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The three-dimensional (3-D) micro-scale surface imaging system based on the digital fringe projection technique for the assessments of microfiber and metric screw is presented in this paper. The proposed system comprises a digital light processing (DLP) projector, a set of optical lenses, a microscope, and a charge coupled device (CCD). The digital seven-step fringe patterns from the DLP projector pass through a set of optical lenses before being focused on the target surface. A set of optical lenses is designed for adjustment and size coupling of fringe patterns. A high-resolution CCD camera is employed to picture these distorted fringe patterns. The wrapped phase map is calculated by seven-step phase-shifting calculation from these distorted fringe patterns. The unwrapping calculation with quality guided path is introduced to compute the absolute phase values. The dimensional calibration methods are used to acquire the transformation between real 3-D shape and the absolute phase value. The capability of complex surface measurement for our system is demonstrated by using ISO standard screw M1.6. The experimental results for microfiber with 3 μm diameter indicate that the spatial and vertical resolutions can reach about 3 μm in our system. The proposed system provides a fast digital imaging system to examine the surface features with high-resolution for automatic optical inspection industry.

The fringe projection profilometry with sinusoidal patterns based on phase-shifting algorithms is commonly distorted by the nonlinear intensity response of commercial projector. In order to solve this issue, sinusoidal width modulation is presented to generate binary sinusoidal patterns for defocusing the projection. However, the residual errors in the phase maps are usually notable for highly accurate three-dimensional shape measurements. In this paper, we propose the fringe patterns of the sinusoidal, square, and triangular periodic waveforms with seven-step phase-shifting algorithm to further improve the accuracy of three-dimensional profile reconstruction. The absolute phase values are calculated by using quality guided path unwrapping. We learn that by properly selecting fringe patterns according to the target shape, the undesired harmonics of the measured surface have negligible effect on the phase values. The experiments are presented to verify the imaging performances of three fringe patterns for different testing targets. The triangular fringe patterns are suitable for the shape measurements of complex targets with curved surfaces. The results provide a great possibility for high-accuracy shape measurement technique with wider measuring depth range.

The characterization of surface micro-roughness is investigated by using off-specular measurements of polarized optical scattering. In the measurement system, the detection angles of optical scattering are defined by the vertical and level scattering angles. The rotating mechanism of angles is controlled by stepper motors. Waveplate and polarizer are used to adjust light polarization and detection. We conduct the optical scattering measurements by using four standard metal sheets of surface roughness. The nominal values (Ra) of standard micro-roughness are 1.6 μm, 0.8 μm, 0.4 μm, and 0.1 μm, respectively. Samples with different surface roughness are evaluated with the utilization of laser sources at three incident wavelengths. These polarized images are analyzed using a computer program to obtain the distribution of light intensity. The results show great correlation between the metal surface roughness and polarization states. This measurement system can be used to quickly and accurately distinguish between different surfaces and properties.

In this Letter, we report on a numerical study, fabrication, and experimental observations of photonic nanojet (PNJ) shaping by control of a tangential electric field component. Here the PNJs are generated by a single mesoscale micro-cube that is fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane, deposited on a silicon substrate and placed on thick metal screen at illuminating wavelengths of 405, 532, and 671 nm. It is shown that the length, focal length, and width of the PNJ can be significantly reduced in the presence of the metal masks along the side faces of the micro-cube. Experimental measurements of the PNJ imaging are performed by a scanning optical microscope with laser sources. Our experimental results are in reasonable agreement with simulation predictions of the finite-difference time-domain method. Due to the appearance of the metal masks, the PNJ focal length decreases 1.5 times, the PNJ decay length decreases 1.7 times, and the PNJ resolution increases 1.2 times. Such PNJs possess great potential in complex manipulation, including integrated plasmonic circuits, biosensing, and optical tweezers.

In this study, we present the simulations and experimental observations of photonic jet (PJ) shaping by control of tangential electric field components at illuminating wavelengths of 405 nm, 532 nm, and 671 nm. The PJs are generated by a single dielectric 4-micrometer cube that was fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The dielectric cube is deposited on a silicon substrate and placed on two aluminum masks with a width equal to the side length of the cube. Due to the appearance of the metal masks, the focal length and decay length of the generated PJs decreased almost twice, while the PJ resolution increased 1.2 times. Thus, PJ shaping can be controlled by the presence of the metal mask along the lateral surface of the cube without changing the external shape or internal structure of the cube. This effect is based on the control of the tangential components of the electric field along the lateral surface of the cube. In the case of a one-sided metal mask, the effect of optical deflection and bending is predicted to form a photonic hook. Due to the low cost of these dielectric cubes, they have potential in far-field systems to better meet the requirements of modern optical integration circuits and switches.

