title: Local Charge Injection and Extraction on Surface-Modified Al2O3 Nanoparticles in LDPE.
abstract: We use a recently developed scanning probe technique to image with high spatial resolution the injection and extraction of charge around individual surface-modified aluminum oxide nanoparticles embedded in a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix. We find that the experimental results are consistent with a simple band structure model where localized electronic states are available in the band gap (trap states) in the vicinity of the nanoparticles. This work offers experimental support to a previously proposed mechanism for enhanced insulating properties of nanocomposite LDPE and provides a powerful experimental tool to further investigate such properties.
authors.affiliation: Nanostructure Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology , 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borgani
authors.affiliation: Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology , 10044 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Love K H
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Pallon
authors.affiliation: Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology , 10044 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hedenqvist
authors.affiliation: Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology , 10044 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf W
authors.initials: UW
authors.lastname: Gedde
authors.affiliation: Nanostructure Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology , 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Haviland
keywords: HVDC; KPFM; intermodulation; nanodielectrics; polyethylene nanocomposites; surface potential