155-μm distributed feedback laser monolithically integrated with amplifier array

We present a laterally coupled 1.55-μm distributed feedback laser monolithically integrated with multistage multimode interferences and semiconductor optical amplifiers, using low-bias currents and providing an output power of ∼100  mW with a quasi-single spatial-mode far-field pattern and low divergence angle of 3.5° in the horizontal direction. The fabrication techniques are based on side-wall gratings and quantum-well intermixing and offer a simple, flexible, and low cost alternative to conventional methods

Photonic integrated circuits based on quantum well intermixing techniques

The passive sections of a monolithic device must have a wider bandgap than the active regions to reduce losses due to direct interband absorption. Such bandgap engineering is usually realized by complicated regrown butt-joint or selective-area growth techniques. We, however, have developed a simple, flexible and low-cost alternative technique – quantum well intermixing (QWI) – to increase the bandgap in selected areas of an integrated device post-growth. To verify the QWI process, we have fabricated the following demonstrators: a 40 GHz semiconductor mode-locked laser producing pulses as short as 490 fs; a 10 GHz passively mode-locked extended cavity laser integrated with surface-etched distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) which can be tuned in both wavelength and pulse repetition rate; four 10 GHz 1.55 μm AlGaInAs/InP mode-locked surfaced-etched DBR lasers integrated combiner, a semiconductor optical amplifier and modulator where the four channels can be operated separately or simultaneously; a CWDM source with 12 nm wavelength separation based on an AlGaInAs/InP integrated distributed feedback laser array; and a 1.55 μm DFB laser monolithically integrated with power amplifier array. In all these applications, QWI has the advantage of eliminating crystal regrowth and the associated stringent tolerance requirements that are required in traditional integration schemes

1.55 µm AlGaInAs/InP sampled grating laser diodes for mode-locking at THz frequencies

We report mode locking in lasers integrated with semiconductor optical amplifiers, using either conventional or phase shifted sampled grating distributed Bragg reflectors(DBRs). For a conventional sampled grating with a continuous grating coupling coefficient of ~80 cm-1, mode-locking was observed at a fundamental frequency of 628 GHz and second harmonic of 1.20 THz. The peak output power was up to 142 mW. In the phase shifted sampled grating design, the grating is present along the entire length of the reflector with π-phase shift steps within each sampled section. The effective coupling coefficient is therefore increased substantially. Although the continuous grating coupling coefficient for the phase shifted gratings was reduced to ~23 cm-1 because of a different fabrication technology, the lasers demonstrated mode locking at fundamental repetition frequencies of 620 GHz and 1 THz, with a much lower level of amplified spontaneous emission seen in the output spectra than from conventional sampled grating devices. Although high pulse reproducibility and controllability over a wide operation range was seen for both types of grating, the π-phase-shifted gratings already demonstrate fundamental mode-locking to 1 THz. The integrated semiconductor optical amplifier makes sampled grating DBR lasers ideal pump sources for generating THz signals through photomixing

Initiator tRNA genes template the 3\u27 CCA end at high frequencies in bacteria.

BACKGROUND: While the CCA sequence at the mature 3\u27 end of tRNAs is conserved and critical for translational function, a genetic template for this sequence is not always contained in tRNA genes. In eukaryotes and Archaea, the CCA ends of tRNAs are synthesized post-transcriptionally by CCA-adding enzymes. In Bacteria, tRNA genes template CCA sporadically. RESULTS: In order to understand the variation in how prokaryotic tRNA genes template CCA, we re-annotated tRNA genes in tRNAdb-CE database version 0.8. Among 132,129 prokaryotic tRNA genes, initiator tRNA genes template CCA at the highest average frequency (74.1%) over all functional classes except selenocysteine and pyrrolysine tRNA genes (88.1% and 100% respectively). Across bacterial phyla and a wide range of genome sizes, many lineages exist in which predominantly initiator tRNA genes template CCA. Convergent and parallel retention of CCA templating in initiator tRNA genes evolved in independent histories of reductive genome evolution in Bacteria. Also, in a majority of cyanobacterial and actinobacterial genera, predominantly initiator tRNA genes template CCA. We also found that a surprising fraction of archaeal tRNA genes template CCA. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that cotranscriptional synthesis of initiator tRNA CCA 3\u27 ends can complement inefficient processing of initiator tRNA precursors, bootstrap rapid initiation of protein synthesis from a non-growing state, or contribute to an increase in cellular growth rates by reducing overheads of mass and energy to maintain nonfunctional tRNA precursor pools. More generally, CCA templating in structurally non-conforming tRNA genes can afford cells robustness and greater plasticity to respond rapidly to environmental changes and stimuli

Initiator tRNA genes template the 3' CCA end at high frequencies in bacteria.

