Electromagnetic Radiation Enhancement Methods and Systems

• US 20150205137A1
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Soskind, Rose Soskind, Yakov Soskind
• Original Assignee: Michael Soskind, Rose Soskind, Yakov Soskind
• Inventors: Soskind, Yakov, Soskind, Michael, Soskind, Rose
• Granted Patent: US 10,209,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0927 Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0955 Lenses lenses per se G02B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0983 being curved
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0988 Diaphragms, spatial filters, masks for removing or filtering a part of the beam
• 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 5/3091 for use in the UV
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70325 Resolution enhancement techniques not otherwise provided for, e.g. darkfield imaging, interfering beams, spatial frequency multiplication, nearfield lenses or solid immersion lenses

Abstract

An optical system for producing electromagnetic radiation with localized increases in irradiance or radiance at the system output includes a first optical mask containing localized regions for producing controlled modifications of phase delays and/or amplitude attenuations and located within the input plane of said optical system. The system also includes at least a single optical component with positive optical power located after the input plane and at least one additional optical mask located after the optical component at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system. The additional optical mask contains localized regions for producing controlled modifications of phase delays. Locally increased radiation distributions are produced at the system output.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique for producing locally increased irradiance or radiance distributions of said radiation at the output of an optical system, comprised of the following steps:

directing incoming electromagnetic radiation into the optical system, said system containing an input plane and an output plane;

altering the incoming radiation within the input plane of the optical system by producing controlled modifications of phase delays and/or amplitude attenuations within localized regions of the radiation;

further modifying the radiation within the optical system by producing controlled phase delays at localized regions of the electromagnetic radiation in at least one non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane; and

directing the further modified electromagnetic radiation to produce interactions between locally enhanced radiation and objects or matter at the output of the optical system.

2. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controlled modifications at the output of said optical system are produced within one or more localized amplitude attenuation regions of the radiation.

3. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 2, wherein the number of said localized amplitude attenuation regions within the input plane of said optical system is more than one.

4. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 2, wherein a lateral dimension of said localized amplitude attenuation regions within the input plane of said optical system is smaller than a lateral dimension of said incoming radiation.

5. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 2, wherein a total area occupied by said localized amplitude attenuation regions within the input plane of said optical system is smaller than an area occupied by the electromagnetic radiation within said input plane.

6. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one amplitude attenuation regionis opaque.

7. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least one amplitude attenuation region is at least partially transparent.

8. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 2, wherein transmission level of at least one amplitude attenuation region is adjustable.

9. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 8, wherein said controlled amplitude attenuations are adjusted to produce desired radiation levels at the output of the system.

10. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique according to claim 1, wherein said controlled modifications of incoming radiation within the input plane of said optical system are produced within one or more localized phase delay regions.

11. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 10, wherein the number of said localized phase delay regions within the input plane of said optical system is more than one.

12. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 10, wherein a lateral dimension of said localized phase delay regions within the input plane of said optical system is smaller than a lateral dimension of the incoming radiation.

13. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 10, wherein a total area occupied by said localized phase delay regions within the input plane of said optical system is smaller than an area occupied by the electromagnetic radiation within said input plane.

14. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 10, wherein an optical path difference produced by said phase delay regions is jλ

/2, where j is an odd integer and λ

is the radiation wavelength.

15. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 10, further comprising adjusting an optical path difference produced by said phase delay regions.

16. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 15, wherein said controlled phase delays are adjusted to produce desired radiation levels at the output of the system.

17. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 1, wherein said further modifications to localized regions of the electromagnetic radiation within said non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane are produced at a stop of the optical system in the form of controlled phase delays.

18. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 1, wherein said further modifications to localized regions of the electromagnetic radiation in the form of phase delays within said non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane are controlled to produce an optical path difference of jλ

/2, where j is an odd integer, and λ

is the radiation wavelength.

19. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 1, wherein said further modifications to localized regions of the electromagnetic radiation in the form of controlled phase delays within said non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane are adjustable.

20. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 19, wherein said controlled phase delays are adjusted to produce desired radiation levels at the system output.

21. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 19, wherein said controlled phase delays are adjusted to produce desired ratios of enhanced radiation levels to radiation background at the system output.

22. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique according to claim 1, wherein a lateral dimension of said localized phase delay regions within said non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane is selected to maximize radiation levels at the system output.

23. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique according to claim 1, wherein a lateral dimension of said localized phase delay regions within said non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane is selected to alter background electromagnetic radiation in the output plane.

24. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique according to claim 1, wherein a lateral dimension of said localized phase delay regions within said non-conjugate location with respect to the input plane is selected to produce desired ratios of enhanced radiation to radiation background in the output plane.

25. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique according to claim 1, wherein said optical system contains controlled means for modifying the lateral position of said localized regions with controlled modifications of phase delays and/or amplitude attenuations within the input plane.

26. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 25, wherein controlled modifications are adjusted concurrently within said optical system.

27. The electromagnetic radiation enhancement technique in accordance with claim 26, wherein all controlled modifications are adjusted concurrently to produce desired radiation levels at the system output.

28. An optical system for producing electromagnetic radiation with localized increases in irradiance or radiance at the system output, comprising:

a first optical mask containing localized regions for producing controlled modifications of phase delays and/or amplitude attenuations and located within the input plane of said optical system;

at least a single optical component with positive optical power located after the input plane;

at least one additional optical mask located after said optical component at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system and containing localized regions for producing controlled modifications of phase delays; and

a system output where locally increased radiation distributions are produced.

29. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said optical component with positive optical power includes at least one lens

30. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said optical component with positive optical power includes at least one mirror

31. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said optical component with positive optical power includes a combination of lenses and mirrors

32. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said first optical mask further comprises localized transmissive regions.

33. The optical system in accordance with claim 32, wherein said first optical mask contains means for locally adjusting a phase delay and/or amplitude attenuation of electromagnetic radiation within said localized transmissive regions.

34. The optical system in accordance with claim 32, wherein a phase delay produced by said localized transmission regions of the first optical mask equals jλ

/2, where j is an odd integer, and λ

is the radiation wavelength.

35. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said additional optical mask located at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system contains localized transmissive regions.

36. The optical system in accordance with claim 35, wherein said additional optical mask located at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system contains means for locally adjusting a phase delay of the radiation within said localized transmissive regions.

37. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said first mask contains localized reflective regions.

38. The optical system in accordance with claim 37, wherein said first optical mask contains means for locally adjusting a phase delay and/or reflectivity of the incoming radiation within said localized reflective regions.

39. The optical system in accordance with claim 37, wherein a phase delay produced by said localized reflective regions of the first optical mask equals jλ

/2, where j is an odd integer, and λ

is the radiation wavelength.

40. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said additional optical mask located at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system contains localized reflective regions.

41. The optical system in accordance with claim 40, wherein said additional optical mask located at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system contains means for locally adjusting a phase delay of the reflected radiation within said localized reflective regions.

42. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, containing means for adjusting the lateral position of said first optical mask within the input plane of the optical system

43. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said additional optical mask is located at a stop of the optical system

44. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein a localized phase delay of the radiation produced by said additional optical mask located at non-conjugate locations with respect to the input plane of the system equals jλ

/2, where j is an odd integer, and λ

is the radiation wavelength.

45. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, further comprising at least one additional optical component having optical power located after said additional optical mask.

46. The optical system in accordance with claim 45, further comprising at least one additional optical mask located after said additional optical component.

47. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said output plane is located at a finite distance from said optical system.

48. The optical system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said output plane is remotely located in the far field of said optical system.