Pulse Spacing Research Articles

Hydration-Mediated Slow Dynamics in Phospholipid Membranes

Biological activities of integral membrane proteins depend on the nature of the surrounding lipid bilayer [1]. The dynamic organization of lipid bilayer systems spans a wide frequency range encompassing individual fast acyl motions, molecular rotations, lipid protrusions, and collective bilayer fluctuations [2]. Time scales of these motional modes typically span a large range from sub-picoseconds up to milliseconds, and can be investigated using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. To correlate structural changes of lipid bilayers mediated by osmotic stress [3] with biological function and molecular dynamics, we measured 2H longitudinal (R1Z) and transverse (R2CP) relaxation rates in the liquid-crystalline phase of DMPC-d54 membrane bilayers at various hydration levels. The R1Z experiments used a conventional inversion-recovery pulse sequence, while R2CP rates were measured from quadrupolar-echo intensities using a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse train. By Fourier transforming individual echoes with different pulse spacings we map the frequency dependence of relaxation rates and motional modes of individual acyl segments. Empirical correlations of acyl chain segmental order parameters (SCD) and R1Zprofiles followed a theoretical square-law functional dependence [4]. Our preliminary results show that R2CP is sensitive to hydration levels as well as the acyl position, thus indicating the presence of slow dynamic modes. The R2CPrates of the acyl segments near the polar head groups increase with lipid dehydration, while the acyl segments deeper in the hydrophobic region show lower R2CP values at high dehydration levels. Similar studies in presence of peptides and proteins can give insight into optimized lipid hydration for protein functionality and slow cooperative motions.[1] M.F. Brown (1994) Chem. Phys. Lipids 73, 159–180.[2] A. Leftin et al. (2011) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1808, 818–839.[3] K.J. Mallikarjunaiah et al. (2011) Biophys. J. 100, 98–107.[4] M.F. Brown (1982) J. Chem. Phys. 77, 1576–1599.

Ranging Performance of the IEEE 802.15.4a UWB Standard under FCC/CEPT Regulations

The IEEE 802.15.4a standard for wireless sensor networks is designed for high‐accuracy ranging using ultra‐wideband (UWB) signals. It supports coherent and noncoherent (energy detector) receivers, thus the performance‐complexity‐tradeoff can be decided by the implementer. In this paper, the maximum operating range and the maximum allowed pathloss are analyzed for ranging and both receiver types, under FCC/CEPT regulations. The analysis is based on the receiver working points and a link budget calculation assuming a frees‐pace pathloss model. It takes into consideration the parameters of the preamble, which influence the transmit power allowed by the regulators. The best performance is achieved with the code sequences having the longest pulse spacing. Coherent receivers can achieve a maximum operating range up to several thousand meters and energy detectors up to several hundred meters.

Inner Wall Treatment of a Plastic Microfluidic Chip using Pulse Microdischarge

A pulsed corona μ plasma was used to modify the surfaces of microchannel walls of commercial cyclic olefin copolymer microfluidic chips. Pt wire electrodes were inserted into the reservoirs of a chip in order to develop surface discharge along the microchannel inner wall. He, Ar and room air μ plasmas were generated throughout a 60-mm-long microchannel at a crude vacuum of 0.8-30 kPa using a discharge pulse spacing of 5 ms, a pulse duration of 0.7 ms and Vpp of 8-9 kV. He and Ar atomic excitation temperatures estimated using Boltzmann plots were approximately 9,600 K and 23,700 K, respectively, whereas the gas remained at room temperature. The plasma-treated microchannels exhibited highly hydrophilic properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the oxygen-containing polar groups such as -C-O-, C=O and -COOH were introduced into the plasma-treated inner walls. Furthermore, microchannels treated by such energetic plasma showed no damage and had smooth surfaces.

Role of ablation and incubation processes on surface nanograting formation

The role of ablation and incubation processes in the formation of surface nanogratings with femtosecond pulses were investigated by measuring ablation thresholds and depth of nanogrooves at different pulse to pulse spacings. Our observations indicated that the nanograting formation essentially relies on a laser ablation process which can be modeled by a simple set of equations.

