Fast repetition rate fs pulsed lasers for advanced PLIM microscopy

Simultaneous metabolic and oxygen imaging is promising to follow up therapy response,dis-ease development and to determine prognostic factors.FLIM of metabolic coenzymes is now widely accepted to be the most reliable method to determine cellular bioenergetics.Also,oxygen consumption has to be taken into account to understand treatment responses.The phosphorescence lifetimne of oxygen sensors is able to indicate local oxygen changes.For phosphorescence lifetime imaging(PLIM)dyes based on ruthenium(I)coordination com-plexes are useful,in detaill TLD1433 which possesses a variety of different triplet states,enables complex photochemistry and redox reactions.PLIM is usally reached by two photon exci-tation of the drug with a femtosecond(fs)pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser working at 80 MHz repe-tition rate and(time-correlated single photon counting)(TCSPC)detection electronics.The interesting question was whether it is possible to follow up PLIM 1using faster repetition rates.Faster repetition rates could be advantageous for the induction of specific photochemical reactions because of similar light doses used normally in standard CW light treatments.For this,a default 2p-FLIM-PLIM system was expanded by adding a second fs pulsed laser("helixx")which provides 50 fs pulses at a repetition rate of 250 MHz,more than 2.3 w average power and tunable from 720 nm to 920 nm.The laser beam was coupled into the AOM instead of the default 80 MHz laser.We demonstrated siuccessful applications of the 250 MHz laser for PLIM which correlates well with measurements done by excitation with the conventional 80MHx laser source.

Electrokinetic-mechanism of water and furfural oxidation on pulsed laser-interlaced Cu_(2)O and CoO on nickel foam

The electrocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived furfural(FF)feedstocks into 2-furoic acid(FA)holds immense industrial potential in optics,cosmetics,polymers,and food.Herein,we fabricated Co O/Ni O/nickel foam(NF)and Cu_(2)O/Ni O/NF electrodes via in situ pulsed laser irradiation in liquids(PLIL)for the bifunctional electrocatalysis of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and furfural oxidation reaction(FOR),respectively.Simultaneous oxidation of NF surface to NiO and deposition of CoO and/or Cu_(2)O on NF during PLIL offer distinct advantages for enhancing both the OER and FOR.CoO/NiO/NF electrocatalyst provides a consistently low overpotential of~359 m V(OER)at 10 m A/cm^(2),achieving the maximum FA yield(~16.37 m M)with 61.5%selectivity,79.5%carbon balance,and a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of~90.1%during 2 h of FOR at 1.43 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode).Mechanistic pathway via in situ electrochemical-Raman spectroscopy on CoO/NiO/NF reveals the involvement of phase transition intermediates(NiOOH and CoOOH)as surface-active centers during electrochemical oxidation.The carbonyl carbon in FF is attacked by hydroxyl groups to form unstable hydrates that subsequently undergo further oxidation to yield FA products.This method holds promise for large-scale applications,enabling simultaneous production of renewable building materials and fuel.

Pulsed laser interference patterning of transition-metal carbides for stable alkaline water electrolysis kinetics

We investigated the role of metal atomization and solvent decomposition into reductive species and carbon clusters in the phase formation of transition-metal carbides(TMCs;namely,Co_(3)C,Fe_(3)C,TiC,and MoC)by pulsed laser ablation of Co,Fe,Ti,and Mo metals in acetone.The interaction between carbon s-p-orbitals and metal d-orbitals causes a redistribution of valence structure through charge transfer,leading to the formation of surface defects as observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.These defects influence the evolved TMCs,making them effective for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions(HER and OER)in an alkaline medium.Co_(3)C with more oxygen affinity promoted CoO(OH)intermediates,and the electrochemical surface oxidation to Co_(3)O_(4)was captured via in situ/operando electrochemical Raman probes,increasing the number of active sites for OER activity.MoC with more d-vacancies exhibits strong hydrogen binding,promoting HER kinetics,whereas Fe_(3)C and TiC with more defect states to trap charge carriers may hinder both OER and HER activities.The results show that the assembled membrane-less electrolyzer with Co_(3)C∥Co_(3)C and MoC∥MoC electrodes requires~2.01 and 1.99 V,respectively,to deliver a 10 mA cm−2 with excellent electrochemical and structural stability.In addition,the ascertained pulsed laser synthesis mechanism and unit-cell packing relations will open up sustainable pathways for obtaining highly stable electrocatalysts for electrolyzers.

