Interface and defects engineering for multilayer laser coatings

High-reflective multilayer laser coatings are widely used in advanced optical systems from high power laser facilities to high precision metrology systems. However, the real interface quality and defects will significantly affect absorption/scattering losses and laser induced damage thresholds of multilayer coatings. With the recent advances in the control of coating design and deposition processes, these coating properties can be significantly improved when properly engineered the interface and defects. This paper reviews the recent progress in the physics of laser damage, optical losses and environmental stability involved in multilayer reflective coatings for high power nanosecond near-infrared lasers. We first provide an overview of the layer growth mechanisms, ways to control the microstructures and reduce layer roughness, as well as the nature of defects which are critical to the optical loss and laser induced damage. Then an overview of interface engineering based on the design of coating structure and the regulation of deposition materials reveals their ability to improve the laser induced damage threshold, reduce the backscattering, and realize the desirable properties of environmental stability and exceptional multifunctionality. Moreover, we describe the recent progress in the laser damage and scattering mechanism of nodule defects and give the approaches to suppress the defect-induced damage and scattering of the multilayer laser coatings. Finally, the present challenges and limitations of high-performance multilayer laser coatings are highlighted, along with the comments on likely trends in future.     

Comparison study of exchange-correlation functionals on prediction of ground states and structural properties

Despite significant advances in first-principles calculation methods, there is no single exchange-correlation functional which predicts the ground state of materials without an error yet. We investigated how accurately ground states of binary semiconductors are described using 16 exchange-correlation functionals (with or without van der Waals corrections). LDA, PBEsol, SCAN (with or without rVV10 correction), and PBE with D3 van der Waals correction (zero or Becke-Johnson damping) show good predicting power. The lattice constants of stable phases were slightly better described by SCAN, PBEsol, PBE+D3 (Becke-Johnson damping), and MS2. We also propose a set of functionals to double-check the stability of new materials based on the majority vote.     

Silver(I) Complexes of Two Flexible Bis-phospholane Ligands: Metallamacrocycles,Polymeric Chains,and Metallacryptands

In a 2:2 reaction with silver(I) chloride or bromide, 1,5-bis(1-phospholano)pentane ( 1a ) afforded frame-like macrocyclic structures, with intra- ( 2 , Cl) or intermolecular ( 3 , Br) halido bridges. In contrast, 1,7-bis(1-phospholano)heptane ( 1b ) formed coordination polymers 4a (Cl) and 4b (Br) with bridging bis-phospholane and halido ligands. A unique paddle wheel-type metallacryptand structure 5 was obtained from 1a and silver(I) bromide in a 2:3 reaction (M:L). All complexes were fully characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.     

Wave turbulence and intermittency in directional wave fields

The evolution of surface gravity waves is driven by nonlinear interactions that trigger an energy cascade similarly to the one observed in hydrodynamic turbulence. This process, known as wave turbulence, has been found to display anomalous scaling with deviation from classical turbulent predictions due to the emergence of coherent and intermittent structures on the water surface. In the ocean, waves are spread over a wide range of directions, with a consequent attenuation of the nonlinear properties. A laboratory experiment in a large wave facility is presented to discuss the sensitivity of wave turbulence on the directional properties of model wave spectra. Results show that the occurrence of coherent and intermittent structures become less likely with the broadening of the wave directional spreading. There is no evidence, however, that intermittency completely vanishes.     

Defects related emission and nanosecond optical power limiting in CuS quantum dots

We report optical and nonlinear optical properties of CuS quantum dots and nanoparticles prepared through a nontoxic, green, one-pot synthesis method. The presence of surface states and defects in the quantum dots are evident from the luminescent behavior and enhanced nonlinear optical properties measured using the open aperture Z-scan, employing 5 ns laser pulses at 532 nm. The quantum dots exhibit large effective third order nonlinear optical coefficients with a relatively lower optical limiting threshold of 2.3 J cm⁻², and the optical nonlinearity arises largely from absorption saturation and excited state absorption. Results suggest that these materials are potential candidates for designing efficient optical limiters with applications in laser safety devices.     

Curvature investigation in tapered fibers and its application to sensing and mode conversion

Non-adiabatic tapered fibers are basic photonic components used in a wide range of applications. Here we investigate a way to increase their utility through the controllable bending of one of their tapered sections. The experiments carried out explain, for the first time, the mechanics of this approach showing how these tapers can be used to build more sensitive sensors. Their use as highly efficient mode converters is also discussed.     

