Two active electrochromic materials, vacancy-doped tungsten oxide (WO(3-x)) nanocrystals and amorphous niobium oxide (NbOx) glass are arranged into a mesostructured architecture. In a strategy applicable across electrochemical applications, the critical dimensions and interfacial connections in the nanocomposite are designed to optimize pathways for electrochemical charging and discharging. The result is an unprecedented optical range for modulation of visible and near-infrared solar radiation with rapid switching kinetics that indicate the WO(3-x) nanocrystal framework effectively pumps charge out of the normally sluggish NbOx glass. The material is durable for at least 2000 electrochemical cycles.

Property rights theory has common antecedents with contractual theories of the firm such as transaction costs and agency theories, and is yet distinct from these theories. We illustrate fundamental theoretical principles derived from these three theories by analyzing the business case of oil field unitization. Theoretical principles and application of theory to oil field unitization are each summarized. From this, it is possible to see how property rights theory is well suited to explain business situations where inefficient economic outcomes persist. Additionally, property rights theory forges new theoretical connections with other branches of organizational economics, in particular, resource-based theory.

Doped semiconductor nanocrystals are an emerging class of materials hosting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) over a wide optical range. Studies so far have focused on tuning LSPR frequency by controlling the dopant and carrier concentrations in diverse semiconductor materials. However, the influence of anisotropic nanocrystal shape and of intrinsic crystal structure on LSPR remain poorly explored. Here, we illustrate how these two factors collaborate to determine LSPR characteristics in hexagonal cesium-doped tungsten oxide nanocrystals. The effect of shape anisotropy is systematically analyzed via synthetic control of nanocrystal aspect ratio (AR), from disks to nanorods. We demonstrate the dominant influence of crystalline anisotropy, which uniquely causes strong LSPR band-splitting into two distinct peaks with comparable intensities. Modeling typically used to rationalize particle shape effects is refined by taking into account the anisotropic dielectric function due to crystalline anisotropy, thus fully accounting for the AR-dependent evolution of multiband LSPR spectra. This new insight into LSPR of semiconductor nanocrystals provides a novel strategy for an exquisite tuning of LSPR line shape.

Low-temperature processed mesoporous nanocrystal thin films are platforms for fabricating functional composite thin films on flexible substrates. Using a random arrangement of anisotropic nanocrystals can be a facile solution to generate pores without templates. However, the tendency for anisotropic particles to spontaneously assemble into a compact structure must be overcome. Here, we present a method to achieve random networking of nanorods during solution phase deposition by switching their ligand-stabilized colloidal nature into a charge-stabilized nature by a ligand-stripping chemistry. Ligand-stripped tungsten suboxide (WO) nanorods result in uniform mesoporous thin films owing to repulsive electrostatic forces preventing nanorods from densely packing. Porosity and pore size distribution of thin films are controlled by changing the aspect ratio of the nanorods. This template-free mesoporous structure, achieved without annealing, provides a framework for introducing guest components, therefore enabling our fabrication of inorganic nanocomposite electrochromic films on flexible substrates. Following infilling of niobium polyoxometalate clusters into pores and successive chemical condensation, a WO-NbO composite film is produced that selectively controls visible and near-infrared light transmittance without any annealing required. The composite shows rapid switching kinetics and can be stably cycled between optical states over 2000 times. This simple strategy of using anisotropic nanocrystals gives insight into mesoporous thin film fabrication with broader applications for flexible devices.

Resource-based theory implicitly assumes that property rights to resources are secure. Extant property rights theory enables us to relax this assumption to take into account processes where there are struggles in establishing property rights that enhance the realized economic value of resources. A case study of oil field unitization (where a single firm is designated as unit operator to develop the oil reservoir as a whole) is analyzed to illustrate the following points: a full resource-based analysis of value creation must incorporate the role of property rights to internalize externalities and to solve prisoners' dilemma problems of common-pool resources. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rare-earth phosphors exhibit unique luminescence polarization features originating from the anisotropic symmetry of the emitter ion's chemical environment. However, to take advantage of this peculiar property, it is necessary to control and measure the ensemble orientation of the host particles with a high degree of precision. Here, we show a methodology to obtain the photoluminescence polarization of Eu-doped LaPO nanorods assembled in an electrically modulated liquid-crystalline phase. We measure Eu emission spectra for the three main optical configurations (σ, π and α, depending on the direction of observation and the polarization axes) and use them as a reference for the nanorod orientation analysis. Based on the fact that flowing nanorods tend to orient along the shear strain profile, we use this orientation analysis to measure the local shear rate in a flowing liquid. The potential of this approach is then demonstrated through tomographic imaging of the shear rate distribution in a microfluidic system.

The nano-imprint lithography method was employed to incorporate wide-area (375 x 330 mum(2)) photonic-crystal (PC) patterns onto the top surface of GaN-based LEDs. When the 280-nm-thick p-GaN was partly etched to ~140 nm, the maximal extraction-efficiency was observed without deteriorating electrical properties. After epoxy encapsulation, the light output of the PC LED was enhanced by 25% in comparison to the standard LED without pattern, at a standard current of 20 mA. By three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method, we found that the extraction efficiency of the LED tends to be saturated as the etch-depth in the GaN epitaxial-layer becomes larger than the wavelength of the guided modes.

Optical properties of staggered 530 nm InGaN/InGaN/GaN quantum-well (QW) light-emitting-diodes are investigated using the multiband effective mass theory. These results are compared with those of conventional 530 nm InGaN/GaN QW structures. A staggered InGaN/InGaN/GaN QW structure is shown to have much larger spontaneous emission than a conventional InGaN/GaN QW structure. This can be explained by the fact that a staggered QW structure has much larger matrix element than a conventional QW structure because a spatial separation between electron and hole wave functions is substantially reduced with the inclusion of a staggered InGaN layer. A staggered QW structure shows that the peak position at a high carrier density (530 nm) is similar to that at a noninjection level.