All-fiber ultrafast thulium-doped fiber ring laser with dissipative soliton and noise-like output in normal dispersion by single-wall carbon nanotubes

An ultrafast thulium-doped fiber laser with large net normal dispersion has been developed to produce dissipative soliton and noise-like outputs at 1.9 μm. The mode-locked operation was enabled by using single-wall carbon nanotubes as saturable absorber for all-fiber configuration. Dissipative soliton in normal dispersion produced by the fiber laser oscillator was centered at 1947 nm with 4.1-nm FWHM bandwidth and 0.45 nJ/pulse. The output dissipative soliton pulses were compressed to 2.3 ps outside the laser cavity. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC

All-fiber passively mode-locked thulium-doped fiber ring laser using optically deposited graphene saturable absorbers

An all-fiber passively mode-locked thulium-doped fiber ring oscillator is constructed using optically deposited few layer graphene micro-sheets as the saturable absorber (SA). The mode-lock operation was achieved by 130-mW pump power at 1.5-μm. The fiber oscillator produces 2.1-ps soliton pulse output with 80-pJ per pulse energy. The 3-dB bandwidth of the laser output was measured as 2.2-nm. The RF signal-to-noise ratio of 50-dB and sub 20-Hz 3-dB bandwidth of the laser output confirms the stable laser operation with low time jittering. This paper shows that graphene can be an effective saturable absorber for the development of mid-IR fiber mode-locked laser. © 2013 American Institute of Physics

Manganese dioxide nanosheet functionalized sulfur@PEDOT core-shell nanospheres for advanced lithium-sulfur batteries

MnO2 nanosheet functionalized S@PEDOT core–shell nanospheres demonstrate highly enhanced electrochemical performance for Li–S batteries, benefitting from effectively trapping polysulfides, minimizing polysulfide dissolution, and improving cathode conductivity and wettability.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/ta/c6ta03211g#!divAbstract

Curvaton Dynamics and the Non-Linearity Parameters in Curvaton Model

We investigate the curvaton dynamics and the non-linearity parameters in curvaton model with potential slightly deviating from the quadratic form in detail. The non-linearity parameter $g_{NL}$ will show up due to the curvaton self-interaction. We also point out that the leading order of non-quadratic term in the curvaton potential can be negative, for example in the axion-type curvaton model. If a large positive $g_{NL}$ is detected, the axion-type curvaton model will be preferred.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures; refs adde

Molecular and functional characterization of SISPL-CNR in tomato fruit ripening and cell death

SlSPL-CNR, an SBP-box transcription factor (TF) gene residing at the epimutant Colourless non-ripening (Cnr) locus, is involved in tomato ripening. This epimutant provides a unique model to investigate the (epi)genetic basis of fruit ripening. Here we report that SlSPL-CNR is a nucleus-localized protein with a distinct monopartite nuclear localization signal (NLS). It consists of four consecutive residues ‘30KRKR33’ at the N-terminal of the protein. Mutation of the NLS abolishes SlSPL-CNR to localize into nucleus. SlSPL-CNR comprises two zinc-finger motifs (ZFMs) within the C-terminal SBP-box domain. Both ZFMs contribute to zinc-binding activity. SlSPL-CNR can induce cell death in tomato and tobacco. Induction of cell death by SlSPL-CNR is dependent on its nuclear localization. However, the two ZFMs have differential impacts on SlSPL-CNR to induce severe necrosis or mild necrotic ringspot. NLS and ZFM mutants cannot complement Cnr fruits to ripen. SlSPL-CNR interacts with SlSnRK1. Virus-induced SlSnRK1 silencing leads to reduction in expression of ripening-related genes and inhibits ripening in tomato. We conclude that SlSPL-CNR is a multifunctional protein that consists of a distinct monopartite NLS, binds to zinc and interacts with SlSnRK1 to affect cell death and tomato fruit ripening