Space-compression medium with transverse beam displacement reducing light propagation or image formation distance
Described are various embodiments of space-compressing methods, materials, devices, and systems, and imaging or optical devices and systems using same. In one embodiment, an optical system comprises an optical convergence element having a defined optical path convergence distance and disposed so to produce converging optical rays along an optical convergence path to converge at said distance; an optical space-compression medium disposed along the optical convergence path to intersect the converging optical rays to compress a resulting optical convergence distance by imparting an inward transverse translation of the converging optical rays while substantially maintaining respective incident convergence angles upon output.
1. An optical imaging system for capturing an image of an object, the system comprising:
an optical component disposable so to intersect and thus angularly distribute light from the object to form an image thereof at a physical image formation path distance from said optical component, wherein said angular distribution and said physical image formation path distance are designated, at least in part, by an optical property of image formation optics;
a space-compression medium disposed within said physical image formation path distance so to intersect said angularly distributed light such that an incident angular distribution thereof is maintained at output while effectively increasing a transverse displacement of a beam of said angularly distributed light relative to a corresponding transverse translation of said beam through a region external to said space-compression medium of an equal size to that of said optical space-compression medium thereby effectively reducing said physical image formation path distance to ultimately form the image at a physical device image location advanced from said physical image formation path distance; and
an image capture device disposed at said physical device image location.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
said optical component comprises an upstream optical component;
the system further comprises a complementary optical component disposable so to intersect light from the upstream optical component at a designated physical intervening distance therefrom so to form the image at said physical image formation path distance, wherein said designated physical intervening distance is designated, at least in part, by said optical property of said upstream optical component;
said space-compression medium is disposed within said designated physical intervening distance so to intersect said angularly distributed light such that said incident angular distribution thereof is maintained at output while effectively increasing said transverse displacement thereof within said optical space-compression medium thereby effectively reducing said designated physical intervening distance to a physically advanced intervening distance lesser than said designated physical intervening distance; and
said complementary optical component is disposed at said physically advanced intervening distance downstream said space-compression medium to form the image at said physical device image location.
3. An optical system for reducing a physical propagation distance over which light propagates through a background medium, comprising:
an optical space-compression medium disposed so to intersect a light field incident thereon having an incident angular distribution relative to light field propagation direction, said optical space-compression medium comprising an angle-dependent phase response that propagates a phase of said light field while travelling therethrough by an amount that is greater than a corresponding propagation of said phase in a region of the background medium of equal size to that of said optical space-compression medium, while substantially maintaining said incident angular distribution upon said light field exiting said optical space-compression medium;
wherein said optical space-compression medium effectively increases a transverse displacement of a beam of said light field relative to a corresponding transverse translation of said beam through a region of the background medium of an equal size to that of said optical space-compression medium, thereby reducing the physical propagation distance of said light field along said light field propagation direction.
4. The optical system of claim 3 , further comprising a light-shaping element disposed upstream of said optical space-compression medium so to produce said incident angular distribution.
5. The optical system of claim 3 , wherein said phase response is at governed by an angle-dependent refractive index defined by:
n
(
θ
SP
)
n
BG
=
C
+
C
2
+
(
ℛ
2
-
C
2
)
(
1
+
(
ℛ
2
tan
2
θ
SP
)
(
1
+
ℛ
2
tan
2
θ
SP
)
cos
θ
SP
where C=(ϕ G +2πm(θ SP ))/ϕ BG (0,d).
6. The optical system of claim 3 , wherein said phase response produces an output phase Φ of light exiting said space-compression medium at least partially in accordance with Φ=2πN BG d eff cos θ/λ.
7. The optical system of claim 3 , wherein said substantially maintaining said incident angular distribution comprises substantially maintaining said incident angular distribution while including an arbitrary offset angle therewith upon said light field exiting said optical space-compression medium.
8. The optical system of claim 3 , wherein said substantially maintaining said incident angular distribution comprises maintaining said incident angular distribution within a designated error tolerance upon said light field exiting said optical space-compression medium.