Nanoscale probing of adsorbed species by tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is based on the optical excitation of localized surface plasmons in the tip-substrate cavity, which provides a large but local field enhancement near the tip apex. We report on TERS with smooth single crystalline surfaces as substrates. The adsorbates were CN- ions at Au(111) and malachite green isothiocyanate (MGITC) molecules at Au(111) and Pt(110) using either Au or Ir tips. The data analysis yields Raman enhancements of about 4 x 10(5) for CN- and up to 10(6) for MGITC at Au(111) with a Au tip, probing an area of less than 100 nm radius.     

Tunable microlens arrays using polymer network liquid crystal

A tunable-focus microlens array based on polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) is demonstrated. The PNLC was prepared using an ultraviolet (UV) light exposure through a patterned photomask. The photocurable monomer in each of the UV exposed spot forms an inhomogeneous centro-symmetrical polymer network which acts as a lens when a homogeneous electric field is applied to the cell. The focal length of the microlens arrays is tunable with the applied voltage.     

Improving nonlinearity tolerance of 112-Gb/s PDM OFDM systems with coherent detection using BLAST algorithm

A novel long wavelength photodetector with dual-wavelength spectral response is designed and fabricated using a step-shaped Fabry-Prot (F-P) filter structure.The step-shaped GaAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflectors and the InP PIN photodetector are grown on a GaAs substrate using low pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition.High quality GaAs/InP heteroepitaxy is realized by employing a thin low temperature buffer layer.The photodetector structure is optimized by theoretical simulation.This device has a dual-peak distance of 19 nm (1 558 and 1 577 nm).The 3-dB bandwidth of 16 GHz is simultaneously obtained with peak quantum efficiencies of 8.5% and 8.6% around 1 558 and 1 577 nm,respectively.     

High-reflectivity non-periodic sub-wavelength gratings with small-angle beam-steering ability and its application in Fabry–Perot cavity

We report a high-reflectivity non-periodic sub-wavelength gratings (SWGs) mirror with small-angle beam-steering ability for reflect light. It presents a distinctive characteristic of flexibly controlling the width of oscillation optical field for the improved Fabry–Perot (F–P) cavity. We propose a detailed principle analysis of the improved cavity. By finding out a set of SWGs with the designed structural parameters, both high reflectivity (>?93%) and beam steering (1°) can be implemented. By setting beam-steering angle and cavity length, we can control the width of oscillation optical field in the improved cavity. Beam steering ability and property of controlling the oscillation width are numerically investigated by finite element method. Simulation results prove that cavity length and steering angle can effectively control the main width of oscillation optical field, and the width is linearly associated with the cavity length.     

Study on the Reduced Traffic Congestion Method Based on Dynamic Guidance Information

This paper studies how to generate the reasonable information of travelers' decision in real network. This problem is very complex because the travelers' decision is constrained by different human behavior. The network conditions can be predicted by using the advanced dynamic OD(Origin-Destination, OD) estimation techniques. Based on the improved mesoscopic traffic model, the predictable dynamic traffic guidance information can be obtained accurately.A consistency algorithm is designed to investigate the travelers' decision by simulating the dynamic response to guidance information. The simulation results show that the proposed method can provide the best guidance information. Further,a case study is conducted to verify the theoretical results and to draw managerial insights into the potential of dynamic guidance strategy in improving traffic performance.     

Adsorption and dissociation of water on LaB6(100) investigated by surface vibrational spectroscopy

The chemisorption of water (H₂O and D₂O) on a LaB₆(100) surface was studied with reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). The clean surface was exposed to H₂O and D₂O at temperatures from 90 K to room temperature, and spectra were acquired after heating to temperatures as high as 1200 K. It was found that water molecularly adsorbs on the surface at 90 K as a monomer at low coverages and as amorphous solid water at higher coverages. Water adsorbs dissociatively at room temperature to produce surface hydroxyl species as indicated by OH/OD stretch peaks at 3676/2701 cm^?1. Room temperature adsorption also reveals low frequency loss features in HREEL spectra near 300 cm^?1 that are quite similar to results obtained following the dissociative adsorption of O₂. In the latter case, the loss features were attributed to the LaO stretch of O atoms bridge-bonded between two La atoms. In the case of dissociative adsorption of H₂O, the low frequency loss features could be due to either the LaO vibrations of adsorbed O or of adsorbed OH.     

