Showing papers on "Charge density published in 2018"

3D charge and 2D phonon transports leading to high out-of-plane ZT in n-type SnSe crystals

Abstract: Thermoelectric technology enables the harvest of waste heat and its direct conversion into electricity. The conversion efficiency is determined by the materials figure of merit ZT . Here we show a maximum ZT of ~2.8 ± 0.5 at 773 kelvin in n-type tin selenide (SnSe) crystals out of plane. The thermal conductivity in layered SnSe crystals is the lowest in the out-of-plane direction [two-dimensional (2D) phonon transport]. We doped SnSe with bromine to make n-type SnSe crystals with the overlapping interlayer charge density (3D charge transport). A continuous phase transition increases the symmetry and diverges two converged conduction bands. These two factors improve carrier mobility, while preserving a large Seebeck coefficient. Our findings can be applied in 2D layered materials and provide a new strategy to enhance out-of-plane electrical transport properties without degrading thermal properties.

On the Electron-Transfer Mechanism in the Contact-Electrification Effect.

Abstract: A long debate on the charge identity and the associated mechanisms occurring in contact-electrification (CE) (or triboelectrification) has persisted for many decades, while a conclusive model has not yet been reached for explaining this phenomenon known for more than 2600 years! Here, a new method is reported to quantitatively investigate real-time charge transfer in CE via triboelectric nanogenerator as a function of temperature, which reveals that electron transfer is the dominant process for CE between two inorganic solids. A study on the surface charge density evolution with time at various high temperatures is consistent with the electron thermionic emission theory for triboelectric pairs composed of Ti-SiO2 and Ti-Al2 O3 . Moreover, it is found that a potential barrier exists at the surface that prevents the charges generated by CE from flowing back to the solid where they are escaping from the surface after the contacting. This pinpoints the main reason why the charges generated in CE are readily retained by the material as electrostatic charges for hours at room temperature. Furthermore, an electron-cloud-potential-well model is proposed based on the electron-emission-dominatedcharge-transfer mechanism, which can be generally applied to explain all types of CE in conventional materials.

Relativistic fluid dynamics with spin

Abstract: Using the conservation laws for charge, energy, momentum, and angular momentum, we derive hydrodynamic equations for the charge density, local temperature, and fluid velocity, as well as for the polarization tensor, starting from local equilibrium distribution functions for particles and antiparticles with spin $1/2$. The resulting set of differential equations extends the standard picture of perfect-fluid hydrodynamics with a conserved entropy current in a minimal way. This framework can be used in space-time analyses of the evolution of spin and polarization in various physical systems including high-energy nuclear collisions. We demonstrate that a stationary vortex, which exhibits vorticity-spin alignment, corresponds to a special solution of the spin-hydrodynamical equations.

A self-improving triboelectric nanogenerator with improved charge density and increased charge accumulation speed.

Abstract: Charge density is one of the most important parameters of triboelectric nanogenerators since it directly determines performance; unfortunately, it is largely restricted by the phenomenon of air breakdown. Here, we design a self-improving triboelectric nanogenerator with improved charge density. A maximum effective charge density of 490 μC m−2 is obtained, which is about two times higher than the highest reported charge density of a triboelectric nanogenerator that operates in an air environment. At the beginning of the working process, the charge accumulation speed is increased 5.8 times in comparison with a triboelectric nanogenerator that is incorporated into the self-improving device. The self-improving triboelectric nanogenerator overcomes the restriction of air breakdown and exhibits an increased effective charge density, which contributes to the improvement of the output performance, and the increase of charge accumulation speed will accelerate the increase of the output power at the start of operation. The performance of triboelectric nanogenerators is impacted by charge density, which can be restricted by air breakdown. Here the authors report a self-improving triboelectric nanogenerator that overcomes the limitation, achieving increased charge density, charge accumulation speed, and output current.

Persistent Charge-Density-Wave Order in Single-Layer TaSe2

Abstract: We present the electronic characterization of single-layer 1H-TaSe2 grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a combined angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. We demonstrate that 3 × 3 charge-density-wave (CDW) order persists despite distinct changes in the low energy electronic structure highlighted by the reduction in the number of bands crossing the Fermi energy and the corresponding modification of Fermi surface topology. Enhanced spin-orbit coupling and lattice distortion in the single-layer play a crucial role in the formation of CDW order. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the nature of CDW order in the two-dimensional limit.

The Role of Interfaces in Polyethylene/Metal-Oxide Nanocomposites for Ultrahigh-Voltage Insulating Materials.

