Journal article
Complex vectorial optics through gradient index lens cascades
- Abstract:
- Graded index (GRIN) lenses are commonly used for compact imaging systems. It is not widely appreciated that the ion-exchange process that creates the rotationally symmetric GRIN lens index profile also causes a symmetric birefringence variation. This property is usually considered a nuisance, such that manufacturing processes are optimized to keep it to a minimum. Here, rather than avoiding this birefringence, we understand and harness it by using GRIN lenses in cascade with other optical components to enable extra functionality in commonplace GRIN lens systems. We show how birefringence in the GRIN cascades can generate vector vortex beams and foci, and how it can be used advantageously to improve axial resolution. Through using the birefringence for analysis, we show that the GRIN cascades form the basis of a new single-shot Müller matrix polarimeter with potential for endoscopic label-free cancer diagnostics. The versatility of these cascades opens up new technological directions.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Version of record, pdf, 2.8MB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1038/s41467-019-12286-3
Authors
- Publisher:
- Nature Research
- Journal:
- Nature Communications More from this journal
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- Article number:
- 4264
- Publication date:
- 2019-09-19
- Acceptance date:
- 2019-08-29
- DOI:
- EISSN:
-
2041-1723
- Pmid:
-
31537802
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
pubs:1054648
- UUID:
-
uuid:902ea20b-a5f4-44ac-b0a5-3e4b2083a052
- Local pid:
-
pubs:1054648
- Source identifiers:
-
1054648
- Deposit date:
-
2019-10-01
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- He et al
- Copyright date:
- 2019
- Notes:
- Copyright © The Author(s) 2019. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record