Opticist.org

Bradley Deutsch, Ryan Beams, Lukas Novotny
The detection and identification of nanoparticles is of growing interest in atmospheric monitoring, medicine, and semiconductor manufacturing. While elastic light scattering with interferometric detection provides good sensitivity to single particles, active optical components prevent scalability ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4921-4925 (2010)]

Abdeq M. Abdi, Mendel Schmiedekamp, Shashi Phoha
Pattern discovery algorithms based on the computational mechanics (CM) method have been shown to succinctly describe underlying patterns in data through the reconstruction of minimum probabilistic finite state automata (PFSA). We apply the CM approach toward the tracking of human subjects in real ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4926-4935 (2010)]

Davide D’Alimonte, Giuseppe Zibordi, Tamito Kajiyama, José C. Cunha
A Monte Carlo code for ocean color simulations has been developed to model in-water radiometric fields of downward and upward irradiance (E_d and E_u), and upwelling radiance (L_u) in a two-dimensional domain with a high spatial resolution. The efficiency of the code has been optimized by applying ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4936-4950 (2010)]

Jordana Blacksberg, George R. Rossman, Anthony Gleckler
Planetary mineralogy can be revealed through a variety of remote sensing and in situ investigations that precede any plans for eventual sample return. We briefly review those techniques and focus on the capabilities for on-surface in situ examination of Mars, Venus, the Moon, asteroids, and other ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4951-4962 (2010)]

Andrew W. Caswell, Thilo Kraetschmer, Keith Rein, Scott T. Sanders, Sukesh Roy, Dale T. Shouse, James R. Gord
Two time-division-multiplexed (TDM) sources based on fiber Bragg gratings were applied to monitor gas temperature, H_2O mole fraction, and CH_4 mole fraction using line-of-sight absorption spectroscopy in a practical high-pressure gas turbine combustor test article. Collectively, the two sources ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4963-4972 (2010)]

David E. Zelmon, Jessica M. Northridge, Julie J. Lee, Kelly M. Currin, Dan Perlov
Rare-earth orthovanadates are being used as substitutes for traditional solid-state laser hosts, such as YAG. While the most common of these is yttrium orthovanadate, other rare-earth vanadates, such as lutetium vanadate and gadolinium vanadate, are being used for their special properties in ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4973-4978 (2010)]

Daniel Nieto, M. Teresa Flores-Arias, Gerard M. O’Connor, Carlos Gomez-Reino
A one-step direct-write technique for fabricating spherical microlenses on soda-lime glass substrates is described. Using a Q switched Nd:YVO_4 laser combined with a galvanometer system, square and triangular microlens arrays were fabricated. The focal length of microlenses is measured using direct ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4979-4983 (2010)]

Xiaohong Hu, Yishan Wang, Wei Zhao, Zhi Yang, Wei Zhang, Cheng Li, Hushan Wang
Based on the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation and waveguiding properties typical of the photonic crystal fiber structure, nonlinear chirped-pulse propagation and supercontinua generation in the femtosecond and picosecond regimes are investigated numerically. The simulation results ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4984-4989 (2010)]

Wee Keat Chong, Xiang Li, Sardha Wijesoma
This paper presents a computationally efficient model to simulate the interference signal of vertical scanning interferometry. Existing models are either oversimplified or computationally intensive. Our model incorporates the geometric and spectral effects on vertical scanning interferometry, but ... [Appl. Opt. 49, 4990-4994 (2010)]

Aglae Kellerer, Mark Chun, Christ Ftaclas
There are different techniques for sensing wavefront phase distortions due to atmospheric turbulence. Curvature sensors are practical because their sensitivity is adjustable to the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Even at the best sites, the turbulence intensity has been found to vary at times ... [Appl. Opt. 49, G140-G147 (2010)]

Andreas Wacker
A simple two-well design for terahertz quantum cascade lasers is proposed which is based on scattering injection and the efficient extraction of electrons from the lower laser level by resonant tunneling. In contrast to existing designs this extraction also controls the positive differential conduct ... [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 081105 (2010)] published Tue Aug 24, 2010.

Jose R. Salgueiro and Yuri S. Kivshar
A study on the nonlinear modes of plasmonic directional couplers created by two nonlinear dielectric slot waveguides with metallic claddings is presented. The calculated power diagram shows substantial differences from the case of nonlinear dielectric couplers. The power-dependent switching and the ... [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 081106 (2010)] published Tue Aug 24, 2010.

B. Liu, C. W. Cheng, R. Chen, S. A. Ekahana, W. F. Yang et al.
The authors present the surface plasmon effects of Au nanoparticles on the photoluminescence properties of ZnCdO/ZnO coaxial multiquantum-well nanowires fabricated using chemical vapor deposition and pulse laser deposition methods. The spontaneous emission rate from ZnCdO quantum wells was increased ... [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 081107 (2010)] published Tue Aug 24, 2010.

A. Dousse, J. Suffczynski, O. Krebs, A. Beveratos, A. Lemaitre et al.
The exciton and biexciton lines of a single quantum dot are deterministically coupled to the optical modes of a photonic molecule. The resonance between the quantum dot emission lines and the molecule cavity modes is reached at 53 K. The device operates as a very bright source of entangled photon pa ... [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 081104 (2010)] published Mon Aug 23, 2010.

D. Luo, X. W. Sun, H. T. Dai, H. V. Demir, H. Z. Yang et al.
Mode-dependent electrically tunable lasing of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes is demonstrated in a dye-doped two-dimensional hexagonal photonic crystal made of holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (LCs). Over 10 nm redshifting in lasing with multiple peaks in non ... [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 081101 (2010)] published Mon Aug 23, 2010.

A tiny optical device built into a silicon chip has achieved the slowest light propagation on a chip to date, reducing the speed of light by a factor of 1,200.

Researchers have developed a new data transmission system that could substantially improve the transmission capacity and energy efficiency of the world's optical communication networks.

Scientists in Spain are testing infrared remote sensing technology to evaluate the pollutant emissions associated with motor vehicle traffic which allows for analysis of all the gases of environmental interest with one sole instrument in a sole measurement.

Phosphorus, a mineral element found in rocks and bone, is a critical ingredient in fertilizers, pesticides, detergents and other industrial and household chemicals. Now chemists have developed a new way to attach phosphorus to organic compounds by first splitting the phosphorus with ultraviolet light. Their method eliminates the need for chlorine, which is usually required for such reactions and poses health risks to workers handling the chemicals.

M. K. Bhuyan, F. Courvoisier, P. A. Lacourt, M. Jacquot, R. Salut et al.
We report high aspect ratio nanochannel fabrication in glass using single-shot femtosecond Bessel beams of sub-3 [mu]J pulse energies at 800 nm. We obtain near-parallel nanochannels with diameters in the range 200800 nm, and aspect ratios that can exceed 100. An array of 230 nm diameter channels wi ... [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 081102 (2010)] published Mon Aug 23, 2010.