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Design and fabrication of highly efficient non-linear optical devices for implementing high-speed optical processing

We present the design and fabrication of micro-cavity semiconductor devices for enhanced Two-Photon-Absorption response, and demonstrate the use of these devices for implementing sensitive autocorrelation measurements on pico-second optical pulses

High-sensitivity two-photon absorption microcavity autocorrelator

A GaAs-AlAs microcavity device has been used as a photodetector in an autocorrelator for measuring the temporal pulsewidth of 1.5-/spl mu/m optical pulses. Enhancement of the two-photon absorption photocurrent due to the microcavity structure results in an autocorrelation (average power times peak power) sensitivity of 9.3/spl times/10/sup -4/ (mW)/sup 2/, which represents two orders of magnitude improvement when compared with conventional autocorrelators

Two-photon absorption in microcavities for optical autocorrelation and sampling

We have designed novel semiconductor microcavity structures for the enhancement of the two-photon absorption (TPA) photocurrent. We report a TPA autocorrelation technique for short optical pulses that uses the microcavity structure instead of a second harmonic generation crystal. Knowledge of these characteristics is important for implementation in applications such as optical switching and sampling in optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) communications systems

A novel approach towards two-photon absorption based detectors

Summary: We have demonstrated that the inherent inefficiency of the TPA process in semiconductors can be overcome by incorporating the semiconductor in a microcavity structure. Proof of concept devices with a 0.27μm Ga0.7Al0.3As active region and two Bragg reflectors with the cavity resonance of 890 nm were fabricated. We measured the TPA photocurrent of these devices and have demonstrated a factor of 12000 enhancement over a nonmicrocavity device at 890 nm. Our active length of 0.27 nm is as efficient as 5.4 mm without a microcavity, overcoming the very long detector lengths limiting the use of TPA in practical autocorrelators, optical switches and sampling devices for real telecommunication systems. The effect of the cavity is to enhance the intra-cavity optical intensity, which leads to an increase in the nonlinear response of the active region. We studied, theoretically and experimentally, the impact of the cavity on the temporal response and the sensitivity of the device, which are critical considerations for commercial applications. This cavity design has a 3 pico-second response time and the autocorrelation trace is comparable with the BBO crystal response for an input 1.6 ps pulse. Devices designed for 1550 nm have also been realised and our measurements indicate these two-photon absorption based detectors are potential candidates for optical autocorrelation of short optical pulses, and for optical switching and sampling in optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) communications systems

Muscle Ergoreceptor Overactivity Reflects Deterioration in Clinical Status and Cardiorespiratory Reflex Control in Chronic Heart Failure

Background In chronic heart failure (CHF), overactivation of ergoreceptors (afferents sensitive to the metabolic effects of muscular work) may be a link between peripheral changes, sympathetic overactivation, and increased hemodynamic and ventilatory responses to exercise. The relationship between ergoreceptors, autonomic changes, and the progression of the syndrome has not yet been studied. Methods and Results Thirty-eight stable CHF patients (age, 57±1 years; ejection fraction, 26±2%) were compared with 12 age-matched normal control subjects. The ergoreflex contribution to the ventilatory and hemodynamic responses to exercise, together with peripheral and central chemoreceptor sensitivity, arterial baroreflex sensitivity, plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine, and heart rate variability, were measured. Enhanced ergoreflex effects on ventilation (78±2% versus 50±8%), peripheral chemosensitivity (0.6±0.4 versus 0.2±0.1 L/min per percent Sa o 2 ), and central chemosensitivity (2.9±0.2 versus 2.0±0.2 L · min −1 · mm Hg −1 ) and an impaired baroreflex function (4.1±0.6 versus 9.1±5.6 ms/mm Hg) were confirmed in CHF compared with control subjects ( P <0.01 in all comparisons). Ergoreceptor overactivity was associated with a worse symptomatic state (NYHA class, P <0.05), lower exercise tolerance (peak V o 2 , P <0.05), and pronounced exercise hyperventilation (V̇ e /V co 2 , P <0.01). It was also a strong predictor of increased central chemosensitivity (independently of clinical parameters), baroreflex impairment, and sympathetic activation (plasma catecholamines and heart rate variability indexes; all P <0.05). In multivariate analysis, among all reflexes studied, the ventilatory component of the ergoreflex was the only independent predictor of peak V o 2 and V̇ e /V co 2 . Conclusions In CHF, overactivation of the ergoreflex is associated with abnormal cardiorespiratory reflex control, independently of clinical severity. Among impaired reflexes, overactivation of the ergoreflex is an important determinant of exercise hyperventilation and reduced exercise tolerance

A Carmen, del Port de la Selva

Publicat a El Periódico

Two-photon absorption photocurrent enhancement in bulk AlGaAs semiconductor microcavities

We report on two-photon absorption (TPA) photocurrent in semiconductor microcavities. We experimentally show a substantial increase in the TPA photocurrent generated, at resonance, in a GaAlAs/GaAs microcavity designed for TPA operation at ~890 nm. An enhancement factor of ~12 000 of the photocurrent is obtained via the microcavity effect, which could have an important impact on the use of TPA devices for high speed switching and sampling applications. Our results also show the implications of the cavity photon lifetime on autocorrelation traces measured using TPA in semiconductor microcavities

Design of micro-cavity semiconductor devices for highly efficient optical switching and sampling applications

Two Photon Absorption (TPA) in semiconductors has recently been shown to be a serious candidate for optical autocorrelation of short pulses, and all-optical switching and sampling of high speed optical data signals in optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) systems. In this paper we present the design and fabrication of a TPA detector that has been specially designed for TPA with an input wavelength around 880 nm. The device that we have constructed is based on a microcavity structure, which greatly enhances the interaction length. We also demonstrate the use of this non-linear detector for carrying out autocorrelation measurements on picosecond optical pulses

First Principles Calculation of Elastic Properties of Solid Argon at High Pressures

The density and the elastic stiffness coefficients of fcc solid argon at high pressures from 1 GPa up to 80 GPa are computed by first-principles pseudopotential method with plane-wave basis set and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The result is in good agreement with the experimental result recently obtained with the Brillouin spectroscopy by Shimizu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4568 (2001)]. The Cauchy condition was found to be strongly violated as in the experimental result, indicating large contribution from non-central many-body force. The present result has made it clear that the standard density functional method with periodic boundary conditions can be successfully applied for calculating elastic properties of rare gas solids at high pressures in contrast to those at low pressures where dispersion forces are important.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR