Measurement of pulse amplitude and phase using cross-phase modulation in microstructure fiber

Cross-phase modulation in a highly nonlinear microstructure optical fiber with low dispersion and high birefringence is used for the measurement of the pulse amplitude and phase of picosecond pulses by frequency-resolved optical gating. An alignment-free configuration including an optical amplifier is proposed and experimentally tested. The simulated annealing method is used for retrieving the amplitude and phase from cross-phase modulation spectrograms. It takes into account the birefringence of the measurement fiber and the resolution of the optical spectrum analyzer.     

Self-swept erbium fiber laser around 1.56 μm

Self-swept erbium fiber laser emitting around 1.56?μm is reported in detail. Both sweep directions were registered: pointing toward longer and shorter wavelengths, redshift and blueshift sweeping, respectively. We describe method of determining the direction of the wavelength drift using the monochromator based optical spectrum analyzer. Possible root for this sweeping regime, i.e., the gain modulation along active fiber, is discussed with the help of a simple model calculating the overall cavity gain that can predict the direction of the laser wavelength sweeping.     

Terpenoid synthase structures: a so far incomplete view of complex catalysis

Covering: up to February 2012The complexity of terpenoid natural products has drawn significant interest, particularly since their common (poly)isoprenyl origins were discovered. Notably, much of this complexity is derived from the highly variable cyclized and/or rearranged nature of the observed hydrocarbon skeletal structures. Indeed, at least in some cases it is difficult to immediately recognize their derivation from poly-isoprenyl precursors. Nevertheless, these diverse structures are formed by sequential elongation to acyclic precursors, most often with subsequent cyclization and/or rearrangement. Strikingly, the reactions used to assemble and diversify terpenoid backbones share a common carbocationic driven mechanism, although the means by which the initial carbocation is generated does vary. High-resolution crystal structures have been obtained for at least representative examples from each of the various types of enzymes involved in producing terpenoid hydrocarbon backbones. However, while this has certainly led to some insights into the enzymatic structure-function relationships underlying the elongation and simpler cyclization reactions, our understanding of the more complex cyclization and/or rearrangement reactions remains limited. Accordingly, selected examples are discussed here to demonstrate our current understanding, its limits, and potential ways forward.     

Precise determination of neutron binding energy of <Superscript>64</Superscript>Cu

The neutron binding energy in ⁶⁴Cu has been accurately measured in thermal neutron capture. A composite target of natural Cu and NaCl was used on a high flux neutron beam using a large measuring time. The γ-ray spectrum emitted in the (n, γ) reaction was measured with a HPGe detector in large statistics (up to 10⁶ events per channel). Intrinsic limitations of HPGe detectors, which restrict the accuracy of energy calibration, were determined. The value B _n of ⁶⁴Cu was determined as 7915.867(24) keV.     

All-optical wavelength converter based on fiber cross-phase modulation and fiber Bragg grating

I present new method of phase modulation to amplitude modulation conversion (PM/AM conversion) that utilizes integrating capabilities of fiber Bragg grating (FBG). I found that the wavelength converter based on fiber cross-phase modulation (XPM) and new method of PM/AM conversion have an order of magnitude higher conversion efficiency then the wavelength converter based on sideband filtration method and up to 6 dB higher conversion efficiency then the converter based on the nonlinear optical loop mirror. Numerical analysis and experimental results are provided for bit rates up to 40 Gb/s.