We report on the development of a plasmonic-photonic coupled platform based on a plasmonic periodic nanostructure and a host matrix for active media in the visible-near infrared range, constituted by a thin film of sol-gel glass. Here, we report on preliminary results about two main tasks of the research work. On one side, we have studied and optimized the surface that supports plasmonic resonances with tunable wavelengths. On the other side, we focused on improving the sol-gel techniques to form and deposit thin films appropriate for covering the previous surface as well as to protect it (i.e. for sensing applications), embed suitable fluorophores (for active device applications) while avoiding metal-induced radiative emission quenching. Besides structural and optical characterization of the considered structures and films, finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations have been performed, in order to give a feedback on the structure features and thereby interpret its optical response.

A radio-frequency magnetron sputtering technique and subsequent rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 600, 700, 800, and 900 °C were implemented to grow high-quality Ga-doped MgxZn1-xO (GMZO) epi-layers. The GMZO films were deposited using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system and a 4 inch ZnO/MgO/Ga2O3 (75/20/5 wt %) target. The Hall results, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmittance were determined and are reported in this paper. The Hall results indicated that the increase in mobility was likely caused by the improved crystallization in the GMZO films after thermal annealing. The XRD results revealed that MgxZn1-xO (111) and MgO2 (200) peaks were obtained in the GMZO films. The absorption edges of the as-grown and annealed GMZO films shifted toward the short wavelength of 373 nm at a transmittance of 90%. According to these results, GMZO films are feasible for forming transparent contact layers for near-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes.

We have been studying a number of nanosystems that either have potential applications in bioimaging and/or light-activated therapies, or are bioderived. The standard Z-scan technique was routinely used for most of the measurements which were carried out in a wide wavelength range, typically from ∼550 nm to 1.6 μm. The range of nanoparticles studied has included colloidal semiconductor nanoparticles (e.g. CdS, CdSe), plasmonic nanoparticles, metal clusters, lanthanide-doped fluoride and oxide nanocrystals as well as core-shell systems. Among the bioderived systems studied especially interesting one is that of protein amyloid fibers.

Many of these materials exhibit nonlinear absorption features due not only to the typical two-photon absorption processes, but also due to multiple-photon absorption taking place, especially at longer wavelengths (e.g. three- four- and five-photon processes). On the other hand, absorption saturation processes may prevail or compete with multi-photon absorption in certain wavelength ranges in some of these materials, especially those characterized by broadband absorption due to surface plasmon excitation.

Electrical conductions in insulators such as resistance switching, conduction at interfaces, and conduction at domain boundaries and free surface of ferroelectrics are of interest. These conductions are often attributed to novel mechanism such as ferroelectric polarization. On the other hand, these interpretations appear not fully accepted, because the recent advanced theories of ferroelectric domains disregard screening indicated by these conduction phenomena. That is, these conduction phenomena are quietly regarded as the classical conduction originating from defects. In this paper, we examine these conductions in pure wide bandgap insulators in view of defects, using the direct-accessibility (tangibility) of conduction at free surfaces. Although most of these conductions in ferroelectrics may not be useful in large-scale applications, we show that they have fundamental implications on renovations of ferroelectric basics.

In this paper, we discuss several strategies to tailor magnetic properties related to the magnetic anisotropy energy, such as the blocking temperature or the low temperature coercivity, of magnetic nanoparticles or materials made with magnetic nanoparticles. We describe a first approach that consists in synthesizing and dispersing bi and tri-magnetic core-shell nanoparticles that include a core made of a material with a weak anisotropy energy density and a shell made with a material with a large anisotropy energy density. This approach is a promising route to tune the blocking temperature of low temperature coercivity of a particle without altering its magnetization and with a good control of its size. Additionally, we also explore another route for the control of the shape of the hysteresis loop of material made with magnetic nanoparticles that consists in the simple mixture of magnetically soft and hard magnetic nanoparticles to create binary mixtures. In this case, it is the mixing ratio that allows one to adjust the properties of the final material.

This paper discusses formation mechanisms and potential paths to reduce defect density in current SiC epitaxy technology. Comprehensive optimization efforts have resulted in defect density measured by laser light scattering below 0.5 cm-2 for 30 um thick epi wafers. Possible approaches to reduce basal plane dislocations and mitigate interfacial dislocations are discussed. The progress in epitaxy defect reduction has been made on the foundation of the high quality 100mm substrates. The average and median BPD density is 700 cm-2 and 500 cm-2, respectively, and a low TSD density is also achieved simultaneously with both average and median values around 350 cm-2. High quality and low stress 150mm substrates have been obtained with very low TSD density of <150 cm-2.

Cu2ZnSnSe4 films were deposited on soda lime glass substrates at room temperature by one-step radio frequency magnetron-sputtering process. The effect of sputtering power on the properties of one-step deposited Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films has been investigated. The deposited films might be suitable for the absorber layers in the solar cells. The chemical composition and the preferred orientation of the films can be optimized by the sputtering power.

