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Khan AH, Ganguli A, Edirisinghe M, Dalvi SV. Experimental and Computational Investigation of Microbubble Formation in a Single Capillary Embedded T-junction Microfluidic Device. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:18971-18982. [PMID: 38087401 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the interest toward microfluidic devices for microbubble synthesis. The upsurge can be primarily attributed to the exceptional control these devices offer in terms of both the size and the size distribution of microbubbles. Among various microfluidic devices available, capillary-embedded T-junction microfluidic (CETM) devices have been extensively used for the synthesis of microbubbles. One distinguishing feature of CETM devices from conventional T-junction devices is the existence of a wall at the right-most end, which causes a backflow of the continuous phase at the mixing zone during microbubble formation. The back flow at the mixing zone can have several implications during microbubble formation. It can possibly affect the local velocity and shearing force at the mixing zone, which in turn can affect the size and production rate of the microbubbles. Therefore, in this work, we experimentally and computationally understand the process of microbubble formation in CETM devices. The process is modeled using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the volume-of-fluid approach, which solves the Navier-Stokes equations for both the gas and liquid phases. Three scenarios with a constant liquid velocity of 0.053 m/s with varying gas velocity and three with a constant gas velocity of 0.049 m/s at different liquid velocities were explored. Increase in the liquid and gas velocity during microbubble formation was found to enhance production rates in both experiments and simulations. Additionally, the change in microbubble size with the change in liquid velocity was found to agree closely with the findings of the simulation with a coefficient of variation of 10%. When plotted against the time required for microbubble generation, the fluctuations in the pressure showed recurrent crests and troughs throughout the microbubble formation process. The understanding of microbubble formation in CETM devices in the presence of backflow will allow improvement in size reduction of microbubbles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaqib H Khan
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Arijit Ganguli
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, India
| | - Mohan Edirisinghe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K
| | - Sameer V Dalvi
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
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Wu M, Li X, Yin DF, Chen W, Qi J, Hu M, Xu J, Cheng Y. Real-time spectroscopic monitoring of continuous-flow synthesis of zinc oxide nano-structures in femtosecond laser fabricated 3D microfluidic microchannels with integrated on-chip fiber probe array. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:3785-3793. [PMID: 37492963 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00353a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Materials synthesis in a microfluidic environment enables the flexible and controllable production of various types of nanostructures which are of great potential in the fields of chemistry, environmental science, bioengineering, and medicine. Here, we demonstrate on-chip simultaneous continuous-flow synthesis and in situ spectrum diagnosis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials using a femtosecond-fabricated three-dimensional (3D) microchannel reactor integrated with an array of optical fiber probes. The microchannel reactor including 3D concentration gradient generators followed by 3D micromixing units provides high-efficiency manipulation of reactants with different concentrations as well as parallel reaction dynamics in an autonomous manner. The integrated optical fiber probe array allows precise and parallel spectroscopic detection in different microchannels with high spatial and temporal resolutions for screening the synthetic conditions. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures can be tailored in size, shape, and morphology by tuning the flow rates and reactant concentrations based on the spectroscopic signals detected with the fiber probe array.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- XXL - The Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Di-Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics and CAS Center for Excellence in Ultra-intense Laser Science, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- XXL - The Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jia Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- XXL - The Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ming Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Jian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- XXL - The Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ya Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics &Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- XXL - The Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics and CAS Center for Excellence in Ultra-intense Laser Science, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, 201800, China
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Choi W, Cho H, Kim G, Youn I, Key J, Han S. Targeted thrombolysis by magnetoacoustic particles in photothrombotic stroke model. Biomater Res 2022; 26:58. [PMID: 36273198 PMCID: PMC9587564 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-022-00298-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) has a short half-life, and additional hemorrhagic transformation (HT) can occur when treatment is delayed. Here, we report the design and thrombolytic performance of 3 [Formula: see text]m discoidal polymeric particles loaded with rtPA and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), referred to as rmDPPs, to address the HT issues of rtPA. METHODS The rmDPPs consisted of a biodegradable polymeric matrix, rtPA, and SPIONs and were synthesized via a top-down fabrication. RESULTS The rmDPPs could be concentrated at the target site with magnetic attraction, and then the rtPA could be released under acoustic stimulus. Therefore, we named that the particles had magnetoacoustic properties. For the in vitro blood clot lysis, the rmDPPs with magnetoacoustic stimuli could not enhance the lytic potential compared to the rmDPPs without stimulation. Furthermore, although the reduction of the infarcts in vivo was observed along with the magnetoacoustic stimuli in the rmDPPs, more enhancement was not achieved in comparison with the rtPA. A notable advantage of rmDPPs was shown in delayed administration of rmDPPs at poststroke. The late treatment of rmDPPs with magnetoacoustic stimuli could reduce the infarcts and lead to no additional HT issues, while rtPA alone could not show any favorable prognosis. CONCLUSION The rmDPPs may be advantageous in delayed treatment of thrombotic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonseok Choi
- Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeyoun Cho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Gahee Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Inchan Youn
- Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Divison of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehong Key
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sungmin Han
- Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Divison of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Wu B, Luo CJ, Palaniappan A, Jiang X, Gultekinoglu M, Ulubayram K, Bayram C, Harker A, Shirahata N, Khan AH, Dalvi SV, Edirisinghe M. Generating Lifetime-Enhanced Microbubbles by Decorating Shells with Silicon Quantum Nano-Dots Using a 3-Series T-Junction Microfluidic Device. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:10917-10933. [PMID: 36018789 PMCID: PMC9476864 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Long-term stability of microbubbles is crucial to their effectiveness. Using a new microfluidic device connecting three T-junction channels of 100 μm in series, stable monodisperse SiQD-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein microbubbles down to 22.8 ± 1.4 μm in diameter were generated. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed the integration of SiQD on the microbubble surface, which retained the same morphology as those without SiQD. The microbubble diameter and stability in air were manipulated through appropriate selection of T-junction numbers, capillary diameter, liquid flow rate, and BSA and SiQD concentrations. A predictive computational model was developed from the experimental data, and the number of T-junctions was incorporated into this model as one of the variables. It was illustrated that the diameter of the monodisperse microbubbles generated can be tailored by combining up to three T-junctions in series, while the operating parameters were kept constant. Computational modeling of microbubble diameter and stability agreed with experimental data. The lifetime of microbubbles increased with increasing T-junction number and higher concentrations of BSA and SiQD. The present research sheds light on a potential new route employing SiQD and triple T-junctions to form stable, monodisperse, multi-layered, and well-characterized protein and quantum dot-loaded protein microbubbles with enhanced stability for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingjie Wu
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University College
London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - C. J. Luo
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University College
London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Ashwin Palaniappan
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University College
London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Xinyue Jiang
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University College
London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Merve Gultekinoglu
- Department
of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | - Kezban Ulubayram
- Department
of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | - Cem Bayram
- Nanotechnology
and Nanomedicine Division, Institute for Graduate Studies in Science
& Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | - Anthony Harker
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University College
London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Naoto Shirahata
- WPI
International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
- Graduate
School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan
| | - Aaqib H. Khan
- Chemical
Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Sameer V. Dalvi
- Chemical
Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Mohan Edirisinghe
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University College
London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
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Khan AH, Jiang X, Kaushik A, Nair HS, Edirisinghe M, Mercado-Shekhar KP, Shekhar H, Dalvi SV. Combining Ultrasound and Capillary-Embedded T-Junction Microfluidic Devices to Scale Up the Production of Narrow-Sized Microbubbles through Acoustic Fragmentation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:10288-10304. [PMID: 35943351 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles are tiny gas-filled bubbles that have a variety of applications in ultrasound imaging and therapeutic drug delivery. Microbubbles can be synthesized using a number of techniques including sonication, amalgamation, and saline shaking. These approaches can produce highly concentrated microbubble suspensions but offer minimal control over the size and polydispersity of the microbubbles. One of the simplest and effective methods for producing monodisperse microbubbles is capillary-embedded T-junction microfluidic devices, which offer great control over the microbubble size. However, lower production rates (∼200 bubbles/s) and large microbubble sizes (∼300 μm) limit the applicability of such devices for biomedical applications. To overcome the limitations of these technologies, we demonstrate in this work an alternative approach to combine a capillary-embedded T-junction device with ultrasound to enhance the generation of narrow-sized microbubbles in aqueous suspensions. Two T-junction microfluidic devices were connected in parallel and combined with an ultrasonic horn to produce lipid-coated SF6 core microbubbles in the size range of 1-8 μm. The rate of microbubble production was found to increase from 180 microbubbles/s in the absence of ultrasound to (6.5 ± 1.2) × 106 bubble/s in the presence of ultrasound (100% ultrasound amplitude). When stored in a closed environment, the microbubbles were observed to be stable for up to 30 days, with the concentration of the microbubble suspension decreasing from ∼2.81 × 109/mL to ∼2.3 × 106/mL and the size changing from 1.73 ± 0.2 to 1.45 ± 0.3 μm at the end of 30 days. The acoustic response of these microbubbles was examined using broadband attenuation spectroscopy, and flow phantom imaging was performed to determine the ability of these microbubble suspensions to enhance the contrast relative to the surrounding tissue. Overall, this approach of coupling ultrasound with microfluidic parallelization enabled the continuous production of stable microbubbles at high production rates and low polydispersity using simple T-junction devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaqib H Khan
