Physical optics

About: Physical optics is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5342 publications have been published within this topic receiving 101388 citations. The topic is also known as: wave optics.

The Talbot effect: recent advances in classical optics, nonlinear optics, and quantum optics

Abstract: The Talbot effect, also referred to as self-imaging or lensless imaging, is of the phenomena manifested by a periodic repetition of planar field distributions in certain types of wave fields. This phenomenon is finding applications not only in optics, but also in a variety of research fields, such as acoustics, electron microscopy, plasmonics, x ray, and Bose–Einstein condensates. In optics, self-imaging is being explored particularly in image processing, in the production of spatial-frequency filters, and in optical metrology. In this article, we give an overview of recent advances on the effect from classical optics to nonlinear optics and quantum optics. Throughout this review article there is an effort to clearly present the physical aspects of the self-imaging phenomenon. Mathematical formulations are reduced to the indispensable ones. Readers who prefer strict mathematical treatments should resort to the extensive list of references. Despite the rapid progress on the subject, new ideas and applications of Talbot self-imaging are still expected in the future.

Electron holography?basics and applications

Abstract: Despite the huge progress achieved recently by means of the corrector for aberrations, allowing now a true atomic resolution of 0.1 nm, hence making it an unrivalled tool for nanoscience, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suffers from a severe drawback: in a conventional electron micrograph only a poor phase contrast can be achieved, i.e. phase structures are virtually invisible. Therefore, conventional TEM is nearly blind for electric and magnetic fields, which are pure phase objects. Since such fields provoked by the atomic structure, e.g. of semiconductors and ferroelectrics, largely determine the solid state properties, hence the importance for high technology applications, substantial object information is missing.Electron holography in TEM offers the solution: by superposition with a coherent reference wave, a hologram is recorded, from which the image wave can be completely reconstructed by amplitude and phase. Now the object is displayed quantitatively in two separate images: one representing the amplitude, the other the phase. From the phase image, electric and magnetic fields can be determined quantitatively in the range from micrometre down to atomic dimensions by all wave optical methods that one can think of, both in real space and in Fourier space.Electron holography is pure wave optics. Therefore, we discuss the basics of coherence and interference, the implementation into a TEM, the path of rays for recording holograms as well as the limits in lateral and signal resolution. We outline the methods of reconstructing the wave by numerical image processing and procedures for extracting the object properties of interest. Furthermore, we present a broad spectrum of applications both at mesoscopic and atomic dimensions.This paper gives an overview of the state of the art pointing at the needs for further development. It is also meant as encouragement for those who refrain from holography, thinking that it can only be performed by specialists in highly specialized laboratories. In fact, a modern TEM built for atomic resolution and equipped with a field emitter or a Schottky emitter, well aligned by a skilled operator, can deliver good holograms. Running commercially available image processing software and mathematics programs on a laptop-computer is sufficient for reconstruction of the amplitude and phase images and extracting desirable object information.

Coriolis effect in optics: unified geometric phase and spin-Hall effect.

Abstract: We examine the spin-orbit coupling effects that appear when a wave carrying intrinsic angular momentum interacts with a medium. The Berry phase is shown to be a manifestation of the Coriolis effect in a noninertial reference frame attached to the wave. In the most general case, when both the direction of propagation and the state of the wave are varied, the phase is given by a simple expression that unifies the spin redirection Berry phase and the Pancharatnam-Berry phase. The theory is supported by the experiment demonstrating the spin-orbit coupling of electromagnetic waves via a surface plasmon nanostructure. The measurements verify the unified geometric phase, demonstrated by the observed polarization-dependent shift (spin-Hall effect) of the waves.

Introduction to nanophotonics

Abstract: Nanophotonics is where photonics merges with nanoscience and nanotechnology, and where spatial confinement considerably modifies light propagation and light-matter interaction. Describing the basic phenomena, principles, experimental advances and potential impact of nanophotonics, this graduate-level textbook is ideal for students in physics, optical and electronic engineering and materials science. The textbook highlights practical issues, material properties and device feasibility, and includes the basic optical properties of metals, semiconductors and dielectrics. Mathematics is kept to a minimum and theoretical issues are reduced to a conceptual level. Each chapter ends in problems so readers can monitor their understanding of the material presented. The introductory quantum theory of solids and size effects in semiconductors are considered to give a parallel discussion of wave optics and wave mechanics of nanostructures. The physical and historical interplay of wave optics and quantum mechanics is traced. Nanoplasmonics, an essential part of modern photonics, is also included.