Generation of multiple sheets of light using spatial-filtering technique

We develop an optical system for generating multiple light sheets. This is enabled by employing a special class of spatial filters in a cylindrical lens geometry. The proposed binary filter placed at the back aperture of the cylindrical lens results in the generation of a periodic transverse pattern extending along the z axis (i.e., multiple light sheets). Experimental results confirm the generation of multiple light sheets of thickness 6.6 mu m with an intersheet spacing of 13.4 mu m. The proposed imaging technique may facilitate three-dimensional imaging in nano-optics, fluorescence microscopy, and nanobiology. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America

Simulation-based optimal sensor scheduling with application to observer trajectory planning

The sensor scheduling problem can be formulated as a controlled hidden Markov model and this paper solves the problem when the state, observation and action spaces are continuous. This general case is important as it is the natural framework for many applications. The aim is to minimise the variance of the estimation error of the hidden state w.r.t. the action sequence. We present a novel simulation-based method that uses a stochastic gradient algorithm to find optimal actions. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sequential decision making in general state space models

Many problems in control and signal processing can be formulated as sequential decision problems for general state space models. However, except for some simple models one cannot obtain analytical solutions and has to resort to approximation. In this thesis, we have investigated problems where Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods can be combined with a gradient based search to provide solutions to online optimisation problems. We summarise the main contributions of the thesis as follows. Chapter 4 focuses on solving the sensor scheduling problem when cast as a controlled Hidden Markov Model. We consider the case in which the state, observation and action spaces are continuous. This general case is important as it is the natural framework for many applications. In sensor scheduling, our aim is to minimise the variance of the estimation error of the hidden state with respect to the action sequence. We present a novel SMC method that uses a stochastic gradient algorithm to find optimal actions. This is in contrast to existing works in the literature that only solve approximations to the original problem. In Chapter 5 we presented how an SMC can be used to solve a risk sensitive control problem. We adopt the use of the Feynman-Kac representation of a controlled Markov chain flow and exploit the properties of the logarithmic Lyapunov exponent, which lead to a policy gradient solution for the parameterised problem. The resulting SMC algorithm follows a similar structure with the Recursive Maximum Likelihood(RML) algorithm for online parameter estimation. In Chapters 6, 7 and 8, dynamic Graphical models were combined with with state space models for the purpose of online decentralised inference. We have concentrated more on the distributed parameter estimation problem using two Maximum Likelihood techniques, namely Recursive Maximum Likelihood (RML) and Expectation Maximization (EM). The resulting algorithms can be interpreted as an extension of the Belief Propagation (BP) algorithm to compute likelihood gradients. In order to design an SMC algorithm, in Chapter 8 uses a nonparametric approximations for Belief Propagation. The algorithms were successfully applied to solve the sensor localisation problem for sensor networks of small and medium size.

Kontabilitate plan orokor berriaren kontzeptu-esparrua

[EU] Kontabilitate Plan Orokorrak aldaketa sakon bat izan du. Aldaketa horien artean lehena, kontabilitatearen oinarria den Kontzeptu-Esparrua da. Kontabilitatearen Kontzeptu-Esparruak, kontabilitatearen oinarriak ezartzen ditu. Bertan adierazten dira kontabilitatearen helburua zein den, hori lortzeko betebeharrak, printzipioak, osagaiak eta erregistro eta balioespen irizpideak. Lehen zati hau ondo ulertzen ez bada, kontabilitateak zentzurik ez daukala esan genezake.

Strong Strain Hardening in Nanocrystalline Nickel

Low strain hardening has hitherto been considered an intrinsic behavior for most nanocrystalline (NC) metals, due to their perceived inability to accumulate dislocations. In this Letter, we show strong strain hardening in NC nickel with a grain size of 20 nm under large plastic strains. Contrary to common belief, we have observed significant dislocation accumulation in the grain interior. This is enabled primarily by Lomer-Cottrell locks, which pin the lock-forming dislocations and obstruct islocation. motion. These observations may help with developing strong and ductile NC metals and alloys.

High-coherence hybrid Si/III-V semiconductor lasers

The relentlessly increasing demand for network bandwidth, driven primarily by Internet-based services such as mobile computing, cloud storage and video-on-demand, calls for more efficient utilization of the available communication spectrum, as that afforded by the resurging DSP-powered coherent optical communications. Encoding information in the phase of the optical carrier, using multilevel phase modulationformats, and employing coherent detection at the receiver allows for enhanced spectral efficiency and thus enables increased network capacity. The distributed feedback semiconductor laser (DFB) has served as the near exclusive light source powering the fiber optic, long-haul network for over 30 years. The transition to coherent communication systems is pushing the DFB laser to the limits of its abilities. This is due to its limited temporal coherence that directly translates into the number of different phases that can be imparted to a single optical pulse and thus to the data capacity. Temporal coherence, most commonly quantified in the spectral linewidth Δν, is limited by phase noise, result of quantum-mandated spontaneous emission of photons due to random recombination of carriers in the active region of the laser.

