径向偏振光下的长焦、紧聚焦表面等离子体激元透镜

表面等离子体激元透镜(plasmonic lens, PL)是一种通过激发和操控表面等离子体激元 (SPPs), 突破衍射极限, 实现亚波长紧聚焦的纳米光子器件. 如何实现高效率的紧聚焦及调控, 一直是研究PL的重点. 如果选取电矢量沿径向振动的径向偏振光作为PL的入射光, 可从各个方向激发SPPs, 提高紧聚焦的能量效率. 本文提出了一种在径向偏振光激发下的长焦深、长焦距、亚波长紧聚焦的表面等离子体激元透镜, 该透镜由中心T 形微孔、阶梯形同心环和同心环结构组成. 本文首先利用有限元方法数值分析了中心微孔-同心环结构透镜的聚焦特性, 结果显示径向偏振光由底部入射可高效激发SPPs, 并且中心微孔透射光与散射至自由空间的SPPs由于多光束干涉形成了紧聚焦. 为进一步压缩焦斑、增加焦距、加深焦深、改善透镜聚焦特性, 本文引入中心T形微孔-阶梯形同心环结构, 从而对阶梯表面的SPPs同时提供了相位调制和传播方向的控制. 经过参数优化, 该透镜结构实现了光斑焦深、半高宽、焦距分别是入射光波长的2.5倍、0.388 倍、3.22倍的亚波长紧聚焦; 而且该透镜具有结构紧凑、尺寸小、易于集成的优点, 满足了纳米光子学对于器件微型化和高度集成化的要求. 该研究结果在纳米光子集成、近场光学成像与探测、纳米光刻等相关领域具有潜在的应用价值.     

Formation of sub-half-wavelength focal spot with ultra long depth of focus

We theoretically demonstrate the creation of sub-wavelength focal spot with ultra long depth of focus (DOF) non-diffracting. To achieve a sub-half-wavelength focal spot (0.4λ) with modulation, extended DOF (over 9.5λ) in vacuum, an integration of amplitude phase encoding, cylindrical polarization and the combination of dual-beams is utilized. Further analysis also predicts that a flattop intensity distribution along z axis can be observed around the ideal focus point.     

基于束间动态干涉的快速匀滑新方法

针对高功率激光装置中靶面辐照均匀性的高要求,提出了一种利用束间动态干涉改善辐照均匀性的快速匀滑方法.基本原理是利用共轭相位板阵列对存在一定波长差的多束激光附加相位调制,从而使各子束在远场两两相干叠加以产生动态的干涉图样,进而引起焦斑内部散斑的动态扫动,在ps时间内抹平不均匀性.以典型惯性约束聚变装置中的激光集束为例,通过建立基于束间动态干涉的快速匀滑物理模型,定量分析了相位板类型、相位调制幅度和束间波长差等因素对焦斑动态干涉图样的影响及规律,进而对其束匀滑特性进行了讨论.结果表明,基于束间动态干涉的快速匀滑方法可以有效地实现多方向、多维度的焦斑内部散斑快速扫动,且通过与传统束匀滑技术的联用,可以在更短的时间内达到更好的焦斑均匀性.     

Saturated Förster resonance energy transfer microscopy with a stimulated emission depletion beam: a pathway toward single-molecule resolution in far-field bioimaging

We theoretically demonstrate that the spatial resolution of stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy can be substantially enhanced without increasing the intensity of the STED beam. In our scheme, tiny nanobeads codoped with donor and acceptor molecules are used as fluorescent probes, in which F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) can occur with an ~100% efficiency between the donors and acceptors. Enhancement of the depletion of acceptors in the nanobeads with the doughnut-shaped depletion beam can lead to an increase of FRET efficiency in the outer area of the excitation spot, which itself is used for deexciting donor molecules and, consequently, enhancing the optical resolution.     

Phase encoding for sharper focus of the azimuthally polarized beam

We demonstrate that a sharper focal spot area can be generated (0.147λ(2)) by using an azimuthally polarized beam propagating through a vortex 0-2π phase plate than for radial polarization (0.17λ(2)) or for linear polarization (0.26λ(2)) under the same condition. Further research illustrates that such optimistic results can still be expected when condition limitations are liberalized. This will facilitate new approaches to get superresolution in confocal systems.     