Multi-kHz mixture fraction imaging in turbulent jets using planar Rayleigh scattering

In this study, we describe the development of two-dimensional, high repetition-rate (10-kHz) Rayleigh scattering imaging as applied to turbulent flows. In particular, we report what we believe to be the first sets of high-speed 2D Rayleigh scattering images in turbulent non-reacting jets, yielding temporally correlated image sequences of the instantaneous mixture fraction field. Results are presented for turbulent jets of propane issuing into a low-speed co-flow of air at jet-exit Reynolds numbers of 10,000, 15,000, and 30,000 at various axial positions downstream of the jet exit. The quantitative high-speed mixture fraction measurements are facilitated by the use of a calibrated, un-intensified, high-resolution CMOS camera in conjunction with a unique high-energy, high-repetition rate pulse-burst laser system (PBLS) at Ohio State, which yields output energies of ∼200 mJ/pulse at 532 nm with 100-μs laser pulse spacing. The quality, accuracy, and resolution of the imaging system and the resulting image sets are assessed by (1) comparing the mean mixture fraction results to known scaling laws for turbulent jets, (2) comparing instantaneous images/mixture fraction profiles acquired simultaneously with the high-speed CMOS camera and a well-characterized, high-quantum efficiency CCD camera, and (3) comparing statistical quantities such as the probability density function of the mixture fraction results using the high-speed CMOS camera and the CCD camera. Results indicate accurate mixture fraction measurements and a high potential for accurately measuring mixture fraction gradients in both time and space.

Percussion drilling of metals using bursts of nanosecond pulses

The effect of ns bursting on percussion drilling of metal is investigated experimentally and analytically, and compared with the efficiency and quality of drilling using single ns pulses. Key advantages are demonstrated, correlating well with the results from a thermal theoretical model. The 1064 nm bursts contain up to 14 pulses of various pulse widths and spacing, and at frequencies of tens of MHz within the burst. The individual pulses have pulse widths of 10 to 200 ns, and up to 12 kW peak power. Burst repetition frequency is single shot to 500 kHz.

Controlling the Spacing of Attosecond Pulse Trains from Relativistic Surface Plasmas

When a laser pulse hits a solid surface with relativistic intensities, XUV attosecond pulses are generated in the reflected light. We present an experimental and theoretical study of the temporal properties of attosecond pulse trains in this regime. The recorded harmonic spectra show distinct fine structures which can be explained by a varying temporal pulse spacing that can be controlled by the laser contrast. The pulse spacing is directly related to the cycle-averaged motion of the reflecting surface. Thus the harmonic spectrum contains information on the relativistic plasma dynamics.

Stationary and slowly moving localised pulses in a singularly perturbed Brusselator model

Recent attention has focused on deriving localised pulse solutions to various systems of reaction–diffusion equations. In this paper, we consider the evolution of localised pulses in the Brusselator activator–inhibitor model, long considered a paradigm for the study of non-linear equations, in a finite one-dimensional domain with feed of the inhibitor through the boundary and global feed of the activator. We employ the method of matched asymptotic expansions in the limit of small activator diffusivity and small activator and inhibitor feeds. The disparity of diffusion lengths between the activator and inhibitor leads to pulse-type solutions in which the activator is localised while the inhibitor varies on an O(1) length scale. In the asymptotic limit considered, the pulses become spikes described by Dirac delta functions and evolve slowly in time until equilibrium is reached. Such quasi-equilibrium solutions with N activator pulses are constructed and a differential-algebraic system of equations (DAE) is derived, characterising the slow evolution of the locations and the amplitudes of the pulses. We find excellent agreement for the pulse evolution between the asymptotic theory and the results of numerical computations. An algebraic system for the equilibrium pulse amplitudes and locations is derived from the equilibrium points of the DAE system. Both symmetric equilibria, corresponding to a common pulse amplitude, and asymmetric pulse equilibria, for which the pulse amplitudes are different, are constructed. We find that for a positive boundary feed rate, pulse spacing of symmetric equilibria is no longer uniform, and that for sufficiently large boundary flux, pulses at the edges of the pattern may collide with and remain fixed at the boundary. Lastly, stability of the equilibrium solutions is analysed through linearisation of the DAE, which, in contrast to previous approaches, provides a quick way to calculate the small eigenvalues governing weak translation-type instabilities of equilibrium pulse patterns.

