Improving resolution of superlens based on solid immersion mechanism

Super-resolution imaging with superlens has been one of the fundamental research topics. Unfortunately, the resolution of superlens is inevitably restrained by material loss. To address the problem, we introduce the solid immersion mechanism into the slab superlens and the cylindrical superlens. The proposed solid immersion slab superlens(SISSL) and the solid immersion cylindrical superlens(SICSL) can improve the resolution by converting evanescent wave to propagating wave using high refractive index materials. From the perspective of applications, the cylindrical superlens with finite cross section and the ability of magnification or demagnification has more advantages than the slab superlens. Therefore,we focus on demonstrating analytically the super-resolution imaging of SICSL. Due to the impedance mismatching caused by solid immersion mechanism, the whispering gallery modes(WGMs) are excited between SICSL and the air interface.We clarify the excitation conditions of WGMs and analyze their influence on the imaging quality of SICSL. The SISSL and SICSL may pave a way to apply in lithography technique and real-time biomolecular imaging in future.

Young's double slit interference with vortex source

The fast and convenient demultiplex of optical vortex(OV) mode is crucial for its further application. We propose a novel approach that combines classic Young's doublet with an OV source to effectively identify the OV mode through the analysis of interference patterns. The interference patterns of the OV source incident on the double slits can be perfectly illustrated by using both the classical double-slit interference method and the Huygens–Fresnel principle. The interference fringes will twist along the negative or positive direction of x axis when topological charge(TC)l>0 or l<0, and the degree of the movement varies with the TC, allowing for a quantitative display of the OV characteristics through the interference patterns. Additionally, we deduce analytically that the zeroth-order interference fringe has a linear relationship with the TC and the vertical position. These findings highlight the ability to identify the OV mode by analyzing the interference patterns produced by Young's doublet.

Effect of rGO Coating on Interconnected Co_3O_4 Nanosheets and Improved Supercapacitive Behavior of Co_3O_4/rGO/NF Architecture

In this study, the effect of reduced graphene oxide(rGO) on interconnected Co_3O_4 nanosheets and the improved supercapacitive behaviors is reported. By optimizing the experimental parameters, we achieved a specific capacitance of ~1016.4 F g^(-1) for the Co_3O_4/rGO/NF(nickel foam) system at a current density of 1 A g^(-1). However, the Co_3O_4/NF structure without rGO only delivers a specific capacitance of ~520.0 F g^(-1)at the same current density. The stability test demonstrates that Co_3O_4/rGO/NF retains ~95.5% of the initial capacitance value even after 3000 charge–discharge cycles at a high current density of 7 A g^(-1). Further investigation reveals that capacitance improvement for the Co_3O_4/rGO/NF structure is mainly because of a higher specific surface area(~87.8 m^2g^(-1))and a more optimal mesoporous size(4–15 nm) compared to the corresponding values of 67.1 m^2g^(-1) and 6–25 nm,respectively, for the Co_3O_4/NF structure. rGO and the thinner Co_3O_4 nanosheets benefit from the strain relaxation during the charge and discharge processes, improving the cycling stability of Co_3O_4/rGO/NF.

Validity of the two-term Boltzmann approximation employed in the fluid model for high-power microwave breakdown in gas

The electron energy distribution function （EEDF）, predicted by the Boltzmann equation solver BOLSIG＋ based on the two-term approximation, is introduced into the fluid model for simulating the high-power microwave （HPM） breakdown in argon, nitrogen, and air, and its validity is examined by comparing with the results of particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision （PIC/MCC） simulations as well as the experimental data. Numerical results show that, the breakdown time of the fluid model with the Maxwellian EEDF matches that of the PIC/MCC simulations in nitrogen; however, in argon under high pressures, the results from the Maxwellian EEDF were poor. This is due to an overestimation of the energy tail of the Maxwellian EEDF in argon breakdown. The prediction of the fluid model with the BOLSIG＋ EEDF, however, agrees very well with the PIC/MCC prediction in nitrogen and argon over a wide range of pressures. The accuracy of the fluid model with the BOLSIG＋ EEDF is also verified by the experimental results of the air breakdown.

