Mode-locked 1.93 microm thulium fiber laser with a carbon nanotube absorber

We report a ring-cavity thulium fiber laser mode locked with a single-wall carbon nanotube absorber used in transmission. A carboxymethyl cellulose polymer film with incorporated carbon nanotubes synthesized by the arc discharge method has an absorption coinciding with in the amplification bandwidth of a Tm-doped fiber. This laser is pumped by an erbium fiber laser at 1.57 microm wavelength and produces a 37 MHz train of mode-locked 1.32 ps pulses at 1.93 microm wavelength with an average output power of 3.4 mW.     

Density functional theory simulations of amorphous high-κ oxides on a compound semiconductor alloy: a-Al2O3/InGaAs(100)-(4×2), a-HfO2/InGaAs(100)-(4×2), and a-ZrO2/InGaAs(100)-(4×2)

The structural properties of a-Al(2)O(3)∕In(0.5)Ga(0.5)As, a-HfO(2)∕In(0.5)Ga(0.5)As, and a-ZrO(2)∕In(0.5)Ga(0.5)As interfaces were investigated by density-functional theory (DFT) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Realistic amorphous a-Al(2)O(3), a-HfO(2), and a-ZrO(2) samples were generated using a hybrid classical-DFT MD "melt-and-quench" approach and tested against the experimental properties. For each stack type, two systems with different initial oxide cuts at the interfaces were investigated. All stacks were free of midgap states, but some had band-edge states which decreased the bandgaps by 0%-40%. The band-edge states were mainly produced by deformation, intermixing, and bond-breaking, thereby creating improperly bonded semiconductor atoms. The interfaces were dominated by metal-As and O-In∕Ga bonds which passivated the clean surface dangling bonds. The valence band-edge states were mainly localized at improperly bonded As atoms, while conduction band-edge states were mainly localized at improperly bonded In and Ga atoms. The DFT-MD simulations show that electronically passive interfaces can be formed between high-κ oxides dielectrics and InGaAs if the processing does not induce defects because on a short time scale the interface spontaneously forms electrically passive bonds as opposed to bonds with midgap states.     

Exploring electronic versus steric effects in stereoselective ring-opening polymerization of lactide and β-butyrolactone with amino-alkoxy-bis(phenolate)-yttrium complexes

A series of methoxy‐amino‐bis(phenol)s (ONOO)H₂ possessing on the phenol rings R¹ ortho substituents with variable steric and electronic properties (R¹=CMe₂Ph, 1 ; CMe₂tBu, 3 ; CMe₂(4‐CF₃C₆H₄), 5 ; CPh₃, 9 ; Cl, 10 ) has been synthesized and further reacted with [Y{N(SiHMe₂)₂}₃](THF)₂ to give cleanly the corresponding yttrium compounds [Y(ONOO){N(SiHMe₂)₂}(thf)_n] ( Y‐x ); the solid‐state structures of Y‐3 and Y‐10 have been determined. These amido complexes have been used as initiators for the ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of rac‐lactide (LA) and rac‐β‐butyrolactone (BBL) to provide heterotactically enriched poly(lactic acid)s (PLAs) and syndiotactically enriched poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)s (PHBs), respectively, by means of a chain‐end control mechanism. Most of these polymerizations proceeded in a controlled fashion, giving polymers with narrow polydispersities and experimental molecular weights in good agreement with calculated values. The nature of the R¹ ortho substituents has a profound impact on the rates and, more spectacularly, on the stereocontrol of the polymerizations. The heterotactic stereocontrol in the ROP of rac‐LA appears to be governed essentially by steric considerations; the larger the substituent, the higher the heterotacticity: R¹=Cl (P_r=0.56)?CMe₃ (P_r=0.80)?CMe₂Ph (P_r=0.90)2(4 CF₃‐Ph) (P_r=0.93–0.94)≤CMe₂tBu (P_r=0.94–0.95)≤CPh₃ (P_r=0.95–0.96). On the other hand, the syndiotactic stereocontrol in the polymerization of rac‐BBL follows a quite different trend: R¹=Cl (P_r=0.42–0.45)?CMe₂tBu (P_r=0.62–0.70)3 (P_r=0.80)≤CMe₂(4 CF₃? Ph) (P_r=0.82–0.84)2Ph (P_r=0.89)3 (P_r=0.94), which suggests the involvement of electronic interactions. DFT computations on model intermediates confirmed a stabilizing C? H ??? π interaction between a methylene C? H of the ring‐opened BBL unit and the π system of one of the ortho‐aryl substituents of the ONOO ligand; by contrast, for model intermediates in the ROP of LA, no such C? H ??? π interaction involving the methyl group of lactate was observed.     

