Abstract: Reflectometer, spectrophotometer, ellipsometer, and polarimeter systems having a supercontinuum laser source of coherent electromagnetic radiation over a range of about 400-about 2500 nm, a stage for supporting a sample and a detector of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the supercontinuum source provides a coherent beam of electromagnetic radiation which interacts with a sample, and the detector system comprises functional combinations of gratings and/or combination dichroic beam splitter-prisms, which themselves can be optimized as regards wavelength dispersion characteristics, directs wavelengths in various ranges to various detectors that are well suited to detect them.

Abstract: Disclosed are examples of hyperspectral imager-equipped lighting devices that provide general illumination supplied by artificial or natural light, and that also detect environmental conditions in the environment around the lighting device. The hyperspectral imager detects light within a contiguous data from the environment in the vicinity of the lighting device. In response, the hyperspectral imager generates image data representative of the spectral intensity distribution (e.g. intensities of a continuous range wavelengths in the optical spectrum) of the detected light. A controller may analyze the image data generated by the hyperspectral imager and may initiate action based on, or outputs a report indicating, an environmental condition detected by the analysis of the generated image data.

Abstract: An identification method, for determining whether a sample of an unknown composition is a sample of a known composition to which a known amount of a SERS-active taggant compound has been added, includes the steps of: obtaining a sample of the unknown composition; adding to the composition a plurality of SERS particles to form a mixture, each SERS particle including:—a core including a nanoparticle having a plasmonic surface,—a SERS-active internal standard compound adjacent the plasmonic surface and,—a shell, the shell encapsulating the core and the SERS-active internal standard compound; obtaining a SERS spectrum from the mixture; and comparing the SERS response ratio SATC:SAISC from the SERS spectral response of the SERS-active taggant compound and the SERS spectral response of the SERS-active internal standard compound in the unknown composition with the SERS response ratio SATC:SAISC from the known composition.

Abstract: A device. The device includes a substrate a substrate, a first optical waveguide disposed on the substrate and a second optical waveguide disposed on the substrate. The device further includes a coupling element disposed on the substrate, the coupling element configured to couple an optical signal in the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide, and couple an optical signal in the second optical waveguide to the first optical waveguide. A first reflective element is disposed at an end of the first optical waveguide configured to reflect optical signals in the first optical waveguide. A second reflective element disposed at an end of the second optical waveguide configured to reflect signals in the second optical waveguide.

Abstract: A image acquisition device comprises a light source unit, a digital micro mirror, an optical transfer medium, an imaging unit, and a beam splitter, wherein a single focusing pattern light is formed to be focused on a single specific point when the focusing pattern light penetrates the optical transfer medium, and specific points focused by each of the plurality of focusing pattern lights scan the object to be measured such that the object to be measured is imaged. Therefore, when an image is obtained through an optical transfer medium such as an optical fiber, pixelation and aberration can be avoided regardless of the type of optical transfer medium and an image having high resolution can be obtained fast without a separate scanner.

Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing a set of measurement library control parameters for a particular metrology application are presented herein. Measurement signals are collected from one or more metrology targets by a target measurement system. Values of user selected parameters of interest are resolved by fitting a pre-computed measurement library function to the measurement signals for a given set of library control parameters. Values of one or more library control parameters are optimized such that differences between the values of the parameters of interest estimated by the library based measurement and reference values associated with trusted measurements of the parameters of interest are minimized. The optimization of the library control parameter values is performed without recalculating the pre-computed measurement library.

Abstract: A method of determining the concentration of a species in a portion of a furnace atmosphere is described. The method comprises the steps of measuring first, second and third intensities of electromagnetic radiation in the furnace at first, second and third wavelengths respectively. The third wavelength is selected to be representative of absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the species. A fourth intensity of electromagnetic radiation is calculated, being an estimate of the intensity of electromagnetic radiation in the furnace at the third wavelength absent any absorbing species in the furnace atmosphere. The third intensity and the fourth intensities are used to determine a parameter that is proportional to the concentration of absorbing species in the portion of the furnace atmosphere. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting ice crystals and volcanic ash in concentrations capable of causing power loss in aircraft jet engines. These hazard conditions are inferred from the detection of ice crystals or ash in air recently lifted from the lower atmosphere by convective updrafts. The detection systems can comprise subsystems for detecting air recently lifted from the lower troposphere by measuring radon activity along the aircrafts' flight track, as well as subsystems for detecting ice crystals or volcanic ash around the aircraft via multispectral measurements. The detection of ice crystals in air recently lifted from the lower troposphere indicates that the ice crystals are likely present in large concentration. The detection of volcanic ash in air recently lifted from lower atmosphere also indicates that volcanic ash is likely present in high concentration. These are hazards conditions that could cause power loss, jet engine flameout, and even damage jet engines.

Abstract: A method for detecting package tampering comprises performing first scanning of a container comprising a packaged item and a plurality of packaging elements surrounding the packaged item, wherein each of the plurality of packaging elements comprises an identification component, and the first scanning comprises using the identification component of each of the plurality of packaging elements to detect each of the plurality of packaging elements. The method further comprises determining an orientation of each of the plurality of packaging elements in the container from the first scanning, performing second scanning of the container, determining an orientation of each of the plurality of packaging elements in the container from the second scanning, and comparing the orientation of each of the plurality of packaging elements in the container from the first scanning with the orientation of each of the plurality of packaging elements in the container from the second scanning.

