Intelligent and directed laser-based spectroscopy

基于激光的光谱技术——包括LIBS、拉曼和深红外吸收光谱——为分子和元素诊断提供了前所未有的性能。然而，它们是高度定向的——由探测激光束的空间特性决定。当一个人对确定具有高度空间分辨率的物质的性质感兴趣时，这是非常有益的-可能测量污染其他清洁表面的单个颗粒的组成-但是识别和矢量光束到这些感兴趣的区域是具有挑战性的。随着超紧凑、高功率计算机系统的迅速普及，这种可能性正变得越来越实际。通过将这种基于定向激光的光谱技术与计算机辅助视觉和光束扫描技术相结合，可以自动识别和表征感兴趣的区域。通过将基于激光的系统与Marshall教授团队广泛的信号处理专业知识相结合，产生新颖的自动化传感模式，夫琅和费中心团队的光谱工作存在着令人兴奋的发展和完善机会。通过这种协同作用，我们的联合信号处理技术和基于实验室的传感系统的效用和潜力将得到实现。由此产生的技术的效力将在一系列及时和高价值的应用中进行评估，例如回收中的塑料扫描和分类，食品和饮料工业中的筛选和保护，医疗诊断以及环境和污染监测。这个项目有广泛的技术覆盖，包括两个令人兴奋和互补的科学领域-激光物理和光谱学，以及信号处理和计算机辅助视觉。在光子学方面，未来的学生将接触到基于实验室的实验激光物理，以及光机械，电子和光谱仪器设计。与此同时，该人员还将负责开发先进的信号和图像处理算法（例如，涉及将数据拟合到库中，提取光谱和空间特征，根据收集到的信息进行目标检测和识别）。因此，这是一个理想的挑战，为广泛的技能的学生，但也可以量身定制，以满足特定候选人的优势/愿望。该计划旨在加强两个互补研究领域之间的联系，使光谱系统的应用能够改变游戏规则。光子学和信号处理领域的协同发展将使这两个领域实现新颖和前所未有的解决方案。

Laser-based spectroscopic techniques - encompassing LIBS, Raman and deep-infrared absorption spectroscopy - offer unprecedented performance for molecular and elemental diagnostics. They are however highly directional - dictated by the spatial properties of the probing laser beam. This is highly beneficial when one is interested in ascertaining the nature of substances with a high degree of spatial resolution - perhaps measuring the composition of single particles contaminating an otherwise clean surface - but identifying and vectoring the beam to such regions of interest is challenging. Such a possibility is becoming ever more practical as the availability of ultra-compact, high-power computer systems increases apace. By combining such directed laser-based spectroscopic techniques with computer-aided vision and beam scanning technology, regions of interest can autonomously be identified and characterised. An exciting opportunity exists to develop and refine the spectroscopic work of the team at the Fraunhofer centre by combining their laser-based systems with the extensive signal processing expertise of Professor Marshall's group to generate novel and automated sensing modalities. Through this synergy, the utility and potential of our combined signal processing techniques and laboratory-based sensing systems will be realised. The potency of the resulting technology will then be evaluated in a range of timely and high-value applications such as the scanning and sorting of plastics in recycling, screening and protection in the food and drink industry, medical diagnostics and environmental and contamination monitoring. This project has a broad technological coverage encompassing two exciting and complementing fields of science - laser physics and spectroscopy, and signal processing and computer-aided vision. In the photonics aspects, the prospective student will be exposed to the laboratory-based experimental laser physics, as well as opto-mechanical, electronic and spectroscopic instrumentation design. In parallel, the same person will be responsible for the development of advanced signal and image processing algorithms (involving for instance fitting the data to the library, spectral and spatial features extraction, object detection and identification based on the gathered information). As such this represents an ideal challenge for the broadly-skilled student but also can be tailored to meet the strengths/aspirations of particular candidates. This programme will aim to strengthen the link between two complementing fields of study, enabling game-changing applications of spectroscopic systems. The synergistic development of both photonics and signal processing strands will empower implementation of novel and unprecedented solutions in both of these fields.