We present the design of a portable version of our miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer (mini-LHR) that simultaneously measures methane (CH) and carbon dioxide (CO) in the atmospheric column. The mini-LHR fits on a backpack frame, operates autonomously, and requires no infrastructure because it is powered by batteries charged by a folding 30 W solar panel. Similar to our earlier instruments, the mini-LHR is a passive laser heterodyne radiometer that operates by collecting sunlight that has undergone absorption by CH and CO. Within the mini-LHR, sunlight is mixed with light from a distributive feedback (DFB) laser centered at approximately 1.64 μm where both gases have absorption features. The laser scans across these absorption features roughly every minute and the resulting beat signal is collected in the radio frequency (RF). Scans are averaged into half hour and hour data products and analyzed using the Planetary Spectrum Generator (PSG) retrieval to extract column mole fractions. Instrument performance is demonstrated through two deployments at significantly different sites in interior Alaska and Hawaii. The resolving power (/∆) is greater than 500,000 at 1.64 μm with precisions of better than 20 ppb and 1 ppm for CH and CO, respectively. Because mini-LHR instruments are portable and can be co-located, they can be used to characterize bias between larger, stationary, column observing instruments. In addition, mini-LHRs can be deployed quickly to respond to transient events such as methane leaks or can be used for field studies targeting geographical regions.

Mosquito-borne diseases are a major challenge for Human health as they affect nearly 700 million people every year and result in over 1 million deaths. Reliable information on the evolution of population and spatial distribution of key insects species is of major importance in the development of eco-epidemiologic models. This paper reports on the remote characterization of flying mosquitoes using a continuous-wave infrared optical remote sensing system. The system is setup in a controlled environment to mimic long-range lidars, mosquitoes are free flying at a distance of ~ 4 m from the collecting optics. The wing beat frequency is retrieved from the backscattered light from mosquitoes transiting through the laser beam. A total of 427 transit signals have been recorded from three mosquito species, males and females. Since the mosquito species and gender are known a priori, we investigate the use of wing beat frequency as the sole predictor variable for two Bayesian classifications: gender alone (two classes) and species/gender (six classes). The gender of each mosquito is retrieved with a 96.5% accuracy while the species/gender of mosquitoes is retrieved with a 62.3% accuracy. Known to be an efficient mean to identify insect family, we discuss the limitations of using wing beat frequency alone to identify insect species.

High-repetition-rate interferometric-Rayleigh-scattering (IRS) velocimetry is implemented and demonstrated for non-intrusive, high-speed flow-velocity measurements. High temporal resolution is obtained with a quasi-continuous burst-mode laser that is capable of providing bursts of 10-msec duration with pulse widths of 10-100 nsec, pulse energy > 100 mJ at 532 nm, and repetition rates of 10-100 kHz. Coupled with a high-speed camera system, the IRS method is based on imaging the flow field though an etalon with 8-GHz free spectral range and capturing the Doppler shift of the Rayleigh-scattered light from the flow at multiple points having constructive interference. The seed-laser linewidth permits delivery of a laser linewidth of < 150 MHz at 532 nm The technique is demonstrated in a high-speed jet, and high-repetition-rate image sequences are shown.

It is generally believed that absorption and stimulated emission are inverse processes, as both are driven by an external field, their strength is quantified by the same Einstein coefficient, and they occur with a defined phase, opposite to each other, namely in phase and in anti-phase with the driving field, whereas spontaneous emission is a different process that occurs with an arbitrary phase with respect to a potential incident field. Recently, the phase relation in absorption and emission was shown to differ from this believe. Here it is verified via the amplitude-phase diagram and via the interference of sine waves that, precisely speaking, only the absorption process, in which a number  + 1 of incident photons is decreased by one photon, and the emission process, in which a number of incident photons is increased by one photon, are truly inverse processes also in their phase. Particularly, this implies that absorption of a single incident photon and spontaneous emission of a photon into an empty mode are inverse processes in the amplitude-phase diagram.

We present on THz generation in the two-color gas plasma scheme driven by a high-power, ultrafast fiber laser system. The applied scheme is a promising approach for scaling the THz average power but it has been limited so far by the driving lasers to repetition rates up to 1 kHz. Here, we demonstrate recent results of THz generation operating at a two orders of magnitude higher repetition rate. This results in a unprecedented THz average power of 50 mW. The development of compact, table-top THz sources with high repetition rate and high field strength is crucial for studying nonlinear responses of materials, particle acceleration or faster data acquisition in imaging and spectroscopy.

