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.

Generation of 207-femtosecond pulses from a ytterbium figure-of-eight fibre laser

We report the generation of 207-fs pulses with 1.2mW average power at 1036 nm directly from a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fibre laser with a nonlinear optical loop mirror for mode-locking and pairs of diffraction gratings for intracavity dispersion compensation. These results imply a 4-fold reduction in pulse duration over previously reported figure-of-eight cavity passively mode-locked Yb-doped fibre lasers. Stable pulse trains are produced at the fundamental repetition rate of the resonator, 24.0MHz. On the other hand, this laser offers a cleaner spectrum and greater stability and is completely self-starting.

Ionic liquid-based "all-in-one" synthesis and photoluminescence properties of lanthanide fluorides

A facile route to the synthesis of LnF(3) nanocrystals has been accomplished in three ionic liquids (ILs) (OmimPF(6), OmimBF(4), and BmimPF(6)). The partial hydrolysis of PF6- and BF4- was utilized to introduce a new fluoride source. Uniform LnF(3) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Er), Tb3+-doped CeF3, and Eu3+-doped LaF3 nanocrystals could be obtained in a large scale, and the products were up to 0.15 g per 10 mL solvents. In the "all-in-one" systems, the ILs acted as solvents, reaction agents, and templates.

Hydrothermal synthesis of lanthanide fluorides LnF(3) (Ln = La to Lu) nano-/microcrystals with multiform structures and morphologies

Lanthanide fluoride LnF(3) (Ln = La to Lu) nano-/microcrystals with multiform crystal structures (hexagonal and orthorhombic) and morphologies (separated elongated nanoparticles, aggregated nanoparticles, polyhedral microcrystals) were successfully synthesized by a facile, effective, and environmentally friendly hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the samples. The experimental results indicated that the use of NaBF4 is indispensable for obtaining LnF(3) crystal structures.

Ionic liquid-based "all-in-one" synthesis and photoluminescence properties of lanthanide fluorides

A facile route to the synthesis of LnF(3) nanocrystals has been accomplished in three ionic liquids (ILs) (OmimPF(6), OmimBF(4), and BmimPF(6)). The partial hydrolysis of PF6- and BF4- was utilized to introduce a new fluoride source. Uniform LnF(3) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Er), Tb3+-doped CeF3, and Eu3+-doped LaF3 nanocrystals could be obtained in a large scale, and the products were up to 0.15 g per 10 mL solvents. In the "all-in-one" systems, the ILs acted as solvents, reaction agents, and templates.

Rare Earth Fluorides Nanowires/Nanorods Derived from Hydroxides: Hydrothermal Synthesis and Luminescence Properties

In this paper, we reported the synthesis of nearly monodisperse and well-defined one-dimensional (1D) rare earth fluoride(beta-NaREF4) (RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) nanowires/nanorods by in situ acid corrosion and anion exchange approach using RE(OH)(3) as precursors via a facile hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and photoluminescence(PL)spectroscopy were used to characterize the samples. The results show that the as-prepared rare earth fluoride (beta-NaREF4) nanowires/nanorods preserve the basic morphology of the initial RE(OH)(3) precursors.

Influence of isooctanol on the interfacial activity and mass transfer of ytterbium(III) using 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester as an acidic extractant

BACKGROUND: Introducing an adduct into an extractant system is an effective method of improving extraction performance. The effect of additives upon extraction is very important, especially in the case of interfacial behaviour. In most work published in the literature, there is little data on the interfacial behaviour of extractants and modifiers. As the mass transfer must pass through an interface, the influence of isooctanol on the interfacial activity and mass transfer of ytterbium(III) using 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethlhexyl ester has been investigated.RESULTS: With increasing amounts of isooctanol, the interfacial tension and surface excess (Gamma(max)) of the 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester(HEHEHP)-isooctanol system decreased, and the area of the absorbed HEHEHP molecule (Amin) increased. The interfacial activity of the HEHEHP-isooctanol system varied significantly depending on ionic strength and temperature and the mass transfer flux decreased with increasing isooctanol content.

Density-functional study of lanthanum, ytterbium, and lutetium dimers

La-2, Yb-2, and Lu-2 have been studied by use of the density-functional methods B3LYP, BLYP, B3PW91, BHLYP, BP86, B3P86, MPW1PW91, and PBE1PBE. In these density-functional methods, the exchange functional is from either Becke's three-parameter HF-DFT hybrid exchange functional (B3), pure DFT exchange functional of 1988 (B), a modification of the half-and-half HF/DFT hybrid method (BH), Perdew-Wang 1991 (PW91), or Barone's modified PW91 (MPW1), while the correlation functional is from either Lee, Yang, and Parr (LYP), Perdew-Wang 1991 (PW91), or Perdew 86 (P86). PBE1PBE is the generalized-gradient-approximation exchange-correlation functional of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof. For La-2, the calculated bond distance is in reasonable agreement with the experiment, but the calculated vibrational frequency is underestimated significantly compared with the experiment. Only BP86 and B3P86 have the best performance in reproducing the experimental dissociation energy for La-2. For the van der Waals dimer Yb-2, three functionals, B3LYP, BLYP, and BHLYP have excellent performance in reproducing the spectroscopic constants compared with both the experiment and previous theoretical studies.

Kinetics of ytterbium(III) extraction with Cyanex 272 using a constant interfacial cell with laminar flow

Studies have been made on the kinetics of ytterbium(III) with bis-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272, HA) in n-heptane using a constant interfacial cell with laminar flow. The stiochiometry and the equilibrium constant of the extracted complex formation reaction between Yb3+ and Cyanex 272 are determined. The extraction rate is dependent of the stirring rate. This fact together with the Ea value suggests that the mass transfer process is a mixed chemical reaction-diffusion controlled at lower temperature, whereas it is entirely diffusion controlled at higher temperature. The rate equations for the ytterbium extraction with Cyanex 272 have been obtained. The rate-determining step is also made by predictions derived from interfacial reaction models, and through the approximate solutions of the flux equation, diffusion parameters and thickness of the diffusion film have been calculated.

Extraction and stripping of ytterbium (III) from H2SO4 medium by Cyanex 923

The extraction and stripping of ytterbium (III) from sulfuric acid medium using Cyanex 923 in heptane solution was investigated. The effects of extractant concentration, pH and sulfate ion as well as stripping agents, acidity and temperature on the extraction and stripping were studied. The equilibrium constants and thermodynamic parameters, such as Delta H (10.76 kJ(.)mol(-1)), Delta G (-79.26 kJ(.)mol(-1)) and Delta S (292.41 J(.)K(-1.)mol(-1)), were calculated. The extraction mechanism and the complex species extracted were determined by slope analysis and FrIR spectra. Furthermore, it was found that the extraction of Yb (III) from sulfuric acid medium by Cyanex 923 increased with pH, concentration of SO42-, HSO4-, and extractant concentration, and approximately a quantitative extraction of Yb (III) was achieved at an equilibrium pH near 3.0, and the extracted complex was YbSO4(HSO4)(.)2Cyanex923((o)).

Mass-transfer kinetics of ytterbium extraction with sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid

The extraction kinetics of ytterbium with sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA-100) in heptane have been investigated using a constant interfacial area cell with laminar flow. The influence of stirring speed and temperature on the rate indicated that the extraction rate was controlled by the experiment conditions. The plot of interfacial area on the rate showed a linear relationship. This fact together with the low solubility in water and strong surface activity of CA-100 at heptane-water interfaces made the interface the most probable locale for the chemical reactions. The influences of extractant concentration and hydrogen ion concentration on the extraction rate were investigated, and the forward and reverse rate equations for the ytterbium extraction with CA-100 were also obtained. Based on the experimental data, the apparent forward extraction rate constant was calculated. Interfacial reaction models were proposed that agree well with the rate equations obtained from experimental data.

Solvothermal synthesis of the complex fluorides KMgF3 and KZnF3 with the Perovskite structures

The complex fluorides KMgF3 and KZnF3 with Perovskite structures were solvothermally synthesised at 150-180degreesC and characterised by means of X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy.