Highly sensitive bend sensor with hybrid long-period and tilted fiber Bragg grating

We demonstrate a new type of fiber optic bend sensor with a hybrid structure made up of a long period grating (LPG) and a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG). The sensing mechanism is based on the spectrum of power transfers between the core and cladding modes from a TFBG located downstream from a LPG. We show that the curvature of a beam can be determined by the reflected power difference between the core mode and the recoupled cladding modes. We further provide design rules for the LPG and TFBG to optimize and linearize the sensor response. In addition, the temperature cross-sensitivities of this configuration are also investigated for two different types of fiber.     

Narrow-line phase-locked quantum cascade laser in the 9.2 microm range

We report the operation of a 50 mW continuous-wave quantum cascade laser (QCL) in the 9.2 microm range, phase locked to a single-mode CO(2) laser with a tunable frequency offset. The wide free-running emission spectrum of the QCL (3-5 MHz) is strongly narrowed down to the kilohertz range, making it suitable for high-resolution molecular spectroscopy.     

Distributed feedback fiber laser pumped by multimode laser diodes

A distributed feedback fiber laser made of highly Er-Yb codoped phosphate glass fiber has been demonstrated experimentally. Efficient pump absorption allows for multimode pumping into the cladding of the active fiber. Output powers up to 160 mW have been achieved. The 35 mm long fiber laser device emits with >50 dB side mode suppression ratio.     

HCOOH high-resolution spectroscopy in the 9.18 μm region

We report on highly accurate absolute frequency measurement against a femtosecond frequency comb of six saturated absorption lines of formic acid (HCOOH) with an accuracy of 1 kHz. We also report the frequency measurement of 17 other lines with an accuracy of 2 kHz. Those lines are in quasi coincidence with the 9R(36) to 9R(42) CO₂ laser emission lines and are probed either by a CO₂ or a widely tunable quantum cascade laser phase locked to a master CO₂ laser. The stability of HCOOH stabilized lasers is characterized by a fractional Allan deviation of 3.1 × 10⁻¹² τ^−1/2. They give suitable frequency references for Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy.     

Frequency doubling of CO2 laser radiation at 10.6 microm in the highly nonlinear chalcopyrite LiGaTe2

Type-I phase matching for second-harmonic generation at 10.6 microm in LiGaTe(2) is demonstrated by using a tunable single-frequency continuous-wave CO(2) laser, and the nonlinear coefficient of LiGaTe(2) is determined from comparison with AgGaSe(2). The effective nonlinearity of LiGaTe(2) for this process amounts to 34.5 pm/V.     

Indole synthesis by controlled carbolithiation of o-aminostyrenes

An effective synthesis of the functionalized indole ring system has been developed from substituted o-aminostyrene starting material. Our methodology involves a novel cascade reaction sequence of alkyllithium addition to the styrene double bond and subsequent trapping of the intermediate organolithium with a suitable electrophile, followed by an in situ ring closure and dehydration to generate the indole ring. This new reaction sequence allows for the introduction of molecular diversity at all positions on the indole scaffold. The procedure was shown to be successful with a range of both C and N substituents on the o-aminostyrenes. The reaction sequence was tolerant to the reactivity range of alkyllithiums such as tert-, sec-, and n-butyllithium. The electrophiles used were DMF, which generated indole products with C-2 unsubstituted, and nitriles, which incorporated the nitrile substituent at C-2. The o-aminostyrene starting materials were generated by a Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of a vinyl boronic acid equivalent with the readily available substituted o-bromoanilines.     

Configurational stability of 9-hydroxyrisperidone. Kinetics and mechanism of racemization

The configurational stability of 9-hydroxyrisperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, was studied under acidic, basic and physiological conditions. The analysis of 9-hydroxyrisperidone was performed using a recently validated chiral capillary electrophoretic method developed using a dual cyclodextrin mode (hydroxypropylated-β-CD and sulfated-α-CD). The kinetic parameters (rate constants, half-lives, and apparent free energy barriers) of the racemization were calculated through a mathematical model of the first-order reaction. The influences of the pH, the temperature, the nature and the concentration of the buffer, and the presence of an organic co-solvent were investigated. The fastest racemizations were observed under acidic conditions with high phosphate buffer concentrations and high temperatures. Under these conditions, the cyclodextrins (β-CD, methyl- β-CD, or hydroxypropylated-β-CD) added to both enantiomers in various molar ratios were not able to retard the racemization. Finally, the mechanism of racemization was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and the proton–deuterium exchange of the proton H₉ borne by the chiral carbon has proven the presence of an imine–enamine tautomerism.