Two-dimensional Spatial Mapping Research Articles

Design and Study of a Two-Dimensional (2D) All-Optical Spatial Mapping Module.

Sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography is one of the main emerging ultra-fast detection technologies that can be widely applicable to ultra-fast detection at the picosecond level in fields such as materials and life sciences. We propose a new optical structure for an all-optical spatial mapping module that can control the optical field of two-dimensional imaging while improving spectral resolution and detector sensor utilization. The model of optical parameters based on geometrical optics theory for the given structure has been established, and the theoretical analysis of the inter-frame energy crosstalk caused by incident beam spot width, chromatic aberration, and main errors of the periscope array has been conducted. The optical design of the two-dimensional (2D) all-optical spatial mapping module was finally completed using ZEMAX OpticStudio 2018 software. The results show that our optical module can realize targets of 16 frames and 1.25 nm spectral resolution.

Nanoscale imaging of phonon dynamics by electron microscopy

Spatially resolved vibrational mapping of nanostructures is indispensable to the development and understanding of thermal nanodevices1, modulation of thermal transport2 and novel nanostructured thermoelectric materials3–5. Through the engineering of complex structures, such as alloys, nanostructures and superlattice interfaces, one can significantly alter the propagation of phonons and suppress material thermal conductivity while maintaining electrical conductivity2. There have been no correlative experiments that spatially track the modulation of phonon properties in and around nanostructures due to spatial resolution limitations of conventional optical phonon detection techniques. Here we demonstrate two-dimensional spatial mapping of phonons in a single silicon–germanium (SiGe) quantum dot (QD) using monochromated electron energy loss spectroscopy in the transmission electron microscope. Tracking the variation of the Si optical mode in and around the QD, we observe the nanoscale modification of the composition-induced red shift. We observe non-equilibrium phonons that only exist near the interface and, furthermore, develop a novel technique to differentially map phonon momenta, providing direct evidence that the interplay between diffuse and specular reflection largely depends on the detailed atomistic structure: a major advancement in the field. Our work unveils the non-equilibrium phonon dynamics at nanoscale interfaces and can be used to study actual nanodevices and aid in the understanding of heat dissipation near nanoscale hotspots, which is crucial for future high-performance nanoelectronics.

Femtosecond, two-dimensional spatial Doppler mapping of ultraintense laser-solid target interaction

We present measurements of the spatiotemporal evolution of a hot-dense plasma generated by the interaction of an intense 25 fs laser pulse with a solid target, using pump-probe two-dimensional (2D) Doppler spectrometry. Measuring the time-dependent Doppler shifts at different positions across the probe beam, we achieve velocity mapping at hundreds of femtoseconds time resolution simultaneously with a few micrometer spatial resolution across the transverse length of the plasma. Simulations of the interaction using a combination of 2D particle-in-cell and 2D radiation hydrodynamics codes agree well with the experiment.

Frequency- and magnetic-field-dependent properties of ordered magnetic nanoparticle arrangements

We present investigations of the frequency and magnetic field dependent properties of ordered magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) arrangements consisting of magnetite (${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$) nanoparticles with an average diameter of 20 nm by employing micro Brillouin light scattering microscopy. We utilized electron beam lithography to prepare hexagonally arranged, circularly shaped MNP assemblies consisting of a single layer of MNPs using a variant of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. By comparing the results with nonstructured, layered superlattices of MNPs, further insight into the influence of size and geometry of the arrangement on the collective magnetic properties is obtained. We show that at low static external field strengths, two signals occur in frequency dependent measurements for both nonstructured and structured assemblies. Increasing the static external field strength results in a sharpening of the main signal, while the satellite signal decreases in its intensity and increases in its linewidth. The occurrence of multiple signals at low external field strengths is also confirmed by sweeping the static external field and keeping the excitation frequency constant. Furthermore, two-dimensional spatial mapping of the resonances reveals that the main and the satellite signal originate from the center and the edge, respectively, of a single circular MNP assembly. Micromagnetic simulations confirm these assignments and the dependence of the two signals on the static external field strength, justifying an interpretation of the observed characteristics in terms of different local environments of MNPs forming the MNP assembly.

Spatial Decomposition of a Broadband Pulse Caused by Strong Frequency Dispersion of Sound in Acoustic Metamaterial Superlattice.

