Phase-only Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Research Articles

Experimental study on phase conjecture based on two-dimensional image and carrying three-dimensional image with mist in electro-holographic reconstruction

A method is proposed for phase conjecture based on the intensity curve of a two-dimensional (2D) image by computing a polynomial equation. The intensity values of the 2D image, which represents the distance between the image detectors and the three-dimensional (3D) scene is converted to phase information by our method. The results of numerical calculation with phase conjecture are analyzed. And what’s more, the numerical reconstruction results with phase information obtained as initial phase factors of a complex object for Fresnel kinoform and dynamic pseudorandom-phase tomographic computer holography(DPP-TCH) are compared. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and correlation coefficient (CC) between the reconstructed images and original object are analyzed. An experimental system is designed for photoelectric holographic reconstruction based on phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) and mist screen. The electro-optical experimental results indicate that suppressed the speckle noise 3D images that can be observed with naked eye have been obtained.

Flexible generation of the generalized vector vortex beams

We extend the existing vector vortex beams and demonstrate the creation of the generalized vector vortex beams, which is based on the superposition of any pair of orthogonal polarized base vectors with different spiral phases. Besides, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a flexible optical configuration, which modulates the generalized vector vortex beams through the phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulators. Compared with the conventional vectorial modulation techniques, the explicit superposition and coaxial alignment of two laser beams are not required in our scheme. The theoretical derivation based on Jones matrix is demonstrated, and we experimentally verify the distribution of polarization and phase by measuring Stokes parameters and interference fringe, respectively. Such a proposed light field has potential applications in the domains as optical communication, nanoparticle manipulations.

Experimental and theoretical study of linearly polarized Lorentz–Gauss beams with heterogeneous distribution

The unevenly distributed Lorentz–Gaussian beams are difficult to reproduce in practice, because they require modulation in both amplitude and phase terms. Here, a new linearly polarized Lorentz–Gauss beam modulated by a helical axicon (LGB-HA) is calculated, and the two various experimental generation methods of this beam, Fourier transform method (FTM) and complex-amplitude modulation (CAM) method, are depicted. Compared with the FTM, the CAM method can modulate the phase and amplitude simultaneously by only one reflection-type phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator. Both of the methods are coincident with the numerical results. Yet CAM is simpler, efficient, and has a higher degree of conformance through data comparison. In addition, considering some barriers exist in shaping and reappearing the complicated Lorentz–Gauss beam with heterogeneous distribution, the evolution regularities of the beams with different parameters (axial parameter, topological charge, and phase factor) were also implemented.

Simultaneous identification of the azimuthal and radial mode indices of Laguerre-Gaussian beams using a spiral phase grating

Transfer of information using optical vortex beams as signal carriers can extremely extend the capacity and spectral efficiency in optical communication systems. One of the key problems is to accurately measure the mode indices including radial mode p and topological charge l at the receiver side of an optical vortices transmission system. In this paper, we present a new scheme to determine the mode indices of optical vortices by using spiral phase gratings. Based on the Fresnel diffraction integral theory, the far-field diffraction intensity distributions of vortex beams through the gratings are numerically calculated. Simulation results show that the annular-shaped intensity profiles of incident vortex beams evolve to bright spot array diffraction patterns, which render the information of the mode indices. Specifically, the magnitude of topological charge l and radial index p can be easily determined by counting the number of the corresponding bright stripes. And the orientation of the diffraction optical fields reveals the sign of the topological charge. Experiments are implemented to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed detecting method by uploading such phase gratings on a reflective phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator. The experimental observations are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Self-referenced multiple-beam interferometric method for robust phase calibration of spatial light modulator.

Phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator has wide ranging applications that require accurate phase retardance. The phase calibration of the spatial light modulator is therefore of vital importance. Available self-referenced calibration methods face the challenges of high time consumption, low efficiency, and low stability against the conditions. A self-referenced multiple-beam interferometric method is proposed to derive the global grayscale-phase response. As is presented theoretically and experimentally, the proposed method reduces the measuring time and improves the calibration efficiency by encoding multiple fringes in a single hologram. Results also show that the method is equally accurate when compared with traditional two-beam interferometric method, whereas providing a greater robustness against measuring errors since the standard deviation is only 56% of that of the traditional method.

Partially coherent Bessel vortex superposition with linear charge increase and aligned maxima

In this paper, the generation of a partially coherent optical vortex composed of the incoherent superposition of N coaxial Bessel vortex beams with linearly increasing topological charges and aligned intensity maxima is proposed. To generate this beam, concentric ring slits with increasing topological charges and random phase shifts are optically Fourier transformed. The radii of the ring slits are chosen in such a way that the maxima of their corresponding Bessel functions are coincident. It is demonstrated that the resulting beam radius is independent of the topological charges involved in the superposition and the beam is propagation invariant. The Bessel vortex addition is experimentally generated by means of a phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator.

