A high temperature molten salt test loop that utilizes FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF) at 700ºC has been proposed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to study molten salt flow characteristics through a pebble bed for applications in high temperature thermal systems, in particular the Pebble Bed – Advanced High Temperature Reactor (PB-AHTR). The University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering Department has been tasked with developing and testing pressure instrumentation for direct measurements inside the high temperature environment. A nickel diaphragm based direct contact pressure sensor is developed for use in the salt. Capacitive and interferometric methods are used to infer the displacement of the diaphragm. Two sets of performance data were collected at high temperatures. The fiber optic, Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor was tested in a molten salt bath. The capacitive pressure sensor was tested at high temperatures in a furnace under argon cover gas.

Bragg grating reflectors etched in amorphous silicon overlay films have been integrated with Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides. With a 12.5 mm long grating segment and an etch depth of ~ 93 nm in a 105 nm-thick silicon film, a narrow (0.05 nm) spectral bandwidth with a record high transmission dip (> 20 dB) was achieved at a wavelength of ~1542 nm for TE polarization on an x-cut, y-propagating substrate. The reflectance in the channel waveguides is found to be strongly dependent on the depth of the etched grating. The 3-dB bandwidth of 0.05 nm obtained for all tested samples is the smallest reported for waveguides in LiNbO3. The effect of the Bragg waveguide loss factor on the transmittance and reflectance spectra is investigated using a model for contra-directional coupling that includes an attenuation coefficient. The Bragg grating spectral characteristics are exploited to fabricate distributed Bragg feedback modulators (DBFM) and Bragg reflector Fabry-Perot modulators (BFPM). The sharp cut-off in transmission and reflection spectra, which is an inherent characteristic of Bragg grating, was tuned by applying voltage via the linear electrooptic effect, to produce intensity modulation. The Bragg grating based modulators consume less electric power compared to polarization intensity modulators (PIMs). The DBFM demonstrates 1/1.6 times the modulating voltage of a PIM with identical waveguide and electrode structure. The BFPM shows 1/3.3 times the modulating voltage of the PIM. No difference in the frequency response is observed among the three modulators. Comparison of the modulation sensitivity in the linear region indicates that the Bragg grating based modulators provide better sensitivity than that of the PIM with identical waveguide and electrode structure. These results indicate the potential advantage of the Bragg grating based modulators for enhanced modulation efficiency over conventional modulators. Further improvements can be expected from the optimization of the electrode design.

This research represents the first effort to apply vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to the monitoring of interferometric fiber optic sensors. Modulation of the drive current causes thermal tuning of the laser light frequency. Reflection of this frequency-modulated light from a fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) sensor produces fringe patterns which can be used to measure the optical path difference of the sensor. Spectral characteristics were measured for 850nm VCSELs to determine the combination of dc bias current, modulation current amplitude and modulation frequency for which single mode VCSEL operation and regular fringe patterns are achieved. The response characteristics of FFPI sensors were determined experimentally for square, triangular, saw-tooth waveforms at frequencies from 10kHz to 100kHz. The dependence of VCSEL frequency on the dc bias current was determined from spectral measurements to be ~165GHz/mA. An independent measurement of this quantity based on counting fringes from the FFPI sensor as the laser modulated was in good agreement with this value. The effect of optical feedback into the laser was also studied. By observing the fringe shift as the FFPI sensor was heated, a fractional change in optical length with temperature of 6.95 X 10-6/°C was determined in good agreement with previous measurements on a 1300nm single mode fiber. The performance of 850nm VCSEL/FFPI systems was compared with their counterparts using 1300nm distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. The results of these experiments show that the 850nm VCSEL/FFPI combination gives regular fringe patterns at much lower bias current and modulating current amplitudes than their 1300nm DFB/FFPI counterparts.

