Fiber grating sensors for high-temperature measurement

Two fiber grating sensors for high-temperature measurements are proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The interrogation technologies of the sensor systems are all simple, low cost but effective. In the first sensor system, the sensor head is comprised of one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and two metal rods. The lengths of the rods are different from each other. The coefficients of thermal expansion of the rods are also different from each other. The FBG will be strained by the sensor head when the temperature to be measured changes. The temperature is measured based on the wavelength-shifts of the FBG induced by the strain. In the second sensor system, a long-period fiber grating (LPG) is used as the high-temperature sensor head. The LPG is very-high-temperature stable CO2-Aaser-induced grating and has a linear function of wavelength-temperature in the range of 0 - 800 degrees C. A dynamic range of 0 - 800 degrees C and a resolution of 1 degrees C have been obtained by either the first or the second sensor system. The experimental results agree with theoretical analyses. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel fiber Bragg grating high-temperature sensor

A novel fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for the measurement of high temperature is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The interrogation system of the sensor system is simple, low cost but effective. The sensor head is comprised of one FBG and two metal rods. The lengths of the rods are different from each other. The coefficients of thermal expansion of the rods are also different from each other. The FBG will be strained by the sensor head when the temperature to be measured changes. The temperature is measured basis of the wavelength shifts of the FBG induced by strain. A dynamic range of 0-800 degrees C and a resolution of 1 degrees C have been obtained by the sensor system. The experiment results agree with theoretical analyses. (c) 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Temperature dependence of the 1.03 mu m stimulated emission cross section of Cr : Yb : YAG crystal

The fluorescence emission spectra of Cr:Yb:YAG crystal are measured and the effective stimulated emission cross section of the crystal are obtained from -80 degrees C to +80 degrees C. A linear temperature dependence between -80 degrees C and +80 degrees C is reported for the 1.03 mu m peak stimulated emission cross section of Cr:Yb:YAG crystal. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temperature dependence of the 1.064-mu m stimulated emission cross-section of Cr : Nd : YAG crystal

The fluorescence emission spectra of Cr:Nd:YAG crystal are measured and the effective stimulated emission cross-section of the crystal is obtained from -80 to +80 degrees C. A linear temperature dependence between -80 and +80 degrees C is reported for the 1.064-mu m peak stimulated emission cross-section of Cr:Nd:YAG crystal. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature-Dependent Growth and Life Cycle of Nemoura sichuanensis (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) in a Chinese Mountain Stream

Plecoptera constitute a numerically and ecologically significant component in mountain streams all over the world, but little is known of their life cycles in Asia. The life cycle of Nemoura sichuanensis and its relationship to water temperature was investigated during a 4-year study in a headwater stream (known as the Jiuchong torrent) of the Xiangxi River in Central China. Size structure histograms suggest that the life cycle was univoltine, and the relationships between the growth of Nemoura sichuanensis, physiological time, and effective accumulated water temperature were described using logistic regressions. The growth pattern was generally similar within year classes but growth rates did vary between year-classes. Our field data suggest a critical thermal threshold for emergence in Nemoura sichuanensis, that was close to 9 degrees C. The total number of physiological days required for completing larval development was 250 days. The effective accumulated water temperature was 2500 degree-days in the field. Development during the life cycle increased somewhat linearly with the physiological time and the effective accumulated water temperature, but some non-linear relationships were best developed by logistic equations.

Gynogenesis and sex determination in large-scale loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus (Sauvage)

Gynogenesis was induced using heterologous sperms in large-scale loach, Paramisgurnus dabryanus (Sauvage), in which a ZW/ZZ sex determination was previously proposed. Three microsatellite loci were used to monitor exclusive maternal inheritance of gynogenetic progenies. The results showed that high percentages of meiogynogens were produced at 4 min post-fertilization and mitogynogens were produced at 18 min post-fertilization by heat shocks, while meiotic gynogenesis was induced by cold shocks within a wide period and high heterozygosity was even observed in gynogens produced at 24 min post-fertilization. The sex ratios of the F, progenies in three gynogenetic families were significantly deviated from 1: 1 expectation with a female bias in two families and a male bias in one family (P < 0.05), and the other four gynogenetic families showed approximate 1:1 sex ratios. Moreover, the self-mating between gynogenetic F, progenies and mating between gynogenetic F, progenies and normal individuals produced all-female progenies or identical proportions of females and males. The data of sex ratios generally confirmed that the sex determination in large-scale loach was determined by the putative ZW/ZZ system, and the possible reasons causing the biased sex ratios are discussed.

