An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) based on microelectrode arrays allows to distinguish between adsorption and electrodeposition.

Using a precise electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), it was shown that electrogravimetry can be carried out with microelectrode arrays (MEAs). MEAs were prepared on the resonator surface by coating it with a thin polymer layer containing holes, where the holes constitute the microelectrodes. The preparation procedures, their benefits, and their limitations are discussed. Microelectrode-based electrogravimetry is challenging because the reduced active area reduces the QCM signal. It is still feasible. This work is limited to linear voltage ramps (as opposed to steps). The processes chosen for demonstration were the electrodeposition/stripping of copper and the redox cycling of methyl viologen dichloride (MVC). The current trace often showed microelectrodic behavior, depending on the sweep rate. For the case of copper deposition, the mass transfer rate was proportional to the electric current. For the case of MVC, the electric current showed a plateau at the ends of the current-voltage diagram, but the mass transfer rate did not change. The difference can be explained by adsorption and desorption going into saturation at the two ends of the voltage range. Based on whether or not a microelectrodic gravimetric signal is seen, it can be stated whether the mass transfer is closely linked to the current. Further advantages of the microelectrode-based EQCM are an improved access to fast processes, reduced effects of double layer recharging, and the possibility to work at a low electrolyte support.

Heterodyne laser Doppler vibrometer with squeezed light enhancement.

An important feature of a heterodyne laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is the possibility of measuring an optical path length oscillation at a frequency f at a choosable frequency fhet ± f, at which the photo-electric measurement shows an optical quantum noise that is significantly greater than the detector dark noise. The full-squeezed light enhancement of a heterodyne LDV's signal-to-noise ratio has not been achieved so far. Here we use a sideband spectrum that is squeezed around fhet = 40 MHz and demonstrate the squeezing-enhanced measurement of an optical path length vibration at f = 1 MHz of about 3.5 dB while fully maintaining the signal power. The proof of principle we provide will enable the realization of ultra-precise LDVs over an extended signal bandwidth for probes or environments that require low intensities.

Super-resolution Reflection Microscopy via Absorbance Modulation.

In recent years, fluorescence microscopy has been revolutionized. Reversible switching of fluorophores has enabled circumventing the limits imposed by diffraction. Thus, resolution down to the molecular scale became possible. However, to the best of our knowledge, the application of the principles underlying super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to reflection microscopy has not been experimentally demonstrated. Here, we present the first evidence that this is indeed possible. A layer of photochromic molecules referred to as the absorbance modulation layer (AML) is applied to a sample under investigation. The AML-coated sample is then sequentially illuminated with a one-dimensional (1D) focal intensity distribution (similar to the transverse laser mode TEM01) at wavelength λ1 = 325 nm to create a subwavelength aperture within the AML, followed by illumination with a Gaussian focal spot at λ2 = 633 nm for high-resolution imaging. Using this method, called absorbance modulation imaging (AMI) in reflection, we demonstrate a 2.4-fold resolution enhancement over the diffraction limit for a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.65 and wavelength (λ) of 633 nm.

Bis(thienyl)ethenes with α-methoxymethyl groups. Syntheses, spectroscopic Hammett plots, and stabilities in PMMA films.

A series of bis(thienyl)ethenes (BTEs) possessing perfluorocyclopentene backbones and methoxymethyl groups (MOM) in the 2/2'-positions of the thiophenes was prepared and examined. The substitution pattern of the 5/5'-positions was varied, covering the range from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing. The substituent effects of the absorption wavelengths of the ring-opened and the ring-closed isomers, which are interconverted by reversible 6π-electrocyclizations and cycloreversions, are studied by means of the spectroscopic Hammett equation and the Hammett-Brown equation. Excellent correlations of these linear free energy relationships were found, when the σp values of the Hammett equation, which summarize inductive, mesomeric and field effects, were replaced to the Hammett-Brown σp+ and σp- values which also take direct conjugation into account. We studied solvent effects on the spectroscopic properties and embedded the BTEs into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) coatings to examine their fatigue resistance. By our studies, the spectroscopic properties of BTEs can be adjusted by variation of the substitution pattern to a desired excitation wavelength for switching processes.

Lateral resolution limit of laser Doppler vibrometer microscopes for the measurement of surface acoustic waves.

The lateral or transverse resolution of single-point interferometers for vibration measurement is especially critical for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) vibrating up to the gigahertz range. In this regime, the acoustic wavelengths are typically in the range of the size of the laser focus. Thus, a successful vibration measurement requires distinct knowledge about the lateral resolution limit and its dependencies with instrumentation parameters. In this paper, we derive an analytic approximation formula, which allows for estimation of the systematic measurement deviation of the vibration amplitude and, thus, a definition of the lateral resolution limit of single-point interferometers for vibration measurement. Further, a compensation and an optimum numerical aperture are proposed the reduce the measurement deviation. For this, the model includes a laser-interferometer microscope of Mach-Zehnder type with Gaussian laser beams considering the Gouy effect and wavefront curvature. As a measurement scenario, an unidirectional surface acoustic wave (SAW) is regarded. The theoretic findings have been validated in the experiment with a representative vibration measurement on a SAW filter at [Formula: see text] with our heterodyne laser-Doppler interferometer with offset-locked semiconductor lasers. The provided formulas help instrument designers and users to choose suitable instrument parameters, especially the numerical aperture of the utilized microscope objective.

Signal Diversity for Laser-Doppler Vibrometers with Raw-Signal Combination.

