Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.004
Zhong-Mei Huang , Wei-Qi Huang , Yin-Lian Li , Fei-Yian Yuang , Shi-Rong Liu
{"title":"Magical distribution of electron states for Emission in Si-Ge-Si Multiple Quantum Wells","authors":"Zhong-Mei Huang , Wei-Qi Huang , Yin-Lian Li , Fei-Yian Yuang , Shi-Rong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Si-Ge-Si multiple quantum wells (MQW) is fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, in which the nanolayers are crystallized in the annealing and the coherent electron beam irradiation processes. It is discovered in the simulating calculation that the magical distribution of electron states with multi-peak shape occurs and the direct-gap structure is obtained in the MQW. It is interesting that the enhanced emission peaks with the multi-longitudinal-mode near 1150 and 1550 nm are observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra measured in the MQW, which have the emission characteristics of direct-gap near Si band edge or Ge band edge due to elevation of conduction valley at X point or L point over the valley at Γ point in the quantum system. The results in experiment and calculation exhibit that the peaks number in the multi-longitudinal-mode emission increases with increasing MQW number, and the emission wavelength can enter into the optic-communication windows by changing MQW number near Ge band edge. The new effects are discovered, in which the physical model from the multi-quantum-well to the electron states with multi-peak shape for better emission is built according to the data in the investigation. This kind of emission with the multi-longitudinal-mode will have a good application in ultra-fast laser through locking modes and in optical source on silicon chip for optic-communication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"82 ","pages":"Pages 15-21"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Solvent–precursor interaction engineering for formamidinium-based perovskites: Role of dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and methylammonium chloride in film formation and device performance","authors":"Muntae Hwang, Il-Wook Cho, Hyunbok Lee, Mee-Yi Ryu","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the solution-processing method of perovskites, selecting appropriate solvents for each precursor is crucial for synthesizing homogeneous perovskite films, as the interaction energy and mechanism between each solvent and precursor vary significantly. In this study, we used dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as the host solvent instead of dimethylformamide to match the Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) with N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and anti-solvent. DMAc-based perovskite facilitates the formation of intermediate phase with NMP due to well-matched HSP, resulting in formation of a glossy perovskite film. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DMAc-based perovskite solar cells did not improve, primarily because of the formation of small grains. Although methylammonium chloride (MACl) was introduced as an additive to promote grain growth, no significant enhancement in the PCE was observed, likely due to the low interaction energy between MACl and NMP. These findings enhance our understanding of solvent-precursor interactions by applying HSP theory and MACl additive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 15-21"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145692525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.016
Chettiagounder Sengodan Boopathi , Karnam Chandrakumar Ramya , Youssef Trabelsi , K. Sudha , Taha Sheheryar
{"title":"Ultra-wideband and angular-stable terahertz absorber with thermal stability for solar–thermal applications","authors":"Chettiagounder Sengodan Boopathi , Karnam Chandrakumar Ramya , Youssef Trabelsi , K. Sudha , Taha Sheheryar","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The demand for efficient solar energy harvesting has driven the development of absorbers capable of operating across wide frequency bands while maintaining stability under practical conditions. Traditional absorber designs usually face challenges such as narrowband operation, polarization sensitivity, poor angular stability and reliance on complex fabrication routes, which limit their applicability in large-scale solar thermal and thermophotovoltaic systems. To address these constraints, a nickel-polyimide-nickel metasurface absorber is proposed in a metal-dielectric-metal architecture. The nested concentric resonator design promotes strong plasmonic coupling and broadband impedance matching that enables absorption above 90 % across 129.64–3621.5 THz (wavelengths 82.8–2314.0 nm) with an average of 94.58 % while maintaining over 80 % absorption beyond 4000 THz. The absorber achieves 93.59 % solar absorption efficiency under the AM 1.5 spectrum, exhibits thermal emission efficiency of 93.35 % at 3500 K and reaches solar-to-electrical conversion efficiencies up to 64.61 % under high solar concentration. In addition, it shows polarization independence and stable performance up to 50° incidence angle. By uniting ultra-broadband response and thermal resilience, the design establishes a pathway toward multifunctional absorbers for next-generation solar energy harvesting and photothermal conversion technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 90-101"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.012
R. Pech-Pisté , A. Can-Ortiz , D. Mary , H. Carrillo-Escalante , Z. Valdez-Nava , D. Malec , F. Avilés
