Abstract: Methods, systems and devices are described that enable measurement and characterization of complex laser pulses by relying on three interferograms that are measured simultaneously. The described three-phase spectral interferometry (3 PSI) can meet the growing demand for optical recorders with long record and 1 ps or finer resolution. An example three-phase interferometric system includes a three-output optical splitter with a first input port to receive the input optical signal, a second input port to receive a reference optical signal with one or more unknown spectral characteristics. The three output ports of the optical splitter produce interferograms that correspond to relative phase shifts of substantially 120 degrees. Detectors are positioned to receive and measure the interferograms, which allows determination of the amplitude and phase of the input optical signal with very high accuracy.

Abstract: Methods and devices for digitizing an analog repetitive signal using waveform averaging are described. An example method includes generating a time-varying dither signal, receiving the analog repetitive signal comprising multiple instances of a waveform, wherein each waveform has a waveform duration, wherein an average of the time-varying dither signal over multiple waveform durations is substantially zero, and wherein the time-varying dither signal varies over each waveform duration, generating a timing alignment, combining each waveform with the corresponding portion of the time-varying dither signal over each waveform duration to produce an analog output signal, converting the analog output signal to a digital output signal, and producing, based on the timing alignment, a digital averaged signal based on averaging the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal, wherein the timing alignment is used to align the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal.

Abstract: Methods and devices for digitizing an analog repetitive signal using waveform averaging are described. An example method includes generating a time-varying dither signal, receiving the analog repetitive signal comprising multiple instances of a waveform, wherein each waveform has a waveform duration, wherein an average of the time-varying dither signal over multiple waveform durations is substantially zero, and wherein the time-varying dither signal varies over each waveform duration, generating a timing alignment, combining each waveform with the corresponding portion of the time-varying dither signal over each waveform duration to produce an analog output signal, converting the analog output signal to a digital output signal, and producing, based on the timing alignment, a digital averaged signal based on averaging the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal, wherein the timing alignment is used to align the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal.

Abstract: Methods and devices for digitizing an analog repetitive signal using waveform averaging are described. An example method includes generating a discrete set of analog dither offset voltages, wherein at least two of the discrete set of analog dither offset voltages are different from each other, receiving the analog repetitive signal comprising multiple instances of a waveform, wherein the waveform has a waveform duration, generate a timing alignment to align each waveform of the analog repetitive signal and the corresponding analog dither offset voltage over the waveform duration, combining, based on the timing alignment, each waveform and the corresponding analog dither offset voltage over the waveform duration to produce an analog output signal, converting the analog output signal to a digital output signal, and producing, based on the timing alignment, a digital averaged signal based on averaging the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for efficiently mining multi-threshold measurements acquired using photon counting pixel-array detectors for spectral imaging and diffraction analyses. Images of X-ray intensity as a function of X-ray energy were recorded on a 6 megapixel X-ray photon counting array detector through linear fitting of the measured counts recorded as a function of counting threshold. An analytical model is disclosed for describing the probability density of detected voltage, utilizing fractional photon counting to account for edge/corner effects from voltage plumes that spread across multiple pixels. Three-parameter fits to the model were independently performed for each pixel in the array for X-ray scattering images acquired for 13.5 keV and 15.0 keV X-ray energies. From the established pixel responses, multi-threshold composite images produced from the sum of 13.5 keV and 15.

Abstract: A quantitative optical microscopy arrangement is described. Specifically, a digital filter derived from linear discriminant analysis is described for recovering impulse responses in applications that may include photon counting from a high speed photodetector and applied to remove ringing distortions from impedance mismatch in multiphoton fluorescence microscopy. Training of the digital filter is achieved by defining temporally coincident and non-coincident transients and identifying the projection within filter-space that best separates the two classes. The training allows rapid data analysis by digital filtering. The LDA filter is also capable of recovering deconvolved impulses for single photon counting from highly distorted ringing waveforms from an impedance mismatched photomultiplier tube.

