Perry P. Yaney

Processing techniques for deoxyribonucleic acid: Biopolymer for photonics applications

Marine-based deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), purified from waste products of the Japanese fishing industry, has recently become a material of interest in photonics applications. Using highly purified DNA, unique processing techniques developed specifically to transform the purified DNA into a biopolymer suitable for optical device fabrication are reported.

Reduction of Fluorescence Background in Raman Spectra by the Pulsed Raman Technique

The pulsed Raman technique utilizing a Q-switched frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser and a pulse-activated nanosecond photon-counting detection system has been used to reduce the fluorescence background in Raman spectra when the fluorescence-pump lifetime is much shorter than the duration of the laser output pulse. A fluorescence discrimination factor shows the improvement of the Raman signal-to-noise ratio obtained with pulsed Raman over cw Raman. Dark-current-limited operation can be virtually eliminated using the pulsed Raman technique. When applied to a sample of Mn-doped ZnSe using an uncooled 1P28 photomultiplier and about 10 mW of average laser power at 532 nm, a 60-count/s fluorescence peak of 125-μs lifetime, observed with a 200-μs detection interval, was reduced by a factor of ≳60 with a 1-μs detection interval. The computed factor is 63.

Performance of an electro-optic waveguide modulator fabricated using a deoxyribonucleic-acid-based biopolymer

An electro-optic (EO) planar waveguide modulator using a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based biopolymer for both the waveguide core and cladding layers has been fabricated and its performance evaluated. A cross-linked DNA-surfactant biopolymer was used for the top and bottom cladding layers and the core layer was a cross-linked DNA-surfactant biopolymer with 3wt% Disperse Red 1. The EO coefficient r33 was induced through contact poling. The fabricated device was found to exhibit EO modulating behavior. Using an estimated value of r33=0.5pm∕V, a sine-squared fit to the modulating data was obtained with Vπ=263V±10%.

DNA Photonics [Deoxyribonucleic Acid]

ABSTRACT Purified deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) derived from salmon and scallop sperm has demonstrated excellent passive and active optical properties. Characterization of the optical and electromagnetic properties of DNA suggests suitability for photonic applications. One of interesting features of DNA we discovered was an intercalation of aromatic compounds into stacked layers within the double helix of DNA molecules. We found that various optical dyes inserted into the double helix of DNA molecules rendered active optical waveguide materials with excellent nonlinear optical properties. Our research included the investigation of DNA for use as an optical waveguide material as well as intercalation of fluorescent dyes, photochromic dyes, nonlinear optic chromophores, two photon dyes and rare earth compounds into DNA for use as a nonlinear optical material.

Distributed-feedback dye laser for picosecond ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy

We describe the design and operation of a tunable, picosecond laser system for use in time-resolved spectroscopic measurements in the visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectral region. The laser is designed for fine tuning and high wavelength stability. A Nd:YAG-pumped distributed-feedback dye laser (DFDL) generates pulses that are ∼100 ps in duration with a nearly transform-limited linewidth (∼5 GHz) at a 20 Hz repetition rate. The DFDL pulses are amplified in two bow-tie amplifiers, providing pulse energies of up to 3.0 mJ; the amplified pulses may be frequency doubled to the UV spectral region, providing up to 1.0 mJ. The DFDL wavelength is computer stabilized to within ±0.8 pm (±0.7 GHz, two standard deviations), allowing the wavelength to be stationed on a narrow atomic or molecular transition or permitting nearly continuous spectral scans. Application of the laser system to studies of OH energy transfer has been demonstrated; both laser-induced-fluorescence and degenerate-four-wave-mixing spectra have be...

Diode laser absorption measurements of metastable helium in glow discharges

A laser-based technique for accurate measurement of the population density profiles of the helium metastable in a parallel-plate, glow discharge is described. The system utilizes a distributed-Bragg-reflector diode laser operating at 1083 nm to perform absorption measurements on the transitions of helium. The narrow bandwidth (<3 MHz) of the laser permits simultaneous measurement of the line-integrated metastable density and gas temperature. Axial and radial distributions of the triplet line-integrated metastable density were measured in normal and abnormal glow discharges. Current densities ranging from (normal glow) to (abnormal glow) were used at static gas pressures of 2 and 5 Torr. Abel inversion of the data provided a spatial distribution of the metastable density that shows a region that has near one-dimensional character. The location of the peak triplet metastable density in the plasma was displaced from the peak of the negative glow emission towards the anode. Axial profiles of triplet metastable density gave values from to for current densities of 8 to , respectively.

Development of chemical sensors using polymer optical waveguides fabricated with DNA

A number of studies are currently focused on using polymers derived from salmon DNA as the primary ingredient in the design of optical waveguide devices. Although the long term goal is to develop optical devices for rapid chemical and biosensing, this work was aimed specifically at studying the response of a planar DNA waveguide to ammonia in nitrogen and air with controlled amounts of humidity at ambient temperatures. This follows the work of S. S. Sarkisov et al. who used PMMA and other polymer films doped with the indicator dye bromocresol purple (BCP). These devices are characterized by absorption sensitivities of the order 0.1 dB attenuation of the transmitted light signal per 100 ppm change in the NH3 concentration with response times of better than 1 ms and can be recycled with no loss of sensitivity. The performances of waveguide devices using films fabricated with high and low molecular weight DNA with BCP are compared to BCP-doped PMMA devices.

DNA-based nonlinear photonic materials

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), extracted from salmon sperm through an enzyme isolation process, is a by-product of Japan’s fishing industry. To make DNA a suitable material for nonlinear optic (NLO) applications, it is precipitated with a surfactant complex, hexadecyltrimethlammonium chloride (CTMA). Preliminary characterization studies suggest DNA-CTMA may be a suitable host material for guest-host NLO polymer based electro-optic (EO) waveguide devices. The optical and electromagnetic properties of DNA-CTMA, as well as the development and EO measurement of a disperse red 1 (DR1) guest / DNA/CTMA host NLO material, are reported. Comparisons to a DR1 guest / poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) host NLO material are made.

Modified processing techniques of a DNA biopolymer for enhanced performance in photonics applications

Significant modifications have been made in the processing techniques developed to transform purified, marine-based deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into a biopolymer suitable for optical and electronic device fabrication. This technique employs a modified soxhlet-dialysis rinsing process to completely remove excess ionic contaminants from the DNA biopolymer, resulting in a material with greater mechanical stability and enhanced performance reproducibility.

DNA- new class of polymer

Suitable organic and polymeric based materials for electronic and photonic applications must possess the desired electromagnetic and optical properties to achieve optimal device performance in order to be more competitive with their inorganic counterparts. A new class of biopolymer, processed from purified marine-based deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), has been investigated for use in both electronic and photonic applications and has demonstrated promise as an excellent dielectric and optical waveguide material. In this paper we present examples of devices using this new DNA-based biopolymer.