Graphene and structurally similar 2-dimensional (2d) materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and black phosphorus (BP) hold enormous potential for the next generation optoelectronics and photonics. Pairing 2d materials with printing is an emerging cost-effective large-scale device fabrication strategy. However, the current inks are far from ideal to support reproducible device fabrication. In addition, the instability of BP in ambient limits its applications. In this thesis, I present formulation of 2d material inks for inkjet printing for optoelectronic and photonic applications. To begin with, I produce mono- and few-layer 2d material flakes via ultrasonic assisted liquid phase exfoliation. This allows one-step formulation of a polymer stabilised graphene ink. For TMDs and BP, I design a binary solvent carrier for binder-free ink formulation. I show that these 2d material inks have optimal fluidic properties, drying dynamics and interaction with substrates for spatially uniform, highly controllable and print-to-print consistent large-scale printing on untreated substrates. In particular, the rapid ink drying at low temperatures leads to minimal oxidation of BP during ambient printing; the printed BP with passivation retains a stability over one month. On this basis, the printed graphene is employed as active sensing layer in CMOS integrated humidity sensors and as counter-electrodes in dye-sensitised solar cells, while the printed TMDs and BP are used to develop nonlinear photonic devices (i.e. saturable absorbers for femtosecond pulsed laser generation) and visible to near-infrared photodetectors (e.g. MoS$_2$ and BP/graphene/silicon hybrid photodetectors). Beyond inkjet printing, I present an ink formulation of commercial graphene nanoplatelets for roll-to-roll flexographic press ($\sim$100 m min$^{−1}$ printing speed). This allows hundreds of conductive electronic circuits to be printed in a minute for capacitive touchpads. Though I investigate only graphene, TMDs and BP, the ink formulation strategies can be effortlessly transferred to other 2d materials such as boron nitride, MXenes and mica. In addition to the demonstrated applications, printing of 2d materials can be potentially exploited to fabricate devices such as transistors, light emitters, energy storage conversion, and biosensors. This significantly expands the prospect of printable 2d material optoelectronics and photonics.

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Given a real parameter-dependent matrix, we obtain an algorithm for computing the value of the parameter and corresponding eigenvalue for which two eigenvalues of the matrix coalesce to form a 2-dimensional Jordan block. Our algorithms are based on extended versions of the implicit determinant method of Spence and Poulton [55]. We consider when the eigenvalue is both real and complex, which results in solving systems of nonlinear equations by Newton’s or the Gauss-Newton method. Our algorithms rely on good initial guesses, but if these are available, we obtain quadratic convergence. Next, we describe two quadratically convergent algorithms for computing a nearby defective matrix which are cheaper than already known ones. The first approach extends the implicit determinant method in [55] to find parameter values for which a certain Hermitian matrix is singular subject to a constraint. This results in using Newton’s method to solve a real system of three nonlinear equations. The second approach involves simply writing down all the nonlinear equations and solving a real over-determined system using the Gauss-Newton method. We only consider the case where the nearest defective matrix is real. Finally, we consider the computation of an algebraically simple complex eigenpair of a nonsymmetric matrix where the eigenvector is normalised using the natural 2-norm, which produces only a single real normalising equation. We obtain an under-determined system of nonlinear equations which is solved by the Gauss-Newton method. We show how to obtain an equivalent square linear system of equations for the computation of the desired eigenpairs. This square system is exactly what would have been obtained if we had ignored the non uniqueness and nondifferentiability of the normalisation.

This thesis includes two topics. The first topic is an ADFS¡]All Digital Frequency Synthesizer¡^using a Flying Adder architecture. The second one is a low-power and low-latency 2-dimensional bypassing signed multiplier. In the first topic, the ADFS is implemented by only using the standard cell library of TSMC¡]Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company¡^0.18 £gm 1P6M CMOS process. The turn-around time is effectively reduced. Furthermore, the portability and reusability of the proposed design is significantly enhanced. The design provides stable clock signals with fast switching time. In the second topic, the proposed multiplier is carried out by Baugh-Wooley algorithm using 2-dimensional bypassing units. The proposed bypassing units automatically skip redundant signal transitions when either the horizontally¡]row¡^partial products or vertically¡]column¡^operands are zero.

No description available.

