What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising:
super-cooling a solute to produce a pre-conditioned solute, and
using the pre-conditioned solute as a heat exchange medium.
2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of super-cooling includes bringing the solute from room temperature to at least about 23 C. at an average rate of at least about 6.5 C. per minute to produce a pre-conditioned solute
3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of super-cooling alters a heat absorption rate of the solute, such that the pre-conditioned solute has an increased heat absorption rate as compared to the solute prior to conditioning.
4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the heat absorption rate of the pre-conditioned solute is about 135 BTU at a temperature of between about 23 C. and 26 C.
5. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the pre-conditioned solute remains in a super-cooled state after the step of super-cooling, such that the pre-conditioned solute exhibits no spike in temperature upon subsequently being cooled from room temperature to between about 23 C. and 26 C.
6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of super-cooling includes super-cooling the solute from room temperature to between about 23 C. and 26 C.
7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of super-cooling includes cooling the solute at an average rate of between about 6.5 C. and 8.5 C. per minute.
8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of super-cooling includes cooling the solute, for at least a portion of time, at an average rate of at least about 17 C. per minute.
9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the pre-conditioned solute includes propylene glycol.
10. The method as in claim 9, wherein the pre-conditioned solute includes:
about 50 per cent water;
about 50 percent propylene glycol; and
about 1 percent surfactant.
11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the pre-conditioned solute includes glycerol.
12. A system comprising:
a tank capable of holding a predetermined amount of liquid;
a circulator capable of circulating said liquid;
a refrigeration system capable of cooling said liquid; and
a pre-conditioned solute having an altered heat absorption rate.
13. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute is a solute having been conditioned by being super-cooled at an average rate of at least about 6.5 C. per minute.
14. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute is a solute having been conditioned by being super-cooled from room temperature to a temperature of less than about 23 C.
15. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute is a solute having been conditioned by being super-cooled from room temperature to between about 23 C. and 26 C.
16. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute is a solute having been conditioned by being super-cooled at an average rate of between about 6.5 C. and 8.5 C. per minute.
17. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute is a solute having been conditioned by being super-cooled, for at least a portion of time, at an average rate of at least about 17 C. per minute.
18. The system as in claim 12, wherein the heat absorption rate of the pre-conditioned solute is about 135 BTU at a temperature of between about 23 C. and 26 C.
19. The system as in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the pre-conditioned solute remains in a super-cooled state, such that the pre-conditioned solute exhibits no spike in temperature upon subsequently being cooled from room temperature to between about 23 C. and 26 C.
20. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute includes propylene glycol.
21. The system as in claim 20, wherein the pre-conditioned solute includes:
about 50 per cent water;
about 50 percent propylene glycol; and
about 1 percent surfactant.
22. The system as in claim 12, wherein said pre-conditioned solute includes glycerol.
23. A heat exchange medium comprising a liquid having an altered heat absorption rate.
24. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein the heat absorption rate of said liquid is altered by a process including super-cooling a liquid with an unaltered heat absorption rate at an average rate of at least about 6.5 C. per minute.
25. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein the heat absorption rate of said liquid is altered by a process including super-cooling a liquid with an unaltered heat absorption rate to a temperature of less than about 23 C.
26. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein the heat absorption rate of said liquid is altered by a process including super-cooling a liquid with an unaltered heat absorption rate from room temperature to between about 23 C. and 26 C.
27. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein the heat absorption rate of said liquid is altered by a process including super-cooling a liquid with an unaltered heat absorption rate at an average rate of between about 6.5 C. and 8.5 C. per minute.
28. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein the heat absorption rate of said liquid is altered by a process including super-cooling a liquid with an unaltered heat absorption rate, for at least a portion of time, at an average rate of at least about 17 C. per minute.
29. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein the altered heat absorption rate of the liquid is about 135 BTU at a temperature of between about 23 C. and 26 C.
30. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein at least a portion of said liquid remains in a super-cooled state, such that said liquid exhibits no spike in temperature upon subsequently being cooled from room temperature to between about 23 C. and 26 C.
31. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein said liquid includes propylene glycol.
32. The heat exchange medium as in claim 31, wherein said liquid includes:
about 50 per cent water;
about 50 percent propylene glycol; and
about 1 percent surfactant.
