Applied Physics A最新文献

{"title":"Investigating the thermoelectric power factor of AlPbTe2 thin film grown by thermal evaporation route","authors":"M. Yasir Ali,&nbsp;Adnan Ali,&nbsp;Khalid Mehmood,&nbsp;Ahmed H. Ragab,&nbsp;Meznah M. Alanazi,&nbsp;Tagreed Wael Alghamdi,&nbsp;Arslan Ashfaq","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08465-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08465-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, the thermoelectric properties of AlPbTe₂ thin films are investigated with a focus on the effects of post-annealing on their structural, electrical, and thermoelectric performance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the maximum peak intensity is observed after 1 h of post-annealing, with a subsequent decrease in intensity up to 3 h, while additional peaks become more prominent in the 3-hour sample, indicating enhanced polycrystallinity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show grain growth and structural changes with post-annealing time, where small grains coalesce into larger grains, followed by crack formation after 3 h of annealing. Electrical conductivity increases from 320 S/cm in the as-grown sample to 545 S/cm in the 3-hour post-annealed sample, although conductivity decreases with increasing measurement temperature from 300 to 450 K, due to phonon scattering. The charge carrier concentration also increases significantly from 1.05 × 10²⁰ cm^− 3 to 2.59 × 10²⁰ cm^− 3 after 3 h of post-annealing, while charge carrier mobility decreases due to carrier-carrier scattering. The Seebeck coefficient is negative, confirming n-type behavior, and increases with temperature across all samples. The 1-hour post-annealed sample shows the highest Seebeck coefficient, peaking at 242 µV/K at 450 K. Finally, the thermoelectric power factor of the 1-hour post-annealed sample reaches a maximum of 24.4 µWcm^− 1K^− 2 at 400 K, highlighting the improved thermoelectric performance at mid-temperatures.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation of PA6-PVA composite fiber membrane based on coaxial spinning method and wettability study","authors":"Sun Yingting,&nbsp;Shi Yao,&nbsp;Yin Jinghui,&nbsp;Ma Teng,&nbsp;Zhang Yonghu,&nbsp;Xiong Xiaoqin,&nbsp;Zhang Xiaolei,&nbsp;Liu Jianxin","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08471-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08471-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Membrane separation technology is widely employed for the treatment of oily wastewater. Nevertheless, the wettability characteristics of the membrane present a constraint on the rate at which the oil-water mixture can permeate through it. This research presents an innovative methodology involving the fabrication of a double-layer composite fiber membrane via coaxial electrospinning. The process employs polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers to form the composite fiber shell, while nylon fibers (PA6) serve as the inner core. The results indicate that the composite membrane made from PA6-PVA fiber exhibits advantageous hydrophilic properties and superoleophobic characteristics, as evidenced by a contact angle of 60° for water in air and 150° for oil submerged in water. Furthermore, the stable membrane flux of the PA6-PVA composite fiber membrane was found to be approximately double that of the PA6 fiber membrane. This investigation presents a viable technique for integrating PA6 into oil-water separation applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of microstructural evolution and phase structure on ferroelectric properties of La modified BaTiO3 ceramics synthesized via sol-gel and solid-state reaction methods","authors":"Mahmoud. S. Alkathy,&nbsp;Othman Ali,&nbsp;H. A Kassim,&nbsp;Mansour K. Gatasheh,&nbsp;J. A. Eiras","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08434-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08434-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines the structural, ferroelectric, and energy storage properties of La-doped BaTiO₃ ceramics synthesized using sol-gel (SG) and solid-state reaction (SSR) methods. Structural properties were verified by X-ray refinement and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SSR-derived ceramics feature a coarse-grained microstructure with larger grain sizes (5.57 μm), facilitating easier domain switching under an applied electric field of 62 kV/cm. This results in broader ferroelectric hysteresis loops and a maximum polarization (P_max ≈ 17.87 µC/cm²). However, increased domain mobility leads to more significant energy loss during polarization reversal, resulting in an energy storage efficiency of 48%. In contrast, SG-synthesized ceramics exhibit a fine-grained microstructure (grain size ~ 5.57 μm) that restricts domain wall motion, yielding