Interface Modes Research Articles

Non-faradaic capacitive cation sensing under flow.

The ability to continually monitor target ion species in real-time is a highly sought-after endeavour in the field of host-guest chemistry, given its direct pertinence to medical and environmental applications. Developing methodologies which support sensitive and continuous ion sensing in aqueous media, however, remains a challenge. Herein, we present a versatile and facile, proof-of-concept electrochemical sensing methodology based on non-faradaic capacitance, which can be operated continuously with high temporal resolution (≈1.4 s), in conjunction with custom-designed integrated microfluidics. The potential of this method is demonstrated for cation sensing at a chemically simple benzo-15-crown-5-based molecular film (B15C5SAM) as a representative redox-inactive, receptive interface. Detection limits as low as 4 μM are obtained for Na+ by these entirely reagentless analyses, and are additionally characterised by exceptional baseline stabilities that are able to support continuous sensing over multiple days. The platform performs well in artificial sweat across physiologically relevant spans of sodium concentration, and provides meaningful dose-dependent responses in freshwater samples. Finally, the high assay temporal resolution affords an ability to resolve both the kinetics of binding (association/dissociation) and notably characteristic fingerprints for different alkali metals which may be diagnostic of different interfacial ion binding modes.

Joining thin galvanized low carbon steel sheet to AA6056-T4 by resistance spot welding and adhesive weld bounding

Multimaterial assemblies made by resistance spot welding (RSW) process offer a cost-efficient lightweight solution for automotive body-in-white production. However, joining different materials, such as steel (Fe) and aluminum (Al), brings issues due to their different physical properties and low weldability. The present work investigated the evolution of the weld between a thin galvanized low carbon steel sheet and an AA6056-T4 aluminum alloy from macroscopic observations to the evolution of the intermetallic compound layer (IMC) during RSW. Comparisons between homogeneous Al-Al RSW, Fe-Al RSW and Fe-Al adhesive weld bonding for different mechanical solicitations were also realized. Observations showed that the interface for short welding periods is composed of a thin and discontinuous IMC layer. The interface also presents defects that facilitate crack initiation and propagation, leading to an interfacial fracture mode. The different mechanical tests carried out demonstrated that the Al-Al and Fe-Al welds reached a similar maximum tensile load under the shear–tensile test. However, Fe-Al assemblies under cross-tensile test showed poor mechanical properties. The use of an adhesive layer with an Fe-Al spot weld seems to be a potential solution, as it is easily implementable on production lines and improves the mechanical properties of Fe-Al assemblies.

Pore-scale imbibition patterns in layered porous media with fractures

The presence of fractures increases the difficulty of flow mechanisms analysis, and it remains unclear how fractures affect multiphase flow displacement in the layered rock matrix. Herein, a pore-scale imbibition model considering the layered matrix-fracture system is established using the phase-field method, where oil is displaced by a range of fluids with various properties. Two typical flow modes are carefully analyzed, depending on the locations of the fracture and the interfaces between different layers of the matrix: fracture is parallel to the interface (mode I), and it penetrates through the interface (mode II), which are dominated by the co-current imbibition and countercurrent imbibition mechanisms, respectively. Interestingly, the surface tension is found to be negatively correlated with the ultimate oil recovery rate for mode I and plays an opposite effect on that of mode II. For flow mode I, the conditions of lower injection rate, higher viscosity ratio, higher grain diameter ratio, and injection of the invading fluid from the larger pore throat size (positive direction flow) can improve oil recovery. For flow mode II, the fracture bifurcation angle has little effect on the positive direction flow, while it can significantly regulate the phase distribution in the negative direction flow. Based on scaling analysis of relating pore-filling events to displacement modes and the equilibrium relationship between capillary and viscous forces, two theoretical models are derived to predict the imbibition patterns, and the variation of the flow regime under various parameters in the typical layered matrix-fracture models is systematically concluded.

