This thesis deals with strongly luminescent lanthanide complexes having novel coordination structures. Luminescent lanthanide complexes are promising candidates as active materials for EL devices, lasers, and bio-sensing applications. The organic ligands in lanthanide complexes control geometrical and vibrational frequency structures that are closely related to the luminescent properties. In most of the previous work, however, lanthanide complexes have high-vibrational frequency C-H units close to the metal center for radiationless transition. In this thesis, the luminescent properties of lanthanide complexes with low-vibrational frequency C-F and P=O units are elucidated in terms of geometrical, vibrational, and chemical structures. The author also describes lanthanide coordination polymers with both high thermal stability (decomposition point > 300 DegreesC) and strong-luminescent properties (emission quantum yield > 80%). The author believes that novel studies on the characteristic structures and photophysical properties of lanthanide complexes may open up a frontier field in photophysical, coordination and material chemistry.

This book is intended for designers of military and civil systems, such as systems for guiding and control, target acquisition, surveillance, laser range-finding, fiber-optical communications, thermal imaging and the like, as well as for designers of photodetectors for optical signal detection. The first question they face is how to detect an ultimately weak optical signal. This book gives the answer to this most important question. All the main types of photodetectors are considered, from photodiodes (including avalanche photodiodes) to focal plane arrays (FPA). Methods of matching photodetectors with preamplifiers are described. The pair photodetector plus preamplifier is treated as an integrated detection system. Much attention is paid to different types of noise and ways of maximising the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Foundations of theory of optimal filtering of photosignals are discussed taking due account of typical shapes of optical signals and noise spectra. Methods for tuning quasi-optimal filters to maximise the SNR are explained. The main problems associated with detection of low-level optical signals are considered: operation of avalanche photodiodes in photon count mode, filtering in the case of charge accumulation in FPA cells, and the effect of the number of pixels and geometry of FPAs on detection. Finally, using the examples of the laser range finder and IR Imager, we give guidelines for calculating the limiting parameters of optoelectronic systems to achieve the highest possible SNR. The book is based on many years' experience by the author and his colleagues in the development of photodetectors and FPAs. The book is aimed at research workers, engineers, students andpostgraduates.

This book reviews techniques used to characterize non-linear optical constants of chalcogenide glasses in bulk or thin films, and presents the properties of many chalcogenide systems. A range of applications of these glasses are surveyed, including ultra-fast switching, optical limiting, second harmonic generation and electro-optic effects. Also addressed are suitability of chalcogenide films in all-optical integrated circuits, fabrication of rib as well as ridge waveguides and of fiber gratings.

The European Community regards training as a priority area and has therefore developed a series of programmes in the field of vocational training. This book is the result of a pilot project selected under two of these Community Action Programmes. It was initially selected under the COMETT programme, concerned with the development of continuing vocational training in the European Community. Moreover, it was one of the few selected projects to receive further funding under a second selection in the context of the LEONARDO DA VINCI Action Programme for the implementation of a European Community Vocational Training policy. It is with great pleasure that I present the outcome of this project which embodies one of the fundamental objectives of the LEONARDO DA VINCI Programme - training for new technologies in SMEs, which make a significant contribution to economic development in Europe. K DRAXLER Director Directorate General XXII European Commission x Acknowledgements The Volume Editor gratefully acknowledges funding by the LEONARDO DA VINCI Programme of the Commission of the European Community and by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Transport whose financial support has made the EuroLaser Academy a reality and has led directly to the generation of this handbook. He is also indebted to Director Dr. Klaus Draxler, Head of the LEONARDO DA VINCI Programme, DG XXII of the Commission of the European Community, moreover to Director General Raul Kneucker, Minister's Advisor Helmut Schacher and Mrs. Friederike Pranckl-Kloepfer from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Transport.

Optical and photonic systems and devices have significant potential for homeland security. "Optical Imaging Sensors and Systems for Homeland Security Applications" presents original and significant technical contributions from leaders of industry, government, and academia in the field of optical and photonic sensors, systems and devices for detection, identification, prevention, sensing, security, verification and anti-counterfeiting. The chapters have recent and technically significant results, ample illustrations, figures, and key references. This book is intended for engineers and scientists in the relevant fields, graduate students, industry managers, university professors, government managers, and policy makers.