A conversion method of two-dimensional image into three-dimensional holographic display

A method to convert two-dimensional(2D) image into three-dimensional(3D) holography display is proposed. The conjectured phase distribution is directly obtained by a polynomial equation based on the 2D image, and is superimposed over the object plane. The parameters of polynomial equation are automatically calculated by the gray value of 2D image. A special kinoform is designed, which contains the phase information generated by Fresnel diffraction algorithm. It can effectively suppress the speckle noise. The sequential kinoforms are reconstructed by the 3D dynamic holographic display system with phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) and the cylindrical fog screen. The results of simulation and optic experiment exhibit that the proposed method can reconstruct 3D scenes with a better vision effect. The display results show more advantages, such as high contrast, clear detail and low noise. The method presented in this paper can be applied to high performance 3D dynamic holographic display.

Synthesis of ununiformly correlated radially polarized partially coherent beam

Since the unified theory of coherence and polarization for partially coherent vector beams was proposed by Gori and Wolf, the characterization, generation and propagation of partially coherent vector beams have been extensively studied. During the last decade, partially coherent vector beams with non-uniform polarization, also referred to as cylindrical vector partially coherent beams, have gained more and more attention. It was found that the intensity profile of focused azimuthally/radially polarized beam could be shaped by varying its initial spatial coherence. This characteristic may have potential applications in material thermal processing and particle trapping. Until now, there have been several reports concerning the generation of cylindrical vector partially coherent beams. However, in most of these reports a ground-glass diffuser was used, which generally restricts the generation of shell-model sources. In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally investigate the generation of radially polarized partially coherent beams with non-uniform correlation. According to the relation between phase correlation and optical coherence, we theoretically investigate the 2 × 2 cross-spectral density matrix and the coherence distribution of our generated non-uniformly correlated radially polarized partially coherent beams. In experiment, we generate dynamic random phase patterns with uniform distribution in time and inverse Gaussian distribution in space. A complete coherent radially polarized beam is divided into two parts by a polarizing beam splitter, i.e., the transmitted <i>x</i>-polarization component (HG<sub>10</sub> beam) and the reflected <i>y</i>-polarization component (HG<sub>01</sub> beam). The two orthogonally polarized components are respectively modulated with the two halves of a single phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator, thus generating a radially polarized partially coherent beam. We measure the correlation distribution of the generated beam in Young’s two-pinhole experiment. It is shown that the experimental observations are in agreement with our theoretical analyses. The generated partially coherent beam has an un-uniform correlation structure, and its coherence degree may be controlled by varying the Gaussian modulation half-width of the random phase. Our experimental results have also shown that the intensity profile of the radially polarized partially coherent beam can be modulated with the Gaussian modulation half-width. With the increase of Gaussian modulation half-widths and the gradual decrease of coherence degree, the intensity profile gradually transforms from a dark hollow beam profile into a flat-topped-like beam profile. The radially polarized partially coherent beams with non-uniform correlation may have some applications in optical manipulation and material thermal processing.

Multi-spectral random illumination using a liquid crystal spatial light modulator

BackgroundUsing phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) to generate random illumination is always used in phase-retrieval and single pixel imaging as it have high energy efficiency. While the methods were only used to generate monochromatic illumination. This paper aims to use LC-SLM generating the multi-spectral random illumination.MethodsThe method requires only one SLM; multiple laser beams are simultaneously used to illuminate the entire SLM. Random voltages designed with a probability density function (PDF) are applied to modulate the random phases in the multi-spectral emitted light beam, leading to random amplitude spots in the far field. By optimize the PDF, the random illumination spot can be close to uniform distributed with high efficiency.ResultsThe average intensities of the random light spots are almost uniformly distributed within the range of the first diffraction order. And the zero-order beam is eliminated. The proposed method has a high energy efficiency and refresh rate and does not require the SLM to have an excessive modulation range.ConclusionThis paper provides a method to generate multi-spectral random illumination using a LC-SLM, which can be used in phase-retrieval and single pixel imaging.

Flexible and high-efficiency generation of arbitrary vector vortex beams on hybrid-order Poincaré sphere

We propose theoretically and verify experimentally a compact optical configuration to directly generate arbitrary vector vortex beams on a hybrid-order Poincare sphere with good flexibility and high efficiency based on a reflective phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM). The conversion system, consisting of an LC-SLM and a quarter-wave plate, can be considered a flexible dielectric metasurface to simultaneously modulate inhomogeneous polarization and helical phase-front. This approach has some advantages, including a simple experimental setup, good flexibility, and high efficiency. Orthogonally polarized modes alignment and an explicit superposition existing in the conventional method are not necessary in the proposed method, which exhibits potential applications in many advanced domains.

