Full-width At Half-maximum Values Research Articles

Perimidocarbene-Based Tetradentate Platinum(II) Complexes with an Unexpectedly Negligible 3MLCT Character.

Two novel six-membered perimidocarbene (PIC)-based tetradentate Pt(II) complexes were designed and successfully synthesized. Systematical experimental and theoretical studies suggest that the PIC moiety greatly affects the frontier orbitals, as well as the photophysical and excited-state properties of the Pt(II) complexes. PtYK2 has a broad emission spectrum peaking at 576 nm with a shoulder band at 620 nm, along with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of 100.0 nm at 77 K in 2-MeTHF; however, the emission spectrum is slightly red-shifted with a dominant peak at 610 nm and a FWHM value of 125.0 nm at room temperature in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film. Time-dependent-density functional theory and natural transition orbital analyses reveal that PtYK2 has a 3LC (3πPIC* → πPIC)-dominated character with an unexpectedly negligible contribution of 3MLCT transition (0.68%) in the T1 state, which results in a broad emission spectrum and a relatively low quantum efficiency of 7.4% in the PMMA film.

Dust Polarization of Prestellar and Protostellar Sources in OMC-3

We present the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of linearly polarized 1.1 mm continuum emission at ∼0.″14 (55 au) resolution and CO (J = 2−1) emission at ∼1.″5 (590 au) resolution toward one prestellar (MMS 4), four Class 0 (MMS 1, MMS 3, MMS 5, and MMS 6), one Class I (MMS 7), and one flat-spectrum (MMS 2) sources in the Orion Molecular Cloud 3 region. The dust disk-like structures and clear CO outflows are detected toward all sources except for MMS 4. The diameters of these disk-like structures, ranging from 16 to 97 au, are estimated based on the deconvolved full width half maximum (FWHM) values obtained from the multi-Gaussian fitting. Polarized emissions are detected toward MMS 2, MMS 5, MMS 6, and MMS 7, while no polarized emission is detected toward MMS 1, MMS 3, and MMS 4. MMS 2, MMS 5, and MMS 7 show organized polarization vectors aligned with the minor axes of the disk-like structures, with mean polarization fractions ranging from 0.6% to 1.2%. The strongest millimeter source, MMS 6, exhibits complex polarization orientations and a remarkably high polarization fraction of ∼10% around the Stokes I peak, and 15%–20% on the arm-like structure, as reported by Takahashi et al. (2019). The origins of the polarized emission, such as self-scattering and dust alignment due to the magnetic field or radiative torque, are discussed for individual sources. Some disk-like sources exhibit a polarized intensity peak shift toward the nearside of the disk, which supports that the polarized emission originates from self-scattering.

Optical, electrical and thermal investigations on brucinium di-hydrogen citrate tri-hydrate single crystal: An optimistic tool for microelectronics, OPO and OLED applications

Highly capable nonlinear optical brucinium di-hydrogen citrate tri-hydrate (BDHCTH) single crystal under organic material category has been grown-up successfully by slow evaporation method. Optical, electrical, and thermal investigations were made on title crystal to discover the suitability of fabrication of an optical as well as electrical device for the first time. Crystal structure analysis confirms that, the BDHCTH crystal belongs to triclinic crystal system with non-centro symmetric space group P1. The SLDT value of BDHCTH crystal was found to be 4.22 GW/cm2. Second harmonic generation efficiency of the BDHCTH compound is 1.08 times superior to the reference sample KDP. An attribution of single and sharp peak with lesser full width half maximum value confirms the presence of very fewer defects in the grown crystal. An electric response of the title compound shows the normal dielectric behavior. The piezoelectric charge co-efficient (d33) was found to be 4.5 p C/N. Photo luminescence study confirms that the synthesized sample possess violet, blue and red emission behaviors. Presences of various functional groups in the title sample were identified by FT-IR study. Thermal stability of the compound BDHCTH was found to be 135 °C. Kinetic parameters such as activation energy, Arrhenius factor, standard entropy of activation, standard enthalpy of activation, standard Gibb's energy of activation (ΔG*) and induction time of the grown sample were found to be 161.6396 k J mol−1, 7.4854 s−1, -230.8278 J K mol−1, 154.854 k J mol−1, 249.0314 k J mol−1 and 52 days respectively. At the end of an optical, electrical and thermal analysis, we concluded that the grown crystal is an optimistic tool for microelectronics, OPO and OLED applications due to existence of good SHG value, lesser defect and red emission behavior.

