<p>Semiconductor laser diode has been a popular research topic for longer than half a century and plays a crucial role in optical communication systems. The work in this thesis focuses on the development of the semiconductor laser diode with rapid-evolving nanotechnologies: by incorporating specific semiconductor or metal structures in the nanometer scale into the laser cavity, several key advantages are achieved.</p> <p>One category of the nano-materials is semiconductor quantum dots (QD). QD laser is a promising product by providing three-dimensional confinement to the injected electrons and holes. However, in order to realize the single-longitudinal-mode operation, which is critical to optical communications in purpose of reducing the dispersion and partition noise, the Fabry-Perot (FP) QD laser still needs further development to suppress the gain-broadening effects; otherwise the mode-selective structure must be adopted, such as the distributed feedback (DFB) cavity. In this thesis, the QD FP laser and QD DFB laser are both researched by advanced modelling techniques and the work is summarized as follows.</p> <p>1) For the QD FP laser, a comprehensive rate-equation model has been applied for simulation, with the emphasis on describing the interplay of inhomogeneous and homogeneous gain-broadening effects. According to the laser-behaviour simulations, it is found that for each given inhomogeneous broadening, the optimum homogeneous broadening can be obtained for the single longitudinal-mode selectivity. Based on the optimal gain-broadening parameters, the single-mode QD FP laser is designed and analysed. The quantitative conditions for the performance feasibility are examined with respect to the gain-broadening parameters.</p> <p>2) A one-dimensional (1D) standing wave model is developed for the QD DFB laser. This model can provide more information for the laser operation and better describe the dynamic behaviour compared with the rate-equation model. Based on it, the statistic operation and output spectrum of a typical QD DFB laser are simulated; and then the dynamic properties of the laser are analysed.</p> <p>The other category is the metal nano-structure, including the metal nano-particle and the metal nano-strip Bragg grating. The related work is summarized as follows.</p> <p>1) The optical properties of a single metal nano-particle with different size, composition and shape are researched by Mie theory, with respect to the localized surface plasmon polariton (LSPP) effect. It shows that both the resonance wavelength and Q-factor can be tuned in a large scale by proper methods.</p> <p>2) A novel metal nano-strip distributed Bragg grating (DBR) laser is proposed and investigated theoretically. Firstly the metal nano-strip Bragg grating is simulated by the couple-mode theory and the mode-matching method. It shows that the coupling constant and reflection spectrum can be tuned to meet different requirements when varying the grating parameters. Then for the designed metal-grating DBR laser, the rate-equation simulation results show that it works under the single-mode operation for a broad range of the design parameters.<br /> <strong></strong></p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Les pinces optiques permettent de piéger et de manipuler des objets sans contact physique avec de la lumière et ce avec une extrême précision. Son caractère non-invasif et non-destructif en fait un outil idéal pour des applications dans des domaines tels que la biophysique et la médecine. La pince optique conventionnelle utilise un faisceau lumineux fortement focalisé par un objectif de microscope.La fibre optique est un composant très intéressant dans ce domaine puisqu'elle permet de guider la lumière et de piéger optiquement des objets sans l'utilisation de composants optiques encombrants et en limitant des étapes d'alignement. Elle donne ainsi une grande flexibilité et compacité aux pinces optiques.Dans ce contexte, l'objectif de cette thèse a été de développer une pince optique à deux fibres nano-structurées dans le but de piéger des particules de taille micro et nanométrique.Notre pince est constituée de deux fibres optiques gravées chimiquement en forme de pointe et positionnées en vis-à-vis à des distances typiques de 20 nm à 20 µm. Cette configuration à deux faisceaux contra-propagatifs permet d'annuler la pression de radiation de la lumière. Elle a l'avantage d'obtenir un piégeage efficace pour des intensités lumineuses relativement faibles. En outre, les faisceaux ne doivent pas nécessairement être fortement focalisés. Notre dispositif présente une grande souplesse grâce au contrôle in-situ de la position des fibres, l'injection de la lumière dans les fibres et la manipulation de particules individuelles sans aucun substrat.Au cours de ces travaux, nous avons démontré expérimentalement le piégeage stable et reproductible d'une ou plusieurs particules en suspension. Divers types de particules diélectriques ont été piégées, allant de la particule en polystyrène d'un micromètre à des particules luminescentes de YAG:Ce mesurant 60 nm de diamètre. Ces dernières ont été élaborées et optimisées spécifiquement pour le piégeage optique lors de ces travaux.Nous avons également mesuré les forces optiques appliquées aux particules piégées en analysant leur mouvement Brownien résiduel. Nous avons démontré que le potentiel de piégeage était harmonique, nous permettant de définir la constante de raideur optique.Enfin nous avons démontré qu'en modifiant la forme du faisceau optique d'émission, il était possible d'améliorer certaines caractéristiques de la pince. D'une part, les faisceaux quasi-Bessel qui sont très peu divergents nous ont permis de réaliser un piégeage stable et efficace à grande distance.D'autre part, l'utilisation de pointes métallisées permet de confiner le champ et d'améliorer les forces optiques tout en diminuant l'intensité lumineuse. Nous avons mis en évidence le couplage en champ proche entre deux pointes métallisées qui ont été spécialement élaborées pour la pince. Ces derniers résultats ouvrent des perspectives encourageantes pour le développement d'une pince plasmonique fonctionnant en champ proche qui est particulièrement bien adaptée pour le piégeage de nanoparticules. / Optical tweezers allow to trap and manipulate objects without any mechanical contact with light and with an extreme accuracy. This non-invasive and non-destructive technique is of large interest in many scientific domains such as biophysics and medicine. Conventional optical tweezers use a laser beam which is strongly focalised by a microscope objective.The use of optical fibers attracts increasing attention as highly flexible and compact tools for particle trapping. Fiber-based optical tweezers do not require bulky optics and require only little alignments.In this context, the objective of this thesis was to develop a dual fiber nano-tip optical tweezers in order to trap particles with micro and nano-meter sizes. Our tweezers consist of two chemically etched optical fiber tips placed in front of each other with typical gaps from 20~nm to 20~µm. This dual contra-propagative beams configuration allow to cancel light radiation pressure. Efficient trapping can thus be obtained at relative low light intensities. Moreover, strong focusing is not required. Our device present an high flexibility due to in situ optimization and control of the fibre positions and individual particle manipulation without any substrate.During our work, we experimentally demonstrated stable and reproducible trapping of one or several particles in suspension. Various dielectric particles were trapped, from one micrometer polystyrene beads to luminescent YAG:Ce particles with diameters down to 60~nm. During this thesis, the latter were specifically elaborated and optimized for the optical trapping. We also measured optical forces applied to trapped particles by analysing their residual Brownian motion. We showed the trapping potential is of harmonic shape, allowing to define its optical stiffness.vspace{10pt}Finally, by modifying the emitted optical beam shape, we were able to improve specific tweezers characteristics. On one hand, nondiffracting quasi-Bessel beams allow us to get a stable trapping at large fiber-to-fiber distances.On the other hand, the use of metallised fiber tips allows to improve the beam confinement and enhance optical forces while reducing light intensity. We proved the near-field coupling between two metallised tips which were especially elaborated in this work. Those last results open promising perspectives for the development of plasmonic tweezers working in the near-field, which are especially well adapted for nano-particles trapping.

