In article number 2100509, Kaoru Toko and co-workers illustrate how oxygen diffusion from the GeO₂ layer during crystallization enables the synthesis of GeSn layers with large grains, which considerably reduces acceptor defects while maintaining a high hole mobility. These achievements will pave the way for advanced Ge-based thin-film transistors.

Spray pyrolysis is used to fabricate a film with In-added Ag–Sb–S and the film is selenized subsequently. With the addition of In, the morphology and the crystallinity of the films are simultaneously improved due to the diminished defects. The power conversion efficiency of the device is largely improved from 0.74% (In/Sb = 0) to 1.98% (In/Sb = 0.47).

Antiferromagnetic oxide Cr₂O₃-based perpendicular exchange-coupling heterostructures are promising for use in spintronic logic devices and memory. However, the magnetoelectric (ME) switching energy, which is the most crucial aspect of these systems, remains unclear. In this work, a phenomenological model based on literature data is developed to clarify this item, and the asymmetric ME switching behavior of Cr₂O₃ is also explored.

Cr_1/3NbS₂ triggers intensive interest as it provides a unique opportunity to study simultaneously the interplay of reduced dimensionality, crystallographic/magnetic chirality, and topologically magnetic order novelty. In this work, the magnetic and critical behavior of a low-Curie-temperature single crystal is demonstrated. The properties are elucidated by the magnetic measurements and the scaling law analysis.

Through applying sub-GHz electric field external stimuli, in Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃, the maximum polarization and strain oscillation amplitude can be obtained through the frequency tuning of the input ac electric field. The maximum polarization behavior occurs at the point that the phase difference between the input electric field and the polarization response is π/2.

The conditions for the growth of polycrystalline GeSn layers by the hot-wire chemical vapor deposition method at 300 °C without annealing on diamond substrates are determined. It is shown that the incorporation of 1% Sn into the Ge lattice significantly increases the hole mobility of GeSn layers from 30 to 140 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

The local structures in the Ga_85.8In_14.2 eutectic liquid alloy at ambient conditions are analyzed with details using double-edge refinements of the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The pressure–temperature melting line of the alloy is established up to 10 GPa using combined X-ray absorption and diffraction measurements.

GaSb-based photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers operating near 2 and 2.6 μm are designed, fabricated, and characterized. A high-index-contrast photonic crystal layer is incorporated into the diode and cascade diode laser heterostructure by air-hole-retaining epitaxial regrowth. The devices generate mW-level output in a narrow divergence beam emitted from the window in the substrate contact.

Efficient second-harmonic generation (SHG) using dual-band second-order topological corner states is reported. Dual-band corner states can be obtained in the first and second bandgaps, when the eigenfrequency of the corner state in the higher bandgap is twice that of corner one in the lower gap, resulting on high SHG efficiency in the order of 10⁻¹%.

Thermal equilibrium and metastable (after light soaking) electrical properties of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ thin films (conductivity) and corresponding solar cells (hole concentration) are investigated after doping with a controlled amount of sodium or potassium. Similarities in the impact of both alkali metals point to the changes not being atom-specific and being likely caused by grain boundary passivation.

Light and electric field double control of electronic transport in electron-doped manganite films on ferroelectric crystals is demonstrated. The photoresistance effect and the electroresistance effect highly correlate with each other. The relative magnitude of the electric-field-induced lattice strain effect and interfacial charge effect is identified to be controllable by applying light and by not just varying temperature.

The three-component-fermion candidate WN behaves as a good superconductor with T_c of 31 K. The WN thin film is also predicted to be an intrinsic superconductor with T_c of 11 K; it hosts nodal lines that are robust against spin–orbit coupling (SOC), close to the Fermi level and apart from other trivial bands, which are scarce in real materials.