Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining an index of insect biodiversity, comprising: a plurality of optical insect sensor devices configured to be individually positioned within a geographic area, each insect sensor device configured to: monitor insect activity within a detection volume extending outside the insect sensor device by detecting light from the detection volume, and to output detector data indicative of one or more optically detected attributes associated with respective detected insect detection events, each insect detection event being indicative of one or more insects being present in the detection volume; a data processing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of optical insect sensor devices and configured to: receive detector data from respective ones of the plurality of optical insect sensor devices, the detector data being indicative of one or more optically detected attributes associated with respective detected insect detection events, and to compute, from the received detector data, an i

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing an insecticide across an area of land; the apparatus comprising a vehicle configured to travel along a travelling path across the area of land, the vehicle defining a direction of travel, the vehicle comprising an insecticide dispensing device configured to dispense an insecticide along said traveling path when the vehicle travels along the travelling path; a dispensing control system configured to control an amount of insecticide to be dispensed when the vehicle travels along the travelling path; an insect sensor configured to detect insects in a detection volume; wherein the detection volume is located in front of the vehicle relative to the direction of travel; wherein the dispensing control system is configured to receive sensor data from the insect sensor, the sensor data being indicative of detected insects in the detection volume, and to control the amount of dispensed insecticide responsive to the received sensor data.

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: A Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrocopy (LIBS) system for the analysis of a sample pellet of a consolidated granular material retained in a tubular container may include a laser source configured to emit a pulsed laser beam towards an exposed surface of the sample pellet; and a sample station configured to hold the cylindrical tubular container in one or more orientations to present an exposed surface of the sample pellet towards the pulsed laser beam. The sample station may induce linear movement of the sample pellet along an axis and to expose a portion of the outer side surface of the sample pellet previously constrained through contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical tubular container. The sample station may induce rotational motion of the outer side surface of the sample pellet around the movement axis to present the portion of the outer side surface as the exposed surface.

Abstract: A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

Abstract: A Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrocopy (LIBS) system (2) for the analysis of a sample pellet (12) of a consolidated granular material retained in a tubular container (20), the system (2) comprising a laser source (4) configured to emit a pulsed laser beam (6) towards an exposed surface of the sample pellet (12); and a sample station (18) configured to hold the tubular container (20) with the sample pellet (12) orientated to present the exposed surface towards the pulsed laser beam and comprising an actuator configured to slide the sample pellet (12) along a movement axis out of the tubular container (20) and thereby present a portion of an outer surface (10) of the sample pellet (12) previously constrained by an inner surface of the tubular container (20) as the exposed surface.

Abstract: A system (102) for determining properties of a sample (114) comprises a LIBS detector (104,106) and an infra-red absorption detector (108,110) for interrogating a sample (114) to generate LIBS spectral data and infra-red absorption spectral data respectively; and a data processor (112) adapted to apply at least one chemometric prediction model, each constructed to link, preferably quantitatively link, features of both LIBS and absorption spectral data to a different specific property of the sample, to a combined dataset derived from at least portions of both the LIBS and the absorption data to generate therefrom a determination, preferably a quantitative determination, of the specific property linked by that model.

Abstract: A system (102) for determining properties of a sample (114) comprises a LIBS detector (104,106) and an infra-red absorption detector (108,110) for interrogating a sample (114) to generate LIBS spectral data and infra-red absorption spectral data respectively; and a data processor (112) adapted to apply at least one chemometric prediction model, each constructed to link, preferably quantitatively link, features of both LIBS and absorption spectral data to a different specific property of the sample, to a combined dataset derived from at least portions of both the LIBS and the absorption data to generate therefrom a determination, preferably a quantitative determination, of the specific property linked by that model.

Abstract: An optical spectrometer may include: an adjustable sampling space having two opposing side-walls between which in use a sample for analysis is charged and in at least one of which is formed an optical interface translucent to optical energy emitted by an optical energy source; an actuator mechanically coupled to one or both of the opposing side-walls and configured to operate in response to a command signal applied thereto to effect relative movement of the opposing side-walls; and/or an optical position sensor configured to detect interference fringes generated by the optical energy traversing a distance between the side-walls a plurality of times, having passed through the at least one optical interface, and configured to generate the command signal in dependence thereof. The adjustable sampling space may be brought into an analysis position at which the side-walls are relatively inclined to form a wedge shape.

Abstract: An optical spectrometer (102) comprises an adjustable sampling space (104) having two generally opposing, relatively movable, side-walls (106,108) which are here substantially formed of optically translucent material and between which in use a sample for analysis is charged and an actuator (116) mechanically coupled, here via a worm drive (118), to one or both of the opposing side-walls (108) and operable in response to a command signal applied thereto to effect their relative movement. The spectrometer (102) further comprises an optical position sensor (110,112,114) adapted to detect interference fringes generated by optical energy traversing the distance between the side-walls (106,108) a plurality of times and to generate the command signal in dependence thereof and preferably also adapted to generate an output indexing intensity against an indication of wavelength usable in the spectrometric analysis of a sample material within the sampling space (104).

Abstract: A method and a laser system for generating a pulsed laser signal with a laser signal wavelength and a laser signal repetition rate, the laser system includes a fiber laser unit includes a cladding pumped fiber laser includes a fiber laser light guiding region surrounded by a pump cladding, the fiber laser light guiding region includes at least one active element; at least one pump laser unit for launching a pump signal into the cladding pumped fiber laser, the pump signal unit includes at least one pump diode emitting a signal at a pump signal wavelength; and a modulating unit for modulating the pump signal into a plurality of pump pulses.

Abstract: An optical component including an acceptance fiber, e.g. a photonic crystal fiber, for propagation of pump and signal light, a number of pump delivery fibers and a reflector element that reflects pump light from the pump delivery fibers into the acceptance fiber. An optical component includes a) a first fiber having a pump core with an NA1, and a first fiber end; b) a number of second fibers surrounding the pump core of the first fiber, at least one of the second fibers has a pump core with an NA2 that is smaller than NA1, the number of second fibers each having a second fiber end; and c) a reflector element having an end-facet with a predetermined profile for reflecting light from at least one of the second fiber ends into the pump core of the first fiber.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical fiber defining a longitudinal direction, the optical fiber comprising a core having a diameter larger than 10 ?m, said core comprises at least two solid segments of different composition, at least one of the segments comprises a photo-sensitive material. The core may be segmented in its cross-sectional direction and/or in its longitudinal direction. The optical fiber may comprise a Bragg grating written in at least one of said solid core segments In a preferred embodiment the optical fiber comprises a core with an effective refractive index ncore, and a cladding surrounding said core, wherein in a cross-section perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, said core being segmented, said core comprising a first core segment with an area a1 and a second core segment with an area a2; said first core segment comprises at least one photo-sensitive material, such as Ge and/or B and/or P doped silica; said second core segment surrounds said first core segment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical component comprising an acceptance fibre, e.g. a photonic crystal fibre, for propagation of pump and signal light, a number of pump delivery fibres and a reflector element that reflects pump light from the pump delivery fibres into the acceptance fibre. It is an object of the invention to provide a fibre coupler for coupling two or more light sources into a multi-clad (e.g. double clad) optical fibre, which has practical advantages with respect to handling, loss and back reflection.