We demonstrate the concept of fiber-based terahertz hook. The subwavelength photonic hook is obtained in the vicinity of a shaped fiber tip with asymmetric radiation. A 193 THz continuous-wave source, commonly used for medical imaging, has been required. Photonic hook with a lateral feature size less than the half-wavelength is achieved using a hemispherical shaped fiber tip with metallic mask. This breakthrough is carried out in ambient air by using a 2.58λ - diameter fiber with a shaped tip (λ is a radiation wavelength). A good correlation is observed between the computed intensity distribution of photonic hook and the tip sizes. Photonic hook generated with a shaped fiber tip, easier to manipulate, shows far-reaching benefits for potential applications such as ophthalmic laser surgery, super-resolution microscopy, photolithography, and material processing.

Structured light have made deep impacts on modern biotechnology and clinical practice, with numerous optical systems and lasers currently being used in medicine to treat disease. We demonstrate a new concept of fiber-based optical hook scalpel. The subwavelength photonic hook is obtained in the vicinity of a shaped fiber tip with asymmetric radiation. A 1550 nm continuous-wave source, commonly used for medical imaging, has been required. Photonic hook with a lateral feature size less than the half-wavelength is achieved using a hemispherical shaped fiber tip with metallic mask. This breakthrough is carried out in ambient air by using a 4-μm-diameter fiber with a shaped tip. A good correlation is observed between the computed intensity distribution of photonic hook and the tip sizes. Photonic hook generated with a shaped fiber tip, easier to manipulate, shows far-reaching benefits for potential applications such as ophthalmic laser surgery, super-resolution microscopy, photolithography and material processing.

In this Letter, we report the experimental observations of a tunable curved photonic nanojet (photonic hook) generated by a 5 µm polydimethylsiloxane microcylinder deposited on a silicon substrate and illuminated by 405 nm laser beam. A moveable opaque aluminum-mask is mounted in front of the microcylinder implementing partial illumination and imparting spatial curvature to the photonic nanojet. Experimental results of main parameters (tilt angle, width, and intensity) of emerging photonic hooks exhibit close agreement with numerical predictions of the near-field optical structures. The experimentally measured full widths at half-maximum of photonic hooks are 0.48 λ , 0.56 λ , and 0.76 λ for tilt angles of θ = 0 ∘ , 5.7°, and 20.1°, respectively. Photonic hooks possess great potential in complex manipulation such as super-resolution imaging, surface fabrication, and optomechanical manipulation along curved trajectories.

At present three main mechanisms of optical propagation with periodically focused modes in the chains of dielectric spherical particles with a refractive index near n = 1.59 are considered in the literature: evanescent whispering gallery mode coupling, photonic nanojet-induced modes, and the propagation of transverse magnetic modes under conditions close to Brewster angle geometry. In this paper we show that quasi-periodical focusing modes exist in a range of near unity refractive indices for chains of dielectric particles in both spherical and cubic forms. We also show that such a medium can be considered a gradient index waveguide with a parabolic law of refractive index variation.

In this work, we experimentally demonstrate that a thin rectangle dielectric-metal structure can have a function of a flat focusing mirror based on photonic jet effect in reflection mode. Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rectangle with size length of 10 μm and wavelength-scale thickness of 1 μm on the top of a silicon wafer, we have built a flat mirror which focuses an incident beam at the focal length changing from 1.38 μm to 11.67 μm upon tuning the beam incidence angle from 30° to 75°. The focusing properties of such a mirror persist in the wavelength range of 405 nm to 671 nm. Our approach can be extended to realize other optical functionalities by properly controlling rectangle dimensions and materials. This flat focusing mirror is able to guide the incident beam in free space without perceptible diffraction at the distance equal to the photonic jet length and suitable for small-scale photonic circuits.

We first numerically and experimentally report large-area super-resolution optical imaging achieved by using core-shell microfibers. The particular spatial electromagnetic waves for different core-shell microfibers are studied by using finite-difference time-domain and ray tracing calculations. The focusing properties of photonic nanojets are evaluated in terms of intensity profile and full width at half-maximum along propagation and transversal directions. In experiment, the general optical fiber is chemically etched down to 6 µm diameter and coated with different metallic thin films by using glancing angle deposition. The direct imaging of photonic nanojets for different core-shell microfibers is performed with a scanning optical microscope system. We show that the intensity distribution of a photonic nanojet is highly related to the metallic shell due to the surface plasmon polaritons. Furthermore, large-area super-resolution optical imaging is performed by using different core-shell microfibers placed over the nano-scale grating with 150 nm line width. The core-shell microfiber-assisted imaging is achieved with super-resolution and hundreds of times the field-of-view in contrast to microspheres. The possible applications of these core-shell optical microfibers include real-time large-area micro-fluidics and nano-structure inspections.

