Extended Defects Unlock New Functionalities in Next-Generation Nanomaterials

Extended defects in nanomaterials

Materials scientists from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have discovered an innovative way to create and control extended defects—minute atomic-scale imperfections that run through entire nanomaterials. Far from being unwanted flaws, these engineered defects are emerging as powerful tools for designing materials with completely new and tunable properties, potentially transforming the landscape of nanotechnology, semiconductors, and quantum materials.

Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals how researchers can now pattern substrates to control the density and type of these extended defects. By pre-patterning the underlying surface before growing thin films of materials such as perovskite oxides (notably BaSnO3 and SrSnO3), they achieved defect densities up to 1,000 times higher than in unpatterned films. This level of precision gives scientists the ability to engineer films in which nanometer-scale regions are dominated by tailored defect structures, leading to exotic electrical and optical responses.

According to senior author Prof. Andre Mkhoyan, these defects “span the entire material but occupy a very small volume,” offering a unique way to manipulate interactions between atoms without changing the material’s composition. Graduate researcher Supriya Ghosh, the paper’s first author, explained that “by making tiny, defect-inducing patterns on the substrate surface before growing the thin film, we figured out a new way to design materials.”

Defects as Tools Rather than Flaws

Traditionally, defects in crystalline materials have been considered detrimental—leading to brittleness, charge trapping, or reduced conductivity. However, recent advances in defect engineering have transformed this perception. Controlled imperfections can localize electrons, modify band structures, enhance catalytic reactivity, or even stabilize new quantum phases of matter. For example, in oxide perovskites, specific arrangements of dislocations and stacking faults can influence superconductivity, ferroelectricity, and photoconductivity.

By purposefully designing such extended defects, researchers can effectively “program” the functionality of a material at the atomic level. This paradigm shift is similar to the concept of strain engineering in semiconductor physics, where deliberate distortions are used to tune electronic properties in devices like transistors or sensors.

Applications Beyond Perovskites

Although this study focused on tin-based perovskite oxides, the approach could apply to a variety of other materials, including 2D semiconductors, transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and oxide heterostructures. In such systems, controlling extended defects could enhance carrier mobility or enable selective photon emission—opening new directions for energy-efficient electronics, spintronics, and neuromorphic computing.

In particular, extended defects might be used to guide charge transport along desired paths in nanoscale circuits or to confine excitons for quantum-optical applications. For instance, recent computational studies suggest that line defects in MoS2 or WS2 can create 1D metallic channels embedded in semiconducting sheets—an effect that could be replicated experimentally using the University of Minnesota’s patterning strategy.

From Controlled Defects to Next-Generation Devices

Looking ahead, this technique could pave the way toward entirely new classes of thin-film devices. Instead of viewing imperfections as unwanted noise, scientists could exploit them to produce defect-dominated films optimized for specific performance metrics. For example:

  • Memory devices: Extended defects could serve as localized states for data storage or domain wall manipulation.
  • Thermoelectric materials: Defect networks can scatter phonons while preserving electrical conduction, improving efficiency.
  • Catalysis: Defect-rich surfaces often exhibit enhanced chemical activity and adsorption capabilities.

Ultimately, this research illustrates a profound shift in materials science—one where the frontier lies not in eliminating imperfections but in learning to design and control them for specific purposes. The concept of “defect patterning” could soon become as fundamental to nanomaterials as doping is to semiconductors.

Original article: https://phys.org/news/2025-11-defects-properties-nanomaterials.html
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64522-8

This article on Quantum Server Networks was prepared with the assistance of advanced AI technologies to enhance readability, structure, and SEO optimization for educational outreach in materials science.

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