Related papers: First Principles Study of Bismuth Films on the Nic…
Relativistic density-functional-theory calculations of Bi(111) thin films are performed to revisit their band structure and that of macroscopic samples. The band structure of a our 39-bilayer film ($\sim$~15~nm) shows that (1) $\sim$9-nm…
1.8 micrometer-thick magnesium hydride films were synthesized in a single-step process by reactive plasma-assisted sputtering. The MgH2 thin films, which were deposited on two types of flexible surfaces (namely graphite and polyimide foils)…
We show from density-functional calculations that Pb(100) thin films exhibit quantum size effect with a bilayer periodicity in film energies, film relaxations, and work functions, which originate from different symmetry of the stacking…
We analyze topographic scanning force microscopy images together with Kelvin probe images obtained on Pb islands and on the wetting layer on Si(111) for variable annealing times. Within the wetting layer we observe negatively charged…
We have investigated the structures and electronic properties of ultra-thin Bi(110) films grown on an s-wave superconductor substrate using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Remarkably, our experimental results…
First principles linear combinations of Gaussian type orbitals-fitting function (LCGTO-FF) electronic structure calculations are used to study thickness dependencies in the surface energies and work functions of ultra-thin (111) films of…
We have carried out first-principles calculations of Be(0001) thin films to study the oscillatory quantum size effects exhibited in the surface energy, work function, and binding energy of the atomic hydrogen monolayer adsorption. The…
We study the phase behaviour of a binary mixture of colloidal hard spheres and freely-jointed chains of beads using Monte Carlo simulations. Recently Panagiotopoulos and coworkers predicted [Nat. Commun. 5, 4472 (2014)] that the hexagonal…
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is unique among two-dimensional materials, with a large band gap (~6 eV) and high thermal conductivity (>400 W/m/K), second only to diamond among electrical insulators. Most electronic studies to date have…
It has been reported theoretically that the intercalation of nitrogen in the voids of the rather open cubic structure of bulk Cu3N build up a magnetic structure. In an extended effort to study this system, we have investigated spin…
Simulations and experiments of nanorods (NRs) show that co-assembly with block copolymer (BCP) melts leads to the formation of a superstructure of side-to-side NRs perpendicular to the lamellar axis. A mesoscopic model is validated against…
The effect of interface roughness of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers on exchange bias is still not well understood. In this report we have investigated the effect of surface roughness in (111)-oriented antiferromagnetic CoO films…
Triphosphides, with a chemical formula of XP$_3$ (X is a group IIIA, IVA, or VA element), have recently attracted much attention due to their great potential in several applications. Here, using density functional theory calculations, we…
Freestanding single-bilayer Bi(111) is a two-dimensional topological insulator with edge states propagating along its perimeter. Given the interlayer coupling experimentally, the topological nature of Bi(111) thin films and the impact of…
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising material for implementation in spintronics due to a large band gap, low spin-orbit coupling, and a small lattice mismatch to graphene and to close-packed surfaces of fcc-Ni(111) and…
Electrons in image-potential states on the surface of bulk helium represent a unique model system of a two-dimensional electron gas. Here, we investigate their properties in the extreme case of reduced film thickness: a monolayer of helium…
Nickel-based superconductors provide a long-awaited experimental platform to explore possible cuprate-like superconductivity. Despite similar crystal structure and $d$ electron filling, these systems exhibit several differences. Nickelates…
Relying on generalized-gradient and hybrid first-principles simulations, this work provides a complete characterization of the electronic properties of ZnO ultra-thin films, cut along the Body-Centered-Tetragonal(010), Cubane(100),…
The impact of Bi implantation on the conductivity and the thermopower of GeTe, Ge-Sb-Te, and Ga- La-S films is investigated. The enhanced conductivity appears to be notably sensitive to a dose of an implant. Incorporation of Bi in amorphous…
Bismuth-chalchogenides are model examples of three-dimensional topological insulators. Their ideal bulk-truncated surface hosts a single spin-helical surface state, which is the simplest possible surface electronic structure allowed by…