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Research background. Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) flour produces films with excellent barrier properties against water vapor, allowing food preservation, but the mechanical properties are poor compared to synthetic films. One strategy to improve these properties is the incorporation of nanoparticles. The particles can also serve as a vehicle for the addition of antioxidant agents into the films. The objective of this work is to optimize the formulation for the preparation of amaranth flour films treated with antioxidant chia (Salvia hispanica L.) extract-loaded chitosan particles using response surface methodology (RSM). Experimental approach. Chitosan nanoparticles with the extract were synthesized by ionic gelation, and the films were made by the casting method. Three independent variables were assigned: amaranth flour (4-6%), glycerol (25-35%) and chitosan nanoparticles loaded with the chia extract (0-0.75%). We then evaluated the physical (thickness), mechanical (tensile strength, Young´s modulus and elongation), barrier (water vapor permeability, moisture and water solubility) and antioxidant properties of the films. The experimental results of the properties were analyzed using a Box-Behnken experimental design generating 15 runs with three replicates at the central point. Results and conclusions. Second and third order polynomial models were obtained from the ANOVA analysis of the evaluated responses, and high coefficients of determination were found (0.91–1.0). The water vapor permeability of the films was 0.82−2.39·10-7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2), tensile strength was 0.33−1.63 MPa and antioxidant activity 2.24−5.65%. The variables had different effects on the films: glycerol negatively affected their properties, and the permeability values increased with increased amaranth flour content. The nanoparticles improved the mechanical, barrier and antioxidant properties of the films compared to the films without nanosystems. The optimal formulation was 4% amaranth flour, 25% glycerol and 0.36% chitosan nanoparticles. The optimized films had better mechanical (1.62 MPa) properties, a low water vapor permeability value (0.91·10-7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2)) and moderate antioxidant activity (6.43%). Novelty and scientific contribution. The results show the effect of chitosan nanoparticles on the properties of amaranth flour films for the first time. The resulting equations are useful in the design of food packaging., Pozadina istraživanja. Brašno od amaranta odnosno šćira (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) može se upotrijebiti za izradu filmova s odličnim svojstvom propusnosti vodene pare, što omogućuje čuvanje hrane, no ti filmovi imaju lošija mehanička svojstva od sintetičkih filmova. Jedan od mogućih načina poboljšanja mehaničkih svojstava filmova je dodatak nanočestica, koje ujedno mogu poslužiti kao nosač antioksidansa. Svrha je ovoga rada bila metodom odzivnih površina optimirati pripremu filmova od šćirovog brašna dodatkom čestica kitozana koje sadržavaju antioksidanse iz ekstrakta chia (Salvia hispanica L.) sjemenki. Eksperimentalni pristup. Nanočestice kitozana s ekstraktom chia sjemenki dobivene su ionskim geliranjem, a filmovi su pripremljeni metodom izlijevanja. Određene su tri nezavisne varijable: šćirovo brašno (4-6 %), glicerol (25–35 %) i nanočestice kitozana s ekstraktom chia sjemenki (0–0,75 %). Zatim su procijenjena fizikalna (gustoća), mehanička (vlačna čvrstoća, Youngov modul elastičnosti i istezljivost), barijerna (propusnost vodene pare, vlaga i topljivost u vodi) i antioksidacijska svojstva filmova. Dobiveni su rezultati ispitani pomoću Box-Behnkenovog plana izvođenjem 15 eksperimenata s tri ponavljanja u centralnoj točki. Rezultati i zaključci. Analizom odziva pomoću ANOVA testa dobiveni su modeli oblika polinoma drugog i trećeg stupnja te visoki koeficijenti određivanja (0,91–1,0). Propusnost vodene pare bila je 0,82−2,39·10–7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2), vlačna čvrstoća 0,33−1,63 MPa, a antioksidacijska aktivnost filmova 2,24−5,65 %. Svaka je varijabla imala drugačiji učinak: povećanje udjela glicerola negativno je utjecalo na svojstva flimova, a njihova propusnost se povećala s povećanjem udjela šćirovog brašna. Dodatkom nanočestica poboljšana su mehanička i antioksidacijska svojstva te propusnost filmova u usporedbi s filmovima koji nisu sadržavali nanočestice. Optimalni dodatak filmovima bio je 4 % šćirovog brašna, 25 % glicerola i 0,36 % nanočestica kitozana. Optimirani filmovi imali su bolja mehanička svojstva (1,62 MPa), malu propusnost vodene pare (0,91·10–7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2)) i umjerenu antioksidacijsku aktivnost (6,43 %). Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Rezultati ispitivanja po prvi put prikazuju utjecaj nanočestica kitozana na svojstva filmova od šćirovog brašna. Dobivene jednadžbe mogu se korisno upotrijebiti u projektiranju jestive ambalaže.