{"title":"Effect of small concentrations of graphenic sheets on the dielectric strength of epoxy","authors":"R. Pech-Pisté , A. Can-Ortiz , D. Mary , H. Carrillo-Escalante , Z. Valdez-Nava , D. Malec , F. Avilés","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advances in high-power applications rely on the development of the insulating materials used in their power modules. However, these materials may fail under high electrical fields due to the intended or unintended presence of conductive particles. Thus, the effect of conductive particles on the dielectric properties of an epoxy polymer is investigated by adding small amounts of graphenic sheets (GSs). The role of the inclusion size was investigated by using GSs with different sizes, and supported by finite element analysis. Electrical conductivity of GS-modified epoxies exhibited only slight changes with respect to the neat epoxy. The reduction in dielectric breakdown strength (<em>E</em><sub><em>BR</em></sub>) of epoxy containing small GSs (1.2 μm diameter) was minor, while larger GSs (20.9 μm diameter) yielded a progressive reduction in <em>E</em><sub><em>BR</em></sub> as their concentration increased. Finite element simulations support that larger GSs yield higher local electric field gradients around the inclusion tips, explaining the reduction in <em>E</em><sub><em>BR</em></sub>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 79-89"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.12.006
Hong-Hee Jeon, So-Won Kim, Jae-Hyuk Choi, Jun-Seo Hwang, Hee-Chul Lee
{"title":"Plasma etching of TiN and W electrodes with high etch selectivity over HZO thin films","authors":"Hong-Hee Jeon, So-Won Kim, Jae-Hyuk Choi, Jun-Seo Hwang, Hee-Chul Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.12.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Precise and efficient plasma etching processes are key in fabricating next-generation semiconductor memory devices. However, further research is warranted on the selective etching of TiN and W electrode materials over the Hf<sub>0.5</sub>Zr<sub>0.5</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (HZO) layer, particularly regarding the patterning of metal–ferroelectric–metal (MFM) device structures. This study aimed to improve the etch selectivity between TiN or W electrodes over HZO ferroelectric thin films for next-generation semiconductor memory device fabrication. To this end, we systematically analyzed dry etching characteristics by using Ar/CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>-based plasma. Specifically, we optimized process parameters, such as the RF power, process pressure, CF<sub>4</sub>/(Ar + CF<sub>4</sub>) gas mixing ratio, and addition ratios of O<sub>2</sub> or H<sub>2</sub>, to achieve high etch selectivity between the TiN or W electrode films and HZO films. Under optimized conditions (an Ar:CF<sub>4</sub> ratio of 7:3, RF power of 75 W, and process pressure of 120 mTorr), the etch selectivity for TiN/HZO and W/HZO reached maximum values of 142 and 332, respectively, demonstrating excellent performance. Furthermore, the addition of O<sub>2</sub> enabled control over the etch rates of the TiN and W films and their selectivity over HZO films. Langmuir probe analysis and optical emission spectroscopy confirmed the enhancement in the chemical etching of the TiN and W electrodes due to the generation of F radicals. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed the formation of fluorides on the etched film surfaces and an increase in the number of surface defects. The findings of this plasma etching study will potentially aid the advancement of fabrication technologies for ferroelectric memory devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 107-114"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.12.007
Ann V. Lizbathu , Sajan Thomas , Neekha Deen Abraham , Jifi Jose , Bibily Baby , Ditty Dixon , P.R. Biju , Cyriac Joseph
{"title":"Redox additive mediated electrolyte for enhanced electrochemical performance of cerium oxalate based supercapacitors","authors":"Ann V. Lizbathu , Sajan Thomas , Neekha Deen Abraham , Jifi Jose , Bibily Baby , Ditty Dixon , P.R. Biju , Cyriac Joseph","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The evolution of energy storage systems that are less expensive and can perform efficiently is presently required for the modern world. Therefore, supercapacitors that possess unique characteristics including power delivery, fast recharging, and extended cycle life have been attracting lot of interest. In this vein, cerium oxalate decahydrate is considered to be an intriguing material for energy storage due to its structural benefits that can enhance specific capacitance. Electrochemical studies of the material were investigated in redox additive electrolyte, which revealed that the material possesses a battery-type charge storage mechanism. In three-electrode configuration, the material attained a maximum specific capacitance of ∼1667 F/g at 1 A/g. The asymmetric device delivered a specific capacitance of ∼552 F/g and an impressive energy density of ∼150 Wh/kg at 1 A/g in the voltage range of 0–1.4 V. These findings highlight the strong potential of this material as an electrode candidate for supercapacitor applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 128-139"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.003
T. Babuka , K.E. Glukhov , M. Makowska-Janusik , I. Babuka , L. Yu Kharkhalis , A. Bulou
{"title":"Electronic, vibration, and elastic properties of the layered In4/3P2S6 semiconducting crystal","authors":"T. Babuka , K.E. Glukhov , M. Makowska-Janusik , I. Babuka , L. Yu Kharkhalis , A. Bulou","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The first principles calculations of the structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of the In<sub>4/3</sub>P<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub> crystal are prepared. The mechanical properties of the studied material using the DFT-D2 approach have been performed for the first time. The energy band spectra and atom-projected density of states of the mentioned material were calculated using the DFT/GGA/PBE-D2 methodology. Experimental studies of the vibrational properties of the In<sub>4/3</sub>P<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub> crystal were conducted for a bulk sample. The calculated vibrational properties were compared with the available experimental data derived from Raman scattering spectroscopy, and their agreement was demonstrated. The elastic properties of the In<sub>4/3</sub>P<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub> crystal were modeled and analyzed for the first time. The propagation velocities of the crystal's longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves were calculated for the (100) and (001) directions. The anisotropy coefficients are calculated, and the anisotropy of the propagation speed of acoustic waves in In<sub>4/3</sub>P<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub> crystal is analyzed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 120-127"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.008
