Phase Fidelity Research Articles

Polarization-insensitive vortex beam generator by the holographic grating on an integrated multi-layer waveguide

An integrated polarization-insensitive vortex beam generator is proposed in this study. It is composed of a holographic grating on a multi-layer waveguide, which enables conversion of Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) waveguide modes to y -polarized and x -polarized optical vortex beams, respectively. The conversion efficiency and the phase fidelity are numerically analyzed, and the working bandwidth is about 100 nm from 1500 nm to 1600 nm with a phase fidelity above 0.7. Moreover, the vortex beam with the superposition of the y -polarization and x -polarization states can be obtained with the incident of the superposition of TE and TM waveguide modes.

Serviceability Limit State Assessment of Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbines

Abstract The design of a floating wind turbine (FWT) should satisfy the serviceability limit state (SLS) requirement for an efficient and safe operation throughout the entire work life. The SLS requirements are introduced by the owner/developer of the wind turbine facility to achieve serviceability (production of power) or an efficient operation of the facility or a “first step” towards ensuring safety. Currently, there is limited information about SLS requirements in design standards. This study deals with an assessment of current methods, criteria, and procedure for the SLS design check with an emphasis on tilt/pitch and nacelle accelerations in view of power production and its fluctuations. Moreover, other criteria, on the borderline between serviceability and safety criteria, e.g., relating to clearance, are briefly discussed. The criteria relating to power production are illustrated in a case study with a 10-MW semi-submersible FWT considered for an offshore site in the Northern North Sea. Simplified static/dynamic analysis methods for use in the global design phase and high fidelity integrated, dynamic analysis methods for detailed design in terms of serviceability are presented, discussed, and applied in the case study. A good understanding of wind turbine dynamic performance associated with serviceability is essential to facilitate design decision-making. The relative contribution of wind and wave loads to the different SLS criteria is investigated. Finally, the main conclusions are summarized. In lieu of the current state of the art regarding SLS requirements for FWTs, we hope that this study provides a basis for improving design standards and guiding research and engineering practice for the semi-submersible floater design of FWTs.

A phase unwrapping method with the sparse prior for diffraction phase microscopy

Phase unwrapping is widely used in interferometry. In the typical least square (LS) method, the noise in the wrapped phase cannot be removed. An improved algorithm based on total variation (TV) imposes L1-norm on the image gradient to improve the sparsity. However, it may lead to over-sparsity, and the unwrapped phase will be compressed if the penalty term is overlarge. In this study, we proposed a sparse prior phase unwrapping (SPUP) algorithm to solve the wrapped phase of interferograms of diffraction phase microscopy (DPM). Since DPM has a unique sample sparsity in the imaging field of high-power objectives, the L0-norm and L1-norm regularizations are introduced into the SPUP process. The results verify the strong denoising ability and high phase fidelity of the proposed SPUP method. Moreover, the uneven background noise and phase shifting of DPM interferograms could be corrected, demonstrating the great potential of the SPUP method in various interferometry measurements.

The photodetection of ultrashort optical pulse trains for low noise microwave signal generation.

Electrical signals derived from optical sources have achieved record-low levels of phase noise, and have demonstrated the highest frequency stability yet achieved in the microwave domain. Attaining such ultrastable phase and frequency performance requires high-fidelity optical-to-electrical conversion, typically performed via a high-speed photodiode. This paper reviews characteristics of the direct photodetection of optical pulses for the intent of generating high power, low phase noise microwave signals from optical sources. The two most popular types of photodiode detectors used for low noise microwave generation are discussed in terms of electrical pulse characteristics, achievable microwave power, and photodetector nonlinearities. Noise sources inherent to photodetection, such as shot noise, flicker noise, and photocarrier scattering are reviewed, and their impact on microwave phase fidelity is discussed. General guidelines for attaining the lowest noise possible from photodetection that balances power saturation, optical amplification, and amplitude-to-phase conversion, are also presented.

What is the 'voltage drop' when an effective health promoting intervention for older adults-Choose to Move (Phase 3)-Is implemented at broad scale?

