Search Results (49)

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive imaging technique that measures brain hemodynamic activity by detecting changes in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations using light in the near-infrared spectrum. This study aims to provide a comprehensive characterization of fNIRS signals acquired with a prototypal continuous-wave fNIRS device during a breath-holding task, to evaluate the impact of respiratory activity on scalp hemodynamics within the framework of Network Physiology. To this end, information-theoretic and spectral analysis methods were applied to characterize the dynamics of fNIRS signals. In the time domain, time-resolved information-theoretic measures, including entropy, conditional entropy and, information storage, were employed to assess the complexity and predictability of the fNIRS signals. These measures highlighted distinct informational dynamics across the breathing and apnea phases, with conditional entropy showing a significant modulation driven by respiratory activity. In the frequency domain, power spectral density was estimated using a parametric method, allowing the identification of distinct frequency bands related to vascular and respiratory components. The analysis revealed significant modulations in both the amplitude and frequency of oscillations during the task, particularly in the high-frequency band associated with respiratory activity. Our observations demonstrate that the proposed analysis provides novel insights into the characterization of fNIRS signals, enhancing the understanding of the impact of task-induced peripheral cardiovascular responses on NIRS hemodynamics. Full article

In this study, we have compared different Rydberg atom-based microwave electrometry techniques under the same experimental conditions and using the same Rydberg states ($68S_{1/2}$, $68P_{3/2}$, and $67P_{3/2}$). The comparison was carried out for the following techniques: (i) auxiliary microwave field, (ii) microwave amplitude modulation, and (iii) polarization spectroscopy. Our results indicate that all three techniques have a similar minimum measurable microwave electric field. A slightly better result can be obtained by performing polarization spectroscopy using a Laguerre–Gauss coupling laser beam. Full article

The development of high-performance electrochromic materials demands innovative approaches to simultaneously control the nanoscale architecture and the electronic structure. We present a dual-modification strategy that synergistically combines copper doping with the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) assembly to overcome the traditional performance trade-offs in tungsten oxide-based electrochromic systems. Cu-doped W₁₈O₄₉ nanowires with varying Cu concentrations (0–12 mol%) were synthesized hydrothermally and assembled into thin films via the LB technique, with LB precursors characterized by contact angle, surface tension, viscosity, and thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) analyses. The films were systematically evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chronoamperometry, and transmittance spectroscopy. Experimental results reveal an optimal Cu-doping concentration of 8 mol%, achieving a near-infrared optical modulation amplitude of 76.24% at 1066 nm, rapid switching kinetics (coloring/bleaching: 5.0/3.0 s), and a coloration efficiency of 133.00 cm²/C. This performance is speculated to be a balance between Cu-induced improvements in ion intercalation kinetics and LB-ordering degradation caused by lattice strain and interfacial charge redistribution, while mitigating excessive doping effects such as structural deterioration and thermodynamic instability. The work establishes a dual-modification framework for designing high-performance electrochromic interfaces, emphasizing the critical role of surface chemistry and nanoscale assembly in advancing adaptive optoelectronic devices like smart windows. Full article

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is a powerful nonlinear spectroscopic technique widely used in biological imaging, chemical analysis, and combustion and flame diagnostics. The adoption of pulse shapers in CARS has emerged as a useful approach, offering precise control of optical waveforms. By tailoring the phase, amplitude, and polarization of laser pulses, the pulse shaping approach enables selective excitation, spectral resolution improvement, and non-resonant background suppression in CARS. This paper presents a comprehensive review of applying pulse shaping techniques in CARS spectroscopy for biophotonics. There are two different pulse shaping strategies: passive pulse shaping and active pulse shaping. Two passive pulse shaping techniques, hybrid CARS and spectral focusing CARS, are reviewed. Active pulse shaping using a programmable pulse shaper such as spatial light modulator (SLM) is discussed for CARS spectroscopy. Combining active pulse shaping and passive shaping, optimizing CARS with acousto-optic programmable dispersive filters (AOPDFs) is discussed and illustrated with experimental examples conducted in the authors’ laboratory. These results underscore pulse shapers in advancing CARS technology, enabling improved sensitivity, specificity, and broader applications across diverse scientific fields. Full article

