The objective of this research was to develop a quantitative assay for analysis of electrolytes (Na, K, Ca, Mg) in blood serum by use of simple procedure and single pulse Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Serum samples were homogenized and encapsulated in a polyacrylamide gel drop during gel formation and fixed on a silicon (polysiloxan) glue coated glass planch, with two internal standards for signal normalization, better reproducibility and accuracy: Rb was chosen for alkali metals and Ba for alkali earth metals signal correction. Water was gently evaporated on a hot plate at 80oC together with gel formation and fixation, and the resulting gel film, containing the sample, analysed by repeatedly shooting the laser on its surface and accumulating spectra. No additional sample preparation was necessary with 5 to 20 μl of Serum consumption. Limits of detection of 6, 0.6, 1.9 and 1.7 μg/mL for Na, K, Ca and Mg respectively were obtained with the proposed setup. The resulting linearity for the four elements ranged from 3 times below to 2 times above the expected blood serum concentration levels variation, at less than 10% RSD. Finally, the methodology was assessed in the determination of the metals in real samples of human blood serum and the performance compared to a standard, automated clinical laboratory assay where Ca and Mg are determined by complexometry/colorimetry, and Na and K – electrochemically by use of ion selective electrodes, in a biochemical analyzer assembly.
Nd:SYSO and Nd:CALYO lasers were demonstrated with hot band pumping at 914 nm for the first time. The output power achieved was 201 mW centered at 1078.0 nm with slope efficiency of 18.6% for Nd:SYSO and 154 mW output centered at 1074.9 nm with 8.6% slope efficiency for Nd:CALYO. This pumping approach could offer further power scaling possibility due to the strongly reduced quantum defect and consequently lower thermal lensing.
The creation of microporous surface modification of chitosan thin films irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses are studied. For this purpose, chitosan substrates were treated by using an amplified Ti:sapphire laser system at 800 nm central wavelength with 30 fs and 150 fs pulse duration and repetition rate 1 kHz and 50 Hz, respectively. Formation of surface modifications for both cases (30 fs and 150 fs) after femtosecond laser irradiation were observed. The threshold values for single-pulse (N = 1) and multi-pulse (N > 1) modification were evaluated by studying the linear relationship between the squared crater diameter D2 and the logarithm of the laser fluence (F) for N = 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 number of laser pulses. The coefficient of incubation ξ, a major parameter in the process of surface modification and ablation of materials also was calculated for multi - pulse fluence threshold estimation by power - law relationship Fth (N) = Fth (1) Nξ-1, where N is the number of applied laser pulses. The surface properties of chitosan based thin films before and after femtosecond laser irradiation were investigated. The aim of this work is to determine the optimal morphological characteristics of the created structures for tailoring of protein adsorption and cell behavior.
Lasers can significantly advance medical diagnostics and treatment. At high power, they are typically used as cutting
tools during surgery. For lasers that are used as knifes, radiation wavelengths in the far ultraviolet and in the near
infrared spectral regions are favored because tissue has high contents of collagen and water. Collagen has an absorption
peak around 190 nm, while water is in the near infrared around 3,000 nm. Changing the wavelength across the
absorption peak will result in significant differences in laser tissue interactions. Tunable lasers in the infrared that could
optimize the laser tissue interaction for ablation and/or coagulation are not available until now besides the Free Electron
Laser (FEL). Here we demonstrate efficient tissue ablation using a table-top mid-IR laser tunable between 3,000 to
3,500 nm. A detailed study of the ablation has been conducted in different tissues. Little collateral thermal damage has
been found at a distance above 10-20 microns from the ablated surface. Furthermore, little mechanical damage could be
seen in conventional histology and by examination of birefringent activity of the samples using a pair of cross polarizing
filters.
We employed a 9-mm long periodically-poled KTiOPO4 (PPKTP) crystal with a domain inversion period of 37.8 μm in
an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) to generate sub-nanosecond pulses around 2.8 μm. With a 1-cm long OPO cavity
in a singly resonant configuration with double pass pumping the OPO threshold was 110 μJ at 1064 nm (1-ns pump
pulses at 1064 nm). The maximum idler output energy reached 110 μJ (quantum conversion efficiency of 32.5%). The
signal pulse duration (FWHM) was 0.72 ns and the estimated idler pulse duration was 0.76 ns. At room temperature the
signal and idler wavelengths were at 1722 and 2786 nm.
