Abstract:
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and comprises input and output polarisers, a first polarising beam splitter and at least one additional polarising beam splitter, a light sensitive detector and focussing means arranged on an axis. The input polariser resolves incident light into a single linear polarisation state. The first polarising beam splitter receives light from the input polarises, and resolves it into equal magnitude orthogonally polarised rays which are mutually spaced and have a path difference therebetween. The or each additional polarising beam splitter is arranged to receive light from the first polarising beam splitter. The transmission axis of the output polariser is parallel to or perpendicular to the transmission axis of the input polarises to resolve the orthogonally polarised light rays having past through the or each additional polarising beam splitter into the same or perpendicular polarisation state as light resolved by the, first polariser. The first polarising beam splitter, the or each additional polarising beam splitter and the focussing means are mutually spaced such that said mutually spaced rays are brought to coincidence whereby interference fringes are produced, the detector being arranged to detect the interference fringes. One beam splitter is mounted for movement perpendicular to said axis, whereas the other beam splitter(s) is/are rigidly mounted against movement.
Abstract:
The polarization interferometer comprises a source of light (1), a collimator (2), a first polarizing means (3), a double-refractive means (4,5,6) and a second polarizing means (7) which polarizes the light emerging from the double-refractive means (4,5,6) and directs it to a photon detector (8). The double-refractive means (4,5,6) consists of two optical wedges (5,6) displaceable along those lateral surfaces which face each other, said wedges complementing each other to a right parallelepiped, and of a double-refractive, plane-parallel plate (4) serving as a compensator. The optical axis of the compensator (4) is twisted in a plane perpendicular to the light beam by a finite angle relative to that of the two wedges (5,6), the optical axes of the two wedges (5,6) coinciding with each other. The optical axes of the two polarizing means (3,7) are arranged perpendicularly or parallely to each other and are aligned non-parallely to the axes of the two wedges (5,6) of the double-refractive means (4,5,6).
Abstract:
A refractively scanned interferometer, of the type in which a wedge-shaped prism is moved across one interferometer arm for scanning purposes, in which both the substrate of the beamsplitter and the scanning wedge are optically compensated for by substantially identical elements in the other arm of the interferometer.
Abstract:
A system for measuring the intensity and state of polarization of a radiation field as well as obtaining the spectral variations of these quantities with a wide range of spectral resolution, i.e., from low to extremely high resolution values, is disclosed. The system generally includes any standard or conventional twobeam interferometer which is modified by the inclusion of a polarizer in each of the beams and an analyzer positioned in front of a sensor or recording device. More specifically, the system employs a beam splitter which serves to divide light from a selected light source into a pair of individual light beams. Each of the light beams is directed through a polarizer. The polarizers are positioned to have preselected planes of polarization with respect to each other and with respect to the plane of polarization of the analyzer. The polarized light beams are applied to a variable optical retarder which serves to selectively modify the relative optical path lengths of the light beams. An optical mixer may be employed to recombine the two light beams. The recombined light beams are projected through an analyzer, such as a linear polarizer, to a sensor or recording device.
Abstract:
Embodiments are disclosed relating to a refractively-scanning interferometer comprising an aperture that receives an incident light beam at a receiving angle, a beam splitter configured to split the incident light beam into a first beam and a second beam, a first and a second reflector arranged to reflect the first beam and second beam, respectively, towards a combining optical element, and a refractive Optical Path Difference (rOPD) assembly interposed between the beam splitter and the first reflector, wherein the rOPD Assembly refracts the first light beam an even number of times with induced phase discrepancy being a vector sum of a first phase discrepancy induced by a first refraction and a second phase discrepancy induced by a second refraction, the rOPD Assembly being configured such that the first phase discrepancy is substantially opposite in direction to the second phase discrepancy, a portion of the first and second phase discrepancies cancelling one another out to decrease magnitude of the phase discrepancy.
Abstract:
Systems and methods according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be provided that can efficiently detect the amplitude and phase of a spectral modulation. Such exemplary scheme can be combined with self-interference fluorescence to facilitate a highly sensitive depth localization of self-interfering radiation generated within a sample. The exemplary system and method can facilitate a scan-free depth sensitivity within the focal depth range for microscopy, endoscopy and nanoscopy.
Abstract:
This disclosure provides an optical interferometer including a multi-faceted optical element that is rotated to introduce an optical path length difference between two different optical paths in the interferometer. The multi-faceted optical element can be configured to be rotated about an axis such that the optical path length difference between the first and second optical paths varies between a first value and a second value several times during one complete rotation of the optical element. The multi-faceted optical element can be rotationally symmetric having n-fold rotational symmetry. The two different optical paths can be non-coplanar with respect to each other and the multi-faceted optical element can be disposed in one of the optical paths or both the optical paths.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and comprises input and output polarisers, a first polarising beam splitter and at least one additional polarising beam splitter, a light sensitive detector and focussing means arranged on an axis. The input polariser resolves incident light into a single linear polarisation state. The first polarising beam splitter receives light from the input polarises, and resolves it into equal magnitude orthogonally polarised rays which are mutually spaced and have a path difference therebetween. The or each additional polarising beam splitter is arranged to receive light from the first polarising beam splitter. The transmission axis of the output polariser is parallel to or perpendicular to the transmission axis of the input polarises to resolve the orthogonally polarised light rays having past through the or each additional polarising beam splitter into the same or perpendicular polarisation state as light resolved by the, first polariser. The first polarising beam splitter, the or each additional polarising beam splitter and the focussing means are mutually spaced such that said mutually spaced rays are brought to coincidence whereby interference fringes are produced, the detector being arranged to detect the interference fringes. One beam splitter is mounted for movement perpendicular to said axis, whereas the other beam splitter(s) is/are rigidly mounted against movement.
Abstract:
In a method and an apparatus for refining chocolate mass within a trough, the trough contains at least one trough compartment wherein the chocolate mass is treated or conched. After entering the trough and after begin of operation of the machine, at least one additive, such as fat (cocoa butter), is added at a certain moment. Addition of the at least one additive is done into one compartment of the continuously operated conching machine. The composition of the chocolate mass is monitored after adding the additives by means of a spectrometer. An output signal of the spectrometer is used to control the added amount of the respective additive.