Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed, and include: (a) separating an input electromagnetic waveform into a plurality of intermediate waveforms, each of the intermediate waveforms being spatially separated from one another; (b) dispersing frequency components of each intermediate waveform onto different regions of a spatial light modulator and modulating at least some of the dispersed frequency components with the spatial light modulator; and (c) recombining the dispersed frequency components for each of the intermediate waveforms to produce a plurality of temporally shaped output waveforms.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting electromagnetic radiation within a target frequency range is provided. The apparatus includes a substrate and one or more resonator structures disposed on the substrate. The substrate can be a dielectric or semiconductor material. Each of the one or more resonator structures has at least one dimension that is less than the wavelength of target electromagnetic radiation within the target frequency range, and each of the resonator structures includes at least two conductive structures separated by a spacing. Charge carriers are induced in the substrate near the spacing when the resonator structures are exposed to the target electromagnetic radiation. A measure of the change in conductivity of the substrate due to the induced charge carriers provides an indication of the presence of the target electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting electromagnetic radiation within a target frequency range is provided. The apparatus includes a substrate and one or more resonator structures disposed on the substrate. The substrate can be a dielectric or semiconductor material. Each of the one or more resonator structures has at least one dimension that is less than the wavelength of target electromagnetic radiation within the target frequency range, and each of the resonator structures includes at least two conductive structures separated by a spacing. Charge carriers are induced in the substrate near the spacing when the resonator structures are exposed to the target electromagnetic radiation. A measure of the change in conductivity of the substrate due to the induced charge carriers provides an indication of the presence of the target electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: An adhesive blend is described that can include a semi-crystalline copolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and at least one C4 to C20 ?-olefin, the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 15,000 to about 200,000; an melt index (MI) from about 7 dg/min to about 3000 dg/min as measured by ASTM D 1238 (B), and a (Mw/Mn) of approximately 2. Various production processes are also described. Also described are adhesive compositions and methods for making adhesive compositions having polymers or polymer blends with melt flow rates (MFRS) equal to and above 250 dg/min. at 230°C. Certain specific embodiments of the invention involve the use of a free radical initiator, e.g., a peroxide.

Abstract: The invention is a handheld device for puncturing oil filters and thus allowing more retained oil to drain from used filters. An oil filter has several internal chambers filled with oil which do not drain by gravity from the filter unless the sidewall of the filter is punches. The device of the invention punches the sidewall of the filters, and provides a rack for draining the oil filters.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for directing optical radiation to make multiple passes across an extended region of an electro-optic material, where during each pass the electro-optic material converts a portion of the optical radiation into terahertz radiation, and where the optical radiation is directed into the electro-optic material to cause an amplitude of the terahertz radiation generated from one or more earlier passes of the optical radiation to be constructively enhanced by the terahertz radiation generated from a later pass of the optical radiation.

Abstract: An adhesive blend is described that can include a semi-crystalline copolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and at least one C4 to C20 ?-olefin, the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 15,000 to about 200,000; an melt index (MI) from about 7 dg/min to about 3000 dg/min as measured by ASTM D 1238(B), and a (Mw/Mn) of approximately 2. Various production processes are also described. Also described are adhesive compositions and methods for making adhesive compositions having polymers or polymer blends with melt flow rates (MFRs) equal to and above 250 dg/min. at 230 NC. Certain specific embodiments of the invention involve the use of a free radical initiator, e.g., a peroxide.

Abstract: Methods and apparatusare disclosed, and include: (a) separating an input electromagnetic waveform into a plurality of intermediate waveforms, each of the intermediate waveforms being spatially separated from one another; (b) dispersing frequency components of each intermediate waveform onto different regions of a spatial light modulator and modulating at least some of the dispersed frequency components with the spatial light modulator; and (c) recombining the dispersed frequency components for each of the intermediate waveforms to produce a plurality of temporally shaped output waveforms.

Abstract: An adhesive blend is described that can include a semi-crystalline copolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and at least one C4 to C20 ?-olefin, the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 15,000 to about 200,000; an melt index (MI) from about 7 dg/min to about 3000 dg/min as measured by ASTM D 1238(B), and a (Mw/Mn) of approximately 2. Various production processes are also described. Also described are adhesive compositions and methods for making adhesive compositions having polymers or polymer blends with melt flow rates (MFRs) equal to and above 250 dg/min. at 230° C. Certain specific embodiments of the invention involve the use of a free radical initiator, e.g., a peroxide.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method including: (i) dispersing frequency components of an input EM waveform along a first direction with each frequency component spatially extended along a second direction different from the first direction; (ii) setting an amplitude for an output portion of each of the spatially extended frequency components; and (iii) combining the output portions from the different frequency components to produce a temporally shaped output EM waveform, wherein setting the amplitude of each output portion comprises diffracting a corresponding input portion for the spatially extended frequency component along the second direction into different diffraction orders, wherein the combined output portions correspond to a common diffraction order. A system for performing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for directing optical radiation to make multiple passes across an extended region of an electro-optic material, where during each pass the electro-optic material converts a portion of the optical radiation into terahertz radiation, and where the optical radiation is directed into the electro-optic material to cause an amplitude of the terahertz radiation generated from one or more earlier passes of the optical radiation to be constructively enhanced by the terahertz radiation generated from a later pass of the optical radiation.