slimmer hysteresis loops with reduced energy losses and slightly lower polarization (P_max ≈ 15.88 µC/cm²). Consequently, the SG samples demonstrate superior energy storage performance, achieving a higher energy efficiency of 64%. These results underscore the crucial impact of synthesis methods on microstructural features and functional properties, particularly for energy storage applications. This research provides valuable insights into designing and optimizing BaTiO₃ ceramics for advanced energy storage and capacitor applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div><div><p>A schematic diagram highlights the distinct microstructural, ferroelectric, and energy storage properties of BLaT5% synthesized through solid-state reaction (SSR) and sol-gel (SG) methods. The SSR sample exhibits a coarse-grained microstructure with larger grain sizes, which promotes easier domain switching under an applied electric field. This results in a broader ferroelectric hysteresis (P-E) loop, indicating higher energy loss during polarization reversal. In contrast, the SG sample demonstrates a fine-grained microstructure with significantly smaller grain sizes. This refined grain structure restricts domain wall motion, leading to a slimmer P-E loop with reduced hysteresis loss. Consequently, the SG sample achieves superior energy storage performance with higher energy efficiency and recoverable energy density. The comparison underscores the critical role of synthesis methods in tailoring microstructural features and optimizing functional properties for energy storage applications</p></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Negative photoconductivity in HgCdTe layers under illumination with millimeter waves","authors":"Nataliia Kukhtaruk,&nbsp;Fedir Sizov,&nbsp;Viacheslav Zabudsky,&nbsp;Zinoviia Tsybrii,&nbsp;Ihor Lysiuk","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08463-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08463-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper we report the negative photoconductivity in Hg_1 − x Cd_xTe (Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride – MCT) under millimeter light illumination observed experimentally in MCT thin layers. We investigated photoconductivity in thin layers of narrow-gap Hg_1 − x Cd_xTe of different composition (from x = 0.2 to x = 0.305) and conductivity type (both n- and p-type) that were grown epitaxially or obtained by mechanical and chemical thinning of MCT single crystals and integrated with metal antennas. The temperature dependences of the photoresponse were obtained theoretically and experimentally in the temperature range of 77..300 K in which both positive and negative photoconductivity were observed. The reasons that may cause the negative photoconductivity at different conditions are considered within the framework of the hot electron bolometer model. It was found that not only parameters of the semiconductor, dimensions of the sample and its temperature, but also the dimensions of an antenna and the properties of its contact with the semiconductor impact the photoconductivity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Numerical simulations of the efficiency of BiFeO3 perovskite solar cells","authors":"S. Reema Sagitha,&nbsp;V. Aravindan,&nbsp;M. Mahendran,&nbsp;M. Nandha Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08424-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08424-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells, owing to their high-power conversion efficiency (η %) and low-cost fabrication. In this study, we investigate the effect of Bismuth Ferrite oxide (BiFeO₃) in the perovskite layer of PSC to enhance the η. The aim of our study is to improve the performance of BiFeO₃ PSC by utilizing a variety of Electron Transport Layers (ETLs), including PCBM, ZnO, TiO₂, C₆₀, IGZO, SnO₂, WS₂, and CeO₂, as well as Hole Transport Layers (HTLs), including Cu₂O, CuSCN, CuSbS₂, NiO, P₃HT, PEDOT: PSS, Spiro-MeOTAD, CuI, CuO, V₂O₅, CBTS, and CFTS. Furthermore, we examined the effect of temperature, series and shunt resistances, various metal contacts, and the thickness of various layers. Future design and optimization of stable and efficient PSCs for photovoltaics may be facilitated by the proposed studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"SiC embedded in coral-shaped Ni-Co-P nanohybrids for enhanced overall water electrolysis performance","authors":"Xin-Ping Wang,&nbsp;Ming-Xing Yu,&nbsp;Xing-Hao Qu,&nbsp;Gui-Mei Shi,&nbsp;Xiao-Lei Wang","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08442-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08442-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this work, we prepared nano SiC embedded Ni-Co-P nanohybrid (NCP-SiC) by one-step composite electrodeposition on nickel foam. Meanwhile, we