高精度纯相位液晶空间光调制器的研究

研制了平行排列液晶空间光调制器（LC SLM）。论述了平行排列液晶相位调制的理论,进行了计算模拟。对液晶空间光调制器相位调制特性和振幅调制特性进行了测量,实验结果表明,在整个灰度级范围内是纯相位调制的空间光调制器,并且调制的范围可达到0．6λ。在ZYGO菲佐干涉仪上进行了精度特性的研究,得到了非常好的结果,在1cm^2的面积上,进行了畸变波前的调制,其精度峰谷值可达0．098λ,均方根值可达0．017λ。在此精度的基础上产生了π相位差的栅结构,证明了这种液晶空间光调制器可以很好的进行相位调制。     

Self-aligned fiber-based dual-beam source for STED nanolithography

A fiber-based source that can be exploited in a stimulated emission depletion(STED) inspired nanolithography setup is presented. Such a source maintains the excitation beam pulse, generates a ring-shaped depletion beam, and automatically realizes dual-beam coaxial alignment that is critical for two beam nanolithography. The mode conversion of the depletion beam is realized by using a customized vortex fiber, which converts the Gaussian beam into a donut-shaped azimuthally polarized beam. The pulse width and repetition frequency of the excitation beam remain unchanged, and its polarization states can be controlled. According to the simulated point spread function of each beam in the focal region, the full width at half-maximum of the effective spot size in STED nanofabrication could decrease to less than 28.6 nm.     

Stimulated emission depletion microscopy with a supercontinuum source and fluorescence lifetime imaging

We demonstrate stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy implemented in a laser scanning confocal microscope using excitation light derived from supercontinuum generation in a microstructured optical fiber. Images with resolution improvement beyond the far-field diffraction limit in both the lateral and axial directions were acquired by scanning overlapped excitation and depletion beams in two dimensions using the flying spot scanner of a commercially available laser scanning confocal microscope. The spatial properties of the depletion beam were controlled holographically using a programmable spatial light modulator, which can rapidly change between different STED imaging modes and also compensate for aberrations in the optical path. STED fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy is demonstrated through the use of time-correlated single photon counting.     

Broad-band phase retrieval method for transient radial shearing interference using chirp Z transform technique

The transient radial shearing interferometry technique based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) provides a means for the measurement of the wavefront phase of transient light field. However, which factors affect the spatial bandwidth of the wavefront phase measurement of this technology and how to achieve high-precision measurement of the broad-band transient wavefront phase are problems that need to be studied further. To this end, a theoretical model of phase-retrieved bandwidth of radial shearing interferometry is established in this paper. The influence of the spatial carrier frequency and the calculation window on phase-retrieved bandwidth is analyzed, and the optimal carrier frequency and calculation window are obtained. On this basis, a broad-band transient radial shearing interference phase-retrieval method based on chirp Z transform (CZT) is proposed, and the corresponding algorithm is given. Through theoretical simulation, a known phase is used to generate the interferogram and it is retrieved by the traditional method and the proposed method respectively. The residual wavefront RMS of the traditional method is 0.146λ, and it is 0.037λ for the proposed method, which manifests an improvement of accuracy by an order of magnitude. At the same time, different levels of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) from 50 dB to 10 dB of the interferogram are simulated, and the RMS of the residual wavefront is from 0.040λ to 0.066λ. In terms of experiments, an experimental verification device based on a phase-only spatial light modulator is built, and the known phase on the modulator is retrieved from the actual interferogram. The RMS of the residual wavefront retrieved through FFT is 0.112λ, and it decreases to 0.035λ through CZT. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper. Furthermore, the method can be used in other types of spatial carrier frequency interference, such as lateral shearing interference, rotational shearing interference, flipping shearing interference, and four-wave shearing interference.     

基于低相干光的阵列透镜束匀滑技术研究

基于激光加载的材料状态方程的实验研究对靶面光强分布的均匀性及稳定性提出了极高的要求,靶面光强的上述两大特性在很大程度上决定了实验结果的精度和可重复性.本文针对传统窄带高相干激光装置在激光加载材料状态方程实验中表现出的靶面光强均匀性和光强分布稳定性两方面可能存在的问题,提出了基于宽带低相干激光,利用消衍射阵列透镜联合诱导非相干技术的束匀滑方案,并重点分析了波前相位畸变对靶面不均匀性及稳定性的影响.模拟结果表明,该方法明显降低了靶面不均匀性,提高了对波前相位畸变的包容度,获得了均匀、稳定的光强分布.统计分析显示,焦斑强度分布极差和不均匀性与波前相位畸变均方根梯度相关性较强.因此,可以根据统计结果以及实验对焦斑强度分布的要求,给出波前相位畸变的容差范围,对状态方程实验中激光驱动器参数的设计与优化具有指导意义.     