Optimal pulse spacing for dynamical decoupling in the presence of a purely dephasing spin bath

Maintaining quantum coherence is a crucial requirement for quantum computation; hence protecting quantum systems against their irreversible corruption due to environmental noise is an important open problem. Dynamical decoupling (DD) is an effective method for reducing decoherence with a low control overhead. It also plays an important role in quantum metrology, where, for instance, it is employed in multiparameter estimation. While a sequence of equidistant control pulses [the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence] has been ubiquitously used for decoupling, Uhrig recently proposed that a nonequidistant pulse sequence [the Uhrig dynamic decoupling (UDD) sequence] may enhance DD performance, especially for systems where the spectral density of the environment has a sharp frequency cutoff. On the other hand, equidistant sequences outperform UDD for soft cutoffs. The relative advantage provided by UDD for intermediate regimes is not clear. In this paper, we analyze the relative DD performance in this regime experimentally, using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. Our system qubits are $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ nuclear spins and the environment consists of a $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ nuclear spin bath whose spectral density is close to a normal (Gaussian) distribution. We find that in the presence of such a bath, the CPMG sequence outperforms the UDD sequence. An analogy between dynamical decoupling and interference effects in optics provides an intuitive explanation as to why the CPMG sequence performs better than any nonequidistant DD sequence in the presence of this kind of environmental noise.

Hydration properties and proton exchange in aqueous sugar solutions studied by time domain nuclear magnetic resonance

Proton NMR relaxation rates (R1 and R2) were measured in aqueous solutions of sucrose, d-glucose and d-fructose with increasing concentration. The measurements were carried out using Bruker PC 20 NMR Process Analyzer. Inversion recovery and CPMG pulse sequences are used for the measurement of relaxation rates. Results show that the values of relaxation rate increase as the concentration of the sugar is increased. The relaxation rate appears to be higher for sucrose solutions as compared to glucose or d-fructose solutions. These results were discussed on the basis of molecular association between sugar and water molecules through hydrogen bonding. The water self diffusion coefficient was measured in these sugar solutions by using pulse field gradient NMR method. As expected, the water self-diffusion coefficient was reduced with increased sugar concentrations. The results of translational mobility exhibited a higher mobility for fructose than glucose or sucrose in aqueous solutions.The dependence of R2 on the inter-pulse delay of the CPMG sequence gives information on the proton exchange mechanism involved. The mechanism of exchange was studied using R2 with increasing inter pulse delay of 0.05–2.0ms in aqueous solutions of 10%, 20% and 35% (w/v) of the above sugar solutions. From the plots of relaxation rates (R2) versus the 90°–180° pulse spacing it was possible to calculate the proton exchange rate (kb) of the different sugar solutions. Relaxation rates show characteristic variations with CPMG pulse spacing which can be interpreted on the basis of chemical exchange between solute and solvent molecules.The experimental results namely relaxation rates and CPMG pulse spacing data show the importance of water interactions with sweet molecules and this can lead to a better understanding of the effect of hydration water in taste chemoreception.

Robust Decoupling Techniques to Extend Quantum Coherence in Diamond

We experimentally demonstrate over 2 orders of magnitude increase in the room-temperature coherence time of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond by implementing decoupling techniques. We show that equal pulse spacing decoupling performs just as well as nonperiodic Uhrig decoupling and also allows us to take advantage of revivals in the echo to explore the longest coherence times. At short times, we can extend the coherence of particular quantum states out from T2*=2.7 μs out to an effective T2>340 μs. For preserving arbitrary states we show the experimental importance of using pulse sequences that compensate the imperfections of individual pulses for all input states through judicious choice of the phase of the pulses. We use these compensated sequences to enhance the echo revivals and show a coherence time of over 1.6 ms in ultrapure natural abundance 13C diamond.

Chaos in the pulse spacing of passive Q-switched all-solid-state lasers

We report the experimental and theoretical verification that, in a diode-pumped Nd:YAG+Cr:YAGQ-switched laser, the instabilities in the pulse spacing ("jitter") are ruled by low-dimensional deterministic chaos. From our experimental time series, we determine the embedding and fractal dimensions of the attractor, as well as the values of the Lyapunov exponents. We also present a simplified theoretical description in terms of a map of the same universality class as the logistic map, which explains the bifurcations' cascade and the period-three window of stability observed. The achieved characterization of the dynamics and its main parameters opens a door to effective ways to reduce the jitter, which is of practical interest, through mechanisms of control of chaos. Conversely, the difficulty in the prediction of the interpulse spacing makes this system attractive for high power, robust FM chaotic laser cryptography in free-space propagation.