Interface reduction technique for Enhanced Craig-Bampton method

Substructure coupling and model order reduction using Component Mode Synthesis (CMS) have, over recent years, gained considerable attention in the vibroacoustic analysis of complex structures. In the CMS methodology, the interior dynamics of each subcomponent in a substructured system are represented by a truncated set of normal modes within the lower frequency range, while all physical degrees of freedom (DOFs) at the interface are retained. In cases where there are many interconnected subcomponents within a system, in particular when these components are finely discretised in the Finite Element (FE) domain, the reduced system matrices may still involve a significant number of equations. This, in turn, leads to a considerable computational workload. To address this issue, further reduction of the system matrices concerning the interface DOFs by using a set of truncated interface modes can be considered. However, the accuracy of the reduced matrices depends on the representation of the truncated dynamics in the reduction process. In this work, two interface reduction techniques are presented to truncate the interface dynamics of the Enhanced Craig-Bampton (ECB) equations of motion. The first technique is a classical interface reduction approach that assumes decoupled internal and interface dynamics. The second approach is an extension of the first one by incorporating an additional coupling term that accounts for interactions between the truncated internal and interface dynamics. The performance of each interface reduction technique is evaluated by applying them to three practical engineering examples. In these instances, resonance frequencies, associated errors, transfer functions, and normal modes are compared to those obtained using both the classical CB method and the full model.

Experimental study on the bonding performance of engineered cementitious composites to normal concrete interface subjected to salt freeze–thaw cycles

This research aims to clarify the damage mechanism of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) to normal concrete (NC) interface under salt freeze–thaw cycles. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of the interfacial type, ECC strength grade, and the number of salt freeze–thaw cycles on the interfacial bonding performance. The results showed that interfacial failure modes were significantly affected by the interfacial types. Two failure modes (direct shear and fatigue) were observed in the salt freeze–thaw test, and the other two failure modes (bonding material and matrix material) were observed in the direct shear test. Meanwhile, the interfacial shear strength was negatively correlated with the cycle number. Increasing the ECC strength could effectively improve the interfacial bonding performance, especially for specimens with ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) bonding. Finally, an interfacial bond–slip degradation model was proposed, which could be used to predict the interfacial salt freeze–thaw damage accurately.

Modulation of interface modes for resonance-induced enhancement of the interfacial thermal conductance in pillar-based Si/Ge nanowires

Modulation of interface modes for resonance-induced enhancement of the interfacial thermal conductance in pillar-based Si/Ge nanowires

Tuning Q-Factor and Perfect Absorption Using Coupled Tamm States on Polarization-Preserving Metasurface

The circular polarization of light flips its handedness after a conventional metallic mirror reflection. Therefore, a polarization-preserving metasurface is a crucially important element in a series of chiral photonic structures. They include tunable cholesteric LCs and anisotropic photonic crystals. Chiral structures are rich in interfacial localized modes including Tamm states. In this report, coupled modes formed as a result of the interaction between two chiral optical Tamm states or a chiral optical Tamm state and a chiral Tamm plasmon polariton are analytically and numerically investigated. It is shown that the effective control of coupled modes can be carried out by changing the pitch of the cholesteric and the angle between the optical axis of the cholesteric and the polarization-preserving anisotropic mirror. The influence of the metasurface period on the spectral characteristics of coupled modes is investigated. The possibility of realizing a bound state in the continuum of the Friedrich–Wintgen type, resulting from the destructive interference of coupled modes, which leads to the collapse of the resonance line corresponding to the chiral optical Tamm state, has been demonstrated.

