Tino Hofmann

Protein adsorption on and swelling of polyelectrolyte brushes: A simultaneous ellipsometry-quartz crystal microbalance study

With a coupled spectroscopic ellipsometry-quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) experimental setup, quantitative information can be obtained about the amount of buffer components (water molecules and ions) coupled to a poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) brush surface in swelling and protein adsorption processes. PAA Guiselin brushes with more than one anchoring point per single polymer chain were prepared. For the swollen brushes a high amount of buffer was found to be coupled to the brush-solution interface in addition to the content of buffer inside the brush layer. Upon adsorption of bovine serum albumin the further incorporation of buffer molecules into the protein-brush layer was monitored at overall electrostatic attractive conditions [below the protein isolectric poimt (IEP)] and electrostatic repulsive conditions (above the protein IEP), and the shear viscosity of the combined polymer-protein layer was evaluated from QCM-D data. For adsorption at the “wrong side” of the IEP an incorporation of excess buffer molecules was observed, indicating an adjustment of charges in the combined polymer-protein layer. Desorption of protein at pH 7.6 led to a very high stretching of the polymer-protein layer with additional incorporation of high amounts of buffer, reflecting the increase of negative charges on the protein molecules at this elevated pH.

Optical, structural, and magnetic properties of cobalt nanostructure thin films

We report on optical, structural, and magnetic properties of two substantially different cobalt nanostructure thin films deposited at an oblique angle of incidence of 85° away from the substrate normal. Comparison is made between an achiral columnar thin film grown without substrate rotation and a chiral nanocoil sculptured thin film by glancing angle deposition with substrate rotation. Generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry is employed to determine geometrical structure properties and the anisotropic optical constants of the films in the spectral range from 400 to 1000 nm. The magnetic properties are analyzed with a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Both nanostructure thin films show highly anisotropic optical properties such as strong form birefringence and large dichroism. In particular, Co slanted columnar thin films are found to possess monoclinic optical properties. Magnetic measurements at room temperature show hysteresis anisotropy with respect to a magnetic field either pa...

Variable-wavelength frequency-domain terahertz ellipsometry.

We report an experimental setup for wavelength-tunable frequency-domain ellipsometric measurements in the terahertz spectral range from 0.2 to 1.5 THz employing a desktop-based backward wave oscillator source. The instrument allows for variable angles of incidence between 30 degrees and 90 degrees and operates in a polarizer-sample-rotating analyzer scheme. The backward wave oscillator source has a tunable base frequency of 107-177 GHz and is augmented with a set of Schottky diode frequency multipliers in order to extend the spectral range to 1.5 THz. We use an odd-bounce image rotation system in combination with a wire grid polarizer to prepare the input polarization state. A highly phosphorous-doped Si substrate serves as a first sample model system. We show that the ellipsometric data obtained with our novel terahertz ellipsometer can be well described within the classical Drude model, which at the same time is in perfect agreement with midinfrared ellipsometry data obtained from the same sample for comparison. The analysis of the terahertz ellipsometric data of a low phosphorous-doped n-type Si substrate demonstrates that ellipsometry in the terahertz spectral range allows the determination of free charge-carrier properties for electron concentrations as low as 8x10(14) cm(-3).

Generalized far-infrared magneto-optic ellipsometry for semiconductor layer structures: determination of free-carrier effective-mass, mobility, and concentration parameters in n-type GaAs

We report for the first time on the application of generalized ellipsometry at far-infrared wavelengths (wave numbers from 150 cm(-1) to 600 cm(-1)) for measurement of the anisotropic dielectric response of doped polar semiconductors in layered structures within an external magnetic field. Upon determination of normalized Mueller matrix elements and subsequent derivation of the normalized complex Jones reflection matrix r of an n-type doped GaAs substrate covered by a highly resistive GaAs layer, the spectral dependence of the room-temperature magneto-optic dielectric function tensor of n-type GaAs with free-electron concentration of 1.6 x 10(18) cm(-3) at the magnetic field strength of 2.3 T is obtained on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis. These data are in excellent agreement with values predicted by the Drude model. From the magneto-optic generalized ellipsometry measurements of the layered structure, the free-carrier concentration, their optical mobility, the effective-mass parameters, and the sign of the charge carriers can be determined independently, which will be demonstrated. We propose magneto-optic generalized ellipsometry as a novel approach for exploration of free-carrier parameters in complex organic or inorganic semiconducting material heterostructures, regardless of the anisotropic properties of the individual constituents.

