A systematic and detailed design, building and testing of a high-sensitivity real-time magnetovision imaging system for non-destructive testing (NDT) was the purpose of the research presented here. The magnetic imaging systems developed were all based on an ultra-high sensitivity Quantum Well Hall Effect (QWHE) sensors, denoted as the P2A, which is based on GaAs-InGaAs-AlGaAs 2DEG heterostructures. The research progressed from 0D (single sensor) to 1D (linear array) to 2D (two dimensional arrays) testing modalities. Firstly, the measurement of thermal and shot noises, drift, detection limit, and dynamic offset cancellation of the QWHE sensor were studied in detail to set the framework and limitations of the fundamental QWHE sensors before their eventual use in the imaging systems developed subsequently. The results indicate that the measured data agrees well with calculations for thermal and shot noise when the input bias current is < 3 mA. The measured drift voltages of various QWHE sensors (P2A and P3A) are less than 200 µV when the sensor bias voltage is less than or equal to 2 V. A 4-direction dynamic offset cancellation technique was developed and the results show that the offset equivalent magnetic field of the QWHE sensors can be reduced from ~ 1mT to readings equal to the Earth magnetic field (~ 50 µT). Secondly, a flexible 16 × 1 array and a 32 × 2 staggered array magnetic-field scanners were designed, built, and tested. The QWHE magnetometer had a field strength resolution of 100 nT, and a measurement dynamic range of 138 dB. The flexible 16 × 1 magnetic field scanner can be used to test uneven and/or curved surfaces. This gives the flexible magnetic field scanner better inspection capabilities in both welding hump and circular pipe samples. By the staggered arrangement of two sensor arrays, a 15.4 point per inch horizontal spatial resolution can be achieved for the staggered 32 × 2 magnetic field scanner. Both direct and alternating magnetic flux leakage (DC and AC MFL) tests with the QWHE magnetometer were accomplished to obtain graphical 2-dimensional magnetic field distributions. Both the shape and the location of defects can be identified. The results show that the sensor has high sensitivity and linearity in a wide frequency range which makes it an optimum choice for AC-MFL testing and both ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic materials can be investigated. Thirdly, real-time 8 × 8 and 16  16 QWHE array magnetic-field cameras were designed, built, and tested. These prototypes can measure static magnetic field strengths in a 2-dimensional plane. Different shapes of magnets and magnetic field polarities can all be identified by the 8 × 8 magnetic field camera. The camera has a resolution of 3.05 mT, and a dynamic range of 66 dB (the minimum and maximum fields measurable are 3.05 mT and 6.25 mT) and a real time magnetic field measurement rate of 13 frames per second (FPS). By contrast the1616 array magnetic field camera has an improved sampling rate of 600 frame per second and with the use of an interpolation technique, a spatial resolution of 40.6 point per inch can be achieved. The minimum and maximum detectable magnetic field for this magnetic field camera are 1.8 µT and 29.5 mT respectively leading to a record dynamic range of 84 dB for high quality imaging. Finally, a novel, hand held, magnetovision system based on the real-time 16 × 16 QWHE array magnetic-field camera was developed for improved DC and AC electromagnetic NDT testing. The system uses a new super heterodyne technique for data acquisition using the QWHE sensor as a multiplier. This is the first report of such a technique in Hall effect magnetometry. The experimental results of five case studies demonstrate that the defects location and shape can be successfully measured with MFL in DC and AC magnetic field configurations including depth profiling. The major advantages of this real-time magnetic-field camera are: (1) its ease to use as a MFL testing equipment in both DC and AC NDT testing, (2) its ability to provide 2D graphical images similar to Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) but without its inherent health and safety drawbacks, (3) its capability to test both ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic materials for deep defects below the surface using low frequency alternating magnetic fields, and (4) its ability to identify materials (metals) by alternating external magnetic field illuminations, which has considerable potential in several applications such as security checking and labelling, magnetic markers for analysis, bio-imaging detection, and medical treatments amongst others.

Title: Theoretical studies of rolled-up and wrinkled nanomembranes Author: Mgr. Peter Cendula Department: Department of Condensed Matter Physics Thesis Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Oliver G. Schmidt, Prof. RNDr. Václav Holý, CSc. Abstract : The thesis is devoted to three similar topics from the field of rolled-up and wrinkled nanomembranes. We start by recalling classical theory of thin plates, which will be used to describe deformation of nanomembranes. In the first topic, relaxation of internal strain is studied when a flat film is partially released from the substrate by etching the sacrificial layer underneath. Energetic competition of the tube and wrinkle shape is quantitatively investigated. Similar model is used to investigate the limiting maximum value of tube rotations. In the second topic, roll-up of initially wrinkled film is shown to favor tubes forming on the flat edge of rectangular wrinkled pattern, enabling precise control of tube position. Experiment is provided to justify our theoretical predictions. In the third topic, quantum well is assumed inside a wrin- kled nanomembrane. Shift of transition energy induced by lateral modulation due to bending strain is quantified, being of interest for strain-sensitive optical detectors and emitters. In addition, lateral localization of electron and hole due to...