Abstract: The invention is a handheld device for puncturing oil filters and thus allowing more retained oil to drain from used filters. An oil filter has several internal chambers filled with oil which do not drain by gravity from the filter unless the sidewall of the filter is punches. The device of the invention punches the sidewall of the filters, and provides a rack for draining the oil filters.

Abstract: A method for characterizing one or more properties of a sample using acoustic waveforms is disclosed, and comprises directing a sequence of at least three optical pulses to the sample to generate an acoustic response in the sample at a frequency corresponding to the pulse sequence, varying the timing of one or more of the pulses in the sequence to vary the frequency of the acoustic response in the sample, and measuring the strength of the acoustic response as a function of the varied frequency to determine information about the sample.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accelerating charged particles are disclosed, wherein the method comprises using at least a transverse component of a temporally and spatially shaped electromagnetic field to accelerate one or more charged particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel adhesive alpha-olefin inter-polymers which are largely amorphous and have a rheological behavior that makes them suitable for adhesive use, both without and with minimzed amounts of tackifying resins. Specifically, the invention poly-alpha olefin inter-polymer may be composed of A) from 60 to 94% of units derived from one alpha mono-olefin having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms and B) from 6 to 40 mol % of units derived from one or more other mono-olefins having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms and at least one carbon atom more than A); and C) optionally from 0 to 10 mol % of units derived from another copolymerizable unsaturated hydrocarbon, different from A) and B); the diad distribution of component A in the polymer as determined by 13C NMR as described herein showing a ratio of experimentally determined diad distribution over the calculated Bernoullian diad distribution of less than 1.

Abstract: The invention provides both a method and apparatus that measures a property of a structure that includes at least one layer. The apparatus features a laser (e.g., a microchip laser, described below) that generates an optical pulse, and a diffractive mask that receives the optical pulse and diffracts it to generate at least two excitation pulses. An optical system, (e.g., an achromat lens pair) receives the optical pulses and spatially and temporally overlaps them on or in the structure to form an excitation pattern that launches an acoustic wave. The acoustic wave modulates a property of the structure, e.g., it generates a time-dependent “surface ripple” or modulates an optical property such as the sample's refractive index or absorption coefficient. Surface ripple is defined as a time-dependent change in the morphology of the surface; its peak-to-null amplitude is typically a few angstroms or less.

Abstract: An adhesive blend is described that can include a semi-crystalline copolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and at least one C4 to C20 &agr;-olefin, the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 15,000 to about 200,000; an melt index (MI) from about 7 dg/min to about 3000 dg/min as measured by ASTM D 1238(B), and a (Mw/Mn) of approximately 2. Various production processes are also described. Also described are adhesive compositions and methods for making adhesive compositions having polymers or polymer blends with melt flow rates (MFRs) equal to and above 250 dg/min. at 230NC. Certain specific embodiments of the invention involve the use of a free radical initiator, e.g., a peroxide.

Abstract: An adhesive blend is described that can include a semi-crystalline copolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and at least one C4 to C20 &agr;-olefin, the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 15,000 to about 200,000; an melt index (MI) from about 7 dg/min to about 3000 dg/min as measured by ASTM D 1238(B), and a (Mw/Mn) of approximately 2. Various production processes are also described. Also described are adhesive compositions and methods for making adhesive compositions having polymers or polymer blends with melt flow rates (MFRs) equal to and above 250° dg/min. at 230° C. Certain specific embodiments of the invention involve the use of a free radical initiator, e.g., a peroxide.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that dynamically shift the wavelength of an electromagnetic (EM) beam by interacting the beam with a polariton wave having a selected polariton wave frequency.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel adhesive alpha-olefin inter-polymers which are largely amorphous and have a rheological behavior that makes them suitable for adhesive use, both without and with minimized amounts of tackifying resins. Specifically, the invention poly-alpha olefin inter-polymer may be composed of A) from 60 to 94 mol % of units derived from one alpha mono-olefin having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms and B) from 6 to 40 mol % of units derived from one or more other mono-olefins having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms and at least one carbon atom more than A); and C) optionally from 0 to 10 mol % of units derived from another copolymerizable unsaturated hydrocarbon, different from A) and B); the diad distribution of component A in the polymer as determined by 13C NMR as described herein showing a ratio of experimentally determined diad distribution over the calculated Bernoullian diad distribution of less than 1.