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At least 1,405 records · Page 78

Towards a fully automated algorithm driven platform for biosystems design

Large-scale data acquisition and analysis are often required in the successful implementation of the design, build, test, and learn (DBTL) cycle in biosystems design. However, it has long been hindered by experimental cost, variability, biases, and missed insights from traditional analysis methods. Here, we report the application of an integrated robotic system coupled with machine learning algorithms to fully automate the DBTL process for biosystems design. As proof of concept, we have demonstrated its capacity by optimizing the lycopene biosynthetic pathway. This fully-automated robotic platform, BioAutomata, evaluates less than 1% of possible variants while outperforming random screening by 77%. A paired predictive model and Bayesian algorithm select experiments which are performed by Illinois Biological Foundry for Advanced Biomanufacturing (iBioFAB). BioAutomata excels with black-box optimization problems, where experiments are expensive and noisy and the success of the experiment is not dependent on extensive prior knowledge of biological mechanisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Electrochemically mediated disproportionation for selective formaldehyde upcycling in acid

Formaldehyde (FA) electrolysis is attractive for paired production of value‑added chemicals. However, conventional electrolysis adopts alkaline electrolytes, which triggers FA self-disproportionation and severe feed loss. Here we introduce a sustainable and selective strategy for valorizing FA through electrochemically mediated disproportionation in acidic electrolytes. By leveraging a dual-electrode system consisting of a hydrophobic copper tetraminophthalocyanine layer (CuTAPc-layer) cathode and a Pt 2 Ru bimetallic anode, we efficiently convert FA into methanol and formic acid at high Faradaic efficiencies of 93.2% and 91.3%, respectively. Compared with alkaline FA oxidation, which can lose up to 76% FA and complicate downstream separation, the acidic system suppresses side reactions to ensure high product purity. Mechanism studies reveal that the hydrophobic microenvironment of CuTAPc-layer suppresses hydrogen evolution, while the stronger oxophilicity of Pt 2 Ru enhances FA activation and lowers the key deprotonation barrier for FA oxidation. The integrated device demonstrates application potential in polyoxymethylene upgrading, delivering 374.2 mA at 4 V with ~90% single-pass conversion, establishing a scalable and eco-friendly electrochemical pathway for chemical upcycling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tailoring diamond’s optical properties via direct femtosecond laser nanostructuring

We demonstrate a rapid, accurate, and convenient method for tailoring the optical properties of diamond surfaces by employing laser induced periodic surface structuring (LIPSSs). The characteristics of the fabricated photonic surfaces were adjusted by tuning the laser wavelength, number of impinging pulses, angle of incidence and polarization state. Using Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) modeling, the optical transmissivity and bandwidth was calculated for each fabricated LIPSSs morphology. The highest transmission of ~99.5% was obtained in the near-IR for LIPSSs structures with aspect ratios of the order of ~0.65. The present technique enabled us to identify the main laser parameters involved in the machining process, and to control it with a high degree of accuracy in terms of structure periodicity, morphology and aspect ratio. We also demonstrate and study the conditions for fabricating spatially coherent nanostructures over large areas maintaining a high degree of nanostructure repeatability and optical performance. While our experimental demonstrations have been mainly focused on diamond anti-reflection coatings and gratings, the technique can be easily extended to other materials and applications, such as integrated photonic devices, high power diamond optics, or the construction of photonic surfaces with tailored characteristics in general.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for microfluidic pillar arrayed separation chips

Numerous studies have addressed the challenges of implementing miniaturized microfluidic platforms for chemical and biological separation applications. However, the integration of real time detection schemes capable of providing valuable sample information under continuous, ultra low volume flow regimes has not fully been addressed. In this report we present a chip based chromatography system comprising of a pillar array separation column followed by a reagent channel for passive mixing of a silver colloidal solution into the eluent stream to enable surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection. Our design is the first integrated chip based microfluidic device to combine pressure driven separation capability with real time SERS detection. With this approach we demonstrate the ability to collect distinctive SERS spectra with or without complete resolution of chromatographic bands. Computational fluidic dynamic (CFD) simulations are used to model the diffusive mixing behavior and velocity profiles of the two confluent streams in the microfluidic channels. We evaluate the SERS spectral band intensity and chromatographic efficiency of model analytes with respect to kinetic factors as well as signal acquisition rates. Additionally, we discuss the use of a pluronic modified silver colloidal solution as a means of eliminating contamination generally caused by nanoparticle adhesion to channel surfaces.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Inspection of 56 Fe γ -Ray angular distributions as a function of incident neutron energy using optical model approaches

