Optical Tolerances Research Articles

Design and performance characteristics of single-axis tracking dual confocal low-magnification parabolic trough CPV system

With the rapid increase of PV module utilization, the environmental pollution associated with waste photovoltaic (PV) module and its recycling is of concern. This paper proposes a concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system to reduce the use of PV module. The cross-confocal method is employed for the concentrator to eliminate central dark streaks. In optical simulation, a theoretical uniformity index of 0.0466 and a theoretical optical efficiency of 89.87 % were achieved. When the distance between the rotational axis and the center of gravity is less than 125.8 mm, the system can withstand winds of 20.4 m/s. The temperature range of the PV, obtained from finite element analysis, is from 295.71 K to 363.13 K. With the requirements of the relative optical efficiency of over 90 % and the uniformity index of less 0.5, the system has a dimensional translation tolerance of approximately ±10 mm, a dimensional rotation tolerance of about 5°, and a tracking angle tolerance of about 1°. The actual daily average output current of this system has increased by 100.91 %. The ratio between the increase ratio of output current and the theoretical concentration ratio is 83.4 %. The system demonstrates excellent optical performance and system tolerance.

Performance Evaluation of Optical Reflection Tolerance and Its Improvement Techniques in Various Optical Analog Transmitters

Performance Evaluation of Optical Reflection Tolerance and Its Improvement Techniques in Various Optical Analog Transmitters

Design and Manufacture of 30-Degree Projection Lens for Augmented Reality Waveguide.

A projection lens with a 30-degree field of view is developed for use in augmented reality (AR) glasses, including a waveguide combiner designed for a 0.35-inch LCoS panel. The entrance pupil diameter of the lens is 14 mm and the lens has an effective focal length of 16.443 mm; an F-number of 1.175. This paper has four key issues: optical projection lens design, lens manufacturing and assembly tolerance analysis, projection lens resolution testing, and AR glasses system resolution testing of panel images projected by the projection lens. After lens manufacture, the lens was tested, achieving a central field image quality of 57 cycles/mm, an angular resolution of 33 pixels per degree (PPD), a 0.7 field image quality of 40.3 cycles/mm, and an angular resolution of 23 pixels per degree (PPD). Imaging performance testing based on a diffraction-type waveguide shows a resolution of 57 cycles/mm in the center area and an angular resolution of 33 PPD.

Deep learning-based denoising of spatial heterodyne spectroscopy interferograms without clear images

A newly developed spectroscopic method called spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS) characterized by grating space diffraction, compact size, high etendue, larger optical tolerance, and no moving parts. Spatial heterodyne spectroscopy has many uses, including atmospheric remote sensing, atmospheric composition research, and so on. However, due to the features of the sensor material and the operating environment, various noise will be introduced throughout the CCD image acquisition process. The imaging performance of the device will be reduced or possibly disabled as a result of these noise effects. We demonstrate how deep learning techniques may be used to denoise SHS images. Furthermore, we propose the use of N2N (noise2noise, noise to noise) method for the difficulty of deep learning to obtain a large number of target-noise pair. This method trains the deep learning network using only noisy images, which greatly reduces the difficulty of acquiring training data. We analyzed denoising data for monochromatic and continuous light. In terms of interferograms, the experimental results show that the deep neural network trained using this method can effectively recover interferogram image information, suppress noise, and maintain the continuity of the interference fringe edge. In terms of spectrograms, the deep neural network trained by this approach can suppress noise in monochromatic spectra and retrieve spectral signals damaged by noise in continuous spectra. As a result, the technique is suitable for spatial heterodyne spectroscopy denoising.

Enhanced Multifaceted Properties of Nanoscale Metallic Multilayer Composites.

This study explored the fascinating field of high-performance nanoscale metallic multilayer composites, focusing on their magnetic, optical, and radiation tolerance properties, as well as their thermal and electrical properties. In general, nanoscale metallic multilayer composites have a wide range of outstanding properties, which differ greatly from those observed in monolithic films. Their exceptional properties are primarily due to the large number of interfaces and nanoscale layer thicknesses. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature and experimental data, this paper highlights the remarkable performance enhancements achieved by the precise control of layer thicknesses and interfaces in these composites. Furthermore, it will discuss the underlying mechanisms responsible for their exceptional properties and provide insights into future research directions in this rapidly evolving field. Many studies have investigated these materials, focusing on their magnetic, mechanical, optical, or radiation-tolerance properties. This paper summarizes the findings in each area, including a description of the general attributes, the adopted synthesis methods, and the most common characterization techniques used. The paper also covers related experimental data, as well as existing and promising applications. The paper also covers other phenomena of interest, such as thermal stability studies, self-propagating reactions, and the progression from nanomultilayers to amorphous and/or crystalline alloys. Finally, the paper discusses challenges and future perspectives relating to nanomaterials. Overall, this paper is a valuable resource for researchers and engineers interested in harnessing the full potential of nanoscale metallic multilayer composites for advanced technological applications.

