Phase locking of a 2.7 THz quantum cascade laser to a microwave reference.

We demonstrate the phase locking of a 2.7 THz metal-metal waveguide quantum cascade laser (QCL) to an external microwave signal. The reference is the 15th harmonic, generated by a semiconductor superlattice nonlinear device, of a signal at 182 GHz, which itself is generated by a multiplier chain (x12) from a microwave synthesizer at approximately 15 GHz. Both laser and reference radiations are coupled into a bolometer mixer, resulting in a beat signal, which is fed into a phase-lock loop. The spectral analysis of the beat signal confirms that the QCL is phase locked. This result opens the possibility to extend heterodyne interferometers into the far-infrared range.

THz-Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules.

The terahertz frequency absorption spectraof DNA molecules reflect low-frequencyinternal helical vibrations involvingrigidly bound subgroups that are connectedby the weakest bonds, including thehydrogen bonds of the DNA base pairs,and/or non-bonded interactions. Althoughnumerous difficulties make the directidentification of terahertz phonon modes inbiological materials very challenging, ourresearch has shown that such measurementsare both possible and fruitful. Spectra ofdifferent DNA samples reveal a large numberof modes and a reasonable level ofsequence-specific uniqueness. In an attemptto show that the long wavelength absorptionfeatures are intrinsic properties ofbiological materials determined by phononmodes, a normal mode analysis has been usedto predict the absorption spectra ofpolynucleotide RNA Poly[G]-Poly[C]. Directcomparison demonstrated a correlationbetween calculated and experimentallyobserved spectra of the RNA polymers, thusconfirming that the fundamental physicalnature of the observed resonance structureis caused by the internal vibration modesin the macromolecules.In this work we demonstrate results fromFourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR)spectroscopy of DNA macromolecules andrelated biological materials in theterahertz frequency range. Carefulattention was paid to the possibility ofinterference or etalon effects in thesamples, and phenomena were clearlydifferentiated from the actual phononmodes. In addition, we studied thedependence of transmission spectra ofaligned DNA and polynucleotide film sampleson molecule orientation relative to theelectromagnetic field, showing the expectedchange in mode strength as a function ofsample orientation. Further, the absorptioncharacteristics were extracted from thetransmission data using the interferencespectroscopy technique, and a stronganisotropy of terahertz characteristics wasdemonstrated.

Submillimeter-wave phonon modes in DNA macromolecules.

A detailed investigation of phonon modes in DNA macromolecules is presented. This work presents experimental evidence to confirm the presence of multiple dielectric resonances in the submillimeter-wave spectra (i.e., approximately 0.01-10 THz) obtained from DNA samples. These long-wave (i.e., approximately 1-30 cm(-1)) absorption features are shown to be intrinsic properties of the particular DNA sequence under study. Most importantly, a direct comparison of spectra between different DNA samples reveals a large number of modes and a reasonable level of sequence-specific uniqueness. This work establishes the initial foundation for the future use of submillimeter-wave spectroscopy in the identification and characterization of DNA macromolecules.

Resonant metal-mesh bandpass filters for the far infrared.

The spectral performance of freestanding resonant metal-mesh bandpass filters operating with center frequencies ranging from 585 GHz to 2.1 THz is presented. These filters are made up of a 12-µm-thick copper film with an array of cross-shaped apertures that fill a circular area with a 50-mm diameter. The filters exhibit power transmission in the range 97-100% at their respective center frequencies and stop-band rejection in excess of 18 dB. The theoretically predicted nondiffracting properties of the meshes are experimentally verified through high-resolution beam mapping. Scalability of the filter spectra with mesh dimensions is demonstrated over a wide spectral range. Several modeling methods are considered, and results from the models are shown.

Visual performance and objectively measured grades of cataract. A correlation of methods designed for use in longitudinal trials.

Objective quantification of cataract and subjective assessment of visual performance are essential features of anticataract or cataractogenic drug trials. The constrains of a longitudinal trial require a compromise in contrast sensitivity measurement between sensitivity and speed. Such a system has been developed for use in longitudinal anticataract trials. An objective cataract assessment system has also been developed for these trials. Visual performance parameters and objectively measured grades of cataract using these systems were correlated in a group of patients with early lens opacities. Overall the correlation was poor in all three morphological types of cataract. Possible reasons for this and implications for future anticataract trials are discussed.

The accommodative contribution to binocular vergence eye movements.

Forced vergence fixation disparity curves were generated for both with and without an accommodative stimulus (accommodative closed and open loop conditions respectively) for fifteen asymptomatic subjects. All subjects exhibited an exophoric shift in fixation disparity for the accommodative open loop condition at the forced convergence side of the curve. No corresponding bias was found at the forced divergence side of the curve. The findings are discussed in terms of the results of previous studies and the existing models of vergence eye movements.

Comparison of associated heterophoria measurements using the Mallett test for near vision and the Sheedy Disparometer.

The Mallett test for near vision and the Sheedy Disparometer are compared in terms of their ability to measure associated heterophoria. Twenty-two asymptomatic subjects were used. With the Disparometer, ten of these subjects, familiar with making prism vergence measurements, exhibited stable forced vergence fixation disparity curves, and the associated heterophoria values using both instruments were not significantly different. However, the twelve subjects not familiar with making such measurements generated fluctuating, unstable fixation disparity curves, and the associated heterophoria values were significantly different. Repeated trials with the randomly selected naïve subjects led to flatter, more stable fixation disparity curves and lower values for the x- and y-intercepts when using the Disparometer. The Mallett test, however, produced identical values for associated heterophoria in each successive trial. Therefore, the validity of measurements using the Disparometer in a clinical setting is questioned.