Squeezed light from a diamond-turned monolithic cavity.

For some crystalline materials, a regime can be found where continuous ductile cutting is feasible. Using precision diamond turning, such materials can be cut into complex optical components with high surface quality and form accuracy. In this work we use diamond-turning to machine a monolithic, square-shaped, doubly-resonant LiNbO3 cavity with two flat and two convex facets. When additional mild polishing is implemented, the Q-factor of the resonator is found to be limited only by the material absorption loss. We show how our monolithic square resonator may be operated as an optical parametric oscillator that is evanescently coupled to free-space beams via birefringent prisms. The prism arrangement allows for independent and large tuning of the fundamental and second harmonic coupling rates. We measure 2.6 ± 0.5 dB of vacuum squeezing at 1064 nm using our system. Potential improvements to obtain higher degrees of squeezing are discussed.

Note: long range and accurate measurement of deep trench microstructures by a specialized scanning tunneling microscope.

A compact but practical scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with high aspect ratio and high depth capability has been specially developed. Long range scanning mechanism with tilt-adjustment stage is adopted for the purpose of adjusting the probe-sample relative angle to compensate the non-parallel effects. A periodical trench microstructure with a pitch of 10 µm has been successfully imaged with a long scanning range up to 2.0 mm. More innovatively, a deep trench with depth and step height of 23.0 µm has also been successfully measured, and slope angle of the sidewall can approximately achieve 67°. The probe can continuously climb the high step and exploring the trench bottom without tip crashing. The new STM could perform long range measurement for the deep trench and high step surfaces without image distortion. It enables accurate measurement and quality control of periodical trench microstructures.

Rapid measurement of a high step microstructure with 90° steep sidewall.

A prototype STM system with high aspect ratio measurement capability is developed to fulfill accurate profile measurement of a high step microstructure with 90° steep sidewall. Distinguished from the traditional STM, the new system consists of a long range piezoelectric (PZT) actuator with full stroke of 60 µm as Z-direction servo scanner, a specially customized high aspect ratio STM probe with effective tip length of 300 µm, and an X-Y motorized driven stage for planar scanning. A tilt stage is used to adjust the probe-sample relative angle to compensate the evitable non-parallel effects. Based on the new STM system, sample-tilt-scanning methodology is proposed for eliminating the scanning blind region between the probe and the microstructure. A high step microstructure with height of 23 µm, 90° steep sidewall and width of 50µm has been successfully measured. The slope angle of the sidewall has been achieved to be 85° and the step height at the rising edge and the trench depth at the falling edge are both measured to be 22.96 µm. The whole measuring process only spent less than 10 min. It provides an effective and nondestructive solution for the measurement of high step or deep trench microstructures. In addition, this work also opens the way for further study on sidewall roughness and the tip-sample interaction at the edge of the sidewall, which are highly valuable for fabrication and quality control of high step microstructures.

Fabrication of micro DOE using micro tools shaped with focused ion beam.

A novel method is proposed to fabricate micro Diffractive Optical Elements (DOE) using micro cutting tools shaped with focused ion beam (FIB) milling. Micro tools with nanometric cutting edges and complicated shapes are fabricated by controlling the tool facet's orientation relative to the FIB. The tool edge radius of less than 30 nm is achieved for the nano removal of the work materials. Semi-circular micro tools and DOE-shaped micro tools are developed to fabricate micro-DOE and sinusoidal modulation templates. Experiments show that the proposed method can be a high efficient way in fabricating micro-DOE with nanoscale surface finishes.

Cylindrical coordinate machining of optical freeform surfaces.

The cylindrical coordinate machining method (CCM) is systematically studied in generating optical freeform surfaces, in which the feature points are fitted to typical Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS). The given points have the mapping coordinates in the variable space using the point inversion technique, while the other points have their NURBS coordinates due to the interpolation technique. The derivation and mathematical features are obtained using the fitting formula. The compensation and optimized values for tool geometry are studied using a proposed sectional curve method for fabricating designed surfaces. Typical freeform surfaces fabricated by the CCM method are presented.

Prevention of myocardial reperfusion injury with free radical scavengers. An experimental study.

The changes in endogenous superoxide dismutase (ESOD) during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion and the efficacy of oxygen free radical scavengers in myocardial protection were investigated in an isolated heart model connected with the recirculating nonpulsatile perfusion circuit. Subjected to a 2-hour period of global ischemia (27 C), the heart was reperfused with 37 C oxygen diluted auto-blood for 60 minutes. Superoxide dismutase plus catalase was added into the cardioplegic solution and reperfusates. ESOD activity was measured by pyrogallol method. The results of the experiment showed that ESOD activity after ischemia and reperfusion was decreased and the addition of oxygen free radical scavengers (SOD and CAT) to the cardioplegic solution and the reperfusates greatly reduced the leakage of myocardial enzymes, coronary vascular resistance, and the ultrastructural damages of the myocardium. These results suggest that the use of SOD and CAT may inhibit myocardial reperfusion injury by scavenging oxygen-derived free radicals.

The effect of IABP ventricular contractility of the normal and ischemic canine heart assessed in situ by T-Emax.

The effects of IABP on the contractile state of the in situ canine heart was evaluated under control conditions and conditions of regional ischemia by determining the transient slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume line, T-Emax. For comparison, the conventional index reflecting contractility, dP/dtmax and other related hemodynamic parameters were also assessed. The results showed that, T-Emax, rather than dP/dtmax, reflected more appropriately the changes in contractile state during activation of the IABP under both conditions. It suggests that IABP has a positive inotropic influence only in the ischemic-state and this is a positive inotropic influence only in the ischemic-state and this is a result of the improvement in the myocardial oxygen supply and demand relation. In addition, the limitations of the new indicator, T-Emax, is discussed.