偶氮液晶聚合物薄膜的二维偏振全息记录

利用偏振全息记录的方法在一种含偶氮侧链的液晶聚合物薄膜中写入了二维偏振光栅.实验采用两束正交偏振的532 nm线偏光作为写入光,在样品同一点上分别记录了相互垂直的两个一维偏振光栅,继而对所构成的二维偏振光栅的特性进行了研究.实验结果表明：二维光栅的衍射效率比一维光栅低,其偏振特性是两个一维光栅元特性的叠加;二维光栅衍射效率对入射光偏振态的依赖性和光栅的偏振转换性质来源于材料中线双折射和圆双折射的共同作用. 关键词： 偏振全息 二维光栅 偶氮液晶聚合物     

Thermal polarization properties of thick anisotropic diffraction holograms recorded in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

The diffraction and polarization properties of thick anisotropic holographic gratings recorded in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals are studied experimentally and theoretically. Such gratings are anisotropic and sensitive to temperature variations and also exhibit a strong dependence of the diffraction properties on the incident radiation polarization because of the presence of liquid-crystal molecules. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency and diffracted beam polarization orientation on the diffraction grating temperature and incident beam linear polarization are obtained for the case of Bragg incidence. The same dependences are derived using the known experimental temperature curves of the liquid crystal permittivity. The experimental data are in agreement with the theoretical calculations. The feasibility of controlling the diffraction characteristics of the grating in a wide temperature interval is demonstrated.     

Design of an all-optical logic sequence generator based on polarization holographic gratings

In this Letter, an all-optical logic sequence generator based on two different polarization holographic gratings has been proposed and demonstrated, which has one input port and four output ports. The polarization state of input light signal determines logic output signals. It can produce four kinds of logic sequence output signals:1000, 0100, 0010, and 0001, corresponding to the input light signal of four different polarization states: the p-linear, s-linear, left-handed circular, and right-handed circular. The two polarization gratings have been fabricated, and the working principle of the logic sequence generator has been proved by diffraction pattern analysis of polarization gratings.     

A method of designing photonic crystal grating slow-wave circuit for Ribbon--Beam microwave travelling wave amplifiers

A method of designing a photonic crystal grating slow-wave circuit in which the cylinders of the 2D photonic crystals dot on a cross-sectional plane is established by calculating the band structures of the 2D photonic crystals, and the eigenfrequency of the equivalent waveguide grating. For calculating the band structures, the eigenvalue equations of the photonic crystals in the system of photonic crystal grating slow-wave circuit are derived in a special polarization mode. Two examples are taken to show the method. The design result is validated by the scattering parameters of the same circuit. The result indicates that there exists no photonic band gap if the metal gratings do not extend into the photonic crystals; the design of the circuit without the metal gratings extending into the photonic crystals is less flexible than that with the metal gratings extending into the photonic crystals.     

Coherence-polarization mixing in resonance gratings

We show, using rigorous diffraction theory, that resonance gratings can be used to transfer partial spatial correlation to partial polarization even if the incident light beam is fully polarized. The phenomenon is based on the fact that either of the two orthogonal polarization components can be coupled into the leaky waveguide mode, leading to a strong phase delay, while the other one is reflected without being coupled into the grating. Numerical demonstrations are based on a Gaussian Schell-model beam and a grating analysis performed by rigorous Fourier modal method.     

Optimal design of sub-wavelength metal rectangular gratings for polarizing beam splitter based on effective medium theory

A novel optimal design of sub-wavelength metal rectangular gratings for the polarizing beam splitter (PBS) is proposed. The method is based on effective medium theory and the method of designing single layer antireflection coating. The polarization performance of PBS is discussed by rigorous couple-wave analysis (RCWA) method at a wavelength of 1550~nm. The result shows that sub-wavelength metal rectangular grating is characterized by a high reflectivity, like metal films for TE polarization, and high transmissivity, like dielectric films for TM polarization. The optimal design accords well with the results simulated by RCWA method.     