Abstract: Recent progress in the development of polyethylene/metal-oxide nanocomposites for extruded high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables with ultrahigh electric insulation properties is presented. This is a promising technology with the potential of raising the upper voltage limit in today's underground/submarine cables, based on pristine polyethylene, to levels where the loss of energy during electric power transmission becomes low enough to ensure intercontinental electric power transmission. The development of HVDC insulating materials together with the impact of the interface between the particles and the polymer on the nanocomposites electric properties are shown. Important parameters from the atomic to the microlevel, such as interfacial chemistry, interfacial area, and degree of particle dispersion/aggregation, are discussed. This work is placed in perspective with important work by others, and suggested mechanisms for improved insulation using nanoparticles, such as increased charge trap density, adsorption of impurities/ions, and induced particle dipole moments are considered. The effects of the nanoparticles and of their interfacial structures on the mechanical properties and the implications of cavitation on the electric properties are also discussed. Although the main interest in improving the properties of insulating polymers has been on the use of nanoparticles, leading to nanodielectrics, it is pointed out here that larger microscopic hierarchical metal-oxide particles with high surface porosity also impart good insulation properties. The impact of the type of particle and its inherent properties (purity and conductivity) on the nanocomposite dielectric and insulating properties are also discussed based on data obtained by a newly developed technique to directly observe the charge distribution on a nanometer scale in the nanocomposite.

Phase ordering of charge density waves traced by ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction

Abstract: A tracing of the phase-ordering kinetics of a charge density wave system demonstrates the potential of ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction for studying phase transitions and ordering phenomena at surfaces and in low-dimensional systems.

Local Built‐In Electric Field Enabled in Carbon‐Doped Co3O4 Nanocrystals for Superior Lithium‐Ion Storage

Abstract: In this work, a novel concept of introducing a local built-in electric field to facilitate lithium-ion transport and storage within interstitial carbon (C-) doped nanoarchitectured Co3O4 electrodes for greatly improved lithium-ion storage properties is demonstrated. The imbalanced charge distribution emerging from the C-dopant can induce a local electric field, to greatly facilitate charge transfer. Via the mechanism of “surface locking” effect and in situ topotactic conversion, unique sub-10 nm nanocrystal-assembled Co3O4 hollow nanotubes (HNTs) are formed, exhibiting excellent structural stability. The resulting C-doped Co3O4 HNT-based electrodes demonstrate an excellent reversible capacity ≈950 mA h g−1 after 300 cycles at 0.5 A g−1 and superior rate performance with ≈853 mA h g−1 at 10 A g−1.

Nonlinear Responses of Chiral Fluids from Kinetic Theory

Abstract: The second-order nonlinear responses of inviscid chiral fluids near local equilibrium are investigated by applying the chiral kinetic theory (CKT) incorporating side-jump effects. It is shown that the local equilibrium distribution function can be nontrivially introduced in a comoving frame with respect to the fluid velocity when the quantum corrections in collisions are involved. For the study of anomalous transport, contributions from both quantum corrections in anomalous hydrodynamic equations of motion and those from the CKT and Wigner functions are considered under the relaxation-time (RT) approximation, which result in anomalous charge Hall currents propagating along the cross product of the background electric field and the temperature (or chemical-potential) gradient and of the temperature and chemical-potential gradients. On the other hand, the nonlinear quantum correction on the charge density vanishes in the classical RT approximation, which in fact satisfies the matching condition given by the anomalous equation obtained from the CKT.

Interfacial Charge Density and Its Connection to Adhesion and Frictional Forces

Abstract: We derive a connection between the intrinsic tribological properties and the electronic properties of a solid interface. In particular, we show that the adhesion and frictional forces are dictated by the electronic charge redistribution occurring due to the relative displacements of the two surfaces in contact. We define a figure of merit to quantify such a charge redistribution and show that simple functional relations hold for a wide series of interactions including metallic, covalent, and physical bonds. This suggests unconventional ways of measuring friction by recording the evolution of the interfacial electronic charge during sliding. Finally, we explain that the key mechanism to reduce adhesive friction is to inhibit the charge flow at the interface and provide examples of this mechanism in common lubricant additives.

Effective holographic theory of charge density waves

Abstract: We use gauge/gravity duality to write down an effective low energy holographic theory of charge density waves. We consider a simple gravity model which breaks translations spontaneously in the dual ...

Re-entrant charge order in overdoped (Bi,Pb)2.12Sr1.88CuO6+δ outside the pseudogap regime.

