Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for machining a target using a femtosecond laser beam. The invention consists in taking advantage of the deterministic nature of the ablation threshold and the nonlinear dependence thereof through the use of amplitude or phase pupillary filtering using the polarising effect or any other technique in order to reduce significantly the machining dimensions obtained by focusing a laser beam in nanotechnologies. One such filtering process modifies the distribution of the intensity in the focal plane such as to reduce the maximum of the central component of the spectrum of laser pulses while maintaining the bright rings below the deterministic ablation threshold. The invention associates the femtosecond ablation technique with deterministic threshold and the apodisation technique.

Abstract: The invention relates to a structure (100) for photovoltaic applications including: a first layer (10) of a crystalline semiconductor material having a front face (1) for receiving and/or emitting photons and a back face (2); a back contact (40) of a conductive material provided on the side of the back face (2); characterised in that it further comprises a second layer (50) of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium (a-SiGe:H) between the back face (2) of the first layer (10) and the back contact (40). The invention also relates to a method for realising said structure (100).

Abstract: A method to design a Networks on Chips (NoCs)-based communication system for connecting on-chip components in a multicore system, said system comprising several elements communicating through the communication system, said communication system comprising at least switches, said method comprising the steps of modelling the applications running on the multicore system, establishing the number and configuration of switches to connect the elements, establishing physical connectivity between the elements and the switches, for each two pairs of communicating elements: (a) a defining a communication path, (b) calculating metrics as affected by the need to render said path into physical connectivity, taking into account any previously defined physical connectivity, (c) iterating the steps a and b for a plurality of possible paths, (d) choosing the path having the optimal metrics, and (e) establishing any missing physical connectivity between the switches so that the selected optimal path occurs across physically conn

Abstract: A microelectromechanical system comprises a deformable portion and at least one stress sensor fixedly attached to the deformable portion. The sensor itself comprises a base portion and a shunt portion juxtaposed on the deformable portion, and connections arranged to detect a change of a distribution of an electric current in the base and shunt portions. Such a system is suitable for many applications, in particular for forming a portion of an arm of an atomic force microscope or for entering into the constitution of a bio sensor.

Abstract: The invention concerns a combinatorial method for the generation of new split-protein sensors, and its application towards the (?/?)8-barrel enzyme N-(5?-phosphoribosyl)-anthranilate isomerase Trp1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is demonstrated. The generated split-Trp protein sensors allow for the detection of protein-protein interactions in the cytosol as well as the membrane by enabling trp1 cells to grow on medium lacking tryptophan. This powerful selection thus complements the repertoire of the currently used split-protein sensors and provides a new tool for high-throughput interaction screening.

Abstract: A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for singlet-state exchange NMR-spectroscopy comprises steps of excitation of single-quantum in-phase coherences, generation of single-quantum anti-phase coherences, excitation of zero-quantum coherences ZQx and/or longitudinal two-spin order 2IzSz (=“ZZ order”) using a ?/4 pulse, reversal of the sign of the zero-quantum coherences ZQx under the effect of the difference of the chemical shifts of the examined spins, transformation of the zero-quantum coherences ZQx and/or longitudinal two-spin ZZ order into singlet-state populations by means of RF irradiation during a mixing period ?m, reconversion of the singlet-state populations remaining at the end of the mixing period ?m into zero-quantum coherences ZQx and/or ZZ order, reversal of the sign of the zero-quantum coherences ZQx under the effect of the difference of the chemical shifts of the examined spins, and reconversion of zero-quantum coherences ZQx and/or ZZ order into single-quantum anti-phase coherences.

Abstract: The display of images comprising animated microstructures can be used to create beautiful information and publicity sites attracting the attention of clients. Especially for clients visiting Web sites, images with animated microstructures are capable of forwarding a message incorporated into the animated microstructure (e.g. an advertisement). The present invention discloses a method for creating, respectively, displaying a target image with an animated microstructure, where the target image is made of a succession of target image instances which differ from each other by an embedded microstructure which evolves over time. An animated microstructure image requires the definition of an original image, an embedded microstructure, a transformation describing how the microstructure evolves over successive image instances, possibly a warping transformation mapping the target image space into the animated microstructure and possibly a set of basic colors for rendering target image instances.

Abstract: A probe for measuring electrical characteristics of an excitation current of a plasma is provided. The probe is mounted on a conductive line that includes an inner conductor and an outer conductor. The probe includes a current sensor and a voltage sensor. The current sensor includes a groove formed in the ground of one of the conductors in order to form a detour for the current flowing through the conductor, and a point for measuring electric voltage between a ground connected to the conductor and a point of the groove. The current sensor thus is able to measure a voltage proportional to the first time derivative of intensity (Iplasma) of the excitation current. The voltage sensor is a shunt sensor capable of measuring a voltage proportional to the first time derivative of the voltage (Vplasma) of the excitation current. A plasma reactor including a probe of the aforementioned type is also provided.

