Thermally tunable polarization by nanoparticle plasmonic resonance in photonic crystal fibers

A photonic crystal fiber selectively filled with silver nanoparticles dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane has been numerically studied via finite elements analysis. These nanoparticles possess a localized surface plasmon resonance in the visible region which depends on the refractive index of the surrounding medium. The refractive index of polydimethylsiloxane can be thermally tuned leading to the design of polarization tunable filters. Filters found with this setup show anisotropic attenuation of the x-polarization fundamental mode around ?x = 1200dB/cm remarkably higher than the y-polarization mode. Moreover, high fiber birefringence and birefringence reversal is observed in the spectral region of the plasmon.

Reflectarray antennas for dual polarization and broadband telecom satellite applications

A reflectarray antenna with improved performance is proposed to operate in dual-polarization and transmit-receive frequencies in Ku-band for broadcast satellite applications. The reflectarray element contains two orthogonal sets of four coplanar parallel dipoles printed on two surfaces, each set combining lateral and broadside coupling. A 40-cm prototype has been designed, manufactured, and tested. The lengths of the coupled dipoles in the reflectarray cells have been optimized to produce a collimated beam in dual polarization in the transmit and receive bands. The measured radiation patterns confirm the high performance of the antenna in terms of bandwidth (27%), low losses, and low levels of cross polarization. Some preliminary simulations at 11.95 GHz for a 1.2-m antenna with South American coverage are presented to show the potential of the proposed antenna for spaceborne antennas in Ku-band.

Immune Polarization in Allergic Patients: Role of the Innate Immune System

Allergens come into contact with the immune system as components of a very diverse mixture. The most common sources are pollen grains, food, and waste. These sources contain a variety of immunomodulatory components that play a key role in the induction of allergic sensitization. The way allergen molecules bind to the cells of the immune system can determine the immune response. In order to better understand how allergic sensitization is triggered, we review the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of allergy and the role of immunomodulators in allergen recognition by innate cells.

Light polarization sensitive photodetectors with m- and r-plane homoepitaxial ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells

Homoepitaxial ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown with m- and r-plane orientations are used to demonstrate Schottky photodiodes sensitive to the polarization state of light. In both orientations, the spectral photoresponse of the MQW photodiodes shows a sharp excitonic absorption edge at 3.48 eV with a very low Urbach tail, allowing the observation of the absorption from the A, B and C excitonic transitions. The absorption edge energy is shifted by ∼30 and ∼15 meV for the m- and r-plane MQW photodiodes, respectively, in full agreement with the calculated polarization of the A, B, and C excitonic transitions. The best figures of merit are obtained for the m-plane photodiodes, which present a quantum efficiency of ∼11%, and a specific detectivity D* of ∼6.4 × 1010 cm Hz1/2/W. In these photodiodes, the absorption polarization sensitivity contrast between the two orthogonal in-plane axes yields a maximum value of (R⊥/R||)max ∼ 9.9 with a narrow bandwidth of ∼33 meV.