An algorithm using visible and 1.38-/spl mu/m channels to retrieve cirrus cloud reflectances from aircraft and satellite data

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MODIS) on the Terra spacecraft has a channel near 1.38 /spl mu/m for remote sensing of high clouds from space. The implementation of this channel on MODIS was primarily based on previous analysis of hyperspectral imaging data collected with the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). We describe an algorithm to retrieve cirrus bidirectional reflectance using channels near 0.66 and 1.38 /spl mu/m. It is shown that the apparent reflectance of the 1.38-/spl mu/m channel is essentially the bidirectional reflectance of cirrus clouds attenuated by the absorption of water vapor above cirrus clouds. A practical algorithm based on the scatterplot of 1.38-/spl mu/m channel apparent reflectance versus 0.66-/spl mu/m channel apparent reflectance has been developed to scale the effect of water vapor absorption so that the true cirrus reflectance in the visible spectral region can be obtained. To illustrate the applicability of the present algorithm, results for cirrus reflectance retrievals from AVIRIS and MODIS data are shown. The derived cirrus reflectance in the spectral region of 0.4-1 /spl mu/m can be used to remove cirrus contamination in a satellite image obtained at a visible channel. An example of such an application is shown. The spatially averaged cirrus reflectances derived from MODIS data can be used to establish global cirrus climatology, as is demonstrated by a sample global cirrus reflectance image.     

Optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds derived from the MODIS 0.66and 1.375-/spl mu/m channels

In this paper, we introduce a method to retrieve the optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds using the isolated visible cirrus reflectance (without atmospheric and surface effects). The isolated cirrus reflectance is inferred from level 1b calibrated 0.66- and 1.375-/spl mu/m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. We created an optical properties database and optical thickness lookup library using previously calculated single-scattering data in conjunction with the discrete ordinates radiative transfer (DISORT) code. An algorithm was constructed based on this lookup library to infer the optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds for each pixel in a MODIS image. We demonstrate the applicability of this algorithm using several independent MODIS images from the Terra satellite. The present method is complimentary to the MODIS operational cloud retrieval algorithm for the case of cirrus clouds.     

AIRS/Vis near IR instrument

A component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument system is the AIRS/Visible Near InfraRed (Vis/NIR) instrument. With a nadir ground resolution of 2.28 km and four channels, the Vis/NIR instrument provides diagnostic support to the infrared retrievals from the AIRS instrument and several research products, including surface solar flux studies. The AIRS Vis/NIR is composed of three narrowband (channel 1: 0.40-0.44 /spl mu/m; channel 2: 0.58-0.68 /spl mu/m, and channel 3: 0.71-0.92 /spl mu/m) and one broadband (channel 4: 0.49-0.94 /spl mu/m) channel, each a linear detector array of nine pixels. It is calibrated onboard with three tungsten lamps. Vicarious calibrations using ground targets of known reflectance and a cross-calibration with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) augment the onboard calibration. One of AIRS Vis/NIR's principal supporting functions is the detection of low clouds to flag these conditions for atmospheric temperature retrievals. Once clouds are detected, a cloud height index is obtained based on the ratio (channel 2 - channel 3)/channel 1 that is sensitive to the partitioning of water vapor absorption above and below clouds. The determination of the surface solar radiation flux is principally based on channel 4 broadband measurements and the well-established relationship between top-of-the atmosphere (broadband) radiance and the surface irradiance.     

A critical examination of the residual cloud contamination and diurnal sampling effects on MODIS estimates of aerosol over ocean

Observations of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard Terra and Aqua satellites are being used extensively for applications to climate and air quality studies. Data quality is essential for these studies. Here we investigate the effects of unresolved clouds on the MODIS measurements of the AOT. The main cloud effect is from residual cirrus that increases the AOT by 0.015/spl plusmn/0.003 at 0.55 /spl mu/m. In addition, lower level clouds can add contamination. We examine the effect of lower clouds using the difference between simultaneously measured MODIS and AERONET AOT. The difference is positively correlated with the cloud fraction. However, interpretation of this difference is sensitive to the definition of cloud contamination versus aerosol growth. If we consider this consistent difference between MODIS and AERONET to be entirely due to cloud contamination we get a total cloud contamination of 0.025/spl plusmn/0.005, though a more likely estimate is closer to 0.020 after accounting for aerosol growth. This reduces the difference between MODIS-observed global aerosol optical thickness over the oceans and model simulations by half, from 0.04 to 0.02. However it is insignificant for studies of aerosol cloud interaction. We also examined how representative are the MODIS data of the diurnal average aerosol. Comparison to monthly averaged sunphotometer data confirms that either the Terra or Aqua estimate of global AOT is a valid representation of the daily average. Though in the vicinity of aerosol sources such as fires, we do not expect this to be true.     