Physics of laser crystals has been constantly developing since the invention of the laser in 1960. Nowadays, more than 1500 wide-band-gap and semiconductors crystals are suitable for the production of the laser effect. Different laser devices are widely used in science, medicine and communication systems according to the progress achieved in the development of laser crystal physics. Scintillators for radiation detection also gained benefit from these developments. Most of the optically active materials offer laser radiations within the 500 to 3000 nm region with various quantum efficiency which fit the usual applications. However, new crystals for laser emissions are needed either in the blue, UV and VUV - region or far IR- region, especially for medicine, computer microchip production and for undiscovered practical uses. Scientific problems of the growth and properties of laser crystals are discussed in numerous books and scientific journals by many scientists working in the field. Therefore, we thought that joint discussions of the scientific and technical problems in laser physics will be useful for further developments in this area. We have proposed to held a Workshop on Physics of Laser Crystals for attempting to induce additional advances especially in solid state spectroscopy. This NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) was hold in Kharkiv * Stary Saltov th nd (Ukraine) on august 26 - September 2 , 2002, and was mainly devoted to the consideration 0 f modem approaches and Iast results in physics of laser crystals.

Video technology promises to be the key for the transmission of motion video. A number of video compression techniques and standards have been introduced in the past few years, particularly the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 for interactive multimedia and for digital NTSC and HDTV applications, and H.2611H.263 for video telecommunications. These techniques use motion estimation techniques to reduce the amount of data that is stored and transmitted for each frame. This book is about these motion estimation algorithms, their complexity, implementations, advantages, and drawbacks. First, we present an overview of video compression techniques with an emphasis to techniques that use motion estimation, such as MPEG and H.2611H.263. Then, we give a survey of current motion estimation search algorithms, including the exhaustive search and a number of fast search algorithms. An evaluation of current search algorithms, based on a number of experiments on several test video sequences, is presented as well. The theoretical framework for a new fast search algorithm, Densely-Centered Uniform-P Search (DCUPS), is developed and presented in the book. The complexity of the DCUPS algorithm is comparable to other popular motion estimation techniques, however the algorithm shows superior results in terms of compression ratios and video qUality. We should stress out that these new results, presented in Chapters 4 and 5, have been developed by Joshua Greenberg, as part of his M.Sc. thesis entitled "Densely-Centered Uniform P-Search: A Fast Motion Estimation Algorithm" (FAU, 1996).

Chaotic Dynamics: Theory: Complexity, Control and Data Representation: Complexity and Unpredictable Scaling of Hierarchical Structures; R. Badii. Fractals, Multifractals, and Analyticity of Normal Forms: Multifractal Coding Measures in Dynamics; G. Mantica. Integrability, Painleve Property, and Singularity Analysis: Note on a Complex Eckhaus Equation; M.F. Jorgensen, et al.. Statistical Physics, Celestial Mechanics, and Cosmology: Phase Transitions Within the Fully Developed Regime; R. Kluiving. Chaotic Dynamics: Practice: Controlling Dynamical Systems: Feedback Control of Chaotic Systems; . Romeiras et al.. Semiconductors, Superconductors, Lasers, and Electronic Circuits: Chaotic Dynamics in Practice; E. Del Rio, et al . Biology, Chemistry, Atmospheric, and Magnetospheric Dynamics: Irregular Bursting in Model Neurones; J. Hyde. Hamiltonian Dynamics, Dissipative Dynamics, and Normal Forms. 30 additional articles. Index.

Speech Dereverberation gathers together an overview, a mathematical formulation of the problem and the state-of-the-art solutions for dereverberation.

Speech Dereverberation presents current approaches to the problem of reverberation. It provides a review of topics in room acoustics and also describes performance measures for dereverberation. The algorithms are then explained with mathematical analysis and examples that enable the reader to see the strengths and weaknesses of the various techniques, as well as giving an understanding of the questions still to be addressed. Techniques rooted in speech enhancement are included, in addition to a treatment of multichannel blind acoustic system identification and inversion. The TRINICON framework is shown in the context of dereverberation to be a generalization of the signal processing for a range of analysis and enhancement techniques.

