The semiconductor ZnO has gained substantial interest in the research community in part because of its large exciton binding energy (60meV) which could lead to lasing action based on exciton recombination even above room temperature. Even though research focusing on ZnO goes back many decades, the renewed interest is fueled by availability of high-quality substrates and reports of p-type conduction and ferromagnetic behavior when doped with transitions metals, both of which remain controversial. It is this renewed interest in ZnO which forms the basis of this review. As mentioned already, ZnO is not new to the semiconductor field, with studies of its lattice parameter dating back to 1935 by Bunn [Proc. Phys. Soc. London 47, 836 (1935)], studies of its vibrational properties with Raman scattering in 1966 by Damen et al. [Phys. Rev. 142, 570 (1966)], detailed optical studies in 1954 by Mollwo [Z. Angew. Phys. 6, 257 (1954)], and its growth by chemical-vapor transport in 1970 by Galli and Coker [Appl. Phys. ...

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A comprehensive review of zno materials and devices

Every few years, a new material with unique properties emerges and fascinates the scientific community, typical recent examples being high-temperature superconductors and carbon nanotubes. Graphene is the latest sensation with unusual properties, such as half-integer quantum Hall effect and ballistic electron transport. This two-dimensional material which is the parent of all graphitic carbon forms is strictly expected to comprise a single layer, but there is considerable interest in investigating two-layer and few-layer graphenes as well. Synthesis and characterization of graphenes pose challenges, but there has been considerable progress in the last year or so. Herein, we present the status of graphene research which includes aspects related to synthesis, characterization, structure, and properties.

Graphene: The New Two-Dimensional Nanomaterial

Topological insulators are materials with a bulk excitation gap generated by the spin-orbit interaction that are different from conventional insulators. This distinction is characterized by ${Z}_{2}$ topological invariants, which characterize the ground state. In two dimensions, there is a single ${Z}_{2}$ invariant that distinguishes the ordinary insulator from the quantum spin-Hall phase. In three dimensions, there are four ${Z}_{2}$ invariants that distinguish the ordinary insulator from ``weak'' and ``strong'' topological insulators. These phases are characterized by the presence of gapless surface (or edge) states. In the two-dimensional quantum spin-Hall phase and the three-dimensional strong topological insulator, these states are robust and are insensitive to weak disorder and interactions. In this paper, we show that the presence of inversion symmetry greatly simplifies the problem of evaluating the ${Z}_{2}$ invariants. We show that the invariants can be determined from the knowledge of the parity of the occupied Bloch wave functions at the time-reversal invariant points in the Brillouin zone. Using this approach, we predict a number of specific materials that are strong topological insulators, including the semiconducting alloy ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{x}$ as well as $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Sn}$ and HgTe under uniaxial strain. This paper also includes an expanded discussion of our formulation of the topological insulators in both two and three dimensions, as well as implications for experiments.

/pdf/topological-insulators-with-inversion-symmetry-1vaykhe1u1.pdf

Topological insulators with inversion symmetry

We have used the pH-induced self-assembly of a peptide-amphiphile to make a nanostructured fibrous scaffold reminiscent of extracellular matrix. The design of this peptide-amphiphile allows the nanofibers to be reversibly cross-linked to enhance or decrease their structural integrity. After cross-linking, the fibers are able to direct mineralization of hydroxyapatite to form a composite material in which the crystallographic c axes of hydroxyapatite are aligned with the long axes of the fibers. This alignment is the same as that observed between collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite crystals in bone.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/294/5547/1684.full.pdf

Self-assembly and mineralization of peptide-amphiphile nanofibers

Nano-optics of surface plasmon polaritons

Study of the 1s orthoexciton luminescence in Cu2O under two-photon excitation

Techniques for studying the combined temporal and spatial response of 3He are few in number. Here we describe, qualitatively, some strategies to probe single particle and collective responses in normal and superfluid 3He in a frequency and wave-vector specific manner with the goal of stimulating such experiments in the future.

Probing the Frequency and Wavevector Dependent Response of 3He Using Patterned Piezoelectric Transducers

We present preliminary results from an experimental study of optically-assisted assembly. Interference patterns, formed by the intersection of two coherent laser beams, result in periodic one-dimensional potential wells ("optical trenches"). Polystyrene spheres become trapped in these potential wells and subsequently self-assemble into a two-dimensional periodic structure. The spacing between optical trenches is adjusted dynamically, which offers the freedom to dynamically control the lattice constant, offering a recipe for defect-free assembly which begins with annealing at large lattice constant and subsequent compression into a close-packed structure.

Defect-free optical assembly of polystyrene spheres

The Landau kinetic equation is solved in the collisionless regime for a sample of normal3He excited by a surface perturbation of arbitrary ω andk. The boundary condition for the nonequilibrium particle distribution is determined for the case of specular reflection of the elementary excitations at the interface. Using the above solution, the energy flux through the boundary is obtained as a function of the surface wave velocity ω/k. The absorption spectrum and its frequency derivative are calculated numerically for typical values of temperature and pressure. The spectrum displays a sharp, resonant-like maximum concentrated at the longitudinal sound velocity and a sharp maximum of the derivative concentrated at the transverse sound velocity. The energy transfer is cut off discontinuously below the Fermi velocity. An experimental measurement of the energy transfer spectrum would permit a determination of both zero-sound velocities and the Fermi velocity with spectroscopic precision.

John B Ketterson

Papers

Study of the 1s orthoexciton luminescence in Cu2O under two-photon excitation

Probing the Frequency and Wavevector Dependent Response of 3He Using Patterned Piezoelectric Transducers

Defect-free optical assembly of polystyrene spheres

Coupling of rayleigh-like waves with zero-sound modes in normal3He

Observation of ultrasonic anomaly near a smectic-A-smectic-C phase transition