Full-range, complex spatial light modulator for real-time holography

We demonstrate a full-range complex and transmissive spatial light modulator (SLM) for simultaneous and independent amplitude and phase modulation of an input wave field. Arbitrary scalar complex optical fields are generated by stacking a pixelated liquid crystal display operating in phase-only (2π) modulation with passive polarization-sensitive components. The principle is based on optical combining the light fields of two neighboring phase-only modulating pixels, which were made orthogonally polarized by a structured half-wave plate, then passing through a birefringent plate to laterally shift one of the beams collinear to the other, and finally bringing to interference by a linear polarizer. Complex modulation by the proposed SLM is experimentally verified in monochrome green operation.     

Beam steering approach for high-precision spatial light modulators

Steering accuracy is limited by the quantized phase modulation values and the number of phase pixels for spatial light modulators （SLMs）.Conventional methods of beam steering lack optimum precision.In this letter,a beam steering approach based on horizontally moving phase steps is proposed.Compared with the conventional methods,this novel method is able to reduce the maximum normalized steering error in SLM significantly by a factor proportional to the number of pixels.In addition,steering errors of high steering angles can be drastically reduced by a factor proportional to the product of the number of pixels and the quantized phase levels; the number of high-precision steering angles increases with the number of pixels or the quantized phase levels increasing.     

Common-path phase-shifting lensless holographic microscopy

We present an approach capable of high-NA imaging in a lensless digital in-line holographic microscopy layout even outside the Gabor's regime. The method is based on spatial multiplexing at the sample plane, allowing a common-path interferometric architecture, where two interferometric beams are generated by a spatial light modulator (SLM) prior to illuminating the sample. The SLM allows phase-shifting interferometry by phase modulation of the SLM diffracted beam. After proper digital processing, the complex amplitude distribution of the diffracted object wavefront is recovered and numerically propagated to image the sample. Experimental results are reported that validate the proposed method.     

Correction to: Generation of amplitude- and phase-modulated signal beam with a phase-only spatial light modulator and its detection by the transport of intensity equation method for holographic data storage

This study evaluates a novel holographic data storage (HDS) that uses a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) for the multilevel complex amplitude modulation of a signal beam and the transport of intensity equation (TIE) method to detect the signal beam without interferometry, to increase the capacity of the HDS, simplifying its optical system, and improving the stability of the signal beam modulation and detection. Both the amplitude and phase of the signal beam were modulated by a computer-generated hologram displayed in a phase-only SLM, a 4-f optical system, and a pinhole placed in the Fourier plane. The complex amplitude-modulated signal beam generated by this scheme does not always perfectly match the target complex amplitude, and deviations from the amplitude and phase of the target complex amplitude may exist. It is unclear whether the TIE method, which is sensitive to the state of the beam intensity and the phase distributions to be detected (such as zero-intensity points and phase discontinuities), can accurately detect a signal beam whose complex amplitude is modulated by the modulation scheme with a phase-only SLM. Here, we demonstrate via numerical simulations and experiments that several methods of complex amplitude generation using a phase-only SLM can achieve multilevel modulation of the amplitude and phase of a signal beam and are suitable for detection by the TIE method in HDS.

     

Compensation for misaligned data pages based on a three-pixel model in holographic data storage

To compensate misalignments between a detector array and a spatial light modulator (SLM) in page-oriented holographic data storage, a method based on a three-pixel model is proposed. Three neighboring pixels in one-dimensional direction on the SLM that make contributions to the center pixel on the detector are considered in the three-pixel model. Recursive solutions are carried out to recover the true values of the SLM pixels. Both simulation and experimental results show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be doubled approximately by use of the compensation method based on the three-pixel model. The proposed method is appropriate for relatively small apertures, and has the similar effects with the equalization method, which effectively improves the SNR.     

