Advanced Materials

Ab initio simulation of the transition from the crystalline to the amorphous phase of a phase-change material doped with Fe impurities. We study the structural and magnetic properties of both phases and provide a link between the magnetic contrast recently observed in these materials and the drastic change in local order which occurs during amorphization.

Ultrathin ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride(70%)-tetrafluoroethylene (30%) copolymer film is inserted between the poly3(hexylthiophene) (P3HT) donor and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM) acceptor layers as the dipole layer to tune the relative energy levels, which can potentially maximize the open circuit voltage of bilayer organic solar cells. In this work, the power conversion efficiency of P3HT/PCBM bilayer solar cells is demonstrated to be doubled with the inserted dipoles.

Hemispherical microresonators with tunable sizes are obtained based on the hydrophobic effect on distributed Bragg reflectors. Under optical excitation, whispering gallery mode lasing is observed from the dye-doped microresonators at room temperature. The results indicate the potential application of the flexible microresonators in photonic integrated circuits.

To identify the depletion mechanismin a stimulated-emission-depletion (STED) inspired photoresist composed of a ketocoumarin photoinitiator in pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, we perform lithography with pulsed excitation and tunable delayed depletion. A fast component can unambiguously be assigned to stimulated emission. Our results allow the systematical optimization of the conditions in next-generation STED direct-laser-writing optical lithography.

Block copolymer photonic crystals comprising polyelectrolyte hydrogels exhibit strong reflective multicolors in response to near-UV radiation. Due to unique volume transition of swollen gels, the photonic gels show high photosensitivity, and which can be widely tunable by exchanging counter-anions. Multicolor photonic patterns created by photolithography can be repeatedly fixated and reactivated by sequentially exchanging counter-anions with different photosensitivity.

An adaptable density gradient multilayer polymerization (DGMP) method facilitates simple fabrication of complex multicompartment scaffolds with structurally continuous interfaces. Solvent density liquid-liquid phase segregation compartmentalizes varied mechanical and chemical cues independently. Bulk photopolymerization produces stratified three-dimensional and two-dimensional matrices. Cells attach to patterned adhesion peptides on biomimetic 2D substrates.

In the presence of oriented smectic liquidcrystal defects, hybrid systems of nanoparticles/liquid crystals form straight chains of nanoparticles of length longer than tens of micrometers and width equal to one single nanoparticle. The interparticle distance in a chain can be varied between a few micrometers and 1.5 nm, highlighting the control of optical absorption by light polarization monitored by gold nanoparticle concentration.

Mesoporous silica-coated gold nanorods (Au@SiO₂) are developed as a promising and versatile theranostic platform for cancer treatment. Intracellular localization of Au@SiO₂ is visualized through two-photon imaging. With doxorubicin hydrochloride loaded, Au@SiO₂–DOX show two light-mediated therapeutic modes: low power density laser-triggered drug release for chemotherapy, and high power density laser-induced hyperthermia, which suggest the potential for in-vivo applications.

A novel composite anode material consisting of K₂NiF₄-type structured Pr_0.8Sr_1.2(Co,Fe)_0.8Nb_0.2O_4+δ (K-PSCFN) matrix with homogenously dispersed nano-sized Co-Fe alloy (CFA) has been obtained by annealing perovskite Pr_0.4Sr_0.6Co_0.2Fe_0.7Nb_0.1O_3-δ (P-PSCFN) in H₂ at 900 °C. The K-PSCFN-CFA composite anode is redox-reversible and has demonstrated similar catalytic activity to Ni-based cermets anode, excellent sulfur tolerance, remarkable coking resistance and robust redox cyclability.

New developments in anisotropic wetting on 1D and directional patterned surfaces in recent years (i.e., 2005–2011) are reviewed in this paper. Both natural surfaces and fabricated surfaces using various approaches with 1D patterned surfaces or directional nanostructures exhibit obvious anisotropic static or dynamic wetting behavior. Some modeling and simulation methods are proposed to interpret the observed anisotropic wetting. Many potential applications exist for anisotropic wetting surfaces.

A model system consisting of Eu³⁺ as the activator ion and BaZrO₃ as the host lattice is employed to demonstrate the potential of the vapor diffusion sol−gel method as a hydrolytic approach to the synthesis of fluorescent alkaline-earth perovskite oxide nanocrystals under ultrabenign conditions. The resulting nanocrystals are suitable precursors for nanostructured red-emitting phosphors.

