Glaucoma is a blinding disease characterized by damage to the optic nerve and often caused by an increase in the intra-ocular pressure. Glaucoma affects from 2% to 8% of the South African population, depending on race and age. Primary Open-angle Glaucoma (POAG) is found mostly in patients above the age of 40 years. POAG is more prevalent in black people, with the number of black persons contracting the disease double that of persons of European origin. In South Africa, the prevalence of blindness is estimated to be 0,6%, thus 240 000 out of a total of 40 million. Glaucoma is responsible for an estimated 20% of the total number of blind people, thus approximately 48 000. The treatment of glaucoma in Africa, and particularly in rural areas, presents many unresolved problems. Conventional conservative treatment with eye drops is difficult, due to the following reasons: -- Logistical problems of providing patients with a supply of medication. -- Appropriate use of drops requires education, together with a high degree of personal compliance. -- Cost of medical treatment. Patients require life-long treatment. Eye drops cost approximately R100,00 per person per month. Thus, over a ten-year period, the cost would be R12 000,00 per person and R576 million for the estimated 48 000 sufferers. Conventional surgery is not very effective, due to the following reasons: -- Scarring takes place at the surgical site. -- Can be performed only in main centres with microsurgical facilities and competent staff. -- Requires travelling expenses, not only for surgery, but also for periodical follow-up examinations. -- Surgical complications are not uncommon. Conventional laser surgery is not effective, for the following reasons: -- Can be performed only in main centres with laser surgery facilities and competent staff. -- Requires travelling expenses, not only for surgery, but also for periodical follow-up examinations. -- Complications of surgery are not uncommon. This dissertation describes an investigation concerning treatment of glaucoma, with specific reference to the use of optical energy sources. The spectral transmission of the human sclera is investigated. Alternative methods of sourcing optical energy to the ciliary processes are presented and compared. Results obtained can be summarized as follows: -- The spectral transmission of the sclera was measured. -- Trans-scleral transmission was measured to be very low (less than 5%). The result was confirmed by means of histological investigation, where high scleral absorption was found. -- Since no well-defined transmission window could be found, the application source need not be monochromatic. -- Results published in literature were found to be inconsistent. / Dissertation (MEng (Bio-engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

Ce mémoire de thèse est consacré à l’étude d’une liaison tout-optique longue de 10 km dédiée à l’extension d’un observatoire câblé de fond de mer existant afin d’atteindre de nouvelles zones d’exploration. Les travaux de recherche qui y sont rapportés démontrent la faisabilité de cette liaison tout-optique entre un instrument déporté et une station terrestre avec une seule fibre optique longue de 10 km, qui transmet simultanément la puissance, nécessaire à l’alimentation de l’instrument (quelques centaines de milliwatts), et des données bidirectionnelles en temps réel.Le contexte de cette thèse est présenté au travers d’un état de l’art sur les observatoires câblés et sur la puissance sur fibre. Le choix de la fibre unique et la présence de fortes puissances optiques complexifient la mise en oeuvre de cette extension tout-optique, et sont à l’origine de l’apparition d'interactions entre l’énergie optique dédiée à l'alimentation (@1480 nm) et les données échangées (@1550 nm). Tout au long de ce document, les choix technologiques retenus sont argumentés et les effets optiques non linéaires tels que les diffusions Raman, Brillouin, Rayleigh, l’Émission Spontanée Amplifiée (ASE) sont décrits, modélisés et analysés expérimentalement. L’extension tout-optique proposée a été caractérisée à la fois en régimes statique et dynamique par des mesures du bilan de liaison, du rapport signal à bruit (SNR) et du taux d’erreur binaire (BER). Les résultats obtenus montrent la possibilité de fournir 160 mW électrique à l’instrument déporté en utilisant une source optique continue de 33 dBm sans dégrader excessivement les données bidirectionnelles transmises simultanément (BER<10-7). / This thesis is devoted to the study of a 10 km long all-optical network dedicated to extend a current cabled seafloor observatory, in order to reach new exploration areas. The research work described in this thesis demonstrates the feasibility of this all-optical link between a remote instrument and a shore station with a single 10 km long optical fiber, which simultaneously transmits the energy required to supply the instrument (several hundred milliwatts) and bidirectional data in real time.The thesis context is presented trough an analysis of the cabled seafloor observatories and of the power-over-fiber. The choice of a single optical fiber and the presence of high optical power complicate the implementation of this all-optical extension, and they cause the appearance of interactions between the optical energy dedicated to the power supply (@1480 nm) and the exchanged data (@1550 nm). Throughout this document, the technological choices are explained and the optical nonlinear effects are described, simulated and analyzed experimentally, such as Raman, Brillouin, and Rayleigh scattering and Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE). The proposed all-optical extension has been characterized in static and dynamic regimes with measures of the optical link budget, the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and the Bit Error Ratio (BER). The results show the possibility to power the remote instrument with 160 mW, when using a continuous high optical laser source of 33 dBm without huge degradation of the bidirectional data transmitted simultaneously (BER<10-7).