Speech Dereverberation is suitable for students at masters and doctoral level, as well as established researchers.

This volume is the eighth of a well-established series devoted to inelastic light scattering by solids, both as a physical effect and as a spectroscopic technique. It appears jointly with volume VII and can be considered to be its continuation. Emphasis is placed on fullerenes, Raman spectroscopy of semiconductors, surfaces, and interfaces, and coherent phonons. A survey of some of the progress in other aspects of Raman spectroscopy, in particular in the field of semiconductor nanostructures including the fractional quantum Hall effect, and in Raman spectroscopy of isotopically modified crystals rounds up the description of the present status of the field. It will be useful to advanced students and to all researchers who apply Raman spectroscopy in their work.

Basically, the first edition was expanded and errors corrected. The aim re mains to provide a reference book for technical information. I would like to thank all my colleagues for constructive comments. Also, I acknowledge support by projects 13 EU 104 and EU 226 of the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology. In addition, results from the project BE 7997, supported by the European Commission, have been in cluded. Specifically, I thank Dr. Petermann, Institut fur Laserphysik, University of Hamburg and Dr. Ackermann of the Research Institute in Idar-Oberstein for the proof-reading of Chap. 11 and 12, Dipl. Phys. Luft of Siemens AG, Regensburg for the constructive reading of Chap. 7, my colleagues S. Benz and Dr. Kronert of Heraeus Quarz-Schmelze, Hanau for checking Chap. 6, Dr. H.J. Hoffmann of Schott Glas, Mainz for looking at Chap. 4 and 13, and above all Prof. Dr. H. Weber of the Optical Institute, Technical University Berlin. Schramberg, January 2001 Reinhard Iffiander Preface to the German Edition This book was written during my work in the field of solid-state laser de velopment for material processing. The main emphasis therefore lies in the compilation of physical and technical fundamentals of these lasers. The purpose of this book is to provide a specialized introduction to the field for engineers and technicians. It is not intended as a substitute for more detailed textbooks and specialized literat ure The bibliography gives details of many textbooks in the field of study."

Describes virtually all aspects of ion-exchanged glass waveguides, from fabrication to techniques for characterization and analysis.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art, data flow-based techniques for the analysis, modeling and mapping technologies of concurrent applications on multi-processors. The authors present a flow for designing embedded hard/firm real-time multiprocessor streaming applications, based on data flow formalisms, with a particular focus on wireless modem applications. Architectures are described for the design tools and run-time scheduling and resource management of such a platform.
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This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the fascinating topic of audio source separation based on non-negative matrix factorization, deep neural networks, and sparse component analysis. The first section of the book covers single channel source separation based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). After an introduction to the technique, two further chapters describe separation of known sources using non-negative spectrogram factorization, and temporal NMF models. In section two, NMF methods are extended to multi-channel source separation. Section three introduces deep neural network (DNN) techniques, with chapters on multichannel and single channel separation, and a further chapter on DNN based mask estimation for monaural speech separation. In section four, sparse component analysis (SCA) is discussed, with chapters on source separation using audio directional statistics modelling, multi-microphone MMSE-based techniques and diffusion map methods. The book brings together leading researchers to provide tutorial-like and in-depth treatments on major audio source separation topics, with the objective of becoming the definitive source for a comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible treatment. This book is written for graduate students and researchers who are interested in audio source separation techniques based on NMF, DNN and SCA.

The aquatic coastal zone is one of the most challenging targets for environmental remote sensing. Properties such as bottom reflectance, spectrally diverse suspended sediments and phytoplankton communities, diverse benthic communities, and transient events that affect surface reflectance (coastal blooms, runoff, etc.) all combine to produce an optical complexity not seen in terrestrial or open ocean systems. Despite this complexity, remote sensing is proving to be an invaluable tool for "Case 2" waters. This book presents recent advances in coastal remote sensing with an emphasis on applied science and management. Case studies of the operational use of remote sensing in ecosystem studies, monitoring, and interfacing remote sensing/science/management are presented. Spectral signatures of phytoplankton and suspended sediments are discussed in detail with accompanying discussion of why blue water (Case 1) algorithms cannot be applied to Case 2 waters.

