Nuclear relaxation contribution to static and dynamic (infinite frequency approximation) nonlinear optical properties by means of electrical property expansions: Application to HF, CH4, CF4, and SF6

Electrical property derivative expressions are presented for the nuclear relaxation contribution to static and dynamic (infinite frequency approximation) nonlinear optical properties. For CF4 and SF6, as opposed to HF and CH4, a term that is quadratic in the vibrational anharmonicity (and not previously evaluated for any molecule) makes an important contribution to the static second vibrational hyperpolarizability of CF4 and SF6. A comparison between calculated and experimental values for the difference between the (anisotropic) Kerr effect and electric field induced second-harmonic generation shows that, at the Hartree-Fock level, the nuclear relaxation/infinite frequency approximation gives the correct trend (in the series CH4, CF4, SF6) but is of the order of 50% too small

Variational calculation of static and dynamic vibrational nonlinear optical properties

The vibrational configuration interaction method used to obtain static vibrational (hyper)polarizabilities is extended to dynamic nonlinear optical properties in the infinite optical frequency approximation. Illustrative calculations are carried out on H2 O and N H3. The former molecule is weakly anharmonic while the latter contains a strongly anharmonic umbrella mode. The effect on vibrational (hyper)polarizabilities due to various truncations of the potential energy and property surfaces involved in the calculation are examined

Basis set and electron correlation effects on initial convergence for vibrational nonlinear optical properties of conjugated organic molecules

The level of ab initio theory which is necessary to compute reliable values for the static and dynamic (hyper)polarizabilities of three medium size π-conjugated organic nonlinear optical (NLO) molecules is investigated. With the employment of field-induced coordinates in combination with a finite field procedure, the calculations were made possible. It is stated that to obtain reasonable values for the various individual contributions to the (hyper)polarizability, it is necessary to include electron correlation. Based on the results, the convergence of the usual perturbation treatment for vibrational anharmonicity was examined

Initial convergence of the perturbation series expansion for vibrational nonlinear optical properties

Initial convergence of the perturbation series expansion for vibrational nonlinear optical (NLO) properties was analyzed. The zero-point vibrational average (ZPVA) was obtained through first-order in mechanical plus electrical anharmonicity. Results indicated that higher-order terms in electrical and mechanical anharmonicity can make substantial contributions to the pure vibrational polarizibility of typical NLO molecules

Dual-wavelength digital holographic microscopy with sub-nanometer axial accuracy

We present dual-wavelength Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) measurements on a certified 8.9 nm high Chromium thin step sample and demonstrate sub-nanometer axial accuracy. We introduce a modified DHM Reference Calibrated Hologram (RCH) reconstruction algorithm taking into account amplitude contributions. By combining this with a temporal averaging procedure and a specific dual-wavelength DHM arrangement, it is shown that specimen topography can be measured with an accuracy, defined as the axial standard deviation, reduced to at least 0.9 nm. Indeed, it is reported that averaging each of the two wavefronts recorded with real-time dual-wavelength DHM can provide up to 30% spatial noise reduction for the given configuration, thanks to their non-correlated nature. ©2008 COPYRIGHT SPIE

A Gestão da Qualidade do Serviço Hoteleiro em Cabo Verde: Estruturação de Processos

