Optics Commons^™

Tailoring Optical Complex Field With Spiral Blade Plasmonic Vortex Lens, Guanghao Rui, Qiwen Zhan, Yiping Cui

Electro-Optics and Photonics Faculty Publications

Optical complex fields have attracted increasing interests because of the novel effects and phenomena arising from the spatially inhomogeneous state of polarizations and optical singularities of the light beam. In this work, we propose a spiral blade plasmonic vortex lens (SBPVL) that offers unique opportunities to manipulate these novel fields. The strong interaction between the SBPVL and the optical complex fields enable the synthesis of highly tunable plasmonic vortex. Through theoretical derivations and numerical simulations we demonstrated that the characteristics of the plasmonic vortex are determined by the angular momentum (AM) of the light, and the geometrical topological charge of …

Directional Ringlet Intensity Feature Transform For Tracking, Evan Krieger, Paheding Sidike, Theus H. Aspiras, Vijayan K. Asari

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The challenges existing for current intensity-based histogram feature tracking methods in wide area motion imagery include object structural information distortions and background variations, such as different pavement or ground types. All of these challenges need to be met in order to have a robust object tracker, while attaining to be computed at an appropriate speed for real-time processing. To achieve this we propose a novel method, Directional Ringlet Intensity Feature Transform (DRIFT), that employs Kirsch kernel filtering and Gaussian ringlet feature mapping. We evaluated the DRIFT on two challenging datasets, namely Columbus Large Image Format (CLIF) and Large Area Image …

Vanadium Oxide Thin-Film Variable Resistor-Based Rf Switches, Kuanchang Pan, Weisong Wang, Eunsung Shin, Kelvin Freeman, Guru Subramanyam

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a unique phase change material (PCM) that possesses a metal-to-insulator transition property. Pristine VO2 has a negative temperature coefficient of resistance, and it undergoes an insulator-to-metal phase change at a transition temperature of 68°C. Such a property makes the VO2 thin-film-based variable resistor (varistor) a good candidate in reconfigurable electronics to be integrated with different RF devices such as inductors, varactors, and antennas. Series single-pole single-throw (SPST) switches with integrated VO2 thin films were designed, fabricated, and tested. The overall size of the device is 380 μm × 600 μm. The SPST switches were fabricated on …

Analyzing Major Challenges Of Wind And Solar Variability In Power Systems, Falko Ueckerdt, Robert Brecha, Gunnar Luderer

Physics Faculty Publications

Ambitious policy targets together with current and projected high growth rates indicate that future power systems will likely show substantially increased generation from renewable energy sources. A large share will come from the variable renewable energy (VRE) sources wind and solar photovoltaics (PV); however, integrating wind and solar causes challenges for existing power systems. In this paper we analyze three major integration challenges related to the structural matching of demand with the supply of wind and solar power: low capacity credit, reduced utilization of dispatchable plants, and over-produced generation. Based on residual load duration curves we define corresponding challenge variables …

Experimental And Theoretical Basis For A Closed-Form Spectral Brdf Model, Samuel D. Butler

Theses and Dissertations

The microfacet class of BRDF models is frequently used to calculate optical scatter from realistic surfaces using geometric optics, but has the disadvantage of not being able to consider wavelength dependence. This dissertation works toward development of a closed-form approximation to the BRDF that is suitable for hyperspectral remote sensing by presenting measured BRDF data of 12 different materials at four different incident angles and up to seven different wavelengths between 3.39 and 10.6 micrometer. The data was intended to be fit to various microfacet BRDF models to determine an appropriate form of the wavelength scaling. However, when fitting the …

Spin-Dependent Two-Color Kapitza-Dirac Effects, Scot Mcgregor, Wayne Cheng-Wei Huang, Herman Batelaan, Bradley Allan Shadwick

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Faculty Publications

In this paper we present an analysis of the spin behavior of electrons propagating through a laser field. We present an experimentally realizable scenario in which spin-dependent effects of the interaction between the laser and the electrons are dominant. The laser interaction strength and incident electron velocity are in the nonrelativistic domain. This analysis may thus lead to novel methods of creating and characterizing spin-polarized nonrelativistic femtosecond electron pulses.