In this paper, we present a novel mechanism for the generation of laser pulses based on the phenomenon of thermocavitation. Thermocavitation bubbles were generated within a glass cuvette filled with copper nitrate dissolved in water, where the tip of an optical fiber was placed very close to the bubble generation region. Once the bubble is generated, it expands rapidly and the incoming laser light transmitted through the optical fiber is reflected at the vapor-solution interface and reflected back into the fiber, which is coupled to an erbium-doped fiber ring laser. Laser pulses were extracted from the ring cavity and detected by a fast photodetector, which corresponds to a single thermocavitation event, obtaining a pulse repetition rate from 118 Hz to 2 kHz at 1560 nm, with a pulse width ranging from 64 to 57 µs. The repetition rate can be controlled by adjusting the laser power to induce thermocavitation. To our knowledge, this novel mechanism of laser pulses has not been reported in the literature.

A simple and inexpensive method to measure vibrations in mechanical structures is presented by means of Fabry-Perot interferometry and Doppler effect. The sensor consists of a transparent hydrogel sphere attached to an single-mode optical fiber from a 50:50 fiber coupler, laser light with a wavelength of 658 nm, and a photodetector which is connected to an oscilloscope. The vibrometric sensor works in the time domain by detecting the number of interference fringes. The tip of the prototype is composed of mechanical couplings that join the fiber with the hydrogel sphere. The sensor allows knowing the vibration frequency at which a mechanical part is oscillating. The analysis presented in this work shows several advantages over conventional methods, such as low cost, real-time measurement, and simplification in experimental setup. The sensor system is capable of capturing vibrations of up to 5000 Hz.

In this work, the study of two-photon absorption by gold nanoparticles of different diameters photodeposited onto the core of a single-mode optical fibre is presented. The photodeposition of nanoparticles with diameters of 10, 20, 50 and 100 nm was achieved using a continuous wave laser at a wavelength of 1550 nm and a power of 50 mW. Nonlinear optical characterization was carried out by using the P-scan technique of a high gain erbium doped fibre amplifier with pulses of 20 ns at a frequency of 10 kHz, that provides a maximum intensity of approximately 60 MW/cm2. The results show that for gold nanoparticles greater than 20 nm photodeposited onto the fibre, in both cases, the nonlinear coefficient as well as the third-order susceptibility increase as the diameter of the nanoparticles increases, describing a typical behaviour of the two-photon absorption. The obtained results can be used for the design of filters and optical limiters in the communications area.

In the present paper, we show the experimental measurement of the growth of a microbubble created on the tip of a single mode optical fiber, in which zinc nanoparticles were photodeposited on its core by using a single laser source to carry out both the generation of the microbubble by photothermal effect and the monitoring of the microbubble diameter. The photodeposition technique, as well as the formation of the microbubble, was carried out by using a single-mode pigtailed laser diode with emission at a wavelength of 658 nm. The microbubble’s growth was analyzed in the time domain by the analysis of the Fabry–Perot cavity, whose diameter was calculated with the number of interference fringes visualized in an oscilloscope. The results obtained with this technique were compared with images obtained from a CCD camera, in order to verify the diameter of the microbubble. Therefore, by counting the interference fringes, it was possible to quantify the temporal evolution of the microbubble. As a practical demonstration, we proposed a vibrometer sensor using microbubbles with sizes of 83 and 175 m as a Fabry–Perot cavity; through the time period of a full oscillation cycle of an interferogram observed in the oscilloscope, it was possible to know the frequency vibration (500 and 1500 Hz) for a cuvette where the microbubble was created. CONACyT (FOINS) Grant No. 2319 Fondo Sectorial de Investigación para la Educación Grant No. A1-S-28440.

