Highly efficient upconverters for multiphoton fluorescence microscopy

A new generation of efficient two-photon absorbing fluorescent molecules has been developed and used effectively for two-photon laser scanning microscopy. Several examples of the use of these new fluorophores have been presented. In addition, issues relating to the two-photon absorption cross-section, excitation power, sample properties and resolution in two-photon laser scanning microscopy are discussed.     

Effects of Impact Inertia and Surface Characteristics on Deposited Polymer Droplets in Microcavities

Microflow visualization and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are complementarity performed to study the evolution of a single poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) droplet ejected from a piezoelectric ink-jet printhead and the equilibrium film characteristic of the droplet deposition in a microfabricated cavity. The verified CFD code is further applied to investigate the influences of contact angles thetas_s of the PEDOT droplet/air interface and the PEDOT droplet/cavity sidewall interface as well as droplet impact velocity Vd on the transient deposition process in the micro cavity. Impact inertia was studied by varying the droplet Weber number from 30.3 to 42.6. The surface characteristics are explored by choosing thetas_s of 10deg, 30deg, 50deg, 70deg, 90deg, and 110deg. The influences of impact inertia are also examined by increasing Vd from 2.0 to 12.0 m/s at 2.0 m/s interval. The computed results are found in good agreement with the experimental ones. For the first time, critical Weber numbers have been found relating to the ability of the droplet to wet the side walls and fill a microcavity with a uniform film. The results are also new in terms of the identifications of the critical contact angle (thetas_s)_C and critical impact velocity (Vd)_c. At (thetas_s)_C and at and beyond (Vd)_c, the formation of an intact flat film in the cavity is fulfilled.     

A high-gain (Ga,Al)As/GaAs heterostructure bipolar transistor withan equilibrium-depleted spike-doped base

The fabrication is reported of a high-gain (Ga,Al)As/GaAs heterostructure bipolar transistor (HBT) with a p-spike-doped base that is depleted at equilibrium. The device structure, based on that proposed for a bipolar inversion-channel field-effect transistor (BICFET), was grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). Fabricated transistors, containing an AlAs/n-GaAs superlattice emitter layer, exhibited DC current gains of up to 500. Maximum current gains of tested devices occurred at collector current densities in the mid-10³ A cm ^-2 range. It is postulated that the induced base in these transistors is formed predominantly by the forward-bias action on the base-emitter junction     

A simple interferometric method for monitoring mode hopping intunable external-cavity semiconductor lasers

The mode-hopping events in a 1.3-μm grating-tuned external-cavity laser are analyzed on the basis of interferometric measurements. The average frequency of mode hopping for a 7.5-cm external-cavity laser is estimated and is expressed as f_c =2.7×10⁶×exp [-1.7/(I/I _th-1)] (hertz) for 0.07⩽(I/I_th -1)⩽0.8 (I=injection current and I_th =threshold current). The mode-hopping monitoring signal was negatively fed back to the laser using an automatic control circuit which maintained single-mode operation while the wavelength of the grating external-cavity laser was tuned     

Adaptive edge-following force control of an industrial robot

Control of tool-workpiece interaction force is of vital importance in automated assembly. Using a simple linear continuous model of an edge-following system to predict the appropriate accomodation gains in a force control loop, previous work has shown that force control by accomodation is feasible. Following up this work, this paper describes the analysis, simulation and implementation of an adaptive force control in a two-dimensional edge-following task with a PUMA 560 robot and wrist force sensor. First, a discrete-time model of an edge-following system is developed and then used as the plant; second, a model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme is applied to achieve both tracking and regulation purposes. The reference (tracking) model can be determined by experimental reference input and desired model output information; the reference (regulation) model can be obtained by simulation to smooth out the plant output and improve the augmented filtered plant-model error. Study is done on the values of the adaptation gains in the adaptive mechanism, and hence can be adjusted to insure the best plant output performance.     

Simple narrow-linewidth 1.5 ?m InGaAsP DFB external-cavity laser

An external-cavity laser consisting of a 1.5 ?m-wavelength antireflection-coated DFB laser chip, a microscope objective and a mirror provides a stable, single-frequency, narrow-linewidth (?f=40 kHz) output. Because the laser operates in the strong feedback regime, it is immune to external optical perturbations. Single-longitudinal-mode operation is maintained by the DFB grating, and the linewidth is reduced by the extended passive cavity.     

Design of micro-electromagnetic drive on reciprocally rotating disc used for micro-gyroscopes

For micro-gyroscopes, the angular rate detection components have to oscillate forwards and backwards alternatively. An innovative design of micro-electromagnetic drive module is proposed to make a Π-type thin disc reciprocally and efficiently rotate within a certain of angular interval. Twelve EM (Electromagnetic) poles, with iron cores at the center and wound by electroplated copper wires, enclosing the thin disc are designed to provide the magnetic drive power. Isotropic etching technique is employed to fabricate the high-aspect-ratio trench, housing of the follow-up electroplated copper, so that the contact angle of wire against trench can be increased and the potential defect of cavities and pores within the wire can be prevented. On the other hand, a Π-type thin disc, with a central bearing and a set of auxiliary bushing, is designed to conduct the pitch motion as an angular excitation, in addition to spinning, is exerted on the gyroscope. That is, the angular motion of the disc is two-dimensional: spinning, driven by the EM poles, and tilting, to respond to the exerted angular rate due to Coriolis effect.The efficacy of the micro-magnetic drive module is verified by theoretical analysis and computer simulations by the commercial software, Ansoft Maxewll. In comparison with the conventional planar windings in micro-scale systems, the magnetic drive force is increased by 150%.     

Heat transfer and pressure drop in rectangular channel with compound roughness of V-shaped ribs and deepened scales

A novel heat transfer enhancement (HTE) roughness with V-shaped ribs and deepened scales is devised. Performances of heat transfer and pressure drop in a rectangular channel fitted with such HTE surfaces are experimentally examined for both forward and backward flows in the Re range of 1000–30000. Relative to the smooth-walled pipe flow conditions, HTE ratios for the present test channel with forward and backward flows, respectively, reach 9.5–13.6 and 9–12.3 for laminar flows and 6.8–6.3 and 5.7–4.3 for turbulent flows. Comparisons of heat transfer data, pressure-drop measurements and thermal performance factors with previous results collected from varieties of HTE devices demonstrate the superiorities of this compound HTE device. The decrease of HTE ratio as Re increases for turbulent flows, which is a common setback for several HTE elements, is almost diminished in the channel fitted with present compound HTE surfaces. Experimental correlations of heat transfer and friction coefficient for the tested channel with forward and backward flows are derived for design applications.     

Graded-index-rod external coupled-cavity laser with backface output-monitor-stabilized single-frequency operation

We have demonstrated a graded-index-rod external coupled-cavity (GRECC) laser with backface output through a partially transmitting external cavity mirror. Laser output is monitored from the backface in a transmitter module with double-loop feedback control which stabilizes output power and maintains single-frequency operation under CW and pseudorandom pulse modulation.     

丙烯酸系高吸水聚合物的结构表征

高吸水聚合物 (SAP)是一类不溶不熔的低交联高分子聚合物 ,常规的色谱法无法进行分析鉴定。本文介绍了红外光谱 (IR)、核磁共振法、热分析及电镜法在表征SAP中的应用