Design of a compact objective for SWIR applications

Lately the short-wave infrared (SWIR) has become very important due to the recent appearance on the market of the small detectors with a large focal plane array. Military applications for SWIR cameras include handheld and airborne systems with long range detection requirements, but where volume and weight restrictions must be considered. In this paper we present three different designs of telephoto objectives that have been designed according to three different methods. Firstly the conventional method where the starting point of the design is an existing design. Secondly we will face design starting from the design of an aplanatic system. And finally the simultaneous multiple surfaces (SMS) method, where the starting point is the input wavefronts that we choose. The designs are compared in terms of optical performance, volume, weight and manufacturability. Because the objectives have been designed for the SWIR waveband, the color correction has important implications in the choice of glass that will be discussed in detail

Ultra-compact SWIR telephoto lens design with SMS method

In this work, we propose two new optical structures, using the Simultaneous Multiple Surfaces (SMS) method, comprised of 2 reflecting surfaces and 2 refracting surfaces, 800mm focal length, f/8 (aperture diameter 100 mm) and 1.18 0 diagonal field of view in the SWIR band. The lens surfaces are rotational symmetric and calculated to have good control of non-paraxial rays. We have achieved designs with excellent performance, and with total system length of less than 60 mm.

SMS-based optimization strategy for ultra-compact SWIR telephoto lens design: erratum

We report and correct an error in [Opt. Express 20, 9726���9735 (2012)]. The author list has been modified. All other contents are unchanged.

Compact, high-efficiency sunlight harvesting

A new free-form optics design method could unleash the full potential of tracking integrated solar concentrators.

Emissions and economic costs of cycling compact fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts

This paper proposes a way to quantify the emissions of mercury (Hg) and CO2 associated with the manufacture and operation of compact fluorescent lamps with integrated ballasts (CFLis), as well as the economic cost of using them under different operating cycles. The main purpose of this paper is to find simple criteria for reducing the polluting emissions under consideration and the economic cost of CFLi to a minimum. A lifetime model is proposed that allows the emissions and costs to be described as a function of degradation from turning CFLi on and their continuous operation. An idealized model of a CFLi is defined that combines characteristics stated by different manufacturers. In addition, two CFLi models representing poor-quality products are analyzed. It was found that the emissions and costs per unit of time of operation of the CFLi depend linearly on the number of times per unit of time it is turned on and the time of continuous operation. The optimal conditions (lowest emissions and costs) depend on the place of manufacture, the place of operation and the quality of the components of the lamp/ballast. Finally, it was also found that for each lamp, there are intervals when it is turned off during which emissions of pollutants and costs are identical regardless of how often the lamp is turned on or the time it remains on. For CO2 emissions, the lamp must be off up to 5 minutes; for the cost, up to 7 minutes and for Hg emissions, up to 43 minutes. It is advisable not to turn on a CFLi sooner than 43 minutes from the last time it was turned off.

SMS-based optimization strategy for ultra-compact SWIR telephoto lens design

A new optical design strategy for rotational aspheres using very few parameters is presented. It consists of using the SMS method to design the aspheres embedded in a system with additional simpler surfaces (such as spheres, parabolas or other conics) and optimizing the free-parameters. Although the SMS surfaces are designed using only meridian rays, skew rays have proven to be well controlled within the optimization. In the end, the SMS surfaces are expanded using Forbes series and then a second optimization process is carried out with these SMS surfaces as a starting point. The method has been applied to a telephoto lens design in the SWIR band, achieving ultra-compact designs with an excellent performance.

A Compact Formula for the Derivative of a 3-D Rotation in Exponential Coordinates

We present a compact formula for the derivative of a 3-D rotation matrix with respect to its exponential coordinates. A geometric interpretation of the resulting expression is provided, as well as its agreement with other less-compact but better-known formulas. To the best of our knowledge, this simpler formula does not appear anywhere in the literature. We hope by providing this more compact expression to alleviate the common pressure to reluctantly resort to alternative representations in various computational applications simply as a means to avoid the complexity of differential analysis in exponential coordinates.

