Abstract: This invention provides a vision system that increases the field of view of an electronic binocular system without degrading image quality or requiring extremely large format sensors or displays. The vision system comprises an imaging device coupled with a viewing device. The imaging device comprises a compression lens and an image sensor. The viewing device comprises an image display and a decompression lens. The compression lens matches the optical distortion to the human visual acuity curve for field positions greater than an angle .theta.. Below angle .theta. there is substantially no distortion. The optimum angle .theta. depends on the application. For an average individual viewing a landscape the angle .theta. is about 10.degree.. For different viewing objects, the optimum angle .theta. varies from about 5.degree. to about 15.degree.. The image sensor can be infrared sensitive for infrared viewing.

Abstract: A new detection method and system uses saturated optical absorption, double resonance of a narrow velocity class of atoms, such as cesium, to provide substantially improved frequency standards and physics packages. Such systems and standards are provided with a closed, at least partially transparent, cell of atoms of an alkali element such as cesium, without buffer gases, that are excited by laser light travelling through the atoms in counter-propagating directions at a frequency selected to correspond to the average of two optical frequencies selected to change the narrow velocity class of atoms from a first energy level to a second energy level and from the first energy level to a third energy level.