Monoclinic optical constants, birefringence, and dichroism of slanted titanium nanocolumns determined by generalized ellipsometry

rection of the incoming vapor. 1 The physical properties of such thin films differ drastically from their bulk material. 2 Intriguing mechanical, magnetic, and optical properties, for example, can be obtained and may be explored in future applications. Form-induced polarization current confinement, crosscoupling between individual nanoelements, and quantization effects will lead to entirely different optical properties unknown from their bulk counterpart. Hodgkinson and Wu 1 predicted, and partially determined, strong nanostructure form-induced optical orthorhombic birefringence in slanted nanostructure thin films, also termed columnar thin film CTF. Deposition conditions such as the angle of the incoming vapor have strong influence on shape and arrangement of the nanostructures. 3 Controlled CTF growth together with accurate measurement of their anisotropic optical properties will allow for tailoring materials at the nanometer scale to achieve desired optical applications such as omnidirectional mirrors and thin film polarization filters. In this letter we report accurate and complete determination of the intrinsic optical properties of slanted metal nanocolumn thin films. We extend the prediction of Hodgkinson and Wu 1 by dem

Generalized ellipsometry for monoclinic absorbing materials: determination of optical constants of Cr columnar thin films.

Generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to determine the form-induced birefringence and monoclinic optical constants of chromium columnar thin films. The slanted nanocolumns were deposited by glancing angle deposition under 85 degrees incidence and are tilted from the surface normal. Dichroism measured for wavelengths from 400 to 1000 nm renders the Cr nanocolumns monoclinic absorbing crystals with c axis along the nanocolumns axis, b axis parallel to the film interface, and 74.8 degrees monoclinic angle between a and c axes. The columnar thin film reveals anomalous optical dispersion, extreme birefringence, and strong dichroism and differs entirely from bulk chromium.

Terahertz magneto-optic generalized ellipsometry using synchrotron and blackbody radiation

We report on the first setup and experimental verification of terahertz frequency domain magneto-optic generalized ellipsometry using a combination of highly brilliant terahertz synchrotron and conventional blackbody radiation sources. The polarizer-sample-rotating-analyzer ellipsometry principle is employed to measure the three normalized Stokes vector elements excluding depolarization information, and the upper left 3×3 block of the normalized 4×4 Mueller matrix accordingly for wave numbers from 30to650cm−1 (0.9–20THz). We discuss setup, measurement, and data analysis procedures specific to the use of synchrotron radiation for terahertz ellipsometry. Two sample systems with different free-charge-carrier properties were studied and are presented here to illustrate terahertz ellipsometry and data analysis. The first example is low-chlorine-doped ZnMnSe, a dilute magnetic semiconductor. Analysis of the normalized Mueller matrix elements using the Drude magneto-optic dielectric function tensor model over th...

Resistive hysteresis and interface charge coupling in BaTiO3-ZnO heterostructures

We report on temperature, time, and voltage dependent resistive hysteresis measurements of BaTiO3-ZnO heterostructures grown on (001) Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. We observe a diodelike behavior and cycling-voltage dependent hysteresis formation under forward bias. We explain these effects with depletion layer formation between the ZnO and BaTiO3 layers, an additional barrier due to the spontaneous polarization of ZnO and the ferroelectric nature of BaTiO3. The disappearance of the resistive hysteresis above the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition temperature of BaTiO3 conformed that the hysteresis is related to the ferroelectricity of BaTiO3. Time dependent resistance measurements reveal memory effects.

Hole-channel conductivity in epitaxial graphene determined by terahertz optical-Hall effect and midinfrared ellipsometry

We report noncontact, optical determination of free-charge carrier mobility, sheet density, and resistivity parameters in epitaxial graphene at room temperature using terahertz and midinfrared ellipsometry and optical-Hall effect measurements. The graphene layers are grown on Si- and C-terminated semi-insulating 6H silicon carbide polar surfaces. Data analysis using classical Drude functions and multilayer modeling render the existence of a p-type channel with different sheet densities and effective mass parameters for the two polar surfaces. The optically obtained parameters are in excellent agreement with results from electrical Hall effect measurements.

Free electron behavior in InN: On the role of dislocations and surface electron accumulation

The free electron behavior in InN is studied on the basis of decoupled bulk and surface accumulation electron densities in InN films measured by contactless optical Hall effect. It is shown that the variation in the bulk electron density with film thickness does not follow the models of free electrons generated by dislocation-associated nitrogen vacancies. This finding, further supported by transmission electron microscopy results, indicates the existence of a different thickness-dependent doping mechanism. Furthermore, we observe a noticeable dependence of the surface electron density on the bulk density, which can be exploited for tuning the surface charge in future InN based devices.