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Abstract This study introduces a novel approach in the realm of liquid biopsies, employing a 3D Mueller-matrix (MM) image reconstruction technique to analyze dehydrated blood smear polycrystalline structures. Our research centers on exploiting the unique optical anisotropy properties of blood proteins, which undergo structural alterations at the quaternary and tertiary levels in the early stages of diseases such as cancer. These alterations manifest as distinct patterns in the polycrystalline microstructure of dried blood droplets, offering a minimally invasive yet highly effective method for early disease detection. We utilized a groundbreaking 3D MM mapping technique, integrated with digital holographic reconstruction, to perform a detailed layer-by-layer analysis of partially depolarizing dry blood smears. This method allows us to extract critical optical anisotropy parameters, enabling the differentiation of blood films from healthy individuals and prostate cancer patients. Our technique uniquely combines polarization-holographic and differential MM methodologies to spatially characterize the 3D polycrystalline structures within blood films. A key advancement in our study is the quantitative evaluation of optical anisotropy maps using statistical moments (first to fourth orders) of linear and circular birefringence and dichroism distributions. This analysis provides a comprehensive characterization of the mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis of these distributions, crucial for identifying significant differences between healthy and cancerous samples. Our findings demonstrate an exceptional accuracy rate of over $$90\%$$ 90 % for the early diagnosis and staging of cancer, surpassing existing screening methods. This high level of precision and the non-invasive nature of our technique mark a significant advancement in the field of liquid biopsies. It holds immense potential for revolutionizing cancer diagnosis, early detection, patient stratification, and monitoring, thereby greatly enhancing patient care and treatment outcomes. In conclusion, our study contributes a pioneering technique to the liquid biopsy domain, aligning with the ongoing quest for non-invasive, reliable, and efficient diagnostic methods. It opens new avenues for cancer diagnosis and monitoring, representing a substantial leap forward in personalized medicine and oncology.

Abstract Flexible thermoelectric generators are leading candidates for next‐generation energy‐harvesting devices. Although SiGe, an environmentally‐friendly semiconductor, is the most reliable and widely tested thermoelectric material, it is difficult to form a SiGe layer with high thermoelectric performance at temperatures lower than the heat‐proof temperature of flexible plastic films. In this article, the synthesis of SiGe thermoelectric thin films via the metal‐induced layer exchange phenomenon is reviewed, from its mechanism to device performance. The selection of metal species allows low‐temperature formation (≤500 °C) of p‐ and n‐type SiGe on insulating substrates. Currently, the maximum power factors near room temperature are 850 µW m−1 K−2 for p‐type Si0.4Ge0.6 and 1000 µW m−1 K−2 for n‐type Si0.85Ge0.15. These values are the highest among those of Group IV semiconductor thin films formed at low temperatures. The flexible thermoelectric generator consisting of these p‐ and n‐type SiGe exhibits cross‐sectional and planar power densities of ≈3.0 mW cm−2 and 0.50 µW cm−2, respectively, at a temperature difference of 30 K. Finally, the future challenges of layer exchange for improving the performance of flexible thermoelectric generators based on Group IV semiconductors are discussed.

In this paper, we report the successful growth of 0.5BiFeO3–0.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]O3/SrTiO3/Si(001) heterostructure using RF-cathode sputtering in an oxygen atmosphere. The deposited films have been investigated by X-ray diffractometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). 0.5BiFeO3–0.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]O3 films on silicon substrates with a strontium titanate buffer layer are single-phase, polycrystalline with a texture in the 001 direction. The unit cell parameters calculated in the tetragonal approximation were [Formula: see text] = 4.005 ± 0.001 [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text] = 3.995 ± 0.001 [Formula: see text]. The presence in the films of small unit cell deformation arising from different unit cells parameters of the film and substrate is observed. Dielectric properties and capacitance-voltage characteristics have been measured. The ellipsometric parameters have been obtained.

One of the unique characteristics of semiconductors is the strong dependence of their properties on crystal defects and doping. However, due to the species diversity and low density, it is very difficult to control the type and concentration of the defects. In perovskite materials, crystal defects are randomly formed during the fast crystallization process, causing large heterogeneity of the samples. Here, in this work, we report a controllable method to introduce surface defects on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite materials via the interaction with 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) molecules on the gas and solid interface. After the adsorption of BQ molecules on the perovskite surface, surface defects can be generated by photoinduced chemical reactions. The concentration of the defects can thus be controlled by precisely regulating the laser irradiation time. The concentration of the defects can be characterized by a gradually decreased PL intensity and lifetime and was found to influence the atmospheric response and the subsequent acetone-induced degradation of the materials. These results demonstrate that crystal defects in perovskite materials can be controllably introduced, which provides a possible way to fully understand the correlation between the nature and chemical structure of these defects.

Indium-doped zinc oxide (IZO) polycrystalline thin films were grown on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and as reference on 7059 Corning glass substrates at room temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering from a target prepared with a mixture of ZnO and In2O3 powders. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films were analyzed and compared. The IZO polycrystalline films showed n-type conductivity. The electrical resistivity drops significantly, and the carrier concentration increases as a consequence of In incorporation within the ZnO crystalline lattice. In both cases the changes are of several orders of magnitude. The resistivity obtained was 3.1 ± 0.5 x 10-3 Ω-cm for an IZO sample grown on PET with a carrier concentration of 3.1 ± 0.7 x 1020 cm-3, the best mobility obtained was 27.7 ± 0.8 cm2V-1s-1 for an IZO sample grown on PEN. From the results, we conclude that n-type IZO polycrystalline films with high transmittance, high mobility and low resistivity were obtained on flexible transparent substrates.