Inherently reproducible fabrication of plasmonic nanoparticle arrays for SERS by combining nanoimprint and copolymer lithography

We present an inherently reproducible route to realizing high-performance SERS substrates by exploiting a high-throughput top-down/bottom-up fabrication scheme. The fabrication route employs self-assembly of amphiphilic copolymers to create high-resolution molds for nanoimprint lithography (NIL) spanning entire 100 mm Si wafers. The nanoporous polymer templates obtained upon NIL are subjected to galvanic displacement reactions to create gold nanorod arrays. Nanorods are subsequently converted to nanodiscs by thermal annealing. The nanodiscs were found to perform as robust SERS substrates as compared with the nanorods. The SERS performance of these substrates and its generality for catering to diverse molecules is demonstrated through the excellent Raman peak resolution and intensity for three different molecules, exhibiting different interaction modes on surface. Numerical simulations using FDTD shows plasmonic coupling between the particles and also brings out the influence due to size distribution. The approach combines distinct advantages of high-precision and repeatability offered by NIL with low-cost fabrication of high-resolution NIL molds by copolymer self-assembly.     

Multiphysics Modeling of Microwave Heating of a Frozen Heterogeneous Meal Rotating on a Turntable

A 3‐dimensional (3‐D) multiphysics model was developed to understand the microwave heating process of a real heterogeneous food, multilayered frozen lasagna. Near‐perfect 3‐D geometries of food package and microwave oven were used. A multiphase porous media model combining the electromagnetic heat source with heat and mass transfer, and incorporating phase change of melting and evaporation was included in finite element model. Discrete rotation of food on the turntable was incorporated. The model simulated for 6 min of microwave cooking of a 450 g frozen lasagna kept at the center of the rotating turntable in a 1200 W domestic oven. Temperature‐dependent dielectric and thermal properties of lasagna ingredients were measured and provided as inputs to the model. Simulated temperature profiles were compared with experimental temperature profiles obtained using a thermal imaging camera and fiber‐optic sensors. The total moisture loss in lasagna was predicted and compared with the experimental moisture loss during cooking. The simulated spatial temperature patterns predicted at the top layer was in good agreement with the corresponding patterns observed in thermal images. Predicted point temperature profiles at 6 different locations within the meal were compared with experimental temperature profiles and root mean square error (RMSE) values ranged from 6.6 to 20.0 °C. The predicted total moisture loss matched well with an RMSE value of 0.54 g. Different layers of food components showed considerably different heating performance. Food product developers can use this model for designing food products by understanding the effect of thickness and order of each layer, and material properties of each layer, and packaging shape on cooking performance.     

Using OpenFlow to provide cut-through switching in MobilityFirst

Mobile devices are expected to become the Internet’s predominant technology. Current protocols such as TCP/IP were not originally designed with mobility as a key consideration, and therefore underperform under challenging mobile and wireless conditions. MobilityFirst, a clean slate architecture proposal, embraces several key concepts centered around secure identifiers that inherently support mobility and trustworthiness as key requirements of the network architecture. This includes a hop-by-hop segmented data transport based on a globally unique identifier. This allows late and dynamic rebinding of end-point addresses to support mobility. While this provides critical gains in wireless segments, some overheads are incurred even in stable segments such as in the core. Bypassing routing-layer decisions in these cases, with lower layer cut-through forwarding, can improve said gains. In this work, we introduce a general bypass capability within the MobilityFirst architecture that provides better performance and enables both individual and aggregate flow-level traffic control. Furthermore, we present an OpenFlow-based proof-of-concept implementation of the bypass function using layer 2 VLAN tagging. We run experiments on the ORBIT and Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) testbeds to evaluate the performance and scalability of the solution. By implementing the bypass functionality, we are able to significantly reduce the number of messages processed by the controller as well as the number of flow rules that need to be pushed into the switches.     

Syntactic segmentation and labeling of digitized pages fromtechnical journals

A method for extracting alternating horizontal and vertical projection profiles are from nested sub-blocks of scanned page images of technical documents is discussed. The thresholded profile strings are parsed using the compiler utilities Lex and Yacc. The significant document components are demarcated and identified by the recursive application of block grammars. Backtracking for error recovery and branch and bound for maximum-area labeling are implemented with Unix Shell programs. Results of the segmentation and labeling process are stored in a labeled x-y tree. It is shown that families of technical documents that share the same layout conventions can be readily analyzed. Results from experiments in which more than 20 types of document entities were identified in sample pages from two journals are presented     

Characterization and machining of alumina ceramic reinforced with lanthanum phosphate

Increasing demand for materials for severe working environment necessitates the use of ceramics. Fiber/whisker reinforcement in the structure can lead to certain defects such as debonding/delamination. Hence one can resort to particulate reinforcements. Of late attempts have been made to introduce dispersion strengthened/particulate reinforced ceramic composites. Addition of lanthanum phosphate (LaPO₄) and cerium phosphate (CePO₄) to alumina (Al₂O₃) matrix has been attempted. In this study Al₂O₃/LaPO₄ composites containing different LaPO₄ content have been assessed for the significance of LaPO₄ content on structure-property and consequent machinability. Ultrasonic drilling trials have been carried out. The response of the material to the machining environment has been assessed by monitoring the acoustic emission (AE) from the composites and defects induced during machining.     

Thermal stability of heavily tellurium-doped InP grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy

The thermal stability of tellurium in InP has been examined in samples doped with Te up to an electron concentration of 1.4 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³. Annealing was conducted using rapid thermal annealing for a period of one minute at temperatures over the range 650–800°C. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis showed virtually no change in the Te profile before and after annealing, even at the highest annealing temperatures. High resolution x-ray diffraction and Hall measurements revealed a general decrease in the lattice strain and carrier concentration for annealing temperatures above 650°C. No evidence of strain relief was found in the form of cross-hatching or through the formation of a dislocation network as examined by scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These results are most likely due to the formation of Te clusters, though such clusters could not be seen by crosssectional TEM.     

Object-Oriented Framework for Genetic Algorithms with Application to Space Truss Optimization

Genetic algorithms have been shown to be very effective optimization tools for a number of engineering problems. Since the genetic processes typically operate independent of the actual problem, a core genetic algorithm library consisting of all the genetic operators having an interface to a generic objective function can serve as a very useful tool for learning as well as for solving a number of practical optimization problems. This paper discusses the object-oriented design and implementation of such a core library. Object-oriented design, apart from giving a more natural representation of information, also facilitates better memory management and code reusability. Next, it is shown how classes derived from the implemented libraries can be used for the practical size optimization of large space trusses, where several constructibility aspects have been incorporated to simulate real-world design constraints. Strategies are discussed to model the chromosome and to code genetic operators to handle such constraints. Strategies are also suggested for member grouping for reducing the problem size and implementing move-limit concepts for reducing the search space adaptively in a phased manner. The implemented libraries are tested on a number of large previously fabricated space trusses, and the results are compared with previously reported values. It is concluded that genetic algorithms implemented using efficient and flexible data structures can serve as a very useful tool in engineering design and optimization.