Propagation of nonlinear surface waves over non-periodic oscillatory bottom profiles

The effect of non-uniform, oscillating bottom profiles on a two-layer stable density stratification model has been examined using the method of weakly non-linear analysis. The study of bottom profiles in the context of two-layered stratified fluids has focused on three specific types: (a) profiles that exhibit a monotonically decreasing pattern, (b) profiles that decay exponentially, and (c) profiles that display Gaussian oscillations. The analysis of the second-order reflection and transmission coefficients for the nonlinear boundary value problem was conducted using a combination of the regular perturbation method and the Fourier transforms technique. The numerical findings pertaining to various physical parameters have been presented, demonstrating the impact of the Class I Bragg resonance in all three profiles and the elevation of the tails in the monotonically decreasing oscillatory profile. Specifically, the presence of high reflections due to the tail-lifting phenomenon is observed in a profile that exhibits a monotonically decreasing pattern, in contrast to the other profiles. The findings of the study indicate that interface modes demonstrate pronounced reflections when the density ratios are low, but divergent results are observed when the density ratios are high. As the density ratio R increases, there is a greater migration of wave energy from the interface mode to the surface mode, resulting in increased levels of reflection. As the value of R approaches 1, it is observed that lower frequencies exhibit significantly more pronounced internal mode reflections compared to surface mode. Several contrasting aspects can be observed in three oscillatory profiles when compared to periodic profiles. These aspects include the disappearance of zero reflection, also known as complete transmission, as well as the presence of oscillations. The findings of this study demonstrate that a monotonically oscillating decreasing profile can be considered as an efficacious Bragg breakwater. Furthermore, this study investigates the energy transfer that occurs during the movement of surface and internal waves across non-periodic oscillatory profiles. As a result, an energy balance relationship is derived, which specifically applies to surface and interface modes. This work has hydrodynamical relevance to wave propagation in coastal regions and to the hydrodynamics of tsunamis in the open ocean, both of which are affected by changes in the bathymetry of the fluid region.

IMPROVING LABORATORY CLASSES IN CHEMISTRY IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BASED ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The article discusses new forms of teaching chemistry in universities. The most natural way is to use a computer based on the characteristics of chemistry as a science. This, in turn, is a simulation of chemical processes and phenomena, laboratory use of a computer in interface mode, computer support for the process of presenting educational material and monitoring its assimilation. KEYWORDS: informatization, modeling of chemical processes, personal scientific laboratory, computer technology.

Inverse Determination Of Interfacial Properties of a Bonded Structure Using Lamb Waves Generated By Laser Lateral Excitation

Nondestructive testing of the adhesive bond properties of a bonded structure is essential in aviation, automotive, and other industries. In this study, a Lamb wave–based quantitative characterization method is proposed to determine the interfacial stiffness of bonded structures. A theoretical model is established, with which the dispersion relationship of Lamb waves in a bonded structure is investigated. Different interfacial states ranging from a perfect bond to a weak bond are simulated, and the numerical results show the sensitivity of Lamb waves to interfacial stiffness. A lateral excitation method is proposed to enhance the excitation of the interfacial sensitive Lamb wave modes, and laser ultrasonic experiments show the enhancement of the Lamb wave signals on aluminum-epoxy-aluminum samples generated by the lateral excitation method. Then, a rapid construction method of inversion objective function is presented to reconstruct the interfacial stiffness coefficient of a bonded structure, and its functionality is validated via finite element simulations. Finally, the interfacial properties of the samples are reconstructed using the inversion scheme.

Research on Key Technologies of High-Reliability Telemetry Transmitters for Launch Vehicle Carrying

To solve the problem of single-point series components in the internal circuit of the current PCM/FM launch vehicle carrying telemetry transmitter, this paper proposes a new circuit architecture that can eliminate most of the single-point working components of the transmitter without changing the external interface and usage mode, thus improving the reliability of the whole system. This scheme uses large-scale integrated circuits to reduce the number of chips in the transmitter. Two improvements are made in the overall structure of the transmitter. One is to use a zero intermediate frequency (IF) orthogonal up-conversion scheme to replace the traditional high IF superheterodyne scheme, which reduces the number of single-point series components in the circuit. Another is to utilize redundancy design, increasing backup and fault detection channels. According to the development of domestic devices, this paper uses two domestic B9361 radio frequency (RF) conversion chips to realize two ways up-conversion as main and backup channels and two ways down-conversions as fault detection channels. The experimental results show that the new telemetry transmitter based on this scheme can be compatible with the current transmitter and effectively improve the reliability of the whole system.