Hybrid halide perovskites represent one of the most promising solutions toward the fabrication of all solid nanostructured solar cells with improved efficiency and long-term stability. This article aims at investigating the structural properties of the iodide/chloride mixed-halide perovskites and correlating them with the photovoltaic performances of the related sensitized solar cells. We found out that, independently on the components ratio in the precursor solution, Cl incorporation, in a I-based structure, is possible only at relatively low concentration levels (below 3-4%). However, even if the material band-gap remains substantially unchanged, incorporation of Cl as a dopant dramatically improves the charge transport within the perovskite layer, explaining the outstanding performances of meso-superstructured solar cells based on this material.

The heterojunctions formed between solution phase grown Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1- x)4 (CZTS,Se) and a number of important buffer materials including CdS, ZnS, ZnO, and In2S3, were studied using femtosecond ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (fs-UPS) and photovoltage spectroscopy. With this approach we extract the magnitude and direction of the CZTS,Se band bending, locate the Fermi level within the band gaps of absorber and buffer and measure the absorber/buffer band offsets under flatband conditions. We will also discuss two-color pump/probe experiments in which the band bending in the buffer layer can be independently determined. Finally, studies of the bare CZTS,Se surface will be discussed including our observation of mid-gap Fermi level pinning and its relation to Voc limitations and bulk defects.

We report on the structural and electrical characteristics of bulk and thin film of ternary oxide SmGdO3. Bulk sample of SmGdO3 was prepared by pelletizing and sintering the calcined mixture of predetermined amount of Sm2O3 and Gd2O3 powders. The crystalline structure of the sample was studied by X-ray diffraction measurements and Raman spectroscopy. Capacitance and leakage current measurements on bulk sample revealed a high and linear dielectric constant of ∼ 19 with low dielectric loss and leakage current which is suitable for gate dielectric application in CMOS logic devices and high-k MIM capacitors. In addition, the non-volatile resistive memory switching phenomenon was studied in thin films of SmGdO3 which were deposited by pulsed laser deposition using sintered pellet of SmGdO3 as target. Commercially available Pt/TiO2/SiO2/(100) Si was used as substrate and top Pt electrode of lateral dimension 40×40μm2 were deposited by sputtering to construct Pt/SmGdO3/Pt MIM devices. After initial forming process which occurred at comparatively higher voltage, the Pt/SmGdO3/Pt devices showed repeatable unipolar switching between high and low resistance states with low and well defined switching voltages. These properties indicate suitability of this material for the emerging logic and memory device applications.

Fe-Al alloys with about 55 to 65 at.% Al undergo a eutectoid transformation at 1095 °C: Fe5Al8 (ε) ↔ FeAl + FeAl2. Hence, as-cast Fe-Al alloys in this composition range show a very fine-scaled lamellar microstructure (average lamellar spacing below 500 nm) consisting of the two phases FeAl and FeAl2. The microstructure looks similar to the α2 + γ lamellar microstructure of Ti-Al-based alloys, which is known for having well-balanced properties in terms of creep, ductility and strength. However, there is limited knowledge about the properties of Fe-Al-based alloys in this composition range. In this study, a series of as-cast as well as heat-treated Fe-Al alloys with compositions between 57 and 63 at.% Al were investigated. The microstructures and crystal structures were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The composition dependence of all transition temperatures was obtained by differential thermal analysis (DTA).

We demonstrated nanostructured, ITO-free anodes in flexible OLEDs using a combination of a composite organic-inorganic UV nanoimprint resist and a conductive, transparent polymer layer. Flexible OLEDs with grating anodes were fabricated on polycarbonate substrates. The nanoimprint resist was blended with 30% TiO2 nanoparticles in order to achieve a sufficient refractive index contrast to the polymer anode. It was periodically structured with a 370-nm period linear photonic crystal structure. PEDOT:PSS was spin-coated on as a polymer anode and structured in an oxygen plasma treatment. For OLED demonstration an organic emission layer (PPV-derivative “Super Yellow”) and a metal cathode (LiF/Al) were deposited. We observed successful waveguide mode extraction both in electroluminescence and photoluminescence for flat and bend substrates. The waveguide mode extraction angle varied slightly under bending. The combination of an inorganic-organic composite material with a conductive polymer transparent electrode is promising for improving the performance of ITO-free, flexible OLEDs.

Copper nanoparticles are synthesized successfully through chemical reduction of different copper salts stabilized by Ocimum Sanctum Leaf extract, a natural biopolymer. The resulting copper nanoparticles are characterized by using UV Visible Absorption Spectrometer, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments. Copper nanoparticles prepared display an absorption peak at around 558 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the particles are FCC crystalline. SEM and TEM display the formation of copper nanoparticles with an average size of 10 nm. The SAXS studies demonstrate the formation of spherical nanoparticles with bimodal size distribution. The FTIR spectrum analysis has confirmed the presence of functional groups of stabilizer Ocimum Sanctum leaf extract in capping the copper nanoparticles.