This dissertation describes the investigation of the synthesis and characterization of new squaraine-based photonic and electronic materials. In the first part of this thesis, squaraine dyes with large conjugation systems, including extended squaraines consisting of bis(donor)substituted vinylene-heterocycles and bis(indolinylenemethyl)squaraine-based oligomers linking through different π-bridges were designed, synthesized and characterized to exhibit strong two-photon absorption (2PA) for femotosecond and nanosecond optical-power limiting applications in the near-infrared (NIR). One of the dendronized squaraine forms smooth and high optical quality films with large NIR transparency window. In the second part, a series of squaraine- and phthalocyanine-based metal complexes were studied. Those dyes did not show large triplet quantum yield but significantly improved photovoltaic performance compared to the metal-free compounds. In the last part, an effective approach on optimizing bis(indolinylenemethyl)-based squaraine sensitizers with various surface anchor groups and π-linkers, achieved high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 6.7% in liquid dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and 2.7% in solid-state DSSCs, which stand out all the previous reported squaraine-based sensitizers.

This thesis is concerned with the photophysical and nonlinear optical responses, and applications of a set of conjugated polymers and small molecules in the visible and near-IR spectral regions. Poly(phenylene ethynylene) PPE polymers were substituted with conjugated side-arms in a cruciform fashion to determine the impacts of electronic coupling on the one-photon (1PA), two-photon (2PA), and excited state absorption (ESA) properties of the co-polymer system. The cruciform-like PPEs showed significant changes in their nonlinear and phophysical behavior relative to their linear models, including shifts and splittings of the 1PA bands due to moderate mixing of the lowest singlet excited states, an increase in the 2PA cross section (δ) values, and an increase in the yield of triplet excited-state species. The cruciform-like PPE polymers exhibited effective optical pulse suppression of femtosecond and nanosecond laser pulses over a broad spectral range of ~200 nm in the visible and near-IR. The suppression capability of the cruciform-like PPEs exceeded the best reported value for alkyl-substituted PPE polymers. The spectroscopic effects due to conjugation length, structural configuration, and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) are discussed for a family of bent donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) -type conjugated oligomers, which incorporate electron-rich triarylamine donors and electron-deficient triarylborane acceptor units into its conjugated structure. These organoborane oligomers are highly fluorescent and exhibit strong 2PA in the visible region with δ values as large as 1410 GM, as well as overlapping ESA bands attributed to singlet-singlet and triplet-triplet absorption. Saturation of the molar absorptivity, ε, and δ was observed at less than two repeat monomer units due to conformational disorder in the oligomer with increasing length. Positive solvatochromism of fluorescence with solvent shifts as large as ~70 nm was observed as a result of ICT from the arylamine donors to boryl-centered acceptor sites. The excited-state dynamics also show sensitivity to the solvent environment. Experimental findings suggest that these organoborane oligomers may have potential use as nonlinear material for optical power limiting (OPL) and two-photon sensing applications. The spectral properties of two bis-donor chromophores, (bis(diarylamino)biphenyl (TPD) and distyrylthiophene (DST), were investigated with and without the presence of AgNPs in order to better understand the local-field enhancement and subsequent effects on the photophysics and nonlinear behavior of 2PA dyes. While little changes were observed in the excited-state dynamics, measurements of nanoparticle aggregate-dye composite solutions with TPD revealed a 1.6-enhancement in the two-photon excited fluorescence signal. OPL measurements of nanosecond laser pulses at 532 nm revealed a reduction in threshold energy by a factor of 2 in solutions containing TPD and AgNP aggregates, relative to solutions of TPD alone. DST shows exceptional solubility (>1 M) in several organic solvents and exhibits a 2PA spectrum that overlaps well with its singlet-singlet and triplet-triplet ESA bands. Consequently, DST exhibits effective optical limiting of nanosecond laser pulses through two-photon induced excited-state absorption over a broad spectral range of approximately 200 nm in the red and near-IR.

