Plasmonic Nanopores: Optofluidic Separation of Nano-Bioparticles via Negative Depletion

In this chapter, we review a novel “optofluidic” nanopore device enabling label-free sorting of nano-bioparticles [e.g., exosomes, viruses] based-on size or chemical composition. By employing a broadband objective-free light focusing mechanism through extraordinary light transmission effect, our plasmonic nanopore device eliminates sophisticated instrumentation requirements for precise alignment of optical scattering and fluidic drag forces, a fundamental shortcoming of the conventional optical chromatography techniques. Using concurrent optical gradient and radial fluidic drag forces, it achieves self-collimation of nano-bioparticles with inherently minimized spatial dispersion against the fluidic flow. This scheme enables size-based fractionation through negative depletion and refractive-index based separation of nano-bioparticles from similar size particles that have different chemical composition. Most remarkably, its small (4 μm × 4 μm) footprint facilitates on-chip, multiplexed, high-throughput nano-bioparticle sorting using low-cost incoherent light sources

Quantum Transport with Spin Dephasing: A Nonequilibrium Green's Function Approach

A quantum transport model incorporating spin scattering processes is presented using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism within the self-consistent Born approximation. This model offers a unified approach by capturing the spin-flip scattering and the quantum effects simultaneously. A numerical implementation of the model is illustrated for magnetic tunnel junction devices with embedded magnetic impurity layers. The results are compared with experimental data, revealing the underlying physics of the coherent and incoherent transport regimes. It is shown that small variations in magnetic impurity spin-states/concentrations could cause large deviations in junction magnetoresistances.Comment: NEGF Formalism, Spin Dephasing, Magnetic Tunnel Junctions, Magnetoresistanc

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Spin dependent electron transport in nanostructures

Spin-electronic devices, exploiting the spin degree of freedom of the current carrying particles, are currently a topic of great interest. In parallel with experimental developments, theoretical studies in this field have been mainly focused on the coherent transport regime characteristics of these devices. However, spin dephasing processes are still a fundamental concern [1-6]. The Landauer transmission formalism has been the widely used method in the coherent transport regime [7]. Recently this formalism has been adapted to incorporate spin scattering processes by introducing random disorder directly into the conducting medium and subsequently solving the disordered transport problem over a large ensemble of disorder distributions [8-10]. Although proposed to be a way of incorporating spin scattering processes, what this approach basically offers is an averaged way of adding random coherent scatterings (similar to the scatterings from boundaries) into the transport problem. Certainly such a treatment of spin-dephasing processes misses the incoherent and inelastic nature of the scattering processes. As a result, a rigorous way of treating the spin scattering processes is still needed [10-12]. The objective of this thesis is to present a quantum transport model based on non-equilibrium Green\u27s function (NEGF) formalism providing a unified approach to incorporate spin scattering processes using generalized interaction Hamiltonians. Here, the NEGF formalism is presented for both coherent and incoherent transport regimes without going into derivational details. Subsequently, spin scattering operators are derived for the specific case of electron-impurity exchange interactions and the model is applied to clarify the experimental measurements [5]. Device characteristics of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with embedded magnetic impurity layers are studied as a function of tunnel junction thicknesses and barrier heights for varying impurity concentrations in comparison with experimental data. For MTJs with embedded magnetic impurity layers, this model is able to capture and explain three distinctive experimental features reported in the literature regarding the dependence of the junction magneto-resistances (JMRs) on (1) barrier thickness, (2) barrier heights and (3) the concentrations of magnetic impurities [5,6,29,46]. Although in this dissertation our treatment was restricted to the electron-impurity spin exchange interactions, the NEGF model presented here allows one to incorporate other spin exchange scattering processes involving nuclear hyperfine, Bir-Aranov-Pikus (electron-hole) and electron-magnon interactions. This model is general and can be used to analyze and design a variety of spintronic devices beyond the large cross-section multilayer devices explored in this work

Quantum Transport with Spin Dephasing: A Nonequilibrium Green\u27s Function Approach

