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Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State provides update regarding Pac-12 Championship game tickets
With a win on Saturday over rival Arizona guaranteeing Arizona State home field over Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship, Sun Devil fans are excited to get tickets for the game. So excited, however, that on Wednesday the Arizona State Ticket Office announced they are experiencing unusually high wait times due to the positive response from fans.
Arizona State suggested reserving tickets online to help speed up the process. If you are unable to do that, you can also call 480-9656-5333 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Sales and Service staff are trying to return all messages before Wednesday's deadline for tickets, but fans may not hear back until Friday.

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Adam Nigon connected on a career-high seven three-pointers in the win
Jan. 4, 2011
By Zach Balside
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Like always, when the Rams needed a boost, the senior from Broomfield answered the call.
Senior guard Adam Nigon connected on a career-high seven three-point baskets to total 21 points on the evening, propelling the CSU Rams (11-4, 1-0 MWC) to a 73-60 win over the Wyoming Cowboys (7-8, 0-1 MWC) on Tuesday night at Moby Arena.
The win gives the Rams back-to-back conference-opening wins for the first time since the formation of the Mountain West Conference. The Rams won their conference-opener at Wyoming last year.
"It feels good to have a target on your back," Nigon said. "We're starting to get some love and publicity. I think that's why we're starting out slow because every team is looking at us like we're a contender and I think that's great. We've got to match their intensity and know that we have a target on our back."
Wyoming got off to a strong start, shooting 56 percent in the first half and opening up a 39-26 lead with 5:10 remaining. CSU responded with eight straight points to end the half down only 39-37, and then scored eight more to start the second half. Wes Eikmeier hit from long range in the first minute of the second frame to give the Rams their first lead at 42-39.
In all, the Rams went on a 29-8 run that started in the first half to take control of the game.
Strong play from sophomore forward Pierce Hornung, who grabbed 12 rebounds (the second-largest total of his career), including five on the offensive end, helped contribute to the win.
"Pierce changed the game," Head Coach Tim Miles said. "Our bench guys won the game."
CSU stayed consistent from deep all night long, making 14-of-27 (51.9 percent) for the evening. The 14 threes tied for second-most in school history. It was the first time the Rams had made more than 10 three-pointers in a game since the Rams' 80-64 home win last season over Wyoming, when they made 10-of-15 attempts.
Wyoming converted on just 26.1 percent of its shots in the second half, including going 0-for-8 from three-point land.
A boisterous crowd of 4,060 might have helped some of the Cowboys' shots miss.
"The crowd was awesome," Miles said. "We needed it. Best band in the country."
Joining Nigon in double-digit scoring were Andy Ogide and Eikmeier, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. Ogide also had eight rebounds, and Dorian Green tallied a season-high six assists.
Wyoming was led by sophomore guard Desmar Jackson, who scored 24 points.
CSU's next contest will be in The Pit at New Mexico on Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. MT, and will be televised on The Mtn. In the teams' previous meeting, the Rams took the then-No. 10/12 Lobos all the way to the wire before falling 72-66 at Moby Arena.
CSU hopes to keep the momentum from this strong win rolling into the matchup.
"I think we're veteran enough that we know we've got to keep the energy through every Mountain West game we play," Ogide said. "We can't take a night off. Just going down to The Pit, that's going to give us energy in itself. It's a great atmosphere and an opportunity to get a win."
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High-Q guided resonance modes in two-dimensional photonic crystals, enable high field intensity in small volumes that can be exploited to realize high performance sensors. We show through simulations and experiments how the Q-factor of guided resonance modes varies with the size of the photonic crystal, and that this variation is due to loss caused by scattering of in-plane propagating modes at the lattice boundary and coupling of incident light to fully guided modes that exist in the homogeneous slab outside the lattice boundary. A photonic crystal with reflecting boundaries, realized by Bragg mirrors with a band gap for in-plane propagating modes, has been designed to suppress these edge effects. The new design represents a way around the fundamental limitation on Q-factors for guided resonances in finite photonic crystals. Results are presented for both simulated and fabricated structures.
1. Introduction
Periodic permittivity induced in a layer of high index material sandwiched between two lower index materials can support a group of optical modes called guided resonance modes [1–4]. These modes are similar to fully guided modes in terms of the distribution of the mode field inside the slab, but different in that they are not fully confined to the slab. Incoming light, with a real out-of-plane k-vector, can couple to in-plane propagating modes. This gives rise to properties that are useful in applications like vertically emitting light diodes [5–7], compact narrow fiber tip sensors [8,9] and highly sensitive optical sensors for environmental control and medical diagnosis [10, 11].
Guided resonance modes are supported in structures with both 1D- and 2D-periodic permittivity in the plane, and are qualitatively well understood by temporal coupled mode theory [12,13]: When incoming light hits the surface of a photonic crystal (PC), it sees a combination of a homogeneous slab and an optical resonator. Part of the light is reflected and transmitted through the slab as if it was homogeneous with some effective permittivity, and is often referred to as the direct path. Another part is coupled into in-plane propagating modes that form an optical resonator associated with a resonance frequency and spectral bandwidth. The output of the resonator is referred to as the indirect path. The two paths interfere to form the characteristic Fano-shape features in the transmitted and reflected spectrum.
We present an investigation of guided resonance modes in PCs that have a 2D-periodic permittivity imposed on a dielectric slab free-standing in air, and will focus on finite-size lattice effects. Finite-size lattice effects are seldom discussed in the literature for 2D-PCs, but based on work done on 1D-PCs [14–16], we know that they can be important. Especially narrow banded guided resonance modes, i.e. high Q-factor modes, supported by PCs made in low permittivity dielectrics like Si3N4 and SiO2, may not be observable if the number of periods in the lattice is too small [17]. Although simulations on infinite 2D-PCs predict that they can be used to make outstanding optical resonators with virtually unlimited Q-factor [3], there are practical limitations: The required number of unit cells can be challenging to fabricate with high enough accuracy.
Limits on the Q-factor of guided resonance modes in finite PCs are imposed by loss. Two loss mechanisms are unavoidable, even in a perfectly fabricated crystal made in a lossless dielectric. In a finite lattice, incident light will couple into in-plane propagating modes by scattering caused by the inhomogeneous permittivity in every unit cell. If the scattered light reaches the boundary of the lattice, it will see a discontinuous transition to a homogeneous slab supporting fully guided modes. Light coupled into these fully guided modes or scattered by the discontinuity, will no longer interact with the lattice and can be regarded as lost. The band diagram of an infinite PC can in many cases be used to quantify and tailor these effects [28]. For example, the in-plane group velocity of a guided resonance mode can be designed to be close to zero within a range of in-plane k-vectors. A focused incident beam can always be represented by a superposition of plane waves with a range of in-plane k-vectors. If the group velocity is small for all the plane wave components of the beam, incident light will tend not to travel far away from where it enters the slab, but be locally confined and lead to limited edge losses. Such approaches are especially useful for high-contrast gratings, where the band diagram of the infinite lattice yields the transmission spectrum for a PC with a limited number of periods in the lattice. However, for a PC composed of very weak scatterers, an unpractically large number of unit cells can be required for the band diagram of the infinite lattice to yield the transmission spectrum. In that case, the PC should be regarded as finite, and will typically exhibit higher edge losses than predicted by calculations on infinite lattices.
In order for a finite weakly scattering 2D-PC to have properties similarly to an infinite crystal, we hence have to suppress edge-loss effects. Techniques for doing so have previously been utilized to create high-Q guided-mode resonance filters with limited aperture in 1D-PCs [18–20]. They closely resemble methods to increase the transmission through metallic hole arrays supporting surface plasmon modes [21]. By placing in-plane Bragg mirrors at two of the sides of a 1D-PC cavity, light coupled to in-plane propagating guided resonance modes, can be reflected back at the lattice boundary. Incident light cannot couple to fully guided modes outside the boundaries of the lattice, making the PC work as if it was much larger than its physical size. In this way, a fundamental problem with high-Q guided resonance modes in PCs is solved, enabling performance predicted by simulations on infinite structures to be realized in finite structures. Furthermore, fabricating a device free of defects is easier when the structured area is small. This solution can hence increase the performance of PCs in general.
