Tunable microlens arrays using polymer network liquid crystal

A tunable-focus microlens array based on polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) is demonstrated. The PNLC was prepared using an ultraviolet (UV) light exposure through a patterned photomask. The photocurable monomer in each of the UV exposed spot forms an inhomogeneous centro-symmetrical polymer network which acts as a lens when a homogeneous electric field is applied to the cell. The focal length of the microlens arrays is tunable with the applied voltage.     

Tunable protein microlens array

Based on natural protein materials, a series of lenses with different heights and focal lengths were assembled on glass substrates by femtosecond laser non-contact, masking, and cold processing. This lens array itself possesses unique and characteristic optical performance in three-dimensional parallel imaging and bending imaging. What is more profound is that by using equilibrium swelling of protein-hydrogel, once the lens array was placed in a liquid environment, with the change of ion concentration(e.g., pH), the refractive index and curvature of the protein-hydrogel would change, which leads to the flex of the focal plane of the lens, finally realizing the dynamical tunability of a protein microlens. These smart stress devices may have great potential in optical biosensing and microfluidic chip integration fields.     

Liquid-crystal microlens arrays using patterned polymer networks

A real-time dynamically tunable-focus microlens array made from a polymer-liquid-crystal (LC) composite is demonstrated. The polymer was first patterned in microlens array cavities by lamination, and the LC-monomer mixture was then injected to the molded polymer cavities and finally stabilized by UV light-induced networks. Using this new fabrication method, we demonstrated a lens with a spherical shape and a glazed surface. This LC-based microlens can reach approximately 100% light efficiency for linearly polarized light. The saturation voltage of the lens is approximately 60 Vrms, and the response time is approximately 30 ms.     

High speed sub-micrometric microscopy using optical polymer microlens

We report the high speed scanning submicronic microscopy （SSM） using a low cost polymer microlens integrated at the extremity of an optical fiber. These microlenses are fabricated by a free-radical photopolymerization method. Using a polymer microlens with a radius of curvature of 250 nm, a sub-micrometric gold pattern is imaged experimentally by SSM. Different distances between the tip and the sample are used with a high scanning speed of 200 cm/s. In particular, metallic absorption contrasts are described with an optical spatial resolution of 250 nm at the wavelength of 532 nm. Moreover, finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） simulations concerning the focal lengths of microlenses with different geometries and heights support the experimental data.     

Varifocal liquid-filled microlens operated by an electroactive polymer actuator

We designed, fabricated, and characterized varifocal microlenses, whose focal length varies along with the deformation of a transparent elastomer membrane under hydraulic pressure tailored by electroactive polymer actuators. The microfluidic channel of the microlens was designed to be embedded between silicon and glass so that transient fluctuation of the optical fluid and elastomer membrane is effectively suppressed, and thus the microlens is optically stabilized in a reduced time. Multilayered poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-clorotrifluoroethylene) actuators were also developed and integrated onto the microfluidic chambers. We demonstrated that the developed microlenses are suitable for use in microimaging systems to make their foci tunable.     

Tunable wavelength-selective asymmetrical single-mode fibre directional couplers with an intermediate layer

The power-transfer function of asymmetrical directional couplers consisting of two polished single-mode fibres with different core diameters and refractive-index differences has a band-pass behaviour over the wavelength. The fixed centre wavelength of the bandpass is determined by the fibre parameters only. Theoretical calculations show that, by inserting an intermediate dielectric layer with suitable thickness and shape between the fibres, the centre wavelength can be shifted easily over a range of ±30 nm. Experimental results are in good agreement with theory.     

Tunable ultraviolet intracavity tripled Ti:sapphire laser

We present what we believe to be the first intracavity tripled Ti:sapphire laser. This source is tunable in the 275-285-nm range and will be useful for applications in the detection of important atmospheric species such as OH and NO radicals. Single-frequency operation and high optical yield (>50%) are obtained in this system after it has been injected by a laser diode.     

Tunable all-fiber intracavity wavelength converter without external pumps

A new architecture for tunable broadband wavelength conversion in a dispersion-shifted fiber is presented. Conversion is achieved by using four-wave-mixing in a dispersion-shifted fiber in a single fiber-ring cavity. Wide tunability is achieved by the self-generation of two tunable orthogonal pumps in the cavity. This effect is due to the introduction of two tunable fiber Bragg gratings written in high birefringence fibers which act as selective polarization and wavelength filters. The results show conversion efficiencies up to −2 dB with the signal-to-noise ratio of the converted signal up to 26 dB.     

Tunable phase conjugation by intracavity degenerate four-wave mixing in an injection-seeded solid dye laser

We demonstrate efficient degenerate four-wave mixing in a laser injection-seeded solid dye laser. Phase-conjugate energy of as much as 140 times the total energy injected externally into the phase conjugator was extracted. Moreover, efficient phase-conjugate energy was obtained in the broad wavelength region from 558 to 567 nm.     

Tunable femtosecond laser in the visible range with an intracavity frequency-doubled optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrated experimentally a synchronously pumped intracavity frequency-doubled femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using a periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) as the nonlinear material in combination with a lithium triborate (LBO) as the doubling crystal. A Kerr-lens-mode-locked (KLM) Ti:sapphire oscillator at the wavelength of 790 nm was used as the pump source, which was capable of generating pulses with a duration as short as 117 fs. A tunable femtosecond laser covering the 624-672 nm range was realized by conveniently adjusting the OPO cavity length. A maximum average output power of 260 mW in the visible range was obtained at the pump power of 2.2 W, with a typical pulse duration of 205 fs assuming a sech2 pulse profile.     