Performance comparison of dynamical decoupling sequences for a qubit in a rapidly fluctuating spin bath

Avoiding the loss of coherence of quantum mechanical states is an important prerequisite for quantum information processing. Dynamical decoupling (DD) is one of the most effective experimental methods for maintaining coherence, especially when one can access only the qubit-system and not its environment (bath). It involves the application of pulses to the system whose net effect is a reversal of the system-environment interaction. In any real system, however, the environment is not static, and therefore the reversal of the system-environment interaction becomes imperfect if the spacing between refocusing pulses becomes comparable to or longer than the correlation time of the environment. The efficiency of the refocusing improves therefore if the spacing between the pulses is reduced. Here, we quantify the efficiency of different DD sequences in preserving different quantum states. We use 13C nuclear spins as qubits and an environment of 1H nuclear spins as the environment, which couples to the qubit via magnetic dipole-dipole couplings. Strong dipole-dipole couplings between the proton spins result in a rapidly fluctuating environment with a correlation time of the order of 100 us. Our experimental results show that short delays between the pulses yield better performance if they are compared with the bath correlation time. However, as the pulse spacing becomes shorter than the bath correlation time, an optimum is reached. For even shorter delays, the pulse imperfections dominate over the decoherence losses and cause the quantum state to decay.

Trading sensitivity for information: Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill acquisition in solid-state NMR

The Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) experiment has gained popularity in solid-state NMR as a method for enhancing sensitivity for anisotropically broadened spectra of both spin 1/2 and half integer quadrupolar nuclei. Most commonly, the train of CPMG echoes is Fourier transformed directly, which causes the NMR powder pattern to break up into a series of sidebands, sometimes called "spikelets." Larger sensitivity enhancements are observed as the delay between the pi pulses is shortened. As the duration between the pi pulses is shortened, however, the echoes become truncated and information about the nuclear spin interactions is lost. We explored the relationship between enhanced sensitivity and loss of information as a function of the product Omega 2tau, where Omega is the span of the anisotropic lineshape and 2tau is the pi pulse spacing. For a lineshape dominated by the nuclear shielding anisotropy, we found that the minimum uncertainty in the tensor values is obtained using Omega 2tau values in the range Omega 2tau approximately 12(-1)(+6) and Omega 2tau approximately 9(-3)(+3) for eta(s)=0 and eta(s)=1, respectively. For an anisotropic second-order quadrupolar central transition lineshape under magic-angle spinning (MAS), the optimum range of Omega 2tau approximately 9(-2)(+3) was found. Additionally, we show how the Two-dimensional One Pulse (TOP) like processing approach can be used to eliminate the cumbersome sideband pattern lineshape and recover a more familiar lineshape that is easily analyzed with conventional lineshape simulation algorithms.

A magic-angle turning NMR experiment for separating spinning sidebands of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei

A two-dimensional magic-angle turning NMR experiment is described for separating spinning sidebands of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. The experiment is an alternative to quadrupolar phase-adjusted sideband separation (QPASS) [Chem. Phys. Lett. 272 (1997) 295] that yields infinite speed spectra in one dimension and spinning sideband manifolds in the other dimension. A shear transformation is introduced for processing of quadrupolar magic-angle turning (QMAT) data with time evolution of only one rotor period. The QMAT experiment has the advantages of averaging the first-order modulation of the pulse sequence efficiencies giving smaller residual spinning sidebands, linearly incrementing pulse timings for convenient practical implementation, and easily adjustable pulse spacings suitable for higher spinning frequencies.

Design of a Dynamic Fuel Flow Estimator For a Piezoelectric Fuel Injector

An increasing desire for flexibility in a diesel engine's fuel injection system to help meet emissions, fuel consumption, and noise requirements motivates the use of piezoelectric actuated fuel injectors. Piezoelectric injectors can deliver more pulses per cycle and obtain tighter pulse spacing than solenoid injectors. Obtaining complex profiles is challenging, however, due to highly coupled dynamics inside the injector. Online estimation of injected flow rate shape could allow for closed-loop control of the piezoelectric injector, allowing the injection of sophisticated flow profiles. This paper summarizes the development of a physics-based, closed loop fuel flow estimator. Available measurements of piezo stack voltage and rail-to-injector line pressure are used for dynamic state estimation. Estimator results are compared against both open-loop simulation and experimental data for a complex profile of tightly spaced, varying sized pulses and shows improvement.

