Trap Material Research Articles

Spumellarian, collodarian, and entactinarian radiolarians observed in sediment traps from the southern Ionian Sea (eastern mediterranean)

Based on sediment trap material collected from the southern Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean), this study describes and illustrates 54 radiolarian species, 48 of which are spumellarians, 3 collodarians and 3 entactinarians. The presence of Larcopyle buetschlii chenmuhongi, Phorticium polycladum, and Polysolenia collina is reported for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea. We also identified for the first time Spongodendron macrodoras in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, previously known only from the western Mediterranean. Despite their geographical proximity, only six species are in common with the radiolarian fauna of the Adriatic Sea. We reviewed the biogeographical distribution and the known depth habitat of all species identified here at the species level. Most of them are known from tropical to temperate regions, although we also encountered few species with cold-water affinities such as Lithelius minor, Lithelius nautiloides, Hexacromyum enthacanthum, Rhizosphaera mediana, and Spongodiscus resurgens. Most of the encountered species are surface to sub-surface dwellers, including several known symbiont-bearing species, and only few are deep-dwellers, such as Hexacromyum enthacanthum, Tetrapetalon echinaster, Lithelius nautiloides and Lithelius minor.

The influence of zooplankton and oxygen on the particulate organic carbon flux in the Benguela Upwelling System

Abstract. We conducted sediment trap experiments in the Benguela Upwelling System (BUS) in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean to study the influence of zooplankton on the flux of particulate organic carbon (POC) through the water column and its sedimentation. A total of 2 long-term moored and 16 short-term free-floating sediment trap systems (drifter systems) were deployed. The mooring experiments were conducted over more than a decade (2009–2022), and the 16 drifters were deployed on three different research cruises between 2019 and 2021. Zooplankton was separated from the trapped material and divided into eight different zooplankton groups. In contrast to zooplankton which actively carries POC into the traps in the form of biomass (active POC flux), the remaining fraction of the trapped material was assumed to fall passively into the traps along with sinking particles (passive POC flux). Our results show, in line with other studies, that copepods dominate the active POC flux, with the active POC flux in the southern BUS (sBUS) being about 3 times higher than in the northern BUS (nBUS). In contrast, the differences between the passive POC fluxes in the nBUS and sBUS were small. Despite large variations, which reflected the variability within the two subsystems, the mean passive POC fluxes from the drifters and the moored traps could be described using a common POC flux attenuation equation. However, the almost equal passive POC flux, on the one hand, and the high POC concentration in the surface sediments of the nBUS in comparison to the sBUS, on the other hand, imply that the intensity of the near-bottom oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), which is more pronounced in the nBUS than in the sBUS, controls the preservation of POC in sediments significantly. This highlights the contrasting effects of the globally observed expansion of OMZs, which on the one hand mitigates the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere and the ocean by increasing POC storage in sediments and on the other hand poses a threat to established ecosystems and fisheries.

A baited trap for kissing bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae)

Chagas disease is a key vector-borne disease. This illness is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, which is transmitted by triatomine bugs. Largely, the control of this disease relies on reducing such contact. We optimized the performance of a box trap in laboratory conditions to capture four triatomine species: Triatoma pallidipennis (Stål), Triatoma infestans Klug, Triatoma phyllosoma (Burmeister), and Rhodnius prolixus Stål. We varied four components for a box trap: material, color, height, and bait attractants. All species were captured more in corrugated cardboard traps than in other trap material. Moreover, T. infestans and R. prolixus were also captured in plywood traps. T. pallidipennis preferred traps of 15 × 15 × 4 cm and 20 × 20 × 4 cm, while T. phyllosoma and T. infestans were more captured in traps of 10 × 10 × 4 cm, and 15 × 15 × 4 cm. Rhodnius prolixus was more captured to 10 × 10 × 4 cm traps. T. pallidipennis was trapped with traps of any color tested, T. phyllosoma and T. infestans were captured more in red and yellow traps, and R. prolixus was mostly captured in blue, violet, and yellow traps. Triatoma pallidipennis was captured at any height above the ground, while T. phyllosoma, T. infestans, and R. prolixus were mostly captured 50, 100, and 150 cm above the ground. Regarding the lure, T. pallidipennis was trapped with four aldehydes + lactic acid + ammonia; T. infestans and R. prolixus were trapped with a blend of four aldehydes + lactic acid, a blend of the four aldehydes + ammonia, and a blend of four aldehydes + lactic acid + ammonia. Triatoma phyllosoma was trapped with any lure tested. These results showed that the trap boxes offer an alternative method for controlling Chagas disease.

