Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02734
Tathagata Banerjee, Stephen Daniel Funni, Saswata Roy, Judy J. Cha, Valla Fatemi
{"title":"Resist-Free Shadow Deposition Using Silicon Trenches for Josephson Junctions in Superconducting Qubits","authors":"Tathagata Banerjee, Stephen Daniel Funni, Saswata Roy, Judy J. Cha, Valla Fatemi","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02734","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02734","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Superconducting qubitfabrication innovations continue to be exploredto achieve higher performance. Despite improvements to base layerfabrication and processing, resist-based Josephson junction (JJ) schemeshave largely remained unchanged. The polymer mask during depositioncauses chemical contamination and limits <em>in situ</em> and <em>ex situ</em> surface preparation, junction materials, and scalability.Here, we demonstrate a resist-free approach to junction fabricationbased on etched silicon trenches that is compatible with standardsilicon microfabrication processes and easily integrated into existinginnovations in qubit base layer fabrication and chemical processing.We fabricate Al-AlO<sub><em>x</em></sub>-Al JJs and qubitsusing this method, measuring median energy relaxation times up to188 μs. We find minimal contamination at the substrate–metalinterface and fluctuations of energy relaxation on a 45 h time scalethat are narrow and normally distributed. The method widens the processwindow for substrate preparation and new materials platforms.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"14845–14852"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149230227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04172
Davide Degli Esposti, Emma C. Brann, Asser Elsayed, Davide Costa, Mark Friesen, Giordano Scappucci
{"title":"Confinement Drives Valley Splitting above 4 K in Buried Silicon Quantum Wells","authors":"Davide Degli Esposti, Emma C. Brann, Asser Elsayed, Davide Costa, Mark Friesen, Giordano Scappucci","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04172","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04172","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Controlling the energyscales of a quantum system isessentialfor defining robust qubits. In silicon, the nearly degenerate conduction-bandvalleys create a leakage channel from the single-spin computationalbasis. Here, we perform spectroscopic measurements of single- andtwo-electron states in buried silicon quantum wells. Across a lineararray of four quantum dots with an average orbital energy of 2.4(2)meV, we report an average single-electron valley splitting of 0.40(6)meV and an average two-electron singlet–triplet splitting of0.24(7) meV. In three dots, we observe a strong correlation betweenvalley splitting and orbital energy, with an average linear coefficientof ≈0.22 (meV/meV). In contrast, the remaining dot exhibitsthe highest valley splitting of 0.76(2) meV and low correlation. Ourfindings show that strong confinement can effectively enhance valleysplitting in buried quantum wells, thereby establishing a viable pathtoward shuttling and sparse-occupation-based architectures in low-disorderheterostructures.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"15131–15139"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149230328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03208
Ruikai Wu, Deepika Gill, Wenhan Chen, Peter Elliott, Sangeeta Sharma, Sam Shallcross
{"title":"Ultrafast Mimic of Spin Hall Effect in Altermagnets","authors":"Ruikai Wu, Deepika Gill, Wenhan Chen, Peter Elliott, Sangeeta Sharma, Sam Shallcross","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03208","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03208","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The spin Hall effect, a key effect in creating spin currentsandcontrolling magnetic order at the nanoscale, presupposes a populationof mobile carriers in a conducting state, in which a driving chargecurrent generates a perpendicular spin-current. Here we show an ultrafastlight-wave driven spin Hall analogue exists in altermagnetic semiconductorsand insulators, in which a laser pulse generates both a charge currentand a co-occurring perpendicular pure spin current. Employing theexample of the theoretically predicted 2d altermagnetic Lieb-latticesemiconductor Cr<sub>2</sub>SO, we demonstrate that pulse design allowslightwave control over the postpulse spin/charge current ratio ξ<sub>res</sub>, with values exceeding unity obtained in the multicycleregime. Our findings thus both considerably broaden the materialsbase for spin Hall/spin splitter physics, as well as establishing2d altermagnets as a platform providing a new route for valleytroniclightwave control of spin- and charge currents at ultrafast times.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"14900–14906"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149230324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03952
Xutao Liang, Yang Gao, Jiping Ma, Ran Wang, Zelin Lv, Xiaoxiao Li, Yongle Yan, Lifeng Hou, Shi Wang, Zhong Jin, Qian Wang