Passive mode-locking of 1.3 μm solid-state lasers is problematic for semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors
(SESAMs) not only because of difficulties in their fabrication process but also in relation to the achievable parameters
and damage resistivity. In contrast, single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorbers (SWCNT-SAs) exhibit broadband
absorption which is controllable by varying the nanotube diameter and chirality, and require relatively simple
manufacturing processes. Here we report on steady-state mode-locked operation of a diode pumped Nd:YVO4 laser on
the 4F3/2→4I13/2 transition at 1.342 μm using a transmitting SWCNT-SA. The SWCNT-SA employed in the present work
was fabricated by SWCNTs grown by high-pressure CO conversion technique, showing broad absorption around
1.3 μm. The linear transmission at the laser wavelength was about 99%. The Nd:YVO4 laser was longitudinally pumped
by the unpolarized radiation of a 808 nm fiber-coupled laser diode. The ~1.2-m long cavity was optimized for large
fundamental mode size. Above threshold the laser operated first in the CW mode, then had a range of Q-switched modelocked
operation before reaching the regime of stable steady-state mode-locking. With an output coupler of 90%
reflectivity, the average output power in the steady-state mode-locked regime reached 0.8 W at a slope efficiency of
14.5% with respect to the incident pump power. At a repetition rate of 127 MHz this corresponds to single pulse energy
of 6.3 nJ. Such pulse energies are comparable to the best results obtained using SESAMs but the pulse duration of
16.5 ps measured in the present experiment is substantially shorter.
Passive mode-locking of Nd-lasers operating on the 4F3/2 → 4I13/2 transition is problematic for semiconductor saturable
absorber mirrors (SESAMs) not only because of difficulties in their fabrication process but also in relation to the
achievable parameters and damage resistivity. We investigate an alternative approach based on second-order nonlinearity
inside the laser cavity which utilizes negative χ(2)-lens formation in a SHG crystal assisted by nonlinear reflection of the
so-called "frequency-doubling nonlinear-mirror" (FDNLM). This approach has been previously employed only for
mode-locking of Nd-lasers emitting at 1.06 μm. Here we demonstrate passive mode-locking of a diode-pumped
Nd:YVO4 laser operating at 1342 nm based on negative χ(2)-lensing assisted by the FDNLM effect. Using a 7-mm-long
BiB3O6 (BIBO) nonlinear crystal or 10-mm-long and 1-mm-thick periodically-poled Mg-doped stoichiometric lithium
tantalate (PPMgSLT) crystal and output couplers highly-reflecting at the second-harmonic with optimized transmission
at the fundamental, we achieve average output powers in the steady-state mode-locked regime of the order of 1 W at
pulse durations in the 4-7 ps range. Such a combination of high output power and short pulse duration is superior with
respect to the results previously reported with SESAM mode-locked Nd-lasers operating on this transition. Higher
average powers have been obtained for this laser transition only by the complex additive mode-locking technique. In our
case the average power limit is set by the maximum power achievable in the fundamental transversal mode in the
continuous-wave (CW) regime. The shortest pulses (FWHM of 3.7 ps) can be very well fitted by sech2 temporal shape
assumption.
BiB3O6 (BIBO), the first low-symmetry (monoclinic class 2) inorganic nonlinear crystal that became commercially
available, possesses some unique advantages for applications in ultrafast laser technology which are primarily related to
its dispersive properties. In the present paper, these properties are analyzed in more detail and compared with other
crystals. Of special interest is the pumping of this material near 800 nm for broadband parametric amplification in the
near-infrared between 1.15 and 2.4 μm. We present experimental results on generation and amplification of
ultrabroadband femtosecond continua in this spectral range using amplified Ti:sapphire lasers as pump sources.
The second- and third-order nonlinear optical properties of Magnesium Sulfite Hexahydrate (MgSO3.6H2O) were studied by Second-Harmonic Generation (SHG) and Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing (DFWM). Nanosecond pumping by Nd:YAG laser having a variable reflection output coupler was used. The effective quadratic (&khgr;(2)) and cubic (&khgr;(3)) nonlinear susceptibility values are obtained at room temperature. The dispersion of the nonlinear optical susceptibility of MgSO3.6H2O is also discussed.
We analyze the phase-matching properties of the monoclinic nonlinear crystal BiB3O6 (BIBO) for optical parametric
amplification of femtosecond pulses when pumped near 800 nm by Ti:sapphire based laser systems. BIBO possesses
higher figure of merit than &bgr;-BaB2O4 (BBO) and extremely large parametric gain bandwidth for collinear interaction.
Experimentally, we compare type-II BIBO and BBO in a double pass optical parametric amplifier (OPA), pumping by
amplified 80-fs pulses near 800 nm at a repetition rate of 1 kHz. The conversion efficiency obtained with BIBO is higher
and a total energy output (signal + idler) of about 80 &mgr;J is obtained in the plateau region of the tunability curve (1-3 &mgr;m)
with an uncoated sample, for a total pump energy of 375 &mgr;J. Shorter pulse durations were obtained with BIBO: e.g.
120 fs (FWHM) near 3 &mgr;m for the idler pulses. Substantial power scaling of such a femtosecond OPA is possible using a
large aperture BIBO crystal in the second stage and we demonstrate a total energy output (signal + idler) exceeding
1 mJ, corresponding to an intrinsic conversion efficiency of ≈32% for the second stage, using a specially designed high-power
Ti:sapphire pump system operating at 1 kHz. The tunability extends in this case from 1.1 to 2.9 &mgr;m. The high
parametric gain and broad amplification bandwidth of type-I BIBO allow the maintenance of the pump pulse duration,
leading to pulse lengths less than 140 fs, both for the signal and idler pulses, even at such high output levels.
