Non-perturbative approach to high-index-contrast variations in electromagnetic systems

We present a method that formally calculates exact frequency shifts of an electromagnetic field for arbitrary changes in the refractive index. The possible refractive index changes include both anisotropic changes and boundary shifts. Degenerate eigenmode frequencies pose no problems in the presented method. The approach relies on operator algebra to derive an equation for the frequency shifts, which eventually turn out in a simple and physically sound form. Numerically the equations are well-behaved, easy implementable, and can be solved very fast. Like in perturbation theory a reference system is first considered, which then subsequently is used to solve another related, but different system. For our method precision is only limited by the reference system basis functions and the error induced in frequency is of second order for first-order basis set error. As an example we apply our method to the problem of variations in the air-hole diameter in a photonic crystal fiber.     

Slow-light enhanced optical detection in liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals

Slow-light enhanced optical detection in liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals is theoretically studied. Using a scattering-matrix approach and the Wigner–Smith delay time concept, we show that optical absorbance benefits both from slow-light phenomena as well as a high filling factor of the energy residing in the liquid. Utilizing strongly dispersive photonic crystal structures, we numerically demonstrate how liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals facilitate enhanced light–matter interactions, by potentially up to an order of magnitude. The proposed concept provides strong opportunities for improving existing miniaturized absorbance cells for optical detection in lab-on-a-chip systems.     

Selenirene as an intermediate in the pyrolysis of 1,2,3-selenadiazole. Microwave spectra of 13C labelled selenoketene

Microwave Spectra of ¹³CH₂¹²C^80,78Se and ¹²CH₂¹³C^80,78Se (selenoketene) are recorded. B 5-¹³C-1,2,3-selenadiazole all four species are formed. The ¹³C scrambling may take place via a three-membered ring, selenirene, but as expected its microwave spectrum was not observed.     

A study of 1O2 production by immobilized sensitizer outside the solution. Measurement of 1O2 generation

Abstract— Recently, a new technique of ¹O₂ generation has been described by Midden and Wang. The sensitizer is immobilized on silica gel particles which are attached on one surface of a glass plate which is placed, sensitizer-side down, above a solution leaving a small air space between the sensitizer and the solution. Applying the principle of the technique, i.e. generation of ¹O₂ in the gas phase above the solution, we first improved the long-term stability of the dye (rose bengal) by using double stock transparent tape instead of rubber cement. Under these conditions, although the initial rate of production was higher in rubber cement, the rate of production reached a plateau after 30 min, whereas with double stick transparent tape, the rate of generation was linear up to 100 min. This result was explained by the fact that silica glass beads are embedded in the cement which could lead to the bleaching reaction of the dye. Different reactions have been investigated, the bleaching of N,N-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (RNO) in the presence of imidazole, destruction of anthracenedipropionic acid, formation of a stable nitroxide from a sterically hindered secondary amine and the influence of pH on the nitroxide yield. The yield was measured to be 5 × 10¹² molecules of singlet oxygen produced per second per cm² from the surface of the plate using the RNO bleaching reaction. This method of generating ¹O₂ also seems promising for studying the killing of mammalian cells by ¹O₂ as the sole damaging species.     

Improved excitation schemes for multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning for quadrupolar nuclei designed using optimal control theory

We have investigated the use of optimal control theory for the design of improved multiple-quantum excitation schemes for the popular multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning NMR experiment for quadrupolar nuclei with half-integer quadrupolar spin. The advantage of the new low-power experiments, termed OCFASTER, is demonstrated by sensitivity improvements approaching 50% for 87Rb in RbClO4 and RbNO3 as compared to FASTER and standard strong-pulse excitation schemes.     

Long-time overdamped Langevin dynamics of molecular chains

We present a novel algorithm of constrained, overdamped dynamics to study the long-time properties of peptides, proteins, and related molecules. The constraints are applied to an all-atom model of the molecule by projecting out all components of the nonbonding interactions which tend to alter fixed bond lengths and angles. Because the overdamped dynamical equations are first order in time, the constraints are satisfied by inversion of a banded matrix at each timestep, which is computationally efficient. Thermal effects are included through a Langevin noise term in the equation of motion. Because high-frequency components of the motion have been eliminated, the timestep of the algorithm is determined by the nonbonding forces, which are two to three orders of magnitude weaker than the bonding forces. Using polyalanine as a test example, we demonstrate that trajectories simulating a microsecond of motion can be run about 10³ times faster than an equivalent molecular dynamics simulation. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Improved pulse sequences for pure exchange solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Spin-exchange experiments are useful for improving the resolution and establishment of sequential assignments in solid-state NMR spectra of uniformly (15)N-labeled proteins oriented macroscopically in phospholipid bilayers. To exploit this advantage fully, it is crucial that the diagonal peaks in the two-dimensional exchange spectra are suppressed. This may be accomplished using the recent pure-exchange (PUREX) experiments, which, however, suffer from up to a threefold reduction of the cross-peak intensity relative to experiments without diagonal-peak suppression. This loss in sensitivity may severely hamper the applicability for the study of membrane proteins. In this paper, we present a two-dimensional exchange experiment (iPUREX) which improves the PUREX sensitivity by 50%. The performance of iPUREX is demonstrated experimentally by proton-mediated (15)N-(15)N spin-exchange experiments for a (15)N-labeled N-acetyl-L-valyl-L-leucine dipeptide. The relevance of exchange experiments with diagonal-peak suppression for large, uniformly (15)N-labeled membrane proteins in oriented phospholipid bilayers is demonstrated numerically for the G-protein coupled receptor rhodopsin.