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The compact and broadband optical switch with a large port count is demanded with the increasing communication capacity. In this article, a universal method for modeling the 1 × N switch using multimode interferometer (MMI) through transmission matrixes is proposed. Herein, the reasons for the narrowing of the operating bandwidth switch are analyzed. As a proof of concept, a wide bandwidth 1 × 4 switch, which has an insertion loss lower than 23.7 dB, and a cross talk better than −10 dB at 1550 nm are simulated, designed, and fabricated. The cross talk throughout the C band is lower than −8.5 dB. According to the experimental result, the 1 × 4 switch with four‐equal‐length modulating arms shows a 32 nm bandwidth for −10 dB cross talk which is 13 times larger than traditional switch. The switch realizes a multi‐port logic optical switch by modulation. The 1 × N switch based on the generalized Mach–Zehnder interferometer (GMZI) structure reduce the footprint significantly compared with the 1 × N switch consisting of a 1 × 2 switch cascade. It is believed that 1 × N switch based on GMZI structures is a promising solution to increase integration density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three‐dimensional Printing (3DP) and computer‐assisted design (CAD) are a boon for producing high‐quality analytical and electrochemical devices using low‐cost components. This review briefly explains various 3D printing techniques. The focus is on the fabrication of integrated miniature devices developed through the 3DP process, mainly by the Fused deposition modelling (FDM) technique. Examples of integrated electrochemical devices are presented to highlight the potential of 3DP. Special emphasis is given to surface activation of 3D printed electrodes to enhance their electrochemical activity and various activation methods. This paper discusses the opportunities and future applications in developing all‐in‐one miniature electrochemical devices that might lead to on‐site environmental measurements, point‐of‐care tests, and the development of portable instruments with reduced sample volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compact and broadband optical switch with a large port count is demanded with the increasing communication capacity. In this article, a universal method for modeling the 1 × N switch using multimode interferometer (MMI) through transmission matrixes is proposed. Herein, the reasons for the narrowing of the operating bandwidth switch are analyzed. As a proof of concept, a wide bandwidth 1 × 4 switch, which has an insertion loss lower than 23.7 dB, and a cross talk better than −10 dB at 1550 nm are simulated, designed, and fabricated. The cross talk throughout the C band is lower than −8.5 dB. According to the experimental result, the 1 × 4 switch with four‐equal‐length modulating arms shows a 32 nm bandwidth for −10 dB cross talk which is 13 times larger than traditional switch. The switch realizes a multi‐port logic optical switch by modulation. The 1 × N switch based on the generalized Mach–Zehnder interferometer (GMZI) structure reduce the footprint significantly compared with the 1 × N switch consisting of a 1 × 2 switch cascade. It is believed that 1 × N switch based on GMZI structures is a promising solution to increase integration density.

The growing demand for soft intelligent systems, which have the potential to be used in a variety of fields such as wearable technology and human‐robot interaction systems, has spurred the development of advanced soft transducers. Among soft systems, sensor–actuator hybrid systems are considered the most promising due to their effective and efficient performance, resulting from the synergistic and complementary interaction between their sensor and actuator components. Recent research on integrated sensor and actuator systems has resulted in a range of conceptual and practical soft systems. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advances in sensor and actuator integrated systems, which are grouped into three categories based on their primary functions: i) actuator–assisted sensors for intelligent detection, ii) sensor‐assisted actuators for intelligent movement, and iii) sensor‐actuator interactive devices for a hybrid of intelligent detection and movement. In addition, several bottlenecks in current studies are discussed, and prospective outlooks, including potential applications, are presented. This categorization and analysis will pave the way for the advancement and commercialization of sensor and actuator‐integrated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifying material properties within a specific spatial region is a pivotal stage in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. Laser annealing emerges as a compelling technology, offering precise control over the crystalline structure of semiconductor materials and facilitating the activation of doping ions in localized regions. This obviates the necessity for annealing the entire wafer or device. The objective of this review is to comprehensively investigate laser annealing processes specifically targeting the crystallization of amorphous silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) samples. Silicon finds extensive use in diverse applications, including microelectronics and solar cells, while SiC serves as a crucial material for developing components designed to operate in challenging environments or high-power integrated devices. The review commences with an exploration of the underlying theory and fundamentals of laser annealing techniques. It then delves into an analysis of the most pertinent studies focused on the crystallization of these two semiconductor materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart respiratory therapy is enabled by continual assessment of lung functions. This systematic review provides an overview of the suitability of equipment-to-patient acoustic imaging in continual assessment of lung conditions. The literature search was conducted using Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, SciELO Preprints, and Google Scholar. Fifteen studies remained for additional examination after the screening process. Two imaging modalities, lung ultrasound (LUS) and vibration imaging response (VRI), were identified. The most common