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Xinyue Jiang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K
| | - Anuj Kaushik
- Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Hari S Nair
- Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Mohan Edirisinghe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 7JE, U.K
| | - Karla P Mercado-Shekhar
- Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Himanshu Shekhar
- Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
| | - Sameer V Dalvi
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382355, Gujarat, India
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Microbubbles Stabilized by Protein Shell: From Pioneering Ultrasound Contrast Agents to Advanced Theranostic Systems. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14061236. [PMID: 35745808 PMCID: PMC9227336 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound is a widely-used imaging modality in clinics as a low-cost, non-invasive, non-radiative procedure allowing therapists faster decision-making. Microbubbles have been used as ultrasound contrast agents for decades, while recent attention has been attracted to consider them as stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems. Pioneering microbubbles were Albunex with a protein shell composed of human serum albumin, which entered clinical practice in 1993. However, current research expanded the set of proteins for a microbubble shell beyond albumin and applications of protein microbubbles beyond ultrasound imaging. Hence, this review summarizes all-known protein microbubbles over decades with a critical evaluation of formulations and applications to optimize the safety (low toxicity and high biocompatibility) as well as imaging efficiency. We provide a comprehensive overview of (1) proteins involved in microbubble formulation, (2) peculiarities of preparation of protein stabilized microbubbles with consideration of large-scale production, (3) key chemical factors of stabilization and functionalization of protein-shelled microbubbles, and (4) biomedical applications beyond ultrasound imaging (multimodal imaging, drug/gene delivery with attention to anticancer treatment, antibacterial activity, biosensing). Presented critical evaluation of the current state-of-the-art for protein microbubbles should focus the field on relevant strategies in microbubble formulation and application for short-term clinical translation. Thus, a protein bubble-based platform is very perspective for theranostic application in clinics.
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Takahara A, Richtering W, Walker GC. Preface to the Françoise M. Winnik Special Issue. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:5031-5032. [PMID: 35502539 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
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Maksimova EA, Barmin RA, Rudakovskaya PG, Sindeeva OA, Prikhozhdenko ES, Yashchenok AM, Khlebtsov BN, Solovev AA, Huang G, Mei Y, Kanti Dey K, Gorin DA. Air-Filled Microbubbles Based on Albumin Functionalized with Gold Nanocages and Zinc Phthalocyanine for Multimodal Imaging. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:1161. [PMID: 34683212 PMCID: PMC8537308 DOI: 10.3390/mi12101161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles are intravascular contrast agents clinically used in diagnostic sonography, echocardiography, and radiology imaging applications. However, up to date, the idea of creating microbubbles with multiple functionalities (e.g., multimodal imaging, photodynamic therapy) remained a challenge. One possible solution is the modification of bubble shells by introducing specific compounds responsible for such functions. In the present work, air-core microbubbles with the shell consisting of bovine serum albumin, albumin-coated gold nanocages, and zinc phthalocyanine were prepared using the sonication method. Various physicochemical parameters such as stability over time, size, and concentration were investigated to prove the potential use of these microbubbles as contrast agents. This work shows that hybrid microbubbles have all the necessary properties for multimodal imaging (ultrasound, raster-scanning microscopy, and fluorescence tomography), which demonstrate superior characteristics for potential theranostic and related biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta A Maksimova
- Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Str., 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | - Roman A Barmin
- Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Str., 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | - Polina G Rudakovskaya
- Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Str., 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga A Sindeeva
- Center for Neurobiology and Brain Restoration, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Str., 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Alexey M Yashchenok
- Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Str., 121205 Moscow, Russia
| | - Boris N Khlebtsov
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms, 410049 Saratov, Russia
| | | | - Gaoshan Huang
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yongfeng Mei
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Krishna Kanti Dey
- Discipline of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Dmitry A Gorin
- Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya Str., 121205 Moscow, Russia
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