A quasiperiodic Pb monolayer has been formed on the five-fold surface of the Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal. Growth of the monolayer proceeds via self-assembly of an interconnected network of pentagonal Pb stars, which are shown to be tau-inflated compared to similar structural elements of the quasiperiodic substrate. Measurements of the electronic structure of the system using scanning tunnelling spectroscopy and ultra-violet photoemission spectroscopy reveal that the Pb monolayer displays a pseudo-gap at the Fermi level which is directly related to its quasiperiodic structure.
In the framework of four-band envelope-function formalism, developed earlier for spherical semiconductor nanocrystals, we study the electronic structure and optical properties of quantum-confined lead-salt (PbSe and PbS) nanowires (NWs) with a strong
coupling between the conduction and the valence bands. We derive spatial quantization equations, and calculate numerically energy levels of spatially quantized states of a transverse electron motion in the plane perpendicular to the NW axis, and electronic subbands developed due to a free longitudinal motion along the NW axis. Using explicit expressions for eigenfunctions of the electronic states, we also derive analytical expressions for matrix elements of optical transitions and study selection rules for interband absorption. Next we study a two-particle problem with a conventional long-range Coulomb interaction and an interparticle coupling via medium polarization. The obtained results show that due to a large magnitude of the high-frequency dielectric permittivity of PbSe material, and hence, a high dielectric NW/vacuum contrast, the effective coupling via medium polarization significantly exceeds the effective direct Coulomb coupling at all interparticle separations along the NW axis. Furthermore, the strong coupling via medium polarization results in a bound state of the longitudinal motion of the lowest-energy electron-hole pair (a longitudinal exciton), while fast transverse motions of charge carriers remain independent of each other.
The electronic structure evolution of deficient halide perovskites with a general formula $(A,A)_{1+x}M_{1-x}X_{3-x}$ was investigated using the density functional theory. The focus is placed on characterization of changes in the band gap, band align
ment, effective mass, and optical properties of deficient perovskites at various concentrations of defects. We uncover unusual electronic properties of the defect corresponding to a $M!-!X$ vacancy filled with an $A$ cation. This defect repels electrons and holes producing no trap states and, in moderate quantities ($xle0.1$), does not hinder charge transport properties of the material. This behavior is rationalized using a confinement model and provides an additional insight to the defect tolerance of halide perovskites.
Since the emergence of monolayer graphene as a promising two-dimensional material, many other monolayer and few-layer materials have been investigated extensively. An experimental study of few-layer Si2Te3 was recently reported, showing that the mate
rial has diverse properties for potential applications in Si-based devices ranging from fully integrated thermoelectrics to optoelectronics to chemical sensors. This material has a unique layered structure: it has a hexagonal closed-packed Te sublattice, with Si dimers occupying octahedral intercalation sites. Here we report a theoretical study of this material in both bulk and monolayer form, unveiling a fascinating array of diverse properties arising from reorientations of the silicon dimers between planes of Te atoms. The lattice constant varies up to 5% and the band gap varies up to 40% depending on dimer orientations. The monolayer band gap is 0.4 eV larger than the bulk-phase value for the lowest-energy configuration of Si dimers. These properties are, in principle, controllable by temperature and strain, making Si2T3 a promising candidate material for nanoscale mechanical, optical, and memristive devices.
Anisotropic materials, with orientation-dependent properties, have attracted more and more attention due to their compelling tunable and flexible performance in electronic and optomechanical devices. So far, two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus show
s the largest known anisotropic behavior, which is highly desired for synaptic and neuromorphic devices, multifunctional directional memories, and even polarization-sensitive photodetector, whereas it is unstable at ambient conditions. Recently, 2D few-layered As2S3 with superior chemical stability was successfully exfoliated in experiments. However, the electronic and mechanical properties of monolayer and bilayer As2S3 is still lacking. Here, we report the large anisotropic electronic and mechanical properties of As2S3 systems through first-principles calculations and general angle-dependent Hookes law. Monolayer and bilayer As2S3 exhibit anisotropic factors of Youngs modulus of 3.15 and 3.32, respectively, which are larger than the black phosphorous with experimentally confirmed and an anisotropic factor of 2. This study provides an effective route to flexible orientation-dependent nanoelectronics, nanomechanics, and offers implications in promoting related experimental investigations.
By a combined study with first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis, we theoretically investigate the electronic properties of monolayer MoSi$_2$N$_4$. While the spin-orbital coupling results in bands splitting, the horizontal mirror symmetr
y locks the spin polarization along z-direction. In addition, a three-band tight-binding model is constructed to describe the low-energy quasi-particle states of monolayer MoSi$_2$N$_4$, which can be generalized to strained MoSi$_2$N$_4$ and its derivatives. The calculations using the tight-binding model show an undamped $sqrt{q}$-dependent plasmon mode that agrees well with the results of first-principles calculations. Our model can be extended to be suitable for future theoretical and numerical studies of low-energy properties in MoSi$_2$N$_4$ family materials. Furthermore, the study of electronic properties of monolayer MoSi$_2$N$_4$ paves a way for its applications in spintronics and plasmonics.