Size Measurement of Very Small Spherical Particles by Mie Scattering Imaging (MSI)

The Mie Scattering Imaging method (MSI) gathers out‐of‐focus images of dispersed spherical particles present in a laser light sheet and extracts the individual particle diameter from these images. The general idea of the method has been around for more than a decade and a number of papers has dealt with it over recent years. Our work focuses on small particle sizes from 20 μm down to 2 μm, a range which has not been tackled so far although it is of great importance in particle systems. We present an optical set‐up with a special arrangement of camera lenses that allows to work in this range. An evaluation algorithm based on correlation of the experimental optical information with theoretical Mie scattering was found to give the most accurate results for particle sizing. Besides accuracy measurements on solid spheres the versatility of the method is demonstrated by an example of transient droplet growth between 2–7 μm.     

A Theoretical and Experimental Study to Measure the Concentration and Particle Size Distribution in Two‐Phase Flows

Based on light scattering theory, an optical method is presented for measuring the concentration and particle size distribution of the dispersed phase in two‐phase flows. A prototype was also constructed. Comprehensive computer simulation and numerical calculations were carried out to calibrate the correctness of this method. An experimental study was also performed in gas–solid and gas–liquid two‐phase flows. The results of the measurements are given and discussed in detail.     

Simultaneous Measurement of Particle Size and Particle Velocity by the Spatial Filtering Technique

The objective of this study was to compare the measuring results of a fiber‐optical probe based on a modified spatial filtering technique with given size distributions of different test powders and also with particle velocity values of laser Doppler measurements. Fiber‐optical spatial filtering velocimetry was modified by fiber‐optical spot scanning in order to determine simultaneously the size and the velocity of particles. The fiber‐optical probe system can be used as an in‐line measuring device for sizing of particles in different technical applications. Spherical test particles were narrow‐sized glass beads in the range 30–100 μm and irregularly shaped test particles were limestone particles in the range 10–600 μm. Particles were dispersed by a brush disperser and the measurements were carried out at a fixed position in a free particle‐laden air stream. Owing to the measurement of chord lengths and to the influence of diffraction and divergent angle, the probe results show differences from the given test particle sizes. Owing to the particle‐probe collisions, the mean velocity determined by the probe is smaller than the laser Doppler mean velocity.     

Electrochemical functionalisation of SWNTs with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) evidenced by anti‐Stokes/Stokes Raman spectroscopy

The capability of anti‐Stokes/Stokes Raman spectroscopy to evaluate chemical interactions at the interface of a conducting polymer/carbon nanotubes is demonstrated. Electrochemical polymerisation of the monomer 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) on a Au support covered with a single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) film immersed in a LiClO₄/CH₃CN solution was carried out. At the resonant optical excitation, which occurs when the energy of the exciting light coincides with the energy of an electronic transition, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) deposited electrochemically as a thin film of nanometric thickness on a rough Au support presents an abnormally intense anti‐Stokes Raman spectrum. The additional increase in Raman intensity in the anti‐Stokes branch observed when PEDOT is deposited on SWNTs is interpreted as resulting from the excitation of plasmons in the metallic nanotubes. A covalent functionalisation of SWNTs with PEDOT both in un‐doped and doped states takes place when the electropolymerisation of EDOT, with stopping at +1.6 V versus Ag/Ag⁺, is performed on a SWNT film deposited on a Au plate. The presence of PEDOT covalently functionalised SWNTs is rationalised by (1) a downshift by a few wavenumbers of the polymer Raman line associated with the symmetric C C stretching mode and (2) an upshift of the radial breathing modes of SWNTs, both variations revealing an interaction between SWNTs and the conjugated polymer. Raman studies performed at different excitation wavelengths indicate that the resonant optical excitation is the key condition to observe the abnormal anti‐Stokes Raman effect. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phonon confinement and substitutional disorder in Cd1−xZnxS nanocrystals

1‐longitudinal optical (LO) phonons in free‐standing mixed Cd_1−xZn_xS nanocrystals, synthesized using chemical precipitation, are investigated using Raman spectroscopy. As expected for the nanocrystals, the 1‐LO modes are found to appear at slightly lower wavenumbers than those in the bulk mixed crystals and exhibit one‐mode behavior. On the other hand, the line broadening is found to be much more than that can be accounted on the basis of phonon confinement. From the detailed line‐shape analysis it turns out that the substitutional disorder in the mixed crystals contributes much more to the line broadening than the phonon confinement. The linewidth arising from these mechanisms are also extracted from the analysis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved Self‐Energy Calculations for Pressure Broadening of Spectral Lines in Dense Plasmas

