628 research outputs found
Geometric optics of whispering gallery modes
Quasiclassical approach and geometric optics allow to describe rather
accurately whispering gallery modes in convex axisymmetric bodies. Using this
approach we obtain practical formulas for the calculation of eigenfrequencies
and radiative Q-factors in dielectrical spheroid and compare them with the
known solutions for the particular cases and with numerical calculations. We
show how geometrical interpretation allows expansion of the method on arbitrary
shaped axisymmetric bodies.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, Photonics West 2006 conferenc
Frequency combs and platicons in optical microresonators with normal GVD
We predict the existence of a novel type of the flat-top dissipative
solitonic pulses, "platicons", in microresonators with normal group velocity
dispersion (GVD). We propose methods to generate these platicons from cw pump.
Their duration may be altered significantly by tuning the pump frequency. The
transformation of a discrete energy spectrum of dark solitons of the
Lugiato-Lefever equation into a quasicontinuous spectrum of platicons is
demonstrated. Generation of similar structures is also possible with
bi-harmonic, phase/amplitude modulated pump or via laser injection locking.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Dynamics of platicons due to third-order dispersion
Dynamics of platicons caused by the third-order dispersion is studied. It is
shown that under the influence of the third-order dispersion platicons obtain
angular velocity depending both on dispersion and on detuning value. A method
of tuning of platicon associated optical frequency comb repetition rate is
proposed.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
DNA binding shifts the redox potential of the transcription factor SoxR
Electrochemistry measurements on DNA-modified electrodes are used to probe the effects of binding to DNA on the redox potential of SoxR, a transcription factor that contains a [2Fe-2S] cluster and is activated through oxidation. A DNA-bound potential of +200 mV versus NHE (normal hydrogen electrode) is found for SoxR isolated from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This potential value corresponds to a dramatic shift of +490 mV versus values found in the absence of DNA. Using Redmond red as a covalently bound redox reporter affixed above the SoxR binding site, we also see, associated with SoxR binding, an attenuation in the Redmond red signal compared with that for Redmond red attached below the SoxR binding site. This observation is consistent with a SoxR-binding-induced structural distortion in the DNA base stack that inhibits DNA-mediated charge transport to the Redmond red probe. The dramatic shift in potential for DNA-bound SoxR compared with the free form is thus reconciled based on a high-energy conformational change in the SoxR–DNA complex. The substantial positive shift in potential for DNA-bound SoxR furthermore indicates that, in the reducing intracellular environment, DNA-bound SoxR is primarily in the reduced form; the activation of DNA-bound SoxR would then be limited to strong oxidants, making SoxR an effective sensor for oxidative stress. These results more generally underscore the importance of using DNA electrochemistry to determine DNA-bound potentials for redox-sensitive transcription factors because such binding can dramatically affect this key protein property
Octave Spanning Frequency Comb on a Chip
Optical frequency combs have revolutionized the field of frequency metrology
within the last decade and have become enabling tools for atomic clocks, gas
sensing and astrophysical spectrometer calibration. The rapidly increasing
number of applications has heightened interest in more compact comb generators.
Optical microresonator based comb generators bear promise in this regard.
Critical to their future use as 'frequency markers', is however the absolute
frequency stabilization of the optical comb spectrum. A powerful technique for
this stabilization is self-referencing, which requires a spectrum that spans a
full octave, i.e. a factor of two in frequency. In the case of mode locked
lasers, overcoming the limited bandwidth has become possible only with the
advent of photonic crystal fibres for supercontinuum generation. Here, we
report for the first time the generation of an octave-spanning frequency comb
directly from a toroidal microresonator on a silicon chip. The comb spectrum
covers the wavelength range from 990 nm to 2170 nm and is retrieved from a
continuous wave laser interacting with the modes of an ultra high Q
microresonator, without relying on external broadening. Full tunability of the
generated frequency comb over a bandwidth exceeding an entire free spectral
range is demonstrated. This allows positioning of a frequency comb mode to any
desired frequency within the comb bandwidth. The ability to derive octave
spanning spectra from microresonator comb generators represents a key step
towards achieving a radio-frequency to optical link on a chip, which could
unify the fields of metrology with micro- and nano-photonics and enable
entirely new devices that bring frequency metrology into a chip scale setting
for compact applications such as space based optical clocks
Generation of platicons and frequency combs in optical microresonators with normal GVD by modulated pump
We demonstrate that flat-topped dissipative solitonic pulses, platicons, and
corresponding frequency combs can be excited in optical microresonators with
normal group velocity dispersion using either amplitude modulation of the pump
or bichromatic pump. Soft excitation may occur in particular frequency range if
modulation depth is large enough and modulation frequency is close to the free
spectral range of the microresonator.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, to appear in EP
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