An alternative technique for fabricating an interim nasal profile dressing using computer-aided design, spectrophotometry, and a color formulation software program.

A total rhinectomy may be part of the treatment of nasal malignancy and can cause severe facial disfigurement and unwanted psychological repercussions. A technique is described for fabricating a skin-colored interim nasal profile dressing for immediate fitting after surgery without the need for either preoperative or postoperative impressions. The technique avoids patient discomfort, and the initial emotional trauma of facial disfigurement may be avoided. The fabrication process includes the use of a preoperative computerized tomography scan, a computer-aided design software program, 3-dimensional printing, and spectrophotometry.

A Robust Flow-Based System for the Spectrophotometric Determination of Cr(VI) in Recreational Waters.

A flow-based method for the spectrophotometric determination of chromium (VI) in recreational waters with different salinities was developed. Chromium can occur in the environment in different oxidation states with different related physiological properties. With regard to chromium, the speciation is particularly important, as the hexavalent chromium is considered to be carcinogenic. To achieve that purpose, the use of the diphenylcarbazide (DPC) selective colored reaction with the hexavalent chromium was the chosen strategy. The main objective was to develop a direct and simple spectrophotometric method that could cope with the analysis of different types of environmental waters, within different salinity ranges (fresh to marine waters). The potential interference of metal ions, that can usually be present in environmental waters, was assessed and no significant interferences were observed (<10%). For a complete Cr(VI) determination (three replicas) cycle, the corresponding reagents consumption was 75 µg of DPC, 9 mg of ethanol and 54 mg of sulfuric acid. Each cycle takes about 5 min, including the system clean-up. The limit of detection was 6.9 and 12.2 µg L−1 for waters with low and high salt content, respectively. The method was applied for the quantification of chromium (VI) in both fresh and marine water, and the results were in agreement with the reference procedure.

An integrated optical modulator operating at cryogenic temperatures.

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) operating at cryogenic temperatures are fundamental building blocks required to achieve scalable quantum computing and cryogenic computing technologies1,2. Silicon PICs have matured for room-temperature applications, but their cryogenic performance is limited by the absence of efficient low-temperature electro-optic modulation. Here we demonstrate electro-optic switching and modulation from room temperature down to 4 K by using the Pockels effect in integrated barium titanate (BaTiO3) devices3. We investigate the temperature dependence of the nonlinear optical properties of BaTiO3, showing an effective Pockels coefficient of 200 pm V-1 at 4 K. The fabricated devices show an electro-optic bandwidth of 30 GHz, ultralow-power tuning that is 109 times more efficient than thermal tuning, and high-speed data modulation at 20 Gbps. Our results demonstrate a missing component for cryogenic PICs, removing major roadblocks for the realization of cryogenic-compatible systems in the field of quantum computing, supercomputing and sensing, and for interfacing those systems with instrumentation at room temperature.

Attenuation Coefficients of Tubular Conduits for Liquid Phase Absorbance Measurement: Shot Noise Limited Optimum Path Length.

We trace the history of liquid core waveguides (LCWs, also called liquid core optical fibers) and the role Teflon AF (TAF) has played in their development. We show that, in any shot noise limited situation, the optimum signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) occurs at a path length of 1/αa{ln[1 + 2(αa/αb)]}, approximately 2/αb under most conditions, αa and αb being the light attenuation coefficient due to the analyte and the background, respectively. The analysis shows that LCW length should be selected depending on the applicable αb value. An overly long LCW may exhibit a lower signal-to-noise ratio. Water-filled TAF-clad fused-silica (FS) tubes show the lowest attenuation across the wavelength range. Nevertheless, except at λ ≥ 600 nm, the observed αb values far exceed those reported for pure water: it appears that both impurities in the water and waveguide losses are involved. In examining the attenuation in various water-filled tubes, we find that the transmission of air-surrounded FS tubes is second only to TAF-clad FS tubes and is better than that of TAF tubes or externally mirrored FS tubes. Surprisingly, except for a window centered at ∼250 nm, light transmission in a water-filled poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) tube is worse than in poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) tubing. Light transmission in PTFE tubes improves with increasing wall thickness.

Continuous-relief diffractive microlenses for laser beam focusing.

Microscale, continuous-profile, diffractive lenses have been fabricated and characterized. Lenses designed to operate at λ0 = 405 nm were created by focused ion beam milling of a glass substrate. The micro-structured profile was analysed by confocal microscopy and optical performance was quantified by measurements of the transmitted laser beam profile. Lenses of size 125 µm × 125 µm, containing up to 18 annuli and focusing at 400 µm, 450 µm and 500 µm have been made. Measured focused beams were in excellent agreement with the predicted performance. A maximum diffraction efficiency of 84 % and side-lobe suppression down to the 10-4 level can be achieved. The suitability of the lenses for interfacing with trappedion systems is outlined.

