High-brightness wavelength-beam-combined diode laser stacks using a volume Bragg grating (VBG)
Using VBG-stabilized wavelength beam combining of 3-bar diode laser stack, we demonstrate 89.5 W CW with beam quality M2 ~ 26 in the slow-axis and M2~21 in the fast-axis. The beam combining efficiency is 75%.
Spectral beam combining of a broad-stripe diode laser array in an external cavity
The outputs from an 11-element, linear diode laser array with broad stripes have been beam combined into a single beam with a beam quality of ∼20× diffraction limited in the plane of the junction. This beam combining was achieved by use of a common external cavity containing a grating, which simultaneously forces each array element to operate at a different, but controlled, wavelength and forces the beams from all the elements to overlap and propagate in the same direction. The power in the combined beam was 50% of the output from the bare laser array.
Monte Carlo Study of the Effect of Backscatter Materail Thickness on 99 mTc Source Response in Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Introduction SPECT projections are contaminated by scatter radiation, resulting in reduced image contrast and quantitative errors. Backscatter constitutes a major part of the scatter contamination in lower energy windows. The current study is an evaluation of the effect of backscatter material on FWHM and image quality investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. Materials and Methods SIMIND program was used for simulation of a Siemen’s dual-head variable angle scintillation gamma camera. Planar and SPECT scanning of a 99m Tc source and a Jaszczak phantom for varying thicknesses of Perspex slabs, as a backscatter media, were analyzed using the photopeak and scatter windows. Simulated planar images and reconstructed tomographic images were evaluated qualitatively, by two nuclear medicine specialists, and quantitatively, by Structural Similarity (SSIM) Index. Results In the 99m Tc photopeak window, no significant change in total counts due to backscatter material was measured. In the scatter windows, scattering was overestimated compared with a simulated backscatter free SPECT system. For instance, at a thickness of 10 cm, total counts of a 99m Tc source detected in the 72 keV windows eventually doubled with increasing backscatter material, compared with the situation without backscatter material. The backscatter contribution plateaued when more than 7 cm of scatter material was placed but there were optimized results for a backscatter thickness of 4.5 cm. Better image quality for the thickness was confirmed by the results of eye interpretation and also by SSIM algorithm. Conclusion Backscatter should be taken into account, particularly in model-based scatter correction methods in SPECT for an accurate simulation system optimization.