Watching proton transfer in real time: Ultrafast photoionization-induced proton transfer in phenol-ammonia complex cation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ching-Chi; Tsai, Tsung-Ting; Wu, Jun-Yi; Ho, Jr-Wei; Chen, Yi-Wei; Cheng, Po-Yuan

2017-10-28

In this paper, we give a full account of our previous work [C. C. Shen et al., J. Chem. Phys. 141, 171103 (2014)] on the study of an ultrafast photoionization-induced proton transfer (PT) reaction in the phenol-ammonia (PhOH-NH 3 ) complex using ultrafast time-resolved ion photofragmentation spectroscopy implemented by the photoionization-photofragmentation pump-probe detection scheme. Neutral PhOH-NH 3 complexes prepared in a free jet are photoionized by femtosecond 1 + 1 resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization via the S 1 state. The evolving cations are then probed by delayed pulses that result in ion fragmentation, and the ionic dynamics is followed by measuring the parent-ion depletion as a function of the pump-probe delay time. By comparing with systems in which PT is not feasible and the steady-state ion photofragmentation spectra, we concluded that the observed temporal evolutions of the transient ion photofragmentation spectra are consistent with an intracomplex PT reaction after photoionization from the initial non-PT to the final PT structures. Our experiments revealed that PT in [PhOH-NH 3 ] + cation proceeds in two distinct steps: an initial impulsive wave-packet motion in ∼70 fs followed by a slower relaxation of about 1 ps that stabilizes the system into the final PT configuration. These results indicate that for a barrierless PT system, even though the initial PT motions are impulsive and ultrafast, the time scale to complete the reaction can be much slower and is determined by the rate of energy dissipation into other modes.

Ultrafast spin exchange-coupling torque via photo-excited charge-transfer processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, X.; Fang, F.; Li, Q.; Zhu, J.; Yang, Y.; Wu, Y. Z.; Zhao, H. B.; Lüpke, G.

2015-10-01

Optical control of spin is of central importance in the research of ultrafast spintronic devices utilizing spin dynamics at short time scales. Recently developed optical approaches such as ultrafast demagnetization, spin-transfer and spin-orbit torques open new pathways to manipulate spin through its interaction with photon, orbit, charge or phonon. However, these processes are limited by either the long thermal recovery time or the low-temperature requirement. Here we experimentally demonstrate ultrafast coherent spin precession via optical charge-transfer processes in the exchange-coupled Fe/CoO system at room temperature. The efficiency of spin precession excitation is significantly higher and the recovery time of the exchange-coupling torque is much shorter than for the demagnetization procedure, which is desirable for fast switching. The exchange coupling is a key issue in spin valves and tunnelling junctions, and hence our findings will help promote the development of exchange-coupled device concepts for ultrafast coherent spin manipulation.

Static and Dynamic Electron Microscopy Investigations at the Atomic and Ultrafast Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Suri, Pranav Kumar

Advancements in the electron microscopy capabilities - aberration-corrected imaging, monochromatic spectroscopy, direct-electron detectors - have enabled routine visualization of atomic-scale processes with millisecond temporal resolutions in this decade. This, combined with progress in the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimen holder technology and nanofabrication techniques, allows comprehensive experiments on a wide range of materials in various phases via in situ methods. The development of ultrafast (sub-nanosecond) time-resolved TEM with ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) has further pushed the envelope of in situ TEM to sub-nanosecond temporal resolution while maintaining sub-nanometer spatial resolution. A plethora of materials phenomena - including electron-phonon coupling, phonon transport, first-order phase transitions, bond rotation, plasmon dynamics, melting, and dopant atoms arrangement - are not yet clearly understood and could be benefitted with the current in situ TEM capabilities having atomic-level and ultrafast precision. Better understanding of these phenomena and intrinsic material dynamics (e.g. how phonons propagate in a material, what time-scales are involved in a first-order phase transition, how fast a material melts, where dopant atoms sit in a crystal) in new-generation and technologically important materials (e.g. two-dimensional layered materials, semiconductor and magnetic devices, rare-earth-element-free permanent magnets, unconventional superconductors) could bring a paradigm shift in their electronic, structural, magnetic, thermal and optical applications. Present research efforts, employing cutting-edge static and dynamic in situ electron microscopy resources at the University of Minnesota, are directed towards understanding the atomic-scale crystallographic structural transition and phonon transport in an iron-pnictide parent compound LaFeAsO, studying the mechanical stability of fast moving hard-drive heads in heat

PREFACE: Ultrafast biophotonics Ultrafast biophotonics

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Min; Reid, Derryck; Ben-Yakar, Adela

2010-08-01

The use of light to explore biology can be traced to the first observations of tissue made with early microscopes in the mid-seventeenth century, and has today evolved into the discipline which we now know as biophotonics. This field encompasses a diverse range of activities, each of which shares the common theme of exploiting the interaction of light with biological material. With the rapid advancement of ultrafast optical technologies over the last few decades, ultrafast lasers have increasingly found applications in biophotonics, to the extent that the distinctive new field of ultrafast biophotonics has now emerged, where robust turnkey ultrafast laser systems are facilitating cutting-edge studies in the life sciences to take place in everyday laboratories. The broad spectral bandwidths, precision timing resolution, low coherence and high peak powers of ultrafast optical pulses provide unique opportunities for imaging and manipulating biological systems. Time-resolved studies of bio-molecular dynamics exploit the short pulse durations from such lasers, while other applications such as optical coherence tomography benefit from the broad optical bandwidths possible by using super-continuum generation and additionally allowing for high speed imaging with speeds as high as 47 000 scans per second. Continuing progress in laser-system technology is accelerating the adoption of ultrafast techniques across the life sciences, both in research laboratories and in clinical applications, such as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eye surgery. Revolutionizing the field of optical microscopy, two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy has enabled higher spatial resolution with improved depth penetration into biological specimens. Advantages of this nonlinear optical process include: reduced photo-interactions, allowing for extensive imaging time periods; simultaneously exciting multiple fluorescent molecules with only one excitation wavelength; and

Real-time visualization of soliton molecules with evolving behavior in an ultrafast fiber laser

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Meng; Li, Heng; Luo, Ai-Ping; Cui, Hu; Xu, Wen-Cheng; Luo, Zhi-Chao

2018-03-01

Ultrafast fiber lasers have been demonstrated to be great platforms for the investigation of soliton dynamics. The soliton molecules, as one of the most fascinating nonlinear phenomena, have been a hot topic in the field of nonlinear optics in recent years. Herein, we experimentally observed the real-time evolving behavior of soliton molecule in an ultrafast fiber laser by using the dispersive Fourier transformation technology. Several types of evolving soliton molecules were obtained in our experiments, such as soliton molecules with monotonically or chaotically evolving phase, flipping and hopping phase. These results would be helpful to the communities interested in soliton nonlinear dynamics as well as ultrafast laser technologies.

Coherent combination of ultrafast fiber amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanna, Marc; Guichard, Florent; Druon, Frédéric; Georges, Patrick; Zaouter, Yoann; Papadopoulos, Dimitris N

2016-01-01

We review recent progress in coherent combining of femtosecond pulses amplified in optical fibers as a way to scale the peak and average power of ultrafast sources. Different methods of achieving coherent pulse addition in space (beam combining) and time (divided pulse amplification) domains are described. These architectures can be widely classified into active methods, where the relative phases between pulses are subject to a servomechanism, and passive methods, where phase matching is inherent to the geometry. Other experiments that combine pulses with different spectral contents, pulses that have been nonlinearly broadened or successive pulses from a mode-locked laser oscillator, are then presented. All these techniques allow access to unprecedented parameter range for fiber ultrafast sources. (topical review)

rf streak camera based ultrafast relativistic electron diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Musumeci, P; Moody, J T; Scoby, C M; Gutierrez, M S; Tran, T

2009-01-01

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the possibility of using a rf streak camera to time resolve in a single shot structural changes at the sub-100 fs time scale via relativistic electron diffraction. We experimentally tested this novel concept at the UCLA Pegasus rf photoinjector. Time-resolved diffraction patterns from thin Al foil are recorded. Averaging over 50 shots is required in order to get statistics sufficient to uncover a variation in time of the diffraction patterns. In the absence of an external pump laser, this is explained as due to the energy chirp on the beam out of the electron gun. With further improvements to the electron source, rf streak camera based ultrafast electron diffraction has the potential to yield truly single shot measurements of ultrafast processes.

Time scales of tunneling decay of a localized state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ban, Yue; Muga, J. G.; Sherman, E. Ya.; Buettiker, M.

2010-01-01

Motivated by recent time-domain experiments on ultrafast atom ionization, we analyze the transients and time scales that characterize, aside from the relatively long lifetime, the decay of a localized state by tunneling. While the tunneling starts immediately, some time is required for the outgoing flux to develop. This short-term behavior depends strongly on the initial state. For the initial state, tightly localized so that the initial transients are dominated by over-the-barrier motion, the time scale for flux propagation through the barrier is close to the Buettiker-Landauer traversal time. Then a quasistationary, slow-decay process follows, which sets ideal conditions for observing diffraction in time at longer times and distances. To define operationally a tunneling time at the barrier edge, we extrapolate backward the propagation of the wave packet that escaped from the potential. This extrapolated time is considerably longer than the time scale of the flux and density buildup at the barrier edge.

Mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weathersby, S. P.; Brown, G.; Chase, T. F.; Coffee, R.; Corbett, J.; Eichner, J. P.; Frisch, J. C.; Fry, A. R.; Gühr, M.; Hartmann, N.; Hast, C.; Hettel, R.; Jobe, R. K.; Jongewaard, E. N.; Lewandowski, J. R.; Li, R. K., E-mail: lrk@slac.stanford.edu; Lindenberg, A. M.; Makasyuk, I.; May, J. E.; McCormick, D. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); and others

2015-07-15

Ultrafast electron probes are powerful tools, complementary to x-ray free-electron lasers, used to study structural dynamics in material, chemical, and biological sciences. High brightness, relativistic electron beams with femtosecond pulse duration can resolve details of the dynamic processes on atomic time and length scales. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory recently launched the Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED) and microscopy Initiative aiming at developing the next generation ultrafast electron scattering instruments. As the first stage of the Initiative, a mega-electron-volt (MeV) UED system has been constructed and commissioned to serve ultrafast science experiments and instrumentation development. The system operates at 120-Hz repetition rate with outstanding performance. In this paper, we report on the SLAC MeV UED system and its performance, including the reciprocal space resolution, temporal resolution, and machine stability.

Feed-forward motor control of ultrafast, ballistic movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Kagaya, K; Patek, S N

2016-02-01

To circumvent the limits of muscle, ultrafast movements achieve high power through the use of springs and latches. The time scale of these movements is too short for control through typical neuromuscular mechanisms, thus ultrafast movements are either invariant or controlled prior to movement. We tested whether mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda: Neogonodactylus bredini) vary their ultrafast smashing strikes and, if so, how this control is achieved prior to movement. We collected high-speed images of strike mechanics and electromyograms of the extensor and flexor muscles that control spring compression and latch release. During spring compression, lateral extensor and flexor units were co-activated. The strike initiated several milliseconds after the flexor units ceased, suggesting that flexor activity prevents spring release and determines the timing of strike initiation. We used linear mixed models and Akaike's information criterion to serially evaluate multiple hypotheses for control mechanisms. We found that variation in spring compression and strike angular velocity were statistically explained by spike activity of the extensor muscle. The results show that mantis shrimp can generate kinematically variable strikes and that their kinematics can be changed through adjustments to motor activity prior to the movement, thus supporting an upstream, central-nervous-system-based control of ultrafast movement. Based on these and other findings, we present a shishiodoshi model that illustrates alternative models of control in biological ballistic systems. The discovery of feed-forward control in mantis shrimp sets the stage for the assessment of targets, strategic variation in kinematics and the role of learning in ultrafast animals. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Ultrafast chiroptical spectroscopy: Monitoring optical activity in quick time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanju Rhee

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Optical activity spectroscopy provides rich structural information of biologically important molecules in condensed phases. However, a few intrinsic problems of conventional method based on electric field intensity measurement scheme prohibited its extension to time domain technique. We have recently developed new types of optical activity spectroscopic methods capable of measuring chiroptical signals with femtosecond pulses. It is believed that these novel approaches will be applied to a variety of ultrafast chiroptical studies.

Direct observation of ultrafast atomic motion using time-resolved X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shymanovich, U.

2007-11-13

This thesis is dedicated to the study of the atomic motion in laser irradiated solids on a picosecond to subpicosecond time-scale using the time-resolved X-ray diffraction technique. In the second chapter, the laser system, the laser-plasma based X-ray source and the experimental setup for optical pump / X-ray probe measurements were presented. Chapter 3 is devoted to the characterization and comparison of different types of X-ray optics. Chapter 4 presented the time-resolved X-ray diffraction experiments performed for this thesis. The first two sections of this chapter discuss the measurements of initially unexpected strain-induced transient changes of the integrated reflectivity of the X-ray probe beam. The elimination of the strain-induced transient changes of the integrated reflectivity represented an important prerequisite to perform the study of lattice heating in Germanium after femtosecond optical excitation by measuring the transient Debye-Waller effect. The third section describes the investigations of acoustic waves upon ultrafast optical excitation and discusses the two different pressure contributions driving them: the thermal and the electronic ones. (orig.)

Direct observation of ultrafast atomic motion using time-resolved X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shymanovich, U.

2007-01-01

This thesis is dedicated to the study of the atomic motion in laser irradiated solids on a picosecond to subpicosecond time-scale using the time-resolved X-ray diffraction technique. In the second chapter, the laser system, the laser-plasma based X-ray source and the experimental setup for optical pump / X-ray probe measurements were presented. Chapter 3 is devoted to the characterization and comparison of different types of X-ray optics. Chapter 4 presented the time-resolved X-ray diffraction experiments performed for this thesis. The first two sections of this chapter discuss the measurements of initially unexpected strain-induced transient changes of the integrated reflectivity of the X-ray probe beam. The elimination of the strain-induced transient changes of the integrated reflectivity represented an important prerequisite to perform the study of lattice heating in Germanium after femtosecond optical excitation by measuring the transient Debye-Waller effect. The third section describes the investigations of acoustic waves upon ultrafast optical excitation and discusses the two different pressure contributions driving them: the thermal and the electronic ones. (orig.)

Ultrafast optical ranging using microresonator soliton frequency combs

Science.gov (United States)

Trocha, P.; Karpov, M.; Ganin, D.; Pfeiffer, M. H. P.; Kordts, A.; Wolf, S.; Krockenberger, J.; Marin-Palomo, P.; Weimann, C.; Randel, S.; Freude, W.; Kippenberg, T. J.; Koos, C.

2018-02-01

Light detection and ranging is widely used in science and industry. Over the past decade, optical frequency combs were shown to offer advantages in optical ranging, enabling fast distance acquisition with high accuracy. Driven by emerging high-volume applications such as industrial sensing, drone navigation, or autonomous driving, there is now a growing demand for compact ranging systems. Here, we show that soliton Kerr comb generation in integrated silicon nitride microresonators provides a route to high-performance chip-scale ranging systems. We demonstrate dual-comb distance measurements with Allan deviations down to 12 nanometers at averaging times of 13 microseconds along with ultrafast ranging at acquisition rates of 100 megahertz, allowing for in-flight sampling of gun projectiles moving at 150 meters per second. Combining integrated soliton-comb ranging systems with chip-scale nanophotonic phased arrays could enable compact ultrafast ranging systems for emerging mass applications.

Real-Time Observation of Ultrafast Intraband Relaxation and Exciton Multiplication in PbS Quantum Dots

KAUST Repository

El-Ballouli, Ala’a O.

2014-03-19

We examine ultrafast intraconduction band relaxation and multiple-exciton generation (MEG) in PbS quantum dots (QDs) using transient absorption spectroscopy with 120 fs temporal resolution. The intraconduction band relaxation can be directly and excellently resolved spectrally and temporally by applying broadband pump-probe spectroscopy to excite and detect the wavelengths around the exciton absorption peak, which is located in the near-infrared region. The time-resolved data unambiguously demonstrate that the intraband relaxation time progressively increases as the pump-photon energy increases. Moreover, the relaxation time becomes much shorter as the size of the QDs decreases, indicating the crucial role of spatial confinement in the intraband relaxation process. Additionally, our results reveal the systematic scaling of the intraband relaxation time with both excess energy above the effective energy band gap and QD size. We also assess MEG in different sizes of the QDs. Under the condition of high-energy photon excitation, which is well above the MEG energy threshold, ultrafast bleach recovery due to the nonradiative Auger recombination of the multiple electron-hole pairs provides conclusive experimental evidence for the presence of MEG. For instance, we achieved quantum efficiencies of 159, 129 and 106% per single-absorbed photon at pump photoexcition of three times the band gap for QDs with band gaps of 880 nm (1.41 eV), 1000 nm (1.24 eV) and 1210 nm (1.0 eV), respectively. These findings demonstrate clearly that the efficiency of transferring excess photon energy to carrier multiplication is significantly increased in smaller QDs compared with larger ones. Finally, we discuss the Auger recombination dynamics of the multiple electron-hole pairs as a function of QD size.

Ultrafast Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a π-Conjugated Oligomer/Porphyrin Complex

KAUST Repository

Aly, Shawkat Mohammede

2014-10-02

Controlling charge transfer (CT), charge separation (CS), and charge recombination (CR) at the donor-acceptor interface is extremely important to optimize the conversion efficiency in solar cell devices. In general, ultrafast CT and slow CR are desirable for optimal device performance. In this Letter, the ultrafast excited-state CT between platinum oligomer (DPP-Pt(acac)) as a new electron donor and porphyrin as an electron acceptor is monitored for the first time using femtosecond (fs) transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy with broad-band capability and 120 fs temporal resolution. Turning the CT on/off has been shown to be possible either by switching from an organometallic oligomer to a metal-free oligomer or by controlling the charge density on the nitrogen atom of the porphyrin meso unit. Our time-resolved data show that the CT and CS between DPP-Pt(acac) and cationic porphyrin are ultrafast (approximately 1.5 ps), and the CR is slow (ns time scale), as inferred from the formation and the decay of the cationic and anionic species. We also found that the metallic center in the DPP-Pt(acac) oligomer and the positive charge on the porphyrin are the keys to switching on/off the ultrafast CT process.

Ultrafast Microscopy of Energy and Charge Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Libai

The frontier in solar energy research now lies in learning how to integrate functional entities across multiple length scales to create optimal devices. Advancing the field requires transformative experimental tools that probe energy transfer processes from the nano to the meso lengthscales. To address this challenge, we aim to understand multi-scale energy transport across both multiple length and time scales, coupling simultaneous high spatial, structural, and temporal resolution. In my talk, I will focus on our recent progress on visualization of exciton and charge transport in solar energy harvesting materials from the nano to mesoscale employing ultrafast optical nanoscopy. With approaches that combine spatial and temporal resolutions, we have recently revealed a new singlet-mediated triplet transport mechanism in certain singlet fission materials. This work demonstrates a new triplet exciton transport mechanism leading to favorable long-range triplet exciton diffusion on the picosecond and nanosecond timescales for solar cell applications. We have also performed a direct measurement of carrier transport in space and in time by mapping carrier density with simultaneous ultrafast time resolution and 50 nm spatial precision in perovskite thin films using transient absorption microscopy. These results directly visualize long-range carrier transport of 220nm in 2 ns for solution-processed polycrystalline CH3NH3PbI3 thin films. The spatially and temporally resolved measurements reported here underscore the importance of the local morphology and establish an important first step towards discerning the underlying transport properties of perovskite materials.

Ultrafast photocurrents in monolayer MoS2

Science.gov (United States)

Parzinger, Eric; Wurstbauer, Ursula; Holleitner, Alexander W.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2 have emerged as interesting materials for optoelectronic devices. In particular, the ultrafast dynamics and lifetimes of photoexcited charge carriers have attracted great interest during the last years. We investigate the photocurrent response of monolayer MoS2 on a picosecond time scale utilizing a recently developed pump-probe spectroscopy technique based on coplanar striplines. We discuss the ultrafast dynamics within MoS2 including photo-thermoelectric currents and the impact of built-in fields due to Schottky barriers as well as the Fermi level pinning at the contact region. We acknowledge support by the ERC via Project 'NanoREAL', the DFG via excellence cluster 'Nanosystems Initiative Munich' (NIM), and through the TUM International Graduate School of Science and Engineering (IGSSE) and BaCaTeC.

Spectrally- and Time-Resolved Sum Frequency Generation (STiR-SFG): a new tool for ultrafast hydrogen bond dynamics at interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Benderskii, Alexander; Bordenyuk, Andrey; Weeraman, Champika

2006-03-01

The recently developed spectrally- and time-resolved Sum Frequency Generation (STiR-SFG) is a surface-selective 3-wave mixing (IR+visible) spectroscopic technique capable of measuring ultrafast spectral evolution of vibrational coherences. A detailed description of this measurement will be presented, and a noniterative method or deconvolving the laser pulses will be introduced to obtain the molecular response function. STiR-SFG, combined with the frequency-domain SFG spectroscopy, was applied to study hydrogen bonding dynamics at aqueous interfaces (D2O/CaF2). Spectral dynamics of the OD-stretch on the 50-150 fs time scale provides real-time observation of ultrafast H-bond rearrangement. Tuning the IR wavelength to the blue or red side of the OD-stretch transition, we selectively monitor the dynamics of different sub-ensembles in the distribution of the H-bond structures. The blue-side excitation (weaker H-bonding) shows monotonic red-shift of the OD-frequency. In contrast, the red-side excitation (stronger H-bonding structures) produces a blue-shift and a recursion, which may indicate the presence of an underdamped intermolecular mode of interfacial water. Effect of electrolyte concentration on the H-bond dynamics will be discussed.

Ultrafast Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Studies of Gallium-Arsenide

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matthew Bruce

This thesis concerns the study of ultrafast phenomena in GaAs using time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one is an introduction, which discusses the study of ultrafast phenomena in semiconductors. Chapter two is a description of the colliding-pulse mode-locked (CPM) ring dye laser, which is at the heart of the experimental apparatus used in this thesis. Chapter three presents a detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of photoluminescence excitation correlation spectroscopy (PECS), the novel technique which is used to time-resolve ultrafast PL phenomena. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss two applications of the PECS technique. In Chapter 4 the variation of PL intensity in In-alloyed GaAs substrate material is studied, while Chapter 5 discusses the variation of carrier lifetimes in ion-damaged GaAs used in photo-conductive circuit elements (PCEs). PECS is a pulse-probe technique that measures the cross correlation of photo-excited carrier populations. The theoretical model employed in this thesis is based upon the rate equation for a simple three-level system consisting of valence and conduction bands and a single trap level. In the limit of radiative band-to-band dominated recombination, no PECS signal should be observed; while in the capture -dominated recombination limit, the PECS signal from the band-to-band PL measures the cross correlation of the excited electron and hole populations and thus, the electron and hole lifetimes. PECS is experimentally investigated using a case study of PL in semi-insulating (SI) GaAs and In -alloyed GaAs. At 77 K, the PECS signal is characteristic of a capture-dominated system, yielding an electron-hole lifetime of about 200 ps. However, at 5 K the behavior is more complicated and shows saturation effects due to the C acceptor level, which is un-ionized at 5 K. As a first application, PECS is used to investigate the large band-to-band PL contrast observed near dislocations in In

Resetting in time of recordings in ultra-fast cinematography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leduc, Michel

In ultra-fast cinematography and photography the treatment and interpretation of the data contained in the recordings demand extremely precise readjustments in time. In the case of whole-image recordings by electro-optical cameras or flash sources the problem is resolved by the use of a chronometric unit taking into account the different events. For naving slit or spectrographic recordings the problem must be detail with differently and marking devices will be used to print resetting pulses on the recording themselves. Different marking devices are described [fr

Ultrafast photoinduced charge separation in metal-semiconductor nanohybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Mongin, Denis; Shaviv, Ehud; Maioli, Paolo; Crut, Aurélien; Banin, Uri; Del Fatti, Natalia; Vallée, Fabrice

2012-08-28

Hybrid nano-objects formed by two or more disparate materials are among the most promising and versatile nanosystems. A key parameter in their properties is interaction between their components. In this context we have investigated ultrafast charge separation in semiconductor-metal nanohybrids using a model system of gold-tipped CdS nanorods in a matchstick architecture. Experiments are performed using an optical time-resolved pump-probe technique, exciting either the semiconductor or the metal component of the particles, and probing the light-induced change of their optical response. Electron-hole pairs photoexcited in the semiconductor part of the nanohybrids are shown to undergo rapid charge separation with the electron transferred to the metal part on a sub-20 fs time scale. This ultrafast gold charging leads to a transient red-shift and broadening of the metal surface plasmon resonance, in agreement with results for free clusters but in contrast to observation for static charging of gold nanoparticles in liquid environments. Quantitative comparison with a theoretical model is in excellent agreement with the experimental results, confirming photoexcitation of one electron-hole pair per nanohybrid followed by ultrafast charge separation. The results also point to the utilization of such metal-semiconductor nanohybrids in light-harvesting applications and in photocatalysis.

Ultrafast scanning tunneling microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Botkin, D.A. [California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics]|[Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

1995-09-01

I have developed an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope (USTM) based on uniting stroboscopic methods of ultrafast optics and scanned probe microscopy to obtain nanometer spatial resolution and sub-picosecond temporal resolution. USTM increases the achievable time resolution of a STM by more than 6 orders of magnitude; this should enable exploration of mesoscopic and nanometer size systems on time scales corresponding to the period or decay of fundamental excitations. USTM consists of a photoconductive switch with subpicosecond response time in series with the tip of a STM. An optical pulse from a modelocked laser activates the switch to create a gate for the tunneling current, while a second laser pulse on the sample initiates a dynamic process which affects the tunneling current. By sending a large sequence of identical pulse pairs and measuring the average tunnel current as a function of the relative time delay between the pulses in each pair, one can map the time evolution of the surface process. USTM was used to measure the broadband response of the STM`s atomic size tunnel barrier in frequencies from tens to hundreds of GHz. The USTM signal amplitude decays linearly with the tunnel junction conductance, so the spatial resolution of the time-resolved signal is comparable to that of a conventional STM. Geometrical capacitance of the junction does not appear to play an important role in the measurement, but a capacitive effect intimately related to tunneling contributes to the measured signals and may limit the ultimate resolution of the USTM.

1.28 Tbit/s/channel single-polarization DQPSK transmission over 525 km using ultrafast time-domain optical Fourier transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guan, P.; Mulvad, Hans Christian Hansen; Tomiyama, Y.

2010-01-01

A single-channel 1.28 Tbit/s transmission over 525 km is demonstrated for the first time with a single-polarization DQPSK signal. Ultrafast time-domain optical Fourier transformation is successfully applied to DQPSK signals and results in improved performance and increased system margin.......A single-channel 1.28 Tbit/s transmission over 525 km is demonstrated for the first time with a single-polarization DQPSK signal. Ultrafast time-domain optical Fourier transformation is successfully applied to DQPSK signals and results in improved performance and increased system margin....

Impact of local order and stoichiometry on the ultrafast magnetization dynamics of Heusler compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steil, Daniel; Schmitt, Oliver; Fetzer, Roman; Aeschlimann, Martin; Cinchetti, Mirko; Kubota, Takahide; Naganuma, Hiroshi; Oogane, Mikihiko; Ando, Yasuo; Rodan, Steven; Blum, Christian G F; Wurmehl, Sabine; Balke, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Nowadays, a wealth of information on ultrafast magnetization dynamics of thin ferromagnetic films exists in the literature. Information is, however, scarce on bulk single crystals, which may be especially important for the case of multi-sublattice systems. In Heusler compounds, representing prominent examples for such multi-sublattice systems, off-stoichiometry and degree of order can significantly change the magnetic properties of thin films, while bulk single crystals may be generally produced with a much more well-defined stoichiometry and a higher degree of ordering. A careful characterization of the local structure of thin films versus bulk single crystals combined with ultrafast demagnetization studies can, thus, help to understand the impact of stoichiometry and order on ultrafast spin dynamics.Here, we present a comparative study of the structural ordering and magnetization dynamics for thin films and bulk single crystals of the family of Heusler alloys with composition Co 2 Fe 1 − x Mn x Si. The local ordering is studied by 59 Co nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, while the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect gives access to the ultrafast magnetization dynamics. In the NMR studies we find significant differences between bulk single crystals and thin films, both regarding local ordering and stoichiometry. The ultrafast magnetization dynamics, on the other hand, turns out to be mostly unaffected by the observed structural differences, especially on the time scale of some hundreds of femtoseconds. These results confirm hole-mediated spin-flip processes as the main mechanism for ultrafast demagnetization and the robustness of this demagnetization channel against defect states in the minority band gap as well as against the energetic position of the band gap with respect to the Fermi energy. The very small differences observed in the magnetization dynamics on the picosecond time-scale, on the other hand, can be explained by considering the

Tracking the ultrafast motion of a single molecule by femtosecond orbital imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Cocker, Tyler L.; Peller, Dominik; Yu, Ping; Repp, Jascha; Huber, Rupert

2016-11-01

Watching a single molecule move on its intrinsic timescale has been one of the central goals of modern nanoscience, and calls for measurements that combine ultrafast temporal resolution with atomic spatial resolution. Steady-state experiments access the requisite spatial scales, as illustrated by direct imaging of individual molecular orbitals using scanning tunnelling microscopy or the acquisition of tip-enhanced Raman and luminescence spectra with sub-molecular resolution. But tracking the intrinsic dynamics of a single molecule directly in the time domain faces the challenge that interactions with the molecule must be confined to a femtosecond time window. For individual nanoparticles, such ultrafast temporal confinement has been demonstrated by combining scanning tunnelling microscopy with so-called lightwave electronics, which uses the oscillating carrier wave of tailored light pulses to directly manipulate electronic motion on timescales faster even than a single cycle of light. Here we build on ultrafast terahertz scanning tunnelling microscopy to access a state-selective tunnelling regime, where the peak of a terahertz electric-field waveform transiently opens an otherwise forbidden tunnelling channel through a single molecular state. It thereby removes a single electron from an individual pentacene molecule’s highest occupied molecular orbital within a time window shorter than one oscillation cycle of the terahertz wave. We exploit this effect to record approximately 100-femtosecond snapshot images of the orbital structure with sub-ångström spatial resolution, and to reveal, through pump/probe measurements, coherent molecular vibrations at terahertz frequencies directly in the time domain. We anticipate that the combination of lightwave electronics and the atomic resolution of our approach will open the door to visualizing ultrafast photochemistry and the operation of molecular electronics on the single-orbital scale.

Real-time ultrafast dynamics of dense, hot matter measured by pump-probe Doppler spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lad, Amit D; Mondal, S; Narayanan, V; Ahmed, Saima; Kumar, G Ravindra; Rajeev, P P; Robinson, A P L [Central Laser Facility, Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Pasley, J, E-mail: amitlad@tifr.res.i [Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York (United Kingdom)

2010-08-01

A detailed understanding of the critical surface motion of high intensity laser produced plasma is very crucial for understanding the interaction. We employ the two colour pump-probe technique to report the first ever femtosecond scale ultrafast dynamics measurement of the critical surface of a solid plasma produced by a relativistically intense, femtosecond pump laser beam (10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}, 30 fs, 800 nm) on an aluminium target. We observe the Doppler shift of a time delayed probe laser beam (10{sup 12} W/cm{sup 2}, 80 fs, 400 nm) up to delays of 30 ps. Such unravelling of dynamics has not been possible in earlier measurements, which typically used the self reflection of a powerful pump pulse. We observe time dependent red and blue shifts and measure their magnitudes to infer plasma expansion velocity and acceleration and thereby the plasma profile. Our results are very well reproduced by 1D hydrodynamic simulation (HYADES code).

Ultrafast phenomena in molecular sciences femtosecond physics and chemistry

CERN Document Server

Bañares, Luis

2014-01-01

This book presents the latest developments in Femtosecond Chemistry and Physics for the study of ultrafast photo-induced molecular processes. Molecular systems, from the simplest H2 molecule to polymers or biological macromolecules, constitute central objects of interest for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and despite the broad range of phenomena that they exhibit, they share some common behaviors. One of the most significant of those is that many of the processes involving chemical transformation (nuclear reorganization, bond breaking, bond making) take place in an extraordinarily short time, in or around the femtosecond temporal scale (1 fs = 10-15 s). A number of experimental approaches - very particularly the developments in the generation and manipulation of ultrashort laser pulses - coupled with theoretical progress, provide the ultrafast scientist with powerful tools to understand matter and its interaction with light, at this spatial and temporal scale. This book is an attempt to reunite some of the ...

Ultrafast Outflows: Galaxy-scale Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V.

2013-01-01

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

ULTRAFAST OUTFLOWS: GALAXY-SCALE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M. [Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577 (Japan); Bicknell, G. V., E-mail: ayw@ccs.tsukuba.ac.jp [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, ACT 2611 (Australia)

2013-01-20

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

ULTRAFAST OUTFLOWS: GALAXY-SCALE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V.

2013-01-01

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

Ultrafast MR Imaging in Pediatric Neuroradiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.K.; Smith, J.T.; Wilkinson, I.D.; Griffiths, P.D.

2003-01-01

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic information obtained from ultrafast MR imaging with standard MR imaging techniques in pediatric neuroradiology. The goal was to judge whether ultrafast methods can be used to replace standard methods and reduce the need for sedation or general anesthesia as a result of the considerably shorter scan times. Material and Methods: Our prospective study involved 125 patients. Routine clinical imaging was performed along with two ultrafast methods. Single shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) was used to give T2-weighted images and an echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence to provide a T1-weighted images. The ultrafast images were presented to an experienced neuro radiologist who was also given the information present on the initial referral card. These reports based on the ultrafast images were then compared with the formal radiologic report made solely on the basis of the standard imaging. Results: The overall sensitivity and specificity for ultrafast imaging when compared to the reference standard were 78% and 98% with positive and negative predictive values of 98% and 76%. Pathologies characterized by small areas of subtle T2 prolongation were difficult or impossible to see on the ultrafast images but otherwise they provided reliable information. Conclusions: This paper demonstrates that ultrafast MR imaging can diagnose many pediatric intracranial abnormalities as well as standard methods. Anatomic resolution limits its capacity to define subtle developmental anomalies and contrast resolution limitations of the ultrafast methods reduce the detection of pathology characterized by subtle T2 prolongation

An ultrafast programmable electrical tester for enabling time-resolved, sub-nanosecond switching dynamics and programming of nanoscale memory devices

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Krishna Dayal; Saxena, Nishant; Manivannan, Anbarasu

2017-12-01

Recent advancements in commercialization of high-speed non-volatile electronic memories including phase change memory (PCM) have shown potential not only for advanced data storage but also for novel computing concepts. However, an in-depth understanding on ultrafast electrical switching dynamics is a key challenge for defining the ultimate speed of nanoscale memory devices that demands for an unconventional electrical setup, specifically capable of handling extremely fast electrical pulses. In the present work, an ultrafast programmable electrical tester (PET) setup has been developed exceptionally for unravelling time-resolved electrical switching dynamics and programming characteristics of nanoscale memory devices at the picosecond (ps) time scale. This setup consists of novel high-frequency contact-boards carefully designed to capture extremely fast switching transient characteristics within 200 ± 25 ps using time-resolved current-voltage measurements. All the instruments in the system are synchronized using LabVIEW, which helps to achieve various programming characteristics such as voltage-dependent transient parameters, read/write operations, and endurance test of memory devices systematically using short voltage pulses having pulse parameters varied from 1 ns rise/fall time and 1.5 ns pulse width (full width half maximum). Furthermore, the setup has successfully demonstrated strikingly one order faster switching characteristics of Ag5In5Sb60Te30 (AIST) PCM devices within 250 ps. Hence, this novel electrical setup would be immensely helpful for realizing the ultimate speed limits of various high-speed memory technologies for future computing.

Ultrafast time-resolved faraday rotation in EuO thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, F; Makino, T; Yamasaki, T; Ueno, K; Tsukazaki, A; Fukumura, T; Kong, Y; Kawasaki, M

2012-06-22

We have investigated the ultrafast spin dynamics in EuO thin films by time-resolved Faraday rotation spectroscopy. The photoinduced magnetization is found to be increased in a transient manner, accompanied with subsequent demagnetization. The dynamical magnetization enhancement showed a maximum slightly below the Curie temperature with prolonged tails toward both lower and higher temperatures and dominates the demagnetization counterpart at 55 K. The magnetization enhancement component decays in ~1 ns. The realization of the transient collective ordering is attributable to the enhancement of the f-d exchange interaction.

The effect of solvent relaxation time constants on free energy gap law for ultrafast charge recombination following photoinduced charge separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhailova, Valentina A; Malykhin, Roman E; Ivanov, Anatoly I

2018-05-16

To elucidate the regularities inherent in the kinetics of ultrafast charge recombination following photoinduced charge separation in donor-acceptor dyads in solutions, the simulations of the kinetics have been performed within the stochastic multichannel point-transition model. Increasing the solvent relaxation time scales has been shown to strongly vary the dependence of the charge recombination rate constant on the free energy gap. In slow relaxing solvents the non-equilibrium charge recombination occurring in parallel with solvent relaxation is very effective so that the charge recombination terminates at the non-equilibrium stage. This results in a crucial difference between the free energy gap laws for the ultrafast charge recombination and the thermal charge transfer. For the thermal reactions the well-known Marcus bell-shaped dependence of the rate constant on the free energy gap is realized while for the ultrafast charge recombination only a descending branch is predicted in the whole area of the free energy gap exceeding 0.2 eV. From the available experimental data on the population kinetics of the second and first excited states for a series of Zn-porphyrin-imide dyads in toluene and tetrahydrofuran solutions, an effective rate constant of the charge recombination into the first excited state has been calculated. The obtained rate constant being very high is nearly invariable in the area of the charge recombination free energy gap from 0.2 to 0.6 eV that supports the theoretical prediction.

WE-B-210-02: The Advent of Ultrafast Imaging in Biomedical Ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanter, M.

2015-01-01

In the last fifteen years, the introduction of plane or diverging wave transmissions rather than line by line scanning focused beams has broken the conventional barriers of ultrasound imaging. By using such large field of view transmissions, the frame rate reaches the theoretical limit of physics dictated by the ultrasound speed and an ultrasonic map can be provided typically in tens of micro-seconds (several thousands of frames per second). Interestingly, this leap in frame rate is not only a technological breakthrough but it permits the advent of completely new ultrasound imaging modes, including shear wave elastography, electromechanical wave imaging, ultrafast doppler, ultrafast contrast imaging, and even functional ultrasound imaging of brain activity (fUltrasound) introducing Ultrasound as an emerging full-fledged neuroimaging modality. At ultrafast frame rates, it becomes possible to track in real time the transient vibrations – known as shear waves – propagating through organs. Such “human body seismology” provides quantitative maps of local tissue stiffness whose added value for diagnosis has been recently demonstrated in many fields of radiology (breast, prostate and liver cancer, cardiovascular imaging, …). Today, Supersonic Imagine company is commercializing the first clinical ultrafast ultrasound scanner, Aixplorer with real time Shear Wave Elastography. This is the first example of an ultrafast Ultrasound approach surpassing the research phase and now widely spread in the clinical medical ultrasound community with an installed base of more than 1000 Aixplorer systems in 54 countries worldwide. For blood flow imaging, ultrafast Doppler permits high-precision characterization of complex vascular and cardiac flows. It also gives ultrasound the ability to detect very subtle blood flow in very small vessels. In the brain, such ultrasensitive Doppler paves the way for fUltrasound (functional ultrasound imaging) of brain activity with unprecedented

WE-B-210-02: The Advent of Ultrafast Imaging in Biomedical Ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanter, M. [Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique (France)

2015-06-15

In the last fifteen years, the introduction of plane or diverging wave transmissions rather than line by line scanning focused beams has broken the conventional barriers of ultrasound imaging. By using such large field of view transmissions, the frame rate reaches the theoretical limit of physics dictated by the ultrasound speed and an ultrasonic map can be provided typically in tens of micro-seconds (several thousands of frames per second). Interestingly, this leap in frame rate is not only a technological breakthrough but it permits the advent of completely new ultrasound imaging modes, including shear wave elastography, electromechanical wave imaging, ultrafast doppler, ultrafast contrast imaging, and even functional ultrasound imaging of brain activity (fUltrasound) introducing Ultrasound as an emerging full-fledged neuroimaging modality. At ultrafast frame rates, it becomes possible to track in real time the transient vibrations – known as shear waves – propagating through organs. Such “human body seismology” provides quantitative maps of local tissue stiffness whose added value for diagnosis has been recently demonstrated in many fields of radiology (breast, prostate and liver cancer, cardiovascular imaging, …). Today, Supersonic Imagine company is commercializing the first clinical ultrafast ultrasound scanner, Aixplorer with real time Shear Wave Elastography. This is the first example of an ultrafast Ultrasound approach surpassing the research phase and now widely spread in the clinical medical ultrasound community with an installed base of more than 1000 Aixplorer systems in 54 countries worldwide. For blood flow imaging, ultrafast Doppler permits high-precision characterization of complex vascular and cardiac flows. It also gives ultrasound the ability to detect very subtle blood flow in very small vessels. In the brain, such ultrasensitive Doppler paves the way for fUltrasound (functional ultrasound imaging) of brain activity with unprecedented

Ultrafast Dynamics in Light-Driven Molecular Rotary Motors Probed by Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hall, Christopher R.; Conyard, Jamie; Heisler, Ismael A.; Jones, Garth; Frost, James; Browne, Wesley R.; Feringa, Ben L.; Meech, Stephen R.

2017-01-01

Photochemical isomerization in sterically crowded chiral alkenes is the driving force for molecular rotary motors in nanoscale machines. Here the excited-state dynamics and structural evolution of the prototypical light-driven rotary motor are followed on the ultrafast time scale by femtosecond

Ultrafast demagnetisation dependence on film thickness: A TDDFT calculation

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, N.; Sharma, S.

2018-04-01

Ferromagnetic materials when subjected to intense laser pulses leads to reduction of their magnetisation on an ultrafast scale. Here, we perform an ab-initio calculation to study the behavior of ultrafast demagnetisation as a function of film thickness for Nickel as compared to the bulk of the material. In thin films surface formation results in amplification of demagnetisation with the percentage of demagnetisation depending upon the film thickness.

Ultrafast time measurements by time-correlated single photon counting coupled with superconducting single photon detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shcheslavskiy, V., E-mail: vis@becker-hickl.de; Becker, W. [Becker & Hickl GmbH, Nahmitzer Damm 30, 12277 Berlin (Germany); Morozov, P.; Divochiy, A. [Scontel, Rossolimo St., 5/22-1, Moscow 119021 (Russian Federation); Vakhtomin, Yu. [Scontel, Rossolimo St., 5/22-1, Moscow 119021 (Russian Federation); Moscow State Pedagogical University, 1/1 M. Pirogovskaya St., Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Smirnov, K. [Scontel, Rossolimo St., 5/22-1, Moscow 119021 (Russian Federation); Moscow State Pedagogical University, 1/1 M. Pirogovskaya St., Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); National Research University Higher School of Economics, 20 Myasnitskaya St., Moscow 101000 (Russian Federation)

2016-05-15

Time resolution is one of the main characteristics of the single photon detectors besides quantum efficiency and dark count rate. We demonstrate here an ultrafast time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) setup consisting of a newly developed single photon counting board SPC-150NX and a superconducting NbN single photon detector with a sensitive area of 7 × 7 μm. The combination delivers a record instrument response function with a full width at half maximum of 17.8 ps and system quantum efficiency ∼15% at wavelength of 1560 nm. A calculation of the root mean square value of the timing jitter for channels with counts more than 1% of the peak value yielded about 7.6 ps. The setup has also good timing stability of the detector–TCSPC board.

Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy in the Time Domain: Studies of Ultrafast Molecular Processes in the Condensed Phase.

Science.gov (United States)

Joo, Taiha

Ultrafast molecular processes in the condensed phase at room temperature are studied in the time domain by four wave mixing spectroscopy. The structure/dynamics of various quantum states can be studied by varying the time ordering of the incident fields, their polarization, their colors, etc. In one, time-resolved coherent Stokes Raman spectroscopy of benzene is investigated at room temperature. The reorientational correlation time of benzene as well as the T_2 time of the nu _1 ring-breathing mode have been measured by using two different polarization geometries. Bohr frequency difference beats have also been resolved between the nu_1 modes of ^ {12}C_6H_6 and ^{12}C_5^{13 }CH_6.. The dephasing dynamics of the nu _1 ring-breathing mode of neat benzene is studied by time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. Ultrafast time resolution reveals deviation from the conventional exponential decay. The correlation time, tau _{rm c}, and the rms magnitude, Delta, of the Bohr frequency modulation are determined for the process responsible for the vibrational dephasing by Kubo dephasing function analysis. The electronic dephasing of two oxazine dyes in ethylene glycol at room temperature is investigated by photon echo experiments. It was found that at least two stochastic processes are responsible for the observed electronic dephasing. Both fast (homogeneous) and slow (inhomogeneous) dynamics are recovered using Kubo line shape analysis. Moreover, the slow dynamics is found to spectrally diffuse over the inhomogeneous distribution on the time scale around a picosecond. Time-resolved degenerate four wave mixing signal of dyes in a population measurement geometry is reported. The vibrational coherences both in the ground and excited electronic states produced strong oscillations in the signal together with the usual population decay from the excited electronic state. Absolute frequencies and their dephasing times of the vibrational modes at ~590 cm^{-1} are obtained

Design of high-efficiency diffractive optical elements towards ultrafast mid-infrared time-stretched imaging and spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Hongbo; Ren, Delun; Wang, Chao; Mao, Chensheng; Yang, Lei

2018-02-01

Ultrafast time stretch imaging offers unprecedented imaging speed and enables new discoveries in scientific research and engineering. One challenge in exploiting time stretch imaging in mid-infrared is the lack of high-quality diffractive optical elements (DOEs), which encode the image information into mid-infrared optical spectrum. This work reports the design and optimization of mid-infrared DOE with high diffraction-efficiency, broad bandwidth and large field of view. Using various typical materials with their refractive indices ranging from 1.32 to 4.06 in ? mid-infrared band, diffraction efficiencies of single-layer and double-layer DOEs have been studied in different wavelength bands with different field of views. More importantly, by replacing the air gap of double-layer DOE with carefully selected optical materials, one optimized ? triple-layer DOE, with efficiency higher than 95% in the whole ? mid-infrared window and field of view greater than ?, is designed and analyzed. This new DOE device holds great potential in ultrafast mid-infrared time stretch imaging and spectroscopy.

Robust Stacking-Independent Ultrafast Charge Transfer in MoS2/WS2 Bilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Ziheng; Hong, Hao; Zhang, Jin; Zhang, Qi; Huang, Wei; Cao, Ting; Qiao, Ruixi; Liu, Can; Liang, Jing; Jin, Chuanhong; Jiao, Liying; Shi, Kebin; Meng, Sheng; Liu, Kaihui

2017-12-26

Van der Waals-coupled two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures have attracted great attention recently due to their high potential in the next-generation photodetectors and solar cells. The understanding of charge-transfer process between adjacent atomic layers is the key to design optimal devices as it directly determines the fundamental response speed and photon-electron conversion efficiency. However, general belief and theoretical studies have shown that the charge transfer behavior depends sensitively on interlayer configurations, which is difficult to control accurately, bringing great uncertainties in device designing. Here we investigate the ultrafast dynamics of interlayer charge transfer in a prototype heterostructure, the MoS 2 /WS 2 bilayer with various stacking configurations, by optical two-color ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. Surprisingly, we found that the charge transfer is robust against varying interlayer twist angles and interlayer coupling strength, in time scale of ∼90 fs. Our observation, together with atomic-resolved transmission electron characterization and time-dependent density functional theory simulations, reveals that the robust ultrafast charge transfer is attributed to the heterogeneous interlayer stretching/sliding, which provides additional channels for efficient charge transfer previously unknown. Our results elucidate the origin of transfer rate robustness against interlayer stacking configurations in optical devices based on 2D heterostructures, facilitating their applications in ultrafast and high-efficient optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices in the near future.

Ultrafast THz Saturable Absorption in Doped Semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turchinovich, Dmitry; Hoffmann, Matthias C.

2011-01-01

We demonstrate ultrafast THz saturable absorption in n-doped semiconductors by nonlinear THz time-domain spectroscopy. This effect is caused by the semiconductor conductivity modulation due to electron heating and satellite-valley scattering in strong THz fields.......We demonstrate ultrafast THz saturable absorption in n-doped semiconductors by nonlinear THz time-domain spectroscopy. This effect is caused by the semiconductor conductivity modulation due to electron heating and satellite-valley scattering in strong THz fields....

Real-time observation of ultrafast electron injection at graphene–Zn porphyrin interfaces

KAUST Repository

Masih, Dilshad

2015-02-25

We report on the ultrafast interfacial electron transfer ( ET) between zinc( II) porphyrin ( ZnTMPyP) and negatively charged graphene carboxylate ( GC) using state- of- the- art femtosecond laser spectroscopy with broadband capabilities. The steady- state interaction between GC and ZnTMPyP results in a red- shifted absorption spectrum, providing a clear indication for the binding affinity between ZnTMPyP and GC via electrostatic and p- p stacking interactions. Ultrafast transient absorption ( TA) spectra in the absence and presence of three different GC concentrations reveal ( i) the ultrafast formation of singlet excited ZnTMPyP*, which partially relaxes into a long- lived triplet state, and ( ii) ET from the singlet excited ZnTMPyP* to GC, forming ZnTMPyP + and GC , as indicated by a spectral feature at 650- 750 nm, which is attributed to a ZnTMPyP radical cation resulting from the ET process.

Decay time shortening of fluorescence from donor-acceptor pair proteins using ultrafast time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, Motoyoshi; Suzuki, Masayuki; Ganeev, Rashid A.; Kuroda, Hiroto; Ozaki, Tsuneyuki; Hamakubo, Takao; Masuda, Kazuyuki; Hayashi, Masahiro; Sakihama, Toshiko; Kodama, Tatsuhiko; Kozasa, Tohru

2007-01-01

We improved an ultrafast time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy system and measured directly the decrease in the fluorescence decay time of the FRET signal, without any entanglement of components in the picosecond time scale from the donor-acceptor protein pairs (such as cameleon protein for calcium ion indicator, and ligand-activated GRIN-Go proteins pair). The drastic decrease in lifetime of the donor protein fluorescence under the FRET condition (e.g. a 47.8% decrease for a GRIN-Go protein pair) proves the deformation dynamics between donor and acceptor fluorescent proteins in an activated state of a mixed donor-acceptor protein pair. This study is the first clear evidence of physical contact of the GRIN-Go proteins pair using time-resolved FRET system. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most important protein family for the recognition of many chemical substances at the cell surface. They are the targets of many drugs. Simultaneously, we were able to observe the time-resolved spectra of luminous proteins at the initial stage under the FRET condition, within 10 ns from excitation. This new FRET system allows us to trace the dynamics of the interaction between proteins at the ligand-induced activated state, molecular structure change and combination or dissociation. It will be a key technology for the development of protein chip technology

A spectroelectrochemical cell for ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El Khoury, Youssef; Van Wilderen, Luuk J. G. W.; Vogt, Tim; Winter, Ernst; Bredenbeck, Jens, E-mail: bredenbeck@biophysik.uni-frankfurt.org, E-mail: bredenbeck@biophysik.uni-frankfurt.de [Institut für Biophysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, 60438 Frankfurt (Germany)

2015-08-15

A spectroelectrochemical cell has been designed to combine electrochemistry and ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy, which is a powerful tool to extract structure and dynamics information on the femtosecond to picosecond time scale. Our design is based on a gold mirror with the dual role of performing electrochemistry and reflecting IR light. To provide the high optical surface quality required for laser spectroscopy, the gold surface is made by electron beam evaporation on a glass substrate. Electrochemical cycling facilitates in situ collection of ultrafast dynamics of redox-active molecules by means of 2D-IR. The IR beams are operated in reflection mode so that they travel twice through the sample, i.e., the signal size is doubled. This methodology is optimal for small sample volumes and successfully tested with the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox system of which the corresponding electrochemically induced 2D-IR difference spectrum is reported.

A spectroelectrochemical cell for ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Khoury, Youssef; Van Wilderen, Luuk J. G. W.; Vogt, Tim; Winter, Ernst; Bredenbeck, Jens

2015-01-01

A spectroelectrochemical cell has been designed to combine electrochemistry and ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy, which is a powerful tool to extract structure and dynamics information on the femtosecond to picosecond time scale. Our design is based on a gold mirror with the dual role of performing electrochemistry and reflecting IR light. To provide the high optical surface quality required for laser spectroscopy, the gold surface is made by electron beam evaporation on a glass substrate. Electrochemical cycling facilitates in situ collection of ultrafast dynamics of redox-active molecules by means of 2D-IR. The IR beams are operated in reflection mode so that they travel twice through the sample, i.e., the signal size is doubled. This methodology is optimal for small sample volumes and successfully tested with the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox system of which the corresponding electrochemically induced 2D-IR difference spectrum is reported

Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy of xanthophylls at low temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Hong; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Gibson, George N; Frank, Harry A

2008-03-20

Many of the spectroscopic features and photophysical properties of xanthophylls and their role in energy transfer to chlorophyll can be accounted for on the basis of a three-state model. The characteristically strong visible absorption of xanthophylls is associated with a transition from the ground state S0 (1(1)Ag-) to the S2 (1(1)Bu+) excited state. The lowest lying singlet state denoted S1 (2(1)Ag-), is a state into which absorption from the ground state is symmetry forbidden. Ultrafast optical spectroscopic studies and quantum computations have suggested the presence of additional excited singlet states in the vicinity of S1 (2(1)Ag-) and S2 (1(1)Bu+). One of these is denoted S* and has been suggested in previous work to be associated with a twisted molecular conformation of the molecule in the S1 (2(1)Ag-) state. In this work, we present the results of a spectroscopic investigation of three major xanthophylls from higher plants: violaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These molecules have systematically increasing extents of pi-electron conjugation from nine to eleven conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds. All-trans isomers of the molecules were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and studied by steady-state and ultrafast time-resolved optical spectroscopy at 77 K. Analysis of the data using global fitting techniques has revealed the inherent spectral properties and ultrafast dynamics of the excited singlet states of each of the molecules. Five different global fitting models were tested, and it was found that the data are best explained using a kinetic model whereby photoexcitation results in the promotion of the molecule into the S2 (1(1)Bu+) state that subsequently undergoes decay to a vibrationally hot S1 (1(1)Ag-) state and with the exception of violaxanthin also to the S* state. The vibrationally hot S1 (1(1)Ag-) state then cools to a vibrationally relaxed S1 (2(1)Ag-) state in less than a picosecond. It was also found that a portion

Quantum Hooke's Law to Classify Pulse Laser Induced Ultrafast Melting

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hao; Ding, Hepeng; Liu, Feng

2015-02-01

Ultrafast crystal-to-liquid phase transition induced by femtosecond pulse laser excitation is an interesting material's behavior manifesting the complexity of light-matter interaction. There exist two types of such phase transitions: one occurs at a time scale shorter than a picosecond via a nonthermal process mediated by electron-hole plasma formation; the other at a longer time scale via a thermal melting process mediated by electron-phonon interaction. However, it remains unclear what material would undergo which process and why? Here, by exploiting the property of quantum electronic stress (QES) governed by quantum Hooke's law, we classify the transitions by two distinct classes of materials: the faster nonthermal process can only occur in materials like ice having an anomalous phase diagram characterized with dTm/dP < 0, where Tm is the melting temperature and P is pressure, above a high threshold laser fluence; while the slower thermal process may occur in all materials. Especially, the nonthermal transition is shown to be induced by the QES, acting like a negative internal pressure, which drives the crystal into a ``super pressing'' state to spontaneously transform into a higher-density liquid phase. Our findings significantly advance fundamental understanding of ultrafast crystal-to-liquid phase transitions, enabling quantitative a priori predictions.

Earle K. Plyler Prize Lecture: The Three Pillars of Ultrafast Molecular Science - Time, Phase, Intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Stolow, Albert

We discuss the probing and control of molecular wavepacket dynamics in the context of three main `pillars' of light-matter interaction: time, phase, intensity. Time: Using short, coherent laser pulses and perturbative matter-field interactions, we study molecular wavepackets with a focus on the ultrafast non-Born-Oppenheimer dynamics, that is, the coupling of electronic and nuclear motions. Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy (TRPES) is a powerful ultrafast probe of these processes in polyatomic molecules because it is sensitive both electronic and vibrational dynamics. Ideally, one would like to observe these ultrafast processes from the molecule's point of view - the Molecular Frame - thereby avoiding loss of information due to orientational averaging. This can be achieved by Time-Resolved Coincidence Imaging Spectroscopy (TRCIS) which images 3D recoil vectors of both photofragments and photoelectrons, in coincidence and as a function of time, permitting direct Molecular Frame imaging of valence electronic dynamics during a molecular dynamics. Phase: Using intermediate strength non-perturbative interactions, we apply the second order (polarizability) Non-Resonant Dynamic Stark Effect (NRDSE) to control molecular dynamics without any net absorption of light. NRDSE is also the interaction underlying molecular alignment and applies to field-free 1D of linear molecules and field-free 3D alignment of general (asymmetric) molecules. Using laser alignment, we can transiently fix a molecule in space, yielding a more general approach to direct Molecular Frame imaging of valence electronic dynamics during a chemical reaction. Intensity: In strong (ionizing) laser fields, a new laser-matter physics emerges for polyatomic systems wherein both the single active electron picture and the adiabatic electron response, both implicit in the standard 3-step models, can fail dramatically. This has important consequences for all attosecond strong field spectroscopies of

Ultra-fast relaxation, decoherence, and localization of photoexcited states in π-conjugated polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Mannouch, Jonathan R.; Barford, William; Al-Assam, Sarah

2018-01-01

The exciton relaxation dynamics of photoexcited electronic states in poly(p-phenylenevinylene) are theoretically investigated within a coarse-grained model, in which both the exciton and nuclear degrees of freedom are treated quantum mechanically. The Frenkel-Holstein Hamiltonian is used to describe the strong exciton-phonon coupling present in the system, while external damping of the internal nuclear degrees of freedom is accounted for by a Lindblad master equation. Numerically, the dynamics are computed using the time evolving block decimation and quantum jump trajectory techniques. The values of the model parameters physically relevant to polymer systems naturally lead to a separation of time scales, with the ultra-fast dynamics corresponding to energy transfer from the exciton to the internal phonon modes (i.e., the C-C bond oscillations), while the longer time dynamics correspond to damping of these phonon modes by the external dissipation. Associated with these time scales, we investigate the following processes that are indicative of the system relaxing onto the emissive chromophores of the polymer: (1) Exciton-polaron formation occurs on an ultra-fast time scale, with the associated exciton-phonon correlations present within half a vibrational time period of the C-C bond oscillations. (2) Exciton decoherence is driven by the decay in the vibrational overlaps associated with exciton-polaron formation, occurring on the same time scale. (3) Exciton density localization is driven by the external dissipation, arising from "wavefunction collapse" occurring as a result of the system-environment interactions. Finally, we show how fluorescence anisotropy measurements can be used to investigate the exciton decoherence process during the relaxation dynamics.

