Conventional phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) needs at least three interferograms. A novel algorithm of two-step PSI, with an arbitrary known phase step, by which a complex object field can be reconstructed with only two interferograms is proposed. This algorithm is then applied to an information security system based on double random-phase encoding in the Fresnel domain. The feasibility of this method and its robustness against occlusion and additional noise attacks are verified by computer simulations. This approach can considerably improve the efficiency of data transmission and is very suitable for Internet use.

The interference of four noncoplanar beams (IFNB) is analyzed. It is shown that all 14 Bravais lattices can be formed by a holographic method of IFNB. The relationship among the three basis vectors of the lattice that are to be produced, the required wavelength, and the geometric arrangement of the four beams is derived. This analysis may lay the foundation for fabrication of three-dimensional photonic crystals by holographic lithography.

A general method of extracting the arbitrary unknown and unequal phase steps in phase-shift interferometry from interferograms recorded on the diffraction field of an object and then reconstructing the object wave front digitally with our derived formulas is proposed. The phase steps are first calculated based on the statistical nature of the diffraction field and are further improved by an iterative approach. This method is simple, highly accurate, and usable for any frame number N (N > or = 3) and for both smooth and diffusing objects, as is verified by a series of computer simulations.

A new approach to reconstructing the object wave front in phase-shifting interferometry with arbitrary unknown phase steps is proposed. With this method the actual phase steps are first determined from measured intensities with an algorithm based on the statistic property of the object phase distribution in the recording plane. Then the original object field is calculated digitally with a derived formula. This method is simple, accurate, and capable of retrieving the original object field, including its amplitude and phase distributions simultaneously, with arbitrary and unequal phase steps in a three- or four-frame method. The effectiveness and correctness of this approach are verified by a series of computer simulations for both smooth and diffusing surfaces.

Recent interest in printable electronics and in particular paper- and textile-based electronics has fueled research in inkjet printing of colloidal drops on porous substrates. On nonporous substrates, the interplay of particle motion and solvent evaporation determines the final deposition morphology of the evaporating colloidal drop. For porous substrates, solvent infiltration into the pores adds a layer of complexity to the deposition patterns that have not been fully elucidated in the literature. In this study, the deposition of picoliter-sized aqueous colloidal droplets containing nanometer- and micrometer-sized particles onto nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide substrates is examined for different drop and particle sizes and relative humidities as well as pore diameters, porosities, and wettabilities of the porous substrates. For the cases considered, solvent infiltration is found to be much faster than both evaporation and particle motion near the contact line, and thus when the substrate fully imbibes the solvent, the well-known "coffee-ring" deposition is suppressed. However, when the solvent is only partially imbibed, a residual droplet volume exists upon completion of the infiltration. For such cases, two time scales are of importance: the time for particle motion to the contact line as a result of both diffusion and advection, t(P), and the evaporation time of the residual drop volume, t(EI). Their ratio, t(P)/t(EI), determines whether the coffee-ring deposition will be formed (t(P)/t(EI) < 1) or suppressed (t(P)/t(EI) > 1).

A newly reported method of making three-dimensional microstructures or photonic crystals by holographic lithography has some obvious advantages over other techniques with the same purpose. A systematic and comprehensive analysis of interference of four noncoplanar beams (IFNB) is provided. It shows that all 14 Bravais lattices can be formed by means of IFNB and gives explicit relationships between each lattice and the corresponding recording geometry. The concept of pattern contrast is extended to the case of IFNB, and it is indicated that a uniform contrast for each interference term can be obtained by properly choosing the beam ratio and polarization. A calculation algorithm is then developed to optimize the direction of polarization of each beam to ensure maximum uniform contrast. These results, verified by computer simulations, may lay a theoretical foundation for fabrication of photonic crystals with the approach of IFNB.

Deposition morphologies of inkjet-printed colloidal drops are examined under various drying conditions, particle volume fractions, and particle sizes. Concentric multi-rings, radial spokes, spider web, foam, and island-like depositions are observed as a result of the competition between the receding contact line and particle deposition during drop drying. Experimentally measured multi-ring spacing, δR, shows good agreement with the model predicted linear correlation with the local ring radius R. The results also show that the instability near the contact line leads to the radial spoke and saw-toothed structures. The resulting wavelength of the radial structures, λ, satisfies λ ~ (3)√R and λ ~ 1/(3)√[1-RH], where RH is the relative humidity. A dimensionless parameter ξ, defined as the radial deposition growth rate to contact line velocity ratio, has been identified to determine the conditions under which the entire contact line can be pinned to leave a continuous ring deposit. Increasing the particle size while keeping the volume fraction the same is found to suppress the formation of the multi-ring deposition, due to a smaller number of particles available to pin the receding contact line.

In der Gasphase können Golddihalogenide in drei unterschiedlichen Ladungszuständen existieren: als AuX2−, neutrales AuX2 und AuX2+ (siehe Schema; X=Cl und Br). Während die Anionen und Neutralteilchen die Dihalogenidstruktur bevorzugen, weisen Experiment und Theorie darauf hin, dass in den Kationen X‐X‐Bindungen vorliegen.