In oxygenic photosynthesis, two photosystems work in series. Each of them contains a reaction centre that is surrounded by light-harvesting antennae, which absorb the light and transfer the excitation energy to the reaction centre where electron transfer reactions are driven. Here we report a critical test for two contrasting models of light harvesting by photosystem II cores, known as the trap...

We compared 6 adult mosquito traps for effectiveness in collecting Aedes albopictus from suburban backyards with the goal of finding a more suitable surveillance replacement for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap. Trap selection included 2 commercial propane traps (Mosquito Magnet Professional trap and Mosquito Magnet Liberty trap), 2 Aedes-specific traps (Fay-Princ...

Four types of commercial mosquito control traps, the Mosquito Magnet Pro (MMP), the Sentinel 360 (S360), the BG-Sentinel (BGS), and the Mega-Catch Ultra (MCU), were compared with a standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap for efficacy in collecting phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a small farming village in the Nile River Valley 10 km north of Aswan,...

We demonstrate trapping a single rubidium atom in a blue detuned optical bottle beam trap. The trap was formed by a strongly focused blue detuned laser beam, which passes through a computer-generated circular pi phase hologram displayed on a spatial light modulator. Single atoms were loaded from a magneto-optical trap and stored in the optical trap for several seconds.

Four types of commercial mosquito control traps, the Mosquito Magnet Pro (MMP), the Sentinel 360 (S360), the BG-Sentinel (BGS), and the Mega-Catch Ultra (MCU), were compared with a standardCenters forDiseaseControl andPrevention (CDC) light trap for efÞcacy in collecting phlebotomine sand ßies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a small farming village in the Nile River Valley 10 km north of Aswan, Egypt...

We have created polaritons in a harmonic potential trap analogous to atoms in optical traps. The trap can be loaded by creating polaritons 50 micrometers from its center that are allowed to drift into the trap. When the density of polaritons exceeds a critical threshold, we observe a number of signatures of Bose-Einstein condensation: spectral and spatial narrowing, a peak at zero momentum in t...

We manipulate a Bose-Einstein condensate using the optical trap created by the diffraction of a laser beam on a fast ferro-electric liquid crystal spatial light modulator. The modulator acts as a phase grating which can generate arbitrary diffraction patterns and be rapidly reconfigured at rates up to 1 kHz to create smooth, time-varying optical potentials. The flexibility of the device is demo...

Carcinops pumilio (Erichson) were collected using two trapping methods: a black light pitfall trap and a mesh-bottomed trap placed on poultry manure. C. pumilio collected with black lights and subsequently starved had a significantly higher dispersal rate during days 1-3 than fully fed groups. When densities of < 500 Caloglyphus berlesei (Michael) (Acarina: Acaridae) per 50 C. pumilio were prov...

We propose and demonstrate a new optical trapping method for single cells that utilizes modulated light fields to trap a wide array of cell types, including mammalian, yeast, and Escherichia coli cells, on the surface of a two-dimensional photonic crystal. This method is capable of reducing the required light intensity, and thus minimizing the photothermal damage to living cells, thereby extend...

In this work we demonstrate optical trapping and manipulation of microparticles suspended in water due to laser-induced convection currents. Convection currents are generated due to laser light absorption in an hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a:Si-H) thin film. The particles are dragged towards the beam's center by the convection currents (Stokes drag force) allowing trapping with powers as low...