Development of directly modulated high speed telecommunication lasers based on surface defined feedback gratings

High-speed semiconductor lasers are an integral part in the implemen- tation of high-bit-rate optical communications systems. They are com- pact, rugged, reliable, long-lived, and relatively inexpensive sources of coherent light. Due to the very low attenuation window that exists in the silica based optical fiber at 1.55 μm and the zero dispersion point at 1.3 μm, they have become the mainstay of optical fiber com- munication systems. For the fabrication of lasers with gratings such as, distributed bragg reflector or distributed feedback lasers, etching is the most critical step. Etching defines the lateral dimmensions of the structure which determines the performance of optoelectronic devices. In this thesis studies and experiments were carried out about the exist- ing etching processes for InP and a novel dry etching process was de- veloped. The newly developed process was based on Cl2/CH4/H2/Ar chemistry and resulted in very smooth surfaces and vertical side walls. With this process the grating definition was significantly improved as compared to other technological developments in the respective field. A surface defined grating definition approach is used in this thesis work which does not require any re-growth steps and makes the whole fabrication process simpler and cost effective. Moreover, this grating fabrication process is fully compatible with nano-imprint lithography and can be used for high throughput low-cost manufacturing. With usual etching techniques reported before it is not possible to etch very deep because of aspect ratio dependent etching phenomenon where with increasing etch depth the etch rate slows down resulting in non-vertical side walls and footing effects. Although with our de- veloped process quite vertical side walls were achieved but footing was still a problem. To overcome the challenges related to grating defini- tion and deep etching, a completely new three step gas chopping dry etching process was developed. This was the very first time that a time multiplexed etching process for an InP based material system was demonstrated. The developed gas chopping process showed extra ordinary results including high mask selectivity of 15, moderate etch- ing rate, very vertical side walls and a record high aspect ratio of 41. Both the developed etching processes are completely compatible with nano imprint lithography and can be used for low-cost high-throughput fabrication. A large number of broad area laser, ridge waveguide laser, distributed feedback laser, distributed bragg reflector laser and coupled cavity in- jection grating lasers were fabricated using the developed one step etch- ing process. Very extensive characterization was done to optimize all the important design and fabrication parameters. The devices devel- oped have shown excellent performance with a very high side mode suppression ratio of more than 52 dB, an output power of 17 mW per facet, high efficiency of 0.15 W/A, stable operation over temperature and injected currents and a threshold current as low as 30 mA for almost 1 mm long device. A record high modulation bandwidth of 15 GHz with electron-photon resonance and open eye diagrams for 10 Gbps data transmission were also shown.

Many-body theory of laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization and angular momentum transfer in ferromagnetic transition metals

An electronic theory is developed, which describes the ultrafast demagnetization in itinerant ferromagnets following the absorption of a femtosecond laser pulse. The present work intends to elucidate the microscopic physics of this ultrafast phenomenon by identifying its fundamental mechanisms. In particular, it aims to reveal the nature of the involved spin excitations and angular-momentum transfer between spin and lattice, which are still subjects of intensive debate. In the first preliminary part of the thesis the initial stage of the laser-induced demagnetization process is considered. In this stage the electronic system is highly excited by spin-conserving elementary excitations involved in the laser-pulse absorption, while the spin or magnon degrees of freedom remain very weakly excited. The role of electron-hole excitations on the stability of the magnetic order of one- and two-dimensional 3d transition metals (TMs) is investigated by using ab initio density-functional theory. The results show that the local magnetic moments are remarkably stable even at very high levels of local energy density and, therefore, indicate that these moments preserve their identity throughout the entire demagnetization process. In the second main part of the thesis a many-body theory is proposed, which takes into account these local magnetic moments and the local character of the involved spin excitations such as spin fluctuations from the very beginning. In this approach the relevant valence 3d and 4p electrons are described in terms of a multiband model Hamiltonian which includes Coulomb interactions, interatomic hybridizations, spin-orbit interactions, as well as the coupling to the time-dependent laser field on the same footing. An exact numerical time evolution is performed for small ferromagnetic TM clusters. The dynamical simulations show that after ultra-short laser pulse absorption the magnetization of these clusters decreases on a time scale of hundred femtoseconds. In particular, the results reproduce the experimentally observed laser-induced demagnetization in ferromagnets and demonstrate that this effect can be explained in terms of the following purely electronic non-adiabatic mechanism: First, on a time scale of 10–100 fs after laser excitation the spin-orbit coupling yields local angular-momentum transfer between the spins and the electron orbits, while subsequently the orbital angular momentum is very rapidly quenched in the lattice on the time scale of one femtosecond due to interatomic electron hoppings. In combination, these two processes result in a demagnetization within hundred or a few hundred femtoseconds after laser-pulse absorption.

