In this paper we present a new development of the distributed-index planar microlens of 2.5-3-mm focal length and 0.15 N.A. and also show that it is usable with optical components in fiber communications. We then propose a concept of stacked planar optics consisting of a stack of arrayed planar microlenses and other optical components. From this configuration a 2-D array of optical devices is m...

A probable binary period has been detected in the optical counterpart to the X-ray source CXOU J005455. The source is coincident with an Optical Gravitational Lensing (OGLE) object in the lightcurves of which several optical outburst peaks are visible at ∼ 268 day intervals. Timing analysis shows a period of 268.6 ± 0.1 days at > 99% significance. Archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) dat...

In this paper, we present a summary of the main properties and difficulties when performing the characterization, the measurement, the identification and the control of systems dedicated to the micro/nano-world.

High-performance integrated optics, solar cells, and sensors require nanoscale optical components at the surface of the device, in order to manipulate, redirect and concentrate light. High-index dielectric resonators provide the possibility to do this efficiently with low absorption losses. The resonances supported by dielectric resonators are both magnetic and electric in nature. Combined scat...

We report on the optimization of staircase grating profiles for the case of absorbing grating materials. Using a simple numerical algorithm, we determined the grating parameters, maximizing the first-order diffraction efficiency for different numbers of staircase steps. The results show that there is a significant difference between the staircase profiles for nonnegligible and negligible absorp...

Critical concepts from three different fields, elasticity, plasmonics and metamaterials, are brought together to design a metasurface at the geophysical scale, the resonant metawedge, to control seismic Rayleigh waves. Made of spatially graded vertical subwavelength resonators on an elastic substrate, the metawedge can either mode convert incident surface Rayleigh waves into bulk elastic shear ...

We observe imaging through windows comprising pairs of confocal lenslet arrays that have different focal lengths but that are otherwise identical. Image space is stretched in the longitudinal direction only. Such windows are examples of METATOYs, optical components that can change light-ray direction in ways that appear wave-optically forbidden.

The uncertainty principle formulated by Heisenberg in 1927 describes a trade-off between the error of a measurement of one observable and the disturbance caused on another complementary observable such that their product should be no less than the limit set by Planck's constant. However, Ozawa in 1988 showed a model of position measurement that breaks Heisenberg's relation and in 2003 revealed ...

We review recent progress at the Centre for Cold Matter in developing atom chips. An important advantage of miniaturizing atom traps on a chip is the possibility of obtaining very tight trapping structures with the capability of manipulating atoms on the micron length scale. We recall some of the pros and cons of bringing atoms close to the chip surface, as is required in order to make small st...

We demonstrate experimentally that a one-dimensional photonic crystal with a homeotropic nematic liquid crystal defect behaves as a polarization-sensitive nonlinear all-optical device. We study statics and dynamics of the nonlinear optical response for linearly and circularly polarized beams and show enhanced light sensitivity and polarization self-modulation effects.