We are a group of researchers who delve into the studies of the physical properties of a wide variety of nanostructured materials, aiming to understand the dependence of the physical properties on the morphology, chemical stoichiometry, surface effect and nanostructure of the nanomaterials created.
Six-Veined Excalibur 六脉神剑 Comes Alive!
Research Highlights:
 "Microbeam Laser Characterization in MnPS3(MnPSe3)–WS2 Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor Heterojunction Photodetectors", ACS Appl. Electron. Mater., 2026, 8, 3659
We present a holistic evaluation into the optoelectronic performance of photodetectors fabricated from pristine multilayer MnPS3, MnPSe3, alongside MnPS3–WS2 and MnPSe3–WS2 heterojunctions. The measurements were performed using a broad laser beam of substantial spatial coverage (~100 µm diameter), across various wavelengths (375 nm, 405 nm, 532 nm, 660 nm) under ambient conditions. We detailed each device’s bandwidth, responsivity, external quantum efficiency, noise equivalent power (NEP), and detectivity (D*) under selected scenarios. MnPS3 devices showed heightened sensitivity to UV light, while MnPSe3 detectors exhibited a broad detection range. Moreover, we observe a considerable leap in the MnPS3–WS2 heterojunction photodetector’s responsivity (422 times higher) and detectivity (129 times higher) in comparison to pristine multilayer MnPS3. Employing a localized incident focused UV laser spot (~1 µm diameter), we examine the photocurrent dynamics in detail, as the laser transverses across the lateral dimension of the heterojunction. A decreasing trend of the photoresponse was observed, when transiting from MnPS3 to the heterojunction and toward WS2, elucidating carrier extraction and storage mechanism across the various laser-illuminated positions.
 "Ultrathin Quarter-Waveplates Based on Two-Dimensional Anisotropic NbOCl2", Nature Communications, 2026, 17, 4118
The development of miniaturized waveplates is foundational to the continued scaling of integrated photonic and polarization-resolved optical systems. However, when commercial waveplates are scaled to reduced dimensions, they become constrained by intrinsically weak optical anisotropy, scattering losses, and surface roughness from mechanical polishing, all of which detrimentally distorts their polarization control. Herein, we demonstrate ultrathin waveplates based on two-dimensional NbOCl2, which combines strong in-plane optical anisotropy with an atomically smooth, van der Waals surface. Polarization parameters of these waveplates are highly tuneable through thickness-dependent modulation – including ellipticity and polarization plane axis – facilitating the realization of highly compact quarter-waveplates. Notably, the NbOCl2 quarter-waveplates are endowed with exceptional retardance tolerance <λ/600 to λ/300) across multiple operating wavelengths, including a record-thin 269 nm device operating at 614 nm. Our results position NbOCl2 as a compelling platform for subwavelength, high-fidelity polarization optics, offering a scalable route toward chip-integrated polarization control in emerging photonic technologies.
 "Tracing the chemical and mechanical evolution of Si-based anodes in composite solid electrolytes", J. Energy Chem., 2026, 116, 781
Silicon (Si) composite anodes that integrate solid electrolytes (SEs) and hard carbon (HC) are promising for all-solid-state lithium batteries, offering improved ionic transport, electronic conduction, and mechanical buffering. Although mechanistic studies of such Si composite anodes with sulfide-based SEs have revealed performance benefits, the high costs, moisture sensitivity, and pressure requirements of sulfide-based SEs hinder scale-up. Polymer composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) provide simpler processing, pressure-free operation, and scalable manufacturing. However, their compatibility with Si composite anodes remains unclear. Here, detailed mechanisms of the roles of lithiation, SE, and HC in Si composite anodes paired with CSEs are elucidated through in-situ Raman spectroscopy, ex-situ characterizations, and finite element simulations. Lithiation offsets irreversible Li+ loss during solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, while HC mitigates mechanical cracking. However, in SE-containing anodes, HC accelerates SE decomposition and excessive SEI formation, increasing interfacial resistance and capacity loss. Interestingly, unlike sulfide systems, where mechanical failure dominates interfacial resistance, CSE-based systems suffer primarily from the accumulation of insulating SEI products. These mechanistic insights help to establish design rules that balance lithiation protocol, SE fraction, and HC content by elucidating the chemical–mechanical degradation, guiding customizable and pressure-free Si anodes compatible with scalable CSE processing.
