Tuning of Photonic band gap via combined effect of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystal composite

ABSTRACT

Blue phase liquid crystals are soft 3D photonic crystals in which the liquid crystal molecules self-assemble to form a cubic structure with lattice spacing of a few hundred nanometers resulting in selective reflection of colours in the visible spectrum. The corresponding wavelength or the ‘photonic band gap’ can be tuned using various external stimuli such as thermal, electric, magnetic and optical fields. Here, we report efficient tuning of photonic band gap by utilising the combination of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystalline system. The studies indicate that the chirality of the medium has a direct bearing on the direction of the wavelength shift and the extent of the photonic band gap tunability. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the two fields helps in reversible tuning of the band gap.     

A study on distributive and modular lattice ordered fuzzy soft group and its duality

Soft set theory has a rich potential application in several fields. A soft group is a parameterized family of subgroups and a fuzzy soft group is a parameterized family of fuzzy subgroups. The concept of fuzzy soft group is the generalization of soft group. Abdulkadir Aygunoglu and Halis Aygun introduced the notion of fuzzy soft groups in 2009[1]. In this paper, the concept of lattice ordered fuzzy soft groups and its duality has been introduced. Then distributive and modular lattice ordered fuzzy soft groups are analysed. The objective of this paper is to study the lattice theory over the collection of fuzzy soft group in a parametric manner. Some pertinent properties have been analysed and hence established duality principle.     

Using Carrier Fringes to Study the High Temperature Deformation Behavior of a BGA Package Under Extended Dwell Times

There is a compelling need to experimentally understand solder joint deformation behavior at high temperatures over an extended period of time. Accordingly, the deformation behavior of solder joints in a Ceramic Ball Grid Array (CBGA) package mounted on an organic FR4 board under extended dwell time at a high temperature has been studied using laser moiré interferometry. The warpage and the in-plane horizontal deformation of the ceramic substrate and the organic board as a function of time were determined. The variation of the normal strains and shear strains in the solder joints with time were also investigated. It was found that increased sensitivity was necessary to accurately determine the strains in the small sized solder joints. A new method utilizing carrier fringes to increase the sensitivity of the moiré interferometry system is proposed and has been used to determine the strains in the small sized solder joints. Increased sensitivity can be obtained merely by changing the incident angle of the laser light on the surface of the specimen, thereby making it unnecessary to use expensive phase shifting apparatus with the traditional laser moiré system.     

Anti-biofouling properties of comblike block copolymers with amphiphilic side chains

Surfaces of novel block copolymers with amphiphilic side chains were studied for their ability to influence the adhesion of marine organisms. The surface-active polymer, obtained by grafting fluorinated molecules with hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks to a block copolymer precursor, showed interesting bioadhesion properties. Two different algal species, one of which adhered strongly to hydrophobic surfaces, and the other, to hydrophilic surfaces, showed notably weak adhesion to the amphiphilic surfaces. Both organisms are known to secrete adhesive macromolecules, with apparently different wetting characteristics, to attach to underwater surfaces. The ability of the amphiphilic surface to undergo an environment-dependent transformation in surface chemistry when in contact with the extracellular polymeric substances is a possible reason for its antifouling nature. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) was used, in a new approach based on angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to determine the variation in chemical composition within the top few nanometers of the surface and also to study the surface segregation of the amphiphilic block. A mathematical model to extract depth-profile information from the normalized NEXAFS partial electron yield is developed.     

Study of Heat Transfer Control with Magnetic Field Using Higher Order Finite Difference Scheme

The control of convective heat transfer from a heated circular cylinder immersed in an electrically conducting fluid is achieved using an externally imposed magnetic field. A Higher Order Compact Scheme (HOCS) is used to solve the governing energy equation in cylindrical polar coordinates. The HOCS gives fourth order accurate results for the temperature field. The behavior of local Nusselt number, mean Nusselt number and temperature field due to variation in the aligned magnetic field is evaluated for the parameters 5≤$Re$≤40, 0≤$N$≤20 and 0.065≤$Pr$≤7. It is found that the convective heat transfer is suppressed by increasing the strength of the imposed magnetic field until a critical value of $N$, the interaction parameter, beyond which the heat transfer increases with further increase in $N$. The results are found to be in good agreement with recent experimental studies.     

Isolation of Industrial Important Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae

Microalgae are known as a rich source of bioactive compounds which exhibit different biological activities. Increased demand for sustainable biomass for production of important bioactive components with various potential especially therapeutic applications has resulted in noticeable interest in algae. Utilisation of microalgae in multiple scopes has been growing in various industries ranging from harnessing renewable energy to exploitation of high-value products. The focuses of this review are on production and the use of value-added components obtained from microalgae with current and potential application in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, energy and agri-food industries, as well as for bioremediation. Moreover, this work discusses the advantage, potential new beneficial strains, applications, limitations, research gaps and future prospect of microalgae in industry.