Design for broadband high-efficiency grating couplers

In this Letter, we propose general optimization methods to design broadband high-efficiency grating couplers for planar waveguides. We attribute the coupling bandwidth to the mismatch of effective indices between the diffracted beam and the actual grating structure around the operation wavelength for fiber to waveguide excitation. The coupling bandwidth formula is deduced. A simple parameter-separate optimization procedure is proposed for general layered grating couplers for high coupling efficiency. Using our principle, we optimized a grating coupler for a horizontal slot waveguide operating at wavelength 1.55 μm for TM polarization. The grating coupler has 1 dB bandwidth of 60 nm and coupling efficiency of 65% with incident light from single-mode optical fiber (SMF) at 8°.     

Cationic Poly([R]‐3‐hydroxybutyrate) Copolymers as Antimicrobial Agents

Poly([R]‐3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a natural biodegradable polyester, has attracted much attention as a new biomaterial because of its sustainability and good biocompatibility. In this study, it is discovered that PHB can be conveniently functionalized to obtain a number of platform chain architectures that may provide a wide range of functional copolymers. In a transesterification reaction, linear (di‐hydroxylated) and star shaped (tri‐ and tetra‐hydroxylated) PHB oligomers are synthesized, followed by copolymerization with 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and quaternization with benzyl bromide to afford antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial activities of the quaternary salts against clinically relevant pathogens on the interactions with outer and cytoplasmic membranes, lethal mechanisms, multipassage resistance, and synergy effect with antibiotics are investigated. Cationic PHB copolymers show effectiveness as antimicrobial agents, with minimum inhibitory concentration values 0.24–0.65 µm (or µmol dm^?3) (or 32–128 µg mL^?1) against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. Modifying the copolymer architectures into star shapes results in enhanced effectiveness to disrupt the membrane integrity. Synergistic effects are attained for all the quaternized PHB derivatives when they are used together with tobramycin. Multipassage resistance does not occur in both the linear and star derivatives against Gram‐negative bacteria after 20 passages.     

Experimental and numerical comparisons of the break-up of a large bubble

 PIV measurement and numerical simulation of a large scale collapsing gas bubble that results from the burst of a balloon in a deep water pool are presented. There is seen to be excellent qualitative agreement between computation and experiment, and good quantitative agreement to within 8–10% when using a normalised error. This validation allowed subsequent investigation of the bubble flow field in areas not measurable using the PIV technique, such the central jet which generates splash, and in flow areas relevant to an industrial smelting process which can be used to determine a suitable tuyere separation. Received: 14 January 1998/Accepted: 12 August 1998     

Detection of Refractive Index Change of Liquids by Diffractive Element talrd Sensor

Refractive index change of liquids was detected using a temperature compensated prism cavity together with a diffractive optical element fabricated by electron beam lithography. Small changes of refractive index could be detected from image data of the sensor.     

Studies on elemental analysis of Chinese traditional herbs by neutron activation technique and their mutagenic effect

Chinese herbs are accepted as an alternative medicine for specific treatment of illness. It is important to know the contents of these herbs that might cause gene mutation. Ten most popular herbs used in Malaysia were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. A total of 16 trace and major elements were determined and the concentration of elements varied depending on the origin of the herb. The study showed that the toxic elements found in the samples were below the levels prescribed by health regulations. The mutagenicity test showed that there was no toxic effect due to the heavy metals present in the herbs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New Linear and Star‐Shaped Thermogelling Poly([R]‐3‐hydroxybutyrate) Copolymers

The synthesis of multi‐arm poly([R]‐3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)‐based triblock copolymers (poly([R]‐3‐hydroxybutyrate)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐b‐[[poly(methyl ether methacrylate)‐g‐poly(ethylene glycol)]‐co‐[poly(methacrylate)‐g‐poly(propylene glycol)]], PHB‐b‐PNIPAAM‐b‐(PPEGMEMA‐co‐PPPGMA), and their subsequent self‐assembly into thermo‐responsive hydrogels is described. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAM) followed by poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA) and poly(propylene glycol) methacrylate (PPGMA) was achieved from bromoesterified multi‐arm PHB macroinitiators. The composition of the resulting copolymers was investigated by ¹H and ¹³C J‐MOD NMR spectroscopy as well as size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The copolymers featuring different architectures and distinct hydrophilic/hydrophobic contents were found to self‐assemble into thermo‐responsive gels in aqueous solution. Rheological studies indicated that the linear one‐arm PHB‐based copolymer tend to form a micellar solution, whereas the two‐ and four‐arm PHB‐based copolymers afforded gels with enhanced mechanical properties and solid‐like behavior. These investigations are the first to correlate the gelation properties to the arm number of a PHB‐based copolymer. All copolymers revealed a double thermo‐responsive behavior due to the NIPAAM and PPGMA blocks, thus allowing first the copolymer self‐assembly at room temperature, and then the delivery of a drug at body temperature (37 °C). The non‐significant toxic response of the gels, as assessed by the cell viability of the CCD‐112CoN human fibroblast cell line with different concentrations of the triblock copolymers ranging from 0.03 to 1 mg mL^?1, suggest that these PHB‐based thermo‐responsive gels are promising candidate biomaterials for drug‐delivery applications.