Research on automatic inspection system for defects on precise optical surface based on machine vision

In manufacture of precise optical products, it is important to inspect and classify the potential defects existing on the products’ surfaces after precise machining in order to obtain high quality in both functionality and aesthetics. The existing methods for detecting and classifying defects all are low accuracy or efficiency or high cost in inspection process. In this paper, a new inspection system based on machine vision has been introduced, which uses automatic focusing and image mosaic technologies to rapidly acquire distinct surface image, and employs Case-Based Reasoning(CBR)method in defects classification. A modificatory fuzzy similarity algorithm in CBR has been adopted for more quick and robust need of pattern recognition in practice inspection. Experiments show that the system can inspect surface diameter of 500mm in half an hour with resolving power of 0.8μm diameter according to digs or 0.5μm transverse width according to scratches. The proposed inspection principles and methods not only have meet manufacturing requirements of precise optical products, but also have great potential applications in other fields of precise surface inspection.

Difference scattering field properties between periodic defect particles and three-dimensional slightly rough optical surface

Based on the practical situation of nondestructive examination, the calculation model of the composite scattering is established by using a three-dimensional half-space finite difference time domain, and the Monte Carlo method is used to solve the problem of the optical surface with roughness in the proposed scheme. Moreover, the defect particles are observed as periodic particles for a more complex situation. In order to obtain the scattering contribution of defects inside the optical surface, a difference radar cross section is added into the model to analyze the selected calculations on the effects of numbers, separation distances, different depths and different materials of defects. The effects of different incident angles are also discussed. The numerical results are analyzed in detail to demonstrate the best position to find the defects in the optical surface by detecting in steps of a fixed degree for the incident angle.

Postprocessing treatments to improve the laser damage resistance of fused silica optical surfaces and SiO_2 coatings

The combination of deep wet etching and a magneto-rheological finishing （MRF） process is investigated to simultaneously improve laser damage resistance of a fused-silica surface at 355 nm. The subsequently deposited SiO2 coatings are researched to clarify the impact of substrate finishing technology on the coatings. It is revealed that a deep removal proceeding from the single side or double side had a significant impact on the laser-induced damage threshold （LIDT） of the fused silica, especially for the rear surface. After the deep etching, the MRF process that followed does not actually increase the LIDT, but it does ameliorate the surface qualities without additional LIDT degradation. The combination guarantee both the integrity of the surface＇s finish and the laser damage resistance of the fused silica and subsequent SiO2 coatings.

Phase-matched third-harmonic generation via doubly resonant optical surface modes in 1D photonic crystals

Efficient nonlinear conversion requires that interacting optical waves maintain a consistent phase relationship when traveling in a medium despite its dispersion.Birefringent phase-matching,which is often used to compensate for the dispersion,is not applicable to optically isotropic nonlinear materials.Here,we present a one-dimensional photonic crystal structure that allows the propagation of optical surface waves,both at the fundamental and third-harmonic frequencies,as an efficient medium for phasematched third-harmonic generation.A unique advantage of this structure is that the effective refractive indices for the surface waves are similar to the refractive index of air at both frequencies.This allows phase-matching between the first and third harmonics,and a visible collinear beam of the third harmonic is produced at the prism-coupled output.Moreover,these optical surface waves propagate over long distances even if a lossy nonlinear nanofilm is deposited onto the photonic crystal surface.We provide experimental results for third-harmonic generation at a wavelength of 410 nm for a bare dielectric Ta2O5/SiO2 multilayer structure and for the same structure coated with a 15-nm GaAs film.

