One- and two-dimensional diffractive optical devices have been fabricated by light-assisted trapping and patterning of nanoparticles. The method is based on the dielectrophoretic forces appearing in the vicinity of a photovoltaic crystal, such as Fe:LiNbO3, during or after illumination. By illumination with the appropriate light distribution, the nanoparticles are organized along patterns desig...

Novel Optical Devices for Information Processing. (May 2006) Zhijie Deng, B. Eng., Tsinghua University, Beijing, China Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Philip R. Hemmer Optics has the inherent advantages of parallelism and wide bandwidths in processing information. However, the need to interface with electronics creates a bottleneck that eliminates many of these advantages. The proposed researc...

Planar diffractive optical elements are well suited to fulfill the needs of optical interconnections. They are efficient and can serve as focusing elements, imaging elements, beam deflectors, and fan-out elements. Almost any shape of structure can be realized. This flexibility allows complex and compact interconnections. Two different types of diffractive optical elements exist: the holographic...

We describe a class of diffractive optical elements intended for use in holographic optical trapping systems that project ring-like optical traps. Unlike optical vortex traps, which carry orbital angular momentum, these ring-like traps implement a force-free one-dimensional potential energy well for micrometer scale objects. Also unlike most optical vortices or ring-like Bessel beams, these rin...

Binary Optics: Binary (diffractive) optics uses computer-aided design (CAD) tools and verylarge-scale-integration (VLSI) electronic circuit manufacturing technology to create novel optical devices and to provide design freedom and new materials choices for optical elements. When combined with conventional (refractive) optical lens systems, binary optical systems cannot only provide athermalizat...

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Direct imaging systems that create an image of object directly on the sensor in a single step are prone to many constraints, as perfect is required be recorded within this step. In designing high resolution direct with diffractive lens, outermost zone width either reaches lithography limit or diffraction itself, imposing challenges fabrication. However, if mode switched indirect one consisting ...

Technical Group members are being offered the option of receiving the Optics in Information Systems Newsletter electronically. An e-mail is being sent to all group members with the web location for this issue, and asking members to choose between the electronic and printed version for future issues. If you are a member and have not yet received this message, then SPIE does not have your correct...