Search

Nanothermometry in in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is useful for comprehending the functioning mechanisms of the heterogeneous matter through real-time observations. Herein, we introduce a Boltzmann-distribution-driven cathodoluminescence (CL) nanothermometry for in situ local temperature probing in TEM. The population distribution across the close-lying Stark sublevels of dysprosium ions in an yttrium vanadate matrix follows the Boltzmann distribution, enabling the use of the CL-intensity ratio as a thermometry over a wide temperature range of 103-435 K with a relative sensitivity exceeding 3% K -1 and precision of ±2%. Superior to other CL-based thermometries, the present approach is independent of electron-beam parameters and dopant concentration, extending the robustness and applicability of CL-based nanothermometry in electron microscopy. We further demonstrate the real-time mapping of the temperature distribution across a TEM grid under laser irradiation.

The development of various nanomaterials production technologies has led to the possibility of producing nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures, which can find a wide range of applications, from the fabrication of microelectronic devices to the improvement of material properties and the treatment of cancer. The unique characteristics of nanoparticles are primarily due to their small size, which makes size control important in their preparation. Modification of nanoparticles by laser irradiation and obtaining desired nanoparticle properties is a promising approach because of its ease of implementation. The purpose of this review is to analyze the works devoted to the study of laser-induced heating and melting of nanoparticles, to collect information and evaluate the results of using this method for functionalization and modification of metallic nanoparticles, and to discuss promising directions for the use of this technique., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Baimler, Simakin, Dorokhov and Gudkov.)

Currently, there is limited research on the in situ forming process of thermoplastic prepreg tape winding, and the unclear impact of process parameters on mechanical properties during manufacturing is becoming increasingly prominent. The study aimed to investigate the influence of process parameters on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic composite materials (CFRP) using laser-assisted CF/PPS winding forming technology. The melting point and decomposition temperature of CF/PPS materials were determined using DSC and TGA instruments, and based on the operating parameters of the laser-assisted winding equipment, the process parameter range for this fabrication technology was designed. A numerical model for the temperature of laser-heated CF/PPS prepreg was established, and based on the filament winding process setup, the heating temperature and tensile strength were simulated and tested. The effects of process parameters on the heating temperature of the prepreg and the tensile strength of NOL rings were then analyzed. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) was employed to globally optimize the process parameters, aiming to maximize winding rate and tensile strength. The results indicated that core mold temperature, winding rate, laser power, and their interactions significantly affected mechanical properties. The optimal settings were 90 °C, 418.6 mm/s, and 525 W, achieving a maximum tensile strength of 2571.51 MPa. This study provides valuable insights into enhancing the forming efficiency of CF/PPS-reinforced high-performance engineering thermoplastic composites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Laser therapy has been widely used to treat port-wine stains (PWS) and other cutaneous vascular lesions via selective photothermolysis. Animal models are a valuable tool for investigating thermal responses beneath the skin. However, in previous animal experiments, such as the dorsal skin chamber model, one side of the skin was removed, resulting in the loss of mechanical support for the target blood vessel. In this study, the optical clearing technique was applied to the dorsal skin, allowing direct observation of real thermal responses within the tissue without removing the covering skin. The target blood vessels were irradiated with a pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser. The corresponding thermal responses were recorded using a CCD camera. Additionally, variations in skin reflectance spectra were measured before and after laser irradiation. Due to the optical clearing and reflectance spectra measurement, vessel responses such as contraction, reperfusion, and full occlusion were correlated with specific variation patterns in reflectance spectral signals., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

The deterministic preparation of highly ordered single-crystalline surfaces is a key step for studying and utilizing the physical properties of various advanced materials. This paper presents the fast and straightforward preparation of vicinal Al 2 O 3 (0001) surfaces with micrometer-scale atomic order. Crisp electron-diffraction spots up to at least 20 th order evidence atomic coherence on terraces with widths exceeding 1 μm. The unique combination of three properties of Al 2 O 3 (0001) underlie this remarkable coherence: its high-temperature stability; the differences in the ionic bonding systems of the surface as compared to the bulk; and the fact that the terraces are non-polar whereas the step edges have a polar character. The step edges are furthermore found to have alternating configurations, which drive a step-doubling transition. On double-stepped surfaces, the Al-rich ( 31 × 31 ) R ± 9 $(\sqrt {31}\times \sqrt {31})\textrm {R}\pm 9$ ° surface reconstruction attains a singular in-plane orientation. These results set a benchmark for high-quality surface preparation and thus expand the scope for both fundamental studies on and the technological utilization of exciting material systems., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to achieve a significant increase in the proliferative activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of the bone marrow (BM) at early passages after laser exposure to a suspension of these cells and to estimate the effect of light and heat components of laser radiation on the proliferation of BM MSCs. Methods: The studies were performed on rats BM MSCs. MSC suspension was placed into the wells and heated by using laser radiation (980 nm wavelength) or a water bath at 70 °C providing similar temperature dynamics. The studies were carried out in 3 comparison groups: (1) control suspension of MSCs, which was not subjected to heating in a water bath or laser exposure; (2) MSC suspension, which was heated for in a water bath; and (3) suspension of MSCs, which was subjected to laser exposure. The exposure times for the 2nd and 3rd experimental groups were 10- 50 seconds. Results: Under optimal parameters of laser action on the suspension of BM MSCs, a six-fold increase in the number of BM MSCs colonies was registered compared to the control. The role of the light and heat components of laser exposure to MSCs was determined by comparable heating of a suspension of BM MSCs in a water bath, at which only a twofold increase in the number of colonies was maximally obtained. Conclusion: The increase in the MSC proliferation activity occurs due to their Thermo-Photobiomodulation. The result obtained is important for practical use in cell transplantation in the treatment of traumatic injuries of bone, cartilage, and tendon tissues when a rapid and multiple increase in the initial number of autologous BM MSCs is required., Competing Interests: None., (Copyright © 2024 J Lasers Med Sci.)

In this study, we report the synthesis of a new cubic neodymium-rhenium metallic alloy NdRe 2 through the utilization of high pressure and laser heating in a diamond anvil cell. NdRe 2 crystallizes in the F d 3 ¯ m space group with a lattice parameter equal to 7.486 (2) Å and Z = 8 at 24 (1) GPa and 2,200 (100) K. It was studied using high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the cubic MgCu 2 structure type. Its successful synthesis further proves that high-pressure high-temperature conditions can be used to obtain alloys holding a Laves phase structure. Ab initio calculations were done to predict the mechanical properties of the material. We also discuss the usage of extreme conditions to synthesize and study materials present in the nuclear waste., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hussein, Kazemiasl, Hussaini, Vaquero, Barkova, Drozd, Chariton, Prakapenka and Chuvashova.)

Switchable adhesive is essential to develop transfer printing, which is an advanced heterogeneous material integration technique for developing electronic systems. Designing a switchable adhesive with strong adhesion strength that can also be easily eliminated to enable noncontact transfer printing still remains a challenge. Here, we report a simple yet robust design of switchable adhesive based on a thermally responsive shape memory polymer with micropillars of different heights. The adhesive takes advantage of the shape-fixing property of shape memory polymer to provide strong adhesion for a reliable pick-up and the various levels of shape recovery of micropillars under laser heating to eliminate the adhesion for robust printing in a noncontact way. Systematic experimental and numerical studies reveal the adhesion switch mechanism and provide insights into the design of switchable adhesives. This switchable adhesive design provides a good solution to develop laser-driven noncontact transfer printing with the capability of eliminating the influence of receivers on the performance of transfer printing. Demonstrations of transfer printing of silicon wafers, microscale Si platelets, and micro light emitting diode (μ-LED) chips onto various challenging nonadhesive receivers (e.g., sandpaper, stainless steel bead, leaf, or glass) to form desired two-dimensional or three-dimensional layouts illustrate its great potential in deterministic assembly.

Two-dimensional nanomaterials have obvious advantages in thermoelectric device development. It is rare to use the same experimental system to accurately measure multiple thermoelectrical parameters of the same sample. Therefore, scholars have developed suspended microdevices, T-type and H-type methods to fulfill the abovementioned requirements. These methods usually require a direct-current voltage signal to detect in Seebeck coefficient measurement. However, the thermoelectric potential generated by the finite temperature difference is very weak and can be easily overwritten by the direct-current voltage, thereby affecting the measurement accuracy. In addition, these methods generally require specific electrodes to measure the thermoelectric potential. We propose a measurement method that combines laser heating with an H-type device. By introducing a temperature difference in two-dimensional materials through laser heating, the thermoelectric potential can be accurately measured. This method does not require specific electrodes to simplify the device structure. The thermoelectrical parameters of supported graphene are successfully measured with this method; the results are in good agreement with the literature. The proposed method is unaffected by material size and characteristics. It has potential application value in the characterization of thermoelectric physical properties.

Diamond's unique properties on the nanoscale make it one of the most important materials for use in biosensors and quantum computing and for components that can withstand the harsh environments of space. We synthesize oriented, faceted diamond particles by flash laser heating of glassy carbon at 16 GPa and 2300 K. Detailed transmission electron microscopy shows them to consist of a mosaic of diamond nanocrystals frequently joined at twin boundaries forming microtwins. Striking 3-fold translational periodicity was observed in both imaging and diffraction. This periodicity was shown to originate from nanodimensional wedge-shaped overlapping regions of twinned diamond and not from a possible 9R polytype, which has also been reported in other group IVa elements and water ice. Extended bilayers of hexagonal layer stacking were observed, forming lonsdaleite nanolaminates. The particles exhibited optical fluorescence with a rapid quench time (<1 ns) attributed to their unique twinned microstructure.

Reliable thermophysical properties of core melt (corium) are essential for the accurate prediction of the severe accident progression in light water reactors. Zirconia is one of the most important materials in corium. Despite the high interest in the viscosity of molten zirconia, few experimental data have been reported due to its high melting temperature and high vapor pressure. In the present study, the viscosity of molten zirconia was measured using aerodynamic levitation, laser heating and droplet oscillation techniques. A material sample was levitated by argon gas flow in a conical nozzle and then melted into a droplet by laser beams. The initial quiescent droplet was forced to oscillate by the excitation of a loudspeaker, and the viscosity was deduced based on the characteristics of the droplet damped oscillation after the loudspeaker was turned off. The viscosity of molten alumina was first measured for verification of the measurement system. Afterwards the viscosity of molten zirconia was measured. The results showed that the viscosity of molten zirconia at melting temperature (2988K) was 12.87 ± 1.03 mPa s and decreased with increasing temperature. The measurement uncertainties are within 21 %., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

We report the P-V-T equation of state measurements of B 4 C to 50 GPa and approximately 2500 K in laser-heated diamond anvil cells. We obtain an ambient temperature, third-order Birch-Murnaghan fit to the P-V data that yields a bulk modulus K 0 of 221(2) GPa and derivative, (d K /d P ) 0 of 3.3(1). These were used in fits with both a Mie-Grüneisen-Debye model and a temperature-dependent, Birch-Murnaghan equation of state that includes thermal pressure estimated by thermal expansion ( α ) and a temperature-dependent bulk modulus (d K 0 /d T ). The ambient pressure thermal expansion coefficient ( α 0  + α 1 T ), Grüneisen γ ( V ) =  γ 0 ( V / V 0 ) q and volume-dependent Debye temperature, were used as input parameters for these fits and found to be sufficient to describe the data in the whole P-T range of this study. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 1)'.

The features of oxidation of ultra-high-temperature ceramic material HfB 2 -30 vol.%SiC modified with 1 vol.% graphene as a result of supersonic flow of dissociated CO 2 (generated with the use of high-frequency induction plasmatron), as well as under the influence of combined heating by high-speed CO 2 jets and ytterbium laser radiation, were studied for the first time. It was found that the addition of laser radiation leads to local heating of the central region from ~1750 to ~2000-2200 °C; the observed temperature difference between the central region and the periphery of ~300-550 °C did not lead to cracking and destruction of the sample. Oxidized surfaces and cross sections of HfB 2 -SiC-C G ceramics with and without laser heating were investigated using X-ray phase analysis, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with local elemental analysis. During oxidation by supersonic flow of dissociated CO 2 , a multilayer near-surface region similar to that formed under the influence of high-speed dissociated air flows was formed. An increase in surface temperature with the addition of laser heating from 1750-1790 to 2000-2200 °C (short term, within 2 min) led to a two to threefold increase in the thickness of the degraded near-surface area of ceramics from 165 to 380 microns. The experimental results indicate promising applications of ceramic materials based on HfB 2 -SiC as part of high-speed flying vehicles in planetary atmospheres predominantly composed of CO 2 (e.g., Venus and Mars).

