We present the design and fabrication of a micrometer-scale electron gun for the implementation of ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction from surfaces. A multi-step process involving photolithography and focused-ion-beam nanostructuring is used to assemble and electrically contact the photoelectron gun, which consists of a nanotip photocathode in a Schottky geometry and an einzel lens for b...

Terahertz near-field detection based and imaging on a nanotip has drawn wide attention following extensive applications of terahertz imaging technologies. Through the local enhanced electric field created by a terahertz nanotip in the near field, it is very likely to attain superior detection sensitivity and higher spatial resolution. This paper simulates the local enhancement effects of the te...

Using a Si-based porous anodic alumina membrane as a mask, we demonstrate a way to pattern Si surface. After removing the SiO(2) nanoislands formed during anodization of the Al/Si interface, we obtain a Si nanotip array on the surface of a Si wafer. This array shows an excellent field emission property with a low turn-on field of 8.5 V µm(-1). The Fowler-Nordheim plot obtained is linearly depen...

We report the discovery of vertically aligned nano-scale diamond tips grown on the polycrystalline diamond substrates in a CH4/N2/H2 mixed plasma. The best diamond quality occurs at the top part of the nanotip, which is single crystalline diamond. The quality of the diamond nanotip is justified by the diamond characteristic peak at 1332 cm 1 in the Raman spectrum, the discrete electron diffract...

A symmetrical approach is suggested (Chang DE et al. Nat Phys 3:807, 2007) to realize a single-photon transistor, where the presence (or absence) of a single incident photon in a ‘gate’ field is sufficient to allow (prevent) the propagation of a subsequent ‘signal’ photon along the nanowire, on condition that the ‘gate’ field is symmetrically incident from both sides of an emitter simultaneousl...

An improved methodology of the Zr specimen preparation was developed which allows fabrication of stable Zr nanotips suitable for FIM and AP applications. Initial oxidation of the Zr surface was studied on a Zr nanotip by FIM and on a polycrystalline Zr foil by XPS, both at low oxygen pressure (10(-8)-10(-7)mbar). The XPS data reveal that in a first, fast stage of oxidation, a Zr suboxide interl...

Filament-type HfO2-based RRAM has been considered as one of the most promising candidates for future non-volatile memories. Further improvement of the stability, particularly at the "OFF" state, of such devices is mainly hindered by resistance variation induced by the uncontrolled oxygen vacancies distribution and filament growth in HfO2 films. We report highly stable endurance of TiN/Ti/HfO2/S...

We propose and analyze a scheme to interface individual neutral atoms with nanoscale solid-state systems. The interface is enabled by optically trapping the atom via the strong near-field generated by a sharp metallic nanotip. We show that under realistic conditions, a neutral atom can be trapped with position uncertainties of just a few nanometers, and within tens of nanometers of other surfac...