Shaping light with a smartlens

Nanowerk  July 26, 2019
Liquid crystal spatial light modulators have been the tool of choice for high-resolution light shaping, but their implementation has proven to have limits in terms of performance, bulkiness and cost. An international team of researchers (Spain, France) has demonstrated a method of deterministic phase-front shaping using a planar thermo-optical module and designed microheaters to locally shape the refractive index distribution. When combined with a genetic algorithm optimization, this SmartLens can produce free-form optical wavefront modifications, generate complex functions based on either pure or combined Zernike polynomials, including lenses or aberration correctors of electrically tunable magnitude. This simple and compact concept complements the existing optical shaping toolbox by offering low-chromatic-aberration, polarization-insensitive and transmission-mode components that can readily be integrated into existing optical systems…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE

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