An adiabatic local model for the internal structure of charge-transfer excitons: Dimers and trimers

In charge-transfer crystals, the exciton-phonon interaction significantly influences the internal structure of charge-transfer excitons (CTEs). The formation of CTE dimers and trimers is considered in an adiabatic non-centrosymmetric model which includes phonon dispersion. Changes of lattice frequencies near the CTE are analysed.     

Characterization of the bulk defects in InP crystal with a high-resolution triple-crystal X-ray diffractometer

Intensity distributions for various reflections from InP single crystal were measured with a triple-crystal X-ray diffractometer. The measured intensity patterns were compared with those calculated for a perfect crystal. This comparison showed a good agreement for the Bragg-case diffraction, while a broadening of the measured intensity profiles was observed for the Laue-case diffraction. This broadening results from the presence of microdefects in the bulk of the material. The critical radius of the microdefects was estimated to be in the range of 1 to 2 m from the power law of scattering for the Laue reflection curves. The microdefects were found to be of interstitial type and the computer simulations suggest that they are formed by aggregation of dislocation loops consistent with {111} 110 model.     

Photoluminescent nematic liquid crystalline elastomer actuators

Nematic liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) actuators possessing both photoluminescent (PL) and stimuli-responsive functions were fabricated and studied. PL-dyes (1-pyrenemethyl acrylate and 4-bromo-2,6-bis-(1?-methyl-benzimidazolyl) pyridine loaded with Eu(III) ion) were synthesised and characterised, and then the dyes were mixed with an acrylate side-on liquid crystalline monomer, a cross-linker and a photo-initiator. Through magnetic field alignment, well-defined LCE micropillar PL actuators were fabricated from the mixed samples by a method combining soft lithography and photo-polymerisation/photo-cross-linking. Microscopic observations indicated that the LCE micropillars showed reversible thermomechanical deformation at the nematic-to-isotropic transition temperature. During the reversible contraction and extension process, the LCE actuator containing 1-pyrenemethyl moieties showed stable photoluminescence, while for the LCE actuator doped with 4-bromo-2,6-bis-(1-methyl-benzimidazolyl)pyridine/Eu(III) complex, the PL emission was quenched at about 100°C, which was before the pillars contraction occurring at a higher temperature. When cooled down to room temperature, the contracted LCE micropillars recovered their original shape and the initial PL emission state. The micron-sized LCE actuators can be used for thermomechanical devices and machines with different PL functions at the same time.     

Comparison of interactions between beta-hairpin decapeptides and SDS/DPC micelles from experimental and simulation data

Background  

We applied a combined experimental and computational approach to ascertain how peptides interact with host and microbial membrane surrogates, in order to validate simulation methodology we hope will enable the development of insights applicable to the design of novel antimicrobial peptides. We studied the interactions of two truncated versions of the potent, but cytotoxic, antimicrobial octadecapeptide protegrin-1, PC-72 [LCYCRRRFCVC] and PC-73 [CYCRRRFCVC].     

Permeability of Human Tooth Surfaces Studied In Vitro by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Electrochemical Faradaic impedance spectroscopy was applied to evaluate dependence of the electrical resistance on human teeth. The experiments were performed using iodide anions as a redox probe to model permeability of teeth for fluoride upon an iontophoresis process. Tooth molars were used – as these are teeth most affected by tooth decay processes in vivo. Teeth compared included sound molars – with no evidence of pit and fissure decay, teeth with pits and fissures regarded ‘clinically’ as showing signs of decay, and teeth with crowns removed to present exposed dentin surfaces. A difference of more than an order of magnitude in electrical resistance was observed between sound molars and those regarded as showing evidence of tooth decay processes. Sound dentin, as expected from structural considerations demonstrated significantly lower resistance when compared to sound molars. Importantly, the difference in tooth resistance measured between carious and sound molars was shown to be much more representative of their structural integrity than comparison of digitally processed images of the teeth. The results support the utility of electrochemical Faradaic impedance spectroscopy for the development of understanding on how tooth electrical resistance may vary according to structural changes. This understanding may be useful to continued refinements in the use of electrical resistance measures as caries diagnostics and support generically the potential for iontophoretic processes in in‐office fluoride treatments of teeth.     

Self-sustained oscillations and chaos in space charge limited currents

In kinetic simulations of a flow of charged particles between two parallel plate electrodes, it is found that chaotic responses in space charge limited currents can be induced by a periodically varying applied voltage.     

Ionic plasma screening and long-range electron correlations in quasi-one-dimensional conductors

In quasi-one-dimensional systems with the intercalation-type doping, the dynamical response of dopant ions can substantially affect the interplay of density-wave and superconducting instabilities. A generic model system of Coulombically coupled Luttinger-liquid chains augmented by the interaction with the ion displacements is exactly solved in the forward-scattering channel providing for the resulting system excitations and electron correlations. For a jellium-like ion response, the effect of the bare electron–electron repulsion is essentially canceled by the ions. Superconducting correlations can then be developed due to a non-polarizational interaction with an additional phonon mode.     

Coherent emission from a disordered organic semiconductor induced by strong coupling with surface plasmons

In this Letter, we show that the strong coupling between a disordered set of molecular emitters and surface plasmons leads to the formation of spatially coherent hybrid states extended on macroscopic distances. Young-type interferometric experiments performed on a system of J-aggregated dyes spread on a silver layer evidence the coherent emission from different molecular emitters separated by several microns. The coherence is absent in systems in the weak-coupling regime demonstrating the key role of the hybridization of the molecules with the plasmon.     

Charge-induced anisotropic distortions of semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes

To accommodate extra electrons or holes injected into a single-wall carbon nanotube, carbon-carbon bonds adjust their lengths. Resulting changes in carbon-nanotube length as a function of charge injection provide the basis for electromechanical actuators. We show that a key mechanism at low injection levels, modulation of electron kinetic energy, provides nanotube deformations that are both anisotropic and strongly dependent on nanotube structure. Nanotubes can exhibit both expansion and contraction, as well as nonmonotonic size changes. The magnitude of the actuation response of semiconducting carbon nanotubes may be substantially larger than that of graphite.