Quantitative estimation of density variation in high-speed flows through inversion of the measured wavefront distortion

A simple method employing an optical probe is presented to measure density variations in a hypersonic flow obstructed by a test model in a typical shock tunnel. The probe has a plane light wave trans-illuminating the flow and casting a shadow of a random dot pattern. Local slopes of the distorted wavefront are obtained from shifts of the dots in the pattern. Local shifts in the dots are accurately measured by cross-correlating local shifted shadows with the corresponding unshifted originals. The measured slopes are suitably unwrapped by using a discrete cosine transform based phase unwrapping procedure and also through iterative procedures. The unwrapped phase information is used in an iterative scheme for a full quantitative recovery of density distribution in the shock around the model through refraction tomographic inversion. Hypersonic flow field parameters around a missile shaped body at a free-stream Mach number of 5.8 measured using this technique are compared with the numerically estimated values. (C) 2014 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

In situ pump probe optical absorption studies on Sb/As2S3 nanomultilayered film

We report the in situ optical transmission change in the complete visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum to asses the kinetics of photo induced interdiffusion in Sb/As2S3 nanomultilayered film. The interdiffusion of Sb into As2S3 matrix results in the formation of Sb-As2S3 ternary solid solutions which is explained by the change in optical band gap, absorption coefficients and Tauc parameter (B-1/2) with evolution of time. The wavelength dependence of the time constants provides a better description of photo induced effects. The time evolution of the absorption coefficients and optical band gap are significantly faster in this process. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Out-of-equilibrium microrheology using optical tweezers to probe directional viscoelastic properties under shear

Many wormlike micellar systems exhibit appreciable shear thinning due to shear-induced alignment. As the micelles get aligned introducing directionality in the system, the viscoelastic properties are no longer expected to be isotropic. An optical-tweezers-based active microrheology technique enables us to probe the out-of-equilibrium rheological properties of a wormlike micellar system simultaneously along two orthogonal directions-parallel to the applied shear, as well as perpendicular to it. While the displacements of a trapped bead in response to active drag force carry signature of conventional shear thinning, its spontaneous position fluctuations along the perpendicular direction manifest an orthogonal shear thickening, an effect hitherto unobserved. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2010

Tuning photoinduced terahertz conductivity in monolayer graphene: Optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy

Optical-pump terahertz-probe differential transmission measurements of as-prepared single layer graphene (AG) (unintentionally hole dopedwith Fermi energy E-F at similar to -180 meV), nitrogen doping compensated graphene (NDG) with E-F similar to -10 meV, and thermally annealed doped graphene (TAG) are examined quantitatively to understand the opposite signs of photoinduced dynamic terahertz conductivity Delta sigma. It is negative for AG and TAG but positive for NDG. We show that the recently proposed mechanism of multiple generations of secondary hot carriers due to Coulomb interaction of photoexcited carriers with the existing carriers together with the intraband scattering can explain the change of photoinduced conductivity sign and its magnitude. We give a quantitative estimate of Delta sigma in terms of controlling parameters-the Fermi energy E-F and momentum relaxation time tau. Furthermore, the cooling of photoexcited carriers is analyzed using a supercollision model which involves a defect mediated collision of the hot carriers with the acoustic phonons, thus giving an estimate of the deformation potential.

Dispersible crystalline nanobundles of YPO4 and Ln (Eu, Tb)-doped YPO4: rapid synthesis, optical properties and bio-probe applications

Undoped and Ln(3+) (Eu and Tb)-doped crystalline nanobundles of YPO4 were prepared by a facile microwave-assisted route with water as a solvent and without using any surfactant. TEM investigations reveal that the as-prepared powder consists of lenticular-shaped nanobundles (similar to 100 nm in diameter) made of very small nanorods with diameter less than 10 nm and length varying from 20 to 50 nm. Each nanorod in turn is single crystalline, as revealed by HRTEM imaging. The as-prepared nanobundles are easily dispersible in various solvents, especially water, without any surface functionalization, which is critical for various bio-probe applications like cell and tissue imaging. The Eu- and Tb-doped YPO4 nanobundles show good photoluminescence properties and were further evaluated for their use as fluorescent biolabels. Our results show that HeLa cells labelled with Eu- and Tb-doped YPO4 nanobundles show bright red (Eu) and green (Tb) intracellular luminescence under a confocal microscope. Concentration-and time-dependent MTT cell viability assays show that the nanobundles show low toxicity towards cells which makes them promising in bioimaging field.

