Mildred S. Dresselhaus

Bio: Mildred S. Dresselhaus is an academic researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Carbon nanotube & Raman spectroscopy. The author has an hindex of 136, co-authored 762 publications receiving 112525 citations. Previous affiliations of Mildred S. Dresselhaus include University of California, Los Angeles & Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

Large-Area Synthesis of High-Quality Uniform Few-Layer MoTe2

Abstract: The controlled synthesis of large-area, atomically thin molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) crystals is crucial for its various applications based on the attractive properties of this emerging material. In this work, we developed a chemical vapor deposition synthesis to produce large-area, uniform, and highly crystalline few-layer 2H and 1T′ MoTe2 films. It was found that these two different phases of MoTe2 can be grown depending on the choice of Mo precursor. Because of the highly crystalline structure, the as-grown few-layer 2H MoTe2 films display electronic properties that are comparable to those of mechanically exfoliated MoTe2 flakes. Our growth method paves the way for the large-scale application of MoTe2 in high-performance nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.

Raman studies of benzene-derived graphite fibers

Abstract: Carbon fibers prepared from thermal decomposition of benzene at \ensuremath{\sim} 1100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C are studied by Raman spectroscopy as a function of heat-treatment temperature. The structural ordering at each heat-treatment temperature is monitored by observation of both the Raman-allowed ${E}_{2{g}_{2}}$ mode at 1580 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and the disorder-induced lines at \ensuremath{\sim} 1360 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in the first-order spectra and at 2730 and 2970 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in the second-order spectra. Raman and resistivity results indicate three characteristic heat-treatment temperatures relevant to the establishment of in-plane and interplanar ordering. Using fibers heat treated to the maximum available temperature of 2900\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, Raman spectroscopy shows that single-staged fibers can be prepared by acceptor intercalation, in agreement with direct Debye-Scherrer x-ray measurements. Resistivity measurements on pristine fibers previously heat treated to 2900\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C show a metallic temperature dependence with $\ensuremath{\rho}=70$ \ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\Omega} cm at 300 K and a residual resistance ratio of 1.5. Upon intercalation, a resistivity $\ensuremath{\rho}=7$ \ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\Omega} cm at 300 K and a residual resistance ratio of 5 is achieved. Raman-spectroscopy and temperature-dependent resistivity measurements demonstrate that the benzene-derived fibers exhibit the highest degree of ordering achieved in fibers and provide an attractive host material for intercalation.

Low-dimensional thermoelectric materials

Abstract: The promise of low dimensional thermoelectric materials for enhanced performance is reviewed, with particular attention given to quantum wells and quantum wires. The high potential of bismuth as a low-dimensional thermoelectric material is discussed.

Tunneling conductance of connected carbon nanotubes

Abstract: A three-dimensional structure of two carbon nanotubes (CN) joined by a connecting region containing a pentagon and heptagon pair is given by the use of a projection method. The connecting joint is uniquely determined for the given two chiral vectors of CN by a vector which defines a three-dimensional dihedral angle. The tunneling conductance is calculated for a metal-metal CN junction and a metal-semiconducting CN junction. The calculated results clearly show that these junctions work as the smallest semiconductor devices.

Temperature dependence of radial breathing mode Raman frequency of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract: Recent high-temperature studies of Raman-active modes in single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles report a softening of the radial and tangential band frequencies with increasing sample temperature. A few speculations have been proposed in the past to explain the origin of these frequency downshifts. In the present study, based on experimental data and the results of molecular dynamics simulations, we estimate the contributions from three factors that may be responsible for the observed temperature dependence of the radial breathing mode frequency $[{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{RBM}}(T)].$ These factors include thermal expansion of individual SWNTs in the radial direction, softening of the C-C (intratubular) bonds, and softening of the van der Waals intertubular interactions in SWNT bundles. Based on our analysis, we find that the first factor plays a minor role due to the very small value of the radial thermal expansion coefficient of SWNTs. On the contrary, the temperature-induced softening of the intra- and intertubular bonds contributes significantly to the temperature-dependent shift of ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{RBM}}(T).$ For nanotubes with diameters $(d)g~1.34\mathrm{nm},$ the contribution due to the radial thermal expansion is \ensuremath{\leqslant}4% over the temperature range used in this study. Interestingly, this contribution increases to \ensuremath{\geqslant}10% in the case of nanotubes having $dl~0.89\mathrm{nm}$ due to the relatively larger curvature of these nanotubes. The contributions from the softening of the intra- and intertubular bonds are approximately equal. These two factors together contribute a total of about \ensuremath{\sim}95% and 90%, respectively, for SWNTs having $dg~1.34\mathrm{nm}$ and \ensuremath{\leqslant}0.89 nm.

Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films

Abstract: We describe monocrystalline graphitic films, which are a few atoms thick but are nonetheless stable under ambient conditions, metallic, and of remarkably high quality. The films are found to be a two-dimensional semimetal with a tiny overlap between valence and conductance bands, and they exhibit a strong ambipolar electric field effect such that electrons and holes in concentrations up to 10 13 per square centimeter and with room-temperature mobilities of ∼10,000 square centimeters per volt-second can be induced by applying gate voltage.

Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon

Abstract: THE synthesis of molecular carbon structures in the form of C60 and other fullerenes1 has stimulated intense interest in the structures accessible to graphitic carbon sheets. Here I report the preparation of a new type of finite carbon structure consisting of needle-like tubes. Produced using an arc-discharge evaporation method similar to that used for fullerene synthesis, the needles grow at the negative end of the electrode used for the arc discharge. Electron microscopy reveals that each needle comprises coaxial tubes of graphitic sheets, ranging in number from 2 up to about 50. On each tube the carbon-atom hexagons are arranged in a helical fashion about the needle axis. The helical pitch varies from needle to needle and from tube to tube within a single needle. It appears that this helical structure may aid the growth process. The formation of these needles, ranging from a few to a few tens of nanometres in diameter, suggests that engineering of carbon structures should be possible on scales considerably greater than those relevant to the fullerenes. On 7 November 1991, Sumio Iijima announced in Nature the preparation of nanometre-size, needle-like tubes of carbon — now familiar as 'nanotubes'. Used in microelectronic circuitry and microscopy, and as a tool to test quantum mechanics and model biological systems, nanotubes seem to have unlimited potential.

The rise of graphene

Abstract: Graphene is a rapidly rising star on the horizon of materials science and condensed-matter physics. This strictly two-dimensional material exhibits exceptionally high crystal and electronic quality, and, despite its short history, has already revealed a cornucopia of new physics and potential applications, which are briefly discussed here. Whereas one can be certain of the realness of applications only when commercial products appear, graphene no longer requires any further proof of its importance in terms of fundamental physics. Owing to its unusual electronic spectrum, graphene has led to the emergence of a new paradigm of 'relativistic' condensed-matter physics, where quantum relativistic phenomena, some of which are unobservable in high-energy physics, can now be mimicked and tested in table-top experiments. More generally, graphene represents a conceptually new class of materials that are only one atom thick, and, on this basis, offers new inroads into low-dimensional physics that has never ceased to surprise and continues to provide a fertile ground for applications.

Fast parallel algorithms for short-range molecular dynamics

Abstract: Three parallel algorithms for classical molecular dynamics are presented. The first assigns each processor a fixed subset of atoms; the second assigns each a fixed subset of inter-atomic forces to compute; the third assigns each a fixed spatial region. The algorithms are suitable for molecular dynamics models which can be difficult to parallelize efficiently—those with short-range forces where the neighbors of each atom change rapidly. They can be implemented on any distributed-memory parallel machine which allows for message-passing of data between independently executing processors. The algorithms are tested on a standard Lennard-Jones benchmark problem for system sizes ranging from 500 to 100,000,000 atoms on several parallel supercomputers--the nCUBE 2, Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon, and Cray T3D. Comparing the results to the fastest reported vectorized Cray Y-MP and C90 algorithm shows that the current generation of parallel machines is competitive with conventional vector supercomputers even for small problems. For large problems, the spatial algorithm achieves parallel efficiencies of 90% and a 1840-node Intel Paragon performs up to 165 faster than a single Cray C9O processor. Trade-offs between the three algorithms and guidelines for adapting them to more complex molecular dynamics simulations are also discussed.

The electronic properties of graphene

Abstract: This article reviews the basic theoretical aspects of graphene, a one-atom-thick allotrope of carbon, with unusual two-dimensional Dirac-like electronic excitations. The Dirac electrons can be controlled by application of external electric and magnetic fields, or by altering sample geometry and/or topology. The Dirac electrons behave in unusual ways in tunneling, confinement, and the integer quantum Hall effect. The electronic properties of graphene stacks are discussed and vary with stacking order and number of layers. Edge (surface) states in graphene depend on the edge termination (zigzag or armchair) and affect the physical properties of nanoribbons. Different types of disorder modify the Dirac equation leading to unusual spectroscopic and transport properties. The effects of electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions in single layer and multilayer graphene are also presented.