Cooling-induced increase of methane cluster size investigated under a Coulomb explosion scheme

In this letter, we discuss the increase in the average cluster size by lowering the stagnation temperature of the methane （CH4） gas. The Coulomb explosion experiments are conducted to estimate the cluster size and the size distribution. The average CH4 cluster sizes Nay of 6 230 and 6 580 are acquired with the source conditions of 30 bars at 240 K and 60 bars at 296 K, respectively. Empirical estimation suggests a five-fold increase in the average size of the CH4 clusters at 240 K compared with that at room temperature under a backing pressure of 30 bars. A strong nonlinear Hagena parameter relation （Г^＊∝ T0^-3.3） for the CH4 clusters is revealed. The results may be favorable for the production of large-sized clusters by using gases at low temperature and high back pressures.     

Effect of aluminum co-doping on the formation of Yb2+ in Ytterbium-doped high silica glass

Yb3+ singly doped and Yb3+/Al3+ co-doped high silica glass samples are prepared,and their luminescent properties are investigated.Al3+ is considered as a beneficial activator for Yb3+-doped glass.However,the experimental result shows that the addition of Al3+ results in the transformation from Yb3+ to Yb2+ and the improvement in the photon luminescence of Yb2+.These characteristics indicate the role of Al3+ in Yb3+-doped glass.     

An analog of double electromagnetically induced transparency with extremely high group indexes

An asymmetric metamaterial exhibiting an analog of double electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT) in the middle-infrared region is reported.The metamaterial consists of two-layered arrays of Ushaped rings embedded in a medium,with the lower layer rotated by 90°.Our simulations demonstrate that both maximum group indexes are extremely high at the two EIT-like positions.The group index reaches about thrice the currently reported maximum value at the high-frequency EIT-like position.The transmittance at the two transparency positions also possesses extremely high Q factors,which is conducive to controlling the propagation of electromagnetic waves.     

Echelle dif fraction grating based high-resolution spectrometer-on-chip on SiON waveguide platform

An echelle diffraction grating based high-resolution spectrometer-on-chip on silicon oxynitride (SiON) waveguide platform operated at a wavelength range of 850 nm is demonstrated. The chip comprises 120 output waveguides with 0.25-nm wavelength channel spacing and has a size of only 11 × 6 (mm). The experimental results show that the insertion loss is-14 dB, the measured adjacent channel crosstalk is less than -25 dB, the 3 dB channel bandwidth is < 0.1 nm, and the channel non-uniformity is 3 dB for 56 channels with a wavelength ranging from 838 to 852 nm.     

On-line writing identical and weak fiber Bragg grating arrays

We investigate the on-line writing identical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) arrays using the phase mask technique. Given the limitation of laser power, the energy density uniformity and the horizontal width of the writing spot cannot be further optimized. The results show that the FBG arrays obtained in the optimal process (drawing speed of 12 ± 0.15 m/min and average tension of 38.2 g) have a central wavelength bandwidth of less than 0.1 nm and an average reflectivity of 0.26%. Thus, the phase mask method is a promising alternative for on-line writing identical FBG arrays.On-line writing identical and weak fiber Bragg grating arrays.     

Densification and lithium ion conductivity of garnet-type Li7-xLa3Zr2-xTaxO12 （x=0.25） solid electrolytes

The garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 ceramic is a promising solid electrolyte for all-solid-state secondary lithium batteries. However, it faces the problem of lithium volatilization during sintering, which may cause low density and deterioration of ionic conductivity. In this work, the effects of sintering temperature and addition on the density as well as the lithium ion conductivity of Li7-xLa3Zr2-xTaxO12 (LLZTO, x=0.25) ceramics prepared by solid state reaction have been studied. It is found that optimization of the sintering temperature leads to a minor increase in the ceramic density, yielding an optimum ionic conductivity of 2.9×10-4 S·cm-1 at 25℃. Introduction of Li 3 PO 4 addition in an appropriate concentration can obviously increase the density, leading to an optimum ionic conductivity of 7.2×10-4 S·cm-1 at 25℃. This value is superior to the conductivity data in most recent reports on the LLZTO ceramics.     

Effects of clouds, sea surface temperature, and its diurnal variation on precipitation efficiency

The effects of clouds, sea surface temperature, and its diurnal variation on precipitation efficiency are investigated using grid-scale data from nine equilibrium sensitivity cloud-resolving model experiments driven without large-scale vertical velocity. The precipitation efficiencies are respectively defined in surface rainfall, cloud, and rain microphysical budgets. We mathematically and physically demonstrate the relationship between these precipitation efficiencies. The 2℃ increases in spatiotemporal invariant sea surface temperature (SST) from 27℃ to 29℃ and from 29℃ to 31℃, and the inclusion of diurnal SST difference 1℃ and the 1℃ increase in diurnal SST difference generate opposite changes in the precipitation efficiency by changing ice cloud-radiation interactions. The radiative and microphysical processes of ice clouds have opposite effects on the precipitation efficiency because of the rainfall increase associated with the reduction in the saturation mixing ratio caused by the exclusion of radiative effects and the decrease in rainfall related to the reduction in net condensation caused by the exclusion of deposition processes. The radiative effects of water clouds on the precipitation efficiency are statistically insensitive to the radiative effects of ice clouds.     

On the monitoring model of reference point of VLBI antenna

Some insights and analysis are presented concerning the monitoring model of the VLBI(Very Long Baseline Interferometry) antenna,settings of parameters and selection of constraints to the observation equation,which are verified via data simulation analysis to be reasonable and effective.The effects of the number of targets and antenna orientations,the precision of target positioning observations,the observation outliers detection and deletion on the determination precision of antenna parameters are also analyzed,and some preliminary conclusions are given.     

Optical bistability based on surface plasmon coupled between two noble metal films involving Kerr materials

We successfully investigate an optical bistability phenomenon in a layered structure consisting of Kretschmann configuration involving the Kerr-type nonlinear and the silver film. Pure theoretical approaches are employed to investigate that the surface plasmon could easily be coupled and both the reflection and transmission curves versus the incident intensity forms optical bistability. The transmission curves are greatly influenced by the thickness of the second silver film. These results may be useful for designing novel surface plasmon-based optical devices and will be essential for future classical and quantum information processes.