Probing Photoexcited Carriers in a Few-Layer MoS2 Laminate by Time-Resolved Optical Pump-Terahertz Probe Spectroscopy

We report the dynamics of photoinduced carriers in a free-standing MoS2 laminate consisting of a few layers (1-6 layers) using time-resolved optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy. Upon photoexcitation with the 800 nm pump pulse, the terahertz conductivity increases due to absorption by the photoinduced charge carriers. The relaxation of the non-equilibrium carriers shows fast as well as slow decay channels, analyzed using a rate equation model incorporating defect-assisted Auger scattering of photoexcited electrons, holes, and excitons. The fast relaxation time occurs due to the capture of electrons and holes by defects via Auger processes, resulting in nonradiative recombination. The slower relaxation arises since the excitons are bound to the defects, preventing the defect-assisted Auger recombination of the electrons and the holes. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the non-equilibrium carrier kinetics in a system of unscreened Coulomb interactions, where defect-assisted Auger processes dominate and should be applicable to other 2D systems.

Defect-selective photothermal imaging: a sensitive tool for damage mapping in optical coatings

A defect-selective photothermal imaging system for the diagnostics of optical coatings is demonstrated. The instrument has been optimized for pump and probe parameters, detector performance, and signal processing algorithm. The imager is capable of mapping purely optical or thermal defects efficiently in coatings of low damage threshold and low absorbance. Detailed mapping of minor inhomogeneities at low pump power has been achieved through the simultaneous action of a low-noise fiber optic photothermal beam defection sensor and a common-mode-rejection demodulation (CMRD) technique. The linearity and sensitivity of the sensor have been examined theoretically and experimentally, and the signal to noise ratio improvement factor is found to be about 110 compared to a conventional bicell photodiode. The scanner is so designed that mapping of static or shock sensitive samples is possible. In the case of a sample with absolute absorptance of 3.8 x 10(-4), a change in absorptance of about 0.005 x 10(-4) has been detected without ambiguity, ensuring a contrast parameter of 760. This is about 1085% improvement over the conventional approach containing a bicell photodiode, at the same pump power. The merits of the system have been demonstrated by mapping two intentionally created damage sites in a MgF2 coating on fused silica at different excitation powers. Amplitude and phase maps were recorded for thermally thin and thick cases, and the results are compared to demonstrate a case which, in conventional imaging, would lead to a deceptive conclusion regarding the type and location of the damage. Also, a residual damage profile created by long term irradiation with high pump power density has been depicted.

Double walled carbon nanotubes as ultrafast optical switches

Pristine and molybdenum filled double walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) suspended in D2O show excellent ultrafast optical switching properties investigated through femtosecond Z-scan and degenerate pump-probe method using 50 fs pulses with central photon energy of 1.57 eV. For pristine-DWNT, the two photon absorption coefficient, beta and nonlinear refraction coefficient, n2 are 4.9×10−8 cm/W, and 9.5×10−11 cm2/W, respectively, which yield one photon figure of merit, W=133 and two photon figure of merit, T=0.4. The degenerate pump-probe measurements show strong photoinduced bleaching with biexponential decay with time constants ~150 and 600 fs. ©2009 American Institute of Physics

Quasiequilibrium optical nonlinearities from spin-polarized carriers in GaAs

Semiconductor Bloch equations, which microscopically describe the dynamics of a Coulomb interacting, spin-unpolarized electron-hole plasma, can be solved in two limits: the coherent and the quasiequilibrium regimes. These equations have been recently extended to include the spin degree of freedom and used to explain spin dynamics in the coherent regime. In the quasiequilibrium limit, one solves the Bethe-Salpeter equation in a two-band model to describe how optical absorption is affected by Coulomb interactions within a spin unpolarized plasma of arbitrary density. In this work, we modified the solution of the Bethe-Salpeter equation to include spin polarization and light holes in a three-band model, which allowed us to account for spin-polarized versions of many-body effects in absorption. The calculated absorption reproduced the spin-dependent, density-dependent, and spectral trends observed in bulk GaAs at room temperature, in a recent pump-probe experiment with circularly polarized light. Hence, our results may be useful in the microscopic modeling of density-dependent optical nonlinearities due to spin-polarized carriers in semiconductors.

Elastic property estimation using Ultrasound Assisted Optical Elastography through Remote Palpation - A simulation study - art. no. 61640Q