Abstract: A method for decomposing a digital image at resolution R and MR into a set of spatial sub-bands of resolution R and MR where MR>R and where the high-band at resolution MR is calculated by subtracting the filtered and up-sampled image at resolution R from the image at resolution MR and where the spatial low-band at resolution R is calculated by adding the filtered and down-sampled spatial high-band to the image at resolution R and where a rational factor for up-and down-sampling M is determined by the resolution ratio.

Abstract: A device, method and kit for the electrophoretic separation and purification of charged and neutral compounds in an analyte solution. The device comprises a chamber (1), at least one wall of which is composed of a chemical buffering system (4). A potential difference is applied across the buffering system, resulting in the charged and neutral compounds being differentially separated by extraction of the charged compounds into the buffering system. The device also comprises means for collecting the separated compounds, preferably in ampholyte-free or buffer-free solution and optionally means for recycling the separated fractions.

Abstract: A method to synchronize impulse radio signal in a receiver based on a cross-correlation between an input signal and a template pulse train is described. The method comprises the steps of receiving a radio signal, performing a correlation between the acquired radio signal and a template pulse train, splitting the correlation into at least two elementary correlations over intervals of predefined length and separated by a predetermined time to obtain elementary correlation output, performing an elementary threshold check on each elementary correlation output, summing the elementary threshold check outputs to form a sum result.

Abstract: The invention concerns an inertial sensor or an actuator based on diamagnetic levitation, said inertial sensor or actuator comprising support means serving as main support body for an inertial sensor or for an actuator, a two dimensional array of permanent magnets and a diamagnetic element facing the said array characterized in that said diamagnetic material constitutes the inertial mass or the moving part of the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coatings on metal substrates and methods of making the same. The invention particularly relates, in a preferred embodiment, to a metallic substrate such as stainless steel or Ti alloy having a silicon material (such as an organosilicone, silicon nitride, silicon carbide or silicon carbon nitride) intermediate layer and a DLC layer, optionally doped with Si, deposited thereon, and a method for making the same.

Abstract: Ligands that specifically bind to articular cartilage tissues are disclosed, including uses for targeting therapeutics towards articular cartilage tissue and new materials for articular cartilage. The ligands are effective in vivo to target therapeutic materials to articular cartilage.

Abstract: A gas viscosity sensor comprises a signal processing circuit and a sensor element, including a gas pressure generating system and a differential pressure measuring system in fluid communication therewith, the differential pressure measuring system comprising a measuring chamber (14) bounded by a thin membrane (28), an inlet-outlet channel or orifice interconnecting the measuring chamber to a source of gas for which the viscosity is to be determined, the inlet-outlet channel or orifice having dimensions adapted to provide resistance to the outflow and inflow of gas in the measuring chamber, and a membrane displacement sensor (32) adapted to measure a time dependent displacement of the membrane due to pressure variations in the measuring cavity.

Abstract: Fiber light amplifiers adapted for high power application are provided. In embodiments of the invention, the light signal to be amplified is coupled to a cladding mode of an active waveguide region which is cladding doped. The amplified light is coupled to an output fiber have waveguiding properties matching those of the active cladding of the active waveguide region. In other embodiments, two or more amplifying stages are provided coupled by a wavelength selective loss element which couples the Stokes wave co-propagating with the signal to be amplified out of the signal guiding mode prior to the onset of SRS.

Abstract: A Generalized Programmable Counter Array (GPCA) is a reconfigurable multi-operand adder, which can be reprogrammed to sum a plurality of operands of arbitrary size. The GPCA is configured to compress the input words down to two operands using parallel counters. Resulting operands are then summed using a standard Ripple Carry Adder to produce the final result. The GPCA consists of a linear arrangement of identical compressor slices (CSlice).

Abstract: According to the present invention, it is provided an interactive device comprising a display, a camera, an image analysing means, said interactive device comprising means to acquire an image with the camera, the analysing means detecting at least a human face on the acquired image and displaying on the display at least a pattern where the human face was detected wherein the interactive device further comprises means to determine a halo region extending at least around the pattern and means to add into the halo region at least one interactive zone related to a command, means to detect movement onto the interactive zone and means to execute the command by said device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring the quality and/or degradation of a fluid, especially an oil, comprising a sensor consisting of at least one pair of electrodes which are distanced from each other. Said sensor is immersed in the fluid which is to be measured. The electrodes and the fluid form a capacitive element whose capacity varies according to the dielectric constant of the fluid. The sensor can provide an electric output signal representing said dielectric constant. The inventive device also comprises processing means which receive the output signal and which can determine the degree of quality and/or degradation of the fluid on the basis of said output signal. The invention is characterized in that the electrodes extend substantially on the same plane and in that the fluid surrounds the two surfaces of the electrodes on both sides of said plane.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (1) has an array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADS), a plurality of read-out circuits, each SPADS being coupled to one read-out circuit, wherein at least some of the read-out circuits comprise time-to-digital converters (TDC) and/or a digital asynchronous counter. The plurality of SPADS are coupled to one single read-out circuit. The read-out circuit may have a transformer for decoupling the SPAD from other parts of the read-out circuit.