Interfacial Polarons Driven by Charge Transfer in WSe/Cuprate Superconductor Systems.

Understanding the electronic properties of doped copper-oxygen planes remains a significant challenge in condensed matter physics and is crucial to unraveling the mechanisms behind high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates. Recently, the observation of charge transfer and interfacial polarons in a superconducting interface has aroused extensive research interest. However, experimental data to investigate charge transfer on the CuO plane and the presence of polarons are still missing.

Epitaxial Growth of 1D Phosphorus Nanoribbons on Ag(110) Substrate: the Essential Role of Pentagonal Nature and Interfacial Adatoms in Realizing 1D Phosphorus Systems.

Controlling the dimensionality plays a critical role in manipulating the electronic structures and the emergent novel quantum properties. Despite intensive reports on controlling and fabricating 2D materials, the investigation of fabricating well-controlled 1D materials system remains insufficient. Here, through a comprehensive investigation with the combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations, it reveals that the magic pentagonal nature plays a vital role in stabilizing the 1D phosphorus nanoribbons (PNRs), as revealed by the binding energies and bonding characteristics of 0D and 1D models with exceptional stability in pentagonal and hexagonal configurations.

Unraveling the role of Ta in the phase transition of Pb(TaSe) using temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy.

Phase engineering strategies in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs) have garnered significant attention due to their potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and energy storage. Various methods, including direct synthesis, pressure control, and chemical doping, have been employed to manipulate structural transitions in 2D-TMDs. Metal intercalation emerges as an effective technique to modulate phase transition dynamics by inserting external atoms or ions between the layers of 2D-TMDs, altering their electronic structure and physical properties.

Uncovering an Interfacial Band Resulting from Orbital Hybridization in Nickelate Heterostructures.

The interaction of atomic orbitals at the interface of perovskite oxide heterostructures has been investigated for its profound impact on the band structures and electronic properties, giving rise to unique electronic states and a variety of tunable functionalities. In this study, we conducted an extensive investigation of the optical and electronic properties of epitaxial NdNiO synthesized on a series of single-crystal substrates. Unlike nanofilms synthesized on other substrates, NdNiO on SrTiO (NNO/STO) gives rise to a unique band structure featuring an additional unoccupied band situated above the Fermi level.

Zirconium-based nanoclusters as molecular robots for water decontamination.

Water contamination owing to anionic pollutants is a persisting and ubiquitous global threat. The current remediation technologies are mostly low in efficiency, expensive in materials and often associated with complicated processes. Herein, we report a characteristic zirconium-based nanocluster that can work as molecular robots for the efficient remediation of anions-contaminated water with great effectiveness and molecular-level accuracy.

Realization of a 2D Lieb Lattice in a Metal-Inorganic Framework with Partial Flat Bands and Topological Edge States.

Flat bands and Dirac cones in materials are the source of the exotic electronic and topological properties. The Lieb lattice is expected to host these electronic structures, arising from quantum destructive interference. Nevertheless, the experimental realization of a 2D Lieb lattice remained challenging to date due to its intrinsic structural instability.

Origin of a Topotactic Reduction Effect for Superconductivity in Infinite-Layer Nickelates.

Topotactic reduction utilizing metal hydrides as reagents has emerged as an effective approach to achieve exceptionally low oxidization states of metal ions and unconventional coordination networks. This method opens avenues to the development of entirely new functional materials, with one notable example being the infinite-layer nickelate superconductors. However, the reduction effect on the atomic reconstruction and electronic structures-crucial for superconductivity-remains largely unresolved.

Spin State Disproportionation in Insulating Ferromagnetic LaCoO Epitaxial Thin Films.

The origin of insulating ferromagnetism in epitaxial LaCoO films under tensile strain remains elusive despite extensive research efforts are devoted. Surprisingly, the spin state of its Co ions, the main parameter of its ferromagnetism, is still to be determined. Here, the spin state in epitaxial LaCoO thin films is systematically investigated to clarify the mechanism of strain-induced ferromagnetism using element-specific X-ray absorption spectroscopy and dichroism.

Realizing Two-Dimensional Supramolecular Arrays of a Spin Molecule via Halogen Bonding.

Well-ordered spin arrays are desirable for next-generation molecule-based magnetic devices, yet their synthetic method remains a challenging task. Herein, we demonstrate the realization of two-dimensional supramolecular spin arrays on surfaces via halogen-bonding molecular self-assembly. A bromine-terminated perchlorotriphenylmethyl radical with net carbon spin was synthesized and deposited on Au(111) to achieve two-dimensional supramolecular spin arrays.

Orbital-Hybridization-Driven Charge Density Wave Transition in CsV Sb Kagome Superconductor.

Owing to its inherent non-trivial geometry, the unique structural motif of the recently discovered kagome topological superconductor AV Sb (A = K, Rb, Cs) is an ideal host of diverse topologically non-trivial phenomena, including giant anomalous Hall conductivity, topological charge order, charge density wave (CDW), and unconventional superconductivity. Despite possessing a normal-state CDW order in the form of topological chiral charge order and diverse superconducting gaps structures, it remains unclear how fundamental atomic-level properties and many-body effects including Fermi surface nesting, electron-phonon coupling, and orbital hybridization contribute to these symmetry-breaking phenomena. Here, the direct participation of the V3d-Sb5p orbital hybridization in mediating the CDW phase transition in CsV Sb is reported.

