Abstract: Color measuring systems and methods are disclosed. Perimeter receiver fiber optics are spaced apart from a central source fiber optic and receive light reflected from the surface of the object being measured. Light from the perimeter fiber optics pass to a variety of filters. The system utilizes the perimeter receiver fiber optics to determine information regarding the height and angle of the probe with respect to the object being measured. Under processor control, the color measurement may be made at a predetermined height and angle. Various color spectral photometer arrangements are disclosed. Translucency, fluorescence and/or surface texture data also may be obtained. Audio feedback may be provided to guide operator use of the system. The probe may have a removable or shielded tip for contamination prevention.

Abstract: A spectrometer has a motor, a reduction means for employing a wave gear device to reduce the rotation of the motor, a wavelength dispersion device for being driven by rotation that was reduced by the reduction means, and a control means for controlling the operation of the motor. When changing the wavelength of light that is extracted from the spectrometer, the control means controls the motor so that an input shaft of the wave gear device is rotated by 180° or more before the input shaft is positioned at an angular position that corresponds to the target wavelength.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of systems and methods can be provided which can generate data associated with at least one portion of a sample. For example, at least one first radiation can be forwarded to the portion through at least one optical arrangement. At least one second radiation can be received from the portion which is based on the first radiation. Based on an interaction between the optical arrangement and the first radiation and/or the second radiation, the optical arrangement can have a first transfer function. Further, it is possible to forward at least one third radiation to the portion through such optical arrangement (or through another optical arrangement), and receive at least one fourth radiation from the portion which is based on the third radiation. Based on an interaction between the optical arrangement (or the other optical arrangement) and the third radiation and/or the fourth radiation, the optical arrangement (or the other optical arrangement) can have a second transfer function.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing optical spectroscopy using a self-calibrating fiber optic probe are disclosed. One self-calibrating fiber optic probe includes a sensing channel for transmitting illumination light to a specimen and for collecting spectral data of the specimen. The spectral data includes the illumination light diffusely reflected from the specimen at one or more wavelengths. The self-calibrating fiber optic probe may also include a calibration channel for transmitting calibration light. The calibration light and the illumination light are generated simultaneously from a common light source. The calibration channel collects calibration spectral data associated with the calibration light contemporaneously with the collection of the spectral data of the specimen.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of verifying a scan speed in a laser scanning system. The method includes modulating the laser of the system to form a periodically modulated feature from which the actual scan speed can be read or deduced.

Abstract: An OCT apparatus that photographs with a plurality of measuring beams concurrently, has a mechanism for adjusting the optical path length of a reference beam for each measuring beam. Accordingly, when tomographic images photographed in this manner are displayed side by side, because the depth of photographing varies from one tomographic image to another, it is difficult for an operator to comprehend the positional relation between the photographed images. In displaying tomographic images acquired with a plurality of measuring beams, the display position of each tomographic image is adjusted based on the changed optical path length of a reference beam of the measuring beam used for the image. The tomographic images are thus aligned in height and are presented in a manner that is easy for the operator to comprehend the positional relation between the photographed images.

Abstract: A method and device for remotely monitoring an area using a low peak power optical pump comprising one or more pumping sources, one or more lasers; and an optical response analyzer. Each pumping source creates a pumping energy. The lasers each comprise a high reflectivity mirror, a laser media, an output coupler, and an output lens. Each laser media is made of a material that emits a lasing power when exposed to pumping energy. Each laser media is optically connected to and positioned between a corresponding high reflectivity mirror and output coupler along a pumping axis. Each output coupler is optically connected to a corresponding output lens along the pumping axis. The high reflectivity mirror of each laser is optically connected to an optical pumping source from the one or more optical pumping sources via an optical connection comprising one or more first optical fibers.

Abstract: An optical device includes a telecentric optical system, a variable wavelength interference filter, and a detection section, the variable wavelength interference filter includes a first reflecting film, a second reflecting film provided to a movable section, and an electrostatic actuator adapted to displace the movable section, an effective measurement area capable of transmitting a light with a wavelength, which is within a predetermined allowable range centered on a measurement center wavelength when an amount of the displacement of the movable section takes a maximum displacement value, is set in the first reflecting film and the second reflecting film, and the telecentric optical system guides the incident light to the variable wavelength interference filter so that a principal ray of the incident light is parallel thereto and perpendicular to the first reflecting film, and at the same time, collects the incident light in the effective measurement area.

Abstract: A spectroscopic detector includes a spectroscopic element for dispersing light, a photodetector for detecting the light dispersed by the spectroscopic element and a condensing optical system for condensing the dispersed light to the photodetector and compensating for a deviation in a detected wavelength deriving from nonlinearity of the angle of emergence generated in the spectroscopic element through chromatic aberration of magnification.

Abstract: A method for measuring propagation loss in a plane light guide plate, which includes the following steps of making an input light generated by an input light generator pass through an optical coupler, an optical reflection device individually or pass through the optical coupler first and then the optical reflection device, and finally propagate toward an optical measurement device to obtain at least one optical parameter according to the optical coupler, the optical reflection device or the combination thereof; and making the input light pass through the optical coupler and then the plane light guide plate, and further pass through the plane light guide plate from one side thereof toward the optical reflection device in order to reflect the input light toward the optical measurement device, so as to obtain a propagation loss of the plane light guide plate according to the at least one optical parameter.

