Low Frequency Electric Fields Research Articles

The Pre-Polarization and Concentration of Cells near Micro-Electrodes Using AC Electric Fields Enhances the Electrical Cell Lysis in a Sessile Drop.

Cell lysis is the starting step of many biomedical assays. Electric field-based cell lysis is widely used in many applications, including point-of-care (POC) applications, because it provides an easy one-step solution. Many electric field-based lysis methods utilize micro-electrodes to apply short electric pulses across cells. Unfortunately, these cell lysis devices produce relatively low cell lysis efficiency as electric fields do not reach a significant portion of cells in the sample. Additionally, the utility of syringe pumps for flow cells in and out of the microfluidics channel causes cell loss and low throughput cell lysis. To address these critical issues, we suspended the cells in a sessile drop and concentrated on the electrodes. We used low-frequency AC electric fields (1 Vpp, 0-100 kHz) to drive the cells effectively towards electrodes and lysed using a short pulse of 10 V. A post-lysis analysis was performed using a hemocytometer, UV-vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence imaging. The results show that the pre-electric polarization of cells, prior to applying short electrical pulses, enhances the cell lysis efficiency. Additionally, the application of AC electric fields to concentrate cells on the electrodes reduces the assay time to about 4 min. In this study, we demonstrated that low-frequency AC electric fields can be used to pre-polarize and concentrate cells near micro-electrodes and improve cell lysis efficiency. Due to the simplicity and rapid cell lysis, this method may be suitable for POC assay development.

Measurement-Based Neural Network Technique for Modeling the Low-Frequency Electric Field Radiated Behavior of Satellite Units

In this work, a machine learning technique employing a measurement-driven artificial neural network (ANN) architecture is proposed as a solution to the precise determination of the position and the moment of equivalent electric dipoles for unit characterization. These dipoles are used to match the generated electric field from various sources inside the spacecraft, during space exploration missions. Various methodologies for unit characterization have been proposed in the literature, the most common being the heuristic approaches, least squares variants, method of auxiliary sources, etc. Contrary to the previous time-consuming post-process methodologies, the proposed electric dipole neural network (EDMnet) can offer a real-time characterization of the measured unit (Device Under Test) after a proper training stage, especially as a fast pre-compliance method. The network uses the electric field vector, measured at 14 discrete locations, as input and reports the position and moment of the electric dipole that best matches the measured fields. In this work, various ANN architectures are tested and compared in order to select the optimal EDMnet parameters for accurate source identification. It is shown that the size of the artificial training data affects the performance of the network. The proposed EDMnet can provide accuracy in mm-scale, with respect to dipole positioning, greater than 99% in dipole moment prediction.

Novel Volume Integral Equation Approach for Low-Frequency E-Field Dosimetry of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

A new volume integral equation (VIE) approach is introduced to study transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and high-contrast media at low frequencies. This new integral equation offers a simple solution to the high-contrast breakdown observed in low-frequency electric field (E-field) dosimetry of conductive media. Specifically, we employ appropriate approximations that are valid for low frequencies and stabilize the VIE by introducing a basis expansion set that removes solutions associated with high eigenvalues in the equation. The new equation is devoid of high-contrast breakdown and does not require the use of auxiliary surface variables or projectors, providing a straightforward practical solution for the VIE analysis of TMS. Our results indicate that the novel VIE formulation matches boundary element, finite element, and analytical solutions. This new VIE represents a first step towards including anisotropy in integral equation E-field dosimetry for brain stimulation.

Evaluation of Low Frequency Electrical and Magnetic Fields in a Electrical Transmission Substation

Evaluation of Low Frequency Electrical and Magnetic Fields in a Electrical Transmission Substation

Pulsed electric field at resonance frequency combat Klebsiella pneumoniabiofilms.

