Biologically inspired approaches for artificial sensing have been extensively applied to different sensory modalities over the last decades and chemical senses have been no exception. The olfactory system, and the gustatory system to a minor extent, has been regarded as a model for the development of new artificial chemical sensing s- tems. One of the main contributions to this field was done by Persaud and Dodd in 1982 when they proposed a system based on an array of broad-selective chemical sensors coupled with a pattern recognition engine. The array aimed at mimicking the sensing strategy followed by the olfactory system where a population of bro- selective olfactory receptor neurons encodes for chemical information as patterns of activity across the neuron population. The pattern recognition engine proposed was not based on bio-inspired but on statistical methods. This influential work gave rise to a new line of research where this paradigm has been used to build chemical sensing instruments applied to a wide range of odor detection problems. More recently, some researchers have proposed to extend the biological inspiration of this system also to the processing of the sensor array signals. This has been mo- vated in part by the increasing body of knowledge available on biological olfaction, which has become in the last decade a focus of attention of the experimental neu- science community.

Ultrafast Phenomena XV presents the latest advances in ultrafast science, including both ultrafast optical technology and the study of ultrafast phenomena. It covers picosecond, femtosecond, and attosecond processes relevant to applications in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Ultrafast technology has a profound impact in a wide range of applications, among them biomedical imaging, chemical dynamics, frequency standards, materials processing, and ultrahigh-speed communications. This book summarizes the results presented at the 15th International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena and provides an up-to-date view of this important and rapidly advancing field.

The papers in this volume cover the major areas of research activity in the field of ultrafast optics at the present time, and they have been selected to provide an overview of the current state of the art. The purview of the field is the methods for the generation, amplification, and characterization of electromagnetic pulses with durations from the pieo-to the attosecond range, as well as the technical issues surrounding the application of these pulses in physics, chemistry, and biology. The contributions were solicited from the participants in the Ultrafast Optics IV Conference, held in Vienna, Austria, in June 2003. The purpose of the conference is similar to that of this book: to provide a forum for the latest advances in ultrafast optical technology. Ultrafast light sources provide a means to observe and manipulate events on the scale of atomic and molecular dynamics. This is possible either through appropriate shaping of the time-dependent electrie field, or through the ap plication of fields whose strength is comparable to the binding forces of the electrons in atoms and molecules. Recent advances discussed here include the generation of pulses shorter than two optical cycles, and the ability to measure and to shape them in all degrees of freedom with unprecedented 2 21 2 precision, and to amplify them to the Zettawatt/cm (10 W /cm ) range.

This book presents the latest developments in biometrics technologies and reports on new approaches, methods, findings, and technologies developed or being developed by the research community and the industry. The book focuses on introducing fundamental principles and concepts of key enabling technologies for biometric systems applied for both physical and cyber security. The authors disseminate recent research and developing efforts in this area, investigate related trends and challenges, and present case studies and examples such as fingerprint, face, iris, retina, keystroke dynamics, and voice applications . The authors also investigate the advances and future outcomes in research and development in biometric security systems. The book is applicable to students, instructors, researchers, industry practitioners, and related government agencies staff. Each chapter is accompanied by a set of PowerPoint slides for use by instructors.

Optical solitons in fibers are a beautiful example of how an abstract mathematical concept has had an impact on new information transmission technologies. The concept of all-optical data transmission with optical soliton systems is now setting the standard for the most advanced transmission systems. The book deals with the motion of light waves in optical fibers, the evolution of light wavepackets, optical information transfer, all-optical soliton transmission systems, the control of optical solitons, polarization effects, dispersion-managed solitons, WDM transmission, soliton lasers, all-optical switching and other applications. This book is a must for all researchers and graduate students active in the field of optical data transmission.

This book traces the quest to use nanostructured media for novel and improved optoelectronic devices. Starting with the invention of the heterostructure laser, the progression via thin films to quasi zero-dimensional quantum dots has led to novel device concepts and tremendous improvements in device performance. Along the way sophisticated methods of material preparation and characterization have been developed. Novel physical phenomena have emerged and are now used in devices such as lasers and optical amplifiers. Leading experts - among them Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov - write here about the fundamental concepts behind nano-optoelectronics, the material basis, physical phenomena, device physics and systems.

"Independent Variables for Optical Surfacing Systems" discusses the characterization and application of independent variables of optical surfacing systems and introduces the basic principles of surfacing technologies and common surfacing systems. All the pivotal variables influencing surface quality are analyzed; evaluation methods for surface quality, the removal capability of tool influence functions, and a series of novel optical surfacing systems are introduced. The book also particularly focuses on the multi-path mode and dwell time used for deterministic surfacing. Researchers and graduate students working in optical engineering will benefit from this book; optical engineers in the industry will also find it a valuable reference work.

Haobo Cheng is a professor at Beijing Institute of Technology.

