Temperature and bias-voltage dependence of atomic-layer-deposited HfO2-based magnetic tunnel junctions
Magnetic tunnel junctions with HfO2 tunnel barriers were prepared through a combination of magnetron sputtering and atomic layer deposition. We investigated the tunneling transport behavior, including the tunnel magnetoresistance ratio and the current-voltage characteristics between room temperature and 2 K. Here, we achieved a tunneling magneto resistance ratio of 10.3% at room temperature and 19.3% at 2 K. Furthermore, we studied the bias-voltage and temperature dependencies and compared the results with those of commonly used alumina- and magnesia-based magnetic tunnel junctions. We observed a polycrystalline/amorphous electrode-barrier system via high-resolution transmission electron mi…
Enhancement of the sub-band-gap photoconductivity in ZnO nanowires through surface functionalization with carbon nanodots
We report on the surface functionalization of ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays by attachment of carbon nanodots (C-dots) stabilized by polyethylenimine. The photoconductive properties of the ZnO NWs/C-dots devices were investigated under photoexcitation with photon energies below and above the ZnO band gap. The results indicate an increased photoresponse of the functionalized devices in the visible spectral range, as well as enhanced UV photoconductivity. This is attributed to the fast injection of photoexcited electrons from the C-dots into the conduction band of the ZnO NWs, and the subsequent slower desorption of molecular species from the NW surface, which reduces the surface depletion region i…
Non-resonant Raman spectroscopy of individual ZnO nanowires via Au nanorod surface plasmons
We present a non-resonant Raman spectroscopy study of individual ZnO nanowires mediated by Au nanorod surface plasmons. In this approach, selective excitation of the plasmonic oscillations with radiation energy below the semiconductor bandgap was used to probe surface optical modes of individual ZnO nanowires without simultaneous excitation of bulk phonons modes or band-edge photoluminescence. The development of a reproducible method for decoration of nanowires with colloidal Au nanorods allowed performing an extensive statistical analysis addressing the variability and reproducibility of the Raman features found in the hybrid nanostructures. An estimated field enhancement factor of 103 was…