Diffractive waveplate lenses and applications

• US 10,191,191 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beam Engineering For Advanced Measurements Co., United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, U.S. Government
• Original Assignee: Beam Engineering For Advanced Measurements Co., The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Tabirian, Nelson V., Serak, Svetlana V., Uskova, Olena, Roberts, David E., Tabirian, Anna, Steeves, Diane M., Kimball, Brian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni, Kaveh C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lam, Hung
• Application Number:
  US14/688,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 385 11, 385 14, 385 33, 385124, 385129, 349 94, 349193, 349196, 349197, 427 8, 427162
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1618 Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1654 Diffractive lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4205 having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4211 correcting chromatic aberrations G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4216 correcting geometrical aberrations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4261 having a diffractive element with major polarization dependent properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0081 having one or more elements with analytic function to create variable power variable magnification in general G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/10 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/001 Axicons, waxicons, reflaxicons
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1828 having means for producing variable diffraction controlling the direction of light by means of one or more diffracting elements G02B26/0808; acousto-optical elements G02F1/11, G02F1/33; electro- or magneto-optical diffraction G02F1/292, G02F1/2955
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1833 comprising birefringent materials birefringent elements per se G02B5/3083
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/024 with polarisation maintaining properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3534 the optical element being diffractive, i.e. a grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3592 Means for removing polarization dependence of the switching means, i.e. polarization insensitive switching light guides coupling with polarization selective and adjusting means G02B6/27
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/16 Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/022 Ophthalmic lenses having special refractive features achieved by special materials or material structures G02C7/049 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/061 Spectacle lenses with progressively varying focal power
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/10 : Filters, e.g. for facilitating adaptation of the eyes to the dark; Sunglasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/12 : Polarisers

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices for diffractive waveplate lens and mirror systems allowing electronically focusing light at different focal planes. The system can be incorporated into a variety of optical schemes for providing electrical control of transmission. In another embodiment, the system comprises diffractive waveplate of different functionality to provide a system for controlling not only focusing but other propagation properties of light including direction, phase profile, and intensity distribution.

Claims

1. An optical system comprising:

a light source;

one or more diffractive waveplate lenses with switchable optical power, each diffractive waveplate lenses having a thin film of birefringent material, a substrate for deposition of the birefringent material having an optical axis orientation in each thin film of said birefringent material spatially modulated in one or both transverse directions parallel to the substrate on which said thin film of said birefringent material is applied; and

switching devices for selectively switching the optical power of said diffractive waveplate lenses, wherein each of k successive diffractive waveplate lens has a focusing power double of the focusing power of the adjacent lens to focus the beam of said light source to any of 2k focal planes, adjacent accessible focal planes being equally separated, for circularly polarized light.

2. The optical system as in claim 1, wherein said light source is fiber coupled.

3. The optical system as in claim 2 wherein said one or more diffractive waveplate lenses are positioned such that a coupling between two optical fibers can be turned on and off by switching one or more of the diffractive lenses on and off.

4. The optical system as in claim 1, wherein said switching devices for selectively switching the optical power of said waveplate lens system include variable phase retardation plates.

5. The optical system as in claim 4 wherein said one or more diffractive waveplate lenses are deposited on a surface of a variable phase retardation plate.

6. The optical system as in claim 4 further comprising:

an adjustment device to vary an optical transmittance of the system continuously from near approximately 0% to near approximately 100%.

7. The optical system as in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more diffractive wave plates selected from a group consisting of cycloidal diffractive waveplates, axial diffractive waveplates, axicon diffractive waveplates, and arrays of diffractive waveplates.

8. The optical system as in claim 1, wherein said waveplate lenses are cylindrical.

9. The optical system as in claim 8 wherein a cylinder axes in alternating diffractive waveplate lenses are rotated with respect to each other.

10. The optical system as in claim 4 wherein the optical system is assembled onto a flat mirror to provide an electrically controlled focusing property.

11. A fiber optic device comprising:

a light source;

a polarization maintaining optical fiber; and

one or more switchable diffractive waveplate lenses at an output facet of the optical fiber comprising a thin film of birefringent material and said diffractive waveplate lenses having an optical axis orientation that is spatially modulated in one or both transverse directions parallel to a substrate on which said thin film of birefringent material is applied; and

a controller device for controlling a state of polarization in the optical fiber, wherein each of k successive diffractive waveplate lens has a focusing power double of the focusing power of the adjacent lens to focus the beam of said light source to any of 2k focal planes, adjacent accessible focal planes being equally separated, for circularly polarized light.

12. The fiber optic device as in claim 11, wherein the controller device switches between one or more of an illuminator and focusing states.

13. The fiber optics device as in claim 11, wherein the light source provides power for surgical application.