Combining experimental set up and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we were able to follow the time evolution of the X-ray absorption near edge spectrum (XANES) of a dense copper plasma. This provides a deep insight into femtosecond laser interaction with a metallic copper target. This paper presents a review of the experimental developments we made to reduce the X-ray probe duration, from approximately 10 ps to fs duration with table-top laser systems. Moreover, we present microscopic scale simulations, performed with Density Functional Theory, as well as macroscopic simulations considering the Two-Temperature Model. These tools allow us to get a complete picture of the evolution of the target at a microscopic level, from the heating process to the melting and expansion stages, with a clear view of the physics involved during these processes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dynamic and transient processes in warm dense matter'.

We present a sessile droplet manipulation platform that enables the formation and transport of a droplet on a light-absorbing surface via local laser-beam irradiation. The mechanism relies on solutocapillary Marangoni flow arising from a concentration gradient in a binary mixture liquid. Because the mixture is strongly confined in a two-dimensional slit with a spacing of a few micrometers, the wetting film is stably sustained, enabling the rapid formation, deformation, and transport of a sessile droplet. In addition, to sustain the droplet in the absence of laser irradiation, we developed a method to bridge the droplet between the top and bottom walls of the slit. The bridge is stably sustained because of the hydrophilicity of the slit wall. Splitting and merging of the droplet bridges are also demonstrated.

Selected area deposition of high purity gold films onto nanoscale 3D architectures is highly desirable as gold is conductive, inert, plasmonically active, and can be functionalized with thiol chemistries, which are useful in many biological applications. Here, we show that high-purity gold coatings can be selectively grown with the Me 2 Au (acac) precursor onto nanoscale 3D architectures via a pulsed laser pyrolytic chemical vapor deposition process. The selected area of deposition is achieved due to the high thermal resistance of the nanoscale geometries. Focused electron beam induced deposits (FEBID) and carbon nanofibers are functionalized with gold coatings, and we demonstrate the effects that laser irradiance, pulse width, and precursor pressure have on the growth rate. Furthermore, we demonstrate selected area deposition with a feature-targeting resolutions of ~100 and 5 µm, using diode lasers coupled to a multimode (915 nm) and single mode (785 nm) fiber optic, respectively. The experimental results are rationalized via finite element thermal modeling.

This study experimentally and numerically validates the commonly employed technique of laser-induced heating of a material in optical temperature sensing studies. Furthermore, the Er3+-doped glass microspheres studied in this work can be employed as remote optical temperature sensors. Laser-induced self-heating is a useful technique commonly employed in optical temperature sensing research when two temperature-dependent parameters can be correlated, such as in fluorescence intensity ratio vs. interferometric calibration, allowing straightforward sensor characterization. A frequent assumption in such experiments is that thermal homogeneity within the sensor volume, that is, a sound hypothesis when dealing with small volume to surface area ratio devices such as microresonators, but has never been validated. In order to address this issue, we performed a series of experiments and simulations on a microsphere supporting whispering gallery mode resonances, laser heating it at ambient pressure and medium vacuum while tracking the resonance wavelength shift and comparing it to the shift rate observed in a thermal bath. The simulations were done starting only from the material properties of the bulk glass to simulate the physical phenomena of laser heating and resonance of the microsphere glass. Despite the simplicity of the model, both measurements and simulations are in good agreement with a highly homogeneous temperature within the resonator, thus validating the laser heating technique.

This study proposes a novel use of laser heating to increase the adhesion between coatings fabricated by low-temperature PVD and replaceable cemented carbide cutting inserts, thus extending the life of these cutting tools in the machining of difficult-to-machine materials. Our previous studies conducted on CVD coatings showed that these coatings had higher adhesion due to a much higher process temperature. However, taking into account the fact that PVD coatings have better technological properties (e.g., lower structure porosity, higher hardness, and better tribological properties) than CVD coatings, it is fully justified to investigate ways of improving the PVD coating adhesion to the substrate. In this study, replaceable cutting inserts with different hard coatings of titanium nitride were used. Laser heating was conducted with different power densities. The adhesion strength of the tested coatings was determined via vibration spectrum analysis. In addition, 2D surface imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were employed to examine the coatings after laser heating. A significant increase in the adhesion of single-layer (TiN) and double-layer (TiCN + TiN) coatings to the cemented carbide substrate, together with increased tool life, was observed after heating the samples with 40% of the maximum laser power. The application of a multilayer coating containing thermal shock-sensitive (TiAlSi) N did not increase the tool life. This paper attempts to interpret the obtained results.