Preliminary study of an open-air water-contacting discharge for direct nitrogen fixation

Efficient nitrogen fixation through a reactive plasma process attracts intense interest due to the environmental issues induced by the conventional Haber–Bosch method. In this work, we present a direct and simple fixation routine without any catalysts for nitrogen in open air using an atmospheric-pressure pin-to-solution plasma electrolytic system. Nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia as the nitrogen-derived chemicals in solution were analyzed as indicators under various discharge conditions to estimate the energy efficiency of this process. The results show that the nitrogen fixation process was much more efficient by the pin-positive discharge compared to the negative one. N chemicals preferred to be formed when the solution was of negative polarity. It was also found that, with the help of solution circulation, the energy efficiency was enhanced compared to that of static liquid. However, an inverse trend was observed with the increase of the discharge current. Further study by optical emission spectroscopy indicates the important roles of active N2* and water vapour and their derived species near the plasma–water interface in the fixation process.

Visualization of gold nanoparticles formation in DC plasma-liquid systems

Dual argon plasmas ignited by one direct current power source are used to treat an aqueous solution of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate-(Ⅲ)trihydrate(HAuCl_(4)·3H_(2)O)which is contained in an H-type electrochemical cell.The solution contained in one cell acts as a cathode,and in the other as an anode.Experiments are carried out to directly visualize the formation process of gold nanoparticles(Au NPs)in separated cells of the H-type electrochemical reactor.The results and analyzes suggest that hydrogen peroxide and hydrated electrons generated from the plasma-liquid interactions play the roles of reductants in the solutions,respectively.Hydrogen peroxide can be generated in the case of the liquid being a cathode or an anode,while most of hydrated electrons are formed in the case of the liquid being an anode.Therefore,the reduction of the AuCl_(4)−ions is mostly attributed to the hydrogen peroxide as the liquid acts as a cathode,while to the hydrogen peroxide and hydrated electrons as the liquid acts as an anode.Moreover,the p H value of the solution can be used to tune the formation processes and final form of the Au NPs due to its mediation of reductants.

Reliable approach for bistatic scattering of three-dimensional targets from underlying rough surface based on parabolic equation

A parabolic equation （PE） based method for analyzing composite scattering under an electromagnetic wave incidence at low grazing angle, which composes of three-dimensional （3-D） electrically large targets and rough surface, is presented and discussed. A superior high-order PE version is used to improve the accuracy at wider paraxial angles, and along with the alternating direction implicit （ADI） differential technique, the computational efficiency is further improved. The formula of bistatic normalized radar cross section is derived by definition and near-far field transformation. Numerical examples are given to show the validity and accuracy of the proposed approach, in which the results are compared with those of Kirchhoff approximation （KA） and moment of method （MoM）. Furthermore, the bistatic scattering properties of composite model in which the 3-D PEC targets on or above the two-dimensional Gaussian rough surfaces under the tapered wave incidence are analyzed.

Plasma electrolytic liquefaction of cellulosic biomass

In this paper, the rapid liquefaction of a corncob was achieved by plasma electrolysis, providing a new method for cellulosic biomass liquefaction. The liquefaction rate of the corncob was 95% after 5 min with polyethylene glycol and glycerol as the liquefying agent. The experiments not only showed that H~+ ions catalyzed the liquefaction of the corncob, but also that using accelerated H~+ ions, which were accelerated by an electric field, could effectively improve the liquefaction efficiency. There was an obvious discharge phenomenon, in which the generated radicals efficiently heated the solution and liquefied the biomass, in the process of plasma electrolytic liquefaction. Finally, the optimum parameters of the corncob liquefaction were obtained by experimentation, and the liquefaction products were analyzed.

Plasma electrolytic liquefaction of sawdust

As a renewable carbon resource, biomass can be converted into polyols, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, and other products by traditional catalytic liquefaction method, which has been widely used in production and life. The efficient development and utilization of biomass energy will play a very positive role in solving the problems of energy and ecological environment. A way of combining the plasma electrolysis with traditional catalytic liquefaction realizes the efficient liquefaction of sawdust, which provides a new liquefaction way for traditional biomass conversion. In this experiment, the effects of solution composition, catalyst content and power supply on solution resistance and liquefaction rate are analyzed.It is found that solution composition and catalyst content have a great influence on solution resistance. The results show that the liquefaction rate is highest and the resistance is smallest when the solution resistance is 500 ?. The liquefaction rate is greatly affected by the solution temperature, and the solution temperature is determined by the output power between the two electrodes. The output power includes the heating power of the electric field and the discharge power of the plasma.We measure the electric potential field distribution in the solution and the plasma power. It is found that the output power between the two poles increases nonlinearly(from 0 to 270 W) with time. In two minutes, the electric field heating power increases from 0 to 105 W and then decreases to 70 W, while the plasma power increases from 0 to 200 W. It is well known that in the first 70 seconds of the experiment the electric field heating is dominant, and then the plasma heating turns into a main thermal source. In this paper, plasma electrolysis and traditional catalytic liquefaction are combined to achieve the efficient liquefaction of sawdust, which provides a new way for biomass liquefaction.

