The concept of optical phase discontinuities is applied to the design and demonstration of aberration-free planar lenses and axicons, comprising a phased array of ultrathin subwavelength-spaced optical antennas. The lenses and axicons consist of V-shaped nanoantennas that introduce a radial distribution of phase discontinuities, thereby generating respectively spherical wavefronts and nondiffracting Bessel beams at telecom wavelengths. Simulations are also presented to show that our aberration-free designs are applicable to high-numerical aperture lenses such as flat microscope objectives.

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Aberration-free ultrathin flat lenses and axicons at telecom wavelengths based on plasmonic metasurfaces.

For many years, laser-driven ion acceleration, mainly proton acceleration, has been proposed and a number of proof-of-principle experiments have been carried out with lasers whose pulse duration was in the nanosecond range. In the 1990s, ion acceleration in a relativistic plasma was demonstrated with ultra-short pulse lasers based on the chirped pulse amplification technique which can provide not only picosecond or femtosecond laser pulse duration, but simultaneously ultra-high peak power of terawatt to petawatt levels. Starting from the year 2000, several groups demonstrated low transverse emittance, tens of MeV proton beams with a conversion efficiency of up to several percent. The laser-accelerated particle beams have a duration of the order of a few picoseconds at the source, an ultra-high peak current and a broad energy spectrum, which make them suitable for many, including several unique, applications. This paper reviews, firstly, the historical background including the early laser-matter interaction studies on energetic ion acceleration relevant to inertial confinement fusion. Secondly, we describe several implemented and proposed mechanisms of proton and/or ion acceleration driven by ultra-short high-intensity lasers. We pay special attention to relatively simple models of several acceleration regimes. The models connect the laser, plasma and proton/ion beam parameters, predicting important features, such as energy spectral shape, optimum conditions and scalings under these conditions for maximum ion energy, conversion efficiency, etc. The models also suggest possible ways to manipulate the proton/ion beams by tailoring the target and irradiation conditions. Thirdly, we review experimental results on proton/ion acceleration, starting with the description of driving lasers. We list experimental results and show general trends of parameter dependences and compare them with the theoretical predictions and simulations. The fourth topic includes a review of scientific, industrial and medical applications of laser-driven proton or ion sources, some of which have already been established, while the others are yet to be demonstrated. In most applications, the laser-driven ion sources are complementary to the conventional accelerators, exhibiting significantly different properties. Finally, we summarize the paper.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0034-4885/75/5/056401/pdf

Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications.

Optical forces can be used to manipulate biological and colloidal material in a non-contact manner. This forms the foundation of a wealth of exciting science, particularly in the fields of physics, biology and soft condensed matter. Although the standard Gaussian single-beam trap remains a very powerful tool, shaping the phase and amplitude of a light field provides unusual light patterns that add a major new dimension to research into particle manipulation. This Review summarizes the impact and emerging applications of shaped light in the field of optical manipulation.

Shaping the future of manipulation

A new class of solutions to the scalar wave equation was introduced recently that represents transversely localized but totally nondiffracting fields. We show by the method of stationary phase that any of these wave fields can be realized approximately with a laser and a single computer-generated hologram. We briefly discuss various techniques for coding and fabrication of the required hologram and the associated diffraction efficiencies. Using both binary-amplitude and four-level phase holograms, we demonstrate experimentally the formation of arbitrary-order Bessel beams and rotationally nonsymmetric beams.

Realization of general nondiffracting beams with computer-generated holograms

During the integration time required to obtain fine Dopplerfrequency resolution in a range-Doppler imaging radar, a point on a rotating object may move through several range and Doppler resolution cells and produce a smeared image. This motion can be compensated by storing the appropriately processed return pulse, and the angular coordinates are determined by the angular coordinates of the radar antenna. The resulting stored data represents the three-dimensional Fourier transform of the object reflectivity density, and hence can be processed by an inverse Fourier transformation. Also included is an analysis of the three-dimensional radar/object geometry with separate source and receiver locations. The effects of various system aberrations are investigated and experimental results from a microwave test range which demonstrate the image improvement are presented.

Range-Doppler Imaging of Rotating Objects

A search for a universal-focus lens has led to a new class of optical elements. These are called axicons. There are many different kinds of axicons but probably the most important one is a glass cone. It may be either transmitting or reflecting. Axicons form a continuous straight line of images from small sources.One application is in a telescope. The usual spherical objective is replaced by a cone. This axicon telescope is in focus for targets from a foot or so to infinity without the necessity of moving any parts. It can be used to view simultaneously two or more small sources placed along the line of sight.If a source of light is suitably added to the telescope it becomes an autocollimator. Like ordinary autocollimators it can be used to determine the perpendicularity of a mirror. In addition, it can simultaneously act as a telescope for a point target which may be an illuminated pinhole in the mirror.The axicon autocollimator is also a projector which projects a straight line of images into space.

The Axicon: A New Type of Optical Element

The most common axicon is a flat cone. A small source of light on the axis of the cone is imaged into a line along a portion of the axis. In lenses the spot diagram has been useful in evaluating image quality. In axicons a corresponding line diagram where lines take the place of dots is useful. In general, axicon instruments correspond to the usual optical instruments. For example, an axicon may be used as an objective to form a telescope. The resulting axicon telescope may be used in aligning machinery such as paper mills. Similarly, an axicon autocollimator may be used to precisely set mirrors perpendicular to a line. One form of axicon microscope has been tried out for the special purpose of locating the position of shiny surfaces without touching them. A most useful form of optical aligner is the reflection cone axicon. It is used as a straight edge. One example is a reflecting cone of 6 in. diam and maximum range of 40 ft with precision of 5 or 6 wavelengths over the entire range. Another example is a 5 in. diam cone with a range of 10 ft and precisions of about 1 wavelength. In this case the use of a suitable radius for the reflecting surface had the effect of making the image brightness substantially uniform over the 10 ft range. Photo cell pickup has been shown to be successful with very high precisions of setting. This opens the way for automatic machine guiding to very high precisions.

Axicons and Their Uses

Fresnel type lenses of high precision and excellent surface quality have been made in thin sheet plastic materials. The prismatic elements are very fine—about 0.003″ to 0.005″—and are not visible to the average unaided eye. A high degree of correction for spherical aberration has been achieved. Molded from high precision molds, lenses have been made in diameters of two to fifteen inches and focal lengths of 212 to 2212 inches. Relative apertures in excess of f/1.0 have been made. These lenses have found many applications as light collecting elements where weight and space are limited. Such applications include uses for large condensers, large field lenses in finders, camera viewing screens, and translucent screens for projection.

Thin Sheet Plastic Fresnel Lenses of High Aperture

Optical aligners employing axicons

This invention relates to apparatus for coating the surface of glass with interference layers to prevent Fresnel reflections. The present invention relates to apparatus for coating the lenses according to process involving the evaporation of a fluoride supported in a vacuum by an electrically...

John H Mcleod

Papers

The Axicon: A New Type of Optical Element

Axicons and Their Uses

Thin Sheet Plastic Fresnel Lenses of High Aperture

Optical aligners employing axicons

Nonreflecting coating for glass