Hyperbolic Metamaterial Resonator-Antenna Scheme for Large, Broadband Emission Enhancement and Single Photon Collection

We model the broadband enhancement of single-photon emission from color centres in silicon carbide nanocrystals coupled to a planar hyperbolic metamaterial, HMM resonator. The design is based on positioning the single photon emitters within the HMM resonator, made of a dielectric index-matched with silicon-carbide material. The broadband response results from the successive resonance peaks of the lossy Fabry Perot structure modes arising within the high-index HMM cavity. To capture this broadband enhancement in the single photon emitters spontaneous emission, we placed a simple gold based cylindrical antenna on top of the HMM resonator. We analyzed the performance of this HMM coupled antenna structure in terms of the Purcell enhancement, quantum efficiency, collection efficiency and overall collected photon rate. For perpendicular dipole orientation relative to the interface, the HMM coupled antenna resonator leads to a significantly large spontaneous emission enhancement with Purcell factor of the order of 250 along with a very high average total collected photon rate, CPR of about 30 over a broad emission spectrum, 700 nm to 1000 nm. The peak CPR increases to about 80 at 900 nm, corresponding to the emission of silicon-carbide quantum emitters. This is a state of the art improvement considering the previous computational designs have reported a maximum average CPR of 25 across the nitrogen-vacancy centre emission spectrum, 600 nm to 800 nm with the highest value being about 40 at 650 nm

Reliability analysis of bistable composite laminates

Bistable composite laminates are smart composites that have been employed for engineering structures due to their superlative offering of features like ability to change shape and low densities. Because of the embedded geometrical nonlinearity factor, a small variation of input parameters leads to significant changes in the response of the bistable composite laminates. In other words, Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) makes a change in the bistability characteristics. As a result, bistability behavior is extremely reliant on geometrical dimensions and elastic material properties as design parameters. Reliability analysis deals with the quantitative assessment of the occurrence probability due to UQ. In this regard, the reliability and sensitivity analysis of bistable composite plate are investigated through the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) and multiple types of uncertain parameters, geometry and material properties, are assumed as random variables. The results indicate bistable composite plates have a high probability to be bistability behavior with the assumed statistical properties. Moreover, the sensitivity reliability analysis illustrates that the thickness and coefficient of thermal expansion have more effect on the bistability behavior in comparison to other input parameters. The results are confirmed by comparing them with those determined by the Finite Element Method (FEM)

Pentagonal puckering in a sheet of amorphous graphene

Ordered graphene has been extensively studied. In this paper we undertake a first density functional study of it topologically disordered analogues of graphene, in the form of a random network, consisting predominantly of hexagonal rings, but also including pentagons and heptagons. After some preliminaries with crystalline material, we relax various random network models and find that the presence of carbon pentagons induce local curvature, thus breaking the initial planar symmetry, in some analogy with the case of fullerenes. Using density functional theory to calculate the total energy, we find that while the planar state is locally stable, there is a puckered state that has lower energy. The scale of the puckering is consistent with that expected with local maxima and minima associated with pentagons surrounded by larger rings; forming local "buckyball domes"

Structural stability studies of graphene in sintered ceramic nanocomposites

The post-sintering structural stability of graphene in alumina nanocomposites synthesised by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and Hot Pressing (HP) was compared. Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses and electrical conductivity analyses were conducted to characterise degradation of graphene due to the utilisation of different sintering techniques and conditions. Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed good dispersion of graphene in SPSed and HPed sample. Graphene in SPSed and HPed nanocomposite samples sintered using longer durations (60 min) were found to possess higher crystallinity, thermal stability and electrical conductivity as compared to SPSed samples sintered using shorter sintering durations (10–20 min). This was attributed to the thermally induced graphitisation caused by longer sintering durations, which was lacking in SPSed samples processed using shorter sintering durations and lower temperature. No additional effect of DC pulsed current on the structural stability of graphene for nanocomposites were observed for samples prepared by SPS

May-thurner syndrome: A cause of acute left Iliac vein obstruction in early postpartum period: A case report

May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) is a rare disease common in middle aged females, characterised by left-sided lower limb Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) due to compression of the left iliac vein by the overriding right iliac artery. Pregnancy and puerperal phases are one of the hypercoagulable states further predisposing towards thrombus formation. Treatment includes both conservative and interventional (venous thrombectomy with or without stenting). Here we report a case of a 34- year-old female in her early postpartum period who visited the Agha Khan University Hospital in July 2016, with the onset of acute pain and swelling in the left leg. Her workup revealed left-sided Acute DVT, secondary to MTS. Her case was successfully managed with conservative treatment. This case is an important addition to medical literature in the sense that DVT occurring on the onset of postpartum period should not always be attributed to the hypercoagulability, secondary to pregnancy. With early diagnosis and aggressive m a na g em ent, M TS ca n be e a s il y m a n age

Ab initio determination of ion-traps in silver-doped chalcogenide glass

We present a microscopic picture of silver dynamics in GeSe$_{3}$:Ag glass obtained from {\it ab initio} simulation. The dynamics of Ag is explored at two temperatures, 300K and 700K. In the relaxed network, Ag occupies bond centers between suitably separated host sites. At 700K, Ag motion proceeds via a trapping-release dynamics, between "super traps" or cages consisting of multiple bond-center sites in a small volume. Our work offers a first principles identification of trapping centers invoked in current theories, with a description of their properties. We compute the charge state of the Ag in the network, and show that it is neutral if weakly bonded and Ag$^+$ if in a trapping center.Comment: submitted to pr

Tensile properties of epoxy/1 wt% graphene nanocomposites prepared with ethanol.

In this research, solution casting technique was applied to produce four types of nanocomposites. Different ethanol dosages; 0g, 1g, 3g, and 5g were used to disperse graphene in the epoxy matrix. It was observed that 1g dosage of ethanol was the most effective concentration to disperse 1wt% graphene in the epoxy matrix. At 1 g dosage of ethanol used, the Young's modulus, tensile strength, and toughness were increased by 130%, 76%, and 187% respectively. SEM images illustrated that the graphene was able to inhibit the advancing cracks and detoured cracks propagation. It is observed that the ethanol needs to be removed completely during processing to ensure its effectiveness, otherwise, the remaining ethanol can cause porosity which is undesirable to the tensile properties of the nanocomposites