Abstract: A sensor arrangement for light sensing and temperature sensing comprises a first sensor input (1) for connecting a temperature sensor (11) and a second sensor input (2) for connecting a light sensor (21), in particular an ambient light sensor. A sensor switch (S3) electrically connects either the first or the second sensor input (1, 2) to an integration input (41) of an integrating analog-to-digital converter (4). A reference circuit (5) connects to the integration input (41) via a first switch (S2). A first reference input (42) of the integrating analog-to-digital converter (4) is to be connected with a first reference potential (Vb1). A counter (6) connects to an integration output (43) of the integrating analog-to-digital converter (4). And a controller unit (6) connects to the counter (6) and is designed to control the first switch (S2) depending on an integrated sensor signal (Vout) integrated by the integrating analog-to-digital converter (4).

Abstract: An airborne, gas, or liquid particle sensor with a pulse discriminator. The pulse discriminator provides greater qualification of signals associated with detected particulate signals.

Abstract: An airborne, gas, or liquid particle sensor with an on-board data acquisition system that can be used to capture detailed particle pulse information. The information can be used both for on-board analysis and reporting as well as off-line analysis and reporting.

Abstract: A personal air quality monitoring system worn or carried by a user. Such system can be used to monitor the local air quality and alert a user should air quality deteriorate below some acceptable desired or configurable threshold.

Abstract: A gas detector including a planar mirror; a concave spherical mirror facing the planar mirror, having an optical axis orthogonal to the planar mirror, the distance between the planar and spherical being equal to 0.75 times the radius of curvature of the spherical mirror, to within 10%; a radiation emitter/receiver arranged at the point of intersection of the spherical mirror and of the optical axis; and a radiation receiver/emitter arranged at the point of intersection of the planar mirror and of the optical axis.

Abstract: A method for authenticating an object, comprising determining a physical dispersion pattern of a set of elements, determining a physical characteristic of the set of elements which is distinct from a physical characteristic producible by a transfer printing technology, determining a digital code associated with the object defining the physical dispersion pattern, and authenticating the object by verifying a correspondence of the digital code with the physical dispersion pattern, and verifying the physical characteristic.

Abstract: A hatching egg inspection apparatus includes a loader unit, an inspection unit for determining the viability or the like as to whether a hatching egg is an unfertilized egg or a growth-stopping egg, a rejection unit for rejecting a hatching egg determined to be an unfertilized egg or the like, and an unloader unit for sending a hatching egg toward the next step. The inspection unit is provided with a light emitting unit for emitting prescribed light toward the hatching egg, a cap attachment unit through which the light having been emitted to the hatching egg and having transmitted through the hatching egg passes, and a light receiving unit for receiving the light that has passed through the cap attachment unit. The cap attachment unit includes a cylindrical cap coming into contact with the hatching egg, and a plate to which the cap is attached.

Abstract: An interferometer includes a light source, beam splitter, measuring reflector, reference retroreflector, detector system, and two transparent plane plates. The beam splitter splits a first beam of rays, emitted by the light source, into at least one measuring beam and at least one reference beam, defining a first splitting plane. The measuring beam propagates in a measuring arm and the reference beam propagates in a reference arm until being recombined at a recombining location, which is oriented parallel to the first splitting plane. The measuring reflector is disposed in the measuring arm, and the reference retroreflector is disposed in the reference arm. The first and second transparent plane plates are disposed parallel to each other in the beam path between the light source and the detector system. The reference retroreflector is formed in the first plane plate and the beam splitter is disposed on the second plane plate.

Abstract: An ammonia sensor can include a laser detector configured to provide stable sample readings. The sensor can implement a method including processing the recorded intensity of the laser beam to determine a first harmonic component and a second harmonic component and the amount of ammonia in the sample.

Abstract: A method and device for the detection and monitoring of the contamination of an optical component in a device for laser material processing, which emits a process laser beam through or onto the optical component. A measurement beam emitted by a light source is projected under an angle of incidence onto an optical surface of the optical component. The beam reflected from the outer surface of the protective window under the angle of reflection corresponding to the angle of incidence is conducted through an aperture stop onto a first light-sensitive detector so as to record the intensity of the reflected beam. The intensity of the scattered radiation, scattered diffusely from the optical surface of the component under a scattering angle, is recorded by a second light-sensitive detector. The degree of the contamination of the component is determined from the recorded intensities of the reflected beam and the scattered radiation.

