Self-diffusiophoresis of chemically active colloids

Chemically active colloids locally change the chemical composition of their solvent via catalytic reactions which occur on parts of their surface. They achieve motility by converting the released chemical free energy into mechanical work through various mechanisms, such as phoresis. Here we discuss the theoretical aspects of self-diffusiophoresis, which – despite being one of the simplest motility mechanisms – captures many of the general features characterizing self-phoresis, such as self-generated and maintained hydrodynamic flows “driven” by surface activity induced inhomogeneities in solution. By studying simple examples, which provide physical insight, we highlight the complex phenomenology which can emerge from self-diffusiophoresis.     

Collective behavior of thermally active colloids

Colloids with patchy metal coating under laser irradiation could act as local heat sources and generate temperature gradients that could induce self-propulsion and interactions between them. The collective behavior of a dilute solution of such thermally active particles is studied using a stochastic formulation. It is found that when the Soret coefficient is positive, the system could be described in a stationary state by the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation and could adopt density profiles with significant depletion in the middle region when confined. For colloids with a negative Soret coefficient, the system can be described as a dissipative equivalent of a gravitational system. It is shown that in this case the thermally active colloidal solution could undergo an instability at a critical laser intensity, which has similarities to a supernova explosion.     

Selective spreading and jetting of electrically driven dielectric films

We study the electrically driven spreading of dielectric liquid films in wedge-shaped gaps across which a potential difference is applied. Our experiments are in a little-studied regime where, throughout the dynamics, the electrical relaxation time is long compared to the time for charge to be convected by the fluid motion. We observe that at a critical normal electric field the hump-shaped leading edge undergoes an instability in the form of a single Taylor cone and periodic jetting ensues, after which traveling waves occur along the trailing thin film. We propose a convection-dominated mechanism for charge transport to describe the observed dynamics and rationalize the viscosity dependence of the self-excited dynamics.     

Specific features of the dielectric response of heterogeneous systems with a polar matrix containing electrically active inclusions

A theoretical model has been proposed which makes it possible to introduce the correction into the complex permittivity of electrically active condensed systems that contain a polar liquid matrix and low-dimensional solid particles with a developed electrically active surface. It has been established that there is an interfacial electrical interaction between surface charges of the solid component and polar molecules of the liquid matrix. The processes occurring during this interaction lead to the appearance of an intrinsic internal electric field in the system under investigation. The contribution from surface effects to the formation of the polarized state of the polar liquid medium has been investigated in terms of the proposed model. The possibility of controlling the processes of local change in the structure of the polar liquid component under the effect of the internal electric field by varying the electrically active specific surface area of the solid phase and the intrinsic dipole moment of molecules of the liquid matrix has been analyzed in the studied systems. The conditions providing for the appearance of a controlled potential gradient of the internal electric field have been determined for the dispersed systems under consideration. The parameter that makes it possible to evaluate the contribution from the interfacial electrical contact interaction to the dielectric response of the liquid component and the entire system has been introduced for the first time.     

Electric double layer of anisotropic dielectric colloids under electric fields

Anisotropic colloidal particles constitute an important class of building blocks for self-assembly directed by electrical fields. The aggregation of these building blocks is driven by induced dipole moments, which arise from an interplay between dielectric effects and the electric double layer. For particles that are anisotropic in shape, charge distribution, and dielectric properties, calculation of the electric double layer requires coupling of the ionic dynamics to a Poisson solver. We apply recently proposed methods to solve this problem for experimentally employed colloids in static and time-dependent electric fields. This allows us to predict the effects of field strength and frequency on the colloidal properties.     

Formation of electrically active clusterized neural networks

Ordinarily, in vitro neurons self-organize into homogeneous networks of single neurons linked by dendrites and axons. We show that under special conditions they can also self-organize into neuronal clusters, which are linked by bundles of axons. Multielectrode array measurement reveals that the clusterized networks are also electrically active and exhibit synchronized bursting events similar to those observed in the homogeneous networks. From time-lapse recording, we deduced the features required for the neuronal clusterized versus homogeneous self-organization and developed a simple model for testing their validity.     

