The authors report on strong exciton–photon coupling in all-metal microcavities containing functionalized anthradithiophene (ADT) in host poly(methyl methacrylate) matrices for a wide range of ADT concentrations. Angle-resolved reflectance of polycrystalline films revealed Rabi splittings up to 340 meV. Angle-resolved photoluminescence in films with low ADT concentrations (dominated by “isolated” ADT molecules) showed Rabi splittings which scaled with the square root of oscillator strength. When “aggregated” and “isolated” ADT molecules coexisted in film, cavities preferentially coupled to “isolated” molecules due to an anisotropic distribution of aggregates. As a solution-processable high-performance organic semiconductor, ADT shows promise as an (opto)electronic polaritonic material.

The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) susceptibility for morphologically controlled polydiacetylene (PDA) nanocrystals (NCs) and PDA nanofibers (NFs) have been determined for the first time by the experimental combination of transient pump-probe spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The figure of the merit of PDA NFs was much superior to PDA NCs and/or PDA bulk crystals, and the excitonic relaxation time was of order of sub-pico second. Namely, this is the first case to reveal the morphological effect on NLO response. PDA NFs having the long effective π-conjugation length are one of the most promising organic third-order NLO nanomaterials toward the photonic device application.

This article overviews the ultrasonic welding process, a solid-state joining method, using the example of welding of a magnesium alloy as well as the joining of magnesium alloys in general. In situ high-speed imaging and infrared thermography were utilized to study interfacial relative motion and heat generation during ultrasonic spot welding of AZ31B magnesium (Mg) alloys. A postweld ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation was performed to study the evolution of local bond formation at the faying interface (contact surface of the joint between the top and bottom Mg sheets) at different stages of the welding process. Two distinct stages were observed as the welding process progresses. In the early stage, localized reciprocating sliding occurred at the contact faying interface between the two Mg sheets, resulting in localized rapid temperature rise from the localized frictional heating. Microscale (submillimeter) bonded regions at the Mg–Mg faying surface started to form, but the overall joint strength was low. The early-stage localized bonds were broken during the subsequent vibrations. In the later stage, no relative motion occurred at any points of the faying interface. Localized bonded regions coalesced into a macroscale joint that was strong enough to prevent the Mg–Mg interface from further breakage and sliding. With increasing welding time, the bonded area continued to increase.

Advanced lightweight materials, including high-strength steels, aluminum, magnesium, plastics, and reinforced polymer composites, are increasingly used in industry. Combinations of mixed materials are becoming commonplace in the design of structures. Adhesives can be used to join a wide range and combinations of materials. However, joining of materials depends on their specific characteristics. The choice of adherend material is one particular and important parameter that influences adhesively bonded joint performance, and its effect should be taken into consideration in the design of adhesive joints. This article overviews experimental and modeling investigations on the influence of adherend properties on the strength of adhesively bonded joints.

With growing demand for better fuel economy for automobiles, multimaterial solutions are increasingly being utilized in the automotive industry for reducing weight in the vehicle body structure. This poses challenges in terms of joining dissimilar metals, especially those with vastly different properties such as aluminum to steel joining. General Motors has developed a new resistance spot-welding technique for dissimilar materials using a multi-ring domed (MRD) electrode and multiple solidification weld schedules to address this challenge. Originally developed for aluminum to aluminum resistance spot welding, this technology is being deployed as the mainstream aluminum joining solution to leverage existing infrastructure and workforce competency in resistance spot welding. With the recent expansion of MRD technology to aluminum to steel resistance spot welding, there is an ever-greater need to experimentally verify the quality of each aluminum to steel resistance spot-weld application with limited time and resources. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) would enable the transfer of resistance spot-welding technology to dissimilar aluminum to steel joints. This article describes the current state of the art of aluminum to steel resistance spot welding and the challenges in developing a robust NDE process for this technology.

Vaporizing foil actuator welding is a form of impact welding, which can be carried out without the use of chemical explosives. Operating at smaller length scales, but with similar driving pressures as explosive welding, vaporizing foil actuator welding is capable of welding a wide variety of advanced and dissimilar metal combinations. With negligible heating developing during the process, thermal distortion does not occur, and the base-metal properties are retained in the weld. In this article, vaporizing foil actuator welding of an automotive grade aluminum and steel pair is discussed. A currently functional and complete welding system that can be used for research as well as low volume production is also discussed.

Lightweighting of vehicles and portable structures is an important undertaking. Multimaterial design is required to achieve conflicting design targets such as cost, stiffness, and weight. Friction stir welding (FSW) variants, such as friction stir dovetailing and friction stir scribe, are enabling technologies for joining of dissimilar metals. This article discusses how FSW variants are capable of joining aluminum to steel in particular. The characteristics of metallurgical bonding at the dissimilar materials interface are strongly affected by weld temperature. Control of FSW process temperature enables metallurgical bonding with suppressed formation of intermetallics at the dissimilar materials interface, resulting in improved mechanical properties relative to competing techniques. Temperature control is thus a powerful tool for process development and ensuring weld quality of dissimilar materials welds.

The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. One method being used to reduce greenhouse emissions related to the transportation sector is improving vehicle fuel efficiency through mass reduction. Reducing the mass of on-highway passenger vehicles by 10% can result in vehicle fuel economy improvements of as much as 6–8% if the powertrain is downsized to maintain equivalent performance. Some of the materials being investigated and implemented to reduce passenger vehicle mass include advanced high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium, and polymer composites. Additionally, multimaterial structures that allow for optimal combinations of lightweight materials to achieve maximum weight reduction with lowest cost and best structural performance have recently become of particular interest. However, assembling multimaterial structures can be challenging due to differences in melting temperature and coefficient of thermal expansion of different materials, as well as formation of intermetallic compounds and galvanic corrosion potential. Joining technologies for lightweight multimaterial structures must address these challenges to be successful. This article highlights advances made in five different joining techniques: nondestructive evaluation of resistance spot-welded aluminum to steel, modeling of structural adhesives, temperature control of friction stir welds, ultrasonic welding of magnesium, and vapor foil actuation welding.