Mid-infrared supercontinuum-based Fourier transform spectroscopy for plasma analysis.

Broadband mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is a well-established and valuable diagnostic technique for reactive plasmas. Plasmas are complex systems and consist of numerous (reactive) types of molecules; it is challenging to measure and control reaction specificity with a good sensitivity. Here, we demonstrate the first use of a novel MIR supercontinuum (SC) source for quantitative plasma spectroscopy. The SC source has a wide spectral coverage of 1300-2700 cm-1 (wavelength range 3.7-7.7 µm), thus enabling broadband multispecies detection. The high spatial coherence of the MIR SC source provides long interaction path lengths, thereby increasing the sensitivity for molecular species. The combination of such a SC source with a custom-built FTIR spectrometer (0.1 cm-1 spectral resolution) allows detection of various gases with high spectral resolution. We demonstrate its potential in plasma applications by accurate identification and quantification of a variety of reaction products (e.g. nitrogen oxides and carbon oxides) under low-pressure conditions, including the molecular species with overlapping absorbance features (e.g. acetone, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, etc.).

Fourier transform spectrometer based on high-repetition-rate mid-infrared supercontinuum sources for trace gas detection.

We present a fast-scanning Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) in combination with high-repetition-rate mid-infrared supercontinuum sources, covering a wavelength range of 2-10.5 µm. We demonstrate the performance of the spectrometer for trace gas detection and compare various detection methods: baseband detection with a single photodetector, baseband balanced detection, and synchronous demodulation at the repetition rate of the supercontinuum source. The FTS uses off-the-shelf optical components and provides a minimum spectral resolution of 750 MHz. It achieves a noise equivalent absorption sensitivity of ∼10-6 cm-1 Hz-1/2 per spectral element, by using a 31.2 m multipass absorption cell.

Incidence of oral anticoagulant interruption among stroke patients with atrial fibrillation and subsequent stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We analyzed the incidence and causes of oral anticoagulant (OAC) cessation and subsequent stroke after OAC withdrawal in a cohort of Korean stroke patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS: The Korean Atrial Fibrillation Evaluation Registry in Ischemic Stroke patients (K-ATTENTION) is a multicenter cohort study, merging stroke registries from 11 tertiary centers in Korea. The number of OAC interruption episodes and the reasons were reviewed from hospital records. Stroke after OAC withdrawal was defined when a patient experienced ischaemic stroke within 31 days after OAC withdrawal. Clinical variables were compared between patients who experienced stroke recurrence during OAC interruption and those who did not experience recurrence. RESULTS: Among 3213 stroke patients with atrial fibrillation, a total of 329 episodes of OAC interruption were detected in 229 patients after index stroke (mean age 72.9 ± 8.3 years, 113 female patients). The most frequent reason for OAC withdrawal was poor compliance [103 episodes (31.3%)] followed by extracranial bleeding [96 episodes (29.2%)]. Stroke after OAC withdrawal was noted in 13 patients. Mean age, vascular risk factor profile and mean CHA2 DS2 -VASc score were not significantly different between patients with and without recurrent stroke. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation experienced temporary interruption of OAC after index stroke, which was associated with stroke recurrence of 4.0 cases per 100 interruption episodes.

Exploiting dispersion of higher-order-modes using M-type fiber for application in mid-infrared supercontinuum generation.

M-type fibers have the exceptional property that the higher-order LP0n modes are core-confined and easily excited, while the LP01 and other modes are confined to a high-index ring surrounding the core, so they are not easily excited. This has profound consequences for mid-infrared supercontinuum sources, where the high zero-dispersion wavelength of chalcogenide and ZBLAN fibers means that exotic pump sources have so far been necessary. We show here that in chalcogenide and ZBLAN M-type fibers the lower ZDW of the core-confined higher-order LP02 mode can be in the range of 2 to 3 µm (around 1.55 µm), while the fiber still has a large core diameter and thus supports high average power. This will allow established pump laser technology to be used in future high-power mid-infrared supercontinuum sources.

Fast and stable gratings inscription in POFs made of different materials with pulsed 248 nm KrF laser.

This paper presents fiber Bragg grating (FBG) inscription with a pulsed 248 nm UV KrF laser in polymer optical fibers (POFs) made of different polymers, namely polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), cyclic-olefin polymer and co-polymer, and Polycarbonate. The inscribed gratings and the corresponding inscription parameters are compared with grating inscribed in POFs made of the aforementioned materials but with the hitherto most used laser for inscription, which is a continuous wave 325 nm UV HeCd laser. Results show a reduction of the inscription time of at least 16 times. The maximum time reduction is more than 130 times. In addition, a reflectivity and a bandwidth close to or higher than the ones with the 325 nm laser were obtained. The polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings (POFBGs) inscribed with the 248 nm laser setup present high stability with small variations in their central wavelength, bandwidth, and reflectivity after 40 days.