Compact duplexing for a 680-GHz radar using a waveguide orthomode transducer

A compact 680-GHz waveguide orthomode transducer (OMT) and circular horn combination has been designed, tested, and characterized in a radar transceiver's duplexer. The duplexing capability is implemented by a hybrid waveguide quasi optical solution, combining a linear polarization OMT and an external grating polarizer. Isolation between the OMT's orthogonal ports' flanges was measured with a vector network analyzer to exceed 33 dB over a >10% bandwidth between 630 and 710 GHz. Calibrated Y-factor measurements using a mixer attached to the OMT ports reveal losses through the transmit and receive paths that sum to an average of 4.7 dB of two-way loss over 660-690 GHz. This is consistent with radar sensitivity measurements comparing the new OMT/horn with a quasi-optical wire grid beam splitter. Moreover, the radar performance assessment validates the OMT as a suitable compact substitute of the wire grid for the JPL's short-range 680-GHz imaging radar.

Design and development of compact optical systems = Dise��o y desarrollo de sistemas ��pticos compactos

Esta tesis considera dos tipos de aplicaciones del dise��o ��ptico: ��ptica formadora de imagen por un lado, y ��ptica anid��lica (nonimaging) o no formadora de imagen, por otro. Las ��pticas formadoras de imagen tienen como objetivo la obtenci��n de im��genes de puntos del objeto en el plano de la imagen. Por su parte, la ��ptica anid��lica, surgida del desarrollo de aplicaciones de concentraci��n e iluminaci��n, se centra en la transferencia de energ��a en forma de luz de forma eficiente. En general, son preferibles los dise��os ��pticos que den como resultado sistemas compactos, para ambos tipos de ��pticas (formadora de imagen y anid��lica). En el caso de los sistemas anid��licos, una ��ptica compacta permite tener costes de producci��n reducidos. Hay dos razones: (1) una ��ptica compacta presenta vol��menes reducidos, lo que significa que se necesita menos material para la producci��n en masa; (2) una ��ptica compacta es peque��a y ligera, lo que ahorra costes en el transporte. Para los sistemas ��pticos de formaci��n de imagen, adem��s de las ventajas anteriores, una ��ptica compacta aumenta la portabilidad de los dispositivos, que es una gran ventaja en tecnolog��as de visualizaci��n port��tiles, tales como cascos de realidad virtual (HMD del ingl��s Head Mounted Display). Esta tesis se centra por tanto en nuevos enfoques de dise��o de sistemas ��pticos compactos para aplicaciones tanto de formaci��n de imagen, como anid��licas. Los colimadores son uno de los dise��os cl��sicos dentro la ��ptica anid��lica, y se pueden utilizar en aplicaciones fotovoltaicas y de iluminaci��n. Hay varios enfoques a la hora de dise��ar estos colimadores. Los dise��os convencionales tienen una relaci��n de aspecto mayor que 0.5. Con el fin de reducir la altura del colimador manteniendo el ��rea de iluminaci��n, esta tesis presenta un dise��o de un colimador multicanal. En ��ptica formadora de imagen, las superficies asf��ricas y las superficies sin simetr��a de revoluci��n (o freeform) son de gran utilidad de cara al control de las aberraciones de la imagen y para reducir el n��mero y tama��o de los elementos ��pticos. Debido al r��pido desarrollo de sistemas de computaci��n digital, los trazados de rayos se pueden realizar de forma r��pida y sencilla para evaluar el rendimiento del sistema ��ptico analizado. Esto ha llevado a los dise��os ��pticos modernos a ser generados mediante el uso de diferentes t��cnicas de optimizaci��n multi-param��tricas. Estas t��cnicas requieren un buen dise��o inicial como punto de partida para el dise��o final, que ser�� obtenido tras un proceso de optimizaci��n. Este proceso precisa un m��todo de dise��o directo para superficies asf��ricas y freeform que den como resultado un dise��o cercano al ��ptimo. Un m��todo de dise��o basado en ecuaciones diferenciales se presenta en esta tesis para obtener un dise��o ��ptico formado por una superficie freeform y dos superficies asf��ricas. Esta tesis consta de cinco cap��tulos. En Cap��tulo 1, se presentan los conceptos b��sicos de la ��ptica formadora de imagen y de la ��ptica anid��lica, y se introducen las t��cnicas cl��sicas del dise��o de las mismas. El Cap��tulo 2 describe el dise��o de un colimador ultra-compacto. La relaci��n de aspecto ultra-baja de este colimador se logra mediante el uso de una estructura multicanal. Se presentar�� su procedimiento de dise��o, as�� como un prototipo fabricado y la caracterizaci��n del mismo. El Cap��tulo 3 describe los conceptos principales de la optimizaci��n de los sistemas ��pticos: funci��n de m��rito y m��todo de m��nimos cuadrados amortiguados. La importancia de un buen punto de partida se demuestra mediante la presentaci��n de un mismo ejemplo visto a trav��s de diferentes enfoques de dise��o. El m��todo de las ecuaciones diferenciales se presenta como una herramienta ideal para obtener un buen punto de partida para la soluci��n final. Adem��s, diferentes t��cnicas de interpolaci��n y representaci��n de superficies asf��ricas y freeform se presentan para el procedimiento de optimizaci��n. El Cap��tulo 4 describe la aplicaci��n del m��todo de las ecuaciones diferenciales para un dise��o de un sistema ��ptico de una sola superficie freeform. Algunos conceptos b��sicos de geometr��a diferencial son presentados para una mejor comprensi��n de la derivaci��n de las ecuaciones diferenciales parciales. Tambi��n se presenta un procedimiento de soluci��n num��rica. La condici��n inicial est�� elegida como un grado de libertad adicional para controlar la