The properties of the macroscopic world around us, and of which we are a part, are largely determined by the low energy, collective behaviour of many interacting particles, including the nuclei and, especially, the electrons present. Although the fundamental laws governing the behaviour of these many-body systems are believed to be known in principle, the practical solution of the equations of quantum mechanics remains a challenging area of research. This thesis is concerned with the application of quantum Monte Carlo methods to two model systems: the spin-polarised homogeneous electron gas, and a hole-doped electron gas. Electronic structure theory is briefly reviewed before discussing in more detail the quantum Monte Carlo methods used in this thesis. A study of the three-dimensional spin-polarised homogeneous electron gas (HEG) is then reported, where the relatively new technique of twist averaging is investigated in detail and accurate energies and pair correlation functions are obtained over densities $r_s = 0.5 – 20$ a.u. and the full range of spin-polarisation, allowing comparison with the Perdew-Zunger interpolation scheme used in local spin density approximation exchange-correlation functionals. Following this, an impurity is added to the electron gas in the form of a positively charged hole, and the interaction is studied. Relaxation energies, pair correlation functions and momentum densities are reported. Trion formation is observed over a range of carrier densities and electron-hole mass ratios in agreement with experiment. Isolated trions are also studied, where the diffusion Monte Carlo method is exact. Methodological innovations developed while carrying out this work are discussed, including a variance reduction technique for twist-averaged calculations and a new trial wave function for impurity-in-HEG calculations.

Ce travail traite de la croissance épitaxiale et de la caractérisation d’hétérostructures àbase de multi-puits quantiques (MPQ) pour des applications dans le photovoltaïque. Leséchantillons ont été obtenus par la technique d’épitaxie en phase vapeur aux organométalliques(EPVOM) sur des substrats de saphir (0001). La caractérisation structurale etoptique est réalisée par diffraction de rayons X, microscopie électronique en transmission,spectroscopie de photoluminescence et de transmission. Pour étudier la présence de l’effetphotovoltaïque et pour estimer la performance électrique des échantillons, les MPQ ont étéintégrés dans la géométrie de cellules solaires en utilisant de la photolithographie, desattaques réactives ioniques assistées par plasma inductif et des métallisations pour contacterles parties dopées n et p.Nous avons étudié l’influence de différents designs des régions actives InGaN/GaN surles propriétés optiques et électriques des échantillons, c’est-à-dire le nombre de puitsquantiques InGaN, les épaisseurs des puits et des barrières et la composition en indium dansles puits. Deux mécanismes principaux doivent être pris en compte pour une optimisationefficace de composants photovoltaïques: l’absorption des photons et la collections desporteurs. Nous avons montré qu’une augmentation du nombre de MPQ, de leur épaisseur etde la composition d’In améliorait l’absorption, mais causait aussi des pertes dans l’efficacitéde collection du fait de l’augmentation de l’épaisseur de la couche active (champ électriqueplus faible), de la difficulté des porteurs pour s’échapper de puits plus profonds et derelaxation des contraintes (création de défauts structuraux). La décroissance de l’épaisseur desbarrières peut résoudre les deux premiers points, mais le problème de la relaxation de lacontrainte reste entier. Pour notre meilleur design, nous obtenons une efficacité de conversionde 2 % pour des couches 15×In0.18Ga0.82N/GaN qui ont une réponse spectrale qui s’étendjusqu’à 465 nm. / In this work we report on epitaxial growth and characterization of InGaN/GaN multiquantumwells (MQWs) heterostructures for application in photovoltaic devices. The sampleswere grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on (0001) sapphire substrate.The structural and optical characterization is performed by X-ray diffraction, transmissionelectron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and transmission measurements. Toinvestigate the presence of photovoltaic effect and estimate the electrical performance of thesamples, they were processed into solar cells by means of the photolithography, inductivelycoupled plasma reactive-ion etching and metallization to manage n and p contacts.We studied the influence of different InGaN/GaN active region designs on thestructural, optical and electrical properties of the samples, i.e. number of InGaN quantumwells, QW and quantum barrier thicknesses and indium composition in the wells. Two mainmechanisms have to be taken into account for an efficient optimization of photovoltaicdevices: photon absorption and carrier collection. We showed that an increase of the MQWsnumber, their thickness and the In-content allows absorption improvement, but causes lossesin the carrier collection efficiency due to: the increase of the active region thickness (lowerelectric field), the difficulty of the carrier to escape from deeper QWs and the strain relaxation(structural defect creation). The decrease of the barrier thickness can solve the first two issues,but the problem with strain relaxation remains. In the best design, we report the value of2.00% of conversion efficiency for 15×In0.18Ga0.82N/GaN samples with spectral responseextending to 465 nm.