O trabalho que aqui propomos foi desenvolvido numa perspectiva sociológica, procurando à luz da teoria de estruturação de Giddens analisar a estruturação de um serviço para a qualidade nos hotéis, partindo das perspectivas dos agentes internos. O que ambicionamos com esta tese é analisar a produção do serviço hoteleiro enquanto sistema constituída por práticas recíprocas entre agentes, sujeitos a regras, recursos, constrangimentos e oportunidades. Na óptica que seguimos, a estruturação para um serviço da qualidade depende das regras e recursos mobilizadas e permitidas no decorrer de práticas situadas de agentes intencionados. As estruturas do sistema da qualidade, como nós as entendemos aqui, à luz da dualidade da estrutura, reproduzem-se e participam na produção de novas estruturas e, recursivamente, organizam as práticas e os modos de fazer. Através da significação, legitimação e dominação, dimensões nas quais se desenvolvem os processos sociais de construção dos sistemas da qualidade, procuramos compreender o processo de estruturação de um serviço de qualidade nos hotéis. É com este olhar, que analisamos a estruturação da qualidade nas organizações. Mais do que o aspecto da qualidade enquanto disciplina da gestão, interessa-nos o aspecto da qualidade enquanto resultado de definições sociais construídas e partilhadas através das práticas quotidianas, onde se dá a negociação de significados e atribuição de sentidos às nossas actividades. Interessa-nos analisar a estruturação de um serviço para a qualidade, numa organização, através do estudo das práticas, rotinas, processos, expedientes e racionalidades na relação diária entre os agentes no seio dos hotéis. Analisamos o sistema da qualidade enquanto sistema social envolvendo actividades de sujeitos humanos, localizados no espaço e no tempo (Giddens, 2000). Através da dualidade da estrutura, em que os agentes são possuidores de regras e recursos que durante e através das suas actividades reproduzem e criam as condições para tornarem as mesmas possíveis (Giddens, 1999), procuramos entender a prestação dos serviços. Desta forma analisamos o funcionamento das interacções diárias e das suas regras enquanto meio e produto do sistema da qualidade.

Prediction of subcutaneous fatty acid composition from ham of CLA fed boars and gilts using a NIRS fiber optic probe

The aim of this work was the use of NIR technology by direct application of a fiber optic probe on back fat to analyze the fatty acid composition of CLA fed boars and gilts. 265 animals were fed 3 different diets and the fatty acid profile of back fat from Gluteus medius was analyzed using gas chromatography and FT-NIR. Spectra were acquired using a Bruker Optics Matrix-F duplex spectrometer equipped with a fiber optic probe (IN-268-2). Oleic and stearic fatty acids were predicted accurately; myristic, vaccenic and linoleic fatty acids were predicted with lower accuracy, while palmitic and α-linolenic fatty acids were poorly predicted. The relative percentage of fatty acids and NIR spectra showed differences in fatty acid composition of back fat from pigs fed CLA which increased the relative percentage of SFA and PUFA while MUFA decreased. Results suggest that a NIR fiber optic probe can be used to predict total saturated and unsaturated fatty acid composition, as well as the percentage of stearic and oleic. NIR showed potential as a rapid and easily implemented method to discriminate carcasses from animals fed different diets.

Noninvasive characterization of the fission yeast cell cycle by monitoring dry mass with digital holographic microscopy.

Digital holography microscopy (DHM) is an optical technique which provides phase images yielding quantitative information about cell structure and cellular dynamics. Furthermore, the quantitative phase images allow the derivation of other parameters, including dry mass production, density, and spatial distribution. We have applied DHM to study the dry mass production rate and the dry mass surface density in wild-type and mutant fission yeast cells. Our study demonstrates the applicability of DHM as a tool for label-free quantitative analysis of the cell cycle and opens the possibility for its use in high-throughput screening.

Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique

Weather radar observations are currently the most reliable method for remote sensing of precipitation. However, a number of factors affect the quality of radar observations and may limit seriously automated quantitative applications of radar precipitation estimates such as those required in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data assimilation or in hydrological models. In this paper, a technique to correct two different problems typically present in radar data is presented and evaluated. The aspects dealt with are non-precipitating echoes - caused either by permanent ground clutter or by anomalous propagation of the radar beam (anaprop echoes) - and also topographical beam blockage. The correction technique is based in the computation of realistic beam propagation trajectories based upon recent radiosonde observations instead of assuming standard radio propagation conditions. The correction consists of three different steps: 1) calculation of a Dynamic Elevation Map which provides the minimum clutter-free antenna elevation for each pixel within the radar coverage; 2) correction for residual anaprop, checking the vertical reflectivity gradients within the radar volume; and 3) topographical beam blockage estimation and correction using a geometric optics approach. The technique is evaluated with four case studies in the region of the Po Valley (N Italy) using a C-band Doppler radar and a network of raingauges providing hourly precipitation measurements. The case studies cover different seasons, different radio propagation conditions and also stratiform and convective precipitation type events. After applying the proposed correction, a comparison of the radar precipitation estimates with raingauges indicates a general reduction in both the root mean squared error and the fractional error variance indicating the efficiency and robustness of the procedure. Moreover, the technique presented is not computationally expensive so it seems well suited to be implemented in an operational environment.

Measurement of absolute cell volume, osmotic membrane water permeability, and refractive index of transmembrane water and solute flux by digital holographic microscopy.

ABSTRACT. A dual-wavelength digital holographic microscope to measure absolute volume of living cells is proposed. The optical setup allows us to reconstruct two quantitative phase contrast images at two different wavelengths from a single hologram acquisition. When adding the absorbing dye fast green FCF as a dispersive agent to the extracellular medium, cellular thickness can be univocally determined in the full field of view. In addition to the absolute cell volume, the method can be applied to derive important biophysical parameters of living cells including osmotic membrane water permeability coefficient and the integral intracellular refractive index (RI). Further, the RI of transmembrane flux can be determined giving an indication about the nature of transported solutes. The proposed method is applied to cultured human embryonic kidney cells, Chinese hamster ovary cells, human red blood cells, mouse cortical astrocytes, and neurons.

Low-loss rib waveguides containing Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

We report on the study and modeling of the structural and optical properties of rib-loaded waveguides working in the 600-900-nm spectral range. A Si nanocrystal (Si-nc) rich SiO2 layer with nominal Si excess ranging from 10% to 20% was produced by quadrupole ion implantation of Si into thermal SiO2 formed on a silicon substrate. Si-ncs were precipitated by annealing at 1100°C, forming a 0.4-um-thick core layer in the waveguide. The Si content, the Si-nc density and size, the Si-nc emission, and the active layer effective refractive index were determined by dedicated experiments using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence and m-lines spectroscopy. Rib-loaded waveguides were fabricated by photolithographic and reactive ion etching processes, with patterned rib widths ranging from 1¿to¿8¿¿m. Light propagation in the waveguide was observed and losses of 11dB/cm at 633 and 780 nm were measured, modeled and interpreted.

Bipolar pulsed excitation of erbium-doped nanosilicon light emitting diodes

High quantum efficiency erbium doped silicon nanocluster (Si-NC:Er) light emitting diodes (LEDs) were grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) line. Erbium (Er) excitation mechanisms under direct current (DC) and bipolar pulsed electrical injection were studied in a broad range of excitation voltages and frequencies. Under DC excitation, Fowler-Nordheim tunneling of electrons is mediated by Er-related trap states and electroluminescence originates from impact excitation of Er ions. When the bipolar pulsed electrical injection is used, the electron transport and Er excitation mechanism change. Sequential injection of electrons and holes into silicon nanoclusters takes place and nonradiative energy transfer to Er ions is observed. This mechanism occurs in a range of lower driving voltages than those observed in DC and injection frequencies higher than the Er emission rate.

Intense green-yellow electroluminescence from Tb+-implanted silicon-rich silicon nitride/oxide light emitting devices

High optical power density of 0.5 mW/cm2, external quantum efficiency of 0.1%, and population inversion of 7% are reported from Tb+-implanted silicon-rich silicon nitride/oxide light emitting devices. Electrical and electroluminescence mechanisms in these devices were investigated. The excitation cross section for the 543 nm Tb3+ emission was estimated under electrical pumping, resulting in a value of 8.2 × 10−14 cm2, which is one order of magnitude larger than one reported for Tb3+:SiO2 light emitting devices. These results demonstrate the potentiality of Tb+-implanted silicon nitride material for the development of integrated light sources compatible with Si technology.