Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment

This Conceptual Design Report describes LUXE (Laser Und XFEL Experiment), an experimental campaign that aims to combine the high-quality and high-energy electron beam of the European XFEL with a powerful laser to explore the uncharted terrain of quantum electrodynamics characterised by both high energy and high intensity. We will reach this hitherto inaccessible regime of quantum physics by analysing high-energy electron-photon and photon-photon interactions in the extreme environment provided by an intense laser focus. The physics background and its relevance are presented in the science case which in turn leads to, and justifies, the ensuing plan for all aspects of the experiment: Our choice of experimental parameters allows (i) field strengths to be probed where the coupling to charges becomes non-perturbative and (ii) a precision to be achieved that permits a detailed comparison of the measured data with calculations. In addition, the high photon flux predicted will enable a sensitive search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The initial phase of the experiment will employ an existing 40 TW laser, whereas the second phase will utilise an upgraded laser power of 350 TW. All expectations regarding the performance of the experimental set-up as well as the expected physics results are based on detailed numerical simulations throughout

Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment

AbstractThis Conceptual Design Report describes LUXE (Laser Und XFEL Experiment), an experimental campaign that aims to combine the high-quality and high-energy electron beam of the European XFEL with a powerful laser to explore the uncharted terrain of quantum electrodynamics characterised by both high energy and high intensity. We will reach this hitherto inaccessible regime of quantum physics by analysing high-energy electron-photon and photon-photon interactions in the extreme environment provided by an intense laser focus. The physics background and its relevance are presented in the science case which in turn leads to, and justifies, the ensuing plan for all aspects of the experiment: Our choice of experimental parameters allows (i) field strengths to be probed where the coupling to charges becomes non-perturbative and (ii) a precision to be achieved that permits a detailed comparison of the measured data with calculations. In addition, the high photon flux predicted will enable a sensitive search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The initial phase of the experiment will employ an existing 40 TW laser, whereas the second phase will utilise an upgraded laser power of 350 TW. All expectations regarding the performance of the experimental set-up as well as the expected physics results are based on detailed numerical simulations throughout.</jats:p

Picomolar detection of thrombin with fiber-optic ball resonator sensor using optical backscatter reflectometry

A ball resonator, positioned on the tip of an optical fiber, has been developed as a biosensor for the prototypic detection of thrombin. The device was fabricated with a fast and repeatable CO2 laser splicing method, followed by gold-sputtering and functionalization for the measurement of various protein concentrations. The ball resonator acts as a weak interferometer with a return loss below − 50 dB, and it is interrogated with an optical backscatter reflectometer measuring the reflection spectrum. We report here a sample presenting high sensitivity (1273.74 nm/RIU, RIU = refractive index units), which allows protein detection in the range 0.4–100 pM, with a limit of detection of 1.56 pM in logarithmic response

Cost-Effective Fiber Optic Solutions for Biosensing

In the last years, optical fiber sensors have proven to be a reliable and versatile biosensing tool. Optical fiber biosensors (OFBs) are analytical devices that use optical fibers as transducers, with the advantages of being easily coated and biofunctionalized, allowing the monitorization of all functionalization and detection in real-time, as well as being small in size and geometrically flexible, thus allowing device miniaturization and portability for point-of-care (POC) testing. Knowing the potential of such biosensing tools, this paper reviews the reported OFBs which are, at the moment, the most cost-effective. Different fiber configurations are highlighted, namely, end-face reflected, unclad, D- and U-shaped, tips, ball resonators, tapered, light-diffusing, and specialty fibers. Packaging techniques to enhance OFBs’ application in the medical field, namely for implementing in subcutaneous, percutaneous, and endoscopic operations as well as in wearable structures, are presented and discussed. Interrogation approaches of OFBs using smartphones’ hardware are a great way to obtain cost-effective sensing approaches. In this review paper, different architectures of such interrogation methods and their respective applications are presented. Finally, the application of OFBs in monitoring three crucial fields of human life and wellbeing are reported: detection of cancer biomarkers, detection of cardiovascular biomarkers, and environmental monitoring

Functionalized etched tilted fiber Bragg grating aptasensor for label-free protein detection

An aptasensor based on etched tilted fiber Bragg grating (eTFBG) is developed on a single-mode optical fiber targeting biomolecule detection. TFBGs were chemically etched using hydrofluoric acid (HF) to partially remove the fiber cladding. The sensor response was coarsely interrogated, resulting on a sensitivity increase from 1.25 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) at the beginning of the process, up to 23.38 nm/RIU at the end of the etching, for a RI range from 1.3418 to 1.4419 RIU. The proposed aptasensor showed improved RI sensitivity as compared to the unetched TFBG, without requiring metal depositions on the fiber surface or polarization control during the measurements. The proposed sensor was tested for the detection of thrombin-aptamer interactions based on silane-coupling surface chemistry, with thrombin concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 40 nM. Functionalized eTFBGs provided a competitive platform for biochemical interaction measurements, showing sensitivity values ranging from 2.3 to 3.3 p.m./nM for the particular case of thrombin detection

Исследование аэродинамических параметров парусной лопасти

This article studies the aerodynamic characteristics of a triangular sail blade of various parameters. For this purpose, we made a triangular sail blade with a dynamically changing surface shape. The airflow velocity varied from 3 to 12 m/s. The dependences of the aerodynamic forces of the sail blade on the flow velocity were investigated at various angles of the apex of the triangular blade. The experiments were carried out at different vertices of the angles: 00; 300; 600; 900. As a result of the experiment, it was revealed that at the vertex angle γ = 900, the triangular sail blade has optimal aerodynamic parameters. The dependences of the aerodynamic coefficients on the dimensionless angle of attack are obtained. It is found that the optimal number of triangular blades for a wind power plant with sailing blades is 6. It is established that at the angle of attack α = 00, the maximum value of the middle section of the wind wheel to the streamlined airflow will introduce a decrease in the value of the drag coefficient with an increase in attack α. The analysis of the experiment results on the change in α from the speed of the airflow of the sail blade is carried out. When the blade position changes, drag changes relatively to the airflow. The wind wheel will change its position relative to the stream with an increase in the attack angle. With an angular position change, the area of the middle section of the wind wheel begins to decrease relative to the incoming flow. With a decrease in the middle section of the wind wheel, the drag force decreases, and the drag coefficient decreases accordingly. Thus, the total result of pressure changes on the leeward and windward surfaces of the sail can be represented as one resultant aerodynamic force directed at an angle to the line perpendicular to the wind direction

Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment

This Conceptual Design Report describes LUXE (Laser Und XFEL Experiment), an experimental campaign that aims to combine the high-quality and high-energy electron beam of the European XFEL with a powerful laser to explore the uncharted terrain of quantum electrodynamics characterised by both high energy and high intensity. We will reach this hitherto inaccessible regime of quantum physics by analysing high-energy electron-photon and photon-photon interactions in the extreme environment provided by an intense laser focus. The physics background and its relevance are presented in the science case which in turn leads to, and justifies, the ensuing plan for all aspects of the experiment: Our choice of experimental parameters allows (i) field strengths to be probed where the coupling to charges becomes non-perturbative and (ii) a precision to be achieved that permits a detailed comparison of the measured data with calculations. In addition, the high photon flux predicted will enable a sensitive search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The initial phase of the experiment will employ an existing 40 TW laser, whereas the second phase will utilise an upgraded laser power of 350 TW. All expectations regarding the performance of the experimental set-up as well as the expected physics results are based on detailed numerical simulations throughout