Detecting nonlocality by second-harmonic generation from a graphene-wrapped nanoparticle.

With the rapid development of nanofabrication technology and nonlinear optics, the nonlinear detection by nanostructures is highly appreciated. In this paper, we study the second-harmonic generation by a spherical nonlocal plasmonic nanoparticle wrapped with graphene. We develop a simple method for calculating the electric field at second-harmonic frequency and analyze the influence of the nonlocal response of the metal on the second-harmonic. We find that this nanostructure can probe the material's properties by detecting the radiation intensity of the second-harmonic generation. In addition, the nonlocal response of the plasmonic core can promote the absorption efficiency of second-harmonic generation. Our study may offer a new way for studying the plasmonic quantum effects and nonlinear probing technology and improving the nonlinear conversion efficiency of photonic devices.

Topology-tuned light scattering around Fano resonances by a core-shell cylinder.

The topological magnetoelectric (TME) effect is a novel optical response from topological insulators. This effect shows that magnetic (electric) polarization can be induced by an applied electric (magnetic) field, and it is characterized by the fine structure constant. However, the TME effect is generally very weak and still a challenge to be observed in the experiment. In this paper, we showed that the far-field scattering of a core-shell topological cylinder can be tuned by the TME effect which was enhanced at the surface of plasmonic core around Fano resonance. The interference of broad dipolar mode and narrow quadrupole mode is changed with the topological magnetoelectric polarizability. We demonstrated the reversal of optical responses associated with the TME effect in both far-field and near field. Our results may offer an alternative way to observe the TME effect in topological insulators.

Pulling cylindrical particles using a soft-nonparaxial tractor beam.

In order to pull objects towards the light source a single tractor beam inevitably needs to be strongly nonparaxial. This stringent requirement makes such a tractor beam somewhat hypothetical. Here we reveal that the cylindrical shape of dielectric particles can effectively mitigate the nonparaxiality requirements, reducing the incidence angle of the partial plane waves of the light beam down to 45° and even to 30° for respectively dipole and dipole-quadrupole objects. The optical pulling force attributed to the interaction of magnetic dipole and magnetic quadrupole moments of dielectric cylinders occurs due to the TE rather than TM polarization. Therefore, the polarization state of the incident beam can be utilized as an external control for switching between the pushing and pulling forces. The results have application values towards optical micromanipulation, transportation and sorting of targeted particles.

Optical manipulation from the microscale to the nanoscale: fundamentals, advances and prospects.

Since the invention of optical tweezers, optical manipulation has advanced significantly in scientific areas such as atomic physics, optics and biological science. Especially in the past decade, numerous optical beams and nanoscale devices have been proposed to mechanically act on nanoparticles in increasingly precise, stable and flexible ways. Both the linear and angular momenta of light can be exploited to produce optical tractor beams, tweezers and optical torque from the microscale to the nanoscale. Research on optical forces helps to reveal the nature of light-matter interactions and to resolve the fundamental aspects, which require an appropriate description of momenta and the forces on objects in matter. In this review, starting from basic theories and computational approaches, we highlight the latest optical trapping configurations and their applications in bioscience, as well as recent advances down to the nanoscale. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of nanomanipulation, which has considerable potential applications in a variety of scientific fields and everyday life.

Targeted Raman Imaging of Cells Using Graphene Oxide-Based Hybrids.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a reliable and multifunctional platform to perform cell imaging. In this work, a controllable Pt-seed-mediated method is used to prepare GO/gold nanoparticle (AuNP) hybrids, and after the covalent binding of folic acid (FA), GO/AuNP/FA hybrids are prepared. Selective labeling and Raman imaging of folate receptor (FR)-positive HeLa cells are realized using such GO-based hybrids. In this system, FA is the targeting agent, AuNPs work as surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates, and GO takes the role of both supporting the AuNPs with FA and acting as a Raman probe. This research further extends the application of GO as a multifunctional platform in bioimaging and other biomedical processes.