Pressure broadening of Lyman‐lines of hydrogen‐like lithium (Li²⁺) has been studied using a quantum statistical approach to the line shape in dense plasmas, for details see [1]. In this communication, we concentrate on the electronic self‐energy, which is a basic input to the theory of spectral line profiles. We discuss the effect of strong, i.e. close, collisions which have been neglected so far for Li²⁺ plasmas, but play generally an important role in dense plasmas, as has been shown in [2]. We present a method to calculate an improved electronic self‐energy including strong collisions based on a two‐body T‐matrix and an effective optical potential. The method is tested for level broadening of the ground state of hydrogen (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ultrafast on‐Chip Remotely‐Triggered All‐Optical Switching Based on Epsilon‐Near‐Zero Nanocomposites

On‐chip‐triggered all‐optical switching is a key component of ultrahigh‐speed and ultrawide‐band information processing chips. 1 - 4 This switching technique, the operating states of which are triggered by a remote control light, paves the way for the realization of cascaded and complicated logic processing circuits and quantum solid chips. Here, a strategy is reported to realize on‐chip remotely‐triggered, ultralow‐power, ultrafast, and nanoscale all‐optical switching with high switching efficiency in integrated photonic circuits. It is based on control‐light induced dynamic modulation of the coupling properties of two remotely‐coupled silicon photonic crystal nanocavities, and extremely large optical nonlinearity enhancement associated with epsilon‐near‐zero multi‐component nanocomposite achieved through dispersion engineering. Compared with previous reports of on‐chip direct‐triggered all‐optical switching, the threshold control intensity, 560 kW/cm², is reduced by four orders of magnitude, while maintaining ultrafast switching time of 15 ps. This not only provides a strategy to construct photonic materials with ultrafast and large third‐order nonlinearity, but also offers an on‐chip platform for the fundamental study of nonlinear optics.     

三线阵测绘相机光学系统的杂光分析与计算

针对光学系统的杂光导致三线阵测绘相机成像质量下降的问题,根据光学系统的设计结果,对相机入口处的杂光能量、像面杂光辐照度、杂光系数等进行了分析与计算,提出了合理的杂光抑制措施。利用ThermalDesktop软件和Light—Tools软件,对三线阵立体测绘相机各光学系统进行分析与模拟计算,得到其杂光系数均小于5％。最后进行了光学实验,并利用面源法测试了杂光系数。检测结果验证了杂光分析与研究方法的正确性以及杂光抑制措施的可行性。     

Absorption and Scattering of Light by Highly Concentrated Two‐phase Flows

The spray cone emerging during an extended metal atomization process (called spray forming) has been investigated in order to quantify the influence of highly concentrated multiphase flows on phase‐Doppler‐anemometry (PDA) measurements. Using this non‐intrusive, optical measurement technique not only the local particle size and velocity distributions of the spray can be obtained but also additional information about the mass flux in the multiphase flow. Since standard phase‐Doppler systems can be easily applied to low concentrated particle systems (spherical particles with smooth surfaces and an optical transparent continuous phase taken for granted) the application of this measurement technique to highly concentrated multiphase flows is more complex. Both the laser light propagating from the PDA device to the probe volume and the scattered one going backward to the PDA receiving system are disturbed by passing the highly concentrated multiphase flow. The resulting significant loss in signal quality especially concerns the measurement of the smaller particles of the spray because of their reduced silhouette (in comparison with the bigger ones). Thus, the detection of the smallest particles becomes partially impossible leading to measurement of a distorted diameter distribution of the entire particle collective. In this study the distortions of the measured distributions dependent on the particle number concentration as well as on the path length of the laser light are discussed.     

Nanosilicon photonics

Silicon photonics is no longer an emerging field of research and technology but a present reality with commercial products available on the market, where low‐dimensional silicon (nanosilicon or nano‐Si) can play a fundamental role. After a brief history of the field, the optical properties of silicon reduced to nanometric dimensions are introduced. The use of nano‐Si, in the form of Si nanocrystals, in the main building blocks of silicon photonics (waveguides, modulators, sources and detectors) is reviewed and discussed. Recent advances of nano‐Si devices such as waveguides, optical resonators (linear, rings, and disks) are treated. Emphasis is placed on the visible optical gain properties of nano‐Si and to the sensitization effect on Er ions to achieve infrared light amplification. The possibility of electrical injection in light‐emitting diodes is presented as well as the recent attempts to exploit nano‐Si for solar cells. In addition, nonlinear optical effects that will enable fast all‐optical switches are described.     

