A spectroscopy system includes a light source having an input light source, including semiconductor diodes generating an input beam with a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. Cladding-pumped fiber amplifiers receive the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width. A nonlinear element broadens the spectral width of the amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam that is pulsed. A filter is coupled to at least one of a lens and a mirror that receives the output beam and delivers the filtered output beam to a sample. A detection system includes detectors configured to receive the output beam reflected or transmitted from the sample. The detection system is configured to use a lock-in technique with the pulsed output beam and the spectroscopy system is adapted to detect chemicals in the sample.

A remote sensing system for time-of-flight measurements may comprise an array of laser diodes with Bragg reflectors operating in the near-infrared wavelength range synchronized to a detection system comprising lenses, spectral filters and a photodiode array coupled to a processor. The time-of-flight depth information may be combined with various camera imaging systems. The camera system may comprise a lens system, prism and a sensor. In another embodiment, the data from two cameras may be combined with the time-of-flight depth information. Yet another embodiment comprises an imaging system with another array of laser diodes followed by a beam splitter and a detection system. The remote sensing system may be coupled to a smart phone, tablet or wearable device, and the combined data may provide three-dimensional information about at least some part of an object. Also, artificial intelligence may be used in the processing to make decisions regarding the depth and images.

A divided pulse nonlinear optical source may be generated by combining nonlinear wave generation techniques with pulse division that can divide a parent pulse into N divided pulses, each divided pulse separate temporally. The N divided pulses can be passed into a nonlinear optical medium to generate an output. The output can include at least one output pulse for each divided pulse. The center wavelengths of each output pulse can be tuned so that each may have a center wavelength that is the same as, or differs from, each other output pulse. In some embodiments, the output pulses may be combined to generate the output. The output can be power scalable and wavelength tunable.

A surface refractive index acquisition system for characterization of a sample is provided. The system comprises a grating device configured to receive the sample, and first and second grating regions. First and second grating periods are selected to provide optical resonances for light respectively in first and second wavelength bands. A light source is configured to illuminate part of the first and second grating regions simultaneously. An imaging system is configured to image light from the grating device and comprises an optical element focusing light in a transverse direction and being invariant in an orthogonal transverse direction, the optical element being oriented such that the longitudinal direction of the grating device is oriented to coincide with the invariant direction of the optical element, and an imaging spectrometer comprising an entrance slit having a longitudinal direction oriented to coincide with the invariant direction of the optical element.

A super continuum light source includes an input light source having semiconductor diodes generating an input beam having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. Optical amplifiers receive the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width. The optical amplifiers may include a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials. A nonlinear element may include mid-infrared fibers to receive the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed. At least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns and at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.

A radiation detection technique employs field enhancing structures and electroluminescent materials to converts incident Terahertz (THz) radiation into visible light and/or infrared light. In this technique, the field-enhancing structures, such as split ring resonators or micro-slits, enhances the electric field of incoming THz light within a local area, where the electroluminescent material is applied. The enhanced electric field then induces the electroluminescent material to emit visible and/or infrared light via electroluminescent process. A detector such as avalanche photodiode can detect and measure the emitted light. This technique allows cost-effective detection of THz radiation at room temperatures.

A method and a system for measuring an optical asynchronous sample signal. The system for measuring an optical asynchronous sampling signal comprises a pulsed optical source capable of emitting two optical pulse sequences with different repetition frequencies, a signal optical path, a reference optical path, and a detection device. Since the optical asynchronous sampling signal can be measured by merely using one pulsed optical source, the complexity and cost of the system are reduced. A multi-frequency optical comb system using the pulsed optical source and a method for implementing the multi-frequency optical comb are further disclosed.

A method and a system for measuring an optical asynchronous sample signal. The system for measuring an optical asynchronous sampling signal comprises a pulsed optical source capable of emitting two optical pulse sequences with different repetition frequencies, a signal optical path, a reference optical path, and a detection device. Since the optical asynchronous sampling signal can be measured by merely using one pulsed optical source, the complexity and cost of the system are reduced. A multi-frequency optical comb system using the pulsed optical source and a method for implementing the multi-frequency optical comb are further disclosed.

A super continuum light source includes an input light source having semiconductor diodes generating an input beam having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. Optical amplifiers receive the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width. The optical amplifiers may include a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials. A nonlinear element may include mid-infrared fibers to receive the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed. At least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns and at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.

An optical radiation source produced from a disordered semiconductor material, such as black silicon, is provided. The optical radiation source includes a semiconductor substrate, a disordered semiconductor structure etched in the semiconductor substrate and a heating element disposed proximal to the disordered semiconductor structure and configured to heat the disordered semiconductor structure to a temperature at which the disordered semiconductor structure emits thermal infrared radiation.