Physicists find right (and left) solution for on-chip optics: Nanoscale router converts and directs optical signals efficiently

Apr. 22, 2013 ? A Harvard-led team of researchers has created a new type of nanoscale device that converts an optical signal into waves that travel along a metal surface. Significantly, the device can recognize specific kinds of polarized light and accordingly send the signal in one direction or another.

The findings, published in the April 19 issue of Science, offer a new way to precisely manipulate light at the subwavelength scale without damaging a signal that could carry data. This opens the door to a new generation of on-chip optical interconnects that can efficiently funnel information from optical to electronic devices.

"If you want to send a data signal around on a tiny chip with lots of components, then you need to be able to precisely control where it's going," says co-lead author Balthasar M?ller, a graduate student at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "If you don't control it well, information will be lost. Directivity is such an important factor."

The coupler transforms incoming light into a wave called a surface plasmon polariton, a surface ripple in the sea of electrons that exists inside metals.

In the past, it has been possible to control the direction of these waves by changing the angle at which light strikes the surface of the coupler, but, as M?ller puts it, "This was a major pain. Optical circuits are very difficult to align, so readjusting the angles for the sake of routing the signal was impractical."

With the new coupler, the light simply needs to come in perpendicularly, and the device does the rest. Acting like a traffic controller, it reads the polarization of the incoming light wave -- which might be linear, left-hand circular, or right-hand circular -- and routes it accordingly. The device can even split apart a light beam and send parts of it in different directions, allowing for information transmission on multiple channels.

The coupler consists of a thin sheet of gold, peppered with tiny perforations. But the precise pattern of these slits, arranged rather like herringbones, is where the genius lies.

"The go-to solution until now has been a series of parallel grooves known as a grating, which does the trick but loses a large portion of the signal in the process," says principal investigator Federico Capasso, Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering at Harvard SEAS. "Now perhaps the go-to solution will be our structure. It makes it possible to control the direction of signals in a very simple and elegant way."

Because the new structure is so small -- each repeating unit of the pattern is smaller than the wavelength of visible light -- the researchers believe it should be easy to incorporate the design into novel technologies, such as flat optics.

Yet Capasso speaks most animatedly about the possibilities for incorporating the new coupler into future high-speed information networks that may combine nanoscale electronics (which currently exist) with optical and plasmonic elements on a single microchip.

"This has generated great excitement in the field," Capasso says.

M?ller and Capasso were joined on this work by co-lead author Jiao Lin, a former SEAS postdoctoral fellow who is now at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology; and coauthors Qian Wang and Guanghui Yuan, of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Nicholas Antoniou, Principal FIB Engineer at the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems; and Xiao-Cong Yuan, a professor at the Institute of Modern Optics at Nankai University in China.

The research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and the National Research Foundation of Singapore. Part of the work was performed at the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems, which is a member of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. J. Lin, J. P. B. Mueller, Q. Wang, G. Yuan, N. Antoniou, X.-C. Yuan, F. Capasso. Polarization-Controlled Tunable Directional Coupling of Surface Plasmon Polaritons. Science, 2013; 340 (6130): 331 DOI: 10.1126/science.1233746

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/technology/~3/_0lvH4V3B7c/130422143313.htm

Tsunami Lil Reese Hurricane Sandy Nyc Saanvi Venna vikings Colin Powell Tyrann Mathieu

iClooly Elite Multi Touch Stylus Pen works with capacitive and resistive screens and paper, too

Julie reviewed the?iClooly Multi-Touch Pen for iPad some time ago (see related links). ?That stylus had a hard tip for a resistive screen and a brush tip for capacitive screens. ?Since then, iClooly has introduced their Elite Multi Touch Stylus Pen. ?This pen still has the hard resistive tip, but the brush has been changed [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/01/iclooly-elite-multi-touch-stylus-pen-works-with-capacitive-and-resistive-screens-and-paper-too/

doris day buffalo sabres texas news kim mulkey sarah palin today show dallas tornado video 1940 census

