According to Bröstcancer förbundet, mammography is not efficient at detecting tumors in dense breast tissue or diagnosing breast cancer at its early stages. Ultrasound-optical tomography (UOT) is an imaging technique in development and has the potential for deep-tissue imaging. If ultrasound-optical tomography were implemented, it would be easier to differentiate between malignant, benign, and healthy tissue from any type of breast tissue. UOT is an imaging technique that takes advantage of high penetration depth and high spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging and optical imaging. In UOT, a laser light and an ultrasound pulse propagate through the tissue simultaneously at a frequency f$_L$ and f$_{US}$, respectively. The light will scatter while it propagates through the tissue and some of this scattered light will become frequency shifted by ultrasound pulse due to the acousto-optic effect. The tagged light will have the frequency $f_T = f_L + f_{US}$. The tagged (frequency shifted) light can be separated from the untagged light (unshifted light) using a thulium-doped lithium niobate, Tm$^{3+}$:$~$LiNbO$_3$, crystal as a filter. The crystal is kept at a temperature close to zero kelvin because then it exhibits unique characteristics, e.g. it has a narrow linewidth and long-lived hyperfine levels at this temperature. The filter is created by a method known as spectral hole burning (SHB). A laser beam is used to transfer electrons from the ground state to the excited state to create a hole at a specific wavelength. The spectral hole is created at the frequency of the tagged light and hence a narrow bandpass filter is constructed inside the crystal. The tagged light is fully transmitted through the filter while it highly attenuates untagged light. The tagged light is detected with a photodiode and processed in MATLAB after it has been transferred to an oscilloscope. This thesis aims to model and design a phantom probe that minimizes vibration and other unwanted movements or disturbances during measurements. The automated phantom holder will be used for the recording of 3D images. Another task of the thesis was to obtain the absorption spectrum of a 0.005$\%$ Tm$^{3+}$:$~$LiNbO$_3$ crystal when it is cooled down to 3$~$K to ensure that the crystal has the same absorption characteristics as predicted in literature. The absorption line at $\sim$ 800$~$nm is of interest since oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin have similar absorption coefficients at $\sim$ 800$~$nm. Optical absorption and scattering information will help determine if the sample contains a cancerous region. The phantom probe was modeled in Solid Works and manufactured through 3D printing. In this setup, the sample holder was chosen to be translated while the ultrasound transducer was stationary to generate less blurry images. The design of the probe has to accommodate two detection schemes, reflection and transmission mode. The phantom probe was automated using a linear servo actuator since it was controlled with pulse-width modulation (PWM). It used a square signal as an input that could be generated with an Arbitrary signal generator (AWG). Using a device that operates with a signal was important because it would make it easier to integrate it into the experimental setup. The whole phantom probe was constructed in a cost-efficient way and in a way that it could be easily incorporated into the experimental setup. The absorption spectrum showed that the crystal has an absorption line at $\sim$ 794.3$~$nm. This absorption spectrum was compared to an absorption spectrum taken at 8$~$K on the same crystal and captured with a different method. Both absorption spectra had the same absorption peaks at almost the same wavelengths but they also showed few discrepancies that may depend on the temperature difference and the recording method. In this thesis, the absorption spectrum data taken was captured by sweeping the wavelength. The signal was captured with a photodiode, transferred to an oscilloscope, and then processed in MATLAB. The absorption spectrum data at 8$~$K was obtained using a Fourier transform spectrometer, resulting in data with little noise and well resolved peaks. To conclude, a functional and robust phantom probe was designed and manufactured that could withstand vibration and other undesired movements. An absorption spectrum of Tm$^{3+}$:$~$LiNbO$_3$ crystal was obtained at 3$~$K and compared to absorption taken at 8$~$K and compared to literature and previous measurements under similar conditions.

