Exponential decay lifetimes of excitons in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes

The dynamics of excitons in individual semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes was studied using time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL decay from tubes of the same (n,m) type was found to be monoexponential, however, with lifetimes varying between less than 20 and 200 ps from tube to tube. Competition of nonradiative decay of excitons is facilitated by a thermally activated process, most likely a transition to a low-lying optically inactive trap state that is promoted by a low-frequency phonon mode.     

Highly stretched single polymers: atomic-force-microscope experiments versus ab-initio theory

Experimental single-molecule stretching curves for three backbone architectures (single-stranded DNA, various types of peptides, polyvinylamine) are quantitatively compared with corresponding quantum-chemical (zero-temperature) ab-initio calculations in the high-force range of up to two nanonewtons. For high forces, quantitative agreement is obtained with the contour length of the polymers as the only fitting parameter. For smaller forces, the effects of chain fluctuations are accounted for by using recent theoretical results for the stretching response of a freely-rotating-chain model.     

Synthesis,characterisation, luminescence and defect centres in solution combustion synthesised CaZrO3:Tb3+ phosphor

Tb³⁺ doped CaZrO₃ has been prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. The combustion derived powder was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. A room temperature photoluminescence study showed that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by 251 nm light with a weak emission in the blue and orange region and a strong emission in green light region. CaZrO₃:Tb³⁺ exhibits three thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks at 126 °C, 200 °C and 480 °C. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to study the defect centres induced in the phosphor by gamma irradiation and also to identify the centres responsible for the TL peaks. The room temperature ESR spectrum of irradiated phosphor appears to be a superposition of two distinct centres. One of the centres (centre I) with principal g-value 2.0233 is identified as an O^? ion. Centre II with an axial symmetric g-tensor with principal values g_=1.9986 and g_?=2.0023 is assigned to an F⁺ centre (singly ionised oxygen vacancy). An additional defect centre is observed during thermal annealing experiments and this centre (assigned to F⁺ centre) seems to originate from an F centre (oxygen vacancy with two electrons). The F centre and also the F⁺ centre appear to correlate with the observed high temperature TL peak in CaZrO₃:Tb³⁺ phosphor.     

Atomic coherence effects in the ion-trap laser

The influence of atomic coherence effects on the statistical and spectral properties of the ion-trap laser is investigated. Various pump configurations are considered for a realistic level scheme using a Ca ion. Compared to previous suggestions, 50% more output is obtained.     

A Deformation-Theoretical Approach to Weyl Quantization on Riemannian Manifolds

By using a sheaf-theoretical language, we introduce a notion of deformation quantization allowing not only for formal deformation parameters but also for real or complex ones as well. As a model for this approach to deformation quantization, we construct a quantization scheme for cotangent bundles of Riemannian manifolds. Here, we essentially use a complete symbol calculus for pseudodifferential operators on a Riemannian manifold. Depending on a scaling parameter, our quantization scheme corresponds to normally ordered, Weyl or antinormally ordered quantization. Finally, it is shown that our quantization scheme induces a family of pairwise isomorphic strongly closed star products on a cotangent bundle.     

Endolaryngeal contact pressures

In this work, we present a new method for in vivo endolaryngeal contactpressure measurement with a miniature pressure transducer. Using this methodology, contact pressures can be measured during videoendoscopy at different locations between the artyenoids and also at various locations along the membranous vocal folds. Twenty adults with organic and functional voice disorders and two vocally healthy adults participated as subjects. Endolaryngeal contact pressure measures were made during a series of phonatory tasks varying pitch, loudness, and phonatory onset and offset. Measures were also made during nonphonatory tasks, including throat clearing, coughing, Valsalva maneuvres, and gagging. The most remarkable findings were: (1) interarytenoid contact pressures were considerably greater than intraglottal contact pressures; (2) interarytenoid contact pressures were greater for lower than higher pitches; (3) both interarytenoid and intraglottal contact pressures were remarkably large during hard glottal attack; and (4) overall, the largest endolaryngeal pressures were recorded between the arytenoids, during a thoracic fixation maneuver and during gag reflex.This work was supported in part by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (He 2869/1-1), by a grant from the “Verein zur Förderung hör-, sprach- und stimmgestörter Patienten an der FU Berlin e.V.” (nonprofit organization), Berlin, Germany, and by Grant No. K08 DC00139 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.     

Riddled basins of coupled elastic arches

Riddled basins are shown to occur in a simple mechanical device consisting of masses and springs. Convergence probabilities versus deviations in the initial conditions are quantified by three independent methods, all leading to scale-invariance over many decades. Conditions exist for the occurrence of two-state on-off intermittency involving switching between predictable and unpredictable oscillations.