Position sensor based on slit imaging

A position sensor based on slit imaging is proposed and its measurement principle is described. An imaging slit is illuminated by a collimated laser beam with square-wave modulation and imaged on a detection double slit through a 4f system. A magnified image of the detection double slit is formed on a bi-cell detector. The position of the imaging slit is obtained by detecting light intensity on two parts of the hi-cell detector. In experiments, the feasibility of the sensor was verified. The repeatability was less than 40 nm.     

Optical frequency comb generation based on three parallel Mach–Zehnder modulators with recirculating frequency shifting loop

We theoretically and numerically study an approach for optical frequency comb (OFC) generation, by utilizing recirculating frequency shifting (RFS) loop based on three parallel Mach–Zehnder modulators (MZMs). Our results show that three parallel MZMs can generate a single-side-band (SSB) signal with 36 dB optical carrier suppression (OCS) ratio. Furthermore, the 60-tone OFC signal with 30 dB side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) and 4 dB maximum power fluctuation is achieved, and 20 of the OFC signal possess the power fluctuation of less than 1 dB. Our approach provides a novel way of generating OFC with excellent SMSR and good power fluctuation.     

Fast Fourier single-pixel imaging based on Sierra–Lite dithering algorithm

The single-pixel imaging(SPI) technique is able to capture two-dimensional(2 D) images without conventional array sensors by using a photodiode. As a novel scheme, Fourier single-pixel imaging(FSI) has been proven capable of reconstructing high-quality images. Due to the fact that the Fourier basis patterns(also known as grayscale sinusoidal patterns)cannot be well displayed on the digital micromirror device(DMD), a fast FSI system is proposed to solve this problem by binarizing Fourier pattern through a dithering algorithm. However, the traditional dithering algorithm leads to low quality as the extra noise is inevitably induced in the reconstructed images. In this paper, we report a better dithering algorithm to binarize Fourier pattern, which utilizes the Sierra–Lite kernel function by a serpentine scanning method. Numerical simulation and experiment demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to achieve higher quality under different sampling ratios.     

Multiferroic based on metal–organic dimers with the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya effect

A magnetoelectric effect has been found at room temperature in a polymer composite—polystyrene–metal–organic manganese dimers with ligands of spatially hindered phenol. It is shown that these metal-organic manganese dimers implement the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and are weakly ferromagnetic. It is suggested that a new class of high-temperature multiferroics can be created on the basis of such molecular structures.     

Comparative analysis of long-haul system based on SSB modulation utilising dual parallel Mach–Zehnder modulators

In this paper, we have proposed a long-haul optical transmission system, based on a single sideband (SSB) modulation scheme. Analytical and simulation models have been developed, optimised and demonstrated for the proposed SSB system configurations. The SSB modulation scheme was proposed to overcome dispersion in the fibre. We have shown that the related link losses can be minimized by increasing the quality of the optical signal at the modulation. We have optimised the radio over fibre configuration scheme based on dual parallel dual drive Mach–Zehnder Modulator, thereby increasing transmission length of the fibre. With the proposed SSB, by suppressing some of the harmonics and cancelling one of the sidebands, we have halved the RF power fading and interference. The developed analytical (theoretical/mathematical) model agrees very well with the simulation results using two (both) different commercial simulation tools. The optical signal is boosted while minimizing the number of repeaters. We report a SSB configuration, compensation and amplification with individual spans of 150 km, by extending the length of the link up to 3250 km. The proposed system configuration exhibits high performance with less complexity and lower cost.     

Band-stop optical nanofilters with split-ring resonators based on metal–insulator–metal structure

Novel band-stop filters with circular split-ring resonators based on the metal–insulator–metal(MIM) structure are presented, with their transmission properties of SPPs propagating through the filter simulated by the finite-difference timedomain(FDTD) method. The variation of the gap of the split ring can affect the transmission characteristics, i.e., the transmission spectrum of SPPs exhibiting a shift, which is useful for modulating the filter. Linear and nonlinear media are used in the resonator respectively. By varying the refractive index of the linear medium, the transmission properties can be changed obviously, and the effect caused by changing the incident intensity with a nonlinear medium is similar.Several resonant modes that are applicable can be enhanced by changing the position of the gap of the split ring. Thus, the transmission properties can be modulated by adjusting the size of the gap, varying the refractive index, and changing the incident intensity of the input light. These methods may play significant roles in applications of optical integrated circuits and nanostructural devices.     

