Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

University of Hamburg

University of New Mexico

Universitat Hamburg

Abhishek Bhat

Robert H Blick

Max G Lagally

Paul Gwozdz

Daniel Warren Van Der Weide

Francesca Cavallo

Shelley Scott

Matthew McLean Dwyer

Frank Steele Flack

Thomas Francis Kuech

Robert Blick

Christian Heyn

Wolfgang Hansen

Yingxin Guan

Xiaorui Cui

Divya Jyoti Prakash

Shelley Ann Scott

Traveling-wave tube amplifiers for high-frequency signals, including terahertz signals, and methods for making a slow-wave structure for the traveling-wave tube amplifiers are provided. The slow-wave structures include helical conductors that are self-assembled via the release and relaxation of strained films from a sacrificial growth substrate.

Methods of making a self-assembled slow-wave structures

Piezoelectrically actuated devices constructed from thin semiconductor membranes bonded directly to piezoelectric substrates are provided. Methods for fabricating these devices are also provided. The bonding of the semiconductor to the piezoelectric material does not require the use of any intermediate layers, such as bonding agents.

Integration of semiconductor membranes with piezoelectric substrates

A method to determine the throughput speed v of a pore, comprising the steps of feeding, by means of a driving force F, a filiform calibration element through the pore, the calibration element having a plurality of markers spaced apart by known distances and configured to produce an interaction event that transmits a signal away from the pore upon interaction with the pore, detecting a plurality of interaction events, and determining a time interval &#x394;t between successive interaction events, and/or a frequency &#x3c9; of interaction events.

Method to determine the throughput speed of a pore

Traveling-wave tube amplifiers and methods for making slow-wave structures for the amplifiers are provided. The SWSs include helical conductors that are self-assembled via the release of stressed electrically conductive strips from a sacrificial material. The helical conductors can be electroplated post-self-assembly to fortify the helix, reduce losses, and tailor the dimensions and operating parameters of the helix.

Electroplated helical slow-wave structures for high-frequency signals

Traveling wave tube amplifier having a helical slow-wave structure supported by a cylindrical scaffold

A transducer supported by the eardrum provides a piezoelectric material exchanging energy with the eardrum through a nanoscale membrane, the latter serving to boost the coupling between the piezoelectric material and the eardrum.

Eardrum transducer with nanoscale membrane

A molecule sequencer uses a planar nanochannel for aligning molecules to flow past impedance interrogation electrodes mounted across the channel for rapid sequencing. The electrodes may be fixed to the channel walls to provide improved registration by co-fabrication with the channel. Extended channel length over normally used nanopores can provide improved control of longer molecules and allow parallel sequencers to be readily fabricated on a single substrate.

Planar high-speed molecule sequencer

A nanoscale-sized pore positioned between two reservoirs may sequence biomolecules by detecting changes in the emitted light due to a change in charge of portions of the biomolecules as they pass through the pore such as affect an emission frequency of a quantum structure proximate to the pore opening. The nanopores may be fabricated using local droplet etching whose randomness is accommodated by lowering the droplet density to permit isolation of nanopores in tiles that may be adhered to an underlying supporting substrate having an aligned opening. The nanopore-tiles may be integrated with commonly applied glass chips and may be employed in microfluidic circuitry.

High-speed DNA sequencing with optically active nanopore

High-quality, single-crystalline silicon-germanium (SiGe) having a high germanium content is provided. Layers of the high-quality, single-crystalline silicon-germanium can be grown to high sub-critical thicknesses and then released from their growth substrates to provide SiGefilms without lattice mismatch-induced misfit dislocations or a mosaic distribution of crystallographic orientations.

High-quality, single-crystalline silicon-germanium films

An electrically conductive nanoscale pore may be employed as an antenna to provide precise localized measurements of the impedance-altering characteristics of a molecule such as DNA or RNA or the like passing through the pore. The use of radiofrequency measurements promises high-speed analysis of long molecules (polymers).

Radio-frequency nanopore sensor

An electrically conductive nanoscale sensor includes a nanoscale pore that may be employed as a first antenna to provide precise localized measurements of the impedance-altering characteristics of a molecule such as DNA or RNA or the like passing through the pore. The use of radiofrequency measurements via a second antenna communicating with the first antenna promises high-speed analysis of long molecules (polymers).

An antenna is used for radio frequency measurements of cell wall impedance changes due to ion channels. The antenna provides enhanced direct readout of lipid bilayers and cells containing pores and ion channels. The antenna is placed around a nanopore, which may be fabricated from glass, quartz or other material, and is shaped to provide an enhanced sensitivity to electrical activity in the vicinity of the nanopore. As such, the antenna may be of a class of bi-cone- or other stub-antennas providing high gain and broad bandwidth, for example a planar variant of a 'bow-tie' antenna. Accordingly, improved sensitivity of at least an order of magnitude may be achieved over past systems.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Abhishek Bhat