We suggest a novel conceptual approach to describing the properties of waveguides and circuits in photonic crystals, based on effective discrete equations that include long-range interaction effects. We demonstrate, through the example of sharp waveguide bends, that our approach is very effective and accurate for the study of bound states and transmission spectra of photonic-crystal circuits an...

We present the results of a computer simulation study of thermodynamical properties of TIP4P water confined in a hydrophobic disordered matrix of soft spheres upon supercooling. The hydrogen-bond network of water appears preserved in this hydrophobic confinement. Nonetheless a reduction in the average number of hydrogen bonds due to the geometrical constraints is observed. The liquid branch of ...

Decompression sickness is an illness which occurs in divers and caisson workers on return to normal atmospheric pressure after working at very high pressures, and in airmen on reaching very low pressures at great altitude. The disease seen after exposure to high pressure is described and compared with that seen on exposure to great altitude. Mild cases show little difference, but serious ones v...

This work demonstrated the feasibility of detecting divalent Cd(II) ions using antibody-modified microcantilever (MCL) sensors. Different surface modification methods were compared and multilayer approach was found superior than others for MCL surface modifications for antibody-based Cd(II) sensor development. When the Cd(II)-EDTA complex sample is injected into the fluid cell where the MCL is ...

Protein-bound duplex DNA is often bent or kinked. Yet, quantification of intrinsic DNA bending that might lead to such protein interactions remains enigmatic. DNA cyclization experiments have indicated that DNA may form sharp bends more easily than predicted by the established worm-like chain (WLC) model. One proposed explanation suggests that local melting of a few base pairs introduces flexib...

We demonstrate highly efficient transmission of light around sharp corners in photonic bandgap waveguides. Numerical simulations reveal complete transmission at certain frequencies, and very high transmission s.95%d over wide frequency ranges. High transmission is observed even for 90± bends with zero radius of curvature, with a maximum transmission of 98% as opposed to 30% for analogous conven...

We have designed and characterized three different types of plasmonic lenses that cannot only focus, but can also bend electromagnetic (EM) waves. The bending effect is achieved by constructing an asymmetric phase front caused by varying phase retardations in EM waves as they pass through a plasmonic lens. With an incident wave normal to the lens surface, light bends up to 8° off the axial dire...

We demonstrate narrow-linewidth near-degenerate optical parametric generation in reverse-proton-exchange lithium niobate waveguides with quasi-group-velocity-matching, which is realized by using wavelength-selective directional couplers and tight-radius bends. With appropriate designs for 1.6 ps long pump pulses at 785.1 nm we obtained near-degenerate signal (idler) pulses with a time-bandwidth...

We have experimentally compared the critical current, dark count rate and photo-response of 100nm wide superconducting nanowires with different bend designs. Enhanced critical current for nanowires with optimally rounded bends, and thus with no current crowding, are observed. Furthermore, we find that the optimally designed bend significantly reduces the dark counts without compromising the pho...

A mechanism is proposed for the folding of protein chains. On the basis of short-range interactions, certain aminoacid sequences have a high propensity to be, say, alpha-helical. However, these short helical (or other ordered) regions can be stabilized only by long-range interactions arising from the proximity of two such ordered regions. These regions are brought near each other by the directi...