The resistance switching characteristics of stoichiometric ZrO2 film were investigated for nonvolatile memory. The Al∕ZrO2∕Al device presents reliable and reproducible switching behaviors. The on/off ratio of two stable states is larger than 2×103. It is suggested that the current-voltage characteristics are governed by the Schottky conduction mechanism in high voltage region, while the filament conduction is suggested in low voltage region. The switching process is explained in terms of the spontaneous reversible reaction between electrode and ZrO2 films with the contribution of Joule heating effect by the external current. It provides a possible solution for low device yield of nonstoichiometric oxides.

Silver/bismuth oxide composite thin films with Ag concentration varying from 13.2% to 59.3% were prepared by cosputtering in a multitarget magnetron sputtering system. The absorption spectra of these thin films were measured, and the absorption peaks due to surface plasmon resonance of Ag particles showed a redshift behavior with increasing Ag concentration. By using the femtosecond time-resolved optical Kerr effect technique under 800 nm wavelength, the nonlinear optical properties of these films were investigated. The Kerr signals showed an ultrafast rise, suggesting that the main physical mechanism involved in the optical nonlinearity of Ag:Bi2O3 thin films on the femtosecond scale was the pure electronic contributions. The maximum value of the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility of Ag:Bi2O3 thin films was 4.1×10−10 esu, and occurred at a Ag concentration of about 35.7%.

Correlated semi-empirical quantum-chemical calculations are performed to rationalize the origin of the large first- (α), second- (β), and third- (γ) order molecular polarizabilities in carotenoidlike molecules capped at a single end by an acceptor group. The degree of ground-state polarization of the chromophores is made to vary via the application of an external homogeneous electric field in the range 107–108 V/cm. The most interesting feature is a stepwise evolution of the longitudinal component of the dipole moment with field, caused by charge transfer toward the acceptor end of the molecule. Since the steps are abrupt, this results in very large values of the molecular polarizabilities, in accordance with the derivative relationships among the dipole moment and α, β, and γ. The longitudinal components of the molecular polarizabilities are analyzed as a function of both the external field and the bond-order alternation (BOA) parameter. The ability of simple models to describe the evolution of the molecular polarizabilities is assessed.

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