It has been reported that the same principles can be applied on 2D-PCs. Lattices composed of a cavity with larger holes surrounded by smaller, have been used for lateral confinement of guided resonance modes to increase the light extraction efficiency and tailor the geometry of the output of infrared surface emitting diodes [22, 23]. Recently also an optical filter was made by utilizing a limited aperture 2D-diffraction grating bound by four Bragg mirrors [24]. We present a 2D-PC optical filter for visible light composed of a square lattice of holes etched through a free-standing dielectric membrane bound by two in-plane Bragg mirrors. Our solution is different from the work published in [24] in that our PC is not a weak grating coupling to an underlaying homogeneous waveguide. The grating and the waveguide is one and the same in our design, and is free-standing in air. We also do not have Bragg mirrors on all four sides of the PC, and show how the orientation of the Bragg-mirrors, and the number of mirrors needed, is mode dependent. This particular design of the experiment gives a novel intuitive example of how guided resonance modes behave in real finite structures.
We start by explaining how a finite PC differs from an infinite PC. We present results from simulations on finite PC lattices, which show how Fano-lines in transmission disappear when the number of holes in the crystal is too small. Next, we present simulations of our Bragg mirror PC structure, and finally show how simulated results can be reproduced in fabricated devices.
2. Guided resonance modes in finite size photonic crystals
Temporal coupled mode theory applied to PCs usually treat the case of a lossless optical resonator [3,13]. It can be modified to include loss [17,25]. For a PC free-standing in air, symmetric about the center plane, the equations used to fit a Fano-line in the transmitted and reflected spectrum is then given by
These equations have the exact same form as a lossless optical resonator, only f is no longer set by energy conservation to be f = −(td ± rd) [3]. InsteadFig. 1. Figure 1(a) is the lumped element model of an infinite PC, while a finite PC is modeled in Fig. 1(b). The lossy resonator model is greatly simplified, but illustrates the point we want to make: The amplitude of the resonant term is reduced when the resonator is lossy.
Fig. 1
The difference between an infinite and a finite lattice is especially evident when it is designed to support high-Q guided resonance modes. To understand why, we start by explaining how a PC composed of a matrix of weakly scattering holes supports high-Q guided resonance modes.
Consider an infinite PC composed of unit cells with approximately homogeneous permittivity, e.g. a square lattice of holes with period p and a radius r ≪ p. We also have r ≪ λ, where λ is the wavelength of the incident field, which we choose to have normal incidence. Referring to temporal coupled mode theory, the direct response will then be approximately that of a homogeneous slab with effective permittivity slightly lower than the slab material. The resonant term is a result of incident light being scattered by the matrix of holes and coupling to a standing wave composed of waves traveling in the plane of the slab. The standing wave is similar to a sum of fully guided modes, but can scatter out of the slab by the hole matrix. This generates an out-of-plane reflected and transmitted wave. The size of the coupling coefficient, determining how much light is coupled in and out of the resonator, is hence set by the scattering strength of our hole matrix. Reducing the radius of holes, reduces the coupling coefficient. Because the Q-factor of an optical resonator is increased when the coupling coefficient is reduced, small holes or any weak scattering matrix, will generally support high-Q guided resonance modes.
The approximate band diagram of a weak scattering matrix can be found by using the dispersion relation of a homogeneous slab as a starting point. We will use a square lattice as an example. For k-vectors aligned with one of the crystals principal axes, it involves a folding of the dispersion relation of a homogeneous slab and opening of small band gaps at the edges of the Brillouin zones and at the Γ-point, as shown in Fig. 2(a) and 2(b) [4].
Fig. 2
An incident plane wave is sent into this lattice from the side, as shown in Fig. 2(c) and 2(d). The incident wave is taken to be a fully guided mode with ki = 2π/p in the homogeneous slab, traveling in the positive x-direction. Its frequency, ωm, lies between two guided resonance modes in the lattice. This means that we are in a photonic band gap [26] for in-plane propagating modes, which leads to an exponential decrease of the field amplitude as we go in the positive x-direction. Rows of holes in the y-direction function as an in-plane Bragg mirror, where the attenuation length will be increased when the radius of holes is reduced. In order to observe the effect of the in-plane band gap in a finite lattice composed of small holes, we hence need many periods. For the same reason, weakly scattering matrices supporting high-Q guided resonance modes, generally require many periods in order to be observed in finite size lattices.
We point out that it is possible to design crystals that have relatively large holes, and still support high-Q guided resonance modes that are forbidden by symmetry to couple to normally incident light [3,27]. Weak coupling to such modes can be achieved by breaking the symmetry, by changing the incident field to have an incidence angle slightly off from normal incidence [4]. However, whenever we have weak coupling between the incident light and a specific guided resonance mode of a PC, many periods of the PC are needed in order to observe the resonance in the transmission and reflection spectra [17].
In addition to the effect of lattice size on its ability to support a guided resonance mode, there is a second matter that needs to be considered. As lattices are finite in real experiments, so are the incident fields. It is impossible in practice to excite a pure plane wave corresponding to a point in our band diagram. We can approximate a finite field as a sum of plane waves with different wave vectors. An incident field will hence contain a set of in-plane k‖-vectors, Δk‖. These sets of in-plane vectors will couple differently to a guided resonance [28]. Mathematically speaking, referring to the band diagram in Fig. 2(e) and recognizing that this plot is a projection of solutions where k‖ = kx, strong coupling requires
In conclusion, coupling to a guided resonance mode in finite PCs, has two main requirements. One, we have to insure that there are enough periods in our lattice for the guided resonance mode bands to form. This is closely related to the scattering strength of the lattice. Secondly, ∂ω/∂k‖ must be approximately zero for all in-plane k-vectors that we need in order to represent our fields.
3. Simulations on photonic crystals with finite lattices
We have designed an experiment that allows us to see how guided resonance modes disappear when the number of unit cells in a 2D-PC lattice is insufficient. We have focused on lattice size effects, since these impose fundamental limitations on the Q-factor, as oppose to finite beam size. An illustration of the simulation experiment done using FDTD is shown in Fig. 3. A volume, having a refractive index of air, nair = 1, with a length corresponding to four lattice periods, 4p, and a cross section of Np×Np, was defined. N defines the size of the lattice. The spacial resolution was set to 0.02 μm in the z-direction, and 0.01 μm in the x- and y-direction. A plane truncated wave, polarized in the y-direction, was imposed at z = p/2 with a Gaussian time evolution having a center frequency corresponding to λ = 650 nm in air. A slab with refractive index ns = 2 was centered at z = p. The thickness of the slab was set to 160 nm and the unit cell in the lattice is composed of a hole going through the slab with a radius of 100 nm. The lattice is square with a period p = 500 nm.
Fig. 3
An observation point was placed at z = 4p in the center of the simulation domain on the xy-plane, allowing us to record the transmittance spectrum of the PC. Four different size lattices were simulated: N = 10, N = 20, N = 30 and an infinite lattice. N = 10, N=20 and N = 30 were implemented by using perfectly match layers (PML) on all sides of the simulation domain. The infinite lattice was simulated by defining a domain with N = 1 and using periodic boundary conditions in both x- and y-directions.
We point out that PML does not work well for waves having k-vectors parallel to the PML [29]. Implementation of such waves is known to give rise to unphysical reflections from the boundary. This effect is present in the simulations using N = 10, N = 20 and N = 30. To reduce the required computing power and time, we simplify our model of the fabricated devices as much as possible. In spite of these simplifications and the spurious reflections from the PMLs, the simulations give us valuable insight into the physics involved.
Simulation results are presented in Fig. 4(a) and show the transmittance spectra of the four different lattice sizes. The plotted curves are the ratios between the Fourier transforms of the field recorded in point T as a function of time, and the Fourier transform of the incident Gaussian pulse. We will refer to this ratio as the transmittance. Focusing on the blue curve, two dips in transmittance can be seen. These are a result of coupling to two different guided resonance modes in the infinite lattice, and would in a simulation with higher resolution go down to zero. We will refer to the mode at 720 nm as mode A and the mode at 645 nm as mode B, as pointed out in Fig. 4(a). Note how mode A has a wider bandwidth than mode B, i.e. mode A has lower Q-factor than mode B.
Fig. 4
In case of the finite lattice simulations, represented by the red, black and green curve, the spectrum is significantly different. We can see for both mode A and B that the resulting dips in transmission tend to disappear when the number of periods in the lattice is too small. This is clarified in Fig. 4(b), where the Q-factor of modes A and B have been calculated and plotted as a function of lattice size, represented by red and blue markers respectively. The Q-factor has been normalized as Q for the finite lattices divided by Q of the infinite lattice. The fact that high-Q guided resonance modes require more periods in order to be observed, can be seen by comparing the red and blue data series. Mode B is not observable for the smallest 10×10 lattice, and the Q-factor of mode A reaches its terminal value faster than mode B.