Compact multichannel high-resolution micro-electro-mechanical systems-based interrogator for Fiber Bragg grating sensing.

We propose a novel type of compact high-resolution multichannel micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based interrogator, where we replace the linear detector with a digital micromirror device (DMD). The DMD is typically cheaper and has better pixel sampling than an InGaAs detector used in the 1550 nm range, which leads to cost reduction and better performance. Moreover, the DMD is a 2D array, which means that multichannel systems can be implemented without any additional optical components in the interrogator. This makes the proposed interrogator highly cost-effective, particularly for multichannel systems. The digital nature of the DMD also provides opportunities for advanced programmable Hadamard spectroscopy, which, without significant penalties, can greatly improve the wavelength fit resolution. Our results show that DMDs can be used in high-resolution spectroscopy and for Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation.

Polymer optical fiber Bragg grating inscription with a single UV laser pulse.

We experimentally demonstrate the first polymer optical fiber Bragg grating inscribed with only one krypton fluoride laser pulse. The device has been recorded in a single-mode poly(methyl methacrylate) optical fiber, with a core doped with benzyl dimethyl ketal for photosensitivity enhancement. One laser pulse with a duration of 15 ns, which provide energy density of 974 mJ/cm2, is adequate to introduce a refractive index change of 0.74×10-4 in the fiber core. After the exposure, the reflectivity of the grating increases for a few minutes following a second order exponential saturation. The produced Bragg grating structure rejects 17.9 dB transmitted power, thus providing 98.4% reflectivity, which is well suited for sensing applications. In addition, we report the importance of the fiber thermal treatment before or after the inscription, showing its effects on the lifetime and quality of the grating structures. Optimizing the irradiation conditions and the material chemical composition, a higher refractive index change in the fiber core is feasible. This demonstration significantly improves the potential for commercial exploitation of the technology.

Risk Factors.

Studies investigating risk factors for intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) have been infrequent. However, due to recent availability of non-invasive vascular imaging techniques that can assess intracranial cerebral arteries, there are a growing number of studies on risk factors for ICAS. Conventional vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and cigarette smoking are risk factors for ICAS. However, it remains uncertain whether there is a difference in risk factors between ICAS and extracranial atherosclerosis (ECAS). It also remains unclear why ICAS is more common in Asians and Blacks than in Caucasians. Although we reviewed available evidences on these differences, the review was limited because studies were heterogeneous in the definition of risk factors, diagnostic method, and characteristics of study subjects (hospitalized vs. community) or cerebral vessels (symptomatic vs. asymptomatic). Nevertheless, it seems that hypercholesterolemia is more closely associated with ECAS than ICAS. The difference in hypercholesterolemia prevalence is one of the main reasons for racial differences in the location of cerebral atherosclerosis. Intracranial arteries contain higher antioxidant level than extracranial arteries and may be more vulnerable to risk factors that deplete antioxidants (e.g., metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus). Intracranial arteries may be more vulnerable to factors associated with hemodynamic stress (e.g., advanced, salt-retaining hypertension and arterial tortuosity) because of a smaller diameter, thinner media and adventitia, and fewer elastic medial fibers than extracranial arteries. Additionally, non-atherosclerotic arterial diseases (e.g., moyamoya disease) that commonly occur in the intracranial arteries of East Asians may contaminate the reports of ICAS cases. Various genes, including RNF 213, might also explain racial differences in atherosclerotic location. Prospective, well-designed risk factor and genetic studies should be performed in a homogeneous group of patients with diverse ethnicities. These efforts are essential in the prevention of atherosclerotic diseases based on adequate knowledge of the risk factors and pathogenesis.

Record power, ultra-broadband supercontinuum source based on highly GeO2 doped silica fiber.