The most common approach to optically generate and manipulate bubbles in liquids involves temperature gradients induced by CW lasers. In this work, we present a method to accomplish both the generation of microbubbles and their 3D manipulation in ethanol through optothermal forces. These forces are triggered by light absorption from a nanosecond pulsed laser (λ = 532 nm) at silver nanoparticles photodeposited at the distal end of a multimode optical fiber. Light absorbed from each laser pulse quickly heats up the silver-ethanol interface beyond the ethanol critical-point (∼ 243 °C) before the heat diffuses through the liquid. Therefore, the liquid achieves a metastable state and owing to spontaneous nucleation converted to a vapor bubble attached to the optical fiber. The bubble grows with semi-spherical shape producing a counterjet in the final stage of the collapse. This jet reaches the hot nanoparticles vaporizing almost immediately and ejecting a microbubble. This microbubble-generation mechanism takes place with every laser pulse (10 kHz repetition rate) leading to the generation of a microbubbles stream. The microbubbles' velocities decrease as they move away from the optical fiber and eventually coalesce forming a larger bubble. The larger bubble is attracted to the optical fiber by the Marangoni force once it reaches a critical size while being continuously fed with each bubble of the microbubbles stream. The balance of the optothermal forces owing to the laser-pulse drives the 3D manipulation of the main bubble. A complete characterization of the trapping conditions is provided in this paper.

The water vapor permeability (WVP) and hardness of biodegradable nanocomposite films based on glutelin from Jatropha curcas L. were determined and the results were analyzed by response surface meth...

Background: Metal nanoparticles have been widely investigated due to their unique optical, mechanical, and chemical properties compared with those of the same bulk material. These properties can be tuned by controlling their size or shape, in this sense, several nanomaterials have been obtained by means of both chemical and physical methods. For instance, silver nanoparticles have been obtained in liquid media by using laser ablation or chemical reduction techniques. Another way to obtain a colloidal silver nanoparticles is through the well-known pulsed laser irradiation method which can produce a stable colloidal solution in a few minutes of irradiation and without stabilizing molecules or ligands. Methods: Silver nanopowder suspended in ethanol was irradiated with a pulsed laser at 532 nm via optical fiber. Previously, the fiber was prepared by cleaving and removing its coating and then placed in the middle of a cell. The pulse width was 15 ns and the pulse repetition frequency was 10 kHz. Scanning and transmission electron microscopes were used to observe the silver nanoparticles before and after laser irradiation, respectively. The samples were analyzed by means of UV-Vis spectrophotometer to observe the absorption spectra. Results: The absorption spectra show that particle size distribution increases according to the irradiation time. The colloidal solution showed a color change (from gray to yellow) after having irradiated it for 5 minutes. From TEM images, it can be observed that silver nanopowder was transformed to semispherical particles with diameters smaller than 1μm, however, due to the wide particle size distribution the colloidal solution was centrifuged for 30 min to separate the nanoparticles. Conclusion: The pulsed laser irradiation method via optical fiber was successfully used to obtain a stable yellow colloidal solution. Photomelting, photofusion, and photofragmentation are the responsible phenomena for the change in morphology and size of the silver nanopowder.

An experimental study on optical pulses generation using single-wall carbon nanotubes as a saturable absorbers in an Er 3 + -doped fiber laser is reported. The saturable absorber was made by the photodeposition technique to place single-wall carbon nanotubes onto an optical fiber end. This technique consists of light laser provided by an Er 3 + -doped fiber amplifier and single-wall carbon nanotubes suspended in an aqueous solution. Using a fiber splice tube, the optical fiber with the single-wall carbon nanotubes is placed in the Er 3 + -doped fiber laser cavity. The nonlinear absorption of the saturable absorber was characterized by P-scan technique using a high gain pulsed Er 3 + -doped fiber amplifier. The results demonstrated that is possible to obtain optical pulses generation by using the single-wall carbon nanotubes as saturable absorber. The pulses duration are from 8.5 to 18 μs with a repetition rate around of 16–19.5 kHz. The nonlinear absorption of the single-wall carbon nanotubes photodeposited onto an optical fiber end is approximately − 5.25 × 10 − 6 m / W .

