Plasma-assisted thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was carried out to synthesize high-quality graphene film at a low temperature of 600°C. Monolayer graphene films were thus synthesized on Cu foil using various ratios of hydrogen and methane in a gaseous mixture. The in situ plasma emission spectrum was measured to elucidate the mechanism of graphene growth in a plasma-assisted thermal CVD system. According to this process, a distance must be maintained between the plasma initial stage and the deposition stage to allow the plasma to diffuse to the substrate. Raman spectra revealed that a higher hydrogen concentration promoted the synthesis of a high-quality graphene film. The results demonstrate that plasma-assisted thermal CVD is a low-cost and effective way to synthesis high-quality graphene films at low temperature for graphene-based applications.

The SPR phenomenon results in an abrupt change in the optical phase such that one can measure the phase shift of the reflected light as a sensing parameter. Moreover, many studies have demonstrated that the phase changes more acutely than the intensity, leading to a higher sensitivity to the refractive index change. However, currently, the optical phase cannot be measured directly because of its high frequency; therefore, investigators usually have to use complicated techniques for the extraction of phase information. In this study, we propose a simple and effective strategy for measuring the SPR phase shift based on phase-shift interferometry. In this system, the polarization-dependent interference signals are recorded simultaneously by a pixelated polarization camera in a single snapshot. Subsequently, the phase information can be effortlessly acquired by a phase extraction algorithm. Experimentally, the proposed phase-sensitive SPR sensor was successfully applied for the detection of small molecules of glyphosate, which is the most frequently used herbicide worldwide. Additionally, the sensor exhibited a detection limit of 15 ng/mL (0.015 ppm). Regarding its simplicity and effectiveness, we believe that our phase-sensitive SPR system presents a prospective method for acquiring phase signals.

Diffraction gratings are becoming increasingly widespread in optical applications, notably in lasers. This study presents the work on the characterization and evaluation of Multilayer Dielectric Diffraction Gratings (MDG) based on the finite element method using Comsol MultiPhysics software. The optimal multilayer dielectric diffraction grating structure using a rectangular three-layer structure consisting of an aluminum oxide Al₂O₃ layer sandwiched between two silicon dioxide SiO₂ layers on a multilayer dielectric mirror is simulated. Results show that this MDG for non-polarized lasers at 1064 nm with a significantly enhanced −1st diffraction efficiency of 97.4%, reaching 98.3% for transverse-electric (TE) polarization and 96.3% for transverse-magnetic (TM) polarization. This design is also preferable in terms of the laser damage threshold (LDT) because most of the maximum electric field is spread across the high LDT material SiO₂ for TE polarization and scattered outside the grating for TM polarization. This function allows the system to perform better and be more stable than normal diffraction grating under a high-intensity laser.

High absorptivity and low emissivity are characteristics needed in an ideal solar selective absorber. In high-temperature applications, such as a solar concentration power system in which the solar surface works under a long-term high temperature (about 400 to 800 °C), the absorber material has to maintain high absorption in the visible region, high reflectance in the infrared region, and excellent thermal stability at high temperature. In this research, the design of a molybdenum-based (Mo-based) solar selective absorber was analyzed by the admittance locus method, and the films were deposited by magnetron sputtering. The ratio of the extinction coefficient to the refractive index of the Mo layer was close to 1, so that the Mo-based solar selective absorber had a broad absorption band, high absorption, and good solar selectivity. Its average reflectance in the visible region was less than 0.4%. The experimental absorption was 97.1% (simulated absorption was 98%) and the emissivity was from 13% to 20% (simulated emissivity was 8% to 26%) as the temperature increased from 400 to 800 °C.

An approximate growth model was employed to predict the time required to grow a graphene film by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Monolayer graphene films were synthesized on Cu foil at various hydrogen flow rates from 10 to 50 sccm. The sheet resistance of the graphene film was 310Ω/□ and the optical transmittance was 97.7%. The Raman intensity ratio of the G-peak to the 2D peak of the graphene film was as high as ~4 when the hydrogen flow rate was 30 sccm. The fitting curve obtained by the deviation equation of growth model closely matches the data. We believe that under the same conditions and with the same setup, the presented growth model can help manufacturers and academics to predict graphene growth time more accurately.