Studies on the food web structure of Lake Donghu using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios

Food web structure was studied by using carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in a hypereutrophic subtropical Chinese lake, Lake Donghu. High external nutrient loading and the presence of abundant detritus from submersed macrophytes were responsible for the high sediment delta(15)N and delta(13)C, respectively. C-13 was significantly higher in submersed macrophytes than in other macrophytes. The similar delta(13)C values in phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos, and planktivorous fish indicate that phytoplankton was the major food source for the consumers. By using a delta(15)N mass balance model, we estimate that the contributions of zooplankton to the diet of silver carp and bighead carp were 54% and 74%, respectively, which is in agreement with previous microscopic observations on intestinal contents of these fishes.

Stable multiplication gain in GaN p-i-n avalanche photodiodes with large device area

Visible-blind p-i-n avalanche photodiodes (APDs) were fabricated with high-quality GaN epilayers deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition. Due to low dislocation density and a sophisticated device fabrication process, the dark current was as small as similar to 0.05 nA under reverse bias up to 20V for devices with a large diameter of 200 mu m, which was among the largest device area for GaN-based p-i-n APDs yet reported. When the reverse bias exceeded 38V the dark current increased sharply, exhibiting a bulk avalanche field-dominated stable breakdown without microplasma formation or sidewall breakdown. With ultraviolet illumination (360 nm) an avalanche multiplication gain of 57 was achieved.

Origin and elimination of spurious solutions of the eight-band k center dot p theory

The origin of spurious solutions in the eight-band envelope function model is examined and it is shown that spurious solutions arise from the additional spurious degeneracies caused by the unphysical bowing of the conduction bands calculated within the eight-band k center dot p model. We propose two approaches to eliminate these spurious solutions. Using the first approach, the wave vector cutoff method, we demonstrate the origin and elimination of spurious solutions in a transparent way without modifying the original Hamiltonian. Through the second approach, we introduce some freedom in modifying the Hamiltonian. The comparison between the results from the various modified Hamiltonians suggests that the wave vector cutoff method can give accurate enough description to the final results.

Preparation and characterization of the stable nc-Si/a-Si : H films

High-quality nc-Si/a-Si:H diphasic films with improved stability were prepared by using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology. In comparison with typical amorphous silicon, the diphasic silicon films possess higher photoconductivity (two orders larger than that of the amorphous silicon film) and fairly good photosensitivity(the ratio of the photo-to dark-conductivity is about 10) and higher stability (the degradation of the photoconductivity is less than 10% after 24h long light soaking with 50 mW/cm(2) intensity at room temperature). In addition, the diphasic silicon film has a better light spectra response in the longer wavelength range. The improvement in photoelectronic properties may be attributed to: the existence of the disorder within the amorphous matrix, which breaks the momentum selection rule in the optical transition and, consequently, results in the large light absorption coefficient and high photosensitivity; the improved medium range order and low gap states density. Excess carriers generated in the amorphous matrix tend to recombine in the embedded crystallites, which suppresses nonradiative recombination within the amorphous matrix and reduces the subsequent defect creation.

Structural characterization of stable amorphous silicon films

A kind of hydrogenated diphasic, silicon films has been prepared by a new regime of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in the region adjacent to the phase transition from amorphous to crystalline state. The photoelectronic and microstructural properties of the films have been investigated by the constant photocurrent method (CPM), Raman scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Our experimental results and corresponding analyses showed that the diphasic films, incorporated with a subtle boron compensation, could gain both the fine photosensitivity and high stability, provided the crystalline fraction (f) was controlled in the range of 0 < f < 0.3. When compared with the conventional hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), the diphasic films are more ordered and robust in the microstructure, and have a less clustered phase in the Si-H bond configurations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermally stable chromophores for nonlinear optical applications

Three thermal organic second-order nonlinear optical chromophores were synthesized. The decomposition temperature was determined by DSC, and the absorption spectra was measured. The second-order polarizabilities at zero energy and the dispersion of second-order polarizabilities were measured by solvatochromic method. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The improvement of thick oxidized porous silicon layer growth process - art. no. 60290S

Oxidizing thick porous silicon layer into silicon dioxide is a timesaving and low-cost process for producing thick silicon dioxide layer used in silicon-based optical waveguide devices. The solution of H2O2 is proposed to post-treat thick porous silicon (PS) films. The prepared PS layer as the cathode is applied about 10 mA/cm(2) current in mixture of ethanol, HF, and H2O2 solutions, in order to improve the stability and the smoothness of the surface. With the low-temperature dry-O-2 pre-oxidizations and high-temperature wet O-2 oxidizations process, a high-quality SiO2 30 mu m thickness layer that fit for the optical waveguide device was prepared. The SEM images show significant improved smoothness on the surface of oxidized PS thick films, the SiO2 film has a stable and uniformity reflex index that measured by the prism coupler, the uniformity of the reflex index in different place of the wafer is about 0.0003.