Nano‐imaging through tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy: Stepping beyond the classical limits

The spatial resolution in optical imaging is restricted by so‐called diffraction limit, which prevents it to be better than about half of the wavelength of the probing light. Tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), which is based on the SPP‐induced plasmonic enhancement and confinement of light near a metallic nanostructure, can however, overcome this barrier and produce optical images far beyond the diffraction limit. Here in this article, the basic phenomenon involved in TERS is reviewed, and the high spatial resolution achieved in optical imaging through this technique is discussed. Further, it is shown that when TERS is combined with some other physical phenomena, the spatial resolution can be dramatically improved. Particularly, by including tip‐applied extremely localized pressure in TERS process, it has been demonstrated that a spatial resolution as high as 4 nm could be achieved.     

Formation of three‐dimensional GaAs microstructures by combination of wet and metal‐assisted chemical etching

Previously, plasma‐enhanced dry etching has been used to generate three‐dimensional GaAs semiconductor structures, however, dry etching induces surface damages that degrade optical properties. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication method forming various types of GaAs microstructures through the combination etching process using the wet‐chemical solution. In this method, a gold (Au)‐pattern is employed as an etching mask to facilitate not only the typical wet etching but also the metal‐assisted chemical etching (MacEtch). High‐aspect‐ratio, tapered GaAs micropillars are produced by using [HF]:[H₂O₂]:[EtOH] as an etching solution, and their taper angle can be tuned by changing the molar ratio of the etching solution. In addition, GaAs microholes are formed when UV light is illuminated during the etching process. Since the wet etching process is free of the surface damage compared to the dry etching process, the GaAs microstructures demonstrated to be well formed here are promising for the applications of III–V optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, laser diodes, and photonic crystal devices. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Back focal plane imaging of Tamm plasmons and their coupled emission

The unique optical properties of Tamm plasmons (TPs) – such as flexible wavevector matching conditions including inplane wavevector within the light line, and existing both S‐ and P‐polarized TPs − facilitate them for direct optical excitation. The Tamm plasmon‐coupled emission (TPCE) from a combined photonic–plasmonic structure sustaining both surface plasmons (SPs) and TPs is described in this paper. The sensitivity of TPCE to the emission wavelength and polarization is examined with back focal plane imaging and verified with the numerical calculations. The results reveal that the excited probe can couple with both TPs and SPs, resulting in surface plasmon‐coupled emission (SPCE) and TPCE, respectively. The TPCE angle is strongly dependent on the wavelength allowing for spectral resolution using different observation angles. These Tamm structures provide a new tool to control the optical emission from dye molecules and have many potential applications in fluorescence‐based sensing and imaging.     

Characterization and on‐line adjustment of the sagittal‐bent Laue crystal profile

The sagittal‐bent Laue monochromator can provide an ideal way to focus high‐energy X‐ray beams. However, the anticlastic curvature induced by sagittal bending has a great influence on the crystal performance. Thus, characterizing the bent‐crystal shape is very important for predicting the performance of the bent‐crystal monochromator. In this paper the crystal profile is measured by off‐line optical metrology and on‐line X‐ray experiments. The off‐line results showed that the bent‐crystal surface could be well fitted to a saddle surface apart from a redundant cubic term which was related to the different couples applied on the crystal. On‐line characterization of the meridional and the sagittal radius of the bent crystal includes double‐crystal topography and ray‐tracing measurement. In addition, the double‐crystal topography experiment could be used as a quick diagnostic method for the bending condition adjustment. The sagittal radius of the bent crystal was characterized through a ray‐tracing experiment by using a particularly designed tungsten mask. Moreover, rocking curves under different bending conditions were measured as well. The results were highly consistent with analytical results derived from the elastic theory. Furthermore, radii along different vertical positions under various bending conditions were measured and showed a quadratic relationship between the vertical positions and the meridional radii.     

Few‐optical‐cycle light pulses with passive carrier‐envelope phase stabilization

One of the most advanced frontiers of ultrafast optics is the control of carrier‐envelope phase (CEP) ϕ of light pulses, which enables the generation of optical waveforms with reproducible electric field profile. Such control is important for pulses with few‐optical‐cycle duration, for which a CEP variation produces a strong change in the waveform, so that strongly nonlinear optical phenomena, such as multiphoton absorption, above‐threshold ionization and high‐harmonic generation become CEP‐dependent. In particular, CEP control is the prerequisite for the production of isolated attosecond pulses. Standard laser systems generate pulses that are CEP unstable; the CEP can be stabilized using either active or passive methods. Passive, all‐optical schemes rely on difference‐frequency generation (DFG) between two pulses sharing the same CEP: in this process the phases of the two pulses add up with opposite signs, leading to cancellation of the shot‐to‐shot CEP fluctuations. This paper presents an overview of passive CEP stabilization schemes, starting from the basic concepts and progressing to the details of the practical implementations of the idea. The passive approach allows the generation of CEP‐controlled few‐optical‐cycle pulses covering a very broad range of parameters in terms of carrier frequency (from visible to mid‐IR), energy (up to several mJs) and repetition rate (up to hundreds of kHz)     