outcome obtained from eleven studies was positive observations of changes to the geographical lung area, sound energy, or both, while positive observation of lung consolidation was reported in the remaining four studies. Two different modalities of lung assessment were used in eight studies, with one study comparing VRI against chest X-ray, one study comparing VRI with LUS, two studies comparing LUS to chest X-ray, and four studies comparing LUS in contrast to computed tomography. Our findings indicate that the acoustic imaging approach could assess and provide regional information on lung function. No technology has been shown to be better than another for measuring obstructed airways; hence, more research is required on acoustic imaging in detecting obstructed airways regionally in the application of enabling smart therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lab-on-a-chip concept, enabled by microfluidic technology, promises the integration of multiple discrete laboratory techniques into a miniaturised system. Research into microfluidics has generally focused on the development of individual elements of the total system (often with relatively limited functionality), without full consideration for integration into a complete fully optimised and miniaturised system. Typically, the operation of many of the reported lab-on-a-chip devices is dependent on the support of a laboratory framework. In this paper, a demonstrator platform for routine laboratory analysis is designed and built, which fully integrates a number of technologies into a single device with multiple domains such as fluidics, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and photonics. This facilitates the delivery of breakthroughs in research, by incorporating all physical requirements into a single device. To highlight this proposed approach, this demonstrator microsystem acts as a fully integrated biochemical assay reaction system. The resulting design determines enzyme kinetics in an automated process and combines reservoirs, three-dimensional fluidic channels, optical sensing, and electronics in a low-cost, low-power and portable package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metalens has emerged as an important optical block in free-space optical systems, which shows excellent performance. Even the metalens based on gradient index (GRIN) profiles can be implemented for on-chip beam focusing behavior. However, for most previous schemes, the GRIN metalenses can only achieve on-chip beam focusing behavior in one dimension, which limits their applications in low-loss waveguide interconnecting or fiber-to-chip coupling. In this paper, an on-chip half Maxwell’s fisheye lens based on GRIN profiles with subwavelength features, integrated with silicon waveguides, is experimentally demonstrated. Benefitting from the index distribution and beam focusing characteristics of the half Maxwell’s fisheye lens, an on-chip beam transforming can be achieved for transverse electric (TE) fundamental mode in two waveguides with different heights and widths. The simulated 1 dB bandwidth can reach 1100 nm, which exhibits great prospects in integrated photonic circuits. The measured insertion loss of an on-chip 5.4 μm-length lens is less than 1 dB to connect a 220 nm-height, 8 μm-wide waveguide, and a 60 nm-height, 0.5 μm-wide waveguide in the wavelength range of 1280–1620 nm.

Abstract Free-spectral-range (FSR)-free optical filters have always been a critical challenge for photonic integrated circuits. A high-performance FSR-free filter is highly desired for communication, spectroscopy, and sensing applications. Despite significant progress in integrated optical filters, the FSR-free filter with a tunable narrow-band, high out-of-band rejection, and large fabrication tolerance has rarely been demonstrated. In this paper, we propose an exact and robust design method for add-drop filters (ADFs) with an FSR-free operation capability, a sub-nanometer optical bandwidth, and a high out-of-band rejection (OBR) ratio. The achieved filter has a 3-dB bandwidth of

The field of 3D micro‐optics is rapidly expanding, and essential advances in femtosecond laser direct‐write 3D multi‐photon lithography (MPL, also known as two‐photon or multi‐photon polymerization) are being made. Micro‐optics realized via MPL emerged a decade ago and the field has exploded during the last five years. Impressive findings have revealed its potential for beam shaping, advanced imaging, optical sensing, integrated photonic circuits, and much more. This is supported by a game‐changing and increasing industrial interest from key established companies in this field. In this review, the origin and the advancement of micro‐optics fabrication with MPL are detailed by describing the chronology, distinguishing discrete application groups, providing generalized technical data on the processes and available materials, and discussing the foreseen near‐future advances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion‐intercalation compounds with transport pathways for guest ions find their prevalent applications in energy storage devices. Along with the ion intercalation, chemical transformations of the host material are involved, resulting in the change of the electronic structure. Electronic conductance, therefore, depends on the number of ions intercalated into the host material, leading to the development of new switching devices that use different electronic conductance states to store and process information. Although energy storage and dynamic switching devices are often regarded as completely different, the unified working mechanism based on ion intercalation opens up the possibility of integrating both devices and using them in a coordinated way. In this perspective, the materials and device designs of dynamic switching devices based on ion intercalation are briefly introduced and an unexplored avenue to project dynamic switching behaviors to the operation status of batteries with synergistic time and length scales is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) with low‐voltage‐operating high‐stability are regarded as one of the key components of future electronics. However, it remains a challenge to enhance bias–stress stability, mechanical durability and environmental adaptability while reducing the operating voltage of the flexible