Abstract: A beam-scanning optical design is described for achieving up to kHz frame-rate optical imaging on multiple simultaneous data acquisition channels. In one embodiment, two fast-scan resonant mirrors direct the optical beam on a circuitous trajectory through the field of view, with the trajectory repeat-time given by the least common multiplier of the mirror periods. Dicing the raw time-domain data into sub-trajectories combined with model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) 3D in-painting algorithms allows for effective frame-rates much higher than the repeat time of the Lissajous trajectory. Because sub-trajectory and full-trajectory imaging are different methods of analyzing the same data, both high-frame rate images with relatively low resolution and low frame rate images with high resolution are simultaneously acquired.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for photon, ion or particle counting described that provides seven orders of magnitude of linear dynamic range (LDR) for a single detector. By explicitly considering the log-normal probability distribution in voltage transients as a function of the number of photons, ions or particles present, the binomial distribution of observed counts for a given threshold, the mean number of photons, ions or particles can be determined well beyond the conventional limit.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for efficiently mining multi-threshold measurements acquired using photon counting pixel-array detectors for spectral imaging and diffraction analyses. Images of X-ray intensity as a function of X-ray energy were recorded on a 6 megapixel X-ray photon counting array detector through linear fitting of the measured counts recorded as a function of counting threshold. An analytical model is disclosed for describing the probability density of detected voltage, utilizing fractional photon counting to account for edge/corner effects from voltage plumes that spread across multiple pixels. Three-parameter fits to the model were independently performed for each pixel in the array for X-ray scattering images acquired for 13.5 keV and 15.0 keV X-ray energies. From the established pixel responses, multi-threshold composite images produced from the sum of 13.5 keV and 15.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for photon, ion or particle counting described that provides seven orders of magnitude of linear dynamic range (LDR) for a single detector. By explicitly considering the log-normal probability distribution in voltage transients as a function of the number of photons, ions or particles present, the binomial distribution of observed counts for a given threshold, the mean number of photons, ions or particles can be determined well beyond the conventional limit.

Abstract: A beam-scanning optical design is described for achieving up to kHz frame-rate optical imaging on multiple simultaneous data acquisition channels. In one embodiment, two fast-scan resonant mirrors direct the optical beam on a circuitous trajectory through the field of view, with the trajectory repeat-time given by the least common multiplier of the mirror periods. Dicing the raw time-domain data into sub-trajectories combined with model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) 3D in-painting algorithms allows for effective frame-rates much higher than the repeat time of the Lissajous trajectory. Because sub-trajectory and full-trajectory imaging are different methods of analyzing the same data, both high-frame rate images with relatively low resolution and low frame rate images with high resolution are simultaneously acquired.

Abstract: A beam-scanning optical design is described for achieving up to kHz frame-rate optical imaging on multiple simultaneous data acquisition channels. In one embodiment, two fast-scan resonant mirrors direct the optical beam on a circuitous trajectory through the field of view, with the trajectory repeat-time given by the least common multiplier of the mirror periods. Dicing the raw time-domain data into sub-trajectories combined with model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) 3D in-painting algorithms allows for effective frame-rates much higher than the repeat time of the Lissajous trajectory. Because sub-trajectory and full-trajectory imaging are different methods of analyzing the same data, both high-frame rate images with relatively low resolution and low frame rate images with high resolution are simultaneously acquired.

Abstract: A quantitative optical microscopy arrangement is described. Specifically, a digital filter derived from linear discriminant analysis is described for recovering impulse responses in applications that may include photon counting from a high speed photodetector and applied to remove ringing distortions from impedance mismatch in multiphoton fluorescence microscopy. Training of the digital filter is achieved by defining temporally coincident and non-coincident transients and identifying the projection within filter-space that best separates the two classes. The training allows rapid data analysis by digital filtering. The LDA filter is also capable of recovering deconvolved impulses for single photon counting from highly distorted ringing waveforms from an impedance mismatched photomultiplier tube.

Abstract: A beam-scanning optical design is described for achieving up to kHz frame-rate optical imaging on multiple simultaneous data acquisition channels. In one embodiment, two fast-scan resonant mirrors direct the optical beam on a circuitous trajectory through the field of view, with the trajectory repeat-time given by the least common multiplier of the mirror periods. Dicing the raw time-domain data into sub-trajectories combined with model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) 3D in-painting algorithms allows for effective frame-rates much higher than the repeat time of the Lissajous trajectory. Because sub-trajectory and full-trajectory imaging are different methods of analyzing the same data, both high-frame rate images with relatively low resolution and low frame rate images with high resolution are simultaneously acquired.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for efficiently mining multi-threshold measurements acquired using photon counting pixel-array detectors for spectral imaging and diffraction analyses. Images of X-ray intensity as a function of X-ray energy were recorded on a 6 megapixel X-ray photon counting array detector through linear fitting of the measured counts recorded as a function of counting threshold. An analytical model is disclosed for describing the probability density of detected voltage, utilizing fractional photon counting to account for edge/corner effects from voltage plumes that spread across multiple pixels. Three-parameter fits to the model were independently performed for each pixel in the array for X-ray scattering images acquired for 13.5 keV and 15.0 keV X-ray energies. From the established pixel responses, multi-threshold composite images produced from the sum of 13.5 keV and 15.