Une approche pour augmenter le débit par longueur d'onde, est d'utiliser la modulation DMT (Discrete Multitone) à haute efficacité spectrale. Le travail présenté dans cette thèse se focalise principalement sur l'optimisation de la consommation en puissance et le coût de la DMT, qui présentent des obstacles majeurs à son industrialisation. Dans ce cadre, nous avons tout d'abord développé des nouvelles techniques permettant d'exclure la symétrie Hermitienne des modulations DMT, réduisant ainsi considérablement la consommation en puissance et le coût du système. Nous avons ensuite proposé un algorithme de compression linéaire asymétrique permettant de réduire la puissance optique de la modulation DMT avec une complexité modérée. Un nouveau modèle comportemental du VCSEL basé sur la caractéristique quasi-statique a été également développé. Nous avons enfin validé expérimentalement les techniques que nous avons proposées. Plusieurs résultats de simulations et de mesures sont ainsi présentés. / A possible approach to maximize the data rate per wavelength, is to employ the high spectral efficiency discrete multitone (DMT) modulation. The work presented in this thesis mainly focuses on optimizing the power consumption and cost of DMT, that are the major obstacles to its market development. Within this context, we have first developed novel techniques permitting to discard the use of Hermitian symmetry in DMT modulations, thus significantly reducing the power consumption and the system cost. We have next proposed an asymmetric linear companding algorithm permitting to reduce the optical power of conventional DCO-OFDM modulation with a moderate complexity. A new VCSEL behavioural model based on the use of the VCSEL quasi-static characteristic was also developed to accurately evaluate the VCSEL impact on DMT modulations. Finally, we have built an experimental system to experimentally validate our proposed techniques. Several simulations and measurement results are then provided.

L'objectif de ce travail de recherche est l'étude, la réalisation et la caractérisation d'un amplificateur de puissance à base de verres spéciaux devant être inséré dans un dispositif laser impulsionnel à cohérence élevée opérant a la longueur d'onde de 1550 nm en configuration MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier). Il aura pour fonction d'amplifier le signal provenant d'un laser source afin de pouvoir le propager sur des distances élevées sans pour autant dégrader ses caractéristiques spectrales ou sa cohérence. Le dispositif ainsi obtenu sera utilisé comme source laser pour des systèmes LIDAR compact pouvant soit être embarqués à bord d'avions ou de voitures; soit être utilisés dans des stations météorologiques ou des aéroports. Un tel projet représente une innovation majeure dans le domaine des capteurs laser fonctionnant en espace libre. Il s'agit en effet de réaliser des dispositifs compacts qui n'existent pour l'instant pas aussi bien de façon commerciale que des les laboratoires de recherche. / The objective of the present research is the study, fabrication and characterization of a power amplifier based on special glasses to be implemented as an embedded module inside a pulsed laser device with high coherence working at 1550 nm wavelength. The optical amplifier represents the second module of a laser in configuration MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier). The device must amplify the signal proceeding from a seed laser and allow the propagation of the signal at high distances while maintaining the spectral characteristics of the high coherent source. The device obtained with this approach will be employed as a source for a monitoring LIDAR system, which will be installed in train monitoring portals. The results can be extended to other applications as well, such as aeroplanes, meteorological stations or airports. The current research work is intended to contribute to the fabrication of compact devices that seems not be still available even in laboratories. / Lo scopo della presente ricerca `e lo studio, la realizzazione e la caratter-izzazione di un amplificatore di potenza a base di vetri speciali da utiliz-zare come modulo da implementare all’interno di un dispositivo laser adimpulsi ad elevata coerenza operante alla lunghezza d’onda di 1550 nm.L’amplificatore ottico rappresenta il secondo modulo di un laser in configu-razione MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier): esso ha la funzione diamplificare il segnale proveniente da un laser “seed” e permette di propa-gare il suo segnale ad elevate distanze, mantenendo tuttavia le caratteris-tiche spettrali di elevata coerenza della sorgente. Il dispositivo cos`ı ottenutosar`a utilizzato come sorgente per un sistema LIDAR di rilevazione a bordodi aerei, autoveicoli e stazioni meteorologiche o aeroporti. Questi sistemisembrano non essere ancora disponibili neanche a livello dei laboratori diricerca.

