Dr. David S. Mark Profile

Dr. David S. Mark

Optical Scientist at Mark Resources

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Publications (5)

Proceedings Article | 11 April 2023 Presentation + Paper

Increasing efficiency of solar panels using curved solar cells and innovative optics

Sujay Swain, Sudhish Swain, David Mark

Proceedings Volume 12416, 1241608 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2647457

KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Solar energy, Sun, Quantum efficiency, Photovoltaics, Lenticular lenses, Lens arrays, Design and modelling, Thin films, Renewable energy

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Proceedings Article | 20 July 2010 Paper

New optical modalities utilizing curved focal plane imaging detector devices and large arrays for terrestrial and spaceborne telescopes

David Mark

Proceedings Volume 7742, 77422H (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858186

KEYWORDS: Telescopes, Space telescopes, Sensors, Imaging systems, CMOS sensors, Satellites, Satellite imaging, Astronomy, 3D image processing, Cameras

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As terrestrial and spaceborne astronomical telescopes advance in multi-functional design sophistication, incorporating greater spectral resolutions, the utilization of curved focal plane ccd and cmos imaging detectors, contoured to match the telescope's Petzval field of curvature, provides a fundamental and novel optical simplicity facilitating new imaging frontiers in astronomical research. For space based telescopes, curved focal plane detector devices require significantly fewer optics than their flat counterparts, which require field flattening optics, in achieving maximum imaging resolutions for adjoining spectrometers or imaging cameras. consequently, with fewer optics comes greater room to place other optics within the same space to accomplish other tasks, providing much greater diversification of observing functions and techniques reserved simultaneously for the telescope. Included within this is the operational capability of producing multi-wavelength spectrometers gathering data concurrently at a multitude of selected wavelengths, with greater sensitivity, reliability, size reduction, and operational longevity of the restructured optical system. Specialized applications involving optical interferometry are also achievable with further enhancements when the curved detectors are applied specifically to refine or maximize detection of fringes, and when employing occulting mask algorithms for existing light paths. for planetary surface mapping space probes, curved focal plane detection provides real-time 3D multi-perspective image acquisition for streaming 3D data sets, replacing onboard or remote computationally intensive 3D reconstructions used for examining terrestrial surface features performed with corresponding flat detectors. For earth based telescopes, where mass of the telescope's optics are not so constrained, more degrees of freedom are also part of the benefits introduced by curved focal plane detector device optimization. Associated with the very large Petzval radii of curvature for very large and extreme telescopes within this class are wide field spatial distortions which are instantaneously corrected when arrays of curved CCD's or CMOS devices are joined homogeneously and precisely together along the converging field of curvature, without field flattening optics, insuring complete full field detection superior to flat facet detectors which compromise the telescope's imaging field curvature detection abilities.

Proceedings Article | 29 September 2004 Paper

Curved CCD detector devices and arrays for multispectral astrophysical applications and terrestrial stereo panoramic cameras

Pradyumna Swain, David Mark

Proceedings Volume 5499, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.554840

KEYWORDS: Telescopes, Cameras, Charge-coupled devices, Sensors, Space telescopes, CCD image sensors, Panoramic photography, Monochromatic aberrations, Semiconducting wafers, Optical instrument design

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The emergence of curved CCD detectors as individual devices or as contoured mosaics assembled to match the curved focal planes of astronomical telescopes and terrestrial stereo panoramic cameras represents a major optical design advancement that greatly enhances the scientific potential of such instruments. In altering the primary detection surface within the telescope’s optical instrumentation system from flat to curved, and conforming the applied CCD’s shape precisely to the contour of the telescope’s curved focal plane, a major increase in the amount of transmittable light at various wavelengths through the system is achieved. This in turn enables multi-spectral ultra-sensitive imaging with much greater spatial resolution necessary for large and very large telescope applications, including those involving infrared image acquisition and spectroscopy, conducted over very wide fields of view. For earth-based and space-borne optical telescopes, the advent of curved CCD’s as the principle detectors provides a simplification of the telescope’s adjoining optics, reducing the number of optical elements and the occurrence of optical aberrations associated with large corrective optics used to conform to flat detectors. New astronomical experiments may be devised in the presence of curved CCD applications, in conjunction with large format cameras and curved mosaics, including three dimensional imaging spectroscopy conducted over multiple wavelengths simultaneously, wide field real-time stereoscopic tracking of remote objects within the solar system at high resolution, and deep field survey mapping of distant objects such as galaxies with much greater multi-band spatial precision over larger sky regions. Terrestrial stereo panoramic cameras equipped with arrays of curved CCD’s joined with associative wide field optics will require less optical glass and no mechanically moving parts to maintain continuous proper stereo convergence over wider perspective viewing fields than their flat CCD counterparts, lightening the cameras and enabling faster scanning and 3D integration of objects moving within a planetary terrain environment. Preliminary experiments conducted at the Sarnoff Corporation indicate the feasibility of curved CCD imagers with acceptable electro-optic integrity. Currently, we are in the process of evaluating the electro-optic performance of a curved wafer scale CCD imager. Detailed ray trace modeling and experimental electro-optical data performance obtained from the curved imager will be presented at the conference.

