Impact of the photorefractive and pyroelectric-electro-optic effect in lithium niobate on whispering-gallery modes.

Whispering-gallery resonators made of undoped and MgO-doped congruently grown lithium niobate are used to study electro-optic refractive index changes. Hereby, we focus on the volume photovoltaic and the pyroelectric effect, both providing an electric field driving the electro-optic effect. Our findings indicate that the light-induced photorefractive effect, combining the photovoltaic and electro-optic effect, is present only in the non-MgO-doped lithium niobate for exposure with light having wavelengths of up to 850 nm. This leads to strong resonance frequency shifts of the whispering-gallery modes. No photorefractive effect was observed in the MgO-doped material. One has to be aware that surface charges induced by the pyroelectric effect result in a similar phenomenon and are present in both materials.

An internal locking plate to study intramembranous bone healing in a mouse femur fracture model.

In most murine fracture models, the femur is stabilized by an intramedullary implant and heals predominantly through endochondral ossification. The aim of the present study was to establish a mouse model in which fractures heal intra-membraneously. Femur fractures of 16 SKH-mice were stabilized by an internal locking plate. Femur fractures of another 16 animals were stabilized by an intramedullary screw. Bone repair was analyzed by radiographic, biomechanical, and histological methods. At 2 weeks, histological analysis showed a significantly smaller callus diameter and callus area after locking plate fixation. Cartilage formation within the callus could only be observed after screw fixation, but not after fracture stabilization with the locking plate. Radiological and biomechanical analysis after 2 and 5 weeks showed a significantly improved healing and a higher bending stiffness of fractures stabilized by the locking plate. Fractures stabilized by the locking plate healed exclusively by intramembranous ossification, which is most probably a result of the anatomical reduction and stable fixation. The fractures that healed by intramembranous ossification showed an increased stiffness compared to fractures that healed by endochondral ossification. This model may be used to study molecular mechanisms of intramembranous bone healing.

Coherent control of ultrafast shift currents in GaAs with chirped optical pulses.

We demonstrate the coherent control of ultrafast shift currents in GaAs with two orthogonally polarized linearly chirped laser pulses. By varying the chirp and phase delay between the pulses, we achieve the control of the shape of the shift current transients in a wide range from a monopolar shape to different bipolar shapes (alternating currents). Moreover, the terahertz emission patterns resulting from the ultrafast shift currents allow one to determine the sign of the chirp of the laser pulses.