The intensity of the reflected measuring beam is greatly reduced for laser-Doppler vibrometer (LDV) measurements on rough surfaces since a considerable part of the light is scattered and cannot reach the photodetector (laser speckle effect). The low intensity of the reflected laser beam leads to a so-called signal dropout, which manifests as noise peaks in the demodulated velocity signal. In such cases, no light reaches the detector at a specific time and, therefore, no signal can be detected. Consequently, the overall quality of the signal decreases significantly. In the literature, first attempts and a practical implementation to reduce this effect by signal diversity can be found. In this article, a practical implementation with four measuring heads of a Multipoint Vibrometer (MPV) and an evaluation and optimization of an algorithm from the literature is presented. The limitations of the algorithm, which combines velocity signals, are shown by evaluating our measurements. We present a modified algorithm, which generates a combined detector signal from the raw signals of the individual channels, reducing the mean noise level in our measurement by more than 10 dB. By comparing the results of our new algorithm with the algorithms of the state-of-the-art, we can show an improvement of the noise reduction with our approach.

A Contactless Laser Doppler Strain Sensor for Fatigue Testing with Resonance-Testing Machine.

In this article, a non-contact laser Doppler strain sensor designed for fatigue testing with the resonance-testing machine is presented. The compact sensor measures in-plane displacements simultaneously from two adjacent points using the principle of in-plane, laser-Doppler vibrometry. The strain is computed from the relative displacements divided by the distance between these two points. The optical design, the mathematical model for estimating noise-limited resolution, the simulation results of this model, and the first measurement results are presented. The comparison of the measurement results of our sensor with the results of a conventional strain gauge shows that our design meets the measurement requirements. The maximum strain deviation compared to conventional strain gauges of the laser-Doppler extensometer is below 4×10-5 in all performed experiments.

Compressional-Wave Effects in the Operation of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance in Liquids:Dependence on Overtone Order.

The operation of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) in liquids is plagued by small flexural admixtures to the thickness-shear deformation. The resonator surface moves not only in the transverse direction, but also along the surface normal, thereby emitting compressional waves into the liquid. Using a simple analytical model and laser Doppler vibrometry, we show that the flexural admixtures are stronger on the fundamental mode than on the overtones. The normal amplitude of motion amounts to about 1% of the transverse motion on the fundamental mode. This ratio drops by a factor of two on the overtones. A similar dependence on overtone order is observed in experiments, where the resonator is immersed in a liquid and faces an opposite planar wall, the distance of which varies. Standing compressional waves occur at certain distances. The amplitudes of these are smaller on the overtones than on the fundamental mode. The findings can be rationalized with the tensor form of the small-load approximation.

Non-Contact Damage Detection under Operational Conditions with Multipoint Laservibrometry.

Scanning laser-Doppler vibrometry (SLDV) can localize and visualize damages in mechanical structures. In order to enable scanning, it is necessary to repeat the vibration. Therefore, this technique is not suited to detect emerging hazards in working machinery that change the vibration behavior. A common technique for such cases is monitoring the vibration excited by machine operation with accelerometers. This technique requires mechanical coupling between sensors and the measurement object, which influences the high-frequency vibration responses. However, in the low-frequency range, local damages do not shift resonances or distort operational deflection shapes (ODS) significantly. These alterations in the vibration behavior are tiny and hard to detect. This paper shows that multipoint laservibrometry (MPV) with laser excitation can measure these effects efficiently, and it further demonstrates that damages influence ODSs at frequencies above 20 kHz much stronger than at frequencies below 20 kHz. In addition, ODS-based damage indices are discussed; these are highly sensitive to minute visible changes of the ODSs. In order to enhance the sensitivity of hazard detection, the response vector assurance criterion value is computed and evaluated during operation. The capabilities and limitations of the methodology on the example of a cantilever with manually emerging damage are demonstrated.

Superresolution reflection microscopy via absorbance modulation: a theoretical study.

Absorbance modulation enables lateral superresolution in optical lithography and transmission microscopy by generating a dynamic aperture within a photochromic absorbance-modulation layer (AML) coated on a substrate or a specimen. The applicability of this concept to reflection microscopy has not been addressed so far, although reflection imaging exhibits the important ability to image a wide range of samples, transparent or opaque, dielectric or metallic. In this paper, a simulation model for absorbance-modulation imaging (AMI) in confocal reflection microscopy is presented and it is shown that imaging well beyond the diffraction limit is feasible. In addition, we derive analytical design equations and estimate the dependence of the achievable resolution and pixel dwell time on relevant parameters, such as the AML properties and the applied light powers. We prove the validity of these equations through a comparison with the simulation results and we show that a resolution enhancement down to 1/5 of the diffraction limit is possible.

Laser Doppler vibrometry as a noncontact method to detect various degrees of atrioventricular block: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The vibrocardiography (VBCG) is a laser-based technique to monitor the heart rhythm without any contact to the body. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the VBCG is able to detect the vibration patterns of the atria. METHODS: Simultaneous recordings of the ECG and VBCG in two cohorts were evaluated. RESULTS: The VBCG delivered a robust vibration pattern of the atrial contraction. A reliable determination of the interval and the different stages of an atrioventricular block was possible. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that demonstrates the feasibility of a noncontact registration of the atrial vibration pattern. It enables a reliable determination of the atrioventricular interval. The VBCG can, therefore, serve as full noncontact monitoring.