Abstract: In the underdoped regime, the cuprate high-temperature superconductors exhibit a host of unusual collective phenomena, including unconventional spin and charge density modulations, Fermi surface reconstructions, and a pseudogap in various physical observables. Conversely, overdoped cuprates are generally regarded as conventional Fermi liquids possessing no collective electronic order. In partial contradiction to this widely held picture, we report resonant X-ray scattering measurements revealing incommensurate charge order reflections for overdoped (Bi,Pb)2.12Sr1.88CuO6+δ (Bi2201), with correlation lengths of 40–60 lattice units, that persist up to temperatures of at least 250 K. The value of the charge order wavevector decreases with doping, in line with the extrapolation of the trend previously observed in underdoped Bi2201. In overdoped materials, however, charge order coexists with a single, unreconstructed Fermi surface without nesting or pseudogap features. The discovery of re-entrant charge order in Bi2201 thus calls for investigations in other cuprate families and for a reconsideration of theories that posit an essential relationship between these phenomena. Observation of charge order in the overdoped (Bi,Pb)2Sr2CuO6+δ superconductor using resonant X-ray scattering and angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, over a wide temperature range.

Introduction of newly synthesized Schiff base molecules as efficient corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 1 M HCl medium: an experimental, density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulation study

Abstract: The purposeful incorporation of aliphatic, branched chain and substituted aromatic moieties in the molecular skeleton of organic Schiff bases, in line with corrosion inhibition performance, has been conducted. Three Schiff bases, namely, 2-((2-hydroxyethylimino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol (L1), 2-((1-hydroxybutan-2-ylimino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol (L2) and 2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylideneamino)phenol (L3) were synthesized and subsequently assessed for the inhibition of mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl medium. The corrosion inhibition proficiencies of the synthesized inhibitors on the mild steel surface have been investigated by gravimetric measurements, electrochemical analysis (potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), surface morphological studies (FESEM and AFM), contact angle measurement and, most importantly, theoretical studies. The results obtained from the gravimetric as well as electrochemical measurements revealed that the studied Schiff bases are mixed-type inhibitors that show maximum inhibition efficiency up to ∼97% at the concentration of 5 mM. In theoretical studies, atomic-level calculations give deeper insights into the corrosion inhibition mechanism and the relative performance of present inhibitors. However, it has been found that normal density functional theory (DFT) calculations are not sufficient to deal with the interactions between inhibitors and metal surfaces in complex systems. As such, in order to investigate inhibitor–metal interactions, herein, the density functional tight binding (DFTB) approach has been introduced as formulated by Hohenberg, Kohn and Sham (KS-DFT). Furthermore, for more insightful studies, e.g., growth characteristics, as well as the selection of a more stable surface of the α-Fe crystal morphology studies, have also been performed using the “morphology” module. The morphology of the α-Fe crystal in equilibrium was analyzed using the Wulff construction plot. In DFTB calculations, the trans3d Slater–Koster library set has been implemented for possible pairs of interactions between inhibitor–metal complex systems (C, N, O, H and Fe). Some salient features like equilibrium adsorption configuration and charge density difference obtained from DFTB calculations have been described in detail. Furthermore, for comparison with the real world of corrosion inhibition, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was employed in the presence of all concerned species (inhibitor molecule, Fe surface, H2O, H3O+ and Cl−), which revealed the actual adsorption configurations of the inhibitor molecule on the desired metallic surfaces.

dc Resistivity of Quantum Critical, Charge Density Wave States from Gauge-Gravity Duality.

Abstract: In contrast to metals with weak disorder, the resistivity of weakly pinned charge density waves (CDWs) is not controlled by irrelevant processes relaxing momentum. Instead, the leading contribution is governed by incoherent, diffusive processes which do not drag momentum and can be evaluated in the clean limit. We compute analytically the dc resistivity for a family of holographic charge density wave quantum critical phases and discuss its temperature scaling. Depending on the critical exponents, the ground state can be conducting or insulating. We connect our results to dc electrical transport in underdoped cuprate high T_{c} superconductors. We conclude by speculating on the possible relevance of unstable, semilocally critical CDW states to the strange metallic region.