OFETs. In this study, a new strategy of introducing high‐dipole‐moment groups into polymer side chains to enhance the intensity of polarization was proposed. This strategy can redirect cyclic carbonate side chains of high‐dipole groups under the action of electric fields and realize stable operation and efficient charge transfer. The experiments showed that high‐performance flexible OFETs were mainly attributed to the synthesized polymers through molecular structure designing which not only have high dielectric constant (k > 5) and high electrical insulating property but also favor the growth of organic semiconductor films. The flexible OFETs still showed excellent mechanical flexibility, high electrical, thermal and humidity stability. In addition, highly OFETs were applied into a floating‐gate memory with fullerene (C60) embedded charge memory layer and an integrated one‐transistor‐one‐transistor memory cell. They exhibited excellent memory performance with a large memory window (8.5 V), current ratio (103), stable retention (2 × 104 s), cyclic endurance (200 cycles), multi‐level memory (over 4 levels) and non‐destructivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) with low‐voltage‐operating high‐stability are regarded as one of the key components of future electronics. However, it remains a challenge to enhance bias–stress stability, mechanical durability and environmental adaptability while reducing the operating voltage of the flexible OFETs. In this study, a new strategy of introducing high‐dipole‐moment groups into polymer side chains to enhance the intensity of polarization was proposed. This strategy can redirect cyclic carbonate side chains of high‐dipole groups under the action of electric fields and realize stable operation and efficient charge transfer. The experiments showed that high‐performance flexible OFETs were mainly attributed to the synthesized polymers through molecular structure designing which not only have high dielectric constant (k > 5) and high electrical insulating property but also favor the growth of organic semiconductor films. The flexible OFETs still showed excellent mechanical flexibility, high electrical, thermal and humidity stability. In addition, highly OFETs were applied into a floating‐gate memory with fullerene (C60) embedded charge memory layer and an integrated one‐transistor‐one‐transistor memory cell. They exhibited excellent memory performance with a large memory window (8.5 V), current ratio (103), stable retention (2 × 104 s), cyclic endurance (200 cycles), multi‐level memory (over 4 levels) and non‐destructivity.

On the path toward independence from fossil fuels, solar energy is the most promising solution, but it needs a robust and reliable storage system to face its intrinsic fluctuations due to location, day cycle, and weather. The integration between energy harvesting and storage (H&S) technologies is a must toward clean energy production, and it becomes even more appealing considering the possibility of producing electricity not only from direct sunlight but also from diffuse light and indoor illumination. Herein, a dye‐sensitized solar module (DSSM) developed to harvest indoor illumination and directly store it into an electrical double‐layer capacitor (EDLC) is presented. Five series‐connected dye‐sensitized solar cells are fabricated on the same substrate and the module is integrated with a high‐voltage EDLC. The integrated device is characterized under indoor light sources such as light emitting diodes and fluorescent lamps. The results show one of the highest efficiencies ever reported for a high‐voltage DSSM under indoor illumination (16.27%), the largest voltage window ever reported for an indoor H&S device based on DSSM and EDLC—up to 3 V—and an overall photoelectric conversion and storage efficiency of 9.73% under indoor illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) of the modern era are almost on the verge of tipping scale against internal combustion engines (ICE). ICE vehicles are favorable since petrol has a much higher energy density and requires less space for storage. However, the ICE emits carbon dioxide which pollutes the environment and causes global warming. Hence, alternate engine technology is the need of the current era to mitigate the existing problems and keep the environment clean. With the advancements of batteries and supercapacitors have seen some production of EVs having same or even higher total mileage per full tank, some even reach 580 km per charge. The energy generated from solar cell is one of the best sources of energy to integrate with the batteries and supercapacitors for electric vehicles. In this review, different types of solar cells and their integration with supercapacitors and batteries have been discussed for electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As a clean and renewable energy source, solar energy is a competitive alternative to replace conventional fossil fuels. Nevertheless, its serious fluctuating nature usually leads to a poor alignment with the actual energy demand. To solve this problem, the direct solar‐to‐electrochemical energy conversion and storage have been regarded as a feasible strategy. In this context, the development of high‐performance integrated devices based on solar energy conversion parts (i.e., solar cells or photoelectrodes) and electrochemical energy storage units (i.e., rechargeable batteries or supercapacitors [SCs]) has become increasingly necessary and urgent, in which carbon and carbon‐based functional materials play a fundamental role in determining their energy conversion/storage performances. Herein, we summarize the latest progress on these integrated devices for solar electricity energy conversion and storage, with special emphasis on the critical role of carbon‐based functional materials. First, principles of integrated devices are introduced, especially roles of carbon‐based materials in these hybrid energy devices. Then, two major types of important integrated devices, including photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical‐rechargeable batteries or SCs, are discussed in detail. Finally, key challenges and opportunities in the future development are also discussed. By this review, we hope to pave an avenue toward the development of stable and efficient devices for solar energy conversion and storage.