The dispersion and aggregation of graphene oxide in aqueous media.

Graphene oxide (GO), as a typical two-dimensional material, possesses a range of oxygen-containing groups and shows surfactant and/or polyelectrolyte-like characteristics. Herein, GO sheets with narrow size distribution were prepared by an ultracentrifugation-based process and the aggregation behaviour of GO in pure water and an electrolyte aqueous solution were studied using laser light scattering (LLS). When adding common electrolytes, such as NaCl and MgCl2, into the GO dispersions, aggregation occurs and irreversible coagulation eventually occurs too. However, the GO dispersion can still remain stable when adding excess AlCl3. The zeta potential of the GO dispersion changes from negative to positive after the addition of access AlCl3, indicating that electrostatic repulsion is still responsible for the dispersion of GO, which is in good agreement with the LLS results. This finding on the dispersion of GO may be applied in the solution processing of GO. It also expands the scope of the design and preparation of new GO-based hybrid materials with different functions.

Fano resonant Ge2Sb2Te5 nanoparticles realize switchable lateral optical force.

Sophisticated optical micromanipulation of small biomolecules usually relies on complex light, e.g., structured light, highly non-paraxial light, or chiral light. One emerging technique is to employ chiral light to drive the chiral nanoparticle along the direction perpendicular to the propagation of the light, i.e., the lateral optical force. Here, we theoretically study the lateral optical force exerted by a entirely Gaussian beam. For the very first time we demonstrate that the Fano resonances (FRs) of the Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) phase-change nanoparticles encapsulated with Au shells could enable a conventional Gaussian laser to exert a lateral force on such a dielectric GST nanoparticle, attributed to the strongly asymmetric energy flow around the sphere in the dipole-quadrupole FRs. More interestingly, the direction of this lateral force could be reversible during the state transition (i.e., from amorphous to crystalline). By bonding small biomolecules to the outer surface of the phase-change nanoparticle, the particle behaves as a direction-selective vehicle to transport biomolecules along opposite directions, at pre-assessed states of the Ge2Sb2Te5 core correspondingly. Importantly, the origin of the reversal of the lateral optical force is further unveiled by the optical singularity of the Poynting vector. Our mechanism of tailoring the FRs of phase-change nanoparticles, not just limited to GST, may bring a new twist to optical micromanipulation and biomedical applications.

Invisible Sensors: Simultaneous Sensing and Camouflaging in Multiphysical Fields.

The first multiphysical invisible sensor is theoretically and experimentally presented. An ultrathin, homogeneous, and isotropic shell is designed to simultaneously manipulate heat flux and DC current and eliminate the multiphysical perturbation, while maintaining the receiving and transmitting properties of the sensor.

Topological effects in anisotropy-induced nano-fano resonance of a cylinder.

We demonstrate that optical Fano resonance can be induced by the anisotropy of a cylinder rather than frequency selection under the resonant condition. A tiny perturbation in anisotropy can result in a giant switch in the principal optic axis near plasmon resonance. Such anisotropy-induced Fano resonance shows fast reversion between forward and backward scattering at the lowest-energy interference. The near and far fields of the particle change dramatically around Fano resonance. The topology of optical singular points and the trajectory of energy flux distinctly reveal the interaction between the incident wave and the localized surface plasmons, which also determine the far-field scattering pattern. The anisotropy-induced Fano resonance and its high sensitivity open new perspectives on light-matter interactions and promise potential applications in biological sensors, optical switches, and optomechanics.

Radiation pressure of active dispersive chiral slabs.

