Selective Excitation Research Articles

Broadening of the silicon vacancy EPR line in SiC revealed through optically selective excitation

Broadening of the silicon vacancy EPR line in SiC revealed through optically selective excitation

Analysis and optimization of optical frequency comb spectra of magnesium fluoride microbottle resonator

<sec>Optical frequency comb has shown great potential applications in many areas including molecular spectroscopy, RF photonics, millimeter wave generation, frequency metrology, atomic clock, and dense/ultra-dense wavelength division multiplexed high speed optical communications. Optical frequency comb in the microresonator supporting whispering-gallery mode has attracted widespread interest because of its advantages such as flexible repetition rate, wide bandwidth, and compact size. The exceptionally long photon lifetime and small modal volume enhance light-matter interaction, which enables us to realize intracavity nonlinear frequency conversions with low pump threshold. With the advantages of small size, low power consumption, wide spectral coverage and adjustable dispersion, the magnesium fluoride microresonator optical frequency comb has potential applications in optical communication and mid-infrared spectroscopy.</sec><sec>In this work, the spectral characteristics of the optical frequency comb generated by a magnesium fluoride whispering-gallery mode microbottle resonator platform are investigated. In order to optimize the spectral distribution of the optical frequency comb of the magnesium fluoride microbottle resonator, the second-order dispersion and higher-order dispersion of the bottle resonator structure under different curvatures and axial modes are solved iteratively by the finite element method, and the spectral evolutions of the optical frequency comb under different axial mode excitations are simulated by solving the nonlinear Schrödinger equation through the split-step Fourier method. The results show that near-zero anomalous dispersion tuning can be achieved in a wide bandwidth range by exciting low-order axial mode at an optimal radius of curvature, while the high-order axial mode will lead the microbottle resonator to present the weak normal dispersion. The weaker anomalous dispersion in the lower-order axial mode broadens the bandwidth of the optical comb, demonstrating that the third-order dispersion and the negative fourth-order dispersion can broaden the Kerr soliton optical comb; the weak normal dispersion in the higher-order axial mode suppresses the generation of the Kerr optical comb, and the Raman optical comb dominates. The selective excitation of Kerr soliton combs and Raman combs can be achieved by modulating the axial mode of the microbottle resonator under suitable pumping conditions. The present work provides guidance for designing the dispersion in magnesium fluoride microresonator and the experimental tuning of broadband Kerr soliton optical combs and Raman optical combs.</sec>

Simultaneous pseudospin and valley topological edge states of elastic waves in phononic crystals made of distorted Kekulé lattices

Topological metamaterials protected by the spatial inversion symmetry mainly support single type edge state, interpreted by either the quantum valley Hall effect or the quantum spin Hall effect. However, owing to the existence of the complicated couplings and waveform conversions during elastic wave propagation, realizing topologically protected edge states that support both pseudospin and valley degrees of freedom in elastic system remains a great challenge. Here, we propose a two-dimensional Kekulé phononic crystal (PC) that can simultaneously possess pseudospin- and valley-Hall edge states in different frequency bands. By inhomogeneously changing the elliptical direction in a Kekulé lattice of elliptical cylinders, three complete phononic bandgaps exhibiting distinct topological phase transitions can be obtained, one of which supports a pair of pseudospin-Hall edge states and the other hosts valley-Hall edge states in the low and high frequency regime. Furthermore, a sandwiched PC heterostructure and a four-channel cross-waveguide splitter are constructed to achieve selective excitation and topological robust propagation of pseudospin- and valley-momentum locking edge states in a single configuration. These results provide new possibilities for manipulating in-plane bulk elastic waves with both pseudospin and valley degrees of freedom in a single configuration, which has potential applications for multiband and multifunctional waveguiding.

