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The large mid-infrared (MIR) spectral region, ranging from 2.5 µm to 25 µm, has remained under-exploited in the electromagnetic spectrum, primarily due to the absence of viable transceiver technologies. Notably, the 8–14 µm long-wave infrared (LWIR) atmospheric transmission window is particularly suitable for free-space optical (FSO) communication, owing to its combination of low atmospheric propagation loss and relatively high resilience to turbulence and other atmospheric disturbances. Here, we demonstrate a direct modulation and direct detection LWIR FSO communication system at 9.1 µm wavelength based on unipolar quantum optoelectronic devices with a unprecedented net bitrate exceeding 55 Gbit s−1. A directly modulated distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) with high modulation efficiency and improved RF-design was used as a transmitter while two high speed detectors utilizing meta-materials to enhance their responsivity are employed as receivers; a quantum cascade detector (QCD) and a quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP). We investigate system tradeoffs and constraints, and indicate pathways forward for this technology beyond 100 Gbit s−1 communication. High-resolution pulse shaping is highly sought after, but existing systems are impractical outside of laboratory settings. Here, the authors introduce a chip-scale spectral shaper that uses high-Q microresonator filter banks and inline phase control to manipulate lines at GHz-level spacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXene is a promising energy storage material for miniaturized microbatteries and microsupercapacitors (MSCs). Despite its superior electrochemical performance, only a few studies have reported MXene‐based ultrahigh‐rate (>1000 mV s−1) on‐paper MSCs, mainly due to the reduced electrical conductance of MXene films deposited on paper. Herein, ultrahigh‐rate metal‐free on‐paper MSCs based on heterogeneous MXene/poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)‐stack electrodes are fabricated through the combination of direct ink writing and femtosecond laser scribing. With a footprint area of only 20 mm2, the on‐paper MSCs exhibit excellent high‐rate capacitive behavior with an areal capacitance of 5.7 mF cm−2 and long cycle life (>95% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles) at a high scan rate of 1000 mV s−1, outperforming most of the present on‐paper MSCs. Furthermore, the heterogeneous MXene/PEDOT:PSS electrodes can interconnect individual MSCs into metal‐free on‐paper MSC arrays, which can also be simultaneously charged/discharged at 1000 mV s−1, showing scalable capacitive performance. The heterogeneous MXene/PEDOT:PSS stacks are a promising electrode structure for on‐paper MSCs to serve as ultrafast miniaturized energy storage components for emerging paper electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the relationship between the vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) and patient outcomes in surgical settings. Methods: Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and CNKI databases from November 2010, when the VIS was first published, to December 2022. Additional studies were identified through hand-searching the reference lists of included studies. Eligible studies were those published in English that evaluated the association between the VIS and short- or long-term patient outcomes in both pediatric and adult surgical patients. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan Manager version 5.3, and quality assessment followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklists. Results: A total of 58 studies comprising 29,920 patients were included in the systematic review, 34 of which were eligible for meta-analysis. Early postoperative VIS was found to be associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation (OR 5.20, 95% CI 3.78–7.16), mortality (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05–1.12), acute kidney injury (AKI) (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.13–1.41), poor outcomes (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01–1.04), and length of stay (LOS) in the ICU (OR 3.50, 95% CI 2.25–5.44). The optimal cutoff value for the VIS as an outcome predictor varied between studies, ranging from 10 to 30. Conclusion: Elevated early postoperative VIS is associated with various adverse outcomes, including acute kidney injury (AKI), mechanical ventilation duration, mortality, poor outcomes, and length of stay (LOS) in the ICU. Monitoring the VIS upon return to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) could assist medical teams in risk stratification, targeted interventions, and parent counseling. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022359100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the optical and interfacial properties of epitaxially fused direct GaInP/Si heterojunctions realized by the corrugated epitaxial lateral overgrowth (CELOG) approach. To provide a broad analysis of the above heterojunction, photoluminescence (PL), cathodoluminescence (CL), Raman, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed in this study. The enhanced luminescence intensity was observed in the direct GaInP/Si heterojunction in the cross-sectional CL because of the reduced defect density in the CELOG GaInP. The spatial resolution dependent PL and CL spectra of GaInP on Si yielded the composition variation of GaInP arising from the anisotropic growth behavior of CELOG. The Ga composition, x, in GaxIn1−xP/Si at the interface deduced from the lattice constant measured by TEM has a good agreement with the results of PL and CL. Low thermal and lattice mismatch strain in CELOG GaInP on Si were revealed by the Raman spectra. TEM investigation further revealed the atomic structure of some planar defects in CELOG GaInP over Si. It is confirmed that although a thin atomic disorder was observed on the surface of Si substrate, an epitaxially fused GaInP/Si heterojunction with a reduced threading dislocation density of ∼6.4 × 107 cm−2 in comparison to ∼4.8 × 108 cm−2 in the InP seed on Si has been successfully fabricated by the CELOG technique despite about 4% lattice mismatch between GaInP and Si. The findings of this study demonstrate the great potential of the CELOG technique for promoting monolithic integration of III-V/Si-based optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz quantum cascade laser sources based on intra-cavity Cherenkov difference-frequency generation in dual-wavelength mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers are currently the only monolithic semiconductor laser technology that can deliver continuous-wave coherent terahertz output at room temperature. Because the Cherenkov difference-frequency generation process enables terahertz radiation generation and extraction across a wide range of frequencies, it is often assumed that phase-matching conditions for this process are automatically fulfilled. We theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate that phase-matching plays an important role in these devices, and significant improvements in terahertz power output can be achieved by adjusting the waveguide configuration of the quantum cascade lasers to provide better phase-matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaAsP/Si with high crystalline quality fabricated by cost‐effective heteroepitaxial technology is a promising pathway for realizing low‐cost Si‐based tandem solar cell with efficiency higher than 30%. Herein, hydride vapor‐phase epitaxy is used to perform selective area growth of GaAsP with high lateral coverage, referred to as epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG). The ELOG is performed on GaAs‐based substrates as a prestudy, followed by GaAs/Si and GaAsP/Si seed wafers employing chemical mechanical polishing to fabricate full 2″ GaAsP/Si templates. These are subsequently used to grow and process GaAsP/Si pn‐junction structures for electrical characterization. The ELOG GaAsP is studied by spatially resolved photoluminescence (PL) mapping and high‐resolution X‐ray diffraction measurements. PL analysis of the GaAsP/GaAs ELOG samples reveals an enhanced P‐incorporation during lateral growth of GaAsP. This is also observed for the GaAsP/Si ELOG templates along with evidence of improved material quality, clearly distinguishing the laterally grown GaAsP from the planar growth directly above the Si substrate. Leakage pathways causing reduced electrical performance of the ELOG GaAsP/Si pn‐junction structures are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation-patterned gallium phosphide (OP-GaP) has been grown heteroepitaxially on OP gallium arsenide (GaAs) templates using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). The effect of OP-GaAs template fabrication methods of epitaxial-inversion and wafer bonding on the heteroepitaxial OP-GaP growth has been investigated. OP-GaP layers with a growth rate of up to 35 µm/h and excellent domain fidelity were obtained. The growth rate and the domain fidelity have been revealed/studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, we demonstrate that the crystalline quality of the individual domains, namely, the substrate-oriented domains (ODs) and the inverted domains (IDs), can be investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping (HRXRDRSM), which can also indicate the domain fidelity. Attempts to increase the growth rate and improve the domain fidelity by increasing the III and V group precursors resulted in either an increase in the growth rate in the OP-GaP layers grown on epitaxial inversion OP-GaAs template at the expense of the domain crystalline quality and fidelity or an improvement in the crystalline quality of the domains at the expense of the growth rate in the OP-GaP layers grown on wafer-bonded OP-GaAs templates. In the case of OP-GaP grown on OP-GaAs templates prepared by epitaxial inversion, the crystalline quality of the ODs is better than that of the IDs, but it shows that the quality of the inverted layer in the template influences the quality and fidelity of the grown domains. To the authors' knowledge, exploitation of HRXRDRSM studies on OP-GaP to establish the crystalline quality of its individual domains (ODs and IDs) is the first of its kind. OP-ZnSe grown on OP-GaAs templates has also been included in this study to further emphasize the potential of this