溶胶-凝胶条波导Sagnac环的乙醇蒸气传感特性

采用有机/无机混合溶胶-凝胶法制作条形光波导,并将条波导接入光纤Sagnac环中,测量了输出光功率随环境气氛中乙醇蒸气体积分数变化的特性,表明在实验研究的范围内,输出信号与乙醇蒸气体积分数呈正弦变化.根据Sagnac环结构输出特性的基本关系,反映了溶胶-凝胶条波导在乙醇蒸气气氛下产生了双折射效应.观察到双折射相移与乙醇体积分数的亚线性关系.对实验数据拟合,计算了偏振相移的线性项和二次项系数,得到所制备的条波导的双折射对乙醇体积分数的响应为Δn≈4.4×10-2.测量了信号变化的时间演变特性,典型的上升和下降时间常数分别为3 min和12 min.     

Vertical Coupling of Polymeric Double‐Layered Waveguides Using a Stepped MMI Coupler

We designed a multimode interference (MMI) coupler to use in vertical coupling of double layered polymeric waveguides and analyzed the coupling characteristics by comparing our experimental and simulation results. We found that our proposed new structure, a stepped MMI coupler, is effective in vertical coupling between waveguide layers with a short length of MMI and has a high tolerance for the variation in the structure of an MMI coupler that can be induced as errors in the fabrication process.     

Polymer Planar‐Lightwave‐Circuit‐Type Variable Optical Attenuator Fabricated by Hot Embossing Process

A polymer‐based planar‐lightwave‐circuit‐type variable optical attenuator (VOA) was fabricated using a hot embossing process. With an optimized one‐step embossing process, forty micro‐channels for the guidance of light were defined on a polymer thin film with an accuracy of ° 0.5 µm. The fabricated polymeric thermo‐optic VOA shows 30 dB attenuation with 110 mW electrical input power at 1.55 µm. The rise and fall times are less than 5 ms.     

Low‐Loss Compact Arrayed Waveguide Grating with Spot‐Size Converter Fabricated by a Shadow‐Mask Etching Technique

This paper describes a low‐loss, compact, 40‐channel arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) which utilizes a monolithically integrated spot‐size converter (SSC) for lowering the coupling loss between silica waveguides and standard single‐mode fibers. The SSC is a simple waveguide structure that is tapered in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The vertically tapered structure was realized using a shadow‐mask etching technique. By employing this technique, the fabricated, 40‐channel, 100 GHz‐spaced AWG with silica waveguides of 1.5% relative index‐contrast showed an insertion‐loss figure of 2.8 dB without degrading other optical performance.     

Studies of Surface‐Modified Gold Nanowires Inside Living Cells

The cytotoxicity of various surface‐functionalized gold nanowires with different aspect ratios is investigated by (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assays for two cell lines, fibroblast and HeLa. It is found that functionalized gold nanowires with a diameter of 200 nm and lengths up to a few micrometers can be readily internalized by both types of cells regardless of the type of surface functionalization. However, the cytotoxicity of the gold nanowires is observed to depend on their surface modification. Serum‐coated gold nanowires are the least toxic, whereas more than 50 % of the cells are damaged in the presence of mercapto‐acid‐modified gold nanowires even at very low concentrations (10³ nanowires mL^–1). Nanowires with different aspect ratios exhibit the same cytotoxicity within limits of experimental error. However, the uptake efficiency is found to be higher for shorter nanowires as compared to their longer counterparts. Therefore, we conclude that internalized nanowires with high aspect ratios are more toxic to cells than nanowires with low aspect ratios. Positively charged aminothiol‐modified gold nanowires are employed to deliver both plasmid DNA and probe molecules into cells without compromising the viability of the cells. The local environment of individual nanowires within the cells is studied by monitoring the fluorescence signal from probe molecules attached to the nanowires.     

