Observing Relative Homotopic Degeneracy Conversions with Circuit Metamaterials.

Making nodal lines (NLs) deterministic is quite challenging because directly probing them requires bulk momentum resolution. Here, based on the general scattering theory, we show that the Bloch modes of the circuit metamaterials can be selectively excited with a proper source. Consequently, the transport measurement for characterizing the circuit band structure is momentum resolved. Facilitated by this bulk resolution, we systematically demonstrate the degeneracy conversions ruled by the relative homotopy, including the conversions between Weyl points (WPs) and NLs, and between NLs. It is experimentally shown that two WPs with opposite chirality in a two-band model surprisingly convert into an NL rather than annihilating. And the multiband anomaly (due to the delicate property) in the NL-to-NL conversions is also observed, which in fact is captured by the non-Abelian relative homotopy. Additionally, the physical effects owing to the conversions, like the Fermi arc connecting NLs and the parallel transport of eigenstates, are discussed as well. Other types of degeneracy conversions, such as those induced by spin-orbit coupling or symmetry breaking, are directly amenable to the proposed circuit platform.

Significantly Affected Lubrication Behavior of Silicone Oil Lubricated Si3N4/Glass Contact after Cleaning with Different Solvents.

Conventional methyl silicone oils have poor lubricating properties in boundary lubrication regions, particularly for ceramic/oxide point contact lubrication. In this study, the residues of various organic solvents on the surfaces of Si3N4 spheres/glass disks were used to determine their effect on the lubricating properties of silicone oil 200. The minute ethanol residues significantly enhanced the antifriction and antiwear properties of silicone oil. Compared to the blank sample, the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear volume of silicone oil 200 with the residual ethanol friction pair were reduced by >40% and >98%, respectively. Being immiscible with silicone oil, the minute ethanol residues also removed impurities from the glass surface and maintained a clean interface, thus effectively blocking direct interactions between the friction pair interfaces. In addition, the residual ethanol reduced the atomic force microscope probe-to-glass surface adhesive force in the silicone oil 200 environment, thus allowing it to maintain low COF and wear rates over a broader range of speeds, loads, and times. In contrast to previous work, this study is the first to effectively regulate the lubrication properties of silicone oil using a residual organic solvent. The findings further verified that the adsorption of vapor molecules can significantly alter the surface forces between interfaces. Thus, adjusting the adhesion force through trace amounts of organic solvent residues may provide novel research inputs, thereby guiding the expansion and scope of silicone oil lubrication applications.

Molecular simulations of sliding on SDS surfactant films.

We use molecular dynamics simulations to study the frictional response of monolayers of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and hemicylindrical aggregates physisorbed on gold. Our simulations of a sliding spherical asperity reveal the following two friction regimes: at low loads, the films show Amonton's friction with a friction force that rises linearly with normal load, and at high loads, the friction force is independent of the load as long as no direct solid-solid contact occurs. The transition between these two regimes happens when a single molecular layer is confined in the gap between the sliding bodies. The friction force at high loads on a monolayer rises monotonically with film density and drops slightly with the transition to hemicylindrical aggregates. This monotonous increase of friction force is compatible with a traditional plowing model of sliding friction. At low loads, the friction coefficient reaches a minimum at the intermediate surface concentrations. We attribute this behavior to a competition between adhesive forces, repulsion of the compressed film, and the onset of plowing.

Excitation and manipulation of both magnetic and electric surface plasmons.

Surface plasmons (SPs) is the cornerstone in terahertz (THz) near-field photonics, which play crucial roles in the miniaturization and integration of functional devices. The excitation and manipulation of SPs, however, is currently restricted to electric SPs paradigm, while magnetic SPs receive less attention despite the importance of magnetic light-matter interactions. Here, a scheme is proposed to simultaneously convert the propagating waves in free space into magnetic and electric SPs using a single ultracompact device. First, a plasmonic structure composed of connected slit rings is designed and demonstrated to support both electric and magnetic SPs, which is ascribed to the two distinct eigenmodes of oscillating electrons and vortex currents, respectively. Second, with the assistance of an anisotropic and gradient metasurface, orthogonal linear polarized components of incident THz beams are coupled into different electric and magnetic SP channels with little crosstalk. Furthermore, by encoding two distinct polarization-dependent phase profile into the metasurface, it is shown that the resulting meta-device can individually tailor the wavefronts of magnetic and electric SPs, thus simultaneously engineering magnetic and electric near-field distributions. This work can pave the road to realize bi-channel and on-chip devices, and inspire more integrated functionalities especially related to near-field manipulations of magnetic SPs.

