Combination of crystal growth with optical floating zone and evaluation of Nd3+:LaAlO3 crystals with the dynamic nuclear polarization of 139La and 27Al.

Producing a polarized lanthanum (La) target with high polarization and long relaxation time is crucial for realizing time-reversal violation experiments using polarized neutron beams. We use a LaAlO3 crystal doped with a small amount of Nd3+ ions for the polarized lanthanum target. Optimizing the amount of Nd3+ ions is considerably important because the achievable polarization and relaxation time strongly depend on this amount.

Photon Counting System for High-Sensitivity Detection of Bioluminescence at Optical Fiber End.

The technique of photon counting is widely used for various fields and also applicable to a high-sensitivity detection of luminescence. Thanks to recent development of single photon detectors with avalanche photodiodes (APDs), the photon counting system with an optical fiber has become powerful for a detection of bioluminescence at an optical fiber end, because it allows us to fully use the merits of compactness, simple operation, highly quantum efficiency of the APD detectors. This optical fiber-based system also has a possibility of improving the sensitivity to a local detection of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by high-sensitivity detection of the bioluminescence.