Neutron inelastic scattering cross sections measured directly through (n,n) or deduced from g-ray production cross sections following inelastic neutron scattering (n,n0) are a focus of basic and applied research at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (www.pa.uky.edu/accelerator). For nuclear data applications, angle-integrated cross sections are desired over a wide range of fast neutron energies. Several days of experimental beam time are required for a data set at each incident neutron energy, which limits the number of angular distributions that can be measured in a reasonable amount of time. Approximations can be employed to generate cross sections with a higher energy resolution, since at 125°, the a 2 P 2 term of the Legendre expansion is identically zero and the a 4 P 4 is assumed to be very small. Provided this assumption is true, a single measurement at 125o would produce the g-ray production cross section. Finally, this project tests these assumptions and energy dependences using the codes CINDY/SCAT and TALYS/ECIS06/SCAT. It is found that care must be taken when interpreting g-ray excitation functions as cross sections when the incident neutron energy is <1000 keV above threshold or before the onset of feeding.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Extreme Compression for Large Scale Data Store

For the last 5 years Accelogic pioneered and perfected a radically new theory of numerical computing codenamed “Compressive Computing”, which has an extremely profound impact on real-world computer science [1]. At the core of this new theory is the discovery of one of its fundamental theorems which states that, under very general conditions, the vast majority (typically between 70% and 80%) of the bits used in modern large-scale numerical computations are absolutely irrelevant for the accuracy of the end result. This theory of Compressive Computing provides mechanisms able to identify (with high intelligence and surgical accuracy) the number of bits (i.e., the precision) that can be used to represent numbers without affecting the substance of the end results, as they are computed and vary in real time. The bottom line outcome would be to provide a state-of-the-art compression algorithm that surpasses those currently available in the ROOT framework, with the purpose of enabling substantial economic and operational gains (including speedup) for High Energy and Nuclear Physics data storage/analysis. In our initial studies, a factor of nearly x4 (3.9) compression was achieved with RHIC/STAR data where ROOT compression managed only x1.4.In this contribution, we will present our concepts of “functionally lossless compression”, have a glance at examples and achievements in other communities, present the results and outcome of our current, ongoing R&D, as well as present a high-level view of our plan to move forward with a ROOT implementation that would deliver a basic solution readily integrated into HENP applications. As a collaboration of experimental scientists, private industry, and the ROOT Team, our aim is to capitalize on the substantial success delivered by the initial effort and produce a robust technology properly packaged as an open-source tool that could be used by virtually every experiment around the world as means for improving data management and accessibility.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Luminescent, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of Pr doped Bi{sub 7}Ti{sub 4}NbO{sub 21} multifunctional ceramics

Pr doped Bi{sub 7}Ti{sub 4}NbO{sub 21} (BTN) multifunctional ceramics were prepared by a conventional sintering technique and their luminescent, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated. The X-ray diffraction data showed that the samples were single phase, and the scanning electron microscopy image indicated that the ceramics had flake-like grains with uniform thickness. The red emission was observed under the ultraviolet and blue light excitation at room temperature. The thermal quench of luminescence was measured and the result indicated that Pr doped BTN ceramics might be potentially applied in luminescent probes and temperature sensors. With the increasing Pr{sup 3+} content, the intensity of the photoluminescence increased initially and then decreased due to concentration quenching; The Curie temperature T{sub c} was slightly shifted to the lower temperature; the ferroelectric properties was almost unchanged by doping. As a new multifunctional material, the Pr doped BTN ceramics could be used for a wide range of application, such as integrated electro-optical devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Coupling mid-infrared light from a photonic crystal waveguide to metallic transmission lines

We propose and theoretically study a hybrid structure consisting of a photonic crystal waveguide (PhC-wg) and a two-wire metallic transmission line (TL), engineered for efficient transfer of mid-infrared (mid-IR) light between them. An efficiency of 32% is obtained for the coupling from the transverse magnetic (TM) photonic mode to the symmetric mode of the TL, with a predicted intensity enhancement factor of 53 at the transmission line surface. The strong coupling is explained by the small phase velocity mismatch and sufficient spatial overlapping between the modes. This hybrid structure could find applications in highly integrated mid-IR photonic-plasmonic devices for biological and gas sensing, among others.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Influence of gas injection location and magnetic perturbations on ICRF antenna performance in ASDEX Upgrade

