Manufacturing large area diffractive lenses (DLs) is a challenging task, as in many cases, the outermost zone width
surpasses the photolithography limit and even the wavelength limit. In this study, a computational imaging method is
proposed which allows realizing a single large area strong DL with multiple sub-aperture weak DLs. The sub-aperture
DLs collect light and focus it into multiple points within the area of the image sensor instead of a single point which
increases the width of the zones of the DL. A computational reconstruction method was applied to reconstruct a high-resolution
image from the multiple low-resolution images.
Manufacturing diffractive lenses with a high numerical aperture (NA) is often a challenging task. The challenge stems from the fundamental limit of lithography techniques and the diffraction limit. Photolithography and femtosecond ablation are some of the well-established rapid lithography techniques for manufacturing large-area diffractive lenses for the visible region. First, when high NA diffractive lenses are designed, the outermost width of the zone becomes a sub-lithography limit (~ 2 μm) while still being super-wavelength. In advanced photolithography and most femtosecond ablation methods, the lithography limit is sub-wavelength, but scalar diffraction is not applicable, and the device becomes polarization sensitive. In this study, a holographic solution to overcome the above limitations is proposed. Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH) is a super-resolution incoherent imaging technique. In this project, a FINCH-inspired optical configuration is proposed to image beyond the lithography and diffraction limit of the diffractive lens. In a regular imaging system, the light from an object is collected by a diffractive lens and imaged, and recorded by an image sensor in the image plane. In this work, the intensity distribution is not recorded at the image plane but at a plane where the light modulated by the diffractive lens interferes with the unmodulated light outside the diffractive lens. This intensity distribution has spatial frequencies beyond the limit of the NA of the diffractive lens, resulting in super-resolution. Using the newly developed Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm (LR2A), the image is reconstructed. We believe that the developed technique will improve the performance of imaging systems based on high-NA diffractive lenses.
Designing a pure phase multifunctional diffractive optical element (M-DOE) is a challenging task, as the regular summation of multiple pure phase functions results in a complex function. One of the widely used multiplexing methods to design a pure phase M-DOE is the random multiplexing method. In this method, different pure phase functions are multiplied to mutually exclusive binary random functions before summation. However, M-DOEs designed using the random multiplexing method are prone to scattering noise. In this study, a novel approach based on a modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm (GSA) has been proposed and demonstrated for the design of pure-phase multifunctional DOEs. In this approach, the complex M-DOE obtained by regular summation is used as a reference, and with suitable constraints, the amplitude component of the complex M-DOE is transported into the phase component, resulting in a pure phase MDOE. This modified algorithm is called Transport of Amplitude into Phase based on GSA (TAP-GSA). This method has been demonstrated on a well-established incoherent digital holography technique called Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH). In FINCH, it is necessary to multiplex two-phase masks, which can be achieved using random multiplexing or polarization multiplexing, resulting in reconstruction noise and low light throughput, respectively. Under low-light conditions, random multiplexing is a better choice than the polarization multiplexing method. The M-DOE designed using TAP-GSA for FINCH improved the light throughput and exhibited a higher SNR in comparison to the random multiplexing method.
A computational imaging technique using a lens and Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm (LRRA) has been developed for 3D imaging. A deep 3D point spread function (PSF) was recorded in the first step. A single camera shot of an object was recorded next. Using the 3D PSF and the LRRA, the complete 3D information of the object was reconstructed. In this configuration, direct imaging and indirect imaging concepts co-exist: when the imaging condition is satisfied, an image of the object is directly obtained and in other cases it is indirectly obtained. The proposed single lens incoherent digital holography system will be attractive for numerous imaging applications.
A 4D computational incoherent imaging technique using accelerating Airy beams (A2-beams) and nonlinear reconstruction (NLR) has been developed. The phase mask was designed as a binary version for the generation of a sparse random array of A2-beams. The imaging process consist of three steps. In the first step a 4D point spread function (PSF) was recorded at different wavelengths and depths. In the next step, a multicolor, multiplane object was loaded and a single camera shot was recorded. Finally, the 4D information of the object was reconstructed by processing the object intensity distribution and 4D PSFs. The simulation results for the imaging concept are presented.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.