M.Sc. / In this thesis we study the techniques used to calculate the Hamilton operators related to linear optical quantum computing. We also discuss the basic building blocks of linear optical quantum computing (LOQC) by looking at the logic gates and the physical instruments of which they are made.

Les milieux humides sont menacés par le changement climatique et l'anthropisation des milieux naturels. La télédétection est un moyen efficace de suivre des variables environnementales sur de grands espaces. Cependant, lorsqu’il s’agit de l’étude de la dynamique hydrologique, une résolution temporelle importante est indispensable. Or celle-ci est difficilement accessible par l'imagerie optique satellitaire du fait de l’important couvert nuageux qui masque le sol. Les capteurs radars, travaillant dans le domaine des micro-ondes, sont tout particulièrement adaptés à la caractérisation des dynamiques hydrologiques grâce à la sensibilité de leurs mesures en présence d’eau et ce quelque soit la végétation en place. Il en découle que toutes les acquisitions Radar à Synthèse d’Ouverture (RSO) sont exploitables, acquises de jour comme de nuit, quel que soit le couvert nuageux.Récemment la télédétection radar satellitaire a vécu une véritable révolution grâce au lancement du satellite Sentinel-1A en 2014 suivi de son jumeaux Sentinel-1B deux ans plus tard par l'Agence Spatiale Européenne dans le cadre du programme Copernicus. Ces capteurs acquièrent des données en bande C (λ = 5,6 cm) sur toute l'Europe chaque 12 jours par satellite et leur diffusion est libre et gratuite pour tous. Le présent travail de thèse vise à évaluer le potentiel de ces données à haute résolution temporelle pour le suivi des surfaces d'eau et des milieux humides.Dans une première partie consacrée à la cartographie des surfaces d'eau, nous avons identifié une confusion la réponse radar en bande C des surfaces d'eau et celle de certains sols nus. Nous avons alors montré que la période hivernale est celle qui présente le moins d’ambiguïté et que la polarisation VH est la plus adaptée à la cartographie des surfaces en eau. Quatre méthodes de détection des zones en eau ont été comparées, il résulte que l’utilisation de méthodes non-supervisées sans données a priori n'est pas envisageable et que les méthodes prenant en compte le voisinage spatial donnent de meilleurs résultats. Un filtrage temporel a été mis au point et a permis d'améliorer la détection et de s'affranchir des confusions entre sols nus et surfaces d'eau permanentes. Les surfaces d'eau de plus de 0,5 ha ont plus de 80 % de chances d'être détectées.Un second volet de cette thèse est consacré au suivi d'une zone humide prairiale par télédétection radar. L'utilisation d'images pleinement polarimétriques a montré que la configuration de polarimétrie partielle VV/VH disponible sur le capteur de Sentinel-1 permet de caractériser l'inondation prairiale avec ou sans végétation. Une méthode prenant en compte l'information de voisinage temporel a permis de traiter une série de 14 images Sentinel-1 pour obtenir 14 cartes d'inondation pour l’année 2015. Une estimation de la précision à l'échelle intra-parcellaire a été mise au point, il apparaît que si la précision est relativement bonne (80 %), le rappel est assez bas (40 %). Cette méthode permet d'établir des bilans d'évolution intra- et inter-annuels.Cette thèse a montré le potentiel de l'utilisation d'images radar à haute résolution temporelle tant pour la cartographie des surfaces en eau que pour le suivi d'une zone humide prairiale / Wetlands are threatened by climate change and the anthropization of natural environments. Satellite remote sensing is useful for environmental monitoring at large areas. However, when it comes to the study of hydrological dynamics, a significant temporal resolution is essential. The latter is difficult to reach with optical satellite imagery because of the cloud cover that masks the ground. Radar sensors are well suited to the characterization of hydrological dynamics thanks to the sensitivity of their measurements in the presence of water, whatever the vegetation in place. As a result, all Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) acquisitions are available, both day and night, regardless of cloud cover.Satellite radar remote sensing has gone through a revolution with the launch of the Sentinel-1A satellite, followed by its twins Sentinel-1B by the European Space Agency as part of the Copernicus program in 2014. These sensors acquire C-band data (λ = 5.6 cm) on a regular basis on Europe and their distribution is free for all users. Their temporal frequency initially of 12 days has decreased to 6 days from the end of 2016. This work aims at evaluating the potential of these data with high temporal resolution for the monitoring of water bodies and wetlands.The first part of this thesis focuses on water bodies mapping. We found confusion in the C-band radar response between water surfaces and that of some bare soils. We showed that the winter period is the least ambiguous and that the VH polarization is the most suitable for the mapping of water surfaces. Four methods of water detection have been compared. It appears that the use of unsupervised methods without a priori data is not conceivable and that the methods taking into account the spatial neighborhood give better results. Temporal filtering has been developed and has improved detection and avoided confusion between bare soil and permanent water surfaces. Water surfaces of more than 0.5 ha are more than 80% likely to be detected.A second part of this thesis is devoted to the monitoring of wet grasslands by radar remote sensing. The use of fully polarimetric data has shown that the VV/VH partial polarimetry configuration available on the Sentinel-1 sensor is able to characterize the prairial floods with or without vegetation. A method taking into account the temporal neighborhood allowed to process a series of 14 Sentinel-1 images to obtain 14 flood maps. The accuracy of floods maps at the intra-parcel scale has been estimated, it appears that if the precision is relatively good (80%), but the recall is rather low (40%). This method allow to establish intra- and inter-annual monitoring.This thesis has shown the potential of high temporal resolution radar images for the mapping of the water surfaces and for the monitoring of a wetland meadow

