The present invention is directed to an Interferometer (100) comprising a source (110) of a primary energy beam (111), a first reflector (120) being provided static such that a first path length from the source (110) to the first reflector (120) is constant, a reflector (1) with an energy beam reflecting surface (20) being provided by an outer surface of a sonotrode (10), wherein the reflector (1) is provided to oscillate such that a second path length from the source (110) to the reflecting surface (20) is variable, a target (140), a means for splitting an energy beam (160) arranged such that it divides the primary beam (111) into a first energy beam (112) incident onto the first reflector (120), and a second energy beam (113) incident onto the reflector (1) adapted to oscillate, and a means for combining energy beams (170) arranged such that it combines a third energy beam (114) reflected from the first reflector (120) and a fourth energy beam (115) reflected from the reflector (1) adapted to oscillate incident onto the target (140). Further provided is an infrared Fourier transform spectrometer (200).

A typical configuration of the angle adjustment mechanism according to the present invention is provided with a parabolic mirror, a housing accommodating a parabolic mirror, a screw including a head arranged outside the housing and a shaft engaged with the parabolic mirror through a hole formed in the housing, and a base portion in contact with both the housing and the parabolic mirror. A force is applied to an engaging portion of the parabolic mirror in a direction approaching the housing and a force is applied to a portion of the parabolic mirror in contact with the base portion in a direction away from the housing. The angle of the parabolic mirror with respect to the housing changes in accordance with the change in the length of a portion where the shaft and the parabolic mirror engage.

A typical configuration of the angle adjustment mechanism according to the present invention is provided with a parabolic mirror, a housing accommodating a parabolic mirror, a screw including a head arranged outside the housing and a shaft engaged with the parabolic mirror through a hole formed in the housing, and a base portion in contact with both the housing and the parabolic mirror. A force is applied to an engaging portion of the parabolic mirror in a direction approaching the housing and a force is applied to a portion of the parabolic mirror in contact with the base portion in a direction away from the housing. The angle of the parabolic mirror with respect to the housing changes in accordance with the change in the length of a portion where the shaft and the parabolic mirror engage.

An optical system operating in the near or short-wave infrared wavelength range identifies an object based on water absorption. The system comprises a light source with modulated light emitting diodes operating at wavelengths near 1090 and 1440 nanometers, corresponding to lower and higher water absorption. The system further comprises one or more wavelength selective filters and a housing that is further coupled to an electrical circuit and a processor. The detection system comprises photodetectors that are synchronized to the light source, and the detection system receives at least a portion of light reflected from the object. The system is configured to identify the object by comparing the reflected light at the first and second wavelength to generate an output value, and then comparing the output value to a threshold. The optical system may be further coupled to a wearable device or a remote sensing system with a time-of-flight sensor.

An optical system operating in the near or short-wave infrared wavelength range identifies an object based on water absorption. The system comprises a light source with modulated light emitting diodes operating at wavelengths near 1090 and 1440 nanometers, corresponding to lower and higher water absorption. The system further comprises one or more wavelength selective filters and a housing that is further coupled to an electrical circuit and a processor. The detection system comprises photodetectors that are synchronized to the light source, and the detection system receives at least a portion of light reflected from the object. The system is configured to identify the object by comparing the reflected light at the first and second wavelength to generate an output value, and then comparing the output value to a threshold. The optical system may be further coupled to a wearable device or a remote sensing system with a time-of-flight sensor.

A spectrometer system comprising a housing configured as a handheld device with a screen; a source of narrow band illumination; a sensor that detects Raman scattering signals; a source of wide band illumination; an optical element that detect Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) signals; a memory device comprising a library of information with Raman scattering reference information and FTIR reference information; and a processor configured to execute software instructions, wherein the software instructions are configured to: direct the narrow band illumination to the sample; detect the Raman scattering signals; direct the wide band illumination to the sample; detect the FTIR signals; determine a composition of the sample from a similarity between the Raman scattering spectral information and the Raman scattering reference information, and from a similarity between the FTIR spectral information and the FTIR reference information; and display the composition of the sample on the screen.

A spectrometer system comprising a housing configured as a handheld device with a screen; a source of narrow band illumination; a sensor that detects Raman scattering signals; a source of wide band illumination; an optical element that detect Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) signals; a memory device comprising a library of information with Raman scattering reference information and FTIR reference information; and a processor configured to execute software instructions, wherein the software instructions are configured to: direct the narrow band illumination to the sample; detect the Raman scattering signals; direct the wide band illumination to the sample; detect the FTIR signals; determine a composition of the sample from a similarity between the Raman scattering spectral information and the Raman scattering reference information, and from a similarity between the FTIR spectral information and the FTIR reference information; and display the composition of the sample on the screen.

The invention relates to an optical coherence microscopy system for fast, phase resolved imaging by means of optical coherence microscopy with decoupled illumination and detection apertures, producing a dark-field effect with an enhanced optical contrast. The setup uses a light source with an appropriate temporal coherence, an interferometer and an array detector combined with a spectrometer. The dark-field effect is produced by optical filter means in the illumination and detection paths, positioned in conjugated planes of the sample microscope objective. These optical means comprise for example refractive or diffractive elements, amplitude or phase masks, or programmable spatial light modulators. The object is scanned via a scanning unit allowing a point scan of the object.

The invention relates to an optical coherence microscopy system for fast, phase resolved imaging by means of optical coherence microscopy with decoupled illumination and detection apertures, producing a dark-field effect with an enhanced optical contrast. The setup uses a light source with an appropriate temporal coherence, an interferometer and an array detector combined with a spectrometer. The dark-field effect is produced by optical filter means in the illumination and detection paths, positioned in conjugated planes of the sample microscope objective. These optical means comprise for example refractive or diffractive elements, amplitude or phase masks, or programmable spatial light modulators. The object is scanned via a scanning unit allowing a point scan of the object.

Embodiments are disclosed relating to a refractively-scanning interferometer comprising an aperture that receives an incident light beam at a receiving angle, a beam splitter configured to split the incident light beam into a first beam and a second beam, a first and a second reflector arranged to reflect the first beam and second beam, respectively, towards a combining optical element, and a refractive Optical Path Difference (rOPD) assembly interposed between the beam splitter and the first reflector, wherein the rOPD Assembly refracts the first light beam an even number of times with induced phase discrepancy being a vector sum of a first phase discrepancy induced by a first refraction and a second phase discrepancy induced by a second refraction, the rOPD Assembly being configured such that the first phase discrepancy is substantially opposite in direction to the second phase discrepancy, a portion of the first and second phase discrepancies cancelling one another out to decrease magnitude of the phase discrepancy.