This thesis investigates the long-standing Abraham-Minkowski controversy concerning the momentum of light inside a dielectric medium. A revealing connection to the optical He-McKellar-Wilkens (HMW) phase is found upon studying the Langrangian describing the classical laser-atom interaction. This connection is further highlighted by moving into a semi-classical model in which the phase arises as a result of the transformation between the Abraham and Minkowski Hamiltonians. The HMW along with the Aharonov-Casher phases are found to be both dynamic and geometric depending on the representation. It is shown that an optical version of the HMW phase is acquired by a dipole moving in a laser beam, and I propose several interferometric schemes in order to observe the optical HMW effect. Finally, by moving into a cavity system, it is possible to account for the back action of the atoms on the light which changes the electromagnetic mode structure. This increase in model sophistication grants an alternative vantage from which to interpret the Abraham-Minkowski problem. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Yes / In this paper, 17 years of high resolution surface and radiosonde meteorological data from 1997-2013 for the subtropical Gulf region are analysed. Relationships between the upper air refractivity, Nh, and vertical refractivity gradient, ΔN, in the low troposphere and the commonly available data of surface refractivity, Ns are investigated. A new approach is discussed to estimate Nh and ΔN from the analysis of the dry and wet components of Ns, which gives better results for certain cases. Results are compared with those obtained from existing linear and exponential models in the literature. The investigation focusses on three layer heights at 65 m, 100 m and 1 km above ground level. Correlation between the components of Ns with both Nh and ΔN are studied for each atmospheric layer. Where high correlations were found, empirical models are derived from best-fitting curves.

This thesis describes laboratory measurements of the complex refractive index of volcanic ash particles. These measurements are needed to model the radiative impact of volcanic ash, vital for accurate satellite remote sensing. Three experimental methods have been developed, and the results for the complex refractive index and optical properties of a wide range of volcanic ash samples are presented. Measurements were made of the spectral transmission of radiation through suspended volcanic ash particles inside an aerosol cell, using a Fourier transform spectrometer at infrared wavelengths and two diffraction grating spectrometers covering ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. In addition to the optical measurements, a suite of sampling and sizing instruments were connected downstream of the aerosol cell to measure the particle size distribution. The method was calibrated using two quartz samples. Mass extinction coefficients for nine volcanic ash samples, at 0.3-14 μm, are presented and show considerable variation. These variations are linked to the composition of the samples, measured using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The complex refractive index, at 0.3-14 μm, of the two quartz samples and two samples of volcanic ash from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption were retrieved from the extinction measurements. The forward model used Mie theory and a classical damped harmonic oscillator (CDHO) model to represent the complex refractive index of the samples in terms of a finite set of band parameters, as well as the real refractive index of the sample in the small wavelength limit. Previous studies have shown that there is a redundancy in the retrievals between the band strength parameters and the real refractive index in the small wavelength limit, which can lead to spurious values for the retrieved complex refractive index. This problem was overcome by using an independent measurement of the real refractive index at a visible wavelength, to constrain the model parameter of the real refractive index in the short wavelength limit. Independent measurements of the complex refractive index at visible wavelengths are also important because the extinction produced at these wavelengths is highly sensitive to the particle size distribution, and any uncertainty in the measured size distribution will contribute to significant systematic error in the refractive index retrieved from extinction. The retrieved spectral complex refractive index of Eyjafjallajökull ash was applied using the ORAC retrieval scheme to measurements of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionmade by theMODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite. Significant difference were found in the retrieved plume parameters of optical path, effective radius, and plume altitude, compared to assuming a literature measurement for the refractive index of pumice. For three discrete visible wavelengths (450, 546.7, and 650 nm) an optical microscope was used to make measurements of the complex refractive index of the volcanic ash samples. The long-established Becke line method was used to measure the real refractive index of the samples. For the imaginary refractive index, a new and novelmethod was developed involving measurements of the attenuation of light in individual particles. A strong linear correlation was found between the SiO₂ content of the samples and both their real and imaginary refractive indices at the visible wavelengths investigated. Furthermore, from the XRF compositional analysis of the samples values were calculated for the ratio of non-bridging oxygen atoms per tetrahedral cation (NBO/T), and it was found that NBO/T was an even stronger predictor of real refractive index at visible wavelengths. The optical microscope measurements could only be applied to particles with a radius larger than 10 μm. A new refractometer method was investigated for retrieving the real refractive index of submicron particles from colloidal reflectance measurements close to the critical angle in an internal reflection configuration. A coherent scattering model (CSM) was used to model the coherent reflection from a half-space of monodisperse or polydisperse particles, and a simple extension of the model is presented to properly account for the modified size distribution at the interface in an internal reflection set-up. A rigorous sensitivity analysis was performed to determine how experimental uncertainties propagate into uncertainty associated with the retrieved real refractive index, and the uncertainty due to non-spherical effects was estimated using T-matrix methods. Experimental reflectance data at a wavelength of 635 nm were obtained for spherical monodisperse polystyrene calibration particles, a polydisperse sand sample, and a polydisperse volcanic ash sample. The retrieved values for the real refractive index agreed, within propagated uncertainties, with values measured using other techniques. The method is shown to be a viable technique for measuring the real refractive index of small quantities of submicron particles, and can also retrieve the concentration and size of particles.