The electron photodetachment from 2.5~mM aqueous iodide solution is
studied in the temperature range 25 to 75°C. The dynamics
following excitation of the anion at 242~nm into the lowest CTTS state are studied in the spectral range of 400-1000~nm. A first intermediate is observed that builds up with a time constant of 220 to 180~fs in the investigated temperature interval and is assigned to an iodine:electron pair in a transient solvent configuration. Subsequent solvent reorganization leads to a quasi-equilibrated hydrated atom:electron pair (I:e-)hyd. The latter builds up with a time constant of 700 to 540~fs going from 25°C to 75°C. The following relaxation seems to be governed by partially diffusion-controlled recombination of the electron in the presence of an attraction potential well with depth of about 850~cm-1. The experimental result for the lifetime of the
hydrated I:e- pair is 21 to 16~ps going from 25°C to
75°C.
A new approach for design of resonators of diode-pumped solid state lasers is presented. The required beam waist radii in both the active medium and the passive mode-locking element as well as the operational point on the resonator stability diagram are the initial parameters of our analysis. Analytical formulae are derived for calculation of 3- and 4-mirror resonators.
It is shown that a combination of a polarizer, a type II second harmonic generation (SHG) crystal at nearly phase- matched conditions, and a back reflector has pulse shortening and mode-locking capabilities. The latter are due to the intensity dependent change of the polarization state of the fundamental wave by cascade second-order processes in the nonlinear crystal. This change of polarization state causes nonlinear reflection, when the fundamental wave passes back through the polarizer, i.e. the combination of a polarizer a SHG crystal and a dielectric mirror acts for the fundamental wave as a nonlinear mirror, called by us a frequency doubling polarization mirror (FDPM). The dependence of the properties of the FDPM on the nonlinear characteristics and the orientation of the SHG crystal, as well as on the accumulated phase shift between the second harmonic and the fundamental wave within the space between the nonlinear crystal and the back reflector were investigated.
We developed a novel type of Q-modulator based on cascaded nonlinear chi-2 processes. The principle of operation is based on the nonlinear reflection, which occurs in second harmonic generation or frequency mixing owning to polarization rotation of the fundamental wave in the nonlinear crystal by intensity- induced phase shift. Dynamics of the generation evolution in laser with nonlinear cascaded polarization mirror (NCPM) using the rate equations has been analyzed. Generation of giant pulses is theoretically obtained. This new method for passive Q-switching has a very large working spectral range (from VIS to NIR) and the lack of absorption losses results in low thermal effects which make it appropriate for passive Q- switching of high average power lasers.
A new method for restoration of ceramic surfaces, based on laser ablation of impurities has been developed. Optical pulses generated by Nd:YAG laser are used to remove a high absorbing layer (fungi) from the surface of a lower absorbing ceramic substrate. Two regimes of operation have been employed: Q-switched mode and free running mode. Analysis suggests that Q-switched mode of operation is the most efficient for cleaning processes. Densities of energy 1.60 - 1.90 J/cm2 at the fundamental wave and pulse duration 10 ns are the typical values for removing of impurities of fungi from ceramic surfaces. The second, third and forth harmonics of the Nd:YAG laser have been also used for optimization of the process of laser restoration. The absence of structural changes of the ceramics surface after the process of laser cleaning has been observed by X-ray analysis. The used ceramic substrate is dated 5000 BC- a part of the excavations near Durankulak.
Experimental investigation of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, utilizing unstable resonators with variable reflectivity dielectric mirrors is presented. We designed flat-convex and confocal unstable resonator. Gaussian and super-Gaussian variable reflection profiles with various mirror spot sizes are used. Comparison between the used resonator schemes is made by measurement of the following laser parameters: energy extraction, near- and far-field intensity distributions. Output energy of 400 - 450 mJ is obtained for different resonators at repetition frequency up to 5 Hz. The advantages of unstable resonators with variable reflectivity mirrors are demonstrated by efficient frequency conversion of the high power Nd:YAG laser.
Analytical formula using elementary functions for the description of the process of nonlinear phase shift of the fundamental waves involved in second harmonic generation or sum frequency mixing have been derived. The analytical results can be used for the design of devices based on cascade second order nonlinear phase shift. Using this formula it is shown that the system 'polarizer-Type II SHG crystal-analyzer' possesses pulse compression capability.
Pump-induced probe beam deflection in an off-axis geometry is used to achieve simultaneous shaping and shortening of probe pulses. The first and the second harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser served as a pump and probe wave respectively. Each pulse generated (super- Gaussian, sequences of two and three pulses) was of a reduced duration as compared to that of the incoming probe pulse.
A passive feedback control in an actively mode-locked pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used to shorten the pulse duration or obtain millisecond trains of ultra-short light pulses. The intracavity second harmonic generation in a crystal situated at proper distance from the output mirror served as a positive or negative feedback. When negative feedback was used, the length of the train was limited by the length of the flash lamp pumping pulse.
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