The lifetime of micro electro–thermo–mechanical actuators with complex electro–thermo–mechanical coupling mechanisms can be decreased significantly due to unexpected failure events. Even more serious is the fact that various failures are tightly coupled due to micro-size and multi-physics effects. Interrelation between performance and potential failures should be established to predict reliabil...

This work deals with the fabrication, prototyping, and experimental validation of a fiber optic thermo-hygrometer-based soil moisture sensor, useful for rainfall-induced landslide prevention applications. In particular, we recently proposed a new generation of fiber Bragg grating (FBGs)-based soil moisture sensors for irrigation purposes. This device was realized by integrating, inside a custom...

Nanofluids are suspended nano-sized particles in a base fluid. With increasing demand for more high efficiency thermal systems, nanofluids seem to be a promising option for researchers. As a result, numerous investigations have been undertaken to understand the behaviors of nanofluids. Since their discovery, the thermo-physical properties of nanofluids have been under intense research. Inadequa...

In this paper we will review and extend the results of [21], which covered the case of 3D thermo-piezoelectric polycrystals. In that context the settings of conductivity, elasticity, pyroelectricity, piezoelectricity, thermo-electricity and thermo-elasticity can be viewed as particular cases. We will consider a class of composites more general than polycrystals, where the set of allowable mater...

In the present work we aim to clarify the role of the microstructure and the crystalline distribution from the thermo-oxidation of solid isotactic PP (iPP) and ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers. The effects of the content and quality of the isotacticity interruptions, together with the associated average isotactic length, on the induction time (ti) as well as on the activation energy (Eact) of...

In spite of extended efforts, detecting thermoelectric effects in superconductors has proven to be a challenging task, due to the inherent superconducting particle-hole symmetry. Here we present a theoretical study of an experimentally attainable Superconductor - Quantum Dot - Superconductor (SC-QD-SC) Josephson Junction. Using Keldysh Green's functions we derive the exact thermo-phase and ther...

Electro-magnetic forces provide a potentially power full means in designing dynamic experiments with active control of the loading conditions. This article deals with the development of computational models to simulate the thermo-mechanical response of electro-magnetically loaded metallic structures. The model assumes linear electromagnetic constitutive equations and time-independent electric i...

Nanowires (NWs) exhibit thermo-mechanical properties that are distinct from their bulk properties, and their understanding is critical for the reliability, manufacturability, and optimization of a wide range of devices consisting of NWs. Here, molecular-dynamics simulation reveals a rich size-temperature “phase diagram” for the mechanical response of a zinc-oxide NW under tension. For smaller d...

In this paper we present optical and thermo-optical characterization results of integrated filters based on micro-ring resonators fabricated with a couple of polymers ‘‘PVCI/PMATRIFE’’. Their high index contrast (Dn 0.15 at the wavelength of 1550 nm) allows to make small size waveguides with cross sections of 1.5 1.5 mm2. The study of the impact of different gaps on the extinction ratio and FWH...

This paper explores a possible design for a CMOS compatible, athermal, optical waveguide. The design explored is a slot waveguide with light guided in the low index material. A design paradigm is proposed which shows the relationship between cross-sectional parameters and their impact on both the effective index of refraction and the thermo-optic coefficient of the device. Two materials choices...