The spectra have regions in wavelength where the transmittance is above one, and there is a red shift going from small to larger lattices sizes. Values higher than one are caused by a combination of diffraction and that we are calculating the transmission based on the field amplitude at a point instead of calculating the total transmission. The red shift is caused by a reduction of Δk‖ as we increase the size of the lattice, in combination with band bending. As explained above, this will also limit the observable Q-factor. We will return to this matter in the discussion, to see how we can conclude that the Q-factor is mainly limited by the lattice size.
Continuous wave simulations where performed for the minima located between 700 and 750 nm in Fig. 4(a), for N = 10, N = 20 and the infinite lattice. Referring to Fig. 3, an observation plane was imposed at z = p, allowing us to record the field at the center of the slab. Figure 5 shows the amplitude of all three field components at this surface. The incident field is still polarized in the y-direction. From these full field images, it is evident that the sources of error mentioned earlier affect our results. Forbidden asymmetries are especially visible in the x-component of the field for the infinite lattice: The x-component of the field, shown in the bottom left in Fig. 5, does not have four folded symmetry. We can however still clearly see the underlying correct symmetric behavior of the field, and can use the results to see how the guided resonance mode is affected when making the lattice finite. Simulations with higher grid resolution were done for the 10×10 lattice. They showed that insufficient resolution is the dominant cause of these asymmetries. Effects of spurious reflections from the PML were too small to be specifically detected.
Fig. 5
Mode A is dominated by a strong y-component, and forms as rows of holes parallel to the incident polarization oscillate in phase and couple to a guided resonance mode with in-plane k-vectors parallel to the x-axis. These are waves traveling in the positive and negative x-direction if the incident field is polarized in the y-direction. As long as the number of periods in the y-direction is large compared to the wavelength of the guided resonance mode field, it is the number of holes in the x-direction that limits the formation of the guided resonance mode. Focusing on the y-component of the field, we can see how the field in the center of the PC converges towards the infinite case as the number of holes in the matrix increases. This is because the contribution of a specific hole to the guided resonance mode is limited in space. A unit cell at the edge, will only see the response from holes to one of its sides in the x-direction, while a hole in the center will see the response from neighbors on both of its sides in the x-direction. This causes the field in the membrane to decrease as we approach the edge of the crystal.
4. Increasing the Quality factor of finite photonic crystals
To create large Q-factors in miniaturized PC devices, we have to find a way of minimizing edge effects. A solution is to introduce reflecting boundaries. This will prevent loss induced by coupling to fully guided modes outside the lattice. For the particular mode shown in Fig. 5, this reflecting boundary condition can be imposed by placing in-plane Bragg mirrors at two of the boundaries of the lattice parallel to the incident polarization. A 3D drawing of the design is presented in Fig. 6(b). It shows a square lattice with period 500 nm, composed of holes with a radius of 100 nm imposed on a 140 nm thick membrane with refractive index ns = 2. The Bragg mirrors have a period of 240 nm with open line widths of 80 nm, tuned to have an in-plane band gap for the frequency of a guided resonance mode in the hole lattice.
Fig. 6
The transmittance spectrum of this structure is found using a setup similar to the one drawn in Fig. 3. The PC consisting only of a periodic lattice of holes, is replaced by the structure drawn in Fig. 6(b), and we simulate the response of incident fields with two orthogonal polarizations: Parallel to Bragg lines, y-polarized, and perpendicular to the Bragg lines, x-polarized. We expect that the Bragg mirrors will have little effect if the incident polarization is perpendicular to the lines in the Bragg mirror. In this case, the guided resonance mode will be waves traveling in the positive and negative y-direction. These waves do not see Bragg mirrors at the PC boundaries and can couple to fully guided modes in the homogeneous slab. For the other polarization, the guided resonance mode will be waves traveling in the positive and negative x-direction. When these waves meet the lattice boundary, they will not be allowed to propagate further and are reflected.
The results are displayed in Fig. 6(a). Four curves have been included in this plot. The in-plane Bragg mirror gives a band gap between 600 and 750 nm, as shown by the green curve. The red dashed line is the transmittance spectrum of 10×10 holes without Bragg mirrors, while the blue and black lines are the transmittance spectra of the structure in Fig. 6(b) for two different polarizations. When the polarization is perpendicular to the Bragg lines (blue line), the dip near 700 nm is clearly visible. Its minimum value is 0.65, and its width is comparable to the dip observed for the 10×10 period lattice without Bragg mirrors. Once we turn the polarization 90 degrees, a sharp dip appears that goes down to 0.13. We achieve a higher Q-factor resonance, comparable to what we see in the case of an infinite lattice. We then expect higher field amplitudes in the PC when the incident polarization is parallel to the Bragg lines. As can be seen from the continuous wave simulations presented in Fig. 7, this is the case. The figure shows the field at z = p for wavelengths corresponding to the minima above 700 nm on the blue and black curves in Fig. 6(a). Referring to the center of the hole lattice, a difference in field amplitude of a factor of five can be seen when turning the incident polarization 90 degrees.
Fig. 7
5. Fabrication and experimental setup
In order to experimentally verify the simulation results, we have fabricated PCs with dimensions similar to the ones we have simulated and characterized them optically. Due to their intended application in biosensors, the slabs are not made purely of Si3N4, but a more complex stack of three thin films: 50 nm Si3N4/50 nm SiO2/50 nm Si3N4. The motive for this composition is to facilitate specific biomolecule functionalization of the PC [10]. Optically it has the effect that it lowers the effective index of the slab, because SiO2 has lower permittivity than Si3N4. We expect to see similar behavior as for a pure Si3N4 PC, but the modes will in general be shifted towards higher frequencies. Because layers are thin compared to the operating wavelength, we do not expect to see the effect of Fabry-Perot cavities forming between boundaries of the different thin films.
First, Si3N4 was deposited on double side polished Si-wafers. SiO2 was made by Poly-Si deposition followed by thermal oxidation. Standard optical lithography and a wet etch was done to form free standing membranes. Electron beam (E-beam) lithography was thereafter performed directly on the membranes to form the PC lattices. An advanced etch mask was developed to reduce charging effects and handle the fact that PMMA has poor selectivity to Si3N4 and SiO2 in dry etching recipes. The mask was composed of 3 nm Cr on top of 150 nm PMMA, 20 nm SiO2, and 150 nm polymer coating (ARC). The Cr functioned as a conductive layer during e-beam exposure of the PMMA. After e-beam exposure, the Cr was removed. The PMMA was developed, followed by a dry etch transferring the pattern into the SiO2. Using the SiO2 as a hard mask, the pattern was transferred to the ARC, and then into the slab. Finally, the ARC was removed. An illustration of a cross section view of a finalized chip is given in Fig. 8(f). A detailed description of the fabrication procedure can be found elsewhere [30].
Fig. 8
Four different size PCs were made to investigate the effect of finite size lattices, composed of 10×10, 25×25, 50×50 and 100×100 periods. The final fabricated structures have a period of p = 500 ± 2 nm and a hole radius of r = 100 ± 2 nm. SEM images of the lattices are given in Fig. 8(a).
In the case of the PCs bound by Bragg mirrors on the sides, 2D patterns of 100 nm-radius holes with six different periods were made for a fixed set of Bragg mirror dimensions. The Bragg mirrors were made with a period of 250±2 nm and a duty cycle of 50±5 %. Four of these six designs, those with periods p1 = 450 ± 2 nm, p2 = 474 ± 2 nm, p3 = 500 ± 2 nm and p4 = 526 ± 2 nm, operated as intended. No signs of coupling to guided resonance modes was observed for periods p5 = 550 nm, p6 = 576 nm. The resonant modes in these structure were outside the spectrum of our source. SEM images of the structures with p1 to p4 are given in Fig. 8(b)–8(e).
The optical setup measures the transmittance of the PC as a function of wavelength with spacial resolution. This is done using a 2D CCD camera connected to a Olympus BX51 Optical Microscope equipped with MPlanON 50×/0.95NA objective. A halogen lamp routed through a monochromator and a collimator provides the microscope with monochromatic backside normal incidence illumination with a bandwidth of 4.5 nm. Images were recorded with the monochromator tuned to one wavelength at a time with a spacing of 2 nm. The exposure time for each image was 5 s. The measured transmittance, presented in the results section below, is found by recording an image with and without the PC in the light path, calculating the ratio between the recorded intensities pixel by pixel.
6. Results and discussion
An image of the four different lattice sizes, as they appear in the microscope for λ =656 nm, is shown to the right in Fig. 9. Black boxes have been fitted around each lattice. The boxes are named S10, S25, S50 and S100. Subscript numbers denote which lattice size each box corresponds to. A fifth box, S0, has also been included. S0 frames an unstructured area on the membrane. The transmittance is calculated by finding the mean value of pixels located within the boundary of each black box. The result is plotted in the graph to the left in Fig. 9.
