Scene-based adaptive nonuniformity correction (NUC) is currently being applied to achieve higher performance in infrared imaging systems. However, almost all scene-based NUC algorithms cause the production of ghosting artifacts over output images. Based on constant-statistics theory, we propose a novel threshold self-adaptive ghosting reduction algorithm to improve the space low-pass and temporal high-pass (SLPTHP) NUC technique. The correction parameters of the previous frame are regarded as thresholds to compute new correction parameters. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can obtain a satisfactory performance in reducing unwanted ghosting artifacts.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is obtained by exciting the surface plasmon (SP) at the metal and dielectric interface, which can greatly enhance the extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through a nanoslit milled in the metal film. We present a structure with a 50-nm-wide silver nanoslit for EOT by coupling light into the dielectric interlayer between periodic strips and a metal film. When the period of the metallic strips is equal to the wavelength of the SPR, the transmission efficiency of 187.6 through the nanoslit is enhanced. The metallic strip width over the nanoslit is optimized to improve transmission efficiency, and the maximal efficiency of 204.3 is achieved.

The architecture of and the corresponding control algorithm for a devised optical cross-connect, limitedrange wavelength converision wavelength interchangeable cross-connect (L-WIXC), are presented. The performances of L-WIXC including blocking probability, switching time, and throughput are simulated. Cost comparison with wavelength selective cross-connect (WSXC) and WIXC is calculated. Key optical parameters, such as crosstalk, eye diagram, bit error rate, and linear Q factor, are measured and discussed.

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is a key problem with the increasing power of fiber transmission systems. In this letter, a frequency-modulated fiber laser with an ultra-narrow linewidth is chosen as a light source. The SBS threshold is increased from 4.1 to 6.2 mW at 13-MHz frequency modulation amplitude for a 50-km G652 fiber. We also show that the SBS threshold increases with not only the frequency modulation amplitude, but also the modulation frequency. The modulation frequency should be high enough for effective modulation.

The level set method is commonly used to address image noise removal. Existing studies concentrate mainly on determining the speed function of the evolution equation. Based on the idea of a Canny operator, this letter introduces a new method of controlling the level set evolution, in which the edge strength is taken into account in choosing curvature flows for the speed function and the normal to edge direction is used to orient the diffusion of the moving interface. The addition of an energy term to penalize the irregularity allows for better preservation of local edge information. In contrast with previous Canny-based level set methods that usually adopt a two-stage framework, the proposed algorithm can execute all the above operations in one process during noise removal.

We propose a general correction method for the efficiency measurement of optical components in the 45–110 nm range to eliminate the contamination of higher-order harmonics at beamline U27 of the Hefei Light Source (HLS). The influence of harmonics can be deducted effectively from the initial measurement results through the analysis of the proportion of harmonics with a transmission grating and the efficiency measurement of optical elements at the harmonics wavelengths. The reflectivity measurement of a gold film is performed at the beamline to verify its validity. Results indicate that the corrected reflectivity is in good agreement with the theoretical value. The maximal deviation amounts to 1.93% at a wavelength of 85 nm and an incident angle of 5?.

Several results on optical-axis perturbation and elimination of the mismatching error C of a monolithic triaxial ring resonator (MTRR) are reported. Based on the augmented 5￡5 ray matrix method, by simultaneously considering axial displacement of a mirror and the misalignments in three planar square ring resonators of a MTRR, the rules of optical-axis perturbation are obtained. The mismatching error C of the MTRR is eliminated. The results obtained are important for cavity design, as well as in the improvement and alignment of MTRR.

We experimentally obtain the route from period doubling to chaos in an active optical fiber ring resonator (AOFRR) with optical injection. The results show that the AOFRR is sensitive to external optical injection and demonstrate various dynamic characteristics. Meanwhile, the change of the injection strength can cause the output of the AOFRR to become periodic or chaotic. It can be confirmed that all the dynamic characteristics of the system are due to the interaction of the semiconductor laser with the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA).

A high efficiency, high power diode-side-pumped quasi continuous wave (QCW) Nd:YAG ceramic rod laser at 1064 nm based on the domestic transparent ceramic is reported. The average output power of 961 W is achieved with double ceramic rods by means of a symmetrical convex-convex cavity. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is 38.3% and the slope efficiency is 45.3%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest level of efficiency achieved for the domestic Nd:YAG ceramic rod laser.

