Wavelength dependent damage in biological multi-photon confocal microscopy: A micro-spectroscopic comparison between femtosecond Ti:sapphire and Cr:forsterite laser sources

Molecular excitation by the simultaneous absorption of two photons provides intrinsic three-dimensional resolution in laser scanning fluorescence microscopy. Thus induced two-photon absorption and the accompanied multi-photon absorption/ionization not only cause photo-bleaching but also cell damage in the vicinity of the focal point. In this paper, we study the wavelength dependent cell damage induced by high intensity femtosecond near infrared lasers. The study was performed with a Ti:sapphire laser and a Cr:forsterite laser. With a longer output wavelength from a Cr:forsterite laser, multi-photon absorption and auto-fluorescence were found to be significantly suppressed and the destructive plasma formation was found to be greatly reduced. Sustained multi-photon spectra can be observed in most plant specimens with a tightly focused Cr:forsterite laser beam under long term irradiation with more than 100 mW laser average power. In contrast, multi-photon absorption induced destructive plasma formation were frequently observed with a tightly focused Ti:sapphire laser beam within seconds with more than 10 mW laser average power.     

Up to 30 mW of broadly tunable CW green-to-orange light, based on sum-frequency mixing of Cr:forsterite and Nd:YVO4 lasers

Efficient generation of continuous-wave (CW) tunable light in the yellow region is reported. The method is based on sum-frequency mixing of a tunable Cr⁴⁺:forsterite laser with a Nd:YVO₄ laser. A periodically poled lithium niobate crystal was placed intra-cavity in a Nd:YVO₄ laser, and the Cr⁴⁺:forsterite laser was single-passed through the non-linear media. With this setup, it was possible to generate up to 3 mW of yellow light smoothly tunable from 573 to 587 nm. This is the highest output demonstrated to date for a tunable diode pumped solid-state CW laser in this wavelength region. The ways to improve the efficiency further are discussed.     

High-resolution GaP Terahertz Spectrometer and Its Application to Detect Defects in Gamma-irradiated Glucose Crystal

We developed high-resolution GaP THz signal generator using Cr:Forsterite lasers with gratings as both a pump and a signal beam for difference-frequency generation. A line width of less than 500 MHz and a wide tunable frequency range (0.6–6.2 THz) provide sufficient resolution for measuring materials with sharp absorption bands using the generator as the light source for a THz spectrometer. This is suitable for materials such as gases or solid samples at low temperatures. We demonstrated the detection of defects in organic materials, as they appear as slight deviations in the absorption frequency in the THz region.     

Preparation and Characterization of Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) Xerogels

Mg2SiO4 gels were prepared from alkoxide precursors, and the formation of the forsterite crystal phase was studied after heat treatments up to 1200°C. Prehydrolyzed TEOS in solution with 2-methoxyethanol was mixed with Mg(OEt)2, and the solution was hydrolyzed using excess water. The resultant gels were dried at 100°C to form xerogels which were subsequently powdered. These powders were characterized using thermal analysis (DTA and TGA), surface area analysis (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).DTA and XRD indicated that forsterite crystallized at 770°C, and by 1000°C the powders were predominantly crystalline. BET gave powder surface areas between 400 and 550 m2 g–1. TEM revealed angular particles with sizes between 0.2 and 2 m. The low temperature of crystallization of forsterite indicates a high degree of intimate mixing between the precursor alkoxides, although XRD indicated some degree of inhomogeneity.     

FREQUENCY-TUNABLE TERAHERTZ-WAVE GENERATION FROM GaP USING Cr:FORSTERITE LASERS

We have constructed THz spectrometers using the widely frequency-tunable THz-wave generated from GaP crystal pumped at 1.2 μm region using two Cr:forsterite lasers and compared with that pumped at 1 μm region using a YAG laser and an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The systems have sufficient resolution for observation of solids and liquids at room temperature. We have measured terahertz absorption spectra of all twenty kinds of amino acids which form proteins.     

Chromium doped forsterite ring laser

Operation of a Cr⁴⁺: Mg₂SiO₄ crystal in a ring cavity is studied with different dopant levels. Threshold energies of 13 mJ, 10.6 mJ and 11 mJ were measured for Mitsui low-doped, Russian and Mitsui highly doped crystals respectively. Slope efficiencies of 0.9%, 1.1% have been obtained for the Mitsui low-doped and Russian crystals. An efficiency of 3.6% was recorded for the highly doped chromium forsterite crystal from Mitsui. The peak output wavelength is 1275 nm. These results are compared with these crystals in the simple cavity.     