A bandpass filter integrated metalens based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) imaging is designed in this paper. The bandwidth of the metalens, which is a diffractive optical element, decreases significantly with the increase of the aperture size to a fixed f-number, which leads to the decline of imaging performance. The same material composition and preparation process of the metalens and the EIT metasurface in the long-wavelength infrared make it feasible that the abilities of focusing imaging and filtering are integrated into a metasurface device. With the purpose of validating the feasibility of this design method, we have designed a 300-μm-diameter integrated metalens whose f-number is 0.8 and the simulation was carried out. The introduction of EIT metasurface does not affect the focusing near the diffraction limit at the target wavelength, and greatly reduces the influence of stray light caused by non-target wavelength incident light. This bandpass filter integrated metalens design method may have a great potential in the field of LWIR compact optical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the rapid development of integrated magnetic and magnetoelectric, numerous novel devices including high performance on-chip transformers, inductors, filters, antennas, and sensors with unique advantages in power efficiency, size and tunability, etc. have been demonstrated. In this review, an overview of the development of magnetism and magnetoelectric will be firstly given. The conceptual illustration and materials used in integrated magnetoelectric will then be presented. Selections of on-chip devices from literatures will be shown to exemplify the integrated magnetic and magnetoelectric applications. Finally, the prospect and the direction of the future research will be discussed in the conclusion.

With compact footprint, low energy consumption, high scalability, and mass producibility, chip‐scale integrated devices are an indispensable part of modern technological change and development. Recent advances in 2D layered materials with their unique structures and distinctive properties have motivated their on‐chip integration, yielding a variety of functional devices with superior performance and new features. To realize integrated devices incorporating 2D materials, it requires a diverse range of device fabrication techniques, which are of fundamental importance to achieve good performance and high reproducibility. This paper reviews the state‐of‐art fabrication techniques for the on‐chip integration of 2D materials. First, an overview of the material properties and on‐chip applications of 2D materials is provided. Second, different approaches used for integrating 2D materials on chips are comprehensively reviewed, which are categorized into material synthesis, on‐chip transfer, film patterning, and property tuning/modification. Third, the methods for integrating 2D van der Waals heterostructures are also discussed and summarized. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated perovskite/organic solar cells (IPOSCs) have shown great potential in broadening the light absorption range and improving the photovoltaic performance. However, the severe interface charge recombination and unmatched energy levels between perovskite and organic photoactive layers hinder their performance improvement. Here, an efficient interface passivation strategy for IPOSCs based on a layered Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) perovskite and high photovoltaic performance is successfully demonstrated. It is found that an ultrathin conjugated polymer (PM6) layer could passivate the surface defects of perovskite film, tuning the energy level and suppress the nonradiative recombination loss, leading to efficient interface contact between RP perovskite and organic photoactive layers, boosting the open‐circuit voltage from 1.06 to 1.12 V and the efficiency from 17.23% to 19.15%. Importantly, the optimized device shows extended photocurrent response to 930 nm with a peak intensity close to 50% from 800 to 931 nm. The results indicate that interface passivation using a functionalized polymer could be an efficient strategy to improve the photovoltaic performance of integrated devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lab-on-a-chip concept, enabled by microfluidic technology, promises the integration of multiple discrete laboratory techniques into a miniaturised system. Research into microfluidics has generally focused on the development of individual elements of the total system (often with relatively limited functionality), without full consideration for integration into a complete fully optimised and miniaturised system. Typically, the operation of many of the reported lab-on-a-chip devices is dependent on the support of a laboratory framework. In this paper, a demonstrator platform for routine laboratory analysis is designed and built, which fully integrates a number of technologies into a single device with multiple domains such as fluidics, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and photonics. This facilitates the delivery of breakthroughs in research, by incorporating all physical requirements into a single device. To highlight this proposed approach, this demonstrator microsystem acts as a fully integrated biochemical assay reaction system. The resulting design determines enzyme kinetics in an automated process and combines reservoirs, three-dimensional fluidic channels, optical sensing, and electronics in a low-cost, low-power and portable package.

The femtosecond (fs) laser is a well-established tool in material processing. Due to highly nonlinear light–matter interaction in a time frame shorter than heat dissipation from the laser affected zone, fs pulses enable extremely precise "cold processing". Both additive and subtractive structuring can be realized. Here we demonstrate how medical device fabrication can benefit from 3D additive-subtractive fs processing. The produced functional element is a microfluidic macromolecule separator based on integrated nanofilters. The channel system is produced using direct laser ablation and is ∼ cm in overall size with channels with 150-250 μ m cross section. The filters are integrated by 3D laser lithography. Pore sizes—250–1500 nm. Furthermore, various channel sealing solutions are considered, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. A selective multi-photon polymerization-based solution is chosen for channel sealing, finishing the microfluidic system. The overall throughput of the process is considered, showing that it is near-capable for mass production. We demonstrated that the capability of freely choosing between additive and subtractive structuring in one highly automated workstation simplifies the design and fabrication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a clean and renewable energy source, solar energy is a competitive alternative to replace conventional fossil fuels. Nevertheless, its serious fluctuating nature usually leads to a poor alignment with the actual energy demand. To solve this problem, the direct solar‐to‐electrochemical energy conversion and storage have been regarded as a feasible strategy. In this context, the development of high‐performance integrated devices based on solar energy conversion parts (i.e., solar cells or photoelectrodes) and electrochemical energy storage units (i.e., rechargeable batteries or supercapacitors [SCs]) has become increasingly necessary and urgent, in which carbon and carbon‐based functional materials play a fundamental role in determining their energy conversion/storage performances. Herein, we summarize the latest progress on these integrated devices for solar electricity energy conversion and storage, with special emphasis on the critical role of carbon‐based functional materials. First, principles of integrated devices are introduced, especially roles of carbon‐based materials in these hybrid energy devices. Then, two major types of important integrated devices, including photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical‐rechargeable batteries or SCs, are discussed in detail. Finally, key challenges and opportunities in the future development are also discussed. By this review, we hope to pave an avenue toward the development of stable and efficient devices for solar energy conversion and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorinated organic–inorganic (O–I) hybrid sol—gel based material, named FAGPTi, is successfully synthesized and applied as a gate dielectric in flexible organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs). The previously reported three‐arm‐shaped alkoxysilane‐functionalized amphiphilic polymer yields a stable O–I hybrid material consisting of uniformly dispersed nanoparticles in the sol‐state. Here, a fluorinated precursor is introduced into the system, making it possible to realize more stable spherical composites. This results in long‐term colloidal stability (≈1.5 years) because composite growth is strongly inhibited by the presence of fluorine groups with intrinsically strong repulsive forces. Additionally, the FAGPTi film is easily deposited via thermally annealed sol–gel reactions; the films can be successfully fabricated through the printing method, and exhibit excellent flexibility and enhanced insulating properties compared to existing materials. OTFTs with FAGPTi layers show highly stable driving characteristics under severe bending conditions (1.9% strain). Integrated logic devices are also successfully operated with these OTFTs. Additionally, it can facilely be applied to amorphous indium‐gallium‐zinc‐oxide (a‐IGZO) TFT devices other than OTFT. Therefore, this synthetic strategy can provide useful insights into the production of functional O–I hybrid materials, enabling the efficient fabrication of electronic materials and devices exhibiting these properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-particle (or digital) measurements enhance sensitivity (10- to 100-fold improvement) and uncover heterogeneity within a population (one event in 100 to 10,000). Many biological systems are significantly influenced by rare or infrequent events, and determining what species is present, in what quantity, and the role of that species is critically important to unraveling many questions. To develop these measurement systems, resistive-pulse sensing is used as a label-free, single-particle detection technique and can be combined with a range of functional elements, e.g., mixers, reactors, filters, separators, and pores. Virtually, any two-dimensional layout of the micro- and nanofluidic conduits can be envisioned, designed, and fabricated in the plane of the device. Multiple nanopores in series lead to higher-precision measurements of particle size, shape, and charge, and reactions coupled directly with the particle-size measurements improve temporal response. Moreover, other detection techniques, e.g., fluorescence, are highly compatible with the in-plane format. These integrated in-plane nanofluidic devices expand the toolbox of what is possible with single-particle measurements.

Inorganic semiconductor arrays revolutionize many areas of electronics, optoelectronics with the properties of multifunctionality and large‐scale integration. Metal halide perovskites are emerging as candidates for next‐generation optoelectronic devices due to their excellent optoelectronic properties, ease of processing, and compatibility with flexible substrates. To date, a series of patterning technologies have been applied to perovskites to realize array configurations and nano/microstructured surfaces to further improve device performances. Herein, various construction methods for perovskite crystal or thin film arrays are summarized. The optoelectronic applications of the perovskite arrays are also discussed, in particular, for photodetectors, light‐emitting diodes, lasers, and nanogratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans live today in a high‐tech and informationalized society. With the development of the emerging electronic information age, various electronic systems are inclined to be multifunctional and miniaturized. It is urgent to develop "small and powerful" micro‐batteries with flexibility and high electrochemical performance to meet the diverse needs of microelectronic components. However, low electrochemical performance exists in traditional microenergy storage devices, which fail to satisfy the energy needs for microdevices. Here, for the first time, a planar integrated flexible rechargeable dual‐ion microbattery (DIMB) is reported, which is fabricated from an interdigital pattern of graphite as an electrode and lithium hexafluorophosphate as an electrolyte. As a microbattery, the DIMB exhibits a high reversible capacity of 56.50 mAh cm−3, and excellent cycle stability with 90% capacity retention after 300 cycles under a high working voltage. The application of DIMB in microdevices, such as light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), digital electronic game consoles, and electrochromic glasses is also investigated, fully demonstrating its "small and powerful" performance. The integrated DIMB is a high‐voltage microdevice that reaches a nonpareil discharge voltage of about 100 V and a charging capacity of 102 mAh g−1. This dual ion‐based flexible microbattery could become a promising candidate for energy storage and conversion components in next‐generation microelectronic devices and integrated electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced photon correlations are directly demonstrated by exploring two coupled nonlinear processes in an integrated device. Using orthogonally polarized modes within an integrated microring cavity, phase matching of two different nonlinear four‐wave mixing processes is achieved simultaneously, wherein both processes share one target frequency mode, while their other frequency modes differ. The overlap of these modes leads to the coupling of both nonlinear processes, producing photon correlations. The nature of this process is confirmed by means of time‐ and power‐dependent photon correlation measurements. These findings are relevant to the fundamental understanding of spontaneous parametric effects as well as single‐photon‐induced processes, and their effect on optical quantum state generation and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon photonics has attracted tremendous interest from academia and industry, as the fabrication of the silicon family of photonic devices is mostly compatible with the microelectronics process using complementary metal‐oxide semiconductors (CMOS). Herein, three silicon‐family materials are discussed: silicon, silicon nitride, and silica. In addition, hybrid integration with a 2D material, graphene, is examined. First, the material and waveguide properties are reviewed. Second, typical fabrication processes for waveguide devices are introduced. Subsequently, a variety of passive waveguide devices, operating at different physical dimensions covering wavelength, polarization, and mode, are discussed. They correspond to fixed and tunable filters, polarization beam splitters and rotators, and mode conversion and multiplexing devices. These passive waveguide devices play important roles in a wide range of applications including telecom, interconnects, computing, sensing, quantum information processing, bio‐photonics, and energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, halide perovskites represent potential materials in X‐ray detection via both direct and indirect ways. Generally, thick active materials are necessary to completely absorb X‐ray photons while inefficient carrier collection leads to low device sensitivity. Besides, though perovskite nanocrystal (NC) scintillators can be used with silicon detectors, they suffer from strong reabsorption problem and the responsivity of silicon detectors is usually low. Herein, an effective strategy based on all‐perovskite integrated device is demonstrated to greatly improve the sensitivity of X‐ray detector. On one hand, efficient ultrafast exciton routing within CsPbBr3 NCs induces a large Stokes shift, and then greatly improved photoluminescence quantum yield (> 50%) and radioluminescence efficiency (> 3‐fold) are achieved. On the other hand, perovskite photodiode (PD) with responsivity higher than 0.4 A W−1 in a wide band is fabricated. The integrated detector takes full advantages of high X‐ray to emission efficiency of engineered CsPbBr3 NCs and high responsivity of perovskite PDs, respectively, and a record high sensitivity of 54684 µC Gy−1 cm−2 at the dose rate of 8.8 µGy s−1 is achieved. This work undoubtedly opens another window for perovskite X‐ray detectors with better performances or even higher spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The rapid development of microelectronics has equally rapidly increased the demand for miniaturized energy storage devices. On‐chip microsupercapacitors (MSCs), as promising power candidates, possess great potential to complement or replace electrolytic capacitors and microbatteries in various applications. However, the areal capacities and energy densities of the planar MSCs are commonly limited by the low voltage window, the thin layer of the electrode materials and complex fabrication processes. Here, a new‐type three‐dimensional (3D) tubular asymmetric MSC with small footprint area, high potential window, ultrahigh areal energy density, and long‐term cycling stability is fabricated with shapeable materials and photolithographic technologies, which are compatible with modern microelectronic fabrication procedures widely used in industry. Benefiting from the novel architecture, the 3D asymmetric MSC displays an ultrahigh areal capacitance of 88.6 mF cm−2 and areal energy density of 28.69 mW h cm−2, superior to most reported interdigitated MSCs. Furthermore, the 3D tubular MSCs demonstrate remarkable cycling stability and the capacitance retention is up to 91.8% over 12 000 cycles. It is believed that the efficient fabrication methodology can be used to construct various integratable microscale tubular energy storage devices with small footprint area and high performance for miniaturized electronics.

The compact design of an environmentally adaptive battery and effectors forms the foundation for wearable electronics capable of time-resolved, long-term signal monitoring. Herein, we present a one-body strategy that utilizes a hydrogel as the ionic conductive medium for both flexible aqueous zinc-ion batteries and wearable strain sensors. The poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel network incorporates nano-SiO 2 and cellulose nanofibers (referred to as PSC) in an ethylene glycol/water mixed solvent, balancing the mechanical properties (tensile strength of 6 MPa) and ionic diffusivity at -20 °C (2 orders of magnitude higher than 2 M ZnCl 2 electrolyte). Meanwhile, cathode lattice breathing during the solvated Zn 2+ intercalation and dendritic Zn protrusion at the anode interface are mitigated. Besides the robust cyclability of the Zn∥PSC∥V 2 O 5 prototype within a wide temperature range (from -20 to 80 °C), this microdevice seamlessly integrates a zinc-ion battery with a strain sensor, enabling precise monitoring of the muscle response during dynamic body movement. By employing transmission-mode operando XRD, the self-powered sensor accurately documents the real-time phasic evolution of the layered cathode and synchronized strain change induced by Zn deposition, which presents a feasible solution of health monitoring by the miniaturized electronics.

Energy harvesting and storage devices, including lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), supercapacitors (SCs), nanogenerators (NGs), biofuel cells (BFCs), photodetectors (PDs), and solar cells, play a vital role in human daily life due to the possibility of replacing conventional energy from fossil fuels. However, these isolated devices only have limited performance and/or sole applicability, and cannot provide enough energy for application with long-term run and the ever-changing working positions. This suggests that it is urgent to develop the fine self-powered systems to meet the growing demand of energy for long-term use in different environment scenes. Developing integrated power pack, combining energy harvesting and storage, is an effective path to obtain a small size, light weight, high density and high reliability energy system. In this review, eight types of multifunctional integrated devices, such as LIB&SC, LIB&NG, BFC&NG, PD&BFC, SC&PD, SC&solar cells, NG&SC&solar cell, and LIB&solar cells, for energy harvesting and storage are reviewed in a broad sense, and a comprehensive summary of the recent development trends and highlights in the integrated device fields is given. Finally, the challenges and future outlooks for their successful commercialization are featured based on the recent advances and important findings. Image 1 • Advanced energy-harvesting and storage technologies have been presented. • Typical energy harvesting and storage devices have been highlighted. • Recent advance in eight types of integrated devices have been reviewed. • Future development trend of integrated devices have been given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key goal of metalens research is to achieve wavefront shaping of light using optical elements with thicknesses on the order of the wavelength. Here we demonstrate ultrathin highly efficient crystalline titanium dioxide metalenses at blue, green, and red wavelengths (λ0 = 453 nm, 532 nm, and 633 nm, respectively) based on symmetric slab waveguide theory. These metalenses are less than 488 nm-thick and capable of focusing incident light into very symmetric diffraction-limited spots with strehl ratio and efficiency as high as 0.96 and 83%, respectively. Further quantitative characterizations about metalenses' peak focusing intensities and focal spot sizes show good agreement with theoretical calculation. Besides, the metalenses suffer only about 10% chromatic deviation from the ideal spots in visible spectrum. In contrast with Pancharatnam-Berry phase mechanism, which limit their incident light at circular polarization, the proposed method enables metalenses polarization-insensitive to incident light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: With the evergrowing demand for miniaturization of photonic devices, the integration of different functionalities in a single module is highly desired for the next generation of ultracompact photonic devices. Optical modules based on the near field and scattered far field are both key elements in the construction of nanophotonic devices. However, integrating the near‐ and far‐field functionalities into a single module is a great challenge, which hinders the integration and minimization of optical devices. Here, a bifunctional integrated near‐ and far‐field optical launcher with a single metasurface structure is theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated, where the unidirectional launching of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and the focusing of scattered far fields can be simultaneously achieved. Moreover, the SPP propagating direction and the real/virtual focus of the far‐field scattering can be actively controlled by the spin state of the incident light. With the additional degree of freedom provided by the positions of the metasurface elements, the optical performances of this bifunctional structure can be compared to the one with single functionality. The work provides a new platform for the integration and control of different optical components at subwavelength scale, and opens a way to design multifunctional optical devices for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing concerns of ecological environment, safe drinkable water and healthy food, the detection for heavy metal ions (HMIs) becomes an attractive research field. On the basis of optical, electrical and other signals from nanomaterials, many interesting methods and portable devices for detection of HMIs are growing flourishingly. In this review, we focus on the portable and smart devices integrated with nanomaterials for monitoring HMIs. The interesting design of the miniaturization, portability, and commercialization of HMIs detection devices are summarized and introduced comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portable and wearable sensors have attracted considerable