We report a mechanism to obtain optical pulling or pushing forces exerted on the active dispersive chiral media. Electromagnetic wave equations for the pure chiral media using constitutive relations containing dispersive Drude models are numerically solved by means of Auxiliary Differential Equation Finite Difference Time Domain (ADE-FDTD) method. This method allows us to access the time averaged Lorentz force densities exerted on the magnetoelectric coupling chiral slabs via the derivation of bound electric and magnetic charge densities, as well as bound electric and magnetic current densities. Due to the continuously coupled cross-polarized electromagnetic waves, we find that the pressure gradient force is engendered on the active chiral slabs under a plane wave incidence. By changing the material parameters of the slabs, the total radiation pressure exerted on a single slab can be directed either along the propagation direction or in the opposite direction. This finding provides a promising avenue for detecting the chirality of materials by optical forces.

Manipulating Steady Heat Conduction by Sensu-shaped Thermal Metamaterials.

The ability to design the control of heat flow has innumerable benefits in the design of electronic systems such as thermoelectric energy harvesters, solid-state lighting, and thermal imagers, where the thermal design plays a key role in performance and device reliability. In this work, we employ one identical sensu-unit with facile natural composition to experimentally realize a new class of thermal metamaterials for controlling thermal conduction (e.g., thermal concentrator, focusing/resolving, uniform heating), only resorting to positioning and locating the same unit element of sensu-shape structure. The thermal metamaterial unit and the proper arrangement of multiple identical units are capable of transferring, redistributing and managing thermal energy in a versatile fashion. It is also shown that our sensu-shape unit elements can be used in manipulating dc currents without any change in the layout for the thermal counterpart. These could markedly enhance the capabilities in thermal sensing, thermal imaging, thermal-energy storage, thermal packaging, thermal therapy, and more domains beyond.

Graphene Oxide as a Multifunctional Platform for Raman and Fluorescence Imaging of Cells.

Fluorescence and Raman bimodal imaging and Raman multifrequency imaging of Hela cells are carried out with the help of two kinds of graphene oxide-based hybrids. As a multifunctional platform, graphene oxide acts as not only a Raman probe, but also as a substrate for Raman and fluorescent probes to load on.

Ultrathin pancharatnam-berry metasurface with maximal cross-polarization efficiency.

Novel ultrathin dual-functional metalenses are proposed, fabricated, tested, and verified in the microwave regime for the first time. The significance is that their anomalous transmission efficiency almost reaches the theoretical limit of 25%, showing a remarkable improvement compared with earlier ultrathin metasurface designs with less than 5% coupling efficiency. The planar metalens proposed empowers significant reduction in thickness, versatile focusing behavior, and high transmission efficiency simultaneously.

Experimental demonstration of a bilayer thermal cloak.

Invisibility has attracted intensive research in various communities, e.g., optics, electromagnetics, acoustics, thermodynamics, dc, etc. However, many experimental demonstrations have only been achieved by virtue of simplified approaches due to the inhomogeneous and extreme parameters imposed by the transformation-optic method, and usually require a challenging realization with metamaterials. In this Letter, we demonstrate a bilayer thermal cloak made of bulk isotropic materials, and it has been validated as an exact cloak. We experimentally verified its ability to maintain the heat front and its heat protection capabilities in a 2D proof-of-concept experiment. The robustness of this scheme is validated in both 2D (including oblique heat front incidence) and 3D configurations. The proposed scheme may open a new avenue to control the diffusive heat flow in ways inconceivable with phonons, and also inspire new alternatives to the functionalities promised by transformation optics.

Anisotropic etching of graphite flakes with water vapor to produce armchair-edged graphene.

A one-step anisotropic etching method is developed to specifically obtain armchair-edged graphene directly from graphite flakes on various substrates. The armchair edge structure of the produced graphene is verified by the atomic resolution images obtained from the fluid mode peakforce tapping AFM and the relatively high intensity of D band in the Raman spectra.

Size-Dependent Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Oxygen-Reduction and Hydrogen-Evolution Performance of MoS2 Particles.