Reflection of light by a slab containing electrically small dielectric spheres

Theoriginal and theenhanced Maxwell-Garnett estimates for the permittivity of a particulate medium are applied to the reflection of light by a composite dielectric slab. The reflection coefficients for incident s and p polarizations are calculated and some curves are plotted and discussed.     

Acceptor resonances and electrically active point defects in α-Sn

New galvanomagnetic and thermoelectric results for electron-irradiated n-type α-Sn show that acceptor resonance states in the conduction band play a crucial role. It is found that these states are near the band edge and are associated with electrically active point defects resulting from atomic displacements.     

Properties of electrically active structural defects in crystalline semiconductors

The internal structures, composite elements, electrophysical properties, and characteristic parameters of impurity clouds, noise supertraps, disordered domains, and stacking defects are compared in crystalline semiconductors. It is shown that the mentioned macrodefects possess common properties: They have a nucleus and an impurity atmosphere, are separated by a potential barrier, are shaped with the participation of Frenkel defects and oxygen ions, have a threshold inclusion, sharply increase the rate of charge carrier generation-recombination as the electrical field grows, etc. It is noted that current channels in non-crystalline semiconductors are characterized by properties close to these after they have been formed. It is assumed that the electrical activity of the structural macrodefects in crystalline semiconductors may be related to the fundamental properties of noncrystalline semiconductors (for instance, the resistance switching effect). Domains adjoining a macrodefect and destroyed by it visibly manifest these properties.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 95–100, April, 1988.     

Diffusion and solubility of electrically active iron atoms in gallium arsenide

Iron diffusion in GaAs at arsenic pressure 1 atm is studied. The temperature dependences of the diffusion coefficient and solubility of electrically active iron atoms in GaAs are determined. The dependences can be described by the Arrhenius equations with the following parameters: D ₀ = 1.61 cm²/s and E = (2.16 ± 0.47) eV (for diffusion) and N _S ⁰ = 4.62 ⋅ 10²³ cm⁻³ and E _S = (1.61 ± 0.16) eV (for solubility). The results obtained are compared with the earlier published data. The concentration of electrically active iron atoms is shown to be about 2 times lower than the total iron concentration in GaAs. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 39–41, November, 2008.     

Mutual passivation of electrically active and isovalent impurities in dilute nitrides

Using first-principles calculations we investigate the mutual passivation of shallow donor Si and isovalent N in dilute GaAsN alloys. Instead of the recently proposed pairing of Si and N on adjacent substitutional sites (Si(Ga)-N(As)) [K. M. Yu et al., Nat. Mater. 1, 185 (2002); J. Li et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 035505 (2006)] we find that N changes the behavior of Si in dilute nitride alloys in a more dramatic way. N and Si combine into a deep-acceptor split interstitial, where Si and N share an As site [(Si-N) (As)], with a significantly lower formation energy than that of the Si(Ga)-N(As) pair in n-type GaAs and dilute GaAsN alloys. The formation of (Si-N)(As) explains the GaAs band-gap recovery and the appearance of a photoluminescence peak at approximately 0.8 eV. This model can also be extended to Ge-doped GaAsN alloys, and correctly predicts the absence of mutual passivation in the case of column-VI dopants.     

Bi-SQUID arrays and parallel SQIF structures for active electrically small antennas

The basic physics of the development of broadband active electrically small superconductive antennas for the subgigahertz and gigahertz frequency ranges, based on series arrays with cells characterized by a highly linear voltage response to the magnetic component B of an electromagnetic signal, are under consideration. As such cells, bi-SQUIDs and cells based on two parallel SQIF structures that are differentially connected are proposed. Series arrays of cells with linear voltage response, including an antenna prototype, are fabricated using standard niobium technology with a critical current density of Josephson junctions of 4.5 kA/cm² and are studied experimentally. The data obtained allow estimation of the achievable dV/dB conversion factor and the sensitivity ??B for an antenna integrated with a magnetic flux converter, placed on an available area of 3.3 × 3.3 mm of a chip 5 × 5 mm in size. These values are found to be 10 ??V/nT and 20 fT/Hz^1/2, respectively. The conversion factor increases in proportion with the area a ² occupied by the antenna with a square flux converter, and the sensitivity is improved as a ^?3/2.     

