Correlations between the performance characteristics of a liquid crystal laser and the macroscopic material properties.

In order to understand how the performance of a liquid-crystal laser depends on the physical properties of the low molar mass nematic host, we have studied the energy threshold and slope efficiency of ten optically pumped liquid-crystal lasers based on different hosts. Specifically, this leads to a variation in the birefringence, the orientational order parameter, and the order parameter of the transition dipole moment of the dye. It is found that low threshold energies and high slope efficiencies correlate with high order parameters and large birefringences. To a first approximation this can be understood by considering analytical expressions for the threshold and slope efficiency, which are derived from the space-independent rate equations for a two-level system, in terms of the macroscopic liquid crystal properties.

Emission characteristics of a homologous series of bimesogenic liquid-crystal lasers.

In this study we have fabricated eight different liquid-crystal lasers using the same gain medium but different homologues from the bimesogenic series alpha-(2',4-difluorobiphenyl-4'-yloxy)-omega-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yloxy)alkanes, whereby the number of methylene units in the spacer chain varied from n=5 to n=12. To quantify the performance of these lasers, the threshold energy and the slope efficiency were extracted from the input-output characteristics of each laser. A clear odd-even effect was observed when both the excitation threshold and the slope efficiency were plotted as a function of the number of methylene units in the spacer chain. In all cases, the bimesogen lasers for which n is even exhibit lower threshold energies and higher slope efficiencies than those for which n is odd. These results are then interpreted in terms of the macroscopic physical properties of the liquid-crystalline compounds. In accordance with a previous study [S. M. Morris, A. D. Ford, M. N. Pivnenko, O. Hadeler, and H. J. Coles, Phys. Rev. E. 74, 061709 (2006)], a combination of a large birefringence and high order parameters are found, in the most part, to correlate with low-threshold energy and high slope efficiency. This indicates that the threshold and slope efficiency are dominated by the host macroscopic properties as opposed to intermolecular interactions between the dye and the liquid crystal. However, certain differences in the slope efficiency could not be explained by the birefringence and order parameter values alone. Instead, we find that the slope efficiency is further increased by increasing the elastic constants of the liquid-crystal host so as to decrease the scattering losses incurred by local distortions in the director field under high-energy optical excitation.

Structure-flexoelastic properties of bimesogenic liquid crystals.

In this paper, we report on the flexoelastic and viscoelastic ratios for a number of bimesogens compounds with the same generic structure. Values are obtained indirectly by measuring the flexoelectro-optic response in the chiral nematic phase. By varying the molecular structure we alter the bend angle, transverse dipole moment, and length of the molecule. First, to examine the influence of the bend angle we use a homologous series whereby the only alteration in the molecular structure is the number of methylene units in the aliphatic spacer, n . Results show that the flexoelastic ratio, e/K , and the effective flexoelectric coefficient, e , both exhibit an odd-even effect with values for n=odd being greater than that for n=even . This is understood in terms of an increase in the bend angle of the molecule and an increase in the transverse dipole moment. Second, in order to investigate the impact of the dipole moment, we have altered the mesogenic units so as to vary the longitudinal dipole moment and used different linkages in the aliphatic spacer in an attempt to alter the transverse dipole moment. Qualitatively, the results demonstrate that the odd-spaced bimesogen with larger transverse dipole moments exhibit larger flexoelastic ratios.

Evolution of localized blobs of swirling or buoyant fluid with and without an ambient magnetic field.

We investigate the evolution of localized blobs of swirling or buoyant fluid in an infinite, inviscid, electrically conducting fluid. We consider the three cases of a strong imposed magnetic field, a weak imposed magnetic field, and no magnetic field. For a swirling blob in the absence of a magnetic field, we find, in line with others, that the blob bursts radially outward under the action of the centrifugal force, forming a thin annular vortex sheet. A simple model of this process predicts that the vortex sheet thins exponentially fast and that it moves radially outward with constant velocity. These predictions are verified by high-resolution numerical simulations. When an intense magnetic field is applied, this phenomenon is suppressed, with the energy and angular momentum of the blob now diffusing axially along the magnetic field lines, converting the blob into a columnar structure. For modest or weak magnetic fields, there are elements of both types of behavior, with the radial bursting dominating over axial diffusion for weak fields. However, even when the magnetic field is very weak, the flow structure is quite distinct to that of the nonmagnetic case. In particular, a small but finite magnetic field places a lower bound on the thickness of the annular vortex sheet and produces an annulus of counter-rotating fluid that surrounds the vortex core. The behavior of the buoyant blob is similar. In the absence of a magnetic field, it rapidly develops the mushroomlike shape of a thermal, with a thin vortex sheet at the top and sides of the mushroom. Again, a simple model of this process predicts that the vortex sheet at the top of the thermal thins exponentially fast and rises with constant velocity. These predictions are consistent with earlier numerical simulations. Curiously, however, it is shown that the net vertical momentum associated with the blob increases linearly in time, despite the fact that the vertical velocity at the front of the thermal is constant. As with the swirling blob, an imposed magnetic field inhibits the formation of a vortex sheet. A strong magnetic field completely suppresses the phenomenon, replacing it with an axial diffusion of momentum, while a weak magnetic field allows the sheet to form, but places a lower bound on its thickness. The magnetic field does not, however, change the net vertical momentum of the blob, which always increases linearly with time.

青蒿素生物合成相关基因的克隆、大肠杆菌表达与分子分析

利用现代分子生物学和基因工程技术手段，克隆青蒿素生成途径的关键酶基因，研究关键酶基因对青蒿素生物合成的调控规律，是打破青蒿素生物合成的限速步骤，大幅度提高青蒿素含量，最终达到利用植物生物技术工业化生产青蒿素的目的必须解决的关键问题。本论文基于此目的，开展了青蒿素生物合成相关基因的分子克隆工作。 用RACE方法从青蒿高产株系001中克隆了一个新的1886bp的全长倍半萜合酶cDNA。克隆的倍半萜合酶氨基酸序列与烟草马兜铃烯合酶、莨菪岩兰螺旋二烯合酶、棉花杜松烯合酶的一致性分别为39%，38%和41%;与青蒿柏木脑合酶、紫穗槐二烯合酶和一个推测的倍半萜合酶克隆cASC125的一致性为50%，48%和59%。cDNA编码区序列被克隆进原核表达载体pET-30a，并在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中诱导表达，但过量表达的蛋白主要是以不溶性蛋白形式存在。RT-PCR分析表明此基因在茎、叶和花中表达，在根中没有表达。 用RT/PCR方法从青蒿高产株系001中克隆了amorpha-4, 11-diene合酶cDNA。将该cDNA插入原核表达载体pET3d并在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中过量表达。Southern blot分析表明AMS基因在青蒿基因组中至少有3个拷贝。AMS基因组DNA有一个复杂的结构，包含有7个外显子和6个内含子。RT/PCR分析表明AMS基因在叶片、茎和花中表达，而在根中没有表达。 用RACE方法首次从青蒿中克隆了一个1539 bp全长鲨烯合酶cDNA。青蒿鲨烯合酶氨基酸序列与拟南芥、烟草、人类、酵母鲨烯合酶的一致性分别为70%、77%、44%、39%。青蒿鲨烯合酶基因组DNA有一个复杂的结构，包括14个外显子和13个内含子。全长的或C末端截短的鲨烯合酶cDNA被克隆进原核表达载体pET30a并在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中诱导表达。但在含有全长的鲨烯合酶cDNA的大肠杆菌中并没有观察到预期大小的鲨烯合酶表达，而C末端截短30个疏水氨基酸的鲨烯合酶可在大肠杆菌中过量表达。