superficie donde se forma la imagen. Basado en este enfoque, un dise��o anastigm��tico se puede obtener f��cilmente y se utiliza como punto de partida para un ejemplo de dise��o de un HMD con una ��nica superficie reflectante. Despu��s de la optimizaci��n, dicho dise��o muestra mejor rendimiento. El Cap��tulo 5 describe el m��todo de las ecuaciones diferenciales ampliado para dise��os de dos superficies asf��ricas. Para dise��os ��pticos de una superficie, ni la superficie de imagen ni la correspondencia entre puntos del objeto y la imagen pueden ser prescritas. Con esta superficie adicional, la superficie de la imagen se puede prescribir. Esto conduce a un conjunto de tres ecuaciones diferenciales ordinarias impl��citas. La soluci��n num��rica se puede obtener a trav��s de cualquier software de c��lculo num��rico. Dicho procedimiento tambi��n se explica en este cap��tulo. Este m��todo de dise��o da como resultado una lente anastigm��tica, que se comparar�� con una lente aplan��tica. El dise��o anastigm��tico converge mucho m��s r��pido en la optimizaci��n y la soluci��n final muestra un mejor rendimiento. ABSTRACT We will consider optical design from two points of view: imaging optics and nonimaging optics. Imaging optics focuses on the imaging of the points of the object. Nonimaging optics arose from the development of concentrators and illuminators, focuses on the transfer of light energy, and has wide applications in illumination and concentration photovoltaics. In general, compact optical systems are necessary for both imaging and nonimaging designs. For nonimaging optical systems, compact optics use to be important for reducing cost. The reasons are twofold: (1) compact optics is small in volume, which means less material is needed for mass-production; (2) compact optics is small in size and light in weight, which saves cost in transportation. For imaging optical systems, in addition to the above advantages, compact optics increases portability of devices as well, which contributes a lot to wearable display technologies such as Head Mounted Displays (HMD). This thesis presents novel design approaches of compact optical systems for both imaging and nonimaging applications. Collimator is a typical application of nonimaging optics in illumination, and can be used in concentration photovoltaics as well due to the reciprocity of light. There are several approaches for collimator designs. In general, all of these approaches have an aperture diameter to collimator height not greater than 2. In order to reduce the height of the collimator while maintaining the illumination area, a multichannel design is presented in this thesis. In imaging optics, aspheric and freeform surfaces are useful in controlling image aberrations and reducing the number and size of optical elements. Due to the rapid development of digital computing systems, ray tracing can be easily performed to evaluate the performance of optical system. This has led to the modern optical designs created by using different multi-parametric optimization techniques. These techniques require a good initial design to be a starting point so that the final design after optimization procedure can reach the optimum solution. This requires a direct design method for aspheric and freeform surface close to the optimum. A differential equation based design method is presented in this thesis to obtain single freeform and double aspheric surfaces. The thesis comprises of five chapters. In Chapter 1, basic concepts of imaging and nonimaging optics are presented and typical design techniques are introduced. Readers can obtain an understanding for the following chapters. Chapter 2 describes the design of ultra-compact collimator. The ultra-low aspect ratio of this collimator is achieved by using a multichannel structure. Its design procedure is presented together with a prototype and its evaluation. The ultra-compactness of the device has been approved. Chapter 3 describes the main concepts of optimizing optical systems: merit function and Damped Least-Squares method. The importance of a good starting point is demonstrated by presenting an example through different design approaches. The differential equation method is introduced as an ideal tool to obtain a good starting point for the final solution. Additionally, different interpolation and representation techniques for aspheric and freeform surface are presented for optimization procedure. Chapter 4 describes the application of differential equation method in the design of single freeform surface optical system. Basic concepts of differential geometry are presented for understanding the derivation of partial differential equations. A numerical solution procedure is also presented. The initial condition is chosen as an additional freedom to control the image surface. Based on this approach, anastigmatic designs can be readily obtained and is used as starting point for a single reflective surface HMD design example. After optimization, the evaluation shows better MTF. Chapter 5 describes the differential equation method extended to double aspheric surface designs. For single optical surface designs, neither image surface nor the mapping from object to image can be prescribed. With one more surface added, the image surface can be prescribed. This leads to a set of three implicit ordinary differential equations. Numerical solution can be obtained by MATLAB and its procedure is also explained. An anastigmatic lens is derived from this design method and compared with an aplanatic lens. The anastigmatic design converges much faster in optimization and the final solution shows better performance.

