Influence of an electric field on flexopolarization induced by acoustic action on a liquid crystal

The work experimentally investigated the influence of an electric field on the direct flexoelectric effect that occurs under the influence of an acoustic field in liquid crystals. Thin layers of nematics 10-100 μm thick were studied. In this case, the liquid crystal sample was exposed to the piston method with an acoustic wave with a frequency of 1 kHz. The dependences of the first and second harmonics for different NLCs on the bias voltage value, shear amplitude, and crystal thickness were obtained. It was revealed that the flexosignal harmonics depend on the direction of the electric field; when a positive potential is applied to the movable plate, they take on smaller values than when negative. It was found that in low fields the magnitude of the flexosignal increases due to an increase in the amplitude of the director deviation, but at a critical value of the field it is suppressed, since the layer is stabilized by a constant electric field.

Mineral crystal thickness in calcified cartilage and subchondral bone in healthy and osteoarthritic knees

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease globally. In OA, articular cartilage degradation is often accompanied with sclerosis of the subchondral bone. However, the association between OA and tissue mineralization at the nanostructural level is currently not understood. Especially, it is technically challenging to identify calcified cartilage, where relevant but poorly understood pathological processes like tidemark multiplication and advancement occur. Here, we used state-of-the art micro-focus small-angle X-ray scattering with high 5μm spatial resolution to determine mineral crystal thickness in human subchondral bone and calcified cartilage. Specimens with a wide spectrum of OA severities were acquired from the medial and lateral compartments of medial compartment knee OA patients (n=15) and cadaver knees (n=10). For the first time, we identified a well-defined layer of calcified cartilage associated with pathological tidemark multiplication, containing 0.32nm thicker crystals compared to the rest of calcified cartilage. In addition, we found 0.2nm thicker mineral crystals in both tissues of the lateral compartment in OA compared with healthy knees, indicating a loading-related disease process since the lateral compartment is typically less loaded in medial compartment knee OA. Furthermore, the crystal thickness of the subchondral bone was lower with increasing histopathological OA severity. In summary, we report novel changes in mineral crystal thickness during OA. Our data suggest that unloading in the knee is associated with the growth of mineral crystals, which is especially evident in the calcified cartilage. In the subchondral bone, mineral crystals become thinner with increasing OA severity, which indicates new bone formation with sclerosis.

Resolution of a bent-crystal spectrometer for X-ray free-electron laser pulses: diamond versus silicon

The resolution function of a spectrometer based on a strongly bent single crystal (bending radius of 10 cm or less) is evaluated. It is shown that the resolution is controlled by two parameters: (i) the ratio of the lattice spacing of the chosen reflection to the crystal thickness and (ii) a single parameter comprising crystal thickness, its bending radius, distance to a detector, and anisotropic elastic constants of the chosen crystal. The results allow the optimization of the parameters of bent-crystal spectrometers for the hard X-ray free-electron laser sources.

Modelling Electron Channeling Contrast Intensity of Stacking Fault and Twin Boundary Using Crystal Thickness Effect

In a scanning electron microscope, the backscattered electron intensity modulations are at the origin of the contrast of like-Kikuchi bands and crystalline defects. The Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging (ECCI) technique is suited for defects characterization at a mesoscale with transmission electron microscopy-like resolution. In order to achieve a better comprehension of ECCI contrasts of twin-boundary and stacking fault, an original theoretical approach based on the dynamical diffraction theory is used. The calculated backscattered electron intensity is explicitly expressed as function of physical and practical parameters controlling the ECCI experiment. Our model allows, first, the study of the specimen thickness effect on the channeling contrast on a perfect crystal, and thus its effect on the formation of like-Kikuchi bands. Then, our theoretical approach is extended to an imperfect crystal containing a planar defect such as twin-boundary and stacking fault, clarifying the intensity oscillations observed in ECC micrographs.