We present a comprehensive vibrational spectroscopic analysis of vertical molecular junction devices constructed using single-layer graphene electrodes separated by an aryl alkane monolayer. In this work, inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) is employed to probe molecular vibrations within the junction, providing an in situ fingerprint of the molecules. Graphene has emerged as a promising electrode material for molecular electronics due to its atomically thin, mechanically robust nature and ability to form stable contacts. However, prior to this study, the vibrational spectra of molecules in graphene-based molecular junctions had not been fully explored. Here, we demonstrate that vertically stacked graphene electrodes can be used to form stable and reproducible molecular junctions that yield well-resolved IETS signatures. The observed IETS spectra exhibit distinct peaks corresponding to the vibrational modes of the sandwiched aryl alkane molecules, and all major features are assigned through density functional theory calculations of molecular vibrational modes. Furthermore, by analyzing the broadening of IETS peaks with temperature and AC modulation amplitude, we extract intrinsic vibrational linewidths, confirming that the spectral features originate from the molecular junction itself rather than extrinsic noise or instrumental artifacts. These findings conclusively verify the presence of the molecular layer between graphene electrodes as the charge transport pathway and highlight the potential of graphene–molecule–graphene junctions for fundamental studies in molecular electronics. Full article

A standard measuring gas cell used in absorption spectrometers is a cylinder enclosed by two transparent windows. The Fabry–Perot effects caused by multiple reflections of terahertz waves between these windows produce significant variations in the transmitted radiation intensity. Therefore, the Fabry–Perot effects should be taken into account to correctly measure absorption spectra in Bouguer law-based absorption spectroscopy. One approach to reducing the Fabry–Perot effects is based on inserting an additional external movable window with the standard measuring gas cell. This was proposed and numerically analyzed in our previous work. This paper is aimed at the experimental validation of this method when using amplitude modulation (AM) spectroscopy. Also, a comparison of the efficiency of reducing the Fabry–Perot effects using this method is experimentally compared to frequency modulation spectroscopy. The latter was shown to effectively reduce the Fabry–Perot effects compared to AM spectroscopy with the standard measuring gas cell, and the use of the external movable window was shown to further improve the elimination of Fabry–Perot effects. Full article

This paper presents a highly efficient, low-power, compact mixed-signal sinusoidal current generator (CG) integrated circuit (IC) designed for bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) with low total harmonic distortion (THD). The proposed system employs a 9-bit sine wave lookup table (LUT) which is simplified to a 4-bit data stream through a third-order digital delta–sigma modulator (ΔΣM). Unlike conventional analog low-pass filters (LPF), which statically limit bandwidth, the finite impulse response (FIR) filter attenuates high-frequency noise according to the operating frequency, allowing the frequency range of the sinusoidal signal to vary. Additionally, the output of the FIR filter is applied to a 6-bit capacitive digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) with data-weighted averaging (DWA), enabling dynamic capacitor matching and seamless interfacing. The sinusoidal CG IC, fabricated using a 65 nm CMOS process, produces a 5 μA amplitude and operates over a wide frequency range of 0.6 to 20 kHz. This highly synthesizable CG achieves a THD of 0.04%, consumes 19.2 μW of power, and occupies an area of 0.0798 mm². These attributes make the CG IC highly suitable for compact, low-power bio-impedance applications. Full article

The amplitude modulation of a pump field and the phase-sensitive detection of a pump-induced intensity change of a probe field encompass a common practice in nonlinear spectroscopies to enhance the detection sensitivity. A drawback of this approach arises when the modulation frequency is comparable to the width of the spectral feature of interest, since the presence of sidebands in the amplitude-modulated pump field provides distortion to the observed spectral lineshape. This represents a problem when accurate measurements of spectral lineshapes and line positions are pursued, as recently happened in our group with the metrology of the Q(1) line in the 1-0 band of molecular hydrogen. The measurement was performed with a Stimulated Raman Scattering spectrometer that was calibrated, for the first time, against an optical frequency comb. In this work, we develop an analytical tool for nonlinear Stimulated Raman spectroscopies that allows us to precisely quantify spectral distortions arising from high-frequency amplitude modulation in one of the interacting fields. Once they are known, spectral distortions can be deconvolved from the measured spectra to retrieve unbiased data. The application of this tool to the measured spectra is discussed. Full article

