Abstract:
The interferometer makes use of an acousto-optic device (11, 21) to perform a frequency shift of the beam sent along one of the interferometer branches, so as to allow the determination of the state of polarization by heterodyne radiofrequency detection. The acousto-optic device can be inserted downstream the means (8) splitting the beam emitted by the source (1) into the two beams sent along the two interferometer branches, or it can also act as the beam splitter.
Abstract:
The method and the device are based on interference techniques. Two quasi-monochromatic radiations (2a, 2b; 102a, 102b; 202a, 202b) with slightly different optical frequencies are generated. A radiation is converted into a 45° linearly-polarized radiation, while the other presents the polarization state imposed by a body under test (4, 204). In each radiation, horizontal and vertical polarization components are separated, and then recombined into two different beams (20a, 21a; 34, 35) comprising radiations at both frequencies, respectively polarized in the same plane. Beatings between the two components of each beam are originated and from the two electrical signals in the radio frequency range thus obtained the information is extracted on the relative phase and the amplitude of the two components of the radiation with polarization imposed by the body under test (4, 204).
Abstract:
A 6-axis laser measurement system (300) includes a novel 5-D measurement apparatus and precision laser roll detector system (100). The 5-D system (105) measures pitch, yaw, X, Y, Z displacements with a single setup of a laser head (102) and detection housing (302). The laser roll detector (100) uses a polarizing prism (104) such as a Glan-Thompson prism, and at least two photodetectors (D1, D2, D3, D4). A linearly polarized laser beam enters the prism (104), and the beam is split into two polarized components, the intensities of which vary with roll orientation of the detector (105) relative to the polarized laser beam. The outputs of the two detectors (D1, D2) are connected to the positive and negative inputs, respectively, of a high gain differential amplifier (108) which provides roll output.
Abstract:
A method and system are provided for suppressing or filtering multiple reflections which corrupt photometric or height measurements within optical systems such as imaging systems. The reflections may originate within the instrument (i.e., back reflections) or may be inter-reflections between one or more surfaces in a scene. In one embodiment, a beam of electromagnetic energy generated by a source is polarized in a first rotational sense, is transmitted to a point of interest (i.e., scene) of an object, is reflected and received by a receiver having a polarizer which passes reflected electromagnetic energy having a second rotational sense opposite the first rotational sense. In this way, unwanted reflections from the point of interest having the first rotational sense are suppressed and back-reflections to the source of electromagnetic energy are substantially eliminated. In another embodiment, a detector which normally back-reflects a portion of electromagnetic energy it receives along a first axis, has a surface normal which is maintained in a fixed, non-colinear relation to the first axis and back-reflected electromagnetic energy is prevented from reaching the scene and is not received by any other detector of the imaging system.
Abstract:
A polarization state and polarization characteristics of a light transmitting medium are evaluated by Jones vectors containing Stokes vectors and Jones matrix. Rays of light of under three kinds of polarized states are applied from an incidence side apparatus (2) to a light transmitting medium (1), and a branched beam of light I on the outgoing side and branched beams of light Q, U and V passing through analyzers in directions of 0 DEG , 90 DEG and 45 DEG are detected as the Stokes vectors by light intensity. The Stokes vectors are normalized such as S1 = Q/I, S2 = U/I and S3 = V/I, and are re-normalized in a unit length such as S1/(S1 + S2 + S3 ) => S1. A polarization evaluation portion (15) actually measures the Jones vector containing the re-normalized Stokes vector as its component and evaluates the polarized state of the light transmitting medium (1). A polarization characteristics evaluation portion (13) actually measures a Jones matrix containing the re-normalized Stokes vector as the components thereof and evaluates the polarization characteristics of the light transmitting medium (1).
