Modeling of a multireflector terahertz imaging system using a geometrical optics model based on angular spectrum theory.

We propose a simulation method for a multireflector terahertz imaging system. The description and verification of the method are based on an existing active bifocal terahertz imaging system at 0.22 THz. Using the phase conversion factor and angular spectrum propagation, the computation of the incident and received fields requires only a simple matrix operation. The phase angle is used to calculate the ray tracking direction, and the total optical path is used to calculate the scattering field of defective foams. Compared with the measurements and simulations of aluminum disks and defective foams, the validity of the simulation method is confirmed in the field of view of 50 cm × 90 cm at 8 m. This work aims to develop better imaging systems by predicting their imaging behavior for different targets before manufacturing.

Simple terahertz metasurface with broadband and efficient functionality.

Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) metasurfaces have demonstrated mighty capability to manipulate electromagnetic (EM) waves, and exhibited potential applications for devices with broadband and efficient functionality. However, it remains a challenge to simultaneously achieve broadband and efficient wavefront manipulation for terahertz (THz) components with simple profiles. Herein, we introduce a simple ultra-thin PB metasurface with superior properties in the THz region. The structure is composed of a simple metallic C-Shaped Split Ring Resonator (CSRR) patterned on a flexible polyimide support layer. It is verified that the circular transmission efficiency is close to the theoretical limit of the single-layer metasurface in the range of 0.6 - 1.2 THz. Furthermore, we design metasurfaces based on the PB meta-atoms with spatially rotated orientation to achieve beam steering and superposition of vortex waves. The results are basically in line with expectations, validating the good performances of our proposal. This simple and easily deployable metasurface will give rise to more possibilities for the design of THz functional devices.

Flexible bilayer terahertz metasurface for the manipulation of orbital angular momentum states.

Metasurfaces employed for generating orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams have drawn tremendous interest since they can offer extensive applications ranging from quantum optics to information processing over the subwavelength scale. In this study, a flexible bilayer metasurface is proposed and experimentally verified in the terahertz (THz) region. Based on Pancharatnam-Berry (P-B) phase, the proposed meta-atom satisfies perfect polarization-flipping at the design frequency and is implemented for the generation of vortex beams under circularly polarized (CP) illumination. Two metasurfaces are designed, fabricated and experimentally characterized with a THz spectral imaging system for linearly polarized (LP) illumination. The transmitted field intensity distribution of y component is petal-shaped of gradually varied pieces with the frequency due to the complementary symmetric structure, indicating OAM state transition between a single vortex beam and superposition of two vortex beams. The measured spectral imaging distributions of amplitude and phase show good agreement with the simulation results. Such designs open a pathway for modulation of THz OAM states and bring more possibilities for flexible metasurfaces in a THz application.

Cloning and characterization of a phosphate transporter gene in Dunaliella salina.

The full-length cDNA of a Na(+) -dependent Pi transport gene (DsSPT1) in Dunaliella salina was cloned by 3' and 5' Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE), with an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 716 predicted amino acids, which exhibited 60.5% identity to that of Na(+) -dependent Pi transport 1 (DvSPT1) from Dunaliella viridis. Hydrophobicity and secondary structure prediction revealed 11 conserved transmembrane domains similar to those found in DvSPT1 from D. viridis and PHO89 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The result of real-time quantitative PCR showed that expression level of DsSPT1 was enhanced at first and reached its peak at 90 min after salt stress; however, D. salina cells rapidly absorbed extracellular inorganic phosphorus which was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) during the first 5 min under salt stress. It suggested that D. salina on the absorption of inorganic phosphorus was regulated at DsSPTI posttranslational level.

Experimental Study on the Effects of Matric Suction on Shear Properties of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Unsaturated Clay.

Matric suction has an important effect on the behavior of unsaturated soils, and polypropylene fibers are often used to improve soil. In order to probe into the mechanism of matric suction and fiber reinforcement, triaxial shear tests are carried out with changing matric suction and net confining pressure. Unsaturated clay in the Shaoxing section of East Zhejiang Grand Canal is selected with polypropylene fiber as a reinforcement material in the tests. The results show that the total cohesion intercept and effective internal friction angle of soil increase with the increase in matric suction, while the adsorption internal friction angle decreases gradually. Similarly, the contribution of matric suction to shear strength decreases. The total cohesion intercept is more sensitive to matric suction. As the length of fiber is 12 mm, the shear strength parameters of soil will be improved accordingly, which makes the fiber reinforcement achieve the best. The stress-strain relationship is approximately hyperbolic and strain hardening. The characteristics of strain hardening are more obvious with the increase in matric suction, and the soil specimens present plastic failure. The volumetric strain of specimen is more sensitive to the changing net confining pressure. It increases with the increase in net confining pressure, and increases linearly as the matric suction is zero. The failure modes of triaxial tests are divided into tensile failure and friction failure.

Studies on a chlorogenic acid-producing endophytic fungi isolated from Eucommia ulmoides Oliver.

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver is a traditional medicinal plant of China, and it is one of the main sources of chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is an ester of caffeic acid, quinic acid, and a phenolic compound that has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and antitumor activities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether endophytic fungi isolated from Eucommia ulmoides Oliver had the same ability to produce chlorogenic acid. Primary screening was done by antibacterial and antifungal reactions, and the strain reselection was done with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to identify the fermentation products of the selected strains. Extracts of the leaf and cortex of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver were also deteted by HPLC, then positive results of HPLC were analyzed by GC-MS and LC-MS. In this study, 29 strains were isolated from Eucommia ulmoides Oliver. Most of them had antibacterial activity, and a few of them had antifungal activity. One ingredient of the B5 extract had a retention time identical to that of authentic chlorogenic acid. With GC-MS, other ingredients, isocoumarin and p-chlorocinnamide, were found. With LC-MS, chlorogenic acid and geniposide related to Eucommia ulmoides Oliver were found. The strain B5 was identified as Sordariomycete sp. Thus, endophytic fungi may produce the bioactive compound chlorogenic acid, as their host plant does, and could be used for the production of chlorogenic acid by fermentation in the future.