Gain saturation in 60-fs mode-locked semiconductor laser

A passively mode-locked optically-pumped InGaAs/GaAs quantum well laser with an intracavity semiconductor saturable absorber mirror emits sub-100-fs pulses. Pulse energy declines steeply as pulse duration is reduced below 100 fs due to gain saturation. © 2010 Optical Society of America.

Multi-colour switching of polymer stabilized chiral nematic liquid crystal devices

We have fabricated a series of polymer stabilized chiral nematic test cells for use as flexoelectro-optic devices. The devices fabricated were based on commercial chiral nematic mixtures which were polymer stabilized so as to enhance the uniformity and stability of the uniform lying helix texture in the cells. During fabrication and test procedures a series of unusual scattering states have been observed within the devices at different viewing angles. The observations made so far indicate that the properties of the scattering state lies somewhere between the focal conic texture and the Grandjean or planar texture and that the devices exhibit both a helical pitch selective reflection and scattering effect. What is even more dramatic is that the wavelength selectivity of the scattering effect can be tuned by an applied field. In addition, we show that it is possible to achieve good uniform lying helix textures from such devices. Moreover, we show that in certain cases the spontaneous alignment of the helix in the plane of the device opens up the possibility of a new mode of switching. Flexoelectric, Redshift, Coloured scattering, Liquid crystal, Polymer-stabilized liquid-crystal;.

A general design method for electric machines using magnetic circuit model considering the flux saturation problem

This paper proposes an analytical approach that is generalized for the design of various types of electric machines based on a physical magnetic circuit model. Conventional approaches have been used to predict the behavior of electric machines but have limitations in accurate flux saturation analysis and hence machine dimensioning at the initial design stage. In particular, magnetic saturation is generally ignored or compensated by correction factors in simplified models since it is difficult to determine the flux in each stator tooth for machines with any slot-pole combinations. In this paper, the flux produced by stator winding currents can be calculated accurately and rapidly for each stator tooth using the developed model, taking saturation into account. This aids machine dimensioning without the need for a computationally expensive finite element analysis (FEA). A 48-slot machine operated in induction and doubly-fed modes is used to demonstrate the proposed model. FEA is employed for verification.