Efficient photodiode-waveguide coupling for hybrid integrated optical circuits

A GalnAsP edge-detecting photodiode was coupled with an SiO2-TiO2 single-mode waveguide in a simple hybrid integration scheme. The newly developed edge-detecting photodiode with a window region was used to improve photodiode durability.     

Two-stage nuclear demagnetization refrigerator

Two-stage nuclear demagnetization has been performed using PrCu₆ and Cu as coolants. The Cu nuclear stage reached temperatures as low as 10 K with a rate of temperature rise of less than a few K/h. The corresponding conduction electron temperature is estimated to be less than 50 K. A nuclear orientation thermometer of Al ⁵⁴Mn has been successfully used to measure temperatures down to 10 K.Supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.     

Development of Selective TGR5 Ligands Based on the 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethylnaphthalene Skeleton

TGR5, a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), plays an important role in several physiological functions. TGR5 activation through bile acids induces an increase in energy expenditure. Therefore, synthetic TGR5 ligands could be useful for the treatment of obesity or dyslipidemia. In this study, we designed and synthesized a set of TGR5 ligands with a 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethylnaphthalene (TMN) skeleton, and evaluated their TGR5 agonistic activity. We also investigated the selectivity of the synthesized compounds for TGR5 relative to the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR). Our results show that compound 4 b [N-(2-chlorophenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenecarboxamide] exhibited potent TGR5 agonist activity with an IC₅₀ value of 8.4 nM without significant cytotoxicity. In addition, compound 4 b showed only slight agonistic activity toward FXR and RAR at 1 μM treatment. These data indicate that compound 4 b is a selective TGR5 agonist, and could be a promising therapeutic agent for dyslipidemia.     

Dietary exposure to acrylamide in a group of Japanese adults based on 24-hour duplicate diet samples

Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen and known human neurotoxin that can be generated in food through heating. Using a mathematical modelling approach, our previous study estimated long-term average dietary exposure to acrylamide in the Japanese people; however, the validity of these estimates remained unknown. Here, we aimed to obtain a more accurate estimate of acrylamide exposure that would reflect the usual practice of heat processing and consumption of foods in the population. We collected duplicate diet samples and dietary records during 24 h from a group of Japanese adults. A total of 110 duplicate diet samples were analysed for acrylamide by LC-MS/MS. Data from individual dietary records were used to examine the association between dietary acrylamide exposure and consumption of selected food groups (e.g., coffee, tea, confectioneries, and vegetables prepared at high temperature [deep-frying, stir-frying, sautéing, and baking]). Of the 110 homogenised diet samples, 108 contained detectable levels of acrylamide. Dietary exposure to acrylamide ranged from 8 to 1582 ng/kg body weight (bw)/day, with the mean value of 215 ng/kg-bw/day and median value of 143 ng/kg-bw/day. This mean value was higher than the value we previously estimated for Japanese adults using a mathematical approach. Multiple linear regression analysis showed log dietary acrylamide exposure was significantly associated with consumption of coffee and vegetables prepared at high temperature during 24-hr of sampling (adj. R² = 0.250, p < 0.001). We revealed significant difference in dietary acrylamide exposure between participants who had coffee and vegetables prepared at high temperature (median, 169 ng/kg-bw/day; range, 35–1224 ng/kg-bw/day, n = 42) and those who had none of them (median, 75 ng/kg-bw/day; range, 8–311 ng/kg-bw/day, n = 15) (Steel-Dwass test, p < 0.05).     

Reduction of Second-Order Temperature Dependence of Athermal AWG With Resin-Filled Groove by Pressure Control

In this letter, we have developed a novel technique for improving the temperature stability of an athermal silica-based arrayed-waveguide grating with a resin-filled groove. We compensated for the residual second-order temperature dependence of the passband wavelength using the pressure-induced refractive index change in a resin inserted into the optical paths. Pressure control under the temperature variation was achieved by using a structure composed of an optical fiber piston and bimetal actuators. We demonstrated that the passband wavelength variation was successfully reduced from 0.080 to 0.025 nm in a -40degC - 85degC temperature range, without any insertion loss increase or spectral change.     

Preparation and Characterization of LaxC60 Thin Films Fabricated by Layer-by-Layer Deposition

A modification of physical properties of solid-state C₆₀ when La was doped to C₆₀ thin film as a trivalent metal was examined. the thin film was fabricated by using Layer-by-Layer deposition technique with the multi-sources evaporation system. We found that the C₆₀ film changes its electrical character from the insulator to the semiconductor rapidly upon La doping. the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity is semiconductive with the activation energy of about 0.3eV.     

Lossless 1×4 laser diode optical gate switch

The fabrication of a compact 1×4 laser diode (LD) optical gate switch for the 1.3 μm band, comprising five LD optical gate submodules and a 1×4 planar lightwave circuit, is described. The switch exhibited a lossless switching function and polarization sensitivities of 0.5-1.1 dB, with operation currents of 45 to 55 mA. At operation currents of 120 mA, the switch exhibited positive gains of 9.0 to 10.2 dB. No power penalty was detected for nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) transmissions of up to 2 Gb/s at -10 dBm input levels, when a narrowband optical filter for spontaneous emission reduction was used     

Loss measurement and analysis of high-silica reflection bendingoptical waveguides

Bending loss of high-silica single-mode bending optical waveguides using a waveguide side-wall as a reflecting facet is described theoretically and experimentally as a function of the bending angle. Two types of bending waveguides, which have the reflecting facet exposed to the air coated with a metal film, are treated. The causes of bending loss are discussed in terms of los due to the Goos-Hanchen effect and the perpendicularity and roughness of the reflecting facet     

Waveguide polarization-independent optical circulator

We fabricated a new type of waveguide polarization-independent optical circulator which does not need a polarization-beam splitter. The circulator is based on a non-reciprocal Mach-Zehnder interferometer which consists of two waveguide Faraday rotators, two thin-film half-waveplates and two planar lightwave circuit-type 3-dB couplers. The fabricated circulator provides a 14.0-23.7-dB isolation and a 3.0-3.3 dB insertion loss at λ=1.55 μm. This circulator presents a new possibility for developing non-reciprocal devices in the field of integrated optics