Competing fracture modes in Al-steel resistance spot welded structures: Experimental evaluation and numerical prediction

Multi-material design has been increasingly used in the automotive industry for structural lightweighting. A novel resistance spot welding technique has been developed to join aluminium to steel with acceptable joint strength. However, aluminium to steel resistance spot welds can fail in either interfacial (IF) or pull-out (PO) fracture modes. In the present study, coupon-level tensile shear and coach peel samples are tested under quasi-static condition, and component-level T-joint structures are tested under impact load. Experimental results show that in the IF fracture mode, weld failure occurs due to the facture of the intermetallic layer, while in the PO fracture mode, weld failure occurs due to a combination of different mechanisms including through-thickness tearing of the weld nugget and possibly partial fracture of the intermetallic layer. In the finite element analysis, two force-based fracture criteria are implemented via mesh-independent connector element considering a general loading condition, and whichever fracture potential reaches unity first determines the fracture mode. The proposed method is validated by experiments and has the following features: firstly, it can capture the behaviour of fracture mode transitioning from IF to PO as weld diameter increases; secondly, it can simulate the maximum load and deformation at fracture; thirdly, it can indicate the global response and absorbed energy in impact analysis with reasonable accuracy. Furthermore, a distinct advantage of the model is that it is free of non-physical calibration. The parameters in the model are obtained from geometric and material properties of the weld directly. The developed method shows desirable performance and is potentially suitable for applications in large-scale automotive structural analysis and design.

Comparative study of different bonding interactions on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of MXene-decorated carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites

Interfacial adhesion determines the mechanical performance of the carbon fibers-reinforced polymers composites (CFRPs), and different bonding interactions could lead to different degrees of interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of CFRPs. In order to survey specific influence of different bonding interactions on the interface bonding, further boost the mechanical properties of CFRPs, MXene is decorated onto carbon fiber (CF) surface via Van der Waals force or hydrogen bonds (CF-v-MXene), ionic bonds (CF-i-MXene), and covalent bonds (CF-c-MXene), respectively. Besides, detailed interaction mechanisms of various bonding interactions are also comprehensively investigated. The results indicate that the introduction of MXene is obviously efficient for improving the interface adhesion and mechanical properties of CF/epoxy (CF/EP) composites, and the composites reinforced by CF-c-MXene exhibit the optimal properties. Tremendous improvements of 90.1 % and 110.3 % for the impact strength and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) are achieved compared with the composites reinforced by the unsized CF. The microscopic interfacial structure and fracture failure mode are further observed and analyzed to explore the enhancement mechanisms. This work provides effective guidance and reference for the application of MXene and other similar 2D layered materials, such as Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDCs), to design and manufacture high-quality interface for CFRPs with excellent interfacial and mechanical properties.

Tunable topological phase transition in soft Rayleigh beam system with imperfect interfaces

Acoustic metamaterials, especially the topological insulators, have garnered substantial research attention due to their unique wave properties. Recent research emphasizes the crucial role of imperfect interfaces in accurately simulating and understanding wave propagation within these metamaterials. This paper studies the mechanical properties of soft imperfect interfaces and derives the effects of finite deformations on their stiffness. We present a comprehensive model of a soft Rayleigh beam system that incorporates these interfaces, allowing for the observation of the topological phase transition by altering the distance between them. Our investigation into the impacts of finite deformations and interface stiffness adjustment reveals that longitudinal waves' phase transition points are mainly influenced by interface stiffness. In contrast, transverse waves are predominantly affected by finite deformations. The decisive parameters driving these phenomena are also identified theoretically. The transmission studies of supercells further confirm the presence of topologically protected interface modes and their extensive tunability. Overall, this study offers a novel methodology and framework for managing topological phase transition in composite and soft topological insulator systems.