High-quality anatase TiO₂ nanocages with anisotropic shapes, homogeneous shells and tunable sizes can be fabricated by templating against Cu₂O polyhedra under hydrothermal conditions. The interiors of these TiO₂ nanocages can be functionalized easily with Au nanoparticles. The promising use of these TiO₂ nanocages as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries is also demonstrated.

Osteophilic modular nanostructured multilayers containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles complexed with a natural polymer chitosan create an osteoconductive surface for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Coupled with the sustained release of physiological amounts of osteoinductive bone morphogenetic protein over several days from degradable poly(β-amino ester) based multilayers, this single coating results in a synergistic accelerated and upregulated differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts laying down new bone tissue on orthopedic implants.

Controlled synthesis of micro multi-compartmental particles using a centrifuge droplet shooting device (CDSD) is reported. Sodium alginate solutions introduced in a multi-barreled capillary form droplets at the capillary orifice under ultrahigh gravity and gelify in a CaCl₂ solution. The size, shape, and compartmentalization of the particles are controlled. Co-encapsulation of Jurkat cells and magnetic colloids into Janus particles is demonstrated. The Janus particles present sensitive reaction toward magnetic fields, while the viability of the encapsulated cells is 91%.

A cost-effective route for the preparation of Fe₃C-based core-shell structured catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions was developed. The novel catalysts generated a much higher power density (i.e., three times higher at R_ex of 1 Ω) than the Pt/C in microbial fuel cells. Furthermore, the N-Fe/Fe₃C@C features an ultralow cost and excellent long-term stability suitable for mass production.

A novel method using solution-processed ultrathinchemically derived graphene films as soft top contacts for the non-destructive fabrication of molecular junctions is demonstrated. We believe this protocol will greatly enrich the solid-state test beds for molecular electronics due to its low-cost, easy-processing and flexible nature.

Photoreactive polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) that dissolve upon UV irradiation are described. Light-induced switching of the formal charge of a photoreactive polycation resulted in repulsive interlayer electrostatic forces, and caused the dissolution of PEM films. Combining both photoreactive and inert polycations in the same film yielded additional control over the light-induced change in film thickness.

Organic photonic heterostructures are constructed through a template-free self-assembly method. The host-guest intermolecular interactions play an essential role in the formation of various block orange-blue-orange and blue/green microtubes. The spatial distribution of excitons is engineered to investigate the excitonic behaviors in light propagation along the axial heterostructures. These results offer a new route to the integration of organic photonic building blocks for optical processing applications.

Extensive analyses of thermodynamicimbalance, surface energy, and segregation of nanotubes on nanoparticle surfaces are performed. A model for surface energy i developed. In addition, nanotube growth both by vapor-phase and solid-phase mechanisms is described. Segregation of the nanotube species to the periphery of the nanoparticle, the creation of an amorphous shell at this periphery, a droplet created in this shell, and the mediation of this droplet for supersaturation and nucleation of the nanotube species may be the true causes of nanotube growth.

Methods to produce colored and luminescent silk through post-dyeing and biological methods are reviewed. In particular, the properties, utility, and versatility of the functional silk are highlighted, as well as the molecular properties-dependent incorporation of various materials into silk while being secreted by silkworms.

Tin-core/carbon-sheath coaxial nanocables directly integrated into a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) surface are constructed by a new strategy involving a RGO-mediated procedure. The as-synthesized nanocables (see figure), with uniform diameter and high aspect ratio, are versatile and exhibit excellent lithium storage properties, as revealed by electrochemical evaluation.

The piezo-phototronic effect is about the use of the inner crystal piezoelectric potential to tune/control charge carrier generation, separation, transport and/or recombination in optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we have constructed a theoretical model for describing the characteristics of a metal-nanowire-metal structured piezo-phototronic photodetector. Numerical simulations fit well to the experimental results of a CdS and ZnO nanowire based visible and UV detector, respectively.

A new compliant electrode-based on silver nanowire-polymercomposite has been developed. The composite electrode has low sheet resistance (as low as 10 Ω/sq), remains conductive (10²–10³ Ω/sq) at strains as high as 140%, and can support Joule heating. The combination of the composite and a bistable electroactive polymer produces electrically-induced, large-strain actuation and relaxation, reversibly without the need of mechanical programming.

