Improving accuracy by subpixel smoothing in the finite-difference time domain

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods suffer from reduced accuracy when modeling discontinuous dielectric materials, due to the inhererent discretization (pixelization). We show that accuracy can be significantly improved by using a subpixel smoothing of the dielectric function, but only if the smoothing scheme is properly designed. We develop such a scheme based on a simple criterion taken from perturbation theory and compare it with other published FDTD smoothing methods. In addition to consistently achieving the smallest errors, our scheme is the only one that attains quadratic convergence with resolution for arbitrarily sloped interfaces. Finally, we discuss additional difficulties that arise for sharp dielectric corners.     

Optical bistability in axially modulated OmniGuide fibers

We demonstrate the feasibility of optical bistability in an axially modulated nonlinear OmniGuide fiber through analytical theory and detailed numerical experiments. At 1.55-microm carrier wavelength, the in-fiber devices that we propose can operate with only a few tens of milliwatts of power, can have a nearly instantaneous response and recovery time, and can be shorter than 100 microm.     

Kinetic isotope effects in the photochemical reaction cycle of ion transporting retinal proteins

The kinetics of the photochemical reaction cycle of the bacteriorhodopsin, pharaonis halorhodopsin and proteorhodopsin were determined in H2O and D2O at low and high pH, to get insight in the proton dependent steps of the transport process. While all the steps of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle at normal pH exhibited a strong isotope effect, the proton uptake step of the photocycle, measured at high pH, became independent of deuterium exchange, making plausible that this step, at low proton concentration, becomes concentration dependent, not mobility dependent. The proton transporting photocycle of the proteorhodopsin at its normal pH (9.5) shows a marked deuterium effect, while at high pH (12.2) this effect almost totally disappears. It was shown earlier that the proton uptake step of the proteorhodopsin is at the rise of the N form. As the proton concentration decreases with rising pH this step becomes the rate limiting, proton concentration dependent step, hiding all the other isotope dependent components. In the case of halorhodopsin in all the chloride, nitrate and proton transporting conditions the photocycle was not strongly affected by the deuterium exchange. While in the cases of the first two ions this seems normal, the absence of the deuterium effect in the case of the proton transporting photocycle was a puzzle. The only plausible explanation is that in the presence of azide the halorhodopsin transports not the proton, but a negatively charged ion the OH-, the mass and mobility of which is only slightly influenced by the deuterium exchange.     

Neue mikrogravimetrische Methoden für die Bestimmung des Osmiums

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden zur mikrogravimetrischen Bestimmung des Osmiums drei Methoden empfohlen: 1. Aus der salzsauren Lösung von...     

Disorder-immune confinement of light in photonic-crystal cavities

We demonstrate by finite-difference time-domain simulations in 2D and 3D that optical cavities in realistic finite photonic crystals have lifetimes and modal volumes that are essentially insensitive to disorder (of various types, including surface disorder and randomized positions), even with unphysically large disorder. A lifetime Q = 10(8) is demonstrated in a 3D single-mode cavity with a half-wavelength mode diameter using only eight vertical periods of a disordered crystal.     

Contributions to the complexometric determination of cation mixtures: Simultaneous titration of iron(iii) and aluminium in the presence of ammonium thiocyanate as indicator

With thiocyanate as indicator iron(III) and aluminium(III) can be titrated simultaneously if [Fe⁺³]/[Al⁺³] ? $\text{1}\text{4}$; iron(III) is titrated directly with EDTA, and aluminium(III) is determined by back-titration of the excess of EDTA with cobalt nitrate solution in an acetone-water medium.     

Natriumchlorit als Oxydationsmittel in der quantitativen analytischen Chemie

Zusammenfassung In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden einige Möglichkeiten der Verwendung von NaClO₂ als Oxydationsmittel für 8-Hydroxychinolin untersucht. Dabei ergaben sich vorteilhafte Verfahren zur Bestimmung von Elementen, welche als Oxinate fällbar sind.Als Beispiel ist eine indirekte Bestimmungsmethode von Molybdän in Molybdänitkonzentraten entwickelt worden, bei der die Rücktitration des Oxydationsmittelüberschusses mit jodometrischer oder potentiometrischer Endpunktsindikation erfolgt.V. Mitteilung: Spacu, P., M. Brezeanu, C. Gheorghiu u. E. Cristurean: Rev. Chim. A. S. I. T. 12, 723 (1961).     

Thermo-responsiveness of polysiloxanes grafted with poly(dimethyl acrylamide) segments

Thermo-sensitive polymers are of outstanding importance due to their ability to undergo controlled major changes in their properties as a response to minor modifications in temperature. The syntheses of novel polymers by grafting polysiloxane containing chlorobenzyl groups in the side chain by the homopolymerization of N,N′-dimethyl acrylamide (DMA) or the copolymerization of DMA and methyl methacrylate (MMA) using SET-LRP technique are presented. The polymers were characterized by 1H-NMR, UV, and fluorescence spectroscopy, and DSC. The thermo-sensitivity and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), as well as the aggregation phenomena during the phase transition are evidenced by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and rheology.