Choose to Move (CTM), an effective health-promoting intervention for older adults, was scaled-up across British Columbia, Canada. Adaptations that enable implementation at scale may lead to 'voltage drop'-diminished positive effects of the intervention. For CTM Phase 3 we assessed: i. implementation; ii. impact on physical activity, mobility, social isolation, loneliness and health-related quality of life (impact outcomes); iii. whether intervention effects were maintained; iv) voltage drop, compared with previous CTM phases. We conducted a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation pre-post study of CTM; older adult participants (n = 1012; mean age 72.9, SD = 6.3 years; 80.6% female) were recruited by community delivery partners. We assessed CTM implementation indicators and impact outcomes via survey at 0 (baseline), 3 (mid-intervention), 6 (end-intervention) and 18 (12-month follow-up) months. We fitted mixed-effects models to describe change in impact outcomes in younger (60-74 years) and older (≥ 75 years) participants. We quantified voltage drop as percent of effect size (change from baseline to 3- and 6-months) retained in Phase 3 compared with Phases 1-2. Adaptation did not compromise fidelity of CTM Phase 3 as program components were delivered as intended. PA increased during the first 3 months in younger (+1 days/week) and older (+0.9 days/week) participants (p<0.001), and was maintained at 6- and 18-months. In all participants, social isolation and loneliness decreased during the intervention, but increased during follow-up. Mobility improved during the intervention in younger participants only. Health-related quality of life according to EQ-5D-5L score did not change significantly in younger or older participants. However, EQ-5D-5L visual analog scale score increased during the intervention in younger participants (p<0.001), and this increase was maintained during follow-up. Across all outcomes, the median difference in effect size, or voltage drop, between Phase 3 and Phases 1-2 was 52.6%. However, declines in social isolation were almost two times greater in Phase 3, compared with Phases 1-2. Benefits of health-promoting interventions-like CTM-can be retained when implemented at broad scale. Diminished social isolation in Phase 3 reflects how CTM was adapted to enhance opportunities for older adults to socially connect. Thus, although intervention effects may be reduced at scale-up, voltage drop is not inevitable.

Quantitative differential phase contrast phase reconstruction for sparse samples

Quantitative differential phase contrast (qDPC) microscopy can achieve phase imaging of unlabeled cell samples with high spatial resolution. However, qDPC imaging is easily affected by the noise generated in the experiments. In this manuscript, the L0-norm regularization was introduced into qDPC phase reconstruction for sparse samples (L0-qDPC), including the quantitative phase target and cell samples. After the detailed comparison of phase fidelity, imaging contrast, resolution, and convergence rate, L0-qDPC method can provide a stable qDPC phase imaging without parameter adjustment for sparse samples due to strong constraint and good robustness of L0-norm based on sparse prior, compared with the L2-norm and total variation regularization.

SBS-PCM characteristic of sub-nanosecond laser based on rotating wedge

One major setback in the applications of high-power solid-state lasers in areas like high energy density physics is the beam quality that deteriorates with increasing pump power. To solve this problem, we proposed to develop a high beam quality and stable stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugation mirror (SBS-PCM) using a filtration approach and a carefully designed geometry that includes a rotating wedge to operate under a high repetition rate laser. Upon reducing the micro-impurities to 100 nm, the accumulated heat at the focus reduced greatly, resulting in improved beam quality and better phase fidelity. At 6.5 mJ input energy and below 100 Hz repetition rates, there is no observable optical breakdown or obvious thermal effects as opposed to the unfiltered medium that experience optical breakdown at 0.5 mJ and 50 Hz repetition rate. The simulated temperature gradient at the focus shows that the material absorbed the laser within a short distance from the irradiation side, and the temperature probe reveals that the temperature increases with pumping power and time due to heat accumulation at the focus. To disperse the heat accumulation through a large area within the SBS cell, we design and introduce a rotating wedge. The impact of the rotating wedge was much more noticeable when the system works at higher pump power.