A new approach for microfluidics-based production of polymeric particles, namely two-photon continuous flow lithography, is reported. This technique takes advantage of two-photon lithography to create objects with sub-micrometer and 3D features, and overcomes the traditional process limitations of two-photon lithography by using multiple beam production under continuous flow. Polymeric fibers, helical and bow-tie particles with sub-diffraction resolution and surface roughness as low as 10 nm are demonstrated.

The first microfluidic method for accurately depositing monodisperse single MOF crystals is presented, enabling unprecedented high-throughput, yet flexible single-crystal printing. Individual droplets of MOF precursor solutions are actuated over a matrix of hydrophilic-in-hydrophobic micropatterns for the controlled generation of femtoliter droplets. As such, thousands of monodisperse single MOF crystals are printed per second in a desired pattern, without the use of impractically expensive equipment.

New mesoporous β-Co(OH)₂/brilliant blue G (G250) hybrid hierarchical structures constructed by thin mesocrystal nanosheets can be synthesized by a one-step refluxing process under the synergistic effect of CTAB and G250 (see Figure). This approach opens up an avenue to access new novel inorganic/dye hybrid materials with hierarchical structures for pigment and electrocatalytic application.

A smartluminescent material whose emission color and emission intensity can be separately modulated by external force is demonstrated. The rational manipulation of rich noncovalent interactions and fluorophore packing style promotes an in-depth understanding between supramolecular structure and photophysical property and offers an effective strategy to modulate the light-emitting property in a predicative way.

In an organic field-effect transistor redox reactions at the surface of the gate dielectric involving water can lead to conversion of holes in the accumulation layer into protons. The protons diffuse into the gate dielectric and cause a shift of the threshold voltage of the transistor.

A poly (acryl acid) (PAA) post-treatment method is performed to modify the surface charge of ZnO nanospheres, hematite nanocubes, and Ag nanoprisms from highly positive to very negative by adjusting the PAA concentration, to and greatly modify their photoluminescence, cytotoxicity, magnetism, and surface plasmon resonance. This method provides a general way to tune the nanoparticle properties for broad physicochemical and biological applications.

An active mechanism for controlling ambipolarcharge transport is developed based on self-assembled monolayers of gold nanoparticles. Electron and hole currents are manipulated by controlling the gate bias in order to overcome the intrinsic material limitations. The endurance and retention measurements confirm that this method exhibits good electrical reliability and stability. This solution process approach has potential for applications in large-area printed electronic devices.

Homogeneous heterostructural wurtzite (WZ)/zincblende (ZB) junctions are successfully fabricated in ZnSe nanobelts. Polarity continuity across the ZB/WZ interface is demonstrated. The saw-tooth-like potential profile induced by spontaneous polarization across the WZ/ZB/WZ interfaces is identified directly at the nanoscale. The polarization-induced charge distribution across the homogeneous heterostructural interfaces is proposed as a viable alternative approach towards charge tailoring in semiconductor nanostructures.

NaCl islands are used as a sacrificial layer to selectively deposit a boronic acid based two-dimensional polymer. The nanostructured polymer layer can be used as a negative mask to create Fe islands in a nanolithography mimicking process.

Ultrafast laser micromachining was optimized for microstructuringpolypyrrole as a facile new approach towards tailoring electrochemical and mechanical responses desirable for microactuator, sensors, neural probing, and nerve conduit applications. Laser perforation of high-density and high aspect ratio through-holes generated greater than 5-fold increase in surface area. The flexible machining technique offers micron-size resolution and fast prototyping capability for optimizing properties and opening new directions for polypyrrole-based devices.

Leaf minerals function as internal light scatterersinside leaves. They transfer light from the saturated upper tissue into the light deprived lower tissue. This eases the steep light gradient inside the leaf and improves photosynthetic efficiency on the tissue scale.

A polyferroplatinyne polymer can be patterned on the surface of Si wafer in ordered nanoline or nanodot shapes with PDMS molds through nanoimprint lithography (NIL), and subsequent thermal treatment gives rise to the nanopatterned arrays of L1₀-FePt nanoparticles with the same periodicities. The method offers excellent potential to be utilized in the simple and rapid fabrication of bit patterned media for magnetic data recording.

A direct transfer patterningprocess is presented that allows metallic patterns to be stamped onto a contoured substrate. This process was used to make some of the most efficient electrically small antennas to date, while maintaining bandwidths approaching the physical limit.

Homoepitaxial growth of single crystal diamond membranes is demonstrated employing a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition technique. The membranes possess excellent structural, optical, and spin properties, which make them suitable for fabrication of optical microcavities for applications in quantum information processing, photonics, spintronics, and sensing.

