A stable dual-wavelength fiber laser with tunable wavelength spacing using a polarization-maintaining linear cavity

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a stable dual-wavelength erbium-doped polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber laser with tunable wavelength spacing using an all-PM linear cavity that makes use of two reflection peaks from the PM fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG). Experimental results show stable dual lasing lines with a wavelength separation of ∼0.22 nm and a large optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of over 40 dB under room temperature. By applying axial strain to the PM-FBG, the center wavelengths of the two lasing lines can be tuned over several nanometers and the wavelength separation between the lasing lines can also be tuned to as small as 0.05 nm, which, to our knowledge, is the smallest wavelength spacing ever obtained from a stable room-temperature dual-wavelength fiber laser. The proposed laser configuration has the advantages of simple structure, low loss, stable dual-wavelength operation and a very small lasing linewidth of ∼5 kHz . PACS 42.55.Wd; 42.81.-i; 42.81.Gs     

Determination of uranium and thorium isotopes in soil samples by coprecipitation

Summary The paper presents a procedure to prepare soil samples for U and Th isotope measurement by alpha-spectrometry after coprecipitation with LaF₃. In this procedure the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) was performed by Zn metal in 4M HCl solution. The recoveries of chemical separation equal to e_U-chemistry = 78±4% for uranium and e_Th-chemistry = 82±4% for thorium. Canberra alpha-spectrometer was used with PIPS detectors of A-1200-37-AM Model of 1200 mm² active area. The counting efficiency of the measuring system equals to e_counting = 18% and the total efficiencies were e_U = e_counting ^.e_U-chemistry = 14.0±0.7% for uranium and e_Th = e_counting ^.e_Th-chemistry = 14.7±0.7% for thorium. The recoveries of chemical separation were rather high (about 80%), that leads to the use of a small weight of soil sample (about 0.5 g). The efficiencies were also stable, that allows analyzing the soil sample without using radiotracers. They are advantages of the sample preparation procedure of this work.     

Prompt gamma cold neutron activation analysis applied to biological materials

Summary Cold neutrons at the external neutron guide laboratory (ELLA) of the KFA Jülich are used to demonstrate their profitable application for multielement characterization of biological materials. The set-up and experimental conditions of the Prompt Gamma Cold Neutron Activation Analysis (PGCNAA) device is described in detail. Results for C, H, N, S, K, B, and Cd using synthetic standards and the “ratio” technique for calculation are reported for several reference materials and prove the method to be reliable and complementary with respect to the elements being determined by INAA. IAEA fellow at the KFA from 6. 3. 91 to 2. 9. 91 on contract No. VIE/9016R.     

Co-doped In2O3 thin films: Room temperature ferromagnets

Laser-ablated Co-doped In₂O₃ thin films were fabricated under various growth conditions on R-cut Al₂O₃ and MgO substrates. All Co:In₂O₃ films are well-crystallized, single phase, and room temperature ferromagnetic. Co atoms were well substituted for In atoms, and their distribution is greatly uniform over the whole thickness of the films. Films grown at 550 °C showed the largest magnetic moment of about 0.5 μ_B/Co, while films grown at higher temperatures have magnetic moments of one order smaller. The observed ferromagnetism above room temperature in Co:In₂O₃ thin films has confirmed that doping few percent of magnetic elements such as Co into In₂O₃ could result in a promising magnetic material.     

Immunochromatographic flow-injection method for detection of human serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to Helicobacter pylori

This study reports on the development of an immunochromatographic flow-injection (FI) method for the quantitation of human serum IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori. Patients’ sera were injected into the carrier stream of a FI manifold incorporating an H. pylori immuno-adsorbent reactor. The immuno-adsorbent was prepared by covalently linking H. pylori antigens to periodate oxidized Sepharose CL-4B. Any H. pylori antibody present in the serum is bound to the immuno-sorbent. The bound antibody was quantified by injecting into the carrier stream anti-human IgG peroxidase conjugate followed by TMB/H₂O₂ as the enzyme substrate. The FI system was optimized with respect to antigen loading (1.0 mg/ml gel), bioreactor length (3.0 cm), enzyme conjugate (0.2 mg/ml) and sample loop size (250 μl). One hundred clinical samples were analyzed for their H. pylori antibody concentrations and the results evaluated with respect to their receiver-operator characteristics (ROC). When a cut-off absorbance of between 0.7 and 0.75 was used for positive and negative samples a specificity (>95%), a sensitivity (>90%)and an overall accuracy (>94%) were obtained.     

