Metallodielectric eutectic composite for plasmonic applications

META'15, City College of New York, New York City, NY, USA August 4, 2015 – August 7, 2015; http://metaconferences.org/ocs/index.php/META15/META15Metallodielectric composites are very interesting from the point of view of metamaterials and plasmonics. For the fabrication of self-organized metallodielectric micro/nanostructures, one particularly promising approach is based on the directional solidification of eutectics. Here we demonstrate a bulk three-dimensional nanoplasmonic eutectic composite which was obtained by bottom-up approach. This material exhibits localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) at visible wavelengths.The authors thank the Maestro Project 2011/02/A/ST5/00471 and the Preludium Project 2012/07/N/ST5/02428 from the National Science Centre, the Project operated within the Foundation for Polish Science Team Programme cofinanced by the EU European Regional Development Fund and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Grant FA9550-14-1-0061 for support of this work. Additional information: The authors have applied for a patent regarding this work.Peer Reviewe

Phase-field modeling of eutectic structures on the nanoscale: the effect of anisotropy

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Materials Science. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-0853-8A simple phase-field model is used to address anisotropic eutectic freezing on the nanoscale in two (2D) and three dimensions (3D). Comparing parameter-free simulations with experiments, it is demonstrated that the employed model can be made quantitative for Ag-Cu. Next, we explore the effect of material properties, and the conditions of freezing on the eutectic pattern. We find that the anisotropies of kinetic coefficient and the interfacial free energies (solid-liquid and solid-solid), the crystal misorientation relative to pulling, the lateral temperature gradient, play essential roles in determining the eutectic pattern. Finally, we explore eutectic morphologies, which form when one of the solid phases are faceted, and investigate cases, in which the kinetic anisotropy for the two solid phases are drastically different

Solar dryers of sewage sludge in Poland

W artykule przedstawiono ocenę zasadności budowy dodatkowo ogrzewanych słonecznych suszarni komunalnych osadów ściekowych w oparciu o zebrane doświadczenia eksploatacyjne z pracujących w Polsce obiektów. Wskazano na istotne dla użytkowników aspekty techniczne i technologiczne procesu suszenia osadów. W warunkach krajowych, jak pokazano na przykładzie suszarni osadów ściekowych w Żarach, zdecydowanie skuteczniejsze i co najważniejsze, tańsze jest zastosowanie wyłącznie solarnego suszenia osadów. Odpowiednia powierzchnia hal suszarniczych oraz wyposażenie technologiczne suszarni, umożliwia kompensowanie sezonowych zmian pogody poprzez zmianę grubości warstwy osadów w suszarniach słonecznych.This paper presents the evaluation of whether the construction of additional solar-heated drying of municipal sewage sludge on the basis of operational experience gained from working objects in Poland. It was indicated importance technical and technological aspects of drying sludge. In the national context, as shown in the example of sludge dryers in Zary, much more efficient and most importantly, cheaper is to use only solar sludge drying. Adequate space and technology equipment of halls drying can compensate for seasonal changes in the weather by changing the thickness of the sediment layer of solar drying

Review on self-organized metal-metal oxide eutectic microstructures for photonics

Praca przedstawia przegląd literaturowy dotyczący układów eutektycznych metal-tlenek. Analiza prac różnych autorów pozwoliła wybrać materiały eutektyczne (HfO2-W stabilizowane przez Y2O3 oraz Cr2O3-Mo), które wykazują odpowiednią strukturę do zastosowań w nowoczesnej fotonice (metamateriały, ujemne załamanie światła) oraz których warunki otrzymywania pozwalają na otrzymanie ich za pomocą dostępnych metod krystalizacji kierunkowej. Wybrane systemy eutektyczne mogą być odpowiednie dla zastosowań w fotonice i możliwe do zrealizowania za pomocą urządzeń dostępnych w Laboratorium im. Jana Czochralskiego w ITMEThis paper is a review on self-organized metal--metal oxide eutectic microstructures. These kinds of materials are very promising for novel photonics. Based on literature survey two eutectic materials have been proposed as suitable from the structural and manufacturing point of view. The selected materials are: HfO2-W stabilized by Y2O3 and Cr2O3-Mo. Selected eutectic systems can be used in photonics, and can be possibly made with equipment installed in Jan Czochralski Laboratory in the Institute of Electronic Materials Technology

Temperature and atmosphere tunability of the nanoplasmonic resonance of a volumetric eutectic-based Bi2O3-Ag metamaterial

14 págs.; 5 figs.; 1 tab.; OCIS codes: (160.4236) Nanomaterials; (160.3918) Metamaterials; (250.5403) Plasmonics.Nanoplasmonic materials are intensively studied due to the advantages they bring in various applied fields such as photonics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and medicine. However, their large-scale fabrication and tunability are still a challenge. One of the promising ways of combining these two is to use the self-organization mechanism and aftergrowth engineering as annealing for tuning the properties. This paper reports the development of a bulk nanoplasmonic, Bi2O3-Ag eutectic-based metamaterial with a tunable plasmonic resonance between orange and green wavelengths. The material, obtained by a simple growth technique, exhibits a silver nanoparticle-related localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the visible wavelength range. We demonstrate the tunability of the LSPR (spectral position, width and intensity) as a function of the annealing temperature, time and the atmosphere. The critical role of the annealing atmosphere is underlined, annealing in vacuum being the most effective option for a broad control of the LSPR. The various potential mechanisms responsible for tuning the localized surface plasmon resonance upon annealing are discussed in relation to the nanostructures of the obtained materials. ©2015 Optical Society of AmericaThe authors thank the Maestro Project 2011/02/A/ST5/00471 and the Preludium Project 2012/07/N/ST5/02428 from the National Science Centre, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Grant FA9550-14-1-0061 for support of this work.Peer Reviewe

Evolution of silver in a eutectic-based Bi2O3–Ag metamaterial

International audienceThe development of novel manufacturing techniques of nano-/micromaterials, especially metallodielectric materials, has enabled dynamic development of such fields as nanoplasmonics. However, the fabrication methods are still mostly based on time-consuming and costly top-down techniques limited to two-dimensional materials. Recently, directional solidification has been proposed and utilized for manufacturing of volumetric nanoplasmonic materials using the example of a Bi2O3–Ag eutectic-based nanocomposite. Here, we explain the evolution of silver in this composite, from the crystal growth through the post-growth annealing processes. Investigation with tunneling electron microscopy shows that silver initially enters the composite as an amorphous AgBiO3 phase, which is formed as a wetting layer between the grains of Bi2O3 primary phase. The post-growth annealing leads to decomposition of the amorphous phase into Bi2O3 nanocrystals and intergranular Ag nanoparticles, providing the tunable localized surface plasmon resonance at yellow light wavelengths