Nanometer wide silicon filaments embedded in an amorphous silicon oxide matrix are grown at low temperatures over a large area. The optical and electrical properties of these mixed-phase nanomaterials can be tuned independently, allowing for advanced light management in high efficiency thin-film silicon solar cells and for band-gap tuning via quantum confinement in third-generation photovoltaics.

Real-time ion flux imaging: an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) array is coupled with optical microscopy to image the growth of, and ion flux through, micrometer-scale tubes and membranes built from polyoxometalate clusters. The correlation between the optical and ionic imaging data is excellent, showcasing the use of ISFET arrays for high-resolution spatial and temporal mapping of ionic movements.

Solar energy conversion efficiencies of over 4% have been achieved in DSCs constructed with aqueous electrolytes based on the ferricyanide–ferrocyanide redox couple, thereby avoiding the use of expensive, flammable and toxic solvents. This paradigm shift was made possible by the use of a hydrophobic organic carbazole dye.

Manufacturing V₂O₅ in a 3D periodic highly interconnected gyroidstructure on the 10 nm length scale is shown to lead to a significant electrochromic performance enhancement. The structured devices surpass previous inorganic electrochromic materials in all relevant parameters: the switching speed, coloration contrast, and composite coloration efficiency. In particular, the 85 ms switching speed lies within a factor of two of video rate. Enhanced ion intercalation into the gyroid morphology can be extended to other transition-metal oxides and is therefore promising for lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, and sensors.

Potential gradients due to the spontaneous polarizationof BiFeO₃ yield asymmetric and nonlinear photocarrier dynamics. Photocurrent direction is determined by local ferroelectric domain orientation, whereas magnitude is spectrally centered around charged domain walls that are associated with oxygen vacancy migration. Photodetection can be electrically controlled by manipulating ferroelectric domain configurations.

Pure dark red emission (650–670nm) of NaYF₄:Yb/Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) is achieved by manganese ions (Mn²⁺) doping. In addition, the Mn²⁺- doping can also control the crystalline phase and size of the resulting UCNPs simultaneously. Drug delivery studies suggest the promise of these UCNPs as drug carriers for intracellular drug delivery and eventually as a multifunctional nanoplatform for simultaneous diagnosis and therapy.

The transparent bulk polymer nanocomposites blended with rare earth nanoparticles are prepared through the radical polymerization of trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate (TMPTMA). These materials produce continuously tunable second harmonic (SH) radiation under illumination of a wide spectral range of fundamental waves (750–850 nm). The SHG efficiency can be controlled well by altering the Tb³⁺ doping content in the nanoparticles.

Design of nanometer to micrometer thin films by spraying solutions of polyelectrolyte is a recent emerging concept in the field of surface coating. Herein the origin of this new process, the fundamental issues, and the resulting potential applications relative to spray assisted deposition from the current literature are reviewed.

The split-gate light emitting field effect transistors (SG-LEFETs) demonstrate a new strategy for ambipolar LEFETs to achieve high brightness and efficiency simultaneously. The SG architecture forces largest quantity of opposite charges on Gate 1 and Gate 2 area to meet in the center of the channel. By actively and independently controlling current injection from separated gate electrodes within transporting channel, high brightness can be obtained in the largest injection current regime with highest efficiency.

A novel polymer, poly(2-(N -carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate)end-capped with fullerene (PCzMA-C₆₀), has been synthesized via living anionic polymerization. Electrically programmable flash memory devices were easily fabricated with this polymer by using solution coating and metal deposition. This polymer was found in these devices to exhibit bipolar and unipolar switching behaviors with a high ON/OFF current ratio, a long retention time, high reliability, and low power consumption. The excellent properties and easy processability of this polymer open up the possibility of the mass production of high performance nonvolatile memory devices at low cost.

A novel nanostructured ferroelectricphotovoltaic material, consisting of the ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) film and Ag₂O semiconductor nanoparticles of comparatively narrow bandgap, has demonstrated a remarkable enhancement in the photovoltaic effects and the highest light-electricity conversion efficiency among those PZT-based photodiodes previously reported. This work sheds light on the design and enhanced performance of new optoelectronic and solar energy devices.

A method for forming organic single-crystal arrays from solution is demonstrated using an organic semiconductor, 3,9-bis(4-ethylphenyl)-peri-xanthenoxanthene (C₂Ph-PXX). Supersaturation of C₂Ph-PXX/tetralin solution is spatially changed by making a large difference in solvent evaporation to generate nuclei at the designated location. The method is simple to implement since it employs only a micropattern and control of the solvent vapor pressure during growth.

