Abstract:
Provided herein are devices, systems, and methods for electrically-augmented damping of an actuator and associated devices. In particular, electrically-augmented damping derived from measurement of voltage across an actuator and current flowing through an actuator is provided.
Abstract:
A device and a method for optical measurement of a target, wherein the target is irradiated with radiation beam (15) and a measurement beam (27) is received from the target and detected. Commonly used absorbance, reflectance and fluorescence measurements do not provide adequate information in e.g. measuring small contents of sulphur compounds. The present solution provides a new Raman spectrometer which is suitable for mass applications. A target is activated with pulses of a laser diode (12). The Raman signatures are measured and integrated successively with a point detector (44). A Fabry-Perot interferometer (42) on the measurement path is successively controlled into corresponding pass bands. While high spectral resolution or range is not required it is possible to use small-sized and low cost components.
Abstract:
Described are a method and apparatus for high-speed phase shifting of an optical beam. A transparent plate having regions of different optical thickness is illuminated by an optical beam along a path of incidence that extends through the regions. The transparent plate can be moved or the optical beam can be steered to generate the path of incidence. The optical beam exiting the transparent plate has an instantaneous phase value according to the region in which the optical beam is incident. Advantageously, the phase values are repeatable and stable regardless of the location of incidence of the optical beam within the respective regions, and phase changes at high modulation rates are possible. The method and apparatus can be used to modulate a phase difference of a pair of coherent optical beams such as in an interferometric fringe projection system.
Abstract:
Featured is a method for reducing frequency of taking background spectra in FTIR or FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Such a method includes determining if there is a pre-existing reference spectrum available and if such a reference spectrum is available, acquiring a present reference scan before acquiring a sample scan. The method also includes comparing the present reference scan with the pre-existing reference spectrum to determine if there is one or more non-conformities therebetween and if there is/are one or more nonconformities, determining if the one or more non-conformities are resolvable or not. If the one or more non-conformities are resolvable; resolve each non-conformity in a determined manner and thereafter acquiring a scan of the sample, and if the non-conformities are not resolvable, then acquiring a new reference sample and thereafter acquiring a scan of the sample.
Abstract:
Multi-characteristic detection is achieved by altering the light incidence angle of a single Integrated Computational Element ("ICE") used in an optical computing device. The optical computing device manipulates the incidence angle of light interacting with the ICE, thereby enabling the detection of multiple sample characteristics. The effect of manipulating the light incidence angle is that the effective light path length through the ICE is altered, thus shifting the transmission spectral profile of the ICE.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a light source for a spectrophotometer which is to be directed upon a reflective sample for measuring the spectral reflectance of a sample surface, the light source comprising: (a) a plurality of electrofluorescent illuminants each having a different emission spectra; and (b) each illuminant individually adjustably energized by a pulse width modulated signal.
Abstract:
A photoacoustic gas sensor, system and method is generally described. In some examples, a photoacoustic gas sensor includes the combination of a grating and a MEMS mirror array operating as a wavelength-selective optical modulator, and a ring array of acoustic sensors arranged around a gas sample region. The MEMS-based optical modulator can be adapted to provide flexible wavelength selectively such that a large number of chemical compounds may be detected. The ring array of acoustic sensors can be adapted to measure photoacoustically generated acoustic signals without the need for resonant enhancement of a photoacoustic cell of the gas sensor. In some examples, a unique uncorrelated and deterministic signal may be used to modulate each light wavelength of interest. Signal processing may be used that allows the simultaneous measurement of the absorption spectra of multiple optical wavelengths as well as the rejection of unwanted acoustic noise.