Integrating Superconductive and Optical Circuits

We have integrated on oxidized silicon wafers superconductive films and Josephson junctions along with sol-gel optical channel waveguides. The fabrication process is carried out in two steps that result to be solid and non-invasive. It is demonstrated that 660 nm light, coupled from an optical fibre into the channel sol-gel waveguide, can be directed toward superconducting tunnel junctions whose current-voltage characteristics are affected by the presence of the radiation. The dependence of the change in the superconducting energy gap under optical pumping is discussed in terms of a non-equilibrium superconductivity model.Comment: Document composed of 7 pages of text and 3 figure

Surface InP Quantum Dots: Effect of Morphology on the Photoluminescence Sensitivity

Abstract An investigation of the photoluminescence sensitivity of epitaxial surface InP quantum dots grown on In 0.48 Ga 0.52 P buffer layer lattice matched to GaAs substrate is presented. The emission wavelength of such quantum dots can be defined through the quantum dot dimensions in the range 750 – 865 nm. Quantum dot exposure to polar solvent vapour (methanol and ethanol) determines in any investigated case a luminescence intensity enhancement. The response to alcohol vapours affects only the luminescence intensity while peak position and shape remain unchanged. Optimization of the sensor response by tailoring quantum dots size and coverage has been demonstrated

Sexual Functioning and Opioid Maintenance Treatment in Women. Results From a Large Multicentre Study

Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is the most widespread therapy for both females and males opioid addicts. While many studies have evaluated the OMT impact on men’s sexuality, the data collected about the change in women’s sexual functioning is still limited despite the fact that it is now well-known that opioids - both endogenous and exogenous - affect the endocrine system and play an important role in sexual functioning. The present study aims to determine how OMT with buprenorphine (BUP) or methadone (MTD) affects sexual health in women; examining also any possible emerging correlation between sexual dysfunction (SD), type of opioid and patients’ mental health. This multi-center study case recruited 258 female volunteers attending Italian public Addiction Outpatients Centers that were stabilized with OMT for at least 3 months. SD was assessed with the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale. The twelve-item General Health Questionnaire was used to assess participants’ mental health conditions. The results show that 56.6% of women receiving OMT for at least 3 months presented SD without significant differences between MTD e BUP groups. The majority of the subjects with SD have a poorer quality of intimate relationships and worse mental health than the average. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the largest report on the presence of SDs in women as a side effects of MTD and BUP used in OMT. Since SDs cause difficulties in intimate relationships, lower patients’ quality of life and interfere with OMT beneficial outcomes, we recommend that women undertaking an opioid therapy have routine screening for SD and we highlight the importance to better examine opioid-endocrine interactions in future studies in order to provide alternative potential treatments such as the choice of opioid, opioid dose reduction and hormone supplementation

Optical investigation on dye-doped sol-gel glasses

We have investigated the optical properties of the 3,3'-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) dye incorporated in a number of sol-gel glasses in order to study the interaction between the trapped molecule and the host matrix. The differences found in both the absorption and the photoemission spectra demonstrate that the excitation processes of the dye molecule are influenced by the chemical reactivity and the degree of porosity of the surrounding network. We have found that while the molecular photoisomerization is quenched in all the matrices, for the modifications of the electronic excited states the high rigidity of the purely inorganic silica matrix is required. Conversely, the possibility of chemical attacks to the molecular conjugate chain seems to increase in the hybrid organic/inorganic ormosil matrices. © Societò Italiana di Fisica

EXTENSION OF TWO-PHOTON SPECTROSCOPY TO THE VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET USING SYNCHROTRON RADIATION

Synchrotron radiation has been used for the first time in two-photon spectroscopy. The experimental apparatus, built at the ADONE storage ring in Frascati, and using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser as a powerful source is presented. Space and time superposition of the beams is discussed extensively. Testing of the apparatus has been performed by measuring the two-photon absorption spectra of KCl and NaCl

EXTENSION OF TWO-PHOTON SPECTROSCOPY TO THE VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET USING SYNCHROTRON RADIATION

Synchrotron radiation has been used for the first time in two-photon spectroscopy. The experimental apparatus, built at the ADONE storage ring in Frascati, and using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser as a powerful source is presented. Space and time superposition of the beams is discussed extensively. Testing of the apparatus has been performed by measuring the two-photon absorption spectra of KCl and NaCl

Laser excitation and spin coherence of phosphorescent F2+2 centers in CaO

Spin coherence in the laser-excited triplet state of F2+2 centers in CaO is studied. Selective probing of the F+-center local properties is provide by the measurement of the F2+2-center spin-echo decay at different excitation wavelengths. In addition, spin-echo beat phenomena arising at high-power pulsed-laser excitation are reported. © 1984

Applications of synchrotron radiation in defect and color center research

VUV synchrotron radiation in the energy interval between 4 and 100 eV has been widely used in the study of the optical properties of large gap insulators either pure or doped with various impurities such as heavy metals and rare earths. Besides the absorption and emission properties, important results such as photon multiplication and Auger-free luminescence have been revealed in these investigations. The radiative damage produced in ionic crystals by synchrotron radiation is also discussed, with a brief description of the lattice defects produced and the atom or ion desorption from the irradiated crystals. © 1990