{"title":"Direct Restoration of Spent LiFePO4 via Lattice Defect Correction and Nitrogen-Doped Interface Engineering","authors":"Xutao Liang, Yang Gao, Jiping Ma, Ran Wang, Zelin Lv, Xiaoxiao Li, Yongle Yan, Lifeng Hou, Shi Wang, Zhong Jin, Qian Wang","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03952","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03952","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Theproliferation of spent lithium-ion batteries demandsefficient,environmentally sustainable recycling technologies, yet regeneratingspent cathode materials remains challenging. Here, we present a mild,scalable direct regeneration strategy for spent LiFePO<sub>4</sub> (S-LFP) cathodes leveraging the synergistic effect of ethanolamineand LiNO<sub>3</sub>. Ethanolamine with moderate alkalinity and strongreducing capability gently removes surface passivation layers andamorphous impurities, selectively reducing Fe(III) to Fe(II) for lattice-stabilizedvalence balance. Thanks to its low steric hindrance and favorablemass-transport properties, it penetrates particle interiors and cooperateswith Li<sup>+</sup> from LiNO<sub>3</sub> to fill Li vacancies, eliminatingLi–Fe antisite defects and repairing distorted lattices. Duringsubsequent annealing, ethanolamine acts as an in situ N source toform a uniform N-doped interfacial layer that suppresses side reactionsand boosts charge-transfer kinetics. Regenerated LiFePO<sub>4</sub> (R-LFP) achieves 106.04 mAh g<sup>–1</sup> at 5.0 C with100% capacity retention over 500 cycles. EverBatt-based assessmentsconfirm its favorable economic and environmental benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"15070–15079"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149230219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02697
Wolfgang Hoppe, Mohamed Amine Wahada, Paul Marschall, James Caleb Peters, Stuart S. P. Parkin, Georg Woltersdorf
{"title":"Multilayer Spintronic THz Emitters for On-Chip Ultrafast Current Generation","authors":"Wolfgang Hoppe, Mohamed Amine Wahada, Paul Marschall, James Caleb Peters, Stuart S. P. Parkin, Georg Woltersdorf","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02697","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02697","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Spintronic terahertz(THz) emitters based on ultrafast spin-to-chargeconversion in heavy metal | ferromagnet heterostructures are compact,broadband THz sources with bandwidths exceeding conventional semiconductor-basedemitters. However, achievable current amplitudes per unit area arefundamentally limited by spin-current transport across a single heavymetal | ferromagnet interface. Here, we demonstrate a multilayer spintronicTHz emitter architecture comprising repeated heavy metal | ferromagnetbilayers separated by ultrathin MgO barriers, enabling constructiveaddition of generated charge currents. Using GHz-bandwidth electricalsampling and THz-bandwidth electro-optic sampling, we observe monotonicamplitude enhancement with increasing layer number. This scaling behavioris quantitatively captured by a model incorporating optical absorptionand impedance matching effects. Finally, by integrating multilayeremitters into coplanar waveguide structures, we demonstrate on-chipTHz current generation and propagation. These results establish multilayerspintronic THz emitters as a scalable platform for ultrafast currentgeneration and integrated on-chip THz electronics.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"14837–14844"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149230221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correlating Delayed Emission, Blinking Mechanism, and the Quantum-Confined Stark Effect in Single Quantum Dots","authors":"Jialu Li, Xue Han, Changgang Yang, Mi Zhang, Zhihao Chen, Chuang Wang, Zhuang Ying, Jinhui Wang, Ruiyun Chen, Chengbing Qin, Jianyong Hu, Zhichun Yang, Jie Ma, Guofeng Zhang, Liantuan Xiao, Suotang Jia","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04088","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04088","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Delayed emission, a long-lived nonexponential photoluminescencetail, is widely observed in quantum dots (QDs), but its microscopicorigin and relationship with blinking and the quantum-confined Starkeffect (QCSE) remain unclear. Here, we combine single-QD spectroscopy,time-gated photon analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations across CsPbX<sub>3</sub> perovskite, CdSe-based, and InP-based QDs to identify a potentialmechanism. Delayed emission correlates with band-edge carrier-trappingblinking, but is weak in QDs dominated by trion-mediated Auger blinking,suggesting delayed emission is not universally tied to charge-separatedstates. Delayed photons originate from nanosecond-scale carrier trappingand detrapping at nonradiative recombination centers: transientlytrapped carriers return to the band edge and recombine radiatively.Time-gated analysis distinguishes this process from QCSE-driven intensity-lifetimefluctuations on slower blinking time scales. Furthermore, we demonstratethat delayed photons compromise the single-photon purity at a fixedexcitation repetition rate. These findings establish a general frameworkof delayed emission in QDs.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"15115–15123"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149241919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-26DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03879
Naoto Hoshi, Sota Abe, Sangjin Choi, Kota Hanzawa, Hiroto Arima, Jun-ichi Yamaura, Shogo Hatayama, Hidenori Hiramatsu, Toshio Kamiya, Takayoshi Katase
