Related papers: Why Some Interfaces Cannot be Sharp
Within a closed system, physical interactions are reciprocal. However, the effective interaction between two entities of an open system may not obey reciprocity. Here, we describe a non-reciprocal interaction between nanoparticles which is…
The atomic and electronic structures of the (001)-Si/(001)-gamma-Al2O3 heterointerface are investigated by first principles total energy calculations combined with a newly developed "modified basin-hopping" method. It is found that all…
Nonreciprocal optics enables asymmetric transmission of light when its sources and detectors are exchanged. A canonical example -- optical isolator -- enables light propagation in only one direction, similar to how electrical diodes enable…
In this work, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to study the fracture mechanism of ice crystals in a bulk phase and at ice-ice interfaces at the atomistic scale. We show that there exists a narrow disordered interfacial layer…
Freestanding oxide films offer significant potential for integrating exotic quantum functionalities with semiconductor technologies. However, their performance is critically limited by surface roughness and interfacial imperfection caused…
The role of graded interfaces between materials in a cylindrical free-standing quantum wire with longitudinal heterostructures is theoretically investigated, by solving the Schr\"odinger equation within the effective mass approximation.…
The ability to follow Moore's Law has been the basis of the tremendous success of the semiconductor industry in the past decades. To date, the greatest challenge for device scaling is the required replacement of silicon dioxide-based gate…
Perovskite oxynitrides have recently attracted attention for their ability to photocatalytically split water. Compared to oxides the arrangement of anions in the material represents a further structural degree of freedom. The bulk…
Extraordinary physical properties arise at polar interfaces in oxide materials, including the emergence of two-dimensional electron gases, sheet-superconductivity, and multiferroicity. A special type of polar interface are ferroelectric…
As symbolized by the Nobel Prize in Physics 2016, "topology" has been recognized as an essential standpoint to understand and control the physics of condensed matter. This concept may be spreading even into application areas such as novel…
Atoms can be trapped and guided using nano-fabricated wires on surfaces, achieving the scales required by quantum information proposals. These Atom Chips form the basis for robust and widespread applications of cold atoms ranging from atom…
The adsorption of anions from aqueous solution on the air/water interface controls important heterogeneous chemistry in the atmosphere and is thought to have similar physics to anion adsorption at hydrophobic interfaces more generally.…
As devices are reduced in size, interfaces start to dominate electrical transport making it essential to be able to describe reliably how they transmit and reflect electrons. For a number of nearly perfectly lattice-matched materials, we…
Nanoscale electrostatic control of oxide interfaces enables physical phenomena and exotic functionalities beyond the realm of the bulk material. In technologically-relevant ferroelectric thin films, the interface-mediated polarization…
Oxide growth with semiconductor-like accuracy has led to atomically precise thin films and interfaces that exhibit a plethora of phases and functionalities not found in the oxide bulk material. This yielded spectacular discoveries such as…
By performing first-principles calculations on four capacitor structures based on BaTiO3 and PbTiO3, we determine the intrinsic interfacial effects that are responsible for the destabilization of the polar state in thin-film ferroelectric…
Fluid interfaces, such as soap films, liquid droplets or lipid membranes, are known to give rise to several special geometries, whose complexity and beauty continue to fascinate us, as observers of the natural world, and challenge us as…
Pure advection of a conservative scalar is relevant to several applications including two-phase flow. Successful numerical schemes must capture the sharp interface between the phases while maintaining a smooth (wrinkle-free) interfacial…
Recent advances in creating complex oxide heterostructures, interfaces formed between two different transition metal oxides, have heralded a new era of materials and physics research, enabling a uniquely diverse set of coexisting physical…
The atomic configuration of phases and their interfaces is fundamental to materials design and engineering. Here, we unveil a transition metal oxide interface, whose formation is driven by energetic influences - epitaxial tensile strain…