Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jinghua Jiang, Xinyu Wang, Oluwafemi Isaac Akomolafe, Wentao Tang, Zhawure Asilehan, Kamal Ranabhat, Rui Zhang, Chenhui Peng
Summary: Scientists have designed synthetic molecular motors inspired by nanomotors in nature to drive the motion of microscale objects through cooperative reorganization. In this study, topological vortices are imprinted in monolayers of azobenzene molecules, which induce the collective motion of liquid crystal molecules and the spatiotemporal evolutions of nematic disclination networks. The collective transport and reconfiguration of colloidal assemblies can be controlled by manipulating the irradiated polarization, opening opportunities for programmable colloidal machines and smart composite materials.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Angelo Leo, Alessandro Paolo Bramanti, Domenico Giusti, Fabio Quaglia, Giuseppe Maruccio
Summary: This article proposes a novel approach for dynamic microwave modulation using reconfigurable resonant circuits. The approach involves the integration of double split ring resonators (DSRRs) with microelectromechanical actuators (MEMS) for geometrical tuning. Numerical simulations showed a resonance frequency shift of 370 MHz through a 170 μm extrusion driven by a DC voltage. This technology offers potential applications in multiband telecommunications, wireless power transfer, and the IoT field.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yu-Qiang Guo, Fan Chu, Bing-Xiang Li, Yu-Xian Zhang, Tian-Zi Shen, Wei Duan, Chao Liu, Yu-Bao Sun, Qiong-Hua Wang
Summary: In this study, a liquid crystal cell was designed to achieve unidirectional manipulation of micrometer-sized silica spheres. By adjusting the field parameters, the transport velocity of the microspheres can be controlled, and their motion behavior during collisions can be adjusted. This research is of great significance for achieving high-throughput microparticle transport.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Min G. Lim, Young J. Park, Dong J. Choi, Dong U. Kim, Myung S. Hong, Man J. Her, Alain Y. Takabayashi, Youngjae Jeong, Jongwoo Park, Seungjun Han, Niels Quack, Youngseok Bae, Kyoungsik Yu, Sangyoon Han
Summary: In this research, a fully integrated second-order CROW filter using silicon photonic MEMS with adjustable couplers and phase shifters was developed. The filter demonstrated high extinction ratios and continuous wavelength tuning, and showed reconfigurability in second-order CROW.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Izabela Sliwa, Pavel V. Maslennikov, Alex V. Zakharov
Summary: This article describes the physical mechanism behind the appearance of traveling and nontraveling distortions in a microsized homogeneously aligned nematic film under the effect of a large electric field. Numerical studies reveal that the director's field may experience a traveling distortion wave in response to the electric field, with the rate of distortion depending on the magnitude of the applied field.
Article
Physics, Applied
A. V. Dubtsov, S. V. Pasechnik, D. V. Shmeliova, B. A. Umanskii, Samo Kralj
Summary: The study focused on the internal ordering and electro-optical response of dual-frequency nematic liquid crystals confined to microporous polyethylene terephthalate membranes. Low/high-frequency electric fields were found to manipulate the nematic configuration, transforming the structure and impacting the propagation of near-infrared electromagnetic radiation through the composite material. These findings have implications for photonic applications.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Jiahao Chen, Chaoyi Li, Luyao Sun, Lingling Ma, Bingxiang Li, Yanqing Lu
Summary: Electric fields can modify the optical properties of nematic liquid crystals by changing their molecular orientation, enabling electro-optic applications. However, in some cases, this optical change is undesirable. We experimentally show that polymer stabilization can weaken the birefringence change caused by electrically modified order parameters, which is beneficial for liquid crystal devices where birefringence change is unfavorable.
CHINESE OPTICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Runa Koizumi, Dmitry Golovaty, Ali Alqarni, Bing-Xiang Li, Peter J. Sternberg, Oleg D. Lavrentovich
Summary: The morphogenesis of living systems involves unusual topological shape transformations. In this study, a droplet of a nematic liquid crystal changes its equilibrium shape from a simply connected tactoid to a torus. This topological transformation is caused by the interplay of nematic elastic constants, facilitating splay and bend of molecular orientations in tactoids but hindering splay in toroids. This elastic anisotropy mechanism provides insights into topology transformations in morphogenesis and opens possibilities for controlling and transforming the shapes of liquid crystal droplets and related soft materials.
Article
Polymer Science
Giuseppe Boniello, Victoria Vilchez, Emmanuel Garre, Frederic Mondiot
Summary: Shaping liquid crystals into arrays of defect patterns allows for the design of composite materials with new stimulus-responsive properties. By in situ polymerization of the texture of SmA FCDs, it is possible to transfer them into more electrically responsive LC phases, enabling a dynamic switch between different textural and optical states in a reversible manner with voltage. This approach may lead to new applications of SmA defect patterns and inspire the design of LC-based nanostructured composite materials with new functions that can be dynamically tuned with voltage.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Mee-Su Lee, Wonkyo Kim, Geonyeong Shin, Hyun Kim, Chang-Hyun Lee, Ick-Jae Yoon
Summary: This study proposes a low-profile, electrically small military VHF/UHF communication ferrite-loaded antenna for an integrated mast (IM). The antenna utilizes a ferrite-loaded split ring resonator-shaped grounded loop structure, and exhibits exceptional radiation performance at a very small size, suitable for IM mounting.