evaluated their enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER) and overall water splitting in an alkaline aqueous solution compared with NCP. The studies show the NCP-SiC nanohybrid electrocatalysts composed of bimetallic Ni-Co/Ni₂P/CoP nanohybrid encapsulating nano SiC, taking a coral shape, which has an overpotential of only 71 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm² and a Tafel slope of 32.5 mV/dec. Moreover, NCP-SiC electrocatalysts possess bifunctional catalytic characteristics with an overall water-separation overpotential of only 1.57 V. These excellent electrocatalytic performances result from the incorporating effect of the nano SiC with the Ni-Co-P nanohybrids that own unique morphology and structure features. The resulting heterostructures accelerated the electron transfer, increased the active sites on the surface, and reduced the required activation energy, which leads to improved electrocatalytic activity. This work provides a workable strategy for semiconductor materials in improving total hydrolysis for hydrogen production applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143716993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gd-doped Ni–Zn ferrite nanoparticles: an approach to enhance photocatalytic efficiency through property tuning","authors":"Dhriti Kalita,&nbsp;Mritunjoy Prasad Ghosh,&nbsp;Rahul Sonkar,&nbsp;Nur Jalal Mondal,&nbsp;Devasish Chowdhury","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08447-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08447-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This work thoroughly investigated the adaptability of Gd-incorporated spinel Ni–Zn ferrite nanoparticles in hyperthermia and photocatalytic applications. The chemical co-precipitation method was utilized to fabricate these ferrite nanoparticles containing different weight percentages of Gd dopants, and tuned physical properties, including microstructural, optical, and magnetic were examined. The formation of spinel cubic crystal structure and phase-purity of prepared samples was confirmed by analyzing the x-ray diffractograms. Both the developed microstrain due to doping and mean crystallite sizes were estimated using the Williamson-Hall (W–H) graph. With the aid of HRTEM images, the morphology, average size of nanoparticles and regularity in shape were studied carefully. Mean particle diameters of entire ferrite samples were observed to reduce with the increase of Gd ions in the host structure. A blue shift in the optical indirect band gaps with the increase of Gd content was noticed for synthesized ferrite samples. All the Raman active modes of spinel structure were found in deconvoluted Raman spectra. Because of the paramagnetic behavior of Gd ions, there was a dilution of magnetic properties observed at room temperature. A careful investigation revealed that the doped ferrite samples were suitable for hyperthermia application as the generated heat was suitable to burst cancer cells in a biological medium. Because of the increase in specific surface area and magnitude of negative zeta potential for doped ferrite nanoparticles, these samples showed excellent efficiency in degrading toxic cationic rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The highest Gd-doped ferrite containing the smallest nanoparticles was capable enough to degrade 94.6% RhB dye in 2.5 h. With increasing Gd content in nanosized spinel Ni–Zn ferrites, the efficiency of dye degradation was found to increase significantly. Therefore, Gd-substituted Ni–Zn ferrite nanoparticles are efficient nanomaterials to be utilized in both photocatalytic and hyperthermia applications.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143726690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimal strength-ductility trade-off in gradient nano-grained Cu: a crystal plasticity finite element study","authors":"Kehao Nan,&nbsp;Zhen Wang,&nbsp;Zhaoyang Hou,&nbsp;Chao An,&nbsp;Nana Liu,&nbsp;Lei Gao,&nbsp;Gang Shi,&nbsp;Kejun Dong","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08437-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08437-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gradient nano-grained (GNG) metals usually exhibit a strength–ductility trade-off compared with their homogeneous counterparts, but the understanding on the gradient distribution in grain size corresponding to the optimal strength–ductility trade-off is still limited. Here, the tensile processes of GNG Cu with different grain-size gradient distributions are simulated by the crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM). The influence of grain-size gradient rate on the mechanical behaviors of strength and plasticity, and the distribution of strain and stress are analytical analyzed, and the relations between the structural gradient and the deformation gradient are investigated. It is found that the GNG Cu has optimal strength-ductility trade-off and the largest extra strengthening effect, when the gradient distribution in grain size meets a linear relationship. It is also found that the optimal strength-ductility trade-off comes from the largest deformation gradient and favorite multiaxial stress. These simulation results obtained by CPFEM are in accordance with the experiment observations and that obtained by MD simulations on atomic scales.