Pure toroidal dipole in a single dielectric disk.

The toroidal dipole is a peculiar electromagnetic excitation and has attracted increasing interests because of unusual radiation characteristics. However, the realization of toroidal moment requires complicated structure and are often disturbed by the conventional electric and magnetic multipoles. In this paper, we explore the electromagnetic properties of a simple dielectric disk illuminated by a focused radially polarized beam and demonstrate a pure toroidal dipolar response. A comprehensive approach is proposed to suppress other undesirable electromagnetic multipolar resonances step by step. The disk with optimized geometry is employed to construct an all-dielectric electric mirror dominated by toroidal dipolar resonance. And two kinds of anapole modes with total suppression of far-field radiation are investigated, which proves electric and magnetic non-radiating sources, respectively. Besides, by simultaneously introducing the asymmetry in both structure and incidence, a transformation from Mie-type mode to trapped mode is observed. Our study provides an opportunity to realize a unique pure toroidal dipole and may boost the relevant light-matter interaction.

Tunable anisotropic parameters realized by metal-dielectric hybrid meta-atoms.

Rational design of the structure enables metamaterials to go beyond the ingredients and achieve unprecedented material properties. However, the realization of complicated and anisotropic electromagnetic parameters relies on the elaborate design of building blocks, and the mutual coupling between the anisotropic responses makes precise control of material parameters even more difficult. Here, we propose a metal-dielectric hybrid metamaterial, not only realizing the decoupling between anisotropic electromagnetic responses, but also establishing a one-to-one correspondence between independent geometric dimensions and anisotropic parameter components. Moreover, a tuning theoretical paradigm applied to an anisotropic and resonant system is further suggested, which proves that the operating frequency of this hybrid metamaterial can be easily adjusted by changing external fields. As prototypes, two typical and tunable microwave meta-devices, a transformation-optics cloak and a frequency splitter, are constructed with Ba-Sm-La-Ti ferroelectric ceramic and flexible printed circuit board, which successfully demonstrate our proposed design theory. This work provides a simple strategy for the design and fabrication of tunable anisotropic metamaterials, and boost the development of meta-devices toward practical application.

High-Temperature Superlubricity Realized with Chlorinated-Phenyl and Methyl-Terminated Silicone Oil and Hydrogen-Ion Running-in.

Ceramic friction pairs lubricated with chlorinated-phenyl and methyl-terminated silicone oil (CPSO) systems have potential applications in the aerospace industry. In this study, the effects of the running-in process and temperature on the lubricating performance of CPSO were investigated. The superlubricity of Si3N4/sapphire lubricated with CPSO was realized at >190 °C after H+-ion running-in. The mechanism of this high-temperature superlubricity was investigated by determining the stable adsorption configurations and adsorption energies of CPSO on different surfaces using density functional theory calculations. Compared with that on the Si3N4 surface, the adsorption capacity of CPSO on the hydroxylated SiO2 surface generated by H+-ion running-in increased, whereas the steric hindrance decreased. The viscosity-temperature curve of CPSO was measured, wherein the viscosity and pressure-viscosity coefficient of CPSO considerably decreased with increasing temperature, leading to high-temperature superlubricity in a wide speed/load range. This is the first paper to report oil-based superlubricity at temperatures of 190 °C, or even higher-temperature conditions. Furthermore, it provides guidance for the use of ceramic-CPSO systems in high-temperature conditions, including in the aerospace industry.

Effects of Abrasive Particles on Liquid Superlubricity and Mechanisms for Their Removal.

Liquid superlubricity results in a near-frictionless lubrication state, which can greatly reduce friction and wear under aqueous conditions. However, during the running-in process, a large number of abrasive particles are generated, and because these may lead to a breakdown in superlubricity performance, they should be effectively removed. In this paper, the morphology, size, and composition of abrasive particles were verified using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and their influence on liquid superlubricity was explored through friction tests. Subsequently, different solvents were used to remove the abrasive particles, and the optimal cleaning process was determined by macroscopic tribo-tests and microscopic analysis. Finally, droplet-spreading experiments and a force-curve analysis were carried out to understand the abrasive-particle removal mechanism by different solvents. We found that SiO2 was the main component in the abrasive particles, and micron-sized SiO2 particles resulted in random "wave peaks" in the coefficient of friction and, thus, the superlubricity. Absolute ethanol + ultrapure water was determined to be the optimal solvent for effectively removing abrasive particles from friction-pair surfaces and helped the lubricant in exhibiting an ultralow friction coefficient for long periods of time. We proposed a "wedge" and "wrap" model to explain the abrasive-particle removal mechanism of different solvents. The SiO2 removal mechanism outlined in this study can be applied under aqueous conditions to improve the stability and durability of liquid superlubricity in practical engineering applications.

