Interfacial engineering provides an effective route for tailoring the superconducting behavior of cuprate thin films. In this work, we investigate YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO)/BaTiO3 (BTO) bilayer heterostructures grown on (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates using pulsed laser deposition, demonstrating the effect of a BTO functional layer on structural and superconducting properties. X-ray diffraction confirms that the BTO interlayer between YBCO and LAO facilitates strain relaxation. Reciprocal space maps indicate that YBCO/LAO remains nearly strain-free with low mosaicity, whereas the inclusion of BTO results in c-axis expansion, partial strain retention, and a slight increase in mosaicity due to its relaxed nature. This strain accommodation is reflected in transport and magnetization measurements, which show an increase of similar to 5 K in T-c, a sharper superconducting transition, and enhanced vortex stability compared to single-layer YBCO films. Temperature and magnetic field dependent resistivity measurements reveal strengthened flux pinning and improved field-dependent parameters in the heterostructure, including considerably higher irreversibility and upper critical fields. Critical current density analysis identifies a distinct double-crossover behavior and a substantially larger maximum pinning force (F-p(max) = 1.13 GN/m(2) at 2 T) for YBCO/BTO heterostructure than YBCO alone, originating from misfit-strain-induced defects, interfacial modulation, and temperature-dependent vortex-pinning mechanisms. Pinning-force scaling further indicates a transition from point-defect-dominated pinning at low temperatures to strain- and oxygen-related pinning at elevated temperatures. These results highlight the effectiveness of BTO in YBCO/BTO/LAO heterostructures.

Nanocrystalline yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was synthesized using sol–gel and co-precipitation methods with yttria concentrations ranging from 2 to 8 mol

Gallium nitride (GaN) thin films are excellent wide-bandgap semiconductors widely used in optoelectronics, power electronics, and light-emitting diode applications. However, intrinsically grown GaN thin films suffer from various micro-strains, lattice mismatches, and defects. Ion irradiation is a valuable technique for modifying the crystalline properties, lattice strain, and other characteristics of semiconductors. The work focuses on reducing the lattice mismatch between GaN and Si (111) substrates and on optoelectronic defects using 100 MeV Si swift heavy-ion (SHI) irradiation. Molecular-beam epitaxy-grown GaN thin films on Si (111) substrates have been irradiated with 100 MeV Si ions at fluences ranging from 5 x 10(11) to 5 x 10(12) ions cm-2. The pristine and 100 MeV Si-ion-irradiated GaN thin films were further characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), FTIR, Raman, photoluminescence (PL), and time-resolved PL (trPL). XRD measurements reveal that pristine GaN grown on Si (111) substrates exhibits a 0.33% lattice strain, which is significantly reduced to 0.21% upon 100 MeV Si ion irradiation at a fluence of 1 x 10(12) ions-cm(-2). AFM results suggest that ion irradiation creates various surface morphological defects, thereby increasing the average grain size and surface roughness of irradiated GaN films. Raman and PL measurements further confirmed the presence of defects, and various optical defect levels within the energy band gap of pristine and ion-irradiated GaN films have been identified. 100 MeV Si SHI irradiations also reduce the lifetime of charge carriers, suggesting that nonradiative loss has been diminished, as confirmed by trPL investigations. The present study provides crucial insights into the modulation of optical transitions and carrier lifetimes under ion irradiation, offering new perspectives on the simultaneous control of strain and charge carrier dynamics in GaN. Furthermore, the UV photodetector has been fabricated on pristine and irradiated GaN films, exhibiting faster switching and higher photoresponse.

This study explores the correlation between interfacial chemistry and magnetic anisotropy in AlN/Co/AlN heterostructures with Co thicknesses of 3 nm (S1) and 12 nm (S2). Vibrating sample magnetometry reveals thickness-dependent behavior: ultrathin S1 exhibits strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy with exceptionally high coercivity (similar to 3400 Oe) as-deposited, while thicker S2 shows soft magnetic behavior (H-c similar to 70 Oe). Upon annealing at 300 degrees C and 400 degrees C, S1 transforms to metallic Co through nitrogen desorption with dramatically reduced coercivity (similar to 100 Oe), whereas S2 experiences decreased saturation magnetization and increased coercivity, indicating interfacial CoN formation. Polarization-dependent X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy with wavelet transform analysis provides atomic-scale evidence: S1 shows Co-N coordination (40%) as-deposited that vanishes after annealing, while S2 develops substantial Co-N bonding (70%) upon annealing. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements confirm strong uniaxial anisotropy in as-deposited S2, with annealing emergence of hard-axis anomalies (remanence peaks at 90 degrees/270 degrees) and multi-domain states, successfully described by the two-phase Stoner-Wohlfarth model. These results establish thickness-dependent nitrogen diffusion: ultrathin films favor desorption-driven metallic recovery, while thicker Co layer trap nitrogen at Co/AlN interfaces. This work provides insights for engineering thermally stable Co/nitride spintronic heterostructures with tunable anisotropy.