In this work we develop a generically new type of semiconductor laser with the requisite coherence properties. We demonstrate electrically driven lasers characterized by a quantum noise-limited spectral linewidth as low as 18 kHz. This narrow linewidth is result of a fundamentally new laser design philosophy that separates the functions of photon generation and storage and is enabled by a hybrid Si/III-V integration platform. Photons generated in the active region of the III-V material are readily stored away in the low loss Si that hosts the bulk of the laser field, thereby enabling high-Q photon storage. The storage of a large number of coherent quanta acts as an optical flywheel, which by its inertia reduces the effect of the spontaneous emission-mandated phase perturbations on the laser field, while the enhanced photon lifetime effectively reduces the emission rate of incoherent quanta into the lasing mode. Narrow linewidths are obtained over a wavelength bandwidth spanning the entire optical communication C-band (1530-1575nm) at only a fraction of the input power required by conventional DFB lasers. The results presented in this thesis hold great promise for the large scale integration of lithographically tuned, high-coherence laser arrays for use in coherent communications, that will enable Tb/s-scale data capacities.

Informazio-iturrien garrantzia berrikuntza teknologikoko jardueretarako

[EU]Gaur egunean bizi dugun krisi ekonomiko, produkzio ereduen transformazio eta globalizazioko testuinguruan, ikerketa, garapena eta berrikuntza (I+G+b) ezinbesteko faktoreak bilakatu dira herrialdeen hazkunde eta enpresen lidergo zein biziraupenerako. Berritasunaren bilatze horretan, egungo merkatuan enpresek etengabe egin beharreko egokitzapen teknologikoak direla eta, berrikuntza teknologikoak, hau da, produktuan edo prozesuan berritzeak, berebiziko garrantzia du. Gainera, oro har, lehiakortasunik ez galtzeko informazio estrategikoaren jabe izatea enpresentzat funtsezkoa bada ere, berrikuntza jarduerak aurrera eramateko oraindik ere gailentasun handiagoa dauka. Informazio estrategikoa iturri ezberdinetatik jaso daiteke eta horietako bakoitzari ematen zaion garrantzia ezberdina da. Lan honen helburua erlazio hori aztertzearena izanik, ondoriozta dezakegu, alde batetik, produktuan zein prozesuan berritzen duten enpresek, berrikuntza teknologikoak aurrera eramateko garaian, enpresa barnetik jasotako informazioari ematen diotela garrantzi gehien. Eta bestaldetik, instituzio publikoetatik, hau da, unibertsitate edo goi-ikasketetako zentroetatik, ikerketako erakunde publikoetatik edota zentro teknologikoetatik jasotako informazioari garrantzi gutxi ematen zaiola.

Phase unwrapping based on branch cut placing and reliability ordering

A new 2-D quality-guided phase-unwrapping algorithm, based on the placement of the branch cuts, is presented. Its framework consists of branch cut placing guided by an original quality map and reliability ordering performed on a final quality map. To improve the noise immunity of the new algorithm, a new quality map, which is used as the original quality map to guide the placement of the branch cuts, is proposed. After a complete description of the algorithm and the quality map, several wrapped images are used to examine the effectiveness of the algorithm. Computer simulation and experimental results make it clear that the proposed algorithm works effectively even when a wrapped phase map contains error sources, such as phase discontinuities, noise, and undersampling. (c) 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

A reliable phase unwrapping algorithm based on the local fitting plane and quality map

A fast and reliable phase unwrapping (PhU) algorithm, based on the local quality-guided fitting plane, is presented. Its framework depends on the basic plane-approximated assumption for phase values of local pixels and on the phase derivative variance (PDV) quality map. Compared with other existing popular unwrapping algorithms, the proposed algorithm demonstrated improved robustness and immunity to strong noise and high phase variations, given that the plane assumption for local phase is reasonably satisfied. Its effectiveness is demonstrated by computer-simulated and experimental results.