Electro-optic sampling for time resolving relativistic ultrafast electron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scoby, C. M.; Musumeci, P.; Moody, J.; Gutierrez, M.; Tran, T.

2009-01-01

The Pegasus laboratory at UCLA features a state-of-the-art electron photoinjector capable of producing ultrashort (<100 fs) high-brightness electron bunches at energies of 3.75 MeV. These beams recently have been used to produce static diffraction patterns from scattering off thin metal foils, and it is foreseen to take advantage of the ultrashort nature of these bunches in future pump-probe time-resolved diffraction studies. In this paper, single shot 2-d electro-optic sampling is presented as a potential technique for time of arrival stamping of electron bunches used for diffraction. Effects of relatively low bunch charge (a few 10's of pC) and modestly relativistic beams are discussed and background compensation techniques to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio are explored. From these preliminary tests, electro-optic sampling is suitable to be a reliable nondestructive time stamping method for relativistic ultrafast electron diffraction at the Pegasus lab.

Ultrafast dissociation: An unexpected tool for probing molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morin, Paul; Miron, Catalin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Ultrafast dissociation has been investigated by means of XPS and mass spectrometry. ► The interplay between electron relaxation and molecular dynamics is evidenced. ► Extension toward polyatomics, clusters, adsorbed molecules is considered. ► Quantum effects (spectral hole, angular effects) evidence the molecular field anisotropy. -- Abstract: Ultrafast dissociation following core–shell excitation into an antibonding orbital led to the early observation in HBr of atomic Auger lines associated to the decay of dissociated excited atoms. The purpose of this article is to review the very large variety of systems where such a situation has been encountered, extending from simple diatomic molecules toward more complex systems like polyatomics, clusters, or adsorbed molecules. Interestingly, this phenomenon has revealed an extremely rich and powerful tool for probing nuclear dynamics and its subtle interplay with electron relaxation occurring on a comparable time scale. Consequently this review covers a surprisingly large period, starting in 1986 and still ongoing.

Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory: Fast Response Space Missions for Early Time Phase of Gamma Ray Bursts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Park, I.H.; Ahmad, S.; Barrillon, P.

2013-01-01

One of the unexplored domains in the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is the early time phase of the optical light curve. We have proposed Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) to address this question through extraordinary opportunities presented by a series of small space missions. The UFFO...

Ultrafast terahertz control of extreme tunnel currents through single atoms on a silicon surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jelic, Vedran; Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Nguyen, Peter H.

2017-01-01

scanning tunnelling microscopy (THz-STM) in ultrahigh vacuum as a new platform for exploring ultrafast non-equilibrium tunnelling dynamics with atomic precision. Extreme terahertz-pulse-driven tunnel currents up to 10(7) times larger than steady-state currents in conventional STM are used to image...... terahertz-induced band bending and non-equilibrium charging of surface states opens new conduction pathways to the bulk, enabling extreme transient tunnel currents to flow between the tip and sample.......Ultrafast control of current on the atomic scale is essential for future innovations in nanoelectronics. Extremely localized transient electric fields on the nanoscale can be achieved by coupling picosecond duration terahertz pulses to metallic nanostructures. Here, we demonstrate terahertz...

Ultrafast terahertz-induced response of GeSbTe phase-change materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shu, Michael J. [Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Zalden, Peter [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Chen, Frank [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Weems, Ben [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Chatzakis, Ioannis [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Xiong, Feng; Jeyasingh, Rakesh; Pop, Eric; Philip Wong, H.-S. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Hoffmann, Matthias C. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Wuttig, Matthias [I. Physikalisches Institut, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen (Germany); JARA–Fundamentals of Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen (Germany); Lindenberg, Aaron M., E-mail: aaronl@stanford.edu [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2014-06-23

The time-resolved ultrafast electric field-driven response of crystalline and amorphous GeSbTe films has been measured all-optically, pumping with single-cycle terahertz pulses as a means of biasing phase-change materials on a sub-picosecond time-scale. Utilizing the near-band-gap transmission as a probe of the electronic and structural response below the switching threshold, we observe a field-induced heating of the carrier system and resolve the picosecond-time-scale energy relaxation processes and their dependence on the sample annealing condition in the crystalline phase. In the amorphous phase, an instantaneous electroabsorption response is observed, quadratic in the terahertz field, followed by field-driven lattice heating, with Ohmic behavior up to 200 kV/cm.

Ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy for deep super-resolution vascular imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Errico, Claudia; Pierre, Juliette; Pezet, Sophie; Desailly, Yann; Lenkei, Zsolt; Couture, Olivier; Tanter, Mickael

2015-11-01

Non-invasive imaging deep into organs at microscopic scales remains an open quest in biomedical imaging. Although optical microscopy is still limited to surface imaging owing to optical wave diffusion and fast decorrelation in tissue, revolutionary approaches such as fluorescence photo-activated localization microscopy led to a striking increase in resolution by more than an order of magnitude in the last decade. In contrast with optics, ultrasonic waves propagate deep into organs without losing their coherence and are much less affected by in vivo decorrelation processes. However, their resolution is impeded by the fundamental limits of diffraction, which impose a long-standing trade-off between resolution and penetration. This limits clinical and preclinical ultrasound imaging to a sub-millimetre scale. Here we demonstrate in vivo that ultrasound imaging at ultrafast frame rates (more than 500 frames per second) provides an analogue to optical localization microscopy by capturing the transient signal decorrelation of contrast agents—inert gas microbubbles. Ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy allowed both non-invasive sub-wavelength structural imaging and haemodynamic quantification of rodent cerebral microvessels (less than ten micrometres in diameter) more than ten millimetres below the tissue surface, leading to transcranial whole-brain imaging within short acquisition times (tens of seconds). After intravenous injection, single echoes from individual microbubbles were detected through ultrafast imaging. Their localization, not limited by diffraction, was accumulated over 75,000 images, yielding 1,000,000 events per coronal plane and statistically independent pixels of ten micrometres in size. Precise temporal tracking of microbubble positions allowed us to extract accurately in-plane velocities of the blood flow with a large dynamic range (from one millimetre per second to several centimetres per second). These results pave the way for deep non

Fourteenth International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Kobayashi, Takayoshi; Kobayashi, Tetsuro; Nelson, Keith A; Silvestri, Sandro; Ultrafast Phenomena XIV

2005-01-01

Ultrafast Phenomena XIV presents the latest advances in ultrafast science, including ultrafast laser and measurement technology as well as studies of ultrafast phenomena. Pico-, femto-, and atosecond processes relevant in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering are presented. Ultrafast technology is now having a profound impact within a wide range of applications, among them imaging, material diagnostics, and transformation and high-speed optoelectronics. This book summarizes results presented at the 14th Ultrafast Phenomena Conference and reviews the state of the art in this important and rapidly advancing field.

Sixteenth International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Corkum, Paul; Nelson, Keith A; Riedle, Eberhard; Schoenlein, Robert W; Ultrafast Phenomena XVI

2009-01-01

Ultrafast Phenomena XVI presents the latest advances in ultrafast science, including both ultrafast optical technology and the study of ultrafast phenomena. It covers picosecond, femtosecond and attosecond processes relevant to applications in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Ultrafast technology has a profound impact in a wide range of applications, amongst them biomedical imaging, chemical dynamics, frequency standards, material processing, and ultrahigh speed communications. This book summarizes the results presented at the 16th International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena and provides an up-to-date view of this important and rapidly advancing field.

Development of Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscope Capability.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, Kimberlee Chiyoko [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Talin, Albert Alec [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Chandler, David W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Michael, Joseph R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-11-01

Modern semiconductor devices rely on the transport of minority charge carriers. Direct examination of minority carrier lifetimes in real devices with nanometer-scale features requires a measurement method with simultaneously high spatial and temporal resolutions. Achieving nanometer spatial resolutions at sub-nanosecond temporal resolution is possible with pump-probe methods that utilize electrons as probes. Recently, a stroboscopic scanning electron microscope was developed at Caltech, and used to study carrier transport across a Si p-n junction [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] . In this report, we detail our development of a prototype scanning ultrafast electron microscope system at Sandia National Laboratories based on the original Caltech design. This effort represents Sandia's first exploration into ultrafast electron microscopy.

Wavelet analysis of molecular dynamics: Efficient extraction of time-frequency information in ultrafast optical processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prior, Javier; Castro, Enrique; Chin, Alex W.; Almeida, Javier; Huelga, Susana F.; Plenio, Martin B.

2013-01-01

New experimental techniques based on nonlinear ultrafast spectroscopies have been developed over the last few years, and have been demonstrated to provide powerful probes of quantum dynamics in different types of molecular aggregates, including both natural and artificial light harvesting complexes. Fourier transform-based spectroscopies have been particularly successful, yet “complete” spectral information normally necessitates the loss of all information on the temporal sequence of events in a signal. This information though is particularly important in transient or multi-stage processes, in which the spectral decomposition of the data evolves in time. By going through several examples of ultrafast quantum dynamics, we demonstrate that the use of wavelets provide an efficient and accurate way to simultaneously acquire both temporal and frequency information about a signal, and argue that this greatly aids the elucidation and interpretation of physical process responsible for non-stationary spectroscopic features, such as those encountered in coherent excitonic energy transport

Tracking of the nuclear wavepacket motion in cyanine photoisomerization by ultrafast pump-dump-probe spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhengrong; Nakamura, Takumi; Takeuchi, Satoshi; Tahara, Tahei

2011-06-01

Understanding ultrafast reactions, which proceed on a time scale of nuclear motions, requires a quantitative characterization of the structural dynamics. To track such structural changes with time, we studied a nuclear wavepacket motion in photoisomerization of a prototype cyanine dye, 1,1'-diethyl-4,4'-cyanine, by ultrafast pump-dump-probe measurements in solution. The temporal evolution of wavepacket motion was examined by monitoring the efficiency of stimulated emission dumping, which was obtained from the recovery of a ground-state bleaching signal. The dump efficiency versus pump-dump delay exhibited a finite rise time, and it became longer (97 fs → 330 fs → 390 fs) as the dump pulse was tuned to longer wavelengths (690 nm → 950 nm → 1200 nm). This result demonstrates a continuous migration of the leading edge of the wavepacket on the excited-state potential from the Franck-Condon region toward the potential minimum. A slowly decaying feature of the dump efficiency indicated a considerable broadening of the wavepacket over a wide range of the potential, which results in the spread of a population distribution on the flat S(1) potential energy surface. The rapid migration as well as broadening of the wavepacket manifests a continuous nature of the structural dynamics and provides an intuitive visualization of this ultrafast reaction. We also discussed experimental strategies to evaluate reliable dump efficiencies separately from other ultrafast processes and showed a high capability and possibility of the pump-dump-probe method for spectroscopic investigation of unexplored potential regions such as conical intersections. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Roadmap of ultrafast x-ray atomic and molecular physics

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Linda; Ueda, Kiyoshi; Gühr, Markus; Bucksbaum, Philip H.; Simon, Marc; Mukamel, Shaul; Rohringer, Nina; Prince, Kevin C.; Masciovecchio, Claudio; Meyer, Michael; Rudenko, Artem; Rolles, Daniel; Bostedt, Christoph; Fuchs, Matthias; Reis, David A.; Santra, Robin; Kapteyn, Henry; Murnane, Margaret; Ibrahim, Heide; Légaré, François; Vrakking, Marc; Isinger, Marcus; Kroon, David; Gisselbrecht, Mathieu; L'Huillier, Anne; Wörner, Hans Jakob; Leone, Stephen R.

2018-02-01

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) and table-top sources of x-rays based upon high harmonic generation (HHG) have revolutionized the field of ultrafast x-ray atomic and molecular physics, largely due to an explosive growth in capabilities in the past decade. XFELs now provide unprecedented intensity (1020 W cm-2) of x-rays at wavelengths down to ˜1 Ångstrom, and HHG provides unprecedented time resolution (˜50 attoseconds) and a correspondingly large coherent bandwidth at longer wavelengths. For context, timescales can be referenced to the Bohr orbital period in hydrogen atom of 150 attoseconds and the hydrogen-molecule vibrational period of 8 femtoseconds; wavelength scales can be referenced to the chemically significant carbon K-edge at a photon energy of ˜280 eV (44 Ångstroms) and the bond length in methane of ˜1 Ångstrom. With these modern x-ray sources one now has the ability to focus on individual atoms, even when embedded in a complex molecule, and view electronic and nuclear motion on their intrinsic scales (attoseconds and Ångstroms). These sources have enabled coherent diffractive imaging, where one can image non-crystalline objects in three dimensions on ultrafast timescales, potentially with atomic resolution. The unprecedented intensity available with XFELs has opened new fields of multiphoton and nonlinear x-ray physics where behavior of matter under extreme conditions can be explored. The unprecedented time resolution and pulse synchronization provided by HHG sources has kindled fundamental investigations of time delays in photoionization, charge migration in molecules, and dynamics near conical intersections that are foundational to AMO physics and chemistry. This roadmap coincides with the year when three new XFEL facilities, operating at Ångstrom wavelengths, opened for users (European XFEL, Swiss-FEL and PAL-FEL in Korea) almost doubling the present worldwide number of XFELs, and documents the remarkable progress in HHG capabilities since

Ultrafast comparison of personal genomes

OpenAIRE

Mauldin, Denise; Hood, Leroy; Robinson, Max; Glusman, Gustavo

2017-01-01

We present an ultra-fast method for comparing personal genomes. We transform the standard genome representation (lists of variants relative to a reference) into 'genome fingerprints' that can be readily compared across sequencing technologies and reference versions. Because of their reduced size, computation on the genome fingerprints is fast and requires little memory. This enables scaling up a variety of important genome analyses, including quantifying relatedness, recognizing duplicative s...

Ultrafast control and monitoring of material properties using terahertz pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowlan, Pamela Renee [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Lab. for Ultrafast Materials Optical Science (LUMOS)

2016-05-02

These are a set of slides on ultrafast control and monitoring of material properties using terahertz pulses. A few of the topics covered in these slides are: How fast is a femtosecond (fs), Different frequencies probe different properties of molecules or solids, What can a THz pulse do to a material, Ultrafast spectroscopy, Generating and measuring ultrashort THz pulses, Tracking ultrafast spin dynamics in antiferromagnets through spin wave resonances, Coherent two-dimensional THz spectroscopy, and Probing vibrational dynamics at a surface. Conclusions are: Coherent two-dimensional THz spectroscopy: a powerful approach for studying coherence and dynamics of low energy resonances. Applying this to graphene we investigated the very strong THz light mater interaction which dominates over scattering. Useful for studying coupled excitations in multiferroics and monitoring chemical reactions. Also, THz-pump, SHG-probe spectoscopy: an ultrafast, surface sensitive probe of atomic-scale symmetry changes and nonlinear phonon dymanics. We are using this in Bi₂Se₃ to investigate the nonlinear surface phonon dynamics. This is potentially very useful for studying catalysis.

Electrically-driven GHz range ultrafast graphene light emitter (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngduck; Gao, Yuanda; Shiue, Ren-Jye; Wang, Lei; Aslan, Ozgur Burak; Kim, Hyungsik; Nemilentsau, Andrei M.; Low, Tony; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Bae, Myung-Ho; Heinz, Tony F.; Englund, Dirk R.; Hone, James

2017-02-01

Ultrafast electrically driven light emitter is a critical component in the development of the high bandwidth free-space and on-chip optical communications. Traditional semiconductor based light sources for integration to photonic platform have therefore been heavily studied over the past decades. However, there are still challenges such as absence of monolithic on-chip light sources with high bandwidth density, large-scale integration, low-cost, small foot print, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology compatibility. Here, we demonstrate the first electrically driven ultrafast graphene light emitter that operate up to 10 GHz bandwidth and broadband range (400 1600 nm), which are possible due to the strong coupling of charge carriers in graphene and surface optical phonons in hBN allow the ultrafast energy and heat transfer. In addition, incorporation of atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) encapsulation layers enable the stable and practical high performance even under the ambient condition. Therefore, electrically driven ultrafast graphene light emitters paves the way towards the realization of ultrahigh bandwidth density photonic integrated circuits and efficient optical communications networks.

Mapping Carrier Dynamics on Material Surfaces in Space and Time using Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jingya; Adhikari, Aniruddha; Shaheen, Basamat; Yang, Haoze; Mohammed, Omar F.

2016-01-01

Selectively capturing the ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers on materials surfaces and at interfaces is crucial to the design of solar cells and optoelectronic devices. Despite extensive research efforts over the past few decades, information and understanding about surface-dynamical processes, including carrier trapping and recombination remains extremely limited. A key challenge is to selectively map such dynamic processes, a capability that is hitherto impractical by time-resolved laser techniques, which are limited by the laser’s relatively large penetration depth and consequently they record mainly bulk information. Such surface dynamics can only be mapped in real space and time by applying four-dimensional (4D) scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (S-UEM), which records snapshots of materials surfaces with nanometer spatial and sub-picosecond temporal resolutions. In this method, the secondary electron (SE) signal emitted from the sample’s surface is extremely sensitive to the surface dynamics and is detected in real time. In several unique applications, we spatially and temporally visualize the SE energy gain and loss, the charge carrier dynamics on the surface of InGaN nanowires and CdSe single crystals and its powder film. We also provide the mechanisms for the observed dynamics, which will be the foundation for future potential applications of S-UEM to a wide range of studies on material surfaces and device interfaces.

Mapping Carrier Dynamics on Material Surfaces in Space and Time using Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jingya

2016-02-25

Selectively capturing the ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers on materials surfaces and at interfaces is crucial to the design of solar cells and optoelectronic devices. Despite extensive research efforts over the past few decades, information and understanding about surface-dynamical processes, including carrier trapping and recombination remains extremely limited. A key challenge is to selectively map such dynamic processes, a capability that is hitherto impractical by time-resolved laser techniques, which are limited by the laser’s relatively large penetration depth and consequently they record mainly bulk information. Such surface dynamics can only be mapped in real space and time by applying four-dimensional (4D) scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (S-UEM), which records snapshots of materials surfaces with nanometer spatial and sub-picosecond temporal resolutions. In this method, the secondary electron (SE) signal emitted from the sample’s surface is extremely sensitive to the surface dynamics and is detected in real time. In several unique applications, we spatially and temporally visualize the SE energy gain and loss, the charge carrier dynamics on the surface of InGaN nanowires and CdSe single crystals and its powder film. We also provide the mechanisms for the observed dynamics, which will be the foundation for future potential applications of S-UEM to a wide range of studies on material surfaces and device interfaces.

Femtosecond X-Ray Scattering Study of Ultrafast Photoinduced Structural Dynamics in Solvated [Co(terpy)2]2+

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Biasin, Elisa; Brandt van Driel, Tim; Kjær, Kasper Skov

2016-01-01

We study the structural dynamics of photoexcited [Co(terpy)2]2+ in an aqueous solution with ultrafast x-ray diffuse scattering experiments conducted at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Through direct comparisons with density functional theory calculations, our analysis shows that the photoexcitat......We study the structural dynamics of photoexcited [Co(terpy)2]2+ in an aqueous solution with ultrafast x-ray diffuse scattering experiments conducted at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Through direct comparisons with density functional theory calculations, our analysis shows...... find that the equilibrium bond-elongated structure of the high spin state is established on a single-picosecond time scale and that this state has a lifetime of ∼7 ps....

Ultrafast Carbon Dioxide Sorption Kinetics Using Lithium Silicate Nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Nambo, Apolo; He, Juan; Nguyen, Tu Quang; Atla, Veerendra; Druffel, Thad; Sunkara, Mahendra

2017-06-14

In this paper, the Li 4 SiO 4 nanowires (NWs) were shown to be promising for CO 2 capture with ultrafast kinetics. Specifically, the nanowire powders exhibited an uptake of 0.35 g g -1 of CO 2 at an ultrafast adsorption rate of 0.22 g g -1 min -1 at 650-700 °C. Lithium silicate (Li 4 SiO 4 ) nanowires and nanopowders were synthesized using a "solvo-plasma" technique involving plasma oxidation of silicon precursors mixed with lithium hydroxide. The kinetic parameter values (k) extracted from sorption kinetics obtained using NW powders are 1 order of magnitude higher than those previously reported for the Li 4 SiO 4 -CO 2 reaction system. The time scales for CO 2 sorption using nanowires are approximately 3 min and two orders magnitude faster compared to those obtained using lithium silicate powders with spherical morphologies and aggregates. Furthermore, Li 4 SiO 4 nanowire powders showed reversibility through sorption-desorption cycles indicating their suitability for CO 2 capture applications. All of the morphologies of Li 4 SiO 4 powders exhibited a double exponential behavior in the adsorption kinetics indicating two distinct time constants for kinetic and the mass transfer limited regimes.

Ultrafast magnetodynamics with free-electron lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Malvestuto, Marco; Ciprian, Roberta; Caretta, Antonio; Casarin, Barbara; Parmigiani, Fulvio

2018-02-01

The study of ultrafast magnetodynamics has entered a new era thanks to the groundbreaking technological advances in free-electron laser (FEL) light sources. The advent of these light sources has made possible unprecedented experimental schemes for time-resolved x-ray magneto-optic spectroscopies, which are now paving the road for exploring the ultimate limits of out-of-equilibrium magnetic phenomena. In particular, these studies will provide insights into elementary mechanisms governing spin and orbital dynamics, therefore contributing to the development of ultrafast devices for relevant magnetic technologies. This topical review focuses on recent advancement in the study of non-equilibrium magnetic phenomena from the perspective of time-resolved extreme ultra violet (EUV) and soft x-ray spectroscopies at FELs with highlights of some important experimental results.

Real-Time Observation of Internal Motion within Ultrafast Dissipative Optical Soliton Molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Krupa, Katarzyna; Nithyanandan, K.; Andral, Ugo; Tchofo-Dinda, Patrice; Grelu, Philippe

2017-06-01

Real-time access to the internal ultrafast dynamics of complex dissipative optical systems opens new explorations of pulse-pulse interactions and dynamic patterns. We present the first direct experimental evidence of the internal motion of a dissipative optical soliton molecule generated in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser. We map the internal motion of a soliton pair molecule by using a dispersive Fourier-transform imaging technique, revealing different categories of internal pulsations, including vibrationlike and phase drifting dynamics. Our experiments agree well with numerical predictions and bring insights to the analogy between self-organized states of lights and states of the matter.

Parametric spectro-temporal analyzer (PASTA) for ultrafast optical performance monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chi; Wong, Kenneth K. Y.

2013-12-01

Ultrafast optical spectrum monitoring is one of the most challenging tasks in observing ultrafast phenomena, such as the spectroscopy, dynamic observation of the laser cavity, and spectral encoded imaging systems. However, conventional method such as optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) spatially disperses the spectrum, but the space-to-time mapping is realized by mechanical rotation of a grating, so are incapable of operating at high speed. Besides the spatial dispersion, temporal dispersion provided by dispersive fiber can also stretches the spectrum in time domain in an ultrafast manner, but is primarily confined in measuring short pulses. In view of these constraints, here we present a real-time spectrum analyzer called parametric spectro-temporal analyzer (PASTA), which is based on the time-lens focusing mechanism. It achieves a 100-MHz frame rate and can measure arbitrary waveforms. For the first time, we observe the dynamic spectrum of an ultrafast swept-source: Fourier domain mode-locked (FDML) laser, and the spectrum evolution of a laser cavity during its stabilizing process. In addition to the basic single-lens structure, the multi-lens configurations (e.g. telescope or wide-angle scope) will provide a versatile operating condition, which can zoom in to achieve 0.05-nm resolution and zoom out to achieve 10-nm observation range, namely 17 times zoom in/out ratio. In view of the goal of achieving spectrum analysis with fine accuracy, PASTA provides a promising path to study the real-time spectrum of some dynamic phenomena and non-repetitive events, with orders of magnitude enhancement in the frame rate over conventional OSAs.

Cooperative photo-induced effects: from photo-magnetism under continuous irradiation to ultra-fast phenomena - study through optical spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glijer, D.

2006-12-01

The control with ultra-short laser pulses of the collective and concerted transformation of molecules driving a macroscopic state switching on an ultra-fast time scale in solid state opens new prospects in materials science. The goal is to realize at the material level what happens at the molecular level in femto-chemistry. These processes are highly cooperative and highly non-linear, leading to self-amplification and self-organization within the material, a so-called photo-induced phase transition with a new long range order (structural, magnetic, ferroelectric,...). Two families of molecular compounds have been studied here: first of all, spin transition materials changing from a diamagnetic state over to a paramagnetic state under the effect of temperature or under continuous laser excitation. It concerns photo-active molecular bi-stability prototype materials in solid state, whose switching has been studied during X-ray diffraction, optical reflectivity and magnetism experiments. Then we have studied charge-transfer molecular systems, prototype compounds for ultrafast photo-induced phase transitions: insulator-metal, neutral-ionic....As well as ultrafast optical experiments, time-resolved X ray crystallography is a key technique in order to follow at the atomic level the different steps of the photo-induced transformation and thus to observe the involved mechanisms. We have underlined a process of photo-formation of one-dimensional nano-domains of lattice-relaxed charge-transfer excitations, governing the photo-induced phase transition of the molecular charge-transfer complex TTF-CA by the first time-resolved diffuse scattering measurements. Moreover, a new femtosecond laser-plasma source and a optical pump-probe spectroscopy set-up with a highly sensitive detecting system have been developed in this work. The results presented here will be an illustration of the present scientific challenges existing on the one hand with the development of projects of major

Feasibility of UltraFast Doppler in Post-operative Evaluation of Hepatic Artery in Recipients following Liver Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Se-Young; Kim, Kyoung Won; Choi, Sang Hyun; Kwon, Jae Hyun; Song, Gi-Won; Kwon, Heon-Ju; Yun, Young Ju; Lee, Jeongjin; Lee, Sung-Gyu

2017-11-01

To determine the feasibility of using UltraFast Doppler in post-operative evaluation of the hepatic artery (HA) after liver transplantation (LT), we evaluated 283 simultaneous conventional and UltraFast Doppler sessions in 126 recipients over a 2-mo period after LT, using an Aixplorer scanner The Doppler indexes of the HA (peak systolic velocity [PSV], end-diastolic velocity [EDV], resistive index [RI] and systolic acceleration time [SAT]) by retrospective analysis of retrieved waves from UltraFast Doppler clips were compared with those obtained by conventional spectral Doppler. Correlation, performance in diagnosing the pathologic wave, examination time and reproducibility were evaluated. The PSV, EDV, RI and SAT of spectral and UltraFast Doppler measurements exhibited excellent correlation with favorable diagnostic performance. During the bedside examination, the mean time spent for UltraFast clip storing was significantly shorter than that for conventional Doppler US measurements. Both conventional and UltraFast Doppler exhibited good to excellent inter-analysis consistency. In conclusion, compared with conventional spectral Doppler, UltraFast Doppler values correlated excellently and yielded acceptable pathologic wave diagnostic performance with reduced examination time at the bedside and excellent reproducibility. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultrafast magnon generation in an Fe film on Cu(100).

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, A B; Pickel, M; Donath, M; Buczek, P; Ernst, A; Zhukov, V P; Echenique, P M; Sandratskii, L M; Chulkov, E V; Weinelt, M

2010-11-05

We report on a combined experimental and theoretical study of the spin-dependent relaxation processes in the electron system of an iron film on Cu(100). Spin-, time-, energy- and angle-resolved two-photon photoemission shows a strong characteristic dependence of the lifetime of photoexcited electrons on their spin and energy. Ab initio calculations as well as a many-body treatment corroborate that the observed properties are determined by relaxation processes involving magnon emission. Thereby we demonstrate that magnon emission by hot electrons occurs on the femtosecond time scale and thus provides a significant source of ultrafast spin-flip processes. Furthermore, engineering of the magnon spectrum paves the way for tuning the dynamic properties of magnetic materials.

Ultrafast Librational Relaxation of H2O in Liquid Water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Jakob; Møller, Klaus Braagaard; Rey, Rossend

2013-01-01

The ultrafast librational (hindered rotational) relaxation of a rotationally excited H2O molecule in pure liquid water is investigated by means of classical nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and a power and work analysis. This analysis allows the mechanism of the energy transfer from...... the excited H2O to its water neighbors, which occurs on a sub-100 fs time scale, to be followed in molecular detail, i.e., to determine which water molecules receive the energy and in which degrees of freedom. It is found that the dominant energy flow is to the four hydrogen-bonded water partners in the first...

Probing ultrafast changes of spin and charge density profiles with resonant XUV magnetic reflectivity at the free-electron laser FERMI.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutt, C; Sant, T; Ksenzov, D; Capotondi, F; Pedersoli, E; Raimondi, L; Nikolov, I P; Kiskinova, M; Jaiswal, S; Jakob, G; Kläui, M; Zabel, H; Pietsch, U

2017-09-01

We report the results of resonant magnetic XUV reflectivity experiments performed at the XUV free-electron laser FERMI. Circularly polarized XUV light with the photon energy tuned to the Fe M 2,3 edge is used to measure resonant magnetic reflectivities and the corresponding Q -resolved asymmetry of a Permalloy/Ta/Permalloy trilayer film. The asymmetry exhibits ultrafast changes on 240 fs time scales upon pumping with ultrashort IR laser pulses. Depending on the value of the wavevector transfer Q z , we observe both decreasing and increasing values of the asymmetry parameter, which is attributed to ultrafast changes in the vertical spin and charge density profiles of the trilayer film.

Ultrafast Graphene Photonics and Optoelectronics

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-14

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2017-0032 Ultrafast Graphene Photonics and Optoelectronics Kuang-Hsiung Wu National Chiao Tung University Final Report 04/14/2017...DATES COVERED (From - To) 18 Apr 2013 to 17 Apr 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Ultrafast Graphene Photonics and Optoelectronics 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b...Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Final Report for AOARD Grant FA2386-13-1-4022 “Ultrafast Graphene Photonics and Optoelectronics” Date May 23th, 2016

Femtochemistry and femtobiology ultrafast dynamics in molecular science

CERN Document Server

Douhal, Abderrazzak

2002-01-01

This book contains important contributions from top international scientists on the-state-of-the-art of femtochemistry and femtobiology at the beginning of the new millennium. It consists of reviews and papers on ultrafast dynamics in molecular science.The coverage of topics highlights several important features of molecular science from the viewpoint of structure (space domain) and dynamics (time domain). First of all, the book presents the latest developments, such as experimental techniques for understanding ultrafast processes in gas, condensed and complex systems, including biological mol

Ultrafast Science Opportunities with Electron Microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DURR, HERMANN; Wang, X.J., ed.

2016-04-28

X-rays and electrons are two of the most fundamental probes of matter. When the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s first x-ray free electron laser, began operation in 2009, it transformed ultrafast science with the ability to generate laser-like x-ray pulses from the manipulation of relativistic electron beams. This document describes a similar future transformation. In Transmission Electron Microscopy, ultrafast relativistic (MeV energy) electron pulses can achieve unsurpassed spatial and temporal resolution. Ultrafast temporal resolution will be the next frontier in electron microscopy and can ideally complement ultrafast x-ray science done with free electron lasers. This document describes the Grand Challenge science opportunities in chemistry, material science, physics and biology that arise from an MeV ultrafast electron diffraction & microscopy facility, especially when coupled with linac-based intense THz and X-ray pump capabilities.

Picosecond phase-velocity dispersion of hypersonic phonons imaged with ultrafast electron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cremons, Daniel R.; Du, Daniel X.; Flannigan, David J.

2017-01-01

We describe the direct imaging—with four-dimensional ultrafast electron microscopy—of the emergence, evolution, dispersion, and decay of photoexcited, hypersonic coherent acoustic phonons in nanoscale germanium wedges. Coherent strain waves generated via ultrafast in situ photoexcitation were imaged propagating with initial phase velocities of up to 35 km/s across discrete micrometer-scale crystal regions. We then observe that, while each wave front travels at a constant velocity, the entire wave train evolves with a time-varying phase-velocity dispersion, displaying a single-exponential decay to the longitudinal speed of sound (5 km/s) and with a mean lifetime of 280 ps. We also find that the wave trains propagate along a single in-plane direction oriented parallel to striations introduced during specimen preparation, independent of crystallographic direction. Elastic-plate modeling indicates the dynamics arise from excitation of a single, symmetric (dilatational) guided acoustic mode. Further, by precisely determining the experiment time-zero position with a plasma-lensing method, we find that wave-front emergence occurs approximately 100 ps after femtosecond photoexcitation, which matches well with Auger recombination times in germanium. We conclude by discussing the similarities between the imaged hypersonic strain-wave dynamics and electron/hole plasma-wave dynamics in strongly photoexcited semiconductors.

Picosecond phase-velocity dispersion of hypersonic phonons imaged with ultrafast electron microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Cremons, Daniel R.; Du, Daniel X.; Flannigan, David J.

2017-12-01

Here, we describe the direct imaging—with four-dimensional ultrafast electron microscopy—of the emergence, evolution, dispersion, and decay of photoexcited, hypersonic coherent acoustic phonons in nanoscale germanium wedges. Coherent strain waves generated via ultrafast in situ photoexcitation were imaged propagating with initial phase velocities of up to 35 km/s across discrete micrometer-scale crystal regions. We observe that, while each wave front travels at a constant velocity, the entire wave train evolves with a time-varying phase-velocity dispersion, displaying a single-exponential decay to the longitudinal speed of sound (5 km/s) and with a mean lifetime of 280 ps. We also find that the wave trains propagate along a single in-plane direction oriented parallel to striations introduced during specimen preparation, independent of crystallographic direction. Elastic-plate modeling indicates the dynamics arise from excitation of a single, symmetric (dilatational) guided acoustic mode. Further, by precisely determining the experiment time-zero position with a plasma-lensing method, we find that wave-front emergence occurs approximately 100 ps after femtosecond photoexcitation, which matches well with Auger recombination times in germanium. We conclude by discussing the similarities between the imaged hypersonic strain-wave dynamics and electron/hole plasma-wave dynamics in strongly photoexcited semiconductors.

Ultrafast carrier thermalization and cooling dynamics in few-layer MoS2.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Zhaogang; Long, Run; Sun, Linfeng; Huang, Chung-Che; Zhang, Jun; Xiong, Qihua; Hewak, Daniel W; Shen, Zexiang; Prezhdo, Oleg V; Loh, Zhi-Heng

2014-10-28

Femtosecond optical pump-probe spectroscopy with 10 fs visible pulses is employed to elucidate the ultrafast carrier dynamics of few-layer MoS2. A nonthermal carrier distribution is observed immediately following the photoexcitation of the A and B excitonic transitions by the ultrashort, broadband laser pulse. Carrier thermalization occurs within 20 fs and proceeds via both carrier-carrier and carrier-phonon scattering, as evidenced by the observed dependence of the thermalization time on the carrier density and the sample temperature. The n(-0.37 ± 0.03) scaling of the thermalization time with carrier density suggests that equilibration of the nonthermal carrier distribution occurs via non-Markovian quantum kinetics. Subsequent cooling of the hot Fermi-Dirac carrier distribution occurs on the ∼ 0.6 ps time scale via carrier-phonon scattering. Temperature- and fluence-dependence studies reveal the involvement of hot phonons in the carrier cooling process. Nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, which predict carrier-carrier and carrier-phonon scattering time scales of 40 fs and 0.5 ps, respectively, lend support to the assignment of the observed carrier dynamics.

Science at the Time-scale of the Electron

Science.gov (United States)

Murnane, Margaret

2010-03-01

Replace this text with your abstract Ever since the invention of the laser 50 years ago and its application in nonlinear optics, scientists have been striving to extend coherent laser beams into the x-ray region of the spectrum. Very recently however, the prospects for tabletop coherent sources, with attosecond pulse durations, at very short wavelengths even in the hard x-ray region of the spectrum at wavelengths movie of how electron orbitals in a molecule change shape as a molecule breaks apart, following how fast a magnetic material can flip orientation, understanding how fast heat flows in a nanocircuit, or building a microscope without lenses. [4pt] [1] T. Popmintchev et al., ``Phase matched upconversion of coherent ultrafast laser light into the soft and hard x-ray regions of the spectrum'', PNAS 106, 10516 (2009). [0pt] [2] C. LaOVorakiat et al., ``Ultrafast Soft X-Ray Magneto-Optics at the M-edge Using a Tabletop High-Harmonic Source'', Physical Review Letters 103, 257402 (2009). [0pt] [3] M. Siemens et al. ``Measurement of quasi-ballistic heat transport across nanoscale interfaces using ultrafast coherent soft x-ray beams'', Nature Materials 9, 26 (2010). [0pt] [4] K. Raines et al., ``Three-dimensional structure determination from a single view,'' Nature 463, 214 (2010). [0pt] [5] W. Li et al., ``Time-resolved Probing of Dynamics in Polyatomic Molecules using High Harmonic Generation'', Science 322, 1207 (2008).

Ultrafast Hierarchical OTDM/WDM Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hideyuki Sotobayashi

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Ultrafast hierarchical OTDM/WDM network is proposed for the future core-network. We review its enabling technologies: C- and L-wavelength-band generation, OTDM-WDM mutual multiplexing format conversions, and ultrafast OTDM wavelengthband conversions.

Demonstration of Ultra-Fast Switching in Nano metallic Resistive Switching Memory Devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Y.

2016-01-01

Interdependency of switching voltage and time creates a dilemma/obstacle for most resistive switching memories, which indicates low switching voltage and ultra-fast switching time cannot be simultaneously achieved. In this paper, an ultra-fast (sub-100 ns) yet low switching voltage resistive switching memory device (“nano metallic ReRAM”) was demonstrated. Experimental switching voltage is found independent of pulse width (intrinsic device property) when the pulse is long but shows abrupt time dependence (“cliff”) as pulse width approaches characteristic RC time of memory device (extrinsic device property). Both experiment and simulation show that the onset of cliff behavior is dependent on physical device size and parasitic resistance, which is expected to diminish as technology nodes shrink down. We believe this study provides solid evidence that nano metallic resistive switching memory can be reliably operated at low voltage and ultra-fast regime, thus beneficial to future memory technology.

Time to enhancement derived from ultrafast breast MRI as a novel parameter to discriminate benign from malignant breast lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mus, Roel D.; Borelli, Cristina; Bult, Peter; Weiland, Elisabeth; Karssemeijer, Nico; Barentsz, Jelle O.; Gubern-Mérida, Albert; Platel, Bram; Mann, Ritse M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • New view-sharing sequences (e.g. TWIST) enable ultrafast dynamic breast MRI. • TWIST sequences accurately characterize the inflow of contrast in breast lesions. • TTE evaluation allows breast lesion classification with very high accuracy. • The use of TTE significantly increases the specificity of breast MRI. • TWIST imaging may increase the potential of breast MRI as screening tool. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate time to enhancement (TTE) as novel dynamic parameter for lesion classification in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: In this retrospective study, 157 women with 195 enhancing abnormalities (99 malignant and 96 benign) were included. All patients underwent a bi-temporal MRI protocol that included ultrafast time-resolved angiography with stochastic trajectory (TWIST) acquisitions (1.0 × 0.9 × 2.5 mm, temporal resolution 4.32 s), during the inflow of contrast agent. TTE derived from TWIST series and relative enhancement versus time curve type derived from volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) series were assessed and combined with basic morphological information to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and kappa statistics were applied. Results: TTE had a significantly better discriminative ability than curve type (p < 0.001 and p = 0.026 for reader 1 and 2, respectively). Including morphology, sensitivity of TWIST and VIBE assessment was equivalent (p = 0.549 and p = 0.344, respectively). Specificity and diagnostic accuracy were significantly higher for TWIST than for VIBE assessment (p < 0.001). Inter-reader agreement in differentiating malignant from benign lesions was almost perfect for TWIST evaluation (κ = 0.86) and substantial for conventional assessment (κ = 0.75). Conclusions: TTE derived from ultrafast TWIST acquisitions is a valuable parameter that allows robust differentiation between malignant and benign breast lesions with high

Time to enhancement derived from ultrafast breast MRI as a novel parameter to discriminate benign from malignant breast lesions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mus, Roel D., E-mail: aroel.mus@radboudumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Borelli, Cristina, E-mail: cristinaborelli@hotmail.it [Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia (Italy); Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center (internal address 766), Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Bult, Peter, E-mail: peter.bult@radboudumc.nl [Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Weiland, Elisabeth, E-mail: elisabeth.weiland@siemens.com [Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen (Germany); Karssemeijer, Nico, E-mail: nico.karssemeijer@radboudumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Barentsz, Jelle O., E-mail: jelle.barentsz@radboudumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Gubern-Mérida, Albert, E-mail: albert.gubernmerida@radboudumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Platel, Bram, E-mail: bram.platel@radboudumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands); Mann, Ritse M., E-mail: ritse.mann@radboudumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • New view-sharing sequences (e.g. TWIST) enable ultrafast dynamic breast MRI. • TWIST sequences accurately characterize the inflow of contrast in breast lesions. • TTE evaluation allows breast lesion classification with very high accuracy. • The use of TTE significantly increases the specificity of breast MRI. • TWIST imaging may increase the potential of breast MRI as screening tool. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate time to enhancement (TTE) as novel dynamic parameter for lesion classification in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: In this retrospective study, 157 women with 195 enhancing abnormalities (99 malignant and 96 benign) were included. All patients underwent a bi-temporal MRI protocol that included ultrafast time-resolved angiography with stochastic trajectory (TWIST) acquisitions (1.0 × 0.9 × 2.5 mm, temporal resolution 4.32 s), during the inflow of contrast agent. TTE derived from TWIST series and relative enhancement versus time curve type derived from volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) series were assessed and combined with basic morphological information to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and kappa statistics were applied. Results: TTE had a significantly better discriminative ability than curve type (p < 0.001 and p = 0.026 for reader 1 and 2, respectively). Including morphology, sensitivity of TWIST and VIBE assessment was equivalent (p = 0.549 and p = 0.344, respectively). Specificity and diagnostic accuracy were significantly higher for TWIST than for VIBE assessment (p < 0.001). Inter-reader agreement in differentiating malignant from benign lesions was almost perfect for TWIST evaluation (κ = 0.86) and substantial for conventional assessment (κ = 0.75). Conclusions: TTE derived from ultrafast TWIST acquisitions is a valuable parameter that allows robust differentiation between malignant and benign breast lesions with high

Probing ultrafast changes of spin and charge density profiles with resonant XUV magnetic reflectivity at the free-electron laser FERMI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Gutt

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We report the results of resonant magnetic XUV reflectivity experiments performed at the XUV free-electron laser FERMI. Circularly polarized XUV light with the photon energy tuned to the Fe M2,3 edge is used to measure resonant magnetic reflectivities and the corresponding Q-resolved asymmetry of a Permalloy/Ta/Permalloy trilayer film. The asymmetry exhibits ultrafast changes on 240 fs time scales upon pumping with ultrashort IR laser pulses. Depending on the value of the wavevector transfer Qz, we observe both decreasing and increasing values of the asymmetry parameter, which is attributed to ultrafast changes in the vertical spin and charge density profiles of the trilayer film.

Ultrafast lattice dynamics in photoexcited nanostructures. Femtosecond X-ray diffraction with optimized evaluation schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schick, Daniel

2013-01-01

resulting X-ray diffraction response in photoexcited one-dimensional crystalline structures was developed in this thesis work. With the powerful experimental and theoretical framework at hand, I have studied the excitation and propagation of coherent phonons in more complex material systems. In particular, I have revealed strongly localized charge carriers after above-bandgap femtosecond photoexcitation of the prototypical multiferroic BiFeO 3 , which are the origin of a quasi-instantaneous and spatially inhomogeneous stress that drives coherent phonons in a thin film of the multiferroic. In a structurally imperfect thin film of the ferroelectric Pb(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 , the ultrafast reciprocal-space mapping technique was applied to follow a purely strain-induced change of mosaicity on a picosecond time scale. These results point to a strong coupling of in- and out-of-plane atomic motion exclusively mediated by structural defects.

Cutting-Edge High-Power Ultrafast Thin Disk Oscillators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Südmeyer

2013-04-01

Full Text Available A growing number of applications in science and industry are currently pushing the development of ultrafast laser technologies that enable high average powers. SESAM modelocked thin disk lasers (TDLs currently achieve higher pulse energies and average powers than any other ultrafast oscillator technology, making them excellent candidates in this goal. Recently, 275 W of average power with a pulse duration of 583 fs were demonstrated, which represents the highest average power so far demonstrated from an ultrafast oscillator. In terms of pulse energy, TDLs reach more than 40 μJ pulses directly from the oscillator. In addition, another major milestone was recently achieved, with the demonstration of a TDL with nearly bandwidth-limited 96-fs long pulses. The progress achieved in terms of pulse duration of such sources enabled the first measurement of the carrier-envelope offset frequency of a modelocked TDL, which is the first key step towards full stabilization of such a source. We will present the key elements that enabled these latest results, as well as an outlook towards the next scaling steps in average power, pulse energy and pulse duration of such sources. These cutting-edge sources will enable exciting new applications, and open the door to further extending the current performance milestones.

Tracking ultrafast relaxation dynamics of furan by femtosecond photoelectron imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yuzhu; Knopp, Gregor; Qin, Chaochao; Gerber, Thomas

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Relaxation dynamics of furan are tracked by femtosecond photoelectron imaging. • The mechanism for ultrafast formation of α-carbene and β-carbene is proposed. • Ultrafast internal conversion from S 2 to S 1 is observed. • The transient characteristics of the fragment ions are obtained. • Single-color multi-photon ionization dynamics at 800 nm are also studied. - Abstract: Ultrafast internal conversion dynamics of furan has been studied by femtosecond photoelectron imaging (PEI) coupled with photofragmentation (PF) spectroscopy. Photoelectron imaging of single-color multi-photon ionization and two-color pump–probe ionization are obtained and analyzed. Photoelectron bands are assigned to the related states. The time evolution of the photoelectron signal by pump–probe ionization can be well described by a biexponential decay: two rapid relaxation pathways with time constants of ∼15 fs and 85 (±11) fs. The rapid relaxation is ascribed to the ultrafast internal conversion (IC) from the S 2 state to the vibrationally hot S 1 state. The second relaxation process is attributed to the redistributions and depopulation of secondarily populated high vibronic S 1 state and the formation of α-carbene and β-carbene by H immigration. Additionally, the transient characteristics of the fragment ions are also measured and discussed as a complementary understanding

Avant-Garde Ultrafast Laser Writing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazansky P. G.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Ultrafast laser processing of transparent materials reveals new phenomena. Reviewed, are recent demonstrations of 5D optical memory, vortex polarization and Airy beam converters employing self-assembled nanostructuring, ultrafast laser calligraphy and polarization writing control using pulses with tilted front.

Ultrafast nonlinear optics

CERN Document Server

Leburn, Christopher; Reid, Derryck

2013-01-01

The field of ultrafast nonlinear optics is broad and multidisciplinary, and encompasses areas concerned with both the generation and measurement of ultrashort pulses of light, as well as those concerned with the applications of such pulses. Ultrashort pulses are extreme events – both in terms of their durations, and also the high peak powers which their short durations can facilitate. These extreme properties make them powerful experiment tools. On one hand, their ultrashort durations facilitate the probing and manipulation of matter on incredibly short timescales. On the other, their ultrashort durations can facilitate high peak powers which can drive highly nonlinear light-matter interaction processes. Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics covers a complete range of topics, both applied and fundamental in nature, within the area of ultrafast nonlinear optics. Chapters 1 to 4 are concerned with the generation and measurement of ultrashort pulses. Chapters 5 to 7 are concerned with fundamental applications of ultrasho...

Ultrafast spectroscopy of model biological membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ghosh, Avishek

2009-01-01

In this PhD thesis, I have described the novel time-resolved sum-frequency generation (TR-SFG) spectroscopic technique that I developed during the course of my PhD research and used it study the ultrafast vibrational, structural and orientational dynamics of water molecules at model biological

Probing Ultrafast Electron Dynamics at Surfaces Using Soft X-Ray Transient Reflectivity Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, L. Robert; Husek, Jakub; Biswas, Somnath; Cirri, Anthony

The ability to probe electron dynamics with surface sensitivity on the ultrafast time scale is critical for understanding processes such as charge separation, injection, and surface trapping that mediate efficiency in catalytic and energy conversion materials. Toward this goal, we have developed a high harmonic generation (HHG) light source for femtosecond soft x-ray reflectivity. Using this light source we investigated the ultrafast carrier dynamics at the surface of single crystalline α-Fe2O3, polycrystalline α-Fe2O3, and the mixed metal oxide, CuFeO2. We have recently demonstrated that CuFeO2 in particular is a selective catalyst for photo-electrochemical CO2 reduction to acetate; however, the role of electronic structure and charge carrier dynamics in mediating catalytic selectivity has not been well understood. Soft x-ray reflectivity measurements probe the M2,3, edges of the 3d transition metals, which provide oxidation and spin state resolution with element specificity. In addition to chemical state specificity, these measurements are also surface sensitive, and by independently simulating the contributions of the real and imaginary components of the complex refractive index, we can differentiate between surface and sub-surface contributions to the excited state spectrum. Accordingly, this work demonstrates the ability to probe ultrafast carrier dynamics in catalytic materials with element and chemical state specificity and with surface sensitivity.

Fast and ultrafast MR-imaging of the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulthess, G.K. von; Davis, C.P.; Debatin, J.F.; McKinnon, G.C.

1995-01-01

MRI has been hampered by long image acquisition times. This combined with its non-realtime nature and the limited spatial resolution has made it difficult to extend MRT to the study of small cardiac structures. Recent technical improvements have made breath-held or realtime MRI feasible and thus laid the foundations for further applications in the field of cardiovascular imaging, notably MR coronary angiography, imaging of cardiac valve leaflets, as well as firstpass perfusion studies. Moreover ultrafast MR techniques may eventually replace conventional data acquisition strategies and thus drastically increase patient throughput by shortening acquisition time. This article provides an overview of the technical advances in MRI and their application to the cardiovascular system and discusses possibilities of combined ultrafast and interventional strategies. (orig.) [de

Ultrafast atomic-scale visualization of acoustic phonons generated by optically excited quantum dots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni M. Vanacore

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Understanding the dynamics of atomic vibrations confined in quasi-zero dimensional systems is crucial from both a fundamental point-of-view and a technological perspective. Using ultrafast electron diffraction, we monitored the lattice dynamics of GaAs quantum dots—grown by Droplet Epitaxy on AlGaAs—with sub-picosecond and sub-picometer resolutions. An ultrafast laser pulse nearly resonantly excites a confined exciton, which efficiently couples to high-energy acoustic phonons through the deformation potential mechanism. The transient behavior of the measured diffraction pattern reveals the nonequilibrium phonon dynamics both within the dots and in the region surrounding them. The experimental results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a non-Markovian decoherence, according to which the optical excitation creates a localized polaron within the dot and a travelling phonon wavepacket that leaves the dot at the speed of sound. These findings indicate that integration of a phononic emitter in opto-electronic devices based on quantum dots for controlled communication processes can be fundamentally feasible.

Chirped pulse digital holography for measuring the sequence of ultrafast optical wavefronts

Science.gov (United States)

Karasawa, Naoki

2018-04-01

Optical setups for measuring the sequence of ultrafast optical wavefronts using a chirped pulse as a reference wave in digital holography are proposed and analyzed. In this method, multiple ultrafast object pulses are used to probe the temporal evolution of ultrafast phenomena and they are interfered with a chirped reference wave to record a digital hologram. Wavefronts at different times can be reconstructed separately from the recorded hologram when the reference pulse can be treated as a quasi-monochromatic wave during the pulse width of each object pulse. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated by numerical simulation.

Experiments with trapped ions and ultrafast laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kale Gifford

Since the dawn of quantum information science, laser-cooled trapped atomic ions have been one of the most compelling systems for the physical realization of a quantum computer. By applying qubit state dependent forces to the ions, their collective motional modes can be used as a bus to realize entangling quantum gates. Ultrafast state-dependent kicks [1] can provide a universal set of quantum logic operations, in conjunction with ultrafast single qubit rotations [2], which uses only ultrafast laser pulses. This may present a clearer route to scaling a trapped ion processor [3]. In addition to the role that spin-dependent kicks (SDKs) play in quantum computation, their utility in fundamental quantum mechanics research is also apparent. In this thesis, we present a set of experiments which demonstrate some of the principle properties of SDKs including ion motion independence (we demonstrate single ion thermometry from the ground state to near room temperature and the largest Schrodinger cat state ever created in an oscillator), high speed operations (compared with conventional atom-laser interactions), and multi-qubit entanglement operations with speed that is not fundamentally limited by the trap oscillation frequency. We also present a method to provide higher stability in the radial mode ion oscillation frequencies of a linear radiofrequency (rf) Paul trap-a crucial factor when performing operations on the rf-sensitive modes. Finally, we present the highest atomic position sensitivity measurement of an isolated atom to date of 0.5 nm Hz. (-1/2) with a minimum uncertaintyof 1.7 nm using a 0.6 numerical aperature (NA) lens system, along with a method to correct aberrations and a direct position measurement of ion micromotion (the inherent oscillations of an ion trapped in an oscillating rf field). This development could be used to directly image atom motion in the quantum regime, along with sensing forces at the yoctonewton [10. (-24) N)] scale forgravity sensing

Ultra-fast ipsilateral DPOAE adaptation not modulated by attention?

Science.gov (United States)

Dalhoff, Ernst; Zelle, Dennis; Gummer, Anthony W.

2018-05-01

Efferent stimulation of outer hair cells is supposed to attenuate cochlear amplification of sound waves and is accompanied by reduced DPOAE amplitudes. Recently, a method using two subsequent f2 pulses during presentation of a longer f1 pulse was introduced to measure fast ipsilateral adaptation effects on separated DPOAE components. Compensating primary-tone onsets for their latencies at the f2-tonotopic place, the average adaptation measured in four normal-hearing subjects was 5.0 dB with a time constant below 5 ms. In the present study, two experiments were performed to determine the origin of this ultra-fast ipsilateral adaptation effect. The first experiment measured ultra-fast ipsilateral adaptation using a two-pulse paradigm at three frequencies in the four subjects, while controlling for visual attention of the subjects. The other experiment also controlled for visual attention, but utilized a sequence of f2 short pulses in the presence of a continuous f1 tone to sample ipsilateral adaptation effects with longer time constants in eight subjects. In the first experiment, no significant change in the ultra-fast adaptation between non-directed attention and visual attention could be detected. In contrast, the second experiment revealed significant changes in the magnitude of the slower ipsilateral adaptation in the visual-attention condition. In conclusion, the lack of an attentional influence indicates that the ultra-fast ipsilateral DPOAE adaptation is not solely mediated by the medial olivocochlear reflex.

Multi-time-scale heat transfer modeling of turbid tissues exposed to short-pulsed irradiations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyunghan; Guo, Zhixiong

2007-05-01

A combined hyperbolic radiation and conduction heat transfer model is developed to simulate multi-time-scale heat transfer in turbid tissues exposed to short-pulsed irradiations. An initial temperature response of a tissue to an ultrashort pulse irradiation is analyzed by the volume-average method in combination with the transient discrete ordinates method for modeling the ultrafast radiation heat transfer. This response is found to reach pseudo steady state within 1 ns for the considered tissues. The single pulse result is then utilized to obtain the temperature response to pulse train irradiation at the microsecond/millisecond time scales. After that, the temperature field is predicted by the hyperbolic heat conduction model which is solved by the MacCormack's scheme with error terms correction. Finally, the hyperbolic conduction is compared with the traditional parabolic heat diffusion model. It is found that the maximum local temperatures are larger in the hyperbolic prediction than the parabolic prediction. In the modeled dermis tissue, a 7% non-dimensional temperature increase is found. After about 10 thermal relaxation times, thermal waves fade away and the predictions between the hyperbolic and parabolic models are consistent.

Measurements of Electron Transport in Foils Irradiated with a Picosecond Time Scale Laser Pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, C. R. D.; Hoarty, D. J.; James, S. F.; Swatton, D.; Hughes, S. J.; Morton, J. W.; Guymer, T. M.; Hill, M. P.; Chapman, D. A.; Andrew, J. E.; Comley, A. J.; Shepherd, R.; Dunn, J.; Chen, H.; Schneider, M.; Brown, G.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Emig, J.

2011-01-01

The heating of solid foils by a picosecond time scale laser pulse has been studied by using x-ray emission spectroscopy. The target material was plastic foil with a buried layer of a spectroscopic tracer material. The laser pulse length was either 0.5 or 2 ps, which resulted in a laser irradiance that varied over the range 10 16 -10 19 W/cm 2 . Time-resolved measurements of the buried layer emission spectra using an ultrafast x-ray streak camera were used to infer the density and temperature conditions as a function of laser parameters and depth of the buried layer. Comparison of the data to different models of electron transport showed that they are consistent with a model of electron transport that predicts the bulk of the target heating is due to return currents.

Tracking ultrafast relaxation dynamics of furan by femtosecond photoelectron imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yuzhu, E-mail: yuzhu.liu@gmail.com [School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Knopp, Gregor [Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen 5232 (Switzerland); Qin, Chaochao [Department of Physics, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007 (China); Gerber, Thomas [Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen 5232 (Switzerland)

2015-01-13

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Relaxation dynamics of furan are tracked by femtosecond photoelectron imaging. • The mechanism for ultrafast formation of α-carbene and β-carbene is proposed. • Ultrafast internal conversion from S{sub 2} to S{sub 1} is observed. • The transient characteristics of the fragment ions are obtained. • Single-color multi-photon ionization dynamics at 800 nm are also studied. - Abstract: Ultrafast internal conversion dynamics of furan has been studied by femtosecond photoelectron imaging (PEI) coupled with photofragmentation (PF) spectroscopy. Photoelectron imaging of single-color multi-photon ionization and two-color pump–probe ionization are obtained and analyzed. Photoelectron bands are assigned to the related states. The time evolution of the photoelectron signal by pump–probe ionization can be well described by a biexponential decay: two rapid relaxation pathways with time constants of ∼15 fs and 85 (±11) fs. The rapid relaxation is ascribed to the ultrafast internal conversion (IC) from the S{sub 2} state to the vibrationally hot S{sub 1} state. The second relaxation process is attributed to the redistributions and depopulation of secondarily populated high vibronic S{sub 1} state and the formation of α-carbene and β-carbene by H immigration. Additionally, the transient characteristics of the fragment ions are also measured and discussed as a complementary understanding.

