The feasibility of an unmodified CMOS for X-ray detection is studied. To begin with, the CMOS choice implies using a cheaper version than most commercial detectors for a broader public. Secondly,...Show moreThe feasibility of an unmodified CMOS for X-ray detection is studied. To begin with, the CMOS choice implies using a cheaper version than most commercial detectors for a broader public. Secondly, it aims to exploit the X-rays potential for uncommon purposes such as food analysis. Throughout the work, a CMOS detector is modelled and then tested. The evaluation of its usefulness in imagining and spectroscopic applications is done through its quantum efficiency and the limitation of a prolonged use through its radiation damage. The model and the results from the experiment show that quantum efficiency could be good enough for at least some applications. Also, the radiation damage does not seem to be a limiting characteristic. The obtained results indicate that CMOS could be an option for an X-ray detector and can be used as a starting point for further studies. These studies should focus on quantifying the quantum efficiency and therefore, determine the application direction.Show less
This thesis comprises two research projects focused on investigating surface plasmon (SP) propagation on metal-dielectric interfaces. The characterization of a newly fabricated device, designed for...Show moreThis thesis comprises two research projects focused on investigating surface plasmon (SP) propagation on metal-dielectric interfaces. The characterization of a newly fabricated device, designed for further research, is also presented. This thesis first showcases a new form of SP lasing, which utilizes two metal hole arrays as cavity mirrors. Analysis of the lasing mode provides a direct view of SP propagation and allows for determining the SP group velocity on any metal-dielectric interface. Second, high-quality measurements of the dispersion characteristics of SP-mediated emission from an actively pumped elliptical-hole array are presented. These measurements resulted in the observation of an intriguing SP dispersion relation ω(k) and provide an insight into the effect of symmetry-breaking of SP scattering in metal hole arrays. Looking into the future, this thesis also describes the production process as well as subsequent characterization of a newly fabricated device. The device is found to perform worse than expected, leading to several interesting insights into the production process.Show less
The hyperspectral DemoDevice is a hyperspectral camera setup used for food inspection. It uses a line scanning method and has a spectral range of 400 to 1000 nm. This report describes the setup of...Show moreThe hyperspectral DemoDevice is a hyperspectral camera setup used for food inspection. It uses a line scanning method and has a spectral range of 400 to 1000 nm. This report describes the setup of this device and the calibration measurements that were performed. Dark current on the CMOS sensor increases linearly with the integration time and no stray light is present in the system. Spectral smile or misalignment is present and gives a shift of maximum 10 nm. The halogen light bulbs illuminate the full spectral range and the VIS-NIR lenses do not influence the spectra. Two simple models are presented for modeling the spectrum of a tomato and experiments were performed to test these theories. Yet more experiments need to be performed before the models could be considered reliable.Show less
In this report are the results of measurements done on surface plasmons interacting with metal hole arrays. The holes are elliptical, and they are orientated on the sample in two different ways....Show moreIn this report are the results of measurements done on surface plasmons interacting with metal hole arrays. The holes are elliptical, and they are orientated on the sample in two different ways. The first way is the same orientation everywhere on the sample, the second way is in a spiral shape. The samples consist of layers InP and InGaAswith on top a layer of gold with the hole arrays in it. The sample is illuminated at the InPside with a 1064 nm laser. This creates surface plasmons between the InGaAsand the gold. The interactions with the metal hole array cause backscattering and sidescattering. The surface plasmons also scatterto photons, which can be measured. We measure this light both in the near field and in the far field.In the near field we look at the polarization of the emitted light. This polarization coincidesmore or lesswith the orientation of the ellipses, specifically along the short axis of the ellipse. This also means that for the spiral samples, the spiral pattern can be seen when measuring the polarization of the emitted light on different locations on the sample. In the far field we measure the band structure of the sample. For the uniformly oriented ellipses we have a theory that predicts the bands based on the scattering rates into the different directions, γ for backscattering, κ for scattering along the ellipse and μ for scattering against the ellipse. The found values are γ/ω0=0.006±0.002, κ/ω0=0.004±0.002 andμ/ω0=0.020±0.002. For the spiral samples we have also measured the band structures, butwe do not have a theory to predict them.Show less
Results of a six-month-long internship in cosine Science & Computing BV are presented. Data of a full-field Fringe Reflection Technique measurements of Silicone Pore Optics components for...Show moreResults of a six-month-long internship in cosine Science & Computing BV are presented. Data of a full-field Fringe Reflection Technique measurements of Silicone Pore Optics components for ATHENA X-ray observatory were used for least-square fitting and evaluation of surface quality. Basic forward ray tracing was used to evaluate the components’ performance in X-rays: half-energy width and point-spread function were calculated. The best-fitting surface parameters and optical performance were compared with manufacturer’s specifications and X-ray measurements performed in Berlin Electron Storage Ring Society for Synchrotron Radiation (BESSY). Even though the FRT measurements exhibited nanometer height accuracy of local surface features, constant discrepancies of the measured figure parameters were noticed. However, a correspondence between axial slope deviations measured with FRT and X-rays was found for a silicon plate of SPO stack.Show less
