Diffractive waveplate lenses and applications
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 waveplates 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.
1. An optical system comprising:
a light source;
a flat mirror having a quarter wave plate deposited on the flat mirror; one or more diffractive waveplates with switchable optical power for receiving the light from the light source, said one or more diffractive wave plates are selected from a group consisting of cylindrical diffractive waveplate lenses, cycloidal diffractive waveplates, axial diffractive waveplates, axicon diffractive waveplates, beam shaping diffractive waveplates, and arrays of diffractive waveplates; and
one or more switching devices for selectively switching the optical power of said one or more diffractive waveplates to provide an electrically controlled diffraction property in reflected light; the flat mirror to provide an electrically controlled diffraction property in reflected light.
2. The optical system as in claim 1 wherein said light source is fiber coupled.
3. The optical system as in claim 1 , wherein said one or more diffractive waveplates have an optical axis orientation that is modulated in one or both transverse directions parallel to a substrate.
4. The optical system as in claim 1 wherein said one or more switching devices for selectively switching the optical power of said optical system include variable phase retardation plates.
5. The optical system as in claim 4 wherein said one or more diffractive waveplates are deposited on a surface of at least one of the variable phase retardation plates.
6. The optical system as in claim 1 , wherein a cylinder axes in alternating cylindrical diffractive waveplate lenses are rotated with respect to each other.
7. An optical imaging system with multiple focal lengths comprising:
a generally unpolarized and non-monochromatic light source;
one or more diffractive waveplates with switchable optical power for receiving the light from the generally unpolarized and non-monochromatic light source, said one or more diffractive wave plates are selected from a group consisting of diffractive waveplate lenses, cycloidal diffractive waveplates, axial diffractive waveplates, axicon diffractive waveplates, beam shaping diffractive waveplates, and arrays of diffractive waveplates;
a substrate in the optical imaging system; and
one or more switching devices for selectively switching the optical power of said one or more diffractive waveplates.
8. The optical imaging system as in claim 7 wherein said one or more switching devices for selectively switching the optical power of said optical image system include variable phase retardation plates.