共振域矩形介质光栅的逆向设计

采用模态法研究了共振域光栅分束器及闪耀光栅等光学器件的设计原理及逆向设计方法,给出了-1级非偏振闪耀光栅的典型设计示例。研究表明,自准直角入射时,光束在光栅内传输将激发产生离散模,通过调节离散模透过光栅传输时的累积相位差,可对衍射光进行调控,实现偏振(非偏振)分束、偏振(非偏振)闪耀等功能。采用严格耦合波法对基于模态法逆向设计的-1级非偏振石英闪耀光栅的几何参数进行验证,计算结果显示两者非常吻合,证明了该方法的正确性。     

用多级台阶量化相位光栅分离偏振光

构造了三角形轮廓多级台阶量化相位光栅模型,用傅里叶光学方法详细推导了光栅衍射场强的解析表达式。分析了这种光栅对偏振光的分离和聚焦特性,并优化设计了两个光栅。数值模拟和分析表明,模型光栅能够将o光和e光分离任意距离,并分别在指定的方向上聚焦。计算结果显示,取8～16个量化级就可以得到较大的衍射效率,两偏振光的能量比较均衡,偏振性能较好;量化级数的进一步增加只是衍射效率有所增加,并不能提高偏振性能。     

光轴方向任意时光折变晶体中体全息光栅的衍射性质

利用坐标旋转方法和Kogelnik耦合波理论,建立了光轴方向任意时单轴晶体中体光栅布拉格衍射的耦合波方程,分析了Li NbO3晶体的光轴方向对光折变体全息光栅的各向同性和各向异性布拉格衍射性质的影响。模拟计算表明,在给定光栅的结构参量时,通过适当选择光轴方向角可以使得光折变体光栅的各向同性和各向异性布拉格衍射的衍射效率达到最大,给出了相应类型的衍射效率取得最大值时晶体光轴的大致方向。这些理论分析为光折变体全息光学器件的优化设计和进一步广泛应用提供了很好的理论参考依据。     

New fabrication method for anisotropic gratings formed in photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystals

We present a new fabrication method, called two-step ultraviolet exposure, to prepare anisotropic gratings in photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystal films. Using the controllability of the reorientation direction of mesogenic molecules, anisotropic phase gratings, in which the mesogenic molecules were periodically modulated in orthogonal directions, were prepared by the use of one grating photomask. The resultant gratings diffract the light and convert the polarization states at the same time, and have applications as diffraction optical devices. PACS 42.65.Hw; 42.70.Df; 42.70.Nq; 78.20.-e; 78.40.Me     

A new polarimeter based on optical non-reciprocity in gratings with two-dimensional chirality

We have studied the optical transmission properties of a number of different dielectric diffraction gratings that each exhibit two-dimensional chirality in their grating elements. We have found that the diffracted beams transmitted through these structures exhibit large anisotropic polarization changes and polarization-dependent intensity modulations even though the chiral elements are arranged in square grating arrays. The strength and functional form of both of these effects differ for each diffracted beam. They are also dependent on the chirality of the surface patterning and the thickness of the patterned dielectric film. We show how these properties could be exploited to provide a new and more versatile form of polarimeter, and how the operation of such a device is inherently dependent on the optical non-reciprocity of these chiral gratings.     

Diffraction of an ultrashort pulsed beam with arbitrary polarization state from a volume holographic grating in LiNbO3 crystals

Based on a modified coupled wave theory of Kogelnik, we have studied the diffraction of an ultrashort pulsed beam with an arbitrary polarization state from a volume holographic grating in photorefractive LiNbO₃ crystals. The results indicate that the diffracted intensity distributions in the spectral and temporal domains and the diffraction efficiency of the grating are both changed by the polarization state and spectral bandwidth of the input pulsed beam. A method is given of choosing the grating parameters and input conditions to obtain a large variation range of the spectral bandwidth of the diffracted pulsed beam with an appropriate diffraction efficiency. Our study presents a possibility of using a volume holographic grating recorded in anisotropic materials to shape a broadband ultrashort pulsed beam by modulating its polarization state.     

Analysis on polarization dependence of Fraunhofer diffraction by metallic grating with short period

A method based on the combination of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm and Fourier transformation was proposed to analyze the Fraunhofer diffraction of gratings. Polarization dependence of the Fraunhofer diffraction of a one-dimensional metallic grating with period less than 8 times the incident wavelength was studied. Some special characteristics were found. The polarization dependence is related to period value, slit width, and thickness of the grating, and the missing orders predicted by scalar analysis appear. Besides, if the period of a grating is larger than 8 times the wavelength but the slit width or the size of the opaque portion of the grating is close to the wavelength, diffraction of the grating also becomes polarization dependent.     

Fabrication of high-spatial-frequency gratings through computer-generated near-field holography

We demonstrate an innovative method for fabrication of high-spatial-frequency grating structures. This technique makes use of the near-field diffraction patterns from computer-generated phase holograms for lithographic fabrication of grating structures with periods that are one half that of the phase hologram mask. Linear, rectilinear, and circular gratings were fabricated with this technique. Experimental results from gratings with periods to 0.5 mum and feature sizes to ~0.2 mum are presented.     

