Microbial biofilm is of paramount importance in the development of mucositis or peri-implantitis in patients with dental implants. This study was designed to investigate whether an electromagnetic field at high frequency waves directly applied on 33 titanium implants could remove experimentally-induced Enterococcus faecalis bacterial biofilm. A specially designed device (X-IMPLANT) was used to generate the electromagnetic field, with output power of 8 W, supply frequency (action/pause) 3/2s, and an output frequency of 625±5% kHz in plastic devices containing the biofilm-covered implants immersed in sterile saline. The bacterial biofilm on both treated and untreated control implants was quantitatively measured by phenol red-based Bio-Timer-Assay reagent. The kinetic analysis of the curves showed that the electrical treatment generated by the X-IMPLANT device completely removed the bacterial biofilm after 30 minutes of treatment (p<0.01). Elimination of the biofilm was also confirmed by chromatic observation in the macro-method. Our data seem to indicate that the procedure could be considered for clinical application in peri-implantitis to counteract bacterial biofilm on dental implants.

The growing need for new and reliable surface sensing methods is arousing interest in the electromagnetic excitations of ultrathin films, i.e., to generate electromagnetic field distributions that resonantly interact with the most significant quasi-particles of condensed matter. In such a context, Bloch surface waves turned out to be a valid alternative to surface plasmon polaritons to implement high-sensitivity sensors in the visible spectral range. Only in the last few years, however, has their use been extended to infrared wavelengths, which represent a powerful tool for detecting and recognizing molecular species and crystalline structures. In this work, we demonstrate, by means of high-resolution reflectivity measurements, that a one-dimensional photonic crystal can sustain Bloch surface waves in the infrared spectral range from room temperature down to 10 K. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of infrared Bloch surface waves at cryogenic temperatures. Furthermore, by exploiting the enhancement of the surface state and the high brilliance of infrared synchrotron radiation, we demonstrate that the proposed BSW-based sensor has a sensitivity on the order of 2.9 cm-1 for each nanometer-thick ice layer grown on its surface below 150 K. In conclusion, we believe that Bloch surface wave-based sensors are a valid new class of surface mode-based sensors for applications in materials science.

A new optical setup is described that allows the reflectivity at grazing incidence to be measured, including ultrathin films and two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) down to liquid-helium temperatures, by exploiting the Berreman effect and the high brilliance of infrared synchrotron radiation. This apparatus is well adapted to detect the absorption of a 2DES of nanometric thickness, namely that which forms spontaneously at the interface between a thin film of LaAlO3 and its SrTiO3 substrate, and to determine its Drude parameters.

We have used grazing-angle infrared spectroscopy with polarized radiation to detect the Berreman effect (BE) in the two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) which form spontaneously at two interfaces: one between an amorphous film LaAlO3 and its SrTiO3 substrate (LAO/STO), and another at the interface between the topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 and its sapphire substrate. In both systems we have thus extracted the 2DES parameters at different temperatures. In the quasi-2DES under amorphous LAO, the surface density ns is higher than under crystalline LAO, while the mobility is nearly the same and the thickness d is 7 nm. In ultrapure Bi2Se3 on sapphire, preliminary data provided d < 1 nm and ns ≈ 1013 cm−2, indicating, by comparison with existing estimates, that the BE indeed detects the topological surface states.

The thermionic-thermoelectric solid-state technology, characterized by solar-to-electric conversion efficiency feasibly >40%, is comprehensively proposed and discussed for conversion of concentrating solar power. For the first time, the related solar generator prototype is designed and fabricated by developing advanced materials functionalized for the specific application, such as thermally resistant hafnium carbide-based radiation absorbers, surface-textured at the nanoscale to obtain a solar absorptance >90%, and chemical vapor deposition diamond films, acting as low-work-function (2.06 eV) thermionic emitters. Commercial thermoelectric generators and encapsulation vacuum components complete the prototype. The conversion efficiency is here evaluated under outdoor concentrated sunlight, demonstrating thermionic stage output power of 130 mW at 756 degrees C, combined to the maximum thermoelectric output power of 290 mW. The related solar-to-electric conversion efficiency is found to be 0.4%, but, once the net thermal flux fed to the conversion stages is considered, a thermal-to-electric efficiency of 6% is revealed. Factors affecting the performance of the present prototype are analyzed and discussed, as well as a strategy to rapidly overcome limitations, in order to prepare an efficient and highly competitive solid-state conversion alternative for future concentrating solar plants.

