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- ItemHigh-fidelity multimode fibre-based endoscopy for deep brain in vivo imaging(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2018) Turtaev, Sergey; Leite, Ivo T.; Altwegg-Boussac, Tristan; Pakan, Janelle M. P.; Rochefort, Nathalie L.; Čižmár, TomášProgress in neuroscience relies on new techniques for investigating the complex dynamics of neuronal networks. An ongoing challenge is to achieve minimally invasive and high-resolution observations of neuronal activity in vivo inside deep brain areas. Recently introduced methods for holographic control of light propagation in complex media enable the use of a hair-thin multimode optical fibre as an ultranarrow imaging tool. Compared to endoscopes based on graded-index lenses or fibre bundles, this new approach offers a footprint reduction exceeding an order of magnitude, combined with a significant enhancement in resolution. We designed a compact and high-speed system for fluorescent imaging at the tip of a fibre, achieving a resolution of 1.18 ± 0.04 µm across a 50-µm field of view, yielding 7-kilopixel images at a rate of 3.5 frames/s. Furthermore, we demonstrate in vivo observations of cell bodies and processes of inhibitory neurons within deep layers of the visual cortex and hippocampus of anaesthetised mice. This study paves the way for modern microscopy to be applied deep inside tissues of living animal models while exerting a minimal impact on their structural and functional properties.
- ItemExperimental proof of Joule heating-induced switched-back regions in OLEDs(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2020) Kirch, Anton; Fische, Axel; Liero, Matthias; Fuhrmann, Jürgen; Glitzky, Annegret; Reineke, SebastianOrganic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have become a major pixel technology in the display sector, with products spanning the entire range of current panel sizes. The ability to freely scale the active area to large and random surfaces paired with flexible substrates provides additional application scenarios for OLEDs in the general lighting, automotive, and signage sectors. These applications require higher brightness and, thus, current density operation compared to the specifications needed for general displays. As extended transparent electrodes pose a significant ohmic resistance, OLEDs suffering from Joule self-heating exhibit spatial inhomogeneities in electrical potential, current density, and hence luminance. In this article, we provide experimental proof of the theoretical prediction that OLEDs will display regions of decreasing luminance with increasing driving current. With a two-dimensional OLED model, we can conclude that these regions are switched back locally in voltage as well as current due to insufficient lateral thermal coupling. Experimentally, we demonstrate this effect in lab-scale devices and derive that it becomes more severe with increasing pixel size, which implies its significance for large-area, high-brightness use cases of OLEDs. Equally, these non-linear switching effects cannot be ignored with respect to the long-term operation and stability of OLEDs; in particular, they might be important for the understanding of sudden-death scenarios. © 2020, The Author(s).
- ItemNanowire-supported plasmonic waveguide for remote excitation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2014) Huang, Y.; Fang, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Zhu, L.; Sun, M.Due to its amazing ability to manipulate light at the nanoscale, plasmonics has become one of the most interesting topics in the field of light-matter interaction. As a promising application of plasmonics, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely used in scientific investigations and material analysis. The large enhanced Raman signals are mainly caused by the extremely enhanced electromagnetic field that results from localized surface plasmon polaritons. Recently, a novel SERS technology called remote SERS has been reported, combining both localized surface plasmon polaritons and propagating surface plasmon polaritons (PSPPs, or called plasmonic waveguide), which may be found in prominent applications in special circumstances compared to traditional local SERS. In this article, we review the mechanism of remote SERS and its development since it was first reported in 2009. Various remote metal systems based on plasmonic waveguides, such as nanoparticle-nanowire systems, single nanowire systems, crossed nanowire systems and nanowire dimer systems, are introduced, and recent novel applications, such as sensors, plasmon-driven surface-catalyzed reactions and Raman optical activity, are also presented. Furthermore, studies of remote SERS in dielectric and organic systems based on dielectric waveguides remind us that this useful technology has additional, tremendous application prospects that have not been realized in metal systems.