Photonic nanojets formed in the vicinity of the cylindrical graded-index lens with different types of index grading are numerically investigated based on the finite-difference time-domain method. The cylindrical lens with 1600 nm diameter is assembled by eighty-seven hexagonally arranged close-contact nanofibers with 160 nm diameter. Simulation and analysis results show that it is possible to engineer and elongate the photonic nanojet. Using differently graded-index nanofibers as building elements to compose this lens, the latitudinal and longitudinal sizes of the produced photonic nanojet can be flexibly adjusted. At an incident wavelength of 532 nm, the cylindrical lens with index grading = 2 can generate a photonic nanojet with a waist about 173 nm (0.32 wavelength). This lens could potentially contribute to the development of a novel device for breaking the diffraction limit in the field of optical nano-scope and bio-photonics.

A photonic hook (PH) is a high-intensity, curved focusing beam with a subwavelength waist based on the photonic nanojet effect. It is generally created by illuminating mesoscale transparent particles using optical plane waves. In this work, we numerically explore the generation of the PH supported by the Janus microcylinder under point-source illumination. To simulate the photonic intensity distributions near the shadow surface of the Janus microcylinder, a finite-difference time-domain technique is used. The power flow distributions near the Janus microcylinder are examined for working in the visible spectrum. Due to the asymmetric vortices of Poynting vectors, the PH with a large bending angle can be produced. By changing the location of the point-source illumination, the shape and curvature of the PH can be adjusted efficiently. Moreover, when the point-source illumination is located close to the Janus microcylinder, a long focal length PH can be present. Based on the numerical results, we propose a practical modeling scheme for optical imaging using a microscope where the light source is close to the target.

We experimentally report the geometric effect on photonic nanojet generated by dielectric microcylinders with non-cylindrical cross-sections. The non-cylindrical cross-sections include truncated microcylinders and elliptical microcylinders. The truncated microcylinder is formed with the cutting thickness. The elliptical microcylinder is defined by ratio of minor to major axes. The specific spatial electromagnetic fields for microcylinders with different non-cylindrical cross-sections are studied by using finite-difference time-domain calculation. The direct imaging of photonic nanojets for microcylinders with different non-cylindrical cross-sections are performed with a scanning optical microscope system. The field distribution and location of photonic nanojet depending on the various spatial shapes are experimentally demonstrated. The photonic nanojet with long focal length and low divergence could be used to scan over a target to obtain a large area image when the non-cylindrical micro-media are coupled with a conventional optical microscope.

A digital multi-step phase-shifting profilometry for three-dimensional (3-D) ballscrew surface imaging is presented. The 3-D digital imaging system is capable of capturing fringe pattern images. The straight fringe patterns generated by software in the computer are projected onto the ballscrew surface by the DLP projector. The distorted fringe patterns are captured by the CCD camera at different detecting directions for reconstruction algorithms. The seven-step phase-shifting algorithm and quality guided path unwrapping algorithm are used to calculate absolute phase at each pixel position. The 3-D calibration method is used to obtain the relationship between the absolute phase map and ballscrew shape. The angular dependence of 3-D shape imaging for ballscrews is analyzed and characterized. The experimental results may provide a novel, fast, and high accuracy imaging system to inspect the surface features of the ballscrew without length limitation for automated optical inspection industry.

In this study, we investigate an optical modulation of the focusing mirror based on photonic jet effect working in the reflection mode The photonic jet effects excited by surface plasmon polariton (SPP) in the near-field on the front-side of different core–shell micro-cuboids positioned on a substrate are presented. The core–shell micro-cuboid consists of a metallic shell (silver or gold) and a dielectric core (polydimethylsiloxane). The specific localized intensity distributions of the generated photonic jet at different core–shell micro-cuboids are simulated by using finite-difference time-domain technique. The experimental observations of focusing modulation are performed by a scanning optical microscope with oblique illumination. Due to the nature of SPP, the highly focused electric field near the metal–dielectric interface of the gold-coating micro-cuboids is enhanced by about 4 times. The generation of the focusing mirror based on SPP photonic jet can be flexibly controlled by varying the metallic shell. The controllable focusing mirror is a great possibility for integrated plasmonic circuits, surface optical tweezers, and biosensing.

