Rare-Earth-Doped Low Phonon Energy Halide Crystals for Mid-Infrared Laser Sources

International audienceSince ~15 years, solid state lasers emitting in bands II (2.7-4.3, 4.5-5.2 µm) and III (8-14 m) of the atmosphere transparency spectral range are being developed for imaging, polluting species detection as well as military NRBC detection and optronic countermeasures. Because most of these applications require highly brilliant and/or important peak power laser sources, several RE$^{3+}$-doped (RE=rare earth) low phonon energy (ħ$\omega$<400 cm$^{-1}$) chloride and bromide crystals, such as APb$_2$X$_5$ (A=K,Rb;X=Cl,Br) or CsCdBr$_3$, stand out as promising laser gain media in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range [Doualan & Moncorgé, 2003; Isaenko et al., 2008

Red and orange laser operation of Pr:KYF4 pumped by a Nd:YAG/LBO laser at 469.1nm and a InGaN laser diode at 444nm

We report the basic luminescence properties and the continuous-wave (CW) laser operation of a Pr3+-doped KYF4 single crystal in the Red and Orange spectral regions by using a new pumping scheme. The pump source is an especially developed, compact, slightly tunable and intra-cavity frequency-doubled diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser delivering a CW output power up to about 1.4 W around 469.1 nm. At this pump wavelength, red and orange laser emissions are obtained at about 642.3 and 605.5 nm, with maximum output powers of 11.3 and 1 mW and associated slope efficiencies of 9.3% and 3.4%, with respect to absorbed pump powers, respectively. For comparison, the Pr:KYF4 crystal is also pumped by a InGaN blue laser diode operating around 444 nm. In this case, the same red and orange lasers are obtained, but with maximum output powers of 7.8 and 2 mW and the associated slope efficiencies of 7 and 5.8%, respectively. Wavelength tuning for the two lasers is demonstrated by slightly tilting the crystal. Orange laser operation and laser wavelength tuning are reported for the first time

Beneficial effect of Lu3+ and Yb3+ ions in UV laser materials

Several Lu3+- and Y3+-based oxide and fluoride single crystals with isomorphic structures and doped with Ce3+ (or Pr3+) or codoped with Yb3+ ions have been grown and studied to show the beneficial effects of the Lu3+ and Yb3+ ions on their broad-band UV luminescence properties. Time-resolved color center absorption measurements clearly show the reduction of the usually observed UV laser pump-induced optical losses and thus confirm the previous gain and laser results obtained in these materials. Some preliminary interpretations of the involved mechanisms are advanced. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Potentiality of Pr3+- and Pr3+ + Ce3+ -doped crystals for tunable UV upconversion lasers

Gain experiments based on the interconfigurational 4f5d to 4f2 optical transitions in praseodymium-doped fluoride crystals were achieved. The measurements were performed under upconversion pumping of the 4f5d excited configuration via the 3PJ, 1I6 intermediate levels of the 4f2 configuration, using a pump-probe set-up with three synchronized Q-switched nanosecond pulsed lasers. In spite of this two-step excitation, optical losses, due excited state absorption (4f5d→conduction band transition) leading to Pr3+ ion photoionisation and color center formation, were too high to observe any amplification. However, these losses were found definitely weaker in fluoride crystals (Pr:LiYF4, Pr:LiLuF4) than in oxides (Pr:YAlO3) and, probing the 5d→4f emission of Ce3+ under two-step excitation pumping of the Pr3+ 4f5d states in co-doped Pr,Ce:LiLuF4 crystals, no losses were detected at all. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Species difference in ANP32A underlies influenza A virus polymerase host restriction.

Influenza pandemics occur unpredictably when zoonotic influenza viruses with novel antigenicity acquire the ability to transmit amongst humans. Host range breaches are limited by incompatibilities between avian virus components and the human host. Barriers include receptor preference, virion stability and poor activity of the avian virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in human cells. Mutants of the heterotrimeric viral polymerase components, particularly PB2 protein, are selected during mammalian adaptation, but their mode of action is unknown. We show that a species-specific difference in host protein ANP32A accounts for the suboptimal function of avian virus polymerase in mammalian cells. Avian ANP32A possesses an additional 33 amino acids between the leucine-rich repeats and carboxy-terminal low-complexity acidic region domains. In mammalian cells, avian ANP32A rescued the suboptimal function of avian virus polymerase to levels similar to mammalian-adapted polymerase. Deletion of the avian-specific sequence from chicken ANP32A abrogated this activity, whereas its insertion into human ANP32A, or closely related ANP32B, supported avian virus polymerase function. Substitutions, such as PB2(E627K), were rapidly selected upon infection of humans with avian H5N1 or H7N9 influenza viruses, adapting the viral polymerase for the shorter mammalian ANP32A. Thus ANP32A represents an essential host partner co-opted to support influenza virus replication and is a candidate host target for novel antivirals

