Publications

The fundamental phenomena at ferroelectric interfaces have been the subject of thorough theoretical and computational studies due to their usefulness in a large variety of emergent electronic devices, solar cells and catalysts. Ferroelectricity determines interface band-bending and shifts in electron energies, which can be beneficial or detrimental to device performance. However, the underlying mechanisms are still the subject of debate and investigation, as a deeper understanding of the electrochemistry is required to develop bona fide design principles for functional ferroelectric surfaces and interfaces. Here, using first principles calculations within the GGA + U formalism, we investigate the problem of band alignment in non-defective, asymmetric SrRuO3/PbTiO3/SrRuO3 capacitors with ultra-thin ferroelectric layers. The effects of the dielectric size on the polar distortion stability and interface-specific properties are analyzed. It is shown that the critical size of the dielectric for polarization switching is approximate to 2 nm (5 PbTiO3 u.c.). Below this limit there is no bulk-like region in the dielectric, the space charge accumulated at interfaces leads to the presence of gap states in the whole PbTiO3 layer and ferroelectricity vanishes. We draw the band alignment diagrams as given by the band line-up and band structure terms, as well as by taking Ti 3s semi-core states as reference. In the ferroelectric structures, both approaches predict a strong effect of band-bending on the type of contact, Schottky or Ohmic, at the asymmetric interfaces. The effect of interface states on the interface dipole amplitude and band alignment is discussed.

Ferroelectrics are intensively studied materials due to their unique properties with high potential for applications. Despite all efforts devoted to obtain the values of ferroelectric material constants, the problem of the magnitude of static dielectric constant remains unsolved. In this article it is shown that the value of the static dielectric constant at zero electric field and with negligible contribution from the ferroelectric polarization (also called static background dielectric constant, or just background dielectric constant) can be very low (between 10 and 15), possibly converging towards the value in the optical domain. It is also found that the natural state of an ideal, mono-domain, epitaxial ferroelectric is that of full depletion with constant capacitance at voltages outside the switching domain. The findings are based on experimental results obtained from a new custom method designed to measure the capacitance-voltage characteristic in static conditions, as well from Rayleigh analysis. These results have important implications in future analysis of conduction mechanisms in ferroelectrics and theoretical modeling of ferroelectric-based devices.

As a new class of sustainable carbon material, "carbon dots" is an umbrella term covering many types of materials. Herein, a broad range of techniques was used to develop the understanding of hydrothermally synthesized carbon dots, and it is shown how fine-tuning the structural features by simple reduction/oxidation reactions can drastically affect their excited-state properties. Structural and spectroscopic studies found that photoluminescence originates from direct excitation of localized fluorophores involving oxygen functional groups, whereas excitation at graphene-like features leads to ultrafast phonon-assisted relaxation and largely quenches the fluorescent quantum yields. This is arguably the first study to identify the dynamics of photoluminescence including Stokes shift and allow the relaxation pathways in these carbon dots to be fully resolved. This comprehensive investigation sheds light on how understanding the excited-state relaxation processes in different carbon structures is crucial for tuning the optical properties for any potential commercial applications.

Electronic phase separation is crucial for the fascinating macroscopic properties of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) paradigm oxide interface, including the coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism. We investigate this phenomenon using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) in the soft-x-ray energy range, where the enhanced probing depth combined with resonant photoexcitation allow us access to fundamental electronic structure characteristics - momentum-resolved spectral function, dispersions and ordering of energy bands, Fermi surface - of buried interfaces. Our experiment uses x-ray irradiation of the LAO/STO interface to tune its oxygen deficiency, building up a dichotomic system where mobile weakly correlated Ti t(2g) electrons coexist with localized strongly correlated Ti e(g) ones. The ARPES spectra dynamics under x-ray irradiation shows a gradual intensity increase under constant Luttinger count of the Fermi surface. This fact identifies electronic phase separation (EPS) where the mobile electrons accumulate in conducting puddles with fixed electronic structure embedded in an insulating host phase, and allows us to estimate the lateral fraction of these puddles. We discuss the physics of EPS invoking a theoretical picture of oxygen-vacancy clustering, promoted by the magnetism of the localized Ti e(g) electrons, and repelling of the mobile t(2g) electrons from these clusters. Our results on the irradiation-tuned EPS elucidate the intrinsic one taking place at the stoichiometric LAO/STO interfaces.

Using UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE), the photodegradation reactions of folic acid (FA) in phosphate buffer (PB) solutions were studied. Regardless of the PB solution's pH, the UV-VIS spectra showed a gradual decrease in absorbance at 284 nm simultaneous with an increase in the absorbance of another band in the spectral range of 320-380 nm, which was downshifted under UV irradiation. The relative intensity of the FA PL band, situated in the spectral range 375-600 nm, was dependent on the pH of the PB solution. The FA PL intensity increased as increasing UV irradiation time up to 281 min. in PB solutions with pH values of 6.4 and 5.4. Under an emission wavelength of 500 nm, the position of the FA PLE spectrum changed as the PB solution pH varied from 7 to 5.4 and the irradiation time increased to 317 min. These changes were correlated with the formation of two photodegradation products, namely, pterine-6-carboxylic acid and p-amino-benzoyl-L-glutamic acid. According to UV-VIS spectroscopy and PL and PLE studies, the presence of various excipients in commercial pharmaceutical tablets does not affect the photodegradation of FA in PB solutions. Using IR spectroscopy, new evidences for the formation of the two photodegradation products of FA in PB solutions are shown.