We present a low-noise (<10 µ$\mathrm{rad}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$) broadband Faraday Rotation Spectroscopy method which is feasible for near-ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths. We demonstrate this in the context of a high-precision spectroscopy experiment using a heated Pb vapor cell and two different lasers, one in the UV (368 nm) and a second in the IR (1279 nm). A key element of the experimental technique is the use of a uniaxial single crystal CeF₃ Faraday modulator with excellent transmission and optical rotation properties across the aforementioned wavelength range. Polarimeter performance is assessed as a function of crystal orientation and alignment, AC modulation amplitude, laser power, and laser wavelength. Crystal-induced distortion of the ${\left(6p^2\right)}^3{P}_0\to {\left(6p^2\right)}^3{P}_1$ (1279 nm) and ${\left(6p^2\right)}^3{P}_1\to {\left(6p7s\right)}^3{P}_0$ (368 nm) spectral lines due to misalignment-induced birefringence is discussed and modeled using the Jones calculus. Full article

To achieve high-frequency stability on the external cavity diode laser (ECDL), a 780 nm ECDL serves as the seed light source, and its frequency is precisely locked to the saturated absorption peak of rubidium (Rb) atoms using modulation transfer spectroscopy (MTS) technology. For improving the performance of frequency locking, the scheme is designed to find the optimal operating conditions. Correlations between the frequency discrimination signal (FDS) and critical parameters, such as the temperature of the Rb cell, the power ratio of the probe and pump light, and the frequency and amplitude of the modulation and demodulation signals, are observed to attain the optimal conditions for frequency locking. To evaluate the performance of the frequency-stabilized 780 nm ECDL, a dual-beam heterodyne setup was constructed. Through this arrangement, the laser linewidth, approximately 65.4 kHz, is measured. Then, the frequency stability of the laser, quantified as low as 4.886 × 10⁻¹² @32 s, is determined by measuring the beat-frequency signal with a frequency counter and calculating the Allan variance. Furthermore, using the realized frequency locking technology, the 780 nm ECDL can achieve long-term stabilization even after 25 h. The test results show the exceptional performance of the implemented frequency stabilization system for the 780 nm ECDL. Full article

The greenhouse effect resulting from fuel combustion has drawn growing attention, and CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel power stations are one of the main sources of greenhouse gases. It is crucial to monitor the concentration of CO₂ in the flue gas ducts of these stations. However, pressure and vibration caused by the combustion of boilers make the measurement of CO₂ in flue gas ducts extremely challenging. In this study, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) combined with Wave Modulation Spectroscopy (WMS) was employed to measure the concentration of CO₂ under different pressure and vibration conditions in the laboratory. The absorption line of CO₂ at the wavenumber 6357.38 cm⁻¹ was recorded under varying pressure conditions ranging from 0 to 1.4 atm, acceleration conditions ranging from 0 to 7.7 m/s², and a combination of both. Firstly, a negative linear correlation was found between the pressure and the amplitude of the second harmonic, with a maximum relative error of 4.645% observed at a pressure of 1.4 atm. Secondly, the maximum acceleration that the system can withstand was determined to be 7.3 m/s², as it was not possible to provide a sufficiently low fitting error at higher accelerations. For the combined effects of the pressure and vibration, a dramatic increase in the relative error of amplitude can be observed within the acceleration range of 5.0~6.0 m/s² while under the pressure conditions of 0.6 atm, 1.0 atm, and 1.4 atm. Moreover, the maximum endurable acceleration decreases with the increase in pressure, which infers that effective measurements can be achieved when the acceleration is below 5 m/s² within the pressure range of 0~1.4 atm. This suggests that TDLAS combined with WMS possesses a potential for online measuring of CO₂ concentrations in flue gas ducts within a certain acceleration range. This work can provide some insights for stable gas detection using TDLAS under varied pressure and vibration conditions. Full article

