纳米结构超疏水表面冷凝现象的三维格子玻尔兹曼方法模拟

采用三维多相流格子玻尔兹曼方法 (lattice Boltzmann method, LBM),对纳米结构超疏水表面液滴的冷凝行为进行模拟研究.通过Laplace定律和光滑表面的本征接触角理论对三维LBM模型进行定量验证.模拟分析了超疏水表面纳米阵列的几何尺寸和润湿性的局部不均匀性对冷凝液滴形核位置和最终润湿状态的影响规律.结果表明,较高的纳米阵列使液滴在纳米结构间隙的上部侧面和底部优先形核长大,通过采用上下不均匀的间隙可避免液滴在底部形核长大,而在上部侧面形核的冷凝液滴在生长过程中向上运动,其润湿状态由Wenzel态转变为Cassie态;较低的纳米阵列使液滴在纳米结构底部优先形核长大,液滴的最终润湿状态为Wenzel态;润湿性不均匀的纳米结构表面使液滴在阵列顶端亲水位置处优先形核长大,成为Cassie态.冷凝液滴在不同几何尺寸的纳米结构表面上的最终润湿状态的模拟结果与文献报道的实验结果符合良好.通过模拟还发现,冷凝液滴在生长过程中的运动行为与液滴统计平均作用力的变化有关.本文的LBM模拟再现了三维空间中液滴的形核、长大和润湿状态转变等物理现象.     

High dielectric anisotropy compound doped transmission gratings of HPDLC

Effects of high dielectric anisotropy compound (MLC) and oligomer molecular weight on the grating formation and electro-optical properties of transmission holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) have been studied. Addition of MLC reduced the response time and switching voltage with the increased formulation viscosity which introduced a sequence of phenomenon, i.e. slow diffusion, polymerization, phase separation, grating formation, and droplet coalescence giving small droplet size and enhanced diffraction efficiency of the film. Apparently, increase in oligomer molecular weight gave effects similar to those of increasing MLC content since both variables control droplet coalescence through different mechanisms.     

Collective behavior of light-induced droplets in smectic membranes

Collective behavior and organization of droplets in thin smectic membranes were investigated using polarized light microscopy. Droplets were nucleated in membranes by light illumination. We observed the formation of periodic hexagonal and square lattice structures from droplets at large droplet concentration. Nearly linear dependence between period of structure and droplet size was found. We observed that droplets are nucleated on dislocations and periodic chain of droplets may be formed along a dislocation.Received: 29 september 2003, Published online: 5 February 2004PACS: 61.30.Eb Experimental determinations of smectic, nematic, cholesteric, and other structures - 64.70.Md Transitions in liquid crystals - 68.03.Cd Surface tension and related phenomena     

Numerical modeling of condensate droplet on superhydrophobic nanoarrays using the lattice Boltzmann method

In the present study,the process of droplet condensation on superhydrophobic nanoarrays is simulated using a multicomponent multi-phase lattice Boltzmann model.The results indicate that three typical nucleation modes of condensate droplets are produced by changing the geometrical parameters of nanoarrays.Droplets nucleated at the top(top-nucleation mode),or in the upside interpillar space of nanoarrays(side-nucleation mode),generate the non-wetting Cassie state,whereas the ones nucleated at the bottom corners between the nanoarrays(bottom-nucleation mode) present the wetting Wenzel state.Time evolutions of droplet pressures at the upside and downside of the liquid phase are analyzed to understand the wetting behaviors of the droplets condensed from different nucleation modes.The phenomena of droplet condensation on nanoarrays patterned with different hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions are simulated,indicating that the nucleation mode of condensate droplets can also be manipulated by modifying the local intrinsic wettability of nanoarray surface.The simulation results are compared well with the experimental observations reported in the literature.     

Optically switchable, polarization-independent holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) gratings

An optically switchable, polarization-independent holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) transmission grating is demonstrated by adding azobenzene-LC and chiral molecules into the H-PDLC formulation. The optical switchable mechanism is from the trans-cis photoisomerization of the doped azobenzene-LC, which modulates the refractive index of the LC rich area. The dependence of the diffraction efficiency of the H-DPLC grating without chiral molecules on light polarization suggests that the orientation of LC directors within the droplet is ellipsoidal and uniaxial. However, the addition of chiral molecules into the H-PDLC formulation helps the formation of isotropic and non-uniaxial LC directors within the droplets. The polarization properties of the grating are investigated and analyzed by the coupled and modified coupled wave theory with a model of sinusoidal dielectric modulation. The results show that the addition of chiral molecules changes the LC phase from nematic to chiral-nematic, where the grating efficiency, which is modulated by the photoinduced phase transition, is independent of the polarization of incident light. Our findings may help improve optical systems that utilize non-polarized light.     