A new front-face optical cell for measuring weak fluorescent emissions with time resolution in the picosecond time scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Gryczynski, Z; Bucci, E

1993-11-01

Recent developments of ultrafast fluorimeters allow measuring time-resolved fluorescence on the picosecond time scale. This implies one is able to monitor lifetimes and anisotropy decays of highly quenched systems and of systems that contain fluorophores having lifetimes in the subnanosecond range; both systems that emit weak signals. The combination of weak signals and very short lifetimes makes the measurements prone to distortions which are negligible in standard fluorescence experiments. To cope with these difficulties, we have designed a new optical cell for front-face optics which offers to the excitation beam a horizontal free liquid surface in the absence of interactions with optical windows. The new cell has been tested with probes of known lifetimes and anisotropies. It proved very useful in detecting tryptophan fluorescence in hemoglobin. If only diluted samples are available, which cannot be used in front-face optics, regular square geometry can still be utilized by inserting light absorbers into a cuvette of 1 cm path length.

Ultrafast biophotonics

CERN Document Server

Vasa, P

2016-01-01

This book presents emerging contemporary optical techniques of ultrafast science which have opened entirely new vistas for probing biological entities and processes. The spectrum reaches from time-resolved imaging and multiphoton microscopy to cancer therapy and studies of DNA damage. The book displays interdisciplinary research at the interface of physics and biology. Emerging topics on the horizon are also discussed, like the use of squeezed light, frequency combs and terahertz imaging as the possibility of mimicking biological systems. The book is written in a manner to make it readily accessible to researchers, postgraduate biologists, chemists, engineers, and physicists and students of optics, biomedical optics, photonics and biotechnology.

Atomic and molecular dynamics triggered by ultrashort light pulses on the atto- to picosecond time scale

Science.gov (United States)

Pabst, Stefan

2013-04-01

Time-resolved investigations of ultrafast electronic and molecular dynamics were not possible until recently. The typical time scale of these processes is in the picosecond to attosecond realm. The tremendous technological progress in recent years made it possible to generate ultrashort pulses, which can be used to trigger, to watch, and to control atomic and molecular motion. This tutorial focuses on experimental and theoretical advances which are used to study the dynamics of electrons and molecules in the presence of ultrashort pulses. In the first part, the rotational dynamics of molecules, which happens on picosecond and femtosecond time scales, is reviewed. Well-aligned molecules are particularly suitable for angle-dependent investigations like x-ray diffraction or strong-field ionization experiments. In the second part, the ionization dynamics of atoms is studied. The characteristic time scale lies, here, in the attosecond to few-femtosecond regime. Although a one-particle picture has been successfully applied to many processes, many-body effects do constantly occur. After a broad overview of the main mechanisms and the most common tools in attosecond physics, examples of many-body dynamics in the attosecond world (e.g., in high-harmonic generation and attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy) are discussed.

Ultrafast THz saturable absorption in doped semiconductors at room temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turchinovich, Dmitry; Hoffmann, M. V.

2011-01-01

Ultrafast Phenomena XVII presents the latest advances in ultrafast science, including both ultrafast optical technology and the study of ultrafast phenomena. It covers picosecond, femtosecond and attosecond processes relevant to applications in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Ultraf...

Spin-state studies with XES and RIXS: From static to ultrafast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vankó, György; Bordage, Amélie; Glatzel, Pieter; Gallo, Erik; Rovezzi, Mauro; Gawelda, Wojciech; Galler, Andreas; Bressler, Christian; Doumy, Gilles; March, Anne Marie; Kanter, Elliot P.; Young, Linda; Southworth, Stephen H.; Canton, Sophie E.; Uhlig, Jens; Smolentsev, Grigory; Sundström, Villy; Haldrup, Kristoffer; Brandt van Driel, Tim; Nielsen, Martin M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We study light-induced spin-state transition of Fe(II) complexes in solution. ► Laser-pump-X-ray-probe spectroscopy is extended to MHz repetition rates. ► XES and RIXS compare well with the static spectra at thermal spin transition. ► The typical assumptions used in XES line shape analysis are validated. -- Abstract: We report on extending hard X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) along with resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) to study ultrafast phenomena in a pump-probe scheme at MHz repetition rates. The investigated systems include low-spin (LS) Fe II complex compounds, where optical pulses induce a spin-state transition to their (sub)nanosecond-lived high-spin (HS) state. Time-resolved XES clearly reflects the spin-state variations with very high signal-to-noise ratio, in agreement with HS–LS difference spectra measured at thermal spin crossover, and reference HS–LS systems in static experiments, next to multiplet calculations. The 1s2p RIXS, measured at the Fe 1s pre-edge region, shows variations after laser excitation, which are consistent with the formation of the HS state. Our results demonstrate that X-ray spectroscopy experiments with overall rather weak signals, such as RIXS, can now be reliably exploited to study chemical and physical transformations on ultrafast time scales

Structural dynamics of surfaces by ultrafast electron crystallography: experimental and multiple scattering theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Sascha; Liang, Wenxi; Zewail, Ahmed H

2011-12-07

Recent studies in ultrafast electron crystallography (UEC) using a reflection diffraction geometry have enabled the investigation of a wide range of phenomena on the femtosecond and picosecond time scales. In all these studies, the analysis of the diffraction patterns and their temporal change after excitation was performed within the kinematical scattering theory. In this contribution, we address the question, to what extent dynamical scattering effects have to be included in order to obtain quantitative information about structural dynamics. We discuss different scattering regimes and provide diffraction maps that describe all essential features of scatterings and observables. The effects are quantified by dynamical scattering simulations and examined by direct comparison to the results of ultrafast electron diffraction experiments on an in situ prepared Ni(100) surface, for which structural dynamics can be well described by a two-temperature model. We also report calculations for graphite surfaces. The theoretical framework provided here allows for further UEC studies of surfaces especially at larger penetration depths and for those of heavy-atom materials. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in a GaN/Al 0.18Ga0.82N superlattice

Science.gov (United States)

Mahler, Felix; Tomm, Jens W.; Reimann, Klaus; Woerner, Michael; Elsaesser, Thomas; Flytzanis, Christos; Hoffmann, Veit; Weyers, Markus

2018-04-01

Relaxation processes of photoexcited carriers in a GaN /Al0.18Ga0.82N superlattice are studied in femtosecond spectrally resolved reflectivity measurements at ambient temperature. The transient reflectivity reveals electron trapping into defect states close to the conduction-band minimum with a 150-200 fs time constant, followed by few-picosecond carrier cooling. A second slower trapping process into a different manifold of defect states is observed on a time scale of approximately 10 ps. Our results establish the prominent role of structural defects and disorder for ultrafast carrier dynamics in nitride semiconductor structures.

High-speed ultrafast laser machining with tertiary beam positioning (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chuan; Zhang, Haibin

2017-03-01

For an industrial laser application, high process throughput and low average cost of ownership are critical to commercial success. Benefiting from high peak power, nonlinear absorption and small-achievable spot size, ultrafast lasers offer advantages of minimal heat affected zone, great taper and sidewall quality, and small via capability that exceeds the limits of their predecessors in via drilling for electronic packaging. In the past decade, ultrafast lasers have both grown in power and reduced in cost. For example, recently, disk and fiber technology have both shown stable operation in the 50W to 200W range, mostly at high repetition rate (beyond 500 kHz) that helps avoid detrimental nonlinear effects. However, to effectively and efficiently scale the throughput with the fast-growing power capability of the ultrafast lasers while keeping the beneficial laser-material interactions is very challenging, mainly because of the bottleneck imposed by the inertia-related acceleration limit and servo gain bandwidth when only stages and galvanometers are being used. On the other side, inertia-free scanning solutions like acoustic optics and electronic optical deflectors have small scan field, and therefore not suitable for large-panel processing. Our recent system developments combine stages, galvanometers, and AODs into a coordinated tertiary architecture for high bandwidth and meanwhile large field beam positioning. Synchronized three-level movements allow extremely fast local speed and continuous motion over the whole stage travel range. We present the via drilling results from such ultrafast system with up to 3MHz pulse to pulse random access, enabling high quality low cost ultrafast machining with emerging high average power laser sources.

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in microcrystalline silicon probed by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fekete, Ladislav; Kužel, Petr; Němec, Hynek; Kadlec, Filip; Deyneka, Alexander; Stuchlík, Jiří; Fejfar, Antonín

2009-01-01

Roč. 79, č. 11 (2009), 115306/1-115306/13 ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06040; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100100902 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520; CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : microcrystalline silicon * amorphous silicon * terahertz * ultrafast * photoconductivity Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.475, year: 2009

Advanced ultrafast fiber laser sources enabled by fiber nonlinearities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wei

2017-05-01

Development of high power/energy ultrafast fiber lasers for scientific research and industrial applications is one of the most exciting fields in ultrafast optics. This thesis demonstrated new means to improve two essential properties - which are indispensable for novel applications such as high-harmonic generation (HHG) and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) - of an ultrafast fiber laser system: energy scaling capability and wavelength tunability. High photon-flux extreme ultraviolet sources enabled by HHG desire high power (>100 W), high repetition-rate (>1 MHz) ultrafast driving laser sources. We have constructed from scratch a high-power Yb-fiber laser system using the well-known chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) technique. Such a CPA system capable of producing ∝200-W average power consists of a monolithic Yb-fiber oscillator, an all-fiber stretcher, a pre-amplifier chain, a main amplifier constructed from rode-type large pitch fiber, and a diffraction-grating based compressor. To increase the HHG efficiency, ultrafast pulses with duration 130-W average power. The amplified pulses are compressed to 60-fs pulses with 100-W average power, constituting a suitable HHG driving source. MPM is a powerful biomedical imaging tool, featuring larger penetration depth while providing the capability of optical sectioning. Although femtosecond solid-state lasers have been widely accepted as the standard option as MPM driving sources, fiber-based sources have received growing research efforts due to their superior performance. In the second part of this thesis, we both theoretically and experimentally demonstrated a new method of producing wavelength widely tunable femtosecond pulses for driving MPM. We employed self-phase modulation to broaden a narrowband spectrum followed by bandpass filters to select the rightmost/leftmost spectral lobes. Widely tunable in 820-1225 nm, the resulting sources generated nearly transform-limited, ∝100 fs pulses. Using short fibers with large

Ultrafast Optical Modulation of Second- and Third-Harmonic Generation from Cut-Disk-Based Metasurfaces

KAUST Repository

Sartorello, Giovanni

2016-06-06

We design and fabricate a metasurface composed of gold cut-disk resonators that exhibits a strong coherent nonlinear response. We experimentally demonstrate all-optical modulation of both second- and third-harmonic signals on a subpicosecond time scale. Pump-probe experiments and numerical models show that the observed effects are due to the ultrafast response of the electronic excitations in the metal under external illumination. These effects pave the way for the development of novel active nonlinear metasurfaces with controllable and switchable coherent nonlinear response. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

High speed fluorescence imaging with compressed ultrafast photography

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, J. V.; Mason, J. D.; Beier, H. T.; Bixler, J. N.

2017-02-01

Fluorescent lifetime imaging is an optical technique that facilitates imaging molecular interactions and cellular functions. Because the excited lifetime of a fluorophore is sensitive to its local microenvironment,1, 2 measurement of fluorescent lifetimes can be used to accurately detect regional changes in temperature, pH, and ion concentration. However, typical state of the art fluorescent lifetime methods are severely limited when it comes to acquisition time (on the order of seconds to minutes) and video rate imaging. Here we show that compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) can be used in conjunction with fluorescent lifetime imaging to overcome these acquisition rate limitations. Frame rates up to one hundred billion frames per second have been demonstrated with compressed ultrafast photography using a streak camera.3 These rates are achieved by encoding time in the spatial direction with a pseudo-random binary pattern. The time domain information is then reconstructed using a compressed sensing algorithm, resulting in a cube of data (x,y,t) for each readout image. Thus, application of compressed ultrafast photography will allow us to acquire an entire fluorescent lifetime image with a single laser pulse. Using a streak camera with a high-speed CMOS camera, acquisition rates of 100 frames per second can be achieved, which will significantly enhance our ability to quantitatively measure complex biological events with high spatial and temporal resolution. In particular, we will demonstrate the ability of this technique to do single-shot fluorescent lifetime imaging of cells and microspheres.

Attosecond electron pulse trains and quantum state reconstruction in ultrafast transmission electron microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Priebe, Katharina E.; Rathje, Christopher; Yalunin, Sergey V.; Hohage, Thorsten; Feist, Armin; Schäfer, Sascha; Ropers, Claus

2017-12-01

Ultrafast electron and X-ray imaging and spectroscopy are the basis for an ongoing revolution in the understanding of dynamical atomic-scale processes in matter. The underlying technology relies heavily on laser science for the generation and characterization of ever shorter pulses. Recent findings suggest that ultrafast electron microscopy with attosecond-structured wavefunctions may be feasible. However, such future technologies call for means to both prepare and fully analyse the corresponding free-electron quantum states. Here, we introduce a framework for the preparation, coherent manipulation and characterization of free-electron quantum states, experimentally demonstrating attosecond electron pulse trains. Phase-locked optical fields coherently control the electron wavefunction along the beam direction. We establish a new variant of quantum state tomography—`SQUIRRELS'—for free-electron ensembles. The ability to tailor and quantitatively map electron quantum states will promote the nanoscale study of electron-matter entanglement and new forms of ultrafast electron microscopy down to the attosecond regime.

Ultrafast photoelectron spectroscopy of small molecule organic films

Science.gov (United States)

Read, Kendall Laine

As research in the field of ultrafast optics has produced shorter and shorter pulses, at an ever-widening range of frequencies, ultrafast spectroscopy has grown correspondingly. In particular, ultrafast photoelectron spectroscopy allows direct observation of electrons in transient or excited states, regardless of the eventual relaxation mechanisms. High-harmonic conversion of 800nm, femtosecond, Ti:sapphire laser pulses allows excite/probe spectroscopy down into atomic core level states. To this end, an ultrafast, X-UV photoelectron spectroscopic system is described, including design considerations for the high-harmonic generation line, the time of flight detector, and the subsequent data collection electronics. Using a similar experimental setup, I have performed several ultrafast, photoelectron excited state decay studies at the IBM, T. J. Watson Research Center. All of the observed materials were electroluminescent thin film organics, which have applications as the emitter layer in organic light emitting devices. The specific materials discussed are: Alq, BAlq, DPVBi, and Alq doped with DCM or DMQA. Alq:DCM is also known to lase at low photoexcitation thresholds. A detailed understanding of the involved relaxation mechanisms is beneficial to both applications. Using 3.14 eV excite, and 26.7 eV probe, 90 fs laser pulses, we have observed the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) decay rate over the first 200 picoseconds. During this time, diffusion is insignificant, and all dynamics occur in the absence of electron transport. With excitation intensities in the range of 100μJ/cm2, we have modeled the Alq, BAlq, and DPVBi decays via bimolecular singlet-singlet annihilation. At similar excitations, we have modeled the Alq:DCM decay via Förster transfer, stimulated emission, and excimeric formation. Furthermore, the Alq:DCM occupied to unoccupied molecular orbital energy gap was seen to shrink as a function of excite-to-probe delay, in accordance with the

Ultrafast Electric Field Pulse Control of Giant Temperature Change in Ferroelectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Y.; Liu, S.; Lindenberg, A. M.; Rappe, A. M.

2018-01-01

There is a surge of interest in developing environmentally friendly solid-state-based cooling technology. Here, we point out that a fast cooling rate (≈1011 K /s ) can be achieved by driving solid crystals to a high-temperature phase with a properly designed electric field pulse. Specifically, we predict that an ultrafast electric field pulse can cause a giant temperature decrease up to 32 K in PbTiO3 occurring on few picosecond time scales. We explain the underlying physics of this giant electric field pulse-induced temperature change with the concept of internal energy redistribution: the electric field does work on a ferroelectric crystal and redistributes its internal energy, and the way the kinetic energy is redistributed determines the temperature change and strongly depends on the electric field temporal profile. This concept is supported by our all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of PbTiO3 and BaTiO3 . Moreover, this internal energy redistribution concept can also be applied to understand electrocaloric effect. We further propose new strategies for inducing giant cooling effect with ultrafast electric field pulse. This Letter offers a general framework to understand electric-field-induced temperature change and highlights the opportunities of electric field engineering for controlled design of fast and efficient cooling technology.

Static and Ultrafast Transient Photophysics of Mono- and Dual-Branched Triarylamines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng-Ming, Li; Wen-Ke, Feng; Shu-Feng, Wang; Qi-Huang, Gong; Fan-Shun, Meng; He, Tian

2010-01-01

Mono- and dual-branched molecules, {4-[2-(4-benzothiazol-2-yl-phenyl)-vinyl]-phenyl}-(4-methoxy-phenyl) -phenyl-amine (BS1) and bis-{4-[2-(4-benzothiazol-2-yl-phenyl)-vinyl]-phenyl}-(4-methoxy-phenyl) -phenyl-amine (BS2), are investigated with one- and two-photon static spectroscopy, and the femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion technique. The molecules show branch-based fluorescence emission at low quantum yield. Ultrafast non-radiative decay on a picosecond time scale is found and is attributed to intramolecular charge-transfer bridged by the central triphenylamine. The two-photon absorption cross-sections of BS1 and BS2 are 19.1 and 19.4 GM, respectively. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Time scales of transient enhanced diffusion: Free and clustered interstitials

Science.gov (United States)

Cowern, N. E. B.; Huizing, H. G. A.; Stolk, P. A.; Visser, C. C. G.; de Kruif, R. C. M.; Kyllesbech Larsen, K.; Privitera, V.; Nanver, L. K.; Crans, W.

1996-12-01

Transient enhanced diffusion (TED) and electrical activation after nonamorphizing Si implantations into lightly B-doped Si multilayers shows two distinct timescales, each related to a different class of interstitial defect. At 700°C, ultrafast TED occurs within the first 15 s with a B diffusivity enhancement of > 2 × 10 5. Immobile clustered B is present at low concentration levels after the ultrafast transient and persists for an extended period (˜ 10 2-10 3 s). The later phase of TED exhibits a near-constant diffusivity enhancement of ≈ 1 × 10 4, consistent with interstitial injection controlled by dissolving {113} interstitial clusters. The relative contributions of the ultrafast and regular TED regimes to the final diffusive broadening of the B profile depends on the proportion of interstitials that escape capture by {113} clusters growing within the implant damage region upon annealing. Our results explain the ultrafast TED recently observed after medium-dose B implantation. In that case there are enough B atoms to trap a large proportion of interstitials in SiB clusters, and the remaining interstitials contribute to TED without passing through an intermediate {113} defect stage. The data on the ultrafast TED pulse allows us to extract lower limits for the diffusivities of the Si interstitial ( DI > 2 × 10 -10 cm 2s -1) and the B interstitial(cy) defect ( DBi > 2 × 10 -13 cm 2s -1) at 700°C.

Four-Dimensional Ultrafast Electron Microscopy: Insights into an Emerging Technique

KAUST Repository

Adhikari, Aniruddha

2016-12-15

Four-dimensional ultrafast electron microscopy (4D-UEM) is a novel analytical technique that aims to fulfill the long-held dream of researchers to investigate materials at extremely short spatial and temporal resolutions by integrating the excellent spatial resolution of electron microscopes with the temporal resolution of ultrafast femtosecond laser-based spectroscopy. The ingenious use of pulsed photoelectrons to probe surfaces and volumes of materials enables time-resolved snapshots of the dynamics to be captured in a way hitherto impossible by other conventional techniques. The flexibility of 4D-UEM lies in the fact that it can be used in both the scanning (S-UEM) and transmission (UEM) modes depending upon the type of electron microscope involved. While UEM can be employed to monitor elementary structural changes and phase transitions in samples using real-space mapping, diffraction, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and tomography, S-UEM is well suited to map ultrafast dynamical events on materials surfaces in space and time. This review provides an overview of the unique features that distinguish these techniques and also illustrates the applications of both S-UEM and UEM to a multitude of problems relevant to materials science and chemistry.

Diffraction contrast as a sensitive indicator of femtosecond sub-nanoscale motion in ultrafast transmission electron microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Cremons, Daniel R.; Schliep, Karl B.; Flannigan, David J.

2013-09-01

With ultrafast transmission electron microscopy (UTEM), access can be gained to the spatiotemporal scales required to directly visualize rapid, non-equilibrium structural dynamics of materials. This is achieved by operating a transmission electron microscope (TEM) in a stroboscopic pump-probe fashion by photoelectrically generating coherent, well-timed electron packets in the gun region of the TEM. These probe photoelectrons are accelerated down the TEM column where they travel through the specimen before reaching a standard, commercially-available CCD detector. A second laser pulse is used to excite (pump) the specimen in situ. Structural changes are visualized by varying the arrival time of the pump laser pulse relative to the probe electron packet at the specimen. Here, we discuss how ultrafast nanoscale motions of crystalline materials can be visualized and precisely quantified using diffraction contrast in UTEM. Because diffraction contrast sensitively depends upon both crystal lattice orientation as well as incoming electron wavevector, minor spatial/directional variations in either will produce dynamic and often complex patterns in real-space images. This is because sections of the crystalline material that satisfy the Laue conditions may be heterogeneously distributed such that electron scattering vectors vary over nanoscale regions. Thus, minor changes in either crystal grain orientation, as occurs during specimen tilting, warping, or anisotropic expansion, or in the electron wavevector result in dramatic changes in the observed diffraction contrast. In this way, dynamic contrast patterns observed in UTEM images can be used as sensitive indicators of ultrafast specimen motion. Further, these motions can be spatiotemporally mapped such that direction and amplitude can be determined.

NINO an ultrafast low-power front-end amplifier discriminator for the time-of-flight detector in the ALICE experiment

CERN Document Server

Anghinolfi, F; Krummenacher, F; Usenko, E; Williams, M C S

2004-01-01

An ultrafast front-end preamplifier-discriminator chip called NINO has been developed for use in the ALICE time-of-flight detector. The chip has eight channels. Each channel is designed with an amplifier with less than 1-ns peaking time, a discriminator with a minimum detection threshold of 10 fC and an output stage. The output pulse has minimum time jitter (less than 25 ps) on the front edge, and the pulsewidth is dependent of the input signal charge. Each channel consumes 27 mW, and the eight channels fit in a 2*4 mm/sup 2/ ASIC processed in IBM 0.25- mu m CMOS technology. (3 refs).

Discrete decoding based ultrafast multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Zhiliang; Lin, Liangjie; Ye, Qimiao; Li, Jing; Cai, Shuhui; Chen, Zhong

2015-01-01

The three-dimensional (3D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy constitutes an important and powerful tool in analyzing chemical and biological systems. However, the abundant 3D information arrives at the expense of long acquisition times lasting hours or even days. Therefore, there has been a continuous interest in developing techniques to accelerate recordings of 3D NMR spectra, among which the ultrafast spatiotemporal encoding technique supplies impressive acquisition speed by compressing a multidimensional spectrum in a single scan. However, it tends to suffer from tradeoffs among spectral widths in different dimensions, which deteriorates in cases of NMR spectroscopy with more dimensions. In this study, the discrete decoding is proposed to liberate the ultrafast technique from tradeoffs among spectral widths in different dimensions by focusing decoding on signal-bearing sites. For verifying its feasibility and effectiveness, we utilized the method to generate two different types of 3D spectra. The proposed method is also applicable to cases with more than three dimensions, which, based on the experimental results, may widen applications of the ultrafast technique

Discrete decoding based ultrafast multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhiliang; Lin, Liangjie; Ye, Qimiao; Li, Jing; Cai, Shuhui; Chen, Zhong

2015-07-01

The three-dimensional (3D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy constitutes an important and powerful tool in analyzing chemical and biological systems. However, the abundant 3D information arrives at the expense of long acquisition times lasting hours or even days. Therefore, there has been a continuous interest in developing techniques to accelerate recordings of 3D NMR spectra, among which the ultrafast spatiotemporal encoding technique supplies impressive acquisition speed by compressing a multidimensional spectrum in a single scan. However, it tends to suffer from tradeoffs among spectral widths in different dimensions, which deteriorates in cases of NMR spectroscopy with more dimensions. In this study, the discrete decoding is proposed to liberate the ultrafast technique from tradeoffs among spectral widths in different dimensions by focusing decoding on signal-bearing sites. For verifying its feasibility and effectiveness, we utilized the method to generate two different types of 3D spectra. The proposed method is also applicable to cases with more than three dimensions, which, based on the experimental results, may widen applications of the ultrafast technique.

Impact system for ultrafast synchrotron experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, B. J.; Owens, C. T.; Ramos, K. J.; Yeager, J. D.; Saavedra, R. A.; Luo, S. N.; Hooks, D. E.; Iverson, A. J.; Fezzaa, K.

2013-01-01

The impact system for ultrafast synchrotron experiments, or IMPULSE, is a 12.6-mm bore light-gas gun (<1 km/s projectile velocity) designed specifically for performing dynamic compression experiments using the advanced imaging and X-ray diffraction methods available at synchrotron sources. The gun system, capable of reaching projectile velocities up to 1 km/s, was designed to be portable for quick insertion/removal in the experimental hutch at Sector 32 ID-B of the Advanced Photon Source (Argonne, IL) while allowing the target chamber to rotate for sample alignment with the beam. A key challenge in using the gun system to acquire dynamic data on the nanosecond time scale was synchronization (or bracketing) of the impact event with the incident X-ray pulses (80 ps width). A description of the basic gun system used in previous work is provided along with details of an improved launch initiation system designed to significantly reduce the total system time from launch initiation to impact. Experiments were performed to directly measure the gun system time and to determine the gun performance curve for projectile velocities ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 km/s. All results show an average system time of 21.6 ± 4.5 ms, making it possible to better synchronize the gun system and detectors to the X-ray beam.

Advanced ultrafast fiber laser sources enabled by fiber nonlinearities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wei

2017-05-15

Development of high power/energy ultrafast fiber lasers for scientific research and industrial applications is one of the most exciting fields in ultrafast optics. This thesis demonstrated new means to improve two essential properties - which are indispensable for novel applications such as high-harmonic generation (HHG) and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) - of an ultrafast fiber laser system: energy scaling capability and wavelength tunability. High photon-flux extreme ultraviolet sources enabled by HHG desire high power (>100 W), high repetition-rate (>1 MHz) ultrafast driving laser sources. We have constructed from scratch a high-power Yb-fiber laser system using the well-known chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) technique. Such a CPA system capable of producing ∝200-W average power consists of a monolithic Yb-fiber oscillator, an all-fiber stretcher, a pre-amplifier chain, a main amplifier constructed from rode-type large pitch fiber, and a diffraction-grating based compressor. To increase the HHG efficiency, ultrafast pulses with duration <60 fs are highly desired. We proposed and demonstrated a novel amplification technique, named as pre-chirp managed amplification (PCMA). We successfully constructed an Yb-fiber based PCMA system that outputs 75-MHz spectrally broadened pulses with >130-W average power. The amplified pulses are compressed to 60-fs pulses with 100-W average power, constituting a suitable HHG driving source. MPM is a powerful biomedical imaging tool, featuring larger penetration depth while providing the capability of optical sectioning. Although femtosecond solid-state lasers have been widely accepted as the standard option as MPM driving sources, fiber-based sources have received growing research efforts due to their superior performance. In the second part of this thesis, we both theoretically and experimentally demonstrated a new method of producing wavelength widely tunable femtosecond pulses for driving MPM. We employed self-phase modulation

Ultrafast Non-Thermal Electron Dynamics in Single Layer Graphene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novoselov K.S.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We study the ultrafast dynamics of non-thermal electron relaxation in graphene upon impulsive excitation. The 10-fs resolution two color pump-probe allows us to unveil the non-equilibrium electron gas decay at early times.

Ultrafast dynamics of Coulomb correlated excitons in GaAs quantum wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mycek, M.A. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics]|[Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States). Materials Sciences Div.

1995-12-01

The author measures the transient nonlinear optical response of room temperature excitons in gallium arsenide quantum wells via multi-wave mixing experiments. The dynamics of the resonantly excited excitons is directly reflected by the ultrafast decay of the induced nonlinear polarization, which radiates the detected multi-wave mixing signal. She characterizes this ultrafast coherent emission in both amplitude and phase, using time- and frequency-domain measurement techniques, to better understand the role of Coulomb correlation in these systems. To interpret the experimental results, the nonlinear optical response of a dense medium is calculated using a model including Coulomb interaction. She contributes three new elements to previous theoretical and experimental studies of these systems. First, surpassing traditional time-integrated measurements, she temporally resolves the amplitude of the ultrafast coherent emission. Second, in addition to measuring the third-order four-wave mixing signal, she also investigates the fifth-order six-wave mixing response. Third, she characterizes the ultrafast phase dynamics of the nonlinear emission using interferometric techniques with an unprecedented resolution of approximately 140 attoseconds. The author finds that effects arising from Coulomb correlation dominate the nonlinear optical response when the density of excitons falls below 3 {times} 10{sup 11} cm{sup {minus}2}, the saturation density. These signatures of Coulomb correlation are investigated for increasing excitation density to gradually screen the interactions and test the validity of the model for dense media. The results are found to be qualitatively consistent with both the predictions of the model and with numerical solutions to the semiconductor Bloch equations. Importantly, the results also indicate current experimental and theoretical limitations, which should be addressed in future research.

Current-limiting and ultrafast system for the characterization of resistive random access memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz-Fortuny, J; Maestro, M; Martin-Martinez, J; Crespo-Yepes, A; Rodriguez, R; Nafria, M; Aymerich, X

2016-06-01

A new system for the ultrafast characterization of resistive switching phenomenon is developed to acquire the current during the Set and Reset process in a microsecond time scale. A new electronic circuit has been developed as a part of the main setup system, which is capable of (i) applying a hardware current limit ranging from nanoampers up to miliampers and (ii) converting the Set and Reset exponential gate current range into an equivalent linear voltage. The complete system setup allows measuring with a microsecond resolution. Some examples demonstrate that, with the developed setup, an in-depth analysis of resistive switching phenomenon and random telegraph noise can be made.

Functional MRI of the patellofemoral joint: comparison of ultrafast MRI, motion-triggered cine MRI and static MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muhle, C. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Brossmann, J. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Melchert, U.H. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Schroeder, C. [Radiologische Abt., Universitaets-Kinderklinik, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet, Kiel (Germany); Boer, R. de [Philips Medical Systems, Best (Netherlands); Spielmann, R.P. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Heller, M. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany)

1995-12-31

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of ultrafast MRI (u), patellar tracking from 30 of flexion to knee extension (0 ) was analysed and compared with motion-triggered cine MRI (m) and a static MRI technique (s). The different imaging methods were compared in respect of the patellofemoral relationship, the examination time and image quality. Eight healthy subjects and four patients (in total 18 joints) with patellar subluxation or luxation were examined. Significant differences between the static MRI series without quadriceps contraction and the functional MRI studies (motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI) were found for the patellar tilt angle. In the dynamic joint studies there was no statistical difference of the regression coefficients between the motion-triggered cine MRI studies and the ultrafast MRI studies. The findings of the functional MRI studies compared with the static MRI images were significantly different for the lateralisation of the patella, expressed by the lateral patellar displacement and bisect offset. No significant differences in patellar lateralisation were found between motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI. Ultrafast MRI was superior to motion-triggered cine MRI in terms of the reduction in imaging time and improvement of the image quality. (orig.)

Functional MRI of the patellofemoral joint: comparison of ultrafast MRI, motion-triggered cine MRI and static MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhle, C.; Brossmann, J.; Melchert, U.H.; Schroeder, C.; Boer, R. de; Spielmann, R.P.; Heller, M.

1995-01-01

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of ultrafast MRI (u), patellar tracking from 30 of flexion to knee extension (0 ) was analysed and compared with motion-triggered cine MRI (m) and a static MRI technique (s). The different imaging methods were compared in respect of the patellofemoral relationship, the examination time and image quality. Eight healthy subjects and four patients (in total 18 joints) with patellar subluxation or luxation were examined. Significant differences between the static MRI series without quadriceps contraction and the functional MRI studies (motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI) were found for the patellar tilt angle. In the dynamic joint studies there was no statistical difference of the regression coefficients between the motion-triggered cine MRI studies and the ultrafast MRI studies. The findings of the functional MRI studies compared with the static MRI images were significantly different for the lateralisation of the patella, expressed by the lateral patellar displacement and bisect offset. No significant differences in patellar lateralisation were found between motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI. Ultrafast MRI was superior to motion-triggered cine MRI in terms of the reduction in imaging time and improvement of the image quality. (orig.)

Measuring and understanding ultrafast phenomena using X-rays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haldrup, Kristoffer; Nielsen, Martin Meedom

2014-01-01

Within the last decade, significant advances in X-ray sources and instrumentation as well as simultaneous developments in analysis methodology has allowed the field of fast- and ultrafast time-resolved X-ray studies of solution-state systems to truly come of age. We here describe some aspects of ...

Ultrafast photon counting applied to resonant scanning STED microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xundong; Toro, Ligia; Stefani, Enrico; Wu, Yong

2015-01-01

To take full advantage of fast resonant scanning in super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, we have developed an ultrafast photon counting system based on a multigiga sample per second analogue-to-digital conversion chip that delivers an unprecedented 450 MHz pixel clock (2.2 ns pixel dwell time in each scan). The system achieves a large field of view (∼50 × 50 μm) with fast scanning that reduces photobleaching, and advances the time-gated continuous wave STED technology to the usage of resonant scanning with hardware-based time-gating. The assembled system provides superb signal-to-noise ratio and highly linear quantification of light that result in superior image quality. Also, the system design allows great flexibility in processing photon signals to further improve the dynamic range. In conclusion, we have constructed a frontier photon counting image acquisition system with ultrafast readout rate, excellent counting linearity, and with the capacity of realizing resonant-scanning continuous wave STED microscopy with online time-gated detection. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal Microscopical Society.

Femtosecond laser studies of ultrafast intramolecular processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayden, C. [Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States)

1993-12-01

The goal of this research is to better understand the detailed mechanisms of chemical reactions by observing, directly in time, the dynamics of fundamental chemical processes. In this work femtosecond laser pulses are used to initiate chemical processes and follow the progress of these processes in time. The authors are currently studying ultrafast internal conversion and subsequent intramolecular relaxation in unsaturated hydrocarbons. In addition, the authors are developing nonlinear optical techniques to prepare and monitor the time evolution of specific vibrational motions in ground electronic state molecules.

Ultrafast time-resolved carotenoid to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 complexes from photosynthetic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Hong; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Gibson, George N; LaFountain, Amy M; Kelsh, Rhiannon M; Gardiner, Alastair T; Cogdell, Richard J; Frank, Harry A

2008-08-28

Steady-state and ultrafast time-resolved optical spectroscopic investigations have been carried out at 293 and 10 K on LH2 pigment-protein complexes isolated from three different strains of photosynthetic bacteria: Rhodobacter (Rb.) sphaeroides G1C, Rb. sphaeroides 2.4.1 (anaerobically and aerobically grown), and Rps. acidophila 10050. The LH2 complexes obtained from these strains contain the carotenoids, neurosporene, spheroidene, spheroidenone, and rhodopin glucoside, respectively. These molecules have a systematically increasing number of pi-electron conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds. Steady-state absorption and fluorescence excitation experiments have revealed that the total efficiency of energy transfer from the carotenoids to bacteriochlorophyll is independent of temperature and nearly constant at approximately 90% for the LH2 complexes containing neurosporene, spheroidene, spheroidenone, but drops to approximately 53% for the complex containing rhodopin glucoside. Ultrafast transient absorption spectra in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the purified carotenoids in solution have revealed the energies of the S1 (2(1)Ag-)-->S2 (1(1)Bu+) excited-state transitions which, when subtracted from the energies of the S0 (1(1)Ag-)-->S2 (1(1)Bu+) transitions determined by steady-state absorption measurements, give precise values for the positions of the S1 (2(1)Ag-) states of the carotenoids. Global fitting of the ultrafast spectral and temporal data sets have revealed the dynamics of the pathways of de-excitation of the carotenoid excited states. The pathways include energy transfer to bacteriochlorophyll, population of the so-called S* state of the carotenoids, and formation of carotenoid radical cations (Car*+). The investigation has found that excitation energy transfer to bacteriochlorophyll is partitioned through the S1 (1(1)Ag-), S2 (1(1)Bu+), and S* states of the different carotenoids to varying degrees. This is understood through a consideration of the

Advanced Instrumentation for Ultrafast Science at the LCLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berrah, Nora [Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)

2015-10-13

This grant supported a Single Investigator and Small Group Research (SISGR) application to enable multi-user research in Ultrafast Science using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s first hard x-ray free electron laser (FEL) which lased for the first time at 1.5 Å on April 20, 2009. The goal of our proposal was to enable a New Era of Science by requesting funds to purchase and build Advanced Instrumentation for Ultrafast Science (AIUS), to utilize the intense, short x-ray pulses produced by the LCLS. The proposed instrumentation will allow peer review selected users to probe the ultrasmall and capture the ultrafast. These tools will expand on the investment already made in the construction of the light source and its instrumentation in both the LCLS and LUSI projects. The AIUS will provide researchers in the AMO, Chemical, Biological and Condensed Matter communities with greater flexibility in defining their scientific agenda at the LCLS. The proposed instrumentation will complement and significantly augment the present AMO instrument (funded through the LCLS project) through detectors and capabilities not included in the initial suite of instrumentation at the facility. We have built all of the instrumentations and they have been utilized by scientists. Please see report attached.

Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics of Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-Based Materials: Static versus Diffusion-Controlled Electron Transfer Process

KAUST Repository

Alsulami, Qana

2015-06-25

Singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing (ISC) and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) of platinum(II) containing diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) oligomer in the absence and presence of strong electron-acceptor tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) were investigated using femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with broadband capabilities. The role of platinum(II) incorporation in those photophysical properties was evaluated by comparing the excited-state dynamics of DPP with and without the metal centers. The steady-state measurements reveal that platinum(II) incorporation facilitates dramatically the interactions between DPP-Pt(acac) and TCNE, resulting in charge transfer (CT) complex formation. The transient absorption spectra in the absence of TCNE reveal ultrafast ISC of DPP-Pt(acac) followed by their long-lived triplet state. In the presence of TCNE, PET from the excited DPP-Pt(acac) and DPP to TCNE, forming the radical ion pairs. The ultrafast PET which occurs statically from DPP-Pt(acac) to TCNE in picosecond regime, is much faster than that from DPP to TCNE (nanosecond time scale) which is diffusion-controlled process, providing clear evidence that PET rate is eventually controlled by the platinum(II) incorporation.

Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics of Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-Based Materials: Static versus Diffusion-Controlled Electron Transfer Process

KAUST Repository

Alsulami, Qana; Aly, Shawkat Mohammede; Goswami, Subhadip; Alarousu, Erkki; Usman, Anwar; Schanze, Kirk S.; Mohammed, Omar F.

2015-01-01

Singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing (ISC) and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) of platinum(II) containing diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) oligomer in the absence and presence of strong electron-acceptor tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) were investigated using femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with broadband capabilities. The role of platinum(II) incorporation in those photophysical properties was evaluated by comparing the excited-state dynamics of DPP with and without the metal centers. The steady-state measurements reveal that platinum(II) incorporation facilitates dramatically the interactions between DPP-Pt(acac) and TCNE, resulting in charge transfer (CT) complex formation. The transient absorption spectra in the absence of TCNE reveal ultrafast ISC of DPP-Pt(acac) followed by their long-lived triplet state. In the presence of TCNE, PET from the excited DPP-Pt(acac) and DPP to TCNE, forming the radical ion pairs. The ultrafast PET which occurs statically from DPP-Pt(acac) to TCNE in picosecond regime, is much faster than that from DPP to TCNE (nanosecond time scale) which is diffusion-controlled process, providing clear evidence that PET rate is eventually controlled by the platinum(II) incorporation.

JY1 time scale: a new Kalman-filter time scale designed at NIST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Jian; Parker, Thomas E; Levine, Judah

2017-01-01

We report on a new Kalman-filter hydrogen-maser time scale (i.e. JY1 time scale) designed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The JY1 time scale is composed of a few hydrogen masers and a commercial Cs clock. The Cs clock is used as a reference clock to ease operations with existing data. Unlike other time scales, the JY1 time scale uses three basic time-scale equations, instead of only one equation. Also, this time scale can detect a clock error (i.e. time error, frequency error, or frequency drift error) automatically. These features make the JY1 time scale stiff and less likely to be affected by an abnormal clock. Tests show that the JY1 time scale deviates from the UTC by less than  ±5 ns for ∼100 d, when the time scale is initially aligned to the UTC and then is completely free running. Once the time scale is steered to a Cs fountain, it can maintain the time with little error even if the Cs fountain stops working for tens of days. This can be helpful when we do not have a continuously operated fountain or when the continuously operated fountain accidentally stops, or when optical clocks run occasionally. (paper)

Ultrafast Non-thermal Response of Plasmonic Resonance in Gold Nanoantennas

Science.gov (United States)

Soavi, Giancarlo; Valle, Giuseppe Della; Biagioni, Paolo; Cattoni, Andrea; Longhi, Stefano; Cerullo, Giulio; Brida, Daniele

Ultrafast thermalization of electrons in metal nanostructures is studied by means of pump-probe spectroscopy. We track in real-time the plasmon resonance evolution, providing a tool for understanding and controlling gold nanoantennas non-linear optical response.

Theory of pump–probe ultrafast photoemission and X-ray absorption spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujikawa, Takashi, E-mail: tfujikawa@faculty.chiba-u.jp; Niki, Kaori

2016-01-15

Highlights: • Pump–probe ultrafast XAFS and XPS spectra are theoretically studied. • Keldysh Green's function theory is applied. • Important many-body effects are explicitly included. - Abstract: Keldysh Green's function approach is extensively used in order to derive practical formulas to analyze pump–probe ultrafast photoemission and X-ray absorption spectra. Here the pump pulse is strong enough whereas the probe X-ray pulse can be treated by use of a perturbation theory. We expand full Green's function in terms of renormalized Green's function without the interaction between electrons and probe pulse. The present theoretical formulas allow us to handle the intrinsic and extrinsic losses, and furthermore resonant effects in X-ray Absorption Fine Structures (XAFS). To understand the radiation field screening in XPS spectra, we have to use more sophisticated theoretical approach. In the ultrafast XPS and XAFS analyses the intrinsic and extrinsic loss effects can interfere as well. In the XAFS studies careful analyses are necessary to handle extrinsic losses in terms of damped photoelectron propagation. The nonequilibrium dynamics after the pump pulse irradiation is well described by use of the time-dependent Dyson orbitals. Well above the edge threshold, ultrafast photoelectron diffraction and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) provide us with transient structural change after the laser pump excitations. In addition to these slow processes, the rapid oscillation in time plays an important role related to pump electronic excitations. Near threshold detailed information could be obtained for the combined electronic and structural dynamics. In particular high-energy photoemission and EXAFS are not so influenced by the details of excited states by pump pulse. Random-Phase Approximation (RPA)-boson approach is introduced to derive some practical formulas for time-dependent intrinsic amplitudes.

Development of an Ultrafast Scanning Tunneling Microscope for Dynamic Surface Studies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Nunes

1999-01-01

.... The microscope has demonstrated atomic resolution. We have a femtosecond laser system, optics for delivering ultrafast laser pulses to the STM, and a computer controlled delay line for time-resolved measurements...

Exciplex formation in bimolecular photoinduced electron-transfer investigated by ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Marius; Letrun, Romain; Vauthey, Eric

2014-03-12

The dynamics of bimolecular photoinduced electron-transfer reactions has been investigated with three donor/acceptor (D/A) pairs in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and acetonitrile (ACN) using a combination of ultrafast spectroscopic techniques, including time-resolved infrared absorption. For the D/A pairs with the highest driving force of electron transfer, all transient spectroscopic features can be unambiguously assigned to the excited reactant and the ionic products. For the pair with the lowest driving force, three additional transient infrared bands, more intense in THF than in ACN, with a time dependence that differs from those of the other bands are observed. From their frequency and solvent dependence, these bands can be assigned to an exciplex. Moreover, polarization-resolved measurements point to a relatively well-defined mutual orientation of the constituents and to a slower reorientational time compared to those of the individual reactants. Thanks to the minimal overlap of the infrared signature of all transient species in THF, a detailed reaction scheme including the relevant kinetic and thermodynamic parameters could be deduced for this pair. This analysis reveals that the formation and recombination of the ion pair occur almost exclusively via the exciplex.

Ultrafast spectroscopic investigation of a fullerene poly(3-hexylthiophene) dyad

Science.gov (United States)

Banerji, Natalie; Seifter, Jason; Wang, Mingfeng; Vauthey, Eric; Wudl, Fred; Heeger, Alan J.

2011-08-01

We present the femtosecond spectroscopic investigation of a covalently linked dyad, PCB-P3HT, formed by a segment of the conjugated polymer P3HT (regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene)) that is end capped with the fullerene derivative PCB ([6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid ester), adapted from PCBM. The fluorescence of the P3HT segment in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution is reduced by 64% in the dyad compared to a control compound without attached fullerene (P3HT-OH). Fluorescence upconversion measurements reveal that the partial fluorescence quenching of PCB-P3HT in THF is multiphasic and occurs on an average time scale of 100 ps, in parallel to excited-state relaxation processes. Judging from ultrafast transient absorption experiments, the origin of the quenching is excitation energy transfer from the P3HT donor to the PCB acceptor. Due to the much higher solubility of P3HT compared to PCB in THF, the PCB-P3HT dyad molecules self-assemble into micelles. When pure C60 is added to the solution, it is incorporated into the fullerene-rich center of the micelles. This dramatically increases the solubility of C60 but does not lead to significant additional quenching of the P3HT fluorescence by the C60 contained in the micelles. In PCB-P3HT thin films drop-cast from THF, the micelle structure is conserved. In contrast to solution, quantitative and ultrafast (microscopy images. Ultrafast charge separation occurs also for the fibrous morphology, but the transient absorption experiments show fast loss of part of the charge carriers due to intensity-induced recombination and annihilation processes and monomolecular interfacial trap-mediated or geminate recombination. The yield of the long-lived charge carriers in the highly organized fibers is however comparable to that obtained with annealed P3HT:PCBM blends. PCB-P3HT can therefore be considered as an active material in organic photovoltaic devices.

Progress in ultrafast laser processing and future prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Sugioka, Koji

2017-03-01

The unique characteristics of ultrafast lasers have rapidly revolutionized materials processing after their first demonstration in 1987. The ultrashort pulse width of the laser suppresses heat diffusion to the surroundings of the processed region, which minimizes the formation of a heat-affected zone and thereby enables ultrahigh precision micro- and nanofabrication of various materials. In addition, the extremely high peak intensity can induce nonlinear multiphoton absorption, which extends the diversity of materials that can be processed to transparent materials such as glass. Nonlinear multiphoton absorption enables three-dimensional (3D) micro- and nanofabrication by irradiation with tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses inside transparent materials. Thus, ultrafast lasers are currently widely used for both fundamental research and practical applications. This review presents progress in ultrafast laser processing, including micromachining, surface micro- and nanostructuring, nanoablation, and 3D and volume processing. Advanced technologies that promise to enhance the performance of ultrafast laser processing, such as hybrid additive and subtractive processing, and shaped beam processing are discussed. Commercial and industrial applications of ultrafast laser processing are also introduced. Finally, future prospects of the technology are given with a summary.

Ultrafast demagnetization enhancement in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunneling junction driven by spin tunneling current.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wei; Zhu, Tao; Zhang, Xiang-Qun; Yang, Hai-Tao; Cheng, Zhao-Hua

2013-10-07

The laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunneling junction is exploited by time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (TRMOKE) for both the parallel state (P state) and the antiparallel state (AP state) of the magnetizations between two magnetic layers. It was observed that the demagnetization time is shorter and the magnitude of demagnetization is larger in the AP state than those in the P state. These behaviors are attributed to the ultrafast spin transfer between two CoFeB layers via the tunneling of hot electrons through the MgO barrier. Our observation indicates that ultrafast demagnetization can be engineered by the hot electrons tunneling current. It opens the door to manipulate the ultrafast spin current in magnetic tunneling junctions.

Study of the ultrafast polarization dynamics in lithium borohydride by means of femtosecond X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stingl, Johannes

2013-01-01

In this thesis the ultrafast electronic polarisation in the crystalline material lithium borohydride (LiBH 4 ) is examined. The material is excited by a femtosecond long optical pulse and scanned by a likewise short X-ray pulse. Using X-ray scattering the optically induced spatial rearrangement of electronic charge can be directly mapped with atomic spatial resolution. Copper K-alpha X-rays for the experiment are produced in a laboratory table-top laserplasma source with 1 kHz repetition rate. This radiation is then focused on a powdered sample. Debye-Scherrer rings produced from powder diffraction are collected on a large area detector and processed to yield intensity profiles. Using pump-probe technique the change in diffracted intensity, triggered by excitation with a femtosecond optical pulse is examined. The temporal resolution is given by the delay between pump and probe pulse. This way insight is gained into the dynamic electronic evolution of the system. Intensity changes can be correlated to changes in charge density in the relevant material to elucidate structural dynamics on the femtosecond time scale. Lithium borohydride was chosen since it displays necessary characteristics for the exploration of ultrafast electronic polarisation. Up to date there has been no spatially resolved research in the femtosecond regime elucidating this electronic phenomenon. This work presents the ultrafast resonse in Lithiumborhydrid (LiBH 4 ) to strong electronic fields with optical frequencies, which leads to charge relocation accompanied by electronic polarisation.

Ultrafast Photovoltaic Response in Ferroelectric Nanolayers

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-19

the free energy of the system [3,4,8]. Intensive research has been aimed at bypassing the intrinsic size limits imposed by the depolarization field...Page 1 of 21   Ultrafast photovoltaic response in ferroelectric nanolayers Dan Daranciang1,2, Matthew J. Highland3, Haidan Wen4, Steve M. Young5...ferroelectric PbTiO3 via direct coupling to its intrinsic photovoltaic response. Using time-resolved x-ray scattering to visualize atomic displacements on

Ultrafast modulation of near-field heat transfer with tunable metamaterials

OpenAIRE

Cui, Longji; Huang, Yong; Wang, Ju; Zhu, Ke-Yong

2012-01-01

We propose a mechanism of active near-field heat transfer modulation relying on externally tunable metamaterials. A large modulation effect is observed and can be explained by the coupling of surface modes, which is dramatically varied in the presence of controllable magnetoelectric coupling in metamaterials. We finally discuss how a practical picosecond-scale thermal modulator can be made. This modulator allows manipulating nanoscale heat flux in an ultrafast and noncontact (by optical means...

Ultrafast Bessel beams: advanced tools for laser materials processing

Science.gov (United States)

Stoian, Razvan; Bhuyan, Manoj K.; Zhang, Guodong; Cheng, Guanghua; Meyer, Remy; Courvoisier, Francois

2018-05-01

Ultrafast Bessel beams demonstrate a significant capacity of structuring transparent materials with a high degree of accuracy and exceptional aspect ratio. The ability to localize energy on the nanometer scale (bypassing the 100-nm milestone) makes them ideal tools for advanced laser nanoscale processing on surfaces and in the bulk. This allows to generate and combine micron and nano-sized features into hybrid structures that show novel functionalities. Their high aspect ratio and the accurate location can equally drive an efficient material modification and processing strategy on large dimensions. We review, here, the main concepts of generating and using Bessel non-diffractive beams and their remarkable features, discuss general characteristics of their interaction with matter in ablation and material modification regimes, and advocate their use for obtaining hybrid micro and nanoscale structures in two and three dimensions (2D and 3D) performing complex functions. High-throughput applications are indicated. The example list ranges from surface nanostructuring and laser cutting to ultrafast laser welding and the fabrication of 3D photonic systems embedded in the volume.

Ultrafast X-Ray Spectroscopy of Conical Intersections

Science.gov (United States)

Neville, Simon P.; Chergui, Majed; Stolow, Albert; Schuurman, Michael S.

2018-06-01

Ongoing developments in ultrafast x-ray sources offer powerful new means of probing the complex nonadiabatically coupled structural and electronic dynamics of photoexcited molecules. These non-Born-Oppenheimer effects are governed by general electronic degeneracies termed conical intersections, which play a key role, analogous to that of a transition state, in the electronic-nuclear dynamics of excited molecules. Using high-level ab initio quantum dynamics simulations, we studied time-resolved x-ray absorption (TRXAS) and photoelectron spectroscopy (TRXPS) of the prototypical unsaturated organic chromophore, ethylene, following excitation to its S2(π π*) state. The TRXAS, in particular, is highly sensitive to all aspects of the ensuing dynamics. These x-ray spectroscopies provide a clear signature of the wave packet dynamics near conical intersections, related to charge localization effects driven by the nuclear dynamics. Given the ubiquity of charge localization in excited state dynamics, we believe that ultrafast x-ray spectroscopies offer a unique and powerful route to the direct observation of dynamics around conical intersections.

Ultrafast Control of Magnetism in Ferromagnetic Semiconductors via Photoexcited Transient Carriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotoros, Ingrid A. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2008-12-01

The field of spintronics offers perspectives for seamless integration of coupled and inter-tunable electrical and magnetic properties in a single device. For integration of the spin degree of freedom with current electronic technology, new semiconductors are needed that show electrically-tunable magnetic properties at room temperature and above. Dilute magnetic semiconductors derived from III-V compounds, like GaMnAs and InMnAs, show coupled and tunable magnetic, transport, and optical properties, due to the fact that their ferromagnetism is hole-mediated. These unconventional materials are ideal systems for manipulating the magnetic order by changing the carrier polarization, population density, and energy band distribution of the complementary subsystem of holes. This is the main theme we cover in this thesis. In particular, we develop a unique setup by use of ultraviolet pump, near-infrared probe femtosecond laser pulses, that allows for magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) spectroscopy experiments. We photo-excite transient carriers in our samples, and measure the induced transient magnetization dynamics. One set of experiments performed allowed us to observe for the first time enhancement of the ferromagnetic order in GaMnAs, on an ultrafast time scale of hundreds of picoseconds. The corresponding transient increase of Curie temperature (Tc, the temperature above which a ferromagnetic material loses its permanent magnetism) of about 1 K for our experimental conditions is a very promising result for potential spintronics applications, especially since it is seconded by observation of an ultrafast ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition above Tc. In a different set of experiments, we "write" the magnetization in a particular orientation in the sample plane. Using an ultrafast scheme, we alter the distribution of holes in the system and detect signatures of the particular memory state in the subsequent magnetization dynamics, with unprecedented hundreds of

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in tetrahedral amorphous carbon: carrier trapping versus electron-hole recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpene, E; Mancini, E; Dallera, C; Schwen, D; Ronning, C; Silvestri, S De

2007-01-01

We report the investigation of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon films by means of femtosecond time-resolved reflectivity. We estimated the electron-phonon relaxation time of a few hundred femtoseconds and we observed that under low optical excitation photo-generated carriers decay according to two distinct mechanisms attributed to trapping by defect states and direct electron-hole recombination. With high excitation, when photo-carrier and trap densities are comparable, a unique temporal evolution develops, as the time dependence of the trapping process becomes degenerate with the electron-hole recombination. This experimental evidence highlights the role of defects in the ultrafast electronic dynamics and is not specific to this particular form of carbon, but has general validity for amorphous and disordered semiconductors

PREFACE: Ultrafast and nonlinear optics in carbon nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Kono, Junichiro

2013-02-01

Carbon-based nanomaterials—single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and graphene, in particular—have emerged in the last decade as novel low-dimensional systems with extraordinary properties. Because they are direct-bandgap systems, SWCNTs are one of the leading candidates to unify electronic and optical functions in nanoscale circuitry; their diameter-dependent bandgaps can be utilized for multi-wavelength devices. Graphene's ultrahigh carrier mobilities are promising for high-frequency electronic devices, while, at the same time, it is predicted to have ideal properties for terahertz generation and detection due to its unique zero-gap, zero-mass band structure. There have been a large number of basic optical studies on these materials, but most of them were performed in the weak-excitation, quasi-equilibrium regime. In order to probe and assess their performance characteristics as optoelectronic materials under device-operating conditions, it is crucial to strongly drive them and examine their optical properties in highly non-equilibrium situations and with ultrashot time resolution. In this section, the reader will find the latest results in this rapidly growing field of research. We have assembled contributions from some of the leading experts in ultrafast and nonlinear optical spectroscopy of carbon-based nanomaterials. Specific topics featured include: thermalization, cooling, and recombination dynamics of photo-generated carriers; stimulated emission, gain, and amplification; ultrafast photoluminescence; coherent phonon dynamics; exciton-phonon and exciton-plasmon interactions; exciton-exciton annihilation and Auger processes; spontaneous and stimulated emission of terahertz radiation; four-wave mixing and harmonic generation; ultrafast photocurrents; the AC Stark and Franz-Keldysh effects; and non-perturbative light-mater coupling. We would like to express our sincere thanks to those who contributed their latest results to this special section, and the

Accelerator-based single-shot ultrafast transmission electron microscope with picosecond temporal resolution and nanometer spatial resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, D.; Fu, F.; Zhang, J.; Huang, X.; Wang, L.; Wang, X.; Wan, W.

2014-09-01

We present feasibility study of an accelerator-based ultrafast transmission electron microscope (u-TEM) capable of producing a full field image in a single-shot with simultaneous picosecond temporal resolution and nanometer spatial resolution. We study key physics related to performance of u-TEMs and discuss major challenges as well as possible solutions for practical realization of u-TEMs. The feasibility of u-TEMs is confirmed through simulations using realistic electron beam parameters. We anticipate that u-TEMs with a product of temporal and spatial resolution beyond 10-19 ms will open up new opportunities in probing matter at ultrafast temporal and ultrasmall spatial scales.

Seeing in 4D with electrons: development of ultrafast electron microscopy at Caltech

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baskin, J.S.; Zewail, A.H.