We present the generation and 3D manipulation of microbubbles by thermal gradients, induced by low power nanosecond pulsed laser in non-absorbent liquids. Light absorption at photodeposited silver nanoparticles on the optical fiber tip heat up the surrounding liquid, which leads to optothermal effects. With each laser pulse a microbubble is detached from the optical fiber end, creating a microbubbles-stream. The microbubbles move away from the optical fiber end driven by non-spherical cavitation until they coalesce creating a main-bubble which is attracted towards the optical fiber end by Marangoni force. In addition, the main-bubbles are under the influence of buoyancy and gravity forces, which act upwards and downwards, respectively. The balance of these forces allows the 3D manipulation of the main-bubble. The main-bubble position can be controlled by careful control of the pulse energy. To our knowledge this is the first time that 3D manipulation of microbubbles using pulsed lasers is demonstrated.

Numerical simulations using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method were used to study the propagation of an acoustic wave within a truncated ellipsoidal cavity. Based in our simulations, a fluidic device was designed and fabricated using a 3D printer in order to focus an acoustic wave more efficiently and expel a liquid jet. The device consists of an ellipsoidal shaped chamber filled with a highly absorbent solution at the operating wavelength (1064 nm) in order to create a vapor bubble using a continuous wavelength laser. The bubble rapidly expands and collapses emitting an acoustic wave that propagates inside the cavity, which was measured by using a needle hydrophone. The bubble collapse, and source of the acoustic wave, occurs in one focus of the cavity and the acoustic wave is focused on the other one, expelling a liquid jet to the exterior. The physical mechanism of the liquid jet generation is momentum transfer from the acoustic wave, which is strongly focused due to the geometry of the cavity. This mechanism is different to the methods that uses pulsed lasers for the same purpose. The maximum speed of the generated liquid microjets was approximately 20 m/s. One potential application of this fluidic device can be found for inkjet printing, coating and, maybe the most attractive, for drug delivery.

Generation and 3D manipulation of microbubbles by means of temperature gradients induced by low power laser radiation is presented. Photodeposited silver nanoparticles on the distal end of two optical fibers act as thermal sources after light absorption. The temperature rises above liquid evaporation temperature generating a microbubble at the optical fibers end in non-absorbent liquids. Alternatively, switching the thermal gradients between the fibers, it is possible to generate forces in opposite directions, causing the migration of microbubbles from one fiber optic tip to another. Marangoni force induced by surface tension gradients in the bubble wall is the driving force behind the manipulation of microbubbles

The generation and manipulation of microbubbles by means of temperature gradients induced by low power laser radiation is presented. A laser beam (λ = 1064 nm) is divided into two equal parts and coupled to two multimode optical fibers. The opposite ends of each fiber are aligned and separated a distance D within an ethanol solution. Previously, silver nanoparticles were photo deposited on the optical fibers ends. Light absorption at the nanoparticles produces a thermal gradient capable of generating a microbubble at the optical fibers end in non-absorbent liquids. The theoretical and experimental studies carried out showed that by switching the thermal gradients, it is possible to generate forces in opposite directions, causing the migration of microbubbles from one fiber optic tip to another. Marangoni force induced by surface tension gradients in the bubble wall is the driving force behind the manipulation of microbubbles. We estimated a maximum Marangoni force of 400nN for a microbubble with a radius of 110 μm.

In this work, the influence of induced losses on the saturable absorption by zinc nanoparticles photodeposited onto the core of an optical fiber end is reported. Samples with different losses were obtained by the photodeposition technique using a continuous wave laser at 1550 nm. The nonlinear absorption of the saturable absorber was characterized by the P-scan technique using a high-gain pulsed erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The results have demonstrated that for optical fibers with variable induced losses by deposited nanoparticles, the modulation depth increases proportionally based on the nonlinear absorption coefficient. With induced losses fixed at 3 dB, it was demonstrated that the modulation depth increased as a function of the optical power used in the photodeposition process. The saturation intensity of the saturable absorber presents small shifts for higher intensities.

A high-velocity fluid stream ejected from an orifice or nozzle is a common mechanism to produce liquid jets in inkjet printers or to produce sprays among other applications. In the present research, we show the generation of liquid jets of controllable direction produced within a sessile water droplet by thermocavitation. The jets are driven by an acoustic shock wave emitted by the collapse of a hemispherical vapor bubble at the liquid-solid/substrate interface. The generated shock wave is reflected at the liquid-air interface due to acoustic impedance mismatch generating multiple reflections inside the droplet. During each reflection, a force is exerted on the interface driving the jets. Depending on the position of the generation of the bubble within the droplet, the mechanical energy of the shock wave is focused on different regions at the liquid-air interface, ejecting cylindrical liquid jets at different angles. The ejected jet angle dependence is explained by a simple ray tracing model of the propagation of the acoustic shock wave inside the droplet.

