Physikalisches Institut
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- Physikalisches Institut (816)
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I (16)
- Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie (9)
- Deutsches Zentrum für Herzinsuffizienz (DZHI) (8)
- Institut für diagnostische und interventionelle Neuroradiologie (ehem. Abteilung für Neuroradiologie) (8)
- Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik (7)
- Institut für diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie (Institut für Röntgendiagnostik) (7)
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum (6)
- Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie (5)
- Institut für Organische Chemie (5)
Sonstige beteiligte Institutionen
- Wilhelm-Conrad-Röntgen-Forschungszentrum für komplexe Materialsysteme (4)
- Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (3)
- Röntgen Center for Complex Material Systems (RCCM), Am Hubland, 97074 W¨urzburg, Germany (2)
- ATLAS Collaboration (1)
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA (1)
- Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern), 97074 Würzburg, Germany (1)
- Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research e.V. (ZAE Bayern) (1)
- Bayerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Energieforschung e.V. (1)
- Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH am Max-Planck-Institut fuer biophysikalische Chemie (1)
- CERN (1)
ResearcherID
- D-1250-2010 (1)
- N-7500-2014 (1)
A search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in the H→WW(⋆)→ℓνℓνH→WW(⋆)→ℓνℓν (ℓ=e,μℓ=e,μ) decay mode is presented. The search is performed using proton–proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb\(^{−1}\) at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV collected during 2011 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of events over the expected background is observed. An upper bound is placed on the Higgs boson production cross section as a function of its mass. A Standard Model Higgs boson with mass in the range between 133 GeV and 261 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level, while the expected exclusion range is from 127 GeV to 233 GeV.
Detailed measurements of the electron performance of the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported, using decays of the Z, W and J/ψ particles. Data collected in 2010 at s√=7 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of almost 40 pb\(^{−1}\). The inter-alignment of the inner detector and the electromagnetic calorimeter, the determination of the electron energy scale and resolution, and the performance in terms of response uniformity and linearity are discussed. The electron identification, reconstruction and trigger efficiencies, as well as the charge misidentification probability, are also presented.
Two-dimensional triangular lattices of group IV adatoms on semiconductor substrates provide a rich playground for the investigation of Mott-Hubbard physics. The possibility to combine various types of adatoms and substrates makes members of this material class versatile model systems to study the influence of correlation strength, band filling and spin-orbit coupling on the electronic structure - both experimentally and with dedicated many-body calculation techniques. The latter predict exotic ground states such as chiral superconductivity or spin liquid behavior for these frustrated lattices, however, experimental confirmation is still lacking. In this work, three different systems, namely the \(\alpha\)-phases of Sn/SiC(0001), Pb/Si(111), and potassium-doped Sn/Si(111) are investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy in this regard. The results are potentially relevant for spintronic applications or quantum computing.
For the novel group IV triangular lattice Sn/SiC(0001), a combined experimental and theoretical study reveals that the system features surprisingly strong electronic correlations because they are boosted by the substrate through its partly ionic character and weak screening capabilities. Interestingly, the spectral function, measured for the first time via angle-resolved photoemission, does not show any additional superstructure beyond the intrinsic \(\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3} R30^{\circ}\) reconstruction, thereby raising curiosity regarding the ground-state spin pattern.
For Pb/Si(111), preceding studies have noted a phase transition of the surface reconstruction from \(\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3} R30^{\circ}\) to \(3 \times 3\) at 86 K. In this thesis, investigations of the low-temperature phase with high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy unveil the formation of a charge-ordered ground state. It is disentangled from a concomitant structural rearrangement which is found to be 2-up/1-down, in contrast to previous predictions. Applying an extended variational cluster approach, a phase diagram of local and nonlocal Coulomb interactions is mapped out. Based on a comparison of theoretical spectral functions with scattering vectors found via quasiparticle interference, Pb/Si(111) is placed in said phase diagram and electronic correlations are found to be the driving force of the charge-ordered state.