Gamma-ray burst precursors from tidally resonant neutron star oceans: potential implications for GRB 211211A

ABSTRACT Precursors have been observed seconds to minutes before some short gamma-ray bursts. While the precursor origins remain unknown, one explanation relies on the resonance of neutron star pulsational modes with the tidal forces during the inspiral phase of a compact binary merger. In this paper, we present a model for short gamma-ray burst precursors that relies on tidally resonant neutron star oceans. In this scenario, the onset of tidal resonance in the crust–ocean interface mode ignites the precursor flare, possibly through the interaction between the excited neutron star ocean and the surface magnetic fields. From just the precursor total energy, the time before the main event, and a detected quasi-periodic oscillation frequency, we may constrain the binary parameters and neutron star ocean properties. Our model can immediately distinguish neutron star–black hole mergers from binary neutron star mergers without gravitational wave detection. We apply our model to GRB 211211A, the recently detected long duration short gamma-ray burst with a quasi-periodic precursor, and explore the parameters of this system. The precursor of GRB 211211A is consistent with a tidally resonant neutron star ocean explanation that requires an extreme mass ratio neutron star–black hole merger and a high-mass neutron star. While difficult to reconcile with the main gamma-ray burst and associated kilonova, our results constrain the possible precursor mechanisms in this system. A systematic study of short gamma-ray burst precursors with the model presented here can test precursor origin and probe the possible connection between gamma-ray bursts and neutron star–black hole mergers.

HAFFET: Hybrid Analytic Flux FittEr for Transients

The progenitors for many types of supernovae (SNe) are still unknown, and an approach to diagnose their physical origins is to investigate the light-curve brightness and shape of a large set of SNe. However, it is often difficult to compare and contrast the existing sample studies due to differences in their approaches and assumptions, for example, in how to eliminate host galaxy extinction, and this might lead to systematic errors when comparing the results. We therefore introduce the Hybrid Analytic Flux FittEr for Transients (HAFFET), a Python-based software package that can be applied to download photometric and spectroscopic data for transients from open online sources, derive bolometric light curves, and fit them to semianalytical models for estimation of their physical parameters. In a companion study, we have investigated a large collection of SNe Ib and Ic observed with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) with HAFFET, and here we detail the methodology and the software package to encourage more users. As large-scale surveys such as ZTF and LSST continue to discover increasing numbers of transients, tools such as HAFFET will be critical for enabling rapid comparison of models against data in statistically consistent, comparable, and reproducible ways. Additionally, HAFFET is created with a graphical user interface mode, which we hope will boost the efficiency and make the usage much easier (https://github.com/saberyoung/HAFFET).

Experimental Realization of Anti‐Unitary Wave‐Chaotic Photonic Topological Insulator Graphs Showing Kramers Degeneracy and Symplectic Ensemble Statistics

AbstractWorking in analogy with topological insulators in condensed matter, photonic topological insulators (PTI) have been experimentally realized, and protected electromagnetic edge‐modes have been demonstrated in such systems. Moreover, PTI technology also emulates a synthetic spin‐1/2 degree of freedom (DOF) in the reflectionless topological modes. The spin‐1/2 DOF is carried by quantum valley Hall (QVH)/quantum spin Hall (QSH) interface modes created from the bianisotropic meta waveguide platform and realized both in simulation and experiment. The PTI setting is employed to build an ensemble of wave chaotic 1D metric graphs that display statistical properties consistent with Gaussian symplectic ensemble (GSE) statistics. The two critical ingredients required to create a physical system in the GSE universality class, the half‐integer‐spin DOF and preserved time‐reversal invariance, are clearly realized in the QVH/QSH interface modes. The anti‐unitary T‐operator is identified for the PTI Hamiltonian underlying the experimental realization. An ensemble of PTI‐edgemode metric graphs are proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Then, the Kramers degeneracy of eigenmodes of the PTI‐graph systems is demonstrated with both numerical and experimental studies. Further, spectral statistical studies of the edgemode graphs are studied, and good agreement with the GSE theoretical predictions is found. The PTI chaotic graph structures present an innovative and easily extendable platform for continued future investigation of GSE systems.