We developed high temperature in situ transmission electron microscopy using a high-density laser irradiation device (nominal maximum laser density ~9.4 GW/m 2 ) and a corresponding heat shielding sample mount device. The spatial line resolution of the microscope was maintained to be 0.14 nm at ambient temperatures after the installation of the laser irradiation device. The system was applied to the investigation of high temperature structural variation in tungsten plates. When the laser power was increased up to irradiation densities of approximately 61-280 MW/m 2 (laser source output: 130-590 mW) to degrade tungsten plates, the microscope was undamaged. The surface dynamics was observed in situ by lattice imaging at irradiation densities of approximately 61-75 MW/m 2 (laser source output: 130-160 mW); the spatial line resolution of the microscope was maintained to be 0.23 nm at high temperatures. It was expected that high temperature observation is realized using this heating system, which can be applied to the investigation of various advanced heat-resistant materials. We found using this heating system that degradation in tungsten plates started from surfaces and progressed through the preferential generation of characteristic defects, such as atomistic and nanometer holes and rods, and their subsequent evolution in thinner regions during the heating. It was demonstrated that the holes and rod were truncated with {110} sidewalls, i.e., these surfaces were stable in tungsten at high temperatures., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Elastic materials include metal plates, rubber, foam, airbags and so on, which have a good buffer effect, toughness and strong recovery ability. In this paper, the deformation and thermal diffusion of 2D and 3D thin plates are studied. Two models are established for the deformation of 2D thin plates. The bending deformation equation of rectangular and circular plates is derived, and the semi-analytical solution of the deflection function w(x,y) is found through the Fourier series approximation in the polar coordinate. The consistencies of the numerical solution and the theoretical solution are verified by numerical method. Then, we find that the factors affecting the deformation are related to the Young's modulus, load, plate length and deformation factor α of the material. In a separate temperature physics field, we establish a heat conduction model of 2D graphene film. Three numerical schemes of the transient heat conduction equation of FDM-FEM are given. In contrast, this paper uses the implicit Euler method to discrete the time term. Furthermore, we compared the difference between the adiabatic condition and the convection condition by the graphical method and the curve trend. The results show that the temperature near the adiabatic boundary is higher. Finally, we proposed a 3D dynamic thermal-mechanical coupling model (3D-DTMCM) that has been established. A laser heating monocrystalline silicon sheet with periodic motion formula is given. The temperature radiation of the laser heat source has Gaussian distribution characteristics. Our proposed model can dynamically determine Young's modulus with a variable temperature. The numerical results show that the higher the temperature is, the higher the strain energy density of the plate is. In addition, the deformation amplitude of the plates in the coupling field is larger than that in the single mechanical field. Finally, we also discussed the stress field distribution of mixed cracks under high temperature and high load. Our research provides theoretical support for the deformation of different plates, and also reflects the value of the coupled model in practical applications.

Microbubbles have important applications in optofluidics. The generation and growth of microbubbles is a complicated process in microfluidic channels. In this paper, we use a laser to irradiate light-absorbing particles to generate microbubbles in capillary tubes and investigate the factors affecting microbubble size. The results show that the key factor is the total area of the light-absorbing particles gathered at the microbubble bottom. The larger the area of the particles at bottom, the larger the size of the microbubbles. Furthermore, the area is related to capillary tube diameter. The larger the diameter of the capillary tube, the more particles gathered at the bottom of the microbubbles. Numerical simulations show that the Marangoni convection is stronger in a capillary tube with a larger diameter, which can gather more particles than that in a capillary tube with a smaller diameter. The calculations show that the particles in contact with the microbubbles will be in a stable position due to the surface tension force.

Temperature rise during Raman spectroscopy can induce chemical alterations of the material under analysis and seriously affect its characterization. Thus, such photothermal side effects can represent a serious problem to be carefully controlled in order to safeguard the integrity of the material and its spectral features. In this work, an innovative probe for thermally controlled portable Raman spectroscopy (exc. 785 nm) equipped with infrared sensing lines was developed. It included an infrared source and two thermopile sensors, which allowed to perform real-time measurements of the local emissivity of the material surface under laser excitation. The emissivity, which is needed in order to monitor the temperature of the irradiated surface through infrared radiation measurements, represents the complementary component of the reflectance in the radiative energy balance. Thus, total reflectance, temperature measurements and Raman spectroscopy were integrated in the present probe. After independently assessing the reliability of the former in order to derive the emissivity of variety of materials, the probe was successfully applied on pigments, paint layers, and a painting on canvas. The results achieved evidence the significant exploitation potential of the novel tool.

In regenerative medicine, the problem of growing mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow often arises. In such cases is important that the number of initial cells was large enough and their proliferative activity was high. We believe that this problem can be solved by short-term heating of local areas of the bone marrow in vivo with laser radiation. In this regard, it is of interest to study the optical and temperature fields induced inside the tubular bone under external laser irradiation. In this work, we obtained experimental data on the spatial distribution of temperature in the bone marrow of the rat femur in vitro under external exposure to laser radiation with wavelengths of 970 and 1940 nm. Radiation delivery was carried out using an optical fiber which tip contacted the surface of the femur bone. A thin thermocouple was used to measure the temperature in a local area of the bone marrow. By moving the optical fiber tip discretely along the longitudinal axis of the bone, and the thermocouple in the perpendicular direction, the spatial temperature distributions in dynamics were measured. Similarly, the spatial distributions of the laser radiation intensity were measured by replacing thermocouple with optical fiber probe. A thermal camera was used to control the temperature of the bone surface near the tip of the fiber. It was shown that the marrow could be heated from the outside by about 5-10 °C during 10 s without significant overheating of the bone tissue. The data obtained make it possible to estimate the volume of the bone marrow heated by the laser to a predetermined temperature and to make a reasonable choice of laser exposure modes to stimulate the proliferative activity of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vivo., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Chemical reactivity between As and N 2 , leading to the synthesis of crystalline arsenic nitride, is here reported under high pressure and high temperature conditions generated by laser heating in a diamond anvil cell. Single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction at different pressures between 30 and 40 GPa provides evidence for the synthesis of a covalent compound of AsN stoichiometry, crystallizing in a cubic P2 1 3 space group, in which each of the two elements is single-bonded to three atoms of the other and hosts an electron lone pair, in a tetrahedral anisotropic coordination. The identification of characteristic structural motifs highlights the key role played by the directional repulsive interactions between non-bonding electron lone pairs in the formation of the AsN structure. Additional data indicate the existence of AsN at room temperature from 9.8 up to 50 GPa. Implications concern fundamental aspects of pnictogens chemistry and the synthesis of innovative advanced materials., (© 2021 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Phoretic motion of particles along a temperature gradient formed in a fluid, known as thermophoresis, often takes place under the influence of bulk motion caused by thermal convection. In this paper, using a laser heating method, the significance of two competing effects, that is, thermophoresis and thermal convection, for the particle transport in a liquid phase confined in a microgap is investigated experimentally by changing the gap size as a control parameter. It is found that there is a threshold of the gap size, above which the particles tend to accumulate around the heated spot, forming a ring-like particle distribution. On the contrary, if the gap size is below the threshold, the particles are depleted from the heated spot. Switching between these accumulation and depletion modes is expected to develop novel manipulation techniques., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Nanograined nuclear materials are expected to have a better performance as spallation targets and nuclear fuels than conventional materials, but many basic properties of these materials are still unknown. The present work aims to contribute to their better understanding by studying the effect of grain size on the melting and solid-solid transitions of nanograined UC 2-y . We laser-heated 4 nm-10 nm grain size samples with UC 2-y as the main phase (but containing graphite and UO 2 as impurities) under inert gas to temperatures above 3000 K, and their behavior was studied by thermal radiance spectroscopy. The UC 2-y solidification point (2713(30) K) and α-UC 2 to β-UC 2 solid-solid transition temperature (2038(10) K) were observed to remain unchanged when compared to bulk crystalline materials with micrometer grain sizes. After melting, the composite grain size persisted at the nanoscale, from around 10 nm to 20 nm, pointing to an effective role of carbon in preventing the rapid diffusion of uranium and grain growth.

Advanced aircraft gearboxes operate under high mechanical loads. Currently, aircraft gears are manufactured from chromium-nickel-molybdenum steel grades such as AISI 9310 or Pyrowear 53. The major causes of gear failure are wear and fatigue cracking. As the crack initiation occurs predominantly on the component surface, the gears are routinely subjected to surface hardening processes such as low-pressure carburizing and case hardening. The gears are manufactured in a multiple operation process, in which teeth grinding is a crucial step. Selection of improper grinding conditions can lead to local heat concentration and creation of grinding burns, which are small areas where microstructure and properties changes are induced by high temperature generated during grinding. Their presence can lead to significant reduction of gear durability. Therefore destructive and non-destructive (NDT) quality-control methods such as chemical etching or magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) measurements are applied to detect the grinding burns. In the area of a grinding burn, effects related to the over-tempering or re-hardening of the carburized case may occur. In this paper, the results of the studies on the characterization of microstructure changes caused by local heating performed to simulate grinding burns are presented. The areas with the over-tempering and re-hardening effects typical for grinding burns were formed by laser surface heating of carburized AISI 9310 steel. Analyses of the microstructure, residual stresses, retained austenite content, and non-destructive testing by the MBN method were performed. The correlation between the MBN value and the properties of the modified surface layer was identified. It was also found that the re-hardened areas had similar characteristics of changes in the Barkhausen noise intensity, despite the significant differences in the width of the overheated zone, which depended on the laser-heating process conditions.

We present results on the photothermal (PT) and heat conductive properties of nanogranular silicon (Si) films synthesized by evaporation of colloidal droplets (drop-casting) of 100 ± 50 nm-sized crystalline Si nanoparticles (NP) deposited on glass substrates. Simulations of the absorbed light intensity and photo-induced temperature distribution across the Si NP films were carried out by using the Finite difference time domain (FDTD) and finite element mesh (FEM) modeling and the obtained data were compared with the local temperatures measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy and then was used for determining the heat conductivities k in the films of various thicknesses. The cubic-to-hexagonal phase transition in Si NP films caused by laser-induced heating was found to be heavily influenced by the film thickness and heat-conductive properties of glass substrate, on which the films were deposited. The k values in drop-casted Si nanogranular films were found to be in the range of lowest k of other types of nanostructurely voided Si films due to enhanced phonon scattering across inherently voided topology, weak NP-NP and NP-substrate interface bonding within nanogranular Si films.

Synchrotrons and free electron lasers are unique facilities to probe the atomic structure and electronic properties of matter at extreme thermodynamical conditions. In this context, 'matter at extreme pressures and temperatures' was one of the science drivers for the construction of low emittance 4th generation synchrotron sources such as the Extremely Brilliant Source of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and hard x-ray free electron lasers, such as the European x-ray free electron laser. These new user facilities combine static high pressure and dynamic shock compression experiments to outstanding high brilliance and submicron beams. This combination not only increases the data-quality but also enlarges tremendously the accessible pressure, temperature and density space. At the same time, the large spectrum of available complementary x-ray diagnostics for static and shock compression studies opens unprecedented insights into the state of matter at extremes. The article aims at highlighting a new horizon of scientific opportunities based on the synergy between extremely brilliant synchrotrons and hard x-ray free electron lasers., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

In this study, binary and ternary mixed metal oxide anodes of Ti/RuO 2 -Sb 2 O 4 and Ti/RuO 2 -Sb 2 O 4 -TiO 2 were prepared using two different heating methods: conventional furnace and alternative CO 2 laser heating. The produced anodes were physically and electrochemically characterized by using different techniques. The main difference found in the laser-made anodes was their more compact morphology, without the common deep cracks found in anodes made by typical thermal decomposition, which showed an important correlation with the prolonged accelerated service life. The correlation between the physicochemical properties of the anodes with their performance towards the 4-nitrophenol oxidations is discussed. The results demonstrated that the ternary anode (Ti/RuO 2 -Sb 2 O 4 -TiO 2 ) is very promising, presenting a kinetic 5.7 times faster than the respective binary anode and the highest removal efficiency when compared with conventionally made anodes. Also, the lowest energy consumption per unit of mass of contaminant removed is seen for the laser-made Ti/RuO 2 -Sb 2 O 4 -TiO 2 anode, which evidences the excellent cost-benefit of this anode material. Finally, some by-products were identified, and a degradation route is proposed. Graphical abstract.

The nanoscale effect enables the unique magnetic, optical, thermal and electrical properties of nanostructured materials and has attracted extensive investigation for applications in catalysis, biomedicine, sensors, and energy storage and conversion. The widely used synthesis methods, such as traditional hydrothermal reaction and calcination, are bulk heating processes based on thermal radiation. Differing from traditional heating methods, non-thermal radiation heating technique is a local heating mode. In this regard, this review summarizes various non-thermal radiation heating methods for synthesis of nanomaterials, including microwave heating, induction heating, Joule heating, laser heating and electron beam heating. The advantages and disadvantages of these non-thermal radiation heating methods for the synthesis of nanomaterials are compared and discussed. Finally, the future development and challenges of non-thermal radiation heating method for potential synthesis of nanomaterials are discussed., (Copyright © 2020 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A portable IR fiber laser-heating system, optimized for X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and nuclear inelastic scattering (NIS) spectroscopy with signal collection through the radial opening of diamond anvil cells near 90°with respect to the incident X-ray beam, is presented. The system offers double-sided on-axis heating by a single laser source and zero attenuation of incoming X-rays other than by the high-pressure environment. A description of the system, which has been tested for pressures above 100 GPa and temperatures up to 3000 K, is given. The XES spectra of laser-heated Mg 0.67 Fe 0.33 O demonstrate the potential to map the iron spin state in the pressure-temperature range of the Earth's lower mantle, and the NIS spectra of laser-heated FeSi give access to the sound velocity of this candidate of a phase inside the Earth's core. This portable system represents one of the few bridges across the gap between laser heating and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopies with signal collection near 90°., (open access.)