Plasmonic effects in nanosized particles enhance the interaction between light and matter due to the localized surface plasmon resonance, with potential applications such as all-optical transistors and optical computers. Commonly, the dynamics of nanoparticles’ optical properties are assessed via pump-probe spectroscopy, where a plasmonic structure is exited by an initial laser, the pump. Thereafter a second, less intense laser, a probe, interacts with the now excited structure at a time delay. Through measurements of the probelight transmitted by the matter, the optical dynamics of the structure are monitored. Similar methodologies can potentially be used for other applications as well, such as all-optical switching. This study focuses on an implementation of a numerical finite element method model simulating a pump-probe experiment to predict the effects of different geometries and evaluate experimental data. The simulations are split into three parts. Initially, periodically spaced nanoparticles are excited by the pump laser. Then the model estimates the internal thermal dynamics of the excited nanoparticles and in turn, determines the change in complex permittivity. Lastly, the probe-matter interaction is modeled. To evaluate the model, a comparison with another model was performed. Furthermore, simulations of periodically spaced gold dimer nanoparticles in air were done to investigate how dimers affect transmitted light. For a probe light polarization rotated 45◦ against the axis parallel to the dimer, a change in rotation of 6◦ over 35 fs was induced by the pump, indicating a potential switching mechanism.

This licentiate thesis concerns topics in non-interacting and interacting quantum physics in one dimension. We present the notions of Wannier functions and tight-binding models. Quantum walks are discussed, quantum mechanical analogues to random walks. We demonstrate the ideas of Bloch oscillation and super-Bloch oscillation - revivals of quantum states for particles in a periodic lattice subject to a constant force. Next, the Rabi model of light-matter interaction is derived. The concept of quantum phase transitions is presented for the Dicke model of superradiance. The idea of adiabatic elimination is used to highlight the connectedness of the Dicke model. Finally, we present a one-dimensional interacting system of resonators and artificial atoms that could be built as a superconducting circuit. Using adiabatic elimination as well as matrix product states, we find the phase diagram of this model.

The aim of this study is to study the ground-state of various elements including Hydrogen molecules and Heliumatoms using a self written Density Functional Theory code. We limit ourselves to simple linear moleculesusing cylindrical symmetry, for which the computational difficulty is manageable and appropriate for anundergraduate thesis. We focus on the binding length and energy of the molecules stated here. Charge densityis calculated using the Poisson equation, which is used to calculate the potential and correlation potential. From the distance dependent of the total energy, the chemical bond length can be determined. The results showa total energy for a Hydrogen molecule is -31.3 eV and most optimal binding length is identified at 0.76 Å.

The present master's thesis deals with numerical modeling of solid-state micrometrical-sized polymeric dye lasers, commonly denoted as microcavities. It is part of a large research initiative carried out in the optics group, at the MAP (Microelectronics and Applied Physics) department in KTH (Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan - Royal Technical School) and targeted towards the design and manufacturing of micro- and nano-scaled polymeric components for nano-photonics, primarily lasers. The finite element method (FEM) in frequency domain is used as a primary modeling tool through the simulation software COMSOL Multiphysics. Models for spontaneous emission, optical losses and gain are developed and demonstrated. A specic layout is studied: the double hexagonal microcavity. While it was expected to be a good candidate for a laser, the design shows unexpected properties making it useful for sensing applications. Finally, the transposition of models to time domain is initiated : a replacement solution for the lacking perfectly matched layer (PML) in Comsol is developed and demonstrated. Methods for modeling materials parameters in time domain are investigated, together with the possible use of a more suitable algorithm : finite dierences in time domain (FDTD) or Yee's scheme.

This thesis deals with experimental studies of electron transfer reactions between oppositely charged ions (mutual neutralisation). These were performed at the unique double electrostatic ion storage ring DESIREE at Stockholm University, which was put into full operation in 2017. In the first two published articles of this thesis, two atmospheric collision systems are treated, namely O+/O−  and N+/O−. The aim was to reproduce previous published results from a single-pass (non-stored) merged ion beams setup in UCLouvain (Belgium) and thus provide a measure of DESIREE’s capacity and resolution. In addition, the effects of metastable ions were investigated with the support of theoretical calculations. The third published paper of this thesis deals with collisions between I+ and I− (iodine ions), a process relevant to electric thrusters for new spacecraft. The results are compared with theoretical calculations in order to provide an understanding of how the reaction takes place. Preliminary results on electron transfer reactions between diatomic molecules and atoms are presented.