High-efficiency and flexible generation of vector vortex optical fields by a reflective phase-only spatial light modulator.

The scheme for generating vector optical fields should have not only high efficiency but also flexibility for satisfying the requirements of various applications. However, in general, high efficiency and flexibility are not compatible. Here we present and experimentally demonstrate a solution to directly, flexibly, and efficiently generate vector vortex optical fields (VVOFs) with a reflective phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) based on optical birefringence of liquid crystal molecules. To generate the VVOFs, this approach needs in principle only a half-wave plate, an LC-SLM, and a quarter-wave plate. This approach has some advantages, including a simple experimental setup, good flexibility, and high efficiency, making the approach very promising in some applications when higher power is need. This approach has a generation efficiency of 44.0%, which is much higher than the 1.1% of the common path interferometric approach.

A one-time pad encryption method combining full-phase image encryption and hiding

A one-time pad encryption method combining full-phase image encryption and hiding is proposed. Firstly, original images are encoded in the phase and encrypted by phase keys loaded on the phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator, where the phase keys can be distributed using a quantum key distribution method. Subsequently, a host image is introduced to produce a reference wave, and overlap with an object wave to form an interferogram. Finally, based on phase-shifting interferometry, we can achieve the above encrypted image hiding. Both the simulation and experiment research demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, meanwhile the key and the encrypted image can be changed randomly, so the proposed system reveals the high flexibility, anti-attack ability and can be used to implement the one-time pad to achieve absolute secure transmission with the quantum key distribution method. Moreover, system security will be improved due to the fact that encryption information hidden in the host image can be treated as background noise, which does not attract the attention of the attacker.

Generation of non-uniformly correlated stochastic electromagnetic beams

Until now, there have been many reports concerning the generation and propagation of partially coherent beams due to their less influencing ability in turbulent atmosphere and random media. Of particular interest, a Gaussian-Schell model beam has been widely chosen as a special example of partially coherent beam, since its spatial coherence degree is dependent on position only through the difference between the two position vectors. In the scalar domain, many coherent models have been well studied such as Gaussian and multi-Gaussian Schell-model sources, Bessel-Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian Schell-model sources and so on. Based on the theory for devising genuine cross-spectral density matrices for a stochastic electromagnetic beam, several scalar models have been also extended to the electromagnetic domain. In recent years, the propagation of partially coherent beams with spatially varying and non-uniform correlations has become a hot topic, because of their interesting characteristics such as locally sharpened and laterally shifted intensity maxima. In one of our previous studies, we have experimentally investigated the generation of non-uniformly correlated partially coherent beams. However, to the best of our knowledge, so far, there has been no investigation on the generation of non-uniformly correlated stochastic electromagnetic beams. In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally investigate the generation of non-uniformly correlated stochastic electromagnetic beams. Based on the relation between phase correlation and optical coherence, we investigate the 22 cross-spectral density matrix and the coherence distribution of the non-uniformly correlated stochastic electromagnetic beam we generated. It is shown that the coherence degree between two points in the generated beam depends not only on the distance between them, but also on the distances between the points and the center of the beam. In experiment, we use the Matlab rand function to generate a random phase pattern with uniform distribution. The modulation magnitudes of different positions are different and follow an inverse Gaussian distribution in position. Dynamic phase patterns are created from a series of random grey-scale images. Two phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulators are employed to display computer-generated dynamic phase patterns and modulate the two orthogonally polarized components of the incident coherent light, respectively, and generate a stochastic electromagnetic beam. We measure the correlation distribution of the generated beam in Young's two-pinhole experiment. It is shown that the experimental observations are in agreement with our theoretical analyses. Other kinds of non-uniformly correlated stochastic electromagnetic beams can also be obtained by this approach. Non-uniformly correlated stochastic electromagnetic beams may have some applications in optical manipulation and free-space optical communication.

Creation of radially polarized optical fields with multiple controllable parameters using a vectorial optical field generator

A vectorial optical field generator (VOF-Gen) based on two reflective phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulators enables the creation of an arbitrary optical complex field. In this work, the capabilities of the VOF-Gen in terms of manipulating the spatial distributions of phase, amplitude, and polarization are experimentally demonstrated by generating a radially polarized optical field consisted of five annular rings, the focusing properties of which are also numerically studied with vectorial diffraction theory. By carefully adjusting the relative amplitude and phase between the adjacent rings, an optical needle field with purely longitudinal polarization can be produced in the focal region of a high numerical aperture lens. The versatile method presented in this work can be easily extended to the generation of a vectorial optical field with any desired complex distributions.

Polarization-insensitive PAM-4-carrying free-space orbital angular momentum (OAM) communications.