Improved heteroepitaxy of κ-Ga2O3 on c-plane sapphire by initial mist flow stabilization during mist chemical vapor deposition

Kappa-phase gallium oxide (κ-Ga2O3) is a metastable gallium oxide polymorph and an ultrawide bandgap semiconductor with potential applications in various electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this study, we present the effect of mist flow stabilization during the initial stages of mist chemical vapor deposition process on the crystal quality of heteroepitaxial thin films of κ-Ga2O3 grown on c-plane sapphire. Two κ-Ga2O3 films were grown using the same growth parameters with the only differing factor being the stabilization of the initial mist flow. Structural and optical properties of the films were characterized. Both processes resulted in epitaxial growth; however, controlling the initial mist flow leads to an improved Ga2O3/Al2O3 interface and superior crystal quality. The film grown with regulated mist flow exhibited an optical bandgap of 4.93 eV, a smooth surface with a root mean square roughness of 1.56 nm and a rocking curve full-width half-maximum value of 0.17°. Also, Ti/Au deposition on κ-Ga2O3 resulted in an interface resembling that of β-Ga2O3 and Ti/Au, explaining previous reports of ohmic behavior between κ-Ga2O3 and Ti/Au contacts.

Efficient Ultra‐Narrowband OLEDs Based on Carbazole‐Fused Dual‐Boron Embedded Multi‐Resonance Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials

AbstractThe development of efficient multi‐resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) materials with ultra‐narrowband emission presents an ongoing challenge. In this work, a carbazole‐fused dual‐boron embedded MR‐TADF framework is proposed, achieving three emitters, CFDBO, CFDBA, and CFDBCz, via one‐shot borylation with very high yields of over 70%. The emitters display ultra‐narrowband blue emission with peaks ranging from 452 to 479 nm and small full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of only 16–18 nm in dilute toluene solutions. Furthermore, the organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) incorporating CFDBO exhibits pure‐blue emission with a peak of 460 nm and Commission International de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.14, 0.12). Meanwhile, OLEDs incorporating CFDBA/CFDBCz demonstrate remarkable performances with high external quantum efficiencies of 30.9%/32.4% and exceptionally slender FWHM values of 21/22 nm, representing outstanding performances among reported MR‐TADF materials.

An Ideal Molecular Construction Strategy for Ultra-Narrow-Band Deep-Blue Emitters: Balancing Bathochromic-Shift Emission, Spectral Narrowing, and Aggregation Suppression.

Narrowband emissive multiple resonance (MR) emitters promise high efficiency and stability in deep-blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the construction of ideal ultra-narrow-band deep-blue MR emitters still faces formidable challenges, especially in balancing bathochromic-shift emission, spectral narrowing, and aggregation suppression. Here, DICz is chosen, which possesses the smallest full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) in MR structures, as the core and solved the above issue by tuning its peripheral substitution sites. The 1-substituted molecule Cz-DICz is able to show a bright deep-blue emission with a peak at 457nm, an extremely small FWHM of 14nm, and a CIE coordinate of (0.14, 0.08) in solution. The corresponding OLEDs exhibit high maximum external quantum efficiencies of 22.1%-25.6% and identical small FWHMs of 18nm over the practical mass-production concentration range (1-4 wt.%). To the best of the knowledge, 14 and 18nm are currently the smallest FWHM values for deep-blue MR emitters with similar emission maxima under photoluminescence and electroluminescence conditions, respectively. These discoveries will help drive the development of high-performance narrowband deep-blue emitters and bring about a revolution in OLED industry.

“A concise study of radiation-induced lattice strain in fast reactor first-wall materials through coupled computational modeling and experiments”

Radiation-induced defects can alter the crystal structure of materials consequently inducing lattice strain, which can be quantified by examining the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks. In this study, an experimental sample of the alpha manganese was simulated first principally using the LCAO basis set and SGGA-PBE XC functionals. The optimized simulation results were found to be close to the experimental results, with an underestimation error of ∼2.21 %. The same simulation model was then extended to investigate the FWHM variation of XRD peaks as a function of increasing isotropic strain, which is one of the consequences of radiation-induced defects. The study found that the FWHM values increased with increasing isotropic strain, indicating the presence of radiation-induced defects, and resulting lattice strain. To validate the simulation results, we further used the model to simulate high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) diffraction profiles, which were experimentally matched with alpha manganese FFTs identified using HRTEM. The study presents a comprehensive approach to understanding the effects of radiation damage on materials, particularly the unique properties of the alpha manganese structure as a function of isotropic strain. The findings can help develop better models for simulating radiation-induced defects and their effects on materials, which could have significant implications for various technological applications, including developing nuclear reactor core materials.