An inner function which is not weak outerUne fonction intérieure qui n'est pas faiblement extérieure

We construct a nonvanishing inner function I in the unit ball $\text{B?}\text{C}{}^{\mathrm{n}}$ such that the subspace IH^p(B) is not weakly dense in the Hardy space H^p(B), with 0<p<1. To cite this article: E. Doubtsov, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 334 (2002) 957–960.     

A split-step finite difference method for nonparaxial nonlinear Schrödinger equation at critical dimension

The critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS) is the model equation for propagation of laser beam in bulk Kerr medium. One of the final stages in the derivation of NLS from the nonlinear Helmholtz equation (NLH) is to apply paraxial approximation. However, there is numerical evidence suggesting nonparaxiality prevents singularity formation in the solutions of NLS. Therefore, it is important to develop numerical methods for solving nonparaxial NLS. Split-step methods are widely used for finding numerical solutions of NLS equation. Nevertheless, these methods cannot be applied to nonparaxial NLS directly. In this study, we extend the applicability of split-step methods to nonparaxial NLS by using Padé approximant operators. In particular, split-step Crank-Nicolson (SSCN) method is used in conjunction with Padé approximants to provide examples of numerical solutions of nonparaxial NLS.     

Design and performance of two-channel EUV multilayer mirrors with enhanced spectral selectivity

In this paper, we present a study on two-channel multilayer mirrors which can operate at two wavelengths in Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) spectral range. We propose a new method to design two-channel EUV multilayer mirrors with enhanced spectral selectivity. The mirror structure is a stack of two periodic multilayers separated by a buffer layer. We have defined the main parameters which allow adjustment of the distance between different order Bragg’s peak and of wavelength positions of reflectivity minima. Two mirrors have been designed and deposited for solar EUV telescope applications by using this method. The first mirror reflects Fe IX–X line (17.1 nm) and Fe XVI (33.5 nm) lines with attenuation of the He II line (30.4 nm). The second mirror reflects Fe IX–X and He II lines with attenuation of Fe XV (28.4 nm) and Fe XVI lines. Measurements with synchrotron radiation source confirm that, in both cases, for these mirrors, we are able to adjust reflectivity maxima (Bragg peak position) and minima. Such multilayers offer new possibilities for compact design of multi-wavelength EUV telescopes and/or for high spectral selectivity.     

In situ XPS investigation of Pt(Sn)/Mg(Al)O catalysts during ethane dehydrogenation experiments

Calcined hydrotalcite with or without added metal (Mg(Al)O, Pt/Mg(Al)O and Pt,Sn/Mg(Al)O) have been investigated with in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) during ethane dehydrogenation experiments. The temperature in the analysis chamber was 450 °C and the gas pressure was in the range 0.3-1 mbar. Depth profiling of calcined hydrotalcite and platinum catalysts under reaction, oxidation and in hydrogen-water mixture was performed by varying the photon energy, covering an analysis depth of 10-21 Å. It was observed that the Mg/Al ratio in the Mg(Al)O crystallites does not vary significantly in the analysis depth range studied. This result indicates that Mg and Al are homogeneously distributed in the Mg(Al)O crystallites. Catalytic tests have shown that the initial activity of a Pt,Sn/Mg(Al)O catalyst increases during an activation period consisting of several cycles of reduction-dehydrogenation-oxidation. The Sn/Mg ratio in a Pt,Sn/Mg(Al)O catalyst was followed during several such cycles, and was found to increase during the activation period, probably due to a process where tin spreads over the carrier material and covers an increasing fraction of the Mg(Al)O surface. The results further indicate that spreading of tin occurs under reduction conditions.A PtSn₂ alloy was studied separately. The surface of the alloy was enriched in Sn during reduction and reaction conditions at 450 °C. Binding energies were determined and indicated that Sn on the particle surface is predominantly in an oxidised state under reaction conditions, while Pt and a fraction of Sn is present as a reduced Pt-Sn alloy.