Wavelength dependence of soft tissue ablation by using pulsed lasers

Pulsed laser ablation of soft biological tissue was studied at 10.6-, 2.94-, and 2.08-μm wavelengths. The ablation effects were assessed by means of optical microscope, the ablation crater depths were measured with reading microscope. It was shown that Er：YAG laser produced the highest quality ablation with clear, sharp cuts following closely the spatial contour of the incident beam and the lowest fluence threshold. The pulsed CO2 laser presented the moderate quality ablation with the highest ablation efficiency. The craters drilled with Ho：YAG laser were generally larger than the incident laser beam spot, irregular in shape, and clearly dependent on the local morphology of biotissue. The ablation characteristics, including fluence threshold and ablation efficiency, varied substantially with wavelength. It is not evident that water is the only dominant chromophore in tissue.

Optimization of large-area YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-δ)thin films by pulsed laser deposition for planar microwave devices

This paper presents high quality YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-δ)(YBCO)thin films on LaAlO_(3)substrate for microwave devices prepared by pulsed laser deposition(PLD).The double-sided YBCO films cover a large area and have been optimized for key parameters relevant to microwave device applications,such as surface morphology and surface resistance(R_(s)).This was achieved by improving the target quality and increasing the oxygen pressure during deposition,respectively.To evaluate the suitability of the YBCO films for microwave devices,a pair of microwave filters based on microstrip fabricated on films from this work and a commercial company were compared.The results show that the YBCO films in this work could completely meet the requirements for microwave devices.

Comparison study of the charge density distribution induced by heavy ions and pulsed lasers in silicon

Heavy ions and pulsed lasers are important means to simulate the ionization damage effects on semiconductor materials. The analytic solution of high-energy heavy ion energy loss in silicon has been obtained using the Bethe-Bloch formula and the Kobetich-Katz theory, and some ionization damage parameters of Fe ions in silicon, such as the track structure and ionized charge density distribution, have been calculated and analyzed according to the theoretical calculation results. Using the Gaussian function and Beer＇s law, the parameters of the track structure and charge density distribution induced by a pulsed laser in silicon have also been calculated and compared with those of Fe ions in silicon, which provides a theoretical basis for ionization damage effect modeling.

Laser shaping and optical power limiting of pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian laser beams of high-order radial modes in fullerene C60

We study the strong nonlinear optical dynamics of nanosecond pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian laser beams of high-order radial modes with zero orbital angular momentum propagating in the fullerene C60molecular medium. It is found that the spatiotemporal profile of the incident pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian laser beam is strongly reshaped during its propagation in the C60molecular medium. The centrosymmetric temporal profile of the incident pulse gradually evolves into a noncentrosymmetric meniscus shape, and the on-axis pulse duration is clearly depressed. Furthermore, the field intensity is distinctly attenuated due to the field-intensity-dependent reverse saturable absorption, and clear optical power limiting behavior is observed for different orders of the input pulsed Laguerre–Gaussian laser beams before the takeover of the saturation effect;the lower the order of the Laguerre–Gaussian beam, the lower the energy transmittance.

Sensitivity study of the SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor single event effect based on pulsed laser and technology computer-aided design simulation

The single event effect of a silicon–germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor(SiGe HBT) was thoroughly investigated. By considering the worst bias condition, the sensitive area of the proposed device was scanned with a pulsed laser.With variation of the collector bias and pulsed laser incident energy, the single event transient of the SiGe HBT was studied.Moreover, the single event transient produced by laser irradiation at a wavelength of 532 nm was more pronounced than at a wavelength of 1064 nm. Finally, the impact of the equivalent linear energy transfer of the 1064 nm pulsed laser on the single event transient was qualitatively examined by performing technology computer-aided design simulations, and a good consistency between the experimental data and the simulated outcomes was attained.

Exploration of growth conditions of TaAs Weyl semimetal thin film using pulsed laser deposition

Ta As,the first experimentally discovered Weyl semimetal material,has attracted a lot of attention due to its high carrier mobility,high anisotropy,nonmagnetic properties and strong interaction with light.These make it an ideal candidate for the study of Weyl fermions and applications in quantum computation,thermoelectric devices,and photodetection.For further basic physics studies and potential applications,large-size and high-quality Ta As films are urgently needed.However,it is difficult to grow As-stoichiometry Ta As films due to the volatilization of As during the growth.To solve this problem,we attempted to grow Ta As films on different substrates using targets with different As stoichiometric ratios via pulsed laser deposition(PLD).In this work,we found that partial As ions of the Ga As substrate are likely to diffuse into the Ta As films during growth,which was preliminarily confirmed by structural characterization,surface topography and composition analysis.As a result,the As content in the Ta As film was improved and the Ta As phase was achieved.Our work presents an effective method for the fabrication of Ta As films using PLD,enabling possible use of the Weyl semimetal film for functional devices.