Refractometer based on a tapered Mach–Zehnder interferometer with Peanut-Shape structure

A novel refractometer based on tapered Mach–Zehnder modal interferometer (MZI) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. This sensor is composed of a pair of Peanut-Shape structures and an embedded taper – the former excites high-order cladding modes, while the latter enhances the evanescent field. As the effective refractive index (RI) of cladding is based on the changes of surrounding RI, thus extinction ratio will change due to the alteration of the distribution of power in the fiber which is induced by various differences of core and cladding for RI. As a result, the maximum RI sensitivity of 240.78 extinction ratio/RIU (refractive index unit) is achieved within the range from 1.3334 to 1.4081.     

A novel MI-insensitive and filterless frequency octupling scheme based on two parallel dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulators

A novel MI-insensitive and filterless frequency octupling scheme based on two parallel dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulators (DP-MZMs) is proposed. The proposed scheme is not sensitive to modulation index and relatively strong MMW signal with good radio frequency spurious suppression ratio (RFSSR) can be obtained without strict requirement on modulation index. Filterless feature makes the scheme quite suitable for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) applications. For verification, a 60 GHz millimeter wave with 44 dB RFSSR is generated from a 7.5 GHz radio frequency wave by simulation. Performance of the proposed scheme has been characterized under different conditions including DC-bias drifts of MZMs, different amplitudes of RF inputs and different extinction ratios of MZMs.     

A blind separation algorithm for underdetermined convolutional mixed communication signals based on time–frequency soft mask

This paper focuses on the separation for time–frequency (TF) overlapped communication signals received by the sensors. A novel blind separation strategy is proposed to improve the poor performance of signal separation by traditional algorithms for convolutional mixtures in underdetermined cases. Firstly, the number of sources and cluster centers are obtained in the sparse domain by combining the density peak clustering (DPC) with fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm; Then the GMM clustering algorithm is applied to calculate the membership degree of the source signal in the mixed signals, so as to construct a TF soft mask matrix to more precisely carry out separation for TF overlapped signals. In this paper, the separation simulations are conducted with the digital modulation signals of 2ASK, BPSK, QPSK, etc. The results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper has better anti-aliasing and anti-noise performance than the comparison algorithms.     

Phase separation at the fiber–matrix interface in composites based on a thermoplastic/polyester blend

A study of the microstructure developing at the surface of glass fibers in a poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc)/polyester blend is presented. Three different experimental methods are used: a technique based on the Wilhelmy method to measure the wettability of the fibers before curing, and both optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy in the pulsed-force mode to characterize potential phases splitting at the fiber–matrix interface after curing. It was found that, depending on the curing conditions and the concentration in PVAc, the surface treatment of the fiber could have a significant influence on the microstructure. For a concentration in PVAc lower than 5 wt% and a curing temperature of 80°C, extreme cases, such as the development of layers of one of the phases at the surface or the formation of lenses of one phase, were observed. In other cases, in particular for elevated temperatures and higher concentrations in PVAc, the fibers did not exert a significant influence on the morphology. It was also found that in such a reactive system, surface tension considerations alone are insufficient to explain the configuration of the phases at the surface of the fibers.     

Temperature-insensitive refractive index sensor based on Mach–Zehnder interferometer with two microcavities

We propose a temperature-insensitive refractive index(RI) fiber sensor based on a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The sensor with high sensitivity and a robust structure is fabricated by splicing a short photonic crystal fiber(PCF) between two single-mode fibers, where two microcavities are formed at both junctions because of the collapse of the PCF air holes. The microcavity with a larger equatorial dimension can excite higher-order cladding modes, so the sensor presents a high RI sensitivity, which can reach 244.16 nm/RIU in the RI range of1.333–1.3778. Meanwhile it has a low temperature sensitivity of 0.005 nm/°C in the range of 33°C–360°C.     

Blind source separation of multichannel electroencephalogram based on wavelet transform and ICA

Combination of the wavelet transform and independent component analysis （ICA） was employed for blind source separation （BSS） of multichannel electroencephalogram （EEG）. After denoising the original signals by discrete wavelet transform, high frequency components of some noises and artifacts were removed from the original signals. The denoised signals were reconstructed again for the purpose of ICA, such that the drawback that ICA cannot distinguish noises from source signals can be overcome effectively. The practical processing results showed that this method is an effective way to BSS of multichannel EEG. The method is actually a combination of wavelet transform with adaptive neural network, so it is also useful for BBS of other complex signals.     

Lithium ion-conducting polymer electrolytes based on PVA–PAN doped with lithium triflate

Ionics - Blend polymer electrolytes with optimized composition (92.5 PVA:7.5 PAN) doped with lithium triflate (LiCF3SO3) have been prepared in different concentrations by solution casting...     

