Low-loss chalcogenide waveguides on lithium niobate for the mid-infrared

We demonstrate low-loss chalcogenide (As(2)S(3)) waveguides on a LiNbO(3) substrate for the mid-IR wavelength (4.8 μm). Designed for single-mode propagation, they are fabricated through photolithography and dry-etching technology and characterized on a mid-IR measurement setup with a quantum cascade laser. For straight waveguides, propagation loss as low as 0.33 dB/cm is measured and low-loss bends on the order of 100 μm are simulated, with measurement results showing <3 dB for a 250 μm bend radius. The coupling efficiency is estimated to be 81%. In addition, the influences of variations in width and bend radius are also investigated.     

Nuclear ground state spins of short-lived strontium isotopes

Nuclear ground state spins of the odd-mass strontium isotopes between A=79 and 97 were determined by measurements of the hyperfine structure in the ionic transition 5s²S_1/2?5p²P_3/2. The spins of⁹³Sr and⁹⁷Sr are revised to I=5/2 and I=1/2, respectively, while assignments for the remaining isotopes are confirmed.     

The quadrupole moment of the neutron-halo nucleus11Li

The quadrupole moment ratio of⁹Li and¹¹Li was measured by a combination of in-beam laser induced nuclear polarization and Β-NMR in LiNbO₃. The result ¦Q(¹¹Li)/Q(⁹Li)¦=1.14(16) is consistent with cluster models describing¹¹Li as composed of a⁹Li core and a far extended halo of two loosely bound neutrons.     

BEC transition temperature of a dilute homogeneous imperfect Bose gas

The leading-order effect of interactions on a homogeneous Bose gas is theoretically predicted to shift the critical temperature by an amount DeltaT(c) approximately equal to ca(sc)n(1/3)T(0) from the ideal gas result T(0), where a(sc) is the scattering length, n is the density, and c is a pure number. There have been several different theoretical estimates for c. We claim to settle the issue by measuring the numerical coefficient in a lattice simulation of O(2) straight phi(4) field theory in three dimensions-an effective theory which, as observed previously in the literature, can be systematically matched to the dilute Bose gas problem to reproduce nonuniversal quantities such as the critical temperature. We find c = 1.32+/-0.02.     

Quasi phase matching in GaAs--AlAs superlattice waveguides through bandgap tuning by use of quantum-well intermixing

We report the observation of second-harmonic generation by type I quasi phase matching in a GaAs-AlAs superlattice waveguide. Quasi phase matching was achieved through modulation of the nonlinear coefficient chi((2))(zxy), which we realized by periodically tuning the superlattice bandgap. Second-harmonic generation was demonstrated for fundamental wavelengths from 1480 to 1520 nm, from the third-order gratings with periods from 10.5 to 12.4microm . The second-harmonic signal spectra demonstrated narrowing owing to the finite bandwidth of the quasi-phase-matching grating. An average power of ~110 nW was obtained for the second harmonic by use of an average launched pump power of ?2.3mW .     

Preface

In life sciences,molecules are categorized into biological macromolecules(protein,DNA,RNA etc.)and small molecules(neurotransmitters,vitamins,drugs,natural products,water etc.).The main methodology of chemistry for life sciences is using chemical techniques and tools to explore and manipulate the functions of biological macromolecules.This methodology can be traced back to W hler’s synthesis of urea from"inorganic"compounds in 1828.Today,we realize that chemistry can advance a molecular understanding of biology,and the harnessing of biology can advance chemical knowledge as well[1–4].Chemicals are widely used as probes to investigate biological functions[5–7].     

DI-(2,2,2-Trichloroethyl)-Carbonate: Byproduct in Reactions with 2,2,2-Trichloroethyl Chloroformate

2,2,2-Trichloroethyl chloroformate (1) in higher boiling solvents, particularly in the presence of potassium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate, affords undesired di-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)-carbonate (2) as a byproduct. When chemically pure chloroformate was used, addition of carbonates was found to be unnecessary in N-demethylation reactions.     

POLAR INTERACTIONS OF HYALURONIC ACID -EXPERIMENTS AND MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS-

ABSTRACT

To study the polar interactions of the cartilage component hyaluronate (HA) contact angle measurements of polymer films of sodium hyaluronate and of the free hyaluronic acid with different probe liquids and theoretical investigations with molecular dynamics simulation (MD) on polymer segments in aqueous environment were performed. For the designation of contact angles water, formamid, glycerol and α-bromnaphthalene as probe liquids were used. The surface tension components were calculated on the basis of the theory of van Oss using the Young equation. Experimental investigations were done with air dried layers of the sodium salt of HA whose surface has been formed at the interface to the air resp. glass support. Whereas the surface polymer/air is characterized by small, but non-zero values for γ^? and γ^-the surface polymer/glass tends to have γ^-monopolar properties. In opposite to the salt form of HA a strong repulsion of chains and high γ^- monopolarity was measured for the protonated form.

The molecular dynamics simulation (MD) on HA in water were carried out employing the force field CHARMM and the water model TIP3P. MD trajectories of HA tetramer subunit surrounded by approximately 950 water molecules were produced up to 3 ns. The interaction energies of HA and water, hydrogen bonding, and the orientation of water molecules at different solute atom groups were calculated. On the basis of energy and geometry criteria, the number of hydrogen bonds between the water molecules and the polymer acceptor atoms was determined to be between 10 and 15 per dimer unit.     

Nonstoichiometry in steps on AB crystals (I). General aspects,including bulk imperfections

Starting with a quasichemical treatment, simple model calculations are given for the equilibrium composition in surface steps containing A and B kinks, the amount and ratio of which is varied by changing the adjacent gas composition. In connection with deviations from step stoichiometry, the total amount of kinks increases strongly. A nearest neighbour approximation has been applied to the attachment of A or B atoms at kinks from the gas phase, and also from the bulk by formation of vacancies V_A or V_B. These processes can be formulated separately for the two elements, taking into account the effective formation of bulk atoms of the other kind (B_B or B_A).     

Synthesis of stereoregular poly(alkyl malolactonates)

Optically pure methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and benzyl (R)-malolactonate were prepared from (S)-(-)-malic acid and were polymerized in the bulk with tetraethylammonium benzoate as the initiator to yield high-molecular-weight, crystalline polymers. The optical purity of methyl and benzyl malolactonate was determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy of the β-lactone complexed with a chiral europium shift reagent. Enantiomeric excesses of 100% were found (the experimental error was 3%). Optically active poly(β-malic acid) was obtained from optically active poly[benzyl (S)-malate] by catalytic hydrogenolysis of the pendent benzyl esters. Ethyl and benzyl (R)-malolactonate were also copolymerized, and the benzyl esters of the resulting copolymer were converted into carboxylic acid units by hydrogenolysis.