Design of Multi-band Small Antenna Based on Single Split-Ring Resonator

To use the single split-ring resonator （SRR） as a basic unit cell for small antenna with multi-band frequency response is proposed. The structure of antenna is consisted of a single spilt-ring resonator and a coupled microstrip line. The designed antenna is numerically optimized with CST Microwave Studio. The radiation properties of the antenna show that there are three frequency bands among which two bands are 1.3 GHz and 2.1 GHz ultra-widehand （UWB）, respectively, where Sll is less than - 10 dB. The gain at every frequency for the multi-hand antenna is above 2.6 dBi, and it increases monotonously with the frequency in the two UWB.

Effects of oblique incidence on terahertz responses of planar split-ring resonators

Effects of oblique incidence of terahertz waves on the response of planar split-ring resonators are investigated, both experimentally and by simulation. It is found that the incident angle dependent phase delay and coupling conditions of neighboring split-ring resonator （SRR） units play important roles and greatly change both the transmission and reflection spectra for the resonant feature of linear charge oscillations. Our results show that the SRR structure-supported magne- toelectric couplings at oblique excitation are trivial and can be ignored. A highly symmetric response is found in the cross-polarization effects, which may manifest the bianisotropic properties of the SRR system but this needs further study.

Band-stop optical nanofilters with split-ring resonators based on metal–insulator–metal structure

Novel band-stop filters with circular split-ring resonators based on the metal-insulator-metal （MIM） structure are presented, with their transmission properties of SPPs propagating through the filter simulated by the finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） method, The variation of the gap of the split ring can affect the transmission characteristics, i.e., the transmission spectrum of SPPs exhibiting a shift, which is useful for modulating the filter. Linear and nonlinear media are used in the resonator respectively. By varying the refractive index of the linear medium, the transmission properties can be changed obviously, and the effect caused by changing the incident intensity with a nonlinear medium is similar. Several resonant modes that are applicable can be enhanced by changing the position of the gap of the split ring. Thus, the transmission properties can be modulated by adjusting the size of the gap, varying the refractive index, and changing the incident intensity of the input light. These methods may play significant roles in applications of optical integrated circuits and nanostructural devices.

Expanding the bandwidth of planar MNG materials with co-directional split-ring resonators

An effective approach to expand the bandwidth of negative permeability of small-sized planax materials is proposed. Based on qualitative analysis of equivalent circuit models, the fractional bandwidth of an μ-negative （MNG） material is expanded from 3.53% up to 12.87% by adding split-ring resonators （SRRs） and arranging them by proposed steps. Moreover, the experimental results validate the effectiveness of bandwidth-expanding methods, which is promising for the extensive application of metamaterials in the microwave field.

Experimental Study on Split-Ring Resonators with Different Slit Widths

Metamaterial one-dimensional periodic structures are composed of split-ring resonators, which can display electric permittivity and magnetic permeability simultaneously negative, are studied experimentally. In the present study, each resonator is made up of two concentric circular copper rings patterned on a substrate of kapton, with slits diametrically opposite each other and with the line of the splits along the longitudinal direction of the periodic array containing seven split rings evenly spaced. The experiments consist in inserting the metamaterial slab into a square waveguide of side length 6 mm, corresponding to a cutoff frequency of 25 GHz. Transmission bands due to magnetic and electrical responses are identified for slits with aperture widths of 1 mm and 2 mm, centered at 5.67 and 6.12 GHz frequencies, respectively, values well below the 25 GHz frequency cutoff, so characterizing a medium with negative permeability and permittivity.