Quantification of Two-Dimensional Interfaces: Quality of Heterostructures and What Is Inside a Nanobubble.

Trapped materials at the interfaces of two-dimensional heterostructures (HS) lead to reduced coupling between the layers, resulting in degraded optoelectronic performance and device variability. Further, nanobubbles can form at the interface during transfer or after annealing. The question of what is inside a nanobubble, i.e., the trapped material, remains unanswered, limiting the studies and applications of these nanobubble systems. In this work, we report two key advances. First, we quantify the interface quality using RAW format optical imaging (unprocessed image data) and distinguish between ideal and non-ideal interfaces. The HS/substrate ratio value is calculated using a transfer matrix model and is able to detect the presence of trapped layers. The second key advance is the identification of water as the trapped material inside a nanobubble. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that optical imaging alone can quantify interface quality and find the type of trapped material inside spontaneously formed nanobubbles. We also define a quality index parameter to quantify the interface quality of HS. Quantitative measurement of the interface will help answer the question whether annealing is necessary during HS preparation and will enable creation of complex HS with small twist angles. Identification of the trapped materials will pave the way toward using nanobubbles for optical and engineering applications.

(027) HIGH PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMATIC CLITORAL ADHESIONS IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROPROLIFERATIVE VESTIBULODYNIA UNDERGOING VESTIBULECTOMY

Abstract Introduction Clitoral adhesions occur when the epithelial skin surfaces of the prepuce and glans clitoris become adherent. The severity of clitoral adhesions is best documented during full prepucial retraction using vulvoscopy with photography; mild, moderate, and severe clitoral adhesions occur when there is >75%, 25-75%, and <25% visualization of the glans clitoris, respectively. Clitoral adhesions are associated with a closed compartment with inadequate clearance of keratinaceous sloughed material from the epithelial surfaces of the prepuce and glans clitoris. This trapped material may form keratin pearls resulting in local inflammation and glans hypersensitivity/pain. In one study of 614 evaluable individuals with vulvas who presented to a sexual medicine clinic for various sexual dysfunctions, 23% demonstrated clitoral adhesions based on vulvoscopy with photography (mild 44%, moderate 34%, and severe 22%) of which 14% complained of clitoral hypersensitivity/pain. We observe symptomatic and asymptomatic clitoral adhesions occurring in women presenting with entry dyspareunia, severe allodynia and hyperalgesia, who are clinical suspected and pathologically conformed to have neuroproliferative vestibulodynia (NPV). Surgical management of the NPV involves complete vestibulectomy with vaginal advancement flap. For those patients who also have clitoral adhesions, lysis of clitoral adhesions may be performed at the time of vestibulectomy. Objective To examine the association between clitoral adhesions and NPV. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients with NPV who underwent vestibulectomy and lysis of clitoral adhesions concomitantly between January 1, 2021 and October 31, 2023 was performed. History, physical examination, pre-op vulvoscopy with photographs, operative records and patient outcome data were collected. Results Sixty-three patients with NPV, (mean age 29, range 19 – 64 years), underwent vestibulectomy surgery. A total of 34 (54%) of these patients underwent concomitant lysis of (mild (38%), moderate (50%), or severe (12%) clitoral adhesions. Multiple keratin pearls were removed in 91% of cases. More than half (53%) of these patients with NPV and clitoral adhesions complained of glans hypersensitivity/pain during pre-op vulvoscopy. The majority (88%) of this cohort reported “somewhat better” or “very much better” on PGI-I after lysis of adhesions. No negative side effects following the lysis of clitoral adhesions were noted. Conclusions There is a high prevalence of symptomatic clitoral adhesions in patients with NPV (53%) compared to women who presented to a sexual medicine clinic for other sexual concerns (14%). While clitoral adhesions are not always symptomatic, we hypothesize the high prevalence in patients with NPV may be due any of the following: i) pain/stress resulting in peripheral nerves releasing neurotransmitters that stimulate proliferation/differentiation of prepucial sebaceous glands and upregulate prepucial sebaceous cell lipid synthesis, ii) infrequency of clitoral tissue engorgement from sexual activity, iii) limitation or aversion to touching or retracting clitoral prepucial tissue, iv) increased frequency of wearing menstrual pads rather than tampons, v) severe genital pain perceived as co-existing in both vestibule and clitoris and vi) the patient is already scheduled for surgery under anesthesia so the patient conveniently agrees to also undergo lysis of adhesions. Clinicians should be aware of this high association. Disclosure No.