In this study, we propose a new design of a dielectric-coated concave hemicylindrical mirror for efficient generation of a reflective photonic hook (PH). Numerical approaches based on the finite-difference time-domain technique are used to investigate the physical mechanism of reflective PH formation. The field intensity distributions and photonic fluxes near the concave mirror are analyzed for working in the reflection mode. The asymmetric vortexes of Poynting vectors cause the reflective PH with a large bending angle. By changing the refractive index of the dielectric film, the shape and curvature of the reflective PH can be efficiently adjusted. Moreover, the narrow waist of the reflective PH is obtained beyond half of the incident wavelength. This compact dielectric-coated concave mirror has proven its practicability for integrated photonic circuits in the reflection mode.

In this work, we thoroughly investigate the shape, size, and location of the photonic nanojets (PNJs) generated from the illuminated dome lens. The silk fiber is directly extracted from the cellar spider and used to form the dome lens by its liquid-collecting ability. The solidified dielectric dome lenses with different dimensions are obtained by using ultraviolet curing. Numerical and experimental results show that the long PNJs are strongly modulated by the dimension of the dome lens. The optimal PNJ beam shaping is achieved by using a mesoscale dielectric dome lens. The PNJ with a long focal length and a narrow waist could be used to scan over a target for large-area imaging. The silk fiber with a dome lens is especially useful for bio-photonic applications by combining its biocompatibility and flexibility.

The study of accelerating Airy-family beams has made significant progress, not only in terms of numerical and experimental investigations, but also in conjunction with many potential applications. However, the curvature of such beams (and hence their acceleration) is usually greater than the wavelength. Relatively recently, a new type of localized wave beams with subwavelength curvature, called photonic hooks, was discovered. This paper briefly reviews the substantial literature concerning photonic jet and photonic hook phenomena, based on the photonic jet principle. Meanwhile, the photonic jet ensemble can be produced by optical wave diffraction at 2D phase diffraction gratings. The guidelines of jets’ efficient manipulation, through the variation of both the shape and spatial period of diffraction grating rulings, are considered. Amazingly, the mesoscale dielectric Janus particle, with broken shape or refractive index symmetry, is used to generate the curved photonic jet—a photonic hook—emerging from its shadow-side surface. Using the photonic hook, the resolution of optical scanning systems can be improved to develop optomechanical tweezers for moving nanoparticles, cells, bacteria and viruses along curved paths and around transparent obstacles. These unique properties of photonic jets and hooks combine to afford important applications for low-loss waveguiding, subdiffraction-resolution nanopatterning and nanolithography.

The photonic nanojet is a highly concentrated beam with low divergence on the shadow side of dielectric microparticles. In this Letter, we first theoretically and experimentally investigate the formation of high-quality photonic nanojets by decorating spider silk. The dragline silks are directly extracted from cellar spiders and capable of efficiently collecting ultraviolet cure adhesive. The liquid-collecting capacity of the captured silk is the result of a singular fiber structure with periodic spindle knots. Using a scanning-optical-microscope system, we show that high-quality photonic nanojets are generated by silk fiber with spindle knots. With the variation in spindle-knot dimensions, the properties of photonic nanojets, such as intensity distribution, focal length, and full width at half-maximum, are able to tune flexibly. By combining the unique biocompatibility, flexibility, and tensile strength, the silk filaments with spindle knots pave a potential way for original bio-photonic applications.

The generations of photonic jet array using rectangle phase diffraction grating at visible light region are demonstrated numerically and experimentally for the first time. The power flow patterns for the rectangle diffraction grating are simulated by using the finite-difference time-domain method. In experiment, the rectangle phase diffraction grating was fabricated with polydimethylsiloxane material. The direct imaging of the spatial and amplitude features for the gratingassisted photonic jet array is performed with a scanning optical microscope system. The focusing qualities of photonic jet array are evaluated in terms of focal length and transversal width along propagation and transversal directions. The photonic jet array could be operated in a wide range application for nanotechnology, self-assembly, energy generation and storage materials through the rectangle phase diffraction grating.

The out-of-plane polarimetric imaging based on hemispherical light-scattering measurement for the wood laminates is presented. We constructed a goniometric polarized imaging system that is capable of capturing polarized light-scattering images. The backscattering of the wood surfaces is estimated with the use of out-of-plane laser illumination at three wavelengths (405 nm, 532 nm, and 671 nm). The intensity distributions of polarized light scattered from the wood laminates are measured. The polarized light-scattering images are generated for each detecting direction and found to be capable of inspecting anisotropy of the wood surfaces including the year ring. The measurements yield angular dependence of bidirectional ellipsometric parameters for distinguishing wood textures. The experimental results help in the study of bidirectional ellipsometric parameters to scheme a new polarized imaging system and to classify the wood grain orientation.

