A new type of computer-controlled instrument has been developed to measure microviscoelastic properties of thin materials. It can independently control and measure indentation loads and depths in situ revealing information about material creep and relaxation. Sample and indenter positions are measured with a specially designed polarization interferometer. Indenter loadings can be varied between 0.5 and 10 grams and held constant to ±41 mg. The resulting indentation depths can be measured in situ to ±1.2 nm. The load required to maintain constant indentation depths from 0.1 to 5.0 microns can be measured in situ to ±3.3 mg and the depth held constant to ±15 nm.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Conventional phased arrays nominally sum the signals received by the elements prior to detection. By multiplying rather than summing signals received from pairs of elements, i.e., interferometer pairs, a set of Spatial Frequencies (SFs) is obtained. Obtaining the SFs requires employment of a multiple local oscillator technique. When summed, these spatial frequencies produce a single lobed (voltage) radiation pattern which, when passed through a biased detector, removes all sidelobes from the response at a small loss of desired signal power.

A three-beam lateral shearing interferometer has been developed. The three-beam shearing interferograms consist of two sets of fringes, one of which acts as a carrier whose intensity is modulated by the second set. The depth of modulation is directly proportional to the phase difference between the middle beam and the outer beams. Phase errors on the order of π/2 cause every other fringe to go from complete dark to complete bright. Therefore, phase errors much smaller than π/2 can be detected. The three-beam interferometer is implemented in three ways: (1) thin film thickness measurement, (2) surface roughness measurement, and (3) surface figure measurement. The three-beam interferometer implemented to measure thin film thickness and surface roughness is accurate to 25 Å. Surfaces with different microstructure are characterized. We have found that each of those surfaces may have one or more of the following: (1) random roughness, (2) slow waviness, and/or (3) periodic structure. The three-beam interferometer is also implemented for testing optical surfaces. The three-beam interferometer is more capable in detecting small zonal errors than the two-beam interferometer. Three-beam interferograms of different surfaces are produced and analyzed. The three-beam interferometer has many advantages: (1) it is a stable, common path interferometer, (2) white light can be instead of coherent light to get rid of the effects of speckle and dust particles, and (3) it is a very low cost interferometer.

Since the discovery of optical bistability a considerable amount of research activity has been aimed toward the realization of general-purpose all-optical computers. The basic premise for most of this work is the widely held notion that a reliable optical switch can be fabricated from a piece of optically bistable material. To date only a very small number of published articles have addressed the subject of the engineering issues (that is, the optimization and tolerancing) of these optical switches. This dissertation is a systematic treatment of these issues. From the starting point of Maxwell's equations a simple model of optically bistable Fabry-Perot etalons is outlined, in which the material is assumed to be a pure Kerr medium having linear absorption. This model allows for a relatively straightforward optical switch optimization procedure. The procedure is applicable for optimizing any number of switch parameters. The emphasis in this dissertation is on the optimization of the contrast of the switch's output signals, with the other parameters (switching energy, tolerance sensitivity) assuming a secondary yet critical role. Following the optimization of the optical switch is a tolerance analysis which addresses the manufacturability and noise immunity of the optimized switch. In the first part of this analysis equations describing the propagation of errors through a large scale system of like devices are derived from the truth tables of the switches themselves. From these equations worst case tolerances are established on the optical switch's transfer function parameters. In the second part of the tolerance analysis the bistability model is used to arrive at tolerances on the physical parameters of the switch. These tolerances are what determine the manufacturability of the optical switches. The major conclusion of the dissertation is that, within the range of validity of the model and the other simplifying assumptions, optically bistable Fabry-Perot etalons cannot be used reliably as logic gates in large-scale computing systems.