Effects and mechanisms of using “clean” smoke particles in the smoking process on the formation of β-carboline heterocyclic amines (β-CHAs) in smoked meat patties

β-Carboline heterocyclic amines (β-CHAs), known for their synergistic neurotoxic and carcinogenic effects, are predominantly produced by humans through cigarette smoke and food and are found particularly in meats cooked at high temperatures. Few studies have explored the differences in the mechanisms of accumulation of β-CHAs in smoked meat and meat processed at high temperatures. In this research, the concentration of β-CHAs in smoked meats prepared using a variety of wood materials was measured using LCMS/MS. Additionally, key volatile organic compound markers associated with β-CHAs accumulation in smoke were identified through GCMS and multivariate statistical analysis and subsequently confirmed in a chemical simulation system. Three types of strainers, each with a distinct aperture size, were used to assess the efficacy of particle filtration in reducing β-CHAs levels in smoked meat. The findings indicated that smoke exposure indeed increases the β-CHAs content of meat. However, only the strainer capable of filtering PM2.5-sized particles reduced the amount of β-CHAs present compared to the control group. In contrast, strainers with larger pore sizes facilitated excessive accumulation of β-CHAs. The presence of aldehydes such as 1 H-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde, 5-methylfurfural, benzaldehyde, furfural, and nonanal exhibited a positive correlation with the accumulation of β-CHAs. Conversely, phenolic compounds, including 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 2-methoxy-5-methylphenol, p-cresol, phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(1-propenyl)-, (Z)-, phenol, 3-ethyl-, and phenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxy-, showed a negative correlation. Thus, filters made from chelated carbonyl trap materials both chemically and physically disrupt the buildup of β-CHAs in smoked meats. The use of this approach will not only improve the quality of these products but will also contribute to decreasing the amount of inhalation pollutants released into the environment.

[Ce3+-Pr3+-Nd3+]:CsPbI2.2Br0.8 stable energy system for photonic and electrical performance upgradation in multitudinous applications

Adopting an integrated and consolidated strategy to energy generation, conversion, and storage is linked to energy sustainability in the modern day. Current investigation explores the lanthanide triple doping mechanism coupled with temperature optimization using (cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium)-oxide to modify CsPbI2.2Br0.8 forming the stable [Ce3+-Pr3+-Nd3+]:CsPbI2.2Br0.8 (CPN:CPVSK) hetero-system. CPN:CPVSK thin films have remarkable optical output for the prolonged duration of 28 days with the band gap energy spanning around 1.64–1.67 eV. These thin films have cubic phase with the 65.44 nm average crystallite size and these thin films have excellent surficial binding without any holes or cracks. CPN:CPVSK was employed as an active light trapping material inside perovskite solar cells processed and analyzed at ambient conditions. The temperature increment from 100 to 200 °C subsequently lead to improvement in efficiency from 6.91% to 15.5% with considerable improvement in fill factor. CPN:CPVSK effectively generated pure H2 with the minor overpotential and Tafel slope values of 132 mV and 122.3 mV dec−1 while the O2 production activity was unappreciable. CPN:CPVSK is a potential material for battery application with the excellent unit capacity of 354 mA H g−1 and lower Rs of 0.44 Ω. Rare earth doped perovskite material is a sustainable, cost effective, and facile to prepare with the greater candidature for practical applications.

