This Review summarizes the simultaneous transmission of several independent spatial channels of light along optical fibres to expand the data-carrying capacity of optical communications. Recent results achieved in both multicore and multimode optical fibres are documented.

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Space-division multiplexing in optical fibres

There is a growing demand for flexible and soft electronic devices. In particular, stretchable, skin-mountable, and wearable strain sensors are needed for several potential applications including personalized health-monitoring, human motion detection, human-machine interfaces, soft robotics, and so forth. This Feature Article presents recent advancements in the development of flexible and stretchable strain sensors. The article shows that highly stretchable strain sensors are successfully being developed by new mechanisms such as disconnection between overlapped nanomaterials, crack propagation in thin films, and tunneling effect, different from traditional strain sensing mechanisms. Strain sensing performances of recently reported strain sensors are comprehensively studied and discussed, showing that appropriate choice of composite structures as well as suitable interaction between functional nanomaterials and polymers are essential for the high performance strain sensing. Next, simulation results of piezoresistivity of stretchable strain sensors by computational models are reported. Finally, potential applications of flexible strain sensors are described. This survey reveals that flexible, skin-mountable, and wearable strain sensors have potential in diverse applications while several grand challenges have to be still overcome.

Stretchable, Skin-Mountable, and Wearable Strain Sensors and Their Potential Applications: A Review

Light-Emitting Diodes. (Monographs in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.) By A. A. Bergh and P. J. Dean. Pp. viii+591. (Clarendon: Oxford; Oxford University: London, 1976.) £22.

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Light-emitting diodes

The detection and measurement of gas concentrations using the characteristic optical absorption of the gas species is important for both understanding and monitoring a variety of phenomena from industrial processes to environmental change. This study reviews the field, covering several individual gas detection techniques including non-dispersive infrared, spectrophotometry, tunable diode laser spectroscopy and photoacoustic spectroscopy. We present the basis for each technique, recent developments in methods and performance limitations. The technology available to support this field, in terms of key components such as light sources and gas cells, has advanced rapidly in recent years and we discuss these new developments. Finally, we present a performance comparison of different techniques, taking data reported over the preceding decade, and draw conclusions from this benchmarking.

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Optical gas sensing: a review

The drive for higher performance in optical fiber systems has renewed interest in coherent detection. We review detection methods, including noncoherent, differentially coherent, and coherent detection, as well as a hybrid method. We compare modulation methods encoding information in various degrees of freedom (DOF). Polarization-multiplexed quadrature-amplitude modulation maximizes spectral efficiency and power efficiency, by utilizing all four available DOF, the two field quadratures in the two polarizations. Dual-polarization homodyne or heterodyne downconversion are linear processes that can fully recover the received signal field in these four DOF. When downconverted signals are sampled at the Nyquist rate, compensation of transmission impairments can be performed using digital signal processing (DSP). Linear impairments, including chromatic dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion, can be compensated quasi-exactly using finite impulse response filters. Some nonlinear impairments, such as intra-channel four-wave mixing and nonlinear phase noise, can be compensated partially. Carrier phase recovery can be performed using feedforward methods, even when phase-locked loops may fail due to delay constraints. DSP-based compensation enables a receiver to adapt to time-varying impairments, and facilitates use of advanced forward-error-correction codes. We discuss both single- and multi-carrier system implementations. For a given modulation format, using coherent detection, they offer fundamentally the same spectral efficiency and power efficiency, but may differ in practice, because of different impairments and implementation details. With anticipated advances in analog-to-digital converters and integrated circuit technology, DSP-based coherent receivers at bit rates up to 100 Gbit/s should become practical within the next few years.

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Coherent detection in optical fiber systems

SUMMARYPurposeThe objective of this study is to present the reliability and validity of scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF) performing a high-definition topography of perfused vessels of the retina and the optic nerve head with simultaneous evaluation of blood flow.MethodsThe examination of bloo

Principle, validity, and reliability of scanning laser Doppler flowmetry.

