Generation of a desired three-dimensional electromagnetic field

1. A phase contrast system for synthesizing a desired output electromagnetic field u(x″, y″, z″), comprising:

a first phase modifying element for phase modulation of an input electromagnetic field by phasor values e iφ(x,y) ,

first Fourier or Fresnel optics, for Fourier or Fresnel transforming the phase modulated electromagnetic field, positioned in a propagation path of the phase modulated electromagnetic field,

a spatial filter for filtering the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field by,

in a region of spatial frequencies comprising DC in a Fourier or Fresnel plane,

phase shifting with a predetermined phase shift value θ the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field in relation to a remaining part of the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field, and

multiplying an amplitude of the phase shifted transformed electromagnetic field with a constant B, and

in a region of remaining spatial frequencies in the Fourier or Fresnel plane,

multiplying an amplitude of the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field with a constant A,

second Fourier or Fresnel optics, for forming an electromagnetic field o(x′, y′) by Fourier or Fresnel transforming the filtered electromagnetic field, and

a second phase modifying element for phase modulating the electromagnetic field o(x′, y′) into an electromagnetic field o(x′, y′)e iΨ(x′, y′) propagating as the desired output electromagnetic field u(x″, y″, z″).

2. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second phase modifying elements is further adapted for phase modulation by first phasor values for a first polarization of the input electromagnetic field and second phasor values for a second orthogonal polarization of the input electromagnetic field.

3. A phase contrast system according to claim 2 , wherein the second phase modifying element is adapted for phase modulation by the first phasor values e iΨ1(x′,y′) for the first polarization and the second phasor values e iΨ2(x′,y′) for the second orthogonaF polarization of the input electromagnetic field.

4. A phase contrast system according to claim 2 , further comprising an element for directing the phase modulated first polarization of the input electromagnetic field and the second orthoaonal polarization of the input electromagnetic field into separate paths of propagation, to be applied in a non-interfering counter-propagating geometry.

5. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , wherein

A=1.

6. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , wherein

B=1.

7. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , wherein

θ=π.

8. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , wherein the phasor values e iφ(x,y) of the first phase modifying element and the phase shift value θ substantially fulfil that

o ( x′,y′ )≅ A [exp( i {tilde over (φ)}( x′,y′ ))+ K| α | ( BA −1 exp( i θ)−1)]

wherein

A is an optional amplitude modulation of the spatial filter outside a zero-order diffraction region,

B is an optional amplitude modulation of the spatial filter in the zero-order diffraction region,

α =| α |exp(iφ α ) is an average of the phasor values e iφ(x,y) of resolution elements of the first phase modifying element, and

{tilde over (φ)}=φ−φ α , and

K= 1 −J 0 (1.22πη), wherein

J 0 is a zero-order Bessel function and

η relates a radius R 1 of the zero-order diffraction region to a radius R 2 of a main-lobe of an Airy function of an input aperture of the first phase modifying element,

η= R 1 /R 2 =(0.61) −1 ΔrΔf r ,

wherein Δr is a radius of the input aperture of the first phase modifying element and Δf r is a spatial frequency range of the zero-order diffraction region.

9. A phase contrast system according to claim 8 , wherein the phase shift value θ substantially fulfills the equation

K

⁢



α

_



=

1

2

⁢



sin

⁢

⁢

θ

/

2



.

10. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second phase modifying elements comprises a complex spatial electromagnetic field modulator that is positioned in a path of the input electromagnetic field and comprises modulator resolution elements (x m , y m ), each of the modulator resolution elements (x m , y m ) modulating a phase and an amplitude of the electromagnetic field incident thereon with a predetermined complex value a m (x m , y m )e iφ(xm, ym) .

11. A phase contrast system according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source for emission of the input electromagnetic field, the light source comprising a laser array, such as a VCSEL array.

12. An optical micro-manipulation or multi-beam optical tweezer system including the phase contrast system of claim 1 .

13. A laser machining tool including the phase contrast system of claim 1 .

14. A method of synthesizing a desired output electromagnetic field u(x″, y″, z″), comprising:

phase modulating an input electromagnetic field by phasor values e iφ(x,y) , Fourier or Fresnel transforming the phase modulated electromagnetic field, filtering the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field by,

in a region of spatial frequencies comprising DC in a Fourier or Fresnel plane,

phase shifting with a predetermined phase shift value θ the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field in relation to a remaining part of the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field, and

multiplying an amplitude of the phase shifted transformed electromagnetic field with a constant B, and

in a region of remaining spatial frequencies in the Fourier or Fresnel plane,

multiplying an amplitude of the Fourier or Fresnel transformed electromagnetic field with a constant A,

forming an electromagnetic field o(x′, y′) by Fourier or Fresnel transforming the filtered electromagnetic field, and

phase modulating the electromagnetic field o(x′, y′) into an electromagnetic field o(x′, y′)e iΨ(x′,y′) propagating as the desired output electromagnetic field u(x″, y″, z″).

15. A method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

dividing the electromagnetic field o(x′,y′) into pixels in accordance with disposition of resolution elements (x, y) of a first phase modifying element having a plurality of individual resolution elements (x, y), each resolution element (x, y) modulating a phase of electromagnetic radiation incident thereon with a predetermined phasor value e iφ(x,y) ,

calculating the phasor values e iφ(x,y) of the first phase modifying element and the predetermined phase shift value θ substantially in accordance with

o ( x′,y′ )≅ A [exp( i {tilde over (φ)}( x′,y′ ))+ K| α | ( BA −1 exp( i θ)−1)]

wherein

A is an optional amplitude modulation of a spatial filter used in said filtering and outside a zero-order diffraction region,

B is an optional amplitude modulation of the spatial filter in the zero-order diffraction region,

α =| α |exp(iφ α ) is an average of the phasor values e iφ(x,y) of the resolution elements of the first phase modifying element, and

{tilde over (φ)}=φ−φ α , and

K= 1 −J 0 (1.22πη), wherein

J 0 is a zero-order Bessel function, and

η relates a radius R 1 of the zero-order diffraction region to a radius R 2 of a main-lobe of an Airy function of an input aperture of the first phase modifying element, η=R 1 /R 2 =(0.61) −1 ΔrΔf r ,

wherein Δr is a radius of the input aperture of the first phase modifying element and Δf r is a spatial frequency range of the zero-order diffraction region,

selecting, for each resolution element, one of two phasor values which represent a particular grey level, and

supplying the selected phasor values e iφ(x,y) to the respective resolution elements (x, y) of the first phase modifying element, and

supplying selected phasor values e iΨ(x′, y′) to respective resolution elements (x′, y′) of a second phase modifying element having a plurality of individual resolution elements (x′, y′), each resolution element (x′, y′) modulating a phase of electromagnetic radiation incident thereon with the respective phasor values e iΨ(x′,y′) for generation of the electromagnetic field o(x′, y′)e iΨ(x′,y′) .