In ASDEX Upgrade H-modes with H{sub 98}≈0.95, similar effect of the ICRF antenna loading improvement by local gas injection was observed as previously in L-modes. The antenna loading resistance R{sub a} between and during ELMs can increase by more than 25% after a switch-over from a deuterium rate of 7.5⋅10{sup 21} D/s injected from a toroidally remote location to the same amount of deuterium injected close to an antenna. However, in contrast to L-mode, this effect is small in H-mode when the valve downstream w.r.t. parallel plasma flows is used. In L-mode, a non-linearity of R{sub a} at P{sub ICRP}<30 kW is observed when using the gas valve integrated in antenna. Application of magnetic perturbations (MPs) in H-mode discharges leads to an increase of R{sub a}>30% with no effect of spectrum and phase of MPs on R{sub a} found so far. In the case ELMs are fully mitigated, the antenna loading is higher and steadier. In the case ELMs are not fully mitigated, the value of R{sub a} between ELMs is increased. Looking at the W source modification for the improved loading, the local gas injection is accompanied by decreased values of tungsten (W) influx Γ{sub W} from the limiters and its effective sputtering yield Y{sub w}, with the exception of the locations directly at the antenna gas valve. Application of MPs leads to increase of Γ{sub W} and Y{sub w} for some of the MP phases. With nitrogen seeding in the divertor, ICRF is routinely used to avoid impurity accumulation and that despite enhanced Γ{sub W} and Y{sub W} at the antenna limiters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Influence of graphene on quality factor variation in a silicon ring resonator

Selectively patterned graphene is integrated onto a silicon ring resonator to investigate the quality factor (Q factor) variation. The Q factor sharply decreases from 7900 to 1200 as the patterned graphene length increases from 0 to 20 μm. A numerical estimation, which takes into account optical absorption by graphene, shows an exponential damping of the Q factor with increasing graphene length and is consistent with the experimental result. We expect these fundamental characterizations to be helpful in developing graphene-integrated silicon photonics applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High Q silicon carbide microdisk resonator

We demonstrate a silicon carbide (SiC) microdisk resonator with optical Q up to 5.12 × 10{sup 4}. The high optical quality, together with the diversity of whispering-gallery modes and the tunability of external coupling, renders SiC microdisk a promising platform for integrated quantum photonics applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tuning the external optical feedback-sensitivity of a passively mode-locked quantum dot laser

The external optical feedback-sensitivity of a two-section, passively mode-locked quantum dot laser operating at elevated temperature is experimentally investigated as a function of absorber bias voltage. Results show that the reverse-bias voltage on the absorber has a direct impact on the damping rate of the free-running relaxation oscillations of the optical signal output, thereby enabling interactive external control over the feedback-response of the device, even under the nearly resonant cavity configuration. The combination of high temperature operation and tunable feedback-sensitivity is highly promising from a technological standpoint, in particular, for applications requiring monolithic integration of multi-component architectures on a single chip in order to accomplish, for instance, the dual-objectives of stable pulse quality and isolation from parasitic reflections.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Interferometric properties of standing spin waves and the application to a phase comparator

We numerically studied the material and structural parameter dependence of interferometric properties of the standing spin wave resonance (SSWR) by micromagnetic simulations and demonstrate the feasibility of practical application to an integrated phase comparator. The micromagnetic configuration of the synthesized SSWR emitted from the two microwave currents flowing through the parallel strip lines depends on the phase difference Δϕ between them. Resultantly, the Δϕ is converted to the related output voltage with an overlaid phase detector, inductively coupled to the magnetic strip. Among the investigated various material systems, low damping (α ∼ 0.001) metallic ferromagnets are found to exhibit superior device performance due to the reduced viscous dissipation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A spin-optoelectronic detector for the simultaneous measurement of the degree of circular polarization and intensity of a laser beam