Experimental Design And Construction For Critical Velocity Measurement In Spin-Orbit Coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates, Ting-Wei Hsu, Yong P. Chen

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Quantum simulation using ultra-cold atoms, such as Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs), offers a very flexible and well controlled environment to simulate physics in different systems. For example, to simulate the effects of spin orbit coupling (SOC) on electrons in solid state systems, we can make a SOC BEC which mimics the behavior of SOC electrons. The goal of this project is to see how the superfluid property of BECs change in the presence of SOC. In particular, we plan to measure the critical velocity of an 87Rb BEC with and without SOC by stirring it with a laser. This laser needs …

Mapping Open Water Bodeis With Optical Remote Sensing, Mary Ellen O'Donnell, Erika Podest

STAR Program Research Presentations

There is interest in mapping open water bodies using remote sensing data. Coverage and persistence of open water is currently a poorly measured variable due to its spatial and temporal variability across landscapes, especially in remote areas. The presence and persistence of open water is one of the primary indicators of conditions suitable for mosquito breeding habitats. Predicting the risk of mosquito caused disease outbreaks is a required step towards their control and eradication. Satellite observations can provide needed data to support agency decisions for deployment of preventative measures and control resources. This study, which will try to map open …

Study Of Surface Plasmon Resonance In Metal And Alloy Nanofilms Using Maxwell Description And Metamaterial Simulation In Comsol, Heesoo Park

Graduate Theses - Physics and Optical Engineering

Metamaterials are artificial metallic structures having, possibly, simultaneously negative permittivity and negative permeability which is called a double negative medium. To achieve a visible light range of the metamaterial, the unit cell of the metamaterial units should be 10-200nm. It is a much bigger structure than a size of normal atom. Still, the resolution of fabrication, which is difficult part, should typically be a few nanometers to achieve a nano-level unit. We study Ag thin-film as a convenient candidate for metamaterial over a specific frequency range. Because, the thin film metal is composed of disk shape island structures itself. These …

Creation Of Carbon Nanotube Based Biosensors Through Dielectrophoretic Assembly, Nilan S. Mani, Steve Kim, Kaushik Annam, Danielle Bane, Guru Subramanyam

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Due to their excellent electrical, optical, and mechanical properties, nanosized single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have attracted significant attention as a transducing element in nano-bio sensor research. Controlled assembly, device fabrication, and bio-functionalization of the SWNTs are crucial in creating the sensors. In this study, working biosensor platforms were created using dielectrophoretic assembly of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as a bridge between two gold electrodes. SWNTs in a commercial SDS surfactant solution were dispensed in the gap between the two gold electrodes, followed by applying an ac voltage across the two electrodes. The dielectrophoresis aligns the CNTs and forms …

Automatic Registration Of Optical Aerial Imagery To A Lidar Point Cloud For Generation Of City Models, Bernard Olushola Abayowa, Alper Yilmaz, Russell C. Hardie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a framework for automatic registration of both the optical and 3D structural information extracted from oblique aerial imagery to a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud without prior knowledge of an initial alignment. The framework employs a coarse to fine strategy in the estimation of the registration parameters. First, a dense 3D point cloud and the associated relative camera parameters are extracted from the optical aerial imagery using a state-of-the-art 3D reconstruction algorithm. Next, a digital surface model (DSM) is generated from both the LiDAR and the optical imagery-derived point clouds. Coarse registration parameters are then …

Increasing The Sensitivity Of The Michelson Interferometer Through Multiple Reflection, Woonghee Youn

Graduate Theses - Physics and Optical Engineering

Michelson interferometry has been one of the most famous and popular optical interference system for analyzing optical components and measuring optical metrology properties. Typical Michelson interferometer can measure object displacement with wavefront shapes to one half of the laser wavelength. As testing components and devices size reduce to micro and nano dimension, Michelson interferometer sensitivity is not suitable. The purpose of this study is to design and develop the Michelson interferometer using the concept of multiple reflections. This thesis proposes a new and novel design for a multiple reflection interferometer, where the number of reflections does not affect the quality …

Infographics And Mathematics: A Mechanism For Effective Learning In The Classroom, Ivan Sudakov, Thomas Bellsky, Svetlana Usenyuk, Victoria V. Polyakova

Physics Faculty Publications

This work discusses the creation and use of infographies in an undergraduate mathematics course. Infographies are a visualization of information combining data, formulas, and images. This article discusses how to form an infographic and uses infographics on topics within mathematics and climate as examples. It concludes with survey data from undergraduate students on both the general use of infographics and on the specific infographics designed by the authors.