Chelating ligand-bridged IO-Gd nanoparticles with enhanced contrast performance for dual-mode MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that has been widely applied in the clinical diagnosis of diseases across various fields.Currently,there is a dearth of high-performance dual-mode contrast agents that provide precise diagnostic information for complex diseases.In this study,iron oxide-gadolinium nanoparticles(IO-Gd NPs)bridged by hydrophilic ligand ethylenedi-amine tetramethylenephosphonic acid(EDTMP)are designed inspired by Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan(SBM)theory,where T_(1)and T_(2)relaxivity increase with a reduction in Gd content.In particular,the NPs with minimum Gd content exhibit excellent dual-mode contrast performance(r_(1)=94.42 mM^(−1)s^(−1),r_(2)=343.62 mM^(−1)s^(−1)).The underlying mechanism is that the bridged EDTMP coordinate limits Gd tum-bling and forces Gd^(3+)to expose itself to the surface of the NPs.This provides more opportunities for water molecules to coordinate with Gd^(3+)and significantly enhances proton relaxivity.Moreover,the hy-drophilicity of the ligand enhances the water dispersion stability of the NPs and increases the exchange rate of water protons near the NPs,further enhancing the dual-mode contrast effect.Finally,the biocom-patibility and in vitro/vivo imaging performances of the IO@EDTMP-Gd NPs are systematically evaluated,and the results demonstrate their potential as dual-mode contrast agents.This study provides a new strategy for developing dual-mode MRI contrast agents that can further improve the accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of complex diseases.

NOVEL MICROSTRIP DUAL-MODE BANDPASS FILTER WITH COUPLING ENHANCEMENT AND WIDEBAND SPURIOUS RESPONSE SUPPRESSION

The microstrip dual-mode filter （DMF） with conventional coupling structure has some limitations in- eluding the port coupling strength limited by fabrication tolerance and the existence of serious second order spuri- ous band. Therefore, a novel DMF with a offset-feed bended coupling structure and a stepped-impedance dual- mode resonator is proposed for coupling enhancement and spurious response suppression. Based on the analysis of the change of spur frequencies and the current distribution of spur resonant modes, all spurs near passband of the cascaded DMF can be fully suppressed by optimizing the structure parameters of parasite resonators, which bene- fits from the inherent well-controlled transmission zeros. Experimental results show that the proposed DMF ex- hibits lower insertion loss ,much sharper rate of cutoff and wider spur-free stop band compared with conventional DMF. This design is applicable for spur suppression in wideband communication.

Design and analysis of dual-mode structure repetitive control based hybrid current regulation scheme for active power filters

An all-digital hybrid current regulation scheme for the single-phase shunt active power filter （APF） is presented. The proposed hybrid current control scheme integrates the deadbeat control and the dual-mode structure repetitive control （DMRC） so that it can offer superior steady-state performance and good transient features. Unlike the conventional schemes, the proposed scheme-based APF can compensate both the odd and the even order harmonics in grid. The detailed design criteria and the stability analysis of the proposed hybrid current controller are presented. Moreover, an improved structure which incorporates the proposed hybrid controller and the resonant controller for tracking specific order harmonics is given. The relationships between the resonant controller and different repetitive control schemes are discussed. Experimental results verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed hybrid control scheme.

Magnetically-coated silica nanospheres for dual-mode imaging at low ultrasound frequency

AIM: To experimentally investigate the acoustical behavior of different dual-mode nanosized contrast agents(NPCAs) for echographic medical imaging at low ultrasound(US) frequency. METHODS: We synthesized three different nanosized structures:(1) Pure silica nanospheres(SiNSs);(2) FePt-iron oxide(FePt-IO)-coated SiNSs; and(3) IOcoated SiNSs, employing three different diameter of SiNS-core(160, 330 and 660 nm). Tissue mimicking phantoms made of agarose gel solution containing 5 mg of different NPCAs in 2 mL-Eppendorf tubes, were insonified by a commercial echographic system at three different low US pulse values(2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 MHz). The raw radiofrequency signal, backscattered from each considered NPCA containing sample, has been processed in order to calculate the US average backscatter intensity and compare the acoustic behavior of the different NPCA types. RESULTS: The highest US contrast was exhibited by pure SiNSs; FePt-IO-coated SiNSs acoustical behavior followed a similar trend of pure SiNSs with a slight difference in terms of brightness values. The acoustic response of the examined NPCAs resulted function of both SiNS diameter and US frequency. Specifically, higher US frequencies determined higher value of the backscatter for a given SiNS diameter. Frequencydependent enhancement was marked for pure SiNSs and became less remarkable for FePt-IO-coated SiNSs, whereas IO-coated SiNSs resulted almost unaffected by such frequency variations. Pure and FePt-IO-coated SiNSs evidenced an image backscatter increasing with the diameter up to 330 nm. Conversely, among the types of NPCA tested, IO-coated SiNSs showed the lowest acoustical response for each synthesized diameter and employed US frequency, although a diameter-dependent raising trend was evidenced. CONCLUSION: The US characterization of magnetically covered SiNS shows that FePt-IO, rather than IO, was the best magnetic coating for realizing NPCAs suitable for dual mode imaging of deep organs, combining US and magnetic resonance imaging.