Recharging processes of Cr ions in Mg2SiO4 and Y3Al5O12 crystals under influence of annealing and γ ‐ irradiation

Recharging processes of chromium ions were investigated for Mg₂SiO₄:Mg, Cr single crystals using annealing in O₂ and in air and γ‐irradiation, as compare to YAG :Ca, Cr single crystals. The formation of tetravalent Cr ions in the Mg₂SiO₄ :Mg, Cr is related not only to the initial Cr content in the melt, oxygen partial pressure and O₂‐ vacancy existing in the crystal, but also to the external field such as γ‐irradiation. The additional absorption after γ‐irradiation shows the decrease in intensity of the absorption of Cr³⁺ and Cr⁴⁺ ions in some part of the spectrum and increase in the other giving evidence on recharging effects between Cr³⁺ and Cr⁴⁺. There arises also color centers observed between 380 nm and 570 nm that may participate in energy transfer of any excitation to Cr⁴⁺ giving rise to Cr⁴⁺ emission. Opposite to forsterite crystal, absorption spectrum of YAG:Ca, Cr crystal after γ‐irradiation reveals only increase in the absorption of the Cr bands. The observed behavior of the absorption spectrum of YAG:Ca, Cr crystal under influence of γ‐irradiation suggests that γ‐irradiation ionizes only Cr ions. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Flux growth and characterization of Ti‐ and Ni‐doped forsterite single crystals

Forsterite monocrystals doped with Ti and Ni were grown by the flux growth technique. A suitable mixture of flux (MoO₃, V₂O₅, Li₂CO₃) and nutrient was slowly cooled down to 750 °C from 1250 °C or 1350 °C. The crystals were then characterized by powder and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Variations observed in crystal size were attributed by both the varying experimental conditions in which they had been obtained, and to the amount of Ni substituted for Mg in the structure. High abundances of doped forsterite required a cooling rate of 1.8 K h^‐1. These synthetic, well‐characterized Ti and Ni doped forsterite crystals may have potential for exploitation in industrial fields. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

合成镁橄榄石的矿物学研究

人工合成的镁橄榄石具有优越的物理化学性能,使其在诸多领域得到应用,其中蓝紫色合成镁橄榄石被用作坦桑石的替代品进入珠宝市场,引起了珠宝行内外的广泛关注.本文通过X射线荧光光谱的定量分析和紫外-可见光吸收光谱的颜色成因分析,得出人工合成的蓝紫色镁橄榄石的主要成分为MgO和SiO2,并添加了致色金属元素钴和钒,组份相对简单,蓝紫色调的产生与钴离子有关;对合成橄榄石、天然橄榄石和坦桑石进行拉曼光谱(785nm)的定性分析,得到合成镁橄榄石与天然橄榄石都具有特征Si-O伸缩振动引起的拉曼位移820cm-1、853cm-1和961cm-1,而坦桑石中存在特征Si-O伸缩振动引起的拉曼位移866cm-1、923cm-1和1148cm-1,可有效鉴定该三种矿物.     

Preparation of Forsterite by the Geopolymer Technique—Gel Compositions as a Function of pH and Crystalline Phases

Mg-bearing silicate precursor gels have been prepared by mixing 0.74 mol/L sodium metasilicate and 1.48 mol/L magnesium nitrate solutions. Caustic soda solution of 1.0 mol/L concentration was introduced to regulate pH. The magnesium nitrate solution was added dropwise to the sodium silicate solution in equi-volume at various pH values. Raw and heat-treated gels were characterized by XRF, TG-DTA, XRD and FE-SEM. As a result, gel compositions were dependent on pH values of mixing solutions. The pH value yielding stoichiometric forsterite composition, MgO/SiO₂ = 2 was reached at pH 9.3. In addition, this value was pH 8.4 for stoichiometric enstatite composition, MgO/SiO₂ = 1. With decreasing pH from 9.3, the ratio became less than 2 and forsterite and enstatite precipitated by heating the gels. With increasing pH from 9.3, the ratio became more than 2 and forsterite and periclase precipitated by heating the gels. DTA curves showed a characteristic exothermic peak centered at 700–900^∘C, indicating relatively low temperature formation of crystalline phases due to the presence of polycondensed frame works of silicates in the precursor gels.