small Burgers vector, residual dislocations are visualised with satisfactory results by an image simulation method.

Determination of the spin Hall angle in single-crystalline Pt films from spin pumping experiments

We report on the determination of the spin Hall angle and the identification of the role of the interface roughness for the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) in ultra-clean, defect-reduced epitaxial Pt films. By applying vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy to a series of single crystalline Fe (12 nm) /Pt (t

Strain field determination in III–V heteroepitaxy coupling finite elements with experimental and theoretical techniques at the nanoscale

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