The balance of electric field and interfacial catalysis in promoting water dissociation in bipolar membranes

Abstract: The lamination of a cation exchange layer (CEL) and an anion exchange layer (AEL) to form a hybrid bipolar membrane (BPM) can have several unique advantages over conventional monopolar ion exchange membranes in (photo-)electrolysis. Upon application of a reverse bias, the ordinarily slow water dissociation reaction at the AEL/CEL junction of the BPM is dramatically accelerated by the large electric field at the interface and by the presence of catalyst in the junction. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we have found a counterbalanced role of the electric field and the junction catalyst in accelerating water dissociation in a BPM. Experimental BPMs were prepared from a crosslinked AEL and a Nafion CEL, with a graphite oxide (GO) catalyst deposited at the junction using layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. BPMs with an interfacial catalyst layer were found to have smaller electric fields at the interface compared to samples with no added catalyst. A comprehensive numerical simulation model showed that the damping of the electric field in BPMs with a catalyst layer is a result of a higher water dissociation product (H+/OH−) flux, which neutralizes the net charge density of the CEL and AEL. This conclusion is further substantiated by EIS studies of a high-performance 3D junction BPM that shows a low electric field due to the facile catalytic generation and transport of H+ and OH−. Numerical modeling of these effects in the BPM provides a prescription for designing membranes that function at lower overpotential. The potential drop across the synthetic BPM was lower than that of a commercial BPM by more than 200 mV at >100 mA cm−2 reverse bias current density, with the two membranes having similar long-term stability.

First-Principle Calculations of Structural, Elastic, and Electronic Properties of Intermetallic Rare Earth R 2 Ni 2 Pb (R = Ho, Lu, and Sm) Compounds

Abstract: The structural, elastic, and electronic properties of rare earth intermetallic R2Ni2Pb (where R = Ho, Lu, and Sm) compounds were investigated with the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The calculations are performed using the full potential-linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of local density approximation (LDA). The calculated values of the equilibrium lattice constants were in agreement with the available experimental values. The elastic constants (C i j ) were also calculated to understand the mechanical properties and structural stability of the compounds. Furthermore, the density of states and the charge density distributions of the compounds were calculated to understand the nature of the bonding in the material. The calculated results are in accordance with the available data in the literature.

Insights into the mechanism of the enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of black phosphorus/BiVO4 heterostructure: a first-principles study

Abstract: Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4)-based photocatalysts as a typical solar-water-splitting material have attracted much interest due to their moderate band gap, fine hole conductivity and good stability. In this work, we perform a comprehensive first-principles study of the structural, electronic and optical properties of a black phosphorus BP/BiVO4 heterostructure, which was realized with remarkable performance in pure water splitting in a very recent experiment. Firstly, the optoelectronic properties and charge transport between BP and BiVO4 are systematically elucidated. We find that the positions of the valence/conduction band edge of BP and BiVO4 change with the Fermi level and form a type-II heterostructure with a high optical absorption coefficient. Furthermore, the charge density difference and Bader charge analysis indicated that the internal electric field will facilitate the separation of e−/h+ pairs at the BP/BiVO4 interface and restrain the carrier recombination. Therefore, the present work provides insightful understanding of the physical mechanism and superior photocatalytic performance of this new synthesized system and offers instructions for fabricating superior BiVO4-based heterostructure photocatalysts.

A Transferable Machine-Learning Model of the Electron Density.

Abstract: The electronic charge density plays a central role in determining the behavior of matter at the atomic scale, but its computational evaluation requires demanding electronic-structure calculations. We introduce an atom-centered, symmetry-adapted framework to machine-learn the valence charge density based on a small number of reference calculations. The model is highly transferable, meaning it can be trained on electronic-structure data of small molecules and used to predict the charge density of larger compounds with low, linear-scaling cost. Applications are shown for various hydrocarbon molecules of increasing complexity and flexibility, and demonstrate the accuracy of the model when predicting the density on octane and octatetraene after training exclusively on butane and butadiene. This transferable, data-driven model can be used to interpret experiments, initialize electronic structure calculations, and compute electrostatic interactions in molecules and condensed-phase systems.

Engineering of charge carriers via a two-dimensional heterostructure to enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit

Abstract: High band degeneracy and glassy phonon transport are two remarkable features of highly efficient thermoelectric (TE) materials. The former promotes the power factor, while the latter aims to break the lower limit of lattice thermal conductivity through phonon scattering. Herein, we use the unique possibility offered by a two-dimensional superlattice-monolayer structure (SLM) to engineer the band degeneracy, charge density and phonon spectrum to maximize the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). First-principles calculations with Boltzmann transport equations reveal that the conduction bands of ZrSe2/HfSe2 SLM possess a highly degenerate level which gives a high n-type power factor; at the same time, the stair-like density of states yields a high Seebeck coefficient. These characteristics are absent in the individual monolayers. In addition, the SLM shows a suppressed lattice thermal conductivity along the superlattice period as phonons are effectively scattered by the interfaces. An intrinsic ZT of 5.3 (300 K) is achieved in n-type SLM, and it is 3.2 in the p-type counterpart. Compared with the theoretical predictions calculated with the same level of accuracy, these values are at least four-fold higher than those in the two parent materials, monolayer ZrSe2 and HfSe2. Our results provide a new strategy for the maximum thermoelectric performance, and clearly demonstrate the advantage of two-dimensional material heterostructures in the application of renewable energy.