Audience

This book is targeted for scientists and managers interested in using remote sensing in the study or management of aquatic coastal environments. With only limited discussion of optics and theory presented in the book, such researchers might benefit from the detailed presentations of aquatic spectral signatures, and to operational management issues. While not specifically written for remote sensing scientists, it will prove to be a useful reference for this community for the current status of aquatic coastal remote sensing.

CD included

An interactive CD accompanies this book containing the WASI program by Peter Gege (DLR, Germany). The WASI program allows users to interactively manipulate and view coastally relevantspectra. The CD also contains full color images of a selection of illustrations which are printed as black and white figures in the book.

In this book, three main notions will be used in the editors search of improvements in various areas of computer graphics: Artificial Intelligence, Viewpoint Complexity and Human Intelligence. Several Artificial Intelligence techniques are used in presented intelligent scene modelers, mainly declarative ones. Among them, the mostly used techniques are Expert systems, Constraint Satisfaction Problem resolution and Machine-learning. The notion of viewpoint complexity, that is complexity of a scene seen from a given viewpoint, will be used in improvement proposals for a lot of computer graphics problems like scene understanding, virtual world exploration, image-based modeling and rendering, ray tracing and radiosity. Very often, viewpoint complexity is used in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence techniques like Heuristic search and Problem resolution. The notions of artificial Intelligence and Viewpoint Complexity may help to automatically resolve a big number of computer graphics problems. However, there are special situations where is required to find a particular solution for each situation. In such a case, human intelligence has to replace, or to be combined with, artificial intelligence. Such cases, and proposed solutions are also presented in this book.

Advancements in digital sensor technology, digital image analysis techniques, as well as computer software and hardware have brought together the fields of computer vision and photogrammetry, which are now converging towards sharing, to a great extent, objectives and algorithms. The potential for mutual benefits by the close collaboration and interaction of these two disciplines is great, as photogrammetric know-how can be aided by the most recent image analysis developments in computer vision, while modern quantitative photogrammetric approaches can support computer vision activities. Devising methodologies for automating the extraction of man-made objects (e.g. buildings, roads) from digital aerial or satellite imagery is an application where this cooperation and mutual support is already reaping benefits. The valuable spatial information collected using these interdisciplinary techniques is of improved qualitative and quantitative accuracy. This book offers a comprehensive selection of high-quality and in-depth contributions from world-wide leading research institutions, treating theoretical as well as implementational issues, and representing the state-of-the-art on this subject among the photogrammetric and computer vision communities.

Soft Computing Approach to Pattern Classification and Object Recognition establishes an innovative, unified approach to supervised pattern classification and model-based occluded object recognition. The book also surveys various soft computing tools, fuzzy relational calculus (FRC), genetic algorithm (GA) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) to provide a strong foundation for the reader. The supervised approach to pattern classification and model-based approach to occluded object recognition are treated in one framework , one based on either a conventional interpretation or a new interpretation of multidimensional fuzzy implication (MFI) and a novel notion of fuzzy pattern vector (FPV). By combining practice and theory, a completely independent design methodology was developed in conjunction with this supervised approach on a unified framework, and then tested thoroughly against both synthetic and real-life data. In the field of soft computing, such an application-oriented design study is unique in nature. The monograph essentially mimics the cognitive process of human decision making, and carries a message of perceptual integrity in representational diversity. Soft Computing Approach to Pattern Classification and Object Recognition is intended for researchers in the area of pattern classification and computer vision. Other academics and practitioners will also find the book valuable.

Focusing on nanophotonics, which has been proposed by M. Ohtsu in 1993, this volume begins with theories for operation principles of characteristic nanophotonic devices and continues with novel optical near field phenomena for fabricating nanophotonic devices. Further topics include: unique properties of optical near fields and their applications to operating nanophotonic devices; and nanophotonic information and communications systems that can overcome the integration-density limit with ultra-low-power operation as well as unique functionalities. Taken as a whole, this overview will be a valuable resource for engineers and scientists working in the field of nano-electro-optics.