Abstract: A spectrophotometer 10 includes built-in detector 24 and external detector 32. When a mountable/removable optical path switcher 23a is installed in a specimen chamber 23, measurement based on detection signals from built-in detector 24 is replaced by measurement based on detection signals from external detector 32. The spectrophotometer further includes a measurement data threshold-value storage unit 51 that stores threshold value T for measurement data from built-in detector 24 or external detector 32, and a light-receiving detector recognition unit 52 that recognizes which detector is able to receive the measuring light beam based on the results of a comparison between threshold value T and measurement data from built-in detector 24 or external detector 32 while the measuring light beam is being introduced into specimen chamber 23.

Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) incorporates a tunable multimode interference (MMI) coupler comprising a tunable MMI coupler with a tuning electrode on a surface of a tunable MMI region and an electrically insulating region provided within the tunable MMI region. The MMI region is tunable in response to detection of a photocurrent by a photodetector section. Such a tunable MZI is particularly advantageous in enabling a split ratio of an optical splitter, the split ratio and the splitter to be controlled in a particularly efficient manner.

Abstract: An interferometry method and associated system and computerized media for testing samples under test including those with high aberrations, comprising: situating a sample under test between a tilt mirror and a reference mirror, the tilt mirror tiltable with at least one degree of freedom about at least one tilt mirror axis, and further translatable along an axial line defined by a direction of propagation of a test wavefront from a source thereof; propagating the test wavefront toward the tilt mirror; after the test wavefront has been reflected by the tilt mirror, further propagating the test wavefront toward a reference mirror; and deriving a substantially complete first-tilt-alignment wavefront metrology of the sample under test from a plurality of first-tilt-alignment interferograms taken with the tilt mirror held fixed at a first predetermined tilt mirror angle while discreetly varying a displacement between the sample under test and the reference mirror.

Abstract: Disclosed are a spectroscopic optical system and a spectrometer both enabling vertical illumination by means of an optical system using only refractive lenses and enabling wide-band color correction in the DUV-UV (190 to 400 nm) range. The spectroscopic optical system and spectrometer each comprise a light source (100), a folding mirror (110), a field stop (120), an object-side focusing lens system (130) for focusing light onto a sample, an image-side focusing lens (140) disposed on the image forming plane of the object-side focusing lens system, and a spectroscope (150) for dispersing regularly reflected light from the sample. The object-side focusing lens system (130) and the image-side focusing lens system (140) are each a spectroscopic optical system corrected with respect to color in a broad band of wavelength from 190 to 400 nm and configured from only refractive lenses enabling vertical illumination.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a device which detects matter suspended in air, represented by, for example, ice crystals, volcanic ash, in the forward direction of the flight of an aircraft. A method of detecting matter suspended in air of this invention is characterized in that, in airborne Doppler LIDAR using laser light, components of matter subjected to laser light reflection and scattering are remotely measured on a basis of an angular difference in planes of polarization of transmitted light which is laser light radiated into the atmosphere, and received light scattered by matter suspended in air in a remote region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser receiver for detecting a relative position of a defined zero point of said laser receiver with respect to a reference laser beam. Therefore, the laser receiver comprises a laser light photo sensor having a plurality of photo sensitive elements providing an electrical output when illuminated by said reference laser beam, a circuitry connected to said photo sensor for determination of said relative position and a visible readout for indication of said relative position, in particular for indicating if said zero point is on-grade with respect to said reference laser beam. According to the invention, at least a first laser fan emitter, with a laser light source and at least one fan-generating optical element, is provided for projecting a visible laser line onto a target surface, particularly in order to re-project a sharp marking-line through the vertical center of the reference laser beam.

Abstract: A probe including a fisheye lens is disclosed to measure the velocity distribution of a moving surface along many lines of sight. Laser light, directed to the surface and then reflected back from the surface, is Doppler shifted by the moving surface, collected into fisheye lens, and then directed to detection equipment through optic fibers. The received light is mixed with reference laser light and using photonic Doppler velocimetry, a continuous time record of the surface movement is obtained. An array of single-mode optical fibers provides an optic signal to an index-matching lens and eventually to a fisheye lens. The fiber array flat polished and coupled to the index-matching lens using index-matching gel. Numerous fibers in a fiber array project numerous rays through the fisheye lens which in turn project many measurement points at numerous different locations to establish surface coverage over a hemispherical shape with very little crosstalk.

Abstract: A method is provided for remotely measuring index of refraction fluctuations. From a first location, an optical beam is focused at a focal plane located at a second location in a medium of interest. As a result, a beam of energy is backscattered towards the first location. At the first location, a size of the backscattered beam is determined where the size is indicative of strength of fluctuations in the medium's index of refraction.

Abstract: For transferring optical energy, a first multimode wave guide transmits radiant energy with a homogenized beam to a first plurality of optical sensors of an array of optical sensors. The array measures the homogenized radiant energy. Each optical sensor of the first plurality of optical sensors measures a pixelized portion of the homogenized radiant energy. A method and system also perform the functions of the apparatus.

Abstract: A method of absorption spectroscopy to determine a rapidly variable gas parameter. The method includes transmitting light from a synchronization light source to a synchronization detector. The transmitted light is periodically interrupted by a moving mechanical part between the synchronization light source and synchronization detector. The output from the synchronization detector is used to generate a repeating time signal having variable phase delay. This signal is used to control the timing of laser spectroscopy wavelength scans. Multiple spectroscopic scans may be repeated at multiple selected time signal phase delay and the results averaged for each phase. Apparatus for implementing the above methods are also disclosed.