 "Laser-initiated site-selective formation of fluorescing silver–iron oxide nanocomposites for electron detection", Nanoscale, 2025, 17, 20935
There has been ongoing interest in the fabrication of silver–iron oxide composite nanostructures due to their effectiveness in antimicrobial, catalytic, and sensing applications. However, traditional processes involve multiple steps and harsh conditions, making them time-consuming and energy-intensive. A focused laser beam is used as an alternative tool to fabricate fluorescent silver–iron oxide composite nanostructures. The rapid thermal annealing and quenching process results in uniformly distributed particles that form site-selectively in the laser-irradiated regions. When performing without demanding conditions or additives, this process is more precise, energy-efficient, and cost-effective compared to traditional methods. The presence of silver within the composite enhances the intrinsic fluorescence of Fe3O4 by more than 10 times through surface plasmon resonance effects. This exclusive trait turns the composite into an effective micro-beta particle detector with in situ optical feedback. This work provides a glimpse into the benefits of developing alternative synthesis processes as a means to uncover new applications.
 "Constructing high-ionic-conductivity solid-state electrolytes with improved interface stability by rapid laser processing", Journal of Energy Chemistry, 110, 712
All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) with Li or Si anodes promise enhanced safety and high energy densities but face challenges with complex fabrication, stringent storage requirements, and pressure-dependent operation. Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) enable easy processing and flexible interfaces, supporting pressure-free operation and reducing costs. However, their low ionic conductivity remains a key limitation. Here, we present a rapid (~5 min) and eco-friendly laser modification strategy for post-synthesized PEO CSEs, achieving enhanced ionic conductivity while retaining the attributes of simple fabrication and compatibility with Li and Si anodes under pressure-free operation. Laser engineering reduces PEO crystallinity, introduces additional Li+ coordination sites, and improves interfacial stability through tailored solid electrolyte interphases. The laser-modified electrolyte enables LiFePO4//Li cells to retain 142.4 mAh g-1 after 800 cycles with 99.8 % Coulombic efficiency at 1 C and 60 °C. Moreover, without stack pressure, a Si anode paired with the laser-modified electrolyte delivers a high capacity of 1710.3 mAh g-1 with 56 % retention at 0.5 A g-1 after 50 cycles at 60 °C. Beyond performance enhancements, this work establishes a link between fluorescence emission and Li+ transport in CSEs. Specifically, fluorescence shifts to shorter wavelengths correspond to shorter molecular chain lengths and lower coordination bonds, supported by time-dependent density functional theory calculations. These factors give rise to improved Li+ transport. This optical probe offers a non-destructive approach for rapidly assessing electrolyte properties and enriching electrolyte design. Overall, this work demonstrates laser engineering as a practical post-synthetic strategy and highlights fluorescence as a practical indicator for advancing next-generation ASSBs.
 "Enhanced battery performance by fluorescent defects engineering in hard carbon anodes", Chemical Engineering Journal, 514, 163279
The availability and accessibility of economical renewable energy remains a key driving factor towards encouraging the uptake of clean energy. By incorporating economical hard carbon (HC), recycled from waste into anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and treating the resulting HC-anode with a focused laser beam, the functionalised HC-anode exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 516 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1. It achieves over 100% capacity retention for 700 cycles at 1 A g-1, and demonstrates super-long durability for 4000 cycles at 2 A g-1. The improvements are attributed to laser-tunable expanded interlayer spacing and fluorescing defects in the engineered HC-anode. DFT calculations further established that these fluorescent defects correspond to carbon vacancies (cyan fluorescence), and their complexes with H heteroatoms (green fluorescence). These defects lead to the improved electrochemical performance via enhancing Li+ adsorption energies. Given such correlation, fluorescence studies are proposed as an interesting mechanism for guiding the development of carbon materials for energy applications, which serves as a highly efficient tool for assessing the electrochemical performance, eliminating the need for costly battery fabrication and testing processes. The performance achieved and its correlation to the observable fluorescence will not only contribute towards the effort of making cheaper batteries with better performance, but also serves as a rapid and scalable probe for preliminary evaluation of battery performance.
 "Room temperature ferromagnetic ordering from bound magnetic polarons in rare-earth-doped ultrathin MoS2", Journal of Materials Chemistry C , 13, 15873
Dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) endowed with room-temperature ferromagnetic capabilities that arise from bound magnetic polarons (BMPs) have been attractive for spintronics, information storage and magneto-optical applications. In particular, the inclusion of rare-earth lanthanide ions as magnetic dopants in semiconductors presents significant potential owing to their strong free-ion magnetic moments. Herein, we evaluate the influence of various rare-earth dopants (Tb3+, Er3+, and Eu3+) magnetically coupled to vacancy carrier spins in MoS2 nanosheets. The manifested ferromagnetic magnitudes adopt a trend that differs from that of free ion moments, with 5% Tb-doped MoS2 exhibiting maximum saturation magnetization. The characteristic dependence of sample magnetization on dopant concentration and stringent annealing conditions (defect concentration) justifies the BMP model in describing the system. The rational creation of these ferromagnetic nanosheets is expected to provide value in low-temperature, solution-based processing of spintronic components into monolithic integrated electronics and multifunctional devices. These findings are also expected to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the design of rare-earth-doped transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) as DMSs for such future spintronic applications.
