Surface-plasmon-enhanced frequency upconversion in Pr(3+) doped tellurium-oxide glasses containing silver nanoparticles

A frequency upconversion process in Pr(3+) doped TeO(2)-ZnO glasses containing silver nanoparticles is studied under excitation with a nanosecond laser operating at 590 nm, in resonance with the (3)H(4)-->(1)D(2) transition. The excited Pr(3+) ions exchange energy in the presence of the nanoparticles, originating efficient conversion from orange to blue. The enhancement in the intensity of the luminescence at similar to 482 nm, corresponding to the (3)P(0)-->(3)H(4) transition, is due to the influence of the large local field on the Pr(3+) ions, which are located near the metallic nanoparticles. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Luminescence of Tb(3+) doped TeO(2)-ZnO-Na(2)O-PbO glasses containing silver nanoparticles

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Frequency upconversion luminescence from Yb+3-Tm+3 codoped PbO-GeO2 glasses containing silver nanoparticles

Infrared-to-visible and infrared-to-infrared frequency upconversion processes in Yb3+-Tm3+ doped PbO-GeO2 glasses containing silver nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated. The experiments were performed by exciting the samples with a diode laser operating at 980 nm (in resonance with the Yb3+ transition F-2(7/2)-> F-2(5/2)) and observing the photoluminescence (PL) in the visible and infrared regions due to energy transfer from Yb3+ to Tm3+ ions followed by excited state absorption in the Tm3+ ions. The intensified local field in the vicinity of the metallic NPs contributes for enhancement in the PL intensity at 480 nm (Tm3+ :(1)G(4)-> H-3(6)) and at 800 nm (Tm3+ : H-3(4) -> H-3(6)). (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3211300]

Frequency upconversion in a Pr(3+) doped chalcogenide glass containing silver nanoparticles

We report on orange-to-blue frequency upconversion (UC) in Pr(3+) doped chalcogenide glass (Ga(10)Ge(25)S(65)) doped with Ag(2)S and heat treated under different conditions to nucleate silver nanoparticles (NPs). The experiments were performed using 7 ns pulses from a dye laser that operates at similar to 590 nm, in resonance with the (3)H(4)->(1)D(2) transition of Pr(3+) ions. The enhancement observed in the UC emission at similar to 494 nm, ascribed as (3)P(0)->(3)H(4) transition of the Pr(3+) ion, is attributed to the large local field acting on the emitting ions due to the presence of the metallic NPs. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Enhanced luminescence of Tb3+/Eu3+ doped tellurium oxide glass containing silver nanostructures

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Enhanced optical properties of germanate and tellurite glasses containing metal or semiconductor nanoparticles

Germanium- and tellurium-based glasses have been largely studied due to their recognized potential for photonics. In this paper, we review our recent studies that include the investigation of the Stokes and anti-Stokes photoluminescence (PL) in different glass systems containing metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs). In the case of the samples with metallic NPs, the enhanced PL was attributed to the increased local field on the rare-earth ions located in the proximity of the NPs and/or the energy transfer from the metallic NPs to the rare-earth ions. For the glasses containing silicon NPs, the PL enhancement was mainly due to the energy transfer from the NPs to the Er3+ ions. The nonlinear (NL) optical properties of PbO-GeO 2 films containing gold NPs were also investigated. The experiments in the pico- and subpicosecond regimes revealed enhanced values of the NL refractive indices and large NL absorption coefficients in comparison with the films without gold NPs. The reported experiments demonstrate that germanate and tellurite glasses, having appropriate rare-earth ions doping and NPs concentration, are strong candidates for PL-based devices, all-optical switches, and optical limiting. © 2013 Cid Bartolomeu de Araujo et al.

Luminescence Enhancement of Carboxyl-Coated CdTe Quantum Dots by Silver Nanoparticles

Metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have been used to improve the sensibility of biosensors and bioassays either by enhancing radiative emission or inducing quenching process on fluorescent probes. The aim of this research was to study the interaction of silver and silver-pectin NPs with water-dispersed carboxyl-coated cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs). Metallic NPs were observed to change the emission of these fluorophores through local field effects. In a solution-base platform, an increase of 82 % was observed for the CdTe emission due to the interaction of QDs and silver-pectin NPs. QDs interaction with silver NPs without pectin was also investigated and a smaller emission enhancement of 20 % was detected. We observed that the NPs' nature and QDs' surface charge and concentration are important parameters for NPs-QDs interaction. Moreover, the presence of the pectin polymer shows to be a key component to the observed fluorescence enhancement. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Massive spin-2 particle from a rank-2 tensor

Here we obtain all possible second-order theories for a rank-2 tensor which describe a massive spin-2 particle. We start with a general second-order Lagrangian with ten real parameters. The absence of lower-spin modes and the existence of two local field redefinitions leads us to only one free parameter. The solutions are split into three one-parameter classes according to the local symmetries of the massless limit. In the class which contains the usual massive Fierz-Pauli theory, the subset of spin-1 massless symmetries is maximal. In another class where the subset of spin-0 symmetries is maximal, the massless theory is invariant under Weyl transformations and the mass term does not need to fit into the form of the Fierz-Pauli mass term. In the remaining third class neither the spin-1 nor the spin-0 symmetry is maximal and we have a new family of spin-2 massive theories. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Note on the nonuniqueness of the massive Fierz-Pauli theory and spectator fields

It is possible to show that there are three independent families of models describing a massive spin-2 particle via a rank-2 tensor. One of them contains the massive Fierz-Pauli model, the only case described by a symmetric tensor. The three families have different local symmetries in the massless limit and can not be interconnected by any local field redefinition. We show here, however, that they can be related with the help of a decoupled and nondynamic (spectator) field. The spectator field may be either an antisymmetric tensor B μν=-Bνμ, a vector Aμ or a scalar field φ, corresponding to each of the three families. The addition of the extra field allows us to formulate master actions which interpolate between the symmetric Fierz-Pauli theory and the other models. We argue that massive gravity models based on the Fierz-Pauli theory are not expected to be equivalent to possible local self-interacting theories built up on top of the two new families of massive spin-2 models. The approach used here may be useful to investigate dual (nonsymmetric) formulations of higher-spin particles. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Modelagem de efeitos plasmônicos em um metamaterial nanoestruturado para aplicação em sensoriamento óptico

Metamateriais são meios artificiais estruturados para a obtenção de propriedades físicas não prontamente encontradas na natureza. Estes meios, em geral, são organizados periodicamente com uma célula unitária que possui dimensões menores que o comprimento de onda da radiação eletromagnética incidente. Esta característica permite que estes meios possam ser tratados como materiais homogêneos e, por conseguinte, descritos em termos de parâmetros constitutivos efetivos. Este trabalho realiza a modelagem analítica e numérica de um metamaterial nanoestruturado com inclusões metálicas. É desenvolvido um formalismo fundamentado no modelo de Maxwell-Garnett para descrever o índice de refração efetivo do metamaterial levando em conta a forma geométrica das nanopartículas e a natureza dos modos locais excitados. É evidenciado que estes modos correspodem a excitações plasmônicas superfíciais. Por meio da caracterização do metamaterial no domínio óptico, é investigado o potencial de tais meios para o desenvolvimento de sensores de índice de refração mais compactos e com valores de sensibilidade superiores aos encontrados em sistemas baseados unicamente em fibras ópticas.

Tsukamoto s Theorem in Characteristic two

In this paper it is proved that hermitian forms over quaternion division algebras over local fields of characteristic two are classified by their dimension and discriminant.

Estudo para correção dos sensores da rede de monitoramento do campo elétrico em função do campo elétrico de tempo bom

A monitoring network of atmospheric electric field covering the Vale do Paraiba region was implemented. The sensors were located on different sites with different altitude and geographic topology. The present work reports the study carried on those sensors in order to verify the necessity of using some correction factor to the measured local electric field intensity due to effects of local environment. The measurements were done in continuous 24 hours per day with the data recorded on registers in each device accumulating information during a period of four months. The relation between the electric field values by each sensor was compared to the reference located on Sao Jose dos Campos city using the same period. In a graphical analysis using the local field intensity and the reference, the data were fitted to a straight line obtained by minimum square method. Variation up to 95% was observed between the field values in some sensors. Another method was proposed, comparing the mean values of the electric field in a function of time. The variation in some sensors reached up to 133%. We conclude that the variations are due to local atmospheric conditions and no correction factor is required on the electric field sensors

Frequency upconversion properties of Tm3+ doped TeO2-ZnO glasses containing silver nanoparticles

Frequency upconversion (UC) properties of Tm3+ doped TeO2-ZnO glasses containing silver nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated. Infrared-to-visible and infrared-to-infrared UC processes associated to the Tm3+ ions were studied by exciting the samples with a cw 1050 nm ytterbium laser. The luminescence intensity as a function of laser intensity was also measured using a pulsed 1047 nm Nd3+:YVO laser in order to determine the number of photons participating in the UC processes. Enhancement of the UC signals for samples heat-treated during various time intervals is attributed to the growth of the local field in the vicinity of the NPs. PL enhancement by one-order of magnitude was observed in the whole spectrum of the samples heat-treated during 48 h. On the other hand PL quenching was observed for the samples heat-treated more than 48 h. (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infrared-to-visible upconversion emission in Er3+ doped TeO2-WO3-Bi2O3 glasses with silver nanoparticles

The influence of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on the frequency upconversion luminescence in Er3+ doped TeO2-WO3-Bi2O3 glasses is reported. The effect of the NPs on the Er3+ luminescence was controlled by appropriate heat-treatment of the samples. Enhancement up to 700% was obtained for the upconverted emissions at 527, 550, and 660 nm, when a laser at 980 nm is used for excitation. Since the laser frequency is far from the NPs surface plasmon resonance frequency, the luminescence enhancement is attributed to the local field increase in the proximity of the NPs and not to energy transfer from the NPs to the emitters as is usually reported. This is the first time that the effect is investigated for tellurite-tungstate-bismutate glasses and the enhancement observed is the largest reported for a tellurium oxide based glass. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4754468]

Molecular dynamics of poly(Ethylene Glycol) intercalated in clay, studied using 13C solid-state NMR

In this study, Cross-Polarization Magic-angle Spinning CP/MAS, 2D Exchange, Centerband-Only Detection of Exchange (CODEX), and Separated-Local-Field (SLF) NMR experiments were used to study the molecular dynamics of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) inside Hectorite/PEG intercalation compounds in both single- and double-layer configurations. The results revealed that the overall amplitude of the motions of the PEG chain in the single-layer configuration is considerably smaller than that observed for the double-layer intercalation compound. This result indicates that the effect of having the polymer chain interacting with both clay platelets is to produce a substantial decrease in the motional amplitudes of those chains. The presence of these dynamically restricted segments might be explained by the presence of anchoring points between the clay platelets and the PEG oxygen atoms, which was induced by the Na+ cations. By comparing the PEG motional amplitudes of the double-layered nanocomposites composed of polymers with different molecular weights, a decrease in the motional amplitude for the smaller PEG chain was observed, which might also be understood using the presence of anchoring points.