Normal-Incidence Germanium Photodetectors Integrated with Polymer Microlenses for Optical Fiber Communication Applications.

We present a novel photon-acid diffusion method to integrate polymer microlenses (MLs) on a four-channel, high-speed photo-receiver consisting of normal-incidence germanium (Ge) p-i-n photodiodes (PDs) fabricated on a 200 mm Si substrate. For a 29 µm diameter PD capped with a 54 µm diameter ML, its dark current, responsivity, 3 dB bandwidth (BW), and effective aperture size at -3 V bias and 850 nm wavelength are measured to be 138 nA, 0.6 A/W, 21.4 GHz, and 54 µm, respectively. The enlarged aperture size significantly decouples the tradeoff between aperture size and BW and enhances the optical fiber misalignment tolerance from ±5 µm to ±15 µm to ease the module packaging precision. The sensitivity of the photo-receiver is measured to be -9.2 dBm at 25.78 Gb/s with a bit error rate of 10-12 using non-return-to-zero (NRZ) transmission. Reliability tests are performed, and the results show that the fabricated Ge PDs integrated with polymer MLs pass the GR-468 reliability assurance standard. The demonstrated photo-receiver, a first of its kind to the best of our knowledge, features decent performance, high yield, high throughput, low cost, and compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication processes, and may be further applied to 400 Gb/s pulse-amplitude modulation four-level (PAM4) communication.

Electrically Injected Metamaterial Grating DFB Laser Exploiting an Ultra‐High Q Electromagnetic Induced Transparency Resonance for Spectral Selection

AbstractThe study shows that, in waveguide (WG) configuration, the coupling of a 2D plasmonic metamaterial grating (MMG) having a conventional Bragg period along the guide but a distinct period along the transverse axis can lead to Electromagnetically‐Induced‐Transparency (EIT) behavior. This epitomizes that metamaterials, as functional photonic building blocks, can lead to low losses in many standard devices if properly designed. The study reported the observation in passive WGs of a marked Fano‐type EIT resonance with record high‐quality factor: Q = 5000 and contrast >20 dB. Unlike any standard metal grating, MMG‐assisted waveguides exhibit strong grating coupling strength and low‐loss properties simultaneously. This concept is further applied to demonstrate single‐frequency‐emission electrically‐injected Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers in the near‐infrared telecom domain. The key point is that laser emission occurs at the peak of EIT, i.e., the maximum in transmission. It therefore addresses one of the main critical issues of DFB lasers related to the single frequency yield. The laser performances are state‐of‐the‐art (Ith < 20 mA, Pmax > 20 mW at I = 200 mA, SMSR > 50 dB, optical feedback tolerance >−21 dB compliant with IEEE 802.3 standard). The presented approach, compatible with existing industrial technologies, is promising for real‐life telecom applications.

Optical lens optimization design and tolerance analysis for a depth camera

This paper describes a depth camera lens design composed of eight glass lenses, where the field of view is 100°, the focal length is 1.88 mm, and the F/# is 2. The lens design requires the lens to be fixed and the object distance to be fixed at −745.964 mm. The depth of focus ranges from −0.0047 mm to 0.0096 mm and can be obtained by selecting a spatial frequency of 60 lp/mm for the Through-focus MTF optimization design. The object distance ranges from negative infinity (-∞) to −250 mm (for the depth of field), the MTF is greater than 0.73 at 60 lp/mm, the lateral color difference is less than 1.58 μm, the optical distortion is less than 1%, and the relative illumination is greater than 64%. When conducting tolerance analysis, we select a spatial frequency requirement of tolerance MTF>0.3. At an object distance of −745.964 mm, the lens resolution can reach 80 lp/mm. The object distance is -∞, and the lens resolution is above 59 lp/mm. The object distance is −250 mm, and the lens resolution can reach over 43 lp/mm. In this work, the depth camera lens is designed to have an object distance shooting range of −6 m to −0.25 m. When the object distance is −6 m, the object depth resolution is 61 mm; while at the object distance of −0.25 m, the object depth resolution is 0.1045 mm.