Cette étude se propose d’explorer les potentialités des données de télédétection optique et radar libre d’accès pour l’évaluation et le suivi des écosystèmes forestiers tropicaux, secs ou humides. Différents sites tests situés dans ces écosystèmes forestiers tropicaux, ont été sélectionnés. Il s’agit : du parc national des Virunga en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), de la réserve de biosphère de l’Oti-Keran-Mandourie (OKM) et de la réserve de faune de Togodo (RFT) au Togo, de la zone située autour du pont faisant la liaison entre la ville de Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock et la plaine du littorale de Kourou en Guyane française et de la province de la Monté Cristi en république Dominicaine. Différentes données ont été utilisés lors de cette étude : pour les images radar, des séries temporelles Sentinel-1, des mosaïques Alos-2 et, pour les images optiques, Sentinel-2 et Landsat-8. Des données exogènes comme les points GPS, modèles numériques de terrain et les cartes de référence. L’approche méthodologie utilisé est composée de prétraitement sur les images optiques et radar. Les approches spécifiques, variables selon le site d’étude, ont comporté : photo interprétation détaillée, la classification supervisée SVM, l’inventaire forestier et l’application des équations allométriques, une approche de détection des changements par décomposition en ondelettes, une de détection des changements automatiques par seuillage et la caractérisation de ces changements. Les principaux résultats sont les suivants : Site du PNVI : les cartes d’occupation du sol et les cartes binaires forêts, non-forêt de 1987, 1997, 2007 et 2017 sont réalisées sur le PNVI. Sur la période de 30 ans en utilisant les cartes binaires entre 1987 à 2017 le taux moyen annuel de déforestation est de 1,07%. Ce taux de déforestation élevé montre la pression croissante sur les ressources forestières dans le paysage des Virunga. Site de l’OKM et du RFT : une classification menée sur une combinaison d’images optiques et radar donne des performances légèrement meilleures que des classifications menées sur des images optiques et radar considérées séparément. Les cartes d’occupation du sol issues de ces classifications ont servis de base pour l’estimation de stocks de carbone à travers l’évaluation des ressources forestières. Sur le site de Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock, l’analyse temporelle menée à partir de décompositions en ondelettes, a permis de détecter trois grands types de changements dus à : la déforestation anthropique, les évolutions saisonnières et les évolutions agricoles. Sur le site de la province de Monté Cristi en République dominicaine, l’analyse conjointe d’images radar et optiques a permis de proposer une cartographie comportant 18 classes d’occupation du sol contrôlées sur le terrain avec une précision globale de plus de 90 %. Le suivi historique des forêts montre une régression de la couverture forestière. Parallèlement, nous observons une régression de la surface des mangroves entre 2015 et 2018.Cette étude a mis en évidence l’immense potentialité des données de télédétection optique et radar dans la caractérisation, la cartographie et le suivi des strates d’occupation des sols dans les écosystèmes tropicaux dans différentes régions du monde et en fonction des conditions saisonniers. Si chaque type de données de télédétection possède ces qualités et capacités discriminatoire, cette étude a montré que l’utilisation conjointe et combinée de deux types de données permet d’augmenté significativement la caractérisation et la discrimination des classes d’occupation des sols et ainsi augmente les chances de fiabilité des actions à mener / This study aims to explore the potential of optical remote sensing and free access radar data for the assessment and monitoring of tropical, dry or wet forest ecosystems. Different test sites located in these tropical forest ecosystems have been selected. These are: the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Oti-Keran-Mandourie Biosphere Reserve (OKM) and Togodo Wildlife Reserve (RFT) in Togo, the area around the bridge linking the city of Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock and the plain of the Kourou coast in French Guiana and the province of Monté Cristi in the Dominican Republic. Different data were used in this study: for radar images, Sentinel-1 time series, Alos-2 mosaics and, for optical images, Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8. Exogenous data such as GPS points, digital terrain models and reference maps. The methodology approach used consists of pretreatment on optical and radar images. Specific approaches, varying by study site, included: photo detailed interpretation, supervised SVM classification, forest inventory and application of allometric equations, a wavelet decomposition detection approach, a detection approach automatic changes by thresholding and the characterization of these changes. The main results are:PNVI site: land cover maps and forest, non-forest binary maps of 1987, 1997, 2007 and 2017 are produced on the PNVI. Over the 30-year period using the binary maps between 1987 and 2017 the average annual rate of deforestation is 1.07%. This high deforestation rate shows the increasing pressure on forest resources in the Virunga landscape. OKM and RFT site: a classification carried out on a combination of optical and radar images gives slightly better performances than classifications carried out on optical and radar images considered separately. The land cover maps from these classifications were used as a basis for estimating carbon stocks through forest resource assessment. At the Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock site, temporal analysis using wavelet decompositions revealed three main types of changes due to anthropogenic deforestation, seasonal changes and agricultural changes. On the site of the Monté Cristi province in the Dominican Republic, the joint analysis of radar and optical images made it possible to propose a cartography comprising 18 field-controlled land cover classes with an overall accuracy of more than 90%. Historical forest monitoring shows a decline in forest cover. At the same time, we observe a regression of the surface of mangroves between 2015 and 2018.This study has highlighted the immense potential of optical and radar remote sensing data in the characterization, mapping and monitoring of land use layers in tropical ecosystems in different regions of the world and according to seasonal conditions. While each type of remote sensing data has these discriminatory qualities and capabilities, this study has shown that the joint and combined use of two types of data significantly increases the characterization and discrimination of land-use classes and thus increases the chances of reliability of the actions to be carried out