Fractionation of Methane Isotopologues during Preparation for Analysis from Ambient Air.

Preconcentration of methane (CH4) from air is a critical sampling step in the measurement of singly and doubly substituted isotopologue ratios. We demonstrate the potential for isotope fractionation during preconcentration onto and elution from the common trapping material HayeSep-D and investigate its significance in laser spectroscopy measurements. By altering the trapping temperature for adsorption, the flow direction of CH4 through the trap and the time at which CH4 is eluted during a desorption temperature ramp, we explain the mechanisms behind fractionation affecting δ13C(CH4) and δ2H(CH4). The results highlight that carbon isotope fractionation is driven by advection and diffusion, while hydrogen isotope fractionation is driven by the interaction of CH4 with the adsorbing material (tending to smaller isotopic effects at higher temperatures). We have compared the difference between the measured isotope ratio of sample gases (compressed whole air and a synthetic mixture of CH4 at ambient amount fraction in an N2 matrix) and their known isotopic composition. An open-system Rayleigh model is used to quantify the magnitude of isotopic fractionation affecting measured δ13C(CH4) and δ2H(CH4), which can be used to calculate the possible magnitude of isotopic fractionation given the recovery percentage. These results provide a quantitative understanding of isotopic fractionation during the sample preparation of CH4 from ambient air. The results also provide valuable insights applicable to other cryogenic preconcentration systems, such as those for measurements that probe the distribution of rarer isotopologues.

Creating Deep Traps in Yttrium Aluminum Garnet for Long‐Term Optical Storage and Afterglow‐Intensity‐Ratio‐Based Temperature Sensing

AbstractDeep traps are needed for electron‐trapping‐based long‐term optical storage due to its resistance to thermal erasure. Current electron trapping materials have the erasing temperatures hardly beyond 600 K, limiting its storage time. Herein, an electron trapping material containing deep traps is achieved by co‐doping Tb and Eu in Y3Al5O12 via solid‐state reaction in reducing atmosphere. After 254 nm UV charging, strong thermoluminescence of Tb3+ with the glow curve peaking at 600, 693, and 765 K is observed. The comparative studies of the as‐made and the air‐annealed samples suggest that these new traps are related to the complex defects containing oxygen vacancy with adjacent Eu2+ and the charging process is the photoionization of Tb3+ with subsequent electron trapping. The 693 and 765 K thermoluminescence glow peaks in the charged sample show almost no decrease during 108 h storage in dark at room temperature. Images write‐in and read‐out via 808 nm laser stimulation are realized. Furthermore, the present phosphor also exhibits temperature‐sensitive afterglow spectra in the range of 553–803 K with the sensing span of 250 K wider than other afterglow thermometers. These findings indicate the great application potentials of Y3Al5O12:Tb,Eu phosphor in long‐term optical storage and temperature sensing.

Design and Characterization of Eu2+/Ln3+ Co-doped SrAl2Si2O8 Photostimulated Phosphors for Optical Information Storages

In this paper, a series of Sr0.96Al2Si2O8 phosphors doped with 0.02Eu2+ and 0.02Re3+ (where Re = Tm, Dy, Er, Nd, Sm, La, Ho) were synthesized using the high-temperature solid-phase method at 1350 °C for 4 hours. The samples underwent characterization for structural and phase analysis using XRD-6000. Fluorescence and photostimulated properties were evaluated with F-4600. The pyroluminescence curve indicates a trap depth of 0.6-0.8 eV for Sr0.96Al2Si2O8: 0.02Eu2+, 0.02Re3+ (where Re = Dy, Er, Sm, La, Ho), making it suitable for prolonged afterglow luminescence. In comparison with deep trap material Sr0.96Al2Si2O8: 0.02Eu2+, 0.02Nd3+, the generated traps approach or exceed 1 eV, suggesting its potential for use as a light excitation and optical storage material. Additionally, the correlation between sample TL and PSL was examined, confirming that the augmentation of initial photostimulated luminescence intensity is closely associated with the generation of new traps. Furthermore, considering the effect of different trivalent lanthanide rare earth ion doping on trap depth from a trap regulation perspective offers a potential avenue for elucidating the nuanced processes underlying photostimulated luminescence.