Fig. 9
In pixels corresponding to a solid slab, there is no sign of resonance. The 10×10 lattice, shows a broad dip around 650 nm. Looking at the plot for the 25×25 lattice, the dip close to 650 nm reaches a lower minimum value and shows a significant decrease in bandwidth. A second dip close to 570 nm also becomes visible. As we further increase the number of periods in the lattice to 50×50, these two dips continue to decrease in minimum value and bandwidth. Continuing to 100×100 periods, we do not see a decrease in minimum value, but a small increase. The bandwidth does however continue to decrease, leaving the Q-factor approximately unchanged.
The reason why we do not see a continuous increase in Q-factor and reduction of minimum dip value for larger lattice sizes than 50×50 periods, is that after 50×50 periods we start to see the effect of lattice discrepancies, such as non-symmetric holes and inhomogeneous periodicity and radius. Such defects introduce additional loss in our optical resonator model and we can hence expect a reduced Q-factor. We also note that the dip bandwidth is starting to approach the bandwidth of our scanned source for lattices larger than 50×50 periods. This limits the observable Q-factor in our optical setup. As we scan the wavelength from 500–700 nm, we do not scan a delta function over this range, but a peak with finite bandwidth of about 4.5 nm. The resulting transmittance is the convolution of the actual transmittance and source spectrum, which will also reduce the Q-factor computed directly from the transmission spectrum. In any case, the lattice size effect on guided resonance modes is clear for the three smaller lattices: As we decrease the number of holes, the effect of coupling to guided resonance modes tends to disappear.
An image of a PC with in-plane Bragg mirrors, as it appear in the microscope for λ = 630 nm (top) and 626 nm (bottom) is shown to the right in Fig. 10. SEM images have been included, showing the polarization of the incident field relative to the orientation of lines in the Bragg mirror. The period of the selected structure is p2 = 476 nm, and transmittance is calculated by finding the mean value of pixels bound by each black box. The result for two orthogonal polarizations of incident light, can be seen in the graph to the left in Fig. 10.
Fig. 10
As expected from simulations, the spectral response is highly dependent on incident polarization. When the polarization is orthogonal to lines in the Bragg mirror, a dip in reflection is visible, but the bandwidth is large and comparable to the dip seen for the 10×10 holes lattice with no Bragg mirrors in Fig. 9. Once we turn the polarization parallel to the Bragg lines, the dip bandwidth and minimum value is significantly decreased. Considering that the holes are not perfectly symmetric and the Bragg lines have a roughness in our real structures, the fabricated devices perform well and clearly show how the Q-factor of a finite PC can be increased by exploiting reflecting boundary conditions. Comparing the transmittance for different Bragg PC structures depicted in Fig. 8, dip minimum values range from 0.65 to 0.70, and the position of the dips are period dependent, but they all show the same trends.
We note that position of the Bragg mirrors relative to the photonic crystal lattice has not been studied extensively. Light traveling in the plane, should be reflected back into the crystal as if the PC was infinite. If the phase of the reflection from the mirrors is off, we can see the opposite effect of what we are aiming for, namely weaker coupling to guided resonance modes as opposed to stronger. We also know that there will be light scattered out of the membrane at the edges, when in-plane modes meet the jump in effective index between the lattice and the homogeneous slab. Optimizing the position of the Bragg mirrors and designing a smooth transition in effective index between the lattice and the homogeneous slab, will increase the performance of our device.
We finally return to the red shift observed in Fig. 4(a) as the lattice size is increased. It is due to the fact that the bands supporting mode A and B in our structure have a positive second order derivative, , at the Γ-point. This has been verified in simulations. Hence, as we increase the lattice size and decrease Δk‖, the sum of excited guided resonance modes have decreasing mean center frequency. This causes a red shift of the center wavelength of our dip in transmission, and is accompanied by an increase in observed Q-factor. The weak observable coupling to guided resonance modes in the smaller lattices, can hence be caused by excess band bending or insufficient lattice size. However, due to the strong polarization dependence evident in the Bragg PC structure, we can clearly see that the lattice size effect is dominating. This statement is further supported by inspecting the top left plot in Fig. 7. In this plot we see how there are in-plane waves propagating away from the lattice above and below the holes when the Bragg mirrors are not containing the guided resonance mode.
7. Conclusion
We have shown that guided resonance modes in 2D-PCs are not observable in the transmission spectrum of the PC if the number of periods in the lattice is insufficient. This agrees with analytic models developed for 1D-PCs [15, 16] and experimental studies of large 2D-PCs [17], and can be understood by considering a finite PC as an optical resonator with loss.
The fundamental loss mechanisms are related to coupling of incident light to fully guided modes existing outside the boundaries of the lattice and scattering of in-plane propagating waves at the lattice boundaries. We have shown how coupling to fully guided modes can be suppressed by introducing reflecting boundary conditions. This can be done using Bragg mirrors that have a band gap for in-plane propagating modes. Methods to reduce scattering at the lattice boundaries have not been investigated.
While our devices do not support guided resonance modes with extraordinary narrow bandwidths, the results show how lattices with limited extent can be made to work as if they are larger. Extrapolation of these results, indicate that a PC perfectly fabricated over a large number of periods can be replaced by a PC that is perfect over a small area and bound by an in-plane band gap. This is useful with respect to PCs being applied in real devices, especially in devices with high demands on miniaturization and the Q-factor of guided resonance modes.
All the photonic crystal structures used in this project were made at the University of Bergen Nanostructures Laboratory. We thank Trond Mohn, The University of Bergen and the Norwegian Research council (NFR) for funding. We also thank NFR for their support through the Norwegian PhD Network on Nanotechnology for Microsystems, IndustriPhD program and ISBILAT program.
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text:
Although chosen from lowland outcrops with this name, I think this is the climb named 'The Idiot' in my copy of 'Climbers Guide to Central and Southern Scotland' - between Crazy Paving and Crazy Daisy.libby.southgate - 2nd - 02/Apr/15 with Misha Bruml
Bloody hell. Absolute pile of arse. Dirty, vegetated, chossy and loose. About 2-3 moves of nice rock just below the tree which I thought I could belay off but its actually shit- clipped it as a runner then had the worst time of my life wading up steep slope through 10m of very dense sharp brambles. Had to use my chalkbag as a glove. Cut my legs to shreds. SHITPEICE mishabruml - Lead O/S - 02/Apr/15 with Elizabeth Southgate
fireman_al - Lead rpt - Jan/04 with Paul McDonald


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Historical Tel Aviv apartment gets fabulous transformation
This historical single family apartment originally designed by architect Yosef Berlin in 1925, was recently re-designed by Pitsou Kedem Architects, located in Tel Aviv, Israel. read more
Historical preservation of Maison V in Villennes-sur-Seine, France
Maison V is a major renovation project including an annex pavilion with a swimming pool by Olivier Chabaud Architecte, located in the city of Villennes-sur-Seine, France. Additional additions to the residence includes new furnishings and interior design, a gym, and major overhaul to the gardens. The architect respected the origin of the building with a global mission.
The heavy restructuring allowed a reconquest of the existing, to adapt this old building to contemporary lifestyles. Flow management, light, link to the garden, but also intimate relationship between spaces, as all kitchen / lounge / TV room, organized around the glazed staircase and matching sliding doors.
The annex pavilion houses the gym whose canopy can cover a portion of the heated pool for winter use.
The garden ends with a slight side Seine accommodation, a port terrace shack on false metalling and the pontoon.
Kitchen, storage, furniture, office, billiards, occasional furniture, consistency of the house is given by the volume management, parts distribution, distilled by the measured punctuation design.
In this typical part of the Anglo-Norman houses, the intervention was punctuated by the careful selection of materials and finishes.
Burgundy stone confronts Indian stone, oak kitchen with tiles 'underground' and Zimbaoué black marble, the interior woodwork painted steel meets the bancheur of frames.
The bathrooms, with varied identity, Tadelakt varnish wooden lath set on black concrete tiles. The gym, overlooking the pool gray concrete, is also in smoothed gray concrete.
Mixtures subtly give the residence a contemporary feel, yet distilled in this context classic belonging.
Photos: Courtesy of Olivier Chabaud
Historic home transformation with eclectic interior in London
This traditional historic home with an eclectic interior was substantially repaired in 2011 by architect and owner Chris Dyson Architects, located in the heart of London, England. The house was bought from a leather coat manufacturer in 1997. The aim at the outset was to concentrate on the building's history and place in Spitalfields a unique quarter of Georgian London, with respect for the immediate context. A number of found and reclaimed items have been incorporated into the interior and exterior to provide the authentic detailing of the period.
