Design of double-coated optical fibers to minimize long-term hydrostatic-pressure-induced microbending losses

The design of double-coated optical fibers to minimize long-term hydrostatic-pressure-induced microbending losses is investigated. Microbending loss in these fibers is dominated by compressive radial stress at the interface between the glass fiber and the primary coating, which is a function of the material properties of the polymeric coatings and their thickness. To minimize long-term hydrostatic-pressure-induced microbending losses, one should decrease the Young's modulus and Poisson ratio of the primary coating but increase the radius, Young's modulus, Poisson ratio, and relaxation time of the secondary coating. Alternatively, the radius and relaxation time of the primary coating have their optimum values.     

Fabrication of high‐aspect‐ratio Fresnel zone plates by e‐beam lithography and electroplating

The fabrication of gold Fresnel zone plates, by a combination of e‐beam lithography and electrodeposition, with a 30 nm outermost zone width and a 450 nm‐thick structure is described. The e‐beam lithography process was implemented with a careful evaluation of applied dosage, tests of different bake‐out temperatures and durations for the photoresist, and the use of a developer without methylisobutylketone. Electrodeposition with a pulsed current mode and with a specially designed apparatus produced the desired high‐aspect‐ratio nanostructures. The fabricated zone plates were examined by electron microscopy and their performances were assessed using a transmission X‐ray microscope. The results specifically demonstrated an image resolution of 40 nm.     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides containing adamantyl and diamantyl moieties in the main chain

This work synthesized a series of new polyamides by direct polycondensation of 1,3-bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]adamantane ( I ) with various diamines. The diacid I was synthesized from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)adamantane in two steps. Polyamides III were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and pyridine. The polyamides had medium inherent viscosities of 0.30–0.55 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (M_n) of 22,000–36,000. The polyamides III _a and III _b had tensile strengths of 59.8 and 77.5 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 5.8 and 7.6%, and initial moduli of 1.9 and 1.8 GPa, respectively. Their glass transition temperatures were found to be 219–295°C by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that the incorporation of rigid and bulky diamantane into polyamides III _a and III _b leads to high glass transition temperatures (T_gs), at 299 and 286°C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures of polyamides III at a 5% weight loss ranged from 388 to 416°C in air and from 408 to 435°C in N₂ atmosphere. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 785–792, 1998     

Reaction of carbenes with bicyclo[2.1.0]pentane

Bicyclo[2.1.0]pentane reacts with phenylcarbene and dicarbomethoxycarbene by simple insertion at the cyclobutane methylene position. By contrast, difluorocarbene reacts by two bond cleavage to give 1,1-difluoro-1,5-hexadiene.     

ON AN EXTENSION OF ABEL-GONTSCHAROFF＇S EXPANSION FORMULA

We present a constructive generalization of Abel-Gontscharoff＇s series expansion to higher dimensions. A constructive application to a problem of multivariate interpolation is also investigated. In addition, two algorithms for constructing the basis functions of the interpolants are given.     

Nafion®‐supported oxovanadium‐catalyzed hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes under solventless conditions

A Nafion® resin‐supported oxovanadium(IV) catalyst was readily prepared via ion‐exchange method. This solid vanadyl perfluorinated sulfonate catalyst was used as an efficient and recoverable catalyst for the hydrophosphonylation of various aldehydes under solventless conditions at room temperature. The catalyst could be recovered by simple filtration and reused without a significant loss of activity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of mean absorptive potential using Lenz model: toward quantification of phase contrast from an electrostatic phase plate

An electrostatic phase plate can provide better phase contrast, a fact that plays a promising role for the high-resolution observation of specimens containing light elements. However, in order to quantify the "phase" contrast from images recorded using the phase plate, the "absorption" (or scattering) contrast arising from electrons scattered elastically and inelastically outside of the phase-plate ring must be analyzed. Angular distributions of the elastic and inelastic scattering are predicted using the Lenz model. The mean absorptive potential, [Formula: see text] serving as an index for the contribution of "absorption" contrast, is calculated from the reciprocal mean free path of elastic and inelastic scattering, and is verified experimentally. The mean absorptive potential of a particular phase plate with inner and outer radii of 0.25mum (theta(1)=0.09mrad) and 1mum (theta(2)=0.4mrad), respectively, is approximately 0.11eV for carbon and is equivalent to that of an objective aperture of semiangle 17mrad (cutoff frequency 6.7nm(-1)).