A new instrument, the liquid crystal point diffraction interferometer (LCPDI), has been developed for the measurement of phase objects. This instrument maintains the compact, robust design of Linnik's point diffiaction interferometer (PDI) and adds to it phase stepping capability for quantitative interferogram analysis. The result is a compact, simple to align, environmentally insensitive interferometer capable of accurately measuring optical wavefronts with very high data density and with automated data reduction. This dissertation describes the theory of both the PDI and liquid crystal phase control. The design considerations for the LCPDI are presented, including manufacturing considerations. The operation and performance of the LCPDI are discussed, including sections regarding alignment, calibration, and amplitude modulation effects. The LCPDI is then demonstrated using two phase objects: a defocus difference wavefront, and a temperature distribution across a heated chamber filled with silicone oil. The measured results are compared to theoretical or independently measured results and show excellent agreement. A computer simulation of the LCPDI was performed to verify the source of observed periodic phase measurement error. The error stems from intensity variations caused by dye molecules rotating within the liquid crystal layer. Methods are discussed for reducing this error. Algorithms are presented which reduce this error; they are also useful for any phase-stepping interferometer that has unwanted intensity fluctuations, such as those caused by unregulated lasers. It is expected that this instrument will have application in the fluid sciences as a diagnostic tool, particularly in space based applications where autonomy, robustness, and compactness are desirable qualities. It should also be useful for the testing of optical elements, provided a master is available for comparison.

Optical time-division-multiplexing is another promising solution for high-speed signal generation. Using the in-fiber PCF-MZI, we have also performed OTDM signal generation at different bit rates. The setup offers comparable performance to commercial multiplexers. We generated 160-Gb/s and 320-Gb/s OTDM signals based on PCF-MZIs. / Orthogonol frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has attracted quite a lot of interests due to its incomparable advantages in high spectral efficiency optical communication, which significantly enlarges the optical transmission capacity. Optical demultiplexing (DEMUX) of OFDM signals requires FFT processing, which can be efficiently achieved by using cascaded delay interferometers. We theoretically and experimentally studied the transmission properties of cascaded and multi-section Sagnac interferometers and demonstrated their application for the optical OFDM DEMUX. 4-channel OFDM DEMUX is experimentally demonstrated with open eye obtained. / Our study on optical processing of high speed OTDM signals continues with fiber-based techniques using third order nonlinear effects. Based on HNLF, we can construct active fiber interferometer, namely here as nonlinear optical loop mirrors (NOLM). We investigate dispersion asymmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (DA-NOLM) based on cross phase modulation for simultaneous two-channel demultiplexing (DEMUX) usmg only a single baseband control pulse. Reconfigurable DEMUX has been achieved for 40-Gb/s OTDM signals. The DEMUX are also switchable between two-channel and single-channel operations. Utilizing the tunable delay, DA-NOLM has also been applied to signal processing including pulse format conversions, and repetition rate multiplication. / Photonic crystal fiber based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (PCF-MZI) is constructed by a single line PCF, which is an in-line, all-fiber and coupler free device. As a delay interferometer (DI), PCF-MZI offers enhanced thermal stability in its operation. To date, applications of the in-fiber PCF-MZI are mainly focused on optical sensing instead of communications, which is a major objective in this thesis work. We have fabricated PCF-MZIs with different PCF lengths to introduce desirable delays for optical signal processmg, including differential phase shift keying (DPSK) demodulation, pulse format conversion, repetition rate multiplication and high speed optical time-division-multiplexing (OTDM) signal generation. / The continuously growing Internet traffic has resulted in a huge amount of data flow in the optical networks, particularly along with the recent developments of 3G/4G service, cloud computing, and Internet of things. High-data-rate optical transmission and interconnection are highly desirable in the near future, for next generation communication networks. Accompanied with the traffic growth is the requirement for faster signal processing technology. In this regard, all-optical processing plays a key role in eliminating optical-electrical-optical conversion, thus offering unmatched operation speed with reduced complexity and power consumption. This thesis focuses on high speed all-optical signal processing technologies based on innovative fiber-based interferometers, including Mach-Zehnder and loop mirror interferometers constructed by photonic crystal fiber (PCF), birefringent fiber and highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF). / We also investigated signal processing using nonlinear devices beyond those fiber interferometers. FWM is utilized for chirp magnification which was successfully applied to optical comb generation for obtaining optical OFDM signals. Optical comb generation with extinction ratio enhancement and flatness improvement is demonstrated utilizing a stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) based optical loop mirror. Clock recovery of OTDM-OOK signals has been successfully demonstrated over a wide range of bit rates using the SBS loop mirror. / With dispersion management inside the loop mirror interferometer, we have further proposed and demonstrated a modified DA-NOLM. The new device introduces a larger asymmetry in the propagation of the two interfering branches while maintaining a zero total dispersion in each of them. Consequently, pulse broadening is reduced and higher bit rate operation is supported. With the device, we have successfully achieved error-free two-channel DEMUX for 80-Gb/s OTDM signals. / Du, Jiangbing. / Adviser: Chester Shu. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-06, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