Antiviral therapies against Ebola and other emerging viral diseases using existing medicines that block virus entry

Emerging viral diseases pose a threat to the global population as intervention strategies are mainly limited to basic containment due to the lack of efficacious and approved vaccines and antiviral drugs. The former was the only available intervention when the current unprecedented Ebolavirus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa began. Prior to this, the development of EBOV vaccines and anti-viral therapies required time and resources that were not available. Therefore, focus has turned to re-purposing of existing, licenced medicines that may limit the morbidity and mortality rates of EBOV and could be used immediately. Here we test three such medicines and measure their ability to inhibit pseudotype viruses (PVs) of two EBOV species, Marburg virus (MARV) and avian influenza H5 (FLU-H5). We confirm the ability of chloroquine (CQ) to inhibit viral entry in a pH specific manner. The commonly used proton pump inhibitors, Omeprazole and Esomeprazole were also able to inhibit entry of all PVs tested but at higher drug concentrations than may be achieved in vivo. We propose CQ as a priority candidate to consider for treatment of EBOV

Accumulation of human-adapting mutations during circulation of A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus in humans in the United Kingdom

The influenza pandemic that emerged in 2009 provided an unprecedented opportunity to study adaptation of a virus recently acquired from an animal source during human transmission. In the United Kingdom, the novel virus spread in three temporally distinct waves between 2009 and 2011. Phylogenetic analysis of complete viral genomes showed that mutations accumulated over time. Second- and third-wave viruses replicated more rapidly in human airway epithelial (HAE) cells than did the first-wave virus. In infected mice, weight loss varied between viral isolates from the same wave but showed no distinct pattern with wave and did not correlate with viral load in the mouse lungs or severity of disease in the human donor. However, second- and third-wave viruses induced less alpha interferon in the infected mouse lungs. NS1 protein, an interferon antagonist, had accumulated several mutations in second- and third-wave viruses. Recombinant viruses with the third-wave NS gene induced less interferon in human cells, but this alone did not account for increased virus fitness in HAE cells. Mutations in HA and NA genes in third-wave viruses caused increased binding to alpha-2,6-sialic acid and enhanced infectivity in human mucus. A recombinant virus with these two segments replicated more efficiently in HAE cells. A mutation in PA (N321K) enhanced polymerase activity of third-wave viruses and also provided a replicative advantage in HAE cells. Therefore, multiple mutations allowed incremental changes in viral fitness, which together may have contributed to the apparent increase in severity of A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus during successive waves. IMPORTANCE: Although most people infected with the 2009 pandemic influenza virus had mild or unapparent symptoms, some suffered severe and devastating disease. The reasons for this variability were unknown, but the numbers of severe cases increased during successive waves of human infection in the United Kingdom. To determine the causes of this variation, we studied genetic changes in virus isolates from individual hospitalized patients. There were no consistent differences between these viruses and those circulating in the community, but we found multiple evolutionary changes that in combination over time increased the virus's ability to infect human cells. These adaptations may explain the remarkable ability of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus to continue to circulate despite widespread immunity and the apparent increase in severity of influenza over successive waves of infection