Multi-component assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : an evaluation of the ADO and DOSE indices and the global obstructive lung disease categories in international primary care data sets

Funding The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) provided funding for this research project as an UNLOCK group study for which the funding was obtained through an unrestricted grant by Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland. The latter funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Database access for the OPCRD was provided by the Respiratory Effectiveness Group (REG) and Research in Real Life; the OPCRD statistical analysis was funded by REG. The Bocholtz Study was funded by PICASSO for COPD, an initiative of Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer and the Caphri Research Institute, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

Chloroplast protein and centrosomal genes, a tRNA intron, and odd telomeres in an unusually compact eukaryotic genome, the cryptomonad nucleomorph

Cells of several major algal groups are evolutionary chimeras of two radically different eukaryotic cells. Most of these ���cells within cells��� lost the nucleus of the former algal endosymbiont. But after hundreds of millions of years cryptomonads still retain the nucleus of their former red algal endosymbiont as a tiny relict organelle, the nucleomorph, which has three minute linear chromosomes, but their function and the nature of their ends have been unclear. We report extensive cryptomonad nucleomorph sequences (68.5 kb), from one end of each of the three chromosomes of Guillardia theta. Telomeres of the nucleomorph chromosomes differ dramatically from those of other eukaryotes, being repeats of the 23-mer sequence (AG)7AAG6A, not a typical hexamer (commonly TTAGGG). The subterminal regions comprising the rRNA cistrons and one protein-coding gene are exactly repeated at all three chromosome ends. Gene density (one per 0.8 kb) is the highest for any cellular genome. None of the 38 protein-coding genes has spliceosomal introns, in marked contrast to the chlorarachniophyte nucleomorph. Most identified nucleomorph genes are for gene expression or protein degradation; histone, tubulin, and putatively centrosomal ranbpm genes are probably important for chromosome segregation. No genes for primary or secondary metabolism have been found. Two of the three tRNA genes have introns, one in a hitherto undescribed location. Intergenic regions are exceptionally short; three genes transcribed by two different RNA polymerases overlap their neighbors. The reported sequences encode two essential chloroplast proteins, FtsZ and rubredoxin, thus explaining why cryptomonad nucleomorphs persist.

