InP-based InGaAs/InAlGaAs digital alloy quantum well laser structure at 2 μm

The structural and optical characteristics of InP-based compressively strained InGaAs quantum wells have been significantly improved by using gas source molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs/Ino.53Ga0.47As digital alloy triangular well layers and tensile Ino.53Ga0.47As/InAiGaAs digital alloy barrier layers. The x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope characterisations indicate that the digital alloy structures present favourable lattice quality. Photo- luminescence （PL） and electroluminescence （EL） measurements show that the use of digital alloy barriers offers better optical characteristics than that of conventional random alloy barriers. A significantly improved PL signal of around 2.1μm at 300 K and an EL signal of around 1.95μm at 100 K have been obtained.

Toward an ideal electrical resistance strain gauge using a bare and single straight strand metallic glassy fiber

Electrical resistance strain gauges(SGs) are useful tools for experimental stress analysis and the strain sensing elements in many electromechanical transducers including load cells,pressure transducers,torque meters,accelerometers,force cells,displacement transducers and so forth.The commonly used commercial crystalline strain sensing materials of SGs are in the form of wire or foil of which performance and reliability is not good enough due to their low electrical resistivity and incapacity to get thin thickness.Smaller SGs with single straight strand strain sensing materials,which are called ideal SG,are highly desirable for more than seven decades since the first SG was invented.Here,we show the development of a type of minuscule length scale strain gauge by using a bare and single straight strand metallic glassy fiber(MGF) with high resistivity,much smaller lengthscale,high elastic limits(2.16%) and especially the super piezoresistance effect.We anticipate that our metallic glassy fiber strain gauge(MGFSG),which moves toward the ideal SGs,would have wide applications for electromechanical transducers and stress analysis and catalyze development of more micro-and nanoscale metallic glass applications.

Slope failure simulations with MPM

The simulation of slope failures,including both failure initiation and development,has been modelled using the material point method（MPM）.Numerical case studies involving various slope angles,heterogeneity and rainfall infiltration are presented.It is demonstrated that,by utilising a constitutive model which encompasses,in a simplified manner,both pre-and post-failure behaviour,the material point method is able to simulate commonly observed failure modes.This is a step towards being able to better quantify slope failure consequence and risk.