method. We propose from this study that once the growth rate is optimized from SEM studies, HRXRDRSM analysis alone can be used to assess the structural quality and to infer the domain fidelity of the OP structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a reverse-taper quantum cascade laser (QCL) emitting at 4.6 μm, a novel-geometry device that can scale the output power while maintaining good beam quality. Buried-ridge waveguides with tapered and straight regions were formed by ICP etching and HVPE regrowth – the tapered region scales the output power, while the emitting facet is located at the narrow-end taper section, which provides mode filtering by suppressing high-order spatial modes. Beam profiles were observed under quasi-continuous-wave (QCW)/CW operation and beam quality (M2) measurements along with beam-stability measurements were performed – a small degree of collimated-beam centroid movement (<0.46 mrad, peak-to-peak) was observed, along with M2 values close to 1 up to ∼1 W QCW power. Devices of shorter cavity lengths were also investigated, indicating that the output power scales with the core-region volume but results in a small increase in angular deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since about one and half centuries ago, at the dawn of modern communications, the radio and the optics have been two separate electromagnetic spectrum regions to carry data. Differentiated by their generation/detection methods and propagation properties, the two paths have evolved almost independently until today. The optical technologies dominate the long-distance and high-speed terrestrial wireline communications through fiber-optic telecom systems, whereas the radio technologies have mainly dominated the short- to medium-range wireless scenarios. Now, these two separate counterparts are both facing a sign of saturation in their respective roadmap horizons, particularly in the segment of free-space communications. The optical technologies are extending into the mid-wave and long-wave infrared (MWIR and LWIR) regimes to achieve better propagation performance through the dynamic atmospheric channels. Radio technologies strive for higher frequencies like the millimeter-wave (MMW) and sub-terahertz (sub-THz) to gain broader bandwidth. The boundary between the two is becoming blurred and intercrossed. During the past few years, we witnessed technological breakthroughs in free-space transmission supporting very high data rates, many achieved with the assistance of photonics. This paper focuses on such photonics-assisted free-space communication technologies in both the lower and upper sides of the THz gap and provides a detailed review of recent research and development activities on some of the key enabling technologies. Our recent experimental demonstrations of high-speed free-space transmissions in both frequency regions are also presented as examples to show the system requirements for device characteristics and digital signal processing (DSP) performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A roadmap for future wireless communications is expected to exploit all transmission-suitable spectrum bands, from the microwave to the optical frequencies, to support orders of magnitude faster data transfer with much lower latency than the deployed solutions nowadays. The currently under-exploited mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectrum is an essential building block for such an envisioned all-spectra wireless communication paradigm. Free-space optical (FSO) communications in the mid-IR region have recently attracted great interest due to their intrinsic merits of low propagation loss and high tolerance of atmospheric perturbations. Future development of viable mid-IR FSO transceivers requires a semiconductor source to fulfill the high bandwidth, low energy consumption, and small footprint requirements. In this context, quantum cascade laser (QCL) appears as a promisingtechnological choice. In this work, we present an experimental demonstration of a mid-IR FSO link enabled by a 4.65-μm directly modulated (DM) QCL operating at room temperature. We achieve a transmission data rate of up to 6 Gbps over a 0.5-m link distance. This achievement is enabled by system-level characterization and optimization of transmitter and receiver power level and frequency response and assisted with advanced modulation and digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. This work pushes the QCL-based FSO technology one step closer to practical terrestrial applications, such as the fixed wireless access and the wireless mobile backhaul. Such a QCL-based solution offers a promising way towards the futuristic all-spectra wireless communication paradigm by potentially supporting the whole spectrum from the MIR to the terahertz (THz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a comb-locked multi-channel transmitter with high-speed VCSELs injection-locked by an optical frequency comb. VCSEL dynamics are analyzed with various injection parameters including number of comb tones, frequency detuning, and injection ratio. We evaluate the performance of filtering and amplification effect when multiple comb tones injection into single VCSEL and estimate the