Optical-transmission characteristics of optical-fiber cables and installed optical-fiber cable networks for WDM systems

Many cables containing 1.3-/spl mu/m zero-dispersion single-mode (SM) optical fibers are installed in trunk and access networks. Recently, there have been a number of studies on wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems designed to increase transmission capacity and flexibility. If we can construct WDM systems using SM optical-fiber cable networks designed to transmit using wavelengths in the 1.3-/spl mu/m window (O-band), this will prove very effective in reducing construction costs. It is therefore important to examine the wavelength dependence of the transmission characteristics of SM optical-fiber cables and networks that have already been installed and in which several optical fibers are joined. In this paper, we describe the measured optical characteristics of SM optical-fiber cables and installed optical-fiber cable networks at various wavelengths. The optical characteristics were stable in the 1.46 to 1.625-/spl mu/m wavelength range and we confirmed that the installed SM optical-fiber cable networks could be used for WDM system applications.     

Recovery of gold cyanide using inherently conducting polymers

Removal of gold from basic solutions containing [Au(CN)₂]^? has been demonstrated using the inherently conducting polymer polypyrrole. Polymers containing sulfonated aromatic dopants have been found to display a significant ability to remove gold from such solutions. Experiments performed in solutions containing both gold and copper cyanide complexes indicate that the recovery process is not highly selective. However, the polypyrroles used display significantly faster rates of gold recovery than activated carbon. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Using the magneto-optical Kerr effect to study magnetization processes in two-dimensional magnonic crystals based on YIG thin films

The magneto-optical Kerr effect for red (628 nm) and green (532 nm) light is used to study magnetization processes in 2D magnonic crystals obtained by etching pits with the diameter D ≈ 32 μm to a depth of t ≤ 2 μm in a 16.1-μm-thick film of yttrium iron garnet (YIG). Hysteresis loops obtained in the case of the inplane crystal magnetization at 628 nm are characterized by lower saturation fields H _s and higher remanent magnetizations than those obtained at 532 nm, a result that is attributed to different absorption coefficients of the YIG film at these wavelengths. This difference between the magnetization curves reflects the fact that the magnonic-crystal surface probed with the green light makes a greater contribution to the magneto-optical Kerr effect. Therefore, the green light is more sensitive to the demagnetizing fields, which govern magnetization processes in the magnonic crystals.     

A VQ-based blind image restoration algorithm

Learning-based algorithms for image restoration and blind image restoration are proposed. Such algorithms deviate from the traditional approaches in this area, by utilizing priors that are learned from similar images. Original images and their degraded versions by the known degradation operator (restoration problem) are utilized for designing the VQ codebooks. The codevectors are designed using the blurred images. For each such vector, the high frequency information obtained from the original images is also available. During restoration, the high frequency information of a given degraded image is estimated from its low frequency information based on the codebooks. For the blind restoration problem, a number of codebooks are designed corresponding to various versions of the blurring function. Given a noisy and blurred image, one of the codebooks is chosen based on a similarity measure, therefore providing the identification of the blur. To make the restoration process computationally efficient, the principal component analysis (PCA) and VQ-nearest neighbor approaches are utilized. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.     

Nonstationary Simulation Model of Absorber with Falling Film of Suspension

A nonstationary model of SO₂ absorption from a gas phase to a countercurrent falling film of absorbing slurry was developed. Laminar, wavy and turbulent film structures were considered based on published information. Resistances to the mass transfer on the gas and the liquid sides of the interphase were considered, together with chemical reactions in the liquid phase. Relevant chemical equilibria in the liquid phase were modeled. Original experimental data on the neutralization reagent dissolution rate presented as a polydispersed two‐phase system of solids and on the rate of dissolved sulfite oxidation were used. The model was verified with experimental data from a laboratory‐scale falling‐film absorber using a single vertical tube under various geometrical and operating conditions, and a very good agreement was found with the experiment. Parametric sensitivity analysis showed the critical parts of the model.     

Structural Changes Induced in Nonstoichiometric Titanium Carbide by High-Temperature Deformation

The microstructure evolution in nonstoichiometric titanium carbide is studied during high-temperature deformation at high strain rates and low strains (shock compression) and at slow strain rates and high strains (superplastic regime). The results demonstrate that high-temperature deformation in a broad range of strain rates offers a means of controlling the microstructure of titanium carbide. By varying deformation conditions, one can obtain materials differing in microstructure and chemical composition, in particular, with equilibrium and nonequilibrium microstructures. Accordingly, the physicochemical properties of such materials also differ.     

河床变形对水电站动力设备工作条件的影响

水电站运行过程中河床变形会使河底高程逐渐降低。从而导致下游流量特性曲线下降以及水电站水头增大。水头增大使水电站气蚀特性发生变化，导致动力设备的正常工作条件受到破坏。并对其运行安全性和效率造成不利影响。以卡马河的沃特金水电站为例，阐述了河床变形对水电站动力设备工作条件的影响。     

High-performance MIM capacitor using ALD high-k HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectrics

For the first time, we successfully fabricated and demonstrated high performance metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate dielectric using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Our data indicates that the laminate MIM capacitor can provide high capacitance density of 12.8 fF//spl mu/m/sup 2/ from 10 kHz up to 20 GHz, very low leakage current of 3.2 /spl times/ 10/sup -8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 3.3 V, small linear voltage coefficient of capacitance of 240 ppm/V together with quadratic one of 1830 ppm/V/sup 2/, temperature coefficient of capacitance of 182 ppm//spl deg/C, and high breakdown field of /spl sim/6 MV/cm as well as promising reliability. As a result, the HfO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ laminate is a very promising candidate for next generation MIM capacitor for radio frequency and mixed signal integrated circuit applications.     

Spinel Phase Relations in the Fe3O4–CuFe2O4 System

Phase equilibria involving spinel solid solutions, delafossite, and hematite in the Fe–Cu–O system are studied by emf measurements in solid-electrolyte galvanic cells. The results demonstrate that, above 1250 K, Fe₃O₄ and CuFe₂O₄ form a continuous series of solid solutions. At lower temperatures, the solid solution disproportionates with the formation of delafossite and Fe₂O₃, and two spinel solid solutions appear: one based on Fe₃O₄ and the other based on Cu₂FeO₄. The compositions of the spinel phases in equilibrium with delafossite and Fe₂O₃ are determined in the range 1100–1250 K.