Surface shape error modeling in optical machining and tolerance analysis of mosaic aperture telescopes

In the simulation and tolerance analysis of mirror-based optical systems, the magnitude distribution of the surface shape error of each mirror must be established under certain values. Thus, in this study, several large-diameter meter-scale spherical mirrors were statistically processed, and a surface shape error model was constructed to control the RMS, PV, and PV/RMS of the surface shape error in Monte Carlo experiments. The findings show an improved system qualification probability from 69.2% to 99.4%. The proposed method considers the maximum evaluation of the sub-wavefront that eliminates the final co-phase adjustment for individual segments.

Blue-Light Filtering Monofocal Intraocular Lenses: A Study on Optical Function and Tolerance to Misalignment.

To investigate the optical performance and tolerance to misalignment of blue-light filtering monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs). The optical properties of two monofocal IOLs featuring yellow chromophores, CT Lucia 621 PY (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG) and Clareon CNA0T0 (Alcon Laboratories, Inc), were assessed in monochromatic and polychromatic light while introducing spherical aberration (SA). Optical quality metrics derived from the modulation transfer function were assessed after optimal IOL centration at 3- and 4.5-mm pupils. In addition, each IOL's tolerance to misalignment was examined by inducing up to 1 mm of decentration and the effect of tilting it by 5 degrees at 3 mm. The IOLs' resolution and contrast, while tested using a 3-mm aperture and an SA-neutral corneal model, indicated the CT Lucia 621 PY had a slightly higher modulation transfer function (MTF) at 50 lp/mm than the CNA0T0 under monochromatic conditions (0.77 vs 0.69). On introducing SA with (0.49 vs 0.40) and without (0.75 vs. 0.70) chromatic aberration, the CT Lucia 621 PY maintained its minimally better performance. When assessed with a 4.5-mm aperture in monochromatic light, the CT Lucia 621 PY displayed improved MTF with aberration-free cornea (0.71 vs 0.40) but performed worse after introducing SA (0.44 vs 0.62). However, both lenses achieved comparable MTF values under spherical and chromatic aberrations (0.28 vs 0.27). The IOL misalignment test revealed a better tolerance to tilt and decentration of the CT Lucia 621 PY across all conditions. The CT Lucia 621 PY and CNA0T0 showed similar optical quality in different situations, with equal simulated distance visual acuity for both models. However, the CT Lucia 621 PY's aspheric design offers an advantage when dealing with often imperfect physiological conditions, displaying a more robust performance under tilt and decentration. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(2):e79-e88.].

Freeform three-mirror anastigmatic large-aperture telescope and receiver optics for CMB-S4

CMB-S4, the next-generation ground-based cosmic microwave background (CMB) observatory, will provide detailed maps of the CMB at millimeter wavelengths to dramatically advance our understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe. CMB-S4 will deploy large- and small-aperture telescopes with hundreds of thousands of detectors to observe the CMB at arcminute and degree resolutions at millimeter wavelengths. Inflationary science benefits from a deep delensing survey at arcminute resolutions capable of observing a large field of view at millimeter wavelengths. This kind of survey acts as a complement to a degree angular resolution survey. The delensing survey requires a nearly uniform distribution of cameras per frequency band across the focal plane. We present a large-throughput (9.4° field of view), large-aperture (5-m diameter) freeform three-mirror anastigmatic telescope and an array of 85 cameras for CMB observations at arcminute resolutions, which meets the needs of the delensing survey of CMB-S4. A detailed prescription of this three-mirror telescope and cameras is provided, with a series of numerical calculations that indicates expected optical performance and mechanical tolerance.

Computer accomodography data for assessing tolerability of optical correction for myopia in near work

Aim – to study the results of computer accomodography in children with myopia optical correction in order to assess the optical correction tolerability during visual work at close distance.
 Material and methods. The study of myopia optical correction tolerance in near work included 45 children of school age. Subjective and objective research methods were used: a relative accommodation reserve study and computer accomodography.
 Results. The computer accomodography performed with glasses allowed to determine the nature of the ciliary muscle work in near vision. Computer accomodography data correlated with the value of relative accommodation reserve.
 Conclusion. We recommend to study the relative accommodation reserve and to use computer accomodography when choosing the optical correction for myopic children.

