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Radiation tolerance is determined as the ability of crystalline materials to withstand the accumulation of the radiation induced disorder. Nevertheless, for sufficiently high fluences, in all by far known semiconductors it ends up with either very high disorder levels or amorphization. Here we show that gamma/beta (γ/β) double polymorph Ga 2 O 3 structures exhibit remarkably high radiation tolerance. Specifically, for room temperature experiments, they tolerate a disorder equivalent to hundreds of displacements per atom, without severe degradations of crystallinity; in comparison with, e.g., Si amorphizable already with the lattice atoms displaced just once. We explain this behavior by an interesting combination of the Ga- and O- sublattice properties in γ-Ga 2 O 3 . In particular, O-sublattice exhibits a strong recrystallization trend to recover the face-centered-cubic stacking despite the stronger displacement of O atoms compared to Ga during the active periods of cascades. Notably, we also explained the origin of the β-to-γ Ga 2 O 3 transformation, as a function of the increased disorder in β-Ga 2 O 3 and studied the phenomena as a function of the chemical nature of the implanted atoms. As a result, we conclude that γ/β double polymorph Ga 2 O 3 structures, in terms of their radiation tolerance properties, benchmark a class of universal radiation tolerant semiconductors. Here authors show that gamma/beta double polymorph Ga 2 O 3 structures exhibit unprecedently high radiation tolerance accommodating disorder equivalent to hundreds of displacements per atom. Thus, such Ga 2 O 3 structures benchmark a new class of radiation tolerant semiconductors.

Recently, the optoelectronic memory is capturing growing attention due to its integrated function of sense and memory as well as multilevel storage ability. Although tens of states have been reported in literature, there are still three obvious deficiencies in most of the optoelectronic memories: large programming voltage (>20 V), high optical power density (>1 mW cm −2 ), and poor compatibility originating from the over-reliance on channel materials. Here, we firstly propose an optoelectronic memory based on a new photosensitive dielectric (PSD) architecture. Data writing and erasing are realized by using an optical pulse to switch on the PSD. The unique design enables the memory to work with a programming voltage and optical power density as low as 4 V and 160 µW cm −2 , respectively. Meanwhile, this device may be extended to different kinds of transistors for specific applications. Our discovery offers a brand-new direction for non-volatile optoelectronic memories with low energy consumption. Designing high efficient optoelectronic memory remains a challenge. Here, the authors report a novel optoelectronic memory device based on a photosensitive dielectric that is an insulator in dark and a semiconductor under irradiation with multilevel storage ability, low energy consumption and good compatibility.

Recent progresses in nanoscale semiconductor technology have heightened the need for measurements of band gaps with high spatial resolution. Band gap mapping can be performed through a combination of probe-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), but are rare owing to the complexity of the experiments and the data analysis. Furthermore, although this method is far superior in terms of spatial resolution to any other techniques, it is still fundamentally resolution-limited due to inelastic delocalization of the EELS signal. In this work we have established a quantitative correlation between optical band gaps and plasmon energies using the Zn 1− x Cd x O/ZnO system as an example, thereby side-stepping the fundamental resolution limits of band gap measurements, and providing a simple and convenient approach to achieve band gap maps with unprecedented spatial resolution.

Ion irradiation is a powerful tool to tune properties of semiconductors and, in particular, of gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) which is a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor exhibiting phase instability for high enough strain/disorder levels. In the present paper we observed an interesting interplay between the disorder and strain in monoclinic β-Ga 2 O 3 single crystals by comparing atomic and cluster ion irradiations as well as atomic ions co-implants. The results obtained by a combination of the channeling technique, X-ray diffraction and theoretical calculations show that the disorder accumulation in β-Ga 2 O 3 exhibits superlinear behavior as a function of the collision cascade density. Moreover, the level of strain in the implanted region can be engineered by changing the disorder conditions in the near surface layer. The results can be used for better understanding of the radiation effects in β-Ga 2 O 3 and imply that disorder/strain interplay provides an additional degree of freedom to maintain desirable strain in Ga 2 O 3 , potentially applicable to modify the rate of the polymorphic transitions in this material.

Disorder-induced ordering and remarkably high radiation tolerance in γ-phase of gallium oxide is a recent spectacular discovery at the intersection of the fundamental physics and electronic applications. Importantly, by far, these data were collected with initial samples in form of the thermodynamically stable β-phase of this material. Here, we investigate these phenomena starting from metastable α-phase and explain radically new trend occurring in the system. We argue that in contrast to that in β-to-γ disorder-induced transitions, the O sublattice in α-phase exhibits hexagonal close-packed structure, so that to activate α-to-γ transformation significant structural rearrangements are required in both Ga and O sublattices. Moreover, consistent with theoretical predictions, α-to-γ phase transformation requires accumulation of the substantial tensile strain to initiate otherwise impossible lattice glides. Thus, we explain the experimentally observed trends in term of the combination of disorder and strain governed process. Finally, we demonstrate atomically abrupt α/γ interfaces paradoxically self-organized out of the stochastic disorder. In metastable gallium oxide, disorder and strain are found to trigger self-organized atomically sharp interfaces via lattice glides, unlocking radiation-resistant materials and precisely controlled phase transitions in a far-from-equilibrium system.