Les nanoparticules d’or (AuNPs) intriguent tout particulièrement ces dernières années de par leurs propriétés fascinantes. Elles sont variables selon la forme et la taille des nanoparticules ce qui en fait des objets ouvrant des perspectives dans plusieurs domaines. L’or est d’autant plus intéressant qu’il a une grande flexibilité de ces bandes de résonance plasmon de surface, allant du visible au proche infrarouge (IR). Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons donc travaillé sur la synthèse d’AuNPs de tailles et de formes différentes pour pouvoir travailler à de nombreuses longueurs d’onde du visible à l’IR. Cette multitude de AuNPs nous a permis d’étudier l’effet de ces différentes résonances plasmons sur des chromophores afin d’essayer de comprendre les mécanismes de ces interactions. Le but final de ces travaux, outre l’amélioration de la compréhension de ces interactions, est la réalisation de matériaux monolithiques pour l’optique par une approche sol-gel permettant l’incorporation de molécules optiquement actives et de ces systèmes plasmoniques, qui donnent des propriétés intéressantes aux matériaux obtenus. Nous nous sommes intéressés plus précisément aux propriétés d’absorption non-linéaire, dans le but de réaliser des matériaux limiteurs optiques pour protéger des systèmes optiques contre des rayonnements intenses, comme les lasers. Ces systèmes ont commencé à être mis au point dans les thèses précédentes faites au laboratoire mais la compréhension amenée par ces travaux auront permis d’approfondir les interactions particules-chromophores et le rôle de la longueur d’onde de la résonance plasmon afin d’optimiser l’efficacité en limitation optique. / Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) particularly intrigued over the last decades because of their fascinating properties. They vary according to the size and shape of nanoparticles making objects opening opportunities in many areas. Gold is especially interesting since it has a great flexibility of these resonance surface plasmon bands ranging from the visible to near infrared (IR).In this thesis, we worked on the synthesis of AuNPs of different sizes and shapes in order to be able to work in many wavelengths from visible to IR. This multitude of AuNPs enabled us to study the effect of these different plasmon resonances of chromophores in an effort to understand the mechanisms of these interactions. The ultimate goal of this work, in addition to improving the understanding of these interactions, is the realization of monolithic materials for optics by a sol-gel approach allowing the incorporation of optically active molecules and these plasmonic systems, which give interesting properties to the obtained materials. We focused specifically on nonlinear absorption properties, in order to produce optical limiting materials to protect optical systems against intense radiation, such as lasers.These systems began to be developed in previous PhD thesis made in our laboratory but the understanding brought by this work have helped deepen the particles-chromophore interactions and the role of the wavelength of the plasmon resonance in order to optimize efficiency in optical limiting.

Avec la croissance exponentielle du trafic lié au développement de la vidéo et des services d’Internet, les systèmes WDM évoluent régulièrement pour augmenter la capacité de la fibre optique. Pour atteindre cet objectif, les concepts d’«élasticité» et de grille WDM flexible ont été introduits et ont conduit au développement de nouveaux équipements optiques. Dans le cadre des réseaux flexibles, le dimensionnement de réseaux se complexifie, et les outils de dimensionnement traditionnels doivent être repensés. De plus, des problèmes stratégiques et technologiques apparaissent avec l’arrivée de ce nouveau concept. Presque tous les équipements optiques doivent être remplacés par d’autres mieux adaptés, entraînant un coût de déploiement additionnel. Ce travail propose et implémente des nouveaux outils mathématiques et logiciels de dimensionnement multicouche des réseaux optiques flexibles. Des cas d’usage intéressants à étudier dans le cadre des réseaux flexibles sont aussi identifiés et proposés dans cette thèse. De même, ce travail traite les problèmes principaux émanant de la flexibilité optique. De façon plus spécifique, nous étudions le problème de la fragmentation du spectre WDM flexible dans les réseaux d’opérateurs et proposons des solutions. De plus, nous proposons et évaluons un cas d’usage qui combine l’élasticité et la restauration optique du trafic dans un contexte multicouche. Enfin, nous identifions et proposons une solution au problème lié à l’utilisation des amplificateurs optiques dans les réseaux flexibles / With the exponential growth of traffic driven by video and Internet services, WDM systems evolve regularly to increase optical fiber capacity. To meet the relentless need for capacity, advanced features have been integrated into optical layer leading to the notion of channel flexibility (datarate elasticity, flex-grid). In contrast, with the potential benefits that optical channel flexibility provides, network dimensioning gets even more complicated, and traditional dimensioning tools should be rethought. Moreover, some strategic and technological problems appear with optical layer flexibility. Almost, all legacy equipment in the optical layer needs to be replaced by greenfield and well-adapted equipment, which requires new investments. Furthermore, spectrum fragmentation has been identified as the main disadvantage of optical layer flexibility. This work proposes and implements different mathematical multilayer tools for network dimensioning with the aim of evaluating optical layer flexibility. It identifies profitable and advantageous use cases and networking scenarios that bring forward the interest of flex-grid and elasticity. This work also deals with the potential troubles of flexibility and provides solutions to them. Specifically, we thoroughly investigate spectrum fragmentation in operator network context, and propose some traffic engineering strategies. We propose and evaluate a new use case that combines datarate elasticity and optical restoration within a multilayer context. Finally, we state a new drawback of flex-grid technology regarding the use of legacy optical amplifiers with flex-grid networks and provide a solution to overcome this problem

