Abstract:
A scanner device includes a support surface for the measured object and a drive unit for moving a color measuring head across the support surface in at least one dimension thereof and for adjusting the height of the color measuring head in the direction perpendicular to the support surface, as well as a measuring and drive control unit activating the drive unit and cooperating with the color measuring head (MH). The color measuring head (MH) is equipped with at least an illuminating channel (IC) and a collection channel (CC). The illuminating channel (IC) has a light source (10) and optical means (12-22) for illuminating the measured object (S) at a measurement site at a mean angle of incidence of 45 E. The collection channel (CC) has optical means (24-34) for capturing the light emanating from the measured object at the measurement site at a mean collection angle of 0 E and coupling it into a light guide (LF), which directs the captured measurement light to a wavelength-selective photoelectric transformer preferably provided in the form of a spectrometer, which resolves it into a number of wavelength ranges and generates an electric measurement signal corresponding to each wavelength range. The color measuring head is suitable for taking high-precision measurements of even the smallest measurement fields without contact.
Abstract:
A method for characterizing fluorescent molecules or other particles in samples comprising the steps of: a) monitoring fluctuating intensity of fluorescence emitted by the molecules or other particles in at least one measurement volume of a non-uniform spatial brightness profile by measuring numbers of photon counts in primary time intervals by a single or more photon detectors, b) determining at least one distribution of numbers of photon counts, {circumflex over (P)}(n), from the measured numbers of photon counts, c) determining physical quantities characteristic to said particles by fitting the distribution of numbers of photon counts {circumflex over (P)}(n), wherein the fitting procedure involves calculation of a theoretical distribution function of the number of photon counts P(n) through its generating function, defined as G ( ξ → ) = ∑ n ξ → n P ( n ) .
Abstract:
In a device for measuring the complete polarization state of light over a spectral bandwidth, an optical input signal (41) with wavelengths of light within a spectral band is incident on two or more diffraction gratings (42, 44, 46, 48), or incident from at least two directions on one or more diffraction gratings (72, 74), and the intensity is measured as a function of wavelength for at least four of the diffraction spectra produced by the grating(s). The polarization state of light is then calculated as a function of wavelength over the spectral bandwidth from the intensity measurements.
Abstract:
An ellipsometer, and a method of ellipsometry, for analyzing a sample using a broad range of wavelengths, includes a light source for generating a beam of polychromatic light having a range of wavelengths of light for interacting with the sample. A polarizer polarizes the light beam before the light beam interacts with the sample. A rotating compensator induces phase retardations of a polarization state of the light beam wherein the range of wavelengths and the compensator are selected such that at least a first phase retardation value is induced that is within a primary range of effective retardations of substantially 135.degree. to 225.degree., and at least a second phase retardation value is induced that is outside of the primary range. An analyzer interacts with the light beam after the light beam interacts with the sample. A detector measures the intensity of light after interacting with the analyzer as a function of compensator angle and of wavelength, preferably at all wavelengths simultaneously. A processor determines the polarization state of the beam as it impinges the analyzer from the light intensities measured by the detector.
Abstract:
An electronically agile spectro-polarimetric imager is described in which an acousto-optic tunable spectral filter (AOTF) is located in series with an electronically tunable optical phase modulation plate such that incident radiation will pass through the modulation plate and the AOTF in sequence. This system makes it possible to perform both spectral analysis, complex polarization analysis and object discrimination at video-rates of incident radiation from complex target scenes according to the spectral content and polarization state of the radiation reflected or emitted from the objects within the scene, regardless of the polarization state of the incident radiation. Embodiments for analyzing incident radiation of various wavelengths are provided.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for detecting one or more substances. An optical path switch divides sample path radiation into a time series of alternating first polarized components and second polarized components. The first polarized components are transmitted along a first optical path and the second polarized components along a second optical path. A first gasless optical filter train filters the first polarized components to isolate at least a first wavelength band thereby generating first filtered radiation. A second gasless optical filter train filters the second polarized components to isolate at least a second wavelength band thereby generating second filtered radiation. The first wavelength band and second wavelength band are unique. Further, spectral absorption of a substance of interest is different at the first wavelength band as compared to the second wavelength band. A beam combiner combines the first and second filtered radiation to form a combined beam of radiation. A detector is disposed to monitor magnitude of at least a portion of the combined beam alternately at the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band as an indication of the concentration of the substance in the sample path.