AIM--To present a new non-invasive method of performing a high definition topography of perfused vessels of the retina and the optic nerve head with simultaneous evaluation of blood flow. METHOD--By a combination of a laser Doppler flowmeter with a scanning laser system the perfusion of the retina and the optic nerve head is visualised. The principles of measuring blood flow by laser Doppler flowmetry are based on the optical Doppler effect: laser light scattered by a moving particle is shifted in frequency by an amount delta f. Our data acquisition and evaluation system is a modified laser scanning tomograph. The technical data are retinal area of measurement 2.7 mm x 0.7 mm, 10 degrees field with 256 points x 64 lines, measurement accuracy 10 microns, wavelength 670 nm and 790 nm, light power 100 microW and 200 microW, data acquisition time 2.048 s. Every line is scanned 128 times by a line sampling rate of 4000 Hz. By performing a discrete fast Fourier transformation over 128 intensities of each retinal point the laser Doppler shift is calculated for each retinal point. With these data a two dimensional map with 256 x 64 points of the retinal perfusion is created. The brightness of the pixel is coded by the value of the Doppler shift. Offline capillary blood flow is estimated in arbitrary units according to the theory of laser Doppler flowmetry in every region of interest of the perfusion picture. We estimated the reliability and the validity of the method. Retinal blood flow was measured by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF) while varying intraocular pressure by a suction cup of three healthy volunteers. Measurements of retinal blood flow performed in 47 eyes by the presented method (SLDF) were correlated with data gained by a commercially available laser Doppler flowmeter. Perfusion pictures of the superficial retinal layer and of deep prelaminar layers in the optic nerve head are presented. RESULTS--The reliability coefficients r1 of 9flow9, 9volume9, and 9velocity9 were 0.84, 0.85, and 0.84 respectively. We found a significant linear relation between SLDF flow and the ocular perfusion pressure (r = 0.84, p

https://bjo.bmj.com/content/bjophthalmol/79/12/1126.full.pdf

Two dimensional mapping of the perfusion of the retina and optic nerve head.

We present a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM)-based 2R-regenerator setup, which is capable of regenerating signals modulated in phase-sensitive modulation formats. In a conventional NOLM, fluctuations of the signal amplitude are converted into phase fluctuations. Therefore, it is not suitable for regeneration of signals, modulated in formats such as differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) or duobinary. In this letter, we present a modified NOLM setup for 2R-regeneration taking return-to-zero DPSK as an example.

NOLM-based RZ-DPSK signal regeneration

This paper describes the first accomplishment of the Time-of-Flight (ToF) measurement principle via endoscope optics. The applicability of the approach is verified by in-vitro experiments. Off-the-shelf ToF camera sensors enable the per-pixel, on-chip, real-time, marker-less acquisition of distance information. The transfer of the emerging ToF measurement technique to endoscope optics is the basis for a new generation of ToF rigid or flexible 3-D endoscopes. No modification of the endoscope optic itself is necessary as only an enhancement of illumination unit and image sensors is necessary. The major contribution of this paper is threefold: First, the accomplishment of the ToF measurement principle via endoscope optics; second, the development and validation of a complete calibration and post-processing routine; third, accomplishment of extensive in-vitro experiments. Currently, a depth measurement precision of 0.89 mm at 20 fps with 3072 3-D points is achieved.

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Time-of-Flight 3-D Endoscopy

Clock recovery from a 160 Gbit/s data signal is demonstrated using a bidirectionally operated electroabsorption modulator (EAM) as phase comparator. Employing a differential detection scheme, excellent locking stability is achieved. The recovered clock signal allows error-free 160 Gbit/s transmission.

Bernhard Schmauss

Papers

Principle, validity, and reliability of scanning laser Doppler flowmetry.

Two dimensional mapping of the perfusion of the retina and optic nerve head.

NOLM-based RZ-DPSK signal regeneration

Time-of-Flight 3-D Endoscopy

160 Gbit/s clock recovery with electro-optical PLL using bidirectionally operated electroabsorption modulator as phase comparator