Abstract:
The presence and concentration of an optical active constituent of a fluid medium (5) is determined in situ by immersing in the fluid medium (5) a probe (1) constructed to pass plane polarized light (34) through the fluid medium (5) in the first and second passes so as to induce an optical rotation (70) to the plane of polarization. The light is analyzed (44, 46) after the second pass in a manner to provide a plurality of light components whose individual intensities are affected by the induced optical rotation (70). A light intensity ratio is determined for the individual light components and compared to light intensity ratios (IA, IB) obtained from like fluid media having known concentrations of the optically active constituent therein to permit determination of the concentration of the optical active constituent (5).
Abstract:
The invention concerns an optical component of polarizing modulation, a polarimeter and a Mueller ellipsometer comprising this optical component. The optical component modulates an incident light beam (10) linearly polarized and sends back a modulated beam (11). It comprises a coupled phase modulator (6B) modulating twice successively the incident beam, the two modulations being at the same frequency omega /2 pi and being coupled by a system (61) modifying the state of polarization of the light between the two modulations. The ellipsometer comprises means for sensing a measuring beam sent back by a sample, which receives the modulated beam, and a processing unit. The sensing means include a polarimeter generating n measured quantities representing the states of polarization of the beam and the processing unit generates by Fourier transform m values for each of these quantities, with n x m >/= 16 and m >/= 4, for simultaneously acceding to the sixteen coefficients of the Mueller matrix of the sample.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for screening diverse arrays of materials (1205) are provided. In particular, techniques for rapidly characterizing compounds in arrays of materials (1205) in order to discover and/or optimize new materials with specific desired properties are provided. The substrate (403) can be screened for materials having useful properties, and/or the resulting materials can be ranked, or otherwise compared, for relative performance with respect to useful properties or other characterizations. In particular, systems (1200, 1300, 1400) and methods are provided for screening a library of magnetic materials (1205) for their bulk magnetization, saturation magnetization, and coercivity by imaging their individual optical Kerr rotation, screening a library of dielectric materials (1205) for their dielectric coefficients by imaging their individual electro-optical rotation and screening a library of luminescent materials by imaging their individual luminescent properties under a variety of excitation conditions. Optical or visible luminescence systems (1200, 1300, 1400) are also provided as well as their application to screening libraries of different materials (1205).
Abstract:
The ellipsometric microscope (10) broadly includes a light source (14) for emitting a beam of monochromatic, collimated light, an adjustable support assembly (12) for directing the light beam along an incident path (56) for impingement on a film sample (58) at a predetermined angle for reflectance off of the sample along a reflectance path (60), and a detector (34) for detecting the reflectance beam. A polarizer (20) is positioned along the incident path (56) for elliptically polarizing the incident beam, and a remotely controllable variable retarder (22) is also positioned along the incident path (56) for altering the elliptical polarization of the incident beam. A beam expander (30) is positioned along the reflectance path (60) between the film sample (58) and the detector (34) for expanding the beam of light, and permitting only passage of parallel component of the reflectance beam. An analyser (36) is coupled with the detector (34) for analyzing the reflectance beam for determining the thickness of the film sample (58).
Abstract:
A sorting system (10) propels a stream of randomly arranged PET and PVC articles (12, 14) through an inspection zone (20) including a first light polarizer/analyzer combination (24, 26), an article-detecting gap (G), and a second light polarizer/analyzer combination (28, 30). The first and second polarizer/analyzer combinations are oriented to extinguish normally incident light in the absence of articles in the inspection zone and are offset 45 degrees relative to each other such that at least one polarizer/analyzer combination detects a principal axis of birefringence of PET articles. The gap is employed to detect the presence of an article in the inspection zone. A video camera (22) includes first, second, and third CCD arrays (58, 60, 62) positioned to receive respective light arrays (48, 64, 50) from the first light polarizer/analyzer combination, the gap, and the second light polarizer/analyzer combination and to generate first, second, and third video signals representative of the light each receives. A video signal processor (68) processes the second video signal to identify the presence of multiple articles in the inspection zone, processes the first and third video signals to determine whether each of the multiple articles is made from PET, and selectively activates air ejectors (70) to separate the PET articles from the other articles.