Raman spectroscopy of vapors at elevated temperatures

The most effective way to obtain high quality vapor-phase Raman spectra is to heat the samples to increase their vapor pressure. Many samples can be heated to 350 °C and higher without decomposition. We have designed a simple Raman cell to allow these high temperature studies to be carried out. The high-temperature Raman spectra of nine molecules will be presented and discussed. Most of these are non-rigid molecules containing aromatic rings for which vibrational potential energy surfaces have been determined from their spectra. Two molecules (p-cresol and 3-methylindole) are model compounds for amino acids and their vapor-phase spectra are characteristic of environments with no hydrogen bonding.     

Photonic bandgap structures for long-range surface plasmon polaritons

Propagation of long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LR-SPPs) along periodically thickness-modulated metal stripes embedded in dielectric is studied both theoretically and experimentally for light wavelengths in the telecom range. We demonstrate that symmetric (with respect to the film surface) nm-size thickness variations result in the pronounced band gap effect, and obtain very good agreement between measured and simulated (transmission and reflection) spectra. This effect is exploited to realize a compact wavelength add-drop filter with the bandwidth of 20 nm centered at 1550 nm. The possibilities of achieving a full bandgap (in the surface plane) for LR-SPPs are also discussed.     

Synthesis of novel imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with potent activity against herpesviruses

[reaction: see text] Synthesis of a novel imidazopyridine with potent activity against herpes simplex viruses is presented. Several synthetic approaches that describe the introduction of a C-3 pyrimidine substituent on the imidazopyridine core via construction of the pyrimidine or Stille coupling are outlined. Methodology for efficient installation of C-8 amine substituents was developed. The outlined strategies provide a high-yielding, scalable route that is amenable to rapid analogue synthesis.     

Magnetic excitation spectra in BaFe2As2: a two-particle approach within a combination of the density functional theory and the dynamical mean-field theory method

We study the magnetic excitation spectra in the paramagnetic state of BaFe(2)As(2) from the ab initio perspective. Both the one-particle and the magnetic two-particle excitation spectra are determined within the combination of the density functional theory and the dynamical mean-field theory method. This method reproduces all the experimentally observed features in inelastic neutron scattering and relates them to both the one-particle excitations and the collective modes. The magnetic excitation dispersion is well accounted for by our theoretical calculation in the paramagnetic state without any broken symmetry; hence, nematic order is not needed to explain the inelastic neutron scattering experimental data.     

Synthesis of Novel Saccharide Hydrazones

Synthesis of important heterocyclic hydrazine derivatives N-aminopyrrolidine, N-aminopiperidine, and N-aminoazepane from hydrazine hydrate and dihalogenides were examined and optimized. These heterocyclic hydrazine derivatives were used in condensation reactions with six different monosaccharides to form corresponding hydrazones. Biological evaluations of these novel compounds, which are simple acyclic nucleoside analogs, were done. L-Arabinose N-aminoazepane hydrazone showed minor anti-HIV activity, giving a starting point for further structural modifications.     

Localization and waveguiding of surface plasmon polaritons in random nanostructures

We propose to use channels in strongly scattering nonabsorbing random media for guiding electromagnetic waves, and demonstrate this concept using near-field microscopy of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP's) propagating along the gold film surface covered with randomly located scatterers. In the wavelength range of 725-765 nm, we observe complete inhibition of the SPP propagation inside the random structures composed of approximately 50-nm-wide gold bumps and their clusters with the density of 50 microm(-2), as well as well-defined SPP guiding along corrugation-free 2- and 4-microm-wide channels.     

A cellular dynamical mean field theory approach to Mottness

We investigate the properties of a strongly correlated electron system in the proximity of a Mott insulating phase within the Hubbard model, using a cluster generalization of the dynamical mean field theory. We find that Mottness is intimately connected with the existence in momentum space of a surface of zeros of the single particle Green’s function. The opening of a Mott-Hubbard gap at half filling and the opening of a pseudogap at finite doping are necessary elements for the existence of this surface. At the same time, the Fermi surface may change topology or even disappear. Within this framework, we provide a simple picture for the appearance of Fermi arcs. We identify the strong short-range correlations as the source of these phenomena and we identify the cumulant as the natural irreducible quantity capable of describing this short-range physics. We develop a new version of the cellular dynamical mean field theory based on cumulants that provides the tools for a unified treatment of general lattice Hamiltonians.