We demonstrate the successful fabrication of high-quality, c-axis-oriented YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) and YBCO/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) heterostructure thin films on LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction confirms excellent crystallinity, phase purity, and coherent epitaxial strain, with YBCO under slight tensile strain and LSMO experiencing stronger compressive strain arising from lattice mismatch. Magnetization measurements reveal that the superconducting transition temperature is reduced by similar to 4 K in the YBCO/LSMO/LAO stack compared to the YBCO/LAO film, and the M(T) behavior reflects the combined signatures of YBCO superconductivity and LSMO ferromagnetism. A notable diamagnetic response persists up to nearly 120 K, indicating superconducting fluctuations above T-sc. The heterostructure also exhibits substantially enhanced magnetoresistance, highlighting strong interfacial coupling between the superconducting and ferromagnetic layers. The critical current density, evaluated using the extended Bean model, shows a characteristic triple-crossover with magnetic field, arising from modified vortex dynamics driven by interfacial magnetic inhomogeneity. Dew-Hughes analysis indicates dominant delta T-sc-type point pinning at low temperature, a delta & ell;-type surface pinning regime at intermediate temperature, and mixed pinning near T-sc. In contrast, the single-layer YBCO/LAO film follows the conventional point-surface-volume pinning sequence. These results underscore the key role of interfacial strain and nanoscale magnetic disorder in tailoring the vortex-pinning landscape and enhancing the functional potential of YBCO/LSMO heterostructures for superconducting spintronic and hybrid quantum devices.

The present study investigates the photoluminescent (PL) and thermoluminescent (TL) properties of crystalline LiMgPO4:Eu3+. Phosphor was synthesized using a single-step solid-state reaction (SSR) method. The synthesized powder was characterized by several techniques, such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), along with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), PL, and TL. A PL study was carried out to confirm the presence of the rare-earth ion, and Eu3+ ions exhibit characteristic PL emissions at 590 nm (5D0-* 7F1) and 614 nm (5D0-* 7F2) transitions, which confirm their trivalent state in the host lattice, respectively, at 394 nm excitation wavelength. The TL response was evaluated after exposure to gamma radiation doses ranging from 10 Gy to 20 kGy, and the measurements confirmed that the response was dose-dependent. The trapping parameters have been determined using glow curve deconvolution (GCD) functions, initial rise, Chen's peak, and Ilich methods. So LiMgPO4:Eu3+phosphor is a promising candidate for lighting and dosimetric applications.

Nickel silicide is widely used in microelectronics as a low-resistivity contact and interconnect material; however, its reliability is often limited by its constrained thermal stability. In this study, Ni-Si thin films with varying stoichiometries were deposited on silicon substrates via magnetron co-sputtering, followed by highenergy (100 MeV Si8+) ion irradiation and subsequent annealing at 500 degrees C for 1 h. Structural evolution of nickel silicide phases was characterized by GIXRD and HRTEM, while AFM, contact angle, and Hall effect measurements revealed corresponding changes in surface morphology and electrical transport. The results indicate that irradiation-induced defects strongly influence phase formation and property evolution, underscoring potential applications in sensing and photovoltaic devices where coupled surface and bulk behavior is critical.

ABSTRACT The work reports the near‐surface doping of N ions, and post implantation effects on the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of Al‐doped ZnO [AZO] thin film deposited by the Radion Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method, investigated at room temperature. The Grazing Incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD) studies revealed the structural modifications caused by the implanted ions. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) micrographs showed the morphological modifications in the AZO thin film due to implantation. The crystallinity of the thin film structure was preserved even after high ion implantation of 1 × 1016 ions/cm2. Optical analysis revealed a noticeable decrease in average transmittance in the wavelength range of 350 to 500 nm. An increase in electrical resistivity value was witnessed as a post‐implantation effect.The Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to study the ion implantation on the vibrational properties. The study shows that the ion implantation method can effectively be used to dope N ions into AZO thin films to tailor their various properties. Nitrogen‐doped AZO thin films, with reduced transmittance in the 350–500 nm range and mid‐gap states, exhibit enhanced ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity, making them ideal for optoelectronic applications.

