Stretchable distributed fiber-optic sensors.

Silica-based distributed fiber-optic sensor (DFOS) systems have been a powerful tool for sensing strain, pressure, vibration, acceleration, temperature, and humidity in inextensible structures. DFOS systems, however, are incompatible with the large strains associated with soft robotics and stretchable electronics. We develop a sensor composed of parallel assemblies of elastomeric lightguides that incorporate continuum or discrete chromatic patterns.

Nanometrology optical ruler imaging system using diffraction from a quasiperiodic structure.

This work demonstrates wafer-scale, path-independent, atomically-based long term-stable, position nanometrology. This nanometrology optical ruler imaging system uses the diffraction pattern of an atomically stabilized laser from a microfabricated quasiperiodic aperture array as a two-dimensional optical ruler. Nanometrology is accomplished by cross correlations of image samples of this optical ruler.

Scanning probe nanoscale patterning of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite.

In this work we present precision scanning probe etching of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite. We corroborate that the lithography is due to an electrochemical, polarity-dependent, meniscus-mediated etching of the carbon surface. By changing the etching temperature, we are able to reduce the feature size by 24%.