Exploiting Thin-Film Properties and Guided-Mode Resonance for Designing Ultrahigh-Figure-of-Merit Refractive Index Sensors.

Guided-mode resonance (GMR) gratings have emerged as a promising sensing technology, with a growing number of applications in diverse fields. This study aimed to identify the optimal design parameters of a simple-to-fabricate and high-performance one-dimensional GMR grating. The structural parameters of the GMR grating were optimized, and a high-refractive-index thin film was simulated on the grating surface, resulting in efficient confinement of the electric field energy within the waveguide.

Facile and Unplugged Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor with NIR-Emitting Perovskite Nanocomposites for Fast Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted researchers to develop portable biosensing platforms, anticipating to detect the analyte in a label-free, direct, and simple manner, for deploying on site to prevent the spread of the infectious disease. Herein, we developed a facile wavelength-based SPR sensor built with the aid of a 3D printing technology and synthesized air-stable NIR-emitting perovskite nanocomposites as the light source. The simple synthesis processes for the perovskite quantum dots enabled low-cost and large-area production and good emission stability.

Superhydrophilic Modification of Polycarbonate Substrate Surface by Organic Plasma Polymerization Film.

Superhydrophilicity performs well in anti-fog and self-cleaning applications. In this study, polycarbonate substrate was used as the modification object because of the low surface energy characteristics of plastics. Procedures that employ plasma bombardment, such as etching and high surface free energy coating, are applied to improve the hydrophilicity.

A Simple Phase-Sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Simultaneous Polarization Measurement Strategy.

The SPR phenomenon results in an abrupt change in the optical phase such that one can measure the phase shift of the reflected light as a sensing parameter. Moreover, many studies have demonstrated that the phase changes more acutely than the intensity, leading to a higher sensitivity to the refractive index change. However, currently, the optical phase cannot be measured directly because of its high frequency; therefore, investigators usually have to use complicated techniques for the extraction of phase information.

Dissociation of water on atomic oxygen-covered Rh nanoclusters supported on graphene/Ru(0001).

We studied the dissociation of water (HO*, with * denoting adspecies) on atomic oxygen (O*)-covered Rh nanoclusters (Rh ) supported on a graphene film grown on a Ru(0001) surface [G/Ru(0001)] under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions and with varied surface-probe techniques and calculations based on density-functional theory. The graphene had a single rotational domain; its lattice expanded by about 5.7% to match the Ru substrate structurally better.

Engineering an Indium Selenide van der Waals Interface for Multilevel Charge Storage.

As the continuous miniaturization of floating-gate transistors approaches a physical limit, new innovations in device architectures, working principles, and device materials are in high demand. This study demonstrated a nonvolatile memory structure with multilevel data storage that features a van der Waals gate architecture made up of a partially oxidized surface layer/indium selenide (InSe) van der Waals interface. The key functionality of this proof-of-concept device is provided through the generation of charge-trapping sites via an indirect oxygen plasma treatment on the InSe surface layer.

Admittance analysis of broadband omnidirectional near-perfect absorber in epsilon-near-zero mode.

In this paper, we propose a broadband omnidirectional near-perfect absorber that transforms light energy into heat. In contrast to previous research on structural metamaterials, this study focuses on light absorption in the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) layers without any structural patterns. Chromium (Cr) thin films were applied as ENZ layers.

Dipolar magnetism in assembled Co nanoparticles on graphene.

The magnetic properties of the assembled Co nanoparticles on graphene were studied using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), magneto-optical Kerr effects, and a modeling simulation. We demonstrate that the superparamagnetic nanoparticles reveal a ferromagnetic phase when they are assembled on graphene. The moderate increase of the XMCD asymmetry and magnetization with coverage for this assembly indicates a dipolar-mediated magnetism, which is further verified by a model simulation considering the dipolar interaction between neighboring nanoparticles.

Microscopic evidence for the dissociation of water molecules on cleaved GaN(11[combining macron]00).

The dissociation of water molecules absorbed on a cleaved non-polar GaN(11[combining macron]00) surface was studied primarily with synchrotron-based photoemission spectra and density-functional-theory calculations. The adsorbed water molecules are spontaneously dissociated into hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl groups at either 300 or 130 K, which implies a negligible activation energy (<11 meV) for the dissociation. The produced H and OH were bound to the surface nitrogen and gallium on GaN(11[combining macron]00) respectively.

