Abstract2D van der Waals (vdW) materials are emerging as the next generation platform for optical and electronic devices with their wide coverage of the energy bandgaps. The strong light–matter interactions in 2D vdW layers allow for exploring novel optical and electronic phenomena such as 2D polaritons exhibiting ultrahigh field confinement, defects‐induced new quantum states, and strain‐modulated quantum confinement of 2D excitons. Far‐field optical imaging techniques are extensively used to characterize the 2D vdW materials so far, however, subdiffraction spatial resolution is required for comprehensive investigations of 2D vdW materials of which physical properties are greatly influenced by local defects and strain. This article aims to cover historical advances, fundamental principles, and distinct features of emerging near‐field optical imaging techniques: scattering‐type scanning near‐field optical microscopy, tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy, tip‐enhanced photoluminescence techniques, and photo‐induced force microscopy. The recent developments toward spectroscopic analysis of near‐field imaging and applications for unveiling unique properties of 2D polaritons, nanoscale defects, and mechanical strains in 2D vdW materials, are also discussed. This review article provides an understanding of emerging near‐field imaging techniques and suggests prospective applications for exploring 2D vdW materials.
Laser origami is a metal forming process where an initially planar sheet is transformed into a target three-dimensional (3D) form through cutting and folding operations executed by a laser beam. A key challenge in laser origami is to determine the locations of the cuts and folds required to transform the planar sheet into the 3D target shape. The region of the planar sheet that can be transformed into the target shape through these cuts and folds is denoted as the net. This paper presents a method to determine optimal net(s) for laser origami based on criteria including minimum energy usage, minimum fabrication time, minimum error in the fold angles, and minimum material usage. The 3D target shape is given as a polygonal mesh. To generate a net, each edge in the mesh must be classified as a cut or a fold. The energy, time, and other parameters associated with cutting or folding each edge are determined using experimentally calibrated formulas. A search algorithm is subsequently implemented to find combinations of cut and folded edges that provide an optimal set of nets for the given 3D target shape based on a cost function. Nets that are disconnected or have overlapping regions are discarded since they are invalid for laser origami. The method is demonstrated by applying it to different target shapes and cost functions.
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