System and method for controlling light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016259175-A1
Application number	US-201415032418-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An array of optical resonators is disclosed. The array comprises at least a first type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a first wavelength, and a second type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a second wavelength, being different from the first wavelength. The resonant responses can be selected to reduce chromatic aberrations, or to shape a profile of a light beam, or to selectively switch a near field beam.

First claim

1 . An optical system, comprising a refractive optical element, and an array of optical resonators, said refractive optical element and said array being positioned on the same optical axis,
wherein said array of optical resonators comprises at least a first type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a first wavelength, and a second type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a second wavelength, being different from said first wavelength, said resonant responses being selected to reduce chromatic aberrations associated with said refractive optical element.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one optical resonator of said first type is laterally displaced from any optical resonator of said second type, and at least one optical resonator of said first type partially overlaps with at least one optical resonator of said second type.

3 . An optical system, comprising an array of optical resonators, wherein said array of optical resonators comprises at least a first type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a first wavelength, and a second type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a second wavelength, being different from said first wavelength, wherein at least one optical resonator of said first type is laterally displaced from any optical resonator of said second type, and at least one optical resonator of said first type partially overlaps with at least one optical resonator of said second type.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein said array of optical resonators is configured to focus both said first and said second wavelengths generally onto the same focal plane.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first type of optical resonators has a resonant response to an optical field at a first polarization, and said second type of optical resonators has resonant response to an optical field at a second polarization, being different from said first polarization.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , further comprising a polarizer constituted to polarize an optical field prior to an incident of said optical field on said array of optical resonators.

7 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein said array of optical resonators is configured to focus: (i) an optical field having said first wavelength and said first polarization at a focal plane, and (ii) an optical field having said second wavelength and said second polarization, onto the same focal plane.

8 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein said array of optical resonators is configured to focus said first polarization onto a first focal plane, and said second polarization onto a second focal plane, being different from said first plane.

9 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein said array of optical resonators is configured to provide a polarization-dependent beam profile.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said array of optical resonators is configured to provide a wavelength-dependent beam profile.

11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said array of optical resonators is configured to focus white light at a single focal plane.

12 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional array of optical resonators, wherein said array and said at least one additional array engage different surfaces.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein said array and said additional array are planar.

14 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said array of optical resonators is planar.

15 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate carrying said array of optical resonators.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein said substrate is generally rigid.

17 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein said substrate is flexible.

18 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said array of optical resonators is deposited or printed on a refractive surface of said refractive optical element.

19 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said resonant response comprises plasmonic excitation.

20 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein at least some of said optical resonators are elongated nano structures.

21 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein at least some of said optical resonators are nanoantennas.

22 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein at least some of said optical resonators are selected from the group consisting of resonant cavities, nano-apertures and quantum confinement structures.

23 . The system according to claim 1 , being configured for providing diffraction in reflective mode.

24 . The system according to claim 1 , being configured for providing diffraction in transmissive mode.

25 . An optical system, comprising an array of elongated nanoresonators, wherein said array of elongated nanoresonators is spatially ordered to polarize or effect light polarization over a cross section of a light beam, or an image, for at least one wavelength.

26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein said array of elongated nanostructures is spatially ordered to polarize or effect light polarization over said cross section of said light beam, or said image, for any wavelength within a wavelength range spanning over at least 100 nm.

27 . The system of claim 25 , wherein said array of elongated nanoresonators is configured for selectively polarizing a section of said image at the image plane or Fourier plane.

28 . The system of claim 26 , further comprising a refractive optical element, wherein said refractive optical element and said array are positioned on the same optical axis, and wherein said array of elongated nanostructures is selected to effect a spatially varying polarization over said cross section of said light beam.

29 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein said array is positioned at or near a Fourier plane of an image.

30 . The system according to claim 3 , serving as a component in a system selected from the group consisting of: a lens system, a beam shaping system, an imaging system and an optical sensor system.

31 - 33 . (canceled)

34 . A method of controlling light, comprising directing a light beam or an image onto the system according to claim 3 .

35 . The method of claim 34 , being executed for at least one of reducing longitudinal chromatic aberrations, reducing transverse chromatic aberrations, reshaping a profile of said light, shaping a profile of a near field beam, switching a near field beam, hyper spectral imaging, spectroscopy, obtaining spatial spectral dependence of said sample or image, and filtering spatial frequencies of said image.

36 - 43 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Ramot At Tel-Aviv Univ Ltd

Inventors

• Ellenbogen Tal
• Eisenbach Omri
• Avayu Ori
• Ditcovski Ran

Classifications

• G02B5/30

  Polarising elements (light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00) · CPC title

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• G02B1/002

  made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials · CPC title

• G02B5/008

  Surface plasmon devices (diffractive gratings with a pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength G02B5/1809; surface plasmons in integrated optics G02B6/1226; optical analysis of materials by means of surface plasmons G01N21/553) · CPC title

• G02B27/4211 Primary

  correcting chromatic aberrations (G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence) · CPC title