- ItemDirect molecular-level near-field plasmon and temperature assessment in a single plasmonic hotspot(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2020) Richard-Lacroix, Marie; Deckert, VolkerTip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is currently widely recognized as an essential but still emergent technique for exploring the nanoscale. However, our lack of comprehension of crucial parameters still limits its potential as a user-friendly analytical tool. The tip’s surface plasmon resonance, heating due to near-field temperature rise, and spatial resolution are undoubtedly three challenging experimental parameters to unravel. However, they are also the most fundamentally relevant parameters to explore, because they ultimately influence the state of the investigated molecule and consequently the probed signal. Here we propose a straightforward and purely experimental method to access quantitative information of the plasmon resonance and near-field temperature experienced exclusively by the molecules directly contributing to the TERS signal. The detailed near-field optical response, both at the molecular level and as a function of time, is evaluated using standard TERS experimental equipment by simultaneously probing the Stokes and anti-Stokes spectral intensities. Self-assembled 16-mercaptohexadodecanoic acid monolayers covalently bond to an ultra-flat gold surface were used as a demonstrator. Observation of blinking lines in the spectra also provides crucial information on the lateral resolution and indication of atomic-scale thermally induced morphological changes of the tip during the experiment. This study provides access to unprecedented molecular-level information on physical parameters that crucially affect experiments under TERS conditions. The study thereby improves the usability of TERS in day-to-day operation. The obtained information is of central importance for any experimental plasmonic investigation and for the application of TERS in the field of nanoscale thermometry. © 2020, The Author(s).
- ItemSingle-photon emission from isolated monolayer islands of InGaN(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2020) Sun, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Ping; Wang, Tao; Chen, Ling; Chen, Zhaoying; Gao, Kang; Aoki, Tomoyuki; Li, Mo; Zhang, Jian; Schulz, Tobias; Albrecht, Martin; Ge, Weikun; Arakawa, Yasuhiko; Shen, Bo; Holmes, Mark; Wang, XinqiangWe identify and characterize a novel type of quantum emitter formed from InGaN monolayer islands grown using molecular beam epitaxy and further isolated via the fabrication of an array of nanopillar structures. Detailed optical analysis of the characteristic emission spectrum from the monolayer islands is performed, and the main transmission is shown to act as a bright, stable, and fast single-photon emitter with a wavelength of ~400 nm. © 2020, The Author(s).
- ItemRelativistic-intensity near-single-cycle light waveforms at kHz repetition rate(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2020) Ouillé, Marie; Vernier, Aline; Böhle, Frederik; Bocoum, Maïmouna; Jullien, Aurélie; Lozano, Magali; Rousseau, Jean-Philippe; Cheng, Zhao; Gustas, Dominykas; Blumenstein, Andreas; Simon, Peter; Haessler, Stefan; Faure, Jérôme; Nagy, Tamas; Lopez-Martens, RodrigoThe development of ultra-intense and ultra-short light sources is currently a subject of intense research driven by the discovery of novel phenomena in the realm of relativistic optics, such as the production of ultrafast energetic particle and radiation beams for applications. It has been a long-standing challenge to unite two hitherto distinct classes of light sources: those achieving relativistic intensity and those with pulse durations approaching a single light cycle. While the former class traditionally involves large-scale amplification chains, the latter class places high demand on the spatiotemporal control of the electromagnetic laser field. Here, we present a light source producing waveform-controlled 1.5-cycle pulses with a 719 nm central wavelength that can be focused to relativistic intensity at a 1 kHz repetition rate based on nonlinear post-compression in a long hollow-core fiber. The unique capabilities of this source allow us to observe the first experimental indications of light waveform effects in laser wakefield acceleration of relativistic energy electrons. © 2020, The Author(s).
- ItemPublisher Correction: Coherent interaction of atoms with a beam of light confined in a light cage(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2021) Davidson-Marquis, Flavie; Gargiulo, Julian; Gómez-López, Esteban; Jang, Bumjoon; Kroh, Tim; Müller, Chris; Ziegler, Mario; Maier, Stefan A.; Kübler, Harald; Schmidt, Markus A.; Benson, Oliver[no abstract available: correction of https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-021-00556-z published online 31 May 2021; After publication of this article, it is noticed the article contained an error. In Table 1, the data in the line ‘Length (mm)’ is missing. The complete Table 1 is provided in this correction.]