We discovered a technical solution of such outstanding importance that it can trigger new approaches in silicon wet etching processing and, in particular, photovoltaic cell manufacturing. The so called inverted pyramid arrays, outperforming conventional pyramid textures and black silicon because of their superior light-trapping and structure characteristics, can currently only be achieved using more complex techniques involving lithography, laser processing, etc. Importantly, our data demonstrate a feasibility of inverted pyramidal texturization of silicon by maskless Cu-nanoparticles assisted etching in Cu(NO 3 ) 2 / HF / H 2 O 2 / H 2 O solutions and as such may have significant impacts on communities of fellow researchers and industrialists.

In this study, the results of hydrogen plasma treatments of β-Ga2O3, α-Ga2O3, κ-Ga2O3 and γ-Ga2O3 polymorphs are analyzed. For all polymorphs, the results strongly suggest an interplay between donor-like hydrogen configurations and acceptor complexes formed by hydrogen with gallium vacancies. A strong anisotropy of hydrogen plasma effects in the most thermodynamically stable β-Ga2O3 are explained by its low-symmetry monoclinic crystal structure. For the metastable, α-, κ- and γ-polymorphs, it is shown that the net result of hydrogenation is often a strong increase in the density of centers supplying electrons in the near-surface regions. These centers are responsible for prominent, persistent photocapacitance and photocurrent effects.

Graphene oxide (GO), a two-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterial with a distinctive layered architecture, has emerged as a transformative platform for addressing critical challenges in energy, environment, and healthcare through innovative technological solutions. This comprehensive review examines exceptional characteristics of GO as a smart nanomaterial in advanced materials science, emphasizing synthesis chemistry and property modification for sustainable, multifunctional applications. The unique layered structure of GO enables extensive surface functionalization, allowing tailored properties from excellent adsorptive to hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces, and dimensional configurations spanning 0D to 3D nanostructures. Its significant features like structural flexibility, tunable band gap, high surface area, outstanding optoelectronic and mechanical properties, and adaptive surface chemistry, establish GO as a revolutionary nanomaterial with unprecedented technological potential. Recent developments demonstrate that standalone GO can exhibit notable performance across diverse scientific applications, showcasing its versatile nature and transformative capabilities. This review presents a holistic perspective on applications of GO in sustainable environmental remediation, including adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of micro/nano-plastics, pathogens, toxic substances, and volatile organic compounds. Additionally, GO demonstrates significant promise in sustainable energy storage and conversion through CO 2 photoreduction, photocatalytic hydrogen production, organic synthesis transformations, and battery technologies. The review also explores GO-based platforms in advanced sensing technologies, including surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for ultra-sensitive detection of organic/biological molecules and environmental gas sensing, alongside healthcare applications. A major emphasis has been given on the role of GO as an emerging multifunctional and sustainable nanomaterial with significant real-world and industrial applications. Despite its significant potential, GO faces significant challenges, including scalability limitations, long-term stability concerns, and reproducibility/regeneration issues, which have been addressed with possible solutions, including health concerns for its sustainable futuristic applications.

Nitrogen doping is a promising method of engineering the electronic structure of a metal oxide to modify its optical and electrical properties; however, the doping effect strongly depends on the types of defects introduced. Herein, we report a comparative study of nitrogen-doping-induced defects in Cu 2 O. Even in the lightly doped samples, a considerable number of nitrogen interstitials (N i ) formed, accompanied by nitrogen substitutions (N O ) and oxygen vacancies (V O ). In the course of high-temperature annealing, these N i atoms interacted with V O , resulting in an increase in N O and decreases in N i and V O . The properties of the annealed sample were significantly modified as a result. Our results suggest that N i is a significant defect type in nitrogen-doped Cu 2 O.

Given its potential for integration and scalability, silicon is likely to be a key platform for large-scale quantum technologies. Individual electron-encoded artificial atoms, formed by either impurities or quantum dots, have emerged as a promising solution for silicon-based integrated quantum circuits. However, single qubits featuring an optical interface, which is needed for long-distance exchange of information, have not yet been isolated in silicon. Here we report the isolation of single optically active point defects in a commercial silicon-on-insulator wafer implanted with carbon atoms. These artificial atoms exhibit a bright, linearly polarized single-photon emission with a quantum efficiency of the order of unity. This single-photon emission occurs at telecom wavelengths suitable for long-distance propagation in optical fibres. Our results show that silicon can accommodate single isolated optical point defects like in wide-bandgap semiconductors, despite a small bandgap (1.1 eV) that is unfavourable for such observations. Carbon-related point defects can be isolated in a commercial silicon-on-insulator wafer, acting as artificial atoms that provide efficient polarized single-photon emission at wavelengths suitable for long-distance propagation in optical fibres.