Chirped-pulse amplification of ultraviolet femtosecond pulses by use of Ce(3+):LiCaAlF(6) as a broadband, solid-state gain medium

Chirped-pulse amplification in the ultraviolet region is demonstrated by use of a broadband Ce(3+): LiCaAlF(6) laser medium. A modified bow-tie-style four-pass amplifier pumped by 100-mJ, 266-nm pulses from a Q -switched Nd:YAG laser has a gain factor of 370 and delivers 6-mJ, 290-nm pulses. After dispersion compensation, the output pulses can be compressed to 115 fs.     

A Method for Measuring the Three-Dimensional Refractive-Index Distribution of Single Cells Using Proximal Two-Beam Optical Tweezers and a Phase-Shifting Mach—Zehnder Interferometer

This paper describes a method for measuring the three-dimensional (3D) refractive-index distribution in a single cell. The method can be used to observe the distribution of cell components without fluorescence staining. The two-dimensional optical path length distributions from multiple directions are obtained by non-contact rotation of the cell. These optical path lengths are converted into the line integrals of the refractive index, and the 3D refractive-index distribution is reconstructed by means of computed tomography. The refractive-index distribution in a breast cancer cell can be measured using a phase-shifting Mach—Zehnder interferometer in conjunction with proximal two-beam optical tweezers.     

Solubilization of C60 by micellization with a thermoresponsive block copolymer in water: Characterization,singlet oxygen generation,and DNA photocleavage

Water‐soluble diblock copolymer, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐block‐poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrroridone) (PNIPAM_m‐b‐PNVP_n), was found to associate with fullerene (C₆₀), and thus C₆₀ can be solubilized in water. The 63C₆₀/PNIPAM_m‐b‐PNVP_n micelle formed a core‐shell micelle‐like aggregate comprising a C₆₀/PNVP hydrophobic core and a thermoresponsive PNIPAM shell. The C₆₀‐containing polymer micelle formation and its thermoresponsive behavior were characterized using light scattering and ¹H NMR techniques. The hydrodynamic radius (R_h) of the C₆₀‐bound polymer micelle increased with increasing temperature, which was ascribed to the hydrophobic association between dehydrated PNIPAM shells above lower critical solution temperature (LCST). ¹H NMR data suggest that the motion of the PNIPAM block is restricted above LCST due to the dehydration of the PNIPAM shell in water. The generation of singlet oxygen by photosensitization by the C₆₀‐bound polymer micelle was confirmed from photooxidation of 9,10‐anthracenedipropionic acid. Furthermore, DNA was found to be cleaved by visible light irradiation in the presence of the C₆₀‐bound polymer micelle. Therefore, there may be a hope for a pharmaceutical application of the C₆₀‐bound polymer micelle to cancer photodynamic therapy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

Measurement of the solubility of metal complexes in supercritical carbon dioxide using a UV–vis spectrometer

A new apparatus based on the circulation method was developed to measure the solubility of metal complexes in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) at a wide range of temperatures and pressures. A UV–vis spectrometer, which was connected to a small saturation cell through optical fibers, was used to determine solubility. The solubilities of cobalt(III) acetylacetonate (Co(acac)₃) and chromium(III) acetylacetonate (Cr(acac)₃) in scCO₂ were measured to check the validity of both the apparatus and the method and to accumulate new solubility data. The solubility data for Cr(acac)₃ obtained in this study were in good agreement with the data reported in the literature.The measured solubilities of Co(acac)₃ and Cr(acac)₃ were also correlated with the empirical equation including the three adjustable parameters, based on the equation proposed by Chrastil. The parameters were determined by fitting the equation to the experimental data for each metal complex and the calculated results closely replicated the experimental data.     

Origins of hole doping and relevant optoelectronic properties of wide gap p-type semiconductor, LaCuOSe

LaCuOSe is a wide band gap (～2.8 eV) semiconductor with unique optoelectronic properties, including room-temperature stable excitons, high hole mobility ～8 cm(2)/(Vs), and the capability of high-density hole doping (up to 1.7 × 10(21) cm(-3) using Mg). Moreover, its carrier transport and doping behaviors exhibit nonconventional results, e.g., the hole concentration increases with decreasing temperature and the high hole doping does not correlate with other properties such as optical absorption. Herein, secondary ion mass spectroscopy and photoemission spectroscopy reveal that aliovalent ion substitution of Mg at the La site is not the main source of hole doping and the Fermi level does not shift even in heavily doped LaCuOSe:Mg. As the hole concentration increases, the subgap optical absorption becomes more intense, but the increase in intensity does not correlate quantitatively. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that planar defects composed of Cu and Se deficiencies are easily created in LaCuOSe. These observations can be explained via the existence of a degenerate low-mobility layer and formation of complex Cu and Se vacancy defects with the assistance of generalized gradient approximation band calculations.     

Effect of Initial Cell Concentration on Ethanol Production by Flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Xylose-Fermenting Ability

Different initial cell concentrations of a recombinant flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae MA-R4 were evaluated for their effects on xylose fermentation and glucose–xylose cofermentation. A high initial cell concentration greatly increased both the substrate utilization and ethanol production rates. During xylose fermentation, the highest rates of xylose consumption (2.58 g/L h) and ethanol production (0.83 g/L h) were obtained at an initial cell concentration of 13.1 g/L. During cofermentation, the highest rates of glucose consumption (14.4 g/L h), xylose consumption (2.79 g/L h), and ethanol production (6.68 g/L h) were obtained at an initial cell concentration of 12.7 g/L. However, a high initial cell density had no positive effect on the maximum ethanol concentration and ethanol yield mainly due to the increased amount of by-products including xylitol. The ethanol yield remained almost constant (0.34 g/g) throughout xylose fermentation (initial cell concentration range, 1.81–13.1 g/L), while it was slightly lower at high initial cell concentrations (9.87 and 12.7 g/L) during cofermentation. The determination of the appropriate initial cell concentration is necessary for the improvement of substrate utilization and ethanol yield.