Vitality surveillance at distance using thin-film tandem-like narrowband near-infrared photodiodes with light-enhanced responsivity

Remote measurement of vital sign parameters like heartbeat and respiration rate represents a compelling challenge in monitoring an individual's health in a noninvasive way. This could be achieved by large field-of-view, easy-to-integrate unobtrusive sensors, such as large-area thin-film photodiodes. At long distances, however, discriminating weak light signals from background disturbance demands superior near-infrared (NIR) sensitivity and optical noise tolerance. Here, we report an inherently narrowband solution-processed, thin-film photodiode with ultrahigh and controllable NIR responsivity based on a tandem-like perovskite-organic architecture. The device has low dark currents (<10-6 mA cm-2), linear dynamic range >150 dB, and operational stability over time (>8hours). With a narrowband quantum efficiency that can exceed 200% at 850 nm and intrinsic filtering of other wavelengths to limit optical noise, the device exhibits higher tolerance to background light than optically filtered silicon-based sensors. We demonstrate its potential in remote monitoring by measuring the heart rate and respiration rate from distances up to 130 cm in reflection.

Stability metering method for high-resolution space telescope with large F-number based on combination optimization

The development of a lightweight and compact high-resolution space telescope with a large F-number is urgently required for rapid networking of the remote sensing smallsat constellation. Considering the limitation of high-resolution imaging and optical performance, a stability metering method is investigated based on combination optimization in this paper, it follows that a novel integrated metering structure composed of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, with high stiffness, athermalization, and a mass fraction of 15 % in a space telescope, is presented. According to the error function of secondary mirror misalignment and the ABD matrix of laminate, the performance of the integrated metering structure is improved gradually via combination optimization. The finite element and optical analyzes demonstrated that the secondary misalignments satisfy the optical tolerance and the modulation transfer function attenuation ratio is only 1.85 %, moreover, performance tests of a prototype are performed and the results are in good agreement with the optimization and analysis. These results prove the feasibility and validity of the proposed method. This study solves the problem of stable metering for large F-number optical systems and provides a basis for the development of space telescopes.

Quadrant Multiplexing-based Geometrically Shaped Four-Dimensional Modulation Format for Polarization Multiplexed Coherent Optical Communication System

We present in detail the recently proposed novel geometric shaping four-dimensional (GS-4D) modulation format based on quadrant multiplexing and evaluate the signal from various aspects. GS-4D achieves a generalized mutual information (GMI) gain of 1.6 bits/4D-sym compared to polarization-multiplexed 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (PM-16QAM) at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regions. Set partitioning (SP) at the expense of one bit of spectral efficiency is proposed to exponentially reduce the amount of constellation points and increase the Euclidean distance. For fiber channels influenced by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and phase noise, a further GS scheme with binary labeling is designed. The scheme takes bit error ratio (BER) as fitness, preserves the feature of this format while using mirror symmetry to reduce the complexity, and is implemented by an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Results demonstrate that the proposed scheme has high optical SNR tolerance and low BER performance. Compared with the PM-16QAM, the GS-4D, GS-4D with SP and GS-4D with SP-PSO can provide 3.6 dB, 5.6 dB and 6.6 dB optical SNR gain, respectively. With the equal distance of transmission, the BER of GS-4D is decreased by around one order of magnitude compared with PM-16QAM, the BER of GS-4D with SP is lowered by around two orders of magnitude, and the BER of GS-4D with SP-PSO is reduced by around three orders of magnitude.

Relaxed-tolerance subwavelength grating coupler

Short-wavelength mid-infrared (MIR) silicon photonics at 2–2.5 μm wavelengths has a wide range of applications in optical communications, chemical analysis, and environmental monitoring. In this spectral region, subwavelength grating (SWG) couplers can be fabricated by using commercial multi-project wafer (MPW) services, due to their larger device feature sizes compared with those in the telecommunication band. However, conventional SWG couplers are still sensitive to variations in dimensions produced by errors in fabrication processes, restricting the fabrication reproducibility of the devices. Here, we demonstrated a relaxed-tolerance SWG coupler that has relaxed fabrication tolerance to overcome this limitation. The approach is based on the design of the SWG coupler with dual-hole structures to reduce the influence of random fabrication variations on the grating effective refractive index. Theoretically, the slope of the center wavelength shift of the relaxed-tolerance SWG coupler to the variation of the subwavelength hole size is 0.58, while that is 0.63 for the conventional SWG coupler. We demonstrated the relaxed-tolerance SWG coupler with a peak coupling efficiency of −6.2 dB at a wavelength of 2.038 μm with a 1-dB bandwidth of about 30 nm. Additionally, fabrication reproducibility and optical fiber coupling tolerance are also presented. The study paves a promising way toward developing short-wavelength MIR grating couplers with high performance, excellent repeatability, and cost-efficiency.

