Abstract: Disclosed is an optical probe system that is capable of high speed, high precision, and high resolution 3D digitalization of engineered objects. The 3D dimensional data of the engineered object is measured using a swept source optical coherence tomography system with improved speed, spatial resolutions, and depth range. Also disclosed is a type of coordinate measurement machine (CMM) that is capable of performing high speed, high resolution, and non-contact measurement of engineered objects. The mechanic stylus in the touch-trigger probe of a conventional CMM is replaced with an optical stylus with reconfigurable diameter and length. The distance from the center of the optical stylus to the measurement probe is optically adjusted to match the height of the object to be measured quickly, which eliminates one dimensional movement of the probe and greatly improves the productivity.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optically pumped vertical cavity laser structure operating in the mid-infrared region, which has demonstrated room-temperature continuous wave operation. This structure uses a periodic gain active region with type I quantum wells comprised of InGaAsSb, and barrier/cladding regions which provide strong hole confinement and substantial pump absorption. A preferred embodiment includes at least one wafer bonded GaAs-based mirror. Several preferred embodiments also include means for wavelength tuning of mid-IR VCLs as disclosed, including a MEMS-tuning element. This document also includes systems for optical spectroscopy using the VCL as disclosed, including systems for detection concentrations of industrial and environmentally important gases.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical probe system that is capable of high speed, high precision, and high resolution 3D digitalization of engineered objects. The 3D dimensional data of the engineered object is measured using a swept source optical coherence tomography system with improved speed, spatial resolutions, and depth range. Also disclosed is a type of coordinate measurement machine (CMM) that is capable of performing high speed, high resolution, and non-contact measurement of engineered objects. The mechanic stylus in the touch-trigger probe of a conventional CMM is replaced with an optical stylus with reconfigurable diameter and length. The distance from the center of the optical stylus to the measurement probe is optically adjusted to match the height of the object to be measured quickly, which eliminates one dimensional movement of the probe and greatly improves the productivity.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optically pumped vertical cavity laser structure operating in the mid-infrared region, which has demonstrated room-temperature continuous wave operation. This structure uses a periodic gain active region with type I quantum wells comprised of InGaAsSb, and barrier/cladding regions which provide strong hole confinement and substantial pump absorption. A preferred embodiment includes at least one wafer bonded GaAs-based mirror. Several preferred embodiments also include means for wavelength tuning of mid-IR VCLs as disclosed, including a MEMS-tuning element. This document also includes systems for optical spectroscopy using the VCL as disclosed, including systems for detection concentrations of industrial and environmentally important gases.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optically pumped vertical cavity laser structure operating in the mid-infrared region, which has demonstrated room-temperature continuous wave operation. This structure uses a periodic gain active region with type I quantum wells comprised of InGaAsSb, and barrier/cladding regions which provide strong hole confinement and substantial pump absorption. A preferred embodiment includes at least one wafer bonded GaAs-based mirror. Several preferred embodiments also include means for wavelength tuning of mid-IR VCLs as disclosed, including a MEMS-tuning element. This document also includes systems for optical spectroscopy using the VCL as disclosed, including systems for detection concentrations of industrial and environmentally important gases.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical probe system that is capable of high speed, high precision, and high resolution 3D digitalization of engineered objects. The 3D dimensional data of the engineered object is measured using a swept source optical coherence tomography system with improved speed, spatial resolutions, and depth range. Also disclosed is a type of coordinate measurement machine (CMM) that is capable of performing high speed, high resolution, and non-contact measurement of engineered objects. The mechanic stylus in the touch-trigger probe of a conventional CMM is replaced with an optical stylus with reconfigurable diameter and length. The distance from the center of the optical stylus to the measurement probe is optically adjusted to match the height of the object to be measured quickly, which eliminates one dimensional movement of the probe and greatly improves the productivity.

Abstract: An optical instrument including at least a first and second wavelength swept vertical cavity laser (VCL) sources. The wavelength sweeping ranges spanned by the first and second VCL sources may differ with a region of spectral overlap. The first and second VCL sources may be operable under different modes of operation, wherein the modes of operation differ in at least one of: sweep repetition rate, sweep wavelength range, sweep center wavelength, and sweep trajectory. A VCL source may also exhibit sweep-to-sweep variation. Apparatus and methods are described for aligning sample signal data from the first VCL and sample signal data from the second VCL to generate output digital data. The output digital data is aligned with respect to at least one of: wavelength, wavenumber, and interferometric phase. The apparatus and methods can also be used to phase stabilize successive sweeps from the same VCL source or wavelength swept source.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optically pumped vertical cavity laser structure operating in the mid-infrared region, which has demonstrated room-temperature continuous wave operation. This structure uses a periodic gain active region with type I quantum wells comprised of InGaAsSb, and barrier/cladding regions which provide strong hole confinement and substantial pump absorption. A preferred embodiment includes at least one wafer bonded GaAs-based mirror. Several preferred embodiments also include means for wavelength tuning of mid-IR VCLs as disclosed, including a MEMS-tuning element. This document also includes systems for optical spectroscopy using the VCL as disclosed, including systems for detection concentrations of industrial and environmentally important gases.

Abstract: A system capable of highly sensitive measurement of material concentration values in a sample using an optical spectroscopic method is disclosed. The system utilizes high-speed data acquisition and high resolution sampling of the raw signals output by the sensors with reduced total channel counts, and performs frequency analysis of the signals using the Fourier transform method to process all sensor channels in parallel. When each sensor is targeting the detection of some certain materials at some certain frequencies, the system is capable of simultaneous detection of multiple materials of interest in the sample with high measurement sensitivity and high speed.