This thesis describes the research I have done, and partly will do, during my time as a PhD student in the laboratory of Applied Optics at Linköping University. Due to circumstances beyond the scope of this book, this incorporates three quite different projects. The first two, involving gas sensing and measuring on paper with ellipsometry, have been discontinued, whereas the third one, measuring fluorescence with a computer screen and web camera, is in full progress and will be until I complete my studies. Thus the purpose of this work also has several aspects. Partly, it describes performed research and its results, as well as theoretical background. On the other hand, it provides practical and theoretical background necessary for future work. While the three projects are truly quite different, each of them has certain things in common with each of the other. This is certainly also true for the necessary theory. Two of them involve spectroscopic ellipsometry, for example, while another pair needs knowledge of color theory, etc. This makes it impossible to separate the projects, despite of their differences. Hopefully, these links between the different projects, connecting the different chapters, will make this work whole and consistent in its own way. / <p>Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC-200 4-19. On the day of the public defence the status of article I was: In press and the status of article III was: Manuscript and has a new title. The old title was Computer screen photo-assisted spectroscopic fluorimetry.</p>

This thesis contains the results of research on the spectral control of lasers, specifically, the thermal limitations of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs), employed as laser-cavity end mirrors. The investigations consisted of both experiments and numerical simulations. For the experiments, a diode-pumped Yb:KYW laser with a VBG that had an absorption coefficient of 2.8% cm-1, in the 1 μm spectral region, was constructed. The computer model comprised of a transfer-matrix model and a three-dimensional, finite element model, working together. The absorption of the reflected laser beam changed the reflecting properties of the VBG, which affected the laser’s stability and other performances. The primary effect was a broadening of the grating spectrum accompanied by decreased diffraction efficiency. The reduced reflectivity lead to a leakage of the radiation through the grating during lasing. Both the experiments and the simulations showed that the laser became successively more unstable when the power was increased. Also, the simulations showed that this increased sensitivity was due to a reshaping of the intensity distribution profile inside the grating, which, in turn, lead to a sharp reduction of the diffraction efficiency. For circulating powers above this limit, the laser output rolled off and the power was instead leaking out through the VBG. Furthermore, the simulations also showed that the power limit was highly dependent on the length of the employed VBG. For instance, a 2 mm long VBG could withstand approximately 9.5 times higher incident power than a 10 mm long one could. Also, it was found that the limit, expressed in the terms of the incident power, related approximately linearly to the size of the beam radius. / Denna licentiatavhandling innehåller forskningsresultat som behandlar spektral kontroll av lasrar, specifikt genom volymbraggitters (VBG) termiska begränsningar, då de används som speglar i laserkaviteter. Undersökningarna bestod av både experiment och simuleringar. För experimenten konstruerades en diod-pumpad Yb:KYW laser med ett VBG som hade en absorptionskoefficient på 2,8% cm-1, i våglängdsområdet kring en mikrometer. Datormodellen innefattade en modell av gitterstrukturen baserad på överföringsmatriser och en tredimensionell modell baserad på finita elementmetoden, för beräkning av värme-fördelningen. Absorption av den reflekterade laserstrålen ändrade volymbraggittrets reflekterande egenskaper, vilket i sin tur påverkade laserns stabilitet och dess prestanda. De huvudsakliga effekterna var en breddning av gittrets spektra och en minskad diffraktionsverkningsgrad. Både experimenten och simuleringarna visade att en laser blir successivt mer instabil när den optiska effekten ökar. Simuleringarna visade även att den ökade känsligheten berodde på en förändring av intensitetsfördelningen inuti gittret, vilket accelererade reduktionen av gittrets reflekterande förmåga. Uttryckt i mot gittret infallande effekt, har lasern en tydlig övre effektgräns. När den gränsen har uppnåtts leder vidare ökning av pumpeffekten i huvudsak till ökat läckage genom volymbraggittret, och inte till ökad uteffekt hos laserstrålen. Vidare visade simuleringarna också att en lasers effektgräns är starkt beroende av längden på det använda volymbraggittret. Till exempel tålde ett 2 mm långt gitter cirka 9,5 gånger högre infallande effekt än ett 10 mm långt gitter. Dessutom visade det sig att effektgränsen, uttryckt i infallande effekt, berodde approximativt linjärt på strålradiens storlek. / <p>QC 20130507</p>

No description available.