Samsung SGH-i337 hits FCC with AT&T LTE bands, fits the GS 4 profile

We have to be skeptical when new devices arrive at the FCC without photos or a blinking sign that says "I Am AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S 4." But even doubters can connect that model's dots for a certain Samsung SGH-i337 that the FCC just waved through. Why? First off, it's carrying a certain LTE band 17 used exclusively by AT&T in the US. Secondly, the dimensions line up perfectly with the device we recently got our hands on at Samsung's recent Galaxy S 4 phone-a-palooza. Finally, we already saw a device packing the same model number on UAProf, a normally reliable source that revealed a 1,080 x 1920 screen and "ARM11" Exynos processor. Since it's unlikely the carrier has another unannounced 1080p model coming from Samsung, those coveting an AT&T GS 4 can probably start warming up their wallets.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Source: FCC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CUiAwSXykQM/

sarah burke death etta james funeral erin brockovich dodgeball 2012 pro bowl postsecret ufc on fox 2

Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job

There is little debate that electronic technology including computers and the Internet are one of the most important developments of recent times. Tasks that took days to complete and that demanded hundreds of man hours to effectively execute can now be easily done at the touch of a button. But the growing importance of technology is not without its drawbacks with probably the most major one being internet and computer enabled crime.

The growing capability of computers and applications as well as the ever increasing level of interconnectivity and information sharing has made it easier for persons with malicious intent to use computers to plan terrorism attacks, conduct intellectual property theft, credit card fraud and hack computer systems to gain access to confidential information. The sophisticated nature of these crimes has seen the growing need for experts in computer forensics.

Computer forensics experts are law enforcement officers, private investigators or members of corporate audit teams whose core duties revolve around the identification, collection and analysis of electronic evidence that demonstrates the occurrence of a crime or lack thereof. Sometimes referred to as cyber cops, digital detectives or cyber investigators, their goal is not only reactive where they piece together pieces of computer data from a crime scene - it is also proactive where the computer forensics expert will recommend the best approaches that can be used to seal system security gaps and reduce the risk of computer based crime from materializing.

Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job

Computer forensic jobs will often be found in the military, law enforcement agencies, government intelligence outfits, private investigators office, technology security consultants and audit firms. To have better chances of being called up for a computer forensic job interview, one must have a degree in computer science, computer engineering, electronic engineering or a related discipline. Knowledge of the criminal justice system and especially laws around cyber crime and management of digital evidence including gathering and storing the evidence are key. Due to the sensitive nature of this role, persons working as computer forensic experts must obtain security clearance.

A good understanding of at least one major programming language with working knowledge of others is also important. Computer forensic experts must know the workings of computer storage devices and the major operating systems.

Many persons that end up in computer forensic careers do not necessarily start in this line. Working in the general IT industry or in the general IT security niche for at least two years provides a good foundation for understanding the core workings of computer systems and the areas of control weakness that cyber criminals may explore.

The details that these digital detectives have to sift through require that one have a keen eye for detail if they are not to miss anything. Other than technical computer skills, the forensic experts must be analytical and have high integrity. The ability to work well in a high pressure environment is a must as many times, the forensics expert will be required to provide rapid feedback on an adverse incident.

Note: Please feel free to reprint or republish this article. The only requirement is that the links be live links.

Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Copywrite Kenneth Echie. Kenneth is a writer, expert author, and publisher. He currently writes for Criminal Justice Schools. Get free scholarship report and learn to Become Computer Forensics Investigator by visiting.

watch mobile phone Best Price 36 Sampson Grate For 121 44

Source: http://cheapibmmemobatterybestprice.blogspot.com/2013/01/computer-forensics-and-how-to-get.html

Bcs Bowl Chuck Hagel ncaa football irs CES russell wilson Pokemon

Video: Roundtable reflects on Ryan interview

A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/50606278#50606278

super bowl commercials florida primary 2012 super bowl matthew broderick tax refund calculator huntington disease west memphis three

The Winners and Losers in the Fiscal-Cliff Deal

President Barack Obama delivers remarks about the fiscal cliff negotiations on Monday.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Senate Democrats and Republicans reached a deal to undo the majority of the so-called ?fiscal cliff? by extending most of the Bush tax cuts while levying Clinton-era rates on households with more than $450,000 in income. The sequester cuts agreed to as part of the 2011 deal on the debt ceiling will be delayed for two months and perhaps ultimately replaced by some other package. But the details packed into this deal reveal the real winners and losers:

Rich people: Raising the threshold for higher taxes from $250,000 to $450,000 is a big tax cut for all kinds of rich people, not just those with adjusted gross incomes between the two figures. That?s because taxes are assessed on marginal income, meaning that even if you make $600,000 or even $1 million a year you still have a very large share of your income that?s taxed at a lower rate thanks to this deal.

