295 research outputs found
Probing subtle fluorescence dynamics in cellular proteins by streak camera based Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
We report the cell biological applications of a recently developed
multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system using a streak
camera (StreakFLIM). The system was calibrated with standard fluorophore
specimens and was shown to have high accuracy and reproducibility. We
demonstrate the applicability of this instrument in living cells for measuring
the effects of protein targeting and point mutations in the protein sequence
which are not obtainable in conventional intensity based fluorescence
microscopy methods. We discuss the relevance of such time resolved information
in quantitative energy transfer microscopy and in measurement of the parameters
characterizing intracellular physiology
Structure of incommensurate gold sulfide monolayer on Au(111)
We develop an atomic-scale model for an ordered incommensurate gold sulfide (AuS) adlayer which has previously been demonstrated to exist on the Au(111) surface, following sulfur deposition and annealing to 450 K. Our model reproduces experimental scanning tunneling microscopy images. Using state-of-the-art Wannier-function-based techniques, we analyze the nature of bonding in this structure and provide an interpretation of the unusual stoichiometry of the gold sulfide layer. The proposed structure and its chemistry have implications for related S-Au interfaces, as in those involved in self-assembled monolayers of thiols on Au substrates
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Dislocation nucleation in bcc Ta single crystals studied by nanoindentation
The study of dislocation nucleation in closed-packed metals by nanoindentation has recently attracted much interest. Here, we address the peculiarities of the incipient plasticity in body centered cubic (bcc) metals using low index Ta single-crystals as a model system. The combination of nanoindentation with high-resolution atomic force microscopy provides us with experimental atomic-scale information on the process of dislocation nucleation and multiplication. Our results reveal a unique deformation behavior of bcc Ta at the onset of plasticity which is distinctly different from that of closed-packed metals. Most noticeable, we observe only one rather than a sequence of discontinuities in the load-displacement curves. This and other differences are discussed in context of the characteristic plastic deformation behavior of bcc metals
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Deformation Behavior of Nanoporous Metals
Nanoporous open-cell foams are a rapidly growing class of high-porosity materials (porosity {ge} 70%). The research in this field is driven by the desire to create functional materials with unique physical, chemical and mechanical properties where the material properties emerge from both morphology and the material itself. An example is the development of nanoporous metallic materials for photonic and plasmonic applications which has recently attracted much interest. The general strategy is to take advantage of various size effects to introduce novel properties. These size effects arise from confinement of the material by pores and ligaments, and can range from electromagnetic resonances to length scale effects in plasticity. In this chapter we will focus on the mechanical properties of low density nanoporous metals and how these properties are affected by length scale effects and bonding characteristics. A thorough understanding of the mechanical behavior will open the door to further improve and fine-tune the mechanical properties of these sometimes very delicate materials, and thus will be crucial for integrating nanoporous metals into products. Cellular solids with pore sizes above 1 micron have been the subject of intense research for many years, and various scaling relations describing the mechanical properties have been developed.[4] In general, it has been found that the most important parameter in controlling their mechanical properties is the relative density, that is, the density of the foam divided by that of solid from which the foam is made. Other factors include the mechanical properties of the solid material and the foam morphology such as ligament shape and connectivity. The characteristic internal length scale of the structure as determined by pores and ligaments, on the other hand, usually has only little effect on the mechanical properties. This changes at the submicron length scale where the surface-to-volume ratio becomes large and the effect of free surfaces can no longer be neglected. As the material becomes more and more constraint by the presence of free surfaces, length scale effects on plasticity become more and more important and bulk properties can no longer be used to describe the material properties. Even the elastic properties may be affected as the reduced coordination of surface atoms and the concomitant redistribution of electrons may soften or stiffen the material. If, and to what extend, such length scale effects control the mechanical behavior of nanoporous materials depends strongly on the material and the characteristic length scale associated with its plastic deformation. For example, ductile materials such as metals which deform via dislocation-mediated processes can be expected to exhibit pronounced length scale effects in the sub-micron regime where free surfaces start to constrain efficient dislocation multiplication. In this chapter we will limit our discussion to our own area of expertise which is the mechanical behavior of nanoporous open-cell gold foams as a typical example of nanoporous metal foams. Throughout this chapter we will review our current understanding of the mechanical properties of nanoporous open-cell foams including both experimental and theoretical studies
Breaking the Screen: Interaction Across Touchscreen Boundaries in Virtual Reality for Mobile Knowledge Workers.
Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to transform knowledge work. One
advantage of VR knowledge work is that it allows extending 2D displays into the
third dimension, enabling new operations, such as selecting overlapping objects
or displaying additional layers of information. On the other hand, mobile
knowledge workers often work on established mobile devices, such as tablets,
limiting interaction with those devices to a small input space. This challenge
of a constrained input space is intensified in situations when VR knowledge
work is situated in cramped environments, such as airplanes and touchdown
spaces.
In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of interacting jointly between
an immersive VR head-mounted display and a tablet within the context of
knowledge work. Specifically, we 1) design, implement and study how to interact
with information that reaches beyond a single physical touchscreen in VR; 2)
design and evaluate a set of interaction concepts; and 3) build example
applications and gather user feedback on those applications.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, ISMAR 202
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Nanoporous gold as a highly active substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy
Colloidal solutions of metal nanoparticles are currently among most studied substrates for sensors based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). However, such substrates often suffer from not being cost-effective, reusable, or stable. Here, we develop nanoporous Au as a highly active, tunable, a.ordable, stable, bio-compatible, and reusable SERS substrate. Nanoporous Au is prepared by a facile process of free corrosion of AgAu alloys followed by annealing. Results show that nanofoams with average pore sizes of {approx} 250 nm exhibit the largest SERS signal for 632.8 nm excitation. This is attributed to the electromagnetic SERS enhancement mechanism with additional field localization within pores
Optical spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in inhomogeneous anisotropic media
We demonstrate experimentally an optical process in which the spin angular
momentum carried by a circularly polarized light beam is converted into orbital
angular momentum, leading to the generation of helical modes with a wavefront
helicity controlled by the input polarization. This phenomenon requires the
interaction of light with matter that is both optically inhomogeneous and
anisotropic. The underlying physics is also associated with the so-called
Pancharatnam-Berry geometrical phases involved in any inhomogeneous
transformation of the optical polarization
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Mechanical Properties and Fracture Behavior of Nanoporous Au
Nanoporous metals have recently attracted considerable interest fueled by potential sensor and actuator applications. From a material science point of view, one of the key issues in this context is the synthesis of nanoporous metals with both high tensile and compressive strength. Nanoporous gold (np-Au) has been suggested as a candidate material for this application due to its monolithic character. The material can be synthesized by electrochemically-driven dealloying of Ag-Au alloys, and exhibits an open sponge-like structure of interconnecting ligaments with a typical pore size distribution on the nanometer length scale. However, besides the observation of a ductile-brittle transition very little is known about the mechanical behavior of this material. Here, we present our results regarding the mechanical properties and the fracture behavior of np-Au. Depth-sensing nanoindentation reveals that the yield strength of np-Au is almost one order of magnitude higher than the value predicted by scaling laws developed for macroscopic open-cell foams. The unexpectedly high value of the yield strength indicates the presence of a distinct size effect of the mechanical properties due to the sub-micron dimensions of the ligaments, thus potentially opening a door to a new class of high yield strength--low density materials. The failure mechanism of np-Au under tensile stress was evaluated by microscopic examination of fracture surfaces using scanning electron microscopy. On a macroscopic level, np-Au is a very brittle material. However, microscopically np-Au is very ductile as ligaments strained by as much as 200% can be observed in the vicinity of crack tips. Cell-size effects on the microscopic failure mechanism were studied by annealing experiments whereby increasing the typical pore size/ligament diameter from {approx}100 nm to {approx}1{micro}m
ALD Functionalized Nanoporous Gold: Thermal Stability, Mechanical Properties, and Catalytic Activity
Nanoporous metals have many technologically promising applications but their tendency to coarsen limits their long-term stability and excludes high temperature applications. Here, we demonstrate that atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to stabilize and functionalize nanoporous metals. Specifically, we studied the effect of nanometer-thick alumina and titania ALD films on thermal stability, mechanical properties, and catalytic activity of nanoporous gold (np-Au). Our results demonstrate that even only one-nm-thick oxide films can stabilize the nanoscale morphology of np-Au up to 1000 C, while simultaneously making the material stronger and stiffer. The catalytic activity of np-Au can be drastically increased by TiO{sub 2} ALD coatings. Our results open the door to high temperature sensor, actuator, and catalysis applications and functionalized electrodes for energy storage and harvesting applications
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