Shape transition from InAs quantum dash to quantum dot on InP(3 1 1)A

We report on the shape transition from InAs quantum dashes to quantum dots (QDs) on lattice-matched GaInAsP on InP(3 1 1)A substrates. InAs quantum dashes develop during chemical-beam epitaxy of 3.2 monolayers InAs, which transform into round InAs QDs by introducing a growth interruption without arsenic flux after InAs deposition. The shape transition is solely attributed to surface properties, i.e., increase of the surface energy and symmetry under arsenic deficient conditions. The round QD shape is maintained during subsequent GaInAsP overgrowth because the reversed shape transition from dot to dash is kinetically hindered by the decreased ad-atom diffusion under arsenic flux.     

“Slow” active control of combustion instabilities by modification of liquid fuel spray properties

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the feasibility of using “slow” active control approaches, which “instantaneously” change liquid fuel spray properties, to suppress combustion instabilities. The objective of this control approach was to break up the feedback between the combustion process heat release and combustor pressure oscillations that drive the instability by changing the characteristics of the combustion process (e.g., the characteristic combustion time). To demonstrate the feasibility of such control, this study used a proprietary fuel injector (Nanomiser^TM), which can vary its fuel spray properties, to investigate the dependence of acoustics–combustion process coupling, i.e., the driving of combustion instabilities, upon the fuel spray properties. This study showed that by changing the spray characteristics it is possible to significantly damp combustion instabilities. Furthermore, using combustion zone chemiluminescence distributions, which were obtained by Abel’s deconvolution synchronized with measured acoustic data, it has been shown that the instabilities were mostly driven midway between the combustor centerline and wall, a short distance downstream from the flame holder, where the mean axial flow velocity is approximately zero in the vortex near the flame holder. The results of this study strongly suggest that a “slow” active control system that employs controllable fuel injectors could be effectively used to prevent the onset of detrimental combustion instabilities.     

Stability control of the electrooptic effect with new maleimide copolymers containing photoreactive tricyanopyrrolidene‐based chromophores

New photocrosslinkable maleimide copolymers have been synthesized by the attachment of a tricyanopyrrolidene‐based chromophore. The 2‐(3‐cyano‐4‐(2‐{4‐[hexyl‐(6‐hydroxy‐hexyl)‐amino]‐phenyl}‐vinyl)‐5‐oxo‐1‐{4‐[4‐(3‐oxo‐3‐phenyl‐propenyl)‐ phenoxy]‐butyl}‐1,5‐dihydro‐pyrrol‐2‐ylidene)‐malononitrile chromophore exhibits nonlinear optical activity and contains a chalcone moiety that is sensitive to UV light (λ = 330–360 nm) for crosslink formation. The maleimide monomers have also been functionalized with chalcone moieties. The resultant copolymers exhibit great processability, and one of them shows a maximum electrooptic coefficient of 90 pm/V at 1300 nm. We could control the thermal stability of the electrooptic coefficient with the newly synthesized photoreactive copolymers successfully. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 531–542, 2007     

Bio-Plasmonics: Nano/micro Structure of Surface Plasmon Resonance Devices for Biomedicine

We have reported a novel design of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) device, which uses alternating dielectric layers to enhance the SPR signal quality and modulate its resonant position. Admittance loci method of thin film design has been used in the design of such a device. The use of biomolecular thin film, such as DNAs or Porteins, in this design can result in resonant condition of wavelength changes as well. Bio-plasmonics is proposed for the research and development of novel devices, which use biomolecules as a part of the plasmon oscillation system to actively interact with nano/micro structure.     

A Tin(IV) Porphyrin with Two Axial Organometallic NCN‐Pincer Platinum Units

A tin(IV) porphyrin was combined with two axial NCN‐pincer platinum(II) fragments by utilizing the oxophilicity of the apical positions on the tin atom and the acidic nature of the NCN‐pincer platinum derived benzoic acid. The solid‐state structure determined by X‐ray crystallography revealed some close contacts between the pincer complexes and the meso‐p‐tolyl subsitutents of the porphyrin. It was shown by ¹H NMR spectroscopy that these close contacts were not present in solution and that this compound can potentially act as a novel building block for supramolecular architectures.     

Sortability of Multi-partitions

Recently, the theory of sortability of partition property has been shown to be an effective tool to prove the existence of an optimal partition with that property. In this paper, we extend the theory to multi-partition where the partition is on t types of components. We apply our results to settle an optimal assignment problem whose proof was incomplete as given in the literature.     

Artificial time integration

Many recent algorithmic approaches involve the construction of a differential equation model for computational purposes, typically by introducing an artificial time variable. The actual computational model involves a discretization of the now time-dependent differential system, usually employing forward Euler. The resulting dynamics of such an algorithm is then a discrete dynamics, and it is expected to be “close enough” to the dynamics of the continuous system (which is typically easier to analyze) provided that small – hence many – time steps, or iterations, are taken. Indeed, recent papers in inverse problems and image processing routinely report results requiring thousands of iterations to converge. This makes one wonder if and how the computational modeling process can be improved to better reflect the actual properties sought. In this article we elaborate on several problem instances that illustrate the above observations. Algorithms may often lend themselves to a dual interpretation, in terms of a simply discretized differential equation with artificial time and in terms of a simple optimization algorithm; such a dual interpretation can be advantageous. We show how a broader computational modeling approach may possibly lead to algorithms with improved efficiency. AMS subject classification (2000)  65L05, 65M32, 65N21, 65N22, 65D18     

Bayesian Prediction Analysis for Growth Curve Model Using Noninformative Priors

We apply a Bayesian approach to the problem of prediction in an unbalanced growth curve model using noninformative priors. Due to the complexity of the model, no analytic forms of the predictive densities are available. We propose both approximations and a prediction-oriented Metropolis-Hastings sampling algorithm for two types of prediction, namely the prediction of future observations for a new subject and the prediction of future values for a partially observed subject. They are illustrated and compared through real data and simulation studies. Two of the approximations compare favorably with the approximation in Fearn (1975, Biometrika, 62, 89–100) and are very comparable to the more accurate Rao-Blackwellization from Metropolis-Hastings sampling algorithm.     

Writhing instabilities of twisted rods: from infinite to finite length

We use three different approaches to describe the static spatial configurations of a twisted rod as well as its stability during rigid loading experiments. The first approach considers the rod as infinite in length and predicts an instability causing a jump to self-contact at a certain point of the experiment. Semi-finite corrections, taken into account as a second approach, reveal some possible experiments in which the configuration of a very long rod will be stable through out. Finally, in a third approach, we consider a rod of real finite length and we show that another type of instability may occur, leading to possible hysteresis behavior. As we go from infinite to finite length, we compare the different information given by the three approaches on the possible equilibrium configurations of the rod and their stability. These finite size effects studied here in a 1D elasticity problem could help us guess what are the stability features of other more complicated (2D elastic shells for example) problems for which only the infinite length approach is understood.