Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing a cooled atom beam suitable for use applications requiring cold atoms. A two-stage cooling process is employed in which the atoms in the atom beam are cooled in two, spatially separated regions of a cooling apparatus, wherein the atoms are first cooled in two dimensions by two counterpropagating laser beams under a magnetic field and then are cooled in three dimensions by means of an optical molasses, where the power, frequency, and magnetic fields are tuned to obtain a continuous beam of three-dimensionally cooled atoms having a controllable velocity distribution, very low decoherence, and low background atomic gas loss.

Abstract: A method for using a single-pixel camera to reconstruct images of objects obscured by fog or other dynamic scattering media. A pseudo-random phase or intensity pattern is imposed on illumination beams directed at a target. The beam with the imposed pattern forms a pseudo random pattern on the target. Information regarding the pattern imposed on each pulse is entered into a data processor/controller. The illumination beams with the pseudo random patterns are reflected off the target, collected by receiving optics and a bucket detector and converted into electronic signals fed into the data processor/controller. The data processor/controller applies a high-pass filter to remove slower signal variations produced by dynamic changes in the scattering medium over time. The filtered bucket values are then used together with their corresponding speckle patterns to generate the images using any appropriate reconstruction algorithm such as CGI or CSI.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing a cooled atom beam suitable for use applications requiring cold atoms. A two-stage cooling process is employed in which the atoms in the atom beam are cooled in two, spatially separated regions of a cooling apparatus, wherein the atoms are first cooled in two dimensions by two counterpropagating laser beams under a magnetic field and then are cooled in three dimensions by means of an optical molasses, where the power, frequency, and magnetic fields are tuned to obtain a continuous beam of three-dimensionally cooled atoms having a controllable velocity distribution, very low decoherence, and low background atomic gas loss.

Abstract: A method and system for remotely imaging a magnetic field within an atom cloud is provided. An atom sample held in a magneto-optical trap is released, and the released atom cloud is illuminated by a Raman beam. Resonant atoms having certain velocities will absorb photon momenta from the Raman beam. The velocities of those resonant atoms will change in response to the absorbed momenta, causing a change in the travel distance of those atoms as compared with non-resonant atoms. The atom cloud is imaged by an imaging device such as a CCD camera and the presence of the resonant atoms is shown in the images as bright lines in the atom cloud. The distance traveled by the resonant atoms and therefore the separation of the lines in the image is a function of the magnetic fields in the atom cloud.

Abstract: A method and system for remotely imaging a magnetic field within an atom cloud is provided. An atom sample held in a magneto-optical trap is released, and the released atom cloud is illuminated by a Raman beam. Resonant atoms having certain velocities will absorb photon momenta from the Raman beam. The velocities of those resonant atoms will change in response to the absorbed momenta, causing a change in the travel distance of those atoms as compared with non-resonant atoms. The atom cloud is imaged by an imaging device such as a CCD camera and the presence of the resonant atoms is shown in the images as bright lines in the atom cloud. The distance traveled by the resonant atoms and therefore the separation of the lines in the image is a function of the magnetic fields in the atom cloud.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle due to MSL, without any loss of resolution, by averaging over different angles of the incident light at low input resolution, while collecting the backscattered light at a full resolution of a lens is described. The present invention allows discrimination against the speckle due to coherent MSL.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle due to MSL, without any loss of resolution, by averaging over different angles of the incident light at low input resolution, while collecting the backscattered light at a full resolution of a lens is described. The present invention allows discrimination against the speckle due to coherent MSL.

Abstract: A scanning system for scanning in first and second dimensions a desired surface topology of a sample, the scanning device comprising: a light source for producing a collimated light beam; a first scanning device responsive to the collimated light beam from the light source for producing a first scanned beam in a first dimension with a constant optical path length; and a second scanning device coupled between the first scanning device and the sample for focusing and scanning the first scanned beam in a second dimension onto the surface region of the sample to cause the collimated light beam to scan the surface topology of the sample with a constant optical path length in each of the first and second dimensions of the desired topology of the sample. In a second embodiment of the invention, a beam of light is focused by a first lens before a scanner and the scanner is rotated.

Abstract: An apparatus for imaging through scattering materials produces a broadband laser reference beam and a correlated Stokes illumination beam. The broadband reference beam has a preselected Raman pump wavelength and the Stokes illumination beam has a preselected Stokes wavelength. The Stokes illumination beam is transmitted into the scattering material to obtain a Stokes signal beam having a first image carrying component and a first nonimage component. A relative delay is produced between the reference beam and the Stokes signal beam. The delayed reference beam and the delayed Stokes signal beam are polarized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging an object that is part of, embedded in or viewed through a scattering medium is provided. A first broadband beam generator, such as a broadband pulse laser, provides a first broadband beam. A second broadband beam generator, such as a Raman Stokes generator disposed to receive the first broadband beam, generates a second broadband beam capable of correlation with the first broadband beam. A coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering material is disposed to receive the second broadband beam after dispersion in the scattering medium. A variable delay path also illuminates the coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering material with the first broadband beam. The coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering material produces an anti-Stokes beam which contains an extracted image of an object in the scattering medium, which image is recorded on a photodetector.

Abstract: A pulse discharge laser is provided having a pair of electrodes disposed within a laser chamber pressurized with a high-pressure gas. A preionizer generator intermittently produces preionization energy to preionize the high pressure gas in the laser chamber. A pulse forming network intermittently supplies a ramping voltage to the pair of electrodes. When the high pressure gas in the laser chamber is not properly preionized by the preionization energy a damaging arc may occur and lasing will not occur by discharge of the ramping voltage on the electrodes. A passive electrode arc protector is provided connected across the pair of laser electrodes to discharge the ramping voltage across the electrodes when the high pressure gas is not properly preionized to protect the laser electrodes from a damaging arc between them.

Abstract: An apparatus for the time-gated optical examination of objects that are p of, embedded in or viewed through dense scattering materials is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging an object that is part of, embedded in, or viewed through a scattering medium is provided. A broadband stochastic beam generator, such as a broadband laser, generates a broadband stochastic beam and a narrowband beam generator generates a narrowband beam. A non-linear mixing crystal receives the broadband stochastic beam and the narrowband beam and provides a signal light beam conjugate correlated with the broadband stochastic beam to the scattering medium. A multiple-wave mixing cell is disposed to receive the signal light beam from the scattering medium. An adjustable delay path also illuminates the multiple-wave mixing cell with the broadband stochastic beam. A supplemental beam generator is also provided for also additionally illuminating the multiple-wave mixing cell with a supplemental beam having characteristics sufficient to satisfy phase matching with the material of the multiple-wave mixing cell.