ABC drug transporter, MDR1, is a drug flippase that moves a variety of hydrophobic molecules from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. We have previously reported that MDR1 can function as a glycolipid flippase, being one of the mechanisms responsible for the translocation of glucosylceramide into the Golgi for neutral, but not acidic, glycosphingolipids (GSLs) synthesis. The interplay between GSLs and MDR1 could provide a whole new spectrum of innovative therapeutic options. We found that cell surface MDR1 partially co-localized with globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb3) in MDR1 transfected cells. Inhibition of GSL biosynthesis results in the loss of drug resistance and of cell surface MDR1. We speculated that an association of MDR1 and cell surface GSLs, in particular Gb3, may be functional at the cell surface, as MDR1 partitions into plasma membrane lipid rafts regulating MDR1 function. We therefore tested adamantyl Gb3 (adaGb3), a water soluble analog of Gb3, on MDR1 functions. AdaGb3 was able to inhibit MDR1-mediated rhodamine 123 drug efflux from MDR1 expressing cells, like cyclosporin A (CsA), a classical MDR1 inhibitor. AdaGb3 was also able to reverse vinblastine drug resistance in cell culture, whereas adamantyl galactosylceramide had no effect on drug resistance. The strong MDR1 reversal effects of adaGb3, as well as its favourable in vivo features make it a possible choice for inhibition of MDR1 to increase bioavailability of drugs across the intestinal epithelium (De Rosa et al., 2008). Thus, specific GSL analogs provide a new approach to MDR reversal. We have previously shown that MDR1 inhibitor CsA depletes Fabry cell lines of Gb3, the characteristic GSL accumulated in this disease, by preventing its de novo synthesis, and can also deplete Gaucher lymphoid cell lines of accumulated GlcCer (Mattocks et al., 2006). Liver and heart sections of Fabry mice treated with third generation MDR1 inhibitors showed significantly less Gb3 than liver and heart sections of untreated Fabry mice. Thus, MDR1 inhibition offers a potential alternative therapeutic approach not only for Fabry disease given the extraordinary cost of conventional enzyme replacement therapy, but also for other neutral GSL storage diseases, such as Gaucher disease.

ABC drug transporter, MDR1, is a drug flippase that moves a variety of hydrophobic molecules from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. We have previously reported that MDR1 can function as a glycolipid flippase, being one of the mechanisms responsible for the translocation of glucosylceramide into the Golgi for neutral, but not acidic, glycosphingolipids (GSLs) synthesis. The interplay between GSLs and MDR1 could provide a whole new spectrum of innovative therapeutic options. We found that cell surface MDR1 partially co-localized with globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb3) in MDR1 transfected cells. Inhibition of GSL biosynthesis results in the loss of drug resistance and of cell surface MDR1. We speculated that an association of MDR1 and cell surface GSLs, in particular Gb3, may be functional at the cell surface, as MDR1 partitions into plasma membrane lipid rafts regulating MDR1 function. We therefore tested adamantyl Gb3 (adaGb3), a water soluble analog of Gb3, on MDR1 functions. AdaGb3 was able to inhibit MDR1-mediated rhodamine 123 drug efflux from MDR1 expressing cells, like cyclosporin A (CsA), a classical MDR1 inhibitor. AdaGb3 was also able to reverse vinblastine drug resistance in cell culture, whereas adamantyl galactosylceramide had no effect on drug resistance. The strong MDR1 reversal effects of adaGb3, as well as its favourable in vivo features make it a possible choice for inhibition of MDR1 to increase bioavailability of drugs across the intestinal epithelium (De Rosa et al., 2008). Thus, specific GSL analogs provide a new approach to MDR reversal. We have previously shown that MDR1 inhibitor CsA depletes Fabry cell lines of Gb3, the characteristic GSL accumulated in this disease, by preventing its de novo synthesis, and can also deplete Gaucher lymphoid cell lines of accumulated GlcCer (Mattocks et al., 2006). Liver and heart sections of Fabry mice treated with third generation MDR1 inhibitors showed significantly less Gb3 than liver and heart sections of untreated Fabry mice. Thus, MDR1 inhibition offers a potential alternative therapeutic approach not only for Fabry disease given the extraordinary cost of conventional enzyme replacement therapy, but also for other neutral GSL storage diseases, such as Gaucher disease.

Fabry-Pérot (FP) filters are widely used in telecommunications, lasers and spectroscopy to measure the wavelengths of light. The properties of a FP filter depend on the wavelength and incident angle of the light source, the thickness of the etalon and the refractive index of the material between the reflecting surfaces. In previous studies, the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) is employed as the medium of FP filters because of its simple structure and ease of modulation. The directors of the NLC could be rotated by applying an electric field. Due to the birefringence of the NLC, the optical characteristics of the device are polarization dependent. Blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) is the phase between cholesteric phase and isotropic phase. It¡¦s an optically isotropic material can function as an active index-tuning material adopted in a FP filter, and the characteristics of the BPLC-based FP filter are polarization independent. By applying an electric field, the Kerr effect can be induced due to the local reorientation of liquid crystals in BP structure, leading to the effective index change of BPLC and the transmission peak shifts. Furthermore, the effective index of BPLC approaches the ordinary index of host LCs under increasing electric fields. In addition, the BPLC using polymer network construction can be stabilized in room temperature and improves the convenience of the device. According to the experimental results, the tunability of the BPLC-based FP filter is about 1nm/V. The measured response time of the BPLC-based FP filter is 1ms.

