Switching Amplitude Research Articles

Electrically and all-optically switchable nonlocal nonlinear metasurfaces.

Nonlocal effects on metasurfaces play an important role to achieve high-Q spectral selectivity, beneficial for development of multifunctional, multispectral integrated optics. In addition, they enhance the optical interaction and promote a variety of nonlinear effects, including frequency conversion and stimulated scattering. Active tuning of nonlocal nonlinearity is highly desirable for sensing and signal processing but was hardly explored until now. Here, we show drastic electric and all-optical tunability of nonlocal second-harmonic generation (SHG) from nonlinear metasurface, functionalized with a twisted nematic liquid-crystal (LC) layer. The addition of LC results in the emergence of strong nonlocal SHG, due to a surface lattice resonance of the system. We demonstrate a notable enhancement of SHG on resonance, more than 25 dB electrical switching amplitude, and all-optically induced phase transition imprinted on SHG. Our results on dynamic nonlocal effects introduce a very promising route for active nonlinear optical metadevices at the nanoscale.

An Integrated Circuit Based, Single-Inductor-Dual-Output Buck LED Driver for Dimmable and Color Temperature Tunable Indoor Lighting Application

Tunability of correlated color temperature (CCT) and dimmability are the two major sought after features of functional solid-state lighting. This paper presents a low-cost, efficient, single-inductor-dual-output buck driver that facilitates CCT-control and dimming of a light emitting diode (LED) module composed of cool-white and warm-white chips. The proposed driver is designed based on two familiar integrated circuits (ICs), namely LM2596 and NE556. LM2596 serves as the main switching regulator and amplitude modulation (AM) controller whereas NE556 serves as the constant-frequency, dual-output pulse-width-modulation (PWM) controller. The exponential model of LED is exploited for improved estimation of the design parameters of the LED module and the driver circuit. The developed driver prototype is tested for its electrical, photometric, and colorimetric performances. The driver offers a full-load efficiency of about 90% for a 12-W test LED module. Under different operating modes, the LED system can produce warm, cool, or neutral white light and at the same time, the produced illuminance can be varied over a wide range. Moreover, the light flicker is imperceptible since the PWM frequency is set according to IEEE-1789 guideline.

Investigation of an oleophobic-hydrophilic polymer brush with switchable wettability for easy-to-clean coatings

The combination of different wetting states, such as hydrophilic and oleophobic, in an adaptive polymer layer provides new opportunities in the field of easy-to-clean and anti-fog coatings. In this work, the synthesis of new end-functionalized well-defined block copolymers consisting of a hydrophilic poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) block and an oleophobic poly(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate) (PHFIPMA) block of different block length was investigated. This was achieved by parallel synthesis of the single blocks separately using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and subsequent block coupling by copper(I)-catalyzed click chemistry. A hydroxy end-group functionalization allowed these polymers to be assembled into dense polymer brushes via a grafting-to approach. The architecture of theses brushes and the orientation of the chains within the films were studied using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). To study the influence of the lengths and ratio of the two blocks on the switching of the wettability, contact angle measurements were performed demonstrating the correlation between structure and functionality. It was found that an increasing length of the hydrophilic block, while keeping the length of the oleophobic block constant, leads to an increase of the switching amplitude. Molecular Dynamic Simulations, which gave deeper insights into changes of the brush architecture during switching, enabled in combination with chemical analysis at the nanometer scale (ARXPS) conclusions about the influence of molecular rearrangements inside the brush on macroscopic changes at the outer surface of the brush due to external stimuli. Finally, oil spray-off experiments demonstrated the potential of these new adaptive polymer brushes as easy-to-clean coatings.

Reversible Photoresponsive Modulation of Osmotic Pressure via Macromolecular Host-Guest Interaction.

The high spatiotemporal resolution of light as an external stimulus allows the control of shape, mechanical properties, and even forces generated by photoresponsive soft materials. For this purpose, supramolecular systems that respond readily and reversibly to photoirradiation and convert microscopic changes into macroscopic effects are needed. This work demonstrates the reversible light-responsive modulation of the osmotic pressure of an aqueous solution of an azobenzene-containing polymer (azopolymer) and α-cyclodextrin. Osmometry shows that this multivalent and photoresponsive host-guest complex can be used to modulate the concentration of solutes in the solution. Upon alternating irradiation with UV and blue light, the osmolality is reversibly switched by 28 mOsm kg-1. The switching amplitude increases linearly with the concentration of azopolymer and cyclodextrin. This drastic change in osmotic pressure is achieved by carefully designing an azopolymer that provides multivalent interactions as well as high water solubility. In this way, our study demonstrates a tunable control of colligative properties by photoinduced modulation of supramolecular interactions.

Stability of superconducting resonators: Motional narrowing and the role of Landau-Zener driving of two-level defects.

Frequency instability of superconducting resonators and qubits leads to dephasing and time-varying energy loss and hinders quantum processor tune-up. Its main source is dielectric noise originating in surface oxides. Thorough noise studies are needed to develop a comprehensive understanding and mitigation strategy of these fluctuations. We use a frequency-locked loop to track the resonant frequency jitter of three different resonator types—one niobium nitride superinductor, one aluminum coplanar waveguide, and one aluminum cavity—and we observe notably similar random telegraph signal fluctuations. At low microwave drive power, the resonators exhibit multiple, unstable frequency positions, which, for increasing power, coalesce into one frequency due to motional narrowing caused by sympathetic driving of two-level system defects by the resonator. In all three devices, we identify a dominant fluctuator whose switching amplitude (separation between states) saturates with increasing drive power, but whose characteristic switching rate follows the power law dependence of quasi-classical Landau-Zener transitions.

Current‐Induced Planar Resistive Switching Mediated by Oxygen Migration in NiO/Pt Bilayer

AbstractNew materials and mechanisms to retain electrically tunable resistance states are highly pursed to advance information technology. In this study, a novel scenario of current‐induced planar resistive switching mediated by oxygen migration is unveiled in the NiO/Pt bilayers. Sawtooth‐like switching is successfully realized in various crystalline NiO, and the switching amplitude monotonically increases with the Pt thickness. On the other hand, the critical switching current is found to be strongly correlated with the substrate thermal conductivity hence suggesting a thermal origin. By directly probing the Ni2+ and O2− distribution before and after switching via electron energy loss spectrum, the switching behavior in NiO/Pt is assuredly associated with the planar redistribution of O2−, thereby setting forth an oxygen migration scenario underlying the switching process. Under this scenario, the planar resistive switching is extended to the SrTiO3/Pt, GdOx/Pt, and TbOx/Pt, and the manipulation of the switching characteristics is successfully achieved by controlling the oxygen content in the GdOx/Pt and TbOx/Pt bilayers. The results offer novel strategy to design new emergent memory devices through oxygen mediated planar resistive switching.

Propagation of nonlinear surface waves along the interface between a Kerr-type crystal and a medium characterized by stepwise dielectric permittivity

The contact of a medium characterized by Kerr nonlinearity and a medium characterized by a stepwise nonlinearity, where the dielectric permittivity depends on the amplitude of the electric field strength, is considered. It is found that an optical domain of finite thickness is formed. Two new types of surface waves are described. The influence of the switching field on the intensity distribution across the interface and on total power flow is analyzed. The intensity at the interface in the case of contact with a nonlinear focusing medium can be maximal, in contrast to the case of contact with a linear medium where the intensity at the interface could not be maximal. The total power flow monotonically decreases with an increase in the nonlinearity parameter and it takes the minimum value at a specific value of the switching amplitude. The largest fraction of the power flow is concentrated on the right side of the optical domain for small values of the switching field starting from a certain value.

Spin-orbit torque induced electrical switching of antiferromagnetic MnN

Electrical switching and readout of antiferromagnets allows to exploit the unique properties of antiferromagnetic materials in nanoscopic electronic devices. Here we report experiments on the spin-orbit torque induced electrical switching of a polycrystalline, metallic antiferromagnet with low anisotropy and high N\'eel temperature. We demonstrate the switching in a Ta / MnN / Pt trilayer system, deposited by (reactive) magnetron sputtering. The dependence of switching amplitude, efficiency, and relaxation are studied with respect to the MnN film thickness, sample temperature, and current density. Our findings are consistent with a thermal activation model and resemble to a large extent previous measurements on CuMnAs and Mn$_2$Au, which exhibit similar switching characteristics due to an intrinsic spin-orbit torque.