A quantum transport model incorporating spin scattering processes is presented using the nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism within the self-consistent Born approximation. This model offers a unified approach by capturing the spin-flip scattering and the quantum effects simultaneously. A numerical implementation of the model is illustrated for magnetic tunnel junction devices with embedded magnetic impurity layers. The results are compared with experimental data, revealing the underlying physics of the coherent and incoherent transport regimes. It is shown that spin scattering processes are suppressed with increasing barrier heights while small variations in magnetic impurity spin-states/concentrations could cause large deviations in junction magnetoresistances

Quantum transport with spin dephasing: A nonequlibrium Green\u27s function approach

A quantum transport model incorporating spin scattering processes is presented using the nonequilibrium Green\u27s function formalism within the self-consistent Born approximation. This model offers a unified approach by capturing the spin-flip scattering and the quantum effects simultaneously. A numerical implementation of the model is illustrated for magnetic tunnel junction devices with embedded magnetic impurity layers. This model seems to explain three experimentally observed features regarding the dependence of the junction magnetoresistances (JMRs) on the barrier thickness, barrier height, and number of magnetic impurities. It is shown that small variations in magnetic impurity spin states and concentrations could cause large deviations in JMRs

Plasmofluidic Microlenses for Label-Free Optical Sorting of Exosomes.

Optical chromatography is a powerful optofluidic technique enabling label-free fractionation of microscopic bioparticles from heterogenous mixtures. However, sophisticated instrumentation requirements for precise alignment of optical scattering and fluidic drag forces is a fundamental shortcoming of this technique. Here, we introduce a subwavelength thick (<200 nm) Optofluidic PlasmonIC (OPtIC) microlens that effortlessly achieves objective-free focusing and self-alignment of opposing optical scattering and fluidic drag forces for selective separation of exosome size bioparticles. Our optofluidic microlens provides a self-collimating mechanism for particle trajectories with a spatial dispersion that is inherently minimized by the optical gradient and radial fluidic drag forces working together to align the particles along the optical axis. We demonstrate that this facile platform facilitates complete separation of small size bioparticles (i.e., exosomes) from a heterogenous mixture through negative depletion and provides a robust selective separation capability for same size nanoparticles based on their differences in chemical composition. Unlike existing optical chromatography techniques that require complicated instrumentation (lasers, objectives and precise alignment stages), our OPtIC microlenses with a foot-print of 4 μm × 4 μm open up the possibility of multiplexed and high-throughput sorting of nanoparticles on a chip using low-cost broadband light sources

Fabry-Peacuterot nanocavities in multilayered plasmonic crystals for enhanced biosensing

We have demonstrated extraordinary light transmission effect through Fabry-Peacuterot cavities in multilayered plasmonic crystals formed by coupling two physically separated metallic nanohole and nanodisk array layers. Superior field-medium overlap is observed with Fabry-Peacuterot resonances as a result of stronger electromagnetic field confinement in the dielectric region far from the metallic surfaces. We show that these cavity resonances are highly sensitive to refractive index changes. The large field-material overlap combined with simple fabrication scheme used here makes these structures an ideal candidate for biosensing applications

Light Tunneling in Multi-Layered Photonic-Plasmonic Nanostructures

Photonic and plasmonic interactions in multi-layered plasmonic crystals, formed by coupling nanohole-nanoparticle arrays, are investigated. The hybrid structure exhibits extraordinary optical transmission as in single layer nanohole arrays and supports Fabry-Perot mode with improved sensitivity

Light Tunneling in Multi-Layered Plasmonic Crystals

In this work, we are demonstrating resonant light transmission through hybrid multi-layered plasmonic crystals, which are formed by a coupled nanohole and a nanoparticle array. This structures are shown to provide the conventional extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) peaks and also a newly found cavity-based mode is introduced with an emphasis to its high sensing capabilities. Plasmon hybridization in coaxial nanocavities is also addressed, where the nanohole array and the nanoparticle array are in the same layer