A comparative study on the sensing properties of a tapered optical fiber pristine and functionalized with the palladium nanoparticles to hydrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), is presented. The sensor response and, response/recovery times were extracted from the measurements of the transient response of the device. The tapered optical fiber sensor was fabricated using a single-mode optical fiber by the flame-brushing technique. Functionalization of the optical fiber was performed using an aqueous solution of palladium chloride by drop-casting technique assisted for laser radiation. The detection principle of the sensor is based on the changes in the optical properties of palladium nanoparticles when exposed to reducing gases, which causes a variation in the absorption of evanescent waves. A continuous wave laser diode operating at 1550 nm is used for the sensor characterization. The sensor functionalized with palladium nanoparticles by this technique is viable for the sensing of hydrogen and VOCs, since it shows an enhancement in sensor response and response time compared to the sensor based on the pristine optical microfiber. The results show that the fabricated sensor is competitive with other fiber optic sensors functionalized with palladium nanoparticles to the hydrogen.

In general, a system can be defined as a collection of interconnected components that transforms a set of inputs received from its environment to a set of outputs. From an engineering point of view, chaos-based applications can be classified as a electronic system where the vast majority of the internal signals used as interconnections are electrical signals. Inputs and outputs are also provided as electrical quantities, or converted from, or to, such signals using sensors or actuators. To gain insight about the overall performance of the particular chaos-based application, the whole system must be characterized and simulated simultaneously. That is not a trivial task because the complexity of each one of the blocks that comprises the system, as well as the intrinsic complex behavior of chaotic generators. In this chapter, a modeling strategy suited to represent chaos-based applications for different control parameters of chaotic systems is presented. Based on behavioral descriptions obtained from a Hardware Description Language (HDL), called Verilog-A, two applications of chaotic systems are analyzed and designed. More specifically, a chaotic sinusoidal pulse width modulator (SPWM) which is useful to develop control algorithms for motor drivers in electric vehicles, and a chaotic pulse position modulator (CPPM) widely used in communication systems are presented as cases under analysis. Those applications are coded in Verilog-A and by using different abstraction levels, the indications of the degree of detail specified on how the function is to be implemented are obtained. Therefore, these behavioral models try to capture as much circuit functionality as possible with far less implementation details than the device-level description of the electronic circuit. Several circuit simulations applying H-Spice simulator are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed models. In this manner, behavioral modeling can be a possible solution for the successful development of robust chaos-based applications due to various types of systems that can be represented and simulated by means of an abstract model.

This paper reports the implementation of an optical fiber sensor to measure the refractive index in aqueous media based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). We have used a novel technique known as photodeposition to immobilize silver nanoparticles on the optical fiber end. This technique has a simple instrumentation, involves laser light via an optical fiber and silver nanoparticles suspended in an aqueous medium. The optical sensor was assembled using a tungsten lamp as white light, a spectrometer, and an optical fiber with silver nanoparticles. The response of this sensor is such that the LSPR peak wavelength is linearly shifted to longer wavelengths as the refractive index is increased, showing a sensitivity of 67.6 nm/RIU. Experimental results are presented.

Indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ) microstructures were synthesized through carbothermal reaction by the close-spaced vapor transport (CSVT) technique at low temperatures and without the use of catalysts. Morphological characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the CSVT technique provides high-efficiency for the mass transport at low temperatures, as low as 650 °C, considering that in the synthesis indium oxide powders were used as a source. In addition, it is observed that the microstructures are formed mainly of microcubes with microspheres attached on their faces. Measurements of X-ray (XRD), Raman, and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the microcubes tend to the stoichiometry of In 2 O 3 and the microspheres have an excess of indium. Based on the above results, the microstructures were converted to In 2 O 3 nanobelts by a simple post thermal annealing for 16 h in a nitrogen environment, according to additional morphological and structural characterizations. The results revealed that the In 2 O 3 nanobelts have several micrometers in length with rectangular cross sections in the range from 50 to 250 nm and correspond to body-centered cubic (bcc) In 2 O 3 single crystal. The growth mechanisms of the microstructures and nanobelts are discussed in detail. Finally, Photoluminescence spectrum showed a broad emission around 600 nm. Refined studies showed three peaks at 420, 592, and 673 nm, which were attributed to oxygen vacancies.

