Semiconductor light-emitters compatible with standard Si integration technology (SIT) are of particular interest for overcoming limitations in the operating speed of microelectronic devices. Light sources based on group IV elements would be SIT-compatible, but suffer from the poor optoelectronic properties of bulk Si and Ge. Here we demonstrate that epitaxially grown Ge quantum dots (QDs) in a defect-free Si matrix show extraordinary optical properties if partially amorphized by Ge-ion bombardment (GIB). In contrast to conventional SiGe nanostructures, these QDs exhibit dramatically shortened carrier lifetimes and negligible thermal quenching of the photoluminescence (PL) up to room temperature. Microdisk resonators with embedded GIB-QDs exhibit threshold behavior as well as a superlinear increase of the integrated PL intensity with concomitant line width narrowing as the pump power increases. These findings demonstrate light amplification by stimulated emission in a fully SIT-compatible group IV nanosystem.

It has been highly debated whether the thermal conductivity κ of a disordered SiGe alloy can be lowered by redistributing its constituent species so as to form an ordered superlattice. By ab initio calculations backed by systematic experiments, we show that Ge segregation occurring during epitaxial growth can lead to κ values not only lower than the alloy's, but also lower than the perfect superlattice values. Thus we theoretically demonstrate that κ does not monotonically decrease as the Si- and Ge-rich regions become more sharply defined. Instead, an intermediate concentration profile is able to lower κ below both the alloy limit (total intermixing) and also the abrupt interface limit (zero intermixing). This unexpected result is attributed to the peculiar behavior of the phonon mean free path in realistic Si/Ge superlattices, which shows a crossover from abrupt-interface- to alloylike values at intermediate phonon frequencies of ∼3  THz. Our calculated κ's quantitatively agree with the measurements when the realistic, partially intermixed profiles produced by segregation are considered.

Hole spins have gained considerable interest in the past few years due to their potential for fast electrically controlled qubits. Here, we study holes confined in Ge hut wires, a so-far unexplored type of nanostructure. Low-temperature magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy between the in-plane and out-of-plane g-factors of up to 18. Numerical simulations verify that this large anisotropy originates from a confined wave function of heavy-hole character. A light-hole admixture of less than 1% is estimated for the states of lowest energy, leading to a surprisingly large reduction of the out-of-plane g-factors compared with those for pure heavy holes. Given this tiny light-hole contribution, the spin lifetimes are expected to be very long, even in isotopically nonpurified samples.

Efficient coupling to integrated high-quality-factor cavities is crucial for the employment of germanium quantum dot (QD) emitters in future monolithic silicon-based optoelectronic platforms. We report on strongly enhanced emission from single Ge QDs into L3 photonic crystal resonator (PCR) modes based on precise positioning of these dots at the maximum of the respective mode field energy density. Perfect site control of Ge QDs grown on prepatterned silicon-on-insulator substrates was exploited to fabricate in one processing run almost 300 PCRs containing single QDs in systematically varying positions within the cavities. Extensive photoluminescence studies on this cavity chip enable a direct evaluation of the position-dependent coupling efficiency between single dots and selected cavity modes. The experimental results demonstrate the great potential of the approach allowing CMOS-compatible parallel fabrication of arrays of spatially matched dot/cavity systems for group-IV-based data transfer or quantum optical systems in the telecom regime.

The mechanics of complex soft matter often cannot be understood in the classical physical frame of flexible polymers or rigid rods. The underlying constituents are semiflexible polymers, whose finite bending stiffness (κ) leads to non-trivial mechanical responses. A natural model for such polymers is the protein actin. Experimental studies of actin networks, however, are limited since the persistence length (lp ∝ κ) cannot be tuned. Here, we experimentally characterize this parameter for the first time in entangled networks formed by synthetically produced, structurally tunable DNA nanotubes. This material enabled the validation of characteristics inherent to semiflexible polymers and networks thereof, i.e., persistence length, inextensibility, reptation and mesh size scaling. While the scaling of the elastic plateau modulus with concentration G0 ∝ c 7/5 is consistent with previous measurements and established theories, the emerging persistence length scaling G0 ∝ lp opposes predominant theoretical predictions.

Actin networks are adaptive materials enabling dynamic and static functions of living cells. A central element for tuning their underlying structural and mechanical properties is the ability to reversibly connect, i.e., transiently crosslink, filaments within the networks. Natural crosslinkers, however, vary across many parameters. Therefore, systematically studying the impact of their fundamental properties like size and binding strength is unfeasible since their structural parameters cannot be independently tuned. Herein, this problem is circumvented by employing a modular strategy to construct purely synthetic actin crosslinkers from DNA and peptides. These crosslinkers mimic both intuitive and noncanonical mechanical properties of their natural counterparts. By isolating binding affinity as the primary control parameter, effects on structural and dynamic behaviors of actin networks are characterized. A concentration-dependent triphasic behavior arises from both strong and weak crosslinkers due to emergent structural polymorphism. Beyond a certain threshold, strong binding leads to a nonmonotonic elastic pulse, which is a consequence of self-destruction of the mechanical structure of the underlying network. The modular design also facilitates an orthogonal regulatory mechanism based on enzymatic cleaving. This approach can be used to guide the rational design of further biomimetic components for programmable modulation of the properties of biomaterials and cells.

L-DOPA is still the most effective pharmacological therapy for the treatment of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) almost four decades after it was first used. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and highly effective treatment option in patients with PD. Even though a clear understanding of the mechanisms of both treatment methods is yet to be obtained, the combination of both treatments is the most effective standard evidenced-based therapy to date. Recent studies have demonstrated that DBS is a therapy option even in the early course of the disease, when first complications arise despite a rigorous adjustment of the pharmacological treatment. The unique feature of this therapeutic approach is the ability to preferentially modulate specific brain networks through the choice of stimulation site. The clinical effects have been unequivocally confirmed in recent studies; however, the impact of DBS and the supplementary effect of L-DOPA on the neuronal network are not yet fully understood. In this review, we present emerging data on the presumable mechanisms of DBS in patients with PD and discuss the pathophysiological similarities and differences in the effects of DBS in comparison to dopaminergic medication. Targeted, selective modulation of brain networks by DBS and pharmacodynamic effects of L-DOPA therapy on the central nervous system are presented. Moreover, we outline the perioperative algorithms for PD patients before and directly after the implantation of DBS electrodes and strategies for the reduction of side effects and optimization of motor and non-motor symptoms.

Composite networks of actin and vimentin filaments can be described by a superposition via an inelastic glassy wormlike chain model.