2014-01-01

The vision to develop 4D electron microscopy, a union of the capabilities of electron microscopy with ultrafast techniques to capture clearly defined images of the nano-scale structure of a material at each step in the course of its chemical or physical transformations, has been pursued at Caltech for the last decade. In this contribution, we will give a brief overview of the capabilities of three currently active Caltech 4D microscopy laboratories. Ongoing work is illustrated by a description of the most recent application of photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM), a field made possible only by the development of the 4D ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM). An appendix gives the various applications made so far and the historic roots of the development at Caltech. (authors)

Open Probe fast GC-MS - combining ambient sampling ultra-fast separation and in-vacuum ionization for real-time analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Keshet, U; Alon, T; Fialkov, A B; Amirav, A

2017-07-01

An Open Probe inlet was combined with a low thermal mass ultra-fast gas chromatograph (GC), in-vacuum electron ionization ion source and a mass spectrometer (MS) of GC-MS for obtaining real-time analysis with separation. The Open Probe enables ambient sampling via sample vaporization in an oven that is open to room air, and the ultra-fast GC provides ~30-s separation, while if no separation is required, it can act as a transfer line with 2 to 3-s sample transfer time. Sample analysis is as simple as touching the sample, pushing the sample holder into the Open Probe oven and obtaining the results in 30 s. The Open Probe fast GC was mounted on a standard Agilent 7890 GC that was coupled with an Agilent 5977A MS. Open Probe fast GC-MS provides real-time analysis combined with GC separation and library identification, and it uses the low-cost MS of GC-MS. The operation of Open Probe fast GC-MS is demonstrated in the 30-s separation and 50-s full analysis cycle time of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol in Cannabis flower, sub 1-min analysis of trace trinitrotoluene transferred from a finger onto a glass surface, vitamin E in canola oil, sterols in olive oil, polybrominated flame retardants in plastics, alprazolam in Xanax drug pill and free fatty acids and cholesterol in human blood. The extrapolated limit of detection for pyrene is Open Probe fast GC-MS is demonstrated in the analysis of heroin in its street drug powder. The use of Open Probe with the fast GC acting as a transfer line is demonstrated in <10-s analysis without separation of ibuprofen and estradiol. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ultrafast Ge-Te bond dynamics in a phase-change superlattice

Science.gov (United States)

Malvestuto, Marco; Caretta, Antonio; Casarin, Barbara; Cilento, Federico; Dell'Angela, Martina; Fausti, Daniele; Calarco, Raffaella; Kooi, Bart J.; Varesi, Enrico; Robertson, John; Parmigiani, Fulvio

2016-09-01

A long-standing question for avant-garde data storage technology concerns the nature of the ultrafast photoinduced phase transformations in the wide class of chalcogenide phase-change materials (PCMs). Overall, a comprehensive understanding of the microstructural evolution and the relevant kinetics mechanisms accompanying the out-of-equilibrium phases is still missing. Here, after overheating a phase-change chalcogenide superlattice by an ultrafast laser pulse, we indirectly track the lattice relaxation by time resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy (tr-XAS) with a sub-ns time resolution. The approach to the tr-XAS experimental results reported in this work provides an atomistic insight of the mechanism that takes place during the cooling process; meanwhile a first-principles model mimicking the microscopic distortions accounts for a straightforward representation of the observed dynamics. Finally, we envisage that our approach can be applied in future studies addressing the role of dynamical structural strain in PCMs.

Concept and design of a beam blanker with integrated photoconductive switch for ultrafast electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Weppelman, I G C; Moerland, R J; Hoogenboom, J P; Kruit, P

2018-01-01

We present a new method to create ultrashort electron pulses by integrating a photoconductive switch with an electrostatic deflector. This paper discusses the feasibility of such a system by analytical and numerical calculations. We argue that ultrafast electron pulses can be achieved for micrometer scale dimensions of the blanker, which are feasible with MEMS-based fabrication technology. According to basic models, the design presented in this paper is capable of generating 100 fs electron pulses with spatial resolutions of less than 10 nm. Our concept for an ultrafast beam blanker (UFB) may provide an attractive alternative to perform ultrafast electron microscopy, as it does not require modification of the microscope nor realignment between DC and pulsed mode of operation. Moreover, only low laser pulse energies are required. Due to its small dimensions the UFB can be inserted in the beam line of a commercial microscope via standard entry ports for blankers or variable apertures. The use of a photoconductive switch ensures minimal jitter between laser and electron pulses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proposal for arbitrary-order temporal integration of ultrafast optical signals using a single uniform-period fiber Bragg grating.

Science.gov (United States)

Asghari, Mohammad H; Azaña, José

2008-07-01

A simple and practical all-fiber design for implementing arbitrary-order temporal integration of ultrafast optical waveforms is proposed and numerically investigated. We demonstrate that an ultrafast photonics integrator of any desired integration order can be implemented using a uniform-period fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a properly designed amplitude-only grating apodization profile. In particular, the grating coupling strength must vary according to the (N-1) power of the fiber distance for implementing an Nth-order photonics integrator (N=1,2,...). This approach requires the same level of practical difficulty for realizing any given integration order. The proposed integration devices operate over a limited time window, which is approximately fixed by the round-trip propagation time in the FBG. Ultrafast arbitrary-order all-optical integrators capable of accurate operation over nanosecond time windows can be implemented using readily feasible FBGs.

Ultrafast dynamics and laser action of organic semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Vardeny, Zeev Valy

2009-01-01

Spurred on by extensive research in recent years, organic semiconductors are now used in an array of areas, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), photovoltaics, and other optoelectronics. In all of these novel applications, the photoexcitations in organic semiconductors play a vital role. Exploring the early stages of photoexcitations that follow photon absorption, Ultrafast Dynamics and Laser Action of Organic Semiconductors presents the latest research investigations on photoexcitation ultrafast dynamics and laser action in pi-conjugated polymer films, solutions, and microcavities.In the first few chapters, the book examines the interplay of charge (polarons) and neutral (excitons) photoexcitations in pi-conjugated polymers, oligomers, and molecular crystals in the time domain of 100 fs-2 ns. Summarizing the state of the art in lasing, the final chapters introduce the phenomenon of laser action in organics and cover the latest optoelectronic applications that use lasing based on a variety of caviti...

Multilayer-WS2:ferroelectric composite for ultrafast tunable metamaterial-induced transparency applications

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaoyu; Yang, Jinghuan; Hu, Xiaoyong; Zhu, Yu; Yang, Hong; Gong, Qihuang

2015-08-01

An ultrafast and low-power all-optical tunable metamaterial-induced transparency is realized, using polycrystalline barium titanate doped gold nanoparticles and multilayer tungsten disulfide microsheets as nonlinear optical materials. Large nonlinearity enhancement is obtained associated with quantum confinement effect, local-field effect, and reinforced interaction between light and multilayer tungsten disulfide. Low threshold pump intensity of 20 MW/cm2 is achieved. An ultrafast response time of 85 ps is maintained because of fast carrier relaxation dynamics in nanoscale crystal grains of polycrystalline barium titanate. This may be useful for the study of integrated photonic devices based on two-dimensional materials.

Multilayer-WS2:ferroelectric composite for ultrafast tunable metamaterial-induced transparency applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xiaoyu; Yang, Jinghuan; Zhu, Yu; Yang, Hong; Hu, Xiaoyong; Gong, Qihuang

2015-01-01

An ultrafast and low-power all-optical tunable metamaterial-induced transparency is realized, using polycrystalline barium titanate doped gold nanoparticles and multilayer tungsten disulfide microsheets as nonlinear optical materials. Large nonlinearity enhancement is obtained associated with quantum confinement effect, local-field effect, and reinforced interaction between light and multilayer tungsten disulfide. Low threshold pump intensity of 20 MW/cm 2 is achieved. An ultrafast response time of 85 ps is maintained because of fast carrier relaxation dynamics in nanoscale crystal grains of polycrystalline barium titanate. This may be useful for the study of integrated photonic devices based on two-dimensional materials

Tracking Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Single Semiconductor Nanowire Heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taylor A.J.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available An understanding of non-equilibrium carrier dynamics in silicon (Si nanowires (NWs and NW heterostructures is very important due to their many nanophotonic and nanoelectronics applications. Here, we describe the first measurements of ultrafast carrier dynamics and diffusion in single heterostructured Si nanowires, obtained using ultrafast optical microscopy. By isolating individual nanowires, we avoid complications resulting from the broad size and alignment distribution in nanowire ensembles, allowing us to directly probe ultrafast carrier dynamics in these quasi-one-dimensional systems. Spatially-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy demonstrates the influence of surface-mediated mechanisms on carrier dynamics in a single NW, while polarization-resolved femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy reveals a clear anisotropy in carrier lifetimes measured parallel and perpendicular to the NW axis, due to density-dependent Auger recombination. Furthermore, separating the pump and probe spots along the NW axis enabled us to track space and time dependent carrier diffusion in radial and axial NW heterostructures. These results enable us to reveal the influence of radial and axial interfaces on carrier dynamics and charge transport in these quasi-one-dimensional nanosystems, which can then be used to tailor carrier relaxation in a single nanowire heterostructure for a given application.

Novel Electrosorption-Enhanced Solid-Phase Microextraction Device for Ultrafast In Vivo Sampling of Ionized Pharmaceuticals in Fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Junlang; Wang, Fuxin; Zhang, Tianlang; Chen, Le; Liu, Yuan; Zhu, Fang; Ouyang, Gangfeng

2018-01-02

Decreasing the tedious sample preparation duration is one of the most important concerns for the environmental analytical chemistry especially for in vivo experiments. However, due to the slow mass diffusion paths for most of the conventional methods, ultrafast in vivo sampling remains challenging. Herein, for the first time, we report an ultrafast in vivo solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device based on electrosorption enhancement and a novel custom-made CNT@PPY@pNE fiber for in vivo sampling of ionized acidic pharmaceuticals in fish. This sampling device exhibited an excellent robustness, reproducibility, matrix effect-resistant capacity, and quantitative ability. Importantly, the extraction kinetics of the targeted ionized pharmaceuticals were significantly accelerated using the device, which significantly improved the sensitivity of the SPME in vivo sampling method (limits of detection ranged from 0.12 ng·g -1 to 0.25 ng·g -1 ) and shorten the sampling time (only 1 min). The proposed approach was successfully applied to monitor the concentrations of ionized pharmaceuticals in living fish, which demonstrated that the device and fiber were suitable for ultrafast in vivo sampling and continuous monitoring. In addition, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of the pharmaceuticals were derived in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) for the first time, based on the data of ultrafast in vivo sampling. Therefore, we developed and validated an effective and ultrafast SPME sampling device for in vivo sampling of ionized analytes in living organisms and this state-of-the-art method provides an alternative technique for future in vivo studies.

Theory and Modelling of Ultrafast X-ray Imaging of Dynamical Non-equilibrium Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenz, Ulf

Over the next few years, a new generation of x-ray sources is going online. These freeelectron lasers will provide extremely bright subpicosecond x-ray pulses. Traditionally, x-ray diraction has the advantage of directly determining the atomic positions within a sample. With these new machines......, it becomes feasible to exploit this concept for ultrafast processes; in eect, we can study chemical reactions as they occur. This thesis deals with theoretical aspect of ultrafast time-resolved x-ray diraction (TRXD).We derive general formulas for calculating the diraction signal that are closely related...

Ultra-fast all-optical plasmonic switching in near infra-red spectrum using a Kerr nonlinear ring resonator

Science.gov (United States)

Nurmohammadi, Tofiq; Abbasian, Karim; Yadipour, Reza

2018-03-01

In this paper, an all-optical plasmonic switch based on metal-insulator-metal (MIM) nanoplasmonic waveguide with a Kerr nonlinear ring resonator is introduced and studied. Two-dimensional simulations utilizing the finite-difference time-domain algorithm are used to demonstrate an apparent optical bistability and significant switching mechanisms (in enabled-low condition: T(ON/OFF) =21.9 and in enabled-high condition: T(ON/OFF) =24.9) of the signal light arisen by altering the pump-light intensity. The proposed all-optical switching demonstrates femtosecond-scale feedback time (90 fs) and then ultra-fast switching can be achieved. The offered all-optical switch may recognize potential significant applications in integrated optical circuits.

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Ultrafast Photoinduced Dynamics in pi-Conjugated Terpyridines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siebert, R.; Akimov, D.; Schmitt, M.; Winter, A.; Schubert, U.S.; Dietzek, B.; Popp, J.

2009-01-01

Time-resolved spectroscopy is applied to investigate the ultrafast relaxation dynamics of several pi-conjugated mono-, bis-, tris- and tetrakis(terpyridine) derivs. This particular series of structurally closely related systems was prepd. applying efficient synthetic strategies and resembles key

Ultrafast nonlinear response of silicon carbide to intense THz fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tarekegne, Abebe Tilahun; Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Kaltenecker, Korbinian J.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate ultrafast nonlinear absorption induced by strong, single-cycle THz fields in bulk, lightly doped 4H silicon carbide. A combination of Zener tunneling and intraband transitions makes the effect as at least as fast as the excitation pulse. The sub-picosecond recovery time makes...

Observing Structure and Motion in Molecules with Ultrafast Strong Field and Short Wavelength Laser Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bucksbaum, Philip H

2011-04-13

The term "molecular movie" has come to describe efforts to track and record Angstrom-scale coherent atomic and electronic motion in a molecule. The relevant time scales for this range cover several orders of magnitude, from sub-femtosecond motion associated with electron-electron correlations, to 100-fs internal vibrations, to multi-picosecond motion associated with the dispersion and quantum revivals of molecular reorientation. Conventional methods of cinematography do not work well in this ultrafast and ultrasmall regime, but stroboscopic "pump and probe" techniques can reveal this motion with high fidelity. This talk will describe some of the methods and recent progress in exciting and controlling this motion, using both laboratory lasers and the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source x-ray free electron laser, and will further try to relate the date to the goal of molecular movies.

Ultrafast surface carrier dynamics in the topological insulator Bi₂Te₃.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajlaoui, M; Papalazarou, E; Mauchain, J; Lantz, G; Moisan, N; Boschetto, D; Jiang, Z; Miotkowski, I; Chen, Y P; Taleb-Ibrahimi, A; Perfetti, L; Marsi, M

2012-07-11

We discuss the ultrafast evolution of the surface electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi(2)Te(3) following a femtosecond laser excitation. Using time and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we provide a direct real-time visualization of the transient carrier population of both the surface states and the bulk conduction band. We find that the thermalization of the surface states is initially determined by interband scattering from the bulk conduction band, lasting for about 0.5 ps; subsequently, few picoseconds are necessary for the Dirac cone nonequilibrium electrons to recover a Fermi-Dirac distribution, while their relaxation extends over more than 10 ps. The surface sensitivity of our measurements makes it possible to estimate the range of the bulk-surface interband scattering channel, indicating that the process is effective over a distance of 5 nm or less. This establishes a correlation between the nanoscale thickness of the bulk charge reservoir and the evolution of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in the surface Dirac cone.

Ultrafast interfeometric investigation of resonant secondary emission from quantum well excitons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkedal, Dan; Shah, Jagdeep; Pfeiffer, L. N.

1999-01-01

Coherent Rayleigh scattering and incoherent luminescence comprise the secondary emission from quantum well exciton following ultrafast resonant excitation. We show that coherent Rayleigh scattering forms a time-dependent speckle pattern and isolate in a single speckle the Rayleigh component from...

Beam test results of a 16 ps timing system based on ultra-fast silicon detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cartiglia, N., E-mail: cartiglia@to.infn.it [INFN, Torino (Italy); Staiano, A.; Sola, V. [INFN, Torino (Italy); Arcidiacono, R. [INFN, Torino (Italy); Università del Piemonte Orientale (Italy); Cirio, R.; Cenna, F.; Ferrero, M.; Monaco, V.; Mulargia, R.; Obertino, M.; Ravera, F.; Sacchi, R. [INFN, Torino (Italy); Università di Torino, Torino (Italy); Bellora, A.; Durando, S. [Università di Torino, Torino (Italy); Mandurrino, M. [Politecnico di Torino, Torino (Italy); Minafra, N. [University of Kansas, KS (United States); Fadeyev, V.; Freeman, P.; Galloway, Z.; Gkougkousis, E. [SCIPP, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); and others

2017-04-01

In this paper we report on the timing resolution obtained in a beam test with pions of 180 GeV/c momentum at CERN for the first production of 45 µm thick Ultra-Fast Silicon Detectors (UFSD). UFSD are based on the Low-Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) design, employing n-on-p silicon sensors with internal charge multiplication due to the presence of a thin, low-resistivity diffusion layer below the junction. The UFSD used in this test had a pad area of 1.7 mm{sup 2}. The gain was measured to vary between 5 and 70 depending on the sensor bias voltage. The experimental setup included three UFSD and a fast trigger consisting of a quartz bar readout by a SiPM. The timing resolution was determined by doing Gaussian fits to the time-of-flight of the particles between one or more UFSD and the trigger counter. For a single UFSD the resolution was measured to be 34 ps for a bias voltage of 200 V, and 27 ps for a bias voltage of 230 V. For the combination of 3 UFSD the timing resolution was 20 ps for a bias voltage of 200 V, and 16 ps for a bias voltage of 230 V.

Ultrafast Laser Diagnostics for Energetic-Material Ignition Mechanisms: Tools for Physics-Based Model Development.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kearney, Sean Patrick; Jilek, Brook Anton; Kohl, Ian Thomas; Farrow, Darcie; Urayama, Junji

2014-11-01

We present the results of an LDRD project to develop diagnostics to perform fundamental measurements of material properties during shock compression of condensed phase materials at micron spatial scales and picosecond time scales. The report is structured into three main chapters, which each focus on a different diagnostic devel opment effort. Direct picosecond laser drive is used to introduce shock waves into thin films of energetic and inert materials. The resulting laser - driven shock properties are probed via Ultrafast Time Domain Interferometry (UTDI), which can additionally be used to generate shock Hugoniot data in tabletop experiments. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is developed as a temperature diagnostic. A transient absorption spectroscopy setup has been developed to probe shock - induced changes during shock compressio n. UTDI results are presented under dynamic, direct - laser - drive conditions and shock Hugoniots are estimated for inert polystyrene samples and for the explosive hexanitroazobenzene, with results from both Sandia and Lawrence Livermore presented here. SRS a nd transient absorption diagnostics are demonstrated on static thin - film samples, and paths forward to dynamic experiments are presented.

Ultrafast quantum control of ionization dynamics in krypton.

Science.gov (United States)

Hütten, Konrad; Mittermair, Michael; Stock, Sebastian O; Beerwerth, Randolf; Shirvanyan, Vahe; Riemensberger, Johann; Duensing, Andreas; Heider, Rupert; Wagner, Martin S; Guggenmos, Alexander; Fritzsche, Stephan; Kabachnik, Nikolay M; Kienberger, Reinhard; Bernhardt, Birgitta

2018-02-19

Ultrafast spectroscopy with attosecond resolution has enabled the real time observation of ultrafast electron dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids. These experiments employ attosecond pulses or pulse trains and explore dynamical processes in a pump-probe scheme that is selectively sensitive to electronic state of matter via photoelectron or XUV absorption spectroscopy or that includes changes of the ionic state detected via photo-ion mass spectrometry. Here, we demonstrate how the implementation of combined photo-ion and absorption spectroscopy with attosecond resolution enables tracking the complex multidimensional excitation and decay cascade of an Auger auto-ionization process of a few femtoseconds in highly excited krypton. In tandem with theory, our study reveals the role of intermediate electronic states in the formation of multiply charged ions. Amplitude tuning of a dressing laser field addresses different groups of decay channels and allows exerting temporal and quantitative control over the ionization dynamics in rare gas atoms.

Ultrafast vortex core dynamics investigated by finite-element micromagnetic simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gliga, Sebastian

2010-07-01

The investigations carried out in this thesis concern the ultrafast dynamics of a fundamental micromagnetic configuration: the vortex. Over the past decade, a detailed understanding of the dynamic and static properties of such magnetic nanostructures has been achieved as a result of close interplay between experiments, theory and numeric simulations. Here, micromagnetic simulations were performed based on the finite-element method. The vortex structure arises in laterally-confined ferromagnets, in particular in thin-film elements, and is characterized by an in-plane curling of the magnetic moments around a very stable and narrow core. In the present study, a novel process in micromagnetism was found: the ultrafast reversal of the vortex core. The possibility of easily switching the core orientation by means of short in-plane field pulses is surprising in view of the very high stability of the core. Moreover, the simulations presented here showed that this reversal process unfolds on a time scale of only a few tens of picoseconds, which leads to the prediction of the fastest and most complex micromagnetic reversal process known to date. Indeed, the vortex core is not merely switched: it is destroyed and recreated in the immediate vicinity with an opposite direction. This is mediated by a rapid sequence of vortex-antivortex pair creation and annihilation subprocesses and results in a sudden burst-like emission of spin waves. Equally fascinating is the ultrafast dynamics of an isolated magnetic antivortex, the topological counterpart of the vortex. The simulations performed here showed that the static complementarity between vortices and antivortices is equally reflected in their ultrafast dynamics, which leads to the reversal of the antivortex core. A promising means for the control of the magnetization on the nanoscale consists in exploiting the spin-transfer torque effect. The study of the current-induced dynamics of vortices showed that the core reversal can be

Ultrafast photoinduced structure phase transition in antimony single crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fausti, Daniele; Misochko, Oleg V.; van Loosdrecht, Paul H. M.

2009-01-01

Picosecond Raman scattering is used to study the photoinduced ultrafast dynamics in Peierls distorted antimony. We find evidence for an ultrafast nonthermal reversible structural phase transition. Most surprisingly, we find evidence that this transition evolves toward a lower symmetry in contrast to

Progress in ultrafast intense laser science

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Mathur, Deepak

2014-01-01

The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science, which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield, as well as graduate students, can grasp the importance

Ultrafast dynamics of correlated electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rettig, Laurenz

2012-01-01

This work investigates the ultrafast electron dynamics in correlated, low-dimensional model systems using femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (trARPES) directly in the time domain. In such materials, the strong electron-electron (e-e) correlations or coupling to other degrees of freedom such as phonons within the complex many-body quantum system lead to new, emergent properties that are characterized by phase transitions into broken-symmetry ground states such as magnetic, superconducting or charge density wave (CDW) phases. The dynamical processes related to order like transient phase changes, collective excitations or the energy relaxation within the system allow deeper insight into the complex physics governing the emergence of the broken-symmetry state. In this work, several model systems for broken-symmetry ground states and for the dynamical charge balance at interfaces have been studied. In the quantum well state (QWS) model system Pb/Si(111), the charge transfer across the Pb/Si interface leads to an ultrafast energetic stabilization of occupied QWSs, which is the result of an increase of the electronic confinement to the metal film. In addition, a coherently excited surface phonon mode is observed. In antiferromagnetic (AFM) Fe pnictide compounds, a strong momentum-dependent asymmetry of electron and hole relaxation rates allows to separate the recovery dynamics of the AFM phase from electron-phonon (e-ph) relaxation. The strong modulation of the chemical potential by coherent phonon modes demonstrates the importance of e-ph coupling in these materials. However, the average e-ph coupling constant is found to be small. The investigation of the excited quasiparticle (QP) relaxation dynamics in the high-T c 4 superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ reveals a striking momentum and fluence independence of the QP life times. In combination with the momentum-dependent density of excited QPs, this demonstrates the suppression of momentum

Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging With Cascaded Dual-Polarity Waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Guo, Yuexin; Lee, Wei-Ning

2018-04-01

Ultrafast ultrasound imaging using plane or diverging waves, instead of focused beams, has advanced greatly the development of novel ultrasound imaging methods for evaluating tissue functions beyond anatomical information. However, the sonographic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of ultrafast imaging remains limited due to the lack of transmission focusing, and thus insufficient acoustic energy delivery. We hereby propose a new ultrafast ultrasound imaging methodology with cascaded dual-polarity waves (CDWs), which consists of a pulse train with positive and negative polarities. A new coding scheme and a corresponding linear decoding process were thereby designed to obtain the recovered signals with increased amplitude, thus increasing the SNR without sacrificing the frame rate. The newly designed CDW ultrafast ultrasound imaging technique achieved higher quality B-mode images than coherent plane-wave compounding (CPWC) and multiplane wave (MW) imaging in a calibration phantom, ex vivo pork belly, and in vivo human back muscle. CDW imaging shows a significant improvement in the SNR (10.71 dB versus CPWC and 7.62 dB versus MW), penetration depth (36.94% versus CPWC and 35.14% versus MW), and contrast ratio in deep regions (5.97 dB versus CPWC and 5.05 dB versus MW) without compromising other image quality metrics, such as spatial resolution and frame rate. The enhanced image qualities and ultrafast frame rates offered by CDW imaging beget great potential for various novel imaging applications.

Ultrafast laser pump/x-ray probe experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, J.; Judd, E.; Schuck, P.J.

1997-01-01

In an ongoing project aimed at probing solids using x-rays obtained at the ALS synchrotron with a sub-picosecond time resolution following interactions with a 100 fs laser pulse, the authors have successfully performed pump-probe experiments limited by the temporal duration of ALS-pulse. They observe a drop in the diffraction efficiency following laser heating. They can attribute this to a disordering of the crystal. Studies with higher temporal resolution are required to determine the mechanism. The authors have also incorporated a low-jitter streakcamera as a diagnostic for observing time-dependant x-ray diffraction. The streakcamera triggered by a photoconductive switch was operated at kHz repetition rates. Using UV-pulses, the authors obtain a temporal response of 2 ps when averaging 5000 laser pulses. They demonstrate the ability to detect monochromatized x-ray radiation from a bend-magnet with the streak camera by measuring the pulse duration of a x-ray pulse to 70 ps. In conclusion, the authors show a rapid disordering of an InSb crystal. The resolution was determined by the duration of the ALS pulse. They also demonstrate that they can detect x-ray radiation from a synchrotron source with a temporal resolution of 2ps, by using an ultrafast x-ray streak camera. Their set-up will allow them to pursue laser pump/x-ray probe experiments to monitor structural changes in materials with ultrafast time resolution

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in Br.sup.+./sup.-bombarded InP studied by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Němec, Hynek; Fekete, Ladislav; Kadlec, Filip; Kužel, Petr

2008-01-01

Roč. 78, č. 23 (2008), 235206/1-235206/7 ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC512 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : InP * carrier lifetime * carrier mobility * ultrafast * ion-bombardment * terahertz Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.322, year: 2008

Ultrafast spontaneous emission modulation of graphene quantum dots interacting with Ag nanoparticles in solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Jianwei [Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); Lu, Jian, E-mail: luj@sari.ac.cn; Wang, Zhongyang, E-mail: wangzy@sari.ac.cn [Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); Wang, Liang [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Tian, Linfan [Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210 (China); Deng, Xingxia [Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Tian, Lijun [Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Pan, Dengyu [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China)

2016-07-11

We investigated the strong interaction between graphene quantum dots and silver nanoparticles in solution using time-resolved photoluminescence techniques. In solution, the silver nanoparticles are surrounded by graphene quantum dots and interacted with graphene quantum dots through exciton-plasmon coupling. An ultrafast spontaneous emission process (lifetime 27 ps) was observed in such a mixed solution. This ultrafast lifetime corresponds to the emission rate exceeding 35 GHz, with the purcell enhancement by a factor of ∼12. These experiment results pave the way for the realization of future high speed light sources applications.

Generation of ultrafast pulse via combined effects of stimulated

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A project of ultrafast pulse generation has been presented and demonstrated by utilizing the combined nonlinear effects of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and non-degenerate two-photon absorption (TPA) based on silicon nanophotonic chip, in which a continuous wave (CW) and an ultrafast dark pulse are ...

Cooperative photo-induced effects: from photo-magnetism under continuous irradiation to ultra-fast phenomena - study through optical spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction; Effets photo-induits cooperatifs: du photomagnetisme sous irradiation continue aux phenomenes ultrarapides - etude par spectroscopie optique et diffraction X

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glijer, D

2006-12-15

The control with ultra-short laser pulses of the collective and concerted transformation of molecules driving a macroscopic state switching on an ultra-fast time scale in solid state opens new prospects in materials science. The goal is to realize at the material level what happens at the molecular level in femto-chemistry. These processes are highly cooperative and highly non-linear, leading to self-amplification and self-organization within the material, a so-called photo-induced phase transition with a new long range order (structural, magnetic, ferroelectric,...). Two families of molecular compounds have been studied here: first of all, spin transition materials changing from a diamagnetic state over to a paramagnetic state under the effect of temperature or under continuous laser excitation. It concerns photo-active molecular bi-stability prototype materials in solid state, whose switching has been studied during X-ray diffraction, optical reflectivity and magnetism experiments. Then we have studied charge-transfer molecular systems, prototype compounds for ultrafast photo-induced phase transitions: insulator-metal, neutral-ionic....As well as ultrafast optical experiments, time-resolved X ray crystallography is a key technique in order to follow at the atomic level the different steps of the photo-induced transformation and thus to observe the involved mechanisms. We have underlined a process of photo-formation of one-dimensional nano-domains of lattice-relaxed charge-transfer excitations, governing the photo-induced phase transition of the molecular charge-transfer complex TTF-CA by the first time-resolved diffuse scattering measurements. Moreover, a new femtosecond laser-plasma source and a optical pump-probe spectroscopy set-up with a highly sensitive detecting system have been developed in this work. The results presented here will be an illustration of the present scientific challenges existing on the one hand with the development of projects of major

Ultrafast Gap Dynamics and Electronic Interactions in a Photoexcited Cuprate Superconductor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Parham

2017-10-01

Full Text Available We perform time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (trARPES on optimally doped Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+δ} (BSCCO-2212 using sufficient energy resolution (9 meV to resolve the k-dependent near-nodal gap structure on time scales where the concept of an electronic pseudotemperature is a useful quantity, i.e., after electronic thermalization has occurred. We study the ultrafast evolution of this gap structure, uncovering a very rich landscape of decay rates as a function of angle, temperature, and energy. We explicitly focus on the quasiparticle states at the gap edge as well as on the spectral weight inside the gap that “fills” the gap—understood as an interaction, or self-energy effect—and we also make high resolution measurements of the nodal states, enabling a direct and accurate measurement of the electronic temperature (or pseudotemperature of the electrons in the system. Rather than the standard method of interpreting these results using individual quasiparticle scattering rates that vary significantly as a function of angle, temperature, and energy, we show that the entire landscape of relaxations can be understood by modeling the system as following a nonequilibrium, electronic pseudotemperature that controls all electrons in the zone. Furthermore, this model has zero free parameters, as we obtain the crucial information of the SC gap Δ and the gap-filling strength Γ_{TDoS} by connecting to static ARPES measurements. The quantitative and qualitative agreement between data and model suggests that the critical parameters and interactions of the system, including the pairing interactions, follow parametrically from the electronic pseudotemperature. We expect that this concept will be relevant for understanding the ultrafast response of a great variety of electronic materials, even though the electronic pseudotemperature may not be directly measurable.

Ultrafast Electron Dynamics in Solar Energy Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponseca, Carlito S; Chábera, Pavel; Uhlig, Jens; Persson, Petter; Sundström, Villy

2017-08-23

Electrons are the workhorses of solar energy conversion. Conversion of the energy of light to electricity in photovoltaics, or to energy-rich molecules (solar fuel) through photocatalytic processes, invariably starts with photoinduced generation of energy-rich electrons. The harvesting of these electrons in practical devices rests on a series of electron transfer processes whose dynamics and efficiencies determine the function of materials and devices. To capture the energy of a photogenerated electron-hole pair in a solar cell material, charges of opposite sign have to be separated against electrostatic attractions, prevented from recombining and being transported through the active material to electrodes where they can be extracted. In photocatalytic solar fuel production, these electron processes are coupled to chemical reactions leading to storage of the energy of light in chemical bonds. With the focus on the ultrafast time scale, we here discuss the light-induced electron processes underlying the function of several molecular and hybrid materials currently under development for solar energy applications in dye or quantum dot-sensitized solar cells, polymer-fullerene polymer solar cells, organometal halide perovskite solar cells, and finally some photocatalytic systems.

Collective hydrodynamic communication through ultra-fast contractions

Science.gov (United States)

Bhamla, Saad; Mathijssen, Arnold; Prakash, Manu

2017-11-01

The biophysical relationships between physiological sensors and actuators were fundamental to the development of early life forms, as responding to external stimuli promptly is key to survival. We study an unusual protist Spirostomum ambiguum, a single-celled organism that can grow up to 4mm in size, visible to the naked eye, as a model system for impulsive systems. Coiling its cytoskeleton, this ciliate can contract its long body within milliseconds, one of the fastest accelerations known in cell biology. We demonstrate that these rapid contractions generate long-ranged vortex flows that can trigger other cells to contract, repeatedly, which collectively leads to an ultra-fast hydrodynamic signal transduction across a colony that moves hundreds of times faster than the swimming speed. By combining high-speed PIV experiments and analytical modelling we determine the critical rheosensitivity required to sustain these signal waves. Whereas the biological motive is not fully understood, contractions are known to release toxins from membrane-bound extrusomes, thus we hypothesize that synchronised discharges could facilitate the repulsion of large-scale predators cooperatively. Please also see our other talk ``Rheosensing by impulsive cells at intermediate Reynolds numbers''.

Ultra-Fast Hadronic Calorimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denisov, Dmitri [Fermilab; Lukić, Strahinja [VINCA Inst. Nucl. Sci., Belgrade; Mokhov, Nikolai [Fermilab; Striganov, Sergei [Fermilab; Ujić, Predrag [VINCA Inst. Nucl. Sci., Belgrade

2017-12-18

Calorimeters for particle physics experiments with integration time of a few ns will substantially improve the capability of the experiment to resolve event pileup and to reject backgrounds. In this paper time development of hadronic showers induced by 30 and 60 GeV positive pions and 120 GeV protons is studied using Monte Carlo simulation and beam tests with a prototype of a sampling steel-scintillator hadronic calorimeter. In the beam tests, scintillator signals induced by hadronic showers in steel are sampled with a period of 0.2 ns and precisely time-aligned in order to study the average signal waveform at various locations w.r.t. the beam particle impact. Simulations of the same setup are performed using the MARS15 code. Both simulation and test beam results suggest that energy deposition in steel calorimeters develop over a time shorter than 3 ns providing opportunity for ultra-fast calorimetry. Simulation results for an "ideal" calorimeter consisting exclusively of bulk tungsten or copper are presented to establish the lower limit of the signal integration window.

On nonequilibrium many-body systems V: ultrafast transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freire, V.N.; Vasconcellos, A.R.; Luzzi, R.

1989-01-01

The monequilibrium statistical operator method and its accompanying nonlinear quantum transport theory, are used to perform an analytical study of the ultrafast mobility transient of central-valley photoinjected carriers in direct-gap polar semiconductors. Expressions for the time-resolved mobility of the hot carriers are derived. A brief discussion of the carriers' diffusion coefficient is done. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

Versatile ultrafast pump-probe imaging with high sensitivity CCD camera

OpenAIRE

Pezeril , Thomas; Klieber , Christoph; Temnov , Vasily; Huntzinger , Jean-Roch; Anane , Abdelmadjid

2012-01-01

International audience; A powerful imaging technique based on femtosecond time-resolved measurements with a high dynamic range, commercial CCD camera is presented. Ultrafast phenomena induced by a femtosecond laser pump are visualized through the lock-in type acquisition of images recorded by a femtosecond laser probe. This technique allows time-resolved measurements of laser excited phenomena at multiple probe wavelengths (spectrometer mode) or conventional imaging of the sample surface (ima...

Revealing the ultrafast charge carrier dynamics in organo metal halide perovskite solar cell materials using time resolved THz spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ponseca, C. S., Jr.; Sundström, V.

2016-03-01

Ultrafast charge carrier dynamics in organo metal halide perovskite has been probed using time resolved terahertz (THz) spectroscopy (TRTS). Current literature on its early time characteristics is unanimous: sub-ps charge carrier generation, highly mobile charges and very slow recombination rationalizing the exceptionally high power conversion efficiency for a solution processed solar cell material. Electron injection from MAPbI3 to nanoparticles (NP) of TiO2 is found to be sub-ps while Al2O3 NPs do not alter charge dynamics. Charge transfer to organic electrodes, Spiro-OMeTAD and PCBM, is sub-ps and few hundreds of ps respectively, which is influenced by the alignment of energy bands. It is surmised that minimizing defects/trap states is key in optimizing charge carrier extraction from these materials.

Ultrafast electron and energy transfer in dye-sensitized iron oxide and oxyhydroxide nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gilbert, Benjamin; Katz, Jordan E.; Huse, Nils

2013-01-01

photo-initiated interfacial electron transfer. This approach enables time-resolved study of the fate and mobility of electrons within the solid phase. However, complete analysis of the ultrafast processes following dye photoexcitation of the sensitized iron(iii) oxide nanoparticles has not been reported....... We addressed this topic by performing femtosecond transient absorption (TA) measurements of aqueous suspensions of uncoated and DCF-sensitized iron oxide and oxyhydroxide nanoparticles, and an aqueous iron(iii)–dye complex. Following light absorption, excited state relaxation times of the dye of 115...... a four-state model of the dye-sensitized system, finding electron and energy transfer to occur on the same ultrafast timescale. The interfacial electron transfer rates for iron oxides are very close to those previously reported for DCF-sensitized titanium dioxide (for which dye–oxide energy transfer...

Ultrafast Nonlinear Signal Processing in Silicon Waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oxenløwe, Leif Katsuo; Mulvad, Hans Christian Hansen; Hu, Hao

2012-01-01

We describe recent demonstrations of exploiting highly nonlinear silicon waveguides for ultrafast optical signal processing. We describe wavelength conversion and serial-to-parallel conversion of 640 Gbit/s data signals and 1.28 Tbit/s demultiplexing and all-optical sampling.......We describe recent demonstrations of exploiting highly nonlinear silicon waveguides for ultrafast optical signal processing. We describe wavelength conversion and serial-to-parallel conversion of 640 Gbit/s data signals and 1.28 Tbit/s demultiplexing and all-optical sampling....

Ultrafast release and capture of carriers in InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots observed by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porte, Henrik; Jepsen, Peter Uhd; Daghestani, N.

2009-01-01

We observe ultrafast release and capture of charge carriers in InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots in a room-temperature optical pump-terahertz probe experiment sensitive to the population dynamics of conducting states. In case of resonant excitation of the quantum dot ground state, the maximum conductivity...... is achieved at approximately 35 ps after photoexcitation, which is assigned to release of carriers from the quantum dots. When exciting carriers into the conduction band of the barriers, depletion of the conductivity via carrier capture into the quantum dots with a few picosecond pump fluence-dependent time...

Optimization and practical implementation of ultrafast 2D NMR experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Queiroz Junior, Luiz H. K., E-mail: professorkeng@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSC), SP (Brazil). Departamento de Quimica; Universidade Federal de Goias (UFGO), Goiania, GO (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica; Ferreira, Antonio G. [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSC), SP (Brazil). Departamento de Quimica; Giraudeau, Patrick [Universite de Nantes (France). CNRS, Chimie et Interdisciplinarite: Synthese, Analyse, Modelisation

2013-09-01

Ultrafast 2D NMR is a powerful methodology that allows recording of a 2D NMR spectrum in a fraction of second. However, due to the numerous non-conventional parameters involved in this methodology its implementation is no trivial task. Here, an optimized experimental protocol is carefully described to ensure efficient implementation of ultrafast NMR. The ultrafast spectra resulting from this implementation are presented based on the example of two widely used 2D NMR experiments, COSY and HSQC, obtained in 0.2 s and 41 s, respectively. (author)

Ultra-fast dynamics in the nonlinear optical response of silver nanoprism ordered arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Esquivel, Héctor; Raygoza-Sanchez, Karen Y; Rangel-Rojo, Raúl; Kalinic, Boris; Michieli, Niccolò; Cesca, Tiziana; Mattei, Giovanni

2018-03-15

In this work we present the study of the ultra-fast dynamics of the nonlinear optical response of a honeycomb array of silver triangular nanoprisms, performed using a femtosecond pulsed laser tuned with the dipolar surface plasmon resonance of the nanoarray. Nonlinear absorption and refraction, and their time-dependence, were explored using the z-scan and time-resolved excite-probe techniques. Nonlinear absorption is shown to change sign with the input irradiance and the behavior was explained on the basis of a three-level model. The response time was determined to be in the picosecond regime. A technique based on a variable frequency chopper was also used in order to discriminate the thermal and electronic contributions to the nonlinearity, which were found to have opposite signs. All these findings propel the investigated nanoprism arrays as good candidates for applications in advanced ultra-fast nonlinear nanophotonic devices.

All-optical temporal integration of ultrafast pulse waveforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yongwoo; Ahn, Tae-Jung; Dai, Yitang; Yao, Jianping; Azaña, José

2008-10-27

An ultrafast all-optical temporal integrator is experimentally demonstrated. The demonstrated integrator is based on a very simple and practical solution only requiring the use of a widely available all-fiber passive component, namely a reflection uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG). This design allows overcoming the severe speed (bandwidth) limitations of the previously demonstrated photonic integrator designs. We demonstrate temporal integration of a variety of ultrafast optical waveforms, including Gaussian, odd-symmetry Hermite Gaussian, and (odd-)symmetry double pulses, with temporal features as fast as ~6-ps, which is about one order of magnitude faster than in previous photonic integration demonstrations. The developed device is potentially interesting for a multitude of applications in all-optical computing and information processing, ultrahigh-speed optical communications, ultrafast pulse (de-)coding, shaping and metrology.

Ultrafast dynamics during the photoinduced phase transition in VO2

Science.gov (United States)

Wegkamp, Daniel; Stähler, Julia

2015-12-01

The phase transition of VO2 from a monoclinic insulator to a rutile metal, which occurs thermally at TC = 340 K, can also be driven by strong photoexcitation. The ultrafast dynamics during this photoinduced phase transition (PIPT) have attracted great scientific attention for decades, as this approach promises to answer the question of whether the insulator-to-metal (IMT) transition is caused by electronic or crystallographic processes through disentanglement of the different contributions in the time domain. We review our recent results achieved by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron, optical, and coherent phonon spectroscopy and discuss them within the framework of a selection of latest, complementary studies of the ultrafast PIPT in VO2. We show that the population change of electrons and holes caused by photoexcitation launches a highly non-equilibrium plasma phase characterized by enhanced screening due to quasi-free carriers and followed by two branches of non-equilibrium dynamics: (i) an instantaneous (within the time resolution) collapse of the insulating gap that precedes charge carrier relaxation and significant ionic motion and (ii) an instantaneous lattice potential symmetry change that represents the onset of the crystallographic phase transition through ionic motion on longer timescales. We discuss the interconnection between these two non-thermal pathways with particular focus on the meaning of the critical fluence of the PIPT in different types of experiments. Based on this, we conclude that the PIPT threshold identified in optical experiments is most probably determined by the excitation density required to drive the lattice potential change rather than the IMT. These considerations suggest that the IMT can be driven by weaker excitation, predicting a transiently metallic, monoclinic state of VO2 that is not stabilized by the non-thermal structural transition and, thus, decays on ultrafast timescales.

Ultrafast time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of geometric isomers of xanthophylls

Science.gov (United States)

Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M.; Enriquez, Miriam M.; LaFountain, Amy M.; Frank, Harry A.

2010-07-01

This paper presents an ultrafast optical spectroscopic investigation of the excited state energies, lifetimes and spectra of specific geometric isomers of neoxanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. All- trans- and 15,15'- cis-β-carotene were also examined. The spectroscopy was done on molecules purified by HPLC frozen immediately to inhibit isomerization. The spectra were taken at 77 K to maintain the configurations and to provide better spectral resolution than seen at room temperature. The kinetics reveal that for all of the molecules except neoxanthin, the S 1 state lifetime of the cis isomers is shorter than that of the all- trans isomers. The S 1 excited state energies of all the isomers were determined by recording S 1 → S 2 transient absorption spectra. The results obtained in this manner at cryogenic temperatures provide an unprecedented level of precision in the measurement of the S 1 energies of these xanthophylls, which are critical components in light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes of green plants.

Characterization of Ultrafast Laser Pulses using a Low-dispersion Frequency Resolved Optical Grating Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Whitelock, Hope; Bishop, Michael; Khosravi, Soroush; Obaid, Razib; Berrah, Nora

2016-05-01

A low dispersion frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) spectrometer was designed to characterize ultrashort (non-colinear optical parametric amplifier. This instrument splits a laser pulse into two replicas with a 90:10 intensity ratio using a thin pellicle beam-splitter and then recombines the pulses in a birefringent medium. The instrument detects a wavelength-sensitive change in polarization of the weak probe pulse in the presence of the stronger pump pulse inside the birefringent medium. Scanning the time delay between the two pulses and acquiring spectra allows for characterization of the frequency and time content of ultrafast laser pulses, that is needed for interpretation of experimental results obtained from these ultrafast laser systems. Funded by the DoE-BES, Grant No. DE-SC0012376.

Ultrafast electron diffraction studies of optically excited thin bismuth films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajkovic, Ivan

2008-01-01

This thesis contains work on the design and the realization of an experimental setup capable of providing sub-picosecond electron pulses for ultrafast electron diffraction experiments, and performing the study of ultrafast dynamics in bismuth after optical excitation using this setup. (orig.)

Ultrafast electron diffraction studies of optically excited thin bismuth films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajkovic, Ivan

2008-10-21

This thesis contains work on the design and the realization of an experimental setup capable of providing sub-picosecond electron pulses for ultrafast electron diffraction experiments, and performing the study of ultrafast dynamics in bismuth after optical excitation using this setup. (orig.)

Ultrafast dynamics of correlated electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rettig, Laurenz

2012-07-09

This work investigates the ultrafast electron dynamics in correlated, low-dimensional model systems using femtosecond time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (trARPES) directly in the time domain. In such materials, the strong electron-electron (e-e) correlations or coupling to other degrees of freedom such as phonons within the complex many-body quantum system lead to new, emergent properties that are characterized by phase transitions into broken-symmetry ground states such as magnetic, superconducting or charge density wave (CDW) phases. The dynamical processes related to order like transient phase changes, collective excitations or the energy relaxation within the system allow deeper insight into the complex physics governing the emergence of the broken-symmetry state. In this work, several model systems for broken-symmetry ground states and for the dynamical charge balance at interfaces have been studied. In the quantum well state (QWS) model system Pb/Si(111), the charge transfer across the Pb/Si interface leads to an ultrafast energetic stabilization of occupied QWSs, which is the result of an increase of the electronic confinement to the metal film. In addition, a coherently excited surface phonon mode is observed. In antiferromagnetic (AFM) Fe pnictide compounds, a strong momentum-dependent asymmetry of electron and hole relaxation rates allows to separate the recovery dynamics of the AFM phase from electron-phonon (e-ph) relaxation. The strong modulation of the chemical potential by coherent phonon modes demonstrates the importance of e-ph coupling in these materials. However, the average e-ph coupling constant is found to be small. The investigation of the excited quasiparticle (QP) relaxation dynamics in the high-T{sub c}4 superconductor Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+δ} reveals a striking momentum and fluence independence of the QP life times. In combination with the momentum-dependent density of excited QPs, this demonstrates the

Ultrafast gain dynamics in InAs/InGaAs quantum dot amplifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borri, Paola; Langbein, Wolfgang; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

2000-01-01

The ultrafast dynamics of gain and refractive index in an electrically pumped InAs-InGaAs quantum-dot (QD) optical amplifier are measured at room temperature using differential transmission with femtosecond time resolution. Both absorption and gain regions are investigated. While the absorption...

Progress in ultrafast intense laser science XI

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Martin, Philippe

2014-01-01

The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science and optical science, which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield, as well as graduate students, can grasp the importance

Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science II

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Agostini, Pierre; Ferrante, Gaetano

2007-01-01

This book series addresses a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field, Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science. Its progress is being stimulated by the recent development of ultrafast laser technologies. Highlights of this second volume include Coulomb explosion and fragmentation of molecules, control of chemical dynamics, high-order harmonic generation, propagation and filamentation, and laser-plasma interaction. All chapters are authored by foremost experts in their fields and the texts are written at a level accessible to newcomers and graduate students, each chapter beginning with an introductory overview.

Real-Space Imaging of Carrier Dynamics of Materials Surfaces by Second-Generation Four-Dimensional Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jingya

2015-09-14

In the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaics, ultrafast dynamical processes, including carrier trapping and recombination on material surfaces, are among the key factors that determine the overall energy conversion efficiency. A precise knowledge of these dynamical events on the nanometer (nm) and femtosecond (fs) scales was not accessible until recently. The only way to access such fundamental processes fully is to map the surface dynamics selectively in real space and time. In this study, we establish a second generation of four-dimensional scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (4D S-UEM) and demonstrate the ability to record time-resolved images (snapshots) of material surfaces with 650 fs and ∼5 nm temporal and spatial resolutions, respectively. In this method, the surface of a specimen is excited by a clocking optical pulse and imaged using a pulsed primary electron beam as a probe pulse, generating secondary electrons (SEs), which are emitted from the surface of the specimen in a manner that is sensitive to the local electron/hole density. This method provides direct and controllable information regarding surface dynamics. We clearly demonstrate how the surface morphology, grains, defects, and nanostructured features can significantly impact the overall dynamical processes on the surface of photoactive-materials. In addition, the ability to access two regimes of dynamical probing in a single experiment and the energy loss of SEs in semiconductor-nanoscale materials will also be discussed.

Ultrafast CT in the diagnosis of sleep apnea during awake tidal breathing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvin, J.R.; Rooholamini, S.A.; Stanford, W.

1988-01-01

With sleep there is normally a decrease in neural output to upper airway muscles. If this decrease is superimposed on a structurally abnormal airway, then sleep apnea may result. Ultrafast CT axially images the upper airway in near real time. The authors compared 11 awake patients with sleep apnea with 24 healthy volunteers during quiet tidal breathing. They found that apneic patients have a small oropharyngeal airway (31.3 mm 2 +- 30.2 vs 134.2 mm 2 +- 46.6[P=<.0001]). Apneic patients also have significant collapsibility of the nasopharynx (75% +- 18% vs 27% +- 14% [P=<.0001]). Ultrafast CT gives dynamic anatomic definition of the upper airway and provides a means to eulcidate further the pathogenesis of sleep apnea

Quantum coherent optical phase modulation in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Feist, Armin; Echternkamp, Katharina E; Schauss, Jakob; Yalunin, Sergey V; Schäfer, Sascha; Ropers, Claus

2015-05-14

Coherent manipulation of quantum systems with light is expected to be a cornerstone of future information and communication technology, including quantum computation and cryptography. The transfer of an optical phase onto a quantum wavefunction is a defining aspect of coherent interactions and forms the basis of quantum state preparation, synchronization and metrology. Light-phase-modulated electron states near atoms and molecules are essential for the techniques of attosecond science, including the generation of extreme-ultraviolet pulses and orbital tomography. In contrast, the quantum-coherent phase-modulation of energetic free-electron beams has not been demonstrated, although it promises direct access to ultrafast imaging and spectroscopy with tailored electron pulses on the attosecond scale. Here we demonstrate the coherent quantum state manipulation of free-electron populations in an electron microscope beam. We employ the interaction of ultrashort electron pulses with optical near-fields to induce Rabi oscillations in the populations of electron momentum states, observed as a function of the optical driving field. Excellent agreement with the scaling of an equal-Rabi multilevel quantum ladder is obtained, representing the observation of a light-driven 'quantum walk' coherently reshaping electron density in momentum space. We note that, after the interaction, the optically generated superposition of momentum states evolves into a train of attosecond electron pulses. Our results reveal the potential of quantum control for the precision structuring of electron densities, with possible applications ranging from ultrafast electron spectroscopy and microscopy to accelerator science and free-electron lasers.

Time resolved 3D momentum imaging of ultrafast dynamics by coherent VUV-XUV radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sturm, F. P., E-mail: fpsturm@lbl.gov [Ultrafast X-Ray Science Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Institut für Kernphysik, Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 1, D-60438 Frankfurt (Germany); Wright, T. W.; Ray, D.; Zalyubovskaya, I.; Shivaram, N.; Slaughter, D. S.; Belkacem, A.; Weber, Th. [Ultrafast X-Ray Science Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Ranitovic, P. [Ultrafast X-Ray Science Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); ELI-ALPS, ELI-Hu Nkft, Dugonics ter 13, Szeged H6720 (Hungary)

2016-06-15

We present a new experimental setup for measuring ultrafast nuclear and electron dynamics of molecules after photo-excitation and ionization. We combine a high flux femtosecond vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) source with an internally cold molecular beam and a 3D momentum imaging particle spectrometer to measure electrons and ions in coincidence. We describe a variety of tools developed to perform pump-probe studies in the VUV-XUV spectrum and to modify and characterize the photon beam. First benchmark experiments are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the system.

Blockage of ultrafast and directional diffusion of Li atoms on phosphorene with intrinsic defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruiqi; Wu, Xiaojun; Yang, Jinlong

2016-02-21

The diffusion of Li in electrode materials is a key factor for the charging/discharging rate capacity of a Li-ion battery (LIB). Recently, two-dimensional phosphorene has been proposed as a very promising electrode material due to its ultrafast and directional lithium diffusion, as well as large energy capacity. Herein, on the basis of density functional theory, we report that intrinsic point defects, including vacancy and stone-wales defects, will block the directional ultrafast diffusion of lithium in phosphorene. On the defect-free phosphorene, diffusion of Li along the zig-zag lattice direction is 1.6 billion times faster than along the armchair lattice direction, and 260 times faster than that in graphite. After introducing intrinsic vacancy and stone-wales defect, the diffusion energy barrier of Li along the zig-zag lattice direction increases sharply to the range of 0.17-0.49 eV, which blocks the ultrafast migration of lithium along the zig-zag lattice direction. Moreover, the open circuit voltage increases with the emergence of defects, which is not suitable for anode materials. In addition, the formation energies of the defects in phosphorene are considerably lower than those in graphene and silicene sheet; therefore, it is highly important to generate defect-free phosphorene for LIB applications.

Carrier dynamics in graphene. Ultrafast many-particle phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malic, E.; Brem, S.; Jago, R. [Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden); Winzer, T.; Wendler, F.; Knorr, A. [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Technische Universitaet Berlin (Germany); Mittendorff, M.; Koenig-Otto, J.C.; Schneider, H.; Helm, M.; Winnerl, S. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Ploetzing, T.; Neumaier, D. [Advanced Microelectronic Center Aachen, AMO GmbH, Aachen (Germany)

2017-11-15

Graphene is an ideal material to study fundamental Coulomb- and phonon-induced carrier scattering processes. Its remarkable gapless and linear band structure opens up new carrier relaxation channels. In particular, Auger scattering bridging the valence and the conduction band changes the number of charge carriers and gives rise to a significant carrier multiplication - an ultrafast many-particle phenomenon that is promising for the design of highly efficient photodetectors. Furthermore, the vanishing density of states at the Dirac point combined with ultrafast phonon-induced intraband scattering results in an accumulation of carriers and a population inversion suggesting the design of graphene-based terahertz lasers. Here, we review our work on the ultrafast carrier dynamics in graphene and Landau-quantized graphene is presented providing a microscopic view on the appearance of carrier multiplication and population inversion. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Electronic and structural response of nanomaterials to ultrafast and ultraintense laser pulses.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chen-Wei; Zhou, Xiang; Lin, Zhibin; Xie, Rui-Hua; Li, Fu-Li; Allen, Roland E

2014-02-01

The interaction of materials with ultrafast and ultraintense laser pulses is a current frontier of science both experimentally and theoretically. In this review, we briefly discuss some recent theoretical studies by the present authors with our method of semiclassical electron-radiation-ion dynamics (SERID). In particular, Zhou et al. and Jiang et al. respectively, determined the optimal duration and optimal timing for a series of femtosecond scale laser pulses to excite a specific vibrational mode in a general chemical system. A set of such modes can be used as a "fingerprint" for characterizing a particular molecule or a complex in a solid. One can therefore envision many applications, ranging from fundamental studies to detection of chemical or biological agents. Allen et al. proved that dimers are preferentially emitted during photofragmentation of C60 under an ultrafast and ultraintense laser pulse. For interactions between laser pulses and semiconductors, e.g., GaAs, Si and InSb, besides experimentally accessible optical properties--epsilon(omega) and chi(2)-Allen et al. offered many other indicators to confirm the nonthermal nature of structural changes driven by electronic excitations and occurring during the first few hundred femtoseconds. Lin et al. found that, after the application of a femtosecond laser pulse, excited electrons in materials automatically equilibrate to a Fermi-Dirac distribution within roughly 100 fs, solely because of their coupling to the nuclear motion, even though the resulting electronic temperature is one to two orders of magnitude higher than the kinetic temperature defined by the nuclear motion.

Investigation of an Ultrafast Harmonic Resonant RF Kicker

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yulu [Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)

2016-10-01

An Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) based multi-turn electron Circulator Cooler Ring (CCR) is envisaged in the proposed Jefferson Lab Electron Ion Collider (JLEIC) to cool the ion bunches with high energy (55 MeV), high current (1.5 A), high repetition frequency (476.3 MHz), high quality magnetized electron bunches. A critical component in this scheme is a pair of ultrafast kickers for the exchange of electron bunches between the ERL and the CCR. The ultrafast kicker should operate with the rise and fall time in less than 2.1 ns, at the repetition rate of ~10s MHz, and should be able to run continuously during the whole period of cooling. These -and-fall time being combined together, are well beyond the state-of-art of traditional pulsed power supplies and magnet kickers. To solve this technical challenge, an alternative method is to generate this high repetition rate, fast rise-and-fall time short pulse continuous waveform by summing several finite number of (co)sine waves at harmonic frequencies of the kicking repetition frequency, and these harmonic modes can be generated by the Quarter Wave Resonater (QWR) based multifrequency cavities. Assuming the recirculator factor is 10, 10 harmonic modes (from 47.63 MHz to 476.3 MHz) with proper amplitudes and phases, plus a DC offset are combined together, a continuous short pulse waveform with the rise-and-fall time in less than 2.1 ns, repetition rate of 47.63 MHz waveform can be generated. With the compact and matured technology of QWR cavities, the total cost of both hardware development and operation can be reduced to a modest level. Focuse on the technical scheme, three main topics will be discussed in this thesis: the synthetization of the kicking pulse, the design and optimization of the deflecting QWR multi-integer harmonic frequency resonator and the fabrication and bench measurements of a half scale copper prototype. In the kicking pulse synthetization part, we begin with the Fourier Series expansion of an ideal

Time-dependent nonequilibrium soft x-ray response during a spin crossover

Science.gov (United States)

van Veenendaal, Michel

2018-03-01

A theoretical framework is developed for better understanding the time-dependent soft-x-ray response of dissipative quantum many-body systems. It is shown how x-ray absorption and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) at transition-metal L edges can provide insight into ultrafast intersystem crossings of importance for energy conversion, ultrafast magnetism, and catalysis. The photoinduced doublet-to-quartet spin crossover on cobalt in Fe-Co Prussian blue analogs is used as a model system to demonstrate how the x-ray response is affected by the nonequilibrium dynamics on a femtosecond time scale. Changes in local spin and symmetry and the underlying mechanism are reflected in strong broadenings, a collapse of clear selection rules during the intersystem crossing, fluctuations in the isotropic branching ratio in x-ray absorption, crystal-field collapse and/or oscillations, and time-dependent anti-Stokes processes in RIXS.

