Search results for "Physics::Optics"
showing 10 items of 1958 documents
Role of pump diffraction on the stability of localized structures in degenerate optical parametric oscillators.
2000
We show that the stability range of localized structures (LS's) in the form of minimum size phase domains in degenerate optical parametric oscillators is enhanced by increasing the diffraction of the pump wave. Pump diffraction enhances spatial oscillations of decaying tails of domain boundaries, whereas spatially oscillating (weakly decaying) tails prevent the collapse of LS's, enhance their stability range, and allow the existence of more complex LS's in the form of molecules.
Scale-tunable optical correlation with natural light
2008
We describe two different scale-tunable optical correlators working under totally incoherent light. They behave as spatially incoherent wavelength-independent imaging systems with an achromatic point-spread function (PSF). In both cases it is possible to adapt the scale of the achromatic PSF, i.e., to modify the scaling factor of the PSF and preserve the chromatic compensation, by one's shifting the input along the optical axis. The remarkable properties of these systems allow us to carry out a scale-tunable color pattern-recognition experiment with natural light.
Hybrid (refractive-diffractive) Fourier processor: A novel optical architecture for achromatic processing with broadband point-source illumination
1998
We report on an achromatic Fourier processor constituted basically by a quasi-wavelength-independent imaging forming system whose first half performs an achromatic Fourier transform of the colour input. The novel optical architecture, only formed by a small number of diffractive and refractive lenses, works under white-light point-source illumination and provides an intermediate achromatic real Fraunhofer plane and a final colour image without chromatic distortion. In this way, our optical processor performs simultaneously, with a single filter, the same spatial filtering operation for all the spectral components of the broadband illumination. The practical capabilities of our proposal are …
Diffraction-managed superlensing using plasmonic lattices
2012
Abstract We show that subwavelength diffracted wave fields may be managed inside multilayered plasmonic devices to achieve ultra-resolving lensing. For that purpose we first transform both homogeneous waves and a broad band of evanescent waves into propagating Bloch modes by means of a metal/dielectric (MD) superlattice. Beam spreading is subsequently compensated by means of negative refraction in a plasmon-induced anisotropic medium that is cemented behind. A precise design of the superlens doublet may lead to nearly aberration-free images with subwavelength resolution in spite of using optical paths longer than a wavelength.
Diffraction-free beams with elliptic Bessel envelope in periodic media
2007
We report on discrete, nondiffracting, paraxial beams with a Bessel spatial envelope in 1D periodic structures of dielectric media. Anisotropy of the envelope profile is demonstrated to behave in the same manner as extraordinary waves in uniaxial crystals.
Spectral anomalies in supercontinuum focused waves
2006
The diffraction-induced spectral anomalies in the focal plane of an apertured spherical wave with supercontinuum flat-top power spectrum are investigated. Coherent broadband radiation (also incoherent white light) demonstrates a strong blue shift in the vicinity of the optical axis, and discrete spectral gaps with overall red shift arise out of this central region. Unlike narrow-band light, the spectral switch effect fades away with ultra-broad spectra.
Focal squeeze in axicons
2005
The on-axis irradiance distribution of a truncated conical wavefront is evaluated in terms of the Fresnel number of the focusing geometry. In agreement with geometrical optics, a focal line of increasing intensity is generated for extremely high Fresnel numbers. Otherwise clear deviations may be observed for the position of the maximum irradiance along the optical axis. A remarkable focal squeeze appears and, for decreasing Fresnel numbers, this effect manifests stronger. An analytical formula is provided for the fast evaluation of the focal squeeze.
Achromatic diffraction of femtosecond light pulses
2003
Diffraction of electromagnetic waves in free space is a physical phenomenon that explicitly depends on the wavelength of light radiation. As an ultrashort-pulsed waveform consists of many frequency components that are coherently superposed, diffraction of a femtosecond pulse passing through an aperture radically differs from that under continuous wave (CW) monochromatic illumination. Note that the spectral width of a 5 fs pulsed beam is approximately 400 nm, which roughly corresponds to the entire visible spectrum bandwidth. The spectral distribution of the source results in the chromatic distortion, both lateral and axial, of the optical field diffracted by the aperture. This detrimental e…
Compressive holography with a single-pixel detector.
2013
This Letter develops a framework for digital holography at optical wavelengths by merging phase-shifting interferometry with single-pixel optical imaging based on compressive sensing. The field diffracted by an input object is sampled by Hadamard patterns with a liquid crystal spatial light modulator. The concept of a single-pixel camera is then adapted to perform interferometric imaging of the sampled diffraction pattern by using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Phase-shifting techniques together with the application of a backward light propagation algorithm allow the complex amplitude of the object under scrutiny to be resolved. A proof-of-concept experiment evaluating the phase distributio…
Quasi-wavelength-independent broadband optical Fourier transformer
1999
The chromatic behaviour associated with diffractive optical elements is exploited herein to design a hybrid (diffractive-refractive) lens triplet showing very great wavelength-compensation capabilities for the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of any diffracting screen under broadband point-source illumination. Within the paraxial Fresnel diffraction theory, we show that perfect compensation for the axial position of the Fourier transform of the input can be accomplished if we neglect the secondary spectrum of the refractive objective. Simultaneously, an achromatic correction for the scale of the Fraunhofer pattern is achieved. In this way, even for white light, only a low residual transversal…