Tutorials

Optical fibers are circular dielectric wave-guides that can transport optical energy and information. They have a central core surrounded by a concentric cladding with slightly lower refractive index.

This discussion is restricted to the general use of Incoherent Light Sources, such as arc lamp or quartz tungsten halogen sources. Diffraction and coherent effects are excluded. The emphasis throughout this section will be on the collection of light.

Low-power laser diodes come in a variety of packages. Most have a monitor photodiode integrated with the laser diode. Generally, laser diodes emit light from both ends of their cavity. By monitoring the rear facet output beam of the laser diode, one can maintain the laser at a constant power level.

When a photon hits the photodiode material, it may generate an electron-hole pair depending on the quantum efficiency of the device. Quantum efficiency is dependent on many factors, but in general if the energy of the photon, E = hv, is greater than the energy gap of the device, these photons will be absorbed very near the surface where the recombination rate is high and will contribute to the photocurrent.

PMManager is a powerful application software controlling and taking measurement data, compatible with models 1919-R, 843-R-USB, 844-PE-USB and 845-PE-RS.

The interaction of light with the atoms or molecules of a material is wavelength dependent. A consequence of this dependence is the resonant interactions related to material dispersion. Another consequence of such resonant interaction is birefringence, the change in refractive index with the polarization of light.

The interaction of light with the atoms or molecules of a material is wavelength dependent. A consequence of this dependence is the resonant interactions related to material dispersion. Another consequence of such resonant interaction is birefringence, the change in refractive index with the polarization of light.

Photonic crystal fibers are generally divided into two main categories: Index Guiding Fibers that have a solid core, and Photonic Bandgap Fibers that have periodic microstructured elements and a core of low index material.

In this section we give a brief introduction to getting light into a monochromator, and how much you can expect to get out. While the emphasis is on coupling Oriel Light Sources to Oriel Monochromators, the same general principles apply to collecting light from any source for analysis. Specifically, all of the collection principles we will cover here may be applied to spectrographs as well as monochromators.

A beam of light can be thought of as being composed of two orthogonal electrical vector field components that vary in amplitude and frequency. Polarized light occurs when these two components differ in phase or amplitude. Polarization in optical fiber has been extensively studied and a variety of methods are available to either minimize or exploit the phenomenon.

Radiation from the sun sustains life on earth and determines climate. The energy flow within the sun results in a surface temperature of around 5800 K, so the spectrum of the radiation from the sun is similar to that of a 5800 K blackbody with fine structure due to absorption in the cool peripheral solar gas.

This tutorial introduces opto-mechanical component design basics and will familiarize the reader with the issues that need consideration in the selection of the most commonly used tabletop components. It emphasizes practical issues, not mathematical derivations.

You can estimate the power in the collimated beams* at any wavelength or in any wavelength range from our Series Q, Apex, or Research Lamp Housings with any of our CW and pulsed arc, quartz tungsten halogen or deuterium lamps.

Gratings are available in various groove densities (i.e. lines/mm). Higher groove densities give higher reciprocal dispersion and therefore higher resolution. The grating dispersion is similar for gratings with the same groove density. The exact dispersion is dependent upon other physical characteristics of the grating in addition to the groove density.

Vibration and vibration isolation are both intimately connected with the phenomenon of resonance and simple harmonic motion. A simple example of harmonic motion is a mass connected to a flexible cantilevered beam. External force, either from a one-time impulse or from a periodic force such as vibration, will cause the system to resonate as the spring alternately stores and imparts energy to the moving mass.

Everything radiates and absorbs electro-magnetic radiation. Many important radiation laws are based on the performance of a perfect steady state emitter called a blackbody or full radiator. These have smoothly varying spectra that follow a set of laws relating the spectral distribution and total output to the temperature of the blackbody.

The Picomotor's actuator relies on the basic difference between dynamic and static friction. A graphic example of this is the “tablecloth trick,” in which a quick pull of the cloth leaves the dishes on the table (low dynamic friction), while a slow pull of the tablecloth ends up pulling the dishes off the table (high static friction and a big mess!).

These generic criterion curves have been developed on the basis of data from individual systems and measurements made in facilities both before and after vibration problems had been solved. Moreover, they have been used extensively by leading vibration consultants for the semiconductor manufacturing industry for almost 20 years, and have been extended and refined as the industry has moved to narrower line widths.

No actual structure is a perfectly rigid body - all structures vibrate by flexing and twisting. The response of structures to random vibrations can be quite complicated because they vibrate with complex deformations and have more than one resonant frequency. The compliance curve, the classic method of measuring dynamic rigidity, is a useful tool for evaluating the basic dynamics of a vibrating structure.

An integrating sphere collects electromagnetic radiation from a source completely external to the optical device, usually for flux measurement or optical attenuation. Radiation introduced into an integrating sphere strikes the reflective walls and undergoes multiple diffuse reflections.