Pulsed Laser Annealed Ga Hyperdoped Poly-Si/SiO_(x)Passivating Contacts for High-Efficiency Monocrystalline Si Solar Cells

Polycrystalline Si(poly-Si)-based passivating contacts are promising candidates for high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells.We show that nanosecond-scale pulsed laser melting(PLM)is an industrially viable technique to fabricate such contacts with precisely controlled dopant concentration profiles that exceed the solid solubility limit.We demonstrate that conventionally doped,hole-selective poly-Si/SiO_(x)contacts that provide poor surface passivation of c-Si can be replaced with Ga-or B-doped contacts based on non-equilibrium doping.We overcome the solid solubility limit for both dopants in poly-Si by rapid cooling and recrystallization over a timescale of∼25 ns.We show an active Ga dopant concentration of∼3×10^(20)cm^(−3)in poly-Si which is six times higher than its solubility limit in c-Si,and a B dopant concentration as high as∼10^(21) cm^(−3).We measure an implied open-circuit voltage of 735 mV for Ga-doped poly-Si/SiO_(x)contacts on Czochralski Si with a low contact resistivity of 35.5±2.4 mΩcm^(2).Scanning spreading resistance microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy show large diffusion and drift current in the p-n junction that contributes to the low contact resistivity.Our results suggest that PLM can be extended for hyperdoping of other semiconductors with low solubility atoms to enable high-efficiency devices.

Transmission effects of high energy nanosecond lasers in laser-induced air plasma under different pressures

When a high energy nanosecond(ns)laser induces breakdown in the air,the plasma density generated in the rarefied atmosphere is much smaller than that at normal pressure.It is associated with a relatively lower absorption coefficient and reduces energy loss of the laser beam at low pressure.In this paper,the general transmission characterizations of a Joule level 10 ns 1064 nm focused laser beam are investigated both theoretically and experimentally under different pressures.The evolution of the electron density(n_(e)),the changes in electron temperature(T_(e))and the variation of laser intensity(I)are employed for numerical analyses in the simulation model.For experiments,four optical image transfer systems with focal length(f)of 200 mm are placed in a chamber and employed to focus the laser beam and produce plasmas at the focus.The results suggest that the transmittance increases obviously with the decreasing pressure and the plasma channels on the transmission path can be observed by the self-illumination.The simulation results agree well with the experimental data.The numerical model presents that the maximum n_e at the focus can reach 10^(19)cm^(-3),which is far below the critical density(n_(c)).As a result,the laser beam is not completely shielded by the plasmas.

Structural Analysis of TiC and TiC-C Core-Shell Nanostructures Produced by Pulsed-Laser Ablation

This paper reports on the ablation process of a pure Ti solid target immersed in a C-enriched acetone solution, leading to the production of titanium carbide (TiC) and Ti-C core-shell nanostructures. The used route of synthesis is generally called pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL). The presence of carbon structures in the solution contributed to the carbon content in the produced Ti-based nanomaterials. The atomic composition of the produced nanostructures was analyzed using SEM-EDS, while TEM micrographs revealed the formation of spherical TiC and core-shell nanostructures ranging from 40 to 100 nm. The identification of atomic planes by HRTEM confirmed a 10 nm diameter C-shell with a graphite structure surrounding the Ti-core. Raman spectroscopy allowed for the identification of D and G peaks for graphite and a Raman signal at 380 and 600 cm−1, assigned to TiC. The results contribute to the state-of-the-art production of TiC and Ti-C core-shell nanostructures using the PLAL route.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of pulsed laser welded Al/steel dissimilar joint

Pulsed laser welding was used in joining pure aluminum to stainless steel in a lap joint configuration. It is found that the mechanical properties of the laser joints were closely correlated with the bead geometry, i.e., penetration depth. In order to study the correlation, two typical laser welds with different penetration depths were analyzed. In high penetration depth (354 μm) joint, Al-rich Fe?Al IMCs with microcracks were formed at the Al/fusion zone (FZ) interface. The joint strength was found to be (27.2±1.7) N/mm and three failure modes were observed near the Al/FZ interface. In low penetration depth (108 μm) joint, Fe-rich Fe?Al IMCs without any defect were formed at the Al/FZ interface. The joint strength was found to be (46.2±1.9) N/mm and one failure mode was observed across the FZ.

