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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Non-adiabatic dynamics of isolated green fluorescent protein chromophore anion

On-the-fly ab initio molecular dynamics calculations have been performed to investigate the relaxation mechanism of green fluorescent protein chromophore anion under vacuum. The CASSCF surface hopping simulation method based on Zhu-Nakamura theory is applied to present the real-time conformational changes of the target molecule. The static calculations and dynamics simulation results suggest that not only the twisting motion around bridging bonds between imidazolinone and phenoxy groups but the strength mode of C=O and pyramidalization character of bridging atom are major factors on the ultrafast fluorescence quenching process of the isolated chromophore anion. The abovementioned factors bring the molecule to the vicinity of conical intersections on its potential energy surface and to finish the internal conversion process. A Hula-like twisting pattern is displayed during the relaxation process and the entire decay process disfavors a photoswitching pattern which corresponds to cis-trans photoisomerization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Two-photon-excited fluorescence resonance energy transfer in an aqueous system of CdTe quantum dots and Rhodamine B

Two-photon excited fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between CdTe quantum dots with different emission peaks and Rhodamine B in aqueous solution are investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The photoluminescence and lifetime are measured using a time-resolved fluorescence test system. The two-photon excited FRET efficiency is found to increase as the degree of spectral overlap of the emission spectrum of CdTe and the absorption spectrum of Rhodamine B increases, which is due to the increase of Forster radius of the sample. Moreover, FRET efficiency increases when the ratio of acceptor/donor concentration increases. The two-photon excited FRET efficiency was found to reach 40%.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Two-color two-photon excited fluorescence of indole: Determination of wavelength-dependent molecular parameters

We present a detailed study of two-color two-photon excited fluorescence in indole dissolved in propylene glycol. Femtosecond excitation pulses at effective wavelengths from 268 to 293.33 nm were used to populate the two lowest indole excited states {sup 1}L{sub a} and {sup 1}L{sub b} and polarized fluorescence was then detected. All seven molecular parameters and the two-photon polarization ratio Ω containing information on two-photon absorption dynamics, molecular lifetime τ{sub f}, and rotation correlation time τ{sub rot} have been determined from experiment and analyzed as a function of the excitation wavelength. The analysis of the experimental data has shown that {sup 1}L{sub b}–{sup 1}L{sub a} inversion occurred under the conditions of our experiment. The two-photon absorption predominantly populated the {sup 1}L{sub a} state at all excitation wavelengths but in the 287–289 nm area which contained an absorption hump of the {sup 1}L{sub b} state 0-0 origin. The components of the two-photon excitation tensor S were analyzed giving important information on the principal tensor axes and absorption symmetry. The results obtained are in a good agreement with the results reported by other groups. The lifetime τ{sub f} and the rotation correlation time τ{sub rot} showed no explicit dependence on the effective excitation wavelength. Their calculated weighted average values were found to be τ{sub f} = 3.83 ± 0.14 ns and τ{sub rot} = 0.74 ± 0.06 ns.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Solid-immersion fluorescence microscopy with increased emission and super resolution

We investigate solid-immersion fluorescence microscopy suitable for super-resolution nanotechnology and biological imaging, and have observed limit of resolution as small as 15 nm with microspheres, mitochondria, and chromatin fibers. We have further observed that fluorescence efficiency increases with excitation power density, implicating appreciable stimulated emission and increased resolution. We discuss potential advantages of the solid-immersion microscopy, including combined use with previously established super-resolution techniques for reaching deeper beyond the conventional diffraction limit.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Highly fluorescent silver nanoclusters in alumina-silica composite optical fiber