A Modified Split⁃Ring Resonator Antenna for Radio Frequency Identification Tag

A compact antenna formed by three concentric split rings for ultra-high frequency(UHF)radio frequency identification(RFID)tag is proposed in this paper.The antenna is composed of two parts,an outer short-circuited ring modified from a traditional split-ring resonator(SRR)antenna and an inner SRR load,so the antenna can be regarded as a short-circuited ring loaded with SRR.According to the transmission line theory,to conjugate match with the capacitive input-impedance of a tag chip,the length of the short-circuited ring isλg/4 shorter than that of an open-circuited dipole of a traditional SRR antenna,whereλg is the wavelengh of the operating frequency.Hence,the size of the proposed antenna is more compact than that of the traditional SRR antenna.Thereafter,the proposed antenna is simulated and optimized by ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator(HFSS).The impedance,efficiency,and mutual coupling of the fabricated antenna are tested in a reverberation chamber(RC).The results show that the size of the presented antenna is 83%smaller than that of the traditional SRR antenna and the proposed antenna can cover the whole UHF RFID operating frequency band worldwide(840—960 MHz).The measured read range of the tag exhibits maximum values of 45 cm in free space and 37 cm under dense tag environment.

Simultaneous Multimode Oscillation of Stress-Compensated Cut Quartz Resonator with Narrow-Band Wide Variable-Range Quartz Crystal Oscillator

A multimode-quartz-crystal oscillator was developed to excite stable dual-mode resonance at different frequencies: The oscillation of the 3rd harmonic resonance of the principle C-mode and an additional resonance B-mode of SC-cut crystal. Harmonic combinations of the 3rd and fundamental mode of B-mode with the 3rd harmonics of C-mode are demonstrated. The measurement of the temperature dependence of the oscillation frequency is demonstrated along with the stability determined by root Allan variance. Dependence on the open conductance of the active circuit and the dependence on the coupling capacitors are discussed.

New Planar Dual-Mode Filters without Coupling Gaps

A class of new planar dual-mode filters without coupling gaps is proposed. The proposed structures use a single patch wiuhout coupling gaps. Attenuation poles can be implemented on either side of the passband by changing the locations of two feed lines. By cutting two corners in the patch, two attenuation poles on both sides of passband are implemented. A novel dual-mode elliptic-function bandpass filter structure without coupling gaps is also proposed. These new filters can provide a low insertion loss and reduce uncertainty in fabrication owing to the absence of coupling gaps.

Mesoporous MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C Nanoparticle as p H-responsive T1-T2* Dual-modal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent for Tumor Diagnosis

Mesoporous structured MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C nanoparticles(NPs)were prepared via a facile and efficient strategy,with negligible cytotoxicity and minor side efforts.The as-prepared MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs hold great potential in serving as pH-responsive T1-T2^*dual-modal magnetic resonance(MR)imaging contrast agents.The released Mn^2+shortened T1 relaxation time,meanwhile the superparamagnetic Fe3O4 enhanced T2 contrast imaging.The release rate of Mn ions reaches 31.66%under the condition of pH=5.0,which is similar to tumor microenvironment and organelles.Cytotoxicity assays show that MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs have minor toxicity,even at high concentrations.After intravenous injection of MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs,a rapid contrast enhancement in tumors was achieved with a significant enhancement of 132%after 24 h of the administration.Moreover,a significant decreasement of 53.8%was witnessed in T2 MR imaging signal.It demonstrated that MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs can act as both positive and negative MR imaging contrast agents.Besides,owing to the pH-responsive degradation of mesoporous MnSiO3,MnSiO3@Fe3O4@C NPs can also be used as potential drug systems for cancer theranostics.