The theoretical construction of the fundamental ￡ NOR gate using two injection semiconductor laser diodes due to mutual coupling is presented. Two laser diodes that are commonly driven by a monochromatic light beam result in chaos; however, chaotic synchronization between the two lasers may be achieved by coupling them. The all-optical logic gate is finally implemented by synchronizing or un-synchronizing appropriately the two chaotic states under a phase modulator (PM) control. Numerical results validate the feasibility of the method.

We propose and demonstrate a simple configuration of wavelength-tunable fiber laser made up of a tunable band-pass filter, a Sagnac loop reflector, and a Fabry-Perot laser diode. Based on the self-seeded operation, the proposed fiber laser can obtain a single-longitudinal-mode output in the wavelength tuning range of 1544.69–1563.39 nm with tuning step of 1.34 nm. The performances of output power (>-9 dBm), optical side-mode suppression ratio (> 65.5 dB), and power and wavelength stabilities are well exhibited.

Nanometer sized lead molybdate (PbMoO4) plates are prepared through conventional hydrothermal together with sonochemical methods. The plates are then characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, photoluminescence spectrometry, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrometry. The results indicate that the nanoplates have a characteristically narrow particle size distribution and their tetragonal scheelite-type structure is confirmed by both X-ray diffractometry and FTIR spectrometry. When the nanoplates are compared with the corresponding bulk crystals, blue shifts in their photoluminescence peaks, wider optical band gaps, and the broadening of the X-ray diffractometer peaks are observed. These can be ascribed to the decrease in crystal size.

Dynamic fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (FDOT) is important in drug deliver research. In this letter, we first image the metabolic processes of micelles indocyanine green throughout the whole body of a nude mouse using the full-angle FDOT system with line illumination (L-FDOT). The resolution of L-FDOT is evaluated using phantom experiment. Next, in vivo dynamic tomographic images (100 frames; approximately 170 min) of mouse liver and abdomen are shown and cross-validated by planar fluorescence reflectance imaging in vitro. Results provide evidence on applicability of the tomographic image whole-body biological activities in vivo on minute timescale (approximately 1.7 min) using L-FDOT.

The stochastic resonance (SR) of an optical bistable system with cross-correlated additive white and multiplicative colored noises and periodic signal is studied using the unified colored noise approximation and the theory of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Results show that cross-correlation intensity \lambda enforces the SR of the system. The position of the peak on the SNR-\tau curves moves to the right direction along with the increase of \lambda (\tau is the self-correlation time of the multiplicative colored noise). We find the SR phenomenon in the SNR-D and SNR-Q curves (D and Q are the intensities of the additive and multiplicative noises, respectively), but not in the SNR-\lambda curves.

A novel micromirror based on the PolyMUMPs process is designed and presented. The hexagonal micromirror with a diameter of 450 μm consists of three supporting bilayer cantilevers and a mirror plate. The bilayer cantilevers, formed with a polysilicon layer and a gold layer, elevate the mirror plate according to residual stress-induced bending. Both analytical and finite element analysis (FEA) models are built to calculate the elevated height of the free end of the cantilever. The analytical solution is in accordance with the FEA simulation results, with longitudinal stresses applied only. Results of a three-dimensional (3D) simulation with two direction stresses applied also show the elevated height to be proportional to the width of the cantilever and the length of the gold layer. Due to the torque of the joint, the elevated heights of the two kinds of cantilevers assembled with the mirror plates are much smaller than those of the free end of the cantilevers. Both micromirrors with different cantilevers are fabricated. The elevated heights of the fabricated micromirrors are measured using Veeco optical profiler, which show good coincidence with simulation results.

An electrically controlled optical chopper based on switchable holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) gratings is demonstrated through a programmable, adjustable, and periodic external driving source. Compared with traditional mechanical optical choppers, the H-PDLC chopper exhibits many advantages, including faster response time, less waveform deformation, as well as easier integration, control, and fabrication, to name a few. Its excellent performance makes the device potentially useful in frequency modulation optical systems, such as frequency division multiplexed microscopy system.

Liquid crystal in a nematic liquid crystal cell surface with two crossed-grating surface substrates can be oriented along the normal grating direction with given geometric parameters of groove and anchoring strength. This display is equivalent to multi-domain vertical-alignment mode. It has a relatively wide viewing angle. In this letter, we investigate the viewing angle characteristics of this kind of cell. The viewing angle dependence of contrast ratio is obtained using the extended Jones matrix method, which also considers the flexoelectric effect. The viewing angle is dependent on the geometric parameter of grating surface, the flexoelectric coefficients, and the anchoring strength. Therefore, appropriate value for each factor needs to be selected to obtain a better viewing angle of this cell.

