We demonstrate the growth of ultra-thin AlN films on Si (111) and on a GaN/sapphire (0001) substrate using atomic layer epitaxy in the temperature range of 360 to 420 °C. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the interfaces, fine scale microstructure, and the crystalline quality of thin films. Films were deposited epitaxily on Si (111) with a hexagonal structure, while on the GaN/sapphire (0001) substrate, the AlN film is epitaxial and has been deposited in a metastable zinc-blende cubic phase. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the interface is not sharp, containing an intermixing layer with cubic AlN. We show that the substrate, particularly the strain, plays a major role in dictating the crystal structure of AlN. The strain, estimated in the observed orientation relation, is significantly lower for cubic AlN on hexagonal GaN as compared to the hexagonal AlN on hexagonal GaN. On the Si (111) substrate, on the other hand, the strain in the observed orientation relation is 0.8% for hexagonal AlN, which is substantially lower than the strain estimated for the cubic AlN on Si(111).

We report the latest progress on fabrication of rare earth doped single crystal yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) core/undoped YAG cladded fibers. Rare-earth doped single crystal core fibers were grown with laser heated pedestal growth methods. In a second step, epitaxial methods were used to grow a single crystalline undoped YAG cladding onto the core fiber. Hydrothermal and liquid phase epitaxy methods utilize the core doped fiber as the seed. X-ray diffraction of cladding reveals an equilibrium (110) morphology. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis shows there is minimal diffusion of rare-earth dopants into the cladding structure. The use of scandium doping is shown to substitute at the Al³⁺ site, thereby allowing an additional tunability of refractive index of core structure material besides conventional Y³⁺ site dopants. The use of these epitaxial growth methods enables material compatibility, tuning of refractive index, and conformal growth of cladding structures onto core fibers for optical devices.

Metamagnetic FeRh has been the focus of numerous studies for its highly unique antiferromagnetic (AF) to ferromagnetic (FM) metamagnetic transition. While this phase transition usually occurs above room temperature (often T_c > 400 K), both ion irradiation and strained epitaxial growth have been used to bring it to applicable temperatures. Nevertheless, cross sample variability is pervasive in these studies. Here we explore the optical and magnetic properties of 35 nm thick FeRh grown by magnetron sputter deposition simultaneously on two different single crystal substrates: epitaxially on MgO (001) and highly strained with large lattice mismatch on Al₂O₃ (1000). We then irradiate the epitaxial film with 5 keV N⁺ ions to introduce disorder (and to a lesser extent, modify chemical composition) without effecting the surface morphology. We find that the phase-transitional properties of both films are strikingly different due to the large lattice mismatch, despite being grown in tandem with nominally identical growth conditions including Fe/Rh stoichiometry, pressure, and temperature. We observe that N⁺ implantation lowers T_c by ~60 K, yielding a sample with nominally the same transition temperature as the non-epitaxial film on sapphire, yet with a significantly increased magnetic moment, a larger magnetization change and a more abrupt transition profile. We attribute these differences to the Volmer-Weber type growth mode induced by the sapphire substrate and the resulting rougher surface morphology.

Ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) was directly reduced to metallic Fe using the carbon source from the coconut shells at temperatures above 1400 °C in argon gas atmospheres. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of α-, γ- phases of Fe in addition to the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). By selecting the appropriate ratios of coconut shell powder to Fe₂O₃, it is demonstrated that pure Fe is produced without any residual ferric oxide. The quantitative analysis of each of the Fe phases and carbon nanotubes was dependent on the temperature and the duration of processing at high temperature. Transmission electron microcopy results showed copious amount of carbon nanotubes in the samples. Magnetic property measurements suggested that, the average magnetic moment is consistent with presence of α-phase and the ferromagnetic γ-phase of Fe. This novel method of producing pure α- and γ-Fe in the presence of carbon nanotubes using coconut shells has potential applications as nanocomposites.