Silicon, the leading material in microelectronics during the last four decades, also promises to be the key material in the future. Despite many claims that silicon technology has reached fundamental limits, the performance of silicon microelectronics continues to improve steadily. The same holds for almost all the applications for which Si was considered to be unsuitable. The main exception to this positive trend is the silicon laser, which has not been demonstrated to date. The main reason for this comes from a fundamental limitation related to the indirect nature of the Si band-gap. In the recent past, many different approaches have been taken to achieve this goal: dislocated silicon, extremely pure silicon, silicon nanocrystals, porous silicon, Er doped Si-Ge, SiGe alloys and multiquantum wells, SiGe quantum dots, SiGe quantum cascade structures, shallow impurity centers in silicon and Er doped silicon. All of these are abundantly illustrated in the present book.

In order to adapt to the ever-increasing demands of telecommunication needs, today 's network operators are implementing 100 Gb/s per dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) channel transmission. At those data rates, the performance of fiberoptic communication systems is degraded significantly due to intra- and inter-channel fiber nonlinearities, polarization-mode dispersion (PMD), and chromatic dispersion. In order to deal with those channel impairments, novel advanced techniques in modulation and detection, coding and signal processing are needed.

This unique book represents a coherent and comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of optical communications, signal processing and coding for optical channels. It is the first to integrate the fundamentals of coding theory with the fundamentals of optical communication.

Modern telecommunication systems are highly complex from an algorithmic point of view. The complexity continues to increase due to advanced modulation schemes, multiple protocols and standards, as well as additional functionality such as personal organizers or navigation aids.

To have short and reliable design cycles, efficient verification methods and tools are necessary. Modeling and simulation need to accompany the design steps from the specification to the overall system verification in order to bridge the gaps between system specification, system simulation, and circuit level simulation. Very high carrier frequencies together with long observation periods result in extremely large computation times and requires, therefore, specialized modeling methods and simulation tools on all design levels.

The focus of Modeling and Simulation for RF System Design lies on RF specific modeling and simulation methods and the consideration of system and circuit level descriptions. It contains application-oriented training material for RF designers which combines the presentation of a mixed-signal design flow, an introduction into the powerful standardized hardware description languages VHDL-AMS and Verilog-A, and the application of commercially available simulators.

Models are provided on a CD-ROM included with the book because models are necessary to reproduce, understand and explore the real world behavior on a simulation platform. Modeling and Simulation for RF System Design is addressed to graduate students and industrial professionals who are engaged in communication system design and want to gain insight into the system structure by own simulation experiences.

The authors areexperts in design, modeling and simulation of communication systems engaged at the Nokia Research Center (Bochum, Germany) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, Branch Lab Design Automation (Dresden, Germany).

The deployment of high-order modulation formats in optical fiber transmission systems is presently seen as a promising way of increasing spectral efficiency and of making better use of the capacity of currently existing fiber infrastructure. Catering to this interest, this book presents possible ways of generating and detecting optical signals with high-order phase and quadrature amplitude modulation and characterizes their system and transmission properties.

Several implementation options for high-order modulation optical transmitters are possible. Their optical and electrical parts are described and their individual signal properties are discussed. Receiver concepts with direct detection, homodyne differential detection and homodyne synchronous detection are illustrated, starting with optical frontends and ending with concrete data recovery. The description of transmitters and receivers provided in the first part of the book not only helps to demonstrate their functioning, but also allows their complexity and practicability to be estimated and compared.

To advance understanding of the system and transmission behavior of high-order modulation formats for optical fiber transmission, various system parameters such as noise performances, optimal receiver filter bandwidths, required laser linewidths and the chromatic dispersion and self phase modulation tolerances of a wide range of modulation formats are highlighted in the second part of the book, considering different line codes and many transmitter and receiver configurations. Currently, the determination of attainable transmission distances for multi-span long-haul transmission using high-order modulation formats represents an exciting field of research. Recent results in this area are also covered by this book.

This monograph is intended for students and researchers in the field of optical communications, as well as for system designers who want to learn about the properties and complexity of optical systems employing high-order modulation.

Multi-Frame Motion-Compensated Prediction for Video Transmission presents a comprehensive description of a new technique in video coding and transmission. The work presented in the book has had a very strong impact on video coding standards and will be of interest to practicing engineers and researchers as well as academics. The multi-frame technique and the Lagrangian coder control have been adopted by the ITU-T as an integral part of the well known H.263 standard and are were adopted in the ongoing H.26L project of the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group. This work will interest researchers and students in the field of video coding and transmission. Moreover, engineers in the field will also be interested since an integral part of the well known H.263 standard is based on the presented material.

