The optical and semiconductor properties of the materials used in the design and manufacture of infrared interference filters play a vital role in defining the spectral performance achievable from a multilayer filter design. This thesis examines the theoretical basis of the behaviour of absorptive and dispersive mechanisms in optical materials and derives methods of determining values for their complex optical constants. By applying these properties to the multilayer filter design, a predictive model for the filter performance has been constructed to determine if a chosen design can achieve the specified spectral performance requirements, prior to manufacture. Examples are given demonstrating the convergence of prediction with practice. This predictive model approach has then been expanded to develop a method for determining the spectral design requirements for the individual filters and coatings integrated into an atmospheric radiometer instrument. This process uses an integrated systems approach, by which the characteristics of all the contributing elements provide a predicted spectral model of the instrument. By then applying reverse synthesis to this model, the particular spectral requirements of the individual filters can be determined. Examples are given of particular spectral design requirements for filters derived using this method. The effects of the space environment on the spectral and physical properties of infrared filters and materials is also presented. This includes a description of the radiation environments to which filters are subjected in low Earth orbit. A quantitative analysis of the effects of this environment on the spectral characteristics of exposed filters and materials is made, together with an assessment of the physical degradation mechanisms that affect filter performance.

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The frequency-shift (FRESH) filter is a structure which exploits the spectral correlation of cyclostationary signals for removing interference and noise from a wanted signal. As most digital communication signals are cyclostationary, FRESH filtering offers certain advantages for interference rejection in a communications receiver. This thesis explores the operation and application of FRESH filters in practical interference scenarios. The theoretical background to cyclostationarity is clarified with graphical interpretations of what cyclostationarity is, and how a FRESH filter exploits it to remove interference. The effects of implementation in a sampled system are investigated, in filters which use baud rate related cyclostationarity, leading to efficiency improvements. The effects of varying the wanted signal pulse shape to enhance the cyclostationarity available to the FRESH filter are also investigated. A consistent approach to the interpretation of the FRESH filter's operation is used throughout, while evaluating the performance in a wide range of realistic channel conditions. VLF radio communication is proposed as one area where interference conditions are particularly suitable for the use of FRESH filtering. In cases of severe adjacent channel interference it is found that a FRESH filter can almost completely remove the interferer. The effects of its use with an impulse rejection technique are also investigated. Finally, blind adaptation of FRESH filters through exploitation of carrier related cyclostationarity is investigated. It is found that one existing method loses the advantage of FRESH filtering over time invariant linear filtering. An improvement is proposed to the latter which restores its performance to that of a trained FRESH filter, and also reveals that carrier related cyclostationarity can be exploited, in some cases, by a simpler method. J.

QC 351 A7 no. 40 / The aim of this study was to determine to what extent a constant spectral response can be obtained for wide-passband interference filters used with wide -angle lenses. We investigated the possibility of using the curvature of the lens surfaces to reduce the shift in the filter passband for large field angles and found that locating the filter on the proper surface will considerably reduce the shift of the passband. Specifically, we determined the distribution of angles of incidence for full aperture pencils incident at several field angles on the second and fourth surfaces of the 90° Geocon IV, the 90° Paxar, and the 125° Pleogon. We then calculated the spectral transmittance of each lens when a wide passband interference filter was located on its second or fourth surface. We also calculated the degree of polarization introduced. From the cases considered, we found that the tracing of an upper and lower marginal (rim) ray at maximum field angle is sufficient to determine the suitability of a surface, the criterion being that, the smaller the angle of incidence at the surface, the better. In addition, we found that, with the filter on the second surface of the Paxar, spectral transmittance changes with field angle were negligible and the modulation due to polarization was about 1 %.

