Broadband electromagnetic wave absorbers are highly desirable in numerous applications such as solar-energy harvesting, thermo-photovoltaics, and photon detection. The aim to efficiently achieve ultrathin broadband absorbers with high-yield and low-cost fabrication process has long been pursued. Here, we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate a unique broadband plasmonic-metamaterial absorber by utilizing a sub-10 nm meta-surface film structure to replace the precisely designed metamaterial crystal in the common metal-dielectric-metal absorbers. The unique ultrathin meta-surface can be automatically obtained during the metal film formation process. Spectral bandwidth with absorbance above 80% is up to 396 nm, where the full absorption width at half-maximum is about 92%. The average value of absorbance across the whole spectral range of 370-880 nm reaches 83%. These super absorption properties can be attributed to the particle plasmon resonances and plasmon near-field coupling by the automatically formed metallic nanoparticles as well as the plasmon polaritons of the metal film with the induced plasmonic magnetic resonances occurring between the top meta-surface and the bottom metal mirror. This method is quite simple, cost-effective for large-area fabrication, and compatible with current industrial methods for microelectro-mechanical systems, which makes it an outstanding candidate for advanced high-efficiency absorber materials.

The roles of IL-4 and IL-4Rα in Th2-mediated immunity have been well characterized in humans and other mammals. In contrast, few reports have been documented in ancient vertebrates. Several putative IL-4– and IL-4Rα–like molecules were identified recently from a few fish species, providing preliminary insight into the occurrence of Th2-type immunity in teleosts. However, functional determination still is required to address this hypothesis. To this end, these two molecules were characterized functionally in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Besides the identification of a full-length IL-4Rα molecule and an isoform lacking most of the cytoplasmic region as predicted previously, two novel alternatively spliced soluble variants with the extracellular domain only also were identified. Zebrafish IL-4Rα (DrIL-4Rα) shared overall conserved structural features of the IL-4Rα family. Immunofluorescence staining showed that DrIL-4Rα distributed on B cells. In vitro binding assays demonstrated that zebrafish IL-4 (DrIL-4) can bind specifically to DrIL-4Rα. In vivo administration of DrIL-4 significantly upregulated B cell proliferation and Ab production. These DrIL-4–elicited immune responses were downregulated by the administration of zebrafish soluble IL-4Rα or by DrIL-4Rα blockade using anti–DrIL-4Rα Abs. In addition, Th2-related cytokines or transcription factors were upregulated by DrIL-4. The DrIL-4–DrIL-4Rα interaction promoted CD40 expression on B cells and enhanced the CD154–CD40 costimulatory response, both of which are crucial for the initiation of Th2-type immunity. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a possible Th2-mediated regulatory mechanism may have appeared before the divergence of teleosts and mammals. These results add greater insight into the evolutionary history of adaptive immunity.

A significantly enhanced refractive index sensor with a maximum figure of merit (FOM*) value of about 1337 has been demonstrated based on a hybrid plasmonic–photonic absorberviautilizing substantial absorption contrast between a perfect absorber (∼99% at normal incidence) and a non-perfect absorber when there are changes in the surrounding.

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One-process fabrication of highly active and reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates via ion beam deposition is reported. The fabricated metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) hierarchical nanostructure possesses rich nanogaps and a tunable resonant cavity. Raman scattering signals of analytes are dramatically strengthened due to the strong near-field coupling of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) and the strong interaction of LSPRs of metal NPs with surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on the underlying metal film by crossing over the dielectric spacer. The maximum Raman enhancement for the highest Raman peak at 1650 cm(-1) is 13.5 times greater than that of a single metal nanoparticle (NP) array. Moreover, the SERS activity can be efficiently tailored by varying the size and number of voids between adjacent metal NPs and the thickness of the dielectric spacer. These findings may broaden the scope of SERS applications of MDM hierarchical nanostructures in biomedical and analytical chemistry.