Hyoung Won Baac

We demonstrate a new optical approach to generate high-frequency (>15 MHz) and high-amplitude focused ultrasound, which can be used for non-invasive ultrasound therapy. A nano-composite film of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and elastomeric polymer is formed on concave lenses, and used as an efficient optoacoustic source due to the high optical absorption of the CNTs and rapid heat transfer to the polymer upon excitation by pulsed laser irradiation. The CNT-coated lenses can generate unprecedented opto

We demonstrate carbon nanotube (CNT) composite-based optoacoustic transmitters that generate strong and high frequency ultrasound. The composite consists of CNTs grown on a substrate, which are embedded in elastomeric polymer used as an acoustic transfer medium. Under pulsed laser excitation, the composite generates very strong optoacoustic pressure: 18 times stronger than a Cr film reference and five times stronger than a gold nanoparticle composite with the same polymer. This enhancement persi

We demonstrate nano-structural characteristics of carbon nanotube (CNT)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite films that can be used as highly efficient and robust ultrasound transmitters for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. An inherent architecture of the nano-composite provides unique thermal, optical, and mechanical properties that are accommodated not just for efficient energy conversion but also for extraordinary robustness against pulsed laser ablation. First, we explain a thermoac

Laser-generated focused ultrasound (LGFU) is a unique modality that can produce single-pulsed cavitation and strong local disturbances on a tight focal spot (<100 μm). We utilize LGFU as a non-contact, non-thermal, high-precision tool to fractionate and cleave cell clusters cultured on glass substrates. Fractionation processes are investigated in detail, which confirms distinct cell behaviors in the focal center and the periphery of LGFU spot. For better understanding of local disturbances under

A substantial amount of attention has been paid to the development of transparent electrodes based on graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), owing to their exceptional characteristics, such as mechanical and chemical stability, high carrier mobility, high optical transmittance, and high conductivity. This review highlights the latest works on semitransparent solar cells (SSCs) that exploit graphene- and CNT-based electrodes. Their prominent optoelectronic properties and various fabrication method

We demonstrate a high-energy pulsed Raman fiber laser (RFL) with an emission wavelength of 1.44 μm, corresponding to an absorption peak of water. Microsecond pulses with >20 mJ/pulse and >40 W peak power were generated, well above the threshold for tissue coagulation and ablation. Here, we focus on the optical characterization and optimization of high-energy and high-power RFLs excited by an ytterbium fiber laser, comparing three configurations that use different Raman gain fibers, but all of wh

Considerable attention has been devoted to the development of nanomaterial-based photoacoustic transmitters for ultrasound therapy and diagnosis applications. Here, we fabricate and characterize candle-soot nanoparticles (CSNPs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite-based photoacoustic transmitters, based on a solution process, not just to achieve high-frequency and high-amplitude pressure outputs, but also to develop physically stretchable ultrasound transmitters. Owing to its non-porous an

We utilize laser-generated focused ultrasound (LGFU) to create targeted mechanical disturbance on a few cells. The LGFU is transmitted through an optoacoustic lens that converts laser pulses into focused ultrasound. The tight focusing (<100 µm) and high peak pressure of the LGFU produces cavitational disturbances at a localized spot with micro-jetting and secondary shock-waves arising from micro-bubble collapse. We demonstrate that LGFU can be used as a non-contact, non-ionizing, high-precision

Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems, based on a crossbar array of two-terminal multilevel resistive random-access memory (RRAM), have attracted attention as promising technologies for processing large amounts of unstructured data. However, the low reliability and inferior conductance tunability of RRAM, caused by uncontrollable metal filament formation in the uneven switching medium, result in lower accuracy compared to the software neural network (SW-NN). In this work, we present a hi

Pulsed ultrasonic cavitation is a promising modality for non-contact targeted therapy, enabling mechanical ablation of the tissue. We demonstrate a spatio-temporal superposition approach of two ultrasound pulses (high and low frequencies) producing a tight cavitation zone of 100 μm in water, which is an-order-of-magnitudes smaller than those obtained by the existing high-amplitude transducers. Particularly, laser-generated focused ultrasound (LGFU) was employed for the high-frequency operation (

Previous laser-generated focused ultrasound (LGFU) systems have been operated with &amp;gt;15 MHz frequency, allowing for high spatial precision (&amp;lt;100 μm). However, they have been limited only to proximal biomedical applications ex vivo with treatment depths smaller than 10 mm from the lens surface. Although the low-megahertz frequency operation has the advantage of a longer range of therapy, this requires a proper photoacoustic lens made of a nanocomposite coating over a spherically curv

Understanding optical interference in multilayer structures is of critical importance for designing a variety of optical coatings that have been widely used as an essential element in diverse applications. We demonstrate that the transition of reflective properties from a valley to a peak occurs by a metal on the incident side in a cavity structure comprising a transparent dielectric medium surrounded by two metals. The reflected light destructively interferes giving rise to a reflection dip whe

We present quad-layered reflective structural color filters generating vivid additive primary colors by controlling a mode number in a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity and an anti-reflective (AR) coating layer, thus accomplishing high spectral contrast which is highly demanded in creating sharp colors. The reflection brightness of fabricated structural color filters is over 78% and a color gamut is comparable to the standard color gamut (sRGB). Higher-order resonant modes are exploited yielding a narrow

Thermal coagulation of abnormal tissues has evolved as a therapeutic technique for different diseases including cancer. Tissue heating beyond 55 °C causes coagulation that leads to cell death. Noninvasive diagnosis of thermally coagulated tissues is pragmatic for performing efficient therapy as well as reducing damage of surrounding healthy tissues. We propose a noninvasive, elasticity-based photoacoustic spectral sensing technique for differentiating normal and coagulated tissues. Photoacoustic