Template-switching mechanism of a group II intron-encoded reverse transcriptase and its implications for biological function and RNA-Seq

The reverse transcriptases (RTs) encoded by mobile group II introns and other non-LTR retroelements differ from retroviral RTs in being able to template-switch efficiently from the 5' end of one template to the 3' end of another with little or no complementarity between the donor and acceptor templates. Here, to establish a complete kinetic framework for the reaction and to identify conditions that more efficiently capture acceptor RNAs or DNAs, we used a thermostable group II intron RT (TGIRT; GsI-IIC RT) that can template switch directly from synthetic RNA template/DNA primer duplexes having either a blunt end or a 3'-DNA overhang end. We found that the rate and amplitude of template switching are optimal from starter duplexes with a single nucleotide 3'-DNA overhang complementary to the 3' nucleotide of the acceptor RNA, suggesting a role for nontemplated nucleotide addition of a complementary nucleotide to the 3' end of cDNAs synthesized from natural templates. Longer 3'-DNA overhangs progressively decreased the template-switching rate, even when complementary to the 3' end of the acceptor template. The reliance on only a single bp with the 3' nucleotide of the acceptor together with discrimination against mismatches and the high processivity of group II intron RTs enable synthesis of full-length DNA copies of nucleic acids beginning directly at their 3' end. We discuss the possible biological functions of the template-switching activity of group II intron- and other non-LTR retroelement-encoded RTs, as well as the optimization of this activity for adapter addition in RNA- and DNA-Seq protocols.

Electro-Optical Behavior of Liquid Crystals Doped with Low Concentrations of Various Titanate Nanoparticles.

It is well known that the physical and electro-optical properties of liquid crystals can be controlled by doping with nanoparticles. In this study, we investigated the electro-optical properties of homogeneous aligned liquid crystal devices doped with various titanate nanoparticles, such as TiSiO₄, BaTiO₃, SrTiO₃ and mixtures of BaTiO₃ and SrTiO₃. Doping liquid crystals with titanate nanoparticles decreased the threshold voltages of the liquid crystal mixture cells. In particular, the liquid crystal cells doped with SrTiO₃ nanoparticles exhibited the lowest switching amplitude of 0.643 V. The high performance of the liquid crystal cells doped with various titanate nanoparticles indicates that the proposed liquid crystal devices have strong potential for use in materials for advanced liquid crystal displays.

Discrete-Time Implementation of Homogeneous Differentiators

The discrete-time version of Levant's arbitrary order robust exact differentiator, which is a forward Euler discretized version of the continuous-time algorithm enhanced by linear higher order terms, is extended by taking into account also nonlinear higher order terms. The resulting differentiator preserves the asymptotic accuracies with respect to sampling and noise known from the continuous-time algorithm. It is demonstrated in a simulation example and by differentiating a measured signal that the nonlinear higher order terms allow reducing the high-frequency switching amplitude whenever the (n+1)th derivative of the signal to be differentiated vanishes, leading to an improvement in the precision.

TFDASH: A Fairness, Stability, and Efficiency Aware Rate Control Approach for Multiple Clients Over DASH

Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) has recently been widely deployed in the Internet and adopted in the industry. It, however, does not impose any adaptation logic for selecting the quality of video fragments requested by clients and suffers from lackluster performance with respect to a number of desirable properties: efficiency, stability, and fairness when multiple players compete for a bottleneck link. In this paper, we propose a throughput-friendly DASH (TFDASH) rate control scheme for video streaming with multiple clients over DASH to well balance the trade-offs among efficiency, stability, and fairness. The core idea behind guaranteeing fairness and high efficiency (bandwidth utilization) is to avoid OFF periods during the downloading process for all clients, i.e., the bandwidth is in perfect-subscription or over-subscription with bandwidth utilization approach to 100\%. We also propose a dual-threshold buffer model to solve the instability problem caused by the above idea. As a result, by integrating these novel components, we also propose a probability-driven rate adaption logic taking into account several key factors that most influence visual quality, including buffer occupancy, video playback quality, video bit-rate switching frequency and amplitude, to guarantee high-quality video streaming. Our experiments evidently demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method.