Diffractive characteristics of the liquid crystal spatial light modulator

The liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC SLM) is very suitable for wavefront correction and optical testing and can produce a wavefront with large phase change and high accuracy. The LC SLM is composed of thousands of pixels and the pixel size and shape have effects on the diffractive characteristics of the LC SLM. This paper investigates the pixel effect on the phase of the wavefront with the scalar diffractive theory. The results show that the maximum optical path difference modulation is 41\,$\mu$m to produce the paraboloid wavefront with the peak to valley accuracy better than $\la$/10. Effects of the mismatch between the pixel and the period, and black matrix on the diffraction efficiency of the LC SLM are also analysed with the Fresnel phase lens model. The ability of the LC SLM is discussed for optical testing and wavefront correction based on the calculated results. It shows that the LC SLM can be used as a wavefront corrector and a compensator.     

Synthesis and reconstruction of computer generated holograms by a double pass technique on a twisted nematic-based liquid crystal spatial light modulator

Achieving phase only modulation from a spatial light modulator (SLM) is useful for many optical processing tasks. In this paper, we demonstrate a simple method of decoupling phase and amplitude modulation in a twisted nematic liquid crystal (TNLC) SLM using a double pass technique. A Jones calculus model is developed which matches our experimental data.     

采用液晶空间光调制器进行激光光束的空间整形

提出采用液晶空间光调制器进行激光束的实时,可调控光束空间整形的新方法,研究了液晶空间光调制器的光学调制特性,用液晶空间光调制器衬时产生的软边切趾光阑与空间滤波器结合,有效地对任意光束进行空间整形,获得光束填充因子高,近“平顶”光强的光束近场分布。     

基于光学全息的任意矢量光的生成方法

基于光学全息的角度复用特性, 根据空间光调制器对光场的相位和振幅调制原理, 通过加载产生任意矢量光所需要的相位分布, 设计了一种生成任意矢量光的方法. 该方法首先利用光学全息技术记录空间光调制器加载的相位, 从而制作一个全息光栅; 再现过程中, 两束具有相同入射角度的参考光照射全息光栅, 使得两束再现光相干叠加, 进而获得可调控的任意矢量光. 该方法能够避免复杂偏振态的出现, 并且具有生成光路简单、方便操作、生成矢量光的偏振纯度高等优势. 通过计算机模拟生成了任意矢量光, 获得了很好的效果.     

Hybrid multinary modulation using a phase modulating spatial light modulator and a low-pass spatial filter

We propose a method for performing binary intensity and continuous phase modulation of beams with a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a low-pass spatial filtering 4-f system. With our method it is possible to avoid the use of phase masks in holographic data storage systems or to enhance the phase encoding of the SLM by making it capable of binary amplitude modulation. The data storage capabilities and the limitations of the method are studied.     

Femtosecond pulse shaping using a two-dimensional liquid-crystal spatial light modulator

We introduce a programmable, high-rate scanning femtosecond pulse shaper based on a two-dimensional liquid crystal on a silicon spatial light modulator (SLM). While horizontal resolution of 1920 addressable pixels provides superior fidelity for generating complex waveforms, scanning across the vertical dimension (1080 pixels) has been used to facilitate at least 3 orders of magnitude speed increase as compared with typical liquid-crystal SLM-based pulse shapers. An update rate in excess of 100 kHz is demonstrated.     

Special phase mask and related data format for page-based holographic data storage systems

Random phase masks in object and reference beam of page-based holographic storage systems suppress the DC-peak and improve the overlap of both beams inside the storage material. Furthermore, they allow for a narrow shift-selectivity. In a holographic setup the phase mask has to be introduced at a conjugate image plane of the spatial light modulator (SLM), if it is not fixed directly on the SLM itself. A binary phase mask with cells generating 0 and π phase shifts has to be aligned very accurately with respect to the SLM pixels, otherwise image artifacts disturb the received data page. We present a phase mask, where the phase cells have the size of a data block which consists of a rectangular set of SLM pixels. Additionally, the corresponding data page has no data at the position of phase jumps and thus relaxes the alignment tolerance significantly.     

Characterization of a high efficiency, ultrashort pulse shaper incorporating a reflective 4096-element spatial light modulator

We demonstrate pulse shaping via arbitrary phase modulation with a reflective, 1 × 4096 element, liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM). The unique construction of this device provides a very high efficiency when the device is used for phase modulation only in a prism based pulse shaper, namely 85%. We also present a single shot characterization of the SLM in the spatial domain and a single shot characterization of the pulse shaper in the spectral domain. These characterization methods provide a detailed picture of how the SLM modifies the spectral phase of an ultrashort pulse.     