Symmetry breaking charge transfer behaviour in D-A-D triad system by selective excitation

Multichromophoric D-A-D triads synthesized using perylenediimde (PDI) bonded with naphthalenediimide (NDI) units via aliphatic (Triad 1) or aromatic (Triad 2) linker is studied for symmetry breaking charge separation (SB-CS) by selective excitation of the NDI/PDI chromophores. NDI chromophore on excitation transfers electron to PDI chromophore and type of linker played crucial role in stability of generated CS state. Photoluminescence, time resolved fluorescense and transient absorption spectroscopy tools have been used to study the phenomenon. The optical as well as electrochemical study confirmed intramolecular electron transfer from NDI to PDI chromophore. Stable SB-CS state formation is directly resulted in increased open circuit voltage (Voc) of Triad 2 based organic solar cell devices. The selective excitation of chromophoric center and SB-CS in D-A-D type triad is the demand of present electronic device for the formation of long lived charge carrier.

Stress Relaxation of Extremely-Thin-Body Ge-on-Insulator p-Type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor Along and Observed By Oil-Immersion Raman Spectroscopy

Background and purpose Strain techniques and channel materials with high carrier mobility are the principal technology boosters for the realization of high-performance logic devices composed of group IV semiconductors such as silicon (Si). In particular, strain engineering plays an important role in improving the performance of metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) from the viewpoint of reducing the effective carrier mass. It is important to evaluate the stress relaxation in group IV semiconductor devices for the optimization of the carrier mobility and the device structure. In this paper, we demonstrated the stress evaluation of extremely-thin-body Ge-on-insulator (ETB GOI) p-type MOSFET along the <110> and <100> longitudinal directions by oil-immersion Raman spectroscopy with the high-numerical-aperture (high-NA) lens to realize precise evaluation of strain states in the Ge channels. Experiments Biaxially-strained (001) GOI layer was prepared by applying optimized Ge condensation technique on epitaxially-grown Si/Si0.75Ge0.25/Si-on-insulator substrates with 4-hour slow cooling [1, 2]. After the removal of the thermal oxide, narrow channel patterning was performed by electron-beam (EB) lithography. GOI channel was further thinned down by the cyclic digital etching process (plasma oxidation and wet etching). Surface passivation process was then immediately performed to fabricate GeO x and Al2O3 by plasma oxidation and atomic layer deposition at 300oC, respectively. The source-drain regions were formed with EB evaporated Ni through a lift-off process and Al deposition was performed as the back gate electrode.We used the Raman spectrometer with spectrograph focal length of 2,000 mm. The numbers of grating grooves were 2,400 mm-1 and a visible laser was used as the incident excitation light source whose wavelength was 532 nm. To realize anisotropic stress evaluation assuming the channel region of the ETB GOI MOSFET, we used a high-NA immersion lens for the selective excitation of both LO and TO phonon modes [3]. The high-NA and refractive index n of the oil were approximately 1.4 and 1.5, respectively. Using a high-NA immersion lens, a z-polarized light component can be effectively obtained owing to the aperture angle. Therefore, TO phonons can be excited on the basis of Raman selection rules for (001)-oriented GOI [3, 4]. Results and discussion Figure 1 shows the channel width dependence of the anisotropic biaxial stress of ETB GOI MOSFET along the <100> longitudinal direction obtained by the oil-immersion Raman spectra. Anisotropic biaxial compressive stress at the GOI channel width direction of the GOI channels was observed even when the GOI channel width is wide (GOI channel width ~ 630 nm). The stress along the GOI channel length (the <100> longitudinal direction) is relatively high. These results are clearly different from the stress relaxation in the ETB GOI MOSFET along the <110> longitudinal direction. In previous studies, a clear stress relaxation at the GOI channel width direction was observed as the GOI channel width becomes narrower of the ETB GOI MOSFET along the <110> longitudinal direction (from channel width ~ 200 nm) [5]. The results observed in this study are generally well correlated with the results obtained in strain relaxation measurements of carbon-doped Si nanowires along <100> by X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation [6]. The difference in the strain relaxation mechanism depending on the GOI channel direction may affect the electrical properties, and we consider that it is useful to be physical elucidation of the carrier mobility enhancement. Acknowledgements This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 22H00208, Japan. A part of this work was con-ducted at Takeda Sentanchi Supercleanroom, The University of Tokyo, supported by "Nanotechnology Platform Program" of MEXT, Japan, Grant Number JPMXP09F-20-UT-0007.

