Abstract: The invention relates to a multivariate calibration which can be used when the optical system used for that method does not comprise a multi-channel detector such as a CCD sensor or a line array of photodiodes. An optical system without a multi-channel detector doesn't allow to carry out preprocessing steps. Thus there is the need to carry out these preprocessing steps in another way. It is suggested to partially replace the preprocessing step by a measurement of the optical signal, whereby the measurement comprises transmitting or reflecting the optical signal by an optical element, thereby weighing the optical signal by a spectral weighing function. The advantage of the invention is to teach how such an optical system without a bulky and expensive CCD sensor can be used to carry out a multivariate calibration and preprocessing steps.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an evanescent field induced optical sensor of a transparent polymer substrate coated with a thin transparent polymer waveguide for use as biosensor for detecting biological molecules, wherein the transparent polymer waveguide has a thickness of ?0.10 ?m and ?0.50 ?m and a refractive index nD of 1.39 to 1.79, said transparent polymer waveguide has a coupling grating recess structure for enhancing the coupling of the light wave into said transparent polymer waveguide, the lower surface of said transparent polymer waveguide contacts the transparent polymer substrate, said transparent polymer substrate has a refractive index n of 1.29 to 1.69, wherein the material of said transparent polymer waveguide and said transparent polymer substrate is selected such that the difference of the refractive index ?nD of said transparent polymer waveguide and said transparent polymer substrate is at least ? n 0.

Abstract: For optical data storage applications, for example, for holographic storage applications, a radiation beam (12) with a flat intensity profile is needed. The radiation source device (1) of the invention comprises a beam shaper element (5) and a collimating element (7) between a semiconductor laser (3) and an output coupler (9) and provides such a radiation beam (12) with an increased efficiency. An external resonator is thereby provided. Further, a relatively fast tuning of the wavelength of the output radiation beam (12) can be provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device (1) for imaging an interior of a turbid medium (55). A turbid medium (55) inside a measurement volume (15) is irradiated from a plurality of source positions (25a) with light from a light source (5), and light emanating from the measurement volume (15) is detected from a plurality of detection positions (25b). An image of the interior of the turbid medium (55) is reconstructed from the detected light. In both the method and the device (1), detector signals can be amplified for each source position-detection position pair by a multi-gain amplification unit comprising an amplifier circuit (60). The amplification factor is selected from a number of possible amplification factors based on detected signal strength in the prior art. According to the invention, however, the method and device are adapted such that the amplification factor is selected for at least one source position-detection position pair on the basis of an estimate of expected electrical signal strength.

Abstract: An optical scanning device for scanning an optical record carrier. The optical scanning device includes: a radiation source system (661; 761); an optical element (1; 101; 201; 301) comprising a first fluid (A) and a second fluid (B; C) separated from each other by a fluid meniscus (16; 116, 138; 216; 316) having an adjustable configuration; and a control system (20; 120; 220; 320) arranged to adjust the fluid meniscus configuration to introduce a first type of wavefront modification. The first type of wavefront modification causes the radiation beam to be redirected from an input radiation beam path (2; 102; 244; 348) onto one of a plurality of output radiation beam paths (24, 26; 140; 246; 350) which each have a different angular displacement (?, ?, ?, ?, ?) from the input radiation beam path. The control system is further arranged to adjust the fluid meniscus configuration to introduce a second type of wavefront modification.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an evanescent field induced optical sensor of a transparent polymer substrate coated with a thin transparent polymer waveguide for use as biosensor for detecting biological molecules, wherein the transparent polymer waveguide has a thickness of ?0.10 ?m and ?0.50 ?m and a refractive index nD of 1.39 to 1.79, said transparent polymer waveguide has a coupling grating recess structure for enhancing the coupling of the light wave into said transparent polymer waveguide, the lower surface of said transparent polymer waveguide contacts the transparent polymer substrate, said transparent polymer substrate has a refractive index n of 1.29 to 1.69, wherein the material of said transparent polymer waveguide and said transparent poly-mer substrate is selected such that the difference of the refractive index ?nD of said transparent polymer waveguide and said transparent polymer substrate is at least ? n 0.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spectroscopic apparatus, a method and a computer program product for determining the concentration of an analyte of a fluid that flows through a capillary vessel of a biological sample. The spectroscopic apparatus makes use of an imaging system for determining the position of at least one biosensing substrate that has been implanted into the biological sample in the proximity of the capillary vessel but outside the capillary vessel. The biosensing substrate is capable of inducing surface-enhanced spectroscopic effects and is preferably adapted to reversibly and selectively bind a certain analyte or molecule of the fluid, to which the vessel wall of the capillary vessel is at least semi-permeable.

Abstract: An optical device comprises a light source (301) for generating a radiation beam, a reflective diffractive structure (304) for reflecting and diffracting said radiation beam along an optical path (PP), imaging means (305) for imaging the radiation beam after it has been reflected and diffracted by said reflective diffractive structure, and a holographic beam splitter (303) between said reflective diffractive structure and said imaging means along said optical path. Such an optical device can be used for recording data into a holographic medium.

Abstract: A display device is provided in which the electro-optical effect is created through bending of bendable elements, particularly nanowires or nanotubes. Arrays of bendable elements are provided in areas of the display with the light path. This is possible in that the bendable elements are transparent in the case where they are oriented substantially perpendicular to the substrate, but will absorb light if bent at an angle. Hereto, it is of importance that polarized light is used. The bendable elements are preferably separated from the electrodes through a layer of dielectric material, and are bent under the influence of an electric or magnetic field.

Abstract: In the described method of producing a plurality of bodies bearing equal imprints of a stamp as optical structures, a stamp (13) is initially produced, by attaching particles (14) to a surface (15) of an auxiliary body (16); than, the stamp (13) is used to produce an imprint (11) on a plurality of bodies (10). Optical structures can be irradiated, producing on a screen a speckle pattern indicative of a key. It is substantially impossible to clone a given optical structure with current technological means. Optical structures represent physical One-Way Functions, easy to compute in the forward sense but unfeasible to reverse. Thus, they can be used to build an access/copy protection system of user information contained in an information carrier associated with the body 10. The reproducibility of the optical structures makes this method suitable for optical disks.

Abstract: A programmable optical component (10) for spatially controlling the intensity of a beam of radiation (b), which component comprises a programmable layer which is divided in programmable elements (4,6,8), characterized in that each programmable element comprises bendable nano-elements (8) which are switchable between a non-bend state (8) and a bend state (8?) by means of a driver field. In their bend state the nano-elements absorb radiation. The programmable element may be a switchable diffraction grating or a programmable mask.

Abstract: An optical diffraction element (1) comprises a diffraction layer (4) which is divided into diffraction strips (6) alternating with intermediate strips (8). The diffraction strips comprise nano-elements (10) which are aligned in one direction and absorb radiation (b) which is linearly polarized in this direction. The diffraction element may be a linear or two-dimensional grating (1) or a Fresnel lens (160). The polarization-sensitive grating can be used in optical systems in which only radiation with a specific polarization direction should be diffracted, or in an optical record carrier to allow reading of an information structure with high spatial frequencies.

Abstract: The range of spatial frequencies of the information areas in an optical record carrier (130) that can be read by conventional means can be increased substantially by providing the information layer (1134) with a birefringent diffraction grating (136) and using a read beam (b) that comprises two mutually perpendicular polarised components (b1, b2) only one of which will be diffracted by the grating.

Abstract: This apparatus having an optical head (15—FIG. 1)) for reading data stored in an optical carrier (1) comprises: a light source constituted by a first laser (50) or master laser for illuminating said carrier, an optical mounting (58) for directing the reflected light from said carrier to a detection branch (65) in which a non-linear optical element (80) is placed. This non-linear optical element (80) improves the signal to noise ratio by its non-linear characteristic before detection by the usual detector (75). The invention can be used for DVD players and/or recorders.

Abstract: Radiation-emitting semiconductor device and method of manufacturing such a device. The invention relates to a radiation-emitting semiconductor device (10) comprising a silicon-containing semiconductor body (1) and a substrate (2), which semiconductor body (1) comprises a lateral semiconductor diode positioned on an insulating layer (7) which separates the diode from the substrate (2).

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography system comprises an optical source (1) has an emission wavelength in the range of 1.6(m to 2.0(m, in particular having an infrared emission predominantly at a wavelength of 1.8(m associated with a transition between an upper energy level and a lower energy level and the optical source comprises an excitation system which generates stimulated emission from a pump level to the upper energy level. Preferably, the optical source includes a Tm-doped fibre (6) in an optical cavity (1,8).

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus equipped with an improved alignment system, is presented herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a radiation system for providing a projection beam of radiation, a support structure for supporting a patterning device that configures the projection beam according to a desired pattern, a substrate holder for holding a substrate, projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and an alignment system. The alignment system comprises a radiation source for illuminating at least one mark which is usable for alignment on a substrate and an imaging system for imaging light which has interacted with the at least one mark to generate alignment information.