Single crystal semiconductor multilayers for electrically active optical interference filters

Single crystal semiconductor multilayers can be used for electrically active optical interference filters. In this repórt, we briefly examine potential materials and structures, review experimental studies, and propose several applications.     

Approaches to the creation of an active electrically small superconductive antenna

The physical principles of designing active electrically small superconductive antennas are investigated. These antennas are based on an array of superconducting quantum interference cells characterized by a high linearity of magnetic-signal conversion into voltage. The results of experimental investigation into an active antenna prototype containing 80 cells connected in series and occupying an area of 3.3 × 3.3 m are presented. The proposed integrated circuit is fabricated via the standard niobium technique of the formation of Josephson-junction elements with a critical current density of 4.5 kA/cm².     

Field-enhanced neutralization of electrically active boron in hydrogen implanted Schottky diodes

We have observed that hydrogen implantation in p-type boron-doped silicon material induces a neutralization of boron in a 10 m deep region after the Schottky diodes have been heated at a 90° C temperature under reverse-biasing. The profile of neutralized acceptors can be reversibly shaped by successively applying different reverse biases.     

Use of broadside twin element antennas to increase efficiency on electrically thick dielectric substrates

This paper describes a technique for using twin element antennas (dipoles and slots) to increase the efficiency of antennas fabricated on electrically thick dielectric substrates. We present calculations which show that the efficiency of both the slot and dipole antennas can be increased by the proper spacing of elements placed broadside to each other. We consider the use of substrates that are odd integral multiples of a quarter of a dielectric wavelength thick and give results for an =4 substrate with thicknesses of one, three, and five quarter wavelengths. These thicknesses can be used when working at millimeter wave frequencies and yield substrate dimensions which can be handled and processed easily, while still yielding radiation-to-air efficiencies of about 70%. We also show calculated beam patterns for the elements which appear to be suitable for imaging array applications.This work was supported by the Joint Services Electronics Program, program no. AFOSR-F49620-86-C0045, and the National Science Foundation under grant number ECS-8552868.     

A first principle calculation of electronic and dielectric properties of electrically gated low-buckled mono and bilayer silicene

The structural, electronic and dielectric properties of mono and bilayer buckled silicene sheets are investigated using density functional theory. A comparison of stabilities, electronic structure and effect of external electric field are investigated for AA and AB-stacked bilayer silicene. It has been found that there are no excitations of electrons i.e. plasmons at low energies for out-of-plane polarization. While for AB-stacked bilayer silicene 1.48 eV plasmons for in-plane polarization is found, a lower value compared to 2.16 eV plasmons for monolayer silicene. Inter-band transitions and plasmons in both bilayer and monolayer silicene are found relatively at lower energies than graphene. The calculations suggest that the band gap can be opened up and varied over a wide range by applying external electric field for bilayer silicene. In infra-red region imaginary part of dielectric function for AB-stacked buckled bilayer silicene shows a broad structure peak in the range of 75–270 meV compared to a short structure peak at 70 meV for monolayer silicene and no structure peaks for AA-stacked bilayer silicene. On application of external electric field the peaks are found to be blue-shifted in infra-red region. With the help of imaginary part of dielectric function and electron energy loss function effort has been made to understand possible interband transitions in both buckled bilayer silicene and monolayer silicene.     

Graphene-based electrically reconfigurable deep-subwavelength metamaterials for active control of THz light propagation

This work studies the terahertz light propagation through graphene-based reconfigurable metasurfaces where the unit cell dimensions are much smaller than the terahertz wavelength. The proposed devices, which poses deep-subwavelength unit cell and active region dimensions can operate as amplitude and/or phase modulators in certain specific frequency bands determined by the device geometry. Reconfigurability is attained via electrostatically tuning the optical conductivity of patterned graphene layers, which are strategically located in each unit cell. The ultra-small unit cell dimensions can be advantageous for beam shaping applications.     

Electret effect in heterogeneous systems comprising low-dimensional particles with electrically active surface

Experimental and theoretical investigations of the electret effect in low-dimensional micas with different degrees of dispersion and adsorption are carried out at temperatures in the range 20–140°C. The results obtained allow the electric activity of the mica particles comprised in these systems to be determined and the efficiency of application of low-dimensional micas for fillers of composite materials to be estimated.