Semiconductors are physical systems whose electrical conductivity lies between that of conductors and insulators and is strongly tunable by temperature, impurity concentration, and external fields. Their behavior is governed by band structure, featuring a finite band gap between valence and conduction bands that enables controlled carrier generation and recombination. Charge transport arises from electrons and holes, with densities modulated via doping, optical excitation, or electrostatic gating. Semiconductor systems support phenomena such as drift, diffusion, and quantum confinement, and they serve as the foundational medium for devices like diodes, transistors, and optoelectronic components through engineered heterostructures, junctions, and nanostructures.
California's Silicon Valley and Utah's Silicon Slopes are named for the element most associated with semiconductors, the backbone of the computer revolution. Anything computerized or electronic depends on semiconductors, ...
Condensed Matter
Feb 15, 2024
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In diamonds (and other semiconducting materials), defects are a quantum sensor's best friend. That's because defects, essentially a jostled arrangement of atoms, sometimes contain electrons with an angular momentum, or spin, ...
Condensed Matter
Feb 12, 2024
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Semiconductors are ubiquitous in modern technology, working to either enable or prevent the flow of electricity. In order to understand the potential of two-dimensional semiconductors for future computer and photovoltaic ...
Optics & Photonics
Feb 12, 2024
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Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have come up with a new way of rolling atomically thin sheets of atoms into "nanoscrolls." Their unique approach uses transition metal dichalcogenide sheets with a different ...
Nanomaterials
Feb 12, 2024
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106
The condensation of excitons with non-zero momentum can give rise to so-called charge density waves (CDW). This phenomenon can prompt the transition of materials into a fascinating new quantum phase, known as an excitonic ...
Semiconductors in modern electronics rely on small quantities of added impurity elements, called dopants, that alter the ability of the material to conduct electricity. While the role of these dopants is often straightforward, ...
Condensed Matter
Feb 9, 2024
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63
Researchers have successfully manipulated distinct exciton species within a hybrid monolayer WSe2-Ag nanowire structure. By exploiting the unique valley-spin locked band structures and electron-hole configurations of TMDs, ...
Optics & Photonics
Feb 8, 2024
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164
Semiconductor 2D materials are a few atoms thick, and some of them exhibit localized emission, where light is emitted from such a small part of the layer that only one photon at a time is produced. This localized emission ...
Nanophysics
Feb 7, 2024
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137
Applications such as LIDAR, 3D imaging for mobile devices, automotive and augmented/virtual reality or night vision for surveillance, rely on the development of short-wave infrared (SWIR) photodetectors. These devices are ...
Nanophysics
Feb 7, 2024
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98
Introducing light conversion materials into silicon-based photovoltaic devices is an effective way to improve their photoelectric conversion efficiency. Light conversion materials include quantum cutting materials and upconversion ...
Condensed Matter
Feb 5, 2024
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