We study superconducting FeSe (T c = 9 K) exhibiting the tetragonal-orthorhombic structural transition (T s ~ 90 K) without any antiferromagnetic ordering, by utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. In the detwinned orthorhombic state, the energy position of the d yz orbital band at the Brillouin zone corner is 50 meV higher than that of d xz , indicating the orbital order similar to NaFeAs and BaFe 2 As 2 families. Evidence of orbital order also appears in the hole bands at the Brillouin zone center. Precisely measured temperature dependence using strain-free samples shows that the onset of the orbital ordering (T o ) occurs very close to T s , thus suggesting that the electronic nematicity above T s is considerably weaker in FeSe compared to BaFe 2 As 2 family.

Inorganic semiconductors generally tend to fail in a brittle manner. Here, we report that extraordinary "plasticity" can take place in an inorganic semiconductor if the deformation is carried out "in complete darkness." Room-temperature deformation tests of zinc sulfide (ZnS) were performed under varying light conditions. ZnS crystals immediately fractured when they deformed under light irradiation. In contrast, it was found that ZnS crystals can be plastically deformed up to a deformation strain of ε = 45% in complete darkness. In addition, the optical bandgap of the deformed ZnS crystals was distinctly decreased after deformation. These results suggest that dislocations in ZnS become mobile in complete darkness and that multiplied dislocations can affect the optical bandgap over the whole crystal. Inorganic semiconductors are not necessarily intrinsically brittle.

Dislocations are mobile at low temperatures in surprisingly many ceramics but sintering minimizes their densities. Enabling local plasticity by engineering a high dislocation density is a way to combat short cracks and toughen ceramics.

Low-dimensional structures, such as microclusters, quantum dots and one- or two-dimensional (1D or 2D) quantum wires, are of scientific and technological interest due to their unusual physical properties, which are quite different from those in the bulk. Here we present a successful method for fabricating conducting nanowire bundles inside an insulating ceramic single crystal by using unidirectional dislocations. A high density of dislocations (10(9) cm(-2)) was introduced by activating a primary slip system in sapphire (alpha-Al2O3 single crystal) using a two-stage deformation technique. Plate specimens cut out from the deformed sapphire were then annealed to straighten the dislocations. Finally, the plates on which metallic Ti was evaporated were heat-treated to diffuse Ti atoms inside sapphire. As a result of this process, Ti atoms segregated along the unidirectional dislocations within about 5 nm diameter, forming unidirectional Ti-enriched nanowires, which exhibit excellent electrical conductivity. This simple technique could potentially to be applied to any crystal, and may give special properties to commonly used materials.

The introduction of dislocations is a recently proposed strategy to tailor the functional and especially the electrical properties of ceramics. While several works confirm a clear impact of dislocations on electrical conductivity, some studies raise concern in particular when expanding to dislocation arrangements beyond a geometrically tractable bicrystal interface. Moreover, the lack of a complete classification on pertinent dislocation characteristics complicates a systematic discussion and hampers the design of dislocation-modified electrical conductivity. We proceed by mechanically introducing dislocations with three different mesoscopic structures into the model material single-crystal SrTiO3 and extensively characterizing them from both a mechanical as well as an electrical perspective. As a final result, a deconvolution of mesoscopic structure, core structure, and space charge enables us to obtain the complete picture of the effect of dislocations on functional properties, focusing here on electric properties.