The paper and the graphics industries use two instruments with different optical geometry (d/0 and 45/0) to measure the quality of paper prints. The instruments have been reported to yield incompatible measurements and even rank samples differently in some cases, causing communication problems between these sectors of industry.A preliminary investigation concluded that the inter-instrument difference could be significantly influenced by external factors (background, calibration, heterogeneity of the medium). A simple methodology for eliminating these external factors and thereby minimizing the instrument differences has been derived. The measurements showed that, when the external factors are eliminated, and there is no fluorescence or gloss influence, the inter-instrument difference becomes small, depends on the instrument geometry, and varies systematically with the scattering, absorption, and transmittance properties of the sample.A detailed description of the impact of the geometry on the results has been presented regarding a large sample range. Simulations with the radiative transfer model DORT2002 showed that the instruments measurements follow the physical radiative transfer model except in cases of samples with extreme properties. The conclusion is that the physical explanation of the geometrical inter-instrument differences is based on the different degree of light permeation from the two geometries, which eventually results in a different degree of influence from near-surface bulk scattering. It was also shown that the d/0 instrument fulfils the assumptions of a diffuse field of reflected light from the medium only for samples that resemble the perfect diffuser but it yields an anisotropic field of reflected light when there is significant absorption or transmittance. In the latter case, the 45/0 proves to be less anisotropic than the d/0.In the process, the computational performance of the DORT2002 has been significantly improved. After the modification of the DORT2002 in order to include the 45/0 geometry, the Gauss-Newton optimization algorithm for the solution of the inverse problem was qualified as the most appropriate one, after testing different optimization methods for performance, stability and accuracy. Finally, a new homotopic initial-value algorithm for routine tasks (spectral calculations) was introduced, which resulted in a further three-fold speedup of the whole algorithm.The paper and the graphics industries use two instruments with different optical geometry (d/0 and 45/0) to measure the quality of paper prints. The instruments have been reported to yield incompatible measurements and even rank samples differently in some cases, causing communication problems between these sectors of industry.A preliminary investigation concluded that the inter-instrument difference could be significantly influenced by external factors (background, calibration, heterogeneity of the medium). A simple methodology for eliminating these external factors and thereby minimizing the instrument differences has been derived. The measurements showed that, when the external factors are eliminated, and there is no fluorescence or gloss influence, the inter-instrument difference becomes small, depends on the instrument geometry, and varies systematically with the scattering, absorption, and transmittance properties of the sample.A detailed description of the impact of the geometry on the results has been presented regarding a large sample range. Simulations with the radiative transfer model DORT2002 showed that the instruments measurements follow the physical radiative transfer model except in cases of samples with extreme properties. The conclusion is that the physical explanation of the geometrical inter-instrument differences is based on the different degree of light permeation from the two geometries, which eventually results in a different degree of influence from near-surface bulk scattering. It was also shown that the d/0 instrument fulfils the assumptions of a diffuse field of reflected light from the medium only for samples that resemble the perfect diffuser but it yields an anisotropic field of reflected light when there is significant absorption or transmittance. In the latter case, the 45/0 proves to be less anisotropic than the d/0.In the process, the computational performance of the DORT2002 has been significantly improved. After the modification of the DORT2002 in order to include the 45/0 geometry, the Gauss-Newton optimization algorithm for the solution of the inverse problem was qualified as the most appropriate one, after testing different optimization methods for performance, stability and accuracy. Finally, a new homotopic initial-value algorithm for routine tasks (spectral calculations) was introduced, which resulted in a further three-fold speedup of the whole algorithm. / QC 20100707 / PaperOpt, Paper Optics and Colour