Dark-field detection method of shallow scratches on the super-smooth optical surface based on the technology of adaptive smoothing and morphological differencing

In recent years, modern optical processing technologies, such as single point diamond turning, ion beam etching, and magneto-theological finishing, arc getting break- throughs. Machining precisions of super-smooth optics have also been significantly improved. However, with increasing demands for the optical surface quality,

Polar interface and surface optical vibration spectra in multi-layer wurtzite quantum wires： transfer matrix method

The polar interface optical （IO） and surface optical （SO） phonon modes and the corresponding Froehlich electron phonon-interaction Hamiltonian in a freestanding multi-layer wurtzite cylindrical quantum wire （QWR） are derived and studied by employing the transfer matrix method in the dielectric continuum approximation and Loudon＇s uniaxial crystal model. A numerical calculation of a freestanding wurtzite GaN/AlN QWR is performed. The results reveal that for a relatively large azimuthal quantum number m or wave-number kz in the free z-direction, there exist two branches of IO phonon modes localized at the interface, and only one branch of SO mode localized at the surface in the system. The degenerating behaviours of the IO and SO phonon modes in the wurtzite QWR have also been clearly observed for a small kz or m. The limiting frequency properties of the IO and SO modes for large kz and m have been explained reasonably from the mathematical and physical viewpoints. The calculations of electron-phonon coupling functions show that the high-frequency IO phonon branch and SO mode play a more important role in the electron phonon interaction.

Impact of Surface Passivation on the Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of the Si1-xGex Nanowires

The electronic structures and optical properties of the [llO]-oriented Sil-xGex nanowires （NWs） passivated with different functional groups （-H, -F and-OH） are investigated by using first-principles calculations. The results show that surface passivation influences the characteristics of electronic band structures significantly： the band gap widths and types （direct or indirect） of the Si1-xGe, NWs with different terminators show complex and robust variations, and the effective masses of the electrons in the NWs can be modulated dramatically by the terminators. The study of optical absorption shows that the main peaks of the parallel polarization component of Si1-x Gex NWs passivated with the functional groups exhibit prominent changes both in height and position, and are red-shifted with respect to those of corresponding pure Si NWs, indicating the importance of both the terminators and Ge concentrations. Our results demonstrate that the electronic and optical properties of Si1-xGex NWs can be tuned by utilizing selected functional groups as well as particular Ge concentrations for customizing purposes.

Beam Steering Analysis in Optically Phased Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Array

Beam steering in implant defined coherently coupled vertical cavity surface emitting laser （VCSEL） arrays is simulated using the FDTD solution software. Angular deflection dependent on relative phase differences among elements, inter-element spacing, element size and emitted wavelength is analyzed detailedly and systematically. We design and fabricate 1×2 implant defined VCSEL arrays for optimum beam steering performance. Electroni- cally controlled beam steering with a maximum deflection angle of 1.6° is successfully achieved in the 1 × 2 VCSEL arrays. The percentage of the power in the central lobe is above 39% when steering. The results show that the steering is controllable. Compared with other beam steering methods, the fabrication process is simple and of low cost.

Effect of In_xGa_(1-x)As Interlayer on Surface Morphology and Optical Properties of GaSb/InGaAs Type-Ⅱ Quantum Dots Grown on InP (100) Substrates

The effects of indium composition in InGaAs interlayer and on optical properties of GaSb/InGaAs QD material on morphology of GaSb/InGaAs quantum dots （QDs） system are studied. AFM images show that the change of the indium composition in InGaAs interlayer can alter the GaSb QD morphology. It is found that low indium composition in InGaAs interlayer can promote the formation of QDs, while high indium composition can inhibit the formation of QDs. The photoluminescence （PL） spectra of GaSb/InGaAs QDs at 8 K under low excitation power indicate that the third root of the excitation power is linear with the peak position, which provides a direct evidence for their luminescence belonging to type-Ⅱ material optical transition. The PL spectra at 8 K under an excitation power of 90row show that the optical properties of GaSb/InGaAs QD material system can be affected by the indium composition in the InGaAs interlayer, and the PL peak position is linear with the indium composition. The optical properties of GaSb/InGaAs QDs can be improved by adjusting the indium composition in the InGaAs interlayer.