Fine characterization of the ethylene and ethane sorption in poly(amide 12-block-tetramethylenoxide) copolymer/AgBF4 membranes

Ethylene/ethane sorption characteristics were determined for dry Pebax™ (poly(amide 12-block-tetramethylenoxide) copolymer)/AgBF₄ membranes by using an electronic microbalance. The membranes containing 0.7 and 22 wt.% AgBF₄ showed a dual-mode sorption isotherm. The ethane isotherms for all the membranes were of the Henry-type, which is the normal sorption for gases in rubbery polymers. The abnormal presence of Langmuir sorption sites only for ethylene in the rubbery copolymer, never reported sofar, is attributed to the silver-based specific complexation sites. The silver salt which dissolved in limited amounts in the rubbery copolymer had a much smaller Langmuir sorption capacity than the salt that crystallized in the copolymer. The sorption kinetics indicate that the crystallized salt did adsorb slowly ethylene according to a zeroth-order kinetics, but not ethane. The gas uptake kinetics resulting from a step of the pressure surrounding the copolymer exhibited one stage for ethane but two stages for ethylene. For the latter, there was first a fast Fickian sorption stage, then a drift of the zeroth-order sorption of ethylene on salt crystals, which contributes for a large part to the total uptake. The zeroth-order sorption suggests that the sorbed ethylene amount in the second-stage is independent of the crystal-surface coverage. The value of the Fickian diffusion coefficient calculated by fitting the kinetics with a solution of the second Fick’s law was 5 × 10⁻¹² m²/s for both ethylene (the first stage) and ethane, and is typical for small organic compounds in a rubbery material.     

Carrier-mediated transport of yttrium(III) through a supported liquid membrane containing TOPO in n-dodecane

Transport of yttrium(III) from nitrate medium through liquid membrane containing tri-n-octyl-phosphine oxide (TOPO) in n-dodecane, supported on a nucleoporous filter, into a strip solution with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has been studied. The kinetic dependences of transport were obtained and compared with a model, resulting in calculation of permeability coeffients and initial fluxes of yttrium. The influence of salting-out agent, initial metal and nitric acid concentrations in the feed, and of concentration of carrier in membrane are discussed.     

Order from Chaos: Self‐Assembly of Nanoprism from a Mixture of Tetratopic Terpyridine‐Porphyrin Conformers

Porphyrins have been widely used in the self‐assembly of metallo‐supramolecules. In this study, we introduced 2,2':6,2"‐terpyridine (tpy) into a porphyrin core to synthesize a tetratopic building block with multiple conformers. During the self‐assembly with Zn(II), such a mixture of conformers was able to form a discrete nanoprism with all building blocks in one conformation. Detailed characterizations, including NMR, ESI‐MS and traveling‐wave ion mobility‐mass spectrometry (TWIM‐MS), all supported the formation of the desired assemblies. AFM and TEM further confirmed the dimensions of assembled nanoprisms. Moreover, the photophysical properties of the ligands and complexes were noticeably different depending upon size and metal ion center.     

Factors controlling the regioselectivity of additions to α-enones—III: Reactions of 3-aryl α-enones with phosphorylated anions

Reaction of phosphonoester 2 and phosphononitrile 3 with chalcone and p-methoxychaleone in THF-t-BuOK at room temperature gives only the product resulting from CC double bond attack. The same reagents with benzalacetone lead to mixture of products resulting from CC double bond and carbonyl attack, though phosphine oxide 4 gives only the products of CC attack. Dypnone gives products of carbonyl attack with 3 and does not react with 2.These results are discussed in terms of perturbation theory: C₄ attack increases with delocalization of the reagent's negative charge and lowering of the α-enone LUMO level.