Control of anisotropic diffraction in liquid-crystal composite volume gratings

Orientation-controlled anisotropic diffraction gratings are realized by interferometric exposure using composite materials of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) and LC diacrylate monomers. The anisotropic diffraction properties in volume gratings, which dominantly diffract p- or s-polarized light, are shown to be controlled by the rubbed directions of the alignment layers under the control of the photopolymerization temperature. Images of the fringe patterns observed by polarization microscopy show the effects of the alignment layers on the LC orientation during grating formation.     

Polarization-independent photochromic diffraction in a dye-doped liquid crystal

We report the observation of polarization-independent photochromic diffraction in an azo-dye-doped liquid crystal. The generation of the phase grating is more than 90% independent of the polarization of the writing beams, and the diffraction by the phase grating is more than 90% independent of the polarization of the probe beam. Unpolarized lamp light was also used to generate real-time phase gratings and self-diffraction. For the first time to our knowledge, photochromic phase modulation and light diffraction that exhibit more than 90% polarization independence for both writing and probe beams were produced in an anisotropic liquid-crystalline material.     

一种设计环形汇聚光栅反射镜的新方法

提出了一种利用数学变换来快速设计环形汇聚光栅反射镜的方法.通过分析具体的物理场景,抽象出已有条形汇聚光栅的"线"汇聚特性与所要设计的"点"汇聚特性在数学上对应的变换关系,然后用该数学变换对条形汇聚光栅进行外形上的变换,外形变换后的条形光栅即为可以实现"点"汇聚的环形光栅.用有限元算法对设计的环形汇聚光栅进行仿真,仿真证明采用该方法设计的环形光栅可以很好地实现高反、高汇聚.采用这一方法,设计了直径为29.788μm的环形光栅反射镜,当垂直入射的径向偏振光从设计的环形光栅表面反射回来后将发生汇聚,汇聚焦点位于环形光栅表面10μm处.经计算,反射镜的数值孔径为0.8302,反射率为0.9163,在焦点所在的汇聚面上,汇聚光栅电场分布的半高宽为1.5548μm.     

高衍射效率亚波长结构Dammann光栅的设计

传统的Dammann光栅是基于标量衍射理论设计的二值相位等光强分束器件，其衍射效率的典型值为80%左右.基于严格耦合波分析理论和遗传算法，提出了一种设计亚波长结构Dammann光栅的新方法，且该新型二值相位光栅具有较高的衍射效率.同时利用自编的仿真程序包设计了多个光栅，并分析了制作误差对其衍射效率和光强均匀性的影响.仿真结果表明，用该方法所设计的Dammann光栅的衍射效率超过92%.     

Unified design of wavelength-independent deep-etched fused-silica gratings

We present a unified design of wavelength-independent deep-etched fused-silica gratings as polarizing beam splitters and polarization-independent two-port beam splitters by using the simplified modal method. By defining unified grating parameters as the ratio of incident wavelength to grating period and the ratio of groove depth to grating period, unified grating structures are found to be approximately wavelength-independent, which is based on the modal view of the accumulated phase difference of two excited propagating grating modes. Diffraction efficiencies given by the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) verified this unified design at the wavelength of 1064 nm. It should be noted that this unified design of wavelength-independent gratings is an analytic result, which is impossible to be derived with the well-known numerical RCWA. Modal method is powerful and presents a clear physical picture for us to obtain this unified design. Therefore, this unified design can be used as a general guideline for designing deep-etched fused-silica gratings as beam splitters for practical applications from ultraviolet to near infrared.     

两种亚波长金属波片的透射特性对比

综合等效介质理论和表面等离子激元(SPP)Bloch模型,对比分析了两种新的亚波长光栅结构:二维矩形金属光栅和二维椭圆柱金属光栅。利用时域有限差分(FDTD)算法,对比分析了两种结构的透射率及其相位延迟与入射光波长及偏振角变化的关系,尤其两种结构实现λ/4波片功能所对应的透射特性。仿真结果表明,当入射光偏振角为75°时,两种结构均可实现λ/4波片功能,此时二维矩形和椭圆柱金属光栅的透射率分别为0.77和0.67,表明二维矩形金属光栅比椭圆柱光栅具有更好的透射效果。对应550～800nm的入射波长,两种光栅在各自允许的入射偏振角范围内均表现了较为平坦的宽带透射特性。