A self-scanned 1024 element photodiode array and minicomputer are used to measure the phase (wavefront) in the interference pattern of an interferometer to lambda/100. The photodiode array samples intensities over a 32 x 32 matrix in the interference pattern as the length of the reference arm is varied piezoelectrically. Using these data the minicomputer synchronously detects the phase at each of the 1024 points by a Fourier series method and displays the wavefront in contour and perspective plot on a storage oscilloscope in less than 1 min (Bruning et al. Paper WE16, OSA Annual Meeting, Oct. 1972). The array of intensities is sampled and averaged many times in a random fashion so that the effects of air turbulence, vibrations, and thermal drifts are minimized. Very significant is the fact that wavefront errors in the interferometer are easily determined and may be automatically subtracted from current or subsequent wavefrots. Various programs supporting the measurement system include software for determining the aperture boundary, sum and difference of wavefronts, removal or insertion of tilt and focus errors, and routines for spatial manipulation of wavefronts. FFT programs transform wavefront data into point spread function and modulus and phase of the optical transfer function of lenses. Display programs plot these functions in contour and perspective. The system has been designed to optimize the collection of data to give higher than usual accuracy in measuring the individual elements and final performance of assembled diffraction limited optical systems, and furthermore, the short loop time of a few minutes makes the system an attractive alternative to constraints imposed by test glasses in the optical shop.

Digital wavefront measuring interferometer for testing optical surfaces and lenses

With the maturation of the information display field, liquid-crystal materials research is undergoing a modern-day renaissance. Devices and configurations based on liquid-crystal materials are being developed for spectroscopy, imaging and microscopy, leading to new techniques for optically probing biological systems. Biosensors fabricated with liquid-crystal materials can allow label-free observations of biological phenomena. Liquid-crystal polymers are starting to be used in biomimicking colour-producing structures, lenses and muscle-like actuators. New areas of application in the realms of biology and medicine are stimulating innovation in basic and applied research into these materials.

Liquid-crystal materials find a new order in biomedical applications.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems for phase measurement which address the problem of phase noise using combinations of a number of strategies including, but not limited to, common-path interferometry, phase referencing, active stabilization and differential measurement. Embodiment are directed to optical devices for imaging small biological objects with light. These embodiments can be applied to the fields of, for example, cellular physiology and neuroscience. These preferred embodiments are based on principles of phase measurements and imaging technologies. The scientific motivation for using phase measurements and imaging technologies is derived from, for example, cellular biology at the sub-micron level which can include, without limitation, imaging origins of dysplasia, cellular communication, neuronal transmission and implementation of the genetic code. The structure and dynamics of sub-cellular constituents cannot be currently studied in their native state using the existing methods and technologies including, for example, x-ray and neutron scattering. In contrast, light based techniques with nanometer resolution enable the cellular machinery to be studied in its native state. Thus, preferred embodiments of the present invention include systems based on principles of interferometry and/or phase measurements and are used to study cellular physiology. These systems include principles of low coherence interferometry (LCI) using optical interferometers to measure phase, or light scattering spectroscopy (LSS) wherein interference within the cellular components themselves is used, or in the alternative the principles of LCI and LSS can be combined to result in systems of the present invention.

Systems and methods for phase measurements

A robot includes a hazard sensor, a locomotor, and a system controller. The robot senses a hazard intensity at a location of the robot, moves to a new location in response to the hazard intensity, and autonomously repeats the sensing and moving to determine multiple hazard levels at multiple locations. The robot may also include a communicator to communicate the multiple hazard levels to a remote controller. The remote controller includes a communicator for sending user commands to the robot and receiving the hazard levels from the robot. A graphical user interface displays an environment map of the environment proximate the robot and a scale for indicating a hazard intensity. A hazard indicator corresponds to a robot position in the environment map and graphically indicates the hazard intensity at the robot position relative to the scale.

Robots, systems, and methods for hazard evaluation and visualization

Methods and system for controlling a plurality of robots (3104) through a single user interface (3200) includes at least one robot display window (3220) for each of the plurality of robots (3104) with the at least one robot display window illustrating one or more conditions of the respective one of the plurality of robots (3104). The user interface further includes at least one robot control window for each of the plurality of robots (3104) with the at least one robot control window configured to receive one or more commands for sending to the respective one of the plurality of robots (3104). The user interface further includes a multi-robot common window (3220) comprised of information received from each of the plurality of robots (3104).

Multi-robot control interface

A method of wavefront (100) analysis including applying a transform to the wavefront, applying a plurality of different phase changes (110, 112, 114) to the transformed wavefront (108), obtaining a plurality of intensity maps (130, 132, 134) wherein the plurality of different phase changes are applied to region of the transformed wavefront, corresponding to a shape of the light source.

Spatial wavefront analysis and 3d measurement

A multi-layer optical information storage system comprising several layers of generally flat waveguide, arranged one on top of the other in a stack. The reading energy is projected through the layers perpendicularly, and is focussed onto the layer to be read. A detector disposed at the side of the layers detects the energy scattered or reflected from information or data points within the layer. The points within the layers may be in the form of defects of a type that can carry the information assigned to each point, generally by means of the presence or absence of the defect. The energy scattered or reflected from the defects in any specific layer is preferably contained within that layer because of waveguiding properties imparted to the layers by means of a graded or stepped index structure.

Multiple layer optical storage device

Methods and apparatus to perform wavefront analysis, including phase and amplitude information, and 3D measurements in optical systems, and in particular those based on analyzing the output of an intermediate plane, such as an image plane, of an optical system. Measurement of surface topography in the presence of thin film coatings, or of the individual layers of a multilayered structure is described.. Multi-wavelength analysis in combination with phase and amplitude mapping is utilized. Methods of improving phase and surface topography measurements by wavefront propagation and refocusing, using virtual wavefront propagation based on solutions of Maxwell's equations are described. Reduction of coherence noise in optical imaging systems is achieved by such phase manipulation methods, or by methods utilizing a combination of wideband and coherent sources. The methods are applied to Integrated Circuit inspection, to improve overlay measurement techniques, by improving contrast or by 3-D imaging, in single shot imaging.

Methods and apparatus for wavefront manipulations and improved 3-d measurements

A method and apparatus for wavefront analysis including obtaining a plurality of differently phase changed transformed wavefronts corresponding to a wavefront being analyzed which has an amplitude and a phase, obtaining a plurality of intensity maps of the plurality of phase changed transformed wavefronts and employing the plurality of intensity maps to obtain an output indicating the amplitude and phase of the wavefront being analyzed.

Spatial and spectral wavefront analysis and measurement

We describe a new wavefront analysis method, in which certain wavefront manipulations are applied to a spatially defined area in a certain plane along the optical axis. These manipulations replace the reference-beam phase shifting of existing methods, making this method a spatial phase-shift interferometry method. We demonstrate the system’s dependence on a defined spatial Airy number, which is the ratio of the characteristic dimension of the manipulated area and the Airy disk diameter of the optical system. We analytically obtain the resulting intensity data of the optical setup and develop various methods to accurately reconstruct the inspected wavefront out of the data. These reconstructions largely involve global techniques, in which the entire wavefront’s pattern affects the reconstruction of the wavefront in any given position. The method’s noise sensitivity is analyzed, and actual reconstruction results are presented.

Shay Wolfling

Papers

Spatial wavefront analysis and 3d measurement

Multiple layer optical storage device

Methods and apparatus for wavefront manipulations and improved 3-d measurements

Spatial and spectral wavefront analysis and measurement

Spatial phase-shift interferometry—a wavefront analysis technique for three-dimensional topometry