A Study of Superposed Volume Gratings for Optics Applications

提出的工作是对具有全息记录图案的晶体的光波特性和潜在的新用途的理论研究。这些方面将从需要大信息容量的应用的角度来考虑，如光互连和交换机、光数据处理和计算元件、神经网络等。特别是，将探索发生在这种晶体内部的电磁场相互作用，以便：(a)表征和评估由预定模式产生的实际散射场，(b)研究扭曲这种散射场所需形式的各种效应，(c)评估散射机制的内在局限性，以及(d)制定实现特定兴趣光学过程的最佳条件。为此目的，预计的研究将采用合适的晶体经典模型，其中包含叠加光栅形式的图案。这些将通过最近开发的一种技术来检验，该技术根据修改并表示为流图的费曼图来观察相关的多重散射问题。通过进一步扩展和应用该方法，可以得到衍射场复杂性的准确信息。反过来，这些信息将用于获得有关实际影响的定性和定量数据，如串扰干扰、由于晶体缺陷引起的信号退化、可实现的动态操作范围、由于界面边界引起的有害影响以及相关光学应用的其他性能方面。

The proposed work is a theoretical investigation into the optical wave properties and potential novel utilization of crystals having holographically recorded patterns. These aspects will be considered from the perspective of applications requiring large information capacities, such as optical interconnects and switches, optical data processing and computing elements, neural nets, and other. In particular, the electromagnetic field interactions that take place inside such crystals will be explored in order to: (a) characterize and evaluate the actual scattered fields produced by predetermined patterns, (b) investigate various effects that distort the desired form of such scattered fields, (c) assess the intrinsic limitations of the scattering mechanism, and (d) formulate optimal conditions for achieving optical processes of specific interest. For this purpose, the projected study will employ suitable canonic models of crystals containing patterns in the form of superposed gratings. These will be examined by a recently developed technique, which views the pertinent multiple scattering problem in terms of Feynman diagrams that were modified and expressed as flow graphs. By further extending and then applying this approach, accurate information on the complexity of the diffracted field will be derived. In turn, this information will be used to obtain qualitative and quantitative data on practical effects such as crosstalk interference, signal degradation due to crystal imperfections, realizable dynamic range of operation, deleterious effects due to interface boundaries, and other performance facets of relevant optical applications.