The paradigm for exceptional iodine capture by nonporous amorphous electron-deficient cyclophanes

Nuclear power emerges as a beacon of hope in tackling the energy crisis. However, the emission of radioactive iodine originating from nuclear waste and accidents poses a serious danger to nature and human well-being. Therefore, it becomes imperative to urgently develop suitable adsorbents capable of iodine capture and long-term storage. It’s generally recognized that achieving high iodine capture efficiency necessitates the presence of electron-rich pores/cavities that facilitate charge-transfer (CT) interactions, as well as effective sorption sites capable of engaging in lone pair interactions with iodine. In this study, an unprecedented iodine capture paradigm by nonporous amorphous electron-deficient tetracationic cycloalkanes in vapor and aqueous solutions is revealed, overturning preconceived notions of iodine trapping materials. A newly reported tetracationic cyclophane, BPy-Box4+, exhibited an exceptional iodine vapor sorption capacity of 3.99 g g−1, remarkable iodine removal efficiency in aqueous media, and outstanding reusability. The iodine capture mechanism is unambiguously elucidated by theoretical calculations and the single-crystal structures of cyclophanes with a gradual increase in iodine content, underlining the vital role of host-guest (1:1 or 1:2) interactions for the enhanced iodine capture. The current study demonstrates a new paradigm for enhanced iodine capture by nonporous amorphous electron-deficient cyclophanes through host-guest complexation.

Performance of biochemical tools as fish waste particle tracers in a dispersive marine system

As finfish aquaculture expands to more dispersive coastal environments, inputs of aquaculture-derived organic matter become more diffuse, but widespread. Significant amounts of organic material are likely to be exported beyond the near-farm area, where it may encounter sensitive habitats. Biochemical tracers of organic matter, such as stable isotopes and fatty acids may be useful tools for detecting diffuse waste deposition. We used numerical modelling of direct and resuspended farm waste deposition and empirical environmental measurements to evaluate a range of biochemical indicators (major nutrients, bulk stable isotopes, fatty acids, minor and trace elements) for their efficacy as particle tracers of fish waste around a shallow water (∼30 m) salmon farm, in a dispersive coastal farming area. We also compared their efficacy across a range of sampling approaches (in sediment trap material, sediment and Mytilus edulis as a bio-indicator). Elemental carbon, nitrogen and zinc indicators could accurately reflect predicted waste deposition close to the farm, but only terrestrial fatty acid indicators were able to reflect diffuse wastes farther afield suggesting they are more sensitive tracers of fish waste. Their performance as tracers also differed between sediment trap and sediment samples, with most performing better in sediment trap samples. Although translocated mussels showed evidence of fish waste assimilation in areas of high waste deposition, tissue concentrations of fish waste tracers correlated relatively poorly with modelled waste deposition. Our results highlight the sensitivity of terrestrial fatty acids as fish waste tracers for detecting diffuse waste deposition, and demonstrate that concentrations of a number of elements can be used for mapping acute waste deposition. Our findings can inform selection of biochemical tracers for improved monitoring and management of farm wastes in dispersive marine systems.

Highly Reliable Van Der Waals Memory Boosted by a Single 2D Charge Trap Medium.

