DNP Seminar

04-08-2026 11:00 Conference hall (bldg. 42, 3rd floor)

"Scientific approach to the restoration of monumental painting"

Ibrahim Mahmoud (FLNP, JINR)

The development of next-generation electronics requires new paradigms beyond conventional semiconductor junctions, particularly at the nanoscale where interfaces and defects dominate transport. In this work, we demonstrate that diode-like behavior and nonlinear charge transport can emerge in structurally identical yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanoparticles, driven solely by interfacial hydration and nanoscale polarization effects. Using controlled nanojunctions formed between thin layers and droplet-like contacts, we reveal that proton conduction is governed by humidity-dependent interfacial potentials and oxygen-vacancy-mediated transport pathways.
These findings establish a fundamentally new approach for designing oxide-based nanoelectronic devices, including protonic diodes, adaptive materials, and radiation- and humidity-sensitive systems. The work opens a pathway toward energy-efficient, defect-engineered electronics of the future, where functionality is controlled by nanoscale structure, hydration, and interfacial complexity rather than traditional semiconductor architectures.