Bragg grating reflectors etched in amorphous silicon overlay films have been integrated with Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides. With a 12.5 mm long grating segment and an etch depth of ~ 93 nm in a 105 nm-thick silicon film, a narrow (0.05 nm) spectral bandwidth with a record high transmission dip (> 20 dB) was achieved at a wavelength of ~1542 nm for TE polarization on an x-cut, y-propagating substrate. The reflectance in the channel waveguides is found to be strongly dependent on the depth of the etched grating. The 3-dB bandwidth of 0.05 nm obtained for all tested samples is the smallest reported for waveguides in LiNbO3. The effect of the Bragg waveguide loss factor on the transmittance and reflectance spectra is investigated using a model for contra-directional coupling that includes an attenuation coefficient. The Bragg grating spectral characteristics are exploited to fabricate distributed Bragg feedback modulators (DBFM) and Bragg reflector Fabry-Perot modulators (BFPM). The sharp cut-off in transmission and reflection spectra, which is an inherent characteristic of Bragg grating, was tuned by applying voltage via the linear electrooptic effect, to produce intensity modulation. The Bragg grating based modulators consume less electric power compared to polarization intensity modulators (PIMs). The DBFM demonstrates 1/1.6 times the modulating voltage of a PIM with identical waveguide and electrode structure. The BFPM shows 1/3.3 times the modulating voltage of the PIM. No difference in the frequency response is observed among the three modulators. Comparison of the modulation sensitivity in the linear region indicates that the Bragg grating based modulators provide better sensitivity than that of the PIM with identical waveguide and electrode structure. These results indicate the potential advantage of the Bragg grating based modulators for enhanced modulation efficiency over conventional modulators. Further improvements can be expected from the optimization of the electrode design.

This research represents the first effort to apply vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to the monitoring of interferometric fiber optic sensors. Modulation of the drive current causes thermal tuning of the laser light frequency. Reflection of this frequency-modulated light from a fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) sensor produces fringe patterns which can be used to measure the optical path difference of the sensor. Spectral characteristics were measured for 850nm VCSELs to determine the combination of dc bias current, modulation current amplitude and modulation frequency for which single mode VCSEL operation and regular fringe patterns are achieved. The response characteristics of FFPI sensors were determined experimentally for square, triangular, saw-tooth waveforms at frequencies from 10kHz to 100kHz. The dependence of VCSEL frequency on the dc bias current was determined from spectral measurements to be ~165GHz/mA. An independent measurement of this quantity based on counting fringes from the FFPI sensor as the laser modulated was in good agreement with this value. The effect of optical feedback into the laser was also studied. By observing the fringe shift as the FFPI sensor was heated, a fractional change in optical length with temperature of 6.95 X 10-6/°C was determined in good agreement with previous measurements on a 1300nm single mode fiber. The performance of 850nm VCSEL/FFPI systems was compared with their counterparts using 1300nm distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. The results of these experiments show that the 850nm VCSEL/FFPI combination gives regular fringe patterns at much lower bias current and modulating current amplitudes than their 1300nm DFB/FFPI counterparts.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found in their 2007 report that aerosol radiative forcing contributed larger uncertainties to estimates affecting future climate change than any other radiative forcing factor. Lidar is a tool with which this uncertainty can be reduced, increasing our understanding of the impact of aerosols on climate change. Lidar, or laser radar, is a monostatic active remote sensing technique used to measure aerosols and particulates in the atmosphere, with accuracies comparable to in-situ measurements (Russell 2002). High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) systems use a narrow band filter to spectrally separate Doppler broadened aerosol and molecular back-scattered return signals, which allows for range resolved profiles of aerosol extinction and backscatter. The narrow band filter is a key component, for which two novel approaches are currently being used: NASA Langley Research Center has implemented a wide-angle Michelson interferometer in the second version of their airborne HSRL, and Montana State University is using a spherical Fabry-Perot interferometer in a ground based HSRL. In this research, a comprehensive comparative analysis of these two interferometric filters is performed, the result of which is a methodology for the design of narrow band filters for HSRL systems. The techniques presented identify the critical components and analyze the performance of each filter based on the spectral and angular properties, as well as the efficiency.

High-speed optical networks will require all-optical signalprocessing to avoid bottleneck due to optical-to-electrical (O/E)and electrical-to-optical (E/O) conversion. Enabling of opticalprocessing tasks such as optical buffering and data synchronizationwill require large tunable delay. Recently, slow-light physics gotwide attention to generate tunable delay. However, for a slow-lightsystem large delay comes at the expense of increased distortion.This dissertation presents a study of the slow-light systems andquantifies the limitations imposed on delay due to distortion andsystem resource constraints. Optimal designs for two- and three-lineBrillouin slow-light systems showed fractional pulse delay of up to1.7 compared to a single-line gain system. Optimal designs forbroadband Brillouin gain system showed upto 100\% delay improvementcompared to the Gaussian pump. Wavelength conversion and dispersionbased tunable delay systems showed bit delay of 15 bits. An opticalbuffer based on photorefractive medium for real-time data storagewas demonstrated by storing and retrieving a 7-bit data sequence.