STUDIES ON MIXED MASS CULTIVATION OF ANABAENA SPP (NITROGEN-FIXING BLUE-GREEN-ALGAE, CYANOBACTERIA) ON A LARGE-SCALE

Studies on mixed mass cultivation of Anabaena spp. on a large scale (5170 m2) were conducted continuously for 3 years. Under the continental monsoon climate in northern subtropics (30-degrees-N, 115-degrees-E), 7-11 g dry weight m-2 day-1 of microalgal biomass on average was harvested in simple plastic greenhouses in the effective growth days during the warmer seasons. The maximum productivity was 22 g m-2 day-1 in the middle of summer. Observations on the productive properties of strains of Anabaena spp. indicated that they were different from and could compensate for each other in their productivities and adaptations to the seasonal changes. With different lining materials (PVC sheets, concrete, sand and soil) in the culture ponds, no significant variation of productivity was found, but bubbling with biogas in the middle of the day and the application of some growth regulating substances (2,4-D, NaHSO3 and extracts of oyster mushroom spawn) was able to improve the production. The cost of microalgal biomass in this way was around 0.75-1.0 US dollar(s) per kilogram.

Low temperature annealing effects on the structure and optical properties of ZnO films grown by pulsed laser deposition

ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature (RT) similar to 500 degrees C by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique and then were annealed at 150-450 degrees C in air. The effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure and optical properties of the thin films deposited at each substrate temperature were investigated by XRD, SEM, transmittance spectra, and photoluminescence (PL). The results showed that the c-axis orientation of ZnO thin films was not destroyed by annealing treatments: the grain size increased and stress relaxed for the films deposited at 200-500 degrees C, and thin films densified for the films deposited at RT with increasing annealing temperature. The transmittance spectra indicated that E-g of thin films showed a decreased trend with annealing temperature. From the PL measurements, there was a general trend, that is UV emission enhanced with lower annealing temperature and disappeared at higher annealing temperature for the films deposited at 200-500 degrees C; no UV emission was observed for the films deposited at RT regardless of annealing treatment. Improvement of grain size and stoichiometric ratio with annealing temperature can be attributed to the enhancement of UV emission, but the adsorbed oxygen species on the surface and grain boundary of films are thought to contribute the annihilation of UV emission. It seems that annealing at lower temperature in air is an effective method to improve the UV emission for thin films deposited on glass substrate at substrate temperature above RT.

Anomalous photogalvanic effect of circularly polarized light incident on the two-dimensional electron gas in AlxGa1-xN/GaN heterostructures at room temperature

Under normal incidence of circularly polarized light at room temperature, a charge current with swirly distribution has been observed in the two-dimensional electron gas in Al0.25Ga0.75N/GaN heterostructures. We believe that this anomalous charge current is produced by a radial spin current via the reciprocal spin Hall effect. It suggests a new way to research the reciprocal spin Hall effect and spin current on the macroscopic scale and at room temperature.

Temperature-dependent transport and spin accumulation in a quantum wire with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

We study the theory of temperature-dependent electron transport, spin polarization, and spin accumulation in a Rashba spin-orbit interaction (RSOI) quantum wire connected nonadiabatically to two normal conductor electrode leads. The influence of both the wire-lead connection and the RSOI on the electron transport is treated analytically by means of a scattering matrix technique and by using an effective free-electron approximation. Through analytical analysis and numerical examples, we demonstrate a simple way to design a sensitive spin-transfer switch that operates without applying any external magnetic fields or attaching ferromagnetic contacts. We also demonstrate that the antisymmetry of the spin accumulation can be destroyed slightly by the coupling between the leads and the wire. Moreover, temperature can weaken the polarization and smear out the oscillations in the spin accumulation.