We demonstrate highly germania doped fibers for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. Experiments ensure a highest output power of 1.44 W for a broadest spectrum from 700 nm to 3200 nm and 6.4 W for 800 nm to 2700 nm from these fibers, while being pumped by a broadband Erbium-Ytterbium doped fiber based master oscillator power amplifier. The effect of repetition frequency of pump source and length of germania-doped fiber has also been investigated. Further, germania doped fiber has been pumped by conventional supercontinuum source based on silica photonic crystal fiber supercontinuum source. At low power, a considerable broadening of 200-300 nm was observed. Further broadening of spectrum was limited due to limited power of pump source. Our investigations reveal the unexploited potential of germania doped fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. These measurements ensure the potential of germania based photonic crystal fiber or a step-index fiber supercontinuum source for high power ultra-broad band emission being by pumped a 1060 nm or a 1550 nm laser source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the record power, ultra-broadband, and all-fiberized supercontinuum light source based on silica and germania fiber ever demonstrated to the date.

Performance of low-cost few-mode fiber Bragg grating sensor systems: polarization sensitivity and linearity of temperature and strain response.

We evaluate whether 850 nm fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor systems can use low-cost 1550 nm telecom fibers; in other words, how detrimental the influence of higher-order modes is to the polarization stability and linearity of the strain and temperature response. We do this by comparing polarization sensitivity of a few-mode 850 nm FBG sensor to a strictly single-mode 850 nm FBG sensor system using 850 nm single-mode fibers. We also compare the performance of the FBGs in strain and temperature tests. Our results show that the polarization stability and the linearity of the response degrade due to the presence of the higher-order modes. We demonstrate that, by using simple coiling of the 1550 nm fiber, one can regain the performance of the few-mode system and make it usable for high precision measurements.

Dynamic gate algorithm for multimode fiber Bragg grating sensor systems.

We propose a novel dynamic gate algorithm (DGA) for precise and accurate peak detection. The algorithm uses a threshold-determined detection window and center of gravity algorithm with bias compensation. We analyze the wavelength fit resolution of the DGA for different values of the signal-to-noise ratio and different peak shapes. Our simulations and experiments demonstrate that the DGA method is fast and robust with better stability and accuracy than conventional algorithms. This makes it very attractive for future implementation in sensing systems, especially based on multimode fiber Bragg gratings.

Time-dependent variation of fiber Bragg grating reflectivity in PMMA-based polymer optical fibers.

In this Letter, we investigate the effects of viscoelasticity on both the strength and resonance wavelength of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) inscribed in microstructured polymer optical fiber (mPOF) made of undoped PMMA. Both FBGs were inscribed under a strain of 1% in order to increase the material photosensitivity. After the inscription, the strain was released, and the FBGs spectra were monitored. We initially observed a decrease of the reflection down to zero after which it began to increase. After that, strain tests were carried out to confirm the results, and finally the gratings were monitored for a further 120 days, with a stable reflection response being observed beyond 50 days.

Cladding defects in hollow core fibers for surface mode suppression and improved birefringence.

We demonstrate a novel polarization maintaining hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber geometry that reduces the impact of surface modes on fiber transmission. The cladding structure is modified with a row of partially collapsed holes to strip away unwanted surface modes. A theoretical investigation of the surface mode stripping is presented and compared to the measured performance of four 7-cells core fibers that were drawn with different collapse ratio of the defects. The varying pressure along the defect row in the cladding during drawing introduces an ellipticity of the core. This, combined with the presence of antiresonant features on the core wall, makes the fibers birefringent, with excellent polarization maintaining properties.

Photosensitivity mechanism of undoped poly(methyl methacrylate) under UV radiation at 325 nm and its spatial resolution limit.

In this Letter, we provide evidence suggesting that the main photosensitive mechanism of an undoped poly(methyl methacrylate)-based microstructured optical fiber under UV radiation at 325 nm is a competitive process of both photodegradation and polymerization. We found experimentally that increasing strain during photo-inscription leads to an increased photosensitivity, which is evidence of photodegradation. Likewise, refractive index change in the fiber was measured to be positive, which provides evidence for further polymerization of the material. Finally, we relate the data obtained to the spatial recording resolution of the samples.

The all-fiber cladding-pumped Yb-doped gain-switched laser.

Gain-switching is an alternative pulsing technique of fiber lasers, which is power scalable and has a low complexity. From a linear stability analysis of rate equations the relaxation oscillation period is derived and from it, the pulse duration is defined. Good agreement between the measured pulse duration and the theoretical prediction is found over a wide range of parameters. In particular we investigate the influence of an often present length of passive fiber in the cavity and show that it introduces a finite minimum in the achievable pulse duration. This minimum pulse duration is shown to occur at longer active fibers length with increased passive length of fiber in the cavity. The peak power is observed to depend linearly on the absorbed pump power and be independent of the passive fiber length. Given these conclusions, the pulse energy, duration, and peak power can be estimated with good precision.