Healtcare-associated infections have increased due to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Gram-negative pathogens (GNPs) and the development of outbreacks over the past two decades. In this work, we investigated how exposure to positive electric pulses affects the growth characteristics of Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia), a common cause of pneumonia. We explored the impact of varying exposure frequencies (0.2-2Hz) and time (15-90min, at resonance frequency) on bioelectric signals produced during cell division, biofilm formation, and bacterial antibiotic susceptibility. Our research found that an extremely low-frequency pulsed electric field (ELF-PEF) significantly inhibited K. pneumonia growth. Specifically, exposure to 0.8Hz for one hour increased the antibiotic susceptibility of K. pneumonia to inhibitors of cell wall formation, proteins, β-lactamase, DNA, and other substances. We also noticed a notable decrease in K. pneumonia biofilm development exposed to ELF-PEF. Our results suggest that the interaction of K. pneumonia cells with ELF-PEF at the specified frequency and time alters cellular activity and bacterial structure. This technique may be used in the future to treat K. pneumonia infections both in vitro and in vivo.

Decreases in Sympathetic Activity Due to Low-Intensity Extremely Low-Frequency Electric Field Treatment Revealed by Measurement of Spontaneous Fluctuations in Skin Conductance in Healthy Subjects

Decreases in Sympathetic Activity Due to Low-Intensity Extremely Low-Frequency Electric Field Treatment Revealed by Measurement of Spontaneous Fluctuations in Skin Conductance in Healthy Subjects

Electrostatic Waves and Electron Holes in Simulations of Low-Mach Quasi-perpendicular Shocks

Collisionless low-Mach-number shocks are abundant in astrophysical and space plasma environments, exhibiting complex wave activity and wave–particle interactions. In this paper, we present 2D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations of quasi-perpendicular nonrelativistic (v sh ≈ (5500–22000) km s−1) low-Mach-number shocks, with a specific focus on studying electrostatic waves in the shock ramp and precursor regions. In these shocks, an ion-scale oblique whistler wave creates a configuration with two hot counterstreaming electron beams, which drive unstable electron acoustic waves (EAWs) that can turn into electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) at the late stage of their evolution. By conducting simulations with periodic boundaries, we show that the EAW properties agree with linear dispersion analysis. The characteristics of ESWs in shock simulations, including their wavelength and amplitude, depend on the shock velocity. When extrapolated to shocks with realistic velocities (v sh ≈ 300 km s−1), the ESW wavelength is reduced to one-tenth of the electron skin depth and the ESW amplitude is anticipated to surpass that of the quasi-static electric field by more than a factor of 100. These theoretical predictions may explain a discrepancy, between PIC and satellite measurements, in the relative amplitude of high- and low-frequency electric field fluctuations.

High sensitivity measurement of ULF, VLF, and LF fields with a Rydberg-atom sensor.

Fields with frequencies below megahertz are challenging for Rydberg-atom-based measurements, due to the low-frequency electric field screening effect caused by the alkali-metal atoms adsorbed on the inner surface of the container. In this paper, we investigate electric field measurements in the ultralow frequency (ULF), very low frequency (VLF), and low frequency (LF) bands in a Cs vapor cell with built-in parallel electrodes. With optimization of the applied DC field, we achieve high-sensitive detection of the electric field at frequencies of 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 100 kHz based on the Rydberg-atom sensor, with the minimum electric field strength down to 18.0 μV/cm, 6.9 μV/cm, and 3.0 μV/cm, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity is 5.7 μV/cm/Hz1/2, 2.2 μV/cm/Hz1/2, and 0.95 μV/cm/Hz1/2 for the ULF, VLF, and LF fields, which is better than a 1-cm dipole antenna. Besides, the linear dynamic range of the Rydberg-atom sensor is over 50 dB. This work presents the potential to enable more applications that utilize atomic sensing technology in the ULF, VLF, and LF fields.

Analytically controlling the laser-induced electron phase in sub-cycle motion

We develop an approach to directly control the phase of an electron's sub-cycle motion in an intense laser field. The method is established by tuning a low-frequency electric field applied on a centrosymmetric gaseous target during its interaction with a few-cycle infrared laser pulse. We find a universal analytical relation between the low-frequency electric field and its induced harmonic frequency shift, derived by the strong-field approximation. This simple relation and its universality are confirmed numerically by directly solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Moreover, we demonstrate the benefits of the discovered relation in applications, including continuously and precisely tuning XUV waves and developing a method of comprehensively sampling the THz pulse. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Stimulus effects of extremely low-frequency electric field exposure on calcium oscillations in a human cortical spheroid.

