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    Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors
    (London : Nature Publishing Group, 2013) Wondraczek, L.; Batentschuk, M.; Schmidt, M.A.; Borchardt, R.; Scheiner, S.; Seemann, B.; Schweizer, P.; Brabec, C.J.
    Sustainable biomass production is expected to be one of the major supporting pillars for future energy supply, as well as for renewable material provision. Algal beds represent an exciting resource for biomass/biofuel, fine chemicals and CO2 storage. Similar to other solar energy harvesting techniques, the efficiency of algal photosynthesis depends on the spectral overlap between solar irradiation and chloroplast absorption. Here we demonstrate that spectral conversion can be employed to significantly improve biomass growth and oxygen production rate in closed-cycle algae reactors. For this purpose, we adapt a photoluminescent phosphor of the type Ca 0.59Sr0.40Eu0.01S, which enables efficient conversion of the green part of the incoming spectrum into red light to better match the Qy peak of chlorophyll b. Integration of a Ca 0.59Sr0.40Eu0.01S backlight converter into a flat panel algae reactor filled with Haematococcus pluvialis as a model species results in significantly increased photosynthetic activity and algae reproduction rate.
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    Fluoride-Sulfophosphate/Silica Hybrid Fiber as a Platform for Optically Active Materials
    (Lausanne : Frontiers Media, 2019) Wang, Wei-Chao; Yang, Xu; Wieduwilt, Torsten; Schmidt, Markus A.; Zhang, Qin-Yuan; Wondraczek, Lothar
    Pressure-assisted melt filling (PAMF) of pre-fabricated micro-capillaries has been proven an effective way of fabricating hybrid optical fiber (HOF) from unusual combinations of materials. Here, we extend the applicability of PAMF to multi-anionic fluoride-sulfophosphate (FPS) glasses. FPS glasses provide extended transmission windows and high solubility for various transition metal (TM) and rare earth (RE) ion species. Using PAMF for fabricating FPS/silica HOFs can therefore act as a platform for a broad variety of optically active fiber devices. For the present demonstration purposes, we selected Cr3+- and Mn2+-doped FPS. For both glasses, we demonstrate how the spectral characteristics of the bulk material persist also in the HOF. Using a double-core fiber structure in which waveguiding is conducted in a primary GeO2-SiO2 core, mode coupling to the secondary FPS-filled core allows one to exploit the optical activity of the doped FPS glass even when the intrinsic optical loss is high.Pressure-assisted melt filling (PAMF) of pre-fabricated micro-capillaries has been proven an effective way of fabricating hybrid optical fiber (HOF) from unusual combinations of materials. Here, we extend the applicability of PAMF to multi-anionic fluoride-sulfophosphate (FPS) glasses. FPS glasses provide extended transmission windows and high solubility for various transition metal (TM) and rare earth (RE) ion species. Using PAMF for fabricating FPS/silica HOFs can therefore act as a platform for a broad variety of optically active fiber devices. For the present demonstration purposes, we selected Cr3+- and Mn2+-doped FPS. For both glasses, we demonstrate how the spectral characteristics of the bulk material persist also in the HOF. Using a double-core fiber structure in which waveguiding is conducted in a primary GeO2-SiO2 core, mode coupling to the secondary FPS-filled core allows one to exploit the optical activity of the doped FPS glass even when the intrinsic optical loss is high.