In order to realize a doped Mott insulator in a frustrated geometry, potassium was evaporated onto the well-known correlated Sn/Si(111) system. Instead of the expected insulator-to-metal transition, scanning tunneling spectroscopy data indicates that the electronic structure of Sn/Si(111) is only affected locally around potassium atoms while a metallization is suppressed. The potassium atoms were found to be adsorbed on empty \(T_4\) sites of the substrate which eventually leads to the formation of two types of K-Sn alloys with a relative potassium content of 1/3 and 1/2, respectively. Complementary measurements of the spectral function via angle-resolved photoemission reveal that the lower Hubbard band of Sn/Si(111) gradually changes its shape upon potassium deposition. Once the tin and potassium portion on the surface are equal, this evolution is complete and the system can be described as a band insulator without the need to include Coulomb interactions.
Studies of the fragmentation of jets into charged particles in heavy-ion collisions can help in understanding the mechanism of jet quenching by the hot and dense QCD matter created in such collisions, the quark-gluon plasma. These proceedings present a measurement of the angular distribution of charged particles around the jet axis in root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb and pp collisions, done using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed inside jets reconstructed with the anti-k(t) algorithm with radius parameter R = 0.4, and is extended to regions outside the jet cone. Results are presented as a function of Pb+Pb collision centrality, and both jet and charged-particle transverse momenta.
In this dissertation the electronic and high-energy optical properties of thin nanoscale
films of the magnetic topological insulator (MTI) (V,Cr)y(BixSb1-x)2-yTe3 are studied
by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron energy-loss
spectroscopy (EELS). Magnetic topological insulators are presently of broad interest
as the combination of ferromagnetism and spin-orbit coupling in these materials
leads to a new topological phase, the quantum anomalous Hall state (QAHS), with
dissipation less conduction channels. Determining and controlling the physical
properties of these complex materials is therefore desirable for a fundamental understanding
of the QAHS and for their possible application in spintronics. EELS can
directly probe the electron energy-loss function of a material from which one can
obtain the complex dynamic dielectric function by means of the Kramers-Kronig
transformation and the Drude-Lindhard model of plasmon oscillations.
The XPS core-level spectra in (V,Cr)y(BixSb1-x)2-yTe3 are analyzed in detail with
regards to inelastic background contributions. It is shown that the spectra can be
accurately described based on the electron energy-loss function obtained from an
independent EELS measurement. This allows for a comprehensive and quantitative
analysis of the XPS data, which will facilitate future core-level spectroscopy studies
in this class of topological materials. From the EELS data, furthermore, the bulk and
surface optical properties were estimated, and compared to ab initio calculations
based on density functional theory (DFT) performed in the GW approximation
for Sb2Te3. The experimental results show a good agreement with the calculated
complex dielectric function and the calculated energy-loss function. The positions of
the main plasmon modes reported here are expected to be generally similar in other
materials in this class of nanoscale TI films. Hence, the present work introduces
EELS as a powerful method to access the high-energy optical properties of TI
thin films. Based on the presented results it will be interesting to explore more
systematically the effects of stoichiometry, magnetic doping, film thickness and
surface morphology on the electron-loss function, potentially leading to a better
understanding of the complex interplay of structural, electronic, magnetic and
optical properties in MTI nanostructures.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Licht-Materie-Wechselwirkung in Quantenpunkt-Mikroresonatoren und deren vertikalen und lateralen Emissionseigenschaften. Quantenpunkte sind nanoskopische Strukturen, in denen die Beweglichkeit der Ladungsträger unterhalb der de-Broglie-Wellenlänge eingeschränkt ist, wodurch die elektronische Zustandsdichte diskrete Werte annimmt. Sie werden daher auch als künstliche Atome bezeichnet. Um die Emissionseigenschaften der Quantenpunkte zu modifizieren, werden sie im Rahmen dieser Arbeit als aktive Schicht in Mikrosäulenresonatoren eingebracht. Diese bestehen aus einer GaAs lambda-Kavität, die zwischen zwei Braggspiegeln aus alternierenden GaAs und AlAs Schichten eingefasst ist. Diese Resonatoren bieten sowohl eine vertikale Emission über Fabry-Perot Moden, als auch eine laterale Emission über Flustergaleriemoden. Die Licht-Materie-Wechselwirkung zwischen den Resonatormoden und lokalisierten Ladungsträgern in den Quantenpunkten, genannt Exzitonen, kann in zwei Regime unterteilt werden. Im Regime der starken Kopplung wird der spontane Emissionsprozess in einem Quantenpunkt reversibel und das emittierte Photon kann wieder durch den Quantenpunkt absorbiert werden. Die theoretische Beschreibung der Kopplung eines Exzitons an die Resonatormode erfolgt über das Jaynes-Cummings Modell und kann im Tavis-Cummings Modell auf mehrere Emitter erweitert werden. Ist die Dämpfung des Systems zu gross, so befindet man sich im Regime der schwachen Kopplung, in dem die Emissionsrate des Quantenpunkts durch den Purcell-Effekt erhöht werden kann. In diesem Regime können Mikrolaser mit hohen Einkopplungsraten der spontanen Emission in die Resonatormode und niedrigen Schwellpumpströmen realisiert werden. Zur Charakterisierung der Proben werden vor allem die Methoden der Mikro-Elektrolumineszenz und der Photonenkorrelationsmessungen eingesetzt.