Préface

Cette nouvelle édition du Colloque UVX avait pour objectifs de :
- réunir les chercheurs et les industriels intéressés par les applications et les développements les plus récents obtenus sur les sources UV, VUV et X, cohérentes ou incohérentes, et les optiques et matériaux associés ;
- dresser un bilan des sources de photons à haute énergie et de leurs applications courantes et futures ; 
- susciter de nouvelles collaborations ;
- ouvrir de nouveaux champs disciplinaires.
Elle a été organisée par le laboratoire CIRIL au VVF de Colleville-sur-Mer, dans le département du Calvados, du 6 au 9 juin 2006, la journée du 5 juin ayant été consacrée à une réunion de travail du GDR CNRS SAXO, ce GDR regroupant une majorité de scientifiques concernés par le Colloque UVX. La manifestation a réuni ainsi une centaine de participants dont une dizaine d'exposants industriels. Parmi ces participants, trente étaient invités à donner une conférence orale. Une sélection a été faite également parmi les meilleures communications soumises par affiches pour qu'elles soient présentées oralement. Une trentaine de ces communications ont été préparées sous la forme d'articles de 6 à 12 pages et font l'objet de cet ouvrage.
De nombreux travaux récents ont été exposés tant au niveau des sources que des techniques de caractérisation et des applications, ceci dans des domaines très divers allant de la physique des lasers et de la mise en forme spatiale et temporelle des faisceaux au domaine de l'imagerie médicale et biologiques en passant par les techniques de fabrication des cristaux, fibres et films minces organiques et inorganiques. 
Plusieurs résultats marquants en sont ressortis. Dans le domaine des sources, la mise en forme spatiale du faisceau laser utilisé pour la production d'harmoniques d'ordre élevé dans les gaz, ceci à l'aide de lames de phase peu onéreuses et simples d'utilisation, semble être une bonne solution pour accroître les efficacités de conversion et pour produire des impulsions UVX de quelques dizaines de microjoules. Parallèlement, des progrès notables ont été effectués dans la génération d'impulsions sub-100 as isolées accordables et de large bande spectrale en utilisant des impulsions de pompe ultracourtes bien contrôlée en phase. Il apparaît que la gamme spectrale accessible peut être encore largement étendue en jouant sur la longueur d'onde excitatrice et sur le milieu générateur pour pouvoir atteindre des impulsions de moins de 10 as. Des premiers résultats ont été aussi exposés concernant l'obtention d'un laser X à 18,9 nm pompé en incidence rasante (technique GRIP) à partir d'une cible de molybdène nickelloide et d'un laser Ti:Sa produisant des impulsions de plus de 2 microjoules. L'intérêt des milieux gazeux à excimères a été également de nouveau démontré pour l'amplification d'impulsions ultracourtes intenses TW dans le proche UV avec un contraste élevé ($>10^{11}$). Bien qu'encore marginale, il faut enfin signaler l'arrivée des fibres optiques microstructurées avec la génération de supercontinuum de longueurs d'onde (spectre blanc) jusque dans le proche UV.
Du côté des processus fondamentaux et des applications, sont particulièrement ressortis la caractérisation de plasmas denses utilisant des harmoniques élevées à l'aide d'une expérience interférométrique originale, la caractérisation de plasmas de taille nanométrique émetteurs de rayonnement X produits par interaction d'impulsions laser ultracourtes avec des agrégats de gaz rares ainsi que le dépôt de couches minces de biomolécules à l'aide de la technique MAPLE, technique susceptible d'améliorer la conservation des molécules, en particulier des protéines.
Enfin, dans le domaine de la métrologie et de l'imagerie, l'importance des lames de phase dans la mise en forme spatiale des faisceaux, en particulier pour le projet Mega-Joule, a été de nouveau souligné, des progrès significatifs (réflectivité, bande passante, stabilité temporelle et thermique) ont été obtenus dans le domaine des revêtements interférentiels multicouches pour laser EUV autour de 40 nm, et des améliorations significatives, en particulier au niveau des détecteurs, ont été signalées dans le domaine de l'imagerie X du petit animal, la conception de sources dédiées à microfoyers délivrant des rayons X de basses énergies très rapides pour éviter le flou inhérent aux mouvements de l'animal restant encore nécessaire.
Le Colloque a permis des échanges très fructueux entre laséristes et utilisateurs et entre scientifiques et industriels commercialisant sources, systèmes et détecteurs.
Il a permis également de donner la parole à des intervenants très jeunes et souvent très brillants (doctorants et jeunes chercheurs) qui seront sans aucun doute les futurs responsables de nos laboratoires, centres de recherche et entreprises.
Les progrès constatés résultant de travaux portant souvent sur les deux années écoulées (puisque c'est la fréquence choisie pour ce Colloque) et les résultats obtenus comme les perspectives annoncées montrant de nouveau toute la pertinence de cette manifestation, celle-ci sera reconduite en 2008