Les performances des filtres interférentiels répondent aujourd'hui à des spécifications de plus en plus exigeantes et permettent de repousser les limites physiques des instruments optiques dans lesquels ils sont intégrés. Au cours du processus de fabrication d'un filtre, il est évidemment primordial de maîtriser avec une très grande précision (typiquement sub-nanométrique) l'épaisseur optique des couches déposées. Ceci nécessite le recours à une mesure in situ des caractéristiques optiques de l’empilement tout au long de son dépôt.Dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, nous avons développé un nouveau système de contrôle optique qui rend possible la mesure simultanée de la transmission d’un empilement, d’une part à une seule longueur d’onde, définie par l’utilisateur dans le domaine spectral compris entre 350 et 1000 nm (contrôle monochromatique présentant une résolution de 0,35 nm), et d’autre part sur l’ensemble de ce domaine spectral (contrôle large bande présentant une résolution de 3 nm). Ces deux mesures sont réalisées en 6 millisecondes à une cadence de 2 Hz (fréquence de rotation du porte-substrat), et ce, de manière parfaitement synchrone. En outre, grâce à la mise en place, dans le plateau porte-substrat, d’une voie de référence correspondant à une absence d’échantillon, ce dispositif de contrôle présente une très grande stabilité et une justesse meilleure que le pour mille. Enfin, une méthode numérique a été développée pour rendre possible une comparaison fiable des résultats fournis par les deux voies de mesure malgré la différence de leur résolution spectrale.Ce dispositif ouvre la voie à l’utilisation de plusieurs critères indépendants pour définir en temps réel l’instant précis où le dépôt d’une couche doit être arrêté (annulation de la dérivée de la transmission à une longueur d’onde, comparaison de cette transmission monochromatique à un niveau pré-défini, minimisation d’une fonction de mérite quantifiant l’écart entre le spectre mesuré et un spectre de référence défini par le calcul, respect d’une durée de dépôt utilisant une mesure optique in situ de la vitesse de dépôt). Il s’agit donc bien d’un contrôle multi-critère tout optique.La première application des potentialités de ce nouveau système a concerné la détermination des constantes optiques (indice de réfraction, coefficient d’extinction) d’un matériau diélectrique de haut indice, le pentoxyde de tantale. La méthode utilisée met en œuvre un enregistrement de l’évolution de la transmission spectrale de l’échantillon tout au long de la croissance de la couche (voie large bande) et un traitement, longueur d’onde par longueur d’onde, du profil temporel de cette évolution. Cette nouvelle méthode ne nécessite donc pas le choix a priori d’une loi de dépendance spectrale pour chacune de ces deux constantes optiques. Elle ouvre également la voie à une analyse de l’évolution de l’indice de réfraction d’une couche en fonction de l’épaisseur qui lui est assignée. Enfin, elle est transposable à des matériaux bas indice, comme, par exemple, la silice / The performances of complex interference filters meets today to exigent specifications and permit to enhance the physical limits of optical instruments in which they are integrated. During the manufacturing of a filter, it is obviously important to monitor with very high accuracy (typically sub-nanometric) the thickness of the deposited layers. This requires the use of an in situ measurement of the optical characteristics of the multilayer during the process.In the framework of this thesis, we have developed a new optical monitoring system which makes possible to achieve the simultaneous measurement of the transmittance of a multilayer filter, on one hand at a single wavelength defined by the user in the spectral range between 350 nm and 1000 nm (monochromatic monitoring with a resolution of 0.35 mm), and on the other hand on this whole spectral range at single shot (broadband monitoring with a resolution of 3 nm). These two measurements are made in 6 milliseconds at a rate of 2 Hz (corresponding to the rotation speed of the substrate holder), and are perfectly synchronized. In addition, the substrate holder tray is designed with a reference channel corresponding to a void position (without sample). Thanks to that configuration the monitoring system has a very high stability and accuracy better than 0.001. Finally, a numerical method has been developed to enable the comparison of the results provided by the two acquisition channels (monochromatic and broadband) taking into account the difference of their spectral resolution.This system opens the way for the use of several independent criteria to determine in real time the exact moment when the deposition of a layer must be stopped (turning point monitoring, trigger point monitoring, broadband monitoring, achievement with time monitoring using an optical in situ determination of the deposition rate). So this is indeed an all optical multi-criteria monitoring systems.This first application of this system has involved the determination of the optical constants (refractive index and extinction coefficient) of a high index dielectric material: the tantalum pentoxide. The method used is based on a recording of the evolution of the transmitted spectrum of a witness sample during the growth of the layer (broadband channel) and a processing, wavelength by wavelength, of the timing data profile of that evolution. This new method does not require any descriptive spectral dependence law for each of the two optical constants. It also paves the way for an analysis of the behavior of the refractive index of a layer in function of the thickness. Finally, it is applicable to low index materials, such as, for example, silica.