Quantum Logic with Cavity Photons From Single Atoms.

We demonstrate quantum logic using narrow linewidth photons that are produced with an a priori nonprobabilistic scheme from a single ^{87}Rb atom strongly coupled to a high-finesse cavity. We use a controlled-not gate integrated into a photonic chip to entangle these photons, and we observe nonclassical correlations between photon detection events separated by periods exceeding the travel time across the chip by 3 orders of magnitude. This enables quantum technology that will use the properties of both narrow-band single photon sources and integrated quantum photonics.

Theoretical modeling and experiments on a DBR waveguide laser fabricated by the femtosecond laser direct-write technique.

We present a model for a Yb-doped distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) waveguide laser fabricated in phosphate glass using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique. The model gives emphasis to transverse integrals to investigate the energy distribution in a homogenously doped glass, which is an important feature of femtosecond laser inscribed waveguide lasers (WGLs). The model was validated with experiments comparing a DBR WGL and a fiber laser, and then used to study the influence of distributed rare earth dopants on the performance of such lasers. Approximately 15% of the pump power was absorbed by the doped "cladding" in the femtosecond laser inscribed Yb doped WGL case with the length of 9.8 mm. Finally, we used the model to determine the parameters that optimize the laser output such as the waveguide length, output coupler reflectivity and refractive index contrast.

Innovated single flush on-line solid-phase extraction in bead injection format for flow programming-based determination of creatinine in human urine.

Reaction-based assays are commonly automated and miniaturized via flow analysis. However, aggressive reagents can affect or destroy even the chemically resistant manifold during long-term use. Using on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) can eliminate this drawback and allow for high reproducibility and further advanced automation, as presented in this work. Determination of creatinine in human urine, an important clinical marker, by sequential injection analysis was achieved using bead injection on-line SPE with specific UV spectrophotometric detection, providing the necessary sensitivity and selectivity of the method for bioanalysis. The automated SPE column packing and disposal, calibration, and fast measurement highlighted the improvements in our approach. Variable sample volumes and a single working standard solution eliminated matrix effects, broadened the calibration range, and accelerated the quantification. Our method comprised an injection of 20 µL of 100 × times diluted urine with aqueous acetic acid solution pH 2.4, sorption of creatinine in a strong cation exchanger SPE column, washing out urine matrix with 50% aqueous acetonitrile, and elution of creatinine with 1% ammonium hydroxide. The SPE step was accelerated by a single flush of the column when the eluent/matrix wash/sample/standard zones sequence was created in the pump holding coil, and then the sequence of the zones was flushed into the column at once. The whole process was continually spectrophotometrically detected at 235 nm, subtracted from the signal at 270 nm. A single run duration was less than 3.5 min. Method relative standard deviation was <5.0% (n = 6). A calibration range was linear within the range of 0.02-0.30 µg creatinine (R > 0.999), covering 1.0-15.0 mmol/L creatinine in urine. The standard addition method used two different volumes of a single working standard solution for quantification. Results proved the effectiveness of our improvements in the flow manifold, bead injection, and automated quantification. The accuracy of our method was comparable to the routine enzymatic assay of real urine samples in a clinical laboratory.

Non-classical interference in integrated 3D multiports.

We demonstrate three and four input multiports in a three dimensional glass platform, fabricated using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique. Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference is observed and a full quantum characterization is performed, obtaining two photon correlation matrices for all combinations of input and output ports. For the 3-port case, the quantum visibilities are accurately predicted solely from measurement of the classical coupling ratios.

Optimizing the net reflectivity of point-by-point fiber Bragg gratings: the role of scattering loss.

We present an experimental and theoretical analysis of the influence of scattering losses on the net reflectivity of fiber Bragg gratings inscribed with a femtosecond laser and the point-by-point technique. We demonstrate that the ratio of the coupling strength coefficient to the scattering loss coefficient varies significantly with the inscribing laser pulse energy, and highlight that an optimal pulse-energy range exists for achieving high-reflectivity gratings. These results are critical for exploiting high power fiber laser opportunities based on point-by-point gratings.

Cladding mode coupling in highly localized fiber Bragg gratings II: complete vectorial analysis.

Highly localized fiber Bragg gratings can be inscribed point-by-point with focused ultrashort pulses. The transverse localization of the resonant grating causes strong coupling to cladding modes of high azimuthal and radial order. In this paper, we show how the reflected cladding modes can be fully analyzed, taking their vectorial nature, orientation and degeneracies into account. The observed modes' polarization and intensity distributions are directly tied to the dispersive properties and show abrupt transitions in nature, strongly correlated with changes in the coupling strengths.

Ultrafast laser-written dual-wavelength waveguide laser.