Red State Democrats: Democrats currently hold a majority of seats in the Senate thanks to senators from such not-so-liberal states such as Louisiana, Arkansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia. If we went over the cliff, this is the group that would be caught in the Obama-Boehner crossfire. A deal lets them duck partisan controversy, which is right where they want to be.

Unemployed people: The deal includes funding for a one-year extension of supplemental unemployment insurance benefits. It?s easy for liberals to dismiss this as a GOP concession on a temporary issue in exchange for permanent tax cuts, but it?ll make a big difference in the lives of the unemployed.

Doctors: Neither Democrats nor Republicans favored implementing the large cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians that were scheduled by law, but there was a partisan dispute about how to orchestrate a so-called ?doc fix? for 2013 and cliff diving might have at least temporarily hit doctors in their wallets. This deal completely punts on all kinds of substantive issues related to the reimbursement rate issue, but it guarantees that the money will keep flowing for now.

The elderly: As recently as yesterday morning, it was taken for granted that one of the major provisions of an alternative to the fiscal cliff would be cuts in the federal retirement security programs that are the main long-term drivers of deficits. But ultimately Democrats cared more about avoiding spending cuts than securing tax revenues, and Republicans cared more about low taxes than cutting spending. Old people are the winners.

?Grand Bargaineers?: David Weigel has written elegantly for Slate about Pete Peterson?s decades-long failure to move the needle on deficit reduction, and this week Peterson has failed yet again. The ?fiscal cliff? was his best chance yet to secure a grand bargain of big tax hikes and major spending cuts by creating an artificial political crisis that supposedly could only be defused with a huge deficit reduction package. But the win for the elderly was a catastrophic defeat for the grand bargain.

Fighting Democrats: The Obama administration has gotten a lot done since Inauguration Day 2009, but what it?s never done is give strong partisan Democrats the kind of to-the-mattresses battle against the GOP that they crave. Most liberals think?and I agree?that had we simply gone over the cliff and had Obama simply insisted on a new tax cut bill with a $250,000 threshold, he ultimately would have won. But success was by no means guaranteed, and ultimately the White House chose not to risk further re-enforcing a sense that the president is a weak poker player.

Grover Norquist: The leader of Americans for Tax Reform is hardly the key to anti-tax thinking on the right. But his particular gimmick, a ?pledge? to never cast an affirmative vote for higher taxes, had become influential on its own terms. The White House and other pro-deal Democrats see breaking this taboo as an important precedent-setter in its own right.

The economy: The deal is being characterized as one aimed at ?stopping taxes from going up on middle class families,? but in fact the expiration of the payroll tax holiday means that taxes will go up on working people. Obama started the fiscal cliff talks aiming to extend the holiday or replace it with some other new stimulus ideas. That?s all fallen by the wayside now and for the next two months, the markets will have the shadow of a debt ceiling standoff lurking over its head.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=9687856ecbb62508c3b63a3b066b51ee

superbowl 2012 kickoff time what time is the super bowl 2012 nfl mvp lana del rey snl performance

Slow, Steady Growth to Continue for Franchise Businesses in 2013 ...

Slow, Steady Growth to Continue for Franchise Businesses in 2013

Dec 31, 2012

The Franchise Sector is Projected to Create 162,000 New Jobs in 2013?But the Industry Still Faces Strong Headwinds Due to Uncertainty Over Public Policy Decisions

WASHINGTON, DC - December 31, 2012 - Franchise businesses will grow at a slightly slower pace in 2013 than in 2012, yet the franchise industry will continue to outpace growth in other business sectors according to an IHS Global Insight report prepared for the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation.

Compared to 2012, The Franchise Business Economic Outlook: 2013 forecasts very similar growth rates in new franchise business formation, job creation, output and contributions to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).?While we are pleased the industry continues growing at faster rates than other sectors of the economy, we could be growing much faster, creating more new jobs and businesses, if Washington addressed the tax, spending and regulatory uncertainty plaguing the small business community in a meaningful way,? said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira.