Dynamic inequalities on time scales

CERN Document Server

Agarwal, Ravi; Saker, Samir

2014-01-01

This is a monograph devoted to recent research and results on dynamic inequalities on time scales. The study of dynamic inequalities on time scales has been covered extensively in the literature in recent years and has now become a major sub-field in pure and applied mathematics. In particular, this book will cover recent results on integral inequalities, including Young's inequality, Jensen's inequality, Holder's inequality, Minkowski's inequality, Steffensen's inequality, Hermite-Hadamard inequality and Čebyšv's inequality. Opial type inequalities on time scales and their extensions with weighted functions, Lyapunov type inequalities, Halanay type inequalities for dynamic equations on time scales, and Wirtinger type inequalities on time scales and their extensions will also be discussed here in detail.

Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy of the light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) from the photosynthetic bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum.

Science.gov (United States)

Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Fuciman, Marcel; Kobayashi, Masayuki; Frank, Harry A; Blankenship, Robert E

2011-10-01

The light-harvesting complex 2 from the thermophilic purple bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum was purified and studied by steady-state absorption and fluorescence, sub-nanosecond-time-resolved fluorescence and femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. The measurements were performed at room temperature and at 10 K. The combination of both ultrafast and steady-state optical spectroscopy methods at ambient and cryogenic temperatures allowed the detailed study of carotenoid (Car)-to-bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) as well BChl-to-BChl excitation energy transfer in the complex. The studies show that the dominant Cars rhodopin (N=11) and spirilloxanthin (N=13) do not play a significant role as supportive energy donors for BChl a. This is related with their photophysical properties regulated by long π-electron conjugation. On the other hand, such properties favor some of the Cars, particularly spirilloxanthin (N=13) to play the role of the direct quencher of the excited singlet state of BChl. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in band edge and broad deep defect emission ZnSe nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Othonos, Andreas; Lioudakis, Emmanouil; Philipose, U.; Ruda, Harry E.

2007-12-01

Ultrafast carrier dynamics of ZnSe nanowires grown under different growth conditions have been studied. Transient absorption measurements reveal the dependence of the competing effects of state filling and photoinduced absorption on the probed energy states. The relaxation of the photogenerated carriers occupying defect states in the stoichiometric and Se-rich samples are single exponentials with time constants of 3-4ps. State filling is the main contribution for probe energies below 1.85eV in the Zn-rich grown sample. This ultrafast carrier dynamics study provides an important insight into the role that intrinsic point defects play in the observed photoluminescence from ZnSe nanowires.

Ultrafast optical signal processing using semiconductor quantum dot amplifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Tommy Winther; Mørk, Jesper

2002-01-01

The linear and nonlinear properties of quantum dot amplifiers are discussed on the basis of an extensive theoretical model. These devices show great potential for linear amplification as well as ultrafast signal processing.......The linear and nonlinear properties of quantum dot amplifiers are discussed on the basis of an extensive theoretical model. These devices show great potential for linear amplification as well as ultrafast signal processing....

Imaging the Ultrafast Photoelectron Transfer Process in Alizarin-TiO2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Gomez

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this work, we adopt a quantum mechanical approach based on time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT to study the optical and electronic properties of alizarin supported on TiO2 nano-crystallites, as a prototypical dye-sensitized solar cell. To ensure proper alignment of the donor (alizarin and acceptor (TiO2 nano-crystallite levels, static optical excitation spectra are simulated using time-dependent density functional theory in response. The ultrafast photoelectron transfer from the dye to the cluster is simulated using an explicitly time-dependent, one-electron TDDFT ansatz. The model considers the δ-pulse excitation of a single active electron localized in the dye to the complete set of energetically accessible, delocalized molecular orbitals of the dye/nano-crystallite complex. A set of quantum mechanical tools derived from the transition electronic flux density is introduced to visualize and analyze the process in real time. The evolution of the created wave packet subject to absorbing boundary conditions at the borders of the cluster reveal that, while the electrons of the aromatic rings of alizarin are heavily involved in an ultrafast charge redistribution between the carbonyl groups of the dye molecule, they do not contribute positively to the electron injection and, overall, they delay the process.

Imaging ultrafast excited state pathways in transition metal complexes by X-ray transient absorption and scattering using X-ray free electron laser source

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Lin X; Shelby, Megan L; Lestrange, Patrick J

2016-01-01

This report will describe our recent studies of transition metal complex structural dynamics on the fs and ps time scales using an X-ray free electron laser source, Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Ultrafast XANES spectra at the Ni K-edge of nickel(ii) tetramesitylporphyrin (NiTMP) were measured...... on the low-energy shoulder of the edge, which is aided by the computation of X-ray transitions for postulated excited electronic states. The observed and computed inner shell to valence orbital transition energies demonstrate and quantify the influence of the electronic configuration on specific metal...

Ultrafast vibrations of gold nanorings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kelf, T; Tanaka, Y; Matsuda, O

2011-01-01

We investigate the vibrational modes of gold nanorings on a silica substrate with an ultrafast optical technique. By comparison with numerical simulations, we identify several resonances in the gigahertz range associated with axially symmetric deformations of the nanoring and substrate. We...

Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Semiconductor Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borri, Paola; Langbein, Wolfgang; Hvam, Jørn Marcher

1999-01-01

In this work we present an experimental technique for investigating ultrafast carrier dynamics in semiconductor optical amplifiers at room temperature. These dynamics, influenced by carrier heating, spectral hole-burning and two-photon absorption, are very important for device applications in inf...

Ultrafast dynamics of electronically excited molecules and clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lietard, Aude

2014-01-01

This PhD thesis investigated the ultrafast dynamics of photo-chromic molecules and argon clusters in the gas phase at the femtosecond timescale. Pump-probe experiments are performed in a set-up which associates a versatile pulsed molecular beam coupled to a photoelectron/photoion velocity map imager (VMI) and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). Theses pump-probe experiments provides the temporal evolution of the electronic distribution for each system of interest. Besides, a modelization has been performed in order to characterize the density and the velocity distribution in the pulsed beam. Regarding the photo-chromic di-thienyl-ethene molecules, parallel electronic relaxation pathways were observed. This contrasts with the observation of sequential relaxation processes in most molecules studied so far. In the present case, the initial wave packet splits in two parts. One part is driven to the ground state at the femtosecond time scale through a conical intersection, and the second part remains for ps in the excited state and experiences oscillations in a suspended well. This study has shed light into the intrinsic dynamics of the molecules under study and a general relaxation mechanism has been proposed, which applies to the whole family of di-thienyl-ethene molecules whatever the state of matter (gas phase or solution) in which they have been investigated. Concerning argon clusters excited at about 14 eV, two behaviors of different time scale have been observed at different time scales. The first one occurs in the first picoseconds of the dynamics. It corresponds to the electronic relaxation of an excitonic state at a rate of 1 eV.ps -1 . The second phenomenon corresponds to the localization of the exciton on the excimer Ar 2 *. This phenomenon is observed 4-5 ps after the excitation. In this study, we also observed the ejection of excited argon atoms, addressing the lifetime of the delocalized excitonic state. This work provide additional informations

Laser selective cutting of biological tissues by impulsive heat deposition through ultrafast vibrational excitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Franjic, Kresimir; Cowan, Michael L; Kraemer, Darren; Miller, R J Dwayne

2009-12-07

Mechanical and thermodynamic responses of biomaterials after impulsive heat deposition through vibrational excitations (IHDVE) are investigated and discussed. Specifically, we demonstrate highly efficient ablation of healthy tooth enamel using 55 ps infrared laser pulses tuned to the vibrational transition of interstitial water and hydroxyapatite around 2.95 microm. The peak intensity at 13 GW/cm(2) was well below the plasma generation threshold and the applied fluence 0.75 J/cm(2) was significantly smaller than the typical ablation thresholds observed with nanosecond and microsecond pulses from Er:YAG lasers operating at the same wavelength. The ablation was performed without adding any superficial water layer at the enamel surface. The total energy deposited per ablated volume was several times smaller than previously reported for non-resonant ultrafast plasma driven ablation with similar pulse durations. No micro-cracking of the ablated surface was observed with a scanning electron microscope. The highly efficient ablation is attributed to an enhanced photomechanical effect due to ultrafast vibrational relaxation into heat and the scattering of powerful ultrafast acoustic transients with random phases off the mesoscopic heterogeneous tissue structures.

Asymmetric-detection time-stretch optical microscopy (ATOM) for ultrafast high-contrast cellular imaging in flow

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Terence T. W.; Lau, Andy K. S.; Ho, Kenneth K. Y.; Tang, Matthew Y. H.; Robles, Joseph D. F.; Wei, Xiaoming; Chan, Antony C. S.; Tang, Anson H. L.; Lam, Edmund Y.; Wong, Kenneth K. Y.; Chan, Godfrey C. F.; Shum, Ho Cheung; Tsia, Kevin K.

2014-01-01

Accelerating imaging speed in optical microscopy is often realized at the expense of image contrast, image resolution, and detection sensitivity – a common predicament for advancing high-speed and high-throughput cellular imaging. We here demonstrate a new imaging approach, called asymmetric-detection time-stretch optical microscopy (ATOM), which can deliver ultrafast label-free high-contrast flow imaging with well delineated cellular morphological resolution and in-line optical image amplification to overcome the compromised imaging sensitivity at high speed. We show that ATOM can separately reveal the enhanced phase-gradient and absorption contrast in microfluidic live-cell imaging at a flow speed as high as ~10 m/s, corresponding to an imaging throughput of ~100,000 cells/sec. ATOM could thus be the enabling platform to meet the pressing need for intercalating optical microscopy in cellular assay, e.g. imaging flow cytometry – permitting high-throughput access to the morphological information of the individual cells simultaneously with a multitude of parameters obtained in the standard assay. PMID:24413677

Ultrafast photoconductor detector-laser-diode transmitter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.L.; Davis, B.A.; Davies, T.J.; Nelson, M.A.; Thomas, M.C.; Zagarino, P.A.

1987-01-01

We report the results of an experiment in which we used an ultrafast, photoconductive, radiation detector to drive a fast laser-diode transmitter. When we irradiated the neutron-damaged Cr-doped GaAs detector with 17-MeV electron beams, the temporal response was measured to be less than 30 ps. The pulses from this detector modulated a fast GaAlAs laser diode to transmit the laser output through 30- and 1100-m optical fibers. Preliminary results indicate that 50- and 80-ps time resolutions, respectively, are obtainable with these fibers. We are now working to integrate the photoconductive detector and the laser diode transmitter into a single chip

Ultrafast spectroscopy of biological photoreceptors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kennis, J.T.M.; Groot, M.L.

2007-01-01

We review recent new insights on reaction dynamics of photoreceptors proteins gained from ultrafast spectroscopy. In Blue Light sensing Using FAD (BLUF) domains, a hydrogen-bond rearrangement around the flavin chromophore proceeds through a radical-pair mechanism, by which light-induced electron and

Ultrafast vibrations of gold nanorings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kelf, T; Tanaka, Y; Matsuda, O

2011-01-01

We investigate the vibrational modes of gold nanorings on a silica substrate with an ultrafast optical technique. By comparison with numerical simulations, we identify several resonances in the gigahertz range associated with axially symmetric deformations of the nanoring and substrate. We elucid...

Ultrafast magnetization dynamics of lanthanide metals and alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sultan, Muhammad

2012-05-14

In this study, the laser-induced magnetization dynamics of the lanthanide ferromagnets Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb) and their alloys is investigated using femtosecond (fs) time-resolved x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and magnetic second harmonic generation (MSHG). The magnetization dynamics is analyzed from the time scale of a few fs up to several hundred picoseconds (ps). The contributions of electrons, phonons, spin fluctuations, as well as the temporal regimes corresponding to the spin-orbit and exchange interactions are disentangled. In addition to possible applications in magnetic storage devices, understanding magnetization dynamics in lanthanides is also important because of their different magnetic structure compared to well-studied itinerant ferromagnets. Lanthanides are model Heisenberg-ferromagnets with localized 4f magnetic moments and long range magnetic ordering through indirect exchange interaction. By optical excitation of the conduction electrons, which mediate the exchange interaction, and studying the induced dynamics of the localized 4f and delocalized 5d6s magnetic moments, one can obtain insight into the angular momentum transfer at ultrafast time scales. Moreover, lanthanides offer the possibility to tune spin-lattice coupling via the 4f shell occupation and the concomitant changes in the 4f spin and orbital moments due to Hund's rules. Utilizing this fact, the importance of spin-lattice coupling in laser-induced demagnetization is also analyzed by comparing the magnetization dynamics in Gd and Tb. By investigating the magnetization dynamics of localized 4f moments of Gd and Tb using time-resolved XMCD, it is found that the demagnetization proceeds in both metals in two time scales, following fs laser excitation, which are classified as: (i) non-equilibrium (t > 1 ps), with respect to equilibration of electron and phonon temperatures. The

Ultrafast gas switching experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frost, C.A.; Martin, T.H.; Patterson, P.E.; Rinehart, L.F.; Rohwein, G.J.; Roose, L.D.; Aurand, J.F.; Buttram, M.T.

1993-01-01

We describe recent experiments which studied the physics of ultrafast gas breakdown under the extreme overvoltages which occur when a high pressure gas switch is pulse charged to hundreds of kV in 1 ns or less. The highly overvolted peaking gaps produce powerful electromagnetic pulses with risetimes Khz at > 100 kV/m E field

Watching ultrafast responses of structure and magnetism in condensed matter with momentum-resolved probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. L. Johnson

2017-11-01

Full Text Available We present a non-comprehensive review of some representative experimental studies in crystalline condensed matter systems where the effects of intense ultrashort light pulses are probed using x-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy. On an ultrafast (sub-picosecond time scale, conventional concepts derived from the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium must often be modified in order to adequately describe the time-dependent changes in material properties. There are several commonly adopted approaches to this modification, appropriate in different experimental circumstances. One approach is to treat the material as a collection of quasi-thermal subsystems in thermal contact with each other in the so-called “N-temperature” models. On the other extreme, one can also treat the time-dependent changes as fully coherent dynamics of a sometimes complex network of excitations. Here, we present examples of experiments that fall into each of these categories, as well as experiments that partake of both models. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations and future potential of these concepts.

Ultrafast magnetization dynamics

OpenAIRE

Woodford, Simon

2008-01-01

This thesis addresses ultrafast magnetization dynamics from a theoretical perspective. The manipulation of magnetization using the inverse Faraday effect has been studied, as well as magnetic relaxation processes in quantum dots. The inverse Faraday effect – the generation of a magnetic field by nonresonant, circularly polarized light – offers the possibility to control and reverse magnetization on a timescale of a few hundred femtoseconds. This is important both for the technological advant...

Tissue strain rate estimator using ultrafast IQ complex data

OpenAIRE

TERNIFI , Redouane; Elkateb Hachemi , Melouka; Remenieras , Jean-Pierre

2012-01-01

International audience; Pulsatile motion of brain parenchyma results from cardiac and breathing cycles. In this study, transient motion of brain tissue was estimated using an Aixplorer® imaging system allowing an ultrafast 2D acquisition mode. The strain was computed directly from the ultrafast IQ complex data using the extended autocorrelation strain estimator (EASE), which provides great SNRs regardless of depth. The EASE first evaluates the autocorrelation function at each depth over a set...

Patellofemoral joint motion: Evaluation by ultrafast computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanford, W.; Phelan, J.; Kathol, M.H.; Rooholamini, S.A.; El-Khoury, G.Y.; Palutsis, G.R.; Albright, J.P.

1988-01-01

Patellofemoral maltracking is a recognized cause of peripatellar pain. Clinicians currently rely on observation, palpation, and static radiographic images to evaluate the symptomatic patient. Ultrafast computed tomography (ultrafast CT) offers objective observations of the dynamic influences of muscle contraction on the patellofemoral joint as the knee is actively moved through a range of motion from 90 0 C flexion of full extension. This study reports our initial observations and establishes a range of normal values so that patients with a clinical suspicion of patellar maltracking may be evaluated. (orig./GDG)

Patellofemoral joint motion: Evaluation by ultrafast computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanford, W.; Phelan, J.; Kathol, M.H.; Rooholamini, S.A.; El-Khoury, G.Y.; Palutsis, G.R.; Albright, J.P.

1988-10-01

Patellofemoral maltracking is a recognized cause of peripatellar pain. Clinicians currently rely on observation, palpation, and static radiographic images to evaluate the symptomatic patient. Ultrafast computed tomography (ultrafast CT) offers objective observations of the dynamic influences of muscle contraction on the patellofemoral joint as the knee is actively moved through a range of motion from 90/sup 0/C flexion of full extension. This study reports our initial observations and establishes a range of normal values so that patients with a clinical suspicion of patellar maltracking may be evaluated. (orig./GDG).

Effect of heat sink layer on ultrafast magnetization recovery of FeCo films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, Y; Zhao, J Q; Zhang, Z Z; Jin, Q Y; Hu, H N; Zhou, S M

2008-01-01

For FeCo alloy thin films with Ag, Cu, Pt, Ta and Cr as heat sink layers, ultrafast demagnetization and recovery processes of transient magnetization have been studied by the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. For all samples, the ultrafast demagnetization process is accomplished within almost the same time interval of 500 fs, which is independent of the heat sink layer material and the pump fluence. The recovery rate of the FeCo film grown on the Si(1 0 0) substrate is enhanced with a heat sink layer. In addition, the recovery rate is found to be independent of the heat sink layer thickness; it decreases with increasing pump fluence. Among all heat sink layers, the sample with the Cr layer achieves the highest recovery rate because it has the same bcc structure as that of the FeCo layer and the small lattice mismatch. The sample with the Ta layer, has the largest damage threshold of pump fluence because of the highest melting point

Terahertz radiation from accelerating charge carriers in graphene under ultrafast photoexcitation

Science.gov (United States)

Rustagi, Avinash; Stanton, C. J.

2016-11-01

We study the generation of terahertz (THz) radiation from the acceleration of ultrafast photoexcited charge carriers in graphene in the presence of a dc electric field. Our model is based on calculating the transient current density from the time-dependent distribution function which is determined using the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) within a relaxation time approximation. We include the time-dependent generation of carriers by the pump pulse by solving for the carrier generation rate using the optical Bloch equations in the rotating wave approximation (RWA). The linearly polarized pump pulse generates an anisotropic distribution of photoexcited carriers in the kx-ky plane. The collision integral in the Boltzmann equation includes a term that leads to the thermalization of carriers via carrier-carrier scattering to an effective temperature above the lattice temperature, as well as a cooling term, which leads to energy relaxation via inelastic carrier-phonon scattering. The radiated signal is proportional to the time derivative of the transient current density. In spite of the fact that the magnitude of the velocity is the same for all the carriers in graphene, there is still emitted radiation from the photoexcited charge carriers with frequency components in the THz range due to a change in the direction of velocity of the photoexcited carriers in the external electric field as well as cooling of the photoexcited carriers on a subpicosecond time scale.

Novel radio-frequency gun structures for ultrafast relativistic electron diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Musumeci, P; Faillace, L; Fukasawa, A; Moody, J T; O'Shea, B; Rosenzweig, J B; Scoby, C M

2009-08-01

Radio-frequency (RF) photoinjector-based relativistic ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is a promising new technique that has the potential to probe structural changes at the atomic scale with sub-100 fs temporal resolution in a single shot. We analyze the limitations on the temporal and spatial resolution of this technique considering the operating parameters of a standard 1.6 cell RF gun (which is the RF photoinjector used for the first experimental tests of relativistic UED at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center; University of California, Los Angeles; Brookhaven National Laboratory), and study the possibility of employing novel RF structures to circumvent some of these limits.

Ultra-fast low concentration detection of Candida pathogens utilizing high resolution micropore chips.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulero, Rafael; Lee, Dong Heun; Kutzler, Michele A; Jacobson, Jeffrey M; Kim, Min Jun

2009-01-01

Although Candida species are the fourth most common cause of nosocomial blood stream infections in the United States, early diagnostic tools for invasive candidemia are lacking. Due to an increasing rate of candidemia, a new screening system is needed to detect the Candida species in a timely manner. Here we describe a novel method of detection using a solid-state micro-scale pore similar to the operational principles of a Coulter counter. With a steady electrolyte current flowing through the pore, measurements are taken of changes in the current corresponding to the shape of individual yeasts as they translocate or travel through the pore. The direct ultra-fast low concentration electrical addressing of C. albicans has established criteria for distinguishing individual yeast based on their structural properties, which may reduce the currently used methods' complexity for both identification and quantification capabilities in mixed blood samples.

Ultra-Fast Low Concentration Detection of Candida Pathogens Utilizing High Resolution Micropore Chips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Although Candida species are the fourth most common cause of nosocomial blood stream infections in the United States, early diagnostic tools for invasive candidemia are lacking. Due to an increasing rate of candidemia, a new screening system is needed to detect the Candida species in a timely manner. Here we describe a novel method of detection using a solid-state micro-scale pore similar to the operational principles of a Coulter counter. With a steady electrolyte current flowing through the pore, measurements are taken of changes in the current corresponding to the shape of individual yeasts as they translocate or travel through the pore. The direct ultra-fast low concentration electrical addressing of C. albicans has established criteria for distinguishing individual yeast based on their structural properties, which may reduce the currently used methods’ complexity for both identification and quantification capabilities in mixed blood samples

State-Resolved Metal Nanoparticle Dynamics Viewed through the Combined Lenses of Ultrafast and Magneto-optical Spectroscopies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tian; Herbert, Patrick J; Zheng, Hongjun; Knappenberger, Kenneth L

2018-05-08

Electronic carrier dynamics play pivotal roles in the functional properties of nanomaterials. For colloidal metals, the mechanisms and influences of these dynamics are structure dependent. The coherent carrier dynamics of collective plasmon modes for nanoparticles (approximately 2 nm and larger) determine optical amplification factors that are important to applied spectroscopy techniques. In the nanocluster domain (sub-2 nm), carrier coupling to vibrational modes affects photoluminescence yields. The performance of photocatalytic materials featuring both nanoparticles and nanoclusters also depends on the relaxation dynamics of nonequilibrium charge carriers. The challenges for developing comprehensive descriptions of carrier dynamics spanning both domains are multifold. Plasmon coherences are short-lived, persisting for only tens of femtoseconds. Nanoclusters exhibit discrete carrier dynamics that can persist for microseconds in some cases. On this time scale, many state-dependent processes, including vibrational relaxation, charge transfer, and spin conversion, affect carrier dynamics in ways that are nonscalable but, rather, structure specific. Hence, state-resolved spectroscopy methods are needed for understanding carrier dynamics in the nanocluster domain. Based on these considerations, a detailed understanding of structure-dependent carrier dynamics across length scales requires an appropriate combination of spectroscopic methods. Plasmon mode-specific dynamics can be obtained through ultrafast correlated light and electron microscopy (UCLEM), which pairs interferometric nonlinear optical (INLO) with electron imaging methods. INLO yields nanostructure spectral resonance responses, which capture the system's homogeneous line width and coherence dynamics. State-resolved nanocluster dynamics can be obtained by pairing ultrafast with magnetic-optical spectroscopy methods. In particular, variable-temperature variable-field (VTVH) spectroscopies allow quantification

Electro-optic sampling at 90 degree interaction geometry for time-of-arrival stamping of ultrafast relativistic electron diffraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. M. Scoby

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper we study a new geometry setup for electro-optic sampling (EOS where the electron beam runs parallel to the ⟨110⟩ face of a ZnTe crystal and the probe laser is perpendicular to it and to the beam path. The simple setup is used to encode the time-of-arrival information of a 3.5  MeV<10  pC electron bunch on the spatial profile of the laser pulse. The electric field lines inside the dielectric bend at an angle due to a relatively large (n∼3 index of refraction of the ZnTe crystal. We found theoretically and experimentally that the EOS signal can be maximized with a proper choice of incoming laser polarization angle. We achieved single-shot nondestructive measurement of the relative time of arrival between the pump and the probe beams thus improving the temporal resolution of ultrafast relativistic electron diffraction experiments.

How fast are the ultra-fast nano-scale solid-liquid phase transitions induced by energetic particles in solids?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopasso, E.M.; Caro, A.; Caro, M.

2003-01-01

We study the thermodynamic forces acting on the evolution of the nanoscale regions excited by collisions of energetic particles into solid targets. We analyze the role of diffusion, thermo-migration, and the liquidus-solidus two-phase field crossing, as the system cools down from the collision-induced melt under different conditions of energy deposition. To determine the relevance of these thermodynamic forces, solute redistribution is evaluated using molecular dynamics simulations of equilibrium Au-Ni solid solutions. At low collision energies, our results show that the quenching of spherical cascades is too fast to allow for solute redistribution according to equilibrium solidification as determined from the equilibrium phase diagram (zone refining effect), and only thermo-migration is observed. At higher energies instead, in the cylindrical symmetry of ion tracks, quenching rate is in a range that shows the combined effects of thermo-migration and solute redistribution that, depending on the material, can reinforce or cancel each other. These results are relevant for the interpretation of the early stage of radiation damage in alloys, and show that the combination of ultra-fast but nano-scale characteristics of these processes can still be described in terms of linear response of the perturbed system

Silicon based ultrafast optical waveform sampling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ji, Hua; Galili, Michael; Pu, Minhao

2010-01-01

A 300 nmx450 nmx5 mm silicon nanowire is designed and fabricated for a four wave mixing based non-linear optical gate. Based on this silicon nanowire, an ultra-fast optical sampling system is successfully demonstrated using a free-running fiber laser with a carbon nanotube-based mode-locker as th......A 300 nmx450 nmx5 mm silicon nanowire is designed and fabricated for a four wave mixing based non-linear optical gate. Based on this silicon nanowire, an ultra-fast optical sampling system is successfully demonstrated using a free-running fiber laser with a carbon nanotube-based mode......-locker as the sampling source. A clear eye-diagram of a 320 Gbit/s data signal is obtained. The temporal resolution of the sampling system is estimated to 360 fs....

Ultra-fast framing camera tube

Science.gov (United States)

Kalibjian, Ralph

1981-01-01

An electronic framing camera tube features focal plane image dissection and synchronized restoration of the dissected electron line images to form two-dimensional framed images. Ultra-fast framing is performed by first streaking a two-dimensional electron image across a narrow slit, thereby dissecting the two-dimensional electron image into sequential electron line images. The dissected electron line images are then restored into a framed image by a restorer deflector operated synchronously with the dissector deflector. The number of framed images on the tube's viewing screen is equal to the number of dissecting slits in the tube. The distinguishing features of this ultra-fast framing camera tube are the focal plane dissecting slits, and the synchronously-operated restorer deflector which restores the dissected electron line images into a two-dimensional framed image. The framing camera tube can produce image frames having high spatial resolution of optical events in the sub-100 picosecond range.

Ultrafast demagnetization in rare-earth alloys: the role of spin-orbit coupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Guyader, Loic; Solopow, Sergej; Radu, Florin; Holldack, Karsten; Mitzner, Rolf; Kachel, Torsten; Pontius, Niko; Foehlisch, Alexander; Radu, Ilie [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Abrudan, Radu [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Institut fuer Experimentalphysik/Festkoerperphysik, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany)

2015-07-01

Understanding the ultrafast demagnetization occurring upon femtosecond laser excitation of a magnetic material is a fundamental problem of modern magnetism and its microscopic origin remains highly elusive and intensely debated. Particularly, the spin-orbit coupling mediating the spin-lattice interaction is one of the key ingredients. An intriguing case of tunable parallel to anti-parallel LS coupling can be realized in rare-earth (RE) alloys. For instance, Gd60Sm40 and Gd60Dy40 alloys have similar absolute S and L, but exhibit opposite LS coupling while displaying the same ferromagnetic ordering temperature of 250 K. They constitute thus an ideal case to investigate the particular role of the LS coupling on the ultrafast demagnetization. Here we report on the properties of such RE thin film alloys using X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) with the spin and orbit sum rules at M5,4 edges. Femtosecond time-resolved transmission XMCD measurements performed at the slicing beamline reveal the element-specific demagnetization time constant in these alloys. Funding from European Union through FEMTOSPIN is gratefully acknowledged.

The multi-phase winds of Markarian 231: from the hot, nuclear, ultra-fast wind to the galaxy-scale, molecular outflow

Science.gov (United States)

Feruglio, C.; Fiore, F.; Carniani, S.; Piconcelli, E.; Zappacosta, L.; Bongiorno, A.; Cicone, C.; Maiolino, R.; Marconi, A.; Menci, N.; Puccetti, S.; Veilleux, S.

2015-11-01

Mrk 231 is a nearby ultra-luminous IR galaxy exhibiting a kpc-scale, multi-phase AGN-driven outflow. This galaxy represents the best target to investigate in detail the morphology and energetics of powerful outflows, as well as their still poorly-understood expansion mechanism and impact on the host galaxy. In this work, we present the best sensitivity and angular resolution maps of the molecular disk and outflow of Mrk 231, as traced by CO(2-1) and (3-2) observations obtained with the IRAM/PdBI. In addition, we analyze archival deep Chandra and NuSTAR X-ray observations. We use this unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength data sets to constrain the physical properties of both the molecular disk and outflow, the presence of a highly-ionized ultra-fast nuclear wind, and their connection. The molecular CO(2-1) outflow has a size of 1 kpc, and extends in all directions around the nucleus, being more prominent along the south-west to north-east direction, suggesting a wide-angle biconical geometry. The maximum projected velocity of the outflow is nearly constant out to 1 kpc, thus implying that the density of the outflowing material must decrease from the nucleus outwards as r-2. This suggests that either a large part of the gas leaves the flow during its expansion or that the bulk of the outflow has not yet reached out to 1 kpc, thus implying a limit on its age of 1 Myr. Mapping the mass and energy rates of the molecular outflow yields dot {M} OF = [500-1000] M⊙ yr-1 and Ėkin,OF = [7-10] × 1043 erg s-1. The total kinetic energy of the outflow is Ekin,OF is of the same order of the total energy of the molecular disk, Edisk. Remarkably, our analysis of the X-ray data reveals a nuclear ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with velocity -20 000 km s-1, dot {M}UFO = [0.3-2.1] M⊙ yr-1, and momentum load dot {P}UFO/ dot {P}rad = [0.2-1.6]. We find Ėkin,UFO Ėkin,OF as predicted for outflows undergoing an energy conserving expansion. This suggests that most of the UFO

Ultrafast proton shuttling in Psammocora cyan fluorescent protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennis, John T M; van Stokkum, Ivo H M; Peterson, Dayna S; Pandit, Anjali; Wachter, Rebekka M

2013-09-26

involving a short hydrogen bond. At any time in the reaction, the proton is localized on either the chromophore or Glu-167, which implies that most likely no low-barrier hydrogen bond exists between these molecular groups. This work supports the notion that proton transfer in biological systems, be it in an electronic excited or ground state, can be an intrinsically fast process that occurs on a 100 fs time scale. PsamFP488 represents an attractive model system that poses an ultrafast proton transfer regime in discrete steps. It constitutes a valuable model system in addition to wild type GFP, where proton transfer is relatively slow, and the S65T/H148D GFP mutant, where the effects of low-barrier hydrogen bonds dominate.

Ultrafast coherence transfer in DNA-templated silver nanoclusters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyrhaug, Erling; Bogh, Sidsel Ammitzbøll; Carro, Miguel

2017-01-01

DNA-templated silver nanoclusters of a few tens of atoms or less have come into prominence over the last several years due to very strong absorption and efficient emission. Applications in microscopy and sensing have already been realized, however little is known about the excited-state structure...... and dynamics in these clusters. Here we report on a multidimensional spectroscopy investigation of the energy-level structure and the early-time relaxation cascade, which eventually results in the population of an emitting state. We find that the ultrafast intramolecular relaxation is strongly coupled...

Spin-controlled ultrafast vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Höpfner, Henning; Lindemann, Markus; Gerhardt, Nils C.; Hofmann, Martin R.

2014-05-01

Spin-controlled semiconductor lasers are highly attractive spintronic devices providing characteristics superior to their conventional purely charge-based counterparts. In particular, spin-controlled vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (spin-VCSELs) promise to offer lower thresholds, enhanced emission intensity, spin amplification, full polarization control, chirp control and ultrafast dynamics. Most important, the ability to control and modulate the polarization state of the laser emission with extraordinarily high frequencies is very attractive for many applications like broadband optical communication and ultrafast optical switches. We present a novel concept for ultrafast spin-VCSELs which has the potential to overcome the conventional speed limitation for directly modulated lasers by the relaxation oscillation frequency and to reach modulation frequencies significantly above 100 GHz. The concept is based on the coupled spin-photon dynamics in birefringent micro-cavity lasers. By injecting spin-polarized carriers in the VCSEL, oscillations of the coupled spin-photon system can by induced which lead to oscillations of the polarization state of the laser emission. These oscillations are decoupled from conventional relaxation oscillations of the carrier-photon system and can be much faster than these. Utilizing these polarization oscillations is thus a very promising approach to develop ultrafast spin-VCSELs for high speed optical data communication in the near future. Different aspects of the spin and polarization dynamics, its connection to birefringence and bistability in the cavity, controlled switching of the oscillations, and the limitations of this novel approach will be analysed theoretically and experimentally for spin-polarized VCSELs at room temperature.

Ultrafast photoconductive detector-laser-diode transmitter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.L.; Davies, T.J.; Nelson, M.A.; Thomas, M.C.; Zagarino, P.A.; Davis, B.A.

1987-01-01

The authors report the results of an experiment in which they used an ultrafast, photoconductive, radiation detector to drive a fast laser-diode transmitter. When they irradiated the neutron-damaged Cr-doped Ga/As detector with 17-MeV electron beams, the temporal response of was measured to be less than 30 ps. The pulses from this detector modulated a fast GaAlAs laser diode to transmit the laser output through 30- and 1100-m optical fibers. Preliminary results indicate that 50- and 80-ps time resolutions, respectively, are obtainable with these fibers. They are now working to integrate the photoconductive detector and the laser diode transmitter into a single chip

Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory for observation of early photons from gamma ray bursts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Park, I. H.; Ahmad, S.; Barrillon, P.

2012-01-01

We describe the space project of Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) which will observe early optical photons from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with a sub-second optical response, for the first time. The UFFO will probe the early optical rise of GRBs, opening a completely new frontier in GRB and trans...

Electron beam dynamics in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope with Wehnelt electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bücker, K.; Picher, M.; Crégut, O. [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg (France); LaGrange, T. [Interdisciplinary Centre for Electron Microscopy, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Reed, B.W.; Park, S.T.; Masiel, D.J. [Integrated Dynamic Electron Solutions, Inc., 5653 Stoneridge Drive 117, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (United States); Banhart, F., E-mail: florian.banhart@ipcms.unistra.fr [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg (France)

2016-12-15

High temporal resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques have shown significant progress in recent years. Using photoelectron pulses induced by ultrashort laser pulses on the cathode, these methods can probe ultrafast materials processes and have revealed numerous dynamic phenomena at the nanoscale. Most recently, the technique has been implemented in standard thermionic electron microscopes that provide a flexible platform for studying material's dynamics over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. In this study, the electron pulses in such an ultrafast transmission electron microscope are characterized in detail. The microscope is based on a thermionic gun with a Wehnelt electrode and is operated in a stroboscopic photoelectron mode. It is shown that the Wehnelt bias has a decisive influence on the temporal and energy spread of the picosecond electron pulses. Depending on the shape of the cathode and the cathode-Wehnelt distance, different emission patterns with different pulse parameters are obtained. The energy spread of the pulses is determined by space charge and Boersch effects, given by the number of electrons in a pulse. However, filtering effects due to the chromatic aberrations of the Wehnelt electrode allow the extraction of pulses with narrow energy spreads. The temporal spread is governed by electron trajectories of different length and in different electrostatic potentials. High temporal resolution is obtained by excluding shank emission from the cathode and aberration-induced halos in the emission pattern. By varying the cathode-Wehnelt gap, the Wehnelt bias, and the number of photoelectrons in a pulse, tradeoffs between energy and temporal resolution as well as beam intensity can be made as needed for experiments. Based on the characterization of the electron pulses, the optimal conditions for the operation of ultrafast TEMs with thermionic gun assembly are elaborated. - Highlights: • A detailed characterization of electron

New Aspects of Photocurrent Generation at Graphene pn Junctions Revealed by Ultrafast Optical Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Aivazian, Grant; Sun, Dong; Jones, Aaron; Ross, Jason; Yao, Wang; Cobden, David; Xu, Xiaodong

2012-02-01

The remarkable electrical and optical properties of graphene make it a promising material for new optoelectronic applications. However, one important, but so far unexplored, property is the role of hot carriers in charge and energy transport at graphene interfaces. Here we investigate the photocurrent (PC) dynamics at a tunable graphene pn junction using ultrafast scanning PC microscopy. Pump-probe measurements show a temperature dependent relaxation time of photogenerated carriers that increases from 1.5ps at 290K to 4ps at 20K; while the amplitude of the PC is independent of the lattice temperature. These observations imply that it is hot carriers, not phonons, which dominate ultrafast energy transport. Gate dependent measurements show many interesting features such as pump induced saturation, enhancement, and sign reversal of probe generated PC. These observations reveal that the underlying PC mechanism is a combination of the thermoelectric and built-in electric field effects. Our results enhance the understanding of non-equilibrium electron dynamics, electron-electron interactions, and electron-phonon interactions in graphene. They also determine fundamental limits on ultrafast device operation speeds (˜500 GHz) for graphene-based photodetectors.

Quantum modeling of ultrafast photoinduced charge separation

Science.gov (United States)

Rozzi, Carlo Andrea; Troiani, Filippo; Tavernelli, Ivano

2018-01-01

Phenomena involving electron transfer are ubiquitous in nature, photosynthesis and enzymes or protein activity being prominent examples. Their deep understanding thus represents a mandatory scientific goal. Moreover, controlling the separation of photogenerated charges is a crucial prerequisite in many applicative contexts, including quantum electronics, photo-electrochemical water splitting, photocatalytic dye degradation, and energy conversion. In particular, photoinduced charge separation is the pivotal step driving the storage of sun light into electrical or chemical energy. If properly mastered, these processes may also allow us to achieve a better command of information storage at the nanoscale, as required for the development of molecular electronics, optical switching, or quantum technologies, amongst others. In this Topical Review we survey recent progress in the understanding of ultrafast charge separation from photoexcited states. We report the state-of-the-art of the observation and theoretical description of charge separation phenomena in the ultrafast regime mainly focusing on molecular- and nano-sized solar energy conversion systems. In particular, we examine different proposed mechanisms driving ultrafast charge dynamics, with particular regard to the role of quantum coherence and electron-nuclear coupling, and link experimental observations to theoretical approaches based either on model Hamiltonians or on first principles simulations.

Insights into the photochemical disproportionation of transition metal dimers on the picosecond time scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomont, Justin P; Nguyen, Son C; Harris, Charles B

2013-05-09

The reactivity of five transition metal dimers toward photochemical, in-solvent-cage disproportionation has been investigated using picosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. Previous ultrafast studies on [CpW(CO)3]2 established the role of an in-cage disproportionation mechanism involving electron transfer between 17- and 19-electron radicals prior to diffusion out of the solvent cage. New results from time-resolved infrared studies reveal that the identity of the transition metal complex dictates whether the in-cage disproportionation mechanism can take place, as well as the more fundamental issue of whether 19-electron intermediates are able to form on the picosecond time scale. Significantly, the in-cage disproportionation mechanism observed previously for the tungsten dimer does not characterize the reactivity of four out of the five transition metal dimers in this study. The differences in the ability to form 19-electron intermediates are interpreted either in terms of differences in the 17/19-electron equilibrium or of differences in an energetic barrier to associative coordination of a Lewis base, whereas the case for the in-cage vs diffusive disproportionation mechanisms depends on whether the 19-electron reducing agent is genuinely characterized by 19-electron configuration at the metal center or if it is better described as an 18 + δ complex. These results help to better understand the factors that dictate mechanisms of radical disproportionation and carry implications for radical chain mechanisms.

Radiomics for ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI in the diagnosis of breast cancer: a pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

Drukker, Karen; Anderson, Rachel; Edwards, Alexandra; Papaioannou, John; Pineda, Fred; Abe, Hiroyuke; Karzcmar, Gregory; Giger, Maryellen L.

2018-02-01

Radiomics for dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) breast MRI have shown promise in the diagnosis of breast cancer as applied to conventional DCE-MRI protocols. Here, we investigate the potential of using such radiomic features in the diagnosis of breast cancer applied on ultrafast breast MRI in which images are acquired every few seconds. The dataset consisted of 64 lesions (33 malignant and 31 benign) imaged with both `conventional' and ultrafast DCE-MRI. After automated lesion segmentation in each image sequence, we calculated 38 radiomic features categorized as describing size, shape, margin, enhancement-texture, kinetics, and enhancement variance kinetics. For each feature, we calculated the 95% confidence interval of the area under the ROC curve (AUC) to determine whether the performance of each feature in the task of distinguishing between malignant and benign lesions was better than random guessing. Subsequently, we assessed performance of radiomic signatures in 10-fold cross-validation repeated 10 times using a support vector machine with as input all the features as well as features by category. We found that many of the features remained useful (AUC>0.5) for the ultrafast protocol, with the exception of some features, e.g., those designed for latephase kinetics such as the washout rate. For ultrafast MRI, the radiomics enhancement-texture signature achieved the best performance, which was comparable to that of the kinetics signature for `conventional' DCE-MRI, both achieving AUC values of 0.71. Radiomic developed for `conventional' DCE-MRI shows promise for translation to the ultrafast protocol, where enhancement texture appears to play a dominant role.

How Does Thymine DNA Survive Ultrafast Dimerization Damage?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongjuan Wang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The photodimerization reaction between the two adjacent thymine bases within a single strand has been the subject of numerous studies due to its potential to induce DNA mutagenesis and possible tumorigenesis in human skin cells. It is well established that the cycloaddition photoreaction takes place on a picosecond time scale along barrierless or low barrier singlet/triplet pathways. However, the observed dimerization quantum yield in different thymine multimer is considerable lower than might be expected. A reasonable explanation is required to understand why thymine in DNA is able to survive ultrafast dimerization damage. In this work, accurate quantum calculations based on the combined CASPT2//CASSCF/AMBER method were conducted to map the excited state relaxation pathways of the thymine monomer in aqueous solution and of the thymine oligomer in DNA. A monomer-like decay pathway, induced by the twisting of the methyl group, is found to provide a bypass channel to ensure the photostability of thymine in single-stranded oligomers. This fast relaxation path is regulated by the conical intersection between the bright SCT(1ππ* state with the intra-base charge transfer character and the ground state to remove the excess excitation energy, thereby achieving the ground-state recovery with high efficiency.

9th International Symposium on Ultrafast Processes in Spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

Silvestri, S; Denardo, G

1996-01-01

This volume is a collection of papers presented at the Ninth International Symposium on "Ultrafast Processes in Spectroscopy" (UPS '95) held at the International Centre for Theo­ retical Physics (ICTP), Trieste (Italy), October 30 -November 3, 1995. These meetings have become recognized as the major forum in Europe for discussion of new work in this rapidly moving field. The UPS'95 Conference in Trieste brought together a multidisciplinary group of researchers sharing common interests in the generation of ultrashort optical pulses and their application to studies of ultrafast phenomena in physics, chemistry, material science, electronics, and biology. It was attended by approximately 250 participants from 20 countries and the five-day program comprises more than 200 papers. The progress of both technology and applications in the field of ultrafast processes during these last years is truly remarkable. The advent of all solid state femtosecond lasers and the extension of laser wavelengths by frequency convers...

Ultrafast Spectroscopic Noninvasive Probe of Vertical Carrier Transport in Heterostructure Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

ARL-TR-7618 ● MAR 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Ultrafast Spectroscopic Noninvasive Probe of Vertical Carrier Transport in...US Army Research Laboratory Ultrafast Spectroscopic Noninvasive Probe of Vertical Carrier Transport in Heterostructure Devices by Blair C...Spectroscopic Noninvasive Probe of Vertical Carrier Transport in Heterostructure Devices 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT

Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Li, Ruxin; Chin, See Leang

2009-01-01

The PUILS series presents Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science. PUILS has been stimulated by the recent development of ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume contains approximately 15 chapters, authored by researchers at the forefront. Each chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers, who are not experts in the specific topics, as well as graduate students can grasp the importance and attractions of this sub-field of research, and these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. This fourth volume covers a broad range of topics from this interdisciplinary research field, focusing on strong field ionization of atoms; excitation, ionization and fragmentation of molecules; nonlinear intense optical phenomena and attosecond pulses; and laser - solid interactions and photoemission.

Synchronous Measurement of Ultrafast Anisotropy Decay of the B850 in Bacterial LH2 Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yun-Peng; Du Lu-Chao; Zhu Gang-Bei; Wang Zhuan; Weng Yu-Xiang

2015-01-01

Ultrafast anisotropic decay is a prominent parameter revealing ultrafast energy and electron transfer; however, it is difficult to be determined reliably owing to the requirement of a simultaneous availability of the parallel and perpendicular polarized decay kinetics. Nowadays, any measurement of anisotropic decay is a kind of approach to the exact simultaneity. Here we report a novel method for a synchronous ultrafast anisotropy decay measurement, which can well determine the anisotropy, even at a very early time, as the rising phase of the excitation laser pulse. The anisotropic decay of the B850 in bacterial light harvesting antenna complex LH2 of Rhodobacter sphaeroides in solution at room temperature with coherent excitation is detected by this method, which shows a polarization response time of 30 fs, and the energy transfer from the initial excitation to the bacteriochlorophylls in B850 ring takes about 70 fs. The anisotropic decay that is probed at the red side of the absorption spectrum, such as 880 nm, has an initial value of 0.4, corresponding to simulated emission, while the blue side with an anisotropy of 0.1 contributes to the ground-state bleaching. Our results show that the coherent excitation covering the whole ring might not be realized owing to the symmetry breaking of LH2: from C_9 symmetry in membrane to C_2 symmetry in solution. (atomic and molecular physics)

Synchronous Measurement of Ultrafast Anisotropy Decay of the B850 in Bacterial LH2 Complex

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yun-Peng; Du, Lu-Chao; Zhu, Gang-Bei; Wang, Zhuan; Weng, Yu-Xiang

2015-02-01

Ultrafast anisotropic decay is a prominent parameter revealing ultrafast energy and electron transfer; however, it is difficult to be determined reliably owing to the requirement of a simultaneous availability of the parallel and perpendicular polarized decay kinetics. Nowadays, any measurement of anisotropic decay is a kind of approach to the exact simultaneity. Here we report a novel method for a synchronous ultrafast anisotropy decay measurement, which can well determine the anisotropy, even at a very early time, as the rising phase of the excitation laser pulse. The anisotropic decay of the B850 in bacterial light harvesting antenna complex LH2 of Rhodobacter sphaeroides in solution at room temperature with coherent excitation is detected by this method, which shows a polarization response time of 30 fs, and the energy transfer from the initial excitation to the bacteriochlorophylls in B850 ring takes about 70 fs. The anisotropic decay that is probed at the red side of the absorption spectrum, such as 880 nm, has an initial value of 0.4, corresponding to simulated emission, while the blue side with an anisotropy of 0.1 contributes to the ground-state bleaching. Our results show that the coherent excitation covering the whole ring might not be realized owing to the symmetry breaking of LH2: from C9 symmetry in membrane to C2 symmetry in solution.

Pump polarization insensitive and efficient laser-diode pumped Yb:KYW ultrafast oscillator.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sha; Wang, Yan-Biao; Feng, Guo-Ying; Zhou, Shou-Huan

2016-02-01

We theoretically and experimentally report and evaluate a novel split laser-diode (LD) double-end pumped Yb:KYW ultrafast oscillator aimed at improving the performance of an ultrafast laser. Compared to a conventional unpolarized single-LD end-pumped ultrafast laser system, we improve the laser performance such as absorption efficiency, slope efficiency, cw mode-locking threshold, and output power by this new structure LD-pumped Yb:KYW ultrafast laser. Experiments were carried out with a 1 W output fiber-coupled LD. Experimental results show that the absorption increases from 38.7% to 48.4%, laser slope efficiency increases from 18.3% to 24.2%, cw mode-locking threshold decreases 12.7% from 630 to 550 mW in cw mode-locking threshold, and maximum output-power increases 28.5% from 158.4 to 221.5 mW when we switch the pump scheme from an unpolarized single-end pumping structure to a split LD double-end pumping structure.

Ultrafast pulse lasers jump to macro applications

Science.gov (United States)

Griebel, Martin; Lutze, Walter; Scheller, Torsten

2016-03-01

Ultrafast Lasers have been proven for several micro applications, e.g. stent cutting, for many years. Within its development of applications Jenoptik has started to use ultrafast lasers in macro applications in the automotive industry. The JenLas D2.fs-lasers with power output control via AOM is an ideal tool for closed loop controlled material processing. Jenoptik enhanced his well established sensor controlled laser weakening process for airbag covers to a new level. The patented process enables new materials using this kind of technology. One of the most sensitive cover materials is genuine leather. As a natural product it is extremely inhomogeneous and sensitive for any type of thermal load. The combination of femtosecond pulse ablation and closed loop control by multiple sensor array opens the door to a new quality level of defined weakening. Due to the fact, that the beam is directed by scanning equipment the process can be split in multiple cycles additionally reducing the local energy input. The development used the 5W model as well as the latest 10W release of JenLas D2.fs and achieved amazing processing speeds which directly fulfilled the requirements of the automotive industry. Having in mind that the average cycle time of automotive processes is about 60s, trials had been done of processing weakening lines in genuine leather of 1.2mm thickness. Parameters had been about 15 cycles with 300mm/s respectively resulting in an average speed of 20mm/s and a cycle time even below 60s. First samples had already given into functional and aging tests and passed successfully.

Multiplane wave imaging increases signal-to-noise ratio in ultrafast ultrasound imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiran, Elodie; Deffieux, Thomas; Correia, Mafalda; Maresca, David; Osmanski, Bruno-Felix; Pernot, Mathieu; Tanter, Mickael; Sieu, Lim-Anna; Bergel, Antoine; Cohen, Ivan

2015-01-01

Ultrafast imaging using plane or diverging waves has recently enabled new ultrasound imaging modes with improved sensitivity and very high frame rates. Some of these new imaging modalities include shear wave elastography, ultrafast Doppler, ultrafast contrast-enhanced imaging and functional ultrasound imaging. Even though ultrafast imaging already encounters clinical success, increasing even more its penetration depth and signal-to-noise ratio for dedicated applications would be valuable.Ultrafast imaging relies on the coherent compounding of backscattered echoes resulting from successive tilted plane waves emissions; this produces high-resolution ultrasound images with a trade-off between final frame rate, contrast and resolution. In this work, we introduce multiplane wave imaging, a new method that strongly improves ultrafast images signal-to-noise ratio by virtually increasing the emission signal amplitude without compromising the frame rate. This method relies on the successive transmissions of multiple plane waves with differently coded amplitudes and emission angles in a single transmit event. Data from each single plane wave of increased amplitude can then be obtained, by recombining the received data of successive events with the proper coefficients.The benefits of multiplane wave for B-mode, shear wave elastography and ultrafast Doppler imaging are experimentally demonstrated. Multiplane wave with 4 plane waves emissions yields a 5.8  ±  0.5 dB increase in signal-to-noise ratio and approximately 10 mm in penetration in a calibrated ultrasound phantom (0.7 d MHz −1 cm −1 ). In shear wave elastography, the same multiplane wave configuration yields a 2.07  ±  0.05 fold reduction of the particle velocity standard deviation and a two-fold reduction of the shear wave velocity maps standard deviation. In functional ultrasound imaging, the mapping of cerebral blood volume results in a 3 to 6 dB increase of the contrast-to-noise ratio in

Quantitative characterization of near-field fuel sprays by multi-orifice direct injection using ultrafast x-tomography technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, X.; Im, K.S.; Wang, Y.; Wang, J.; Hung, D.L.S.; Winkelman, J.R.; Tate, M.W.; Ercan, A.; Koerner, L.J.; Caswell, T.; Chamberlain, D.; Schuette, D.R.; Philipp, H.; Smilgies, D.M.; Gruner, S.M.

2006-01-01

A low-pressure direct injection fuel system for spark ignition direct injection engines has been developed, in which a high-turbulence nozzle technology was employed to achieve fine fuel droplet size at a low injection pressure around 2 MPa. It is particularly important to study spray characteristics in the near-nozzle region due to the immediate liquid breakup at the nozzle exit. By using an ultrafast x-ray area detector and intense synchrotron x-ray beams, the interior structure and dynamics of the direct injection gasoline sprays from a multi-orifice turbulence-assisted nozzle were elucidated for the first time in a highly quantitative manner with μs-temporal resolution. Revealed by a newly developed, ultrafast computed x-microtomography technique, many detailed features associated with the transient liquid flows are readily observable in the reconstructed spray. Furthermore, an accurate 3-dimensional fuel density distribution, in the form of fuel volume fraction, was obtained by the time-resolved computed tomography. The time-dependent fuel density distribution revealed that the fuel jet is well broken up immediately at the nozzle exits. These results not only reveal the near-field characteristics of the partial atomized fuel sprays with unprecedented detail, but also facilitate the development of an advanced multi-orifice direct injector. This ultrafast tomography capability also will facilitate the realistic computational fluid dynamic simulations in highly transient and multiphase fuel spray systems.

Fast MR imaging and ultrafast MR imaging of fetal central nervous system abnormalities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shakudo, Miyuki; Manabe, Takao; Murata, Katsuko; Matsuo, Ryoichi; Oda, Junro [Osaka City General Hospital (Japan); Inoue, Yuichi; Mochizuki, Kunizo; Yamada, Ryusaku

2001-12-01

The aims of this study were two: to compare the efficacy of fast MRI (breath-hold fast spin-echo T2-weighted and fast gradient-echo T1-weighted sequence) and ultrafast MRI (half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo sequence) in evaluation of fetal central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities at late gestational age, and to compare the capability of fast MRI and ultrafast MRI to assess fetal CNS abnormalities with that of prenatal ultrasonography (US). Forty-nine women with fetuses at gestational ages of 26-39 weeks underwent fast MRI (29 patients) or ultrafast MRI (20 patients). In detection of motion artifact, visualization of the lateral and 4th ventricles, and differentiation between gray and white matter in cerebral hemispheres, ultrafast MRI was significantly superior to fast MRI (p<0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test). In 25 of 43 cases, US and MR diagnoses were the same and consistent with postnatal diagnosis. In 10 of 43 cases, MRI demonstrated findings additional to or different from those of US, and MR findings were confirmed postnatally. MRI, particularly ultrafast MRI, is useful for demonstrating CNS abnormalities in situations in which US is suggestive but not definitive. (author)

Novel Aspects of Materials Processing by Ultrafast Lasers: From Electronic to Biological and Cultural Heritage Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fotakis, C; Zorba, V; Stratakis, E; Athanassiou, A; Tzanetakis, P; Zergioti, I; Papagoglou, D G; Sambani, K; Filippidis, G; Farsari, M; Pouli, V; Bounos, G; Georgiou, S

2007-01-01

Materials processing by ultrafast lasers offers several distinct possibilities for micro/nano scale applications. This is due to the unique characteristics of the laser-matter interactions involved, when sub-picosecond pulses are employed. Prospects arising will be discussed in the context of surface and in bulk laser induced modifications. In particular, examples of diverse applications including the development and functionalization of laser engineered surfaces, the laser transfer of biomolecules and the functionalization of 3D structures constructed by three-photon stereolithography will be presented. Furthermore, the removal of molecular substrates by ultrafast laser ablation will be discussed with emphasis placed on assessing the photochemical changes induced in the remaining bulk material. The results indicate that in femtosecond laser processing of organic materials, besides the well acknowledged morphological advantages, a second fundamental factor responsible for its success pertains to the selective chemical effects. This is crucial for the laser cleaning of sensitive painted artworks

Time Scale in Least Square Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Özgür Yeniay

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Study of dynamic equations in time scale is a new area in mathematics. Time scale tries to build a bridge between real numbers and integers. Two derivatives in time scale have been introduced and called as delta and nabla derivative. Delta derivative concept is defined as forward direction, and nabla derivative concept is defined as backward direction. Within the scope of this study, we consider the method of obtaining parameters of regression equation of integer values through time scale. Therefore, we implemented least squares method according to derivative definition of time scale and obtained coefficients related to the model. Here, there exist two coefficients originating from forward and backward jump operators relevant to the same model, which are different from each other. Occurrence of such a situation is equal to total number of values of vertical deviation between regression equations and observation values of forward and backward jump operators divided by two. We also estimated coefficients for the model using ordinary least squares method. As a result, we made an introduction to least squares method on time scale. We think that time scale theory would be a new vision in least square especially when assumptions of linear regression are violated.

Ultrafast electron microscopy in materials science, biology, and chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Wayne E.; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Frank, Alan; Reed, Bryan; Schmerge, John F.; Siwick, Bradley J.; Stuart, Brent C.; Weber, Peter M.

2005-01-01

The use of pump-probe experiments to study complex transient events has been an area of significant interest in materials science, biology, and chemistry. While the emphasis has been on laser pump with laser probe and laser pump with x-ray probe experiments, there is a significant and growing interest in using electrons as probes. Early experiments used electrons for gas-phase diffraction of photostimulated chemical reactions. More recently, scientists are beginning to explore phenomena in the solid state such as phase transformations, twinning, solid-state chemical reactions, radiation damage, and shock propagation. This review focuses on the emerging area of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), which comprises ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) and dynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM). The topics that are treated include the following: (1) The physics of electrons as an ultrafast probe. This encompasses the propagation dynamics of the electrons (space-charge effect, Child's law, Boersch effect) and extends to relativistic effects. (2) The anatomy of UED and DTEM instruments. This includes discussions of the photoactivated electron gun (also known as photogun or photoelectron gun) at conventional energies (60-200 keV) and extends to MeV beams generated by rf guns. Another critical aspect of the systems is the electron detector. Charge-coupled device cameras and microchannel-plate-based cameras are compared and contrasted. The effect of various physical phenomena on detective quantum efficiency is discussed. (3) Practical aspects of operation. This includes determination of time zero, measurement of pulse-length, and strategies for pulse compression. (4) Current and potential applications in materials science, biology, and chemistry. UEM has the potential to make a significant impact in future science and technology. Understanding of reaction pathways of complex transient phenomena in materials science, biology, and chemistry will provide fundamental

Time zero determination for FEL pump-probe studies based on ultrafast melting of bismuth.

