Sub-diffraction limited focusing lenses

Optical: systems and elements – Holographic system or element – Using a hologram as an optical element

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359 20, 359565, 359569, G02B 518, G02B 532, G02B 2742, G02B 2744

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active

052786790

ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to the fabrication of lenses which can focus a light beam to a spot size which is smaller than that allowed by diffraction theory. A composite lens function is constructed using a strong centered lens function and several additional lens functions having different weights, different separation distances from the center, and different phases. The focused spot consists of the vector sum of these differently weighted electric fields from the separate lens functions. By varying the separation distances, the weights, and the phases of the additional lens functions, the vector sum of the electric fields from the lens functions produces a focused spot whose width is less than the diffracted limited spot size. Such composite lens functions can be produced, for example, using diffractive optics techniques or by programming the lens function onto a spatial light modulator.

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