Nonlinear laser focusing using a conical guide and generation of energetic ions

Using conventional methods, a laser pulse can be focused down to around 6-8 mu m, but further reduction of the spot size has proven to be difficult. Here it is shown by particle-in-cell simulation that with a hollow cone an intense laser pulse can be reduced to a tiny, highly localized, spot of around 1 mu m radius, accompanied by much enhanced light intensity. The pulse shaping and focusing effect is due to a nonlinear laser-plasma interaction on the inner surface of the cone. When a thin foil is attached to the tip of the cone, the cone-focused light pulse compresses and accelerates the ions in its path and can punch through the thin target, creating highly localized energetic ion bunches of high density.

Optimum hot electron production with low-density foams for laser fusion by fast ignition

We propose a foam cone-in-shell target design aiming at optimum hot electron production for the fast ignition. A thin low-density foam is proposed to cover the inner tip of a gold cone inserted in a fuel shell. An intense laser is then focused on the foam to generate hot electrons for the fast ignition. Element experiments demonstrate increased laser energy coupling efficiency into hot electrons without increasing the electron temperature and beam divergence with foam coated targets in comparison with solid targets. This may enhance the laser energy deposition in the compressed fuel plasma.

Electromagnetic fields and transmission properties in tapered hollow metallic waveguides

We analyze the electromagnetic spatital distributions and address an important issue of the transmission properties of spherical transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) eigenmodes within a tapered hollow metallic waveguide in detail. Explicit analytical expressions for the spatital distributions of electromagnetic field components, attenuation constant, phase constant and wave impedance are derived. Accurate eigenvalues obtained numerically are used to study the dependences of the transmission properties on the taper angle, the mode as well as the length of the waveguide. It is shown that all modes run continuously from a propagating through a transition to an evanescent region and the value of the attenuation increases as the distance from the cone vertex and the cone angle decrease. A strict distinction between pure propagating and pure evanescent modes cannot be achieved. One mode after the other reaches cutoff in the tapered hollow metallic waveguide as the distance from the cone vertex desreases. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America

静动结合的化学腐蚀法制备近场光学探针的理论分析

理论上分析了静动结合的化学腐蚀法制备探针的具体机理及过程。在静态腐蚀的过程中, 利用流体力学Young-Laplace方程的一级近似解获得了光纤插入到HF酸中形成的新月形高度。在动态腐蚀过程中, 详细分析了当静态腐蚀时间和动态腐蚀时间分别取不同值时, 光纤移动速度对光纤探针结构的影响。利用此法可制备出尖端锐利、大锥角或多锥体等各种结构的光纤探针。这为实验上制备出性能优良的探针, 为拓宽扫描近场光学显微镜的应用范围奠定基础。将上述理论分析的结果与本文实验中所得初步结果进行了比较, 所得结果一致。

锥形光纤的结构与特性

Both transmission loss and coupling efficiency of tapered fibers are discussed in this paper.With the geometrical optics method,the fact is explained that transmission loss of tapered fiber is lower than that of cylindrical fiber.Simulation study finds that both tip radius of tapered fiber and cone angle of it have an effect on efficiency of tapered fibers.The effect of relative position between light source and tapered fiber on coupling efficiency of tapered fibers is also studied.