An efficient visible fluorescent optical fiber embedded with silver nanoclusters (Ag-NCs) having size ∼1 nm, uniformly distributed in alumina-silica composite core glass, is reported. Fibers are fabricated in a repetitive controlled way through modified chemical vapour deposition process associated with solution doping technique. Fibers are drawn from the transparent preforms by conventional fiber drawing process. Structural characteristics of the doped fibers are studied using transmission electron microscopy and electron probe micro analysis. The oxidation state of Ag within Ag-NCs is investigated by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy. The observed significant fluorescence of the metal clusters in fabricated fibers is correlated with electronic model. The experimentally observed size dependent absorption of the metal clusters in fabricated fibers is explained with the help of reported results calculated by ab-initio density functional theory. These optical fibers may open up an opportunity of realizing tunable wavelength fiber laser without the help of rare earth elements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

A fluorescence XAFS measurement instrument in the soft x-ray region toward observation under operando conditions

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements are widely used for the analysis of electronic structure. Generally, XAFS in the soft X-ray region is measured under vacuum, but chemical structures under vacuum are typically different from those under operando conditions, where chemical species exhibit their function. Here, we developed an XAFS measurement instrument, as a step toward operando fluorescent, which yields XAFS measurement using synchrotron radiation in the soft X-ray region. We applied this method to analyze the local electronic structure of the sulfur atoms in L-cysteine in different pH solutions. In water at pH 7, the hydrogen atom does not dissociate from the thiol (-SH) group in L-cysteine, which forms a structure surrounded by and interacting with water molecules. The XAFS spectrum of L-cysteine in solution was altered by changing the pH. At pH 9, the hydrogen atom dissociated and a thiolate anion was formed. Although the -SH group was oxidized to SO{sub 4}{sup 2−} when L-cysteine was adsorbed on a metal surface and dried, no oxidation was observed in solution. This may be because the water molecules were densely packed and protected the -SH group from oxidation. Our results show that this instrument aimed toward operando fluorescence XAFS measurements in the soft X-ray region is useful for structural analysis of sulfur atoms in organic molecules in air and in solution. The instrument will be applied to the structural analysis of materials containing elements that have absorption edges in soft X-ray region, such as phosphorus and alkali metals (potassium and cesium). It will be also particularly useful for the analysis of samples that are difficult to handle under vacuum and materials that have specific functions in solution.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Three-dimensional super-resolution imaging for fluorescence emission difference microscopy

We propose a method theoretically to break the diffraction limit and to improve the resolution in all three dimensions for fluorescence emission difference microscopy. We produce two kinds of hollow focal spot by phase modulation. By incoherent superposition, these two kinds of focal spot yield a 3D hollow focal spot. The optimal proportion of these two kinds of spot is given in the paper. By employing 3D hollow focal spot, super-resolution image can be yielded by means of fluorescence emission difference microscopy, with resolution enhanced both laterally and axially. According to computation result, size of point spread function of three-dimensional super-resolution imaging is reduced by about 40% in all three spatial directions with respect to confocal imaging.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Simultaneous measurements of X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence fluorescence at BL-16 beamline of Indus-2

A new multipurpose x-ray reflectometer station has been developed and augmented at the microfocus beamline (BL-16) of Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source to facilitate synchronous measurements of specular x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence x-ray fluorescence emission from thin layered structures. The design and various salient features of the x-ray reflectometer are discussed. The performance of the reflectometer has been evaluated by analyzing several thin layered structures having different surface interface properties. The results reveal in-depth information for precise determination of surface and interface properties of thin layered materials demonstrating the immense potential of the combined measurements of x-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence fluorescence on a single reflectometer.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Plasmon enhanced fluorescence studies from aligned gold nanorod arrays modified with SiO{sub 2} spacer layers

Here, we demonstrate that quasi self-standing Au nanorod arrays prepared with plasma polymerisation deposited SiO{sub 2} dielectric spacers support surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) while maintaining high signal reproducibility. We show that it is possible to find a balance between enhanced radiative and non-radiative decay rates at which the fluorescent intensity is maximized. The SEF signal optimised with a 30 nm spacer layer thickness showed a 3.5-fold enhancement with a signal variance of <15% thereby keeping the integrity of the nanorod array. We also demonstrate the decreased importance of obtaining resonance conditions when localized surface plasmon resonance is positioned within the spectral region of Au interband transitions. Procedures for further increasing the SEF enhancement factor are also discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Note: Design of a full photon-timing recorder down to 1-ns resolution for fluorescence fluctuation measurements

