Phase-matched self-doubling optical parametric oscillator

We report a synchronously pumped intracavity frequency-doubled optical parametric oscillator that employs a single KTiOPO(4) crystal for both parametric generation and frequency doubling. Both nonlinear processes are phase matched for the same direction of propagation in the crystal. The parametric oscillator, pumped by a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser at a wavelength of 745 nm, generates a green output beam at 540 nm with a 29% power conversion efficiency. Angle tuning in conjunction with pump wavelength tuning provides output tunability in the 530-585-nm range.     

Femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled KTiOPO(4)

We report a femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on a periodically poled KTiOPO(4) crystal for which quasi-phase matching is achieved with a 24-microm poling period. The singly resonant parametric oscillator, synchronously pumped by a Ti:sapphire laser at a wavelength of 758 nm, generates a signal at 1200 nm and an idler at 2060 nm. The maximum signal power conversion efficiency of the device is 22% with a pump depletion of 69%. We tune the signal wavelength over a 200-nm band by changing the cavity length. In addition, pump wavelength tuning provides output tunability in the 1000-1235-nm range.     

Optimization for automated assembly of puzzles

The puzzle-assembly problem has many application areas such as restoration and reconstruction of archeological findings, repairing of broken objects, solving jigsaw type puzzles, molecular docking problem, etc. The puzzle pieces usually include not only geometrical shape information but also visual information such as texture, color, and continuity of lines. This paper presents a new approach to the puzzle-assembly problem that is based on using textural features and geometrical constraints. The texture of a band outside the border of pieces is predicted by inpainting and texture synthesis methods. Feature values are derived from these original and predicted images of pieces. An affinity measure of corresponding pieces is defined and alignment of the puzzle pieces is formulated as an optimization problem where the optimum assembly of the pieces is achieved by maximizing the total affinity measure. A Fast Fourier Transform based image registration technique is used to speed up the alignment of the pieces. Experimental results are presented on real and artificial data sets.     

Photoinduced Modulation of the Emission from СdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots by Photochromic Transformations of Diarylethenes

Crystallography Reports - A spectral study of the interaction between the molecules of photochromic compounds of the diarylethene class and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), in dependence of the...     

Thresholds for nonlinear recording of fluorescent centers in chromone-doped polymer films

Nonlinear recording of stable fluorescent microstructures in PMMA films doped with photosensitive compound 2-(furan-2-yl)-3-(thiophen-2-carbonyl)-chromen-4-one is investigated. Energy and power density thresholds for recording stable fluorescent marks and for film destruction and photobleaching of the fluorescent marks by laser pulses were measured in wide spectral (from 530 to 620 nm) and temporal (from 80 to 7 ns) ranges. The evidences of the sequential two-step excitation mechanism for the studied dye are presented. It was shown that picosecond pulse duration range is preferable for two-photon data recording. Quasi-Gaussian and donut shaped fluorescent marks with almost the same cross-section were recorded by femtosecond pulses with rather small difference in energies.     

Excited State Proton Transfers in Hybrid Compound Based on Indoline Spiropyran of the Coumarin Type and Azomethinocoumarin in the Presence of Metal Ions

Spectral-luminescence properties of a hybrid compound containing a coumarin-type spiropyran and an azomethinocoumarin fragment in toluene-acetonitrile solution in the presence of Li⁺, Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions are reported. Two excited state proton transfers can occur in the hybrid compound—the transfer of a proton from the OH group of the 7-hydroxy coumarin tautomer to the N atom of the C=N bond of the azomethine fragment leading to green ESIPT fluorescence with a maximum at 540 nm and from the OH group of the 7-hydroxy coumarin tautomer to the carbonyl group of the pyrone chromophore, which leads to the formation of the 2-hydroxyl-tautomer T of coumarin with blue fluorescence with a maximum at 475 nm. Dependence of these excited state proton transfers on the metal nature and irradiation with an external UV source is discussed.