Excitation and control of level populations in rectangular quantum wells by unipolar half-cycle attosecond pulses

Unipolar and quasi-unipolar half-cycle pulses represent the limit of the pulse shortening in a given spectral range. So far such pulses have become a subject of active research due to their potential in the ultrafast optics and study of new regimes of light–matter interactions with subcycle resolution. Here, we show the possibility of the effective ultrafast control of the level populations in 1D rectangular quantum wells (such a model is used for modeling semiconductor nanostructures and nanoparticles) by the half-cycle unipolar attosecond light pulses in comparison to the single-cycle ones. It is shown that the population dynamics is determined by the electric pulse area divided into its characteristic “scale,” which is given by the quantum well width when pulse duration is smaller than the orbital period of electrons in the ground state. Both the selective excitation of quantum states and the feasibility of the population inversion by subcycle unipolar pulses are demonstrated.

Evaluations of the diagnostic performance of ZOOMit diffusion-weighted imaging and conventional diffusion-weighted imaging for breast lesions.

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is valuable in the screening, diagnosis, and grading of breast lesions. However, conventional DWI (C-DWI) is prone to chemical shift and distortion. ZOOMit DWI (Z-DWI), as an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, applies two spatially selective parallel excitation pulses to focus sampling in the hope of obtaining more valuable information. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the image quality and feasibility of Z-DWI with those of C-DWI in breast lesions. The study included 51 patients with breast lesions who underwent breast MRI from May 2021 to February 2022. All patients received Z-DWI and C-DWI sequences, with b values selected as 50 and 800 s/mm2 (Z-DWIb50, Z-DWIb800, C-DWIb50, and C-DWIb800). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values based on Z-DWI and C-DWI were calculated. For qualitative analysis, four image quality parameters were selected and assessed on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = poor and 4 = excellent). For quantitative analysis, ADC, relative ADC (rADC), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and tumor-to-parenchymal contrast (TPC) values were selected for comparison. Z-DWI had higher scores compared to C-DWI in terms of lesion conspicuity, anatomical details, distortion and artifacts, and overall image quality (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the agreement between the two readers was reasonably good [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) range, 0.360-0.881]. The SNR of Z-DWIb800 was better than that of C-DWIb800 (P<0.001). The Z-DWI ADC and rADC values of breast lesions were statistically significantly lower than those of C-DWI (mean ADC: P<0.001; rADC; P=0.005). Z-DWI sequences were shown to have superior image quality. The ADC map of Z-DWI is more conducive to the imaging evaluation of breast lesions.

Low-field NMR with multilayer Halbach magnet and NMR selective excitation

This study introduces a low-field NMR spectrometer (LF-NMR) featuring a multilayer Halbach magnet supported by a combined mechanical and electrical shimming system. This setup offers improved field homogeneity and sensitivity compared to spectrometers relying on typical Halbach and dipole magnets. The multilayer Halbach magnet was designed and assembled using three nested cylindrical magnets, with an additional inner Halbach layer that can be rotated for mechanical shimming. The coils and shim-kernel of the electrical shimming system were constructed and coated with layers of zirconia, thermal epoxy, and silver-paste resin to facilitate passive heat dissipation and ensure mechanical and thermal stability. Furthermore, the 7-channel shim coils were divided into two parts connected in parallel, resulting in a reduction of joule heating temperatures from 96.2 to 32.6 °C. Without the shimming system, the Halbach magnet exhibits a field inhomogeneity of approximately 140 ppm over the sample volume. The probehead was designed to incorporate a solenoidal mini coil, integrated into a single planar board. This design choice aimed to enhance sensitivity, minimize B1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${B}_{1}$$\\end{document} inhomogeneity, and reduce impedance discrepancies, transmission loss, and signal reflections. Consequently, the resulting linewidth of water within a 3 mm length and 2.4 mm inner diameter sample volume was 4.5 Hz. To demonstrate the effectiveness of spectral editing in LF-NMR applications at 29.934 MHz, we selectively excited hydroxyl and/or methyl protons in neat acetic acid using optimal control pulses calculated through the Krotov algorithm.