High-intensity, low-frequency (1 Hz to 100 kHz) electric and magnetic fields (EF and MF) cause electrical excitation of the nervous system via an induced EF (iEF) in living tissue. However, the biological properties and thresholds of stimulus effects on synchronized activity in a three-dimensional (3D) neuronal network remain uncertain. In this study, we evaluated changes in neuronal network activity during extremely low-frequency EF (ELF-EF) exposure by measuring intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) oscillations, which reflect neuronal network activity. For ELF-EF exposure experiments, we used a human cortical spheroid (hCS), a 3D-cultured neuronal network generated from human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cortical neurons. A 50 Hz sinusoidal ELF-EF exposure modulated [Ca2+]i oscillations with dependencies on exposure intensity and duration. Based on the experimental setup and results, the iEF distribution inside the hCS was estimated using high-resolution numerical dosimetry. The numerical estimation revealed threshold values ranging between 255-510 V/m (peak) and 131-261 V/m (average). This indicates that thresholds of neuronal excitation in the hCS were equivalent to those of a thin nerve fiber.

Engineering the apparent quantum yield and emission rate of fluorophore molecules by coupling fluorophore dipoles with plasmon modes of gold using low frequency electric fields

Abstract Localized surface plasmons produced by gold and silver nanostructures have been utilized to enhance the intensity of fluorophore molecules. The issue with using nanostructure plasmons for fluorescence enhancement is their short-range nature (5–50 nm from the nanostructures), which limits accessibility to a few molecules. In addition, fluorophore dipoles needed to be aligned with the plasmon electric fields to maximize the fluorescence enhancement. To address these issues, we used low-frequency electric fields (<5 MHz) and commercially available nanorod and nanosphere samples and studied their effectiveness in enhancing the fluorescence of fluorophore-labeled short single-stranded DNA molecules (22 bases). We demonstrated that DNA molecules and nanorod particles can effectively be manipulated around the charging frequency of DNA molecules (∼3 MHz). Nanorod particles enhanced the fluorescence emission rate by ∼50-fold. When the 3 MHz electric field was introduced, the emission rate increased to over 700-fold. We also found that the introduction of a 3 MHz electric field aided the enhancement of the intrinsic quantum yield fluorophore molecules, which resulted in over a 1000-fold fluorescence enhancement. This enhancement was due to the very high electric produced by polarized DNA dipoles at 3 MHz, which resulted in a torque on fluorophore dipoles and subsequently aligning the fluorophore dipole axis with the plasmon electric field. At a fundamental level, our results demonstrate the role of the low-frequency electric field in the fluorophore–plasmon coupling. These findings can directly be applied to many fluorescence detection systems, including the development of biosensors.

Low-frequency electric field sensing via superposition orbital angular momentum light.

The polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM) degrees of freedom carried by light have important applications in precision optical measurement and optical sensing. Here we show that the electro-optic Pockels effect of a magnesium-doped lithium niobate (MgO:LiNbO3) crystal can be used to measure a low-frequency electric field. By exploiting the rotation property of superposition OAM light, we experimentally observe that the minimum measured precision of electric field intensity is about 0.18 V/m. This study offers a method to perform low-frequency electric field sensing.

Effect of low-frequency electric field assisted freezing on ice crystals of tilapia fish protein

The mechanism by which low-frequency alternating electric fields affect ice crystals and quality of aquatic products remain unclear. To study the effect of low-frequency electric field freezing (LF-EFAF) on product ice crystals, differences between LF-EFAF treated samples and air freezing (AF) were compared. The results showed that LF-EFAF increased the subcooling of fish protein by 0.3 °C and doubled the freezing time compared to AF. The equivalent diameter and cross-sectional area of LF-EFAF samples were reduced by up to 20% and 35% respectively, compared to AF samples. Moisture distribution of results showed that LF-EFAF restrained the increase in free water content of fish proteins. The LF-EFAF had a positive effect on the size and morphology. This resulted in less mechanical damage to the muscle fibres, which led to better water retention and inhibited moisture migration. Therefore, LF-EFAF can be an effective means of fish proteins preservation.