33. The heat exchange medium as in claim 23, wherein said liquid includes glycerol.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser diode having a resonator with a first distributed Bragg reflector, an active zone which has a p-n junction and is embedded into a sequence of semiconductor layers, and a second distributed Bragg reflector, the semiconductor laser diode having an emission wavelength \u03bb, characterized by
a periodic structure arranged within the resonator as an optical grating made of a semiconductive material and a dielectric material;
a main plane of extension of the periodic structure being arranged substantially perpendicularly to a direction of emission of the semiconductor laser diode; and
the periodic structure being in direct contact with at least one of the semiconductor layers and with at least one of the distributed Bragg reflectors, and wherein
the periodic structure is made of at least one material of the semiconductor layers and at least one material of the two distributed Bragg reflectors,
the period of the periodic structure is at most \u03bbn, n being a function of the index of refraction of the semiconductive material andor the index of refraction of the dielectric material, and
n is the higher of the two indices of refraction.
2. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1, wherein the period of the periodic structure is at most \u03bb2n.
3. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 2, wherein the periodic structure is embodied as a subwavelength grating.
4. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1, wherein the periodic structure directly adjoins the second distributed Bragg reflector.
5. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 4, wherein a material of the periodic structure is the same as a material of an adjoining layer of the second distributed Bragg reflector.
6. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 5, wherein the second distributed Bragg reflector is an alternating layer system consisting of at least two materials having different indices of refraction.
7. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 5, wherein a dielectric material of the periodic structure is the same as a material of an adjoining layer of the second distributed Bragg reflector.
8. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1, wherein the resonator further comprises a tunnel contact layer on a p side of the active zone.
9. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 8, wherein a dimension of a projection of the periodic structure onto the tunnel contact layer corresponds at least to a dimension of an aperture of the tunnel contact layer.
10. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 9, wherein the tunnel contact layer adjoins an n-doped semiconductor layer.
11. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 8, wherein an area of a projection of the periodic structure onto the tunnel contact layer corresponds at least to an area of an aperture of the tunnel contact layer.
12. A vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser diode having a resonator with a first distributed Bragg reflector, an active zone which has a p-n junction and is embedded into a sequence of semiconductor layers, and a second distributed Bragg reflector, the semiconductor laser diode having an emission wavelength \u03bb, characterized by
a periodic structure arranged within the resonator as an optical grating made of a semiconductive material and a dielectric material;
a main plane of extension of the periodic structure being arranged substantially perpendicularly to a direction of emission of the semiconductor laser diode; and
the periodic structure being in direct contact with at least one of the semiconductor layers and with at least one of the distributed Bragg reflectors, and wherein
the resonator further comprises a tunnel contact layer on a p side of the active zone,
a dimension of a projection of the periodic structure onto the tunnel contact layer corresponds at least to a dimension of an aperture of the tunnel contact layer,
the tunnel contact layer adjoins an n-doped semiconductor layer, and
the periodic structure directly adjoins the n-doped semiconductor layer.
13. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductive material of the periodic structure is the same as a material of the n-doped semiconductor layer.
14. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 12, wherein the periodic structure is made of at least one material of the semiconductor layers and at least one material of one of the two distributed Bragg reflectors.
15. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 14, wherein a period of the periodic structure is less than or equal to \u03bb.
16. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 14, wherein a period of the periodic structure is less than or equal to \u03bb2.
17. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 14, wherein the period of the periodic structure is at most \u03bbn, n being a function of the index of refraction of the semiconductive material andor the index of refraction of the dielectric material.
18. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 17, wherein n is the higher of the two indices of refraction.
19. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 17, wherein the period of the periodic structure is at most \u03bb2n.
20. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 19, wherein the periodic structure is embodied as a subwavelength grating.
21. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 12, wherein the periodic structure directly adjoins the second distributed Bragg reflector.
22. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 21, wherein a material of the periodic structure is the same as a material of an adjoining layer of the second distributed Bragg reflector.
23. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 22, wherein the second distributed Bragg reflector is an alternating layer system consisting of at least two materials having different indices of refraction.
24. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 22, wherein the dielectric material of the periodic structure is the same as a material of an adjoining layer of the second distributed Bragg reflector.
25. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductive material of the periodic structure is the same as a material of the n-doped semiconductor layer.