Abstract: A profile measuring instrument includes: a fixed member of which position relative to a workpiece having a surface to be profile-measured is fixed; a scanning member supported by the fixed member and movable in a scan direction along the surface of the workpiece relative to the fixed member; a laser interferometer that detects a displacement of the surface of the workpiece along the scan direction. The laser interferometer includes: a polarizing beamsplitter provided to the scanning member; a reference mirror fixed to the fixed member; a measurement optical path extending from the polarizing beamsplitter to the workpiece; and a reference optical path extending from the polarizing beamsplitter to the reference mirror. A difference between an optical path length of the measurement optical path and an optical path length of the reference optical path is a predetermined tolerable error or less.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography device (OCT) is capable of controlling a distance between an eye to be examined (object) and the OCT and accurately center-aligning the eye. A mire ring optical system emits a measuring mire ring light to an object to be examined. A dichroic mirror separates an optical path of illumination light reflected from the object from the optical path of the signal light originating from the tomographic image formation section and delivers a reflected image to an image formation section and a tomographic image formation section. An objective lens condenses light reflected from the object, and a controller calculates movement distance of the OCT from the difference between a position of the image of the mire ring light and a position of an optical axis of the OCT The OCT is then moved according to the calculated movement.

Abstract: There is disclosed a distributed optical fiber sensor arranged to deliver probe light pulses of different wavelengths into corresponding different sensing optical fibers, and to determine one or more parameters as functions of position along each of the sensing fibers from detected backscattered light of each corresponding wavelength. In another arrangement, the different wavelengths are directed in different corresponding directions around a loop of sensing optical fiber.

Abstract: A light hood for a fiber identifier tool that includes a head portion having interior photo detectors, a slot for receiving an optical fiber to be tested, and a clamp mechanism for urging the fiber to bend in the vicinity of the photo detectors when the mechanism is operated. The hood has a generally T-shaped body that defines a lower hood portion arranged to engage the clamp mechanism and operate the mechanism when the lower hood portion is pulled downward by a user. An upper hood portion of the body is configured so that when the lower hood portion is engaged with the clamp mechanism and pulled downward, the upper hood portion descends to cover the head portion of the tool including the slot. Outside light is then blocked from entering the slot and reaching the photo detectors whenever a fiber is tested by the tool, thus preventing false indications.

Abstract: A mixerless high frequency interferometric Doppler radar system and methods has been invented, numerically validated and experimentally tested. A continuous wave source, phase modulator (e.g., a continuously oscillating reference mirror) and intensity detector are utilized. The intensity detector measures the intensity of the combined reflected Doppler signal and the modulated reference beam. Rigorous mathematics formulas have been developed to extract bot amplitude and phase from the measured intensity signal. Software in Matlab has been developed and used to extract such amplitude and phase information from the experimental data. Both amplitude and phase are calculated and the Doppler frequency signature of the object is determined.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for identifying defects in saturable absorbers, such as graphene, by the saturable property of decreasing light absorbance with increasing light intensity. For example, a graphene coated substrate may be imaged twice under two distinct incident intensities. At a gap in the graphene, the substrate may reflect light proportional to the incident intensities. The graphene may show a non-linear increase in reflected light as the intensity of illumination increases. A difference between the two incident intensities may reveal the gap in the graphene. Any suitable imaging technique may be employed such as confocal microscopy or linear scanning. The imaging may be scaled up for high volume automated inspection.

Abstract: A method and system to measure misalignment error between two overlying or interlaced periodic structures are proposed. The overlying or interlaced periodic structures are illuminated by incident radiation, and the diffracted radiation of the incident radiation by the overlying or interlaced periodic structures are detected to provide an output signal. The misalignment between the overlying or interlaced periodic structures may then be determined from the output signal.

Abstract: A method for determining roughness data and/or topography data of surfaces in material microscopy, particularly from flat samples, based on a shearing polarization interferometrical sequence with a microscopic “TIC” module (“Total Interference Contrast Module”) of a microscope, wherein the method can be carried out both polychromatically and monochromatically. At least two tilted wave fronts are generated, which after reflection or transmission on a sample generate two images of said sample in the form of fringe patterns, said images being offset relative to one another and interfering with one another, from which roughness values and height topographies of the surface of the sample are determined by application of image evaluation.

Abstract: A system includes a wavelength tunable laser to provide a first optical pulse of a first wavelength and a second optical pulse of a second wavelength to an optical fiber, a reflection detector to determine a first fiber attenuation curve from the first reflected pulse and a second fiber attenuation curve from the second reflected pulse, and a discontinuous loss event analyzer to identify a discontinuous loss event at a discontinuous loss point in at least one of the first fiber attenuation curve and the second first fiber attenuation curve, determine a return loss slope based on a return loss at the discontinuous loss point for the first fiber attenuation curve and a return loss at the discontinuous loss point for the second first fiber attenuation curve, and determine whether the discontinuous loss event is a bad fiber bending event based on the return loss slope.

Abstract: A sensor device (340) for determining a flow characteristic of an object (341) being movable in an element (342) comprises a light emitting unit (344) configured for emitting light towards the element (342) and a light detecting unit (344) configured for detecting light scattered back from the element (342). The sensor device (340) comprises an optical unit (346) configured for spatially separating a light incidence element portion (348) of the element (342) and a light detection element portion (350) of the element (342) from one another, wherein the light incidence element portion (348) is associated with the emitted light inciding on the element (342) and the light detection element portion (350) is associated with the back-scattered light scattered back from the element (342) for detection.