Cross-gain modulation in closely spaced energy states quantum dash semiconductor optical amplifiers

A detailed small-signal analysis of cross-gain modulation is performed for closely spaced energy state quantum dash (QDsh) semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The analysis takes into account the carrier transition in all electron and hole states, the gain dispersion of the active layer, the effect of the energy detuning between the probe and pump signals and the effect of doping on the characteristics of cross-gain wavelength conversion. Our analysis reveals that broadband conversion efficiency can be obtained in QDsh SOA when the energy of the pump signal is at − 20 meV below the ground state. Also we find that large 3 dB bandwidth can be achieved when the energy of the pump and the probe signals is at + 30 meV. Our analysis shows that doping the dashes with P-type concentration can enhance the efficiency and the intrinsic 3 dB bandwidth of cross-gain wavelength conversion.     

Contrast ratio and hysteresis width of optical bistability in quantum-dot vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers integrated with MEMS membrane

The characteristics of optical bistability in quantum dot vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifier integrated with MEMS membrane have been investigated, and a closed-form model is derived taking into account the effect of the quantum dot discrete states and the membrane deflection and reflectivity. We show that small membrane deflection significantly adjusts the resonant wavelength, the contrast ratios and the hysteresis width. The shape of the input–output characteristics of the device can be adjusted to display clockwise, butterfly and counterclockwise hysteresis loops depending on the membrane deflection and the initial wavelength detuning. Our analysis reveals that the contrast ratios of the upper and lower bistable levels are totally different. Also, it has been shown that the characteristics of the bistability are strong function of the active layer linewidth enhancement factor and the membrane reflectivity.     

Motion of charged particles in a NUTty Einstein–Maxwell spacetime and causality violation

We investigate the motion of electrically charged test particles in spacetimes with closed timelike curves, a subset of the black hole or wormhole Reissner–Nordström-NUT spacetimes without periodic identification of time. We show that, while in the wormhole case there are closed worldlines inside a potential well, the wordlines of initially distant charged observers moving under the action of the Lorentz force can never close or self-intersect. This means that for these observers causality is preserved, which is an instance of our weak chronology protection criterion.     

Copper-Catalyzed Electrophilic Thiolation of Organozinc Halides by Using N-Thiophthalimides Leading to Polyfunctional Thioethers

(Hetero)aryl, benzylic, and alkyl zinc halides were thiolated with N-thiophthalimides at 25 °C within 1 h in the presence of 5–10 % Cu(OAc)₂ ⋅ H₂O to furnish the corresponding polyfunctionalized thioethers in good yields. This electrophilic thiolation was extended to the introduction of trifluoromethylthio (SCF₃), thiocyanate (SCN), and selenophenyl (SePh) groups. The utility of this method was shown in a seven-step synthesis of a potent cathepsin D inhibitor in 34 % overall yield.     

Validation and Correction for 208Tl Activity to Assay 232Th in Equilibrium with Its Daughters

Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters - The natural radioactivity measurements and analysis of 232Th have been studied using γ-ray spectroscopy depending on its decay daughters in...     

Operando Isotopic Exchange in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Oxygen-Transport Dependency on Applied Potential

The oxygen isotopic exchange technique is a powerful tool to investigate the oxygen transport kinetics in an oxide solid. In a solid oxide fuel cell, isotopic surface exchange and diffusion coefficients are classically determined by using the Isotopic Exchange Depth Profiling method followed by ex situ SIMS characterizations. Despite its relevance, the utilization of in situ or operando techniques to measure the isotopic exchange under an electrical bias remains marginal. We developed here a set-up which enables operando monitoring of oxygen exchange in SOFC type cells under polarization. The system has been used for studying the oxygen mobility dependency upon polarization on a symmetrical Pt/YSZ/Pt cell (YSZ: yttria-stabilized zirconia). Homomolecular and heterolytic exchange reactions were undertaken to investigate the oxygen activation step and discriminate the limiting step among the sequence of elementary steps which constitute the oxygen transport process in the SOFC system. Oxygen ions incorporation into the dense ionic conductor was identified to be the rate determining step, and its first order rate constant dependency on applied potential was established.     

Auger electron emission in proton-induced interactions in living matter: A TILDA-V Monte Carlo tracking

The present work focuses on studying the contribution of the Auger electron emission in proton-induced interactions in biological matter. The Monte Carlo track-structure code, TILDA-V, was then used for modeling the protons beams of 10 keV to 100 MeV in biological matter, namely, water vapor and hydrated DNA. The main ionizing processes are described by means of an extensive set of ab initio differential and total cross sections computed within a quantum-mechanical CDW-EIS approximation.     

Solvatochromism of 2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)‐7‐nitrofluorene and the natural dye β‐carotene: application for the determination of solvent dipolarity and polarizability

The effects of solvents on chemical phenomena (rate and equilibrium constants, spectroscopic transitions, etc.) are conveniently described by solvation free‐energy relationships that take into account solvent acidity, basicity and dipolarity/polarizability. The latter can be separated into its components by manipulating the UV–vis spectra of two solvatochromic probes, 2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)‐7‐nitrofluorene (DMANF) and a di‐(tert‐butyl)‐tetramethyl docosanonaen probe (ttbP9) whose synthesis is laborious and expensive. Recently, we have shown that the natural dye β‐carotene can be conveniently employed instead of ttbP9 for the determination of solvent polarizability (SP) of 76 molecular solvents and four ionic liquids. In the present work, we report the polarizabilities of further 24 solvents. Based on the solvatochromism of β‐carotene and DMANF, we have calculated solvent dipolarity (SD) for 103 protic and aprotic molecular solvents, and ionic liquids. The dependence of SD and SP on the number of carbon atoms in the acyl‐ or alkyl group of several homologous series (alcohols; 2‐alkoxyethanols; carboxylic acid‐ anhydrides, and esters, ionic liquids) is calculated and briefly discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.