Probing photonic and optoelectronic structures by apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopy

This report presents the Apertureless Scanning Optical Near-Field Microscope as a powerful tool for the characterization of modern optoelectronic and photonic components with sub-wavelength resolution. We present an overview of the results we obtained in our laboratory over the past few years. By significant examples, it is shown that this specific probe microscopy allows for in situ local quantitative study of semiconductor lasers in operation, integrated optical waveguides produced by ion exchange (single channel or Y junction), and photonic structures.     

Ultra-low noise single-photon detector based on Si avalanche photodiode

We report operation and characterization of a lab-assembled single-photon detector based on commercial silicon avalanche photodiodes (PerkinElmer C30902SH, C30921SH). Dark count rate as low as 5 Hz was achieved by cooling the photodiodes down to -80 °C. While afterpulsing increased as the photodiode temperature was decreased, total afterpulse probability did not become significant due to detector's relatively long deadtime in a passively-quenched scheme. We measured photon detection efficiency >50% at 806 nm.     

The First European Parabolic Flight Campaign with the Airbus A310 ZERO-G

Aircraft parabolic flights repetitively provide up to 23 seconds of reduced gravity during ballistic flight manoeuvres. Parabolic flights are used to conduct short microgravity investigations in Physical and Life Sciences and in Technology, to test instrumentation prior to space flights and to train astronauts before a space mission. The use of parabolic flights is complementary to other microgravity carriers (drop towers, sounding rockets), and preparatory to manned space missions on board the International Space Station and other manned spacecraft, such as Shenzhou and the future Chinese Space Station. After 17 years of using the Airbus A300 ZERO-G, the French company Novespace, a subsidiary of the ’Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales’ (CNES, French Space Agency), based in Bordeaux, France, purchased a new aircraft, an Airbus A310, to perform parabolic flights for microgravity research in Europe. Since April 2015, the European Space Agency (ESA), CNES and the ‘Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.’ (DLR, the German Aerospace Center) use this new aircraft, the Airbus A310 ZERO-G, for research experiments in microgravity. The first campaign was a Cooperative campaign shared by the three agencies, followed by respectively a CNES, an ESA and a DLR campaign. This paper presents the new Airbus A310 ZERO-G and its main characteristics and interfaces for scientific experiments. The experiments conducted during the first European campaign are presented.     

A novel target detection algorithm combining foreground and background manifold-based models

This paper focuses on the detection of small objects—more precisely on vehicles in aerial images—on complex backgrounds such as natural backgrounds. A key contribution of the paper is to show that, in such situations, learning a target model and a background model separately is better than training a unique discriminative model. This contrasts with standard object detection approaches for which objects vs. background classifiers use the same model as well as the same types of visual features for both. The second contribution lies in the manifold learning approach introduced to build these models. The proposed detection algorithm is validated on the publicly available OIRDS dataset, on which we obtain state-of-the-art results.     

Slot antenna array synthesis using the infinitesimal dipole model technique: Theory and experiment

The present article proposes and validates a new general design methodology that can be used to automatically find proper positions and orientations of waveguide‐based radiating slots capable of realizing any given radiation beam profile. The new technique combines basic radiation theory and waveguide propagation theory in an analytical model that permits the prediction of the radiation characteristics of generic slots without the need to perform full‐wave numerical solution while completely avoiding using transmission‐line models or the slot impedance method. The analytical model is then used to implement a low‐cost objective function within a global optimization scheme and subsequently deployed to find optimum positions and orientations of clusters of radiating slots cut into the waveguide surface such that any desired beam pattern can be obtained, leading to very efficient and robust beamforming capability that can be applied to dynamic beamforming in real‐time scenarios like MIMO systems. The proposed design method is verified using both full‐wave numerical solution and experiment.     

Flying Cities: building a 3D world from vocal input

Abstract

Flying Cities is an artistic installation which generates imaginary cities from the speech of its visitors. Thanks to an original interactive process analysing people's vocal input to create 3D graphics, a tangible correspondence between speech and visuals opens new possibilities of interaction. This cross-modal interaction not only supports our artistic messages, but also aims at providing anyone with a pleasant and stimulating feedback from her/his speech activity. As the feedback we have received when presenting Flying Cities was very positive, our objective is now to cross the bridge between art and a potential application. We believe that it could become a new medium for creativity and a way to visually perceive a vocal performance in the context of the rehabilitation of people with reduced mobility or language impairments.     

Synthesis and characterization of a water-soluble rigid-rod polymer

Water-soluble polyaramides have been prepared from 2,5-diaminobenzene-sulphonic-acid activated by TMSCl and terephthalic-acid-chloride. Using this method, we achieved molecular weights of our polymers up to 18,000 g mol⁻¹. Two model compounds were synthesized in order to establish the effect of trimethylsilyl-chloride, which was used as the activating agent for this reaction. The resulting sulphonated poly-aramides were characterized by: inherent viscosity measurements, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), DMA, TGA, flame absorbance atomic spectroscopy (FAAS), NMR spectroscopy and optical polarisation microscopy. In all cases, the polymers were easily soluble in hot water up to concentrations of 20 wt%. Upon cooling lyotropic alignment of molecular aggregates is observed at low polymer concentrations, typically 2–5 wt%. Polymers with low molecular weights do not show this behaviour. Films made from these sulphonated aramide polymers showed good thermal stability, and have interesting mechanical properties. Our results indicate the presence of a structure consisting of molecular aggregates.     

Chemical‐looping combustion process: Kinetics and mathematical modeling

Chemical Looping Combustion technology involves circulating a metal oxide between a fuel zone where methane reacts under anaerobic conditions to produce a concentrated stream of CO₂ and water and an oxygen rich environment where the metal is reoxidized. Although the needs for electrical power generation drive the process to high temperatures, lower temperatures (600–800°C) are sufficient for industrial processes such as refineries. In this paper, we investigate the transient kinetics of NiO carriers in the temperature range of 600 to 900°C in both a fixed bed microreactor (WHSV = 2‐4 g CH₄/h/g oxygen carrier) and a fluid bed reactor (WHSV = 0.014‐0.14 g CH₄/h per g oxygen carrier). Complete methane conversion is achieved in the fluid bed for several minutes. In the microreactor, the methane conversion reaches a maximum after an initial induction period of less than 10 s. Both CO₂ and H₂O yields are highest during this induction period. As the oxygen is consumed, methane conversion drops and both CO and H₂ yields increase, whereas the CO₂ and H₂O concentrations decrease. The kinetics parameter of the gas–solids reactions (reduction of NiO with CH₄, H₂, and CO) together with catalytic reactions (methane reforming, methanation, shift, and gasification) were estimated using experimental data obtained on the fixed bed microreactor. Then, the kinetic expressions were combined with a detailed hydrodynamic model to successfully simulate the comportment of the fluidized bed reactor. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Coupling of head and body movement with motion of the audible environment.

The authors asked whether standing posture could be controlled relative to audible oscillation of the environment. Blindfolded sighted adults were exposed to acoustic flow in a moving room, and were asked to move so as to maintain a constant distance between their head and the room. Acoustic flow had direct (source) and indirect (reflected) components. Participants exhibited strong coupling of postural motion with room motion, even when direct information about room motion was masked and was available only in reflected sound. Patterns of hip–ankle coordination closely resembled patterns observed in previous research involving coupling of sway with a visible moving room. The results demonstrate that blindfolded adults can control the dynamics of stance relative to motion of the audible environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)