In a system for analyzing optical properties of an object (350) a point source of light (100) composed of multiple spectral bands each having a respective amplitude, phase and polarization is converted by first optics (120, 150) into a line light source to illuminate an object line on the object. A beam splitter (200) splits the light exiting the first optics and directs a first portion of light on to the object (350) as an illuminated line and a second portion of the light on to a reference mirror (450). Second optics (500) collects respective first and second lines of light reflected by the object and mirror of and collinearly images the reflected lines of light as an image line on to an imaging spectrometer (550) wherein mutual interference allows determination of the optical properties of the object at each point along the object line.

An imaging system uses polarized light to illuminate the target and then uses a polarization filter to remove the light that is reflected from the target without modification. The target can include one or more anisotropic objects that scatter the light and alter the polarization state of the reflected light and causing it to be selectively transmitted to the imaging device which can record the transmitted light through the filter. The illuminating light can be circularly polarized and the filter can remove the circularly polarized light. The target can include asymmetric nanoparticles, such as nanorods that alter the amplitude or phase of the scattered light enabling pass through the filter to be detected by the imaging device.

A glucose sensor comprising an optical energy source having an emitter with an emission pattern; a first polarizer intersecting the emission pattern; a second polarizer spaced a distance from the first polarizer and intersecting the emission pattern, the second polarizer rotated relative to the first polarizer by a first rotational amount Θ; a first optical detector intersecting the emission pattern; a second optical detector positioned proximal to the second polarizer, the first polarizer and the second polarizer being positioned between the optical energy source and the second optical detector, the second optical detector intersecting the emission pattern; a compensating circuit coupled to the second optical detector; and a subtractor circuit coupled to the compensating circuit and the first optical detector.

The present invention provides a multichannel label-free biosensing fiber-optic system, which comprises one or more light sources coupled into optical fibers, one or more optical fiber circuits for performing coupling or/and directional transmission of optical-fiber guided lightwaves, one or more optical-fiber-input and optical-fiber-output optical switches, a plurality of optical fibers provided with label-free optical sensing elements working in the reflection manner on the optical fiber ends, and the light detection parts, wherein the optical-fiber-input and optical-fiber-output optical switch is provided with a plurality of outputs and/or a plurality of inputs, and with the plurality of outputs and/or plurality of inputs, by the switching function, the reflected light from the label-free optical sensing elements working in the reflection manner on the designated optical fiber ends is received by the light detection part, so that multichannel sensing is realized.

A compact optical spectrometer for measuring hemoglobin parameters in whole blood includes an enclosed spectrometer housing having a light entrance port, a light input slit disposed on one side of a circuit board substrate and positioned adjacent to and aligned with the light entrance port, a light-array detector disposed on the one side of the circuit board substrate adjacent the light input slit, a light dispersing element disposed downstream from the light input slit and an achromatic lens disposed between the light input slit and the light dispersing element to direct the light from the input slit to the light dispersing element and to direct the dispersed light from the light dispersing element to the light-array detector.

A scan mirror reflectivity calibration device is provided for monitoring and calibration of a rotating two-sided scan mirror. The scan mirror reflectivity calibration device can comprise at least one light source assembly operable to direct light onto a back side of a rotating two-sided scan mirror. The at least one light source assembly can be mounted outside a swept volume of the rotating two-sided scan mirror. The scan mirror reflectivity calibration device further comprises at least one detector assembly operable to detect light that is emitted from the at least one light source assembly and is reflected off of the back side of the rotating two-sided scan mirror. The at least one detector assembly can be mounted outside the swept volume of the rotating two-sided scan mirror.

An optical spectrometer for use in a COOx analyzer includes a spectrometer housing having an optical fiber housing end, a light-receiving input slit positioned adjacent the optical fiber housing end, a light dispersing element mounted to but spaced from the optical fiber housing end and positioned within an optical path along which light travels from the light-receiving input slit. The light dispersing element receives the light transmitted through the input slit and separates the light into a plurality of light beams, a light-array detector capable of receiving the plurality of light beams and converting the plurality of light beams into the electrical signal, an achromatic lens positioned in the optical path to direct the light from the input slit to the light dispersing element and to direct the plurality of light beams reflected from the light dispersing element onto the light-array detector, and a thermal-compensating means for the spectrometer housing.

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor sample. This system comprises an illumination optics subsystem for generating and directing an incident beam towards a defect on a surface of a wafer. The illumination optics subsystem includes a light source for generating the incident beam and one or more polarization components for adjusting a ratio and/or a phase difference for the incident beam's electric field components. The system further includes a collection optics subsystem for collecting scattered light from the defect and/or surface in response to the incident beam, and the collection optics subsystem comprises an adjustable aperture at the pupil plane, followed by a rotatable waveplate for adjusting a phase difference of electric field components of the collected scattered light, followed by a rotatable analyzer. The system also includes a controller that is configured for (i) selecting a polarization of the incident beam, (ii) obtaining a defect scattering map, (iii) obtaining a surface scattering map, and (iv) determining a configuration of the one or more polarization components, aperture mask, and rotatable ¼ waveplate, and analyzer based on analysis of the defect and surface scattering map so as to maximize a defect signal to noise ratio,

In an embodiment, a distortion-measuring apparatus for measuring a distortion distribution of an entire vitreous silica crucible in a non-destructive way includes: a light source 11; a first polarizer 12 and a first quarter-wave plate 13 disposed between the light source 11 and an outer surface of a vitreous silica crucible wall; a camera 14 disposed inside of a vitreous silica crucible 1; a camera control mechanism 15 configured to control a photographing direction of the camera 14; a second polarizer 16 and a second quarter-wave plate 17 disposed between the camera 14 and an inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible wall. An optical axis of the second quarter-wave plate 17 inclines 90 degrees with respect to the first quarter-wave plate 13.

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article, a photon detector array configured to receive photons from surface features of the article; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features and photons fluoresced from the surface features, wherein the processing means is further configured for classifying the surface features of the article.