TBOR-shaped electro-optic modulator with dual output based on double-layer graphene

We proposed an electro-optic modulator with two-bus one-ring (TBOR) structure to improve the extinction ratio and reduce insert loss. It has a dual output compared with one-bus one-ring structure. In addition, double-layer graphene makes it possible for the modulation in the visible to mid-infrared wavelength range. It shows that this new electro-optic modulator can present two switching states well with low insertion loss, high absorption and high extinction ratio. At $\lambda =1550\text{ nm}$, when the switching states are based on the chemical potential, ${\mu }_{\mathrm{c}}=0.38\text{ eV}$ and ${\mu }_{\mathrm{c}}=0.4\text{ eV}$, the insertion losses of both output ports are less than 2 dB, the absorption of the output port coupled via a micro-ring reaches 45 dB and the extinction ratio reaches 14 dB. When the refractive index of the dielectric material is 4.2, the applied voltage will be less than 1.2 V, thus can be used in low-voltage CMOS technology.     

Facet-dependent antibacterial activity of Au nanocrystals

Engineered nanomaterials have attracted significantly attention as one of the most promising antimicrobial agents for against multidrug resistant infections. The toxicological responses of nanomaterials are closely related to their physicochemical properties, and establishment of a structure-activity relationship for nanomaterials at the nano-bio interface is of great significance for deep understanding antibacterial toxicity mechanisms of nanomaterials and designing safer antibacterial nanomaterials. In this study, the antibacterial behaviors of well-defined crystallographic facets of a series of Au nanocrystals, including {100}-facet cubes, {110}-facet rhombic dodecahedra, {111}-facet octahedra, {221}-facet trisoctahedra and {720}-facet concave cubes, was investigated, using the model bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. We find that Au nanocrystals display substantial facet-dependent antibacterial activities. The low-index facets of cubes, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra show considerable antibacterial activity, whereas the high-index facets of trisoctahedra and concave cubes remained inert under biological conditions. This result is in stark contrast to the previous paradigm that the high-index facets were considered to have higher bioactivity as compared with low-index facets. The antibacterial mechanism studies have shown that the facet-dependent antibacterial behaviors of Au nanocrystals are mainly caused by differential bacterial membrane damage as well as inhibition of cellular enzymatic activity and energy metabolism. The faceted Au nanocrystals are unique in that they do not induce generation of reactive oxygen species, as validated for most antibiotics and antimicrobial nanostructures. Our findings may provide a deeper understanding of facet-dependent toxicological responses and suggest the complexities of the nanomaterial-cell interactions, shedding some light on the development of high performance Au nanomaterials-based antibacterial therapeutics.     

油-气-水三相流超声传感器持气率测量*

为探索油-气-水三相流持气率测量难题,该文开展了脉冲透射式超声传感器持气率测量动态实验研究。首先,利用超声传感器与光纤传感器组合,测取了油-气-水三相流中段塞流、混状流、泡状流的响应信号;其次,提取了超声脉冲信号的最大值序列来反映不同流型时超声传感器响应特性,同时,借助双头光纤传感器与相关测速法,计算得到了流体中气泡弦长序列;最后,结合流型与泡径信息,利用超声传感器测量了不同流型下持气率,并分析了不同流型持气率预测的误差来源,为其他油-气-水三相流持气率测量传感器设计提供了借鉴。     

Influence of solvent on solution processed Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals and annealing induced changes in the optical,structural properties of CZTS film

The well-known quaternary Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) chalcogenide thin films are playing an important role in modern technology. The CZTS nanocrystal were successfully prepared by solution method using water, ethylene glycol and ethylenediamine as different solvent. The pure phase material was used for thin film coating by thermal evaporation method. The prepared CZTS thin films were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM, XPS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The XRD and Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed the formation of polycrystalline CZTS thin film with tetragonal crystal structure after annealing at 450 ^°C. The oxidation state of the annealed film was studied by XPS. A direct band gap about 1.36 eV was estimated for the film from FT-IR studies, which is nearly close to the optimum value of band gap energy of CZTS materials for best solar cell efficiency. The CZTS annealed thin films are more suitable for using as a p-type absorber layer in a low-cost solar cell.