Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires have been synthesized by a hydrothermal method. After being irradiated by a short laser pulse, the tips of the as-synthesized ZnO nanowires can be tailored into a spherical shape. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the spherical tip is a single-crystalline piece connected to the body of the ZnO nanowire, and that the center of the sphere is hollow. T...

In this paper we present a time-gated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, the first of its kind to be integrated with a newly developed time-resolved laser Raman spectrometer. Time-resolved Raman spectra from various highly fluorescent minerals were successfully observed using our SPAD array; these spectra were obscured by an overwhelming fluorescence background when measured using a tr...

We have developed an atmospheric monitoring system for the Telescope Array experiment at Akeno Observatory. It consists of a Nd:YAG laser with an alt-azimuth shooting system and a small light receiver. This system is installed inside an air conditioned weather-proof dome. All parts, including the dome, laser, shooter, receiver, and optical devices are fully controlled by a personal computer uti...

We study theoretically the dynamics of a multistripe laser array with an external cavity formed by either a single or two off-axis feedback mirrors, which allow to select a single lateral mode with transversely modulated intensity distribution. We derive and analyze a reduced model of such an array based on a set of delay differential equations taking into account transverse carrier grating in ...

With the advance of high speed laser technology, optical interaction with microwave circuits has become highly viable. Such interaction is advantageous as the fiber is low-loss, lightweight, and immune to electromagnetic interference. In this paper, interaction of direct-modulated and gain-switched optical links with active antenna phased array systems is demonstrated. In the direct-modulated o...

We demonstrate active hyperspectral imaging using a quantum-cascade laser (QCL) array as the illumination source and a digital-pixel focal-plane-array (DFPA) camera as the receiver. The multi-wavelength QCL array used in this work comprises 15 individually addressable QCLs in which the beams from all lasers are spatially overlapped using wavelength beam combining (WBC). The DFPA camera was conf...

We present a novel individually addressable diode laser array that uses angle-etched facets. By arranging the lasers in a fan-like structure, all lasers emit in different directions from a common effective aperture. Using this device design, we demonstrate lasers with beam directions that are fixed and distinct, stable, single mode, and capable of simultaneous and random access operation. We an...

The results of an investigation of the performance of a time-division-addressed fiber-optic gas-sensor array by means of wavelength modulation of a distributed-feedback (DFB) laser are reported. The system performance is found to be severely limited by the extinction ratio of the optical switch used for pulse amplitude modulation. Formulas that relate the cross-talk level to the extinction rati...

This paper presents the design of a high performance, radiation hard Laser Programmable Analog Array (LPAA) using LaserLink’s MakeLinkTM technology. Radiation hardness is achieved through the use of an advanced Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS) fabrication process. The programming of the analog array is achieved through the use of laser via formation, which has extremely low resistance, negligible capa...