The huge field of optics and photonics research and development is in constant demand of well-trained experts. However, it is challenging to teach efficiently the setup process of complicated optical experiments due to limited hardware availability and eye-safety concerns, in particular, in the case of femtosecond lasers. We have developed an interactive simulation of an ultrafast laser laboratory ("femtoPro") for teaching and training, implementing physical models for the calculation and visualization of Gaussian laser beam propagation, ultrashort optical pulses, their modulation by typical optical elements, and linear as well as nonlinear light-matter interaction. This facilitates the setup and simulated measurement procedure, in virtual reality (VR) and at real-time speeds, of various typical optical arrangements and spectroscopy schemes such as telescopes, interferometers, or pulse characterization. femtoPro can be employed to supplement academic teaching in connection with regular courses in optics or spectroscopy, to train future scientists and engineers in the field of (ultrafast) optics in practical skills, to communicate to other researchers how to set up and align a particular experiment, to "test-build" and simulate new designs of optical setups, to simulate ultrafast spectroscopy data, to offer practical exercises to high-school students, and to reach out to the general public.

Detection and analysis of volatile compounds in exhaled breath represents an attractive tool for monitoring the metabolic status of a patient and disease diagnosis, since it is non-invasive and fast. Numerous studies have already demonstrated the benefit of breath analysis in clinical settings/applications and encouraged multidisciplinary research to reveal new insights regarding the origins, pathways, and pathophysiological roles of breath components. Many breath analysis methods are currently available to help explore these directions, ranging from mass spectrometry to laser-based spectroscopy and sensor arrays. This review presents an update of the current status of optical methods, using near and mid-infrared sources, for clinical breath gas analysis over the last decade and describes recent technological developments and their applications. The review includes: tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, integrated cavity output spectroscopy, cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy, quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy, and optical frequency comb spectroscopy. A SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is presented that describes the laser-based techniques within the clinical framework of breath research and their appealing features for clinical use.

Long-wavelength mid-infrared (MIR) frequency combs with high power and flexible tunability are highly desired for molecular spectroscopy, including investigation of large molecules such as C. We present a high power, phase-stabilized frequency comb near 10 μm, generated by a synchronously pumped, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on AgGaSe. The OPO can be continuously tuned from 8.4 to 9.5 μm, with a maximum average idler power of 100 mW at the center wavelength of 8.5 μm. Both the repetition rate ( ) and the carrier-envelope offset frequency ( ) of the idler wave are phase-locked to microwave signals referenced to a Cs clock. We describe the detailed design and construction of the frequency comb, and discuss potential applications for precise and sensitive direct frequency comb spectroscopy.

The transport of intensity equation (TIE) technique is used to investigate the effect of stretching and annealing conditions on the optical features and antimicrobial activity of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers treated with TiO nanoparticles. The main core of this paper gets the most preferable optical and mechanical properties for PET/TiO fiber which maintains its antibacterial activity. The variation of the refractive index of untreated PET/TiO fiber along its axis is studied. The computed tomography technique is used to investigate the morphology of the tested fiber and the distribution of TiO nanoparticles inside the fiber. The effect of stretching on the refractive index and the density of TiO nanoparticles of drawn PET/TiO fibers are carried out. The antimicrobial activity of the PET/TiO fibers are evaluated before and after stretching. The PET/TiO fibers are annealed at different temperatures and durations. The influence of annealing on the variation of the refractive index of PET/TiO fiber along its axis and the distribution of TiO is investigated.

Semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) have enabled a wide variety of modelocked laser systems, which makes measuring their nonlinear properties an important step in laser design. Here, we demonstrate complete characterization of SESAMs using an equivalent time sampling apparatus. The light source is a free-running dual-comb laser, which produces a pair of sub-150-fs modelocked laser outputs at 1051 nm from a single cavity. The average pulse repetition rate is 80.1 MHz, and the full time window is scanned at 240 Hz. Cross-correlation between the beams is used to calibrate the time axis of the measurements, and we use a non-collinear pump-probe geometry on the sample. The measurements enable fast and robust determination of all the nonlinear reflectivity and recovery time parameters of the devices from a single setup, and show good agreement with conventional nonlinear reflectivity measurements. We compare measurements to a rate equation model, showing good agreement up to high pulse fluence values and revealing that the samples tested exhibit a slightly slower recovery at higher fluence values. Lastly, we examine the polarization dependence of the reflectivity, revealing a reduced rollover if cross-polarized beams are used or if the sample is oriented optimally around the beam axis.

We present the results of the calibration of a channeltron-based electrostatic analyzer operating in time-of-flight mode (ESA-ToF) using tin ions resulting from laser-produced plasma, over a wide range of charge states and energies. Specifically, the channeltron electron multiplier detection efficiency and the spectrometer resolution are calibrated, and count rate effects are characterized. With the obtained overall response function, the ESA-ToF is shown to accurately reproduce charge-integrated measurements separately and simultaneously obtained from a Faraday cup (FC), up to a constant factor the finding of which enables absolute cross-calibration of the ESA-ToF using the FC as an absolute benchmark. Absolute charge-state-resolved ion energy distributions are obtained from ns-pulse Nd:YAG-laser-produced microdroplet tin plasmas in a setting relevant for state-of-the-art extreme ultraviolet nanolithography.