Dna Based Electrolyte/Separator For Lithium Battery Application, Jitendra Kumar, Fahima Ouchen-Bouchendouka, Devin A. Smarra, Guru Subramanyam, James Grote

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this study, we demonstrated the use of DNA-CTMA (DC) in combination with PolyVinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) as a host matrix or separator for Lithium based electrolyte to form solid polymer/gel like electrolyte for potential application in Li-ion batteries.

The addition of DC provided a better thermal stability of the composite electrolyte as shown by the thermos-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The AC conductivity measurements suggest that the addition of DC to the gel electrolyte had no effect on the overall ionic conductivity of the composite. The obtained films are flexible with high mechanical stretch-ability as compared to the gel type electrolytes only.

A Toast! To The International Year Of Light, Michael Bass

UCF Forum

December 2013, at the United Nations’ 68th General Assembly meeting, the assembled countries could not as usual solve the problems of world conflicts, human slavery, wide-spread famine and the Israeli-Palestinian question. So, it decided to do something it could: It declared that 2015 would be the International Year of Light.

Secure Transmission And Retrieval Of Images In Conjunction With Steganography Using Chaos In Nonlinear Acousto-Optic Feedback, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Fares S. Almehmadi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Digital images are encrypted onto a chaotic carrier in a Bragg cell under hybrid nonlinear feedback and secure data is embedded into the system via steganography. System robustness (with and without channel noise) is analyzed vis-a-vis information security.

A Lego® Brewster Angle Microscope For Quantitative Monolayer Film Analysis, Nicholas Benz

Physics

In order to study single-molecule thick films and their phase behavior we built a Brewster Angle Microscope (BAM). BAM’s are inherently expensive due to their accuracy and precision. We built a fully functional BAM using Lego® Mindstorm® kits for the fraction of the price of a commercial BAM. And by utilizing the 10µm patented Lego® tolerance, comparable accuracy was attained. The BAM was mounted to a Langmuir-trough and will be used for laboratory experiments for optics and physical chemistry along with research on lung surfactant and on liquid crystals.

Shifting The Quantum-Classical Boundary: Theory And Experiment For Statistically Classical Optical Fields, Xiao-Feng Qian, Bethany Little, John C. Howell, Joseph H. Eberly

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The growing recognition that entanglement is not exclusively a quantum property, and does not even originate with Schrödinger’s famous remark about it [Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 31, 555 (1935)], prompts the examination of its role in marking the quantum-classical boundary. We have done this by subjecting correlations of classical optical fields to new Bell-analysis experiments and report here values of the Bell parameter greater than ℬ=2.54. This is many standard deviations outside the limit ℬ=2 established by the Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt Bell inequality [Phys. Rev. Lett. 23, 880 (1969)], in agreement with our theoretical classical prediction, and not far from the Tsirelson …

Paraxial Full-Field Cloaking, Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We complete the ‘paraxial’ (small-angle) ray optics cloaking formalism presented previously [Opt. Express 22, 29465 (2014)], by extending it to the full-field of light. Omnidirectionality is then the only relaxed parameter of what may be considered an ideal, broadband, field cloak. We show that an isotropic plate of uniform thickness, with appropriately designed refractive index and dispersion, can match the phase over the whole visible spectrum. Our results support the fundamental limits on cloaking for broadband vs. omnidirectionality, and provide insights into when anisotropy may be required.

Mathematical Model: Comparative Study Of Thermal Effects Of Laser In Corneal Refractive Surgeries, Gokul Kc, Dil B. Gurung, Pushpa R. Adhikary

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Lasers have been widely used in ophthalmology. Refractive errors are some of the most common ophthalmic abnormalities worldwide. Laser refractive surgery was developed to correct refractive errors myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Two types of laser surgical techniques: lamellar and thermal are available to reshape the corneal curvature. Ultraviolet (UV) emitting argon fluoride (ArF) excimer laser is used to sculpt cornea in lamellar procedures, whereas, infrared (IR) emitting holmium yttrium aluminum garnet (Ho: YAG) laser is used to shrink cornea in thermal procedure. Tissue heating is common in all types of laser surgical techniques. Hence, in this paper, a finite element …