Information content and temporal structure of face selective local field potentials frequency bands in IT cortex.

Sensory stimulation triggers synchronized bioelectrical activity in the brain across various frequencies. This study delves into network-level activities, specifically focusing on local field potentials as a neural signature of visual category representation. Specifically, we studied the role of different local field potential frequency oscillation bands in visual stimulus category representation by presenting images of faces and objects to three monkeys while recording local field potential from inferior temporal cortex. We found category selective local field potential responses mainly for animate, but not inanimate, objects. Notably, face-selective local field potential responses were evident across all tested frequency bands, manifesting in both enhanced (above mean baseline activity) and suppressed (below mean baseline activity) local field potential powers. We observed four different local field potential response profiles based on frequency bands and face selective excitatory and suppressive responses. Low-frequency local field potential bands (1-30Hz) were more prodominstaly suppressed by face stimulation than the high-frequency (30-170Hz) local field potential bands. Furthermore, the low-frequency local field potentials conveyed less face category informtion than the high-frequency local field potential in both enhansive and suppressive conditions. Furthermore, we observed a negative correlation between face/object d-prime values in all the tested local field potential frequency bands and the anterior-posterior position of the recording sites. In addition, the power of low-frequency local field potential systematically declined across inferior temporal anterior-posterior positions, whereas high-frequency local field potential did not exhibit such a pattern. In general, for most of the above-mentioned findings somewhat similar results were observed for body, but not, other stimulus categories. The observed findings suggest that a balance of face selective excitation and inhibition across time and cortical space shape face category selectivity in inferior temporal cortex.

Dual-Color Real-Time Chemosensing of a Compartmentalized Reaction Network Involving Enzyme-Induced Membrane Permeation of Peptides.

The design of synthetic systems with interrelated reaction sequences that model incipient biological complexity is limited by physicochemical tools that allow the direct monitoring of the individual processes in real-time. To mimic a simple digestion-resorption sequence, the authors have designed compartmentalized liposomal systems that incorporate extra- and intravesicular chemosensing ensembles. The extravesicular reporter pair consists of cucurbit[7]uril and methylene blue to monitor the enzymatic cleavage of short enkephalin-related peptides by thermolysin through a switch-off fluorescence response ("digestion"). Because the substrate is membrane-impermeable, but the dipeptide product is permeable, uptake of the latter into the pre-formed liposomes occurs as a follow-up process. The intravesicular chemosensing ensemble consists of i) cucurbit[8]uril, 2-anilinonaphthalene-6-sulfonic acid, and methyl viologen or ii) cucurbit[7]uril and berberine to monitor the uptake ("resorption") of the enzymatic products through the liposomal membranes by i) a switch-on or ii) a switch-off fluorescence response. The dyes are designed to allow selective optical excitation and read-out of the extra- and intravesicular dyes, which allow for dual-color chemosensing and, therefore, kinetic discrimination of the two sequential reactions.

Mitigating stimulated Brillouin scattering in multimode fibers with focused output via wavefront shaping.

The key challenge for high-power delivery through optical fibers is overcoming nonlinear optical effects. To keep a smooth output beam, most techniques for mitigating optical nonlinearities are restricted to single-mode fibers. Moving out of the single-mode paradigm, we show experimentally that wavefront-shaping of coherent input light to a highly multimode fiber can increase the power threshold for stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) by an order of magnitude, whilst simultaneously controlling the output beam profile. The SBS suppression results from an effective broadening of the Brillouin spectrum under multimode excitation, without broadening of transmitted light. Strongest suppression is achieved with selective mode excitation that gives the broadest Brillouin spectrum. Our method is efficient, robust, and applicable to continuous waves and pulses. This work points toward a promising route for mitigating detrimental nonlinear effects in optical fibers, enabling further power scaling of high-power fiber systems for applications to directed energy, remote sensing, and gravitational-wave detection.