In order to reduce flooding, communities often try to control runoff with a storm sewer network, detention basins, low impact developments, and upstream storage to reduce stream overflow. Numerical models can help predict the effect these strategies will have before expensive construction projects are underway. A coupled 1D/2D hydraulic model using XPSWMM was created for the town of Kalona, IA, to test different strategies for flood reduction. XPSWMM utilizes one dimensional and two dimensional St. Venant equations to model flow in streams and pipes, or overland flow on the surface, respectively. The town of Kalona, upstream highlands, and the downstream floodplains were modeled utilizing a 4 meter cell-size unstructured grid. The model was neither calibrated nor validated, but its performance was comparable to a previously built MIKE 11/21 model of the same area when given the same inputs. The city drains into Salvesen Creek, the Central Drainage Ditch, and the East Drainage Ditch, with Salvesen Creek having the largest drainage area. 14 agricultural detention ponds upstream of the town were modeled to determine their effectiveness in reducing stream overflow, while modifications to the storm sewer network and in situ detention provided relief from local runoff. The detention ponds and modifications were modeled both separately and together and compared to a base model using the 10 year, 25 year, 50 year, 100 year, and 500 year, 3 hour storms. The different methods were compared using three index points: City Hall, Pleasant View Circle, and in a softball practice area. The upstream agricultural detention ponds provided a peak reduction of 2%, 13%, and 9%, respectively, while the in situ modifications reduced flooding by 0%, 44%, and 18%, respectively, for the 10 year storm. The combined techniques reduced flooding by 2%, 44%, and 20%, respectively. During the 100 year storm, the detention ponds, modifications, and combined techniques reduced peak flood depths by 17%, 24%, and 14%; 2%, 3%, and 22%; and 17%, 55%, and 23%, respectively. This demonstrated that the in situ modifications were more effective during low flood events while ponds were more effective at high flood events. The combined approach was most effective when the two methods complemented each other. Future work might determine areas throughout the town where reduced flow and in situ modifications together would be most effective and design approaches to maximize flood reduction. Additional features to be modeled include pumps to increase capacity in the storm sewer network, levees, and supplementary drainage channels.

In this talk, I will discuss three problems related to the novel physics of two-dimensional quantum materials such as graphene, group-VI dichalcogenides family (TMDCs viz. MoS2 , WS2, MoSe2 , etc) and Silicene-Germanene class of materials. The first problem poses a simple question - how do the quantum excitations in a graphene membrane affect adsorption? Using the tools of diagrammatic perturbation theory, I will derive the scattering rates of a neutral atom on a graphene membrane. I will show how this seemingly naive model can serve as a non-relativistic condensed matter analogue of the infamous infrared problem in Quantum Electrodynamics. In the second problem, I will move from the framework of a single atom adsorption to a collective behavior of fluids near graphene and TMDC - interfaces. Following the seminal work of Dzyaloshinskii-Lifshitz-Pitaevskii on van der Waals interactions, I will develop a theory of liquid film growth on 2 dimensional surfaces. Additionally, I will report an exotic phenomenon of critical wetting instability which is a result of the dielectric engineering and discuss experimental and technological implications. Finally, the last problem will see the introduction of spin-orbit coupling effects in the 2D topological insulator family of Silicene-Germanene class of materials. I will present a unified theory for their in-plane magnetic field response leading to "anomalous", i.e electron interaction-dependent spin-flip transition moment. Can this correction to spin-flip transition moment be measured? I will propose magneto-optical experimental techniques that can probe the effects.

A proteomics approach was used to identify proteins potentially implicated in the cellular response concurrent with elevated production levels of human follicle stimulating hormone in a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell line (Darren cells), using zinc and sodium butyrate in the production media to increase expression. To this end, 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) was utilized. Firstly, several aspects of 2-DGE were developed for this investigation. Gel drying conditions were optimized, and a glycine-free blotting method is described which achieved greater efficiency in rapid transfer of proteins than those previously described. Next, hFSH expression was characterized in Darren cells. An ELISA developed for this investigation examined intracellular (expression) and extracellular (secretion) of hFSH during increased expression. These results show a disproportionate increase in intracellular hFSH (188%) expression above extracellular hFSH (41%).

A proteomics approach was used to identify proteins potentially implicated in the cellular response concurrent with elevated production levels of human follicle stimulating hormone in a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell line (Darren cells), using zinc and sodium butyrate in the production media to increase expression. To this end, 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) was utilized. Firstly, several aspects of 2-DGE were developed for this investigation. Gel drying conditions were optimized, and a glycine-free blotting method is described which achieved greater efficiency in rapid transfer of proteins than those previously described. Next, hFSH expression was characterized in Darren cells. An ELISA developed for this investigation examined intracellular (expression) and extracellular (secretion) of hFSH during increased expression. These results show a disproportionate increase in intracellular hFSH (188%) expression above extracellular hFSH (41%).

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mathematics / Yan S. Soibelman / The motivic Donaldson-Thomas theory of 2-dimensional Calabi-Yau categories can be induced from the theory of 3-dimensional Calabi-Yau categories via dimensional reduction. The cohomological Hall algebra is one approach to the motivic Donaldson-Thomas invariants. Given an arbitrary quiver one can construct a double quiver, which induces the preprojective algebra. This corresponds to a 2-dimensional Calabi-Yau category. One can further construct a triple quiver with potential, which gives rise to a 3-dimensional Calabi-Yau category. The critical cohomological Hall algebra (critical COHA for short) is defined for a quiver with potential. Via the dimensional reduction we obtain the cohomological Hall algebra (COHA for short) of the preprojective algebra. We prove that a subalgebra of this COHA consists of a semicanonical basis, thus is related to the generalized quantum groups. Another approach is motivic Hall algebra, from which an integration map to the quantum torus is constructed. Furthermore, a conjecture concerning some invariants of 2-dimensional Calabi-Yau categories is made. We investigate the correspondence between the A∞-equivalent classes of ind-constructible 2-dimensional Calabi-Yau categories with a collection of generators and a certain type of quivers. This implies that such an ind-constructible category can be canonically reconstructed from its full subcategory consisting of the collection of generators.