中国辽宁西部早白垩世松科球果的解剖学研究

早白垩世到早第三纪这段时期是松科早期起源和其后进行分支演化的关键时期。球果因为是重要的雌性生殖器官，而在松科演化问题上具有显著的研究价值。对早白垩世到早第三纪这段时间所发现的松科球果的研究经因一个半世纪的逐渐演变，现在划分为三个属：松属（Pinus），假南洋杉型属（Pseudoaraucaria），和松型球果属（Pityostrobus）。本文对采自辽宁义县早白垩世沙海组火山灰形成的凝灰质砂砾岩层中的一批硅化松科球果进行了详细的解剖学研究。将它们划分到松型球果属Pityostrobus中，并在此属下另立了4个新种：Pityostrobus hsuii, P. liaoningensis, P. yixianensis, P. borealis,以及五个暂时不能确切定种的类型。这些种以及类型根据鳞片基部树脂道的分布方式，划分为两类：一类包括Pityostrobus hsuii, P. liaoningensis，为在鳞片基部树脂道分布在鳞片迹的远轴面类型，它俩之间的区别主要在苞鳞复合体基部鳞片迹的形状上的显著差异，以及鳞片中上部树脂道的分布方式上的不同;另一类包括P. yixianensis以及与其相类似的四个类型和P. borealis以及一个与其相类似的类型，两个种在鳞片基部，树脂道分布在鳞片迹近轴面和远轴面，它们之间的差别主要在苞鳞复合体基部远轴面树脂道分布方式的不同而划分。通过与那些已发现的出产于欧洲和北美洲的种类进行对比，发现这批标本的结构性状上所体现出的多样性与欧美的标本有显著的不同。因此，在早白垩世，东亚为松科早期起源演化的一个重要中心。

河北中新世球果和果实及云南、浙江上新世化石木研究

本研究以河北围场县广发永化石点早中新世地层中的球果和果实、浙江宁海县杜岙化石点早上新世地层中的半矿化化石木、云南寻甸县金所和先锋化石点晚上新世地层中的丝炭和褐煤化木材为研究对象，对这三个化石点数百个植物大化石的形态或解剖结构进行了详细研究，鉴定出6个新的化石种，4个新记录种，7个未定种;其中2个化石属为我国新记录。根据其结构特征探讨这些化石类群与相关化石和现代植物的系统关系。并依据其现代亲缘种生长的生态和气候范围，对化石点沉积时期的植被和气候类型进行了推测。 果实中含有多种有价值的分类和系统发育的信息，对于种子植物的演化和系统发育研究具有重要的意义。在河北围场县发现大量保存较好的松科球果和姜科化石，为我们进一步研究松科植物和姜科植物解剖结构，以及探讨其系统演化提供难得的机会和直接的证据，同时为该化石地的植被演替和地层对比研究提供更多的植物学证据。对河北围场县广发永化石点球果和果实的形态研究，鉴定出三种松科球果化石种和一种姜科植物。分别为围场松（Pinus weichangensis sp. nov.）、围场云杉（Picea weichangensis sp. nov.）、围场铁杉（Tsuga weichangensis sp. nov.）以及化石Spirematospermum属未定种。其中围场云杉、围场铁杉球果在形态上与相应现代类群具有明显的差异，可能代表已灭绝的种类。Spirematospermum属未定种为一绝灭类型，是该属在我国的首次记录。这四种化石类群发现，反映早中新世化石该化石点气候与现代完全不同，为湿润的暖温带和亚热带气候。 浙江省在地质结构上位于东亚大陆边缘，是环太平洋岩浆活动带的重要组成部分。宁海县属于浙东南区属华南地层区，其第三纪地层嵊县群在该区分布广泛，其古植物研究仅限于孢粉和叶化石。本报告中首次对该层铜岭祝组的木化石进行了报道。对浙江宁海杜岙化石点早上新世地层中化石木样品的解剖研究，鉴定出三种木材类型，为史马库栎型木Quercus shimakurae、Liqumdambar cf. hisauchi和蔷薇科未定种。前者与现代栎属槲栎类、后者与枫香树属分别具有密切的亲缘关系，是我国首次报道栎属和枫香树属化石木。 云南现今复杂的地势地貌，独特的气候，丰富的植物种类和多样的植被类型是经历了长达数百万年的地质构造运动和自然环境演变的结果。第三纪时期由于大陆板块运动导致印度板块与亚洲板块的对接和碰撞，其地壳构造运动异常活跃。其第三系陆相地层广泛分布于古生代褶皱区的200多个互不相连的中、小型盆地及中、新生代断陷和拗陷型山间盆地中，并蕴涵了丰富的植物化石，为我们研究植被和植物演化提供了众多的证据。本次研究基于云南中部寻甸县金所煤矿和先锋煤矿的大量褐煤化和丝炭化材料，为进一步恢复云南晚第三纪气候和植被提供更多的依据，尤其是丝炭材料保存了木材精细而真实的结构，为木材准确鉴定和演化提供了可靠的依据。根据对云南金所和先锋化石点晚上新世沉积中褐煤化材料和丝炭样品解剖结构的研究，鉴定出8种化石木，包括2种裸子植物，5种双子叶植物和1种单子叶植物;分属5科7属。化石类群包括松属（Pinus）五针松组未定种Section Cembra sp.、云杉属未定种Picea sp、寻甸含笑Michelia xundianensis sp. nov.、多角含笑 Michelia angulata sp. nov.、Lithocarpoxylon cf. radiporosum、Castanoradix sp.、寻甸珍珠花Lyonia xundianensis sp. nov.、竹亚科未定种Bambusoideae sp。根据现今这些化石对应类群的生长和分布的气候区域，沉积时期的气候与现代气候较为接近。