Definitions and control of the CEP and CEO

The definitions of the carrier to envelope phase (CEP) and carrier to envelope offset (CEO) arc reviewed. It is pointed out that a unique separation of the field of an ultrashort pulse in a “carrier” and “envelope” is not always possible for ultrashort pulses. Another definition is proposed for pulses of a few optical cycles, that is not dependent on the notion of “carrier” and “envelope.” The carrier to envelope offset (CEO) is a frequency, generally defined as the ratio of the change in CEP between pulses, to the pulse (temporal) spacing. It is shown that the CEO exists for trains of long pulses, for which the CEP cannot be measured. Methods of measuring the CEO of a mode-locked laser are proposed. It is shown that MQW have a locking tendency on the CEO of two pulse trains.

Effect of diffusion-sensitizing gradient timings on the exponential, biexponential and diffusional kurtosis model parameters: in-vivo measurements in the rat thalamus

To investigate whether spacing (Delta) and duration (delta) of the diffusion-sensitizing gradient pulses differentially affect exponential (D'), biexponential (D (slow), D (fast) and f (slow)) and diffusional kurtosis (D and K) model parameters. Measurements were performed in the rat thalamus for b = 200-3,200 s mm(-2), sweeping Delta between 20 and 100 ms at delta = 15 ms, and delta between 15 and 50 ms at Delta = 60 ms. Linear regressions were performed for each model parameter vs. Delta or delta. Increasing Delta from 20 to 100 ms increases D' (from 0.64 to 0.70 x 10(-3) mm(2)s(-1)) and D (slow) (from 0.26 to 0.33 x 10(-3) mm(2)s(-1)), reduces K (from 0.57 to 0.53), and has no effects on D (fast), f (slow) or D. Increasing delta from 15 to 50 ms increases D (from 0.80 to 0.88 x 10(-3) mm(2)s(-1)), and has no effects on the other parameters. The parameters of the biexponential and diffusional kurtosis models are more sensitive than the exponential model to Delta and delta; however, observed effects are too small to account for the discrepancies found in literature.

Generation and control of ultrafast pulse trains for quasi-phase-matching high-harmonic generation

Two techniques are demonstrated to produce ultrashort pulse trains capable of quasi-phase-matching high-harmonic generation. The first technique makes use of an array of birefringent crystals and is shown to generate high-contrast pulse trains with constant pulse spacing. The second technique employs a grating-pair stretcher, a multiple-order wave plate, and a linear polarizer. Trains of up to 100 pulses are demonstrated with this technique, with almost constant inter-pulse separation. It is shown that arbitrary pulse separation can be achieved by introducing the appropriate dispersion. This principle is demonstrated by using an acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter to introduce third- and fourth-order dispersions leading to a linear and quadratic variation of the separation of pulses through the train. Chirped-pulse trains of this type may be used to quasi-phase-match high-harmonic generation in situations where the coherence length varies through the medium.

Hydrophobic Side Chain Dynamics of a Glutamate Receptor Ligand Binding Domain

Ionotropic glutamate receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate much of the fast excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The extracellular ligand binding core (S1S2) of the GluR2 subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors can be produced as a soluble protein with properties essentially identical to the corresponding domain in the intact, membrane-bound protein. Using a variety of biophysical techniques, much has been learned about the structure and dynamics of S1S2 and the relationship between its ligand-induced conformational changes and the function of the receptor. It is clear that dynamic processes are essential to the function of ionotropic glutamate receptors. We have isotopically labeled side chain methyls of GluR2 S1S2 and used NMR spectroscopy to study their dynamics on the ps-ns and mus-ms time scales. Increased disorder is seen in regions that are part of the key dimer interface in the intact protein. When glutamate is bound, the degree of ps-ns motion is less than that observed with other ligands, suggesting that the physiological agonist binds to a preformed binding site. At the slower time scales, the degree of S1S2 flexibility induced by ligand binding is greatest for willardiine partial agonists, least for antagonists, and intermediate for full agonists. Notable differences among bound ligands are in the region of the protein that forms a hinge between two lobes that close upon agonist binding, and along the beta-sheet in Lobe 2. These motions provide clues as to the functional properties of partial agonists and to the conformational changes associated with lobe closure and channel activation.