Insight into Structural and Optical Properties of Pristine and Sr2+ Doped La2NiMnO6

Double perovskites oxide (DPO) multiferroics La2-xSrxNiMnO6(x=0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) are synthesized by sol-gel technique. The structural, optical and electrical (both DC and AC) properties of La2-xSrxNiMnO6 have been investigated by XRD and FTIR spectroscopy and two-probe resistivity and dielectric measurements as a function of temperature, respectively. The effect of doping of Strontium at A-site in double perovskites is discussed. XRD has revealed the formation of monoclinic structure of La2-xSrxNiMnO6 with space group P21 / n for x=0.0 and P21 for x=0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6. The average crystallite size has been calculated to be in the range 31 to 46 nm as determined by Debye Scherrer equation. Infrared active optical phonons observed from reflectivity spectra have been analysed fitting the theoretical oscillators using Lorentz oscillator model. We have observed several well-resolved phonon modes in La2-xSrxNiMnO6 with increasing dopant concentration. Activation energy calculated using Arrhenius Plot is in the range of 0.31 to 0.18 eV, confirming the semiconducting nature of all samples. The dielectric constant and tangent loss as a function of temperature and frequency are also discussed for these multiferroics.

Tunable anisotropic plasmon-induced transparency in black phosphorus-based metamaterials

Black phosphorus (BP), as a new type of two-dimensional material, has drawn considerable interest because of its distinct physics and electronic characteristics. In this work, we theoretically present a BP-based metamaterial, unit cell of which is composed of a rectangular BP nano-patch and two parallel BP strips. The research results indicate that tunable anisotropic plasmon-induced transparency (PIT) effect can be achieved in the presented metamaterials when the polarization of incident light is along armchair and zigzag directions of BP crystal, respectively. Moreover, the spectra responses and group delay accompanied by the PIT effect can be actively controlled by adjusting the carrier density and geometric parameters. The electromagnetic simulation results calculated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method show good agreement with the coupled Lorentz oscillator model. Our proposed nanostructure provides a new path for designing photonic devices such as slow light and photodetector in the mid-infrared region.

Simulation of the optical properties of gold nanoparticles on sodium alginate

In this contribution, we report on the simulation of optical reflectance and transmittance (R&T) taken on a set of gold nanoparticles thin film, deposited on sodium alginate by magnetron sputtering. The gold layer is very thin, so that the films are not continuous and the material is arranged in nanostructured layers. R&T spectra are simulated using the Generalized Transfer Matrix method applied to the film-on-substrate model. The gold NP films are simulated using the Drude-Lorentz model, by taking into account that the optical function of nanostructured gold exhibits increased collision frequency and reduced relaxation time. Moreover, the signal of localized surface plasmon, evident in the spectra, is simulated by introducing a dedicated modified Lorentz oscillator. The experimental results are well reproduced by the applied model. All trends (amplitude and energy position of the plasmon oscillator, film thickness, relaxation time) are correlated with the deposition parameters. The procedure represents a useful tool in the characterisation of such nanoparticles thin films.

Oscillator Finite-Difference Time-Domain (O-FDTD) electric field propagation model: integrated photonics and networks

The recently developed Lorentz Oscillator Model-inspired Oscillator Finite-Difference Time-Domain (O-FDTD) is one of the simplest FDTD models ever proposed, using a single field equation for electric field propagation. We demonstrate its versatility on various scales and benchmark its simulation performance against theory, conventional FDTD simulations, and experimental observations. The model’s broad applicability is demonstrated for (but not limited to) three contrasting realms: integrated photonics components on the nano- and micrometer scale, city-wide propagating radiofrequency signals reaching into the hundreds of meters scale, and for the first time, in support of 3D optical waveguide design that may play a key role in neuromorphic photonic computational devices.

Terahertz Spectroscopic Signatures of Microcystin Aptamer Solution Probed with a Microfluidic Chip

Terahertz signature detection of biological samples in aqueous solution remains a great challenge due to the strong terahertz absorption of water. Here we propose a new preparation process for fabricating a microfluidic chip and use it as an effective sensor to probe the terahertz absorption signatures of microcystin aptamer (a linear single-stranded DNA with 60 nucleotides) dissolved in TE buffer with different concentrations. The microfluidic chip made of silicon includes thousands of 2.4 μm × 2.4 μm square-cross-section channels. One repeatable terahertz absorption signature is detected and recognized around 830 GHz, fitted to a Lorentz oscillator. This signature is theorized to originate from the bending of hydrogen bonds formed between adjacent hydrated DNA bases surrounded by water molecules. Furthermore, the low-lying vibrational modes are also investigated by molecular dynamics simulations which suggest that strong resonant oscillations are highly probable in the 815–830 GHz frequency band.

Nanostructure and Optical Property Investigations of SrTiO3 Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

Strontium titanate thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The structural and optical properties of these films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively. After annealing at 600–800 °C, the as-deposited films changed from amorphous to polycrystalline. It was found that an amorphous interfacial layer appeared between the SrTiO3 layer and Si substrate in each as-deposited film, which grew thicker after annealing. The optical parameters of the SrTiO3 film samples were acquired from ellipsometry spectra by fitting with a Lorentz oscillator model. Moreover, we found that the band gap energy of the samples diminished after thermal treatment.