Proceedings Article | 7 June 2004 Paper

Curved CCDs and their application with astronomical telescopes and stereo panoramic cameras

Pradyumna Swain, Don Channin, Gordon Taylor, Steve Lipp, David Mark

Proceedings Volume 5301, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.535724

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Telescopes, Charge-coupled devices, Sensors, Space telescopes, Panoramic photography, Monochromatic aberrations, Imaging systems, Semiconducting wafers, CCD image sensors

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The creation of curved CCD’s and the mosaicing of contoured CCD’s mounted within the curved focal planes of telescopes and stereo panoramic imaging cameras introduces a revolution in optical design that greatly enhances the scientific potential of such instruments. In the alteration of the primary detection surface within the instrument’s optical system from flat to curved, and precisely matching the applied CCD’s shape to the contour of the curved focal plane, a major increase in the amount of transmittable light at various wavelengths through the system is achieved, thereby enabling multi-spectral ultra-sensitive imaging for a variety of experiments simultaneously, including autostereoscopic image acquisition. For earth-based and space-borne optical telescopes, the advent of curved CCD’s as the principle detectors provides a simplification of the telescope’s adjoining optics, reducing the number of optical elements and the occurrence of optical aberrations associated with large corrective optics used to conform to flat detectors. New astronomical experiments may be devised in the presence of curved CCD applications, including 3 dimensional imaging spectroscopy conducted over multiple wavelengths simultaneously, wide field real-time stereoscopic tracking of remote objects within the solar system at high resolution, and deep field mapping of distant objects such as galaxies with much greater precision and over larger sky regions. Stereo panoramic cameras equipped with arrays of curved CCD’s will require less optical glass and no mechanically moving parts to maintain proper stereo convergence over wider perspective viewing fields than their flat CCD counterparts, making the cameras lighter and faster in their ability to scan and record 3 dimensional objects moving within an industrial or terrain environment. Preliminary experiments conducted at the Sarnoff Corporation indicate the feasibility of curved CCD imagers with acceptable electro-optic integrity. Currently, we are in the process of evaluatingthe electro-optic performance of a curved wafer scale CCD imager. Detailed ray trace modeling and experimental electro-optical data performance obtained from the curved imager will be presented at the conference.

Proceedings Article | 15 May 1997 Paper

Role of stereoscopic imaging in the astronomical study of nearby stars and planetary systems

David Mark, Corby Waste

Proceedings Volume 3012, (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.274470

KEYWORDS: Planets, Space telescopes, Stars, Cameras, Telescopes, Astronomy, Planetary systems, Sun, Solar system, Interferometers

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The development of stereoscopic imaging as a 3D spatial mapping tool for planetary science is now beginning to find greater usefulness in the study of stellar atmospheres and planetary systems in general. For the first time, telescopes and accompanying spectrometers have demonstrated the capacity to depict the gyrating motion of nearby stars so precisely as to derive the existence of closely orbiting Jovian-type planets, which are gravitationally influencing the motion of the parent star. Also for the first time, remote space borne telescopes, unhindered by atmospheric effects, are recording and tracking the rotational characteristics of our nearby star, the sun, so accurately as to reveal and identify in great detail the heightened turbulence of the sun's corona. In order to perform new forms of stereo imaging and 3D reconstruction with such large scale objects as stars and planets, within solar systems, a set of geometrical parameters must be observed, and are illustrated here. The behavior of nearby stars can be studied over time using an astrometric approach, making use of the earth's orbital path as a semi- yearly stereo base for the viewing telescope. As is often the case in this method, the resulting stereo angle becomes too narrow to afford a beneficial stereo view, given the star's distance and the general level of detected noise in the signal. With the advent, though, of new earth based and space borne interferometers, operating within various wavelengths including IR, the capability of detecting and assembling the full 3-dimensional axes of motion of nearby gyrating stars can be achieved. In addition, the coupling of large interferometers with combined data sets can provide large stereo bases and low signal noise to produce converging 3- dimensional stereo views of nearby planetary systems. Several groups of new astronomical stereo imaging data sets are presented, including 3D views of the sun taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, coincident stereo views of the planet Jupiter during impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, taken by the Galileo spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as views of nearby stars. Spatial ambiguities arising in singular 2-dimensional viewpoints are shown to be resolvable in twin perspective, 3-dimensional stereo views. Stereo imaging of this nature, therefore, occupies a complementary role in astronomical observing, provided the proper fields of view correspond with the path of the orbital geometry of the observing telescope.

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