High intensity and low divergence photonic nanojet-induced modes are observed in a chain of dielectric microdisks illuminated from the side with laser source of wavelengths 405 nm, 532 nm, and 671 nm. The properties of transmission in a chain of dielectric microdisks are calculated by using finite-difference time-domain method. The spectra of propagation lightwave within the chains of SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 microdisks are directly measured by a scanning optical microscope system with an optical-fiber probe. The photonic nanojet-induced modes are observed from the optical microscope images for the 3 μm, 5 μm, and 8 μm microdisk chains on a silicon substrate. The incident lightwave can be periodically reproduced in chains of dielectric microdisks due to photonic nanojets. The theoretical and experimental results on the field-of-view, transmission, and scattering loss are reported. Understanding these nanojet-induced modes is critical for selecting suitable microdisks to construct optical waveguides and photonic circuits for efficient lightwave guiding.

The direct imaging of photonic nanojets in different dielectric microdisks illuminated by a laser source is reported. The SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 microdisks are of height 650 nm with diameters ranging from 3 μm to 8 μm. The finite-difference time-domain calculation is used to execute the numerical simulation for the photonic nanojets in the dielectric microdisks. The photonic nanojet measurements are performed with a scanning optical microscope system. The photonic nanojets with high intensity spots and low divergence are observed in the dielectric microdisks illuminated from the side with laser source of wavelengths 405 nm, 532 nm and 671 nm. The experimental results of key parameters are compared to the simulations and in agreement with theoretical results. Our studies show that photonic nanojets can be efficiently created by a dielectric microdisk and straightforwardly applied to nano-photonics circuit.

Modern materials science and technologies based on the advanced lithographies, nanophotonics and electronics use the effect of super-focusing of light based on photonic nanojet (PNJ) array produced by close packing of spherical microparticles. To control the key parameters of photonic jets array the phase grating may be applied. For the first time the experimental direct imaging of the spatial and amplitude features of PNJ ensemble formation near the shadow surface of a saw-tooth phase diffraction grating is presented here for 3 different wavelengths: 405, 532, and 761 nm. It is shown that the PNJs array from such phase diffraction gratings, in contrast to microparticle self-assemblies, produces an array of PNJs with controlled characteristics: the length, width, and focal length of PNJ. They are changed in proportion to the incident wavelength. For the designed wavelength of $lambda_{0}=532 ext{nm}$ , the length of PNJ is $5.48~lambda_{0}$ , the beam waist is $0.75~lambda_{0}$ and the focal length is equal to $1.1~lambda_{0}$ .

In the present paper the basic characteristics (length, peak intensity, and full-width half-maximum) of nanojets formed in the vicinity of dielectric core-shell cuboids with different types of index grading are investigated by finite-difference time domain method . The latitudinal and longitudinal sizes of a nanojet and its peak intensity depending on the optical contrast variation of cuboids core-shells are numerically investigated. It has been shown that it is possible to control and elongate the nanojet abnormally. It also was shown that graded cuboid with dimensions of 4 × 4 × 4 wavelength may has FWHM of a jet less than uniform cuboid with dimensions of 1 × 1 × 1 wavelength. At wavelength of 600 nm graded index cuboid with dimensions of 4 × 4 × 4 wavelength and index grading = 2 allow to form photonic jet with FWHM about 232 nm or 0.39 wavelength.

The generations of localized photonic nanojets using core-shell diffraction gratings working in the visible light region are demonstrated numerically. The power flow patterns for the core-shell diffraction gratings are simulated by using the finite-difference time-domain method. The focusing qualities of localized photonic nanojets are evaluated in terms of focal length and transversal width along propagation and transversal directions. Due to surface plasmon polaritons, it has been demonstrated that the metallic shell is critical for power enhancement of photonic nanojet. The high-resolution imaging of the core-shell diffraction grating can be expected from the high-intensity photonic nanojet. The photonic nanojet could be operated in a wide range imaging for nano-scale targets through the core-shell diffraction grating.

The generation of linear photonic nanojet using core-shell optical microfiber is demonstrated numerically and experimentally in the visible light region. The power flow patterns for the core-shell optical microfiber are calculated by using the finite-difference time-domain method. The focusing properties of linear photonic nanojet are evaluated in terms of length and width along propagation and transversal directions. In experiment, the silica optical fiber is etched chemically down to 6 μm diameter and coated with metallic thin film by using glancing angle deposition. We show that the linear photonic nanojet is enhanced clearly by metallic shell due to surface plasmon polaritons. The large-area superresolution imaging can be performed by using a core-shell optical microfiber in the far-field system. The potential applications of this core-shell optical microfiber include micro-fluidics and nano-structure measurements.

