Thesis (LL. M.)--Judge Advocate General's School, 1956. / "May, 1956." Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 74). Also issued in microfiche.

The terahertz frequency range is a relatively unstudied region of the electromagnetic spectrum. However with the emergence of numerous applications for terahertz light in diverse areas such as security scanning, biological imaging, gas spectroscopy and astrophysics there has been considerable recent growth in the volume of research activity in this area. The studies presented in this thesis aim to introduce the physics of surface plasmons to the terahertz frequency range, and on the way to use some of the unique capabilities of terahertz spectroscopy to try and find new information about fundamental surface-plasmon based electromagnetic structures. Four distinct experiments are described in this work, all of them underpinned by the technique of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (Chapter 2). This is a very powerful and adaptable spectroscopic method which allows us to measure the electric field of pulsed terahertz radiation as a function of time. This in turn allows us to directly extract both phase and amplitude of the terahertz light as a function of frequency, over a broad frequency range. Furthermore, this method of terahertz spectroscopy can be combined with photoexcitation pulses of visible/NIR light which can be used to make dynamic changes to the properties of materials in the terahertz beam. The first experiment reported (Chapter 3) measures the propagation of coupled surface plasmons in a resonant slit cavity. We use terahertz time-domain spec- troscopy to determine the characteristics of the cavity resonances in a semiconductor slit near the surface plasma frequency of the material, where we are able to mea- sure very large red-shifts in the frequency of the cavity resonance. By considering the phase information which can be extracted directly from time-resolved terahertz measurements we are able to link the behaviour of the resonances to the propagation characteristics of the surface plasmon modes inside the slits. The second experiment (Chapter 4) is a more direct measurement of surface plasmons, propagated over the surface of a semiconductor wafer. We show that the electric field of the surface plasmon is confined to a subwavelength region around the surface, and that the confined field is useful for spectroscopy of very thin layers above the surface. We are able to measure films with thickness less than 1/600th of the wavelength of the terahertz light. After these two experiments with confined semiconductor surface plasmons we move on to a pair of experiments looking at terahertz surface modes mediating the transmission of light through holes in metal films. In the initial experiment (Chapter 5) we use the time-domain data from terahertz spectroscopy to determine the role that surface mode lifetime plays in modifying the amplitude and width of Extraor- dinary Optical Transmission (EOT) resonances, which arise from the periodicity of a hole-array lattice. By changing the temperature of the lossy dielectric semicon- ductor substrate we are able to modify the surface mode lifetime, and link this to the resonant transmission characteristics. In Chapter 6 we extend the hole array EOT experiment by making dynamic changes to the propagation of the surface mode which mediates the transmission. This is achieved by photo-exciting the semiconductor substrate inside the holes and forming a thin layer of material with high charge carrier density on the surface. Interaction of the surface mode with the photoexcited region quenches the resonant transmission. We show that by changing the hole size so that the surface-mode mediated transmission pathway predominates in the spectrum it is possible to use optical pulses to modulate the transmission of terahertz radiation with very high efficiency. In the conclusions (Chapter 7) we link together some of the insights and infer- ences which can be drawn from the above results, as well as evaluating the efficacy of the experimental and simulation methodology.

The extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) in metal-semiconductor hybrid structures was first demonstrated using a van der Pauw configuration for a circular semiconductor wafer with a concentric metallic inclusion in it. This effect depends on the orbital motion of carriers in an external magnetic field, and the remarkably high magnetoresistance response observed suggests that the geometry of the metallic inclusion can be optimized to significantly enhance the EMR. Here we consider the theory and simulations to achieve this goal by comparing both two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional structures in an external magnetic field to evaluate the EMR in them. Examples of structures that are compatible with present day technological capabilities are given together with their expected responses in terms of EMR. For a 10 micron 2D square structure with a square metallic inclusion, we see a MR up to 10^7 percent for an applied magnetic field of 1 Tesla.

