102 research outputs found
Hidden sides of C60
vi+122hlm.;24c
High-sensitivity monitoring of micromechanical vibration using optical whispering gallery mode resonators
The inherent coupling of optical and mechanical modes in high finesse optical
microresonators provide a natural, highly sensitive transduction mechanism for
micromechanical vibrations. Using homodyne and polarization spectroscopy
techniques, we achieve shot-noise limited displacement sensitivities of
10^(-19) m Hz^(-1/2). In an unprecedented manner, this enables the detection
and study of a variety of mechanical modes, which are identified as radial
breathing, flexural and torsional modes using 3-dimensional finite element
modelling. Furthermore, a broadband equivalent displacement noise is measured
and found to agree well with models for thermorefractive noise in silica
dielectric cavities. Implications for ground-state cooling, displacement
sensing and Kerr squeezing are discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figure
Radiation-pressure cooling and optomechanical instability of a micro-mirror
Recent experimental progress in table-top experiments or gravitational-wave
interferometers has enlightened the unique displacement sensitivity offered by
optical interferometry. As the mirrors move in response to radiation pressure,
higher power operation, though crucial for further sensitivity enhancement,
will however increase quantum effects of radiation pressure, or even jeopardize
the stable operation of the detuned cavities proposed for next-generation
interferometers. The appearance of such optomechanical instabilities is the
result of the nonlinear interplay between the motion of the mirrors and the
optical field dynamics. In a detuned cavity indeed, the displacements of the
mirror are coupled to intensity fluctuations, which modifies the effective
dynamics of the mirror. Such "optical spring" effects have already been
demonstrated on the mechanical damping of an electromagnetic waveguide with a
moving wall, on the resonance frequency of a specially designed flexure
oscillator, and through the optomechanical instability of a silica
micro-toroidal resonator. We present here an experiment where a
micro-mechanical resonator is used as a mirror in a very high-finesse optical
cavity and its displacements monitored with an unprecedented sensitivity. By
detuning the cavity, we have observed a drastic cooling of the micro-resonator
by intracavity radiation pressure, down to an effective temperature of 10 K. We
have also obtained an efficient heating for an opposite detuning, up to the
observation of a radiation-pressure induced instability of the resonator.
Further experimental progress and cryogenic operation may lead to the
experimental observation of the quantum ground state of a mechanical resonator,
either by passive or active cooling techniques
Photoinduced hole-transfer in semiconducting polymer/low-bandgap cyanine dye blends: evidence for unit charge separation quantum yield
Power-conversion efficiencies of organic heterojunction solar cells can be increased by using semiconducting donor-acceptor materials with complementary absorption spectra extending to the near-infrared region. Here, we used continuous wave fluorescence and absorption, as well as nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to study the initial charge transfer step for blends of a donor poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative and low-band gap cyanine dyes serving as electron acceptors. Electron transfer is the dominant relaxation process after photoexcitation of the donor. Hole transfer after cyanine photoexcitation occurs with an efficiency close to unity up to dye concentrations of similar to 30 wt%. Cyanines present an efficient self-quenching mechanism of their fluorescence, and for higher dye loadings in the blend, or pure cyanine films, this process effectively reduces the hole transfer. Comparison between dye emission in an inert polystyrene matrix and the donor matrix allowed us to separate the influence of self-quenching and charge transfer mechanisms. Favorable photovoltaic bilayer performance, including high open-circuit voltages of similar to 1 V confirmed the results from optical experiments. The characteristics of solar cells using different dyes also highlighted the need for balanced adjustment of the energy levels and their offsets at the heterojunction when using low-bandgap materials, and accentuated important effects of interface interactions and solid-state packing on charge generation and transport
The education effect: higher educational qualifications are robustly associated with beneficial personal and socio-political outcomes
Level of education is a predictor of a range of important outcomes, such as political interest and cynicism, social trust, health, well-being, and intergroup attitudes. We address a gap in the literature by analyzing the strength and stability of the education effect associated with this diverse range of outcomes across three surveys covering the period 1986–2011, including novel latent growth analyses of the stability of the education effect within the same individuals over time. Our analyses of the British Social Attitudes Survey, British Household Panel Survey, and International Social Survey Programme indicated that the education effect was robust across these outcomes and relatively stable over time, with higher education levels being associated with higher trust and political interest, better health and well-being, and with less political cynicism and less negative intergroup attitudes. The education effect was strongest when associated with political outcomes and attitudes towards immigrants, whereas it was weakest when associated with health and well-being. Most of the education effect appears to be due to the beneficial consequences of having a university education. Our results demonstrate that this beneficial education effect is also manifested in within-individual changes, with the education effect tending to become stronger as individuals age
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