In this Letter, we investigated the experimental observation of the specific spatially localized photonic jet array formed by core–shell phase diffraction gratings (PDGs). The core–shell PDG consists of a metallic shell (copper, silver, and gold) and a dielectric core (polydimethylsiloxane) with the hemispherical and triangular grooves. The finite-difference time-domain technique is employed to simulate the near-field scattering of optical radiation at different core–shell PDGs. The direct imaging of a photonic jet array is performed by a scanning optical microscope for experimental verification. Our numerical and experimental results showed that each type of core–shell PDGs generate the photonic jet array with unique properties. The optical intensity of the photonic jet array is greatly enhanced by gold-coating PDG due to surface plasmon resonance. The presented core–shell PDGs can be manipulated to design high-efficiency optical elements for steering the photonic jet array in a wide range of applications.

A novel polarimetric measurement based on hemispherical light-scattering for the assessment of superficial screw is presented. The optical system is capable of capturing polarized light images. The effect of the thread surface backscattering is estimated with the use of in-plane and out-of-plane illumination. The angular distributions of polarized light scattered by the ISO metric screws are measured for light incident from a green laser. A partial Stokes vector imaging detector is mounted on a motorized rotating arm at an oblique angle to the sample normal and consists of a 10-bit scientific camera, an object lens, and a polarizer. The partial Stokes vector images of light scattered towards the camera are generated for each direction and a useful decomposition of the partial Stokes vector is presented. The thread surface effects can be minimized using out-of-plane polarized illumination in conjunction with polarized images. The experimental result may provide a new polarized imaging technique for using visible light to inspect the key features of a screw in automated optical inspection system.

The photonic nanojet shaping effect in the dielectric non-spherical microparticles is reported. The specific spatial electromagnetic field is studied by using finite-difference time-domain calculation which constitutes the so-called photonic nanojet. The dielectric non-spherical microparticle is truncated by the cutting thickness. The latitudinal and longitudinal dimensions of the photonic nanojet and its peak intensity depending on the variation of cutting thickness are numerically researched. The shape dependence of the photonic nanojet in the non-spherical microparticles has been investigated by quality criterion. The practical results are drawn concerning the possible procedures to gain the control over the properties of photonic nanojet in the non-spherical microparticles. The shaping mechanism has a significant impact on the use of photonic nanojet to distinguish nanoscale specimens.

The detailed analysis of localized photonic nanojets generated at the shadow side surfaces of dielectric elliptical microcylinder illuminated by a plane wave is reported. We have studied the distribution of the electric energy density within and in the vicinity outside an elliptical microcylinder by using finite-difference time-domain calculation with high resolution. The location of photonic nanojet depends on the radius ratio of the microcylinder. We have further analyzed the effect of the rotation angle of elliptical microcylinder upon the focal length of photonic nanojets. The horizontal and vertical shifts of photonic nanojet can be changed by rotating the rotation angle of elliptical microcylinder. The mechanisms of elliptical microcylinder may supply a new ultra-lens approach to distinguish nanoscale targets such as nanoparticles, optical gratings, and nanoscale surface roughness.

The three-dimensional real-space observation of photonic nanojet in different microspheres illuminated by a laser is reported. The finite-difference time-domain technique is used to perform the three-dimensional numerical simulation for the dielectric microspheres. The key parameters of photonic nanojet are measured by using a scanning optical microscope system. We reconstruct the three-dimensional real-space photonic nanojets from the collected stack of scanning images for polystyrene microspheres of 3 μm, 5 μm, and 8 μm diameters deposited on a glass substrate. Experimental results are compared to calculations and are found in good agreement with simulation results. The full width at half-maximum of the nanojet is 331 nm for a 3 μm microsphere at an incident wavelength of 633 nm. Our investigations show that photonic nanojets can be efficiently imaged by a microsphere and straightforwardly extended to rapidly distinguish the nano-objects in the far-field optical system.

The three-dimensional real-space observation of photonic nanojet-induced modes in a chain of microspheres with different diameters is reported. The optical transmission properties of a chain of microspheres are studied by using high resolution finite-difference time-domain calculation. The photonic nanojet-induced modes in different chains of microspheres are measured by using a scanning optical microscope system with an optical-fiber probe. We observe the photonic nanojet-induced modes from optical microscope images for chains of 3 μm, 5 μm, and 8 μm microspheres deposited on a patterned silicon substrate. The incident beam can be periodically reproduced in chains of dielectric microspheres giving rise to lossless periodically optical focusing with period of two diameters. Detailed theoretical and experimental data on the transmission, scattering loss, and field-of-view are presented. This waveguide technique can be used in biomedical microscopy, ultra-precise laser process, microfluidics, and nanophotonic circuits.