Article
Optics
Di Jia, Ru Zhang, Chen Yang, Zhenzhong Hao, Xuanyi Yu, Feng Gao, Fang Bo, Guoquan Zhang, Jingjun Xu
Summary: In this study, an X-cut lithium niobate (LN) platform is used to demonstrate a racetrack resonator with an electrically modulated coupling by introducing a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with two balanced directional couplers (DCs) for light exchange. The device offers a wide-range coupling regulation, from under-coupling to deep over-coupling, and has a fixed resonance frequency at a 3 dB splitting ratio. The measured optical responses show a high extinction ratio of over 23 dB and a suitable effective half-wave voltage length Vpi·L of 0.77 V·cm for CMOS compatibility. Tunable coupling microresonators with a stable resonance frequency are expected to be applied in nonlinear optical devices on LN-integrated optical platforms.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ziga Kos, Joern Dunkel
Summary: In this study, the concept of nematic bits (nbits) is introduced in liquid crystals, and it is demonstrated through theory and simulations how single-bit operations can be implemented using electric fields and how universal classical logic gates and generalized logical functions can be realized using nematoelastic interactions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kelum Perera, Rony Saha, Pawan Nepal, Rohan Dharmarathna, Md Sakhawat Hossain, Md Mostafa, Alex Adaka, Ronan Waroquet, Robert J. Twieg, Antal Jakli
Summary: The experimental results and theoretical considerations of novel electromechanical effects of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal droplets coexisting with the isotropic melt are presented in this study. It is found that the droplets have flat pancake-like shapes thinner than the sample thickness. A wing-shaped defect with low birefringence is present in the center of the droplets, moving perpendicular to a weak electric field, and dividing into two at higher fields. The entire droplet drifts along the electric field with a speed independent of droplet size and proportional to the electric field amplitude.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Akash Buragohain, Gouree Shankar Das, Yatish Beria, Ahmed Jamal Abdullah Al-Gburi, Partha Protim Kalita, Trishna Doloi
Summary: This paper presents a highly sensitive differential Hexagonal Split Ring Resonator (HSRR) sensor operating at 5.3 GHz for characterizing the permittivity of organic liquids. The sensor design is based on a hexagonal shape, which allows for better field concentration and power transfer. The sensor is capable of accurately determining the complex permittivity of unknown liquid samples with high sensitivity and immunity to environmental fluctuations.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tianyi Yao, Ziga Kos, Qi Xing Zhang, Yimin Luo, Edward B. Steager, Miha Ravnik, Kathleen J. Stebe
Summary: Topological defects on rotating colloids in nematic liquid crystals form far-from-equilibrium structures that perform complex swim strokes, generating translation from rotation. The swimmer's speed and direction are determined by the topological defect's polarity and extent of elongation. Control over particle trajectories can be achieved by manipulating the elongation of defects using a rotating external magnetic field. The anisotropic viscosities associated with the defect elongation, lubrication forces, and line tensions between the colloid and the bounding surfaces contribute to the swimmers' translational motion and interaction.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kaiyang Cheng, Yuancheng Fan, Weixuan Zhang, Yubin Gong, Shen Fei, Hongqiang Li
Summary: Analog optical computing has advantages over digital computing, and metamaterials have accelerated its progress. Research focuses on classical mathematical operations, developments based on different physical mechanisms, and optical simulating of quantum algorithms.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Xu, Yuancheng Fan, Xiaopeng Su, Jing Guo, Jiaxing Zhu, Quanhong Fu, Fuli Zhang
Summary: The optically transparent metamaterial microwave absorber shows wide operation angle, high absorptivity, and potential applications in various fields.
Review
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Jing Xu, Ruisheng Yang, Yuancheng Fan, Quanhong Fu, Fuli Zhang
Summary: The incorporation of nematic liquid crystal in metamaterials enables the tunability of electromagnetic response, with the anisotropic nature of liquid crystal playing a crucial role in influencing the resonant frequency. By carefully designing and infiltrating liquid crystal, the operation frequency of metamaterials can be dynamically modulated, resulting in remarkable red/blue-shift. Recent developments and novel applications of liquid crystal-based metamaterials are also investigated and highlighted.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Weiqi Cai, Yuancheng Fan, Quanhong Fu, Ruisheng Yang, Wei Zhu, Yujing Zhang, Fuli Zhang
Summary: In this work, a hybrid metamaterial exhibiting extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) behavior was theoretically and experimentally studied. The transmission amplitude and frequency can be modulated by utilizing the first-order Mie-resonant mode and the nonlinear effect of the dielectric cuboid.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wei Zhu, Yuancheng Fan, Ruisheng Yang, Guangzhou Geng, Quanhong Fu, Changzhi Gu, Junjie Li, Fuli Zhang
Summary: This article demonstrates silicon-based metasurfaces capable of generating versatile wavefronts under different polarization light incidence at visible wavelengths, with great potential for applications in integrated functional optical devices.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Yue Luo, Kepeng Qiu, Ziad Moumni, Weihong Zhang, Jihong Zhu, Fuli Zhang
Summary: Our work focuses on designing a novel metasurface structure that achieves efficient asymmetric transmission and perfect polarization conversion of linearly polarized waves in the THz range. The proposed structure allows dynamic control by changing the Fermi energy of graphene.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Zhichen Li, Jing Xu, Lin Zhang, Yiwen Li, Ruisheng Yang, Quanhong Fu, Fuli Zhang, Yuancheng Fan
Summary: Massive applications of microwave technology have caused electromagnetic pollution, which interferes with communication systems. Optically transparent metasurface absorbers are a promising solution for this issue.