Multilevel phase and amplitude modulation method for holographic memories with programmable phase modulator

The utilization of spatial quadrature amplitude modulation (SQAM) signals with amplitude and phase modulation is a simple method used to improve storage capacity in a holographic data storage system. We propose a multilevel phase and amplitude modulation method for holographic memories with a programmable phase modulator (PPM). In this method, holographic page data is recorded by a two-step exposure process for different phase-modulated data. There is no need to adjust the positions of spatial light modulators (SLM) with high accuracy because we use only one spatial modulator. We estimate the quality of 16 SQAM signals produced by our technique.     

Smart pixels in a focal-plane image compression system

Image compressors improve the handling of image data in image-processing systems. In our proposed image-compression system, we employ a smart complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor and an integrated spatial light modulator (SLM) and then the optoelectronic architecture performs a large part of image-compression processes. Each pixel of the integrated SLM consists of multiple modulation pads; the integrated SLM then performs decoding and optical D/A conversion. A paired configuration of the smart CMOS sensor and the integrated SLM transforms optical analog signals into electronic digital signals. A theoretical analysis showed that the error ratio of the proposed systems was 3%.     

Experimental implementation of a Wiener filter in a hybrid digital--optical correlator

We present the implementation of a clutter-tolerant filter in a hybrid correlator system. Wiener filters were mapped with a complex encoding technique onto a smectic A(*) liquid-crystal spatial light modulator (SLM). The technique overcomes the problem of representing high-dynamic-range data on SLM's that have limited modulation capabilities. It also provides a compact image recognition system that is robust enough for many real-world applications. Experimental results are presented.     

全息光盘存储器的数据存取与像素匹配

全息光盘存储(HDS)技术作为一种非常具有潜力的新型信息存储技术, 是下一代光盘发展的目标。在全息光盘存储系统中, 为了实现数据精确快速地写入和读出, 降低误码率, 需要在整个高分辨率页面上实现空间光调制器(SLM)与光电阵列耦合器(CCD)之间1∶1像素匹配。在体全息存储理论和光学设计理论基础上, 研究实现SLM和CCD像素1∶1匹配的方法, 提出了实现像素匹配的要求和条件, 并且按照此要求完成该全息光盘存储器的光学系统。实验中, 分别使用随机数据掩膜版和SLM实现了对CCD的512×512精确像素匹配, 在光学系统中引入存储介质条件下, 图像质量良好, 掩膜版和SLM原始误码率分别为2.5×10-4和1.5×10-4。     

采用液晶空间光调制器的可控性阵列菲涅耳波带片

利用液晶空间光调制器的光学调制特性,实现阵列数与焦长可调控的阵列菲涅耳波带片,并给出了理论分析和实验结果,该方法操作简单、具有实时可调控的优点.     

Quantitative characterization of holographic displays based on liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator

This report discusses the effect of speckle size on the quality of holographic images based on a liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM). Further, it proposes methods of quantifying the average speckle size and holographic image resolution. These methods enable both characteristics to be compared using the same unit (the number of pixels in the holographic image), providing an intuitive and effective comparative analysis method. In particular, by varying the LCoS resolution ratio, the change in the resolvable minimum pixels of the holographic image is interpreted in conjunction with the average speckle size; moreover, an analysis of the correlation between the latter two is presented. This approach, based on LCoS resolution division, could provide useful insights into single-SLM-based, full-color holographic displays using space division. Furthermore, it could be extended to other components, including more advanced LCoS SLMs, and used to identify the relative effects on image quality with speckles.     

Experimental system of coupled map lattices

We design an optical feedback loop system consisting of a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator (SLM), a lens, polarizers, a CCD camera, and a computer. The system images every SLM pixel onto one camera pixel. The light intensity on the camera pixel shows a nonlinear relationship with the phase shift applied by the SLM. Every pixel behaves as a nonlinear map, and we can control the interaction of pixels. Therefore, this feedback loop system can be regarded as a spatially extended system. This experimental coupled map has variable dimensions, which can be up to 512 by 512. The system can be used to study high-dimensional problems that computer simulations cannot handle.