Science.gov (United States)

Epp, S W; Hada, M; Zhong, Y; Kumagai, Y; Motomura, K; Mizote, S; Ono, T; Owada, S; Axford, D; Bakhtiarzadeh, S; Fukuzawa, H; Hayashi, Y; Katayama, T; Marx, A; Müller-Werkmeister, H M; Owen, R L; Sherrell, D A; Tono, K; Ueda, K; Westermeier, F; Miller, R J D

2017-09-01

A common challenge for pump-probe studies of structural dynamics at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) is the determination of time zero (T 0 )-the time an optical pulse (e.g., an optical laser) arrives coincidently with the probe pulse (e.g., a XFEL pulse) at the sample position. In some cases, T 0 might be extracted from the structural dynamics of the sample's observed response itself, but generally, an independent robust method is required or would be superior to the inferred determination of T 0 . In this paper, we present how the structural dynamics in ultrafast melting of bismuth can be exploited for a quickly performed, reliable and accurate determination of T 0 with a precision below 20 fs and an overall experimental accuracy of 50 fs to 150 fs (estimated). Our approach is potentially useful and applicable for fixed-target XFEL experiments, such as serial femtosecond crystallography, utilizing an optical pump pulse in the ultraviolet to near infrared spectral range and a pixelated 2D photon detector for recording crystallographic diffraction patterns in transmission geometry. In comparison to many other suitable approaches, our method is fairly independent of the pumping wavelength (UV-IR) as well as of the X-ray energy and offers a favorable signal contrast. The technique is exploitable not only for the determination of temporal characteristics of the experiment at the interaction point but also for investigating important conditions affecting experimental control such as spatial overlap and beam spot sizes.

Time zero determination for FEL pump-probe studies based on ultrafast melting of bismuth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. W. Epp

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A common challenge for pump-probe studies of structural dynamics at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs is the determination of time zero (T0—the time an optical pulse (e.g., an optical laser arrives coincidently with the probe pulse (e.g., a XFEL pulse at the sample position. In some cases, T0 might be extracted from the structural dynamics of the sample's observed response itself, but generally, an independent robust method is required or would be superior to the inferred determination of T0. In this paper, we present how the structural dynamics in ultrafast melting of bismuth can be exploited for a quickly performed, reliable and accurate determination of T0 with a precision below 20 fs and an overall experimental accuracy of 50 fs to 150 fs (estimated. Our approach is potentially useful and applicable for fixed-target XFEL experiments, such as serial femtosecond crystallography, utilizing an optical pump pulse in the ultraviolet to near infrared spectral range and a pixelated 2D photon detector for recording crystallographic diffraction patterns in transmission geometry. In comparison to many other suitable approaches, our method is fairly independent of the pumping wavelength (UV–IR as well as of the X-ray energy and offers a favorable signal contrast. The technique is exploitable not only for the determination of temporal characteristics of the experiment at the interaction point but also for investigating important conditions affecting experimental control such as spatial overlap and beam spot sizes.

Proton- and x-ray beams generated by ultra-fast CO2 lasers for medical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Pogorelsky, Igor; Polyanskiy, Mikhail; Yakimenko, Vitaly; Ben-Zvi, Ilan; Shkolnikov, Peter; Najmudin, Zulfikar; Palmer, Charlotte A. J.; Dover, Nicholas P.; Oliva, Piernicola; Carpinelli, Massimo

2011-05-01

Recent progress in using picosecond CO2 lasers for Thomson scattering and ion-acceleration experiments underlines their potentials for enabling secondary radiation- and particle- sources. These experiments capitalize on certain advantages of long-wavelength CO2 lasers, such as higher number of photons per energy unit, and favorable scaling of the electrons' ponderomotive energy and critical plasma density. The high-flux x-ray bursts produced by Thomson scattering of the CO2 laser off a counter-propagating electron beam enabled high-contrast, time-resolved imaging of biological objects in the picosecond time frame. In different experiments, the laser, focused on a hydrogen jet, generated monoenergetic proton beams via the radiation-pressure mechanism. The strong power-scaling of this regime promises realization of proton beams suitable for laser-driven proton cancer therapy after upgrading the CO2 laser to sub-PW peak power. This planned improvement includes optimizing the 10-μm ultra-short pulse generation, assuring higher amplification in the CO2 gas under combined isotopic- and power-broadening effects, and shortening the postamplification pulse to a few laser cycles (150-200 fs) via chirping and compression. These developments will move us closer to practical applications of ultra-fast CO2 lasers in medicine and other areas.

Measuring voltage transients with an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keil, Ulrich Dieter Felix; Jensen, Jacob Riis; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

1997-01-01

circuit, where the tunneling tip is directly connected to the current amplifier of the scanning tunneling microscope, this dependence is eliminated. Ail results can be explained with coupling through the geometrical capacitance of the tip-electrode junction. By illuminating the current......We use an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope to resolve propagating voltage transients in space and time. We demonstrate that the previously observed dependence of the transient signal amplitude on the tunneling resistance was only caused by the electrical sampling circuit. With a modified...

Electron beam dynamics in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope with Wehnelt electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Bücker, K; Picher, M; Crégut, O; LaGrange, T; Reed, B W; Park, S T; Masiel, D J; Banhart, F

2016-12-01

High temporal resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques have shown significant progress in recent years. Using photoelectron pulses induced by ultrashort laser pulses on the cathode, these methods can probe ultrafast materials processes and have revealed numerous dynamic phenomena at the nanoscale. Most recently, the technique has been implemented in standard thermionic electron microscopes that provide a flexible platform for studying material's dynamics over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. In this study, the electron pulses in such an ultrafast transmission electron microscope are characterized in detail. The microscope is based on a thermionic gun with a Wehnelt electrode and is operated in a stroboscopic photoelectron mode. It is shown that the Wehnelt bias has a decisive influence on the temporal and energy spread of the picosecond electron pulses. Depending on the shape of the cathode and the cathode-Wehnelt distance, different emission patterns with different pulse parameters are obtained. The energy spread of the pulses is determined by space charge and Boersch effects, given by the number of electrons in a pulse. However, filtering effects due to the chromatic aberrations of the Wehnelt electrode allow the extraction of pulses with narrow energy spreads. The temporal spread is governed by electron trajectories of different length and in different electrostatic potentials. High temporal resolution is obtained by excluding shank emission from the cathode and aberration-induced halos in the emission pattern. By varying the cathode-Wehnelt gap, the Wehnelt bias, and the number of photoelectrons in a pulse, tradeoffs between energy and temporal resolution as well as beam intensity can be made as needed for experiments. Based on the characterization of the electron pulses, the optimal conditions for the operation of ultrafast TEMs with thermionic gun assembly are elaborated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultra-fast movies of thin-film laser ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Domke, Matthias; Rapp, Stephan; Schmidt, Michael; Huber, Heinz P.

2012-11-01

Ultra-short-pulse laser irradiation of thin molybdenum films from the glass substrate side initiates an intact Mo disk lift off free from thermal effects. For the investigation of the underlying physical effects, ultra-fast pump-probe microscopy is used to produce stop-motion movies of the single-pulse ablation process, initiated by a 660-fs laser pulse. The ultra-fast dynamics in the femtosecond and picosecond ranges are captured by stroboscopic illumination of the sample with an optically delayed probe pulse of 510-fs duration. The nanosecond and microsecond delay ranges of the probe pulse are covered by an electronically triggered 600-ps laser. Thus, the setup enables an observation of general laser ablation processes from the femtosecond delay range up to the final state. A comparison of time- and space-resolved observations of film and glass substrate side irradiation of a 470-nm molybdenum layer reveals the driving mechanisms of the Mo disk lift off initiated by glass-side irradiation. Observations suggest that a phase explosion generates a liquid-gas mixture in the molybdenum/glass interface about 10 ps after the impact of the pump laser pulse. Then, a shock wave and gas expansion cause the molybdenum layer to bulge, while the enclosed liquid-gas mixture cools and condenses at delay times in the 100-ps range. The bulging continues for approximately 20 ns, when an intact Mo disk shears and lifts off at a velocity of above 70 m/s. As a result, the remaining hole is free from thermal effects.

On the Geologic Time Scale

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G.; Hilgen, F.J.

2012-01-01

This report summarizes the international divisions and ages in the Geologic Time Scale, published in 2012 (GTS2012). Since 2004, when GTS2004 was detailed, major developments have taken place that directly bear and have considerable impact on the intricate science of geologic time scaling. Precam

Octave-Spanning Mid-IR Supercontinuum Generation with Ultrafast Cascaded Nonlinearities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Binbin; Guo, Hairun; Liu, Xing

2014-01-01

An octave-spanning mid-IR supercontinuum is observed experimentally using ultrafast cascaded nonlinearities in an LiInS2 quadratic nonlinear crystal pumped with 70 fs energetic mid-IR pulses and cut for strongly phase-mismatched second-harmonic generation.......An octave-spanning mid-IR supercontinuum is observed experimentally using ultrafast cascaded nonlinearities in an LiInS2 quadratic nonlinear crystal pumped with 70 fs energetic mid-IR pulses and cut for strongly phase-mismatched second-harmonic generation....

Laser plasma x-ray source for ultrafast time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Miaja-Avila

2015-03-01

Full Text Available We describe a laser-driven x-ray plasma source designed for ultrafast x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The source is comprised of a 1 kHz, 20 W, femtosecond pulsed infrared laser and a water target. We present the x-ray spectra as a function of laser energy and pulse duration. Additionally, we investigate the plasma temperature and photon flux as we vary the laser energy. We obtain a 75 μm FWHM x-ray spot size, containing ∼106 photons/s, by focusing the produced x-rays with a polycapillary optic. Since the acquisition of x-ray absorption spectra requires the averaging of measurements from >107 laser pulses, we also present data on the source stability, including single pulse measurements of the x-ray yield and the x-ray spectral shape. In single pulse measurements, the x-ray flux has a measured standard deviation of 8%, where the laser pointing is the main cause of variability. Further, we show that the variability in x-ray spectral shape from single pulses is low, thus justifying the combining of x-rays obtained from different laser pulses into a single spectrum. Finally, we show a static x-ray absorption spectrum of a ferrioxalate solution as detected by a microcalorimeter array. Altogether, our results demonstrate that this water-jet based plasma source is a suitable candidate for laboratory-based time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments.

Bimodal Exciplex Formation in Bimolecular Photoinduced Electron Transfer Revealed by Ultrafast Time-Resolved Infrared Absorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Marius; Licari, Giuseppe; Vauthey, Eric

2015-09-03

The dynamics of a moderately exergonic photoinduced charge separation has been investigated by ultrafast time-resolved infrared absorption with the dimethylanthracene/phthalonitrile donor/acceptor pair in solvents covering a broad range of polarity. A distinct spectral signature of an exciplex could be identified in the -C≡N stretching region. On the basis of quantum chemistry calculations, the 4-5 times larger width of this band compared to those of the ions and of the locally excited donor bands is explained by a dynamic distribution of exciplex geometry with different mutual orientations and distances of the constituents and, thus, with varying charge-transfer character. Although spectrally similar, two types of exciplexes could be distinguished by their dynamics: short-lived, "tight", exciplexes generated upon static quenching and longer-lived, "loose", exciplexes formed upon dynamic quenching in parallel with ion pairs. Tight exciplexes were observed in all solvents, except in the least polar diethyl ether where quenching is slower than diffusion. The product distribution of the dynamic quenching depends strongly on the solvent polarity: whereas no significant loose exciplex population could be detected in acetonitrile, both exciplex and ion pair are generated in less polar solvents, with the relative population of exciplex increasing with decreasing solvent polarity. These results are compared with those reported previously with donor/acceptor pairs in different driving force regimes to obtain a comprehensive picture of the role of the exciplexes in bimolecular photoinduced charge separation.

Resolving ultrafast exciton migration in organic solids at the nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsberg, Naomi

The migration of Frenkel excitons, tightly-bound electron-hole pairs, in photosynthesis and in organic semiconducting films is critical to the efficiency of natural and artificial light harvesting. While these materials exhibit a high degree of structural heterogeneity on the nanoscale, traditional measurements of exciton migration lengths are performed on bulk samples. Since both the characteristic length scales of structural heterogeneity and the reported bulk diffusion lengths are smaller than the optical diffraction limit, we adapt far-field super-resolution fluorescence imaging to uncover the correlations between the structural and energetic landscapes that the excitons explore. By combining the ultrafast super-resolved measurements with exciton hopping simulations we furthermore specify the nature (in addition to the extent) of exciton migration as a function of the intrinsic and ensemble chromophore energy scales that determine a spatio-energetic landscape for migration. In collaboration with: Samuel Penwell, Lucas Ginsberg, University of California, Berkeley and Rodrigo Noriega University of Utah.

Ultrafast electron injection at the cationic porphyrin-graphene interface assisted by molecular flattening

KAUST Repository

Aly, Shawkat Mohammede; Parida, Manas R.; Alarousu, Erkki; Mohammed, Omar F.

2014-01-01

The steady-state and femtosecond (fs) time-resolved data clearly demonstrate that the charge transfer (CT) process at the porphyrin-graphene carboxylate (GC) interfaces can be tuned from zero to very sufficient and ultrafast by changing the electronic structure of the meso unit and the redox properties of the porphyrin cavity. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

Photonic-assisted ultrafast THz wireless access

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yu, Xianbin; Chen, Ying; Galili, Michael

THz technology has been considered feasible for ultrafast wireless data communi- cation, to meet the increasing demand on next-generation fast wireless access, e.g., huge data file transferring and fast mobile data stream access. This talk reviews recent progress in high-speed THz wireless...

Extended two-temperature model for ultrafast thermal response of band gap materials upon impulsive optical excitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Taeho [Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307 (United States); Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Suwon 443-803 (Korea, Republic of); Teitelbaum, Samuel W.; Wolfson, Johanna; Nelson, Keith A., E-mail: kanelson@mit.edu [Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307 (United States); Kandyla, Maria [Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307 (United States); Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 116-35 (Greece)

2015-11-21

Thermal modeling and numerical simulations have been performed to describe the ultrafast thermal response of band gap materials upon optical excitation. A model was established by extending the conventional two-temperature model that is adequate for metals, but not for semiconductors. It considers the time- and space-dependent density of electrons photoexcited to the conduction band and accordingly allows a more accurate description of the transient thermal equilibration between the hot electrons and lattice. Ultrafast thermal behaviors of bismuth, as a model system, were demonstrated using the extended two-temperature model with a view to elucidating the thermal effects of excitation laser pulse fluence, electron diffusivity, electron-hole recombination kinetics, and electron-phonon interactions, focusing on high-density excitation.

Left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes as measured by 3D echocardiography and ultrafast computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, Marcelo Luiz Campos; Nomura, Cesar H.; Tranchesi Junior, Bernardino; Oliveira, Wercules A. de; Naccarato, Gustavo; Serpa, Bruna S.; Passos, Rodrigo B.D.; Funari, Marcelo B. G.; Fischer, Claudio H.; Morhy, Samira S.

2009-01-01

Background: Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3D-Echo) and ultrafast computed tomography (CT) are two novel methods for the analysis of LV ejection fraction and volumes. Objective: To compare LVEF and volume measurements as obtained using RT-3D-Echo and ultrafast CT. Methods: Thirty nine consecutive patients (27 men, mean age of 57+- 12 years) were studied using RT-3D-Echo and 64-slice ultrafast CT. LVEF and LV volumes were analyzed. Statistical analysis: coefficient of correlation (r: Pearson), Bland-Altman analysis, linear regression analysis, 95% CI, p 5 .58)%; end-diastolic volume ranged from 49.6 to 178.2 (87+-27.8) ml; end-systolic volume ranged from 11.4 to 78 (33.1+-13.6) ml. CT scan measurements: LVEF ranged from 53 to 86% (67.8+-7.78); end-diastolic volume ranged from 51 to 186 (106.5+-30.3) ml; end-systolic volume ranged from 7 to 72 (35.5+-13.4)ml. Correlations between RT-3D-Echo and CT were: LVEF (r: 0.7888, p<0.0001, 95% CI 0.6301 to 0.8843); end-diastolic volume (r: 0.7695, p<0.0001, 95% CI 0.5995 to 0.8730); end-systolic volume (r: 0.8119, p<0.0001, 95% CI 0.6673 to 0.8975). Conclusion: Good correlation between LVEF and ventricular volume parameters as measured by RT-3D-Echo and 64-slice ultrafast CT was found in the present case series. (author)

Time-resolved Chemical Imaging of Molecules by High-order Harmonics and Ultrashort Rescattering Electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Chii Dong [Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)

2016-03-21

Directly monitoring atomic motion during a molecular transformation with atomic-scale spatio-temporal resolution is a frontier of ultrafast optical science and physical chemistry. Here we provide the foundation for a new imaging method, fixed-angle broadband laser-induced electron scattering, based on structural retrieval by direct one-dimensional Fourier transform of a photoelectron energy distribution observed along the polarization direction of an intense ultrafast light pulse. The approach exploits the scattering of a broadband wave packet created by strong-field tunnel ionization to self-interrogate the molecular structure with picometre spatial resolution and bond specificity. With its inherent femtosecond resolution, combining our technique with molecular alignment can, in principle, provide the basis for time-resolved tomography for multi-dimensional transient structural determination.

Effective Analysis of NGS Metagenomic Data with Ultra-Fast Clustering Algorithms (MICW - Metagenomics Informatics Challenges Workshop: 10K Genomes at a Time)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Weizhong

2011-10-12

San Diego Supercomputer Center's Weizhong Li on "Effective Analysis of NGS Metagenomic Data with Ultra-fast Clustering Algorithms" at the Metagenomics Informatics Challenges Workshop held at the DOE JGI on October 12-13, 2011.

Molecular-structure control of ultrafast electron injection at cationic porphyrin-CdTe quantum dot interfaces

KAUST Repository

Aly, Shawkat Mohammede

2015-03-05

Charge transfer (CT) at donor (D)/acceptor (A) interfaces is central to the functioning of photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. Understanding and controlling this process on the molecular level has been proven to be crucial for optimizing the performance of many energy-challenge relevant devices. Here, we report the experimental observations of controlled on/off ultrafast electron transfer (ET) at cationic porphyrin-CdTe quantum dot (QD) interfaces using femto- and nanosecond broad-band transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. The time-resolved data demonstrate how one can turn on/off the electron injection from porphyrin to the CdTe QDs. With careful control of the molecular structure, we are able to tune the electron injection at the porphyrin-CdTe QD interface from zero to very efficient and ultrafast. In addition, our data demonstrate that the ET process occurs within our temporal resolution of 120 fs, which is one of the fastest times recorded for organic photovoltaics. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

A novel optical tool for controlling and probing ultrafast surface dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yudong

2017-12-01

Ultrashort pulse laser sources have been greatly developed over the past few decades. The available pulse duration has been reduced to the single-cycle pulse regime. The discovery of high harmonic generation has freed us from the limitation of the laser wavelength. Moreover, the demonstration of isolated attosecond pulse generation has indicated the advent of the attosecond science era. Attosecond pulses undoubtedly allow one to study ultrafast dynamics with unprecedented time resolution. However, physical systems with genuine attosecond time scale dynamics are rather challenging to find. Ultrafast surface charge transfer, which is an important process in photochemistry and electrochemistry, is a good candidate experimental system exhibiting attosecond electronic dynamics. Specifically, the ultrafast surface charge transfer on the c(4 x 2)S/Ru(0001) surface was previously studied and the charge transfer time inferred to be 320 as using core-hole clock spectroscopy at a synchrotron facility. In order to measure this benchmark attosecond electronic dynamics with real time-resolving methods, pump pulses centered at 160 eV and probe pulses centered at 40 eV are required. To this end, a dedicated attosecond experimental beamline including an ultrashort laser pulse source and an attosecond pulse generation and characterization setup has been designed and is being developed. The author of this thesis was responsible for the construction of the attosecond experimental beamline which will be used ultrafast surface charge transfer studies. In this thesis, a completely functional attosecond extreme ultraviolet (XUV) beamline, which includes a few-cycle laser pulse source, an attosecond pulse generation and characterization setup, is described. A commercial Ti:sapphire-based chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) laser system is the overall source of the beamline. The laser system is actively carrier-envelope phase (CEP) stabilized and the output pulse duration is ∝35 fs. The

A novel optical tool for controlling and probing ultrafast surface dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Yudong

2017-12-15

Ultrashort pulse laser sources have been greatly developed over the past few decades. The available pulse duration has been reduced to the single-cycle pulse regime. The discovery of high harmonic generation has freed us from the limitation of the laser wavelength. Moreover, the demonstration of isolated attosecond pulse generation has indicated the advent of the attosecond science era. Attosecond pulses undoubtedly allow one to study ultrafast dynamics with unprecedented time resolution. However, physical systems with genuine attosecond time scale dynamics are rather challenging to find. Ultrafast surface charge transfer, which is an important process in photochemistry and electrochemistry, is a good candidate experimental system exhibiting attosecond electronic dynamics. Specifically, the ultrafast surface charge transfer on the c(4 x 2)S/Ru(0001) surface was previously studied and the charge transfer time inferred to be 320 as using core-hole clock spectroscopy at a synchrotron facility. In order to measure this benchmark attosecond electronic dynamics with real time-resolving methods, pump pulses centered at 160 eV and probe pulses centered at 40 eV are required. To this end, a dedicated attosecond experimental beamline including an ultrashort laser pulse source and an attosecond pulse generation and characterization setup has been designed and is being developed. The author of this thesis was responsible for the construction of the attosecond experimental beamline which will be used ultrafast surface charge transfer studies. In this thesis, a completely functional attosecond extreme ultraviolet (XUV) beamline, which includes a few-cycle laser pulse source, an attosecond pulse generation and characterization setup, is described. A commercial Ti:sapphire-based chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) laser system is the overall source of the beamline. The laser system is actively carrier-envelope phase (CEP) stabilized and the output pulse duration is ∝35 fs. The

Effect of ballistic electrons on ultrafast thermomechanical responses of a thin metal film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Qi-lin; Tian Xin

2017-01-01

The ultrafast thermomechanical coupling problem in a thin gold film irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses with different electron ballistic depths is investigated via the ultrafast thermoelasticity model. The solution of the problem is obtained by solving finite element governing equations. The comparison between the results of ultrafast thermomechanical coupling responses with different electron ballistic depths is made to show the ballistic electron effect. It is found that the ballistic electrons have a significant influence on the ultrafast thermomechanical coupling behaviors of the gold thin film and the best laser micromachining results can be achieved by choosing the specific laser technology (large or small ballistic range). In addition, the influence of simplification of the ultrashort laser pulse source on the results is studied, and it is found that the simplification has a great influence on the thermomechanical responses, which implies that care should be taken when the simplified form of the laser source term is applied as the Gaussian heat source. (paper)

Ultrafast Synaptic Events in a Chalcogenide Memristor

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi; Zhong, Yingpeng; Xu, Lei; Zhang, Jinjian; Xu, Xiaohua; Sun, Huajun; Miao, Xiangshui

2013-04-01

Compact and power-efficient plastic electronic synapses are of fundamental importance to overcoming the bottlenecks of developing a neuromorphic chip. Memristor is a strong contender among the various electronic synapses in existence today. However, the speeds of synaptic events are relatively slow in most attempts at emulating synapses due to the material-related mechanism. Here we revealed the intrinsic memristance of stoichiometric crystalline Ge2Sb2Te5 that originates from the charge trapping and releasing by the defects. The device resistance states, representing synaptic weights, were precisely modulated by 30 ns potentiating/depressing electrical pulses. We demonstrated four spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) forms by applying programmed pre- and postsynaptic spiking pulse pairs in different time windows ranging from 50 ms down to 500 ns, the latter of which is 105 times faster than the speed of STDP in human brain. This study provides new opportunities for building ultrafast neuromorphic computing systems and surpassing Von Neumann architecture.

Ultrafast gain and index dynamics of quantum dash structures emitting at 1.55 mu m

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poel, Mike van der; Mørk, Jesper; Somers, A.

2006-01-01

The authors systematically characterize the ultrafast gain and index recovery of a quantum dash semiconductor optical amplifier after it has amplified a strong femtosecond pulse. The results show a recovery dominated by a fast time constant of 1.4 ps with an ultimate recovery taking place on a 150...

Ultrafast electronic relaxation of excited state vitamin B12 in the gas phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafizadeh, Niloufar; Poisson, Lionel; Soep, Benoit

2008-01-01

The time evolution of electronically excited vitamin B 12 (cyanocobalamin) has been observed for the first time in the gas phase. It reveals an ultrafast decay to a state corresponding to metal excitation. This decay is interpreted as resulting from a ring to metal electron transfer. This opens the observation of the excited state of other complex biomimetic systems in the gas phase, the key to the characterisation of their complex evolution through excited electronic states

Multiple time scale methods in tokamak magnetohydrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardin, S.C.

1984-01-01

Several methods are discussed for integrating the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in tokamak systems on other than the fastest time scale. The dynamical grid method for simulating ideal MHD instabilities utilizes a natural nonorthogonal time-dependent coordinate transformation based on the magnetic field lines. The coordinate transformation is chosen to be free of the fast time scale motion itself, and to yield a relatively simple scalar equation for the total pressure, P = p + B 2 /2μ 0 , which can be integrated implicitly to average over the fast time scale oscillations. Two methods are described for the resistive time scale. The zero-mass method uses a reduced set of two-fluid transport equations obtained by expanding in the inverse magnetic Reynolds number, and in the small ratio of perpendicular to parallel mobilities and thermal conductivities. The momentum equation becomes a constraint equation that forces the pressure and magnetic fields and currents to remain in force balance equilibrium as they evolve. The large mass method artificially scales up the ion mass and viscosity, thereby reducing the severe time scale disparity between wavelike and diffusionlike phenomena, but not changing the resistive time scale behavior. Other methods addressing the intermediate time scales are discussed

Development of Ultra-Fast Silicon Detectors for 4D tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Staiano, A.; Arcidiacono, R.; Boscardin, M.; Dalla Betta, G. F.; Cartiglia, N.; Cenna, F.; Ferrero, M.; Ficorella, F.; Mandurrino, M.; Obertino, M.; Pancheri, L.; Paternoster, G.; Sola, V.

2017-12-01

In this contribution we review the progress towards the development of a novel type of silicon detectors suited for tracking with a picosecond timing resolution, the so called Ultra-Fast Silicon Detectors. The goal is to create a new family of particle detectors merging excellent position and timing resolution with GHz counting capabilities, very low material budget, radiation resistance, fine granularity, low power, insensitivity to magnetic field, and affordability. We aim to achieve concurrent precisions of ~ 10 ps and ~ 10 μm with a 50 μm thick sensor. Ultra-Fast Silicon Detectors are based on the concept of Low-Gain Avalanche Detectors, which are silicon detectors with an internal multiplication mechanism so that they generate a signal which is factor ~10 larger than standard silicon detectors. The basic design of UFSD consists of a thin silicon sensor with moderate internal gain and pixelated electrodes coupled to full custom VLSI chip. An overview of test beam data on time resolution and the impact on this measurement of radiation doses at the level of those expected at HL-LHC is presented. First I-V and C-V measurements on a new FBK sensor production of UFSD, 50 μm thick, with B and Ga, activated at two diffusion temperatures, with and without C co-implantation (in Low and High concentrations), and with different effective doping concentrations in the Gain layer, are shown. Perspectives on current use of UFSD in HEP experiments (UFSD detectors have been installed in the CMS-TOTEM Precision Protons Spectrometer for the forward physics tracking, and are currently taking data) and proposed applications for a MIP timing layer in the HL-LHC upgrade are briefly discussed.

Flash Light Millisecond Self-Assembly of High χ Block Copolymers for Wafer-Scale Sub-10 nm Nanopatterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hyeong Min; Park, Dae Yong; Jeong, Seong-Jun; Lee, Gil Yong; Kim, Ju Young; Mun, Jeong Ho; Cha, Seung Keun; Lim, Joonwon; Kim, Jun Soo; Kim, Kwang Ho; Lee, Keon Jae; Kim, Sang Ouk

2017-08-01

One of the fundamental challenges encountered in successful incorporation of directed self-assembly in sub-10 nm scale practical nanolithography is the process compatibility of block copolymers with a high Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ). Herein, reliable, fab-compatible, and ultrafast directed self-assembly of high-χ block copolymers is achieved with intense flash light. The instantaneous heating/quenching process over an extremely high temperature (over 600 °C) by flash light irradiation enables large grain growth of sub-10 nm scale self-assembled nanopatterns without thermal degradation or dewetting in a millisecond time scale. A rapid self-assembly mechanism for a highly ordered morphology is identified based on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the block copolymers with strong segregation. Furthermore, this novel self-assembly mechanism is combined with graphoepitaxy to demonstrate the feasibility of ultrafast directed self-assembly of sub-10 nm nanopatterns over a large area. A chemically modified graphene film is used as a flexible and conformal light-absorbing layer. Subsequently, transparent and mechanically flexible nanolithography with a millisecond photothermal process is achieved leading the way for roll-to-roll processability. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ultrafast Carrier Trapping of a Metal-Doped Titanium Dioxide Semiconductor Revealed by Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jingya; Yang, Yang; Khan, Jafar I.; Alarousu, Erkki; Guo, Zaibing; Zhang, Xixiang; Zhang, Qiang; Mohammed, Omar F.

2014-01-01

We explored for the first time the ultrafast carrier trapping of a metal-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) semiconductor using broad-band transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy with 120 fs temporal resolution. Titanium dioxide was successfully doped layer-by-layer with two metal ions, namely tungsten and cobalt. The time-resolved data demonstrate clearly that the carrier trapping time decreases progressively as the doping concentration increases. A global-fitting procedure for the carrier trapping suggests the appearance of two time components: a fast one that is directly associated with carrier trapping to the defect state in the vicinity of the conduction band and a slow one that is attributed to carrier trapping to the deep-level state from the conduction band. With a relatively long doping deposition time on the order of 30 s, a carrier lifetime of about 1 ps is obtained. To confirm that the measured ultrafast carrier dynamics are associated with electron trapping by metal doping, we explored the carrier dynamics of undoped TiO2. The findings reported here may be useful for the implementation of high-speed optoelectronic applications and fast switching devices.

Ultrafast Carrier Trapping of a Metal-Doped Titanium Dioxide Semiconductor Revealed by Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jingya

2014-06-11

We explored for the first time the ultrafast carrier trapping of a metal-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) semiconductor using broad-band transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy with 120 fs temporal resolution. Titanium dioxide was successfully doped layer-by-layer with two metal ions, namely tungsten and cobalt. The time-resolved data demonstrate clearly that the carrier trapping time decreases progressively as the doping concentration increases. A global-fitting procedure for the carrier trapping suggests the appearance of two time components: a fast one that is directly associated with carrier trapping to the defect state in the vicinity of the conduction band and a slow one that is attributed to carrier trapping to the deep-level state from the conduction band. With a relatively long doping deposition time on the order of 30 s, a carrier lifetime of about 1 ps is obtained. To confirm that the measured ultrafast carrier dynamics are associated with electron trapping by metal doping, we explored the carrier dynamics of undoped TiO2. The findings reported here may be useful for the implementation of high-speed optoelectronic applications and fast switching devices.

Photophysical and photochemical effects in ultrafast laser patterning of CVD graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobrinetskiy, Ivan; Otero, Nerea; Romero, Pablo M; Emelianov, Aleksei; Komarov, Ivan; Nasibulin, Albert

2016-01-01

The micro-scale patterns in graphene on Si/SiO 2 substrate were fabricated using ultrashort 515 nm laser pulses. For both picosecond and femtosecond laser pulses two competitive processes, based on photo-thermal (ablation) and photochemical (oxidation/etching) effects, were observed. The laser-induced etching of graphene starts just below the threshold energy of graphene ablation: 1.7 nJ per 280 fs pulse and 2.7 µ J per 30 ps pulse. Whilst etching is not sensitive to thermal properties of graphene and provides uniform patterns, the ablation, in contrast, is highly affected by defects in the graphene structure like wrinkles and bilayer islands. The mechanisms of ultrafast laser interaction with graphene are discussed. (letter)

Progress in ultrafast intense laser science XIII

CERN Document Server

III, Wendell; Paulus, Gerhard

2017-01-01

This thirteenth volume covers a broad range of topics from this interdisciplinary research field, focusing on atoms, molecules, and clusters interacting in intense laser field and high-order harmonics generation and their applications. The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, the interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science, which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield, as well as graduate students, can grasp the importance and attractions of the research topic at hand; these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries.   .

Progress in ultrafast intense laser science XII

CERN Document Server

Roso, Luis; Li, Ruxin; Mathur, Deepak; Normand, Didier

2015-01-01

This  volume covers a broad range of topics focusing on atoms, molecules, and clusters interacting in intense laser field, laser induced filamentation, and laser plasma interaction and application. The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science, which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield, as well as graduate students, can grasp the importance and attractions of the research topic at hand; these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. .

Unlocking the Constraints of Cyanobacterial Productivity: Acclimations Enabling Ultrafast Growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernstein, Hans C.; McClure, Ryan S.; Hill, Eric A.; Markillie, Lye Meng; Chrisler, William B.; Romine, Margie F.; McDermott, Jason E.; Posewitz, Matthew C.; Bryant, Donald A.; Konopka, Allan E.; Fredrickson, James K.; Beliaev, Alexander S.

2016-07-26

Harnessing the metabolic potential of photosynthetic microbes for next-generation biotechnology objectives requires detailed scientific understanding of the physiological constraints and regulatory controls affecting carbon partitioning between biomass, metabolite storage pools, and bioproduct synthesis. We dissected the cellular mechanisms underlying the remarkable physiological robustness of the euryhaline unicellular cyanobacteriumSynechococcussp. strain PCC 7002 (Synechococcus7002) and identify key mechanisms that allow cyanobacteria to achieve unprecedented photoautotrophic productivities (~2.5-h doubling time). Ultrafast growth ofSynechococcus7002 was supported by high rates of photosynthetic electron transfer and linked to significantly elevated transcription of precursor biosynthesis and protein translation machinery. Notably, no growth or photosynthesis inhibition signatures were observed under any of the tested experimental conditions. Finally, the ultrafast growth inSynechococcus7002 was also linked to a 300% expansion of average cell volume. We hypothesize that this cellular adaptation is required at high irradiances to support higher cell division rates and reduce deleterious effects, corresponding to high light, through increased carbon and reductant sequestration.

IMPORTANCEEfficient coupling between photosynthesis and productivity is central to the development of biotechnology based on solar energy. Therefore, understanding the factors constraining maximum rates of carbon processing is necessary to identify regulatory mechanisms and devise strategies to overcome productivity constraints. Here, we interrogate the molecular mechanisms that operate at a systems level to allow cyanobacteria to achieve ultrafast growth. This was done by considering growth and photosynthetic kinetics with global transcription patterns. We have delineated

Ultrafast electron diffraction with megahertz MeV electron pulses from a superconducting radio-frequency photoinjector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, L. W.; Lin, L.; Huang, S. L.; Quan, S. W.; Hao, J. K.; Zhu, F.; Wang, F.; Liu, K. X., E-mail: kxliu@pku.edu.cn [Institute of Heavy Ion Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Jiang, T.; Zhu, P. F.; Fu, F.; Wang, R.; Zhao, L.; Xiang, D., E-mail: dxiang@sjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2015-11-30

We report ultrafast relativistic electron diffraction operating at the megahertz repetition rate where the electron beam is produced in a superconducting radio-frequency (rf) photoinjector. We show that the beam quality is sufficiently high to provide clear diffraction patterns from gold and aluminium samples. With the number of electrons, several orders of magnitude higher than that from a normal conducting photocathode rf gun, such high repetition rate ultrafast MeV electron diffraction may open up many new opportunities in ultrafast science.

Influence of temporal–spectral effects on ultrafast fiber coherent polarization beam combining system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, H L; Ma, P F; Wang, X L; Su, R T; Zhou, P; Chen, J B

2015-01-01

The active coherent polarization beam combining (CPBC) technique has been experimentally proved to be a promising approach for the energy and power scaling of ultrashort laser pulses, despite the tremendous challenge in temporal synchronization, dispersion management and nonlinearity control. In order to develop a comprehensive theoretical model to investigate the influence of temporal–spectral effects on ultrafast fiber active CPBC systems, a generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation carrying spectral factors is used to depict the propagation of ultrashort pulses in fiber amplifier channels and ultrashort-pulsed Gaussian beams (PGBs) carrying temporal–spatial factors are utilized to picture the propagation of ultrashort pulses in the free space. To the best of our knowledge, the influence of different temporal–spectral effects has been segregated for the first time and corresponding analytical equations have been strictly derived to link the combining efficiency with specific factors. Based on our analysis, the optical path difference (OPD) has the most detrimental impact on the combining efficiency because of the high controlling accuracy and anti-interference requirements. For instance, the OPD must be controlled in ∼  ±14 μm to achieve a combining efficiency of above 95% for combining ultrashort laser pulses with a 3 dB spectral bandwidth of 13 nm centered at 1064 nm. Besides, the analytical expression also demonstrates that the impact of self-phase modulation on the combining efficiency has no dependence on spectral bandwidth and only depends on the B integral difference if neglecting the direct influence of the peak power difference. Our analysis also indicates that the group velocity dispersion has relatively small influence on the combining efficiency. These formulas can be used to diagnose the influence of temporal–spectral effects and provide useful guidelines for the design or optimization of the active CPBC system of ultrafast

Ultrafast stimulated Raman spectroscopy in the near-infrared region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaya, Tomohisa

2016-01-01

A number of electronic transitions in the near-infrared wavelength region are associated with migration or delocalization of electrons in large molecules or molecular systems. Time-resolved near-infrared Raman spectroscopy will be a powerful tool for investigating the structural dynamic of samples with delocalized electrons. However, the sensitivity of near-infrared spontaneous Raman spectrometers is significantly low due to an extremely small probability of Raman scattering and a low sensitivity of near-infrared detectors. Nonlinear Raman spectroscopy is one of the techniques that can overcome the sensitivity problems and enable us to obtain time-resolved Raman spectra in resonance with near-IR transitions. In this article, the author introduces recent progress of ultrafast time-resolved near-infrared stimulated Raman spectroscopy. Optical setup, spectral and temporal resolution, and applications of the spectrometer are described. (author)

Ultrafast spectral interferometry of resonant secondary emmission from semiconductor quantum wells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkedal, Dan; Shah, Jagdeep

1999-01-01

Recent investigations of secondary emission from quantum well excitons follwing resonant excitation have demonstrated an intricate interplay of coherent Rayleigh scattering and incoherent luminescence. We have very recently demonstrated that it is possible to isolate and time resolve the coherent...... field associated with the Rayleigh component using ultrafast spectral interferometry, thus, obtaining substantial and new information of the nature of resonant secondary emission. Our findings demonstrate that Rayleigh scattering from static disorder is inherently a non-ergodic process invalidating...

Nonlinear ultrafast optical response in organic molecular crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Talat S.; Turkowski, Volodymyr; Leuenberger, Michael N.

2012-02-01

We analyze possible nonlinear excitonic effects in the organic molecule crystals by using a combined time-dependent DFT and many-body approach. In particular, we analyze possible effects of the time-dependent (retarded)interaction between different types of excitations, Frenkel excitons, charge transfer excitons and excimers, on the electric and the optical response of the system. We pay special attention to the case of constant electric field and ultrafast pulses, including that of four-wave mixing experiments. As a specific application we examine the optical excitations of pentacene nanocrystals and compare the results with available experimental data.[1] Our results demostrate that the nonlinear effects can play an important role in the optical response of these systems. [1] A. Kabakchiev, ``Scanning Tunneling Luminescence of Pentacene Nanocrystals'', PhD Thesis (EPFL, Lausanne, 2010).

Quantum Computation with Ultrafast Laser Pulse Shaping

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 10; Issue 6. Quantum Computation with Ultrafast Laser Pulse Shaping. Debabrata Goswami. General Article Volume 10 Issue 6 June 2005 pp 8-14. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Detection of coronary calcification in ultrafast CT compared to coronary angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koesling, S.; Hoffmann, U.; Rother, T.; Lieberenz, S.; Heywang-Koebrunner, S.H.; Schulz, H.G.

1994-01-01

The angiographical findings of 24 patients with coronary artery disease were compared with qualitative and quantitative detection of coronary calcification by ultrafast CT. Doubts concerning the capabilities of the ultrafast CT for a screening of coronary artery disease arise when the results of one third false positive and fase negative findings are considered. Variations in the quantification of coronary calcification were too great to allow a realistic assessment of the degree of stenosis of the coronary arteries. (orig.) [de

Propagation of complex shaped ultrafast pulses in highly optically dense samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, J. C.; Fetterman, M. R.; Warren, W. S.; Goswami, D.

2008-01-01

We examine the propagation of shaped (amplitude- and frequency-modulated) ultrafast laser pulses through optically dense rubidium vapor. Pulse reshaping, stimulated emission dynamics, and residual electronic excitation all strongly depend on the laser pulse shape. For example, frequency swept pulses, which produce adiabatic passage in the optically thin limit (independent of the sign of the frequency sweep), behave unexpectedly in optically dense samples. Paraxial Maxwell optical Bloch equations can model our ultrafast pulse propagation results well and provide insight

Complete elimination of nonlinear light-matter interactions with broadband ultrafast laser pulses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shu, Chuan-Cun; Dong, Daoyi; Petersen, Ian R.

2017-01-01

optical effects, however, the probability of pure single-photon absorption is usually very low, which is particularly pertinent in the case of strong ultrafast laser pulses with broad bandwidth. Here we demonstrate theoretically a counterintuitive coherent single-photon absorption scheme by eliminating...... nonlinear interactions of ultrafast laser pulses with quantum systems. That is, a completely linear response of the system with respect to the spectral energy density of the incident light at the transition frequency can be obtained for all transition probabilities between 0 and 100% in multilevel quantum...... systems. To that end, a multiobjective optimization algorithm is developed to find an optimal spectral phase of an ultrafast laser pulse, which is capable of eliminating all possible nonlinear optical responses while maximizing the probability of single-photon absorption between quantum states. This work...

High Harmonic Generation XUV Spectroscopy for Studying Ultrafast Photophysics of Coordination Complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Ryland, Elizabeth S.; Lin, Ming-Fu; Benke, Kristin; Verkamp, Max A.; Zhang, Kaili; Vura-Weis, Josh

2017-06-01

Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectroscopy is an inner shell technique that probes the M_{2,3}-edge excitation of atoms. Absorption of the XUV photon causes a 3p→3d transition, the energy and shape of which is directly related to the element and ligand environment. This technique is thus element-, oxidation state-, spin state-, and ligand field specific. A process called high-harmonic generation (HHG) enables the production of ultrashort (˜20fs) pulses of collimated XUV photons in a tabletop instrument. This allows transient XUV spectroscopy to be conducted as an in-lab experiment, where it was previously only possible at accelerator-based light sources. Additionally, ultrashort pulses provide the capability for unprecedented time resolution (˜50fs IRF). This technique has the capacity to serve a pivotal role in the study of electron and energy transfer processes in materials and chemical biology. I will present the XUV transient absorption instrument we have built, along with ultrafast transient M_{2,3}-edge absorption data of a series of small inorganic molecules in order to demonstrate the high specificity and time resolution of this tabletop technique as well as how our group is applying it to the study of ultrafast electronic dynamics of coordination complexes.

Proposal of a uniform fiber Bragg grating as an ultrafast all-optical integrator.

Science.gov (United States)

Azaña, José

2008-01-01

It is demonstrated that a uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG) working in the linear regime inherently behaves as an optical temporal integrator over a limited time window. Specifically, the reflected temporal waveform from a weak-coupling uniform FBG is proportional to the time integral of an (arbitrary) optical pulse launched at the component input. This integration extends over a time window fixed by the duration of the squarelike temporal impulse response of the FBG. Ultrafast all-optical integrators capable of accurate operation over nanosecond time windows can be implemented using readily feasible FBGs. The introduced concepts are demonstrated by numerical simulations.

Ultrafast electric phase control of a single exciton qubit

Science.gov (United States)

Widhalm, Alex; Mukherjee, Amlan; Krehs, Sebastian; Sharma, Nandlal; Kölling, Peter; Thiede, Andreas; Reuter, Dirk; Förstner, Jens; Zrenner, Artur

2018-03-01

We report on the coherent phase manipulation of quantum dot excitons by electric means. For our experiments, we use a low capacitance single quantum dot photodiode which is electrically controlled by a custom designed SiGe:C BiCMOS chip. The phase manipulation is performed and quantified in a Ramsey experiment, where ultrafast transient detuning of the exciton energy is performed synchronous to double pulse π/2 ps laser excitation. We are able to demonstrate electrically controlled phase manipulations with magnitudes up to 3π within 100 ps which is below the dephasing time of the quantum dot exciton.

OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics Series. Volume 13: Ultrafast Electronics and Optoelectronics

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

tomography. Many materials such as plastics, cardboard, wood and rubber have good transparency in the terahertz frequency range. Hence, this new...Ultrafast processes in semiconductors. Introduction Nonlinear Bragg reflector ( NBR ) consists of periodically distributed optical nonlinearity coexisting...with multiple reflection and group-delay dispersion. Recent theoretical analyses showed the potential of NBR in ultrafast optoelectronics such as all

Ultrafast photodynamics of pyrazine in the vacuum ultraviolet region studied by time-resolved photoelectron imaging using 7.8-eV pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horio, Takuya; Suzuki, Yoshi-ichi; Suzuki, Toshinori, E-mail: suzuki@kuchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

2016-07-28

The ultrafast electronic dynamics of pyrazine (C{sub 4}N{sub 2}H{sub 4}) were studied by time-resolved photoelectron imaging (TRPEI) using the third (3ω, 4.7 eV) and fifth harmonics (5ω, 7.8 eV) of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser (ω). Although the photoionization signals due to the 5ω − 3ω and 3ω − 5ω pulse sequences overlapped near the time origin, we have successfully extracted their individual TRPEI signals using least squares fitting of the observed electron kinetic energy distributions. When the 5ω pulses preceded the 3ω pulses, the 5ω pulses predominantly excited the S{sub 4} (ππ{sup *}, {sup 1}B{sub 1u}+{sup 1}B{sub 2u}) state. The photoionization signal from the S{sub 4} state generated by the time-delayed 3ω pulses was dominated by the D{sub 3}({sup 2}B{sub 2g})←S{sub 4} photoionization process and exhibited a broad electron kinetic energy distribution, which rapidly downshifted in energy within 100 fs. Also observed were the photoionization signals for the 3s, 3p{sub z}, and 3p{sub y} members of the Rydberg series converging to D{sub 0}({sup 2}A{sub g}). The Rydberg signals appeared immediately within our instrumental time resolution of 27 fs, indicating that these states are directly photoexcited from the ground state or populated from S{sub 4} within 27 fs. The 3s, 3p{sub z}, and 3p{sub y} states exhibited single exponential decay with lifetimes of 94 ± 2, 89 ± 2, and 58 ± 1 fs, respectively. With the reverse pulse sequence of 3ω − 5ω, the ultrafast internal conversion (IC) from S{sub 2}(ππ{sup *}) to S{sub 1}(nπ{sup *}) was observed. The decay associated spectrum of S{sub 2} exhibited multiple bands ascribed to D{sub 0}, D{sub 1}, and D{sub 3}, in agreement with the 3ω-pump and 6ω-probe experiment described in our preceding paper [T. Horio et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 044306 (2016)]. The electron kinetic energy and angular distributions from S{sub 1} populated by IC from S{sub 2} are also discussed.

Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science III

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Agostini, Pierre; Ferrante, Gaetano

2008-01-01

The PUILS series presents Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science. PUILS has been stimulated by the recent development of ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume contains approximately 15 chapters, authored by researchers at the forefront. Each chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers, who are not experts in the specific topics, as well as graduate students can grasp the importance and attractions of this sub-field of research, and these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. This third volume covers a diverse range of disciplines, focusing on such topics as strong field ionization of atoms, ionization and fragmentation of molecules and clusters, generation of high-order harmonics and attosecond pulses, filamentation and laser plasma interaction, and the development of ultrashort and ultrahigh-intensity light sources.

Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science VIII

CERN Document Server

Nisoli, Mauro; Hill, Wendell; III, III

2012-01-01

The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science and optical science which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield as well as graduate students can grasp the importance and attractions of the research topic at hand. These are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. This eighth volume covers a broad range of topics from this interdisciplinary research field, focusing on molecules interacting with ultrashort and intense laser fields, advanced technologies for the characterization of ultrashort laser pulses and their applications, laser plasma formation and laser acceleration.

Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science VI

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Bandrauk, André D

2010-01-01

The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science, which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield, as well as graduate students, can grasp the importance and attractions of the research topic at hand; these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. This sixth volume covers a broad range of topics from this interdisciplinary research field, focusing on responses of molecules to ultrashort intense laser pulses, generation and characterization of attosecond pulses and high-order harmonics, and filamentation and laser-plasma interaction.

Stochastic time scale for the Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szydlowski, M.; Golda, Z.

1986-01-01

An intrinsic time scale is naturally defined within stochastic gradient dynamical systems. It should be interpreted as a ''relaxation time'' to a local potential minimum after the system has been randomly perturbed. It is shown that for a flat Friedman-like cosmological model this time scale is of order of the age of the Universe. 7 refs. (author)

Pair plasma relaxation time scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Aksenov, A G; Ruffini, R; Vereshchagin, G V

2010-04-01

By numerically solving the relativistic Boltzmann equations, we compute the time scale for relaxation to thermal equilibrium for an optically thick electron-positron plasma with baryon loading. We focus on the time scales of electromagnetic interactions. The collisional integrals are obtained directly from the corresponding QED matrix elements. Thermalization time scales are computed for a wide range of values of both the total-energy density (over 10 orders of magnitude) and of the baryonic loading parameter (over 6 orders of magnitude). This also allows us to study such interesting limiting cases as the almost purely electron-positron plasma or electron-proton plasma as well as intermediate cases. These results appear to be important both for laboratory experiments aimed at generating optically thick pair plasmas as well as for astrophysical models in which electron-positron pair plasmas play a relevant role.

Simple and robust generation of ultrafast laser pulse trains using polarization-independent parallel-aligned thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Andong; Jiang, Lan; Li, Xiaowei; Wang, Zhi; Du, Kun; Lu, Yongfeng

2018-05-01

Ultrafast laser pulse temporal shaping has been widely applied in various important applications such as laser materials processing, coherent control of chemical reactions, and ultrafast imaging. However, temporal pulse shaping has been limited to only-in-lab technique due to the high cost, low damage threshold, and polarization dependence. Herein we propose a novel design of ultrafast laser pulse train generation device, which consists of multiple polarization-independent parallel-aligned thin films. Various pulse trains with controllable temporal profile can be generated flexibly by multi-reflections within the splitting films. Compared with other pulse train generation techniques, this method has advantages of compact structure, low cost, high damage threshold and polarization independence. These advantages endow it with high potential for broad utilization in ultrafast applications.

Impact of ultrafast demagnetization process on magnetization reversal in L10 FePt revealed using double laser pulse excitation

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, J. Y.; Tang, M.; Zhang, Z.; Ma, L.; Sun, L.; Zhou, C.; Hu, X. F.; Zheng, Z.; Shen, L. Q.; Zhou, S. M.; Wu, Y. Z.; Chen, L. Y.; Zhao, H. B.

2018-02-01

Ultrafast laser induced magnetization reversal in L10 FePt films with high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was investigated using single- and double-pulse excitations. Single-pulse excitation beyond 10 mJ cm-2 caused magnetization (M) reversal at the applied fields much smaller than the static coercivity of the films. For double-pulse excitation, both coercivity reduction and reversal percentage showed a rapid and large decrease with the increasing time interval (Δt) of the two pulses in the range of 0-2 ps. In this Δt range, the maximum demagnetization (ΔMp) was also strongly attenuated, whereas the integrated demagnetization signals over more than 10 ps, corresponding to the average lattice heat effect, showed little change. These results indicate that laser induced M reversal in FePt films critically relies on ΔMp. Because ΔMp is determined by spin temperature, which is higher than lattice temperature, utilizing an ultrafast laser instead of a continuous-wave laser in laser-assisted M reversal may reduce the overall deposited energy and increase the speed of recording. The effective control of M reversal by slightly tuning the time delay of two laser pulses may also be useful for ultrafast spin manipulation.

Ultrafast Phase Comparator for Phase-Locked Loop-Based Optoelectronic Clock Recovery Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gomez-Agis, F.; Oxenløwe, Leif Katsuo; Kurimura, S.

2009-01-01

The authors report on a novel application of a chi((2)) nonlinear optical device as an ultrafast phase comparator, an essential element that allows an optoelectronic phase-locked loop to perform clock recovery of ultrahigh-speed optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) signals. Particular interest...... is devoted to a quasi-phase-matching adhered-ridge-waveguide periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device, which shows a sufficient high temporal resolution to resolve a 640 Gbits OTDM signal....

Time-resolved monitoring of enzyme activity with ultrafast Hyper-CEST spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Döpfert, Jörg; Schnurr, Matthias; Kunth, Martin; Rose, Honor May; Hennig, Andreas; Schröder, Leif

2017-12-23

We propose a method to dynamically monitor the progress of an enzymatic reaction using NMR of hyperpolarized 129 Xe in a host-guest system. It is based on a displacement assay originally designed for fluorescence experiments that exploits the competitive binding of the enzymatic product on the one hand and a reporter dye on the other hand to a supramolecular host. Recently, this assay has been successfully transferred to NMR, using xenon as a reporter, cucurbit[6]uril as supramolecular host, and chemical exchange saturation transfer with hyperpolarized Xe (Hyper-CEST) as detection technique. Its advantage is that the enzyme acts on the unmodified substrate and that only the product is detected through immediate inclusion into the host. We here apply a method that drastically accelerates the acquisition of Hyper-CEST spectra in vitro using magnetic field gradients. This allows monitoring the dynamic progress of the conversion of lysine to cadaverine with a temporal resolution of ~30 s. Moreover, the method only requires to sample the very early onset of the reaction (Hyper-CEST results correlate with xenon T 2 measurements performed during the enzymatic reaction. This suggests that ultrafast Hyper-CEST spectroscopy can be used for dynamically monitoring enzymatic activity with NMR. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ultrafast single-molecule photonics: Excited state dynamics in coherently coupled complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernando, Jordi; Hoogenboom, Jacob; Dijk, Erik van; Garcia-Parajo, Maria; Hulst, Niek F. van

2008-01-01

We present a single-molecule study on femtosecond dynamics in multichromophoric systems, combining fs pump-probe, emission-spectra and fluorescence-lifetime analysis. The ultrafast fs approach gives direct information on the initial exciton dynamics after excitation. The lifetime data show superradiance, a direct measure for the extent of the coherent coupling and static disorder. The spectra finally reveal the role of exciton-phonon coupling. At the single-molecule level a wide range of exciton delocalization lengths and energy redistribution times is revealed

Ultrafast single-molecule photonics: Excited state dynamics in coherently coupled complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernando, Jordi [Dept. de Quimica, Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Valles (Spain); Hoogenboom, Jacob [ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, Mediterranean Technology Park, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona (Spain); Dijk, Erik van [Applied Optics Group, MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede (Netherlands); Garcia-Parajo, Maria [IBEC-Institute of BioEngineering of Catalunya, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); ICREA-Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, 08015 Barcelona (Spain); Hulst, Niek F. van [ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, Mediterranean Technology Park, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona (Spain) and ICREA-Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, 08015 Barcelona (Spain)], E-mail: Niek.vanHulst@ICFO.es

2008-05-15

We present a single-molecule study on femtosecond dynamics in multichromophoric systems, combining fs pump-probe, emission-spectra and fluorescence-lifetime analysis. The ultrafast fs approach gives direct information on the initial exciton dynamics after excitation. The lifetime data show superradiance, a direct measure for the extent of the coherent coupling and static disorder. The spectra finally reveal the role of exciton-phonon coupling. At the single-molecule level a wide range of exciton delocalization lengths and energy redistribution times is revealed.

Ultrafast characterization of optoelectronic devices and systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xuemei

reaching 54%. The response time was found to not depend on either the device bias or excitation power. Nitrogen-implanted GaAs is a novel ion-implanted semiconductor. Its intrinsic property of high density of incorporated defects due to the implantation process makes it a promising candidate for ultrafast photodetection. A novel photodetector based on N+-GaAs has been successfully fabricated and its performance was characterized, using again our EO sampler. Our photodetectors, based on N+-GaAs, exhibit ˜2.1 ps FWHM photoresponse and very high sensitivity.

All-optical devices for ultrafast packet switching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dorren, H.J.S.; HerreraDorren, J.; Raz, O.

2007-01-01

We discuss integrated devices for all-optical packet switching. We focus on monolithically integrated all-optical flip-flops, ultra-fast semiconductor based wavelength converters and explain the operation principles. Finally, a 160 Gb/s all-optical packet switching experiment over 110 km of field...

Real-Space Imaging of Carrier Dynamics of Materials Surfaces by Second-Generation Four-Dimensional Scanning Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jingya; Melnikov, Vasily; Khan, Jafar Iqbal; Mohammed, Omar F.

2015-01-01

, we establish a second generation of four-dimensional scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (4D S-UEM) and demonstrate the ability to record time-resolved images (snapshots) of material surfaces with 650 fs and ∼5 nm temporal and spatial resolutions

Characterisation and setup of a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier and investigation of ultrafast dynamics of Na/Cu(111)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wegkamp, Daniel; Krenz, Marcel; Wolf, Martin [Fritz Haber Institute of the MPG, Dept. of Physical Chemistry, Berlin (Germany); Freie Universitaet Berlin, Dept. of Physics, Berlin (Germany); Bovensiepen, Uwe [Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Dept. of Physics, Duisburg (Germany); Freie Universitaet Berlin, Dept. of Physics, Berlin (Germany)

2010-07-01

To study ultrafast dynamics on a femtosecond timescale, laser pulses of comparable and shorter scale are used in this work in combination with 2-photon photoemission. Here, we report the principle, setup, and characterisation of a femtosecond light-source based on a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (NOPA) and its application in studying the dynamics of Na/Cu(111) following. Laser pulses with duration <20 fs have been generated in the visible spectral range using a 300 kHz regenerative amplifier. In a single color scheme (h{nu}=2.3 eV) the NOPA pulses are used to excite and photoemit hot electrons, which are detected with a time of flight (TOF) spectrometer. With time independent measurements the binding energy of the adsorbate-induced resonance at 2 eV is observed in agreement with. As a function of pump-probe delay a time-dependent binding energy shift of the Na resonance with -2 meV/fs is observed. This shift is explained as a pump-induced movement of the sodium adsorbate away from the surface.