In this work, different optical techniques have been explored to study and characterize crude oil and its asphaltene. Crude oil is extremely complex fluid used to produce fuel for a wide range of applications. The characterization of this fluid is key for optimum operations in the oil and gas industry. First, we demonstrate the application of gold nanorods in characterizing a different set of crude oils. We utilize the high sensitivity of the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) of the nanorods to the surrounding environment to measure the crude oil refractive index. We immobilized the nanorods on a glass substrate and took the measurement in a reflection configuration. The setup and the nanorods were calibrated using different fluids with known refractive index, and a sensitivity of 247 nm/RIU and a resolution of 0.013 RIU have been achieved. In addition to the simplicity of this approach, it has eliminated the absorption issue and made it possible to measure high optical density crude oils with typical Visible-NIR wavelengths. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectra (SERS) can also be measured. SERS can provide additional useful information, especially to some applications such as downhole fluid analysis, where confirmation of the hydrocarbons presence is necessary. In the second part of this work, we used Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to study the asphaltene in three different crude oils. THz-TDS has a feature of measuring the amplitude and time delay and consequently the refractive index and absorption coefficient spectra simultaneously. Our approach is based on measuring the THz signal from neat crude oil samples and comparing it with the THz signal after removing the asphaltene from the samples (maltene). The results show that the difference in the time delay and the peak amplitude between the neat oil and the maltene have a linear relation with the asphaltene content. The refractive index spectra of different asphaltenes show variation in the low THz frequencies and comparable spectra in the higher frequencies. The absorption of asphaltene was mild and no distinctive absorption feature was observed except for some narrow absorption peaks that we attributed to water molecules adsorbed on the asphaltene. / Graduate

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Introduction: Multiphoton fluorescence excitation microscopy (MPM) is an invaluable tool for studying processes in tissue in live animals by enabling biologists to view tissues up to hundreds of microns in depth. Unfortunately, imaging depth in MPM is limited to less than a millimeter in tissue due to spherical aberration, light scattering, and light absorption. Spherical aberration is caused by refractive index mismatch between the objective immersion medium and sample. Refractive index heterogeneities within the sample cause light scattering. We investigate the effects of refractive index mismatch on imaging depth in MPM. Methods: The effects of spherical aberration on signal attenuation and resolution degradation with depth are characterized with minimal light absorption and scattering using sub-resolution microspheres mounted in test sample of agarose with varied refractive index. The effects of light scattering on signal attenuation and resolution degradation with depth are characterized using sub-resolution microspheres in kidney tissue samples mounted in optical clearing media to alter the refractive index heterogeneities within the tissue. Results: The studies demonstrate that signal levels and axial resolution both rapidly decline with depth into refractive index mismatched samples. Interestingly, studies of optical clearing with a water immersion objective show that reducing scattering increases reach even when it increases refractive index mismatch degrading axial resolution. Scattering, in the absence of spherical aberration, does not degrade axial resolution. The largest improvements in imaging depth are obtained when both scattering and refractive index mismatch are reduced. Conclusions: Spherical aberration, caused by refractive index mismatch between the immersion media and sample, and scattering, caused by refractive index heterogeneity within the sample, both cause signal to rapidly attenuate with depth in MPM. Scattering, however, seems to be the predominant cause of signal attenuation with depth in kidney tissue. Kenneth W. Dunn, Ph.D., Chair

When exposed to light, metal nanoparticles exhibit a phenomenon known as LSPR, Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance. The wavelengths at which LSPR occurs is very dependent on the refractive index of the surrounding medium. Binding of biomolecules to the surface of gold nanoparticles result in a change in the refractive index that can be detected spectrophotometrically by monitoring the LSPR peak shift. When functionalized with the corresponding ligand(s), gold nanoparticles can be utilized in biosensors to detect the presence and concentration of a predetermined analyte. However, the system must exhibit high specificity and give rise to a detectable shift for analytes in the desired concentration range to be of commercial interest. The aim of the diploma project was to investigate and optimize the biofunctionalization and performance of a fiber optics based LSPR biosensor.  Three ligand systems were investigated for detection of antibodies (IgG), insulin and avidin. Binding of the analyte to the ligand caused a shift of a few nanometers when using spherical gold nanoparticles. The shifts were significantly larger when using gold nanorods. When using the IgG and insulin ligands, only minor unspecific binding was observed. The setup thus shows great potential for use in a wide range of sensing applications.