Low-Frequency Noise in Graphene Tunnel Junctions.

Graphene tunnel junctions are a promising experimental platform for single molecule electronics and biosensing. Ultimately their noise properties will play a critical role in developing these applications. Here we report a study of electrical noise in graphene tunnel junctions fabricated through feedback-controlled electroburning. We observe random telegraph signals characterized by a Lorentzian noise spectrum at cryogenic temperatures (77 K) and a 1/ f noise spectrum at room temperature. To gain insight into the origin of these noise features, we introduce a theoretical model that couples a quantum mechanical tunnel barrier to one or more classical fluctuators. The fluctuators are identified as charge traps in the underlying dielectric, which through random fluctuations in their occupation introduce time-dependent modulations in the electrostatic environment that shift the potential barrier of the junction. Analysis of the experimental results and the tight-binding model indicate that the random trap occupation is governed by Poisson statistics. In the 35 devices measured at room temperature, we observe a 20-60% time-dependent variance of the current, which can be attributed to a relative potential barrier shift of between 6% and 10%. In 10 devices measured at 77 K, we observe a 10% time-dependent variance of the current, which can be attributed to a relative potential barrier shift of between 3% and 4%. Our measurements reveal a high sensitivity of the graphene tunnel junctions to their local electrostatic environment, with observable features of intertrap Coulomb interactions in the distribution of current switching amplitudes.

Electrical Switching of Antiferromagnetic Mn2Au and the Role of Thermal Activation

Electrical manipulation of antiferromagnets with specific symmetries offers the prospect of creating novel, antiferromagnetic spintronic devices. Such devices aim to make use of the insensitivity to external magnetic fields and the ultrafast dynamics at the picosecond timescale intrinsic to antiferromagnets. The possibility to electrically switch antiferromagnets was first predicted for Mn2Au and then experimentally observed in tetragonal CuMnAs. Here, we report on the electrical switching and detection of the Neel order in epitaxial films of Mn2Au. The exponential dependences of the switching amplitude on the current density and the temperature are explained by a macroscopic thermal activation model taking into account the effect of the Joule heating in Hall cross devices and we observe that the thermal activation plays a key role in the reorientation process of the Neel order. Our model analysis shows that the electrically set Neel-state is long-term stable at room temperature, paving the way for practical applications in memory devices.

Piezoelectric and Dielectric Properties of Multilayered BaTiO3/(Ba,Ca)TiO3/CaTiO3 Thin Films.

Highly oriented multilayered BaTiO3-(Ba,Ca)TiO3-CaTiO3 thin films were fabricated on Nb-doped (001) SrTiO3 (Nb:STO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The configurations of multilayered BaTiO3-(Ba,Ca)TiO3-CaTiO3 thin films are designed with the thickness ratio of 1:1:1 and 2:1:1 and total thickness ∼300 nm. Microstructural characterization by X-ray diffraction indicates that the as-deposited thin films are highly c-axis oriented and large in-plane strain is determined in BaTiO3 and CaTiO3 layers. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) studies reveal an intense in-plane polarization component, whereas the out-of-plane shows inferior phase contrast. The optimized combination is found to be the BaTiO3-(Ba0.85Ca0.15)TiO3-CaTiO3 structure with combination ratio 2:1:1, which displays the largest domain switching amplitude under DC electric field, the largest room-temperature dielectric constant ∼646, a small dielectric loss of 0.03, and the largest dielectric tunability of ∼50% at 400 kV/cm. These results suggest that the enhanced dielectric and tunability performance are greatly associated with the large in-plane polarization component and domain switching.

MDASH: A Markov Decision-Based Rate Adaptation Approach for Dynamic HTTP Streaming

Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) has recently been widely deployed in the Internet. It, however, does not impose any adaptation logic for selecting the quality of video fragments requested by clients. In this paper, we propose a novel Markov decision-based rate adaptation scheme for DASH aiming to maximize the quality of user experience under time-varying channel conditions. To this end, our proposed method takes into account those key factors that make a critical impact on visual quality, including video playback quality, video rate switching frequency and amplitude, buffer overflow/underflow, and buffer occupancy. Besides, to reduce computational complexity, we propose a low-complexity sub-optimal greedy algorithm which is suitable for real-time video streaming. Our experiments in network test-bed and real-world Internet all demonstrate the good performance of the proposed method in both objective and subjective visual quality.