We report the performance of a dual-wavelength waveguide laser based on a phase-modulated sampled-grating architecture fabricated using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique. The waveguide laser was written in Yb-doped phosphate glass and had a narrow linewidth (<10 pm), high signal-to-noise ratio (>60 dB), 5 mW output power per channel, and wavelength separation of 10 nm.

Cladding mode coupling in highly localized fiber Bragg gratings: modal properties and transmission spectra.

The spectral characteristics of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a transversely inhomogeneous refractive index profile, differs considerably from that of a transversely uniform one. Transmission spectra of inhomogeneous and asymmetric FBGs that have been inscribed with focused ultrashort pulses with the so-called point-by-point technique are investigated. The cladding mode resonances of such FBGs can span a full octave in the spectrum and are very pronounced (deeper than 20dB). Using a coupled-mode approach, we compute the strength of resonant coupling and find that coupling into cladding modes of higher azimuthal order is very sensitive to the position of the modification in the core. Exploiting these properties allows precise control of such reflections and may lead to many new sensing applications.

Three-dimensional imaging of direct-written photonic structures.

Third-harmonic generation microscopy has been used to analyze the morphology of photonic structures created using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique. Three-dimensional waveguide arrays and waveguide-Bragg gratings written in fused-silica and doped phosphate glass were investigated. A sensorless adaptive-optical system was used to correct the optical aberrations occurring in the sample and microscope system, which had a lateral resolution of less than 500 nm. This nondestructive testing method creates volume reconstructions of photonic devices and reveals details invisible to other linear microscopy and index profilometry techniques.

Linearly polarized fiber laser using a point-by-point Bragg grating in a single-polarization photonic bandgap fiber.

We present a narrow-linewidth, linearly polarized neodymium-doped fiber laser that incorporates a point-by-point Bragg grating inscribed into the core of a single-polarization all-solid photonic bandgap fiber. The Bragg grating was written within a single-polarization wavelength band of the fiber; thus, the Bragg reflection was polarized. This all-fiber laser produced 7.2 W, linearly polarized output with 25 pm FWHM and 19.6 dB polarization extinction ratio.

Point-by-point inscription of apodized fiber Bragg gratings.

We demonstrate apodized fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) inscribed with a point-by-point (PbP) technique. We tailor the grating phase and coupling amplitude through precise control over the longitudinal and transverse positions of each laser-inscribed modification. This method of apodization is facilitated by the highly localized, high-contrast modifications generated by focused IR femtosecond laser inscription. Our technique provides a simple method for the design and implementation of PbP FBGs with complex apodization profiles.

Control of light transmission in laser-written phase-shifted Bragg grating couplers.

We demonstrate the fabrication by direct laser writing and the operation of a directional coupler containing Bragg gratings in each waveguide. We achieve high-precision control over the longitudinal shift between the gratings, which feature first-order Bragg resonance at telecommunication wavelengths. We observe fundamental differences between light transmission characteristics in couplers with unshifted and shifted gratings in agreement with theoretical predictions.

Slow-light enhanced correlated photon pair generation in a silicon photonic crystal waveguide.

We report the generation of correlated photon pairs in the telecom C-band at room temperature from a dispersion-engineered silicon photonic crystal waveguide. The spontaneous four-wave mixing process producing the photon pairs is enhanced by slow-light propagation enabling an active device length of less than 100 µm. With a coincidence to accidental ratio of 12.8 at a pair generation rate of 0.006 per pulse, this ultracompact photon pair source paves the way toward scalable quantum information processing realized on-chip.

Adaptive optics for direct laser writing with plasma emission aberration sensing.

Aberrations affect the focal spot quality in direct laser write applications when focusing through a refractive index mismatch. Closed loop adaptive optics can correct these aberrations if a suitable feedback signal can be found. Focusing an ultrafast laser beam into transparent dielectric material can lead to plasma formation in the focal region. We report using the supercontinuum emitted by such a plasma to measure the optical aberrations, the subsequent aberration correction using a spatial light modulator and the fabrication of nanostructures using the corrected optical system.

All-optical, actively Q-switched fiber laser.

All-fiber lasers offer increased robustness and simplicity over other fiber laser systems. Current active Q-switching techniques for all-fiber lasers rely on electro-mechanical transducers to strain-tune an intra-cavity fiber-Bragg grating, which adds complexity and can lead to vibrational sensitivity. An all-optical technique for achieving active Q-switched operation is a more elegant approach and would maintain the inherent robustness and simplicity of an all-fiber laser system. In this work, we studied the optical tuning of a fiber-Bragg grating by resonant optical pumping and optimized it for application to active systems. We incorporated an optically-tunable fiber-Bragg grating into a fiber laser and demonstrated active Q-switching at 35 kHz with this all-optical, all-fiber laser system. We highlight the potential to operate at >300 kHz with the current embodiment. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an optically-driven active Q-switch in a fiber laser. Further potential to operate at MHz frequencies is discussed.