Thermal and thermal-optical effects in high-power photonic crystal fiber lasers

A series-parallel model is introduced to calculate the effective thermal conductivities of hollow claddings of photonic crystal fibers ( PCFs ). The temperature distribution and thermal-optical properties of PCF lasers are studied by solving the heat transfer equations. The average power scaling of the PCF lasers in respect of the thermal effects is also discussed. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Mass spectrometry coupled to imaging techniques: The better the view the greater the challenge

These are definitively exciting times for membrane lipid researchers. Once considered just as the cell membrane building blocks, the important role these lipids play is steadily being acknowledged. The improvement occurred in mass spectrometry techniques (MS) allows the establishment of the precise lipid composition of biological extracts. However, to fully understand the biological function of each individual lipid species, we need to know its spatial distribution and dynamics. In the past 10 years, the field has experienced a profound revolution thanks to the development of MS-based techniques allowing lipid imaging (MSI). Images reveal and verify what many lipid researchers had already shown by different means, but none as convincing as an image: each cell type presents a specific lipid composition, which is highly sensitive to its physiological and pathological state. While these techniques will help to place membrane lipids in the position they deserve, they also open the black box containing all the unknown regulatory mechanisms accounting for such tailored lipid composition. Thus, these results urges to different disciplines to redefine their paradigm of study by including the complexity revealed by the MSI techniques.

The intensity distribution and thermal stability of InnoSlab laser

Partially end-pumped slab laser is an innovative solid state laser, namely InnoSlab. Combining the hybrid resonator with partially end-pumping, the output power can be scaled with high beam quality. In this paper, the output intensity distributions are simulated by coordinate transformation fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, comparing the thermal lens influence. As the simulated curves showed, the output mode is still good when the thermal lens effect is strong, indicating the good thermal stability of InnoSlab laser. Such a new kind of laser can be designed and optimized on the base of this simulation.

Thermal and thermal-optical effects in high-power photonic crystal fiber lasers

A series-parallel model is introduced to calculate the effective thermal conductivities of hollow claddings of photonic crystal fibers ( PCFs ). The temperature distribution and thermal-optical properties of PCF lasers are studied by solving the heat transfer equations. The average power scaling of the PCF lasers in respect of the thermal effects is also discussed. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.