Thermoelectric materials have attracted much attention due to the current interest in energy conversion and recent advancements in nano-engineering. A simple approach to synthesize BiTe and Bi2Te3 micro/nanowires was developed by combining solution chemistry reactions and catalyst-free vapor-solid growth. A pathway to transform the as-grown BiTe nanostructures into Bi2Te3 can be identified thro...

We describe Raman spectroscopy-based method of measuring thermal conductivity of thin films and review significant results achieved with this technique pertinent to graphene and other two-dimensional materials. The optothermal Raman method was instrumental for the discovery of unique heat conduction properties of graphene. In this method, Raman spectroscopy is used to determine the local temper...

We study the orientifold of ${\mathcal{N}} = 1$ superconformal field theories describing D3-branes probing Suspended Pinch Point singularity, as well orientifolds non-chiral obtained by a specific orbifold $\mathbb{Z}_n$ SPP. find that these models realize mechanism analogous to one recently found for complex Calabi-Yau cone over Pseudo del Pezzo surface PdP$_{3c}$: they all flow new IR fixed p...

Using friction force microscopy, we compared the nanoscale frictional characteristics of atomically thin sheets of graphene, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), niobium diselenide, and hexagonal boron nitride exfoliated onto a weakly adherent substrate (silicon oxide) to those of their bulk counterparts. Measurements down to single atomic sheets revealed that friction monotonically increased as the nu...

Solder paste is a homogeneous, stable suspension of solder powder particles suspended in a flux binder, and is one of the most important process materials today in surface mount technology (SMT). By varying the solder particle size, distribution and shape, as well as the other constituent materials, the rheology and printing performance of solder pastes can be controlled. Paste flow behavior is...

We exploit the strong plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles in the catalytic decomposition of CO to grow various forms of carbonaceous materials. Irradiating gold nanoparticles in a CO environment at their plasmon resonant frequency generates high temperatures and strong electric fields required to break the CO bond. By varying the laser power, exposure time, and gas flow rate, we deposit amo...

Atomic force microscopes have become indispensable tools for mechanical characterization of nanoscale and submicron structures. However, materials with complex geometries, such as electrospun fiber networks used for tissue scaffolds, still pose challenges due to the influence of tension and bending modulus on the response of the suspended structures. Here we report mechanical measurements on el...

Requirements for understanding the relationships between ocean color and suspended and dissolved materials within the water column, and a rapidly emerging photonics and materials technology base for performing optical based analytical techniques have generated a diverse offering of commercial sensors and research prototypes that perform optical measurements in water. Through inversion, these to...

A microfabrication approach to produce a microelectrode array that is suitable for use with human patients has been developed. The device is comprised of materials that are consistent with those of clinically used macroelectrodes (platinum electrode contacts suspended within a biomedical grade polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS). Photolithography, metal deposition, wire bonding, and PDMS encapsulation ...