Heterojunction Ambipolar Organic Transistors Fabricated by a Two‐Step Vacuum‐Deposition Process

Ambipolar organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) are produced, based on organic heterojunctions fabricated by a two‐step vacuum‐deposition process. Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited at a high temperature (250 °C) acts as the first (p‐type component) layer, and hexadecafluorophthalocyaninatocopper (F₁₆CuPc) deposited at room temperature (25 °C) acts as the second (n‐type component) layer. A heterojunction with an interpenetrating network is obtained as the active layer for the OFETs. These heterojunction devices display significant ambipolar charge transport with symmetric electron and hole mobilities of the order of 10^–4 cm² V^–1 s^–1 in air. Conductive channels are at the interface between the F₁₆CuPc and CuPc domains in the interpenetrating networks. Electrons are transported in the F₁₆CuPc regions, and holes in the CuPc regions. The molecular arrangement in the heterojunction is well ordered, resulting in a balance of the two carrier densities responsible for the ambipolar electrical characteristics. The thin‐film morphology of the organic heterojunction with its interpenetrating network structure can be controlled well by the vacuum‐deposition process. The structure of interpenetrating networks is similar to that of the bulk heterojunction used in organic photovoltaic cells, therefore, it may be helpful in understanding the process of charge collection in organic photovoltaic cells.     

A Green Polymeric Light‐Emitting Diode Material: Poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐alt‐thiophene) End‐Capped with Gold Nanoparticles

Poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐alt‐thiophene copolymer (PDOFT) is functionalized with thiol and end‐capped with in‐situ‐reduced gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The molecular structure of the resulting material (PDOFT‐Au) is corroborated by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and direct evidence for the binding between the PDOFT‐bis‐4‐thiol and gold nanoparticles is provided from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. PDOFT‐Au is not only soluble in common organic solvents, but also has a broad range of thermal stability, up to 414 °C. The photoluminescence and electroluminescence spectra show that excitation of PDOFT is virtually unaffected by the end‐capping with gold nanoparticles. However, atomic force microscopy shows that the root‐mean‐square roughness of the PDOFT‐Au film is nearly ten times higher than that of the PDOFT film, resulting in an increased interfacial area between the film and the deposited cathode in a PDOFT‐Au device. This increased interfacial area, together with the photo‐oxidation‐suppressing and hole‐blocking characteristics of AuNPs, significantly enhances the electron injection, lowers the threshold voltage, and increases the electroluminescence (10 521 cd m^–2) and photometric efficiency (1.986 cd A^–1) of the PDOFT‐Au device by nearly an order of magnitude. These increases in electroluminescence and photometric efficiency would be much lower if AuNPs were blended into—rather than capped onto—the copolymer. The Commission International de L'Eclairage color coordinates of PDOFT‐Au (0.237,0.655) are very close to the standard green demanded by the National Television System Committee, making PDOFT‐Au an excellent candidate for a green‐light‐emitting material.     

Spectral encoding on Gold Nanorods Doped in a Silica Sol–Gel Matrix and Its Application to High‐Density Optical Data Storage

Metallic nanorods exhibit fascinating optical properties due to surface plasmons—collective oscillation of the electron cloud within a particle. They exhibit two principle absorption bands that correspond to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the nanorod. Most importantly, the longitudinal band can be tuned with the aspect ratio of the rod, making it a spectrally tuneable optical material, which can be applied to a variety of devices from bioimaging to high‐density optical storage. Here, spectral encoding for high‐density optical storage applications is demonstrated on two sizes of gold nanorods (aspect ratios of three and five) doped in a silica sol–gel matrix by femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation. It is widely known that high‐power pulsed laser irradiation causes metal nanorods to undergo shape transformations via the process of melting or fragmentation. The process is enhanced if the laser wavelength is tuned at the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance peak of the nanorods, which results in a significant reduction or shift in the surface plasmon resonance peak. As such a shape change occurs only on the subpopulation of rods that have a longitudinal plasmon band matching the laser wavelength, a size‐ or spectrum‐selective shape transition is possible in a rod mixture with varying aspect ratios. The current spectral encoding technology can be incorporated into existing optical disc technology, such as three‐dimensional bit‐by‐bit and holographic, and can increase the capacity limit by utilizing the spectral domain.     

