Abstract: A metal/air button cell includes a cell cup having at least one inlet opening via which atmospheric oxygen can enter the interior, the cell cup has an inner side facing the interior, and an oppositely directed outer side, an air cathode is in the form of a cathode disk with a circumferential cathode disk periphery, the air cathode includes a metal collector structure, the cathode disk is arranged such that the cathode disk periphery bears along a circumferential contact zone against the inner side of a cladding region, the cell cup has, on its outer side, at least one recess made by impression and becomes visible as a raised portion on the inner side, and the at least one recess is made in the outer side such that the raised portion exerts a pressure against the cathode disk periphery in the region of the contact zone.

Abstract: A metal/air button cell includes a cell cup having at least one inlet opening via which atmospheric oxygen can enter the interior, the cell cup has an inner side facing the interior, and an oppositely directed outer side, an air cathode is in the form of a cathode disk with a circumferential cathode disk periphery, the air cathode includes a metal collector structure, the cathode disk is arranged such that the cathode disk periphery bears along a circumferential contact zone against the inner side of a cladding region, the cell cup has, on its outer side, at least one recess made by impression and becomes visible as a raised portion on the inner side, and the at least one recess is made in the outer side such that the raised portion exerts a pressure against the cathode disk periphery in the region of the contact zone.

Abstract: A galvanic element includes a mercury-free negative electrode which consists essentially of a metal or a metal alloy and a nonmetallic conductive agent. A method for producing a galvanic element includes a mercury-free negative electrode produced from a powder of metal or metal alloy particles, surfaces of which are at least partially coated with a nonmetallic conductive agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fast switching of optical properties in photonic crystals using pulsed/modulated free-carrier injection. The results disclosed herein indicate that several types of photonic crystal devices can be designed in which free carriers are used to vary dispersion curves, stop gaps in materials with photonic bandgaps to vary the bandgaps, reflection, transmission, absorption, gain, or phase. The use of pulsed free carrier injection to control the properties of photonic crystals on fast timescales forms the basis for all-optical switching using photonic crystals. Ultrafast switching of the band edge of a two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal is demonstrated near a wavelength of 1.9 ?m. Changes in the refractive index are optically induced by injecting free carriers with 800 nm, 300 fs pulses. Band-edge shifts have been induced in silicon photonic crystals of up to 29 nm that occurs on the time-scale of the pump pulse.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fast switching of optical properties in photonic crystals using pulsed/modulated free-carrier injection. The results disclosed herein indicate that several types of photonic crystal devices can be designed in which free carriers are used to vary dispersion curves, stop gaps in materials with photonic bandgaps to vary the bandgaps, reflection, transmission, absorption, gain, or phase. The use of pulsed free carrier injection to control the properties of photonic crystals on fast timescales forms the basis for all-optical switching using photonic crystals. Ultrafast switching of the band edge of a two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal is demonstrated near a wavelength of 1.9 &mgr;m. Changes in the refractive index are optically induced by injecting free carriers with 800 nm, 300 fs pulses. Band-edge shifts have been induced in silicon photonic crystals of up to 29 nm that occurs on the time-scale of the pump pulse.