Beam Combination using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering for the Ultimate High Power-Energy Laser System Operating at High Repetition Rate over 10 Hz for Laser Fusion Driver

After the laser was invented in 1960, a phase conjugation mirror has been respected to be the most fantastic one for the laser resonator composition because it can compensate any distortions of the laser beams occurred by the many inhomogenuities of the laser media and optical components. Among the many phase conjugation configurations, the stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugation mirror is the most simple one and many researchers have tried to utilize it to develop high power/energy laser systems. For realizing a high energy/power laser system the thermal problem is the most difficult to solve, and some researchers suggested a beam combination technique to reduce the thermal load of the big laser media to many small sized ones. To accomplish the beam combination using stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugation mirrors (SBS-PCMs), it is necessary to lock/control the phases of the SBS-PCMs. And some researchers have developed several ways for it, but they can lock the phases of a limited number of beams overlapped at the foci less than 5, or lock the phases by back-seeding technique but it loses the phase conjugation characteristics. For realization of the laser fusion driver, it is necessary to combine more than 10 or 100 beams. And the authors have developed recently a new phase controlling/locking technique which is isolated and independent totally from other beams and it can be applied to an unlimited number of beams in principle.     

Highly soluble and optically transparent poly (ether imide)s based on 2,6‐ or 2,7‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride and aromatic bis(ether amine)s bearing trifluoromethyl groups

Two series of novel fluorinated poly(ether imide)s (coded IIIA and IIIB ) were prepared from 2,6‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride and 2,7‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride, respectively, with various trifluoromethyl‐substituted aromatic bis(ether amine)s by a standard two‐step process with thermal or chemical imidization of the poly(amic acid) precursors. These fluorinated poly(ether imide)s showed good solubility in many organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films. These films were nearly colorless, with an ultraviolet–visible absorption edge of 364–386 nm. They also showed good thermal stability with glass‐transition temperatures of 221–298 °C, 10% weight loss temperatures in excess of 489 °C, and char yields at 800 °C in nitrogen greater than 50%. The 2,7‐substituted IIIB series also showed better solubility and higher transparency than the isomeric 2,6‐substituted IIIA series. In comparison with nonfluorinated poly (ether imide)s, the fluorinated IIIA and IIIB series showed better solubility, higher transparency, and lower dielectric constants and water absorption. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5909–5922, 2006     

Local chemical distribution and electronic structure of Ge1−xTx DMS single crystals (T=Cr,Mn, Fe)

The spatial concentration distribution and local electronic structure of ferromagnetic Ge_1−xT_x (T=Cr, Mn, Fe) DMS single crystals have been investigated by using scanning photoelectron microscopy (SPEM), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and photoemission spectroscopy (PES). It is found that doped T ions in Ge_1−xT_x crystals are chemically phase-separated, suggesting that the observed ferromagnetism arises from the phase-separated T-rich phases in Ge_1−xT_x.     

Thermal properties of poly(styrene) containing brominated aryl phosphate additives

General purpose poly(styrene) is a large volume commodity polymer widely used in a range of applications. For many of these the presence of an additive to impart some flammability resistance is required. Most commonly, brominated aromatics are used for this purpose. As the polymer undergoes combustion these compounds decompose to generate bromine atoms and/or hydrogen bromide which escape to the gas phase and trap flame propagating radicals. While these species are effective in inhibiting flame propagation they present the opportunity for loss of halogen to the atmosphere. For this reason, the use of these compounds is being limited in some parts of the world. Phosphorus compounds, on the other had, impart a flame retarding influence by promoting char formation at the surface of the burning polymer. This prevents heat feedback to the polymer and consequent pyrolysis to generate fuel fragments. The combination of both bromine and phosphorus present in a single compound might generate a superior flame-retarding additive in that both modes of retardancy might be promoted simultaneously. Should this be the case smaller amounts of additive might be necessary to achieve a satisfactory level of flame retardancy. A series of such additives, brominated aryl phosphates, has been synthesized and fully characterized spectroscopically. Blends of these additives, at various levels, with poly(styrene) have been examined by DSC, TG and in the UL-94 flame test. The flammability of the polymer is dramatically diminished by the presence of the additive.     

Structural and electrical characterization of PZT on gold for micromachined piezoelectric membranes

Piezoelectric membranes have been fabricated that incorporate a gold bottom electrode with an adhesion layer of titanium–tungsten (10:90 wt. %). For solution-deposited acetic acid based lead zirconate titanate (HoAc-PZT) with a Zr:Ti ratio of 40:60, the film’s average piezoelectric coefficient, e₃₁, is -5.31 C/m², with a dielectric constant of 814 at 200 Hz, which is similar to values for platinum bottom electrodes. The PZT structure remains columnar on both types of bottom electrodes. Initial fabrication attempts resulted in cracking that initiated in the PZT layer of the structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was utilized to establish how processing affects diffusion throughout the composite membrane structure. Crack-free membranes were fabricated and tested. This paper discusses the performance properties and piezoelectric fatigue results for these membranes. PACS 77.84.-s; 77.84.Lf     

Investigation of the Doughnut Effect in Cy3-Labeled Protein Microarrays using Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope

We demonstrate the fluorescence mapping of protein microarrays by the technique of scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) and confocal microscopy. Micron sized spots (300 μm) of human Immunoglobulin G (hIgG) protein with and without a Cy3 dye labeling have been fabricated on glass substrates by an immobilization method which makes use of calixcrown derivatives termed Prolinker. We have also tried to probe into the well-known “doughnut effect” observed in fluorescence images of proteins using the SNOM technique. The topographic and fluorescence SNOM images revealed that the number of proteins at the boundary of the spot were more than at the center in the case of the microarray spot which showed brighter luminescence at the edge than at the center in the confocal image.     

Γ andX bandgap hydrostatic deformation potentials for epitaxial In0.52Al0.48As on InP(001)

The pressure dependence of the direct and indirect bandgap of epitaxial In_0.52Al_0.48As on InP(001) substrate has been measured using photoluminescence up to 92 kbar hydrostatic pressure. The bandgap changes from Γ toX at an applied pressure of ∼ 43 kbar. Hydrostatic deformation potentials for both the Γ andX bandgaps are deduced, after correcting for the elastic constant (bulk modulus) mismatch between the epilayer and the substrate. For the epilayer we obtain and+(2.81±0.15)eV for the Γ andX bandgaps respectively. From the pressure dependence of the normalized Γ-bandgap photoluminescence intensity a Γ-X lifetime ratio, (τ_Γ/τ _X ), of 4.1×10⁻³ is deduced.