In the present thesis the MBE growth and sample characterization of HgTe structures is investigated
and discussed. Due to the first experimental discovery of the quantum Spin Hall effect
(QSHE) in HgTe quantum wells, this material system attains a huge interest in the spintronics
society. Because of the long history of growing Hg-based heterostructures here at the Experimentelle
Physik III in Würzburg, there are very good requirements to analyze this material
system more precisely and in new directions. Since in former days only doped HgTe quantum
wells were grown, this thesis deals with the MBE growth in the (001) direction of undoped
HgTe quantum wells, surface located quantum wells and three dimensional bulk layers. All
Hg-based layers were grown on CdTe substrates which generate strain in the layer stack and
provide therefore new physical effects. In the same time, the (001) CdTe growth was investigated
on n-doped (001) GaAs:Si because the Japanese supplier of CdTe substrates had a
supply bottleneck due to the Tohoku earthquake and its aftermath in 2011.
After a short introduction of the material system, the experimental techniques were demonstrated
and explained explicitly. After that, the experimental part of this thesis is displayed.
So, the investigation of the (001) CdTe growth on (001) GaAs:Si is discussed in chapter 4.
Firstly, the surface preparation of GaAs:Si by oxide desorption is explored and analyzed.
Here, rapid thermal desorption of the GaAs oxide with following cool down in Zn atmosphere
provides the best results for the CdTe due to small holes at the surface, while e.g. an atomic
flat GaAs buffer deteriorates the CdTe growth quality. The following ZnTe layer supplies the
(001) growth direction of the CdTe and exhibits best end results of the CdTe for 30 seconds
growth time at a flux ratio of Zn/Te ~ 1/1.2. Without this ZnTe layer, CdTe will grow in the
(111) direction. However, the main investigation is here the optimization of the MBE growth
of CdTe. The substrate temperature, Cd/Te flux ratio and the growth time has to be adjusted
systematically. Therefore, a complex growth process is developed and established. This optimized
CdTe growth process results in a RMS roughness of around 2.5 nm and a FWHM value
of the HRXRD w-scan of 150 arcsec. Compared to the literature, there is no lower FWHM
value traceable for this growth direction. Furthermore, etch pit density measurements show
that the surface crystallinity is matchable with the commercial CdTe substrates (around 1x10^4
cm^(-2)). However, this whole process is not completely perfect and offers still room for improvements.
