O-band and C-band dual-polarization SMF-28 edge coupler with SiON taper cladding based on silicon nitride platform.

Optical communication is progressing towards low power consumption and lightweight solutions, necessitating the integration of multispectral output capabilities within a single optical module. We demonstrate a SiN photonic platform-based edge coupler for a standard single mode fiber (SMF) that enables operation in both the O-band and C-band simultaneously. The device is composed of a multi-segment SiN inverse taper and SiON taper cladding with specific refractive index.

Design and demonstration of high efficiency perfectly vertical grating couplers with a random structure.

Utilizing an automated optimization method, we propose a perfectly vertical grating coupler (PVGC) characterized by random structure, superior performance, simplified fabrication process, and increased minimum feature size (MFS). Within the range of MFS from 60 to 180 nm, the optimized PVGC exhibited a simulated coupling efficiency of approximately -2.0 dB at 1550 nm with a 34 nm 1-dB bandwidth.

Multiplex Digital Immunoassays with Reduced Pre-partition Reaction Massively Parallel Reagent Delivery on a Bead-Based SlipChip.

The emergence of digital immunoassays has advanced the sensitivity of protein analysis to ultrahigh sensitivity at the attomolar level. However, the background signal generated by the premixing of immunocomplexes and fluorogenic substrates can limit the precise quantification, especially in multiplexed assays. Herein, a bead-based SlipChip (bb-SlipChip) microfluidic device capable of massively parallel two-step sample loading is presented.

Ultra-broadband on-chip beam focusing enabled by GRIN metalens on silicon-on-insulator platform.

Metalens has emerged as an important optical block in free-space optical systems, which shows excellent performance. Even the metalens based on gradient index (GRIN) profiles can be implemented for on-chip beam focusing behavior. However, for most previous schemes, the GRIN metalenses can only achieve on-chip beam focusing behavior in one dimension, which limits their applications in low-loss waveguide interconnecting or fiber-to-chip coupling.

The copper binding properties of metformin--QCM-D, XPS and nanobead agglomeration.

Study of the copper binding properties of metformin is important for revealing its mechanism of action as a first-line type-2 diabetes drug. A quantitative investigation of interactions between metformin and L-cysteine-copper complexes was performed. The results suggest that metformin could interact with biological copper, which plays a key role in mitochondrial function.

Charging compensation of alumina samples by using an oxygen microinjector in the environmental scanning electron microscope.

A gas microinjector system was set up in an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) to create an oxygen atmosphere around the alumina samples for the charging compensation under a pressure between 2 x 10(-5) Pa approximately 2 x 10(-2) Pa. At low pressures, the skirt effect of the electron scattering can be degraded, which results in improvement of the imaging contrast and increase of the signal/noise ratio. The sample current (I(SC)) and the Duane-Hunt limit were measured to evaluate the charging effect.