The present study intends to examine the effect of gamma irradiation on single-wall carbon nanotubedopedvanadium pentoxide (S-CNT/V2O5) thin films. This was accomplished by synthesizing S-CNT/V2O5 nanoparticles using a hydrothermal route and fabricating them into thin films using the spin-coating technique. The as-synthesized thin films were irradiated with gamma rays at different doses, viz. 0.1, 10, and 50 kGy. The Xray diffraction revealed that the film showed an orthorhombic structure, and with increasing the gamma dose, the crystallite size and the optical band gap as obtained by using UV-vis spectroscopy decreased from 55.68 to 49.69 nm and 3.15 to 2.82 eV, respectively. The other characterizations like field emission electron scanning microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were also performed to study the surface and elemental composition of thin films. The gas-sensing characteristics of these thin films-cum-sensors were determined by exposing them with different concentrations of H2 gas ranging from 5 ppm to 100 ppm. The sensor irradiated with 50 kGy dose of gamma photons showed enhanced sensitivity of 140 % for 100 ppm H2 gas concentration with response and recovery times of 42.4 and 78.3 s, respectively, at 100 degrees C. The selectivity of the sensor was tested using the reducing and oxidising gases of CO, NO2, NH3 and H2 at 100 degrees C for 100 ppm gas concentration. Among these gases, the sensor showed the best sensing response towards H2 gas. The performance of the sensor after 90 days remained satisfactory.

Noble metal‐doped TiO2‐based photoanode for quantum dot‐sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) has gained significant importance in enhancing performance by increasing the light absorption and subsequently minimizing the number of recombinations due to the formation of new charge trap states. In this work, Cu ions are implanted in MXene/TiO2‐based photoanode at different fluence rates (5 × 1012, 5 × 1013, 5 × 1014, and 5 × 1015 ions cm−2). The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations reveal the doping mechanism as at lower fluence, Cu+ ions are present, but as the fluence increased the Cu2+ ions dominate. The field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis are used to find the surface morphology and the elemental composition of the implanted samples. The implantation of Cu ions creates new impurity states between the energy bands, thereby enhancing light absorption capabilities and suppressing charge recombinations of the photoanode, which is confirmed by UV‐Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Afterward, Cu‐implanted photoanodes are employed to fabricate QDSSC devices, and the QDSSC based on photoanode implanted at 5 × 1014 ions cm−2 fluence (Cu_3) demonstrates the highest power conversion efficiency of 3.86%, which is 34.9% higher than pristine unimplanted photoanode. This enhancement is attributed to the inhibition of the charge recombinations at the photoanode/electrolyte interface and enhanced light harvesting capability of the photoanode.

Swift heavy ion irradiation provides a unique way to manipulate the local structure and to tailor the spin-orbital- lattice degrees of freedom in transition metal oxide thin films. However, predicting the modifications induced by swift heavy ion irradiation is challenging due to the complex interplay of various energy scales involved. In this study, we investigate the modulation of magnetic properties in epitaxial PrVO3 thin films through swift heavy ion irradiation. PrVO3 film was deposited on LaAlO3 substrate by Pulsed Laser Deposition technique and subjected to 100 MeV Au ion irradiation at various fluences, leading to observable changes in their magnetic behaviour. Strain induced by the irradiation was found to cause structural distortions, evidenced by a decrease in V-V bond lengths and an increase in V-O bond lengths, as revealed by XRD and EXAFS spectroscopy. These distortions affected the superexchange interactions and notably increased the Neel temperature. Surface analysis by XANES at the V L 3,2 edge identified a higher concentration of V 4 + ions on the surface, with V 3 + ions predominating in the bulk of the thin film, while the V 3d electronic structure remain unaffected by irradiation. Magnetic measurements displayed distinct hard and soft ferromagnetic characteristics within the hysteresis loops; the enhancement in saturation magnetization due to irradiation is attributed to the combined effects of swift heavy ion-induced spin alignment along the ion trajectories, and the contributions of Pr3+ and V 3 + moments. The findings suggest that ion irradiation is a viable tool for engineering the magnetic properties of perovskite oxide films, which may have significant implications for the development of spintronic devices.

