A finite element method is presented for predicting the mechanical performance of discontinuous fiber mesostructures typically produced by directed carbon fiber preforming. High-filament count bundles are modeled using beam elements to enable large representative volume elements to be studied. The beams are attached to a regular grid of 2D continuum elements, which represent the matrix material...

We report a novel lateral packaging approach using laser welding technique with angle polished fiber coupling to grating coupler embedded silicon photonic circuit. Measurements show the relax alignment tolerance for fiber packaging process. The packaging excess loss of 1.2 dB is achieved. The use of angle polished fiber for lateral fiber coupling enables an alternative way for cost-effective de...

Collagen fiber re-alignment and uncrimping are postulated mechanisms of structural response to load. It has been suggested that fibers re-orient in the direction of load and then "uncrimp" before collagen is tensioned and that in general, the structure is a result of the function tendons perform. However, little is known about how fiber re-alignment and uncrimping change in response to load, ho...

To increase the manufacturing throughput and lower cost of silicon photonics packaging, an alignment tolerant approach is required to simplify process fiber-to-chip coupling. Here, we demonstrate alignment-tolerant expanded beam backside coupling interface (in O-band) for by monolithically integrating microlenses on chip. After expanding diffracted optical from a TE-mode grating through bulk su...

Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which all...

Cellular microenvironments are important in coaxing cells to behave collectively as functional, structured tissues. Important cues in this microenvironment are the chemical, mechanical and spatial arrangement of the supporting matrix in the extracellular space. In engineered tissues, synthetic scaffolding provides many of these microenvironmental cues. Key requirements are that synthetic scaffo...

Displacement interferometry is widely used for accurately characterizing nanometer and subnanometer displacements in many applications. In many modern systems, fiber delivery is desired to limit optical alignment and remove heat sources from the system, but fiber delivery can exacerbate common interferometric measurement problems, such as periodic nonlinearity, and account for fiber-induced dri...

Image texture analysis techniques have been applied for evaluating tendon injuries in racehorses. Ultrasound images from superficial and deep digital flexor tendons have been characterized and a measure for quantifying injury grade has been proposed. Wavelet-based texture segmentation and classification algorithms have been developed for quantification of the injury grades. Discrete wavelet pac...

A fluorescence-based enzyme activity assay has been demonstrated within a small-core microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for the first time. To achieve this, a reflection-based automated alignment system has been developed, which uses feedback and piezoelectric actuators to maintain optical alignment. The auto-alignment system provides optical stability for the time required to perform an activ...