Low cost, ultra-high throuhput particle counting using inertial microfluidics

In this work, an ultra-high throughput microfluidic particle counting system is demonstrated. For the particle counting, a low cost custom-design optical hardware is developed. The microfluidic chip utilizes the inertial microfluidics to focus the particles in a certain location which significantly enhanced the optical signal utilized for the quantification of the number concentration. The effect of the particle focusing on the counting performance is demonstrated. The proposed system has a potential to be portable and has a capability to process 10 ml of sample within couple minutes

Solidification of Metallic Alloys: Does the Structure of the Liquid Matter?

In 1952, Frank (Proc R Soc Lond Ser-Math Phys Sci 215:43-46, 1952) already postulated that Icosahedral Short Range Order (ISRO) of atoms in the liquid could possibly explain the large nucleation undercoolings measured in metallic alloys by Turnbull and Fisher (J Chem Phys 17:71-73, 1949). About thirty years later, this conjecture was proven to be key for the understanding of Quasicrystals (QC) formation (Shechtman et al. in Phys Rev Lett 53:20, 1951-3, 1984). More recently, it has been found that a few tens to thousand ppm of solute elements in Al-base and Au-base alloys can influence the nucleation and growth of the primary fcc phase via mechanisms involving ISRO and QC formation. ISRO has also been found to limit the mobility, and thus diffusion, of atoms in the liquid. This can lead to out-of-equilibrium conditions, e.g., the formation of metastable phases or supersaturated solid solution, at reduced velocity compared to alloys where ISRO is not predominantly present. Finally, there are several experimental evidences that ISRO is also responsible for twinned dendrites formation in Al alloys. The present contribution summarizes these recent findings and points out the implications that these might have in the field of solidification and additive manufacturing

On the Magnetism Behind the Besnus Transition in Monoclinic Pyrrhotite

ISSN:2169-9313ISSN:0148-0227ISSN:2169-935

Structured nanoscale metallic glass fibres with extreme aspect ratios.

Micro- and nanoscale metallic glasses offer exciting opportunities for both fundamental research and applications in healthcare, micro-engineering, optics and electronics. The scientific and technological challenges associated with the fabrication and utilization of nanoscale metallic glasses, however, remain unresolved. Here, we present a simple and scalable approach for the fabrication of metallic glass fibres with nanoscale architectures based on their thermal co-drawing within a polymer matrix with matched rheological properties. Our method yields well-ordered and uniform metallic glasses with controllable feature sizes down to a few tens of nanometres, and aspect ratios greater than 10 <sup>10</sup> . We combine fluid dynamics and advanced in situ transmission electron microscopy analysis to elucidate the interplay between fluid instability and crystallization kinetics that determines the achievable feature sizes. Our approach yields complex fibre architectures that, combined with other functional materials, enable new advanced all-in-fibre devices. We demonstrate in particular an implantable metallic glass-based fibre probe tested in vivo for a stable brain-machine interface that paves the way towards innovative high-performance and multifunctional neuro-probes