Analyzing the structure of a single cell based on its refractive index (RI) distribution is a common and valued approach, because it does not require any artificial markers. The RI is an inherent structural marker that can be quantified in three dimensions with optical diffraction tomography (ODT), an inverse scattering technique. This work reviews the theory of ODT and its implementation with an emphasis on single-cell analysis, identifying the Rytov approximation as the most efficient descriptor for light propagation. The accuracy of the reconstruction method is verified with in silico data and imaging artifacts associated with the inverse scattering approach are addressed. Furthermore, an experimental ODT setup is presented that consists of a bright-field microscope, a phase-imaging camera, and an optical trap combined with a microfluidic chip. A novel image analysis pipeline is proposed that addresses image corrections and frame alignment of the recorded data prior to the RI reconstruction. In addition, for a rotational axis that is tilted with respect to the image plane, an improved reconstruction algorithm is introduced and applied to single, suspended cells in vitro, achieving sub-cellular resolution.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Terahertz (THz) radiation is often used in many promising applications such as information and communication technology and airport security. Optimized and adapted terahertz fields hold huge promise for leading this technology further. This study is focused on terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). In THz-TDS the electric field is measured, therefore both amplitude and phase information of the THz pulse can be obtained. We used the pump-probe technique in order to measure a THz pulse from the photoconductive antenna. A pulsed fiber laser with FWHM of ' 100 fs was used for this. The frequency spectrum of the measured THz pulse was obtained via a fast Fourier transform. We studied the principles of the THz pulse generation as well as detection, with a photoconductive antenna as emitter and detector. In this study terahertz spectroscopy has been used to investigate the refractive index and absorption coefficient of different types of materials in the terahertz region. The last part of this study deals with a simple process for material parameter extraction of a polymer sample using commercial software called Teramat1.0. It uses the sample thickness, the reference THz pulse and the transmitted THz pulse to retrieve the complex refractive index of the sample. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Terahertz (THz) straling word gereeld gebruik vir belowende toepassings soos inligting en kommunikasie tegnologie en lughawe sekuriteit. Geoptimeerde en aangepaste terahertz velde dra by tot die bevordering van die tegnologie. Hierdie studie fokus op terahertz tyd domein spektroskopie (THz-TDS). In THz-TDS word die elektriese veld gemeet en dus word beide amplitude en fase inligting van die THz puls verkry. Ons gebruik ’n pomp en toets tegniek om die THz puls deur ’n fotogeleidende antenna te bepaal. ’n Gepulseerde vesel laser met FWHM van 100 fs word hiervoor benut. Die frekwensie spektrum van die gemete THz puls word bereken deur ’n vinnige Fourier transvorm te bereken. Die beginsels van die generering en deteksie van THz pulse is bestudeer met ’n fotogeleidende antenna as sender en ontvanger. In die studie is terahertz spektroskopie gebruik om die brekingsindekse en die absorpsie koeffisiënte van verskillende materiale in die terahertz gebied te bepaal. Die laaste gedeelte van die studie handel oor ’n eenvoudige proses om die materiaal parameters van ’n polimeer te bepaal deur gebruik te maak van kommersiële sagteware Teramat 1.0. Die monster dikte, die THz verwysingspuls en die deurgelate puls word gebruik om die komplekse brekingsindeks van die materiaal te bereken.

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

<p>Microphotonics has been offering a body of ideas to prospective applicationsin optics. Among those, the concept of photonic integrated circuits (PIC’s) has recently spurred a substantial excitement into the scientific community. Relisation of the PIC’s becomes feasible as the size shrinkage of the optical elements is accomplished. The elements based on photonic crystals (PCs) represent promising candidacy for manufacture of PIC’s. This thesis is devoted to tailoring of optical properties and advanced modelling of two types of photonic crystals: (Bi₃Fe₅O₁₂/Sm₃Ga₅O₁₂)<em>^m</em> and (TiO₂/Er₂O₃)<em>^m</em> potentially applicable in the role optical isolators and optical amplifiers, respectively. Deposition conditions of titanium dioxide were first investigated to maximise refractive index and minimise absorption as well as surface roughness of titania films. It was done employing three routines: deposition at elevated substrate temperatures, regular annealing in thermodynamically equilibrium conditions and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). RTA at 500 ^oC was shown to provide the best optical performance giving a refractive index of 2.53, an absorption coefficient of 404 cm⁻¹ and a root-mean-square surface roughness of 0.6 nm. Advanced modelling of transmittance and Faraday rotation for the PCs (Bi₃Fe₅O₁₂/Sm₃Ga₅O₁₂)⁵ and (TiO₂/Er₂O₃)⁶ was done using the 4 × 4 matrix formalism of Višňovský. The simulations for the constituent materials in the forms of single films were performed using the Swanepoel and Višňovský formulae. This enabled generation of the dispersion relations for diagonal and off-diagonal elements of the permittivity tensors relating to the materials. These dispersion relations were utilised to produce dispersion relations for complex refractive indices of the materials. Integration of the complex refractive indices into the 4 × 4 matrix formalism allowed computation of transmittance and Faraday rotation of the PCs. The simulation results were found to be in a good agreement with the experimental ones proving such a simulation approach is an excellent means of engineering PCs.</p>