Magneto-optische Oberflächenplasmonresonanzeffekte in austauschverschobenen Dünnschichtsystemen

Die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Biomolekülen spielen eine zentrale Rolle in der biochemischen und pharmazeutischen Forschung. In der biomolekularen Interaktionsanalyse sind dabei Biosensoren auf Basis des Oberflächenplasmonresonanzeffekts (SPR-Effekt) weitverbreitet. Seit Einführung der ersten kommerziellen SPR-Biosensoren Anfang der 1990er Jahre wurden verschiedenste Messanordnungen sowie Materialsysteme mit dem Ziel einer möglichst hohen Empfindlichkeit getestet. Eine Möglichkeit zur Steigerung der Empfindlichkeit klassischer SPR-Systeme bieten sogenannte magneto-optische SPR-Biosensoren (MOSPR-Biosensoren). Grundlage der Empfindlichkeitssteigerung ist die gleichzeitige Messung des SPR-Effekts und des transversalen magneto-optischen KERR-Effekts (tMOKE). Bisherige Untersuchungen haben sich meist auf den Einfluss der Magnetisierung freier ferromagnetischer Schichten beschränkt. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden erstmals austauschverschobene Dünnschichtsysteme (EB-Systeme), eine Kombination aus Ferromagnet und Antiferromagnet, hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung für SPR- und MOSPR-basierte biosensorische Anwendungen untersucht. Aufgrund der remanenten Magnetisierung der ferromagnetischen Schicht und ihrer magnetischen Strukturierbarkeit sind EB-Systeme eine hochinteressante Plattform zur Realisierung neuer Biosensorkonzepte. Zur Reduzierung der stark dämpfendenden Wirkung magnetischer Materialien wurde das hier betrachtete IrMn/Co EB-System zwischen zwei Goldschichten eingebettet. Eine Gegenüberstellung optimierter Au/ IrMn/Co/Au-Systeme mit einem reinen Au-System, wie es typischerweise in kommerziellen SPR-basierten Biosensoren eingesetzt wird, demonstriert, dass mit den entwickelten EB-Systemen vergleichbare Empfindlichkeiten in SPR-Sensor-Anwendungen erreicht werden können. Die magneto-optische Aktivität der untersuchten Dünnschichtsysteme liegt im Bereich der Literaturwerte für Au/Co/Au-Systeme, mit denen erhöhte Empfindlichkeiten gegenüber Standard-SPR-Biosensoren realisiert wurden. Auf Grundlage magnetisch strukturierter Au/IrMn/Co/Au-Systeme wurden neue Biosensorkonzepte entwickelt und getestet. Erste Experimente belegen, dass mit diesen Schichtsystemen eine gleichzeitige Detektion der magnetisierungsabhängigen Reflektivitäten in ortsauflösenden MOSPR-Messungen möglich ist. Eine solche Messanordnung profitiert von der erhöhten Empfindlichkeit MOSPR-basierter Biosensoren, hohen Messgeschwindigkeiten und einem verbesserten Signal-Rausch-Verhältnis. Weiterhin wurde der domänenwandassistierte Transport (DOWMAT) superparamagnetischer Partikel über der Oberfläche eines exemplarischen EB-Systems, zur Sensorintegration von Misch-, Reinigungs- und Aufkonzentrationsfunktionen erfolgreich getestet. Die Ergebnisse demonstrieren, dass ein Transport von Partikelreihen mit hohen Geschwindigkeiten bei moderaten externen Magnetfeldern über den entwickelten Schichtsystemen möglich ist. Die Agglomeration der Partikel wird dabei intrinsisch vermieden. Diese Beobachtungen verdeutlichen die Vorzüge des DOWMAT-Mechanismus für biosensorische Anwendungen. Die präsentierten Untersuchungen bilden die Grundlage auf dem Weg zur Umsetzung neuer vielversprechender Biosensorkonzepte, die eine Schlüsselfunktion in der medizinischen point-of-care-Diagnostik bei der Detektion kleinster Konzentrationen krankheitsrelevanter Biomarker einnehmen können.

