Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Tao, Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Tao, Liu.

Strong optical response and light emission from a monolayer molecular crystal

Excitons in two-dimensional (2D) materials are tightly bound and exhibit rich physics. So far, the optical excitations in 2D semiconductors are dominated by Wannier-Mott excitons, but molecular systems can host Frenkel excitons (FE) with unique properties. Here, we report a strong optical response in a class of monolayer molecular J-aggregates. The exciton exhibits giant oscillator strength and absorption (over 30% for monolayer) at resonance, as well as photoluminescence quantum yield in the range of 60-100%. We observe evidence of superradiance (including increased oscillator strength, bathochromic shift, reduced linewidth and lifetime) at room-temperature and more progressively towards low temperature. These unique properties only exist in monolayer owing to the large unscreened dipole interactions and suppression of charge-transfer processes. Finally, we demonstrate light-emitting devices with the monolayer J-aggregate. The intrinsic device speed could be beyond 30 GHz, which is promising for next-generation ultrafast on-chip optical communications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dark Light-Higgs Bosons

We study a limit of the nearly Peccei-Quinn-symmetric next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model possessing novel Higgs and dark matter (DM) properties. In this scenario, there naturally coexist three light singletlike particles: a scalar, a pseudoscalar, and a singlinolike DM candidate, all with masses of order 0.1-10 GeV. The decay of a standard model-like Higgs boson to pairs of the light scalars or pseudoscalars is generically suppressed, avoiding constraints from collider searches for these channels. For a certain parameter window annihilation into the light pseudoscalar and exchange of the light scalar with nucleons allow the singlino to achieve the correct relic density and a large direct-detection cross section consistent with the DM direct-detection experiments, CoGeNT and DAMA/LIBRA, preferred region simultaneously. This parameter space is consistent with experimental constraints from LEP, the Tevatron, {Upsilon}, and flavor physics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Confocal simultaneous phase-shifting interferometry

In order to implement the ultraprecise measurement with large range and long working distance in confocal microscopy, confocal simultaneous phase-shifting interferometry (C-SPSI) has been presented. Four channel interference signals, with {pi}/2 phase shift between each other, are detected simultaneously in C-SPSI. The actual surface height is then calculated by combining the optical sectioning with the phase unwrapping in the main cycle of the interference phase response, and the main cycle is determined using the bipolar property of differential confocal microscopy. Experimental results showed that 1 nm of axial depth resolution was achieved for either low- or high-NA objective lenses. The reflectivity disturbance resistibility of C-SPSI was demonstrated by imaging a typical microcircuit specimen. C-SPSI breaks through the restriction of low NA on the axial depth resolution of confocal microscopy effectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Parity-relevant zitterbewegung and quantum simulation by a single trapped ion

Zitterbewegung (ZB), the trembling of free relativistic electrons in a vacuum, could be simulated by a single trapped ion. We focus on the variations of ZB under different parity conditions and find no ZB in the case of odd or even parity. ZB occurs only for the admixture of the odd- and even-parity states. We also show that a similar role is played by the parity operator for the trapped ion in Fock-state representation and the space-inversion operator for a realistic relativistic electron. Although the ZB effect is invisible in a relativistic electron, preparation of the trapped ion in different parity states is a sophisticated job, which makes it possible to observe the parity-relevant ZB effects with currently available techniques.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