Abstract:  Rapid progress in development of fiber-optic laser and component technology in recent years has provided system developers with greater flexibility to address traditional constraints in bulk-optic sensor system design. Compact, multi-functional sensors with reduced complexity and robust alignment now promise to extend the reach of coherent optical sensor technology beyond the laboratory to fields such as aerospace (e.g. in lidar, gyroscopes, smart structures, sensing and control), environmental (e.g. wind anemometry, airborne emissions, water quality), medical (e.g.

The efficient conversion of photon energy into electrical charges is a central goal of much research in physics, chemistry, and biology, especially in areas such as photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and photosynthesis.