A photon timing recorder was realized in a field programmable gate array to capture all timing data of photons on multiple channels with down to a 1-ns resolution and to transfer all data to a host computer in real-time through universal serial bus with more than 10 M events/s transfer rate. The main concept is that photon time series can be regarded as a serial communication data stream. This recorder was successfully applied for simultaneous measurements of fluorescence fluctuation and lifetime of near-infrared dyes in solution. This design is not only limited to the fluorescence fluctuation measurement but also applicable to any kind of photon counting experiments in a nanosecond time range because of the simple and easily modifiable design.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Quantum sized Ag nanocluster assisted fluorescence enhancement in Tm{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} doped optical fiber beyond plasmonics

We report a process for enhancing fluorescence emission from conventional rare earth ions in optical fiber by metal nanocluster (MNC) in nonresonant indirect pumping. The process is completely different from formal metal enhanced fluorescence phenomenon as the MNCs are too small in size to support localized surface plasmon and the excitation wavelength is far from plasmon resonance frequency. We used an established theory of two coupled oscillators to explain the simultaneous enhancement of Ytterbium (Yb{sup 3+}) and Thulium (Tm{sup 3+}) emission by silver (Ag) NCs under nonresonant pumping in optical fiber. The fiber is pumped with a 980 nm fiber pigtailed laser diode with input power of 20–100 mW to excite the Yb{sup 3+}. Four times enhancement of Yb{sup 3+} emission of 900–1100 nm and Tm{sup 3+} upconversion emission around 474 nm, 650 nm, and 790 nm is observed in the fiber with Ag NCs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

2D/3D cryo x-ray fluorescence imaging at the bionanoprobe at the advanced photon source

Trace elements, particularly metals, play very important roles in biological systems. Synchrotron-based hard X-ray fluorescence microscopy offers the most suitable capabilities to quantitatively study trace metals in thick biological samples, such as whole cells and tissues. In this manuscript, we have demonstrated X-ray fluorescence imaging of frozen-hydrated whole cells using the recent developed Bionanoprobe (BNP). The BNP provides spatial resolution down to 30 nm and cryogenic capabilities. Frozen-hydrated biological cells have been directly examined on a sub-cellular level at liquid nitrogen temperatures with minimal sample preparation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Combined fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetime imaging

We present a lifetime imaging technique that simultaneously records the fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetime images in confocal laser scanning systems. It is based on modulating a high-frequency pulsed laser synchronously with the pixel clock of the scanner, and recording the fluorescence and phosphorescence signals by multidimensional time-correlated single photon counting board. We demonstrate our technique on the recording of the fluorescence/phosphorescence lifetime images of human embryonic kidney cells at different environmental conditions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of an X-ray fluorescence holographic measurement system for protein crystals

Experimental procedure and setup for obtaining X-ray fluorescence hologram of crystalline metalloprotein samples are described. Human hemoglobin, an α{sub 2}β{sub 2} tetrameric metalloprotein containing the Fe(II) heme active-site in each chain, was chosen for this study because of its wealth of crystallographic data. A cold gas flow system was introduced to reduce X-ray radiation damage of protein crystals that are usually fragile and susceptible to damage. A χ-stage was installed to rotate the sample while avoiding intersection between the X-ray beam and the sample loop or holder, which is needed for supporting fragile protein crystals. Huge hemoglobin crystals (with a maximum size of 8 × 6 × 3 mm{sup 3}) were prepared and used to keep the footprint of the incident X-ray beam smaller than the sample size during the entire course of the measurement with the incident angle of 0°-70°. Under these experimental and data acquisition conditions, we achieved the first observation of the X-ray fluorescence hologram pattern from the protein crystals with minimal radiation damage, opening up a new and potential method for investigating the stereochemistry of the metal active-sites in biomacromolecules.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fluorescence-based remote irradiation sensor in liquid-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber

We report an irradiation sensor based on a fluorescent “flying particle” that is optically trapped and propelled inside the core of a water-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. When the moving particle passes through an irradiated region, its emitted fluorescence is captured by guided modes of the fiber core and so can be monitored using a filtered photodiode placed at the fiber end. The particle speed and position can be precisely monitored using in-fiber Doppler velocimetry, allowing the irradiation profile to be measured to a spatial resolution of ∼10 μm. The spectral response can be readily adjusted by appropriate choice of particle material. Using dye-doped polystyrene particles, we demonstrate detection of green (532 nm) and ultraviolet (340 nm) light.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Novel xenon calibration scheme for two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence of hydrogen

Two photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) measurements of neutral hydrogen and its isotopes are typically calibrated by performing TALIF measurements on krypton with the same diagnostic system and using the known ratio of the absorption cross sections [K. Niemi et al., J. Phys. D 34, 2330 (2001)]. Here we present the measurements of a new calibration method based on a ground state xenon scheme for which the fluorescent emission wavelength is nearly identical to that of hydrogen, thereby eliminating chromatic effects in the collection optics and simplifying detector calibration. We determine that the ratio of the TALIF cross sections of xenon and hydrogen is 0.024 ± 0.001.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

A confocal laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic with an annular laser beam

Here, in this work, we report an annular beam confocal laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) configuration, which allows for high spatial resolution measurements of plasma properties in plasma setups and sources with limited optical access. The proposed LIF configuration utilizes the annular laser beam generated by a pair of diffractive axicons. The LIF signal is collected along the main optical axis within the ring region. It is shown experimentally that at a focal distance of 300 mm, a spatial resolution of ~5.3 mm can be achieved. Using geometric optics estimations, we showed that ~1 mm resolution at the same focal distance could potentially be achieved by modifying laser beam parameters. This approaches the localization accuracy of conventional LIF collection methods (with crossing laser beam injection and fluorescence collection optical paths). Measurements of the ion velocity distribution function in an argon plasma using both the confocal LIF with an annular laser beam and conventional LIF demonstrate a satisfactory agreement. The proposed LIF setup has potential applications for diagnostics in various plasma processing equipment and plasma sources, such as hollow cathodes, microplasmas, electric propulsion, etc.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2014

Distinct roles of the photosystem II protein PsbS and zeaxanthin in the regulation of light harvesting in plants revealed by fluorescence lifetime snapshots

The photosystem II (PSII) protein PsbS and the enzyme violaxanthin deepoxidase (VDE) are known to influence the dynamics of energy-dependent quenching (qE), the component of nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) that allows plants to respond to fast fluctuations in light intensity. Although the absence of PsbS and VDE has been shown to change the amount of quenching, there have not been any measurements that can detect whether the presence of these proteins alters the type of quenching that occurs. The chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime probes the excited-state chlorophyll relaxation dynamics and can be used to determine the amount of quenching as well as whether two different genotypes with the same amount of NPQ have similar dynamics of excited-state chlorophyll relaxation. We measured the fluorescence lifetimes on whole leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana throughout the induction and relaxation of NPQ for wild type and the qE mutants, npq4 , which lacks PsbS; npq1 , which lacks VDE and cannot convert violaxanthin to zeaxanthin; and npq1 npq4 , which lacks both VDE and PsbS. These measurements show that although PsbS changes the amount of quenching and the rate at which quenching turns on, it does not affect the relaxation dynamics of excited chlorophyll during quenching. In addition, the data suggest that PsbS responds not only to ΔpH but also to the Δψ across the thylakoid membrane. In contrast, the presence of VDE, which is necessary for the accumulation of zeaxanthin, affects the excited-state chlorophyll relaxation dynamics.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