柏科植物雌球果发育的研究

在裸子植物系统学研究中，雌球果的形态与结构是最重要的性状之一。山于不同学者对裸子植物雌性生殖构造的形态学本质有着不同的见解，从而导致对该类群植物系统发育研究结果的差异。柏科在裸子植物中是唯一一个广布于南北两半球的科，前人对该科雌球果发育的研究涉及很少，为了进一步了解柏科植物雌球果的形态学本质，并为裸子植物传粉生物学和系统学的研究提供重要资料，本文选取了分布于北半球柏科中的7个属14个种，应用扫描电镜、半薄切片、石蜡切片及整体透明等方法，对其雌球果各部分的形态发生与发育过程作了详尽的研究，同时对传粉前后雌球果中的维管系统作了深入的分析。主要结果归纳如下： 1)雌球花苞片的形态、结构和排列方式等与叶相似;但传粉后，随着苞片基部的居间生长，其形态结构变得多样化： 2)在柏科了个属中，均未观察到种鳞发育，成熟球果的苞鳞得到充分发育; 3)各苞片腋内的胚珠发育过程，几乎是同时发育或呈向顶发育过程; 4)在圆柏属和柏木属球果顶端的苞片腋内也有胚珠发育，其它各属雌球花顶端的1-2对苞片腋内均没有胚珠发育; 5)在柏木属中，每一苞片腋内形成的胚珠数目较多，一般排成2-3行，同～苞片腋内的胚珠呈向基发育，同一行胚珠为离心发育; 6)圆柏属的雌球果发育呈现多种式样，其中包括由数枚侧生胚珠过渡到一枚顶生胚珠等情况; 7)柏科植物雌球花的维管系统在传粉前较为简单，即在苞片内仅具单一的维管束延伸到顶端，与营养芽相似。传粉后随着苞片基部的居间生长，其维管系统也随之复杂化。主要是在苞鳞内有新的维管束形成，一般是在苞鳞中间维管束的两侧各发出一束维管束，这两束维管束由球果轴发出的位置略高于中间一束，并在苞鳞基部迅速分枝，形成不同的排列式样。 成熟球果维管系统的排列方式与球果和苞鳞的形态有关，通常可分为三类：(1)具球形球果的种类，包括圆柏属、扁柏属、柏木属和福建柏属，其苞鳞内辐射状分枝的维管束形成两组，即～个具有木质部倒转的近轴系列和一个维管束J下常排列的远轴系列;(2)在苞鳞中只形成一组倒转的维管束，如侧柏属和翠柏属：(3)崖柏属雌球果的苞鳞中没有倒转的维管束形成。 观察结果表明：柏科植物雌球果均为复轴性构造，其球果中胚珠着生在球果轴上是由于苞片腋内种鳞退化的结果，因而不支持柏科植物雌球果的种鳞与苞鳞完全合生的观点。 通过对柏科植物雌球果发育的研究结果，也为探讨松杉类植物雌球果的演化趋势提供了重要线索。长期以来，众多研究者均认为，松杉类植物雌球果的演化趋势是种鳞和苞鳞逐渐合并的过程，但从柏科植物雌球果苞鳞腋内种鳞退化现象的发现表明，松杉类植物雌球果的演化趋势可能是一种种鳞逐渐退化的过程。柏科的种鳞已完全退化，而苞鳞则相对发育。 依据雌球果发育中胚珠发育顺序及苞鳞数目等特征，认为福建柏属最原始，而圆柏属则较为进化，其它各属则介于上述两属之间。 江泽平和王豁然(1997)提出，柏木亚科和澳洲柏亚科的主要区别在于球果可育苞鳞的着生位置，如前者球果顶部苞鳞没有胚珠发育，而后者则是球果顶部苞鳞腋内有胚珠发育。这一观点显然与柏木属和圆柏属的多数雌球果顶部的苞鳞腋内有种子产生的情况不相符合。 依据本文的研究的结果及前人对柏科和相近类群的研究资料，赞同保留独立的柏科和杉科;另外，以往侧柏曾被置于崖柏属中，但依据其雌球果苞鳞中有倒转的维管束发育，崖柏属的崖柏和北美香柏雌球果的苞鳞中均无倒转的维管束发育，我们支持其独立为侧柏属。

