Harvesting Plasmonic Excitations in Graphene for Tunable Terahertz/Infrared Metamaterials

In this chapter, we focus on the development on tunable terahertz/infrared metamaterials enabled with plasmonic excitations in graphene micro-/nanostructures. We aimed the issue that high loss in the plasmonic excitations of graphene limits the performance of graphene’s ability in manipulating light. We show the enhancement of light-graphene interactions by employing plasmonic metamaterial design for proper plasmonic excitations, and coherent modulation on optical fields to further increase the bonding of light field for boosted plasmonic excitations. The enhanced plasmonic excitations in graphene provide the possibility of practical applications for terahertz and infrared band graphene photonics and optoelectronics

The development and influence of Japanese aesthetics and its manifestation in Japanese animation

This paper sorts out the evolution and development of Japanese aesthetics chronologically, summarizes the features of Japanese animation, interprets the charm of Japanese animation by linking the characteristics of Japanese culture that correspond to Japanese animation, and eventually discusses the controversial social impact of Japanese culture on China brought by Japanese animation

Achieving a high-Q response in metamaterials by manipulating the toroidal excitations

The excitation of toroidal multipoles in metamaterials is investigated for a high- Q response at a subwavelength scale. In this paper, we explore the optimization of toroidal excitations in a planar metamaterial comprised of asymmetric split ring resonators (ASRRs). It is found that the scattering power of a toroidal dipole can be remarkably strengthened by adjusting the characteristic parameter of ASRRs: an asymmetric factor. Interestingly, the improvement in toroidal excitation accompanies an increment of the Q factor of the toroidal metamaterial; it is shown that both the scattering power of the toroidal dipole and the Q factor increase more than one order by changing the asymmetric factor of ASRRs. The optimization in the excitation of a toroidal multipole provides an opportunity to further increase the Q factor of the metamaterial and boost light-matter interactions at the subwavelength scale for potential applications in low-power nonlinear processing and sensitive photonic applications

Graphene Plasmonics: A Platform for 2D Optics

2D optics is gradually emerging as a frontier in modern optics. Plasmons in graphene provide a prominent platform for 2D optics in which the light is squeezed into atomic scale. This report highlights some recent progresses in graphene plasmons toward the 2D optics. The launch, observation, and advanced manipulation of propagating graphene plasmons for 2D optical circuits are described. Representative achievements associated with graphene metasurfaces, challenges, recent progresses like photoexcited graphene metasurfaces, and the transformation optics linking 2D to bulk optics with singularity are investigated

Analysis of risk factors related to the progression rate of hemifacial spasm

IntroductionAlthough there have been many researches on the etiology and risk factors with the onset of hemifacial spasm, researches on the risk factors related to progression rate are limited. This study aims to analyze the risk factors related to the progression rate of hemifacial spasm.MethodsThe study enrolled 142 patients who underwent microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm. Based on the duration and severity of symptoms, patients were classified into rapid progression group and slow progression group. To analyze risk factors, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Of 142 patients with hemifacial spasm, 90(63.3%) were classified as rapid progression group, 52(36.7%) were classified as slow progression group.ResultsIn the univariate analysis, there were significant statistical differences between the two groups in terms of age of onset (P = 0.021), facial nerve angle (P < 0.01), hypertension (P = 0.01), presence of APOE ε4 expression (P < 0.01) and different degrees of brainstem compression in the Root Entry Zone (P < 0.01). In the multivariable analyses, there were significant statistical differences between the two groups in terms of age of symptom onset (P < 0.01 OR = 6.591), APOE ε4 (P < 0.01 OR = 5.691), brainstem compression (P = 0.006 OR = 5.620), and facial nerve angle (P < 0.01 OR = 5.758). Furthermore, we found no significant correlation between the severity of facial spasms and the progression rate of the disease (t = 2.47, P = 0.12>0.05).ConclusionAccording to our study, patients with facial nerve angle ≤ 96.5°, severer compression of the brainstem by offending vessels, an onset age > 45 years and positive expression of APOE ε4, may experience faster progression of hemifacial spasm

South China Sea surface water evolution over the last 12 Myr: A south-north comparison from Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1143 and 1146

Planktonic foraminifera (PF) from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 1143 and 1146 in the southern and northern South China Sea (SCS), respectively, were quantitatively analyzed in order to reconstruct the sea-surface environment over the last 12 Myr. The observed decrease in deep-dwelling PF species after ∼10 Ma at both sites is interpreted to reflect a depression of the upper water thermocline, corresponding to the closure of the Indonesian Seaway around 11-9 Ma. This upper water column structure implies the intensification of equatorial Pacific warm currents and the initial formation of the western Pacific "warm pool" (WPWP) during the early Late Miocene. The consistent pattern of south-north thermocline evolution and the synchronous disappearance of Globoquadrina dehiscens (9.8 Ma) at both Sites 1143 and 1146 together imply that the entire SCS was likely under the influence of the newly developed WPWP at ∼10 Ma. After ∼8 Ma, sea-surface temperatures and thermocline variations evolved differently between the southern and northern SCS. The total deep-dwelling PF fauna at Site 1143 decreased gradually in abundance from 6.6 to 2 Ma, indicating a deepening of the thermocline in the southern SCS. In contrast, deep-dwelling PF species increased in abundance from 3.1 to 2 Ma at Site 1146, reflecting a shoaling of the thermocline in the northern SCS. This south-north contrast reflects two major environmental regimes: (1) the southern SCS, which has mainly been under the influence of the WPWP since the late Late Miocene, and (2) the northern SCS, where effects of the east Asian winter monsoon have prevailed, especially since the Late Pliocene. Estimate of past sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) at Site 1143 suggests a relatively stable and warm environment in the southern SCS since about 2.5 Ma, with an increased influence of warm subsurface waters after the mid-Pleistocene transition (1.2-0.9 Ma). In the northern SCS, however, a gradual decrease in winter SST recorded at Site 1146 over the last 4 Myr records east Asian monsoon evolution, especially the enhancement of the east Asian winter monsoon between 3.1 and 2 Ma. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.Baohua Li, Jiliang Wang, Baoqi Huang, Qianyu Li, Zhimin Jian, Quanhong Zhao, Xin Su and Pinxian Wan