A scheme for a topological insulator field effect transistor

We propose a scheme for a topological insulator field effect transistor. The idea is based on the gate voltage control of the Dirac fermions in a ferromagnetic topological insulator channel with perpendicular magnetization connecting to two metallic topological insulator leads. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed device displays a switching effect with high on/off current ratio and a negative differential conductance with a good peak to valley ratio.     

Opportunities and Challenges in the Use of TiO2 Nanoparticles Modified with Citric Acid to Synthesize Advanced Nanocomposites Based on Poly(amide-imide) Containing N,N′-(Pyromellitoyl)-bis-L-leucine Segments

In this study, the goal was the preparation, characterization, and surface morphology of poly(amide-imide)/TiO₂-citric acid nanocomposites (PAI/TiO₂-CA NCs). Owing to the high surface energy and tendency for agglomeration, the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles was modified with citric acid. Then poly(amide-imide) was synthesized by direct polycondensation reaction of N,N′-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-L-leucine diacid with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane by triphenyl phosphite and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide as a green medium. The attained polymer and modified TiO₂ nanoparticles were used to prepare PAI/TiO₂-CA NCs through ultrasonic irradiation. The resulting PAI/TiO₂-CA NC was characterized with FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis.     

Ultrasound-promoted,rapid, green,one-pot synthesis of 2′-aminobenzothiazolomethylnaphthols via a multi-component reaction,catalyzed by heteropolyacid in aqueous media

A one-pot, three-component condensation reaction of 2-aminobenzothiazole, 2-naphthol and appropriate aldehydes catalyzed by heteropolyacid (HPA) in an aqueous medium afforded the Mannich adduct 2′-aminobenzothiazolomethylnaphthols at 45 °C under ultrasound irradiation. This method provides several advantages such as simple work-up procedure, short reaction time and high yields.     

Theoretical analysis of the local orientation effect and the lift‐hyperlayer mode of rodlike particles in field‐flow fractionation

We investigated theoretically the effects of the cross‐stream migration and the local average orientation of rodlike particles on the shape‐based separation using field‐flow fractionation. The separation behavior was analyzed by comparing the retention ratios of spheres and rods. The retention ratio of a rod was evaluated through the derivation of its cross‐sectional concentration profile by considering the rod migration and the local average orientation. Our study in various flow conditions showed that the rod migration, caused by the hydrodynamic interaction with a wall, can affect the separation behavior as a lift‐hyperlayer mode. We also demonstrated that the local average orientation, which is a function of a local shear rate and a rotational diffusivity, results in the transverse diffusivity that is different from its perpendicular diffusivity. These results suggest that the experimental separation behaviors of rods in field‐flow fractionation may not be fully explained by the current theory based on the normal mode and the steric mode. We also characterized each condition where one of the normal mode, the steric mode of spheres, and the lift‐hyperlayer mode of rods is dominant.     

The effects of ultrasound frequency and power on the activation energy in Si-KOH reaction system

The activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate a reaction. It is one of the important indexes for appraising a reaction. The chemical reaction rate is closely related to the value of activation energy, and reducing activation energy is propitious to promoting a chemical reaction. In the present paper, the relationship between the activation energy in Si-KOH reaction system and the ultrasound frequency and power has been discussed for the first time. The range of ultrasound frequency and power is 40-100kHz （interval by 20kHz） and 10-50W （interval by 10W）, respectively. The experimental clata indicate that the activation energy decreases with the increasing ultrasound power. Comparing with the activation energy without ultrasound irradiation, the results in our paper indicate that ultrasound irradiation could reduce the activation energy in Si-KOH reaction system and increase the reaction rate.     