The Maya archaeological site of Ek’Balam is located in Yucatán, Mexico. This place is known for its artistic tradition of reliefs modeled in stucco as well as the rich pictorial and hieroglyphic texts. Although the mural played a key role in the artistic program architectural of elite groups, most of these remains have not been studied, either by its incomplete or fragile condition, or by localization in inaccessible substructures.

In this study, technical aspects of the mural paintings from rooms 12 and 50 of the main building of the site are addressed by the spectroscopic analysis of its materials. Optical microscopy was used to observe the layers superposition and pigment distribution, while the stucco and rock support were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). Moreover, the chromatic palette composed of different colors and tones of red, yellow, orange, green, blue and black were analyzed mainly with non-invasive techniques using Raman and FTIR spectroscopies as well as XRF.

The information obtained from the combination of these analytical techniques, allowed a better understanding of the similarities and differences between these two rooms that were built during the last construction stage of the Acropolis. These results were also compared with previous analyses of mural painting of this site and other Maya paintings.

In many tropical countries coconut (coir) fiber production is a major source of income for rural communities. The Caribbean has an abundance of coconuts but research into utilizing its by-products is limited. Environmentally friendly coir fibers are natural polymers generally discarded as waste material in this region. Research has shown that coir fiber from other parts of the world has successfully been recycled. This paper therefore investigates the mechanical properties of Caribbean coir fiber for potential applications in civil engineering.

Approximately four hundred fibers were randomly taken from a coir fiber stack and subjected to retting in both distilled and saline water media. The mechanical properties of both the retted and unretted coir fibers were evaluated at weekly increments for a period of 3 months. Tensile strength test, x-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron micrographs were used to assess trends and relationships between fiber gauge lengths, diameter, tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Diameters ranged between 0.11 mm-0.46 mm, while fiber samples were no longer than 250 mm in length. The tensile strength and strain at break decreased as the gauge length increased for both unretted and retted fibers. The opposite occurred for the relationship between the gauge length and Young’s modulus. Additionally, the tensile strength and modulus decreased as the fiber diameter increased. Neither distilled nor saline water improved the coir fiber’s crystalline index. Scanning electron micrographs qualitatively assessed fiber surfaces and captured necking and microfibril degradation at the fractured ends.

The analysis revealed that the tensile strength, modulus, strain at break and crystallinity properties of the Caribbean coir fibers were comparable to commercially available coir fiber which are currently being used in many building applications.

Due to the high surface area and good bio-compatibility of nano structured ZnO, it finds good utility in biosensor applications. In this work we have fabricated highly dense ZnO nano bundles with the assistance of self assembled poly methylsilisesquoxane (PMSSQ) matrix which has been realized in a carpet like configuration with implanted ZnO nano-seeds. Such high aspect ratio structures (∼50) with carpet like layout have been realized for the first time using solution chemistry. Nanoparticles of PMMSQ are mixed with a nano-assembler Poly-propylene glycol (PPG) and Zinc Oxide nanoseeds (5-15 nm). The PPG acts by assembling the PMSSQ nanoparticles and evaporates from this film thus creating the highly porous nano-assembly of PMMSQ nanoparticles with implanted Zinc Oxide seeds. Nano-wire bundles with a high overall surface roughness are grown over this template by a daylong incubation of an aqueous solution of hexamethylene tetra amine and Zinc nitrate. Characterization of the fabricated structures has been extensively performed using FESEM, EDAX, and XRD. We envision these films to have potential of highly dense immobilization platforms for antibodies in immunosensors. The principle advantage in our case is a high aspect ratio of the nano-bundles and a high level of roughness in overall surface topology of the carpet outgrowing the zinc-oxide nanowire bundles. Antibody immobilization has been performed by modifying the surface with protein-G followed by Goat anti salmonella antibody. Antibody activity has been characterized by using 3D profiler, Bio-Rad Protein assay and UV-Visible spectrophotometer.

Gallium nitride (n-type) films of thickness 300nm were grown on c-plane sapphire substrates using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). High resolution X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements were used to confirm the crystalline and optical qualities of the grown films. Metal-semiconductor Schottky diodes were fabricated using Pt as the Schottky metal and Al as the Ohmic metal contact. Metal-insulator-semiconductor Schottky diodes were also fabricated using HfO2 (10nm) as the insulator material. Diode parameters like barrier height and ideality factor were extracted from I-V measurements. Introduction of HfO2 as the insulator layer leads to better rectifying behavior (forward to reverse current ratio improves from 5.1 to 8.9) with a reduction in reverse leakage current (by 7.4 times), increase in barrier height (from 0.62eV to 0.74eV) and a reduction in ideality factor (from 6 to 4.1) of the Schottky diode.