The fabrication of fully three-dimensional photonic crystals with a bandgap at optical wavelengths is demonstrated by way of direct femtosecond laser writing of an organic-inorganic hybrid material with metal-binding moieties, and selective silver coating using electroless plating. The crystals have 600-nm intralayer periodicity and sub-100 nm features, and they exhibit well-defined diffraction patterns.

A new nano-manufacturing methodfor the creation of high aspect-ratio ferroelectric (PZT) nanostructures by use of polymeric templates is presented. The ferroelectric response is characterized by band-excitation PFM, supporting the high quality of the nanostructures. Piezoelectric size effects for ferroelectric materials are reported for the first time in nanotube configuration (critical thickness ∼15 nm) and compared to thin films’ response.

A novel approach for the rational synthesis of low-defect density, patterned graphene from the bottom up, called barrier-guided chemical vapor deposition, is introduced. A patterned barrier layer impedes the growth of graphene in selected areas of the copper substrate, guiding the growth of graphene into desired micro- and nano- structures with control over placement, orientation, and spatial and lateral extent.

By using theoretical predictions based on first-principle calculations, we explore an interface engineering approach to stabilize polarization states in ferroelectric heterostructures with a thickness of just several nanometers.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a thin film technology that in the past two decades rapidly developed from a niche technology to an established method. It has proven to be a key technology for the surface modification and the fabrication of complex nanostructured materials for energy and environmental applications. Figure reproduced with permission from [5].

Hand-sized gecko-inspired adhesives with reversible force capacities as high as 2950 N (29.5 N cm^-2) are designed without the use of fibrillar features through a simple scaling theory. The scaling theory describes both natural and synthetic gecko-inspired adhesives, over 14 orders of magnitude in adhesive force capacity, from nanoscopic to macroscopic length scales.

The introduction of a periodic corrugation into TOLEDs is demonstrated to be effective in relieving the tradeoff between device stability and efficiency, through the cross coupling of the SPPs associated with the Ag cathode and the microcavity modes. The thickness of the Ag cathode for the corrugated TOLEDs was increased from 20 to 45 nm, and both the device lifetime and efficiency are significantly improved. The figure shows a schematic cross section of a red TOLED with periodic microstructure and an operating TOLED with both corrugated and planar area.

A novel vulcanized polyaniline nanotube/sulfur composite was prepared successfully via an in situ vulcanization process by heating a mixture of polyaniline nanotube and sulfur at 280 °C. The electrode could retain a discharge capacity of 837 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at a 0.1 C rate and manifested 76% capacity retention up to 500 cycles at a 1 C rate.

The nature and degree of supersaturation (DS) of CdSe monomers plays an essential role in the formation of CdSe magic-sized nuclei (MSN), magic-sized nanoclusters (MSCs), and regular nanocrystals (RNCs) in 1-octadecene (ODE) from reactions with cadmium acetate Cd(OAc)₂ as a Cd source. With low and high myristic acid to Cd(OAc)₂ feed molar ratios such as 1-to-2 and 3-to-1, the resulting Cd precursors are OAc-Cd-MA and MA-Cd-MA, respectively, which play an important role in the formation of the various CdSe NCs.

A novel method to fabricate graphene paper with folded structured graphene sheets is described. When used as an electrode for LIBs and supercapacitors, the as-prepared graphene paper can show much higher performances compared to conventional graphene paper fabricated by a flow-directed assembly method. The unique graphene paper obtained here is promising to act as a new kind of flexible electrode for wearable or rolling-up devices.

Highly photoactive, graphene-wrapped anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles are synthesized through one-step hydrothermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and TiO₂ crystallization from GO-wrapped amorphous TiO₂ NPs. Graphene-TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit a red-shift of the band-edge and a significant reduction of the bandgap (2.80 eV). Graphene-TiO₂ nanoparticles possess excellent photocatalytic properties under visible light for the degradation of methylene blue.

A facile one step method for periodic nanostructuring of organic solar cells is presented. The nanostructured metal–organic interface delivers combined enhanced light trapping and improved charge extraction leading to up to a 10% increase in power conversion efficiency of already optimized planar devices.

Uniform urchin-like α-FeOOH hollowspheres assembled from nanoneedles have been synthesized via a facile and green one-pot method. By simply adjusting the amount of glycerol in the reaction system, hierarchical urchin-like α-FeOOH solid spheres or hollow spheres can be obtained. When evaluated for the potential use in water treatment, it is found that the as-obtained uniform urchin-like α-FeOOH hollow spheres exhibit excellent capability for removing both organic dye and heavy metal ions in waste water.

A new manufacturing strategy for buckling of aligned carbon nanotubes is developed, which does not involve prestretching the substrate but relies on the interface interaction between the nanotubes and the substrate. More specifically, upon stretching the substrate the nanotubes slide on the substrate, but upon releasing the nanotubes buckle. Following this manufacturing strategy, stretchable conductors based on aligned carbon nanotubes are demonstrated.

An array of passive metamaterial antennas fabricated on an all protein-based silk substrates that were conformally transferred and adhered to the surface of an apple. This process allows the opportunity for intimate contact of micro- and nanostructures that can probe their surrounding environment with surfaces of evolving properties, and accordingly monitor their changes. This was applied to provide in situ monitoring of food quality. It is to be noted that this type of sensor consists of all edible and biodegradable components, holding utility and potential relevance for healthcare and food/consumer products and markets.

Patchy particles are fabricated using a method of embedding-into and extracting-from thick, biocompatible, gel-like HA/PLL films. Control over the patchiness is achieved by adjusting the stiffness of films, which affects embedding and masking of particles. The stiffness is adjusted by the concentration of gold nanoparticles adsorbed onto the surface of the films.

Toward a Smart Optical Biosensor Based on Nanoporous Anodic Alumina (NAA): By modifying the pore geometry in nanoporous anodic alumina we are able to change the effective medium at will and tune the photoluminescence of NAA. The oscillations in the PL spectrum are converted into exclusive barcodes, which are useful for developing optical biomedical sensors in the UV-Visible region.

A series of multishelled ZnO hollow microspheres with controlled shell number and inter-shell spacing have been successfully prepared by a simple carbonaceous microsphere templating method, whose large surface area and complex multishelled hollow structure enable them load sufficient dyes and multi-reflect the light for enhancing light harvesting and realize a high conversion efficiency of up to 5.6% when used in dye-sensitized solar cells.

In response to the incident light's electric field, the electron density oscillates in the plasmonic hotspots producing an electric current. Associated Ohmic losses raise the temperature of the material within the plasmonic hotspot above the melting point. A nanojet and nonosphere ejection can then be observed precisely from the plasmonic hotspots.

Pyroelectric crystals are used as a conformal and detachable electric field source to efficiently pole electro-optic (E-O) polymers in both parallel-plate (transverse) and in-plane (quasi-longitudinal) configurations. Large Pockels coefficients in poled thin films and high tunability of resonance wavelength shift in hybrid polymer silicon slot waveguide ring-resonator modulators have been achieved using this method.

Metal-dielectric Au-Co-SiO₂ magnetoplasmonic nanodisks are found to exhibit large magneto-optical activity and low optical losses. The internal architecture of the nanodisks is such that, in resonant conditions, the electromagnetic field undertakes a particular spatial distribution. This makes it possible to maximize the electromagnetic field at the magneto-optically active layers and minimize it in the other, optically lossy ones.

Using a simple two step fabrication process substrates with a large and uniform Raman enhancement, based on flexible free standing nanopillars can be manufactured over large areas using readily available silicon processing equipment.

Nanoparticle shape can improve drug delivery based on the surprising effectiveness of flexible, worm-like nanocarriers (Worms) that increase the amount of drug delivered to tumors and shrink the tumors more effectively than spherical micelles (Spheres). Here, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to build a rational coarse grain (rCG) model that helps clarify shape-dependent effects in delivery of the widely used anti-cancer drug Taxol by block copolymer micelles.

Optical metamaterials have unusual optical characteristics that arise from their periodic nanostructure. Their manufacture requires the assembly of 3D architectures with structure control on the 10-nm length scale. Such a 3D optical metamaterial, based on the replication of a self-assembled block copolymer into gold, is demonstrated. The resulting gold replica has a feature size that is two orders of magnitude smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Its optical signature reveals an archetypal Pendry wire metamaterial with linear and circular dichroism.

Modal gain per unit length versus launched pump power is predicted and measured in a 47.5 at.% Yb³⁺-doped potassium double tungstate channel waveguide. The highest measured gain exceeds values previously reported for rare-earth-ion-doped materials by two orders of magnitude.