Objects that have slow temporal variations may be superresolved with two moving masks such as pinhole or grating. The first mask is responsible for encoding the input image, and the second one performs the decoding operation. This approach is efficient for exceeding the resolving capability beyond Abbe's limit of resolution. However, the proposed setup requires two physical gratings that should move in a synchronized manner. We propose what is believed to be a novel configuration in which the second grating responsible for the information decoding is replaced with a detector array and some postprocessing digital procedures. In this way the synchronization problem that exists when two gratings are used is simplified. Experimental results are provided for illustrating the utility of the new approach.

We experimentally verify a speckle-based technique for noncontact measurement of glucose concentration in the bloodstream. The final device is intended to be a single wristwatch-style device containing a laser, a camera, and an alternating current (ac) electromagnet generated by a solenoid. The experiments presented are performed in vitro as proof of the concept. When a glucose substance is inserted into a solenoid generating an ac magnetic field, it exhibits Faraday rotation, which affects the temporal changes of the secondary speckle pattern distributions. The temporal frequency resulting from the ac magnetic field was found to have a lock-in amplification role, which increased the observability of the relatively small magneto-optic effect. Experimental results to support the proposed concept are presented.

In this paper we present a new approach for obtaining all-optical axial super-resolving imaging by using a non-diffractive binary phase mask inserted at the entrance pupil of an imaging lens. The designed element is tested numerically and experimentally on various practical testing benches and eventually is inserted into the lens of a cellular phone camera.

Hardware implementation of artificial neural networks facilitates real-time parallel processing of massive data sets. Optical neural networks offer low-volume 3D connectivity together with large bandwidth and minimal heat production in contrast to electronic implementation. Here, we present a conceptual design for in-fiber optical neural networks. Neurons and synapses are realized as individual silica cores in a multi-core fiber. Optical signals are transferred transversely between cores by means of optical coupling. Pump driven amplification in erbium-doped cores mimics synaptic interactions. We simulated three-layered feed-forward neural networks and explored their capabilities. Simulations suggest that networks can differentiate between given inputs depending on specific configurations of amplification; this implies classification and learning capabilities. Finally, we tested experimentally our basic neuronal elements using fibers, couplers, and amplifiers, and demonstrated that this configuration implements a neuron-like function. Therefore, devices similar to our proposed multi-core fiber could potentially serve as building blocks for future large-scale small-volume optical artificial neural networks.

In a previous work done by the authors, it was shown that the superresolution concept based on two moving gratings could be effected by a physical grating attached to the object and a virtual grating. This concept was shown to be very efficient and exhibited features that are helpful in removing some artifacts caused when coherent illumination is used. Furthermore, it simplifies the optical and mechanical modules of the super-resolving system by removing the need for mechanical movement of one grating. However, the system still required the need for moving the first (encoding) grating attached to the input. In this study the encoding grating is replaced by use of a projected grating. This approach simplifies the need for attaching the grating to the input object and thus new applications, such as remote sensing can be considered. The theoretical concept is demonstrated and experimental results are shown.