The paper reports the fabrication of a device, based on the thin film of Ag-doped WO3 nanoparticles, to enhance the hydrogen gas sensing performance. The synthesis of thin films of pristine and Ag-doped WO3 nanoparticles were carried out using the single-step hydrothermal method, followed by the spin coating deposition process. The characterization of the samples was carried out with XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The consistent pattern observed from the microstructure analysis of data from XRD, UV-vis spectrometer and FTIR validates effective incorporation of Ag into the WO3 structure. The XRD patterns confirmed the formation of monoclinic phase of WO3 nanoparticles. The crystallite size and the value of band gap decreased on increasing the Ag doping percentage in WO3. This reduction with Ag-doping could be attributed to the proper substitution of the W with Ag due to their similar sizes. The gas sensing performances of the fabricated sensing devices were analyzed by exposing different concentrations of hydrogen gas ranging from 12.5 ppm to 75 ppm. The device based on the thin film of Ag-doped WO3 performed much better than the device based on the thin film of pristine WO3 nanoparticles. The device with 4% Ag-doped WO3 showed the best sensor response of 98 % for 75 ppm gas concentration with response and recovery time of 76 and 100 s, respectively at 100 degrees C. The improved response of the device with Ag doping compared to the pristine device could be attributed to the better charge transfer, more defect creation, and the ability of Ag to work as a catalyst to make reaction kinetics faster. The selectivity of the device was tested using the oxidizing and reducing gasses of NO2, H2, and NH3 at 100 degrees C for ppm gas concentration. The recorded response of the device for NO2, H2, NH3 were 38%, 98%, and 43%, respectively.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) exhibited by nanostructured two-dimensional semiconductors for spintronics applications is a fascinating area of research. The present work reports on the correlation between the electronic structure and magnetic properties of defect-engineered nanostructured MoS2 thin films. Low-energy light and heavy-mass ion irradiation have been performed to create defects and tune the magnetic properties of MoS2. Vertical nanosheets with edge termination in the pristine sample have been examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Deterioration of vertical nanosheets is observed in low-energy Ar+ and Xe+ irradiated samples. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis confirmed the sample's crystallinity and the (002) plane formation. An appreciably high magnetization value of 1.7 emu/g was observed for edge-oriented nanostructured pristine MoS2 thin films, and it decreased after ion irradiation. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data, it is evident that, due to oxygen incorporation in the sulfur vacancy sites, Mo 5 + and 6 + states increase after ion irradiation. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the edge-oriented spins of the prismatic edges of the vertical nanosheets are primarily responsible for the high magnetic moment in the pristine film, and the edge degradation and reduction in sulfur vacancies by the incorporation of oxygen upon irradiation result in a decrease in the magnetic moment.

The present work reports high energy ion beam irradiation induced modifications in Ge/Al2O3 multilayers (MLs). Ge and Al2O3 ML thin films were deposited using the electron beam evaporation technique. Afterward, the as-deposited films were annealed using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at different temperatures ranging from 500 degrees C to 800 degrees C under high vacuum. At a constant fluence of 5 x 10(12) ions cm(-2), the annealed films were subjected to irradiation with 80 MeV Ag ions. X-ray diffraction patterns show the crystalline nature of films that were annealed above 500 degrees C, and the increase in crystallite size of Ge nanocrystals from 4.5 to 5.7 nm is observed for annealed samples. After Ag ion irradiation, the crystallinity of the films deteriorates. The crystallinity and optical bandgap are found to vary with Ag ion irradiation. The band gap of annealed films decreased from 1.1 to 0.97 eV with increase in crystallite size. The band gap of irradiated samples increased than that of pristine films. In addition, photoluminescence (PL) measurements were carried out to investigate the luminescence characteristics of annealed and irradiated ML films, and a wide emission band in the visible region was observed. The basic mechanism for tailoring the optical band gap and PL emission using RTA and ion irradiation is discussed.

Ferromagnetic and ferroelectric composites also referred to as artificial multiferroic materials, which hold significant technological importance in sensing devices due to their magneto-transport coupling properties. This article delves into the magnetic and transport characteristics of heterostructure thin films composed of ferromagnetic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO), grown using the pulsed laser deposition technique on a single-crystal LaAlO3 substrate. The transport measurements reveal insights into the resistance behavior and metal–insulator transition temperature variations with the addition of BTO thin film layers. In addition, the magnetic properties of LSMO are examined, focusing on the influence of temperature-dependent structural alterations of BTO. Notably, distinctive features, such as a hump in the magnetization-temperature graph, are observed, indicating intriguing phenomena within the heterostructure. Furthermore, the introduction of BTO layers atop LSMO leads to a notable reduction in the Curie temperature of LSMO thin films. Overall, this research sheds light on the enhanced magneto-transport coupling in BTO-LSMO heterostructure thin films, emphasizing their potential in advancing spintronic devices.