With the requirement to store and transmit information efficiently, an ever increasing number of uses of data compression techniques have been generated in diverse fields such as television, surveillance, remote sensing, medical processing, office automation, and robotics. Rapid increases in processing capabilities and the speed of complex integrated circuits make data compression techniques a prime candidate for application in the areas mentioned above. This report addresses, from a theoretical viewpoint, three major data compression techniques, Pixel Coding, Predictive Coding, and Transform Coding. It begins with a project description and continues with data compression techniques, focusing on Differential Pulse Code Modulation.

?-Conjugated systems have been the focus of study in recent years in order to understand their charge transport and optical properties for use in organic electronic devices, fluorescence bioimaging, sensors, and 3D optical data storage (ODS), among others. As a result, several molecular building blocks have been designed, allowing new frontiers to be realized. While various successful building blocks have been fine-tuned at both the electronic and molecular structure level to provide advanced photophysical and optoelectronic characteristics, the azulene framework has been under-appreciated despite its unique electronic and optical properties. Among several attributes, azulenes are vibrant blue naturally occurring hydrocarbons that exhibit large dipolar character, coupled with stimuli-responsive behavior in acidic environments. Additionally, the non-toxic nature and the accompanying eco-friendly feature of some azulenes, namely guaiazulene, may set the stage to further explore a more "green" route towards photonic and conductive materials. The first part of this dissertation focuses on exploiting guaiazulene as a natural building block for the synthesis of chromophores with varying stimuli-responsiveness. Results described in Chapter 1 show that extending the conjugation of guaiazulene through its seven-membered ring methyl group with aromatic substituents dramatically impacts the optical properties of the guaiazulenium carbocation. Study of these ?–stabilized tropilium ions enabled establishing photophysical structure-property trends for guaiazulene-terminated ?-conjugated analogs under acidic conditions, including absorption, emission, quantum yield, and optical band gap patterns. These results were exploited in the design of a photosensitive polymeric system with potential application in the field of three dimensional (3D) optical data storage (ODS). Chapter 2 describes the use of guaiazulene reactive sites (C-3 and C-4 methyl group) to generate a series of cyclopenta[ef]heptalenes that exhibit strong stimuli-responsive behavior. The approach presents a versatile route that allows for various substrates to be incorporated into the resulting cyclopenta[ef]heptalenes, especially after optimization that led to devising a one-pot reaction toward such tricyclic systems. Examining the UV-vis absorption profiles in neutral and acidic media showed that the extension of conjugation at C(4) of the cyclopenta[ef]heptalene skeleton results in longer absorption maxima and smaller optical energy gaps. Additionally, it was concluded that these systems act as sensitizers of a UV-activated (< 300 nm) photoacid generator (PAG), via intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PeT), upon which the PAG undergoes photodecomposition resulting in the generation of acid. In a related study, the guaiazulene methyl group at C-4 was employed to study the linear and nonlinear optical properties of 4-styrylguaiazulenes, having the same ?–donor with varying ?-spacer. It was realized that the conjugation length correlates with the extent of bathochromic shift of the protonated species. On the other hand, a trend of decreasing quantum yield was established for this set of 4-styrylguaiazulenes, which can be explained by the increasingly higher degree of flexibility. The second part of this dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of the linear photophysical, photochemical, and nonlinear optical properties of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based derivatives, including two-photon absorption (2PA), femtosecond transient absorption, stimulated emission spectroscopy, and superfluorescence phenomena. The synthetic feasibility, ease of modification, outstanding robustness, and attractive spectroscopic properties of DPPs have motivated their study for fluorescence microscopy applications, concluding that the prepared DPP's are potentially suitable chromophores for high resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy.

