Beam bending through compound structure with two subwavelength metallic slits in each period

To provide a more practical, easy-to-implement method to achieve directional modulation with a plasmonic lens, beam manipulation method via compound metallic gratings with two subwavelength slits filled with different dielectrics inside each period is proposed and numerically investigated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Compared with conventional metal-grating based structures, phase retardation is tuned by the Fabry-Pérot (FP) resonant condition and light bending is achieved by constructing a carefully designed, curved phase front for the plasmonic lenses. Our designs have advantages in ease of fabrication and capability to perform in the far field. With these advantages, the designs are expected to be valuable in applications such as plasmonic circuits and photonic communication.     

Birth–death process of local structures in defect turbulence described by the one-dimensional complex Ginzburg–Landau equation

Defect turbulence described by the one-dimensional complex Ginzburg–Landau equation is investigated and analyzed via a birth–death process of the local structures composed of defects, holes, and modulated amplitude waves (MAWs). All the number statistics of each local structure, in its stationary state, are subjected to Poisson statistics. In addition, the probability density functions of interarrival times of defects, lifetimes of holes, and MAWs show the existence of long-memory and some characteristic time scales caused by zigzag motions of oscillating traveling holes. The corresponding stochastic process for these observations is fully described by a non-Markovian master equation.     

Frustrated structure of an anticlinic-like smectic-C phase

We present a polarising optical microscopy study of the low-temperature anticlinic-like tilted mesophase of the liquid-crystal compound octylphenyl-2-chloro-4-(p-cyano-benzoyloxy) (DB₈Cl). This mesophase has been described as a bilayer smectic structure in which the molecules within each layer are organised in an anticlinic way. The optical textures observed in samples with planar orientation show a double stripe pattern, with the lines aligned parallel to the rubbing direction, characteristic of a double periodic modulation of the refractive index of the material. The long-period modulation is temperature dependent and disappears for thin sample cells (< 5μm). The short-period modulation is nearly independent of the thickness of the cells. The experimental results are analysed in terms of a model which considers that there is a special distribution of the principal optical axis which may be in or out of the polariser-analyser plane. The observed periodic variation of the principal optical axis could not be interpreted in terms of the original structure proposed for this phase. DB₈Cl presents a structure formed by dimers that can be viewed as flexible bent-core-like molecules, showing similarities with phases found in banana-like systems, but exhibiting a much more complex structure.     

溶胶凝胶法制备圆柱形大孔二氧化硅反蛋白石结构晶体

利用溶胶凝胶法在不同直径的毛细管表面制备了圆柱形二氧化硅反蛋白石多孔结构.利用扫描电子显微镜表征了其形貌,发现胶体晶体的类(111)面结构整体为圆柱形,平行于毛细管表面.透射光谱结果表明,二氧化硅多孔结构在[111]方向具有典型的光子带隙效应,与布拉格理论相符合,有望应用到光通讯和传感领域.     

Inherent limits on optimization and discovery in physical systems

Topological mapping of a large physical system on a graph, and its decomposition using universal measures are proposed. We find inherent limits to the potential for optimization of a given system and its approximate representations by motifs, and the ability to reconstruct the full system given approximate representations. The approximate representation of the system most suited for optimization may be different from that which most accurately describes the full system.     

Nanoporous silicon doped by Cu for gas-sensing applications

The effect of hydrogen sulphide on the current–voltage characteristics of metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structures based on nanoporous silicon (Si_nanopor) under copper doping has been investigated. Scanning electron (SEM), atomic force (AFM) and optic microscopes and/or secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) were used to obtain detailed characterisation of copper cluster distribution present at the surface and pores, respectively. SIMS spectra reveal that finite gradient in copper distribution along the pores and oxidation of nanoporous silicon simultaneously can be obtained successfully under electroless deposition process. It was also shown that the doping of nanoporous silicon by Cu leads to enhanced hydrogen sulphide sensitivity of MIS structures even without catalytic active top electrodes (for example, Pd) at room temperature. Furthermore, for different types of familiar MIS structures based on nanoporous silicon, e.g., MIS structures doped or undoped by copper and by using Pd metal electrodes, the hydrogen sulphide detection at room temperature mainly depends on the modification in the height of barrier of hetero- (Al–Cu–Si_nanopor–c-Si) or Schottky-like (Pd–Cu–Si_nanopor–c-Si) structures resulting the chemical interaction of molecular H₂S gas with copper clusters at the surface and in the pores. It is demonstrated that MIS structures based on the nanoporous silicon with copper doping are more sensitive to H₂S action at room temperature. In addition, the physical mechanism explaining the observed phenomena is also discussed.     

一维Au/MgF2光子晶体的透射性质

理论上研究了一维金属/电介质光子晶体的透射率性质,用传输矩阵方法数值计算了Au/MgF2光子带隙晶体的透射率．发现周期性结构产生的透射共振会大幅度增加光通过层状金属的透射率．通过调节一维Au/MgF2光子晶体中金和氟化镁的厚度以及周期数,得到了可见波段的高透射允带,透射率在0.4以上,而对于可见波段以外的频率几乎是完全不能传输的．这种结构在保持了高透射率的前提下还具有金属的优点,这在传感器、护目装置、反射窗、液晶显示等诸多领域都有很大的实用价值．     

薄膜法布里-珀罗滤光片中的超棱镜效应

基于薄膜法布里珀罗滤光片在其峰值波长处具有较大群延迟的特性,设计并从实验上验证了光束倾斜入射时这种结构中存在的超棱镜效应。根据光学薄膜理论中的特征矩阵法,数值模拟计算了器件的群延迟和空间色散曲线,镀制并对器件进行了测试。测试结果表明器件在透射峰值波长处因超棱镜效应引起的空间色散最大位移值达到65μm,与理论计算结果非常吻合;相对于传统的光栅和棱镜器件而言器件具有更高的空间角度色散,实际测试在784.5 nm至786.5 nm波长范围内器件的角色散达到30°/nm。     

Short note on the excitonic Mott phase

An exciton gas on a lattice is analysed in terms of a convergent hopping expansion. For a given chemical potential, our calculation provides a sufficient condition for the hopping rate to obtain an exponential decay of the exciton correlation function. This result indicates the existence of a Mott phase in which strong fluctuations destroy the long range correlations in the exciton gas at any temperature, either by thermal or by quantum fluctuations.     

Theoretical design of diamondlike superhard structures at high pressure

Diamond, as the hardest known material, has been widely used in industrial applications as abrasives, coatings, and cutting and polishing tools, but it is restricted by several shortcomings, e.g., its low thermal and chemical stability. Considerable efforts have been devoted to designing or synthesizing the diamond-like B–C–N–O compounds, which exhibit excellent mechanical property. In this paper, we review the recent theoretical design of diamond-like superhard structures at high pressure. In particular, the recently designed high symmetric phase of low-energy cubic BC3 meets the experimental observation, and clarifies the actual existence of cubic symmetric phase for the compounds formed by B–C–N–O system,besides the classical example of cubic boron nitride.