Transient convective burning of a periodic fuel-droplet array

The transient convective burning of fuel-droplets interacting within 3-D infinite periodic arrays in a hot gas stream is numerically studied for the first time, with considerations of droplet regression, deceleration due to the drag of the droplets, internal liquid motion, variable properties, non-uniform liquid temperature, surface tension, and n-octane one-step oxidation kinetics. Depending upon the initial conditions and other constraints, a flame is established early as either a wake flame or an envelope flame. An initial envelope flame remains an envelope flame, and an initial wake flame has a tendency to develop from a wake flame to an envelope flame. The flame shows no strong tendency to modify significantly the standoff distance during the lifetime of the droplet. For an initial wake flame, the moment of wake-to-envelope transition is advanced as the initial droplet spacing (intermediate) is decreased, but tends to be postponed as the initial droplet spacing is further reduced. The burning rate at smaller initial droplet spacing or smaller initial Reynolds number might be greater for some period during the lifetime because of an earlier wake-to-envelope transition which elevates the average surface temperature. Lower ambient temperature yields a later wake-to-envelope transition time and smaller mass burning rate. At the lower ambient pressure with the same initial relative stream velocity, the average surface temperature is reduced, the wake-to-envelope transition is later, and the mass burning rate is smaller. Validation of our analysis is made by comparing with the results of an isolated droplet Wu and Sirignano [11].     

Impurity mediated nucleation in hexadecane-in-water emulsions

We report detailed nucleation studies on the liquid-to-solid transition of hexadecane using nearly monodisperse hexadecane-in-water emulsions. A careful consideration of the kinetics of isothermal and nonisothermal freezing shows deviations from predictions of classical nucleation theory, if one assumes that the emulsion droplet population is homogeneous. Similar deviations have been observed previously (3). As an explanation, we propose an argument based on the dynamic generation of droplet heterogeneity mediated by mobile impurities. This proposal is in good agreement with existing data.     

全息液晶/聚合物透射光栅光学各向异性的研究

基于聚合物支撑(polymer scaffolding)形貌的全息液晶/聚合物透射光栅, 系统研究了光栅的光学各向异性. 在这种形貌的光栅内, 液晶不是以液滴的形态存在于富液晶区, 据此建立了相应光栅的简化模型, 然后在各向异性耦合波理论框架下研究了光栅的衍射特性. 详尽的衍射效率实验值和计算值比较, 很好解释了液晶/聚合物光栅的光学各向异性, 也证实了液晶分子大致沿着光栅矢量排列.     

Transmission electron microscopy study of vertical quantum dots molecules grown by droplet epitaxy

The compositional distribution of InAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs capped InAs quantum dots has been studied in this work. Upper quantum dots are nucleated preferentially on top of the quantum dots underneath, which have been nucleated by droplet epitaxy. The growth process of these nanostructures, which are usually called as quantum dots molecules, has been explained. In order to understand this growth process, the analysis of the strain has been carried out from a 3D model of the nanostructure built from transmission electron microscopy images sensitive to the composition.     

Scaling law in the ordering process of quenched thermodynamically unstable systems

The dynamics of phase separation in quenched thermodynamically unstable systems is studied. The scaling law exhibited in the late stage of the ordering process is investigated by the interface model. In the kinetics of the order-disorder transition the motion of random interfaces is shown to be responsible for the scaling law. The scaling form of the scattering function is obtained with particular attention to the fluctuating thermal noises. A droplet picture is used to discuss spinodal decomposition of off-critically quenched binary fluids. The sealing function is calculated explicitly in the region where the Brownian coagulation is most dominant for the phase separation. It is shown that the thermal noises are relevant to the scaling law in the ordering process driven by the Brownian coagulation whereas they are negligible in the kinetics of order-disorder transition.     

Space-charge grating kinetics in photorefractive crystals

Equations for the grating space-charge density and concentration of free carriers induced by a standing light wave in an anisotropic photorefractive crystal are derived and solved. The charge density and electric field are found to depend on the orientation of the graing relative to the crystal axes. It is shown that the grating kinetics is determined by the difference between two exponentials with characteristic times the sum of which can be treated as the decay constant of the grating. Three ranges of Maxwell relaxation times are distinguished, where this time constant behaves differently. The grating kinetics for a number of crystals is considered.     

