A Study of Superposed Volume Gratings for Optics Applications

本论文的工作是对具有全息记录图案的晶体的光波性质和潜在的新用途进行理论研究。这些方面将从需要大信息容量的应用的角度来考虑，例如光学互连和交换机、光学数据处理和计算元件、神经网络等。特别是，将探索这种晶体内部发生的电磁场相互作用，以便：（a）表征和评估由预定图案产生的实际散射场，（B）研究扭曲这种散射场的期望形式的各种效应，（c）评估散射机制的固有限制，以及（d）制定用于实现特定感兴趣的光学过程的最佳条件。为此目的，预计的研究将采用适当的正则模型的晶体含有图案的形式叠加光栅。这些将被检查最近开发的技术，认为相关的多次散射问题的费曼图，修改和表示为流图。通过进一步的扩展和应用这种方法，衍射场的复杂性的准确信息将被导出。反过来，这些信息将被用来获得定性和定量数据的实际影响，如串扰干扰，信号退化，由于晶体缺陷，可实现的动态范围的操作，有害的影响，由于界面边界，以及相关的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.