The aim of this study was to compare between the changes undergone by the dermal collagen framework when heated by IR laser radiation and by traditional means and to reveal the specific features of the dermal matrix modification under moderate IR laser irradiation. Rabbit skin specimens were heated to 50°C, 55°C, 60°C and 65°C in a calorimeter furnace and with a 1.68-μm fiber Raman laser. The proportion of the degraded collagen macromolecules was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Changes in the architectonics of the collagen framework were revealed by using standard, phase-contrast, polarization optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The collagen denaturation and dermal matrix amorphization temperature in the case of laser heating proved to be lower by 10°C than that for heating in the calorimeter furnace. The IR laser treatment of the skin was found to cause a specific low-temperature (45°C-50°C) transformation of its collagen framework, with some collagen macromolecules remaining intact. The transformation reduces to the splitting of collagen bundles and distortion of the course of collagen fibers. The denaturation of collagen macromolecules in the case of traditional heating takes its course in a threshold manner, so that their pre-denaturation morphological changes are insignificant., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The transparent conducting oxide, SnO 2 , is a promising optoelectronic material with predicted tailorable properties via pressure-mediated band gap opening. While such electronic properties are typically modeled assuming perfect crystallinity, disordering of the O sublattice under pressure is qualitatively known. Here a quantitative approach is thus employed, combining extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy with X-ray diffraction, to probe the extent of Sn-O bond anharmonicities in the high-pressure cubic (Pa\bar{3}) SnO 2 - formed as a single phase and annealed by CO 2 laser heating to 2648 ± 41 K at 44.5 GPa. This combinational study reveals and quantifies a large degree of disordering in the O sublattice, while the Sn lattice remains ordered. Moreover, this study describes implementation of direct laser heating of non-metallic samples by CO 2 laser alongside EXAFS, and the high quality of data which may be achieved at high pressures in a diamond anvil cell when appropriate thermal annealing is applied.

Light-induced heating on a solid-liquid interface can generate a vapor submillimeter bubble and fluid flow, which enables us to densely and rapidly assemble dispersoids into a desired position (photothermal assembly). Here, we revealed that the surface modulation of the light-induced bubble by a surfactant dominates the assembly dynamics of nanoparticles and microparticles as dispersoids, which results in highly efficient photothermal assembly under the surfactant-controlled fluid flow. This mechanism can facilitate the concentration measurement of small objects (microparticles, bacteria, viruses, etc.). Particularly, we found that the surfactant-controlled fluid flow and bubble enable high-density assembly of dispersoids and remarkable enhancement of assembly efficiency, achieving 10-20 times in comparison with the case of no surfactant. This result can extend the limit of measurable concentration by one order. Furthermore, this study revealed the influence of concentration, size, and constituent material of the dispersoids on the assembly efficiency for the improvement of measurement precision. These findings are crucial for laser-induced assembly for the rapid concentration measurement of various microbes without a cultivation process as bioanalysis, for the high-sensitivity detection of harmful particles, and for the colloidal lithography.

High time resolution in scattering analysis of thin films allows for determination of thermal conductivity by transient pump-probe detection of dissipation of laser-induced heating, TDXTS. We describe an approach that analyses the picosecond-resolved lattice parameter reaction of a gold transducer layer on pulsed laser heating to determine the thermal conductivity of layered structures below the transducer. A detailed modeling of the cooling kinetics by a Laplace-domain approach allows for discerning effects of conductivity and thermal interface resistance as well as basic depth information. The thermal expansion of the clamped gold film can be calibrated to absolute temperature change and effects of plastic deformation are discriminated. The method is demonstrated on two extreme examples of phononic barriers, isotopically modulated silicon multilayers with very small acoustic impedance mismatch and silicon-molybdenum multilayers, which show a high resistivity.

This report describes the generation of three-dimensional (3D) crystalline silicon continuous network nanostructures by coupling all-organic block copolymer self-assembly-directed resin templates with low-temperature silicon chemical vapor deposition and pulsed excimer laser annealing. Organic 3D mesoporous continuous-network resin templates were synthesized from the all-organic self-assembly of an ABC triblock terpolymer and resorcinol-formaldehyde resols. Nanosecond pulsed excimer laser irradiation induced the transient melt transformation of amorphous silicon precursors backfilled in the organic template into complementary 3D mesoporous crystalline silicon nanostructures with high pattern fidelity. Mechanistic studies on laser-induced crystalline silicon nanostructure formation revealed that the resin template was carbonized during transient laser-induced heating on the milli- to nanosecond timescales, thereby imparting enhanced thermal and structural stability to support the silicon melt-crystallization process at temperatures above 1250 °C. Photoablation of the resin material under pulsed excimer laser irradiation was mitigated by depositing an amorphous silicon overlayer on the resin template. This approach represents a potential pathway from organic block copolymer self-assembly to alternative functional hard materials with well-ordered 3D morphologies for potential hybrid photovoltaics, photonic, and energy storage applications.

A new optical delivery system has been developed for the (scanning) transmission electron microscope. Here we describe the in situ and "rapid ex situ" photothermal heating modality of the system, which delivers &gt;200 mW of optical power from a fiber-coupled laser diode to a 3.7 μm radius spot on the sample. Selected thermal pathways can be accessed via judicious choices of the laser power, pulse width, number of pulses, and radial position. The long optical working distance mitigates any charging artifacts and tremendous thermal stability is observed in both pulsed and continuous wave conditions, notably, no drift correction is applied in any experiment. To demonstrate the optical delivery system's capability, we explore the recrystallization, grain growth, phase separation, and solid state dewetting of a Ag0.5Ni0.5 film. Finally, we demonstrate that the structural and chemical aspects of the resulting dewetted films was assessed.