基于电光补偿测量的光相位延迟拓展测量法

在激光电光调制补偿测量光相位延迟量过程中,加入交流调制电压形成倍频接收信号,获得消光的精确定位,能提高测量精确度。通过调制信号形状变化与相关参量之依赖关系,可拓展测量范围,解决在某些点附近无法测量波片相位的"盲区"问题。根据接收到的调制光信号形状变化趋势与待测波片样品方位、延迟量、旋转方向等条件的联系,在待测波片快轴选定后,通过波片旋转影响信号形状变化规律的观测,可敏锐地甄别在半波点或全波长点附近波片的正负偏差特性,从而解决了一般偏振干涉补偿测量相位无法解决的测量盲区问题。不改变测量系统结构也不需添加任何器件,适应于最小延迟偏差≥λ/360的情况。     

Tight focus of a radially polarized and amplitude- modulated annular multi-Gaussian beam

The focusing of a radially polarized beam without annular apodization ora phase filter at the entrance pupil of the objective results in a wide focus and low purity of the longitudinally polarized component. However, the presence of a physical annular apodization or phase filter makes some applications more difficult or even impossible. We propose a radially polarized and amplitude-modulated annular multi-Gaussian beam mode. Numerical simulation shows that it can be focused into a sharper focal spot of 0.125λ² without additional apodizations or filters. The beam quality describing the purity of longitudinally polarized component is up to 86%.     

Influence of fluorescence time characteristics on the spatial resolution of CW-stimulated emission depletion microscopy

As one of the most important realizations of stimulated emission depletion(STED) microscopy, the continuouswave(CW) STED system, constructed by using CW lasers as the excitation and STED beams, has been investigated and developed for nearly a decade. However, a theoretical model of the suppression factors in CW STED has not been well established. In this investigation, the factors that affect the spatial resolution of a CW STED system are theoretically and numerically studied. The full-width-at-half-maximum(FWHM) of a CW STED with a doughnut-shaped STED beam is also reanalyzed. It is found that the suppression function is dominated by the ratio of the local STED and excitation beam intensities. In addition, the FWHM is highly sensitive to both the fluorescence rate(inverse of fluoresce lifetime) and the quenching rate, but insensitive to the rate of vibrational relaxation. For comparison, the suppression function in picosecond STED is only determined by the distribution of the STED beam intensity scaled with the saturation intensity. Our model is highly consistent with published experimental data for evaluating the spatial resolution. This investigation is important in guiding the development of new CW STED systems.     

利用消衍射透镜列阵及光谱色散平滑实现焦斑均匀辐照

提出将空间域的透镜列阵法和时间域的光谱色散平滑法结合起来实现靶面的均匀辐照. 消衍射型透镜列阵能获得边缘陡峭且顶部较平坦的准近场焦斑，光谱色散平滑则能有效地抹平焦斑内部由多光束干涉引起的细密条纹. 数值结果显示，通过该方案能获得均匀性较好的焦斑. 进一步分析了光谱色散平滑单元中位相调制和光栅的参数对辐照均匀性的影响，发现参数的选取要在焦斑均匀性和能量利用率之间取得合理平衡，以在整体上获得最佳的均匀辐照效果. 关键词： 光谱色散平滑 透镜列阵 衍射 多光束干涉     

Optimization‐free superoscillatory lens using phase and amplitude masks

A superoscillatory focusing lens has been experimentally demonstrated by optimizing Fresnel zone plates (FZP), with limited physical insight as to how the lens feature contributes to the focal formation. It is therefore imperative to establish a generalized viable account for both FZP (amplitude mask) and binary optics (phase mask). Arbitrary superoscillatory spots can now be customized and realized by a realistic optical device, without using optimization. It is counterintuitively found that high spatial frequency with small amplitude and destructive interference are favorable in superfocusing of a superoscillation pattern. The inevitably high sidelobe is pushed 15λ away from the central subwavelength spot, resulting in significantly enlarged field of view for viable imaging applications. This work therefore not only reveals the explicit physical role of any given metallic/dielectric rings but also provides an alternative design roadmap of superresolution imaging. The robust method is readily applicable in superthin longitudinally polarized needle light, quantum physics and information theory.     