Sustainable Furfural Biomass Feedstocks Electrooxidation toward Value-Added Furoic Acid with Energy-Saving H_(2) Fuel Production Using Pt-Decorated Co_(3)O_(4) Nanospheres

Here,furfural oxidation was performed to replace the kinetically sluggish O_(2)evolution reaction(OER).Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)nanospheres were developed via pulsed laser ablation in liquid(PLAL)in a single step for the paired electrocatalysis of an H_(2)evolution reaction(HER)and furfural oxidation reaction(FOR).The FOR afforded a high furfural conversion(44.2%)with a major product of 2-furoic acid after a 2-h electrolysis at 1.55 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in a 1.0-M KOH/50-mM furfural electrolyte.The Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)electrode exhibited a small overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2).As an anode and cathode in an electrolyzer system,the Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)electrocatalyst required only a small applied cell voltage of~1.83 V to deliver 10 mA cm^(-2),compared with that of the pure water electrolyzer(OER||HER,~1.99 V).This study simultaneously realized the integrated production of energy-saving H_(2)fuel at the cathode and 2-furoic acid at the anode.

Highly Defective Dark TiO_(2) Modified with Pt: Effects of Precursor Nature and Preparation Method on Photocatalytic Properties

The study focused on the modification with platinum of dark defective titania obtained via pulsed laser ablation. Both the method of Pt introduction and the nature of the Pt precursor were varied. All samples exhibited similar phase compositions, specific surface areas, and Pt contents. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy coupled with pulsed CO adsorption revealed increased dispersity when photoreduction and the hydroxonitrate complex (Me _(4) N) _(2) [Pt _(2) (OH) _(2) (NO _(3) ) _(8) ] were used. The sample featured a high content of single-atom species and subnano-sized Pt clusters. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the photoreduction method facilitated the appearance of a larger number of Pt ^(2+) states, which appeared owing to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) eff ect of the transfer of electron density from the electron-saturated defects on the TiO _(2) surface to Pt ^(4+) . In the hydrogen evolution reaction, samples with a significant fraction of the Pt ^(2+) ionic component, capable of generating short-lived Pt^(0) single-atom sites under irradiation due to the SMSI eff ect, exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity. The 0.5Pt(C)/TiO_(2) -Ph sample exhibited the highest hydrogen yield with a quantum efficiency of 0.53, retaining its activity even after 8 h of operation.

Collision off-axis position dependence of relativistic nonlinear Thomson inverse scattering of an excited electron in a tightly focused circular polarized laser pulse

This paper presents a novel view of the impact of electron collision off-axis positions on the dynamic properties and relativistic nonlinear Thomson inverse scattering of excited electrons within tightly focused, circularly polarized laser pulses of varying intensities. We examine the effects of the transverse ponderomotive force, specifically how the deviation angle and speed of electron motion are affected by the initial off-axis position of the electron and the peak amplitude of the laser pulse. When the laser pulse intensity is low, an increase in the electron's initial off-axis distance results in reduced spatial radiation power, improved collimation, super-continuum phenomena generation, red-shifting of the spectrum's harmonic peak, and significant symmetry in the radiation radial direction. However, in contradiction to conventional understandings,when the laser pulse intensity is relatively high, the properties of the relativistic nonlinear Thomson inverse scattering of the electron deviate from the central axis, changing direction in opposition to the aforementioned effects. After reaching a peak, these properties then shift again, aligning with the previous direction. The complex interplay of these effects suggests a greater nuance and intricacy in the relationship between laser pulse intensity, electron position, and scattering properties than previously thought.

Theoretical analysis of ultra-short pulsed laser ablation of SiO_2 material based on a Coulomb explosion model

Based on the kinetic theoretical Vlasov-Poisson equation, a surface Coulomb explosion model of SiO2 material induced by ultra-short pulsed laser radiation is established. The non-equilibrium free electron distribution resulting from the two mechanisms of multi-photon ionization and avalanche ionization is computed. A quantitative analysis is given to describe the Coulomb explosion induced by the self-consistent electric field, and the impact of the parameters of laser pulses on the surface ablation is also discussed. The results show that the electron relaxation time is not constant, but it is related to the microscopic state of the electrons, so the relaxation time approximation is not available on the femtosecond time scale. The ablation depths computed by the theoretical model are in good agreement with the experimental results in the range of pulse durations from 0 to 1 ps.