{"title":"Giant Resistance Switching Ratio Exceeding 106 through a Reversible 2D–3D Structural Phase Transition in Nonequilibrium (Pb1–xSnx)Se Thin Films","authors":"Naoto Hoshi, Sota Abe, Sangjin Choi, Kota Hanzawa, Hiroto Arima, Jun-ichi Yamaura, Shogo Hatayama, Hidenori Hiramatsu, Toshio Kamiya, Takayoshi Katase","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03879","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03879","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Controland switching of electrical resistance in semiconductorsare important for high-performance electronic devices. Here, we realizegiant resistance switching in nonequilibrium (Pb<sub>1–<em>x</em></sub>Sn<sub><em>x</em></sub>)Se films througha reversible structural transition between three-dimensional (3D)rock-salt (RS)-type and two-dimensional (2D) GeS-type phases. Thesolid-solution films were fabricated by reactive solid-phase epitaxyof SnSe/PbSe bilayers followed by rapid thermal quenching. Se-fluxannealing of the PbSe template suppressed Pb precipitation, enablingchemically homogeneous, single-phase nonequilibrium RS-type filmsup to <em>x</em> = 0.58. Increasing the Sn content from <em>x</em> = 0.43 to 0.58 systematically increased the 2D–3Dstructural transition temperature and enhanced the resistance switchingratio to 4.9 × 10<sup>6</sup>, far exceeding those of representativetransition-metal oxide thin films (∼10<sup>2</sup>–10<sup>4</sup>). The giant resistance switching originates from the nearlycomplete transformation (∼98%) of the conductive 3D phase intothe high-resistance 2D phase. These results establish crystal-dimensionalityswitching as a promising new mechanism for high-performance electronicswitching devices.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"15064–15069"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149248750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-08DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03371
Simon Chi-Chin Shiu, Hannah Talbot, Marcello DeLuca, Jonathan Piland, Xiaoyong Mo, Xue-Yan Wang, Edmund C. M. Tse, Gaurav Arya, Arun Richard Chandrasekaran, Julian A. Tanner
{"title":"A Rotary DNA Mazzocchio Nanostructure","authors":"Simon Chi-Chin Shiu, Hannah Talbot, Marcello DeLuca, Jonathan Piland, Xiaoyong Mo, Xue-Yan Wang, Edmund C. M. Tse, Gaurav Arya, Arun Richard Chandrasekaran, Julian A. Tanner","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03371","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03371","url":null,"abstract":"<p>DNAnanotechnology offers architectures ranging from compact motifsto scaffolded origami, with trade-offs in structural complexity, addressability,and component economy. Here, we translate Leonardo da Vinci’smazzocchio geometry into a programmable DNA assembly. Twenty distinctDNA strands hierarchically assemble into a toroid comprising 32 repeatingoctagonal subunits. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations,transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy supportformation of the designed architecture while revealing flexibilityat intersubunit connections. The toroid was coupled to a triangularDNA origami platform through 12 DNA walkers distributed among threevertices. Sequential toehold-mediated strand displacement alteredthe attachment topology between the two structures, generating threedocking configurations. Gel electrophoresis and ensemble fluorescencemeasurements produced the expected state-dependent responses, consistentwith programmed repositioning. This work expands the design spaceof dynamic DNA nanotechnology through coupling of a material-efficienttoroidal architecture with the spatial addressability of origami,establishing a versatile platform for reconfigurable nanoscale devices.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"14929–14938"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149151144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nano LettersPub Date : 2026-11-04Epub Date: 2026-10-20DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03549
Jianwei Liang, Yi Huang, Gangchang Li, Congbing Tan, Wenpeng Zhu, Yi Zhang, Yue Zheng
{"title":"Curvature-Controlled Polar–Dislocation Coupling in Freestanding Ferroelectric Oxide Heterostructures","authors":"Jianwei Liang, Yi Huang, Gangchang Li, Congbing Tan, Wenpeng Zhu, Yi Zhang, Yue Zheng","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03549","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03549","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Curvaturecouples polarization, crystalline defects,and interfacialelectrostatics in freestanding ferroelectric oxides. Here, we examinebent epitaxial Pb(Zr<sub>0.2</sub>Ti<sub>0.8</sub>)O<sub>3</sub>/SrTiO<sub>3</sub>/Pb(Zr<sub>0.2</sub>Ti<sub>0.8</sub>)O<sub>3</sub> (PZT/STO/PZT)membranes using atomic-resolution electron microscopy, strain andpolarization mapping, relative projected-potential reconstruction,and molecular dynamics simulations. The tensile-side PZT remains comparativelylattice-continuous and accommodates bending mainly through polarizationrotation and domain reorganization. The compressive-side PZT exhibitsdislocations, slip-related lattice offsets, surface steps, and localizedstrain concentration. Curvature-series observations and images acrossU-shaped and N-shaped regions indicate that the defect-rich regionfollows the local compressive stress state. Bending also breaks theapproximate electrostatic symmetry of the two PZT/STO interfaces:the tensile side shows weakened negative interfacial contrast, whereasthe compressive side shows a dislocation-associated increase in relativeprojected potential. These results identify curvature as a variablefor selecting polar versus plastic relaxation pathways and modulatinginterfacial electrostatic landscapes in flexible ferroelectric heterostructures.</p>","PeriodicalId":53,"journal":{"name":"Nano Letters","volume":"26 43","pages":"14959–14967"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149221739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}