Optical bistability modulation based on graphene sandwich structure with topological interface modes.

In this paper, we have investigated optical bistability modulation of transmitted beam that can be achieved by graphene sandwich structure with topological interface modes at terahertz frequency. Graphene with strong nonlinear optical effect was combined with sandwich photonic crystal to form a new sandwich structure with topological interface modes. The light-limiting properties of the topological interface modes, as well as its high unidirectionality and high transmission efficiency, all contribute positively to the reduction of the optical bistability threshold. In addition, the topological interface modes can effectively ensure the stability of the two steady state switching in the case of external interference. Moreover, optical bistability is closely related to the incident angle, the Fermi energy, the relaxation time, and the number of layers of graphene. Through parameter optimization, optical bistability with threshold of 105 V/m can be obtained, which has reached or is close to the range of the weak field.

Construction of a novel double S-scheme heterojunction CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4 for significantly boosted degradation of tetracycline: Insight into the dual charge transfer mode

Constructing dual S-scheme heterojunction, as one kind of new strategy for the reinforcement of photocatalytic property, shows significant advantages in facilitating the migration of photoinduced charges and achieving high redox potentials. Herein, a novel double S-scheme heterojunction CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4 was designed and synthesized successfully. The photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) over CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4 was carried out under the irradiation of visible light. The double S-scheme interfacial charge transmission mode of CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4 was investigated according to Fermi level, band structure, and the in-depth analysis of in situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISI-XPS) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra. The CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4 exhibits excellent catalytic activity with a high TC removal efficiency of 94 % and a remarkable mineralization efficiency of 51 %. The rate constant (0.05811 min−1) of TC degradation for CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4 is 12.9, 7.8, 4.3, 2.2, and 3.1 times those for g-C3N4, CeO2, Bi2O4, g-C3N4/Bi2O4 and CeO2/g-C3N4, separately. The prominently boosted activity may be due to two factors. Firstly, the successful creation of the double S-scheme electron migration channel greatly boosts the transmission of photogenerated carriers, represses the recombination of electrons with holes, and ensures the strongest redox potential of CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4. Secondly, the introduction of Bi2O4 with excellent visible-light absorption broadens the optical absorption region of CeO2/g-C3N4/Bi2O4. Additionally, the influence of the typical environmental factors (pH, inorganic anions, cations, and natural humus) on the photodegradation of TC was explored. The three probable pathways for TC degradation were inferred via analyzing intermediates. The current work offers a novel outlook for enhancing the activity of ternary heterojunction photocatalysts applied in environmental restoration.

Performance analysis of heterostructure-based topological nanophotonic sensor

In this manuscript, a heterostructure-based topological nanophotonic structure is proposed for improved sensing performance. The topological effect is realized by connecting two dissimilar one-dimensional photonic crystal structures having overlapped photonic bandgaps. The structural parameters are optimized to regulate and alter the dispersion characteristics, which results in the opposite Zak phases. This demonstrates a robust topologsical interface state excitation at a 1737 nm operating wavelength. Further, a topological cavity structure having resonance mode at 1659 nm is formed by replacing the interface layers with a defect layer. The mode excitation is confirmed by analyzing the electric field confinement at the interface. The sensing capability of the structure is analytically evaluated by infiltrating different analytes within the cavity. The analytical results demonstrate the device’s average sensitivity of around 774 nm/Refractive index unit (RIU) along with an average high Q-factor and figure of merit of around 5.2 × 104 and 2.6234 × 104 RIU−1, respectively. Because of the higher interface mode field confinement, the proposed structure exhibits a 92% higher sensitivity, 98% improved Quality factor, 206% improvement in figure of merit, and 86% higher interface field confinement than conventional Fabry–Perot resonator structures. Thus, the proposed topological cavity structure shows its broad sensing ability (Refractive Index: 1.3–1.6) along with a low-cost, simple fabrication and characterization process, promoting the development of highly sensitive planner nanophotonic devices.