Abstract: A light pulse interferometer includes a first atom source and a first laser. The first atom source is configured to direct a first group of atoms in a first direction. The first laser is configured to generate one or more interferometer laser beam pairs. The one or more interferometer laser beam pairs interact with the first group of atoms in an interferometer sequence of three or more pulses to produce atom interference. A first laser beam pair of the one or more interferometer laser beam pairs is disposed to interact with the first group of atoms to perform 1D-cooling and velocity control of the first group of atoms prior to the interferometer sequence.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for aligning swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) spectral interferograms to a reference spectral interferogram based on signal information (e.g., amplitude or phase) at a fixed-pattern noise location to reduce residual fixed-pattern noise and improve the phase stability of SS-OCT systems.

Abstract: A method for estimating an input spectrum from sensor data acquired by an optical sensor assembly, having an aperture, a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and an optical sensor element, the method including: obtaining first calibration data representative of a spectral response function of the optical sensor assembly for a first setting of the aperture; computing second calibration data from the first calibration data, the second calibration data being representative of a spectral response function of the optical sensor assembly for a second setting of the aperture, where the second setting corresponds to a setting applied during the acquiring of the sensor data; and estimating the input spectrum as a function of the second calibration data and the sensor data. Additionally, a corresponding system for estimating an input spectrum.

Abstract: A system for determining a calibrated spectral measurement includes a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon, a detector, and a processor. The tunable Fabry-Perot etalon has a settable gap. The detector measures light intensity. The processor is configured to determine the calibrated spectral measurement. The calibrated spectral measurement is based at least in part on a measurement set of detected light intensities for a plurality of settable gaps and a reconstruction matrix. The reconstruction matrix is based at least in part on calibration measurements. For a calibration measurement, a settable gap is selected and a set of input monochromatic source wavelengths is used to measure responses at a detector after transmission through the Fabry-Perot etalon. Each input monochromatic source wavelength is also measured using a radiometer to scale detector measurements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calibrating a measuring device, comprising the following steps: moving, with finite accuracy and thus with positioning error, to various points that lie in a testing volume of the measuring device and that can be characterized by spatial and/or angular coordinates, generating measurement signals at the respective points, and determining parameters of a computing model of the measuring device from the measurement signals and the spatial and/or angular coordinates. The method is characterized in that a coordinate system to which the coordinates of the points of the testing volume relate is defined from points moved to with error, by associating predetermined coordinate values with exactly six coordinates of three points.

Abstract: A three-dimensional system includes at least one pattern projector, at least two cameras, a two-dimensional image feature extractor, a three-dimensional point-cloud generator, and a three-dimensional point-cloud verifier. The pattern projector is configured to synchronously project at least two linear patterns. The at least two cameras are configured to synchronously capture a two-dimensional image of the scanned object. The two-dimensional image feature extractor is configured to extract a two-dimensional line set of the at least two linear patterns on the surface of the scanned object on the two-dimensional image. The three-dimensional point-cloud generator is configured to generate the candidate three-dimensional point set based on the two-dimensional line set. The three-dimensional point-cloud verifier is configured to select an authentic three-dimensional point set correctly matching with the projection contour lines on the surface of the object from the candidate three-dimensional point set.

Abstract: A collimation evaluation device includes a first reflection member, a second reflection member, a screen, and a housing. A first reflection surface of the first reflection member and a first reflection surface of the second reflection member face each other and are parallel to each other. Further, interference fringes are formed on the screen by light L12 reflected on the first reflection surface of the first reflection member and a second reflection surface of the second reflection member and light L21 reflected on a second reflection surface of the first reflection member and the first reflection surface of the second reflection member, and collimation of incident light is evaluated on the basis of a direction of the interference fringes.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for reflecting, towards a sensor, an Infrared to vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) light that is reflected from a target substrate. The system includes a first mirror arranged to receive and reflect the Infrared to VUV light that is reflected from the target substrate and a second mirror arranged to receive and reflect Infrared to VUV light that is reflected by the first mirror. The first and second mirrors are arranged and shaped so as to reflect Infrared to VUV light from the target substrate towards an optical axis of the apparatus. In another embodiment, the apparatus can also include a third mirror arranged to receive and reflect the Infrared to VUV light that is reflected by the second mirror and a fourth mirror arranged to receive and reflect such illuminating light that is reflected by the third mirror towards the sensor.

Abstract: A method is performed for estimating the optical spectrum of a light beam. The method includes: projecting the light beam onto distinct spatial areas of a spectrometer, wherein each spatial area receives a different filtered version of the optical spectrum; detecting a characteristic of the projected light beam at each of the distinct spatial areas of the spectrometer; receiving a two-dimensional matrix in which each entry of the matrix provides a relationship between one or more spatial areas and each spectral feature, wherein the two-dimensional matrix is related to the input-output relationship of the spectrometer; and estimating the optical spectrum of the light beam based on an analysis that uses both the detected light beam characteristics and the received two-dimensional matrix.

Abstract: There is provided a system and a test instrument for identifying or verifying the fiber arrangement and/or the cable type of multi-fiber array cables (such as MPO cables) which employs a light source and a polarity detector at the near end of the multi-fiber array cable under test, and a loopback device at the far end. The polarity detector comprises light presence detectors used to detect which one of the optical fibers of the multi-fiber array cable returns light looped back at the far end and thereby determine the fiber arrangement and/or the cable type of the multi-fiber array cable.

Abstract: Methods of determining a phenotype of cells in a biological sample are provided. The methods are based measuring a refractive index of said cells based on a diffraction pattern received from a diffraction grating having a plurality of compartments having lateral dimensions such that said cells can fit therein.