Restoration of solar and star images with phase diversity-based blind deconvolution

The images recorded by a ground-based telescope are often degraded by atmospheric turbulence and the aberration of the optical system. Phase diversity-based blind deconvolution is an effective post-processing method that can be used to overcome the turbulence-induced degradation. The method uses an ensemble of short-exposure images obtained imultaneously from multiple cameras to jointly estimate the object and the wavefront distribution on pupil. Based on signal estimation theory and optimization theory, we derive the cost function and solve the large-scale optimization problem using a limited memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS) method. We apply the method to the urbulence degraded images generated with computer, the solar images acquired with the swedish vacuum solar telescope (SVST, 0.475m) in La Paima and the star images collected with 1.2-m telescope in Yunnan Observatory. In order to avoid edge effect in the restoration of the solar images, a modified Hanning apodized window is adopted.The star image till can be estored when the defocus distance is measured inaccurately. The restored results demonstrate that the method is efficient for removing the effect of turbulence and reconstructing the point-like or extended objects.     

Polarization-independent self-collimating bends and beam splitters in photonic crystals

Polarization independent bends and beam splitters for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations have been demonstrated in two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals (PhCs). In virtuel of equi-frequency contour analysis and finite-difference time-domain calculations, self-collimation behaviors for TE- and TM-polarizations are achieved at the same frequency. Simulation results show a 90-degree bend with 90% efficiency and beam splitters with about 96% total efficiency for both TE- and TMpolarizations, where the light is self-guided by the self-collimation effect. Such bends and beam splitters are expected to play important roles in optical devices where polarization insensitivity is needed.     

Study on optical gain of one-dimensional photonic crystals with active impurity

Localized fields in the defect mode of one-dimensional photonic crystals with active impurity are studied with the help of the theory of spontaneous emission from two-level atoms embedded in photonic crystals.Numerical simulations demonstrate that the enhancement of stimulated radiation, as well as the phenomena of transmissivity larger than unity and the abnormality of group velocity close to the edges of photonic band gap, are related to the negative imaginary part of the complex effective refractive index of doped layers. This means that the complex effective refractive index has a negative imaginary part, and that the impurity state with very high quality factor and great state density will occur in the photonic forbidden band if active impurity is introduced into the defect layer properly. Therefore, the spontaneous emission can be enhanced, the amplitude of stimulated emission will be very large and it occurs most probably close to the edges of photonic band gap with the fundamental reason, the group velocity close to the edges of band gap is very small or abnormal.     

Effect of hydroxyl groups on Er doped Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glasses

A series of Er³⁺-doped Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-SiO₂-Na₂O glasses with different hydroxyl groups were prepared and the interaction between the Er³⁺ ions and OH groups was investigated. Infrared spectra were measured in order to calculate the exact content of OH groups in samples. The observed increase of the fluorescence lifetime with the oxygen bubbling time has been related to the reduction in the OH content concentration evidenced by infrared (IR) absorption spectra, which confirmed that the OH groups were dominant quenching centers of excited Er³⁺ and a cause of concentration quenching of 1.5 μm band emission. Various nonradiative decay rates from ⁴I_13/2 of Er³⁺ with the change of OH content were determined from the fluorescence lifetimes and radiative decay rates, which were calculated on the basis of Judd-Ofelt theory.     

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.     

A new cyclic peptide from the marine fungal strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus</Emphasis> sp<Emphasis Type="Italic">.</Emphasis> AF119

A new cyclic heptapeptide containing γ-aminobutyric acid in the ring, namely unguisin E (1), was isolated from the fermentation culture of Aspergillus sp. AF119. The structure was elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments, and HR ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometry, and by comparison with those reported. Compound 1 was evaluated for its antimicrobial activities by the paper diffusion method.     

Synthesis and characterization of well‐defined lactic acid–PEG cooligomers and its tricarbonyl rhenium conjugates

This article describes the synthesis and characterization of hydroxyl tailored, molecularly defined biodegradable cooligomers capable of chelating rhenium for potential radiopharmaceuticals. New insights were gained during the synthesis of lactide based on dimethylaminopyridine‐catalyzed transesterification. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011