For the majority of optical observing programs, the sky brightness provides the fundamental limit to signal detection such that the scientific feasibility is largely dictated by the moon phase. Since most observatories do not have the resources to build expensive high-resolution or infrared instruments, they are increasingly at a loss as to how to exploit bright time. We show that, with due con...

We herein report the results of a study of a power generating reflective-type liquid crystal display (LCD), composed of a 90° twisted nematic (TN) LC cell attached to the top of a light-absorbing polymer solar cell (PSC), i.e., a Solar-LCD. The PSC consisted of a polymer bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic (PV) layer of poly[[9-(1-octylnonyl)-9H-carbazole-2,7-diyl]-2,5-thiophenediyl-2,1,3-benzothi...

Vector vortex beams which possess complex intensity and polarisation patterns, phase or singularities are important in a variety of applications ranging from high resolution imaging data transmission to nonlinear optics quantum technologies. Here, we theoretically analyse the effect vector propagation through strongly anisotropic metamaterials exhibiting epsilon-near-zero behaviour. The interac...

The change in intensity of light transmitted through an analysing polariser after reflection from a ferromagnetic surface can be related to the magneto-optic Kerr rotation. The construction of an inexpensive apparatus for measuring small rotations based on the use of an external intensity stabiliser for a laboratory He-Ne laser is discussed. We examine the limitations on the signal-to-noise rat...

A high gain vertically polarised travelling-wave frequency scanning array antenna fed by a meander rectangular waveguide is presented for Ku-band operation. The proposed used in radar demonstrator setup to detect and monitor birds direct proximity the wind farms. goal prevent collisions of with consists 34 inclined dumbbell-shaped radiating slots integrated parallel-plate waveguide. meandered f...