Simultaneous measurement of the degree of circular polarization and intensity of a laser beam is essential in advanced photonic applications. However, it is not feasible with conventional helicity dependent detectors where an additional detector is needed to measure the intensity. Here, we report the development of a spin-optoelectronic detector that can measure the degree of circular polarization and the intensity of a laser beam simultaneously. The principle of operation of device is based on the two independent fundamental phenomena occurring in Au/InP hybrid structures, namely, Inverse Spin Hall Effect (ISHE) and the Photo-Voltaic (PV) Effect. The magnitude of ISHE and PV signals is simultaneously measured across the two pairs of contacts that are made on the top of device. No cross talk is observed between the two detectors made on the same chip. The all-electronic compact device is fast, operates at room temperature, and opens up the possibility of many applications in an integrated optoelectronic platform.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Electrically tunable optical bistability based on one-dimensional photonic crystals with nonlinear nanocomposite materials

A one-dimensional photonic crystal structure with a nonlinear metal-dielectric nanocomposite defect layer is proposed to control the optical bistability (OB) of the transmitted wave by tuning the externally applied dc electric field. Using the transfer matrix method for dielectric layers and solving the Helmholtz nonlinear equation in the nonlinear composite layer, the linear transmittance spectrum and the nonlinear transmission curve are illustrated graphically for different applied fields. A field-dependent defect mode is observed in the linear transmittance spectrum. Consequently, the OB switch-up and -down thresholds can be manipulated via the applied field intensity. Due to the field dependence of composite layer refractive index, the physical response of the observation is the dynamical shifting of the defect mode. Moreover, it is shown that the volume fraction, shape, and type of the embedded nanoparticles as well as the kind of the dielectric host have large influences on the OB threshold. The proposed structure has significant potential applications in optical integrated devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Ultra-small and broadband polarization splitters based on double-slit interference

An ultra-small and broadband polarization splitter is numerically and experimentally demonstrated based on the double-slit interference in a polymer-film-coated double-slit structure. The hybrid slab waveguide (air-polymer-Au) supports both the transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes. The incident beam from the back side can excite these two guided modes of orthogonally polarized states in the hybrid structure. By exploiting the difference slit widths and the large mode birefringence, these two guided modes propagate to the opposite directions along the front metal surface. Moreover, the short interference length broadens the operation bandwidth. Experimentally, a polarization splitter with a lateral dimension of only about 1.6 μm and an operation bandwidth of 50 nm is realized. By designing the double-slit structure in a hybrid strip waveguide, the device dimension can be significant downscaled to about 0.3 × 1.3 μm{sup 2}. Such an ultra-small and broadband polarization splitter may find important applications in the integrated photonic circuits.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

2D materials-assisted heterogeneous integration of semiconductor membranes toward functional devices

Heterogeneous integration techniques allow the coupling of highly lattice-mismatched solid-state membranes, including semiconductors, oxides, and two-dimensional materials, to synergistically fuse the functionalities. The formation of heterostructures generally requires two processes: the combination of crystalline growth and a non-destructive lift-off/transfer process enables the formation of high-quality heterostructures. Although direct atomic interaction between the substrate and the target membrane ensures high-quality growth, the strong atomic bonds at the substrate/epitaxial film interface hinder the non-destructive separation of the target membrane from the substrate. Alternatively, a 2D material-coated compound semiconductor substrate can transfer the weakened (but still effective) surface potential field of the surface through the 2D material, allowing both high-quality epitaxial growth and non-destructive lift-off of the grown film. This Perspective reviews 2D/3D heterogeneous integration techniques, along with applications of III–V compound semiconductors and oxides. Here, the advanced heterogeneous integration methods offer an effective method to produce various freestanding membranes for stackable heterostructures with unique functionalities that can be applied to novel electrical, optoelectronic, neuromorphic, and bioelectronic systems.

2D materials↗

A nanocryotron memory and logic family

The development of superconducting electronics based on nanocryotrons has been limited so far to few device circuits, in part due to the lack of standard and robust logic cells. Here, we introduce and experimentally demonstrate designs for a set of nanocryotron-based building blocks that can be configured and combined to implement memory and logic functions. The devices were fabricated by patterning a single superconducting layer of niobium nitride and measured in liquid helium on a wide range of operating points. The tests show 10 - 4 bit error rates with above ± 20 % margins up to 50 MHz and the possibility of operating under the effect of an out-of-plane 36 mT magnetic field, with ± 30 % margins at 10 MHz. Additionally, we designed and measured an equivalent delay-flip-flop made of two memory cells to show the possibility of combining multiple building blocks to make larger circuits. These blocks may constitute a solid foundation for the development of nanocryotron logic circuits and finite-state machines with potential applications in the integrated processing and control of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