A compact confocal terahertz microscope working at 0.30 THz based on all-solid-state components is used to locate buried thin metal foils in a painted wood artwork. Metal foils are used for decoration, and their precise localization under the pictorial layer is relevant information for conservation scientists and restorers, which can neither be obtained by X-ray radiography nor by spectroscopic imaging in the infrared, as we directly show here. The confocal microscopy principle based on the spatial pinhole concept is here implemented by positioning the first focus of an ellipsoidal reflector at the phase center of horn antennas coupled to Schottky diode detector and emitter mounted in rectangular waveguide blocks, together with an optical beamsplitter. The second focus of the reflector is mechanically scanned inside the sample in three dimensions. The predictions of diffraction theory for a confocal microscope at an imaging wavelength of 1.00 mm with numerical aperture of 0.53 are verified experimentally (L2 and 2.8 mm for the lateral and the axial resolution, respectively). These values of resolution allow a precise determination of the position of buried metal foils in an ancient piece of art hence making restoration interventions possible.

The Berreman effect (BE) allows one to study the electrodynamics of ultrathin conducting films at the surface of dielectrics by use of grazing-angle infrared spectroscopy and polarized radiation. Here, we first apply the BE to the two-dimensional electron system (2DES) at the interface between a high-purity film of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 and its sapphire substrate. We determine for the 2DES a charge density n(s) = (8 +/- 1) x 10(12) cm(-2), a thickness d = 0.6 +/- 0.2 nm, and a mobility mu(IR) = 290 +/- 30 cm(2)/Vs. Within errors, all of these parameters result in being independent of temperature between 300 and 10 K. These findings consistently indicate that the 2DES is formed by topological surface states, whose infrared response is then directly observed here.

We apply mid-infrared absorption microspectroscopy to investigate the light-induced conformational changes of bacteriorhodopsin embedded in native purple membranes deposited on gold substrates. The difference spectra (visible light ON-visible light OFF) obtained on thin films of bacteriorhodopsin display main spectral features connected to the light-induced proton pump process, representing a promising preliminary step towards the investigation of light-sensitive proteins by means of mid-IR tip-enhanced nanospectroscopy..

We have used grazing-angle infrared spectroscopy to detect the Berreman effect (BE) in the quasi-two-dimensional electron system (q-2DES) which forms spontaneously at the interface between SrTiO3 (STO) and a thin film of LaAlO3 (LAO). From the BE, which allows one to study longitudinal optical excitations in ultrathin films like the q-2DES, we have extracted at different temperatures its thickness, the charge density and mobility of the carriers under crystalline LAO (sample A), and the charge density under amorphous LAO (sample B). The latter quantity turns out to be higher than in sample A, but a comparison with Hall measurements shows that under amorphous LAO the charges are partly localized at low T with a low activation energy (about 190 K in units of k(B)) and are thermally activated according to a model for large polarons. The thickness of the q-2DES extracted from our spectra turns out to be 4 +/- 1 nm for crystalline LAO and 7 +/- 2 nm for amorphous LAO.