?Franchise businesses emerged from the recession stronger due to the strength of the franchise business model and the strong support of franchisors working with franchisees to sustain profitability. Franchise businesses are now poised to accelerate growth plans, but industry leaders say the lack of confidence in our leaders in Washington to address the fundamental challenges facing our economy is keeping them and prospective investors on the sidelines.?According to the report, the macroeconomic outlook for 2013 is another year of only modest improvement in employment and consumer spending, with overall economic growth held back by slower growth of business investment and a bigger decline in federal government spending.? The expected resolution of the fiscal cliff will eliminate some of the uncertainty that has restrained the franchise sector, but it will also bring higher taxes that create a drag on growth.?

The basic indicators of the health of the franchise sector will show a slight slowdown.? Yet the franchise sector will continue to do well within the industries where franchise businesses are concentrated.

According to the forecast:???

• The number of franchise establishments in the United States will increase by 1.4 percent in 2013, just short of the 1.5 percent growth in 2012, from 746,828 to 757,055 (an increase of 10,227).???
  
• The gross domestic product (GDP) of the franchise sector is projected to increase 4.1 percent in 2013 (following a 4.6 percent increase in 2012) from $454 billion to $472 billion (an increase of $18 billion). This is approximately 3.4 percent of U.S. GDP in nominal dollars. ???
  
• The number of jobs in franchise establishments will increase 2.0 percent in 2013 (following a gain of 2.1 percent in 2012) from 8.1 million to 8.262 million (an increase of 162,000).
• The output of franchise establishments in nominal dollars in 2013 will increase 4.3 percent (following a 4.9 percent increase in 2012) from $769 billion to $802 billion (an increase of $33 billion).?

Franchise Business Leader Sentiment
The IFA Annual Business Leader Survey, conducted Nov. 13-28 indicates that investing in franchise businesses is still a good option for aspiring entrepreneurs, and franchisors remain generally optimistic about expansion in 2013. ?Some 81.3 percent say they plan to increase units, with 29 percent saying they plan to increase units by 6 percent or more and 52.3 percent saying they expect a moderate increase in the number of units (less than 6 percent).? A small percentage of franchisors (8.4 percent compared to 4.7 percent one year ago) expect to see a decline in units.However, the survey confirms that franchisors and franchisees remain frustrated with the pace of the economic recovery and the uncertainty of numerous regulatory and public policy challenges. Asked to identify their top issue of concern in 2013 among a range of business and policy challenges, 27 percent of franchisors cite franchise sales and development and 20 percent cite the Affordable Care Act. Among franchisees, the Affordable Care Act was cited by 31 percent as their top concern, followed by taxes (17 percent).

Health Care
Healthcare continues to be the top concern for franchisees and is the second biggest concern for franchisors.? 31 percent of franchisees and 20 percent of franchisors plan to cut jobs to get under the Affordable Care Act?s 50-employee threshold. Some 64 percent of franchisors report the Affordable Care Act will create some significant uncertainty in long-term planning.? Healthcare reforms will create significant uncertainty in long-term planning for 71.6 percent of franchisee respondents, and 10.4 percent agreed with the statement: ?We are no longer confident that our business model is profitable.?

Taxes
Franchise business growth could grind to a screeching halt if the nation does not extend current tax rates scheduled to expire at the end of 2012 as part of the fiscal cliff.? Among respondents, 79 percent of franchisees and 73 percent of franchisors believe failure by Congress to extend current tax rates at all levels will have a negative impact on hiring and growth plans moving forward.

Credit Access
While improving slightly, limited access to credit continues to hamper the ability of franchisees to get financing, with 52.9 percent of franchisees indicating the lack of small business lending ??continues to have a negative impact on their business, compared to 55.5 percent one year ago.

Same Store Sales
The franchisor outlook for same store sales is almost identical to 2012. ?Among franchisors, 77.9 percent expect some increase in same store sales in 2013, compared to 77 percent in 2012.

November Franchise Business Index Down Due to Fiscal CliffIn another economic indicator, the IFA monthly Franchise Business Index (FBI), an index of the economic health of the franchise sector, fell 0.3 percent in November. ?The index declined to 108.5 (Jan 2000=100).? Compared with November 2011, the index was up 1.3 percent. The fall in the index was driven by a large decline in the small business optimism index, precipitated by the impending fiscal cliff.

These research reports were underwritten by a grant from Jani-King International to the IFA Educational Foundation.

For an infographic fact sheet about the Franchise Business Economic Forecast: 2013,?click here.??

About the International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.

Source: http://www.midlandsbiz.com/articles/12945/

brad paisley zac brown band aubrey born to run pranks pregnancy test april fools day 2012