Compact stellarators with modular coils

Compact stellarator designs with modular coils and only two or three field periods are now available; these designs have both good stability and quasiaxial symmetry providing adequate transport for a magnetic fusion reactor. If the bootstrap current assumes theoretically predicted values a three field period configuration is optimal, but if that net current turns out to be lower, a device with two periods and just 12 modular coils might be better. There are also attractive designs with quasihelical symmetry and four or five periods whose properties depend less on the bootstrap current. Good performance requires that there be a satisfactory magnetic well in the vacuum field, which is a property lacking in a stellarator-tokamak hybrid that has been proposed for a proof of principle experiment. In this paper, we present an analysis of stability for these configurations that is based on a mountain pass theorem asserting that, if two solutions of the problem of magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium can be found, then there has to be an unstable solution. We compare results of our theory of equilibrium, stability, and transport with recently announced measurements from the large LHD experiment in Japan.

Brain localization for arbitrary stimulus categories: a simple account based on Hebbian learning.

A central theme of cognitive neuroscience is that different parts of the brain perform different functions. Recent evidence from neuropsychology suggests that even the processing of arbitrary stimulus categories that are defined solely by cultural conventions (e.g., letters versus digits) can become spatially segregated in the cerebral cortex. How could the processing of stimulus categories that are not innate and that have no inherent structural differences become segregated? We propose that the temporal clustering of stimuli from a given category interacts with Hebbian learning to lead to functional localization. Neural network simulations bear out this hypothesis.

Learning about categories in the absence of memory.

A fundamental question about memory and cognition concerns how information is acquired about categories and concepts as the result of encounters with specific instances. We describe a profoundly amnesic patient (E.P.) who cannot learn and remember specific instances--i.e., he has no detectable declarative memory. Yet after inspecting a series of 40 training stimuli, he was normal at classifying novel stimuli according to whether they did or did not belong to the same category as the training stimuli. In contrast, he was unable to recognize a single stimulus after it was presented 40 times in succession. These findings demonstrate that the ability to classify novel items, after experience with other items in the same category, is a separate and parallel memory function of the brain, independent of the limbic and diencephalic structures essential for remembering individual stimulus items (declarative memory). Category-level knowledge can be acquired implicitly by cumulating information from multiple training examples in the absence of detectable conscious memory for the examples themselves.

Very-long-baseline radio interferometry surveys of the compact structure in active galactic nuclei.

Very-long-baseline radio interferometry (VLBI) imaging surveys have been undertaken since the late 1970s. The sample sizes were initially limited to a few tens of objects but the snapshot technique has now allowed samples containing almost 200 sources to be studied. The overwhelming majority of powerful compact sources are asymmetric corejects of one form or another, most of which exhibit apparent superluminal motion. However 5-10% of powerful flat-spectrum sources are 100-parsec (pc)-scale compact symmetric objects; these appear to form a continuum with the 1-kpc-scale double-lobed compact steep-spectrum sources, which make up 15-20% of lower frequency samples. It is likely that these sub-galactic-size symmetric sources are the precursors to the large-scale classical double sources. There is a surprising peak around 90 degrees in the histogram of misalignments between the dominant source axes on parsec and kiloparsec scales; this seems to be associated with sources exhibiting a high degree of relativistic beaming. VLBI snapshot surveys have great cosmological potential via measurements of both proper motion and angular size vs. redshift as well as searches for gravitational "millilensing."