Simulating Potential Impacts of Future Climate Change on Post-Rainy Season Sorghum Yields in India

Given the wide use of the multi-climate model mean (MMM) for impact assessment studies, this work examines the fidelity of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in simulating the features of Indian summer monsoons as well as the post-rainy seasons for assessing the possible impacts of climate change on post-rainy season sorghum crop yields across India. The MMM simulations captured the spatial patterns and annual cycles of rainfall and surface air temperatures. However, bias was observed in the precipitation amounts and daily rainfall intensity. The trends in the simulations of MMM for both precipitation and temperatures were less satisfactory than the observed climate means. The Crop Environment Resource Synthesis (CERES)-sorghum model was used to estimate the potential impacts of future climate change on post-rainy season sorghum yield values. On average, post-rainy season sorghum yields are projected to vary between −4% and +40% as well as +10% and +59% in the near future (2040–2069) for RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively, and between +20% and +70% (RCP 4.5) as well as +38% and +89% (RCP 8.5) in the far future (2070–2099). Even though surface air temperatures are increasing in future climate change projections, the findings suggest that an increase in the post-rainy season sorghum yields was due to an increase in the rainfall amounts up to 23% and an increase in the atmospheric CO2 levels by the end of the 21st century. The results suggest that the projected climate change during the post-rainy season over India is an opportunity for smallholders to capitalize on the increase in rainfall amounts and further increase sorghum yields with appropriate crop management strategies.

Integrated processing and interpretation to image and derisk a carbonate reservoir clouded by shallow gas — A case study from offshore Vietnam

Carbonate reservoirs are increasingly becoming an important resource for hydrocarbon production because they contain the majority of remaining proven oil and gas reserves. In this context, carbonate reservoirs could represent new opportunities; however, there is still a lack of understanding of their subsurface status and characterization. Carbonate reservoirs are more difficult to evaluate than their siliciclastic counterparts because many aspects of carbonate rocks make their seismic image signature complex and difficult to interpret. Moreover, the presence of complex overburden such as shallow gas accumulation can exacerbate amplitude and phase fidelity at the reservoir, which introduces an additional imaging challenge. This makes field development of carbonate reservoirs extremely difficult because field development requires detailed delineation of characteristic karst features to avoid drilling hazards and sudden water breakthrough. In this paper, we demonstrate that a tight integration of signal processing, depth model building, and imaging, as well as near-real-time seismic interpretation feedback, is the key to success for imaging complex carbonate reservoirs with overburden challenges. Our findings show that such an integrated approach can result in a substantially better image, reduced depth uncertainty, and better delineation of karst and fractures. It can also aid in well placement and improve reservoir property modeling.

Holo-UNet: hologram-to-hologram neural network restoration for high fidelity low light quantitative phase imaging of live cells.

Intensity shot noise in digital holograms distorts the quality of the phase images after phase retrieval, limiting the usefulness of quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) systems in long term live cell imaging. In this paper, we devise a hologram-to-hologram neural network, Holo-UNet, that restores high quality digital holograms under high shot noise conditions (sub-mW/cm2 intensities) at high acquisition rates (sub-milliseconds). In comparison to current phase recovery methods, Holo-UNet denoises the recorded hologram, and so prevents shot noise from propagating through the phase retrieval step that in turn adversely affects phase and intensity images. Holo-UNet was tested on 2 independent QPM systems without any adjustment to the hardware setting. In both cases, Holo-UNet outperformed existing phase recovery and block-matching techniques by ∼ 1.8 folds in phase fidelity as measured by SSIM. Holo-UNet is immediately applicable to a wide range of other high-speed interferometric phase imaging techniques. The network paves the way towards the expansion of high-speed low light QPM biological imaging with minimal dependence on hardware constraints.

A Frequency-Multiplexed Coherent Electro-optic Memory in Rare Earth Doped Nanoparticles.

Quantum memories for light are essential components in quantum technologies like long-distance quantum communication and distributed quantum computing. Recent studies have shown that long optical and spin coherence lifetimes can be observed in rare earth doped nanoparticles, opening exciting possibilities over bulk materials, e.g., for enhancing coupling to light and other quantum systems, and material design. Here, we report on coherent light storage in Eu3+:Y2O3 nanoparticles using the Stark echo modulation memory (SEMM) quantum protocol. We first measure a nearly constant Stark coefficient of 50 kHz/(V/cm) across a bandwidth of 15 GHz, which is promising for broadband operation. Storage of light is then demonstrated with an effective coherence lifetime of 5 μs. Pulses with two different frequencies are also stored, confirming frequency-multiplexing capability, and are used to demonstrate the memory high phase fidelity. These results open the way to nanoscale optical quantum memories with increased efficiency, bandwidth, and processing capabilities.