Laser-induced incandescence (LII) is a widely used combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of soot primary particle sizes and volume fractions in flames, exhaust gases, and the atmosphere. Increasingly, however, it is applied to characterize engineered nanomaterials, driven by the increasing industrial relevance of these materials and the fundamental scientific insights that may be obtained from these measurements. This review describes the state of the art as well as open research challenges and new opportunities that arise from LII measurements on non-soot nanoparticles. An overview of the basic LII model, along with statistical techniques for inferring quantities-of-interest and associated uncertainties is provided, with a review of the application of LII to various classes of materials, including elemental particles, oxide and nitride materials, and non-soot carbonaceous materials, and core-shell particles. The paper concludes with a discussion of combined and complementary diagnostics, and an outlook of future research.

A high-speed laser absorption technique is employed to resolve spectral transitions of CO in the mid-infrared at MHz rates to infer non-equilibrium populations/temperatures of translation, rotation and vibration in shock-heated CO - Ar mixtures. An interband cascade laser (DFB-ICL) resolves 4 transitions within the CO asymmetric stretch fundamental bands ( v = 1) near 4.19 . The sensor probes a wide range of rotational energies as well as two vibrational states (00 0 and 01 0). The sensor is demonstrated on the UCLA high enthalpy shock tube, targeting temperatures between 1250 and 3100 K and sub-atmospheric pressures (up to 0.2 atm). The sensor is sensitive to multiple temperatures over a wide range of conditions relevant to Mars entry radiation. Vibrational relaxation times are resolved and compared to existing models of thermal non-equilibrium. Select conditions highlight the shortcomings of modeling CO non-equilibrium with a single vibrational temperature.

Insects are major actors in Earth's ecosystems and their recent decline in abundance and diversity is alarming. The monitoring of insects is paramount to understand the cause of this decline and guide conservation policies. In this contribution, an infrared laser-based system is used to remotely monitor the biomass density of flying insects in the wild. By measuring the optical extinction caused by insects crossing the 36-m long laser beam, the Entomological Bistatic Optical Sensor System used in this study can evaluate the mass of each specimen. At the field location, between July and December 2021, the instrument made a total of 262,870 observations of insects for which the average dry mass was 17.1 mg and the median 3.4 mg. The daily average mass of flying insects per meter cube of air at the field location has been retrieved throughout the season and ranged between near 0 to 1.2 mg/m. Thanks to its temporal resolution in the minute range, daily variations of biomass density have been observed as well. These measurements show daily activity patterns changing with the season, as large increases in biomass density were evident around sunset and sunrise during Summer but not during Fall.

A systematic study of laser-induced thermal-grating scattering (LITGS) using nitric oxide as an absorbing species is presented as a means of thermometry in air-fed combustion. The relative contributions to the scattered signal from degenerate four-wave mixing, DFWM, and from laser-induced thermal-grating scattering, LITGS, are studied in the time domain for NO in N buffer gas up to 4 bar, using a pulsed laser system to excite the (0,0) γ-bands of NO at 226.21 nm. LITGS signals from combustion-generated NO in a laminar, pre-mixed CH/O/N flame on an in-house constructed slot burner were used to derive temperature values as a function of O concentration and position in the flame at 1 and 2.5 bar total pressure. Temperature values consistent with the calculated adiabatic flame temperature were derived from averaged LITGS signals over 50-100 single shots at 10 Hz repetition rate in the range 1600-2400 K with a pressure-dependent uncertainty of ± 1.8% at 1 bar to ± 1.4% at 2.5 bar. Based on observed signal-to-noise ratios, the minimum detectable concentration of NO in the flame is estimated to be 80 ppm for a 5 s measurement time at 10 Hz repetition rate.

We present an experimental technique to determine the degenerate two-photon absorption (2PA) spectra by performing a single Z-scan using a high-spectral-irradiance white light continuum (WLC) generated by a hollow core fiber. The hollow fiber was filled with Argon (Ar) gas at a pressure of 0.6 bar and was pumped with 500 mJ, 30 fs, and 800 nm pulses. The broadband WLC pulses with 350 nm bandwidth in the range of 600-950 nm were compressed to sub-8 fs pulses. To characterize and interpret the data obtained from this method, the spectral, temporal and spatial characteristics of the WLC were first analyzed. The WLC emerging from the compressor was dispersed using a prism pair and then focused into the sample by a cylindrical lens. Since different spectral components are spatially separated, any part of the sample in the beam cross section is irradiated with almost single wavelength pulses leading to only a degenerate 2PA process. The nonlinear transmittance was then measured by a charge-coupled-device (CCD) line camera as a function of the sample position while the sample was moved along the beam direction by a motorized translation stage. In this way the Z-scans at different wavelengths in the WLC spectral range can be measured and thus the wavelength-resolved degenerate 2PA spectra can be obtained by performing a single scan using dispersive WLC. This method was verified on a well-characterized dye Rhodamine B and yield a reasonable agreement with the data found in the literature. We used this method to determine the 2PA spectra of some two-photon initiators (2PIs) developed for two-photon polymerization (2PP) based 3D micro-structuring.