We propose an effective elastography technique in which an acoustic radiation force is used for remote palpation to generate localized tissue displacements, which are directly correlated to localized variations of tissue stiffness and are measured using a light probe in the same direction of ultrasound propagation. The experimental geometry has provision to input light beam along the ultrasound propagation direction, and hence it can be prealigned to ensure proper interception of the focal region by the light beam. Tissue-mimicking phantoms with homogeneous and isotropic mechanical properties of normal and malignant breast tissue are considered for the study. Each phantom is insonified by a focusing ultrasound transducer (1 MHz). The focal volume of the transducer and the ultrasound radiation force in the region are estimated through solving acoustic wave propagation through medium assuming average acoustic properties. The forward elastography problem is solved for the region of insonification assuming the Lame's parameters and Poisson's ratio, under Dirichlet boundary conditions which gives a distribution of displacement vectors. The direction of displacement, though presented spatial variation, is predominantly towards the ultrasound propagation direction. Using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation we have traced the photons through the phantom and collected the photons arriving at the detector on the boundary of the object in the direction of ultrasound. The intensity correlations are then computed from detected photons. The intensity correlation function computed through MC simulation showed a modulation whose strength is found to be proportional to the amplitude of displacement and inversely related to the storage (elastic) modulus. It is observed that when the storage modulus in the focal region is increased the computed displacement magnitude, as indicated by the depth of modulation in the intensity autocorrelation, decreased and the trend is approximately exponential.

Role of population transfer under strong probe conditions in electromagnetically induced transparency

We analyze theoretically the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (UT) under conditions where the probe laser is not in the usual weak limit. We consider the effects in both three-level and four-level systems, which are either closed or open (due to losses to an external metastable level). We find that the EIT dip almost disappears in a closed three-level system but survives in an open system. In four-level systems, there is a narrow enhanced-absorption peak (EITA) at line center, which has applications as an optical clock. The peak converts to an EIT dip in a closed system, but again survives in an open system. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linearization and Reconstruction of Non-linear Diffuse Optical Tomographic Image

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is one of the ways to probe highly scattering media such as tissue using low-energy near infra-red light (NIR) to reconstruct a map of the optical property distribution. The interaction of the photons in biological tissue is a non-linear process and the phton transport through the tissue is modelled using diffusion theory. The inversion problem is often solved through iterative methods based on nonlinear optimization for the minimization of a data-model misfit function. The solution of the non-linear problem can be improved by modeling and optimizing the cost functional. The cost functional is f(x) = x(T)Ax - b(T)x + c and after minimization, the cost functional reduces to Ax = b. The spatial distribution of optical parameter can be obtained by solving the above equation iteratively for x. As the problem is non-linear, ill-posed and ill-conditioned, there will be an error or correction term for x at each iteration. A linearization strategy is proposed for the solution of the nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem by linear combination of system matrix and error in solution. By propagating the error (e) information (obtained from previous iteration) to the minimization function f(x), we can rewrite the minimization function as f(x; e) = (x + e)(T) A(x + e) - b(T)(x + e) + c. The revised cost functional is f(x; e) = f(x) + e(T)Ae. The self guided spatial weighted prior (e(T)Ae) error (e, error in estimating x) information along the principal nodes facilitates a well resolved dominant solution over the region of interest. The local minimization reduces the spreading of inclusion and removes the side lobes, thereby improving the contrast, localization and resolution of reconstructed image which has not been possible with conventional linear and regularization algorithm.

LbL-coated microcapsules as systems for encapsulation of optical brightening agent

We report the encapsulation of optical brightening agent (OBA) into hollow microcapsules prepared by the controlled Layer- by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly process, achieved by the sequential adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes using negatively charged silica template. Loading takes place by spontaneous deposition method which was proved by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) using rhodamine 6G (Rd6G) as a fluorescent probe. The loading of the OBA into the microcapsules was found to be dependent on the feeding concentration, pH of the medium, and loading temperature. The encapsulation efficiency of OBA decreased on increasing feeding concentration. Maximum loading was observed at pH 4 and amount of OBA loaded decreased with increase in pH. The loaded OBA was released in a sustained manner for 8 h. No degradation of the OBA was observed during the process of encapsulation and release. Polyelectrolyte capsules potentially offer an innovative way of encapsulating large amounts of active materials for a variety of applications. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 127: 1609-1614, 2013

Ultrafast photoinduced enhancement of nonlinear optical response in 15-atom gold clusters on indium tin oxide conducting film

We show that the third order optical nonlinearity of 15-atom gold clusters is significantly enhanced when in contact with indium tin oxide (ITO) conducting film. Open and close aperture z-scan experiments together with non-degenerate pump-probe differential transmission experiments were done using 80 fs laser pulses centered at 395 nm and 790 nm on gold clusters encased inside cyclodextrin cavities. We show that two photon absorption coefficient is enhanced by an order of magnitude as compared to that when the clusters are on pristine glass plate. The enhancement for the nonlinear optical refraction coefficient is similar to 3 times. The photo-induced excited state absorption using pump-probe experiments at pump wavelength of 395 nm and probe at 790 nm also show an enhancement by an order of magnitude. These results attributed to the excited state energy transfer in the coupled gold cluster-ITO system are different from the enhancement seen so far in charge donor-acceptor complexes and nanoparticle-conjugate polymer composites.