Novel insights into the marine phase and river fidelity of anadromous twaite shad Alosa fallax in the UK and Ireland

Abstract Most research on anadromous fishes has been invested in their freshwater life‐phases, resulting in a relatively sparse understanding of their spatial ecology during marine life‐phases. However, understanding the marine dispersal of anadromous fishes is essential to identify threats and to implement conservation measures that fully encompass their lifecycle. The twaite shad Alosa fallax is an anadromous fish increasingly imperilled across its range due to pollution, harvesting, and impediments to freshwater migration, but little is known about its distribution and movements during its marine life‐phase. Here, the application of acoustic telemetry provided novel insights into the coastal dispersal of twaite shad in the UK and Ireland during 2018–2019, and the freshwater entry of individuals during the 2019 spawning season. Of 73 twaite shad acoustic‐tagged during their upstream migration in the River Severn in May 2018, 58 emigrated from the river. Twelve were subsequently detected 200 km to the south‐west at the Taw–Torridge Estuary between July 2018 and April 2019, where estuarine movements up to 5.8 km inland occurred in summer, winter, and spring. One was subsequently detected in the Munster Blackwater Estuary (Ireland) and then in the River Severn, indicating a minimum movement distance of 950 km. Thirty‐four (59%) of the emigrating individuals from 2018 re‐entered fresh water in the rivers Severn (n = 33) and Wye (n = 2) in April and May 2019. These results suggest year‐round use of estuarine and nearshore habitats by at least a subset of the twaite shad population during their marine phase, providing evidence of potential range overlap between populations that spawn in different areas in the UK and Ireland, which may be facilitated by substantial dispersal. The results also highlight the potential of telemetry for estimating freshwater and marine mortality, and the benefits of sharing detection data across networks.

Correction of Fabry-Pérot interference effects in phase and amplitude pulse shapers based on liquid crystal spatial light modulators

Broadband femtosecond laser pulses manipulated by pulse shapers based on a liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) inevitably experience periodic spectral distortions due to Fabry-Perot interference effects within the LC-SLM. We present a method, applicable to phase and amplitude pulse shapers based on dual LC-SLMs, that enables the calibration and suppression of the undesired spectral intensity modulations in a non-iterative fashion. We demonstrate that the method considerably improves the amplitude shaping fidelity of phase and amplitude pulse shapers without compromising the phase shaping properties.

Far-field and Fresnel Liquid Crystal Geometric Phase Holograms via Direct-Write Photo-Alignment

We study computer-generated geometric-phase holograms (GPHs) realized by photo-aligned liquid crystals, in both simulation and experiment. We demonstrate both far-field and Fresnel holograms capable of producing far-field and near-field images with preserved fidelity for all wavelengths. The GPHs are fabricated by patterning a photo-alignment layer (PAL) using a direct-write laser scanner and coating the surface with a polymerizable liquid crystal (i.e., a reactive mesogen). We study various recording pixel sizes, down to 3 μm, that are easily recorded in the PAL. We characterize the fabricated elements and find good agreement with theory and numerical simulation. Because of the wavelength independent geometric phase, the (phase) fidelity of the replay images is preserved for all wavelengths, unlike conventional dynamic phase holograms. However, governed by the diffraction equation, the size and location of a reconstructed image depends on the replay wavelength for far-field and near-field GPHs, respectively. These offer interesting opportunities for white-light holography.

Transportable setup for amplifier phase fidelity measurements

One possible laser source for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) consists of an Ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier originally developed for inter-satellite communication, seeded by the laser used for the technology demonstrator mission LISA Pathfinder. LISA needs to transmit clock information between its three spacecraft to correct for phase noise between the clocks on the individual spacecraft. For this purpose phase modulation sidebands at GHz frequencies will be imprinted on the laser beams between spacecraft. Differential phase noise between the carrier and a sideband introduced within the optical chain must be very low. We report on a transportable setup to measure the phase fidelity of optical amplifiers.