attention in the healthcare field because they can be worn or implanted into a human body to monitor environmental information. However, sensors cannot work independently and require power. Flexible in-plane micro-supercapacitor (MSC) is a suitable power device that can be integrated with sensors on a single chip. Meanwhile, paper is an ideal flexible substrate because it is cheap and disposable and has a porous and rough surface that enhances interface adhesion with electronic devices. In this study, a new strategy to integrate MSCs, which have excellent electrochemical and mechanical performances, with sensors on a single piece of paper is proposed. The integration is achieved by printing Ni circuit on paper without using a precoating underlay. Ink diffusion is also addressed to some degree. Meanwhile, a UV sensor is integrated on a single paper, and the as-integrated device shows good sensing and self-powering capabilities. MSCs can also be integrated with a gas sensor on one-piece paper and can be charged by connecting it to a solar cell. Thus, it is potentially feasible that a flexible paper can be used for integrating MSCs with solar cell and various sensors to generate, store, and use energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is one of the most popular clean energy sources and is a promising alternative to fulfill the increasing energy demands of modern society. Solar cells have long been under intensive research attention for harvesting energy from sunlight with a high power-conversion efficiency and low cost. However, the power outputs of photovoltaic devices suffer from fluctuations due to the intermittent instinct of the solar radiation. Integrating solar cells and energystorage devices as self-powering systems may solve this problem through the simultaneous storage of the electricity and manipulation of the energy output. This review summarizes the research progress in the integration of new-generation solar cells with supercapacitors, with emphasis on the structures, materials, performance, and new design features. The current challenges and future prospects are discussed with the aim of expanding research and development in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible and stretchable biosensors that can monitor and quantify the electrical or chemical signals generated by specific microenvironments have attracted a great deal of attention. Wearable biosensors that can be intimately attached to skin or tissue provide a new opportunity for medical diagnostics and therapy. In recent years, there has been enormous progress in device integration and the design of materials and manufacturing processes for flexible and stretchable systems. Here, we describe the most recent developments in nanomaterials employed in flexible and stretchable biosensors. We review successful examples of such biosensors used for the detection of vital physiological and biological markers such as gas released from organisms. Furthermore, we provide a detailed overview of recent achievements regarding integrated platforms that include multifunctional nanomaterials. The issues and challenges related to the effective integration of multifunctional nanomaterials in bio-electronics are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging technology of harvesting environmental energy using hydrovoltaic devices enriches the conversion forms of renewable energy. It provides more concepts for power supply in micro/nano systems, and hydrovoltaic technology with high performance, usability, and integration is essential for achieving sustainable green energy. Comparing the discovery of multiscale nanomaterials, working layers with innovative microstructures have gradually become the dominant trend in the construction of graphene-based hydrovoltaic devices. However, reports on promoting ion/electron redistribution at the solid-liquid interface through the substrate effect of graphene are accompanied by tedious procedures, nondiverse substrates, and monolithic regulation of enhancement mechanisms. Here, the electrophoretic deposition (EPD)-driven SiC whiskers (SiC w )-assisted graphene transfer process is adopted to alleviate the complexity of the device fabrication caused by graphene transfer. The resulting output performance of the graphene/SiC w (GS) mesh films is significantly boosted. The high integrity of graphene and prominent negative surface charge near the graphene-droplet interface are derived from the overlayer and underlayer inside the graphene-based mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, respectively. Additionally, a self-powered desalination-monitoring system is designed based on integrated hydrovoltaic devices. Electricity harvested from the ionic solutions is reused for deionization, representing an efficient strategy for energy conversion and utilization.

The major challenge in achieving high-performance stretchable zinc-ion energy-storage devices is the combination of stretchable dendrite-free zinc negative electrodes and sufficient bonding between components (current collector, electrode, separator, and package). Herein, based on a series of physicochemically tunable self-healing polyurethanes, an elastic current collector is prepared through a swelling-induced wrinkling method, and then a stretchable zinc negative electrode prepared through in situ confined electroplating. The elastic current collector has a nano-network structure with polyurethane encapsulation, and exhibits both geometric and intrinsic stretchability. The stretchable zinc negative electrode formed in situ has high electrochemical activity and exhibits an excellent cycle life under the protection of a Zn 2+ -permeable coating. Furthermore, fully polyurethane-based stretchable zinc-ion capacitors are assembled through in situ electrospinning and hot-pressing techniques. Due to the high stretchability of the components and the interfusion of the matrixes, the integrated device exhibits excellent deformability and desirable electrochemical stability. This work provides a systematic construction plan for stretchable zinc-ion energy-storage devices in three aspects: material synthesis, component preparation, and device assembly., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)