Abstract
Integrated optics coaxial two, three and four telescope beam combiners have been fabricated by hybrid sol-gel technology for astronomical applications. Temporal and spectral analyses of the output interferometric signal have been performed, and their results are in mutual good agreement. The results of the characterization method employed are cross-checked using contrast measurements obtained independently, demonstrating that the chromatic differential dispersion is the main contributer to contrast reduction. The mean visibility of the fabricated devices is always higher than 95 %, obtained using a source with spectral bandwidth of 50 nm. These results show the capability of hybrid sol-gel technology for fast prototyping of complex chip designs used in astronomical applications. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America

Abstract
Hybrid sol-gel technology was used for fabrication of prototypes of coaxial two, three and four telescopes beam combiners for astronomical applications. These devices were designed for the astronomical J-band and have been characterized using an optical source with emission centered at 1265 nm and with a spectral FWHM of 50 nm. Interferometric characterization of the two, three and four beam combiners, showed average contrasts respectively higher than 98%, 96% and 95%. Interferometric spectral analysis of the beam combiners revealed that the chromatic differential dispersion is the main contributor to the observed contrast decay in the latter cases. The laser direct writing technique was used for fabrication of a coaxial two beam combiner on sol-gel material; it showed a contrast of 95%. The measured high contrast fringes confirm that the procedures used lead to performant IO beam combiners. These results demonstrate the capabilities of the hybrid sol-gel technology for fast prototyping of complex chip designs for astronomical applications.

Abstract
In this paper is described an easy, one-pot synthesis of ZnO hollow spheres with sizes ranging from 300 nm to 500 nm, by spin-coating deposition on aluminum substrate. Simplified models explaining the shape formation based on film-substrate interaction are discussed. The characteristic size and shape of the nanostructures obtained by the described method and the properties of ZnO as a low-cost biocompatible material make this methodology of synthesis interesting for a wide range of applications including optoelectronics, catalysis and (bio)sensors.

Abstract
We investigate the generation of entanglement between the axial degrees of freedom of electrons confined in separated locations in planar Penning traps. We show that there are two different sources of entanglement: one is related with the mechanism of switching on and off the electrical coupling between the two electrons, and the other is due to the two-quanta-transition term of the coupling interaction. We show that the degree of entanglement can be controlled by adjusting the strength of the coupling between the traps and the time of interaction. We show that the coupled electrons behave as a temporal active interferometer.

Abstract
We extend the quantum theory of Time Refraction for a generic spatial and temporal modulation of the optical properties of a medium, such as a dielectric or a gravitational field. The derivation of the local Bogoliubov transformations relating the global electromagnetic modes (valid over the entire span of space and time) with the local modes (valid for the vicinity of each spatial and temporal position) is presented and used in the evaluation of vacuum photon creation by the optical modulations of the medium. We use this approach to relate and review the results of different quantum effects such as the dynamical Casimir effect, space and Time Refraction, the Unruh effect and radiation from superluminal non-accelerated optical boundaries.

Abstract
We describe the effects of the electron trapping due to the background ions in a Rydberg plasma. In the early stages, the ions are not thermalized and obey a Gaussian spatial profile, trapping the coldest electrons. In the present work, we provide expressions for both the electrostatic potential and the electron spatial profiles in two different regimes. We show that in the strong confinement regime F » T/e, a Rydberg plasma can be described by a Thomas-Fermi potential, similar to that obtained for heavy atomic species.