 "Programmable Interfacial Band Configuration in WS2/Bi2O2Se Heterojunctions", ACS Nano, 18, 16832
Van der Waals heterojunctions based on transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer advanced strategies for manipulating light-emitting and light-harvesting behaviors. A crucial factor determining the light–material interaction is in the band alignment at the heterojunction interface, particularly the distinctions between type-I and type-II alignments. However, altering the band alignment from one type to another without changing the constituent materials is exceptionally difficult. Here, utilizing Bi2O2Se with a thickness-dependent band gap as a bottom layer, we present an innovative strategy for engineering interfacial band configurations in WS2/Bi2O2Se heterojunctions. In particular, we achieve tuning of the band alignment from type-I (Bi2O2Se straddling WS2) to type-II and finally to type-I (WS2 straddling Bi2O2Se) by increasing the thickness of the Bi2O2Se bottom layer from monolayer to multilayer. We verified this band architecture conversion using steady-state and transient spectroscopy as well as density functional theory calculations. Using this material combination, we further design a sophisticated band architecture incorporating both type-I (WS2 straddles Bi2O2Se, fluorescence-quenched) and type-I (Bi2SeO5 straddles WS2, fluorescence-recovered) alignments in one sample through focused laser beam (FLB). By programming the FLB trajectory, we achieve a predesigned localized fluorescence micropattern on WS2 without changing its intrinsic atomic structure. This effective band architecture design strategy represents a significant leap forward in harnessing the potential of TMD heterojunctions for multifunctional photonic applications.
 "Emission wavelength selection via anomalous polarized fluorescence in ZnO-C nanowires", Nano Research, 17, 4489
Defect fluorescence from high aspect ratio semiconductor nanowires typically displays a weak polarization parallel to the nanowire’s long axis due to dielectric mismatch in high aspect ratio media. Instead, anomalous 2.2 eV defect fluorescence distinctly polarized perpendicular to the nanowire is observed and measured from carbon-incorporated zinc oxide nanowires. These observations are significant because polarized defect emissions with consistent polarization on a mesoscopic scale are uncommon. Through a systematic study and comparison of experimental results with density functional theory calculations, an oriented defect complex comprising carbon substituting on an oxygen site and an oxygen vacancy (CO-VO) is deduced to be responsible for the anomalous yellow fluorescence, demonstrating a method for relating atomic-scale defect geometry to mesoscopic properties. The anomalous emission can appear in both green- and red-fluorescing nanowires grown with different carbon concentrations, verifying the independence and uniqueness of the 2.2 eV emission. This allows for polarization-dependent emission wavelength selection from a single nanowire.
 "Upcycling fish scales through heating for steganography and Rhodamine B adsorption application", Nature communications, 14, 6508
With increasing population and limited resources, a potential route for improving sustainability is increased reuse of waste materials. By re-looking at wastes, interesting properties and multifunctionalities can be discovered in materials previously explored. Despite years of research on bio-compatible fish scales, there is limited study on the fluorescence property of this abundant waste material. Controlled denaturation of collagen and introduction of defects can serve as a means to transform the fluorescence property of these fish scale wastes while providing more adsorption sites for pollutant removal, turning multifunctional fish scales into a natural steganographic material for transmitting text and images at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels and effectively removing Rhodamine B pollutants (91 % removal) within a short contact time (10 minutes). Our work offers a glimpse into the realm of engineering defects-induced fluorescence in natural material with potential as bio-compatible fluorescence probes while encouraging multidimensional applicability to be established in otherwise overlooked waste resources.
 "Multi-dimensional dynamic fluorescence readout from laser engineered In2O3 nanowire micropatterns", J. Mater. Chem. C, 11, 5271
Laser-induced microscale reactions are an excellent means to obtain controllable, small-scale insights into nanomaterial properties. Importantly, the opportunity for a comprehensive understanding of the material's optical origins allows for refined engineering of material luminescence. Modifying an array of standing indium oxide (In2O3) nanowires with a focused laser beam, we report newfound yellow and blue fluorescence emanating from the sample. Evaluated through a broad range of laser conditions, the laser-induced yellow component was found to relate to oxygen inclusions, while the blue fluorescence overlayer originated from oxygen physisorption upon prolonged storage. Capitalizing on the versatility of the blue emission component under UV modulation, we demonstrate micropatterns with multiple layers of differentiated optical encryption features. The enhanced anti-counterfeiting capability allows improved complexity in an authentication process, involving the convergence of microscale patterning, dynamic color evolution and time-domain encoding as multilevel checkpoints in the verification process.
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