An innovative application of time-domain spectroscopy on localized surface plasmon resonance sensing.

White-light scanning interferometry (WLSI) is often used to study the surface profiles and properties of thin films because the strength of the technique lies in its ability to provide fast and high resolution measurements. An innovative attempt is made in this paper to apply WLSI as a time-domain spectroscopic system for localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing. A WLSI-based spectrometer is constructed with a breadboard of WLSI in combination with a spectral centroid algorithm for noise reduction and performance improvement.

A Transparent and Flexible Graphene-Piezoelectric Fiber Generator.

Piezoelectric fiber-based generators are prepared by combining two distinctive materials - poly(vinlyidene fluoride) fibers and monolayer/bilayer graphene. Novelty lies in the replacement of opaque metal electrodes with transparent graphene electrodes which enable the graphene-piezoelectric fiber generator to exhibit high flexibility and transparency as well as a great performance with an achievable output of voltage/current about 2 V/200 nA.

Fourier transform analysis of hexagonal domain for transparent conductive graphene.

In this paper, we applied the Fourier Transformation as a notion to calculate the orientation of hexagonal graphene domains on Cu substrate. We developed that a hexagon function to describe the diffraction pattern of hexagonal graphene. Hexagonal graphene domains grown on Cu (111) has an average value of orientation surrounding 3° in the frequency domain.

The deviation of growth model for transparent conductive graphene.

An approximate growth model was employed to predict the time required to grow a graphene film by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Monolayer graphene films were synthesized on Cu foil at various hydrogen flow rates from 10 to 50 sccm. The sheet resistance of the graphene film was 310Ω/□ and the optical transmittance was 97.

Therapeutic effect of dynamic interpersonal group psychotherapy for taiwanese patients with depressive disorder.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of dynamic interpersonal group psychotherapy (DIGP) for the depressed in Taiwan. A 16-session DIGP was held weekly, and participants were evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire, and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF before and after DIGP. Compared with control group, the patients treated with DIGP showed significant improvement in severity of their depression, especially in the somatic subscale and quality of life regarding psychological health.

Controllable photonic mirror fabricated by the atomic layer deposition on the nanosphere template.

In this study, a controllable photonic mirror was fabricated using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) coating technique on a polystyrene (PS) nanosphere template. PS nanospheres were self-assembled on an Al/glass substrate to form the bottom electrode. A 20 nm ALD Al2O3 film was then coated onto the surface of the reduced PS nanosphere structure.

Optical constants of electrochromic films and contrast ratio of reflective electrochromic devices.

This study investigates the optical constants of WO3 electrochromic films and NiO ion-storage films in bleached and colored states and that of a Ta2O5 film used as an ion conductor. These thin films were all prepared by electron-beam evaporation and characterized using a spectroscopic ellipsometer. The spectra obtained using a spectrophotometer and those calculated from the optical constants agreed closely.

FTO films deposited in transition and oxide modes by magnetron sputtering using tin metal target.

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) films were prepared by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering with a metal Sn target. Two different modes were applied to deposit the FTO films, and their respective optical and electrical properties were evaluated. In the transition mode, the minimum resistivity of the FTO film was 1.

Low-temperature synthesis of graphene on Cu using plasma-assisted thermal chemical vapor deposition.

Plasma-assisted thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was carried out to synthesize high-quality graphene film at a low temperature of 600°C. Monolayer graphene films were thus synthesized on Cu foil using various ratios of hydrogen and methane in a gaseous mixture. The in situ plasma emission spectrum was measured to elucidate the mechanism of graphene growth in a plasma-assisted thermal CVD system.

Genome-wide association study of treatment refractory schizophrenia in Han Chinese.

We report the first genome-wide association study of a joint analysis using 795 Han Chinese individuals with treatment-refractory schizophrenia (TRS) and 806 controls. Three loci showed suggestive significant association with TRS were identified. These loci include: rs10218843 (P = 3.

Efficacy and safety of combination of risperidone and haloperidol with divalproate in patients with acute mania.

Objective: The current study evaluated the efficacy and safety of risperidone and haloperidol as an adjunctive agent in combination with divalproate in patients with an episode of acute mania.

Methods: This 6-week randomized, single-blind study was conducted in psychiatric wards of a mental hospital. A total of 41 patients were randomly assigned to the risperidone (risperidone plus divalproate) or haloperidol groups (haloperidol plus divalproate).