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143716990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Laser-induced forward transfer of high viscosity graphene inks","authors":"Dawood Dilmy,&nbsp;Anvesh Gaddam,&nbsp;Gerard Cummins,&nbsp;Stefan Dimov","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08433-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08433-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is gaining significant attention as a non-contact printing technique for high-viscosity conductive inks in printed electronics. However, the high wet thickness of printed tracks is essential for achieving effective electrical pathways, a requirement that has not been thoroughly considered so far. The wet thickness is a function of ink viscosity, substrate wettability, and the laser processing parameters. In this study, the printing mechanism of conductive graphene inks with viscosities ranging from 1 to 15 Pa.s using LIFT was investigated. The effects of pulse energy (30 to 120 µJ) and gap distance (50 to 300 μm) in printing voxels with a green nanosecond laser were systematically examined, providing a phenomenological understanding of the material transfer mechanism. The findings highlight the significant role of the temporal pulse distance in enhancing the wet thickness achievable during LIFT of high-viscosity inks, attributed to capillary healing phenomena. Additionally, the acceptor substrates’ hydrophobicity was found to increase the wet thickness and improve the resolution of the printed voxels/tracks. Especially, the aspect ratio of LIFT-printed tracks was increased by more than 175% with 10 printing passes when a hydrophobic accepter was used. So, the optimal LIFT processing conditions were identified to achieve high-quality, high-aspect-ratio tracks, by considering synergistically the effects of the temporal pulse distance and the substrate wettability. Moreover, the resistivity of the LIFT-printed graphene tracks decreased by more than 84% after a 100-minute sintering step at 120 °C. This research advances understanding of LIFT printing high-viscosity conductive inks, particularly underpinning the development of high-resolution and high-aspect-ratio electrical circuits for printed electronics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00339-025-08433-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Innovative high sensitivity, selectivity, and low birefringence limit based blood cell detection in terahertz spectrum with octagonal core refractive index sensing","authors":"A. H. M. Iftekharul Ferdous,&nbsp;Kayab Khandakar,&nbsp;Sakhawat Hossain,&nbsp;Khalid Sifulla Noor,&nbsp;Mahmoud M. A. Eid,&nbsp;Ahmed Nabih Zaki Rashed","doi":"10.1007/s00339-025-08450-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00339-025-08450-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biosensors are crucial for identifying different blood components. In this work, we introduce an octagonal core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) structured like a spider for very effective blood cell identification. The Finite Element Method (FEM) in COMSOL Multiphysics is used to investigate the optical and sensing properties of the sensor. Maxwell’s equations are quantitatively solved over the 0.5–1.3 THz frequency range. Achieving high relative sensitivity (RS), low effective material loss (EML), low confinement loss (CL), a large effective area (EA) and spot size for various blood components is the main emphasis of the investigation. Zeonex polymer, well-known for its outstanding THz domain optical characteristics, is used in cladding fabrication of the PCF At 1 THz, the proposed PCF sensor exhibits outstanding performance with a relative sensitivity of around 92.06% for glucose, 92.78% for plasma, 93.45% for white blood cells (WBCs), and 95.64% for red blood cells (RBCs). Since the octagonal core structure produces almost the same results for both x- and y-polarization modes, the research mainly investigates the x-polarization mode.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":473,"journal":{"name":"Applied Physics A","volume":"131 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00339-025-08450-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143707134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}