Abstract: A design of an integrated computational element (ICE) includes specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective constitutive materials, target thicknesses and refractive indices, where refractive indices of respective materials of adjacent layers are different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design is related to a characteristic of a sample. One or more layers of the plurality of layers of an ICE are formed based on the ICE design, such that the formed layer(s) includes(e) corresponding material(s) from among the specified constitutive materials of the ICE. Characteristics of probe-light interacted with the formed layer(s) are measured at two or more temperatures. Temperature dependence(ies) of one or more refractive indices of the corresponding material(s) of the formed layers is(are) determined using the measured characteristics.

Abstract: A system includes a computational system to receive a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including specification of substrate and layers. Additionally, the system includes a deposition source to provide a deposition plume having a plume spatial profile, and a support having a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface of the support is spaced apart from the deposition source and has a shape that corresponds to the plume spatial profile in a particular cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical surface of the support, such that, when the substrate support, with the supported instances of the substrate distributed over the cylindrical surface of the substrate support, is translated relative to the deposition plume along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical surface of the substrate support, thicknesses of instances of each of the deposited layers are substantially uniform across the plurality of instances of the ICE.

Abstract: Disclosed is the detection of emulsions and microdispersions with an optical computing device. One disclosed method includes emitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source, optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with a fluid and thereby generating fluid interacted radiation, detecting a portion of the fluid interacted radiation with a reference detector arranged within an optical channel of an optical computing device, generating a reference signal with the reference detector, and determining an emulsive state of the fluid based on the reference signal.

Abstract: A design of an integrated computational element (ICE) includes (1) specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and refractive indices, refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample, and (2) identification of one or more critical layers of the ICE layers, an ICE layer being identified as a critical layer if potential variations of its thickness or refractive index due to expected fabrication variations cause ICE performance degradation that exceeds a threshold degradation, otherwise the ICE layer being identified as a non-critical layer. At least one critical layer of the ICE is formed using two or more forming steps to form respective two or more sub-layers of the critical layer, and at least one non-critical layer of the ICE is formed using a single forming step.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing an integrated computational element (ICE) core. In one embodiment, the method comprises thermally evaporating a material to deposit the material on a substrate, wherein the material is deposited to establish a shape of the ICE core. The shape of the ICE core defines transmission, reflection, and absorptive electromagnetic intensity as a function of wavelength of the ICE core. In one embodiment, the method includes varying e-beam or ion-beam intensities and strengths to control the shape of the ICE core.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing an integrated computational element (ICE) core. The method comprises varying a distance between a thermal component relative to a substrate holder that holds at least one substrate during a thin film deposition process to improve uniformity of the ICE core. In one embodiment, varying the distance between the thermal component relative to the substrate holder that holds at least one substrate includes moving at least a portion of the substrate holder in at least one direction relative to the thermal component and also moving the thermal component in at least one direction relative to the substrate holder during the thin film deposition process.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a bulk material or powder stored in a storage bin with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to modify an electromagnetic radiation according to a characteristic of the bulk material or powder. The method also includes detecting the modified electromagnetic radiation with a detector, and producing an output signal correlated to a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder. Also, the method includes transmitting a message flagging the storage bin when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for continued storage. The bulk material or powder includes a dry cement or a dry cement component.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a flow of bulk material or powder in a pneumatic conveyor with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to modify an electromagnetic radiation according to a characteristic of the flow of bulk material or powder. The method includes detecting the modified electromagnetic radiation with a detector, producing an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the flow, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the flow. Also, the method includes modifying at least one of a flow rate or an air pressure in the pneumatic conveyor in response to the value of the characteristic of the flow. The bulk material or powder includes a dry cement or a dry cement component.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a bulk material or powder stored in a storage bin with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to modify an electromagnetic radiation according to a characteristic of the bulk material or powder. The method also includes detecting the modified electromagnetic radiation with a detector, and producing an output signal correlated to a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder. Also, the method includes transmitting a message flagging the storage bin when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for continued storage. The bulk material or powder includes a dry cement or a dry cement component.

Abstract: Disclosed is the detection of emulsions and microdispersions with an optical computing device. One disclosed method includes emitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source, optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with a fluid and thereby generating fluid interacted radiation, detecting a portion of the fluid interacted radiation with a reference detector arranged within an optical channel of an optical computing device, generating a reference signal with the reference detector, and determining an emulsive state of the fluid based on the reference signal.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a bulk material or powder stored in a storage bin with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to modify an electromagnetic radiation according to a characteristic of the bulk material or powder. The method also includes detecting the modified electromagnetic radiation with a detector, and producing an output signal correlated to a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder. Also, the method includes transmitting a message flagging the storage bin when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for continued storage. The bulk material or powder includes a dry cement or a dry cement component.