Saturation of charge-induced water alignment at model membrane surfaces

Abstract: The electrical charge of biological membranes and thus the resulting alignment of water molecules in response to this charge are important factors affecting membrane rigidity, transport, and reactivity. We tune the surface charge density by varying lipid composition and investigate the charge-induced alignment of water molecules using surface-specific vibrational spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. At low charge densities, the alignment of water increases proportionally to the charge. However, already at moderate, physiologically relevant charge densities, water alignment starts to saturate despite the increase in the nominal surface charge. The saturation occurs in both the Stern layer, directly at the surface, and in the diffuse layer, yet for distinctly different reasons. Our results show that the soft nature of the lipid interface allows for a marked reduction of the surface potential at high surface charge density via both interfacial molecular rearrangement and permeation of monovalent ions into the interface.

Enhancing the Output Charge Density of TENG via Building Longitudinal Paths of Electrostatic Charges in the Contacting Layers.

Abstract: The surface charge density of the tribolayer is the most parameter for developing a high performance triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Most previous works focused on the surface structural/chemical modification. Nevertheless, the internal space of the tribolayer and its mechanism exploration were less investigated. Herein, in this work, internal-space-charge zones are built through imbedding ravines and gullies in criss-crossed gold layers in the near-surface of the tribolayer, which leads to the high output performance of TENG. As experimental results manifest, the transfer charge density of gold-PDMS TENG (G-TENG) reaches 168 μC m–2. Through theoretical analyses, it is determined that gold layers act as the passageways and traps of the triboelectric charges when the charges drift to the internal space of the tribomaterial. Moreover, the transport and storage process of triboelectric charges in the frictional layer are investigated comprehensively by quantum mechanics for the first time. The calculatio...

Emergence of charge density waves and a pseudogap in single-layer TiTe2

Abstract: Two-dimensional materials constitute a promising platform for developing nanoscale devices and systems. Their physical properties can be very different from those of the corresponding three-dimensional materials because of extreme quantum confinement and dimensional reduction. Here we report a study of TiTe$_2$ from the single-layer to the bulk limit. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we observed the emergence of a (2 x 2) charge density wave order in single-layer TiTe$_2$ with a transition temperature of 92 $\pm$ 3 K. Also observed was a pseudogap of about 28 meV at the Fermi level at 4.2 K. Surprisingly, no charge density wave transitions were observed in 2- and multi-layer TiTe$_2$, despite the quasi-two-dimensional nature of the material in the bulk. The unique charge density wave phenomenon in the single layer raises intriguing questions that challenge the prevailing thinking about the mechanisms of charge density wave formation.

Electron–Positron Pair Flow and Current Composition in the Pulsar Magnetosphere

Abstract: We perform ab initio particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of a pulsar magnetosphere with electron–positron plasma produced only in the regions close to the neutron star surface. We study how the magnetosphere transitions from the vacuum to a nearly force-free configuration. We compare the resulting force-free-like configuration with those obtained in a PIC simulation where particles are injected everywhere as well as with macroscopic force-free simulations. We find that, although both PIC solutions have similar structure of electromagnetic fields and current density distributions, they have different particle density distributions. In fact, in the injection from the surface solution, electrons and positrons counterstream only along parts of the return current regions and most of the particles leave the magnetosphere without returning to the star. We also find that pair production in the outer magnetosphere is not critical for filling the whole magnetosphere with plasma. We study how the current density distribution supporting the global electromagnetic configuration is formed by analyzing particle trajectories. We find that electrons precipitate to the return current layer inside the light cylinder and positrons precipitate to the current sheet outside the light cylinder by crossing magnetic field lines, contributing to the charge density distribution required by the global electrodynamics. Moreover, there is a population of electrons trapped in the region close to the Y-point. On the other hand, the most energetic positrons are accelerated close to the Y-point. These processes can have observational signatures that, with further modeling effort, would help to distinguish this particular magnetosphere configuration from others.