The conventional Zernike polynomial fit of circular aperture interferograms is reviewed and a more quantitative and statistical analysis is added. Some conventional questions such as the required number of polynomials, sampling requirements, and how to determine the optimum references surface are answered. Then, the analysis is applied to the polynomial fit of noncircular aperture interferograms and axicon interferograms. The problems and limitations of using Zernike polynomials are presented. A method of obtaining the surface figure error information from several smaller subaperture interferograms is analyzed. The limitations of the analysis for testing a large flat, a large parabola, or an aspheric surface are presented. The analysis is compared with the local connection method using overlapped wavefront information. Finally, the subaperture interferogram analysis is used to average several interferograms and to analyze lateral shearing interferograms.

A grande carência de material experimental adequado para o ensino de Ótica no Brasil motivou o desenvolvimento de um processo de moldagem de lentes acrílicas, pelo Centro de Divulgação Científica e Cultural. Aproveitando tecnologia já existente na Universidade, o CDCC desenvolveu um processo de moldagem por compressão, relativamente barato, utilizando a placa acrílica comercial como material moldável. O presente trabalho consiste em caracterizar e avaliar esse processo de moldagem de lentes acrílicas. Para tanto, são levantadas as principais características físicas do material moldável. A qualidade ótica da lente moldada é analisada com base em alguns ensaios, tais como medidas de aberrações geométricas e de birrefringência induzida. Os resultados obtidos permitem a determinação dos parâmetros ideais do processo, e demonstram a possibilidade de obtenção de lentes acrílicas de excelente qualidade ótica para o ensino básico, a um custo acessível. / The necessity of experimental optical materials in Brasil for basic learning was the principal motivation for the development of the process to produce acrylic lens in the Centro de Divulgação Científico e Cultural (CDCC). All the process developed use low cost commercial acrylic and a moulding procedure to produce the lens. In this work we characterize the moulding process and the physical properties for the material. The optical quality for the moulding lens was determine measuring: aberrations and the induce birefringence. These results allow us to determine the optimal parameters for the process, and the possibility to production of high quality lens for the basic schools.

Birefringence measurements are of great importance in a plethora of applications spanning from biology to optical communications. Birefringence measurements of nerve-fiber layers have emerged as an important diagnostic technique for early detection of glaucoma. Stress-induced birefringence in optical devices affects their performances by causing Polarization-Mode Dispersion (PMD) and Polarization-Dependent Loss (PDL). Stress-relaxation constitutes a key phenomenon governing the fabrication of some optical devices such as Long-Period Fiber Gratings (LPFGs). This drives the need to develop accurate optical instrumentation techniques to evaluate form and stress-induced birefringence. This thesis deals with the development of new high-accuracy techniques for the characterization of stress-induced birefringence in optical devices. The new Two-Waveplate Compensator (TWC) technique is presented for single-point retardation measurements. It is extensively compared theoretically and experimentally to existing techniques including the Snarmont and Brace-Khler techniques. The Phase-Stepping Two-Waveplate Retarder (PSTWR) is also presented for high-accuracy measurements of retardation magnitude and orientation. The Colorimetry-Based Retardation Method (CBRM) is presented to measure retardation using white-light interference colors. The technique is implemented using a polarization microscope and a spectrophotometer. The TWC and the Brace-Khler methods are implemented for full-field retardation measurements using a polarization microscope. Their accuracies are quantified over the entire field-of-view for small retardations. They are applied to the stress-induced birefringence imaging of LPFGs and polymer pillar waveguides. The TWC technique achieves an accuracy of 0.06 nm and a sensitivity of 0.07 nm. The Brace- Khler technique achieves an accuracy of 0.04 nm and a sensitivity of 0.09 nm. The spatial resolution of both techniques is 0.45 and #61549;m. A Fourier-based algorithm is presented to compute the inverse Abel transform relating the retardation to the axial residual stress profile in optical fibers. It is used to calculate the residual stress profiles of single-mode fibers from full-field retardation measurements with the TWC and Brace- Khler techniques. The stress profiles computed in this work are in very good agreement with previously reported results in the literature. The TWC technique produces the most accurate stress measurements. The TWC technique is used to investigate the stress-relaxation phenomena in LPFGs fabricated using CO2 laser irradiations.

