126 research outputs found
Explosive Formation and Dynamics of Vapor Nanobubbles around a Continuously Heated Gold Nanosphere
We form sub-micrometer-sized vapor bubbles around a single laser heating gold
nanoparticle in a liquid and monitor them through optical scattering of a probe
laser. The fast, inertia-governed expansion is followed by a slower contraction
and disappearance after some tens of nanoseconds. In a narrow range of
illumination powers, bubble time traces show a clear echo signature. We
attribute it to sound waves released upon the initial explosion and reflected
by flat interfaces, hundreds of microns away from the particle. Echoes can
trigger new explosions. A steady state of nanobubble with a vapor shell
surrounding the heated nanoparticle can be reached by a proper time profile of
the heating intensity. Stable nanobubbles could have original applications for
light modulation and for enhanced optical-acoustic coupling in photoacoustic
microscopy
Design and synthesis of aromatic molecules for probing electric-fields at the nanoscale
We propose using halogenated organic dyes as nanoprobes for electric field
and show their greatly enhanced Stark coefficients using density functional
theory (DFT) calculations. We analyse halogenated variants of three molecules
that have been of interest for cryogenic single molecule spectroscopy,
perylene, terrylene, and dibenzoterrylene, with the zero-phonon optical
transitions at blue, red, and near infrared. Out of all the combinations of
halides and binding sites that are calculated, we have found that fluorination
of the optimum binding site induces a dipole difference between ground and
excited states larger than 0.5 D for all three molecules with the highest value
of 0.69 D for fluoroperylene. We also report on synthesis of 3-fluoroterrylene
and bulk spectroscopy of this compound in liquid and solid organic
environments.Comment: Article presented in Faraday Discussions on September 201
Brownian fluctuations and heating of an optically aligned gold nanorod
Biological and Soft Matter Physic
Observation of energy transfer at optical frequency to an ultrathin silicon waveguide
Energy transfer from a submonolayer of rhodamine 6G molecules to a 130 nm thick crystalline silicon (Si) waveguide is investigated. The dependence of the fluorescence lifetime of rhodamine on its distance to the Si waveguide is characterized and modeled successfully by a classical dipole model. The energy transfer process could be regarded as photon tunneling into the Si waveguide via the evanescent waves. The experimentally observed tunneling rate is well described by an analytical expression obtained via a complex variable analysis in the complex wavenumber plane
Optical Nanofibers: a new platform for quantum optics
The development of optical nanofibers (ONF) and the study and control of
their optical properties when coupling atoms to their electromagnetic modes has
opened new possibilities for their use in quantum optics and quantum
information science. These ONFs offer tight optical mode confinement (less than
the wavelength of light) and diffraction-free propagation. The small cross
section of the transverse field allows probing of linear and non-linear
spectroscopic features of atoms with exquisitely low power. The cooperativity
-- the figure of merit in many quantum optics and quantum information systems
-- tends to be large even for a single atom in the mode of an ONF, as it is
proportional to the ratio of the atomic cross section to the electromagnetic
mode cross section. ONFs offer a natural bus for information and for
inter-atomic coupling through the tightly-confined modes, which opens the
possibility of one-dimensional many-body physics and interesting quantum
interconnection applications. The presence of the ONF modifies the vacuum
field, affecting the spontaneous emission rates of atoms in its vicinity. The
high gradients in the radial intensity naturally provide the potential for
trapping atoms around the ONF, allowing the creation of one-dimensional arrays
of atoms. The same radial gradient in the transverse direction of the field is
responsible for the existence of a large longitudinal component that introduces
the possibility of spin-orbit coupling of the light and the atom, enabling the
exploration of chiral quantum optics.Comment: 65 pages, to appear in Advances in Atomic, Molecular and Optical
Physic
The Click-On gamma probe, a second-generation tethered robotic gamma probe that improves dexterity and surgical decision-making
Purpose Decision-making and dexterity, features that become increasingly relevant in (robot-assisted) minimally invasive surgery, are considered key components in improving the surgical accuracy. Recently, DROP-IN gamma probes were introduced to facilitate radioguided robotic surgery. We now studied if robotic DROP-IN radioguidance can be further improved using tethered Click-On designs that integrate gamma detection onto the robotic instruments themselves. Methods Using computer-assisted drawing software, 3D printing and precision machining, we created a Click-On probe containing two press-fit connections and an additional grasping moiety for a ProGrasp instrument combined with fiducials that could be video tracked using the Firefly laparoscope. Using a dexterity phantom, the duration of the specific tasks and the path traveled could be compared between use of the Click-On or DROP-IN probe. To study the impact on surgical decision-making, we performed a blinded study, in porcine models, wherein surgeons had to identify a hidden Co-57-source using either palpation or Click-On radioguidance. Results When assembled onto a ProGrasp instrument, while preserving grasping function and rotational freedom, the fully functional prototype could be inserted through a 12-mm trocar. In dexterity assessments, the Click-On provided a 40% reduction in movements compared to the DROP-IN, which converted into a reduction in time, path length, and increase in straightness index. Radioguidance also improved decision-making; task-completion rate increased by 60%, procedural time was reduced, and movements became more focused. Conclusion The Click-On gamma probe provides a step toward full integration of radioguidance in minimal invasive surgery. The value of this concept was underlined by its impact on surgical dexterity and decision-making.Imaging- and therapeutic targets in neoplastic and musculoskeletal inflammatory diseas
Drivers of low-input farmers’ perceptions of sustainable ruminant farming practices in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
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Terrestrial implications for the maritime geoarchaeological resource: A view from the Lower Palaeolithic
Stone tools and faunal remains have been recovered from the English Channel and the North Sea through trawling, dredging for aggregates, channel clearance, and coring. These finds highlight the potential for a maritime Lower Palaeolithic archaeological resource. It is proposed here that any Lower Palaeolithic artefacts, faunal remains, and sediments deposited in the maritime zone during dry, low-stand phases were once (and may still be) contextually similar to their counterparts in the terrestrial Lower Palaeolithic records of north-western Europe. Given these similarities, can interpretive models and analytical frameworks developed for terrestrial archaeology be profitably applied to an assessment of the potential value of any maritime resource? The terrestrial geoarchaeological resource for the Lower Palaeolithic is dominated by artefacts and ecofacts that have been fluvially reworked. The spatio-temporal resolution of these data varies from entire river valleys and marine isotope stages to river channel gravel bar surfaces and decadal timescales, thus supporting a variety of questions and approaches. However, the structure of the terrestrial resource also highlights two fundamental limitations in current maritime knowledge that can restrict the application of terrestrial approaches to any potential maritime resource: (i) how have the repetitive transgressions and regressions of the Middle and Late Pleistocene modified the terrace landforms and sediments associated with the river systems of the English Channel and southern North Sea basins?; and (ii) do the surviving submerged terrace landforms and fluvial sedimentary deposits support robust geochronological models, as is the case with the classical terrestrial terrace sequences? This paper highlights potential approaches to these questions, and concludes that the fluvial palaeogeography, Pleistocene fossils, and potential Lower Palaeolithic artefacts of the maritime geoarchaeological resource can be profitably investigated in future as derived, low-resolution data sets, facilitating questions of colonisation, occupation, demography, and material culture
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