Energy transfer efficiency from Cr(3+) to Nd(3+) in solar-pumped laser using transparent Nd/Cr:Y(3)Al(5)O(12) ceramics.

We report energy transfer efficiency from Cr to Nd in Nd (1.0 at.%)/Cr (0.

Laser emission from a solar-pumped fiber.

We report the realization of a solar-pumped fiber laser (SPFL) using a double-clad (a center core/ an inner clad working also as optical waveguide/ an outer clad) Nd-doped fluoride optical fiber as a laser medium. With a compact off-axis parabolic mirror of 5 cm in aperture diameter, the natural sunlight is concentrated by a factor 10⁴, and introduced partly into the core of the fiber and partly into the inner clad in which the light is guided in some distance and transferred to the core after all. We have obtained clear laser spectrum characteristics with approximately 0.

Fabrication of metal nanocluster and nanoparticles in the CaO-Bi2O3-B2O3-Al2O3-TiO2 glass by irradiation of XeCl pulsed laser.

We report the fabrication of nanoparticles that contain metal nanoclusters at the surface of the CaO-Bi(2)O(3)-B(2)O(3)-Al(2)O(3)-TiO2 glass using XeCl laser irradiation. We have demonstrated that the surface morphology such as that containing nanoparticles or a smooth flat surface can be controlled by laser irradiation conditions; the laser fluence, repetition rate, and temperature of the glass. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of the cross section of the nanoparticles show that the metal nanoclusters were formed inside the nanoparticle by XeCl pulsed laser irradiation, a unique phenomenon different from TiO2-crystallization achieved by conventional heat-treatment of the glass.

Indoor airborne mold spores in newly built dwellings.

Objective: To investigate the relationships between sick building syndrome and mold in newly-built dwellings.

Methods: Symptoms of 61 residents in 18 dwellings were surveyed by standardized questionnaires. Mold sampling was done by gravity sampling using an open Petri dish.