Abstract: Disclosed are improved integrated computational elements for use in optical computing devices. One integrated computational element includes an optical substrate, first and second pluralities of optical thin film layers alternatingly deposited on the optical substrate to form a thin film stack, wherein each optical thin film layer of the first plurality exhibits a first refractive index and each optical thin film layer of the second plurality exhibits a second refractive index different than the first refractive index, and at least one additional optical thin film layer arranged in or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the optical thin film layers of the first and second pluralities, the at least one additional optical thin film layer exhibiting a third refractive index that is different than the first and second refractive indices.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a flow of bulk material or powder in a pneumatic conveyor with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to modify an electromagnetic radiation according to a characteristic of the flow of bulk material or powder. The method includes detecting the modified electromagnetic radiation with a detector, producing an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the flow, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the flow. Also, the method includes modifying at least one of a flow rate or an air pressure in the pneumatic conveyor in response to the value of the characteristic of the flow. The bulk material or powder includes a dry cement or a dry cement component.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a bulk material or powder stored in a hopper with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to detect a characteristic of the bulk material or powder. The method also includes generating an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the bulk material or powder, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder. Also, the method includes transmitting a message flagging the hopper when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for usage.

Abstract: An example optical computing device includes an integrated computational element (ICE) core arranged within an optical train that optically interacts with electromagnetic radiation and a substance, the ICE core being further configured to operate in a optical region of interest corresponding to a characteristic of the substance, a first bandpass filter arranged in the optical train and configured to transmit the electromagnetic radiation across a first wavelength zone within the optical region of interest, a second bandpass filter arranged in the optical train and configured to transmit the electromagnetic radiation across a second wavelength zone within the optical region of interest, and a detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation that has optically interacted with the substance and the ICE core and configured to generate an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the substance.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a bulk material or powder stored in a hopper with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to detect a characteristic of the bulk material or powder. The method also includes generating an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the bulk material or powder, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder. Also, the method includes transmitting a message flagging the hopper when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for usage.

Abstract: A method includes optically interacting a bulk material or powder stored in a storage bin with an integrated computational element (“ICE”) configured to modify an electromagnetic radiation according to a characteristic of the bulk material or powder. The method also includes detecting the modified electromagnetic radiation with a detector, and producing an output signal correlated to a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder, and receiving and processing the output signal with a signal processor to yield a value for the characteristic of the bulk material or powder. Also, the method includes transmitting a message flagging the storage bin when it is determined that the bulk material or powder is not suitable for continued storage. The bulk material or powder includes a dry cement or a dry cement component.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing an integrated computational element (ICE) core. In one embodiment, the method comprises thermally evaporating a material to deposit the material on a substrate, wherein the material is deposited to establish a shape of the ICE core. The shape of the ICE core defines transmission, reflection, and absorptive electromagnetic intensity as a function of wavelength of the ICE core. In one embodiment, the method includes varying e-beam or ion-beam intensities and strengths to control the shape of the ICE core.

Abstract: One disclosed method for designing an integrated computational element (ICE) core includes generating with a computer a plurality of predetermined ICE core designs having a plurality of thin film layers, wherein generating the plurality of predetermined ICE core designs includes iteratively varying a thickness of each thin film layer by applying coarse thickness increments to each thin film layer, calculating a transmission spectrum for each predetermined ICE core design, calculating a performance of each predetermined ICE core design based on one or more performance criteria, identifying one or more predictive ICE core designs based on the performance of each predetermined ICE core design, and optimizing the one or more predictive ICE core designs by iteratively varying the thickness of each thin film layer with fine thickness increments, wherein the one or more predictive ICE core designs are configured to detect a particular characteristic of interest.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing an integrated computational element (ICE) core. The method comprises varying a distance between a thermal component relative to a substrate holder that holds at least one substrate during a thin film deposition process to improve uniformity of the ICE core. In one embodiment, varying the distance between the thermal component relative to the substrate holder that holds at least one substrate includes moving at least a portion of the substrate holder in at least one direction relative to the thermal component and also moving the thermal component in at least one direction relative to the substrate holder during the thin film deposition process.