Photonic crystal optical memory

After several decades pushing the technology and the development of the world, the electronics is giving space for technologies that use light. We propose and analyze an optical memory embedded in a nonlinear photonic crystal (PhC), whose system of writing and reading data is controlled by an external command signal. This optical memory is based on optical directional couplers connected to a shared optical ring. Such a device can work over the C-Band of ITU (International Telecommunication Union).     

Graphene-based Mach–Zehnder nanophotonics interferometer working as a splitter/switch and as a multiplexer/demultiplexer

We developed and are presenting a graphene-based nanophotonic Mach–Zehnder Interferometer (MZI), which can operate as a signal follower, switch and splitter and as a multiplexer/demultiplexer. Due to the excellent electrical/optical parameters inherent to the graphene, we showed that the device we are presenting can works in several different ways, which can not be supported by MZI based on conventional materials. It is worth mentioning that the operations of the device we have developed take into account the electrical/optical parameters of the graphene, which provide greater versatility and efficiency compared to the MZIs manufactured with conventional materials. In addition, these parameters can be controlled via, for example, gate voltage, so that many operations can be performed in parallel, which is also not possible through the use of conventional materials. Due to its manometric dimensions, this MZI can be integrated within photonic integrated circuits, so that we can use this device in dense wavelength division multiplexing optical communications.     

Induced probe-beam modulation and resonatorless optical bistability in semiconductor (CdSxSe1−x)-doped glass

Induced probe-beam modulation in semiconductor-doped glass was observed. The dephasing between pump and probe modulation is dependent on the pump power, the modulation frequency and the selenium concentration. At room temperature, with a proper choice of these parameters, the dephasing can change from 0° (laser-induced clearing) to –180° (laser-induced darkening). A slow switching behaviour and optical bistability without external feedback are also reported.     

Optical properties of hydroxyapatite obtained by mechanical alloying

Calcium phosphate based bioceramics, mainly in the form of hydroxyapatite (HA), have been in use in medicine and dentistry for the last 20 years. Applications include coatings of orthopaedic and dental implants, alveolar ridge augmentation, maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, and scaffolds for bone growth and as powders in total hip and knee surgery. These materials exhibit several problems of handling and fabrication, which can be overcome by mixing with a suitable binder. In this paper, mechanical alloying has been used successfully to produce nanocrystalline powders of HA using five different experimental procedures. The milled HA were studied by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared and Raman scattering spectroscopy. For four different procedures, HA was obtained after a couple of hours of milling (on an average, 20 h of milling depending on the reaction procedure). The XRD patterns indicate that the grain size is within the range of 29-103 nm. This milling process, used to produce HA, presents the advantage that melting is not necessary and the powder obtained is nanocrystalline with extraordinary mechanical properties. The material can be compacted and transformed in solid ceramic samples. The high efficiency of the process opens a way to produce commercial amount of nanocrystalline HA. Due to the nanocrystalline character of this powder, their mechanical properties have changed and for this reason a pressure of 1 GPa is enough to shape the sample into any geometry.     

All optical logic gates based on an asymmetric nonlinear directional coupler

The performance of three different asymmetric dual core nonlinear directional couplers which includes an increasing and a decreasing self-phase modulation profile (SPM) was investigated. The asymmetry is associated to the SPM profile of one of the channels. Looking at the transmission characteristics of the device, through the direct- and cross-channel, we did a study of the extinction ratio (Xratio) of the devices. It was observed that in the operation of the three couplers, the performance of AND, XOR and OR gates are dependent on the nonlinearity profile of the coupler. For all configurations, an AND port with gain was observed. We can conclude that to operate the asymmetric coupler as a logic gate one has to control the nonlinearity profile to optimize the transmission characteristics thorough the extinction rate coefficient (Xratio).     

On the beam propagation through active media

An analytical iterative procedure has been established to determine the amplitude of a laser beam propagating through an active medium. The treatment is valid for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening, and for arbitrary inhomogeneities of the parameters characterizing the active medium, namely, the refractive index, the small-signal gain and the saturation intensity. After a supplementary approximation, a thin-sheet gain approach is derived from the first iteration. The formalism enables us to provide analytical criteria for evaluating both the accuracy of each iteration and the propagation distances for which the thin-sheet solution can be used. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Integrated Acousto-Optical Temperature Sensor

In this work, we investigate the performance of a novel integrated acousto-optical temperature sensor fabricated in LiNbO₃ and operating with ultrashort light pulses (2 ps). Five parameters (time duration, bandwidth, time intensity maximum, frequency intensity maximum, and output energy on the output pulse converted for the TM mode, as a function of temperature) were observed for the switched pulse at the output of the sensor (TM mode) with and without the presence of an increasing linear self-phase modulation (SPM) profile. Comparing all analyzed parameters, one can conclude that the pulse intensity is presenting the larger variation (100.09%) as a function of the temperature change (24.5 to 400°C) in a configuration without profile. Considering the increasing linear SPM profile, all the analyzed parameters are presenting a significant increase in the percentile variations in the studied range of temperature (24.5 to 400°C). Comparing all the five parameters, in two configurations (with and without the use of linear SPM profile), one can conclude that the time intensity maximum showed to be the most suitable parameter as measurement to be accomplished in a schematic detection for the temperature sensing in the range 24.5 to 400°C. We can conclude that the sensitivity of the AOTS is improving in the configuration with the increasing nonlinearity profile (β = 2) and for higher temperature.     

An arithmetic Bernštein–Kušnirenko inequality

Mathematische Zeitschrift - We present an upper bound for the height of the isolated zeros in the torus of a system of Laurent polynomials over an adelic field satisfying the product formula. This...     

Open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography for the simultaneous determination of cadmium and copper in plants

We discuss the separation and determination of cadmium and copper in plant samples such as Triticum durum (wheat) and Helianthus annuus (sunflower) using open tubular capillary electrochromatography with indirect detection. Before performing the analysis, the samples were digested by microwave‐assisted methods using HNO₃. Regarding the electrophoretic system, several experimental parameters were previously evaluated such as the capillary surface, mobile phase composition, buffer, pH, and voltage applied. The baseline resolution of the studied metals was obtained within 8 min by using a capillary immobilized with carboxylic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and a background electrolyte composed of 6 mM imidazole, pH 4.0. The applied voltage and the temperature were set at 20 kV and 25°C, respectively. Precision, detection, and quantification limits, along with linearity were investigated. The limits of detection and quantification were 2.20 and 7.40 μg/kg, for Cu²? and 0.05 and 0.20 μg/kg in the case of Cd²?. A good linearity was achieved over a concentration working range of 7.5–100 and 0.2–25 μg/kg for Cu²? and Cd²? accordingly. Recovery data for validation studies were found in a range of 98.2–101.5% for both analytes.     

Numerical analysis of the stability of optical bullets (2 + 1) in a planar waveguide with cubic–quintic nonlinearity

In this paper, we have presented a numerical analysis of the stability of optical bullets (2 + 1), or spatiotemporal solitons (2 + 1), in a planar waveguide with cubic–quintic nonlinearity. The optical spatiotemporal solitons are the result of the balance between the nonlinear parameters, of dispersion (dispersion length, L _D) and diffraction (diffraction length, L _d) with temporal and spatial auto-focusing behavior, respectively. With the objective of ensure the stability and preventing the collapse or the spreading of pulses, in this study we explore the cubic–quintic nonlinearity with the optical fields coupled by cross-phase modulation and considering several values for the non linear parameter α We have shown the existence of stable light bullets in planar waveguide with cubic–quintic nonlinearity through the study of spatiotemporal collisions of the light bullets.