TfOH-Promoted Decyanative Cyclization toward the Synthesis of 2,1-Benzisoxazoles.

A novel solvent-free, TfOH-promoted decyanative cyclization approach for the synthesis of 2,1-benzisoxazoles has been developed. The reactions are complete instantly at room temperature and result in the formation of the desired 2,1-benzisoxazoles in a 34-97% isolated yield.

Extreme-Pressure Superlubricity of Polymer Solution Enhanced with Hydrated Salt Ions.

The development of new routes or materials to realize superlubricity under high contact pressure can result in energy-saving and reduction of emissions. In this study, superlubricity (µ = 0.0017) under extreme pressure (717 MPa, more than twice the previously reported liquid superlubricity) between the frictional pair of Si3N4/sapphire was achieved by prerunning-in with a H3PO4 (HP) solution followed by lubrication with an aqueous solution consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sodium chloride (NaCl). Under the same test condition, the aqueous PVA lubricant did not show superlubricity. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicate the formation of a PVA-adsorbed film at the frictional interface after lubrication with PVA but not after lubrication with PVA/NaCl, indicating competitive adsorption between hydrated Na+ ions and PVA molecules. The hydrated Na+ ions adsorbed preferentially to the solid surfaces, causing the transformation of the shear interface from a polymer film/polymer film to a solid/polymer film. Meanwhile, the hydrated Na+ ions also produced hydration repulsion force and induced low shear stress between the solid surfaces. Furthermore, NaCl increased the viscosity of the polymer lubricant, enhanced the hydrodynamic effect between interfaces, and decreased direct contact between the friction pair, causing a further reduction in friction. Thus, the superlubricity of the PVA/NaCl mixture is attributed to the combination of hydration and hydrodynamic effects. This study provides a novel route and mechanism for achieving extreme-pressure superlubricity at the macroscale, through the synergistic lubricating effect of hydrated ions and a polymer solution, propelling the industrial application of superlubricity.

On Lubrication States after a Running-In Process in Aqueous Lubrication.

Recently, many studies have reported the ultralow friction coefficient of sliding friction between rigid solid surfaces in aqueous lubrication. A running-in process that goes through high-friction and friction-decreasing regions to a stable ultralow friction region is often required. However, the role of the friction-decreasing region is often ascribed to tribofilm formation in which complexity hindered the quantitative description of the running-in process and the prediction of its subsequent lubrication state. In this work, the frictional energy (Ef) dissipated in the running-in process of a poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate) aqueous lubrication was related to the wear of solid surfaces under different conditions and lubrication states. Experimental results indicated that the high-friction region was in a boundary lubrication state, contributed to most of the wear, and significantly reduced the contact pressure, whereas the friction-decreasing region was in a mixed lubrication state, contributed only to the slight and slow removal of materials, and slightly reduced the contact pressure. Therefore, by establishing relationships among the wear scar diameter, Ef, and the Stribeck curve of the tribological system, the subsequent lubrication state after a running-in process under various working loads and sliding speeds could be quantitatively predicted. The running-in experiments with different aqueous lubrication systems showed good agreement with the prediction of this method. This investigation provides an effective method for the wear and lubrication state prediction after a running-in process, further proving the importance of the Stribeck curve for a lubrication system. This study may also have important implications for the strategy design of the running-in process in various industrial applications.

Electric Response of CuS Nanoparticle Lubricant Additives: The Effect of Crystalline and Amorphous Octadecylamine Surfactant Capping Layers.