STED microscopy based on axially symmetric polarized vortex beams

A stimulated emission depletion(STED) microscopy scheme using axially symmetric polarized vortex beams is proposed based on unique focusing properties of such kinds of beams. The concept of axially symmetric polarized vortex beams is first introduced, and the basic principle about the scheme is described. Simulation results for several typical beams are then shown, including radially polarized vortex beams, azimuthally polarized vortex beams, and high-order axially symmetric polarized vortex beams. The results indicate that sharper doughnut spots and thus higher resolutions can be achieved, showing more flexibility than previous schemes based on flexible modulation of both phase and polarization for incident beams.     

同时获得高亮度检测场和高衬比条纹的实时全息记录方法

讨论了实时全息法应用于检测透明物体的情况下获得高衍射效率和高衬比条纹的若干问题。给出了同时获得高亮度检测场和高衬比条纹的最佳参数。在最佳光束比等于１和最佳相位调制度为１．４２时,衍射效率和光能利用率均可达到２９％。     

Interference phenomena in modulation spectroscopy

Interference phenomena in light reflected or transmitted through a sample can be clearly observed either in a transparency region or in very thin samples. In the case of modulation experiments carried out on such samples the interference is superimposed on a differential spectrum that makes its interpretation more complicated. This is a disturbing aspect of interference. As a rule, one tries to eliminate interference influence (if it is not of special interest). Because this is not always possible, it is useful to know its manifestation in various modulation experiments. Some of the examples of interference manifestation are considered in the present report. However the interference can be used as a source of additional information. This is a useful aspect of interference. Several cases are considered in which interference in modulation spectroscopy is used for determination of the some constants of solids, particularly the electrointerference application for determination of the electro-optical effect constant. A brief review is given of work in this direction. A new method is given for the determination of the refraction coefficient and its variation from the usual interference and modulation interference data. The method provides the determination of these quantities even in the presence of noticeable dispersion, when other methods guarantee the needed accuracy. The imperfectness of the system, which leads to considerable errors in the determination of parameters by usual formulas, is also considered. The results are presented.     

Theoretical assessment of optical resolution enhancement and background fluorescence reduction by three-dimensional nonlinear structured illumination microscopy using stimulated emission depletion

Three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (SIM) enlarges frequency cutoff laterally and axially by a factor of two, compared with conventional microscopy. However, its optical resolution is still fundamentally limited. It is necessary to introduce nonlinearity to enlarge frequency cutoff further. We propose three-dimensional nonlinear structured illumination microscopy based on stimulated emission depletion (STED) effect, which has a structured excitation pattern and a structured STED pattern, and both three-dimensional illumination patterns have the same lateral pitch and orientation. Theoretical analysis showed that nonlinearity induced by STED effect, which causes harmonics and contributes to enlarging frequency cutoff, depends on the phase difference between two structured illuminations and that the phase difference of π is the most efficient to increase nonlinearity. We also found that undesirable background fluorescence, which degenerates the contrast of structured pattern and limits the ability of SIM, can be reduced by our method. These results revealed that optical resolution improvement and background fluorescence reduction would be compatible. The feasibility study showed that our method will be realized with commercially available laser, having 3.5 times larger frequency cutoff compared with conventional microscopy.     

介质填充型二次柱面等离激元透镜的亚波长聚焦

本文提出了一种亚波长聚焦的表面等离激元透镜,该透镜由二氧化硅填充金膜纳米狭缝阵列组成,金膜的出射表面为二次柱面.表面等离激元在狭缝入口处激发并沿狭缝传输,在狭缝出口转变为带有一定相位延迟的自由空间传播的光波.通过对透镜结构参数的控制,可以调节来自各狭缝的光波间的相对相位,使它们在设定的焦点处进行相长干涉,从而实现聚焦效果.本文用时域有限差分法数值计算了二次柱面等离激元透镜的聚焦特性.数值模拟结果表明,所设计的孔径为2μm的透镜,能够实现微米级焦距和焦深、且焦斑半高宽低至0.4倍波长的亚波长聚焦.该表面等离激元透镜结构简单紧凑、尺寸小,有利于光子器件的集成,在集成光学、光学微操纵、超分辩率成像、光存储、生化传感等相关领域有潜在的应用价值.