We present a simple configuration incorporating single polarization-sensitive phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) to facilitate polarization-insensitive free-space optical communications employing orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. We experimentally demonstrate several polarization-insensitive optical communication subsystems by propagating a single OAM mode, multicasting 4 and 10 OAM modes, and multiplexing 8 OAM modes, respectively. Free-space polarization-insensitive optical communication links using OAM modes that carry four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) signal are demonstrated in the experiment. The observed optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) penalties are less than 1 dB in both polarization-insensitive N-fold OAM modes multicasting and multiple OAM modes multiplexing at a bit-error rate (BER) of 2e-3 (enhanced forward-error correction (EFEC) threshold).

Demonstration of polarization-insensitive spatial light modulation using a single polarization-sensitive spatial light modulator.

We present a simple configuration incorporating a single polarization-sensitive phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) to facilitate polarization-insensitive spatial light modulation. The polarization-insensitive configuration is formed by a polarization beam splitter (PBS), a polarization-sensitive phase-only LC-SLM, a half-wave plate (HWP), and a mirror in a loop structure. We experimentally demonstrate polarization-insensitive spatial light modulations for incident linearly polarized beams with different polarization states and polarization-multiplexed beams. Polarization-insensitive spatial light modulations generating orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams are demonstrated in the experiment. The designed polarization-insensitive configuration may find promising applications in spatial light modulations accommodating diverse incident polarizations.

Dynamic holographic three-dimensional projection based on liquid crystal spatial light modulator and cylindrical fog screen

A dynamic holographic three-dimensional (3D) projection based on phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) and cylindrical fog 3D screen is introduced. Sequential kinoforms of a 3D real existing object are calculated from sixty viewing angles using the slice-based fresnel diffraction algorithm. To suppress speckle noise of reconstructed images, sub-kinoforms for each viewing angle are calculated by adding dynamic pseudorandom initial phase factor into each object plane. The sequential kinoforms are reconstructed by a holographic reconstruction system based on phase-only LC-SLM. A specially designed cylindrical fog 3D screen is used as the scattered carrying medium to project the dynamic 3D images. Through our holographic 3D projection system, a vivid dynamic holographic reconstructed projection image can be observed by some observers at the same time.

利用液晶空间光调制器产生高阶拉盖尔高斯光束

We used the reflective phase-only liquid crystal spatial light devices to generate the higher-order Laguerre-Gaussian beams in experiment.Theoretically we caculated the optimal parameters for generating LG beams in detail and used MATLAB program to make Kinoform.We collected the date by CCD,observed the intensity patterns of the generated LG beams from plan wave and proved the spiral phase information by interferometry.We concluded a fit analysis of the radial profiles of the measured mode patterns and estimated the purity of the generated LG beams.

Colour hologram projection with an SLM by exploiting its full phase modulation range.

We demonstrate independent and simultaneous manipulation of light beams of different wavelengths by a single hologram, which is displayed on a phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM). The method uses the high dynamic phase modulation range of modern SLMs, which can shift the phase of each pixel in a range between 0 up to 10π, depending on the readout wavelength. The extended phase range offers additional degrees of freedom for hologram encoding. Knowing the phase modulation properties of the SLM (i.e. the so-called lookup table) in the entire exploited wavelength range, an exhaustive search algorithm allows to combine different independently calculated 2π-holograms into a multi-level hologram with a phase range extending over several multiples of 2π. The combined multi-level hologram then reconstructs the original diffractive patterns with only small phase errors at preselected wavelengths, thus projecting the desired image fields almost without any crosstalk. We demonstrate this feature by displaying a static hologram at an SLM which is read out with an incoherent red-green-blue (RGB) beam, projecting a color image at a camera chip. This is done for both, a Fourier setup which needs a lens for image focusing, and in a "lensless" Fresnel setup, which also avoids the appearance of a focused zero-order spot in the image center. The experimentally obtained efficiency of a two-colour combination is on the order of 83% for each wavelength, with a crosstalk level between the two colour channels below 2%, whereas a three-colour combination still reaches an efficiency of about 60% and a crosstalk level below 5%.

Double-slit interference of radially polarized vortex beams

Both radially polarized (RP) and radially polarized vortex (RPV) beams are generated by an experimental setup with one phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator which efficiently modulates the phase retardation distributions of input beam by twice reflections. The polarizing properties and double-slit interference of both RP and RPV beams are investigated in detail. Misplacement and tilt appear in double-slit interference fringes of both RP beams and RPV beams in simulations and experiments. The fringe tilt number F in the intermediate region is proportional to the topological charge l of RPV beams with the approximate relation Fs(l)=0.8125l in simulations and Fe(l)=0.8182l in experiments. The double-slit interference method can be utilized to determine and analyze the topological charge of the beams.