Comparison of Raman spectral characteristics and quantitative methods between 13CH4 and 12CH4 from 25 to 400 °C and 50 to 400 bar

In recent years, increasing attention has been given to quantifying the isotopic compositions of gases by Raman spectroscopy. However, related research on the carbon isotopes of CH4 is still lacking. In this study, the Raman spectral characteristics of 13CH4 and 12CH4 in the pure CH4 system and in the CH4–H2O system are comprehensively studied at temperatures ranging from 25 to 400 °C and pressures ranging from 50 to 400 bar. For the pure CH4 system, the peak positions of the symmetric stretching band (ν1) of 13CH4 and 12CH4 both shift to a higher wavenumber with increasing temperature and decreasing pressure, and their full width at half maximum (FWHM) values can reach 4.7 cm−1 and 5.5 cm−1, respectively, with increasing temperature and density. The peak position of the ν1 band of 13CH4 is always 4.6–5.1 cm−1 lower than that of 12CH4 under the same conditions, indicating that 13CH4 and 12CH4 can be distinguished by peak position and FWHM in the Raman spectra. Although the calculated Raman shifts (ν0) at zero-density for 13CH4 and 12CH4 are different, the unified equation for determining the density of CH4-rich fluid inclusions is still applicable, as long as to bracket the sample measurement with measurements of reference standards. For the CH4–H2O system, the peak position of the ν1 band of dissolved 13CH4 is approximately 2.5 cm−1 lower than that of 12CH4, while their FWHM values can be more than 12.2 cm−1, causing more difficulty in distinguishing them in aqueous solutions. In addition, Raman quantitative calibration models of 12CH4 and 13CH4 in the CH4–H2O system are established. The difference in the Raman scattering cross section (RSCS) of dissolved 12CH4 and 13CH4, rather than changes in the molar density or RSCS of water is the main reason leading to the difference in the Raman quantitative calibration models of CH4 concentrations between the 12CH4–H2O system and the 13CH4–H2O system. Our work provides a good reference for the in situ identification and quantification of the carbon isotopic composition of CH4 in high-temperature and high-pressure environments.

HiPIMS-grown AlN buffer for threading dislocation reduction in DC-magnetron sputtered GaN epifilm on sapphire substrate

Gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxial films on sapphire (Al2O3) substrates have been grown using reactive magnetron sputter epitaxy with a liquid Ga target. Threading dislocations density (TDD) of sputtered GaN films was reduced by using an inserted high-quality aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer grown by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (R-HiPIMS) in a gas mixture of Ar and N2. After optimizing the Ar/N2 pressure ratio and deposition power, a high-quality AlN film exhibiting a narrow full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of the double-crystal x-ray rocking curve (DCXRC) of the AlN(0002) peak of 0.086° was obtained by R-HiPIMS. The mechanism giving rise the observed quality improvement is attributed to the enhancement of kinetic energy of the adatoms in the deposition process when operated in a transition mode. With the inserted HiPIMS-AlN as a buffer layer for direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) GaN growth, the FWHM values of GaN(0002) and (10 1‾ 1) XRC decrease from 0.321° to 0.087° and from 0.596° to 0.562°, compared to the direct growth of GaN on sapphire, respectively. An order of magnitude reduction from 2.7 × 109 cm−2 to 2.0 × 108 cm−2 of screw-type TDD calculated from the FWHM of the XRC data using the inserted HiPIMS-AlN buffer layer demonstrates the improvement of crystal quality of GaN. The result of TDD reduction using the HiPIMS-AlN buffer was also verified by weak beam dark-field (WBDF) cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