No description available.

Throughout the years of space exploration, the usage of Earth observation satellites has increased tremendously. The usage today extends beyond optical sensors, encompassing radars, infrared, and laser sensors. For this thesis, the usage of optical, synthetic aperture radar, and LiDAR sensors were looked at to see if the fusion of these different sensors could enhance the overall image quality. A crucial aspect of satellite image fusion, regardless of sensor type, is preprocessing to ensure the individual images can be seamlessly merged. Ultimately these preprocessing steps are individual to both the sensors and even different satellites. The topic of remote sensing and satellite image fusion is extensive and complex. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore various fusion techniques, data sources, and algorithms to contribute to a deeper understanding of the advantages but mostly challenges associated with multisensor satellite image fusion. A web scraper was developed to collect data from the European Space Agency’s Third Party Mission website, a central repository for satellite missions and Earth images. The scraper made it possible to select different satellites and find the image areas which they had in common. A way to process this data is then presented on how to process the images and finally fuse them. The three fusion algorithms that were used were a simple weighted average, intensity hue saturation, and the pansharpening method. The pansharpening increased both the spatial and spectral resolution whereas the fusion of the optical and synthetic aperture radar gave some mixed results. There are a lot of things that could be explored in the future, such as utilizing more complex fusion algorithms or using additional satellite sensors. However, the web scraper and the processing flowchart stand as notable achievements of this thesis, simplifying the entire process of multisensor satellite image fusion. / Genom åren har användningen av jordobservationsatelliter ökat avsevärt inom rymdforskning. Användningen sträcker sig idag bortom optiska sensorer och inkluderar även radar-, infraröd- och lasersensorer. I detta examensarbete undersöks användningen av optiska, syntetisk aperturradar- och LiDARsensorer för att se om fusionen av dessa olika sensorer kan förbättra helhetsbilden av ett område. En avgörande aspekt av satellitbildsfusion, oavsett sensortyp, är förbehandling för att säkerställa att de individuella bilderna kan smidigt integreras. Slutligen är dessa förbehandlingsteg specifika för både sensorerna och olika satelliter. Ämnet fjärranalys och fusion av satellitbilder är omfattande och komplext. Därför syftar detta examensarbete till att utforska olika fusionsmetoder, datakällor och algoritmer för att bidra till en djupare förståelse för fördelarna och utmaningarna med multisensor fusion av satellitbilder. Ett av huvudproblemen under examensarbetet var datainsamling och databehandling. För att överkomma detta utvecklades en webbskrapare för att samla in data från European Space Agencys Third Party Mission hemsida, en central databas för satellituppdrag och bilder av jorden. Skrapan möjliggjorde valet av olika satelliter och identifieringen av gemensamma bildområden. En metod för databehandling presenteras sedan för att bearbeta bilderna och slutligen förena dem. De tre fusionsalgoritmerna som användes var en enkel viktad medelvärdesmetod, intensitetssättning och pansharpening. Pansharpening ökade både den spatiala och spektrala upplösningen, medan fusionen av optiska och syntetisk aperturradar gav blandade resultat. Det finns många områden som kan utforskas i framtiden, såsom användning av mer komplexa fusionsalgoritmer eller ytterligare satellitsensorer. Sammanfattande kan webbskrapan och behandlingsflödet ses som betydande framsteg i detta examensarbete och förhoppningsvis förenkla hela processen med multisensor fusion av satellitbilder.

