Abstract: An optical modulator includes a modulation region, an input port, an output port, and a modulation actuator. The modulation region includes an inhomogeneous arrangement of two or more different materials having different refractive indexes to structure the modulation region to manipulate one or more optical properties of an optical carrier wave in response to a modulation bias. The input port is optically coupled to the modulation region to inject the optical carrier wave into the modulation region. The modulation actuator is disposed proximate to the modulation region and adapted to apply the modulation bias to the modulation region to generate a modulated wave. The modulation bias adjusts at least one of the different refractive indexes of the inhomogeneous arrangement to provide variable control of the one or more optical properties of the optical carrier wave. The output port is optically coupled to the modulation region to receive the modulated wave.

Abstract: An intermediate data set can be generated based on an image of a set of objects, where each of the set of objects includes a plastic. A predicted chemometric property can be generated by inputting the intermediate data set to a machine-learning model. The chemometric property can be of a physical output pyrolysis oil produced by performing a pyrolysis processing of the set of objects using a pyrolysis reactor. A result associated with the set of objects can be generated, where the result is based on or includes the predicted chemometric property.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes a modulation region, input, output, and sink ports, and a modulation actuator. The modulation region includes an inhomogeneous arrangement of two or more different materials having different refractive indexes. The input port is optically coupled to the modulation region to inject an optical carrier wave into the modulation region. The output port is optically coupled to the modulation region to receive and emit a modulated signal having a high state and a low state. The sink port is optically coupled to the modulation region. The modulation actuator is disposed proximate to the modulation region and adapted to apply a modulation bias to the modulation region that influences the different refractive indexes of the inhomogeneous arrangement to selectively steer a portion of optical power of the optical carrier wave to the sink port when the modulated signal is modulated into the low state.