SrRuO3 (SRO) is a perovskite increasingly used in oxide-based electronics both for its intrinsic metallicity, which remains unaltered in thin films and for the ease of deposition on dielectric perovskites like SrTiO3, (STO) to implement SRO/STO microcapacitors and other devices. In order to test the reliability of SRO/STO also as high-current on-chip conductor, when the SRO dimensions are pushed to the nanoscale, here we have measured the electrodynamic properties of arrays of nanoribbons, fabricated by lithography starting from an ultrathin film of SRO deposited on a STO substrate. The nanoribbons are 6 or 4 nm thick, 400, 200 and 100 nm wide and 5 mm long. The measurements have been performed by infrared spectroscopy, a non-contact weakly perturbing technique which also allows one to separately determine the carrier density and their scattering rate or mobility. Far-infrared reflectivity spectra have been analyzed by Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis (RCWA) and by an Effective Medium Theory, obtaining consistent results. With the radiation polarized along the nanoribbons, we obtain a carrier density similar to that of a flat film used as reference, which in turn is similar to that of bulk SRO. Moreover, in the nanoribbons the carrier scattering rate is even smaller than in the unpatterned film by about a factor of 2. This shows that the transport properties of SRO deposited on STO remain at least unaltered down to nanometric dimensions, with interesting perspectives for implementing on-chip nano-interconnects in an oxide-based electronics. When excited in the perpendicular direction, the nanoribbons appear instead virtually transparent to the radiation field, as predicted by RCWA.

SrRuO 3 (SRO) is a perovskite increasingly used in oxide-based electronics both for its intrinsic metallicity, which remains unaltered in thin films and for the ease of deposition on dielectric perovskites like SrTiO 3 , (STO) to implement SRO/STO microcapacitors and other devices. In order to test the reliability of SRO/STO also as high-current on-chip conductor, when the SRO dimensions are pushed to the nanoscale, here we have measured the electrodynamic properties of arrays of nanoribbons, fabricated by lithography starting from an ultrathin film of SRO deposited on a STO substrate. The nanoribbons are 6 or 4 nm thick, 400, 200 and 100 nm wide and 5 mm long. The measurements have been performed by infrared spectroscopy, a non-contact weakly perturbing technique which also allows one to separately determine the carrier density and their scattering rate or mobility. Far-infrared reflectivity spectra have been analyzed by Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis (RCWA) and by an Effective Medium Theory, obtaining consistent results. With the radiation polarized along the nanoribbons, we obtain a carrier density similar to that of a flat film used as reference, which in turn is similar to that of bulk SRO. Moreover, in the nanoribbons the carrier scattering rate is even smaller than in the unpatterned film by about a factor of 2. This shows that the transport properties of SRO deposited on STO remain at least unaltered down to nanometric dimensions, with interesting perspectives for implementing on-chip nano-interconnects in an oxide-based electronics. When excited in the perpendicular direction, the nanoribbons appear instead virtually transparent to the radiation field, as predicted by RCWA.

Three metals (Ag, Au, and Ti) and a carbide (WC) were studied to verify their suitability to act as high-temperature electric contacts for photon-enhanced thermionic emission cathodes based on an AlGaInP/GaInP heterostructure. Transfer length method measurements, performed in the temperature range 25–350°C, showed that the lowest specific contact resistivity values were found for Au (4.0 × 10−4 Ω cm−2 @350°C) and Ti (1.2 × 10−3 Ω cm−2 @350°C). A further selection was made on the basis of film adhesion tests performed after the thermal cycles, in which Ti demonstrated an excellent mechanical robustness.

We have measured the reflectivity in the ab plane and along the c axis of a single crystal of the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya multiferroic Ba2CuGe2O7, from 20 to 300 K and from 700 to 24 000 cm(-1). The resulting optical conductivity sigma(omega) has been compared with the results of calculations of its electronic band structure based on density functional theory (DFT). A broad midinfrared band, which in the ab plane strongly hardens for decreasing temperature, is consistent with d-d transitions of the Cu atom. A further electronic absorption, whose edge falls in the near infrared and has a strong O-p character, unusually softens with decreasing temperature by more than 0.15 eV, in both polarizations. Calculations show that the behavior with temperature of those electronic bands can be related to distortions of the CuO4 tetrahedra.