Abstract:
A technique for extracting the impulse response of a sample of interest includes corresponding measurements made with the sample of interest and a reference sample. At each of a series of steps in an FT-IR spectrometer, the sample of interest is illuminated with an excitation pulse of infrared radiation, acoustic signals having a time dependence o.sub.S (t) arising from the excitation pulse are captured, and a Fourier transform O.sub.S of o.sub.S (t) is computed. At each of a series of steps in the FT-IR spectrometer, the reference sample is illuminated with an excitation pulse of analytic radiation, acoustic signals having a time dependence O.sub.R (t) arising from the excitation pulse are captured, and a Fourier transform O.sub.R of o.sub.R (t) is computed. For each step, an inverse Fourier transform of the ratio O.sub.S /O.sub.R is computed to provide a series of values s(t.sub.i) for a series of times t.sub.i. These values s(t.sub.i) represent the impulse response s(t) of the sample of interest for the mix of optical frequencies for that retardation value. Interferograms are processed to provide photoacoustic spectra.
Abstract:
Provided is a polarization characteristic measuring method and apparatus for accurately measuring a polarization characteristic of fluorescence or Raman-scattered light emitted when a sample is exposed to light. The sample is exposed to excitation light radiated from a pulsed excitation light source and converted to p-polarized light by polarizer and half-wave plate, and photodetectors measure an intensity I.sub.pp of a p-polarized component and an intensity I.sub.ps of an s-polarized component of fluorescence emitted from the sample under irradiation with the excitation light. In similar fashion, the sample is exposed to the excitation light of s-polarized light and the detectors measure an intensity I.sub.sp of a p-polarized component and an intensity I.sub.ss of an s-polarized component of fluorescence emitted from the sample under irradiation. From these measured values, G factor is calculated according to the following equation:G=[(I.sub.pp .multidot.I.sub.sp)/(I.sub.ps .multidot.I.sub.ss)].sup.1/2and polarization response correction is effected based on this G factor to obtain the polarization characteristic of fluorescence.
Abstract:
Digital signal proceessing (DSP) techiques for performing multiple modulation measurements with a polarization photoelastic modulator (PEM) in a step-scanning FT-IR spectrometer. The frequency and phase of the PEM drive signal are extracted from the digitized data collected for the actual measurement. This can then be used to perform the desired analysis of the polarization signals (e.g., CD,LD, DIRLD). This is accomplished by successively refining an initial estimate of the PEM frequency (typically starting at the nominal PEM frequency .omega..sub.0, or at the value determined from the previous step). This is done by using the current estimate of the PEM frequency to compute a phase error, and then using the computed phase error to refine the estimate of the PEM frequency. The phase errors are computed using different sets of samples in the sampling interval.
Abstract:
Achromatic optics may be employed in spectroscopic measurement systems. The achromatic optics comprises a spherical mirror receiving a beam of radiation in a direction away from its axis and a pair of lenses: a positive lens and a negative meniscus lens. The negative meniscus lens corrects for the spherical aberration caused by off-axis reflection from the spherical mirror. The positive lens compensates for the achromatic aberration introduced by the negative lens so that the optics, as a whole, is achromatic over visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. Preferably, the two lenses combined have zero power or close to zero power. By employing a spherical mirror, it is unnecessary to employ ellipsoidal or paraboloidal mirrors with artifacts of diamond turning which limit the size of the spot of the sample that can be measured in ellipsometry, reflectometry or scatterometry.