Charge trap materials that can store carriers efficiently and controllably are desired for memory applications. 2D materials are promising for highly compacted and reliable memory mainly due to their ease of constructing atomically uniform interfaces, however, remain unexplored as being charge trap media. Here it is discovered that 2D semiconducting PbI2 is an excellent charge trap material for nonvolatile memory and artificial synapses. It is simple to construct PbI2 -based charge trap devices since no complicated synthesis or additional defect manufacturing are required. As a demonstration, MoS2 /PbI2 device exhibits a large memory window of 120V, fast write speed of 5 µs, high on-off ratio around 106 , multilevel memory of over 8 distinct states, high reliability with endurance up to 104 cycles and retention over 1.2 × 104 s. It is envisioned that PbI2 with ionic activity caused by the natively formed iodine vacancies is unique to combine with unlimited 2D materials for versatile van der Waals devices with high-integration and multifunctionality.

Tracer technique to estimate the efficiency of radionuclide trap material in liquid sodium

Tracer technique to estimate the efficiency of radionuclide trap material in liquid sodium

Ukuran dan jenis tangkapan post larva lobster pada perbandingan kedalaman dan material perangkap di teluk awang lombok

Lobster farming still depends on larvae from nature, while the number of larvae caught is small and the size is not uniform. The effectiveness of a trap is caused by various factor. So that in this study it was tested based on the depth test of trap placement and forming material. This study aims to compare the effective trapping materials and identify the trapping depth according to the type and size of post larvae lobsters. The results showed that at the depth of trapping, namely sand lobsters at a depth of 14 meters with a total of 35 heads and a size of 5 cm, was found mostly at a depth of 14 meters with a total of 25 individuals. In the comparison of cement bag trap materials, the catch was the highest, where the cement bag type of lobster larvae that was caught the most was the sand lobster with a total of 154 and in the cement bag, size 5 was obtained with the most number caught. At a depth of 14 meters and cement sack material, the highest number of post-larval lobsters was caught, namely sand lobsters and 5 cm in size, the highest catch was obtained.

Hierarchical porous MOFs@COFs-based molecular trap solid-phase microextraction for efficient capture of PAHs and adsorption mechanisms

In view of the serious carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which cause significant harm to human beings and the environment. Therefore, developing rapid adsorption and efficient analytical methods are research topic with practical significance. Herein, an innovative MOFs@COFs-based molecular trap materials were prepared with hierarchical porous core–shell structure and used as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating, which combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to achieve the efficient separation, capture, and detection for 7 PAHs in real samples. The possible adsorption mechanism was systematically verified and explained. Under the optimized conditions, the method developed in this experiment had a wide linear range (0.005–400 µg·L−1) with a good linear correlation coefficient (R2 > 0.9984), low detection limits (0.002–0.405 µg·L−1, S/N = 3) and low quantification limits (0.005–1.351 µg·L−1, S/N = 10). The relative standard deviations of individual fibers and different batches of fibers were 0.26–3.64% and 0.40–5.91%, respectively. Besides, the fiber showed higher enrichment capacity and extraction efficiency for PAHs compared to commercial SPME fibers and other material fibers, and exhibited excellent acid-base stability and reproducibility. This work provided a favorable synthetic pathway for the preparation of MOFs@COFs composites by layer-modified assembly synthesis strategy, showed excellent practical applicability as a SPME fiber coating combined with HPLC, and could be realized to provide technical support for future studies on the separation, adsorption, and analysis of PAHs in the petrochemical industrial zone of the Yellow River Basin.

Three-dimensional General-relativistic Simulations of Neutrino-driven Winds from Magnetized Proto–Neutron Stars

Formed in the aftermath of a core-collapse supernova or neutron star merger, a hot proto–neutron star (PNS) launches an outflow driven by neutrino heating lasting for up to tens of seconds. Though such winds are considered potential sites for the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements via the rapid neutron capture process (r-process), previous work has shown that unmagnetized PNS winds fail to achieve the necessary combination of high entropy and/or short dynamical timescale in the seed nucleus formation region. We present three-dimensional general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamical simulations of PNS winds which include the effects of a dynamically strong (B ≳ 1015 G) dipole magnetic field. After initializing the magnetic field, the wind quickly develops a helmet-streamer configuration, characterized by outflows along open polar magnetic field lines and a “closed” zone of trapped plasma at lower latitudes. Neutrino heating within the closed zone causes the thermal pressure of the trapped material to rise in time compared to the polar outflow regions, ultimately leading to the expulsion of this matter from the closed zone on a timescale of ∼60 ms, consistent with the predictions of Thompson. The high entropies of these transient ejecta are still growing at the end of our simulations and are sufficient to enable a successful second-peak r-process in at least a modest ≳1% of the equatorial wind ejecta.