Efficient Conjugated‐Polymer Optoelectronic Devices Fabricated by Thin‐Film Transfer‐Printing Technique

The fabrication of functional multilayered conjugated‐polymer structures with well‐defined organic‐organic interfaces for optoelectronic‐device applications is constrained by the common solubility of many polymers in most organic solvents. Here, we report a simple, low‐cost, large‐area transfer‐printing technique for the deposition and patterning of conjugated‐polymer thin films. This method utilises a planar poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamp, along with a water‐soluble sacrificial layer, to pick up an organic thin film (～20 nm to 1 µm) from a substrate and subsequently deliver this film to a target substrate. We demonstrate the versatility of this transfer‐printing technique and its applicability to optoelectronic devices by fabricating bilayer structures of poly(9,9‐di‐n‐octylfluorene‐alt‐(1,4‐phenylene‐((4‐sec‐butylphenyl)imino)‐1,4‐phenylene))/poly(9,9‐di‐n‐octylfluorene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) (TFB/F8BT) and poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/methanofullerene([6,6]‐phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester) (P3HT/PCBM), and incorporating them into light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic (PV) cells, respectively. For both types of device, bilayer devices fabricated with this transfer‐printing technique show equal, if not superior, performance to either blend devices or bilayer devices fabricated by other techniques. This indicates well‐controlled organic‐organic interfaces achieved by the transfer‐printing technique. Furthermore, this transfer‐printing technique allows us to study the nature of the excited states and the transport of charge carriers across well‐defined organic interfaces, which are of great importance to organic electronics.     

10 Gbps Optical Signal Transmission via Long‐Range Surface Plasmon Polariton Waveguide

We demonstrate 10 Gbps optical signal transmission via long‐range surface plasmon polaritons (LR‐SPPs) in a very thin metal strip‐guided geometry. The LR‐SPP waveguide was fabricated as a 14 nm thick, 2.5 μm wide, and 4 cm long gold strip embedded in a polymer and pigtailed with single‐mode fibers. The total insertion loss of 16 dB was achieved at a wavelength of 1.55 μm as a carrier wave. In a 10 Gbps optical signal transmission experiment, the LR‐SPP waveguide exhibits an excellent eye opening and a 2.2 dB power penalty at 10^?12 bit error rate. We confirm, for the first time, that LR‐SPPs can efficiently transfer data signals as well as the carrier light.     

High Performance Polymer Light‐Emitting Diodes Fabricated by a Low Temperature Lamination Process

We report on the successful demonstration of high performance polymer light‐emitting diodes (PLEDs) using a low temperature, plastic lamination process. Blue‐ and red‐emitting PLEDs were fabricated by laminating different luminescent polymers and organic compounds together to form the active media. This unique approach eliminates the issue of organic solvent compatibility with the organic layers for fabricating multi‐layer PLEDs. In addition, a template activated surface process (TAS) has been successfully applied to generate an optimum interface for the low temperature lamination process. Atomic force microscopy analysis reveals a distinct difference in the surfaces created by the TAS and the spin‐coating process. This observation coupled with the device data confirms the importance of the activated interface in the lamination process.     

Monodispersed Gold Nanorod‐Embedded Silica Particles as Novel Raman Labels for Biosensing

Biocompatible, photostable, and multiplexing‐compatible surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopic tagging materials have been developed that are composed of gold nanorod (GNR)‐embedded silica particles and organic Raman labels. GNR‐embedded silica particles were prepared with different surface coverage by the assembly of GNRs on silica particles based on an electrostatic interaction and subsequent coating of silica with controllable thickness. This method allows the incorporation of various organic Raman labels to generate intense surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. Furthermore, SERS‐active particles are demonstrated as novel Raman tags for immunoassay. The results suggest SERS tags can be used for multiplex and ultrasensitive detection of biomolecules.     