The electro-optical channel drop switching in a photonic crystal waveguide-cavity side-coupling system is reported. The line waveguide is formed by removing a single row of dielectric cylinders. The twin optical microcavities side coupled between linear waveguides is studied by solving Maxwell's equations. We determine the general characteristics of the coupling element required to achieve channel drop tunneling. By modulating the conductance of the twin microcavities, the electrical tunability of the resonant modes is observed in the transmission spectrum. The spectral characteristics suggest a potential application for this switching device as an efficient multichannel optical switch in the photonic integrated circuits.

The tunable nanojet-induced mode achieved by coupled core–shell microcylinders with nematic liquid crystals is reported. The optical transmission properties of touching core–shell microcylinders with nematic liquid crystals are studied by using high resolution finite-difference time-domain simulation. We identify two rotation mechanisms of liquid crystal in terms of the coupling efficiency between neighboring core–shell microcylinders. The nanojet-induced guided modes depend strongly on the directors of liquid crystals. The optical transport can be continuously tuned in the core–shell microcylinder by controlling the directors of liquid crystals. The coupled core–shell microcylinders can be assembled inside hollow structures to build tunable optical waveguides for effective and low-loss guiding of photons.

Bidirectional ellipsometry has been developed as a technique for distinguishing among various scattering features near surfaces. The polarized angular dependence of three-dimensional light-scattering by the nanoparticles on thin film wafer is calculated and measured. These calculations and measurements yield angular dependence of bidirectional ellipsometric parameters for out-of-plane light-scattering. The experimental data show good agreement with theoretical predictions for different nanoparticle diameters and thin film thicknesses when bidirectional ellipsometry was employed to measure nanoparticles (60 nm, 100 nm, and 200 nm) on Si wafers with different film thicknesses of 2 nm, 5 nm, and 10 nm. Not only are the diameters of the nanoparticles determined, but also the film thicknesses can be calculated and distinguished from the measurement results. Additionally, the results indicate that improved accuracy is possible for measurements of scattering features from nanoparticles and thin films.

A tunable ultracompact electro-optical photonic crystal ring resonator with high transmission is reported. The photonic crystal ring resonator is obtained by removing a ring shape of cylinders from a square lattice of dielectric cylinders in air. The transmission spectra of this ring resonator have been investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain technique. The general characteristics of the ring elements to achieve resonant tunneling are determined. By modulating the conductibility of the inner cylinders in the ring resonator, the electrical tunability of the resonant modes is observed in the transmission spectrum. The research results should open opportunities for this ring resonator as ultracompact filters, optical add-drop multiplexers, electro-optical N × N switches, and modulators.

A tunable photonic nanojet achieved using a core–shell microcylinder with nematic liquid crystal is reported. The core–shell microcylinder can be obtained by the infiltration of liquid crystal into the air core of a microcylinder. The refractive indices of the liquid crystals can be changed by rotating the directors of the liquid crystals. Therefore, we were able to control the flow direction of the photonic nanojet in two-dimensional core–shell microcylinder structures. Using high resolution finite-difference time-domain simulation, we demonstrate that the photonic nanojet can be continuously tuned in the core–shell microcylinder. The horizontal and vertical shifts of photonic nanojet depend strongly on the director of the liquid crystals. Such a mechanism of nanojet adjustment should open up a new application for using visible light to detect nanoparticles, optical gratings, and single molecules with subwavelength spatial resolution.

The detailed analysis of localized elongated photonic nanojets generated by a graded-index microellipsoid is reported. Using high resolution flnite-difierence time-domain simulation, we have studied the distribution of the electric energy density within and in the vicinity outside a dielectric core-shell microellipsoid. Here we consider dielectric composite microellipsoid consisting of a core and several concentric shells having difierent types of index grading. It becomes possible to elongate the nanojet abnormally. The latitudinal and longitudinal sizes of a nanojet and its peak intensity depending on the optical contrast variation of shells are numerically investigated. The results may provide a new ultra-microscopy technique for optical detection of natural or artiflcially introduced nanostructures deeply embedded within biological cells.

A core-shell structure based on three-dimensional micro-cuboids connected by photonic nanojets is proposed with the aim for power enhancement of surface plasmon polaritons. The performance of the core-shell micro-cuboid is evaluated and compared with the dielectric micro-cuboid. The dependence of the power enhancement with the metallic shell is also evaluated and demonstrated that the metallic shell is critical for engineering photonic nanojet. The subwavelength focusing is obtained from the photonic nanojet. The significant effect of core-shell micro-cuboids can be used to distinguish nano-scale objects.

