Low noise double pass L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier

A new double pass long wavelength band erbium-doped fiber amplifier with enhanced noise figure characteristics is demonstrated. The noise figure is improved by about 2.6 dB with the incorporation of broadband conventional-band fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in between the two segments of erbium-doped fiber. By incorporating both the pre-amplifier and the FBG, the noise figure is further improved, which varies from 4.0 to 5.0 dB in the flat gain region from 1570 to 1600 nm. The gain varies from 32.0 to 33.4 dB within this region. The new amplifier with high gain and low noise figure can be useful as an inline amplifier in a wavelength division multiplexing transmission system.     

Evaluation of Polycation-Stabilized Lactate Oxidase in a Silica Sol–Gel as a Biosensor Platform

 Whereas glucose oxidase and related proteins are encapsulated readily in silica sol–gels, α-hydroxy enzymes such as lactate oxidase (LOx), are reported to be damaged by electrostatic interaction with these matrices. Based on a previous report, poly(ethyleneimine), PEI, was evaluated as a protecting compound under conditions suited to analytical measurements. With LOx and PEI co-encapsulated in a silica sol–gel, the enzyme retained 62% of its initial activity after 20 days. In the absence of PEI, activity was lost during the processing. Batch analytical measurements with enzyme-doped sol–gel yielded a linear response over the range 0.5–2.0 mM lactate and a detection limit of 0.03 mM lactate. Both simple incorporation of LOx in a silica sol–gel and an alternative protection method, blocking the ion-exchange sites on silica with La(III), failed. These negative results supported the hypothesis that the efficacy of PEI was related to its formation of a protective sheath around the enzyme. Author for correspondence. E-mail: coxja@muohio.edu Received July 29, 2002; accepted December 15, 2002 Published online May 19, 2003     

A diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with a GaAs saturable absorption

We have demonstrated a passively Q-switched operation of Nd:GdVO₄ laser in which a GaAs crystal is used as the saturable absorber for the first time as far as we know. A maximum average output power of 1.64 W was obtained at an incident pump power of 12 W, the corresponding optical conversion efficiency and peak power were 13.7% and 116.8 W, respectively. The maximum peak energy obtained in the experiment by 50% transmission couple was 19 μJ.     

增长曲线模型中回归系数的广义根方估计

本文对增长曲线模型中的回归系数B提出了一种新的估计形式－广义根方估计的B（K），其中K＝diag(k1,k2,…，kp）并证明了通过广义根方偏参数ki(i=1,2,…，p）的适当选取可使得该估计在均方误差矩阵的意义下优于已有的LS估计和根方估计，及广义根方估计是可容许估计，本文还给出了选取广义根方偏参数的两种方法，算法及一个应用实例。     

Wave function mapping of self-assembled quantum dots by capacitance spectroscopy

We use frequency-dependent capacitance–voltage spectroscopy to study the dynamic charging of self-assembled InAs quantum dots. With increasing frequency, the AC charging becomes suppressed, beginning with the low-energy states. By applying an in-plane magnetic field, we generate an additional magnetic confinement that alters the tunneling barrier and hence the charging dynamics. In traveling through the potential barrier, the electrons acquire an additional momentum k₀, proportional to the magnetic field B. As the tunneling is enhanced, when k₀ matches the maximum of the electronic wave function Ψ (in momentum representation), we are able to map out the shape of Ψ by varying B.     

Optical spectroscopy of single InAs/InP quantum dots around λ=1.55 μm

We discuss the preparation and spectroscopic characterisation of a single InAs/InP quantum dot suitable for long-distance quantum key distribution applications around λ=1.55 μm. The dot is prepared using a site-selective growth technique which allows a single dot to be deposited in isolation at a controlled spatial location. Micro-photoluminescence measurements as a function of exciton occupation are used to determine the electronic structure of the dot. Biexciton emission, shell filling and many-body re-normalization effects are observed for the first time in single InAs/InP quantum dots.     

Image Formation in Low Vacuum SEM

The role of positive gaseous ions in the formation of secondary electron images in low vacuum scanning electron microscopes is discussed. This paper describes the charging processes and related effects that occur during high vacuum imaging of insulators and then discusses the influence of ions on those processes. The ions are responsible for a number of phenomena, including distortion of the electric field above and below the specimen surface due to space charge, removal of excess negative charge from the specimen, alteration of the specimen surface barrier, and scavenging/filtering of the secondary electron emission. The resulting electron-specimen-ion interactions can give rise to interesting contrast effects that are unique to this class of instruments.     

The spline collocation method for parabolic boundary integral equations on smooth curves

Summary. We consider the spline collocation method for a class of parabolic pseudodifferential operators. We show optimal order convergence results in a large scale of anisotropic Sobolev spaces. The results cover the classical boundary integral equations for the heat equation in the general case where the spatial domain has a smooth boundary in the plane. Our proof is based on a localization technique for which we use our recent results proved for parabolic pseudodifferential operators. For the localization we need also some special spline approximation results in anisotropic Sobolev spaces. Received May 17, 2001 / Revised version received February 19, 2002 / Published online April 17, 2002     

Inner Radius of Univalence for a Strongly Starlike Domain

 The inner radius of univalence of a domain D with Poincaré density ρ _D is the possible largest number σ such that the condition ∥ S _f ∥ _D  = sup _{w∈ D} ρ _D (w) ⁻²∥ S _f (z) ∥ ≤ σ implies univalence of f for a nonconstant meromorphic function f on D, where S _f is the Schwarzian derivative of f. In this note, we give a lower bound of the inner radius of univalence for strongly starlike domains of order α in terms of the order α. The author was partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists, 11740088. A part of this work was carried out during his visit to the University of Helsinki under the exchange programme of scientists between the Academy of Finland and the JSPS. Received November 26, 2001; in revised form September 24, 2002 Published online May 9, 2003