Evaluation of radiative transfer simulations over bright desert calibration sites

The Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI), the Meteosat Second Generation main radiometer, measures the reflected solar radiation within three spectral bands centered at 0.6, 0.8, and 1.6 /spl mu/m, and within a broadband. This broadband is similar to the solar channel of the radiometer onboard the first generation of METEOSAT satellites. The operational absolute calibration of these channels relies on modeled radiances over bright desert sites, as no in-flight calibration device is available. These simulated radiances represent, therefore, the "reference" against which SEVIRI is calibrated. The present study describes the radiative properties of these targets and evaluates the uncertainties associated with the characterization of this "reference", i.e. the modeled radiances. To this end, top-of-atmosphere simulated radiances are compared with several thousands of calibrated observations acquired by the European Remote Sensing 2/Along-Track Scanning Radiometer 2 (ERS2/ATSR-2), SeaStar/Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), Syste/spl grave/me Pour l'Observation de la Terre 4 (SPOT-4/VEGETATION), and the Environmental Research Satellite/Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (ENVISAT/MERIS) instruments over the SEVIRI desert calibration sites. Results show that the mean relative bias between observation and simulation does not exceed 3% in the red and near-infrared spectral bands with respect to the first two instruments.     

Large-signal performance of deep submicrometer AlGaN/AlN/GaNHEMTs with a field-modulating plate

This is the first time that the microwave performance of a 0.1-/spl mu/m gate in a silicon nitride window opening, with a field-modulating plate on an AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterojunction structure, is reported. The material structure was grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on SiC substrates with an averaged channel sheet resistance of 313.5 ohms/square. Approximately 80-nm-thick plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition silicon nitride is used as the dielectric between gate metal extension and semiconductor surface. Transistors of a total gate width of 250 /spl mu/m and a 0.1 /spl mu/m gate footprint, with a 0.36 /spl mu/m long overhang on top of the silicon nitride, can be operated at a drain bias of 40-V high. Output power density of 9.5 W/mm, with 36% power-added efficiency in class AB regime, was demonstrated at 10 GHz in a continuous wave power measurement.     

Impact of point spread function on infrared radiances from geostationary Satellites

The blurring from diffraction for the infrared (IR) radiances on a geostationary satellite (GEO) e.g., the next generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) was simulated by using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Airborne Simulator data and the point spread function (PSF) model for an unobscured telescope. The portion of the total radiance contributed from each nearby geometrical field of view (GFOV) was calculated. For 90% ensquared energy (EE) (equivalent to 10% of the energy coming from outside the footprint), the closest GFOVs contribute 7%; the contribution from the closest GFOVs increases to 22% for 70% EE. The increased portion from the nearby GFOVs causes larger blurring and degrades the pixel-based retrieval product accuracy. Radiance contamination from the nearby field for the GEO IR radiances with 90%, 80%, and 70% EE causes 0.2-, 0.3-, and 0.4-K blurring errors, respectively, in the 12-/spl mu/m IR longwave window band in clear 300-K scenes. The blurring error is doubled in cloudy 230-K scenes. For the 13.8-/spl mu/m absorption band, the blurring error will be smaller than that of the 12-/spl mu/m band because the atmospheric layer where the temperature sensitivity peaks for the 13.8 /spl mu/m is more uniform than the surface where the 12 /spl mu/m is most sensitive. This indicates that the PSF has a greater impact on a heterogeneous surface. Similar blurring errors occur at both 4- and 10-km spatial resolution IR sensors. The blurring error is not random, and it varies spectrally. These conclusions are very relevant to the design of a cost-effective GEO IR sounder that meets the science requirements.     