Comparison of laser Doppler and laser speckle contrast imaging using a concurrent processing system

Full field laser Doppler imaging (LDI) and single exposure laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) are directly compared using a novel instrument which can concurrently image blood flow using both LDI and LSCI signal processing. Incorporating a commercial CMOS camera chip and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) the flow images of LDI and the contrast maps of LSCI are simultaneously processed by utilizing the same detected optical signals. The comparison was carried out by imaging a rotating diffuser. LDI has a linear response to the velocity. In contrast, LSCI is exposure time dependent and does not provide a linear response in the presence of static speckle. It is also demonstrated that the relationship between LDI and LSCI can be related through a power law which depends on the exposure time of LSCI.     

Sonochemical synthesis,formation mechanism,and solar cell application of tellurium nanoparticles

Tellurium inherently tends to form 1-D structures and while the 0-D Te nanostructures have better properties and applications in solar cell. In the present study, 0-D Te nanostructures including rice-like and spherical nanoparticles with the particle size of 15–40 nm were successfully synthesized via a facile sonochemical method. In the absence of ultrasonic irradiation nanorods were produced while performing the reaction under ultrasonic waves (at 200 W for 30 min) led to the formation of nanoparticles. Finally, the efficiency of various as-synthesized Te nanostructures in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) were evaluated. Using rice-like nanoparticles led to increase in J_SC, V_OC, FF and η parameters from 1.22, 0.54, 0.49 and 0.32% to 1.57, 0.64, 0.63 and 0.63%, respectively, compared with nanorods.     

Non-contact evaluation of the resonant frequency of a microstructure using ultrasonic wave

This paper presents a novel non-contact method for evaluating the resonant frequency of a microstructure, Firstly, the microstructure under test is excited by ultrasonic waves. This excitation method does not impose any undefined load on the specimen like the electrostatic excitation and also this is the first actual use of ultrasonic wave for exciting a microstructure in the literature. Secondly, the amplitudes of the microstructure are determined by image edge detection using a Mexican hat wavelet transform on the vibrating images of the microstructure. The vibrating images are captured by a CCD camera when the microstructure is vibrated by ultrasonic waves at a series of discrete high frequencies （〉30 kHz）. Upon processing the vibrating images, the amplitudes at various excitation frequencies are obtained and an amplitude-frequency spectrum is obtained from which the resonant frequency is subsequently evaluated. A micro silicon structure consisting of a perforated plate （192 × 192 μm） and two cantilever beams （76 × 43 μm） which is about 4 μm thickness is tested. Since laser interferometry is not required, thermal effects on a test object can be avoided. Hence, the setup is relatively simple. Results show that the proposed method is a simple and effective approach for evaluating the dynamic characteristics of microstructures.     

Using a custom-FPGA architecture to extend the scale of atomistic magnetic spin simulations

New computational solutions are required to understand how atomic-scale properties affect magnetic behaviour at micrometer dimensions. We describe a field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) based simulation of a dilute antiferromagnet with a large number of Ising spins using Glauber dynamics. The simple atomic model qualitatively reproduces experimental findings when scaled up to sufficiently large spatial dimensions, and provides insight into the finite size thresholds separating nanoscale from microscale behaviour. A real-time visualisation module was used to study the dynamics of the fractal domain structure and non-exponential relaxation mechanism. A performance comparison with contemporary GPU and CPU implementations suggests that a FPGA route is a competitive alternative.     

Atomic level analysis of biomolecules by the scanning atom probe

Utilizing the unique features of the scanning atom probe (SAP) the binding states of the biomolecules, leucine and methionine, are investigated at atomic level. The molecules are mass analyzed by detecting a single atom and/or clustering atoms field evaporated from a specimen surface. Since the field evaporation is a static process, the evaporated clustering atoms are closely related with the binding between atoms forming the molecules. For example, many thiophene radicals are detected when polythiophene is mass analyzed by the SAP. In the present study the specimens are prepared by immersing a micro cotton ball of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) in the leucine or methionine solution. The mass spectra obtained by analyzing the cotton balls exhibit singly and doubly ionized carbon ions of SWCNT and the characteristic fragments of the molecules, CH₃, CHCH₃, C₄H₇, CHNH₂ and COOH for leucine and CH₃, SCH₃, C₂H₄, C₄H₇, CHNH₂ and COOH for methionine.