In this study, pristine, chromium, and nitrogen co-doped titania thin films were successfully prepared using the sol-gel spin coating method. The resulting samples were analysed using Grazing angle X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PLS). The XRD and Raman spectra revealed only the anatase phase in pristine thin films, but the rutile phase in single and co-doped samples. The RBS results indicate that pristine thin films have a thickness of 180 nm, which decreases to 167 nm after chromium doping and 165 nm after nitrogen co-doping. The experimental results showed that chromium doping inhibited the growth of crystalline size and influenced the transition from the anatase to the rutile phase. The Raman spectra of films with smaller crystallite sizes show a softening of the A1g mode with Cr doping, which is due to phonon confinement. On the other hand, A1g and E1g modes show stiffening as N co-doped in TiO2 film. This behaviour is attributed to strain caused by N doping. When Cr was introduced into the TiO2 lattice, the film PLS showed the first decrease in recombination centres with an increase in Cr doping amount. Nitrogen co-doped TiO2 thin film then exhibits an increase in comparison to higher concentration chromium-doped thin films.

This study aims to prepare CdTe nanocrystals using wet-chemical method. XRD pattern confirms the hexagonal nature of the prepared nanocrystals. SHI-irradiation experiments have been performed at different fluences to study the SHI irradiation-influenced modification in structural and optical properties. TEM study confirms an increase in particle size after SHI irradiation. Further, different Williamson-Hall analysis models, the Size Strain Plot method, and the Halder-Wagner method have been used to determine the SHI-irradiated modification on the structural properties of prepared nanocrystals. Optical properties of synthesized and SHI-irradiated nanocrystals have been studied using Uv-Vis and photoluminescence analysis, which confirms modification in bandgap after SHI irradiation. Finally, the CIE diagram has been plotted for the color coordinates of synthesized hexagonal CdTe and SHI-irradiated CdTe nanocrystals at different fluences. All the studies confirm that the SHI irradiation can modify the structural and optical properties; hence, can be applied for different display purposes.

The influence of energetic ion 80 MeV O+6 and 100 MeV Ag8+ irradiation on spin-coated pristine, single-doped, and co-doped TiO2 thin films is studied with fluences ranging from 1 x 10(12) to 1 x 10(13) ions/cm(2). The structural results of pristine TiO2 thin film confirm the anatase phase with a crystallite size of 12.01-12.13 nm with varying fluences of O+6 ions irradiation. The 7 % Cr-doped thin films show partial rutile to anatase phase transformation at low fluence of O+6 and Ag-8 ions irradiation, with a crystallite size of 11.08-11.90 nm. The surface roughness results of irradiated thin films reveal that the increment of roughness within the range 3.00-3.53 nm occurs at higher fluence of ions. The molecular bond analysis of pristine thin films provides the Ti-O-Ti bond peaks at 427 cm(-1) and 327 cm(-1) wavenumbers. The peak intensity decreases with increasing ion fluecnes up to 1 x 10(13) ions/cm(2) and show shifting for irradiated Cr-doped and Cr/N co-doped thin films. The optical studies highlight that pristine TiO2 thin films bandgap energy decreases with a range of 3.25-2.78 eV and increases in Cr/N co-doped films with a range of 2.81-3.37 eV as an increase in ion fluence. The quantum confinement effect has been used to understand bandgap shifts in thin films caused by ion beam irradiation. Further, the refractive index and dielectric constant were determined using the optical bandgap values.

The development of high-performance hydrogen sensors is essential for several industrial and environmental applications. The 120 MeV Ni7+ Swift heavy ion beam with a fluence of 1× 1013 ions/cm2 irradiated spin-coated WO3 thin films. The irradiated WO3 film was studied for hydrogen gas sensing at an optimized temperature. Characterization techniques, including XRD, Raman, AFM, FESEM, UV–Vis, and FTIR, were employed to analyze optical, morphological, and structural characteristics of pre- & post-irradiated thin films. The crystallite size was reduced from 39.8 to 26.2 nm, and no phase change occurred after the irradiation. The reduced peak intensity obtained from the XRD pattern revealed a reduction in crystallinity. The reduced intensity in Raman peaks validated XRD results by pointing to the decrease in crystallinity. Post irradiation, the energy transfers from the strong Ni7+ ion beam to the lattice through electron-phonon coupling (electronic energy loss) causing the surface roughness to rise. The nano-cuboidal-like structures of the pristine film showed structural distortion post-irradiation. The relative sensing response for irradiated film compared to pristine film improved from 45.02% to 67.70% with exposure to the 75 ppm hydrogen gas concentration at 100 °C. The recovery and response time significantly improved for the irradiated film. The results indicate that ion beam irradiation is a feasible method for enhancing WO3-based hydrogen sensors, facilitating the development of next-generation gas sensing systems with enhanced performance.