Gichan Son , Sejoong Kim , Jeongwoo Kim
{"title":"Exchange-correlation functional effects on electronic and phononic band structures of helical Se and Te","authors":"Gichan Son , Sejoong Kim , Jeongwoo Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trigonal selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te), with their one-dimensional helical structures, exhibit unique chirality-driven physical phenomena. Here, we systematically investigate the influence of various XC functionals–ranging from conventional generalized gradient approximations (GGA) and meta-GGA to hybrid functionals–on the electronic and phononic band structures of Se and Te. Our calculations reveal that while meta-GGA functionals provide little improvement in electronic structures over conventional GGA, the hybrid functional HSE06 predicts a significant widening of the electronic band gap. This effect is attributed to an enhanced charge localization within the intra-chain covalent bonds, more evident in trigonal Se than in Te. Moreover, the strengthened intra-chain bonding in the HSE06 calculation leads to a hardening of high-frequency intra-chain modes and a softening of low-frequency inter-chain modes. Remarkably, trigonal Se exhibits an unusual anharmonic hardening of high-frequency optical modes under isobaric conditions, originating from the large disparity between strong intra-chain and weak inter-chain force constants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"82 ","pages":"Pages 22-29"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.013
Garam Bae , Wooseok Song
{"title":"WS2–graphene heterostructures with hydrogen-controlled morphology: Interfacial charge transfer and negative photoresponse","authors":"Garam Bae , Wooseok Song","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We report a hydrogen-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) strategy for the controlled synthesis of triangular-shaped WS<sub>2</sub> flakes and demonstrate their integration with graphene to construct optoelectronic heterostructures. By systematically tuning the H<sub>2</sub> flow rate during WS<sub>2</sub> growth, we modulate flake density and layer thickness. Raman and XPS analyses reveal highly crystalline bilayer WS<sub>2</sub> with minimal contamination. Upon transferring graphene onto WS<sub>2</sub> flakes, we observe distinct doping-induced Raman shifts and <em>p</em>-type behavior in field-effect transport. Notably, the WS<sub>2</sub>–graphene heterostructure exhibits photocurrent quenching under UV irradiation, attributed to efficient interfacial charge transfer. This study elucidates the role of H<sub>2</sub> in nucleation control and highlights the potential of WS<sub>2</sub>–graphene heterostructures for photodetection applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"83 ","pages":"Pages 8-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145692526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Current Applied PhysicsPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.001
Bikash K. Das, D. Mohanta
{"title":"Investigating textural fractals in Bougainvillea petals for wettability and biomimetic surface design","authors":"Bikash K. Das, D. Mohanta","doi":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cap.2025.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The wettability behavior mediated by textural fractals in <em>Bougainvillea</em> petals of three distinct colors is investigated. All samples exhibit hydrophobicity, with water contact angles (WCAs) ranging from 100° to 123°. Due to droplet pinning, the surfaces exhibited high adhesiveness across a range of droplet volumes. The complex micro-morphological arrangement and geometry of the epidermal cells enhanced surface roughness, resulting in pronounced hydrophobicity despite the presence of various polar functional groups. In the context of droplet pinning, tensile hydrophobicity and work of adhesion emerged as critical factors in understanding multi-textured surface behavior. Among the studied specimens, white-colored petals exhibited the highest work of adhesion (∼96 ± 3 mJ m<sup>−2</sup>). Theoretically estimated WCAs, derived using fractal roughness parameters obtained from surface morphology analyses, closely matched experimentally measured values for natural surfaces. The observed fractal roughness values ranged from 2.21 to 3.00, leading to hydrophobicity on these soft biological surfaces, contrasting with previous studies where fractal roughness induced superhydrophobicity. A biomimetic replica (roughness ∼2.60) was fabricated using soft lithography with polystyrene (PS) polymers, resulting in enhanced hydrophobicity with static WCAs between ∼118° and 135°, and reduced adhesiveness compared to natural surfaces. This study provides fundamental insights into surface wettability governed by fractal geometry and biomimicry, potentially guiding multifunctional surface design for coatings, microfluidics, drug delivery, biomedical devices, and industrial applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11037,"journal":{"name":"Current Applied Physics","volume":"81 ","pages":"Pages 45-56"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145526600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}