A grande carência de material experimental adequado para o ensino de Ótica no Brasil motivou o desenvolvimento de um processo de moldagem de lentes acrílicas, pelo Centro de Divulgação Científica e Cultural. Aproveitando tecnologia já existente na Universidade, o CDCC desenvolveu um processo de moldagem por compressão, relativamente barato, utilizando a placa acrílica comercial como material moldável. O presente trabalho consiste em caracterizar e avaliar esse processo de moldagem de lentes acrílicas. Para tanto, são levantadas as principais características físicas do material moldável. A qualidade ótica da lente moldada é analisada com base em alguns ensaios, tais como medidas de aberrações geométricas e de birrefringência induzida. Os resultados obtidos permitem a determinação dos parâmetros ideais do processo, e demonstram a possibilidade de obtenção de lentes acrílicas de excelente qualidade ótica para o ensino básico, a um custo acessível. / The necessity of experimental optical materials in Brasil for basic learning was the principal motivation for the development of the process to produce acrylic lens in the Centro de Divulgação Científico e Cultural (CDCC). All the process developed use low cost commercial acrylic and a moulding procedure to produce the lens. In this work we characterize the moulding process and the physical properties for the material. The optical quality for the moulding lens was determine measuring: aberrations and the induce birefringence. These results allow us to determine the optimal parameters for the process, and the possibility to production of high quality lens for the basic schools.

No description available.

The science and technology of X-rays has only been part of human achievement for the past 100 years, while the study of image formation in general has endured for as long as 1000 years. The ability to conceive, design, and fabricate X-ray imagers, moreover, has existed for only the past 70 years, and X-ray astronomical telescopes have been in use for a mere 35 years. Considering that aplanatic, normal incidence telescope designs required more than 400 years to perfect, it is most interesting to note that the development of ‘aplanatic’ grazing incidence telescopes has taken only about 40 years. In order to improve and expand the field of X-ray astronomy, and imaging in general, we find that these days a comprehensive systems engineering approach to X-ray image formation must be undertaken. While some industrial interests have taken steps in this direction, any academic approach is lacking from within the archival literature to date, and there are virtually no established university courses. Indeed, it would seem that top level, optical-systems-engineering is exclusively reserved for those seasoned professionals who have accumulated (though somewhat artistically) the “know-how” to efficiently conceive and implement excellent optical designs. Such expert knowledge is not and should not be mysterious. To this end, we attempt to formulate a highly comprehensive approach to X-ray optical systems engineering and implement it within the context of the Wolter Type-I and Type-II (grazing incidence) telescopes currently utilized for practical X-ray/EUV astronomy. In addition, we will transform the classical paraboloid-hyperboloid designs into ‘aplanatic’ and ‘isoplanatic’, hyperboloid-hyperboloid systems, where certain coma conditions are minimized. As will be shown, one gains little improvement in performance when choosing a quasi-aplanatic mirror design over a classical one, owing to scatter and other image degradation effects. Next we will show that a generalized hyperboloid-hyperboloid design can be comprehensively optimized for any imaging requirement, where the operational field-of-view is weighted according to spatial information content. Our H-H design has been optimized for the GOES Solar X-ray Imager mission and adopted by NASA and NOAA. It is currently undergoing fabrication by Raytheon Optical Systems Inc. who is under subcontract to the Lockheed-Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory. Our design is expected to result in an 80% increase in optical system performance over the original SXI baseline design.

