A Polarization-Stabilized Fiber-Optical Output Infrared Laser Source

In this paper, we successfully invented a polarization controlled light source for coherent or noncoherent fiber communication systems. The structure of our experiment includes 89C51 control board and feedback circuit which can stabilize states of polarization (SOPs) of output light. From the SOP modulation results, the given degree of polarization can be effectively controlled and the polarization state can be arbitrarily changed.     

Nanolayer parametric instability in near-field optics

Parametric decay of electromagnetic waves into two Langmuir oscillations near the quarter critical density is suggested as being attributable to an enhanced electric field and to surface-enhanced Raman scattering in near-field optics. A nanolayer of silver aggregates localizes the wave in the evanescent region to a one-wavelength span and results in a wave-number mismatch as well as in a reduced growth rate. The fastest-growing mode has a growth rate that scales with the square root of the nanolayer's thickness.     

Direct imaging of multimode interference in a channel waveguide

By use of a near-field scanning optical microscope in collection mode, multimode interference was directly measured in an annealed proton-exchanged LiNbO3 waveguide. Periodic transitions from a single-peaked Gaussianlike intensity distribution to a double-peaked intensity distribution were observed. The intensity distribution along the waveguide was calculated, and the results agree well with the experimental observation.     

First search for the flavor changing neutral current decay D0-->gammagamma

Using 13.8 fb(-1) of data collected at or just below the Upsilon(4S) with the CLEO detector, we report the result of a search for the flavor changing neutral current process D0-->gammagamma. We observe no significant signal for this decay mode and determine 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions B(D0-->gammagamma)/B(D0-->pi(0)pi(0))<0.033 and B(D0-->gammagamma)<2.9 x 10(-5).     

Anisotropic disorder in high-mobility 2D heterostructures and its correlation to electron transport

Surface morphology of high-mobility heterostructures is examined and correlated with dc transport. All samples examined show evidence of lines in the [11-0] direction with roughness ranging from small-amplitude features to severe anisotropic ridges. Transport in these samples is consistent with that in samples having artificially induced 1D charge modulations. The native surface properties reflect a prevalent, anisotropic disorder affecting 2D electron conduction. Importantly, the native lines are orthogonal to the stripes theoretically proposed to explain high Landau level transport anisotropies.     

Real-time monitoring of all-optical poling of azo-dye polymer thin film

Simultaneous writing and probing of photoinduced second-order susceptibility chi((2)) in an azo-dye polymer thin film is demonstrated. The method is based on the fact that tensor properties of chi((2)) provide different planes of polarization for seeding and signal second harmonics. Our technique allows the chi((2)) value to be monitored in real time, completely eliminating the distortion of optical poling that can occur in traditional probing configurations. The possibility of attaining high values of chi((2)) in a DR1-PMMA guest?host system under low seeding intensities is shown.     

Evaluation of nanoparticle emission for TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanopowder coating materials

In this study, nanoparticle emission of TiO₂ nanopowder coated on different substrates including wood, polymer, and tile, was evaluated in a simulation box and measured with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) for the first time. The coating process for the substrate followed the instructions given by the supply company. In the simulation box, UV light, a fan, and a rubber knife were used to simulate the sun light, wind, and human contacting conditions. Among the three selected substrates, tile coated with TiO₂ nanopowder was found to have the highest particle emission (22 #/cm³ at 55 nm) due to nanopowder separation during the simulation process. The UV light was shown to increase the release of particle below 200 nm from TiO₂ nanopowder coating materials. The results show that, under the conditions of UV lamps, a fan and scraping motion, particle number concentration or average emission rate decreases significantly after 60 and 90 min for TiO₂/polymer and TiO₂/wood, respectively. However, the emission rate continued to increase after 2 h of testing for TiO₂/tile. It is suggested that nanoparticle emission evaluation is necessary for products with nanopowder coating.     

Microstructural and compositional studies of liquid-phase deposition derived PbTiO3 thin films on LaNiO3 substrates

PbTiO₃ thin films were successfully deposited on the LaNiO₃ (LNO) substrates by the liquid-phase deposition (LPD) method and post-annealing at various temperatures. The structure, morphology and composition of the films were investigated by some analytical techniques. The as-deposited films are amorphous and composed of densely packed spherical particles. The films with the grain size of 180 nm start to decompose and crystallize into perovskite structure at 450 °C and show a perovskite single phase with tetragonal structure after annealing at 650 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveals that the as-deposited film contains fluorine and carbon as major impurities. Fluorine could be completely eliminated by annealing at 650 °C in air.     

Rotation selectivity of random phase encoding in volume holograms

We present the study of angular selectivity for holographic multiplexing based on random phase encoding by a ground glass. The rotational selectivity of the volume hologram is calculated theoretically and coincides with the experimental measurement. By controlling the parameters including rotational center, effective numerical aperture of both volume hologram and the ground glass, we can obtain different rotational selectivity applied to random phase encoding in volume holographic storage.     

LC-MS Quantification of Site-Specific Phosphorylation Degree by Stable-Isotope Dimethyl Labeling Coupled with Phosphatase Dephosphorylation

Protein phosphorylation is a crucial post-translational modification that plays an important role in the regulation of cellular signaling processes. Site-specific quantitation of phosphorylation levels can help decipher the physiological functions of phosphorylation modifications under diverse physiological statuses. However, quantitative analysis of protein phosphorylation degrees is still a challenging task due to its dynamic nature and the lack of an internal standard simultaneously available for the samples differently prepared for various phosphorylation extents. In this study, stable-isotope dimethyl labeling coupled with phosphatase dephosphorylation (DM + deP) was tried to determine the site-specific degrees of phosphorylation in proteins. Firstly, quantitation accuracy of the (DM + deP) approach was confirmed using synthetic peptides of various simulated phosphorylation degrees. Afterwards, it was applied to evaluate the phosphorylation stoichiometry of milk caseins. The phosphorylation degree of Ser130 on α-S1-casein was also validated by absolute quantification with the corresponding synthetic phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated peptides under a selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Moreover, this (DM + deP) method was used to detect the phosphorylation degree change of Ser82 on the Hsp27 protein of HepG2 cells caused by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) treatment. The results showed that the absolute phosphorylation degree obtained from the (DM + deP) approach was comparable with the relative quantitation resulting from stable-isotope dimethyl labeling coupled with TiO₂ enrichment. This study suggested that the (DM + deP) approach is promising for absolute quantification of site-specific degrees of phosphorylation in proteins, and it may provide more convincing information than the relative quantification method.