Arctic sea ice, cloud, water, and lead classification using neural networks and 1.6-/spl mu/m data

Polar sea ice plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. Seasonal variation in sea ice extent, however, coupled with the difficulties associated with in situ observations of polar sea ice, makes remote sensing the only practical way to estimate this important climatic variable on the space and time scales required. Unfortunately, accurate retrieval of sea ice extent from satellite data is a difficult task. Sea ice and high cold clouds have similar visible reflectance, but some other types of clouds can appear darker than sea ice. Moreover, strong atmospheric inversions and isothermal structures, both common in winter at some polar locations, further complicate the classification. This paper uses a combination of feed-forward neural networks and 1.6-/spl mu/m data from the new Chinese Fengyun-1C satellite to mitigate these difficulties. The 1.6-/spl mu/m data are especially useful for detecting illuminated water clouds in polar regions because 1) at 1.6 /spl mu/m, the reflectance of water droplets is significantly higher than that of snow or ice and 2) 1.6-/spl mu/m data are unaffected by atmospheric inversions. Validation data confirm the accuracy of the new classification technique. Application to other sensors with 1.6-/spl mu/m capabilities also is discussed.     

利用MODIS数据对北极夏季卷云特性的研究

利用2011~2014年MODIS云产品数据对北极地区夏季卷云的出现概率、云顶温度、云顶高度、光学厚度、有效粒径大小进行统计分析,并讨论了北极地区夏季卷云有效粒径大小和卷云高度的关系。结果表明,北极地区上空夏季卷云出现概率最高,水云较少。卷云云顶温度主要分布在230~272 K(即-43~-5℃),其云顶高度主要在2~8 km,4.5~6 km出现概率最大。卷云的光学厚度主要在小于10范围内。卷云的有效粒径在5~40 m之间,10~20 m出现概率最大。卷云的有效粒径和高度的关系与中纬度地区相反,北极地区卷云高度越高,卷云有效粒径越大。北极地区卷云随着纬度增大,卷云出现概率增加,卷云云顶温度降低,卷云高度增加,卷云有效粒径增大,卷云光学厚度增大。     

1.49-/spl mu/m-band gain-shifted thulium-doped fiber amplifier for WDM transmission systems

This paper describes in detail the amplification characteristics of gain-shifted thulium-doped fiber amplifiers (GS-TDFAs) operating in the 1480to 1510-nm wavelength region (1.49-/spl mu/m S-band) for use in wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems. Gain shifting of a TDFA, which normally has a gain band at 1.47 /spl mu/m (S/sup +/-band), is achieved by two types of dual-wavelength pumping: (1) 1.05 and 1.56 /spl mu/m or (2) 1.4 and 1.56 /spl mu/m. The main pump source at 1.05 or 1.4 /spl mu/m creates population inversion between /sup 3/F/sub 4/ (upper laser level) and /sup 3/H/sub 4/ (lower laser level), while the auxiliary pump source at 1.56 /spl mu/m reduces the average fractional inversion down to approximately 0.4, which is a desired level for gain shifting. We show experimentally that the former provides a low internal noise figure (<4 dB) due to high fractional inversion at the input end of a thulium fiber, while the latter provides a very high optical efficiency but a higher internal noise figure (/spl sim/5 dB) due to the lower fractional inversion at the input end. These characteristics were verified by numerical simulation based on a comprehensive rate equation modeling. We demonstrated a 1.4- and 1.56-/spl mu/m laser-diode-pumped GS-TDFA with an optical efficiency of 29.3% and high output power of +21.5 dBm. Gain flatness and tilt control were also investigated. These results strongly confirm the feasibility of using GS-TDFAs in practical ultralarge-capacity WDM networks.     

Long-wavelength In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As-In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As large-area avalanche photodiodes and arrays

Large-area (500-/spl mu/m diameter) mesa-structure In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As-In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are reported. The dark current density was /spl sim/2.5/spl times/10/sup -2/ nA//spl mu/m/sup 2/ at 90% of breakdown; low surface leakage current density (/spl sim/4.2 pA//spl mu/m) was achieved with wet chemical etching and SiO/sub 2/ passivation. An 18 /spl times/ 18 APD array with uniform distributions of breakdown voltage, dark current, and multiplication gain has also been demonstrated. The APDs in the array achieved 3-dB bandwidth of /spl sim/8 GHz at low gain and a gain-bandwidth product of /spl sim/120 GHz.     