A calibrated, non-invasive method for measuring the internal interface height field at high resolution in the rotating, two-layer annulus

We describe a remote sensing method for measuring the internal interface height field in a rotating, two-layer annulus laboratory experiment. The method is non-invasive, avoiding the possibility of an interaction between the flow and the measurement device. The height fields retrieved are accurate and highly resolved in both space and time. The technique is based on a flow visualization method developed by previous workers, and relies upon the optical rotation properties of the working liquids. The previous methods returned only qualitative interface maps, however. In the present study, a technique is developed for deriving quantitative maps by calibrating height against the colour fields registered by a camera which views the flow from above. We use a layer-wise torque balance analysis to determine the equilibrium interface height field analytically, in order to derive the calibration curves. With the current system, viewing an annulus of outer radius 125 mm and depth 250 mm from a distance of 2 m, the inferred height fields have horizontal, vertical and temporal resolutions of up to 0.2 mm, 1 mm and 0.04 s, respectively.

Reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause during northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions

The Polar spacecraft had a prolonged encounter with the high-latitude dayside magnetopause on May 29, 1996. This encounter with the magnetopause occurred when the interplanetary magnetic field was directed northward. From the three-dimensional electron and ion distribution functions measured by the Hydra instrument, it has been possible to identify nearly all of the distinct boundary layer regions associated with high-latitude reconnection. The regions that have been identified are (1) the cusp; (2) the magnetopause current layer; (3) magnetosheath field lines that have interconnected in only the Northern Hemisphere; (4) magnetosheath field lines that have interconnected in only the Southern Hemisphere; (5) magnetosheath field lines that have interconnected in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; (6) magnetosheath that is disconnected from the terrestrial magnetic field; and (7) high-latitude plasma sheet field lines that are participating in magnetosheath reconnection. Reconnection over this time period was occurring at high latitudes over a broad local-time extent, interconnecting the magnetosheath and lobe and/or plasma sheet field lines in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Newly closed boundary layer field lines were observed as reconnection occur-red first at high latitudes in one hemisphere and then later in the other. These observations establish the location of magnetopause reconnection during these northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions as being at high latitudes, poleward of the cusp, and further reinforce the general interpretation of electron and ion phase space density signatures as indicators of magnetic reconnection and boundary layer formation.

Dependence of convective flows and particle precipitation in the high-latitude dayside ionosphere on theXandYcomponents of the interplanetary magnetic field

The asymmetries in the convective flows, current systems, and particle precipitation in the high-latitude dayside ionosphere which are related to the equatorial plane components of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) are discussed in relation to the results of several recent observational studies. It is argued that all of the effects reported to date which are ascribed to the y component of the IMF can be understood, at least qualitatively, in terms of a simple theoretical picture in which the effects result from the stresses exerted on the magnetosphere consequent on the interconnection of terrestrial and interplanetary fields. In particular, relaxation under the action of these stresses allows, in effect, a partial penetration of the IMF into the magnetospheric cavity, such that the sense of the expected asymmetry effects on closed field lines can be understood, to zeroth order, in terms of the “dipole plus uniform field” model. In particular, in response to IMF By, the dayside cusp should be displaced in longitude about noon in the same sense as By in the northern hemisphere, and in the opposite sense to By in the southern hemisphere, while simultaneously the auroral oval as a whole should be shifted in the dawn-dusk direction in the opposite sense with respect to By. These expected displacements are found to be consistent with recently published observations. Similar considerations lead to the suggestion that the auroral oval may also undergo displacements in the noon-midnight direction which are associated with the x component of the IMF. We show that a previously published study of the position of the auroral oval contains strong initial evidence for the existence of this effect. However, recent results on variations in the latitude of the cusp are more ambiguous. This topic therefore requires further study before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

A statistical study of large field-aligned flows of thermal ions at high-latitudes

A number of case studies of large, transient, field-aligned ion flows in the topside ionosphere at high-latitudes have been reported, showing that these events occur during periods of frictional heating and/or intense particle precipitation. This study examines the frequency of occurrence of such events for the altitude range 200–500 km, based on 3 years of incoherent scatter data. Correlations of the upgoing ion flux at 400 km with ion and electron temperatures at lower altitudes are presented, together with a discussion of possible mechanisms for the production of such large flows. The influence of low-altitude electron precipitation on the production of these events is also considered.

A survey of simultaneous observations of the high-latitude ionosphere and interplanetary magnetic field with EISCAT and AMPTE-UKS

This paper surveys the results of simultaneous observations by the EISCAT incoherent scatter radar and the AMPTE-UKS satellite, made during three periods in September and October 1984, when AMPTE-UKS was in the solar wind on the dayside of the Earth and the UK-POLAR EISCAT experiment was measuring ionospheric parameters at invariant latitudes 70.8–75.0°. A total of 42 h of EISCAT convection velocity data, with 2.5 min resolution, were obtained, together with 28 h of simultaneous 5 s resolution AMPTE-UKS observations of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The general features of the AMPTE-UKS data are described in Section 2 and those of the EISCAT data are described in Sections 3 and 4. The main subjects discussed are the form of the plasma convection patterns and their dependence on all three components of the IMF (Section 5), the ionospheric response to abrupt changes in the IMF (Section 6), in particular a sharp ‘southward turning’ of the IMF on 27 October 1984, and a crossing of an IMF sector boundary. Section 7 describes ‘short lived rapid flow burst’, which are believed to be related to flux transfer events at the magnetopause.

Effect of high temperature and water stress on groundnuts under field conditions

Groundnuts cultivated in the semiarid tropics are often exposed to water stress (mid-season and end season) and high temperature (> 34 °C) during the critical stages of flowering and pod development. This study evaluated the effects of both water stress and high temperature under field conditions at ICRISAT, India. Treatments included two irrigations (full irrigation, 100 % of crop evapotranspiration; and water stress, 40 % of crop evapotranspiration), four temperature treatments from a combination of two sowing dates and heat tunnels with mean temperatures from sowing to maturity of 26.3° (T1), 27.3° (T2), 29.0° (T3) and 29.7 °C (T4) and two genotypes TMV2 and ICGS 11. The heat tunnels were capable of raising the day temperature by > 10 °C compared to ambient. During the 20-day high-temperature treatment at flowering, mean temperatures were 33.8° (T1), 41.6° (T2), 38.7° (T3) and 43.5°C (T4). The effects of water stress and high temperature were additive and temporary for both vegetative and pod yield, and disappeared as soon as high-temperature stress was removed. Water use efficiency was significantly affected by the main effects of temperature and cultivar and not by water stress treatments. Genotypic differences for tolerance to high temperature can be attributed to differences in flowering pattern, flower number, peg-set and harvest index. It can be inferred from this study that genotypes that are tolerant to water stress are also tolerant to high temperature under field conditions. In addition, genotypes with an ability to establish greater biomass and with a significantly greater partitioning of biomass to pod yield would be suitable for sustaining higher yields in semiarid tropics with high temperature and water stress.

High-throughput phenotyping (HTP) identifies seedling root traits linked to variation in seed yield and nutrient capture in field-grown oilseed rape (Brassica napusL.)

Background and Aims Root traits can be selected for crop improvement. Techniques such as soil excavations can be used to screen root traits in the field, but are limited to genotypes that are well-adapted to field conditions. The aim of this study was to compare a low-cost, high-throughput root phenotyping (HTP) technique in a controlled environment with field performance, using oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus) varieties. Methods Primary root length (PRL), lateral root length and lateral root density (LRD) were measured on 14-d-old seedlings of elite OSR varieties (n = 32) using a ‘pouch and wick’ HTP system (∼40 replicates). Six field experiments were conducted using the same varieties at two UK sites each year for 3 years. Plants were excavated at the 6- to 8-leaf stage for general vigour assessments of roots and shoots in all six experiments, and final seed yield was determined. Leaves were sampled for mineral composition from one of the field experiments. Key Results Seedling PRL in the HTP system correlated with seed yield in four out of six (r = 0·50, 0·50, 0·33, 0·49; P < 0·05) and with emergence in three out of five (r = 0·59, 0·22, 0·49; P < 0·05) field experiments. Seedling LRD correlated positively with leaf concentrations of some minerals, e.g. calcium (r = 0·46; P < 0·01) and zinc (r = 0·58; P < 0·001), but did not correlate with emergence, general early vigour or yield in the field. Conclusions Associations between PRL and field performance are generally related to early vigour. These root traits might therefore be of limited additional selection value, given that vigour can be measured easily on shoots/canopies. In contrast, LRD cannot be assessed easily in the field and, if LRD can improve nutrient uptake, then it may be possible to use HTP systems to screen this trait in both elite and more genetically diverse, non-field-adapted OSR.

MODELLING OF HIGH-PRESSURE PHASE EQUILIBRIUM IN SYSTEMS OF INTEREST IN THE FOOD ENGINEERING FIELD USING THE PENG-ROBINSON EQUATION OF STATE WITH TWO DIFFERENT MIXING RULES

In this work, thermodynamic models for fitting the phase equilibrium of binary systems were applied, aiming to predict the high pressure phase equilibrium of multicomponent systems of interest in the food engineering field, comparing the results generated by the models with new experimental data and with those from the literature. Two mixing rules were used with the Peng-Robinson equation of state, one with the mixing rule of van der Waals and the other with the composition-dependent mixing rule of Mathias et al. The systems chosen are of fundamental importance in food industries, such as the binary systems CO(2)-limonene, CO(2)-citral and CO(2)-linalool, and the ternary systems CO(2)-Limonene-Citral and CO(2)-Limonene-Linalool, where high pressure phase equilibrium knowledge is important to extract and fractionate citrus fruit essential oils. For the CO(2)-limonene system, some experimental data were also measured in this work. The results showed the high capability of the model using the composition-dependent mixing rule to model the phase equilibrium behavior of these systems.

High genetic diversity in field isolates of Trypanosoma theileri assessed by analysis of cathepsin L-like sequences disclosed multiple and new genotypes infecting cattle in Thailand

In this study, we describe the first survey in Thailand of Trypanosoma theileri, a widespread and prevalent parasite of cattle that is transmitted by tabanid flies. Investigation of 210 bovine blood samples of Thai cattle from six farms by hematocrit centrifuge technique (HCT) revealed 14 samples with trypanosomes morphologically compatible to T. theileri. Additional animals were positive for T. theileri by PCR based on the Cathepsin L-like sequence (TthCATL-PCR) despite negative by HCT, indicating cryptic infections. Results revealed a prevalence of 26 +/- 15% (95% CI) of T. theileri infection. Additionally, 12 samples positive for T. theileri were detected in cattle from other 11 farms. From a total of 30 blood samples positive by HCT and/or PCR from 17 farms, seven were characterized to evaluate the genetic polymorphism of T. theileri through sequence analysis of PCR-amplified CATL DNA sequences. All CATL sequences of T. theileri from Thai cattle clustered with sequences of the previously described phylogenetic lineages TthI and TthII, supporting only two major lineages of T. theileri in cattle around the world. However, 11 of the 29 CATL sequences analyzed showed to be different, disclosing an unexpectedly large polymorphic genetic repertoire, with multiple genotypes of T. theileri not previously described in other countries circulating in Thai cattle. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic resonance study of a vanadium pentoxide gel

In this work we report results from continuous-wave (CW) and pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of the vanadium pentoxide xerogel V2O5:nH(2)O (n approximate to 1.6). The low temperature CW-EPR spectrum shows hyperfine structure due to coupling of unpaired V4+ electron with the vanadium nucleus. The analysis of the spin Hamiltonian parameters suggests that the V4+ ions are located in tetragonally distorted octahedral sites. The transition temperature from the rigid-lattice low-temperature regime to the high temperature liquid-like regime was determined from the analysis of the temperature dependence of the hyperfine splitting and the V4+ motional correlation time. The Electron Spin Echo Envelope Modulation (ESEEM) data shows the signals resulting from the interaction of H-1 nuclei with V4+ ions. The modulation effect was observed only for field values in the center of the EPR absorption spectrum corresponding to the single crystals orientated perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. At least three protons are identified in the xerogel by our magnetic resonance experiments: (I) the OH groups in the equatorial plane, (ii) the bound water molecules in the axial V=O bond and (iii) the free mobile water molecules between the oxide layers. Proton NMR lineshapes and spin-lattice relaxation times were measured in the temperature range between 150 K and 323 K. Our analysis indicates that only a fraction of the xerogel protons contribute to the measured conductivity.

Bounds on direct couplings of superheavy metastable particles to the inflaton field from ultra high energy cosmic ray events

Top-down models for the origin of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR's) propose that these events are the decay products of relic superheavy metastable particles, usually called X particles. These particles can be produced in the reheating period following the inflationary epoch of the early Universe. We obtain constraints on some parameters such as the lifetime and direct couplings of the X-particle to the inflaton field from the requirement that they are responsible for the observed UHECR flux.

Search for high-mass resonances decaying into tau-lepton pairs in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)