From the architect: The roof of the house was in serious need of repair and was replaced with a new mansard roof construction; this room forms the master bedroom suite. The façade of the house has been returned to a design of 1725 with timber sashes windows and decorative brickwork to reveals. The interior of the house had lost its' original features in the 1930's when the house had been extensively remodeled to create workshops. Substantial changes were carried out to make this into a family home in keeping with the domestic character of Princelet Street.
Panelled rooms have been restored to the ground and first floor reception rooms returning character, scale and proportion to this family home. A fern garden at the rear provides a pleasant filigree pattern of light and shade and privacy from the surrounding properties.
The primary aim has been to flood the lower rooms of the house with daylight, particularly at the rear of the property, creating a connection with the outside garden and the reception rooms within. A deep sense of calm and stillness pervades this house; an oasis in such close proximity to the financial heart of the city of London.
The rear section of the ground-floor reception room functions as a more formal dining area. The table is a gate-legged design from Dyson's father-in-law; it can be folded to make a multifunctional space. Dyson occasionally hosts art shows in the house, inviting artists to display their work.
The corridor outside the reception room leads to a staircase down to the kitchen area.
The holes in the staircase are vents for the storage below and are interesting visual details that draw the eye upward.
The basement, formerly a storage area and boiler room, was converted into a kitchen over about four months. Dyson designed it with the aim of creating a space that felt welcoming and warm. To keep the room as light as possible, given it's on the basement level, Dyson used gloss paint to enhance the light and bounce it around the room. The flooring is hard-wearing rubber.
For the dining area next to the kitchen, Dyson designed custom shelving to house the family's collection of plates from Holland and China. Its function and aesthetic are similar to those of a Welsh dresser, but it has a less fussy feel. Dyson also designed the American black walnut table. It was made by Matthew Hilton, who designed the dining chairs.
The living room on this floor is more spacious than the reception room on the ground floor. Dyson found the two columns on either side of the fireplace at an architectural antiques and salvage store in Oxfordshire. The fireplace is made of wood painted to have a marble effect. Paneling, wooden shutters and cast iron heritage radiators complete the historic feel of the room. The space above the fireplace holds a secret bookcase.
The rear half of the room is a quiet nook that can be used for studying or relaxing. It leads out to a balcony, which allows light to flood the space. The Crittall door provides an interesting industrial twist on the classical feel of the rest of the room.
The home has access to outdoor space on three levels; a fern garden occupies two levels, and the first floor has a balcony.
On the second floor are two bedrooms and a family bathroom, and a staircase leads to the master suite on the third floor. Dyson replaced all of the banisters in the house; the new ones are softwood with a mahogany finish. The clock is a 17th-century French piece with a hand-painted wood effect.
Photos: Alex James
Abandoned textile factory breathes new life in Katowice, Poland
An old and abandoned textile factory gained a new life after several months of extensive renovations by Grzegorz Layer Architekt, located in Katowice, Poland. One part of the building was adopted to became a tailor's workshop and a showroom of Poszetka – men's fashion producer. The brand's philosophy assumes providing hand-crafted issues of unique men apparel accessories, i.e. ties, pocket handkerchiefs and foulards.
The refurbished textile factory is located in an engaging street that attempts to prove its cultural aspirations and design potential. Historic building's interior was arranged to combine both the production functions and the sales area. The entire property has approximately 1,076 square feet (100 square meters) and is partitioned into two zones. The part employed as the sales area and the office preserves the historic character of the textile industry's interiors with remarkable mezzanine and examples of production residues, i.e. hooks, hangers and lamps. The other partition is a tailor's workshop filled with machinery and storage racks.
The design's idea was to tidy-up the insides after previous reconstructions. Originally there were five separate rooms, whereas currently it is only one open space. The interior is lit with sunlight through large shop windows placed either in the building's facade and in its back. These are ideal conditions for a proper product display and work atmosphere in general. Most of the business' activities happen indoors. Interestingly the non-sales' workplace is not isolated whatsoever. Thus, clients do have contact with the production process and may literally see the products' development stages to learn about the company from the inside.
The interior is kept in light colors that emphasize the location's spaciousness and capacity. Moreover, the building's restored original elements, i.e. old bricks, natural woodwork and steel constructions, as well as the concrete flooring with irregular texture prove its industrial character. Additionally a juxtaposition of showroom owner's antique furniture and modern, minimalistic forms complement the comprehensive design.
Photos: Dorota Zyguła-Siemieńska
Victorian renovation evoking traditional warmth in California
This stunning 1890s Victorian renovation project was historically preserved by Ken Linsteadt Architects, located in Larkspur, a city in Marin County, California. read more
Enchanting restoration to a historic Scottish Castle
Dalcross Castle is a classic sandstone Scottish tower house owned by a family of four that was tastefully restored by Maxwell & Company Architects, located near Inverness, Scotland. The castle was originally built in 1620, and the family purchased the dilapidated home in 1996, captivated by the building and its history. The castle was originally built for one of the daughters of the eighth Lord Lovat, chief of Clan Fraser. It was home to the Duke of Cumberland during the mustering of troops for the 1746 Battle of Culloden. The troops would either stay in the castle or would cross right by it on their way to the battlefield. The castle fell into disrepair in the 19th century, but then was renovated in late Victorian times, yet gradually became run-down.
Have a look at some of the past features from 1 Kindesign on castles: Enchanting old castle style home on the coast and Medieval Stone Castle in Bar sur Loup.
Two years after purchasing the castle, the family enlisted the architects help to convert the property from cold and damp into something cozy, warm and welcoming, that could be used by both family and friends. While carefully preserving the character of the past, the 8,072 square foot (750 square meters) 11 bedroom, 11 bathroom home showcases 21st-century comforts, creating an inviting Scottish escape for the family's busy lives in London.
On the far left is a one story cottage that used to be a diary, which is adjoined with a two story cottage that once was a caretakers home. The structures are adjoined to the main castle via an open courtyard, which was renovated with a roof so that an enclosed mudroom could be created. The owners now use this casual space as their main entryway into the home.
Taking three years to complete the entire renovation of the castle, salvaged items were incorporated into the design scheme, mixing with items that were picked up along the way. The castle has now been painstakingly restored into its former glory, showcasing period pieces with an intriguing past.
This space is considered the great hall which has three windows and balconies overlooking the lush landscape. This space is used for having dinner parties with guests. The fireplace was restored to its original stonework. The dining room table and chairs in addition to the chandelier were all custom designed to fit the space.
Located next to the 17th century great hall is a private sitting area for the family to gather around and spend quality time together. This is a very old wing of the house, dating back to 1890. This can be seen in the not only in the original woodworking details but also in the Arts and Crafts style furniture.
This is the main staircase of the home, which takes you up five flights of stairs to the upper level of the castle. The architects re-finished the stairwell, giving it a lime wash.
The master bedroom retreat features elegant finishes in a more neutral scheme that is warmed up with the rich red hues of the area rug. The French marble fireplace is not original to the space, yet is in keeping with the elegant atmosphere.
The red hallway invigorates the space which leads to the master bedroom suite. The great hall is accented with bookshelves decorated with colorful books and framed family portraits.
There are three turrets in the castle, and the one picture above was re-designed into a cozy window seat. Plush pillows and cushions and red drapery curtains for privacy makes the space very inviting.
The upper level of the castle is the children's domain, with just two, each has their own half. Interior designer Rona Douglas worked on the interiors of the project. For the bedroom space pictured above, the designer selected a nautical theme.
Pictured above is the hallway entrance to where the family comes in from the back door. Located along this corridor is a wine cellar, garden room and home office, which is used to operate the estate. At the end of the passageway is the main staircase that has access to all levels of the home. Solid oak floors adds warmth to the space and conceals the heating pipes.
This striking historical renovation project won a Civic Trust award. It demonstrates an excellent representation of the past, with the creation of a consistent and cohesive design.
Photos: Peter Landers Photography
Miner's cottage restoration in Australia: Vintage House Daylesford
Vintage House Daylesford is an 1860s miner's cottage that has been completely restored and re-designed by interior designer Kali Cavanagh, located on the border of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, Victoria, Australia. Surrounded by various established trees, Vintage House Daylesford sits high on almost an acre of land with views over Wombat State Forest and Doctors Gully.
The home is available to rent as luxury accommodation and location hire. The house and studio currently sleep a maximum of 6 people, with rates ranging from $620 – $2,740, depending on whether you want to stay one night or a week, from here.