This text on contemporary optical systems is intended for optical researchers and engineers, graduate students and optical microscopists in the biological and biomedical sciences. In three sections, the book discusses high-aperture optical systems, nonlinear optical techniques, and various techniques that are finding new applications. The new second edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded to account for new advances in fluorescence imaging and diffractive optical lenses.

We arepleasedtopresentthesixthvolumeofProgressinUltrafastIntenseLaserS- ence. As the frontiers of ultrafast intense laser science rapidly expand ever outward, there continues to be a growing demand for an introduction to this interdisciplinary research?eldthatisatoncewidelyaccessibleandcapableofdeliveringcutting-edge developments. Our series aims to respond to this call by providing a compilation of concise review-style articles written by researchers at the forefront of this research ?eld, so that researcherswith differentbackgroundsas well as graduatestudentscan easily grasp the essential aspects. As in previousvolumesof PUILS, each chapterof this bookbeginswith an int- ductory part, in which a clear and concise overview of the topic and its signi?cance is given, and moves onto a description of the authors' most recent research results. All the chapters are peer-reviewed. The articles of this sixth volume cover a diverse rangeoftheinterdisciplinaryresearch?eld,andthetopicsmaybegroupedintothree categories: responses of molecules to ultrashort intense laser pulses (Chaps. 1 - 4), generation and characterization of attosecond pulses and high-order harmonics (Chaps. 5 - 8), and?lamentationand laser-plasma interactionand their applications (Chaps. 9 - 11).

Spectacular advances during the last decade have altered the related disciplines of computing and telecommunications beyond all recognition. The developments in the"enabling technologies,"which have made these advances possible, have been less obvious to the casual observer. The subject of this book is one of these technologies--the coding of still images and picture sequences (video).
Digital Compression of Still Images and Video is general in approach and covers all the recognized coding algorithms; explaining their basic theory in enough detail that the reader will understand the principles involved. Results which have been achieved with coding algorithms by researchers in all parts of the world are also discussed. A brief historical review of the area is included to orient those new to the field, and the work is supported by references spanning the period from the earliest work on time/frequency analysis, to the latest topic of research interest--image sequence transmission using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) techniques.
This book will make an excellent reference for graduates and researchers working on image coding and transmission, and will also be of use to those in the related areas of computer vision and multimedia developments. It is essential reading for the rapidly increasing number of technical and professional staff in the industrial environment who, maybe for the first time, are coming to grips with image coding.
Key Features
* Provides complete and up-to-date coverage of all digital image and video coding (compression) techniques
* Includes more than 850 references covering relevant work from the 1940s to the present
* Presents information on new directions in coding
* Contains details on current coding standards
* Describes and explains all algorithms in use for image coding

This book presents the latest research findings and reviews in the field of medical imaging technology, covering ultrasound diagnostics approaches for detecting osteoarthritis, breast carcinoma and cardiovascular conditions, image guided biopsy and segmentation techniques for detecting lung cancer, image fusion, and simulating fluid flows for cardiovascular applications. It offers a useful guide for students, lecturers and professional researchers in the fields of biomedical engineering and image processing.

This volume is devoted to presentation of new results of research on systems of non-integer order, called also fractional systems. Their analysis and practical implementation have been the object of spontaneous development for a few last decades. The fractional order models can depict a physical plant better than the classical integer order ones. This covers different research fields such as insulator properties, visco-elastic materials, electrodynamic, electrothermal, electrochemical, economic processes modelling etc. On the other hand fractional controllers often outperform their integer order counterparts. This volume contains new ideas and examples of implementation, theoretical and pure practical aspects of using a non-integer order calculus. It is divided into four parts covering: mathematical fundamentals, modeling and approximations, controllability, observability and stability problems and practical applications of fractional control systems. The first part expands the base of tools and methods of the mathematical basis for non-integer order calculus. Part two focuses on new methods and developments in process modeling and fractional derivatives approximations. In the third part a bunch of papers which raise problems of controllability, observability and stability of non-integer order systems is provided. Part four is devoted to presentation of different fractional order control applications. This book was created thanks to many experts in the field of fractional calculus: authors, anonymous referees whose comments allowed us to improve the final form of the papers and active and inspiring discussion of the participants of RRNR'2015, the 7th Conference on Non-Integer Order Calculus and Its Applications that was organized by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland.