Related papers: A Contribution for the Construction of Parabolic M…
We present the design, implementation, and illustrative results of a light collection/injection strategy based on an off-axis parabolic mirror collector for a low-temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). This device allows us to…
Harnessing artificial optical magnetism requires rather complex two- and three-dimensional structures, examples include split-ring and fishnet metamaterials and nanoparticles with non-trivial magnetic properties. By contrast, dielectric…
In this work we present a novel computational method for embedding arbitrary curved one-dimensional (1D) fibers into three-dimensional (3D) solid volumes, as e.g. in fiber-reinforced materials. The fibers are explicitly modeled with highly…
Optical resonators are increasingly important tools in science and technology. Their applications range from laser physics, atomic clocks, molecular spectroscopy, and single-photon generation to the detection, trapping and cooling of atoms…
In these lectures I will review the approach to glasses based on the replica formalism. Many of the physical ideas are very similar to those of older approaches. The replica approach has the advantage of describing in an unified setting…
We report on successful tests of holographically arranged grating-structures in nanoparticle-polymer composites in the form of 100 microns thin free-standing films, i.e. without sample containers or covers that could cause unwanted…
We address the problem of shaping deformable plastic materials using non-prehensile actions. Shaping plastic objects is challenging, since they are difficult to model and to track visually. We study this problem, by using kinetic sand, a…
High-purity glasses are used for their low optical and mechanical loss, which makes them an excellent material for oscillators in optical systems, such as inertial sensors. Complex geometries often require the assembly of multiple pieces of…
Reconstructing 3D object models is playing an important role in many applications in the field of computer vision. Instead of employing a collection of cameras and/or sensors as in many studies, this paper proposes a simple way to build a…
We propose a simple yet efficient method for generating in-plane hollow beams with a nearly-full circular light shell without the contribution of backward propagating waves. The method relies on modulating the phase in the near field of a…
Porous materials are relevant for a broad range of technologies from catalysis and filtration, to tissue engineering and lightweight structures. Controlling the porosity of these materials over multiple length scales often leads to enticing…
Comparative study of thin film Cholesteric Liquid Crystal (CLC) lasers made from different materials and optically pumped by external solid state laser reveals a striking dependence of lasing behaviour (ranging from single mode at the edge…
Nature provides many paradigms for the design and fabrication of artificial composite materials. Inspired by the relationship between the well-ordered architecture and biopolymers found in natural nacre, we present a facile strategy to…
Spin coating is an out-of-equilibrium technique for producing polymer films and colloidal crystals quickly and reproducibly. In this review, we present an overview of theoretical and experimental studies of the spin coating of colloidal…
Building robots is an engaging activity that provides opportunities for hands-on learning. However, traditional robot-building kits are usually costly with limited functionality due to material and technology constraints. To improve the…
Pattern formation induced by wrinkling is a very common phenomenon exhibited in soft-matter substrates. In all these systems wrinkles develop in presence of compressively stressed thin films lying on compliant substrates. Here we…
We analyze the performance of a reduced-order simulation of geometric meta-materials based on zigzag patterns using a simplified representation. As geometric meta-materials we denote planar cellular structures which can be fabricated in 2d…
Efficient relativistic turbulent acceleration of particles is indicated by recent astrophysical observations. The Type II mechanism with acceleration due to the temporal variations of magnetic field strengths remains underexplored. The…
The advent of ultrahigh-power femtosecond lasers creates a need for optical components suitable to handle ultrahigh light intensities. Due to the unavoidable laser-induced ionization of matter, these components will have to be based on a…
Materials that are strong, ultra-light weight and tough are in demand for a range of applications, requiring architectures and components carefully designed from the micrometer down to nanometer scales. Nacre-a structure found in many…