Praseodymium Silicate as a High‐k Dielectric Candidate: An Insight into the Pr2O3‐Film/Si‐Substrate Interface Fabricated Through a Metal–Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process

Praseodymium‐containing thin films have been deposited on Si(001) substrates by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) from the Pr(tmhd)₃ (H‐tmhd = 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐3,5‐heptanedione) precursor. The structural, compositional, and morphological film characterization has been investigated using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), angle‐resolved X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR‐XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Detailed studies of the deposition parameters indicate that the MOCVD process is governed by a kinetic regime and that some reactive phenomena occur at the film/substrate interface, forming a praseodymium silicate layer. A possible explanation for interfacial interaction has been proposed, taking into account the diffusion of Si from the substrate towards the bulk and that of oxygen from the film surface toward the substrate/film interface. Finally, the electrical characterization of the praseodymium silicate layer has been carried out in order to evaluate its potential implementation as an alternative dielectric. Its dielectric constant has been evaluated to be ～ 8.     

Dendrite Suppression by a Polymer Coating: A Coarse‐Grained Molecular Study

A major hurdle to the successful deployment of high‐energy‐density lithium metal based batteries is dendrite growth during battery cycling, which raises safety and cycle life concerns. Coating the Li metal anode with a soft polymer layer has been previously shown to be effective in suppressing dendrite growth, leading to uniform lithium deposition even at high current densities. A 3D coarse‐grained molecular model to study the mechanism of dendrite suppression is presented. It is found that the most effective coatings delay or even prevent dendrites from penetrating the polymer layer during deposition. The optimal deposition can be achieved by jointly tuning the polymer stiffness and relaxation time. Higher polymer dielectric permittivity and coating thickness are also effective, but the deposition rate and, therefore, the charging current density is reduced. These findings provide the basis for rational design of soft polymer coatings for stable lithium deposition.     

Piezoelectric Gold: Strong Charge‐Load Response in a Metal‐Based Hybrid Nanomaterial

Impregnating the pores of nanoporous gold with aqueous electrolyte yields a hybrid nanomaterial with two separate and interpenetrating charge transport paths, electronic conduction in the metal and ionic conduction in the electrolyte. As the two paths are capacitively connected, space‐charge layers along the internal interfaces are coupled to electric potential differences between the paths and can be controlled or detected thereby. The present experiments show that the space charge couples to mechanical deformation of the hybrid material, so that external loading generates an electric current. The electric signal originates from charge displacement along the entire internal interface; the signal is particularly robust since the interface area is large. The charge transfer in response to load constitutes a piezoelectric response, yet the mechanism is quite different to classic piezoelectricity. The analysis in this work predicts links between electromechanical coupling parameters for strain sensing and actuation, which are in excellent agreement with the experiment.     

Broadband Photoresponse Enhancement of a High‐Performance t‐Se Microtube Photodetector by Plasmonic Metallic Nanoparticles

Broadband responsivity enhancement of single Se microtube (Se‐MT) photodetectors in the UV–visible region is presented in this research. The pristine Se‐MT photodetector demonstrates broadband photoresponse from 300 to 700 nm with peak responsivity of ≈19 mA W^?1 at 610 nm and fast speed (rise time 0.32 ms and fall time 23.02 ms). To further enhance the responsivity of the single Se‐MT photodetector, Au and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are sputtered on these devices. In contrast to only enhancement of responsivity in UV region by Pt NPs, broadband responsivity enhancement (≈600% to ≈800%) of the Se‐MT photodetector is realized from 300 to 700 nm by tuning the size and density of Au NPs. The broadband responsivity enhancement phenomena are interpreted by both the surface modification and surface plasmon coupling. The experimental results of this work provide an additional opportunity for fabricating high‐performance UV–visible broadband photodetectors.     

3D Microfluidic Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Chips Fabricated by All‐Femtosecond‐Laser‐Processing for Real‐Time Sensing of Toxic Substances