The GAPS programme at TNG

Context. The leading spectrographs used for exoplanets’ search and characterization offer online data reduction softwares (DRS) that yield, as an ancillary result, the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the cross-correlation function (CCF) that is used to estimate the radial velocity of the host star. The FWHM also contains information on the stellar projected rotational velocity veq sin i★, if appropriately calibrated. Aims. We wanted to establish a simple relationship to derive the veq sin i★ directly from the FWHM computed by the HARPS-N DRS in the case of slow-rotating solar-like stars. This may also help to recover the stellar inclination i★, which in turn affects the exoplanets’ parameters. Methods. We selected stars with an inclination of the spin axis compatible with 90 deg by looking at exoplanetary transiting systems with known small sky-projected obliquity: for these calibrators, we can presume that veq sin i★ is equal to stellar equatorial velocity veq. We derived their rotational periods from photometric and spectroscopic time series and their radii from the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. This allowed us to recover their veq, which could be compared to the FWHM values of the CCFs obtained both with G2 and K5 spectral-type masks. Results. We obtained an empirical relation for each mask: this can be used to derive veq sin i★ directly from FWHM values for slow rotators (FWHM < 20 km s−1). We applied our relations to 273 exoplanet-host stars observed with HARPS-N, obtaining homogeneous veqsin i★ measurements. When possible, we compared our results with the literature ones to confirm the reliability of our work. We were also able to recover or constrain i★ for 12 objects with no prior veq sin i★ estimation. Conclusions. We provide two simple empirical relations to directly convert the HARPS-N FWHM obtained with the G2 and K5 mask to a veq sin i★ value. We tested our results on a statistically significant sample, and we found a good agreement with literature values found with more sophisticated methods for stars with log ɡ > 3.5. We also tried our relation on HARPS and SOPHIE data, and we conclude that it can be used as it is also on FWHM derived by HARPS DRS with the G2 and K5 mask, and it may be adapted to the SOPHIE data as long as the spectra are taken in high-resolution mode.

Growth, structure and spectroscopic properties of Er:YSr3(PO4)3 disordered crystal for mid-infrared laser applications

Mid-infrared lasers in the ⁓ 3 µm region activated by Er3+ ion has attracted considerable attention due to their important applications. Herein, a heavy concentration (30 mol%) Er3+ ion doped YSr3(PO4)3 (Er:YSP) single crystal with a high crystalline quality was grown through the Czochralski pulling method. The structure of single crystal was ascertained to be cubic system with the point group 4¯3m using the powder X−ray diffraction and Rietveld structural refinement methods. Furthermore, the band structure and density of states of the crystal were analyzed by the first principal calculations. The absorption and fluorescence spectra were also investigated. An intense absorption band located at 974 nm with a full width half-maximum of 18 nm, where the absorption cross section was obtained to be 3.72 × 10−21 cm2. The full width half-maximum value of emission band centered at about 3090 nm is up to be 140 nm, which is very suitable for realizing ultrashort pulses and tunable lasers. In addition, the fluorescence lifetime of the upper 4I11/2 and lower 4I13/2 levels were obtained to be 0.65 ms and 5.37 ms, respectively. All the results show that the disordered structure crystal Er:YSP could potentially serve as a laser medium for the ⁓ 3µm region.

Temperature Gradient Control with an Air-Pocket Design for Growth of High Quality SiC Crystal

The hot-zone design using an air-pocket was adopted to produce uniform temperature gradient in horizontal direction. In order to investigate the change of temperature gradient toward horizontal direction with growth time, the front shape of SiC growing crystal was measured with different growth stages such as initial, growing and finished stage. While SiC ingot grown in conventional hot-zone design exhibited inhomogeneous growth front in the initial stage of growth and multi facet formation in final stage, which could result in increased defect density, a homogeneous temperature gradient and improved crystal quality was obtained in the modified hot-zone design. Based on the mapping measurement of FWHM (Full width at half maximum) value in X-ray rocking curve, the crystal quality of SiC crystals grown with the modified hot-zone design was observed to be definitely better than conventional design.

Seeded Growth of AlN Layers on Al‐ and N‐Polar AlN Seeds by the Cu–Al–Ca Solution Growth Method

Herein, the growth behavior of aluminum nitride (AlN) layers on the Al‐polar and N‐polar surfaces of AlN seeds is investigated by the Cu–Al–Ca solution growth method. AlN layers with a thickness of 50–60 μm grow on N‐polar seeds in 5 h, whereas the thickness of the AlN layer on the Al‐polar seeds reaches approximately 35–50 μm. Optical microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, high‐resolution X‐ray diffraction (HRXRD), Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy are performed to investigate the morphology and crystal quality of the grown AlN layers. The N‐polar and Al‐polar surfaces show hillock growth, which is consistent with the hexagonal structure of AlN. However, the surfaces show differences in terms of hillock size (smaller on the N‐polar surface). The HRXRD rocking curves of (002) and (102) show full‐width at half‐maximum (FWHM) values of 160.25 and 33.53 arcsec, respectively. From Raman analysis, the FWHM values of the AlN layers on the N‐polar and Al‐polar seeds are 6.1 and 10.6 cm−1, respectively. The PL results show 310, 460, and 590 nm emission peaks of the AlN layer, which may be caused by oxygen impurity and VN (nitrogen vacancy) and Ali (aluminum gap).

