Synthesis of chirped apodized fiber Bragg grating parameters using Direct Tabu Search algorithm: Application to the determination of thermo-optic and thermal expansion coefficients

In this paper, Direct Tabu Search (DTS) is proposed to synthesize the physical parameters of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) numerically from its reflection response. A reflected spectrum is being calculated by using the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM). Direct search based strategies are used to direct a tabu search. These strategies are based on a new pattern search procedure called Adaptive Pattern Search (APS). In addition, the well-known Nelder-Mead (NME) algorithm is used as a local search method at the final stage of the optimization process. Direct Tabu Search (DTS) is applied for reconstruction of a raised cosine chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) and a Gaussian multi channel fiber grating. The method is then used to synthesize a CFBG from its reflectivity taken at different temperatures. It gives a good estimate of the thermal expansion coefficient and the thermo-optic coefficient of the fiber.     

Numerical solution of radiative and conductive heat transfer in concentric spherical and cylindrical media

A new technique is presented to improve the performance of the discrete ordinates method when solving the coupled conduction-radiation problems in spherical and cylindrical media. In this approach the angular derivative term of the discretized one-dimensional radiative transfer equation is derived from an expansion of the radiative intensity on the basis of Chebyshev polynomials. The set of resulting differential equations, obtained by the application of the S_N method, is numerically solved using the boundary value problem with the finite difference algorithm. Results are presented for the different independent parameters. Numerical results obtained using the Chebyshev transform method compare well with the benchmark approximate solutions. Moreover, the new technique can easily be applied to higher-order S_N calculations.     

Targeted DNP for biomolecular solid-state NMR

High-field dynamic nuclear polarization is revolutionizing the scope of solid-state NMR with new applications in surface chemistry, materials science and structural biology. In this perspective article, we focus on a specific DNP approach, called targeted DNP, in which the paramagnets introduced to polarize are not uniformly distributed in the sample but site-specifically located on the biomolecular system. After reviewing the various targeting strategies reported to date, including a bio-orthogonal chemistry-based approach, we discuss the potential of targeted DNP to improve the overall NMR sensitivity while avoiding the use of glass-forming DNP matrix. This is especially relevant to the study of diluted biomolecular systems such as, for instance, membrane proteins within their lipidic environment. We also discuss routes towards extracting structural information from paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) induced by targeted DNP at cryogenic temperature, and the possibility to recover site-specific information in the vicinity of the paramagnetic moieties using high-resolution selective DNP spectra. Finally, we review the potential of targeted DNP for in-cell NMR studies and how it can be used to extract a given protein NMR signal from a complex cellular background.

In targeted DNP, localization of polarizing agent at specific sites leads to new NMR approaches to improve sensitivity, background suppression for in-cell NMR, access to long-range constraints, and selective observation of binding sites.     

Transmission of 4× 40/10 Gbps in a WDM-PON using NRZ-DQPSK/ASK modulation

In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) of a 30 km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF-28) carrying 160 Gbps data in downstream and 40 Gbps through the uplink. The developed method is based on the comparison between two WDM-PON systems of 4 channels with the same characteristics, using two different formats of modulation in OLTs. The first system uses the NRZ-ASK in the downlink direction, while the second uses the NRZ-DQPSK.     

Effect of Temperature and a Non-Solvent Addition on the Specific Volume of Poly (Sodium-4-Styrene Sulfonate) in Water

The effect of temperature and a non-solvent, ethanol, addition on the specific volume of poly (sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) in water was investigated. The refractive indices of the studied solutions were measured over the 298.15–323.15 K temperature range. Then, the specific volumes of the polyelectrolyte were calculated according to the Lorentz–Lorenz and Gladstone–Dale equations. The relative deviations of the specific volumes between measured and calculated according to these equations did not exceed 2.5%. Several empirical equations were deduced to describe the variations of the refractive index increment and the specific volume versus the temperature and the mixture composition.     

Formal Analysis of Optical Systems

Optical systems are becoming increasingly important by resolving many bottlenecks in today’s communication, electronics, and biomedical systems. However, given the continuous nature of optics, the inability to efficiently analyze optical system models using traditional paper-and-pencil and computer simulation approaches sets limits especially in safety-critical applications. In order to overcome these limitations, we propose to employ higher-order-logic theorem proving as a complement to computational and numerical approaches to improve optical model analysis in a comprehensive framework. The proposed framework allows formal analysis of optical systems at four abstraction levels, i.e., ray, wave, electromagnetic, and quantum.     

Coordination Chemistry of a Bis(Tetrazine) Tweezer: A Case of Host-Guest Behavior with Silver Salts

The carbon-carbon cross-coupling of phenyl s-tetrazine (Tz) units at their ortho-phenyl positions allows the formation of constrained bis(tetrazines) with original tweezer structures. In these compounds, the face-to-face positioning of the central tetrazine cores is reinforced by π-stacking of the electron-poor nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic moieties. The resulting tetra-aromatic structure can be used as a weak coordinating ligand with cationic silver. This coordination generates a set of bis(tetrazine)-silver(I) coordination complexes tolerating a large variety of counter anions of various geometries, namely, PF₆⁻, BF₄⁻, SbF₆⁻, ClO₄⁻, NTf₂⁻, and OTf⁻. These compounds were characterized in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and in solution by ¹H-NMR, mass spectrometry, electroanalysis, and UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry. The X-ray crystal structure of complexes {[Ag(3)][PF₆]}_∞ (4) and {[Ag(3)][SbF₆]}_∞ (6), where 3 is 3,3′-[(1,1′-biphenyl)-2,2′-diyl]-6,6′-bis(phenyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, revealed the formation of 1D polymeric chains, characterized by an evolution to a large opening of the original tweezer and a coordination of silver(I) via two chelating nitrogen atom and some C=C π-interactions. Electrochemical and UV spectroscopic properties of the original tweezer and of the corresponding silver complexes are reported and compared. ¹H-NMR titrations with AgNTf₂ allowed the determination of the stoichiometry and apparent stability of two solution species, namely [Ag(3)]⁺ and [Ag(3)₂]²⁺, that formed in CDCl₃/CD₃OD 2:1 v/v mixtures.