Ultrafast quenching of tryptophan fluorescence in proteins: Interresidue and intrahelical electron transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu Weihong; Li Tanping; Zhang Luyuan; Yang Yi; Kao Yating; Wang Lijuan [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, Program of Biophysics, Chemical Physics, and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Zhong Dongping [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, Program of Biophysics, Chemical Physics, and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)], E-mail: dongping@mps.ohio-state.edu

2008-06-23

Quenching of tryptophan fluorescence in proteins has been critical to the understanding of protein dynamics and enzyme reactions using tryptophan as a molecular optical probe. We report here our systematic examinations of potential quenching residues with more than 40 proteins. With site-directed mutation, we placed tryptophan to desired positions or altered its neighboring residues to screen quenching groups among 20 amino acid residues and of peptide backbones. With femtosecond resolution, we observed the ultrafast quenching dynamics within 100 ps and identified two ultrafast quenching groups, the carbonyl- and sulfur-containing residues. The former is glutamine and glutamate residues and the later is disulfide bond and cysteine residue. The quenching by the peptide-bond carbonyl group as well as other potential residues mostly occurs in longer than 100 ps. These ultrafast quenching dynamics occur at van der Waals distances through intraprotein electron transfer with high directionality. Following optimal molecular orbital overlap, electron jumps from the benzene ring of the indole moiety in a vertical orientation to the LUMO of acceptor quenching residues. Molecular dynamics simulations were invoked to elucidate various correlations of quenching dynamics with separation distances, relative orientations, local fluctuations and reaction heterogeneity. These unique ultrafast quenching pairs, as recently found to extensively occur in high-resolution protein structures, may have significant biological implications.

Vibrational energy on surfaces: Ultrafast flash-thermal conductance of molecular monolayers

Science.gov (United States)

Dlott, Dana

2008-03-01

Vibrational energy flow through molecules remains a perennial problem in chemical physics. Usually vibrational energy dynamics are viewed through the lens of time-dependent level populations. This is natural because lasers naturally pump and probe vibrational transitions, but it is also useful to think of vibrational energy as being conducted from one location in a molecule to another. We have developed a new technique where energy is driven into a specific part of molecules adsorbed on a metal surface, and ultrafast nonlinear coherent vibrational spectroscopy is used to watch the energy arrive at another part. This technique is the analog of a flash thermal conductance apparatus, except it probes energy flow with angstrom spatial and femtosecond temporal resolution. Specific examples to be presented include energy flow along alkane chains, and energy flow into substituted benzenes. Ref: Z. Wang, J. A. Carter, A. Lagutchev, Y. K. Koh, N.-H. Seong, D. G. Cahill, and D. D. Dlott, Ultrafast flash thermal conductance of molecular chains, Science 317, 787-790 (2007). This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under award DMR 0504038 and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award FA9550-06-1-0235.

Hardy type inequalities on time scales

CERN Document Server

Agarwal, Ravi P; Saker, Samir H

2016-01-01

The book is devoted to dynamic inequalities of Hardy type and extensions and generalizations via convexity on a time scale T. In particular, the book contains the time scale versions of classical Hardy type inequalities, Hardy and Littlewood type inequalities, Hardy-Knopp type inequalities via convexity, Copson type inequalities, Copson-Beesack type inequalities, Liendeler type inequalities, Levinson type inequalities and Pachpatte type inequalities, Bennett type inequalities, Chan type inequalities, and Hardy type inequalities with two different weight functions. These dynamic inequalities contain the classical continuous and discrete inequalities as special cases when T = R and T = N and can be extended to different types of inequalities on different time scales such as T = hN, h > 0, T = qN for q > 1, etc.In this book the authors followed the history and development of these inequalities. Each section in self-contained and one can see the relationship between the time scale versions of the inequalities and...

Photoinduced molecular chirality probed by ultrafast resonant X-ray spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jérémy R. Rouxel

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Recently developed circularly polarized X-ray light sources can probe the ultrafast chiral electronic and nuclear dynamics through spatially localized resonant core transitions. We present simulations of time-resolved circular dichroism signals given by the difference of left and right circularly polarized X-ray probe transmission following an excitation by a circularly polarized optical pump with the variable time delay. Application is made to formamide which is achiral in the ground state and assumes two chiral geometries upon optical excitation to the first valence excited state. Probes resonant with various K-edges (C, N, and O provide different local windows onto the parity breaking geometry change thus revealing the enantiomer asymmetry.

Shock compression and flash-heating of molecular adsorbates on the picosecond time scale

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Christopher Michael

An ultrafast nonlinear coherent laser spectroscopy termed broadband multiplex vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) with nonresonant suppression was employed to monitor vibrational transitions of molecular adsorbates on metallic substrates during laser-driven shock compression and flash-heating. Adsorbates were in the form of well-ordered self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and included molecular explosive simulants, such as nitroaromatics, and long chain-length alkanethiols. Based on reflectance measurements of the metallic substrates, femtosecond flash-heating pulses were capable of producing large-amplitude temperature jumps with DeltaT = 500 K. Laser-driven shock compression of SAMs produced pressures up to 2 GPa, where 1 GPa ≈ 1 x 104 atm. Shock pressures were estimated via comparison with frequency shifts observed in the monolayer vibrational transitions during hydrostatic pressure measurements in a SiC anvil cell. Molecular dynamics during flash-heating and shock loading were probed with vibrational SFG spectroscopy with picosecond temporal resolution and sub-nanometer spatial resolution. Flash-heating studies of 4-nitrobenzenethiolate (NBT) on Au provided insight into effects from hot-electron excitation of the molecular adsorbates at early pump-probe delay times. At longer delay times, effects from the excitation of SAM lattice modes and lower-energy NBT vibrations were shown. In addition, flash-heating studies of alkanethiolates demonstrated chain disordering behaviors as well as interface thermal conductances across the Au-SAM junction, which was of specific interest within the context of molecular electronics. Shock compression studies of molecular explosive simulants, such as 4-nitrobenzoate (NBA), demonstrated the proficiency of this technique to observe shock-induced molecular dynamics, in this case orientational dynamics, on the picosecond time scale. Results validated the utilization of these refined shock loading techniques to probe the shock

Emerging Low-Dimensional Materials for Nonlinear Optics and Ultrafast Photonics.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofeng; Guo, Qiangbing; Qiu, Jianrong

2017-04-01

Low-dimensional (LD) materials demonstrate intriguing optical properties, which lead to applications in diverse fields, such as photonics, biomedicine and energy. Due to modulation of electronic structure by the reduced structural dimensionality, LD versions of metal, semiconductor and topological insulators (TIs) at the same time bear distinct nonlinear optical (NLO) properties as compared with their bulk counterparts. Their interaction with short pulse laser excitation exhibits a strong nonlinear character manifested by NLO absorption, giving rise to optical limiting or saturated absorption associated with excited state absorption and Pauli blocking in different materials. In particular, the saturable absorption of these emerging LD materials including two-dimensional semiconductors as well as colloidal TI nanoparticles has recently been utilized for Q-switching and mode-locking ultra-short pulse generation across the visible, near infrared and middle infrared wavelength regions. Beside the large operation bandwidth, these ultrafast photonics applications are especially benefit from the high recovery rate as well as the facile processibility of these LD materials. The prominent NLO response of these LD materials have also provided new avenues for the development of novel NLO and photonics devices for all-optical control as well as optical circuits beyond ultrafast lasers. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Time scales in tidal disruption events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krolik J.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We explore the temporal structure of tidal disruption events pointing out the corresponding transitions in the lightcurves of the thermal accretion disk and of the jet emerging from such events. The hydrodynamic time scale of the disrupted star is the minimal time scale of building up the accretion disk and the jet and it sets a limit on the rise time. This suggest that Swift J1644+57, that shows several flares with a rise time as short as a few hundred seconds could not have arisen from a tidal disruption of a main sequence star whose hydrodynamic time is a few hours. The disrupted object must have been a white dwarf. A second important time scale is the Eddington time in which the accretion rate changes form super to sub Eddington. It is possible that such a transition was observed in the light curve of Swift J2058+05. If correct this provides interesting constraints on the parameters of the system.

The Ultrafast Wolff Rearrangement in the Gas Phase

Science.gov (United States)

Steinbacher, Andreas; Roeding, Sebastian; Brixner, Tobias; Nuernberger, Patrick

The Wolff rearrangement of gas-phase 5-diazo Meldrum's acid is disclosed with femtosecond ion spectroscopy. Distinct differences are found for 267 nm and 200 nm excitation, the latter leading to even two ultrafast rearrangement reactions.

Proposal to DOE Basic Energy Sciences Ultrafast X-ray science facility at the Advanced Light Source

CERN Document Server

Schönlein, R W; Alivisatos, A P; Belkacem, A; Berrah, N; Bozek, J; Bressler, C; Cavalleri, A; Chang, Z; Chergui, M; Falcone, R W; Glover, T E; Heimann, P A; Hepburn, J; Larsson, J; Lee, R W; McCusker, J; Padmore, H A; Pattison, P; Pratt, S T; Robin, D W; Schlüter, Ross D; Shank, C V; Wark, J; Zholents, A A; Zolotorev, M S

2001-01-01

We propose to develop a true user facility for ultrafast x-ray science at the Advanced Light Source. This facility will be unique in the world, and will fill a critical need for the growing ultrafast x-ray research community. The development of this facility builds upon the expertise from long-standing research efforts in ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy and the development of femtosecond x-ray sources and techniques at both the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at U.C. Berkeley. In particular, the technical feasibility of a femtosecond x-ray beamline at the ALS has already been demonstrated, and existing ultrafast laser technology will enable such a beamline to operate near the practical limit for femtosecond x-ray flux and brightness from a 3rd generation synchrotron.

Proposal to DOE Basic Energy Sciences: Ultrafast X-ray science facility at the Advanced Light Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoenlein, Robert W.; Falcone, Roger W.; Abela, R.; Alivisatos, A.P.; Belkacem, A.; Berrah, N.; Bozek, J.; Bressler, C.; Cavalleri, A.; Chergui, M.; Glover, T.E.; Heimann, P.A.; Hepburn, J.; Larsson, J.; Lee, R.W.; McCusker, J.; Padmore, H.A.; Pattison, P.; Pratt, S.T.; Shank, C.V.; Wark, J.; Chang, Z.; Robin, D.W.; Schlueter, R.D.; Zholents, A.A.; Zolotorev, M.S.

2001-12-12

We propose to develop a true user facility for ultrafast x-ray science at the Advanced Light Source. This facility will be unique in the world, and will fill a critical need for the growing ultrafast x-ray research community. The development of this facility builds upon the expertise from long-standing research efforts in ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy and the development of femtosecond x-ray sources and techniques at both the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at U.C. Berkeley. In particular, the technical feasibility of a femtosecond x-ray beamline at the ALS has already been demonstrated, and existing ultrafast laser technology will enable such a beamline to operate near the practical limit for femtosecond x-ray flux and brightness from a 3rd generation synchrotron.

Proposal to DOE Basic Energy Sciences: Ultrafast X-ray science facility at the Advanced Light Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenlein, Robert W.; Falcone, Roger W.; Abela, R.; Alivisatos, A.P.; Belkacem, A.; Berrah, N.; Bozek, J.; Bressler, C.; Cavalleri, A.; Chergui, M.; Glover, T.E.; Heimann, P.A.; Hepburn, J.; Larsson, J.; Lee, R.W.; McCusker, J.; Padmore, H.A.; Pattison, P.; Pratt, S.T.; Shank, C.V.; Wark, J.; Chang, Z.; Robin, D.W.; Schlueter, R.D.; Zholents, A.A.; Zolotorev, M.S.

2001-01-01

We propose to develop a true user facility for ultrafast x-ray science at the Advanced Light Source. This facility will be unique in the world, and will fill a critical need for the growing ultrafast x-ray research community. The development of this facility builds upon the expertise from long-standing research efforts in ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy and the development of femtosecond x-ray sources and techniques at both the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at U.C. Berkeley. In particular, the technical feasibility of a femtosecond x-ray beamline at the ALS has already been demonstrated, and existing ultrafast laser technology will enable such a beamline to operate near the practical limit for femtosecond x-ray flux and brightness from a 3rd generation synchrotron

Stationary and time resolved PL spectroscopy for analysis of ultrafst photoreactions in MALDI and solar cell samples; Stationaere und zeitaufgeloeste Photolumineszenz-Spektroskopie zur Analyse ultraschneller Photoreaktionen in MALDI- und Solarzellenproben

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoyer, Theo

2009-02-12

Stationary and time resolved measurements of photoluminescence (PL) were performed to analyse ultrafast photoreactions in solid MALDI (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) and solar cell samples. The investigation of pure cinnamic acid samples resulted in a first-time observation of a PL signature which is controlled by a photodimerisation on a ps- and fs-time scale. Other matrix compounds showed clear evidence of ultrafast photoinduced crystal reactions as well. In analyte/matrix mixtures consisting of angiotensin II and alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid or sinapinic acid, an additional effective PL quenching of matrix monomers was identified. This clearly indicates the existence of a further ultrafast photoreaction which strongly competes with the photodimerisation. The additional reaction is assumed to be a photoisomerisation of matrix monomers and to occur in the immediate vicinity of the analyte molecules. PL measurements on solar cell samples were performed with a P3HT/PCBM-mixture. The results show that within 150 fs about 50% of the P3HT-excitations relax via spontaneous charge transfer to PCBM molecules in this mixture.

Ultrafast cone-beam CT scatter correction with GPU-based Monte Carlo simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Xu

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Scatter artifacts severely degrade image quality of cone-beam CT (CBCT. We present an ultrafast scatter correction framework by using GPU-based Monte Carlo (MC simulation and prior patient CT image, aiming at automatically finish the whole process including both scatter correction and reconstruction within 30 seconds.Methods: The method consists of six steps: 1 FDK reconstruction using raw projection data; 2 Rigid Registration of planning CT to the FDK results; 3 MC scatter calculation at sparse view angles using the planning CT; 4 Interpolation of the calculated scatter signals to other angles; 5 Removal of scatter from the raw projections; 6 FDK reconstruction using the scatter-corrected projections. In addition to using GPU to accelerate MC photon simulations, we also use a small number of photons and a down-sampled CT image in simulation to further reduce computation time. A novel denoising algorithm is used to eliminate MC noise from the simulated scatter images caused by low photon numbers. The method is validated on one simulated head-and-neck case with 364 projection angles.Results: We have examined variation of the scatter signal among projection angles using Fourier analysis. It is found that scatter images at 31 angles are sufficient to restore those at all angles with < 0.1% error. For the simulated patient case with a resolution of 512 × 512 × 100, we simulated 5 × 106 photons per angle. The total computation time is 20.52 seconds on a Nvidia GTX Titan GPU, and the time at each step is 2.53, 0.64, 14.78, 0.13, 0.19, and 2.25 seconds, respectively. The scatter-induced shading/cupping artifacts are substantially reduced, and the average HU error of a region-of-interest is reduced from 75.9 to 19.0 HU.Conclusion: A practical ultrafast MC-based CBCT scatter correction scheme is developed. It accomplished the whole procedure of scatter correction and reconstruction within 30 seconds.----------------------------Cite this

A PSF-shape-based beamforming strategy for robust 2D motion estimation in ultrafast data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saris, Anne E.C.M.; Fekkes, Stein; Nillesen, Maartje; Hansen, Hendrik H.G.; de Korte, Chris L.

2018-01-01

This paper presents a framework for motion estimation in ultrafast ultrasound data. It describes a novel approach for determining the sampling grid for ultrafast data based on the system's point-spread-function (PSF). As a consequence, the cross-correlation functions (CCF) used in the speckle

Fusion of Ultraviolet-Visible and Infrared Transient Absorption Spectroscopy Data to Model Ultrafast Photoisomerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Debus, Bruno; Orio, Maylis; Rehault, Julien; Burdzinski, Gotard; Ruckebusch, Cyril; Sliwa, Michel

2017-08-03

Ultrafast photoisomerization reactions generally start at a higher excited state with excess of internal vibrational energy and occur via conical intersections. This leads to ultrafast dynamics which are difficult to investigate with a single transient absorption spectroscopy technique, be it in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) or infrared (IR) domain. On one hand, the information available in the UV-vis domain is limited as only slight spectral changes are observed for different isomers. On the other hand, the interpretation of vibrational spectra is strongly hindered by intramolecular relaxation and vibrational cooling. These limitations can be circumvented by fusing UV-vis and IR transient absorption spectroscopy data in a multiset multivariate curve resolution analysis. We apply this approach to describe the spectrodynamics of the ultrafast cis-trans photoisomerization around the C-N double bond observed for aromatic Schiff bases. Twisted intermediate states could be elucidated, and isomerization was shown to occur through a continuous complete rotation. More broadly, data fusion can be used to rationalize a vast range of ultrafast photoisomerization processes of interest in photochemistry.

Ultrafast terahertz electrodynamics of photonic and electronic nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Liang [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2015-01-01

This thesis summarizes my work on using ultrafast laser pulses to study Terahertz (THz) electrodynamics of photonic and electronic nanostructures and microstructures. Ultrafast timeresolved (optical, NIR, MIR, THz) pump-probe spectroscopy setup has been successfully built, which enables me to perform a series of relevant experiments. Firstly, a novel high e ciency and compact THz wave emitter based on split-ring-resonators has been developed and characterized. The emitter can be pumped at any wavelength by tailoring the magnetic resonance and could generate gapless THz waves covering the entire THz band. Secondly, two kinds of new photonic structures for THz wave manipulation have been successfully designed and characterized. One is based on the 1D and 2D photo-imprinted di ractive elements. The other is based on the photoexcited double-split-ring-resonator metamaterials. Both structures are exible and can modulate THz waves with large tunability. Thirdly, the dark excitons in semiconducting singlewalled carbon nanotubes are studied by optical pump and THz probe spectroscopy, which provides the rst insights into the THz responses of nonequilibrium excitonic correlations and dynamics from the dark ground states in carbon nanotubes. Next, several on-going projects are brie y presented such as the study of ultrafast THz dynamics of Dirac fermions in topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ with Mid-infrared excitation. Finally, the thesis ends with a summary of the completed experiments and an outlook of the future plan.

Uniform Statistical Convergence on Time Scales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yavuz Altin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We will introduce the concept of m- and (λ,m-uniform density of a set and m- and (λ,m-uniform statistical convergence on an arbitrary time scale. However, we will define m-uniform Cauchy function on a time scale. Furthermore, some relations about these new notions are also obtained.

Non-Markovian response of ultrafast coherent electronic ring currents in chiral aromatic molecules in a condensed phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mineo, H.; Lin, S. H.; Fujimura, Y.; Xu, J.; Xu, R. X.; Yan, Y. J.

2013-01-01

Results of a theoretical study on non-Markov response for femtosecond laser-driven coherent ring currents in chiral aromatic molecules embedded in a condensed phase are presented. Coherent ring currents are generated by coherent excitation of a pair of quasi-degenerated π-electronic excited states. The coherent electronic dynamical behaviors are strongly influenced by interactions between the electronic system and phonon bath in a condensed phase. Here, the bath correlation time is not instantaneous but should be taken to be a finite time in ultrashort time-resolved experiments. In such a case, Markov approximation breaks down. A hierarchical master equation approach for an improved semiclassical Drude dissipation model was adopted to examine the non-Markov effects on ultrafast coherent electronic ring currents of (P)-2,2 ′ -biphenol in a condensed phase. Time evolution of the coherent ring current derived in the hierarchical master equation approach was calculated and compared with those in the Drude model in the Markov approximation and in the static limit. The results show how non-Markovian behaviors in quantum beat signals of ring currents depend on the Drude bath damping constant. Effects of temperatures on ultrafast coherent electronic ring currents are also clarified

A Recirculating Linac-Based Facility for Ultrafast X-Ray Science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corlett, J. N.; Barletta, W. A.; DeSantis, S.; Doolittle, L.; Fawley, W. M.; Green, M.A.; Heimann, P.; Leone, S.; Lidia, S.; Li, D.; Ratti, A.; Robinson, K.; Schoenlein, R.; Staples, J.; Wan, W.; Wells, R.; Wolski, A.; Zholents, A.; Parmigiani, F.; Placidi, M.; Pirkl, W.; Rimmer, R. A.; Wang, S.

2003-01-01

We present an updated design for a proposed source of ultra-fast synchrotron radiation pulses based on a recirculating superconducting linac [1,2], in particular the incorporation of EUV and soft x-ray production. The project has been named LUX--Linac-based Ultrafast X-ray facility. The source produces intense x-ray pulses with duration of 10-100 fs at a 10 kHz repetition rate, with synchronization of 10's fs, optimized for the study of ultra-fast dynamics. The photon range covers the EUV to hard x-ray spectrum by use of seeded harmonic generation in undulators, and a specialized technique for ultra-short pulse photon production in the 1-10 keV range. High brightness rf photocathodes produce electron bunches which are optimized either for coherent emission in free electron lasers, or to provide a large x/y emittance ration and small vertical emittance which allows for manipulation to produce short-pulse hard x-rays. An injector linac accelerates the beam to 120 MeV, and is followed by f our passes through a 600-720 MeV recirculating linac. We outline the major technical components of the proposed facility

Spatial coherence properties of a compact and ultrafast laser-produced plasma keV x-ray source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boschetto, D.; Mourou, G.; Rousse, A.; Mordovanakis, A.; Hou, Bixue; Nees, J.; Kumah, D.; Clarke, R.

2007-01-01

The authors use Fresnel diffraction from knife-edges to demonstrate the spatial coherence of a tabletop ultrafast x-ray source produced by laser-plasma interaction. Spatial coherence is achieved in the far field by producing micrometer-scale x-ray spot dimensions. The results show an x-ray source size of 6 μm that leads to a transversal coherence length of 20 μm at a distance of 60 cm from the source. Moreover, they show that the source size is limited by the spatial spread of the absorbed laser energy

Ultrafast and scalable cone-beam CT reconstruction using MapReduce in a cloud computing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Bowen; Pratx, Guillem; Xing, Lei

2011-12-01

Four-dimensional CT (4DCT) and cone beam CT (CBCT) are widely used in radiation therapy for accurate tumor target definition and localization. However, high-resolution and dynamic image reconstruction is computationally demanding because of the large amount of data processed. Efficient use of these imaging techniques in the clinic requires high-performance computing. The purpose of this work is to develop a novel ultrafast, scalable and reliable image reconstruction technique for 4D CBCT∕CT using a parallel computing framework called MapReduce. We show the utility of MapReduce for solving large-scale medical physics problems in a cloud computing environment. In this work, we accelerated the Feldcamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) algorithm by porting it to Hadoop, an open-source MapReduce implementation. Gated phases from a 4DCT scans were reconstructed independently. Following the MapReduce formalism, Map functions were used to filter and backproject subsets of projections, and Reduce function to aggregate those partial backprojection into the whole volume. MapReduce automatically parallelized the reconstruction process on a large cluster of computer nodes. As a validation, reconstruction of a digital phantom and an acquired CatPhan 600 phantom was performed on a commercial cloud computing environment using the proposed 4D CBCT∕CT reconstruction algorithm. Speedup of reconstruction time is found to be roughly linear with the number of nodes employed. For instance, greater than 10 times speedup was achieved using 200 nodes for all cases, compared to the same code executed on a single machine. Without modifying the code, faster reconstruction is readily achievable by allocating more nodes in the cloud computing environment. Root mean square error between the images obtained using MapReduce and a single-threaded reference implementation was on the order of 10(-7). Our study also proved that cloud computing with MapReduce is fault tolerant: the reconstruction completed

Microwave-controlled ultrafast synthesis of uniform silver nanocubes and nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tian; Fan, Jun-Bing; Cui, Jing; Liu, Jin-Hua; Xu, Xiao-Bo; Zhu, Ming-Qiang

2011-01-01

Synthesis of well-defined silver nanostructure in terms of size and shape has been strongly motivated by the requirements to their size- and shape-dependent optical properties which achieve their practical applications ranging from biosensing to catalysis and optics. In this Letter, an ultrafast synthetic process for the well-defined Ag nanocubes and nanowires have been developed, which simply involve the microwave-mediated polyol reduction of silver nitrate in ethylene glycol by adding different amount sodium sulfide (Na2S) into the solution. The possible growth and evolution process of the Ag nanocubes and nanowires involves the microwave ultrafast nucleation and growth followed by oxidative etching of Ag nanocrystals.

Full-scale and time-scale heating experiments at Stripa: preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, N.G.W.; Hood, Michael; California Univ., Berkeley

1978-01-01

Two full-scale heating experiments and a time-scale heating experiment have recently been started in granite 340 meters below surface. The purpose of the full-scale heating experiments is to assess the near-field effects of thermal loading for the design of an underground repository of nuclear wastes. That of the time-scale heating experiments is to obtain field data of the interaction between heaters and its effect on the rock mass during a period of about two years, which corresponds to about twenty years of full-scale operation. Geological features of the rock around each experiment have been mapped carefully, and temperatures, stresses and displacements induced in the rock by heating have been calculated in advance of the experiments. Some 800 different measurements are recorded at frequent intervals by a computer system situated underground. These data can be compared at any time with predictions made earlier on video display units underground

An ultrafast line-by-line algorithm for calculating spectral transmittance and radiance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, X.

2013-01-01

An ultrafast line-by-line algorithm for calculating spectral transmittance and radiance of gases is presented. The algorithm is based on fast convolution of the Voigt line profile using Fourier transform and a binning technique. The algorithm breaks a radiative transfer calculation into two steps: a one-time pre-computation step in which a set of pressure independent coefficients are computed using the spectral line information; a normal calculation step in which the Fourier transform coefficients of the optical depth are calculated using the line of sight information and the coefficients pre-computed in the first step, the optical depth is then calculated using an inverse Fourier transform and the spectral transmittance and radiance are calculated. The algorithm is significantly faster than line-by-line algorithms that do not employ special speedup techniques by a factor of 10 3 –10 6 . A case study of the 2.7 μm band of H 2 O vapor is presented. -- Highlights: •An ultrafast line-by-line model based on FFT and a binning technique is presented. •Computationally expensive calculations are factored out into a pre-computation step. •It is 10 3 –10 8 times faster than LBL algorithms that do not employ speedup techniques. •Good agreement with experimental data for the 2.7 μm band of H 2 O

Ultrafast transient absorption revisited: Phase-flips, spectral fingers, and other dynamical features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cina, Jeffrey A., E-mail: cina@uoregon.edu; Kovac, Philip A. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Oregon Center for Optical, Molecular, and Quantum Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 (United States); Jumper, Chanelle C. [Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6 (Canada); Dean, Jacob C.; Scholes, Gregory D., E-mail: gscholes@princeton.edu [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

2016-05-07

We rebuild the theory of ultrafast transient-absorption/transmission spectroscopy starting from the optical response of an individual molecule to incident femtosecond pump and probe pulses. The resulting description makes use of pulse propagators and free molecular evolution operators to arrive at compact expressions for the several contributions to a transient-absorption signal. In this alternative description, which is physically equivalent to the conventional response-function formalism, these signal contributions are conveniently expressed as quantum mechanical overlaps between nuclear wave packets that have undergone different sequences of pulse-driven optical transitions and time-evolution on different electronic potential-energy surfaces. Using this setup in application to a simple, multimode model of the light-harvesting chromophores of PC577, we develop wave-packet pictures of certain generic features of ultrafast transient-absorption signals related to the probed-frequency dependence of vibrational quantum beats. These include a Stokes-shifting node at the time-evolving peak emission frequency, antiphasing between vibrational oscillations on opposite sides (i.e., to the red or blue) of this node, and spectral fingering due to vibrational overtones and combinations. Our calculations make a vibrationally abrupt approximation for the incident pump and probe pulses, but properly account for temporal pulse overlap and signal turn-on, rather than neglecting pulse overlap or assuming delta-function excitations, as are sometimes done.

An ultrafast study of Zinc Phthalocyanine in DMSO

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ombinda-Lemboumba, Saturnin

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The ultrafast dynamics of Zinc Phthalocyanine was studied using trasient absorption pump probe spectroscopy. Zinc Phthalocyanine was excited (pumped) at 672nm and probed by a white light continuum. The pump-probe technique used in this study...

Multiple time scale dynamics

CERN Document Server

Kuehn, Christian

2015-01-01

This book provides an introduction to dynamical systems with multiple time scales. The approach it takes is to provide an overview of key areas, particularly topics that are less available in the introductory form.  The broad range of topics included makes it accessible for students and researchers new to the field to gain a quick and thorough overview. The first of its kind, this book merges a wide variety of different mathematical techniques into a more unified framework. The book is highly illustrated with many examples and exercises and an extensive bibliography. The target audience of this  book are senior undergraduates, graduate students as well as researchers interested in using the multiple time scale dynamics theory in nonlinear science, either from a theoretical or a mathematical modeling perspective. 

Vibronic coupling explains the ultrafast carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in natural and artificial light harvesters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perlík, Václav; Seibt, Joachim; Šanda, František; Mančal, Tomáš [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Ke Karlovu 5, Prague 121 16 (Czech Republic); Cranston, Laura J.; Cogdell, Richard J. [Institute of Molecular Cell and System Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland (United Kingdom); Lincoln, Craig N.; Hauer, Jürgen, E-mail: juergen.hauer@tuwien.ac.at [Photonics Institute, Vienna University of Technology, Gusshausstrasse 27, 1040 Vienna (Austria); Savolainen, Janne [Department of Physical Chemistry II, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum (Germany)

2015-06-07

The initial energy transfer steps in photosynthesis occur on ultrafast timescales. We analyze the carotenoid to bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 Marichromatium purpuratum as well as in an artificial light-harvesting dyad system by using transient grating and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy with 10 fs time resolution. We find that Förster-type models reproduce the experimentally observed 60 fs transfer times, but overestimate coupling constants, which lead to a disagreement with both linear absorption and electronic 2D-spectra. We show that a vibronic model, which treats carotenoid vibrations on both electronic ground and excited states as part of the system’s Hamiltonian, reproduces all measured quantities. Importantly, the vibronic model presented here can explain the fast energy transfer rates with only moderate coupling constants, which are in agreement with structure based calculations. Counterintuitively, the vibrational levels on the carotenoid electronic ground state play the central role in the excited state population transfer to bacteriochlorophyll; resonance between the donor-acceptor energy gap and the vibrational ground state energies is the physical basis of the ultrafast energy transfer rates in these systems.

New photonic devices for ultrafast pulse processing operating on the basis of the diffraction-dispersion analogy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torres-Company, Victor; Minguez-Vega, Gladys; Climent, Vicent; Lands, Jesus [GROC-UJI, Departament de Fisica, Universitat Jaume I, 12080 Castello (Spain); Andres, Pedro [Departament d' Optica, Universitat de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot (Spain)], E-mail: lancis@fca.uji.es

2008-11-01

The space-time analogy is a well-known topic within wave optics that brings together some results from beam diffraction and pulse dispersion. On the above basis, and taking as starting point some classical concepts in Optics, several photonic devices have been proposed during the last few years with application in rapidly evolving fields such as ultrafast (femtosecond) optics or RF and microwave signal processing. In this contribution, we briefly review the above ideas with particular emphasis in the generation of trains of ultrafast pulses from periodic modulation of the phase of a CW laser source. This is the temporal analogue of Fresnel diffraction by a pure phase grating. Finally, we extend the analogy to the partially coherent case, what enables us to design an original technique for wavelength-to-time mapping of the spectrum of a temporally stationary source. Results of laboratory experiments concerning the generation of user-defined radio-frequency waveforms and filtering of microwave signals will be shown. The devices are operated with low-cost incoherent sources.

Vibronic coupling explains the ultrafast carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in natural and artificial light harvesters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perlík, Václav; Seibt, Joachim; Šanda, František; Mančal, Tomáš; Cranston, Laura J.; Cogdell, Richard J.; Lincoln, Craig N.; Hauer, Jürgen; Savolainen, Janne

2015-01-01

The initial energy transfer steps in photosynthesis occur on ultrafast timescales. We analyze the carotenoid to bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 Marichromatium purpuratum as well as in an artificial light-harvesting dyad system by using transient grating and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy with 10 fs time resolution. We find that Förster-type models reproduce the experimentally observed 60 fs transfer times, but overestimate coupling constants, which lead to a disagreement with both linear absorption and electronic 2D-spectra. We show that a vibronic model, which treats carotenoid vibrations on both electronic ground and excited states as part of the system’s Hamiltonian, reproduces all measured quantities. Importantly, the vibronic model presented here can explain the fast energy transfer rates with only moderate coupling constants, which are in agreement with structure based calculations. Counterintuitively, the vibrational levels on the carotenoid electronic ground state play the central role in the excited state population transfer to bacteriochlorophyll; resonance between the donor-acceptor energy gap and the vibrational ground state energies is the physical basis of the ultrafast energy transfer rates in these systems

Ultrafast spectral interferometry of resonant secondary emission from quantum wells: From Rayleigh scattering to coherent emission from biexcitons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkedal, Dan; Shah, Jagdeep; Pfeiffer, L. N.

1999-01-01

Recent investigations of secondary emission from quantum well excitons following ultrafast resonant excitation have demonstrated an intricate interplay of coherent Rayleigh scattering and incoherent luminescence. We have very recently demonstrated that it is possible to isolate and time resolve...... the coherent field associated with Rayleigh component using ultrafast spectral interferometry or Tadpole, thus, obtaining substantial and new information of the nature of resonant secondary emission. Our observation demonstrates that Rayleigh scattering from static disorder is inherently a non-ergodic process...... invalidating the use of current theories using ensemble averages to describe our observations. Furthermore, we report here a new and hitherto unknown coherent scattering mechanism involving the two-photon coherence associated with the biexciton transition. The process leaves an exciton behind taking up...

Ultrafast gain recovery and modulation limitations in self-assembled quantum-dot devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Tommy Winther; Bischoff, Svend; Magnúsdóttir, Ingibjörg

2001-01-01

Measurements of ultrafast gain recovery in self-assembled InAs quantum-dot (QD) amplifiers are explained by a comprehensive numerical model. The on excited state carriers are found to act as a reservoir for the optically active ground state carriers resulting in an ultrafast gain recovery as long...... as the excited state is well populated. However, when pulses are injected into the device at high-repetition frequencies, the response of a on amplifier is found to be limited by the wetting-layer dynamics....

Ultrafast, 2 min synthesis of monolayer-protected gold nanoclusters (d < 2 nm)

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Matthew N.; Li, Dawei; Dass, Amala; Eah, Sang-Kee

2012-06-01

An ultrafast synthesis method is presented for hexanethiolate-coated gold nanoclusters (d gold nanoclusters are separated from the reaction byproducts fast and easily without any need for post-synthesis cleaning.An ultrafast synthesis method is presented for hexanethiolate-coated gold nanoclusters (d gold nanoclusters are separated from the reaction byproducts fast and easily without any need for post-synthesis cleaning. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details of gold nanocluster synthesis and mass-spectrometry. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr30890h

Ultrafast crystallization and thermal stability of In-Ge doped eutectic Sb70Te30 phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee Meiling; Miao Xiangshui; Ting Leehou; Shi Luping

2008-01-01

Effect of In and Ge doping in the form of In 2 Ge 8 Sb 85 Te 5 on optical and thermal properties of eutectic Sb 70 Te 30 alloys was investigated. Crystalline structure of In 2 Ge 8 Sb 85 Te 5 phase change material consists of a mixture of phases. Thermal analysis shows higher crystallization temperature and activation energy for crystallization. Isothermal reflectivity-time measurement shows a growth-dominated crystallization mechanism. Ultrafast crystallization speed of 30 ns is realized upon irradiation by blue laser beam. The use of ultrafast and thermally stable In 2 Ge 8 Sb 85 Te 5 phase change material as mask layer in aperture-type super-resolution near-field phase change disk is realized to increase the carrier-to-noise ratio and thermal stability

Russian national time scale long-term stability

Science.gov (United States)

Alshina, A. P.; Gaigerov, B. A.; Koshelyaevsky, N. B.; Pushkin, S. B.

1994-05-01

The Institute of Metrology for Time and Space NPO 'VNIIFTRI' generates the National Time Scale (NTS) of Russia -- one of the most stable time scales in the world. Its striking feature is that it is based on a free ensemble of H-masers only. During last two years the estimations of NTS longterm stability based only on H-maser intercomparison data gives a flicker floor of about (2 to 3) x 10(exp -15) for averaging times from 1 day to 1 month. Perhaps the most significant feature for a time laboratory is an extremely low possible frequency drift -- it is too difficult to estimate it reliably. The other estimations, free from possible inside the ensemble correlation phenomena, are available based on the time comparison of NTS relative to the stable enough time scale of outer laboratories. The data on NTS comparison relative to the time scale of secondary time and frequency standards at Golitzino and Irkutsk in Russia and relative to NIST, PTB and USNO using GLONASS and GPS time transfer links gives stability estimations which are close to that based on H-maser intercomparisons.

Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy of conjugated polymer/CdSe nanorod composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooke, David; Lek, Jun Y.; Krebs, Frederik C

2010-01-01

report ultrafast carrier dynamics in hybrid CdSe nanorod / poly(3-hexythiophene) (P3HT) bulk heterojunction films measured by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy, and compare to the well studied P3HT/phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend. Both films show an improved peak...... photoconductivity compared to P3HT alone, consistent with efficient charge transfer. The photoconductivity dynamics show fast, picosecond trapping or recombination in the hybrid blend while the all-organic film shows no such loss of mobile charge over ns time scales. The ac conductivity for all samples is well...

Finite-difference time-domain analysis of time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Casper; Cooke, David G.; Jepsen, Peter Uhd

2011-01-01

In this paper we report on the numerical analysis of a time-resolved terahertz (THz) spectroscopy experiment using a modified finite-difference time-domain method. Using this method, we show that ultrafast carrier dynamics can be extracted with a time resolution smaller than the duration of the T...

Ultrafast transmission electron microscopy using a laser-driven field emitter: Femtosecond resolution with a high coherence electron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feist, Armin; Bach, Nora; Rubiano da Silva, Nara; Danz, Thomas; Möller, Marcel; Priebe, Katharina E.; Domröse, Till; Gatzmann, J. Gregor; Rost, Stefan; Schauss, Jakob; Strauch, Stefanie; Bormann, Reiner; Sivis, Murat; Schäfer, Sascha, E-mail: sascha.schaefer@phys.uni-goettingen.de; Ropers, Claus, E-mail: claus.ropers@uni-goettingen.de

2017-05-15

We present the development of the first ultrafast transmission electron microscope (UTEM) driven by localized photoemission from a field emitter cathode. We describe the implementation of the instrument, the photoemitter concept and the quantitative electron beam parameters achieved. Establishing a new source for ultrafast TEM, the Göttingen UTEM employs nano-localized linear photoemission from a Schottky emitter, which enables operation with freely tunable temporal structure, from continuous wave to femtosecond pulsed mode. Using this emission mechanism, we achieve record pulse properties in ultrafast electron microscopy of 9 Å focused beam diameter, 200 fs pulse duration and 0.6 eV energy width. We illustrate the possibility to conduct ultrafast imaging, diffraction, holography and spectroscopy with this instrument and also discuss opportunities to harness quantum coherent interactions between intense laser fields and free-electron beams. - Highlights: • First implementation of an ultrafast TEM employing a nanoscale photocathode. • Localized single photon-photoemission from nanoscopic field emitter yields low emittance ultrashort electron pulses. • Electron pulses focused down to ~9 Å, with a duration of 200 fs and an energy width of 0.6 eV are demonstrated. • Quantitative characterization of ultrafast electron gun emittance and brightness. • A range of applications of high coherence ultrashort electron pulses is shown.

Ultra-fast secure communication with complex systems in classical channels (Conference Presentation)

KAUST Repository

Mazzone, Valerio

2017-04-28

Developing secure communications is a research area of growing interest. During the past years, several cryptographic schemes have been developed, with Quantum cryptography being a promising scheme due to the use of quantum effects, which make very difficult for an eavesdropper to intercept the communication. However, practical quantum key distribution methods have encountered several limitations; current experimental realizations, in fact, fail to scale up on long distances, as well as in providing unconditional security and speed comparable to classical optical communications channels. Here we propose a new, low cost and ultra-fast cryptographic system based on a fully classical optical channel. Our cryptographic scheme exploits the complex synchronization of two different random systems (one on the side of the sender and another on the side of the receiver) to realize a “physical” one paid system. The random medium is created by an optical chip fabricated through electron beam lithography on a Silicon On Insulator (SOI) substrate. We present experiments with ps lasers and commercial fibers, showing the ultrafast distribution of a random key between two users (Alice and Bob), with absolute no possibility for a passive/active eavesdropper to intercept the communication. Remarkably, this system enables the same security of quantum cryptography, but with the use of a classical communication channel. Our system exploits a unique synchronization that exists between two different random systems, and at such is extremely versatile and can enable safe communications among different users in standards telecommunications channels.

Femtosecond Time-resolved Optical Polarigraphy (FTOP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoshima, S.; Fujimoto, M.; Hosoda, M.; Tsuchiya, Y.

2000-01-01

A novel time-resolved imaging technique named FTOP (Femtosecond Time-resolved Optical Polarigraphy) for visualizing the ultrafast propagation dynamics of intense light pulses in a medium has been proposed and demonstrated. Femtosecond snapshot images can be created with a high spatial resolution by imaging only the polarization components of the probe pulse; these polarization components change due to the instantaneous birefringence induced by the pump pulse in the medium. Ultrafast temporal changes in the two-dimensional spatial distribution of the optical pulse intensity were clearly visualized in consecutive images by changing the delay between the pump and probe. We observe that several filaments appear and then come together before the vacuum focus due to nonlinear effects in air. We also prove that filamentation dynamics such as the formation position and the propagation behavior are complex and are strongly affected by the pump energy. The results collected clearly show that this method FTOP succeeds for the first time in directly visualizing the ultrafast dynamics of the self-modulated nonlinear propagation of light. (author)

An ultrafast angle-resolved photoemission apparatus for measuring complex materials

Science.gov (United States)

Smallwood, Christopher L.; Jozwiak, Christopher; Zhang, Wentao; Lanzara, Alessandra

2012-12-01

We present technical specifications for a high resolution time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy setup based on a hemispherical electron analyzer and cavity-dumped solid state Ti:sapphire laser used to generate pump and probe beams, respectively, at 1.48 and 5.93 eV. The pulse repetition rate can be tuned from 209 Hz to 54.3 MHz. Under typical operating settings the system has an overall energy resolution of 23 meV, an overall momentum resolution of 0.003 Å-1, and an overall time resolution of 310 fs. We illustrate the system capabilities with representative data on the cuprate superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ. The descriptions and analyses presented here will inform new developments in ultrafast electron spectroscopy.

Mouse Activity across Time Scales: Fractal Scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, G. Z. dos Santos; Lobão-Soares, B.; do Nascimento, G. C.; França, Arthur S. C.; Muratori, L.; Ribeiro, S.; Corso, G.

2014-01-01

In this work we devise a classification of mouse activity patterns based on accelerometer data using Detrended Fluctuation Analysis. We use two characteristic mouse behavioural states as benchmarks in this study: waking in free activity and slow-wave sleep (SWS). In both situations we find roughly the same pattern: for short time intervals we observe high correlation in activity - a typical 1/f complex pattern - while for large time intervals there is anti-correlation. High correlation of short intervals ( to : waking state and to : SWS) is related to highly coordinated muscle activity. In the waking state we associate high correlation both to muscle activity and to mouse stereotyped movements (grooming, waking, etc.). On the other side, the observed anti-correlation over large time scales ( to : waking state and to : SWS) during SWS appears related to a feedback autonomic response. The transition from correlated regime at short scales to an anti-correlated regime at large scales during SWS is given by the respiratory cycle interval, while during the waking state this transition occurs at the time scale corresponding to the duration of the stereotyped mouse movements. Furthermore, we find that the waking state is characterized by longer time scales than SWS and by a softer transition from correlation to anti-correlation. Moreover, this soft transition in the waking state encompass a behavioural time scale window that gives rise to a multifractal pattern. We believe that the observed multifractality in mouse activity is formed by the integration of several stereotyped movements each one with a characteristic time correlation. Finally, we compare scaling properties of body acceleration fluctuation time series during sleep and wake periods for healthy mice. Interestingly, differences between sleep and wake in the scaling exponents are comparable to previous works regarding human heartbeat. Complementarily, the nature of these sleep-wake dynamics could lead to a better

Ultrafast terahertz scanning tunneling microscopy with atomic resolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jelic, Vedran; Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Nguyen, Peter H.

2016-01-01

We demonstrate that ultrafast terahertz scanning tunneling microscopy (THz-STM) can probe single atoms on a silicon surface with simultaneous sub-nanometer and sub-picosecond spatio-temporal resolution. THz-STM is established as a new technique for exploring high-field non-equilibrium tunneling...

Ultrafast Laser-Based Spectroscopy and Sensing: Applications in LIBS, CARS, and THz Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Leahy-Hoppa, Megan R.; Miragliotta, Joseph; Osiander, Robert; Burnett, Jennifer; Dikmelik, Yamac; McEnnis, Caroline; Spicer, James B.

2010-01-01

Ultrafast pulsed lasers find application in a range of spectroscopy and sensing techniques including laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), coherent Raman spectroscopy, and terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. Whether based on absorption or emission processes, the characteristics of these techniques are heavily influenced by the use of ultrafast pulses in the signal generation process. Depending on the energy of the pulses used, the essential laser interaction process can primarily involve lattice vibrations, molecular rotations, or a combination of excited states produced by laser heating. While some of these techniques are currently confined to sensing at close ranges, others can be implemented for remote spectroscopic sensing owing principally to the laser pulse duration. We present a review of ultrafast laser-based spectroscopy techniques and discuss the use of these techniques to current and potential chemical and environmental sensing applications. PMID:22399883

Ultrafast Laser-Based Spectroscopy and Sensing: Applications in LIBS, CARS, and THz Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan R. Leahy-Hoppa

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Ultrafast pulsed lasers find application in a range of spectroscopy and sensing techniques including laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS, coherent Raman spectroscopy, and terahertz (THz spectroscopy. Whether based on absorption or emission processes, the characteristics of these techniques are heavily influenced by the use of ultrafast pulses in the signal generation process. Depending on the energy of the pulses used, the essential laser interaction process can primarily involve lattice vibrations, molecular rotations, or a combination of excited states produced by laser heating. While some of these techniques are currently confined to sensing at close ranges, others can be implemented for remote spectroscopic sensing owing principally to the laser pulse duration. We present a review of ultrafast laser-based spectroscopy techniques and discuss the use of these techniques to current and potential chemical and environmental sensing applications.

Design and commissioning of an aberration-corrected ultrafast spin-polarized low energy electron microscope with multiple electron sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Weishi; Yu, Lei; Zhu, Lin; Yang, Xiaodong; Wei, Zheng; Liu, Jefferson Zhe; Feng, Jun; Kunze, Kai; Schaff, Oliver; Tromp, Ruud; Tang, Wen-Xin

2017-03-01

We describe the design and commissioning of a novel aberration-corrected low energy electron microscope (AC-LEEM). A third magnetic prism array (MPA) is added to the standard AC-LEEM with two prism arrays, allowing the incorporation of an ultrafast spin-polarized electron source alongside the standard cold field emission electron source, without degrading spatial resolution. The high degree of symmetries of the AC-LEEM are utilized while we design the electron optics of the ultrafast spin-polarized electron source, so as to minimize the deleterious effect of time broadening, while maintaining full control of electron spin. A spatial resolution of 2nm and temporal resolution of 10ps (ps) are expected in the future time resolved aberration-corrected spin-polarized LEEM (TR-AC-SPLEEM). The commissioning of the three-prism AC-LEEM has been successfully finished with the cold field emission source, with a spatial resolution below 2nm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science Volume V

CERN Document Server

Yamanouchi, Kaoru; Ledingham, Kenneth

2010-01-01

The PUILS series delivers up-to-date reviews of progress in Ultrafast Intense Laser Science, a newly emerging interdisciplinary research field spanning atomic and molecular physics, molecular science, and optical science, which has been stimulated by the recent developments in ultrafast laser technologies. Each volume compiles peer-reviewed articles authored by researchers at the forefront of each their own subfields of UILS. Every chapter opens with an overview of the topics to be discussed, so that researchers unfamiliar to the subfield, as well as graduate students, can grasp the importance and attractions of the research topic at hand; these are followed by reports of cutting-edge discoveries. This fifth volume covers a broad range of topics from this interdisciplinary research field, focusing on coherent responses of gaseous and condensed matter to ultrashort intense laser pulses, propagation of intense laser pulses, and laser-plasma interaction and its applications.

Ultrafast collinear scattering and carrier multiplication in graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Brida, D; Tomadin, A; Manzoni, C; Kim, Y J; Lombardo, A; Milana, S; Nair, R R; Novoselov, K S; Ferrari, A C; Cerullo, G; Polini, M

2013-01-01

Graphene is emerging as a viable alternative to conventional optoelectronic, plasmonic and nanophotonic materials. The interaction of light with charge carriers creates an out-of-equilibrium distribution, which relaxes on an ultrafast timescale to a hot Fermi-Dirac distribution, that subsequently cools emitting phonons. Although the slower relaxation mechanisms have been extensively investigated, the initial stages still pose a challenge. Experimentally, they defy the resolution of most pump-probe setups, due to the extremely fast sub-100 fs carrier dynamics. Theoretically, massless Dirac fermions represent a novel many-body problem, fundamentally different from Schrödinger fermions. Here we combine pump-probe spectroscopy with a microscopic theory to investigate electron-electron interactions during the early stages of relaxation. We identify the mechanisms controlling the ultrafast dynamics, in particular the role of collinear scattering. This gives rise to Auger processes, including charge multiplication, which is key in photovoltage generation and photodetectors.

Scale-dependent intrinsic entropies of complex time series.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Jia-Rong; Peng, Chung-Kang; Huang, Norden E

2016-04-13

Multi-scale entropy (MSE) was developed as a measure of complexity for complex time series, and it has been applied widely in recent years. The MSE algorithm is based on the assumption that biological systems possess the ability to adapt and function in an ever-changing environment, and these systems need to operate across multiple temporal and spatial scales, such that their complexity is also multi-scale and hierarchical. Here, we present a systematic approach to apply the empirical mode decomposition algorithm, which can detrend time series on various time scales, prior to analysing a signal's complexity by measuring the irregularity of its dynamics on multiple time scales. Simulated time series of fractal Gaussian noise and human heartbeat time series were used to study the performance of this new approach. We show that our method can successfully quantify the fractal properties of the simulated time series and can accurately distinguish modulations in human heartbeat time series in health and disease. © 2016 The Author(s).

Ultrafast dynamic ellipsometry and spectroscopies of laser shocked materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mcgrane, Shawn David [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Bolme, Cindy B [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Whitley, Von H [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Moore, David S [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

Ultrafast ellipsometry and transient absorption spectroscopies are used to measure material dynamics under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, and volumetric compression induced by shock wave loading with a chirped, spectrally clipped shock drive pulse.

Soil moisture memory at sub-monthly time scales

Science.gov (United States)

Mccoll, K. A.; Entekhabi, D.

2017-12-01

For soil moisture-climate feedbacks to occur, the soil moisture storage must have `memory' of past atmospheric anomalies. Quantifying soil moisture memory is, therefore, essential for mapping and characterizing land-atmosphere interactions globally. Most previous studies estimate soil moisture memory using metrics based on the autocorrelation function of the soil moisture time series (e.g., the e-folding autocorrelation time scale). This approach was first justified by Delworth and Manabe (1988) on the assumption that monthly soil moisture time series can be modelled as red noise. While this is a reasonable model for monthly soil moisture averages, at sub-monthly scales, the model is insufficient due to the highly non-Gaussian behavior of the precipitation forcing. Recent studies have shown that significant soil moisture-climate feedbacks appear to occur at sub-monthly time scales. Therefore, alternative metrics are required for defining and estimating soil moisture memory at these shorter time scales. In this study, we introduce metrics, based on the positive and negative increments of the soil moisture time series, that can be used to estimate soil moisture memory at sub-monthly time scales. The positive increments metric corresponds to a rapid drainage time scale. The negative increments metric represents a slower drying time scale that is most relevant to the study of land-atmosphere interactions. We show that autocorrelation-based metrics mix the two time scales, confounding physical interpretation. The new metrics are used to estimate soil moisture memory at sub-monthly scales from in-situ and satellite observations of soil moisture. Reference: Delworth, Thomas L., and Syukuro Manabe. "The Influence of Potential Evaporation on the Variabilities of Simulated Soil Wetness and Climate." Journal of Climate 1, no. 5 (May 1, 1988): 523-47. doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1988)0012.0.CO;2.

Compression of Ultrafast Laser Beams

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

Copyright 2003, AIP Publishing LLC. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1611998.) When designing the pulse shaper, the laser beam must completely fill the...for the design of future versions of this device. The easiest way to align the pulse shaper is to use the laser beam that will be shaped, without...Afterward, an ultrafast thin beam splitter is placed into the system after the diameter of the laser beam is reduced; this is done to monitor the beam

Ultrafast gated intensifier design for laser fusion x-ray framing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.H.; Wiedwald, J.D.; Kalibjian, R.; Thomas, S.W.; Cook, W.M.

1983-01-01

A major challenge for laser fusion is the study of the symmetry and the hydrodynamic stability of imploding fuel capsules. Streaked x-radiography, in one space and one time dimension, does not provide sufficient information. Two (spatial) dimensional frames of 10 to 100 ps duration are required with good image quality, minimum geometrical distortion (approximately 1%), dynamic range greater than 1000 and greater than 200 x 200 pixels. A gated transmission line imager (TLI) can meet these requirements with frame times between 30 and 100 ps. An instrument of this type is now being developed. Progress on this instrument including theory of operation, ultrafast pulse generation and propagation, component integration, and high resolution phosphor screen development are presented

Ultrafast Dynamics of Quantum-Dot Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poel, Mike van der; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

2007-01-01

We report on a series of experiments on the dynamical properties of quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers. We show how the amplifier responds to one or several ultrafast (170 fs) pulses in rapid succession and our results demonstrate applicability and ultimate limitations to application...

The Investigation of New Magnetic Materials and Their Phenomena Using Ultrafast Fresnel Transmission Electron Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Schliep, Karl B.

State-of-the-art technology drives scientific progress, pushing the boundaries of our current understanding of fundamental processes and mechanisms. Our continual scientific advancement is hindered only by what we can observe and experimentally verify; thus, it is reasonable to assert that instrument development and improvement is the cornerstone for technological and intellectual growth. For example, the invention of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) allowed us to observe nanoscale phenomena for the first time in the 1930s and even now it is invaluable in the development of smaller, faster electronics. As we uncover more about the fundamentals of nanoscale phenomena, we have realized that images alone reveal only a snapshot of the story; to continue progressing we need a way to observe the entire scene unfold (e.g. how defects affect the flow of current across a transistor or how thermal energy propagates in nanoscale systems like graphene). Recently, by combining the spatial resolution of a TEM with the temporal resolution of ultrafast lasers, ultrafast electron microscopy ? or microscope ? (UEM) has allowed us to simultaneously observe transient nanoscale phenomena at ultrafast timescales. Ultrafast characterization techniques allow for the investigation of a new realm of previously unseen phenomenon inherent to the transient electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of materials. However, despite the progress made in ultrafast techniques, capturing the nanoscale spatial sub-ns temporal mechanisms and phenomenon at play in magnetic materials (especially during the operation of magnetic devices) has only recently become possible using UEM. With only a handful of instruments available, magnetic characterization using UEM is far from commonplace and any advances made are sparsely reported, and further, specific to the individual instrument. In this dissertation, I outline the development of novel magnetic materials and the establishment of a UEM lab at

Ultrafast conductivity dynamics in optically excited InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells, observed by transient THz spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turchinovich, Dmitry; Porte, Henrik; Cooke, David

2010-01-01

We investigate ultrafast carrier dynamics in photoexcited InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy. The initially very strong built-in piezoelectric field is screened upon photoexcitation by the polarized carriers, and is gradually restored as the carriers recombine...

High Speed Pump-Probe Apparatus for Observation of Transitional Effects in Ultrafast Laser Micromachining Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilya Alexeev

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A pump-probe experimental approach has been shown to be a very efficient tool for the observation and analysis of various laser matter interaction effects. In those setups, synchronized laser pulses are used to create an event (pump and to simultaneously observe it (probe. In general, the physical effects that can be investigated with such an apparatus are restricted by the temporal resolution of the probe pulse and the observation window. The latter can be greatly extended by adjusting the pump-probe time delay under the assumption that the interaction process remains fairly reproducible. Unfortunately, this assumption becomes invalid in the case of high-repetition-rate ultrafast laser material processing, where the irradiation history strongly affects the ongoing interaction process. In this contribution, the authors present an extension of the pump-probe setup that allows to investigate transitional and dynamic effects present during ultrafast laser machining performed at high pulse repetition frequencies.

Ultrafast Paper Thermometers Based on a Green Sensing Ink.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Xinglei; Jia, Hanyu; He, Yonglin; Liao, Shenglong; Wang, Yapei

2017-03-24

With the use of an ionic liquid as the ultrathermosensitive fluid, a paper thermometer is successfully developed with intrinsic ability of ultrafast response and high stability upon temperature change. The fluidic nature allows the ionic liquid to be easily deposited on paper by pen writing or inkjet printing, affording great promise for large-scale fabrication of low-cost paper sensors. Owing to the advantages of nonvolatilization, excellent continuity and deformability, the thermosensitive ink trapped within the cellulose fibers of paper matrix has no leakage or evaporation at open states, ensuring the excellent stability and repeatability of thermal sensing against arbitrary bending and folding operation. By shortening the heat exchange distance between ionic liquid and samples, it takes only 8 s for the thermometer to reach an electrical equilibrium at a given temperature. Moreover, the paper thermometer can be applied to remotely monitor temperature change with the combination of a wireless communication technology.

