Direct vapor phase growth process and robust photoluminescence properties of large area MoS2 layers

There has been growing research interest in the use of molybdenum disulfide in the fields of optoelectronics and energy harvesting devices, by virtue of its indirect-to-direct band gap tunability. However, obtaining large area thin films of MoS2 for future device applications still remains a challenge. In the present study, the amounts of the precursors （S and MOO3） were varied systematically in order to optimize the growth of highly crystalline and large area MoS2 layers by the chemical vapor deposition method. Careful control of the amounts of precursors was found to the key factor in the synthesis of large area highly crystalline flakes. The thickness of the layers was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The optical properties and chemical composition were studied by photoluminescence （PL） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The emergence of strong direct excitonic emissions at 1.82 eV （A-exciton, with a normalized PL intensity of -55 × 10^3） and 1.98 eV （B-exciton, with a normalized PL intensity of -5 × 10^3） of the sample at room temperature clearly indicates the high luminescence quantum efficiency. The mobility of the films was found to be 0.09 cm^2/（V.s） at room temperature. This study provides a method for the controlled synthesis of high-quality two-dimensional （2D） transition metal dichalcogenide materials, useful for applications in nanodevices, optoelectronics and solar energv conversion.     

The copula: a tool for simulating speckle dynamics

Use of a copula for generating a sequence of correlated speckle patterns is introduced. The chief characteristic of this algorithm is that it generates a continuous speckle sequence with a specified evolution of the correlation and does so with just two arrays of random numbers. Thus, physically realistic temporally varying speckle patterns with proper first- and second-order statistics are easily realized. We illustrate use of the algorithm for generating sequences with prescribed Gaussian, exponential, and equal-interval correlations and demonstrate how correlation times can be specified independently. This approach to generating sequences of random realizations with prescribed correlations should prove useful in modeling such phenomena as dynamic light scatter, flow-dependent laser speckle contrast, and propagation of spatial coherence.     

Neutrophils Mediate Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis In Situ

Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition, which can result in respiratory insufficiency and death. Blood clots occluding branches of the pulmonary artery (PA) are traditionally considered to originate from thrombi in deep veins (usually in legs). However, growing evidence suggests that occlusion of the vessels in the lungs can develop without preceding deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In this work, we used an inferior vena cava (IVC) complete ligation model of DVT in Wistar rats to explore the possibility and mechanisms of PA thrombosis under the conditions where all routes of thrombotic mass migration from peripheral veins are blocked. We demonstrate that rats both with normal and reduced neutrophil counts developed thrombi in the IVC, although, neutropenia caused a substantial decrease in thrombus size and a shift from fresh fibrin toward mature fibrin and connective tissue inside the thrombus. Massive fibrin deposition was found in the PA branches in the majority of DVT rats with normal neutrophil counts, but in none of the neutropenic animals. Neutrophil ablation also abolished macroscopic signs of lung damage. Altogether, the results demonstrate that thrombi in the lung vasculature can form in situ by mechanisms that require local neutrophil recruitment taking place in the DVT setting.     

Enhanced surface-excitonic emission in ZnO/Al(2)O(3) core-shell nanowires

We report the influence of an Al(2)O(3) shell on the photoluminescence emission of ZnO nanowires. At room temperature, the spectrum of the core-shell nanowires shows a strong reduction of the relative intensity of the green defect emission with respect to the near-band-edge emission. At 5?K an increase of the relative intensity of the surface exciton band with respect to the donor-bound exciton emission is observed. Annealing the core-shell nanowires at 500?°C does not increase the green defect luminescence at 5?K. We propose a model explaining the spectral changes.     

Effects of nanocrystalline ferrite particles on densification and magnetic properties of the NiCuZn ferrites

Effects of nanocrystalline ferrite particles addition on densification behavior and magnetic properties of the NiCuZn ferrites were investigated. It was confirmed that nanocrystalline ferrite particles enhanced densification of the samples obviously. The reason was attributed to the nanocrystalline particles, which spread around the micron-sized ferrite particles, increased contacting area and inter-diffusion of the particles. When the amount of nanocrystalline particles addition reached to 30 wt%, the samples obtained an approximate densification behavior as the 1.5 wt% Bi₂O₃ added samples. Due to relatively bigger grain size, higher sintering density and no different chemical composition sintering aids added, the sample with 30wt% nanocrystalline ferrite particles got the highest permeability and relatively high Q-factor when sintered at 900.     

Influence of Calcium Phosphates on the Morphology and Properties of Polylactide Composites

Materials Science - We developed polylactide composite materials with calcium-containing fillers; in particular, calcium orthophosphate and calcium hydroorthophosphate. It is shown that the degree...     

Chemical doping and improved flux pinning in Hg-based superconductors

Chemical doping of a small amount (0.020.3) of rhenium (Re) ion into HgBa₂Ca_n–1Cu_nO_y(n=14) has been studied. The flux pinning strength in these Hg-based superconductors is significantly enhanced compared to the undoped parent materials. Neutron diffraction analysis of representative samples (n=3) revealed that Re partially substitutes the Hg-site with octahedrally fully coordinated oxygen atoms, giving rise to the stabilization of Hg(Re)O layer and reduction of this blocking layer thickness. Associated with the expected hybridization of Re-5d and O-2p orbitals and possible metallization of the Hg(Re)O layer, the improved flux pinning behavior is considered to be caused by the decrease of the electromagnetic anisotropy and the enhanced interlayer superconducting coupling strength.     

Reversed and Anomalous Doppler Effects in Photonic Crystals and other Time-dependent Periodic Media

We predict that reversed and anomalous non-relativistic Doppler shifts can be observed under some circumstances when light reflects from a shock wave front propagating through a photonic crystal, or material with a periodic modulation of the dielectric. This theoretical prediction is generalizable and applies to wave-like excitations in a variety of periodic media. An experimental observation of this effect has recently been made (Seddon, N. and Bearpark, T. Science, 302 (2003) 1537) and we provide a brief discussion of this experiment.     

Rapid growth of angle-confined large-domain graphene bicrystals

In the chemical vapor deposition growth of large-area graphene polycrystalline thin films,the coalescence of randomly oriented graphene domains results in a high density of uncertain grain boundaries (GBs).The structures and properties of various GBs are highly dependent on the misorientation angles between the graphene domains,which can significantly affect the performance of the graphene films and impede their industrial applications.Graphene bicrystals with a specific type of GB can be synthesized via the controllable growth of graphene domains with a predefined lattice orientation.Although the bicrystal has been widely investigated for traditional bulk materials,no successful synthesis strategy has been presented for growing two-dimensional graphene bicrystals.In this study, we demonstrate a simple approach for growing well-aligned large-domain graphene bicrystals with a confined tilt angle of 30° on a facilely recrystallized single-crystal Cu (100) substrate.Control of the density of the GBs with a misorientation angle of 30° was realized via the controllable rapid growth of subcentimeter graphene domains with the assistance of a cooperative catalytic surface-passivation treatment.The large-area production of graphene bicrystals consisting of the sole specific GBs with a tunable density provides a new material platform for fundamental studies and practical applications.