The capability to resolve the contributions from spectroscopically overlapping fluorophores has enabled significant breakthroughs in cellular imaging. However, commercial microscopes for this purpose use analog light detection with least squares curve-fitting analysis and improvements in sensitivity are needed. To this end, a microscope has been constructed with high throughput and single-photon detection capability. The fluorescence is separated through use of a prism spectrometer or a series of dichroic mirrors into four spectral bands and detected using four single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors, which provide high-quantum efficiency in the red spectral region. The detectors are connected to a time-correlated single photon counting module to provide sub-nanosecond temporal resolution for distinguishing fluorophores with different fluorescence lifetimes. Maximum-likelihood (ML) methods have been developed for analyzing the temporally and spectrally resolved photon count data from the SPADs to find the contributions from different fluorescent species and from background. Commercially available SPADs exhibit a count-rate dependent time shift in the impulse response function, and hence the instrument incorporates custom modified SPADs with improved timing stability. Nevertheless, there is still some time shift, and hence the ML-analysis has been extended to include this as an adjustable parameter for each individual SPAD. Monte Carlo simulations have also been developed to enable studies of the number of photons needed to resolve specific fluorophores.

The capability to resolve the contributions from spectroscopically overlapping fluorophores has enabled significant breakthroughs in cellular imaging. However, commercial microscopes for this purpose use analog light detection with least squares curve-fitting analysis and improvements in sensitivity are needed. To this end, a microscope has been constructed with high throughput and single-photon detection capability. The fluorescence is separated through use of a prism spectrometer or a series of dichroic mirrors into four spectral bands and detected using four single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors, which provide high-quantum efficiency in the red spectral region. The detectors are connected to a time-correlated single photon counting module to provide sub-nanosecond temporal resolution for distinguishing fluorophores with different fluorescence lifetimes. Maximum-likelihood (ML) methods have been developed for analyzing the temporally and spectrally resolved photon count data from the SPADs to find the contributions from different fluorescent species and from background. Commercially available SPADs exhibit a count-rate dependent time shift in the impulse response function, and hence the instrument incorporates custom modified SPADs with improved timing stability. Nevertheless, there is still some time shift, and hence the ML-analysis has been extended to include this as an adjustable parameter for each individual SPAD. Monte Carlo simulations have also been developed to enable studies of the number of photons needed to resolve specific fluorophores.

Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados do estudo e desenvolvimento dos parâmetros de projeto de um radiômetro solar multiespectral (RSME), baseado em Filtros de Interferência Variável (FIV) de banda-passante que incorpora uma camada ressoante de Fabry-Perot, inclinada em forma de cunha, sintonizável dentro da área opticamente ativa do FIV, aplicável ao sensoriamento ambiental e de aerossóis. Foi apresentada a teoria proposta para a simulação, projeto e deposição pelo método interativo (simulações associada às avaliações de deposições). O FIV foi parametrizado para o RSME, mas pode atender outras aplicações em sensores multicanais e multiespectrais. A construção dos FIV exigiu estudos e adaptações das técnicas clássicas de deposição de filmes finos e de microeletrônica, foi utilizada a PVD/E-Beam. É apresentado um estudo e o emprego de simulações matemáticas e softwares, aplicáveis a FI convencionais correlatas aos FIVs. Estes softwares foram aplicados e avaliados em relação ao projeto dos FIV. Avaliamos a técnica empregada que produz a inclinação na espessura dos FIVs em uma monocamada de 600 nm com um Perfilômetro do LME. Os FIVs caracterizados opticamente com espectrofotômetros, apresentam uma área opticamente ativa de varredura de 120,5 nm no espectro eletromagnético, entre os canais 475,5 nm a 596 nm, pertencentes a 17,3 mm de extensão do FIV. O FIV é um dispositivo óptico projetado com espessura em cunha provocando a resposta espectral linear para a transmitância, com uma taxa de 6,97 nm/mm na sua extensão. Foi proposto que os FIVs caracterizados em conjunto com PD de um PDA, difusor e lente, formem um conjunto detector conectado a um módulo de pré-processamento e coleta de dados (módulo eletrônico) formando assim o RSME parametrizado. O RSME proposto foi avaliado utilizando o FIV02 que opera numa faixa opticamente ativa entre (600 nm a 715 nm), um PDA modelo TSL1401 com 128 PD e um microcontrolador Arduino UNO para o gerenciamento da detecção. Os resultados apontam que o instrumento faz medições equivalentes a outro espectrofotômetro de referência quando medindo um feixe monocromático em 655,4 nm, mas com resolução mais estreita de 0,13 nm por canal. Foi apontada também a necessidade de instrumentação dedicada para outras caracterizações ópticas dos FIV, do conjunto detector do RSME e para a sua calibração. / This paper presents the results of the study and development of the design parameters of a Multi-Spectral Solar Radiometer (MSSR), based on Variable Interference Filter (VIF) pass-bad which incorporates a resonant layer Fabry-Perot inclined in form wedge, tunable within the optically active area of VIF, applicable to enviro nmental sensing and aerosols. The theory proposed was presented for the simulation, design and deposition by interactive method (associated with reviews of depositions simulations). The VIF was parameterized for the MSSR, but can serve other applications in multi-channel and multispectral sensors. The construction of VIF required studies and adaptations of the classic techniques of thin film deposition and microelectronic, was used the PVD / E-Beam. A study and the use of mathematical and simulation software, related to VIFs applicable to conventional IF appears. This software were applied and assessed in relation to the design of VIF. We evaluate the technique that produces the slope in the thickness of VIFs in a monolayer of 600 nm with a LMEs Surface Profiler. The VIFs characterized optically with spectrophotometers, can present an optically active area scanning 120,5 nm of the electromagnetic spectrum between channels 475,5 nm to 596 nm, belonging to 17,3 mm extension of VIF. FIV is an optical device designed with wedge-shaped thickness resulting in the linear transmittance for the spectral response with a 6,97 nm/mm in extension rate. It was proposed that VIFs characterized together with PD of a PDA, diffuser and lens form a detector module connected to a set of pre-processing and data collection (electronic module) thus forming the parameterized MSSR. The proposed MSSR was assessed using the VIF02 which operates a range of optically active (600 nm to 715 nm), a PDA model TSL1401 with PD 128 and Arduino UNO microcontroller to manage the detection. The results indicate that the instrument is equivalent to other reference spectrophotometer measurements, when measuring a monochromatic beam at 655,4 nm, but with narrower 0,13 nm resolution by channel. It was also pointed out the necessity of dedicated instrumentation for optical characterizations of other VIF MSSR detector assembly and the calibration.

Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados do estudo e desenvolvimento dos parâmetros de projeto de um radiômetro solar multiespectral (RSME), baseado em Filtros de Interferência Variável (FIV) de banda-passante que incorpora uma camada ressoante de Fabry-Perot, inclinada em forma de cunha, sintonizável dentro da área opticamente ativa do FIV, aplicável ao sensoriamento ambiental e de aerossóis. Foi apresentada a teoria proposta para a simulação, projeto e deposição pelo método interativo (simulações associada às avaliações de deposições). O FIV foi parametrizado para o RSME, mas pode atender outras aplicações em sensores multicanais e multiespectrais. A construção dos FIV exigiu estudos e adaptações das técnicas clássicas de deposição de filmes finos e de microeletrônica, foi utilizada a PVD/E-Beam. É apresentado um estudo e o emprego de simulações matemáticas e softwares, aplicáveis a FI convencionais correlatas aos FIVs. Estes softwares foram aplicados e avaliados em relação ao projeto dos FIV. Avaliamos a técnica empregada que produz a inclinação na espessura dos FIVs em uma monocamada de 600 nm com um Perfilômetro do LME. Os FIVs caracterizados opticamente com espectrofotômetros, apresentam uma área opticamente ativa de varredura de 120,5 nm no espectro eletromagnético, entre os canais 475,5 nm a 596 nm, pertencentes a 17,3 mm de extensão do FIV. O FIV é um dispositivo óptico projetado com espessura em cunha provocando a resposta espectral linear para a transmitância, com uma taxa de 6,97 nm/mm na sua extensão. Foi proposto que os FIVs caracterizados em conjunto com PD de um PDA, difusor e lente, formem um conjunto detector conectado a um módulo de pré-processamento e coleta de dados (módulo eletrônico) formando assim o RSME parametrizado. O RSME proposto foi avaliado utilizando o FIV02 que opera numa faixa opticamente ativa entre (600 nm a 715 nm), um PDA modelo TSL1401 com 128 PD e um microcontrolador Arduino UNO para o gerenciamento da detecção. Os resultados apontam que o instrumento faz medições equivalentes a outro espectrofotômetro de referência quando medindo um feixe monocromático em 655,4 nm, mas com resolução mais estreita de 0,13 nm por canal. Foi apontada também a necessidade de instrumentação dedicada para outras caracterizações ópticas dos FIV, do conjunto detector do RSME e para a sua calibração. / This paper presents the results of the study and development of the design parameters of a Multi-Spectral Solar Radiometer (MSSR), based on Variable Interference Filter (VIF) pass-bad which incorporates a resonant layer Fabry-Perot inclined in form wedge, tunable within the optically active area of VIF, applicable to enviro nmental sensing and aerosols. The theory proposed was presented for the simulation, design and deposition by interactive method (associated with reviews of depositions simulations). The VIF was parameterized for the MSSR, but can serve other applications in multi-channel and multispectral sensors. The construction of VIF required studies and adaptations of the classic techniques of thin film deposition and microelectronic, was used the PVD / E-Beam. A study and the use of mathematical and simulation software, related to VIFs applicable to conventional IF appears. This software were applied and assessed in relation to the design of VIF. We evaluate the technique that produces the slope in the thickness of VIFs in a monolayer of 600 nm with a LMEs Surface Profiler. The VIFs characterized optically with spectrophotometers, can present an optically active area scanning 120,5 nm of the electromagnetic spectrum between channels 475,5 nm to 596 nm, belonging to 17,3 mm extension of VIF. FIV is an optical device designed with wedge-shaped thickness resulting in the linear transmittance for the spectral response with a 6,97 nm/mm in extension rate. It was proposed that VIFs characterized together with PD of a PDA, diffuser and lens form a detector module connected to a set of pre-processing and data collection (electronic module) thus forming the parameterized MSSR. The proposed MSSR was assessed using the VIF02 which operates a range of optically active (600 nm to 715 nm), a PDA model TSL1401 with PD 128 and Arduino UNO microcontroller to manage the detection. The results indicate that the instrument is equivalent to other reference spectrophotometer measurements, when measuring a monochromatic beam at 655,4 nm, but with narrower 0,13 nm resolution by channel. It was also pointed out the necessity of dedicated instrumentation for optical characterizations of other VIF MSSR detector assembly and the calibration.