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We present a modular quasi-optical pulse slicer designed for use at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Given a quasi-cw input, the two outputs of a module are (1) a pulse with programmable duration and (2) its complement. The quasi-optical design incorporates a laser-driven silicon switch at Brewster's angle to the incoming THz beam, which limits undesired reflections before the switch is activated such that THz power is only transmitted when the switch is "on." An "off" switch ensures that no power is leaked after the pulse and that the switching profile is sharp. The slicer's small footprint (0.048 × 0.072 × 0.162 m 3 ) and small insertion loss (1.2 dB at 320 GHz) as well as high switching efficiency (∼ 70 %) allows modules to be stacked to create multiple pulses. The output channel that is not used for experiments can be used for concurrent analysis of beam parameters. Stacking modular assemblies will enable more complex sequences of kW-level pulses than are currently achievable for applications including free-electron-laser or gyrotron-powered pulsed electron spin resonance at high magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the properties of complex molecules on surfaces is still mostly an unexplored research area because the deposition of the metal complexes has many pitfalls. Herein, we probed the possibility to produce surface hybrids by depositing a Co(II)-based complex with chalcone ligands on chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene by a wet-chemistry approach and by thermal sublimation under high vacuum. Samples were characterized by high-frequency electron spin resonance (HF-ESR), XPS, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical microscopy, supported with density functional theory (DFT) and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF)/N-electron valence second-order perturbation theory (NEVPT2) calculations. This compound's rationale is its structure, with several aromatic rings for weak binding and possible favorable π–π stacking onto graphene. In contrast to expectations, we observed the formation of nanodroplets on graphene for a drop-cast sample and microcrystallites localized at grain boundaries and defects after thermal sublimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]