Transforming Nanomaterial Synthesis with Flow Chemistry

Microfluidic methods for the synthesis of nanomaterials allow the generation of high-quality products with outstanding structural, electronic and optical properties. At a fundamental level, this is engendered by the ability to control both heat and mass transfer in a rapid and precise manner, but also by the facile integration of in-line characterization tools and machine learning algorithms. Such integrated platforms provide for exquisite control over material properties during synthesis, accelerate the optimization of electronic and optical properties and bestow new insights into the optoelectronic properties of nanomaterials. Herein, we present a brief perspec-tive on the role that microfluidic technologies can play in nanomaterial synthesis, with a particular focus on recent studies that incorporate in-line optical characterization and machine learning. We also consider the importance and challenges associated with integrating additional functional components within experimental workflows and the upscaling of microfluidic platforms for production of industrial-scale quantities of nanomaterials

Microfluidic synthesis of monodisperse and size-tunable CsPbBr3 supraparticles

The highly controlled, microfluidic template-assisted self-assembly of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals into spherical supraparticles is presented, achieving precise control over average supraparticle size through the variation of nanocrystal concentration and droplet size; thus facilitating the synthesis of highly monodisperse, sub-micron supraparticles (with diameters between 280 and 700 nm)

Opto-mechanical measurement of micro-trap via nonlinear cavity enhanced Raman scattering spectrum

High-gain resonant nonlinear Raman scattering on trapped cold atoms within a high-fineness ring optical cavity is simply explained under a nonlinear opto-mechanical mechanism, and a proposal using it to detect frequency of micro-trap on atom chip is presented. The enhancement of scattering spectrum is due to a coherent Raman conversion between two different cavity modes mediated by collective vibrations of atoms through nonlinear opto-mechanical couplings. The physical conditions of this technique are roughly estimated on Rubidium atoms, and a simple quantum analysis as well as a multi-body semiclassical simulation on this nonlinear Raman process is conducted.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

A microfluidic approach for high-throughput droplet interface bilayer (DIB) formation

We present a simple, automated method for high-throughput formation of droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) in a microfluidic device. We can form complex DIB networks that are able to fill predefined three dimensional architectures. Moreover, we demonstrate the flexibility of the system by using a variety of lipids including 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPhPC) and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)

Droplet-based compartmentalization of chemically separated components in two-dimensional separations

We demonstrate that nanolitre-sized droplets are an effective tool in coupling two-dimensional separations in both time and space. Using a microfluidic droplet connector, chemically separated components can be segmented into nanolitre droplets. After oil filtering and droplet merging, these droplets are loaded into a second dimension for comprehensive separation

The RF System for the International Muon Ionisation Cooling Experiment

The International Muon Ionisation Cooling Experiment (MICE) is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of ionisation cooling to reduce the phase space footprint of a charged particle beam, principally to allow the subsequent acceleration of muons for next generation colliders and/or neutrino factories. The experiment (and indeed any subsequent accelerator cooling channel based on the same principles) poses certain unusual requirements on its RF system, whilst the precision measurement of the ionisation cooling process demands special diagnostics. This paper shall outline the key features of the RF system, including the low level RF control, the power amplifier chain, distribution network, cavities, tuners and couplers, many parts of which are required to operate in a high magnetic field environment. The RF diagnostics which, in conjunction with the other MICE diagnostics, shall allow detailed knowledge of the amplitude and phase of the acceleration field during the transit of each individual muon will also be discussed

Transverse Emittance Reduction in Muon Beams by Ionization Cooling

Accelerated muon beams have been considered for next-generation studies of high-energy lepton-antilepton collisions and neutrino oscillations. However, high-brightness muon beams have not yet been produced. The main challenge for muon acceleration and storage stems from the large phase-space volume occupied by the beam, derived from the muon production mechanism through the decay of pions from proton collisions. Ionization cooling is the technique proposed to decrease the muon beam phase-space volume. Here we demonstrate a clear signal of ionization cooling through the observation of transverse emittance reduction in beams that traverse lithium hydride or liquid hydrogen absorbers in the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE). The measurement is well reproduced by the simulation of the experiment and the theoretical model. The results shown here represent a substantial advance towards the realization of muon-based facilities that could operate at the energy and intensity frontiers