Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Controlling phase changes in solids: Controlling phase changes in solids

Schematic of the ultrafast transformation pathway.
CREDIT: ICFO/Fritz-Haber-Inst. MPG/SUTD
Schematic of the ultrafast transformation pathway.

CREDIT: ICFO/Fritz-Haber-Inst. MPG/SUTD

Abstract:
Rewritable CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs owe their existence to phase-change materials, those materials that change their internal order when heated and whose structures can be switched back and forth between their crystalline and amorphous phases. Phase-change materials have even more exciting applications on the horizon, but our limited ability to precisely control their phase changes is a hurdle to the development of new technology.

Controlling phase changes in solids: Controlling phase changes in solids

Barcelona, Spain | Posted on July 29th, 2015

One of the most popular and useful phase-change materials is GST, which consists of germanium, antimony, and tellurium. This material is particularly useful because it alternates between its crystalline and amorphous phases more quickly than any other material yet studied. These phase changes result from changes in the bonds between atoms, which also modify the electronic and optical properties of GST as well as its lattice structure. Specifically, resonant bonds, in which electrons participate in several neighboring bonds, influence the material's electro-optical properties, while covalent bonds, in which electrons are shared between two atoms, influence its lattice structure. Most techniques that use GST simultaneously change both the electro-optical and structural properties. This is actually a considerable drawback since in the process of repeating structural transitions, such as heating and cooling the material, the lifetime of any device based on this material is drastically reduced.

In a study recently published in Nature Materials, researchers from the ICFO groups led by Prof. Simon Wall and ICREA Prof. at ICFO Valerio Pruneri, in collaboration with the Firtz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, have demonstrated how the material and electro-optical properties of GST change over fractions of a trillionth of a second as the phase of the material changes. Laser light was successfully used to alter the bonds controlling the electro-optical properties without meaningfully altering the bonds controlling the lattice. This new configuration allowed the rapid, reversible changes in the electro-optical properties that are important in device applications without reducing the lifetime of the device by changing its lattice structure. Moreover, the change in the electro-optical properties of GST measured in this study is more than ten times greater than that previously achieved by silicon materials used for the same purpose. This finding suggests that GST may be a good substitute for these commonly used silicon materials.

The results of this study may be expected to have far-reaching implications for the development of new technologies, including flexible displays, logic circuits, optical circuits, and universal memory for data storage. These results also indicate the potential of GST for other applications requiring materials with large changes in optical properties that can be achieved rapidly and with high precision.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Alina Hirschmann

34-935-542-246

Copyright © ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Flexible Electronics

Electrons screen against conductivity-killer in organic semiconductors: The discovery is the first step towards creating effective organic semiconductors, which use significantly less water and energy, and produce far less waste than their inorganic counterparts February 16th, 2024

CityU awarded invention: Soft, ultrathin photonic material cools down wearable electronic devices June 30th, 2023

Liquid metal sticks to surfaces without a binding agent June 9th, 2023

Display technology/LEDs/SS Lighting/OLEDs

Light guide plate based on perovskite nanocomposites November 3rd, 2023

Simple ballpoint pen can write custom LEDs August 11th, 2023

Memory Technology

Interdisciplinary: Rice team tackles the future of semiconductors Multiferroics could be the key to ultralow-energy computing October 6th, 2023

Researchers discover materials exhibiting huge magnetoresistance June 9th, 2023

Rensselaer researcher uses artificial intelligence to discover new materials for advanced computing Trevor Rhone uses AI to identify two-dimensional van der Waals magnets May 12th, 2023

TUS researchers propose a simple, inexpensive approach to fabricating carbon nanotube wiring on plastic films: The proposed method produces wiring suitable for developing all-carbon devices, including flexible sensors and energy conversion and storage devices March 3rd, 2023

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Materials/Metamaterials/Magnetoresistance

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Focused ion beam technology: A single tool for a wide range of applications January 12th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Photonics/Optics/Lasers

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024

HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024

A battery’s hopping ions remember where they’ve been: Seen in atomic detail, the seemingly smooth flow of ions through a battery’s electrolyte is surprisingly complicated February 16th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project