Journal of The Optical Society of America A-optics Image Science and Vision最新文献

We show that the antisymmetric Mueller generator provides a universal algebraic kernel for geometric phase in classical polarization optics and in quantum two-level systems. For any ideal retarder, the antisymmetric 3×3 block of its Mueller matrix (the antisymmetric generator of the adjoint SU(2) action on the Stokes vector) encodes the angular-velocity vector that drives the tangential motion on the Poincaré sphere and fully determines the Pancharatnam-Berry phase, while the symmetric block is geometrically neutral. The same antisymmetric generator governs the evolution of pure qubit states on the Bloch sphere. This unified viewpoint yields operational criteria to identify and control geometric-phase contributions from measured Mueller matrices and from qubit process tomography.

Real-time imaging or spectroscopic applications of Mueller matrix polarimetry (or generalized ellipsometry) often require the acquisition of partial Mueller matrices only. We advance an efficient algebraic procedure allowing for the completion of a partial Mueller matrix, a row and a column of which are missing, i.e., only nine out of the 16 elements of which are measured, to a full Mueller matrix, assuming the measurement is non-depolarizing. Unlike already existing approaches, the novel one does not require the calculation of auxiliary quantities, such as the Jones matrix or the covariance matrix, and does not resort to any approximations, e.g., that of weak anisotropy, thus making it both fast and accurate. The algebraic procedure is validated under real-time experimental conditions during spectroscopic measurements using a snapshot instrument and can be used in both reflection and transmission measurement configurations.

We introduce the hybrid broken-ray tomography (HBRT) for three-dimensional imaging of weakly scattering systems. The HBRT utilizes fluorescent contrast agents and combines the principles and advantages of the broken-ray tomography and the non-reciprocal broken-ray tomography introduced by us previously. The HBRT uses angularly resolved intensity measurements at the incident and fluorescence wavelengths to reconstruct the attenuation and scattering coefficients at the excitation wavelength anywhere within the sample, as well as the attenuation coefficient at the fluorescence wavelength and the contrast agent concentration in the regions of contrast agent accumulation. The principles of HBRT have been validated by Monte Carlo simulations.

Birefringent media can be characterized through either their intrinsic parameters or their equivalent parameters, which are complementary. Commonly, some parameters are measured experimentally while others are derived via non-bijective relations, which can lead to ambiguous results and erroneous models of the medium. To address this issue, a physically grounded criterion is proposed, along with an experimental methodology for the independent and simultaneous measurement of both parameter sets. This approach resolves ambiguity by ensuring that only physically meaningful parameter values are determined. The validity of this method has been experimentally confirmed in several birefringent media.

Free-space light propagation is inevitably influenced by atmospheric turbulence, which leads to scintillation, arrival-of-angle (AOA) fluctuation, or even optical link interruption. Conducting outfield experiments directly often involves haze pollution, uncontrollable weather, and greater labor and material costs. Therefore, it is of great significance to carry out the laboratory investigation of laser propagation based on a turbulence simulator with good performance. The turbulence simulator proposed in this work has the advantages of having a wide inertial region, good controllability, and high experimental repeatability. An AOA fluctuation measurement system is established, assisted by the home-built turbulence simulator. Simultaneously, the variance, power spectra, and probability distribution of AOA fluctuation were collected and analyzed with two laser beam diameters using a comparative approach. The experimental results show the suppression effect of the broad laser beam on AOA fluctuation. Additionally, the variation of the atmospheric refractive index structure constant is inverted by the AOA fluctuation variance.

We present an inverse method for designing a three-dimensional imaging system comprised of freeform reflectors. We impose an imaging condition on the optical map and combine it with the law of conservation of energy to conclude that the ratio of energy distributions at the source and target of an imaging system must be constant. A mathematical model for the design of a parallel-to-point system consisting of two freeform reflectors is presented. A Schwarzschild telescope, a classical design known for the maximum correction of third-order aberrations, is utilized to specify the design parameters in the mathematical model, enabling us to compute an inverse freeform imaging system. The performance of both designs is compared by ray tracing various parallel beams of light and determining the corresponding spot sizes of the image. We demonstrate that our inverse freeform design is superior to the classical design.

The Richards-Wolf integral models electromagnetic fields in high-NA optical systems like microscopes, capturing polarization effects of azimuthally polarized beams, but is limited to spherical wavefronts, failing to account for aberrations or aspherical surfaces. A novel, to our knowledge, generalized diffraction integral [Appl. Opt.64, 6036 (2025)10.1364/AO.568541] extends this framework to handle freeform vectorial fields and aberrations, reducing to the classical form for spherical cases. We apply this method to compute the point spread function (PSF) of microscopes with aspherical wavefronts and azimuthal polarization, analyzing aberration impacts. Our results show improved PSF accuracy, enhancing super-resolution imaging and optical trapping and thus advancing polarization-sensitive microscopy design.

This paper investigates the evolution of energy flow distribution in Lorentz-Gauss beams under helico-conical modulation. Based on the Richards-Wolf vector diffraction theory, we derived the electromagnetic field expressions for azimuthally polarized Lorentz-Gauss beams. The longitudinal and transverse energy flow distributions were obtained via the Poynting vector. Subsequently, helico-conical modulation was applied to systematically examine the influence of various parameters on the energy flow distribution. Through coordinated modulation of multiple parameters, we achieved multi-directional spreading of both longitudinal and transverse energy flow components. Such energy flow distributions may offer potential applications in multi-directional optical information transfer and related fields.

An average intraocular lens (IOL) tilt of approximately 5 deg relative to the visual axis is consistently reported in the clinical literature, with the implication that it represents a lens malposition. Modern biometry equipment also now routinely generates "chord" values related to tilt of the eye (chord alpha), and to centration of the pupil (chord mu), with other equipment measuring tilts directly. In this work, clinical data were used to create raytrace eye models, and these show that decentration of the foveal center from the optical axis causes a 5 deg rotation from the optical axis to the visual axis (angle α), with similar values for both phakic and pseudophakic eyes, which explains the apparent lens tilt when viewing along the visual axis. Additional findings include that the iris is modestly decentered nasally from the optical axis, the cornea is typically measured along the keratometric axis but eye models are configured around the optical axis, and that lines drawn at 5 deg angles from the pupils meet at a distance corresponding to near vision. These findings clarify the geometric origin of commonly reported IOL tilt values and have important implications for clinical practice.

Visual starbursts are images perceived by people watching a bright light source with a dilated pupil. They are generated by the optical aberrations of a person's eye. The problem of starbursts is considered for two families of symmetric aberration functions. The first is homogeneous polynomials, and the second is aberration functions that are invariants under rotation by 2π/q for any integer q. A complete geometrical characterization of the starbursts is given in both cases. The theory is used to solve the inverse problem of estimating the high-order aberrations from the observed starbursts.