Phase unwrapping based on branch cut placing and reliability ordering

A new 2-D quality-guided phase-unwrapping algorithm, based on the placement of the branch cuts, is presented. Its framework consists of branch cut placing guided by an original quality map and reliability ordering performed on a final quality map. To improve the noise immunity of the new algorithm, a new quality map, which is used as the original quality map to guide the placement of the branch cuts, is proposed. After a complete description of the algorithm and the quality map, several wrapped images are used to examine the effectiveness of the algorithm. Computer simulation and experimental results make it clear that the proposed algorithm works effectively even when a wrapped phase map contains error sources, such as phase discontinuities, noise, and undersampling. (c) 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Estudio de caso de Organización de Empresas: IBERDROLA y su Programa SAVIA

Fenómenos como la globalización y la tecnología traen consigo cambios que están alterando las reglas del juego en el mundo empresarial. La protagonista del panorama actual es la innovación y para trabajar en ello las claves del éxito son la motivación, el trabajo en equipo y un rol directivo que evolucione hacia el papel de Líder-Coach-Facilitador, afirmando la importancia de los factores organizacionales. Bajo estas premisas, a lo largo del documento se analizan las áreas organizativas de trabajo en equipo, de comunicación, de liderazgo y de motivación, reflejadas en una empresa referente como es IBERDROLA, que profundiza y recopila los aspectos mencionados en su modelo de competencias al que denomina Programa SAVIA. A partir de ahí y siguiendo el camino de la mejora continua, se plantearán unas propuestas personales.

Spatio-temporal clustering of probabilistic region trajectories

We propose a novel model for the spatio-temporal clustering of trajectories based on motion, which applies to challenging street-view video sequences of pedestrians captured by a mobile camera. A key contribution of our work is the introduction of novel probabilistic region trajectories, motivated by the non-repeatability of segmentation of frames in a video sequence. Hierarchical image segments are obtained by using a state-of-the-art hierarchical segmentation algorithm, and connected from adjacent frames in a directed acyclic graph. The region trajectories and measures of confidence are extracted from this graph using a dynamic programming-based optimisation. Our second main contribution is a Bayesian framework with a twofold goal: to learn the optimal, in a maximum likelihood sense, Random Forests classifier of motion patterns based on video features, and construct a unique graph from region trajectories of different frames, lengths and hierarchical levels. Finally, we demonstrate the use of Isomap for effective spatio-temporal clustering of the region trajectories of pedestrians. We support our claims with experimental results on new and existing challenging video sequences. © 2011 IEEE.

Self-similar organization of arrays of individual carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube micropillars

It is well-known that carbon nanotube (CNT) growth from a dense arrangement of catalyst nanoparticles creates a vertically aligned CNT forest. CNT forests offer attractive anisotropic mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, and their anisotropic structure is enabled by the self-organization of a large number of CNTs. This process is governed by individual CNT diameter, spacing, and the CNT-to-CNT interaction. However, little information is known about the self-organization of CNTs within a forest. Insight into the self-organization is, however, essential for tailoring the properties of the CNT forests for applications such as electrical interconnects, thermal interfaces, dry adhesives and energy storage. We demonstrate that arrays of CNT micropillars having micron-scale diameters organize in a similar manner as individual CNTs within a forest. For example, as previously demonstrated for individual CNTs within a forest, entanglement of small-diameter CNT micropillars during the initial stage of growth creates a film of entwined pillars. This layer enables coordinated subsequent growth of the pillars in the vertical direction, in a case where isolated pillars would not grow in a self-supporting fashion. Finally, we provide a detailed overview of the self-organization as a function of the diameter, length and spacing of the CNT pillars. This study, which is applicable to many one-dimensional nanostructured films, demonstrates guidelines for tailoring the self-organization which can enable control of the collective mechanical, electrical and interfacial properties of the films. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Free-space locomotion with thread formation

The paper presents a new concept of locomotion for wheeled or legged robots through an object-free space. The concept is inspired by the behaviour of spiders forming silk threads to move in 3D space. The approach provides the possibility of variation in thread diameter by deforming source material, therefore it is useful for a wider coverage of payload by mobile robots. As a case study, we propose a technology for descending locomotion through a free space with inverted formation of threads in variable diameters. Inverted thread formation is enabled with source material thermoplastic adhesive (TPA) through thermally-induced phase transition. To demonstrate the feasibility of the technology, we have designed and prototyped a 300-gram wheeled robot that can supply and deform TPA into a thread and descend with the thread from an existing hanging structure. Experiment results suggest repeatable inverted thread formation with a diameter range of 1.1-4.5 mm, and a locomotion speed of 0.73 cm per minute with a power consumption of 2.5 W. © 2013 IEEE.

Coherent tunnelling in coupled quantum wells under a uniform magnetic fields

Coherent tunnelling is studied in framework of the effective mass approximation for an asymmetric coupled quantum well. The Hartree potential due to the electron-electron interaction is considered in our calculation. The effects of the longitudinal and transverse magnetic field on coherent tunnelling characteristics are discussed. It has been found that the external field plays an important role in modulating the electron states.