The growth of undoped HgTe quantum wells was also a new direction in research in contrast
to the previous n-doped grown HgTe quantum wells. Here in chapter 5, the goal of very low
carrier densities was achieved and therefore it is now possible to do transport experiments in
the n - and p - region by tuning the gate voltage. To achieve this high sample quality, very precise
growth of symmetric HgTe QWs and their HRXRD characterization is examined. Here,
the quantum well thickness can now determined accurate to under 0.3 nm. Furthermore, the transport analysis of different quantum well thicknesses shows that the carrier density and
mobility increase with rising HgTe layer thickness. However, it is found out that the band
gap of the HgTe QW closes indirectly at a thickness of 11.6 nm. This is caused by the tensile
strained growth on CdTe substrates. Moreover, surface quantum wells are studied. These
quantum wells exhibit no or a very thin HgCdTe cap. Though, oxidization and contamination
of the surface reduces here the carrier mobility immensely and a HgCdTe layer of around 5 nm
provides the pleasing results for transport experiments with superconductors connected to the
topological insulator [119]. A completely new achievement is the realization of MBE growth
of HgTe quantum wells on CdTe/GaAs:Si substrates. This is attended by the optimization of
the CdTe growth on GaAs:Si. It exposes that HgTe quantum wells grown in-situ on optimized
CdTe/GaAs:Si show very nice transport data with clear Hall plateaus, SdH oscillations, low
carrier densities and carrier mobilities up to 500 000 cm^2/Vs. Furthermore, a new oxide etching
process is developed and analyzed which should serve as an alternative to the standard
HCl process which generates volcano defects at some time. However, during the testing time
the result does not differ in Nomarski, HRXRD, AFM and transport measurements. Here,
long-time tests or etching and mounting in nitrogen atmosphere may provide new elaborate
results.
The main focus of this thesis is on the MBE growth and standard characterization of HgTe bulk
layers and is discussed in chapter 6. Due to the tensile strained growth on lattice mismatched
CdTe, HgTe bulk opens up a band gap of around 22 meV at the G-point and exhibits therefore
its topological surface states. The analysis of surface condition, roughness, crystalline quality,
carrier density and mobility via Nomarski, AFM, XPS, HRXRD and transport measurements
is therefore included in this work. Layer thickness dependence of carrier density and mobility
is identified for bulk layer grown directly on CdTe substrates. So, there is no clear correlation
visible between HgTe layer thickness and carrier density or mobility. So, the carrier density is
almost constant around 1x10^11 cm^(-2) at 0 V gate voltage. The carrier mobility of these bulk
samples however scatters between 5 000 and 60 000 cm^2/Vs almost randomly. Further experiments
should be made for a clearer understanding and therefore the avoidance of unusable
bad samples.But, other topological insulator materials show much higher carrier densities and
lower mobility values. For example, Bi2Se3 exhibits just density values around 1019 cm^(-2)
and mobility values clearly below 5000 cm2/Vs. The carrier density however depends much
on lithography and surface treatment after growth. Furthermore, the relaxation behavior and
critical thickness of HgTe grown on CdTe is determined and is in very good agreement with
theoretical prediction (d_c = 155 nm). The embedding of the HgTe bulk layer between HgCdTe
layers created a further huge improvement. Similar to the quantum well structures the carrier
mobility increases immensely while the carrier density levels at around 1x10^11 cm^(-2) at 0
V gate voltage as well. Additionally, the relaxation behavior and critical thickness of these
barrier layers has to be determined. HgCdTe grown on commercial CdTe shows a behavior as
predicted except the critical thickness which is slightly higher than expected (d_c = 850 nm).
Otherwise, the relaxation of HgCdTe grown on CdTe/GaAs:Si occurs in two parts. The layer
is fully strained up to 250 nm. Between 250 nm and 725 nm the HgCdTe film starts to relax
randomly up to 10 %. The relaxation behavior for thicknesses larger than 725 nm occurs than
linearly to the inverse layer thickness. A explanation is given due to rough interface conditions
and crystalline defects of the CdTe/GaAs:Si compared to the commercial CdTe substrate. HRXRD and AFM data support this statement. Another point is that the HgCdTe barriers protect the active HgTe layer and because of the high carrier mobilities the Hall measurements provide new transport data which have to be interpreted more in detail in the future. In addition, HgTe bulk samples show very interesting transport data by gating the sample from the top and the back. It is now possible to manipulate the carrier densities of the top and bottom surface states almost separately. The back gate consisting of the n-doped GaAs substrate and the thick insulating CdTe buffer can tune the carrier density for Delta(n) ~ 3x10^11 cm^(-2). This is sufficient to tune the Fermi energy from the p-type into the n-type region [138].