Octadecylamine-coated CuS nanoparticles were designed and confirmed to play an important role in their electric response and boundary lubrication in the ester lubricant. For the case of CuS nanoparticles coated with crystalline surfactant, the surface potential is 18.47 ± 0.99 mV higher than with amorphous surfactant, owing to the random chain conformations of the octadecylamine molecules. When used as a lubricant additive, CuS nanoparticles (in the form of nanoplates or nanoarrays) with a crystalline surfactant were positively charged due to the presence of the amino headgroup in octadecylamine. The observed friction coefficient decreased from 0.18 to 0.09 and 0.05, respectively, when negative potential (for the copper lower pair) was applied across untreated CuS nanoparticles. However, thermally treated CuS nanoparticles showed good lubricating effect, but almost no effect of potential control since the amino groups were obscured by the disordered carbon chains, hindering electron transfer and weakening the response to externally applied electric field.

Time-Dependent Dynamic Behaviors of a Confined Liquid To Achieve Tailored Adhesion Force with Repeated Contacts Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy.

The adhesion forces between two silica surfaces were measured by using an atomic force microscope with different experimental parameters in air to investigate the dynamic behavior of a confined liquid. Results show that the adhesion force is time-dependent and increases at first sharply and then slightly with dwell time until saturation is reached, with a long equilibrium time. This behavior is well explained by a dynamic meniscus model, in which a liquid bridge grows gradually because of liquid film flow with a large viscosity. Also, the large viscosity was attributed to the formation of orthosilicic acid and subsequent polymerization. With repeated contacts, the liquid bridge changes into two droplets on both surfaces after separation. The liquid in both forms can be controlled to flow into or out of the contact zone by the experimental parameters to achieve tailored adhesion forces. If the liquid of previous contact remains in the contact zone, the adhesion force increases with repeated contacts and then reaches saturation, which can also be explained by the model qualitatively. However, if the liquid droplets vanish before the next contact, the adhesion force usually decreases or remains unchanged. More liquid will be collected with larger contact times. Meanwhile, the droplets remaining on the surfaces get smaller until they vanish without a contact. Moreover, both piezo velocity and scan distance can be used to control the proportion of contact time. In addition, a viscous force should be considered with a large retraction velocity. The changing trend and magnitude of adhesion force depend on the experimental parameters and their coupling effects. The results may facilitate the anti-adhesion design of small-scale silicon-based systems.

High-speed near-field photolithography at 16.85 nm linewidth with linearly polarized illumination.

Plasmonic focusing was investigated in concentric rings with a central pillar under linearly polarized illumination with a specific incident angle. When changing the incident angle of linearly polarized beam between 6 and 15 degree away from the normal direction, the focal spot size can keep a steady value of 37 nm, smaller than the focal spot with the radially polarized beam at the same excited condition, 45 nm. Combining this with the high-speed near-field photolithography technology, we demonstrated a plasmonic lithography with 16.85 nm linewidth on both organic and inorganic photo-resists in large scale at scanning speeds up to 11.3 m/s. This inclined linearly polarized illumination is easy to realize in a prototype of near-field photolithography system, and it opens a new cost effective approach towards the next generation lithography for nano-manufacturing.

The steady flying of a plasmonic flying head over a photoresist-coated surface in a near-field photolithography system.

The near-field photolithography technique (NFPT) offers a new approach of nanolithography for a dramatic increase in the resolution with high throughput and low cost. The NFPT utilizes the same flight principle as that of the magnetic head of hard-disk drives but replacing the magnetic head with a plasmonic flying head. The plasmonic flying head, which can focus the incident laser beam to a spot size of sub-20 nm with an enhanced field intensity by exciting surface plasmon polaritons, takes off and then flies steadily above the revolving disk coated by a photoresist film to be patterned with a narrow gap of tens of nanometers. As a key foundation of the NFPT, the take off and flight stability of the plasmonic flying head affects the pattern density and the fabrication efficiency. This work proposed and investigated a molecular glass photoresist, named FPT-8Boc, for the large-scale consistent fabrication with the NFPT. To overcome the take-off problem of the head over the soft photoresist film, a transition zone is intentionally formed by washing off the coated photoresist in the outer area of the disk using a solvent. The simulation results by COMSOL Multiphysics software and quasi-Newton iteration method review that the matched transition zone height with spreading length can guarantee the flight stability of the plasmonic flying head on the soft photoresist. Using this method, a preliminary photolithography result with a 31 nm line width has been achieved.

Modeling the response of a quartz crystal microbalance under nanoscale confinement and slip boundary conditions.

