Disclosed is an instrument including a multipath, monolithic optical component, made up of a portion of a transparent material between two opposite faces of the component. One of the two faces of the component is formed by a first refracting surface, and the other face includes several second refracting surfaces which are juxtaposed. Each optical path of the component is formed by one of the second refracting surfaces in combination with a corresponding portion of the first refracting surface. One such component is suited for being part, within the instrument, of a detection module with multiple optical paths arranged in parallel, with a matrix photodetector shared by the optical paths. Such a detection module may be compact enough in order to be integrated into a cryostat cold screen, improving cooling thereof, and may be combined with an objective in order to form an instrument with multiple optical paths.

A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and depth data for each point in the array, thereby providing a three-dimensional color virtual model of the surface of the structure. A corresponding method for determining the surface topology and associate color of a structure is also provided.

A compact spectrometer is disclosed that is suitable for use in mobile devices such as cellular telephones. In preferred embodiments, the spectrometer comprises a filter, at least one Fourier transform focusing element, a micro-lens array, and a detector, but does not use any dispersive elements. Methods for using the spectrometer as an end-user device for performing on-site determinations of food quality, in particular, by comparison with an updatable database accessible by all users of the device, are also disclosed.

An infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including a focal plane array (FPA) unit behind an optical window. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. One or more of the optical channels may be used in detecting objects on or near the optical window, to avoid false detections of said target species.

A user device for imaging a scene includes a first plurality of optical sensors coupled to a substrate for collecting an image of a scene and a second plurality of optical sensors coupled to the substrate for collecting spectral information from the image. A plurality of sets of interference filters are associated with the second plurality of optical sensors, where each interference filter of a set of interference filters is configured to pass light in one of a plurality of wavelength ranges to one or more optical sensors of the second plurality of optical sensors and each optical sensor of the plurality of optical sensors is associated with a spatial area of the image. A processor is adapted to receive an output from the first plurality of optical sensors and the second plurality of optical sensors and determine, based on the spectral information, a target area within the scene. The processor is further adapted to retrieve focus data for the scene, determine a focus distance for the target area and output user-perceptible information to an output display.

A spectrometer with a Schmidt reflector is described. The spectrometer may include a Schmidt corrector and a dispersive element as separate components. Alternatively, the Schmidt corrector and dispersive element may be combined into a single optical component. The spectrometer may further include a field-flattener lens.

An optical filter, a spectrometer including the optical filter, and an electronic apparatus including the optical filter are disclosed. The optical filter includes a first reflector including a plurality of first structures that are periodically two-dimensionally arranged, each of the first structures having a ring shape, and a second reflector spaced apart from the first reflector and including a plurality of second structures that are periodically two-dimensionally arranged.

A spectral sensor and a method for forming the spectral sensor is disclosed. The spectral sensor includes a planar waveguide on a substrate; a restriction mechanism that restricts a range of angles of incidence of light impinging onto the chirped input coupling grating; the chirped input grating formed to couple incident light into the planar waveguide, wherein the chirped input coupling grating comprises a first transverse chirp to provide a spectrally selective coupling of incident light Into the planar waveguide; a propagation region to filter out light that is not coupled into the planar waveguide; a detector array arranged on the opposite side of the propagation region from the chirped input coupling S grating to receive light coupled out of the planar waveguide and produce output signals representative of the light; and an electrical circuit to readout output signals from the detector array.

An optical sensor system may include a light source. The optical sensor system may include a concentrator component proximate to the light source and configured to concentrate light from the light source with respect to a measurement target. The optical sensor system may include a collection component that includes an array of at least two components configured to receive light reflected or transmitted from the measurement target. The optical sensor system may include may a sensor. The optical sensor system may include a filter provided between the collection component and the sensor.

Optical spectrometers may be used to determine the spectral components of electromagnetic waves. Spectrometers may be large, bulky devices and may require waves to enter at a nearly direct angle of incidence in order to record a measurement. What is disclosed is an ultra-compact spectrometer with nanophotonic components as light dispersion technology. Nanophotonic components may contain metasurfaces and Bragg filters. Each metasurface may contain light scattering nanostructures that may be randomized to create a large input angle, and the Bragg filter may result in the light dispersion independent of the input angle. The spectrometer may be capable of handling about 200 nm bandwidth. The ultra-compact spectrometer may be able to read image data in the visible (400-600 nm) and to read spectral data in the near-infrared (700-900 nm) wavelength range. The surface area of the spectrometer may be about 1 mm.sup.2, allowing it to fit on mobile devices.