Numerical Analysis of Nd:YAG Pulsed Laser Polishing CVD Self-standing Diamond Film

Chemical vapor deposited （CVD） diamond film has broad application foreground in high-tech fields. But polycrystalline CVD self-standing diamond thick film has rough surface and non-uniform thickness that adversely affect its extensive applications. Laser polishing is a useful method to smooth self-standing diamond film. At present, attentions have been focused on experimental research on laser polishing, but the revealing of theoretical model and the forecast of polishing process are vacant. The paper presents a finite element model to simulate and analyze the mechanism of laser polishing diamond based on laser thermal conduction theory. The experimental investigation is also carried out on Nd：YAG pulsed laser smoothing diamond thick film. The simulation results have good accordance with the results of experimental results. The temperature and thermal stress fields are investigated at different incidence angles and parameters of Nd：YAG pulsed laser. The pyramidal-like roughness of diamond thick film leads to the non-homogeneous temperature fields. The temperature at the peak of diamond film is much higher than that in the valley, which leads to the smoothing of diamond thick film. The effect of laser parameters on the surface roughness and thickness of graphite transition layer is also carried out. The results show that high power density laser makes the diamond surface rapid heating, evaporation and sublimation after its graphitization. It is also found that the good polish quality of diamond thick film can be obtained by a combination of large incident angle, moderate laser pulsed energy, large repetition rate and moderate laser pulse width. The results obtained here provide the theoretical basis for laser polishing diamond film with high efficiency and high quality.

Improving pulsed laser weldability of duplex stainless steel to 5456 aluminum alloy via friction stir process reinforcing of aluminum by BNi-2 brazing alloy

Effects of laser pulse distance and reinforcing of 5456 aluminum alloy were investigated on laser weldability of Al alloy to duplex stainless steel (DSS) plates. The aluminum alloy plate was reinforced by nickel-base BNi-2 brazing powder via friction stir processing. The DSS plates were laser welded to the Al5456/BNi-2 composite and also to the Al5456 alloy plates. The welding zones were studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, micro-hardness and shear tests. The weld interface layer became thinner from 23 to 5 μm, as the laser pulse distance was increased from 0.2 to 0.5 mm. Reinforcing of the Al alloy modified the phases at interface layer from Al-Fe intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in the DSS/Al alloy weld, to Al-Ni-Fe IMCs in the DSS/Al composite one, since more nickel was injected in the weld pool by BNi-2 reinforcements. This led to a remarkable reduction in crack tendency of the welds and decreased the hardness of the interface layer from ~950 HV to ~600 HV. Shear strengths of the DSS/Al composite welds were significantly increased by ~150%, from 46 to 114 MPa, in comparison to the DSS/Al alloy ones.

Pulsed Laser Deposition ZnS Buffer Layers for CIGS Solar Cells

Polycrystalline ZnS films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition （PLD） on quartz glass substrates under different growth conditions at different substrate temperatures of 20, 200, 400, and 600 ℃, which is a suitable alternative to chemical bath deposited （CBD） CdS as a buffer layer in Cu（In,Ga）Se2 （CIGS） solar cells. X-ray diffraction studies indicate the films are polycrystalline with zinc-blende structure and they exhibit preferential orientation along the cubic phase β-ZnS （111） direction, which conflicts with the conclusion of wurtzite structure by Murali that the ZnS films deposited by pulse plating technique was polycrystalline with wurtzite structure. The Raman spectra of grown films show Al mode at approximately 350 cm^-1, generally observed in the cubic phase β-ZnS compounds. The planar and the cross-sectional morphology were observed by scanning electron microscopic. The dense, smooth, uniform grains are formed on the quartz glass substrates through PLD technique. The grain size of ZnS deposited by PLD is much smaller than that of CdS by conventional CBD method, which is analyzed as the main reason of detrimental cell performance. The composition of the ZnS films was also measured by X-ray fluorescence. The typical ZnS films obtained in this work are near stoichiometric and only a small amount of S-rich. The energy band gaps at different temperatures were obtained by absorption spectroscopy measurement, which increases from 3.2 eV to 3.7 eV with the increasing of the deposition temperature. ZnS has a wider energy band gap than CdS （2.4 eV）, which can enhance the blue response of the photovoltaic cells. These results show the high-quality of these substitute buffer layer materials are prepared through an all-dry technology, which can be used in the manufacture of CIGS thin film solar cells.