Coherence of a room-temperature CW GaAs/GaAlAs injection laser

The temporal coherence of a stripe-geometry double-heterojunction GaAs/GaAlAs laser operating CW at room temperature was determined. A heterodyne detection scheme was used involving the mixing of the laser field with a frequency-shifted and time-delayed image of itself in an interferometer. Because the laser device oscillated in several longitudinal modes, the autocorrelation function of its output exhibited resonances for specific time delays. The rate at which the amplitude of these resonances decreased with increasing time delays provided a measure of an apparent coherence length associated with individual longitudinal modes. The coherence length, so defined, was found to increase linearly with drive current in excess of threshold. This observation is interpreted as evidence that the intrinsic linewidth of a longitudinal mode is inversely proportional to the coherent optical power in that mode. Apparent coherence lengths were a few centimeters for a few milliwatts of total optical power emitted per facet. For a perfectly balanced interferometer, a sharp heterodyne beat signal was also observed when the laser device was operated considerably below threshold, i.e., in the LED mode

Survivor Assistance through Technology Transfer in Tanzania

This article describes how cutting-edge technology is being developed and disseminated in landmine-affected countries. Focusing particularly on the Tanzania Training Center for Orthopedic Technologists, the authors examine how a process of appropriate, resource-effective casting is being advanced and then shared through training workshops. Improved technology and its successful transfer are vital to better assisting landmine survivors, a goal the Center for International Rehabilitation is working to achieve

Sub-unit cell layer-by-layer growth of Fe3O4, MgO, and Sr2RuO4 thin films

The use of oxide materials in oxide electronics requires their controlled epitaxial growth. Recently, it was shown that Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) allows to monitor the growth of oxide thin films even at high oxygen pressure. Here, we report the sub-unit cell molecular or block layer growth of the oxide materials Sr2RuO4, MgO, and magnetite using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) from stoichiometric targets. Whereas for perovskites such as SrTiO3 or doped LaMnO3 a single RHEED intensity oscillation is found to correspond to the growth of a single unit cell, in materials where the unit cell is composed of several molecular layers or blocks with identical stoichiometry, a sub-unit cell molecular or block layer growth is established resulting in several RHEED intensity oscillations during the growth of a single unit-cell

Epitaxy of Fe3O4 on Si(001) by pulsed laser deposition using a TiN/MgO buffer layer

Epitaxy of oxide materials on silicon (Si) substrates is of great interest for future functional devices using the large variety of physical properties of the oxides as ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, or superconductivity. Recently, materials with high spin polarization of the charge carriers have become interesting for semiconductor-oxide hybrid devices in spin electronics. Here, we report on pulsed laser deposition of magnetite (Fe3O4) on Si(001) substrates cleaned by an in situ laser beam high temperature treatment. After depositing a double buffer layer of titanium nitride (TiN) and magnesium oxide (MgO), a high quality epitaxial magnetite layer can be grown as verified by RHEED intensity oscillations and high resolution x-ray diffraction.Comment: submitte

Randomness and early termination: what makes a game exciting?

In this paper we revisit an open problem posed by Aldous on the max-entropy win-probability martingale: given two players of equal strength, such that the win-probability is a martingale diffusion, which of these processes has maximum entropy and hence gives the most excitement for the spectators? We study a terminal-boundary value problem for the nonlinear parabolic PDE $2\partial_te(t,x)=\log(-\partial_{xx}e(t,x))$ derived by Aldous and prove its wellposedness and regularity of its solution by combining PDE analysis and probabilistic tools, in particular the reformulation as a stochastic control problem with restricted control set, which allows us to deduce strict ellipticity. We establish key qualitative properties of the solution including concavity, monotonicity, convergence to a steady state for long remaining time and the asymptotic behaviour shortly before the terminal time. Moreover, we construct convergent numerical approximations. The analytical and numerical results allow us to highlight the behaviour of the win-probability process in the present case where the match may end early, in contrast to recent work by Backhoff-Veraguas and Beiglb\"ock where the match always runs the full length

Present status and future direction of clinical trials in advanced endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial adenocarcinoma is staged surgically, and advanced endometrial carcinoma is considered to be FIGO stage III and IV. The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) has come a long way in developing new strategies in the management of advanced endometrial carcinoma. Combining surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival has improved to between 40-60% in newly diagnosed advanced endometrial carcinoma. Recent findings in GOG184 indicate that multiple risk factors noted at the time of surgical staging could lead to concurrent clinical trials that could be completed expeditiously rather than a subsequent ten year long phase III trial including all the various risk subgroups of patients. This review is a focus on the accomplishments of the GOG in advanced endometrial carcinoma with an emphasis on future challenges. Originally published Journal of Gynecologic Oncology, Vol. 19, No. 3, Sep 200

Gauging the threat: the first population estimate for white sharks in South Africa using photo identification and automated software

South Africa is reputed to host the world’s largest remaining population of white sharks, yet no studies have accurately determined a population estimate based on mark-recapture of live individuals. We used dorsal fin photographs (fin IDs) to identify white sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa, from January 2007 - December 2011. We used the computer programme DARWIN to catalogue and match fin IDs of individuals; this is the first study to successfully use the software for white shark identification. The programme performed well despite a number of individual fins showing drastic changes in dorsal fin shape over time. Of 1682 fin IDs used, 532 unique individuals were identified. We estimated population size using the open-population POPAN parameterisation in Program MARK, which estimated the superpopulation size at 908 (95% confidence interval 808-1008). This estimated population size is considerably larger than those described at other aggregation areas of the species and is comparable to a previous South African population estimate conducted 16 years prior. Our assessment suggests the species has not made a marked recovery since being nationally protected in 1991. As such, additional international protection may prove vital for the long-term conservation of this threatened species