First-principles Study of Single Tin-phthalocyanine Molecule on Ag（111） Surface

Adsorption behavior and electronic structure of tin-phthalocyanine (SnPc) on Ag(111) surface with Sn-up and Sn-down conformations are investigated using first-principles calculations. Two predicted adsorption configurations agree well with the experimentally determined structures. SnPc molecule energetically prefers to adsorb on Ag(111) surface with Sn-down conformation. The energy required to move the central Sn atom through the frame of a phthalocyanine molecule, switching from the Sn-up to Sn-down conformation, is about 1.68 eV. The simulated scanning tunneling microscopy images reproduce the main features of experimental observations. Moreover, the experimentally proposed hole attachment mechanism is verified based on the calculated density of states of SnPc on Ag(111) with three different adsorption configurations.

Existence of Shear Horizontal Surface Waves in a Magneto-Electro-Elastic Material

The existence of shear horizontal surface waves in a magneto-electro-elastic （MEE） half-space with hexagonal （6mm） symmetry is investigated. The surface of the MEE half-space is mechanically free, but subjected to four types of electromagnetic boundary conditions. These boundary conditions are electrically open/magnetically closed, electrically open/magnetically open, electrically closed/magnetically open and electrically closed/magnetically dosed. It is shown that except for the electrically open/magnetically closed condition, the three other sets of electromagnetic boundary conditions allow the propagation of shear horizontal surface waves.

Theoretical Studies of Optical Properties of Silver Nanoparticles

Optical properties of silver nanoparticles such as extinction, absorption and scattering efficiencies are studied based on Green＇s function theory. The numerical simulation results show that optical properties of silver nanoparticles are mainly dependent on their sizes and geometries; the localized plasmon resonance peak is red shifted when the dielectric constant of the particle＇s surrounding medium increases or when a substrate is presented. The influences of wave polarizations, the incident angles of light, the composite silver and multiply-layers on the plasmon resonance are also reported. The numerical simulation of optical spectra is a very useful tool for nanoparticle growth and characterization.

Surface Wave Analysis of Planar-Type Overdense Plasma with Surface Plasmon Polariton Resonance

Surface waves （SWs） in planar-type overdense plasmas are analyzed and the invariable SW mode caused by the resonant excitation of surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） is presented. It is found that the electric field peaks at the location where the plasma density equals the cut-off density while the plasma density gradient and the collision rate have different influences on the field amplitude and the peak＇s width. Moreover, the mode conversion between SW of SPPs and electron plasma waves play a significant role in production of overdense plasma.

Bending Loss Calculation of a Dielectric-Loaded Surface Plasmon Polariton Waveguide Structure

Based on full 3D finite element method simulations, the transmission of a dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguide （DLSPPW） based 1/4 circle is calculated for a 90° bend model and a 270° bend model, respectively. It is found that the 270° bend model gives almost pure bending loss while the 90° bend model contains additional coupling loss. The models are applied to deduce the loss and unloaded quality factor of DLSPPW based waveguide ring resonators （WRRs） and the results of the 270° bend model agree well with direct simulating results of the WRRs. Thus the 270° bend model gives a fast and simple way to calculate bending loss and it is helpful for WRR design because no wavelength scan is needed.

Numerical Studies of s-Polarized Surface Plasmon Polaritons at the Interface Associated with Metamaterial

The s-polarized surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） at the interface between dielectric and metamaterial are studied, and the dispersion relations of SPPs are also presented. Using the prism coupling mechanism, we obtain the attenuated total reflection （ATR） spectra in the frequency regime based on the Otto configuration. It is found that the thickness of the dielectric in the configuration and the small damping of the metamaterial affect the coupling strength significantly without changing the coupling frequency. Furthermore, the optimized thickness of the dielectric decreases with a larger damping, and the coefficient F of the metamaterial also determines the coupling frequency and strength.