Low Temperature Sintering, Structure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Novel (1 – x)MgGa2O4–xCuMoO4 Ceramics for LTCC Applications

Fabrication of low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) densified at a low sintering temperature (<900 °C) is energy saving and environmentally friendly. Here, an interesting attempt has been made to lower the sintering temperature of MgGa2O4 by adding CuMoO4 for LTCC application. The sintering temperature of MgGa2O4 was remarkably reduced from 1410 to 900 °C, which contributed to energy saving. Furthermore, a series of studies on microstructure, sintering behavior, lattice parameters, and microwave dielectric characteristic of the samples were carried out. The occurrence of ion substitution between MgGa2O4 and CuMoO4, which affected the sintering densification, ionic polarizability, and Mg–O bond length, made the composites present various sintering and dielectric properties. Moreover, the full width half maximum (FWHM) value of the T2g peak in Raman spectra and lattice distortion were also analyzed to reveal the intrinsic interaction between structure and dielectric properties. Finally, the 0.5MgGa2O4–0.5CuMoO4 ceramics sintered at 900 °C showed the best comprehensive performance, εr = 6.8, Q × f = 15,800 GHz, τf = −54.2 ppm/°C. These promising properties make the composite more suitable for practical application.

Spatial resolution and natural image quality assessment evaluation of gamma camera image using pinhole collimator in lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate scintillation detector

Scintillator materials are widely used in the medical and industrial fields for imaging systems using gamma cameras. In this study, image evaluation is performed by modeling a gamma camera system based on a lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillation detector using a pinhole collimator that can improve the spatial resolution. A LYSO detector-based gamma camera system is modeled using a Monte Carlo simulation tool. The geometric concept of the pinhole collimator is designed using various magnification factors, and the spatial resolution is measured using the acquired source image. To evaluate the resolution, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and natural image quality assessment (NIQE), a no-reference-based parameter, are used. We confirm that the FWHM and NIQE values decrease simultaneously when the diameter of the pinhole collimator increases. Additionally, we confirm that the spatial resolution improves as the magnification factor increases under the same pinhole diameter condition. Particularly, a 0.57 mm FWHM value is obtained using the modeled gamma camera system with a LYSO scintillation detector. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that a pinhole collimator with a LYSO scintillation detector is a promising gamma camera imaging system.

Assessment of PET/CT: National Electrical Manufacturers Association NU2-2018 Standards versus American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 126.

The aim of this study was to perform and evaluate PET/computed tomography acceptance tests separately using American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 126 and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) methods. Measurements of sensitivity, spatial resolution, count rate performance and scatter fraction, the accuracy of corrections for count losses and randoms, and image quality were obtained according to NEMA NU-2018. Likewise, the performance tests were made using the AAPM Task Group 126 method, and the results were compared with NEMA NU-2018. The sensitivity at the isocenter was 8.87 cps/kBq according to NEMA and 7.60 cps/kBq by using the AAPM Task Group 126. For the spatial resolution, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and FWTM values were 4.34 mm and 6.78 mm at 1 cm radial offset by NEMA, while AAPM Task Group 126 yielded FWHM and FWTM values of 4.42 mm and 8.14 mm, respectively. In the image quality, NEMA exhibited hot lesions contrast of 40.8, 56.7, 69.9, and 77.3 for 10, 13, 17, and 22 mm spheres, respectively. As a ratio to 25 mm, the "Hot" max standard uptake values by AAPM Task Group 126 were found to be 1, 1.1, 1.37, and 1.68 for 8, 12, 16, and 25 mm lesions, respectively. Acceptance tests using NEMA are of high relevance and convenience for the reliability of the results. Alternatively, AAPM Task Group 126 seems convenient and more economical to apply with reliable outcomes for the equivalent tests.

Effect of Surface Strain to Hydroxide Layer Formation on High-Pressure Die Casting Magnesium Alloy

Magnesium hydroxide layer improve corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys. Nonuniform strain on magnesium alloys surface was reported that affected to layer formation and corrosion resistance properties. Hydroxide layer formed to high pressure die cast ASTM AZ91D magnesium alloy, then investigated to correlation between hydroxide layer formation and residual stress and strain distribution on alloy surface which were measured by X-ray. Strain distribution was evaluated by full width half maximum (FWHM) value. Formed hydroxide layer was well compatible with FWHM distribution in as cast specimen. Heat treated for homogenization was carried out to inspection for correlation FWHM. FWHM was significantly lowering by heat treatment. Hydroxide layer tends to thin where FWHM value was low, therefore correlation between nonuniform strain and hydroxide layer formation was found out.

