Abstract:
A phase-locked delay device (100), comprising: an input port (2) configured to receive an input electromagnetic radiation pulse (Pin); said input pulse being to be propagated along a propagation direction (z) and having a first linear polarization different from both a first direction (x), which is orthogonal to the propagation direction (z), and a second direction (y), which is orthogonal to the first direction (x) and the propagation direction (z); an adjustable Babinet-Soleil module (1) optically coupled to said input port, having a first polarization direction (OX1) parallel to said first direction (x); wherein the adjustable Babinet-Soleil module is structured to: provide from the input pulse (Pin) a first pulse (P 2x ) polarized along the first direction (x) and a second pulse (P 2y ) collinear to said first pulse and polarized along the second direction (y), and introduce an adjustable group delay ΔT between the first pulse and the second pulse ranging from a minim value ΔT m and a maximum value ΔT M ; the maximum value ΔT M being a value greater than 10 fs.
Abstract:
A novel soft beamsplitter mounting system as part of an interferometer to protect the beamsplitter substrate from external stresses and thus preserve optical flatness is introduced. The soft mounting system enables such protection by being more flexible that the beamspitter substrate so external forces deforms the mount rather than the beamsplitter. Although the soft beamsplitter mounting configurations disclosed herein protects the beamsplitter, the interferometer itself is less stable because the mounts of the present invention allows the beamspltter to tilt more easily than other components held in the interferometer. The improved tilt control embodiments of the present invention turns this seemingly deleterious effect into a cost saving benefit by using the inexpensive soft mounting system as a flexure to allow an improved active control system to maintain tilt alignment in a system that is more rugged than conventional interferometers.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a field-compensated interferometer (1) including an optical assembly (2) for directing incident light beams (4) having a field angle θ relative to an optical axis of the interferometer (1), into arms (5, 6) of the interferometer, and a beam splitter (12), the arms (5, 6) including at least one mechanically movable optical device (15, 16) for generating a variable optical path difference between beams generated by the separation of each incident beam (4) using said beam splitter (12), said interferometer (1) being characterized in that it includes at least one field compensation optical element (E) arranged in one or the other of the image focal planes of the optical assembly (2), said image focal planes being combined relative to the beam splitter (12), said element (E) including at least one surface (9) that is curved so as to generate a path difference between the incident beams having a non-zero field angle and the incident beams having a zero field angle, the generated path difference making it possible to compensate for the self-apodization resulting from the field angle.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an interferometer comprising: 1 ) a first frequency comb 2) a second frequency comb adapted to interact with the first frequency comb in order to produce interferences. 3) means for isolating the beating signal between a subset of frequency components among the frequency components of the two combs. This subset of frequency components is preferably but not necessarily a single line of the first frequency comb and a single line of the second frequency comb. 4) means for monitoring this beating signal and using it as a trigger or as a clock for the acquisition unit device recording the beating interference signal between the entire frequency components of the first and the second frequency combs.
Abstract:
Optical interferometer, and system including thereof, for real time high speed high resolution hyper-spectral imaging. Optical interferometer includes: beam splitter, fixed mirror, movable mirror, piezoelectric motor displacing movable mirror, distance change feedback sensor sensing and measuring change in distance of movable mirror along an axis, piezoelectric motor controller actuating and controlling piezoelectric motor; and thermomechanically stable optical interferometer mount (32A). Optical interferometer mount (32A) includes: fixed mount section (72) having thereupon mounting locations (76), (78), (84), of beam splitter, fixed mirror, distance change feedback sensor, respectively, and having inside thereof mounting location (82) of piezoelectric motor; and movable mount section (74) having mounting location (80) of movable mirror. Mount (32A) further includes spring or spring-like motion/direction stabilizing elements (86) connected to fixed mount section (72) and movable mount section (74), for stabilizing motion and/or direction of movable mount section (74) and of movable mirror during real time hyper-spectral imaging.
Abstract:
Real time high speed high resolution hyper-spectral imaging. (a) electromagnetic radiation collimating element (16), collimating electromagnetic radiation (44) emitted by objects (12) in a scene or a sample (14); (b) optical interferometer (18), receiving and dividing collimated object emission beam, generating interference images, and piezoelectrically determining and changing magnitude of optical path difference of divided collimated object emission beam; optical interferometer (18) includes: beam splitter (20'), fixed mirror (22), movable mirror (24), piezoelectric motor (26), displacing movable mirror (24) along axis (60), distance change feedback sensor (28), sensing and measuring change in distance of movable mirror (24) along axis (60), piezoelectric motor controller (30), actuating and controlling piezoelectric motor (26); and thermo-mechanically stable optical interferometer mount (32A); (c) camera optics (34), focusing interference images of each optical path difference; (d) detector (36), recording interference images; (e) central programming and signal processing unit (38), and (f) display (40).
Abstract:
An imaging device for forming an image of a sample object includes an optical device and a processing unit. The optical device captures a Fourier spectrum of an object. The processing unit is arranged for processing the Fourier spectrum from the optical device and is adapted for determining the image of the sample object from the intensity of the Fourier spectrum of the sample object and the intensity of the Fourier spectrum of a combination of the sample object and a reference object.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method for standardising an infrared spectrometer based on spectral patterns of constituents of atmospheric air naturally occurring in the spectrometer. The invention also provides a spectrometer applying the method. The method selects a spectral pattern in a recorded spectrum and determines a wavelength dependent position value for a feature, such as the centre of the pattern. This value is compared to a reference value that may be obtained from a spectrum recorded by a master instrument, and a standardisation formula can be determined. The absorption peaks from CO2 (g)around 2350 cm-1 are preferred as the selected pattern. The method renders the use of reference samples unnecessary and allows for the standardisation to be performed simultaneously with the recording of a spectrum of a sample of interest.