The theory of droplet diffusiophoresis for concentrated solutions

The theoretical diffusiophoresis velocity is obtained for a droplet of a concentrated solution suspended in a binary gaseous mixture. The droplet is characterized by a high thermal conductivity. The droplet radius is assumed to be much greater than the mean free path for gaseous-mixture molecules. One of the gaseous-mixture molecular components is the vapor of the droplet solvent. According to the formula obtained in this study, the droplet is driven toward lower concentration of the volatile gaseous-mixture component by diffusive slip and in the opposite direction by phase transition. An increase in the relative mass concentration of the volatile solvent in the droplet enhances effects associated with the dependence of surface tension on the volatile-component concentration and the reactive transport due to the surface nonuniformity of phase transition. As the relative mass concentration of the volatile solvent in the droplet approaches unity, the effect of diffusive slip tends to vanish.     

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy on silicon carbide whiskers

SiC whiskers were grown from the reaction of silicon monoxide (SiO) with activated carbon containing iron impurities. Growth proceeds through a VLS growth mechanism with SiO and CO as reacting gases. HRTEM combined with EDS shows that the SiC whisker is topped by a Fe₃Si catalyst droplet. The SiC whisker is found to be one-dimensionally disordered along the [111] growth direction of an fcc crystal structure. Although the catalyst droplet is usually larger than the top face of the whisker, we observed a number of situations where the diameter of the droplet was smaller. The study of the SiC-Fe₃Si interface showed that the growth is nucleated from the edges.     

Theory of laser-induced amplitude and phase gratings including photoselection,orientational relaxation and population kinetics

The generation of amplitude and phase gratings in an absorbing medium is discussed, including the effects of light polarization, population kinetics and orientational relaxation. A theory is given which describes light diffraction by a combination of an amplitude and a phase grating. It is shown that the coherent coupling effect in transient absorption measurements is solely due to the amplitude grating. Weak absorption and a low triplet yield favour diffraction of the probing beam by the phase grating in triple-beam experiments. Phase grating experiments can be performed with highly soluble absorber dyes, the absorption maximum of which is far away from the laser wavelength. Due to photoselection, diffraction by an amplitude grating depends on the polarization of the probing beam while phase grating diffraction is insensitive to this. Perpendicular polarization of the two exciting pulses prevents the buildup of a phase grating and results in light diffracted by the amplitude grating that is proportional to the transient dichroism signal as known from the common absorption relaxation.     

A molecular dynamics study of fuel droplet evaporation in sub- and supercritical conditions

Evaporation processes of a fuel droplet under sub- and supercritical ambient conditions have been studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Suspended n-dodecane droplets of various initial diameters evaporating into a nitrogen environment are considered. Both ambient pressure and temperature are varied from sub- to supercritical values, crossing the critical condition of the chosen fuel. Temporal variation in the droplet diameter is obtained and the droplet lifetime is recorded. The time at which supercritical transition happens is determined by calculating the temperature and concentration distributions of the system and comparing with the critical mixing point of the n-dodecane/nitrogen binary system. The dependence of evaporation characteristics on ambient conditions and droplet size is quantified. It is found that the droplet lifetime decreases with increasing ambient pressure and/or temperature. Supercritical transition time decreases with increasing ambient pressure and temperature as well. The droplet heat-up time as well as subcritical to supercritical transition time increases linearly with the initial droplet size d₀, while the droplet lifetime increases linearly with ${\mathrm{d}}_0^2$. A regime diagram is obtained, which indicates the subcritical and supercritical regions as a function of ambient temperature and pressure as well as the initial droplet size.     

Observation of subterahertz monochromatic transition radiation from a grating

Transition radiation appearing when a charged particle crosses the interface between two media with different dielectric constants, e.g., a metal–vacuum interface, has been well studied in a wide spectral range. However, primarily, radiation from smooth interfaces has been studied. Transition radiation from conducting gratings (grating transition radiation) is experimentally studied and theoretically analyzed in this work. In this case, it is possible to obtain monochromatic radiation with a tunable frequency depending on the rotation angle of the grating with respect to the electron momentum. Coherent grating transition radiation can be efficiently used as a source of terahertz radiation based on the use of a compact electron accelerator with an energy below 10 MeV and a bunch duration of ≤1 ps.     

Effects of photo-quenching-buildup and saturation of the induced impurity grating in ZnSe:Cr crystals

A model is proposed and calculations are performed to elucidate the effects of anomalous kinetics and dynamics of transient light self-diffraction signals (“a dip and a buildup” upon the termination of the grating generation pulse and saturation effects) observed in experiments on four-wave mixing in crystals doped with deep impurities. These observations are explained by the effects of optical depletion of local sites by the same grating generation pulse with only the subsequent buildup of the impurity grating through the capture of band carriers by these sites to form the previously created light-dynamic grating.