Crystal Structure, Chemical Bond, and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ba1-xSrx(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 Solid Solution Ceramics.

Ba1-xSrx(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BSZN) perovskite ceramics are prepared using the traditional solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the phase composition, crystal structure, and chemical states of BSZN ceramics, respectively. In addition, the dielectric polarizability, octahedral distortion, complex chemical bond theory, and PVL theory were investigated in detail. Systematic research showed that Sr2+ addition could considerably optimize the microwave dielectric properties of BSZN ceramics. The change in τf value in the negative direction was attributed to oxygen octahedral distortion and bond energy (Eb), and the optimal value of 1.26 ppm/°C was obtained at x = 0.2. The ionic polarizability and density played a decisive role in the dielectric constant, achieving a maximum of 45.25 for the sample with x = 0.2. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and lattice energy (Ub) jointly contributed to improving the Q × f value, and a higher Q × f value corresponded to a smaller FWHM value and a larger Ub value. Finally, excellent microwave dielectric properties (εr = 45.25, Q × f = 72,704 GHz, and τf = 1.26 ppm/°C) were obtained for Ba0.8Sr0.2(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics sintered at 1500 °C for 4 h.

Synthetic Aperture Ultrasound Imaging through Adaptive Integrated Transmitting-Receiving Beamformer.

Synthetic aperture (SA) technique is very attractive for ultrafast ultrasound imaging, as the entire medium can be insonified by a single emission. It also permits applying the dynamic focusing as well as adaptive beamforming both in transmission and reception, which results in an enhanced image. In this paper, we firstly show that the problem of designing the transmit and receive beamformers in SA structure can be formulated as a problem of designing a one-way beamformer on a virtual array with a lateral response equal to that of the two-way beamformer on SA. It is also demonstrated that the length of the virtual aperture is increased to the sum of the transmit aperture length and the receive one, which can result in an enhanced resolution. Moreover, a better estimation of the covariance matrix can be obtained which can be utilized for applying adaptive minimum variance (MV) beamforming method on the virtual array, and consequently the resolution and contrast properties would be enhanced. The performance of the new method is compared with other existing MV-based methods and is quantified by some metrics such as the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and generalized contrast to noise ratio (GCNR). Our validations on simulations and experimental data have shown that the new method is capable of obtaining higher GCNR values while retaining or decreasing FWHM values almost all the time. Moreover, for the same subarray length for estimating the covariance matrices, the computational burden of the new method is significantly lower than those of the existing rival methods.

Impact of bone-equivalent solution density in a thoracic spine phantom on bone single-photon emission computed tomography image quality and quantification.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4) solution density on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image quality and quantification. We used a JSP phantom containing six cylinders filled with K2HPO4 solutions of varying densities. Computed tomography (CT) was performed, and CT values and linear attenuation coefficients were measured. Subsequently, SPECT images of an SIM2 bone phantom filled with 99mTc with/without K2HPO4 solution were acquired using a SPECT/CT camera. The full width at half maximum (FWHM), percentage coefficient of variation (%CV), recovery coefficient, and standardized uptake value (SUV) were evaluated to investigate the impact of the K2HPO4 solution density. The CT values and linear attenuation coefficients increased with the K2HPO4 solution density. The CT values for cancellous and cortical bones were reflected by K2HPO4 solution densities of 0.15-0.20 and 1.50-1.70g/cm3, respectively. FWHM values were significantly lower with the K2HPO4 solution than those with water alone (18.0 ± 0.9mm with water alone, 15.6 ± 0.2mm with 0.15g/cm3 K2HPO4, and 16.1 ± 0.3mm with 1.49g/cm3 K2HPO4). Although the %CVs showed no significant differences, the recovery coefficients obtained with water alone tended to be slightly lower than those obtained with the K2HPO4 solution. The SUV obtained using the standard density of the K2HPO4 solution differed from that obtained using the optimized density. In conclusion, SPECT image quality and quantification depends on the presence and concentration of the bone-equivalent solution. The optimal bone-equivalent solution density should be used to evaluate the bone image phantoms.