Compared EC-AFM Analysis of Laser-Induced Graphene and Graphite Electrodes in Sulfuric Acid Electrolyte

Flexible and economic sensor devices are the focus of increasing interest for their potential and wide applications in medicine, food analysis, pollution, water quality, etc. In these areas, the possibility of using stable, reproducible, and pocket devices can simplify the acquisition of data. Among recent prototypes, sensors based on laser-induced graphene (LIGE) on Kapton represent a feasible choice. In particular, LIGE devices are also exploited as electrodes for sensing in liquids. Despite a characterization with electrochemical (EC) methods in the literature, a closer comparison with traditional graphite electrodes is still missing. In this study, we combine atomic force microscopy with an EC cell (EC-AFM) to study, in situ, electrode oxidation reactions when LIGE or other graphite samples are used as anodes inside an acid electrolyte. This investigation shows the quality and performance of the LIGE electrode with respect to other samples. Finally, an ex situ Raman spectroscopy analysis allows a detailed chemical analysis of the employed electrodes.     

Double Vivaldi antenna for wireless optical networks on chip

In this paper we present a double plasmonic Vivaldi antenna for on-chip optical wireless communication. The proposed antenna is a two-element broadside array fed by a silicon waveguide. The designs of the power splitter and of the hybrid Si-plasmonic coupler used for antenna excitation are described in detail. The array radiation characteristics are optimized through Finite Difference Time Domain simulations and the performance of a point-to-point link is evaluated. The proposed double Vivaldi array increases the gain of 3 dB with respect to a single antenna, improving the received power on a link of 6 dB when the double antenna is used for both transmitting and receiving sections.     

Neural Estimator of Information for Time-Series Data with Dependency

Novel approaches to estimate information measures using neural networks are well-celebrated in recent years both in the information theory and machine learning communities. These neural-based estimators are shown to converge to the true values when estimating mutual information and conditional mutual information using independent samples. However, if the samples in the dataset are not independent, the consistency of these estimators requires further investigation. This is of particular interest for a more complex measure such as the directed information, which is pivotal in characterizing causality and is meaningful over time-dependent variables. The extension of the convergence proof for such cases is not trivial and demands further assumptions on the data. In this paper, we show that our neural estimator for conditional mutual information is consistent when the dataset is generated with samples of a stationary and ergodic source. In other words, we show that our information estimator using neural networks converges asymptotically to the true value with probability one. Besides universal functional approximation of neural networks, a core lemma to show the convergence is Birkhoff’s ergodic theorem. Additionally, we use the technique to estimate directed information and demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in simulations.     

Reconfigurable silicon filter with continuous bandwidth tunability

We present the design and the fabrication of compact tunable silicon-on-insulator bandpass filters based on the integration of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with ring resonators and activated via thermo-optic phase shifters. The proposed architecture provides wide filter bandwidth tunability from 10% to 90% of the free spectral range preserving the filter off-band rejection. Possible applications are channel subset selection in wavelength division multiplexing optical systems, adaptive filtering to signal bandwidth, and reconfigurable filters for gridless networking.     

Spatial harmonics modelling of planar periodic segmented waveguides

A theoretical approach based on Bloch theorem and spatial harmonics has been used to investigate the propagation characteristics in planar periodic segmented waveguides. This analytical method allows to evaluate the field distribution, the effective index and the propagation losses of these structures, taking into account both the propagating and the counterpropagating field components, thus evidencing all the phenomena which can take place in: Bragg reflections, leaky waves, etc. Results for TE fields are presented and compared with those obtained using a paraxial 2D FD-BPM method and a Padé based one, showing that no more than (1, 1) order approximants are needed to provide good estimates of the device characteristics.     

An FD-BPM with adaptive mesh for longitudinally varying optical structures

A finite difference beam propagation method (FD-BPM) algorithm using an adaptive mesh is proposed for optimal use of computer memory and minimization of CPU times in three-dimensional longitudinally varying guiding structures. Preliminary results confirming its feasibility and the advantages of the new algorithm both in CPU and computer memory requirements are described in a 2D case using a Y-junction.     