This book introduces a new cyberphysical system that combines clinical and basic neuroscience research with advanced data analysis and medical management tools for developing novel applications for the management of epilepsy. The authors describe the algorithms and architectures needed to provide ambulatory, diagnostic and long-term monitoring services, through multi parametric data collection. Readers will see how to achieve in-hospital quality standards, addressing conventional "routine" clinic-based service purposes, at reduced cost, enhanced capability and increased geographical availability. The cyberphysical system described in this book is flexible, can be optimized for each patient and is demonstrated in several case studies.

This book introduces an efficient resource management approach for future spectrum sharing systems. The book focuses on providing an optimal resource allocation framework based on carrier aggregation to allocate multiple carriers' resources efficiently among mobile users. Furthermore, it provides an optimal traffic dependent pricing mechanism that could be used by network providers to charge mobile users for the allocated resources. The book provides different resource allocation with carrier aggregation solutions, for different spectrum sharing scenarios, and compares them. The provided solutions consider the diverse quality of experience requirement of multiple applications running on the user's equipment since different applications require different application performance. In addition, the book addresses the resource allocation problem for spectrum sharing systems that require user discrimination when allocating the network resources.

The use of lasers which emit infra-red radiation and sophisticated detectors of IR radiation is increasing dramatically: they are being used for long-distance fibre-optic communications and remote environmental monitoring and sensing. Thus they are of interest to the telecommunications industry and the military in particular. This book has been designed to bring together what is known on these devices, using an international group of contributors.

This volume contains five articles presenting reviews of several topics of current research which are likely to be of interest to optical scientists and optical engineers. The first article, by J. Ohtsubo, deals with the dynamics of feedback-induced instability and chaos. The characteristics of semiconductor lasers based on the rate equations, including various laser structures, are reviewed and the effects of optical feedback in semiconductor lasers are then discussed. the general area of the nonlinear interaction of ultrafast pulses with optical and photonic crystal fibres are discussed. In particular, ultrafast pulse measurements, pulse shaping and pulse control are discussed. transient optical phenomena that take place in the spatial-temporal dynamics of ultrashort pulses. The interplay of diffractive and dispersive phenomena is examined. They include coupled processes of amplitude and phase reshaping, spectral variations and polarity reversal for different types of light pulses. Reflection and refraction effects that take place at the interface between media with time-dependent dielectric susceptibilities are also discussed. principles of optical coherence tomography (OCT). This is a relatively new discipline with important potential applications in macropscopic, microscopic and endoscopic imaging. The article begins with a brief summary of the field and then describes various OCT interferometer configurations and discusses basic sample signal extraction techiques. The article also covers subjects such as contrast generation techniques, resolution, signal processing techiques for image display, image enhancement, speckle suppression and OCT detection sensitivity. A description of optical delay lines used in OCT is also presented. concerned with modulation instability (MI) of electromagnetic waves in inhomogeneous and in discrete media. The article pays special attention to the MI of electromagnetic waves in nonlinear optical fibres with periodic amplification, dispersion and birefringence. The MI in random media is also covered. Other topics discussed in this article are discrete nonlinear systems with cubic, quadratic and vectorial interactions and nonlinear optical systems such as tunnel-coupled filters. Some of the readers may note that authors from six different countries have contributed to this volume, thus helping to maintain the international character of this series.

The fascinating pages of this book detail many of the key issues associated with the scaling to nano-dimensions of silicon-on-insulator structures.Some papers offer new insight particularly at the device/circuit interface as appropriate for SOI which is fast becoming a mainstream technology.One of the key issues concerns mobility degradation in SOI films less than about 5nm.The advantages of combining scaled SOI devices with high permittivity (k) dielectric indicates that potential solutions are indeed available down to the 22nm node.A further key issue and potential show stopper' for SOI CMOS is highlighted in a number of invited and contributed papers addressing atomistic level effects.

Edward Teller Medalists: Laser Fusion Research in 30 Years (C. Yamanaka). New Basic Physics Derived from Laser Plasma Interaction (H. Hora). Lasers: Demonstration of a Nuclear FlashPumped Iodine Laser (G. Miley, W. Williams). Progress in ICF and XRay Laser Experiments at CAEP (H.S. Peng et al.). Interaction Mechanisms: Distributed Absorption and Inhibited Heat Transport (J.S. DeGroot et al.). A Survey of Ion Acoustic Decay Instabilities in Laser Produced Plasma (K. Mizuno). Inertial Fusion Energy Strategy: Advancement of Inertial Fusion Research (C. Yamanaka). Inertial Fusion Energy Results: Interaction Physics for Megajoule Laser Fusion Targets (W.L. Kruer). Related Ion Beam Interactions: Focusing and Propagation of the Proton Beam (K. Niu). Basic Phenomena: Acceleration of Electrons by Lasers in Vacuum (T. Hauser et al.). 37 additional articles. Index.