Enhanced Near‐Infrared Shielding and Light Scattering Using Surface‐Roughened Hybrid Hollow Microparticles Synthesized with Polymer and TiO2@Al(OH)3 for Cosmetic Applications

Some materials and their micro‐/nanostructures are explored to shield near‐infrared (NIR) light. However, the structural role of polymeric matrices in terms of the sensitivity to NIR light and the scattering/absorption characteristics of particles bearing inorganic colloids lack understanding. To understand this issue further, a polymer–inorganic hybrid microparticle is synthesized, where submicrometer‐sized TiO₂ core‐thin aluminium hydroxide shell colloids (TiO₂@Al(OH)₃) are dispersed in a roughened polymer hollow particle matrix. They exhibit higher light extinction at NIR frequencies and higher light scattering efficiencies in the NIR regions compared to hybrid solid microparticles and a simple mixture of inorganic and polymer hollow microparticles. Owing to these characteristics, a cosmetic formulation containing the roughened hybrid hollow microparticles effectively suppresses the increase in the temperatures of artificial skin upon the illumination of a simulated sunlight, without displaying skin whitening which is caused by including much inorganic colloids in the formulation. The present results are helpful to those who manipulate the optical characteristics of inorganic particles whose geometries are hardly tailored. The results are also practically helpful to those who want to block NIR light by reducing the amount of inorganic particles.     

相位共轭多模光纤传像偏振特性及对像传输的影响

本文分析并研究了用相位复共轭进行单根多模光纤传像时的光线偏振特性及其对像传输的影响.提出了检偏滤波方法,用这种方法可以十分有效地减少噪声,提高图像质量.本文给出了理论分析及实验结果,获得40linls/mm分辨率的传输图像.     

Micro‐Raman spectroscopy and SEM/EDX applied to improve the zircon fission track method used for dating geological formations

The zircon mineral is widely studied in geochronology. In the case of the fission track method (FTM), the age is determined by the density of fission tracks at the zircon surface, which can be observed with an optical microscope after an appropriate chemical treatment (etching). The etching must be isotropic at the zircon grain surface to be used in the FTM, which leads those zircon grains whose etching is anisotropic to be discarded. The only reason for this discarding is the nonuniform morphology of the surface grain seen by optical microscopy, that is, no further physicochemical analysis is performed. In this work, combining micro‐Raman and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study the etching anisotropy, it was shown that zircon grains that present at least one area at the surface where the density of fission track is uniform can be used in the FTM. The micro‐Raman showed characteristic spectra of the standard zircon sample either from the areas where there are tracks or from where there are not. The only difference found was in the Raman bandwidths, which were broader for the areas with higher density of fission tracks. This suggests simply a decrease in the relative percentage of the crystalline/amorphous phases at these areas. The SEM/energy dispersive spectrometry (EDX) showed that there were no significant differences in the principal chemical composition at the areas with and without fission tracks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New features in the anti‐Stokes and Stokes Raman spectra of single‐walled carbon nanotubes that are highly separated into their semiconducting and metallic nanotube components

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering studies were performed using nonresonant (514.5 nm) and resonant (676.4 nm) optical excitations on single‐walled carbon nanotubes thoroughly separated into semiconducting (pure 99%) and metallic (pure 98%) components. Regardless of the support (Au or Ag), the metallic nanotubes do not present an anomalous anti‐Stokes Raman emission. Regardless of whether an on‐resonant or off‐resonant optical excitation is used, only the semiconducting nanotubes produce an abnormal anti‐Stokes Raman emission that grows when increasing the excitation light intensity or temperature. The Raman studies under light polarized relative to the main nanotube axis demonstrate that only semiconducting nanotubes are sensitive toward changes in the polarization of the excitation light. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Instantaneous shifted‐excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (iSERDS)

Shifted‐excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) is an experimental method to recover spontaneous Raman spectra despite the presence of strong fluorescence interference. The common scheme requires a tunable laser source and recording two spectra after each other. In this paper, an approach for instantaneous SERDS (iSERDS) is presented utilizing a broadband light source. The broadband radiation is spatially dispersed in the focal plane inside the object of investigation. The generated scattering signal is imaged onto the slit of an imaging spectrograph. The individual pixel lines on the detector represent Raman spectra with slightly shifted excitation wavelength and hence allow SERDS spectra to be derived. The proposed iSERDS technique is a suitable approach for obtaining Raman spectra from fluorescing samples provided they are homogenous on the length scale of the measurement volume. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.