Challenges to Optimize Charge Trapping Non-Volatile Flash Memory Cells: A Case Study of HfO2/Al2O3 Nanolaminated Stacks.

The requirements for ever-increasing volumes of data storage have urged intensive studies to find feasible means to satisfy them. In the long run, new device concepts and technologies that overcome the limitations of traditional CMOS-based memory cells will be needed and adopted. In the meantime, there are still innovations within the current CMOS technology, which could be implemented to improve the data storage ability of memory cells-e.g., replacement of the current dominant floating gate non-volatile memory (NVM) by a charge trapping memory. The latter offers better operation characteristics, e.g., improved retention and endurance, lower power consumption, higher program/erase (P/E) speed and allows vertical stacking. This work provides an overview of our systematic studies of charge-trapping memory cells with a HfO2/Al2O3-based charge-trapping layer prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The possibility to tailor density, energy, and spatial distributions of charge storage traps by the introduction of Al in HfO2 is demonstrated. The impact of the charge trapping layer composition, annealing process, material and thickness of tunneling oxide on the memory windows, and retention and endurance characteristics of the structures are considered. Challenges to optimizing the composition and technology of charge-trapping memory cells toward meeting the requirements for high density of trapped charge and reliable storage with a negligible loss of charges in the CTF memory cell are discussed. We also outline the perspectives and opportunities for further research and innovations enabled by charge-trapping HfO2/Al2O3-based stacks.

Mn2+/Pr3+/Tb3+ single‐doped Mg4Ga4Ge3O16 persistent luminescence materials for optical information storage application

AbstractPersistent luminescence (PersL) phosphors are considered as promising candidates for the next generation of information storage medium. Mg4Ga4Ge3O16 (MGG) is an electron trapping material which exhibits defect luminescence, and the luminescent properties are easily tuned via doping various activated ions. In this work, undoped and Mn2+/Pr3+/Tb3+ single‐doped MGG phosphors were synthesized via high temperature solid phase reactions. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope results confirm that the activated ions tend to occupy Mg2+ sites. Excited at 265 nm, the MGG host exhibits a defect emission band peaked at 450 nm. Red, pink and green emissions are observed in the Mn2+/Pr3+/Tb3+ single‐doped MGG samples, which are ascribed to the Mn2+: 4T1(G) → 6A1(S), Pr3+: 1D2 → 3H4 and Tb3+: 5D4 → 7F5 transitions, respectively. All the samples exhibit bright PersL for minutes after the cessation of excitation. The energy transfer, concentration quenching, luminescence decay and afterglow mechanisms are also discussed in detail. The phosphors exhibit efficient thermal and optical stimuli response, showing great potentials in the optical information storage.

Fluid inclusions in minerals: from geosciences to the physics of water and back

Natural mineral samples often contain small volumes of trapped fluid material. They carry information about the history of the host mineral and its environment, and for this reason are used by geoscientists. Physicists and physico-chemists have successfully harnessed water inclusions in quartz to bring liquid water to a metastable state, at a pressure well below its equilibrium pressure with vapor. The pressure can reach negative values as large as -140 MPa, which exceeds by far the limits of other techniques, and approaches the theoretical threshold for spontaneous nucleation of a vapor bubble. This has enabled a deeper understanding of nucleation and of the anomalies of water. In turn, the optical techniques developed to study water’s properties have recently found a new application in the reconstruction of palaeotemperatures in surface processes. I review here some aspects of fluid inclusions, these fascinating objects at the crossroads between disciplines.