Permittivity Measurement of Low-Loss Substrates Based on Split Ring Resonators

In this paper, we present the complex permittivity measurement of low-loss substrates based on a microstrip-line-excited split-ring resonator (SRR). Permittivity of an unknown substrate is calculated based on the change in oscillation frequency of SRR caused by the material-under-test (MUT) above the SRR. Theoretical analysis and results of the simulations and experiments demonstrate the microstrip-line-excited SRR can be used to effectively improve measurement sensitivity. Simple equations for measurement of low-loss substrates using SRR are proposed and experimentally verified.

Tunable multiband terahertz metamaterials using a reconfigurable electric split-ring resonator array

We demonstrate micromachined reconfigurable metamaterials working at multiple frequencies simultaneously in the terahertz range.The proposed metamaterial structures can be structurally reconfigured by employing flexible microelectromechanical system-based cantilevers in the resonators,which are designed to deform out of plane under an external stimulus.The proposed metamaterial structures provide not only multiband resonance frequency operation but also polarization-dependent tunability.Three kinds of metamaterials are investigated as electric split-ring resonator(eSRR)arrays with different positions of the split.By moving the position of the split away from the resonator’s center,the eSRR exhibits anisotropy,with the dipole resonance splitting into two resonances.The dipole–dipole coupling strength can be continuously adjusted,which enables the electromagnetic response to be tailored by adjusting the direct current(DC)voltage between the released cantilevers and the silicon substrate.The observed tunability of the eSRRs is found to be dependent on the polarization of the incident terahertz wave.This polarization-dependent tunability is demonstrated by both experimental measurements and electromagnetic simulations.

Continuous Tera-Hertz wave transmission spectroscopy of Nb double superconducting split-ring resonator array

Transmission spectroscopy of two Nb double superconducting split-ring samples with different thicknesses on MgO substrates was measured by a continuous Tera-Hertz spectrometer.The transmission curves of two different samples with the thicknesses of 50 and 150 nm at 7.5 K show dips at 480,545 GHz,respectively,which origin from the different capacities and inductances of the samples.For the sample of 50 nm,the dip shifts to lower frequency,also decreases in depth and increases in width with temperature or field increasing below T c of Nb film,while the sample of 150 nm does not show such a phenomenon.This thickness-dependent transmission behavior is due to the kinetic inductance and conductivity change of superfluid electrons in Nb film and may suggest a practical tunable THz filter based on the thinner samples.

Terahertz radiation enhancement in photoconductive antennas with embedded split-ring resonators

This Letter proposes a novel method for enhancing terahertz(THz) radiation from microstructure photoconductive antennas(MSPCA). We present two types of MSPCA, which contain split-ring resonators(SRRs) and dipole photoconductive antennas(D-PCAs). The experimental results reveal that when the femtosecond laser is pumping onto the split position of the SRR, the maximum THz radiation power is enhanced by 92 times compared to pumping at the electrode edge of the D-PCA. Two π phase shifts occur as the pumping laser propagates from the negative electrode to the positive electrode. Analysis shows that photoinduced carrier charges move within the split position of the SRR.

