We design and fabricate spatially disordered Si nanodisks by colloidal lithography for broadband antireflection and light trapping. Absorption is optimized for thin-film solar cells through control of the geometrical features, dimensions, and density of the nanodisks. For comparison, periodic arrangements with unit cells containing more than one disk are investigated.

The elastic properties of nanoscale extracellular vesicles (EVs) are believed to influence their cellular interactions, thus having a profound implication in intercellular communication. However, accurate quantification of their elastic modulus is challenging due to their nanoscale dimensions and their fluid-like lipid bilayer. We show that the previous attempts to develop atomic force microscopy-based protocol are flawed as they lack theoretical underpinning as well as ignore important contributions arising from the surface adhesion forces and membrane fluctuations. We develop a protocol comprising a theoretical framework, experimental technique, and statistical approach to accurately quantify the bending and elastic modulus of EVs. The method reveals that membrane fluctuations play a dominant role even for a single EV. The method is then applied to EVs derived from human embryonic kidney cells and their genetically engineered classes altering the tetraspanin expression. The data show a large spread; the area modulus is in the range of 4 to 19 mN/m and the bending modulus is in the range of 15 to 33 kBT, respectively. Surprisingly, data for a single EV, revealed by repeated measurements, also show a spread that is attributed to their compositionally heterogeneous fluid membrane and thermal effects. Our protocol uncovers the influence of membrane protein alterations on the elastic modulus of EVs.

We demonstrate anapole states in vertically stacked Si nanodisks by leveraging the high refractive index contrast between Si and SiO2, simplifying fabrication. By extending this to elliptical disks, we achieve polarization-dependent dual-wavelength anapole excitation. This platform offers strong field enhancements, enabling advanced nonlinear optical applications and wavelength filtering.