Search Results (4)

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) nanocrystals (NCs) offer great potential for high-efficiency optoelectronic devices; however, they suffer from structural softness and chemical instability. Doping MHP NCs can overcome this issue. In this work, we synthesize Mn-doped methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr₃) NCs using the ligand-assisted reprecipitation method and investigate their structural and optical stability. X-ray diffraction confirms Mn²⁺ substitution at Pb²⁺ sites and lattice contraction. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show a blue shift, significant PL quantum yield enhancement, reaching 72% at 17% Mn²⁺ doping, and a 34% increase compared to undoped samples, attributed to effective defect passivation and reduced non-radiative recombination, supported by time-resolved PL data. Mn²⁺ doping also improves long-term stability under ambient conditions. Low-temperature PL reveals the crystal-phase transitions of perovskite NCs and Mn-doped NCs to be somewhat different than those of pure MAPbBr₃. Mn²⁺ incorporation into perovskite promotes self-assembly into superlattices with larger crystal sizes, better structural order, and stronger inter-NC coupling. These results demonstrate that Mn²⁺ doping enhances both optical performance and structural robustness, advancing the potential of MAPbBr₃ NCs for stable optoelectronic applications. Full article

Transmission of electromagnetic fields through ${(dielectric/metallic)}^n$ superlattices, for frequencies below the plasma frequency ${\omega }_p$, is a subtle and important topic that is reviewed and further developed here. Recently, an approach for metallic superlattices based on the theory of finite periodic systems was published. Unlike most, if not all, of the published approaches that are valid in the $n\to \infty$ limit, the finite periodic systems approach is valid for any value of n, allows one to determine analytical expressions for scattering amplitudes and dispersion relations. It was shown that, for frequencies below ${\omega }_p$, large metallic-layer thickness, and electromagnetic fields moving along the so-called “true” angle, anomalous results with an apparent parity effect appear. We show here that these results are related to the lack of unitarity and the underlying phenomena of absorption and loss of energy. To solve this problem we present two compatible approaches, both based on the theory of finite periodic systems, which is not only more accurate, but has also the ability to reveal and predict the intra-subband resonances. In the first approach we show that by keeping complex angles, above and below ${\omega }_p$, the principle of flux conservation is fully satisfied. The results above ${\omega }_p$ remain the same as in Pereyra (2020). This approach, free of assumptions, where all the information of the scattering process is preserved, gives us insight to improve the formalism where the assumption of electromagnetic fields moving along the real angles is made. In fact, we show that by taking into account the induced currents and the requirement of flux conservation, we end up with an improved approach, with new Fresnel and transmission coefficients, fully compatible with those of the complex-angle approach. The improved approach also allows one to evaluate the magnitude of the induced currents and the absorbed energy, as functions of the frequency and the superlattice parameters. We show that the resonant frequencies of intra-subband plasmons, which may be of interest for applications, in particular for biosensors, can be accurately determined. We also apply the approach for the transmission of electromagnetic wave packets, defined in the optical domain, and show that the predicted space-time positions agree extremely well with the actual positions of the wave packet centroids. Full article

We study the transmission of electromagnetic waves through layered structures of metallic and left-handed media. Resonant band structures of transmission coefficients are obtained as functions of the incidence angle, the geometric parameters, and the number of unit cells of the superlattices. The theory of finite periodic systems that we use is free of assumptions, the finiteness of the periodic system being an essential condition. We rederive the correct recurrence relation of the Chebyshev polynomials that carry the physical information of the coherent coupling of plasmon modes and interface plasmons and surface plasmons, responsible for the photonic bands and the resonant structure of the surface plasmon polaritons. Unlike the dispersion relations of infinite periodic systems, which at best predict the bandwidths, we show that the dispersion relation of this theory predicts not only the bands, but also the resonant plasmons’ frequencies, above and below the plasma frequency. We show that, besides the strong influence of the incidence angle and the characteristic low transmission of a single conductor slab for frequencies $\omega$ below the plasma frequency ${\omega }_p$ , the coherent coupling of the bulk plasmon modes and the interface surface plasmon polaritons lead to oscillating transmission coefficients and, depending on the parity of the number of unit cells n of the superlattice, the transmission coefficient vanishes or amplifies as the conductor width increases. Similarly, the well-established transmission coefficient of a single left-handed slab, which exhibits optical antimatter effects, becomes highly resonant with superluminal effects in superlattices. We determine the space-time evolution of a wave packet through the $\lambda /4$ photonic superlattice whose bandwidth becomes negligible, and the transmission coefficient becomes a sequence of isolated and equidistant peaks with negative phase times. We show that the space-time evolution of a Gaussian wave packet, with the centroid at any of these peaks, agrees with the theoretical predictions, and no violation of the causality principle occurs. Full article

Microstructures of a series of La-Mg-Ni-based superlattice metal hydride alloys produced by a novel method of interaction of a LaNi₅ alloy and Mg vapor were studied using a combination of X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. The conversion rate of LaNi₅ increased from 86.8% into 98.2%, and the A₂B₇ phase abundance increased from 42.5 to 45.8 wt % and reduced to 39.2 wt % with the increase in process time from four to 32 h. During the first stage of reaction, Mg formed discrete grains with the same orientation, which was closely related to the orientation of the host LaNi₅ alloy. Mg then diffused through the ab-phase of LaNi₅ and formed the AB₂, AB₃, and A₂B₇ phases. Diffusion of Mg stalled at the grain boundary of the host LaNi₅ alloy. Good alignments in the c-axis between the newly formed superlattice phases and LaNi₅ were observed. The density of high-angle grain boundary decreased with the increase in process time and was an indication of lattice cracking. Full article