Search results for "Fresnel number"
showing 10 items of 36 documents
Four-phase patterns in a forced nonlinear optical oscillator
2009
We present preliminary theoretical and experimental results indicating that a high Fresnel number nonlinear optical oscillator with planar mirrors can display four-phase multistability, eventually leading to four-phase patterns. Such situation is similar to that emerging in extended oscillatory systems forced within a 4:1 resonance and, to the best of our knowledge, has not been predicted nor observed previously in an optical system.
On-axis diffractional behavior of two-dimensional pupils
2010
We show that, at any Fresnel number, a suitable one-dimensional Fourier transform relates the complex-amplitude distribution along the optical axis with the zero-order circular harmonic of the amplitude transmittance of a two-dimensional diffracting screen. First, our general result is applied to recognize that any rationally nonsymmetric screen generates an axial-irradiance distribution that exhibits focal shift. In this way we identify a wide set of two-dimensional screens that produce the same focal shift as that produced by the clear circular aperture. Second, we identify several apodizers for shaping the axial-amplitude distribution. We discuss some examples for achieving high-precisio…
Gaussian imaging transformation for the paraxial Debye formulation of the focal region in a low-Fresnel-number optical system
2000
The Debye formulation of focused fields has been systematically used to evaluate, for example, the point-spread function of an optical imaging system. According to this approximation, the focal wave field exhibits some symmetries about the geometrical focus. However, certain discrepancies arise when the Fresnel number, as viewed from focus, is close to unity. In that case, we should use the Kirchhoff formulation to evaluate accurately the three-dimensional amplitude distribution of the field in the focal region. We make some important remarks regarding both diffraction theories. In the end we demonstrate that, in the paraxial regime, given a defocused transverse pattern in the Debye approxi…
Strehl ratio versus defocus for noncentrally obscured pupils.
1994
We discuss from the viewpoint of the Strehl ratio versus defocus, or the normalized axial-irradiance distribution, the influence of decentering the dark mask of an annular pupil. Our treatment, which is valid for pupil apertures with any Fresnel number, permits us to infer that the axial behavior of a noncentrally obscured pupil is equivalent to that of an apodizer with continuous amplitude variations. Hence the Strehl ratio versus defocus of an optical system can be shaped by use of noncentered dark masks that act as continuous gray apodizers. Several numerically evaluated examples are presented.
Focal switch: a new effect in low-Fresnel-number systems
2010
It is shown for the first time we believe, that when a spherical wave illuminates a certain type of diffracting screen, in addition to the expected focal-shift effect, depending on the value of the Fresnel number of the focusing system, a focal switch effect can appear, i.e., an increase in the height of the lateral lobe of the axial-intensity distribution over that of the central lobe.
Temporal effects in ultrashort pulsed beams focused by planar diffracting elements
2006
The pulse envelope of an ultrashort pulsed beam is evaluated on the focal points of a Fresnel zone plate. The description of the field dynamics is given in terms of a diffraction-induced pulse train. Within these terms we follow an analytical procedure to characterize the temporal broadening observed at the principal focus, which is significant if the number of Fresnel zones exceeds the number of cycles in the pulse. For Gaussian-type envelopes, the focal field may be accurately expressed in a simple closed form. This expression has a flat-top shape at the principal focus and other odd-order foci, and a two-peak envelope in the case of a low-integer even-order focus. Finally, extremely high…
Focal-shift formula in apodized nontelecentric focusing systems
2007
A single analytical formulation for evaluating the focal shift in any apodized nontelecentric focusing setup is reported. The formulation is also useful in the case of imaged paraxial beams. We show explicitly that the magnitude of the focal shift is determined by only one parameter that depends on the effective width of the pupil filter and its axial position. To illustrate our approach we examine different focusing setups.
Theory of quantum fluctuations of optical dissipative structures - Application to the study of squeezing and intensity fluctuations of DOPO cavity so…
2007
We present a general theory of quantum fluctuations of dissipative structures in nonlinear optical cavities with transverse translation invariance. Perfect squeezing of the transverse momentum, detectable under homodyning, occurs irrespectively of the system parameters.
Nonlinear dynamics of a semilinear photorefractive oscillator
2001
The experimental study of the dynamics of an empty coherent semilinear photorefractive oscillator is reported. It is shown that starting from a certain coupling strength the oscillation occurs with two frequencies shifted symmetrically with respect to the frequency of the pump wave. The threshold of bifurcation in oscillation spectrum depends on pump intensity ratio.
Three-dimensional field distribution in the focal region of low-Fresnel-number axicons.
2006
Three-dimensional intensity and phase distributions generated by microaxicons are evaluated in the low-Fresnel-number regime. Apertured and nonapertured conical wavefronts may generate transverse patterns with notable deviations from the expected nondiffracting Bessel beam. First-order analytical expressions are proposed for the evaluation of the wave field produced by axicons of different Fresnel number in the focal region.