Process and device performance of 1 /spl mu/m channel n-well CMOS technology

The process and device performance of 1 /spl mu/m-channel n-well CMOS have been characterized in terms of substrate resistivities of 40 and 10 /spl Omega/-cm, substrate materials with and without an epitaxial layer, n-well surface concentrations ranging from 5/spl times/10/SUP 15/ to 4/spl times/10/SUP 16/ cm/SUP -3/, n-well depths of 3, 4, and 5 /spl mu/m, channel boron implantation doses from 2/spl times/10/SUP 11/ to 1.3/spl times/10/SUP 12/ cm/SUP -2/, and effective channel lengths down to 0.6 /spl mu/m. Based on the experimental results obtained from /spl mu/m-channel n-well CMOS devices, the scaling effects on device and circuit performance of 0.5 /spl mu/m-channel n-well CMOS are discussed and the deep-trench-isolated CMOS structure is demonstrated.     

PCB-compatible optical interconnection using 45/spl deg/-ended connection rods and via-holed waveguides

In this paper, a new architecture for a chip-to-chip optical interconnection system is demonstrated that can be applied in a waveguide-embedded optical printed circuit board (PCB). The experiment used 45/spl deg/-ended optical connection rods as a medium to guide light paths perpendicularly between vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), or photodiodes (PDs) and a waveguide. A polymer film of multimode waveguides with cores of 100/spl times/65 /spl mu/m was sandwiched between conventional PCBs. Via holes were made with a diameter of about 140 /spl mu/m by CO/sub 2/-laser drilling through the PCB and the waveguide. Optical connection rods were made of a multimode silica fiber ribbon segment with a core diameter of 62.5 and 100 /spl mu/m. One end of the fiber segment was cut 45/spl deg/ and the other end 90/spl deg/ by a mechanical polishing method. These fiber rods were inserted into the via holes formed in the PCB, adjusting the insertion depth to locate the 45/spl deg/ end of rods near the waveguide cores. From this interconnection system, a total coupling efficiency of about -8 dB was achieved between VCSELs and PDs through connection rods and a 2.5 Gb/s /spl times/ 12-ch data link demonstrated through waveguides with a channel pitch of 250 /spl mu/m in the optical PCB.     

Retrievals of profiles of fine and coarse aerosols using lidar and radiometric space measurements

The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spaceborne lidar, expected to be launched in 2004, will collect profiles of the lidar attenuated backscattering coefficients of aerosol and clouds at 0.53 and 1.06 /spl mu/m. The measurements are sensitive to the vertical distribution of aerosols. However, the information is insufficient to be mapped into unique aerosol physical properties and vertical distribution. Spectral radiances measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Aqua spacecraft, acquired simultaneously with the CALIPSO observations, can constrain the solutions. The combination of the MODIS and CALIPSO data can be used to derive extinction profiles of the fine and coarse modes of the aerosol size distribution for aerosol optical thickness of 0.1 and larger. Here we describe a new inversion method developed to invert simultaneously MODIS and CALIPSO data over glint-free ocean. The method is applied to aircraft lidar and MODIS data collected over a dust storm off the coast of West Africa during the Saharan Dust Experiment (SHADE). The backscattering-to-extinction ratio (BER) (BER=/spl omega//sub o/P(180)/4/spl pi/) can be retrieved from the synergism between measurements avoiding a priori hypotheses required for inverting lidar measurements alone. For dust, the resultant value of BER =0.016 sr/sup -1/ is over 50% smaller than what is expected using Mie theory, but in good agreement with recent results obtained from Raman lidar observations of dust episodes. The inversion is robust in the presence of 10% and 20% noise in the lidar signal at 0.53 and 1.06 /spl mu/m, respectively. Calibration errors of the lidar of 5% to 10% can cause an error in optical thickness of 20% to 40%, respectively, in the tested cases.     