Fast in vivo bioluminescence tomography using a novel pure optical imaging technique

Bioluminescence tomography(BLT)is a novel opt ical molecular imaging technique that advanced the conventional planar bioluminescence imaging(BLI)into a quantifiable three-dimensional(3D)approach in preclinical living animal studies in oncology.In order to solve the inverse problem and reconstruct tumor lesions inside animal body accurately,the prior structural information is com-monly obtained from X ray computed tomography(CT).This strategy requires a complicated hybrid imaging system,extensive post imaging analysis and involvement of ionizing radiation.Moreover,the overall robustness highly depends on the fusion accuracy between the optical and structural information.Here,we present a pure optical bioluminescence tomographic(POBT)system and a novel BLT workfow based on multi-view projection acquisition and 3D surface reconstruction.This met hod can reconstruct the 3D surface of an imaging subject based on a sparse set of planar white-light and bioluminescent images,so that the prior structural information can be offered for 3D tumor lesion reconstruction without the involvement of CT.The performance of this novel technique was evaluated through the comparison with a conventional dual-modality tomo-graphic(DMT)system and a commercialized optical imaging system(IVIS Spectrum)using three breast cancer xenografts.The results revealed that the new technique offered comparable in vivo tomographic accuracy with the DMT system(P>0.05)in much shorter data analysis time.It also offered significantly better accuracy comparing with the IVIS system(P<0.04)without sacrificing too much time.

Surface Structure and Electronic Property of InP（001）-（2×1）S Surface： A First-Principles Study

The surface structure and electronic property of InP（001）-（2 ×1）S surface under S-rich condition are investigated based on first-principles simulations. The analyses of phase transition show that the 3B model is the most stable structure and the S-S dimer is difficult to form. The geometry of the 3B structure agrees well with the experiments. It is also found that the 3B structure has a good passivation with a band gap of about 1.24eV. The results indicate that the 3B structure is the best candidate for the sulfur-rich InP（001）（2 × 1）A phase.

Optical Properties of Zinc-Blende InGaN/GaN Quantum Well Structures and Comparison with Experiment

Optical properties of zinc-blende InGaN/GaN Q W structures are investigated using the multiband effective-mass theory. The transition wavelength values at 300 K ranged from 440 to 570nm in the investigated range of the In composition and the well width. The theoretical wavelengths show reasonable agreement with the experimental results. The optical gain decreases with the increasing well width. This is mainly due to the reduction in the quasi-Fermi-level separation because the optical matrix element increases with the well width.

Advances in optical engineering for future telescopes

Significant optical engineering advances at the University of Arizona are being made for design, fabrication, and construction of next generation astronomical telescopes. This summary review paper focuses on the technological advances in three key areas. First is the optical fabrication technique used for constructing next-generation telescope mirrors. Advances in ground-based telescope control and instrumentation comprise the second area of development. This includes active alignment of the laser truss-based Large Binocular Telescope(LBT) prime focus camera, the new MOBIUS modular cross-dispersion spectroscopy unit used at the prime focal plane of the LBT, and topological pupil segment optimization. Lastly, future space telescope concepts and enabling technologies are discussed. Among these, the Nautilus space observatory requires challenging alignment of segmented multi-order diffractive elements. The OASIS terahertz space telescope presents unique challenges for characterizing the inflatable primary mirror, and the Hyperion space telescope pushes the limits of high spectral resolution, far-UV spectroscopy. The Coronagraphic Debris and Exoplanet Exploring Pioneer(CDEEP) is a Small Satellite(Small Sat) mission concept for high-contrast imaging of circumstellar disks and exoplanets using vector vortex coronagraph. These advances in optical engineering technologies will help mankind to probe, explore, and understand the scientific beauty of our universe.

Optical and Electrical Properties of ZnO/CdO Composite Thin Films Prepared by Pulse Laser Deposition

ZnO/CdO composite films with different CdO contents are obtained by pulse laser deposition technique. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the composite [liras are investigated by x-ray diffraction, photolu- minescence and electrical resistivity measurements, respectively. The results show that the UV emission is at a constant peak position in the photoluminescence spectra. Meanwhile, their electrical resistivity decreases to very low level approaching to the value of the CdO film, which can be explained by the Matthiessen composite rule for resistivity. The peculiarity of low resistivity and high transnlittance in the visible region enables these Rims suitable for optoelectronic device fabrication.