Short-length microstructured phosphate glass fiber lasers with large mode areas

We report fabrication and testing of the first phosphate glass microstructured fiber lasers with large Er-Yb-codoped cores. For an 11-cm-long cladding-pumped fiber laser, more than 3 W of continuous wave output power is demonstrated, and near single-mode beam quality is obtained for an active core area larger than 400 microm2.     

Low-loss coupling between two single-mode optical fibers with different mode-field diameters using a graded-index multimode optical fiber

We present a method for ultra-low-loss coupling between two single-mode optical fibers with different mode-field diameters using multimode interference in a graded-index multimode optical fiber. We perform a detailed analysis of the interference effects and show that the graded-index fiber can also be used as a beam expander or condenser. The results are important for devices in which optical fibers with different mode-field diameters are coupled in series, such as in ultra-short-pulse fiber ring lasers, or in optical fiber communication links.     

High‐Temperature Spray‐Dried Polymer/Bacteria Microparticles for Electrospinning of Composite Nonwovens

Living Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are encapsulated in poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), hydroxypropyl cellulose, and gelatin by high‐temperature spray drying. The challenge is the survival of the bacteria during the standard spray‐drying process at temperatures of 150 °C (M. luteus) and 120 °C (E. coli). Raman imaging and transmission electron microscopy indicate encapsulated bacteria in hollow composite microparticles. The versatility of the spray‐dried polymer bacteria microparticles is successfully proved by standard polymer solution–processing techniques such as electrospinning, even with harmful solvents, to water‐insoluble polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(vinyl butyrate) nanofiber nonwovens, which opens numerous new opportunities for novel applications.     

Density and viscosity of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate with ethanol, 1-propanol, or 1-butanol at several temperatures

Densities and viscosities of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate [Bmim][NO₃], and its binaries with alcohol (ethanol, 1-propanol, or 1-butanol) were measured at different temperatures. The densities and viscosities of pure ionic liquid were correlated successfully by empirical equations. The Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann equations can fit the experimental data of viscosities for pure IL. Excess molar volume and viscosity deviations were calculated for the binaries. The excess molar volumes have negative deviations from the ideal solution.     

n-Bit Quantum Secret Sharing Protocol Using Quantum Secure Direct Communication

International Journal of Theoretical Physics - The proposed quantum secret sharing protocol in this article conveys n bit secret messages from the sender to the n receivers making use of a secure...     

Shadows of the planck scale: scale dependence of compactification geometry

By studying the effects of the shape moduli associated with toroidal compactifications, we demonstrate that Planck-sized extra dimensions can cast significant "shadows" over low-energy physics. These shadows distort our perceptions of the compactification geometry associated with large extra dimensions and place a fundamental limit on our ability to probe the geometry of compactification by measuring Kaluza-Klein states. We also find that compactification geometry is effectively renormalized as a function of energy scale, with "renormalization group equations" describing the "flow" of geometric parameters such as compactification radii and shape angles as functions of energy.     

Observation of transverse Anderson localization in an optical fiber

We utilize transverse Anderson localization as the waveguiding mechanism in optical fibers with random transverse refractive index profiles. Using experiments and numerical simulations, we show that the transverse localization results in an effective propagating beam diameter that is comparable to that of a typical index-guiding optical fiber.     

Unmixedness and arithmetic properties of matroidal ideals

Let $$R=k[x_1,\ldots ,x_n]$$ be the polynomial ring in n variables over a field k and let I be a matroidal ideal of degree d. In this paper, we study the unmixedness properties and the arithmetical rank of I. Moreover, we show that $$ara(I)=n-d+1$$. This answers the conjecture made by Chiang-Hsieh (Comm Algebra 38:944–952, 2010, Conjecture).