Attosecond‐precision ultrafast photonics

We review our recent progress toward attosecond‐precision ultrafast photonics based on ultra‐low timing jitter optical pulse trains from mode‐locked lasers. In femtosecond mode‐locked lasers, the concentration of a large number of photons in an extremely short pulse duration enables the scaling of timing jitter into the attosecond regime. To characterize such jitter levels, we developed new attosecond‐resolution measurement techniques and show that standard fiber lasers can achieve sub‐fs high‐frequency jitter. By leveraging the ultra‐low jitter of free‐running mode‐locked lasers, we pursued high‐precision optical‐optical and optical‐microwave synchronization techniques. Optical signals spanning 1.5 octaves were synthesized by attosecond‐precision timing and phase synchronization of two independent mode‐locked lasers. High‐stability microwave signals were also synthesized from mode‐locked lasers with drift‐free sub‐10‐fs precision. We further demonstrated the attosecond‐precision distribution of optical pulse trains to remote locations via timing‐stabilized fiber links. Finally, the application of optical pulse trains for high‐resolution sampling and analog‐to‐digital conversion is discussed.     

Isotopenverdünnungsanalytische Multielementanalyse mit der Funkenquellen-Massenspektrographie

Es wird ein Verfahren zur Isotopenverdünnungsanalyse mit stabilen Isotopen unter Verwendung einer Funkenionenquelle und einem doppelfokussierenden Massenspektrographen beschrieben, welches die gleichzeitige Analyse mehrerer Elemente in pulverförmigen Feststoffen erlaubt.

Die Leistungsfähigkeit des Analysenverfahrens wild am Beispiel der Spurenanalyse geologischer Standardproben demonstriert.

Das Analysenverfahren erlaubt die Bestimmung von Spurenkonzentrationen bis in den ppb-Bereich mit Standardabweichungen zwischen 2 und 10%.     

Application of experimental design for optimization of erbium determination by high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using lanthanum as a chemical modifier

ABSTRACT

In this paper, lanthanum was used as a chemical modifier for the direct determination of erbium by high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. A two-step experimental design was used for optimization, first a full factorial design was conducted for identification of significant factors, and then a central composite design was carried out for final optimization of the significant factors. The optimum parameters were obtained as follows: atomization temperature of 2500°C, pyrolysis temperature of 1600°C, and pyrolysis time of 10?s in the presence of lanthanum as a chemical modifier. Under optimum conditions, the characteristic mass, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were 29?pg, 0.71, and 2.4?µg?L^?1, respectively. The precision of the method, estimated as the relative standard deviation for 10 replicate measurements of 50?µg?L^?1 of erbium, was 1.8%. The optimized method was applied to determine erbium content in sediments and rock samples. The determined values of erbium in sediment certified reference materials were in satisfactory agreement with the certified values according to the t-test for a 95% confidence level.     

A Millimeter Wave Phase Locked and Frequency Multiplying Source

A millimeter wave phase locked and frequency multiplying source is proposed in this paper. The design includes an X-band phase locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer as the base frequency source, and a monolithic millimeter wave frequency tripler, which is developed by using OMMIC 0.18μm pHEMT process. The PLL and the tripler are integrated in a single circuit board to make a low-cost and compact frequency source with the size of 6cm × 5cm. Measurement shows an output power of more than 4.8dBm at the frequency range from 35 to 36.7GHz. A phase noise of about -92dBc/Hz at 100kHz offset is achieved.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of a polymeric erbium(III)–sodium(I) coordination complex of picolinic acid N-oxide

A new Er(III)–Na(I) coordination polymer of stoichiometry [NaEr₂L₅(H₂O)₆(NO₃)](NO₃)·3.5H₂O (HL = picolinic acid N-oxide) has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Crystals are triclinic, P with a = 9.823(2), b = 12.453(2), c = 20.643(4) Å; = 98.49(3), ( = 101.40(3), = 108.69(3)°; V = 2284(1) ų; Z = 2. Of the two independent eight-coordinate erbium(III) ions in this complex, one is surrounded by four bidentate chelating L ligands, and the other by one bidentate chelating L ligand, four aqua ligands and two anti-carboxylate oxygen atoms from two neighboring [ErL₄] units. The sodium(I) ion is in a distorted octahedral environment, being coordinated by a unidentate nitrate anion, three aqua ligands and two anti-carboxylate oxygen atoms from two adjacent [ErL₄] units. The complex is built from zigzag chains of syn-anti carboxylate-bridged erbium(III) moieties directed in the a direction, which are cross-linked pairwise by aqua-bridgeddimericsodium(I) units. The resulting composite polymeric chains are further connected by hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional network.     

一种新颖的二维4f-3d-5d多金属-异烟酸配合物的合成、晶体结构和磁性研究

通过水热方法合成了一种新颖的异金属金属-异烟酸无机-有机杂化体[Zn0.5(H2O)]{(Hg2Cl5)[Er(C6NO2H4)3(H2O)2]}(HgCl2)·0.5CH3OH·0.5H2O (1)并对其进行了单晶X-射线衍射结构表征。该化合物是首例4f-3d-5d多金属-异烟酸配合物。化合物1属于单斜晶系C2/c空间群,每个单胞中有8个分子,晶体学参数为：a = 34.165(4) Å,b = 9.4692(8) Å,c = 24.575(3) Å,β = 115.090(5)°,V = 7200(1) Å3,C18.50H21Cl7ErHg3N3O10Zn0.50,Mr = 1495.25,Dc = 2.759 g/cm3,T = 293(2) K,μ(MoKα) = 15.954 mm-1,F(000) = 5400, R1/wR2 = 0.0561/0.0909,共有6468个独立衍射点,其中[I > 2σ(I)]的有3157个。该化合物具有新颖的二维{(Hg2Cl5)[Er(C6NO2H4)3(H2O)2]}层状结构,由Hg2Cl5–连接[Er(C6NO2H4)3(H2O)2]链形成。该二维层和氯化汞及结晶水之间通过氢键形成三维结构,甲醇分子和水合锌离子位于该三维结构的空隙中。对化合物1的磁性测试显示该化合物具有反铁磁作用。     

Highly fluorescent conjugated pyrenes in nucleic acid probes: (phenylethynyl)pyrenecarbonyl-functionalized locked nucleic acids

In recent years, fluorescently labeled oligonucleotides have become a widely used tool in diagnostics, DNA sequencing, and nanotechnology. The recently developed (phenylethynyl)pyrenes are attractive dyes for nucleic acid labeling, with the advantages of long-wave emission relative to the parent pyrene, high fluorescence quantum yields, and the ability to form excimers. Herein, the synthesis of six (phenylethynyl)pyrene-functionalized locked nucleic acid (LNA) monomers M(1)-M(6) and their incorporation into DNA oligomers is described. Multilabeled duplexes display higher thermal stabilities than singly modified analogues. An increase in the number of phenylethynyl substituents attached to the pyrene results in decreased binding affinity towards complementary DNA and RNA and remarkable bathochromic shifts of absorption/emission maxima relative to the parent pyrene fluorochrome. This bathochromic shift leads to the bright fluorescence colors of the probes, which differ drastically from the blue emission of unsubstituted pyrene. The formation of intra- and interstrand excimers was observed for duplexes that have monomers M(1)-M(6) in both complementary strands and in numerous single-stranded probes. If more phenylethynyl groups are inserted, the detected excimer signals become more intense. In addition, (phenylethynyl)pyrenecarbonyl-LNA monomers M(4), M(5), and M(6) proved highly useful for the detection of single mismatches in DNA/RNA targets.