Nanopores with diameters from 20 to 50 nm in silicon nitride (SiN x ) windows are useful for single-molecule studies of globular macromolecules. While controlled breakdown (CBD) is gaining popularity as a method for fabricating nanopores with reproducible size control and broad accessibility, attempts to fabricate large nanopores with diameters exceeding ∼20 nm via breakdown often result in undesirable formation of multiple nanopores in SiN x membranes. To reduce the probability of producing multiple pores, we combined two strategies: laser-assisted breakdown and controlled pore enlargement by limiting the applied voltage. Based on laser power-dependent increases in nanopore conductance upon illumination and on the absence of an effect of ionic strength on the ratio between the nanopore conductance before and after laser illumination, we suggest that the increased rate of controlled breakdown results from laser-induced heating. Moreover, we demonstrate that conductance values before and after coating the nanopores with a fluid lipid bilayer can indicate fabrication of a single nanopore versus multiple nanopores. Complementary flux measurements of Ca 2+ through the nanopore typically confirmed assessments of single or multiple nanopores that we obtained using the coating method. Finally, we show that thermal annealing of CBD pores significantly increased the success rate of coating and reduced the current noise before and after lipid coating. We characterize the geometry of these nanopores by analyzing individual resistive pulses produced by translocations of spherical proteins and demonstrate the usefulness of these nanopores for estimating the approximate molecular shape of IgG proteins.

A thin coating of gold oxide, metastable at room temperature, can be formed by placing gold in a strongly oxidizing environment such as an oxygen plasma. We report scanning photovoltage measurements of lithographically defined gold nanowires subsequent to oxygen plasma exposure. Photovoltages are detected during the first optical scan of the devices that are several times larger than those mapped on subsequent scans. The first-scan enhanced photovoltage correlates with a reduction of the electrical resistance of the nanostructure back to preoxygen-exposure levels. Repeating oxygen plasma exposure "reinitializes" the devices. These combined photovoltage and transport measurements imply that the enhanced photovoltage results from the photothermoelectric response of a junction between Au and oxidized Au, with an optically driven decomposition of the oxide. Comparisons with the known temperature-dependent kinetics of AuOx decomposition suggest that the light-driven decomposition is not a purely thermal effect. These experiments demonstrate that combined optical and electronic measurements can provide a window on surface-sensitive photochemical processes.

Laser assisted magic angle spinning (MAS) solid state NMR experiments enable studying physicochemical properties at very high temperatures with high resolution. Large temperature gradients however, can degrade resolution and precision of this technique. Due to the strong temperature dependence of the 207 Pb chemical-shift in lead nitrate, a temperature difference along the sample leads to a broadening of the signal. A second moment analysis of the NMR spectra serves as an analytical method to quantify the temperature gradient. We show how an arbitrary line-shape can be decomposed into a set of Gaussian functions from which the 2nd moment is calculated in an analytical fashion which improves the numerical stability of the analysis. It was found that measuring the FID in a non-steady temperature state can reduce the temperature gradient inside the rotor, caused by the single-sided heating., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present a theoretical model of laser heating carbon nanotubes to determine the temperature profile during laser irradiation. Laser heating carbon nanotubes is an essential physics phenomenon in many aspects such as materials science, pharmacy, and medicine. In the present article, we explain the applications of carbon nanotubes for photoacoustic imaging contrast agents and photothermal therapy heating agents by evaluating the heat propagation in the carbon nanotube and its surrounding. Our model is constructed by applying the classical heat conduction equation. To simplify the problem, we assume the carbon nanotube is a solid cylinder with the length of the tube much larger than its diameter. The laser spot is also much larger than the dimension of carbon nanotubes. Consequently, we can neglect the length of tube dependence. Theoretically, we show that the temperature during laser heating is proportional to the diameter of carbon nanotube. Based on the solution of our model, we suggest using the larger diameter of carbon nanotubes to maximize the laser heating process. These results extend our understanding of the laser heating carbon nanotubes and provide the foundation for future technologically applying laser heating carbon nanotubes.

Optical tweezers are a noncontact method of 3D positioning applicable to the fields of micro- and nanomanipulation and assembly, among others. In these applications, the ability to manipulate particles over relatively long distances at high speed is essential in determining overall process efficiency and throughput. In order to maximize manipulation speeds, it is necessary to increase the trapping laser power, which is often accompanied by undesirable heating effects due to material absorption. As such, the majority of previous studies focus primarily on trapping large dielectric microspheres using slow movement speeds at low laser powers, over relatively short translation distances. In contrast, we push nanoparticle manipulation beyond the region in which maximum lateral movement speed is linearly proportional to laser power, and investigate the fundamental limits imposed by material absorption, thus quantifying maximum possible speeds attainable with optical tweezers. We find that gold and silver nanospheres of diameter 100 nm are limited to manipulation speeds of ∼0.15 mm/s, while polystyrene spheres of diameter 160 nm can reach speeds up to ∼0.17 mm/s, over distances ranging from 0.1 to 1 mm. When the laser power is increased beyond the values used for these maximum manipulation speeds, the nanoparticles are no longer stably trapped in 3D due to weak confinement as a result of material absorption, heating, microbubble formation, and enhanced Brownian motion. We compared this result to our theoretical model, incorporating optical forces in the Rayleigh regime, Stokes' drag, and absorption effects, and found good agreement. These results show that optical tweezers can be fast enough to compete with other common, serial rapid prototyping and nanofabrication approaches.

Two probable causes of variability in the Raman spectrum of unpolished pyrite are well recognized, in principle, but not always in practice, namely: (1) downshifting of band positions due to laser heating; and (2) variations in the ratios of band intensities due to crystallographic orientation of the sample with respect to the laser's dominant polarization plane. The aims of this paper are to determine whether these variations can be used to acquire additional information about pyrites. Here, using laser Raman microprobe analysis of natural, unpolished pyrite samples, we investigate the magnitude of downshifting of band positions associated with laser heating of different sizes of pyrite grains. We demonstrate that the magnitude of this effect can be large (up to ∼10 cm -1 ), negatively proportional to grain size, of greater magnitude than the effect typically attributable to natural intersample differences in trace element (TE) solid solution, and of similar magnitude among bands. Through Raman analysis of naturally occurring faces on pyrite samples at various angles of rotation, we also demonstrate that the three most common faces on pyrite can be distinguished by the ratio of the intensities of the dominant bands. We conclude that for unpolished samples, laser Raman microprobe analysis is most effective as a means of identifying pyrite, and the presence of solid solution therein, when laser power is low enough to avoid substantial heating. Once pyrite has been identified, higher laser powers can be used to produce spectra whose ratios of band intensities indicate the face or crystallographic plane being irradiated.