Abstract: A monolithic optical mount having a bore for accommodating an optical element, the bore including: a first ridge located at a first position on the inside circumference of the bore; a second ridge located at a second position on the inside circumference of the bore; and a flexure extending from along the inside circumference of the bore to a point beyond a threaded hole which passes through from the outside circumference of the bore to the inside circumference of the bore; wherein the flexure is actuated by turning a screw in the threaded hole thereby adjusting an amount of force pushing against a point on the flexure by a tip of the screw.

Abstract: Disclosed are several technical approaches of using low coherence interferometry techniques to create an autofocus apparatus for optical microscopy. These approaches allow automatic focusing on thin structures that are positioned closely to reflective surfaces and behind refractive material like a cover slip, and automated adjustment of focus position into the sample region without disturbance from reflection off adjacent surfaces. The measurement offset induced by refraction of material that covers the sample is compensated for. Proposed are techniques of an instrument that allows the automatic interchange of imaging objectives in a low coherence interferometry autofocus system, which is of major interest in combination with TDI (time delay integration) imaging, confocal and two-photon fluorescence microscopy.

Abstract: An optical instrument including at least a first and second wavelength swept vertical cavity laser (VCL) sources. The wavelength sweeping ranges spanned by the first and second VCL sources may differ with a region of spectral overlap. The first and second VCL sources may be operable under different modes of operation, wherein the modes of operation differ in at least one of: sweep repetition rate, sweep wavelength range, sweep center wavelength, and sweep trajectory. A VCL source may also exhibit sweep-to-sweep variation. Apparatus and methods are described for aligning sample signal data from the first VCL and sample signal data from the second VCL to generate output digital data. The output digital data is aligned with respect to at least one of: wavelength, wavenumber, and interferometric phase. The apparatus and methods can also be used to phase stabilize successive sweeps from the same VCL source or wavelength swept source.

Abstract: Disclosed are several technical approaches of using low coherence interferometry techniques to create an autofocus apparatus for optical microscopy. These approaches allow automatic focusing on thin structures that are positioned closely to reflective surfaces and behind refractive material like a cover slip, and automated adjustment of focus position into the sample region without disturbance from reflection off adjacent surfaces. The measurement offset induced by refraction of material that covers the sample is compensated for. Proposed are techniques of an instrument that allows the automatic interchange of imaging objectives in a low coherence interferometry autofocus system, which is of major interest in combination with TDI (time delay integration) imaging, confocal and two-photon fluorescence microscopy.

Abstract: A super-continuum system including: a fiber laser configured to output a pulse having a center wavelength; a first nonlinear waveguide configured to shift the wavelength of the pulse from the fiber laser; a first fiber amplifier of at least one stage configured to amplify the output from the first nonlinear waveguide; and a second nonlinear waveguide configured to spectrally broaden the output from the first fiber amplifier.

Abstract: An optical instrument including at least a first and second wavelength swept vertical cavity laser (VCL) sources. The wavelength sweeping ranges spanned by the first and second VCL sources may differ with a region of spectral overlap. The first and second VCL sources may be operable under different modes of operation, wherein the modes of operation differ in at least one of: sweep repetition rate, sweep wavelength range, sweep center wavelength, and sweep trajectory. A VCL source may also exhibit sweep-to-sweep variation. Apparatus and methods are described for aligning sample signal data from the first VCL and sample signal data from the second VCL to generate output digital data. The output digital data is aligned with respect to at least one of: wavelength, wavenumber, and interferometric phase. The apparatus and methods can also be used to phase stabilize successive sweeps from the same VCL source or wavelength swept source.

Abstract: A monolithic optical mount having a bore for accommodating an optical element, the bore including: a first ridge located at a first position on the inside circumference of the bore; a second ridge located at a second position on the inside circumference of the bore; and a flexure extending from along the inside circumference of the bore to a point beyond a threaded hole which passes through from the outside circumference of the bore to the inside circumference of the bore; wherein the flexure is actuated by turning a screw in the threaded hole thereby adjusting an amount of force pushing against a point on the flexure by a tip of the screw.

Abstract: A system capable of highly sensitive measurement of material concentration values in a sample using an optical spectroscopic method is disclosed. The system utilizes high-speed data acquisition and high resolution sampling of the raw signals output by the sensors with reduced total channel counts, and performs frequency analysis of the signals using the Fourier transform method to process all sensor channels in parallel. When each sensor is targeting the detection of some certain materials at some certain frequencies, the system is capable of simultaneous detection of multiple materials of interest in the sample with high measurement sensitivity and high speed.

Abstract: A super-continuum system including: a fiber laser configured to output a pulse having a center wavelength; a first nonlinear waveguide configured to shift the wavelength of the pulse from the fiber laser; a first fiber amplifier of at least one stage configured to amplify the output from the first nonlinear waveguide; and a second nonlinear waveguide configured to spectrally broaden the output from the first fiber amplifier.

Abstract: A microscopy system, including: a mode-locked fiber laser configured to output a pulse having a center wavelength; a nonlinear waveguide configured to shift the wavelength of the pulse from the mode-locked fiber laser; a fiber amplifier configured to amplify the output from the first nonlinear waveguide; a second-harmonic generator configured to generate femtosecond pulses at twice the optical frequency from the output of the fiber amplifier; and an imaging system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for improving the utilization of manufacturing machines in manufacturing processes. In a typical implementation, manufacturing machine utilization is improved by publishing a schedule of Production Events, accepting customer orders within Production Events, and calculating prices for the customers modified based on the customer orders.