MoS2 particles with different size distributions were prepared by simple ultrasonication of bulk MoS2 followed by gradient centrifugation. Relative to the inert microscale MoS2, nanoscale MoS2 showed significantly improved catalytic activity toward the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER). The decrease in particle size was accompanied by an increase in catalytic activity. Particles with a size of around 2 nm exhibited the best dual ORR and HER performance with a four-electron ORR process and an HER onset potential of -0.16 V versus the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). This is the first investigation on the size-dependent effect of the ORR activity of MoS2, and a four-electron transfer route was found. The exposed abundant Mo edges of the MoS2 nanoparticles were proven to be responsible for the high ORR catalytic activity, whereas the origin of the improved HER activity of the nanoparticles was attributed to the plentiful exposed S edges. This newly discovered process provides a simple protocol to produce inexpensive highly active MoS2 catalysts that could easily be scaled up. Hence, it opens up possibilities for wide applications of MoS2 nanoparticles in the fields of energy conversion and storage.

Macroscopic broadband optical escalator with force-loaded transformation optics.

Transformation optics enables one to guide and control light at will using metamaterials. However the designed device is deterministic and not flexible for different objects. Based on force-loaded transformation optics we propose a force-induced transformational device, which can realize dynamic escalator metamorphosing continuously between optical elevator and invisibility cloak. This escalator can visually lift up and down the perceived height of a plane fixed in space by controlling the forces loaded in different directions. Or conversely, the escalator can physically lift up and down a plane while visually maintaining the same height to an outside observer. One can quickly adjust this device to the required demand without changing the background index, while the usual transformation cloak will be detectable due to the lateral shift from mismatched background. The schematic is self-adaptive, multi-functional, and free of metamaterial or nanofabrication. Our work opens a new perspective in controlling light dynamically and continuously, empowering unprecedented applications in military cloak, optic communication, holographic imaging, and phase-involved microtechnique.

Structural diversity and magnetic properties of five copper-organic frameworks containing one-, two-, and three-types of organic ligands.

Five novel compounds {[Cu(CMA)]·0.8H(2)O}(n) (1), {[Cu(CMA)(bpy)(0.5)]·0.5DMF}(n) (2), {[Cu(CMA)(bpy)(H(2)O)]·0.5H(2)O}(n) (3), {[Cu(2)(CMA)(DPA)(bpy)(2)(H(2)O)]ClO(4)}(n) (4) and {[Cu(3)(CMA)(DPA)(bpy)(4)(OH)](ClO(4))(2)·3H(2)O)}(n) (5) (H(2)CMA = 3-(carboxymethoxy)-5-methylbenzoic acid, HDPA = 2-(3,5-dimethylphenoxy)acetic acid, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine) were synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, the kinds of ligands included in these compounds are different: 1 contains single-ligand CMA(2-); 2 and 3 comprise two kinds of ligands (CMA(2-) and bpy); 4 and 5 cover three kinds of ligands (CMA(2-), DPA(-) and bpy). Structural analyses reveal that 1-3, and 5 are three-dimensional (3D) frameworks, while 4 is a 2D layer. Noteworthily, 1 possesses two types of channels: six-star and hexagonal ones. 3 displays a three-fold interpenetrating 3D framework. The structural diversity of the compounds may have originated from different anions, solvents and temperatures. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out on compounds 1, 2 and 4, and the magnetic properties are dramatically different due to the structural diversities. The magnetic data of 1 shows an antiferromagnetic interaction with J = -54.84 cm(-1) estimated from the Bonner-Fisher model. The magnetic data of 2 was least-square fitted to the Blenaey-Bowers equation with J = -131.01 cm(-1), indicating the existence of a strong antiferromagnetic interaction between two adjacent Cu(2+). The magnetic data of linear tetranuclear structure 4 was best fitted to the expression derived from the Hamiltonian H = -2(2J(1)S(1)S(2) + J(2)S(1)S(1*)). The best fitting parameters are J(1) = -17.48 cm(-1) and J(2) = -65.26 cm(-1), which also indicate an antiferromagnetic interaction. Simultaneously, the magneto-structural relationship was discussed.