A novel all‐femtosecond‐laser‐processing technique is proposed for the fabrication of 2D periodic metal nanostructures inside 3D glass microfluidic channels, which have applications to real‐time surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In the present study, 3D glass microfluidic channels are fabricated by femtosecond‐laser‐assisted wet etching. This is followed by the space‐selective formation of Cu‐Ag layered thin films inside the microfluidic structure via femtosecond laser direct writing ablation and electroless metal plating. The Cu‐Ag films are subsequently nanostructured by irradiation with linearly polarized beams to form periodic surface structures. This work demonstrates that a double exposure to laser beams having orthogonal polarization directions can generate arrays of layered Cu‐Ag nanodots with dimensions as small as 25% of the laser wavelength. The resulting SERS microchip is able to detect Rhodamine 6G, exhibiting an enhancement factor of 7.3 × 10⁸ in conjunction with a relative standard deviation of 8.88%. This 3D microfluidic chip is also found to be capable of the real‐time SERS detection of Cd²⁺ ions at concentrations as low as 10 ppb in the presence of crystal violet. This technique shows significant promise for the fabrication of high performance microfluidic SERS platforms for the real‐time sensing of toxic substances with ultrahigh sensitivity.     

Multiresponsive Bidirectional Bending Actuators Fabricated by a Pencil‐on‐Paper Method

Recently, actuating materials based on carbon nanotubes or graphene have been widely studied. However, present carbon‐based actuating materials are mostly driven by a single stimulus (humidity, light, electricity, etc.), respectively, which means that the application conditions are limited. Here, a new kind of multiresponsive actuating material which can be driven by humidity, light, and electricity is proposed, so it can be used in various conditions. The fabrication is based on the simplest pencil‐on‐paper method, in which the pencil and paper are both low‐cost and easily obtained daily materials. The actuation effect is more remarkable due to a dual‐mode actuation mechanism, which leads to an ultralarge actuation (bending curvature up to 2.6 cm^?1). Elaborately designed, the actuator can further exhibit a bidirectional bending actuation, which is a significant improvement compared with previous reported thermal actuators. What is more, a colorful biomimetic flower and a smart curtain are also fabricated, fully utilizing the printable characteristic of the paper and multiresponsive characteristic of the actuator. It is assumed that the newly designed actuating material has great potential in the fields of lab‐on‐paper devices, artificial muscles, robotics, biomimics, and smart household materials.     

Annealing‐Free High Efficiency and Large Area Polymer Solar Cells Fabricated by a Roller Painting Process

Polymer solar cells are fabricated by a novel solution coating process, roller painting. The roller‐painted film – composed of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) – has a smoother surface than a spin‐coated film. Since the roller painting is accompanied by shear and normal stresses and is also a slow drying process, the process effectively induces crystallization of P3HT and PCBM. Both crystalline P3HT and PCBM in the roller‐painted active layer contribute to enhanced and balanced charge‐carrier mobility. Consequently, the roller‐painting process results in a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.6%, as compared to that for spin coating (3.9%). Furthermore, annealing‐free polymer solar cells (PSCs) with high PCE are fabricated by the roller painting process with the addition of a small amount of octanedi‐1,8‐thiol. Since the addition of octanedi‐1,8‐thiol induces phase separation between P3HT and PCBM and the roller‐painting process induces crystallization of P3HT and PCBM, a PCE of roller‐painted PSCs of up to 3.8% is achieved without post‐annealing. A PCE of over 2.7% can also be achieved with 5 cm² of active area without post‐annealing.     

Porous Gold with a Nested‐Network Architecture and Ultrafine Structure

A preparation strategy is developed for monolithic samples of nanoporous gold with a hierarchical structure comprising two nested networks of solid “ligaments” on distinctly different structural length scales. The electrochemical dealloying protocol achieves a large retention of less noble element in a first corrosion step, thereby allowing an extra corrosion step which forms a separate structural hierarchy level. The beneficial impact of adding Pt to the Ag–Au master alloys that are more conventionally used in dealloying approaches to nanoporous gold is demonstrated. At ≈6 nm, the lower hierarchy level ligament size emerges extremely small. Furthermore, Pt favors the retention of Ag during the first dealloying step even when the master alloy has a high Au content. The high Au content reduces the corrosion‐induced shrinkage, mitigating crack formation during preparation and favoring the formation of high‐quality macroscopic (mm‐sized) samples. The corrosion effectively carves out the nanoscale hierarchical ligament structure from the parent crystals tens of micrometers in size. This is revealed by X‐ray as well as electron backscatter diffraction, which shows that the porous crystallites inherit the highly ordered, macroscopic crystal lattice structure of the master alloy.