Open AccessThin-film Pancharatnam lens with low f-number and high quality
Author(s) -
Kun Gao,
HsienHui Cheng,
Achintya K. Bhowmik,
Philip J. Bos
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.026086
Subject(s) - optics , fabrication , holography , lens (geology) , polarization (electrochemistry) , materials science , refractive index , bandwidth (computing) , focal length , circular polarization , optoelectronics , physics , computer science , telecommunications , medicine , chemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , microstrip
We have made an ultra-thin (~2.26 µm) f/2.1 lens based on the Pancharatnam phase effect using the polarization holography alignment technique. This lens exhibits a continuous phase profile, high efficiency (>97%), and is switchable from having a positive focal length to a negative one by changing the handedness of input circularly polarized light. We analyzed its optical performance and simulated it as a gradient index lens for further comparison, and to discuss its bandwidth limitation. The conditions required for improving the performance and its low-cost fabrication method is discussed. Because of the nature of Pancharatnam devices and the demonstrated fabrication method, these results are applicable to a wide size range.