Here is a description of the project from the website:
Sit in the leather chesterfield sofas and enjoy a glass of wine by the unique 1800's cast iron fireplace from France. Original French CAFE sign sits above. Surrounded by many industrial furniture finds from the US.
Completely restored and re-designed with love to highlight the original features of the house. Combining the use of wood, metals and shades of white, black and everything in between to bring new life to the cottage. Finished with antique, vintage and industrial furniture and artwork from around the globe.
An old post office table from England made in the 1700's sits with industrial wooden chairs and a leather chesterfield banquette. Seats eight. Large original stable doors open up to the side garden which holds a fire pit and an over-sized custom designed outdoor table made from oak and metal.
The layout of the house was re-designed to enjoy open plan living.
Cook up a feast in the restored 1920's gas Chambers oven from the US which sits pride of place in the center of the kitchen. A double butler sink, dishwasher, industrial lighting also from the US along with custom made lighting. Old church doors were restored to house the fridge. Custom designed island bench made from old industrial metal legs and separate wood top is a perfect place for breakfast.
Each room has been carefully considered and designed. With three bedrooms and three bathrooms in total.
Two bedrooms have been combined to create the ultimate bedroom and en-suite! Featuring a king sized bed and luxury linens from the US. Enjoy a soak in an original claw foot bath before bed or shower in the en-suite bathroom which you enter through restored barn doors.
Enjoy sleeping in the 'grey room' with high ceilings, luxury linens surrounded by antique and industrial furniture and art from the US, France and the UK.
Lie back and enjoy the view in an over-sized bath big enough for two! It features a marble surround and large shower head from the UK. The large industrial window opens up fully to the nature surrounds.
Custom designed window, bench and mirror make the bathroom unique – combining industrial vintage pieces with new metal and materials to create the ultimate bathroom for a weekend away.
Vintage House Daylesford sits on just under an acre of land. The garden studio makes up a very private 3rd bedroom, complete with queen bed, luxury linens, original artwork from an old garage in the US and industrial pendant lighting.
An over-sized claw foot bath with shower looks out a large wall of glass to the valley below. Also contains a separate toilet, reverse cycle heating and air-conditioning and wall mounted TV to make the studio the perfect romantic hideaway!
The house and studio sit on almost an acre of land with large established willow trees, pine trees and many fruit trees including plums, lemons, apples and olive trees.
Photos: Armelle Habib
La Suite Sans Cravate in Belgium by Véronique Bogaert
La Suite Sans Cravate is an historical house that has been converted by Véronique Bogaert into a luxury guesthouse with four guestrooms, located in Bruges, Belgium. The success of the owner's restaurant was the inspiration for the guesthouse, and with an expanding family, there was not enough room for them to continue taking up residence above their restaurant. Have a look below for the owner's inspiring story of how the project transpired into what was once just a visionary dream.
We (Veronique 37 years and Henk 34 years) have a restaurant (1 Michelin star) in Bruges since 10 years. We've lived above the restaurant until now; it became too small with our 2 kids (6 & 7 years). We were looking for a private house but didn't find anything which was close the restaurant and enough space. Suddenly a great opportunity came along, the historical house in front of our restaurant came free and we take the shot… Result it was too big for us, so we aid to each other "why don't we make some guestrooms in the building?"
We ourselves had enough ideas how to separates the places in that big house. We of course needed an architect to draw for us. There was one big rule!! We wanted to have absolutely a private house were our guests couldn't come, let's say a red line for them not to cross. Therefor we provided 2 very high luxury rooms and 2 suites. The house is separated is 2 parts, one for the guests and one for us. We've put an extra stair especially for us. It's a very ancient house; we have information that leads until 1450! A house with a soul and character!
The whole decoration we did ourselves, till the smallest detail. We didn't use the help of any interior architect or someone of that kind. We ourselves are creative minded people the name of our guesthouse is called "La Suite", for us it has several meanings, first, it means if you translate it, the following, it is the following step of our lives, it also means like a kitchen name, that reply's in the kitchen that the next dish can follow. Like the people who are in our restaurant, they can go to their rooms for the next step of their evening.
Why a French name? That's because our restaurant is called "Sans Cravate", now we've changed our logo to La Suite Sans Cravate, it match very well together. We have a very personal style in our kitchen and interior of the restaurant, now we have that also in our new guesthouse. The rooms have the name of wine grapes, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Each guest receives when they arrive a glass of bubbles with a personalized macaroon biscuit with the flavors of their room that they booked.
The renovation took three years in total but the result is magic, we are of course very proud that we realized something like that. With only one month open and already nominated for "Best design hotel".
Photos: Courtesy of La Suite Sans Cravate
Modern conversion of an old Australian workers cottage
Hamersley Road Residence is the conversion of an early 1900's Australian workers cottage into a modern family home by Studio53, located in Subiaco, an inner western suburb of Perth, Australia. The external timberwork, moulded plaster, handmade tiles and flannel flower glass of the existing house give the home a distinct arts and crafts aesthetic. The house had been untouched for many years. The owners, architect and interior designer from Studio53, wished to provide a functional home for their family with flexibility for now and into the future. They also wanted to respect and enhance the existing craftsmanship.
As we were designing a home for our family, we wanted to optimize the space of the relatively small site area. We were able to do this through the use of pure forms such as the 'courtyard' and the 'box'.
The conception of the 'box' is integral to the design of this house. Internally, the box is its own zone; bedrooms, bathroom and play room for the children. Externally the box defines the character of the extension, highlighting the change from existing house to contemporary home in a sympathetic but contrasting manner.
Throughout the design process, we re-used and recycled elements of the existing home to create a story of restoration. This included recycling bricks, light fittings, and even the old laundry trough, which is now a thriving herb garden. The original tin awning on the front of the existing house was resurrected with a coat of Dulux Weathershield in 'Happy' to match the 'box'.
The upper level addition is delineated from the existing house by taking the form of a pure yellow 'box' gently placed on top of the ground floor behind the gable of the existing home. The Box is then further wrapped in a perforated screen to shade and protect it from the sun.
To the rear of the existing home we constructed a ground floor extension that envelopes a landscaped courtyard. Building to two boundaries and focusing the new ground floor rooms into the courtyard assisted in the creation and then blurring of the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. The intent was to provide multiple spaces of differing character, to be used at different times of the day and year, some inside and some outside.
The intricately patterned and visually permeable screen envelops the box on all sides. The pattern is inspired from the floral motif of the original carpet and fireplace tiles; although given a contemporary edge. This screen provides visual richness, shade and protection to openings whilst offering opportunities for passive surveillance of the street. At night, the screen is illuminated, glows and provides a moment of joy for the neighborhood.
Despite being untouched for over 90 years, the existing home was rescued and rejuvenated. The honest values of the house have been maintained, continued and extended into the new addition, to breathe life into the existing cottage and to create a "happy" and contemporary family home.
Photos: Christian Sprogoe, Chris Maher
Redesign of a charming Peranakan shophouse in Singapore
House at Neil Road celebrates the traditional charm of Peranakan shophouses with the addition of new spaces sensitive to the building's rich heritage, by ONG&ONG, in the conservation district of Singapore. Akin to traditional shophouses, the spaces are interspersed with courtyards that serve as visual focal points. The original courtyard forms the heart of the common areas while a newer courtyard marks the transition from the old structure into its new extension.
The shophouse walls tell a similar story of progression from old to new, with paintwork along the forecourt's boundary walls stripped and left unfinished, revealing layers of paintwork and the shophouse's history. Exposed brick walls reveal old bricks manufactured with local clay that are no longer in production. This creates a stark contrast when juxtaposed with the original courtyard wall – its original blue paintwork and folklore-inspired fresco restored to celebrate the shophouse's Peranakan heritage.
Other preservation efforts include the restoration of the facade; the original red cement flooring of the five-foot way, living and dining spaces; the original timber flooring and exposed floor joists of the upper levels; and the terrazzo finish for the bathrooms, which highlights an age-old craft that is becoming a dying trade in Singapore. Details such as bathroom vanities accented with glazed Peranakan tiles, the old iron main gate and the "pintu pagar" (Malay for "door gate") demarcating the master bedroom's entrance further enrich the authentic tonalities of the shophouse.
With its blending of old and new elements, this house not only preserves a unique cultural heritage, but also acts as a storytelling device that narrates the histories of its past and present occupants.