The work is dedicated to the investigation of optical, structural, magnetic and magneto-optical properties of an aluminophosphate glass doped with Dy3+ ions, for specific applications as Faraday rotators in the visible spectral domain. The vitreous material belongs to the 16Li(2)O-8Al(2)O(3)-6BaO center dot 60P(2)O(5)-10Dy(2)O(3) system. Optical homogeneity measured by a polariscopic method, as well as by polarimetry and interferometry revealed an optical quality glass. Time dependent electrical conductance measurements have shown a high chemical strength of the glass. Optical absorption of the doped glass in the visible domain evidenced the specific absorption lines of dysprosium ions, whereas structural investigations made by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy put in evidence the vitreous network forming role of phosphorous pentoxide. Magnetic and magneto-optical measurements demonstrated paramagnetic features of the doped glass, as well as a Verdet constant of about -0.05 min/Oe/cm at 600 nm wavelength.

Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) is the main experimental tool to explore electronic structure of solids resolved in the electron momentum k. Soft-X-ray ARPES (SX-ARPES), operating in a photon energy range around 1 keV, benefits from enhanced probing depth compared to the conventional VUV-range ARPES, and elemental/chemical state specificity achieved with resonant photoemission. These advantages make SX-ARPES ideally suited for buried heterostructure and impurity systems, which are at the heart of current and future electronics. These applications are illustrated here with a few pioneering results, including buried quantum-well states in semiconductor and oxide heterostructures, their bosonic coupling critically affecting electron transport, magnetic impurities in diluted magnetic semiconductors and topological materials, etc. High photon flux and detection efficiency are crucial for pushing the SX-ARPES experiment to these most photon-hungry cases.

Europium substituted bismuth ferrite powders were synthesized by the sol-gel technique. The precursor xerogel was characterized by thermal analysis. Bi1-xEuxFeO3 (x = 0-0.20) powders obtained after thermal treatment of the xerogel at 600 degrees C for 30 min were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Magnetic behavior at room temperature was tested using vibrating sample magnetometry. The comparative results showed that europium has a beneficial effect on the stabilization of the perovskite structure and induced a weak ferromagnetism. The particle size decreases after the introduction of Eu3+ from 167 nm for x = 0 to 51 nm for x = 0.20. Photoluminescence spectroscopy showed the enhancement of the characteristic emission peaks intensity with the increase of Eu3+ concentration.

Eu3+,Tb3+-doped Sr3Al2O6 powder phosphor was synthesized via a precursor route and subjected to a subsequent thermal treatment in reducing atmosphere. Photoluminescence and thermoluminescence properties of Sr3Al2O6:Eu3+/Eu2+,Tb3+ were investigated. The structure and morphology of oxides were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used for the nanocrystals surface composition analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of the cubic structure specific to Sr3Al2O6 with space group Pa3 and lattice parameter a = 15.8322 angstrom, while SEM investigations revealed equiaxial, polycrystalline particles, with sizes in the submicronic range, for both Sr3Al2O6:Eu3+,Tb3+ and Sr3Al2O6:Eu3+/Eu2+,Tb3+ samples. The photoluminescence spectra showed the typical f-f luminescence lines of the Tb(3+ )and Eu3+ - ions, accompanied by a broad Eu2+ luminescence band at 510 nm (after calcination in reducing atmosphere). The "after-glow" luminescence signal and the thermoluminescence were assigned to the recombination of close neighbor partners (electron and Eu2+ - hole centers) within the same complex of defects.

The bone remodeling research field has shifted focus towards sustainable, eco-friendly and reproducible manufacturing technologies of 3D structures. It is now accepted that a suitable internal architecture and an active interface between the 3D structure and host bone-tissue constitute the two most critical traits for a successful bone tissue engineering application. A completely reproducible synthesis set-up was recently developed for calcium phosphate (CaP) bioceramics preparation from natural highly available marble and seashells. The influence of the pressing force in the fabrication process of porous 3D scaffolds derived from such CaPs by a sacrificial porogen method using natural fibers is here investigated. The fiber-ceramic based-products underwent thermal processing, followed by surface and volume features characterization. After fibers' thermal removal, interconnected 3D channels were obtained, which could allow a suitable in vivo irrigation and implant-associated negative side-effects prevention. This method provides the prospect of tunable HA/beta-TCP content in the case of both precursors' derived-scaffolds. The morphological results revealed the internal and external pores dimensions, modulated through different pressing forces that led to a controlled total porosity, evidenced by computed tomography techniques. Further, the wettability and mechanical features supported the advance of the novel porous-ceramic-structure designs as reliable bone reconstruction alternatives.