Terahertz study of ultrafast carrier dynamics in InGa/GaN multiple quantum wells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porte, Henrik; Turchinovich, Dmitry; Cooke, David

2009-01-01

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells is measured by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy. The built-in piezoelectric field is initially screened by photoexcited, polarized carriers, and is gradullay restored as the carriers recombine. We observe a nonexponential decay...... of the carrier density. Time-integrated photoluminescence spectra have shown a complete screening of the built-in piezoelectric field at high excitation fluences. We also observe that the terahertz conductivity spectra differs from simple Drude conductivity, describing the response of free carriers, and are well...

Ultrafast magnetic vortex core switching driven by the topological inverse Faraday effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Taguchi, Katsuhisa; Ohe, Jun-ichiro; Tatara, Gen

2012-09-21

We present a theoretical discovery of an unconventional mechanism of inverse Faraday effect which acts selectively on topological magnetic structures. The effect, topological inverse Faraday effect, is induced by the spin Berry's phase of the magnetic structure when a circularly polarized light is applied. Thus a spin-orbit interaction is not necessary unlike that in the conventional inverse Faraday effect. We demonstrate by numerical simulation that topological inverse Faraday effect realizes ultrafast switching of a magnetic vortex within a switching time of 150 ps without magnetic field.

Ultrafast electron diffraction from non-equilibrium phonons in femtosecond laser heated Au films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chase, T. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Trigo, M.; Reid, A. H.; Dürr, H. A. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Li, R.; Vecchione, T.; Shen, X.; Weathersby, S.; Coffee, R.; Hartmann, N.; Wang, X. J. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Reis, D. A. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States)

2016-01-25

We use ultrafast electron diffraction to detect the temporal evolution of non-equilibrium phonons in femtosecond laser-excited ultrathin single-crystalline gold films. From the time-dependence of the Debye-Waller factor, we extract a 4.7 ps time-constant for the increase in mean-square atomic displacements. The observed increase in the diffuse scattering intensity demonstrates that the energy transfer from laser-heated electrons to phonon modes near the X and K points in the Au fcc Brillouin zone proceeds with timescales of 2.3 and 2.9 ps, respectively, faster than the Debye-Waller average mean-square displacement.

Utility of Modified Ultrafast Papanicolaou Stain in Cytological Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinkar, Prachi; Arakeri, Surekha Ulhas

2017-03-01

Need for minimal turnaround time for assessing Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has encouraged innovations in staining techniques that require lesser staining time with unequivocal cell morphology. The standard protocol for conventional Papanicolaou (PAP) stain requires about 40 minutes. To overcome this, Ultrafast Papanicolaou (UFP) stain was introduced which reduces staining time to 90 seconds and also enhances the quality. However, reagents required for this were not easily available hence, Modified Ultrafast Papanicolaou (MUFP) stain was introduced subsequently. To assess the efficacy of MUFP staining by comparing the quality of MUFP stain with conventional PAP stain. FNAC procedure was performed by using 10 ml disposable syringe and 22-23 G needle. Total 131 FNAC cases were studied which were lymph node (30), thyroid (38), breast (22), skin and soft tissue (24), salivary gland (11) and visceral organs (6). Two smears were prepared and stained by MUFP and conventional PAP stain. Scores were given on four parameters: background of smears, overall staining pattern, cell morphology and nuclear staining. Quality Index (QI) was calculated from ratio of total score achieved to maximum score possible. Statistical analysis using chi square test was applied to each of the four parameters before obtaining the QI in both stains. Students t-test was applied to evaluate the efficacy of MUFP in comparison with conventional PAP stain. The QI of MUFP for thyroid, breast, lymph node, skin and soft tissue, salivary gland and visceral organs was 0.89, 0.85, 0.89, 0.83, 0.92, and 0.78 respectively. Compared to conventional PAP stain QI of MUFP smears was better in all except visceral organ cases and was statistically significant. MUFP showed clear red blood cell background, transparent cytoplasm and crisp nuclear features. MUFP is fast, reliable and can be done with locally available reagents with unequivocal morphology which is the need of the hour for a cytopathology set-up.

Polarization-dependent force driving the Eg mode in bismuth under optical excitation: comparison of first-principles theory with ultra-fast x-ray experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Fahy, Stephen; Murray, Eamonn

2015-03-01

Using first principles electronic structure methods, we calculate the induced force on the Eg (zone centre transverse optical) phonon mode in bismuth immediately after absorption of a ultrafast pulse of polarized light. To compare the results with recent ultra-fast, time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiments, we include the decay of the force due to carrier scattering, as measured in optical Raman scattering experiments, and simulate the optical absorption process, depth-dependent atomic driving forces, and x-ray diffraction in the experimental geometry. We find excellent agreement between the theoretical predictions and the observed oscillations of the x-ray diffraction signal, indicating that first-principles theory of optical absorption is well suited to the calculation of initial atomic driving forces in photo-excited materials following ultrafast excitation. This work is supported by Science Foundation Ireland (Grant No. 12/IA/1601) and EU Commission under the Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowships (Grant No. PIIF-GA-2012-329695).

Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of the Optical Nonlinearity in Nanometric Gold Particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puech, K.; Blau, W.J.

2001-01-01

Measurements of the resonantly enhanced, third-order nonlinear optical properties of gold nanostructures exhibiting reduced charge-carrier mobility in three dimensions were performed with a number of ultrafast nonlinear optical techniques. The size of the particles investigated was varied between 5 and 40 nm. The magnitude of the nonlinear susceptibility is of the order of 5.10 -16 m 2 V -2 at resonance and an order of magnitude lower off-resonance. The response time of the nonlinearity is found to be extremely fast and could not be resolved in the experiments undertaken here. The only statement that can be made in this regard is that the phase relaxation time is of the order of or less than 20 fs while the energy relaxation time is of the order of or less than 75 fs

Ultrafast X-ray Imaging of Fuel Sprays

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin

2007-01-01

Detailed analysis of fuel sprays has been well recognized as an important step for optimizing the operation of internal combustion engines to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Ultrafast radiographic and tomographic techniques have been developed for probing the fuel distribution close to the nozzles of direct-injection diesel and gasoline injectors. The measurement was made using x-ray absorption of monochromatic synchrotron-generated radiation, allowing quantitative determination of the fuel distribution in this optically impenetrable region with a time resolution on the order of 1 μs. Furthermore, an accurate 3-dimensional fuel-density distribution, in the form of fuel volume fraction, was obtained by the time-resolved computed tomography. These quantitative measurements constitute the most detailed near-nozzle study of a fuel spray to date. With high-energy and high-brilliance x-ray beams available at the Advanced Photon Source, propagation-based phase-enhanced imaging was developed as a unique metrology technique to visualize the interior of an injection nozzle through a 3-mm-thick steel with a 10-μs temporal resolution, which is virtually impossible by any other means.

Ultrafast X-ray Imaging of Fuel Sprays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jin

2007-01-01

Detailed analysis of fuel sprays has been well recognized as an important step for optimizing the operation of internal combustion engines to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Ultrafast radiographic and tomographic techniques have been developed for probing the fuel distribution close to the nozzles of direct-injection diesel and gasoline injectors. The measurement was made using x-ray absorption of monochromatic synchrotron-generated radiation, allowing quantitative determination of the fuel distribution in this optically impenetrable region with a time resolution on the order of 1 μs. Furthermore, an accurate 3-dimensional fuel-density distribution, in the form of fuel volume fraction, was obtained by the time-resolved computed tomography. These quantitative measurements constitute the most detailed near-nozzle study of a fuel spray to date. With high-energy and high-brilliance x-ray beams available at the Advanced Photon Source, propagation-based phase-enhanced imaging was developed as a unique metrology technique to visualize the interior of an injection nozzle through a 3-mm-thick steel with a 10-μs temporal resolution, which is virtually impossible by any other means

Topological insulator: Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}/polyvinyl alcohol film-assisted multi-wavelength ultrafast erbium-doped fiber laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Bo; Yao, Yong, E-mail: yaoyong@hit.edu.cn; Yang, Yan-Fu; Yuan, Yi-Jun; Wang, Rui-Lai [Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Wang, Shu-Guang; Ren, Zhong-Hua [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Yan, Bo [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052 (China)

2015-02-14

We experimentally demonstrate a multi-wavelength ultrafast erbium-doped fiber laser incorporating a μm-scale topological insulator: Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3}/Polyvinyl Alcohol film as both an excellent saturable absorber for mode-locking and a high-nonlinear medium to induce a giant third order optical nonlinear effect for mitigating the mode competition of erbium-doped fiber laser and stabilizing the multi-wavelength oscillation. By properly adjusting the pump power and the polarization state, the single-, dual-, triple-, four-wavelength mode-locking pulse could be stably initiated. For the four-wavelength operation, we obtain its pulse width of ∼22 ps and a fundamental repetition rate of 8.83 MHz. The fiber laser exhibits the maximum output power of 9.7 mW with the pulse energy of 1.1 nJ and peak power of 50 W at the pump power of 155 mW. Our study shows that the simple, stable, low-cost multi-wavelength ultrafast fiber laser could be applied in various potential fields, such as optical communication, biomedical research, and radar system.

Ultra-Fast Low Energy Switching Using an InP Photonic Crystal H0 Nanocavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yu, Yi; Palushani, Evarist; Heuck, Mikkel

2013-01-01

Pump-probe measurements on InP photonic crystal H0 nanocavities show large-contrast ultrafast switching at low pulse energy. For large pulse energies, high-frequency carrier density oscillations are induced, leading to pulsesplitting.......Pump-probe measurements on InP photonic crystal H0 nanocavities show large-contrast ultrafast switching at low pulse energy. For large pulse energies, high-frequency carrier density oscillations are induced, leading to pulsesplitting....

Self-phase modulation enabled, wavelength-tunable ultrafast fiber laser sources: an energy scalable approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei; Li, Chen; Zhang, Zhigang; Kärtner, Franz X; Chang, Guoqing

2016-07-11

We propose and demonstrate a new approach to implement a wavelength-tunable ultrafast fiber laser source suitable for multiphoton microscopy. We employ fiber-optic nonlinearities to broaden a narrowband optical spectrum generated by an Yb-fiber laser system and then use optical bandpass filters to select the leftmost or rightmost spectral lobes from the broadened spectrum. Detailed numerical modeling shows that self-phase modulation dominates the spectral broadening, self-steepening tends to blue shift the broadened spectrum, and stimulated Raman scattering is minimal. We also find that optical wave breaking caused by fiber dispersion slows down the shift of the leftmost/rightmost spectral lobes and therefore limits the wavelength tuning range of the filtered spectra. We show both numerically and experimentally that shortening the fiber used for spectral broadening while increasing the input pulse energy can overcome this dispersion-induced limitation; as a result, the filtered spectral lobes have higher power, constituting a powerful and practical approach for energy scaling the resulting femtosecond sources. We use two commercially available photonic crystal fibers to verify the simulation results. More specific, use of 20-mm fiber NL-1050-ZERO-2 enables us to implement an Yb-fiber laser based ultrafast source, delivering femtosecond (70-120 fs) pulses tunable from 825 nm to 1210 nm with >1 nJ pulse energy.

Photo-conductive detection of continuous THz waves via manipulated ultrafast process in nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Kiwon; Lee, Eui Su; Lee, Il-Min; Park, Dong Woo; Park, Kyung Hyun

2018-01-01

Time-domain and frequency-domain terahertz (THz) spectroscopy systems often use materials fabricated with exotic and expensive methods that intentionally introduce defects to meet short carrier lifetime requirements. In this study, we demonstrate the development of a nano-photomixer that meets response speed requirements without using defect-incorporated, low-temperature-grown (LTG) semiconductors. Instead, we utilized a thin InGaAs layer grown on a semi-insulating InP substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) combined with nano-electrodes to manipulate local ultrafast photo-carrier dynamics via a carefully designed field-enhancement and plasmon effect. The developed nano-structured photomixer can detect continuous-wave THz radiation up to a frequency of 2 THz with a peak carrier collection efficiency of 5%, which is approximately 10 times better than the reference efficiency of 0.4%. The better efficiency results from the high carrier mobility of the MOCVD-grown InGaAs thin layer with the coincidence of near-field and plasmon-field distributions in the nano-structure. Our result not only provides a generally applicable methodology for manipulating ultrafast carrier dynamics by means of nano-photonic techniques to break the trade-off relation between the carrier lifetime and mobility in typical LTG semiconductors but also contributes to mass-producible photo-conductive THz detectors to facilitate the widespread application of THz technology.

Delayed electron relaxation in CdTe nanorods studied by spectral analysis of the ultrafast transient absorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kriegel, I.; Scotognella, F.; Soavi, G.; Brescia, R.; Rodríguez-Fernández, J.; Feldmann, J.; Lanzani, G.; Tassone, F.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We study the photophysics of CdTe nanorods by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. • We fit photobleaching and photoinduced absorption features at all time delays. • Dynamics are extracted from superpositions of bleaches (Gaussians) and derivatives. • Fast non-radiative recombination and slower hole trapping processes are extracted. • A potential approach to unveil ultrafast non-radiative recombination processes. - Abstract: In transient absorption (TA) spectra, the bleach features originating from state filling are overlapped by their energy-shifted derivatives, arising from excited state energy level shifts. This makes the direct extraction of carrier dynamics from a single-wavelength time-trace misleading. Fitting TA spectra in time, as Gaussian functions and their derivative-like shifted Gaussians, allows to individually extract the real dynamics of both photobleached transitions, and their energy shifts. In CdTe nanorods (NRs) we found a delayed heating of holes due to the release of the large excess energy in the electron relaxation process. The slow hole-trapping process is consistent with a high number of surface trap states in these model NRs. Our results show that only a correct disentanglement of bleaching and energy shift contributions provides a reliable framework to extract the underlying carrier relaxation dynamics, including trapping, non-radiative recombination, and eventually carrier multiplication.

Delayed electron relaxation in CdTe nanorods studied by spectral analysis of the ultrafast transient absorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kriegel, I., E-mail: ilka.kriegel@iit.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Scotognella, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); CNST of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy); Soavi, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Brescia, R. [Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy); Rodríguez-Fernández, J.; Feldmann, J. [Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Department of Physics and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amalienstr. 54, 80799 Munich (Germany); Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), Schellingstr. 4, 80799 Munich (Germany); Lanzani, G., E-mail: guglielmo.lanzani@iit.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); CNST of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy); Tassone, F. [CNST of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy)

2016-06-01

Highlights: • We study the photophysics of CdTe nanorods by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. • We fit photobleaching and photoinduced absorption features at all time delays. • Dynamics are extracted from superpositions of bleaches (Gaussians) and derivatives. • Fast non-radiative recombination and slower hole trapping processes are extracted. • A potential approach to unveil ultrafast non-radiative recombination processes. - Abstract: In transient absorption (TA) spectra, the bleach features originating from state filling are overlapped by their energy-shifted derivatives, arising from excited state energy level shifts. This makes the direct extraction of carrier dynamics from a single-wavelength time-trace misleading. Fitting TA spectra in time, as Gaussian functions and their derivative-like shifted Gaussians, allows to individually extract the real dynamics of both photobleached transitions, and their energy shifts. In CdTe nanorods (NRs) we found a delayed heating of holes due to the release of the large excess energy in the electron relaxation process. The slow hole-trapping process is consistent with a high number of surface trap states in these model NRs. Our results show that only a correct disentanglement of bleaching and energy shift contributions provides a reliable framework to extract the underlying carrier relaxation dynamics, including trapping, non-radiative recombination, and eventually carrier multiplication.

Lasing cavities and ultra-fast switch based on self-collimation of photonic crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Deyin; Zhou Chuanhong; Gong Qian; Jiang Xunya

2008-01-01

The lasing cavities and ultra-fast switch based on the self-collimation (SC) of photonic crystal have been studied in this work. Some special properties of these devices are demonstrated, such as the higher quality factors and concise integration of the lasing cavities, the tolerance of the non-parallel reflectors in Fabry-Perot cavities. With nonlinearity, the ultra-fast switch can also be realized around the SC frequency. All these functional devices are designed based on the strong beam confinement of SC

Lasing cavities and ultra-fast switch based on self-collimation of photonic crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao Deyin; Zhou Chuanhong; Gong Qian; Jiang Xunya [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China)], E-mail: xyjiang@mit.edu

2008-06-07

The lasing cavities and ultra-fast switch based on the self-collimation (SC) of photonic crystal have been studied in this work. Some special properties of these devices are demonstrated, such as the higher quality factors and concise integration of the lasing cavities, the tolerance of the non-parallel reflectors in Fabry-Perot cavities. With nonlinearity, the ultra-fast switch can also be realized around the SC frequency. All these functional devices are designed based on the strong beam confinement of SC.

Modelling multi-pulse population dynamics from ultrafast spectroscopy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luuk J G W van Wilderen

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Current advanced laser, optics and electronics technology allows sensitive recording of molecular dynamics, from single resonance to multi-colour and multi-pulse experiments. Extracting the occurring (bio- physical relevant pathways via global analysis of experimental data requires a systematic investigation of connectivity schemes. Here we present a Matlab-based toolbox for this purpose. The toolbox has a graphical user interface which facilitates the application of different reaction models to the data to generate the coupled differential equations. Any time-dependent dataset can be analysed to extract time-independent correlations of the observables by using gradient or direct search methods. Specific capabilities (i.e. chirp and instrument response function for the analysis of ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopic data are included. The inclusion of an extra pulse that interacts with a transient phase can help to disentangle complex interdependent pathways. The modelling of pathways is therefore extended by new theory (which is included in the toolbox that describes the finite bleach (orientation effect of single and multiple intense polarised femtosecond pulses on an ensemble of randomly oriented particles in the presence of population decay. For instance, the generally assumed flat-top multimode beam profile is adapted to a more realistic Gaussian shape, exposing the need for several corrections for accurate anisotropy measurements. In addition, the (selective excitation (photoselection and anisotropy of populations that interact with single or multiple intense polarised laser pulses is demonstrated as function of power density and beam profile. Using example values of real world experiments it is calculated to what extent this effectively orients the ensemble of particles. Finally, the implementation includes the interaction with multiple pulses in addition to depth averaging in optically dense samples. In summary, we show that mathematical

Modelling multi-pulse population dynamics from ultrafast spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wilderen, Luuk J G W; Lincoln, Craig N; van Thor, Jasper J

2011-03-21

Current advanced laser, optics and electronics technology allows sensitive recording of molecular dynamics, from single resonance to multi-colour and multi-pulse experiments. Extracting the occurring (bio-) physical relevant pathways via global analysis of experimental data requires a systematic investigation of connectivity schemes. Here we present a Matlab-based toolbox for this purpose. The toolbox has a graphical user interface which facilitates the application of different reaction models to the data to generate the coupled differential equations. Any time-dependent dataset can be analysed to extract time-independent correlations of the observables by using gradient or direct search methods. Specific capabilities (i.e. chirp and instrument response function) for the analysis of ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopic data are included. The inclusion of an extra pulse that interacts with a transient phase can help to disentangle complex interdependent pathways. The modelling of pathways is therefore extended by new theory (which is included in the toolbox) that describes the finite bleach (orientation) effect of single and multiple intense polarised femtosecond pulses on an ensemble of randomly oriented particles in the presence of population decay. For instance, the generally assumed flat-top multimode beam profile is adapted to a more realistic Gaussian shape, exposing the need for several corrections for accurate anisotropy measurements. In addition, the (selective) excitation (photoselection) and anisotropy of populations that interact with single or multiple intense polarised laser pulses is demonstrated as function of power density and beam profile. Using example values of real world experiments it is calculated to what extent this effectively orients the ensemble of particles. Finally, the implementation includes the interaction with multiple pulses in addition to depth averaging in optically dense samples. In summary, we show that mathematical modelling is

An ultrafast angle-resolved photoemission apparatus for measuring complex materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smallwood, Christopher L.; Lanzara, Alessandra; Jozwiak, Christopher; Zhang Wentao

2012-01-01

We present technical specifications for a high resolution time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy setup based on a hemispherical electron analyzer and cavity-dumped solid state Ti:sapphire laser used to generate pump and probe beams, respectively, at 1.48 and 5.93 eV. The pulse repetition rate can be tuned from 209 Hz to 54.3 MHz. Under typical operating settings the system has an overall energy resolution of 23 meV, an overall momentum resolution of 0.003 Å −1 , and an overall time resolution of 310 fs. We illustrate the system capabilities with representative data on the cuprate superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ . The descriptions and analyses presented here will inform new developments in ultrafast electron spectroscopy.

Ultrafast electron microscopy integrated with a direct electron detection camera.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young Min; Kim, Young Jae; Kim, Ye-Jin; Kwon, Oh-Hoon

2017-07-01

In the past decade, we have witnessed the rapid growth of the field of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), which provides intuitive means to watch atomic and molecular motions of matter. Yet, because of the limited current of the pulsed electron beam resulting from space-charge effects, observations have been mainly made to periodic motions of the crystalline structure of hundreds of nanometers or higher by stroboscopic imaging at high repetition rates. Here, we develop an advanced UEM with robust capabilities for circumventing the present limitations by integrating a direct electron detection camera for the first time which allows for imaging at low repetition rates. This approach is expected to promote UEM to a more powerful platform to visualize molecular and collective motions and dissect fundamental physical, chemical, and materials phenomena in space and time.

Ultrafast terahertz photoconductivity in nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO.sub.2./sub. films

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Němec, Hynek; Kužel, Petr; Kadlec, Filip; Fattakhova-Rohlfing, D.; Szeifert, J.; Bein, T.; Kalousek, Vít; Rathouský, Jiří

2010-01-01

Roč. 96, č. 6 (2010), 062103/1-062103/3 ISSN 0003-6951 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP202/09/P099; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100100902; GA ČR GA104/08/0435; GA ČR GD203/08/H032 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520; CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy * ultrafast photoconductivity * TiO 2 nanoparticles * brick and mortar technology Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.820, year: 2010

Ultrafast Charge Photogeneration in MEH-PPV Charge-Transfer Complexes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakulin, Artem A.; Paraschuk, Dmitry Yu; Pshenichnikov, Maxim S.; van Loosdrecht, Paul H. M.; Corkum, P; DeSilvestri, S; Nelson, KA; Riedle, E; Schoenlein, RW

2009-01-01

Visible-pump - IR-probe spectroscopy is used to study the ultrafast charge dynamics in MEH-PPV based charge-transfer complexes and donor-acceptor blends. Transient anisotropy of the polymer polaron band provides invaluable insights into excitation localisation and charge-transfer pathways.

Intensified CCD for ultrafast diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, J.; Tripp, G.; Coleman, L.

1978-01-01

Many of the present laser fusion diagnostics are recorded on either ultrafast streak cameras or on oscilloscopes. For those experiments in which a large volume of data is accumulated, direct computer processing of the information becomes important. We describe an approach which uses a RCA 52501 back-thinned CCD sensor to obtain direct electron readouts for both the streak camera and the CRT. Performance of the 100 GHz streak camera and the 4 GHz CRT are presented. Design parameters and computer interfacing for both systems are described in detail

Mechano-actuated ultrafast full-colour switching in layered photonic hydrogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Youfeng; Kurokawa, Takayuki; Haque, Md Anamul; Nakajima, Tasuku; Nonoyama, Takayuki; Li, Xufeng; Kajiwara, Itsuro; Gong, Jian Ping

2014-08-18

Photonic crystals with tunability in the visible region are of great interest for controlling light diffraction. Mechanochromic photonic materials are periodically structured soft materials designed with a photonic stop-band that can be tuned by mechanical forces to reflect specific colours. Soft photonic materials with broad colour tunability and fast colour switching are invaluable for application. Here we report a novel mechano-actuated, soft photonic hydrogel that has an ultrafast-response time, full-colour tunable range, high spatial resolution and can be actuated by a very small compressive stress. In addition, the material has excellent mechanical stability and the colour can be reversibly switched at high frequency more than 10,000 times without degradation. This material can be used in optical devices, such as full-colour display and sensors to visualize the time evolution of complicated stress/strain fields, for example, generated during the motion of biological cells.

Ultrafast conductivity in a low-band-gap polyphenylene and fullerene blend studied by terahertz spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Němec, Hynek; Nienhuys, H.-K.; Perzon, E.; Zhang, F.; Inganäs, O.; Kužel, Petr; Sundström, V.

2009-01-01

Roč. 79, č. 24 (2009), 245326/1-245326/7 ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP202/09/P099; GA MŠk LC512; GA ČR(CZ) GA202/06/0286 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy * ultrafast conductivity * polymer * solar-cell material Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.475, year: 2009

Aneurysmatic dissection of an aberrant right subclavian artery; Disseziierendes Aneurysma einer aberranten Arteria subclavia dextra: Diagnose mittels Ultrafast-CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reittner, P. [Universitaetsklinik fuer Radiologie, Graz (Austria). Abt. fuer Allgemeine Radiologie; Stacher, R. [Universitaetsklinik fuer Radiologie, Graz (Austria). Abt. fuer Allgemeine Radiologie

1996-01-01

Diagnosis with Ultrafast-CT: An aneurysm of an aberrant right subclavian artery is a very rare cause for dysphagia. We describe such a case in a 67-year-old patient, diagnosed with Ultrafast-CT and discuss it together in concert with the embryology and the radiological findings. (orig.) [Deutsch] Eine aberrierende Arteria subclavia dextra ist eine seltene Ursache fuer Dysphagie. Anhand eines 67jaehrigen Patienten werden Embryologie und radiologische Charakteristika, diagnostiziert mittels Ultrafast-CT, diskutiert. (orig.)

Some nonlinear dynamic inequalities on time scales

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In 1988, Stefan Hilger [10] introduced the calculus on time scales which unifies continuous and discrete analysis. Since then many authors have expounded on various aspects of the theory of dynamic equations on time scales. Recently, there has been much research activity concerning the new theory. For example, we ...

Are water simulation models consistent with steady-state and ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy experiments?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, J.R.; Roberts, S.T.; Loparo, J.J.; Tokmakoff, A.; Fayer, M.D.; Skinner, J.L.

2007-01-01

Vibrational spectroscopy can provide important information about structure and dynamics in liquids. In the case of liquid water, this is particularly true for isotopically dilute HOD/D 2 O and HOD/H 2 O systems. Infrared and Raman line shapes for these systems were measured some time ago. Very recently, ultrafast three-pulse vibrational echo experiments have been performed on these systems, which provide new, exciting, and important dynamical benchmarks for liquid water. There has been tremendous theoretical effort expended on the development of classical simulation models for liquid water. These models have been parameterized from experimental structural and thermodynamic measurements. The goal of this paper is to determine if representative simulation models are consistent with steady-state, and especially with these new ultrafast, experiments. Such a comparison provides information about the accuracy of the dynamics of these simulation models. We perform this comparison using theoretical methods developed in previous papers, and calculate the experimental observables directly, without making the Condon and cumulant approximations, and taking into account molecular rotation, vibrational relaxation, and finite excitation pulses. On the whole, the simulation models do remarkably well; perhaps the best overall agreement with experiment comes from the SPC/E model

Ultrafast light matter interaction in CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Rajesh Kumar; Sharma, Rituraj; Mondal, Anirban; Adarsh, K. V.

2018-04-01

Core-shell quantum dot are imperative for carrier (electron and holes) confinement in core/shell, which provides a stage to explore the linear and nonlinear optical phenomena at the nanoscalelimit. Here we present a comprehensive study of ultrafast excitation dynamics and nonlinear optical absorption of CdSe/ZnS core shell quantum dot with the help of ultrafast spectroscopy. Pump-probe and time-resolved measurements revealed the drop of trapping at CdSe surface due to the presence of the ZnS shell, which makes more efficient photoluminescence. We have carried out femtosecond transient absorption studies of the CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dot by irradiation with 400 nm laser light, monitoring the transients in the visible region. The optical nonlinearity of the core-shell quantum dot studied by using the Z-scan technique with 120 fs pulses at the wavelengths of 800 nm. The value of two photon absorption coefficients (β) of core-shell QDs extracted as80cm/GW, and it shows excellent benchmark for the optical limiting onset of 2.5GW/cm2 with the low limiting differential transmittance of 0.10, that is an order of magnitude better than graphene based materials.

All optical quantum control of a spin-quantum state and ultrafast transduction into an electric current.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, K; Kaldewey, T; Ripszam, R; Wildmann, J S; Bechtold, A; Bichler, M; Koblmüller, G; Abstreiter, G; Finley, J J

2013-01-01

The ability to control and exploit quantum coherence and entanglement drives research across many fields ranging from ultra-cold quantum gases to spin systems in condensed matter. Transcending different physical systems, optical approaches have proven themselves to be particularly powerful, since they profit from the established toolbox of quantum optical techniques, are state-selective, contact-less and can be extremely fast. Here, we demonstrate how a precisely timed sequence of monochromatic ultrafast (~ 2-5 ps) optical pulses, with a well defined polarisation can be used to prepare arbitrary superpositions of exciton spin states in a semiconductor quantum dot, achieve ultrafast control of the spin-wavefunction without an applied magnetic field and make high fidelity read-out the quantum state in an arbitrary basis simply by detecting a strong (~ 2-10 pA) electric current flowing in an external circuit. The results obtained show that the combined quantum state preparation, control and read-out can be performed with a near-unity (≥97%) fidelity.

Ultrafast secondary emission x-ray imaging detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akkerman, A.; Gibrekhterman, A.; Majewski, S.

1991-07-01

Fast high accuracy, x-ray imaging at high photon flux can be achieved when coupling thin solid convertors to gaseous electron multipliers, operating at low gas pressures. Secondary electron emitted from the convertor foil are multiplied in several successive amplification elements. The obvious advantage of solid x-ray detectors, as compared to gaseous conversion, are the production of parallax-free images and the fast (subnanoseconds) response. These x-ray detectors have many potential applications in basic and applied research. Of particular interest is the possibility of an efficient and ultrafast high resolution imaging of transition radiation,with a reduced dE/dx background. We present experimental results on the operation of the secondary emission x-ray (SEX) detectors, their detection efficiency, localization and time resolution. The experimental work is accompanied by mathematical modelling and computer simulation of transition radiation detectors based on CsI transition radiation convertors. (author)

Almost Automorphic Functions on the Quantum Time Scale and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongkun Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We first propose two types of concepts of almost automorphic functions on the quantum time scale. Secondly, we study some basic properties of almost automorphic functions on the quantum time scale. Then, we introduce a transformation between functions defined on the quantum time scale and functions defined on the set of generalized integer numbers; by using this transformation we give equivalent definitions of almost automorphic functions on the quantum time scale; following the idea of the transformation, we also give a concept of almost automorphic functions on more general time scales that can unify the concepts of almost automorphic functions on almost periodic time scales and on the quantum time scale. Finally, as an application of our results, we establish the existence of almost automorphic solutions of linear and semilinear dynamic equations on the quantum time scale.

Hot-electrons-induced ultrafast demagnitization in Co/Pt multilayers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergeard, N.; Hehn, M.; Mangin, S.; Lengaigne, G.; Montaigne, F.; Lalieu, M. L. M.; Koopmans, B.; Malinowski, G.

2016-01-01

Using specially engineered structures to tailor the optical absorption in a metallic multilayer, we analyze the magnetization dynamics of a Co/Pt multilayer buried below a thick Cu layer. We demonstrate that hot electrons alone can very efficiently induce ultrafast demagnetization. Simulations based

Ultrafast Infrared and UV-vis Studies of the Photochemistry of Methoxycarbonylphenyl Azides in Solution

OpenAIRE

Xue, Jiadan; Luk, Hoi Ling; Eswaran, S. V.; Hadad, Christopher M.; Platz, Matthew S.

2012-01-01

The photochemistry of 4-methoxycarbonylphenyl azide (2a), 2-methoxycarbonylphenyl azide (3a) and 2-methoxy-6-methoxycarbonylphenyl azide (4a) were studied by ultrafast time-resolved infrared (IR) and UV-vis spectroscopies in solution. Singlet nitrenes and ketenimines were observed and characterized for all three azides. Isoxazole species 3g and 4g are generated after photolysis of 3a and 4a, respectively, in acetonitrile. Triplet nitrene 4e formation correlated with the decay of singlet nitre...

Reversible amorphous-crystalline phase changes in a wide range of Se1-xTex alloys studied using ultrafast differential scanning calorimetry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeulen, Paul. A.; Momand, Jamo; Kooi, Bart J.

The reversible amorphous-crystalline phase change in a chalcogenide material, specifically the Se1-xTex alloy, has been investigated for the first time using ultrafast differential scanning calorimetry. Heating rates and cooling rates up to 5000 K/s were used. Repeated reversible

Activation of ion implanted Si for backside processing by Ultra-fast Laser Thermal Annealing: Energy homogeneity and micro-scale sheet resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huet, K.; Lin, Rong; Boniface, C

2009-01-01

In this paper ion activation of implanted silicon using ultra-fast laser thermal annealing (LTA) process was discussed. The results stated that there was high dopant activation using LTA process for over 70%, excellent within shot activation uniformity, and there was a possibility for overlap...... parameter optimization. It was observed that, for activation LTA process, shallow box-shaped profiles- high diffusivity of B in liquids and high-temperatures was observed only near the surface in a submicrosecond timescale. Possible solutions were suggested as to low-cost and high-end for overlap...

Various manifestations of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on ultrafast computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiya, Tohru; Karikomi, Masahito; Ohshiro, Masaya; Iwakami, Masayoshi; Takamoto, Toshihiko; Sakamoto, Tsuguya

1992-01-01

Ultrafast computed tomography was performed in 30 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and images were assessed on variability of left ventricular hypertrophy, the pattern of left ventricular contraction, right ventricular hypertrophy, dilatation of the left atrium, and thickening of the mitral valve. Fifteen (50.0%) of 30 patients had asymmetric septal hypertrophy, six (20.0%) had diffuse hypertrophy, and nine (30.0%) had apical hypertrophy. In eleven patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy and two with apical hypertrophy, non-hypertrophied segments in end-diastole showed vigorous contraction. Sixteen patients showed homogeneous left ventricular contraction and one showed partial apical contraction. Right ventricular hypertrophy was noted in 12 patients (40.0%), dilatation of the left atrium in 13 patients (43.3%), and mitral valve thickening in three (10.0%). Ultrafast computed tomography was useful in the evaluation of apical hypertrophy and right ventricular hypertrophy, which could be difficult to obtain by echocardiography. (author)

Bunch evolution study in optimization of MeV ultrafast electron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xianhai; Du Yingchao; Huang Wenhui; Tang Chuanxiang

2014-01-01

transverse ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is a promising detection tool for ultrafast processes. The quality of diffraction image is determined by the transverse evolution of the probe bunch. In this paper, we study the contributing terms of the emittance and space charge effects to the bunch evolution in the MeV UED scheme, employing a mean-field model with an ellipsoidal distribution as well as particle tracking simulation. The small transverse dimension of the drive laser is found to be critical to improve the reciprocal resolution, exploiting both smaller emittance and larger transverse bunch size before the solenoid. The degradation of the reciprocal spatial resolution caused by the space charge effects should be carefully controlled. (authors)

Bunch evolution study in optimization of MeV ultrafast electron diffraction

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xian-Hai; Du, Ying-Chao; Huang, Wen-Hui; Tang, Chuan-Xiang

2014-12-01

Megaelectronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is a promising detection tool for ultrafast processes. The quality of diffraction image is determined by the transverse evolution of the probe bunch. In this paper, we study the contributing terms of the emittance and space charge effects to the bunch evolution in the MeV UED scheme, employing a mean-field model with an ellipsoidal distribution as well as particle tracking simulation. The small transverse dimension of the drive laser is found to be critical to improve the reciprocal resolution, exploiting both smaller emittance and larger transverse bunch size before the solenoid. The degradation of the reciprocal spatial resolution caused by the space charge effects should be carefully controlled.

A laboratory scale fundamental time?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendes, R.V.

2012-01-01

The existence of a fundamental time (or fundamental length) has been conjectured in many contexts. However, the ''stability of physical theories principle'' seems to be the one that provides, through the tools of algebraic deformation theory, an unambiguous derivation of the stable structures that Nature might have chosen for its algebraic framework. It is well-known that c and ℎ are the deformation parameters that stabilize the Galilean and the Poisson algebra. When the stability principle is applied to the Poincare-Heisenberg algebra, two deformation parameters emerge which define two time (or length) scales. In addition there are, for each of them, a plus or minus sign possibility in the relevant commutators. One of the deformation length scales, related to non-commutativity of momenta, is probably related to the Planck length scale but the other might be much larger and already detectable in laboratory experiments. In this paper, this is used as a working hypothesis to look for physical effects that might settle this question. Phase-space modifications, resonances, interference, electron spin resonance and non-commutative QED are considered. (orig.)

Ultrafast Transient Terahertz Conductivity of Monolayer MoS 2 and WSe 2 Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition

KAUST Repository

Docherty, Callum J.

2014-11-25

We have measured ultrafast charge carrier dynamics in monolayers and trilayers of the transition metal dichalcogenides MoS2 and WSe2 using a combination of time-resolved photoluminescence and terahertz spectroscopy. We recorded a photoconductivity and photoluminescence response time of just 350 fs from CVD-grown monolayer MoS2, and 1 ps from trilayer MoS2 and monolayer WSe2. Our results indicate the potential of these materials as high-speed optoelectronic materials.

Ultrafast Transient Terahertz Conductivity of Monolayer MoS 2 and WSe 2 Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition

KAUST Repository

Docherty, Callum J.; Parkinson, Patrick; Joyce, Hannah J.; Chiu, Ming-Hui; Chen, Chang-Hsiao; Lee, Ming-Yang; Li, Lain-Jong; Herz, Laura M.; Johnston, Michael B.

2014-01-01

We have measured ultrafast charge carrier dynamics in monolayers and trilayers of the transition metal dichalcogenides MoS2 and WSe2 using a combination of time-resolved photoluminescence and terahertz spectroscopy. We recorded a photoconductivity and photoluminescence response time of just 350 fs from CVD-grown monolayer MoS2, and 1 ps from trilayer MoS2 and monolayer WSe2. Our results indicate the potential of these materials as high-speed optoelectronic materials.

Case study on the dynamics of ultrafast laser heating and ablation of gold thin films by ultrafast pump-probe reflectometry and ellipsometry

Science.gov (United States)

Pflug, T.; Wang, J.; Olbrich, M.; Frank, M.; Horn, A.

2018-02-01

To increase the comprehension of ultrafast laser ablation, the ablation process has to be portrayed with sufficient temporal resolution. For example, the temporal modification of the complex refractive index {\\tilde{n}} and the relative reflectance of a sample material after irradiation with ultrafast single-pulsed laser radiation can be measured with a pump-probe setup. This work describes the construction and validation of a pump-probe setup enabling spatially, temporally, and spectroscopically resolved Brewster angle microscopy, reflectometry, ellipsometry, and shadow photography. First pump-probe reflectometry and ellipsometry measurements are performed on gold at λ _{probe}= 440 nm and three fluences of the single-pulsed pump radiation at λ _{pump}= 800 nm generating no, gentle, and strong ablation. The relative reflectance overall increases at no and gentle ablation. At strong ablation, the relative reflectance locally decreases, presumable caused by emitted thermal electrons, ballistic electrons, and ablating material. The refractive index n is slightly decreasing after excitation, while the extinction coefficient k is increasing.

Wavelength and pulse duration tunable ultrafast fiber laser mode-locked with carbon nanotubes

OpenAIRE

Li, Diao; Jussila, Henri; Wang, Yadong; Hu, Guohua; Albrow-Owen, Tom; C. T. Howe, Richard; Ren, Zhaoyu; Bai, Jintao; Hasan, Tawfique; Sun, Zhipei

2018-01-01

Ultrafast lasers with tunable parameters in wavelength and time domains are the choice of light source for various applications such as spectroscopy and communication. Here, we report a wavelength and pulse-duration tunable mode-locked Erbium doped fiber laser with single wall carbon nanotube-based saturable absorber. An intra-cavity tunable filter is employed to continuously tune the output wavelength for 34 nm (from 1525 nm to 1559 nm) and pulse duration from 545 fs to 6.1 ps, respectively....

Ultrafast Plasmonic Electron Emission from Ag Nanolayers with Different Roughness

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Márton, I.; Ayadi, V.; Rácz, P.; Stefaniuk, T.; Wróbel, Piotr; Földi, P.; Dombi, P.

2016-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 3 (2016), s. 811-816 ISSN 1557-1955 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Nanoparticles * Ultrafast phenomena * Electron emission Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 2.139, year: 2016

Development of Ultrafast Indirect Flash Heating Methods for RDX

Science.gov (United States)

2014-02-01

8 1 1. Introduction The mission of the Multiscale Response of Energetic Materials program is to establish...vinyl nitrate ) Films. J. Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108 (43), 9342–9347. 11 12. Gottfried, J. L.; de Lucia, F. C., Jr.; Piraino, S. M. Ultrafast Laser

Multivariable dynamic calculus on time scales

CERN Document Server

Bohner, Martin

2016-01-01

This book offers the reader an overview of recent developments of multivariable dynamic calculus on time scales, taking readers beyond the traditional calculus texts. Covering topics from parameter-dependent integrals to partial differentiation on time scales, the book’s nine pedagogically oriented chapters provide a pathway to this active area of research that will appeal to students and researchers in mathematics and the physical sciences. The authors present a clear and well-organized treatment of the concept behind the mathematics and solution techniques, including many practical examples and exercises.

Ultrafast electron microscopy integrated with a direct electron detection camera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Min Lee

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In the past decade, we have witnessed the rapid growth of the field of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM, which provides intuitive means to watch atomic and molecular motions of matter. Yet, because of the limited current of the pulsed electron beam resulting from space-charge effects, observations have been mainly made to periodic motions of the crystalline structure of hundreds of nanometers or higher by stroboscopic imaging at high repetition rates. Here, we develop an advanced UEM with robust capabilities for circumventing the present limitations by integrating a direct electron detection camera for the first time which allows for imaging at low repetition rates. This approach is expected to promote UEM to a more powerful platform to visualize molecular and collective motions and dissect fundamental physical, chemical, and materials phenomena in space and time.

An ultrafast electron microscope gun driven by two-photon photoemission from a nanotip cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bormann, Reiner; Strauch, Stefanie; Schäfer, Sascha; Ropers, Claus

2015-01-01

We experimentally and numerically investigate the performance of an advanced ultrafast electron source, based on two-photon photoemission from a tungsten needle cathode incorporated in an electron microscope gun geometry. Emission properties are characterized as a function of the electrostatic gun settings, and operating conditions leading to laser-triggered electron beams of very low emittance (below 20 nm mrad) are identified. The results highlight the excellent suitability of optically driven nano-cathodes for the further development of ultrafast transmission electron microscopy

Ultrafast photocurrents and terahertz radiation in gallium arsenide and carbon based nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prechtel, Hans Leonhard

2011-08-15

In this thesis we developed a measurement technique based on a common pump-probe scheme and coplanar stripline circuits that enables time-resolved photocurrent measurements of contacted nanosystems with a micrometer spatial and a picosecond time resolution. The measurement technique was applied to lowtemperature grown gallium arsenide (LT-GaAs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and p-doped gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires. The various mechanisms responsible for the generation of current pulses by pulsed laser excitation were reviewed. Furthermore the propagation of the resulting electromagnetic radiation along a coplanar stripline circuit was theoretically and numerically treated. The ultrafast photocurrent response of low-temperature grown GaAs was investigated. We found two photocurrent pulses in the time-resolved response. We showed that the first pulse is consistent with a displacement current pulse. We interpreted the second pulse to result from a transport current process. We further determined the velocity of the photo-generated charge carriers to exceed the drift, thermal and quantum velocities of single charge carriers. Hereby, we interpreted the transport current pulse to stem from an electron-hole plasma excitation. We demonstrated that the photocurrent response of CNTs comprises an ultrafast displacement current and a transport current. The data suggested that the photocurrent is finally terminated by the recombination lifetime of the charge carriers. To the best of our knowledge, we presented in this thesis the first recombination lifetime measurements of contacted, suspended, CVD grown CNT networks. In addition, we studied the ultrafast photocurrent dynamics of freely suspended graphene contacted by metal electrodes. At the graphene-metal interface, we demonstrated that built-in electric fields give rise to a photocurrent with a full-width-half-maximum of a few picoseconds and that a photo-thermoelectric effect generates a current with a decay time

Ultrafast readout of scintillating fibres using upgraded position-sensitive photomultipliers

CERN Document Server

Agoritsas, V; Ditta, J; Dufournaud, J; Giacomich, R; Gorin, A M; Kuroda, K; Meshchanin, A P; Newsom, C R; Nurushev, S B; Önel, Y M; Okada, K; Oshima, N; Pauletta, G; Penzo, Aldo L; Rakhmatov, V E; Rykalin, V I; Salvato, G; Schiavon, R P; Sillou, D; Solovyanov, V L; Takeutchi, F; Vasilev, V; Vasilchenko, V G; Villari, A C C; Yamada, R; Yoshida, T; CERN. Geneva. Detector Research and Development Committee

1991-01-01

In view of the new possibilities for event detection and tracking in future multi-TeV collider experiments, we propose to improve the performance of position-sensitive photomultipliers and, with it, to realize an ultrafast readout device of scintillating fibres; this should play a unique role in the complex of a future vertex detector, owing to its inherent subnanosecond resolving time as well as its capability of an extremely high counting rate. Our proposal is first aimed at upgrading the position-sensitive PM, in particular its space and time resolutions. Full advantage of the new phototube will be demonstrated in its immediate application to a generic prototype of a scintillating-fibre detector. Our programme also includes intensive R&D on a real-time digitization of the multihit topology, which should provide an essential back-up to the vertex tracking at extremely high rates, one of the most difficult problems relevant to the expected high performance of the LHC.

Four-Dimensional Ultrafast Electron Microscopy: Insights into an Emerging Technique

KAUST Repository

Adhikari, Aniruddha; Eliason, Jeffrey K.; Sun, Jingya; Bose, Riya; Flannigan, David J.; Mohammed, Omar F.

2016-01-01

Four-dimensional ultrafast electron microscopy (4D-UEM) is a novel analytical technique that aims to fulfill the long-held dream of researchers to investigate materials at extremely short spatial and temporal resolutions by integrating the excellent

Ultrafast excited state relaxation in long-chain polyenes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antognazza, Maria Rosa; Lueer, Larry; Polli, Dario; Christensen, Ronald L.; Schrock, Richard R.; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Cerullo, Giulio

2010-01-01

Graphical abstract: Excited state dynamics of a long-chain polyene studied by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. - Abstract: We present a comprehensive study, by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, of excited state dynamics in a polyene that approaches the infinite chain limit. By excitation with sub-10-fs pulses resonant with the 0-0 S 0 → S 2 transition, we observe rapid loss of stimulated emission from the bright excited state S 2 , followed by population of the hot S 1 state within 150 fs. Vibrational cooling of S 1 takes place within 500 fs and is followed by decay back to S 0 with 1 ps time constant. By excitation with excess vibrational energy we also observe the ultrafast formation of a long-living absorption, that is assigned to the triplet state generated by singlet fission.

Transient measurements with an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keil, Ulrich Dieter Felix; Jensen, Jacob Riis; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

1998-01-01

We use a photoconductively gated ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope to resolve laser-induced transients on transmission lines and photoconductors. The photoconductive switch on the tunneling probe is illuminated through a rigidly attached fiber. The use of the fiber enables us to scan across...... the transmission line while the change in delay time between pump beam (on the sample) and probe beam (on the probe) provides the temporal information. The investigated photoconductor sample is a low-temperature-grown GaAs layer placed on a sapphire substrate with a thin, semitransparent gold layer. In tunneling...... mode the probe is sensitive to laser-induced field changes in the semiconductor layer. Laser-induced transient signals of 2.2 ps widths are detected. As for the transmission lines, the signals can be explained by a capacitive coupling across the tunneling gap....

Measurements of ultrafast spin-profiles and spin-diffusion properties in the domain wall area at a metal/ferromagnetic film interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Sant, T; Ksenzov, D; Capotondi, F; Pedersoli, E; Manfredda, M; Kiskinova, M; Zabel, H; Kläui, M; Lüning, J; Pietsch, U; Gutt, C

2017-11-08

Exciting a ferromagnetic material with an ultrashort IR laser pulse is known to induce spin dynamics by heating the spin system and by ultrafast spin diffusion processes. Here, we report on measurements of spin-profiles and spin diffusion properties in the vicinity of domain walls in the interface region between a metallic Al layer and a ferromagnetic Co/Pd thin film upon IR excitation. We followed the ultrafast temporal evolution by means of an ultrafast resonant magnetic scattering experiment in surface scattering geometry, which enables us to exploit the evolution of the domain network within a 1/e distance of 3 nm to 5 nm from the Al/FM film interface. We observe a magnetization-reversal close to the domain wall boundaries that becomes more pronounced closer to the Al/FM film interface. This magnetization-reversal is driven by the different transport properties of majority and minority carriers through a magnetically disordered domain network. Its finite lateral extension has allowed us to measure the ultrafast spin-diffusion coefficients and ultrafast spin velocities for majority and minority carriers upon IR excitation.

Liquidity crises on different time scales

Science.gov (United States)

Corradi, Francesco; Zaccaria, Andrea; Pietronero, Luciano

2015-12-01

We present an empirical analysis of the microstructure of financial markets and, in particular, of the static and dynamic properties of liquidity. We find that on relatively large time scales (15 min) large price fluctuations are connected to the failure of the subtle mechanism of compensation between the flows of market and limit orders: in other words, the missed revelation of the latent order book breaks the dynamical equilibrium between the flows, triggering the large price jumps. On smaller time scales (30 s), instead, the static depletion of the limit order book is an indicator of an intrinsic fragility of the system, which is related to a strongly nonlinear enhancement of the response. In order to quantify this phenomenon we introduce a measure of the liquidity imbalance present in the book and we show that it is correlated to both the sign and the magnitude of the next price movement. These findings provide a quantitative definition of the effective liquidity, which proves to be strongly dependent on the considered time scales.

Quasiparticle dynamics across the full Brillouin zone of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ traced with ultrafast time and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgi L. Dakovski

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A hallmark in the cuprate family of high-temperature superconductors is the nodal-antinodal dichotomy. In this regard, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES has proven especially powerful, providing band structure information directly in energy-momentum space. Time-resolved ARPES (trARPES holds great promise of adding ultrafast temporal information, in an attempt to identify different interaction channels in the time domain. Previous studies of the cuprates using trARPES were handicapped by the low probing energy, which significantly limits the accessible momentum space. Using 20.15 eV, 12 fs pulses, we show for the first time the evolution of quasiparticles in the antinodal region of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ and demonstrate that non-monotonic relaxation dynamics dominates above a certain fluence threshold. The dynamics is heavily influenced by transient modification of the electron-phonon interaction and phase space restrictions, in stark contrast to the monotonic relaxation in the nodal and off-nodal regions.

Ultrafast Digital Printing toward 4D Shape Changing Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Limei; Jiang, Ruiqi; Wu, Jingjun; Song, Jizhou; Bai, Hao; Li, Bogeng; Zhao, Qian; Xie, Tao

2017-02-01

Ultrafast 4D printing (printing converts the structure into 3D. An additional dimension can be incorporated by choosing the printing precursors. The process overcomes the speed limiting steps of typical 3D (4D) printing. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tunable third-harmonic probe for non-degenerate ultrafast pump ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-02-12

Feb 12, 2014 ... 413–417. Tunable third-harmonic probe for non-degenerate ultrafast ... A beam splitter was used to split the beam into two with the power ratio of ... Now polarization of the 800-nm beam is made to be parallel with the 400-nm.

Time scale algorithm: Definition of ensemble time and possible uses of the Kalman filter

Science.gov (United States)

Tavella, Patrizia; Thomas, Claudine

1990-01-01

The comparative study of two time scale algorithms, devised to satisfy different but related requirements, is presented. They are ALGOS(BIPM), producing the international reference TAI at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, and AT1(NIST), generating the real-time time scale AT1 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In each case, the time scale is a weighted average of clock readings, but the weight determination and the frequency prediction are different because they are adapted to different purposes. The possibility of using a mathematical tool, such as the Kalman filter, together with the definition of the time scale as a weighted average, is also analyzed. Results obtained by simulation are presented.

Multiobjective optimizations of a novel cryocooled dc gun based ultrafast electron diffraction beam line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colwyn Gulliford

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We present the results of multiobjective genetic algorithm optimizations of a single-shot ultrafast electron diffraction beam line utilizing a 225 kV dc gun with a novel cryocooled photocathode system and buncher cavity. Optimizations of the transverse projected emittance as a function of bunch charge are presented and discussed in terms of the scaling laws derived in the charge saturation limit. Additionally, optimization of the transverse coherence length as a function of final rms bunch length at the sample location have been performed for three different sample radii: 50, 100, and 200  μm, for two final bunch charges: 10^{5} electrons (16 fC and 10^{6} electrons (160 fC. Example optimal solutions are analyzed, and the effects of disordered induced heating estimated. In particular, a relative coherence length of L_{c,x}/σ_{x}=0.27  nm/μm was obtained for a final bunch charge of 10^{5} electrons and final bunch length of σ_{t}≈100  fs. For a final charge of 10^{6} electrons the cryogun produces L_{c,x}/σ_{x}≈0.1  nm/μm for σ_{t}≈100–200  fs and σ_{x}≥50  μm. These results demonstrate the viability of using genetic algorithms in the design and operation of ultrafast electron diffraction beam lines.

Phosphorene quantum dot saturable absorbers for ultrafast fiber lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Du, J.; Zhang, M.; Guo, Z.; Chen, J.; Zhu, X.; Hu, G.; Peng, P.; Zheng, Z.; Zhang, H.

2017-01-01

We fabricate ultrasmall phosphorene quantum dots (PQDs) with an average size of 2.6 ± 0.9 nm using a liquid exfoliation method involving ultrasound probe sonication followed by bath sonication. By coupling the as-prepared PQDs with microfiber evanescent light field, the PQD-based saturable absorber (SA) device exhibits ultrafast nonlinear saturable absorption property, with an optical modulation depth of 8.1% at the telecommunication band. With the integration of the all-fiber PQD-based SA, a continuous-wave passively mode-locked erbium-doped (Er-doped) laser cavity delivers stable, self-starting pulses with a pulse duration of 0.88 ps and at the cavity repetition rate of 5.47 MHz. Our results contribute to the growing body of work studying the nonlinear optical properties of ultrasmall PQDs that present new opportunities of this two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial for future ultrafast photonic technologies. PMID:28211471

Precision machining of pig intestine using ultrafast laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Rainer J.; Góra, Wojciech S.; Carter, Richard M.; Gunadi, Sonny; Jayne, David; Hand, Duncan P.; Shephard, Jonathan D.

2015-07-01

Endoluminal surgery for the treatment of early stage colorectal cancer is typically based on electrocautery tools which imply restrictions on precision and the risk of harm through collateral thermal damage to the healthy tissue. As a potential alternative to mitigate these drawbacks we present laser machining of pig intestine by means of picosecond laser pulses. The high intensities of an ultrafast laser enable nonlinear absorption processes and a predominantly nonthermal ablation regime. Laser ablation results of square cavities with comparable thickness to early stage colorectal cancers are presented for a wavelength of 1030 nm using an industrial picosecond laser. The corresponding histology sections exhibit only minimal collateral damage to the surrounding tissue. The depth of the ablation can be controlled precisely by means of the pulse energy. Overall, the application of ultrafast lasers to ablate pig intestine enables significantly improved precision and reduced thermal damage to the surrounding tissue compared to conventional techniques.

Optical Detection in Ultrafast Short Wavelength Science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fullagar, Wilfred K.; Hall, Chris J.

2010-01-01

A new approach to coherent detection of ionising radiation is briefly motivated and recounted. The approach involves optical scattering of coherent light fields by colour centres in transparent solids. It has significant potential for diffractive imaging applications that require high detection dynamic range from pulsed high brilliance short wavelength sources. It also motivates new incarnations of Bragg's X-ray microscope for pump-probe studies of ultrafast molecular structure-dynamics.

Analytic model of electron pulse propagation in ultrafast electron diffraction experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michalik, A.M.; Sipe, J.E.

2006-01-01

We present a mean-field analytic model to study the propagation of electron pulses used in ultrafast electron diffraction experiments (UED). We assume a Gaussian form to characterize the electron pulse, and derive a system of ordinary differential equations that are solved quickly and easily to give the pulse dynamics. We compare our model to an N-body numerical simulation and are able to show excellent agreement between the two result sets. This model is a convenient alternative to time consuming and computationally intense N-body simulations in exploring the dynamics of UED electron pulses, and as a tool for refining UED experimental designs

Ultra-Fast Image Reconstruction of Tomosynthesis Mammography Using GPU.

Science.gov (United States)

Arefan, D; Talebpour, A; Ahmadinejhad, N; Kamali Asl, A

2015-06-01

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) is a technology that creates three dimensional (3D) images of breast tissue. Tomosynthesis mammography detects lesions that are not detectable with other imaging systems. If image reconstruction time is in the order of seconds, we can use Tomosynthesis systems to perform Tomosynthesis-guided Interventional procedures. This research has been designed to study ultra-fast image reconstruction technique for Tomosynthesis Mammography systems using Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). At first, projections of Tomosynthesis mammography have been simulated. In order to produce Tomosynthesis projections, it has been designed a 3D breast phantom from empirical data. It is based on MRI data in its natural form. Then, projections have been created from 3D breast phantom. The image reconstruction algorithm based on FBP was programmed with C++ language in two methods using central processing unit (CPU) card and the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). It calculated the time of image reconstruction in two kinds of programming (using CPU and GPU).

Ultra-Fast Image Reconstruction of Tomosynthesis Mammography Using GPU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arefan D

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT is a technology that creates three dimensional (3D images of breast tissue. Tomosynthesis mammography detects lesions that are not detectable with other imaging systems. If image reconstruction time is in the order of seconds, we can use Tomosynthesis systems to perform Tomosynthesis-guided Interventional procedures. This research has been designed to study ultra-fast image reconstruction technique for Tomosynthesis Mammography systems using Graphics Processing Unit (GPU. At first, projections of Tomosynthesis mammography have been simulated. In order to produce Tomosynthesis projections, it has been designed a 3D breast phantom from empirical data. It is based on MRI data in its natural form. Then, projections have been created from 3D breast phantom. The image reconstruction algorithm based on FBP was programmed with C++ language in two methods using central processing unit (CPU card and the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU. It calculated the time of image reconstruction in two kinds of programming (using CPU and GPU.