Physikingenieurwesen (PHY)
In this manuscript, a new approach in surface plasmon resonance microscopy is presented. The method provides optical real-time detection of single nanoparticles on surfaces. The potential of the method is demonstrated recording spherical dielectric particles as small as 40 nm in diameter and single HIV virus-like particles having diameters of similar to 100 nm both immobilized on functionalized surfaces. The surface plasmon resonance signal in the binding spots was found to be almost linearly proportional to the size of the particles and, therefore, surpasses the intensity of Mie scattering on spherical particle (dependence similar to r(-6)) by orders of magnitude for small objects. The physical reason leading to this strong effect is discussed.
The need for portable and on site screening methods for viruses is evident in face of virus infections that can spread lastly in a heavily connected world. A robust and efficient method for detecting viruses is a novel technique called Plasmon Assisted Microscopy of Nanoobjects. It is based on the acquisition of images from a sensor surface exploiting the behavior of surface plasmons in the presence of nanoobjects. In this paper an efficient image analysis approach with respect to the requirements of the sensor is presented and an embedded image processing system for this purpose is introduced. The processing pipeline comprises three steps and starts with restorating the images by removing the background and filtering artifacts. The acquired image series is analyzed pixel by pixel in a second pipeline step in order to detect pixels containing nanoobjects. In a last step pixels are aggregated to nanoobject structures. The paper introduces in the context of this virus detection method a configurable embedded system that was used for rapid prototyping of the image analysis algorithms in a flexible way. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The mechanisms of femtosecond laser-induced transient melting and atomic mixing in a target composed of a 30 nm Au film deposited on a bulk Cu substrate are investigated in a series of atomistic simulations. The relative strength and the electron temperature dependence of the electron-phonon coupling of the metals composing the layered target are identified as major factors affecting the initial energy redistribution and the location of the region(s) undergoing transient melting and resolidification. The higher strength of the electron-phonon coupling in Cu, as compared to Au, results in a preferential sub-surface heating and melting of the Cu substrate, while the overlaying Au film largely retains its original crystalline structure. The large difference in the atomic mobility in the transiently melted and crystalline regions of the target makes it possible to connect the final distributions of the components in the resolidified targets to the history of the laser-induced melting process, thus allowing for experimental verification of the computational predictions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
Silicon microprotrusions with tailored chirality enabled by direct femtosecond laser ablation
(2020)
Here, we report on formation of nanoprotrusions on the surface of a bulk crystalline silicon wafer under femtosecond-laser ablation with a donut-shaped laser beam. By breaking circular symmetry of the irradiating donut-shaped fs-pulse beam, a switch in geometry of the formed surface nanoprotrusions from regular to chiral was demonstrated. The chirality of the obtained Si nanostructures was promoted with an asymmetry degree of the laser beam. An uneven helical flow of laser-melted Si caused by asymmetry of the initial intensity and temperature pattern on the laser-irradiated Si surface explains this phenomenon. Chirality of the formed protrusions was confirmed by visualizing cross-sectional cuts produced by focused ion beam milling as well as Raman activity of these structures probed by circularly polarized light with opposite handedness. Our results open a pathway towards easy-to-implement inexpensive …
Current self-sustained oscillations in a Townsend discharge are studied analytically. The proposed method for solving simple equations is applicable even when the Townsend coefficient of electron reproduction g (the main factor governing the oscillations) cannot be determined theoretically. The coefficient g is related to the discharge current-voltage characteristic, which can be obtained experimentally or from numerical simulations. Self-oscillating solutions (limit cycles) are found under various conditions. The mechanisms governing the excitation and stabilization of the solutions obtained are interpreted. It is shown that the waveform of the undamped oscillations may change significantly (the current peaks are smoothed, and the oscillation period decreases) when a weak constant cathode current, which is presumably related to the emission caused by slowly diffusing metastable molecules, is included in the equations.
A new simple design of a high-efficiency low-transport-time cell for laser ablation is presented. The main feature of the design is that the particles are transported by a laminar spiral gas flow into the outlet without any contact with the cell walls. The efficiency of the particle transport and the dependence of the ICP-MS peak shape on experimental conditions were measured. The peak duration on the 10% level was found to be as short as 30 ms and the transport efficiency reached 100% when analysing a standard brass sample. As an example of application to real samples with fine inhomogeneities, the profiles of C-13, Ca-44 and Pb-208 were measured by LA-ICP-MS across a tree core. As a result, the very quick particle transport time of the cell enabled the fine, seasonal variation in wood composition to be resolved.
The potential use of an EMG-20 mass-spectrometric gas analyzer for process control and safe operation and environmental monitoring in metallurgy (oxygen converter process) is considered. The EMG-20 parameters are adequate for rapid, automatic on-line analysis of metallurgical waste gases. A multichannel system of sampling. sample preparation, and transportation of sampled gases for analysis is proposed.
Generation of microfluidic flow using an optically assembled and magnetically driven microrotor
(2014)
The dewetting of liquid filaments in linear grooves of a triangular cross section is studied experimentally and theoretically. Homogeneous filaments of glassy polystyrene (PS) are prepared in triangular grooves in a nonequilibrium state. At elevated temperatures, the molten PS restores its material contact angle with the substrate. Liquid filaments with a convex liquid-vapor interface decay into isolated droplets with a characteristic spacing depending on the wedge geometry, wettability, and filament width. This instability is driven by the interplay of local filament width and Laplace pressure and constitutes a wide class of ID instabilities that also include the Rayleigh -Plateau instability as a special case. Our results show an accurately exponential buildup of the instability, suggesting that fluctuations have a minor influence in our system.
Analytical features of particle counting sensor based on plasmon assisted microscopy of nano objects
(2011)
Self-sustained current oscillations in a Townsend discharge that is excited in a short plane discharge gap and is uniform along the electrode surface are investigated experimentally. A thin semiconductor plane serves as a discharge cathode, a ballast resistor, and an additional capacitor in the dc power supply circuit. The domain of existence and the frequency and waveform, of oscillations are determined over a wide pressure range.