Spatiotemporal control of protein structure and activity in biological systems has important and broad implications in biomedical sciences as evidenced by recent advances in optogenetic approaches. Here, this study demonstrates that nanosecond pulsed laser heating of gold nanoparticles (GNP) leads to an ultrahigh and ultrashort temperature increase, coined as "molecular hyperthermia", which causes selective unfolding and inactivation of proteins adjacent to the GNP. Protein inactivation is highly dependent on both laser pulse energy and GNP size, and has a well-defined impact zone in the nanometer scale. It is anticipated that the fine control over protein structure and function enabled by this discovery will be highly enabling within a number of arenas, from probing the biophysics of protein folding/unfolding to the nanoscopic manipulation of biological systems via an optical trigger, to developing novel therapeutics for disease treatment without genetic modification., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We report a novel method for specific deactivation of conjugated enzymes using laser-heated gold nanoparticles. Current methods involve treatment of the entire solution, thereby inactivating all bioactive components. Our method enables inactivation of only a single or subset of targeted enzymes. The selected enzyme is pre-conjugated to gold nanoparticles, which are specifically heated by a laser tuned to their surface plasmon resonance. We demonstrate inactivation of a selected enzyme, glucose oxidase, within a mixture of biomolecules. Illumination of non-conjugated enzymes and nanoparticles demonstrated specificity. We propose a novel method to quantitatively regulate enzyme activity, providing a building block for cellular and cell-free biochemical reactions. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry., (© 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.)

How does a crystal melt? How long does it take for melt nuclei to grow? The melting mechanisms have been addressed by several theoretical and experimental works, covering a subnanosecond time window with sample sizes of tens of nanometers and thus suitable to determine the onset of the process but unable to unveil the following dynamics. On the other hand, macroscopic observations of phase transitions, with millisecond or longer time resolution, account for processes occurring at surfaces and time limited by thermal contact with the environment. Here, we fill the gap between these two extremes, investigating the melting of ice in the entire mesoscopic regime. A bulk ice I h or ice VI sample is homogeneously heated by a picosecond infrared pulse, which delivers all of the energy necessary for complete melting. The evolution of melt/ice interfaces thereafter is monitored by Mie scattering with nanosecond resolution, for all of the time needed for the sample to reequilibrate. The growth of the liquid domains, over distances of micrometers, takes hundreds of nanoseconds, a time orders of magnitude larger than expected from simple H-bond dynamics., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Laser treatment is the most effective therapy in dermatology for vascular skin disorders, such as port-wine stains (PWS). Changes in heat-induced absorbance in blood must be determined for accurate numerical simulation and implementation of multi-pulse laser therapy for treatment of PWS. Thermally induced absorbance changes in hemoglobin in blood were compared in vitro between slow water bath heating and fast heating irradiated by using sub-millisecond Nd:YAG laser. Blood composition at different temperatures was calculated by comparing blood absorption spectra with those of pure HbO 2 , Hb, and metHb at room temperature. Blood absorbance to heat energy were categorized into three stages distinguished by metHb and coagulation points, which are the validity and security thresholds of the optimized therapy, respectively. Rapid laser heating can distinctively enhance blood absorbance by photochemically induced strong instability compared with slow heating at a constant temperature. Slow heating facilitates metHb point at 70 °C and coagulation point at 75 °C as the temperature of the water bath increases. However, the temperature at which metHb or coagulation point shifts to higher than 10 °C when pulses and fluence in laser irradiation change. Laser fluence less than 20 J/cm 2 and more than 50 J/cm 2 is unsuitable for laser treatment because of its low probability to coagulate vascular hyperplasia and high probability to damage normal tissues adjacent to target lesions, respectively. Few bubbles formed after mediate fluence is beneficial to minimize adverse side-effects. Considering blood absorbance, temperature evolution, and bubble formation, we recommend 30-40 J/cm 2 and 2-4 Hz frequency as the optimal laser parameters in sub-millisecond Nd:YAG laser.

Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is often considered the next major step in the storage industry: it is predicted to increase the storage capacity, the read/write speed and the data lifetime of future hard disk drives. However, despite more than a decade of development work, the reliability is still a prime concern. Featuring an inherently fragile surface-plasmon resonator as a highly localized heat source, as part of a near-field transducer (NFT), the current industry concepts still fail to deliver drives with sufficient lifetime. This study presents a method to aid conventional NFT-designs by additional grazing-incidence laser illumination, which may open an alternative route to high-durability HAMR. Magnetic switching is demonstrated on consumer-grade CoCrPt perpendicular magnetic recording media using a green and a near-infrared diode laser. Sub-500 nm magnetic features are written in the absence of a NFT in a moderate bias field of only μ 0 H = 0.3 T with individual laser pulses of 40 mW power and 50 ns duration with a laser spot size of 3 μm (short axis) at the sample surface - six times larger than the magnetic features. Herein, the presence of a nanoscopic object, i.e., the tip of an atomic force microscope in the focus of the laser at the sample surface, has no impact on the recorded magnetic features - thus suggesting full compatibility with NFT-HAMR.

Inelastic electron tunneling and surface-enhanced optical spectroscopies at the molecular scale require cryogenic local temperatures even under illumination-conditions that are challenging to achieve with plasmonically resonant metallic nanostructures. We report a detailed study of the laser heating of plasmonically active nanowires at substrate temperatures from 5 to 60 K. The increase of the local temperature of the nanowire is quantified by a bolometric approach and could be as large as 100 K for a substrate temperature of 5 K and typical values of laser intensity. We also demonstrate that a ∼3-fold reduction of the local temperature increase is possible by switching to a sapphire or quartz substrate. Finite element modeling of the heat dissipation reveals that the local temperature increase of the nanowire at temperatures below ∼50 K is determined largely by the thermal boundary resistance of the metal-substrate interface. The model reproduces the striking experimental trend that in this regime the temperature of the nanowire varies nonlinearly with the incident optical power. The thermal boundary resistance is demonstrated to be a major constraint on reaching low temperatures necessary to perform simultaneous inelastic electron tunneling and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopies.