We provide evidence of incipient edge-state formation in graphene-on-chromia heterostructures, resulting from the presence of substrate-induced spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Low-temperature spin-Hall measurements of the graphene exhibit large fluctuations of the nonlocal resistance (Rnl) as the Fermi level is swept through its bands. These features persist to much higher temperatures (>60 K) than is typical for mesoscopic effects in normal metals and semiconductors, suggesting that they are associated with a very different mechanism to normal charge-based transport. The fluctuations of the nonlocal resistance are moreover invariant to the application of large magnetic fields (as high as 7 T), a characteristic that speaks to a significant edge-like component to transport. To provide insight into these results, we have formulated a (Landauer-Büttiker) model of quantum transport in graphene in the presence of strong SOC. Our calculations capture the key features of experiments, connecting the large quantum fluctuations in Rnl to the impact of the substrate-induced SOC. More specifically, the spin-orbit interaction is found to imbue the spin diffusion with an edge-like character, displacing injected spins toward the edges of the graphene channel while retaining a coupling to disorder within its interior. It is this interplay of edge-like conduction, with more conventional transport within the interior of the two-dimensional channel, which gives rise to the observed fluctuations in Rnl as the Fermi level is varied.

We explore the manifestations of spin rotation in graphene in proximity with two different types of high-spin-orbit-coupling (SOC) materials (ferromagnetic Co and nominally diamagnetic WSe2). Using weak antilocalization (WAL) as a probe of the induced rotation, we demonstrate that spin interference exhibits a highly stochastic (nonself-averaging) character in the mesoscopic limit. At low temperatures (<20 K), the spin rotation is manifested as a zero-bias peak (or zero-bias anomaly, ZBA) in the differential conductance, a feature that, as expected for WAL, is suppressed by fairly modest magnetic fields (<∼102 mT). The ZBA moreover exhibits a stochastic variation when a gate voltage is used to sweep the Fermi level through the graphene bands, with ranges for which the antilocalization is either prominent or strongly suppressed. This mesoscopic character is exhibited by both of the studied systems, whose ZBA is also damped in similar fashion with increasing temperature. We thus provide fundamental insight into the nonensemble-averaged (nonself-averaged) character of spin interference in mesoscopic systems with strong SOC and, more specifically, into how the details of spin rotation are impacted by external gating. This understanding may ultimately enable the efficient modulation of spin currents in future spintronic devices.

Transient electrical pulsing is used to investigate the slowed charge density wave (CDW) kinetics of 1T-TaS2. These measurements distinguish a fast response of the material, consistent with the onset of self-heating, from much slower transients that occur on timescales orders of magnitude longer than this. The latter variations appear consistent with slow configurational changes in the CDW, which, due to the thin nature of the 1T-TaS2, can be distinguished from the much faster dynamics of Joule heating. Experiments in which the cooling of the material is interrupted, demonstrate the possibility of "programming" it in different, strongly nonequilibrium, CDW phases. Collectively, the results point to the existence of a complex free-energy space for the thinned material, whose multi-valley structure and hidden metastable states govern the resulting thermal and field-driven dynamics. Crucially, this work demonstrates that while the CDW dynamics in this material may have a thermal character, the timescales associated with these motions can be very different from those on which self-heating occurs. This discovery will be important for efforts to implement active devices that utilize the CDW states of thinned 1T-TaS2.

Stacking of graphene with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can dramatically modify its bands from their usual linear form, opening a series of narrow minigaps that are separated by wider minibands. While the resulting spectrum offers strong potential for use in functional (opto)electronic devices, a proper understanding of the dynamics of hot carriers in these bands is a prerequisite for such applications. In this work, we therefore apply a strategy of rapid electrical pulsing to drive carriers in graphene/h-BN heterostructures deep into the dissipative limit of strong electron-phonon coupling. By using electrical gating to move the chemical potential through the "Moiré bands", we demonstrate a cyclical evolution between metallic and semiconducting states. This behavior is captured in a self-consistent model of non-equilibrium transport that considers the competition of electrically driven inter-band tunneling and hot-carrier scattering by strongly non-equilibrium phonons. Overall, our results demonstrate how a treatment of the dynamics of both hot carriers and hot phonons is essential to understanding the properties of functional graphene superlattices.

Evidence of robust spin-dependent transport in monolayer graphene, deposited on the (0001) surface of the antiferromagnetic (AFM)/magneto-electric oxide chromia (Cr2 O3 ), is provided. Measurements performed in the non-local spin-Hall geometry reveal a robust signal that is present at zero external magnetic field and which is significantly larger than any possible ohmic contribution. The spin-related signal persists well beyond the Néel temperature (≈307 K) that defines the transition between the AFM and paramagnetic states, remaining visible at the highest studied temperature of close to 450 K. This robust character is consistent with prior theoretical studies of the graphene/Cr2 O3 system, predicting that the lifting of sub-lattice symmetry in the graphene shall induce an effective spin-orbit term of ≈40 meV. Overall, the results indicate that graphene-on-chromia heterostructures are a highly promising framework for the implementation of spintronic devices, capable of operation well beyond room temperature.

Terahertz (THz) plasma oscillations represent a potential path to implement ultrafast electronic devices and circuits. Here, we present an approach to generate on-chip THz signals that relies on plasma-wave stabilization in nanoscale transistors with specific structural asymmetry. A hydrodynamic treatment shows how the transistor asymmetry supports plasma-wave amplification, giving rise to pronounced negative differential conductance (NDC). A demonstration of these behaviors is provided in InGaAs high-mobility transistors, which exhibit NDC in accordance with their designed asymmetry. The NDC onsets once the drift velocity in the channel reaches a threshold value, triggering the initial plasma instability. We also show how this feature can be made to persist beyond room temperature (to at least 75 °C), when the gating is configured to facilitate a transition between the hydrodynamic and ballistic regimes (of electron-electron transport). Our findings represent a significant step forward for efforts to develop active components for THz electronics.

Mesoscopic conductance fluctuations are a ubiquitous signature of phase-coherent transport in small conductors, exhibiting universal character independent of system details. In this Letter, however, we demonstrate a pronounced breakdown of this universality, due to the interplay of local and remote phenomena in transport. Our experiments are performed in a graphene-based interaction-detection geometry, in which an artificial magnetic texture is induced in the graphene layer by covering a portion of it with a micromagnet. When probing conduction at some distance from this region, the strong influence of remote factors is manifested through the appearance of giant conductance fluctuations, with amplitude much larger than e^{2}/h. This violation of one of the fundamental tenets of mesoscopic physics dramatically demonstrates how local considerations can be overwhelmed by remote signatures in phase-coherent conductors.

Drift velocity saturation (at some characteristic value, v(d)(sat)) is a critical process that limits the ultimate current-carrying capacity of semiconductors at high electric fields (similar to 10(4) V/cm). With the recent emergence of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, there is a need to understand the manner in which velocity saturation is impacted when materials are thinned to the monolayer scale. Efforts to determine v(d)(sat) are typically hampered, however, by self-heating effects that arise from undesirable energy loss from the active 2D layer to the dielectric substrate that supports it. In this work, we explore this problem for an important 2D semiconductor, namely monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). By applying a strategy of rapid (nanosecond duration), single-shot, pulsing, we are able to probe the true hot-carrier dynamics in this material, free of the influence of self-heating of its SiO2 substrate. Our approach allows us to realize high current densities (-mA/p.m) in the MoS2 layers, representing a significant enhancement over prior studies. We similarly infer values for the saturated drift velocity (v(d)(sat) similar to 5 - 7 x 10(6 )cms(-1) ) that are higher than those reported in earlier works, in which the influence of self-heating (and carrier injection into oxide traps) could not be excluded. In fact, our estimates for v(d)(sat) are somewhat close to the ideal velocity expected for normal (parabolic) semiconductors. Since a proper knowledge of this parameter is essential to the design of active electronic and optoelectronic devices, the insight into velocity saturation provided here should provide useful guidance for such efforts.

The differential conductance of graphene is shown to exhibit a zero-bias anomaly at low temperatures, arising from a suppression of the quantum corrections due to weak localization and electron interactions. A simple rescaling of these data, free of any adjustable parameters, shows that this anomaly exhibits a universal, temperature- (T) independent form. According to this, the differential conductance is approximately constant at small voltages (V < k(B)T/e), while at larger voltages it increases logarithmically with the applied bias. For theoretical insight into the origins of this behaviour, which is inconsistent with electron heating, we formulate a model for weak-localization in the presence of nonequilibrium transport. According to this model, the applied voltage causes unavoidable dispersion decoherence, which arises as diffusing electron partial waves, with a spread of energies defined by the value of the applied voltage, gradually decohere with one another as they diffuse through the system. The decoherence yields a universal scaling of the conductance as a function of eV/k(B)T, with a logarithmic variation for eV/k(B)T > 1, variations in accordance with the results of experiment. Our theoretical description of nonequilibrium transport in the presence of this source of decoherence exhibits strong similarities with the results of experiment, including the aforementioned rescaling of the conductance and its logarithmic variation as a function of the applied voltage.

Al0.35In0.65As is a direct semiconductor whose multivalley conduction-band structure has been proposed for use in so-called valley photovoltaics. In such hot-carrier solar cells, energetic (hot) photocarriers are stored in satellite valleys away from the Gamma point, allowing them to be extracted prior to thermalization and to thereby increase power-conversion efficiency. While prior theoretical work has highlighted the potential of Al0.35In0.65As-a widely used barrier material in electronic and optoelectronic devices, for use in valley photovoltaics-surprisingly little is known about its electrical properties, especially how these are impacted by the application of high fields. In this work, we therefore undertake a detailed characterization of the electrical properties of Te-doped (n-type) Al0.35In0.65As, over wide ranges of temperature (3-400 K) and electric field (<50 kV/cm). Using pulsed measurements to suppress the influence of Joule heating, we reveal the presence of clear negative-differential conductance in the current-voltage characteristics of the films, suggestive of the intervalley transfer of hot electrons. This conclusion is supported by the results of ensemble Monte Carlo simulations of the hot-carrier action, which confirm the connection of the observed negative-differential conductance to hot-electron transfer from the conduction-band (Gamma) minimum, to the side valleys at the L point. The quantitative features of the experimentally determined velocity-field curves are found to be in good agreement with the results of these calculations, providing further confidence in the role of the implied intervalley transfer mechanism. Overall, these results confirm the excellent potential of Al0.35In0.65As for use as the absorber material in hot-carrier solar cell technology.

We study temperature dependent (200 – 400 K) dielectric current leakage in high-quality, epitaxial chromia films, synthesized on various conductive substrates (Pd, Pt and V2O3). We find that trap-assisted space-charge limited conduction is the dominant source of electrical leakage in the films, and that the density and distribution of charge traps within them is strongly dependent upon the choice of the underlying substrate. Pd-based chromia is found to exhibit leakage consistent with the presence of deep, discrete traps, a characteristic that is related to the known properties of twinning defects in the material. The Pt- and V2O3-based films, in contrast, show behavior typical of insulators with shallow, exponentially-distributed traps. The highest resistivity is obtained for chromia fabricated on V2O3 substrates, consistent with a lower total trap density in these films. Our studies suggest that chromia thin films formed on V2O3 substrates are a promising candidate for next-generation spintronics.

The differential conductance of graphene is shown to exhibit a zero-bias anomaly at low temperatures, arising from a suppression of the quantum corrections due to weak localization and electron interactions. A simple rescaling of these data, free of any adjustable parameters, shows that this anomaly exhibits a universal, temperature- ($T$) independent form. According to this, the differential conductance is approximately constant at small voltages ($V<k_BT/e$), while at larger voltages it increases logarithmically with the applied bias, reflecting a quenching of the quantum corrections. For theoretical insight into the origins of this behavior, we formulate a model for weak-localization in the presence of nonlinear transport. According to this, the voltage applied under nonequilibrium induces unavoidable dephasing, arising from a self-averaging of the diffusing electron waves responsible for transport. By establishing the manner in which the quantum corrections are suppressed in graphene, our study will be of broad relevance to the investigation of nonequilibrium transport in mesoscopic systems in general. This includes systems implemented from conventional metals and semiconductors, as well as those realized using other two-dimensional semiconductors and topological insulators.

We fabricated graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) with hybrid organic/inorganic gate dielectrics, in which parylene C is used as the organic component. The HOMO-LUMO gap of parylene is large enough to provide effective gate insulation, yet significantly smaller than that of the inorganic component (SiO2) of the dielectric. This allows this polymeric material to serve as an effective "floating node" that may be programmed by applying large voltage pulses to the GFET drain. We identify the role of two types of trapping in these devices: the first is mediated by short-lived interfacial states at the graphene parylene interface, while the second, which is responsible for the nonvolatile memory function, involves hot-carrier injection into long-lived trap states deep in the parylene layer. Retention measurements demonstrate that charge injected into the parylene interior may be retained over long decay times (months), thereby confirming the potential of graphene-on-parylene for nonvolatile memory implementations.

Here we describe some preliminary device results from field effect transistors made from metal trichalcogenides. Although not much investigated, is both promise and room for improvement. Improvements could come from better contacts and lower semiconductor channel defect densities, in metal trichalcogenides transistors. Devices with ohmic contacts have now been fabricated, and the surface termination of these materials modeled by density functional theory.

We use transient electrical measurements to investigate the details of self-heating and charge trapping in graphene transistors encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and operated under strongly nonequilibrium conditions. Relative to more standard devices fabricated on SiO2 substrates, encapsulation is shown to lead to an enhanced immunity to charge trapping, the influence of which is only apparent under the combined influence of strong gate and drain electric fields. Although the precise source of the trapping remains to be determined, one possibility is that the strong gate field may lower the barriers associated with native defects in the h-BN, allowing them to mediate the capture of energetic carriers from the graphene channel. Self-heating in these devices is identified through the observation of time-dependent variations of the current in graphene and is found to be described by a time constant consistent with expectations for nonequilibrium phonon conduction into the dielectric layers of the device. Overall, our results suggest that h-BN-encapsulated graphene devices provide an excellent system for implementations in which operation under strongly nonequilibrium conditions is desired.

We explore the electrical characteristics of TiS3 nanowire field-effect transistor (FETs), over the wide temperature range from 3 to 350 K. These nanomaterials have a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) crystal structure and exhibit a gate-controlled metal-insulator transition (MIT) in their transfer curves. Their room-temperature mobility is ∼20-30 cm2/(V s), 2 orders of magnitude smaller than predicted previously, a result that we explain quantitatively in terms of the influence of polar-optical phonon scattering in these materials. In the insulating state (<∼220 K), the transfer curves exhibit unusual mesoscopic fluctuations and a current suppression near zero bias that is common to charge-density wave (CDW) systems. The fluctuations have a nonmonotonic temperature dependence and wash out at a temperature close to that of the bulk MIT, suggesting they may be a feature of quantum interference in the CDW state. Overall, our results demonstrate that quasi-1D TiS3 nanostructures represent a viable candidate for FET realization and that their functionality is influenced by complex phenomena.

Cobalt oxide films are of technological interest as magnetic substrates that may support the direct growth of graphene, for use in various spintronic applications. In this work, we demonstrate the controlled growth of both Co3O4(111) and CoO(111) on Ru(0001) substrates. The growth is performed by Co molecular beam epitaxy, at a temperature of 500 K and in an O-2 partial pressure of 10(-4) Torr for Co3O4(111), and 7.5. x. 10(-7) Torr for CoO(111). The films are distinguished by their dissimilar Co 2p x-ray photoemission (XPS) spectra, while XPS-derived O/Co stoichiometric ratios are 1.33 for Co3O4(111) and 1.1 for CoO(111). Electron energy loss (EELS) spectra for Co3O4(111) indicate interband transitions at similar to 2.1 and 3.0 eV, while only a single interband transition near 2.0 eV is observed for CoO(111). Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) data for Co3O4(111) indicate twinning during growth, in contrast to the LEED data for CoO(111). For Co3O4(111) films of less than 20 angstrom average thickness, however, XPS, LEED and EELS data are similar to those of CoO(111). XPS data indicate that both Co oxide phases are hydroxylated at all thicknesses. The two phases are moreover found to be thermally stable to at least 900 K in UHV, while ex situ atomic force microscopy measurements of Co3O4(111)/ Ru(0001) indicate an average surface roughness below 1 nm. Electrical measurements indicate that Co3O4(111)/ Ru(0001) films exhibit dielectric breakdown at threshold voltages of similar to 1 MV cm(-1). Collectively, these data show that the growth procedures yield Co3O4(111) films with topographical and electrical characteristics that are suitable for a variety of advanced device applications.

We use pulsed electrical studies to investigate the various processes that limit the current carrying capacity of graphene high frequency transistors. By investigating the transient response of these devices over a time scale that spans some twelve orders of magnitude, we identify the presence of four distinct processes that degrade the current: (1) charge injection into deep traps within the interior of the oxide; (2) Joule heating of the transistor substrate by hot carriers in the graphene channel; (3) equilibration of interfacial-state filling in response to voltage transients, and; (4) leakage of captured charge from the deep traps, once the pulsed voltage is removed. The time scale associated with these processes ranges from nanoseconds to hours, with process (1) being the fastest and process (4) the slowest. By pulsing the transistors on time intervals as short as a few nanoseconds, we therefore demonstrate how it is possible to obtain output characteristics from them that are essentially free from the influence of these different mechanisms. Under such conditions, the hot-carrier drift velocity is shown to saturate at the large values expected for intrinsic graphene. Beyond graphene, this approach of pulsed characterization of transistor performance should be broadly applicable to studies of other two-dimensional semiconductors, including transition-metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorous, silicene, and topological insulators.