Synthesis of High-Purity Zirconium Fluoride for Fluoride Glass Fibers by Chemical Vapor Deposition

A technique for synthesizing ultra-high-purity ZrF₄ using chemical vapor deposition in a ZrBr₄–HF system is developed and a purification mechanism is clarified. The Fe concentration in ZrF₄ is evaluated at less than 10 ppb based on analysis of the transmission loss spectrum of a fiber prepared using synthesized ZrF₄. Purification is achieved mainly in a sublimation process of ZrBr₄, and purification efficiency is determined by sublimation temperature and activity of impurities in ZrBr₄. The concentration of transition-metal impurities in ZrF₄, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition in the ZrBr₄–HF system, is expected to be less than 1 ppb.     

High bit rate and programmable multiwavelength generator based onRaman soliton effect in DSF

A wavelength tunable multiwavelength pulse source with clock rate tunability is described. A tuning range of 32 nm and multiwavelength generation were achieved at a 10 GHz clock rate and a quasi-320 GHz OTDM signal. The device consists of a programmable PLC multiplexer and employs amplitude-to-wavelength conversion based on the Raman soliton effect     

Reliability of rare-earth-doped fluoride fibers for optical fiberamplifier application

We have clarified the strength and estimated lifetime of fluoride fibers for optical amplifier use. We fabricated a UV-curable epoxy-acrylate coated fluoride fiber with a strength of 542 MPa. We estimated the lifetime of the fluoride fiber to be longer than 25 years at 80°C and 50% RH     

Asynchronous, all-optical signal processing based on the self-frequency shift of a gigahertz Raman soliton

Ultrafast asynchronous all-optical signal processing is experimentally demonstrated. It is based on the intensity-dependent, self-frequency shift of a gigahertz Raman soliton. We demonstrate error-free, asynchronous, all-optical, bit-by-bit, self-signal recognition and demultiplexing from contended optical packets without use of an optical buffer, control pulse, or bit-phase synchronization. Fourfold, contended, 9.95-Gbit/s optical packets are transmitted through a conventional repeater span of 80 km and simultaneously demultiplexed to multiwavelength 9.95-Gbit/s optical packets with 0.5-dB processing sensitivity. Furthermore, we successfully accomplish demultiplexing from overlapping signals in contended optical packets with better than 3-dB recognition sensitivity. We confirm the capability of realizing a 3x cascade operation from bit-error-rate measurements.     

Asynchronous all-optical bit-by-bit self-signal recognition and demultiplexing from overlapped signals achieved by self-frequency shift of Raman soliton

Asynchronous all-optical bit-by-bit self-signal recognition and simultaneous demultiplexing based on intensity-dependent self-frequency shift induced by Raman soliton effect is demonstrated. Better than 3 dB recognition sensitivity, faster than 640 Gbit/s demultiplexing and capability of three-times cascade operation are confirmed.     

Development of stealth nanoparticles coated with poly(2-methoxyethyl vinyl ether) as an alternative to poly(ethylene glycol)

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) modification, also known as PEGylation, has been extensively used to improve the stability of nanoparticles for nanomedical applications. However, PEG exhibits antigenicity in some formulations, motivating researchers to explore alternative polymers. Herein, poly(vinyl ether) (PVE) derivatives are highlighted as promising alternatives to PEG because they form intermediate water molecules that suppress non-specific protein adsorption and platelet adhesion to the material surface. We prepared a water-soluble PVE derivative, poly(2-methoxyethyl vinyl ether) (PMOVE), and utilized it as a surface modifier for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as model nanoparticles. PMOVE with a thiol terminus was synthesized and confirmed to form an intermediate water molecule using differential scanning calorimetry. Similar to the synthesis of PEGylated AuNPs (PEG-AuNPs), PMOVE-modified AuNPs (PMOVE-AuNPs) were successfully fabricated with an appreciably high density of PMOVE palisades via a thiol-gold coordination reaction. Similar to PEG-AuNPs, PMOVE-AuNPs showed reduced serum protein adsorption and prolonged blood circulation. Additionally, no significant cytotoxicity was observed after incubation of a murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7, with PMOVE-AuNPs. Our results indicate that the PMOVE modification increases the stealthiness of nanoparticles that is equivalent to that achieved by PEGylation.     

Generation of super-stable 40 GHz pulses from Fabry-Perot resonator integrated with electro-optic phase modulator

A simple technique for converting a continuous-wave laser beam into a stable pulse train with high repetition frequency is demonstrated. The generated train is based on the synthesis of its Fourier spectrum which is composed of higher-order sidebands produced by a Fabry-Perot resonator integrated with an electro-optic phase modulator. Super-stable 40 GHz, transform-limited optical pulses are successfully generated.     

How to improve mechanical properties of polylactic acid with bamboo fibers

Bamboo fibers (BF) were mixed in polylactic acid (PLA) to improve its mechanical properties: impact strength and heat resistance. Three different types of BF were extracted from raw bamboo by either sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment or steam explosion in conjunction with mechanical processing. They were designated as “short fiber bundle,” “alkali-treated filament” and “steam-exploded filament,” respectively. Composite samples were fabricated by injection molding using PLA/BF pellets prepared by a twin-screw extruding machine. Among them, the highest bending strength was obtained when steam-exploded filaments were put into PLA matrix. Impact strength of PLA was not greatly improved by addition of short fiber bundles as well as both filaments. In order to improve the impact strength of PLA/BF composites, PLA composite samples were alternatively fabricated by hot pressing using medium length bamboo fiber bundles (MFB) to avoid the decrease in fiber length at fabrication. Impact strength of PLA/MFB composite significantly increased, in which long fiber bundles were pulled out from the matrix. The addition of BF improves thermal properties and heat resistance of PLA/BF composites due to the constraint of deformation of PLA in conjunction with crystallinity promoted by anneal (at 110 °C for 5 h).     

Reliability of fluoride fiber module for optical amplifier use

We report reliability test results for a fluoride fiber module. We developed a sealed fluoride fiber module for practical optical fiber amplifier use. Trouble-free damp heat storage and low-temperature storage for 5000 h and trouble-free temperature cycling and temperature-humidity cycling tests revealed that our fluoride fiber module has long-term stability under practical environmental conditions