Different W cluster deposition regimes in pulsed laser ablation observed by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy

We report on how different cluster deposition regimes can be obtained and observed by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy by exploiting deposition parameters in a pulsed laser deposition process. Tungsten clusters were produced by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in Ar atmosphere at different pressures and deposited on Au(1 1 1) and HOPG surfaces. Deposition regimes including cluster deposition-diffusion-aggregation, cluster melting and coalescence and cluster implantation were observed, depending on background gas pressure and target-to-substrate distance which influence the kinetic energy of the ablated species. These parameters can thus be easily employed for surface modification by cluster bombardment, deposition of supported clusters and growth of films with different morphologies. The variation in cluster mobility on different substrates and its influence on aggregation and growth mechanisms has also been investigated.     

Thermal decomposition of copper(II) glutarate trihydrate. Part I. The mechanism of dehydration of copper(II) glutarate trihydrate

The mechanism of thermal dehydration of copper(II) glutarate trihydrate has been determined from the analysis of the kinetic data for isothermal and non-isothermal dehydration experiments. Microscopic investigations for the dehydration process of a single crystal of copper(II) glutarate trihydrate have been carried out to support the mechanism. The simultaneous DTG—DTA—TG curves of the salt are also described.     

Linear free energy relations in solid state reactions II

Kinetics of the reaction between solid cobalt(II) acetate and solid substituted aniline hydrochlorides have been studied by thermal analysis. All the reactions go to completion. The crystalline products were characterized by physico-chemical methods. The energy of activation is 83.4,44.2,64.2,100.9,79.8,99.9, 135.9 and 168.7 kJ mol^–1for the reactions of aniline, 3- and 4-chloro-, 4-iodo-, 4-bromo-, 4-fluoro-, 4-methyl- and 4-methoxy aniline hydrochlorides with cobalt acetate. A plot of energy of activation against Hammett's constant is linear with a slope of –169.9 kJ mol^–1. A comparison between the reactivity of these reactions by the capillary and the thermal methods has been done.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels Thermoanalyse wurde die Kinetik der Festkörperreaktion zwischen Kobalt(II)azetat und substituierten Anilinhydrochloriden untersucht. Alle Reaktionen laufen vollständig ab. Die kristallinen Produkte wurden mittels physikalisch-chemischer Methoden charakterisiert. Die Aktivierungsenergie der Reaktion von Kobalt(II)azetat mit Anilin, 3- und 4-Chlor-, 4-Jod-,4-Brom-, 4-Fluor-, 4-Methoxy- und 4-Methylanilin beträgt 83.4,44.2,64.2,100.9,79.8,99.9,168.7 bzw. 135.9 kJ/mol. Bei der Darstellung der Aktivierungsenergie in Abhängigkeit von der Hammettkonstante konnte Linearität mit einem Anstieg von – 169.9 kJ/mol festgestellt werden. Die Reaktivität dieser Reaktionen wurde mittels Kapillar- und thermischen Verfahrens verglichen.

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. . - . , 3- 4--, 4--, 4--, 4--, 4- - 4- , , 83,4; 44,2; 64,2; 100,9; 79,8; 99,9; 135,9 168,7 ·^–1. - –169,9 ·^–1. , .

     

Polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by ceric ion–citric acid redox system

Heterogeneous polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by ceric ammonium sulfate–citric acid (C.A.) redox system is reported at 35 ± 0.2°C under nitrogen atmosphere. The rate of monomer disappearance is found to be proportional to [C.A.]⁰, [Ce⁴⁺]^0.63, and [Monomer]^1.59. The rate of ceric ion disappearance is directly proportional to ceric ion concentration but independent of monomer concentration. The initial rate was independent of [H₂SO₄]. The molecular weight of polyacrylonitrile increases with increasing monomer concentration and decreasing ceric ion concentration. Activation energy was found to be 27.9 kJ/mol.