Nanoconstrictions for investigating spin transfer torque effect in granular Ag–Co films

AbstractWe used lithographically fabricated nanoconstrictions made of Ag–Co granular thin films to achieve current densities above 10 A/cm during magnetotransport measurements. Systematically measured variations of the resistance with current under high applied magnetic fields did not reveal any dramatically large magnetoresistance effect, in contrast to the previous observations using mechanical point contact based techniques. Our experimental results on resistance switching by current injection in the Ag–Co nanoconstrictions reveal spin torque effects. The switching amplitudes are considerably smaller when compared to the results obtained for pillar shaped trilayers due to the large number of Co grains in the nanoconstrictions. We demonstrate that the use of point contact patterns with nanometer dimensions, where effects resulting from current induced mechanical distortions at high magnetic fields are negligible, has obvious advantages over the mechanical point contact technique for studying spin injection effects.

Perceptual Quality of HTTP Adaptive Streaming Strategies: Cross-Experimental Analysis of Multi-Laboratory and Crowdsourced Subjective Studies

Today’s packet-switched networks are subject to bandwidth fluctuations that cause degradation of the user experience of multimedia services. In order to cope with this problem, HTTP adaptive streaming (HAS) has been proposed in recent years as a video delivery solution for the future Internet and being adopted by an increasing number of streaming services, such as Netflix and Youtube. HAS enables service providers to improve users’ quality of experience (QoE) and network resource utilization by adapting the quality of the video stream to the current network conditions. However, the resulting time-varying video quality caused by adaptation introduces a new type of impairment and thus novel QoE research challenges. Despite various recent attempts to investigate these challenges, many fundamental questions regarding HAS perceptual performance are still open. In this paper, the QoE impact of different technical adaptation parameters, including chunk length, switching amplitude, switching frequency, and temporal recency, are investigated. In addition, the influence of content on perceptual quality of these parameters is analyzed. To this end, a large number of adaptation scenarios have been subjectively evaluated in four laboratory experiments and one crowdsourcing study. A statistical analysis of the combined data set reveals results that partly contradict widely held assumptions and provide novel insights in perceptual quality of adapted video sequences, e.g., interaction effects between quality switching direction (up/down) and switching strategy (smooth/abrupt). The large variety of experimental configurations across different studies ensures the consistency and external validity of the presented results that can be utilized for enhancing the perceptual performance of adaptive streaming services.

Fast response in TN liquid-crystal cells: effect of functionalised carbon nanotubes

ABSTRACTThe optical response time of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) decreases due to incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the liquid-crystal host. Such reduction is believed to be due to an increase in the elastic constant of the nanotube-doped LC system. In this paper, we present the effect on optical response due to doping an NLC with octadecylamine functionalised single-walled carbon nanotubes (ODA-SWCNT) in a twisted alignment mode. The electro-optic switching amplitude of ODA-SWCNT nanocomposites of NLC decreases compared to pure NLC. A fast response time is observed with an increase in the concentration of ODA-SWCNT in NLC host. Additionally, optical response of pure NLC in a twisted nematic (TN) cell fabricated using mixtures of polyimide (PI) and ODA-SWCNT as an alignment layer is investigated. The optical response time decreased by ~75% in a TN cell fabricated with a mixture of PI and ODA-SWCNT compared to that of a TN cell prepared using a pure PI alignment layer. The presence of ODA-SWCNT in the alignment layer enhances the surface anchoring of the NLC molecules leading to an increase in the elastic constant and a decrease in the optical response time of NLC.

Light-Controlled Conductance Switching in Azobenzene-Containing MWCNT-Polymer Nanocomposites.

We report on reversible light-controlled conductance switching in devices consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-polymer nanocomposites blended with azobenzene molecules and photoisomerization of the latter. Both the azobenzene molecules and MWCNT, which are functionalized with carboxyl groups (MWCNT-COOH), are embedded independently in a poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix, and thin films are prepared by using a simple spin-coating technique. We demonstrate the feasibility of the present concept with a photocurrent switching amplitude of almost 10%.