Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have long demonstrated a high degree of correlated activity between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Interregional correlations between the time series of each brain voxel or region and its homotopic pair have recently been identified by methods such as homotopic resting-state functional connectivity (H-RSFC). However, little is known about whether interhemispheric regions in patients with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are functionally abnormal. The aim of this thesis is to examine the association between H-RSFC and medication status, age, sex, and volumetric asymmetry index (AI). In our approach, region-based activity was obtained using three different methods. To test for associations, two linear mixed-effects models were used. Across results, H-RSFC variation was found in subcortical regions and portions of cortical regions. In addition, changes in functional connectivity were found to be linked with structural asymmetry in two cortical regions. More importantly, shifting in homotopic functional activation was found as a result of medication intake in youths with ADHD. These findings demonstrate the utility of homotopic resting-state functional connectivity for measuring differences among pharmacotherapy intake, gender, neurodevelopment, and structural asymmetry.

[pt] Nesta tese, apresento uma investigação teórica e experimental das propriedades eletro-ópticas de um fotodetector baseado em uma superrede assimétrica InGaAs/InAlAs com um defeito estrutural. Essa heteroestrutura apresenta duas importantes características: estados parcialmente localizados no contínuo, chamados de estados eletrônicos vazantes, e um aumento virtual do band offset na banda de condução. Devido à assimetria da superrede, a função de onda do estado eletrônico vazante é localizada numa direção e estendida na outra. Em consequência dessas características, o fotodetector apresenta modo dual de operação, fotocondutivo e fotovoltaico, e temperatura de operação ambiente. O modo fotovoltaico foi alcançado devido à direção preferencial de escape do fluxo de elétrons excitados para os estados eletrônicos vazantes no contínuo. A temperatura de operação elevada ocorre devido à diminuição da corrente de escuro térmica causada pelo aumento virtual do band offset. No modo fotovoltaico, o espectro de fotocorrente apresenta dois picos estreitos de energias em 300 meV e em torno 440 meV, sendo eles relacionados às transições ópticas do estado fundamental para o primeiro e o segundo estado vazante no contínuo, respectivamente. Para o modo fotocondutivo, a largura de linha do espectro de fotocorrente é fortemente dependente da direção do bias de voltagem aplicado. Para o bias positivo, o espectro de fotocorrente apresenta um pico em 300 meV e um ombro de energia em torno de 260 meV. Para o bias negativo, o espectro de fotocorrente mostra uma banda larga com dois picos em 300 meV e 260 meV. Esse comportamento está relacionado com a população dos estados na minibanda em função da direção do bias aplicado. As figuras de mérito do fotodetector, em ambos os modos de operação, apresentam resultados similares aos melhores fotodetectores encontrados na literatura. / [en] In this thesis, I present a theoretical and experimental investigation of the electro-optical properties of a photodetector based on an InGaAs/InAlAs asymmetric superlattice with a structural defect. This heterostructure has two important characteristics: partially localized states in the continuum, called by leaky electronic states, and a virtual increase in conduction band offset. Due to the asymmetry of the superlattice, the wavefunction of the leaky electronic state is located in one direction and extended in another one. As a result of these features, the photodetector presents a dual-mode operation, photoconductive and photovoltaic modes, and room temperature operating. The photovoltaic mode has reached due to the preferential direction for the flow of excited electrons in the leaky electronic state in the continuum. The high operating temperature occurs because of the decrease in thermal dark current due to the virtual increase of band offset. In photovoltaic mode, the photocurrent spectrum has two narrow energy peaks at 300 meV and around 440 meV, which are related to optical transitions from the ground state to the first and the second leaky electronic states, respectively. For photoconductive mode, the line width of the photocurrent spectrum is strongly dependent on the direction of the applied voltage bias. For the positive bias, the photocurrent spectrum has a peak at 300 meV and a power shoulder around 260 meV. For the negative bias, the photocurrent spectrum shows broadband with two peaks at 300 meV and 260 meV. This behavior is related to the population of the mini band states as a function of the applied bias direction. The figure of merits of the photodetector, in both operation modes, present results similar to the best photodetectors found in the literature.