Options for tracking dynamic underwater targets using optical methods is currently limited. This thesis examines optical reflectance intensities utilizing Lambert’s Reflection Model and based on a proposed underwater laser tracking system. Numerical analysis is performed through simulation to determine the detectable light intensities based on relationships between varying inputs such as angle of illumination and target position. Attenuation, noise, and laser beam spreading are included in the analysis. Simulation results suggest optical tracking exhibits complex relationships based on target location and illumination angle. Signal to Noise Ratios are a better indicator of system capabilities than received intensities. Signal reception does not necessarily confirm target capture in a multi-sensor network. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Com os desenvolvimentos tecnológicos na área da nanociência e nanotecnologia pode se realizar novas pesquisas de fronteira. Entres estas pesquisas uma de muito interesse é sobre as interações nas escalas nanométricas e micrométricas. E com o desenvolvimento de novos equipamentos para esta área conseguimos observar e entender interações como entre a luz e materiais condutores como os metais. Esta interação produz ondas densas de elétrons, estas ondas são conhecidas como plásmons. Os estudos acerca dos plásmons estão sendo desenvolvidos desde os anos 80, e com as novas tecnologias podemos cada vez mais refinar e potencializar os resultados sobre estes assuntos. As pesquisas mais atuais sobre este tema veem gerando inúmeros desenvolvimentos nas áreas de gravação magneto-ótica, microscopia, detectores moleculares biológicos, entre outras. Os plasmons são oscilações que se confinam na superfície dos materiais, que têm como característica serem ondas evanescentes, por isso eles precisam ser observados em campo próximo. Com o intuito de observar e compreender a propagação destes plasmons de superfície (SPs) foi utilizado um microscópio ótico de varredura em campo próximo (SNOM). Este equipamento permite imagens óticas de campo próximo simultaneamente com imagens topográficas da superfície do material. Em trabalhos anteriores foi possível caracterizar a propagação dos SP em filmes de Ag e Au. Uma característica observada foi um padrão de oscilação ótica dentro da propagação dos SP. Visando entender esta oscilação, estudamos a influência da rugosidade dos filmes nesta oscilação dentro da propagação dos SP. Com o SNOM foi possível analisar a influência da rugosidade sobre a oscilação na propagação dos SP. Este tipo de oscilação já havia sido mostrado em artigos na literatura, porém nunca antes foi analisado em profundidade ou foi dada uma explicação clara para sua existência. Visando produzir filmes com rugosidades diferentes, foi utilizado um sistema de \"magnetron sputtering\" disponível no Laboratório de Materiais Magneticos da USP. Usando-se diferentes temperaturas de deposição e materiais codepositados se produziu filmes de rugosidades distintas. As rugosidades variaram de 1 nm à 40 nm, com isto se pode constatar que existe uma oscilação dentro da propagação dos SP que fica mais evidente, e sofre perturbações, conforme o filme é mais rugoso. Porém também foi observado que mesmo com filmes muito lisos esta oscilação permanece, podendo ser algo intrínseco da própria propagação do SP, e quanto maior rugosidade superficial mais intensa e irregular esta oscilação. / New border technology researches can be made from the technological developments in nanocience and nanotechnology, among which, the research on nanometric and micrometric scales is of great interest. With the development of new equipment for this area, we are able to observe and understand interactions between light and conductive materials, such as metals, for example. This interaction produces dense electron waves, these waves are known as Plasmon. Studies on Plasmon have been developed since the 1980\'s and, with the new technologies we can constantly refine and potentialize the results on this matter. The more recent researches on the theme have been generating innumerous developments in the areas of magneto-optical recording, microscopy, biological molecular detectors, among others. Plasmon\'s consist in confined oscillations in the surfaces of materials, characterized for being evanescent waves, for that reason they have to be observed in near field. In order to observe and comprehend the propagation of these Surface Plasmon (SP) a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) was used. This equipment allows near field images to be formed concomitantly with topographic images of the material\'s surface. In previous works it was possible to characterize the propagation of the SP in Ag and Au films. One observed characteristic was an oscillation pattern within the SP propagation. Aiming to understand this oscillation, we studied the influence of the films rugosity on the oscillation within the propagation of the SP. With SNOM it was possible to analyze the influence of the rugosity on the oscillation within the propagation of the SP. This type of oscillation had already been observed in the literature, but it had never before been analyzed in depth or a clear explanation for its existence has been given. Aiming to produce films with different rugosities, a magnetron sputtering system was used. Using different deposition temperatures and co-deposited materials we produced films with different rugosities. The rugosities vary from 1 nm to 40 nm, with this we could note that there is an oscillation within the SP propagation which are more evident and suffer disturbances, as the film\'s rugosity increases. Although it was observed that even in very smooth films this oscillation remains, which can indicate an intrinsic character of the SP propagation and also, the larger the rugosity, more intense and irregular this oscillation.

