Optically addressable spin defects hosted in two-dimensional van der Waals materials represent a new frontier for quantum technologies, promising to lead to a new class of ultrathin quantum sensors and simulators. Recently, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has been shown to host several types of optically addressable spin defects, thus offering a unique opportunity to utilise various spin species in a single material. Here we demonstrate the co-existence of two separate spin species within a single hBN powder sample, namely boron vacancy defects and visible emitter spins. To identify the two spin species, we studied photoluminescence (PL) and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectra for the as-received commercially sourced hBN powder and after electron irradiation. Further, we prepared a film of hBN powder on a test magnetic sample (a patterned CoFeB film with in-plane magnetization) and used the hBN spins to spatially map the sample’s stray magnetic field at room temperature.Our results establish hBN as a versatile platform for quantum technologies in a van der Waals host at room temperature.
Spacecraft are subject to harsh environments and their radiation resistance is one of the most important issues [1]. Therefore, radiation response of any components for use in space should be evaluated before their launch to predict their reliability and lifetime in space. For solar cells, electron and proton irradiation experiments are usually carried out to clarify their radiation degradation [2]. Although electrons/protons have energy spectra in space, electron/proton irradiation with mono-energy is used for ground testing due to the limitation of the capability of currently existing standard particle accelerators. Then relative damage coefficients (RDCs), which is a kind of conversion factors to understand degradation values to the standard electron/proton energy (1 MeV for electrons and 10 MeV for electrons), are estimated. Recently, multi-junction solar cells consisting of multilayer of sub-cells, such as InGaP/GaAs/Ge solar cells, are installed onto spacecraft. RDCs for multi-junction solar cells is not monotonic behaviors since their degradation strongly depends on the penetration depth of electrons/protons. Thus, they show large RDCs values when the penetration depth is close to pn junction for each sub cell. This indicates that it is necessary to make irradiation testing with many energies to clarify their degradation in space. If we can use electron/proton beams with energy spectra similar to space environment, the time and cost for the ground testing can reduce as well as radiation degradation of multi-junction solar cells can be predicted with high accuracy. We are expecting laser-driven particle acceleration technology to realized particle beams with energy spectra similar to space environments.
Particle irradiation is a popular methodology for the functionalization of materials. For example, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond is known as a spin defect which can be applied to the quantum technology, e.g. quantum bit (qubit) and quantum sensor. To create NV centers, we need to introduce vacancies and/or N atoms. Particle irradiation (N ion implantation) is a key technology [3]. For quantum sensing, the sensitivity improves with increasing amounts of NV centers. Thus, for realizing quantum sensing with high sensitivity, it is necessary to create the certain thickness of a NV center layer. Since particle (N ion) beams with energy spectra can introduce damage (N atoms) in diamond by one experiment, laser-driven particle beam acceleration technology is also useful from the point of view of material functionalization.
[1] C. Morioka, et al., First flight demonstration of film-laminated InGaP/GaAs and CIGS thin-film solar cells by JAXA’s small satellite in LEO, Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl., 19 (2011) 825.
[2] M. Imaizumi, et al., Radiation degradation characteristics of component subcells in inverted metamorphic triple-junction solar cells irradiated with electrons and protons, Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl., 25 (2017) 161.
[3] Y. Yamazaki, et al., Chapter 4 “Color Centers in Wide-Gap Semiconductors for Quantum Technology” of Defect in Functional Materials, Edited by F. C-C Ling et al., World Scientific Publishing Co.Pte. Ltd (2020) 93.
The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre in diamond is a perfect candidate for quantum sensing applications applied to numerous fields of science. Past studies improved the sensitivity of diamonds containing NV centres by increasing their density or prolonging their coherence time. However, few studies discussed the effects of other defects inside the diamond crystal on the sensitivity of the NV centres. In this study, we demonstrated the implication of single substitutional nitrogen defects on the fluorescence emission, charge state stability, coherence time and sensitivity of the NV centres. We found that there is an optimal concentration of nitrogen defects that allows diamond samples to have a high-density of NV centres and high fluorescence without significantly affecting the coherence time. This results will inform the correct choice of diamond characteristics for current and future quantum sensing applications with the NV centres.
Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) has emerged as a new competitor to SiC and GaN in the race toward next-generation power switching and harsh environment electronics by virtue of the excellent material properties and the relative ease of mass wafer production. In this proceedings paper, an overview of our recent development progress of Ga2O3 metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors and Schottky barrier diodes will be reported.
Hydrogen storage alloys become more and more important in the fields of electric energy production and stage and automobiles such as Ni-MH batteries. The vacancies introduced in hydrogen absorption alloy by charged particle beams were found to be positive effect on the increase in the initial hydrogen absorption reaction rate in the previous study. The initial reaction rates of hydrogen absorption and desorption of the alloy are one of the important performances to be improved. Here, we report on the characterization of the hydrogen absorption reaction rate directly illuminated by a femtosecond and nanosecond lasers instead of particle beam machines. A laser illuminates the whole surface sequentially on a tip of a few cm square LaNi4.6Al0.4 alloy resulting in significant improvement in the hydrogen absorption reaction rate. For characterization of the surface layer, we perform an x-ray diffraction experiment using a monochromatized intense x-ray beam from SPring-8 synchrotoron machine.
KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Solar radiation, Solar energy, Silicon, Solar radiation models, Indium gallium phosphide, Gallium arsenide, Thin film solar cells, Thin films, Multijunction solar cells
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) together with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has developed an insitu evaluation technique for understanding radiation response of space solar cells, by which the electrical characteristics of solar cells can be measured under AM0 light illumination during proton/electron irradiation experiments (Simultaneous method). Using the simultaneous method, we revealed the radiation degradation of multi-junction solar cells such as InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple junction (3J) solar cells. A modeling of the radiation degradation of 3J solar cells based on the Non-Ionizing Energy Loss (NIEL) concept was established. Flexible multi-junction solar cells are under development for space applications.
Two types of space solar cells, silicon single-junction and InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction (3J) solar cells, have been primarily adopted for spacecraft. The conversion efficiencies of the solar cells under AM0, 1 sun condition are ~17% for silicon and ~30% for 3J cells. Radiation degradation occurs in space due to high-energy electrons and protons existing in space environment. The degradation is caused by radiation induced crystal defects which act as minority-carrier recombination centers and majority-carrier trap centers. The 3J cells are superior radiation resistant to the silicon cells, and this is mainly because the InGaP top-subcell has property of very high radiation resistance.
Change in the dominant electronic conduction mechanism of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films from the band transport to the hopping transport due to ion irradiation is investigated. The change is clarified by the experimental study of electric conductivity of a-Si:H irradiated with energetic protons. Dark electric conductivity (DC) and photoconductivity (PC) variations as a function of 100 keV proton fluence, and variations of temperature dependence of DC due to 100 keV proton irradiation are investigated in detail. As a result, the decrease in DC and PC due to reduction of the band transport is observed at the fluence of less than 1014 cm-2, and the drastic increase in DC and the loss of photoconduction due to enhancement of the hopping transport are observed in the high fluence regime. However, the hopping transport induced by proton irradiation easily disappears at above 300 K and after that, the band transport dominates the electric conduction again. The conductivity based on the band transport after irradiation is not completely restored even after thermal annealing, indicating that thermally stable dangling bonds remain. It is concluded that these electronic transport changes originated from ion irradiation and thermal annealing are caused by the increase or decrease in dangling bond density (localized density of states).
Radiation hardness of 6H silicon carbide (SiC) p+n diode particle detectors has been studied. The charge collection efficiency (CCE) of the detectors decreases with the increased fluence of electrons with energies of 0.2 MeV and higher. Defect X2 with an activation energy of 0.5 eV was found in all detectors which showed the decreased CCE. The decreased CCE was restored to the initial value by thermal annealing of defect X2. It is concluded that defect X2 is responsible for the decreased CCE of 6H-SiC p+n diode particle detectors.
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