Continuous-wave laser properties of 4F3/2?4I13/2 channel in the Nd3+LiNbO3:ZnO non-linear crystal

This work reports for the first time continuous-wave laser action at room temperature around 1.3 7m in Nd³⁺ doped LiNbO₃:ZnO. Optical spectroscopy has been used to determine the main laser characteristics of ⁴F_3/2‘⁴I_13/2 channel, such as emission cross section and excited-state absorption cross section at laser wavelengths. Internal optical losses have been estimated from laser gain experiments. Under non-optimal conditions laser slope efficiencies of 30% have been obtained.     

Remarks on the minimizing geodesic problem in inviscid incompressible fluid mechanics

We consider L2 minimizing geodesics along the group of volume preserving maps SDiff(D) of a given 3-dimensional domain D. The corresponding curves describe the motion of an ideal incompressible fluid inside D and are (formally) solutions of the Euler equations. It is known that there is a unique possible pressure gradient for these curves whenever their end points are fixed. In addition, this pressure field has a limited but unconditional (internal) regularity. The present paper completes these results by showing: (1) the uniqueness property can be viewed as an infinite dimensional phenomenon (related to the possibility of relaxing the corresponding minimization problem by convex optimization), which is false for finite dimensional configuration spaces such as O(3) for the motion of rigid bodies; (2) the unconditional partial regularity is necessarily limited.     

On a relaxation approximation of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

We consider a hyperbolic singular perturbation of the incompressible Navier Stokes equations in two space dimensions. The approximating system under consideration arises as a diffusive rescaled version of a standard relaxation approximation for the incompressible Euler equations. The aim of this work is to give a rigorous justification of its asymptotic limit toward the Navier Stokes equations using the modulated energy method.

     

Spectroscopy and self-frequency doubling of the 4F3/2?→?4I13/2 laser channel in the La2CaB10O19:Nd3+ bi-functional crystal

Nd_xLa_2-xCaB₁₀O₁₉ crystals with different Nd³⁺ concentrations were grown by the high-temperature flux method and oriented for frequency doubling of 1340 nm wavelength radiation. The room temperature spectroscopy (absorption, emission and lifetimes) of the ⁴ F _3/2 → ⁴ I _13/2 Nd³⁺ laser channel was investigated. We have clearly shown that two inequivalent Nd³⁺ centers in the La³⁺ and Ca²⁺ positions are responsible for the spectroscopic properties. Self-frequency doubling can be obtained from these two centers at 661.1 and 671.5 nm. PACS 42.55.f; 42.65.Ky     

Spectral broadening and luminescence quenching of 1.53 μm emission in Er-doped zinc tellurite glass

The emission spectra and the lifetime of the lasing transition ⁴I_13/2→⁴I_15/2 in Er³⁺-doped TeO₂-ZnO binary glass have been studied. The investigation includes Raman scattering spectroscopy as well as optical absorption, luminescence, and lifetime measurements techniques. The influence of erbium concentration on the line-shape of this electron transition has been analyzed. It was observed that the increasing of Er³⁺ ion concentration, in the 0.2-4 mol% range, results in a structural changes and a significant spectral broadening of the 1.53 μm emission band. Reabsorption has been evoked to explain the broadening of the ⁴I_13/2→⁴I_15/2 emission line. In the paper, is also reported the effect of the erbium content on the emission intensity of the ⁴I_13/2→⁴I_15/2 transition as well as on the lifetime of the ⁴I_13/2 level. Based on the electrical-dipole interaction theory, the luminescence concentration quenching mechanism by hydroxyl groups is analyzed. The data suggest that <10% of hydroxyl groups are coupled to erbium ions in the zinc tellurite glass network.     

High power laser operation with crystal fibers

We present the very last results on the development of high-power lasers with crystal fibers in Nd:YAG and in Yb:YAG grown by the Micro-Pulling Down technique. An overview of the main optical properties of the grown crystal fibers is given as well as the principles of the diode-pumped systems are developed. The average output power obtained with those materials reaches now several tens of watts in the CW regime and in high repetition rate Q-switched operation. Pulses with an energy of several millijoules have been obtained with pulse durations from 10 to 20 ns and peak powers from 100 kW to 350 kW. In each case, the measured M ² quality factors remained in the range 2.5 to 5. In addition, the first demonstration of high-power laser emission with an Yb:YAG crystal fiber of 0.4 mm in diameter is reported. In this case, we obtained an output power of 27 W at 1030 nm under 100 W of pump power at 940 nm in CW regime. To our knowledge, those results represent the highest powers ever generated with crystal fibers obtained directly from the growth. We finally conclude this work by exposing the potential of crystal fiber lasers for a new generation of high-power laser systems.     

Identification and quantification of bisphenol A and bisphenol B in polyvinylchloride and polycarbonate medical devices by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry

A gas chromatography with mass spectrometry method has already been developed and published for the identification and quantification of 14 phthalates and five nonphthalate plasticizers in polyvinylchloride medical devices. In order to assay, in addition to plasticizers, bisphenols A and B possibly present in polyvinylchloride samples, this previous method was extended to the assay of these additional potential endocrine disruptors. Furthermore, as bisphenol A could also be present in polycarbonate samples, the method used for the polyvinylchloride sample was tested and validated for the assay of bisphenols A and B in polycarbonate medical devices. The separation of all compounds, including bisphenols A and B, is obtained on a cross‐linked 5%‐phenyl/95%‐dimethylpolysiloxane capillary column using a temperature gradient. For both plastics, samples are dissolved in tetrahydrofuran followed by a precipitation of the plastic by addition of ethanol. Results obtained point out residual bisphenol A amounts for polycarbonate samples ranging from 0.6 to 0.8% and for polyvinylchloride samples less or equal to 5 ppm. No bisphenol B was detected in the samples tested. For bisphenols A and B, mean recoveries obtained on spiked polyvinylchloride or polycarbonate sample preparations ranged from 87 to 108% in accordance with in‐house specification (80–110%).