Spontaneous Lithiation of Binary Oxides during Epitaxial Growth on LiCoO.

Epitaxial growth is a powerful tool for synthesizing heterostructures and integrating multiple functionalities. However, interfacial mixing can readily occur and significantly modify the properties of layered structures, particularly for those containing energy storage materials with smaller cations. Here, we show a two-step sequence involving the growth of an epitaxial LiCoO cathode layer followed by the deposition of a binary transition metal oxide.

Superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelate LaCaNiO thin films.

We report the observation of superconductivity in infinite-layer Ca-doped LaNiO (LaCaNiO) thin films and construct their phase diagram. Unlike the metal-insulator transition in Nd- and Pr-based nickelates, the undoped and underdoped LaCaNiO thin films are entirely insulating from 300 K down to 2 K. A superconducting dome is observed at 0.

Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism at an Oxide-Nitride Interface.

Heterointerfaces have led to the discovery of novel electronic and magnetic states because of their strongly entangled electronic degrees of freedom. Single-phase chromium compounds always exhibit antiferromagnetism following the prediction of the Goodenough-Kanamori rules. So far, exchange coupling between chromium ions via heteroanions has not been explored and the associated quantum states are unknown.

Biodegradable and renewable UV-shielding polylactide composites containing hierarchical structured POSS functionalized lignin.

The demand for biodegradable and renewable UV-shielding materials is ever increasing due to the rising concern for the environment. In this paper, biobased lignin was functionalized by polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with an epoxy substituent. Then the POSS decorated lignin (lignin-POSS) was mixed with polylactide (PLA) to act as UV-shielding filler by melt compounding.

Impurity-Induced Emission in Re-Doped WS Monolayers.

Impurity doping is a viable route toward achieving desired subgap optical response in semiconductors. In strongly excitonic two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), impurities are expected to result in bound-exciton emission. However, doped TMDs often exhibit a broad Stokes-shifted emission without characteristic features, hampering strategic materials engineering.

Incorporation of Ti in epitaxial FeTiOthin films.

The titanomagnetites (FeTiO,⩽ 1) are a family of reducible spinel-structure oxides of interest for their favorable magnetic, catalytic, and electrical transport properties. To understand the stability of the system during low temperature deposition, epitaxial thin films of FeTiOwere deposited by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on MgO(001) at 250-375 °C. The homogeneous incorporation of Ti, Fe valence state, and film morphology were all found to be strongly dependent on the oxidation conditions at the low substrate temperatures employed.

Spontaneous phase segregation of SrNiO and SrNiO during SrNiO heteroepitaxy.

Recent discovery of superconductivity in NdSrNiO motivates the synthesis of other nickelates for providing insights into the origin of high-temperature superconductivity. However, the synthesis of stoichiometric Sr NiO thin films over a range of has proven challenging. Moreover, little is known about the structures and properties of the end member SrNiO Here, we show that spontaneous phase segregation occurs while depositing SrNiO thin films on perovskite oxide substrates by molecular beam epitaxy.

Atomically Dispersed Indium Sites for Selective CO Electroreduction to Formic Acid.

An atomically dispersed structure is attractive for electrochemically converting carbon dioxide (CO) to fuels and feedstock due to its unique properties and activity. Most single-atom electrocatalysts are reported to reduce CO to carbon monoxide (CO). Herein, we develop atomically dispersed indium (In) on a nitrogen-doped carbon skeleton (In-N-C) as an efficient catalyst to produce formic acid/formate in aqueous media, reaching a turnover frequency as high as 26771 h at -0.

Phase Diagram and Superconducting Dome of Infinite-Layer Nd_{1-x}Sr_{x}NiO_{2} Thin Films.

Infinite-layer Nd_{1-x}Sr_{x}NiO_{2} thin films with Sr doping level x from 0.08 to 0.3 are synthesized and investigated.

Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Two-Dimensional Vanadium-Molybdenum Diselenide Alloys.

Two-dimensional (2D) alloys represent a versatile platform that extends the properties of atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides. Here, using molecular beam epitaxy, we investigate the growth of 2D vanadium-molybdenum diselenide alloys, VMoSe, on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and unveil their structural, chemical, and electronic integrities measurements by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, synchrotron X-ray photoemission, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Essentially, we found a critical value of = ∼0.

Interfacial Oxygen-Driven Charge Localization and Plasmon Excitation in Unconventional Superconductors.

Charge localization is critical to the control of charge dynamics in systems such as perovskite solar cells, organic-, and nanostructure-based photovoltaics. However, the precise control of charge localization via electronic transport or defect engineering is challenging due to the complexity in reaction pathways and environmental factors. Here, charge localization in optimal-doped La Sr CuO thin-film on SrTiO substrate (LSCO/STO) is investigated, and also a high-energy plasmon is observed.

Anisotropic Collective Charge Excitations in Quasimetallic 2D Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides.

The quasimetallic 1T' phase 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) consist of 1D zigzag metal chains stacked periodically along a single axis. This gives rise to its prominent physical properties which promises the onset of novel physical phenomena and applications. Here, the in-plane electronic correlations are explored, and new mid-infrared plasmon excitations in 1T' phase monolayer WSe and MoS are observed using optical spectroscopies.