Laser nanosources based on planar photonic crystals as new platforms for nanophotonic devices

Two-dimensional photonic crystal lasers have been fabricated on III–V semiconductor slabs. Tuning of the spontaneous emission in micro and nanocavities has been achieved by accurate control of the slab thickness. Different structures, some of them of new application to photonic crystal lasers, have been fabricated like the Suzuki-phase or the coupled-cavity ring-like resonators. Laser emission has been obtained by pulsed optical pumping. Optical characterization of the lasing modes have been performed showing one or more laser peaks centred around 1.55 μm. Far field characterization of the emission pattern has been realized showing different patterns depending on the geometrical shape of the structures. These kinds of devices may be used as efficient nanolaser sources for optical communications or optical sensors.     

Multi-dimensional asymptotically quasi-Toeplitz Markov chains and their application in queueing theory

Multi-dimensional asymptotically quasi-Toeplitz Markov chains with discrete and continuous time are introduced. Ergodicity and non-ergodicity conditions are proven. Numerically stable algorithm to calculate the stationary distribution is presented. An application of such chains in retrial queueing models with Batch Markovian Arrival Process is briefly illustrated. AMS Subject Classifications Primary 60K25 · 60K20     

Novel ethero atoms containing polyesters based on 2,6‐naphthalendicarboxylic acid: A comparative study with poly(butylene naphthalate)

Poly(butylene naphthalate) (PBN), poly(diethylene naphthalate) (PDEN), and poly(thiodiethylene naphthalate) (PTDEN) were synthesized and characterized in terms of chemical structure and molecular weight. The polyesters were examined by TGA, DSC, and DMTA. All the polymers showed a good thermal stability, even though depending on chemical structure. At room temperature they appeared as semicrystalline materials; the effect of the introduction along the PBN polymer chain of ether oxygen atoms or sulfur ones was a lowering in the T_g value, a decrement of T_m, and a decrease of the crystallization rate. Changing in chemical structure also affects the main α absorption associated with the glass transition which moves to lower temperature and whose energetic requirements decrease. The results were explained as due to the presence of highly flexible C? S? C or C? O? C bonds in the polymeric chain. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1694–1703, 2007     

Ab initio X-ray powder diffraction characterisation of molecule-based magnetic materials

Use of ab initio X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) methods in the study of magnetically active species of covalent nature is presented. Selected cases are chosen in order to underline the power of XRPD methodologies, highlighting the importance of independent physico-chemical information from ancillary techniques.     

Ethylene polymerization by novel Ziegler–Natta‐type catalysts obtained in situ by the oxidative addition of 8‐hydroxyquinoline‐based ligands to bis(1,5‐cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) and methylaluminoxane

Novel catalytic systems, prepared in situ by the oxidative addition of 8‐hydroxyquinoline ligands to bis(1,5‐cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) and activated by methylaluminoxane, were studied in ethylene polymerization. When 8‐hydroxyquinoline was employed, only oligomeric products were obtained. On the contrary, 5,7‐dinitro‐8‐hydroxyquinoline gave linear polyethylene (PE), but with a modest activity. For the catalyst based on 5‐nitro‐8‐hydroxyquinoline, the productivity was largely dependent on the content of free trimethylaluminum (TMA) present in the commercial aluminoxane. The progressive optimization of the TMA/oligomeric methylaluminoxane ratio increased the productivity, which reached 700 kg of PE/(mol of Ni × h), by an order of magnitude. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 200–206, 2006     

The influence of glass coating on the single domain wall potential in amorphous glass-coated Fe-based microwires

The effect of the glass coating on the single domain wall potential in amorphous glass-coated Fe-based microwire has been studied by the switching field distribution technique. The thermoactivated mechanism model is used to describe the thermally activated switching through the complex energy barrier in amorphous FeSiB microwires. Glass removal leads to the increase of the probability of the thermally activated switching pointing to the decrease of the energy barrier.     

2H NMR spectra of 2-(p-heptylbenzoyloxy)-5-(p-heptylbenzenazo)tropone. A new sigmatropic liquid crystal

Liquid crystals incorporating in their molecular framework a seven-membered ring are still relatively rare [1]. Recently the synthesis and thermal behaviour of a series of liquid crystal materials having a tropone moiety in their mesogenic core have been reported [2-4]. These mesogens, based on a 2-(acyloxy)tropone core structure, show intramolecular migration of the acyl substituents between the two oxygen atoms at C-1 and C-2, an effect already known for simple 2-(acyloxy)tropones in their isotropic solutions [5]. This migration involves a concerted [1, 9]-sigmatropic rearrangement [2]. This rearrangement could play a major role in determining the properties of the mesophases: it has been suggested in fact that, because of this rearrangement, the mesogenic molecules acquire a mean rod-like shape which can sustain the mesophase formation [2].