PECASE: Complex Polarization Gratings - Extreme Fresnel Zone Plates, Agile Vortex Beam Tools, and Enhanced Distributed-Feedback

PECASE：复杂偏振光栅 - 极端菲涅尔波带片、敏捷涡旋光束工具和增强型分布式反馈

• 批准号: 0955127
• 负责人: Michael Escuti
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-02-01 至 2016-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0955127&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PECASE; Complex; Polarization; Gratings; Extreme

The overall objective of this research program is to develop liquid crystal (LC) polarization gratings (PGs) for novel photonic elements (Fresnel optics, vortex beam tools, and polymer lasers) with exceptional control over the intensity, direction, orbital angular momentum, and polarization of light. These anisotropic diffractive elements are composed of bulk nematic LCs, can be made in switchable or polymer materials, and are highly efficient. The first goal is to develop PG-based Fresnel zone plate optics, with potential for remarkably small f-numbers, unique polarization behavior, and compelling switchable lens devices. The second goal is to investigate efficient and scalable helical (vortex) beam tools, based on forked PGs, with unprecedented ability to generate and measure orbital angular momentum. The third goal is to employ small-period gratings (sub-micron) to investigate distributed feedback effects, using nematic semiconducting polymers to build organic light-emitting-diodes, and using reactive mesogens doped with fluorescent dyes to build surface-emitting polymer lasers.Intellectual Merit: The PGs with complex 2D profiles proposed represent a new class of efficient and flexible Fresnel optics with potential for extremely small f-numbers, would lead to novel vortex beam tools that could dramatically impact quantum communication and cryptography, laser-tweezers, lithography microscopy, and could lead to optically pumped polymer lasers with lower thresholds and higher efficiencies. Broader Impact: This program includes graduate/undergraduate course innovation and multidisciplinary training in experiment and theory. In collaboration with AventWest Children's Mentoring program and NCSU Science House, the PI will host after-school and summer sessions for middle/high-school students involving hands-on engineering projects.

该研究计划的总体目标是开发用于新型光子元件(菲涅耳光学元件、涡旋光束工具和聚合物激光器)的液晶(LC)偏振光栅(PG)，并对光的强度、方向、轨道角动量和偏振进行特殊控制。这些各向异性衍射元件由块体向列型LCD组成，可以用可切换材料或聚合物材料制成，并且效率很高。第一个目标是开发基于PG的菲涅尔波带片光学器件，具有极小的f数、独特的偏振行为和引人注目的可切换透镜器件。第二个目标是研究基于分叉PG的高效和可扩展的螺旋(涡旋)光束工具，具有前所未有的产生和测量轨道角动量的能力。第三个目标是利用小周期光栅(亚微米)来研究分布反馈效应，使用向列相半导体聚合物来构建有机发光二极管，并使用掺有荧光染料的活性介观分子来构建表面发射聚合物激光器。智能优点：所提出的具有复杂2D分布的光子晶体代表了一类新的高效和灵活的菲涅耳光学元件，具有极小的f数潜力，将导致新型涡旋光束工具，这将显著影响量子通信和密码学、激光镊子、光刻显微镜，并可能导致具有更低阈值和更高效率的光泵浦聚合物激光器。更广泛的影响：该计划包括研究生/本科课程创新以及实验和理论方面的多学科培训。PI将与AventWest儿童辅导计划和NCSU科学之家合作，为初中生和高中生举办课外和暑期课程，内容涉及实践工程项目。