Low-frequency weak electric field measurement based on Rydberg atoms using cavity-enhanced three photon system

Introduction: Rydberg atoms are ideal for measuring electric fields due to their unique physical properties. However, low-frequency electric fields below MHz can be challenging due to the accumulation of ionized free electrons on the atomic vapor cell’s surface, acting as a shield.Method: This paper proposes a Cavity-enhanced three-photon system (CETPS) measurement scheme, which uses a long-wavelength laser to excite the Rydberg state, reducing atomic ionization and enhancing detection spectrum resolution. A theoretical model is proposed to explain the quantum coherence effect of the light field, measured electric field, and the atomic system.Result: The results show that the proposed scheme significantly increases the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectral peak and narrows the spectral width, resulting in the maximum slope increasing by more than an order of magnitude.Discussion: The paper also discusses the impact of the Rabi frequency of the two laser fields and the coupling coefficient of the optical cavity on the transmission spectrum amplitude and linewidth, along with the optimal configuration of these parameters in the CEPTS scheme.

Several Aspects of Human Exposure to Low Frequency Fields; Incident and Internal Field Dosimetry Procedures and Related Legal issues

The paper deals with simple and efficient dosimetry procedures for human exposure to low frequency (LF) electric and magnetic fields at single and multiple frequencies, respectively. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) sources of interest are overhead power lines and transmission substations. Electric and magnetic fields due to EMI sources are either calculated or measured. Theoretical dosimetry is based on scalar potential integral equation (SPIE) for the case of the electric field assessment while the magnetic fields are computed by means of the Biot-Savart law. The internal fields in the human body are determined by using the canonical body models (disk model and cylindrical model). The obtained results are compared to exposure limits proposed by national and international legislation, respectively (National Gazette No 146/2014, 31/2019, 59/2016) and ICNIRP International Commission on Nonionizing Radiation protection). Finally, legal issues pertaining to human exposure to LF fields are addressed.

Effect of rmEGF combined with ELF-EMF on promoting wound healing in rats.

The process of wound healing is complex, and expediting it remains a challenge. The advantages of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMF) are its non-invasive treatment, promotes healing and promotes myogenesis of C2C12 cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to play a vital role in promoting wound healing, so a combination of ELF-EMF and EGF can have far-reaching significance. To study the effect of recombinant murine epidermal growth factor (rmEGF) combined with ELF-EMF on wound healing. Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group, EGF group, and ELF-EMF+EGF group, and a 20 mm × 20 mm dorsal wound was made. The wound healing rate of rats was calculated on the 3rd, 7th, 11th and 15th day. HE staining was used to observe the micro-morphological changes during the wound healing process. The wound healing rate of EGF+ELF-EMF group was better than other groups. On the 15th day of wound healing, the wounds of each group were completely healed. On the 3rd, 7th, 11th and 15th day of HE staining, the early inflammatory cell infiltration, the arrangement of fibroblasts and the number of new capillaries in the wounds of EGF+ELF-EMF group were better than those of the other groups. rmEGF combined with ELF-EMF significantly promotes wound healing in SD rats.

Evaluation and SAR Analysis of Low Frequency and Broadband Electric Field Exposure Measurement Values in the Home Environment

In this study, the effective value of low-frequency (50 Hz) and high-frequency (700–2500 MHz) broadband electric field exposures was measured for 24 h in four different selected environments in a house. All the statistical values of 1000 data points recorded with two measuring devices for 24 h in each environment are calculated, the most appropriate curves are fitted to the data, and the curves are plotted by expressing their changes with respect to time. All statistical and parametric values of the density and cumulative probability functions of the curves are calculated and plotted. In broadband measurements, the broadband is divided into fifteen sub-bands, but the data are available in only six of these sub-bands. The six-layer human head model is created by using the middle frequencies of the six sub-bands used, and taking the permittivity (εr) and conductivity (σ) of each layer into consideration. The specific absorption rate (SAR) value in the brain is calculated by using the total transmission coefficient of six layers. The SAR value surrounding the head is obtained. These SAR values are interpreted by considering the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Community European (CE) occupational and general public SAR limits.