In this thesis it is shown that strained HgTe bulk layers exhibit superior transport data by embedding between HgCdTe barrier layers. The n-doped GaAs can here serve as a back gate.
Furthermore, MBE growth of high crystalline, undoped HgTe quantum wells shows also new
and extended transport output. Finally, it is notable that due to the investigated CdTe growth
on GaAs the Hg-based heterostructure MBE growth is partially independent from commercial
suppliers.
Electro-optical switching between polariton and cavity lasing in an InGaAs quantum well microcavity
(2014)
We report on the condensation of microcavity exciton polaritons under optical excitation in a microcavity with four embedded InGaAs quantum wells. The polariton laser is characterized by a distinct nonlinearity in the input-output-characteristics, which is accompanied by a drop of the emission linewidth indicating temporal coherence and a characteristic persisting emission blueshift with increased particle density. The temporal coherence of the device at threshold is underlined by a characteristic drop of the second order coherence function to a value close to 1. Furthermore an external electric field is used to switch between polariton regime, polariton condensate and photon lasing.
Within this thesis, three main approaches for the assessment and investigation of altered hemodynamics like wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index and the arterial pulse wave velocity in atherosclerosis development and progression were conducted:
1. The establishment of a fast method for the simultaneous assessment of 3D WSS and PWV in the complete murine aortic arch via high-resolution 4D-flow MRI
2. The utilization of serial in vivo measurements in atherosclerotic mouse models using high-resolution 4D-flow MRI, which were divided into studies describing altered hemodynamics in late and early atherosclerosis
3. The development of tissue-engineered artery models for the controllable application and variation of hemodynamic and biologic parameters, divided in native artery models and biofabricated artery models, aiming for the investigation of the relationship between atherogenesis and hemodynamics
Chapter 2 describes the establishment of a method for the simultaneous measurement of 3D WSS and PWV in the murine aortic arch at, using ultra high-field MRI at 17.6T [16], based on the previously published method for fast, self-navigated wall shear stress measurements in the murine aortic arch using radial 4D-phase contrast MRI at 17.6 T [4]. This work is based on the collective work of Dr. Patrick Winter, who developed the method and the author of this thesis, Kristina Andelovic, who performed the experiments and statistical analyses. As the method described in this chapter is basis for the following in vivo studies and undividable into the sub-parts of the contributors without losing important information, this chapter was not split into the single parts to provide fundamental information about the measurement and analysis methods and therefore better understandability for the following studies. The main challenge in this chapter was to overcome the issue of the need for a high spatial resolution to determine the velocity gradients at the vascular wall for the WSS quantification and a high temporal resolution for the assessment of the PWV without prolonging the acquisition time due to the need for two separate measurements. Moreover, for a full coverage of the hemodynamics in the murine aortic arch, a 3D measurement is needed, which was achieved by utilization of retrospective navigation and radial trajectories, enabling a highly flexible reconstruction framework to either reconstruct images at lower spatial resolution and higher frame rates for the acquisition of the PWV or higher spatial resolution and lower frame rates for the acquisition of the 3D WSS in a reasonable measurement time of only 35 minutes. This enabled the in vivo assessment of all relevant hemodynamic parameters related to atherosclerosis development and progression in one experimental session. This method was validated in healthy wild type and atherosclerotic Apoe-/- mice, indicating no differences in robustness between pathological and healthy mice.
The heterogeneous distribution of plaque development and arterial stiffening in atherosclerosis [10, 12], however, points out the importance of local PWV measurements. Therefore, future studies should focus on the 3D acquisition of the local PWV in the murine aortic arch based on the presented method, in order to enable spatially resolved correlations of local arterial stiffness with other hemodynamic parameters and plaque composition.
