Zuobin Wang

Plasmon-enhanced upconversion fluorescence in NaYF4:Yb/Er/Gd nanorods coated with Au nanoparticles or nanoshells

We investigate plasmon-enhanced upconversion (UC) fluorescence in Yb3+-Er3+-Gd+3 codoped sodium yttrium fluoride (NaYF4:Yb/Er/Gd) nanorods using gold nanoparticles or nanoshells. A simple method was proposed for the preparation of core/shell NaYF4/Au structures, with dispersed Au nanoparticles or uniform Au coating on the surface of the UC nanorod. Pure hexagonal-phase NaYF4:Yb/Er/Gd nanorods were synthesized via a liquid-solid reaction in oleic acid and ethanol solvent. A one-step approach was introduced to modify the hydrophobic surfaces of the as-deposited NaYF4:Yb/Er/Gd nanorods. After this surface modification, Au nanoparticles or nanoshells were successfully attached on the surfaces of NaYF4:Yb/Er/Gd nanorods. The as-deposited UC nanorods showed a strong UC emission in green and red bands under 980 nm laser excitation. The attachment of Au nanoparticles onto NaYF4:Yb/Er/Gd nanorods resulted in a more than three-fold increase in UC emissions, whereas the formation of continuous and compact Au shells ...

Effects of polarization on four-beam laser interference lithography

This paper demonstrates that polarization plays an important role in the formation of interference patterns, pattern contrasts, and periods in four-beam interference lithography. Three different polarization modes are presented to study the effects of polarization on four-beam laser interference based on theoretical analysis, simulations, and experiments. A four-beam laser interference system was set up to modify the silicon surface. It was found that the secondary periodicity or modulation was the result of the misaligned or unequal incident angles only in the case of the TE-TE-TM-TM mode. The resulting patterns have shown a good correspondence with the theoretical analysis and simulations.

Fabrication of moth-eye structures on silicon by direct six-beam laser interference lithography

This paper presents a new method for the generation of cross-scale laser interference patterns and the fabrication of moth-eye structures on silicon. In the method, moth-eye structures were produced on a surface of silicon wafer using direct six-beam laser interference lithography to improve the antireflection performance of the material surface. The periodic dot arrays of the moth-eye structures were formed due to the ablation of the irradiance distribution of interference patterns on the wafer surface. The shape, size, and distribution of the moth-eye structures can be adjusted by controlling the wavelength, incidence angles, and exposure doses in a direct six-beam laser interference lithography setup. The theoretical and experimental results have shown that direct six-beam laser interference lithography can provide a way to fabricate cross-scale moth-eye structures for antireflection applications.

Ordered nanostructures written directly by laser interference

We present a simplified method to employ laser interference lithography for the fabrication of ordered nanostructures. Neither resist, nor an elaborate fabrication process was needed. Four-beam interference patterns generated in this work included periodic arrays of holes in GaAs, covered with SiO(2) bubbles, and they were directly written into the sample. The diameters of the smallest holes were less than 30 nm. We propose a model to interpret the results.

A novel human-computer interface based on passive acoustic localisation

This paper describes work aimed at developing new tangible computer interfaces that can be created out of almost any surface by detecting the vibrations generated when a users finger interacts with the surface. Two modes of interaction have been considered: discrete impact and continuous scratching. Two methods for localising the point of impact have been investigated: Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) and Location Template Matching (LTM). Tracking of the continuous movement of a finger scratching on a surface has been implemented by extending the TDOA method. These methods have been tested using solid objects of different materials and shapes. Experimental results have shown the potential of the presented technologies for real-time impact localisation in this new form of human-computer interfaces.

Line defects in two-dimensional four-beam interference patterns

We have studied laser interference patterns, which consist of line defects on the surface of a GaAs substrate, generated by four-beam interference lithography. The orientation and periodicity of the defects are shown to depend on the configuration of the incident laser beams, while the widths of the defects are modified by varying the beam intensity. Influences of the phase and polarization on the simulated patterns are discussed.

Effects of azimuthal angles on laser interference lithography.

This paper discusses the effects of azimuthal angles on two-, three-, and four-beam laser interference. In two- or three-beam laser interference, periodic surface structures of lines or dots were obtained. In four-beam laser interference with the polarization mode of TE-TM-TE-TM, the modulation in a particular direction was formed and calculated. In the work, a He-Ne laser system was used to simulate two-, three-, and four-beam laser interference, and the interference pattern was detected by a CCD. A high-power Nd:YAG laser interference lithography system was set up to pattern silicon wafers. In the experiments, one azimuthal angle was changed every time to form interference patterns when polarization states were fixed and incident angles were equal. The experimental results have shown that the azimuthal angle affects the periods and feature sizes of the interference patterns and the fabricated surface structures, which are in accordance with the theoretical and computer simulation results.

Superhydrophobic dual micro- and nanostructures fabricated by direct laser interference lithography

Abstract. A method for the fabrication of highly ordered superhydrophobic dual micro- and nanostructures on silicon by direct laser interference lithography (LIL) is presented. The method offers its innovation that the superhydrophobic dual micro- and nanostructures can be fabricated directly by controlling the process of four-beam laser interference and the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) to wipe off the silica generated during the process. Different laser fluences, exposure durations, and cleanout times have been investigated to obtain the optimum value of the contact angle (CA). The superhydrophobic surface with the CA of 153.2 deg was achieved after exposure of 60 s and immersion in HF with a concentration of 5% for 3 min. Compared with other approaches, it is a facile and efficient method with its significant feature for the macroscale fabrication of highly ordered superhydrophobic dual micro- and nanostructures on silicon.

Periodic antireflection surface structure fabricated on silicon by four-beam laser interference lithography

Silicon surface structures with excellent antireflection property arouse wide interest. Chemical and physical methods such as femtosecond, nanosecond, and picosecond laser processing, wet-chemical etching, electrochemical etching, and reactive ion etching have been developed to fabricate them. However, the methods can only produce a quasi-ordered array of sharp conical microspikes on silicon surface. In this paper, we present a method to fabricate periodic silicon antireflection surface structures using direct four-beam laser interference lithography (LIL). With 1 atm ambient atmosphere of SF6 and the laser fluence of the four beams irradiated on the silicon surface at 0.64 J cm−2, the periodical conical spikes were generated. Changing the polarization directions of the opposite incident beam pairs in a four-beam LIL system could convert conical spikes structure into an array of holes. Antireflection in a wide spectral range was measured by a spectrophotometer from ultraviolet to near-infrared. The averag...

AFM-based study of fullerenol (C60(OH)24)-induced changes of elasticity in living SMCC-7721 cells.

In this study, the alterations of the morphology and biomechanical properties of living SMCC-7721 cancer cells treated with fullerenol (C60(OH)24) for 24, 48, and 72h were investigated using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Comparative analyses show that the elastic moduli of the SMCC-7721 cells exposed to fullerenol decrease significantly with the increase of the treatment periods. Furthermore, in different phases of the treatment, a global decrease in elasticity is accompanied by cellular morphological changes, and the time-dependent effect of the fullerenol can be observed using AFM and optical microscope. In addition, as the treatment duration increases, the indentation force and depth penetrated into the cell membrane by the AFM tip are in a declining trend. The reduction in the stiffness of the cells exposed to fullerenol could be associated with the disruption of the cellular cytoskeleton network. The investigation indicates that the elastic modulus of single living cells can be a useful biomarker to evaluate the effects of fullerenol or other anticancer agents on the cells and reveal instructive information for cellular dynamic behaviors.