Optical properties of Heliconical Cholesterics: effects of losses and photonic density of states

ABSTRACT The investigation of both linear and nonlinear optical properties of Heliconical Cholesteric has been triggered by the easy tuning of the Bragg resonance that can be achieved either by low-frequency electric field or by light waves. However, in previous studies two factors that can strongly affect the optical behaviour of these materials have not been considered. The first one is absorption originated by a complex dielectric permittivity at optical frequency, the second one are the modifications of the photonic density of states incurred by electrical or optical tuning of the Bragg resonance. In this paper we report an extended work of simulations addressing the mentioned issues following the same calculation method presented in previous published papers. We report first the results of the simulations performed on the optical properties of Heliconical Cholesterics showing the effects due to isotropic and anisotropic losses comparing them to what obtained in conventional cholesteric liquid crystals. Then we focus on the photonic density of states near the Bragg resonance and show that its modification when applying increasing static or optical field must be taken into account when considering laser action based on these materials since tuning may remarkably affect the lasing threshold.

Theoretical study on Stark effect of Rydberg atom in super low frequency electric field measurement

AbstractSuper low frequency electric field measurements are crucial in analysing electromagnetic compatibility, assessing equipment status, and other related fields. Rydberg atom‐based super low frequency electric field measurements are performed by observing the Stark shift in the spectrum of the Rydberg state. In a specific range of field strength (E < Eavoid, where Eavoid is the threshold to avoid crossing electric fields), the Rydberg atomic spectrum experiences a quadratic frequency shift in relation to the field strength, with the coefficient being determined by the atomic polarisability α. The authors establish a dynamic equation for the interaction between the external electric field and the atomic system, and present the Stark structure diagram of the Caesium Rydberg atom. The mathematical formulae for α and Eavoid in different Rydberg states are also obtained: α = A × (n*)6 + B × (n*)7 and Eavoid = C/(n*)5 + D/(n*)7, where A(B) = 2.2503 × 10−9(7.49,948 × 10−11) and C(D) = 1.68,868 × 108(2.45,991 × 109). The error of α and Eavoid compared with the experimental values does not exceed 8% and is even lower in the low Rydberg states. Accurately calculating the values of α and Eavoid is crucial in incorporating the Rydberg atom quantum coherence effect into super low frequency electric field measurements in new power systems.

Growth Reduction of Vibrionaceae and Microflora Diversity in Ice-Stored Pacific White Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) Treated with a Low-Frequency Electric Field.

A novel storage technique that combines the low-frequency electric field (LFEF) and ice temperature was used to extend the shelf life of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). The study investigated the effect of LFEF treatment on the quality and microbial composition of Penaeus vannamei during storage at ice temperature. The results showed that the LFEF treatment significantly extended the shelf life of shrimp during storage at ice temperature. The total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) and pH of samples increased over time, while the total viable count (TVC) showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. Obviously, shrimp samples treated with LFEF had a lower pH, TVB-N and TVC values than the untreated samples (p < 0.05) at the middle and late stages of storage. LFEF treatment increased the diversity and altered the composition of the microbial communities in Penaeus vannamei. Additionally, the treatment led to a decrease in the relative abundance of dominant spoilage bacteria, including Aliivibrio, Photobacterium and Moritella, in Penaeus vannamei stored at ice temperature for 11 days. Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated that TVB-N and pH had a significant and positive correlation with Pseudoalteromonas, suggesting that Pseudoalteromonas had a greater impact on shrimp quality. This study supports the practical application of accelerated low-frequency electric field-assisted shrimp preservation as an effective means of maintaining shrimp meat quality.