Abstract: optical module for use in a motion responsive system includes a support and a proof mass mechanically coupled and displaceable relative to the support along at least one sensing axis in response to a motion experienced by the support. The module also includes an optical monitoring assembly for monitoring the proof mass with an optical beam impinging on the proof mass, the beam including a plurality of dedicated spectral components. The module further includes an optical spectral filter including a plurality of filtering regions, each being associated with a corresponding dedicated spectral component and having a spectral profile including a distinct dedicated filtering band encompassing the spectral component, such that a displacement of the proof mass along the at least one sensing axis produces, after filtering of the beam, a change in optical power of the spectral components indicative of the motion experienced by the support.

Abstract: An optical system for sensing an environmental parameter, comprising: an optical pulse generator for generating an excitation pulse; a pulse splitter for splitting the excitation pulse into a sensing pulse and a reference pulse; a sensing arm for receiving the sensing pulse, the sensing arm comprising an emission sensor for sensing the environmental parameter, the optical emission sensor generating a first measurement pulse having a measurement wavelength; a reference arm for receiving the reference pulse, the reference arm comprising an emission artifact adapted to convert the reference pulse into a second measurement pulse having the measurement wavelength; a time delay line for delaying a relative propagation of the measurement pulses; a light detector for measuring an optical energy of the first and second measurement pulses; and an optical link for optically connecting the pulse generator to the pulse splitter, and the sensing and reference arms to the light detector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optical detection of residual soil on articles (such as medical instruments and equipment), after completion of a washing or a rinsing operation by a washer. A soil detection system provides an indication of soil on the articles by detecting luminescent radiation emanating from the soil in the presence of ambient light.

Abstract: A method for operating a LED lighting system at a target output color is provided. The LED system includes a color sensor and three or more LED emitters each operable at a controllable emitter drive setting. The method provides at least one calibration matrix defining a relationship between measurements obtained from the color sensor, represented by sensor color point coordinates, and absolute color point coordinates in an absolute color space. In some embodiments, a calibration matrix defining a non-linear relationship between the two color spaces is provided. In other embodiments, individual calibration matrices are provided for each LED emitter.

Abstract: A voltage sensor for obtaining a light signal representative of an AC voltage in a live electrical wire having a surrounding electrical field, comprising: a conducting device adapted to be placed in the surrounding electrical field and in galvanic isolation to the live electrical wire for causing a movement of charges and extracting a current from the movement of charges; a micro-light source for emitting a light signal, the micro-light source being operatively connected to the conducting device for receiving the extracted current and being directly powered by the extracted current, an intensity of the light signal being related to a value of the AC voltage in the electrical wire; a light guide, operatively coupled to the micro-light source, for receiving and propagating the light signal over a distance.

Abstract: There is provided a System and method of wavefront compensation in a synthetic aperture imaging system. A return signal data representative of a signal reflected by a target area to be imaged is received. A compensation phase figure corresponding to a wavefront compensation to be applied is provided. The compensation phase figure is added or otherwise applied to the phase pattern of the return signal data in order to obtain a compensated phase pattern. An optical beam is spatially modulated according to the compensated phase pattern to produce a modulated optical beam such that the compensation phase figure produces a wavefront compensation on the optical beam. An image of the target area is optically generated using the modulated optical beam.

Abstract: An uncooled microbolometer detector that includes a substrate, a platform held above the substrate by a support structure, at least one thermistor provided on the platform, and an optical absorber. The optical absorber includes at least one electrically conductive layer extending on the platform over and in thermal contact with the at least one thermistor and patterned to form a resonant structure defining an absorption spectrum of the uncooled microbolometer detector. The optical absorber is exposed to electromagnetic radiation and absorbs the electromagnetic radiation according to the absorption spectrum. A microbolometer array including a plurality of uncooled microbolometer detectors arranged in a two-dimensional array is also provided. Advantageously, these embodiments allow extending the absorption spectrum of conventional infrared uncooled microbolometer detectors to the terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Abstract: Auto-centering is for an optical element mounted in a cavity of the barrel. A first surface of the optical element engages a seat provided in the cavity. A retaining ring is threaded on the barrel, through complementary barrel and ring threads. The retaining ring engages a peripheral region of a second surface of the optical element, thereby securing the optical element between the seat and the retaining ring. The profile of the barrel threads and the spatial profile of the peripheral region of the second surface are selected in view of an auto-centering condition whereby any decentering of the retaining ring and a corresponding tilt of the retaining ring have counterbalancing effects on the centering of the optical element. Optical assemblies and a mounting method are used with the optical element.

Abstract: An optical system for sensing an environmental parameter, comprising: a pulse generator for generating a first pulse having a first wavelength and a second pulse having a second wavelength; a pulse splitter for splitting each one of the first and second pulse into a sensing pulse and a reference pulse; a sensing arm for receiving the sensing pulses therefrom and comprising a spectro-ratiometric sensor; a reference arm for receiving the reference pulses; a time delay line for delaying a relative propagation of the sensing pulses and the reference pulses; a light detector for measuring an optical energy of the sensing pulse and the reference pulse, for the first and second wavelengths; and at least one optical link for optically connecting the pulse generator to the pulse splitter, and the sensing and reference arms to the light detector.

Abstract: A system and method generate laser pulses. Using the modulation signal from a pulse generation module, a seed laser diode generates seed light pulses in response to direct drive current modulation. The seed light pulses have a pulse duration longer than a target pulse duration and a spectral chirp. A compression module has dispersion characteristics over a broad spectral range. The pulse generation module is configured to adapt the modulation signal to tailor the spectral chirp of the seed light pulses in view of the dispersion characteristics of the compression module, such that propagation of the seed light pulses through the compression module compresses the seed pulses into output light pulses having the target pulse duration.

