Abstract: The invention contributes to combat climate change by enabling the operation of a photovoltaic (PV) plant at high performance by providing based on the typically available metering a more or less topology agnostic automated set-up. Additional information can also be used such as sun positions and/or being designed for nominal powers. The invention relates to a method for determining performance deviation of a PV configuration, only taking electrical measurements into account thus excluding irradiance data. In addition, a method is provided for detecting underperformance within a PV plant with high accuracy. The invention also relates to a method for determining long-term degradation of a PV installation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated photonic device (100) operatively coupleable with an optical element (300) in a first coupling direction. The integrated photonic device (100) comprises an integrated photonic waveguide (120) and a grating coupler (130) that is adapted for diffracting light from the waveguide (120) into a second coupling direction different from the first coupling direction. The integrated photonics device also comprises a refractive element (110) disposed adjacent the grating coupler (130) and adapted to refract the light emerging from the grating coupler (130) in the second coupling direction into the first coupling direction.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit (410) is described comprising at least one signal processing circuit (110). The signal processing circuit (110) comprises at least one input coupling element (120) for coupling incident light from a predetermined incoupling direction into the photonic integrated circuit (410), and at least one output coupling element (130) for coupling light out of the photonic integrated circuit (410) into an outcoupling direction. The relation between the incoupling direction and the outcoupling direction is different from a relation according to the law of reflection and the incoupling direction and the outcoupling direction are substantially the same. Furthermore, an optical sensor probe (400) comprising such a photonic integrated circuit (410) is disclosed.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit (410) is described comprising at least one signal processing circuit (110). The signal processing circuit (110) comprises at least one input coupling element (120) for coupling incident light from a predetermined incoupling direction into the photonic integrated circuit (410), and at least one output coupling element (130) for coupling light out of the photonic integrated circuit (410) into an outcoupling direction. The relation between the incoupling direction and the outcoupling direction is different from a relation according to the law of reflection and the incoupling direction and the outcoupling direction are substantially the same. Furthermore, an optical sensor probe (400) comprising such a photonic integrated circuit (410) is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated photonic device (100) operatively coupleable with an optical element (300) in a first coupling direction. The integrated photonic device (100) comprises an integrated photonic waveguide (120) and a grating coupler (130) that is adapted for diffracting light from the waveguide (120) into a second coupling direction different from the first coupling direction. The integrated photonics device also comprises a refractive element (110) disposed adjacent the grating coupler (130) and adapted to refract the light emerging from the grating coupler (130) in the second coupling direction into the first coupling direction.

Abstract: A waveguide coupling probe (10) for sending light into an optical waveguide on a substrate or for receiving light from an optical waveguide on a substrate is provided, the waveguide coupling probe comprising an optical element (11) for guiding the light in a propagation direction, the optical element (11) having a facet (15) where the light enters or exits the optical element (11) and means for coupling the light between the optical element (11) and the waveguide. A waveguide coupling probe (10) according to the present invention is characterized in that the light coupling means are formed on the facet (15) and comprise a diffraction structure (14). In a preferred embodiment the optical element (11) may be an optical fiber and the diffraction structure may be a strong diffraction structure, e.g. a metal grating structure. When bringing the waveguide coupling probe (10) in the vicinity of a waveguide on a substrate, the light that is guided by the waveguide may be diffracted into the optical element (11).

Abstract: An optical detection system (100) for detecting biological, chemical or bio-chemical particles is described. The optical detection system (100) typically comprises a surface mode interference means. The surface mode interference means may comprise a layer (102) such as for example a metal layer like e.g. a gold layer. The surface mode interference means furthermore typically is adapted to create an interference effect between optical interface modes of the layer to detect optical changes in the vicinity of the layer (102). In this way, sample (106) occurring in the vicinity of the surface may be detected. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for performing optical detection and to a method for setting up an optical detection system wherein parameters are selected for tuning the surface mode interference means to a desired wavelength range and/or to a desired range of analyte refractive indices.