Parallel and Convergent Evolution of the Dim-Light Vision Gene RH1 in Bats (Order: Chiroptera)

Rhodopsin, encoded by the gene Rhodopsin (RH1), is extremely sensitive to light, and is responsible for dim-light vision. Bats are nocturnal mammals that inhabit poor light environments. Megabats (Old-World fruit bats) generally have well-developed eyes, while microbats (insectivorous bats) have developed echolocation and in general their eyes were degraded, however, dramatic differences in the eyes, and their reliance on vision, exist in this group. In this study, we examined the rod opsin gene (RH1), and compared its evolution to that of two cone opsin genes (SWS1 and M/LWS). While phylogenetic reconstruction with the cone opsin genes SWS1 and M/LWS generated a species tree in accord with expectations, the RH1 gene tree united Pteropodidae (Old-World fruit bats) and Yangochiroptera, with very high bootstrap values, suggesting the possibility of convergent evolution. The hypothesis of convergent evolution was further supported when nonsynonymous sites or amino acid sequences were used to construct phylogenies. Reconstructed RH1 sequences at internal nodes of the bat species phylogeny showed that: (1) Old-World fruit bats share an amino acid change (S270G) with the tomb bat; (2) Miniopterus share two amino acid changes (V104I, M183L) with Rhinolophoidea; (3) the amino acid replacement I123V occurred independently on four branches, and the replacements L99M, L266V and I286V occurred each on two branches. The multiple parallel amino acid replacements that occurred in the evolution of bat RH1 suggest the possibility of multiple convergences of their ecological specialization (i.e., various photic environments) during adaptation for the nocturnal lifestyle, and suggest that further attention is needed on the study of the ecology and behavior of bats.

Three new species of Tubificinae, Oligochaeta, from two plateau lakes in Southwest China

Three new species of Tubificinae (Naididae, Oligochaeta), Varichaetadrilus vestibulatus n. sp., Aulodrilus apeniatus n. sp., and Ilyodrilus mesoprostatus n. sp., are reported from Fuxian Lake and Xingyun Lake of Yunnan Province, Southwest China. V. vestibulatus differs from its allies by possessing modified spermathecal chaetae and thinner cylindrical penial sheaths. A. apeniatus is unique in the genus by having no penis. I. mesoprostatus is distinguishable from congeners by its prostate glands joining middle portion of atria and having concave, cone-shaped cuticular penial sheaths. Twenty-eight species of freshwater oligochaetes have hitherto been recorded from Yunnan Province, including five endemic species from three plateau lakes.

