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Flexible and twistable non-volatile memory cell array with all-organic one diode–one resistor architecture
Flexible organic memory devices are promising candidates for data storage applications. Here, Ji et al.develop a flexible all-organic 64-bit memory cell array possessing one diode–one resistor architecture, which can maintain its memory characteristics even under large mechanical distortions.
- Yongsung Ji
- , David F. Zeigler
- & Tae-Wook Kim
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Plasmonic gold mushroom arrays with refractive index sensing figures of merit approaching the theoretical limit
Plasmonic resonances in nanostructures are useful for high-performance biosensors. Shen et al. build arrays of nanoscale gold mushrooms with a high figure of merit close to the predicted upper limit and show their use for detecting low concentrations of cytochrome cand alpha-fetoprotein.
- Yang Shen
- , Jianhua Zhou
- & Jianfang Wang
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Fast low-voltage electroactive actuators using nanostructured polymer electrolytes
Ionic polymer actuators are becoming popular for biomimetic applications because of their mechanical robustness and easy fabrication at low cost. Kim et al.push them one step closer to practice by achieving a subsecond actuation response at an operation voltage less than 1 V.
- Onnuri Kim
- , Tae Joo Shin
- & Moon Jeong Park
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A DNA tweezer-actuated enzyme nanoreactor
The control of regulatory enzymes is essential for the modulation of biochemical cellular pathways. Here, the authors fabricate a tweezer-like DNA nanodevice to actuate the activity of an enzyme/cofactor pair, and are able to control enzyme inhibition and activation over multiple cycles.
- Minghui Liu
- , Jinglin Fu
- & Hao Yan
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Flexible polymer transistors with high pressure sensitivity for application in electronic skin and health monitoring
Flexible pressure sensors may be key in realising biomedical prostheses and robots that can interact with their environment. Here, Schwartz et al.report an organic thin film pressure sensing device that combines fast response times with low power consumption and cyclic stability.
- Gregor Schwartz
- , Benjamin C.-K. Tee
- & Zhenan Bao
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Polaron hopping mediated by nuclear tunnelling in semiconducting polymers at high carrier density
Although polymers are widely used in electric and photonic devices, the mechanism of charge transport across polymer chains is still not well understood. Here de Leeuw and colleagues propose a model that unifies experimental observations at high carrier densities.
- Kamal Asadi
- , Auke J. Kronemeijer
- & Dago M. de Leeuw
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A high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas at the spinel/perovskite interface of γ-Al2O3/SrTiO3
Highly mobile electrons at the interface of two perovskite oxides are of considerable interest for electronic applications. In this work, the discovery of such an electron gas at the interface of a spinel and a perovskite oxide represents a new approach to look for oxide systems with enhanced properties.
- Y. Z. Chen
- , N. Bovet
- & N. Pryds
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| Open AccessDirect writing of electronic devices on graphene oxide by catalytic scanning probe lithography
Controlled nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide could aid the development of graphene-based electronics. Here, a relatively mild technique is reported that uses a platinum-coated atomic force microscope tip to catalyse the reduction of graphene oxide to graphene.
- Kun Zhang
- , Qiang Fu
- & Jianguo Hou
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Highly transparent nonvolatile resistive memory devices from silicon oxide and graphene
Flexible electronic devices are widely considered to have significant potential for a range of applications. Here the authors present a bendable and transparent memory based on graphene electrical contacts and silica as the memory element.
- Jun Yao
- , Jian Lin
- & James M. Tour
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Solderable and electroplatable flexible electronic circuit on a porous stretchable elastomer
The integration of flexible electronics with conventional devices has been hampered by the lack of suitable soldering techniques able to withstand stretching. Jeonget al. use a porous substrate to fabricate biocompatible, stretchable electronics that can be interfaced with commercial components.
- Gi Seok Jeong
- , Dong-Hyun Baek
- & Sang-Hoon Lee
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| Open AccessRobust absolute magnetometry with organic thin-film devices
Magnetometers based on organic magnetoresistance are limited by narrow sensitivity ranges, degradation and temperature fluctuations. Bakeret al. demonstrate a magnetic resonance-based organic thin film magnetometer, which overcomes these drawbacks by exploiting the metrological nature of magnetic resonance.
- W.J. Baker
- , K. Ambal
- & C. Boehme
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| Open AccessFrequency stabilization in nonlinear micromechanical oscillators
Micromechanical oscillators present a route to miniaturisation of devices and may be used as frequency references or sensitive sensors, but their small size means that they often behave nonlinearly. Antonioet al. demonstrate frequency stabilisation of nonlinear resonators by coupling two vibrational modes.
- Dario Antonio
- , Damián H. Zanette
- & Daniel López
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Organic transistors with high thermal stability for medical applications
Organic electronic devices are promising for many applications, particularly in biomedical research, but are hindered by thermal instability and low melting points. Now, organic thin-film transistors are shown with excellent thermal properties that can withstand medical sterilization processes.
- Kazunori Kuribara
- , He Wang
- & Takao Someya
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Mechanism of supercooled droplet freezing on surfaces
The mechanism through which ice forms on surfaces is of broad technological relevance. This study examines the manner in which ice forms on so-called 'icephobic' surfaces, and demonstrates that simple changes in the environmental conditions can render the icephobicity ineffective.
- Stefan Jung
- , Manish K. Tiwari
- & Dimos Poulikakos
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| Open AccessHigh-density magnetoresistive random access memory operating at ultralow voltage at room temperature
Magnetoresistive random access memory offers significant promise as a next-generation memory technology. Nan and colleagues present a design concept for a device that simultaneously possesses ultrahigh storage capacity, ultralow power dissipation, and high-speed operation at room temperature.
- Jia-Mian Hu
- , Zheng Li
- & Ce-Wen Nan
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A polysaccharide bioprotonic field-effect transistor
The manipulation of electrons forms the basis of modern technology, whereas electrical signalling processes in nature are based on ions and protons. Rolandi and colleagues present a proton transistor based on polysaccharide nanofibres, which can control the flow of protonic currents.
- Chao Zhong
- , Yingxin Deng
- & Marco Rolandi
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Stimulated optomechanical excitation of surface acoustic waves in a microdevice
Brillouin interactions between sound and light can excite mechanical resonances in photonic microsystems, with potential for sensing and frequency reference applications. The authors demonstrate experimental excitation of mechanical resonances ranging from 49 to 1,400 MHz using forward Brillouin scattering.
- Gaurav Bahl
- , John Zehnpfennig
- & Tal Carmon
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Biologically inspired achromatic waveplates for visible light
Waveplates are used in optoelectronics to alter the polarization of light, but they do not typically perform achromatically, which is important for applications such as three-dimensional displays. Here, biologically inspired periodically multilayered structures are produced, which function as achromatic visible-light waveplates.
- Yi-Jun Jen
- , Akhlesh Lakhtakia
- & Jyun-Rong Lai