This work develops an exact logical operation model to predict the performance of the all-optical shared-memory architecture (OSMA) class of packet switches and provides a means to obtain a reasonable approximation of OSMA switch performance within certain types of networks, including the Banyan family. All-optical packet switches have the potential to far exceed the bandwidth capability of their current electronic counterparts. However, all-optical switching technology is currently not mature. Consequently, all-optical switch fabrics and buffers are more constrained in size and can cost several orders of magnitude more than those of electronic switches. The use of shared-memory buffers and/or links with multiple parallel channels (channel grouping) have been suggested as ways to maximize switch performance with buffers of limited size. However, analysis of shared-memory switches is far more difficult than for other commonly used buffering strategies. Obtaining packet loss performance by simulation is often not a viable alternative to modeling if low loss rates or large networks are encountered. Published models of electronic shared-memory packet switches (ESMP) have primarily involved approximate models to allow analysis of switches with a large number of ports and/or buffer cells. Because most ESMP models become inaccurate for small switches, and OSMA switches, unlike ESMP switches, do not buffer packets unless contention occurs, existing ESMP models cannot be applied to OSMA switches. Previous models of OSMA switches were confined to isolated (non-networked), symmetric OSMA switches using channel grouping under random traffic. This work is far more general in that it also encompasses OSMA switches that (1) are subjected to bursty traffic and/or with input links that have arbitrary occupancy probability distributions, (2) are interconnected to form a network and (3) are asymmetric.

D.Ed. / Stereopsis -- binocular depth perception is a visual function which falls within the ambit of the hyperacuities. The term, Hyperacuity, is one coined by Westheimer (1976) to describe thresholds of discrimination which cannot be explained on the basis of the optical components or sensory elements of the eyes alone. By implication such levels of discrimination are effected by higher levels of brain function. It is reasoned that an individual's stereoscopic hyperacuity should in some way relate to other measures of higher sensory and motor brain functions. In a school situation hyperacuity should relate to measures of intelligence, as well as scholastic and sporting achievement. The design and implementation of an experiment to test this premise forms the basis of this thesis. A literature review is reported of current knowledge relevant to this study together with a description of the stereoscopic testing instruments commonly available in clinical practice. A rationale for modifying these instruments and testing methods to suit the needs of this study is also included. This study exposes new knowledge about the process of static nearpoint stereopsis. This stereopsis proves to be a complex of diverse skills, which are significantly age-related and developmental in nature. These skills are seen to influence and be influenced by educational interventions. It may be concluded from this study that there is value in measuring stereopsis in more depth than has been done previously and that it is crucial to measure the speed of stereo performance in its own right in addition to the measures of stereoacuity. The study reveals significant differences of performance which relate to stereopsis in front as opposed to behind the plane of regard and also related to figure/ground contrast differences. The two non-stereoscopic tests and the six different stereoscopic tests described in this thesis prove to be highly discriminative and diagnostic with respect to age, grade level, I.Q., scholastic achievement and sporting ability.

L'objet de cette thèse est l'étude de l'interaction d'un laser femtoseconde avec un support photosensible particulier: un verre phosphate dopé à l'argent appelé verre photo-luminescent (PL). Une nouvelle approche permettant de réaliser en trois dimensions dans un verre PL des nanostructures d'argent aux dimensions bien inférieures à la limite de diffraction est tout d'abord présentée. La mesure des propriétés optiques et structurales pour différentes échelles (spatiales et temporelles) a permis de proposer un mécanisme de formation des structures photo-induites qui est basé sur un jeu subtil entre les phénomènes d’absorption non-linéaire et de thermo-diffusion. La deuxième partie de cette thèse sera orientée sur les propriétés optiques (linéaires et non-linéaires) et les applications des ces nanostructures d’argent. En particulier, l’exaltation des propriétés non-linéaires des agrégats d’argent sera exploitée pour stocker optiquement de l’information en trois dimentions. / The aim of this work is the study of the interaction between a femtosecond laser and a special photosensitive medium: a silver containing phosphate glass, also called photo-luminescent (PL) glass. A new approach allowing to write, inside the PL glass, 3D silver nanostructures with feature size down to the diffraction limit is presented. Based on optical and structural measurments at different time and spacial scales, the mechanism of the formation of these nanostructures is described. A subtle interplay between nonlinear absorption and thermo-diffusion effects is found to be the key of the mechanism. The second part of this work relies on the optical properties (linear and nonlinear) and few applications of the silver nanostructures. More particulary, the enhancement of their nonlinear properties is used for three dimentional optical data storage.