This book describes a systematic approach to scattering of transient fields which can be introduced in undergraduate or graduate courses. The initial boundary value problems considered describe the transient electromagnetic fields formed by open periodic, compact, and waveguide resonators. The methods developed and the mathematical and physical results obtained provide a basis on which a modern theory for the scattering of resonant non-harmonic waves can be developed.

This book presents the a scientific discussion of the state-of-the-art techniques and designs for modeling, testing and for the performance analysis of data converters. The focus is put on sustainable data conversion. Sustainability has become a public issue that industries and users can not ignore. Devising environmentally friendly solutions for data conversion designing, modeling and testing is nowadays a requirement that researchers and practitioners must consider in their activities. This book presents the outcome of the IWADC workshop 2011, held in Orvieto, Italy.

This book covers emerging trends in signal processing research and biomedical engineering, exploring the ways in which signal processing plays a vital role in applications ranging from medical electronics to data mining of electronic medical records. Topics covered include statistical modeling of electroencephalograph data for predicting or detecting seizure, stroke, or Parkinson's; machine learning methods and their application to biomedical problems, which is often poorly understood, even within the scientific community; signal analysis; medical imaging; and machine learning, data mining, and classification. The book features tutorials and examples of successful applications that will appeal to a wide range of professionals and researchers interested in applications of signal processing, medicine, and biology.

The generation of radiation with well-defined frequency and wavelength, and the ability to precisely determine these quantities, are of fundamental importance in physics and other natural sciences. Monochromatic radiation enables both very accurate structure determinations and studies of the dynamics of living and non-living matter. It is crucial for the realization of standards of time and length, for the determination of fundamental constants, and for many other aspects of basic research.

Bragg backscattering from perfect crystals is a tool for creating, manipulating, and analyzing x-rays with highest spectral purity. It has the unique feature of selecting x-rays with narrow spectral bandwidth. This book describes the theoretical foundations and principles of x-ray crystal optics with high spectral resolution. Various experimental studies and applications are presented and the author also addresses the development of instrumentation, such as high-resolution x-ray monochromators, analyzers, wavelength meters, resonators, and interferometers. The book will be a valuable source of information for all students and researchers working in the field of x-ray optics.

The explosion of computer use and internet communication has placed new emphasis on the ability to store, retrieve and search for all types of images, both still photo and video images. The success and the future of visual information retrieval depends on the cutting edge research and applications explored in this book. It combines the expertise from both computer vision and database research.
Unlike text retrieval and text/numeric databases the challenges of image databases are enormous. How do you use "data mining" to search for an image if you do not have "key words" to search? Exploratory Image Databases introduces the idea that it is possible to solve this problem by merging database systems into a single search and browse activity called "exploration."
Exploratory Image Databases is one of the first single-author books that unifies the critical emerging topic of image databases. A new approach to image databases, the work is divided into four central parts: introduction to the problems that image database research must solve; computer vision and information retrieval techniques; image database issues; and interface and engines for visual searches.
Example: Imagine the difficulty of building and using a database for "face recognition," where an image of a face is used. In order to effectively use the image a huge number of characteristics would need to be entered in the database. The goal of future image databases is to use hardware and software to recognize and categorize images without typing in characteristics.
* Comprehensive coverage of the image analysis as well as the database/theoretical aspects of image databases.
* Extensive coverage of interfaces and interaction models, with a theoretical framework for the development of new interaction schemes.
* Identifies three interaction models between users and image databases, two of which have no counterpart in traditional databases.
* Coverage of the relation between image and text, including mixed search models and the automatic determination of the relation between images and text on large corpuses like the web.
* Analysis of the process of signification in images and its influence on the interaction models and technological problems of image databases.

The use of fibre optic sensors in structural health monitoring has rapidly accelerated in recent years. By embedding fibre optic sensors in structures (e.g. buildings, bridges and pipelines) it is possible to obtain real time data on structural changes such as stress or strain. Engineers use monitoring data to detect deviations from a structure's original design performance in order to optimise the operation, repair and maintenance of a structure over time.

"Fibre Optic Methods for Structural Health Monitoring" is organised as a step-by-step guide to implementing a monitoring system and includes examples of common structures and their most-frequently monitored parameters. This book: presents a universal method for static structural health monitoring, using a technique with proven effectiveness in hundreds of applications worldwide; discusses a variety of different structures including buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels and pipelines; features case studies which describe common problems and offer solutions to those problems; provides advice on establishing mechanical parameters to monitor (including deformations, rotations and displacements) and on placing sensors to achieve monitoring objectives; identifies methods for interpreting data according to construction material and shows how to apply numerical concepts and formulae to data in order to inform decision making.

"Fibre Optic Methods for Structural Health Monitoring" is an invaluable reference for practising engineers in the fields of civil, structural and geotechnical engineering. It will also be of interest to academics and undergraduate/graduate students studying civil and structural engineering.