High sensitivity magnetometer using nanocomposite polymers with large magneto-optic response: retraction.

The referenced article [Opt. Lett.43, 4615 (2018)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.43.004615] has been retracted by the authors.

High sensitivity magnetometer using nanocomposite polymers with large magneto-optic response.

Miniaturized magnetic field sensors are increasingly used in various applications, such as geophysical exploration for minerals and oil, volcanology, earthquake studies, and biomedical imaging. Existing magnetometers lack either the spatial or the temporal resolution or are restricted to costly shielded labs and cannot operate in an unshielded environment. Increasing spatio-temporal resolution would allow for real-time measurements of magnetic fluctuations with high resolution. Here we report on a new nanocomposite-based system for miniaturized magnetic field sensing. The sensor is based on Dy3+-doped magnetite and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles dispersed in a polymer matrix. Operation is feasible at room temperature and in an unshielded environment. A compact fiber-optic interferometer is used as the detection mechanism with 20 fT/√Hz sensitivity. We investigated the magnetic field response of the sensor and demonstrated the measurement of the human heartbeat as a potential application.

Enhanced magnetism in highly ordered magnetite nanoparticle-filled nanohole arrays.

A new approach to develop highly ordered magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticle-patterned nanohole arrays with desirable magnetic properties for a variety of technological applications is presented. In this work, the sub-100 nm nanohole arrays are successfully fabricated from a pre-ceramic polymer mold using spin-on nanoprinting (SNAP). These nanoholes a then filled with monodispersed, spherical Fe3O4 nanoparticles of about 10 nm diameter using a novel magnetic drag and drop procedure. The nanohole arrays filled with magnetic nanoparticles a imaged using magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Magnetometry and MFM measurements reveal room temperature ferromagnetism in the Fe3O4-filled nanohole arrays, while the as-synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles exhibit superparamagnetic behavior. As revealed by MFM measurements, the enhanced magnetism in the Fe3O4-filled nanohole arrays originates mainly from the enhanced magnetic dipole interactions of Fe3 O4 nanoparticles within the nanoholes and between adjacent nanoholes. Nanoparticle filled nanohole arrays can be highly beneficial in magnetic data storage and other applications such as microwave devices and biosensor arrays that require tunable and anisotropic magnetic properties.

Multiphoton microscopy as a detection tool for photobleaching of EO materials.

Multi-photon microscopy operating at 1550 nm is employed as a rapid characterization tool for studying the photostability of three well-known electro-optical materials. Different nonlinear optical responses such as multi-photon excitation fluoresence, second-, and third-harmonic generation can be used as detection probes to reveal the degradation mechanisms. This technique is rapid, accurate, and can be used to study the photostability of a broad range of materials.

Faraday rotation of cobalt ferrite nanoparticle polymer composite films at cryogenic temperatures.

This paper investigates the behavior of the Verdet constant for cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles polymer composite films at low temperatures using a 532 nm laser source. An experimental setup for Faraday rotation (FR) at low temperatures is introduced and FRs were measured at various temperatures. Verdet constants were deduced from the paramagnetic model for terbium gallium garnet glass where ~4× improvement was observed at 40° K for CoFe2O4 composite film.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry on metal and metal-oxide multilayer hybrid plasmonic nanostructures.

The effective medium approximation is used to determine the optical constants of novel silver (Ag)/indium-tin oxide (ITO) multilayer nanopillar structures within the 300-800 nm wavelength range. The structures are modeled as inclusions in air with the pillar volume fraction at 42.4%, agreeing with SEM images of the sample. The simulated reflection intensity of the nanopillars is much less than that of the planar reference sample and is a result of the small difference between the refractive index of the top effective medium layer and that of air. Furthermore, the minimum in the reflection at around 450 nm in the nanostructured sample is evidence of surface plasmon enhancement, indicating suitability for plasmonic applications. The simulated Brewster angle decreases in the pillar region, which is an indication of smaller effective refractive index.

Effect of modular diffraction gratings on absorption in P3HT:PCBM layers.

Various gratings with 700 nm feature spacings are patterned on the reverse side of organic solar cell active layers to increase the path length and constrain light to the cell through total internal reflection. The absorption enhancement is studied for 15, 40, and 120 nm active layers. We were able to confine 9% of the incident light over the wavelength range of 400-650 nm, with thinner gratings having a greater enhancement potential. The measurement setup utilizing an integrating sphere to fully characterize scattered or diffracted light is also fully described.

Modification of symmetrically substituted phthalocyanines using click chemistry: phthalocyanine nanostructures by nanoimprint lithography.

Phthalocyanines (Pcs) are commonly applied to advanced technologies such as optical limiting, photodynamic therapy (PDT), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, where they are used as the p-type layer. An approach to Pc structural diversity and the incorporation of a functional group that allows fabrication of solvent resistant Pc nanostructures formed by using a newly developed nanoimprint by melt processing (NIMP) technique, a variant of standard nanoimprint lithography (NIL), is reported. Copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), a click chemistry reaction, serves as an approach to structural diversity in Pc macrocycles. We have prepared octaalkynyl Pc 1b and have modified this Pc using the CuAAC reaction to yield four Pc derivatives 5a-5d with different peripheral substituents on the macrocycle. One of these derivatives, 5c, has photo-cross-linkable cinnamate residues, and we have demonstrated the fabrication of robust cross-linked photopatterned and imprinted nanostructures from this material.

Nanoimprinted Hybrid Metal-Semiconductor Plasmonic Multilayers with Controlled Surface Nano Architecture for Applications in NIR Detectors.

We present a proof of concept for tunable plasmon resonance frequencies in a core shell nano-architectured hybrid metal-semiconductor multilayer structure, with Ag as the active shell and ITO as the dielectric modulation media. Our method relies on the collective change in the dielectric function within the metal semiconductor interface to control the surface. Here we report fabrication and optical spectroscopy studies of large-area, nanostructured, hybrid silver and indium tin oxide (ITO) structures, with feature sizes below 100 nm and a controlled surface architecture. The optical and electrical properties of these core shell electrodes, including the surface plasmon frequency, can be tuned by suitably changing the order and thickness of the dielectric layers. By varying the dimensions of the nanopillars, the surface plasmon wavelength of the nanopillar Ag can be tuned from 650 to 690 nm. Adding layers of ITO to the structure further shifts the resonance wavelength toward the IR region and, depending on the sequence and thickness of the layers within the structure, we show that such structures can be applied in sensing devices including enhancing silicon as a photodetection material.

Printed sub-100 nm polymer-derived ceramic structures.

We proposed an unconventional fabrication technique called spin-on nanoprinting (SNAP) to generate and transfer sub-100 nm preceramic polymer patterns onto flexible and rigid substrates. The dimensions of printed nanostructures are almost the same as those of the mold, since the ceramic precursor used is a liquid. The printed patterns can be used as a replica for printing second-generation structures using other polymeric materials or they can be further converted to desirable ceramic structures, which are very attractive for high-temperature and harsh environment applications. SNAP is an inexpensive parallel process and requires no special equipment for operation.