A distributed optical structure comprises a set of diffractive elements. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator has a tuning fork base, a pair of tuning fork tines connected to the tuning fork base, a series of grooves each formed on opposite main surfaces of each of the tuning fork tines, and a series of electrodes each disposed in a respective one of the grooves. The method also includes operating an auxiliary system in response to the second electrical signal at the first voltage, re-arranging the terminal assembly in a second arrangement to output the second electrical signal at a second voltage, and actuating a switch with a portion of the terminal assembly when the terminal assembly is in the second arrangement. The stimulus pulse excites a vibronic level in the sample and the probe pulse probes molecular Raman transitions in the sample. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node.