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Optical MEMS technology combined with broadband infrared sensor technology is used to realize wavelength-tunable infrared sensors. This paper describes the ongoing research into one such sensor design based on an electrically tunable Fabry-Pérot cavity. Theory, measured results and future research directions are presented and discussed for the single-sensor design currently being developed, in the context of the intended application of this technology; the development of lightweight, portable and robust multi-spectral imaging systems.

There is an ever growing number of proposals for high precision experiments to measure gravitational effects, from simple Newtonian gravity to gravitational waves and even precision tests of general relativity (GR). In particular, more and more researchers from the fields of quantum optics and quantum opto-mechanics are becoming interested in GR and propose metrological experiments. Usually, such proposals rely heavily on a notion of length. However, in GR, as coordinates have no physical meaning, there is no unique concept for the length of a matter system. In this proceedings article, we summarize the article, where the conceptual problem of length is addressed for a subset of experimental proposals. In particular, the effect of gravitational fields and acceleration on the frequency spectrum of an optical resonator is discussed in the framework of GR. The optical resonator is modeled as a deformable rod of matter connecting two mirrors. Explicit expressions for the frequency spectrum are given for the case of a small perturbation. Example situations are discussed and a connection is obtained to a relativistic concept of rigidity.

Optical MEMS technology combined with broadband infrared sensor technology is used to realize wavelength-tunable infrared sensors. This paper describes the ongoing research into one such sensor design based on an electrically tunable Fabry-Pérot cavity. Theory, measured results and future research directions are presented and discussed for the single-sensor design currently being developed, in the context of the intended application of this technology; the development of lightweight, portable and robust multi-spectral imaging systems.