An acoustic metamaterial superlattice is used for the spatial and spectral deconvolution of a broadband acoustic pulse into narrowband signals with different central frequencies. The operating frequency range is located on the second transmission band of the superlattice. The decomposition of the broadband pulse was achieved by the frequency-dependent refraction angle in the superlattice. The refracted angle within the acoustic superlattice was larger at higher operating frequency and verified by numerical calculated and experimental mapped sound fields between the layers. The spatial dispersion and the spectral decomposition of a broadband pulse were studied using lateral position-dependent frequency spectra experimentally with and without the superlattice structure along the direction of the propagating acoustic wave. In the absence of the superlattice, the acoustic propagation was influenced by the usual divergence of the beam, and the frequency spectrum was unaffected. The decomposition of the broadband wave in the superlattice’s presence was measured by two-dimensional spatial mapping of the acoustic spectra along the superlattice’s in-plane direction to characterize the propagation of the beam through the crystal. About 80% of the frequency range of the second transmission band showed exceptional performance on decomposition.

Single Particle Deformation and Analysis of Silica-Coated Gold Nanorods before and after Femtosecond Laser Pulse Excitation.

We performed single particle deformation experiments on silica-coated gold nanorods under femtosecond (fs) illumination. Changes in the particle shape were analyzed by electron microscopy and associated changes in the plasmon resonance by electron energy loss spectroscopy. Silica-coated rods were found to be more stable compared to uncoated rods but could still be deformed via an intermediate bullet-like shape for silica shell thicknesses of 14 nm. Changes in the size ratio of the rods after fs-illumination resulted in blue-shifting of the longitudinal plasmon resonances. Two-dimensional spatial mapping of the plasmon resonances revealed that the flat side of the bullet-like particles showed a less pronounced longitudinal plasmonic electric field enhancement. These findings were confirmed by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Furthermore, at higher laser fluences size reduction of the particles was found as well as for particles that were not completely deformed yet.

Single and Dual Photonic Jets and Corresponding Backscattering Enhancement With Tipped Waveguides: Direct Observation at Microwave Frequencies

This paper reports experiments on single and dual electromagnetic jets (also called photonic jets) emerging from a weakly multimode waveguide excited by a plane wave in the microwaves frequencies (30 GHz), ended with a tip with a special shape. The measurements are performed with a two-dimensional spatial field mapping system. This system acquires the electric field distribution at the end of the tipped waveguide. Qualitatively, the electric field maps confirm the presence of photonic jets that were recently predicted by a computational model based on boundary integral equations. Backscattering induced by the interaction of a particle with the electromagnetic jet is also measured; particles with a size smaller than the incident wavelength can be easily detected. The high sensitivity feature of the backscattering can be used to develop a near-field technique for microwave or optical imaging.

A Review on Visual Neuroprosthetic Systems

The ageing of population and the progression of certain diseases are increasing the number of people affected by blindness, so an effort is being made by researchers to bring new solutions to restore some form of functional vision to the blind. One of the research fields working in this line is visual neuroprosthetics, which seeks to elicit visual sensations in unsighted individuals by delivering controlled electrical charges in specific locations of their visual pathways. There are a large number of patents in this field, as this technology has been under research for decades. This paper reviews the fundamentals of visual neuroprosthetics and describes latest patents related to these biomedical devices. Patents, in this case can be regarded not only as a mechanism to protect intellectual property and commercial interests, but also as a valuable source of information on current and past developments for researchers, who usually limit their inputs for research to journal papers and books. Keywords: Artificial sight.blindness, implant, neuroengineering, neuroprosthesis, optic nerve, retina, visual cortex, Visual Neuroprosthetic Systems, Human Visual System, subretinal microphotodiodes, Virtual Technology, microelectrode arrays, two-dimensional spatial mapping, visual prosthesis, retinal prosthesis

Design and realization of a two-dimensional spatial magnetic field mapping apparatus to measure magnetic fields of metamaterials