A new subdivision technique for grating based on CMOS microscopic imaging

We propose a new subdivision technique directly subdividing the grating stripe by using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) microscopic imaging system combined with image processing. The corresponding optical system, subdivision principle, and image processing methods are illuminated. The relations of systemic resolution to subdivision number, grating period, magnifying power and tilt angle are theoretically discussed and experimentally checked on the Abbe comparator. The measurement precision for displacement of the proposed subdivision system is tested in the range of 5 mm and the maximum displacement error is less than 0.4μm. The factors contributing to the systemic error are also discussed.     

Ultrasound contrast agent harmonic imaging method based on frequency-modulated signal excitation

A nonlinear imaging technique that demodulated the second harmonic component of the response of the Ultrasound Contrast Agent (UCA) was proposed. The UCA perfusion imaging method has been investigated from three aspects, mathematics principle, simulation and ultrasound experiment, respectively. Frequency-Modulated (FM) signal excitation has been introduced to increase Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in medical ultrasound imaging firstly. A theoretical simulation and an ultrasound experiment were performed to investigate if a cosine enveloped frequency-modulated signal excitation could be applied in UCA imaging to increase SNR and Contrast-to-Tissue Ratio (CTR). To obtain a good imaging, suitable parameters and a right envelope on the transmitted signal were needed, and a gap was also needed between the transmitted signal bandwidth and the decoded match filter bandwidth. A harmonic image was obtained with using of coded excitation and the decoded filter. The results suggested that using this harmonic imaging method, image could be got with good SNR and CTR. At the same time, the acoustical results were agreed with the theoretical results well.     

Plasmonic planar lens based on stack of metal–insulator–metal waveguides with height tuning

We introduce a technique capable of focusing electromagnetic (EM) waves through plasmonic nanoslits symmetrically arranged along the indented semi-circular surface in silver background. The EM transports through the tuning slits in the form of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), and gets the required phase retardations to focus at the focal plane. Due to the subwavelength nature of planar metallic lens, we present the rigorous electromagnetic analysis by using two dimensional (2D) finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. These height-modulated slits with uniform width are demonstrated to have unique advantages in beam manipulation. In combination with previous studies, it is expected that our structure with small number of slits could lead to realization of optimum designs of plasmonic nano-lens.     

Blind noisy image separation based on a new robust independent component analysis network

The separation of noisy image is a very exciting area of research, especially when no prior information is available about the noisy image. In this paper, we propose a robust independent component analysis (ICA) network for separation images contaminated with high-level additive noise or outliers. We reduce the power of additive noise by adding outlier rejection rule in ICA. Extensive computer simulations confirm robustness and the excellent performance of the resulting algorithms.     

The optical responsivity in IR-photodetector based on armchair graphene nanoribbons with p–i–n structure

Armchair graphene nanoribbons (A-GNRs) are an alternative material to use in novel infrared photodetectors, because of their tunable energy gap in the infrared spectrum, and their high quantum efficiency. In this paper, an A-GNR p–i–n structure with all three structural families, different width, and different number of layers to use in IR detectors have been investigated. With calculating the band structure and energy gap using the tight-binding model and by including the edge deformation, the optical absorption in the single electron approximation has been obtained by calculating the optical conductance. Finally, we have calculated the quantum efficiency and the optical responsivity of A-GNR based IR photodetector as a function of incident photon energy, temperature, nanoribbon width and the number of layers. Results show that the responsivity of the A-GNR based IR photodetector increase by increasing the width and number of layers and decrease by increasing the temperature.     

A deep learning–based method for improving reliability of multicenter diffusion kurtosis imaging with varied acquisition protocols

Multicenter magnetic resonance imaging is gaining more popularity in large-sample projects. Since both varying hardware and software across different centers cause unavoidable data heterogeneity across centers, its impact on reliability in study outcomes has also drawn much attention recently. One fundamental issue arises in how to derive model parameters reliably from image data of varying quality. This issue is even more challenging for advanced diffusion methods such as diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). Recently, deep learning–based methods have been demonstrated with their potential for robust and efficient computation of diffusion-derived measures. Inspired by these approaches, the current study specifically designed a framework based on a three-dimensional hierarchical convolutional neural network, to jointly reconstruct and harmonize DKI measures from multicenter acquisition to reformulate these to a state-of-the-art hardware using data from traveling subjects. The results from the harmonized data acquired with different protocols show that: 1) the inter-scanner variation of DKI measures within white matter was reduced by 51.5% in mean kurtosis, 65.9% in axial kurtosis, 53.7% in radial kurtosis, and 61.5% in kurtosis fractional anisotropy, respectively; 2) data reliability of each single scanner was enhanced and brought to the level of the reference scanner; and 3) the harmonization network was able to reconstruct reliable DKI values from high data variability. Overall the results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed deep learning–based method for DKI harmonization and help to simplify the protocol setup procedure for multicenter scanners with different hardware and software configurations.