Red,green and infrared three-wavelength lasers generated from LD side-pumped Nd3+:YAG crystal

To obtain 1064 nm/532 nm/660 nm three wavelength lasers operating simultaneously or singly, a novel LD side-pumped Nd³⁺:YAG laser system with acousto-optic Q-switched and nonlinear frequency conversion technologies was investigated. When the three wavelength lasers output singly and the Pumping power was 103 W, 1064 nm laser was 14.5 W and the green and red lasers reached 4.7 W and 1.6 W, respectively, at the repetition rate of 10.5 kHz and 11.5 kHz. When they worked simultaneously, the red, green and infrared lasers were obtained with the output power distribution of 1.0 W at 660 nm, 4.3 W at 532 nm and 10.1 W at 1064 nm, and the instability was less than 2% within 3 h.     

Atomic-scale imaging of wall-by-wall breakdown and concurrent transport measurements in multiwall carbon nanotubes

We report the atomic-scale imaging with concurrent transport measurements of the breakdown of individual multiwall carbon nanotubes inside a transmission electron microscope equipped with a piezomanipulator. We found unexpectedly three distinct breakdown sequences: namely, from the outermost wall inward, from the innermost wall outward, and alternatively between the innermost and the outmost walls. Remarkably, a significant amount of current drop was observed when an innermost wall is broken, proving unambiguously that every wall is conducting. Moreover, the breakdown of each wall in any sequence initiates in the middle of the nanotube, not at the contact, proving that the transport is not ballistic.     

A Comparative ESR Study on Blood and Tissue Nitric Oxide Concentration during Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping technology is a sensitive and unambiguous method for detection of nitric oxide (NO). Due to the short lifetime, NO must be trapped before EPR measurement. There are two EPR spin trapping techniques used currently, including the detections of EPR signals of diethyldithiocarbamate-iron-nitric oxide (DETC₂-Fe²⁺-NO) and nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO). In this study, we firstly investigated the kinetics of the EPR signal of DETC₂-Fe²⁺-NO in normal and ischemia-reperfused kidneys. In normal rat kidneys, the signal of DETC₂-Fe²⁺-NO was found at 5 min after the spin trappers Fe²⁺/DETC were administrated, the peak concentration was at 15 min and the period with relatively stable signal intensity was at the time range from 15 to 70 min. In the ischemia-reperfused rat kidneys, the signal of DETC₂-Fe²⁺-NO was increased at 30 min of ischemia and decreased at 60 min of ischemia after the occlusion of renal artery (corresponding to the time course of 60 and 90 min after Fe²⁺/DETC injection respectively). We then investigated the EPR signal of HbNO in blood. No characteristic HbNO signal was found in the rats of the sham control and 30 min of ischemia. An HbNO signal occurred in the rats exposed to 60 min of ischemia and it became pronounced with increased duration of reperfusion. The signal intensity reached a plateau at 150 min of reperfusion. The results suggest that the DETC₂-Fe²⁺-NO signal can be only suitable for the NO measurement in the short-term ischemia-reperfusion model, whereas the HbNO signal can be applied to represent NO in the relatively long-term ischemia-reperfusion model. In addition, N^G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NAME) and allopurinol were used to identify the source of NO. By detecting the HbNO signal, we demonstrated that the activation of xanthine oxidase is an important source of NO formation at the long-term period of ischemia and reperfusion. Authors' address: Jiangang Shen, School of Chinese Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China     

Fabrication and characterization of groove-gate MOSFETs based on a self-aligned CMOS process

N and P-channel groove-gate MOSFETs based on a self-aligned CMOS process have been fabricated and characterized. For the devices with channel length of 140nm, the measured drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) was 66mV/V for n-MOSFETs and 82mV/V for p-MOSFETs. The substrate current of a groove-gate n-MOSFET was 150 times less than that of a conventional planar n-MOSFET. These results demonstrate that groove-gate MOSFETs have excellent capabilities in suppressing short-channel effects. It is worth emphasizing that our groove-gate MOSFET devices are fabricated by using a simple process flow, with the potential of fabricating devices in the sub-100nm range.