The two-dimensional (2D) spatial electric-field mapping apparatus [Opt. Express 14, 8694 (2006)] plays an important role in experiments involving metamaterials, such as the verification of free-space and ground-plane invisibility cloaks. However, such an apparatus is valid only for the transverse-electric (TE) mode and is invalid for the transverse-magnetic (TM) mode, as it requires perfectly magnetic conducting (PMC) planes, which do not exist in nature. In this paper, we propose a 2D spatial magnetic-field mapping apparatus based on artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) plates. The AMC structure is designed using periodically perfectly electrical conducting patches with a sub-wavelength size on a dielectric substrate backed with the ground plane, which can simulate a PMC plane. Using two parallel PMC plates to form a TM-wave planar waveguide, we realize the 2D spatial magnetic-field mapping apparatus in order to measure the external and internal magnetic fields of metamaterials. Two types of excitations, a plane-wave source and a magnetic dipole, are used to feed the system. In order to validate the performance of the magnetic-field mapper, two gradient-index metamaterial lenses are measured, and the experimental results are in good agreement with the full-wave simulations.

Direct observation of photonic jets and corresponding backscattering enhancement at microwave frequencies

We report the direct observation of photonic nanojets that emerged from the shadow side of a dielectric cylinder illuminated by plane waves in the microwave frequencies (8–13 GHz). Using our recently developed two-dimensional spatial field mapping system, we carried out a point-by-point measurement of both the phase and intensity of spatial electric field distribution inside and around scattering dielectric cylinders. The direct electric field maps confirm the subwavelength waist of the photonic jet. In addition, we also confirmed the superbackscattering enhancement induced by the presence of a particle much smaller than the initial focusing cylinder within the photonic jet.

Visual observation and quantitative measurement of the microwave absorbing effect at X band

We have set up a two-dimensional spatial field mapping system to measure graphically the quasi-free-space electromagnetic wave in a parallel plate waveguide. Our apparatus illustrates a potential application in characterizing the microwave absorbing materials. From the measured mappings of the microwave field, the visualization of spatial physical process and quantitative characterization of reflectivity coefficients can be achieved. This simple apparatus has a remarkable advantage over with conventional testing methods which usually involve huge, expensive anechoic chambers and demand samples of large size.

Concurrent x-ray diffractometer for high throughput structural diagnosis of epitaxial thin films

We have developed a concurrent x-ray diffractometer that concurrently measures spatially resolved x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of epitaxial thin films integrated on a substrate. A convergent x-ray is focused into stripe on a substrate and the diffracted beam is detected with a two-dimensional x-ray detector. The obtained snapshot image represents a mapping of XRD intensity with the axes of the diffraction angle and the position in the sample. In addition to the parallel XRD measurements of thin films with various compositions and structures, two-dimensional spatial mapping of XRD peak with a resolution of ∼100 μm is demonstrated. This technique will provide us a high throughput characterization method of various devices composed of epitaxial films.

High-resolution two-dimensional spatial mapping of cat striate cortex using a 100-microelectrode array

Much of our understanding of the visuotopic organization of striate cortex results from single-electrode penetrations and serial recording of receptive field properties. However, the quality of these maps is limited by imprecision in quantifying electrode position, combining data from multiple laminae, and eye drift during the measurement of the receptive field properties. We have addressed these concerns by using an array of 100 closely spaced microelectrodes to investigate the two-dimensional visuotopic organization of layer IV in cat striate cortex. This array allowed simultaneous measurement of the receptive field properties of multiple single units on a regularly spaced grid. We found the relationship between cortical and visual space to be locally non-conformal: the receptive field locations associated with a closely spaced line of electrodes appeared randomly scattered in visual space. To quantify the scatter, we fitted a linear transformation of electrode sites onto the associated receptive field locations. We found that the distribution of the difference between the predicted receptive field location and the measured location had standard deviations of 0.59° and 0.45° in the horizontal and the vertical axes, respectively. Although individual receptive field positions differed from the predicted locations in a non-conformal sense, the trend across multiple receptive fields followed the maps described elsewhere. We found, on average, that the 13 mm 2 of cortex sampled by the array mapped onto a 5.8-degrees 2 region of visual space. From the scaling of this map and a combination of the statistics of the receptive field size (2.7±1.5 degrees 2) and scatter, we have explored the impact of electrode spacing on the completeness and redundancy in coverage of visual space sampled by an array. The simulation indicated an array with 1.2-mm spacing would completely sample the region of visual space addressed by the array. These results have implications for neuroprosthetic applications. Assuming phosphene organization resembles the visuotopic organization, remapping of visual space may be necessary to accommodate the scatter in phosphene locations.