We study a method for mass-selective removal of ions from a Paul trap by parametric excitation. This can be achieved by applying an oscillating electric quadrupole field at twice the secular frequency using pairs of opposing electrodes. While excitation near the resonance with the secular frequency only leads to a linear increase of the amplitude with excitation duration, parametric excitation near results in an exponential increase of the amplitude. This enables efficient removal of ions from the trap with modest excitation voltages and narrow bandwidth, therefore, substantially reducing the disturbance of ions with other charge-to-mass ratios. We numerically study and compare the mass selectivity of the two methods. In addition, we experimentally show that the barium isotopes with 136 and 137 nucleons can be removed from small ion crystals and ejected out of the trap while keeping ions Doppler cooled, corresponding to a mass selectivity of better than . This method can be widely applied to ion trapping experiments without major modifications since it only requires modulating the potential of the ion trap.

We report the second harmonic generation and fourth harmonic generation of the output from a short-pulsed (~ 80 ps) thulium-doped fiber laser, generating 976 and 488 nm wavelengths with high efficiency. With a narrow-linewidth (0.5 nm) pump at a power of 3.2 W, a second harmonic power of 2.4 W was generated at 976 nm with a conversion efficiency reaching 75%. For FHG, 690 mW of power at 488 nm was obtained from frequency doubling of 976 nm with a conversion efficiency of 30%.

The sensitivity of quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) can be drastically increased using the power enhancement in high-finesse cavities. Here, low noise resonant power enhancement to 6.3 W was achieved in a linear Brewster window cavity by exploiting optical feedback locking of a quantum cascade laser. The high intracavity intensity of up to 73 W mm in between the prongs of a custom tuning fork resulted in strong optical saturation of CO at 4.59 µm. Saturated absorption is discussed theoretically and experimentally for photoacoustic measurements in general and intracavity QEPAS (I-QEPAS) in particular. The saturation intensity of CO's R9 transition was retrieved from power-dependent I-QEPAS signals. This allowed for sensing CO independently from varying degrees of saturation caused by absorption induced changes of intracavity power. Figures of merit of the I-QEPAS setup for sensing of CO and HO are compared to standard wavelength modulation QEPAS without cavity enhancement. For HO, the sensitivity was increased by a factor of 230, practically identical to the power enhancement, while the sensitivity gain for CO detection was limited to 57 by optical saturation.

The development of an Yb-fiber-based chirped-pulse amplification system and the performance in the generation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation by high-harmonic generation is reported. The fiber laser produced 100 μJ, 350 fs output pulses with diffraction-limited beam quality at a repetition rate of 16.7 kHz. The system used commercial single-mode, polarization maintaining fiber technology. This included a 40 μm core, easily packaged, bendable final amplifier fiber in order to enable a compact system, to reduce cost, and provide reliable and environmentally stable long-term performance. The system enabled the generation of 0.4 μW of EUV at wavelengths between 27 and 80 nm with a peak at ~45 nm using xenon gas. The EUV flux of ~10 photons per second for a driving field power of 1.67 W represents state-of-the-art generation efficiency for single-fiber amplifier CPA systems, corresponding to a maximum calculated energy conversion efficiency of 2.4 × 10 from the infrared to the EUV. The potential for high average power operation at increased repetition rates and further suggested technical improvements are discussed. Future applications could include coherent diffractive imaging in the EUV, and high-harmonic spectroscopy.

Computational methods have been established as cornerstones in optical imaging and holography in recent years. Every year, the dependence of optical imaging and holography on computational methods is increasing significantly to the extent that optical methods and components are being completely and efficiently replaced with computational methods at low cost. This roadmap reviews the current scenario in four major areas namely incoherent digital holography, quantitative phase imaging, imaging through scattering layers, and super-resolution imaging. In addition to registering the perspectives of the modern-day architects of the above research areas, the roadmap also reports some of the latest studies on the topic. Computational codes and pseudocodes are presented for computational methods in a plug-and-play fashion for readers to not only read and understand but also practice the latest algorithms with their data. We believe that this roadmap will be a valuable tool for analyzing the current trends in computational methods to predict and prepare the future of computational methods in optical imaging and holography.