BATISTA JÚNIOR, Francisco Florêncio. Propriedades de transportes em fios e poços quânticos. 2009. 73 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2009. / Submitted by Edvander Pires (edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-05-04T19:05:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2009_dis_ffbatistajunior.pdf: 2157799 bytes, checksum: 21fa9e91409293ec4b1914c4cd297c44 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edvander Pires(edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-05-07T14:47:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2009_dis_ffbatistajunior.pdf: 2157799 bytes, checksum: 21fa9e91409293ec4b1914c4cd297c44 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T14:47:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2009_dis_ffbatistajunior.pdf: 2157799 bytes, checksum: 21fa9e91409293ec4b1914c4cd297c44 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Semiconductor materials are responsible for the large development in electronic industry, what made it possible the creation of new devices. The heterostructures gave a large impulse to the solid-state physics. Semiconductors study is nowadays concentrated in the low-dimensional systems, as quantum wells, quantum wires, quantum dots and quantum rings. In this work, we investigate the transport properties of heterostructured quantum wires of double barrier. We begin with calculation of radial confinement energy in a quantum wire InAs/InP of double barrier. We use a cylindrical model of wire with gradual and abrupt nterfaces. Transmission coefficients are calculated. We study its behavior varying barriers width, distance between them and the wire radius. In the future, we will use these results to calculate electric current through the device. We also investigate transport properties of bidimensional systems with self-energy potential. We use heterostructures of Si/SiO2 and Si/HfO2. We solve Poisson’s equation with epsilon depending on z, expanding the potential in a Fourier-Bessel series, finding the image potential of the barriers. We calculate the electric current through this potential in function of the applied voltage, varying temperature and the distance between the barriers. We also consider gradual interfaces for the simple barrier case. / Materiais semicondutores são os principais responsáveis pelo grande crescimento da indústria eletrônica e pelo surgimento de novas tecnologias. A criação de heteroestruturas possibilitou um grande impulso à física do estado sólido. Atualmente, o estudo de semicondutores está concentrado em sistemas de dimensionalidade reduzida, como os poços, fios, pontos e aneis quânticos. Neste trabalho, investigamos as propriedades de transporte em fios quânticos heteroestruturados de barreira dupla e em sistemas bidimensionais de barreira simples e dupla. Iniciamos com o cálculo da energia do confinamento radial no fio quântico InAs/InP de barreira dupla. Usamos um modelo de fio cilíndrico com e sem interfaces graduais. Calculamos as transmissões através das barreiras e estudamos o comportamento das mesmas variando a largura das barreiras, a distância entre elas e o raio do fio. Futuramente utilizaremos estes resultados para o cálculo da corrente elétrica através do dispositivo. Também investigamos as propriedades de transporte em sistemas bidimensionais com potencial de auto-energia. Utilizamos heteroestruturas formadas por Si/SiO2 e Si/HfO2. Sendo as constantes dielétricas dos óxidos diferentes do silício, resolvemos a equação de Poisson com epsilon dependente de z. Expandimos o potencial em uma série de Fourier-Bessel, encontrando, por fim, o potencial imagem para as barreiras. Calculamos a corrente elétrica através deste potencial em função da voltagem, variando a temperatura, a distância entre as barreiras. Também levamos em conta as interfaces graduais para o caso de barreira simples.