BackgroundWhile the CCA sequence at the mature 3' end of tRNAs is conserved and critical for translational function, a genetic template for this sequence is not always contained in tRNA genes. In eukaryotes and Archaea, the CCA ends of tRNAs are synthesized post-transcriptionally by CCA-adding enzymes. In Bacteria, tRNA genes template CCA sporadically.ResultsIn order to understand the variation in how prokaryotic tRNA genes template CCA, we re-annotated tRNA genes in tRNAdb-CE database version 0.8. Among 132,129 prokaryotic tRNA genes, initiator tRNA genes template CCA at the highest average frequency (74.1%) over all functional classes except selenocysteine and pyrrolysine tRNA genes (88.1% and 100% respectively). Across bacterial phyla and a wide range of genome sizes, many lineages exist in which predominantly initiator tRNA genes template CCA. Convergent and parallel retention of CCA templating in initiator tRNA genes evolved in independent histories of reductive genome evolution in Bacteria. Also, in a majority of cyanobacterial and actinobacterial genera, predominantly initiator tRNA genes template CCA. We also found that a surprising fraction of archaeal tRNA genes template CCA.ConclusionsWe suggest that cotranscriptional synthesis of initiator tRNA CCA 3' ends can complement inefficient processing of initiator tRNA precursors, "bootstrap" rapid initiation of protein synthesis from a non-growing state, or contribute to an increase in cellular growth rates by reducing overheads of mass and energy to maintain nonfunctional tRNA precursor pools. More generally, CCA templating in structurally non-conforming tRNA genes can afford cells robustness and greater plasticity to respond rapidly to environmental changes and stimuli

THz Repetition Frequency Mode-Locked Laser Using Novel Sampled Gratings

Conventional sampled grating distributed-Bragg-gratings (C-SGDBRs) are widely used in tunable DBR lasers [1], and more recently have been used to precisely control the wavelength spacing in arrays of DBR lasers for use in WDM systems [2], and as the reflectors in THz repetition frequency (Fr) semiconductor mode locked lasers (SMLLs) [3]. However, the effective coupling coefficient, κ, of a C-SGDBR (Fig. 1(a)) is necessarily reduced substantially from that of a uniform grating because much of the sampled grating period has no grating. Here, for the first time, we apply a combination of π-phase shifted gratings, previously demonstrated in fiber lasers [4], with the C-SGDBR technique to THz repetition frequency SMLLs. Using a single electron beam lithography (EBL) step we have demonstrated a 620 GHz side-wall SGDBR MLL with an increased effective κ

Integrated Phase-locked Laser Diodes at 1.55μm

Two types of integrated phased locked laser diodes operating at 1.55 μm were demonstrated, using either a distributed feedback laser seeding source or a self-locking multi-mode interference array. Both exhibited far field patterns that reflected mutual coherence between the light from the output waveguides

Noise-induced vortex reversal of self-propelled particles

We report an interesting phenomenon of noise-induced vortex reversal in a two-dimensional system of self-propelled particles (SPP) with soft-core interactions. With the aid of forward flux sampling, we analyze the configurations along the reversal pathway and thus identify the mechanism of vortex reversal. We find that statistically the reversal exhibits a hierarchical process: those particles at the periphery first change their motion directions, and then more inner layers of particles reverse later on. Furthermore, we calculate the dependence of the average reversal rate on noise intensity $D$ and the number $N$ of SPP. We find that the rate decreases exponentially with the reciprocal of $D$. Interestingly, the rate varies nonmonotonically with $N$ and a minimal rate exists for an intermediate value of $N$.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Efficient AoA-based wireless indoor localization for hospital outpatients using mobile devices

The motivation of this work is to help outpatients find their corresponding departments or clinics, thus, it needs to provide indoor positioning services with a room-level accuracy. Unlike wireless outdoor localization that is dominated by the global positioning system (GPS), wireless indoor localization is still an open issue. Many different schemes are being developed to meet the increasing demand for indoor localization services. In this paper, we investigated the AoA-based wireless indoor localization for outpatients’ wayfinding in a hospital, where Wi-Fi access points (APs) are deployed, in line, on the ceiling. The target position can be determined by a mobile device, like a smartphone, through an efficient geometric calculation with two known APs coordinates and the angles of the incident radios. All possible positions in which the target may appear have been comprehensively investigated, and the corresponding solutions were proven to be the same. Experimental results show that localization error was less than 2.5 m, about 80% of the time, which can satisfy the outpatients’ requirements for wayfinding