Nuclear transfer in leach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus Sauvage) by cell-to-cell electrofusion

To study nuclear transfer in the leach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus Sauvage), blastula and gastrula cells were fused with UV-inactivated oocytes by cell-to-cell electrofusion. To facilitate nuclear transfer, blastula and gastrula cells were cultured or incubated at 4 degreesC in different solutions. TC-199 medium supplemented with 20% calf serum was the best culture solution, and effectively retained the totipotence of blastula or gastrula cells for up to 10 days, It was found that gastrula cells incubated at 4 degreesC had the same totipotence as blastula cells, The optimal UV dosage for inactivation of the oocyte chromatin was 180-240 mJ cm(-2). Electrofusion was carried out in a cone-shaped fusion chamber, which permitted the recipient oocyte and the donor blastula cell to contact one another. The electrofusion procedure resulted in a 10% success rate of normal-appearing fish. Genetic analysis indicated that the nuclear material originated from the donor cell (blastomere) and the oocyte pronucleus did not take part in development.

Magnetic quantum oscillations for the surface states of topological insulator Bi2Se3

We study quantum oscillations of the magnetization in Bi2Se3 (111) surface system in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field. The combined spin-chiral Dirac cone and Landau quantization produce profound effects on the magnetization properties that are fundamentally different from those in the conventional semiconductor two-dimensional electron gas. In particular, we show that the oscillating center in the magnetization chooses to pick up positive or negative values depending on whether the zero-mode Landau level is occupied or empty. An intuitive analysis of these features is given and the subsequent effects on the magnetic susceptibility and Hall conductance are also discussed.

Quantum tunneling through planar p-n junctions in HgTe quantum wells

We demonstrate that a p-n junction created electrically in HgTe quantum wells with inverted band structure exhibits interesting intraband and interband tunneling processes. We find a perfect intraband transmission for electrons injected perpendicularly to the interface of the p-n junction. The opacity and transparency of electrons through the p-n junction can be tuned by changing the incidence angle, the Fermi energy and the strength of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction (RSOI). The occurrence of a conductance plateau due to the formation of topological edge states in a quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) p-n junction can be switched on and off by tuning the gate voltage. The spin orientation can be substantially rotated when the samples exhibit a moderately strong RSOI.

Properties and turning of intraband optical absorption in InxGa1-xAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot superlattice

We investigated properties of intraband absorption in In-x Ga1-xAs quantum dots (QDs) superlattice. Energy levels in conduction band in QDs were calculated for a cone-shaped quantum dot associated with coupling between QDs in the framework of the effective-mass envelope-function theory. Theoretical results demonstrated that energy levels in conduction band were greatly affected by the vertical coupling between quantum dots, which can be used to modify transition wavelength by adjusting the space layer thickness. Intraband transition is really sensitive to normal incidence and the absorption peak intensity is dependent on the polarization. A satisfying agreement is found between theoretical and experimental values. This result opens up prospects for the fabrication of QDs infrared detectors, which work at atmospheric windows.

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of nitride R3Fe29-xCrxN4 (R = Y, Ca, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy)

A systematic investigation of crystallographic and magnetic properties of nitride R3Fe29-xCrxN4 (R=Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy) has been performed. The lattice constants and unit cell volume decrease with increasing rare earth atomic number from Nd to Dy, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. After nitrogenation the relative volume expansion of each nitride is around between 5% and 7%. The nitrogenation results in a good improvement in the Curie temperature, the saturation magnetization and anisotropy fields at 4.2 K, and room temperature for R3Fe29-xCrxN4. Magnetohistory effects of R3Fe29-xCrxN4 and R3Fe29-xCrx (R=Nd and Sm) are observed in a low field of 0.04 T. First order magnetization process occurs in Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0N4 in magnetic fields of 2.8 T at 4.2 K. After nitrogenation, the easy magnetization direction of Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0 is changed from the easy-cone structure to the uniaxial. The good intrinsic magnetic properties of Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0N4 make this compound a hopeful candidate for new high-performance hard magnets. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.