We numerically study the surface plasmon interference formed by tightly focused higher polarization order axially symmetric polarized beams (ASPBs) based on the vectorial diffraction theory. The definition of ASPBs is stated, and the optical setup for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation and mathematical expressions for interfering SPP fields are proposed. The simulation results show that the interfering SPP fields present a multi-focal spot pattern. In addition, the number of spots is related to the polarization order of the incident beams P as 2\times(P-1), indicating potential utilization in near-field multiple optical trapping and near-field imaging and sensing. The unique interfering phenomenon is also explained.

Indoor visible light communication (VLC) based on next generation environmentally friendly lighting is important in energy conservation. However, at present, the efficient characterization of VLC channels, including sophisticated reflection, has not yet been proposed. In this letter, we present a fast and comparably accurate channel characterization algorithm called independent reflecting element interaction characterization (IREIC), which can be used to describe optical power, illuminance, and impulse response.

A closed four-level system in atomic vapor is proposed, which is made to possess left handedness by means of the technique of quantum coherence. The method of density matrix is utilized in view of the rotating-wave approximation and the effect of local-field in dense gas. The result of the numerical simulation shows that the negative permittivity and negative permeability of the medium can be achieved simultaneously (i.e., the left handedness) in a wider frequency band under appropriate parameter conditions. Furthermore, when analyzing the dispersion property of the left-handed material, we find that the probe beam can be controlled to change from superluminal to subluminal or vice versa via changing the detuning of the probe field.

By means of concurrence, we investigate the dynamics of entanglement between two initially separate atoms in succession passing through a cavity and their interaction with a Fock state field. We then analyze the effects of the atomic coherence, photon number, and atomic motion on the time evolution of atom-atom entanglement. The results show that there can be entanglement between two separate atoms, and that the threshold time for the creation of the entanglement is controllable by the photon number, atomic motion, and field-mode structure.

The scattering process of an unpolarized Bessel beam through spherical scatterers is investigated. We derive the analytical solutions of scattered fields of x- and y-polarized Bessel beams using a sphere, after which the dimensionless scattering function for an unpolarized Bessel beam is obtained. The dimensionless scattering function is applicable to spherical scatterers of any size on the beam axis or near it. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate that extreme points exist in the direction or neighboring direction of the conical angle for spherical scatterers on the beam axis, whereas the existence of extreme points depends on the ratio between the spherical scatterers size and central spot size of the Bessel beam.

The formation process of silicon-nanocrystals (Si-NCs) in the amorphous silicon/silicon dioxide (a-Si/SiO2) multilayer structure during thermal annealing is theoretically studied with a modified model based on the Gibbs free energy variation. In this model, the concept of average effective interfacial free energy variation is introduced and the whole formation process consisting of nucleation and subsequent growth is considered. The calculating results indicate that there is a lower limit of the silicon layer thickness for forming Si-NCs in a-Si/SiO2 multilayer, and the oxide interfaces cannot constrain their lateral growth. Furthermore, by comparing the results for a-Si/SiO2 and a-Si/SiNx multilayers, it is found that the constraint on the crystal growth from the dielectric interfaces depends on the difference between interfacial free energies.

We report the fabrication of submicrometer pits array (SP-array) on 6H-SiC surface by the interference of two femtosecond laser beams. Formation mechanisms and optical absorption of SP-array are studied. The relative reflectivity and transmissivity of white light decrease to 10% of the values of SiC crystal, and the optical absorption is enhanced to 97%. The relative reflectivity and transmissivity of incident angles within the range of 20o~60o are kept below 25%. The enhancement mechanism of optical absorption of the SP-array is also discussed.

We apply the effective medium theory combined with the conventional periodic method of moments (MoM) to analyze frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) on periodic and anisotropic substrates. Based on the effective medium theory, even periodic and anisotropic substrates can be considered homogeneous; thus, the Green's function can be obtained. The resulting integral equation can then be solved by the MoM using rooftop basis functions and Galerkin testing functions. We analyze an example using this technique, and the numerical results agree with Fallahi's full-vector semi-analytical method, showing an increasing difference between the results as the frequencies increase. These results show that the proposed method is effective for analyzing FSSs on periodic and anisotropic substrates.