- ItemPromoting abnormal grain growth in Fe-based shape memory alloys through compositional adjustments(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2019) Vollmer, M.; Arold, T.; Kriegel, M.J.; Klemm, V.; Degener, S.; Freudenberger, J.; Niendorf, T.Iron-based shape memory alloys are promising candidates for large-scale structural applications due to their cost efficiency and the possibility of using conventional processing routes from the steel industry. However, recently developed alloy systems like Fe–Mn–Al–Ni suffer from low recoverability if the grains do not completely cover the sample cross-section. To overcome this issue, here we show that small amounts of titanium added to Fe–Mn–Al–Ni significantly enhance abnormal grain growth due to a considerable refinement of the subgrain sizes, whereas small amounts of chromium lead to a strong inhibition of abnormal grain growth. By tailoring and promoting abnormal grain growth it is possible to obtain very large single crystalline bars. We expect that the findings of the present study regarding the elementary mechanisms of abnormal grain growth and the role of chemical composition can be applied to tailor other alloy systems with similar microstructural features.
- ItemTime-reversal symmetry breaking type-II Weyl state in YbMnBi2(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2019) Borisenko, S.; Evtushinsky, D.; Gibson, Q.; Yaresko, A.; Koepernik, K.; Kim, T.; Ali, M.; van den Brink, J.; Hoesch, M.; Fedorov, A.; Haubold, E.; Kushnirenko, Y.; Soldatov, I.; Schäfer, R.; Cava, R.J.Spectroscopic detection of Dirac and Weyl fermions in real materials is vital for both, promising applications and fundamental bridge between high-energy and condensed-matter physics. While the presence of Dirac and noncentrosymmetric Weyl fermions is well established in many materials, the magnetic Weyl semimetals still escape direct experimental detection. In order to find a time-reversal symmetry breaking Weyl state we design two materials and present here experimental and theoretical evidence of realization of such a state in one of them, YbMnBi2. We model the time-reversal symmetry breaking observed by magnetization and magneto-optical microscopy measurements by canted antiferromagnetism and find a number of Weyl points. Using angle-resolved photoemission, we directly observe two pairs of Weyl points connected by the Fermi arcs. Our results not only provide a fundamental link between the two areas of physics, but also demonstrate the practical way to design novel materials with exotic properties.
- ItemDiscovery of TaFeSb-based half-Heuslers with high thermoelectric performance(London : Nature Publishing Group, 2019) Zhu, H.; Mao, J.; Li, Y.; Sun, J.; Wang, Y.; Zhu, Q.; Li, G.; Song, Q.; Zhou, J.; Fu, Y.; He, R.; Tong, T.; Liu, Z.; Ren, W.; You, L.; Wang, Z.; Luo, J.; Sotnikov, A.; Bao, J.; Nielsch, K.; Chen, G.; Singh, D.J.; Ren, Z.Discovery of thermoelectric materials has long been realized by the Edisonian trial and error approach. However, recent progress in theoretical calculations, including the ability to predict structures of unknown phases along with their thermodynamic stability and functional properties, has enabled the so-called inverse design approach. Compared to the traditional materials discovery, the inverse design approach has the potential to substantially reduce the experimental efforts needed to identify promising compounds with target functionalities. By adopting this approach, here we have discovered several unreported half-Heusler compounds. Among them, the p-type TaFeSb-based half-Heusler demonstrates a record high ZT of ~1.52 at 973 K. Additionally, an ultrahigh average ZT of ~0.93 between 300 and 973 K is achieved. Such an extraordinary thermoelectric performance is further verified by the heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency measurement and a high efficiency of ~11.4% is obtained. Our work demonstrates that the TaFeSb-based half-Heuslers are highly promising for thermoelectric power generation.