Graphite conductive vertical microchannels, fabricated by femtosecond laser treatment, are proposed as distributed electrodes in defect-engineered ("black") single-crystal diamond cathodes for innovative solar cells. Energy conversion is based on photon-enhanced thermionic emission, where the reduction of the cathode series resistance is crucial to preserve conversion efficiency. Process yield higher than 80% and resistivity as low as 0.75 +/- 0.15 Omega cm were achieved by the optimization of laser parameters and the use of a multi-pass writing technique. A 100 x 100 array of graphite electrodes was integrated in a diamond-based cathode prototype, reducing the series resistance of more than 10 orders of magnitude with respect to bulk diamond. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell membranes are intrinsically heterogeneous, as the local protein and lipid distribution is critical to physiological processes. Even in template systems embedding a single protein type, like purple membranes, there can be a different local response to external stimuli or environmental factors, resulting in heterogeneous conformational changes. Despite the dramatic advances of microspectroscopy techniques, the identification of the conformation heterogeneity is still a challenging task. Tip-enhanced infrared nanospectroscopy is here used to identify conformational changes connected to the hydration state of the transmembrane proteins contained in a 50 nm diameter cell membrane area, without the need for fluorescent labels. In dried purple membrane monolayers, areas with fully hydrated proteins are found among large numbers of molecules with randomly distributed hydration states. Infrared nanospectroscopy results are compared to the spectra obtained with diffraction-limited infrared techniques based on the use of synchrotron radiation, in which the diffraction limit still prevents the observation of nanoscale heterogeneity.

We present mid-infrared vibrational spectroscopy and imaging at the nanoscale of individual cell membranes deposited on ultraflat gold substrate by use of resonantly-enhanced mechanical photoexpansion technique. This platform allows one to measure the energy absorbed by the sample by monitoring its local thermal expansion with a nanometer atomic force microscope tip. The observed Amide-I and Amide-II bands of proteins in the spectrum acquired on individual purple membrane flakes, filled with bacteriorhodopsin (bR) molecules, are in good agreement with the far-field infrared spectrum collected on large numbers of membranes. Differences among the relative intensity of the two Amide bands in the near-and far-field spectra are attributed to different orientation of bR protein molecules in the two samples. Strong vibrational contrast imaging at the Amide-I of proteins with a lateral resolution of around 50 nm is reported for individual flakes of both purple membranes and artificial lipid vesicles loaded with channelrhodospin molecules.

We have correlated the surface conductivity of hydrogen-terminated diamond to the electronic structure in the Fermi region. Significant density of electronic states (DOS) in proximity of the Fermi edge has been measured by photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) on surfaces exposed to air, corresponding to a p-type electric conductive regime, while upon annealing a depletion of the DOS has been achieved, resembling the diamond insulating state. The surface and subsurface electronic structure has been determined, exploiting the different probing depths of PES applied in a photon energy range between 7 and 31 eV. Ab initio density functional calculations including surface charge depletion and band-bending effects favorably compare with electronic states measured by angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Such states are organized in the energy-momentum space in a twofold structure: one, bulk-derived, band disperses in the Gamma-X direction with an average hole effective mass of (0.43 +/- 0.02)m(0), where m(0) is the bare electron mass; a second flatter band, with an effective mass of (2.2 +/- 0.9)m(0), proves that a hole gas confined in the topmost layers is responsible for the conductivity of the (2 x 1) hydrogen-terminated diamond (100) surface.

Nanoscale periodic texturing on polycrystalline CVD diamond surface was performed to obtain a significant increase in optical absorptance to visible and near-infrared radiation. Surface texturing, obtained by the use of fs-laser ultrashort pulses, has been demonstrated to induce a controlled periodicity of ripples of about 170 nm and length of several µm, able to drastically increase the diamond capability of interacting with solar radiation from its intrinsic visible blindness. Ultraviolet and visible Raman spectroscopy has been used to confirm the absence of non-diamond phases resulting from the process for the fs-laser-textured sample. Moreover, here we investigate the optical properties in the range 200 nm–25 µm. Absorbance of fs-laser-textured CVD diamond is considerably higher than the untreated one at every wavelength, resulting in a remarkable increase in the emittance: It points out the need for an optimization of process parameters to enhance the selective absorption capability.