Abstract: Methods including optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with a flowing powder composition and a first integrated computation element (“ICE”), the first ICE being configured to detect a contaminant in the powder composition; receiving the electromagnetic radiation with a detector; and generating an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the contaminant in the powder composition.

Abstract: One disclosed optical computing device includes a sampling window arranged on a housing, an electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation being configured to optically interact with a substance outside of the sampling window, at least one integrated computational element (ICE) core arranged to optically interact with the electromagnetic radiation, and a detector arranged to receive the electromagnetic radiation following its optical interaction with the substance and the at least one ICE core and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the substance, wherein the electromagnetic radiation impinges upon the surfaces of the sampling window at an angle of incidence from normal to the sampling window, and wherein specular reflected light reflects off the sampling window at an opposing angle of incidence, the specular reflected light emanating away from the sampling window such that it is not detected by the detector.

Abstract: An optical analysis tool includes an integrated computational element (ICE) including an ICE core to process light received by the ICE from a sample, when the tool is operated, such that the processed light is related, over a wavelength range, to a characteristic of the sample. Additionally, the ICE includes a filter monolithically coupled to the ICE core, the filter to block light at wavelengths that are either shorter than the wavelength range or longer than the wavelength range, or both, such that the ICE outputs, when the tool is operated, processed light that is passed by the filter.

Abstract: Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including (1) specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and refractive indices, adjacent layer refractive indices 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) indication of target ICE performance; forming one or more of the layers of an ICE based on the ICE design; in response to determining that an ICE performance would not meet the target performance if the ICE having the formed layers were completed based on the received ICE design, updating the ICE design to a new total number of layers and new target layer thicknesses, such that performance of the ICE completed based on the updated ICE design meets the target performance; and forming some of subsequent layers based on the updated ICE design.

Abstract: Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE), the ICE design including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample over an operational wavelength range; forming at least some of the layers of the ICE in accordance with the ICE design; optically monitoring, during the forming, optical properties of the formed layers using quasi-monochromatic probe-light having a probe wavelength that is outside of the operational wavelength range of the ICE; and adjusting the forming, at least in part, based on the optically monitored optical properties of the formed layers of the ICE.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: One disclosed optical computing device includes a sampling window arranged on a housing, an electromagnetic radiation source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation being configured to optically interact with a substance outside of the sampling window, at least one integrated computational element (ICE) core arranged to optically interact with the electromagnetic radiation, and a detector arranged to receive the electromagnetic radiation following its optical interaction with the substance and the at least one ICE core and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the substance, wherein the electromagnetic radiation impinges upon the surfaces of the sampling window at an angle of incidence from normal to the sampling window, and wherein specular reflected light reflects off the sampling window at an opposing angle of incidence, the specular reflected light emanating away from the sampling window such that it is not detected by the detector.

Abstract: Technologies are described for controlling temperature of ICEs during ICE fabrication. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE), the ICE design including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, where complex refractive indices of adjacent layers are different from each other, and where a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design is related to a characteristic of a sample; forming at least some of the plurality of layers of an ICE in accordance with the ICE design; and controlling, during the forming, a temperature of the formed layers of the ICE such that the ICE, when completed, relates to the characteristic of the sample.

Abstract: An optical analysis tool includes an integrated computational element (ICE) including an ICE core to process light received by the ICE from a sample, when the tool is operated, such that the processed light is related, over a wavelength range, to a characteristic of the sample. Additionally, the ICE includes a filter monolithically coupled to the ICE core, the filter to block light at wavelengths that are either shorter than the wavelength range or longer than the wavelength range, or both, such that the ICE outputs, when the tool is operated, processed light that is passed by the filter.

Abstract: Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex 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; forming at least some of the layers of a plurality of ICEs in accordance with the ICE design, where the ICEs' layers are moved along a direction of motion during the forming; measuring characteristics of probe-light that interacts with formed ICEs' layers such that the measured characteristics are spatially-resolved along a first direction orthogonal to the direction of motion; determining, based on the spatially-resolved characteristics, complex refractive indices and thicknesses of the formed ICE layers as a function of the ICEs' location along the first direction; adjusting the forming based on the determinations.

Abstract: Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE), the ICE design including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample; forming at least some of the plurality of layers of the ICE in accordance with the ICE design; performing at least two different types of in-situ measurements; predicting, using results of the at least two different types of in situ measurements, performance of the ICE relative to the ICE design; and adjusting the forming of the layers remaining to be formed, at least in part, by updating the ICE design based on the predicted performance.

Abstract: Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including (1) specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and refractive indices, adjacent layer refractive indices 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) indication of target ICE performance; forming one or more of the layers of an ICE based on the ICE design; in response to determining that an ICE performance would not meet the target performance if the ICE having the formed layers were completed based on the received ICE design, updating the ICE design to a new total number of layers and new target layer thicknesses, such that performance of the ICE completed based on the updated ICE design meets the target performance; and forming some of subsequent layers based on the updated ICE design.

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 system includes a computational system to receive a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex indices, such that a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design is related to a characteristic of a sample. Additionally, the system includes a deposition chamber including a deposition source to provide a deposition plume having a plume spatial profile, and a support to support a plurality of instances of the substrate during fabrication of a plurality of instances of the ICE. The support is spaced apart from the deposition source and has a shape that corresponds to the plume spatial profile, such that when the supported instances of the substrate are distributed over the support, thicknesses of instances of each of the deposited layers are substantially uniform across the plurality of instances of the ICE.

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: Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE), the ICE design including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample; forming at least some of the plurality of layers of the ICE in accordance with the ICE design; performing at least two different types of in-situ measurements; predicting, using results of the at least two different types of in situ measurements, performance of the ICE relative to the ICE design; and adjusting the forming of the layers remaining to be formed, at least in part, by updating the ICE design based on the predicted performance.