Artificial photosynthesis is used to harvest solar energy and store it in the form of chemical bonds. The system of interest in this study does this by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen gas through a plasmon assisted process, collective oscillations from free electron gas. This is a renewable way to store energy that could be used as an alternative to fossil based fuel. In this study, a small part of this photo catalytic system is studied, namely the interaction between plasmonically active silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) transferring photo-excited electrons via a linker molecule, 4-aminobenzoic acid (pABA). The pABA linker molecule transfers charge from the Ag surface to a semiconductor and a catalyst performing the water splitting. The pABA can bind in different ways onto the Ag-surface and the aim of this study is to examine which bond is strongest and which best enables charge transfer. To this purpose three systems where simulated quantum mechanically using a supercomputer. The total free energy of the systems was computed and compared. Out of the three studied binding sites, the hollow-site bond (pABA binding to three silver atoms) was found to have the lowest energy, meaningit's the strongest of the possible bonds. Additionally it was found that the band gap (the energy needed to transfer charge) for the pABA decreased when bound to the Ag-surface. The hollow-site bound pABA also had the smallest band gap, meaning it requires the least energy to transfer a charge and should therefore be the best bond fitted for the photo catalytic system. / Artificiell fotosyntes används för att absorbera solenergi och förvara den i formen av kemiska bindningar. Systemet som används i denna studie gör detta genom att splittra vatten till vätgas och syrgas genom en plasmon assisterad process. Detta är ett förnyelsebart sätt att förvara energi och kan användas som ett alternativ till fossila bränslen. I denna studie studeras en liten del utav detta fotokatalytiska system nämligen interaktionen där plasmonaktiva silvernanopartiklar (Ag NPs) överför foto-exciterade elektroner genom molekyllänken 4-aminobensoesyra (pABA). Molekyllänken pABA överför laddning från silverytan till en halvledare och en katalys som utför splittringen av vattnet. pABA kan binda på olika sätt tillen silveryta och denna studie syftar till att undersöka vilken utav bindningarna som är starkast och vilken som effektivast överför laddning. För att göra detta simulerades tre system kvantmekaniskt med hjälp av en superdator, ett system för varje sorts bindning. Den totala fria energin av systemen beräknades och jämfördes. Av de tre undersökta bindningarna hadehollow-site bindningen (pABA som binder till tre silveratomer) längst energi, vilket betyder att det är den starkaste av bindningarna. Utöver detta så visade det sig att bandgapet (energin som krävs för att överföra laddning) minskade för pABA när den var bunden till Ag-ytan. Hollow-site bundet pABA hade även minst bandgap, vilket betyder att den kräver minst energi för att överföra laddning och är därmed den mest effektiva bindningen för det fotokatalytiska systemet.

(1) We will show that nano sized samples of SAPO-34 synthesized by microwave heating presents much higher lifetime than standard-SAPO-34 synthesized by conventional hydrothermal method for the reaction of methanol to olefins. (2) We will stabilize the Nano SAPO-34 in the ways such as steaming with water or calcinated in H2 condition. (3) The treatment of mix alkali treatment with proper TPAOH/NaOH could make composites with mesopore and microporous structure in the zeolite ZSM-5 to reduce strong acid quantity and the change the selectivity of the main product. (4) Different 8MR zeolite show different selectivity and lifetime in the same condition in the reaction of methanol to olefins. / Li, Z. (2014). New micro and mesoporous materials for the reaction of methanol to olefins [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/44229 / TESIS

The new generation of three roll mills is able to monitor occurring process loads while dispersion. This paper focuses on the interpretation of the gathered data to find criteria quantifying the dispersion state online. The aim is process time reduction. We used impedance spectroscopy to identify the dispersion state and correlated it with the occurring process loads. The dispersion process of a wide spectrum of carbon based nano particles, namely carbon black, single walled carbon nanotubes, multi walled carbon nanotubes, a few-layer graphene powder, electrochemically exfoliated graphite and a functionalized electrochemically exfoliated graphite was investigated. The filler content was varied along the material’s electrical percolation threshold. The criteria found led to a reduction of processing time and revealed the prevalent mechanisms during dispersion.