Impact of microsecond-pulsed plasma-activated water on papaya seed germination and seedling growth

The seed of Carica papaya consists of a hard shell-like testa with inhibitors in vivo causing slow,erratic and asynchronous germination.In this work,plasma-activated water prepared by microsecond-pulsed plasma jets(μPAW)was applied to treat papaya seeds.TheμPAW after plasma activation of 30 min was about 40℃.The reactive species such as NO_(2),NO_(3),and H_(2)O_(2)in theμPAW activated from deionized water were measured and correlated to the seed germination rate and the seedling growth performance.TheμPAW-treated papaya seed achieved a higher germination rate of 90%,which is 26%higher than the control group using deionized water.Comparing the results with a hot water(40℃)reference group showed that the reactive species inμPAW played primary roles in germination improvement,with little effect caused by the heat shock.TheμPAW also sterilized the treated seeds,reducing the germination stress.The morphological change in the seeds was observed by SEM,showing an effect of physical etching after treatment promoting seed imbibition.The biochemical mechanism of the seed germination was deduced with reference to the evolution of surface chemistry,functional groups,and ABA content.The accelerated seed metabolism observed was corresponded to the chemical modification pathway.Besides,early seedlings developed from treated seeds were observed to be healthy,grow more leaves,and have better root structures.The content of MDA in the treated papaya seedlings decreased along with increased SOD and higher ion concentration.TheμPAW that can be prepared at atmospheric pressure for bulk production offers a low-risk and cost-effective seed priming technology that may significantly increase the production of agricultural crops.

Colorimetric quantification of aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the DC plasma-liquid system

The quantification of hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))generated in the plasma-liquid interactions is of great importance,since the H_(2)O_(2)species is vital for the applications of the plasma-liquid system.Herein,we report on in situ quantification of the aqueous H_(2)O_(2)(H_(2)O_(2)aq)using a colorimetric method for the DC plasma-liquid systems with liquid as either a cathode or an anode.The results show that the H_(2)O_(2)aqyield is 8-12 times larger when the liquid acts as a cathode than when the liquid acts as an anode.The conversion rate of the gaseous OH radicals to H_(2)O_(2)aqis 4-6 times greater in the former case.However,the concentrations of dissolved OH radicals for both liquid as cathode and anode are of the same order of tens of n M.

Rock physics model for velocity–pressure relations and its application to shale pore pressure estimation

Acoustic wave velocity has been commonly utilized to predict subsurface geopressure using empirical relations.Acoustic wave velocity is, however, affected by many factors. To estimate pore pressure accurately, we here propose to use elastic rock physics models to understand and analyze quantitatively the various contributions from these different factors affecting wave velocity. We report a closed-form relationship between the frame flexibility factor(γ) in a rock physics model and differential pressure, which presents the major control of pressure on elastic properties such as bulk modulus and compressional wave velocity. For a gas-bearing shale with abundant micro-cracks and fractures, its bulk modulus is much lower at abnormally high pore pressure(high γ values) where thin cracks and flat pores are open than that at normal hydrostatic pressure(low γ values) where pores are more rounded on average. The developed relations between bulk modulus and differential pressure have been successfully applied to the Upper Ordovician Wufeng and Lower Silurian Longmaxi formations in the Dingshan area of the Sichuan Basin to map the three-dimensional spatial distribution of pore pressure in the shale, integrating core, log and seismic data. The estimated results agree well with field measurements. Pressure coefficient is positively correlated to gas content. The relations and methods reported here could be useful for hydrocarbon exploration, production, and drilling safety in both unconventional and conventional fields.

