Photosensitization of nanocrystalline TiO2 by self-assembled layers of CdS quantum dots

CdS quantum dots can be self-assembled on high surface area nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes; spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical studies indicate that the size, and hence the absorption edge, of the CdS particles can be controlled; efficient photosensitization of the TiO2 electrode by the Q-particles has been achieved.     

Controlled assembly of micrometer-sized spheres: theory and application

Site-selective assembly of 5 microm amine-functionalized glass spheres from aqueous suspensions onto gold surfaces patterned with carboxylic acid and methyl-terminated thiols has been achieved through the introduction of a variable tilt flow cell. In situ microscope imaging has been employed to study the four phases of assembly independently, and the relative roles of electrostatic attraction and capillary emersion have been explored. In contradiction to the commonly recognized electrostatic assembly model, detailed theoretical analysis and experimental evidence are presented to support a mechanism where patterning occurs at the point of meniscus contact. Control of pattern quality is demonstrated through the comparison of results obtained from a variety of experiments, and the best conditions for the assembly of monolayer features are identified. Finally, evidence for the extension of this assembly method to the production of singlet sphere arrays is discussed.     

Self-organized criticality in the olami-feder-christensen model

A system is in a self-organized critical state if the distribution of some measured events obeys a power law. The finite-size scaling of this distribution with the lattice size is usually enough to assume that the system displays self-organized criticality. This approach, however, can be misleading. In this paper we analyze the behavior of the branching rate sigma of the events to establish whether a system is in a critical state. We apply this method to the Olami-Feder-Christensen model to obtain evidence that, in contrast to previous results, the model is critical in the conservative regime only.     

Information Technology/Large-Scale Data Handling

The experience of light source users has been transformed in recent years by large increases in flux and brightness, revolutionary new optics and detectors, and automation and advanced sample environments. Beamlines are producing data at rates and volumes that challenge the capabilities of even the most experienced user groups. Meanwhile, the community of synchrotron users continues to grow in size and diversity: researchers come from physics, material science, energy and battery research, geology, biology, chemistry, art history, and more. Almost every natural science domain is being advanced through the techniques employed at these facilities, but a significant fraction of these researchers are first-time or infrequent users of a particular beamline. The combination of an expanding base of new users and increased beamline capabilities is leading to an increase in the amount of “dark data” that is not analyzed fully (or, in some cases, at all).     

The role of diffusion in broadband infrared absorption in chalcogen-doped silicon

Sulfur doping of silicon beyond the solubility limit by femtosecond laser irradiation leads to near-unity broadband absorption of visible and infrared light and the realization of silicon-based infrared photodetectors. The nature of the infrared absorption is not yet well understood. Here we present a study on the reduction of infrared absorptance after various anneals of different temperatures and durations for three chalcogens (sulfur, selenium, and tellurium) dissolved into silicon by femtosecond laser irradiation. For sulfur doping, we irradiate silicon in SF₆ gas; for selenium and tellurium, we evaporate a film onto the silicon and irradiate in N₂ gas; lastly, as a control, we irradiated untreated silicon in N₂ gas. Our analysis shows that the deactivation of infrared absorption after thermal annealing is likely caused by dopant diffusion. We observe that a characteristic diffusion length—common to all three dopants—leads to the reduction of infrared absorption. Using diffusion theory, we suggest a model in which grain size of the resolidified surface layer can account for this characteristic diffusion length, indicating that deactivation of infrared absorptance may be caused by precipitation of the dopant at the grain boundaries.     

Quasi-TEM mode propagation in twin-wire THz waveguides

We numerically investigate the trade-offs between the dispersion properties,coupling efficiency,and geometrical constraints in dual-wire (twin-lead) terahertz (THz) waveguides.In particular,we show that their inherent linearly polarized quasi-transverse electromagnetic (TEM) modes exist for waveguide transverse dimensions comparable with the wavelength,enabling significant end-fire coupling (>10%) for numericalaperture limited Gaussian beams while supporting a relatively low-dispersion propagation of below 0.5 ps 2 /m,as desired for short-pulse time-domain spectroscopy applications.Starting from the dual-wire structure,we also demonstrate that low-dispersion tapers can be designed to improve coupling efficiency.     

Formation of silicon nanoparticles and web-like aggregates by femtosecond laser ablation in a background gas

We show that the mechanism of nanoparticle formation during femtosecond laser ablation of silicon is affected by the presence of a background gas. Femtosecond laser ablation of silicon in a H₂ or H₂S background gas yields a mixture of crystalline and amorphous nanoparticles. The crystalline nanoparticles form via a thermal mechanism of nucleation and growth. The amorphous material has smaller features and forms at a higher cooling rate than the crystalline nanoparticles. The background gas also results in the suspension of plume material in the gas for extended periods, resulting in the formation (on a thin film carbon substrate) of unusual aggregated structures including nanoscale webs that span tears in the film. The presence of a background gas provides additional control of the structure and composition of the nanoparticles during short pulse laser ablation. PACS 81.16.-c     

Phase-transfer catalysis in the N-benzylation of adenine

A convenient phase-transfer catalysis in the N-benzylation of adenine is described. The benzylation of adenine with benzyl halides in a two-phase system containing phase-transfer catalyst gave 9-benzylated adenines as a major product accompanied with 3-benzylated adenines.