Fe3O4-based Nanoparticles for pH-responsive Dual-modality Imaging and Photothermal Therapy

The study designed a polyacrylic acid(PAA)modified Fe3O4@MnO2 nanoparticles(Fe3O4@MnO2@PAA)for T1/T2 dualmode imaging.In addition,this nano-drug has pH response and anti-tumor photothermal therapy.First,using Fe3O4 as the core can significantly reduce the signal of Fe3O4@MnO2@PAA nanoparticles.MnO2 nanoshells can be decomposed into paramagnetic Mn2+under the acidic environment in the tumor,which enhanced the T1 signal.The pH-responsive T1/T2 dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)contrast agent had good sensitivity and specificity,providing more comprehensive and detailed information for tumor diagnosis.In addition,Fe3O4@MnO2@PAA nanoparticles showed excellent absorption capacity in the near-infrared region(NIR),which could be used as a good photothermal conversion material to mediate photothermal treatment of tumors.Therefore,the pHresponsive dual-mode MRI nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy showed good application potential in tumor treatment and diagnosis.

Integration of PEG-conjugated gadolinium complex and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as T_(1)-T_(2) dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging probes

The T_(1)-T_(2) dual-mode probes for magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)can non-invasively acquire comprehensive information of different tissues or generate self-complementary information of the same tissue at the same time,making MRI a more flexible imaging modality for complicated applications.In this work,three Gadolinium-diethylene-triaminepentaaceticacid(Gd-DTPA)complex conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide(SPIO)nanoparticles with different Gd/Fe molar ratio(0.94,1.28 and 1.67)were prepared as T_(1)-T_(2) dual-mode MRI probes,named as SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA0.94,SPIO@PEGGdDTPA1.28 and SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.67,respectively.All SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA nanocomposites with 8 nm spherical SPIO nanocrystals showed good Gd3þchelate stability.SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA0.94 nanocomposites with lowest Gd/Fe molar ratio show no cytotoxicity to Raw 264.7 cells as compared to SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.28 and SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA1.67.SPIO@PEG-GdDTPA0.94 nanocomposites with r1(8.4mM^(-1)s^(-1)),r2(83.2mM^(-1)s^(-1))and relatively ideal r2/r1 ratio(9.9)were selected for T_(1)-T_(2) dual-mode MRI of blood vessels and liver tissue in vivo.Good contrast images were obtained for both cardiovascular system and liver in animal studies under a clinical 3 T scanner.Importantly,one can get high-quality contrast-enhanced blood vessel images within the first 2 h after contrast agent administration and acquire liver tissue anatomy information up to 24 h.Overall,the strategy of one shot of the dual mode MRI agent could bring numerous benefits not only for patients but also to the radiologists and clinicians,e.g.saving time,lowering side effects and collecting data of different organs sequentially.

Tetraphenylethylene-conjugated polycation covered iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic resonance/optical dual-mode imaging

Magnetic resonance(MR)/optical dual-mode imaging with high sensitivity and high tissue resolution have attracted many attentions in biomedical applications.To avert aggregation-caused quenching of conventional fluorescence chromophores,an aggregation-induced emission molecule tetraphenylethylene(TPE)-conjugated amphiphilic polyethylenimine(PEI)covered superparamagnetic iron oxide(Alkyl-PEI-LAC-TPE/SPIO nanocomposites)was prepared as an MR/optical dual-mode probe.Alkyl-PEI-LAC-TPE/SPIO nanocomposites exhibited good fluorescence property and presented higher T2 relaxivity(352 Fe mM1s1)than a commercial contrast agent Feridex(120 Fe mM1s1)at 1.5 T.The alkylation degree of Alkyl-PEI-LAC-TPE effects the restriction of intramolecular rotation process of TPE.Reducing alkane chain grafting ratio aggravated the stack of TPE,increasing the fluorescence lifetime of Alkyl-PEI-LAC-TPE/SPIO nanocomposites.Alkyl-PEI-LAC-TPE/SPIO nanocomposites can effectively labelled HeLa cells and resulted in high fluorescence intensity and excellent MR imaging sensitivity.As an MR/optical imaging probe,Alkyl-PEI-LAC-TPE/SPIO nanocomposites may be used in biomedical imaging for certain applications.