Abstract: An optical fiber for use in a Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) endoscope, comprising a core guiding lightwaves at a pump wavelength and at a Stokes wavelength, the core being single-mode at both wavelengths. The core is surrounded by cladding layers, including an inner cladding layer, a trench cladding layer, an intermediate cladding layer and an outer cladding layer. The refractive index of the trench cladding layer is lower than those of both neighboring cladding layers so as to define a trench in the radial refractive-index profile. The bending losses of the fundamental LP01 mode of the fiber at the Stokes wavelength are limited while maintaining high confinement losses for the higher-order LP11 mode of the fiber at the pump wavelength. The combination of the intermediate and outer cladding layers forms a multimode waveguide for guiding a collected CARS signal generated by an object or medium probed with the endoscope.

Abstract: There is described a method for determining a Doppler centroid in a synthetic aperture imaging system, comprising: receiving raw data representative of electromagnetic signals reflected by a target area; selecting, among the raw data, at least two sets of sub-area data each representative of electromagnetic signals reflected by a corresponding sub-area of the target area, the sub-areas being substantially aligned along an azimuth axis of the target area and having a substantially identical surface area; for each one of the sets of sub-area data, generating an image corresponding to the corresponding sub-area; and measuring a mean intensity of the image; and estimating the Doppler centroid from a skew of an intensity function representing the mean intensity as a function of a look number for the corresponding sub-area.

Abstract: A method for determining a centerline for a triangulation-based optical profilometry system, compensating for the spatial variations of the reflectance of an object's surface. The method comprises providing a luminous line on the object, the luminous line being a triangulation line superposed with a compensation line; capturing an image of the triangulation line and of the compensation line; for each position along the imaged triangulation line, determining a transverse triangulation profile from the imaged triangulation line and a transverse compensation profile from the imaged compensation line; determining a transverse correction profile given by the reciprocal of the transverse compensation profile; multiplying the transverse triangulation profile with the transverse correction profile to obtain a corrected transverse triangulation profile; computing a center of the corrected transverse triangulation profile. The centers determined at positions along the triangulation line form the centerline.

Abstract: Method and system for emitting optical pulses in view of a desired output energy of the optical pulses and a variable external trigger signal, using a laser system having a seed laser oscillator optically coupled to one or more cascaded optical amplification stages. For each amplification stage, a plurality of sets of pump pulse parameters are provided, each associated with specific values of the output energy and the trigger period. Proper pumping parameters associated with the received desired value of the output energy and the trigger period of the received trigger signal are selected for each amplification stage, which is pumped accordingly before a seed optical pulse is launched through the system.

Abstract: A method for operating a LED lighting system has three or more LED emitters of different colors. The method allows finding the optimal drive setting for each LED emitter of the system, taking into account a specific target color. The method involves providing calibration data for each LED emitter at a plurality of values of drive setting and junction temperature, and executing a drive recursion loop calculating the drive setting of each emitter based on an input value for the temperature of each emitter and in view of the target output color and of the calibration data. Advantageously, this can be accomplished without measuring the color emitted by the LED lighting system, that is, no color feedback is required. A LED lighting system implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A fiber optic dosimeter probe for sensing radiation dose including an optical fiber having a free end and a sensitive end, a window having a sensitive side and a rear side; a radiation sensitive layer between the sensitive end of the optical fiber and a sensitive side of the window, the radiation sensitive layer being made of a material having an optical property that changes with absorbed radiation dose, an amount of the material corresponding to a predetermined sensitivity to radiation; wherein the window and the optical fiber have a near water equivalent interaction with radiation and are MR compatible.

Abstract: Described is a method for the culture of microalgae, comprising: providing a consortium of at least two living species of microalgae; culturing under illumination the consortium in a controllable bioreactor and under non-sterile aqueous culture conditions; and controlling the culture conditions for affecting at least one of the following output: (i) flocculation and/or settling of said consortium of microalgae; and (ii) adhesion of the microalgae to surfaces of the bioreactor; wherein said culture conditions are controlled to promote (i) and/or to minimize (ii), without adversely affecting growth of the consortium of microalgae. It is also possible to control the culture conditions for affecting iii) the protein, carbohydrate, and/or fat content of the said microalgae consortium. A system for carrying out the method is also described.

Abstract: A light stripper assembly for dissipating a residual optical pump power carried by a pump light propagating in an optical fiber component is provided. The optical fiber component includes a pump cladding surrounded by an outer cladding, the outer cladding being removed from the optical fiber component along a lengthwise segment thereof. The light stripper assembly includes a pump stripper disposed about the lengthwise segment and a heat-dissipation packaging structure thermally contacting the pump stripper. The pump stripper includes an input guiding region and a stripping region having refractive indices lower and higher than the refractive index at the outermost periphery of the pump cladding, respectively, so that the pump light is at least partially guided inside the pump cladding along the input guiding region and stripped from the pump cladding along the stripping region. The heat-dissipation packaging structure absorbs and dissipates the residual power stripped by the stripping region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multimode optical waveguide comprising a cladding and a core. The core of the multimode optical waveguide has a polygonal cross-section. The core forms a coil spun around the longitudinal axis of the cladding. The multimode optical waveguide may be used to realize a mode scrambler and a mode conditioner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optical detection of residual soil on articles (such as medical instruments and equipment), after completion of a washing or a rinsing operation by a washer. A soil detection system provides an indication of soil on the articles by detecting luminescent radiation emanating from the soil in the presence of ambient light.