Aberrated diffraction patterns of off-axis Gaussian beams

Fraunhofer diffraction patterns of off-axis Gaussian beams passing through an optical system having primary spherical aberration are investigated. The resultant diffraction patterns show a nearly elliptical form with a transverse focal shift which depends on the incident position of the Gaussian beams on the pupil and on their radius.     

Partially coherent Fresnel diffraction by a slit aperture. IV. Effect of the phase term in the coherence function

A formula was derived in paper 1 of the this series for investigating the Fresnel diffraction field of a slit aperture when the mutual coherence function of the illumination contains a quadratic phase term. That formula is applied to study the intensity distribution in the Fresnel diffraction field of a slit aperture illuminated by a quasi-monochromatic incoherent slit source. The phase term has a big effect on the features of Fresnel diffraction.     

Mechanism of speckle reduction in laser-microscope images using a rotating optical fiber

The reduction mechanism of speckles appearing in laser-microscope images is studied theoretically and experimentally when an object is illuminated by laser light through a rotating multimode optical fiber. The principle of the speckle reduction is based on independent addition of microscope images with boiling-like speckles as a result of the rotational motion of the optical fiber used for illumination. Especially, the speckle reduction is evaluated from first-order statistics of the speckle intensity in which its saturation effect is taken into consideration.     

Materials Space-Tectonics: Atomic-level Compositional and Spatial Control Methodologies for Synthesis of Future Materials

Reactions occurring at surfaces and interfaces necessitate the creation of well-designed surface and interfacial structures. To achieve a combination of bulk material (i.e., framework) and void spaces, a meticulous process of “nano-architecting” of the available space is necessary. Conventional porous materials such as mesoporous silica, zeolites, and metal–organic frameworks lack advanced cooperative functionalities owing to their largely monotonous pore geometries and limited conductivities. To overcome these limitations and develop functional structures with surface-specific functions, the novel materials space-tectonics methodology has been proposed for future materials synthesis. This review summarizes recent examples of materials synthesis based on designing building blocks (i.e., tectons) and their hybridization, along with practical guidelines for implementing materials syntheses and state-of-the-art examples of practical applications. Lastly, the potential integration of materials space-tectonics with emerging technologies, such as materials informatics, is discussed.     

Liquid-phase hydrogenation of alkenes and aromatic compounds with Pd-loaded oxidized diamond catalyst

Hydrogenation reactions of alkenes (cyclohexene, ethyl acrylate, styrene and 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and aromatic compounds (o-, m- and p-xylene) were carried out in order to examine the activity of palladium-loaded surface-oxidized diamond (Pd/O-Dia) catalyst in liquid-phase hydrogenation. The catalytic performance was compared to commercial palladium-loaded activated carbon (Pd/C) catalyst. The catalyst activities were evaluated by conversions of reactants and H₂ uptake rates in the early stage of the reaction. In all the hydrogenation reactions of alkenes and aromatic compounds, the activity of Pd/O-Dia was almost the same as or slightly higher than that of Pd/C. Dispersion of Pd metal was measured by a CO-pulsed adsorption technique and TEM observations of the catalysts. Pd dispersions were on the same order of magnitude according to the CO-pulsed adsorption technique, although the Pd/C catalyst had a higher surface area (718 m²/g) than that of Pd/O-Dia (23 m²/g). The Pd particle sizes on O-Dia measured by TEM observation were slightly smaller than those on the activated carbon. Such highly dispersed Pd particles on O-Dia would contribute to higher activity for the hydrogenation reaction of alkenes and aromatic compounds.     

Lamellar structure in poly(ala-gly) determined by solid-state NMR and statistical mechanical calculations

Lamellar structure of poly(Ala-Gly) or (AG)n in the solid was examined using 13C solid-state NMR and statistical mechanical approaches. Two doubly labeled versions, [1-13C]Gly14[1-13C]Ala15- and [1-13C]Gly18[1-13C]Ala19 of (AG)15 were examined by two-dimensional (2D) 13C spin diffusion NMR in the solid state. In addition five doubly labeled [15N,13C]-versions of the same peptide, (AG) 15 and 15 versions labeled [3-13C] in each of the successive Ala residues were utilized for REDOR and 13C CP/MAS NMR measurements, respectively. The observed spin diffusion NMR spectra were consistent with a structure containing a combination of distorted beta-turns with a large distribution of the torsion angles and antiparallel beta-sheets. The relative proportion of the distorted beta-turn form was evaluated by examination of 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra of [3-13C]Ala-(AG)15. In addition, REDOR determinations showed five kinds of atomic distances between doubly labeled 13C and 15N nuclei which were also interpreted in terms of a combination of beta-sheets and beta-turns. Our statistical mechanical analysis is in excellent agreement with our Ala Cbeta 13C CP/MAS NMR data strongly suggesting that (AG)15 has a lamellar structure.     

An efficient one-pot synthesis of unsymmetrical ethers: a directly reductive deoxygenation of esters using an InBr3/Et3SiH catalytic system

This study describes a novel one-pot procedure for a directly reductive conversion of the carbonyl function of esters to the corresponding ethers by Et3SiH in the presence of a catalytic amount of InBr3.     

Tuning the effective width of the optical stop band in colloidal photonic crystals

The optical stop band in colloidal crystals is characterized by the central frequency and bandwidth. Although the former is known to be highly tunable by changing the lattice constant, the latter is basically determined by the refractive index contrast between the particles and the background medium that is intrinsic to the materials. In this study, we show that the effective bandwidth in gelled colloidal crystals can also be tuned by controlling the fabrication conditions. Single-domain gelled colloidal crystals were prepared by photopolymerization under various photoirradiation conditions. It was observed that the width of the stop band in the transmission or reflectance spectrum could be expanded by simply adjusting the irradiation time.