In this thesis we present a theoretical analysis of the instability in a cold atom interferometer. Interferometers are often used to split a signal (e.g. optical beam, matter wave), where each part of the signal evolves separately, then the interferometer recombines the signal. Interference effects from the recombination can be used to extract information about the different environments the the split signal traversed. The interferometer considered here splits a matter wave, the wave function of a Bose-Einstein Condensate, by using a guiding potential and then recombines the matter wave. The recombination process is shown to be unstable and the nature of the instability is characterized.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by David Bazeley Tuckerman. / M.S.

[Truncated abstract] This study investigates the mechanical and physical properties of low-temperature (100-300 ?C) plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposited (PECVD) silicon nitride (SiNxHy) thin films for the fabrication of short-wave infrared tunable Fabry-Perot filters with high fill factor, high cavity finesse and low actuation voltages. It has been the intensions of this work to fabricate a tunable filter that can be monolithically integrated with temperature-sensitive substrates, namely mercury cadmium telluride (Hg(1-x)CdxTe) photoconductors and photodiodes. A range of methods have been utilised to determine the Young's modulus (E), residual stress ([sigma]0), density ([rho]) and Poisson's ratio ([nu]) of PECVD SiNxHy thin films. In order to understand how E, [sigma]0, [rho] and [nu] are affected by process conditions, a range of SiNxHy thin films deposited with varying chuck temperatures, RF powers and chamber pressures were measured. The resonance method was used to determine E and [nu] of SiNxHy thin films deposited under varying process conditions. The resonance method involves exciting the bending and torsional vibration modes of a microcantilever beam fabricated from a film. The E and G values can be extracted directly from the bending and torsional vibration modes and the [nu] value can be determined from the calculated E and G values. The density of the films was determined using the quartz crystal microbalance method. In order to determine the validity of the resonance method, finite element modelling was used to determine its dependence on microcantilever beam dimensions. ... Increasing the temperature also increases the tensile residual stress of the films. This study also reveals that increasing the RF power and decreasing the chamber pressure increases E and [rho], as well as increasing the compressive residual stress of the films. The theoretical design and analysis, as well as the fabrication of a new surface micromachined short-wave infrared tunable Fabry-Perot filter for adaptive infrared photon detectors is also presented in this study. The proposed structure, termed the suspension filter, uses broad spectral range, high reflectivity distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors, resulting in very high finesse filters. The device utilises multiple sacrificial layers to define the resonant cavity spacer and the separation of the top mirror from the supporting flexures. The flexures were fabricated from low-temperature (PECVD) SiNxHy thin films. Separation of the top mirror from the supporting flexures allows for improved fill-factors (up to 79%), as well as increased tuning range. Theoretical optical and electromechanical results shows large wavelength tuning ranges (1.5-2.5 [mu]m) at low actuation voltages (<30 V) are possible using the proposed design, whilst still maintaining a high cavity finesse. Optical characterisation of fixed filter micro-cavities on Si substrates show transmissions of ~60% with small line widths (35 nm) are achievable using the proposed mirror system. Mirror displacement versus applied bias voltage curves obtained from a released filter fabricated on Si show a stable mirror displacement of 620 nm was achieved, whilst theoretical results suggested the required 750 nm mirror displacement is possible using the proposed design.

Also issued as a Ph.D. thesis in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, 1970. / Bibliography: p.107.