In this work, we show a simple way to functionalize tungsten oxide nanowires (WO3-NWs) using a saturated palladium chloride (PdCl2) solution deposited by a drop-casting method. WO3-NWs were synthesized by close-spaced chemical vapor deposition (CSVT). The morphological and structural characterizations showed that the diameters of WO3-NWs are in the range from 50 to 200 nm with lengths above 10 μm, and correspond to the orthorhombic phase of WO3, respectively. The sensor was fabricated using the WO3-NWs and tested with hydrogen and volatile organic compounds (VCO's). A comparative study was done on the sensing performance, before and after the Palladium functionalization of the WO3-NWs, considering a wide range of gas concentrations and moderate operating temperatures (100–400 °C). The results show that this simple functionalization process significantly increases the sensor sensitivity and reduces the time constants. In addition, it has been shown that at 300 °C the decorated sensor becomes more selective to hydrogen and xylene for all concentrations considered in this research. Finally, the mechanisms involved in improving the gas sensing properties of WO3-NWs functionalized with Palladium are discussed.

A model of subwavelength optical fibers design is revised through numeric approach. The subwavelength optical fibers have been fabricated by a mechatronic system that implemented of technique flame-brushing for photonic.

The optical response of subwavelength fiber under the influence of nanostructured materials when interacting with evanescent field was studied, the results obtained show that there spectral shift to the far infrared.

We experimentally analyze the self-starting operation of a figure-eight mode-locked fiber laser. The design is based on a power-balanced nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) with highly twisted low-birefringence fiber and a quarter-wave (QW) retarder in the loop. The NOLM operates by nonlinear polarization rotation. Self-starting mode-locking requires a careful adjustment of the NOLM low-power transmission, which is easily realized with our setup by adjusting the angle of the QW retarder. The laser is capable of generating ∼20 ps pulses at the fundamental repetition frequency of 0.78 MHz.

An optical method to obtain a colloidal solution starting from a mixture of silver nanopowder and ethanol is presented. The particles of the silver nanopowder do not exhibit a specific shape, however in the colloidal solution are spherical. This method is carry out when the mixture is irradiated with a pulsed laser at 532 nm via optical fiber. Due to a stronger absorption of the laser light by silver nanoparticles arise both photofragmentation and photomelting processes. The photomelting process starts when the laser energy is 5 mJ/cm 2 , inducing an enlargement of nanoparticles whereas the photofragmentation occurs when the laser energy is 25 mJ/cm 2 causing a reduction on their sizes (the higher energy is, the smaller nanoparticles are). Results show that it is possible to obtain a colloidal silver solution and to control the particle size by adjusting the laser energy. Experiments were performed at 5 and 25 mJ/cm 2 , and the results are presented.

In this work, a passively Q-switched erbium-doped ring laser using zinc nanoparticles as a saturable absorber is studied and experimentally demonstrated. To achieve this, a saturable absorber was developed through a selective incorporation of zinc nanoparticles onto the core of an optical fiber using a coherent light source of an infrared laser at 1550 nm, then the saturable absorber was inserted into a laser cavity. The laser has a threshold pump power of 57.7 mW at 980 nm, and a range of pulse-repetition rate from 12.3 to 43 kHz. The highest pulse energy of 2.6 nJ was obtained at a repetition rate of 43 kHz and an output wavelength of 1565.5 nm. In addition, the saturable absorber was morphologically characterized by using both scanning electron and atomic force microscopy showing a uniform distribution of nanoparticles deposited on the optical fiber core. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of a Q-switched fiber laser using Zn nanoparticles as a device of saturable absorption.

Indium oxide microstructures were synthesized by close-spaced chemical vapor transport (CSVT) technique at low temperatures and without the use of catalysts. Morphological characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the CSVT technique provides high mass-transport efficiency at temperatures as low as 650°C, considering that indium oxide powders were used as a source for the synthesis. It is observed that the microstructures are formed mainly of cubes with semi-spheroids attached to their faces. Additional measurements of X-ray (XRD), Raman, and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the cubes tend to have the stoichiometry of cubic indium oxide while the semi-spheroids have a metallic nature. The microstructures were converted to indium oxide nanobelts by a simple post thermal annealing during 16 hours in a nitrogen environment, according to the morphological and structural characterizations. The results revealed that the indium oxide nanobelts have several micrometers in length with rectangular cross sections in the range from 50 to 250 nanometers and correspond to indium oxide in the cubic and face-centered phases. The growth mechanisms of the micostructures and nanobelts are discussed in detail.

Zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO-NWs) were synthesized through two simple processes on silicon substrates. The first step was to obtain the zinc nanowires (Zn-NWs) by close spaced sublimation (CSS) on a quartz substrate. The second step was the transformation of Zn-NWs to ZnO-NWs by a simple thermal annealing in air environment. In the synthesis process a zinc pellet source was used as the source material, where the temperatures of the source, the temperature of the substrate, and the growth time were fixed at 350°C, 325 °C, and 5 minutes respectively, using a nitrogen environment at atmospheric pressure conditions. Afterwards, the as-prepared Zn-NWs sample was heated at 400 °C for 30 minutes in open tube conditions. In addition, a conductimetric gas sensor was fabricated using the annealed Zn-NWs based film. The sensor was tested to hydrogen at moderate temperatures (200-400 °C) for several concentrations (95-1492 ppm). The results revealed that the ZnO-NWs have a high response to hydrogen at high temperatures and high concentrations. The response and recovery times depend on the hydrogen concentration. The response time for almost all conditions is of the order of 2 minutes. These results are very promising for the development of hydrogen solid state gas sensors based on zinc oxide nanowires.

A study of optically induced Zn/ZnO nanoparticles selective deposition using a coherent light source on single-mode fiber optic end is presented. In the numerical studies, Zn/ZnO spherical nanoparticles are considered dissolved in isopropyl alcohol with different diameters under the influence of a Gaussian beam with fundamental mode and linear polarization. The results of this study show that the gradient force is not sufficient to move Zn nanoparticles toward optical fiber end face, but it is sufficient to move ZnO nanoparticles of a certain diameter. In the experimental studies, Zn/ZnO nanoparticles were mixed with isopropyl alcohol and subsequently deposited on the fiber end face using an infrared laser. The results obtained by atomic force and optical microscopy show a good uniform distribution of nanostructures deposited on the core of the fiber end face.

By using the Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) technique tungsten thin films were deposited on amorphous quartz substrates. To achieve this, a tungsten filament was heated at 1300 °C during 30 minutes maintaining a constant pressure inside the chamber at 460 mTorr and substrate at 700 °C. Transition from tungsten oxide deposits to tungsten thin films, by varying the substrate temperature, were characterized by means of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), X-Ray Diffraction and, micro-Raman spectroscopy. The SEM micrographs reveal that the tungsten films have no more than 200 nm in thickness while XRD show evidence of the films crystallize in the a-tungsten modification. On the other hand, AFM shows that the tungsten thin films exhibit a uniform and smooth surface composed with semi-spherical shapes whose diameters are below than 50 nm. Furthermore, to the naked eye, the as-deposited tungsten films exhibit a high mirror-like appearance.

The radiation pressure forces for Au nanoparticles in the Rayleigh regime under the influence of a coherent source of infrared light from 0.7-1.5 μm of a Gaussian beam with fundamental mode corresponding to the TEM 00 mode are studied. An intensity distribution of the source in terms of the spot size and power are considered to analyze the gradient, scattering and absorption forces on a sphere located arbitrarily on a Gaussian beam. The results have shown, through an analysis stability, the optical manipulation is better suited for longer wavelengths, small particles, and a beam waist significantly reduced.

Experimental studies of titania nanotubes (TiO 2 ) and tungsten oxide nanospheres (WO3) as devices of saturable absorption for a fiber laser in ring configuration to optical short-pulse generation are presented. A deposition technique, based on optical pressure radiation generated from a coherent source at 1550 nm is used to deposit the nanostructured materials. Since this nanomaterials can be deposited directly on the optical fiber, this proposal results very interesting for applications of saturable absorbers. Experimental results, by using nanotubes TiO 2 and nanospheres deposited on the fiber as a saturable absorption device, show that the TiO 2 nanotubes exhibit better saturable absorption properties than WO 3 nanospheres, generating pulses with a wavelength of 1550 nm, frequency of 10 MHz, temporally width of 4.5 ps and an output power of 1 mW.