The ultra-high transmission of photonic nanojet induced modes in chains of core–shell microcylinders illuminated by a plane wave is reported. Using high resolution finite-difference time-domain simulation, the periodical focusing of lightwave in straight chains of touching core–shell microcylinders is characterized with the periodicity of photonic nanojets corresponding to the diameter of two microcylinders. The core–shell microcylinders are efficiently coupled to the collimated incident lightwaves. We observe the lightwave with high optical transport of 3 dB in the maxima of transmission spectra for a chain of core–shell microcylinders. The chains of core–shell microcylinders can be assembled inside hollow waveguide and used in a variety of microscopy techniques, biomedical applications, and optical microprobes with subwavelength spatial resolution.

A tunable electro-optical 2 × 2 beam splitter based on two-dimensional rod-type photonic crystals is presented. The beam splitter consists of two orthogonally crossed linear waveguides and a single center rod in square lattice photonic crystals. In order to create a linear waveguide, the radius of a line of rods is reduced. A single center rod is positioned at the intersection of the linear waveguides to divide the input lightwave into output ports. The switching mechanism is a change in the conductance of the waveguide region and hence modulating the guided modes. The tunable beam splitter can be applied to photonic integrated circuits.

The super-enhancement of photonic nanojets generated at the shadow side surfaces of core-shell microcylinders illuminated by a plane wave is reported. Using high resolution finite-difference time-domain simulation, the enhancements of photonic nanojet at resonance and off-resonance conditions of microcylinders are investigated. The intensity enhancement of photonic nanojet depends strongly on the thickness of metal shell. Under proper resonance condition, the photonic nanojet super-enhancement can be excited in the core-shell microcylinder. Even under off-resonance condition, the photonic nanojet from microcylinder is still strong enough. The results may provide a new technique to detect and image nanoscale objects below the diffraction limit. This could yield a new ultra-microscopy technique for using visible light to detecting nanoparticles, optical gratings, and single molecules.

Photonic crystals (PCs) have many potential applications because of their ability to control lightwave propagation. We have investigated a tunable ultrashort electro-optical power divider in two-dimensional PC structures. The power divider, composed of a dielectric cylinder in air, is studied by solving Maxwell's equations using the plane wave expansion method and finite-difference time-domain method. The power-splitting mechanism is analogous to that of conventional directional couplers, utilizing coupling between guided modes supported by line defect waveguides. To increase the coupling coefficient of the PC coupler, the radius of the rods between two waveguides is reduced. The switching mechanism is a change in the conductance in the coupling region between the waveguides and hence modulating the coupling coefficient, and eventually switching is achieved. Such a mechanism of wavelength multiplexing should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.

Photonic crystals have many potential applications because of their ability to control lightwave propagation. We have investigated the tunability of lightwave propagation in two-dimensional hole-type photonic crystal structures. The linear waveguides can be obtained by the infiltration of liquid crystals into air holes in hole-type photonic crystal with square lattices. The refractive indices of liquid crystals can be changed by rotating the directors of liquid crystals. Therefore, we can control the lightwave propagation in two-dimensional hole-type photonic crystal structures. Such a mechanism of lightwave adjustment should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.

Photonic crystals have many potential applications because of their ability to control lightwave propagation. We have investigated the electro-optical resonant switching in two-dimensional photonic crystal structures. The optical microcavity side coupled with a waveguide composed of a dielectric cylinder in air is studied by solving Maxwellʼs equations using the plane wave expansion method and finite-difference time-domain method. The switching mechanism is a change in the conductance of the microcavity and hence modulating the resonant mode and eventually resonant switching is achieved. Such a mechanism of switching should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.

Photonic crystals have many potential applications because of their ability to control lightwave propagation. We report on the fabrication and optical properties of quasi-two-dimensional photonic crystals with triangular lattice of dielectric rods in air. Rod-type photonic crystal structures were fabricated in silicon by electron beam lithography and dry-etching techniques. Wavelength division multiplexing splitters were fabricated from two-dimensional photonic crystal directional waveguide couplers. Transmission spectra were measured and device operation was shown to be in agreement with theoretical calculations. The splitters can be used in visible light region. Such an approach to photonic element systems should enable new applications for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.

The paper presents a new lock-in amplifier with a differential input. The lock-in amplifier has a high common-mode rejection ratio of 200 dB at 1 kHz and 160 dB in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 100 kHz. A method for extending the dynamic range of comparing signals is suggested. The experimental results of metrological characteristic tests are discussed.