Low-threshold operation of 1.34-/spl mu/m GaInNAs VCSEL grown by MOVPE

Low-threshold operation was demonstrated for a 1.34-/spl mu/m vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with GaInNAs quantum wells (QWs) grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Optimizing the growth conditions and QW structure of the GaInNAs active layers resulted in edge-emitting lasers that oscillated with low threshold current densities of 0.87 kA/cm/sup 2/ at 1.34 /spl mu/m and 1.1 kA/cm/sup 2/ at 1.38 /spl mu/m, respectively. The VCSEL had a low threshold current of 2.8 mA and a lasing wavelength of 1.342 /spl mu/m at room temperature and operated up to 60/spl deg/C.     

2/spl times/4 optical add-drop module with no difference in propagation length

We developed a micromachined X-type 2/spl times/4 optical add-drop module (OADM) featuring no difference in propagation length. Four pairs of lensed fibers are aligned in "X" position, and four micromirrors are located between the pairs of optical fibers. The OADM was fabricated utilizing a silicon-on-insulator process. Electrostatic comb actuators can be driven up to 90 /spl mu/m to change the light path within 1 ms. The insertion loss and the on-off ratio were less than 3 and 70 dB, respectively. The loss uniformity in every channel was 1.5 dB.     

A 40-GHz-bandwidth, 4-bit, time-interleaved A/D converter using photoconductive sampling

GaAs photoconductive switches have been integrated with two parallel 4-bit CMOS analog-to-digital (A/D) converter channels to demonstrate the time-interleaved sampling of wideband signals. The picosecond sampling aperture provided by low-temperature-grown-GaAs metal-semiconductor-metal switches, in combination with low-jitter short-pulse lasers, enables the optically-triggered sampling of electrical signals with tens of gigahertz bandwidth at low to medium resolution. A pair of parallel sampling paths, one for sampling and the second for feedthrough cancellation, generate a differential held signal that is quantized by a low-input capacitance, high-speed flash A/D converter. Dynamic offset averaging is employed to improve converter linearity. An experimental time-interleaved two-channel A/D converter provides about 3.5 effective bits of resolution for inputs up to 40 GHz when tested at an optically-triggered sampling rate of 160 MHz. The sampling rate was limited by the available optical source. Each A/D converter channel operates up to a 640-MHz conversion rate, dissipates 70 mW of power, and occupies an area of 150 /spl mu/m /spl times/ 450 /spl mu/m in a 2.5-V, 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS technology.     

Tunable polymer optical add/drop filter for multiwavelength networks

We present a polymer optical add/drop filter with a channel cross-talk of -18.5 dB, a free spectral range of 12.8 nm and a channel spacing of 400 GHz (4 channels) as well as a tunable optical filter with a free spectral range of 50 nm. Both filter designs are based on a synthesis which provides the minimum number of filter stages for a given channel crosstalk and number of channels. Wavelength tunability over the entire free-spectral range (FSR) is demonstrated with applied heating powers of 500 mW. For the narrow bandwidth filter we used a fluorinated high temperature stable polymer as the waveguiding material, which has proven to exhibit losses as low as 0.25 dB/cm at a wavelength of 1.55 /spl mu/m.     

LiNbO/sub 3/ Mach-Zehnder modulators with fixed negative chirp

Negative chirp modulation of optical transmitters is needed for the optimal performance of high bit-rate transmission in optical fiber systems operating at nonzero dispersion window at 1.5 /spl mu/m. In this paper several approaches to achieving any fixed chirp value for LiNbO/sub 3/ modulators are proposed, Experimental results of impedance matched devices on x-cut lithium niobate with chirp values of /spl plusmn/0.7 and /spl plusmn/1.0 are presented. By tuning the modulators bias point, the chirp value can be adjusted linearly around the designed value without degrading other performances.     

Performance analysis of 10-/spl mu/m-thick VCSEL array in fully embedded board level guided-wave optoelectronic interconnects

We introduce a simple and effective heat sink structure for thin-film vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) in fully embedded board level guided-wave interconnects. A 50% quantum efficiency increase is experimentally confirmed for the 10-/spl mu/m thin-film VCSELs. The thermal resistance of a 1 /spl times/ 12 embedded thin-film VCSEL array in printed circuit board (PCB) is further analyzed. The experimental results show an excellent match with the simulated results. The 10-/spl mu/m-thick VCSEL had the lowest thermal resistance and the highest differential efficiency compared to 250-, 200-, 150-, and 100-/spl mu/m-thick VCSELs. A substrate removed VCSEL can be used in fully embedded board level optical interconnects without special cooling techniques.