Technical note: A universal method for measuring the thickness of microscopic calcite crystals, based on bidirectional circular polarization

Coccoliths are major contributors to the particulate inorganic carbon in the ocean that is a key part of the carbon cycle. The coccoliths are a few micrometres in length and weigh a few picogrammes. Their birefringence characteristics in polarized optical microscopy have been used to estimate their mass. This method is rapid and precise because camera sensors produce excellent measurements of light. However, the current method is limited because it requires a precise and replicable set-up and calibration of the light in the optical equipment. More precisely, the light intensity, the diaphragm opening, the position of the condenser and the exposure time of the camera have to be strictly identical during the calibration and the analysis of calcite crystal. Here we present a new method that is universal in the sense that the thickness estimations are independent from a calibration but result from a simple equation. It can be used with different cameras and microscope brands. Moreover, the light intensity used in the microscope does not have to be strictly and precisely controlled. This method permits the measurement of crystal thickness up to 1.7 µm. It is based on the use of one left circular polarizer and one right circular polarizer with a monochromatic light source using the following equation: d=λπΔnarctanILRILL, where d is the thickness, λ the wavelength of the light used, Δn the birefringence, and ILR and ILL the light intensity measured with a right and a left circular polarizer. Because of the alternative and rotational motion of the quarter-wave plate of the circular polarizer, we coined the name of this method “bidirectional circular polarization” (BCP).

Влияние поляризации считывающей волны и циркулярного дихроизма на дифракционную эффективность отражательной голограммы в кубическом оптически активном фоторефрактивном поглощающем пьезокристалле

In the approximation of slowly varying amplitudes, a system of coupled waves equations is obtained, which is applicable for describing the diffraction and coupling of elliptically polarized light waves on a volume phase-amplitude holographic grating formed in a cubic optically active photorefractive absorbing piezoelectric crystal. The dependence of the diffraction efficiency of the phase reflection hologram on the ellipticity of the readout wave and the thickness of the Bi12SiO20 crystal of the (001) and (111) cuts was studied. The regularities of the effect of circular dichroism on the diffraction efficiency of the phase reflection hologram are analyzed. It is shown that for crystal of (001)-cut the maximum diffraction efficiency of the reflection hologram depending on the crystal thickness can be achieved using a readout wave both with linear polarization and with elliptical polarization. For crystal of (111)-cut the highest diffraction efficiency is achieved using a linearly polarized readout wave. It has been established that the effect of circular dichroism on the intensity of the reconstructed wave depends on the cut of the crystal, the ellipticity of the readout wave and the thickness of the crystal.

Энергетический обмен при встречном двухволновом взаимодействии в кристалле Bi-=SUB=-12-=/SUB=-GeO-=SUB=-20-=/SUB=- среза (001)

The regularities of energy transfer between two linearly polarized light waves as their contra-directional mixing on a volume reflection holographic grating formed in a photorefractive Bi12GeO20 crystal of the (001)-cut are analyzed. The values of the crystal thickness and the azimuths of the linear polarization of the light waves, at which the amplification of the object wave is achieved, are determined. The change in the direction of energy transfer to the opposite, depending on the thickness of the crystal, has been experimentally demonstrated.

Вырожденное четырехволновое взаимодействие на пропускающих голографических решетках в кристалле Bi-=SUB=-12-=/SUB=-TiO-=SUB=-20-=/SUB=- среза (110)

The regularities of the stationary degenerate four-wave mixing on transmission holographic gratings formed in the Bi12TiO20 crystal of the (110)-cut are analyzed. The system of differential equations has been obtained; this system that can be used to find the components of the vector amplitudes of linearly polarized light waves in the case of four-wave mixing on phase and phase-amplitude holographic gratings. The theoretical model take into account the linear electrooptic, the photoelastic and the inverse piezoelectric effects, as well as natural optical activity, circular dichroism and crystal absorption. The values of the orientation angle and the crystal thickness where the reflection coefficient can reach maximum values are determined. It was experimentally found that the reflection coefficient can reach 2.4 with an optimal choice of the orientation angle in the Bi12TiO20 crystal of (110)-cut with the thickness of 7.7 mm. It is shown that the best agreement between theoretical and experimental data is achieved if the phase-amplitude structure of transmission holographic gratings formed in the Bi12TiO20 crystal is taken into account in the mathematical model of diffraction.