ANNALEN DER PHYSIK
(2023)
Article
Optics
Ruisheng Yang, Yuancheng Fan, Wei Zhu, Chuanjie Hu, Songnan Chen, Heng Wei, Weijin Chen, C. T. Chan, Qian Zhao, Ji Zhou, Fuli Zhang, Cheng-Wei Qiu
Summary: Optical wavefront engineering is essential for the development of next-generation integrated photonic devices. Recent advances in metagratings have provided an efficient solution for beam steering without the need for phase modulation or impedance profiles. All-dielectric metagratings fabricated with a complex lattice structure demonstrate unitary diffraction efficiency in anomalous terahertz beam reflections, making them promising for high-performance functional devices.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Analytical
Yuancheng Fan, Benfeng Bai, Yusheng Lin
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jiameng Nan, Yujing Zhang, Yu Xie, Zhichen Li, Ruisheng Yang, Jing Xu, Quanhong Fu, Fuli Zhang, Yuancheng Fan
Summary: The authors propose and demonstrate a graphene hybrid metasurface for dual-band extraordinary electromagnetic transmission (EET). The metasurface consists of two graphene/metal hybrid resonators with EET properties, which can be tuned by changing the bias voltage on the graphene. Furthermore, the transmission amplitude and operating frequency band of EET can be controlled by changing the relative position and coupling of the two graphene hybrid resonators. This design strategy is promising for applications based on active EM or optical modulations.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zeyong Wei, Yunlong Zhao, Yujing Zhang, Weiqi Cai, Yuancheng Fan, Zhanshan Wang, Xinbin Cheng
Summary: We demonstrate an electrically biased reconfigurable chiral metasurface for controlling polarization conversion and asymmetric transmission in a broadband manner. The metasurface is constructed with coupled three-layer complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) arrays and tunable electronic components, allowing dynamic control of reconfigurable chiral coupling by adjusting the external voltage. Both experiments and simulations show that the polarization conversion can be continuously tuned over a wide frequency range. The reconfigurable metasurface also exhibits asymmetric transmission for polarized waves in a broadband range. This study confirms the effectiveness of the proposed reconfigurable chiral metasurface as a strategy for multi-functional polarization manipulation.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yanan Jiao, Jing Lou, Zhaofu Ma, Longqing Cong, Xing Xu, Bin Zhang, Dingchang Li, Ying Yu, Wen Sun, Yang Yan, Shidong Hu, Boyan Liu, Yindong Huang, Lang Sun, Ride Wang, Ranjan Singh, Yuancheng Fan, Chao Chang, Xiaohui Du
Summary: This study demonstrates ultrafast switchable sensing functions using phototunable silicon-based terahertz metasurfaces, which show highly sensitive responses to tiny analytes and can successfully identify colorectal cells in different states.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ruisheng Yang, Jing Lou, Fuli Zhang, Wei Zhu, Jing Xu, Tong Cai, Quanhong Fu, Hongqiang Li, Yuancheng Fan
Summary: This study proposes and demonstrates the active tunability of toroidal response in terahertz hybrid metasurfaces, showing high efficiency and complete electrical switching over a broadband range. The integration of optoelectronic metasurfaces modulated by biased currents in on-chip optical devices is facilitated, opening up new possibilities for high-performance active photonic applications in smart sensing in the terahertz regime.
ADVANCED PHOTONICS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Lou, Ruisheng Yang, Jiangang Liang, Ying Yu, Lei Zhang, Chiben Zhang, Tangjing Li, Yuancheng Fan, Fuli Zhang, Guangming Wang, Jun Wang, Tong Cai
Summary: A new strategy is experimentally demonstrated to design THz metasensors with dual-sensitivity of frequency and resonance intensity by coupling the lattice mode to toroidal resonance. The frequency shift and resonance intensity both show exponential growth with the increase in analyte thickness. Comparing the sensing performance between different modes verifies the superiority of the dual-sensitivity property.
ADVANCED PHOTONICS RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ruisheng Yang, Jing Xu, Nian-Hai Shen, Fuli Zhang, Quanhong Fu, Junjie Li, Hongqiang Li, Yuancheng Fan
Summary: All-optical processing is a promising strategy for future information systems, with the importance of breaking the diffraction limit of light and achieving effective light manipulation. Subwavelength optical localization allows for freely manipulating light fields, and this review summarizes the development of achieving subwavelength optical localization by exciting toroidal mode in photonic metamaterials.