Functionalization of SPION nanoparticle with malic acid for the development of superfinish optical surface

Optical instruments such as X-ray optics, high-power laser systems, synchrotron beamlines, lithography, and laser-based sensors, require a superfine optical surface to meet their tight optical performance tolerances. This study describes the development of a nanocomposite-based nanoabrasive that can provide a superfinish optical surface via optical polishing. The Malic acid as an organic surface modifier is functionalized with the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION). Strong chemical attachment between SPION nanoparticles and the Malic acid is verified through fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A significant enhancement in the surface area and zeta potential value of SPION nanoparticles is observed when it is functionalized with the Malic Acid. The particle size distribution of the functionalized nanoabrasive is also narrowed down to 8–26 nm. The polishing performance of the functionalized SPION nanoabrasive has been investigated on the BK7 and Fused Silica glasses for precision optical polishing. The polishing results showed superfine surface finishing of the BK7 glass and the Fused silica glass down to the Ra value of 0.23 nm and 0.1 nm, respectively.

Plasmonic Ring Resonator Sensor With High Sensitivity and Enhanced Figure of Merit Using an Ag–Si–Ag Bus Waveguide

A plasmonic miniaturized ring resonator based on Ag-analyte-Ag ring cavity coupled with an Ag-Si-Ag input bus waveguide has been numerically analyzed for bulk refractive index and surface adlayer sensing applications. The opto-geometric parameters of the sensor structure have been thoroughly optimized to maximize field confinement in the sensing zone, which significantly improves the sensitivity. Using an Ag-Si-Ag input bus waveguide results in the reduction of propagation loss which offers an improved quality factor and figure of merit due to narrowing of full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the transmission spectrum. The average bulk refractive index sensitivity over biologically relevant refractive index range (1.33-1.38 RIU) and gas-sensitivity (1-1.01 RIU) values are 1757.71 nm/RIU with an FWHM of 37 nm, and 1787.14 nm/RIU with an FWHM of 24 nm, respectively. We have also investigated the optimized sensor's performance as an adlayer biosensor and the maximum adlayer sensitivity obtained is 2.72 nm/nm. We have also analyzed the sensor's optical tolerance by incorporating a 10% change in Ag's and Si's real part of dielectric constants. Owing to excellent sensitivity and high figure of merit the proposed sensor may find applications in designing highly sensitive on-chip nano-sensors with improved detection limit.

High Optical Feedback Tolerance of a Detuned DBR Laser for 10-Gbps Isolator-Free Operation

The optical feedback tolerance (OFT) of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser was investigated experimentally. The static and modulation performance of the DBR laser under optical feedback was examined by evaluating its relative intensity noise (RIN) and bit error rate (BER). It is shown that the OFT of the DBR laser is closely related to its peak wavelength detuning relative to the Bragg wavelength. A high tolerance to optical feedback was demonstrated, both in the continuous wave (CW) and the direct modulation (DM) states, when the DBR laser was red-detuned relative to the Bragg wavelength. The excess RIN induced by optical feedback was well suppressed to a level of −140 dB/Hz at a feedback level of −9 dB in the CW state. In a 10 Gbps direct modulation state, bit error rates (BER) below 1 × 10−9 and 3 × 10−7 were obtained under a feedback level of −15 dB and −9 dB, respectively, for the case of back-to-back transmission. After 20 km fiber transmission, the BER still maintained below 1 × 10−7 under a feedback level of −15 dB, with a power penalty of less than 1 dB.

Symmetric nonconfocal Fabry–Perot cavity with a stable long optical path length and improved tolerance for angular alignment

Engineering of optical alignment tolerance between a laser source and a Fabry–Perot (FP) cavity is of great importance in optimizing a laser analysis system and saving costs in the additional alignment task. We propose a modification of the conventional confocal FP (CFP) cavity–a symmetric nonconfocal FP (SNFP) cavity with two identical spherical mirrors separated by a distance equal to half of the common radius of curvature. Numerical analysis of the two cavities reveals that the SNFP cavity has better off-axis stability and much better angular misalignment tolerance than the CFP cavity, even with a longer optical path length (OPL). The SNFP cavity provides a six-transit path length for a basic cavity mode that supports a 1.5-fold long OPL within the same volume as the CFP cavity, which is favorable for applications requiring limits on the footprint and weight of the cavity. In addition, a ray-tracing simulation with a disk-type source having an angular Gaussian distribution (α = β = 5 deg) reveals that the emission beam profile from the SNFP cavity is narrower than that from the CFP cavity. These results are expected to help reduce cavity loss and to improve alignment efficiency between the laser source and the FP cavity.