Room-temperature highly anisotropic ferromagnetism and uniaxial spin amplification in (In,Mn)As quantum dots

The hole-mediated ferromagnetism in (In,Mn)As quantum dots is investigated using the k center dot p method and the mean field model. It is found that the (In,Mn)As quantum dot can be ferromagnetic at room temperature when there is one hole in the dot. For the spherical quantum dots, the Curie temperature decreases as the diameter increases, and increases as the effective composition of magnetic ions increases. It is interesting to find that the (In,Mn)As oblate quantum dot has highly anisotropic Zeeman splitting and ferromagnetism due to the spin-orbit coupling effect, which can be used as an uniaxial spin amplifier. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Temperature Insensitivity of Optical Properties of InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots due to a Pregrown InGaAs Quantum Well

Both the peak position and linewidth in the photoluminescence spectrum of the InAs/GaAs quantum dots usually vary in an anomalous way with increasing temperature. Such anomalous optical behaviour is eliminated by inserting an In0.2Ga0.8As quantum well below the quantum dot layer in molecular beam epitaxy. The insensitivity of the photoluminescence spectra to temperature is explained in terms of the effective carrier redistribution between quantum dots through the In0.2Ga0.8As quantum well.

Effects of lattice vibration on the effective mass of quasi-two-dimensional strong-coupling polaron

The effects of lattice vibration on the system in which the electron is weakly coupled with bulk longitudinal optical phonons and strongly coupled with interface optical phonons in an infinite quantum well were studied by using Tokuda' linear-combination operator and a modified LLP variational method. The expressions for the effective mass of the polaron in a quantum well QW as functions of the well's width and temperature were derived. In particular, the law of the change of the vibration frequency of the polaron changing with well' s width and temperature are obtained. Numerical results of the effective mass and the vibration frequency of the polaron for KI/AgCl/Kl QW show that the vibration frequency and the effective mass of the polaron decrease with increasing well's width and temperature, but the contribution of the interaction between the electron and the different branches of phonons to the effective mass and the vibration frequency and the change of their variation with the well's width and temperature are greatly different.

Temperature-independent fiber Bragg grating strain sensor using bimetal cantilever

A new packaged fiber Bragg grating using bimetal cantilever beam as the strain agent is presented. The grating is two-point attached on one specific surface of the bimetal beam which consists of two metallic material with different thermal-expansion coefficient. Thereby the grating can be compressed or stretched along with the cantilever beam while temperature varies and temperature compensation can be realized. At the same time, grating chirping can be avoided for the particular attaching method. Experiment results demonstrated that the device is able to automatically compensate temperature induced wavelength shift. The temperature dependence of Bragg wavelength reduced to -0.4 pm/degrees C over the temperature range from -20 to 60 degrees C. This fiber grating package technique is cost effective and can be used in strain sensing. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design of the low-temperature AlN interlayer for GaN grown on Si(111) substrate

We have investigated the effect of the thickness and layer number of the low-temperature A1N interlayer (LT-A1N IL) on the stress relaxation and the crystal quality of GaN epilayers grown on Si (111) substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. It is found that the stress decreases with the increase of the LT-AIN IL thickness, but the crystal quality of the GaN epilayer goes worse quickly when the LT-AIN IL thickness is larger than 16 nm. This is because the increase of the LT-AIN IL thickness will increase the coalescence thickness of its upper GaN layer, which sensitively affects the crystal quality of the epilayer. Using multiple LT-AIN ILs is an effective method not only to reduce the stress, but also to improve the crystal quality of the GaN epilayer. With the increase of the interlayer number, the probability that dislocations are blocked increases and the probability that dislocations are produced at interfaces decreases. Thus, dislocations in the most upper part of GaN are reduced, resulting in the improvement of the crystal quality. Finally, it is suggested that when the total thickness of the epilayer is fixed, both the thickness and the number of the LT-AIN IL should be carefully designed to reduce the stress and improve the crystal quality of the epilayer simultaneously. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.