Modelling and design of a travelling-wave electro-optic modulator on InP

Based on a rigorous vectorial analysis, a fast travelling-wave Mach–Zehnder modulator is modelled and designed. The cross-section of the semiconductor layer stack and the lossy electrodes are carefully modelled using the method of lines in order to investigate propagation characteristics, velocity and losses. This yields an accurate microwave and optical field distribution to explain the behaviour of the component. In order to enhance the modulation efficiency, design curves are derived and the cross-sectional dimensions for minimum microwave loss are determined. The loss of the optimized modulator agrees very well with small-signal measurements up to 40 GHz and HFSS simulations. The layerstack of the fabricated device is suitable for integration with InP multi-wavelength lasers.     

Nanoscale organization of the pathogen receptor DC-SIGN mapped by single-molecule high-resolution fluorescence microscopy.

DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin exclusively expressed on dendritic cells (DCs), plays an important role in pathogen recognition by binding with high affinity to a large variety of microorganisms. Recent experimental evidence points to a direct relation between the function of DC-SIGN as a viral receptor and its spatial arrangement on the plasma membrane. We have investigated the nanoscale organization of fluorescently labeled DC-SIGN on intact isolated DCs by means of near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) combined with single-molecule detection. Fluorescence spots of different intensity and size have been directly visualized by optical means with a spatial resolution of less than 100 nm. Intensity- and size-distribution histograms of the DC-SIGN fluorescent spots confirm that approximately 80 % of the receptors are organized in nanosized domains randomly distributed on the cell membrane. Intensity-size correlation analysis revealed remarkable heterogeneity in the molecular packing density of the domains. Furthermore, we have mapped the intermolecular organization within a dense cluster by means of sequential NSOM imaging combined with discrete single-molecule photobleaching. In this way we have determined the spatial coordinates of 13 different individual dyes, with a localization accuracy of 6 nm. Our experimental observations are all consistent with an arrangement of DC-SIGN designed to maximize its chances of binding to a wide range of microorganisms. Our data also illustrate the potential of NSOM as an ultrasensitive, high-resolution technique to probe nanometer-scale organization of molecules on the cell membrane.     

Restoration of signal polarity in a set of inversion recovery NMR images

A method is described which enables unambiguous retrieval of sign information in a set of magnetic resonance magnitude images of the inversion recovery type. The proposed method starts from the observation that the inversion recovery curve S is a monotonically increasing function of the inversion time TI, and comes down to finding the zero-crossing time TI0 of this curve for each pixel within the image. Absolute Value(S)and S are then related by S(TI) = -Absolute Value(S(TI)) for TI =/< TI(0) and S(TI) = + Absolute Value(S(TI)) for TI =/> TI0. The method, which does not require additional knowledge with respect to any of the NMR parameters involved, is shown to be effective when at least four inversion recovery images with different inversion times of a particular object slice are available. The efficacy of sign retrieval is demonstrated by imaging experiments on phantoms and human subjects. The validity of the polarity restoration method is established by viewing its results against the results of conventional methods, i.e., NMR spectroscopy.     

Collinear collision of an atom with a homonuclear diatomic molecule

The problem of collinear scattering of an atom from a homonuclear diatomic molecule is formulated in terms of a first-order nonlinear matrix differential equation for the variable coefficient of reflection. For a homonuclear molecule when the target Hamiltonian is invariant under the parity transformation, only transitions between even states or odd states are possible. This selection rule reduces the number of open or closed channels that contribute to the reflection and transmission coefficients. But for numerical calculation, under the conditions of the problem, one can approximate the target Hamiltonian by the Hamiltonian of a displaced harmonic oscillator. In this approximation, the reflectional symmetry of the Hamiltonian is not preserved and transitions between any two levels of the target are possible. To simplify the problem further, the interaction between the projectile and the target is assumed to be a sum of two Gaussian terms. For this combination of the potentials the many-channel interaction can be expressed analytically. By fitting the Lennard–Jones potential with a sum of two Gaussian potentials and solving the matrix differential equation, transition probabilities are obtained for the He? H₂ collision. The numerical results are compared with the results found by Secrest and Johnson, and by Clark and Dickinson.     

Copolar and cross-polar signals received at 30 GHz from ATS-6

From the end of July 1975 until August 1976 the reception of signals from the geostationary satellite ATS-6was possible since at that time the satellite was brought into a position above Victoria Lake at 35° East. The copolar signal showed attenuation which varies strongly with the amount of rain. The rain was measured by a rain gauge located close to the 3 meter precision Cassegrain antenna. The attenuation measured at the satellite link did not always correspond with the attenuation measured at the nearby line of sight link at 34 GHz. For example during heavy thunderstorms the attenuation might have reach values as high as 20 dB or more. For smaller attenuations comparison is possible with a radiometer experiment at 30.1 GHz. In general this comparison shows good results for attenuations less than 10 dB. The crosspolar signal measured showed values of — 55 dB to about — 20 dB relative to the copolar depending upon several reasons. First of all the rain showed mostly a strong increase in the crosspolar signal but satellite movements and errors in the antenna pointing will also increased this level. Various examples are shown. It appears that the copolar — cross-polar isolation reached the lowest value at attenuations of 3–6 dB. Although the time that the satellite was available for measurements was limited, some statistic results can be given despite the fact the signal transmitted from the satellite was not always constant.     

Zeeman experiments on the 3Eu α 1A1g transition of platinum porphein in an n-alkane single crystal at 4.2

We report absorption spectra from the ground state to the photoexcited triplet state of platinum porphin (PtP) in single crystals of n-octane (C₈) and n-decane (C₁₀) at 4.2 K, with and without a magnetic field. For PtP in C₁₀ the same transition was studied in emission. From the experiments, values are derived of the spin-orbit coupling parameter Z, the crystal field splitting δ and the orbital angular momentum A for PtP in the two hosts: Z = 76 ± 2 cm^?1 (C₈, C₁₀), δ = 71 ± 1 cm^?1 (C₈), 55 ± 1 cm^?1 (C₁₀) and A = 1.6 ± 0.1 (C₈, C₁₀). For the ratio of the in-plane and the z-polarized electric dipole transition moments we obtain ¦Mx,y¦/¦Mz¦=76± 0.3 (C₈).     

On the Stability of Pt-Based Catalysts in HBr/Br2 Solution

Stability studies on supported metal nanoparticles are essential for gaining insight into the design and optimization of high-performance materials. In this work, the dissolutions of Pt-based catalysts in HBr/Br₂ mixture of various concentration regimes were studied and correlated with material structural properties. The dissolution of metal nanoparticles was enhanced by adding Br₂ to the HBr solution. Comparing with commercial Pt/C catalyst, the well-alloyed PtIr/C catalyst was observed to exhibit high resistance towards dissolution. In addition, regulating the accessibility of the metal sites to dissolution-inducing species contributed to the marked stability of the nanoparticles in HBr/Br₂ solutions, as shown for the surface-modified PtIr/C catalysts with organic diamine molecules.