transmission performance considering the reflection from VCSEL. Compared to intrinsic parameters of VCSEL, a 2-fold increase in frequency response and a 2.6 × 104-fold reduction in linewidth have been verified experimentally when the bandwidth-limited VCSEL locked to an incident comb line. 14-Gb/s single-lane transmission is demonstrated through 20 km single-mode fiber based on a 3.4-GHz VCSEL without any dispersion compensation. The similar performance can be achieved for all generated 25 comb tones, verifying a potential high-capacity transmitter with distinct feature of two-dimensional VCSELs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct heteroepitaxy and selective area growth (SAG) of GaP and GaAs on Si(100) and Si(111) are implemented by low‐pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy (LP‐HVPE), which are facilitated by buffer layers grown at 410–490 °C with reactive gas mixing directly above Si substrates. High‐density islands observed on GaP buffer layers on Si result in rough morphology and defect formation in the subsequent GaP layers grown at 715 °C. The impact of growth temperature of GaAs buffer layers on the crystal quality of GaAs/Si is studied. A decreased nucleation temperature significantly improves the morphology and crystalline quality of the overall GaAs growth on Si. It is observed that Si(111) substrates are favorable for both GaP and GaAs growths in comparison with Si(100). In SAGs of GaP/Si and GaAs/Si, the high selectivity innate to HVPE is maintained in the used unconventional growth regime. The spatially resolved photoluminescence mapping reveals the material quality of GaAs/Si is enhanced by defect filtering by SAG. The outcomes of this work will pave the way of III–V/Si integration realized by cost‐effective HVPE for photonic device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of GaInP by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) was studied on planar GaAs, patterned GaAs for epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG), and InP/Si seed templates for corrugated epitaxial lateral overgrowth (CELOG). First results on the growth of direct GaInP/Si heterojunction by CELOG is presented. The properties of Ga xIn(1 − x)P layer and their dependence on the process parameters were investigated by X-ray diffraction, including reciprocal lattice mapping (XRD-RLM), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), photoluminescence (PL), and Raman spectroscopy. The fluctuation of Ga composition in the Ga xIn(1 − x)P layer was observed on planar substrate, and the strain caused by the composition variation is retained until relaxation occurs. Fully relaxed GaInP layers were obtained by ELOG and CELOG. Raman spectroscopy reveals that there is a certain amount of ordering in all of the layers except those grown at high temperatures. Orientation dependent Ga incorporation in the CELOG, but not in the ELOG Ga xIn(1 − x)P layer, and Si incorporation in the vicinity of direct Ga xIn(1 − x)P/Si heterojunction from CELOG are observed in the SEM-EDS analyses. The high optical quality of direct GaInP/Si heterojunction was observed by cross-sectional micro-PL mapping and the defect reduction effect of CELOG was revealed by high PL intensity in GaInP above Si. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Together with the optimal basic design, buried heterostructure quantum cascade laser (BH-QCL) with semi-insulating regrowth offers a unique possibility to achieve an effective thermal dissipation and lateral single mode. We demonstrate here the realization of BH-QCLs with a single-step regrowth of highly resistive (>1 x 108 ohm ⋅ cm) semi-insulating InP:Fe in <45 min for the first time in a flexible hydride vapor phase epitaxy process for burying ridges etched down to 10 to 15 µm depth, both with and without mask overhang. The fabricated BH-QCLs emitting at ~4.7 and ~5.5 µm were characterized. 2-mm-long 5.5-µm lasers with a ridge width of 17 to 22 µm, regrown with mask overhang, exhibited no leakage current. Large width and high doping in the structure did not permit high current density for continuous wave (CW) operation. 5-mm-long 4.7-µm BH-QCLs of ridge widths varying from 6 to 14 μm regrown without mask overhang, besides being spatially monomode, TM00, exhibited wall plug efficiency (WPE) of ~8 to 9% with an output power of 1.5 to 2.5 W at room temperature and under CW operation. Thus, we demonstrate a quick, flexible, and single-step regrowth process with good planarization for realizing buried QCLs leading to monomode, high power, and high WPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Although capsanthin possesses excellent coloring performance and healthcare functions, its application in the food industry is limited due to its susceptibility to humidity, heat, and light. The purpose of this research was to microencapsulate capsanthin by soybean protein isolate (SPI)-chitosan coacervation and evaluate whether the microencapsulation improved the stability of capsanthin against the adverse conditions mentioned above. The results indicated that the optimum conditions for capsanthin microencapsulation were emulsification speed 10,000 rpm, emulsification temperature 45°C, wall concentration 15 g/L and core to wall ratio 1:2 (w/w). Under these conditions, the droplets in the emulsion were even in size distribution without agglomeration and the microencapsulation efficiency and microencapsulation yield reached 90.46% and 86.69%, respectively. Microencapsulation increased the stability of capsanthin against low/medium moisture, heat, and especially light, but was less effective in protecting capsanthin microcapsules in high moisture. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39671. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine sponges are well known as rich sources of biologically natural products. Growing evidence indicates that sponges harbor a wealth of microorganisms in their bodies, which are likely to be the true producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. In order to promote the study of natural product chemistry and explore the relationship between microorganisms and their sponge hosts, in this review, we give a comprehensive overview of the structures, sources, and activities of the 774 new marine natural products from sponge-derived microorganisms described over the last two decades from 1998 to 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroepitaxial growth of orientation‐patterned (OP) GaP (OP‐GaP) on wafer‐bonded OP‐GaAs templates is investigated by low‐pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy for exploiting the beneficial low two‐photon absorption properties of GaP with the matured processing technologies and higher‐quality substrates afforded by GaAs. –First, GaP homoepitaxial selective area growth (SAG) is conducted to investigate the dependence of GaP SAG on precursor flows and temperatures toward achieving a high vertical growth rate and equal lateral growth rate in the [110] and [1¯10]‐oriented openings. Deteriorated domain fidelity is observed in the heteroepitaxial growth of OP‐GaP on OP‐GaAs due to the enhanced growth rate on domain boundaries by threading dislocations generated by 3.6% lattice matching in GaP/GaAs. The dependence of dislocation dynamics on heteroepitaxial growth conditions of OP‐GaP on OP‐GaAs is studied. High OP‐GaP domain fidelity associated with low threading dislocation density and a growth rate of 57 μm h−1 are obtained by increasing GaCl flow. The properties of heteroepitaxial GaP on semi‐insulating GaAs is studied by terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy in the terahertz range. The outcomes of this work will pave the way to exploit heteroepitaxial OP‐GaP growth on OP‐GaAs for frequency conversion by quasi‐phase‐matching in the mid‐infrared and terahertz regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new sesquiterpenoids (sinuketal (1), sinulins A and B (2 and 3)) and two new cembranoids (sinulins C and D (4 and 5)), as well as eight known sesquiterpenoids (6–13) and eight known cembranoids (14–21), were isolated from the Xisha soft coral Sinularia sp. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 possesses an unprecedented isopropyl-branched bicyclo [6.3.0] undecane carbon skeleton with unique endoperoxide moiety, and a plausible biosynthetic pathway of it was postulated. According to the reported biological properties of endoperoxide, the antimalarial, cytotoxic, antiviral, and target inhibitory activities of 1 were tested. Compound 1 showed mild in vitro antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7, weak cytotoxic activities toward Jurkat, MDA-MB-231, and U2OS cell lines, inhibitory effects against influenza A viruses H1N1 and PR8, as well as mild target inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase. The other compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicities against HeLa, HCT-116, and A549 tumor cell lines and target inhibitory activities against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Compound 20 exhibited cytotoxicities against HeLa and HCT-116, and compounds 5, 11, and 15 showed mild target inhibitory activities against PTP1B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety and depression induced by cancer-related pain disturb quality of life and willingness to survive. As a component of the limbic system, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for processing negative emotions. The reactive microglial engulfment of synapses may promote depression during adolescence. However, whether microglia phagocytose synapses to mediate cancer pain-induced depression remains unclear. The present study established a bone cancer-pain model to investigate the association between dendritic spine synapses and depressive-like behavior and explore the phagocytic function of microglia in the BLA. We found that tumor-bearing mice experienced postoperative pain-related depression, and their BLAs exhibited reactive microglia, as well as phagocytic synapses. The microglial inhibitor minocycline effectively mitigated depressive behavior, synaptic damage, and the phagocytic function of microglia. Our study implicates microglia-mediated synaptic loss in the BLA may act as the pathological basis of depressive-like behavior in bone cancer pain model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Feed Research is the property of Editorial Board of Feed Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)