Com os desenvolvimentos tecnológicos na área da nanociência e nanotecnologia pode se realizar novas pesquisas de fronteira. Entres estas pesquisas uma de muito interesse é sobre as interações nas escalas nanométricas e micrométricas. E com o desenvolvimento de novos equipamentos para esta área conseguimos observar e entender interações como entre a luz e materiais condutores como os metais. Esta interação produz ondas densas de elétrons, estas ondas são conhecidas como plásmons. Os estudos acerca dos plásmons estão sendo desenvolvidos desde os anos 80, e com as novas tecnologias podemos cada vez mais refinar e potencializar os resultados sobre estes assuntos. As pesquisas mais atuais sobre este tema veem gerando inúmeros desenvolvimentos nas áreas de gravação magneto-ótica, microscopia, detectores moleculares biológicos, entre outras. Os plasmons são oscilações que se confinam na superfície dos materiais, que têm como característica serem ondas evanescentes, por isso eles precisam ser observados em campo próximo. Com o intuito de observar e compreender a propagação destes plasmons de superfície (SPs) foi utilizado um microscópio ótico de varredura em campo próximo (SNOM). Este equipamento permite imagens óticas de campo próximo simultaneamente com imagens topográficas da superfície do material. Em trabalhos anteriores foi possível caracterizar a propagação dos SP em filmes de Ag e Au. Uma característica observada foi um padrão de oscilação ótica dentro da propagação dos SP. Visando entender esta oscilação, estudamos a influência da rugosidade dos filmes nesta oscilação dentro da propagação dos SP. Com o SNOM foi possível analisar a influência da rugosidade sobre a oscilação na propagação dos SP. Este tipo de oscilação já havia sido mostrado em artigos na literatura, porém nunca antes foi analisado em profundidade ou foi dada uma explicação clara para sua existência. Visando produzir filmes com rugosidades diferentes, foi utilizado um sistema de \"magnetron sputtering\" disponível no Laboratório de Materiais Magneticos da USP. Usando-se diferentes temperaturas de deposição e materiais codepositados se produziu filmes de rugosidades distintas. As rugosidades variaram de 1 nm à 40 nm, com isto se pode constatar que existe uma oscilação dentro da propagação dos SP que fica mais evidente, e sofre perturbações, conforme o filme é mais rugoso. Porém também foi observado que mesmo com filmes muito lisos esta oscilação permanece, podendo ser algo intrínseco da própria propagação do SP, e quanto maior rugosidade superficial mais intensa e irregular esta oscilação. / New border technology researches can be made from the technological developments in nanocience and nanotechnology, among which, the research on nanometric and micrometric scales is of great interest. With the development of new equipment for this area, we are able to observe and understand interactions between light and conductive materials, such as metals, for example. This interaction produces dense electron waves, these waves are known as Plasmon. Studies on Plasmon have been developed since the 1980\'s and, with the new technologies we can constantly refine and potentialize the results on this matter. The more recent researches on the theme have been generating innumerous developments in the areas of magneto-optical recording, microscopy, biological molecular detectors, among others. Plasmon\'s consist in confined oscillations in the surfaces of materials, characterized for being evanescent waves, for that reason they have to be observed in near field. In order to observe and comprehend the propagation of these Surface Plasmon (SP) a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) was used. This equipment allows near field images to be formed concomitantly with topographic images of the material\'s surface. In previous works it was possible to characterize the propagation of the SP in Ag and Au films. One observed characteristic was an oscillation pattern within the SP propagation. Aiming to understand this oscillation, we studied the influence of the films rugosity on the oscillation within the propagation of the SP. With SNOM it was possible to analyze the influence of the rugosity on the oscillation within the propagation of the SP. This type of oscillation had already been observed in the literature, but it had never before been analyzed in depth or a clear explanation for its existence has been given. Aiming to produce films with different rugosities, a magnetron sputtering system was used. Using different deposition temperatures and co-deposited materials we produced films with different rugosities. The rugosities vary from 1 nm to 40 nm, with this we could note that there is an oscillation within the SP propagation which are more evident and suffer disturbances, as the film\'s rugosity increases. Although it was observed that even in very smooth films this oscillation remains, which can indicate an intrinsic character of the SP propagation and also, the larger the rugosity, more intense and irregular this oscillation.

No description available.