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Realizing dynamic wavelength tunability could bring about tremendous impacts in laser technology, pressure nanosensing, and lab-on-a-chip devices. Here, we demonstrate an original strategy to operate the lasing mode shift through reversible length changes of a CdS nanobelt, which is determined by the direction of piezoelectric polarization. The relationships between the direction of applied strain, the lasing mode shift, and the tunable effective refractive index are elaborated in detail. The correlation between the piezoelectric polarization-induced lasing mode red shift and the blue shift in the wavelength of the lasing mode output caused by the Poisson effect is discussed in depth, as well. Our study comprehensively considers the influence of both the cavity size variations and refractive index changes on the control of the lasing mode and provides a deeper understanding of the strain-induced lasing mode shift.

Na-preinserted V2O5 samples of NaxV2O5 (x = 0.00, 0.005, 0.01, or 0.02) were synthesized through sol-gel and freeze-drying routes and subsequent calcination. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that all of the synthesized materials have typical orthorhombic structures without impurity phases. The lattice parameters were refined via the Rietveld refinement method, and the results suggested that the lattice parameters of preinserted samples increased in comparison with pristine V2O5. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements demonstrated that the V(4+) concentration in the Na-preinserted V2O5 samples gradually increased as amount of sodium increased. Results from both XRD and XPS strongly suggested that Na ions indeed enter the interlamination position in the V2O5 crystal to expand the channels for Li-ion migration. NaxV2O5 samples exhibited improved electrochemical properties compared with those of pristine V2O5. Among all of the samples, Na0.01V2O5 delivered the highest reversible specific capacity, best cycling stability, and excellent rate capability. The analysis and discussion on ion diffusion revealed that the preinserted Na ions benefited the mobility of Li ions to improve the rate capabilities of electrodes.

Oxygen vacancies have demonstrated to be one of the most effective ways to alter electrochemical performance of electrodes for lithium ion batteries, though there is little information how oxygen vacancies affect the electrochemical properties. Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) cathode has been investigated to explore the relationship among oxygen vacancies, surface energy, and electrochemical properties. The hydrogen-treated V2O5 (H-V2O5) sample synthesized via thermal treatment under H2 atmosphere possesses a high surface energy (63 mJ m(-2)) as compared to that of pristine V2O5 (40 mJ m(-2)) and delivers a high reversible capacity of 273.4 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1), retaining 189.0 mAh g(-1) when the current density increases to 2 A g(-1). It also displays a capacity retention of 92% after 100 cycles at 150 mA g(-1). The presence of surface oxygen vacancies increases surface energy and possibly serves as a nucleation center to facilitate phase transition during lithium ion intercalation and deintercalation processes.