To optimize the tribo-mechanical performance of thick Ti-Si-CN nanocomposite coatings for a wide range of harsh industrial applications, reactive gases of nitrogen and trimethylsilane were employed with specific flow rates of PEMS process. Plasma-enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS) was employed for depositing thick Ti-Si-C-N nanocomposite (22-27 lm) on Ti-6Al-4V substrates at relatively high deposition rate up to 4.5 lm/h. Controlling the ... Read more

Synthesis of hard/soft magnetically exchange-coupled heterostructures is one promising way to design energy-efficient rare-earth-free artificial magnetic materials for application as permanent magnets and in spintronics. As a model system, we experimentally investigate MnGa/FeCo bilayers and simulate their physical behavior in a combined density functional theory and micromagnetic approach. Using highquality L10 -Mn1.5 Ga thin films with bulklike magnetic properties, we ... Read more

The evolution of crystalline structure induced by heat treatment and high pressure torsion (HPT) deformation and its influence on the magnetic properties of amorphous and partially crystalline Hf2Co11B ribbons were investigated. Slight improvement in thermal stability of the as-quenched sample after deformation was observed as indicated by the shift of the first crystallization peak from 592 to 598 C. Plastic ... Read more

Magnetic exchange coupling behavior was investigated in MnBi/FeCo bilayer system at the hard/soft magnetic interface. We performed a combined study of cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), DFT calculations, and micromagnetic simulations to elucidate effect of interface structure on exchange coupling. Exchange spring MnBi/Fex Co1-x (x=0.65 and 0.35) bilayers with various thicknesses of the soft magnetic layer were deposited ... Read more

Oxide semiconductors typically show superior device performance compared to amorphous silicon or organic counterparts, especially, when they are physical vapor deposited. However, it is not easy to reproduce identical device characteristics when the oxide field- effect transistors (FETs) are solution-processed/ printed; the level of complexity further intensifies with the need to print the passive elements as well. Here, we developed ... Read more

Alternative designs of plasmonic metamaterials for applications in solar energyharvesting devices are necessary due to pure noble metal-based nanostructures’ incompatibility with CMOS technology, limited thermal and chemical stability, and high losses in the visible spectrum. In the present study, we demonstrate the design of a material based on a multilayer architecture with systematically varying dielectric interlayer thicknesses that result in ... Read more

Ni50Ti50 nm-sized amorphous particles are prepared using inert-gas condensation followed by in situ compaction. Elemental segregation of Ni and Ti is observed in the consolidated nanostructured material Amorphous, nearly pure Nickel (96%) nanophases form within the amorphous Ni50Ti50 alloy. Combining atom probe tomography and scanning transmission electron microscopy with computer modelling, we explore the formation process of such amorphous nanophase ... Read more

In the search for novel battery systems with high energy density and low cost, fluoride ion batteries have recently emerged as a further option to store electricity with very high volumetric energy densities. Among metal fluorides, CuF2 is an intriguing candidate for cathode materials due to its high specific capacity and high theoretical conversion potential. Here, the reversibility of CuF2 ... Read more

Lithium ion battery is currently the method of choice when it comes to local stationary storage of electrical energy. In the search for an alternative system, fluoride ion battery (FIB) emerges as a candidate due to its high theoretical capacity, and no lithium is needed for its operation. To improve the cycling performance and lower the working temperature of a ... Read more

Scandium nitride (ScN) is an emerging indirect bandgap rocksalt semiconductor that has attracted significant attention in recent years for its potential applications in thermoelectric energy conversion devices, as a semiconducting component in epitaxial metal/semiconductor superlattices and as a substrate material for high quality GaN growth. Due to the presence of oxygen impurities and native defects such as nitrogen vacancies, sputter-deposited ... Read more