Yingbang Yao

Doping Monolayer Graphene with Single Atom Substitutions

Functionalized graphene has been extensively studied with the aim of tailoring properties for gas sensors, superconductors, supercapacitors, nanoelectronics, and spintronics. A bottleneck is the capability to control the carrier type and density by doping. We demonstrate that a two-step process is an efficient way to dope graphene: create vacancies by high-energy atom/ion bombardment and fill these vacancies with desired dopants. Different elements (Pt, Co, and In) have been successfully doped in the single-atom form. The high binding energy of the metal-vacancy complex ensures its stability and is consistent with in situ observation by an aberration-corrected and monochromated transmission electron microscope.

Van der Waals epitaxial growth of MoS2 on SiO2/Si by chemical vapor deposition

Recently, single layer MoS2 with a direct band gap of 1.9 eV has been proposed as a candidate for two dimensional nanoelectronic devices. However, the synthetic approach to obtain high-quality MoS2 atomic thin layers is still problematic. Spectroscopic and microscopic results reveal that both single layers and tetrahedral clusters of MoS2 are deposited directly on the SiO2/Si substrate by chemical vapor deposition. The tetrahedral clusters are mixtures of 2H- and 3R-MoS2. By ex situ optical analysis, both the single layers and tetrahedral clusters can be attributed to van der Waals epitaxial growth. Due to the similar layered structures we expect the same growth mechanism for other transition-metal disulfides by chemical vapor deposition.

Unraveling the Atomic Structure of Ultrafine Iron Clusters

Unraveling the atomic structures of ultrafine iron clusters is critical to understanding their size-dependent catalytic effects and electronic properties. Here, we describe the stable close-packed structure of ultrafine Fe clusters for the first time, thanks to the superior properties of graphene, including the monolayer thickness, chemical inertness, mechanical strength, electrical and thermal conductivity. These clusters prefer to take regular planar shapes with morphology changes by local atomic shuffling, as suggested by the early hypothesis of solid-solid transformation. Our observations differ from observations from earlier experimental study and theoretical model, such as icosahedron, decahedron or cuboctahedron. No interaction was observed between Fe atoms or clusters and pristine graphene. However, preferential carving, as observed by other research groups, can be realized only when Fe clusters are embedded in graphene. The techniques introduced here will be of use in investigations of other clusters or even single atoms or molecules.

Polarization-tuned diode behaviour in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films

Asymmetric rectifying I–V behaviour of multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films grown on transparent ITO-coated glass was quantitatively studied as a function of ferroelectric polarization. Different polarized states were established by unipolar or bipolar poling with various applied electric fields. The effects of polarization relaxation and fatigue on the currents were also investigated. We found that the conduction currents and the associated rectifications were controlled by the amplitude and direction of the polarization. We clearly observed the linear dependence of the current on the polarization. It is suggested that the space-charge-limited conduction and the charge injection at the Schottky interface between the film and the electrodes dominate the current. The electrically controlled rectifying behaviour observed in this study may be useful in nonvolatile resistance memory devices or tunable diodes.

Bio-assembled nanocomposites in conch shells exhibit giant electret hysteresis.

Giant electric polarization (2000-4000 μC cm(-2)) is observed in natural conch shells. The nanolaminas and biopolymer layers of their unique hierarchical microstructures exhibit ferroelectret behavior and account for the observed polarization. Such huge polarization leads to extremely high pyroelectric coefficients, 2-3 orders of magnitude larger than those of conventional ferroelectric materials. The possibility of tailoring the giant polarization for various applications is considered.

Bending-induced electromechanical coupling and large piezoelectric response in a micromachined diaphragm

We investigated the dependence of electromechanical coupling and the piezoelectric response of a micromachined Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) diaphragm on its curvature by observing the impedance spectrum and central deflection responses to a small AC voltage. The curvature of the diaphragm was controlled by applying air pressure to its back. We found that a depolarized flat diaphragm does not initially exhibit electromechanical coupling or the piezoelectric response. However, upon the application of static air pressure to the diaphragm, both electromechanical coupling and the piezoelectric response can be induced in the originally depolarized diaphragm. The piezoelectric response increases as the curvature increases and a giant piezoelectric response can be obtained from a bent diaphragm. The obtained results clearly demonstrate that a high strain gradient in a diaphragm can polarize a PZT film through a flexoelectric effect, and that the induced piezoelectric response of the diaphragm can be controlled by adjusting its curvature.

Edge structures and properties of triangular antidots in single-layer MoS2

Density functional theory and experiments are employed to shed light on the edge structures of antidots in O etched single-layer MoS2. The equilibrium morphology is found to be the zigzag Mo edge with each Mo atom bonded to two O atoms, in a wide range of O chemical potentials. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the orientation of the created triangular antidots is opposite to the triangular shape of the single-layer MoS2 samples, in agreement with the theoretical predictions. Furthermore, edges induced by O etching turn out to be p-doped, suggesting an effective strategy to realize p-type MoS2 devices.

Electrical and piezoelectric properties of BiFeO3 thin films grown on SrxCa1−xRuO3-buffered SrTiO3 substrates

(001)-oriented BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were grown on SrxCa1−xRuO3- (SCRO; x = 1, 0.67, 0.33, 0) buffered SrTiO3 (001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The microstructural, electrical, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the thin films were considerably affected by the buffer layers. The interface between the BFO films and the SCRO-buffer layer was found to play a dominant role in determining the electrical and piezoelectric behaviors of the films. We found that films grown on SrRuO3-buffer layers exhibited minimal electrical leakage while films grown on Sr0.33Ca0.67RuO3-buffer layers had the largest piezoelectric response. The origin of this difference is discussed.