Optimising laser pulses for selective vibrational excitations and photo-dissociation of the C–H bond in methane

This paper presents a study on the optimisation of laser pulse parameters using an optimal control theory based adaptive simulated annealing technique. The objective of this study is to obtain a cost-effective laser pulse that can selectively excite the vibrational state and cause photo-dissociation of the C–H bond in a methane molecule. We have optimised both sinusoidal and linear ramped pulses using the proposed technique, and incorporated a linear chirping in the field as well. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in designing laser pulses for targeted molecular excitation and dissociation.

Broadband and strength-switchable circular dichroism in a Ge2Sb2Te5-based metasurface.

Circular dichroism (CD) is highly required in the applications of biological detection and analytical chemistry. In this paper, we achieved a giant, broadband, and strength-switchable CD effect in a quadruple z-shaped G e 2 S b 2 T e 5 (GST) metasurface. At the amorphous state of GST (a-GST), the giant CD reaches 0.92 and the width of the absorption >0.80 is about 100nm. The giant and broadband CD originates from polarization selective excitations of Mie resonances and the coupling between subunit resonators. With the transition from a-GST to crystalline GST, CD could be dynamically switched from 0.92 to 0.05. The GST-based metasurfaces with giant and wide-range switching CD will promote the development of active chiral devices.

On the selective mode excitation of wide tunable MEMS capacitive resonator

On the selective mode excitation of wide tunable MEMS capacitive resonator

Photo-induced organoselenium-catalyzed synthesis of 2-substituted quinazoline derivatives

Herein, a method for the synthesis of 2-substituted quinazoline derivatives from 2-aminobenzylamines and benzylamines using the synergistic action of visible light and organoselenium catalysts was established. Under visible light, the process employs diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 as a photocatalyst to achieve the best yield of 97 % in 3 h without the use of other powerful oxidants or selective fluorine excitation, and tolerated a variety of substrates with yields ranging from 60 % to 97 %. Moreover, substitution of benzylamine with benzaldehyde, benzoylformic acid or mandelic acid expanded the substrate scopes for synthesis of 2-substituted quinazolines and quinazolinones. This opens new avenues for further study of the catalytic reaction of organic selenium and promotes the development of green synthetic chemistry.

The CeBrA demonstrator for particle-[formula omitted] coincidence experiments at the FSU Super-Enge Split-Pole Spectrograph

We report on a highly selective experimental setup for particle-γ coincidence experiments at the Super-Enge Split-Pole Spectrograph (SE-SPS) of the John D. Fox Superconducting Linear Accelerator Laboratory at Florida State University (FSU) using fast CeBr3 scintillators for γ-ray detection. Specifically, we report on the results of characterization tests for the first five CeBr3 scintillation detectors of the CeBr3 Array (CeBrA) with respect to energy resolution and timing characteristics. We also present results from the first particle-γ coincidence experiments successfully performed with the CeBrA demonstrator and the FSU SE-SPS. We show that with the new setup, γ-decay branching ratios and particle-γ angular correlations can be measured very selectively using narrow excitation energy gates, which are possible thanks to the excellent particle energy resolution of the SE-SPS. In addition, we highlight that nuclear level lifetimes in the nanoseconds regime can be determined by measuring the time difference between particle detection with the SE-SPS focal-plane scintillator and γ-ray detection with the fast CeBrA detectors. Selective excitation energy gates with the SE-SPS exclude any feeding contributions to these lifetimes.

Enhancement of K+ channel permeation by selective terahertz excitation

The optical excitation effects offer an opportunity to gain insights into the structure and the function of K+ channel, contributing to the prediction of possible targets for drug design and precision therapy. Although there has been increasing research attention on the modulation of ion permeation in K+ channel by terahertz electromagnetic (THz-EM) stimuli, little exploration has been conducted regarding the dependence of ion permeation on frequencies. By using two-dimensional (2D) infrared excitation spectrum calculation for the K+ channel, we have discovered that the frequency of 53.60 THz serves as an optimal excitation modulation mode. This mode leads to an almost twofold enhancement in the rate of K+ ion permeation and a tenfold increase in selectivity efficiency. These improvements can be attributed to the coupling mode matching of the excited properties of CO groups in the K+ channel. Our findings propose a promising application of terahertz technology to improve the performance of ion channels, nanomembrane sieves, nanodevices, as well as neural therapy.

Efficient and Continuous Carrier-Envelope Phase Control for Terahertz Lightwave-Driven Scanning Probe Microscopy.

The fundamental understanding of quantum dynamics in advanced materials requires precise characterization at the limit of spatiotemporal resolution. Ultrafast scanning tunneling microscopy is a powerful tool combining the benefits of picosecond time resolution provided by single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses and atomic spatial resolution of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). For the selective excitation of localized electronic states, the transient field profile must be tailored to the energetic structure of the system. Here, we present an advanced THz-STM setup combining multi-MHz repetition rates, strong THz near fields, and continuous carrier-envelope phase (CEP) control of the transient waveform. In particular, we employ frustrated total internal reflection as an efficient and cost-effective method for precise CEP control of single-cycle THz pulses with >60% field transmissivity, high pointing stability, and continuous phase shifting of up to 0.75 π in the far and near field. Efficient THz generation and dispersion management enable peak THz voltages at the tip-sample junction exceeding 20 V at 1 MHz and 1 V at 41 MHz. The system comprises two distinct THz generation arms, which facilitate individual pulse shaping and amplitude modulation. This unique feature enables the flexible implementation of various THz pump-probe schemes, thereby facilitating the study of electronic and excitonic excited-state propagation in nanostructures and low-dimensional materials systems. Scalability of the repetition rate up to 41 MHz, combined with a state-of-the-art low-temperature STM, paves the way toward the investigation of dynamical processes in atomic quantum systems at their native length and time scales.

Carbon structure evolution of coal slime under different pyrolysis methods: Quantitative analysis of carbon structure and finite-element simulation calculations

Microwave pyrolysis (MWP) has exhibited several advantages compared to conventional pyrolysis (CP). However, comprehensive analysis of the changes in the carbon structure of coal-char from various aspects has not been systematically reported. This paper investigated the carbon structure properties of coal slime (CS), and the temperature distribution within MWP-char was analyzed using finite-element simulation. The results demonstrated that MWP-char displays lower H/C and O/C molar ratios than CP-char as the pyrolysis temperature increased. This finding suggests that microwaves contributed considerably to the deoxygenation and dehydrogenation reactions of CS and was verified by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results. Owing to the selective excitation of polar functional groups by microwave energy, a “local hot spot” was generated inside the sample, and finite-element simulation verified this finding. The “local hot spot” in the sample promoted the formation of carbon defects in char, stimulated the transformation of small aromatic rings to large ones, and enhanced the condensation reaction of CS. The use of microwaves reduced the thickness and increased the diameter of the aromatic layer of CS-char, which increased the aromaticity, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss of MWP-char. A correlation was observed among the aromaticity of char, degree of carbon defects, and dielectric constant. This study provides effective theoretical and experimental basis for the efficient conversion of microwave-enhanced CS into carbon-based materials and high-value fuels.

Selective Excitation of Pd‐decorated Titania Enables Consecutive C−C Couplings and Hydrogenations under Ambient Conditions

AbstractHere, we discovered that Pd decorated TiO2 (Pd@TiO2) enables consecutive photocatalytic Sonogashira C−C coupling and hydrogenation steps by simply adjusting the excitation conditions of the reaction. We demonstrated that by‐products containing iodine species generated in the first reaction step can inhibit subsequent photocatalytic processes, but they can be easily removed from solution to enable a compatible synthetic sequence for new C−C bond formation under mild reaction conditions. This work incorporates heterogeneous photocatalysts into consecutive transformations, promoting elegant reactions while meeting the demands of green chemistry.