Energy-optimal steering of transitions through a fractal basin boundary.

We study fluctuational transitions in a discrete dy- namical system having two co-existing attractors in phase space, separated by a fractal basin boundary. It is shown that transitions occur via a unique ac- cessible point on the boundary. The complicated structure of the paths inside the fractal boundary is determined by a hierarchy of homoclinic original sad- dles. By exploiting an analogy between the control problem and the concept of an optimal fluctuational path, we identify the optimal deterministic control function as being equivalent to the optimal fluctu- ational force obtained from a numerical analysis of the fluctuational transitions between two states

Fast integrated tunable laser using filtered feedback

A novel integrated tunable laser is presented which combines a simple tuning method with ns switching speed. The Photonic Integrated Circuit consists of a Fabry-Perot laser with deeply-etched DBR mirrors. The Fabry-Perot modes can be selected independently using an Arrayed Waveguide Grating and then re-injected into the laser cavity, forcing single mode operation at the wavelength of that mode. 4ns switching time as well as 15 dB SMSR is demonstrated on the prototype device

Mn-Zn spinel ferrite synthesis by solution combustion method and applications in adsorption of dyes

Dyes are hazardous chemicals that are commonly found in textile industries’ effluent water. Adsorption techniques are more efficiently used for the removal of various dyes from wastewater. The present work deals with the synthesis of Mn-Zn (Mn0.3Zn0.7Fe2O4) spinel ferrite through the solution combustion method. The solution combustion method has many advantages over other conventional methods. Single-phase spinel ferrite materials can be synthesized by using this method at lower temperatures and in a shorter time. Synthesized Mn-Zn spinel ferrite material has been characterized by using FT-IR spectroscopy. As synthesized ferrite material has been employed for the adsorption of various dyes with different concentrations from their aqueous solutions. Results related to dyes’ adsorption have been reported using UV-Visible spectroscopy. Mn- Zn spinel ferrite has worked efficiently as an adsorbent and its magnetic nature is useful for its extraction from the aqueous solution

Regimes of operations of semiconductor ring lasers under optical injection and applications to optical signal processing

We present a detailed characterization of the semiconductor ring-laser operating regimes with special emphasis on the response to optical injection. Applications to an optical set/reset bistable memory and four-wave-mixing tunable THz signals generation are demonstrated.</p

The evolving radio jet from the neutron star X-ray binary 4U 1820-30

The persistently bright ultracompact neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1820−30 displays an ∼170 d accretion cycle, evolving between phases of high and low X-ray modes, where the 3–10 keV X-ray flux changes by a factor of up to ≈8. The source is generally in a soft X-ray spectral state, but may transition to a harder state in the low X-ray mode. Here, we present new and archival radio observations of 4U 1820−30 during its high and low X-ray modes. For radio observations taken within a low mode, we observed a flat radio spectrum consistent with 4U 1820−30 launching a compact radio jet. However, during the high X-ray modes the compact jet was quenched and the radio spectrum was steep, consistent with optically thin synchrotron emission. The jet emission appeared to transition at an X-ray luminosity of LX(3−10keV)∼3.5×1037(D/7.6kpc)2 erg s−1. We also find that the low-state radio spectrum appeared consistent regardless of X-ray hardness, implying a connection between jet quenching and mass accretion rate in 4U 1820−30, possibly related to the properties of the inner accretion disc or boundary layer

Flat bands in topological media

Topological media are systems whose properties are protected by topology and thus are robust to deformations of the system. In topological insulators and superconductors the bulk-surface and bulk-vortex correspondence gives rise to the gapless Weyl, Dirac or Majorana fermions on the surface of the system and inside vortex cores. Here we show that in gapless topological media, the bulk-surface and bulk-vortex correspondence is more effective: it produces topologically protected gapless fermions without dispersion -- the flat band. Fermion zero modes forming the flat band are localized on the surface of topological media with protected nodal lines and in the vortex core in systems with topologically protected Fermi points (Weyl points). Flat band has an extremely singular density of states, and we show that this property may give rise in particular to surface superconductivity which could exist even at room temperature.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, version to appear in JETP Letter