USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Peak Nano Optics LLC

Guy Beadie

James S Shirk

Richard Flynn

Predrag Milojkovic

Joseph Mait

William S Rabinovich

Virginia D Wheeler

Steven R Bowman

Marc Currie

Erin F Fleet

Richard Lepkowicz

Three or more base optical materials are selectively combined into a trans-gradient index (GRIN) optical element (e.g., a lens). A wavelength-dependent index of refraction for light propagating perpendicular to the three or more optical materials equals: a volume fraction of a first optical material multiplied by a refractive index of the first optical material, plus a volume fraction of a second optical material multiplied by a refractive index of the second optical material, plus one minus the volume fraction of the first optical material and the volume of the second optical material all multiplied by the refractive index of a third optical material. The wavelength-dependent index of refraction distribution and a refractive index dispersion through the GRIN optical element may be independently specified from one another. A local refractive index at any point in the optical element is a fixed function of a refractive index of each individual optical material.

Independent control of both index and dispersion in gradient index optics

A tunable spectral filter comprising a phase change material is incorporated into a multilayered dielectric structure. The dielectric permittivity, and thus the filter properties, of the structure can be modified by producing a change in the phase change material, e.g., causing a metal-insulator transition. By controllably causing such a change in the dielectric permittivity of the phase change material, the spectral transmittance and reflectance of the structure, and thus its filter properties, can be modified to provide a predetermined transmittance or reflectance of electromagnetic radiation incident on the structure. In preferred embodiments, the phase change material layer is a vanadium dioxide (VO) film formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD).

Tunable spectral filters

The systems, devices, and methods described herein relate to modulo GRIN optical design concepts. The modulo GRIN optical design may include optical devices including may include one or more gradient portions. These optical devices may include an index of refraction with a profile that gradually transitions along an axis of the optical devices with areas of abrupt change. The profile of this index of refraction may provide a shorter focal length than possible using conventional GRIN index of refraction profiles.

Modulo grin optical devices

A method of making an achromatic gradient index singlet lens comprising utilizing a gradient index material with a curved front surface in which light does not follow a straight line as it travels through the material and wherein different color rays traverse different curved paths, utilizing the natural dispersion of the curved front surface as a strong positive lens, and developing a weakly diverging GRIN distribution within the lens to balance the chromatic aberrations of the curved front surface.

Achromatic gradient index singlet lens

A multiple quantum well spatial light modulator combines both optically addressed and electrically addressed portions on a single wafer. The electrically and optically addressed portions may be physically distinct or combined. To fabricate the modulator, a portion of an optically addressed multiple quantum well spatial light modulator is configured as an electrically addressed portion by pixellating that portion of the multiple quantum well wafer. The frequency of the applied voltage to the electrically addressed portion is increased such that the voltage switches faster than both the dark and illuminated screening time. The electrically and optically addressed portions may be combined or positioned side-by-side. The spatial light modulator has applications in a wide variety of low-cost, high performance pattern recognition systems. In one system, a first infrared beam impinges the electrically addressed portion of the modulator and picks up the pattern electrically written thereon (i.e., the template image). A second infrared beam impinges the optically addressed portion of the modulator and picks up the pattern written thereon by a white light writing beam (i.e., sample image). The first and second infrared beams then pass through a lens, where the beams are Fourier transformed in the plane of an optically addressed spatial light modulator (OASLM). The correlation hologram formed on the OASLM is read out by a third infrared beam and detected using a photodiode array. In a second system, the lens and OASLM are replaced with a parabolic reflector which reflects the first and second infrared beams onto the optically addressed portion of the modulator.

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Falls Church, VA, United States of America

Guy Beadie