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The influence of injector doping on the output characteristics and electron heating in midinfrared GaAs/AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers is analyzed. The results have shown substantial reduction of the threshold current, particularly at higher temperature, when optimized arsenic fluxes are used during the growth procedure.

In this work, rapid thermal annealing was performed on InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) at different temperatures. The photoluminescence showed a blueshifted spectrum in comparison with the as-grown sample when the annealing temperature was higher than 700 °C, as a result of thermal interdiffusion of the quantum dots (QDs). Correspondingly, the spectral response from the annealed QDIP exhibited a redshift. At the higher annealing temperature of 800 °C, in addition to the largely redshifted photoresponse peak of 7.4 μm (compared with the 6.1 μm of the as-grown QDIP), a high energy peak at 5.6 μm (220 meV) was also observed, leading to a broad spectrum linewidth of 40%. This is due to the large interdiffusion effect which could greatly vary the composition of the QDs and thus increase the relative optical absorption intensity at higher energy. The other important detector characteristics such as dark current, peak responsivity, and detectivity were also measured. It was found that the overall device performance was not affected by low annealing temperature, however, for high annealing temperature, some degradation in device detectivity (but not responsivity) was observed. This is a consequence of increased dark current due to defect formation and increased ground state energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A design for a GaN/AlGaN optically pumped terahertz laser emitting at 34 μm (ΔE~36 meV) is presented. This laser uses a simple three-level scheme where the depopulation of the lower laser level is achieved via resonant longitudinal-optical-phonon emission. The quasibound energies and associated wave functions are calculated with the intrinsic electric field induced by the piezoelectric and the spontaneous polarizations. The structures based on a double quantum well were simulated and the output characteristics extracted using a fully self-consistent rate equation model with all relevant scattering processes included. Both electron-longitudinal-optical phonon and electron-acoustic-phonon interactions were taken into account. The carrier distribution in subbands was assumed to be Fermi-Dirac-like, with electron temperature equal to the lattice temperature, but with different Fermi levels for each subband. A population inversion of 12% for a pumping flux Φ=1027 cm-2 s-1 at room temperature was calculated for the optimized structure. By comparing the calculated modal gain and estimated waveguide and mirror losses the feasibility of laser action up to room temperature is predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four hundred and thirteen defibrillations of alternating current-induced ventricular fibrillation were performed in 10 halothane-anaesthetized dogs (body weight: 24.5–30.5 kg). Success rates, energy demands, currents, peak voltages and impedance were determined. A transvenous catheter electrode system (Medtronic 6880, right ventricular apex and superior vena cava, distance 100 or 150 mm) and subcutaneous patch electrodes (Intec 67 L, 2nd/3rd and/or 3rd/4th left intercostal space) were used for bidirectional defibrillation. Loading voltages ranged from 600 to 850 V. With an electrode distance of 100 mm and a pulse duration of 2 ms separated by 1 ms, success rates were 100%, 40% and 0% for 850, 650 and 600 V, respectively. With a 3-ms pulse duration, the corresponding rates were 100%, 60% and 50%. With a 2-ms pulse duration, successful defibrillation was achieved with energies lower than 15 J in 27%, with energies between 15 and 20 J in 77%, and 100% with energies higher than 20 J. Defibrillation currents were 4.4–9.3 A for pulse 1 (superior vena cava/ventricular apex) and 6.3–13.4 A for pulse 2 (patch/ventricular apex), respectively. Effective peak voltages ranged from 510 to 787 V and from 514 to 777 V and averaged 89.6% of the loading voltages. Impedance values (peak voltage/current) were 75.5–117.7 (pulse 1) and 51.7–94.9 Ohms (pulse 2). Fifty consecutive defibrillations in one animal resulted in a decrease of impedance (114.6 to 84.9 Ohms, pulse 1; 75.4 to 53.0 Ohms, pulse 2). Defibrillation of ventricular fibrillation can be achieved with acceptably low energies using a bidirectional transvenous/subcutaneous system, avoiding thoracotomy and general anaesthesia for implantation of the defibrillation system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effect of GaP strain compensation layers was investigated on ten-layer InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition. Compared with the normal QDIP structure, the insertion of GaP has led to a narrowed spectral linewidth and slightly improved detector performance. A more significant influence of GaP was observed after the structure was annealed at various temperatures. While a similar amount of wavelength tuning was obtained, the GaP QDIPs exhibited much less degradation in device characteristics with increasing annealing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the role of injector doping density on both the threshold current density (Jth) and the saturation current density (Jsat), determining the dynamic range of the quantum cascade lasers. The experimental results were obtained from two growth series of λ≈9 μm GaAs/Al0.45Ga0.55As quantum-cascade lasers based on single and double phonon resonance depopulation mechanisms. We derive a quasilinear dependence of Jth on the injector doping density of both designs for doping range as wide as (4–10)×1011 cm-2. Despite threshold current increase the faster rise of saturation current with doping results in an enhanced dynamic range for injector doping up to ∼8×1011 cm-2. For higher doping levels, Jsat itself saturates. Furthermore, our investigations yield that single phonon resonance devices exhibit clear current saturation simultaneously with a decrease of the optical power, whereas two phonon resonance devices show only power saturation, which we attribute to increased leakage currents. These deteriorate the laser performance of the latter design at higher operational temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dilemma of employing high-capacity battery materials and maintaining the electronic and mechanical integrity of electrodes demands novel designs of binder systems. Here, we developed a binder polymer with multifunctionality to maintain high electronic conductivity, mechanical adhesion, ductility, and electrolyte uptake. These critical properties are achieved by designing polymers with proper functional groups. Through synthesis, spectroscopy, and simulation, electronic conductivity is optimized by tailoring the key electronic state, which is not disturbed by further modifications of side chains. This fundamental allows separated optimization of the mechanical and swelling properties without detrimental effect on electronic property. Remaining electronically conductive, the enhanced polarity of the polymer greatly improves the adhesion, ductility, and more importantly, the electrolyte uptake to the levels of those available only in nonconductive binders before. We also demonstrate directly the performance of the developed conductive binder by achieving full-capacity cycling of silicon particles without using any conductive additive.

Using conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CAFM) we have investigated the electrical conduction properties of monolayer films of a pentathiophene derivative on a SiO(2)/Si-p+ substrate. By a combination of current-voltage spectroscopy and current imaging we show that lateral charge transport takes place in the plane of the monolayer via hole injection into the highest occupied molecular orbitals of the pentathiophene unit. Our CAFM data suggest that the conductivity is anisotropic relative to the crystalline directions of the molecular lattice.

Though stents are deployed in diseased arteries drug distribution has only been quantified in intact, non-diseased vessels. We correlated steady-state arterial drug distribution with tissue ultrastructure and composition in abdominal aortae from atherosclerotic human autopsy specimens and rabbits with lesions induced by dietary manipulation and controlled injury. Paclitaxel, everolimus, and sirolimus depositions in the human aortae were maximal in the media and scaled inversely with lipid content. Net tissue paclitaxel and everolimus levels were indistinguishable in mildly injured rabbit arteries independent of diet. Yet, serial sectioning of cryopreserved arterial segments demonstrated a differential transmural deposition pattern that was amplified with disease and correlated with the expression of their intracellular targets, tubulin and FKBP-12. Tubulin distribution and paclitaxel binding increased with vascular injury and macrophage infiltration, and were reduced with lipid content. Sirolimus analogs and their specific binding target FKBP-12 were less sensitive to alterations of diet in mildly injured arteries, presumably reflecting a faster transient response of FKBP-12 to injury. The data demonstrate that disease-induced changes in the distribution of drug-binding proteins and interstitial lipid alter the distribution of these drugs, forcing one to consider how disease might affect the evaluation and efficacy of the local release of these and like compounds., ((c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Endovascular drug-eluting stents have changed the practice of medicine, and yet it is unclear how they so dramatically reduce restenosis and how to distinguish between the different formulations available. Biological drug potency is not the sole determinant of biological effect. Physicochemical drug properties also play important roles. Historically, two classes of therapeutic compounds emerged: hydrophobic drugs, which are retained within tissue and have dramatic effects, and hydrophilic drugs, which are rapidly cleared and ineffective. Researchers are now questioning whether individual properties of different drugs beyond lipid avidity can further distinguish arterial transport and distribution. In bovine internal carotid segments, tissue-loading profiles for hydrophobic paclitaxel and rapamycin are indistinguishable, reaching load steady state after 2 days. Hydrophilic dextran reaches equilibrium in several hours at levels no higher than surrounding solution concentrations. Both paclitaxel and rapamycin bind to the artery at 30-40 times bulk concentration. Competitive binding assays confirm binding to specific tissue elements. Most importantly, transmural drug distribution profiles are markedly different for the two compounds, reflecting, perhaps, different modes of binding. Rapamycin, which binds specifically to FKBP12 binding protein, distributes evenly through the artery, whereas paclitaxel, which binds specifically to microtubules, remains primarily in the subintimal space. The data demonstrate that binding of rapamycin and paclitaxel to specific intracellular proteins plays an essential role in determining arterial transport and distribution and in distinguishing one compound from another. These results offer further insight into the mechanism of local drug delivery and the specific use of existing drug-eluting stent formulations.