Submitted by JONATAS DA SILVA CAVALCANTE null (jonatasunesp@hotmail.com.br) on 2016-05-30T18:25:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_CAVALCANTE, J. S..pdf: 2922725 bytes, checksum: 28bbd38e0e0a062b2c9458d85fbf5f58 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-31T16:41:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 cavalcante_js_me_bauru.pdf: 2922725 bytes, checksum: 28bbd38e0e0a062b2c9458d85fbf5f58 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-31T16:41:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cavalcante_js_me_bauru.pdf: 2922725 bytes, checksum: 28bbd38e0e0a062b2c9458d85fbf5f58 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este trabalho investiga as propriedades ópticas de um sistema semicondutor que tem alto potencial para aplicação em optoeletrônica. As amostras estudadas são baseadas no sistema InxGa1-xAs0,984N0,016/GaAs, a concentração x de índio encontra-se na faixa de 0,26 a 0,43 e foram crescidas nas temperaturas de 400°C e 430°C e, passaram por tratamento térmico, a temperatura de 720 °C, durante o tempo de 30 min. Em ambas amostras a espessura do poço é de 6,5 nm. A técnica utilizada na investigação é a fotoluminescência, que permite analisar o comportamento de portadores em diferentes faixas de temperatura e regimes de excitação, para caracterizar a qualidade estrutural das amostras. No estudo procuramos compreender o comportamento das emissões ópticas analisando a largura de linha a meia altura (FWHM) da emissão, a variação do band gap com a temperatura e a localização e ativação térmica dos portadores de carga. / This work investigates the optical properties of a semiconductor system which has high potential for application in optoelectronics. The samples studied are based on InxGa1-xAs0,984N0,016 / GaAs system, the indium concentration x is in the range from 0.26 to 0.43, and were grown at temperatures of 400 °C and 430 °C and received thermal treatment, at 720 oC, during 30 minutes. In both samples the well thickness is 6.5 nm. The technique used in the investigation is the photoluminescence, which allows to analyze the behavior of carriers in different temperature ranges and excitation regimes, in order to characterize the structural quality of the samples. In the study we sought to understand the behavior of the optical emissions by analyzing the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the emission line, the variation of the band gap with temperature and the trapping and thermal activation of charge carriers.

Este trabalho apresenta o resultado de investigações sobre efeitos de spin em amostras de poços quânticos simples e duplos de AlGaAs, crescidos em substratos de GaAs por MBE - Molecular Beam Epitaxy. O estudo se concentra na variação do fator g de Landé ao longo da estrutura dos poços, a qual ocorre em virtude da dependência dessa grandeza, com respeito ao conteúdo de Al na liga AlGaAs. Através de cálculos autoconsistentes foram encontradas a distribuição eletrônica nos poços e a penetração da densidade eletrônica nas barreiras. Os cálculos se basearam em valores de densidade superficial de elétrons ns medidos experimentalmente em diversas amostras através de medidas de Hall e Shubnikov-de Haas. O estudo permitiu a determinação do valor esperado do fator g de Landé, em função do deslocamento da densidade eletrônica dentro dos poços devido `a ação de campos elétricos externos arbitrário. Também foi estudada a influência do tunelamento da densidade eletrônica dos poços. / In this work we presents the results of our investigations concerning MBE grown AlGaAs/GaAs single and double quantum well samples. We focused on the variation of the Land´e g factor along the structure of the quantum wells, which occur as a consquence of its dependence on the Al content on the alloy AlGaAs. The electronic distribution on the wells and the penetration of the eletronic density into the barriers of the samples were found through selfconsistent calculations. The calculations were based on the eletronic sheet density ns measured through Hall and Shubinikov-de Haas efects. This research allowed the determination of the expected value of the Landé g-factor, as a function of the displacement of the electronic state inside the wells due to an arbitrary external electric field action. Also the influence of the tunneling effects was also studied.

Neste trabalho estudamos as estruturas e as mobilidades eletrônicas em um sistema quase-bidimensional de poços quânticos parabólicos de AlxGa1-xAs dopados. Obtemos as auto-energias, as funções de onda e os perfis dos potencias de confinamento efetivo no sistema, através das soluções numéricas das equações de Schrödinger e de Poisson de forma autoconsistente. Em particular, estudamos as mobilidades quânticas e de transporte nestes sistemas. Devido a ocupação de várias subbandas nestes sistemas, as contribuições dos espalhamentos inter-subbandas para as mobilidades têm a mesma importância que os espalhamentos intra-subbandas. Obtemos as mobilidades de cada subbanda devido aos espalhamentos por impurezas doadoras e aceitadoras ionizadas e por potencial de liga. Analisamos os efeitos das distribuições de doadores dopados, de aceitadores de fundo e do potencial de gate externo / In this work we study the electronic structure and electron mobilities in doped wide parabolic quantum wells of AlxGa1-xAs. The subband energies, the wavefunctions, and the effective confining potential profile are obtained by studying selfconsistently the coupled Schrödinger and Poisson equations. Based on the numerical results of the electronic structure, we calculate the quantum and transport mobilities of the system. Usually several subbands are occupied in such systems and they are strongly coupled to each other, the intersubband interaction shows the same importance as the intrasubband one to the electronic transport. We study and analyze the electron mobility of each subband due to the ionized donor scattering and the alloy scattering. We also show the effect of ionized background acceptor impurity scattering