Tunable single-mode Fabry-Perot laser diode using a built-in external cavity and its modulation characteristics

A tunable single-mode laser is obtained by using a weakly coupled cavity structure involved in a coaxially packaged Fabry-Perot laser diode. The cleaved end facet of the coupling fiber becomes an optical reflector and forms an external cavity with a laser facet. The single-mode oscillation condition is controlled and stabilized by tuning the operating temperature. The tuning range is about 10 nm with the side-mode suppression ratio of more than 27 dB when the temperature changes from 11.5 degrees C to 25 degrees C. Direct modulation characteristics were investigated, and our results show that a shorter external cavity can bear deeper modulation depth.     

Fabrication of polymer compound microlens by lens-on-lens microstructures

We proposed a novel method for fabricating polymer compound microlenses (PCMLs) using micro-inkjet technique and subsequent curing process. Two different types of PCMLs with sandwich microstructure (PDMS-Glycerol-PDMS), concave and convex PCMLs, have been designed and fabricated in experiments. Convex PCML has two real images and two foci. The concave PCML has one real and one virtual focal planes, which can generate one real image and one virtual image respectively. Moreover, the diameter of concave PCML can be controlled by adjusting the curing time and temperature. The proposed method is simple, efficient and suitable for realizing large-scale high numerical aperture PCMLs array, which has potential applications in diverse optical systems such as optical storage and three-dimensional imaging.     

单偏振单模聚合物光子晶体光纤设计

 设计了一种聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)基的单偏振单模(SPSM)微结构聚合物光纤(MPOF)。利用全矢量有限元法和光束传播法相结合分析了这种光纤的偏振特性和约束损耗。通过优化光纤结构参数,发现在0.51 μm～0.62 μm的可见光波长范围,由于基模两个正交偏振模的截止波长不同,这种微结构聚合物光纤只能传输基模中的一个偏振模,从而实现单偏振单模运转。该11圈圆空气孔六角排列光纤结构的传导偏振模在0.57 μm波长处约束损耗仅为1.13 dB/m,这种低损耗的单偏振单模微结构聚合物光纤可有效消除传统保偏光纤固有的偏振串扰和偏振模色散。     

Coupling an injection laser to a single-mode optical fiberguide with the aid of a microlens in a matching-module system

Optoelectronics Laboratory, Lebedev Physics Institute. Translated from Preprint No. 192 of the Lebedev Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, 1989.     

Tunable fiber ring laser with an intracavity high resolution filter employing two-dimensional dispersion and LCoS modulator

We demonstrate a tunable fiber ring laser employing a two-dimensional dispersion arrangement filter, with the lasing determined by a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator. Lasing wavelengths can be tuned discontinuously across the communication C-band at an addressable resolution of less than 200 MHz. We introduce full characterization of the laser output including phase and amplitude stability and short and long-term bandwidth measurements.     

Optical interconnections using microlens arrays

Free-space interconnection of widely spaced pixels may be implemented using microlenses, rather than conventional imaging. Advantages, problems, and studies of system capacity are discussed.     

Effects of low polymer content in a liquid-crystal microlens

A small number of bifunctional monomers are mixed with a nematic liquid crystal (LC) and cured with a distributed electric field, which is produced by a circular-hole-patterned electrode structure. A gradient type of lens, that is, a LC microlens, is investigated for various polymer concentrations. Addition of 3% polymer is enough to freeze the gradient-index properties of the structure in the form of a convex lens, and a polymer-stabilized LC microlens is demonstrated. Although a lower concentration of polymer cannot hold the distribution properties in a curing process, it can maintain the variable focus as a nematic material can. The polymer networks can also eliminate the disclination line that usually appears and causes the lens in this type of LC device to deteriorate.     

High-resolution beam steering using microlens arrays

Imaging or beam-steering systems employing a periodic array of microlenses or micromirrors suffer from diffraction problems resulting from the destructive interference of the beam segments produced by the array. Simple formulas are derived for beam steering with segmented apertures that do not suffer from diffraction problems because of the introduction of a moving linear phase shifter such as a prescan lens before the periodic structure. The technique substantially increases the resolution of imaging systems that employ microlens arrays or micromirror arrays. Theoretical, numerical, and experimental results demonstrating the high-resolution imaging concept using microlens arrays are presented.     

用光敏玻璃制作微透镜列阵

对特种光敏玻璃及其微透镜列阵的成型机理及制作工艺进行了研究。采用六角密排结构，在远紫外线下曝光，问时进行热循环处理，成功制作出直径为４００μｍ、表面凸起高度达９．０μｍ的微透镜列阵。     

Spectral narrowing of a dye laser oscillation using an intracavity vapor prism

A new method for narrowing the oscillation spectrum of a broad-band dye laser is reported in this paper. The narrowing is achieved by a vapor prism placed inside the laser cavity, which is based on an anomalous dispersion of the atomic vapor so that the narrowing effect occurs only in the vicinity of the absorption line. Using a sodium vapor prism inside a Rhodamine 6G dye laser cavity, an oscillation linewidth less than 0.01 nm was attained at a sodium temperature of 320°C.