Integrated opto-chemical sensors

Integrated opto-chemical sensors have promising prospects, for example by having the potential to be realized as very sensitive small monolithic smart multisensor systems with a digital signal output. Here the main accent will be laid on the optical principles underlying chemo-optical waveguiding sensors, focusing on linear evanescent field sensors. Sensing principles and systems based on interferometry, surface plasmon resonance and luminescence quenching will be treated in more detail. Materials and technologies applied to integrated optic sensors are mentioned

Progress in geophysical aspects of the rotation of the earth

The geophysical causes and consequences of the Earth's rotation are reviewed. Specific topics covered include: (1) the motion of the rotation axis in space, precession and nutation; (2) the motion of the rotation axis relative to the Earth, polar motion; and (3) the rate of rotation about this axis, or changes in the length of day. Secular decrease in obliquity and evolution of the Earth-Moon system are also discussed

Probability of recording satellite images optically

Probability of recording and tracking satellite images opticall

Effect of random atmospheric refraction on optical satellite observations

Random atmospheric refraction effects on optical satellite observation

Passive polarization converter in SiON technology

A passive polarization converter has been realized in silicon oxynitride (SiON) technology. The device is a grating assisted codirectional coupler consisting of segments of asymmetrically etched ridge waveguides. By using a double-masking technique, the fabrication of the device is tolerant with respect to the alignment of the required masks. Conversion efficiencies up to 0.98 (TE¿TM and TM¿TE) and insertion losses of 3 dB/cm have been measured. Using 2-D beam propagation method simulations, an observed beat pattern in the converter could be explained as due to a leaky mode, which is captured in the grating structur

Integrated optical polarizer based on the cross strip interferometer configuration.

A bimodal segment of specific length and thickness between two single mode sections of a planar waveguide can serve as a simple interferometer. The configuration can be realized by etching a wide strip from a dielectric film and forcing a — vertically guided, laterally unguided — beam of light to traverse the strip perpendicularly. A TE-pass polarizer designed on the basis of this concept achieves more that 30dB polarization discrimination with a total length of only 5 micrometers, for air covered Silicon-Oxide/Nitride waveguides at a wavelength of 650 nanometers

On the accuracy of the finite difference method for applications in beam propagating techniques

In this paper it is shown that the inaccuracy in the beam propagation method based on the finite difference scheme, introduced by the use of the slowly varying envelope approximation, can be overcome in an effective way. By the introduction of a perturbation expansion the accuracy can be improved as much as wanted, often nearly without any increase of the computation time. An error analysis is given and the method is illustrated by an example

High quality ZnO layers with adjustable refractive indices for integrated optics applications

Thin ( 1 μm) crystalline ZnO films with a good optical quality and good (0002) texture are grown under two considerably different process parameter sets using a r.f. planar magnetron sputtering unit. The optical parameters of the two corresponding ZnO layers are distinctly different: high refractive index ( 2.0 at λ = 632.8 nm) ZnO films resembling the single crystal form, and ZnO films with considerably lower (typical difference 0.05) refractive indices. The refractive index of the latter ZnO layers is adjustable ( 1.93–1.96 at λ = 632.8 nm) through the process deposition parameters. It is shown that the difference in refractive index between the two ZnO types most probably results from a difference in package density of the crystal columns. The optical waveguide losses of both ZnO types are typically 1–3 dB/cm at λ = 632.8 nm, however the low refractive index ZnO layers need a post-deposition anneal step to obtain these values. The two ZnO types are used to fabricate optical channel-and slab waveguides with small refractive index differences.\u

Efficient interface conditions for the finite difference beam propagation method

It is shown that by adapting the refractive indexes in the vicinity of interfaces, the 2-D beam propagation method based on the finite-difference (FDBPM) scheme can be made much more effective. This holds especially for TM modes propagating in structures with high-index contrasts, such as surface polaritons. A short discussion is given on the applicability of the FDBP