Photos: Courtesy of ONG&ONG
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Sire: Thorn Park
Dam: Pretty Special
Sire of Dam: Octagonal
b/br G 10YO. (3/11/2005)
Owners: Estate Of Late Mrs V L Smith, G M Bartlett, P Blunden, I & Mrs J Christie, Ms A Craven, Mrs P Sheehan, J R Lindsay & B McGrath
Lot: 227 - 2007 MM Conrad Jupiters Yearling Sale
Vendor: Oakwood Farm
Buyer: GAI WATERHOUSE
Sale Price: $150,000.00
Career: 38: 8 - 9 - 2 - $583,725
Stakes Race Career:
12: 1 - 3 - 0
Old timer can make a winning return at Rosehill Saturday
All the latest horse racing form, betting odds, news, breeding, jockey and trainer information for KONTIKI PARK. KONTIKI PARK is a gelding born in 3/11/2005 by Thorn Park out of Pretty Special, trained by the Gai Waterhouse stable.
The current race record for KONTIKI PARK is 8 wins from 38 starts with prizemoney of $583,725.00
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A martyr with Blessed Ignatius de Azevedo. Mark was born in Fiera, Portugal, and was a Jesuit novice.
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What do dreams have to with prayer? Aren't they just random images of our mind? In 1867 Pope Pius IX was upset with John Bosco because he wouldn't take his dreams seriously enough. Nine ... continue reading
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St. Gertrude the Great is invoked for souls in purgatory and for living sinners. Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is ... continue reading
The first mention we have of these three martyrs who died around 258 A.D. comes in the sixth century in the writings of Saint Gregory of Tours. Denis (or Dionysius as he is also called) is the ... continue readingMore Saint of the Day
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin (Feast day November 13) St. Frances was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850, one of thirteen children. At eighteen, she desired to become a Nun, but poor health stood in her way. She helped her parents until their death, and then worked ... continue readingMore Female Saints
St. Michael the Archangel - Feast day - September 29th The name Michael signifies "Who is like to God?" and was the warcry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against satan and his followers. Holy Scripture describes St. Michael as "one of the chief ... continue reading
The name Gabriel means "man of God," or "God has shown himself mighty." It appears first in the prophesies of Daniel in the Old Testament. The angel announced to Daniel the prophecy of the seventy weeks. His name also occurs in the apocryphal book of Henoch. He was the ... continue reading
Founder and mystic, one of the first Servants of Mary or Servites. The son of a wealthy merchant in Florence, Italy, Alexis and six companions joined the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin in ... continue reading
� Ansgar was born of a noble family near Amiens. He became a monk at Old Corbie monastery in Picardy and later at New Corbie in Westphalia. He accompanied King Harold to Denmark when the exiled ... continue reading
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St. Therese helps me understand: "the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy.if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the ... continue readingMore Christian Saints & Heroes


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Connecticut drops opener to Towson of FCS
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Towson running back Terrance West ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns and the Tigers won for the first time against an opponent from the bowl subdivision, upsetting Connecticut 33-18 in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.
"I'm sure in the eyes of some, this will be considered very, very big," Towson coach Rob Ambrose said. "But we've played good competition before. We've played well but couldn't get a win. In the history of this, I suppose one day people will one day look back at this as very large thing. But the family in this locker room, we have goals. And for us to reach our goals we had to win."
They not only won, they dominated the Huskies, putting up 393 yards while holding UConn to just 287.
Quarterback Peter Athens threw for 192 yards and another score and running back Sterlin Phifer caught a 23-yard touchdown and ran for another.
West carried the ball a career-high 36 times, and broke the 100-yard mark for the 12th time in his career. The junior's two fourth-quarter scores put the game away.
"From the beginning of the game I saw we could handle them," West said. "We were prepared for this event today."
Receiver Shakim Phillips had two touchdown catches for Connecticut, and Geremy Davis caught five balls for 100 yards in the losing effort.
The Huskies, who are coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons, had not lost to an FCS team since 2001, when they were making the transition from Division I-AA to Division I.
"I think they know this is one game and we didn't play well as a team in any area," said UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni. "I think there is some leadership in the locker room and from that regard, I think we'll be fine."
The Tigers were up 13-10 at halftime and trailed just once, at 7-0.
The Huskies were held scoreless in the second half of this one until quarterback Chandler Whitmer hit Phillips with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 3:29 left in the game that cut the deficit to 26-18.
But on UConn's next opportunity, freshman Brian Lemelle fumbled a punt. West, who now has 46 career touchdowns, then put the finishing touches on the upset, scoring from 5 yards out with 16 seconds left in the game.
Connecticut took an early lead after a 92-yard drive that was set up with a diving interception by safety Obi Melifonwu. The redshirt freshman was pressed into a starting role when Andrew Adams went down in camp with a shoulder injury. Nine plays after the pick, Whitmer found Phillips breaking toward the left corner for a 31-yard catch-and-run.
Towson answered in just four plays. Phifer swung out of the backfield on a delay pattern and Athens found him wide open for a 23-yard touchdown.
Phifer scored again in the second quarter on a 5-yard run. That came two plays after Jon Desir tipped and intercepted a Whitmer pass at the UConn 29-yard line, a ball that ended up between Desir's legs.
The Huskies put together an 11-play drive and a had a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line after a 22-yard run by McCombs, but had to settle for a 22-yard field goal and went into the half trailing 13-10.
Towson controlled the second half.
Athens took the Tigers on a 13-play 95-yard drive in the third quarter, finishing it himself. His dive from a yard gave the Tigers a 19-10 lead. Leon Kinnard, a transfer from UConn, made the big play of the drive, catching a 39-yard pass that set Towson up at the UConn 25-yard line.
Connecticut drove into Towson territory, but fumbled on fourth-and-1 at the 33-yard line, giving Towson the ball back.
The Tigers then drove 62 yards in 10 plays, with West going in from 6 yards out. The junior, who carried the ball a career-high 36 times, ran 1,051 yards as a sophomore, after rushing for almost 1,300 yards and scoring 29 touchdowns as a freshman.
Towson returns 15 starters from a team that went 7-4 a year ago, barely missing the playoffs after winning its final four games.
UConn's Whitmer completed 15 of 27 passes for 199 yards and the two touchdowns. Husky running back Lyle McCombs had 76 yards rushing on 17 carries.
UConn fell to 9-3 in season openers since making the jump to the FBS in 2002, including 9-2 at Rentschler Field.
"You can't hang your head," said Whitmer. "You've gotta stay positive and come back to work on Saturday and get ready to go. The next game is up. This one is over."
Ambrose is familiar with Connecticut, where he served as offensive coordinator under former coach Randy Edsall.
Edsall will be back in two weeks with his Maryland team.
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Perry Hills to start at QB vs. Ohio State
Perry Hills will start at quarterback Saturday for Maryland against top-ranked Ohio State, the latest development in the three-way battle to be the Terrapins' starter under center.
Adam Searl suspended by UCLA following arrest on suspicion of rape
A UCLA football player was suspended indefinitely Friday after he was arrested on suspicion of rape.
Baylor coach Art Briles high on unbeaten team's title hopes
The tougher tests await down the road for No. 3 Baylor Bears, but coach Art Briles has seen enough of his Bears to know this is his best team.
Randy Edsall won't coach Maryland next season, source says
A decision has been made that Randy Edsall will not be the football coach at Maryland next season, and discussions are taking place about how and when to separate, a source said Thursday night.
Mario Pender out of hospital following collapsed lung
Florida State running back Mario Pender has been released from the hospital but could be given a medical redshirt if he cannot return to the field this season.
Under Armour signs 10-year, $96M deal with Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin agreed to a 10-year deal with Under Armour on Friday worth a total of $96 million in cash and the retail value of products received.
2015 Colonial Athletic Association Standings
|James Madison
|New Hampshire
|William & Mary
|Stony Brook
|Rhode Island
2015 American Athletic - East Standings
|East Carolina
|South Florida


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To obtain permission or to purchase a reproduction, please contact the KSHS Reference Desk at 785-272-8681, ext. 117 or email@example.com. See the Copyright and Permission FAQ for more information.
This photograph shows a view of the E. Beecroft & Son General Merchandise Store in De Soto, Kansas. The town is located in Johnson County on the south bank of the Kansas River and along an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad line
Date: 1903
Item Number: 211152
Call Number: FK2.J4 D.73 M.Bee *1
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 211152
Built Environment - Areas of Significance - Commerce
Built Environment - Function - Commerce/Trade - Business
Business and Industry - Retail - General stores
Collections - Photograph
Community Life - Scenes and views - Business districts
Date - 1900s - 1903
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Photograph
Places - Cities and towns - De Soto
Places - Counties - Johnson
Type of Material - Photographs


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Best Beef in the area. Try the Big Al!!
Friendly service and good coffee!
Lori and Tracy R. are the best!