In Chapter 3, the previously established methods were used for the investigation of changing aortic hemodynamics during ageing and atherosclerosis in healthy wild type and atherosclerotic Apoe-/- mice using the previously established methods [4, 16] based on high-resolution 4D-flow MRI. In this work, serial measurements of healthy and atherosclerotic mice were conducted to track all changes in hemodynamics in the complete aortic arch over time. Moreover, spatially resolved 2D projection maps of WSS and OSI of the complete aortic arch were generated. This important feature allowed for the pixel-wise statistical analysis of inter- and intragroup hemodynamic changes over time and most importantly – at a glance. The study revealed converse differences of local hemodynamic profiles in healthy WT and atherosclerotic Apoe−/− mice, with decreasing longWSS and increasing OSI, while showing constant PWV in healthy mice and increasing longWSS and decreasing OSI, while showing increased PWV in diseased mice. Moreover, spatially resolved correlations between WSS, PWV, plaque and vessel wall characteristics were enabled, giving detailed insights into coherences between hemodynamics and plaque composition. Here, the circWSS was identified as a potential marker of plaque size and composition in advanced atherosclerosis. Moreover, correlations with PWV values identified the maximum radStrain could serve as a potential marker for vascular elasticity. This study demonstrated the feasibility and utility of high-resolution 4D flow MRI to spatially resolve, visualize and analyze statistical differences in all relevant hemodynamic parameters over time and between healthy and diseased mice, which could significantly improve our understanding of plaque progression towards vulnerability. In future studies the relation of vascular elasticity and radial strain should be further investigated and validated with local PWV measurements and CFD.
Moreover, the 2D histological datasets were not reflecting the 3D properties and regional characteristics of the atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, future studies will include 3D plaque volume and composition analysis like morphological measurements with MRI or light-sheet microscopy to further improve the analysis of the relationship between hemodynamics and atherosclerosis.
Chapter 4 aimed at the description and investigation of hemodynamics in early stages of atherosclerosis. Moreover, this study included measurements of hemodynamics at baseline levels in healthy WT and atherosclerotic mouse models. Due to the lack of hemodynamic-related studies in Ldlr-/- mice, which are the most used mouse models in atherosclerosis research together with the Apoe-/- mouse model, this model was included in this study to describe changing hemodynamics in the aortic arch at baseline levels and during early atherosclerosis development and progression for the first time. In this study, distinct differences in aortic geometries of these mouse models at baseline levels were described for the first time, which result in significantly different flow- and WSS profiles in the Ldlr-/- mouse model. Further basal characterization of different parameters revealed only characteristic differences in lipid profiles, proving that the geometry is highly influencing the local WSS in these models. Most interestingly, calculation of the atherogenic index of plasma revealed a significantly higher risk in Ldlr-/- mice with ongoing atherosclerosis development, but significantly greater plaque areas in the aortic arch of Apoe-/- mice. Due to the given basal WSS and OSI profile in these two mouse models – two parameters highly influencing plaque development and progression – there is evidence that the regional plaque development differs between these mouse models during very early atherogenesis.
Therefore, future studies should focus on the spatiotemporal evaluation of plaque development and composition in the three defined aortic regions using morphological measurements with MRI or 3D histological analyses like LSFM. Moreover, this study offers an excellent basis for future studies incorporating CFD simulations, analyzing the different measured parameter combinations (e.g., aortic geometry of the Ldlr-/- mouse with the lipid profile of the Apoe-/- mouse), simulating the resulting plaque development and composition. This could help to understand the complex interplay between altered hemodynamics, serum lipids and atherosclerosis and significantly improve our basic understanding of key factors initiating atherosclerosis development.
Chapter 5 describes the establishment of a tissue-engineered artery model, which is based on native, decellularized porcine carotid artery scaffolds, cultured in a MRI-suitable bioreactor-system [23] for the investigation of hemodynamic-related atherosclerosis development in a controllable manner, using the previously established methods for WSS and PWV assessment [4, 16]. This in vitro artery model aimed for the reduction of animal experiments, while simultaneously offering a simplified, but completely controllable physical and biological environment. For this, a very fast and gentle decellularization protocol was established in a first step, which resulted in porcine carotid artery scaffolds showing complete acellularity while maintaining the extracellular matrix composition, overall ultrastructure and mechanical strength of native arteries. Moreover, a good cellular adhesion and proliferation was achieved, which was evaluated with isolated human blood outgrowth endothelial cells. Most importantly, an MRI-suitable artery chamber was designed for the simultaneous cultivation and assessment of high-resolution 4D hemodynamics in the described artery models. Using high-resolution 4D-flow MRI, the bioreactor system was proven to be suitable to quantify the volume flow, the two components of the WSS and the radStrain as well as the PWV in artery models, with obtained values being comparable to values found in literature for in vivo measurements. Moreover, the identification of first atherosclerotic processes like intimal thickening is achievable by three-dimensional assessment of the vessel wall morphology in the in vitro models. However, one limitation is the lack of a medial smooth muscle cell layer due to the dense ECM. Here, the utilization of the laser-cutting technology for the generation of holes and / or pits on a microscale, eventually enabling seeding of the media with SMCs showed promising results in a first try and should be further investigated in future studies. Therefore, the proposed artery model possesses all relevant components for the extension to an atherosclerosis model which may pave the way towards a significant improvement of our understanding of the key mechanisms in atherogenesis.