Nanorheology and boundary slip play an important role in the micro/nanofluidics, and micro/nano-electromechanical systems, especially for research on DNA, proteins and polymers. Herein, a nanoscale confinement structure, called a nanocell, is established by assembling a parallel plate on the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) chip to study the nanorheology of liquids and the boundary slip on the interface. The corresponding analytical models are established and verified experimentally with high consistency. We reveal that the responses of QCM with the nanocell assembled are dependent on the nanocell confinement thickness, the acoustic impedance of the nanocell lid (parallel plate), as well as the boundary slip on the interface. A critical influence thickness of the assembled nanocell d = 2δ is indicated, above which the assembly of a nanocell has no influence on the QCM response. And the interfacial boundary slip results in obvious decreases of relative frequency shift and relative half-bandwidth variation. We find that adopting a nanocell lid with the same acoustic impedance as the tested liquids will evidently simplify the experimental analysis. In the paper, the nanocell provides an effective method to investigate the nanorheology of confined liquids and the interfacial boundary slip, and the established models offer a theoretical basis for the analysis of the nanocell-assembled QCM response.

Synthesis of 5-epi-taiwaniaquinone G.

A concise synthetic approach to the unnatural 5-epi-taiwaniaquinone G has been developed via a Lewis acid catalyzed tandem acylation-Nazarov cyclization reaction to construct the tricyclic skeleton, followed by installation of the isopropyl group through a strategy involving coumarin formation and its subsequent hydrolysis.

Forty-Nanometer Plasmonic Lithography Resolution with Two-Stage Bowtie Lens.

Optical imaging and photolithography hold the promise of extensive applications in the branch of nano-electronics, metrology, and the intricate domain of single-molecule biology. Nonetheless, the phenomenon of light diffraction imposes a foundational constraint upon optical resolution, thus presenting a significant barrier to the downscaling aspirations of nanoscale fabrication. The strategic utilization of surface plasmons has emerged as an avenue to overcome this diffraction-limit problem, leveraging their inherent wavelengths. In this study, we designed a pioneering and two-staged resolution, by adeptly compressing optical energy at profound sub-wavelength dimensions, achieved through the combination of propagating surface plasmons (PSPs) and localized surface plasmons (LSPs). By synergistically combining this plasmonic lens with parallel patterning technology, this economic framework not only improves the throughput capabilities of prevalent photolithography but also serves as an innovative pathway towards the next generation of semiconductor fabrication.

An Underactuated Adaptive Microspines Gripper for Rough Wall.

Wall attachment has great potential in a broad range of applications such as robotic grasping, transfer printing, and asteroid sampling. Herein, a new type of underactuated bionic microspines gripper is proposed to attach to an irregular, rough wall. Experimental results revealed that the gripper, profiting from its flexible structure and underactuated linkage mechanism, is capable of adapting submillimeter scale roughness to centimeter scale geometry irregularity in both normal and tangential attachment. The rigid-flexible coupling simulation analysis validated that the rough adaptation was achieved by the passive deformation of the zigzag flexible structure, while the centimeter-scale irregularity adaptation come from the underactuated design. The attachment test of a spine confirmed that a 5 mm sliding distance of the spine tip on the fine brick wall promises a saturated tangential attachment force, which can guide the stiffness design of flexible structure and parameter selection of underactuated linkage. Furthermore, the developed microspines gripper was successfully demonstrated to grasp irregular rocks, tree trunks, and granite plates. This work presents a generally applicable and dexterous passive adaption design to achieve rough wall attachment for flat and curved objects, which promotes the understanding and application of wall attachment.

Imaging dynamic three-dimensional traction stresses.

Traction stress between contact objects is ubiquitous and crucial for various physical, biological, and engineering processes such as momentum transfer, tactile perception, and mechanical reliability. Newly developed techniques including electronic skin or traction force microscopy enable traction stress measurement. However, measuring the three-dimensional distribution during a dynamic process remains challenging. Here, we demonstrated a method based on stereo vision to measure three-dimensional traction stress with high spatial and temporal resolution. It showed the ability to image the two-stage adhesion failure of bionic microarrays and display the contribution of elastic resistance and adhesive traction to rolling friction at different contact regions. It also revealed the distributed sucking and sealing effect of the concavity pedal waves that propelled a snail crawling in the horizontal, vertical, and upside-down directions. We expected that the method would advance the understanding of various interfacial phenomena and greatly benefit related applications across physics, biology, and robotics.