Depth-profiling the composition of bimetallic nanoparticles using medium energy ion scattering

The near monolayer depth resolution of medium energy ion scattering is utilized to develop a probe of the depth dependent composition of bimetallic nanoparticles supported on planar oxide supports. The approach fits spectra of scattered ion intensity versus ion energy at well-defined scattering angles taking into account the asymmetric line shape in such spectra and also the depth dependent loss processes encountered by incident ions as they pass through the bimetallic particles.     

Electro-optical tunable time delay and advance in a silicon feedback-microring resonator

We report the demonstration of electro-optical tunable time delay and advance using a silicon feedback-microring resonator integrated with p-i-n diodes. By controlling the feedback and round-trip phase shifts through the carrier-injection-based free-carrier dispersion effect, we obtain a large dynamic time tuning range (-88 ps to 110 ps) upon dc bias voltage change in the range of few tens of millivolts at a given resonance wavelength. We also demonstrate tunable time delay and advance at different resonance wavelengths within 0.76 nm wavelength range.     

Extending reference scan drift correction to high-magnification high-cone-angle tomography

The reference scan method is a simple yet powerful method for measuring spatial drift of the x-ray spot during a low-cone-angle μ-CT experiment. As long as the drift is smooth, and occurring on a time scale that is long compared to the acquisition time of each projection, this method provides a way to compensate for the drift by applying 2D in-plane translations to the radiographs. Here we show that this compensation may be extended to the regime of high-magnification, high-cone-angle CT experiments where source drift perpendicular to the detector plane can cause significant magnification changes throughout the acquisition.     

Counting atoms in a deep optical microtrap

We demonstrate a method to count small numbers of atoms held in a deep, microscopic optical dipole trap by collecting fluorescence from atoms exposed to a standing wave of light that is blue detuned from resonance. While scattering photons, the atoms are cooled by a Sisyphus mechanism that results from the spatial variation in light intensity. The use of a small blue detuning limits the losses due to light-assisted collisions, thereby making the method suitable for counting several atoms in a microscopic volume.     

Ultralow phase noise microwave generation with an Er:fiber-based optical frequency divider

We present an optical frequency divider based on a 200 MHz repetition rate Er:fiber mode-locked laser that, when locked to a stable optical frequency reference, generates microwave signals with absolute phase noise that is equal to or better than cryogenic microwave oscillators. At 1 Hz offset from a 10 GHz carrier, the phase noise is below -100 dBc/Hz, limited by the optical reference. For offset frequencies >10 kHz, the phase noise is shot noise limited at -145 dBc/Hz. An analysis of the contribution of the residual noise from the Er:fiber optical frequency divider is also presented.     

Picosecond pulses from a cryogenically cooled, composite amplifier using Yb:YAG and Yb:GSAG

A cryogenic Yb amplifier using two laser materials, Gd3Sc2Al3O12 and Y3Al5O12 (YAG), has been used to obtain 70 W average power at 5 kHz pulse repetition frequency; the output was compressed to 1.6 ps, compared with an input compressible to 1.4 ps. The gain broadening obtained by combining two media enables shorter pulses than using Yb:YAG alone but retains the power-scaling advantages of cryogenic Yb:YAG.     

Proton beam writing of Nd:GGG crystals as new waveguide laser sources

Focused proton beam writing has been utilized to fabricate optical channel waveguides in Nd:GGG crystals. The 1?MeV proton beam irradiation creates a local modified region with positive refractive index changes at the end of the proton trajectory, in which the channel waveguide could confine the light field in a symmetric way. Room-temperature laser emission has been achieved at 1063.7?nm, with absorbed pump power of 61?mW (at 808?nm). The obtained slope efficiency of the Nd:GGG waveguide laser system is as high as 66%, which is, to our best knowledge, the highest value for integrated lasers from ion beam processed channel waveguide systems.     

Measurement of the spatial backscattering impulse-response at short length scales with polarized enhanced backscattering

In this Letter, we describe an easy to implement technique to measure the spatial backscattering impulse-response at length scales shorter than a transport mean free path with resolution of better than 10 μm using the enhanced backscattering phenomenon. This technique enables spectroscopic measurements throughout the visible range and sensitivity to all polarization channels. Through a combination of Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements of latex microspheres, we explore the various sensitivities of our technique to both intrinsic sample properties and extrinsic instrumental properties. We conclude by demonstrating the extraordinary sensitivity of our technique to the shape of the scattering phase function, including higher order shape parameters than the anisotropy factor (or first moment).     

Beat-to-beat respiratory motion correction with near 100% efficiency: a quantitative assessment using high-resolution coronary artery imaging

This study quantitatively assesses the effectiveness of retrospective beat-to-beat respiratory motion correction (B2B-RMC) at near 100% efficiency using high-resolution coronary artery imaging. Three-dimensional (3D) spiral images were obtained in a coronary respiratory motion phantom with B2B-RMC and navigator gating. In vivo, targeted 3D coronary imaging was performed in 10 healthy subjects using B2B-RMC spiral and navigator gated balanced steady-state free-precession (nav-bSSFP) techniques. Vessel diameter and sharpness in proximal and mid arteries were used as a measure of respiratory motion compensation effectiveness and compared between techniques. Phantom acquisitions with B2B-RMC were sharper than those acquired with navigator gating (B2B-RMC vs. navigator gating: 1.01±0.02 mm⁻¹ vs. 0.86±0.08 mm⁻¹, P<.05). In vivo B2B-RMC respiratory efficiency was significantly and substantially higher (99.7%±0.5%) than nav-bSSFP (44.0%±8.9%, P<.0001). Proximal and mid vessel sharpnesses were similar (B2B-RMC vs. nav-bSSFP, proximal: 1.00±0.14 mm⁻¹ vs. 1.08±0.11 mm⁻¹, mid: 1.01±0.11 mm⁻¹ vs. 1.05±0.12 mm⁻¹; both P=not significant [ns]). Mid vessel diameters were not significantly different (2.85±0.39 mm vs. 2.80±0.35 mm, P=ns), but proximal B2B-RMC diameters were slightly higher (2.85±0.38 mm vs. 2.70±0.34 mm, P<.05), possibly due to contrast differences. The respiratory efficiency of B2B-RMC is less variable and significantly higher than navigator gating. Phantom and in vivo vessel sharpness and diameter values suggest that respiratory motion compensation is equally effective.     

Spectral target-detecting system using sine-wave modulation

Target detection is one of the key technology of precision chemical application.Previously the digital coding modulation technique was commonly used to emit and receive the optical signal in the target detection systems previously in China.It was difficult to adjust the output power,and the anti-interference ability was weak in these systems.In order to resolve these problems,the target detection method based on analog sine-wave modulation was studied.The spectral detecting system was set up in the aspects ...