Abstract: There is provided a system and method for defect examination on a semiconductor specimen. The method comprises obtaining an original image of the semiconductor specimen, the original image having a first region annotated as enclosing a defective feature; specifying a second region in the original image containing the first region, giving rise to a contextual region between the first region and the second region; identifying in a target image of the specimen a set of candidate areas matching the contextual region in accordance with a matching measure; selecting one or more candidate areas from the set of candidate areas; and pasting the first region or part thereof with respect to the one or more candidate areas, giving rise to an augmented target image usable for defect examination on the semiconductor specimen.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for achieving ultrahigh spectral resolution and a photonic spectral processor, which is designed to carry out the method. The disclosed photonic spectral processor overcomes the current 0.8 GHz spectral resolution limitation. The new spectral processor uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer array located before the dispersive element of the system, thus significantly improving the spectral separation resolution, which is now limited by the full width at half maximum of the Fabry-Perot interferometer rather than the spectral resolution of the dispersive element spectral as is the current situation. A proof of concept experiment utilizing two Fabry-Perot interferometers and a diffractive optical grating with spectral resolution of 6.45 GHz achieving high spectral resolution of 577 MHz is described.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for achieving ultrahigh spectral resolution and a photonic spectral processor, which is designed to carry out the method. The disclosed photonic spectral processor overcomes the current 0.8 GHz spectral resolution limitation. The new spectral processor uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer array located before the dispersive element of the system, thus significantly improving the spectral separation resolution, which is now limited by the full width at half maximum of the Fabry-Perot interferometer rather than the spectral resolution of the dispersive element spectral as is the current situation. A proof of concept experiment utilizing two Fabry-Perot interferometers and a diffractive optical grating with spectral resolution of 6.45 GHz achieving high spectral resolution of 577 MHz is described.

Abstract: A method for performing optical constellation conversion, according to which each received symbol from a constellation of input symbols is optically split into M components and each component is multiplied by a first predetermined different complex weighing factor, to achieve M firstly weighted components with different amplitudes. Then a nonlinear processor optically performs a nonlinear transform on each M firstly weighted components, so as to obtain M outputs which are linearly independent, Finally, a linear processor optically performs a linear transform to obtain a new converted constellation by optically multiplying, in the complex plane, each of the M outputs by a second predetermined different complex weighing factor, to achieve M secondly weighted components and then summing the M secondly weighted components.

Abstract: A method for performing optical constellation conversion, according to which each received symbol from a constellation of input symbols is optically split into M components and each component is multiplied by a first predetermined different complex weighing factor, to achieve M firstly weighted components with different amplitudes. Then a nonlinear processor optically performs a nonlinear transform on each M firstly weighted components, so as to obtain M outputs which are linearly independent, Finally, a linear processor optically performs a linear transform to obtain a new converted constellation by optically multiplying, in the complex plane, each of the M outputs by a second predetermined different complex weighing factor, to achieve M secondly weighted components and then summing the M secondly weighted components.

Abstract: A method for providing spectral and temporal stealthy information transmitted over an optical communication channel, according to which, at the transmitting side, the power spectral density of a pulse sequence bearing the information is reduced by encrypting the temporal phase of the pulse sequence. The power of the pulse sequence is spread in the frequency domain, to be below the noise level, by sampling the pulse sequence. Spectral phase encoding is used to temporally spread the pulse sequence and to prevent coherent addition of its spectral replicas in frequency domain. The resulting signal, encrypted both in time and frequency domains, is then transmitted. Spectral phase decoding is performed at the receiving side by performing coherent detection and folding all the spectral replicas of the transmitted signal to the baseband by means of sampling. The temporal phase of the signal is decrypted and the information which is delivered by the pulse sequence is decoded.

Abstract: A method for providing spectral and temporal stealthy information transmitted over an optical communication channel, according to which, at the transmitting side, the power spectral density of a pulse sequence bearing the information is reduced by encrypting the temporal phase of the pulse sequence. The power of the pulse sequence is spread in the frequency domain, to be below the noise level, by sampling the pulse sequence. Spectral phase encoding is used to temporally spread the pulse sequence and to prevent coherent addition of its spectral replicas in frequency domain. The resulting signal, encrypted both in time and frequency domains, is then transmitted. Spectral phase decoding is performed at the receiving side by performing coherent detection and folding all the spectral replicas of the transmitted signal to the baseband by means of sampling. The temporal phase of the signal is decrypted and the information which is delivered by the pulse sequence is decoded.