Broadband and wide-angle plane focal surface Luneburg lens

The energy crisis has aroused widespread concern, and the reform of energy structure is imminent. In the future,the energy structure will be dominated by the solar energy and other renewable energy sources. The solar concentrating technology as a promising method has been widely studied for collecting solar energy. However, the previous solar concentrating technologies suffer from some drawbacks, such as low focusing efficiency and large concentrating size. The Luneburg lens with highly efficient aberration-free focusing provides a new route for solar/energy concentrator. In this work, we designed a plane focal surface Luneburg lens(PFSLL) by transformation optics(TO). The PFSLL provides a relatively high focusing efficiency and concentration ratio of collection of energy. At the same time, it circumvents the disadvantage of curve surface of the classical Luneburg lens in device integration. Based on the reciprocity of electromagnetic waves, the PFSLL can also be applied to the antenna field to achieve broadband wide-angle scanning and highly directional radiation.

Break of thermal equilibrium between optical and acoustic phonon branches of CsPbI_(3)under continuous-wave light excitation and cryogenic temperature

The kinetic of low-temperature carrier and lattice of lead-halide perovskite is yet to be fully understood.In this work,we investigate the steady-state photoluminescences(PLs)of CsPbI_(3)at the environmental temperature(Te)ranging from 20 K to 300 K,and observed anomalous behaviors at cryogenic temperatures:The carrier temperature(Tc)of pure CsPbI_(3)exhibits a negative correlation with Te,accompanied by an expansion in Urbach tails of absorption spectra(Abs.)and excessive red-shifts at peak energy of PLs.These phenomena are also observed in those samples containing a certain amount of Cs_(4)PbI_(6),but to a lesser extent and occurs at lower temperatures.It is attributed to the intensified hot phonon bottleneck effect(HPB)in CsPbI_(3)at cryogenic Te,which hinders the energy transfer from hot carriers,via longitudinal optics(LO)phonons to longitudinal acoustic(LA)phonons,to the ambient.For samples under continuous-wave laser excitation,in specific,the barrier induced by the enhanced HPB at low Teprevents the effective thermalization among carriers,LO and LA phonons,which,therefore,form thermally isolated ensembles with different temperatures.At cryogenic Terange,the elevated temperatures of carrier and LO phonon expand the high-energy side of PLs and the low-energy tail of Abs.,respectively.For those samples in which the CsPbI_(3)is mixed with Cs_(4)PbI_(6),the interfacial LO-LO interaction across them provides a bypass for heat dissipation,mitigating the heat accumulation in LO-phonons of CsPbI_(3).The results suggest that a strong HPB effect may break the thermal equilibrium among different branches of phonons in the lattice under certain extreme conditions.

Dielectric metasurface evolution from bulk to monolayer by strong coupling of quasi-BICs for second harmonic boosting

2D materials are promising candidates as nonlinear optical components for on-chip devices due to their ultrathin structure. In general, their nonlinear optical responses are inherently weak due to the short interaction thickness with light. Recently, there has been great interest in using quasi-bound states in the continuum (q-BICs) of dielectric metasurfaces, which are able to achieve remarkable optical near-field enhancement for elevating the second harmonic generation (SHG) emission from 2D materials. However, most studies focus on the design of combining bulk dielectric metasurfaces with unpatterned 2D materials, which suffer considerable radiation loss and limit near-field enhancement by high-quality q-BIC resonances. Here, we investigate the dielectric metasurface evolution from bulk silicon to monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and discover the critical role of meta-atom thickness design on enhancing near-field effects of two q-BIC modes. We further introduce the strongcoupling of the two q-BIC modes by oblique incidence manipulation, and enhance the localized optical field on monolayer MoS2dramatically. In the ultraviolet and visible regions, the MoS2SHG enhancement factor of our design is 105times higher than that of conventional bulk metasurfaces, leading to an extremely high nonlinear conversion efficiency of 5.8%. Our research will provide an important theoretical guide for the design of high-performance nonlinear devices based on 2D materials.