Highly photosensitive polymethyl methacrylate microstructured polymer optical fiber with doped core.

In this Letter, we report the fabrication of a highly photosensitive, microstructured polymer optical fiber using benzyl dimethyl ketal as a dopant, as well as the inscription of a fiber Bragg grating in the fiber. A refractive index change in the core of at least 3.2×10(-4) has been achieved, providing a grating with a strong transmission rejection of -23 dB with an inscription time of only 13 min. The fabrication method has a big advantage compared to doping step index fiber since it enables doping of the fiber without using extra dopants to compensate for the index reduction in the core introduced by the photosensitive agent.

Gain-switched all-fiber laser with narrow bandwidth.

Gain-switching of a CW fiber laser is a simple and cost-effective approach to generate pulses using an all-fiber system. We report on the construction of a narrow bandwidth (below 0.1 nm) gain-switched fiber laser and optimize the pulse energy and pulse duration under this constraint. The extracted pulse energy is 20 µJ in a duration of 135 ns at 7 kHz. The bandwidth increases for a higher pump pulse energy and repetition rate, and this sets the limit of the output pulse energy. A single power amplifier is added to raise the peak power to the kW-level and the pulse energy to 230 µJ while keeping the bandwidth below 0.1 nm. This allows frequency doubling in a periodically poled lithium tantalate crystal with a reasonable conversion efficiency.

Stroke recurrence patterns are predicted by the subtypes and mechanisms of the past, non-cardiogenic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The association between past stroke subtypes and recurrent stroke subtypes in non-cardiogenic stroke remains unknown. METHODS: Patients with ischaemic stroke who had a past history of large-artery disease (LAD) or small-artery disease (SAD) subtypes were assessed. LAD was subdivided into intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) and extracranial atherosclerosis (ECAS). LAD stroke mechanisms were categorized as artery-to-artery embolism, in situ thrombotic occlusion and local branch occlusion, while SAD was subdivided into lacunar infarction (LI) and branch atheromatous disease (BAD) on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging findings. The relationship between past and current strokes was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 202 patients enrolled, the LAD group (n = 111) had 64 and 47 patients with ICAS and ECAS, and the SAD group (n = 91) had 63 and 28 patients with LI and BAD, respectively, at the time of past stroke. Patients with LAD developed LAD-associated strokes most often (n = 99, 89.2%), and patients with SAD developed SAD most often (n = 69, 75.8%; P < 0.001). Patients with ICAS were more likely to develop ICAS later (n = 46, 79.3%), whereas those with ECAS developed ECAS more often (n = 31, 75.6%; P < 0.001). Patients with ICAS presenting with artery-to-artery embolism more often developed artery-to-artery embolism later (n = 26, 72.2%), whereas those with local branch occlusion developed recurrent local branch occlusion most often (n = 10, 66.7%, P = 0.005). In the SAD group, patients with BAD developed LAD more frequently than the LI group (n = 11, 39.3% vs. n = 9, 14.3%, P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: The subtypes and mechanisms of recurrent stroke are significantly influenced by those of the past stroke.

Paradoxical embolism as a cause of silent brain infarctions in healthy subjects: the ICONS study (Identification of the Cause of Silent Cerebral Infarction in Healthy Subjects).

BACKGROUND: In healthy elderly people, silent brain infarctions (SBIs) have been recognized as common lesions. In this study, we evaluated the association between SBI located outside the perforating artery territory (PAT) and paradoxical embolism detected by agitated saline transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring in healthy subjects. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study undertaken by a university health promotion center for healthy subjects and by a university stroke center for acute stroke patients. We defined SBI as evidence on fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of one or more infarcts, without history of corresponding stroke or transient ischaemic attack. We also evaluated in all subjects the neuroimaging indicator of microangiopathy leukoaraiosis (LA). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01429948. RESULTS: Amongst 1103 consecutive healthy adults who underwent MRI, 347 (31%) had one or more SBIs located outside the PAT, suggesting embolism. Amongst them, 253 subjects underwent agitated saline TCD monitoring and 128 (51%) had right-to-left shunts (RLS). The prevalence of RLS was similar to cryptogenic embolic stroke (62.0%, P = 0.056), but higher than in patients with other stroke subtypes (36.2%, P = 0.021). Amongst subjects with SBI, absence of LA was the only factor associated with RLS (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.01-3.14; P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that paradoxical embolism may play an important role in the development of SBI outside the PAT in apparently healthy adults.