Project Info

Inexpensive Two-Dimensional Beam Shaping with Light Science Applications

Daniel Adams | daadams@mines.edu

Recent work in the field of structured light has opened new and exciting avenues for the generation and application of beams with complex amplitude and phase profiles [1]. Of particular interest are light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). While several methods exist to create and study structured light fields carrying OAM, spatial light modulators (SLMs) offer the most flexibility. If the pixel density is high enough, SLMs provide nearly continuous phase (and in some cases amplitude) shaping. The only drawback to using high quality SLMs is their prohibitive cost >$50k. Fortunately a relatively new innovation based on old technology provides a low-cost alternative to more expensive SLMs without sacrificing quality [2]. In this proposal, under the supervision of the PI, the undergraduate student will used reclaimed parts from LCD projectors to construct a high pixel density SLM for generating and analyzing complex light states. In addition, the reclaimed SLM will be used to generate arbitrary patterns of light intended for single-shot computational imaging techniques such as ptychography [3], [4]. Exploration into multimodal ptychography [5], [6] and other imaging modalities and light metrologies will also be investigated through simulation.

More Information

[1] H. Rubinstein-Dunlop et al., “Roadmap on Structured Light,” J. Opt., vol. 19, no. 013001, 2017.
[2] A. S. Sandhu, H. Timmers, A. Roberts, D. Huang, and N. Shivaram, “A low-cost spatial light modulator for use in undergraduate and graduate optics labs,” Am. J. Phys., vol. 80, no. 3, pp. 211–215, 2012.
[3] A. M. Maiden and J. M. Rodenburg, “An improved ptychographical phase retrieval algorithm for diffractive imaging.,” Ultramicroscopy, vol. 109, no. 10, pp. 1256–62, Sep. 2009.
[4] P. Thibault, M. Dierolf, O. Bunk, A. Menzel, and F. Pfeiffer, “Probe retrieval in ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging.,” Ultramicroscopy, vol. 109, no. 4, pp. 338–43, Mar. 2009.
[5] P. Thibault and A. Menzel, “Reconstructing state mixtures from diffraction measurements.,” Nature, vol. 494, no. 7435, pp. 68–71, Feb. 2013.
[6] D. J. Batey, D. Claus, and J. M. Rodenburg, “Information multiplexing in ptychography.,” Ultramicroscopy, vol. 138C, pp. 13–21, Dec. 2013.

Grand Engineering Challenge: Not applicable