Lasers are increasingly used for a wide range of different applications for both civil and military purposes. Due to the distinct properties of laser light, use of lasers often comes with a risk of damage to the human eye and other optical sensors. Therefore, an effective laser protection is needed. 2D-materials is a relatively new class of materials, which have shown to possess many unique properties compared to its bulk counterparts. Some 2D-materials exhibit nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, and specifically optical power limiting (OPL) effects, and have therefore been researched for laser protection applications. In this work, two different 2D-materials, MXene Ti3C2 and graphene oxide (GO), have been combined with a hybrid organic-inorganic polymer, a so called melting gel (MG), to synthesise nanocomposites possessing OPL effects for laser protection applications. Different methods of incorporating the 2D-materials in the polymer matrix as well as the effect on optical properties of different concentrations of 2D-materials were investigated. The prepared nanocomposites were characterised using optical microscopy, spectroscopy and OPL measurements in order to investigate and quantify their linear and nonlinear optical properties. The MG was optically clear, mechanically stable and easy to synthesise, which makes it a suitable candidate as a matrix for a laser protection nanocomposite. Additionally, it was possible to dope the MG with the two different 2D-materials to create nanocomposites showing desirable optical properties in the visible spectrum. However, many samples showed signs of clustered 2D-particles indicating that the dispersion could be improved. Finally, OPL measurements, performed at 532 nm, showed that the MG itself exhibited OPL effects, both 2D-materials showed a stronger OPL effect than the non-doped MG and that GO-doped samples gave a better protection than the MXene samples.

This thesis concerns quadratic response properties and their application to properties in Jablonski diagrams such as resonant two-photon absorption and excited state absorption. Our main interest lies in optical power limiting applications, and in this context, molecules containing heavy metal atoms prove superior. Therefore, we are interested in how relativity affects these properties, and in order to assess this, a four-component relativistic framework is adopted. To properly address the molecular properties of interest, both relativistic effects and electron correlation need to be accounted for. These two properties are not additive, and, therefore, correlation needs to be incorporated into the four-component framework. We present the implementation of quadratic response properties at the four-component density functional level of theory. For second-harmonic generation, we have, with numerical examples, demonstrated that correlation and relativity are indeed not additive and that the inclusion of noncollinear magnetization is of little importance. We report that both electron correlation as well as relativity strongly affect results for second-harmonic generation. For example, relativity alone reduces the µβ-response signal by 62% and 75% for meta- and ortho-bromobenzene, respectively, and enhances the same response by 17% and 21% for meta- and ortho-iodobenzene, respectively. In the four-component framework, we present the implementations of single and double residues of the quadratic response function, which allows for the evaluation of resonant two-photon absorption cross sections and excited state properties. Using these tools, we discuss different levels of approximation to the relativistic Hamiltonian and we demonstrate that for two-photon absorption, a proper treatment of relativistic effects qualitatively alters the spectrum. For example, already for an element as light as neon, significant differences are seen between the relativistic and nonrelativistic spectra as triplet transitions acquire substantial absorption cross sections in the former case. Finally, quantum mechanics in conjunction with electrodynamics is applied to determine clamping levels in macroscopic samples. The microscopic properties of the optically active chromophores are determined by response theory, and then, electrodynamics is used to describe the interactions between the chromophores and incident laser pulses. Using this approach a series of molecules have been investigated and their performances have been compared and ranked in order to find novel materials for optical power limiting applications.