Cette recherche s’appuie sur un catalogue de portails exécutés conformément aux modèles imprimés dans le Livre extraordinaire de Sebastiano Serlio et dans les autres livres de son traité. L’analyse de ces réalisations, souvent anonymes, nous permet de comprendre comment ces modèles ont été filtrés par le savoir faire et les traditions caractérisant la zone où ils ont été réalisés.Nous avons choisi ces modèles car à la Renaissance le traité de Sebastiano Serlio, architecte et théoricien bolonais, compte parmi les principales initiatives éditoriales en matière d’architecture. Dans son Livre IV, l’auteur présente les cinq ordres d’architecture d’une manière systématique et intelligible : des dessins s’accompagnent de légendes précisant des mesures, en témoignant d’un rapport équilibré entre texte et image. Le Livre extraordinaire, venu s’ajouter ultérieurement au programme, est consacré aux portes. Le langage ornemental de ces inventions fantaisistes dénote une plus grande liberté par rapport aux règles de Vitruve. La présente recherche s’efforce d’éclaircir l’éventuel processus de migration de prototypes serliens moyennant l’étude des portails issus du traité de notre architecte. Afin d’analyser de telles assimilations, nous proposons de mettre en parallèle des exemples en France, en Allemagne et en Italie. Pour ce faire, nous avons choisi trois régions périphériques de ces pays, politiquement et économiquement indépendantes du pouvoir centralisé de la cour du souverain : la Lorraine, la zone autour de la rivière Weser et la Sicile pour, respectivement, la France, l’Allemagne et l’Italie. / This research is based on a catalogue of portals which have been built following the models printed in the Extraordinary book by Sebastiano Serlio and in other books of his treatise. The analysis of these often anonymous creations shows us how these models have been filtered by the expertise typical of the area where they’ve been built and its customs. We chose these models because, during the Renaissance, the treatise by Sebastiano Serlio, Bolognese architect and theorist, constitutes one of the most important editorial initiatives in matter of architecture. Thanks to his experiences in Bologna, his hometown, in Rome, in Venice and at the court of François I since 1541, Serlio gets skilled in composing ancient models and Italian Renaissance models with local traditions. In his Book IV, the author presents the five architectonic orders in a systematic and intelligible way : each drawing has a legend explaining measures and sizes, showing a balanced relation between text and image. The Extraordinary book, which was later added to Serlio’s program, is dedicated to portals. The decorative language of these imaginative inventions proves a bigger freedom in relation to Vitruvio’s rules. This work tries to illustrate certain migrations of Serlio’s prototypes through the study of portals built basing on his treatise. In order to analyze such assimilations, we propose a comparison of examples from France, Germany and Italy. To do such a thing, we have chosen three peripheral regions in each of these three countries, politically and economically independent from the central power of the sovereign’s court : Lorraine, in France, the area along the river Weser, in Germany, and Sicily, in Italy.

During the 2001 war in Afghanistan hundreds of people associated with the Taliban or al Qaeda were arrested by United States forces and transported to the Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The legal status and treatment of these detainees has been an ongoing problem over the last five years. The majority have been given no recourse to justice and allegations of inhuman treatment and torture have been frequent. The first issue raised by the incarceration of these people is whether any of them may be entitled to Prisoner of War status. The evidence shows that, in general, the Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters were not lawful combatants, and hence they are not entitled to Prisoner of War status. While the rights of Prisoners of War are well documented and generally uncontested, the rights of people not entitled to Prisoner of War status are not so easily definable. Despite classification as unlawful or unprivileged combatants, the detainees are not in legal limbo - they are still entitled to the benefit of certain fundamental human rights. There are applicable protections under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Additional Protocol I, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture. The main rights upheld by these documents are the right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention; the right to a fair trial; and the right to life. Furthermore, there is a requirement of humane treatment and an absolute prohibition on torture. Reports from international humanitarian watchdogs such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch suggest that the United States Government is not upholding the rights held by the detainees. It is essential that the United States Government recognises the fundamental rights owed to the detainees and ensures that they receive the requisite treatment and access to justice.

<p>We calculate electromagnetic transmission through periodic gratings using a mode-matching method for solving Maxwell's equations. We record the derivation of the equations involved for several variations of the problem, including one- and two- dimensionally periodic films, one-sided films, films with complicated periodicity, and a simpler formula for the case of a single contributing waveguide mode. We demonstrate the effects of the Rayleigh anomaly, which causes energy transmission to be very low compared to nearby frequencies, and the associated transmission maxima which may be as high as 100% for certain energy frequencies. Finally we present further variations of the model to account for the effects of conductivity, finite hole arrays, and collimation. We find that assuming the film is perfectly conducting with infinite periodicity does not change the transmission sufficiently to explain the difference between experimental and theoretical results. However, removing the assumption that the incident radiation is in the form of a plane wave brings the transmission much more in agreement with experimental results.</p> / Dissertation

Sport providers should be concerned with the participant experience, and in particular extraordinary experiences, as they have the potential to shift participant behaviors and attitudes to those desired by sport organizations. Extraordinary experiences are characterized by interpersonal interactions, separation from the usual, and feelings of self-transformation or personal growth (Arnould & Price, 1993). Due to the power, intensity, and transformative effects of these experiences, they can generate lasting shifts in beliefs and attitudes (Schouten, McAlexander & Koenig, 2007). This research project examined the relationship between the extraordinary experience and the personal transformation by examining the characteristics of the experience and impacts on participants. Texas 4000 is a community of cancer fighters who “train, fundraise, educate, and bring hope to those with cancer” for one year before their experience culminates with a 4,000 mile bike ride. University students apply to participate, and once accepted they begin planning, fundraising, volunteering and training for their ride to Alaska. Along the ride, they interact with members of the communities they pass through to spread “hope, knowledge, and charity.” Over 400 individuals have completed the ride within the last ten years. For this study, alumni participated in in-depth interviews about their experience and how it impacted their life. Participant impacts included feelings of empowerment, new perspectives and appreciations, a sense of meaning and purpose, and strong relationships that resulted in a sense of community with other riders, the organization, and the larger cancer community. Importantly, participants’ history and backgrounds influenced how participants interacted with the community and the impacts that they felt. Additionally, the extraordinary experience of the ride created enduring change in participants; the preparation for the extraordinary experience was not as impactful and merely allowed participants to develop the necessary skills to participate in the summer ride. / text

Metallic nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanowires and nanoapertures exhibit extraordinary optical properties in absorption, scattering and transmission of electromagnetic radiation due to the excitation of surface plasmons. This allows them to provide applications in converting photon energy to other forms of energy such as heat, mechanical work and electricity in a more efficient or controlled manner. When incorporated into an amorphous silicon thin film solar cell, nanoparticles were found to substantially increase the light absorption in the photoactive layer within certain wavelength range. The mechanism of this optical absorption was studied using three-dimensional finite element method. It was found that intensified Fabry-Perot resonance in the active layer due to the addition of the nanostructures and enhanced light scattering by the plasmonic nanostructures were both responsible for this phenomenon. Interestingly, higher absorption only occurs at wavelength range outside the surface plasmons resonance of the nanostructures. A further study on the absorption of the nanoparticles themselves revealed that enhanced near field associated with the SP resonance of particles causes extraordinary energy dissipation in the particles, resulting in decreased light scattering. Strong power dissipation accompanied with the surface plasmons resonance becomes desirable when nanostructures are used as heat generator. Using the new technique of three-dimensional localization of the metallic nanoparticles on polymer microstructures, wavelength dependent controlling of a light-driven microactuator was achieved by selectively coating it with nanoparticles of different materials. Another important plasmonic nanostructure is the subwavelength hole arrays perforated on a metal film. The optical transmission through these nanometer scaled apertures whose dimensions are smaller than the wavelength of the incident light can be several orders of magnitude larger than expected. Based on this property, a novel tandem solar cell structure was proposed. A metal film perforated with periodic subwavelength hole arrays was inserted in a tandem solar cell as a light transmittable intermediate common electrode for the top and the bottom cell. The perforated electrode removes the current matching restriction in conventional tandem cells and allows active materials with different energy conversion and charge transport mechanisms to be combined in the same device. If used in a multi-junction solar cell, the new design can also save the power loss across the tunnel junction. The perforated intermediate electrode was modeled and its optical performance in the tandem solar cell was investigated. / text

Ovarian cancer has very high mortality because it is hard to diagnosis in early stages. Many ovarian cancer biomarkers (such as HE4, CA 125) are available and had been suggested as potential tools for early cancer detection. However, early cancer detection using serological markers will only become widely used if a new generation of sensors that can be handled in a clinical setting can be developed. A detection technology that is promising for miniaturization and integration in biomedical sensing devices is based on the phenomenon of the extraordinary light transmission (EOT) through arrays of nanoholes on metal films. EOT is an increase in light transmission observed at certain wavelengths that satisfy the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) condition of the nanostructure. The position of this resonance is affected by surface adsorption phenomenon, which is the basis for the biosensor. In this dissertation, the detection of the HE4 biomarker was demonstrated using EOT. The EOT-based detection was compared to two state-of-the-art analytical methods (ELISA and commercial SPR). Based on our experiments, it was found that ELISA has lowest detection limit, around 0.5 ng/mL for that particular protein (HE4). The detection limits for the commercial SPR, around 0.13 μg/mL was comparable to the nanohole-based detection limit, around 1.76 μg/mL. In contrast to ELISA, the SPR-based methods were label free, more time efficient, and more environmental friendly. An extra advantage of the nanohole scheme was that multiple samples could be analyzed simultaneously and in real time. Adsorption kinetic experiments were also performed to evaluate the rate constants of the HE4 binding to a surface coated with anti-HE4. The adsorption equilibrium constant for the HE4 – anti-HE4 system was determined to be (4.3 ± 2.1) x 107 M-1. / Graduate / 0487

Thesis (M.S.)--School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, 2008. / "June 2008." Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-91). Also available via the Internet.