Oligonucleotide hybridization observed by surface plasmon optical techniques

Surface plasmon spectroscopy and microscopy are employed to study the hybridization reaction of an oligonucleotide ten-mer from solution to its complement immobilized to a solid support. It is shown that a dilute target monolayer is necessary to allow for an effective dimerization process. Parallel multi-site detection of the DNA binding is demonstrated to be possible with surface plasmon microscopy without the need for any extra labeling of the reaction partners. The simultaneous quantitative evaluation of the degree of dimerization to many different target areas, each as small as a few μm² and each functionalized by different oligonucleotide sequences, can be accomplished by two-dimensional image analysis and should be relevant for DNA sequencing protocols.     

Emission spectrum of a dressed exciton-biexciton complex in a semiconductor quantum dot

The photoluminescence spectrum of a single quantum dot was recorded as a secondary resonant laser optically dressed either the vacuum-to-exciton or the exciton-to-biexciton transitions. High-resolution polarization-resolved measurements using a scanning Fabry-Pérot interferometer reveal splittings of the linearly polarized fine-structure states that are nondegenerate in an asymmetric quantum dot. These splittings manifest as either triplets or doublets and depend sensitively on laser intensity and detuning. Our approach realizes complete resonant control of a multiexcitonic system in emission, which can be either pulsed or continuous wave, and offers direct access to the emitted photons.     

Study of the reactions γp → K+ Σ± π∓ at photon energies up to 2.6 GeV

The reactions γp → K⁺ Σ^± π^? were studied with the SAPHIR detector using a tagged photon beam at the electron stretcher facility ELSA in Bonn. The decays Σ ^? → nπ ^? and Σ ⁺ → nπ ⁺, pπ ⁰ were fully reconstructed. Reaction cross-sections were measured as a function of the photon energy from threshold up to 2.6 GeV with considerably improved statistics compared to a previous bubble chamber measurement. The cross-sections rise monotonically with increasing photon energy. The two-particle mass distributions of Σ ^± π ^? and K ⁺ π ^? show substantial production of resonant states.     

Measurement of the reaction γp → K0Σat photon energies up to 2.6 GeV⋆

The reaction p K⁰⁺ was measured in the photon energy range from threshold up to 2.6 GeV with the SAPHIR detector at the electron stretcher facility, ELSA, in Bonn. Results are presented on the reaction cross-section and the polarization of the ⁺ as a function of the kaon production angle in the centre-of-mass system, cos^c.m._K, and the photon energy. The cross-section is lower and varies less with photon energy and kaon production angle than that of p K⁺⁰. The ⁺ is polarized predominantly at cos^c.m._K 0. The data presented here are more precise than previous ones obtained with SAPHIR and extend the photon energy range to higher values. They are compared to isobar model calculations.     

Study of the reaction γp → K+Λ(1520) at photon energies up to 2.65 GeV

The reaction γp → K ⁺ Λ(1520) was measured in the energy range from threshold to 2.65 GeV with the SAPHIR detector at the electron stretcher facility ELSA in Bonn. The Λ(1520) production cross-section was analyzed in the decay modes pK ^?, $ n\bar K^0 $ , Σ ^± π ^?, and Λπ ⁺ π ^? as a function of the photon energy and the squared four-momentum transfer t . While the cross-sections for the inclusive reactions rise steadily with energy, the cross-section of the process γp → K ⁺ Λ(1520) peaks at a photon energy of about 2.0 GeV, falls off exponentially with t , and shows a slope flattening with increasing photon energy. The angular distributions in the t-channel helicity system indicate neither a K nor a K ^* exchange dominance. Rather, the rapid change of the angular distribution with energy suggests that, in addition to t -channel K and K^* exchange, amplitudes for formation of nucleon resonances in the s-channel play an important role.