Chapter 6 describes the development of an easy-to-prepare, low cost and fully customizable artery model based on biomaterials. Here, thermoresponsive sacrificial scaffolds, processed with the technique of MEW were used for the creation of variable, biomimetic shapes to mimic the geometric properties of the aortic arch, consisting of both, bifurcations and curvatures. After embedding the sacrificial scaffold into a gelatin-hydrogel containing SMCs, it was crosslinked with bacterial transglutaminase before dissolution and flushing of the sacrificial scaffold. The hereby generated channel was subsequently seeded with ECs, resulting in an easy-to-prepare, fast and low-cost artery model. In contrast to the native artery model, this model is therefore more variable in size and shape and offers the possibility to include smooth muscle cells from the beginning. Moreover, a custom-built and highly adaptable perfusion chamber was designed specifically for the scaffold structure, which enabled a one-step creation and simultaneously offering the possibility for dynamic cultivation of the artery models, making it an excellent basis for the development of in vitro disease test systems for e.g., flow-related atherosclerosis research. Due to time constraints, the extension to an atherosclerosis model could not be achieved within the scope of this thesis. Therefore, future studies will focus on the development and validation of an in vitro atherosclerosis model based on the proposed bi- and three-layered artery models.
In conclusion, this thesis paved the way for a fast acquisition and detailed analyses of changing hemodynamics during atherosclerosis development and progression, including spatially resolved analyses of all relevant hemodynamic parameters over time and in between different groups. Moreover, to reduce animal experiments, while gaining control over various parameters influencing atherosclerosis development, promising artery models were established, which have the potential to serve as a new platform for basic atherosclerosis research.
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries, characterized by the growth of atherosclerotic lesions (plaques). These plaques often develop at inner curvatures of arteries, branchpoints, and bifurcations, where the endothelial wall shear stress is low and oscillatory. In conjunction with other processes such as lipid deposition, biomechanical factors lead to local vascular inflammation and plaque growth. There is also evidence that low and oscillatory shear stress contribute to arterial remodeling, entailing a loss in arterial elasticity and, therefore, an increased pulse-wave velocity. Although altered shear stress profiles, elasticity and inflammation are closely intertwined and critical for plaque growth, preclinical and clinical investigations for atherosclerosis mostly focus on the investigation of one of these parameters only due to the experimental limitations. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been demonstrated to be a potent tool which can be used to provide insights into a large range of biological parameters in one experimental session. It enables the evaluation of the dynamic process of atherosclerotic lesion formation without the need for harmful radiation. Flow-sensitive MRI provides the assessment of hemodynamic parameters such as wall shear stress and pulse wave velocity which may replace invasive and radiation-based techniques for imaging of the vascular
function and the characterization of early plaque development. In combination with inflammation imaging, the analyses and correlations of these parameters could not only significantly advance basic preclinical investigations of atherosclerotic lesion formation and progression, but also the diagnostic clinical evaluation for early identification of high-risk plaques, which are prone to rupture. In this review, we summarize the key applications of magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of plaque characteristics through flow sensitive and morphological measurements. The simultaneous measurements of functional and structural parameters will further preclinical research on atherosclerosis and has the potential to fundamentally improve the detection of inflammation and vulnerable plaques in patients.