This paper proposes the design of a highly responsive, compact, non-contact methane telemetry sensor, employing the open-path tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (OP-TDLAS) technology. The sensor uses the dual-core structure of FPGA and ARM to achieve high-speed methane telemetry at 100 KHz repeated modulation frequency for the first time with a non-cooperate target, and a higher gas responsive time of 1.8 ms was achieved than previously reported. Moreover, the optical system (L × W × H: 68.8 × 52 × 62.7 mm) and the electronic system (L × W: 70 × 50 mm) make the sensor more compact. Methane gas samples of varying integral concentrations were examined at a distance of 20 m. The amplitude of the absorption peaks was subjected to a linear fit with the standard concentration values, resulting in a robust linear correlation coefficient (R² = 0.998). Notably, despite the compact form factor of the methane sensor, it demonstrated commendable stability in gas concentration detection, offering a minimum detection limit of 43.14 ppm·m. Consequently, this highly responsive and compact methane sensor, with its open-path feature, is apt for integration into a variety of applications requiring such attributes. These include handheld telemetry devices, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) gas detection systems, vehicle mounted gas detection, and laser gas radar. Full article

Phα1β (PnTx3–6) is a neurotoxin from the spider Phoneutria nigriventer venom, originally identified as an antagonist of two ion channels involved in nociception: N-type voltage-gated calcium channel (Ca_V2.2) and TRPA1. In animal models, Phα1β administration reduces both acute and chronic pain. Here, we report the efficient bacterial expression system for the recombinant production of Phα1β and its ¹⁵N-labeled analogue. Spatial structure and dynamics of Phα1β were determined via NMR spectroscopy. The N-terminal domain (Ala1–Ala40) contains the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK or knottin) motif, which is common to spider neurotoxins. The C-terminal α-helix (Asn41–Cys52) stapled to ICK by two disulfides exhibits the µs–ms time-scale fluctuations. The Phα1β structure with the disulfide bond patterns Cys1–5, Cys2–7, Cys3–12, Cys4–10, Cys6–11, Cys8–9 is the first spider knottin with six disulfide bridges in one ICK domain, and is a good reference to other toxins from the ctenitoxin family. Phα1β has a large hydrophobic region on its surface and demonstrates a moderate affinity for partially anionic lipid vesicles at low salt conditions. Surprisingly, 10 µM Phα1β significantly increases the amplitude of diclofenac-evoked currents and does not affect the allyl isothiocyanate (AITC)-evoked currents through the rat TRPA1 channel expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Targeting several unrelated ion channels, membrane binding, and the modulation of TRPA1 channel activity allow for considering Phα1β as a gating modifier toxin, probably interacting with S1–S4 gating domains from a membrane-bound state. Full article

A compact electronic circuit capable of performing Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) on either single Lithium-ion cells or modules formed by the series of two cells is presented. The proposed device, named Double Cell Management Unit (DCMU), constitutes an important improvement to a recently proposed cell management unit, which combined EIS acquisition functions with a multichannel sensor interface compatible with thermistors, strain-gauges and moisture detectors. The proposed circuit maintains the versatility of the previous version and significantly extends the EIS frequency range, allowing vector impedance measurements from 0.1 Hz to about 15 kHz. The capability of handling both single Lithium-ion cells or series of two cells is obtained by adding a few external components to the previous version. This also allowed increasing the stimulation current to a maximum amplitude of 200 mA, resulting in improved resolution. Experiments consisting in EIS acquisition performed on batteries of different capacity at different temperatures and states of charge are described. Estimated impedance resolution (standard deviation) is 20 μΩ obtained at 1 kHz with a stimulation current of 100 mA amplitude. Full article

Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS), 82 CH${}_3$I overtone absorption lines were detected for the first time in the range between 11,660 and 11,840 cm${}^{-1}$ (844–857 nm), with strengths estimated around ${10}^{-27}$–10${}^{-26}$ cm/molecule. The lines were measured utilizing commercial heterostructure F–P type diode lasers, multipass cells, and wavelength modulation spectroscopy with the second harmonic detection technique. A high modulation amplitude approach was adopted for the analysis of the line shapes. Self-broadening coefficients were obtained for two lines. Full article