Super-hydrophobic film deposition by an atmospheric-pressure plasma process and its anti-icing characteristics

In this work,the super-hydrophobic(SH)surface was prepared through chemical vapor deposition process by an argon atmospheric pressure plasma jet source with HMDSN(hexamethyldisilazane)as the polymerization precursor.Plasma synthesized organosilicon(SiOxCyHz)thin films with water contact angle over 160°and sliding angle below 5°,were able to be achieved.FTIR and XPS analysis indicates a large number of hydrocarbon compositions were polymerized in the thin films enduing the latter very-low surface free energy.SEM shows the SH films display micro-nanostructure and with high degree of averaged surface roughness 190 nm evaluated by AFM analysis.From experiments under controlled low-temperature and moisture conditions,the prepared SH surface exhibits good anti-icing effects.Significantly prolonging freezing time was achievable on the SH thin films for both static and sliding water droplets.This investigation demonstrates the anti-icing potentials of SH surface prepared through low-cost simple atmospheric-pressure plasma polymerization process.

Short-pulse high-power microwave breakdown at high pressures

The fluid model is proposed to investigate the gas breakdown driven by a short-pulse（such as a Gaussian pulse） highpower microwave at high pressures.However,the fluid model requires specification of the electron energy distribution function（EEDF）;the common assumption of a Maxwellian EEDF can result in the inaccurate breakdown prediction when the electrons are not in equilibrium.We confirm that the influence of the incident pulse shape on the EEDF is tiny at high pressures by using the particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision（PIC-MCC） model.As a result,the EEDF for a rectangular microwave pulse directly derived from the Boltzmann equation solver Bolsig＋ is introduced into the fluid model for predicting the breakdown threshold of the non-rectangular pulse over a wide range of pressures,and the obtained results are very well matched with those of the PIC-MCC simulations.The time evolution of a non-rectangular pulse breakdown in gas,obtained by the fluid model with the EEDF from Bolsig＋,is presented and analyzed at different pressures.In addition,the effect of the incident pulse shape on the gas breakdown is discussed.

Near-field multiple super-resolution imaging from Mikaelian lens to generalized Maxwell's fish-eye lens

Super-resolution imaging is vital for optical applications, such as high capacity information transmission, real-time bio-molecular imaging, and nanolithography. In recent years, technologies and methods of super-resolution imaging have attracted much attention. Different kinds of novel lenses, from the superlens to the super-oscillatory lens, have been designed and fabricated to break through the diffraction limit. However, the effect of the super-resolution imaging in these lenses is not satisfactory due to intrinsic loss, aberration, large sidebands, and so on. Moreover, these lenses also cannot realize multiple super-resolution imaging. In this research, we introduce the solid immersion mechanism to Mikaelian lens(ML) for multiple super-resolution imaging. The effect is robust and valid for broadband frequencies. Based on conformal transformation optics as a bridge linking the solid immersion ML and generalized Maxwell's fish-eye lens(GMFEL), we also discovered the effect of multiple super-resolution imaging in the solid immersion GMFEL.

Three-Dimensional Broadband Acoustic Waveguide Cloak

The propagation of acoustic waves is a fundamental topic in shallow ocean acoustics.We numerically demonstrate a three-dimensional zone of silence consisting of a circular tube with gradient index metamaterials attached to its rigid wall.The cloaking effect is verified by fine agreement with analytical calculations.

A simple derivative spectrophotometric method for simultaneously detecting nitrate and nitrite in plasma treated water

A spectrophotometric technique is developed to simultaneously quantify nitrate and nitrite in plasma treated water.The measurement is based on examining the inflection points(wavelengths)in the derivative absorbance of the nitrate or nitrite solution.At the inflection points of the pure nitrate solution,the derivative absorbance is zero and independent of the nitrate’s concentration,and thus the nitrite’s concentration in a mixed nitrate and nitrite solution can be obtained by using the Beer’s law at these points.The nitrate’s concentration can also be achieved from the inflection points of nitrite in the same manner.The relation between the tested substance’s(nitrate or nitrite)concentration and the second-or the third-order absorbances is obtained at these inflection points.Test measurements for mixed aqueous solutions of nitrate and nitrite with or without hydrogen peroxide confirm the reliability of this technique.We applied this technique to quantify the nitrate and nitrite generated in air plasma treated aqueous solutions.The results indicate that both nitrate and nitrite concentrations increase with the plasma treatment time,and the nitrite species is found to be generated prior to the nitrate species in the air plasma treated aqueous solution.Moreover,the production rate of total nitrogen species is independent of the solutions’p H value.These results are relevant to diverse applications of plasma activated solutions in materials processing,biotechnology,medicine and other fields.