Diamond nanofocusing refractive X-ray lenses made by planar etching technology.

The manufacturing steps and first tests of a refractive lens made of polycrystalline diamond are described. A fabrication process based on electron-beam lithography and deep reactive ion etching is introduced. Experimental tests on beamline ID13 at the ESRF have been performed.

Grating-assisted coupling to nanophotonic circuits in microcrystalline diamond thin films.

Synthetic diamond films can be prepared on a waferscale by using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on suitable substrates such as silicon or silicon dioxide. While such films find a wealth of applications in thermal management, in X-ray and terahertz window design, and in gyrotron tubes and microwave transmission lines, their use for nanoscale optical components remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate that CVD diamond provides a high-quality template for realizing nanophotonic integrated optical circuits.

Diamond-integrated optomechanical circuits.

Diamond offers unique material advantages for the realization of micro- and nanomechanical resonators because of its high Young's modulus, compatibility with harsh environments and superior thermal properties. At the same time, the wide electronic bandgap of 5.45 eV makes diamond a suitable material for integrated optics because of broadband transparency and the absence of free-carrier absorption commonly encountered in silicon photonics.

Paradise lost or paradise regained? Changes in admission system affect academic performance and drop-out rates of medical students.

Background: The Austrian State medical universities had to change their admission system in 2005. Until this year admission to medical studies was unrestricted. Innsbruck Medical University chose the Eignungstest für das Medizinstudium in der Schweiz (EMS) aptitude test for admission testing.