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The paraphrasis of Feynman's statement is used to highlight the inherent relevance of surfaces -- and interfaces -- at the nanoscale. Here, the marked impact of the surface chemistry on the light absorption by colloidal inorganic…
We theoretically demonstrate the fundamental limit in volume for given materials (e.g. Si, a-Si, CdTe) to fully absorb the solar radiation above bandgap, which we refer as solar superabsorption limit. We also point out the general…
The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of 3$d$ transition metal (TM) atoms (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) adsorbed germanene are addressed using density functional theory. Based on the adsorption energy, TM atoms…
Semiconductor nanowires are attractive for photovoltaic applications because light absorption can be enhanced compared to planar layers due to the more complex coupling of light with wavelength-scale matter. However, experimentally it is…
Well-ordered organic molecular layers on oxide surfaces are key for organic electronics. Using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) we probe the structures of copper…
We numerically and experimentally investigate graphene-based optical absorbers that exploit guided mode resonances (GMRs) achieving perfect absorption over a bandwidth of few nanometers (over the visible and near-infrared ranges) with a…
Using first-principles density functional theory simulations, we have observed that the scandium decorated C$_{24}$ fullerene can adsorb up to six hydrogen molecules with an average adsorption energy of -0.35 eV per H$_2$ and average…
We propose a theoretical investigation of the physical adsorption of neutral comb-polymers with an adsorbing skeleton and non-adsorbing side-chains on a flat surface. Such polymers are particularly interesting as "dynamic coating" matrices…
By using nanosecond laser pulses at 532-nm wavelength, we have intensively studied the optical limiting and nonlinear optical properties of some new composites which consist of mono-functional…
Adsorption of benzene on the Si(100) surface is studied from first principles. We find that the most stable configuration is a tetra-$\sigma$-bonded structure characterized by one C-C double bond and four C-Si bonds. A similar structure,…
We have studied the vibrational properties of CO adsorbed on platinum and platinum-ruthenium surfaces using density-functional perturbation theory within the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized-gradient approximation. The calculated C-O…
Using density-functional-theory we study the electronic and structural properties of a monolayer of Cu on the fcc (100) and (111) surfaces of the late 4d transition metals, as well as a monolayer of Pd on Mo bcc(110). We calculate the…
Density functional theory within the generalized-gradient approximation is used to study the adsorption of the isocyanides CNH and CNCH3 on the gold (111) surface at several coverages. It is found that these molecules are highly selective…
Absorption microscopy is a powerful technique, enabling the detection of single non- fluorescent molecules at room temperature. So far, the molecular absorption has been probed optically via the attenuation of a probing laser. The…
Fabrication, characterization, and analysis of an ultra-broadband lithography-free absorber is presented. An over 94% average absorption is experimentally achieved in the wavelength range of 450-1400 nm. This ultra-broadband absorption is…
In the atomic force microscope, the nanoscale force topography of even complex surface superstructures is extracted by the changing vibration frequency of a scanning tip. An alternative dissipation topography with similar or even better…
We investigate linear resonant absorption by a dense ensemble of molecules confined to a subwavelength layer in two geometries: (i) a free-standing film in homogeneous space and (ii) the same film placed at a controlled distance from a…
We study long-range morphological changes in atomic monolayers on solid substrates induced by different types of defects; e.g., by monoatomic steps in the surface, or by the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM), placed at some distance…
By means of ab initio calculations, we have investigated the effect of H adsorption in the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of ultrathin Co films on Ru(0001). Our calculations predict that H occupies hollow sites preserving…
The analysis of the electronic surface properties of transition metal oxides being key materials for future nanoelectronics requires a direct characterization of the conductivity with highest spatial resolution. Using local conductivity…