Best breakfast around! Try the Country Fried Steak and Eggs!
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Glock Trigger Pull...HELP!!!
Discussion in 'Gunsmithing' started by Hank Frank, Jun 5, 2006.
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Video games are rapidly becoming an actual, professional sport. How can you tell? The prizes and prestige are now big enough that gaming leagues will test players for performance enhancing drug use. Our friends at Kotaku are busy discussing some of the potential loopholes. http://kotaku.com/new-esports-dr... »
South Korean University Now Accepts Gamers as Student Athletes
Man, remember how your folks would harass you about getting ahead in life rather than molting in front of a video game for 42 hours on end? Throw this in your mama's face: Chung-Ang University in South Korea now considers competitive gamers the same as traditional athletes. And it's a top 10 (South Korean) school! »


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|Reviews for Light Gets Sick
| hudgens77 chapter 1 . 12/17/2011
hahaha, i liked this!:)
| WeDidItForTheDead chapter 1 . 6/27/2011
They are both so stubborn! You are very clever with your characters. Again, I laughed. A lot. Now I really want cake...
| Guest chapter 1 . 6/10/2011
I have never laughed so hard in my life... thanks a million!


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RT @musgravejr72: Almost ready to get after it at Charlotte friday night!! @heyschoen @KRCPower @FiveStarBodies @secaracing http://t.co/ocE…
4 months ago
We would like to congratulate @BraytonHaws and @HawkMcCall for the win @CARSTour @hickoryspeedway
4 months ago
Congratulations @WilliamByron & @LFRChassis for the super win @CARSTour @hickoryspeedway
4 months ago
@MusgraveFab @musgravejr72. If you are in the Mooresville area these are the go to guys for all your fab. work https://t.co/Q7ABHVbU7r
5 months ago
@WilliamByron @LFRChassis Thanks for the shout out @WilliamByron. We wish you and @LFRChassis good luck this weekend!
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Everyone go follow @CARSTour and support the largest growing southeast super latemodel series! https://t.co/5PsCUMHC6G
5 months ago
Ford Coyote Boss 302 Block Mounted, Power Steering Pump, Bracket and Pulley Kit.
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Overall score
would recommend to a friend.
Reviewer score
Would recommend
Last Minute Find
Decided to stay in NYC an extra night and found this hotel at a very reasonable price. Walking distance to Time Square, subway entrance on the corner, good staff. Spacious room with a good view.
I would definitely recommend this hotel!
Downtown family weekend
In town for a family wedding. Stayed at Park Central. The location is great -- close to Park, sights, east and west subway lines. Room was comfortable and quiet. Two queen bed deluxe room was perfect for our family of 2 adults and 2 kids.
Silver Wedding Anniversary Trip
Park Central Hotel is a fantastic place to stay, the location could not be better - 5 mins from Central Park, 15 mins from Times Square and Broadway and a subway station directly next to hotel. Room was large and very clean and being located on
the 11th floor we did not have any noise disturbance from 7th Avenue. We would highly recommend this hotel.
New York trip
The hotel was overall nice but there was a sour smell in the room. Beds were comfortable and the staff was great. We enjoyed sightseeing and restaurants in New York City.
Very good location
Had tickets to a Broadway show at Lincoln Center, and this hotel was a short, enjoyable walk away. Near tons of restaurants, and a great subway stop
Nice comfortable Queen beds! great proximity to Central Park and Times Square
Perfect location
This is our favorite place to stay. Easy access to coffee, a great deli, lots of good eateries and easy access to the subway.
Would not recommend
business trip - Average
This hotel is overpriced. I would only stay here as a last resort.
Nice location, close to central Park
Great Location, nice room, close to central park, nice restaurant close by, easy access to subway.
Great Location
Great location, hotel was clean, check in/check out at busy times to be avoided. Drinks in the bar very expensive compared to elsewhere. Overall though a good experience.
room does not have coffee maker.
This hotel was worse then a motel. The outside of the rooms has a huge noise-making equipment. We could not fall sleep at all. very noisy and nothing (except of bed and bedding) in the room.
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Obamacare has taken center stage in the nationwide battle to win control of the Senate. But when it comes to a key pillar of the law — expanding Medicaid — the trail of political drama still leads to state capitals, not Washington.
In New Hampshire, Republican state lawmakers who supported a version of Medicaid expansion face primaries from fierce Obamacare opponents. And Virginia Democrats' efforts to expand Medicaid were stymied this week when one of their senators resigned, shifting control of the chamber to a GOP in lockstep opposition to expansion.
"It's undoubtedly a big issue on the state level," said Greg Moore, New Hampshire state director for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group that opposes Medicaid expansion.
SEE ALSO: 18 states want to delay key part of Obamacare's small-business marketplace
The Supreme Court in 2012 upheld Obamacare as constitutional, but the justices said states should not lose existing federal Medicaid dollars if they did not want to expand the program to those making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, as the health care law dictates.
That made the expansion decision optional, and it became the catalyst for partisan wars in state capitals across the country.
G. Terry Madonna, a professor and politics expert at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said that in his recent polling of voters in his state, he was "stunned" to find that 25 percent — a high mark in his book — of voters thought Medicaid expansion was an important issue.
SEE ALSO: Colorado unveils Obamacare tax to boost struggling state exchange
Six in 10 favored traditional Medicaid expansion, and seven in 10 supported Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's Healthy Pennsylvania plan — a private-option plan that leverages federal dollars, yet may impose restrictions on beneficiaries that may not pass federal muster.
"My sense is if they get it either way, they'd be content," Mr. Madonna said of voters.
In New Hampshire, state Sens. Dave Boutin and Nancy Stiles, both Republicans, face primaries because they supported private-option expansion in their state. The state's program is underway and hopes to start enrolling people by July.
In Arkansas, GOP primary challenger Scott Flippo is attacking his opponent, Republican state Rep. John Burris, as a cheerleader for Obamacare for his role in working out a compromise which leveraged federal money under Obamacare to purchase private insurance for low-income residents.
The charge comes despite Mr. Burris having "once blocked a state agency's entire budget in an attempt to prevent it from being able to set up the online insurance exchange the health care law required," according to The Associated Press.
Virginia may be the most intense fight right now.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, promised to expand Medicaid if elected in late 2013. The plan was tied to the state's two-year budget, resulting in a standoff between Democrats who control the state Senate, and Republicans who control the House of Delegates.
But this week state Sen. Phillip P. Puckett, a Democrat, resigned, turning the chamber over to a GOP majority, delivering a big blow to Mr. McAuliffe's plans.


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This review is from: Cooler Master Seidon 120M - All-In-One CPU Liquid Water Cooling System with 120mm Radiator and Fan
Pros: keeps intel G3258 overclocked at 4.2ghz @ 53C at full load, 36C at idle. Fairly easy to install.
Cons: a stock AMD FX8350 runs at 68C at full load, room temp at 71F. I even added an additional fan for a push/pull on the radiator, it just couldn't keep that hot cpu cool. All that being said, as long as room temp was reasonable, cpu stayed under max temp.
Other Thoughts: if you have an intel chip, this cooler is fine. as for AMD i wouldn't recommend this particular cooler. I think to properly cool an AMD FX chip you need a larger radiator.READ FULL REVIEW
This review is from: Intel Core i3-4160 Haswell Dual-Core 3.6 GHz LGA 1150 54W BX80646I34160 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4400
Pros: FAST, reliable, runs cool with stock cooler, hyperthreaded, & Cheap!
Cons: none
Other Thoughts: a step up from a stock G3258 due to it's hyperthreading. If you are NOT overclocking, or not interested in overclocking, this is the CPU for you.READ FULL REVIEW
This review is from: Western Digital 2TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" (Heavy Duty) Internal Hard Drive - For PC/Mac/NAS/CCTV DVR
Pros: Cheap, fast, mass storage. (As fast as conventional hdds are) Runs quiet.
Cons: none
Other Thoughts: a quality drive from a 3rd party vendor that does the trick!READ FULL REVIEW
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About Mountain Hardwear Tents:
Once upon a time, a great man made a greater joke. It might not be our place to reveal said joke here, but this we can share with you: It had something to do with "pants", and definitely something to do with pitching a "tent" in these "pants". The implication here is that tents have legs, right? I'm not really too sure how jokes work.
Our friends at Mountain Hardwear know how to pitch a mean tent. Thanks to their use of industry leading technologies, you can look forward to staying super dry in a roomy, solid tent that's built to last. Couple this with the knowledge that Mountain Hardwear knows a thing or two about building a quality outdoor experience and you're well on your way to a camping trip that knows no equal.
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