Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Epitaxial thin films of the heavy fermion compound YbRh 2 Si 2 have opened new possibilities in the investigation of the enigmatic strange metal state, including terahertz transmission spectroscopy and shot noise. For experiments at lower temperatures and energies, further advances in film quality are desirable. In this work, The focus is on the enhancement of crystallinity and surface smoothness of YbRh 2 Si 2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy using Knudsen cells and electron‐beam evaporation sources. The morphology is influenced by the Yb flux and provides insight into the crystal quality of the thin films confirmed by in‐plane and out‐of‐plane diffraction techniques. Changes in the surface morphology affect the physical characteristics of the film. A nucleation study is performed with the assistance of ab initio calculations of the binding energy of each element, i.e., Yb, Rh, and Si, with the substrate and permits to further reduce the surface roughness of the films and refinement of crystal quality, as evidenced by sharper peaks in X‐ray diffraction scans. The residual resistance ratio depends linearly on the lattice mismatch. At low temperatures, the electrical resistivity of the best epitaxial thin films exhibits a linear‐in‐temperature dependence characteristic of strange metals.
Source: Advanced Materials Interfaces
Authors: Stefania Isceri, Duy Ha Nguyen, Andrey Prokofiev, Robert Svagera, Monika Waas, Valeria Butera, Lukas Fischer, Saeed Rasouli, Daniele Nazzari, Francesco Laudani, Michael Hanke, Miriam Giparakis, Emine Bakali, Eva Kolíbalová, Ondřej Man, Hermann Detz, Annette Foelske, Werner Schrenk, Gottfried Strasser, Silke Paschen, Aaron Maxwell Andrews
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,100
Funders: Technische Universitat Wien, European Commission, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, Austrian Science Fund, Technische Universität Wien, Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, Technische Universität Wien Bibliothek, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council, European Office of Aerospace Research and Development
Awards: G1638822081, G1761812275, G208869049, Research infrastructure CzechNanoLab, European Microkelvin Platform, G3133233284, G3341032413, G379509794, TU-DX: Towards Applications of 2D Materials, G434337789, G4469383960, G5098574635, G5390660017, G5770367750, G5849991543, G6227673909, G643092668, G6656432016, G7407847453, G8760269475, G941802975, G986025245
OpenAlex ID: W4414927184