Cloaking of an acoustic sensor using scattering cancelation

Acoustic scattering cancelation (SC) is an approach enabling the elimination of the scattered field from an object, thereby cloaking it, without restricting the incident wave from interacting with the object. This aspect of an SC cloak lends itself well to applications in which one wishes to extract energy from the incident field with minimal scattering, such as for sensing and noise control. In this work, an acoustic cloak designed based on the scattering cancelation method, and made of two effective fluid layers, is applied to the case of an acoustic sensor consisting of a hollow piezoelectric shell with mechanical absorption, providing a 20–50 dB reduction in the scattering strength. The cloak is shown to increase the range of frequencies over which there is nearly perfect phase fidelity between the acoustic signal and the voltage generated by the sensor, while remaining within the physical bounds of a passive absorber. The feasibility of achieving the necessary fluid layer properties is demonstrated using sonic crystals with the use of readily available acoustic materials. [Work supported by the US ONR and Spanish MINECO.]

Cloaking of an acoustic sensor using scattering cancellation

In this Letter, a bilaminate acoustic cloak designed using scattering cancellation methods is applied to the case of an acoustic sensor consisting of a hollow piezoelectric shell with mechanical absorption. The bilaminate cloak provides 20–50 dB reduction in scattering strength relative to the uncloaked configuration over the typical range of operation for an acoustic sensor, retains its ability to sensing acoustic pressure signals, and remains within the physical bounds of a passive absorber. Further, the cloak is shown to increase the range of frequencies over which there is nearly perfect phase fidelity between the acoustic signal and the voltage generated by the sensor. The feasibility of achieving the necessary fluid layer properties is demonstrated using sonic crystals with the use of readily available acoustic materials.

Identification of the Local Sources of Paramagnetic Noise in Superconducting Qubit Devices Fabricated onα−Al2O3Substrates Using Density-Functional Calculations

Effective methods for decoupling superconducting qubits (SQs) from parasitic environmental noise sources are critical for increasing their lifetime and phase fidelity. While considerable progress has been made in this area, the microscopic origin of noise remains largely unknown. In this work, first principles density functional theory calculations are employed to identify the microscopic origins of magnetic noise sources in SQs on an α-Al2O3 substrate. The results indicate that it is unlikely that the existence of intrinsic point defects and defect complexes in the substrate are responsible for low frequency noise in these systems. Rather, a comprehensive analysis of extrinsic defects shows that surface aluminum ions interacting with ambient molecules will form a bath of magnetic moments that can couple to the SQ paramagnetically. The microscopic origin of this magnetic noise source is discussed and strategies for ameliorating the effects of these magnetic defects are proposed.

ENSO Teleconnection Pattern Changes over the Southeastern United States under a Climate Change Scenario in CMIP5 Models

A strong teleconnection exists between the sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical Pacific and the winter precipitation in the southeastern United States (SE US). This feature is adopted to validate the fidelity of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in this study. In addition, the authors examine whether the teleconnection pattern persists in the future under a global warming scenario. Generally, most of the eight selected models show a positive correlation between November SST over Niño 3 region and December–February (DJF) mean daily precipitation anomalies over the SE US, consistent with the observation. However, the models with poor realization of skewness of Niño indices fail to simulate the realistic teleconnection pattern in the historical simulation. In the Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) run, all of the models maintain positive and slightly increased correlation patterns. It is noteworthy that the region with strong teleconnection pattern shifts northward in the future. Increased variance of winter precipitation due to the SST teleconnection is shown over Alabama and Georgia rather than over Florida under the RCP8.5 scenario in most of the models, differing from the historical run in which the precipitation in Florida is the most attributable to the eastern Pacific SST.

COSMO-SkyMed Spotlight Interferometry Over Rural Areas: The Slumgullion Landslide in Colorado, USA

In the last 7 years, spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data with resolution of better than a meter acquired by satellites in spotlight mode offered an unprecedented improvement in SAR interferometry (InSAR). Most attention has been focused on monitoring urban areas and man-made infrastructure exploiting geometric accuracy, stability, and phase fidelity of the spotlight mode. In this paper, we explore the potential application of the COSMO-SkyMed ® Spotlight mode to rural areas where decorrelation is substantial and rapidly increases with time. We focus on the rapid repeat times of as short as one day possible with the COSMO-SkyMed ® constellation. We further present a qualitative analysis of spotlight interferometry over the Slumgullion landslide in southwest Colorado, which moves at rates of more than 1 cm/day.