Neste trabalho, apresentamos os resultados de estudos com poços quânticos parabólicos (PQW, Parabolic Quantum Well ) de AlGaAs crescidos sobre substratos de GaAs pela técnica de epitaxia por feixe molecular. Medidas de transporte em PQWs do tipo n e do tipo p com larguras de 1000 ºA ate 4000 ºA em baixas temperaturas indicam um aumento abrupto do coeficiente Hall para um campo magnético critico de aproximadamente 3 T. Nosso estudo concentra-se na interpretação deste aumento observado. Com este propósito, estudamos através de cálculos autoconsistentes e de aproximações anal¶³ticas o processo de transferência de cargas em amostras com PQWs. Determinamos as densidades superficiais de cargas ns e ps, e comparamos estes resultados com os obtidos experimentalmente. Verificamos que os melhores resultados para a densidade de cargas (ns) s~ao aqueles determinados pelos cálculos autoconsistentes. No entanto, as aproximações analíticas se mostram importantes para descrever de forma qualitativa os resultados experimentais para amostras do tipo p. Numa segunda parte do nosso trabalho, estudamos a influencia da aplicação de campos magnéticos ao longo da direção de crescimento nas amostras com PQWs. Observamos uma diminuição na largura de densidade de cargas n(z) e do potencial total V (z). Estes resultados em combinação com o processo de transferência de cargas, levam a uma diminuição da densidade de portadores no poço, produto da redistribuição das cargas entre o poço e as camadas com dopagem de silencio. Desta forma, atribuímos o aumento no coeficiente Hall como sendo oriundo de uma diminuição da densidade de cargas dentro do PQW. / We present the results of experiments and calculations done on AlGaAs Parabolic Quantum Wells (PQWs) grown on GaAs by molecular beam epitaxial tecniques. Transport measurements in n-type and p-type samples with widths between 1000 ºA and 4000 ºA at low temperatures indicate an abrupt increase of the Hall coeficient at a critical field B ¼ 3 T. Our study focuses on the interpretation of this observed increase. To this end, we study by means of self-consistent numerical simulations and analytical approximations the charge transfer process in PQWs. We compare our results for the sheet densities with those observed experimentally. The best results are obtained for n-type samples for which we could numerical simulations. However, the analytical expressions we obtained also describe qualitatively the experimental results, and can be applied to p-type samples. In the second part of this work we study the efect of a magnetic feld applied perpendicular to the well. The simulations indicate a diminishing of the charge density and the total potential in the well. These results, combined with the charge transfer process, lead to a redistribution of charge between the well and the dopant layers. Therefore, we interpret the observed increase of the Hall coefcient as the result of a depletion of charge in the parabolic quantum well.

L'objet de cette thèse vise à montrer expérimentalement l'amplification dans le domaine terahertz d'échantillons à base de puits quantiques en nitrure de gallium (GaN), maintenus à basses températures (< 100 K), grâce au mécanisme physique de "résonance du temps de transit des phonons optiques". Po ur ce faire, un banc expérimental permettant de mesurer le spectre en transmission des échantillons dans différentes gammes de fréquences (0.220-0.325, 0.843-1.100 et 0.7-1.7 THz suivant la source utilisée), et sous différentes conditions (température, orientation, champ électrique appliqué) a été développé. Un deuxième banc, servant à mesurer les caractéristiques courant-tension en régime continu ou pulsé a également été réalisé en vue de l'étude électrique des composants à basses températures. Les résultats montrent l'existence d'un effet conséquent sur le spectre de transmission au fur et à mesure que le champ électrique appliqué augmente. / The objective of this thesis is to experimentally demonstrate the amplification in the terahertz frequency domain by quantum wells of gallium nitride (GaN), maintained at low temperatures (< 100 K), thanks to the so called "optical phonon transit time resonance" mechanism. To achieve that goal, an experimental setup have been developed to measure the transmission spectra of the samples under study in different frequency bands (0.220-0.325, 0.843-1.100, and 0.7-1.7 THz depending on the source), and under different experimental conditions (temperature, orientation, applied electric field). Besides this first setup, another bench have been developed to measure the DC and pulsed current-voltage characteristics at low temperatures. The results show a significant enhancement on the transmission spectra as the applied electric field is increased.