Highly efficient and stable organic light-emitting diodes employing MoO3-doped perylene-3, 4, 9, 10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride as hole injection layer

We report highly efficient and stable organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with MoO3-doped perylene-3, 4, 9, 10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) as hole injection layer (HIL). A green OLED with structure of ITO/20 wt% MoO3: PTCDA/NPB/Alq(3)/LiF/Al shows a long lifetime of 1012 h at the initial luminance of 2000 cd/m(2), which is 1.3 times more stable than that of the device with MoO3 as HIL. The current efficiency of 4.7 cd/A and power efficiency of 3.7 lm/W at about 100 cd/m(2) have been obtained. The charge transfer complex between PTCDA and MoO3 plays a decisive role in improving the performance of OLEDs.

Impact of symmetrized and Burt-Foreman Hamiltonians on spurious solutions and energy levels of InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We present a systematic investigation of calculating quantum dots (QDs) energy levels using finite element method in the frame of eight-band k . p method. Numerical results including piezoelectricity, electron and hole levels, as yell as wave functions are achieved. In the calculation of energy levels, we do observe spurious solutions (SSs) no matter Burt-Foreman or symmetrized Hamiltonians are used. Different theories are used to analyse the SSs, we find that the ellipticity theory can give a better explanation for the origin of SSs and symmetrized Hamiltonian is easier to lead to SSs. The energy levels simulated with the two Hamiltonians are compared to each other after eliminating SSs, different Hamiltonians cause a larger difference on electron energy levels than that on hole energy levels and this difference decreases with the increase of QD size.

Stable single-mode distributed feedback quantum cascade laser with surface metal grating

A design of single-mode distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (DFB-QCLs) with surface metal grating is described. A rigorous modal expansion theory is adopted to analyse the interaction between the waveguide mode and the surface plasmon wave for different grating parameters. A stable single-mode operation can be obtained in a wide range of grating depths and duty cycles. The single-mode operation of surface metal grating DFB-QCLs at room temperature for lambda = 8.5 mu m is demonstrated. The device shows a side-mode suppression ratio of above 20 dB. A linear tuning of wavelength with temperature indicates the stable single-mode operation without mode hopping.

MULTIPLE PERIODIC SOLUTIONS OF ASYMPTOTICALLY LINEAR HAMILTONIAN SYSTEMS VIA CONLEY INDEX THEORY

In this paper we study the existence of periodic solutions of asymptotically linear Hamiltonian systems which may not satisfy the Palais-Smale condition. By using the Conley index theory and the Galerkin approximation methods, we establish the existence of at least two nontrivial periodic solutions for the corresponding systems.

Investigation of Interfacial Tensions for Carbon Dioxide Aqueous Solutions by Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Fluid Theory Combined with Density-Gradient Theory

The perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory and density-gradient theory are used to construct an equation of state (EOS) applicable for the phase behaviors of carbon dioxide aqueous solutions. With the molecular parameters and influence parameters respectively regressed from bulk properties and surface tensions of pure fluids as input, both the bulk and interfacial properties of carbon dioxide aqueous solutions are satisfactorily correlated by adjusting the binary interaction parameter (k(ij)). Our results show that the constructed EOS is able to describe the interfacial properties of carbon dioxide aqueous solutions in a wide temperature range, and illustrate the influences of temperature, pressure, and densities in each phase on the interfacial properties.

Environmentally stable ytterbium figure-of-eight fiber laser producing 177-fs pulses

Pulses of 177 fs and 1035 nm, with average power of 1.2 mW, have been generated directly from a passively mode-locked Yb-doped figure-of-eight fiber laser, with a nonlinear optical loop mirror for mode-locking and pairs of diffraction gratings for intracavity dispersion compensation. To our knowledge, these are the shortest pulses ever to come from a passively mode-locked Yb-doped figure-of-eight fiber laser. This represents a 5-fold reduction in pulse duration compared with that of previously reported passively mode-locked Yb-doped figure-of-eight fiber lasers. Stable pulse trains are produced at the fundamental repetition rate of the resonator, 24.0 MHz. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.