Polycarbonate nanoparticles spray coated on silicon substrate using micro-electromechanical-systems-based high-frequency ultrasonic nozzle

Mono-disperse polycarbonate (PC) nanoparticles 20 nm in diameter was spray coated on silicon substrate using a novel high-frequency ultrasonic nozzle. Specifically, Bisphenol-A polycarbonate with a molecular weight (M_w) of approximately 6.4 × 10⁴ g/mol was first dissolved in pyridine. The resulting solution was sprayed into surfactant-containing de-ionized (DI) water using a 300 kHz silicon-based multiple-Fourier horn nozzle (MFHN). As pyridine was extracted into the water, PC nanoparticles formed but remained dispersed. This suspension of PC nanoparticles was then sprayed onto a silicon substrate using a 500 kHz 3-Fourier horn nozzle. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the dried substrate revealed that PC nanoparticles were spread uniformly with no aggregation.     

Software lens compensation applied to athermalization of infrared imaging systems

A different approach, aiming to achieve the constant blur status of point-spread function (PSF) at a certain defocused plane, is described. The correlation between the two PSF is used to control the PSF blur similarity, and simultaneously the Strehl ratio is also used to control the PSF blur minimization. By designing the PSF so that it is significantly insensitive to defocus or related defocus quantity, for example, due to temperature change, all the constantly blurred images can be accurately de-blurred by a simple inverse restoration filter for an adequate range of defocus. We refer to that as “software lens compensation” and apply a design method to solve the athermalization of middle wavelength infrared (MWIR) imaging systems. The resultant PSF is almost invariant in the temperature range from −10 to 50°C at the same focal plane. Consequently, the constant blur spot can be removed by a simple digital signal processing. Thus, clear and sharp de-blurred images at different temperatures are obtained.     

Dose verification of volumetric modulation arc therapy by using a NIPAM gel dosimeter combined with a parallel-beam optical computed tomography scanner

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) was developed to shorten treatment time and increase target conformance. However, a true three-dimensional (3D) gel dosimeter is needed for dose verification. In this study, two clinic cases were adopted: a simple case of lung cancer and a complex case of larynx cancer. For each clinic case, two treatment plans were generated for the same planning target volume using VMAT and intensity modulated radiation therapy calculation software packages. An N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) polymer gel dosimeter was used for 3D dose verification. In addition, the dose characteristics of the NIPAM gel dosimeter were investigated for the two clinic cases.

     

Cystamine-incorporated gelatin microsphere and its redox-responsive release property

Reduction-responsive cystamine-incorporated gelatin microspheres were prepared by an emulsification method. On SEM micrograph, the microsphere, prepared at pH 9.0 and at the carboxyl/amino group molar ratio of 1:1, was sphere-like and its diameter was a few to 100 µm. The gelatin to cystamine ratio of the microsphere was about 1:0.2 (w/w), determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Two endothermic peaks were observed around 92°C and 126°C, which were thought to be the melting point of gelatin-rich phase and that of cystamine-rich phase, respectively. The microsphere released its payload (FITC-dextran) in dithiothreitol (a reducing agent) concentration-dependent manner.     

Effects of losses on the transmission and reflection in the single-negative materials

In this work, we investigate the angular dependence of transmission and reflection in the single-negative (SNG) materials. We consider a model structure of a SNG bilayer which consists of the epsilon-negative (ENG) and mu-negative (MNG) layers. The wave transmission and reflection properties due to the losses from the ENG and MNG materials are specifically investigated. With the presence of losses in the ENG and MNG materials, some unusual wave properties will be explored and numerically demonstrated.     

Crystalline phase of Y_2O_3 :Eu particles generated in a substrate-free flame process

In this study, factors affecting the crystal structure of flame-synthesized Y 2 O 3 :Eu particles were inves- tigated, especially the particle size effect and its interaction with Eu doping concentration. Polydisperse Y 2 O 3 :Eu (size range 200 nm to 3 m) powder samples with Eu doping concentrations from 2.5 mol% to 25 mol% were generated in either H 2 /air or H 2 /O 2 substrate-free flames. The crystal structure of the powder samples was determined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), which was complemented...     

Plasmonic multilayer structure for ultrathin amorphous silicon film photovoltaic cell

A plasmonic multilayer structure (PMS) is proposed for photovoltaic cells with an ultrathin active layer that is 30 nm amorphous Si (α-Si). The optical properties of the PMS are analyzed by rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Using the PMS, the incident light can be trapped into localized surface plasmon (LSP) and then the localized surface plasmon induces the surface plasmon (SP) that propagates transversely within the α-Si layer. Compared with the indium tin oxide (ITO)/α-Si/Ag structure, the photon number absorbed by PMS increase 28.7% while a normal incident transverse magnetic (TM) polarization wave is applied.