Propagating beam analysis of fiber wavelength filters with a depressed-index section

A wavelength filter consisting of single-mode and few-mode fibers is investigated numerically. A simple finite-difference beam-propagation method, in which a transparent boundary condition can be imposed, is developed for circularly symmetric waveguides. After confirming the validity of the numerical method by the mode-mismatch loss, we calculate the propagating field in the fiber wavelength filter, in which interference between LP₀₁, and LP₀₂ modes occurs. To improve the filtering operation, a depressed-index fiber is employed for the few-mode fiber. The effects of the radius and refractive index of the depressed section on the transmission power are revealed and discussed. Power is suppressed to less than 0.1% at 1.3 μm, while maintaining power transmission of more than 85% at 1.55 μm. It is also found that the filtering operation shifts to higher wavelengths as the input power is increased when we choose a self-focusing nonlinear material in the depressed section.     

A Flat Spectral Response AWG Demultiplexer Composed of Slabs with Islands and Peninsulas

Phase adjustment elements called islands and peninsulas are introduced to obtain an AWG demultiplexer with a flat spectral response. Use of the peninsulas enables us to achieve a 1dB bandwidth of 0.5 nm.     

Total deposition velocities and scavenging ratios of 7Be and 210Pb at Rokkasho, Japan

The atmospheric concentrations and deposition fluxes of ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb were observed biweekly in Rokkasho, Japan on the Pacific Ocean coast at the northern end of Honshu Island, from March 2000 to March 2006, to clarify their regional features. Seasonal variation pattern of atmospheric ⁷Be concentrations had double peaks, and that of ²¹⁰Pb had a single peak. Deposition fluxes of ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb showed the same patterns. The total deposition pattern of ⁷Be was similar to that commonly seen on the Pacific Ocean side of northern Honshu Island, while the pattern of ²¹⁰Pb was similar to that commonly seen on the Japan Sea side. The lack of high spine mountains windward in Rokkasho may be the cause of this ambiguity in the winter monsoon season. Total deposition velocities and scavenging ratios of ²¹⁰Pb were similar to those of ⁷Be from spring to fall, and showed that both nuclides had a similar removal process from the atmosphere. However, the scavenging ratios of ²¹⁰Pb were slightly larger than those of ⁷Be in winter, indicating different behaviors for both nuclides in the scavenging process. The scavenging ratios of both nuclides inversely correlated with precipitation rate, and the ratios in winter were larger than in the other seasons.     

Uptake kinetics of deuteriated water vapor by plants: Experiments of D2O release in a greenhouse as a substitute for tritiated water

Potted plants were exposed to D₂O vapor in a greenhouse and uptake of D₂O by leaf and deposition of D₂O to pot soil were examined. Atmospheric D₂O concentration in the greenhouse increased rapidly after starting the release and reached constant level in a few hours. Although the variation of D₂O concentration in leaf followed that in air with showing a time delay, D₂O concentration in leaf did not become the same level as that in air and vein showed lower concentration that lamina. D₂O concentration in the pot soil increased slowly with diffusing in deeper layer.     

Fluorescence Response and Self-Assembly of a Tweezer-Type Synthetic Receptor Triggered by Complexation with Heme and Its Catabolites

There is increasing interest in the development and applications of synthetic receptors that recognize target biomolecules in aqueous media. We have developed a new tweezer-type synthetic receptor that gives a significant fluorescence response upon complexation with heme in aqueous solution at pH 7.4. The synthetic receptor consists of a tweezer-type heme recognition site and sulfo-Cy5 as a hydrophilic fluorophore. The receptor–heme complex exhibits a supramolecular amphiphilic character that facilitates the formation of self-assembled aggregates, and both the tweezer moiety and the sulfo-Cy5 moiety are important for this property. The synthetic receptor also exhibits significant fluorescence responses to biliverdin and bilirubin, but shows very weak fluorescence responses to flavin mononucleotide, folic acid, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which contain smaller π-scaffolds.     

Tritium concentration in foods and human tissues: Estimation of mean residence times of organically-bound tritium in costal cartilage and sternum

Tritium (³H) concentrations in diet samples from Akita City, northern Japan, and in human tissue samples from the general population of Akita Prefecture were analyzed to study fallout³H transfer.³H concentrations in human soft-tissue samples have been previously found to be similar to those in diet samples. In this study, higher organically-bound³H (OBT) concentrations were found in human costal cartilage and sternum samples than in the soft-tissues. Mean residence times of OBT in the cartilage and sternum were estimated to be 57 years and <6 years, respectively, with a single compartment model which took into account compartment growth.